In the light of challenges to sustainable development in the post-2015 development agenda, this study assesses how increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions affect inclusive human development in 44 countries in sub-Saharan Africa for the period 2000-2012. The following findings are established from Fixed Effects and Tobit regressions. First, unconditional effects and conditional impacts are respectively positive and negative from CO2 emissions per capita, CO2 emissions from liquid fuel consumption and CO2 intensity. This implies a Kuznets shaped curve because of consistent decreasing returns. Second, the corresponding net effects are consistently positive. The following findings are apparent from Generalised Method of Moments (GMM) regressions. First, unconditional effects and conditional impacts are respectively negative and positive from CO2 emissions per capita, CO2 emissions from liquid fuel consumption and CO2 intensity. This implies a U-shaped curve because of consistent increasing returns. Second, the corresponding net effects are overwhelmingly negative. Based on the robust findings and choice of best estimator, the net effect of increasing CO2 emissions on inclusive human development is negative. Policy implications are discussed.


Drug name recognition (DNR) is an essential step in the Pharmacovigilance (PV) pipeline. DNR aims to find drug name mentions in unstructured biomedical texts and classify them into predefined categories. State-of-the-art DNR approaches heavily rely on hand crafted features and domain specific resources which are difficult to collect and tune. For this reason, this paper investigates the effectiveness of contemporary recurrent neural architectures - the Elman and Jordan networks and the bidirectional LSTM with CRF decoding - at performing DNR straight from the text. The experimental results achieved on the authoritative SemEval-2013 Task 9.1 benchmarks show that the bidirectional LSTM-CRF ranks closely to highly-dedicated, hand-crafted systems.


Abstract The objective of this study was to identify molecular responses in Ditylenchus destructor to cold and desiccation by means of transcriptomes analyses. A total of 102,517 unigenes were obtained, with an average length of 1,076 bp, in which 58,453 (57%) had a functional annotation. A total of 1154 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) distributed over 1078 unigenes were detected. Gene expression profiles in response to cold and desiccation stress and the expression of specific stress-related genes were compared. Gene ontology analysis and pathway-based analysis were used to further investigate the functions of the differentially expressed genes. The reliability of the sequencing data was verified through quantitative real-time PCR analysis of 19 stress-related genes. RNA interference used to further assess the functions of the cold-related unigenes 15628 and 15596 showed that the knockdown of each of these genes led to decreased cold tolerance of D. destructor. Hence, this study revealed molecular processes and pathways active in cold- or dessication-treated nematodes. The transcriptome profiles presented in this study provide insight into the transcriptome complexity and will contribute to further understand stress tolerance in D. destructor.


Pillar[n]arenes, which we first synthesized and named in 2008, are new pillar-shaped macrocyclic hosts. Pillar[n]arene homologues with n = 5-10 have already been synthesized, but the cyclic pentamers, i.e., pillar[5]arenes, and cyclic hexamers, i.e., pillar[6]arenes, have been most widely used because these can be obtained in good yields. To date, nearly all pillar[n]arene-based supramolecular assemblies have been constructed using pillar[5]- and pillar[6]arene scaffolds. In this feature article, we describe supramolecular assemblies built using host-guest interactions depending on the cavity sizes of pillar[5]- and pillar[6]arenes. We first discuss the effects of the type of substituents on the rims of pillar[5]- and pillar[6]arenes on their solubilities, functionalities and host-guest properties. We then discuss supramolecular assemblies based on their host-guest properties and pillar-shaped architectures.


In this paper we analyse some bootstrap techniques to make inference in INAR(p) models. First of all, via Monte Carlo experiments we compare the performances of these methods when estimating the thinning parameters in INAR(p) models. We state the superiority of sieve bootstrap approaches on block bootstrap in terms of low bias and Mean Square Error (MSE). Then we apply the sieve bootstrap methods to obtain coherent predictions and confidence intervals in order to avoid difficulty in deriving the distributional properties.


The molecular mechanisms of skeletal muscle adaptation to spaceflight are as yet not fully investigated and well understood. The MUSCLE BIOPSY study analyzed pre and postflight deep calf muscle biopsies (m. soleus) obtained from five male International Space Station (ISS) astronauts. Moderate rates of myofiber atrophy were found in long-duration mission (LDM) astronauts (~180 days in space) performing routine inflight exercise as countermeasure (CM) compared to a short-duration mission (SDM) astronaut (11 days in space, little or no inflight CM) for reference control. Conventional H&E scout histology showed enlarged intramuscular connective tissue gaps between myofiber groups in LDM post vs. preflight. Immunoexpression signals of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, collagen 4 and 6, COL4 and 6, and perlecan were reduced while matrix-metalloproteinase, MMP2, biomarker remained unchanged in LDM post vs. preflight suggesting connective tissue remodeling. Large scale proteomics (space omics) identified two canonical protein pathways associated to muscle weakness (necroptosis, GP6 signaling/COL6) in SDM and four key pathways (Fatty acid β-oxidation, integrin-linked kinase ILK, Rho A GTPase RHO, dilated cardiomyopathy signaling) explicitly in LDM. The levels of structural ECM organization proteins COL6A1/A3, fibrillin 1, FBN1, and lumican, LUM, increased in postflight SDM vs. LDM. Proteins from tricarboxylic acid, TCA cycle, mitochondrial respiratory chain, and lipid metabolism mostly recovered in LDM vs. SDM. High levels of calcium signaling proteins, ryanodine receptor 1, RyR1, calsequestrin 1/2, CASQ1/2, annexin A2, ANXA2, and sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA1) pump, ATP2A, were signatures of SDM, and decreased levels of oxidative stress peroxiredoxin 1, PRDX1, thioredoxin-dependent peroxide reductase, PRDX3, or superoxide dismutase [Mn] 2, SOD2, signatures of LDM postflight. Results help to better understand the spatiotemporal molecular adaptation of skeletal muscle and provide a large scale database of skeletal muscle from human spaceflight for the better design of effective CM protocols in future human deep space exploration.


In the 1990s, scientists at European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) suggested that artificially enhancing turbulent diffusion in stable conditions improves the representation of two important aspects of weather forecasts, i.e., near‐surface temperatures and synoptic cyclones. Since then, this practice has often been used for tuning the large‐scale performance of operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, although it is widely recognized to be detrimental for an accurate representation of stable boundary layers. Here we investigate why, 20 years on, such a compromise is still needed in the ECMWF model. We find that reduced turbulent diffusion in stable conditions improves the representation of winds in stable boundary layers, but it deteriorates the large‐scale flow and the near‐surface temperatures. This suggests that enhanced diffusion is still needed to compensate for errors caused by other poorly represented processes. Among these, we identify the orographic drag, which influences the large‐scale flow in a similar way to the turbulence closure for stable conditions, and the strength of the land‐atmosphere coupling, which partially controls the near‐surface temperatures. We also take a closer look at the relationship between the turbulence closure in stable conditions and the large‐scale flow, which was not investigated in detail with a global NWP model. We demonstrate that the turbulent diffusion in stable conditions affects the large‐scale flow by modulating not only the strength of synoptic cyclones and anticyclones, but also the amplitude of the planetary‐scale standing waves.


The ring opening of 2-substituted N,N-dibenzylaziridinium ions by bromide exclusively occurs at the substituted aziridine carbon atom in a stereospecific way, whereas the opposite regioselectivity was observed for hydride-induced ring opening at the unsubstituted position; furthermore, this unprecedented hydride-promoted reactivity was validated by means of Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations.


Summary The rapid development of multimedia and internet allows for wide distribution of digital media data. It becomes much easier to edit, modify and duplicate digital information. In additional, digital document is also easy to copy and distribute, therefore it may face many threats. It became necessary to find an appropriate protection due to the significance, accuracy and sensitivity of the information. The strength of the hiding science is due to the non-existence of standard algorithms to be used in hiding secret messages. Also there is randomness in hiding methods such as combining several media (covers) with different methods to pass a secret message. Furthermore, there is no formal method to be followed to discover a hidden data. In this paper, a new information hiding system is presented. The aim of the proposed system is to hide information (data file) in an execution file (EXE) without change the size of execution file. The new proposed system is able to embed information in an execution file without change the size of execution file. Meanwhile, since the cover file might be used to identify hiding information, the proposed system considers overcoming this dilemma by using the execution file as a cover file.


For the very first time, this study attempts to address the heat dissipation from an isothermal ribbed sphere under the action of pure natural convection. Semicircular ribs of different radii are superimposed azimuthally on the outer surface of a sphere. The addition of ribs on the sphere serves a dual purpose in its practical applications: beautification of electronic devices such as spherical light sources as well as an increase in heat dissipation from the hot surface, which prevents the electronic component from getting overheated. Finite volume method-based axisymmetric numerical simulations are performed in the laminar flow regime for the following ranges of nondimensional parameters: Rayleigh number (102 ≤ Ra ≤ 108), inter-rib-spacing to sphere diameter (0.191 ≤ P/D ≤ 0.785), and rib-radius to sphere diameter (0.03 ≤ R/D ≤ 0.083). The main target of this study is to identify the critical parameters for heat transfer enhancement from the ribbed sphere compared to a conventional plane sphere. The results obtained from this work show that the average Nusselt number increases with an increase in Ra and P/D, whereas it decreases as R/D increases. Effectiveness of the ribs (εrib) and critical Rayleigh numbers (Racr), corresponding to εrib = 1, are also calculated. Ribs are more effective in heat dissipation at low Ra and P/D and high R/D. A correlation for the average Nusselt number is also developed in this work, which would help design a better thermal management system.


