The conduct of social research into the daily lives and activities of children is important if we are to understand how children perceive themselves in relationship with the social institutions that matter most to them. Ethically managed social research that undertakes to explore these perceptions by allowing children to speak for themselves, as informed and competent subjects, is vital if we are to truly understand their world, from their point of view. The development of new technologies, in particular, the internet, has created a research context that impacts upon the ability of academics to conduct meaningful, qualitative social research with children. Regulatory bodies, such as education departments and institutional human research ethics committees, have become increasingly concerned with the fate of the collected research materials. How can we protect the privacy of children when there is increasing pressure for the data collected in the course of public funded research to be reused? How can we protect children from the consequences of the misappropriation of that material in the post-internet age? This paper examines these issues in the context of social research in Australia on children's play. The paper was presented at the 'Watch this space: children, young people and privacy' conference in Melbourne on 21 May.


In recent years, precision medicine has emerged as a charismatic name for a growing movement to revolutionise biomedicine by bringing genomic knowledge and sequencing to clinical care. Increasingly, the precision revolution has also included a new paradigm called precision public health—part genomics, part informatics, part public health and part biomedicine. Advocates of precision public health, such as Sue Desmond-Hellmann, argue that adopting cutting-edge big data approaches will allow public health actors to precisely target populations who experience the highest burden of disease and mortality, creating more equitable health futures. In this article we analyse precision public health as a sociotechnical imaginary, examining how calls for precision shape which public health efforts are seen as necessary and desirable. By comparing the rhetoric of precision public health to precision warfare, we find that precision prescribes technical solutions to complex problems and promises data-driven futures free of uncertainty, unnecessary suffering and inefficient use of resources. We look at how these imagined futures shape the present as they animate public health initiatives in the Global South funded by powerful philanthropic organisations, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as well as local efforts to address cancer disparities in San Francisco. Through our analysis of the imaginary of precision public health, we identify an emerging tension between health equity goals and precision's technical solutions. Using large datasets to target interventions with greater precision, we argue, fails to address the upstream social determinants of health that give rise to health disparities worldwide. Therefore, we urge caution around investing in precision without a complementary commitment to addressing the social and economic conditions that are the root cause of health inequality.


Deployment of IPv6 technology in research and commercial networks has been accelerated in the last few years. Inevitably, as more advanced services take advantage of the new technology, IPv6 traffic gradually increases. Today, there is limited experience in the deployment of Quality of Service (QoS) for IPv6 traffic in backbone networks. As available software and hardware is designed to handle IPv4 packets, there is a need to accurately measure and validate performance of QoS mechanisms in an IPv6 environment. This paper discusses tests and technical challenges in the deployment of IPv6 QoS in core networks, namely the production dual stack Gigabit Greek Research & Education Network GRNET and the IPv6-only 6NET European test network, using both hardware and software platforms. In either case, we succeeded in delivering advanced transport services to IPv6 traffic and provided different performance guarantees to portions of traffic. The deployed QoS schema was common for IPv6 and IPv4; in most cases both v4 and v6 traffic exhibited comparable performance per class while imposing no significantly different overhead on network elements. A major conclusion of our tests is that the IPv6 QoS mechanisms are efficiently supported with state-of-the-art router cards at gigabit speeds. Index Terms — IPv6, QoS, performance, GRNET2


The scientific study of consciousness is constantly making new discoveries, but one particular aspect of consciousness remains problematic to explain. This is the fact that conscious experiences present themselves to us in a first-person way: there is something it feels like to be the subject of a conscious experience. This 'phenomenal' aspect of consciousness seems to be subjective, private, and knowable in a special way, making it difficult to reconcile with the scientific focus on objective, third-person data. This introduction provides an overview of phenomenal consciousness, explores philosophical arguments about its nature, and considers whether or not we should expect to find an explanation for the properties of phenomenal consciousness.


This Essay speculates on the global future of mediation. It anticipates that mediation's popularity will continue to grow both in the U.S. and abroad particularly as courts continue to encourage and institutionalize the process. Meanwhile, the Essay acknowledges the existence and continuing development of a relatively small cadre of elite lawyers and retired judges who serve as private mediators in large, complex matters.The Essay also raises concerns, though, regarding the current lack of clarity in the goals and procedural characteristics that define mediation. The Essay asserts that such lack of clarity invites abuse of the mediation privilege and exclusionary rules that apply to mediation communications. The Essay specifically examines Cassel v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County, decided by the California Supreme Court in early 2011, in which the court held that evidence of lawyers' communications with their client occurring immediately before and during a mediation session was undiscoverable and inadmissible under California's relevant statutes. As a result, such evidence was unavailable to a client in his action against his lawyers for alleged legal malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud and breach of contract. While mediation proponents crafted the mediation privilege and related exclusionary rules with the best of intentions -- i.e., to help people take advantage of mediation's potential to enhance communications and develop customized resolutions -- Cassel illustrates the potential for unintended, harmful consequences.The Essay urges that even though mediation proponents should be proud that their process has become as popular as breakthrough products like "Kleenex" (or perhaps more currently, the "iPad"), such proponents now need to work to define and protect the goals of mediation. The California Legislature has not responded to Cassel with statutory change. Individual mediators, however, can begin to include in their agreements to mediate that, despite any statutory provisions or rules to the contrary, the parties and mediator agree that they will not assert the mediation privilege or exclusionary rules to prohibit the discovery or admission of mediation communications in disciplinary proceedings or malpractice actions against lawyers -- or mediators. Such a provision would be consistent with the Uniform Mediation Act. Such a provision also would make it more likely that mediators will be able to focus on achieving the goals of party self-determination, improved communication and negotiation, and voluntary and customized resolution.


Adhesively bonded joints offer weight savings over mechanical joint designs. However, a disadvantage of bonded joints is that their structural performance is highly sensitive to manufacturing parameters. This poses a challenge when assessing joint strength. Since failure is most likely to initiate near the free edges of the joint, significant effort has been expended to better predict the stress field near those regions. This paper recommends that the design be shown to be robust by assuming flaws in regions of the joint where non-destructive inspection (NDI) is ineffective. This requires characterization of the joint's fracture toughness using coupon level tests, which should use the same manufacturing method as service hardware. The fracture toughness is then used to predict the joint strength and to adjust the design as needed, while keeping the limitations of NDI in mind. This methodology is illustrated with a durable redundant joint and a secondary structure bonded to a primary structure. Known limitations of NDI are used to place flaws in joint locations where they may not be detected, and the capability of the joint is estimated. While, theoretically, a joint design may be defect tolerant, it is important to recognize that the structure may still not be reliable because of the potential for weak bonds, a separate phenomenon. A methodology composed of proof testing combined with pre- and post-proof NDI will be discussed as an effective workmanship screen for mitigating concerns with weak bonds.


A noninvasive fabrication process involving soft nanoimprint lithography is used to pattern a photonic crystal (PhC) in titania film for enhanced light extraction from a GaN light emitting diode (LED). This technique avoids damaging the LED structure by the etching process, while photoluminescence measurements show extracted modes emitted from the quantum wells which agree well with modeling. A light extraction improvement of 1.8 times is measured using this noninvasive PhC.


A method for estimating the vehicle mass in real time is presented. Traditional mass estimation methods suffer due a lack of knowledge of the vehicle parameters, the road surface conditions and most importantly the effect of the vehicle transmission. To resolve these issues, a method independent of a vehicle model is utilized in conjunction with a drivetrain output torque observer to obtain the estimate of the vehicle mass. Simulations and experimental track tests indicate that the method is able to accurately estimate the vehicle mass with a relatively fast rate of convergence compared to traditional methods.


The Pacific margin of Mexico is formed by Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous arc-related successions of the Guerrero Terrane. The Guerrero Terrane in southwestern Mexico is divided into three subterranes: from west to east: the Zihuatanejo-Huetamo subterrane, Arceha - Palmar Chico subterrane, and Teloloapan subterrane. -- This thesis research targets the Teloloapan subterrane and is aimed at establishing its stratigraphy, sedimentology, petrography and geochemistry as the basis for an improved understanding of its tectonic history. The Teloloapan subterrane contains a thick Lower Cretaceous age sequence of volcanic, volcaniclastic, and carbonate rocks (the arc-related succession), which is covered by Upper Cretaceous mostly deep-water siliciclastic rocks (the sedimentary cover successions). All rocks are strongly deformed. -- The arc-related succession contains three formations (Villa Ayala, Acapetlahuaya and Teloloapan formations) showing concordant and transitional boundaries. Facies analysis of the Villa Ayala and Acapetlahuaya formations (Berriasian-Late Aptian) records the construction of volcanic build-ups and their destruction by gravity-current processes that formed slope-apron deposits. Carbonate rocks of the Teloloapan Formation developed on top of extinct volcanoes and formed an Aptian-Albian carbonate platform. -- The Miahuatepec and Mezcala formations constitute the sedimentary cover succession. The Mezcala Formation is comprised of interbedded sandstone and shale with minor thin-bedded limestone and calcareous breccias. The Miahuatepec Formation is a thick sequence of interbedded sandstone and shale with minor thin-bedded limestone. Facies analysis shows both units were deposited by low- to high- concentration turbidity currents on the middle to lower parts of submarine fans. -- Volcaniclastic and epiclastic sandstones from the arc-related succession are rich in volcanic lithic grains derived from contemporaneous volcanic source. They have an undissected to transitional arc provenance (terminology of W. R. Dickinson). Geochemical data indicate a mafic to felsic volcanic source with a calc-alkaline affinity. REE patterns are similar to those of evolved intraoceanic arcs. -- Sandstones from the Mezcala Formation show quartzolithic and carbonate-rich petrofacies, while the sandstones of the Miahuatepec Formation are mainly quartzolithic. Both formations were derived by erosion of volcanic sources and have a transitional to dissected arc provenance. The Mezcala Formation also has a coeval formations contribution from the erosion of platform carbonates of the Teloloapan Formation. Geochemistry of the Miahuatepec Formation supports a calc-alkaline volcanic source with REE pattems similar to those of evolved intraoceanic arcs. -- The tectonic history of southwestem Mexico seems to be characterized by intraoceanic arcs (Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous), followed by cessation of volcanism and development of an island-arc carbonate platform (Albian-Cenomanian) in the Teloloapan area. Contemporaneously, a jump in subduction forms the volcanic rocks of the Arcelia - Palmar Chico subterrane. The Guerrero Terrane was accreted to the "cratonic" Mixteca Terrane during the Late Cretaceous.


