The formation of magma chambers is a significant phase in the evolution of large oceanic intraplate volcanoes and has strong control on melt composition. There is, however, little information about the earliest magma chambers because the pre-shield stage of a volcano is difficult to access. Here we present thermobarometric data from embryonic seamounts near Madeira that provide us with the rare opportunity to sample the earliest stage of an oceanic island volcano. The erupted magmas indicate crystal fractionation in reservoirs ca. 500–1000 MPa (the upper 15–20 km of the mantle) and polybaric magma ascent including mixing events. Depths and degree of crystal fractionation during the pre-shield stage basically resemble the subaerial shield stage of Madeira. This contrasts with Pacific hotspot-islands such as Hawaii or Tahiti, where magma chambers of the pre-shield and shield stages are more distinct. We propose that the different manifestations of early hotspot volcanism are related to plate velocities controlling thermal gradients in the lithosphere. Because of slower plate velocity, the lithosphere is compositionally and thermally more uniform beneath Madeira than beneath Hawaii. This results in only minor rearrangements of the magma plumbing systems during evolution from the pre-shield to the shield stage.


Interaction nets are a graphical model of computation based on a restricted form of graph rewriting. A specific net can represent a program with a user-defined set of nodes and computation is modelled by a user-defined set of rewrite rules. This very simple model has had great success in modelling sharing in computation (specifically in the lambda calculus), and there is potential for generating a new theoretical foundation of parallel computation since all computation steps are local and thus can be implemented in parallel.

This thesis is about the implementation of interaction nets. Specifically, for the first contributions we define a low-level language as an object language for the compilation of interaction nets. We study the efficiency and properties of different data structures, and focus on the management of the rewriting process which is usually hidden in the graph rewriting system. We provide experimental data comparing the different choices of data
structures and select one for further development. For the compilation of nets and rules into this language, we show an optimisation such that allocated memory for agents is reused, and thus we obtain optimal efficiency for the rewriting process.

The second part of this thesis describes extensions of interaction nets so that they can be used as a programming language. Interaction nets in their pure form are quite restrictive in expressive power. By extending the notions of agents and rules we can express computation more naturally, yet still preserve the good properties (such as strong confluence) of the rewriting system. We then implement a selection of algorithms using and extending the compilation techniques developed in the first part of the thesis. We also demonstrate experimental results on multi-core CPUs, using the Posix-thread library, thus realising some of the potential for parallel implementation mentioned above.


Polymer based composites have marked their valuable presence in the area of aerospace, defense and automotive industry. Components made of composite, are assembled to main structure by fastener, which require accurate, precise high quality holes to be drilled. Drilling the hole in composite with accuracy require control over various processes parameters viz., speed, feed, drill bit size and thickens of specimen. TRIAC VMC machining center is used to drill the hole and to relate the cutting and machining parameters on the torque. MINITAB 14 software is used to analyze the collected data. As a function of cutting and specimen parameters this method could be useful for predicting torque parameters. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effect of drilling parameters to get low torque value. Results show that thickness of specimen and drill bit size are significant parameters influencing the torque and spindle speed and feed rate have least influence and overlaid plot indicates a feasible and low region of torque is observed for medium to large sized drill bits for the range of spindle speed selected. Response surface contour plots indicate the sensitivity of the drill size and specimen thickness to the torque.


Examination Timetabling Problem (ETTP) is an NP-hard typical optimization problem
faced by institutions and universities across the world. This nature leads to heuristic
methods cover a large branch of researches in this area. On the other hand, the problem
varies from one institution to another, depending on the size, structure and constraints of
that institution. Therefore generality of the proposed methods is one of the major goals
in solving timetabling problem nowadays. These methods are trying to keep generality
while adding to factors of these methods. Hyperheuristic is one of these approaches
which make the basis of this thesis.
In heuristic approaches getting stuck in local optimum is one of the propounded
problems from early days. The main cause for the local optimal problem is that heuristic
algorithms either focus on exploration (global improvement) rather than exploitation
(local improvement) or vice versa.


Static worst-case execution time (WCET) analysis is a technique to derive upper bounds for the execution times of programs. Such bounds are crucial when designing and verifying real-time systems. A key component for statically deriving safe and tight WCET bounds is information on the possible program flow through the program. Such flow information can be provided manually by user annotations, or automatically by a flow analysis. To make WCET analysis as simple and safe as possible, it should preferably be automatically derived, with no or very limited user interaction. In this paper we present a method for deriving such flow information called abstract execution. This method can automatically calculate loop bounds, bounds for including nested loops, as well as many types of infeasible paths. Our evaluations show that it can calculate WCET estimates automatically, without any user annotations, for a range of benchmark programs, and that our techniques for nested loops and infeasible paths sometimes can give substantially better WCET estimates than using loop bounds analysis only


This document contains the results of the energy usage optimization in HEMAV test-bed. It has been developed as part of an internship in HEMAV, a young European company based in Molins de Rei, Barcelona dedicated to make safe civil services with RPAS technology. The main objectives of this study are increase the flight time of the hexacopter by studying the behaviour of different propellers and increasing or decreasing the number of batteries. And, finally, study the influence of performing different paths in the autonomy. First of all, it is proposed to create a data base where after each mission the whole data collected would be downloaded, because, then, this data could be analysed. And doing this, HEMAV would be able to know what the most usual manoeuvres and operations are and they could try to increase their efficiency. The main conclusion extracted from the propellers study is that the material of the propeller does not have a notable effect in terms of thrust. But when looking at the consumption, it can be seen a positive effect, less consumption, when the material is carbon fibre instead of nylon. In addition, during the propellers study it was known that pitch is one of the important factors, smaller propeller pitch means more thrust. But, also, it was known that for bigger propeller pitches the necessary acceleration to change from a lower velocity to a higher velocity is smaller than in the contrary case. After the propellers study, the effect of having more batteries in the platform was analysed and the main conclusion is that there is a point where although more batteries are added, the flight time do not increase more. This point is around the 1246 gr of the propeller test battery, and it coincides for the three propellers. So doubling the battery capacity does not mean doubling the hover flight time. Also, the author realized, in the dynamic test, that the procedure that has to be followed before performing a flight is very large. And that there are a lot of things that should be taken into account, such as sensors implementation, check that everything is safe and works properly, find a place to fly, and check that all is still running before doing the test. Finally, it was verified that the hexacopter consumes a lot when it has to maintain the same position, the same as when there are sudden changes in velocity.


Export quality indicators for the transition countries (by Robert Stehrer, pp. 1-3) Countries covered Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, China Topics International Trade and Competitiveness On the profitability of Austrian firms in the new EU member states (by Wilfried Altzinger, pp. 4-10) Countries covered Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, CEE, European Union Topics Foreign Direct Investment Possible entry into the euro zone of Estonia, Lithuania and Slovenia an evaluation (by Leon Podkaminer, pp. 11-15) Countries covered Estonia, Lithuania, Slovenia Topics Economic integration Selected monthly data on the economic situation in ten transition countries, 2004-2006 (pp. 17-27) Countries covered Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Russia, Ukraine Guide to wiiw statistical services on Central, East and Southeast Europe, Russia and Ukraine (p. 28)


Bactrocera cucumis (French 1907), the 'cucumber fruit fly', is a horticultural pest in Australia that primarily infests cucurbits and has also been recorded from tomatoes, papaw and several other hosts. It does not respond to known male lures, cue‐lure and methyl eugenol, making monitoring and control difficult. A cucumber volatile blend lure was recently developed in Hawaii and found to be an effective female‐biased attractant for the melon fly B. cucurbitae. This lure was field tested in north Queensland, Australia in McPhail traps in comparison with orange ammonia, Cera Trap® and a control, and was found to more consistently trap B. cucumis than the other lures. B. cucumis were caught at 41% of the cucumber volatile lure trap clearances, compared with 27% of the orange ammonia, 18% of the Cera Trap and 16% of the control trap clearances. The cucumber volatile lure was more attractive to B. cucumis in low population densities and also trapped B. cucumis earlier on average than the other lures. Data analysed from the site with highest trap catches (Spring Creek) showed that the cucumber volatile lure caught significantly more B. cucumis than the other traps in four of the 11 trap clearance periods, and for the remaining clearances, no other trap type caught significantly more flies than the cucumber volatile lure. The cucumber volatile lure had a strong female‐biased attraction but it was not significantly more female‐biased than orange ammonia or Cera Trap. Cucumber volatile lure traps were cleaner to service resulting in better quality specimens than the orange ammonia trap or Cera Trap. These findings have potential implications for market access monitoring for determining pest freedom, and for biosecurity monitoring programmes in other countries that wish to detect B. cucumis early.


This paper focuses on some of the issues raised when professional library staff combine archive management with an active teaching role, drawing on my own experience as an archivist in the University of Sussex Library. There are of course many archivists who are also teachers on professional training courses for prospective archivists but my concern here is teaching in higher education in subject areas other than library, archive and information sciences while using archival resources.


Closed-form formulae have been analytically derived to estimate crosstalk due
 to stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in a multipumped, broad, and flattened gain
 distributed Raman amplifier (DRA). The derived formulae are applied to study the
 crosstalk due to SRS in a multipumped DRA having different pumping configurations.
 System bounds for a typical wavelength division multiplexing system employing DRA
 have been evaluated theoretically. Performance of DRA for other parameters such as
 wavelength separation, input signal power, and bit rate of the system has also been
 investigated.


