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Plunder, Restitution, and International Law. The Russian Federal Law on Cultural Valuables Displaced to the USSR as a Result of the Second World War and Located on the Territory of the Russian Federation purports to establish the legal basis for the Russian state to hold permanent title to the vast majority of the cultural valuables removed from Germany to the Soviet Union at the end of World War II. Russia claims that the cultural objects seized by the Soviet Union constitute \\'compensatory restitution\\' for the hundreds of thousands of cultural and artistic valuables seized or destroyed by the Nazis during the war. This article assesses the compatibility of the Russian claim with relevant international law. It does so by tracing the development of the international antiplunder legal regime. It then assesses the Russian claim with respect to three categories of cultural valuables, based on prewar ownership: property belonging to private persons and organizations, property belonging to nonenemy states, and property belonging to enemy states (Axis powers). \\'Compensatory restitution\\' does not exist as a category or principle in international law, so the analysis focuses on the legal concept that is most similar and therefore of potential relevance, restitution in kind. If restitution in kind is impermissible under international law, then the broader \\'compensatory restitution\\' is, with even greater force, also impermissible. The key finding is that international law does not permit \\'compensatory restitution,\\' nor does it permit unilateral seizures of cultural objects under some broader notion of compensation.

Integral representations of equally positive integer-indexed harmonic sums at infinity. We identify a partition-theoretic generalization of Riemann zeta function and the equally positive integer-indexed harmonic sums at infinity, to obtain the generating function and the integral representations of the latter. The special cases coincide with zeta values at positive integer arguments.

Individual and local level factors and antenatal care use in Colombia: a multilevel analysis. This paper examined the association between individual and local level factors and the number of antenatal care visits completed by women in Colombia using data from the 2010 Colombian Demographic and Health Survey and multilevel logistic regression models. Our findings suggest that, in addition to maternal socioeconomic status, contextual factors influence whether pregnant women complete the minimum recommended number of antenatal care visits. These factors include: level of women's autonomy in the community, regional inequalities and access barriers caused by distance (OR = 0.057), costs of services (OR = 0.035), and/or a lack of confidence in doctors (OR = 0.036). Our results highlight the existence of inequalities in access to antenatal care and the importance of considering the local context in the design of effective maternal care policies in Colombia. Furthermore, our findings regarding individual factors corroborate the evidence from other countries and offer new insights into the association between local level factors and number of antenatal care visits.

Seed dispersal by phyllostomid bats in two contrasting vegetation types in a Mesoamerican reserve. Frugivorous bats respond differently to changes in the landscape, depending on their morphological and ecological characteristics, so only some species cross deforested areas and disperse seeds in these environments. In this study we analyzed the plant species dispersed by bats in tropical rain forest and patches of secondary vegetation of a forest reserve in Mesoamerica. We expected that the most common bat species in secondary vegetation would be the most important dispersers, favoring the regeneration of vegetation, compared to those that forage mainly in tropical forest. With a capture effort of 5520 net hours, we caught 1718 bats representing 16 frugivorous species. Based on the analyses of fecal samples the most common plants in the bats' diets were pioneer species, mainly from the families Piperaccae, Urticaceae, Solanaceae, Fabaceae, and Muntingiaceae. The most important bat species to seed dispersal in the secondary vegetation were Carollia sowelli, Sturnira lilium, Glossophaga soricina and Carollia perspicillata. Principal components analysis separated the two species of Carollia and S. lilium, whose diets were dominated by plants of the family Piperaceae, from bat species that forage mainly in the tropical forest and whose diets were dominated by plants from the families Moraceae and Anacardiaceae.

Host specificity tests reveals new host of a global biological control agent Psyllaephagus bliteus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). Glycaspis brimblecombei (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae) is an invasive, sap-sucking eucalypt pest in various parts of the world. Psyllacphagus Wilms (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) was first released as a biological control agent against this pest in California in 2000. Since then, P. bliteus has been found with its insect pest host, with no intentional introduction, in various South American, European and North African countries, and recently South Africa. Here we report on host specificity studies of P. bliteus in South Africa in order to determine potential risks to non-target hosts. Non-target test insects included the only native lerp-forming psyllid in South Africa, Retroacizzia mopani (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), as well as two free-living and one lerp-forming psyllid that are not native but also feed on Eucalyptus species. Psyllaephagus bliteus was monitored during no-choice tests for antennation, probing and oviposition behaviours towards the test insects. In addition, P. bliteus was enclosed on live plants infested with the test insects which were then monitored for offspring of P. bliteus. Re! roacizzia mopuni and the non-native free-living psyllids were not attacked, but P. bliteus did attack and develop on the non-native lerp psyllid, Spondyliaspis cf. plicatuloides (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae). Choice tests were then undertaken with G. brimblecombei and S. cf. plicatuloides, and G. brimblecombei was found to be the preferred host. The results indicate that the risk of P. Micas to native insects is low, but that the host range of P. bliteus is not restricted to Glycaspis spp. and Creiis costatus (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae) as previously thought. The host range of P. bliteus may thus include other lerp-forming insects on eucalypts, especially those within the Spondyliaspidinae.