Pace Necessitism – roughly, the view that existence is not contingent – essential properties provide necessary conditions for the existence of objects. Sufficiency properties, by contrast, provide sufficient conditions, and individual essences provide necessary and sufficient conditions. This paper explains how these kinds of properties can be used to illuminate the ontological status of merely possible objects and to construct a respectable possibilist ontology. The paper also reviews two points of interaction between essentialism and modal logic. First, we will briefly see the challenge that arises against S4 from flexible essential properties; as well as the moves available to block it. After this, the emphasis is put on the Barcan Formula (BF), and on why it is problematic for essentialists. As we will see, Necessitism can accommodate both (BF) and essential properties. What necessitists cannot do at the same time is to continue to understanding essential properties as providing necessary conditions for the existence of individuals; against what might be for some a truism.


In this paper, we quantify the effectiveness of third-party tracker blockers on a large scale. First, we analyze the architecture of various state-of-the-art blocking solutions and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Second, we perform a two-part measurement study on the effectiveness of popular tracker-blocking tools. Our analysis quantifies the protection offered against trackers present on more than 100,000 popular websites and 10,000 popular Android applications. We provide novel insights into the ongoing arms race between trackers and developers of blocking tools as well as which tools achieve the best results under what circumstances. Among others, we discover that rule-based browser extensions outperform learning-based ones, trackers with smaller footprints are more successful at avoiding being blocked, and CDNs pose a major threat towards the future of tracker-blocking tools. Overall, the contributions of this paper advance the field of web privacy by providing not only the largest study to date on the effectiveness of tracker-blocking tools, but also by highlighting the most pressing challenges and privacy issues of third-party tracking.


Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) has been identified as a serious adverse drug reaction (ADR) of several immunomodulatory biologicals. In this study, we contrasted the reporting patterns of PML for two biologicals for which the risk was identified at different points in their lifecycle: natalizumab (before reapproval) and rituximab (nine years postapproval). We found that, apart from the differences in clinical characteristics (age, gender, indication, time to event, fatality), which reflect the diversity in context of use, PML reports for natalizumab were more complete and were received sooner after occurrence. This study serves as an important reminder that spontaneous reports should only be used with great caution to quantify and compare safety profiles across products over time. The observed variability in reporting patterns and heterogeneity of PML cases presents challenges to such comparisons. Lumping uncharacterized PML reports together without taking these differences into account may result in biased comparisons and flawed conclusions about differential safety.


Despite the continuously increasing importance of Agile and Lean in software development, the number of studies that investigate Requirements Engineering (RE) related aspects remains low. In this paper, we report the results from a literature review about Agile and Lean requirements engineering. By performing a systematic mapping literature review, we identified 22 metrics in 18 publications. We analyzed the identified papers based on research methodology, rigor and relevance and other external attributes. We also map the identified metrics on the abstracted model for Agile and Lean development. We conclude that requirements-associated metrics are underrepresented in the literature and most of the metrics focuses on the time aspect rather than the quality aspect.


Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are noncovalently functionalized with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and then employed as the support of Pt nanoparticles. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the successful functionalization of CNTs with PAH. The negatively charged Pt precursors are adsorbed on positively charged PAH-wrapping CNTs surface via electrostatic self-assembly and then in situ reduced in ethylene glycol. X-Ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope images reveal that Pt nanoparticles with an average size of ∼2.6 nm are uniformly dispersed on CNT surface. Pt/PAH-CNTs exhibit unexpectedly high activity towards oxygen reduction reaction, which can be attributed to the large electrochemical surface area of Pt nanoparticles. It also shows enhanced electrochemical stability due to the structural integrity of PAH-CNTs. This provides a facile approach to synthesize CNTs-based nanoelectrocatalysts.


Indigenous tourism is an expansive sector in the growing tourism industry. The Sami people living in Sapmi in northern Europe have started to engage in tourism, particularly in view of the rationalised and modernised methods of reindeer herding. Sami tourism offers job opportunities and enables the spreading of information. On the other hand, Sami tourism may jeopardise the indigenous culture and harm the sensitive environment in which the Sami live. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the supply and demand of Sami tourism in northern Sweden. This is presented in four articles. The first article analyses the potential of the emerging Sami tourism in Sweden, with special emphasis on the access to Sami tourism products. The study shows that there is a growing supply of tourism activities related to the Swedish Sami. The development of tourism is, however, restricted by factors such as the peripheral location and the lack of traditions of entrepreneurship. The second article analyse which factors influence tourists when they make their decisions about Sami tourism. In the article the respondents are requested to answer a number of hypothetical questions, ranking their preferences regarding supply, price and access. The study indicates that tourism related to the Sami and Sami culture has a considerable future potential, but also that there is a gap between supply and demand. In the third article the analysis shows that the festival in Jokkmokk, thanks to continuously added attractions, has been able to retain a rather high level of popularity, despite its peripheral location. Finally, the fourth article analyses to what extent the winter festival in Jokkmokk is a genuinely indigenous event, and to what extent it is staged. It is argued that the indigenous culture presented at the festival and in media is highly staged, although backstage experiences are available for the Sami and for the tourists who show a special interest.


Reliability-Based Design (RBD) is an emerging concept for the design of transmission line structures and holds the potential to reduce the cost of lines or increase their reliability. On attractive alternative for increasing the electrical capacity of transmission corridors is to reconductor lines using existing structures. This option can sometimes offer significant cost savings. A primary question in reconductoring studies is the adequacy of the exiting facilities to support the proposed new conductors. An analysis of the structure is necessary to determine if a structure is capable of supporting the higher loads and to determine the change in reliability index of the existing line configuration and the proposed configuration. It is therefore, important to know the accuracy of the structure analysis, and the accuracy and repeatability of the test values. The purpose of this paper is to attempt to quantify the level of repeatability that can be expected when testing lattice transmission structures.


Swarm Intelligence (SI) algorithms, such as Fish School Search (FSS), are well known as useful tools that can be used to achieve a good solution in a reasonable amount of time for complex optimization problems. And when problems increase in size and complexity, some increase in population size or number of iterations might be needed in order to achieve a good solution. In extreme cases, the execution time can be huge and other approaches, such as parallel implementations, might help to reduce it. This paper investigates the relation and trade off involving these three aspects in SI algorithms, namely population size, number of iterations, and problem complexity. The results with a parallel implementations of FSS show that increasing the population size is beneficial for finding good solutions. However, we observed an asymptotic behavior of the results, i.e. increasing the population over a certain threshold only leads to slight improvements.


Abstract This paper addresses the mineralogy, geochemistry, and genesis of palygorskite and associated calcretes in the Kırşehir region. In this area, the Quaternary calcretes are present within and/or on lacustrine mudstones of the Kızılırmak Formation (Late Miocene-Pliocene). The calcretes occur in the form of nodules, tubes, fracture-infills, and hard laminated crusts (hardpans). Calcrete samples are predominantly composed of calcite associated with smectite, quartz, feldspar, and minor palygorskite. The lacustrine mudstone samples consist mainly of smectite and palygorskite with minor calcite, quartz, feldspar, illite, kaolinite and amorphous material. Petrographic studies revealed that the calcrete samples are predominantly micrites that were partially converted to microsparites by recrystallization. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy images indicate that palygorskite fibres formed authigenically on and between calcite rhombs in the calcrete samples and at the edges of smectite flakes of host rocks adjacent to the calcretes. The oxygen and hydrogen stable isotope values of the calcite suggest that it precipitated from meteoric water under arid or seasonally arid climatic conditions. Calcite precipitation occurred in the vadose zone, as evidenced by desiccation cracks and vadose pisolites. The enrichment of Rb+Ba ± Sr and Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE) relative to Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE)with a distinct negative Eu anomaly are responses to the fractionation of volcanogenic feldspar and hornblende under the influence of meteoric water. The palygorskite associated with calcretes was precipitated from alkaline water rich in Si, Al and Fe and low in Mg. The palygorskite precipitation occurred at increased temperatures, characterising the advanced stage of calcrete formation which lowers the Ca content in the soil water. The required chemical elements for palygorskite and calcite were most likely derived from the dissolution of smectitic clays, ignimbrites and carbonate minerals.


Environmental Plant Physiology focuses on the physiology of plant-environment interactions, revealing plants as the key terrestrial intersection of the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere. It provides a contemporary understanding of the topic by focusing on some of humankind's fundamental biological, agricultural and environmental challenges. Its chapters identify thirteen key environmental variables, grouping them into resources, stressors and pollutants, and leading the reader through how they challenge plants and how plants respond at molecular, physiological, whole plant and ecological levels. The importance of taking account of spatial and temporal dimensions of environmental change in order to understand plant function is emphasised. The book uses a mixture of ecological, environmental and agricultural examples throughout in order to provide a holistic view of the topic suitable for a contemporary student audience. Each chapter uses a novel stress response hierarchy to integrate plant responses across spatial and temporal scales in an easily digestible framework.


