Charles Kingsley's natural theology hinged upon his faith in nature's "truthfulness." He conceptualized nature as a divine text that both exemplified truthfulness and preached it symbolically. However, this view was undermined as modern science increasingly revealed ruthless deception and parasitism throughout the organic world. Faced with such seemingly amoral facts, Kingsley often located divine truthfulness less in nature itself than in the naturalist studying it. Yet moralizing scientific habits in this way would ultimately undermine Kingsley's argument for moral meaning in the natural world. His efforts to conflate moral and factual truth were bound up with his struggle to defend his authority as an interpreter of nature as emerging secular science threatened to both usurp and invalidate this authority.


The MaryTTS system is a modular architecture text-to-speech (TTS) system whose development started around 15 years ago. This paper presents the MaryTTS entry for the Blizzard Challenge 2016. For this entry, we used the default configuration of MaryTTS based on the unit selection paradigm. However, the architecture is currently undergoing a massive refactoring process in order to provide a more fully modular system. This will allow researchers to focus only on some part of the synthesis process. The current participation objective includes assessing the current baseline quality in order to evaluate any future improvements. These can be achieved more easily thanks to a more flexible and robust architecture. The results obtained in this challenge prove that our system is not obsolete, but improvements need to be made to maintain it in the state of the art in the future.


Research on attitudes to assistive technology (AT) has shown both the positive and negative impact of these technologies on quality of life. Building on this research, we examine the sociocultural and technological frustrations with hearing loss (HL) technologies that motivate personal approaches to solving these issues. Drawing on meet-up observations and contextual interview data, we detail participants' experiences of and attitudes towards hearing AT that influences hacking hearing loss. Hearing AT is misunderstood as a solution to the impairment, influencing one-to-one interactions, cultural norms, and systematic frustrations. Participants' exasperation with the slow development of top-down solutions has led some members to design and develop their own personalised solutions. Beyond capturing a segment of the growing DIY health and wellbeing phenomenon, our findings extend beyond implications for design to present recommendations for the hearing loss industry, policy makers, and importantly, for researchers engaging with grassroots DIY health movements.


PurposeHere we present a Hybrid Deterministic-Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm, EDK-Sn, in a parallel computation environment, for rapid whole body dose calculation. This method adapts the Varian Clinac head model. Method and Materials Current treatment planning dose calculation algorithm poses two major challenges: inhomogeneity correction for small field and out-of-field secondary organ dose calculation inaccuracy. Currently, full physics Monte Carlo calculations have been regarded as a 'gold standard' for dose assessment of in field inhomogeneity correction and out of field Organ at Risk assessment. However, traditional Monte Carlo calculations require very long computation times, and also demonstrate large statistical errors for out-of-field dose. Deterministic transport dose calculation resolves the above issues without statistical inaccuracies; one example is the AcurosXB dose calculation engine adapted by Varian medical systems. We developed a hybrid deterministic-Monte Carlo 3D dose calculation for 3D whole body organ dose calculation. The Varian Clinac iX Linear Accelerator at Georgia Tech has been modeled from IAEA phase space into deterministic dose transport modeling, and performed calculations with the Linear Boltzmann equation in discrete ordinates (Sn) system using PENTRAN deterministic dose solver to obtain 3D photon fluence in the 3D space with 16 discrete energy bins, 4000 angles and in 3D space for whole body phantom organ dose. We then apply a quaternion rotation based on pre-calculated MCNP electron dose kernels that have been calculated in a high performance computing environment to obtain organ doses. Results This deterministic transport calculation method has been validated to be faster than full Monte Carlo, with comparable accuracy and differences under 10% for different organ dose calculations. The hybrid transport method for accessing organ doses also demonstrated minimized statistical errors. Conclusion Our hybrid EDK-Sn method has been validated for assessing organ doses for radiotherapy.


The music education research team from Birmingham City University, based in the Faculty of Health, Education and Life Sciences, were asked by the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music to investigate changes in the demographics and uptake in A-level music over the last few years. This is a matter of significant importance not only for the higher music education sector in Conservatoires and Universities, but also for the pipeline of musicians of all types for the country and beyond. The ways in which these changes have been occurring, and the speed at which they have been taking place, is a matter of unease for all those concerned with the cultural life of the country. It may seem obvious, but it needs to be stated that a supply of high-level musicians cannot and does not begin at age 18, when schooling ends. It needs to have begun much earlier, in school classrooms and music hubs, from when children and young people are at a much earlier stage than choosing where to study at undergraduate level. Music needs to have begun in the early years, been developed through primary schools and on into secondary schools. Higher music education institutions cannot be charged with increasing access to their courses and simultaneously prevented from doing so by the pipeline upstream having been removed!
 This report looks at the A-level music situation, but it also paints a picture of where there is a need to support younger students who may go forward to take A-level music in the future. As a country, we need to take a long hard look at what we have been doing to music education over the past few years, and engage critically with recent findings from the sector, of which this report is but one contribution. We hope it will be helpful.


Sweet sorghum, a C4 crop of tropical origin, is gaining momentum as a multipurpose feedstock to tackle the growing environmental, food and energy security demands. Under temperate climates sweet sorghum is considered as a potential bioethanol feedstock, however, being a relatively new crop in such areas its physiological and metabolic adaptability has to be evaluated; especially to the more frequent and severe drought spells occurring throughout the growing season and to the cold temperatures during the establishment period of the crop.
The objective of this thesis was to evaluate some adaptive photosynthetic traits of sweet sorghum to drought and cold stress, both under field and controlled conditions. To meet such goal, a series of experiments were carried out. A new cold-tolerant sweet sorghum genotype was sown in rhizotrons of 1 m3 in order to evaluate its tolerance to progressive drought until plant death at young and mature stages. Young plants were able to retain high photosynthetic rate for 10 days longer than mature plants. Such response was associated to the efficient PSII down-regulation capacity mediated by light energy dissipation, closure of reaction centers (JIP-test parameters), and accumulation of glucose and sucrose. On the other hand, when sweet sorghum plants went into blooming stage, neither energy dissipation nor sugar accumulation counteracted the negative effect of drought. Two hybrids with contrastable cold tolerance, selected from an early sowing field trial were subjected to chilling temperatures under controlled growth conditions to evaluate in deep their physiological and metabolic cold adaptation mechanisms. The hybrid which poorly performed under field conditions (ICSSH31), showed earlier metabolic changes (Chl a + b, xanthophyll cycle) and greater inhibition of enzymatic activity (Rubisco and PEPcase activity) than the cold tolerant hybrid (Bulldozer). Important insights on the potential adaptability of sweet sorghum to temperate climates are given.


The Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) reconciles traditional state commercial law with federal copyright law for software transactions. Some commentators claim that UCITA is unnecessary because the "sale of goods" rules in U.C.C. Article 2 deal adequately with software transactions. This article challenges that view. It analyzes all of the major components of the Article 2 transactional model, showing where they are incompatible with federal law when applied to software transactions. Article 2 purports to be a "preemptive, systematic and comprehensive enactment of an entire field of law." This article shows that so many of its main conceptual components are repudiated by federal law that it is nonsensical to apply Article 2 to software transactions, even in the mass market. The article also digests the major case law on this issue. Few cases actually hold that Article 2 applies to a software license, and the ones that do so do not discuss the Copyright Act. Modern cases that consider the Copyright Act have decided that Article 2 is not appropriate for software licenses. And if Article 2 is inapplicable, then a shrinkwrap software license is fully enforceable under common law rules. Contrary to some claims, UCITA does not validate otherwise unenforceable shrinkwraps. Instead, it imposes procedural rules to ensure informed consent in making a license, but does not prohibit mass market licensing altogether since doing so would risk turning many licensees into copyright infringers.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effects of different stretching protocols combined with potentiating exercise on flexibility, power, and muscle performance. This study was conducted in repeated and cross-over designed. Thirteen collegiate males aged 25.4±3.46 years voluntarily participated in this study. Prior to conduct stretching session, participants performed jogging on the treadmill for 5 min. Then, four different stretching protocols (non stretching; NS, static stretching; SS, dynamic stretching; DS, and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching; PNFS) specially targeted for lower limb muscles combined with potentiating exercise (PE, 3 sets x 5 times tuck jumps) were randomly applied at the same time of the day with 7-days interval. Straight leg raise, and vertical jump tests were measured at baseline, post jogging, stretching, and potentiating exercise. Isokinetic muscle strength, anaerobic power, and agility T-test were measured after each stretching combined with potentiating exercise. Repeated measure ANOVAs were used with significant level set at p<.05. Our results indicate that greater improvement in straight leg raise was observed in SS (9.6%) and PNFS (12.1%) compared to NS (0.6%) and DS (5.0%) at post stretching (p<.001). However, vertical jump performance was significantly improved only in DS (1.8%) (p<.001). After potentiating exercise, greater improvement of vertical jump performance was observed in NS (2.2%), SS (3.2%), and PNFS (6.5%) than DS (-0.4%) (p<.01). Isometric leg flexion was significantly higher in DS and PNFS than NS and SS after completion of PE (p<.05). However, no significant differences in leg extension, anaerobic power, and agility were observed among trials. Our study demonstrated that dynamic and PNF stretching protocols combined with potentiating exercise are efficient for generating muscle strength as well as improving flexibility. It is also noted that potentiating exercise plays a major role for preventing the acute loss of power induced by static and PNF stretching.