Definition of the Hercynian Unconformity in eastern Saudi Arabia using chemostratigraphy in conjunction with biostratigraphy, sedimentology and lithostratigraphy. The following chemostratigraphy study was conducted on Paleozoic sediments encountered in 14 wells in eastern Saudi Arabia. A total of 1500 samples were analysed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), with data acquired for 48 elements, ranging from Na to U in the periodic table. The aim was to utilize chemostratigraphy, in conjunction with existing biostratigraphic, lithostratigraphic and sedimentological data, to define the Hercynian Unconformity in each well and to recognize stratigraphic boundaries occurring above and below it. This was necessary as the unconformity eroded to different stratigraphic levels in each well, with Devonian, Silurian and Ordovician sediments found immediately below it in adjacent locations. In the absence of chemostratigraphic, biostratigraphic and sedimentological data, it is often very difficult to define this boundary and others using lithostratigraphy alone as many stratigraphic intervals yield similar gamma-ray (GR) log trends. For example, a low 'blocky' GR response is typical of both the Carboniferous Ghazal Member and the Ordovician Sarah Formation. Similarly, both the Silurian Sharawra Member and the Silurian-Devonian Tawil Formation produce a 'ratty' GR trend. Each stratigraphic member and formation was found to have distinctive chemostratigraphic, biostratigraphic, sedimentological and/or wireline log signatures.

Low-Complexity Equalization of MIMO-OSDM. Orthogonal signal-division multiplexing (OSDM) is an attractive alternative to conventional orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) due to its enhanced ability in peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) reduction. Combining OSDM with multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) signaling has the potential to achieve high spectral and power efficiency. However, a direct channel equalization in this case incurs a cubic complexity, which may be expensive for practical use. To solve the problem, low-complexity per-vector and block equalization algorithms of MIMO-OSDM are proposed in this paper for time-invariant and time-varying channels, respectively. By exploiting the channel matrix structures, these algorithms have only a linear complexity in the transformed domain. Simulation results demonstrate their validity and the related performance comparisons.

Effects of various maillard reaction products on in vitro starch hydrolysis and blood glucose responses in mice. This study investigated the effects of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) on in vitro starch hydrolysis, and in vivo blood glucose responses in mice. Four MRPs of various dextrose equivalents were prepared by heating a mixture of hydrolyzed rice starch and glycine at 200 degrees C for 4 min. The starch hydrolysis rates of gelatinized rice starch (GRS) decreased as the browning reaction of added MRPs increased. The hydrolysis kinetic constants of the GRS with 5% MRPs were relatively lower than that of GRS without MRPs. Blood glucose responses showed similar tendencies to the in vitro starch hydrolysis results. The activity of digestive enzymes was inhibited by the MRPs. The relative crystallinity of all MRPs (29.9-60.1%) appeared to have higher values than GRS (15.1%). The samples heated to induce the Maillard reaction showed a more compact and flat structure compared to that of GRS. Therefore, it is possible that MRPs have not only a structure which is difficult for the enzyme to degrade but also function to suppress digestive enzyme activity.

Macrozoobenthic communities of underwater landscapes in the shallow-water zone of southern Lake Baikal. Species composition and distribution of macrozoobenthos have been studied in the shallow water zone (0-20 m) of Southern Lake Baikal (Bolshiye Koty Bay). The amount of taxa recorded reached up to 244 species distributed among 16 distinctive communities of complex structure and high species diversity. The Shannon index of specific diversity was found to vary between 2.9 and 4.8 bits. Mosaic spatial distribution of communities is controlled by both biotic and abiotic factors. Trophic zones with respect to the bottom-dwellers are determined by two lithodynamic phenomena: washout and accumulation of thin deposits (fine to medium silt and mud). The bottom with coarse clastic material (pebbles and boulders), where fine sediments are eroded and resuspended, is dominated by immobile and mobile sestonophagous species as well as by the communities dominated by detrito- and phytophagous species. Areas with soft fine sediments are dominated by macro-invertebrates, which ingest the substrate indiscriminately.

Hydrate-Based Gas Storage Application Using Simulated Seawater in the Presence of a Co-Promoter: Morphology Investigation. The hydrate morphology pattern plays a critical role in the reactor design for hydratebased gas storage/separation technology. This work investigated the morphology of mixed methane- THF hydrate formation using salt water (3.5 wt % NaCl) instead of pure water at 288.2 K and 8 MPa. The result indicated that the nucleation occurred at the gas/liquid interface and then the hydrates grew along the wall of the crystallizer column. After a specific time interval, the hydrates gradually grew downward until they completely covered the bulk solution. This work applied 500 ppm of copromoters, including sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and three amino acids-valine, leucine, and methionine to improve the kinetics of mixed hydrate formation. The presence of SDS in the system resulted in distinct mixed hydrate formation patterns. After hydrate nucleation at the gas/liquid interface, most of the hydrates predominantly grew downward and enveloped the solution within a few minutes. Moreover, the mushy hydrates gradually transformed into stiff hydrates over time. Three amino acids resulted in the same hydrate patterns as those formed in the absence of a co-promoter, but the formation was completed more rapidly. The kinetic data indicated that using salt water for the formation of mixed methane-THF hydrates resulted in low hydrate formation kinetics. The presence of SDS significantly enhanced the kinetics of hydrate formation but decreased the final gas uptake by about one-half. Additionally, it was discovered that the presence of amino acids accelerated the hydrate formation kinetics while having a negligible effect on the final methane uptake.