The attempt of abolishing fuel subsidy to alleviate the rising pressure on public finances would pose a threat to the performance of the sectors. This study, therefore, intends to identify the impact of abolishing the subsidies on domestic producers in Malaysia using a Lofgren-based computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. The findings show that the fuel subsidy abolition leads to a significant fall in the level of production, and consequently decreases output allocation for domestic and export markets. Sectors which use relatively large amounts of oil products in production would most likely be hit harder. Besides simulating the impact of abolishing the fuel subsidies, two supplementary regimes (reallocating the extra savings to the agricultural sector to assist the rural poor and transferring direct cash to those who are in need) are incorporated to deal with the decelerating growth in domestic production. Interestingly, raising agricultural investment is found to be more favourable in terms of better performance in the growth of the sector. Thus, it is advisable to include improvement of farming practices in designing policy measures. This study can further serve as a guideline in upgrading the existing subsidy abolition to ensure the performance of the sectors is wholly satisfactory.


The Madonna del Sirino succession belongs to the Meso-Caenozoic Lagonegro basin (Southern Apennines). The aim of this study is to obtain more information about the evolution of this basin during the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic interval. The section of Madonna del Sirino begins with cherty limestones (upper part of the Calcari con Selce fm), passing upwards to radiolarites and shales (Scisti Silicei fm) through a "transitional interval". The Scisti Silicei fm is divided in four members: a) "Buccaglione" with red shales, radiolarites and two anoxic levels; b) "Nevera" with black shales and black cherty layers; c) "Serra" with red radiolarites and red shales; d) "Acqua Sulfurea" with green radiolarites and green chert. New biostratigraphic data provided elements for referring some events to specific ages. A conodont assemblage allows us to assert that the change from calcareous to siliceous deposition did not begin before the Sevatian. Various samples in the Buccaglione member provided radiolarian associations typical of the Rhaetian, never recorded in these sections by previous studies. Pyritized radiolarian assemblages in the calcarenites of the Nevera member display features typical of the Triassic and Jurassic forms. In the Serra member Early Jurassic radiolarians were found in the upper part. These observations allows us to confine the Triassic/Jurassic boundary in ten meters; it should be included in the last black shales interval (Nevera member). It is important to point out that in the Lagonegro Basin the Triassic/Jurassic boundary, which corresponds to a major mass extinction event, was preceded by a period of repeated environmental changes.


Objective Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection is recognized as a major cause of morbidity and mortality among HIV-1 infected patients. Our understanding of the impact of HIV infection on HCV specific immune responses and liver disease outcome is limited by the heterogeneous study populations with genetically diverse infecting viruses, varying duration of infection and anti-viral treatment. Methods Viral-specific immune responses in a cohort of 151 HCV mono- and HIV co-infected former plasma donors infected with a narrow source of virus were studied. HCV and HIV specific T cell responses were correlated with clinical data. Results HIV-1 accelerated liver disease progression and decreased HCV specific T cell immunity. The magnitude of HCV specific T cell responses inversely correlated with lower HCV RNA load and reduced liver injury as assessed by non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis. HIV co-infection reduced the frequency of HCV specific CD4+ T cells with no detectable effect on CD8+ T cells or neutralizing antibody levels. Conclusion Our study highlights the impact of HIV co-infection on HCV specific CD4+ T cell responses in a unique cohort of patients for both HCV and HIV and suggests a crucial role for these cells in controlling chronic HCV replication and liver disease progression.


Natural physique competitions are based on subjective judgments of how a competitor appears on show day. Prior to competition, there is a prolonged dieting phase referred to as contest preparation. The primary goal is to reduce body fat levels while maintaining skeletal muscle mass. The study tracked the physiological and psychological changes for a 24 year old female preparing for a physique competition. Purpose: The study was conducted to describe the physiological and psychological changes of a female physique competitor who engages in long-term contest preparation. Methods: Diet, body composition, blood work, energy expenditure, mood, and performance were evaluated through contest preparation. Results: The participant lost 10.1kg throughout contest preparation in a strong weekly linear pattern (R2=0.97). Body fat was reduced from 30.45% to 15.85% while fat free mass was maintained. Mood for the participant remained stable until month five, when an observed variation occurred, with performance maintaining. Conclusions: Contest preparation was successful in reducing the body fat in the participant while having a minimum effect on both performance and fat free mass. For athletes looking to lose large amounts of body fat with minimal performance decrements a prolonged diet period with moderate exercise and food restriction can be an effective solution.


This thesis explores anonymity as an aspect of identity construction within electronic dance music (EDM). Its specific focus is on the production and control of image within genres that have arisen since the development and expansion of the club scene in the UK from the latter part of the 20th century and, then situated in visual culture and performance research, its examination of anonymity represents an area that, to date, has been overlooked in EDM. As part of this investigation, the thesis' chapters notably analyse elements that are external to music recordings including record sleeve design and press interviews: components that are essential elements in the development and distribution of these performative identities.

Following Thornton (1995), Rietveld (1998), Hesmondhalgh (1998a) and Gilbert and Pearson (1999), the research critically reviews a range of issues that are determined as associated with these representations – including the influence of technologies, a resistance to mainstream assimilation and the impact of collective 'scene' – while explaining some of EDM's distinctions and hierarchies within a post-subcultural setting. To do this it uses case studies focusing on the approaches of Daft Punk, Burial, Zomby and SBTRKT: examples that are presented as unique demonstrations of image construction within the field. It also places the role of identity within a more expansive history of electronic music by aligning contemporary practice with the earlier presented image of Kraftwerk.

Ultimately, and while observing this lineage of often counterintuitive practices, the thesis argues that the EDM producer's separation from the high visibility 'star system' model favoured by pop and rock performers reflects commitment to a marginal status: a commitment also communicated through its visual aesthetics that reinforce an underground cultural context to celebrate the peripheral whilst, simultaneously, highlighting the EDM producer's perceived condition as that which is inferior to his or her rock counterpart.


The objective of the conference was to provide a forum for engineers, architects and scientists to discuss a broad range of research and design methods for various problems related to snow engineering. Specialists in building and civil engineering, environmental engineering, energy engineering, urban planning, and regional development as well as snow scientists were brought together for the conference. The technical sessions were in five thematic areas as follows: Snow technology and science; Building and construction engineering; Infrastructure and transportation; Housing and residential planning; Development strategy in snow countries. The 115 papers provide keys to realize more comfortable living conditions in snow countries and to overcome many problems in heavy snow regions.


The Carboniferous rocks, as found in Yorkshire, comprise the Coal Measures, Millstone Grits, Pendleside Series and Carboniferous Limestone. In the latter group of rocks I include the Yoredale Rocks (Phillips) of North-West Yorkshire.

In the Coal Measures no fish remains have been found in the Upper Measures, as far as I know, but the yield from the Middle and Lower Measures has in the past been plentiful; at the present time, however, specimens are very difficult to obtain, as at most of the pits very little shale (in which the fish remains are mostly found) is brought up to the surface.

In the Millstone Grits and Pendleside Series fish remains are—with very few exceptions—rare.

Again, in the Carboniferous Limestone, the yield of these remains is now very poor, although in the past large collections have been made, notably by Mr. Horne, F.G.S., of Leyburn. His specimens were mostly collected from the Main Cherts or Red Beds at Harmby Quarry, near Leyburn Railway Station. A few others have been found in the Crow Limestone above, and the Underset Limestone below. Others have been found at Richmond, Settle, and Pateley Bridge; though in these localities they are rare.

Note.—Since writing this paper. the writer finds that fish remains have been found by Mr. H. Culpin, of Doncaster, in the Upper Coal Measures. These the writer hopes to have an opportunity of describing later.

Table of Fish Remains, With Their Distribution In The Carboniferous Limestones. A.

| | Wensleydale—Leyburn. | Pateley Bridge |
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Mobile ad hoc networks are growing in popularity due to the explosive growth of modern devices with wireless capability such as laptop, mobile phones, PDA, etc., makes the application more challenging. The mobile nodes are vulnerable to security attacks. To protect the ad hoc network it is essential to evaluate the trust worthiness. The proposed TWCA is similar to WCA in terms of cluster formation and cluster head election. However, in WCA security features are not included. The proposed TWCA is a cluster based trust evaluation, in which the mobile nodes are grouped into clusters with one cluster head. It establishes trust relationship for the cluster based on the previous transaction result. The simulation result confirms the efficiency of our scheme than the WCA and SEMC.


Gas-phase chemical plumes exhibit, particularly in the infrared, distinctive emission signatures as a function of wavelength. Hyperspectral imagery can exploit this distinctiveness to detect specific chemicals, even at low concentrations, using matched filters that are tailored both the the specific structure of the chemical signature and to the statistics of the background clutter. But what if the chemical species is unknown? One can apply matched filters to a long list of candidate chemicals (or chemical mixtures), or one can treat the problem as one of anomaly detection. In this case, however, the anomalous signals of interest are not completely unknown. Gas spectra are generically sparse (absorbing or emitting at only a few wavelengths), and this property can be exploited to enhance the sensitivity of anomaly detection algorithms. This paper investigates the utility of sparse signal anomaly detection for the problem of finding plumes of gas with unknown chemistry in hyperspectral imagery.


