Nowadays, visual analytics is mainly performed by programming approaches and viewing the results on a desktop monitor. However, due to the capabilities of smart glasses, new user interactions and representation possibilities become possible. This refers especially to 3D visualizations in the medical field, as well as, the industry domain, as valuable depth information can be related to the complex real-world structures and related data, which is also denoted as immersive analytics. However, the applicability of immersive analytics and its drawbacks, especially in the context of mixed reality, are quite unexplored. In order to validate the feasibility of immersive analytics for the aforementioned purposes, we designed and conducted a usability study with 60 participants. More specifically, we evaluated the effects of spatial sounds, performance changes from one analytics task to another, expert status, and compared an immersive analytics approach (i.e., a mixed-reality application) with a desktop-based solution. Participants had to solve several data analytics tasks (outlier's detection and cluster recognition) with the developed mixed-reality application. Thereby, the performance measures regarding time, errors, and movement patterns were evaluated. The separation into groups (low performer vs. high performer) was performed using a mental rotation pretest. When solving analytic tasks in mixed reality, participants changed their movement patterns in the mixed reality setting significantly, while the use of spatial sounds reduced the handling time significantly, but did not affect the movement patterns. Furthermore, the usage of mixed reality for cluster recognition is significantly faster than the desktop-based solution (i.e., a 2D approach). Moreover, the results obtained with self-developed questionnaires indicate 1) that wearing smart glasses are perceived as a potential stressor and 2) that the utilization of sounds is perceived very differently by the participants. Altogether, industry and researchers should consider immersive analytics as a suitable alternative compared to the traditional approaches.


For Africa to industrialise and develop, it must learn from successful cases of structural transformation. Just two decades ago, Vietnam had a level of per capita income and structural characteristics similar to many African economies. In the meantime, Vietnam has with great success taken a very different policy stance than typical in Africa. This is especially so in promoting export-oriented industry. If learning by exporting is a key driver of progress, then a fundamental reason for Africa's lack of transformation is likely to be the low policy priority given to export promotion in the past. To enlarge the body of empirical evidence, we use an extensive 2005–2012 firm-level panel data set from Vietnam and separate out productivity effects of exporting due to self-selection. This allows us to conclude that firms actually learn by exporting. We also examine how this learning takes place. Our findings suggest that productivity gains are associated with moving to larger scale for foreign-owned firms with little evidence of subsequent learning on export markets. We find strong evidence to suggest that private domestic firms learn and accumulate knowledge from export markets with learning attributed in some part to within-firm innovations, in particular research and development. These mechanisms are highly relevant to African countries where market size, innovation and research are seriously constrained.


Injection calcitonin is a natural hormone inhibiting osteoclastic bone resorption have been used as an analgesic to control bone metastasis pain or pain due to osteoporosis or fracture. This randomized double blind placebo controlled trial was undertaken to determine the role of injection Salmon Calcitonin therapy to control refractory pain caused due to bone metastasis arising from cancer breast, lung, prostate or kidney. All patients had received palliative radiotherapy and were suffering unsatisfactory pain relief on NSAIDs and tab morphine. Fourteen days inj. calcitonin or placebo injections were administered in 23 patients initially as high dose induction dose (800 IU per day SC) followed 200 IU subcutaneous (SC) once a day. Patients were assessed for pain intensity and quality of life on EORTC QLQ-30 questionnaire 6 hourly for 2 days and on 7th and 30th day. Any incidence of hypercalcemia, bone fracture, nerve root and bone marrow compression were also noted. This study found a significant reduction in pain after SC calcitonin injection therapy at 14 and 30 days' assessment. No patients in the study group required rescue analgesia after 18 hrs. There was a statistically significant difference in rescue analgesics required between the groups during two days hospitalization. Global health as well as physical and social wellbeing was better at 30 and 90 days in the study group as compared to control group, however it could not reach a statistical significance which may be attributed to the small sample size of the study.


Background— After the Fontan procedure, patients are at risk for suboptimal health status related to their complex healthcare experience, physiological limitations, medical complications, and guarded long-term prognosis. Methods and Results— In the Pediatric Heart Network cross-sectional study of Fontan survivors 6 to 18 years of age, parents completed the Child Health Questionnaire, and scores were related in multivariable analysis to patient and medical characteristics obtained from medical record review. For 537 patients (mean age at study, 11.9 years; 60% male) with a median age at Fontan of 2.8 years (range, 0.7 to 14.6 years), parent-reported patient morbidities included deficits in vision in 33%, speech in 27%, and hearing in 7%, as well as problems with attention in 46%, learning in 43%, development in 24%, behavior in 23%, anxiety in 17%, and depression in 8%. Child Health Questionnaire summary scores were significantly lower than the US population sample for Physical Functioning (mean Z score, −0.47±1.19; P<0.001) and Psychosocial Functioning (−0.28±1.08; P<0.001). Parent-reported medical conditions and long-term and current medical problems explained the greatest amount of variation in the Physical Functioning scores. Parent-reported patient conditions, including behavior, learning, anxiety, and attention problems and depression, explained the greatest amount of variation in the Psychosocial Functioning scores. Lower family income had a negative impact on both Physical and Psychosocial Functioning. Conclusions— There are deficits in health status in children and adolescents after the Fontan procedure. Strategies to address this problem might emphasize coordinated and effective prevention, detection, and management of noncardiac and psychosocial conditions, as well as specific targeting of patients from low-income households.


It is becoming increasingly important that we can understand and model flow processes in urban areas. Applications such as weather forecasting, air quality and sustainable urban development rely on accurate modelling of the interface between an urban surface and the atmosphere above. This review gives an overview of current understanding of turbulence generated by an urban surface up to a few building heights, the layer called the roughness sublayer (RSL). High quality datasets are also identified which can be used in the development of suitable parameterisations of the urban RSL. Datasets derived from physical and numerical modelling, and full-scale observations in urban areas now exist across a range of urban-type morphologies (e.g. street canyons, cubes, idealised and realistic building layouts). Results show that the urban RSL depth falls within 2 – 5 times mean building height and is not easily related to morphology. Systematic perturbations away from uniform layouts (e.g. varying building heights) have a significant impact on RSL structure and depth. Considerable fetch is required to develop an overlying inertial sublayer, where turbulence is more homogeneous, and some authors have suggested that the "patchiness" of urban areas may prevent inertial sublayers from developing at all. Turbulence statistics suggest similarities between vegetation and urban canopies but key differences are emerging. There is no consensus as to suitable scaling variables, e.g. friction velocity above canopy vs. square root of maximum Reynolds stress, mean vs. maximum building height. The review includes a summary of existing modelling practices and highlights research priorities.


In irrigated agriculture, on-farm irrigation efficiency and salinity build-up in the crop root zone are interrelated. Sustainability of soil productivity and crop production depends on maintaining a salt balance in the crop root zone over the long term. This paper deals with the issue of on-farm efficiency and sustainability of the soil environment and productivity. The staff California Department of Water Resources in cooperation with other State agenciess staff and other experts have determined a target/optimum on-farm irrigation efficiency for Californias irrigated agriculture. The approach takes into consideration irrigation system distribution uniformity of 80 percent, and a 5 percent leaching requirement. The optimum irrigation efficiency herein provides a new look into a range of irrigation efficiencies between 70 and 80 percent, below and above which salt build-up may occur. While the necessity of incorporating leaching requirements in the irrigation efficiency calculation has been recognized, the approach further recognizes the importance of accounting for non-uniformity in irrigation water application in calculating efficiency.


Localization of targets during stereotactic surgery is frequently accomplished by identification of the boundaries between the gray matter of various nuclei and the surrounding white matter. The authors describe an intracranial probe developed for this purpose, which uses near-infrared (NIR) light. The probe fits through standard stereotactic holders and emits light at its tip. The scattered light is detected and analyzed by a spectrometer, with the slope of the trailing portion of the reflectance curve used as the measurement value. Near-infrared readings were obtained during 27 neurosurgical procedures. The first three operations were temporal lobectomies, with values obtained from tracks in the resected specimen and resection bed. In the next five procedures, the probe was inserted stereotactically to a depth of 1 to 2 cm with measurements obtained every 1 mm. The probe was then used in 19 stereotactic procedures for movement disorders, obtaining measurements every 0.5 to 1 mm to target depths of 6 to 8 cm to interrogate subcortical structures. The NIR signals were correlated to distances beneath the cortical surface measured on postoperative computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging by using angle correction and three-dimensional reconstruction techniques. The NIR values for white and gray matter obtained during the lobectomies were significantly different (white matter 2.5+/-0.37, gray matter 0.82+/-0.23 mean +/- standard deviation). The NIR values from the superficial stereotactic tracks showed initial low values corresponding to cortical gray matter and high values corresponding to subcortical white matter. There was good correlation between the NIR signals and postoperative imaging in the 19 stereotactic cases. Dips due to adjacent sulci, a plateau of high signal due to subcortical white matter, a dip in the NIR signal during passage through the ventricle, dips due to the caudate nucleus, and peaks due to the white matter capsule between ventricle and thalamus were constant features. The putamen-capsule boundary and the lamina externa and interna of the globus pallidus could be distinguished in three cases. Elevated signals corresponding to the thalamic floor were seen in 10 cases. Nuances such as prior lesions and nonspecific white matter changes were also detected. There was no incidence of morbidity associated with use of the probe. Data acquisition was straightforward and the equipment required for the studies was inexpensive. The NIR probe described in this article seems to be able to detect gray-white matter boundaries around and within subcortical structures commonly encountered in stereotactic functional neurosurgery. This simple, inexpensive method deserves further study to establish its efficacy for stereotactic localization.


