Comminution and classification circuits consume significant amounts of energy. Some estimates show that
comminution processes accounts for around 40 % of the total energy consumed in mining operations and 1.5-1.8 % of the
total national energy consumption in mining intensive countries such as South Africa, Australia and Canada (Tromans, 2008).
Apart from recent market fluctuations the global trend is that the demand for metals and minerals is increasing (Norgate and
Haque, 2010). At the same time the ore competence generally increases as material is mined at greater depths and the grade is
usually lower. The consequence is that increased amounts of raw material need to be processed in larger and larger
comminution devices. The task of reducing the energy consumption in this context seems daunting.
The conventional comminution circuit is usually based on a crushing and screening process followed by a tumbling milling
process. HPGR machines and other new devices have also become more common during the last 20 years. Independent of
what type on units that are used in the circuits the global trend is that larger and larger comminution devices are manufactured
and installed.
With this outlook as a foundation we propose an alternative mindset to think about circuits; poly-stream comminution circuits.
A general trend in product development is that technologies transform from mono-systems to poly-systems. In this paper the
concept is described and exemplified in a case study including a comparison with a conventional SABC circuit. In poly-stream
circuits the material streams after one or several parallel primary crushing stages are split into 5-20 streams by using ore sorting
and classification units. Each stream handles a proportional throughput capacity and the material passes through a dedicated
set of smaller comminution and classification modular units with settings optimized to target the specific properties of the
material in each stream.
The results of this conceptual case study suggests that smaller, instead of larger, comminution and classification units open up
for modularization, higher theoretical operational availability, better plant flexibility and expansion potential. Lower mass flow
streams enable the use of ore sorting with separate treatment and early rejection of gangue. It is generally also easier to achieve
higher energy efficiency performance for smaller comminution, classification and separation units.
There are a number of apparent challenges and problems associated with the concept. It requires new solutions for stream rerouting,
sensor technology, advance control systems and advanced maintenance management systems to name a few. However,
the consequent conclusion of this hypothetical concept is that perhaps the focus of research and development efforts should
target material handling, sensor technology and comminution unit modularization in order to meet the challenges of future
comminution circuits.


When measuring revolving objects, it is often desired to obtain not only the geometrical form of the workpiece, but also the topography of the surface, as they both affect the performance of the part. However, holistic measurement of the entire three-dimensional surface of a revolving part is challenging since most surface measurement instruments only have limited measurement ability, where the bottom and the side surfaces cannot be measured. One solution to obtain geometrical form and surface topography information simultaneously is to add a precision axis to rotate the object while performing surface topography measurement. However, this solution requires a high-cost precision rotation stage and adjustable mounting and alignment aids. Moreover, errors in the rotation will be added to the measurement result, which can be difficult to compensate. Stitching is a method often used for measuring revolving surfaces without the need for precision motion axes, as the method is applied at the software level, and errors in the rotation can be compensated by the stitching algorithm. Nevertheless, the overall accuracy of stitching is limited when the number of sub-surfaces is large, since the measurement and stitching error accumulate along the stitching chain. In this paper, a self-calibration rotational stitching method is presented which can compensate for the accumulated error. The self-calibration method utilises the inherent nature of a revolving surface and compensates for the registration error by aligning the last dataset with the first dataset. The proposed method is demonstrated by measuring grinding wheels with a coherence scanning interferometer and simultaneously rotating the grinding wheels with a lowcost stepper-motor. It is demonstrated that the proposed stitching measurement method is effective in compensating for accumulated registration error. The proposed self-calibration rotational stitching method can be easily extended to a wide range of applications for measuring revolving surfaces using various measuring instruments.


In recent studies of Robinson Crusoe there has been a revival of interest in the material culture of Defoe's novel—its handling of crafted objects, of building and dwelling, of desert island things. These responses have tended to find a positive attitude in Defoe's material representations. This essay questions the increasingly received reading of Crusoe as homo faber and complete natural technologist. It finds instead a sustained strand of irony running through all of Defoe's commentary on mechanical processes and cultures of manufacture. It also suggests a positive reason for Defoe's scepticism. He presents a scheme of material production in which the basic components of manufacture—labour, raw materials, instrumental ends, time—are perfectly legible and deducible to the reasoning observer. Consequently he must make sure that there is no intervening layer of personal knowledge, of artisanal mystery or ornament, that might obscure this conjectural vision.


In this correspondence, we extend the Gaussian wiretap channel model introduced by Leung-Yan-Cheong and Hellman to the Gaussian wiretap channel with side information by introducing additive white Gaussian interference in the main channel, which is available to the encoder in advance. This model is also an extension of the dirty-paper channel introduced by Costa since its main channel is the dirty-paper channel. A perfect-secrecy-achieving coding strategy for the model is proposed. It is used to derive achievable rates with asymptotic perfect secrecy and an achievable rate-equivocation region. The achievable rates with asymptotic perfect-secrecy are then compared to upper and lower bounds. The comparison indicates that the proposed coding strategy is optimal in some cases.


Printed reflectarrays are low-cost, low-profile high gain antennas demonstrating distinctive advantages over conventional parabolic reflectors and phased-arrays. The flat, low weight reflecting surface of a reflectarray makes it an attractive alternative with respect to bulky parabolic reflectors specially for space and satellite systems. As compared to high-cost phased-array antennas, with incorporation of solid state devices, reflectarrays are able to demonstrate electronic beam scanning in a very low-cost way. A distinctive advantage of a reflectarray antenna lies in its potential to be readily designed as a multi-band antenna which demonstrates independent performance at several frequencies. A characteristic that is difficult to achieve using conventional parabolic reflectors. The aim of this thesis is to present low-cost, simple, multi-band printed reflectarray antennas in Ku and THz frequency bands. In Ku band we present a dual-band reflectarray performing at 12 and 14 GHz and a quad-band reflectarray antenna performing at 12, 13, 14 and 15.5 GHz. The presented prototypes benefit from the advantage of having a single-layer structure which reduces the design complexity as well as the fabrication cost. In addition, multi-band reflectarrays are able to perform at any polarization due to the dual-linear polarized design of their unit-cells. Furthermore, the design of the unit-cell is such that, at each frequency, the phase response depends on only one parameter of the cell. This advantage eliminates the need for time consuming optimizations. Based on proposed unit-cells dual-band and quad-band reflectarrays with arbitrary beam direction versus frequency have been simulated, fabricated and measured. Simulation and measurement results as well demonstrate the satisfactory independent performance of the prototypes at each intended frequency. In THz region, for the first time we present a tri-band unit-cell based on which reflectarray prototypes performing at the three frequencies 0.7, 1.0 and 1.5 THz, are designed. The presented reflectarrays possess all the advantages of those designed for Ku band with the additional advantage of having high resistivity silicon as the substrate thanks to a sophisticated fabrication process. The use of silicon as substrate is a big advantage since it facilitates the integration of solid state devices for reconfigurability. Based on the proposed unit-cell reflectarray samples with arbitrary independent performance at each frequency are designed, simulated, fabricated and measured. Measurement results obtained using a THz-TDS (Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy) measurement system, demonstrate the satisfactory independent performance of the reflectarray samples at each frequency. This thesis also presents a dual-band, dual-polarized reconfigurable unit-cell for beam-scanning reflectarray operating at 12 and 14 GHz. The cell however suffers from high-cross-polarization level. A chessboard cell arrangement is proposed to mitigate the high cross-polarization level at the reflectarray far-field region. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the chessboard arrangement in eliminating the cross-polarization allowing the design of a low-cross polarization reconfigurable reflectarray antenna out of a unit-cell with high cross-polarization level. Finally, the thesis presents the concept of a versatile flat prism which is a reflectarray with a pre-designed frequency-scanning behaviour. The limitations and challenges as well as solutions for implementation of such a device are presented and discussed.


Energy dissipation motion of a ball on a rotating disk (a turntable) has been considered. It is shown that the motion consists of two consequent stages—the motion towards the disk center along a cardioidic curve and the motion from the center along an unreeling helix. The limits of applicability of the results obtained are analyzed and qualitative comparison with experimental data is carried out.


Tropical greenhouses require active evaporative cooling system such as pad-and-fan to ensure a suitable microclimate for crop production. Excess heat causes indoor temperature becoming hotter than desired resulting in detrimental effects to crop growth and production. Solar radiation intensity and outside temperature affect temperature and relative humidity level inside the greenhouse while wide gradients in temperature and relative humidity can cause problems for crop growth and production uniformity. Horizontal and vertical profiles of temperature and relative humidity inside the greenhouse were investigated. The study showed that temperature increased from evaporative pad to exhaust fans in a horizontal direction while relative humidity shows inverse pattern from temperature. In the vertical direction, temperature increased, while relative humidity decreased from lower level to the upper level. Similar pattern of temperature and humidity distribution were observed inside the greenhouse, regardless of whether it was empty or with growing crop. The inside temperature with growing crops however, was slightly lower than the empty greenhouse. ANOVA results shows that in overall, temperature and relative humidity inside the greenhouse were uniform as there's no significance difference at 95% confidence interval.
The effects of temperature gradients inside the greenhouse and time of highest sunlight received on canopy diameter, head weight and head diameter were evaluated. Based on the results, most of the crop quality was better near the evaporative pad area as it was much cooler and east area which received highest morning sunlight (9am-11am). ANOVA test shows that crop yield inside the greenhouse was significantly different between each sections which shows that it was greatly affected by difference in temperature and relative humidity.
A mathematical equation representing the inside temperature was developed for both empty greenhouse and greenhouse with growing crops. Both measured and calculated values of inside temperature show strong agreement with R2 = 0.996 for empty greenhouse and R2 = 0.945 for greenhouse with growing crops. The t-test for calculated and measured inside temperature values of both conditions show no significant difference between them.