IN TE RCON NECTED S YSTEMS—the Internet, wireless networks, or sensor nets—embrace virtually all computing environments. Thus our data no longer needs to be stored, nicely organized, in centralized databases; it may instead span a great many heterogeneous locations and be connected through communication links. Records about stock-exchange transactions, for example, reside in broker firms and other financial entities around the world. But data is worthless if it cannot be efficiently processed to yield useful information. Enter a data set's basic aggregates, such as the maximum, mean, or median, which can be combined to evaluate statistical properties of the data and guide decisions and actions, for example, by detecting trends stock markets. Some of these aggregates can be computed quickly by means of a common network infrastructure—namely, a "spanning tree"—that connects all nodes storing information. For example, a simple recursive algorithm can compute the mean: each node averages the means computed in each subtree rooted at a node; and the resulting mean, together with the count, is then forwarded to the parent, which in turn averages the results from its own subtrees. Assuming a unit of time that allows for receiving messages from all children and processing them; each iteration takes a single time unit, and the number of time units is proportional to the depth of the spanning tree, or diameter of the network, denoted D. Essentially, the same algorithm computes the maximal or minimal value and similar aggregates. But the mean is sensitive to outliers: when the data has large variations the mean may misrepresent the data. On days when stock rates are highly fluctuating, a single stock transaction at an extremely low quote can significantly sway the mean, rendering it irrelevant. The median, other quartiles, or in general the k element of the data set are more significant in these situations. But although the simple algorithm described here is fine for the mean, it does not work for computing the median, given that the median at an interior node is not necessarily the median of the medians in its sub-trees. A simple divide-and-conquer approach can be used instead. This algorithm starts with the entire set of elements and in each round randomly chooses a single pivot element. The algorithm then counts the number of elements larger than the pivot, and it recourses in the corresponding subinterval. A fairly straightforward analysis shows that when the pivots are chosen uniformly at random and the element counts are exact, then the expected number of iterations is asymptotically bounded by the logarithm of m, the number of nodes in the tree. Putting this sequential algorithm to work in a large heterogeneous network, as done by Kuhn, Locher, and Wattenhofer, illustrates the challenges facing designers of network algorithms today and the innovations they must come up with to tackle them. The main barrier is in sampling the pivot from a vast and scattered data set. The three researchers sidestep this barrier, however, by instead sending a search expedition to look for the pivot within the data. The search takes a random walk down the parent spanning tree, starting from the root and randomly choosing to which child to proceed. The choice is biased by the size of the sub-trees rooted at the children, but a careful tuning of the biases allows a pivot to be picked uniformly at random within time 2D. Instead of choosing one pivot at a time, the algorithm of Kuhn, Locher, and Wattenhofer finds D pivots within time O(D) by staggering the search for several pivots in overlapping time intervals. Using D pivots, the number of candidates reduces by a factor of D in each iteration, leading to a total time complexity of O(D logD n), with n being the number of nodes in the network. Their paper then shows how to avoid the randomized pivot selection so as to make the algorithm deterministic, though at some cost. Armed with these algorithms, the problem of computing data aggregates distributively is now largely solved. Data can be spread across a network, yet we can mine it to deduce important information. And in case you were wondering: the answer is negative. No other algorithm can do better. The authors show that any algorithm for finding the median (and in general the k item) must take time proportional to D logD n, even if it can flip coins. In the true tradition of the theory of distributed computing, the lower bound follows from the uncertainty inherent in the problem. The idea is to construct many scenarios, each with a different median, and use an information-theoretic argument to show that a lot of time is needed in order to disambiguate among these scenarios.


The study of the effect of priced information on basic algorithmic problems was initiated by M. Charikar et al. (2000). The authors continue the study of sorting and selection in the priced comparison model, i.e., when each comparison has an associated cost, and answer some of the open problems suggested by Charikar et al. If the comparison costs are allowed to be arbitrary, we show that one cannot get good approximation ratios. A different way to assign costs is based on the idea that one can distill out an intrinsic value for each item being compared, such that the cost of comparing two elements is some "well-behaved" or "structured" function of their values. We feel that most practical applications will have some structured cost property. The authors study the problems of sorting and selection (which includes finding the maximum and the median) in the structured cost model. We get a variety of approximation results for these problems, depending on the restrictions we put on the structured costs. We show that it is possible to get much improved results with the structured cost model than the case when we do not have any assumptions on comparison costs.


Augmented reality (AR) systems add visual information to the world by using advanced display techniques. The advances in miniaturization and reduced hardware costs make some of these systems feasible for applications in a wide set of fields. We present a potential component of the cyber infrastructure for the operating room of the future: a distributed AR-based software-hardware system that allows real-time visualization of three-dimensional (3-D) lung dynamics superimposed directly on the patient's body. Several emergency events (e.g., closed and tension pneumothorax) and surgical procedures related to lung (e.g., lung transplantation, lung volume reduction surgery, surgical treatment of lung infections, lung cancer surgery) could benefit from the proposed prototype


This practice‐based research is a long creative work about Alan Turing. It consists of a series that includes prose, narrative poems and visual poems. An accompanying critical commentary, which is split into three sections, addresses the relationship between narrative and seriality, ways in which scientific notations can be used in
visual poetry, and aspects of biographical and civil poetry. A finalsection contains a selection of creative approaches to commentary that reflect on research in a manner that is complementary to the critical commentary. The research was carried out through a process of repeated planning and experimentation that has resulted in a variety of forms and procedures, ranging from the accessible and conventional to the idiosyncratic and experimental. A method of investigating narrative was created by allowing narrative and serial formsto intersect throughout the creative work. A means of bringing science and literature into relation was sought through a process of forceful combination of scientific notations with
literary or occult materials. And alternative possibilities for biographical poetry were investigated through resistance to celebration and through experiment with formal propertiesin poetry that could be appropriate to Turing. The creative work and critical commentary find new models for the relationship between narrative and seriality in which the will to create narrative is not denied and seriality is not a mere absence of narrative. They find new means by which science and literature can come into contact through visual poetry. They help to define a unique role for poetry in biographical writing in the way that poetry allows the subject to be embodied formally. And they set up a productive dialogue between experimental andmore established writing strategies.


As the world faces COVID-19, the search for effective treatments against the disease and its complications has turned its gaze to drugs that are classically used in other infectious diseases. Some drugs are being examined for the recent evidence on its effects on viral replication and inflammation. The aim of the study was to assess the outcome of Ivermectin-Azithromycin-Cholecalciferol combination therapy on early stages (I-IIa) of COVID-19 patients. This proof of concept study was carried out on confirmed COVID-19 patients in Mexico City, from April 01 to April 20, 2020. Patients who met inclusion criteria were invited to take Ivermectin (6 mg once daily in day 0,1,7 and 8) plus Azithromycin (500 mg once daily for 4 days) plus Cholecalciferol (4000 UI twice daily for 30 days). Treatment outcome was evaluated on the 10th day onward from the first day of the drug intake. Recovery rate of the 28 patients that received the combination therapy was 100%, the mean symptomatic recovery duration was 3.6 days and negative PCR was confirmed on day 10. Imaging findings of patients with pneumonia were improved on day 10. Transient and mild degree of adverse effect like diarrhea and nausea was noted by 3 (10.7%) patients. This study found that the combination treatment might mitigate disease progression without significant adverse effects. Further studies are needed in order to extrapolate these findings to moderate and severe COVID-19.


Though Louis Isidore Kahn (1901-1974) started his career late in his life, the few projects he was able to undertake were realized to perfection. With the Jonas Salk Institute in La Jolla, California (1959-1965) Kahn created a workspace with superb functional and aesthetic qualities; the institute's Minimalist elements radiate a sense of eternal beauty. The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth (1966-1972) occupies the somewhat faceless city like an island of spiritual space, an effect that is achieved by simplicity in design and materials. Also, the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad (1962-1974) and the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, National Assembly of Bangladesh in Dhaka that was finished after his death are buildings of monumental importance, demonstrating the vision of a talented and very unusual man. This book brings together 17 Kahn projects, ranging from private housing to commercial architecture, religious buildings, exhibition spaces, and government buildings.


We report on CW second-harmonic generation in selectively oxidized AlGaAs multilayer waveguides. Frequency doubling of a 1.55 μm pump is observed with 2.8% W(-1) conversion efficiency and a maximum second-harmonic power around 0.3 mW. This is the strongest second-harmonic generation ever reported in semiconductor waveguides and an encouraging result toward integrated spontaneous parametric downconversion in the telecom range.


About the book: Harvey Molotch's "city as a growth machine" thesis is one of the most influential approaches to the analysis of urban politics and local economic development in the United States. However, the nature and context of urban politics have changed considerably since the growth machine thesis was first proposed more than twenty years ago, and recent attempts to apply it to settings outside the U.S. have revealed conceptual and empirical limitations.

This book offers a unique critical assessment of the contribution of the growth machine thesis to research in urban political economy. Written from an interdisciplinary and international perspective, it brings together leading urban studies scholars. These contributors explore three organizing themes: urban growth, discourse and ideology; new dimensions of urban politics; and the growth machine in comparative perspective. These themes not only provide the focus for the critical examinations of the growth machine thesis, but also offer exciting new ways of thinking about and researching urban politics and local economic development.

As Harvey Molotch himself notes in this book's concluding chapter, "The growth machine idea makes a substantive argument about the empirical substance of U.S. urban regimes. It asserts that virtually every city (and state) government is a growth machine and long has been. It asserts that this puts localities in chronic competition with one another in ways that harm the vast majority of their citizens as well as their environments. It anticipates an ideological structure that naturalizes growth goals as a background assumption of civic life. In a social science realm where successful empirical generalizations have been few, the growth machine idea robustly and usefully describes reality."