In this study we explored variation in the countability of nouns in Outer Circle, Expanding Circle and lingua franca Englishes, a phenomenon which is frequently cited as a marker of Inner Circle norms in TESOL and of endonormative and emerging varieties in the Outer and Expanding Circles. We inspected a set of mass nouns like information and equipment in the VOICE corpus and websites from Outer and Expanding Circle country domains. We also evaluated potential causes of variation, investigating differences between Outer and Expanding Circles and the contribution of substrate influence. Our data show notable and widespread countable use of nouns that are generally non-count in Inner Circle Englishes, but such usage is highly infrequent overall. There appears to be greater variation in the Outer than the Expanding Circle, but little evidence of a determining role for substrate influence. We conclude that the prominence given to countability as a marker of 'nativeness' and 'non-nativeness' is unhelpful, in both the prescriptive context of TESOL and the descriptive contexts of world Englishes and English as a Lingua Franca. We advocate the use of web-based corpora to investigate lexico-grammatical variation in lingua franca usage and to reveal the 'plurilithic' nature of English.


Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) may be idiopathic and corresponds to sporadic disease without any familial history or identified risk factors, or heritable when it occurs in the hereditary context; germline mutations in the bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2 ( BMPR2 ) gene, are detected in 70% of heritable PAH cases (1). Even in sporadic cases, PAH is associated with impaired BMPRII signalling, occurring through small mothers against decapentaplegic (SMAD) proteins (2).


We present a multiobjective genetic algorithm that incorporates various genetic algorithm techniques that have been proven to be efficient and robust in their problem domain. More specifically, we integrate rank based selection, adaptive niching through coevolutionary sharing, elitist recombination, and non-dominated sorting into a multiobjective genetic algorithm called ERMOCS. As a proof of concept we test the algorithm on a softkill scheduling problem.


Note: Proc. 15th Europ. Conference on Contr. Fusion and Plasma Heating, Dubrovnik (Cavtat), Yugoslavia, May 1988, Vol. 12B, Part II, 758 - 762 (1988) Reference CRPP-CONF-1988-019 Record created on 2008-05-13, modified on 2017-05-12


Based on the knowledge representation of cloud theory and rough sets, a rough-cloud model is put forward, which bridges the gap between quantitative knowledge and qualitative knowledge. In relation to classical rough sets, the rough-cloud model can deal with the uncertainty of the attribute and make a soft discretization for continuous ones. A novel approach, including discretization, attribute reduction, value reduction and data complement, is presented. With the origin data rough reduction, a combination cloud generator is put forward, which combines forward cloud generator and backward cloud generator to a close-loop structure. The generator is used to load model for power system to solve the load origin data shortage of distribution system. Considering of the distribution system load data characteristic, the restriction equations and system data complement unit are joined to combination cloud generator, which ensure that the created load data cover most of the system situation without impossible data. The cloud drop reflects the fuzziness and randomness of the load data. The loads are identified by T-S fuzzy model based on the generation cloud drop. The identification result implies the effectiveness and usefulness of the approach by the contrast with some kinds of universal load model.


Purpose: To analyze delayed diagnosis, we collected date on pediatric and adolescent patients who had been admitted to the Emergency Department with injuries due to minor trauma. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the age distribution, trauma mechanism, time interval for each affected body region at delayed diagnosis, hospital stay, and outcome for 161 pediatric and adolescent patients who had been admitted to the Emergent Department of Gachon University Gil Hospital from January 2006 to September 2008. Results: The incidence of delayed diagnosis in pediatric and adolescent trauma was 11.8% in our retrospective review of 161 pediatric and adolescent patients. Lengths of hospitalization were longer in patients with delayed diagnosis (p<0.05). Patients with delayed diagnosis were more often transferred to other hospitals than patients with non-delayed diagnosis (p<0.05). The time intervals for each different affected body regions at delayed diagnosis were significantly different, but the hospital stays were not. There were no statistical significance to age on affected body region. Conclusion: From this study, we found that admission result and hospital stay were statistically significant differences between the delayed-diagnosis patient group and the non-delayed-diagnosis patient group. Finally, we must follow up pediatric and adolescent patients with minor trauma, closely considering missed injuries. (J Korean Soc Traumatol 2009;22:212-7)


A study on the pathogenesis of Trypanosoma evawi was carried out in 5 buffalo calves and 5 buffalo adults, 6 Holstein-Friesian calves and 6 Holstein-Friesian adults, and 6 Ongole calves and 6 Ongole adults, each ofwhich was divided into 3 infected and 2 uninfected buffalo calves and adults, and 3 infected and 3 uninfected calves and adults of Holstein Friesians and Ongoles. None of infected animals showed acute clinical signs along the course of the observation period, however roughness of the hair and skin, emaciation, weakness and loss of weight gains were the common clinical signs. Clinical signs of calves were more severe than adults, and those of buffaloes were more severe than cattle . Gross pathological changes were not specific . The mortality rate was 2/3 in buffalo calves, 1/3 in Holstein-Friesian calves and 1/3 in Ongole calves . None of infected adults died of infection. Buffaloes had longer and higher parasitemia than Holstein-Friesians or Ongoles. Erythrocyte counts of infected animals decreased to lower levels than controls, however they fluctuated in the normal values . Haemoglobin and PCV values of infected animals were significantly lower than those of non-infected controls, and those of calves were more severe than adults, and those of buffaloes were more severe than cattle . Infections resulted in loss of weight gains which was the greatest in buffaloes then followed by Holstein-Frisians and finally Ongoles.


The pink shrimp trawling fishery (Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis and F. paulensis) in the Ubatuba region acts intensely on the populations of some benthic species. The impact of fisheries on herbenthic community is unknown. Samples of herbenthic community were obtained monthly from July/1995 to August/1996. The last haul from a commercial trawler operating on the northern coast of Sao Paulo State and the southern coast of Rio de Janeiro State was preserved (from being discarded) and identified at the species level. 29 species of crustaceans were found, but only Hepatus pudibundus, Callinectes ornatus, Dardanus insignis, Libinia spinosa, Sicyonia tipica, Portunus spinimanus, Portunus spinicarpus, and Persephona mediterranea had high occurrence and frequency values. Such species were the main crustacean itens in the bycatch of the pink shrimp fisheries in Ubatuba for the period of study. The total bycatch was about 1502 tons, composed by 119 tons of incidental catch and 1383 tons of discarded catch. Considering the study area, these values were quite high demonstrating that some species may have been overfished.


Vanderbilt's official undergraduate literary and arts journal including refereed work in fiction, poetry, drama, art, and photography from students, alumni, and University affiliates.


A novel wide stopband coplanar waveguide (CPW) low pass filter (LPF) using quarter wavelength stepped impedance resonators (SIR) is presented. The bandstop characteristics of the quarter wavelength short circuited stubs SIR are demonstrated. By cascading three tapered quarter wavelength short circuited stubs SIR and a CPW spurline resonator, the fabricated low pass filter has sharp rejection with cutoff frequency of 3.5 GHz, and deep attenuation from 3.7 GHz to 11 GHz lower than −24 dB. Good agreement between simulated and measured results is demonstrated.


Abstract Prokaryotes use CRISPR–Cas systems for adaptive immunity, but the reasons for the frequent existence of multiple CRISPRs and cas clusters remain poorly understood. Here, we analysed the joint distribution of CRISPR and cas genes in a large set of fully sequenced bacterial genomes and their mobile genetic elements. Our analysis suggests few negative and many positive epistatic interactions between Cas subtypes. The latter often result in complex genetic organizations, where a locus has a single adaptation module and diverse interference mechanisms that might provide more effective immunity. We typed CRISPRs that could not be unambiguously associated with a cas cluster and found that such complex loci tend to have unique type I repeats in multiple CRISPRs. Many chromosomal CRISPRs lack a neighboring Cas system and they often have repeats compatible with the Cas systems encoded in trans. Phages and 25 000 prophages were almost devoid of CRISPR–Cas systems, whereas 3% of plasmids had CRISPR–Cas systems or isolated CRISPRs. The latter were often compatible with the chromosomal cas clusters, suggesting that plasmids can co-opt the latter. These results highlight the importance of interactions between CRISPRs and cas present in multiple copies and in distinct genomic locations in the function and evolution of bacterial immunity.


Multi-ethnic and multi-religious make up of Malaysian society requires a deft hand in managing ethnic relation. Malaysia has histories of flares of ethnic relations such as the May 13 incident in 1969. One of the causes attributed to the incident is unruly speeches that incite inter-ethnic hatred. Apart from social and economic policies and action-plans, laws regarding speech could also be used as a tool to prevent such incidents. Sedition law is one of the legislation uses to suppress speech that may incite violence between ethnic groups. The law has been used in number of incidents including political speeches that tend to cause ill feeling and hostility between ethnic groups. The courts have also decided in several cases to punish writers of seditious publication. However, there were also criticisms of abuse of sedition law in suppressing or inhibiting dissent against the government of the day. After 60 years of the Sedition Act 1948, it is timely to consider its usefulness and efficacy in managing ethnic relations. The study seeks to analyse the use and abuse of sedition law by looking at legislation, judgement of the courts and reported incidents regarding sedition law. The paper also will consider whether there is a better legislative scheme to do the job of managing ethnic relation without abuse by politician.


