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The availability of numerous modeling approaches for volatility forecasting leads to model uncertainty for both researchers and practitioners. A large number of studies provide evidence in favor of combination methods for forecasting a variety of financial variables, but most of them are implemented on returns forecasting and evaluate their performance based solely on statistical evaluation criteria. In this paper, we combine various volatility forecasts based on different combination schemes and evaluate their performance in forecasting the volatility of the S&P 500 index. We use an exhaustive variety of combination methods to forecast volatility, ranging from simple techniques to time‐varying techniques based on the past performance of the single models and regression techniques. We then evaluate the forecasting performance of single and combination volatility forecasts based on both statistical and economic loss functions. The empirical analysis in this paper yields an important conclusion. Although combination forecasts based on more complex methods perform better than the simple combinations and single models, there is no dominant combination technique that outperforms the rest in both statistical and economic terms.

Once myocardium dies during a heart attack, it is replaced by scar tissue over the course of several weeks. The size, location, composition, structure, and mechanical properties of the healing scar are all critical determinants of the fate of patients who survive the initial infarction. While the central importance of scar structure in determining pump function and remodeling has long been recognized, it has proven remarkably difficult to design therapies that improve heart function or limit remodeling by modifying scar structure. Many exciting new therapies are under development, but predicting their long-term effects requires a detailed understanding of how infarct scar forms, how its properties impact left ventricular function and remodeling, and how changes in scar structure and properties feed back to affect not only heart mechanics but also electrical conduction, reflex hemodynamic compensations, and the ongoing process of scar formation itself. In this article, we outline the scar formation process following a myocardial infarction, discuss interpretation of standard measures of heart function in the setting of a healing infarct, then present implications of infarct scar geometry and structure for both mechanical and electrical function of the heart and summarize experiences to date with therapeutic interventions that aim to modify scar geometry and structure. One important conclusion that emerges from the studies reviewed here is that computational modeling is an essential tool for integrating the wealth of information required to understand this complex system and predict the impact of novel therapies on scar healing, heart function, and remodeling following myocardial infarction. © 2015 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 5:1877-1909, 2015.

In most of the common-law world, legislation provides for damages to be apportioned where the claimant is guilty of contributory negligence. This legislation gives judges considerable latitude to determine the extent to which damages should be diminished for contributory negligence. It imposes what will be called a system of ‘discretionary apportionment’. This paper draws attention to the fact that, although most common-law jurisdictions are, by virtue of their apportionment legislation, in the thrall of the paradigm of discretionary apportionment, there are many, varied departures from this paradigm. This paper classifies these departures (which will be called ‘fixed apportionment rules’), emphasises that they conflict with the apportionment legislation and considers how the conflicts ought to be resolved. An important conclusion reached is that it can plausibly be argued that the landmark decision in Froom v Butcher, at least as it has been understood in subsequent cases, was decided per incuriam. Froom sits uncomfortably with the apportionment legislation. Attention is then turned to the arguments for and against a discretionary system of apportionment as opposed to a system that incorporates more fixed apportionment rules. It is contended that much stands to be gained from introducing more fixed apportionment rules.

We consider the interaction between intense attosecond electromagnetic pulses and the Van der Waals atomic clusters. The important conclusion has been made that the cross section for scattering of soft x-ray by Xe clusters increases resonantly when the photon energy is of the order of 100-150 eV. This phenomenon is explained by resonance excitation of the giant resonance at the collection oscillations of Xe atomic 4d-shell (© 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

SUMMARY We introduce one special form of the ptimesp × 2 (p≥2) tensors by multilinear orthonormal transformations, and present some interesting properties of the special form. Through discussing on the special form, we provide a solution to one conjecture proposed by Stegeman and Comon in a conference paper (Proceedings of the EUSIPCO 2009 Conference, Glasgow, Scotland, 2009), and reveal an important conclusion about subtracting a best rank-1 approximations from p × p × 2 tensors of the special form. All of these confirm that consecutively subtracting the best rank-1 approximations may not lead to a best low rank approximation of a tensor. Numerical examples show the correctness of our theory. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

