In order for humans and robots to interact in an effective and intuitive manner, robots must obtain information about the human affective state in response to the robot's actions. This secondary mode of interactive communication is hypothesized to permit a more natural collaboration, similar to the "body language" interaction between two cooperating humans. This paper describes the implementation and validation of a hidden Markov model (HMM) for estimating human affective state in real time, using robot motions as the stimulus. Inputs to the system are physiological signals such as heart rate, perspiration rate, and facial muscle contraction. Affective state was estimated using a two- dimensional valence-arousal representation. A robot manipulator was used to generate motions expected during human-robot interaction, and human subjects were asked to report their response to these motions. The human physiological response was also measured. Robot motions were generated using both a nominal potential field planner and a recently reported safe motion planner that minimizes the potential collision forces along the path. The robot motions were tested with 36 subjects. This data was used to train and validate the HMM model. The results of the HMM affective estimation are also compared to a previously implemented fuzzy inference engine.


Background Canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is an inflammatory and pruritic allergic skin disease caused by interactions between genetic and environmental factors. Previously, a genome‐wide significant risk locus on canine chromosome 27 for CAD was identified in German shepherd dogs (GSDs) and Plakophilin‐2 (PKP2) was defined as the top candidate gene. PKP2 constitutes a crucial component of desmosomes and also is important in signalling, metabolic and transcriptional activities. Objectives The main objective was to evaluate the role of PKP2 in CAD by investigating PKP2 expression and desmosome structure in nonlesional skin from CAD‐affected (carrying the top GWAS SNP risk allele) and healthy GSDs. We also aimed at defining the cell types in the skin that express PKP2 and its intracellular location. Animals/Methods Skin biopsies were collected from nine CAD‐affected and five control GSDs. The biopsies were frozen for immunofluorescence and fixed for electron microscopy immunolabelling and morphology. Results We observed the novel finding of PKP2 expression in dendritic cells and T cells in dog skin. Moreover, we detected that PKP2 was more evenly expressed within keratinocytes compared to its desmosomal binding‐partner plakoglobin. PKP2 protein was located in the nucleus and on keratin filaments attached to desmosomes. No difference in PKP2 abundance between CAD cases and controls was observed. Conclusion Plakophilin‐2 protein in dog skin is expressed in both epithelial and immune cells; based on its subcellular location its functional role is implicated in both nuclear and structural processes.


Fairy Magic is an application that explores human and character interaction through augmented reality. Fairy Magic is an augmented reality game which leverages the co-founders experience in game design, visual effects and animation, bringing to mobile a quality of characterization, interaction and technology that is usually the reserve of console games and film effects. Fairy Magic enables the player to use their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad as a lens through which fairies hidden in the world can be found. Fairies can be photographed indoors or outdoors, with the game lighting adapting to the surroundings.


Women are often socialized to adhere to an ideal of thinness, although recent research has shown that sexual orientation and religious beliefs may moderate body dissatisfaction and disordered eating symptoms. The present study examined the effects of religious and sexual orientations on memory for weight-related stimuli. The main research question was whether sexual and religious orientations would affect the recall of pictures, whether they are weight-related, neutral, or intrusions. Young college women (aged 18-30), of different sexual and religious orientations, participated in an incidental memory test consisting of weight-related and neutral pictures shown on a computer screen. Participants were also asked to complete a series of questionnaires and scales. Results indicated that religious, heterosexual participants recalled more intrusions than non-religious, heterosexual participants. Furthermore, religious orientation affected the number of weight-related intrusions recalled.


A sharp increase in the real interest rates in the U.S. in the 1980s was expected to induce a higher personal saving rate. Actually, between 1981 and 1983 the personal saving rate fell from 7.5 percent to 5.4 percent and for the 1985-1988 period it had averaged only 4 percent even though real interest rates have remained high. We argue that one possible explanation for this negative relation between interest rates and the personal saving rate is the large fraction of wealth, especially financial wealth, held by persons over 65 years old (this group has received more than 50 percent of all interest income in the U.S. during this period). Life cycle theory suggests, as we demonstrate, that the wealth effect created by an increase in the rate of interest reduces the savings of old persons and raises savings of the young and hence the effect on aggregate savings depends on the age distribution in the population.


In this broad cultural survey, James Hall brilliantly maps the history of self-portraiture, from the earliest myths of Narcissus and the Christian tradition of bearing witness to the prolific self-image-making of today's contemporary artists. Along the way he reveals the importance of the medieval mirror craze; the confessional self-portraits of Titian and Michelangelo; the role of biography for serial self-portraitists such as Courbet and van Gogh; themes of sex and genius in works by Munch and Bonnard; and the latest developments in our globalized age. Hall covers the full range of self-portraits, from comic and caricature self-portraits to invented or imaginary ones, and looks deeply into the worlds and mindsets of the artists who have created them. Offering a rich and lively history, this is an essential read for all those interested in this most enduringly popular and humane of art forms.


One way to develop more robust software is to use formal program verification. Formal program verification requires the construction of a formal mathematical proof of the programs correctness. In the past ten years or so there has been much progress in the use of automated tools to formally prove properties of programs. However many such tools focus on proving safety properties: that something bad does not happen. Liveness properties, where we try to prove that something good will happen, have received much less attention. Program termination is an example of a liveness property. It has been known for a long time that to prove program termination we need to discover some function which maps program states to a well-founded set. Essentially we need to find one global argument for why the program terminates. Finding such an argument which overapproximates the entire program is very difficult. Recently, Podelski and Rybalchenko discovered a more compositional proof rule to find disjunctive termination arguments. Disjunctive termination arguments requires a series of termination arguments that individually may only cover part of the program but when put together give a reason for why the entire program will terminate. Thus we do not need to search for one overall reason for termination but we can break the problem down and focus on smaller parts of the program. This thesis develops a series of abstract interpreters for proving the termination of imperative programs. We make three contributions, each of which makes use of the Podelski-Rybalchenko result. Firstly we present a technique to re-use domains and operators from abstract interpreters for safety properties to produce termination analysers. This technique produces some very fast termination analysers, but is limited by the underlying safety domain used. We next take the natural step forward: we design an abstract domain for termination. This abstract domain is built from ranking functions: in essence the abstract domain only keeps track of the information necessary to prove program termination. However, the abstract domain is limited to proving termination for language with iteration. In order to handle recursion we use metric spaces to design an abstract domain which can handle recursion over the unit type. We define a framework for designing abstract interpreters for liveness properties such as termination. The use of metric spaces allows us to model the semantics of infinite computations for programs with recursion over the unit type so that we can design an abstract interpreter in a systematic manner. We have to ensure that the abstract interpreter is well-behaved with respect to the metric space semantics, and our framework gives a way to do this.


In this paper, I outline a theory of critical social ontology derived from the fundamental ideas of Marx and the later work on the ontology of social being by Georg Lukács. I argue that we can discern categories of social being that can aid in the project of diagnostic social critique, but also that these categories can be used to formulate an ethical theory that we can ground in this critical social ontology. I therefore defend the thesis, against postmetaphysical thinkers that have argued to the contrary, that a satisfactory and critical theory of ethics can and indeed must be rooted in a theory of ontology. I end with some reflections on how critical social ontology can help combat the problem of reification and help us think through issues of ethical or normative concern.


A manufacturing organisation in India contemplated augmenting their capacity and took up a green-field expansion project in a new location. The internal construction division of the organisation decided to introduce Lean construction philosophy. A study was taken up to understand the impact of Lean on the engineering, procurement and construction phases where multiple stakeholders who are entrenched in traditional approaches are involved. A detailed case study and actionbased approach was adopted. The data included both primary observation data collected by the researchers present in meetings and other data from various reports. . There were some interesting insights into the dynamics involved when groups with diverse approaches are brought together on a Lean construction journey. There was also a challenge of implementing Lean with multiple project teams all working in the same organisation and therefore with little or tacit contracts involved in the project. The initial attitudes of the people which ranged from enthusiasm to outright scepticism and engagement with reservations evolved progressively over time to embracing Lean in varying degrees and formats. The complexities present in the organisational structure contributed to the formation of institutional voids which were leveraged by the Lean group to promote Lean practices.


Courts and agencies interpreting the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) generally assume that workplace accommodations benefit individual employees with disabilities and impose costs on employers and, at times, coworkers. This belief reflects a failure to recognize a key feature of ADA accommodations: their benefits to third parties. Numerous accommodations - from ramps to ergonomic furniture to telecommuting initiatives - can create benefits for coworkers, both disabled and nondisabled, as well as for the growing group of employees with impairments that are not limiting enough to constitute disabilities under the ADA. Much attention has been paid to how the integration of diverse groups of people helps to ameliorate discriminatory attitudes through contact. But integrating people with disabilities also means integrating accommodations. These accommodations affect and benefit third parties in the workplace and thus shape attitudes toward both disability and the ADA. An understanding of third-party benefits is crucial to designing and disclosing accommodations in ways that will best promote the aims of the statute and the prospects of disabled people.


Oxygen-free pyrene gas as a carbon (C) dopant was delinked and incorporated into highly dense MgB2 structure via a gas phase diffusion method. The technique offers the advantages that molecular C is homogeneously distributed into MgB2 and substituted at the boron sites without any severe deterioration of grain connectivity. The C substitution causes a significant shrinkage of the a-lattice parameter and an increase in the lattice strain, resulting in high disorder. The introduction of structural disorder as a result of C doping leads to a considerable enhancement of the in-field critical current density (Jc) and upper critical field.


