bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brain PET measurement of PDE10A occupancy by TAK‐063, a new PDE10A inhibitor, using [11C]T‐773 in nonhuman primates
Authors: Takano Akihiro , Stepanov Vladimir , Nakao Ryuji , Amini Nahid , Gulyás Balázs , Kimura Haruhide , Halldin Christer
Published: February 2016

Because phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10A) degrades both cyclic adenosine monophosphate and cyclic guanosine monophosphate and is distributed mainly in the striatum, PDE10A inhibitors have been considered to potentially be useful therapeutic agents for psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases such as schizophrenia and Huntington's disease. We measured striatal PDE10A occupancy by TAK‐063, a newly developed compound with high affinity and selectivity for PDE10A, using PET with [11C]T‐773 in nonhuman primates. Two 123‐min dynamic PET measurements were performed on three female rhesus monkeys, once at baseline and again after intravenous administration of different doses of TAK‐063 (0.2–1.6 mg/kg). Total distribution volume (VT) was calculated with a two‐tissue compartment model using metabolite‐corrected plasma input. Although the in vitro autoradiography did not show high specific binding to [11C]T‐773 in the cerebellum, VT in the cerebellum decreased after TAK‐063 treatment. The specific binding to PDE10A (VS) was calculated as the difference of the VT between the target regions and the cerebellum. PDE10A occupancy was calculated as the percent change of VS. The average PDE10A occupancy of the caudate nucleus and putamen was 35.2% at 0.2 mg/kg and 83.2% at 1.6 mg/kg. In conclusion, this nonhuman primate PET study demonstrated that [11C]T‐773 is useful to estimate the PDE10A occupancy by TAK‐063 in the striatum although there is in vivo interaction of the uptake between [11C]T‐773 and TAK‐063 in the cerebellum. These results warrant further clinical occupancy study for TAK‐063. Synapse 70:253–263, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy: how low does the mesh go?
Authors: Wong V. , Guzman Rojas R. , Shek K. L. , Chou D. , Moore K. H. , Dietz H. P.
Published: February 2016

Objective

Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy is becoming an increasingly popular surgical approach for repair of apical vaginal prolapse. The aim of this study was to document the postoperative anterior mesh position after laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy and to investigate the relationship between mesh location and anterior compartment support.

Methods

This was an external audit of patients who underwent laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy for apical prolapse ≥ Stage 2 or advanced prolapse ≥ Stage 3, between January 2005 and June 2012. All patients were assessed with a standardized interview, clinical assessment using the International Continence Society Pelvic Organ Prolapse quantification and four‐dimensional transperineal ultrasound to evaluate pelvic organ support and mesh location. Mesh position was assessed with respect to the symphysis pubis whilst distal mesh mobility was assessed using the formula √[(XValsalva – Xrest)2 + (YValsalva – Yrest)2], where X is the horizontal distance and Y is the vertical distance between the mesh and the inferior symphyseal margin, measured at rest and on Valsalva.

Results

Ninety‐seven women were assessed at a mean follow‐up of 3.01 (range, 0.13–6.87) years after laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy, 88% (85/97) of whom considered themselves to be cured or improved, and none had required reoperation. On clinical examination, prolapse recurrence in the apical compartment was not diagnosed in any patient; however, 60 (62%) had recurrence in the anterior compartment and 43 (44%) in the posterior compartment. On ultrasound examination, mesh was visualized in the anterior compartment in 60 patients. Both mesh position and mobility on Valsalva were significantly associated with recurrent cystocele on clinical and on ultrasound assessment (all P < 0.01). For every mm that the mesh was located further from the bladder neck on Valsalva, the likelihood of cystocele recurrence increased by 6–7%.

Conclusion

At an average follow‐up of 3 years, laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy was highly effective for apical support; however, cystocele recurrence was common despite an emphasis on anterior mesh extension. Prolapse recurrence seemed to be related to mesh position and mobility, suggesting that the lower the mesh is from the bladder neck, the lower the likelihood of anterior compartment prolapse recurrence. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
The Integration of Noninvasive Prenatal Screening into the Existing Prenatal Paradigm: a Survey of Current Genetic Counseling Practice
Authors: Suskin Emily , Hercher Laura , Aaron Kathleen Erskine , Bajaj Komal
Published: February 2016