The cyberNABO Project is designed to solidify a developing multidisciplinary community through the development of cyberinfrastructure (CI) to study the long-term human ecodynamics of North Atlantic, a region that is especially vulnerable to ongoing climate and environmental change. It builds build upon prior sustained field and laboratory research, rich and diverse datasets, and a strong involvement by local communities and institutions. cyberNABO is currently hosting a series of workshops aimed at taking these collaborators and stakeholder communities to a new level of integration and to develop capacity for building CI and visualizations in subsequent funding cycles. Research on the long-term sustainability in the Arctic requires compiling data from over thousands of square miles, hundreds of years, and multiple disciplines, from climatology to archaeology to folklore. The complexity of datasets of this scale presents a unique challenge to create a CI system that results in interoperability and accessibility of data - a task that needs an explicit plan and extensive expertise from a variety of fields. Investing in a comprehensive CI system provides the opportunity to integrate collaborators and data from the natural sciences, social sciences, and the humanities, thus providing the opportunity for a holistic approach to long-term human ecodynamics in the context of rapid social and environmental change and for the creation of digital tools for expanded northern community involvement in global change research. In order to address questions of this scale, however, this collaborative group needs to integrate multiple sources, types, and formats of data to address multidisciplinary questions and provide effective support for visualization and modeling efforts that can connect knowledge systems.


Evaluation has a fundamental role in complex public choices aimed at obtaining a ranking among alternative options and designing new solutions. Starting from this perspective, the so-called 'integrated assessments' – multidimensional tools for a dialogue among different approaches and fields of knowledge – play a privileged role as a suitable decision support tool for public participation at a territorial and urban planning level. Taking into account the concept of 'integrated assessment', the paper introduces the approach of 'integrated spatial assessment' for territorial and urban planning. In recent years spatial analysis combined with multicriteria and multigroup methods has been used to support evaluation, especially in the field of land-use planning. By exploring the potentials of the integrated spatial assessment (ISA), it is possible to implement a multidimensional value-focused way of thinking, conceived as a path open to a 'creative' decision-making process.


It is common knowledge that the characteristics of Black-owned American businesses differ from the characteristics of businesses owned by other ethnic groups in the United States. Specifically, there are fewer Black businesses per capita; Black businesses experience lower levels of gross receipts; and Black businesses are less likely to be large enough to employ workers. It is also common knowledge that the survival rate of Black American businesses is lower than the survival rate for businesses owned by other ethnic groups. The logical question to ask is: "Why?" This BlackEconomics.org Report Brief identifies and explains 22 reasons why Black businesses fail. There are 11 structural reasons, 6 cultural reasons, and 5 psychological reasons why Black businesses fail. The goal of the analysis is to enable a more comprehensive perspective on why Black businesses fail so that Black entrepreneurs can fashion strategies that lead to more Black business successes.


Metaphors and analogies are more than figurative language suitable only for English classes and standardized test questions. They are power tools" that can electrify learning in every subject and at all grade levels. Metaphors show students how to make connections between the concrete and the abstract, prior knowledge and unfamiliar concepts, and language and image. To exploit these powers, however, teachers must learn how to use metaphors and analogies strategically and for specific purposes, helping students discover, create, and deconstruct effective comparisons. In this thoughtful and nuanced book, Rick Wormeli examines a wide range of powerful metaphors--from the rhetoric of political speeches to mathematical models to concrete spellings and body sculptures that symbolically portray abstractions. Metaphors & Analogies is filled with provocative illustrations of metaphors in action and practical tips about using metaphors to improve assessment, professional development, and symbolic sensing. Imagine the possibilities


OBJECTIVE In healthy rodents, intestinal sugar absorption in response to sugar-rich meals and insulin is regulated by GLUT2 in enterocyte plasma membranes. Loss of insulin action maintains apical GLUT2 location. In human enterocytes, apical GLUT2 location has not been reported but may be revealed under conditions of insulin resistance. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Subcellular location of GLUT2 in jejunal enterocytes was analyzed by confocal and electron microscopy imaging and Western blot in 62 well-phenotyped morbidly obese subjects and 7 lean human subjects. GLUT2 locations were assayed in ob/ob and ob/+ mice receiving oral metformin or in high-fat low-carbohydrate diet–fed C57Bl/6 mice. Glucose absorption and secretion were respectively estimated by oral glucose tolerance test and secretion of [U-14C]-3-O-methyl glucose into lumen. RESULTS In human enterocytes, GLUT2 was consistently located in basolateral membranes. Apical GLUT2 location was absent in lean subjects but was observed in 76% of obese subjects and correlated with insulin resistance and glycemia. In addition, intracellular accumulation of GLUT2 with early endosome antigen 1 (EEA1) was associated with reduced MGAT4a activity (glycosylation) in 39% of obese subjects on a low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet. Mice on a low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet for 12 months also exhibited endosomal GLUT2 accumulation and reduced glucose absorption. In ob/ob mice, metformin promoted apical GLUT2 and improved glucose homeostasis. Apical GLUT2 in fasting hyperglycemic ob/ob mice tripled glucose release into intestinal lumen. CONCLUSIONS In morbidly obese insulin-resistant subjects, GLUT2 was accumulated in apical and/or endosomal membranes of enterocytes. Functionally, apical GLUT2 favored and endosomal GLUT2 reduced glucose transepithelial exchanges. Thus, altered GLUT2 locations in enterocytes are a sign of intestinal adaptations to human metabolic pathology.


The apodization technique has been applied to refracting telescopes but rarely to reflecting telescopes. This paper reports results obtained using a 16-sec of arc f/11 Cassegrain telescope. Aperture shapes were determined by imposing the condition that the diffraction pattern along one direction in the image plane be defined by a Sonine diffraction pattern. Polaris (α-UMin) and its companion were used as the test system.


Problem statement: Metal nanoparticles confine the motion of conduction electrons and exhibit a strong optical absorption of electromagnetic radiation in the UV-vis-NIR region. The absorption is classically derived from the collective oscillations of free electrons in a metallic nanostructure as a consequence of incident electromagnetic radiation polarizing the particle optically embedded in a dielectric matrix. These oscillations, known as the localized surface Plasmon resonance has been modelled by Gustav Mie in 1908 using the Maxwell's equations. Nevertheless, the electrodynamics approach cannot account for the electronic transitions often displayed in experiment as a broad UV-vis optical absorption spectrum originated from the conduction electrons of metal nanoparticles. A quantum mechanical approach is required to address the optical absorption spectra of metal nanoparticles systemically. Approach: In this study, an attempt was made to calculate the optical absorption spectra of conduction electrons of metal nanoparticle quantum mechanically using the density functional theory. The particle was an isolated spherical metal nanoparticle containing N atoms confined in a face-centered cubic lattice structure. When light strikes the particle, the occupied ground-state conduction electrons absorbed the energy and excite to the unoccupied higher energy-state of the conduction band. In this development, we used time-independent Schrodinger equation for the ground-state energy of Thomas-Fermi-Dirac-Weizsacker atomic model for the total energy functional and the density function in the Euler-Lagrange equation is algebraically substituted with the absorption function. The total energy functional was computed numerically for silver and gold nanoparticles at various diameters. Results: The results showed broad absorption spectra derived from the occupied ground-state conduction electrons at the orbital {n = 5 and l = 0 or 5s} for silver and {n = 6 and l = 0 or 6s} for gold, which excite to the unoccupied higher energy of conduction band at the orbital {n≥6 and l = 0 or 1} for silver and {n≥7 and l = 0 or 1} for gold. A nonlinear red-shift of the absorption peak λmax, appearing at 404.79, 408.36, 412.55, 415.73, 418.42 and 420.96 nm for silver and at 510.28, 520.91, 533.11, 542.35, 549.74 and 556.04 nm for gold when the particle diameter varies at 4, 5, 7, 10, 15 and 25 nm respectively. The quantum confinement effect of the conduction bands is stronger for silver and gold nanoparticles of less than about 20 nm in diameter. Conclusion: The optical absorption spectra of silver and gold nanoparticles have been successfully calculated using a quantum treatment and this calculation could be extended to other transition metal nanoparticles of interest in nanoscience and nanotechnology.


While multi-modal deep learning is useful in distributed sensing tasks like human tracking, activity recognition, and audio and video analysis, deploying state-of-the-art multi-modal models in a wirelessly networked sensor system poses unique challenges. The data sizes for different modalities can be highly asymmetric (e.g., video vs. audio), and these differences can lead to significant delays between streams in the presence of wireless dynamics. Therefore, a slow stream can significantly slow down a multi-modal inference system in the cloud, leading to either increased latency (when blocked by the slow stream) or degradation in inference accuracy (if inference proceeds without waiting). In this paper, we introduce speculative inference on multi-modal data streams to adapt to these asymmetries across modalities. Rather than blocking inference until all sensor streams have arrived and been temporally aligned, we impute any missing, corrupt, or partially-available sensor data, then generate a speculative inference using the learned models and imputed data. A rollback module looks at the class output of speculative inference and determines whether the class is sufficiently robust to incomplete data to accept the result; if not, we roll back the inference and update the model's output. We implement the system in three multi-modal application scenarios using public datasets. The experimental results show that our system achieves 7 -- 128× latency speedup with the same accuracy as six state-of-the-art methods.