Background: Hospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM) competencies are of growing importance in training general pediatricians and pediatric sub-specialists. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) emphasized pediatric trainees should understand the "impact of chronic disease, terminal conditions and death on patients and their families." Currently, very little is known regarding pediatric trainee education in HPM. Methods: We surveyed all 486 ACGME-accredited pediatric training program directors (PDs) - 200 in general pediatrics (GP), 57 in cardiology (CARD), 64 in critical care medicine (CCM), 69 in hematology-oncology (ONC) and 96 in neonatology (NICU). We collected training program's demographics, PD's attitudes and educational practices regarding HPM. Results: The complete response rate was 30% (148/486). Overall, 45% offer formal HPM curriculum and 39% offer a rotation in HPM for trainees. HPM teaching modalities commonly reported included conferences, consultations and bedside teaching. Eighty-one percent of all respondents felt that HPM curriculum would improve trainees' ability to care for patients. While most groups felt that a HPM rotation would enhance trainees' education [GP (96%), CARD (77%), CCM (82%) and ONC (95%)], NICU PDs were more divided (55%; p < 0.05 for all comparisons vs. NICU). Conclusion: While most programs report perceived benefit from HPM training, there remains a paucity of opportunities for pediatric trainees. Passive teaching methods are frequently utilized in HPM curricula with minimal diversity in methods utilized to teach HPM. Opportunities to further emphasize HPM in general pediatric and pediatric sub-specialty training remains.


Background: Mucositis is a common side effect in children with cancer experienced chemotherapy. Levine's Conservation Theory views children as open individuals who always respond to the environment. Children with cancer undergoing chemotherapy are seen as individuals who adapt to threats from the internal-external environment. The threat from the internal environment is the presence of cancer cells that threaten normal cells, while the external environment is the side effects of chemotherapy and environmental exposure. The nurse is responsible for carrying out a series of nursing processes to prevent the occurrence of mucositis due to chemotherapy.
 Objectives: Thisstudyaimedtoexplorethenursingprocessthatwasgiventochildrenexperiencing chemotherapy-induced mucositis using Levine's Conservation Theory.
Methods: This study was conducted with a case study. Ten children with cancer who experienced chemotherapy due to mucositis was participated in this study. Nursing process was applying by Levine Conservation Theory for one month at National Referal Hospital in Jakarta. Case studies are carried out by applying the nursing process according to Levine's Conservation Theory, which consists of trophicognosis, hypothesis, nursing intervention and evaluation. Data analysis within cases and across cases is conducted by content analysis related to Levine's evaluation model.
Results: The results of the case study show that eight clients experienced energy conservation imbalances, ten clients experienced structural integrity disorders and eight clients experienced impaired social integrity. The results of the application of the Levine Conservation Theory for one month showed only two clients who could not achieved energy conservation and structural integrity.
Conclusion/Importance: This case study shows that the Levine conservation model can be used in the nursing process in children with mucositis to maintain energy conservation and structural integrity. Nurses are expected to understand the application of Levine's conservation theory to clients who are prone to conservation problems.


These six papers constitute the most comprehensive and up-to-date survey of modal and tense logic now available. Reading them gives one a good sense of how much the field has developed in the last twenty years. The papers can be divided into three pairs. Those by Bull-Segerberg and van Benthem deal, for the most part, with propositional modal systems; those by Burgess and Thomason, with propositional tense systems; and those by Garson and Cocchiarella with predicate modal systems. I will discuss each of the three pairs, emphasizing the last. Basic modal logic is really two papers. The first nine sections written by K. Segerberg, contain an informative modern history of the subject, a catalogue of some of the more important modal systems, and brief discussions of consequence relations, semantic tableaux, and natural deduction systems. The discussion of natural deduction includes a sketch of a novel system for the logic K, in which the usual elimination and introduction rules are replaced by rules for elimination and introduction in modal For disjunction introduction permits the introduction of formulas of the form •"(/l v B) given those of the form •"/!, and conditional introduction permits the derivation of \3"(A B) from assumptions r when one has derived B from A and e r}. The suggestion vides an interesting characterization of K, it would be somewhat in application. The last fifteen sections, written by Robert Bull, constitute a rapid survey of much of the contemporary technical work in propositional modal logic. They include an especially detailed account of the relation between algebras and frames, a summary of techniques for obtaining irrefiexive and asymmetric frames, sketches of completeness proofs for a number of systems including S4.3 and S4.1, and sketches of the proofs for all the following results.


In blocks programming languages, such as MIT App Inventor, programs are built by composing puzzle-shaped fragments on a 2D workspace. Their visual nature makes programming more accessible to novices, but it also has numerous drawbacks. Users must decide where to place blocks on the workspace, and these placements may require the reorganization of other blocks. Block representations are less space efficient than their textual equivalents. Finally, the fundamental 2D nature of the blocks workspace makes it more challenging to search and navigate than the traditional linear workflow. Because of these barriers, users have difficulty creating and navigating complex programs. In order to address these drawbacks, I have developed Folders, a visual organization system, for App Inventor. Folders, which are modeled after the hierarchical desktop metaphor folders, allow users to nest blocks within them, and solve many of the aforementioned problems. First, users can use Folders, rather than spatial closeness, to place and organize blocks, thereby explicitly indicating a relationship between them. Second, Folders allow users to selectively hide and show particular groups of blocks and address the issue of limited visible space. Lastly, users are already familiar with the folder metaphor from other applications, so their introduction does not complicate App Inventor. Unfortunately, Folders also introduce new obstacles. Users might expect that putting blocks into Folders removes them from the main workspace semantically. However, Folders are only for organizing blocks and decluttering the workspace, and their contained blocks are still considered part of the main workspace. Furthermore, Folders exacerbate the search and navigation problem. Since blocks can now be hidden in collapsed Folders , finding a usage or declaration of a variable, procedure, or component can be more difficult. I have received preliminary feedback on my initial implementation of Folders and am designing a user study to evaluate my Folders system.


Considering the attractive interaction between two magnons with opposite wave vectors in a Heisenberg ferromagnet, we propose the model of magnon-pairs, which is suitable for low-temperature environment. A dressed magnon is an energy quantum of the magnon-pairs whose energy is a monotonically increasing function of absolute temperature. Based on the model, we re-investigate the excitation mechanism and thermodynamic properties of the Heisenberg ferromagnet. The correction factor e(0) plays an important role in studying the low-temperature properties of a ferromagnet.


Ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted much attention because of their unusual charac- teristics (vapor pressure, condictivity, etc.). Furthermore, they can be designed to display desired properties specific to an application (task-specific ionic liquid, TSILs). This makes the production and investigation of ionic liquids derivatized with functional group attractive, especially in the view of green chemistry. The first chapter reviews the recent evolution of ionic liquids, and in particular ionic liquids bearing one or several functional groups. In the second chapter, ILs functionalized with two different functional groups were synthesized. The chosen functional groups (alcohol, ether, nitrile, amine) may influence transition metal-catalyzed reaction such as cross-coupling reactions. The ILs synthesized in this chapter were evaluated as solvents in the palladium-catalyzed Heck and Suzuki cross-coupling reactions. Chapter 3 describes our investigation on ionic liquid-catalyzed carbon dioxide and epoxides cyclization (CEC). The synthesis of several IL catalysts, along with their use in the cyclization of styrene oxide with carbon dioxide is detailed. In chapter 4, we discuss the synthesis of ILs functionalized with perfluoroalkyl chains; the synthesis of imidazole precursors is also considered. The last chapter details our efforts towards the formation of self-assembled IL monolayer onto a silica surface. Additionally, we establish the first steps in the synthesis of uncommon IL surface modifiers.


Abstract Fossil microbes are generally preserved by authigenic minerals, including silica, apatite, iron minerals, clays, and carbonates. An alternative mode of preservation by entombment in calcite, without replacement, has been identified in carbonate cave pool microbialites that were etched and examined in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Features identified include filaments, threads, and films that show excess carbon in energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses, suggesting preservation of organic matter. Filaments are single smooth or reticulated strands with curving string-like morphology, often hollow, and with a uniform diameter of 0.5 to 1.0 μm. Threads, in contrast, are variable thickness, from several microns down to 0.1 μm, always solid, and commonly branch. Films are thin (< 1 μm) drapes associated with threads. Filaments are interpreted as microbial filaments, while threads and films are interpreted as preserved extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). In addition, microbial filaments and EPS are only revealed via acid etching, suggesting preservation of organic material by entombment, not by replacement with calcite. To determine whether entombed microbes are a common feature of carbonate microbialites that form in different environmental settings, samples of hot spring travertine, caliche soil, and reef microbialite were examined. Whereas the travertine samples were barren, entombed EPS was found in the caliche soil and the reef microbialite; the latter also contained a few entombed filaments. In addition, entombed microbial material has been reported from carbonate cold seep deposits. Such findings indicate that entombment of microbes and EPS in carbonates is not restricted to cave settings, but is more widespread than previously reported. Possible causes for the lack of preservation in travertines include rapid degradation of microbial material either by sunlight due to photolytic degradation, aerobic microbial degradation, detritivore consumption, or elevated temperatures. Rapid carbonate precipitation is ruled out as, somewhat surprisingly, preservation is better in slower growing cave carbonates than in rapidly growing travertines. Potential long-term preservation of organic material entombed in carbonate has implications for the characterization of fossil microbial communities using molecular biomarkers and the search for life on other planets.