Selenium is a trace element essential for normal physiological processes. Organic selenium‐containing amino acids, such as selenocysteine (Sec) / selenocystine and selenomethionine (SeMet, the major dietary form), can provide antioxidant benefits by acting both as direct antioxidants as well as a source of selenium for synthesis of selenium‐dependent antioxidant and repair proteins (e.g., glutathione peroxidases, thioredoxin reductases, methionine sulfoxide reductases). The direct antioxidant actions of these amino acids arise from the nucleophilic properties of the ionized selenol (RSe−, which predominates over the neutral form at physiological pH values) and the ease of oxidation of Sec and SeMet. This results in higher rate constants for reaction with multiple oxidants, than for the corresponding thiols/thioethers. Furthermore, the resulting oxidation products are more readily and rapidly reversed by both enzyme and nonenzymatic reactions. The antioxidant effects of these seleno species can therefore be catalytic. Seleno amino acids may also chelate redox‐active metal ions. The presence of Sec in the catalytic site of selenium‐dependent antioxidant enzymes enhances the kinetic properties and broadens the catalytic activity of antioxidant enzymes against biological oxidants when compared with sulfur‐containing species. However, while normal physiological selenium levels afford protection, when compared with deficiency, excessive selenium may induce damage and adverse effects, with this being manifest, for example, as an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes. Further studies examining the availability of redox‐active selenium species and their mechanisms and kinetics of action are therefore of critical importance in the potential development of seleno species as a therapeutic strategy. © 2012 IUBMB. IUBMB Life, 64(11): 863–871, 2012


The research goal is to develop a large-scale agent-ba sed simulation environment to support implementations of Internet simulation a pplications. The Small Worlds (SW) graphs are used to model Web sites and social networks of Internet users. Each vertex represents the identity of a sim ple agent. In order to cope with scalability issues, we have to consider distributed par allel processing. The focus of this paper is to present two parallel-distributed a lgorithms for the construction of a particular type of SW graph called -model. The first algorithm serializes the graph construction, while the second construc ts he graph in parallel.


We report on a passively Q-switched photonic crystal fiber (PCF) laser with Cr(4+):YAG as a saturable absorber. Under a pump power of 14.2 W, the maximum pulse energy is up to 630 microJ with a pulse width of 36 ns at a repetition rate of 5.6 kHz. With an intracavity optical parametric oscillator, the passively Q-switched PCF laser is used to generate the signal wave at 1515 nm. The output pulse energy of the signal wave is found to be 140 microJ with a pulse width as short as 1.0 ns at a repetition rate of 3.3 kHz. The very short pulse width leads to the peak power up to 140 kW.


Summary

1. Turfs transplanted from native vegetation can be used to restore diverse plant communities on disturbed sites. There is, however, limited understanding of optimal turf size and the tolerance of different plant communities and species to transplanting.

2. The effects of turf size in restoration of alpine plant communities were studied in SW-Iceland. Treatments tested in 2-m2 plots were as follows: planting of sixteen 5 × 5 cm turfs, four 10 × 10 cm turfs, one 20 × 20 cm turf or one 30 × 30 cm turf; a 20 × 20 cm turf shredded and spread over the plot and controls without turfs. The 10-cm thick turfs were extracted from nearby heath and grassland vegetation and planted in mineral soil and road verges at 260–410 m elevation. Species composition, cover and colonization were monitored for three growing seasons.

3. Grassland vegetation tolerated division into small turfs better than heath vegetation, but responses varied by functional groups. Cover of dwarf-shrubs decreased with decreasing turf size; grass cover was highest in plots with 5 × 5 cm turfs and lowest in plots with shredded turfs, while moss cover increased most rapidly in plots with shredded turfs.

4. Synthesis and applications. Optimum turf size for the restoration of native species varied among functional groups of plants and decreased as follows: evergreen dwarf-shrubs > deciduous dwarf-shrubs > sedges > grasses > mosses. Turfs that are at least 20–30 cm in diameter may be needed for the transplantation of dwarf-shrubs, while turfs as small as 5 cm in diameter can be used to establish many grass species. Even smaller units can be used to facilitate moss colonization. Turfs that are salvaged from development projects can be a valuable source of native species for use in restoration schemes. Turf size for transplanting should be selected with regard to donor vegetation, growth form and abundance of the target species.


For my project, I was inspired by old decorative painting traditions and I chose to put them in a more modern context. I am inspired by the decorative approach of handling the surface and by letting patterns and decorative elements take the limelight. In the project, I investigate the lines and the surface and how they form patterns together.I want craft to meet function and then to bring these two elements together. My work with the furniture that my project resulted in was based on the body. I want it to be a meeting of the body, the mind and the materiality of the furniture.


At present the development of technologies and forms of independent estimation of social services to persons who need them becomes a very important moment in the system of population's social support. Standards of services, systems of licensing and accreditation were worked out in the world for it. In some countries special inspections, commissions and councils act for quality control of social services which are rendered to population. Their functioning is directed at the detection and correction of problems which clients of social service' establishments meet with at services' receiving by them. During last years the system of public control was formed also in Russia, and it was called – independent quality estimation of social services' rendering. It is a rather new phenomenon for the system of Russian social work. Its formation is connected with administrative reforms in Russia, introduction of innovations into the social sphere, concentration of bodies' of power attention on the quality of services rendered by the state, first of all, to patients and invalids. At present estimation criteria of social services became clear in Russia. Now it is possible to compare the efficiency of functioning of similar social service establishments. Because of the specific character of Russian social organizations' functioning and demands to the process of services' rendering to citizens, it is taken to consider that, their estimation should be conducted in establishments from separate social spheres by composing ratings. We see the result of such independent estimation in Russia now. It is open information about the results of estimation. It helps to conduct the correction of the process of vulnerable categories of citizens' social service.


Legally recognized Indian reserves of Brazilian Amazonia span over 100 million ha of largely intact forest and are potentially valuable for biodiversity conservation. An important example is provided by the Kayapó territories which span more than 13 million ha in Pará and Mato Grosso, Brazil, and protect a unique and vulnerable Amazonian forest type that is poorly represented in existing nature reserves. The Kayapó of southern Pará have stopped invasion of their lands by the most perverse threats to Amazonian forests, but they have become involved extensively in the sale of illegal logging concessions for the high-value timber species mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla). In 1992, the non-governmental organization Conservation International do Brasil (CI-Brasil) began a conservation and development project with the Kayapó community of A'Ukre with the objective of providing economic alternatives to logging and protecting a population of mahogany trees. This paper demonstrates the conservation benefits that can be achieved by supporting sustainable development of indigenous peoples in the Amazon. Specifically, we: (1) evaluate the ecological importance of the Kayapó reserves from a biodiversity conservation viewpoint, (2) evaluate the conservation success of the CI-Brasil project and test whether the implementation of the conservation alliance between A'Ukre and CI-Brasil satisfies common pool resource principles, and (3) propose a model for expanding the small-scale conservation results achieved by the CI-Brasil project to all Kayapó territories. Several mammals (Tayassu pecari, Pteronura brasiliensis, Priodontes maximus, Panthera onca) and at least one bird species (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) listed as endangered were regularly encountered within 15 km of A'Ukre. Taxa encountered at relatively high densities in the project area included large cracids, lowland tapir, and white-lipped peccary, indicating an ecosystem that is not severely impacted by hunting. Harvest offtakes of mahogany averaged 0.44 stems ha−1 within groves and 0.13 stems ha−1 at the landscape level. We estimate that 85% of the fruiting population of Swietenia macrophylla has been removed in harvested Kayapó territories in Pará. We found Kayapó social organization in A'Ukre to meet criteria of successful common pool resource institutions. The CI-Brasil project resulted in protection of an intact mahogany population in 8000 ha of forest maintained by the community for ecological research purposes and mahogany preservation. Our analysis attributes the success of the conservation alliance with A'Ukre to: (1) direct benefits accruing to all members of the community, (2) fulfilment of criteria for development of common pool resource institutions, and (3) long-term commitment of an external agency. We propose that by implementing these three elements elsewhere, the modest conservation result achieved at A'Ukre could be expanded to include the entire Kayapó nation and thereby contribute to conservation of more than 13 000 000 ha of forest and cerrado in the south-eastern Amazon.