In a natural environment, insects live in different microhabitats varying in their humidity. Because insect adhesive mechanism at least partly relies on the capillary force, it is natural to assume that environmental humidity may considerably influence insect attachment. However, this aspect has been neglected in the literature so far. We present the first experimental study demonstrating the influence of the exposure to moist surfaces on the attachment of Colorado potato beetles Leptinotarsa decemlineata. Male beetles were kept at either a dry or moist condition with varying duration of stay for a period up to 160 min. Using centrifugal force tester, their friction forces were then measured on a plexiglas surface. The results show significant differences in force depending on the kind of pre-conditioning. A temporary stay in dry environment had no significant impact on the generated friction forces within the tested time scale. After walking on moist filter paper, forces increased significantly up to 171% of the initial forces measured after 1 min of preconditioning. These results show that insects of the same species may be strongly influenced in their attachment by environmental conditions. The second important conclusion is that results of different experimental studies on insect attachment can hardly be compared if they were performed under different environmental conditions.

We construct a panel of eBay seller histories and examine the importance of eBay’s reputation mechanism. We find that, when a seller first receives negative feedback, his weekly sales rate drops from a positive 7% to a negative 7%; subsequent negative feedback ratings arrive 25% more rapidly than the first one and don’t have nearly as much impact as the first one. We also find that a seller is more likely to exit the lower his reputation is; and that, just before exiting, sellers receive more negative feedback than their lifetime average. We consider a series of theoretical models and measure them against these empirical results. Regardless of which theoretical model best explains the data, an important conclusion of our paper is that eBay’s reputation system gives way to noticeable strategic responses from both buyers and sellers.

Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is a widely used technique to study the transport of molecules in biological systems. Recently, FRAP has been used to study molecular transport in polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs). Through numerical simulations verified by experiments, it is shown that the FRAP behavior of PEM films in an aqueous medium differs significantly from that in previously explored systems such as single cells. This is because fluorescence recovery can take place through the aqueous medium surrounding the PEM film. The simulations show the critical role of the time scale of the different processes, namely, diffusion through PEM, diffusion through surrounding medium, and the unbinding rate of fluorophore-labeled species in the interpretation of FRAP data. An important conclusion from the numerical and experimental study is that, for ultrathin PEM films with approximate to 100 nm thicknesses, recovery is dominated through the solution medium and hence, classical FRAP analysis is not sufficient to probe diffusion in PEM. The numerical study reveals several aspects of the FRAP phenomena in thin polymer films that are critical for the proper interpretation of experimental data.

In this study, we examine the outcomes of negotiation processes in joint ventures. Following a review of negotiation and strategy literature, we propose that satisfaction with the relationship created between partners is the most suitable indicator of negotiation outcome. This indicator is analyzed through the use of two parameters or variables: trust and uncertainty. The analysis is then used to bridge the gap that currently exists in the literature by proposing when a negotiation should be considered successful in joint ventures. One important conclusion of our study is that nonagreement should not always be valued in negative terms as in certain circumstances it can imply the most advantageous end to a negotiation. The scholarly and applied implications of our findings are discussed. Resume Cette etude examine les resultats de la procedure de negociation dans les entreprises communes. Apres une revue des publications sur la negociation et la strategic elle montre que la satisfaction que les partenaires tirent de la relation qui existe entre eux est l'indice le plus approprie du resultat des negociations. Cet indice est analyse a partir de deux parametres ou variables: la confiance et l'incertitude. En proposant un cadre pour les negociations reussies, l'analyse permet de combler une lacune dans les publications actuelles. L'une des conclusions majeures de l'etude est que le desaccord ne doit pas toujours etre evalue negativement puisque dans certaines situations, il peut etre l'issu le plus souhaitable. Nous terminons par un examen des implications academiques et pratiques de l'etude.