27Al magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR has been used at two fields (8.45 T and 14.1 T) to follow the optimisation of a sol-gel process to produce yttrium aluminium garnet, Y3Al5O12 (YAG), at moderate temperatures. 27Al MAS NMR is shown to be a highly sensitive tool to determine the presence of the impurity phase, yttrium aluminium perovskite, YAlO3. Single phase, polycrystalline YAG has been successfully synthesized, using this modified sol-gel process, at temperatures as low as 800◦C. Chemical shifts, quadrupolar coupling constants and asymmetry parameters are reported for the tetrahedral and octahedral aluminium sites of YAG. Keyword: 27Al MAS NMR; DTA/TG; Sol-gel; XRD; YAG (Y3Al5O12); YAP (YAlO3)


Antiangiogenic therapy leads to devascularization that limits tumor growth. However, the benefits of angiogenesis inhibitors are typically transient and resistance often develops. In this study, we explored the hypothesis that hypoxia caused by antiangiogenic therapy induces tumor cell autophagy as a cytoprotective adaptive response, thereby promoting treatment resistance. Hypoxia-induced autophagy was dependent on signaling through the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/AMPK pathway, and treatment of hypoxic cells with autophagy inhibitors caused a shift from autophagic to apoptotic cell death in vitro. In glioblastomas, clinically resistant to the VEGF-neutralizing antibody bevacizumab, increased regions of hypoxia and higher levels of autophagy-mediating BNIP3 were found when compared with pretreatment specimens from the same patients. When treated with bevacizumab alone, human glioblastoma xenografts showed increased BNIP3 expression and hypoxia-associated growth, which could be prevented by addition of the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine. In vivo targeting of the essential autophagy gene ATG7 also disrupted tumor growth when combined with bevacizumab treatment. Together, our findings elucidate a novel mechanism of resistance to antiangiogenic therapy in which hypoxia-mediated autophagy promotes tumor cell survival. One strong implication of our findings is that autophagy inhibitors may help prevent resistance to antiangiogenic therapy used in the clinic.


Though several algorithms for optimizing DG location and size in a network with the aim of reducing system power losses and enhancing better voltage profile have already been proposed, they still suffer from several drawbacks. As a result much can be done in coming up with new algorithms or improving the already existing ones so as to address this important issue more efficiently and effectively. Majority of the proposed algorithms have emphasized on real power losses only in their formulations. They have ignored the reactive power losses which is key in the operation of power systems. In modern practical power systems reactive power injection plays a critical role in voltage stability control, thus the reactive power losses need to be incorporated in optimizing DG allocation for voltage profile improvement. The results of the few works which have considered reactive power losses in their optimization can be improved by using more recent and accurate algorithms. This research work aimed at solving this problem by proposing a hybrid of GA and IPSO to optimize DG location and size while considering both real and reactive power losses. Both real and reactive power flow and power loss sensitivity factors were utilized in identifying the candidate buses for DG allocation. This reduced the search space for the algorithm and increasing its rate of convergence. This research considers a multi-type DG; type 1 DG (DG generating real power only), type 2 DG (DG generating both real and active power) and type 3 DG (DG generating real power and absorbing reactive power).


Popular belief holds that the lunar cycle affects human physiology, behaviour and health. We examined the influence of moon phase on sleep duration in a secondary analysis of a feasibility study of mobile telephone base stations and sleep quality. We studied 31 volunteers (18 women and 13 men, mean age 50 years) from a suburban area of Switzerland longitudinally over 6 weeks, including two full moons. Subjective sleep duration was calculated from sleep diary data. Data were analysed using multiple linear regression models with random effects. Mean sleep duration was 6 h 49 min. Subjective sleep duration varied with the lunar cycle, from 6 h 41 min at full moon to 7 h 00 min at new moon (P < 0.001). Average sleep duration was shortened by 68 min during the week compared with weekends (P < 0.001). Men slept 17 min longer than women (P < 0.001) and sleep duration decreased with age (P < 0.001). There was also evidence that rating of fatigue in the morning was associated with moon phase, with more tiredness (P = 0.027) at full moon. The study was designed for other purposes and the association between lunar cycle and sleep duration will need to be confirmed in further studies.


This paper investigates the validity of the soil considerations used in the determination of seismic demand as part of NZS1170.5, which currently specifies seismic design spectra corresponding to 5 different soil types. According to the current provisions stipulated in NZS1170.5, for all natural periods, the building demand for soft soil is either equal to or greater than that for hard soil. It is noted that this is opposite to the basic structural dynamics theory which suggests that an increase in stiffness of a system results in an increase in the acceleration response. In this pretext, a numerical parametric study is undertaken using a 1-D nonlinear site response analysis in order to capture the effect of soil characteristics on structural seismic demand and to scrutinize the validity of the current site specific seismic design spectra. It is identified that the level of input ground motion intensity and shear stiffness of the column (represented by its shear wave velocity, Vs) are the main parameters affecting the surface response. The study found some shortfalls in the way the current code defines seismic design demand, in particular the hierarchy of soil stiffness at low structural periods. It was found that stiff soils generally tend to have a higher spectral acceleration response in comparison to soft soils although this trend is less prominent for high intensity bed rock motions. It was also found that for medium to hard soil types the spectral acceleration response at short period is grossly underestimated by the current NZS1170.5 provisions. Based on the outcomes of the parametric numerical analyses, a revised strategy to determine seismic structural demand is proposed and demonstrated.


Mitochondria are the primary site of cellular energy generation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Elevated ROS levels are detrimental to normal cell function and have been linked to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Down's syndrome (DS) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). RCAN1 is abundantly expressed in the brain and overexpressed in brain of DS and AD patients. Data from nonmammalian species indicates that increased RCAN1 expression results in altered mitochondrial function and that RCAN1 may itself regulate neuronal ROS production. In this study, we have utilized mice overexpressing RCAN1 (RCAN1ox) and demonstrate an increased susceptibility of neurons from these mice to oxidative stress. Mitochondria from these mice are more numerous and smaller, indicative of mitochondrial dysfunction, and mitochondrial membrane potential is altered under conditions of oxidative stress. We also generated a PC12 cell line overexpressing RCAN1 (PC12RCAN1). Similar to RCAN1ox neurons, PC12RCAN1 cells have an increased susceptibility to oxidative stress and produce more mitochondrial ROS. This study demonstrates that increasing RCAN1 expression alters mitochondrial function and increases the susceptibility of neurons to oxidative stress in mammalian cells. These findings further contribute to our understanding of RCAN1 and its potential role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as AD and DS.


The federal income tax does not apply to profits generated by pure mail order sales originating from outside the United States, and state and local consumption taxes are effectively inapplicable to pure mail order sales originating from outside the taxing jurisdiction. These conclusions seem fully applicable to federal taxation of income from sales that are initially solicited through Internet advertising and then transacted over the Internet between a customer in the United States and an out-of-country seller's out-of-country website. Similar conclusions are also, arguably, applicable in the case of state and local consumption taxes. Extension of the mail order tax exemption to Internet sales has been a cause of concern among taxing officials. Clearly, there are some very large commercial fields that are susceptible to being removed from the taxing jurisdiction of state and federal authorities through the utilization of electronic commerce. If this happens, all levels of government will suffer a significant revenue loss without a proportionate decline in the demand for government services. Solving this problem by government borrowing or by taxing non-electronic commerce more heavily is unattractive. The preferred solution is to find ways to keep Internet commerce in the state consumption tax and federal income tax bases, and to bring mail order commerce into both tax bases at the same time. The challenges of doing that, however, are truly daunting.


Swath bathymetry, high resolution seismic data and sediment cores were analyzed to reconstruct the Late Weichselian and Holocene sedimentary environments and glacier dynamics in Woodfjorden, Bockfjorden and Liefdefjorden, north Spitsbergen. Mega-scale glacial-lineations provide evidence of fast-flowing grounded ice draining the northwestern parts of the Late Weichselian Svalbard Barents Sea Ice Sheet. Numerous recessional moraines suggest that the deglaciation of the study area occurred stepwise, whereas the deep outer parts of Woodfjorden were deglaciated relatively rapidly (up to ~200 m/yr). The ice fronts retreated slower (~160 m/yr to 50 m/yr) in the shallower middle and inner parts. Suspension settling, as well as ice-rafting from icebergs and sea-ice, are the dominating sedimentary processes. Ice-rafting becomes of relative higher importance with increasing distance from the fjord heads. Sediment supply from tidewater glaciers has a large influence in Liefdefjorden, suspension settling from glacifluvial runoff is higher in inner Woodfjorden and in Bockfjorden. The core data show a strong correlation of color and geochemical properties so that these proxies can be applied to study the influence of sediment sources on the study area over time. Red and Ca-rich sediments are indicative for sediments derived from Woodfjorden; brownish and Fe-rich sediments are characteristic proxies for sediment from Liefdefjorden. Enhanced ice-rafting and dominant sediment delivery from Woodfjorden occurred between ~13,350 and ~13,200 cal. yr. BP. This was followed by an increase in sediment supply from Liefdefjorden until ~12,800 cal. yr. BP. Decreasing ice-rafting, likely related to increased seaice cover and cooler surface conditions, occurred from ~12,800 to 12,100 cal. yr. BP. This might be related to climatic cooling during the Younger Dryas. A peak in IRD around ~10,000 cal. yr. BP is inferred to indicate the final phase of deglaciation in Woodfjorden. Increases in ice-rafting from icebergs and sea-ice between ~6200 and ~5000 cal. yr. BP are probably related to a regional cooling. Reduced ice rafting occurred repeatedly during the last ~4000 years, most probably related to the ongoing cooling. The sediment derived mainly from Liefdefjorden. However, periods of enhanced ice-rafting occurred repeatedly until ~1500 cal.