The aim of this research was to investigate the feasibility of Fourier transform near infrared spectroscopy combined with chemometric analysis to develop a rapid method for identification of different resin types which had been deemed similar by a preliminary visual examination. Principal component analysis was applied on spectral data to classify two types of epoxy resin samples and three types of phenolic resin samples. In this case, a total of two hundred and fifteen samples were used for the evaluation and validation of two types of epoxy resin samples (SY1342 and SY1346) and three types of phenolic resin samples (Y3567, Y2705 and Y2137). All were correctly differentiated by their respective models. Moreover, in the external validation, the prediction rate of samples correctly classified was also 100%. Such classifications are very important for the detection of adulterated samples and for quality control. Near infrared spectroscopy was shown to be a very reliable, accurate and useful tool to classify resin samples in a fast, clean and inexpensive way compared to classical analysis, and it will enable copper clad laminate manufacturers to detect and take early corrective actions that will ultimately save time and money while establishing a uniform quality.


Sundbom, M. 2003. Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass – Hand-assisted Laparoscopy and Investigation of the Excluded Stomach. Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Medicine 1251. 62 pp. Uppsala. ISBN 91-554-5604-9. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) sustains weight loss and ameliorates diseases common in the morbid obese (BMI>40 kg/m), but leaves the stomach and duodenum inaccessible. Morbidly obese patients have increased operative risks and in other fields minimal surgery is known to facilitate the postoperative course. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate hand-assisted laparoscopy in RYGBP and develop techniques to study the excluded stomach. The hand-assisted technique was developed in 13 patients and subsequently compared to open surgery in a blinded, prospective, randomised trial of 50 patients. Hand-assistance was feasible with a low need for conversions or re-operations. The duration of surgery was longer (150 versus 85 minutes) and postoperative results were similar to those in open surgery. Thus, the patients did not appear to derive benefits from hand-assisted laparoscopy. Interventional radiology accessed the excluded stomach and allowed endoscopy, barium studies and acid measurements. Chronic gastritis and low acid production were found. After RYGBP, 8 of 22 patients (36%) had duodenogastric bile reflux (DGBR), when studied by HIDA-scintigraphy. No DGBR was seen among controls. The gastric mucosa was evaluated by serology (pepsinogen I (PGI), H. pylori and H,K-ATPase) in 64 patients before and 1-4 years after operation. RYGBP, in contrast to gastric restriction, had reduced PGI levels postoperatively. According to serology, the mucosa is atrophic or in a resting state. This study focuses on safety in RYGBP. Hand-assisted laparoscopy was feasible, but not favourable compared to an optimised open procedure. The excluded stomach is no longer inaccessible and characterised by chronic gastritis, low acid production and frequent bile reflux.


Post-depositional chemical reactions involving iron are important in shallow-marine sediments. They play a significant role in governing the types of minerals that precipitate in such settings. The level of iron supply to marine sediments creates contrasting chemical pathways, each producing distinctive mineral assemblages. An understanding of these processes not only offers insights into past sedimentary environments on Earth but also a greater appreciation of the nature of mineral–water–bacteria interactions throughout the shallow-marine realm.


The Algebra of Revolution is the first book to study Marxist method as it has been developed by the main representatives of the classical Marxist tradition, namely Marx and Engels, Luxembourg, Lenin, Lukacs, Gramsci and Trotsky. This book provides the only single volume study of major Marxist thinkers' views on the crucial question of the dialectic, connecting them with pressing contemporary, political and theoretical questions. John Rees's The Algebra of Revolution is vital reading for anyone interested in gaining a new and fresh perspective on Marxist thought and on the notion of the dialectic.


Dietary gluten influences the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and a gluten-free (GF) diet has a protective effect on the development of T1D. Gluten may influence T1D due to its direct effect on intestinal immunity; however, these mechanisms have not been adequately studied. We studied the effect of a GF diet compared to a gluten-containing standard (STD) diet on selected T cell subsets, associated with regulatory functions as well as proinflammatory Th17 cells, in BALB/c mice. Furthermore, we assessed diet-induced changes in the expression of various T cell markers, and determined if changes were confined to intestinal or non-intestinal lymphoid compartments. The gluten-containing STD diet led to a significantly decreased proportion of γδ T cells in all lymphoid compartments studied, although an increase was detected in some γδ T cell subsets (CD8+, CD103+). Further, it decreased the proportion of CD4+CD62L+ T cells in Peyer's patches. Interestingly, no diet-induced changes were found among CD4+Foxp3+ T cells or CD3+CD49b+cells (NKT cells) and CD3−CD49b+ (NK) cells. Mice fed the STD diet showed increased proportions of CD4+CD45RBhigh+ and CD103+ T cells and a lower proportion of CD4+CD45RBlow+ T cells in both mucosal and non-mucosal compartments. The Th17 cell population, associated with the development of autoimmunity, was substantially increased in pancreatic lymph nodes of mice fed the STD diet. Collectively, our data indicate that dietary gluten influences multiple regulatory T cell subsets as well as Th17 cells in mucosal lymphoid tissue while fewer differences were observed in non-mucosal lymphoid compartments.


Through four essays, this thesis investigates different aspects of new issues of common equity in Canada. The first three essays consider initial public offerings (IPOs) and the fourth essay examines seasoned equity offerings (SEOs). The short-run intraday behaviour of Toronto Stock Exchange (ME) IPOs are examined first. Initial trading volume and number of trades for underpriced (overpriced) issues is unusually high (low) indicating that informed investors are active (inactive). Liquidity is consistently lower for overpriced issues. The typical investor Will probably not earn positive returns from IPO investment since median returns are consistently zero over the short-run. Amortized spreads are large and are driven primarily by unusually large share turnover at the start of secondary market trading. A four-moment market model indicates that the shape of the distribution of returns is important in explaining IPO returns. The overallotment option (OAO) gives underwriters the right to acquire additional shares from the firm at the offer price (less fees). It has been suggested that one use of the OAO is to stabilize price. Several aspects of stabilization in the new issue market in Canada are examined in order to establish its presence and to determine the role played by the OAO. Although there are indications that prices are being stabilized at the start of secondary market trading, the OAO does not seem to have a clear impact in terms of supporting prices. On the other hand, the OAO does have a positive effect on underwriter fees which implies that the reluctance of Canadian issuing firms to grant OAOs may be justified. Next a sample of underwriter fees for TSE listed common equity IPOs is examined. Mean fees for Canadian IPOs are less than one percent below fees charged by U.S. underwriters over a similar period of time. There is some apparent clustering of fees at 6% for medium sized IPOs, but different from U.S. IPOs, this fee concentration is cyclical rather than increasing over time. An analysis of fees charged by Canadian brokerage firms suggests that while fees are high relative to those charged by brokerages in countries other than the U.S., evidence in favour of collusion is weak. Efforts in Canada to reduce the country's dependence on natural resources are not directly observable in the capital markets with resource firms remaining prominent in the issuance of seasoned equity. Amortized spreads are much smaller for SEOs than IPOs since lower share turnover effectively distributes transactions costs over longer holding periods. Consistent with the literature, negative and positive announcement period abnormal returns are identified for non-resource public offerings and private placements. Pre-announcement abnormal returns and offering type are important in explaining announcement period abnormal returns.


Aerosols play an important role in climate change processes. Among the various aerosols, black carbon (BC) has been recognized as the second most important anthropogenic agent for climate change and the primary tracer for adverse health effects caused by air pollution. The increasing concentration of BC in the atmosphere has now become a matter of serious concern, especially in the high Himalayan glaciated region that has the most vulnerable ecosystem with pristine environment, rich biodiversity and pollution-free ambient air quality.


For most of the twentieth century, considered opinion in the United States regarding Palestine has favored the inherent right of Jews to exist in the Holy Land. That Palestinians, as a native population, could claim the same right has been largely ignored. Kathleen Christison's controversial new book shows how the endurance of such assumptions, along with America's singular focus on Israel and general ignorance of the Palestinian point of view, has impeded a resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict. Christison begins with the derogatory images of Arabs purveyed by Western travelers to the Middle East in the nineteenth century, including Mark Twain, who wrote that Palestine's inhabitants were 'abject beggars by nature, instinct, and education'. She demonstrates other elements that have influenced U.S. policymakers: American religious attitudes toward the Holy Land that legitimize the Jewish presence; sympathy for Jews derived from the Holocaust; and, a sense of cultural identity wherein Israelis are 'like us' and Arabs distant aliens. She makes a forceful case that decades of negative portrayals of Palestinians have distorted U.S. policy, making it virtually impossible to promote resolutions based on equality and reciprocity between Palestinians and Israelis. Christison also challenges prevalent media images and emphasizes the importance of terminology: Two examples are the designation of who is a 'terrorist' and the imposition of place names (which can pass judgment on ownership). Christison's thoughtful book raises a final disturbing question: If a broader frame of reference on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict had been employed, allowing a less warped public discourse, might not years of warfare have been avoided and steps toward peace achieved much earlier?