Using 1999 and 2001 Canadian matched employer-employee data with rich information on worker and job characteristics, the authors identify the relative importance of immigrant wage differentials within and across establishments and the sources of these differentials. Whereas existing explanations of immigrant wage differentials emphasize immigrants' productive characteristics, differentials across establishments may be entirely independent of immigrants' actual or perceived skills or quality. The findings show highly non-random sorting of immigrants across establishments within Canada's major cities and geographic regions. For immigrant men, this sorting affected wage differentials more than did differences in how immigrant and native men were paid within establishments. For immigrant women, however, particularly those from less developed world regions, within-establishment wage differentials appear to have been more important. These findings raise numerous important questions for future research, such as whether the highly non-random sorting of immigrants across establishments primarily reflects immigrants' search behavior or employers' recruiting methods.


A low temperature (LoTemp?) polymerase
chain reaction (PCR), conducted at cycling temperatures not to exceed 85℃and catalyzed by a novel highly processive HiFi? DNA polymerase with proofreading function, was used to study the topological conformational changes of the human papillomavirus (HPV) L1 gene DNA fragments bound to
the insoluble amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate (AAHS) adjuvant in
the quadrivalent HPV vaccine, Gardasil?. L1 gene DNA fragments of
HPV-11, HPV-18 and HPV-16 were detected in the AAHS particles by nested PCR,
but all were lacking a region that was amplifiable by an MY09 degenerate
primer. In addition, a pair of degenerate consensus GP6/MY11 primers was able
to amplify a target segment of the HPV-11 L1 gene DNA and the HPV-18 L1 gene
DNA bound to the AAHS particles as expected for any HPV DNA in the
B-conformation. However, there was no co-amplification of the HPV-16 L1 gene
DNA known to coexist in the same samples. The lack of co-amplification was
verified by direct DNA sequencing of the PCR amplicons. The companion HPV-16 L1
gene DNA in the same sample required repeated PCRs with a pair of modified
non-degenerate GP6/ MY11 primers for detection. This melting profile of the
HPV-16 L1 gene DNA was similar to that of the HPV-16 L1 gene DNA recently
discovered in the postmortem blood of a young woman who suffered a sudden
unexpected death 6 months after Gardasil? vaccination. The findings
suggest that the topological conformational changes in the HPV L1 gene DNA
residues bound to the AAHS adjuvant may be genotype-related. The special
non-B-conformation may prevent the HPV-16 L1 gene DNA from being degraded in
the body of the vaccine recipients after in- tramuscular injection.


Mangla Dam (Pakistan) is one of the largest Earth Core Rock fill Dam (ECRD) in the world in terms of volume of material used. The Sukian dyke of Mangla Dam Project is 5.33 km (17,500 ft.) in length and is founded on alternate beds of clay and weak (friable) sandstone. Raising of the dam subjected the project area including the dyke to an additional head of about 12.19m (40 ft.) in 2013. Before raising, the maximum seepage in the entire project was observed in the Sukian dyke area. An upstream blanket was selected to control seepage in this area after dam raising. FEM analyses were carried out to determine the efficiency of the upstream blanket in controlling seepage. After raising and impoundment, the FEM results were compared with instrumentation readings and seepage measurements and close agreement was observed.


This article compares three popular explanations for changes in female employment in post-socialist countries: retraditionalization, reserve army of labor, and revalued resources. Although these explanations are complementary in many ways, the retraditionalization thesis seems the most accurate explanation. In the early 1990s, gender-role attitudes were highly traditional, a tendency that might have contributed to the huge decrease in female labor force participation. Despite the changes, the comeback of the male-breadwinner family model is unlikely, since the acceptance of women's working roles is rapidly increasing.


The fundamental purpose of this study was to assess the impact of Micro finance Institutions (MFIs) funding on the performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in rural Murang'a. Simple random sampling technique was employed in selecting the 50 SMEs that constituted the sample size of the research. Structured questionnaire was designed to facilitate the acquisition of relevant data which involves simple percentage graphical charts. Illustrations were tactically applied in data presentations and analysis. The findings of the study reveal that elements i.e. technology, management, training and financing were very crucial much as  MFIs funding benefitted the SMEs even though only few of them were capable enough to secure the loan amount needed. Interestingly, majority of the SMEs acknowledged positive contributions of MFI funding  towards promoting their market excellence and it is recommended that further research be carried out in other industries and countries in order to show whether there's any link between MFI funding and performance on SMEs. Key w ords: Microfinance, Micro Finance Institutions, Small and Medium Enterprises


In this paper, we consider the performance of Internet packet routing on an overlay network formed by meshes of IPsec-encrypted tunnels. The motivation of the study is to verify the assumption that IPsec gateways can transparently tunnel secure red (encrypted) network traffic over a black (unencrypted) wireless network, making the black multi-hop backbone appear to the red routers as a single-hop broadcast-based network. Using simulation, we consider the impact of a composite red/black network architecture on the performance of the open shortest path first (OSPF) routing protocol. We initially present a high-level description of the simulation modules and the IPsec gateways and modifications for the Multicast extension of OSPF (MOSPF) for the QualNet simulator. The simulation scenarios, based on a typical crypto-partitioned network environment, are described along with the metrics used for measuring the network performance. We compare red OSPF overhead in composite red/black networks to that of red only wired networks, and find that the wireless network, instead of transparently providing full-mesh connectivity between security gateways, negatively affects the red network performance, and we identify some of the key causes for this degradation. We also suggest what are some potential areas for more detailed investigation in order to identify solutions that may mitigate these unwanted effects.


This thesis has two aims. Firstly, it aims to provide a detailed ethnographic account of a post-reform village in north-western China by approach of examining how the fields of social relations are formed by and through discursive representations of the village and how the formation of social relations and representations of the village are constituted in everyday practices. Secondly, this thesis also aims to reach wider theoretical issues, particularly issues concerning the debates about writing and fieldwork in contemporary anthropology, and aims to use a specific case study to raise, critically, questions about ethnographic writing on China. Writing in the wake of Foucauldian and renewed Marxist currents of radical critique from which comes the general claim of relating power to knowledge or to ideology, I take a 'practice approach' in this thesis to examine rural life in post-reform China as historically situated social practice. Focusing on the details of everyday life, I argue that, firstly, social action and its agents are mutually constitutive and, secondly, social, economic and political organisations as complex forms of practices are constituted in everyday practices. In the Introduction, I trace the regional tradition of ethnographic writing on China and illustrate my theoretical stance and the specific position from which I write. Chapter 1 provides a background of the village by way of presenting different narratives and representations about the village. Chapter 2 looks at kinship as a social practice and examines its changing strategies. Chapter 3 focuses on the tactics of marriage negotiation and shows that social relations are modifiable, alterable, changing processes. Chapter 4 looks at food and the way in which it is served on different occasions as a signifier of various kinds of social relationships. Chapter 5, as a core chapter of the thesis, examines the strategies and tactics of everyday practices through a series of detailed ethnographic examples. Chapter 6 looks at the village celebrations - weddings and funerals - as extensive forms of practices, which reveal more clearly 'the logic of practice' in post-reform rural China. Chapter 7, the last substantial chapter, focuses on the effects of the economic reforms on the village's economic and political practices, and shows the changing strategies in reordering and re-constituting the power relations in post-reform rural China. In my Conclusion, I point out the significance of my research as a critical understanding of both the actual socio-economic conditions of post-reform rural China and the regional tradition of ethnographic writing on China.


ABSTRACT Traumatic injuries and their sequelae represent a major source of mortality in the United States and globally. Initial treatment for shock, traumatic brain injury, and polytrauma is limited to resuscitation fluids to replace lost volume. To date, there are no treatments with inherent prosurvival properties. Our laboratory has investigated the use of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) as pharmacological agents to improve survival. This class of drugs acts through posttranslational protein modifications and is a direct regulator of chromatin structure and function, as well as the function of numerous cytoplasmic proteins. In models of hemorrhagic shock and polytrauma, administration of HDACIs offers a significant survival advantage, even in the absence of fluid resuscitation. Positive results have also been shown in two-hit models of hemorrhage and sepsis and in hemorrhagic shock combined with traumatic brain injury. Accumulating data generated by our group and others continue to support the use of HDACIs for the creation of a prosurvival phenotype. With further research and clinical trials, HDACIs have the potential to be an integral tool in the treatment of trauma, especially in the prehospital phase.


Recently, Ellen van Wolde has proposed that the Hebrew verb ברא in Genesis 1 should be understood as '(to) separate.' She also suggests that this is a new proposal. In this article, we maintain: (1) The idea has roots in nineteenth century scholarship; (2) the proposal is week from an etymological perspective; (3) an understanding of ברא as '(to) separate' does not take into account that ברא is not used with prepositions; (4) as far as we can see— and contrary to Van Wolde's statement— an active participle of the verb ברא meaning 'creator' does occur in Biblical Hebrew; (5) the 'sea-monsters' are not separated from the other marine animals; (6) a survey of parallelisms and word-pairs yields that the verb ברא was part of a semantic field characterized by 'building; constructing; making;' (7) there is no phrase or sentence in the HB in which ברא must be translated as '(to) separate'. Finally we offer the alternative to render ברא with '(to) construct' as means to indicate that Genesis 1 praised the divine construction of cosmos and life, while at the same time avoided an anthropomorphism that the use of the verb בנה might have raised.