Houston's meteoric rise from a bayou trading post to the world's leading oil supplier owes much to its geography, geology, and climate: the large natural port of Galveston Bay, the lush subtropical vegetation, the abundance of natural resources. But the attributes that have made it attractive for industry, energy, and urban development have also made it particularly susceptible to a variety of environmental problems. "Energy Metropolis" presents a comprehensive history of the development of Houston, examining the factors that have facilitated unprecedented growth - and the environmental cost of that development. The landmark Spindletop strike of 1901 made inexpensive high-grade Texas oil the fuel of choice for ships, industry, and the infant automobile industry. Literally overnight, oil wells sprang up around Houston. In 1914, the opening of the Houston Ship Channel connected the city to the Gulf of Mexico and international trade markets. Oil refineries sprouted up and down the channel, and the petroleum products industry exploded. By the 1920s, Houston also became a leading producer of natural gas, and the economic opportunities and ancillary industries created by the new energy trade led to a population boom. By the end of the twentieth century, Houston had become the fourth largest city in America. Houston's expansion came at a price, however. Air, water, and land pollution reached hazardous levels as legislators turned a blind eye. Frequent flooding of altered waterways, deforestation, hurricanes, the energy demands of an air-conditioned lifestyle, increased automobile traffic, exponential population growth, and an ever-expanding metropolitan area all escalated the need for massive infrastructure improvements. The experts in "Energy Metropolis" examine the steps Houston has taken to overcome laissez-faire politics, indiscriminate expansion, and infrastructural overload. What emerges is a profound analysis of the environmental consequences of large-scale energy production and unchecked growth.


This book is intended for a wide readership and mostly for specialists - builders, as well as graduate and undergraduate students of engineering sciences in universities. In this book the Authors outline the general statement of structural theory and consider on its basis the interrelations of structure and properties of major groups of building materials. By generalizing the data of numerous studies, the Authors refer to and analyze the results obtained by them in the Pridneprovsk Academy of Construction and Architecture and the National University of Water Management and Environmental Sciences (Ukraine). Building, Materials, Construction, Structure Ringgold Subjects: Materials Science


A coherent percept of our visual world is important for functioning. Ambiguities, however, are implicit in visual neural representations and must be resolved for stable perception of objects and scenes. Grouping processes can link multiple neurally ambiguous fragments across the visual field. Experiments here determined how multiple visual features of each fragment contribute to perceptual resolution of ambiguity by grouping. Chromatic interocular-switch rivalry, a technique for presenting competing dichoptic images, was used to induce ambiguous neural representations for equiluminant chromatic discs and gratings. Two dichoptic stimuli were presented simultaneously to measure the amount of time they both appeared the same in at least one feature domain. The two stimuli were grouped when they appeared to share ambiguous features such as color, orientation, and spatial frequency more often than chance. Experiments here tested whether unshared and unambiguous features impeded grouping of the ambiguous components. Overall, the results show that grouping can be driven by neural ambiguity that is common for fragments across the visual field, even when the fragments also have other unshared, unambiguous features.


Differentiable architecture search (DARTS) is a prevailing NAS solution to identify architectures. Based on the continuous relaxation of the architecture space, DARTS learns a differentiable architecture weight and largely reduces the search cost. However, its stability has been challenged for yielding deteriorating architectures as the search proceeds. We find that the precipitous validation loss landscape, which leads to a dramatic performance drop when distilling the final architecture, is an essential factor that causes instability. Based on this observation, we propose a perturbation-based regularization - SmoothDARTS (SDARTS), to smooth the loss landscape and improve the generalizability of DARTS-based methods. In particular, our new formulations stabilize DARTS-based methods by either random smoothing or adversarial attack. The search trajectory on NAS-Bench-1Shot1 demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach and due to the improved stability, we achieve performance gain across various search spaces on 4 datasets. Furthermore, we mathematically show that SDARTS implicitly regularizes the Hessian norm of the validation loss, which accounts for a smoother loss landscape and improved performance.


PurposeThe experience of successful firms has proven that one of the most important ways to promote co-learning and create successful networked innovations is the proper application of inter-organizational knowledge mechanisms. This study aims to use a resource-action-performance framework to open the black box on the relationship between networking capability and innovation performance. The research population embraces companies in the Iranian automotive industry.Design/methodology/approachDue to the latent nature of the variables studied, the required data are collected through a web-based cross-sectional survey. First, the content validity of the measurement tool is evaluated by experts. Then, a pre-test is conducted to assess the reliability of the measurement tool. All data are gathered by the Iranian Vehicle Manufacturers Association (IVMA) and Iranian Auto Parts Manufacturers Association (IAPMA) samples. The power analysis method and G*Power software are used to determine the sample size. Moreover, SmartPLS 3 and IBM SPSS 25 software are used for data analysis of the conceptual model and relating hypotheses.FindingsThe results of this study indicated that the relationships between networking capability, inter-organizational knowledge mechanisms and inter-organizational learning result in a self-reinforcing loop, with a marked impact on firm innovation performance.Originality/valueSince there is little understanding of the interdependencies of networking capability, inter-organizational knowledge mechanisms, co-learning and their effect on firm innovation performance, most previous research studies have focused on only one or two of the above-mentioned variables. Thus, their cumulative effect has not examined yet. Looking at inter-organizational relationships from a network perspective and knowledge-based view (KBV), and to consider the simultaneous effect of knowledge mechanisms and learning as intermediary actions alongside, to consider the performance effect of the capability-building process, are the main advantages of this research.


We will describe new cross-lingual strategies for the development multilingual information services on mobile devices. The novelty of our approach is the intelligent modeling of cross-lingual application domains and the combination of textual translation with speech generation. The final system helps users to speak foreign languages and communicate with the local people in relevant situations, such as restaurant, taxi and emergencies. The advantage of our information services is that they are robust enough for the use in real-world situations. They are developed for the Beijing Olympic Games 2008, where most foreigners will have to rely on translation assistance. Their deployment is foreseen as part of the planned ubiquitous mobile information system of the Olympic Games.


Experimental results on the Ellsberg paradox typically reveal behavior that is commonly interpreted as ambiguity aversion. The experiments reported in the current paper find the objective probabilities for drawing a red ball that make subjects indifferent between various risky and uncertain Ellsberg bets. They allow us to examine the predictive power of alternative principles of choice under uncertainty, including the objective maximin and Hurwicz criteria, the sure-thing principle, and the principle of insufficient reason. Contrary to our expectations, the principle of insufficient reason performed substantially better than rival theories in our experiment, with ambiguity aversion appearing only as a secondary phenomenon.


An outbreak of parainfluenza virus type 3 infection that occurred in a special neonatal care unit is described. Birth weights of affected infants ranged from 1860 to 2080 g and gestational ages were between 28 and 32 weeks. Three infants presented with recurrent episodes of apnoea associated with oxygen desaturations on postnatal ages of 16 days, 26 days and 66 days respectively; upper respiratory tract infection symptoms such as coryza were absent in them. Two older infants who had oxygen dependent bronchopulmonary dysplasia presented with worsening of the respiratory status due to bronchiolitis at 5 and 6 months of age respectively. All infants required supplemental oxygen and assisted ventilatory support and there were no deaths. Parainfluenza virus type 3 was identified by direct antigen detection in 3 cases and was isolated in the other two. The outbreak was controlled by isolating the infected infants, use of gowns and strict hand washing. Nonporous surfaces contaminated with parainfluenza virus type 3 were cleansed with water and detergent. Viral respiratory infections should be considered in the differential diagnosis when growing premature infants present with recurrent apnoeic episodes and they may be severe enough to require assisted ventilatory support. The source of the outbreak was possibly a medical officer and a medical student who had an upper respiratory tract infection prior to the outbreak in the nursery. Medical and nursing staff with viral respiratory infections should avoid working in the nurseries until they are well.


We introduce a new intrinsic measure of local curvature on point-cloud data called diffusion curvature. Our measure uses the framework of diffusion maps, including the data diffusion operator, to structure point cloud data and define local curvature based on the laziness of a random walk starting at a point or region of the data. We show that this laziness directly relates to volume comparison results from Riemannian geometry. We then extend this scalar curvature notion to an entire quadratic form using neural network estimations based on the diffusion map of point-cloud data. We show applications of both estimations on toy data, single-cell data, and on estimating local Hessian matrices of neural network loss landscapes.