Economic well-being has been an issue relevant to American public discourse for some time and has become a topic of particular interest among journalists, policymakers, and ordinary American families. The Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) is often used as a tool to analyze the effects of economic wellbeing. Though the Census Bureau independently collects and processes income data—the CE is the only Federal survey that collects information on income, expenditures, and associated demographic characteristics from U.S. consumers. As a result, CE data are useful for answering many salient questions related to economic well-being. However, CE data are also complex and should be used with an understanding of the limitations of these data. This Beyond the Numbers article examines assumptions users often make regarding how the CE measures household wealth, by providing examples of the nuances in the data and composition of five household groupings. The examples provide a clearer snapshot of economic well-being found in the income quintiles. The article uses tabulations of households by quintiles of income before taxes that many researchers use to identify the "poor" and the "rich" in the CE data. These terms are subjective and potentially pejorative. Another common set of terms for these types of analyses are "low-income" and "high-income." These are also subjective terms, and they are imprecise for communicating the concept of economic well-being, which involves other measures of wealth (e.g. stocks, bonds, cash assets, etc.). Misunderstandings arise potentially when researchers use terms like "rich" and "poor" to describe households rather than focus solely on income measures. So, what are the common assumptions made about the economic well-being of the "poor" and "rich" when using CE data to compare income groups?


Recent experiments have provided direct evidence for the excitation of electronhole pairs during the adsorption of atoms on metal surfaces. The excitation of electron-hole pairs is an inherently non-adiabatic process which is often ignored in standard theoretical treatments of surface phenomena, using tools such as density functional theory (DFT), as the Born-Oppenheimer approximation cannot be used. To obtain a theoretical model for the electronic excitation process it is therefore necessary to go beyond conventional methods. Previous theoretical descriptions have used a nearly-adiabatic approximation to describe electronic excitations. However, these methods have been found to fail in situations where an adsorbing atom undergoes a transition between a spin-polarised and unpolarised state. In this thesis we develop a fully non-adiabatic theory using a simple description of the adsorbate-metal interaction; the time-dependent, mean-field Newns- Anderson model. This model describes a simple electronic system in which a band of metal states interacts with a single atomic orbital, which can undergo a 'spin-transition'. We derive expressions describing the time-dependent transfer of charge and energy between the adsorbate and surface, as well as the spectrum of electronic excitations generated. Each of these results describe the evolution of the electronic system in terms of a simple set of parameters. These results are demonstrated using a set of example parameter variations to explore the impact of variables such as adsorbate speed and the temperature of the system. A set of parameter variations describing the interaction of hydrogen isotopes with copper and silver surfaces are obtained from DFT calculations. These parameters are used to drive our model through a single approach of the adsorbate to the surface. We find the results of these calculations to be in good agreement with reported experimental results. Our conclusions, and some possible directions for further work, are summarised in the final chapter.


Objective: To investigate the comparative effectiveness of current standard treatment, against an individually tailored behavioural programme delivered via the Internet or face-to-face for people with acute whiplash associated disorders. Design: A multicentre, randomized, three-group design, with concealed allocation. Subjects and settings: A total of 55 participants (37 female), age 18–65, with acute Whiplash Associated Disorder (Grade I–II), recruited at two emergency clinics in Sweden. Interventions: Before randomization all participants received standard self-care instructions. The Internet and face-to-face groups followed a seven-week behavioural programme involving individual tailoring, via email (Internet group), or in sessions at a physical therapy unit (face-to-face group). The control group only received the self-care instructions. Main measures: Pain-related disability, pain intensity, self-efficacy in daily activities, catastrophizing and fear of movement/(re)injury. Assessments were performed at baseline (2–4 weeks postinjury) and at three, six and 12 months postintervention. Results: Both the Internet (n = 16) and face-to-face (n = 14) group showed a larger decrease in pain-related disability than the control group (n = 16); −12 and −11, respectively, compared with −5 in the control group at 12-months follow-up. Significant differences between the groups in overall treatment effect were shown in all outcomes except pain intensity. All groups improved significantly over time in all outcomes, except for fear of movement/(re)injury and catastrophizing in the control group. Conclusion: An individually tailored behavioural programme improved biopsychosocial factors in patients with whiplash associated disorders up to 12 months after treatment. Internet-delivered intervention was as effective as clinic-based face-to-face therapy sessions.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine sexual offender treatment responses as a function of psychopathy subtype.

Design/methodology/approach
Measures of sexual violence risk, treatment change and outcome variables were coded retrospectively on a sample of 86 high Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) scoring sexual offenders. Psychopathy subtypes were identified through cluster analysis of PCL-R facet scores.

Findings
Two subtypes were identified labeled classic and aggressive. They were comparable in their level of risk and need and did not differ in rates of treatment completion or change. The aggressive subtype had higher rates of violent and general recidivism and higher frequencies of major mental disorder and cognitive disability. Results of Cox regression survival analysis demonstrated that treatment-related changes in risk were associated with reductions in violent recidivism for the aggressive, but not classic, psychopathy variant.

Practical implications
Psychopathy is a heterogeneous syndrome. Moreover, psychopathic offenders can demonstrate risk relevant treatment changes. PCL-R facet profiles have important responsivity implications. However, not all psychopathic offenders fare poorly in treatment.

Originality/value
This is one of very few studies to examine treatment response and links to outcome among psychopathic offenders, particularly as this relates to subtype.


This study addresses the function of STAT6 in interleukin-4-stimulated gene expression. A specific STAT6 DNA-binding target site has been identified in the promoter of the interleukin-4 receptor gene, and STAT6 is shown to be involved in mediating activation of gene expression via this site. STAT6 can mediate transcription of a heterologous reporter gene construct containing the interleukin-4 receptor STAT6 binding site. In addition, evidence is provided that demonstrates a distinct effect of STAT6 DNA binding specificity on transcriptional regulation since transcription was not stimulated from a competent but different DNA binding site. To confirm the role of STAT6 in gene activation, STAT6 mutant proteins were generated and analyzed for their ability to function in interleukin-4-induced transcription. Although the interleukin-2 γ chain receptor subunit has been demonstrated to be a component of the interleukin-4 receptor, it is not required for specific gene activation.


Automated mouse phenotyping through the high-throughput analysis of home cage behavior has brought hope of a more effective and efficient method for testing rodent models of diseases. Advanced video analysis software is able to derive behavioral sequence data sets from multiple-day recordings. However, no dedicated mechanisms exist for sharing or analyzing these types of data. In this article, we present a free, open-source software actionable through a web browser (an R Shiny application), which can perform state-of-the-art multidimensional analysis of home cage behavioral sequence data. The software aligns time-series data to the light/dark cycle, and then uses different time windows to produce up to 162 behavior variables per animal. It prevents p-hacking by providing an analysis that uses a principal component analysis strategy, while also representing the behavior graphically for further explorative analysis. A machine-learning approach was implemented, but it proved ineffective at separating the experimental groups. The software requires spreadsheets that provide information about the experiment (i.e., metadata), thus promoting a data management strategy that leads to FAIR data production. This encourages the publication of some metadata even when the data are kept private. We tested our software by comparing the behavior of female mice in videos recorded twice at 3 and 7 months in a home cage monitoring system. This study demonstrated that combining data management with data analysis leads to a more efficient and effective research process.


In spite of thousands of years of science, humankind is distinctly unable to predict the future. And yet, the judicial system is called upon to do just so daily. In bail considerations, judges predict flight risk. In parole hearings, officials contemplate the likelihood of reoffense. And in three states, a defendant convicted of a capital crime will live or die based on what a judge and jury thinks he will do in an unknown future. It has been observed that "what separates the executioner from the murderer is the legal process by which the state ascertains and condemns those guilty of heinous crimes. If that process is flawed ... the legitimacy of our legal process is threatened." When states execute based in part on the defendant's future actions, the legal process is confronted with several complex questions. If they cannot be satisfactorily answered, the state risks collapsing the distinction between murderer and executioner. This Comment collects and responds to several of the strongest arguments — stemming from both constitutional objections and more general concerns — against the use of future dangerousness as a consideration in death penalty sentencing. Following this Introduction, Part II provides definitions and basic background information on future dangerousness. Part III compares the use of clinical methods to actuarial methods for determining future dangerousness and advocates for the conclusion reached by other commentators that actuarial methods are preferable. It also briefly reviews the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG) and the Classification of Violence Risk (COVR) software, two actuarial tools referenced by example throughout this Comment. Part IV reviews the case law history of future dangerousness and the death penalty. On the foundation laid by Parts III and IV, Part V collects and responds to six of the most potent objections to future dangerousness: (1) relevance and admissibility of evidence, (2) the requirement of an individualized assessment, (3) reliance on factors that do not index blameworthiness, (4) vagueness challenges, (5) predestination considerations, and (6) objections to future dangerousness as nonretributive. Part VI considers generalized and specific arguments for the use of future dangerousness testimony. Part VII makes several specific suggestions as to how future dangerousness evidence should be used by courts. Part VIII concludes with general comments.