In four scientific papers, this thesis investigates the processes, in terms of movements of individuals, that have produced, reproduced and transformed patterns of residential segregation in Swedish cities between 1990 and 2000.Paper 1 examines processes of immigrant concentration, and the role of the Swedish majority population in these processes. Neighbourhood transition and mobility are described and analysed for a selection of residential areas that have experienced increased immigrant concentration. The results show that low in-migration rate among Swedes, rather than high out-migration rate, has been the main driving force behind the production and reproduction of immigrant concentration areas.Paper 2 investigates the hypothesis that distressed neighbourhoods retain their character of distress through selective migration. The socio-economic situations of in-migrants, out-migrants and stayers in the distressed neighbourhoods of Stockholm are analysed and compared, and the results show the hypothesis to be confirmed. The people who move in are more likely to be unemployed and dependent on social benefits, and have on average lower incomes than those who move out and those who remain in the neighbourhoods. Paper 3 further investigates the selective character of the out-migration from distressed neighbourhoods. One important conclusion is that the out-migration flow from the distressed residential areas is socio-economically and ethnically selective. When demographic and socio-economic differences are controlled for, the likelihood of leaving the distressed neighbourhoods is much lower for an immigrant than for a Swedish-born person.Paper 4 examines the migration flows of a whole city, Goteborg. The paper deals with some of the most common questions within segregation research; the degree of spatial concentration of different ethnic groups, processes of concentration and dispersal, the role of the minority enclaves as ports of entry to the local housing market, and how this differs between ethnic groups.

This is a preprint version of a published work at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jcc.20900/abstract, We present an exhaustive study of more than 250 ab initio potential energy surfaces (PESs) of the model dipeptide HCO-L-Ala-NH2. The model chemistries (MCs) investigated are constructed as homo- and heterolevels involving possibly different RHF and MP2 calculations for the geometry and the energy. The basis sets used belong to a sample of 39 representants from Pople's split-valence families, ranging from the small 3-21G to the large 6-311++G(2df,2pd). The reference PES to which the rest are compared is the MP2/6-311++G(2df,2pd) homolevel, which, as far as we are aware, is the most accurate PES in the literature. All data sets have been analyzed according to a general framework, which can be extended to other complex problems and which captures the nearness concept in the space of MCs. The great number of MCs evaluated has allowed us to significantly explore this space and show that the correlation between accuracy and computational cost of the methods is imperfect, thus justifying a systematic search for the combination of features in a MC that is optimal to deal with peptides. Regarding the particular MCs studied, the most important conclusion is that the potentially very cost-saving heterolevel approximation is a very efficient one to describe the whole PES of HCO-L-Ala-NH2. Finally, we show that, although RHF may be used to calculate the geometry if a MP2 single-point energy calculation follows, pure RHF//RHF homolevels are not recommendable for this problem., This work has been supported by the research projects E24/3 and PM048 (Aragón Government), MEC (Spain) FIS2006-12781-C02-01 and MCyT (Spain) FIS2004-05073-C04-01. P. Echenique was supported by a BIFI research contract.

Single molecule mechanical experiments allow the controlled manipulation of proteins and the population of intermediate states within their high dimensional energy landscape. Here we report single molecule refolding measurements of domain 4 from the protein ddFilamin using a novel digital control scheme. First, the protein is unfolded mechanically to an intermediate state. An on-line detection scheme then detects population of the intermediate and rapidly switches to refolding conditions. This control scheme allows direct measurement of the refolding kinetics. A comparison to the results from conventional single molecule refolding schemes allows important conclusion on the structural relation between unfolding and refolding intermediates in this protein domain. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Individual responsibility is now very much on the political agenda. Even those who believe that its importance has been exaggerated by the political right — either because the appropriate conditions for assigning responsibility to individuals are rarely satisfied or because not enough is done to protect individuals from the more harmful consequences of their past choices and gambles — accept that individual responsibility is at least one of the values against which a society and its institutions ought to be evaluated. One might be forgiven for assuming, then, that we know exactly why individual responsibility is important. The truth is otherwise. Surprisingly little philosophical work has been undertaken to analyse and separate out the different rationales that might be in play. Several possible reasons are examined here including: utility, the social bases of self-respect, autonomy, human flourishing and fairness. However, once we adopt a pluralistic view of the value of individual responsibility we open up the possibility of value conflict, which conflict can make it harder to arrive at definitive prescriptions about which social policies best advance our concerns for individual responsibility. It is nevertheless possible to draw at least some conclusions about which policies we should favour. One important conclusion is that sometimes it is better not to hold individuals responsible for their past choices by denying them aid now, so that they might be better able to assume individual responsibility at a later date.