Application of sulfate reduction for the biological conversion of anglesite (PbSO4) to galena (PbS). In a bench scale trial biological sulfate reduction was applied to convert anglesite (PbSO4) to galena (PbS). Anglesite is a main constituent in waste fractions such as lead paste from spent car batteries or residues from (in)direct leaching processes. The goal of this study was to develop a technology to decrease lead (Pb)emissions by converting PbSO4 from a waste fraction to PbS, which can be recovered using electrochemical processes. The conversion of PbSO4 to PbS is based on the biological reduction of sulfate and the consequent precipitation of PbS. First sulfate is biologically reduced to sulfide. Secondly, the Pb 21 from the PbSO4 reacts chemically with the sulfide resulting from the first reaction. A bench-scale reactor was started up using sulfate-containing influent. The reactor was seeded with biocatalyst from several full-scale reactors. PbSO4-containing residue was added batch-wise when the formation of sulfide started. The residue contained mainly PbSO4 (51.7%), sulfate (SO42-, 19.9%) and elemental sulfur (S-0, 15.1%). PbS precipitates in the bioreactor due to the near-neutral pH at which the sulfate reduction process is carried out. From the electron balance and chemical analyses it was concluded that both sulfate and sulfur present in the residue were biologically reduced. The formation of PbS was confirmed by the increased Pb:O ratio in the sludge (1:0.1) relative to the Pb:O ratio in the PbSO4-containing residue (1:3.3). A potential large-scale application is proposed. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ethnic quotas and ethnic representation worldwide. This article makes theoretical and empirical contributions towards understanding the form and function of ethnic quotas that are applied in various countries around the world. It advances a classification scheme for sorting through the broad variation in these electoral mechanisms. Initial exploration suggests that variation among ethnic quota schemes corresponds more with regime type, and less with differences in ethnic demography. Nevertheless, particular rules do operate differently in relation to ethnic diversity and inter-group conflict. Different rules also appear to have an impact on representational dynamics, including the capacity of minority ethnic representatives to exercise legislative influence on matters of concern to their community.

What parents should know while their child is on MDT: Insights from a qualitative study in Eastern India. In order to provide high quality leprosy services to children affected by leprosy, it is necessary to actively engage parents. A qualitative study was undertaken as part of routine monitoring of field activities in West Bengal, India. A non-probability sample of 20 parents whose child was currently undergoing treatment was interviewed to explore the experiences of parents with regard to the diagnosis of leprosy and the treatment of their child. The most common initial symptom was a white patch and the median duration between recognition of the symptom and care-seeking was 6 months. The most commonly reported side-effect was a black discolouration which had led to non-adherence as well as resulting in school absenteeism. None of the parents had any knowledge of reactions. Although current strategies have enabled early case detection, there are challenges related to ensuring treatment completion. Emphasis should be laid on interpersonal communication to empower parents, enabling them to appreciate the side-effects and recognise the complications early and be actively engaged as a treatment partner while their child is on MDT.

Tuberculin skin test reactions by time of reading among Dutch travellers. SETTING: Five travel and TB control clinics in The Netherlands.OBJECTIVE: To assess the variation of skin test reactions between different days of reading.DESIGN: Cohort study of non-BCG-vaccinated travellers. Mantoux skin test data were analysed for associations between time interval between administration and reading and reaction size.RESULTS: There were no significant differences in reaction size to 1 TU PPD between readings at day 3 or 4, either for pre-travel (n = 1004) or post-travel (n = 577) tests, before (P = 0.990 and 0.210, respectively) or after exclusion of 0 mm reactions (P = 0.330 and 0.474). Time intervals were not different for reaction sizes of 0, 1-9 or greater than or equal to10 nun (P = 0.826 and 0.306). There were also no significant associations for simultaneous tests with a sensitin of Mycobacterium scrofulaceum.CONCLUSIONS: Tuberculin skin tests can be read on day 3 or 4, without compromising their validity.

The Two Enslavements of Rufina: Slavery and International Relations on the Southern Border of Nineteenth-Century Brazil. As the Atlantic slave trade came to an end in Brazil in the 1850s, a new form of trafficking began across the borders of Brazil and its neighboring countries. Free persons mainly women and children living in small communities in Uruguay and Argentina were kidnapped to be sold as slaves in Brazil. By analyzing the illegal enslavement of the African Rufina and her family along the border between Brazil and Uruguay in 1854, this study argues that Brazilian catchers opened up a new frontier of enslavement, kidnapping free persons in countries where slavery was already abolished. The kidnappings and the diplomatic problems that they generated brought tensions to the development of international relations between Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Britain in the 1850s and 1860s.

Insight into effects of pore diffusion on smoldering kinetics of coal using a 4-step chemical reaction model. Pore diffusion plays a crucial role in coal smoldering fires, however, its effects have been inadequately investigated. This paper aims to study influences of pore diffusion of oxygen (O-2) on chemical reaction and apparent reaction rate of coal smoldering. Non-isothermal thermogravimetric (TG) tests for two bituminous coal samples at three heating rates (2, 5 and 10 K/min) were conducted, and a 4-step decomposition scheme was constructed. The decomposition schemes contained two competing paths: Coal oxidation -> beta-Char oxidation -> Ash (Path One), and Pyrolysis -> alpha-Char oxidation -> Ash (Path Two). A number of kinetic triplets (reaction order, pre-exponential factor and activation energy) and stoichiometric coefficients of the developed decomposition schemes were optimized by a Genetic Algorithm (GA) tool. Emphasis was put on influences of pore diffusion on chemical reactions (e.g. pyrolysis, coal matrix's and chars' oxidation) and on competing paths. Research results show that Knudsen diffusion plays a dominant role in pore diffusion that retards coal oxidation and its successive char oxidation on the Path One, but basically enhances char oxidation on the Path Two. Pore diffusion may exert ignorable influence on pyrolysis as it takes place without O-2. The investigation is beneficial for understanding mechanism of smoldering of coal piles and coal dust layers. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Further characterization of two sequiviruses infecting lettuce and development of specific RT-PCR primers. Lettuce mottle virus (LeMoV) and dandelion yellow mosaic virus (DaYMV) infect lettuce in South America and Europe, respectively. LeMoV and DaYMV possess isometric particles, occur at low concentrations in plants and have narrow host ranges. Partial genome sequences of both viruses were obtained using purified viral preparations and universal primers for members of the family Sequiviridae. DaYMV and LeMoV sequences were analyzed and showed identity with other members of the family. Universal primers that detect both viruses and specific primers for LeMoV and DaYMV were designed and used in RT-PCR-based diagnostic assays. These results provide the first molecular data on the LeMoV and DaYMV genomes and suggest that LeMoV is a member of the genus Sequivirus, probably distinct from DaYMV.