Excessive reactive oxygen species Revised abstract, especially superoxide anion (O₂•-), play important roles in the pathogenesis of many cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension and atherosclerosis. Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are the major antioxidant defense systems against (O₂•-), which consist of three isoforms of SOD in mammals: the cytoplasmic Cu/ZnSOD (SOD1), the mitochondrial MnSOD (SOD2), and the extracellular Cu/ZnSOD (SOD3), all of which require catalytic metal (Cu or Mn) for their activation. Recent evidence suggests that in each subcellular location, SODs catalyze the conversion of (O₂•-), H2O2, which may participate in cell signaling. In addition, SODs play a critical role in inhibiting oxidative inactivation of nitric oxide, thereby preventing peroxynitrite formation and endothelial and mitochondrial dysfunction. The importance of each SOD isoform is further illustrated by studies from the use of genetically altered mice and viral-mediated gene transfer. Given the essential role of SODs in cardiovascular disease, the concept of antioxidant therapies, that is, reinforcement of endogenous antioxidant defenses to more effectively protect against oxidative stress, is of substantial interest. However, the clinical evidence remains controversial. In this review, we will update the role of each SOD in vascular biologies, physiologies, and pathophysiologies such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, and angiogenesis. Because of the importance of metal cofactors in the activity of SODs, we will also discuss how each SOD obtains catalytic metal in the active sites. Finally, we will discuss the development of future SOD-dependent therapeutic strategies.


The nervous system may be simulated as a network of model neurons as a means to understand the function of the brain. Complex as the mammalian nervous system is, such simulations of any significant scale are computationally and energetically expensive. SpiNNaker is a computer architecture designed to advance the feasible scale of neural tissue models using fifty thousand chips, each containing eighteen low-power processors, to model one billion neurons and one trillion synapses in real-time. This dissertation demonstrates the success of prototype hardware with detailed models of the rodent somatosensory cortex. Simulations are built from neuroanatomical data on a host computer using a simple declarative library of functions, and are executed on SpiNNaker atop an event-driven programming interface that neatly abstracts the intricate details of the machine. Comparisons with reference simulators show that SpiNNaker correctly reproduces established results, and power readings report that each chip draws just one watt during execution. A model of the whisker barrel, derived from the literature, exhibits key responses to simulated stimuli, and a model of the wider barrel cortex, comprising 10^5 neurons and 7*10^7 synapses, demonstrates real-time, massively parallel simulation across 360 processors on 23 chips. Ultimately, SpiNNaker is shown to be an effective architecture for the correct and efficient simulation of neural tissue.


In this thesis we study order picking optimization problems for a two-blocks rectangle warehouse layout. We present combinatorial formulations and linear programming models based on the Steiner graph representation for order batching, picker routing, and joint order batching and picker routing problems. A special case of the latter is
considered. This case assumes that each order contains exactly one item and each item can be picked from different possible locations in a warehouse. The underlying optimization problem is called joint multi-location order batching and picker routing problem (JMLOBPRP).
Since having only one-item orders turns the JMLOBPRP into a special case of a capacitated vehicle routing problem, we suggest to implement algorithmic approaches for those to solve the JMLOBPRP. In particular, we define the JMLOBPRP as a generalization of the resource constrained assignment problem, for which a regional search method exists. The intention of the thesis is to investigate how a relaxation of the JMLOBPRP, a so-called group assignment problem (GrAP), can be solved following the ideas of regional search. We present a mathematical model of the GrAP and prove that it is NP-hard. Furthermore, we propose a novel heuristic algorithm for the GrAP. We call this method a network search algorithm, as it is based on a Lagrangian relaxation
of the GrAP, which is solved by the network simplex method. On each its iteration network search examines a solution region suggested by the network simplex algorithm and improves the incumbent solution.
Numerical experiments are conducted to assess a performance of the network search method. We create more realistic problem instances. The proposed algorithm is compared to the integer optimal solution of the GrAP and optimal fractional solution of its linear relaxation. Both computed using the commercial linear solver Gurobi. Our experiments
show that the developed network search algorithm leads to the hight-quality solution within a short computing time. The results obtained testing large problem instances which cannot be solved by Gurobi within a reasonable computing time, show that the network search method provides a solution approach which can be used in practice.


Oral contraceptives may influence the risk of certain cancers. As part of the AHRQ Evidence Report, Oral Contraceptive Use for the Primary Prevention of Ovarian Cancer, we conducted a systematic review to estimate associations between oral contraceptive use and breast, cervical, colorectal, and endometrial cancer incidence. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Study inclusion criteria were women taking oral contraceptives for contraception or ovarian cancer prevention; includes comparison group with no oral contraceptive use; study reports quantitative associations between oral contraceptive exposure and relevant cancers; controlled study or pooled patient-level meta-analyses; sample size for nonrandomized studies ≥100; peer-reviewed, English-language; published from January 1, 2000 forward. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted by estimating pooled ORs with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We included 44 breast, 12 cervical, 11 colorectal, and 9 endometrial cancers studies. Breast cancer incidence was slightly but significantly increased in users (OR, 1.08; CI, 1.00–1.17); results show a higher risk associated with more recent use of oral contraceptives. Risk of cervical cancer was increased with duration of oral contraceptive use in women with human papillomavirus infection; heterogeneity prevented meta-analysis. Colorectal cancer (OR, 0.86; CI, 0.79–0.95) and endometrial cancer incidences (OR, 0.57; CI, 0.43–0.77) were significantly reduced by oral contraceptive use. Compared with never use, ever use of oral contraceptives is significantly associated with decreases in colorectal and endometrial cancers and increases in breast cancers. Although elevated breast cancer risk was small, relatively high incidence of breast cancers means that oral contraceptives may contribute to a substantial number of cases. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(11); 1931–43. ©2013 AACR.


Background Educational resources are important tools in the implementation of sport injury prevention strategies to help foster uptake of information in a community setting; however, there is limited information on how these tools are developed. Objective To develop two injury prevention educational tools targeting children and adolescents for evaluation in school and community settings. Design Qualitative. Setting Schools and ski/snowboard facilities in Calgary, Canada. Participants Key informants, including: 1) Community stakeholders from school and ski/snowboard settings, 2) Students ages 9–14 years, and 3) Ski/snowboard instructors, safety patrols and physical education (PE) specialists. Interventions Semi-structured focus groups and surveys were conducted with key stakeholders to explore pre-understandings, relevant content, delivery methods, and format of the tools. Consultations with community partners, PE specialists and ski/snowboard instructors and patrols helped further inform content and format during the development process. Main Outcome Measurements Videos and posters were developed based on feedback and discussions with key informants. These tools were designed as educational resources for teacher and student evaluation in two injury prevention studies. Results Videos were the main tools developed for the school-based delivery; including content about a neuromuscular training program and ski/snowboard safety strategies targeting injury prevention in youth sport. Focus group participants and informants emphasized the importance of understanding the target audience and adapting content and delivery approaches that increase the likelihood of successful uptake of key messages. This included communicating information in a clear and concise manner and utilizing visual and auditory cues to accommodate multiple learning styles. A health behaviour framework (i.e., Health Action Process Approach) was used to inform tool development. Conclusions Engaging informants supported the development of sport injury prevention educational tools. These tools are being utilized in studies evaluating their effectiveness in increasing knowledge, changing behaviour and reducing the risk of sport-related injury in school and community settings.


Abstract : A control system for a single link light-weight flexible robot manipulator is designed and implemented on a Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chip, which controls the link dynamics via the applied motor torque. Different models of this flexible structure are studied including a nonlinear Galerkin model, linearized Galerkin model, and linear beam theory model; and these are compared through simulation to the empirical system response. A geometric Input-Output Linearization of the nonlinear system is achieved with respect to the hub angle and hub rate. Experimental system identification, performed on the flexible beam, suggests we can adequately model the flexible beam using linear theory and an optimization of the Feedback Controller is performed. Finally, this controller is implemented on a DSP chip and various aspects (programming timing, synchronization, etc.) of DSP-based feedback control system implementation are presented.


Exoskeletons are a solution for assistance during gait and stance for people with spinal cord injury, as
long as the right controller is used. Most controllers are not able to adapt to balance disturbances,
due to being trajectory controlled. The neuromuscular controller is not trajectory controlled, but reflex
based controlled and could possibly adapt to different disturbances. The effect of disturbances to the
neuromuscular controller is not yet widely researched , hence this research.
The neuromuscular controller was tested on an ankle exoskeleton on balance control around the ankle
when disturbed in forward and backward direction around the hip. Both simulations and experiments
were used. The simulations consisted of forward simulations and data driven simulation, using preexisting
push response data as input, both simulations were compared to the pre-existing experimental
data. A healthy control subject was disturbed wearing an ankle exoskeleton using
neuromuscular control. Responses were analysed on ankle torque and angle levels, EMG, controller
variables and step variables.
The results show us that the controller does not assist in balance recovery. A disturbance detection
and a balance restoration module could be a solution as the controller is sufficient during normal gait
but not during this speci�c disturbance.


This paper further explores the non-universality of landscape terms by focusing on one particular landscape, the Yukon Intermontane Plateau of western Alaska. This region serves as the boundary between two great language families of North America, Athabaskan and Eskimo, and thus offers a unique laboratory in which to examine the extent to which cultural factors in two genetically unrelated languages influence the categorization of a single, fixed landscape. Drawing on published lexical sources, unpublished place name documentation, and first-hand interviews with Native speakers, the results presented here demonstrate that, while Athabaskan and Eskimo speakers may occupy the same landscape, their respective languages conceptualize that landscape in different ways.