Public transit is immensely important among recent immigrants for enabling daily travel and activity participation. The objectives of this study are to examine whether immigrants settle in areas of high or low transit accessibility and how this affects transit mode share. This is analyzed via a novel comparison of two gateway cities: Sydney, Australia and Toronto, Canada. We find that in both cities, recent immigrants have greater levels of public transit accessibility to jobs, on average, than the overall population, but the geography of immigrant settlement is more suburbanized and less clustered around commuter rail in Toronto than in Sydney. Using logistic regression models with spatial filters, we find significant positive relationships between immigrant settlement patterns and transit mode share for commuting trips, after controlling for transit accessibility and other socio-economic factors, indicating an increased reliance on public transit by recent immigrants. Importantly, via a sensitivity analysis, we find that these effects are greatest in peripheral suburbs and rural areas, indicating that recent immigrants in these areas have more risks of transport-related social exclusion due to reliance on insufficient transit service.


On the spread of the European catfish (Silurus glanis) in the Iberian Peninsula: first record in the Llobregat river basin The first record of the European catfish (Silurus glanis L. 1758) introduced to the Llobregat river basin (NE Spain) is reported. We captured one individual of this silurid fish species (of a total of 541 fish) in La Baells reservoir on 30 August 2006. Given the low catchability of this fish species, the popularity among some anglers, and old rumours on this introduction, we hypothesize that this species has been present in the reservoir since a few years ago, despite we did not capture it in two previous surveys. The illegal introduction of this and other exotic species to other Iberian river basins should be prevented by the Spanish administration.


This research unpacks the title's quoted characterization of association football, made by an early student of cybernetics who became a legendary soccer manager. It identifies four nested domains of football activity that guide each action during a match and specifies the characteristics, abilities, activities and other elements within each domain. It provides examples of those domains' causal interplay. Methodologically, it explores the contributions to understanding competitive match actions and results that systems thinking, system dynamics, agent based modeling, spatio-temporal modeling and dynamic network analysis offer. It proposes a model of competitive double loop learning to explain individual and team adjustments to match developments. It concludes that a multi-method approach is required to model competition among the two sport subsystems, in which system dynamics will play a limited role.


T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive cancer that typically affects children and adolescents. Although the current cure rate is high, T-ALL patients must endure intensive regimens of highly cytotoxic chemotherapy, so there is great interest in developing targeted therapies with fewer side effects. Weng et al. now report that ~50% of T-ALLs have activating mutations in the gene encoding NOTCH1, a transmembrane receptor that regulates T cell differentiation. Together with previous evidence implicating NOTCH1 in cancer development, these results raise the possibility that inhibitors of NOTCH signaling, including the γ-secretase inhibitors, a group of drugs currently being developed for Alzheimer's disease, may merit investigation as anticancer agents. A. P. Weng, A. A. Ferrando, W. Lee, J. P. Morris, L. B. Silverman, C. Sanchez-Irizarry, S. C. Blacklow, A. T. Look, J. C. Aster, Activating mutations of NOTCH1 in human T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Science 306, 269-271 (2004). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess whether high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) differed in their ability to predict cardiovascular outcomes beyond traditional risk factors in younger and older men and women without known cardiovascular disease. Design. Prospective population-based cohort study of 1951 individuals from the MONItoring of trends and determinants in Cardiovascular disease (MONICA) study, examined 1993–1994. Participants were stratified into four groups based on sex and age. Subjects aged 41 or 51 years were classified as younger; those aged 61 or 71 years were classified as older. The principal endpoint was death from cardiovascular causes. Predictive capabilities of biomarkers were tested using Cox proportional-hazards regression, Harrell's concordance-index, net reclassification improvement, and classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. Results. Median follow-up was 18.5 years, during which 19/597 younger men, 100/380 older men, 12/607 younger women, and 46/367 older women had died from a cardiovascular cause. NT-proBNP was independently associated with death from cardiovascular causes among all participants (p ≤ .02) except younger women (p = .70), whereas hs-CRP was associated with this endpoint in men (p ≤ .007), and suPAR in older men only (p < .001). None of the biomarkers improved discrimination ability beyond traditional risk factors (p ≥ .07). However, NT-proBNP enhanced reclassification in men and older women. CART-analysis showed that NT-proBNP was generally of greater value among men, and suPAR among women. Conclusions. Hs-CRP, NT-proBNP, and suPAR displayed different associations with cardiovascular death among apparently healthy younger and older men and women.


50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: Shattering Widespread Misconceptions about Human Behavior Scott O. Lilienfeld, Steven Jay Lynn, John Ruscio and Barry L. Beyerstein Wiley-Blackwell, 2010 Every once in a while it is necessary to recheck current scientific knowledge for completeness, not only to fill in gaps in understanding or to examine the latest breaking discoveries within the context of what has already been found, but also for accuracy. The reflexive acceptance of myths as truths leads to erroneous reasoning and erroneous conclusions, spilling over into other fields and skewing our worldview. A significant part of the problem is the lack of critical evaluation of the confident-sounding "conventional wisdom". Challenging conventional wisdom usually leads to political or social isolation. Galileo Galilei's run-in with the Catholic Church comes to mind; and not even death and status as a former priest protected Copernicus from Church condemnation. (Outside of science, whole-hearted acceptance of conventional wisdom can lead to calamity.33) In science, there are many claims and half-truths that are cleverly disguised as facts. Few laymen have the time, resources or skills needed to evaluate the validity of these claims. In the age of mass communication and the Internet, the array of claims and half-truths is never-ending. Discerning the truth in a clinical specialty like psychiatry is even more difficult for the layman. Not only is there the technical aspect of the field, but an aura of mystery surrounds it. Lilienfeld et al., all of whom are professors of psychology, do a great service not only by compiling fascinating myths, but by taking the time to uncover the origin of each myth and explaining why they are indeed myths, all without the excessive use of psychology-related jargon. The authors, fully aware that even psychology professors and their students are prone to these myths, do not attempt to lecture down to the nonspecialist. Since readers may not be technically-minded and (real, nonmythical) science tends to make sterile reading, the authors infuse occasional humor into the text. There are 50 main myths (and many lesser myths) discussed that are widely taken for granted as true by the public. The myths are grouped into general categories (e.g., consciousness, emotion, personality). A few of the myths on brain functioning covered in this book, such as the "infallibility" of memory, the brain's "unlimited potential" for learning and the alleged psychological benefits of raising self-esteem, have been described elsewhere as "illusions".34 The reader will also note, via the numerous surveys in the book, that there are large discrepancies between what the public believes is true and what psychologists have demonstrated to be true. Observations of what motivates one's self and others form the basis of psychological beliefs. Based on our rudimentary "theories," we predict how we and others would respond in various situations. Being able to forecast behavior lessens the jolt of unexpected events and gives a sense of assurance in interpersonal relationships. "Psychomythology" stems however, from reliance on intuition, limited and biased sampling and the tendency to overweight outliers. The authors include myths that span the cradle-to-grave lifecycle. It is all parents' wish to have their children grow up to be productive adults, financially as well as in terms of offspring. So, it is understandable that parents will take advantage of any opportunity that will give their children an edge over their peers. However, the various schemes designed to "improve intelligence" in infants with "enrichment" and with matching "teaching styles with learning styles" in school-aged children suffer from a lack of hard evidence that demonstrates marked increase in IQ and, most importantly, a persistent increase (Myths #6, 18). The lack of clear guidelines as to how enrichment is to be used (one hour per day? …


This thesis is focused on the development of new palladium and copper-mediated reactions for functionalization of alkenes and propargylic alcohol derivatives. We have developed an efficient procedure for the synthesis of allenyl and propargyl boronate from propargylic carbonates and acetates. The reactions were performed under mild conditions for the synthesis of a variety of allenyl boronates. We have also observed a switch of regioselectivity for the formation of propargylic boronates using CuCl as a co-catalyst. This is, as far as we know, the first metal-catalyzed reaction for the synthesis of propargylic boronates. Furthermore, the synthesis of 1,2-diborylated butadienes was achieved with high diastereoselectivity from propargylic epoxides. A wide variety of propargylic epoxides could be converted to the corresponding dienes and this is the first catalytic protocol to form 1,2-diborylated butadienes.We have also studied the copper-mediated trifluoromethylation of propargylic halides and trifluoroacetates. Depending on the temperature, two different regioselective outcomes were observed. It was also shown that a transfer of chirality occurred when an enantioenriched starting material was used.In the last part of the thesis, we have described a method for palladium-catalyzed functionalization of allylic C-H bonds for selective synthesis of allylic silanes. The reaction is regioselective and gives only the linear allylic silane. The protocol only works under highly oxidative conditions which suggest a mechanism involving high oxidation state palladium intermediates.


Team-based work systems are emerging as key source of sustained competitive advantage in manufacturing and engineering design operations. The focus on teams derives in no small part from the competitive success of Japanese corporations, where team-based systems have been central to manufacturing and engineering design for more than three decades. For years, Japanese operations were seen as dependent on what was perceived as the collective nature of Japanese culture, but these assumptions have been shattered by the success of Japanese firms in establishing manufacturing operations in North America. This article features a detailed look at team-based work systems in eight Japanese-affiliated factories located in North America. There are three distinct types of team systems in these factories: lean production teams, socio-technical system teams, and off-line team structures. The team systems vary in the degree of interdependency and autonomy among teams and in the amount of team-responsibility for daily production operations. These variations in team systems are attributable to the timing of Japanese investment, the nature of the production technology, and the influence of U.S. business partners. This research thus provides a roadmap to the diverse mix of Japanese work practices and identifies important lessons for any organization moving toward greater use of team-based work systems.