Since its introduction four years ago, noninvasive prenatal screening for fetal aneuploidy (NIPS) has been widely adopted as a screening tool for women at a high risk for fetal aneuploidy. As use expands into the general population, questions arise concerning the integration of NIPS into preexisting screening paradigms. This study aims to examine the use of NIPS in current practice among prenatal counselors, predominantly in the United States, in order to inform strategies for the optimal use of both new and existing screening techniques. We electronically surveyed 208 members of the National Society of Genetic Counselors to ascertain how NIPS is currently being used. Genetic counselors were also queried as to the advantages and disadvantages of offering NIPS to all patients regardless of a priori risk. Results indicate substantial variation in practice regarding which patients are offered NIPS and how counselors have incorporated this technology into existing screening routines. The majority of participants report offering NIPS in conjunction with another method of screening for fetal aneuploidy, indicating that NIPS is being used as an addition rather than as a replacement. These screening methods primarily include nuchal translucency (NT) (45.1 %, n = 78) and first trimester serum screening, with or without an NT (19.7 %, n = 34). Furthermore, the majority report that they would be concerned about losing the clinical value of an NT in a complete transition to NIPS (85.4 %, n = 164). Counselors are evenly split on the merits of expanding the use of NIPS to the general population (con: 55.3 %, n = 105; pro: 44.7 %, n = 85). The lack of consensus suggests that updated practice guidelines might benefit counselors. In addition, respondents emphasized the need to better educate patients and providers about the risks, benefits, and limitations of the test.
Estimation of the Performance of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Using Uniaxial Compressive Strength and Rock Mass Rating Classification (RMR) – A Case Study from the Deccan Traps, India
Authors: Jain P. , Naithani A. K. , Singh T. N.
Published: February 2016

The competency of any TBM in any geological condition is determined by a rock or rock mass breakage process. A 12.24 km long tunnel between Maroshi and Ruparel College was excavated by Brihanmumbai municipal corporation (BMC) to improve water supply system of greater Mumbai, India, using open-type hard rock tunnel boring machines (TBMs). In this paper an attempt has been made to establish the relationship between rock mass characteristics i.e. RMR and UCS of the Deccan trap rocks and TBMs performance characteristics for 5.83 km long Maroshi–Vakola tunnel section of the Maroshi–Ruparel college tunnel project. To analyze the effect of variable rock mass conditions on the TBM performance, the operating parameters i.e. thrust force, torque and RPM of the machine, were recorded and intact rock strength was determined. The effect of rock mass properties on machine penetration rate (PR) and the relation with other operational parameters were analyzed. The rock strength affects the rock behaviour under compression. When the rolling cutters indent the rock, the stress exerted must be higher than the rock strength i.e.; the rock strength is directly relevant to the performance of TBM. Studies show that the penetration rate decreases with increase in uniaxial compressive strength (UCS). The comparison of measured penetration rate with empirical model developed by Graham, in which, the penetration rate is computed using UCS and average thrust per cutter, showed good agreement with coefficient of determination (R2), i.e. 0.97. The study shows that the TBM performance was maximum in rock mass rating (RMR) range from 40 to 75, while slower penetration was recorded both in very poor and very good rock masses.
1D Geoelectrical Resistivity Survey for Groundwater Studies in Coastal Area: A Case Study from Pearl City, Tamil Nadu
Authors: Selvam S.
Published: February 2016

Geoelectrical resistivity method involving vertical electrical sounding (VES) was carried out in a sedimentary environment to determine the suitability of the method for sub-surface groundwater investigations. The EC and TDS hydrochemical data in the study area clearly showed the influence of seawater intrusion. The abundance of the major cations and anions are in the following order, Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg 2+ > K+ = Cl− > HCO3− > SO42− > CO3 > NO3 > PO4. Results suggest that the groundwater in this study area is very hard and alkaline in nature. As indicated by Piper trilinear diagram, NaCl and Ca2+ - Mg2+ – Cl− - SO42- facies are the dominant hydrochemical facies in the groundwater of Pearl city. The VES method by Schlamberger electrode array was applied in 12 locations, which is expected to represent the whole area. The resistivity meter (aquameter CRM 5OO) was used to collect the VES data by employing a Schlumberger electrode configuration, with half current electrode spacing (AB/2) ranging from 2 to 180 m and the potential electrode (MN) from 1 to 50 m. The resistivity data is then interpreted by WINSEV 1-D inversion program geoelectric software to entirely describe the aquifer system as well as the occurrence of groundwater. The outputs of sub-surface layers with resistivities and thickness presented in contour maps and 2-D views by using SURFER software were created. Accordingly, three zones with different resistivity values were detected, corresponding to three different formations: (1) a transition zone of sandy soil (aeolian deposits) thick formation, (2) strata’s saturated with fresh groundwater in the east disturbed by the presence of sandy shell limestone horizons, (3) a water-bearing formation in the west containing low saltwater horizons. The bedrock is encountered at an average depth of 95m. This study indicates that the groundwater reservoirs are mainly confined to the alluvial aquifer.
Long-Term Trend Analysis of Water Table using ‘MAKESENS’ Model and Sustainability of Groundwater Resources in Drought Prone Barind Area, NW Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman ATM Sakiur , Kamruzzaman Md. , Jahan Chowdhury Sarwar , Mazumder Quamrul Hasan
Published: February 2016