Data clustering is a powerful technique for discerning the structure of and simplifying the complexity of large scale data. An improved technique combining chaotic map particle swarm optimization (CPSO) with an acceleration strategy, is proposed in this paper. Accelerated chaotic particle swarm optimization (ACPSO) searches for cluster centers of an arbitrary data set and can effectively find the global optima. ACPSO is tested on six experimental data sets, and its performance is compared to the performance of PSO, NM-PSO, K-PSO, K-NM-PSO and K-means clustering. Results indicated that ACPSO is both robust and suitable for solving data clustering problem.


ABSTRACT This paper explores the financial implications of converting to organic farming in Great Britain through a case study of farmers considering conversion in 2002. Most study farmers were motivated to convert for financial, not ideological or life-style reasons; organic meat production was the most common planned enterprise, although those choosing to produce milk, vegetables and cereals were also studied in depth. At the time of study, organic beef and sheep meat production was particularly profitable. It was found that, in these product sectors, a large improvement in Family Farm Income would result if organic production was introduced on the case study farms. With few exceptions, a fall in Family Farm Income during the conversion period would not be an obstacle to farmers changing to organic methods. Fixed cost changes would also not deter conversion but expensive investment in new livestock and appropriate buildings would be required by some of those businesses studied. These findings are, however, dependent upon the price premia assumptions used and, whilst these premia have dropped slightly since the time of study, this would lessen the financial shortfall during the conversion period. There is also the possibility that reversion to conventional agricultural production might occur, perhaps at a faster rate than the original conversion process that was taking place around the turn of the century.


A major source of error in radiation measurement is the inaccurate instrument reading such as inaccurate radiation count rate that leads to inaccurate determination of activity of a source and hence, inaccurate values of exposure rate. Inaccurate count rate can be a direct consequence of pulse pileup. The current algorithms for dealing with pulse pileup are to identify pulses that have piled up on top of each other, reject that information, and then analyze only 'clean' pulses. This present work is based on the implementation of a mathematical model of linear equations from a matrix in both hardware and software formats. This implementation is in conjunction with Nelder-Mead direct search algorithm for peak search implementation in an FPGA based signal processing system for pulse pileup recovery. In the design, the FPGA subsystem can be implemented by either a hardware form using Matlab and Xilinx blocks or in a software form using a Mcode block. From the simulations, out of the incident pulses and applying the traditional approach, pileups occurred and only the "clean" pulses are recovered. In our approach, the peaks were detected and recovered up to 100% irrespective of their arrival times even in severe pileup situation as opposed to another work that recovered up to 65% of piled up pulses.


Background: Despite decades of research, there is no consensus on which software effort estimation methods produce the most accurate models. Aim: Prior work has reported that, given M estimation methods, no single method consistently outperforms all others. Perhaps rather than recommending one estimation method as best, it is wiser to generate estimates from ensembles of multiple estimation methods. Method: Nine learners were combined with 10 preprocessing options to generate 9 × 10 = 90 solo methods. These were applied to 20 datasets and evaluated using seven error measures. This identified the best n (in our case n = 13) solo methods that showed stable performance across multiple datasets and error measures. The top 2, 4, 8, and 13 solo methods were then combined to generate 12 multimethods, which were then compared to the solo methods. Results: 1) The top 10 (out of 12) multimethods significantly outperformed all 90 solo methods. 2) The error rates of the multimethods were significantly less than the solo methods. 3) The ranking of the best multimethod was remarkably stable. Conclusion: While there is no best single effort estimation method, there exist best combinations of such effort estimation methods.


Summary Seven representative species of the order Diptera were filmed in free flight using high-speed cinematography. Insects were killed after filming, and morphological measurements were made in the manner of Ellington (1984£>). The detailed kinematics of selected sequences were then found using frame-byframe digitization, followed by computer reconstruction of the third dimension. Kinematics were qualitatively similar to those observed by Ellington (1984c), though in three species the wings often underwent ventral flexion near the base at the end of the downstroke. For aerodynamic analysis of hovering flight, modified forms of the equations of Ellington (1984eJ) were used. Forward flight was analysed by a novel method, which assumes that an equal but opposite circulation is built up for each halfstroke and allows linear equations to be used. The lift coefficients calculated for hovering were commonly well above those possible by quasi-steady mechanisms, but rotational coefficients were within those that could be achieved by the unsteady lift mechanisms: clap-and-fling (WeisFogh, 1973) and flex (Ellington, 1984d). The lift and rotational coefficients of the two half-strokes were often unequal. In forward flight, the equal circulation assumption often led to an incorrect estimation of the aerodynamic force vector, showing that the circulations during the two half-strokes were unequal. It is suggested that flies manoeuvre largely by altering the unsteady circulations produced at stroke reversal via alterations in the speed and timing of wing rotation. The differences in the mechanisms used by different fly species are related to their flight behaviour in the field.


The Software Usability Measurement Inventory (SUMI) testing technique is a rigorously tested and validated method to measure software quality from a user perspective. Using SUMI the usability of a software product or prototype can be evaluated in a consistent and objective manner. The technique is supported by an extensive reference database and embedded in an effective analysis and reporting tool. SUMI has been applied in practice in a great number of projects. This article discusses the practical application of SUMI in a operational environment where second year Information Technology students of the Central University of Technology, Free State utilised SUMI as part of their networking subject, System Software 1 to evaluate three Information and Communication Technology network programs. The results, strengths and weaknesses as well as usability improvements are discussed.


This article outlines the subsector of the information and communication technology (ICT) industry concerned with reducing the economy's environmental impact, dubbed ICT‐enabled low carbon technologies (ICTeLCTs). The article is based on a study funded by United Kingdom (UK) Trade and Investment, a division of the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. ICTeLCTs can be segmented into specialist and generalist operators. Specialists focus on one or two ICT applications to monitor or reduce environmental issues, while generalists supply products and services enabling a firm or a private household to reduce the environmental impact of its activities. The subsector can be further segmented into green ICT, energy management, building management, carbon accounting, waste management, intelligent transport systems (ITSs), and water management. The main factors driving ICTeLCTs include legislation, voluntary environmental standards, corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, customer demand, and competitive market factors. Policy makers should continue to drive the growth of ICTeLCTs with the introduction and refinement of environmental legislation regulating energy use and markets.


In a panoramic sweep of the years leading up to the First Reform Bill of 1832, George Eliot explores nearly every subject of concern to modern life: art, religion, science, politics, self, society, human relationships. Among her characters are some of the most remarkable portraits in English literature: Dorothea Brooke, the heroine, idealistic but naive; Rosamund Vincy, beautiful and egoistic; Edward Casaubon, the dry-as-dust scholar; Tertius Lydgate, the brilliant but morally flawed physician; the passionate artist, Will Ladislaw; and Fred Vincy and Mary Garth, childhood sweethearts whose charming courtship is one of the many humorous elements in the novel's comic vein.


In this paper, we investigate a multiuser distributed antenna system with simultaneous wireless information and power transmission under the assumption of imperfect channel state information (CSI). In this system, a distributed antenna port with multiple antennas supports a set of mobile stations that can decode information and harvest energy simultaneously via a power splitter. To design robust transmit beamforming vectors and the power splitting factors in the presence of CSI errors, we maximize the average worst-case signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) while achieving an individual energy harvesting constraint for each mobile station. First, we develop an efficient algorithm to convert the max–min SINR problem to a set of "dual" min–max power balancing problems. Then, motivated by the penalty function method, an iterative algorithm based on semidefinite programming is proposed to achieve a local optimal rank-one solution. Also, to reduce the computational complexity, we present another iterative scheme based on the Lagrangian method and the successive convex approximation technique to yield a suboptimal solution. Simulation results are shown to validate the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.


Many AI applications involve the interaction of multiple autonomous agents, requiring those agents to reason about their own beliefs, as well as those of other agents. However, planning involving nested beliefs is known to be computationally challenging. In this work, we address the task of synthesizing plans that necessitate reasoning about the beliefs of other agents. We plan from the perspective of a single agent with the potential for goals and actions that involve nested beliefs, non-homogeneous agents, co-present observations, and the ability for one agent to reason as if it were another. We formally characterize our notion of planning with nested belief, and subsequently demonstrate how to automatically convert such problems into problems that appeal to classical planning technology. Our approach represents an important first step towards applying the well-established field of automated planning to the challenging task of planning involving nested beliefs of multiple agents.


Temperature fluctuations above and below the freezing mark can have pronounced effects on subgrade and aggregate base stability and pavement performance. Frost related pavement damage is caused by frost heave, the expansion and heaving of frost-susceptible subgrade materials as they freeze, and frost boil, the subsequent weakening of those materials as they thaw in spring, decreasing load-carrying capacity. Frost damaged areas are generally found in non-uniform subgrades, subgrades near the groundwater, and subgrades within low areas. Evaluation of repair methods requires an understanding of site conditions; an assessment of the impact that subgrade quality, uniformity, surface and subsurface drainage have had on frost damage; and the best available materials, equipment, and funding. The most successful repair treatments address both subgrade quality/uniformity and surface/subgrade drainage. Appropriate repair methods are presented for different subgrade consistencies and subgrade drainages.