Author(s): Siap, D; Willem, H; Price, S; Yang, H; Lekov, A | Abstract: There are over 7 million gas-fired fireplaces currently installed in US households. On an annual basis, these use substantial energy. However, the details of the fireplace energy use and the factors that influence it are currently not well understood. Fireplaces are a type of hearth product, which is a product category that primarily consists of fireplaces, stoves, and gas log sets. For the purpose of this study, the fuels used in hearth products are primarily natural gas, propane, or electricity. They may be vented or unvented. This study reports the results of a web survey of 2,100 respondents in the United States performed in February 2016. The responses were cleaned and weighted using the raking method to form a nationally representative population. The reported data include hearth product characteristics, usage information, and repair and maintenance practices. The hearth product characteristics include the hearth product type, fuel type, ignition system type, features, venting, and installation details. The usage information includes seasonal usage of the main burner and standing pilot (if present), daily usage, and the primary utility (whether decorative or for heating). These raw data are further processed and combined with values from the literature to estimate the annual operating hours and energy use and to assess how these are impacted by the hearth product type, features, age, and the main heating appliance, if present. Based on the survey responses, the estimated average annual hours of usage was 234 for the main burner, and 4,593 for the standing pilot. The results presented provide the most comprehensive data regarding hearth products in the United States published to date. These new data allow for an improved understanding of hearth products' energy use, which in turn may facilitate the development of more informed analyses, and ultimately more efficient hearth products and reduced energy use. These new data also provide insight into topics not previously studied, such as the effect of hearth product features on energy use.


Objectives To assess the diagnostic accuracy of three personal breathalyser devices available for sale to the public marketed to test safety to drive after drinking alcohol. Design Prospective comparative diagnostic accuracy study comparing two single-use breathalysers and one digital multiuse breathalyser (index tests) to a police breathalyser (reference test). Setting Establishments licensed to serve alcohol in a UK city. Participants Of 222 participants recruited, 208 were included in the main analysis. Participants were eligible if they were 18 years old or over, had consumed alcohol and were not intending to drive within the following 6 h. Outcome measures Sensitivity and specificity of the breathalysers for the detection of being at or over the UK legal driving limit (35 µg/100 mL breath alcohol concentration). Results 18% of participants (38/208) were at or over the UK driving limit according to the police breathalyser. The digital multiuse breathalyser had a sensitivity of 89.5% (95% CI 75.9% to 95.8%) and a specificity of 64.1% (95% CI 56.6% to 71.0%). The single-use breathalysers had a sensitivity of 94.7% (95% CI 75.4% to 99.1%) and 26.3% (95% CI 11.8% to 48.8%), and a specificity of 50.6% (95% CI 40.4% to 60.7%) and 97.5% (95% CI 91.4% to 99.3%), respectively. Self-reported alcohol consumption threshold of 5 UK units or fewer had a higher sensitivity than all personal breathalysers. Conclusions One alcohol breathalyser had sensitivity of 26%, corresponding to false reassurance for approximately one person in four who is over the limit by the reference standard, at least on the evening of drinking alcohol. The other devices tested had 90% sensitivity or higher. All estimates were subject to uncertainty. There is no clearly defined minimum sensitivity for this safety-critical application. We conclude that current regulatory frameworks do not ensure high sensitivity for these devices marketed to consumers for a decision with potentially catastrophic consequences.


Abstract. Global models are widely used to simulate biomass burning
aerosol (BBA). Exhaustive evaluations on model representation of aerosol
distributions and properties are fundamental to assess health and climate
impacts of BBA. Here we conducted a comprehensive comparison of Aerosol
Comparisons between Observations and Models (AeroCom) project model simulations with
satellite observations. A total of 59 runs by 18 models from three AeroCom
Phase-III experiments (i.e., biomass burning emissions, CTRL16, and CTRL19)
and 14 satellite products of aerosols were used in the study. Aerosol
optical depth (AOD) at 550 nm was investigated during the fire season over
three key fire regions reflecting different fire dynamics (i.e.,
deforestation-dominated Amazon, Southern Hemisphere Africa where savannas
are the key source of emissions, and boreal forest burning in boreal North
America). The 14 satellite products were first evaluated against AErosol
RObotic NETwork (AERONET) observations, with large uncertainties found. But
these uncertainties had small impacts on the model evaluation that was
dominated by modeling bias. Through a comparison with Polarization and Directionality of the Earth's Reflectances measurements with the Generalized Retrieval of Aerosol and Surface Properties algorithm (POLDER-GRASP), we
found that the modeled AOD values were biased by −93 % to 152 %, with most
models showing significant underestimations even for the state-of-the-art
aerosol modeling techniques (i.e., CTRL19). By scaling up BBA emissions, the
negative biases in modeled AOD were significantly mitigated, although it
yielded only negligible improvements in the correlation between models and
observations, and the spatial and temporal variations in AOD biases did not
change much. For models in CTRL16 and CTRL19, the large diversity in modeled
AOD was in almost equal measures caused by diversity in emissions, lifetime,
and the mass extinction coefficient (MEC). We found that in the AeroCom
ensemble, BBA lifetime correlated significantly with particle deposition (as
expected) and in turn correlated strongly with precipitation. Additional
analysis based on Cloud-Aerosol LIdar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP)
aerosol profiles suggested that the altitude of the aerosol layer in the
current models was generally too low, which also contributed to the bias in
modeled lifetime. Modeled MECs exhibited significant correlations with the
Ångström exponent (AE, an indicator of particle size). Comparisons
with the POLDER-GRASP-observed AE suggested that the models tended to
overestimate the AE (underestimated particle size), indicating a possible
underestimation of MECs in models. The hygroscopic growth in most models
generally agreed with observations and might not explain the overall
underestimation of modeled AOD. Our results imply that current global models
contain biases in important aerosol processes for BBA (e.g., emissions,
removal, and optical properties) that remain to be addressed in future
research.


The resistance of graphite/epoxy sandwich panels to low energy, foreign object impact damage was studied. Falling weight impact tests were performed on 104 rectangular sandwich panel specimens. The effect of several material, geometry, and loading parameters on damage susceptibility was explored. Damage observed visually was related to residual strength of specimens taken from the impact region, and in some cases, to static indentation tests carried out on companion specimens. Sandwich test specimens were fabricated with face sheets of graphite or S-glass/epoxy with a 1-in. depth nomex honeycomb core. Fiber type, core density, and laminate orientation were fabrication variables. Drop weight tests were accomplished using a 2-in.-diameter steel ball. Initial and residual static shear strength were measured on notched, four-point bend specimens. Impact tests showed that graphite sandwich panels are much more susceptible to foreign object damage than S-glass panels. The impact energy required to sustain the same relative damage level was an order of magnitude greater for the S-glass than for the graphite panels. The failure characteristics observed suggest that this is due primarily to the low strain to failure of graphite composites. Local core crushing occurred in all tests, and all but the S-glass panels suffered fiber fracture and permanent indentation at low energy levels. Core stiffness had an observable effect on impact resistance, but other parameters studied did not appear to significantly affect damage tolerance. An analysis was carried out in which the sandwich panel was represented as an orthotropic sheet on an elastic foundation, and a classical, double Fourier series approach was taken. The load condition was approximated by an influence function technique to effect a constant radius of bending curvature, simulating the region around the drop weight ball. The capability exists to vary the material constants of the face sheet and core to investigate the nature of indentation failure, and to identify factors contributing to impact resistance. Numerical results were obtained for some of the material parameters employed in the impact tests.


A regeneration-theory approach is undertaken to analytically characterize the average overall completion time in a distributed system. The approach considers the heterogeneity in the processing rates of the nodes as well as the randomness in the delays imposed by the communication medium. The optimal one-shot load balancing policy is developed and subsequently extended to develop an autonomous and distributed load-balancing policy that can dynamically reallocate incoming external loads at each node. This adaptive and dynamic load balancing policy is implemented and evaluated in a two-node distributed system. The performance of the proposed dynamic load-balancing policy is compared to that of static policies as well as existing dynamic load-balancing policies by considering the average completion time per task and the system processing rate in the presence of random arrivals of the external loads.


This paper explores data augmentation methods for training Neural Machine Translation to make use of similar translations, in a comparable way a human translator employs fuzzy matches. In particular, we show how we can simply present the neural model with information of both source and target sides of the fuzzy matches, we also extend the similarity to include semantically related translations retrieved using sentence distributed representations. We show that translations based on fuzzy matching provide the model with "copy" information while translations based on embedding similarities tend to extend the translation "context". Results indicate that the effect from both similar sentences are adding up to further boost accuracy, combine naturally with model fine-tuning and are providing dynamic adaptation for unseen translation pairs. Tests on multiple data sets and domains show consistent accuracy improvements. To foster research around these techniques, we also release an Open-Source toolkit with efficient and flexible fuzzy-match implementation.