This descriptive study reports on perceptions of sexual harassment and sexual aggression incidences in Latin America using data from the People's Security Surveys (PSS) conducted with 8108 employees (approximately 48% male and 52% female) from three Latin American countries--Argentina, Brazil, and Chile--who were chosen by the International Labour Organization to answer questions using the same methodology on both a quota sample and questionnaire data. Significant chi-square results show that (1) Latin American sexual harassment incidences vary by country in that (2) employees are most likely to be harassed in Chile (8.7%), followed by Brazil (4.8%), followed by Argentina (3.5%); that (3) Latin American sexual aggression incidences vary by country in that (4) of those employees who reported experiencing sexual aggression, 57.7% were from Brazil, followed by 32.1% from Argentina, followed by 10.3% in Chile. In addition, marital status, age and education impact on sexual harassment and aggression in that (5) those who are not married are more likely to be sexually harassed than those who are married (65.7%:34.3%) but (6) those who are married are slightly more likely to experience sexual aggression than those who are not married (51.5:48.5) (7) Those between 16-34 are most likely to experience both sexual harassment (64.9%) and sexual aggression (73.6%). Finally, those with more education are more likely to be targets of sexual harassment than those with less education (56.2%: 43.5%). Researchers have shown a lot of interest in studying sexual harassment in the workplace (Cortina, Swan, Fitzgerald, & Waldo, 1998; Cortina & Wasti, 2005; Dansky & Kilpatrick, 1997; Gutek, 1985; Huerta, Cortina, Pang, Torges, & Magley, 2006). This is due in part to the massive number of negative outcomes found to result from sexual harassment. For example, findings show that workplace sexual harassment is responsible for psychological conditions such as stress, depression, and anxiety that result in declines in organizational performance and productivity (Adams, 1988; Baba, Jamal, & Tourigny, 1998; Williams, Giuffre, & Dellinger 1999). Studies also show that employees' well-being are diminished when they are working in an organizational context perceived as hostile toward women, even in the absence of personal hostility experiences (Miner-Rubino & Cortina, 2004). What is more, incidences of sexual harassment have steadily climbed throughout the global marketplace, partly due to different cultural values and perceptions (DeSouza & Hutz, 1996; DeSouza, Pryor, & Hutz, 1998; Pryor, Desouza, Fitness, Hutz, Kumpf, Lubbert, et al., 1997; Sigal, Gibbs, Goodrich, Rashid, Anjum, Hsu, et al., 2005). Given that sexual harassment incidents in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile are, for the most part, previously unexplored, it is the purpose of this study to report on demographic status groupings and associated incidences of sexual harassment and sexual aggression in Latin American countries and to compare these results to extant findings in the US. Sexual harassment is defined as behavior that is unwelcome and of a sexual nature (Welsh, Carr, Maquarrie, & Huntley, 2006). Perceptions of sexual harassment, however, can vary. Cultural perceptions, for example, vary because people differ in how they encode and decode messages (Hofstede, 2001). There are a number of studies that discuss how general perceptions and judgments are related to sexual harassment (Gutek & Done, 2001). In fact, numerous studies address harassment from the US point of view (e.g., Fitzgerald, Drasgow, Hulin, Gelfand, & Magley, 1997; Rospenda, Richman, Ehmke, & Zlatoper, 2005). Unfortunately, the number of cross-cultural studies on sexual harassment is limited (Matsui, Kakuyama, Onglatco, & Ogutu, 1995). Therefore, calls have been made for studies on sexual harassment as culturally rooted (Cortina & Wasti, 2005; DeSouza, Solberg, & Elder, 2007). …


Proper treatment of wastewater is important to human health and societal development, and the commonly applied wastewater treatment technologies based on aerobic treatment have a significant demand for energy. Thus, new treatment technologies with low energy consumption and possible recovery of valuable resources (e.g., energy and water) from wastewater become of strong interest. Among the newly developed concepts, microbial fuel cells (MFCs) integrated with constructed wetland appear to be very attractive because of direct electricity generation from organic compounds and treatment of wastewater. Constructed wetland coupled with microbial fuel cell (CW-MFC) is an emerging technology in recent years and has attracted a lot of attention from researchers in the fields of wastewater treatment and bioenergy production. CW-MFC is a promising technology in the fields of wastewater treatment and bioenergy. However, at current power levels, the advantage of combining the two is mainly because of the enhancement of wastewater treatment in anaerobic zones within the wetland. New operational strategies need to be explored to increase and utilize electricity output.


This study aims to analyze globally published research papers on Knowledge Sharing (KS) using different bibliometric parameters based on data downloaded from Thomson Reuter's Web of Science (WoS). Results indicated that an increasing trend was found in annual production during 1990–2016. The two most productive journals are Journal of Knowledge Management and Knowledge Management Research & Practice . Out of the 101 countries that contributed to research papers on 'knowledge sharing', USA topped with 689 articles. The City University of Hong Kong of China and the National Central University of Taiwan were the most productive institutions.


Most patients presenting with allergies are first seen by primary care health professionals. The perceived knowledge gaps and educational needs were recently assessed in response to which the LOGOGRAM Task Force was established with the remit of constructing pragmatic flow diagrams for common allergic conditions in line with an earlier EAACI proposal to develop simplified pathways for the diagnosis and management of allergic diseases in primary care. To address the lack of accessible and pragmatic guidance, we designed flow diagrams for five major clinical allergy conditions: asthma, anaphylaxis, food allergy, drug allergy, and urticaria. Existing established allergy guidelines were collected and iteratively distilled to produce five pragmatic and accessible tools to aid diagnosis and management of these common allergic problems. Ultimately, they should now be validated prospectively in primary care settings.


The end of the cold war has coincided with, and in some cases fuelled, the politicisation of ethnically based nationalism, particularly in Eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. The international political environment had previously been characterised by ideological competition and conflict between the United States on the one hand and the Soviet Union and Communist China on the other. Both of these ideological camps stressed the cohesion and viability of multi-ethnic nation-states, and as a matter of policy discouraged the representation of groups based upon a distinctive ethnic identity,1 a tendency reinforced in social science scholarship, which often focused on what was described as the process of national political integration. To the extent that it existed and was relevant, scholars generally agreed that ethnic solidarity was different from nationalism in that it did not require the creation of an ethnically pure nation-state. Today, however, the notion of the inviolability of certain internationally recognised entities is being seriously called into question as ethnic groups assert their right to self-determination up to, and including, separation from the multi-ethnic state.


Christine de Pizan (c.1364 1430) was France's first professional woman of letters. Her pioneering Book of the City of Ladies begins when, feeling frustrated and miserable after reading a male writer's tirade against women, Christine has a dreamlike vision where three virtues Reason, Rectitude and Justice appear to correct this view. They instruct her to build an allegorical city in which womankind can be defended against slander, its walls and towers constructed from examples of female achievement both from her own day and the past: ranging from warriors, inventors and scholars to prophetesses, artists and saints. Christine de Pizan's spirited defence of her sex was unique for its direct confrontation of the misogyny of her day, and offers a telling insight into the position of women in medieval culture. THE CITY OF LADIES provides positive images of women, ranging from warriors and inventors, scholars to prophetesses, and artists to saints. The book also offers a fascinating insight into the debates and controversies about the position of women in medieval culture.


PURPOSE
Dosimetric comparison of beam arrangements of coplanar, non- coplanar and conformal arc for Stereotactic body radiotherapy of lung lesion.

METHODS
Four spherical targets with diameters of 2, 4, 6 and 7cm are contoured in the geometric center of right lung of a selected SBRT CT scan. For each target, treatment plans of optimized 7, 9 and 11 coplanar, non- coplanar and conformal arc beam arrangements are generated in Pinnacle (Pinnacle Version 9.0, Philips Radiation Oncology Systems, WI). Prescription isodoses are chosen to cover at least 95% of target volumes. The volumes enclosed by the prescription and 50% of prescription isodose surfaces are computed. Conformality index (CI) and effective dose fall off gradient are computed for dosimetric comparison.

RESULTS
All plans with optimized coplanar and conformal arc beam arrangements have similar CIs while optimized non-coplanar beam arrangements have the smallest CIs. For each target size, optimized 7 and 9 coplanar beam arrangements have the largest half prescription isodose volumes while optimized 11 coplanar beam arrangements have slightly less half prescription isodose volumes than conformal arc plans. All 3 optimized non-coplanar beam arrangements Result in faster dose gradient than conformal arcs except for the smallest target cases, for a 2cm diameter target, 9 or 11 non-coplanar beams are needed to achieve better dose gradient than their rival conformal arc plan.

CONCLUSIONS
Treatment plans using optimized 9 and 11 non-coplanar beam arrangements are superior to conformal arc plans for SBRT of lung lesions based on dosimetric comparison. To achieve a superior plan for small lesions, 11 or more optimized coplanar beams may be required.


Introduction: Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of functional endometrial tissue (endometrial glands and stroma) outside the uterine cavity. However, only a few cases of extrapelvic endometriosis have been described in the literature. Methods: This study reports the case of a patient from the author's plastic surgery service who underwent surgery in September 2013 at a hospital in Brasília, Federal District, Brazil. The study was conducted according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki, and the patient signed an informed consent form. Results: A 30-year-old female patient presented with dysmenorrhea, pain, and paresthesia in the right inguinal region as well as a firm nodule in the labia majora with scars from two surgical resections of endometriosis. The gynecology team performed endoscopic resection of the uterine cavity lesions, inguinal canal content, nodules in the right labia majora, umbilical scar, and part of the aponeurosis. The abdominal wall and vulvar defects caused by the resection were repaired using a laterally based random lower abdominal flap as one of the vertices of a Z-plasty. Conclusion: The flap described in this study is an alternative and satisfactory method for repairing large defects in the inguinal and vulvar regions. ■ ABSTRACT


In the first chapter of this dissertation, I examine the gender gap in primary school academic performance. While boys and girls have similar cognitive abilities, they are systematically assigned to different performance categories. Hypothesizing that this may be due to differences in non-cognitive skills, I construct a measure of these skills based on self-regulation and hyperactivity. Boys are reported to have lower levels of these skills, by both parents and teachers. Notably, I find that even when I have controlled for all skills, both cognitive and non-cognitive, boys are still more likely to be assigned to a lower performance category than girls.
In the second chapter, I estimate a production function for grade outcomes in the final year of high school, where boys continue to lag girls.. The focus of this essay is on the contribution of differences in non-cognitive skills in explaining this gap in grade outcomes. This research finds that, even controlling for the lower level of non-cognitive skills possessed by boys, gender still plays an important role in determining the overall grade in the final year of high school. By examining the production functions for girls and boys separately, it becomes apparent that much of the difference in grade outcomes can be attributed to the difference in the likelihood of academic advancement associated with increases in skills, particularly cognitive skills.
The participation rate of boys in post-secondary education lags that of girls substantially. One important factor in explaining this gender gap is high school performance, where there is a significant gender gap. However, there is substantial heterogeneity by gender in PSE participation within high school grade categories. The final chapter of this dissertation examines the interplay of gender, aspirations and skills in determining participation in post-secondary education, at ages 19 and 25, conditional on academic achievement in high school. The results of this research indicate that gender influences post-secondary education participation through a number of channels beyond high school grade. Notably, even after accounting for skills, aspirations, and high school grades, this research finds that there remains a significant role for gender.