We have used the circular dichroism and infrared spectra of a specially designed 50 protein database [Oberg, K.A., Ruysschaert, J.M. & Goormaghtigh, E. (2003) Protein Sci. 12, 2015-2031] in order to optimize the accuracy of spectroscopic protein secondary structure determination using multivariate statistical analysis methods. The results demonstrate that when the proteins are carefully selected for the diversity in their structure, no smaller subset of the database contains the necessary information to describe the entire set. One conclusion of the paper is therefore that large protein databases, observing stringent selection criteria, are necessary for the prediction of unknown proteins. A second important conclusion is that only the comparison of analyses run on circular dichroism and infrared spectra independently is able to identify failed solutions in the absence of known structure. Interestingly, it was also found in the course of this study that the amide II band has high information content and could be used alone for secondary structure prediction in place of amide I.

At the molecular level of any observed nonlinear optical behavior, one finds the polarizability and hyperpolarizability tensors. These quantities are nowadays easily calculated for small- to intermediate-sized molecules. However, to gain further insight into these properties, pictorial approaches are valuable. Here we extend the work of Chopra et al. [J. Phys. Chem., 93, 7120 (1989)] to obtain a method that may be used in order to understand how average (hyper)polarizabilities are distributed over the molecular frame. The pictures obtained represent (hyper)polarizability moments and give a description of local contributions to the total electric property. Furthermore, the formal foundations of the proposed method are developed to be used to represent both the electronic and the vibrational components of the (hyper)polarizabilities. The theory is applied to a series of push–pull polyenes. One important conclusion is the lack of any similarity between the electronic and vibrational pictorializations of either the polarizability or the first hyperpolarizability. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Quant Chem 78: 348–377, 2000

This article focuses upon one recent innovation in European environmental policy, law and management, and in doing so presents the findings of a recent survey of UK Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) Regulation registered organizations. These organizations include leading innovators in European environmental policies and programmes such as Ciba Clayton, Volvo, ICI, Rank Xerox, DuPont and Vauxhall. This article examines the reasons why these organizations have participated in the EMAS Regulation and the ‘issues’ encountered during the implementation process. The article reveals that many benefits can arise for participating companies but not before they overcome many implementation barriers. That said, one very important conclusion arising from the article is that the EMAS Regulation can act as an effective strategic marketing tool for companies attempting to raise their organizations' environmental performance standards and in demonstrating this to important organizational stakeholders. Finally, this article concludes by outlining a series of important recommendations, which the British Government may wish to consider in the effective promotion of the EMAS Regulation. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

— In this short communication we present the stoichiometric ratio of bacteriochlorophyll, bacteriopheophytin and carotenoids in a few photosynthetic purple bacteria complexes (whose two-dimensional or three-dimensional structures are well known) determined using the spectrum-reconstruction method (SRCM). An important conclusion of our pigment stoichiometric analysis is the evidence for the absence of the second carotenoid in the light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2). In the process, we also highlight the useful application of SRCM in determining the molar extinction coefficients of carotenoids present in LH1, LH2 or reaction centers for which these values are not known due to isolation problems and/or stability.

Chew [Chew, Tek-Ann, 1991. Share contracts in Malaysian rubber smallholdings. Land Econ., 67: 85–98; Chew, Tek-Ann, 1993. The Transactional framework of sharecropping: further implications. Can. J. Agric. Econ., 41: 209–221.] proposed a transactional framework of sharecropping that accommodates both the Marshallian and the Cheungian equilibria. An important conclusion arising thereof is the hypothesis that Cheung's sharecropping equilibrium is the rarity while the Marshallian equilibrium is the norm. In this paper, we collated some recent evidences to verify this hypothesis. The evidences support the Marshallian equilibrium, thereby providing indirect support for the transactional framework of sharecropping.

