As it appears in most casebooks, the Wilkes v. Springside Nursing Home, Inc. case tells the story of a falling-out among the shareholders in a closely-held corporation and the resulting freeze-out of one of the owners, Mr. Stanley Wilkes. The opinion indicates that the heart of the dispute arose out of Mr. Wilkes's refusal to allow the sale of a piece of corporate property (the "Annex" at 793 North Street) to one of the other shareholders, Dr. Quinn, at a discount. In real life, that transaction did indeed cause a significant rift in the shareholders' relationship, but, as this article discusses, it was really more like the straw that broke the camel's back than the primary cause of their altercation. The seeds of the dispute were planted well before the Annex was sold to Dr. Quinn. The unhealthy dynamic that had developed among the shareholders and which eventually resulted in Stanley Wilkes being frozen out of the business had been festering for a long time. The complicated relationship among the shareholders was informed by the somewhat unsavory reputation of Dr. Quinn, the country club "get along" attitude of Messrs, Riche and Connor, and the moral rectitude of Mr. Wilkes. To appreciate how it all came about, the Author sketches out the backgrounds of the players in this drama and describes the plot in more detail.


This paper studies the association between socioeconomic factors, school characteristics and children's cognitive and non-cognitive development in Catalonia. We find that children born later in the year, close to the December 31st cutoff date, persistently tend to have lower academic results than those born in the first two quarters. However, we do not observe any difference in non-cognitive development by quarter of birth. The analysis also shows that children who ever attended nursery school do generally better than those who first started at pre-school (P3) or later. Furthermore, we find that family structure matters since children raised in non-nuclear and low educated families tend to underperform others at school. Estimates also indicate that first generation immigrants, especially Africans, have worse academic performance than those born in Spain. There seem to be strong benefits associated to time spent reading and studying languages, computer science and music. Finally, there is inconclusive evidence that students who arrive late in the academic year and those with special needs generate negative peer effects in the classroom.


Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a major cause of disability, loss of work, and lifestyle changes in the United States, is defined as obstruction of blood flow into an arterial tree excluding the intracranial or coronary circulations. PAD is mostly silent in its early stages, but when lesion obstruction exceeds 50%, it may cause intermittent claudication with ambulation. Further disease progression typically leads to rest pain or frank tissue loss. However, some patients may remain asymptomatic with severe disease because of extensive collateralization in the lower extremity. Estimates of the prevalence of intermittent claudication vary by population, from 0.6% to nearly 10%; the rate increases dramatically with age. Approximately 20% to 25% of patients will require revascularization, while fewer than 5% will progress to critical limb ischemia. Limb loss, although rare, is associated with severe disability and an overall poor prognosis, with 30% to 40% mortality in the first 24 months after limb loss. As with coronary artery disease, the most common cause of symptomatic obstruction in the peripheral arterial tree is atherosclerosis, a systemic inflammatory process in which cholesterol-laden plaque builds up in the artery and eventually blocks the lumen. Typical risk factors include age, gender, diabetes, tobacco abuse, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.


The definition of standard dynamic wind turbine models for power system stability analysis has been under development in recent years. These standard models, also known as generic or simplified models, have been developed under the framework of a new international standard, IEC 61400-27-1, the first edition of which was published in February 2015. These models are simplified representations of complex systems, such as wind turbines. Hence, the wind power industry urgently needs validation in comparison with real measurements to verify the accuracy and corresponding usability of the models. This paper presents the validation of a generic doubly-fed induction machine wind turbine model, commonly known as Type 3, based on a measurement campaign carried out in a Spanish wind farm. The wind turbine has been subjected to six voltage dips with different characteristics, magnitude, and duration, as well as several wind turbine operating conditions. The real behavior of the wind turbine is compared with the simulated response provided by the corresponding generic dynamic wind turbine model produced by the manufacturer Gamesa . Furthermore, the validation guidelines recently issued by IEC 61400-27-1 have been implemented, and the most important validation errors have been analyzed.


The most important part of ITS (Intelligent Technology System) is the forecasting of dynamic traffic information reporting in a timely manner. Based on the results of past empirical studies, this article is presenting and analyzing two models based on Grey Theory and the BP (Back propagation) Neural Network. In accordance with the advantages and disadvantages of these two models, we established a new combination model. This article also presents the calculation of dynamic traffic stream volumes based on the application of two models (Grey Theory and BP Neutral Network).The results predicted an increase in the overall prediction accuracy of road traffic volume.


The work reported here aimed to provide a comprehensive database of core information to support the development and validation of process-based models of resource capture and growth in semi-arid overstorey agroforestry systems. Intensive field studies were carried out in Kenya over a 30 month period and the results obtained were combined with data from a previous project to produce a dataset spanning a 4.5 year period. This dataset was then used to verify output from the HyPAR model.

Allometric procedures developed from the pipe model theory (Lott et al., 1998) were used to estimate tree growth non-destructively throughout the observation period. Significant differences in tree size between the sole (Td) and dispersed agroforestry (CTd) treatments were established during the first 130 days after planting, probably because of competition with the associated crops. The above-ground biomass and trunk length and taper characteristics of the CTd trees remained inferior to those of Td trees throughout the observation period, seriously undermining the economic potential of this agroforestry system. The biomass and grain yield of CTd understorey crops were similar to the corresponding sole crops during the first three seasons, but were negligible in three of the final four seasons, with maize yields reaching 50 % of the equivalent sole crop values only when seasonal rainfall was well above average. This observation suggests that water availability was the primary limitation for CTd maize during the final seasons of the trial, a conclusion supported by the superior performance of maize grown under net enclosures which simulated tree shade in the absence of below-ground competition. Cowpea and maize were grown concurrently in two seasons to examine the impact of grevillea on C4 and C3 crops with contrasting responses to shade; biomass and grain yield were less affected in cowpea than in maize.

The tree canopy in the dispersed agroforestry (CTd) treatment reduced the daily mean quantity of radiation incident upon the understorey crops by c.30 % during the final four growing seasons, although the discontinuous nature of the tree canopy caused substantial local variation in shading intensity. Seasonal mean fractional interception was greater for the combined canopies of the CTd treatment when soil moisture status was relatively high than for either of the sole canopies, suggesting the occurrence of spatial complementarity.

Tree shade had a substantial moderating influence on meristem temperature since the mean diurnal temperature range was reduced from a maximum of 20°C in sole maize to 13 °C under the trees, and maximum meristem temperature was decreased by up to 6 °C relative to sole maize. However, the non-uniform shading provided by the trees caused substantial spatial variation in thermal time accumulation and hence crop development.

Grevillea continued to grow during dry seasons and was therefore able to capture off-season rainfall which might otherwise have been lost from productive use. In addition, adaptation of heat balance gauges for use on grevillea roots (Lott et al., 1996) showed that substantial quantities of water could be extracted from deep-seated reserves below the crop rooting zone during dry periods, indicating the potential for spatial and temporal complementarity. However, transpiration by grevillea greatly exceeded rainfall during the dry season, rapidly depleting residual water supplies which might otherwise have been available for crop growth. In addition, approximately two thirds of the water used by the trees during cropping seasons was extracted from the soil surface horizons by lateral roots at distances of up to 2 m from the trunk. Thus, the potential for above and below-ground complementarity may be seriously undermined by the extensive capture of water by tree roots from the crop rooting zone.

Comparison of output from the HyPAR model against the observed results provided information pertinent to future model development. The model proved to be insufficiently flexible for end-users wishing to simulate the growth of different crops during the same simulation cycle, or to use model output to aid management decisions such as the timing of pruning. The allometric procedures used by the model to estimate canopy size from trunk diameter at breast height also proved incapable of accounting for reductions in canopy size resulting from pruning. Estimates of tree height are rounded to the nearest metre within the model, representing a potentially serious loss of resolution when annual increments often do not exceed 2 m. In addition, the numerous parameters required by the model would force most end-users to rely heavily on published information, potentially undermining the reliability of simulations.


Thirty nine methanolic extracts from twenty five Australian native plants were investigated for their antibacterial activity against two Gram-positive (Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis) and two Gram negative (Aeromonas hydrophilia, Pseudomonas fluorescens) bacterial species using the disc diffusion assay. Twenty eight of the thirty nine extracts tested (72%) inhibited the growth of one or more bacteria. B. cereus was the most susceptible bacteria with twenty one extracts (54%) inhibiting its growth. In comparison, fifteen extracts (38%) inhibited the growth of P. fluorescens, thirteen extracts (33%) inhibited the growth of B. subtilis, and ten extracts (26%) inhibited the growth of A. hydrophilia. Backhousia citriodora and Callistemon citrinus were particularly effective antibacterial agents, being capable of inhibiting the growth of all four bacteria. Acacia aulacocarpa, Buckinghamia celsissima, Callistemon salignus, Allocasuarina littoralis, Eucalyptus major, Leptospermum bracteata, Leptospermum juniperium and Syzygium australe were also good antibacterial agents, each being capable of inhibiting the growth of the majority of bacteria tested.


The binding affinity of (alpha-P-borano) and other NTP analogs to rabbit muscle pyruvate kinase (PK) was investigated using a fluorescence quenching approach to obtain structure-activity relationships for substrate specificity of nucleotide analogs.