In Bangladesh, agriculture plays a major role in the national economy. In the drought prone Barind area in NW Bangladesh, cropping intensity has increased almost double since late eighties of last century (from 1985) because of the introduction of groundwater irrigation. Long-term behavior of groundwater table (GWT) in the drought prone Barind area has been studied using MAKESENS model in the wake of massive installation of tube-wells. The study reveals that the maximum and minimum depths to GWT during 1991-2010 show on average declining trend of 4.51 m and 4.73 m. The long-term prediction for the period of 2020-50 assuming the current rate of groundwater withdrawal is that the declining trend will be 1.16 to 1.59 and 1.07 to 1.82 times more for maximum and minimum groundwater depths respectively in comparison to the present. The rigorous exploitation of groundwater for irrigation, decreasing rainfall and surface geological attributes lead towards declining trend of GWT. This will hamper the country’s food security and ultimately threaten its socio-economic sustainability. So the appropriate strategies for the management of groundwater resource on a sustainable basis should be the priority for maintaining agricultural productivity.
Application of Multi-criteria Decision Making Methods in Slope Stability Analysis of Open Pit Mines
Authors: Khakestar Marzieh Shademan , Hassani Hossein , Moarefvand Parvizz , Madani Hassan
Published: February 2016

Rock slope instabilities are a major hazard for human activities often causing economic losses, property damages and maintenance costs, as well as injuries or fatalities. For slope stability analysis of open pit mines, series of studies must be carried out in order to identify the criteria which should take into consideration. In this research geotechnical parameters; Geological Strength Index (GSI), Rock Quality Designation (RQD), Cohesion (C), angle of internal friction (φ), uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and Rock mass deformation modulus (Em) which are obtained from data measured within geotechnical boreholes and pore pressure (U) are considered as the criteria to evaluate stability of pit No.1 of the Gole Gohar iron mine, located in Kerman province, south east of Iran. Since human judgments and preferences are often vague and complex and decision makers cannot estimate their preferences with an exact scale, we can only give linguistic assessments instead of exact ones. So fuzzy set theory introduced into Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Fuzzy AHP (FAHP) is put forward to solve such uncertain problems. In this paper, FAHP method is used to determine the weights of the criteria by decision makers and then classification of the stability of blocks are determined by TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method by the shortest distance to positive ideal solution (PIS) and the longest distance to negative ideal solution (NIS).
USING WEIGHTED DISTRIBUTIONS TO MODEL OPERATIONAL RISK
Authors: Afonso Lourdes B. , Corte Real Pedro
Published: February 2016

The quantification of operational risk has to deal with various concerns regarding data, much more than other types of risk which banks and insurers are obliged to manage. One of the main questions that worries both researchers and practitioners is the bias in the data on the operational losses amounts recorded. We support the assertions made by several authors and defend that this concern is serious when modeling operational losses data and, typically, is presented in all the databases. We show that it's possible, based on mild assumptions on the internal procedures put in place to manage operational losses, to make parametric inference using loss data statistics, that is, to estimate the parameters for the losses amounts, taking in consideration the bias that, not being considered, generates a two fold error in the estimators for the mean loss amount and the total loss amount, the former being overvalued and the last undervalued. In this paper, we do not consider the existence of a threshold for which, all losses above, are reported and available for analysis and estimation procedures. In this sense, we follow a different approach to the parametric inference. Here, we consider that the probability that a loss is reported and ends up recorded for analysis, increases with the size of the loss, what causes the bias in the database but, at the same time, we do not consider the existence of a threshold, above which, all losses are recorded. Hence, no loss has probability one of being recorded, in what we defend is a realist framework. We deduce the general formulae, present simulations for common theoretical distributions used to model (operational reported) losses amounts, estimate the impact for not considering the bias factor when estimating the value at risk and estimate the true total operational losses the bank incurred.
Experimental and computational studies of the aerodynamic performance of a flapping and passively rotating insect wing
Authors: Chen Yufeng , Gravish Nick , Desbiens Alexis Lussier , Malka Ronit , Wood Robert J.
Published: February 2016

Flapping wings are important in many biological and bioinspired systems. Here, we investigate the fluid mechanics of flapping wings that possess a single flexible hinge allowing passive wing pitch rotation under load. We perform experiments on an insect-scale (${\approx}1$ cm wing span) robotic flapper and compare the results with a quasi-steady dynamical model and a coupled fluid–structure computational fluid dynamics model. In experiments we measure the time varying kinematics, lift force and two-dimensional velocity fields of the induced flow from particle image velocimetry. We find that increasing hinge stiffness leads to advanced wing pitching, which is beneficial towards lift force production. The classical quasi-steady model gives an accurate prediction of passive wing pitching if the relative phase difference between the wing stroke and the pitch kinematics,${\it\delta}$, is small. However, the quasi-steady model cannot account for the effect of${\it\delta}$on leading edge vortex (LEV) growth and lift generation. We further explore the relationships between LEV, lift force, drag force and wing kinematics through experiments and numerical simulations. We show that the wing kinematics and flapping efficiency depend on the stiffness of a passive compliant hinge. Our dual approach of running at-scale experiments and numerical simulations gives useful guidelines for choosing wing hinge stiffnesses that lead to efficient flapping.
Drag reduction in a thermally modulated channel
Authors: Hossain M. Z. , Floryan J. M.
Published: February 2016