Content-based copy retrieval (CBCR) aims at retrieving in a database all the modified versions or the previous versions of a given candidate object. In this paper, we present a copy-retrieval scheme based on local features that can deal with very large databases both in terms of quality and speed. We first propose a new approximate similarity search technique in which the probabilistic selection of the feature space regions is not based on the distribution in the database but on the distribution of the features distortion. Since our CBCR framework is based on local features, the approximation can be strong and reduce drastically the amount of data to explore. Furthermore, we show how the discrimination of the global retrieval can be enhanced during its post-processing step, by considering only the geometrically consistent matches. This framework is applied to robust video copy retrieval and extensive experiments are presented to study the interactions between the approximate search and the retrieval efficiency. Largest used database contains more than 1 billion local features corresponding to 30000 h of video


This essay canvasses how far meanings of "regime change" can be stretched beyond their current invocation as anodyne neologistic cover for the illegality of a "coup d'état." Some years ago the anthropologist John Borneman made one attempt to extend the compass of regime change beyond simple realist "topplings" of governments one disfavors to responsibility for legal reconstruction of the target regime because he wished to argue that idealistic interventions against tyrannical rule should always be legitimate. This essay asks whether the term can be stretched in a different direction, to encompass instances of intervention against tyrannical rule beyond the sphere of interstate relations where it is currently lodged. To test the proposition I turn here to a particular event—the Turner Rebellion, a slave rebellion that took place in Virginia in 1831—and to recent work in political theory that dwells on the politics of counter-sovereignty. Here regime change encompasses a rebellion of slaves against a tyrannical slaveholding regime, a failed attempt to deploy a revolutionary politics of counter-sovereignty against the regime's pretensions to legality. Here tyranny remains the target of regime change. But rather than the solvent of tyrannical rule, law in this case is the instrument of its expression.


Measurements of the temperature coefficients of permittivity and of thermal expansion, for the important MIC substrate materials alumina and sapphire, are reported. The results are presented and in the case of sapphire include figures for the two main crystal orientations. An interesting correlation exists between our results for alumina substrates, and those for sapphire substrates in which the optical axis is perpendicular to the plane of the slice. The temperature stability of resonators on sapphire and alumina is discussed and experimental data are presented.


The mechanisms of gas transfer within a sand bed continuously and discontinuously fed were studied. Use of fluorescence technology allows us to detect both gaseous and dissolved oxygen. Magnitudes of convection and diffusion phenomena and their relative contributions to oxygen renewal of the porous medium were determined. In a continuous clear water supply, we measured gaseous oxygen concentrations of approximately 21% on the surface and 10% in-depth. These measurements are in agreement with literature values. Oxygen transfer from the gaseous phase towards the liquid phase was observed to occur entirely during the feeding phase. Thus, convection seems to be the prevalent phenomenon. In a continuous deoxygenised water supply, the gist of the gas/liquid transfer in-depth is due to the expelled air from the higher pores, which is present in the bed before feeding. The diffusion, which is an extremely slow phenomenon, aims at a homogenisation of the oxygen content in the higher part of the sand bed. In intermittent feeding, the air suction which occurs immediately after the total water infiltration is important for the oxygen renewal in the higher centimetres of the porous medium but remains insufficient to 13 cm depth. The oxygen transfer rates were calculated for different hydraulic load. They are all the more significant as the volumes injected by the batches were it. However, we observed that diffusion does not allow fresh air to reach deeper levels.


In discussion of Olympic Games and Los Angeles, 1984 is often the primary focus; but the Tenth Olympiad hosted by the same city in 1932 provides a more meaningful and lasting legacy within the Olympic narrative. This thesis looks at the stadium construction of Olympic host cities prior to 1932 and investigates the process by which Los Angeles came to host the 1932 Summer Olympics. The significance of the first athletic village and a history of the venues used for the 1932 competition will also be explored. This thesis will show that the depression-era 1932 Los Angeles Olympics provides a model more in line with original Olympic principals opposed to the current economically-driven system. Within that 1932 model is a means by which a host city can incorporate existing facilities adequate for a large festival and also, when and where construction is needed, provide future-use plans that serve a community beyond the duration of an Olympiad. Los Angeles and 1932 are unique in that the built environment that remains still serves the city in various ways, an idea not necessarily incorporated in twenty-first century Olympic models.


Abstract.
 More accurate estimates of survival after nestlings fledge are needed for population models to be parameterized and population dynamics to be understood during this vulnerable life stage. The period after fledging is the time when chicks learn to fly, forage, and hide from predators. We monitored postfledging survival, causespecific mortality, and movements of Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum) in grassland managed with fire and grazing. In 2009, we attached radio transmitters to 50 nestlings from 50 different broods and modeled their survival in response to climatic, biological, and ecological variables. There was no effect of treatment on survival. The factor most influencing postfledging survival was age; no other variable was significant. The majority of chicks (74%) died within 3 days of radio-transmitter attachment. We attributed most mortality to mesopredators (48%) and exposure (28%). Fledglings' movements increased rapidly for the first 4 days after they left the nest and were relatively stable for the remaining 10 days we tracked them. On average, fledglings took flight for the first time 4 days after fledging and flew ≥10 m 9 days after fledging. Our data show that the Grasshopper Sparrow's survival rates may be less than most models relying on nest-success estimates predict, and we emphasize the importance of incorporating estimates of survival during the postfledging period in demographic models.


Dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN) and Langerin are C-type lectins of dendritic cells (DCs) that share a specificity for mannose and are involved in pathogen recognition. HIV is known to use DC-SIGN on DCs to facilitate transinfection of T-cells. Langerin, on the contrary, contributes to virus elimination; therefore, the inhibition of this latter receptor is undesired. Glycomimetic molecules targeting DC-SIGN have been reported as promising agents for the inhibition of viral infections and for the modulation of immune responses mediated by DC-SIGN. We show here for the first time that glycomimetics based on a mannose anchor can be tuned to selectively inhibit DC-SIGN over Langerin. Based on structural and binding studies of a mannobioside mimic previously described by us (2), a focused library of derivatives was designed. The optimized synthesis gave fast and efficient access to a group of bis(amides), decorated with an azide-terminated tether allowing further conjugation. SPR inhibition tests showed improvements over the parent pseudomannobioside by a factor of 3-4. A dimeric, macrocyclic structure (11) was also serendipitously obtained, which afforded a 30-fold gain over the starting compound (2). The same ligands were tested against Langerin and found to exhibit high selectivity towards DC-SIGN. Structural studies using saturation transfer difference NMR spectroscopy (STD-NMR) were performed to analyze the binding mode of one representative library member with DC-SIGN. Despite the overlap of some signals, it was established that the new ligand interacts with the protein in the same fashion as the parent pseudodisaccharide. The two aromatic amide moieties showed relatively high saturation in the STD spectrum, which suggests that the improved potency of the bis(amides) over the parent dimethyl ester can be attributed to lipophilic interactions between the aromatic groups of the ligand and the binding site of DC-SIGN.


AC loses in high superconductor (HTS) thin film are evaluated by element-free Galerkin method with double exponential formula. The shielding current density in an HTS is necessary information to calculate the AC loss. Formulation of the electromagnetic behavior of the shielding current density gives a system. However, improper integrals appear as coefficients of the system and the integrand have a stronger singularity with decreasing thickness of the HTS. The code for the shielding current analysis in HTS by element-free Galerkin method is developed. In order to evaluate the improper integrals accurately, the double exponential formula is adopted in the code. Results of the computation shows that the spatial distribution of the shielding current density is calculated with a high accuracy.


The debate on whether to prohibit the burqa and niqab in Spain has been reopened after the recent decision of the Spanish Supreme Court on 14 February 2013. The Spanish Supreme Court held that a municipality could not pass a local law prohibiting the right to wear the full-face veil in public spaces. This article analyzes a conceptual and theoretical framework to establish that the full-face veil qualifies as an external manifestation of the right to religious freedom. Moreover, the pertinence of a burqa -ban in all Spanish public spaces is analyzed and a general prohibition is not found to be a suitable, necessary, and proportional measure to achieve gender equality, public order or «respect for the minimum requirements of life in society». Published online : 11 December 2017


In this article, the author has examined the relationships between the "central dynamic sequence" discovered by Davanloo and the activation of specific neuronal systems in the brain. The participation of defined brain areas is postulated in the clinical expression of "superego pathology". A hypothesis regarding the involvement of subcortical structures in the central neurotic mechanism is proposed. According to this view, human neurosis results from a functional disorder of the brain which can be corrected by the specific interventions of the "system for short-term dynamic psychotherapy" discovered by Davanloo. Copyright © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The Historic Preservation Planning Program provides guidance and technical assistance to states, tribes, local governments, and federal agencies as they plan for the preservation of their important historic resources. In this manner, historic buildings, archeological sites, traditional places, and landscapes become part of public policy for land-use, economic, environmental, and social strategies to strengthen communities nationwide.