Model selection with cross validation (CV) is very popular in machine learning. However, CV with grid and other common search strategies cannot guarantee to find the model with minimum CV error, which is often the ultimate goal of model selection. Recently, various solution path algorithms have been proposed for several important learning algorithms including support vector classification, Lasso, and so on. However, they still do not guarantee to find the model with minimum CV error. In this paper, we first show that the solution paths produced by various algorithms have the property of piecewise linearity. Then, we prove that a large class of error (or loss) functions are piecewise constant, linear, or quadratic w.r.t. the regularization parameter, based on the solution path. Finally, we propose a new generalized error path algorithm (GEP), and prove that it will find the model with minimum CV error for the entire range of the regularization parameter. The experimental results on a variety of datasets not only confirm our theoretical findings, but also show that the best model with our GEP has better generalization error on the test data, compared to the grid search, manual search, and random search.


Since the discovery of the Heck reaction, the process has gained widespread acceptance within the synthetic community both as a practical tool and a research area. The intramolecular Heck reaction has enjoyed a similar renaissance, particularly within the last decade. The reaction has emerged as a reliable method for efficiently constructing small, medium, and large rings. Since the reaction occurs under mild and nearly neutral conditions, the functional group tolerance is high. Tandem reactions, which are initiated by intramolecular Heck reactions, have been developed allowing for multiple ring formations, cyclization and intermolecular coupling, and a multitude of other ever-expanding possibilities. Furthermore, congested tertiary and quaternary centers can be efficiently constructed diastereoselectively or enantioselectively during the ring-forming reaction. The numerous advances in reaction technology and capability have led to frequent application of the reaction in complex molecule synthesis and combinatorial library preparation. For the purposes of this chapter, the intramolecular Heck reaction is defined as the palladium[0]-catalyzed intramolecular coupling of an aryl or alkenyl halide or perfluorosulfonate with an alkene, alkyne, allene, or arene.

The mechanism of the Heck reaction is an active area of research. Precise mechanistic details vary substantially depending upon catalyst, substrate, additives, and reaction conditions. The introduction given here is designed to give the chemist a basic understanding of the currently accepted mechanisms to aid in the rational selection and optimization of reaction conditions. Application to total synthesis of natural products and intramolecular Heck reactions on polymer supports are discussed.

Keywords:

Heck reaction;
mechanism;
stereochemistry;
neutral pathway;
cationic pathway;
insertion;
pentacoordinate palladium intermediates;
anionic mechanism;
phosphapalladacycles;
substitution reactions;
stereogenic center;
aromatic substrates;
scope;
limitations;
alkene isomerization;
allylic stereocenters;
exo cyclization;
endo cyclization;
rearrangements;
aromatic cyclization;
tandem reaction;
multiple insertions;
intramolecular insertions;
carbonylations;
terminations;
reductive cyclization;
capture;
organometallic capture;
Heck/Diels-Alder reactions;
diastereoselective reactions;
asymmetric reactions;
group selective;
allylsilane;
synthesis;
natural products;
polymer supports;
comparison of methods;
experimental conditions;
experimental procedures;
tabular survey


Organisations in the last decade are faced with the challenges posed by modern technology, changes in consumer behaviour and the emergence of new enterprises, whose operations are entirely based on innovative business models and the digital business. Digitization itself is the concept, which often occurs during the strategic plans of the organizations. Although public administration does generally not fall within the areas of high competition, the external environment is also forcing it into changes. These changes may be seen through the renewed portal of public administration, an increasing emphasis on digitization of the services, connecting e-Government towards the people etc. However, it is often forgotten that digitization is not based merely on technology itself, but it should include also organizational aspect and business process management as well. The purpose of this research in progress is to present the concepts behind e-Government and to demonstrate the extent to which digitization of public services is following objectives such as reducing costs, shortening business cycles and improving the quality of service. The paper will through the eyes of the end user highlight the shortcomings of the public administration digitalization and indicate possibilities for future


Lignocelluloses based natural fibers composites are very prone to water absorption due to OH functional group within cellulose and hemicelluloses of natural fibers. In this work, the water retention in the kenaf/polypropylene (kenaf /PP) composite due to repeated immersion and drying are studied. The composites (40%, 50%, 60% and 70% fiber loading) are immersed in the water and then dried in room condition (24°C and 48 % humidity) for 4 cycles (1 cycle is 10 days of immersion and drying). The parameters are 8\2 (imply 8 days immersion\ 2 days drying), 6\4, 4\6 and 2\8 per cycle. Continuous immersion (100% immersion) is used as a reference of water absorption behavior of the composite. The results for 70% fiber loading under minimum drying days of 8\2, shows that the water retention reduced to 36% from the water absorbed and further drying only reduced to 31%. When the experiment are repeated for several cycles, 70% fiber loading composites shows a decreasing pattern in water retention at the second cycle whereas 40% fiber loading composite showing an increasing pattern. Duration of immersion\drying does play an important role in the amount of water retention in the composite. The water retention of the composites either show an increasing or decreasing pattern depending on kenaf fiber loading and repetition of the immersion\drying for several cycles.


In today's increasingly turbulent environment, recognition of the institutional differences between countries is needed for the development of leaders. Although the current debate has evolved to more complex levels, knowledge about personal leadership and sociocultural context is still underdeveloped. This chapter attempts to empirically examine the effects of informal institutions on leadership using panel data models. Through a sample of a balanced panel, with data from 67 observations and 35 countries, we show that institutions such as tolerance, creativity, social capital and responsibility have a positive effect on leadership behavior, while other informal institutions (e.g. power) have a negative effect. From a conceptual standpoint, it is argued that informal institutions are relevant to understand differences in leadership, considering that values, beliefs and behaviors may determine the social desirability of being a leader in one country or another. The study has also practical implications regarding education and business, in terms of promoting institutional factors to have more developed societies.


Abstract Background Endoscopic skull base approaches are being used to address complicated neurovascular pathology. These approaches are safest when proximal vascular control of the cavernous carotid artery (CavCA) can be obtained. Methods We present a cadaver-based anatomic simulation study showing the feasibility of clip placement for the CavCA as it courses through the cavernous sinus. The arterial vessels were injected with red microfil (Flow Tech, Carver, Massachusetts) to enhance visibility. The endoscope was directed through a precaruncular transorbital approach and instrumentation was managed through an endonasal transsphenoidal approach. Results The dual approach minimized the "coning down" and instrument "sword fighting" that occurs as the rod lens endoscope and instruments are used laterally and posterior toward the clivus and brainstem. The precaruncular transorbital approach improved visualization of the clip application and improved the functional working area. The transorbital port allowed better appreciation of the distal clip tines, and the laterally positioned cranial nerves. Conclusions The advantages may be most realized in the setting of endoscopic endonasal resection of highly vascular lesions and/or bleeding from a ruptured aneurysm being clipped. Simulated training provides an excellent opportunity to enhance skill sets and increase familiarity with anatomical visualization before entering the operative arena.


The expansion of a microbial bank for the degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is crucial for removal of these persistent pollutants. In this study, five gram-negative, aerobic, non-fermentative bacterial strains (III-R3, IV-P11, IV-P13, IV-R13, and V-P18) were isolated from the activated sludge of a petrochemical wastewater treatment plant using enrichment pro tocol based on phenanthrene. The isolates were capable of utilizing phenanthrene, anthracene, and pyrene as a sole carbon and energy source in an aerobic batch aqueous system. The PAHs biodegradation yields were evaluated by gas chromatography and the bacterial isolates were identified using the 16S rRNA sequencing method. A first-order kinetic model provided the best fit to the phenanthrene degradation profiles with a correlation coefficient value of 0.95-0.98. The phenanthrene biodegradation rate constants and half-lives were measured at the range 0.653--Q.878 day-' and 0.79-1.06 day, respectively. Lower values of Anthracene degradation re sulted with the isolates of the current study, while a relatively high percentage of the removal of Pyrene was obtained by some of the isolates. The data obtained in this study shows that bacterial isolates have degradation preference over Mycobacterium sp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa; and they are comparable with Pseudomonas stutzeri, Sphingomonas sp., and microbial consortium applied by other researchers. Analysis of the 16S rDNA gene sequence, when compared with the GenBank, indicates that all the strains belong to the genus Sphingopyxis with the nearest type strain being Sphingopyxis ummariensis Ul2 (MTCC 8591T). It is the first time that Sphingopyxis ummariensis is reported for its capability in the degradation of PAHs.


The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, White Oak Detachment has an underwater acoustic measurements facility consisting of two sites, the White Oak site and Brighton Dam site. The White Oak site consists of a redwood tank which is 30 ft in diameter and 20 ft deep inclosed in a building. The tank is below grade and mechanically isolated from all structures and machinery. The water is constantly filtered and circulated to provide mixing at constant temperature of 72 °F. The Brighton Dam site is located on Brighton Dam Road, 14 mi north of the NSWC White Oak laboratory. The test barge is anchored and moored 200 ft offshore in approximately 55 ft of water on Triadelphia Reservoir about 1200 ft from Brighton Dam. The reservoir, impounded by Brighton Dam, forms a lake of 800 surface acres containing approximately 7 billion gallons of water. A full range of acoustic measurements are possible at ambient temperature and pressure.