Sheehan's Syndrome (SS) is defined as pituitary hormone deficiency due to ischemic infarction of the pituitary gland as a result of massive postpartum uterine hemorrhage. Herein, we aimed to investigate the roles of Factor II (G20210A), Factor V (G1691A), MTHFR (C677T and A1298C), PAI-1 4G/5G, and TNF-α (−308  G > A) gene polymorphisms in the etiopathogenesis of SS. Venous blood samples were obtained from 53 cases with SS and 43 healthy women. Standard methods were used to extract the genomic DNAs. Factor II (G20210A), Factor V (G1691A), and MTHFR (C677T and A1298C) polymorphisms were identified by real-time PCR. PAI-1 4G/5G and TNF-α (−308  G > A) gene polymorphisms were detected with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) methods. According to statistical analysis, none of the polymorphisms were found to be significantly higher in the SS group compared to the control group. Hence, we suggest that genetic factors other than Factor II, Factor V, MTHFR, PAI-1, and TNF-α gene polymorphisms should be researched in the etiopathogenesis of SS.


While the use of cocaine in pregnancy continues to be a significant contributor to adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes, systematic study of the physiologic effects of cocaine in human gestation remains difficult. In a case of acute cocaine intoxication in the third trimester, Doppler velocimetry suggested a physiologic response from the uterine artery but not the umbilical artery. Furthermore, the abnormal uterine artery velocimetry was associated with a positive nonreactive contraction stress test, which became negative and reactive as the effects of the cocaine wore off and the velocimetry returned to normal. These observations suggest that the uterine arteries are more sensitive to cocaine than are the umbilical arteries and that abnormal fetal heart rate patterns during acute cocaine intoxication may be transitory.


To keep one step ahead of deadly viral outbreaks, scientists track known viruses and identify emerging viruses that haven't been seen before. But this type of surveillance can falter when field samples contain only small amounts of a virus and modern analytical techniques fail to detect it, so the threat goes unnoticed. Scientists at Pennsylvania State University, led by Siyang Zheng and Mauricio Terrones, report a device that can enrich viruses in field samples, thanks to an array of aligned, nitrogen-doped multiwalled carbon nanotubes, or N-MWCNTs (Sci. Adv. 2016, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1601026). The nanotube array acts as a filter for a solution of the prepared sample, allowing nontarget material to flow through while trapping virus particles and concentrating them by at least 100 times. Then the virus can be identified with next-generation sequencing. With the device, the researchers identified an emerging avian influenza virus strain as well as a novel virus


An initial value problem for one‐dimensional wave propagation is considered; the medium is assumed to be randomly perturbed as a function of both space and time. The stochastic perturbation theory of Papanicolaou and Keller [SIAM J. Appl. Math. 21, 287 (1971)] is applied directly in the space–time regime to derive transport equations for the first and second moments of the solution. These equations are solved in special cases.


This book provides a space in which struggles for indigenous knowledge within communities are articulated, valued, heard, and responded to. The volume takes change as its focus, yet acknowledges that the origins and significance of change are frequently found to be unsettling. Contributors explore different understandings of change that forge sustainable, inclusive and just communities and examine issues related to citizenship, resistance, peacemaking, critical literacies, and second chance opportunities. The authors seek to promote advocacy of change that recognises the importance of an informed engagement with cross-cultural issues in order to foreground those missing perspectives that are often marginalised, silenced, ignored or denied. All contributors are concerned with how the process of change can bridge the gap between social justice and exclusion and develop critical understandings of the implications of changing policy and practice for those within and working with the educational organisations and communities.


The main objective was to develop a procedure based on differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) to measure atmospheric total column of ozone, using the automated instrument developed at the University of North Texas (UNT) by Nebgen in 2006. This project also explored the ability of this instrument to provide measurements of atmospheric total column nitrogen dioxide. The instrument is located on top of UNT's Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building. It employs a low cost spectrometer coupled with fiber optics, which are aimed at the sun to collect solar radiation. Measurements taken throughout the day with this instrument exhibited a large variability. The DOAS procedure derives total column ozone from the analysis of daily DOAS Langley plots. This plot relates the measured differential column to the airmass factor. The use of such plots is conditioned by the time the concentration of ozone remains constant. Observations of ozone are typically conducted throughout the day. Observations of total column ozone were conducted for 5 months. Values were derived from both DOAS and Nebgen's procedure and compared to satellite data. Although differences observed from both procedures to satellite data were similar, the variability found in measurements was reduced from 70 Dobson units, with Nebgen's procedure, to 4 Dobson units, with the DOAS procedure.A methodology to measure atmospheric nitrogen dioxide using DOAS was also investigated. Although a similar approach to ozone measurements could be applied, it was found that such measurements were limited by the amount of solar radiation collected by the instrument. Observations of nitrogen dioxide are typically conducted near sunrise or sunset, when solar radiation experiences most of the atmospheric absorption.


Purpose: To advance research practices with consumer monitors, standard validation methods are needed. This study provides an example of best practices through systematically evaluating the validity of the Fitbit Charge (FBC) under free-living conditions using a strong reference measure and robust measurement agreement methods. Methods: 94 healthy participants (Mage 41.8 ±9.3 yrs) wore a FBC and two research grade accelerometers (Actigraph GT3X and activPAL) as they went about normal activities for a week. Estimated daily minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) from the FBC were compared against reference estimates obtained from the Sojourns Including Posture (SIP) methodology, while daily step counts were compared against the activPAL. Results: Correlations with reference indicators were high for average daily MVPA (r = 0.8; p < .0001) and steps (r = 0.76; p < .0001), but the FBC overestimated time spent in MVPA by 56% and steps by 15%. The mean absolute percent errors of MVPA and steps estimated by FBC were 71.5% and 30.0%, respectively. Neither of the MVPA and step estimates from the FBC fell into the ±10% equivalence zone set by the criterion. The Kappa statistics of the classification agreement between the two MVPA assessment methods was 0.32 with a low sensitivity of 30.1% but a high specificity of 96.7%. Conclusion: The FBC overestimated minutes of MVPA and steps when compared to both reference assessments in free-living conditions. Standardized reporting in future studies will facilitate comparisons with other monitors and with future versions of the FBC.


In Nordic countries, tree planting of seedlings is mainly performed during spring and early summer. Interest has increased in extending the planting window throughout the unfrozen growing season. This study compared the success of one-year-old spring, summer and autumn plantings in practical forestry in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in southern and central Finland. Planting success was based on the number of viable seedlings per hectare relative to a species-specific target density. The influence of different factors to poor planting results were determined, including quality of site preparation and planting, and sources of natural damage. Overall, in Norway spruce, 85, 69 and 84% and in Scots pine 53, 55 and 40% of spring, summer and autumn plantings succeeded. In Norway spruce, the planting results were consistent between the southern and central regions, whereas in Scots pine, the success was slightly lower in the south. The poor work quality and a low density of appropriate planting spots, contributed to poor planting results, regardless of planting season, region or tree species. Considering different damages, especially mammal damage contributed to the failure of Scots pine spring plantings, whereas in summer plantings, corresponding single failure reason could not be identified. Based on our findings, extending the planting season of Norway spruce could be recommended in both regions. For Scots pine, there is still significant uncertainty about the success of summer and autumn plantings, partially due to the limited number of plantings available for analyses.


We describe a method for improving AWG performance. This is a photosensitive phase adjustment technique with which the arrayed waveguide part is irradiated with UV laser light through a metal mask. We can reduce both the adjacent crosstalk and dispersion simultaneously for all channels.


Open source has been championed by many scholars as a superior system for promoting innovation, not only in software but latterly in biology. Though software code and genes appear superficially similar in the sense that they both serve as algorithms for the production of specified results, the former may be more conducive to the open source model of innovation than the latter. Nevertheless, if an open source model of genetics were adopted, the model could have significant effects on the future of human genetic enhancement. If open source genetics were unsuccessful or counterproductive in promoting genetic innovation, the result would be slowed discovery and development of genetic enhancements. Yet, if open source genetics were successful in spurring genetic innovation, at least two results would be likely: (1) acceleration in the rate of innovation in new genetic enhancements, and (2) acceleration of the widespread adoption of genetic enhancements. By contrast, proprietary patent protection for genetic enhancements would tend to spur genetic innovation, but would tend to limit access to those genetic enhancements through discriminatory mechanisms such as price and favoritism. Open source genetics likely would offer different societal outcomes for genetic enhancement than would proprietary patent systems. Furthermore, the societal implications of an open source genetics approach to genetic enhancement likely would not have the simple, salutary effects many in the open biology movement tend to assume. Rather, open source genetics might lead to more widespread genetic enhancement than would proprietary patent approaches, though the potential pool of available genetic enhancements likely would be smaller. A proprietary patent approach would likely ensure high rates of genetic enhancement innovation, research, and development, and efficiently mediate access to genetic enhancements, but likely would allow access to genetic enhancements to fewer members of society. With both open source genetics and proprietary patent approaches, there remains the prospect that genetic enhancement might lead to human evolutionary change. Public policy and the law must grapple with the implications of genetic enhancement before current technological possibilities become societal realities. Open source genetics offers a significant alternative to the prospect of the patent system as a substantial arbiter of parental decisions regarding genetic enhancement of their offspring. Open source genetics holds the potential to democratize accessibility of genetic enhancements, while discouraging high rates of genetic enhancement innovation. However, the implications that open source genetics has for the future of human society - and even human evolution - are not clearly more beneficial than the implications the patent system would have. It is certain that the implications that open source genetics and proprietary patent systems have for future human genetic enhancement should be subjected to thorough analysis and debate prior to the imminent arrival of human genetic enhancement technologies.