Magnaporthe oryzae (Mo) is a model pathogen causing rice blast resulting in yield and economic losses world-wide. CK2 is a constitutively active, serine/threonine kinase in eukaryotes, having a wide array of known substrates, and involved in many cellular processes. We investigated the localization and role of MoCK2 during growth and infection. BLAST search for MoCK2 components and targeted deletion of subunits was combined with protein-GFP fusions to investigate localization. We found one CKa and two CKb subunits of the CK2 holoenzyme. Deletion of the catalytic subunit CKa was not possible and might indicate that such deletions are lethal. The CKb subunits could be deleted but they were both necessary for normal growth and pathogenicity. Localization studies showed that the CK2 holoenzyme needed to be intact for normal localization at septal pores and at appressorium penetration pores. Nuclear localization of CKa was however not dependent on the intact CK2 holoenzyme. In appressoria, CK2 formed a large ring perpendicular to the penetration pore and the ring formation was dependent on the presence of all CK2 subunits. The effects on growth and pathogenicity of deletion of the b subunits combined with the localization indicate that CK2 can have important regulatory functions not only in the nucleus/nucleolus but also at fungal specific structures such as septa and appressorial pores.


A radio telescope is used in radio astronomy to measure the intensity of the radiation received from various parts of the sky. Such a telescope must be able both to detect and to locate faint radio sources of small angular size, and also to measure the brightness distribution across extended radio sources or over large sky areas. Ideally the telescope should be capable of making such measurements over a wide frequency range and for different types of polarization of the incoming waves. The noise powers available in radio astronomy are very small, and some of the radio sources have angular sizes or angular structure of, perhaps, only one second of arc, so that a radio telescope needs both high gain and good resolving power. The paper describes various types of radio telescopes which have been built and tested, and outlines the astronomical needs which they fulfill. The parabolic reflector antenna is first described, with particular reference to the fully steerable 210-foot telescope at the Australian National Radio Astronomy Observatory and to the 300-foot transit telescope at the U. S. National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Of the telescopes which use fixed or partly fixed reflector surfaces, those at the University of Illinois, at the Nançay station of the Paris Observatory, and at the Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory in Puerto Rico are described in some detail. Instruments in which the resolution is improved without a corresponding increase of collecting area, such as the cross-type antennas, are briefly described.


E-Book Marketing Exposed - E-Books , Profit-Pulling Powerhouses E-Books are part of the new frontier of cyberspace. They are an entirely new medium for sharing marketing information, ideas, techniques, and expert knowledge. Each day the number of people accessing the Internet grows, causing the exposure of your E-Book to increase incrementally. It's obvious why electronic self-publishing has become so popular so quickly. The publishing industry, I hope, does not intend to forever banish the printed word to the dustbin of history. Books in print have their own special qualities and merits, and the world would be diminished by their disappearance. Having said that, let's look at what makes E-Books so important and so unique. E-Books have certain abilities and qualities that other mediums do not possess. For example, E-Books are fairly easy to produce, and their production cost is inexpensive. Just think about it: you don't need a publisher, an agent, a printing press, offset film, ink, paper, or even a distributor. You just need a great concept, the ability to write it or to hire a writer, and the right software. Additionally, E-Books are easily and rapidly distributed online. They are also easily updated; they do not require a second print run. All you need is to go into your original creation and modify the text or graphics. Because of this flexibility, E-Books can change and grow as fast as you can type. E-Books are also immediately obtainable. You don't have to go to a bookstore or search through endless titles at an online bookstore. All you have to do is download it from a website, and presto! It's on your computer, ready to be read. E-Books are interactive. This is one of the most unique and specific qualities that E-Books offer. You can add surveys that need to be filled out, order forms for customers to purchase your products or goods, sound and video that draw your reader into the virtual world of your E-Book, even direct links to relevant sites that will expand your E-Book outward. The potential is virtually limitless. E-Books have a particular kind of permanence that other mediums do not possess. Television shows and radio shows air once, and then may rerun a few times. E-Books remain on your computer for as long as your choose, and they can be read and reread whenever you choose to. They can even be printed out and stored on the shelves of your traditional home library. Another wonderful quality is that E-Books have no barriers in terms of publishing. You don't need to go through the endless process of submitting your manuscript over and over again, and then once you land an agent, having the agent submit your manuscript over and over again. Nor do you have to shell out thousands of dollars for printing a self-published book. All E-Books require is a writer and appropriate software. Figure out your market, write your book, post it on your website, and with the right business savvy, your audience will come to you. Finally, you have creative control over your E-Book. You don?t have to compromise with an editor or the publishing trends of the time. You don't have to haggle with a designer or wait for copyedited galleys to arrive by snail mail. You are in complete control of the design and the text.


Background Despite recommendations that central obesity assessment should be employed as a marker of cardiometabolic health, no consensus exists regarding measurement protocol. This study examined a range of anthropometric variables and their relationships with cardiometabolic features and type 2 diabetes in order to ascertain whether measurement site influences discriminatory accuracy. In particular, we compared waist circumference (WC) measured at two sites: (1) below the lowest rib (WC rib) and (2) between the lowest rib and iliac crest (WC midway), which has been recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Methods This was a cross-sectional study involving a random sample of 2,002 men and women aged 50–69 years. Metabolic profiles and WC, hip circumference, pelvic width and body mass index (BMI) were determined in study participants. Correlation, logistic regression and covariate-adjusted area under the receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were used to evaluate obesity measurement associations and discrimination for metabolic risk phenotypes and type 2 diabetes. Results Rib measurements displayed, without exception, the strongest associations for non-optimal lipid profiles, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, impaired fasting glucose, a clustering of metabolic risk features and type 2 diabetes, in both genders. Rib-derived indices improved discrimination for type 2 diabetes by 3–7% compared to BMI and 2–6% compared to WC midway (in men) and 5–7% compared to BMI and 4–6% compared to WC midway (in women). Conclusion WC rib is easier to measure and our data suggest that it is a better method for determining obesity-related cardiometabolic risk than WC midway. Rib measurements may provide a more convenient and precise method for discriminating cardiometabolic outcomes. The clinical utility of rib-derived indices as potentially more accurate predictors of type 2 diabetes, compared to WHO and IDF-recommended WC midway measurement or BMI, requires further investigation.


Human group IIA-secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2-IIA) is a bactericidal molecule important for the innate immune defense against Gram-positive bacteria. In this study, we analyzed its role in the host defense against Streptococcus pyogenes, a major human pathogen, and demonstrated that this bacterium has evolved a previously unidentified mechanism to resist killing by sPLA2-IIA. Analysis of a set of clinical isolates demonstrated that an ∼500-fold higher concentration of sPLA2-IIA was required to kill S. pyogenes compared with strains of the group B Streptococcus, which previously were shown to be sensitive to sPLA2-IIA, indicating that S. pyogenes exhibits a high degree of resistance to sPLA2-IIA. We found that an S. pyogenes mutant lacking sortase A, a transpeptidase responsible for anchoring LPXTG proteins to the cell wall in Gram-positive bacteria, was significantly more sensitive (∼30-fold) to sPLA2-IIA compared with the parental strain, indicating that one or more LPXTG surface proteins protect S. pyogenes against sPLA2-IIA. Importantly, using transgenic mice expressing human sPLA2-IIA, we showed that the sortase A-mediated sPLA2-IIA resistance mechanism in S. pyogenes also occurs in vivo. Moreover, in this mouse model, we also showed that human sPLA2-IIA is important for the defense against lethal S. pyogenes infection. Thus, we demonstrated a novel mechanism by which a pathogenic bacterium can evade the bactericidal action of sPLA2-IIA and we showed that sPLA2-IIA contributes to the host defense against S. pyogenes infection.