Machine learning has become pervasive in multiple domains, impacting a wide variety of applications, such as knowledge discovery and data mining, natural language processing, information retrieval, computer vision, social and health informatics, ubiquitous computing, etc. Two essential problems of machine learning are how to generate features and how to acquire labels for machines to learn. Particularly, labeling large amount of data for each domain-specific problem can be very time consuming and costly. It has become a key obstacle in making learning protocols realistic in applications. In this paper, we will discuss how to use the existing general-purpose world knowledge to enhance machine learning processes, by enriching the features or reducing the labeling work. We start from the comparison of world knowledge with domain-specific knowledge, and then introduce three key problems in using world knowledge in learning processes, i.e., explicit and implicit feature representation, inference for knowledge linking and disambiguation, and learning with direct or indirect supervision. Finally we discuss the future directions of this research topic.


One of the major causes of vision loss is Diabetic Retinopathy (DR). Presence of Hard Exudates (HE) in retinal images is one of the prominent and most reliable symptoms of Diabetic Retinopathy. Thus, it is essential to clinically examine for HEs to perform an early diagnosis and monitoring of DR. In this paper, a classification-based approach using Functional Link Artificial Neural Network (FLANN) classifier to extract HEs in a retinal fundus image is illustrated. Luminosity Contrast Normalization pre-processing step was employed. Classification performances were compared between Multi-Layered Perceptron (MLP), Radial Basis Function (RBF) and FLANN classifiers. Better classification performance was observed for FLANN classifier. GUI package with Region of Interest (ROI) selection tool was developed.


We introduce continuous $R$-valuations on directed-complete posets (dcpos,
for short), as a generalization of continuous valuations in domain theory, by
extending values of continuous valuations from reals to so-called Abelian
d-rags $R$.
 Like the valuation monad $\mathbf{V}$ introduced by Jones and Plotkin, we
show that the construction of continuous $R$-valuations extends to a strong
monad $\mathbf{V}^R$ on the category of dcpos and Scott-continuous maps.
Additionally, and as in recent work by the two authors and C. Th\'eron, and by
the second author, B. Lindenhovius, M. Mislove and V. Zamdzhiev, we show that
we can extract a commutative monad $\mathbf{V}^R_m$ out of it, whose elements
we call minimal $R$-valuations.
 We also show that continuous $R$-valuations have close connections to
measures when $R$ is taken to be $\mathbf{I}\mathbb{R}^\star_+$, the interval
domain of the extended nonnegative reals: (1) On every coherent topological
space, every non-zero, bounded $\tau$-smooth measure $\mu$ (defined on the
Borel $\sigma$-algebra), canonically determines a continuous
$\mathbf{I}\mathbb{R}^\star_+$-valuation; and (2) such a continuous
$\mathbf{I}\mathbb{R}^\star_+$-valuation is the most precise (in a certain
sense) continuous $\mathbf{I}\mathbb{R}^\star_+$-valuation that approximates
$\mu$, when the support of $\mu$ is a compact Hausdorff subspace of a
second-countable stably compact topological space. This in particular applies
to Lebesgue measure on the unit interval. As a result, the Lebesgue measure can
be identified as a continuous $\mathbf{I}\mathbb{R}^\star_+$-valuation.
Additionally, we show that the latter is minimal.


In this work we combine elements of chirped pulse amplification (CPA) techniques, now familiar in solid-state lasers, with an amplifier based upon a seeded free-electron laser (FEL). The resulting device would produce amplified pulses of unprecedented brevity at wavelengths shorter than can be currently obtained by any tunable laser system. We use a subharmonically seeded FEL to illustrate the concept. Radiation from a Ti:sapphire laser is frequency-tripled and stretched optically to provide a coherent seed pulse for the FEL. When coupled to an electron beam inside a magnetic wiggler, the seed radiation introduces an additional energy modulation on the electron bunch, which has been prepared with an energy chirp to match the chirp in the optical pulse. The energy modulated electrons are then spatially bunched in a dispersion magnet and introduced to a wiggler configured to be resonant to a harmonic of the seed laser, providing additional frequency multiplication. The coherent radiation produced by these electrons is amplified as it traverses the wiggler and recompressed optically. The preservation of phase coherence provided by this scheme results in a device which can yield 4-fs pulses with 0.3 mJ at a central wavelength of ca. 88 nm, easily the shortest duration amplified pulses produced by any laser. In this paper, we discuss various aspects of the concept, including the generation of short pulses, temporal stretching and compression, and potential applications of the device. The phase distortion during the wide bandwidth FEL amplification is discussed in detail, and is shown to be within the bounds required to produce a 4-fs pulse upon compression.


The study identifies the motivators of women entrepreneurship in an emerging country context, especially India. The purpose is to find out the drivers which stimulate women to take up entrepreneurial pursuit. The methodology which was undertaken includes empirical study, collection of data and analysing with SPSS, regression and correlations methods to find the drivers of women entrepreneurship. The study findings show that there are three primary motivators namely, profit maximisation, incentives in particular sector, and size and nature of business which motivates them to launch their business. The paper also discusses the managerial and research implications of such a study.


Abstract The present study discusses results of heavy mineral analyses and radioactivity of beach sediments of Lake Peipsi. Such analyses are commonly done globally, but had not yet been conducted for the fourth largest lake in Europe. The average heavy mineral content in Lake Peipsi beach sediments along the northern and western coast is higher than usual for Estonian coastal and Quaternary sediments. Concomitantly, elevated radioactivity levels have been measured in several places, with the highest concentrations observed at Alajõe (1885.5 Bq/kg), which is over five times more than the recommended limit. The aim of the present study is to find sites with higher radioactivity levels, because the northern coast of Lake Peipsi is a well-known recreational area.


In recent years it was proved that simple modifications of the classical Frank-Wolfe algorithm (aka conditional gradient algorithm) for smooth convex minimization over convex and compact polytopes, converge with linear rate, assuming the objective function has the quadratic growth property. However, the rate of these methods depends explicitly on the dimension of the problem which cannot explain their empirical success for large scale problems. In this paper we first demonstrate that already for very simple problems and even when the optimal solution lies on a low-dimensional face of the polytope, such dependence on the dimension cannot be avoided in worst case. We then revisit the addition of a strict complementarity assumption already considered in Wolfe's classical book \cite{Wolfe1970}, and prove that under this condition, the Frank-Wolfe method with away-steps and line-search converges linearly with rate that depends explicitly only on the dimension of the optimal face. We motivate strict complementarity by proving that it implies sparsity-robustness of optimal solutions to noise.


Systemic Psychotherapists, versed in working from a social constructionist and feminist perspective, can encounter positioning dilemmas when working within the high risk field of anorexia. A common discourse of anorexia is that it has a relationship to issues of control, feelings of subjugation and lack of agency. For professionals, when working within the dominant psycho-medical domain immediate physical risk can be reduced, but so can the client's sense of agency. On the other hand, if the therapist works within a social constructionist domain agency can be increased, but so might physical risk.
Using semi-structured interviews, qualitative data were collected, recorded and analysed from eight systemic family psychotherapists who were currently working with anorexia in a variety of clinical settings. Focus was given within the dialogically constructed interviews to the positions that the participants took within the discourse of anorexia, both theoretically and in action. Positioning dilemmas and issues of power dynamics were given particular focus.
The data were analysed using constructivist grounded theory, with three main theoretical codes emerging inductively from the axial codes. The findings that emerged are arranged as a hermeneutic circle of influences upon the positions taken, and encompass history, context, view, position, action and response. The positions of expert, unsettled and not-knowing were identified. Finally the actions of comfort, support and challenge emerged from the data.
The participants varied from each other and within their own positioning, with context of client age and chronicity seemingly having a strong influence on how social constructionist positions could be taken in the face of physical risk. The influence of their own and other professional and personal discourses also had bearing.
In this study, the findings suggest that an informed orienteering approach (a term that I coined based on dialogic principles, Shotter's concept of withness and orienteering and Mason's thinking on working within safe uncertainty) can help systemic therapists position themselves within discourses about anorexia. My informed orienteering approach allows incorporation and attention to both the psycho-medical and social constructionist positions, whilst accounting for issues of power, particularly through feminist critique and the thinking of Foucault and Bourdieu.
Implications for the field of family therapy are considered, as are recommendations for future research.


Thirty samples of roasted ground coffee beans from 10 different commercial brands were analyzed to investigate the occurrence and levels of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis strains. Strains were evaluated for their genetic diversity by repetitive element sequence polymorphism PCR (Rep-PCR) and for their toxigenic profiles, i.e., the presence of hblA, hblC, hblD, nheA, nheB, nheC, cytK, ces, and entFM. Survival and multiplication of B. cereus sensu lato in the ready-to-drink coffee was determined to evaluate this beverage as a possible vehicle for B. cereus infection. B. cereus was detected in 17 (56.7%) of the 30 samples, and B. thuringiensis was detected in 8 (26.7%) of the 30 samples. Five samples did not produce any characteristic growth. The most common gene, entFM, was detected in 23 strains (92%). The NHE complex (nheA, nheB, and nheC genes) was found in 19 strains (76%). The HBL complex (hblA, hblC, and hblD) was found in 16 strains (64%). All strains were negative for ces. The cytK gene was found in 16 strains (64%). The computer-assisted cluster analysis of Rep-PCR profiles using a clustering criterion of 80% similarity revealed four main clusters. Cluster 1 was the predominant and comprised three B. thuringiensis strains with 100% similarity, cluster 2 comprised two B. cereus strains (100% similarity), cluster 3 comprised two B. thuringiensis strains (90% similarity), and cluster 4 comprised one B. thuringiensis strain and one B. cereus strain (85% similarity). The cluster analysis of fingerprints generated by Rep-PCR revealed a high genetic diversity among the B. cereus strains, suggesting that the contamination could have originated from different sources. In our experiments, when sugar was added and the beverage was kept in thermic bottles there was a significant increase in B. cereus sensu lato levels, which may increase the risk of food poisoning. These results highlight the need for additional studies on this subject to better evaluate coffee as a food poisoning vehicle.