Cybercrime is a type of transnational crime which investigation is rarely straightforward because of the support it gets from the ever-developing technology. Most cybercrime somehow involves more than one country, and to come about a successful investigation, international cooperation between law enforcement agencies of the relevant countries is essential. MLA between countries is supported usually by international cooperation. INTERPOL is a communication route between law enforcement agencies in different countries, and international treaties like the Budapest Convention, UNODC and some other regional cooperation like ECOWAS bring countries together to support harmonized laws and guidelines to request for help from different countries. With these in place, MLA appears not to be very effective, and ineffectiveness of this formal cooperation is due to some challenges encountered with received requests and making requests to other countries. This research addressed these challenges encountered with MLA requests alongside how knowledgeable law enforcement officers are regarding MLA matters. A survey was conducted to obtain law enforcement officers' take on the subject matter. The result obtained was then used to determine the relationship between officers' knowledge of MLA request (independent variable) and the response time of MLA requests, challenges encountered and the effectiveness of MLA (dependent variables). The responses received were divided into two groups; the Nigerian respondents [40{\%} (21)] and Other countries respondents [60{\%} (31)], the two groups were analyzed separately. The results showed that 38.1{\%} of Nigerian respondents and 45.1{\%} of other countries respondents said their legal provision(s) in terms of requesting information from other countries are moderately effective. MLAT and Interpol were found to be the main channel for asking for assistance from countries. Bureaucracy was found to be one of the noted challenges with sending an MLA request for Nigerian respondents, and a delayed response was the significant challenge with making a request to Nigeria for respondents from other countries. Insufficient information was the noted challenge faced when a request is received from another country for all the respondents. The data revealed that it took 6-12 months on average to process an MLA request and that most of the respondents have an average knowledge on how to make an MLA request. The correlation analysis done between variables in the study revealed that; * The more knowledgeable law enforcement agents are with making requests, the fewer challenges they will encounter with received MLA requests from other countries. * Increased knowledge of how to make an MLA request reduces the length of time it takes to respond to an MLA request. * Knowledge of how to make MLA requests does not affect with regards to the effectiveness of MLA on cybercrime investigations. Policy recommendations that can increase the effectiveness of mutual legal assistance were also explicitly discussed, how they could be carried out, and their advantages and disadvantages were also included.


We study the dynamics of two-field models of inflation characterized by a hierarchy of masses between curvature and isocurvature modes. When the hierarchy is large, a low energy effective field theory (EFT) exists in which only curvature modes participate in the dynamics of perturbations. In this EFT heavy fields continue to have a significant role in the low energy dynamics, as their interaction with curvature modes reduces their speed of sound whenever the multi-field trajectory is subject to a sharp turn in target space. Here we analyze under which general conditions this EFT remains a reliable description for the linear evolution of curvature modes. We find that the main condition consists on demanding that the rate of change of the turn's angular velocity stays suppressed with respect to the masses of heavy modes. This adiabaticity condition allows the EFT to accurately describe a large variety of situations in which the multi-field trajectory is subject to sharp turns. To test this, we analyze several models with turns and show that, indeed, the power spectra obtained for both the original two-field theory and its single-field EFT are identical when the adiabaticity condition is satisfied. In particular, when turns are sharp and sudden, they are found to generate large features in the power spectrum, accurately reproduced by the EFT.


This paper presents a study on the application of variable structure control techniques for improving power system dynamic stability. The basic concepts of variable structure control are discussed. The procedure of designing a variable structure controller for the linearized model obtained by linearizing the nonlinear characteristics of a synchronous machine connected to infinite busbar is explained. The possibility of a controller which would guarantee proper operation irrespective of machine output power, transmission line reactance and infinite bus voltage is discussed. The results of the simulation studies show that with the proposed controller, the stability of the synchronous machine is improved significantly.<<ETX>>


Due to their stationary existence, plants are exposed to an array of attackers including pathogens and insect herbivores. In defense, plants employ sophisticated responses mediated by the hormones salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA). These two hormones act antagonistically to fine-tune expression of defense compounds to a particular attacker. This is an important component of optimal defense theory (ODT), which states that expression of defenses is costly due to limited metabolic resources. Several studies have shown that increased expression, or exogenous application, of SA inhibits expression of JA-mediated defenses, and vice versa. However, no studies have investigated how constitutive SA levels affect JA-mediated defenses. After reviewing the literature on ODT, I present a review of the mustard family (Brassicaceae) and their specialist insect herbivores Pieris butterflies, which is the model system used in my first study. In this study, I compared constitutive SA levels in five spring-flowering and five summer-flowering mustard species and found that the spring-flowering species received significantly less herbivory and supported lower caterpillar relative growth rate (RGR) than the summer-flowering species. I then asked whether the differences that I observed could be explained by the underlying leaf SA concentrations. I found that the species with the lowest constitutive SA concentrations were the most resistant to herbivory and supported the lowest larval RGR. The highest herbivory rate and RGR occurred in species with intermediate concentrations of constitutive SA. In a second study, I investigated the inhibition of JA-mediated defenses by induced SA levels. I applied a commonly-used SA analog to five mustard species then measured RGR of the generalist caterpillar, Trichoplusia ni. I found that exogenous SA increased plant susceptibility in most, but not all plants. The exception being an agricultural variety of the perennial plant, Lesquerella fendleri.
I conclude that low constitutive SA concentrations may benefit plants by reducing herbivory and larval growth rates of insect herbivores. The finding that constitutive SA levels affect herbivore performance is unprecedented and has implications for our understanding of the evolution of plant defenses and for the cultivation of more insect-resistant crops.


ABSTRACT Insulin stimulates glucose transport by promoting translocation of GLUT4 proteins from the perinuclear compartment to the cell surface. It has been previously suggested that the microtubule-associated motor protein kinesin, which transports cargo toward the plus end of microtubules, plays a role in translocating GLUT4 vesicles to the cell surface. In this study, we investigated the role of Rab4, a small GTPase-binding protein, and the motor protein KIF3 (kinesin II in mice) in insulin-induced GLUT4 exocytosis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Photoaffinity labeling of Rab4 with [γ-32P]GTP-azidoanilide showed that insulin stimulated Rab4 GTP loading and that this insulin effect was inhibited by pretreatment with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) inhibitor LY294002 or expression of dominant-negative protein kinase C-λ (PKC-λ). Consistent with previous reports, expression of dominant-negative Rab4 (N121I) decreased insulin-induced GLUT4 translocation by 45%. Microinjection of an anti-KIF3 antibody into 3T3-L1 adipocytes decreased insulin-induced GLUT4 exocytosis by 65% but had no effect on endocytosis. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments showed that Rab4, but not Rab5, physically associated with KIF3, and this was confirmed by showing in vitro association using glutathione S-transferase-Rab4. A microtubule capture assay demonstrated that insulin stimulation increased the activity for the binding of KIF3 to microtubules and that this activation was inhibited by pretreatment with the PI3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 or expression of dominant-negative PKC-λ. Taken together, these data indicate that (i) insulin signaling stimulates Rab4 activity, the association of Rab4 with kinesin, and the interaction of KIF3 with microtubules and (ii) this process is mediated by insulin-induced PI3-kinase-dependent PKC-λ activation and participates in GLUT4 exocytosis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.


Background: Management of high-grade pancreatic injures in children remains controversial. As in adults, AAST grades I and II injuries are generally managed nonoperatively and the very rare grade IV and V injuries that involve the pancreatic head are managed on an individual basis. Grade III injuries, involving pancreatic duct transection within the pancreatic body, are commonly seen in children due to handlebar trauma. These are universally managed with distal pancreatectomy in adults; however, some pediatric surgeons prefer to manage them non-operatively. There have been multiple retrospective studies comparing outcomes between operative management (OM) and non-operative management (NOM), with mixed results. We performed a systematic review to determine whether the current literature supports one management strategy over the other. Methods: A systematic review of all published English literature was performed. Meta-analysis was performed for fistula and pseudocyst formation as these were the only outcomes for which complete data was attainable. Other outcomes studied were: days on total parenteral nutrition (TPN), days to full enteral feeds, and hospital length of stay (LOS). Results: Twenty-five multicenter studies were included. Of 1014 pancreatic injuries, 732 (72.2%) were managed with NOM and 267 (26.3%) by OM. Given the heterogeneity of the data, metanalysis could only be performed for the outcomes of pseudocyst and fistula formation. Pseudocyst formation was higher following NOM than OM (pooled odds ratio 2.05, 95% CI 1.04 to 4.07; p<0.001), and fistula rates were similar among the groups (pooled odds ratio 0.60, 95% CI 0.18 to 2.01; p=0.3115). Metanalysis could not be performed on the other outcomes, and mixed results were demonstrated for every outcome. Conclusion: In children with high-grade pancreatic trauma, NOM leads to higher pseudocyst formation than OM, which is expected. While fistula rates are similar, there is not enough good quality evidence to make definite conclusions about other outcomes or to determine a superior management strategy. A prospective trial is needed to determine the best approach to managing these injuries.


We introduce a new inference algorithm for Dirichlet process mixture models. While Gibbs sampling and variational methods focus on local moves, the new algorithm makes more global moves. This is done by introducing a permutation of the data points as an auxiliary variable. The algorithm is a blocked sampler which alternates between sampling the clustering and sampling the permutation. The key to the efficiency of this approach is that it is possible to use dynamic programming to consider all exponentially many clusterings consistent with a given permutation. We also show that random projections can be used to effectively sample the permutation. The result is a stochastic hill-climbing algorithm that yields burn-in times significantly smaller than those of collapsed Gibbs sampling.


This study aimed to discover if adolescents' and young adults' empathy capacity is higher when they engage more in fiction reading. A total of 301 students, aged 16-22, completed a self-administered questionnaire. More than half (56%) of the respondents consider reading as a hobby with books as the preferred reading material. Around 38% have moderate fiction reading scores and around 77% have high empathy capacity scores. Findings showed that the older the respondent is, the less likely they would read fiction and the lower their empathy level. Females are more likely to read fiction and are more empathic than males. Also, results revealed that the more the individual reads fiction, the more empathic they can become. Home and school interventions can be created to increase opportunities and desire for reading fiction and enhancing empathy capacity.