Additive manufacturing methods have been developed from rapid prototyping
techniques and are now being considered as alternatives to conventional techniques
of manufacturing. Stereolithography is one of the main additive methods and is
considered highly accurate and consistent. Polymers are used as stereolithography
materials and exhibit features such as high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion
resistance, ease of manufacturing and good thermal and electrical resistance
properties. However, they are sensitive to environmental factors such as temperature,
moisture and UV light, with moisture being identified as one of the most important
factors that affect their properties. Moisture generally has an adverse effect on the
mechanical properties of polymers. Investigation of the effects of moisture on
polymers can be carried out using a number of experimental techniques; however,
the benefits of the depth sensing indentation method over bulk tests include its ability
to characterise various mechanical properties in a single test from only a small
volume of material and the investigation of spatial variation in mechanical properties
near the surface.
The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of varying relative humidity on
the indentation behaviour of stereolithography polymers and to develop a modelling
methodology that can predict this behaviour under various humidities. It was
achieved by a combination of experimental and numerical methods. Depth sensing
indentation experiments were carried out at 33.5 %, 53.8 %, 75.3 % and 84.5 % RH
(relative humidity) and 22.5 °C temperature to investigate the effects of varying
humidity on the micron scale properties of the stereolithography resin, Accura 60. In
order to minimise the effects of creep on the calculated properties, appropriate
loading and unloading rates with suitable dwell period were selected and indentation
data was analysed using the Oliver and Pharr method (1992). A humidity control unit
fitted to the machine was used to condition the samples and regulate humidity during
testing. Samples were also preconditioned at 33.5 %, 53.8 %, 75.3 % and 84.5 % RH
using saturated salt solutions and were tested at 33.5 % RH using humidity control
unit. It was seen that properties such as indentation depth increased and contact
iv
hardness and contact modulus decreased with increasing RH. The samples
conditioned and tested using the humidity control unit at high RH showed a greater
effect of moisture than the preconditioned samples tested at 33.5 % RH. This was
because the samples preconditioned at high RH exhibited surface desorption of
moisture when tested at ambient RH, resulting in some recovery of the mechanical
properties. In order to investigate these further, tests were performed periodically on
saturated samples after drying. Ten days drying of samples conditioned for five days
at 84.5 % RH provided significant, though not complete, recovery in the mechanical
properties. These tests confirmed that Accura 60 is highly hygroscopic and its
mechanical properties are a function of RH and removal of moisture leads to a
significant recovery of the original mechanical properties.


The entry of calcium into the mammary epithelial cell from the maternal plasma (i.e., calcium influx mechanisms) during lactation is poorly understood. As alterations in calcium channels and pumps are a key feature of some cancers, including breast cancer, understanding these calcium influx pathways may have significance beyond mammary biology. We show that the store-operated calcium influx protein, Orai1, is increased during lactation whereas the Orai1 activator Stim1, but not Stim2, is downregulated. Stim2 siRNA reduced basal calcium levels in a lactation model. Our results suggest that calcium influx is remodeled in mammary epithelial cells during lactation, with calcium influx increased through Orai1, activated by Stim2. Breast cancer cell lines had increased levels of ORAI1. ORAI1 siRNA in breast cancer cells reduced store-operated calcium entry and remodeled the calcium influx associated with invasive stimuli. Analysis of microarray data from 295 breast cancers showed that the transcriptional breast cancer subtype with the poorest prognosis (basal) was associated with an altered relationship between the ORAI1 regulators STIM1 and STIM2, and that women with breast cancers with STIM1high/STIM2low tumors had a significantly poorer prognosis. Our studies show that during lactation there is a remodeling in the nature of calcium influx and that alteration in the ORAI1 influx pathway may be a feature of some breast cancers, particularly those with the poorest prognosis. Our studies suggest that this pathway may be a novel therapeutic target for breast cancer treatment in these women. Mol Cancer Ther; 10(3); 448–60. ©2011 AACR.


Dropout regularization methods prune a neural network's pre-determined backbone structure to avoid overfitting. However, a deep model still tends to be poorly calibrated with high confidence on incorrect predictions. We propose a unified Bayesian model selection method to jointly infer the most plausible network depth warranted by data, and perform dropout regularization simultaneously. In particular, to infer network depth we define a beta process over the number of hidden layers which allows it to go to infinity. Layer-wise activation probabilities induced by the beta process modulate neuron activation via binary vectors of a conjugate Bernoulli process. Experiments across domains show that by adapting network depth and dropout regularization to data, our method achieves superior performance comparing to state-of-the-art methods with well-calibrated uncertainty estimates. In continual learning, our method enables neural networks to dynamically evolve their depths to accommodate incrementally available data beyond their initial structures, and alleviate catastrophic forgetting.


Most current detection methods have adopted anchor boxes as regression references. However, the detection performance is sensitive to the setting of the anchor boxes. A proper setting of anchor boxes may vary significantly across different datasets, which severely limits the universality of the detectors. To improve the adaptivity of the detectors, in this paper, we present a novel dimension-decomposition region proposal network (DeRPN) that can perfectly displace the traditional Region Proposal Network (RPN). DeRPN utilizes an anchor string mechanism to independently match object widths and heights, which is conducive to treating variant object shapes. In addition, a novel scale-sensitive loss is designed to address the imbalanced loss computations of different scaled objects, which can avoid the small objects being overwhelmed by larger ones. Comprehensive experiments conducted on both general object detection datasets (Pascal VOC 2007, 2012 and MS COCO) and scene text detection datasets (ICDAR 2013 and COCO-Text) all prove that our DeRPN can significantly outperform RPN. It is worth mentioning that the proposed DeRPN can be employed directly on different models, tasks, and datasets without any modifications of hyperparameters or specialized optimization, which further demonstrates its adaptivity. The code has been released at https://github.com/HCIILAB/DeRPN.


I have investigated the effect of variation of meteorological variables, cloudiness, and surface variables (such as albedo and continentality) on the reflected solar and emitted terrestrial radiation leaving the top of the atmosphere. The investigation was empirical and used the radiometric data from the scanner channels of the Earth Radiation Budget (ERB) instrument on Nimbus 7, cloudiness variables from analyses done by L. Stowe et al. on data from the Temperature and Humidity Infrared Radiometer (THIR) on Nimbus 7, and meteorological data from the FGGE (First GARP Global Experiment) Level III-b global weather analyses. The data were analysed on time scales of one day and spatial scales of about 450 km. This investigation had three main goals. The first goal was to determine the effect of cloudiness on the net radiation for various surface and atmospheric conditions during the period investigated (12 June to 18 June 1979). The second goal was to determine whether or not this type of linear analysis on a data set of synoptic time and space scales could be used for a reasonable and empirically accurate parameterization of radiation to be used in simple energy balance climate models (which are valid at vastly larger time and space scales than this data set). The third goal was to compare the regressions determined from this data set between radiation, cloudiness, and weather with the internal statistics developed in a Global Circulation Mode l (GCM), with the idea that eventually this type of linear analysis could be used as a constraint on GCMs used by the atmospheric science community.


In 2008 Scott Barrett wrote a paper on "The incredible economics of geoengineering" in which he argued that the potentially low cost of climate engineering (CE) measures together with the quick response of the earth's temperature to such interventions will change the whole debate about the mitigation of climate change. Whereas Barrett was mostly focusing on the cost of running CE measures, we point out that several determinants of overall economic cost like price or external effects are not yet sufficiently accounted for and that the question of dynamic efficiency is still unresolved. Combining the existing theoretical investigations about the topic from the literature, we show that even though these new measures provide new options to deal with climate change, several of them might also reduce our scope of action. Consequently, we suggest that economic research should shift its focus to portfolios of CE measures and put more emphasis on those measures which control atmospheric carbon concentration and therefore allow extending our scope of action. Additionally, economic research should address the question of phase-in and phase-out scenarios for measures which directly influence the radiation balance.


We present a method of specification and verification based on
CCS and observation equivalence. The method is applied to an ISDN layer 3
access protocol and an automatic tool is used
to verify the correctness of the specification. Finally, we evaluate the
method and tools used in the case study.


HMT-C11 belongs to the family of adducts formed by the co-crystallization of N(4)(CH(2))(6) molecules (hexamethylenetetramine or HMT) and aliphatic dicarboxylic acids HOOC(CH(2))(n - 2)COOH with 5 </= n </= 13 (Cn). The adducts exhibit a layered structure in which the packing between HMT and Cn is determined by strong hydrogen bonds. The compounds in this family studied so far present thermotropic structural phase transitions and, depending on the chain length, disordered, twinned and modulated phases. The structure refinement of HMT-C11 based on X-ray diffraction experiments indicates three distinct phases from the melting point down to liquid nitrogen temperature: phase I is not crystalline; phase II is disordered (stacking fault) and its average structure is described in space group Bmmb; phase III is partially disordered and its symmetry is P2(1)/c. The systematic study of the structure evolution of phase III upon cooling revealed that the disorder has a dynamic character (anharmonicity). The main structural change observed from 293 K down to 93 K is the increase of the tilting angle of the C11 chains relative to the layer plane and the rotation of the HMT molecules. Both HMT and C11 behave like rigid bodies in the temperature range investigated. The quality of the refinements leads to a conclusive model for the O-H.N hydrogen bonds linking HMT and C11.


The problem of controlling a rigid bilateral teleoperator with time-delays has been effectively addressed since the late 80's. However, the control of flexible joint manipulators in a bilateral teleoperation scenario is still an open problem. In the present paper we report two versions of a proportional plus damping injection controller that are capable of globally stabilizing a nonlinear bilateral teleoperator with joint flexibility and variable time-delays. The first version controls a teleoperator composed by a rigid local manipulator and a flexible joint remote manipulator and the second version deals with local and remote manipulators with joint flexibility. For both schemes, it is proved that the joint and motor velocities and the local and remote position error are bounded. Moreover, if the human operator and remote environment forces are zero then velocities asymptotically converge to zero and position tracking is established. Simulations are presented to show the performance of the proposed controllers.


Individuals with foot drop caused by stroke or cerebral palsy (CP) have a particular need for robotic ankle exoskeleton. This paper proposes an untethered soft robot using an origami actuator to lift the toes of the wearer. The weight, connections, and complex control of the system are reduced through mechanical design. A compact and portable pneumatic system is designed to perform suction and compression with a single pump. The load test of the actuator shows the capability of 300N in 30 kPa. An untethered, simple and affordable robotic ankle exoskeleton is developed with the pneumatic actuator. The wearer can finish its simple 3-step donning procedure within 1 min.