Abstract: Manatees are tropical marine mammals that live in a wide variety of aquatic habitats ranging from coastal marine areas to freshwater lakes and rivers located hundreds of kilometers inland. All manatee species are currently characterized as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), primarily due to anthropogenic causes (i.e. poaching, habitat destruction, pollution, collisions with boats) and all of the environments they live in present challenges to biologists and wildlife managers. Tropical freshwater systems are especially difficult to work in because they are generally tannin-stained or turbid and water clarity is very restricted. Locating manatees and observing their behavior in these environments is extremely difficult and is a major limiting factor in determining population parameters. We summarize the use of sonar technology as an aid to detect and study manatees in these freshwater systems. First, by a summary of what has been attempted before our efforts, followed by presenting the various ways we have used this technology in the past 6 years to 1) detect manatees, 2) characterize manatee habitat in ways that would not be possible otherwise, 3) identify mother-calf pairs, and 4) assist in manatee captures. Finally, we discuss the advantages and limitations of using this technology for manatee conservation and research and present directions in which we believe future work can be directed, such as the determination of manatee abundance via distance sampling surveys using side-scan sonar and the use of one of the latest developments in acoustic technology, dual-frequency identification sonar.


Two proposals are described for the optimal maintenance problem of an isolated system without network constraints and a multiarea system with network constraints. First, a simple and useful method is presented for the generating unit maintenance problem of the isolated system by means of linear programming and branch-and-bound techniques. Second, a decomposition technique based on virtual load is proposed in order to solve the complicated multiarea generating unit maintenance problem. The goal is to level the reserve margin of every area throughout the year. In the multiarea maintenance scheduling the authors take into account the power arrival capability to every area load demand with network constraints, in contrast to the power supply capability of generating units as generally considered in conventional approaches without network constraints. An example of a five area system with network constraints is used to verify the methodology and illustrate the application of the approach to the multiarea maintenance problem. The results show that the approach is profitable and efficient for the multiarea power system. >


Human neuroimaging studies of recognition memory have often been interpreted to mean that the hippocampus supports recollection but not familiarity. This interpretation is complicated by the fact that recollection-based decisions are typically associated with stronger memories than familiarity-based decisions. Some studies of source memory controlled for this difference in memory strength and found that hippocampal activity during learning predicted subsequent item memory strength while recollection-based memory (performance on source memory questions) was held at chance. This result suggests that the hippocampus is important for familiarity. However, a difficulty with this approach is that when source memory is assessed by asking specific, task-relevant source memory questions, participants who fail to answer the prescribed questions might nevertheless have available other (task-irrelevant) source information. Accordingly, successful item memory could still be associated with recollection. The present study used a novel method to assess item memory and source memory. Instead of responding to specific source questions, participants rated their source memory strength based on any information about the learning episode that was available to them. When subsequent source memory strength was held constant at the lowest possible level, we identified regions bilaterally in hippocampus, as well as in perirhinal cortex, where activity during learning increased as subsequent item memory increased in strength. In addition, activity in cortical regions (including prefrontal cortex) was related to source memory success independently of item memory strength. These findings suggest that activity in the hippocampus is related to the encoding of familiarity-based item memory, independent of subsequent recollection-based success.


This article explores the strengths and limitations of two different types of settings that provide specialist support to victims of sexual violence in the UK: Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) and voluntary sector organizations such as Rape Crisis. Qualitative data from six case study sites and quantitative data from 35 sexual violence projects in England and Wales revealed that the type of setting affected the types of referrals received and this, in turn, shaped the services required by victims and thus the nature of the work preformed. Consequently, each type of project had different emphases in their workload with which they were particularly well equipped to handle. Each type also had its own unique challenges; for example, while there were notable benefits from delivering support in partnership models, such as SARCs, their affiliation with statutory partners was perceived by some as a disadvantage, especially for those seeking support in relation to historical sexual abuse. On the other hand, those delivering support in voluntary sector projects had to work harder to establish and maintain relationships with other agencies, but their independence was seen to be greater and this was perceived as a strength for gaining access to victims and maintaining their confidence. Both approaches had notable benefits and, given the diverse array of sexual violence victims in any given area, providing these two different, yet complementary, approaches to supporting them is recommended.


It is well understood that introducing mobile learning technologies into Higher Education is not without issues. M-Learning has the power to be highly disruptive to the way in which university courses are delivered and raises issues not only about how people teach and learn but also has the ability to challenge the culture and structure of the educational institute itself. Introducing a scheme where lecturers' announcements in a VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) are directed to students via SMS would appear to be straightforward, given that it doesn't increase the tutors workload, and almost all students have suitable devices. However, even with this apparently simple upgrade to a VLE, there are competing solutions, divergent requirements, data protection and software integration issues. The paper looks at experiences in a current trial project and analyses some of the issues using Actor Network Theory (ANT). It also suggests changes in organisational practice that might help to solve these conflicts and unify requirements and solutions.


When a woman above age 35 even a multiparous women asks her obstetrician about the necessity or desirability of a genetic amniocentesis the obstetrician is obliged to inform the patient comprehensively about the risks of amniocentesis and the advantages of amniocentesis. Advantages are detection of chromosomal abnormalities, risks are premature rupture of the membranes or abortion. The obstetricians contract obliges him to recommend or not recommend such tests. If the obstetrician does not give the information to the patient because he is not familiar with the newest scientific standards or because his personal conscience is against amniocentesis because of the possibility of a subsequent eugenic therapeutic abortion the obstetrician must refer the patient to another obstetrician. If the obstetrician does not inform the parents he is liable for the total cost of maintaining a mongoloid infant.


Ecotoxicological tests are an important tool to assess the toxicity of chemical substances and even the deleterious effects of adverse environmental conditions to different species. Ecotoxicological studies with land plants and animals are relatively recent compared to those with aquatic species, with few studies reported focusing on terrestrial species. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the sensitivity of root growth (Total Part; Radicle, Hypocotyl) in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) to sodium chloride (NaCl), by means of exposing the seeds to concentrations of 0, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0 and 16.0 g L-1 for five days in Petri dishes. The average effective concentration (EC50;120h) on germination was 5.73 ± 0.56 g L -1 (CI= 4.61 to 6.86 g L-1). The effects on root growth were detected starting at a concentration of 1.0 g L-1 of NaCl and the radicle (Rad) was the most sensitive and reliable structure. Root growth was a more sensitive endpoint than germination, since the effects were detected at concentrations some 10 times lower. Besides this, the use of the radicle as an endpoint, proposed in the present study, should be intensified in ecotoxicological studies, since it provides satisfactory results at low cost and in a relatively short time frame.


ABSTRACT In an increasingly globalizing world, the aesthetics of Dubai have become potentially available even for impoverished, peripheral cities such as Belgrade. With the explicit rhetoric of finally achieving a "global profile" for the city, the Serbian government has hired an Emirati company to build a "world city" in a centrally located district of Belgrade. The rationale for the development is explicitly aesthetic, and the high-rises planned articulate the globally recognizable aesthetic vocabulary of superlatives and (generic) modernity. The tall buildings suggest economic growth while forming a façade against which Belgraders play the role of extras. This paper builds on Maurice Merleau-Ponty's notion of the body schema as well as James J. Gibson's notion of affordances and recent contributions to architectural aesthetics that grew from it, to outline an alternative, embodied ideal of urban aesthetics. The paper presupposes that the common world is to be understood as a task to be achieved. The city, understood in its material form, as urbs, as well as in terms of social relations, as civitas, is the place where the common world can potentially be tangibly experienced. Its architecture narrates, but also affords and prohibits social change, and reversely social and political relations influence the making of the material city. The paper argues that a city's place in the world is not a matter of gaining access to a supposedly pre-existing reality by displaying the right look, but of engaging actively in the making of the common world.


Stearoyl chloride was reacted with 3-(acryloyloxy)-2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (AHM). Then the resulting product (SAHM) was reacted with 3-amino propyl ethoxysilane (APTES) by Michael addition on the acrylate. The product (SAHMA) is a specialized coupling agent containing an oleophilic 18 carbon alkyl chain, a radically polymerizable methacrylate and an alkoxysilane group capable of coupling to inorganic surfaces, analyzed by FT-IR, NMR, and UV techniques. Photopolymerization and free radical homo and copolymerization of SAHMA with styrene were examined. SAHMA was coupled to powdered titanium dioxide (P25-Degussa) and polymerized. TiO2 filled materials were analyzed by SEM, UV and TGA techniques. Glass transiton temperatures (Tg) of the polymers were determined by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). Interfacial compatibility between SAHMA and TiO2 was demonstrated by FT-IR spectroscopy. The photocatalytic degradation of the TiO2-SAHMA polymer films was also investigated under medium pressure mercury lamp illumination in air. SAHMA based film containing 2 wt % TiO2 showed the highest degradation and the highest loss in weight. The weight of the polymer was reduced by 25% of its initial value after irradiation for 40 h. To examine the surface morphology of the irradiated polymer films, SEM analysis was carried out and cavities were detected around TiO2 particles. The photocatalytic and thermomechanical properties of SAHMA and styrene (STY) based copolymers were also investigated. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007


Empirical research into the novice-expert differences in information requirement analysis has recognized that the differences in knowledge and in modeling behaviors are the causes of differences in quality of requirement specifications. However, there is no cognitive process model available for explaining the interactions among the three factors: knowledge, modeling behaviors, and the quality of requirement specifications. On the basis of structure-mapping model of analogy, this article proposes a cognitive process model that views information requirement analysis as a process of conceptual mapping from the base structures (i.e., the knowledge structures of requirement analysis techniques) to the target structures (i.e., the knowledge structures of users' problem statements). Due to the differences in knowledge, novice and expert information analysts use different types of cognitive processes, relation mapping by experts versus object-attribute mapping by novices, to model information requirements. The different cognitive processes lead to different modeling behaviors, and in turn the different modeling behaviors finally result in different qualities of requirement specifications. On the basis of the cognitive process model, two ways to improve the performance of novice information analysts are suggested: encouraging novice information analysts to think in terms of relations rather than objectattributes and providing domain-specific requirement analysis techniques that are similar to the problem domains in both relations and object-attributes.