The abdominal arteries arise from the abdominal aorta and are comprised of three groups of arteries: unpaired visceral arteries, paired visceral arteries, and parietal arteries. The unpaired visceral arteries supply the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, spleen, pancreas, gallbladder, and liver and are made up of the celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery (SMA), and inferior mesenteric artery (IMA). The paired visceral arteries supply the kidneys, adrenal glands, and gonads and are made up of the middle suprarenals, renals, and gonadal branches of the abdominal aorta. The parietal arteries supply the musculoskeletal structures of the abdominal wall and are made up of the inferior phrenic, lumbar, and median sacral branches of the abdominal aorta.


A lipolytic enzyme gene (lip8) was cloned from organic solvent-tolerant Pseudomonas aeruginosa LST-03 and sequenced. In the sequenced nucleotides, an open reading frame consisting of 1,173 nucleotides and encoding 391 amino acids was found. Lip8 is considered to belong to the family VIII of lipolytic enzymes whose serine in the consensus sequence of -Ser-Xaa-Xaa-Lys- acts as catalytic nucleophile. The gene was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by a combination of ammonium sulfate fractionation and hydrophobic interaction and ion-exchange chromatographies to homogeneity on SDS-PAGE analysis. The optimum temperature and heat stability of Lip8 were not as high as those of Lip3 and LST-03 lipase, two other lipolytic enzymes from the same strain. Addition of glycerol to a solution containing Lip8 stabilized this enzyme. By measuring the activities against various triacylglycerols and fatty acid methyl esters having carbon chains of different lengths, Lip8 was categorized as an esterase which has higher activities against fatty acid methyl esters with short-chain fatty acids.


The role of opiate receptors on cell division in corneal epithelium during administration of dalargin was analysed. Naloxone injection/200 micrograms/kg/decreased MI two times, DNA-synthesis 1.4 times over 24 hours. Naloxone prevented dalargin effect on cell proliferation. Another testimonies of dalargin opiate-binding mitogenic effect were the results of the study with dalargin analogues. They are agonists of opiate receptors too. These drugs, as well as dalargin, in a dose 10 micrograms/kg increased DNA-synthesis 1.5 times, MI and MIK 2.2 times. It turned out, that the administration of another two analogues of dalargin, which are not ligands of opiate receptors, probably do not cause an adequate increase of DNA-synthesis and mitotic index.


Objective To compare effectiveness and safety of warfarin and the direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) dabigatran, rivaroxaban and apixaban in non-valvular atrial fibrillation in routine care. Methods From nationwide registries, we identified treatment-naïve patients initiating warfarin, dabigatran, rivaroxaban or apixaban for non-valvular atrial fibrillation from July 2013 to December 2015 in Norway. We assessed prescription duration using reverse waiting time distribution. Adjusting for confounding in a Cox proportional hazards model, we estimated one-year risks for ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA) or systemic embolism, major or clinically relevant non-major bleeding; intracranial; gastrointestinal; and other bleeding. We censored at switch of treatment or 365 days of follow-up. Results We included 30,820 treatment-naïve patients. Compared to warfarin, the adjusted hazard ratios (HR) for ischemic stroke, TIA or systemic embolism were 0.96 (95% CI 0.71–1.28) for dabigatran, 1.12 (95% CI 0.87–1.45) for rivaroxaban and 0.97 (95% CI 0.75–1.26) for apixaban. Corresponding hazard ratios for major or clinically relevant non-major bleeding were 0.73 (95% CI 0.62–0.86) for dabigatran, 0.97 (95% CI 0.84–1.12) for rivaroxaban and 0.71 (95% CI 0.62–0.82) for apixaban. Statistically significant differences of other safety outcomes compared to warfarin were fewer intracranial bleedings with dabigatran (HR 0.28, 95% CI 0.14–0.56), rivaroxaban (HR 0.40, 95% CI 0.23–0.69) and apixaban (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.34–0.92); fewer gastrointestinal bleedings with apixaban (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.52–0.93); and fewer other bleedings with dabigatran (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.55–0.81) and apixaban (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.59–0.83). Conclusion After 1 year follow-up in treatment-naïve patients initiating oral anticoagulation for non-valvular atrial fibrillation, all DOACs were similarly effective as warfarin in prevention of ischemic stroke, TIA or systemic embolism. Safety from bleedings was similar or better, including fewer intracranial bleedings with all direct oral anticoagulants, fewer gastrointestinal bleedings with apixaban and fewer other bleedings with dabigatran and apixaban.


Abstract To further our knowledge of ore genesis in one of Australia's preeminent ore districts, we have completed a comprehensive geochemical study of ore-related porphyritic intrusions from the Archaean Kanowna Belle and Sunrise Dam gold deposits (both >10 Moz), Eastern Goldfields, Western Australia. Zircon samples (including samples from the newly developed Velvet mine) with ages ranging from 2.8 to 2.2 Ga, were investigated for O-OH isotopic signatures, trace element abundance, and U-Th-Pb compositions to elucidate the nature of the magmatic source and ore-related fluid. These intrusions have similarly high Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios to adakites from the Aleutian and Cook Islands, but lower Mg# values and higher K2O contents, suggesting they were derived from partial melts in a thickened crust. The modern analogs are post-collisional, high-Sr/Y granitoid porphyries in southern Tibet. Magmatic zircons have intermediate δ18O values (+5‰ to +6.3‰), and estimated magmatic crystallization temperatures (Ti-in-zircon) in between 660–760 °C. They are interpreted as having crystallized from positive δ18O magmas during water-fluxed melting of juvenile lower crust. Hydrothermal fluid modified zircons are texturally indistinguishable from magmatic zircons, but their trace element, OH, and isotopic compositions are distinct. The involvement of hydrothermal fluid in zircon growth is evidenced by a negative correlation between OH content and δ18O. In addition, the studied hydrothermal fluid modified zircons are characterized by high La contents, flat rare earth element patterns, weak Ce anomalies, and high Eu/Eu* ratios, suggesting they were related to a high-temperature, Zr-saturated, high-Eu, Cl-rich, and low-pH hydrothermal fluid. Such fluids are common in eastern Yilgarn gold camps.


The figure of Grigory Ivanovich von Langsdorff was largely neglected by the scientific literature of the 19th and 20th centuries. German-born von Langsdorff was consul of the Russian Empire in Rio de Janeiro. His activities in Brazil from 1813 to 1830 are here described, a time during which his house in Rio and his famous fazenda Mandiocca became the center of scientific activity and the point of attraction for European travellers and naturalists who flocked to Brazil after its frontiers were opened to foreigners in 1808 by King Joao VI of Portugal. Wilhelm Freyreiss, Friedrich Sellow, Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied, Augustin de Saint-Hilaire, Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius, Johann Baptist von Spix, Giuseppe Raddi, Johann Baptist Emanuel Pohl, and Ludwig Riedel are among those who explored Brazil impulsed by von Langsdorff and often under his patronage. Their journeys in Brazil culminated in von Langsdorff's ill-fated expedition to the interior of Brazil between 1822 and 1829, while the epilogue is marked by Langsdorff's return to Germany, in a state of insanity and no longer able to publish the results of his life-long scientific efforts.


Systemic acquired resistance (SAR), known as the broad-spectrum, inducible plant immunity,is a defense response triggered by pathogen infection. The response starts from the recognition of plant resist-ance (R) with the corresponding avirulence (avr) gene from the pathogen. There are some genes for conver-gence of signals downstream of different R/avr interacting partners into a single signaling pathway. Salicylicacid (SA) is required for the induction of SAR and involved in transducing the signal in target tissues. The SAsignal is transduced through NPR1, a nuclear-localized protein that interacts with transcription factors thatare involved in regulating SA-mediated gene expression. Some chemicals that mimic natural signaling com-pounds can also activate SAR. The application of biochemical activators to agriculture for plant protection is anovel idea for developing green chemical pesticide.


Author(s): Mann, Kristin Leilani | Advisor(s): Morgan, Kathryn A.; Richlin, Amy E. | Abstract: Four fable books survive from Greco-Roman antiquity: (1) the Life and Fables of Aesop (1st-2nd century CE), a collection of Greek prose fables; (2) Phaedrus's Fabulae Aesopiae (1st century CE), a collection of Latin verse fables; (3) Babrius's Μυθίαμβοι Αἰσώπeιοι (1st century CE), a collection of Greek verse fables; and (4) Avianus's Fabulae (4th-5th century CE), a collection of Latin verse fables. The thesis of this dissertation is that in each of these fable collections, the fabulist's presence in the fable book – his biography, his self-characterizations, and his statements of purpose – combine to form a hermeneutic frame through which the fables may be interpreted. Such a frame is necessary because the fable genre is by nature multivalent: fables may be interpreted in many different ways, depending on their context. For embedded fables (that is, fables embedded in a larger narrative or speech), the fable's immediate context influences the fable's interpretation. In the fable books, however, there is no literary context; the fables stand as isolated narratives. The fabulist himself, I argue, takes the place of this missing context, and thus provides the reader with an interpretive framework. Such a framework does not outright control the interpretation of the fables (the fables remain multivalent), but it does provide a field of plausible interpretations. Furthermore, because each fable book has a different hermeneutic frame, each text is unique, despite using much of the same material. Thus, in the Life and Fables of Aesop, the Life serves as a guide for how to use the Fables that follow, a guide that is aimed at low or powerless individuals. Phaedrus's collection demonstrates the usefulness of fables as a form of coded speech, for slaves and for other disempowered individuals. Babrius's collection explores the usefulness of fables in education, and teaches the readers how to think about and apply fable wisdom correctly. Finally, Avianus's fable collection is concerned not only with the boundaries of genre – with what is and is not appropriate for the fable genre – but also with the nature of display and ornamentation itself, an important issue in late antique culture. These four fable books have not, on the whole, received much scholarly attention, and there has been little attempt to read them as coherent works of literature in their own right. By considering the overall purpose and hermeneutic frames of each of these collections, this dissertation fills an important gap in scholarship.