In a memorable passage near the beginning of 'The Moral Philosopher and The Moral Life,' William James asks us to imagine a world in which all our dearest social utopias are realized, and then to imagine that this world is offered to us at the price of one lost soul at the farthest edge of the universe suffering eternal, intense, lonely pain. Then he asks, 'what except a specifical and independent sort of emotion can it be which would make us immediately feel, even though an impulse arose within us to clutch at the happiness so offered, how hideous a thing would be its enjoyment when deliberately accepted as the fruit of such a bargain.' I find this passage enormously interesting for a variety of reasons. We would have an impulse to grasp the utopian world, and that impulse is not inexplicable: we would be happier in such a world than we are now. The impulse is even morally defensible: James tells us later in the essay that, '[t]here is but one unconditional commandment, which is that we should seek incessantly, with fear and trembling, so to vote and to act as to bring about the very largest universe of good that we can see.' (ibid., p. 158) Moreover, he acknowledges that our best ideals cannot be realized in this poor world without trampling some other ideals under foot. The realization of the values of good and sensitive people entails the frustration of the desires and goals of cruel and brutal people. Worse, institutions that are on the whole beneficial will have innocent victims; James mentions monogamous marriage as an example of such an institution. In a functioning democracy, these are frustrations that everyone must take in stride sometimes. So, should we then not grasp that utopia, that world without unemployment, without homelessness, where everyone has access to medical care, where racism and other forms of prejudice and oppression are known only from the history books, etc., etc.? Those commentators who read James as a kind of Utilitarian, must surely believe that James would advocate our grasping that ideal, that he would speak not merely of an impulse to clutch that happiness but of an obligation. But James is not a Utilitarian, and the passage under discussion occurs when James wants to distance himself from the Utilitarians. We have, he says, a capacity for quite specific emotions, capacities that cannot be explained in any simple way as the result of evolutionary selection for the survival of either the individual or the species. He does not mean the capacity for sympathy, though that too would come into play here. Sympathy enables us to vividly imagine the suffering of the lost tortured soul, to feel for it and, indeed, with it. But James means something else; he means a revulsion, an apprehension that to do a certain thing would be 'hideous.' To do what? To opt for the utopia? That is not what he says. To enjoy the utopia? Again, that is not what he says. There is nothing wrong with opting for or enjoying utopia if it can be had at no cost, or at a cost clearly bearable by those who are obliged to bear it, or if one is non-culpably ignorant of the price. What is hideous is 'enjoyment when deliberately accepted as the fruit of such a bargain.'


Ambitious climate change mitigation requires the implementation of effective and equitable climate policy and GHG emission reduction measures. The objective of this study was to explore the significance of the uncertainties related to GHG emission reduction measures and policies by providing viewpoints on biofuels production, grid electricity consumption and differentiation of emission reduction commitments between countries and country groups. Life cycle assessment (LCA) and macro-level scenario analysis through top-down and bottom-up modelling and cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) were used as methods. The uncertainties were propagated in a statistical way through parameter variation, scenario analysis and stochastic modelling. This study showed that, in determining GHG emissions at product or process level, there are significant uncertainties due to parameters such as nitrous oxide emissions from soil, soil carbon changes and emissions from electricity production; and due to methodological choices related to the spatial and temporal system boundary setting and selection of allocation methods. Furthermore, the uncertainties due to modelling may be of central importance. For example, when accounting for biomass-based carbon emissions to and sequestration from the atmosphere, consideration of the temporal dimension is critical. The outcomes in differentiation of GHG emission reduction commitments between countries and country groups are critically influenced by the quality of data and criteria applied. In both LCA and effort sharing, the major issues are equitable attribution of emissions and emission allowances on the one hand and capturing consequences of measures and policies on the other. As LCA and system level top-down and bottom-up modelling results are increasingly used to justify various decisions by different stakeholders such as policy-makers and consumers, harmonization of practices, transparency and the handling of uncertainties related to methodological choices, parameters and modelling must be improved in order to avoid conscious misuse and unintentional misunderstanding.


Research in HIV/AIDS and education has been dominated by large-scale quantitative studies which have neglected the socially embedded nature of the disease. he authors are involved in a study that is investigating how HIV/AIDS affects schooling in Richmond, and how it intersects with other barriers to schooling in a context where the prevalence of HIV infection is high. Initial analysis in this study has indicated that an understanding of the context, particularly Richmondi?½s violent past, is central to an understanding of HIV/AIDS and schooling. This article reports on a qualitative micro-study that emerges from the larger Richmond study. It attempts to provide a contextual understanding of Richmond as a geographic and socio-historic space, as a community and as a discursive space. We discuss Richmond as geographic and community spaces by examining its recent history with a view to understanding factors underlying HIV infection and affection. This discussion focuses on problems of fractured families, alcohol abuse, commercial sex work and drugs which all seem to be connected to a history of violence. We then examine Richmond as a discursive space in terms of discourses of violence, peace and barriers to schooling. In the final section of the article we theorise context using the metaphor of i?½groundi?½ and apply this theorisation to the case of Richmond.


In 292 patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction given thrombolytic agents, we describe the delay time between the onset of pain and the start of thrombolysis and relate the observations to the prognosis. In 3%, treatment was started 1 h or less and in 22% 2 h or less after onset of symptoms. The median delay time between onset of symptoms and arrival in hospital was 1 h 38 min, and the median delay time between the arrival in hospital and start of thrombolysis was 1 h 25 min. A very strong association between delay time to thrombolysis and mortality during 2 weeks and 1 year of follow-up was observed.


"Cheerio Titan" George Bernard Shaw signed off in a letter to Sean O'Casey during the great crisis of O'Casey's life when the Abbey Theater in Dublin rejected his play, "The Silver Tassie". Letters between the two men abounded. Shaw was quick and eager to criticise O'Casey's work and to help him find his true voice. He was also always available to supply much needed moral - and sometimes financial - support to the younger playwright during his dramatic encounters with the Abbey Theatre and the controversies over his plays and politics. O'Casey repaid him with unreserved devotion, but the debates between the Shaws and O'Caseys were always spirited and the issues at stake were the most compelling of their time. Through anecdote and correspondence, Eileen O'Casey interweaves personal history with a portrait of Great Britain's cultural life in the first half of this century.


This paper explores a newly-available panel data set merging balance sheet and international trade transaction data for Belgium. Both imports and exports appear to be highly concentrated among few firms and seem to have become more so over time. Focusing on manufacturing, we find that facts previously reported in the literature for exports only actually apply to imports too. We note that the number of trading firms diminishes as the number of export destinations or import origins increases. The same is true if we consider the number of products traded. With regard to productivity differentials, firms that both import and export appear to be the most productive, followed, in descending order, by importers only, exporters only and non-traders. These results point to the presence of fixed costs; not only of exporting, but also of importing and to a process of self-selection in both export and import markets. Also, the productivity advantage of exporters reported in the literature may be overstated because imports were not considered.


This article introduces civic purpose as a construct for learning about civic development in adolescence. Civic purpose, defined as a sustained intention to contribute to the world beyond the self through civic or political action, integrates the components of motivation, civic activity, and future-oriented civic intention. We present results from a mixed methods longitudinal study that used the civic purpose framework in which 1,578 high school seniors took a survey, 50 participated in an interview, and 9 additional adolescent "civic exemplars" participated in both the survey and the interview. Two years later, 480 participants took the survey again, and 34 participated in a second interview. A small percentage of the study subjects exhibited full civic purpose across three different types of civic activity (political, community service, expressive), while a larger percentage demonstrated precursory forms of civic purpose, with evidence of some but not all components of civic purpose. Key contributors to the development of civic purpose were: identity salience, beliefs and values, and invitation from one or more adults.


A platform for harvesting and analysing the sodium content of sweat in real time is presented. One is a 'watch' format in which the sampling and fluidic system, electrodes, circuitry and battery are arranged vertically, while in the other 'pod' format, the electronics and battery components, and the fluidics electrodes are arranged horizontally. The platforms are designed to be securely attached to the skin using a velcro strap. Sweat enters into the device through a sampling orifice and passes over solid-state sodium-selective and reference electrodes and into a storage area containing a high capacity adsorbent material. The liquid movement is entirely driven by capillary action, and the flow rate through the device can be mediated through variation of the width of a fluidic channel linking the electrodes to the sample storage area. Changing the width dimension through 750, 500 and 250 µm produces flow rates of 38.20, 21.48 and 6.61 µL/min, respectively. Variation of the sweat uptake rate and the storage volume capacity enables the duration of usage to be varied according to the needs of the user. The devices can be easily disassembled to replace the electrodes and the high capacity adsorbant material. The storage sweat is available for subsequent measurement of the total volume of sweat harvested and the average concentration of sodium over the period of use. Signals generated by the electrodes are passed to a custom designed electronics board with high input impedance to accurately capture the voltage. The real-time data is transmitted wirelessly using incorporated Bluetooth circuitry to a remote basestation (laptop, mobile phone, tablet) for data visualization and storage in standard formats. Results obtained during trials over a period of ca. 30 minutes controlled exercise are consistent with previously published data, showing a gradual relatively slow increase of the sodium concentration in the sweat during this period.


Many school literacy practices ignore adolescents' new digitally mediated subjectivity as it has been shaped by the new media age. Youth possess often unappreciated repertories of practice which allow them to use their imagination and creativity to combine print, visual and digital modes in combinations that can be applied to new educational, civic, media and workplace contexts. This paper reports on research in two middle years classrooms in New York City's Chinatown, where students' design skills were recognised and validated when they were encouraged to critically re-represent curricular knowledge through multimodal design. The curriculum, rather than privileging print-only representations, recognised the linguistic, social, economic and cultural capital that different students brought to school. The findings suggest schools should harness youths' creativity – that often manifests itself through their capital resources – as they integrate and adapt to the new digital affordances acquired through their out-of-school literacy practices.