When War Helps Civil-military Relations: Prolonged Interstate Conflict and the Reduced Risk of Coups. Coups remain a widespread and consequential political phenomenon, but it remains unclear whether interstate conflict protects leaders from the risk of coups or increases this risk. We theorize that interstate conflictespecially when it is prolongedshould protect domestic regimes from military overthrow by foreclosing many of the key pathways by which elites plot and execute coups. We test this argument using event history modeling. The evidence provides support for our claim that coup risk declines in the presence of enduring interstate conflict. Just as important, we detect no evidence that war increases coup risk.

Anoxic metabolism and biochemical production in Pseudomonas putida F1 driven by a bioelectrochemical system. Background: Pseudomonas putida is a promising host for the bioproduction of chemicals, but its industrial applications are significantly limited by its obligate aerobic character. The aim of this paper is to empower the anoxic metabolism of wild-type Pseudomonas putida to enable bioproduction anaerobically, with the redox power from a bioelectrochemical system (BES).Conclusions: For the first time, this study proved the principle that a BES-driven bioconversion of glucose can be achieved for a wild-type obligate aerobe. This non-growth bioconversion was in high yields, high purity and also could deliver the necessary metabolic energy for cell maintenance. By combining this approach with metabolic engineering strategies, this could prove to be a powerful new way to produce bio-chemicals and fuels from renewables in both high yield and high purity.Results: The obligate aerobe Pseudomonas putida F1 was able to survive and produce almost exclusively 2-Ketogluconate from glucose under anoxic conditions due to redox balancing with electron mediators in a BES. 2-Keto-gluconate, a precursor for industrial anti-oxidant production, was produced at an overall carbon yield of over 90 % based on glucose. Seven different mediator compounds were tested, and only those with redox potential above 0.207 V (vs standard hydrogen electrode) showed interaction with the cells. The productivity increased with the increasing redox potential of the mediator, indicating this was a key factor affecting the anoxic production process. P. putida cells survived under anaerobic conditions, and limited biofilm formation could be observed on the anode's surface. Analysis of the intracellular pools of ATP, ADP and AMP showed that cells had an increased adenylate energy charge suggesting that cells were able to generate energy using the anode as terminal electron acceptor. The analysis of NAD(H) and NADP(H) showed that in the presence of specific extracellular electron acceptors, the NADP(H) pool was more oxidised, while the NAD(H) pool was unchanged. This implies a growth limitation under anaerobic conditions due to a shortage of NADPH and provides a way to limit biomass formation, while allowing cell maintenance and catalysis at high purity and yield.

The nature of workplace mentoring relationships among faculty members in Christian higher education. Full-time faculty teaching in Christian higher education were surveyed about how they envision and practice mentoring among themselves. The study, a replication of a 1991 study by Sands, Parson, and Duane, examined who is involved in mentoring, why, under what conditions, what is done, and what faculty desire in mentoring relationships.

Community structure and species diversity of Pinus merkusii Jungh. & de Vriese forest along an altitudinal gradient in Eastern Himalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Pinus merkusii, the only pine species naturally distributed to the south of equator with a wide altitudinal range of 30-1800 m a.s.l., is under threat due to habitat destruction and over exploitation for its timber and resin. In India, the species is restricted to Arunachal Pradesh. The community characteristics of P. merkusii dominated forests were studied in Anjaw District of Arunachal Pradesh at three elevations i.e. at Walong (900-1200 m a.s.l.), Namti (1200-1500 m a.s.l.) and Dong (1500-1800 m a.s.l.) during the years 2012-2014. Species richness was highest at low elevation site followed by medium elevation and lowest at high elevation site with 76, 50 and 35 species, respectively. Fagaceae, Poaceae, Lauraceae and Rosaceae were the most dominant families. Overall tree density decreased with the increase in elevation (1124 to 896 individuals ha(-1)), whereas density of P. merkusii increased with the elevation (286 to 504 individuals ha(-1)). Basal cover was largest at medium elevation site with 54.34 m(2) ha(-1) and lowest at low elevation site with 32.8 m(2) ha(-1). P. merkusii contributed maximum to the total stand basal cover and IVI at all the three sites. The largest basal area of P. merkusii was recorded at medium elevation site. Shannon's diversity index and Menhinick's species richness index decreased with the increase in elevation. Conversely, Simpson's dominance index increased with elevation. Species similarity index was highest between medium and high elevation sites (59%) and lowest between low and high elevation sites (39%). Most of the plant species were distributed contagiously in all the three elevation sites. Present study revealed high plant species diversity at low elevation which decreased with the increase in elevation. Significant contribution of P. merkusii to density, basal cover and IVI depicted sheer domination by this vulnerable gymnosperm in these forests.