A decomposition methodology based on the concept of "thermoeconomic isolation" applied to the synthesis/design and operational optimization of an advanced tactical fighter aircraft is the focus of this research. Conceptual, time, and physical decomposition were used to solve the system-level as well as unit-level optimization problems. The total system was decomposed into five sub-systems as follows: propulsion sub-system (PS), environmental control sub-system (ECS), fuel loop subsystem (FLS), vapor compressor and PAO loops sub-system (VC/PAOS), and airframe sub-system (AFS) of which the AFS is a non-energy based sub-system. Configurational optimization was applied. Thus, a number of different configurations for each sub-system were considered. The most promising set of candidate configurations, based on both an energy integration analysis and aerodynamic performance, were developed and detailed thermodynamic, geometric, physical, and aerodynamic models at both design and off-design were formulated and implemented. A decomposition strategy called Iterative Local-Global Optimization (ILGO) developed by Muñoz and von Spakovsky was then applied to the synthesis/design and operational optimization of the advanced tactical fighter aircraft. This decomposition strategy is the first to successfully closely approach the theoretical condition of "thermoeconomic isolation" when applied to highly complex, highly dynamic non-linear systems. This contrasts with past attempts to approach this condition, all of which were applied to very simple systems under very special and restricted conditions such as those requiring linearity in the models and strictly local decision variables. This is a major advance in decomposition and has now been successfully applied to a number of highly complex and dynamic transportation and stationary systems. This thesis work presents the detailed results from one such application, which additionally considers a non-energy based sub-system (AFS).


Background: The most recent UNAIDS report on the global epidemic estimated the total number of people living with HIV in 2008 to be 33.4 million (31.1-35.8 million) world wide, two-third of known carriers of HIV are living in sub-Saharan Africa. Although HIV prevalence appears to be stable, much remains uncertain about the direction of the epidemic. In the developed countries, the increased cancer risk among immunocompromised persons with HIV/AIDS (PHA) is well observed. Now a person diagnosed with HIV as a young adult in a resourcerich country can expect to live for 30 or 40 years after infection because of public health education and community awareness in conjunction with advances in antiretroviral therapy. In recent, large scale cohort studies, the incidence of non-AIDS morbidity and mortality rivals that related to AIDS and these non-AIDS conditions including cancer occur at higher rates in those with on-going HIV replications and lower CD4 cell count. Data Sources/Study selection: Information was obtained by searches of medical journals, examination of reference lists and web resources. Peer-reviewed articles on HIV/AIDS cancer and its impact on surgical practice from references were obtained. Data Synthesis/Conclusion: The severe immunodeficiency cause by advanced HIV infection has been recognized as capable of causing three types of malignancies: Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and cervical cancer. Kaposi's sarcoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma ocur at exceptionally high incidence with relative risk being hundredfold above those in uninfected populations. Cervical cancer is an AIDS-defining cancer when it occurs in HIV-infected woman and the relative risk is 5 to 10-fold. Although these are the only forms of cancer that have been designated as AIDS-defining, several other malignant diseases have been reported to occur more frequently following HIV infection than in its absence. The distribution of these cancers varies with the sociodemographic characterisitcs of the population studied indicating risk factors for cancer differs amongst populations. There remain some controversies as to why cancers occur at increased rates. In immunosuppressed PHA, risk of AIDS-related cancer generally increased with degree of immunosuppression. In Hodgkin's lymphoma, incidence has an inverse relationship with CD4 count. Some tumours are observed more frequently in PHA because of lifestyles that expose them to specific carcinogens such as lung cancer. Other tumours have been reported to have marginal or inconsistent increases in PHA, and their associations are still controversial. Over the past 20years, AIDS has been transformed from a disease that was almost inevitably fatal to a chronic condiiton that is manageable. The longer survival will likely increase the importance of cancer as a clinical problem. In recognition of the increasing importance of cancer as a cause of mortality and mortality in PHA, managing persons affected according to standard practices regardless of HIV status is stressed. These practices should emphasize helping PHA avail high-risk lifestyles such as smoking and screening for early detection of cancers. Paying detail attention to safety survival practices and appropriating the right choice of procedures for HIV related cancer surgeries in addition to identification of preoperative chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, etc. is important. With the population's geographic and social diversity, Nigeria also presents unique research opportunities relating to cancer for the surgeon that can be embedded in programs targeting HIV/AIDS. Key words: HIV/AIDS, cancer, surgical practice


This study evaluates the performance of feed-forward neural networks to model and forecast recovery rates of defaulted bank loans. In order to guarantee that the predictions are mapped into the unit interval, the neural networks are implemented with a logistic activation function in the output neuron. The statistical relevance of explanatory variables is assessed using the bootstrap technique. The results indicate that the variables which the neural network models use to derive their output coincide to a great extent with those that are significant in parametric regression models. Out-of-sample estimates of prediction errors suggest that neural networks may have better predictive ability than parametric regression models, provided the number of observations is sufficiently large.


Parameter inference for stochastic differential equations is challenging due to the presence of a latent diffusion process. Working with an Euler-Maruyama discretisation for the diffusion, we use variational inference to jointly learn the parameters and the diffusion paths. We use a standard mean-field variational approximation of the parameter posterior, and introduce a recurrent neural network to approximate the posterior for the diffusion paths conditional on the parameters. This neural network learns how to provide Gaussian state transitions which bridge between observations in a very similar way to the conditioned diffusion process. The resulting black-box inference method can be applied to any SDE system with light tuning requirements. We illustrate the method on a Lotka-Volterra system and an epidemic model, producing accurate parameter estimates in a few hours.


An experimental study has been made of the paramagnetic spin-lattice relaxation properties of some transition metal ions. Three trivalent metal ions were studied, namely those of titanium, chromium and ruthenium, in the form of acetyl-acetonate compounds of the general formula M (C(_5)H(_7)Q(_2))(_3). By the use of the corresponding diamagnetic aluminium or cobalt compounds, mixed single crystals were grown with various paramagnetic concentrations. Measurements were made at low temperatures in the liquid helium range, at X band microwave frequencies (9.3 KMc/s). Some measurements were also made at higher microwave frequencies (35.5 KMc/s).In all cases the relaxation behaviour observed in magnetically dilute crystals is in good agreement with the well established theories relating to single ion relaxation. Particular attention has been given however to the study of the relaxation processes in more concentrated crystals, where concentration dependent relaxation is found. The results obtained have been compared with the two theoretical suggestions that have been proposed to account for these effects. Although neither proposal is entirely satisfactory, the one involving exchange interactions within paramagnetic ion clusters is shown to account in a qualitative way for the observed behaviour. A detailed study of the E.F.R. spectrum of chromium doped crystals has been made which shows that significant exchange interactions do exist in these materials.


What explains Cambodia's double digit growth in 2006, 2005, and 2004 of 11%, 13%, and 10%, respectively, despite relatively poor governance (162 out of 179 countries in the 2007 Corruption Perception Index, 151 out of 163 in 2006, 130 out of 158 in 2005 the year in which it was first ranked)? Why do some sectors thrive while others fail under such conditions? This paper undertakes a review of the relevant literature and analyzes the results of detailed semi-structured interviews with at least 50 firms/businessmen, government, and non-government officials to understand the dynamics of governance and growth focused around two types of sectors in Cambodia: 1) Successful sectors such as garments in which the chapter seeks to elucidate how firms have coped, and the "cover" mechanism that has allowed them to thrive in relative terms (e.g., is it connections to the prevailing government insiders?) has been to date; and 2) Less than successful sectors such as rice for which the chapter identifies emerging patterns of engagement among the Cambodian state, foreign investors and indigenous business. Not unlike what happened with garments exports to the US, an arbitrage opportunity is unfolding in rice. The European Union's "Everything But Arms" initiative takes full effect in September 2009 permitting Cambodia, as a least developed country, to export rice to the EU tariff-free. Likewise in garments, the creation of the Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) in 1999 enabled manufacturers to interact with a single voice with the State, and to negotiate standard "payments". At the same time, membership in GMAC is required for any garments manufacturer to export legally. Similar patterns have already emerged in the rice sector, where Green Trade, a state-owned enterprise, and the Cambodian National Rice Millers Association, were the only two entities licensed to export shipments of more than 100 tons of rice in 2008.


The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the influences of urbanization on long-term streamflow patterns in different physiographic regions of North Carolina. Specifically, I selected, mostly, low-order streams in the three physiographic regions of Mountain, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain. ArcGIS was used to generate watersheds for each of the study sites using Digital Elevation Models downloaded from the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program. Streams were chosen for each study area based on the available streamflow data from the US Geological Survey. Impervious surfaces were then extracted from the 2006 National Land Cover Database. Nine metrics were selected to run on each of the stream station chosen using Statistical Analysis System. The metrics used in this study were chosen with the intention of seeing a pattern develop within the counties and across the different physiographic regions. It was expected that changes in long-term streamflow patterns are related to the urbanization process that has occurred in a watershed, and that some metrics of streamflow show urban influences better than others. In other words, not all the streamflow metrics reveal equally the relationships between land use change and streamflow patterns. The metrics used in this study, for the most part, appeared to be effective, especially for the Piedmont sites and to a lesser extent the Coastal Plain and Mountain sites.