Recent advances in Raman spectrometers, resulting in faster acquisition times and the use of lower powered lasers have led to a resurgence in the application of Raman spectroscopy to the study of cementitious materials. However, despite it being widely believed that we know all about these materials, modern cements are extremely complex, heterogeneous materials. Given their complexity, and the widespread application of cement and concrete in today's society, modern research into cement and concrete is truly multidisciplinary, with experts from the fields of chemistry, geology, mineralogy, materials science, corrosion science, engineering, even biology and medical science all investigating the structure and behaviour of cementitious materials.
 This review aims to look at the development of Raman spectroscopy as applied to the field of cement science. Starting with a historical overview, it then considers the spectra of cements at different stages in their lives, from fresh anhydrous materials, to hydrating and hydrated pastes, through to their degraded state. Whilst being concerned primarily with Portland cements, some alternative cementitious materials are also discussed, as are some of the additional materials found in modern cements and concretes; such as admixtures, cement replacement materials and reinforcement steel. However, it is not concerned with aggregates added to concrete, since this would be huge undertaking and would detract from the true focus of the review. Finally, the article identifies gaps in our current understanding and offers suggestions for potential future developments in the field.


The two layer Aurivillius compound SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT) and SrBi2-xDyxTa2O9 (x=0.025, 0.05, 0.1) was synthesized by using a solid state sintering method. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the dysprosium substituted ceramic SrBi2Ta2O9 have a pure two-layer Aurivillius type structure. The effects of Dysprosium oxide on the microstructure, ferroelectric, dielectric and optical properties of the ceramics were investigated. Dy doping is found to be significantly affect on the structural and physical properties of SBT. The dielectric constant (Ԑ) and transition temperature (Tc) of Dy-doped samples was found to be decrease with increase of Dy content. Well-developed P (polarization)-E (Electric field) hysteresis loops were observed for all the samples and also the band-gap (Eg) of this sample was verify by UV-VIS spectrophotometer.


In the current historical moment in the United States, the emptying out of language is nourished by the assault on the civic imagination. One example of this can be found in the rise of Donald Trump on the political scene. Donald Trump's popular appeal speaks to not just the boldness of what he says and the shock it provokes, but the inability to respond to shock with informed judgement rather than titillation. Marie Luise Knott is right in noting that "We live our lives with the help of the concepts we form of the world. They enable an author to make the transition from shock to observation to finally creating space for action—for writing and speaking. Just as laws guarantee a public space for political action, conceptual thought ensures the existence of the four walls within which judgment operates."[1] The concepts that now guide our understanding of American society are dominated by a corporate induced linguistic and authoritarian model that brings ruin to language, politics and democracy itself.


In a future scenario where many devices can be controlled using the voice, easy and intuitive access will be crucial for avoiding cognitive overload when users are faced with many different systems and interaction models. We propose a model for interaction with spoken language interfaces applied to heterogeneous tasks for service robots, based on the idea of using a family of lifelike characters. We argue that we can signal important features of the speech interface by using certain visual cues. The aim is to facilitate learning and transfer between interfaces. We discuss challenges for dialogue design affecting learnability in the light of the speech interface constructed for our full-scale robot prototype CERO.


My lab has shown that Stat3, an oncogenic protein constitutively-activated in tumor cells, is also persistently activated in tumor stromal cells, including diverse immune subsets. We have further demonstrated that Stat3 signaling coordinates multiple levels of interactions between tumor cells and their microenvironment, affecting tumor growth, apoptosis and angiogenesis. Importantly, our recent studies revealed that oncogenesis itself coordinates cancer immune evasion/ suppression: constitutively-activated Stat3 inhibits expression of certain "danger" signals necessary for immune activation, and conversely, inhibiting Stat3 in tumor cells allows activation of both innate and adaptive anti-tumor immunity. We have also shown that Stat3 activity in tumors promotes production of immune suppressive factors, including VEGF and IL-10, that activate Stat3 in various immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Tumor-induced Stat3 activation in multiple hematopoietic cell types restrains tumor immune responses, thus defining a second level through which Stat3 signaling inhibits the generation of anti-tumor immunity. Constitutivelyactivated Stat3 in dendritic cells (DCs), Gr-1+CD11b+ myeloid cells, NK cells and neutrophils renders them dysfunctional and/ or immune suppressive. Inhibiting Stat3 in the hematopoietic system activates a multi-component, anti-tumor response. Our on-going studies also indicate that Stat3 is constitutively activated in tumor-residing T regulatory cells. Several independent studies have now shown that Stat3 activity in T cells is critical for expression of IL-10, TGFβ and Foxp3, all of which are important for generating tumor T regulatory cells. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that Stat3 signaling within the tumor is key to mediating the immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment, and that inhibiting Stat3 abrogates tumor immune suppression and activates anti-tumor mechanisms involving diverse immune cells. Supporting this notion are our recent findings that inhibiting Stat3 in immune cells markedly increases anti-tumor effects by conventional immunotherapeutic approaches, such as CpG-based therapy. Our recent data suggest that Stat3 signaling in tumor cells allows them to co-opt immune cells, which results in cancer progression. Tumor stromal immune cells, especially myeloid cells, are major producers of growth, angiogenic and invasive factors. The concept of targeting both tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment for more effective therapy is gaining momentum. However, a molecular target to inhibit expression of the multitude of factors critical for angiogenesis/invasion in tumor stromal cells has not been defined. Our preliminary results show that constitutively-activated Stat3 in diverse tumorassociated hematopoietic/immune cells promotes expression of a large array of growth and angiogenic/invasive factors, many of which are also Stat3 activators, which, in turn, induce Stat3 activation in both tumor cells and tumor stromal cells. We have further demonstrated that Stat3 activity in tumor stromal immune cells promotes angiogenesis in a Stat3-dependent manner. Consequently, targeting Stat3 in tumor stromal immune cells affects the tumor microenvironment at multiple levels. How can a single molecule contribute to so many different facets of oncogenesis? We postulate that this relates to links between cancer and wound healing. Wound healing is an essential physiological process that is very complex and highly coordinated. Therefore, it is logical that it is orchestrated by only one or few molecules. Cancer development and wound healing share many similarities, but a fundamental difference between the two is that wound healing is self-limiting whereas cancer is not. Recent studies demonstrated that Stat3 regulates numerous genes common to both wound healing and oncogenesis, and that a lack of Stat3 alleles prevents tumor development in both Drosophila and mice and impairs wound healing. This essential role of Stat3 in wound healing raises a critical question for cancer therapy: would systemic Stat3 inhibition cause severe side effects? In addition to numerous independent in vitro studies showing that a tumor cell's dependence on Stat3 for survival is much greater than that of normal cells, we and others have shown that induced Stat3 gene ablation in the entire hematopoietic system in adult mice has no detectable consequences on survival and function of these cells. On the contrary, Stat3-/bone marrow cells can reconstitute irradiated syngeneic recipients, and inhibit tumor growth. Nevertheless, prolonged Stat3 ablation in the hematopoietic system can cause autoimmune disease. To avoid autoimmune disease and other potential side effects that might be associated with long-term systemic Stat3 inhibition, it is highly desirable to direct Stat3 antagonists to tumor and tumor-draining lymph nodes. In addition, oncogenic potential and constitutive Stat3 activation are restricted to normal cells within the tumor microenvironment. For example, tumor T regulatory cells, but not splenic T regulatory cells, suppress anti-tumor immunity and display constitutively-activated Stat3. Therefore, the antitumor effects of inhibiting Stat3 will benefit most from targeting Stat3 in the tumor. How can we facilitate the delivery of Stat3 antagonists to tumor cells and tumor stromal cells, while simultaneously avoiding their inhibiting cells in normal organs? We propose a nanoparticle delivery can solve this problem. Because Stat3 is constitutively activated in tumor-associated hematopoietic cells, but not in their normal splenic counterparts, we predict that it is feasible to identify biomarkers unique to tumor-associated normal cells, thereby allowing targeting of multiple types of tumor stromal cells as well as tumor cells using the same nanoparticle(s).


Seven years after the discovery of superconductivity in magnesium diboride, the fundamental superconducting properties of this compound are well known and the peculiar current transport in polycrystalline materials is essentially understood. Based on this knowledge the ultimate performance of wires or tapes at high magnetic fields will be predicted and compared to state-of-the-art materials and to other superconductors. The key parameter for high field applications is the upper critical field, which can be strongly enhanced by impurity scattering. This fundamental property might be further optimized in bulk materials, since higher values were reported for thin films. The MgB2 grains are usually very small, if prepared by the in-situ technique. The resulting high density of grain boundaries leads to strong pinning, close to the theoretical limit. On the other hand, the connectivity between the grains is still rather poor and strongly reduces the achievable critical currents, thus leaving room for further improvements.


Juvenile sexual offenders form a substantial part of the sexual offender population and a subset of them will continue offending against the person in general, and sexually in particular, into adulthood. Part of a strategy to reduce offending against the person, and sexual offending specifically, should therefore be to identify and treat high-risk juvenile sexual offenders. To identify the characteristics of such offenders, recidivism studies are traditionally used. After reviewing 11 recidivism studies we briefly discuss the difficulty of comparing the recidivism rates found by them. We then report the findings of a study that examined the official records of 326 male juvenile sexual offenders convicted in Western Australia from January 1990 to June 1998. During the follow-up period almost 7 in 10 of the offenders reoffended. Most were convicted of non-sexual offences, with only 1 in 10 convicted of new sexual offences. Offenders who reoffended against the person (sexual and non-sexual), constituted more than one-third of the total sample. Stepwise logistic regression analyses failed to identify variables that are useful to predict sexual reoffending, but identified variables that predict further offending against the person. Western Australian juvenile sexual offenders who consistently offend against the person appear to start offending at a younger age and have a general offending history that, among other offences, includes a violent sexual offence.


Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition with current statistics highlighting
that, worldwide, women predominantly experience its impact at a rate of 4:1 (Jelinek,
2010). There are currently no medical cures for the illness and people can become
extremely physically disabled (Kalb, 2005). This research explores the lived
experiences of women who have a diagnosis of MS and the primary data in this
research were collected during semi-structured interviews with 16 of them aged
between 21 to 71 years old. The research methodology chosen draws on feminist
influences for the framework of the research design whilst also being influenced by
narrative perspectives of data collection methods and analysis. The research is
described as being a qualitative feminist narrative study. As someone who has a
diagnosis of MS this thesis also draws on my own self-ethnography and experiential
knowledge. The data were analysed using thematic and narrative analysis. The
findings highlighted that the presentation of MS symptoms to GPs were not initially
recognised and that a process of mis diagnosis occurred in the majority of cases for a
significant period of time with up to 27 years being reported in this study. Further
findings indicated that the women in this study were not all provided with choices,
options and relevant information in relation to MS. The detailed narratives from the
women about their experiences with MS highlighted a journey of personal
development and insight into living and adjusting to the symptoms of a chronic
illness. The women also offer their own interpretations about the onset of their MS
symptoms.


Background Liver stiffness measurement by transient elastography is an attractive non-invasive method for the detection of fibrosis and cirrhosis in chronic liver diseases. Gender, obesity and metabolic syndrome are risk factors for fibrosis in chronic liver disease however their impact upon fibrosis among the general population is unclear. Aims To prospectively explore the relationship between liver stiffness and metabolic factors in a population-based cohort of young adults. Methods Liver stiffness measurements (LSM) were assessed using transient elastography in 1241 subjects from the Western Australian Pregnancy (Raine Study) Cohort from May 2010 to March 2012. Assessment included medical questionnaire, alcohol intake, anthropometric measurements, fasting serum liver function and biochemistry. Central obesity, hypertension and the metabolic syndrome (MS) were defined according to International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Linear regression was used to determine associations between log transformed LSM and components of the metabolic syndrome, BMI and sex. Results Of the 1241 subjects assessed (634 [51%] males, mean age 20 years), 265 (21%) had central obesity, 206 (17%) had systolic hypertension and 57 (4.6%) had the metabolic syndrome based on IDF definitions. LSM was reliably determined by the interquartile range (IQR)/LSM ≤ 0.3, ≥10 valid scans and success rate ≥ 60%, in 1153/1241 (93%). Median LSM was higher in males than females (5.3 kPa [IQR 4.6–6.3 kPa] vs 4.5 kPa [IQR 3.7–5.4 kPa] p < 2 × 10–16). LSM greater than 7.9 kPa, which is predictive of significant fibrosis, was more common in males than females (51 (8.6%) vs 19 (3.4%); p = 0.0002). LSM was significantly higher in obese subjects (median: 5.2 vs 4.9 kPa; p = 0.027) and subjects with raised SBP or DBP (5.4 vs 4.8 kPa, p = 2 × 10–9) and the metabolic syndrome (median: 5.7 vs 4.9 kPa, p = 0.0002). However, in the multivariate analysis, central obesity (p = 0.002) and raised SBP (p = 0.007) but not IDF MS were associated with increased log LSM. Conclusion Obesity and hypertension are associated with greater liver stiffness in the general population of young adults. These metabolic factors should be targeted to prevent the development of significant hepatic fibrosis.


Longitudinal data taken at a ten year interval from a large, nationally representative sample were used to examine whether generative concern, as measured by a reduced form of the Loyola Generativity Scale (LGS), changed through the life course. Men aged 25-30 in 1995 scored significantly higher on the LGS in 2005 (p < .05), and women aged 41-50 and 61-74 in 1995 experienced slight but statistically significant (p < .05) decreases. With these exceptions, mean levels of generative concern remained constant, suggesting that generative concern may be a stable personality trait, not associated with a particular life stage.


The essay provides an overview of feminist studies in Japan nowadays, exploring in particular how new perspectives on sexuality and postcolonial theory have been gradually incorporated into feminist studies since the 1990s. In relation to sexuality, approaches to gender-sexuality have been enriched by the incorporation of new theories from areas such as literary criticism, art or history, among others. This has allowed for new critical examinations of heterosexism and of questions about gender and sexuality, and has eventually derived in the institutionalization of feminist studies with a poststructuralist influence in the Japanese academia. The article also analyzes the incorporation of postcolonial studies into feminist studies, as well as the impact that the question of prostitution during the war has had on them.


Abstract The article presents an analysis of the interventions carried out as part of the revitalisation of the complex of tenement houses on Strona Dekerta Starego Miasta na Rynku (Dekert's Side of the Old Town Market Square) in Warsaw. The design works in question took place between 2014 and 2017, resulting in the reconstruction of the Museum of Warsaw and the adaption of its space to the current needs. The article describes the conservation activities undertaken in the tenement houses over the last one hundred years, the main focus being put on the conditions, project process and final outcome of the revitalisation. As highlighted by the author, the most recent interventions in the Museum of Warsaw's tenement houses were completed with awareness of the object's great historic value as an important component of the Old Town inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. They are an example of typically Polish conservation interventions and a specific attitude towards architectural monuments, which were in great part lost by Poland as a result of warfare.


The mechanism of nanoclay exfoliation was investigated in epoxy−clay nanocomposites system. The elastic force exerted by cross-linked epoxy molecules inside the clay galleries was found responsible for exfoliation of clay layers from the intercalated tactoids. Complete exfoliation of clay galleries was observed under the conditions of slow increase of complex viscosity and fast rise of storage modulus. It was observed that faster intragallery polymerization, though expedited the exfoliation process, was not necessary for exfoliation. It was also observed that clays containing hydroxylated quaternary ammonium ions and quaternary ammonium ions with no polar functional groups produced exfoliated structures equally easily, provided the ratio of storage modulus to complex viscosity was maintained above 2−4 1/s. Both higher curing temperature and the presence of organically modified clay particles accelerated the formation of gels, and the gel time presented an upper bound of time available for exfoliation.


Since the last decades of the 20th century the meaning and content of knowledge has dramatically changed. This necessitates adopting a historical perspective in approaching the questions of knowledge. But so far all the efforts of putting knowledge in a historical perspective since Hegel s historization of Spirit either suffer from the limitations of the presupposition of the One (Spirit or Being) or fail to ground the historicity of knowledge on the history of coming-to-be and passing-away. Moving from Heidegger's "history of Being" toward the Aristotelian understanding of coming-to-be and passing away as a process of becoming has the potential to open up new avenues in approaching the historical question of knowledge as well as establishing its relation with the never complete ground (hypokeimenon) of the entities (ousia) as its historical a priori condition(s) of possibility.


Large-scale photographic surveys present an opportunity to quantify variation in benthic megafaunal community structure and dynamics on the undersampled abyssal plains, a habitat covering ~70% of the global seabed. The aims were to examine the method, and to use it to improve estimates of megafaunal abundance, biomass and functional groups (e.g. feeding types and rates) at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (PAP, 4850m depth, NE Atlantic), and also at Station M (4000m, NE Pacific), with the resulting data combined into a food web model. Method investigations included testing the quality of photo-derived ecological data by comparing three experts' annotations of a large set of images. Greater consensus was attained in the identification than in detection of megafauna, and variation in the detection of common taxa resulted in significant differences in estimated density and community composition. Randomisation of images should be used to combat annotation bias. Secondly, relationships between measured body dimensions and preserved and fresh wet weights were compiled and applied to dimensions measured in seabed images. Size spectra estimated from photos were similar to those of trawl-caught specimens, but the total fresh wet weight biomass of holothurians and cnidarians in the photos was ~20 times the estimates from trawl catches, suggesting that seabed photography may improve biomass estimates. Seabed imagery was applied to the ecology of abyssal hills and adjacent plain at the PAP, with substantial impacts to prior estimates of abundance, biomass and community composition. Biomass was 3 times greater on the hills than the plain, and assemblage and trophic compositions (by density and biomass) were significantly different, correlated with environmental conditions. A burrowing anemone, Iosactis vagabunda, was newly found to be the most abundant animal, likely important to carbon cycling with its newly-observed predatory and deposit feeding behaviours. Mobile deposit feeding rates were linked to body size, scaling at a power predicted by the Metabolic Theory of Ecology. This rate appears to increase in response to the deposition of detritus in only one taxon tested, while others remained constant. These findings all have impacts to carbon cycling. The fate of detritus input on abyssal hills and the plain was examined using a model of carbon flow through the food web, and the improved quantification of biomass and knowledge of feeding modes. Suspension feeding dominated carbon processing on the hill, removing nearly all labile detritus input. On the plain, half the labile detritus was used by deposit feeders. The community on the plain is dependent on a more stable carbon supply than the hill. This represents a substantial improvement to prior assessments of benthic biogeochemistry in the abyss.