Abstract : The U.S. Army Engineer Research and development Center was tasked by the U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command to develop dust control systems for sustainment use on roads and other large-area applications in temperate climates as part of a comprehensive dust abatement program. The project consisted of evaluating various dust palliatives and application procedures during field tests. The products of this effort include equipment recommendations, palliative recommendations, and complete application guidance. This report addresses testing performed to evaluate commercial palliatives and application processes for constructing and maintaining lines-of-communication. Twenty-five test sections were constructed at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, using commercial palliatives for dust abatement. Several application procedures were evaluated in the process, including topical applications and admixture applications with alternate application rates. Each test section was evaluated at 0, 30, 80, and 220 days after construction. The evaluation consisted of dust particle collection and soil property measurements. Pertinent conclusions from the testing conducted are noted, and recommendations for selecting dust abatement methods and materials are provided.


The Hypertension Detection and Follow-up Program followed up 10,940 persons for 5 years in a community-based, randomized, controlled trial of treatment for hypertension. Participants were randomized to one of two treatment groups, stepped care and referred care. The primary end point of the study was all-cause mortality, with morbid events involving the heart, brain, and kidney as secondary end points. Loss of renal function, ascertained by a change in serum creatinine, was among these secondary events. Baseline serum creatinine concentration had a significant prognostic value for 8-year mortality. For persons with a serum creatinine concentration greater than or equal to 1.7 mg/dl, 8-year mortality was more than three times that of all other participants. The estimated 5-year incidence of substantial decline in renal function was 21.7/1,000 in the stepped-care group and 24.6/1,000 in the referred-care group. Among persons with a baseline serum creatinine level between 1.5 and 1.7 mg/dl, the 5-year incidence of decline was 113.3/1,000 (stepped care) and 226.6/1,000 (referred care) (p less than 0.01). The incidence of decline in renal function was greater in men, blacks, and older adults, as well as in those with higher entry diastolic blood pressure. Among persons with a baseline serum creatinine level greater than or equal to 1.7 mg/dl, serum creatinine concentration declined by 25% or more in 28.6% of stepped-care and 25.2% of referred-care participants. Although the incidence of clinically significant hypercreatininemia in a hypertensive population is low, an elevated serum creatinine concentration is a very potent independent risk factor for mortality. The slightly lower rate of development of hypercreatininemia and the higher rate of improvement in stepped-care compared with referred-care participants is consistent with the belief that aggressive treatment of hypertension may reduce renal damage and the associated increased risk of death.


Tort-lawsuits-plus-liability-coverage cost only about $25 billion in 2002, and extra defensive medicine probably added a bit more. These small fractions of a $1.5-trillion medical economy would be a bargain if they actually bought the compensation, injury deterrence, and justice that advocates claim. They do not. Few sue and fewer collect, slowly and with high overhead; high rates of preventable error and injury persist; and justice is ill served by omitting most injuries, resolving them slowly, and paying out hugely variable amounts. Better systems would make practitioners more willing to disclose problems, feed back improvements in real time, and compensate consistently. (Health Affairs 23(5):277, September/October 2004.)


Segmentation of the Guyanas continental margin of South America is inherited from the dual-phase Mesozoic rifting history controlling the first-order post-rift sedimentary architecture. The margin is divided into two segments by a transform marginal plateau (TMP), the Demerara Rise, into the Central and Equatorial Atlantic domains. This paper investigates the heterogeneities in the post-rift sedimentary systems at a mega-regional scale (>1000 km). Re-sampling seven key exploration wells and scientific boreholes provides new data (189 analysed samples) that have been used to build a high-resolution stratigraphic framework using multiple biostratigraphic techniques integrated with organic geochemistry to refine the timing of 10 key stratigraphic surfaces and three megasequences. The results have been used to calibrate the interpretation of a margin-scale two-dimensional seismic reflection dataset, and to build megasequence isochore maps, structural restorations and gross depositional environment maps at key time intervals of the margin evolution. Our findings revise the dating of the basal succession drilled by the A2-1 well, indicating that the oldest post-rift sequence penetrated along the margin is late Tithonian age (previously Callovian). Early Central Atlantic carbonate platform sediments passively infilled subcircular-shaped basement topography controlled by the underlying basement structure of thinned continental crust. Barremian–Aptian rifting in the Equatorial Atlantic, caused folding and thrusting of the Demerara Rise, resulting in major uplift, gravitational margin collapse, transpressional structures and peneplanation of up to 1 km of sediment capped by the regional angular Base Albian Unconformity. Equatorial Atlantic rifting led to margin segmentation and the formation of the TMP, where two major unconformities developed during the intra Late Albian and base Cenomanian. These two unconformities are time synchronous with oceanic crust accretion offshore French Guiana and in the Demerara–Guinea transform, respectively. A marine connection between the Central and Equatorial Atlantic is demonstrated by middle Late Albian times, coinciding with deposition of the organic-rich source rock of the Canje Formation (average total organic carbon 4.21%). The succession is variably truncated by the Middle Campanian Unconformity. Refining the stratigraphic framework within the context of the structural evolution and segmentation of the Guyanas margin impacts the understanding of key petroleum system elements. Supplementary material: Photographs of sandstone petrography thin sections (Fig. S1); calcareous nannofossil plates (Fig. S2); palynology reports for A2-1 and FG2-1 (Fig. S3); taxonomy description of new species; sample table and organic geochemistry results (Table S1); and nannofossil distribution charts (Table S2) are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5280490


Today we begin a tour of the theory of one-way functions and pseudorandomness. The highlight of the theory is a proof that if one-way functions exist (with good asymptotic security) then pseudorandom permutations exist (with good asymptotic security). We have seen that pseudorandom permutations suffice to do encryption and authentication with extravagantly high levels of security (respectively, CCA security and existential unforgeability under chosen message attack), and it is easy to see that if one-way functions do not exist, then every encryption and authentication scheme suffers from a total break. Thus the conclusion is a strong " dichotomy " result, saying that either cryptography is fundamentally impossible, or extravagantly high security is possible. Unfortunately the proof of this result involves a rather inefficient reduction, so the concrete parameters for which the dichotomy holds are rather unrealistic. (One would probably end up with a system requiring gigabyte-long keys and days of processing time for each encryption, with the guarantee that if it is not CCA secure then every 128-bit key scheme suffers a total break.) Nonetheless it is one of the great unifying achievements of the asymptotic theory, and it remains possible that a more effective proof will be found. In this lecture and the next few ones we shall prove the weaker statement that if one-way permutations exist then pseudorandom permutations exist. This will be done in a series of four steps each involving reasonable concrete bounds. A number of combinatorial and number-theoretic problems which are believed to be intractable give us highly plausible candidate one-way permutations. Overall, we can show that if any of those well-defined and well-understood problems are hard, then we can get secure encryption and authentication with schemes that are slow but not entirely impractical. If, for example, solving discrete log with a modulus of the order of 2 1,000 is hard, then there is a CCA-secure encryption scheme requiring a 4, 000-bit key and fast enough to carry email, instant messages and probably voice communication. (Though probably too slow to encrypt disk access or video playback.)


The word " Universal " has many applications most notably as an adjective to describe the entire physical universe. One cannot help wondering, therefore, whether the current redefinition1 will be robust enough to be applied to other humanoid life forms in this or other galaxies.2 If it were only robust enough to be applied on planet earth then that in itself would be "a small step for a man but a giant leap for mankind". Taking the first word from the title of the recent editorial of one the new guideline's lead authors, the past history, and likely future of this important topic has been/will remain more "evolution" than "big-bang".3

Harvey White ably sets the scene for the "universal definition" of myocardial infarction (UD-MI) by reviewing the process of change and evolution that led up to the last "consensus definition" for myocardial infarction (CD-MI), first published in 2000.4 While an important step in the right direction, that redefinition was flawed at inception owing to a fundamental problem with the troponin assays available at that time.5 Despite the recommendation that the key biomarker evidence for CD-MI should be a "Maximal concentration of troponin T or I exceeding the decision limit (99th percentile of the values for a reference control group) on at least one occasion during the first 24 h after the index clinical event", the technology to deliver this requirement did not exist at that time. This is because the CD-MI guidance appropriately stipulated that "Acceptable imprecision (coefficient of variation (CV)) at the 99th percentile for each assay should be defined as ⩽10%." The 99th centile refers to the top of the "normal range" while the 10% CV is a measure of the assay imprecision (at a defined concentration of troponin). For most of the …


Mass segmentation plays a crucial role in computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems for classification of suspicious regions as normal, benign, or malignant. In this article we present a robust and automated segmentation technique--based on dynamic programming--to segment mass lesions from surrounding tissue. In addition, we propose an efficient algorithm to guarantee resulting contours to be closed. The segmentation method based on dynamic programming was quantitatively compared with two other automated segmentation methods (region growing and the discrete contour model) on a dataset of 1210 masses. For each mass an overlap criterion was calculated to determine the similarity with manual segmentation. The mean overlap percentage for dynamic programming was 0.69, for the other two methods 0.60 and 0.59, respectively. The difference in overlap percentage was statistically significant. To study the influence of the segmentation method on the performance of a CAD system two additional experiments were carried out. The first experiment studied the detection performance of the CAD system for the different segmentation methods. Free-response receiver operating characteristics analysis showed that the detection performance was nearly identical for the three segmentation methods. In the second experiment the ability of the classifier to discriminate between malignant and benign lesions was studied. For region based evaluation the area Az under the receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.74 for dynamic programming, 0.72 for the discrete contour model, and 0.67 for region growing. The difference in Az values obtained by the dynamic programming method and region growing was statistically significant. The differences between other methods were not significant.