Creating high quality virtual spatial audio over headphones requires real-time head tracking, personalized head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) and customized room response models. While there are expensive solutions to address these issues based on costly head trackers, measured personalized HRTFs and room responses, these are not suitable for widespread or easy deployment and use. We report on the development of a system that uses computer vision to produce customizable models for both the HRTF and the room response, and to achieve head-tracking. The system uses relatively inexpensive cameras and widely available personal computers. Computer-vision based anthropometric measurements of the head, torso, and the external ears are used for HRTF customization. For low-frequency HRTF customization we employ a simple head-and-torso model developed recently [V. R. Algazi et al., 2002]. For high frequency customization we employ measured pinna characteristics as an index into a database of HRTFs [D. N. Zotkin et al., 2002]. For head tracking we employ an online implementation of the POSIT algorithm [D. DeMenthon and L. Davis, 1995] along with active markers to compute head pose in real-time. The system provides an enhanced virtual listening experience at low cost.


The co-Director of Democratic Audit, Professor Patrick Dunleavy was asked by the leading Scottish newspaper, the Sunday Post, to write a report on the costs of transitioning to a new government in the event of a 'Yes' vote in Scotland's independence referendum. The report argues that an independent Scotland would face immediate set-up costs of up to £200 million in creating new administrative structures that duplicate UK institutions, but could also streamline many public bodies. During the transition process, Scottish government could agree contracts or service deals with London to maintain existing back office support system (mainly involving IT) in collecting taxes, paying benefits and organizing complex defence systems. In the medium term (by 2018 to 20021) Scotland would need to build its own, new IT systems to allow policy control to be fully exercised from Edinburgh, in each of these areas. These tasks would certainly cost several hundred million pounds, but they would also be investments in modern systems, and not just "set up" costs. Significant policy savings may also accrue, and offset some of this burden. A key influence on Scotland's costs would be the conduct of negotiations between Scottish ministers and the remaining UK (rUK) government. A hostile approach by London ministers would force rapid changes and greatly add to Scotland's costs. A more careful, phased approach would make these costs a lot less. Every transition to a new state has some uncertainty and a degree of risk. But there are no bases for extreme anxiety about an independence transition in Scotland. The Scottish government's record in public management is a good one, its published plans for transition are relatively specific and reasonable, and the long-run viability of a Scottish state looks strong. The main current uncertainties arise from the London government's apparent reluctance to do any planning for, or to make clear to Scottish voters, how a transition to independence would be handled at their end. The report has already been covered extensively, including in the Scotsman, the Guardian, by the BBC, the Spectator and others.


Energy efficiency and renewable energy sources have drawn a greater attention by EU, in particular for climate change policies as it can substantially cut down CO 2 emissions to meet EU environmental obligations. It is well established that in drinking pipe systems Pressure Reducing Valves (PRV) are used as a mean for excess energy dissipation for the purpose of pressure control. This type of solution can be adopted, as a mitigation method to control the system losses, in particular, the available overload, which must have to be dissipated to avoid leakage or rupture occurrence in the pipe system. The use of micro-hydro systems seems to provide a better approach as a sustainable solution in terms of controlling the system pressure as well as to provide a non-negligible income by producing clean energy. Computational simulations, experimental research and engineering project development are carried out to analyse and compare the hydraulic system behaviour between a PRV and a pump working as a turbine (PT). This research creates an important challenge for seasonal stabilization of the energy supply by using water supply systems, due to the stochastic nature of river-hydro resources.


The emergence during the Roman Empire of new religious forms and groups alongside the collective cults of the city and ruler worship invites analysis in terms of various kinds of network theory. Some of the main version of network theory currently in use are examined, and their applicability to ancient material is discussed and assessed. Network thinking turns out to be very useful, but the problems in conducting a more formal network analysis are formidable. Network theory does allow us to approach religious change from new directions and two models of change in current use – conversion as contagion, and religious change as the spread of idea – are examined. Thinking about religious change in these terms forces historians to formulate more precise descriptions of change as a process that involves socialization and the routinization of new habits and rituals, as well as a process of learning a new way of imagining and describing the cosmos.


As a region, California's Great Central Valley can be defined through the physical and cultural characteristics assigned to the space by its residents. Not unlike the larger regions of which it is part, the Valley's cultural landscapes have long been constructed as sites of wealth, fertile ground, and opportunity. Drawn to the region's myriad promises and possibilities, populations moving into and within the region often search for their part in a frequently elusive California Dream. Yet as with any place, the lived experience of the Valley's residents is often far removed from the construction of the region as a land of prosperity and mobility. Tracing the various constructions of region in the Great Central Valley requires an understanding of cultural and regional identity as complex and multifaceted. No two individuals experience the landscapes they inhabit in the same way; as a result, any attempt to define a unitary regional identity in the Valley is ultimately problematic. Despite the diverse experiences and interpretations of the Valley and its inhabitants, many overlapping themes emerge, resulting in what I call a "regional imaginary"—a set of meanings assigned to a region by its residents. Although many methods exist by which to explore and tentatively define the idea of a regional imaginary in the Central Valley, one of the most productive involves utilizing critical regional approaches to literature and other narrative works. By examining the many novels, poems, and other narratives written about the Valley, the various cultural, historical, and natural forces that converge and conflict in the Valley's landscapes may begin to come into focus.


Beautifully illustrated and based on more than three decades of research, Arts & Crafts Stained Glass is the first study of how the late-19th-century Arts and Crafts Movement transformed the aesthetics and production of stained glass in Britain and America. A progressive school of artists, committed to direct involvement both in making and designing windows, emerged in the 1880s and 1890s, reinventing stained glass as a modern, expressive art form. Using innovative materials and techniques, they rejected formulaic Gothic Revivalism while seeking authentic, creative inspiration in medieval traditions. This new approach was pioneered by Christopher Whall (1849-1924), whose charismatic teaching educated a generation of talented pupils-both men and women-who produced intensely colorful and inventive stained glass, using dramatic, lyrical, and often powerfully moving design and symbolism. Peter Cormack demonstrates how women made critical contributions to the renewal of stained glass as artists and entrepreneurs, gaining meaningful equality with their male colleagues, more fully than in any other applied art. Cormack restores stained glass to its proper status as an important field of Arts and Crafts activity, with a prominent role in the movement's polemical campaigning, its public exhibitions, and its educational program.


BACKGROUND Nitric oxide (NO) is released by activated macrophages, neutrophils, and stimulated bronchial epithelial cells. Exhaled NO has been shown to be increased in patients with asthma and has been put forward as a marker of airways inflammation. However, we have found that exhaled NO is not raised in patients with cystic fibrosis, even during infective pulmonary exacerbation. One reason for this may be that excess airway secretions may prevent diffusion of gaseous NO into the airway lumen. We hypothesised that exhaled NO may not reflect total NO production in chronically suppurative airways and investigated nitrite as another marker of NO production. METHODS Breath condensate nitrite concentration and exhaled NO levels were measured in 21 clinically stable patients with cystic fibrosis of mean age 26 years and mean FEV1 57% and 12 healthy normal volunteers of mean age 31 years. Breath condensate was collected with a validated method which excluded saliva and nasal air contamination and nitrite levels were measured using the Griess reaction. Exhaled NO was measured using a sensitive chemiluminescence analyser (LR2000) at an exhalation rate of 250 ml/s. Fourteen patients with cystic fibrosis had circulating plasma leucocyte levels and differential analysis performed on the day of breath collection. RESULTS Nitrite levels were significantly higher in patients with cystic fibrosis than in normal subjects (median 1.93 μM compared with 0.33 μM). This correlated positively with circulating plasma leucocytes and neutrophils (r = 0.6). In contrast, exhaled NO values were not significantly different from the normal range (median 3.8 ppb vs 4.4 ppb). There was no correlation between breath condensate nitrite and lung function and between breath condensate nitrite and exhaled NO. CONCLUSIONS Nitrite levels in breath condensate were raised in stable patients with cystic fibrosis in contrast to exhaled NO. This suggests that nitrite levels may be a more useful measure of NO production and possibly airways inflammation in suppurative airways and that exhaled NO may not reflect total NO production.


Aliasing in images is often considered as a nuisance. Artificial low frequency patterns and jagged edges appear when an image is sampled at a too low frequency. However, aliasing also conveys useful information about the high frequency content of the image, which is exploited in super-resolution applications. We use a set of input images of the same scene to extract such high frequency information and create a higher resolution aliasing-free image. Typically, there is a small shift or more complex motion between the different images, such that they contain slightly different information about the scene. Super-resolution image reconstruction can be formulated as a multichannel sampling problem with unknown offsets. This results in a set of equations that are linear in the unknown signal coefficients but nonlinear in the offsets. This thesis concentrates on the computation of these offsets, as they are an essential prerequisite for an accurate high resolution reconstruction. If a part of the image spectra is free of aliasing, the planar shift and rotation parameters can be computed using only this low frequency information. In such a case, the images can be registered pairwise to a reference image. Such a method is not applicable if the images are undersampled by a factor of two or larger. A higher number of images needs to be registered jointly. Two subspace methods are discussed for such highly aliased images. The first approach is based on a Fourier description of the aliased signals as a sum of overlapping parts of the spectrum. It uses a rank condition to find the correct offsets. The second one uses a more general expansion in an arbitrary Hilbert space to compute the signal offsets. The sampled signal is represented as a linear combination of sampled basis functions. The offsets are computed by projecting the signal onto varying subspaces. Under certain conditions, in particular for bandlimited signals, the nonlinear super-resolution equations can be written as a set of polynomial equations. Using Buchberger's algorithm, the solution can then be computed as a Grobner basis for the corresponding polynomial ideal. After a description of a standard algorithm, adaptations are made for the use with noisy measurements. The techniques presented in this thesis are tested in simulations and practical experiments. The experiments are performed on sets of real images taken with a digital camera. The results show the validity of the algorithms: registration parameters are computed with subpixel precision, and aliasing is accurately removed from the resulting high resolution image. This thesis is produced according to the concepts of reproducible research. All the results and examples used in this thesis are reproducible using the code and data available online.