Abstract Phosphatized and phosphatic small shelly fossils are a major source of information concerning the evolution of animals during the early Cambrian. Although progress has been made in understanding some of these fossils, many remain enigmatic, both with regard to their phylogenetic affinities and the overall morphology of the animal from which isolated sclerites came. Two unusual fossils from the upper lower Cambrian (Qiongzhusian or Atdabanian) Xihaoping Member of the Dengying Formation from Xiaowan, Xixiang County, southeastern Shaanxi Province, China are described herein. The first of these is a cap-shaped fossil we describe as Cambroskiadeion xiaowanense new genus and species. On its concave surface it bears a spine, the base of which is covered with numerous hemispherical verruculae. The long spine indicates that this was a sclerite rather than a univalved shell, although it remains unclear from what sort of animal it came. Similar fossils have been hypothesized to be halkieriid valves; although the rarity of halkieriid sclerites in the present samples argues against this view, it is possible these fossils are part of a similar multi-element skeleton. The second fossil is Acidocharacus longiconus Qin and Ding, 1988; it is known only from the Xihaoping Member and consists of a tall spine, often bearing barbs or bumps, attached to a rounded conical base. The base is covered with verruculae similar to those found on Cambroskiadeion. The function of these elements, and whether they were internal or external, remains unknown.


Even though large pre-trained multilingual models (e.g. mBERT, XLM-R) have led to significant performance gains on a wide range of cross-lingual NLP tasks, success on many downstream tasks still relies on the availability of sufficient annotated data. Traditional fine-tuning of pre-trained models using only a few target samples can cause over-fitting. This can be quite limiting as most languages in the world are under-resourced. In this work, we investigate cross-lingual adaptation using a simple nearest-neighbor few-shot (<15 samples) inference technique for classification tasks. We experiment using a total of 16 distinct languages across two NLP tasks- XNLI and PAWS-X. Our approach consistently improves traditional fine-tuning using only a handful of labeled samples in target locales. We also demonstrate its generalization capability across tasks.


Objective: The goal of this study is to assess and confirm the clinical importance of measurement of positive and negative acute phase proteins parameters as biomarkers for inflammation; and alterations in blood picture induced by nanoparticles instead of back to tissue biopsy and histopathology.
Methods: Rats were randomly grouped into three groups, 1st group acted as control group and received 1 ml/d distilled water; the 2nd group received 1 ml of distilled water containing iron oxide at 100 μg/kg concentrations using stomach tube; while the 3rd group received 1 ml of distilled water containing iron oxide at 150 μg/kg concentrations, for a period of 4 weeks. The clinic-pathological effects were observed by estimating the alterations in different functional parameters of the liver in serum using chemical kits and in the hematological parameters by using autohematology analyzer.
Results: Alterations were in the form of significant elevations of AST, ALT and ALP enzyme activities; significant decreases in total and conjugated bilirubin; significant increases in all positive acute phase proteins and decreases in all negative acute phase ones; with significant increases in IL-1α, IL-6 and TNF-α cytokines and a disturbance in lipogram appearing as remarkable high total lipids, cholesterol, LDL-C, VLDL-C, with significant decrease in HDL-C. These results were associated with alterations in hematological parameters and occurrence of anemia in both 2nd and 3rd groups.
Conclusion: Nanoparticles have double-edged sword that ultra-structure of these articles seem to have advantage in the treatment, but in the same time may cause marked injuries to the vital organs as liver and related functions.


Large-scale infrastructures are critical to economic and social development, and hence their continued performance and security are of high national importance. Such an infrastructure often is a system of systems, and its functionality critically depends on the inherent robustness of its constituent systems and its defense strategy for countering attacks. Additionally, interdependencies between the systems play another critical role in determining the infrastructure robustness specified by its survival probability. In this paper, we develop game-theoretic models between a defender and an attacker for a generic system of systems using inherent parameters and conditional survival probabilities that characterize the interdependencies. We derive Nash Equilibrium conditions for the cases of interdependent and independent systems of systems under sum-form utility functions. We derive expressions for the infrastructure survival probability that capture its dependence on cost and system parameters, and also on dependencies that are specified by conditional probabilities. We apply the results to cyber-physical systems which show the effects on system survival probability due to defense and attack intensities, inherent robustness, unit cost, target valuation, and interdependencies.


This article describes the data on isotopic effects of deuterium in various biological objects as the cells of methylotrophic, chemoheterotrophic, photoorganotrophic microorganisms, green algae as well as animal cells. It was demonstrated that the increased content of deuterium in water leads to physiological, morphological and cytology alterations of the cell, and also renders negative influence on cellular metabolism, while deuterium depleted water (DDW) with decreased deuterium content on 20–30 % exerts beneficial effects on organism. The maximum kinetic isotopic effect measured at ordinary temperatures in chemical reactions leading to rupture of bonds involving hydrogen and deuterium lies in the range kH/kD = 6–8 for C–H versus C–D, N–D versus N–D, and O–H versus O–D-bonds. By IR-spectroscopy method water samples with varying content of deuterium were investigated.


Over the years, an enormous amount of research has been exploring Deep Neural Networks (DNN), particularly Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) for estimating the energy consumption of appliances from a single point source such as smart meters - Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM). However, most of the existing DNNs models for NILM use a single-task learning approach in which a neural network is trained exclusively for each appliance. This strategy is computationally expensive and ignores the fact that multiple appliances can be active simultaneously and dependencies between them. In this work, we propose UNet-NILM for multi-task appliances' state detection and power estimation, applying a multi-label learning strategy and multi-target quantile regression. The UNet-NILM is a one-dimensional CNN based on the U-Net architecture initially proposed for image segmentation. Empirical evaluation on the UK-DALE dataset suggests promising performance against traditional single-task learning.


From its growth in Europe in the nineteenth century, detective fiction has developed into one of the most popular genres of literature and popular culture more widely. In this monograph, Mary Evans examines detective fiction and its complex relationship to the modern and to modernity. She focuses on two key themes: the moral relationship of detection (and the detective) to a particular social world and the attempt to restore and even improve the social world that has been threatened and fractured by a crime, usually that of murder. It is a characteristic of much detective fiction that the detective, the pursuer, is a social outsider: this status creates a complex web of relationships between detective, institutional life and dominant and subversive moralities. Evans questions who and what the detective stands for and suggests that the answer challenges many of our assumptions about the relationship between various moralities in the modern world.


PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND PERFORMANCE: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ENGAGEMENT by Mina Luong Organizations have been using performance management (PM) systems to improve performance and productivity. However, given the ineffectiveness of the PM systems currently in use, it has been suggested that PM systems be redesigned to make employee engagement a key determinant of performance. By adapting Gruman and Saks' (2011) engagement management model, this study examined the relationships among the factors that drive engagement, engagement, and performance. Specifically, engagement was examined as a hypothesized mediator of the relationship between the drivers of engagement (goal setting, job resources, and recognition, feedback, and fairness) and performance among employees in the healthcare industry. Results showed that goal setting, job resources, and recognition, feedback, and fairness were all positively correlated with engagement and performance, but engagement did not mediate the relationship between the predictors and performance. Results of the present study partially support Gruman and Saks' model. Given that the drivers of engagement were directly related to performance, Gruman and Saks' model could be improved by adding a direct path from the drivers of engagement to performance.


Background: The pain experience relies on integration of brain activity across different areas1, including somatosensory, insular, cingulate, prefrontal cortices, thalamus, subcortical areas and brainstem that belong to different functional systems of the brain but are transiently functionally connected (FC) during pain processing2 Pain is associated with complex spatial, temporal and spectral patterns of brain activity3 measured by Magnetoencephalography. Previous imaging has shown altered connectivity between sensorimotor cortex and resting state networks during tourniquet pain4. We aim to demonstrate oscillatory and FC alterations across our tonically painful experimental stimulus.
Methods: This was a pilot study with 5 participants. Approval was obtained from Cardiff University School of Psychology ethics committee (EC.188.8.131.5271). Post-ischaemia isometric forearm exercises result in a severe, deep aching pain; closely simulating pathological pain. Pain was rated on a scale 0-10 (0=no pain10= worst possible pain) whenever this changed during the experiment. Data analysis assessed alpha (7-14Hz), beta (15-30Hz), gamma (6090Hz) frequency bands during rest, early pain, late pain and post pain, epoched into 60 trials of 5 second duration. Pre-processing was performed using fieldtrip and beamformed using DICS. We extracted virtual electrodes from left somatosensory cortex (SI), secondary somatosensory cortex, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insula and prefrontal cortex using AAL atlas and extracted alpha, beta and gamma amplitude in each ROI across 4 time periods. Connectivity was assessed between pairs of regions.
Results: No substantial connectivity changes were seen. Increases in alpha and beta amplitudes were seen in the ACC, during transition from early to late pain phase with increases in gamma amplitude occurring in four participants. Oscillatory increases coincided with moderate to severe pain ratings. Increases in oscillatory activity in the ACC may reflect pain-anxiety interaction due to the tonically painful nature of the pain stimulus and therefore comparable to clinical chronic pain5.
Conclusions Ischaemic tourniquet pain may be an experimental surrogate for chronic pain evoking oscillatory brain changes in previously reported pain regions in the brain. Although we were unable to demonstrate alterations to FC we intend to perform whole brain network connectivity with future datasets


The subject of Disraeli's jewishness was one that obsessed contemporaries but was subsequently downplayed by historians and others until very recently. The essays in this volume provide a new perspective, stressing the importance of Disraeli's Jewishness in the construction of his personality, ideology and politics as well as in responses to him. This collection is an important addition not only to the understanding of Disraeli but also to the workings of race relations in Liberal Victorian Britain.