A Literature Review on the Viral Advertising Narrative Structure. Viral advertising relies on consumers' transmitting the message to other consumers within their online social media. Viral advertising is controlled by consumers and is less under the control of advertisers and brands (Petrescu, 2014). Consumers receive the link or the advertising content and pass it along through e-mail or posting it on a blog, microblog, podcast, wiki, form, webpage, and social media profile. Advertising narrative in traditional media has changed with viral ads. In the narrative of viral advertising is more emotional, romantic, humorous, sexual and contains social messages. This study was conducted to examine the Brands' viral advertising narrative. Viral advertising is at an early stage of development and much of the current viral marketing communication literature research is concerned with understanding the motivations and behaviours of those passing-on email messages. No longer the preserve of offline communication strategists, it is becoming a central platform for interactive marketing communications (Cruz & Fill, 2008).

Present Tense: Locating History in Boston's Museums of Science. Stories and artifacts from the history of science are difficult to find in many popular science museums in the United States. This essay makes a case for why such museums should include the history of science in their halls and how they might go about doing so. Using several Boston-area museums as case studies, it explains why the history of science can be so hard to find in contemporary science museums and then offers several examples of instances in which museums have successfully integrated science and history in their halls. Ultimately, the essay suggests, historians of science and popular science museums should cultivate new partnerships; it concludes with a brief sketch of how they might do so.

Revised paleoenvironmental analysis of the Holocene portion of the Barbados sea-level record: Cobbler's Reef revisited. Sample elevations corrected for tectonic uplift and assessed relative to local modeled sea levels provide a new perspective on paleoenvironmental history at Cobbler's Reef, Barbados. Previously, C-14-dated surface samples of fragmented Acropora palmata plotted above paleo sea level based on their present (uplifted) elevations, suggesting supratidal rubble deposited during a period of extreme storms (4500-3000 cal BP), precipitating reef demise. At several sites, however, A. palmata persisted, existing until similar to 370 cal BP. Uplift-corrected A. palmata sample elevations lie below the western Atlantic sea-level curve, and similar to 2 m below ICE-6G-modeled paleo sea level, under slow rates of sea-level rise, negating the possibility that Cobbler's Reef is a supratidal storm ridge. Most sites show limited age ranges from corals likely damaged/killed on the reef crest, not the mixed ages of rubble ridges, strongly suggesting the reef framework died off in stages over 6500 yr. Reef crest death assemblages invoke multiple paleohistoric causes, from ubiquitous hurricanes to anthropogenic impacts. Comparison of death assemblage ages to dated regional paleotempestological sequences, proxy-based paleotemperatures, recorded hurricanes, tsunamis, European settlement, deforestation, and resulting turbidity, reveals many possible factors inimical to the survival of A. palmata along Cobbler's Reef.

School shootings in the USA: Popular culture as risk, teen marginality, and violence against peers. This article offers a critical appraisal of the widespread argument that violent media content is to blame for deadly school violence. The departing premise of this study is that, because of its reliance on sophisticated technologies, popular culture productions represent manufactured risks. The implications of this approach are three: the 'impact' of popular culture will depend on the social risk positions students occupy within the social mapping of the school; there will be risks associated to the observational shortcomings of popular culture as a self-referent system; and the risks implied in controlling deviance in schools, including policies destined to cope with popular culture's presumed adverse effect on students' behaviors, must be explored. The risk approach allows us to understand school shooting events as the end result of a series of interrelated social, cultural, and political processes. The point at which these factors intersect tends to produce the conditions under which school shooters may emerge.

Competing perspectives on participatory arrangements: Explaining the attitudes of elected representatives. In this article, we investigate elected representatives' attitudes to citizen participation and the design of participatory arrangements. We distinguish between citizenship-oriented and governance-oriented attitudes. Whereas citizenship-oriented attitudes imply designing participatory arrangements to safeguard the democratic values of equality, transparency and inclusion, governance-oriented attitudes imply designing participatory arrangements to support elected representatives in their roles. Based on unique data from a web-based survey sent to all local councillors in Norway, we found that although Norwegian local councillors tend towards citizenship-oriented rather than governance-oriented attitudes to citizen participation, there is great variation between councillors in this respect. Analysing strategic and ideological explanations, we found that right-wing politicians tend to hold more governance-oriented attitudes than left-wing politicians do. Strategic considerations seem to have no effect on councillors in power in this regard.

Development of Information Functions and Indices for the GGUM-RANK Multidimensional Forced Choice IRT Model. This research derived information functions and proposed new scalar information indices to examine the quality of multidimensional forced choice (MFC) items based on the RANK model. We also explored how GGUM-RANK information, latent trait recovery, and reliability varied across three MFC formats: pairs (two response alternatives), triplets (three alternatives), and tetrads (four alternatives). As expected, tetrad and triplet measures provided substantially more information than pairs, and MFC items composed of statements with high discrimination parameters were most informative. The methods and findings of this study will help practitioners to construct better MFC items, make informed projections about reliability with different MFC formats, and facilitate the development of MFC triplet- and tetrad-based computerized adaptive tests.