Canker stain of plane tree recently was reported in a small area of southwestern Greece on natural populations of the important riparian species, oriental plane tree, Platanus orientalis. The fungus Ceratocystis platani (= C. fimbriata f. platani) was successfully isolated from infected, stained wood of 15 dead or dying trees on the Peloponnese Peninsula. Genetic analyses of these 15 isolates from Greece, using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA fingerprints, showed the fungus to be identical to the genotype reported from Italy, France, and Switzerland. A polymerase chain reaction-based microsatellite analysis of eight polymorphic loci discovered a new microsatellite allele in one of the isolates from Greece, but this may be due to a mutation after introduction of a single strain. Earlier studies indicated that the most common European genotype had been introduced from eastern North America to Italy during World War II. The recent introduction to Greece appears to have originated from Italy, France, or Switzerland, rather than from eastern North America, where the fungus is native. The pathogen is having a dramatic impact on the natural population of P. orientalis in southwestern Greece, and containment measures should be imposed before it spreads throughout the natural range of this ecologically and historically important host.


Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) KAIKO dives north of Oahu Island, Hawaii, and on the lower south rift zone of Loihi Seamount revealed diverse flow morphologies of submarine lava that correlate with slope and rate of lava delivery. Steep to moderate (>10°) slopes are covered with elongate pillows and narrow pahoehoe streams; bulbous pillows and smooth pahoehoe lobes occur on flat areas and gentle slopes. Some gentle slopes are covered by lobate sheet flows that supply pillow flows. Smooth pahoehoe lobes change upslope into lobate sheets, indicating that the sheets form by coalescence and inflation of successively emplaced flow lobes. Many pahoehoe flows contain hollow, tumuli-like lobes that have inflated and collapsed. Thin crusts (4–20 cm) and large volumes (0.7–1050 m 3 ) of such inflated lobes suggest lava supply rates of 0.01–8 m 3 /min. These calculated supply rates are more than one order of magnitude larger than those for subaerial tumuli in Iceland. Thinner viscoelastic layers of subaqueous lobes at the time of inflation allowed higher excess pressures and expansion rates.


The study focuses on various aspects of the employment of women in the Royal Naval Dockyards of Chatham and Plymouth in the nineteenth century in order to enlarge the current body of knowledge about the lives of women workers. Through an examination of the history of the two towns and the impact of the dockyards on their inhabitants it is shown that distinctive communities evolved in these areas, with their particular version of a maritime heritage.

The dockyard workers studied here fit some but not all of the accepted theories about women's employment, in particular that they illustrated the norms of gender-defined and very low paid work, while the differences are largely connected with their unusual position in an extremely large government organisation of longstanding, overwhelmingly dominated by male workers. Women were not employed to work alongside men in traditional dockyard crafts, but operated in specific areas. The reasons for the decisions to employ women in each case are examined, together with discussion of the developing technology associated with some of these decisions. The reasons are shown to vary, mainly between labour shortages and cost-cutting.

Comparisons are made between working in commercial enterprises in rope making and in a government organisation particularly through the Report of a Royal Commission and some trades union records. The key features are size, modern equipment and labour relations.

Information has been gathered about the ages, addresses and family status of some of the women, and used to assess the composition and social position of this segment of the female workforce. It is concluded that long standing beliefs that the workforce consisted only of widows and orphans were misplaced and also that the ambivalent position of these women in their communities is further evidence of the fine gradations within the working class.


We discuss the state of the art and innovative micro- and nanoscale technologies that are finding niches and opening up new opportunities in medicine, particularly in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. We take the design of point-of-care applications and the capture of circulating tumor cells as illustrative examples of the integration of micro- and nanotechnologies into solutions of diagnostic challenges. We describe several novel nanotechnologies that enable imaging cellular structures and molecular events. In therapeutics, we describe the utilization of micro- and nanotechnologies in applications including drug delivery, tissue engineering, and pharmaceutical development/testing. In addition, we discuss relevant challenges that micro- and nanotechnologies face in achieving cost-effective and widespread clinical implementation as well as forecasted applications of micro- and nanotechnologies in medicine.


Unexpected and task-irrelevant sounds can capture our attention and may cause distraction effects reflected by impaired performance in a primary task unrelated to the perturbing sound. The present auditory-visual oddball study examines the effect of the informational content of a sound on the performance in a visual discrimination task. The informational content was modulated by varying the sound-target interval and the probability of target occurrence. Effects of informational content were examined with two types of distractors: a burst of white noise (deviant) and environmental sounds (novel). Behavioral results reveal the following. (1) Novel and deviant sounds do not necessarily cause behavioral distraction effects when they are uninformative with respect to both time and probability of occurrence of a visual target. (2) Novel, but not deviant, sounds cause an unspecific bias toward facilitation. (3) The informational content of task-irrelevant sounds speeds reaction times, indicating the use of information not directly related to the task for enhancing performance. (4) It is suggested that performance in deviant and novel trials is the sum of the costs of attentional orienting and benefits of information as well as benefits of unspecific activation for novels.


The open science literature has focused on ways to increase the openness of research data at universities, while links with industry in the context of open innovation have received less attention. The aim of this article is to increase understanding of how open science can lead to open innovation. The key research questions are the following: How can researchers be motivated to make open their research data and how can industry take advantage of the data? The authors explore this topic through a case study of a Finnish foundation and its closed database. In 14 semi-structured interviews with the database owners, potential users and open science experts, they identified opportunities, barriers and possible solutions to opening the database. The authors propose a generic process framework for developing sustainable business models to facilitate research data transfer from university to industry. The study contributes to the open science literature by shedding light on how the gap between open science and open innovation can be bridged through the development of sustainable business models.


Theophylline, salbutamol, isoproterenol, and dibutyryl cyclic AMP inhibited E-rosette formation by human T lymphocytes and immunoglobulin M secretion from human plaque-forming B cells and augmented T-suppressor cell activity in three patients with agammaglobulinemia. Lithium chloride increased mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation and inhibited suppressor cell activity. In the presence of lithium, the effects of all the drugs except dibutyryl cyclic AMP could be prevented. The data suggest a role for lithium in the modulation of cyclic AMP-dependent events in lymphocytes. Its potential role as an inhibitor of suppressor cell activity warrants further attention.


Objective: The main purpose of the study is to evaluate the job satisfaction and stress of the health professionals working in a state hospital according to their sociodemographic characteristics and to reveal whether there are any relations between them. Methods: Data have been obtained by means of a form including Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale, Perceived Job Stress Scale and sociodemographic variables on totally 180 health professionals who are employed in Sivas Numune Hospital. Findings: In our study, it was evaluated that the job satisfaction points of the males were higher when compared to females, those of post-graduates were higher than those of graduates and undergraduates and those of doctors were higher than those of nurses in a statistically important level. The external satisfaction points of the group over 45 when compared to that of the group under 34 and those of other health professionals when compared to nurses were found to be statistically higher. It was found that job stress points of women were higher compared to males, those of the graduates of secondary education, undergraduates and graduates were higher than those of postgraduates, and the job stress points of the nurses were higher than those of doctors and other health professionals. There is a meaningful negative correlation between job satisfaction and job stress. No statistically important difference was found with reference to their marital status, whether they have children and their work years. Results: In our study, job satisfaction and job stress of the health care professionals were studied sociodemographically. In healthcare institutions, besides the satisfaction of the patients, it is also important to deal with and find solutions to the problems of the health care personnel for the establishment of job satisfaction and eliminate job stress.


Purpose of the article: The contribution presents research results of venture capital influence on performance of employees. We applied adjusted operating results to precisely determine the performance of employees. The term "modified operating result" was used for this quantity, which – related to one employee – was labelled as the performance of employee.
Methodology/methods: An assumption of venture capital positive influence on performance of employees was tested within the file of Czech companies. Development of their performance was monitored in the period of venture capital investor cooperation with company and maximally three years after his exit; subsequently, both periods were compared. Mixed research was applied, followed by logical inductions. The assumption of performance improvement was falsified, complementary characteristics for falsification was searched, being the finding how mentioned statement stood the empirical data, how was proved.
Scientific aim: The assumption was formulated – venture capital involvement in companies results in the improvement of performance of their employees.
Findings: The assumption on venture capital positive influence on the improvement of performance was confirmed (87% companies) in the period of its involvement in the company. 84% companies reported improvement in the period of three years after the exit of investor. The improvement was more frequent with the presence of investor in the company; after his exit such frequency decreased. After the exit of investor the performance improved, even in those companies not reporting such improvement in the period of his participation.
Conclusions: The conclusion could be drawn on the basis of logical induction of results of individual monitored aspects of the research objectives that venture capital influenced positive development of performance even after its exit from such company.