Integrated photonic devices operating via optical nonlinearities offer a powerful solution for all‐optical information processing, yielding processing speeds that are well beyond that of electronic processing as well as providing the added benefits of compact footprint, high stability, high scalability, and small power consumption. The increasing demand for high‐performance nonlinear integrated photonic devices has facilitated the hybrid integration of novel materials to address the limitations of existing integrated photonic platforms. Recently, graphene oxide (GO), with its large optical nonlinearity, high flexibility in altering its properties, and facile fabrication processes, has attracted significant attention, enabling many hybrid nonlinear integrated photonic devices with improved performance and novel capabilities. This paper reviews the applications of GO to nonlinear integrated photonics. First, an overview of GO's optical properties and the fabrication technologies needed for its on‐chip integration is provided. Next, the state‐of‐the‐art GO nonlinear integrated photonic devices are reviewed, followed by comparisons of the nonlinear optical performance of different integrated platforms incorporating GO as well as hybrid integrated devices including different kinds of 2D materials. Finally, the current challenges and future opportunities in this field are discussed.


Larkhill Place 1918/2018 is a sound installation in the historic themed street at Salford Museum and Art Gallery. The brief for the installation was to re-create the sonic environment of Salford during 1918; commemorating the centenary of the end of WW1. The chosen software environment for the installation was Ableton Live and Max for Live.

I investigated the 'handling collection' of the museum, and made audio recordings of many appropriate historic objects - from toys, to food stuffs, from tools to washing and cooking implements. I was also allowed to make audio recordings of the fabric of the structures/doors, doorbells, tools etc. of the buildings that were already present in Lark Hill.

I also investigated appropriate transport sounds (trams, cars, motorcycles, trains, horse and cart etc.) and either made my own location recordings or gained samples from a variety of sound libraries.

Another aspect of the remit was that I should make the overall sound installation interesting and as non-repetitive as possible. My attempt to meet this aspect of the commission was firstly to populate the space with 8 separate audio channels, which would each reflect the area of the street (pub, music shop, grocer store etc.); each speaker would have foreground sounds and background sounds. The overall installation is populated with - at last count - some 350 separate sounds. To make the playback of the sounds for each channel unpredictable I set up a two-tier (foreground 7 background) random sequence generator for each of them. To enable a global 'ebb and flow' for the installation I built into each of the sequence generators times of silence or non-event.

I also used timers within the Ableton set to switch the whole installation on and off automatically during times when the museum would be open and closed; I also used timers to again change the dynamic of the installation and to reflect the time of day i.e. morning sounds; afternoon sounds etc.


In examining Turkish-Russian economic  relations, this paper puts forward three  arguments. First, the relationship  is characterized by an asymmetric  interdependence that favors Russia over  Turkey. The source of the asymmetry  lies in the divergent domestic economic  structures of the two countries. Moreover,  the developments in the aftermath of the  jet crisis of 2015 demonstrated Turkey's  vulnerability to Russian economic  sanctions. To support this argument, I  use trade and foreign direct investment  data to analyze the evolution of Turkish- Russian economic ties over the past decade.  Second,  international developments  such as the global financial crisis and  the West's sanctions against Russia have  significantly diminished the capacity of  Turkish-Russian economic cooperation.  Third, Turkish-Russian economic  interdependence cannot soon transform into complex interdependence that  characterizes bilateral ties in the advanced c apitalist world. Despite the growing role  of business groups and humanitarian ties,  politics will continue to shape the prospects  of Turkish-Russian economic cooperation  in the foreseeable future.


While mainstream policies may be beyond improvement in the enchanted ›optimizable‹ world, Post Keynesians have to manage without a magic wand in our uncertain world. We discuss the alternative policies proposed in the recent Post Keynesian literature and argue that control of interest rates is too imperfect for such policies to be feasible in general, although they provide useful guidelines and may be successful in favourable circumstances. Consequently, the question of credibility is irrelevant, if this means whether policy-makers will honour their commitment to an unfeasible ideal target. Th e right question is whether policy is convincing enough to make the conventional state of expectation (and the related interest rate) consistent with full employment. It is all a matter of confi dence. Th e basic principles involved in such an approach to monetary policy are discussed.


We are only beginning to understand the mechanisms involved in tactic sensing in the alpha-subgroup of bacteria. It is clear, however, from recent developments that although the central chemosensory pathways are related to those identified in enteric species, the primary signals and the effect on flagellar behaviour are very different. The expression of chemoreceptors is under environmental control, and the strength of a response depends on the metabolic state of the cell. This is very different from enteric species which always respond to MCP-dependent chemoeffectors, and in which the expression of the receptors is constitutive. Chemotaxis in R. sphaeroides and S. meliloti is therefore more directly linked to the environment in which a cell finds itself. The integration of chemosensory pathways dependent on growth state may be much more suited to the fluctuating environment of these soil and water bacteria. There is still a great deal that needs to be understood about the mechanisms involved in motor control. The presence of at least two CheY homologues and the finding that the swimming speed of these bacteria can vary, and, in the case of S. meliloti, vary with chemosensory stimulation, suggests a different control mechanism at the flagellar motor where speed can be altered, or the motor stopped, with a full delta p still present. Why R. sphaeroides should have at least two functional sets of genes encoding homologues of the enteric chemosensory pathway remains to be determined. The major differences in sensory behaviour between the two alpha-subgroup species so far studied in detail and the differences from the enteric species suggests that many more variations of the chemosensory pathways will be found as more species are studied.


The snowball Earth hypothesis predicts globally synchronous glaciations that persisted on a multimillion year time scale. Geochronological tests of this hypothesis have been limited by a dearth of reliable age constraints bracketing these events on multiple cratons. Here we present four new Re-Os geochronology age constraints on Sturtian (717–660 Ma) and Marinoan (635 Ma termination) glacial deposits from three different paleocontinents. A 752.7 ± 5.5 Ma age from the base of the Callison Lake Formation in Yukon, Canada, confirms nonglacial sedimentation on the western margin of Laurentia between ca. 753 and 717 Ma. Coupled with a new 727.3 ± 4.9 Ma age directly below the glacigenic deposits of the Grand Conglomerate on the Congo craton (Africa), these data refute the notion of a global ca. 740 Ma Kaigas glaciation. A 659.0 ± 4.5 Ma age directly above the Maikhan-Uul diamictite in Mongolia confirms previous constraints on a long duration for the 717–660 Ma Sturtian glacial epoch and a relatively short nonglacial interlude. In addition, we provide the first direct radiometric age constraint for the termination of the Marinoan glaciation in Laurentia with an age of 632.3 ± 5.9 Ma from the basal Sheepbed Formation of northwest Canada, which is identical, within uncertainty, to U-Pb zircon ages from China, Australia, and Namibia. Together, these data unite Re-Os and U-Pb geochronological constraints and provide a refined temporal framework for Cryogenian Earth history.


Via the Institute of Internal Auditors, founded in 1941, the internal auditing profession actively promote the quality of internal auditors and internal audit activities. Since 1999, internal auditing standards have been revised. From 1 January 2002, all internal audit activities/any consultant rendering internal auditing services must undergo quality control, according to the provisions of Attribute Standard 1300. The revised internal auditing standards on quality control in internal audit activities reflect fundamental changes for the internal auditing profession. This article analyses the formal prescriptions and guidelines on quality in internal audit activities contained in the internal auditing standards and related practice advisories.


Normal.dotm 0 0 1 324 1848 15 3 2269 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false "Art = Design = Art...? The boundaries are not so clear now. I would like to make them much less clear." Gaetano Pesce, 1988 In the collection of essays in Design without Boundaries: Visual Communication in Transition, 1988, Rick Poynor explored ideas around the blurring of boundaries between the disciplines as authorship within Graphic Design became more commonplace. With the advent of digital technology and the information revolution working practices have increasingly moved towards hybrid practice and a multidisciplinary approach - Designer as author, designer as entrepreneur. In an age when the image is all-pervasive, and the consumption of images via the Internet accelerated, the popularity, or awareness of illustration has blended into the everyday of visual culture, enabling accessibility for illustration, whilst making it harder to stand out amongst the noise of the Internet. This paper intends to explore recent developments within illustration practice that has continued this blurring of definition, questioning what it actually means to be an illustrator today, and what it may entail tomorrow. It is no longer the prerequisite of the illustration graduate to set up as freelance, sole practitioner, but requires a broader approach, in an age where careers are non-linear and life long learning necessary to evolve one's creative practice. 'Today it is routine to see illustrators who have produced self-directed work: books, comics, saleable goods such as clothes, posters and assorted objects. These outcomes have no direct clients, and rely instead on the urge for authorship amongst illustrators. In these times of dwindling budgets, clip art and the decline in editorial commissions, the authorial instinct is no longer a choice for illustrators - it is a necessity.' Adrian Shaughnessy in Making Great Illustration, Derek Brazell & Jo Davies. London A&C Black. The aim of this paper is to explore the importance for illustration to be viewed as an expanded field of practice, both in terms of artistic practice and the development of research in the discipline. Keywords: · Blurred Boundaries · Hybrid Illustration · Gifs, Animation, Film: Illustration within a timeline · Self-Authorship · Illustration Research