With the increasing severity of environmental legislation, the disposal of drill cuttings has become a critical issue. Once the solids control system reaches contaminant contents close to the established limit value, alternative treatment technologies have been studied, such as microwave drying. In this scope, dielectric properties of two distinct cuttings, one obtained from clay formations and the other from reservoir, were measured in different conditions. It could be inferred from the results that the cuttings are absorbent materials and the loss tangent is directly proportional to their contaminant content. Additionally, a predictive kinetic model previously designed for clay cuttings was tested for reservoir cuttings, showing that the model is also aplicable in the analysis of the drying behavior of reservoir cuttings for low values of applied power. It was concluded that the insertion of dielectric parameters into the kinetic models enabled not only yield prediction, but also provided a better understanding of how the selected materials behave under different microwave process conditions, both qualitatively and quantitatively. It is important to highlight that this knowledge on microwave drying is fundamental not only to the optimization and control of the process, but also to the development of new technologies that make use of specific characteristics of the phenomena.


: Severe liver failure is a rare complication of erythropoietic protoporphyria (PEP), which is associated with a high rate mortality. Until now, 31 patients with this hepatic complication had underwent a liver transplantation, with a high rate of survival, but their long-term outcome is not well established. We report the first case in Spain of PEP in 59-year-old, whose acute liver failure was treated with liver transplantation, without postoperative complications. The patient is in good clinical condition 30 months later. Nevertheless during the first eleven months of follow-up the plasma levels of protoporphyrin remained elevated, which was accompanied of biochemical and histological evidence of relapse of the metabolic disease in the graft. Cases such as this stress the usefulness of liver transplantation, but also the need of more efficient measures to decrease the protoporphyrin levels before and after the transplant, in order to prevent hepatic and extrahepatic complications in these patients.


given. If, on the other hand, the organism is penicillinresistant a change can be made to an appropriately sensitive antibiotic, or, if it is decided or necessary to continue with erythromycin, it is suggested that novobiocin be added to delay the emergence of erythromycin-resistant strains.' The treatment of segmental aspiration pneumonia is, in our view, only complete when the segment or segments involved have fully re-expanded. Cases of staphylococcal pneumonia show severe segmental collapse, and it is likely that bronchiectatic changes will rapidly occur in the affected areas.7 It is not enough, therefore, to save the patient's life with antibiotics. Physiotherapy should be given as early as possible in the form of breathing exercises, posturing, and percussion to minimize bronchial damage by removing secretions and allowing the re-expansion of the collapsed areas.I am, etc.,


The clock read 11 p.m. and I was still in the lab, staring at my poster abstract for what felt like the millionth time. I couldn't focus. But going home wasn't an option. My adviser had required me, and the rest of my labmates, to stay in the lab until she had time to read all of our abstracts. The submission deadline wasn't for a few days, but she had decided she wanted to meet early with each of us to discuss the single-paragraph descriptions of our work. We waited dutifully as each lab member took their turn. None of us dared to leave—or to challenge our boss. I didn't get home until 1:30 a.m.

> "The last thing you want is an adviser who brings you down."

It was one more reminder that I should have been more careful when selecting a graduate adviser. Unfortunately, I was foolish enough not to give mentoring style a second thought. I was simply happy to have received an offer.

Part of the problem was that I had limited options. I had moved to the United States with my husband, who had a good job in a particular city. It had only one university, with only one department that really interested me. So I started to volunteer in a research lab there.

I was a regular attendee at departmental seminars, and that's where I met my future adviser. After she presented a seminar, I approached her and we set up a time to chat. We had a productive discussion about her research. Later, I went to dinner with her lab group.

I didn't pick up any signs of trouble, although one person who worked in a lab that shared space with hers did tell me about coming across one of her lab members crying in the breakroom. Naively, I ignored that warning sign. Within a few weeks, the faculty member offered me a position in her lab as a master's student. The opportunity seemed too good to pass up. I hoped it would work out.

It wasn't long before reality set in. Group meetings were dreadful. Our adviser was often angry and verbally abusive. She persistently micromanaged her lab members and pitted us against one another. Once, she sent an irate email on a federal holiday, asking us why we weren't working. "The only lab that is empty is ours," she wrote. "How is this possible? Don't you have experiments or data to analyze?"

The situation wore me down, and I lost motivation to do my work. I wondered whether I should quit, but as an international student, I felt trapped. If I dropped out of my program, I'd not only be out of a job, but I'd also lose my student visa status. So I stuck it out and waited for the right moment to jump ship.

I applied to upgrade from the master's program to the Ph.D. program. That option wasn't available until I'd completed 1 year of graduate school, but it ultimately gave me a ticket out of her lab.

As I looked for a new adviser, I was careful not to repeat the mistakes I had made in the past. I approached another faculty member whose research interested me. But when I visited his lab, I paid attention to how he interacted with others, and I spoke with people who worked with him, specifically asking about his mentoring style. I was amazed how friendly everyone was. His students had great regard for him, and I immediately sensed that his lab was an environment where I could thrive.

He took me on as a Ph.D. student, rescuing me from the misery I'd felt in graduate school up to that point. In my new lab, I arrived eager to work each day, and I didn't go home mentally exhausted by interpersonal disputes. That helped me be much more determined and efficient with my work.

Grad school is a tough, long road that requires patience and perseverance. Finding a lab that is a good match for you is critical. I encourage prospective students to learn from my mistakes and to do your due diligence before joining a lab. Ask a lot of questions and seek a lot of diverse opinions—because the last thing you want is an adviser who brings you down.


Many biologically active peptides exist in multiple molecular forms, but the functional significance of regions outside the region of bioactivity is unknown. The biological and immunological data presented in this study indicate that cholecystokinin-58 (CCK-58), unlike other forms of cholecystokinin, has structure that influences its bioactivity. CCK-58 was purified from acid extracts of canine intestinal mucosa until a single absorbance peak was obtained during reverse-phase chromatography. Amino acid analysis precisely determined the peptide concentrations of purified CCK-58 and synthetic CCK-8. Our hypothesis was that if the amino terminus of CCK-58 influences its bioactivity then its activity would be modified when this region was removed from the peptide. To evaluate the importance of the amino terminus of CCK-58 to influence its biological activity, the abilities of CCK-58 and CCK-8 to release amylase from pancreatic acini were compared before and after tryptic digestion. Tryptic digestion of CCK-58 decreased the half-maximal stimulation (EC50) for amylase release from 96 to 28 pM. The EC50 for digested CCK-58 was similar to that for CCK-8 (17 pM). These results suggest that CCK-58 has a structure that shields its bioactive carboxyl terminus. This is further supported by the finding that carboxyl fragments generated from CCK-58 by trypsin or by partial acid hydrolysis were greater than twofold more immunoreactive than the intact CCK-58. The diminished activity of CCK-58 SK shields the carboxyl terminus, which is important to its biological and immunological activities.


For institutions of higher learning such as universities, the performance evaluation teaching staff is profoundly significant in the realization of the institution's goals and objectives. It is also the social responsibility of these universities to ensure that the quality of education offered at their facilities is contextual and relevant to the graduates careers and the professions, which they undertake upon successful completion of these studies. As a nation committed to human capacity development, Angola recognizes and is continuously seek means to uphold exceptionally high standards of teacher performance as well as the general quality of services offered by the Angolan public universities. This chapter offers a summary of a comprehensive investigation dealing with 360° and competency evaluation for teaching staff at universities. The objective of this study was to develop and implement a system of evaluation of the teacher and lecturer performance at the José Eduardo dos Santos University of the Republic of Angola. The methodology used for evaluation the strengths and weaknesses of 122 teachers, the strengths and weaknesses in their individual performance; it also presents an improvement plan based on their competences to enhance individual teacher performance.


Background The role of MET alterations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is increasing and several targeted agents are under evaluation. MET exon 14 skipping mutations and MET amplifications are associated with potential sensitivity to MET inhibition, though resistance mechanisms are emerging. In MET addicted cells, MET inhibition leads to activation of proviral integration site for Moloney murine leukemia virus-1 (PIM1). PIM1 and proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src (SRC) can regulate the expression of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), potentially inducing resistance to MET inhibition through cross-activation. Methods We evaluated the activity of class I–II MET inhibitors, the SRC inhibitor dasatinib, and pan-PIM inhibitors in four MET addicted cell lines. We assessed the effect of the dual MET/PIM and MET/SRC inhibition on cell viability and at the protein level. We evaluated RNA expression profiles of the cell lines. Advanced NSCLCs were also screened for MET alterations. Results All cell lines were sensitive to class I–II MET inhibitors. All cell lines were resistant to single PIM and SRC inhibition. Dual MET/PIM inhibition was synergistic or additive in MET amplified cell lines and dual MET/SRC inhibition was highly synergistic in all MET addicted cell lines. The addition of an SRC inhibitor partially prevents the RTKs cross-activation. MET alterations were found in 9 out of 97 evaluable samples (9.3%); median overall survival in MET altered patients was 5 months (95% CI, 3 m–NA). Conclusions We identified a potential role of PIM inhibition in MET amplified tumors and of SRC inhibition in MET addicted tumors. Potential applications of this new treatment strategy warrant further evaluation.