This article explores island identity and identity markers through a case study of a musical and audio-visual project entitled The Band from Rockall (2012) by Scottish songwriters Calum and Rory Macdonald (co-founders of successful Celtic-Rock group Runrig in 1973). The Band From Rockall was inspired by the Macdonald brothers' experiences growing up in the Hebrides during the late 1950s and early 1960s, when North American rock and roll began to impact strongly on local Gaelic culture. The tiny rocky outcrop of Rockall lies in the North Atlantic approximately 250 miles west of Scotland. Its location between the Hebrides and North America symbolises the meeting of musical cultures that lies at the core of the project. The article describes the genesis of The Band From Rockall and examines its creative outcomes: a CD, vinyl album and behind-the-scenes DVD. It focuses on ways in which various identity markers (involving language, lyrics, music, visual elements and technology) are embedded within the project texts.


The history of Scottish and Dutch social housing policy shows many similarities. However, despite similar general policy aims and a comparable environment of international economic change, housing systems in the UK and Netherlands have diverged since the 1980s (Murie and Priemus, 1994). Dutch social housing is almost entirely owned and managed by non-profit housing associations and co-operatives, in Scotland local authorities have traditionally dominated the sector. This paper considers how the different structures of social housing provision result in different housing outcomes for a city in each country. In particular, it assesses the disparities found between the quality of social housing provision over the period 1981- 2001.


ABSTRACT This paper presents work on the development of a shape grammar that records the dying, undocumented craft of wire-bending in the Trinidad Carnival. This craft is important for the building and continuation of cultural heritage and identity. Due to the lack of prior research in this non-Western design practice, the author conducted site visits, interviews and observations, and visually examined wire-bent artifacts in Trinidad to develop this grammar. This paper presents the materials, steps and shape rules that begin to synthesize the craft, as well as one design. This study and the resulting grammar have positive implications for design education and practice.


As art museums undergo a digital transformation, institutions rethink physical exhibitions and print publications to create online resources which expand or replicate their traditional functions. Collection websites, online exhibitions, online publications, exhibition websites, and online exhibition catalogues coexist with interactive features which cannot be easily categorized in the previous typologies, the exhibition and the publication. Moreover, often these different types of online resources share characteristics and functions. This article intends to define two of the most relevant online resources typologies in art museums, the online exhibition and the online publication. The aim of it is to discuss and understand the importance of rethinking traditional typologies in the digital age. If typologies are necessary is because they help us to advance previous models. Both the definition and discussion are built upon the perspectives of art museums practitioners and a scholarly audience collected through interviews. The viewpoints of the two collectives help us understand existing conventions, preferences, and needs with regards to online exhibitions and publications in art museums.


The Ministerial Declaration that emerged from the recently concluded World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial conference in Hong Kong continued the efforts of members to reform and liberalize the world cotton market "…ambitiously, expeditiously, and specifically" (WTO, 2005). The special attention devoted to cotton serves as recognition of the nexus between trade and development and the potential role cotton plays as an engine of economic growth for some of the world's least developed countries (LDCs). The emphasis on cotton also may indicate that agreement in this area may open the door to broader agreement on the agricultural sector in general.


The purpose of this study was to examine the involvement of higher education STEM faculty in disciplinary departments with pre-K-12 public schools. In particular, the study focused on 15 nationally funded awards, targeted at education in mathematics, in the National Science Foundation's Math and Science Partnership (NSF MSP) Program. One important goal of the MSP Program is to further cultural change in the STEM departments. Other studies have analyzed the effectiveness of efforts to engage STEM faculty in education activities; however, the groups studied previously included those faculty whose primary research field was STEM education. Taking the view that achieving cultural change in disciplinary departments may require an attitudinal shift among disciplinary research faculty, this analysis selected only the faculty group self-identified as "mathematics researchers" for study. Various research questions were pursued, including: How many mathematics researchers have participated in these projects; How many have worked directly with pre-K-12 teachers; How directed are they toward management activities; What is their tenure status; and, How have partnerships with a high rate of participation by mathematics researchers achieved this goal? The findings show that those projects with a high percentage of involved mathematics researchers are likely to be those with a large total number of participants. Results also indicated that mathematics researchers were more likely to be engaged directly in activities with pre-K-12 teachers, and less likely to be engaged in management activities, than other faculty participants in the projects.


IntroductionRisk of abdominal free flaps complications and the risk of abdominal wound complications from surgery are significantly increased in patients with previous abdominal surgeries. Previous scars can limit the vascularized territories suitable for transfer and can lead to significant partial flap necrosis. MethodsA retrospective review of abdominal free flap breast reconstructions performed by the senior author (GKL) over 5 years (2008–2013). Patients were grouped based on the presence or absence of abdominal scars and specific type/location of scar(s). In addition, we analyzed patient information. including demographics, body mass index, smoking history, comorbid conditions, and most importantly, surgical techniques to optimize vascular perfusion. ResultsWe identified 169 patients that underwent abdominal perforator free flap breast reconstruction. One hundred nine patients underwent previous abdominal surgery. Within this group, we had 2 complete flap losses, 5 major flap complications, 9 minor flap complications, and 9 donor site complications. Sixty patients had no previous abdominal surgery. Of these patients, we had no complete flap losses, 2 major flap complications, 1 minor flap complication, and 4 donor site complications. Patients with previous abdominal surgeries undergoing abdominal free flap breast reconstruction had a statistically significant higher rate of flap complications (P = 0.02). Donor site wound healing complications were not statistically significant (P = 0.5). The subgroup of patients that had both a previous intra-abdominal surgery scar and Pfannenstiel scar (21 patients) were at greatest risk for both free flap (19% of patients) and donor site wound healing (19% of patients) complications. ConclusionsAbdominal scars increase the risk of complications to the free flap. Unlike previous studies, patients with abdominal scars do not appear to have a statistically significant increase for donor site complications. Using the data from our study, we developed an algorithm for abdominal flap harvest in patients with abdominal scars. The algorithm emphasizes the importance of bipedicled perforator flaps and supercharging/turbocharging when blood flow is required across scars or when a large volume of tissue is needed crossing the midline. In specific cases, where perforator viability is in question because of a previous abdominal surgical procedure, we recommend the inclusion of muscle (Muscle-Sparing-transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous vs transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous).


The inequities in learning between the rich and the poor have become pervasive in United States. This is evidenced by the high school graduation rates, college attendance percentages, and employment statistics. Upon another wave of reform, the Common Core State Standards in mathematics are currently being adopted in hopes of increasing learning for all students, with a focus on college and career readiness. This study is intent on finding ways to remedy the inequities in mathematics between the high income and low income schools by focusing on one of the great glass ceilings to high school graduation and beyond, high school Algebra I. This study gives examples of how successful teachers are providing opportunities for learning Algebra I despite barriers that students, administrators, and policy-makers deliver in low-income schools amidst the latest reform movement. The researcher provides a portrait of how three different algebra teachers in three different low-income high schools, in the same city in Colorado, teach within the confines of various reform mandates to meet the diverse needs of their students. The research was conducted with a particular focus on the classroom management strategies, student engagement strategies, culturally relevant pedagogy, and caring relationships contributed to the learning in these classrooms. Using observations, teacher interviews, and student interviews, the researcher employs the method of Educational Criticism and iii Connoisseurship to answer the research question. The question that guided this study was: What practices do effective algebra teachers employ in high poverty, diverse high school algebra classrooms to implement the curriculum and influence student learning? This question was supported by the sub-questions: (a) What classroom management strategies contribute to student learning?; (b) Which teaching strategies contribute to student engagement?; (c) Which culturally relevant pedagogy practices contribute to students' opportunity to learn?; (d) How do relationships in the classroom support students' opportunities to learn?; and (e) How are classroom management strategies, engagement strategies, culturally relevant pedagogy, and caring relationships intertwined in classrooms today? The findings of this study provide a stark warning to overly prescribed curricula and pedagogy, along with the heightened use of standardized tests tied to teacher evaluation. Answering the primary question using Eisner's (1998) dimensions of schooling and Uhrmacher's administrative dimension, paints a bleak picture for lowincome schools under the current movement for accountability using student test scores. The negative consequences of a punitive administrative oversight on the teaching and learning of students paints a depressing scene for low-income schools. Conversely, the efforts of teachers to provide classroom management and student engagement supported by culturally relevant practices and caring relationships give a picture of hope if we focus on supporting and keeping in the schools that need them the most.


Patients come to the emergency department (ED) with complex medication and some patients present symptoms of adverse drug effects. Drug treatment is a complex process for physicians to handle. The aim of this study was to explore how a group of ED physicians view their work in relation to patients' drug treatment. Three semi-structured focus group discussions with 12 physicians in an ED in Sweden were conducted and analysed thematically. The core theme was "limit work to here and now". Three descriptive themes were identified in relation to the main theme; (1) focussing to cope with work; (2) decision making on limited patient-specific information; and (3) actively seeking learning moments. The findings show that the physicians actively seek learning moments in work. Signing their own notes in the computerized medical record is a way of getting feedback on the treatment they have initiated and it was seen as a large part of their clinical education. If we want to support the physicians with new technology for safer drug treatment, such as a computerized drug prescribing support system, the support system should be adapted to the different learning styles and needs.


Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) are considered a significant cause of mortality in hospitalized patients; however, the incidence of CLABSIs in limited-resource countries has not been explored analytically. Likewise, the appropriate interventions to prevent, control, and reduce CLABSIs have yet to be analyzed thoroughly. This review demonstrates that the CLABSI rate ranged from 1.6 to 44.6 cases per 1000 central line days in adult and pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) and from 2.6 to 60.0 cases per 1000 central line days in neonatal ICUs and is associated with significant extra mortality, with an odds ratio ranging from 2.8 to 9.5. The results of 6 sequential prospective interventional studies showed that hand hygiene and educational programs were related to a significant reduction in CLABSI rates. CLABSI rates in limited-resource countries are higher than US National Healthcare Safety Network benchmark rates and have a significant impact on mortality. Studies showing successful interventions for a reduction in CLABSIs are few. Subsequently, it can be inferred that additional epidemiological studies need to be conducted to achieve an appreciation of the effects of CLABSIs and to develop more-definitive approaches for CLABSI prevention in the form of practical, low-cost, low-technology measures that are feasible to implement in limited-resource countries.


The provision of supervisor feedback on the draft of postgraduate students' thesis is an important academic practice that helps students make progress with their writing and research skills. Researchers interested in EFL writing have sought to understand the nature and quality of supervisor feedback; however, pragmatic and/or rhetorical influences of supervisor feedback on students' writing development, are still under research. The present study investigated the various types of written and oral feedback provided by supervisors at the postgraduate level, the distribution of the feedback across the various pragmatic and rhetorical functions in thesis drafts relative to the earlier stages of the student's development as a researcher, student perceptions about supervisor feedback, and the extent to which feedback was used to revise drafts. The study benefited from a broad theoretical framework that covered research on supervision models, situated learning and community of practice, speech functions model, and rhetorical strategies. A qualitative case study approach was adopted in this study to explain and understand the meanings and process of the supervisory oral and written feedback in their natural setting in an EFL setting. This design provided a chance for a clear manifestation of how students work in the postgraduate context. That leads to an in-depth investigation of the feedback process and activities. Purposive sampling was used in this study to discover, understand, and gain insight about feedback practices as situated in the academic community of practice. The data for this study was procured from different sources; supervisors' written feedback on students' theses, audio taping oral feedback conferences, conducting interviews with students, and collecting evaluation sheets completed by supervisors on their students' incorporation of feedback. Data were qualitatively analyzed in tandem with how and to what extent students revised their thesis drafts after feedback. In the case of the supervisors who participated in the study, it was found that they used rhetorical devices such as logic, euphemism, rhetorical question, and speech functions such as criticism, praise, and information regarding content. They appeared to focus their feedback mainly on matters related to thesis structure, writing style,flow of ideas, and organization of the thesis. These main categories provided the bases for other sub-themes that emerged from the data. Together these were then used to form a new model that can be used by supervisors to provide effective draft feedback. As might be expected, the students involved in the study generally perceived their supervisor feedback as useful and helpful. However, students'perceptions of, and their incorporation of, supervisors' feedback were convoluted and entangled with not only supervisors' feedback practices and methods, but also other factors such as a student's cultural background, language proficiency level, and research experience. It was apparent that the participants generally appreciated the supervisors' feedback and showed a keen interest in applying the feedback given to them on their drafts. However, the students did not appreciate the feedback given on grammar and punctuation, or feedback that carried ambiguity. It was also found that oral feedback conferencing was of value to good students but not to struggling students. It was concluded that supervisor-supervisee rapport plays a crucial role in improving the overall quality of supervision. Improving rapport helped establish a good dialogical environment that led to better relationships and hence better outcomes. In summary, the present study provided insights useful to postgraduate EFL students as well as their supervisors on how to make feedback more effective in postgraduate supervision. The findings are also deemed to have implications for the development of written and oral feedback models in postgraduate supervision.


In this article we offer curricular suggestions for teaching Elana K. Arnold's young adult title Damsel, a subverted fairytale rewrite, using a critical literacy framework. In doing so, we outline how English curriculum has often upheld oppressive systems that harm women, and how our teaching can challenge such systems. We situate this work through the retelling of a fairytale trope given the ubiquity of such stories in secondary students' lives. Our writings have teaching implications for both secondary English language arts classrooms and higher education fields such as English, folklore, mythology, and gender studies. We end by noting the limitations of such teaching.


Hawai'i's multiculturalism and perceived harmonious race and ethnic relations are widely celebrated in popular and academic discourse. The image of Hawai'i as a "racial paradise," a rainbow of peacefully coexisting groups, partially stems from the fact that among the various racial and ethnic groups there is no numerical majority and from the common belief in equality of opportunity and status. Hawai'i ethnic humor is part and parcel of the maintenance and continued reinforcement of the notion of Hawai'i as "racial paradise" with underlying racializing and stigmatizing discourses that disguise severe social inequalities and elide differential access to wealth and power. In this paper, I examine the intersection of language, humor, and representation by analyzing the linguistic practices in the comedy performances of Frank DeLima, a pioneer in Hawai'i ethnic humor, and excerpts from Buckaloose: Shmall Keed Time (Small Kid Time), a comedy CD by Da Braddahs, a relatively new but tremendously popular comedy duo in Hawai'i. Central to these comedy performances is the use of a language variety that I call Mock Filipino, a strategy often employed by Local comedians to differentiate the speakers of Philippine languages from speakers of Hawai'i Creole English (or Pidgin). A key component to understanding the use of Mock Filipino is the idea of "Local" as a cultural and linguistic identity category and its concomitant multiculturalist discourse. I argue that the Local comedians' use of Mock Filipino relies on the myth of multiculturalism while constructing racializing discourses which position immigrant Filipinos as a cultural and linguistic Other, signifying their outsider status and their subordinate position in the social hierarchy and order. The linguistic practices in the comedy performances are thus identity acts that help to produce and disseminate ideas about language, culture, and identity while normalizing Local and reinforcing Hawai'i's mainstream multiculturalist ideology.


Philosophers such as Gettier, Frankfurt, and Thomson are famous for their thought experiments. This makes one wonder: how did they invent their cases? Were they just lucky to devise a good case, or did they follow some basic rules that are available to all of us? In this paper, we argue for the latter answer by presenting a guidebook for analysing thought experiments. Our guidebook clearly specifies which factors should be included in a thought experiment, and which factors should be left out. This will help students to see through the fantastical elements of TEs, to learn the practice, and to check whether philosophers are doing things right. We illustrate our account in some detail using examples from Thomson's thought experiments.


A new scheme of hyperboloid microlens (HM) employing automatic grinding and precise fusing techniques to achieve high-average and high-yield coupling efficiency from high-power 980-nm lasers into single mode fibers is proposed and demonstrated. The fiber endface of the HM exhibited a double-variable curvature in the major and minor axes that was characterized as a hyperboloid. By selecting half transverse length of the hyperbola and using fusing process to precise and quantitative controlling the required minor radius of curvature within 2.4-2.8 μ m and offset within 0.8 μ m, the HMs exhibited a high-average coupling efficiency of 83%. For fabricated high-coupling HMs, the result was also found that the tolerance of minor radius of curvature decreased as the offset increased. This study demonstrates that the proposed HMs through both automatic grinding and precise fusing techniques can achieve high-average and high-yield coupling efficiency better than any other grinding techniques to form asymmetric microlenses for utilizing in many low-cost lightwave interconnection applications.


a volume in Research on International Civic Engagement Series Editors Erik Bergrud, Park University and Kaifeng Yang, Florida State University The Pew Charitable Trusts defines civic engagement as "Individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. Civic engagement can take many forms, from individual volunteerism to organizational involvement to electoral participation. It can include efforts to directly address an issue, work with others in a community to solve a problem or interact with the institutions of representative democracy. Civic engagement encompasses a range of activities such as working in a soup kitchen, serving on a neighborhood association, writing a letter to an elected official or voting." While publications on civic engagement have increased in recent years, there are some limitations or unfilled needs: (1) There is a lack of international perspectives; (2) There is a lack of management focus; (3) There are increasing demands on publications regarding online civic engagement; (4) They tend to be fragmented in individual disciplines such as Nonprofit management, political science, public administration, and sociology. We need a cross-disciplinary approach. Significant features: (1) Each book will have an international focus with contributions from around the world. It stimulates the sharing of experiences across countries. (2) Each book will focus on one cutting-edge topic that has not been carefully addressed in the literature. (3) Emphasizing the integration of research and practice, each book will provide both advanced research studies and innovative best practices. (4) Addressing both offline and online civic engagement. (5) A management focus so that books will provide practitioners insights on how to improve their managerial practices that relate to civic engagement.


We study the rate of concentration of a Brownian bridge in time one around the corresponding geodesical segment on a Cartan-Hadamard manifold with pinched negative sectional curvature, when the distance between the two extremities tends to infinity. This improves on previous results by A. Eberle, and one of us. Along the way, we derive a new asymptotic estimate for the logarithmic derivative of the heat kernel on such manifolds, in bounded time and with one space parameter tending to infinity, which can be viewed as a counterpart to Bismut's asymptotic formula in small time.