Street gangs -especially 'Mara Salvatrucha' [MS] and 18th Street Gang [18]- and student gangs are feared throughout Central America. This study looks at the violent and criminal acts they engage in, the attraction they hold over other young people, the solidarity among their members, and the physical and social risks they face. It sheds light on an even more alarming phenomena: the dynamics of social exclusion and self exclusion faced by large groups of young Central Americans. The reproduction of exclusion not only intensifies the margination faced by young people, but also scars the general population and causes repressive reactions by authorities, that over time, could undermine the consolidation of newly formed democracies in the region. Despite differences between street and school gangs, both groups share important similarities: the majority are young people from urban marginalized areas, many of their punishable acts are carried out explicitly as members of these groups, and the use of violence is prominent. Their surroundings are characterized by negligence and abuse within their home, social fragmentation and deteriorating physical conditions of the communities in which they live, lacking social control in public spaces, poor educational quality and the absence of social and employment opportunities. These factors facilitate the strong attraction held by the street where they encounter their peers who dominate, using (the threat of) violence in order to ensure alternative forms of respect and social status. Within the world of the gangs or 'maras', there reigns extreme animosity and a constant threat of lethal violence against foes. In the face of all this, the gang offers its members a strong sense of social inclusion and a deep sense of belonging, providing them a chance to be 'someone': demonstrating themselves valuable, brave, daring and deserving of respect. Student gangs offer strong social inclusion for those that defend the honor of their school, violently imposing themselves on rival students. The school gangs challenge, attack and fight their rivals mainly in the spaces that connect their schools with neighborhoods. Different from many gang members, these young people do aspire to finish high school and go on to higher education or the labor market. This study argues that the histories of civil war, dictatorships and authoritarian regimes in the Northern triangle of Central America, and a concomitant culture of violence are insufficient in explaining the dynamics of these street groups. The daily margination generates risks that alternative systems of respect and status, based on the use of violence, emerge among youth groups. The search for recognition crystallizes into group processes that push their members to risk their future, health and even life on a daily basis. Breaking this vicious cycle of alternative systems of violence necessarily means offering the young people in marginalized areas, real perspectives for improvement and a future, based on public policies that aspire to provide them with a quality education, productive work and social cohesion.


Alphabetic Pinyin and morphosyllabic Hanzi are two different writing systems used in the Chinese language. Though Pinyin and Hanzi utilize different orthographies, the development of literacy skills in both writing systems depends on phonological processing skills. Becoming aware of the phonological structure in Chinese and the orthographic structure in Hanzi are crucial for the growth of literacy skills in Pinyin and Hanzi. The present study investigated the influence of L1 background and other meta-linguistic and background variables on Chinese phonological awareness, phonetic radical awareness, Pinyin spelling, Hanzi reading and Hanzi writing among adult Arabic and English CSL learners. There are five important findings from this study. First, L1 background influenced the performance in Chinese phonological awareness and Pinyin spelling, in which the English participants outperformed the Arabic participants arguably due to the greater similarities in phonology and orthography between English and Pinyin. Second, the Arabic participants' better achievements in Hanzi writing compared to the English participants might originate from their experience in using the Arabic script and in learning two different scripts. Third, the two CSL groups did not differ in phonetic radical awareness or Hanzi reading, probably due to the unique characteristics of Hanzi orthography and the far distance between Arabic, English and Hanzi. Fourth, L1 background influenced the importance of phonological awareness and phonetic radical awareness in developing Chinese literacy skills, which might relate to the different orthographies used in English and Arabic, as well as the learning contexts. Fifth, Chinese language proficiency, the length of staying in China, the number of languages previously learnt, phonological working memory and phonetic coding ability significantly predicted the Arabic and English CSL learners' performance in these measures. Theoretical implications for understanding the role of L1 transfer in L2 literacy acquisition, and educational implications for teaching Chinese as a second language were discussed.


When organizational leaders can no longer achieve their goals through internal growth engines, they often embark on a merger or acquisition. Many of those transactions, however, falter when leaders fail to achieve the synergies they had expected, typically because of overvaluation of the target organization and a narrow focus on the closing. A significant portion of the blame also can usually be attributed to a misalignment with original deal drivers and a poor integration process. By employing a scalable playbook of tactics and tools to streamline processes, improve teamwork, bolster morale, and purposefully allocate resources, organizational leaders can stabilize their operations during times of change, ensuring the success of their merger and acquisition efforts in both the short and long terms. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


This thesis is concerned with sequential decision making by multiple agents, whether they are acting cooperatively to maximize team reward or selfishly trying to maximize their individual rewards. The practical intractability of this general problem led to efforts in identifying special cases that admit efficient computation, yet still represent a wide enough range of problems. In our work, we identify the class of problems with structured interactions, where actions of one agent can have non-local effects on the transitions and/or rewards of another agent. We addressed the following research questions: (1) How can we compactly represent this class of problems? (2) How can we efficiently calculate agent policies that maximize team reward (for cooperative agents) or achieve equilibrium (self-interested agents)? (3) How can we exploit structured interactions to make reasoning about communication offline tractable?
For representing our class of problems, we developed a new decision-theoretic model, Event-Driven Interactions with Complex Rewards (EDI-CR), that explicitly represents structured interactions. EDI-CR is a compact yet general representation capable of capturing problems where the degree of coupling among agents ranges from complete independence to complete dependence.
For calculating agent policies, we draw on several techniques from the field of mathematical optimization and adapt them to exploit the special structure in EDI-CR. We developed a Mixed Integer Linear Program formulation of EDI-CR with cooperative agents that results in programs much more compact and faster to solve than formulations ignoring structure. We also investigated the use of homotopy methods as an optimization technique, as well as formulation of self-interested EDI-CR as a system of non-linear equations.
We looked at the issue of communication in both cooperative and self-interested settings. For the cooperative setting, we developed heuristics that assess the impact of potential communication points and add the ones with highest impact to the agents' decision problems. Our heuristics successfully pick communication points that improve team reward while keeping problem size manageable. Also, by controlling the amount of communication introduced by a heuristic, our approach allows us to control the tradeoff between solution quality and problem size.
For self-interested agents, we look at an example setting where communication is an integral part of problem solving, but where the self-interested agents have a reason to be reticent (e.g. privacy concerns). We formulate this problem as a game of incomplete information and present a general algorithm for calculating approximate equilibrium profile in this class of games.


As more and more staff in Higher Education engage in online teaching and learning, there is an increasing need to enhance the capacity of staff to integrate digital education in a way that promotes the digital wellbeing of students. Through building teacher capacity the Digital Wellbeing Educators project aims to improve students' ability to address the challenges of engaging in a digital environment, e.g. How to detect 'fake news'? How to keep your identity safe online? How to maintain a balanced online-offline life? The JISC Digital Capability framework (2015) sets out the digital competences necessary for students and staff to thrive within Higher Education institutions and fully engage in education and the workplace, however, there are many definitions, frameworks and models, e.g. the Irish All Aboard (2015) project identified over 100 frameworks and models which encompass digital literacies or digital competences. The Digital Wellbeing Educators project, which is partially funded by the European Union, focuses on one of the six Digital Capabilities, "Digital Identity and Wellbeing", and has produced a compendium of resources and case studies from Higher Education Institutions (Digital Wellbeing Educators 2019). The social return is to build the capability of Higher Education staff across Europe by promoting awareness and sharing practices and open educational resources between countries and across disciplines. The compendium has been produced through a qualitative research process involving interviews with experienced practitioners who have created interventions such as courses, MOOCs, books, and professional development seminars. This presentation gives a taste of the content of the compendium, illustrating current practice in the support of digital identity management and digital wellbeing. Three case studies from different countries, with a focus on different digital competences, are used to explain the potential impact of digital wellbeing interventions on students, educators and organisations. This session will be of interest to educators, to educational developers and to those reflecting on their own professional development and digital capability. The compendium of case studies, frameworks and models can be used as inspiration for future interventions or learning material for professional development activities. However, the case studies within the compendium are not directly transferable as they are situated in the context of each individual case. Similarly, frameworks and models tend to be over-simplifications that need to be applied sensitively in addressing the messy challenges of digital identity and wellbeing (Brown 2017). Learning is always situated in a social, cultural, political and institutional policy context from which it cannot be separated. As a result, there is a need to focus on social practices and look beyond the individual to build capacity within communities of practice. References All Aboard (2015). All Aboard: Digital skills in higher education. [online]. Available at: http://www.allaboardhe.ie/map/ [Accessed 30th May 2019]. Brown, M. (2017). Exploring the underbelly of digital literacies. [online]. Available at: http://oeb-insights.com/exploring-the-underbelly-of-digital-literacies/ [Accessed 30th May 2019]. Digital Wellbeing Educators (2019). Digital Wellbeing: Promoting the digital wellbeing of students. [online]. Available at: http://www.digital-wellbeing.eu/ [Accessed 30th May 2019]. JISC Digital Capability framework (2015). Building digital capabilities: The six elements defined. [online]. Available at: http://repository.jisc.ac.uk/6611/1/JFL0066F_DIGIGAP_MOD_IND_FRAME.PDF [Accessed 30th May 2019].


The article examines individual action informed by ethical concerns for the environment as a strategy for moving toward more sustainable consumption. The article first employs a model of rational choice to analyze independent consumer choices among the usually assumed self- and welfare-centered consumers and then expands the model to analyze the implications of other than self- and welfare-centered motivations for consumer choice. The article next analyzes interdependent consumer choices informed by self- and welfare-centered values with the help of a simple game-theoretic model and then moves on to examine the implications of nonutilitarian environmental concerns for interdependent consumer choice in the same game-theoretic framework. The article concludes that although a strategy based on individual action may have limited promise when environmental concerns are widely shared, the case for collective action remains strong because of both efficiency and equity reasons.