An intact immune system, and particularly the presence of mature B lymphocytes, is crucial for mouse scrapie pathogenesis in the brain after peripheral exposure. Prions are accumulated in the lymphoreticular system (LRS), but the identity of the cells containing infectivity and their role in neuroinvasion have not been determined. We show here that although prion infectivity in the spleen is associated with B and T lymphocytes and to a lesser degree with the stroma, no infectivity could be detected in lymphocytes from blood. In wild‐type mice, which had been irradiated and reconstituted with PrP‐deficient lymphohaematopoietic stem cells and inoculated with scrapie prions, infectivity in the spleen was present in the stroma but not in lymphocytes. Therefore, splenic B and T lymphocytes can either synthesize prions or acquire them from another source, but only when they express PrP.


Silicon carbide-based power devices play an increasingly important role in modern power conversion systems. Finding a means to reduce the size and complexity of these systems by even incremental amounts can have a significant impact on cost and reliability. One approach to achieving this goal is the die-level integration of gate driver circuitry with the SiC power devices. Aside from cost reductions, there are significant advantages to the integration of the gate driver circuits with the power devices. By integrating the gate driver circuitry with the power devices, the parasitic inductances traditionally seen between the gate driver and the switching devices can be significantly reduced, allowing faster switching speeds, which in turn leads to higher efficiencies, less aggressive thermal management requirements, and physically smaller passives. Collaborators from Toyota, Cree, the University of Arkansas, Oak Ridge National Labs, and Arkansas Power Electronics International have designed, fabricated, and tested a custom gate driver circuit implemented in a low-voltage SiC-based process by Cree. This gate driver implementation is the first step toward the goal of a completely integrated system. One key subcomponent of this gate driver is the Under Voltage Lock-Out (UVLO) circuit, which asserts a signal whenever the supply voltage to the die falls below a set threshold and allows circuitry both onand off-chip to take steps to prevent damage to the system. The work presented herein is the design, layout, and testing of a UVLO circuit implemented in the low-voltage silicon carbide process available from Cree. The UVLO was demonstrated to operate over a temperature range between -55 o C and 300 o C. An overview of the gate driver design, the fabrication process, and the trade-offs made during the UVLO circuit design process will be presented, as well as the integrated circuit layout workflow. A synopsis of the die testing apparatus and results will also be provided. This dissertation is approved for recommendation to the Graduate Council Dissertation Director: ___________________________________ H. Alan Mantooth, Ph.D. Dissertation Committee: ___________________________________ Susan Burkett, Ph.D. ___________________________________ James P. Parkerson, Ph.D. ___________________________________ Leonard W. Schaper, Ph.D. ___________________________________ Richard Ulrich, Ph.D. ___________________________________ Vijay K. Varadan, Ph.D. ©2013 by Michael D. Glover All Rights Reserved DISSERTATION DUPLICATION RELEASE I hereby authorize the University of Arkansas Libraries to duplicate this dissertation when needed for research and/or scholarship. Agreed _____________________________________ Name Refused _____________________________________ Name


Metal–organic framework (MOF) immobilized Rh–Ni alloy nanoparticles (NPs) with a mean size of 2.8 nm have been facilely and successfully fabricated via a reduction rate controlled method. Bimetallic NP/MOF composites with uniform tiny RhNi alloy NPs immobilized on MOFs, high surface areas (1970 m2 g−1), and accessible porous structure have been obtained. The resulting RhNi/MOF catalysts show high catalytic activity and robust durability for complete H2 evolution from hydrazine borane (N2H4BH3) and hydrous hydrazine (N2H4·H2O). The optimized Rh0.8Ni0.2/MIL-101 catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic performance for the dehydrogenation of N2H4BH3 and N2H4·H2O in aqueous solution with 100% conversion and hydrogen selectivity, high total turnover frequencies (TOF), up to 1200 and 428.6 mol(H2) mol(Rh+Ni)−1 h−1, respectively, the highest over Rh-based catalysts. The high activity and prominent durability of Rh0.8Ni0.2/MIL-101 are highly dependent on the features of the MOF immobilized tiny RhNi alloy NPs, the strong interaction between the MOF crystal and RhNi alloy NPs, the optimized surface and electronic structure of RhNi alloy with an atomic ratio of 8 : 2, and the accessible open porous structure for free mass transfer.


This paper reports analytical and experimental work in evaluating AlGaAs heterojunction laser diodes and light-emitting diodes (LED) for utilization in analog optical links (in particular TV channels) employing optical fibers. The analytical work focuses on using the static transfer function to predict distortion, based-on curve fitting (Section C) and calculation of distortion components (Section B). The purpose is to avoid laborious frequency measurements. Also of interest is the determination of channel spacing (Section E) to avoid 2nd and 3rd order interference for devices (lasers and LED's) with rather poor linearity.


Hand segmentation is a crucial task in first-person vision. Since first-person images exhibit strong bias in appearance among different environments, adapting a pre-trained segmentation model to a new domain is required in hand segmentation. Here, we focus on appearance gaps for hand regions and backgrounds separately. We propose (i) foreground-aware image stylization and (ii) consensus pseudo-labeling for domain adaptation of hand segmentation. We stylize source images independently for the foreground and background using target images as style. To resolve the domain shift that the stylization has not addressed, we apply careful pseudo-labeling by taking a consensus between the models trained on the source and stylized source images. We validated our method on domain adaptation of hand segmentation from real and simulation images. Our method achieved state-of-the-art performance in both settings. We also demonstrated promising results in challenging multi-target domain adaptation and domain generalization settings.


: Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT), developed over the last two decades, is carried out using radiopharmaceuticals such as 90Y-DOTA-Tyr3-octreotide and 177Lu-DOTA-Tyr3-octreotate (177Lu-Dotatate). These radiocompounds are obtained by labeling a synthetic somatostatin analog with a β -emitting radioisotope. The compounds differ from each other in terms of their energetic features (due to the radionuclide) and peptide receptor affinity (due to the analog) but share the common characteristic of binding specific membrane somatostatin receptors that are (generally) overexpressed in neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) and their metastases. NENs are tumors arising from diffuse neuroendocrine system cells that are classified according to grading based on Ki67 percentage values (Grades 1 and 2 are classed as neuroendocrine tumors [NETs]) and to the anatomical site of occurrence (in this paper, we only deal with gastroenteropancreatic [GEP]-NETs, which account for 60%–70% of all NENs). They are also characterized by specific symptoms such as diarrhea and flushing (30% of cases). Despite substantial experience gained in the area of PRRT and its demonstrable effects in terms of efficacy, safety, and improvement in quality of life, these compounds are still not registered (registration of 177Lu-Dotatate for the treatment of midgut NETs is expected soon). Thus, PRRT can only be used in experimental protocols. We provide an overview of the work of leading groups with wide-ranging experience and continuity in data publication in the area of GEP-NET PRRT and report our own personal experience of using different dosage schedules based on the presence of kidney and bone marrow risk factors. Our results on the retreatment of patients previously administered 90Y-DOTA-Tyr3-octreotide with a low dosage of 177Lu-Dotatate are also included. A comment on potential future developments of PRRT in GEP-NETs is provided.


Climate change is a major challenge to humankind. Solar desalination is a strategic option for overcoming water scarcity as a result of climate change. Modeling of solar still productivity (SSP) plays a significant role in the success of a solar desalination project to optimize capital expenditures and maximize production. A solar still was used to desalinate seawater in this study. An adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) for prediction of SSP was developed with different types of input membership functions (MFs). The investigation used the principal parameters affecting SSP, which are the solar radiation, relative humidity, total dissolved solids (TDS) of feed, TDS of brine, and feed flow rate. The performance of ANFIS models in the training, testing, and validation stages are compared with the observed data. The ANFIS model with Pi-shaped curve MF provides better and higher prediction accuracy than models with other MFs. The ANFIS was an adequate model for the prediction of SSP and yielded root mean square error and correlation coefficient values of 0.0041 L/m 2 /h and 99.99%, respectively. Sensitivity analysis revealed that solar radiation is the most effective parameter on SSP. Finally, the ANFIS model can be used effectively as a design tool for solar still systems.


The study of copulas and their role in statistics is a new but vigorously growing field. In this book the student or practitioner of statistics and probability will find discussions of the fundamental properties of copulas and some of their primary applications. The applications include the study of dependence and measures of association, and the construction of families of bivariate distributions. This book is suitable as a text or for self-study.


Mammary alveologenesis is abrogated in the absence of the transcription factors STAT5A/5B, which mediate cytokine signaling. To reveal the underlying causes for this developmental block, we studied mammary stem and progenitor cells. While loss of STAT5A/5B did not affect the stem cell population and its ability to form mammary ducts, luminal progenitors were greatly reduced and unable to form alveoli during pregnancy. Temporally controlled expression of transgenic STAT5A in mammary epithelium lacking STAT5A/5B restored the luminal progenitor population and rescued alveologenesis in a reversible fashion in vivo. Thus, STAT5A is necessary and sufficient for the establishment of luminal progenitor cells.


Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending — direct lending between lenders and borrowers online outside traditional financial intermediaries like banks — first emerged in the United Kingdom and the world with the launch of Zopa in 2005. Our paper provides a quantitative analysis of nearly 14 million loan agreements. We lay bare the history of P2P lending from its beginning, showing the regional geography of P2P lending in the United Kingdom. We suggest that the history of P2P lending can shed light on financial innovation in general. We base our conclusions on four semi-structured interviews with the founders of the three most significant UK P2P platforms (Zopa, RateSetter, and Funding Circle).


The bitterness of racemic praziquantel (Rac-PZQ) constrains its use as an in-feed treatment against monogenean flukes in finfish aquaculture. Evidence exists in mammals that the R-(-) enantiomer of PZQ is less bitter than the S-(+) enantiomer. If fish exhibit this same response, then the recently described techniques for the large-scale resolution of R-(-)-PZQ from Rac-PZQ could facilitate the wide-spread application of this effective anthelmintic compound via feed. The hypothesis that yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi would find R-(-)-PZQ more palatable than Rac-PZQ and S-(+)-PZQ was tested in four trials. During the first three trials, the palatability of diets top-coated with 10 g kg-1 of Rac-PZQ or its two enantioseparated isomers were compared in small (85-160 g) and large (1.2 kg) yellowtail kingfish. A fourth trial compared the palatability of R-(-)-PZQ and Rac-PZQ at dietary inclusion levels of 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 g kg-1 in small yellowtail kingfish (170 g). Ingestion data showed that R-(-)-PZQ to be no more palatable than either Rac-PZQ or S-(+)-PZQ to yellowtail kingfish, regardless of size. Indeed, evidence suggested that the S-(+)-PZQ to be slightly more palatable than both R-(-)-PZQ and Rac-PZQ. From these data, we hypothesize that the strong smell of R-(-)-PZQ (which was not present in S-(+)-PZQ) is an equally important determinant to palatability as taste in yellowtail kingfish. Results demonstrate that dietary inclusion level is a more important determinant to palatability than PZQ chirality; however, administration of R-(-)-PZQ may still be advantageous if it is demonstrated to be the only enantiomer efficacious against monogeneans.


Systemic infection triggers fucosylation of surface proteins on intestinal epithelia, which supports healthy host-commensal interactions to protect the host. In exchange for a nutrient-rich home, gut microbiota help the host digest food and stimulate host immunity. Pickard et al. report that the host actively feeds its gut commensals during systemic infections to maintain this mutually beneficial relationship. Pathogen-derived molecules activate Toll-like receptors (TLRs) to trigger innate immune responses to infection. Injecting any of several TLR agonists into mice rapidly induced fucosylation of surface molecules that persisted for several days throughout the small intestine. This did not occur in mice lacking the TLR adaptor protein MyD88 or the fucosyltransferase Fut2. TLR signaling in dendritic cells induced the release of interleukin-23 (IL-23), which stimulated innate lymphoid cells to release IL-22, ultimately inducing Fut2 expression in epithelial cells of the small intestine. Loss of appetite (anorexia) and weight loss often occurs with infection, and intestinal microbiota can survive this reduction in dietary nutrients by consuming host-derived sugars. Injecting lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into Fut2+/-, Fut2-/-, or germ-free mice induced symptoms of infection, including anorexia and transient weight loss. However, Fut2-/- mice and mice lacking intestinal microbiota took longer to recover weight lost due to LPS-induced anorexia than did normally colonized Fut2+/- mice. LPS also triggered a Fut2-dependent increase in the amount of fucosylated proteins present in the intestinal lumen, including an increase in the abundance of fucosylated mucins and digestive enzymes. Bacterial fucosidases cleaved these secreted glycoproteins, releasing fucose that was consumed by gut microbiota. Expression of microbial virulence genes was increased in Fut2-/- mice compared to Fut2+/- mice, suggesting that fucosylation also suppressed virulence of resident gut microbiota. When Fut2+/- and Fut-+/- mice infected with the intestinal pathogen Citrobacter rodentium were challenged with LPS, the mice exhibited similar numbers of C. rodentium in the colon. However, the Fut2-/- mice lost more weight and had more C. rodentium–induced colonic hyperplasia. The authors propose that the fucose provided by the host may contribute to recovery from infection by supporting gut commensals, suppressing virulence of opportunistic pathogens, and altering pathogen virulence to allow the host to tolerate the pathogen. Rakoff-Nahoum and Comstock discuss the role of intestinal fucosylation in both infection and steady-state contexts. J. M. Pickard, C. F. Maurice, M. A. Kinnebrew, M. C. Abt, D. Schenten, T. V. Golovkina, S. R. Bogatyrev, R. F. Ismagilov, E. G. Pamer, P. J. Turnbaugh, A. V. Chervonsky, Rapid fucosylation of intestinal epithelium sustains host-commensal symbiosis in sickness. Nature 514, 638–641 (2014). [PubMed] S. Rakoff-Nahoum, L. E. Comstock. Starve a fever, feed the microbiota. Nature 514, 576–577 (2014). [PubMed]


New developments in the current political climate. For approximately four decades in the United States, gerontologists and some public policy makers at all levels of government have assessed and discussed the social, health, and other policy ramifications of the emergence of an aging society. Despite demographic data anticipating that the number of older Americans will rise to 20 percent of the total population by midcentury (Federal Interagency Forum on Aging Related Statistics, 2000), a sense of urgency has not been reflected in the legislative score cards accumulated over the years. Indeed, domestic policy issues are being reprioritized or "deprioritized" as a result of dramatic shifts in the economy, in international relations, and in views of the nation's defense requirements since September 11, 2001. Aging issues have not been exempt. Social Security reform, around which no consensus has emerged, may be headed toward privatization or may be stalemated for the foreseeable future. Medicare reform activities have not advanced beyond the discussion of various congressional proposals, although overwhelming evidence shows that a prescription drug benefit is essential to the health and economic security of a significant number of older Americans. Similarly, a comprehensive national long-term-care policy is not expected to materialize in the near term, if at all. Three pressing questions emerge in relation to social policy issues and concerns in a multicultural aging society. First, what are now the most critical policy issues related to minority aging? Second, what factors are likely to shape national policy in the decades ahead? And, third, how will our social and health policies respond to the requirements of an aging population in an increasingly ethnically and racially diverse society? A continuing examination of these questions is essential in order to inform, stimulate, and then prod the development of the national policy that is needed. CRITICAL POLICY ISSUES Kenneth Prewitt (2001), former director of the U.S. Census Bureau, notes that Americans in the United States have a contradictory relationship with the diversity of the country's population. Although we tout ourselves as a nation distinguished among all others by diversity and tolerance, Prewitt notes that throughout much of our history American diversity has been almost inextricably tied to painful, persistent discrimination against those who are "different" because of race, ethnicity, or religion. Thus, even as the United States is becoming increasingly diverse , welfare reform measures have been unsympathetic to immigrants in general and have had particularly challenging consequences for elderly minority people. Further, the current political situation, including hostile treatment of ethnic minorities and non-Christians in the aftermath of the events of September 11, provides more evidence that we cannot simply assume that social policies will embrace multiculturalism and inclusion. It is true that we have achieved progress over a span of more than a century in prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin through the use of legal instruments. And, while they have not yet attracted the same visibility as the civil rights laws enacted in the 1960s and thereafter, a number of other program and policy initiatives have been similarly important in the lives of poor older people, enabling them to gain greater access to social welfare, health, and long-termcare services. Examples are those programs and initiatives introduced during the War on Poverty in the 1960s and 1970s and Medicaid expansions in the 1980s and 1990s. Several laws, executive orders, and programs generated during the Clinton administration are also likely to have considerable impact over the long term on the quality of life of minority Americans, among whom older people are at considerable risk. For example, two executive orders issued by President Clinton in 2000 addressed access issues that minority people, particularly those who do not speak English, frequently face. …


In 1998, Walter Korpi and Joakim Palme proposed a political and institutional explanation to account for the greater redistributive success of welfare states that relied more on universal than on targeted programmes. Effective redistribution, they argued, resulted less from a Robin Hood logic – taking from the rich to give to the poor – than from a broad and egalitarian provision of services and transfers. Hence, the paradox: a country obtained more redistribution when it took from all to give to all than when it sought to take from the rich to help the poor. Recent studies, however, failed to confirm the existence of this paradox. This article suggests that the original argument was theoretically sound but inadequately operationalized. Korpi and Palme measured universalism indirectly, not by the design or character of social programmes, but rather by their outcomes, namely, by their income effects. These outcomes, however, are influenced by exogenous factors. We use two new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicators to capture universalism directly, through the institutional design of social programmes: (1) the percentage of social benefits that are means or income tested and (2) the proportion of private spending in total social expenditures. These two indicators are combined into a universalism index and tested with a time-series cross-sectional design for 20 OECD countries between 2000 and 2011. This approach, we argue, better captures institutional design, in a way that is consistent with Korpi and Palme's original argument, and it suggests that there is still a paradox of redistribution in the 21st-century welfare state.


Autophagy, the starvation-induced degradation of bulky cytosolic components, is up-regulated in mammalian cells when nutrient supplies are limited. Although mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is known as the key regulator of autophagy induction, the mechanism by which mTOR regulates autophagy has remained elusive. Here, we identify that mTOR phosphorylates a mammalian homologue of Atg13 and the mammalian Atg1 homologues ULK1 and ULK2. The mammalian Atg13 binds both ULK1 and ULK2 and mediates the interaction of the ULK proteins with FIP200. The binding of Atg13 stabilizes and activates ULK and facilitates the phosphorylation of FIP200 by ULK, whereas knockdown of Atg13 inhibits autophagosome formation. Inhibition of mTOR by rapamycin or leucine deprivation, the conditions that induce autophagy, leads to dephosphorylation of ULK1, ULK2, and Atg13 and activates ULK to phosphorylate FIP200. These findings demonstrate that the ULK-Atg13-FIP200 complexes are direct targets of mTOR and important regulators of autophagy in response to mTOR signaling.