Flow in a horizontal channel exposed to external heating which results in sinusoidal temperature variations along the upper and lower walls with a phase shift between them has been studied using a combination of analytical and numerical methods. The most intense convection is observed when the upper and lower hot spots are located above each other. It has been demonstrated that the heating results in a significant reduction of the pressure gradient required to drive the flow when compared to a similar flow in an isothermal channel. The drag reduction is associated with the formation of separation bubbles which insulate the stream from direct contact with the bounding walls. The fluid inside of the bubbles rotates due to horizontal density gradients, which further reduces the required pressure gradient. The magnitude of the drag reduction depends on the phase shift between the heating patterns and can increase by up to threefold when compared to the drag reduction which can be achieved by heating only one wall. A detailed analysis of the associated heat fluxes has been presented.
The Origin and Evolution of Transition Discs: Successes, Problems, and Open Questions
Authors: Owen James E.
Published: February 2016

Transition discs are protoplanetary discs that show evidence for large holes or wide gaps (with widths comparable to their radii) in their dust component. These discs could be giving us clues about the disc destruction mechanism or hints about the location and time-scales for the formation of planets. However, at the moment there remain key gaps in our theoretical understanding. The vast majority of transition discs are accreting onto their central stars, indicating that—at least close to the star—dust has been depleted from the gas by a very large amount. In this review, we discuss evidence for two distinct populations of transition discs: mm-faint—those with low mm-fluxes, small holes (≲ 10 AU), and low accretion rates (~ 10−10 − 10−9 M⊙ yr−1) and mm-bright—discs with large mm-fluxes, large holes (≳ 20 AU), and high accretion rates ~ 10−8 M⊙ yr−1. MM-faint transition discs are consistent with what would naively be expected from a disc undergoing dispersal; however, mm-bright discs are not, and are likely to be rare and long-lived objects. We discuss the two commonly proposed mechanisms for creating transition discs: photoevaporation and planet–disc interactions, with a particular emphasis on how they would evolve in these models, comparing these predictions to the observed population. More theoretical work on explaining the lack of optically thick, non-accreting transition discs is required in both the photoevaporation and planetary hypothesis, before we can start to use transition discs to constrain models of planet formation. Finally, we suggest that the few discs with primordial looking spectral energy distribution, but serendipitously imaged showing large cavities in the mm (e.g. MWC758 and WSB 60) may represent a hidden population of associated objects. Characterising and understanding how these objects fit into the overall paradigm may allow us to unravel the mystery of transition discs.
Invalidation of the Intracavity Optogalvanic Method for Radiocarbon Detection
Authors: Carson Cantwell G , Stute Martin , Ji Yinghuang , Polle Roseline , Reboul Arthur , Lackner Klaus S
Published: February 2016

The intracavity optogalvanic spectroscopy (ICOGS) method has been reported to quantify radiocarbon at subambient levels (<1 part per trillion). ICOGS uses a gas sample that is ionized in a low-pressure glow discharge located inside a 14CO2 laser cavity to detect changes in the discharge current under periodic modulation of the laser power to determine the 14CO2 concentration of the sample. When claims of detection thresholds below ambient levels were not verified by other researchers, we constructed a theoretical analysis to resolve differences between these conflicting reports and built and tested an ICOGS system to establish a lower limit of detection. Using a linear absorbance model of the background contribution of 12CO2 and data from the HITRAN database, we estimate that the limit of detection (3σx) is close to 1.5×104 Modern. By measuring a 1.5×104 Modern enriched CO2 sample in a cavity modulation ICOGS system without a clear signal, we conclude that for this system the limit of detection for ICOGS must be above 1.5×104. The implications for previous ICOGS reports are discussed.
Comparative Company Law: New Perspectives
Authors: Hornstein George D.
Published: February 2016

It is a signal honour to have been invited to lecture at this world-renowned University—located, as some geographers would have it, at the very centre of the world. Certainly all eyes are concentrated on it at the moment. And it is an exhilarating thought that perhaps this new Law Centre will generate new legal approaches which we all seek, far transcending the limited legal problem and its solutions which we discuss tonight.

Let me say at once that in comparing Israeli and United States company law, I speak about your half of the subject—Israeli law—with much diffidence, although I am emboldened by the realization that every student of comparative law inevitably feels somewhat insecure in his grasp of law outside his own country. Still when I pondered what would be the most useful area for this lecture, I was struck by a fundamental similarity—for although we are separated geographically by half the world, the basic concerns of corporate investors are the same the world over: (1) an agreed-upon allocation of the rewards, if the corporate venture prove successful, and (2) control over management of the enterprise into which they have put their capital. Of first concern then is the law governing the corporate structure since this is what determines the investors' financial and voting rights, and secondly, the law protecting the investor against an unresponsive or irresponsible management. The legal sanctions here involved—statute law or case law—are a matter of concern to foreign capital. The reaction of foreign investors should be of special interest to you because Israel's social, economic, and political goals cannot be achieved without a substantial influx of capital investment from the outside. Foreign investors can operate either through foreign corporations doing business in Israel or through Israeli-formed companies. Tonight, because of time limitations, we confine ourselves to Israeli-formed companies. Other problems for a foreign investor, such as foreign exchange controls, do merit more than passing reference—but we cannot take time to elaborate them.
Criminal Jurisdiction Over Aircraft Hijacking.
Authors: Dinstein Yoram
Published: February 2016