In this short thought-piece, I attempt to capture the type of freewheeling discussions I had with our late colleague, Mika Seppala, a research mathematician from Helsinki. Mika, not being a psychometrician or learning scientist, was blissfully free from the design constraints that experts sometimes ingest, unwittingly. I also draw on delightful conversations with the German research mathematician, Heinz-Otto Peitgen, a polyglot whose work includes advances in medical imaging and explorations in fractal geometry for K–12 students. Together, they taught me to reconsider foundational assumptions about learning, how to describe it, and how to grow it. Accordingly, I use this set of papers as a prompt for examining assumptions that numerical precision ensures scientific insight, that linear models best capture growth in learning, and that relaxing a fixation with time (exemplified by the reification of pre- and post-testing) might open up new topologies for describing, predicting, and promoting learning in its myriad manifestations.


With the collapse of Communism, statistics relating to previously 'taboo 'phenomena such as homicide became available in the Soviet Union for the first time in over 50 years. The current study builds on several recent studies of homicide in Russia by extending both its timeframe and geographical coverage. Taking data from the end of the tsarist (1910) and Communist (1989) periods, the study maps the changes that occurred in the geographical distribution of homicide rates in 'European Russia' across the Soviet years. While non-Russian areas tended to remain or become less violent, Russia became more violent. These differences may have had a cultural component underlying them which was further exacerbated by the role of the state in the Soviet period.


The Architectural/Engineering/Construction (AEC) industry is slowly shifting toward performance-driven project and project delivery. Assuring good performance requires efficient performance control processes. Among the different construction performance control processes, many critical ones, including progress tracking, productivity tracking and dimensional quality control, rely on efficient three-dimensional (3D) information flows. However, the AEC industry currently lacks reliable and efficient means of monitoring 3D information at the object level, which is critical to these processes. The authors have developed an innovative approach for automated 3D data collection (A3dDC) by automatically recognizing 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD) model objects in 3D laser scans. This paper rapidly presents this approach and then details how it enables (1) automated life-cycle project 3D data collection for integration within Building Information Models, and consequently (2) the monitoring processes above to perform better. It is also shown how this approach enables planning for 3D scanning and ultimately strategic scanning.


This paper focuses on digitization in the African continent. It highlights the fact that some countries in Africa have both the "first" and "third" world characteristics in terms of development and access to information and communication technology (ICT) tools. The study uses South Africa as a case study representing the minority privileged , who are very rich "first world", compared with the majority population living in rural and urban townships that represents the underdeveloped, poor parts of the country, sometimes referred to as the "third world" component of South Africa. The underdeveloped areas, as in other countries on the African continent, face challenges in accessing information technology as a result of poor infrastructure. The South African case study is further complicated by the apparent divide between the nine provinces in terms of accessing ICTs. For example, some of the provinces are more rural than others and this factor has implications in terms of digitization and availability of infrastructure. Digitization is a process that is currently looked upon by many to bring about maximum access to global knowledge. Most countries are generating knowledge that is traditionally shared and disseminated in the form of books, journals, monographs and many other formats that have been used for preservation, like microfiche. These are stored in physical buildings such as libraries and archives that pride themselves on the management and dissemination of knowledge. With the advent of modern technology, however, digitization transcends the geographical divide and rigidity of a physical building, as presented by a library and archive, by making global knowledge readily and widely available. Digitization also promotes access to knowledge and information in a faster and cheaper way because the production and geographical challenges are limited if the appropriate infrastructure is available. As a result, the Internet has become the primary vehicle in the sharing of knowledge in addition to TV, radio and other ICT tools. Much as digitization is maximizing access to knowledge, it is cutting the "third world", or underdeveloped countries or parts of the African continent, out of the access loop because of poor ICT infrastructure. Thus these underdeveloped areas have limited access to the First International Conference on African Digital Libraries and Archives (ICADLA-1) Molawa 2 Internet and this paper identifies challenges posed by lack of access to global knowledge, reviews existing solutions and suggests proposals in order to maximize access.


We present FlightPath, a novel peer-to-peer streaming application that provides a highly reliable data stream to a dynamic set of peers. We demonstrate that FlightPath reduces jitter compared to previous works by several orders of magnitude. Furthermore, FlightPath uses a number of run-time adaptations to maintain low jitter despite 10% of the population behaving maliciously and the remaining peers acting selfishly. At the core of FlightPath's success are approximate equilibria. These equilibria allow us to design incentives to limit selfish behavior rigorously, yet they provide sufficient flexibility to build practical systems. We show how to use an Ɛ-Nash equilibrium, instead of a strict Nash, to engineer a live streaming system that uses bandwidth efficiently, absorbs flash crowds, adapts to sudden peer departures, handles churn, and tolerates malicious activity.


The authors of this volume investigate the analysis of visual sources and their indispensable role for understanding and interpreting religions, their symbol systems, and the wider traditions of which they are a part. A particular interest in this study is the focus on the methodological challenge of images from a comparative perspective.
The common concern that ranges over all the contributions is the search for a methodological perspective where images may be analysed in a comprehensive way, with particular regard for the social, and wider intellectual settings, as well as the religious, in which the images are embedded. Accordingly, we seek to show that visual sources need to be interpreted from different angles.
In the last decades, a broad range of publications has contributed to highlight the significance of images, and visual media in general, for understanding religious traditions, communities and discourses in both historical and contemporary perspective.
In more recent research streams, focussing on visual media in religious traditions and symbol systems, various avenues have opened up and been explored focussing on the status of images and of the gaze of the viewer as central aspects. Furthermore, there are illuminating contributions dealing with the theoretical premises and settings with which to approach the visual as a central component of religion, on the one hand giving an overview of essential definitions and implications, on the other hand concentrating on specific techniques and/or media.


Although many climate research experiments are providing valuable data, long-term measurements are not always affordable. In the last decades, several facilities have secured long-term experiments, but few studies have incorporated spatial and scale effects. Most of them have been implemented in experimental agricultural fields but none for ecological studies. Scale effects can be assessed using remote sensing images from space or airborne platforms. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are contributing to an increased spatial resolution, as well as becoming the intermediate scale between ground measurements and satellite/airborne image data. In this paper we assess the applicability of UAV-borne multispectral images to provide complementary experimental data collected at point scale (field sampling) in a long-term rain manipulation experiment located at the Kiskun Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research (LTSER) site named ExDRain to assess the effects on grassland vegetation. Two multispectral sensors were compared at different scales, the Parrot Sequoia camera on board a UAV and the portable Cropscan spectroradiometer. The NDVI values were used to assess the effect of plastic roofs and a proportional reduction effect was found for Sequoia-derived NDVI values. Acceptable and significant positive relationships were found between both sensors at different scales, being stronger at Cropscan measurement scale. Differences found at plot scale might be due to heterogeneous responses to treatments. Spatial variability analysis pointed out a more homogeneous response for plots submitted to severe and moderate drought. More investigation is needed to address the possible effect of species abundance on NDVI at plot scale contributing to a more consistent representation of ground measurements. The feasibility of carrying out systematic UAV flights coincident or close to ground campaigns will certainly reveal the consistency of the observed spatial patterns in the long run.


Layerwise finite element analyses of geodesically stiffened cylindrical shells are presented. The layerwise laminate theory of Reddy (LWTR) is developed and adapted to circular cylindrical shells. The Ritz variational method is used to develop an analytical approach for studying the buckling of simply supported geodesically stiffened shells with discrete stiffeners. This method utilizes a Lagrange multiplier technique to attach the stiffeners to the shell. The development of the layerwise shells couples a one-dimensional finite element through the thickness with a Navier solution that satisfies the boundary conditions. The buckling results from the Ritz discrete analytical method are compared with smeared buckling results and with NASA Testbed finite element results. The development of layerwise shell and beam finite elements is presented and these elements are used to perform the displacement field, stress, and first-ply failure analyses. The layerwise shell elements are used to model the shell skin and the layerwise beam elements are used to model the stiffeners. This arrangement allows the beam stiffeners to be assembled directly into the global stiffness matrix. A series of analytical studies are made to compare the response of geodesically stiffened shells as a function of loading, shell geometry, shell radii, shell laminate thickness, stiffener height, and geometric nonlinearity. Comparisons of the structural response of geodesically stiffened shells, axial and ring stiffened shells, and unstiffened shells are provided. In addition, interlaminar stress results near the stiffener intersection are presented. First-ply failure analyses for geodesically stiffened shells utilizing the Tsai-Wu failure criterion are presented for a few selected cases.


The immense set of sociopolitical privileges that insulate and protect white people teaches them in sometimes implicit ways that not only are they better than people of color, but also that racial others are subordinate. Despite how ridiculous this presumption of superiority sounds, it is repeatedly steeped in the consciousness of white people from a very early age. In discussing what it means to have merit among a diverse population, it should be considered that the parties involved are speaking with different definitions. White merit is defined by privilege and access, and is dependent on specific adherence to unspoken rules protecting whiteness.