Many researchers have used Nationwide Food Consumption Survey (NFCS) data to estimate price and expenditure elasticities for various food groups. Results reported by these researchers have shown own-price elasticities to be negative, inelastic, and statistically significant; cross-price and expenditure elasticities have been shown to be positive and statistically significant. Further, some researchers have used NFCS data to try and estimate differential price responses of lower and higher income groups, and these authors have found no statistically significant differences in the magnitude of own-price elasticities. This study, using supermarket scanner data for several carbohydrates, finds significant differences in the price sensitivity of lower and higher income groups. These differences, however, are reflected more in purchase selections than in the magnitude of own-price elasticities. Also, regardless of income status, most expenditure and own-price elasticities are found to be elastic and statistically significant, and most cross-price elasticities are found to be positive and statistically insignificant. An important conclusion of this study is that the elasticities reported here provide a more accurate measure of consumer behavior than those reported in studies using NFCS data. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

A retrospective analysis of 42 ruminants (sheep, goats and cattle) with suspected meningo-encephalitis was performed. The clinical findings and the post-mortem results of the animals have been specified. Bacteriological culture, Gram's stain and Listeria-specific immunohistochemistry were performed in order to confirm the diagnosis of these cases. The results of the different methods were evaluated for the detection of listerial antigens. Bacteriological culture was positive in 28.5% of the cases. In 47.6% of the cases, Gram-positive bacteria were found and 80.9% of the cases were immunohistochemically positive for the listerial antigen. The most important conclusion from this investigation is that the traditionally used Gram's stain and the bacteriological culture techniques are insufficient compared with immunohistochemistry for the confirmation of a Listeria monocytogenes infection.

The results of interdisciplinary research in which data and techniques of accounting are combined with theories in the field of economic geography are presented. The investigation tests the validity of some theories of economic geography on the basis of financial statement data. Up till now these theories have only been tested empirically with the use of macro-economic data, such as employment figures. In this project, the performances of small and medium-sized companies are analysed in the functional urban regions of Antwerp, Brussels and Mechelen. The most important conclusion is that the ‘average’ companies in the centre of the ‘research area’ show weaker financial performances than those in the periphery. If focused solely on trade companies the same pattern emerges. For industrial companies however, ‘the reversal of the centre-periphery relations’ is not obvious.

Assessing satisfaction with housing is an essential tool in designing residential structures and shaping housing policy. Numerous studies have examined differences between demographic characteristics and housing satisfaction, with overwhelming evidence that age is a significant variable. However, explanations for these differences have not been sufficiently addressed. This study attempts to define age-related life cycle differences in relation to housing satisfaction of a rural sample. A mailed questionnaire was used to collect data from a random sample of 1,645 rural households in two southern states. The instrument elicited respondents' demographic characteristics, housing satisfaction, and housing values. Findings indicate significant differences in housing satisfaction among four life cycle groups with elderly respondents being most satisfied and baby boomers being least satisfied. Significant differences in other demographic characteristics and housing values were also found. An important conclusion is that rural communities need to provide a variety of housing options and programs to support diverse life cycle groups.

This article examines the process of learning in the first two years of the Palestinian intifadah. During that period of the uprising, Palestinians deliberately employed a strategy of struggle that emphasized nonviolent action. Understanding how each side learns in such a situation of acute conflict is important both for the immediate prosecution of nonviolent struggle and for projecting the techniques to new forms such as national defense. An important conclusion raises a strong caution that the use of even limited violence in a nonviolent strategy tends to cloud the persuasive power of the strategy's nonaggressive intent. This, in turn, can undermine the movement's capacity to wield power against its opponent. Similarly, nonviolent strategists cannot ignore the particular balance of social resources in their situation.

This paper first investigates the effects of alternative modes of deficit financing on the unemployment rate, the inflation rate and the real interest rate, within the framework of a small complete macroeconomic model. Secondly, it examines the nature of monetary and fiscal reaction functions. The two periods 1923–1960 and 1961–1982 are considered, with substantial differences in behaviour and policy being shown to exist between them. The most important conclusion is that long-run monetary neutrality properties shown to exist over the latter period are not intrinsic to the U.S. economy, but rather are the result of the stabilization policies being conducted over that period.