Data mining on a transformer partial discharge data using the self-organizing map. Although experts all over the world have investigated methods for partial discharge (PD) detection and classification for over 50 years, until now there is still no universal method available for this purpose. Even in the future, it would not be possible to define a universal method for unambiguous classification and localization of PD sources in complex insulating systems (e.g. transformers or generators) due to the unlimited variations of PD source type and its location. This paper deals with PD signals obtained by remote radiometric measurements performed on a power transformer. Extensive PD measurements were performed in the substation. Since fingerprints of the remote radiometric measurements are not available, the formation of clusters with similar features obtained from captured PD data is crucial. A data mining technique known as Self-organizing Map (SOM) for the analysis and interpretation of captured PD data is used. Since each signal contains a large number of samples, before applying the SOM, the dimensionality reduction based on principal component analysis is performed. As a result of a data mining process a clear separation of PDs emanating from a transformer and discharges emanating from its surrounding is achieved.

Exact vibration modes of multiple-stepped beams with arbitrary steps and supports using elemental impedance method. A novel numerical method has been developed and applied to the prediction of vibration modes of general stepped beams with arbitrary steps and general elastic supports. Each beam section is modelled as an element with input impedance at one end and output impedance at the other. These impedances are then coupled when the beam sections are joined to form an overall stepped beam structure. General elastic supports are modelled and their effects on impedance are examined. The method is theoretically exact assuming each beam section can be modelled as Euler-Bernoulli beam and is computationally very efficient since it does not involve any matrix operations of large dimension. Vibration modes of a number of stepped beams of different configurations have been computed using the proposed method and are compared with existing results in literature. Experimental investigations have also been carried out to validate the practical usefulness of the method. The method is also ideally suited for forced vibration applications since it not only establishes vibration modes, but also frequency response functions. In addition, a general purpose software has since been developed based on the method which can be very useful for structural dynamics design of general stepped beam structures. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Idoelogical ambiguity and split ticket voting. Recent research on congressional elections suggests that voters are more likely to split their votes in ideologically extreme districts. The authors suggest that in this type of context, uncertainty about candidate position rather than clarity explains the occurrence of ticket splitting. Using data from a rolling cross-section campaign survey where two incumbents competed in a predominately conservative district, the authors find that a substantial proportion of voters are likely to have difficulty identifying which congressional candidate was more conservative. Moreover, media exposure contributed to ambiguity over candidate position, which increases the likelihood of ticket splitting.

Narrative Understandings of Lives Lived in and out of Schools. Drawing on a narrative inquiry into the experiences of 19 youth who left school without graduating, I raise questions about stories of school, the institutional narrative of schooling. Through inquiring into the youths' stories, we identified six resonant threads that spoke to the complexities of their lives. Their lives awakened us to what might be possible if we engaged with their stories as a way to open up or disrupt current stories of schools to allow for the reimagining of schools. Through attending to youths' stories we might make the experience of youth, in their life contexts, the starting point not only for education but also for schooling.

Adaptive responses and cellular behaviour of biphenyl-degrading bacteria toward polychlorinated biphenyls. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are one of the most widely distributed classes of chlorinated chemicals in the environment. For cleanup of large areas of PCB-contaminated environments, bioremediation seems to be a promising approach. However, the multitude of PCB congeners, their low bioavailability and high toxicity are important factors that affect the cleanup progression. Elucidating how the PCB-degrading microorganisms involved in the process adapt to and deal with the stressing conditions caused by this class of compounds may help to improve the bioremediation process. Also specific physiological characteristics of biphenyl-utilizing bacteria involved in the degradation of PCBs may enhance their availability to these compounds and therefore contribute to a better microbial mineralization. This review will focus in the stress responses caused in aerobic biphenyl-utilizing bacteria by PCBs and its metabolic intermediates and will also analyze bacterial properties such as motility and chemotaxis, adherence to solid surfaces, biosurfactant production and biofilm development, all properties found to enhance bacteria-pollutant interaction. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inclusion of bioclimatic variables in genetic evaluations of dairy cattle. Results: The THI and DIN thresholds for milk yield losses was THI = 74 (-0.106kgd/THI) and DTV = 13 (-0.045 kg/d/DTV). The model that included THI and DTV as fixed effects, considering the two-day average, presented better fit (-21ogl Akaike information criterion, and Bayesian information criterion). The estimated breeding values (EBVs) and the reliabilities of the EBVs improved when using this model.Objective: Considering the importance of dairy farming and the negative effects of heat stress, more tolerant genotypes need to be identified. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of heat stress via temperature-humidity index (TIE) and diurnal temperature variation (DTV) in the genetic evaluations for daily milk yield of Holstein dairy cattle, using random regression models.Methods: The data comprised 94,549 test-day records of 11,294 first parity Holstein cows from Brazil, collected from 1997 to 2013, and bioclimatic data (THI and DTV) from 18 weather stations. Least square linear regression models were used to determine the THI and DTV thresholds for milk yield losses caused by heat stress. In addition to the standard model (SM, without bioclimatic variables), THI and DTV were combined in various ways and tested for different days, totaling 41 models.Conclusion: Sires are re-ranking when heat stress indicators are included in the model. Genetic evaluation using the mean of two days of THI and DTV as fixed effect, improved EBVs and EBVs reliability.

Subwavelength ultrasonic imaging via a harmonic resonant tunneling metalens. Resonant tunneling metalenses have excellent applications for subwavelength ultrasonic imaging in air. In this study, an acoustic metalens intended for underwater imaging was designed with first, second, and third resonant tunneling frequencies of 10.3, 85.3, and 105.9 kHz, respectively. The resonant tunneling metalens and lettershaped validation specimens were fabricated via additive manufacturing using polymers. Before the underwater experiment, an array of 36 channels of lead zirconate titanate elements was installed at the bottom of a test water tank to generate ultrasonic waves. Next, the resonant tunneling metalens and one of the letter-shaped specimens were placed in the tank, and ultrasonic imaging was performed with a needle-type hydrophone. Experimental results at the third resonant tunneling frequency confirmed that subwavelength ultrasonic imaging of the letter-shaped specimen was possible at a minimum level of lambda/13.98. Therefore, the proposed metalens is shown to be suitable for high-resolution ultrasound applications such as biomedical and non-destructive imaging.