Aircraft hijacking projects a vexing problem of criminal jurisdiction. In order to comprehend the ramifications of the problem fully let us take a model case. Suppose that the control over a commercial aircraft—registered in Brazil and leased to an Israeli airline—is forcibly seized, in the course of flight over France, by an Arab nationalist who is a citizen of Jordan, and the aircraft is hijacked to Algeria. The act described is an international offence, as defined by Article 1 of the 1970 Hague Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft:

Any person who on board an aircraft in flight:

(a) unlawfully, by force or threat thereof, or by any other form of intimidation, seizes, or exercises control of, that aircraft, or attempts to perform any such act, or

(b) is an accomplice of a person who performs or attempts to perform any such act

commits an offence (hereinafter referred to as ‘the offence’).
Insider Trading in Israel and England, Part II
Authors: Yoran Aharon
Published: February 2016

It is submitted that even if the hapless outsider cannot bring an action for damages because of the existing state of the law regarding fiduciary duties and breach of statutory duties, he still has an equitable remedy of rescission of the contract based on quasi-contractual principles. The crime of fraud, under secs. 13 and 54, respectively, would be made the basis of setting the contract (of sale or purchase) aside. To support this proposition we shall explore the quasi-contractual principles which enable one contracting party, the victim of a crime committed by the other party in entering the contract, to defeat this contract.

In Browning v. Morris, in an oft-quoted statement by Lord Mansfield, the following principle was declared: But, where contracts or transactions are prohibited by positive statutes, for protecting one set of men from another set of men; the one, from their situation and condition, being liable to be oppressed or imposed upon by the other; there, the parties are not in pan delicto; and in furtherance of these statutes, the person injured, after the transaction is finished and completed, may bring an action and defeat the contract.
The Status of the Unmarried Parent in Israel Law
Authors: Shifman Pinhas
Published: February 2016

It has been said that there are no illegitimate children but only illegitimate parents, a paradox which reflects the view that the iniquity of the fathers should not be visited upon the children, that the rights of children should not suffer deprivation because of the “sin” of their parents. So put, it presents a challenge to those many legal systems which discriminate against children born out of wedlock, treating them as illegitimate and denying them rights against their parents or, in some jurisdictions, against their fathers. For all that, we are now witnessing in a number of countries a process which is blurring and largely doing away with the traditional disqualifications and discrimination against illegitimate children. Not only does the violation of the rights of a child because his parents bore him out of wedlock appear to many of us to be immoral in itself, but we go on and urge that it is wholly unreasonable to release the “sinning” parent from his obligations and place the burden of bringing up his child on society at large.

This last view does not, however, give any moral or legal approbation to bringing children into the world out of wedlock but suggests rather that the protection of the institution of marriage and family should properly find expression in the status of the unmarried parents. The problems to which this understanding of the matter gives rise are the subject of the present analysis of the pertinent Israel legislation.
Lake Kinneret and the Law
Authors: Laster Richard E.
Published: February 2016

In direct contrast to Israel's western flowing streams, Lake Kinneret is used for a multiplicity of beneficial uses. The lake supplies 45% of the country's total water supply, 6% of its fish catch, a vacation spot for 1½ million tourists a year, a purification plant for 3 million cubic metres of sewage yearly, an annual supply of tons of smooth, decorative pebbles, and a source of income for at least 70 scientists.

Again in contrast to Israel's streams and wadis, data are available to those interested in preventing pollution of the Kinneret. Scientific studies of the lake began as far back as 1847. Beginning in the 1950's Israel scientists concentrated their efforts on solving a myriad of problems in the lake and its watershed. In the 1950's geographic surveys of the watershed were completed which described the type of land, its quality, texture and suitability for agricultural use. By 1964, scientific studies included the quality of lake water for drinking, lake currents, salt concentrations in the lake, sources of radiation, the lake's temperature, phytoplankton, zooplankton, algal blooms, floating plants, organisms living at the bottom of the lake, the lake's water level, thematodes and nematodes in the lake, water birds, chiromed flies, pesticides, commercial fish, and, last but not least, the Tabgha blind prawn, the only unique species endemic to the lake's waters.
Reflections on the Nature of the Speciality Principle in Extradition Relations
Authors: Feller S.Z.
Published: February 2016

The “speciality principle” or “speciality rule”, governing extradition relations between States, finds its expression in the fact that the institution of extradition is intended, as far as its material grounds are concerned, to cover only a part of all criminal offences, that each case of the extradition of a particular person is closely connected with a specific offence and as a result of this, that the competence of the requesting State to try and punish him is limited by those restrictions imposed upon it, again from the material point of view, by the requested State.