Resume Des cobayes mâles et femelles ont ete traites par des hormones sexuelles et gonadotropes pendant des temps variables. L'experimentation a porte sur les modifications cytologiques et architecturales du parenchyme thymique en reponse a des incitations hormonales. On a pu en deeduire essentiellement que la folliculine est la seule hormone sexuelle capable d'entrainer une involution majeure du thymus et l'apparition de cellules a corps de Foa-Kurloff. Cette action est independante des stimulines hypophysaires. Les resultats obtenus permettent d'affirmer l'existence de correlations etroites entre le thymus et les glandes genitales, et plus particulierement la secretion aestrogenique de la theque interne du follicule ovarien. Zusammenfassung Beziehungen zwischen Thymus und Geschlechtshormonen beim Meerschweinchen Mannliche und weibliche Meerschweinchen wurden verschieden lange mit Sexualhormonen und Gonadotropinen behandelt. Es ergaben sich Veranderungen der Zytologie und der Parenchymarchitektur des Thymus. Die wichtigste Schlusfolgerung ist, das das Follikulin eine stark involutive Wirkung auf den Thymus ausubt und zum Auftreten von Zellen mit Foa-Kurloff-Korpern fuhrt. Diese Wirkung ist unabhangig von der Hypophysenstimulation. Die erhaltenen Ergebnisse bekraftigen die Existenz enger Beziehungen zwischen Thymus und Geschlechtsdrusen, insbesondere zwischen Thymus und Ostrogensekretion der Theca interna der Eierstocksfollikel. Summary Relations between thymus and sex hormones in Guinea Pigs Male and female Guinea Pigs were treated for different periods of time with sex hormones and gonadotropins. There were changes in the cytology and architecture of the thymic parenchyma. The most important conclusion was that folliculin has a strong involuting effect on the thymus and leads to the appearance of cells with Foa-Kurloff bodies. This effect is independent of hypophyseal stimulation. The obtained results underline the existence of close relations between thymus and gonads, and especially between the thymus and the estrogen secretion in the theca interna of the ovarian follicle. Resumen Relaciones entre el timo y las hormones sexuales en el cobayo Conejillos de Indias de ambos sexos se trataron durante periodos diferentes con hormonas sexuales y gonadotropinas. Resultaron cambios citologicos y de la arquitectura del parenquima del timo. La conclusion mas importante, es la influencia involutiva de la foliculina sobre el timo, que produce celulas con corpusculos de Foa-Kurloff. Este efecto es independiente de una estimulaentre de la hipofisis. Los resultados obtenidos demuestran la relacion intima entre timo y glandulas sexuales, especialmente entre el timo yla secrecion de estrogenos, realizada por la teca interna de los foliculos del ovario.

Issues relating to the construction of marketing models are discussed. These include determining the level of aggregation of model construction, specifying the structure of the model, and the aggregation level of data to be employed in estimating model parameters. These issues are addressed through specifying and estimating both consumer-level and firm-level models and comparing the results. An important conclusion is that inferences about consumer behavior should not be drawn from firm-level models since aggregation bias may exist.

This paper reports on the findings of a longitudinal study of a mental subnormality hospital in the North of England. The focus is upon how nurses have experienced a major change in care and treatment of residents from 1978 to 1980. We explore, through the eyes of nurses, the change in their role from a predominantly nurturing/custodial one to a mainly educational/community orientated role. The research findings demonstrate that this change has increased nurses' self-esteem and their satisfaction with important areas of their work. There is some evidence also that nurses/resident relationships have improved in spite of reservations felt about new forms of treatment and community care. We suggest that such reservations may be linked to critical views expressed by nurses, particularly sisters and charge nurses, that decisions were taken about residents by other more senior personnel who had little contact with residents. One important conclusion of this study is that the traditional processes of decision making in the hospital appears to impede the full implementation of a major change which requires nurses to be involved in a potentially threatening process of altering their perceptions of themselves and residents.

Three thematic mapper (TM) images, a band 3 image, a band 4 image and a 432 colour composite image of Khartoum were compared for detection, identification and recognition of land use and cover classes in hydrology in Sudan. Simple visual interpretational techniques were employed for this purpose. The results show that visual interpretation procedures can be very useful for an inventory of hydrologic land use and cover using Landsat TM photographic products. This is an important conclusion for developing countries where digital techniques are very expensive at the present and many developing countries cannot afford to make use of them.

The teneral period following emergence is defined for Lucilia cuprina in terms of activity measured using electronic actographs, volume of thoracic flight muscle, and the area of flight muscle attachment on the endo-skeletal mesothoracic post-phragmata. All three quantities are highly inter-correlated and show a rise to an asymptote following emergence. This pattern allows the teneral period at 26°C to be defined as the 3 days following emergence. The application of this figure to field situations is discussed and it is concluded that some care must be exercised in this respect. The most important conclusion emerging is that the teneral period may be identified using either behavioural or morphological characteristics, whichever is the more convenient.