Response to lowered nutrient discharges in the coastal waters around the island of Funen, Denmark. The Danish Action Plan for the Aquatic Environment of 1987 prescribes a 50% and 80% run-off reduction of nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively, to the aquatic environment. This is meant to reduce the seriously increasing eutrophication problems, such as widespread hypoxia and anoxia, in the coastal regions of Denmark. In spite of major investments in sewage treatment, these objectives have generally not been realised, primarily because of lack of substantial reductions in nitrogen run-off from diffuse agricultural sources. On the island of Funen, Denmark, precipitation in the last two years has been extremely low, leading to major decrease in nitrogen and phosphorus run-off to the surrounding coastal waters. For primarily meteorological reasons, the objectives of the Action Plan were thus fulfilled for the first time. Immediate response was registered in the coastal waters around Funen: very low nutrient concentrations during winter 1995/96, higher Secchi depths, lower phytoplankton production and biomass, increasing depth distribution of eelgrass (Zostera marina) and higher oxygen concentration in bottom-near water in spring and summer 1996 compared to previous years. This natural 'experiment' suggests that substantially lower nutrient loads to coastal marine systems can have an immediate, positive impact on oxygen conditions in bottom-near waters.

Neutropenia restores virulence to an attenuated Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase-deficient Haemophilus ducreyi strain in the swine model of chancroid. Haemophilus ducreyi causes chancroid, a sexually transmitted cutaneous genital ulcer disease associated with increased heterosexual transmission of human immunodeficiency virus. H. ducreyi expresses a periplasmic copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn SOD) that protects the bacterium from killing by exogenous superoxide in vitro. We hypothesized that the Cu,Zn SOD would protect H. ducreyi from immune cell killing, enhance survival, and affect ulcer development in vivo. In order to test this hypothesis and study the role of the Cn,Zn SOD in H. ducreyi pathogenesis, we compared a Cu,Zn SOD-deficient H. ducreyi strain to its isogenic wild-type parent with respect to survival and ulcer development in immunocompetent and immunosuppressed pigs, The Cu,Zn SOD deficient strain was recovered from significantly fewer inoculated sites and in significantly lower numbers than the wild-type parent strain or a merodiploid (sodC(+) sodC) strain after infection of immunocompetent pigs. In contrast, survival of the wild-type and Cu,Zn SOD-deficient strains was not significantly different in pigs that were rendered neutropenic by treatment with cyclophosphamide. Ulcer severity in pigs was not significantly different between sites inoculated with wild type and sites inoculated,vith Cu,Zn SOD-deficient H. ducreyi. Our data suggest that the periplasmic Cu,Zn SOD is an important virulence determinant in H. ducreyi, protecting the bacterium from host immune cell killing and contributing to survival and persistence in the host.

Discard survival of coastal elasmobranchs in a small-scale fishery using acoustic telemetry and recapture data. Discard reduction is a cornerstone of the European Common Fisheries Policy. The discard ban policy, which aims to reduce fisheries discards, is particularly challenging for small-scale fisheries. Demonstrating high survival rates of discarded individuals may provide flexibility to the application of the discard ban through the so-called survival exemption. Here we used acoustic telemetry and mark-recapture data to estimate discard survival of coastal elasmobranch species at multiple temporal scales. We focused on four species targeted by the small-scale fishery in Galicia (NW Spain), one of the most important fishing regions in Europe: Scyliorhinus canicula, Raja undulata, Raja clavata and Raja brachyura. The overall survival rate was 90% on the short term and 85.7% on the long term, but it varied among species. Survival rates of R. clavata and S. canicula on the short term were 70% and 100%, respectively, and 66.7% and 92.9% on the long term, respectively. All the individuals of R. brachyura and R. undulata survived on the long term. Our results are critical to support the application of survival exemption in small scale fisheries.

Resonance Maps for 3D Alfven Waves in a Compressed Dipole Field. Resonance Maps depict the possible locations and polarizations of resonant Alfven waves (Field Line Resonances - FLRs) for a given equilibrium and driving frequency. Previously the use of Resonance Maps has been developed for gaining insight into the behavior of Alfven waves in basic potential magnetic fields that allow the use of an orthogonal field aligned coordinate system. In more general magnetic fields these coordinates do not exist. In this paper we explore the application of Resonance Maps to such equilibria. A number of simulations of resonant Alfven waves are presented and interpreted using the Maps. We find that Resonance Maps remain useful when some of the constructions used previously are generalised to accommodate the properties of more general magnetic fields. For example, Resonance Maps are able to predict the location and polarisation of Alfven waves which are driven strongly by fast mode waves using a \\'tangential alignment condition\\'. Unusual properties, such as Alfven waves crossing flux surfaces persist in the more general magnetic fields we consider.