Tertiary recovery is directly dependent on the alteration in wettability and interfacial tension (IFT), hence releasing the trapped oil from rock pore spaces. Bio-surfactant water flooding to mobilise residual oil in reservoirs is a new and developing prospect that can be used more often in future due to its environmentally friendly nature and economic advantages. In this work, the impact of rhamnolipids as water soluble bio-surfactant solutions on the interfacial activities of saline water and the wettability of carbonate rock are studied at elevated temperature. The effectiveness of the bio-surfactant as a rock wettability modifier is analysed in the presence of different salinities, in particular SO42− ions. The reason for the focus on SO42− is its high affinity towards calcite surfaces, and hence its ability to intervene strongly on bio-surfactant performance. To achieve the objectives of this study, the oil-wet calcite samples at elevated temperature were put through a washing process that included bio-surfactant solutions in seawater at various concentrations of sodium sulphate ions, where the measurement of the contact angles of each sample after treatment and the IFT between the oil model and the washing solutions were taken. The obtained results illustrated that bio-surfactants (rhamnolipids) with incremental concentrations of SO42− ions in sea water (up to three times higher than the original ion concentration) can lower the IFT, and assessed changing the rocks towards greater water-wettability. This study reveals that the alteration of SO42− ions had a greater impact on the wettability alteration, whereas rhamnolipids were better at reducing the IFT between the oil phase and the aqueous phase. This study also looked at temperatures of 50 °C and 70 °C, which demonstrated undesired influences on the wettability and IFT. Bio-surfactants at high temperature showed less interfacial activity, thus indicating that rhamnolipids are not active at high temperatures, while the addition of SO42− shows a continuous decrease in the contact angle and IFT measurements at high temperature.


The main problems of deep learning are requiring a large amount of data for learning, and prediction with excessive confidence. A Bayesian neural network (BNN), in which a Bayesian approach is incorporated into a neural network (NN), has drawn attention as a method for solving these problems. In a BNN, the probability distribution is assumed for the weight, in contrast to a conventional NN, in which the weight is point estimated. This makes it possible to obtain the prediction as a distribution and to evaluate how uncertain the prediction is. However, a BNN has more computational complexity and a greater number of parameters than an NN. To obtain an inference result as a distribution, a BNN uses weight sampling to generate the respective weight values, and thus, a BNN accelerator requires weight sampling hardware based on a random number generator in addition to the standard components of a deep learning neural network accelerator. Therefore, the throughput of weight sampling must be sufficiently high at a low hardware resource cost. We propose a resource-efficient weight sampling method using inversion transform sampling and a lookup-table (LUT)-based function approximation for hardware implementation of a BNN. Inversion transform sampling simplifies the mechanism of generating a Gaussian random number from a uniform random number provided by a common random number generator, such as a linear feedback shift register. Employing an LUT-based low-bit precision function approximation enables inversion transform sampling to be implemented at a low hardware cost. The evaluation results indicate that this approach effectively reduces the occupied hardware resources while maintaining accuracy and prediction variance equivalent to that with a non-approximated sampling method.


Abstract The Of?p category was introduced more than 40 years ago to gather several Galactic stars with some odd properties. Since 2000, spectropolarimetry, high-resolution spectroscopy, long-term photometry, and X-ray observations have revealed their nature: magnetic oblique rotators - they all have magnetic fields that confine their winds. Several Of?p stars have now been detected in the Magellanic Clouds, likely the prototypes of magnetic massive stars at low metallicity. This contribution will present the most recent photometric, spectroscopic, and spectropolarimetric data, along with the first modeling of these objects.


The genesis of this piece comes from a trend the authors have observed in three separate but related areas, which we believe are converging into a perfect storm for fire investigators. These are: 1) the ongoing movement by courts across the nation to scrutinize more closely the reliability of expert testimony, 2) a growing apprehension about wrongful convictions stemming from faulty forensic evidence and problems in fire investigations, culminating in the revolutionary report published by the National Academy of Sciences, and; 3) the continuing development of industry standards that are raising the bar for fire investigators. Part I describes each of these forces, and then Part II demonstrates how together they are creating a mounting pressure on fire investigation experts to defend their qualifications and the reliability of their opinions in court, particularly insofar as analyzing the fire scene and interpreting fire patterns is concerned.


Although malignant brain tumors affect thousands of persons each year, treatment has not significantly advanced. For 3 decades, the standard of care was palliative surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Of these, radiotherapy was the only proven way to lengthen survival time. However, since 2005 the standard of treatment has changed thanks to studies showing posi- tive results from daily temozolo- mide (Temodar) combined with radiotherapy.


There is serious concern about arsenic in the natural environment, which exhibits neurotoxicity and increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. Adverse effects of arsenic have been demonstrated in neurons, but it is not fully understood how arsenic affects other cell types in the brain. In the current study, we examined whether sodium arsenite (NaAsO2) affects the cell cycle, viability, and apoptosis of in vitro-cultured astrocytes isolated from the cerebral cortex of mice. Cultured astrocytes from transgenic mice expressing fluorescent ubiquitination-based cell cycle indicator (Fucci) were subjected to live imaging analysis to assess the effects of NaAsO2 (0, 1, 2, and 4 μM) on the cell cycle and number of cells. Fucci was designed to express monomeric Kusabira Orange2 (mKO2) fused with the ubiquitylation domain of hCdt1, a marker of G1 phase, and monomeric Azami Green (mAG) fused with the ubiquitylation domain of hGem, a marker of S, G2, and M phases. NaAsO2 concentration-dependently decreased the peak levels of the mAG/mKO2 emission ratio when the ratio had reached a peak in astrocytes without NaAsO2 exposure, which was due to attenuating the increase in the mAG-expressing cell number. In contrast, the mAG/mKO2 emission ratio and number of mAG-expressing cells were concentration-dependently increased by NaAsO2 before their peak levels, indicating unscheduled S phase entry. We further examined the fate of cells forced to enter S phase by NaAsO2. We found that most of these cells died up to the end of live imaging. In addition, quantification of the copy number of the glial fibrillary acidic protein gene expressed specifically in astrocytes revealed a concentration-dependent decrease caused by NaAsO2. However, NaAsO2 did not increase the amount of nucleosomes generated from DNA fragmentation and failed to alter the gene expression of molecules relevant to unscheduled S phase entry-coupled apoptosis (p21, p53, E2F1, E2F4, and Gm36566). These findings suggest that NaAsO2 adversely affects the cell cycle and viability of astrocytes by inducing unscheduled S phase entry coupled with cell death that may be caused by mechanisms other than apoptosis.


To talk publicly about race remains taboo in France. Since its origins in the late eighteenth century, the French Republic has grounded its political identity on the theoretical equality of all its citizens, regardless of their origins. In practice, this "universalist" ideology tends to deny and neglect blatant racial inequalities among French citizens. Unlike in the United States in recent years, there has been no public discussion about whether France has turned "post-racial" since most white French people consider that their country never entered any sort of "racial era" to begin with. In fact, the French academic world is one of the few arenas in which debates over the issue of race have been accepted and sometimes encouraged.


Modern anaesthetic techniques have resulted in the clinical presentation of malignant hyperthermia to be more often indolent and/or insidious than truly fulminant, as previously known in the anaesthetic community. We present four recently referred cases to illustrate this point: one late-onset case, two patients with slowly progressive hypercapnia as the sole sign and a fourth patient with postoperative myalgias and elevated creatine kinase. We also discuss the reasons for the shift in typical clinical presentation. The more insidious character of malignant hyperthermia is most likely due to the lower triggering potency of modern volatile anaesthetics, the mitigating effects of several intravenous drugs (neuromuscular blocking agents, alpha 2 adrenergic receptor agonists, beta-adrenergic blockade) or techniques (neuraxial anaesthesia) and the routine use of end-tidal CO2 monitoring leading to the early withdrawal of triggering drugs. Awareness among anaesthetists of this change in presentation is important since the clinical diagnosis is often more doubtful and, if corroborative evidence is not sought, the diagnosis may be delayed or missed altogether.


We prove Russo‐Seymour‐Welsh‐type uniform bounds on crossing probabilities for the FK Ising (FK percolation with cluster weight q = 2) model at criticality, independent of the boundary conditions. Our proof relies mainly on Smirnov's fermionic observable for the FK Ising model [24], which allows us to get precise estimates on boundary connection probabilities. We stay in a discrete setting; in particular, we do not make use of any continuum limit, and our result can be used to derive directly several noteworthy properties—including some new ones—among which are the fact that there is no infinite cluster at criticality, tightness properties for the interfaces, and the existence of several critical exponents, in particular the half‐plane, one‐arm exponent. Such crossing bounds are also instrumental for important applications such as constructing the scaling limit of the Ising spin field [6] and deriving polynomial bounds for the mixing time of the Glauber dynamics at criticality [17]. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Since its introduction in 1937, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) has become the most commonly used material for denture bases. This is largely due to its favourable although not ideal characteristics. One of the main problems associated with PMMA is the polymerisation shrinkage exhibited by the material. Injection moulding systems have been developed to compensate for this by continuously injecting PMMA resin at pressure throughout a carefully controlled polymerisation procedure.

This study aimed to compare acrylic specimens processed by injection moulding and conventional pressure packing in relation to dimensional accuracy. Subsequent experiments evaluated adherence of Candida albicans to denture base materials. A cobalt chrome control denture base was used to fabricate stone moulds in which 20 injection moulded and 20 conventional pressure packed PMMA resin denture bases were produced. These denture bases incorporated 6 reference points between which sequential measurements were taken using digital callipers. Base plate adaptation was additionally measured by weighing a vinyl polysiloxane film to reproduce any discrepancy between the denture base and master model.