In this thesis we consider recursive Bayesian estimation in general, and sequential Monte Carlo filters in particular, applied to integrated navigation. Based on a large number of simulations of the model, the sequential Monte Carlo filter, also referred to as particle filter, provides an empirical estimate of the full posterior probability density of the system. The particle filter provide a solution to the general nonlinear, non-Gaussian filtering problem. The more nonlinear system, or the more non-Gaussian noise, the more potential particle filters have.Although very promising even for high-dimensional systems, sequential Monte Carlo methods suer from being more or less computer intensive. However, many systems can be divided into two parts, where the first part is nonlinear and the second is (almost) linear conditionally upon the first. By applying the particle filter only on the severly nonlinear part of lower dimension, the computational load can be significantly reduced. For the remaining conditionally (almost) linear partwe apply (linearized) linear filters, such as the (extended) Kalman filter. From a Bayesian point of view, the result from the different filters can be seen as marginal posterior probability densities. The full posterior density is then computed by combining the results from the separate filters using Bayes' rule. The technique of marginalising the complete posterior density and solve the linear parts analytically is referred to as Rao-Blackwellization.The application considered here is integrated aircraft navigation. Integrated navigation refers to the combination of outputs from two or more navigation sensors to yield a more accurate and reliable overall solution. The sensors we are dealing with are inertial navigation and terrain-aided positioning, meaning that we combine two systems which are high-dimensional and highly nonlinear respectively. The integrated navigation application is a typical system which consists of both linearand nonlinear elements. We show that by applying the efficent particle filter based on Rao-Blackwellization we obtain nearly optimal accuracy for a tractable amount of computational load.


We consider the prototype bifurcating T-junction planar flow and compare the stability of the steady two-dimensional flow field for a Newtonian and a shear thinning inelastic fluid. Global stability of the flow to two-dimensional perturbations is analyzed using numerical solutions of the linear perturbation equation. Calculations are performed for two flow ratios between the main channel and the bifurcating channel, and for two different values of the time constant in the non-Newtonian rheological model. The results show that although the steady flow remains stable to two-dimensional perturbations for Newtonian Reynolds number up to ∼ 400, shear thinning is destabilizing in that the decay rate of the perturbation field is slower. The perturbation growth rate curves for all of the different cases may be correlated by volume averaging the local Reynolds number over the flow domain, indicating that the effect of shear thinning on stability may be described using a suitably defined average Reynolds number. These stability results provide some justification for CFD calculations of steady non-Newtonian two-dimensional flows presented in earlier papers. Since scalar transport is of interest in this flow field, we also present some numerical calculations for the Nusselt number profile along the bifurcating channel wall. The results show that for the shear thinning fluid the scalar transport rate is differentially larger by ∼ 75% across one of the bifurcating channel walls, a consequence of fluid rheology enhancing the effect of flow asymmetry in the entrance region of the bifurcation.


Author(s): Meyers, Caterina Nerney | Advisor(s): Welter, Stephen C | Abstract: This research examines influences upon the parasitoid guild of sunflower moth, Homoeosoma electellum Hulst (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), a North American native specialist herbivore and pest of crop sunflower, Helianthus annuus var. macrocarpus (L.). I approach the system from the genetic population, landscape, and habitat scales to determine the relevance of different variables towards future efforts in conservation biological control of sunflower moth.At the population level, I used a set of 9 microsatellites, or polymorphic neutral genetic markers, to examine the population genetic structure and level of gene flow within the most important specialist parasitoid of sunflower moth, Dolichogenidea homoeosomae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). I found that gene flow rates in this species are high, and that there are no signals of population substructure at the level of wild versus agricultural settings or local- regional geography. At the continental scale the population structure is detectable but gene flow still occurs. This points to a high degree of genetic mixing within this species in North America and indicates that genetic specialization towards wild or agricultural sunflower habitats is very unlikely. At the landscape scale I performed a field survey of sunflower moth larvae at 60 agricultural sunflower sites throughout the Central Valley of California during three summer growing seasons in 2003-2005. I then compared total parasitism rate, parasitoid species richness and relative proportions of generalist parasitoids to the proportion of habitat in the 1km radius circular area around each field in annual crops, orchards, riparian habitat and wild sunflower habitat. To follow this, I set up a sentinel larvae experiment to test the effects of surrounding habitat type upon the parasitism parameters. In the survey, I found a significant positive relationship between parasitism rate and the two other parasitoid guild parameters: parasitoid species richness and proportion of parasitism due to generalist parasitoids. The proportion of the area surrounding the field in orchard habitat was positively correlated with parasitism, parasitoid species richness and relative impact by generalists compared to the specialist parasitoid. While not statistically significant, parasitoid guild parameters in the sentinel larvae experiment generally followed the trends found in the survey. At the flower and habitat scale I examined herbivore phenology in self seeding sunflower, Helianthus annuus var. annuus (L.) in 5 different patches during three peak bloom summer seasons to determine the relative abundance and within flower-head co-ocurrence rates of the major sunflower herbivores and their parasitoids. In addition to sunflower moth, H. electellum, I found several other common flower consuming herbivores in the wild sunflower habitat in California. One in particular, Plagiomimicus spumosum (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), exhibited an earlier peak in and higher overall abundance relative to H. electellum and was present in high densities at all of the sites surveyed. This herbivore was rarely found in flowers with conspecifics or other florivore species and was statistically negatively correlated with other species at the flower-head level. This indicates that this species may be exerting competitive pressure within the flower consuming guild in wild settings. Observed larval parasitism of P. spumosum averaged 12.2%, compared to 33.3% parasitism of H. electellum. Two parasitoid species were found to attack both H. electelluma and P. spumosum: Bracon nuperus and Erynnia tortricis. Given that the co-occurrence of the two most abundant herbivores in flowers is significantly lower than that expected by chance and they share at least two parasitoid species, further experimental investigation of the interaction between these herbivores and the consequences for community composition is warranted.In summary, this research demonstrates that while the current population structure of the specialist parasitoid of sunflower moth does not show genetic substructure that could lead towards improved control of sunflower moth in agricultural fields, the role of generalist parasitoids and in particular those associated with nearby orchard habitat could be very important in biological control. In addition, complex interactions amongst herbivores in the wild sunflower habitats may contribute to the differences observed in parasitism rate between the wild and agricultural sunflower settings. These results show that using the tools and theories of population genetics, landscape and community ecology, we can contribute valuable information towards efforts in conservation biological control and sustainable agricultural practices.


This study investigates the motives and valuation effects of share repurchase announcements of German firms during the 1998–2008 period, addressing the question why initial public offering (IPO) firms repurchase shares soon after going public. While our focus is on IPO firms, we also examine the impact of firm size by differentiating between IPO and established DAX/MDAX firms and by analyzing the source of surplus cash holdings, that is, either from equity issuances or from operating cash flows. We further explore the impact of the regulatory environment. Our empirical analysis reveals significant differences between the IPO and DAX/MDAX subsamples regarding their repurchase motives, stock price performance, and explanatory factors. Standard corporate payout theories are essential in explaining the different valuation effects. Our empirical analysis suggests agency costs of free cash flow as the main reason for the observed valuation effects of both IPO and DAX/MDAX firms, yet for different reasons. While DAX/MDAX firms continuously generate high operating cash flows before and after repurchasing shares, IPO firms exhibit low operating cash flows during the entire period but large surplus cash holdings due to the mandatory equity issuance at their public offering. Overall, the repurchase decisions of IPO firms are best explained by the agency costs of cash holdings and the unique rules and regulations of the German stock exchange.


The 2012 Asia-Pacific International Electromagnetic Compatibility Symposium and Technical Exhibition was held on May 21–24 at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) Singapore. It perpetuated a proud tradition that began in 2006 with the first EMC Zurich Symposium in Singapore. That seminal conference combined many scattered EMC events and initiatives in the region to form a major Asia-Pacific EMC (APEMC) Symposium. It was followed by the highly successful APEMC 2008 in Singapore, APEMC 2010 in Beijing, and APEMC 2011 on Jeju Island, Korea. These Symposiums covered the entire scope of electromagnetic compatibility and extended to the emerging technologies associated with EMC.


Abstract Bipedalism evolved more than twice among archosaurs, and it is a characteristic of basal dinosaurs and a prerequisite for avian flight. Nevertheless, the reasons for the evolution of bipedalism among archosaurs have barely been investigated. Comparative analysis using phylogenetically independent contrasts showed a significant correlation between bipedality (relative length of forelimb) and cursoriality (relative length of metatarsal III) among Triassic archosaurs. This result indicates that, among Triassic archosaurs, bipeds could run faster than quadrupeds. Bipedalism is probably an adaptation for cursoriality among archosaurs, which may explain why bipedalism evolved convergently in the crocodilian and bird lineages. This result also indicates that the means of acquiring cursoriality may differ between archosaurs and mammals.


Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that belongs to the RFamide peptide family and was first identified in the quail brain. From the discovery of avian GnIH, orthologous GnIH peptides have been reported in a variety of vertebrates, including mammals, amphibians, teleosts and agnathans, but also in protochordates. It has been clearly established that GnIH suppresses reproduction in avian and mammalian species through its inhibitory actions on brain GnRH and pituitary gonadotropins. In addition, GnIH also appears to be involved in the regulation of feeding, growth, stress response, heart function and social behavior. These actions are mediated via G protein-coupled GnIH receptors (GnIH-Rs), of which two different subtypes, GPR147 and GPR74, have been described to date. With around 30,000 species, fish represent more than one-half of the total number of recognized living vertebrate species. In addition to this impressive biological diversity, fish are relevant because they include model species with scientific and clinical interest as well as many exploited species with economic importance. In spite of this, the study of GnIH and its physiological effects on reproduction and other physiological processes has only been approached in a few fish species, and results obtained are in some cases conflicting. In this review, we summarize the information available in the literature on GnIH sequences identified in fish, the distribution of GnIH and GnIH-Rs in central and peripheral tissues, the physiological actions of GnIH on the reproductive brain-pituitary-gonadal axis, as well as other reported effects of this neuropeptide, and existing knowledge on the regulatory mechanisms of GnIH in fish.