We study theoretically and experimentally actively modelocked fiber lasers that are used in high repetition rate optical communication systems. Using an innovative numerical technique and a reduced model, we have found that the laser can operate in four different operating regimes when the laser intensity was changed; three of the regimes were experimentally observed in a laser with a sigma configuration. An excellent quantitative agreement between the theoretical and the experimental results was obtained. The use of dispersion management in the sigma laser was found to significantly improve the laser performance.


Compression of Bayer pattern color filter array (CFA) data has gained a lot of attention during past years. Numerous algorithms have been proposed for lossless, near-lossless and lossy compression. The performance evaluation of compression methods is typically done only for artificial CFA data, obtained by sub-sampling full color images according to CFA pattern, without taking into account that CFA data are heavily processed before obtaining full color images. Therefore, some assumptions that are true for reconstructed images may not hold for real raw data. Thus, compression efficiency of different methods may vary. In this paper we evaluate the performance of some methods for lossless and near-lossless compression for real raw Bayer pattern CFA data obtained from digital cameras.


The so-called dye-decolorizing peroxidases (DyPs) constitute a new family of proteins exhibiting remarkable stability. With the aim of providing them new catalytic activities of biotechnological interest, the heme pocket of one of the few DyPs fully characterized to date (from the fungus Auricularia auricula-judae) was redesigned based on the crystal structure available, and its potential for asymmetric sulfoxidation was evaluated. Chiral sulfoxides are important targets in organic synthesis and enzyme catalysis, due to a variety of applications. Interestingly, one of the DyP variants, F359G, is highly stereoselective in sulfoxidizing methyl-phenyl sulfide and methyl-p-tolyl sulfide (95–99% conversion, with up to 99% excess of the S enantiomer in short reaction times), while the parent DyP has no sulfoxidation activity, and the L357G variant produces both R and S enantiomers. The two variants were crystallized, and their crystal structures were used in molecular simulations to provide a rational explanation for the new catalytic activities. Protein energy landscape exploration (PELE) showed more favorable protein–substrate catalytic complexes for the above variants, with a considerable number of structures near the oxygen atom of the activated heme, which is incorporated into the substrates as shown in 18O-labeling experiments, and improved affinity with respect to the parent enzyme, explaining their sulfoxidation activity. Additional quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations were performed to elucidate the high stereoselectivity observed for the F359G variant, which correlated with higher reactivity on the substrate molecules adopting pro-S poses at the active site. Similar computational analyses can help introduce/improve (stereoselective) sulfoxidation activity in related hemeproteins.


Learning generative models that span multiple data modalities, such as vision and language, is often motivated by the desire to learn more useful, generalisable representations that faithfully capture common underlying factors between the modalities. In this work, we characterise successful learning of such models as the fulfilment of four criteria: i) implicit latent decomposition into shared and private subspaces, ii) coherent joint generation over all modalities, iii) coherent cross-generation across individual modalities, and iv) improved model learning for individual modalities through multi-modal integration. Here, we propose a mixture-of-experts multi-modal variational autoencoder (MMVAE) for learning of generative models on different sets of modalities, including a challenging image language dataset, and demonstrate its ability to satisfy all four criteria, both qualitatively and quantitatively.


The Wari State was the first expansionistic power to develop in the Andean highlands.  Emerging in the area of modern Ayacucho (Peru) around AD 650, the Wari expanded to control much of the central Andes by the time of their collapse at AD 1000. This book describes the discovery and excavation (2010-2012) of a major new Wari site (Espiritu Pampa), located in the subtropical region of Vilcabamba (Department of Cusco). While it was long believed that the Wari established trade networks between their highland capital and the Amazonian lowlands, the identification of a large Wari site in the Vilcabamba region came as a surprise to most Wari specialists. This book covers the first three years of excavations at the Wari site of Espiritu Pampa. It describes the identification of a central plaza surrounded by a series of D-shaped structures that are believed to have been the loci of special activities for the Wari.  It also describes the contents of more than 30 burials, many of which contained finely crafted silver, gold, bronze, and ceramic objects.


The paper maps and analyzes all existing practical exercises aiming to develop indicators for public sector innovations. To our knowledge this is the first attempt to comprehensively gather information about various international efforts. We only considered such exercises where actual indicators were developed and used at least once. We map five such exercises through extensive desk research and 13 interviews with surveyed project members. The paper shows that all existing attempts to measure public sector innovations operate within a rather limited conception of the public sector (efficiency), neglecting other possible logics (e.g. legitimacy); the existing exercises also neglect large areas of public sector activities, e.g. cooperation with business and third sectors (such as service co-creation, public-private partnership practices). This narrow focus often dictates that indicators and their technical assumptions are copied from the private sector; none of the five analyzed exercises utilized public administration experience and research (e.g. on performance measurement). The paper argues that instead of trying to come up with quantified indicators, public sector innovations should be assessed in complex evaluation frameworks.


his paper develops a theoretical model to understand the role of accounting conservatism in debt contracts, incorporating the possible renegotiation of debt contracts with accounting-based covenants. I find that the demand for accounting conservatism depends on whether renegotiation occurs and if so, at what cost. When the covenant is not renegotiable or when renegotiation cost is sufficiently high, more conservative accounting actually reduces the efficiency of debt contracts. When renegotiation cost is moderate, more conservative accounting may increase the entrepreneur's welfare under certain conditions, especially for firms with less promising investment opportunities and for firms with higher liquidation values. Both are characteristics of ``traditional industries" characterized by low growth and high level of tangible assets in place. When renegotiation is costless, the degree of accounting conservatism becomes irrelevant and the first best liquidation is always achieved. These results call for more cross-sectional examinations on the role of accounting conservatism in debt contracts in empirical studies.


Intestinal barrier dysfunction and subsequent microbial translocation play crucial roles in persistent immune activation leading to HIV disease progression. Opioid use is associated with worse outcome in HIV-infected patients. The exacerbated disease progression by opioids is mainly driven by excessive intestinal inflammation and increased gut permeability. The objective of this study is to investigate how opioids potentiate HIV disease progression by compromising intestinal barrier function and impairing intestinal epithelial self-repair mechanism. In the present study, abnormal intestinal morphology and reduced epithelial proliferation were observed in bone marrow-liver-thymus humanized mice and in HIV-infected patients who were exposed to opioids. In bone marrow-liver-thymus mice, HIV, and morphine independently, and additively induced gut dysbiosis, especially depletion of Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Muribaculaceae. We also observed that the abundance of Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Muribaculaceae negatively correlated with apoptosis of epithelial cells, and intestinal IL-6 levels. Previous studies have shown that these bacterial families play crucial roles in maintaining intestinal homeostasis because they include most short-chain fatty acid-producing members. Short-chain fatty acids have been shown to maintain stem cell populations and suppress inflammation in the gut by inhibiting histone deacetylases (HDAC). In addition, we demonstrate that morphine exposure inhibited growth of intestinal organoids derived from HIV transgenic mice by suppressing Notch signaling in an HDAC-dependent manner. These studies implicate an important role for HDAC in intestinal homeostasis and supports HDAC modulation as a therapeutic intervention in improving care of HIV patients, especially in opioid-abusing population.


We consider the problem of consistently matching multiple sets of elements to each other, which is a common task in fields such as computer vision. To solve the underlying NP-hard objective, existing methods often relax or approximate it, but end up with unsatisfying empirical performance due to a misaligned objective. We propose a coordinate update algorithm that directly optimizes the target objective. By using pairwise alignment information to build an undirected graph and initializing the permutation matrices along the edges of its Maximum Spanning Tree, our algorithm successfully avoids bad local optima. Theoretically, with high probability our algorithm guarantees an optimal solution under reasonable noise assumptions. Empirically, our algorithm consistently and significantly outperforms existing methods on several benchmark tasks on real datasets.


This paper investigates agribusiness cooperatives' reliance on patron demand deposit accounts (PDDAs) and regional patronage as sources of capital. Approximately 13% of cooperatives carry PDDAs, typically fruit cooperatives, of which over one-half have no financial protection against large unexpected withdrawals. Cooperatives with PDDAs must be concerned with potential legal conflicts regarding the handling of these accounts, as evidenced by a U.S. Supreme Court case classifying PDDAs as securities. Supply cooperatives are most likely to show investment in other cooperatives as a high percentage of total assets, which could generate insolvency issues for locals.


Large numbers of species of tree fodder are being used as green roughage source for goats in several farming systems. A study was carried out at Goat Research Station, Bandipur, Nepal in order to compare the feeding value of commonly used tree fodder leaves in mid-hills of Nepal. Altogether five treatments; tree fodder leaves of Ficus semicordata, Shorea robusta, Ficus glaberrima and Ficus lacor and mixed fodder as the conventional practices of the farmers were evaluated in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Total of 30 male goats were used for the experiment in five groups, 6 for each treatment. The subsequent experiment was carried out to determine the nutrient digestibility of the tree fodder leaves by using fecal collection method. Nutrient composition, voluntary intake and nutrient digestibility of the fodder leaves and growth performance of goats were monitored. Crude protein (CP), total ash (TA), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), hemicelluloses and cellulose proportion were better for F. glaberrima and F. lacor leaves, whereas the digestibility of those nutrients were better for F. semicordata leaves and moderate for F. glaberrima and S. robusta. Voluntary fodder dry matter intake was highest for F. glaberrima and least for mixed fodders. Growth performance of goats was higher for F. lacor and F. glaberrima than other tree fodder leaves and mixed fodders. The leaves of F. lacor and F. glaberrima had shown better feeding value than the conventional practices of farmers, mixed fodders. The leaves of S. robusta and F. semicordata were observed similar with the mixed fodders for their feeding value.Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 5(4): 442-448


The MINITAB statistical software project has been popularly used on mainframe computers since 1972. In June 1984, a subset of the program was made available for the IBM-PC microcomputer; it was designed for use with a numerical co-processor. A suite of BASIC and MINITAB macro programs have been written to conveniently investigate the correlation of sediment transport with the streampower of alluvial river flow. The field sediment data examined included recent measurements of bed and suspended load transport for 21 California streams. These are compared with recent laboratory data for the equilibrium transport of silt sized sediments. The graphic representation of the analyses uses the MICROSOFT Chart Program.