The rule therefore, has two aspects, the “specificness of extradition” and the “limitation of competence”, which, although they are intertwined and interdependent, each has its own characteristics. They are to be viewed from the standpoint of the position of the State—whether as requested to extradite or requesting extradition—and the part the State plays in applying the principle.
Keeping the Peace Between Egypt and Israel, 1973–1980
Authors: Bar-Yaacov Nissim
Published: February 2016

Third party involvement in keeping the peace in the Middle East has been a constant phenomenon accompanying the vicissitudes of the Arab-Israeli conflict from the war of 1948 up to the present day. The dominant pattern has been the employment of United Nations forces and observers, charged with supervising either the implementation of Security Council resolutions calling for the cessation of hostilities, or the implementation of agreements reached between the parties concerned. The uninterrupted presence of UN personnel in the Middle East has shown that the international community as a whole and the parties in conflict have considered UN peacekeeping essential for reducing tensions and instrumental in bringing to an end local flare-ups. It was only natural that immediately after the Yom Kippur War of October 1973 the states actively involved in the pursuit of peace should rely on the establishment of effective UN supervisory machinery to monitor the execution by the parties of the various security arrangements agreed upon. A United Nations Emergency Force was accordingly dispatched to the Egyptian-Israeli sector and undertook the task of supervision, with the cooperation of observers belonging to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization. However, foreseen and unforeseen problems arose in the process leading from one disengagement agreement to another and to the treaty of peace between Egypt and Israel of March 1979.
Aspects of theBeit-ElandEilon MorehCases
Authors: Stone Julius
Published: February 2016

Judges whose daily tasks are to interpret the law of their own State frequently find difficulties in expressing the exact nature and hierarchical value of the rules of international law, which from time to time they are required in some sense to apply.

Perhaps the classical example of this in countries applying the English common law is that of prize courts and the law which they should apply. Under international law belligerent States, by whom maritime captures (prizes) may be made, have a duty to create some forum before which issues can be tried as to the lawfulness of such captures and its consequences. As Lord Parker observed inThe Zamoraas to the title in the property seized, “from the moment of seizure the rights of all parties are governed by international law”. In the final ruling in that case, the Privy Council held that the neutral property at issue had been unlawfully requisitioned, even though such requisition was authorised by a British Executive Order-in-Council, because that Order-in-Council itself was inconsistent with the rules of international law governing requisition of neutral property.
The Legal Profession in Palestine During the Byzantine Period
Authors: Dan Yaron
Published: February 2016

We shall begin this paper with a few general remarks on the development of advocacy from the time of classical Greece through to Rome. It was the esteemed jurists of these societies who, in their work, provided the basis for the development of European and modern law.

Creativity in Greek humanistic literature reached a peak prior to the Peloponesian war; thereafter, it exhibited a marked decline in all but one field, that of rhetoric, or the school of oratory. In this field, particularly in the context of political-jurisprudential literature, the development was impressive.

Around the middle of the fifth century B.C.E., the Sophists (“Sophist” means “clever” in Greek) appeared in Greece. These were the teachers of wisdom and higher education in all the fields of science and humanities then known in Greece, such as mathematics, astronomy, philosophy and logic, and of course, literature and linguistics. The Sophists wandered from city to city and spread their teachings; they have been described by some as “itinerant universities”.
Bridging the Peace Gap in Nigeria: The Panel of the Wise as a Constitutional Essential
Authors: Jegede Ademola Oluborode
Published: February 2016

Since Nigeria's return to democratic governance in 1999, violent conflicts around identities including religion, ethnicity, indigene / settler differentiation and resource control remain a challenge to peace. Thus far, government responses lack a normative framework to motivate consistent intervention and foster peace. While Nigeria's 1999 Constitution identifies peace as a common aspiration, there is a lack of a non-adversarial institutional mechanism to address violent conflicts related to identity. Despite its limited relevance, the visible institution for conflict management is the court. This article argues for the need to establish a panel of the wise, a conflict and peace intervention mechanism, as an “essential” element of the Nigerian Constitution. It then explores key considerations regarding the proposed panel, in terms of its composition, functions and legal status to intervene in the management of violent conflicts associated with identity and fostering peace in Nigeria.
Diet of common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) in the Pacific coast of Ecuador
Authors: Varela José Luis , Lucas-Pilozo Cristhian Ronald , González-Duarte Manuel María
Published: February 2016