Linear dimensional measurements revealed that changes in dimension did not occur evenly over the entire denture base for either sample group. Injection moulded samples exhibited statistically significant differences when compared to control in two of the six measured linear dimensions. Conventional pressure packed materials exhibited a statistically significant difference in one of the measured linear dimensions compared to control. Statistically significant linear dimensional differences were determined between injection moulded and conventional pressure packed materials in three measured dimensions. For injection moulded materials, the location of the injection moulding inlet may have influenced the dimensional accuracy

For the weighed vinyl polysiloxane data, a greater weight of material was recovered from conventional pressure packed material samples than injection moulded samples. These data demonstrate that injection moulded denture bases have superior internal surface adaptation compared to conventional pressure packed acrylic resin.

Squares of denture base material were produced by injection moulding and conventional pressure packing techniques. Self cured PMMA resin was additionally included in candidal adherence and surface morphology analysis. Profilometer testing determined self-cure resin surfaces had more irregular surface characteristics than surfaces of conventional or injection moulded samples. Conventionally processed samples exhibited the smoothest material surface. However, conventional and injection moulded sample groups were similar.

Scanning electron microscopy of the three material sample groups was performed to determine surface morphology and patterns of candidal adherence and subsequent biofilm formation. SEM examination revealed variations in surface morphology and following 1 hour, Candida albicans cells were observed to adhere and aggregate within the various surface irregularities of all three materials. Examination after 24 hours demonstrated the complex intertwining hyphae evident on all the material samples, irrespective of initial candidal adherence patterns.

No significant differences were observed between attachment of the 9 C. albicans clinical strains when tested independently against each sample group. However, comparison of the mean attachment of all strains to the 3 sample groups revealed a statistically significant difference in attachment capacity between conventional and self cured sample groups. Self cured PMMA resin samples exhibited significantly less candidal attachment than conventionally processed samples, indicating that material surface factors may play a greater role in promoting or preventing candidal adhesion that the organism per se.

As the denture bearing mucosa is compressible and the achieved palatal seal largely dependent on the prepared post dam, small dimensional changes demonstrated in this study may be of limited clinical relevance to the success or failure of the material as a denture base. C. albicans were found to adhere to all three types of PMMA resin and if left undisturbed, Candida cells proliferated to form a biofilm upon all resin materials. Therefore, the observed differences in attachment are likely to be of limited clinical importance in the prevention of candidal infection without consideration to denture and oral hygiene.


This investigation is a quantitative geomorphologic examination of the relationships that
exist between the morphometric, hydraulic and load variables of the River Marshaw
Wyre. A wide variety of 11 variables were measured at ten locations along the stream,
downstream of the source, the variables were then analysed using a combination of scatter
graphs and persons product moment coefficient correlation to determine whether there are
any relationships between the variables.
There were many significant correlations which were found between the variables and
most of the interrelations found in this investigation had been found in previous research.
It seems that this study has shown that discharge vs distance downstream, bedload size vs
distance downstream and velocity vs distance downstream are some of the most
significant relationships within the River Marshaw Wyre. Other researchers have also
shown other significance relationships but these were not found in this investigation such
as depth vs distance downstream. It was thought that the distance of the Marshaw Wyre
was too short for any real difference in the landscape for depth to have any interrelations
with other variables in the river channel.


We have reviewed and assessed the reliability of a dead reckoning and drift correction algorithm for the estimation of spatial gait parameters using Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs). In particular, we are interested in obtaining accurate stride lengths measurements in order to assess the effects of a wearable haptic cueing device designed to assist people with neurological health conditions during gait rehabilitation. To assess the accuracy of the stride lengths estimates, we compared the output of the algorithm with measurements obtained using a high-end marker-based motion capture system, here adopted as a gold standard. In addition, we introduce an alternative method for detecting initial impact events (i.e. the instants at which one foot contacts the ground, here used for delimiting strides) using accelerometer data. Our method, based on a kinematic feature we named 'jerkage', has proved more robust than detecting peaks on raw accelerometer data. We argue that the resulting measurements of stride lengths are accurate enough to provide trend data needed to support worthwhile gait rehabilitation applications. This approach has potential to assist physiotherapists and patients without access to fully-equipped movement labs. More specifically, it has applications for collecting data to guide and assess gait rehabilitation both outdoors and at home.


There is an increasing incidence of knee pain and injury among the population, and increasing demand for higher knee function in total knee replacement designs. As a result, clinicians and implant manufacturers are interested in improving patient outcomes, and evaluation of knee mechanics is essential for better diagnosis and repair of knee pathologies. Common knee pathologies include osteoarthritis (degradation of the articulating surfaces), patellofemoral pain, and cruciate ligament injury and/or rupture. The complex behavior of knee motion presents unique challenges in the diagnosis of knee pathology and restoration of healthy knee function. Quantifying knee mechanics is essential for developing successful rehabilitation therapies and surgical treatments. Researchers have used in-vitro and in-vivo experiments to quantify joint kinematics and loading, but experiments can be costly and time-intensive, and contact and ligament mechanics can be difficult to measure directly. Computational modeling can complement experimental studies by providing cost-effective solutions for quantifying joint and soft tissue forces. Musculoskeletal models have been used to measure whole-body motion, and predict joint and muscle forces, but these models can lack detail and accuracy at the joint-level. Finite element modeling provides accurate solutions of the internal stress/strain behavior of bone and soft tissue using subject-specific geometry and complex contact and material representations. While previous FE modeling has been iii used to simulate injury and repair, models are commonly based on literature description or average knee behavior. The research presented in this dissertation focused on developing subject-specific representations of the TF and PF joints including calibration and validation to experimental data for healthy, pathological, and implanted knee conditions. A combination of in-vitro experiment and modeling was used to compare healthy and cruciate-deficient joint mechanics, and develop subject-specific computational representations. Insight from in-vitro testing supported in-vivo simulations of healthy and implanted subjects, in which PF mechanics were compared between two common patellar component designs and the impact of cruciate ligament variability on joint kinematics and loads was assessed. The suite of computational models developed in this dissertation can be used to investigate knee pathologies to better inform clinicians on the mechanisms surrounding injury, support the diagnosis of at-risk patients, explore rehabilitation and surgical techniques for repair, and support decisionmaking for new innovative implant designs.


This paper presents the results of seven field investigations (US59, IH20, SH342, US75, US90, MLK Blvd., and US96) to identify the underlying causes of settling and irregular cracking in Portland cement concrete (PCC) pavement. Settling and cracking are not intended, and they are detrimental to the long-term performance of PCC pavement. The falling weight deflectometer and dynamic cone penetrometer were utilized to characterize the load transfer efficiency (LTE) and base support conditions. It was found that when there is adequate base support (e.g., a modulus>345 MPa), the irregular cracks remain tight even after decades of truck trafficking, as evident in the IH20 and MLK projects. Irregular cracks on these projects were caused by late or too-shallow saw cutting. In areas that had 50 % lower base moduli, the cracks typically grew to about 57 mm. The subsidence and settling on US59 and US75 were observed in the areas with LTE in the range of 40 %. Tie bars were found to be ruptured in those areas. When LTE exceeds 80 %, the tie bar was intact and no settling was observed. The maximum deflections were approximately eight to ten times higher in the area with settling than the area without settling. It is because the low load transfer efficacy would lead to higher deflection under truck trafficking. The high deflection would initiate pumping and then settling. Despite severe spalling observed before the overlay on US96, the stone-mastic asphalt overlay is now 5 years old, and no visible cracks can be observed. This is because of the high LTE (exceeding 85 %) and sufficient base support (modulus exceeding 1378 MPa). The results from the seven projects investigated indicate that base support and LTE play a critical role in concrete pavement performance. To minimize the cracking and settling, it is preferable to have a base modulus and LTE exceeding 345 MPa and 80 %, respectively.


This article compares patterns of homeless shelter use in Denmark and the USA. Combining data from homeless shelters in Denmark with population registers, we find that the prevalence of shelter use is substantially lower in Denmark than in the USA. A cluster analysis of shelter stays identifies three types of users similar to findings from US research: the transitionally, episodically and chronically homeless. However, the transitionally homeless in Denmark have a higher tendency of suffering from mental illness and substance abuse than the transitionally homeless in the USA. The results support Stephens and Fitzpatrick' hypothesis that countries with more extensive welfare systems and lower levels of poverty have lower levels of homelessness, mainly amongst those with complex support needs, whereas in countries with less extensive welfare systems homelessness affects broader groups and is more widely associated with poverty and housing affordability problems.


Gas diffusion often dominates constituent transport in porous media and is dependent on pore geometry, water content, and water distribution in a porous medium. Network models of porous media offer the ability to investigate the influence and interaction of pore-scale porous media properties and fluid properties on macroscopic properties of the medium. This study was conducted to investigate the macroscopic relative gas diffusion coefficient vs. air-filled porosity relationship (diffusion characteristic) of porous media using a network modeling approach. A cubic sphere-and-tube network model of porous media was adapted from petroleum engineering using Fick`s law and the principle of conservation of mass to simulate one-dimensional, steady-state, isothermal, isobaric, molecular diffusion of a dilute binary gas in a nonadsorbing porous medium containing a single nonwetting fluid (air) and a single wetting fluid (water). The network model simulates hysteresis in air and water distribution in porous media for boundary drying and wetting curves of the soil water characteristic and demonstrates the effect of air-filled porosity, Henry`s law liquid-gas partitioning coefficient, the ratio between gas- and liquid-phase diffusion rates, and pore geometry on the diffusion characteristic. 41 refs., 8 figs.