Geotectonic position, features of the geological structure and rare metal specialization of the Kalba-Narym granitoid belt formed in the Hercynian cycle in the postcollision (orogenic) geodynamic situation are considered. A geological-genetic model for the formation of the leading type of rare-metal pegmatite deposits (Ta, Nb, Be, Li, etc.) is presented. They are spatially and genetically related mainly to the granitoids of the 1st phase of the Kalba complex, P1 (Bakennoye, Jubilee, Belaya Gora, etc.). The rhythmically pulsating orientation of the process of pegmatite formation with the introduction of ore-bearing fluids (H2O, F, B, Cl, Ta, Nb, Be, etc.) is emphasized from the intracamera focus of a semi-closed magmatic system. The preferred location of ore pegmatite veins in granitoids of moderate basicity occupying an intermediate position in the petrochemical composition between normal granites and granodiorites geochemically specialized in Li, Rb, Cs, Sn, Nb, Ta. The leading ore-controlling role of the latitudinal deep faults of the ancient site in the distribution of rare-metal ore fields and deposits (Ognevsk-Bakennoye, Asubulak, Belogorsk, etc.) is determined. There is a zonal structure of pegmatite veins, a gradual development of mineral complexes from the graphic and oligoclase-microcline (non-ore) to microcline-albite and color albite-spodumene (ore). The mineralization of pegmatite veins is determined by the degree of intensity of the manifestation in them of metasomatic processes (microclinization, alibitization, greisenization, spodumenization, tourmalinization, etc.) and the identification of the main ore minerals (tantalite-columbite, cassiterite, spodumene and beryl). The diversity of the material composition of rare-metal pegmatites containing many unique minerals (cleavelandite, lepidolite, ambligonite, color tourmaline, spodumene, pollucite, etc.) is reflected, which brings them closer to the pegmatite deposits of foreign countries (Koktogai, Bernik Lake, etc.). New results of the investigation of the material composition of ore-bearing granites, pegmatites and typomorphic minerals using electron microscopy reflecting the distribution of rare-earth, rare-metal, chalcophile and other elements in them are presented. Indicators of rare metal ore formation are rock-forming minerals of granites (quartz, microcline, biotite, muscovite), ore and associated minerals (cleavelandite, lepidolite, cassiterite, etc.). The most informative minerals include mica (muscovite, giltbertite, lepidolite), colored tourmalines and beryls of different composition and color. Identified typomorphic minerals and geochemical elements-indicators of rare metal pegmatite formation are considered as a leading search criterion in assessing the prospects of the territory of East Kazakhstan.


Language leaves no traces in the archaeological record, and many researchers have been doubtful about how much animal communication could reveal about the unique features of human communication. That began to change in the 1990s, when linguists, evolutionary biologists, psychologists, primatologists, and other scientists teamed up to test new hypotheses about how language arose. Since 1996, this interdisciplinary crowd has gathered every 2 years at Evolang, a meeting devoted to deciphering the evolutionary origins of language. Although some say the early Evolang gatherings suffered from too many hypotheses and too little testing, many think last month9s meeting marks a turning point for the field. Participants flocked to hear a barrage of new data from animal and human studies. The new empiricism may help resolve one of the field9s liveliest debates: whether the first human language consisted of gestures, similar to today9s sign languages, or articulated speech. At the meeting, a new and unlikely seeming animal model for human language got star billing: songbirds. Their ability to learn and imitate their parents9 melodious tunes has many parallels with the ability of human children to learn spoken language, researchers say.


Educational success among Asian American students has often been misunderstood as an occupational development separate from any experience of racism. However, several theorists have suggested that racial barriers in occupational mobility correlate with educational pursuits. Therefore, this research aims to examine the direct effect of perceived occupational racial barriers on educational pursuits and cultural factors as potential coping resources to moderate this effect. Research was conducted on 205 participants with East Asian backgrounds through hierarchical multiple regressions. Although cultural factors did not serve as moderators between a racial barrier and educational pursuits, the results suggested a racial barrier in less-educationally relevant occupations, such as politics, and a culture-specific variable, honoring parents, predicted effort-related activities. Further, enculturation and honoring parents accounted for significant variances in utility of education and educational intentions.


Background & aim: Non-alcoholic liver disease is the main liver disease associated with malnourished diet and overweight habits. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 8 weeks of intense intolerant training (HIIT) and low intensity endurance training (LIET) on Hig2 gene expression and liver triglyceride content in fatty liver (NAFLD) rats. Methods: In the present experimental study, 40 male wistar rats were randomly divided into four equal groups. The control group, LIET and HIIT, who consumed high fatty foods for the first sixteen weeks with the aim of developing fatty liver, and the sham group that used standard food during this period. The HIIT group's practice consisted of stages of extreme riding based on a percentage of maximum speed, which was separated by low-intensity running as active rest. The practice of the LIET group was also matched according to the distance traveled by the HIIT group. At the end of 8 weeks of training, the expression of Hig2 gene and liver fat content were measured. The collected data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis statistical tests. Results: A significant difference was seen between the two groups in the expression of Hig2 (P = 0.026) and IHL (K2 = 32.84, p = 0.001). Significant differences were observed in Hig2 between the control group and the HIIT group (p = 0.031) and the control group with PID (p = 0.012), but no significant differences were observed in Hig2 between the HIIT group and the IR group (453/0 = p). Also, there were significant differences in IHL between control group and HIIT (p = 0.001) and control group with PID (p = 0.001). Also, there were significant differences in IHL between HIIT group and IR group (p = 0.003). Conclusion: Severe periodic exercises and low-intensity continuous exercises by reducing the expression of Hig2 gene reduce the content of liver fat and improve NAFLD. Also, the reduction of liver fat in the severe periodic exercise group occurs independently of weight loss.


This paper reviews existing microeconomic empirical literature on gender differences in use, access, and adoption of non-land agricultural inputs in developing countries. This review focuses on four key areas: (1) technological resources, (2) natural resources, (3) human resources, and (4) social and political capital. In general, there has been more empirical research on inorganic fertilizer, seed varieties, extension services, and group membership than on tools and mechanization, life-cycle effects, and political participation. Across input areas, generally men have higher input measures than women; however, this finding is often sensitive to the use of models that control for other background factors, as well as the type of gender indicator implemented in the analysis. We find few studies that meet our inclusion criteria outside Sub-Saharan Africa. Finally, future directions, opportunities, and recommendations for microeconomic gender analysis of non-land agricultural inputs are discussed.


Bones and Cartilage provides the most in-depth review and synthesis assembled on the topic, across all vertebrates. It examines the function, development and evolution of bone and cartilage as tissues, organs and skeletal systems. It describes how bone and cartilage develop in embryos and are maintained in adults, how bone is repaired when we break a leg, or regenerates when a newt grows a new limb, or a lizard a new tail. The second edition of Bones and Cartilage includes the most recent knowledge of molecular, cellular, developmental and evolutionary processes, which are integrated to outline a unified discipline of developmental and evolutionary skeletal biology. Additionally, coverage includes how the molecular and cellular aspects of bones and cartilage differ in different skeletal systems and across species, along with the latest studies and hypotheses of relationships between skeletal cells and the most recent information on coupling between osteocytes and osteoclasts All chapters have been revised and updated to include the latest research. * Offers complete coverage of every aspect of bone and cartilage, with updated references and extensive illustrations* Integrates development and evolution of the skeleton, as well a synthesis of differentiation, growth and patterning* Treats all levels from molecular to clinical, embryos to evolution, and covers all vertebrates as well as invertebrate cartilages* Includes new chapters on evolutionary skeletal biology that highlight normal variation and variability, and variation outside the norm (neomorphs, atavisms)* Updates hypotheses on the origination of cartilage using new phylogenetic, cellular and genetic data* Covers stem cells in embryos and adults, including mesenchymal stem cells and their use in genetic engineering of cartilage, and the concept of the stem cell niche


A wind power turbine blade is modeled as a rotating beam with flapping angles and setting angles. Based on the Bernoulli Euler beam theory, without considering the axial extension deformation and the Coriolis forces effect, the coupled governing differential equations and the associated boundary conditions are derived by using Hamilton's principle. It is shown that if the geometric and material properties of the beam are in polynomial forms, then the exact solution for the problem can be obtained. Finally, the influences of the flapping angle and other physic parameters on the natural frequencies are investigated.


AIM
To verify the occurrence of cognitive impairment in patients with chronic whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) and to provide a more detailed description of the impairment's character and context.

METHODS
Thirty (30) patients with chronic WAD and 30 matched healthy controls completed a cognitive test battery. Four computerised tests were used: a) two different types of cognitive tasks (reaction time vs. working memory) and b) two types of information processing (verbal vs. spatial). Before testing and after every randomised subtest, subjects rated their pain level on a visual analogue scale.

RESULTS
A worse overall performance among patients with WAD and, specifically, worse results concerning working memory tasks were found. Post-hoc testing revealed a statistically significant difference concerning the single variable "verbal reaction time". Pain intensity among patients increased significantly during testing. Pain intensity after the subtest for verbal mental reaction time (independent of test sequence) was significantly correlated with results in this subtest, the more pain, the more time was needed.

CONCLUSION
Compared to healthy controls, patients performed worse overall. Concerning verbal reaction time, the impairment was correlated with pain intensity. The findings support the hypothesis that pain might be one important factor leading to cognitive impairment in patients with chronic WAD.