The antibiotic therapy has many problems, such as
antibiotics resistance, hypersensitivity, direct toxicity, antibiotic-induced
immunosuppresion and super-infections. This is highlighting the need for a new
strategy for non-antibiotic therapy through the use of novel immunomodulators as
naturally released ones (Lactoferrin). The present study investigates the
potential of bovine lactoferrin (bLf), isolated from bovine milk whey, to
prevent Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Escherichia coli (E. coli), Streptococcus agalactiae (S. agalactiae) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P.
aerogenosa) growth and then evaluates its immunomodulator effect. First,
bLf isolation was attempted from bovine milk whey using a cation exchange
chromatography by SP-Sepharose. Second, the antimicrobial activity assays were
trailed to study the antimicrobial activity of bLf. Finally, the immune effect
of bLf was studied by lymphocyte transformation test. It was found that bLf was
separated around molecular weight of 80 kDa and showed significant inhibitory
effect against E. coli followed by P. aeruginosa, S. agalactiae and S. aureus.
bLf increased lymphocyte transformations mean values in a dose dependant
manner. The highest transformations mean value was determined at 50 μg/mL. In
conclusion, these results suggest that bLf is a potent natural antimicrobials
and immunomodulator agent.


Carbon dioxide ice clouds are thought to play an important role for cold terrestrial planets with thick CO2 dominated atmospheres. Various previous studies showed that a scattering greenhouse effect by carbon dioxide ice clouds could result in a massive warming of the planetary surface. However, all of these studies only employed simplified two-stream radiative transfer schemes to describe the anisotropic scattering. Using accurate radiative transfer models with a general discrete ordinate method, this study revisits this important effect and shows that the positive climatic impact of carbon dioxide clouds was strongly overestimated in the past. The revised scattering greenhouse effect can have important implications for the early Mars, but also for planets like the early Earth or the position of the outer boundary of the habitable zone.


We present a first Nf = 2 lattice estimate of the hadronic coupling g12 which parametrizes the strong decay of a radially excited B∗ meson into the ground state B meson at zero recoil. We work in the static limit of Heavy Quark Effective Theory (HQET) and solve a Generalised Eigenvalue Problem (GEVP), which is necessary for the extraction of excited state properties. After an extrapolation to the continuum limit and a check of the pion mass dependence, we obtain g12 =−0.17(4).


Author(s): Ratcliff, Felix | Advisor(s): Bartolome, James | Abstract: Riparian areas in arid rangelands provide a wide range of ecosystem services and are critical areas for conservation of landscape and regional biological diversity. Creeks and their associated riparian habitats also provide unique resources for livestock management, however these systems have proven to be sensitive to disturbance from livestock. Ecological site concepts and associated state-and-transition models are useful tools for understanding rangeland plant succession and the relative influence of management actions. These models have been widely developed for upland rangeland systems; however, extension of these models to rangeland riparian systems is still in its infancy. In this study I classified two ecological sites along four streams on the Tejon Ranch in the southern San Joaquin Valley, California. Using vegetation data gathered over four years at fifteen study reaches I identified three distinct vegetation states and plausible conditions precipitating transitions between states. I monitored large mammal and herpetofauna activity at each of the study reaches and compared the predictive power of the categorical ecological site and state-and-transition models in predicting wildlife activity to models based on continuous environmental variables. Finally I investigated the role of cattle and feral pig management on riparian vegetation and wildlife. Ecological sites proved to be a good predictor of observed wildlife community assemblages and was included in top models predicting activity of three of five mammal species: bobcat (Lynx rufus) deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and feral pig (Sus scrofa); and two of three reptile species: western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) and Gilbert's skink (Plestiodon gilberti). In contrast, vegetation states proved to be a poor predictor compared to continuous variables. Cattle and feral pigs appear to have played a role in the one observed vegetation transition, and cattle and feral pig activity was correlated with increased cover of hydrophyllic vegetation and bare soil, and decreased cover of upland vegetation and forbs. Summer cattle activity and spring pig activity were the most strongly correlated with changes in vegetation attributes. Results from this study illustrate the utility of ecological sites to model riparian vegetation change and provide a framework for understanding the effect of rangeland management on riparian vegetation and wildlife.


Electrical propagation in diseased and aging hearts is strongly influenced by structural changes that occur in both the intracellular and interstitial spaces of cardiac tissue; however, very few studies have investigated how interactions between the two spaces affect propagation at the microscale. In this study, we used one-dimensional microstructural computer models of interconnected ventricular myocytes to systematically investigate how increasing the effective interstitial resistivity (rho(oeff)) influences action potential propagation in fibers with variations in intracellular properties such as cell coupling and cell length. Changes in rho(oeff) were incorporated into a monodomain model using a correction to the intracellular properties that was based on bidomain simulations. The results showed that increasing rho(oeff) in poorly coupled one-dimensional fibers alters the distribution of electrical load at the microscale and causes propagation to become more continuous. In the poorly coupled fiber, this continuous state is characterized by decreased gap junction delay, sustained conduction velocity, increased sodium current, reduced maximum upstroke velocity, and increased safety factor. Long, poorly coupled cells experience greater loading effects than short cells and show the greatest initial response to changes in rho(oeff). In inhomogeneous fibers with adjacent well-coupled and poorly coupled regions, increasing rho(oeff) in the poorly coupled region also reduces source-load mismatch, which delays the onset of conduction block and reduces the dispersion of repolarization at the transition between the two regions. Increasing the rho(oeff) minimizes the effect of cell-to-cell variations and may influence the pattern of activation in critical regimes characterized by low intercellular coupling, microstructural heterogeneity, and reduced or abnormal membrane excitability.


Business Planning in the Thomas Cook Group. A.H.T. Davies. International Journal of Tourism Management, vol. 2, no. 2, June 1981, pp. 84-98. IPC Science and Technology Press Ltd., P.O. Box 63, Westbury House, Bury Street, Guildford GU2 5BH, United Kingdom. $39. Annual subscription, $130. Following the acquisition of the Thomas Cook Group by Midland Bank in 1972, more systematic budgeting and financial planning was established as an important priority. The medium to long term planning function of the Group was strengthened in 1978. The methods and procedures employed in the Group's planning are detailed, and the relationships between the planning function and both the requirements of the business and the nature of the industry are emphasized.


: Our experience in 1 1/2 years of follow-up with 64 patients with a musculofascial flap to support the lower face and anterior neck is presented. We anticipate that the skilled plastic surgeon will find this procedure helpful for the aesthetic reconstruction of the aging face and neck.


There have been great scientific and technical advances in biomedicine in the last few years, particularly after the description of the human genome. These improvements have gradually been applied in diverse fields that have gone beyond the study of the disease to enter the study of health. The latter includes research in the field of physical and sports activity. Genetics therefore provides the scientific knowledge that helps us to optimise the performance of high level sportsmen/women, to reap the benefits of carrying out physical exercise and/or to perform a safe sports practice by evaluating the risk of a hereditary disease associated to sudden death in sportsmen/women.


Leaf-cutting ants are the main pests in forest plantations. The most commonly used chemical control for the ants is toxic bait. However, the active ingredients in these baits have been restricted by forest certification organizations, justifying the search for new active compounds to control these insects. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the formicidal activity of alkaloid fractions from the roots, stems, branches and leaves of Psychotria hastisepala and Psychotria leiocarpa (Rubiaceae) against Atta sexdens Forel, 1908 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The alkaloid fractions were obtained from the crude methanolic extracts of P. hastisepala and P. leiocarpa by the acid-base extraction method employing liquid-liquid partitions. The fractions, previously solubilized in propanone, were applied topically to the pronotum of worker ants. Bioassays were conducted in a completely randomized design, with six replicates of each treatment and 10 ants per replicate. Insect survival was assessed daily for 21 days. The median lethal time was estimated by Weibull models. The root fractions from P. hastisepala presented the highest toxicity, followed by those from the branches, stems and leaves. Among fractions from P. hastisepala roots, the most toxic were a fraction that apparently is rich in lipophilic compounds and nonbasic alkaloids and a fraction that is likely rich in quaternary benzophenanthridine alkaloids, protopine alkaloids and tertiary bases. Psychotria leiocarpa fractions were not toxic to this insect. Psychotria hastisepala is potentially useful for the development of new products for A. sexdens control.


Although the provisions of the Fiscal Procedure Code create the image of some norms with a somewhat "rigid" character, a series of options specific to modern finance behind the legal text require consideration of optimal strategies by the institutions of tax administration. Because of the contribution to the growth of the revenues to the consolidated budget, important especially during an economic crisis, we considered the analysis and modelling of several default options included in the Fiscal Procedure Code, both with respect to debt collection and to tax inspection. Increased efficiency has been analyzed both in terms of the possibility of application of enforcement measures, but also of appropriate strategies to combat tax evasion by fiscal control and introducing a "flat" tax. The modelling of decisions included, as instruments, the valuation of the assets in risky conditions, theory of games and ARMA econometric model. The study concludes that in the early periods of economic crisis it is not the ease of tax administration (rescheduling, delays, exemptions) that leads to an effective policy but rather government policies that reduce the probability of bankruptcy among companies. Regarding the tax inspection, the model used leads to possibilities of profound analysis of the dimensions of the control activity and the design of a flat tax. Financial modelling of several tax administration decisions resulted in a procedure by Order of the President of the National Agency for Tax Administration (ANAF) no. 1126/2008 and therefore the use of flexible models must consider, even in the budgetary sector, besides increasing profitability on earnings also the risk of insolvency.