What has theology to do with economics? They are both sciences of human action, but have traditionally been treated as very separate disciplines. Divine Economy is the first book to address the need for an active dialogue between the two. D. Stephen Long traces three strategies which have been used to bring theology to bear on economic questions: the dominant twentieth-century tradition, of Weber's fact-value distinction; an emergent tradition based on Marxist social analysis; and a residual tradition that draws on an ancient understanding of a functional economy. He concludes that the latter approach shows the greatest promise because it refuses to subordinate theological knowledge to autonomous social-scientific research. Divine Economy will be welcomed by those with an interest in how theology can inform economic debate.


This manuscript presents some new impossibility results on adversarial robustness in machine learning, a very important yet largely open problem. We show that if conditioned on a class label the data distribution satisfies the $W_2$ Talagrand transportation-cost inequality (for example, this condition is satisfied if the conditional distribution has density which is log-concave; is the uniform measure on a compact Riemannian manifold with positive Ricci curvature, any classifier can be adversarially fooled with high probability once the perturbations are slightly greater than the natural noise level in the problem. We call this result The Strong "No Free Lunch" Theorem as some recent results (Tsipras et al. 2018, Fawzi et al. 2018, etc.) on the subject can be immediately recovered as very particular cases. Our theoretical bounds are demonstrated on both simulated and real data (MNIST). We conclude the manuscript with some speculation on possible future research directions.


Contract law has long been a favorite area of study among comparative law scholars. Economists have posited that contract institutions play a central role in economic development. Yet, in sharp contrast to the state-of-the-art in other fields (such as corporate law and bankruptcy law), the possible role of contract laws in shaping economic outcomes remains largely neglected. This essay explores the main reasons that might explain this status quo. These are: (i) the lack of meaningful variation in contract laws around the world, (ii) the triviality of contract law, (iii) the ample availability of choice of law, (iv) the U.S.-centric bias of the law-and-economics literature, (v) the lack of public data on contracting practices, and (vi) the boundaries of contract law. It concludes that, while important, these factors are ultimately insufficient to justify the scarcity of works on the economic consequences of contract law, which could be a fruitful area for future research.


Trust and reputation are significant components in open dynamic systems for making informed and reliable decisions. State-of-the-art information fusion models that exploit these mechanisms generally rely on reports from as many sources as possible. Situations exist, however, where seeking evidence from all possible sources is unrealistic. Querying information sources is costly especially in resource-constrained environments, in terms of time and bandwidth. In addition, reports from multiple sources expose one to the risk of double-counting evidence, introducing an extra challenge of distinguishing fact from rumour. This paper describes TIDY (Trust-based Information fusion through DiversitY), a trust-based approach to information fusion that exploits diversity among information sources in order to select a small number of candidates to query for evidence, and to minimise the effect of correlated evidence and bias. We demonstrate that reliable decisions can be reached using evidence from small groups of individuals. We show empirically that our approach is robust in contexts of variable trust in information sources, and to a degree of deception.


Han, Xiang Ph.D., Purdue University, December 2014. Divide and Recombine: Autoregressive models and STL+ . Major Professor: William S Cleveland and Bowei Xi. In this thesis multiple methods are proposed and applied to the Akamai CIDR time series data. The Akamai network is one of the world's largest distributed-computing platforms, with more than 250,000 servers in more than 80 countries. It is responsible for 15-20 percent of all web traffic. We obtained 110 GB raw CIDR data over a 18 month period, collected on the Akamai network from November 2011 to April 2013. The Seasonal-Trend Decomposition procedure based on loess (STL+) is used to model the CIDR series. Motivated by the CIDR series analysis, we propose a general prediction based model selection procedure, where extensive visual diagnostics are part of the procedure for selecting the best performing model. Factorial experimental designs are used to explore the parameter space. We evaluate the performance of different models for the CIDR series using our proposed prediction based model selection procedure. Furthermore the analysis and modeling of the CIDR series is performed under the Divide and Recombine for large data framework. And we conduct a theoretical Divide and Recombine time series estimation study. We also study the performance of Divide and Recombine estimates for Gaussian auto-regressive time series, Gaussian long range dependent series, and auto-regressive series with tails heavier than Gaussian.


Abstract This article uses a contemporary print, antiquarian histories and newspapers to examine the frost fair that took place on the River Severn at Shrewsbury during the great frost of 1739. By comparing the Shrewsbury frost fair with others that were organised on the Rivers Thames, Ouse and Tyne (for which printed handbills survive), it demonstrates how Shrewsbury's mirrored other frost fairs held during the seventeenth, eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It included printing activities, promenading and sociability, as well as spectacles, notably Robert Cadman a 'flying man' who entertained the crowds, before plummeting to his death. The paper highlights an aspect of eighteenth-century culture by showing the transient nature of entertainments, urban spaces and forms of sociability and spectacle and argues that historians should consider frost fairs in localities outside London as events which provide insights into provincial urban culture.


The intrinsic high accuracy of modern HF direction finders cannot be realized in practice due. to the perturbations and tilts which exist in the ionosphere. Particular attention is given in this dissertation to the effect of Travelling Ionospheric Disturbances (TIDs) since their occurrence is difficult to predict and the magnitude of the induced bearing error extremely variable. TID activity is quantified by monitoring simultaneously the bearings of a number of transmitters whose locations and frequencies are well known. This information is then employed to determine the expected bearing error on a target transmission reflected in the same area of the ionosphere. The major limitations of this correction scheme are investigated. The large-scale temporal and spatial variations of the quiet ionosphere (Systematic Ionospheric Tilts, SITs) produce bearing errors of similar magnitude to those due to TIDs. Rapid calculation of these errors for various path geometries and ionospheric conditions is possible by raytracing through 3-D ionospheric models. The limitations of a correction scheme-, which employs a 3-D model based on ionospheric predictions are examined. Variance is a particularly useful statistic in assessing the 'reliability' of bearings made on a particular HF circuit. A scheme is proposed in which the bearings of a network of reference transmitters are monitored continuously allowing a variance to be assigned to any target transmission, even if it is only present for a very short time. These variance values are of considerable value in practical DF applications. Whenever possible the experimental observations are related to the underlying physical processes in the ionosphere which generate these DF errors.


The growing share of financial assets that are held and managed by large institutional investors whose desired trades move asset prices is at odds with the traditional competitive assumption that investors are small and take prices as given. This paper relaxes the traditional price-taking assumption and instead presents a dynamic multiple asset model of imperfect competition in asset markets among large investors who differ in their risk aversion. The model is used to study asset price dynamics during an LTCM-like scenario in which market rumors of distressed asset sales are followed at a later date by the sales themselves. Using the model, it is shown that large investors front-run distressed sales; asset prices overshoot their long-run fundamentals; and asset pricing models experience temporary breakdown. During the period of model breakdown assets equilibrium returns are explained by the market portfolio and by transient liquidity factors.


Internet Trolls are an online subculture who participate in posting upsetting or shocking content, harassing users, and spreading false information for their own enjoyment. As of the time of this study, research is limited on the trolling culture, the perception of trolls, and trolling behavior. The researchers have investigated trolling culture, as well as conducted a study in which subjects were asked to relay their emotional reactions to a selection of online comments, and mark the comments they considered to be trolling behavior. The results were meant to discover whether subjects of different age generations differed in their perception and definition of trolls. The results clarified that trolling was frequently associated with poor behavior, although the degree of disapproval and definitions for trolling varied between age groups.


The major aims of this research were to investigate the predictive validity of the selection components used by the JCU School of Medicine (JCUSOM), to explore the potential of personality to predict academic performance, and to investigate the incremental validity of both selection components and personality. The JCUSOM offers an innovative undergraduate program that is vertically and horizontally integrated, and utilises group learning methods of instruction. It had its first intake of students in 2000 and by 2002, a total of 212 students were enrolled in the medical program. Upon entry, participants were between 16 and 21 years of age, and gender and cohort distributions were approximately equal. The overall theoretical relationship between personality and academic performance was based on the PPIK model (intelligence-as process, personality, interests, intelligence-as-knowledge). Within this framework, the relationship between personality and academic performance was approached from three distinct aspects: 1) personality traits within the framework of the Five-Factor Model of personality, 2) patterns of dysfunctional behaviour with the framework of the DSM-III personality disorders, and 3) motives, values and interests within the framework of the RIASEC typology of personality and environments, and the motivating effects of values. The research undertaken was of a multi-point design with personality data being collected at the same time each year over a three-year period. For statistical purposes, in order to have an equivalent number of students completing each of the first three years of training, grades data were collected for a five-year period. The research project comprised one study that investigated the predictive and incremental validity of the existing selection components (OP ranks, written application and selection interview) and the three distinct aspects of personality, in relation to academic grades. The selection criteria and grades data were archival data, and I collected the personality data. Personality traits were measured using the Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI), patterns of dysfunctional interpersonal behaviours were measured using the Hogan Development Survey (HDS), and motives, values and vocational interests were measured using the Motives, Values and Preferences Inventory (MVPI). Predictive validity was analysed using Pearson bivariate correlations and incremental validity was analysed using hierarchical regression analyses. The regression analyses also accounted for the confounding variables of age and gender. The results indicated that gender and OP ranks were consistent predictors of academic grades across each year of the medical program, and of average performance. The interview criteria relating to interpersonal, self-reliance and communication also had predictive and incremental validity at various stages of training. Conversely, the written application data were not predictive of grades. In relation to the personality data, motives/values/ and interests had no predictive power, while personality traits had predictive validity but lacked incremental validity. While all patterns of dysfunctional interpersonal behaviour had predictive validity, only the syndromes of Away and Against showed incremental validity. My research has illustrated how an organizational psychology approach can be applied to medical selection, by validating criteria through systematic, theory-driven research. It has highlighted the need for medical schools to pay attention to the incremental validity of their selection components, and has provided valuable information that can be used to improve the cost-effectiveness of the JCU selection process.