: Simultant laparoscopic operations were performed in 1993-2003 yrs period in 321 patients, including 287--using laparoscopic and 34--the combined (laparoscopic and open) access. Concurrent diseases were diagnosed preoperatively in 219 (68.2%) of patients and were disclosed while doing intraoperative revision--in 102 (31.8%). The simultant operations performance, as a rule, enhanced mildly the total duration of a basic stage, did not influence the duration of postoperative period and the patients rehabilitation essentially, as well as for frequency of the intra--and postoperative complications occurrence. The authors consider that it is expedient to perform laparoscopic intervention simultaneously for concurrent surgical diseases of abdominal cavity.


Grid middleware suites provide tools to perform the basic tasks of job submission and retrieval and data access, however these tools tend to be low-level, operating on individual jobs or files and lacking in higher-level concepts. User communities therefore generally develop their own application-layer software catering to their specific communities' needs on top of the Grid middleware. It is thus important for the Grid middleware to provide a friendly, well documented and simple to use interface for the applications to build upon. The Advanced Resource Connector (ARC), developed by NorduGrid, provides a Software Development Kit (SDK) which enables applications to use the middleware for job and data management. This paper presents the architecture and functionality of the ARC SDK along with an example graphical application developed with the SDK. The SDK consists of a set of libraries accessible through Application Programming Interfaces (API) in several languages. It contains extensive documentation and example code and is available on multiple platforms. The libraries provide generic interfaces and rely on plugins to support a given technology or protocol and this modular design makes it easy to add a new plugin if the application requires supporting additional technologies.The ARC Graphical Clients package is a graphical user interface built on top of the ARC SDK and the Qt toolkit and it is presented here as a fully functional example of an application. It provides a graphical interface to enable job submission and management at the click of a button, and allows data on any Grid storage system to be manipulated using a visual file system hierarchy, as if it were a regular file system.


ABSTRACT In this contribution, I examine the Catholic political practice of "intercessions" (shtadlanut) as a means to control and manage relations between state power and Jewish communities by means of a privileged elite. While governmental techniques or mechanisms of minority management are only part of a broader question of majority–minority power relations, the theological-political roots of such "management" strategies are often overlooked because the problem is assumed to be secular. In my analysis of shtadlanut, I show how Jewish communities were internally divided between "good" and "bad", "managed" by the ruling powers, and homogenized. It is precisely this type of enforced collaboration with power, in combination with reduced agency and de-politicization, that I claim goes beyond the "Jewish Question". Rather, we must turn our gaze on Europe and consider how, and why, it continues to make 'others' into problems. By doing so, we can challenge the frame of the contemporary "Muslim Question".


i ABSTRACT The distribution and abundance of larval fish in the Kaikoura region, on the northeastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand, was investigated over a four year period (1994 1997). Spatial and temporal variability were described on both broad and fine scales. Larval fish assemblages at four stations along an offshore transect were sampled fortnightly over an eighteen month period. The abundance and composition of larval fish assemblages were found to vary seasonally. The spawning activity of adults was probably the major determinant of this broad-scale temporal variation in abundance. The timing of spawning activity appeared to be related to the phytoplankton and zooplankton production cycles. The abundance of larval fish at individual offshore stations changed markedly between fortnightly samples. Horizontal movement was considered to be a major cause of this temporal variation. The timing of peaks in larval abundance was relatively constant between years for most species. However, the annual amplitude of these peaks varied considerably for some species. This annual variability in larval supply is likely to have a major impact on the dynamics of the local fish populations. The temporal abundance patterns of the larval stages of most fish species in the Kaikoura region overlapped broadly with those observed for the same species in northeastern New Zealand. The abundance of the larval stages of most species varied with distance from shore. Some species were more abundant further from shore and others more abundant near land. However, there was little evidence to support the generalisation that larvae that are more abundant nearshore hatch from demersal eggs, whereas those that are more widely distributed are derived from pelagic eggs The alongshore distribution of larvae was investigated at four stations at increasing distances from rocky reefs. Although the larval stages of many species were dispersed at least 6 km offshore, some larval fish, including several that were abundant offshore, appeared to resist alongshore dispersal. These species probably use a combination of active swimming, schooling behaviour and eddies to prevent alongshore dispersal. The fine-scale vertical distribution of larval fish in surface waters was investigated over 24 hr periods. The abundance of the larval stages of most species varied within a 24 hr period. Diel vertical migration was considered to be the major cause of this variation. For some species, the degree of vertical migration appeared to depend on ambient light levels. The horizontal distribution of larval fish in inshore surface waters was strongly influenced by the presence of surface slicks. Larval fish were considerably more abundant within surface slicks than in the surface waters either side of them. This aggregation, together with the shoreward movement of slicks, suggests that surface slicks may transport larval fish towards shore. A new design of light trap was tested in inshore waters. These traps successfully attracted and captured larval fish in inshore habitats. Although the light traps caught a subset of the species taken by plankton nets, they were equally capable of detecting seasonal and lunar phase differences in larval fish abundance. The conclusion of this study was that although local oceanographic processes can directly influence the broad-scale distribution of larval fish, these distributions can be modified markedly by fine-scale processes and the behaviour of larval fish. The ability of the larval stages of many species of fish to adjust their horizontal and vertical position and to maintain a station in suitable habitats results in distributions that are both structured and complex.The distribution and abundance of larval fish in the Kaikoura region, on the northeastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand, was investigated over a four year period (1994 1997). Spatial and temporal variability were described on both broad and fine scales. Larval fish assemblages at four stations along an offshore transect were sampled fortnightly over an eighteen month period. The abundance and composition of larval fish assemblages were found to vary seasonally. The spawning activity of adults was probably the major determinant of this broad-scale temporal variation in abundance. The timing of spawning activity appeared to be related to the phytoplankton and zooplankton production cycles. The abundance of larval fish at individual offshore stations changed markedly between fortnightly samples. Horizontal movement was considered to be a major cause of this temporal variation. The timing of peaks in larval abundance was relatively constant between years for most species. However, the annual amplitude of these peaks varied considerably for some species. This annual variability in larval supply is likely to have a major impact on the dynamics of the local fish populations. The temporal abundance patterns of the larval stages of most fish species in the Kaikoura region overlapped broadly with those observed for the same species in northeastern New Zealand. The abundance of the larval stages of most species varied with distance from shore. Some species were more abundant further from shore and others more abundant near land. However, there was little evidence to support the generalisation that larvae that are more abundant nearshore hatch from demersal eggs, whereas those that are more widely distributed are derived from pelagic eggs The alongshore distribution of larvae was investigated at four stations at increasing distances from rocky reefs. Although the larval stages of many species were dispersed at least 6 km offshore, some larval fish, including several that were abundant offshore, appeared to resist alongshore dispersal. These species probably use a combination of active swimming, schooling behaviour and eddies to prevent alongshore dispersal. The fine-scale vertical distribution of larval fish in surface waters was investigated over 24 hr periods. The abundance of the larval stages of most species varied within a 24 hr period. Diel vertical migration was considered to be the major cause of this variation. For some species, the degree of vertical migration appeared to depend on ambient light levels. The horizontal distribution of larval fish in inshore surface waters was strongly influenced by the presence of surface slicks. Larval fish were considerably more abundant within surface slicks than in the surface waters either side of them. This aggregation, together with the shoreward movement of slicks, suggests that surface slicks may transport larval fish towards shore. A new design of light trap was tested in inshore waters. These traps successfully attracted and captured larval fish in inshore habitats. Although the light traps caught a subset of the species taken by plankton nets, they were equally capable of detecting seasonal and lunar phase differences in larval fish abundance. The conclusion of this study was that although local oceanographic processes can directly influence the broad-scale distribution of larval fish, these distributions can be modified markedly by fine-scale processes and the behaviour of larval fish. The ability of the larval stages of many species of fish to adjust their horizontal and vertical position and to maintain a station in suitable habitats results in distributions that are both structured and complex. Table of


The possibility of adding MPLS support to transport networks is considered an important opportunity by telecom carriers that want to add packet services and applications to their networks. However, the question arises whether it is convenient to add MPLS nodes just at the edge of the network to collect packet traffic from users, or it is better to have also MPLS core nodes to exploit packet switching flexibility and multiplexing. In this paper we propose mathematical programming models for the design of two-layer networks where MPLS is considered on top of transport networks (SDH or WDM depending on required link speed). Our models take into account the additional cost of MPLS support in the nodes and the statistical multiplexing effect that allows saving bandwidth. In order to limit the complexity of the model, we consider a bottleneck objective function and a simple traffic model where each traffic demand is described by a pair of values (mean and additional). If a set of traffic demands is multiplexed on a link, the capacity installed on the link must be greater than the sum of all the mean values and only the highest additional one. We first propose a MIP (mixed integer programming) model for the problem that aims at optimizing the number and location of MPLS nodes in the network and the link capacities. We present a Lagrangian relaxation solved with the subgradient method to obtain a lower bound. Due to the exponential number of variables a column generation approach is used. We also introduce a heuristic approach to get an upper bound. Starting from the resolution of the Lagrangian relaxation we obtain an integer solution improved by a local search step. We propose also a simple algorithm that provides reasonable good solutions in short computational time. Computational results are reported for small size and real-world instances