The open source software movement is traditionally not affiliated to profit-oriented business behaviour. However, commercial activity has become increasingly common, and, business models have institutionalized in the field of open source software. The aim of this research paper is to explore the determinants of profitable revenue models for businesses based on open source software. Therefore, the study focuses on analysing different revenue options of open source software businesses as a part of more comprehensive open source software (OSS) business models. We explore other business model elements as the potential determinants of firm-level revenue model choices. This study draws on a qualitative research approach on the issue through two analytical business cases – MySQL and Red Hat – both of which illustrate the complexity and heterogeneity of solutions and options in the field of OSS. Thus, we analyse the business models of the selected case companies and identify the underlying endogenous elements, i.e. offerings, resources and relationships within them. Finally, we discuss the managerial implications derived from the cases to describe how these business model elements affect the development of successful revenue models in the field of open source software.


In this paper, we propose variable-component DNN (VCDNN) to improve the robustness of context-dependent deep neural network hidden Markov model (CD-DNN-HMM). This method is inspired by the idea from variable-parameter HMM (VPHMM) in which the variation of model parameters are modeled as a set of polynomial functions of environmental signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and during the testing, the model parameters are recomputed according to the estimated testing SNR. In VCDNN, we refine two types of DNN components: (1) weighting matrix and bias (2) the output of each layer. Experimental results on Aurora4 task show VCDNN achieved 6.53% and 5.92% relative word error rate reduction (WERR) over the standard DNN for the two methods, respectively. Under unseen SNR conditions, VCDNN gave even better result (8.46% relative WERR for the DNN varying matrix and bias, 7.08% relative WERR for the DNN varying layer output). Moreover, VCDNN with 1024 units per hidden layer beats the standard DNN with 2048 units per hidden layer with 3.22% WERR and a half computational/memory cost reduction, showing superior ability to produce sharper and more compact models.


Right © 2012 Optical Society of America.; This paper was published in "Optics Letters" and is made available as an electronic reprint with the permission of OSA. The paper can be found at the following URL on the OSA website: http://www.opticsinfobase.org/ol/abstract.cfm?uri=ol-37-245148. Systematic or multiple reproduction or distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means is prohibited and is subject to penalties under law. Type Journal Article


From its birth as a remote trading outpost on the fringes of the Dutch empire to its current status as the so-called Capital of the World, New York has always captivated visual artists. The extraordinary prints collected by the New-York Historical Society over the course of its history vividly preserve these impressions on paper. In this handsome volume more than 150 of these views of the city -- including two spectacular gatefold panoramas -- speak eloquently of the surging power of this dynamic urban center. At the same time, they present an intimate portrait of everyday life as it has been lived and savored in this great city for more than three centuries.The companion to an exhibition celebrating the New-York Historical Society's bicentennial anniversary, this beautifully printed volume presents a full range of historic images, from 1672 to the present. In the lively essay and information-filled captions, curator and historian Marilyn Symmes tells the unique stories behind the people and places, parks and buildings, streets and neighborhoods, parades and events depicted in each image -- in essence, the story of New York City itself.


Al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) was set up in northern Mali years before the Tuareg rebellion of 2012. A safe haven for its members, this sanctuary allowed the group to raise funds through drug-trafficking and the ransom business. In 2012, AQIM and its local allies took control of northern Mali and attempted to create an Islamic state – an effort which was cut short by the French military intervention in January 2013. Laurent de Castelli dissects the motives which led AQIM to create its sanctuary in northern Mali before 2012, its drive to establish an Islamic state with the support of its allies, and the reasons behind this evolution.


The economy is stagnating today because everyone is waiting for someone else to restart the recovery. Consumers are deferring major purchases until job prospects are rosier. Businesses are pushing down their inventories and payrolls until their order books surge. In essence the economic fundamentals are sound, but at this point, we need a new catalyst for recovery. It is time to implement policies that directly stimulate investment including a self-financing equipment tax credit for productive equipment purchases, adjustment of Federal Reserve and Treasury market activities in order to lower bond rates, initiation of a bounty for scrapping old cars, and the channeling of a higher proportion of public funds to public investment in health, education, sCience, and advanced infrastructures.


INTRODUCTION Whenever the federal government conducts an acquisition for supplies or services, it must do so in compliance with the myriad of laws and regulations that control the contracting process. By and large, the regulatory structure aims to ensure that contracting officers conduct the process in a fair and impartial manner, giving all offerors an equitable opportunity to win the contract.[1] Contracting officers are also required to ensure that the government pays a fair and reasonable price for the supplies or services acquired.[2] The regulatory structure places heavy emphasis on the use of competition, using either the sealed bidding process, which focuses exclusively on price, or competitive negotiation, which can consider other factors as well as price in the award decision.[3] The competitive negotiation process provides considerable latitude in conducting the acquisition. For example, discussions are permitted if necessary, and the award is made to the offeror whose evaluated proposal best meets the government's needs, considering price and other factors.[4] For the most complex and highly technical acquisitions, the government uses a formal source selection process in which teams of experts establish evaluation criteria and standards that are used to rate and then compare the offerors' proposals.[5] These evaluation criteria are specified in the request for proposal, and instructions are provided to the offerors concerning the information that must be submitted, along with any page limitations that must be observed. At a specified time, experts rate each contractor's proposal against the standards established for the criteria. In some cases, deficiencies are reported to the offerors (known as having "discussions"), and the offerors are permitted to update their proposals. In other cases, the proposals are evaluated without any discussions. Either way, eventually the ratings are provided to the source selection authority, the official designated to make the award decision. This article focuses on the role and contribution of evaluation criteria in Air Force source selection decisions. The source selection decision is by nature a subjective one, even when the evaluation standards are made as objective as possible. The evaluations demand that judgment and trade-offs must be made (usually between cost, performance, and risk). In Air Force source selections, relative weights of the criteria are usually established and communicated in the request for proposal--but these are usually not quantified, either in the proposal or in the actual source selection. Thus, judgmental factors in the evaluation of the proposals, the comparison of proposals one against another, and the decision by the source selection authority suggest that the process will by nature have considerable subjectivity, especially given the complex nature of the acquisitions. While the use of technical and risk factors are of primary concern in this research, the potential impact of cost and political factors on the source selection decision cannot be ignored. Cost is the only evaluation factor that must be included in the evaluation criteria. One researcher contends that the source selection process encourages optimistically low cost estimates and does not give enough consideration to past performance.[6] Implicit in this criticism is the assumption that cost plays a dominant role in the source selection process and perhaps distorts or sways the source selection authority's decision. Politics must also be considered because defense acquisitions involve tax dollars. Some have suggested that the acquisition process in general, and the source selection process in particular, is subject to considerable political pressure.[7] According to one study of participants in the source selection process, political pressure frequently interferes with the exercise of sound business judgment.[8] In reality, though, it is difficult to determine the effect that political influence exerts on a source selection process because such influence is largely hidden. …


Abstract The introduction of the Roman script since the turn of the twentieth century was the first attempt of mass alphabetization in Africa, and it has become the most important writing system. It was, however, not the first script on the continent. In Old Egypt and its successor states, writing systems were developed, transferred to other languages and modified, replaced by new systems, and occasionally became obsolete. In a number of northern and north-eastern African languages, the Latin alphabet replaced earlier scripts. Despite many efforts to alphabetize the population and graphize African languages, only a few languages have become media of written communication and learning. For some languages, however, independent scripts were designed, some of which are still used today. The introduction of the Internet has enhanced the chances for the Latin script as a written medium for African languages. It is also the platform for a revival of the old scripts like Tifinagh and Ajami, and some of the independent African scripts.


Business model innovation (BMI) and organizational ambidexterity have been pointed out as mechanisms for companies achieving sustainability. However, especially considering small and medium enterprises (SMEs), there is a lack of studies demonstrating how to combine these mechanisms. Tackling such a gap, this study seeks to understand how SMEs can ambidextrously manage BMI. Our aim is to provide a practical artifact, accessible to SMEs, to operationalize BMI through organizational ambidexterity. To this end, we conducted our study under the design science research to, first, build an artifact for operationalizing contextual ambidexterity for business model innovation. Then, we used an in-depth case study with a vegan fashion small e-commerce to evaluate the practical outcomes of the artifact. Our findings show that the company improves its business model while, at the same time, designs a new business model and monetizes it. Thus, our approach was able to take the first steps in the direction of operationalizing contextual ambidexterity for business model innovation in small and medium enterprises, democratizing the concept. We contribute to theory by connecting different literature strands and to practice by creating an artifact to assist management.


Jan Riabinin was a prominent fi gure of cultural and academic life during the interwar period. He was an outstanding archivist and Polish history enthusiast, fond of the history of his hometown-Lublin in particular. As a documentalist, Riabinin won public acclaim and esteem even despite many obstacles such as foreign origin, disability (deafness) or the peculiar character of archive work, which was far from frequenting social and cultural meetings. However, it was Riabinin's work that spoke for itself. His whole life was devoted to it. He understood perfectly the primary role that an archivist had to play, which was to combine academic and administrative activities as well as make the society aware of its national heritage. According to the contemporary archival terminology, the latter is known as the popularization of archival sources. Taking into account the biography of this emitent archivist and analysing his job-related interests, the author attempts to fi nd out characteristics of archive studies as defi ned by Jan Riabinin and answer the question whether it is possibile to examine Riabinin's life separately from archive studies.