Understanding the mechanisms of viral drug resistance is critical to the clinical management of individuals receiving antiviral therapy, the development of new antiviral drugs, and the surveillance of drug resistance. This chapter reviews the mechanisms of resistance to antiviral agents used to treat seven common viral infections, i.e., infections with herpes simplex virus (HSV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 (HIV-1 and HIV-2), influenza A and B viruses, hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Antiviral drug resistance is usually mediated by mutations in the molecular targets of drug therapy, and the development of drug resistance is the most compelling evidence that an antiviral drug acts by specifically inhibiting a virus rather than its cellular host. Drug-resistant viruses are identified by in vitro passage experiments with increasing concentrations of an inhibitory drug and by ex vivo analysis of virus isolates obtained from individuals receiving antiviral therapy. Antiviral agents, mechanisms of resistance, and mutations involved in drug resistance in herpesviruses are summarized in a tabular form. Most TK mutants are classified as TK negative, usually arising from frameshift or stop mutations that delete important functional domains, or TK partial, when a mutation reduces the phosphorylation of both natural nucleosides and antiviral drugs. Nucleoside analog RdRp inhibitors appear to be equally active against the different HCV genotypes. The genetic barrier to nucleoside analog resistance also appears to be higher than that for the other two main classes of HCV inhibitors.


Context
Temperament can affect an individual's fitness and survival if it also influences behaviours associated with predator avoidance, interactions with conspecifics, refuge selection and/or foraging. Furthermore, temperament can determine an individual's response to novel stimuli and environmental challenges, such as those experienced through translocation. Increasing our understanding of the effect of temperament on post-translocation fitness is thus necessary for improving translocation outcomes.

Aims
The aim was to test whether differences in an individual's behaviour or physiology could help predict body mass changes post-translocation in the woylie (brush-tailed bettong, Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi). In the absence of predation (due to release into a predator-free exclosure), body mass was used as a proxy for an individual's success in securing resources in the new habitat, and therefore fitness.

Methods
Forty woylies were translocated from two predator-free exclosures to a larger exclosure, all in Western Australia. Behavioural and physiological measures were recorded during trapping, processing, holding, and release, and again at re-capture ~100 days post-release.

Key results
Translocated woylies generally increased in body mass post-translocation. This suggests that, in the absence of predation, the selected candidates were able to cope with the stress of translocation and possessed the behavioural plasticity to successfully find resources and adapt to a novel environment. The strongest predictors of body mass gain were sex, heart rate lability and escape behaviour when released (a convoluted escape path).

Conclusions
There was no significant difference in body mass between males and females pre-translocation but females showed greater mass gain post-translocation than did males, which could reflect greater investment in reproduction (all females had pouch young). Heart rate lability and escape behaviour are likely to reflect reactivity or fearfulness, a significant temperament trait in the context of translocation success.

Implications
Behavioural measures that can be easily incorporated into the translocation process – without increasing stress or affecting welfare of individuals – may hold promise for predicting the fate of translocated animals.


Dealing with additive noise in the i-vector space can be chal-lenging due to the complexity of its effect in that space. Several compensation techniques have been proposed in the last years to either remove the noise effect by setting a noise model in the i-vector space or build better scoring techniques that take environment perturbations into account. We recently presented a new efficient Bayesian cleaning technique operating in the i-vector domain named I-MAP that improves the baseline system performance by up to 60%. This technique is based on Gaussian models for the clean and noise i-vectors distributions. After I-MAP transformation, these hypothesis are probably less correct. For this reason, we propose to apply another MMSE-based approach that uses the Kabsch algorithm. For a certain noise, it estimates the best translation vector and rotation matrix between a set of train noisy i-vectors and their clean counterparts based on RMSD criterion. This transformation is then applied on noisy test i-vectors in order to remove the noise effect. We show that applying the Kabsch algorithm allows to reach a 40% relative improvement in EER(%) compared to a baseline system performance and that, when combined with I-MAP and repeated iteratively, it allows to reach 85% of relative improvement.


This study challenges the oft-repeated assertion that Karaite thought remained unchanged throughout the Middle Ages. It discusses major Karaite thinkers and their writings, in addition to the impact of Karaism on Rabbanite Judaism, especially on the thought of Maimonides.


In the United States, discussions regarding adolescent health, particularly in the political and legal arenas, frequently focus on one of two issues: abortion and medical decision making. These are important issues that merit considered attention, but there is much more to adolescent health. Many other issues — ranging from violence to substance use to obesity — have a significant impact on the health and well-being of adolescents. This symposium essay aims to shed light on the breadth of health issues confronting adolescents and explore the utility of human rights law in understanding and responding to key health issues confronting adolescents today. Employing a human rights framework, this essay seeks to forge a more holistic understanding of and approach to adolescent health. The essay begins by discussing the range of issues affecting adolescent well-being, focusing in particular on violence, substance use, and obesity. It then briefly addresses the limits of a medical model and related concerns with over-relying on the health care sector to address all adolescent health issues. Access to health care is crucial, but successfully addressing adolescent health issues will require law, policies, and programs that contemplate adolescent well-being beyond health care facilities. This essay then discusses the value of using human rights law as a starting point for developing a comprehensive response to adolescent health issues. Human rights law can facilitate identification of the breadth of issues affecting adolescents while simultaneously providing a legal framework for developing appropriate responses to the various harms that adolescents experience.


The percentage of farmers who are approaching retirement age is increasing. The census of agriculture shows that in 2001 there were a larger percentage of farmers over 55 years of age than was the case in the previous censuses. The transferring of the assets held by these farmers to the next generation has important policy implications for the structure of Canadian agriculture. It also raises several policy questions for future research. Using data from 2005 Farm Financial Survey this paper examines the transfer of assets for both one and multi-generation farms. We have identified 73,900 farms where the oldest operator is 55 or older. Of these farmers 18,800 are operated by more than one generation of farmers. In the case of these farms the next generation is already involved in the farm business. The remaining 55,100 farms are operated by only one generation of farmers. The total assets based on market value for the one generation farms are estimated to be $47 Billion. The assets which are expected to be transferred to the next generation total $33.4 Billion. The majority of these farms are expected to be bought up by the multi-generation farms to achieve economies of scale or to be purchased by new entrants as lifestyle farms. In the case of multi-generation farms the total assets owned are estimated to be $40 Billion. The assets which are expected to be transferred to the next generation total $34.1 Billion. These farms are expected to stay within the family and be purchased by the next generation. They will continue to be operated by the next generation and in some instances on a larger scale.


This is a book about learning the Scratch language so that you can use it in teaching and other instructional situations. The book explains the visual nature of the language, showing you how to write programs by dragging and dropping visual blocks representing common compute operations. Scratch is visual language that even young children can master. and makes computer programming as easy as dragging and dropping graphical blocks that represent programming commands, eliminating the traditional stumbling blocks of typing and syntax errors. With a drag-and-drop interface that runs in any web browser, and on devices from iPads to PCs to Macs to Microsoft Surface tablets, Scratch is an easily accessible way to enter the world of computer programming. This book teaches how to use Scratch in a fun and simple way that relies on examples and learning by doing. Progressing from simple three-block scripts that move a character across the screen to complex projects that involve motion, sound, and user input, this book: Imparts a thorough understanding of the Scratch interface. Shows how to create a range of Scratch projects, including simple games. Builds a solid foundation for future programming in other languages What You Will Learn Navigate the Scratch interface Create sprites and backdrops Learn programming skills good in all languages Program simple games and animations Share programs with friends worldwide Who This Book Is For Scratch for Absolute Beginners is intended for complete beginners to the world of computer programming and the Scratch language. Learning to program in Scratch is an easy and fun way for anybody seven years and older to learn about computer programming. Scratch's drag-and-drop interface in a web browser makes the book easy and accessible to young children and adults alike.


The storage of health records in electronic format, and the wide-spread sharing of these records among different health care providers, have enormous potential benefits to the U.S. healthcare system. These benefits include both improving the quality of health care delivered to patients and reducing the costs of delivering that care. However, maintaining the security of electronic health record systems and the privacy of the information they contain is paramount to ensure that patients have confidence in the use of such systems. In this paper, we propose a framework for electronic health record sharing that is patient centric, i.e. it provides patients with substantial control over how their information is shared and with whom; provides for verifiability of original sources of health information and the integrity of the data; and permits fine-grained decisions about when data can be shared based on the use of attribute-based techniques for authorization and access control. We present the architecture of the framework, describe a prototype system we have built based on it, and demonstrate its use within a scenario involving emergency responders' access to health record information.