The Effect of Intermediate Ring Support on the Vibration Behavior of Functionally Graded Conical Shells. In this study, the free vibrational behavior of a thin-walled functionally graded conical shell with intermediate ring support is investigated. Theoretical formulations were established based on the first-order shear deformation theory. The governing equations of motion were solved using the Galerkin method. Applying a set of displacement functions, the equations of motion result in an eigenvalue problem, by solving which, the natural frequencies of vibration are determined. Material properties are assumed to be varied in the thickness direction according to the power-law volume fraction function. It has been attempted to examine the effects of ring support position on the natural frequencies of vibration and to introduce the optimal scenarios of the support placement to achieve a higher frequency. In addition, a 3D FE model was built in the ABAQUS CAE software in order to validate the results of the analytical model. The analytical results were in close agreement with the literature and also the numerical ones. Moreover, the effects of some commonly used end conditions, variations in the shell geometrical parameters, changes in the ring support placement have been investigated on the vibrational behavior.

POLITICAL-PARTY FORMATION IN CENTRAL-EUROPE, 1989-93. The political systems of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia are again based on traditional democratic institutions: representative bodies and political parties. One obvious conclusion is that the democratic evolution of party systems in Central Europe opened to the people a new range of political choices. Yet while the structure of choices offered by the party systems has been radically transformed, it is not clear whether the structure of the political preferences of the society has been affected. Another question is the influence of the population's political choices upon the composition and attitudes of political elites. These questions are analyzed using data from Poland and other Central European countries. Results of elections in Poland in 1984-93 are presented and related to differences between Polish provinces. The characteristics of voters and political leaders in 100 local communities in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia are analyzed. The conclusion of the article is that party formation at the local level has not yet become crystallized in Central Europe. Voter preferences, however, seem to be stabilizing, a necessary component of democratic party systems.

New insights into transcriptional reprogramming during cellular stress. Cellular stress triggers reprogramming of transcription, which is required for the maintenance of homeostasis under adverse growth conditions. Stress-induced changes in transcription include induction of cyto-protective genes and repression of genes related to the regulation of the cell cycle, transcription and metabolism. Induction of transcription is mediated through the activation of stress-responsive transcription factors that facilitate the release of stalled RNA polymerase II and so allow for transcriptional elongation. Repression of transcription, in turn, involves components that retain RNA polymerase II in a paused state on gene promoters. Moreover, transcription during stress is regulated by a massive activation of enhancers and complex changes in chromatin organization. In this Review, we highlight the latest research regarding the molecular mechanisms of transcriptional reprogramming upon stress in the context of specific proteotoxic stress responses, including the heat-shock response, unfolded protein response, oxidative stress response and hypoxia response.

ON THE STRUCTURE AND ACQUISITION OF TELICITY AND UNACCUSATIVITY IN VIETNAMESE. In this paper, we investigate Chinese L2 learners' knowledge of two grammatical constraints in Vietnamese: the first, a constraint on the aspectual interpretation of accomplishment predicates, the second pertaining to alternations in the position of embedded subjects in mono-clausal lam causatives. Whereas the former constraint is shared by Vietnamese and Chinese, the two languages differ with respect to the latter. The results of three judgment tasks provide statistically reliable support for the idea that L2 interlanguage grammars are not ultimately limited by Ll patterns; given the absence of explicit teaching and only limited exposure to relevant structures, it is suggested that learners' performance may be guided by UG information.

Growth stage affects cotton response to trifloxysulfuron. Field studies were conducted in 1999, 2000, and 2001 to evaluate cotton response to trifloxysulfuron applied postemergence over the top (POT) or postemergence-directed (PDIR) at various growth stages. Treatments included trifloxysulfuron at 3.8 or 7.5 g ai/ha plus nonionic surfactant (NIS) applied POT to one-, three-, and five-leaf cotton or applied PDIR to 30- and 45-cm tall cotton. Crop injury 7 d after treatment (DAT) varied by year and ranged from 17 to 50%, 19 to 46%, and 5 to 23% with trifloxysulfuron applied POT to one-, three-, and five-leaf cotton, respectively. Injury 21 DAT averaged 22, 16, and 6% with one-, three-, and five-leaf applications respectively. Trifloxysulfaron applied PDIR injured cotton 2 to 9% 7 DAT and 0 to 12% 21 DAT. At 30 DAT, cotton height was reduced with one-leaf trifloxysulfuron application, whereas differences were not present across other treatments. Heights at 90 days after planting (DAP) did not differ between treatments. Neither trifloxysulfuron rate or application timing negatively affected cotton yield or fiber quality. Nomenclature:

Towards controlled terminology for reporting germline cancer susceptibility variants: an ENIGMA report. The vocabulary currently used to describe genetic variants and their consequences reflects many years of studying and discovering monogenic disease with high penetrance. With the recent rapid expansion of genetic testing brought about by wide availability of high-throughput massively parallel sequencing platforms, accurate variant interpretation has become a major issue. The vocabulary used to describe single genetic variants in silico, in vitro, in vivo and as a contributor to human disease uses terms in common, but the meaning is not necessarily shared across all these contexts. In the setting of cancer genetic tests, the added dimension of using data from genetic sequencing of tumour DNA to direct treatment is an additional source of confusion to those who are not experienced in cancer genetics. The language used to describe variants identified in cancer susceptibility genetic testing typically still reflects an outdated paradigm of Mendelian inheritance with dichotomous outcomes. Cancer is a common disease with complex genetic architecture; an improved lexicon is required to better communicate among scientists, clinicians and patients, the risks and implications of genetic variants detected. This review arises from a recognition of, and discussion about, inconsistencies in vocabulary usage by members of the ENIGMA international multidisciplinary consortium focused on variant classification in breast-ovarian cancer susceptibility genes. It sets out the vocabulary commonly used in genetic variant interpretation and reporting, and suggests a framework for a common vocabulary that may facilitate understanding and clarity in clinical reporting of germline genetic tests for cancer susceptibility.