The integration of a foreign language into early childhood education is becoming more and more widespread.  Yet there is a lack of specific teacher training and no clearly-defined pre-primary foreign language pedagogy to guide and support teachers.  This article presents data from a recent initiative by a provider of out-of-school English classes in Europe to support teachers in implementing a pre-primary programme and in developing pre-primary foreign language pedagogy.  This formed part of a wider change-management and innovation process looking at higher efficiencies and effectiveness, and bringing together in one coherent approach best practice throughout the region in the teaching of English to pre-primary children. The pre-primary programme is underpinned by the pedagogical principles of the UK's Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework and the HighScope approach to early childhood education with its overarching 'plan-do-review' structure for learning sequences which values children's voices and agency. Initially, there was some apprehension amongst teachers due to a lack of experience of teaching pre-primary children and some resistance from others who believed that young children are not capable of reflecting on their learning or of making choices about their learning.  An important feature of the change-management process was the implementation of a normative-re-educative approach and the provision of ongoing training and professional development. This involved teachers in the adaptation of the organisation's global statement of approach to English language teaching to an age-appropriate version for a pre-primary context in order to develop pre-primary foreign language pedagogy. It also encouraged teachers to re-examine their existing beliefs and attitudes in order to recognise children's reflective capacities given appropriate support and scaffolding, and to rethink the power dynamics in the adult-child relationship moving to one of more shared control. Data from surveys conducted with teachers at the initial stage of the programme and 18 months later provides evidence which shows that, over time, teacher's beliefs and attitudes have changed.  Conclusions are drawn from the experience of the project and the factors influencing changes in teacher's views are discussed.


A combined morphophysiological study was made of connections between motoneurons on the superfused isolated lumbar spinal cord of Testudo horsfieldi. Postsynaptic potentials of motoneurons, followed by antidromic stimulations of ventral root filaments (VR-PSPs), were recorded intracellularly. Depolarizing VP-PSPs had short latencies (1.0-1.5 mc) and amplitudes in the range of 0.3-3.0 mV. At the constant stimulus intensity, the fluctuations of amplitudes were recorded. In some motoneurons, hyperpolarizing VP-PSRs with the latencies 2.5-3.0 mc were observed. A possible structural basis of VR-PSPs was studied by the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) method. After HRP application on thin ventral root filaments the retrograde staining of motoneurons revealed recurrent axon collaterals of labeled motoneurons. Three-dimensional computer reconstructions showed one to three collaterals given off by motoneuron axons. There were up to 19 points of branching in a single collateral. In some cases the full length of collateral trees reached 4.0 mm. The collateral branches had up to 72 "en passant" and terminal axon swellings. The swellings (presumed contacting boutons) were distributed in the ventral and intermedial gray matter and in the ventromedial while matter and revealed on motoneurons and inerneurons. These data suggest the participation of the motor axon collaterals in the motoneuron--motoneuron communication in the turtle spinal cord whereas only dendro-dendritic contacts had been discussed earlier.


Barquet, K. 2015. Building a bioregion through transboundary conservation in Central America. Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift–Norwegian Journal of Geography. Vol. 69, 265–276. ISSN 0029-1951. Proponents of transboundary conservation argue for the formation of a bioregional scale of governance. How such rescaling should be done remains an undiscussed issue. Through a study of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor in Central America and Si-A-Paz, a transboundary protected area in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, the author investigates how a transboundary scale of conservation is enacted. The study shows that in order to meet the conditions of a bioregion, actors involved in transboundary conservation in Central America produced accounts of social and ecological integrity that did not entirely match local narratives. Moreover, transboundary conservation provided actors with increased mobility across governance scales and sources of funding. In turn, this scalar mobility enhanced the power of already powerful actors in the area, helped states to attract international sources of funding, and empowered previously marginalized local groups at the expense of others. The author concludes that actors involved in transboundary conservation attempt to create new meanings of nature and understandings of society in order to produce a new scale of conservation. However, the study highlights the problems of matching discourses of nature to accounts of social unity, and underlines the political nature of scalar projects.


Proposes an application of the Stewart-Gough parallel platform as a climbing robot and its kinematics control to climb through long structures describing unknown spatial trajectories, such as palm trunks, tubes, etc. First, the description and design of the climbing parallel robot is presented. Second, the inverse and forward kinematics analysis of a mobile six-degrees-of-freedom parallel robot is described, based on spatial constraint formulation. Finally, the gait pattern and the climbing strategy of the parallel robot is described. The information from this research is being used in an actual climbing parallel robot design at Miguel Hernandez University of Elche (Alicante), Spain.


Mineral deposition in Ficus leaves is highly regulated, and some of the minerals function in light distribution to enhance photosynthesis, depending upon the mineral location in the leaf. Ficus trees are adapted to diverse environments and have some of the highest rates of photosynthesis among trees. Ficus leaves can deposit one or more of the three major mineral types found in leaves: amorphous calcium carbonate cystoliths, calcium oxalates, and silica phytoliths. In order to better understand the functions of these minerals and the control that the leaf exerts over mineral deposition, we investigated leaves from 10 Ficus species from vastly different environments (Rehovot, Israel; Bologna, Italy; Issa Valley, Tanzania; and Ngogo, Uganda). We identified the mineral locations in the soft tissues, the relative distributions of the minerals, and mineral volume contents using microcomputed tomography. Each Ficus species is characterized by a unique 3D mineral distribution that is preserved in different environments. The mineral distribution patterns are generally different on the adaxial and abaxial sides of the leaf. All species examined have abundant calcium oxalate deposits around the veins. We used micromodulated fluorimetry to examine the effect of cystoliths on photosynthetic efficiency in two species having cystoliths abaxially and adaxially (Ficus microcarpa) or only abaxially (Ficus carica). In F. microcarpa, both adaxial and abaxial cystoliths efficiently contributed to light redistribution inside the leaf and, hence, increased photosynthetic efficiency, whereas in F. carica, the abaxial cystoliths did not increase photosynthetic efficiency.


The learning problem for Factorial Hidden Markov Models with discrete and multi-variate latent variables remains a challenge. Inference of the latent variables required for the E-step of Expectation Minimization algorithms is usually computationally intractable. In this paper we propose a variational learning algorithm mimicking the Baum-Welch algorithm. By approximating the filtering distribution with a variational distribution parameterized by a recurrent neural network, the computational complexity of the learning problem as a function of the number of hidden states can be reduced to quasilinear instead of quadratic time as required by traditional algorithms such as Baum-Welch whilst making minimal independence assumptions. We evaluate the performance of the resulting algorithm, which we call Variational BOLT, in the context of unsupervised end-to-end energy disaggregation. We conduct experiments on the publicly available REDD dataset and show competitive results when compared with a supervised inference approach and state-of-the-art results in an unsupervised setting.


PURPOSE In East Africa, cervical cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women diagnosed with cancer. In this study, we describe the burden of risk factors for cervical cancer among women of reproductive age in five East African countries. METHODS For each country, using STATA13 software and sampling weights, we analyzed the latest Demographic and Health Survey data sets conducted between 2014 and 2017 in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. We included women age 15-49 years and considered six risk factors (tobacco use, body mass index, age at first sexual intercourse, age at first birth, number of children, and hormonal contraceptive use). RESULTS Of the 93,616 women from the five countries, each country had more than half of the women younger than 30 years and lived in rural areas. Pooled proportion of women with at least one risk factor was 89% (95% CI, 87 to 91). Living in a rural area in Burundi (adjusted incidence rate ration 0.94; 95% CI, 0.9 to 0.99; P = .019) and Rwanda (adjusted incidence rate Ration 0.92; 95% CI, 0.88 to 0.96; P < .001) was associated with a lower number of risk factors compared with living in an urban area. In all the countries, women with complete secondary education were associated with a lower number of risk factors compared with those with no education. CONCLUSION This study reveals a high burden of risk factors for cervical cancer in East Africa, with a high proportion of women exposed to at least one risk factor. There is a need for interventions to reduce the exposure of women to these risk factors.


The postnatal development in male Sprague-Dawley rats of hepatic glutathione S-transferase B (ligandin) in relation to the other glutathione S-transferases is described. The concentration of glutathione S-transferase B in 1-day-old male rats is about one-fifth of that in adult animals. The enzyme reaches adult concentrations 4-5 weeks later. When assessed by substrate specificity or immunologically, the proportion of transferase B relative to the other glutathione S-transferases is high during the first week after birth. At this age, 67.5% of the transferase activity towards 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene is immunoprecipitable by anti-(transferase B), compared with about 50% in adults and older pups. Between the second and the fifth postnatal week, the fraction of transferase B increases in parallel fashion with the other transferases in hepatic cytosol. Neither L-thyroxine nor cortisol induce a precocious increase in glutathione S-transferase activity. Phenobarbital did induce transferase activity towards 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene in both pups and adults. The extent of induction by phenobarbital was a function of basal activity during development such that the percentage stimulation remained constant from 5 days postnatally to adulthood.