In the wake of various state and federal educational reform movements, the role journalism plays in schools continues to be questioned. But the reforms of the past 15 years have also stimulated programs- and accompanying tests that measure the worth of those programs- that link newspaper reading, journalistic study and other media use with widely accepted educational objectives found in elementary, middle school, junior high school, high school and even collegiate curricula. This study examines high school student performance on Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Examinations from 1989 through 1997. Specifically, it analyzes students who have taken an intensive journalistic writing course as preparation for the AP examination and compares their performance with those who have prepared for the same test by taking AP English composition or some other advanced high school English course. First, however, it seems appropriate to review some tendencies in the area of journalism versus non-journalism student performance. The literature is growing in this area, and the results described in this study are not inconsistent with the positive performance of students in other studies who have had at least some of their formal language arts education taught from a journalistic perspective. Background In a Florida public school district, 17 teachers were trained in Newspaper in Education methods, and their junior high and senior high school students received newspapers from a local daily three times a week for a total of 55 days (Palmer, Fletcher & Shapley, 1994). Standardized tests in vocabulary and reading by Science Research Associates were scored by SRA; writing samples were derived from The Official GED Practice Tests and The Official Teacher's Guide to the Tests of General Development and were graded holistically and without bias at the Florida Department of Education. The Florida experiment compared three groups from pretest to posttest: Newspapers used as part of the instruction in language arts; newspapers available for students but with no formal instruction; and control groups in which no newspapers were delivered. Both middle- and senior-high students using newspapers improved more on all measures of reading and writing than did students taught with traditional materials (Palmer, Fletcher and Shapley, 1994). Research by Blinn (1982) has shown comparisons of advanced placement and senior honors composition classes with journalism students of similar ability. In the study involving senior high school students in 12 Ohio schools, data analysis showed that journalism writers made fewer errors in most of the writing skill criteria than did non-journalism students. And they scored significantly higher than nonjournalism students in all four criteria selected as measures of information presentation and selection judgment: information omission, opening sentence, editorializing and errors in fact. Also, Blinn found journalism students made significantly fewer errors in word context, spelling, redundancy, punctuation and agreement. A 1988 study of college freshmen divided them into four groups based on ACT English Assessment scores in an effort to equalize abilities in language arts competencies. Those with high school newspaper or yearbook experience had higher writing scores than did non-publications students in 13 of 16 test comparisons. All essays were graded by English professors under the guidance of ACT personnel (Dvorak, 1988). And in another study students who had completed one year of college and who had been on the staff of a high school yearbook or newspaper, in 10 of 12 statistical academic comparisons, journalism students earned significantly higher scores than their non-publications counterparts: cumulative freshman college grade point average; first collegiate English course; ACT Composite score; ACT English score; ACT Social Studies score; mean score of the final four high school courses taken prior to the ACT Assessments in English, social studies, mathematics and natural science; final high school English grade; final high school social studies grade; final high school mathematics grade; and final high school natural science grade. …


Several studies of Internet traffic have shown that it is a small percentage of the flows that dominate the traffic. This is often referred to as the mice and elephants phenomenon. It has been proposed that this might be one of very few invariants of Internet traffic and that this property could somehow be used for traffic engineering purposes. The idea being that one in a scalable way could control a major part of the traffic by only keeping track of a small number of flows. But for this the large flows must also be stable in the meaning that they should be among the largest flows during long periods of time. In this work we analyse packet traces of Internet traffic and study the temporal characteristics of large aggregated traffic flows defined by destination address prefixes.


The meter of a large body of alliterative verse texts composed in English in the fourteenth century appears so irregular that it has defied formalization. Nevertheless, certain prosodic patterns recur with great frequency while others are rare or unattested; this invites further inquiry into the verse design. The first part of this paper lays out some of the received descriptions and interpretations of that particular metrical tradition, pointing out some philological problems that lead to circularity in accounting for the interplay between meter and language. The second part of the paper proposes an analysis of the most frequent b-verse attestations in terms of optimality-theoretic constraints. The application of OT to the account of this type of meter aligns it with the typology of other English verse forms and allows a discussion of continuity in terms of non-local properties. The paper ends with an outline of further research questions.


High Frequency Trading (HFT) is a form of algorithmic trading where firms use high-speed market data and analytics to look for short-term supply and demand trading opportunities that often are the product of predictable behavioral or mechanical characteristics of financial markets. Often called "equity market making," HFT firms usually hold their positions for less than a minute while perpetually looking for opportunities to buy and sell. These transactions happen thousands of times a day, take micro¬seconds, and often net less than a penny in profit per share traded. Concerns have been raised in recent years about the potential market risks associated with HFT and algorithmic trading in general. Some opponents have argued that these practices create risk and require aggressive regulation. Purported risks to the stability and integrity of financial markets created by HFT include the creation of a two-tiered market system as a result of asymmetric information, potential volatility, "noise" and informational distortions, out-of-control algorithms, and "flash crashes." However, many of these concerns are neither new nor exclusively related to HFT. HFT is, quite simply, a contemporary tool that facilitates informational market efficiency and, as such, is capable of being regulated by the market and market participants — indeed, there is significant evidence to indicate HFT activity is already being regulated by the market. At the same time, HFT improves market efficiency by lowering the costs to investors, controlling volatility, and improving liquidity. Many of the concerns raised by those calling for increased regulation predate the emergence of HFT, and thus those concerns are not particular to HFT. There are, however, opportunities for regulators, HFT firms, and exchanges to continue to work together to monitor and develop internal and external "circuit breakers" and consolidated audit trails to ensure continued market stability and integrity.


ABSTRACT We combine "Did You Feel It?" (DYFI) responses with the populations of reporting and nonreporting ZIP codes to improve estimates of the lowest intensities (modified Mercalli intensity; 1≤MMI≤3) and the overall felt area for moderate earthquakes. We presume that participation in the DYFI website is sufficiently widespread to interpret shaking in nonreporting ZIP codes as "not felt." For most moderate earthquakes, no nonreporting ZIP codes are located near the earthquake; reporting and nonreporting ZIP codes overlap over intermediate distances; and few reporting ZIP codes are located at regional distances. We combine the intensities from reporting and nonreporting ZIP codes by weighing the average intensity in each reporting ZIP code by the number of reports and by weighing the "not felt" intensity in each nonreporting ZIP code by the population/5000. We reduce the average intensities for underreporting ZIP codes, where the number of reports is less than the population/5000, to account for the nonreporting population. We refer to the combination of intensities from reporting, underreporting, and nonreporting ZIP codes as the revised community decimal intensity (CDI*) to distinguish it from the standard CDI of Wald et al. (1999). This revision significantly improves estimates of the lowest intensities. We contour the revised intensity distributions and interpret the CDI * =1.5 contour as the limit of the felt area. This contour is well determined in densely populated areas and adequately determined in sparsely populated areas.


This paper studies the macroeconomic conditions and policy environments under which stock market booms occurred among ten developed countries during the 20th Century. We find that booms tended to occur during periods of above-average growth of real output, and below-average and falling inflation. We also find that booms often ended within a few months of an increase in inflation and monetary policy tightening. The evidence suggests that booms reflect both real macroeconomic phenomena and monetary policy, as well as the extant regulatory environment.


There is a growing trend within education establishments to teach electrical power system theory within lectures and back this up with software simulation laboratory sessions. This allows the courses to be taught at a lower cost than if real hardware was implemented. However, the students that are graduating from these programs are missing out on the opportunity to learn about real equipment and issues such as health and safety of voltages above 50V, mismatching component sizes and accuracy. Bespoke electrical power systems teaching equipment is expensive to buy. This paper details a low cost hardware setup that can be used to enforce electrical power system theory. The proposed equipment employs real off-the shelf equipment with some interfacing units which can be reproduced by laboratory technicians to enhance the student learning experience by offering students experience of real machines operating on an electrical power systems network.


Abstract. Earth system models of intermediate complexity (EMICs) have proven to be able to simulate the large-scale features of glacial–interglacial climate evolution. For many climatic applications the spatial resolution of the EMICs' output is, however, too coarse, and downscaling methods are needed. In this study we introduce a way to use generalized additive models (GAMs) for downscaling the large-scale output of an EMIC in very different climatological conditions ranging from glacial periods to current relatively warm climates. GAMs are regression models in which a combination of explanatory variables is related to the response through a sum of spline functions. We calibrated the GAMs using observations of the recent past climate and the results of short time-slice simulations of glacial climate performed by the relatively high-resolution general circulation model CCSM (Community Climate System Model) and the regional climate model RCA3 (Rossby Centre regional Atmospheric climate model). As explanatory variables we used the output of a simulation by the CLIMBER-2 (CLIMate and BiosphERe model 2) EMIC of the last glacial cycle, coupled with the SICOPOLIS (SImulation COde for POLythermal Ice Sheets) ice sheet model, i.e. the large-scale temperature and precipitation data of CLIMBER-2, and the elevation, distance to ice sheet, slope direction and slope angle from SICOPOLIS. The fitted GAMs were able to explain more than 96% of the temperature response with a correlation of >0.98 and more than 59% of the precipitation response with a correlation of >0.72. The first comparison with two pollen-based reconstructions of temperature for Northern Europe showed that CLIMBER-2 data downscaled by GAMs corresponded better with the reconstructions than did the bilinearly interpolated CLIMBER-2 surface temperature.