The diet and the feeding habits of the common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) in the Pacific coast of Ecuador was assessed by examining 320 stomachs of individuals ranging from 51 to 149 cm in total length. Fish was the predominant prey group in the diet (Alimentary Index, %AI = 95.39) followed by cephalopods (%AI = 4.13) and crustaceans (%AI = 0.48). Among the 17 prey items that make up the dolphinfish diet, the Exocoetidae family was the most important prey (%AI = 57.13),Dosidicus gigasbeing the most abundant invertebrate species (%AI = 7.65). Feeding patterns were evaluated using the graphing method of Amundsen, which suggested that this species shows a varying degree of specialization on different prey taxa. Thus, while some species were unimportant and rare (Hippocampus hippocampus, Lagocephalus lagocephalus, Gobiidae andArgonautasp.), several dolphinfishes showed a high degree of specialization on Scombridae,Pleuroncodes planipes, Portunus xantusiiandOpisthonema libertate. Size-related and temporal shifts in dietary composition were investigated by PERMANOVA analysis, which showed wide variations among size classes and periods of capture. The results of this study indicate that the common dolphinfish is an opportunistic feeder, which is capable of consuming a wide variety of schooling epipelagic organisms.
BOOTSTRAP ANDk-STEP BOOTSTRAP BIAS CORRECTIONS FOR THE FIXED EFFECTS ESTIMATOR IN NONLINEAR PANEL DATA MODELS
Authors: Kim Min Seong , Sun Yixiao
Published: February 2016

Because of the incidental parameters problem, the fixed effects maximum likelihood estimator in a nonlinear panel data model is in general inconsistent when the time series lengthTis short and fixed. Even ifTapproaches infinity but at a rate not faster than the cross sectional sample sizen, the fixed effects estimator is still asymptotically biased. This paper proposes using the standard bootstrap andk-step bootstrap to correct the bias. We establish the asymptotic validity of the bootstrap bias corrections for both model parameters and average marginal effects. Our results apply to static models as well as some dynamic Markov models. Monte Carlo simulations show that our procedures are effective in reducing the bias of the fixed effects estimator and improving the coverage accuracy of the associated confidence interval.
Complex sentence profiles in children with Specific Language Impairment: Are they really atypical?
Authors: RICHES NICK G.
Published: February 2016

Children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI) have language difficulties of unknown origin. Syntactic profiles are atypical, with poor performance on non-canonical structures, e.g. object relatives, suggesting a localized deficit. However, existing analyses using ANOVAs are problematic because they do not systematically address unequal variance, or fully model random effects. Consequently, a Generalised Linear Model (GLM) was used to analyze data from a Sentence Repetition (SR) task involving relative clauses. seventeen children with SLI (mean age 6;7), twenty-one Language Matched (LM) children (mean age 4;8), and seventeen Age Matched (AM) children (mean age 6;5) repeated 100 canonical and non-canonical sentences. ANOVAs found a significant Group by Canonicity interaction for the SLI versus AM contrast only. However, the GLM found no significant interaction. Consequently, arguments for a localized deficit may depend on statistical methods which are prone to exaggerate profile differences. Nonetheless, a subgroup of SLI exhibited particularly severe structural language difficulties.
Syllabic parsing in children: a developmental study using visual word-spotting in Spanish
Authors: ÁLVAREZ CARLOS J. , GARCÍA-SAAVEDRA GUACIMARA , LUQUE JUAN L. , TAFT MARCUS
Published: February 2016

Some inconsistency is observed in the results from studies of reading development regarding the role of the syllable in visual word recognition, perhaps due to a disparity between the tasks used. We adopted a word-spotting paradigm, with Spanish children of second grade (mean age: 7 years) and sixth grade (mean age: 11 years). The children were asked to detect one-syllable words that could be found at the beginning of pseudo-words, with the boundary between the word and the remaining letters being manipulated. The end of the embedded word could either match the syllabic boundary (e.g. the word FIN in the pseudo-word FINLO, where the syllable boundary is between N and L) or not (e.g. FINUS, where the syllable boundary is located between I and N). The results showed that children of both grades were faster in the syllabic than the non-syllabic condition, and that the magnitude of this effect was the same regardless of reading ability. The results suggest an early universality in the use of syllables in Spanish, regardless of reading level.
Integrated land-sea management: recommendations for planning, implementation and management
Authors: REUTER KIM E. , JUHN DANIEL , GRANTHAM HEDLEY S.
Published: February 2016

Marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems face increasing anthropogenic threats that are exacerbated by the ecological connectivity between realms; integrated land-sea management (ILSM) is a framework that can help address this connectivity. However, gaps in our knowledge regarding ILSM remain. This study reviewed 108 relevant studies to understand how ILSM is being utilized. Summarized are: (1) characteristics of integrated land-sea programs; (2) recommendations made from the literature for program planning, implementation and management; (3) how applied programs have been planned, implemented and managed; and (4) recommendations for undertaking ILSM. It was found that applied programs did not often adhere to the strategies recommended by theoretical papers. Applied programs were less likely than theoretical papers to specifically name the land-sea connection, over 50% did not apply a framework or governance approach, many did not include key stakeholders, and over 80% listed at least one conflict or hurdle that decreased program success. This study highlighted the difficulties of undertaking ILSM given the high number of stakeholders, government agencies and experts involved. Based on the findings, recommendations for future ILSM programs are provided.
Korean n-insertion: a mismatch between data and learning
Authors: Jun Jongho
Published: February 2016