In this paper, we derive optimality results for greedy Bayesian-network search algorithms that perform single-edge modifications at each step and use asymptotically consistent scoring criteria. Our results extend those of Meek (1997) and Chickering (2002), who demonstrate that in the limit of large datasets, if the generative distribution is perfect with respect to a DAG defined over the observable variables, such search algorithms will identify this optimal (i.e. generative) DAG model. We relax their assumption about the generative distribution, and assume only that this distribution satisfies the composition property over the observable variables, which is a more realistic assumption for real domains. Under this assumption, we guarantee that the search algorithms identify an inclusion-optimal model; that is, a model that (1) contains the generative distribution and (2) has no sub-model that contains this distribution. In addition, we show that the composition property is guaranteed to hold whenever the dependence relationships in the generative distribution can be characterized by paths between singleton elements in some generative graphical model (e.g. a DAG, a chain graph, or a Markov network) even when the generative model includes unobserved variables, and even when the observed data is subject to selection bias.


Scholarship on corporate social responsibility (CSR) shows both that the concept itself is interpreted in a multitude of different ways and that significant cross-cultural differences exist in the way that business approaches the question of social responsibility and ethics. Little comparative work, however, has yet been carried out that investigates the reasons behind such differences. The authors analyze the cases of Mexico and France by drawing on Enderle's practical, semantic, and theoretical dimensions of business ethics. The authors further integrate the concept of "normative institutions" to explore attitudes toward CSR and assess the likely future adoption of CSR practices in each country. The article concludes that despite similar institutional conditions in Mexico and France, the interplay of those institutions combined with the historical role of business and its relationship with society produces quite different articulations of CSR in each country. The article highlights the need for further studies that explore how institutions enable and constrain business' articulation of social responsibility.


Leaching is necessary to maintain an acceptable salt balance in the root-zone of irrigated crops. This however contributes to point and non-point source water pollution externalities if not managed correctly. The use of a linear programming model, SALMOD (Salinity and Leaching Model for Optimal Irrigation Development) is demonstrated to determine the feasibility of leaching, artificial drainage, and on-farm storage/evaporation ponds to manage degraded return flows entering the water source and groundwater. Results show optimal cropping compositions and management practices to maximise farm returns subject to water quality conditions and return flow constraints. The economic effects of constraining return-flows and of water pricing policy on the volume of return flows are also determined. Results show valuable policy information regarding the interactions between artificial drainage subsidisation, return flow restrictions and on-farm storage.


In this position paper, a self-convened team of experts from the Italian Group for Mammography Screening (Gruppo italiano screening mammografico, GISMa) pointed out the problems that increasingly hamper the feasibility and validity of the estimate of the proportional incidence of interval breast cancer (IBC) in Italy, suggested potential solutions and an agenda for research, and proposed that the question of the sensitivity of mammography be viewed in a larger perspective, with a greater attention to radiological review activities and breast radiology quality assurance programmes. The main problems are as follows: the coverage of cancer registration is incomplete; the robustness of using the pre-screening incidence rates as underlying rates decreases with time since the start of screening; the intermediate mammograms performed for early detection purposes may cause an overrepresentation of IBCs; the classification of many borderline screening histories is prone to subjectivity; and, finally, the composition of cohorts of women with negative screening results is uncertain, because several mammography reports are neither clearly negative nor clearly positive, and because of the limitations and instability of the electronic mammography records. Several possibilities can be considered to cope with these issues: standard methods for using the hospital discharge records in the identification of IBCs should be established; for the calculation of regional estimates of the underlying incidence, a suitable mathematical model should be identified; the definition of IBC according to the 2008 GISMa guidelines needs to be updated, especially with respect to in situ cancers and to invasive cancers with borderline screening histories; a closer adherence to standard screening protocols, with a simplified patient management, would make it easier to objectively identify IBCs; alternative methods for estimating the sensitivity of mammography should be taken into consideration; and, finally, analysis could be restricted to the absolute incidence rate of IBC, which would make comparison of the risk between neighbouring populations possible. Epidemiologists must extend their attention to the prevention of the risk of IBC and the implementation of breast radiology quality assurance practices. Epidemiologists and radiologists can share common objectives: it is necessary to promote the idea that the availability of a registry-based series of IBCs is not a prerequisite for their radiological review; radiological review of breast cancers greater than 20mm in size detected at second and subsequent screens, that are potential substitutes for IBCs, needs radiological and epidemiological validation studies; the advent of digital mammography brings about the possibility to create libraries of mammograms accessible online, which enables the conduct of large studies of the diagnostic variability of radiologists; and, finally, epidemiologists and radiologists have the responsibility to monitor the effects that a loss of cumulative professional experience in screening centres, due to the imminent retirement of a substantial proportion of healthcare workforce, could cause on their performance.


This work proposes a general pipeline for retinal vessel segmentation on en-face images. The main goal is to analyse if a model trained in one of two modalities, Fundus Photography (FP) or Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy (SLO), is transferable to the other modality accurately. This is motivated by the lack of development and data available in en-face imaging modalities other than FP. FP and SLO images of four and two publicly available datasets, respectively, were used. First, the current approaches were reviewed in order to define a basic pipeline for vessel segmentation. A state-of-art deep learning architecture (U-net) was used, and the effect of varying the patch size and number of patches was studied by training, validating, and testing on each dataset individually. Next, the model was trained in either FP or SLO images, using the available datasets for a given modality combined. Finally, the performance of each network was tested on the other modality. The models trained on each dataset showed a performance comparable to the state-of-the art and to the inter-rater reliability. Overall, the best performance was observed for the largest patch size (256) and the maximum number of overlapped images in each dataset, with a mean sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and Dice score of 0.89± 0.05, 0.95±0.02, 0.95±0.02, and 0.73±0.07, respectively. Models trained and tested on the same modality presented a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy equal or higher than 0.9. The validation on a different modality has shown significantly better sensitivity and Dice on those trained on FP.


This paper investigates the use of only and itself in Indian English, drawing on data from the Indian subcorpus of the International Corpus of English (ICE-India). In all varieties of English, only is used as an exclusive focus particle and itself as a reflexive pronoun and intensifier. Indian English has developed an additional use for only and itself as presentational, i.e. non-contrastive focus markers. The paper investigates the syntactic and semantic contexts of itself and only in order to capture the two lexical items' functional extension in current Indian English. One interesting finding concerns the distribution of the two forms within the corpus: Itself is mainly found in written texts, while only is restricted to the spoken language. The paper further considers the origin and the likely future of this innovation in Indian English: Whereas it is quite clear that substrate influence is directly responsible for the innovative usage, the question whether this usage will also become accepted as part of an emerging Indian English standard remains to be settled.


"The fight for a higher minimum wage has become the biggest national labor story in decades. Beginning in November 2012, strikes by fast food workers spread across the country, landing in Seattle in May 2013. Within a year, Seattle had adopted a $15 minimum wage—the highest in the United States—without a bloody political battle. Combining history, economics, and commonsense political wisdom, The Fight for Fifteen makes a deeply informed case for a national $15/hour minimum wage as the only practical solution to reversing America's decades-long slide toward becoming a low-wage nation. Drawing both on new scholarship and on his extensive practical experiences organizing workers and grappling with inequality across the United States, David Rolf, president of SEIU 775—which waged the successful Seattle campaign—offers an accessible explanation of "middle out" economics, an emerging popular economic theory that suggests that the origins of prosperity in capitalist economies lie with workers and consumers, not investors and employers. A blueprint for a different and hopeful American future, The Fight for Fifteen offers concrete tools, ideas, and inspiration for anyone interested in real change in our lifetimes."


We consider the problem of reconstructing the 3D coordinates of a moving point seen from a monocular moving camera, i.e., to reconstruct moving objects from line-of-sight measurements only. The task is feasible only when some constraints are placed on the shape of the trajectory of the moving point. We coin the family of such tasks as "trajectory triangulation." We investigate the solutions for points moving along a straight-line and along conic-section trajectories, We show that if the point is moving along a straight line, then the parameters of the line (and, hence, the 3D position of the point at each time instant) can be uniquely recovered, and by linear methods, from at least five views. For the case of conic-shaped trajectory, we show that generally nine views are sufficient for a unique reconstruction of the moving point and fewer views when the conic is of a known type (like a circle in 3D Euclidean space for which seven views are sufficient). The paradigm of trajectory triangulation, in general, pushes the envelope of processing dynamic scenes forward. Thus static scenes become a particular case of a more general task of reconstructing scenes rich with moving objects (where an object could be a single point).