Abstract The retention of both underivatized and carboxylated polystyrene latex beads by electrical field-flow fractionation (EIFFF) was investigated using a 2 mM aqueous solution of quinonehydroquinone as the carrier liquid. The quninone-hydroquinone redox couple passes current with less polarization of the electrodes than carrier liquids previously employed. Underivatized beads, ranging in diameter from 0.15 to 0.74 μm eluted in the normal mode, while carboxylated beads larger than 1 μm eluted in the steric mode. Normal mode retention increases with flow rate, probably due to shearing of the polarization layer, which increases the working field. At a constant field and flow rate, normal-mode retention is inversely related to the product of a particle's size and electrophoretic mobility, in accordance with retention theory. Thus, ElFFF can be used to obtain both the size and electrophoretic mobility of particle suspensions.


Flat plate solar thermal collectors are used around the world in both domestic and industrial fields as a simple and effective method to heat water. Avoiding condensation in solar collectors at night is a crucial issue in terms of their durability and performance. During the night the temperature of the collector will often drop below the ambient temperature due to thermal radiation in the cold air. In climates where the air at night becomes saturated with humidity, condensation will form both on the inside and outside of the collector glazing. Condensation on the glazing means energy is wasted in evaporating the moisture throughout the following day. If too much condensation occurs on the inside of the glazing, it will drip on to the absorber surface, which will consequently lead to long-term damage. The objective of this study was to undertake the development of a model, and to validate it. This will determine the frequency of condensation in glazed flat plate solar water heaters and the all parameters which are involved in this phenomenon. The numerical model showed that climatic factors including relative humidity, ambient temperature and wind speed determine the frequency of condensation for any given location. However, it also reveals that the frequency of condensation can be modified by altering the ventilation inside the collector, the slope of the collector and most significantly by using low emissivity coating on the glazing layer.


[1] We use new data from the southern Weddell Sea continental shelf to describe water mass conversion processes in a formation region for cold and dense precursors of Antarctic Bottom Water. The cruises took place in early 1995, 1998, and 1999, and the time series obtained from moored instruments were up to 30 months in length, starting in 1995. We obtained new bathymetric data that greatly improve our definition of the Ronne Depression, which is now shown to be limited to the southwestern continental shelf and so cannot act as a conduit to northward flow from Ronne Ice Front. Large-scale intrusions of Modified Warm Deep Water (MWDW) onto the continental shelf occur along much of the shelf break, although there is only one location where the MWDW extends as far south as Ronne Ice Front. High-Salinity Shelf Water (HSSW) produced during the winter months dominates the continental shelf in the west. During summer, Ice Shelf Water (ISW) exits the subice cavity on the eastern side of the Ronne Depression, flows northwest along the ice front, and reenters the cavity at the ice front's western limit. During winter the ISW is not observed in the Ronne Depression north of the ice front. The flow of HSSW into the subice cavity via the Ronne Depression is estimated to be 0.9 ± 0.3 Sv. When combined with inflows along the remainder of Ronne Ice Front (reported elsewhere), sufficient heat is transported beneath the ice shelf to power an average basal melt rate of 0.34 ± 0.1 m yr−1.


The PEPPSI (Pyridine Enhanced Precatalyst Preparation, Stabilization and Initiation) complexes 12-15 with the structure [PdCl2{(CN)(2)IMes}(3-R-py)] (12: R = H; 13: R = Cl; 14: R = Br; 15: R = CN) bearing the maleonitrile-based N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) (CN)(2)IMes ({(CN)(2)IMes}: 4,5-dicyano-1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene) were prepared. Solid state structures of 14 and 15 were obtained. Complexes 14 and 15 adopt a slightly distorted square-planar coordination geometry in the solid state with the substituted pyridine ligand trans to the NHC. Catalytic activities of precatalysts 12-15 were studied and subsequently compared to complexes [PdCl2{(CN)(2)IMes}(PPh3)] (4) and [PdCl(dmba){(CN)(2)IMes}] (5) recently reported by our group in the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction of various aryl halides and phenylboronic acid. Reactions using previously reported [PdCl2(IMes)(py)] (IMes: 1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene) (1) were also carried out and their results contrasted to those involving 12-15, 4 and 5. Differences in initiation rates and the catalytically active species related to the seven complexes in regards to the throw away ligand were investigated. Poisoning experiments with mercury show that palladium nanoparticles are responsible for the catalytic activity.


This paper presents the results of trials to evaluate the color-stripping behaviour of offset printing colors and the effect of coating on deinking performance. Oil-based four-color inks were separately printed as base printing on coated and uncoated white poster paper, and then extensive pulping and deinking processes were carried out. Standard offset printings were conducted on paper samples using cyan, magenta, yellow, and black colors (CMYK), and the effects of deinking efficiency on the removal of each color were analysed. The pulps were made at Micro-Maelstrom Laboratory Pulper at specified conditions with and without bleaching agents. Formamidin sulfinic acid and hydrogen peroxide formulation were used as reductive and oxidative bleaching agents, respectively. Flotation deinking and thickening of pulp were practiced using Degussa flotation and thickening cell. The changes in the optical properties, such as brightness, whiteness, and color value (CIE L, a b) of deinked pulp were determined. It was found that optical properties of color-stripped pulps from coated papers were better than that of uncoated office papers. However, yield was quite low in coated papers since fillers were lost during flotation process. Cyan color was found to be the most difficult one in four main color printing inks stripping out in the deinking process.


The interface stoichiometry of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) was controlled by adjusting the O2 and Zn partial pressures during ZnO sputter deposition and measured by high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of ultrathin (<3 nm) ZnO films on Cu2O. Open-circuit voltage measurements for ZnO/Cu2O heterojunctions under AM1.5 illumination were measured and it was found that a stoichiometric interface can achieve the voltage entitlement dictated by the band alignment, whereas the non-stoichiometric interface showed large open-circuit voltage deficits. These results highlight not only the need for stoichiometric interfaces in Cu2O devices, but also a reproducible experimental method for achieving stoichiometric interfaces that could be applied to any potential heterojunction partner. Additionally, valence-band offset measurements indicated changing the interface stoichiometry shifted the band alignment between Cu2O and ZnO, which accounts for the variation in previously reported band offset values.


Little has been published concerning the thermal properties of existing unbaked earth walls. In order to model the thermal behaviour of a building constructed using traditional cob walls, the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity need to be established. The Centre for Earthen Architecture (CEA), based at the University of Plymouth's School of Architecture has carried out research into various aspects of cob architecture typical to the Devon area. This study supplements other work concerning the moisture content, structure and pathology of cob as a building material. This research concentrates upon the development of a time dependent probe technique for the measurement of the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of cob. The literature concerning the technique is reviewed. Methods of obtaining thermal data from the results are discussed. Particular emphasis is placed upon the measurement of the probe's thermal contact conductance with the test material. A series of laboratory tests and results from specific test materials are described. From this work, a link between the improvement of the thermal contact between the probe and the specimen and the accuracy of the thermal diffusivity values is established. The development of field test apparatus is described and the results from three field tests are examined. Values for thermal conductivity, diffusivity and the probe thermal contact conductance are established. These results are used in a thermal simulation of a cob dwelling. The output from the simulation is compared with results from a modern timberframe house of identical dimensions and use. The thermal response of the modern timber-frame house was found to be similar to that of the cob dwelling. However, generally, the range of internal air temperature was found to be higher in the interior spaces of the timber framed dwelling than the cob dwelling.


Counseling about family planning (FP) and other reproductive health issues requires a set of specific skills designed to facilitate informed decision-making. The GATHER approach to counseling--Greet, Ask, Tell, Help, Explain, and Return--has documented effectiveness in FP programs. The more of the GATHER elements a counselor uses, the more satisfied clients are with their care and the more likely they are to use contraception. This guide provides detailed information on each of the 6 elements of the GATHER model, including key phrases, sample provider actions, and teaching exercises. A chart presents information on available FP methods--mechanism of action, advantages, disadvantages, use requirements, and follow-up. Special sections address topics such as FP for women who are breast feeding, emergency oral contraception, and counseling adolescents. Other sections offer guidelines on responding to a client's feelings, "active listening," talking about sex comfortably, and advising without being controlling. Finally, a checklist is included so counselors can rate themselves on each of the GATHER skills. An earlier version of this guide has been used around the world for the past 10 years.


Distinct from the tendency for field recording to be understood as a veridical act of documentation—faithfully recording the sonic specificities of a given place—there exists a complementary tendency towards abstraction, emerging from the 'schizophonic' dislocation implicated within phonographic practices. This tendency emphasises the mutability of space in general rather than the identifiable specifics of place. This 'lack' of specificity is understood to expose an underlying productivity or generative capacity only accounted for in a more abstract notion of space. This paper focuses on the extent to which field recording practices are heard to occupy a point of tension between the identifiable fixity of the site-specific and the generative mutability of space in general, a point of tension that is audibly manifest in the work of artists such as Francisco Lopez and Asher Thal-Nir.