This paper explores the variable application of n-insertion in Korean. Several tendencies emerge from the distribution of n-insertion in existing Korean words, using data drawn from a dictionary and from surveys and experimental studies. Most, but not all, of these tendencies are mirrored in the results of experiments involving novel words, suggesting that Korean speakers are aware of the differential influence of certain phonological factors on the probability of the application of n-insertion. The observed patterns of variation are analysed within the framework of a probabilistic version of Optimality Theory. In addition, the paper shows that the main aspects of n-insertion are motivated by the requirement of perceptually minimal modification, employing an analysis based on Steriade's P-map theory. The observed datavs. learning mismatch is also attributed to the lack of a perceptual basis for the tendency in question.
Underspecification in intonation revisited: a reply to Xu, Lee, Prom-on and Liu
Authors: Arvaniti Amalia , Ladd D. Robert
Published: February 2016

We are naturally pleased that Xuet al.(2015) have taken the trouble to address our critique of the PENTA model, and it is useful to have a concise restatement of PENTA's aims and assumptions. However, we believe that their reply does not address the key point of our earlier paper (Arvaniti & Ladd 2009), which was that syllable-by-syllable specification of F0 does not makes theoretical sense in a language where F0 functions at the phrase or utterance level, and does not permit adequate quantitative modelling of complex intonation contours in short utterances.
Existence results of solitons in discrete non-linear Schrödinger equations
Authors: SHI HAIPING , ZHANG YUANBIAO
Published: February 2016

The discrete non-linear Schrödinger equation is one of the most important inherently discrete models, having a crucial role in the modelling of a great variety of phenomena, ranging from solid-state and condensed-matter physics to biology. In this paper, a class of discrete non-linear Schrödinger equations are considered. Using critical point theory in combination with periodic approximations, we establish some new sufficient conditions on the existence results for solitons of the equation. The classical Ambrosetti–Rabinowitz superlinear condition is improved.
Contextualizing Complex Social Contact: Mauritius, a Microcosm of Global Diaspora
Authors: Seetah Krish
Published: February 2016

This article supplements current dialogue on the archaeology of slavery, offering an Indian Ocean counterpoint to a topic that has largely focused on the Atlantic world. It also delves into the essentially uncharted domain of the archaeology of indentured labour. New plural societies, characterized by cultural hybridity, were created around the world as a consequence of labour diasporas in the late historic period. What do these societies look like during the process of nation building and after independence? Can we study this development through archaeology? Focusing on Mauritius, this paper discusses the complexities of the island, and how it can be representative of similar newly formed plural societies in the Indian Ocean. During French and British imperial rule, the island served as an important trading post for a range of European imperial powers. These varied groups initiated the movement and settlement of African, Indian and Chinese transplanted communities. By exploring the dynamic nature of inter-group interaction on Mauritius, this paper emphasizes the nuanced nature of how different peoples arrived and made the island their home. Mauritius played a vital role in the transportation of forced and free labour, both within and beyond this oceanic world, and offers an important viewpoint from which to survey the ways in which historical archaeology can improve our understanding of the broader archaeo-historical processes of which these diasporas were an integral feature. The paper focuses on the outcomes of settlement, as viewed through the complex practices that underpin local food culture, the use and development of language and the way materials are employed for the expression of identity. The article also traces the roots of contemporary cultural retention for indentured labourers to administrative decisions made by the British, and ultimately explores how heritage and language can provide a powerful lens on mechanisms of cultural expression. In addition to illustrating the nuanced and multifaceted nature of group interaction on Mauritius itself, this article raises an issue of broader relevance—the need for historical archaeologists to give greater consideration to the Indian Ocean, rather than focusing on the Atlantic world. This would allow us to achieve a more informed understanding of European slave trading and associated systems of labour migration within a more global framework.
Embodiment, Transformation and Ideology in the Rock Art of Trans-Pecos Texas
Authors: Hampson Jamie
Published: February 2016

Present in the Trans-Pecos rock art of west Texas are many motifs intelligible within hunter-gatherer ontological frameworks. These motifs—including human figures missing heads and limbs, figures with disproportionately large eyes, polymelia and pilo-erection—are concerned with somatic transformations and distortions experienced in altered states of consciousness. Ethnographic analogies also demonstrate that other Trans-Pecos features—smearing, rubbing and chipping of pigment and incorporation of natural inequalities of the rock surfaces into images—are evidence of kinetic experiences or embodied processes, including the important interaction with the ‘veil’ that separates one tier of the cosmos from others. By exploring the related concepts of embodiment, somatic transformation and process within non-Western ontologies, I offer a unified but multi-component explanation for the meanings and motivations behind several Trans-Pecos rock-art motifs. I also address the consumption of rock art in west Texas—how it was viewed and used by the original artists and subsequent viewers to shape, maintain and challenge ideologies and identities.