This study has been carried out in order to clarify various aspects of the phenomenon known as taurodontism. Samples of both taurodont and non-taurodont teeth were measured and statistical analyses were performed on the resultant data from which various conclusions may be drawn. The most important conclusion is that this phenomenon may be defined metrically. The distributions have shown that the taurodont trait grades into the normal and it is quite difficult to make a subjective judgment at the low end of the taurodont range. It is for this reason that an accurate mathematical means for performing this task is so invaluable. The question of the nature of cuneiform single rooted molars was also investigated, and they were found not to be true taurodonts although the statistical procedure classed them as such. It was demonstrated that through the construction of simple plots these teeth could be eliminated from any group classed by analysis as taurodonts. Various metrical attributes were evaluated with respect to their ability to distinguish taurodonts, and two were found to be satisfactory for this purpose in most cases. Certain changes in molar morphology regarding caries and age were also investigated.

A study of available knowledge on the application of dyes to woven fabrics on the jigger has led to the formulation of a model– ‘the ideal system’– which can be used to yield predictions in close agreement with observation. The model is based on new experimental and theoretical work, and the assumptions made can be justified. The most important conclusion is that the normal jigger process, to which most successful dyeings conform, is independent of the rates of dyeing of the dyes used. The course of dye absorption can be characterised by a single parameter, the exhaustion exponent (A), which is defined in terms of experimentally determinable jigger and fabric quantities.

The most important conclusion of this investigation is that the vacuome and the classical Golgi apparatus are independent cell components in the oocytes of Ophiocephalus and Rita. The same conclusion has been arrived at by Nath in Rana tigrina. The vacuoles, the Golgi elements, and the mitochondria can be seen intra vitam side by side. In Ophiocephalus the vacuoles give rise to albuminous yolk, as has been rightly claimed by Hibbard for Discoglossus and by Hibbard and Parat for Perca and Pygosteus. The Golgi elements give rise to the fatty yolk as in so many other forms of oogenesis described by Nath and others. In Rita the fate of the vacuoles and the Golgi elements is unknown, as the fish suddenly disappeared from the Ravi during the spawning period.

This paper deals successively with some general concepts of scientific communication, with the characteristics of four well-known hydrology journals and with ways in which messages are obtained. The most important conclusion is a rationale for restrained publication.

The products formed from β-Ca2SiO4 and Ca3SiO5 in the autoclave at 170°C are influenced by the presence of Al2O3, Fe2O3, Na2O and B2O3, whether in solid solution in the starting material or added to the mix in suitably reactive compounds. The most important conclusion is that Al2O3, Fe2O3 and Na2O all favour the formation of the orthorhombic α-2CaO.SiO2.H2O as against hillebrandite or tricalcium silicate hydrate. Addition of Na2O, or especially of B2O3, retards the hydration of both β-Ca2SiO4 and Ca3SiO5.

THnS DISCUSSION is concerned with an historical survey of the flow of security movements to the United States and an analysis of the relationships between security movements and th~e American balance of payments and between security movements and the fluctuations of security prices on American exchanges. The conclusions presented are of particular importance because the period discussed covers the non-war years from which many aspects of international lending were learned by Americans. One important conclusion arrived at in the discussion is that the difficulties which many American lenders found themselves in through the Nineteen Thirties resulted largely from American, not foreign, financial malpractices and economic errors. The lessons of these years are especially important because the United States is passing again through a postwar period in which every attempt should be made to avoid the errors of the past.

In 1978 we reported the results of an analysis of the zigzagging behaviour of male Plodia interpunctella flying up a plume of sex pheromone (Marsh et al., 1978). Since then we have discovered that, owing to two technical faults, we used an incorrect time base in analysing the videotape records of the moths' tracks. The original tapes have now been re-analysed and a full revision paper is being prepared which shows that only one important conclusion must be changed. Meanwhile that incorrect conclusion has been cited at least twice (Schone, 1980, p.236; Murlis & Jones, 1981) so we here summarize the correction to be made.