Multiple-step lookahead policies have demonstrated high empirical competence in Reinforcement Learning, via the use of Monte Carlo Tree Search or Model Predictive Control. In a recent work (Efroni et al., 2018), multiple-step greedy policies and their use in vanilla Policy Iteration algorithms were proposed and analyzed. In this work, we study multiple-step greedy algorithms in more practical setups. We begin by highlighting a counter-intuitive difficulty, arising with soft-policy updates: even in the absence of approximations, and contrary to the 1-step-greedy case, monotonic policy improvement is not guaranteed unless the update stepsize is sufficiently large. Taking particular care about this difficulty, we formulate and analyze online and approximate algorithms that use such a multi-step greedy operator.


Records of the Tygerhoek Merino resource flock were used to estimate genetic, phenotypic and environmental parameters between subjective wool and conformation traits with objective wool and live weight traits. The database contained records of 4 495 animals, the progeny of 449 sires and 1 831 dams, and born from 1989 to 2004. On the genetic level (rg) live weight was favourably related to regularity of crimp (ROC) (0.20), woolly face score (WFS) (0.21), general head conformation (GEN) (0.67), conformation of the hind legs (HOCKS) (0.36), conformation of the front  legs (FQ) (0.42), topline (TOPL) (0.25) and total fold score (TOT). Estimates of rg were favourable for clean yield with wool quality (QUAL) (0.30), wool colour (COL) (0.45), wool oil (OIL) (-0.44), staple formation (STAPL), belly and points (BANDP) (0.24), face cover score (FCS) (0.18), GEN (0.25), HOCKS (0.19), TOT (-0.26) and FQ (0.18). Clean fleece weight (CFW) was favourable correlated `to QUAL (0.18), STAPL (0.39), BANDP (0.48) and GEN (0.23). Staple length was favourably related to COL (0.16), BANDP (0.40) and WFS (0.16) and negatively related to OIL (-0.33). Staple strength was favourable correlated to ROC (0.33) and FQ (0.39). Fibre diameter was favourable correlated with QUAL (-0.32), ROC (-0.28), FCS (-0.32), pastern score (PS) (-0.16) and TOPL (-0.18). Coefficient of variation of fibre diameter (CVFD) was favourably correlated with QUAL (-0.50), ROC (-0.73), HOCKS (-0.17), FQ (-0.33) and TOPL (-0.25). In contrast, unfavourable correlations occurred for SS with TOT (0.25), for FD with STAPL (0.59), BANDP (0.37), HOCKS (0.13) and TOT (0.13). Other unfavourable genetic correlations were between CFW and TOT (0.28) and between CVFD and STAPL (0.49). The results showed that selection for LW and objective wool traits will not seriously compromise subjective wool and conformation traits, barring a few exceptions.


The purpose of the present paper is to suggest a series of analytic dimensions along which the problem of privacy can be con-sidered. It represents the beginning of an attempt to develop a conceptual framework which will allow for the development of theory and research. In addition, we report the preliminary re-suits of a research project, growing out of this conceptualiza-tion, in which we focus on concepts of privacy as a function of age and age-related experiences.


Sulfate is one of the most abundant inorganic ligands in the lithosphere and hydrosphere. It plays a major role in mediating mineral dissolution and precipitation, crystal growth, mineral–water and air–water interfacial reactions, aerosol chemistry and global climate, and biogeochemical cycling of several elements including inorganic and organic toxic contaminants. For several years, macroscopic methods and thermodynamic models have been used in understanding and predicting the geochemistry of sulfate in a variety of systems. As shown by several recent studies, molecular chemistry of chemical species cannot be identified by the macroscopic methods alone (Sposito 1990, Brown et al. 1999). Although researchers have been using different spectroscopic methods (especially infrared spectroscopy, IR) for examining sulfate molecular chemistry, sulfate in geologic materials has not been probed as extensively as some of the other oxoanions, such as chromate, selenate and arsenate. Details of different spectroscopic methods and their applications in geochemical studies are discussed by Hawthorne (1988).

The molecular properties of sulfate, such as coordination environment (types of connecting atoms, their number and bond distances), electronic state, and symmetry, dictate how sulfate reacts in a geochemical system. Several electronic states exist in a molecule, with each electronic state containing several vibrational states, and each vibrational state containing several rotational states (Fig. 1⇓). The energies and probabilities of transitions between different electronic, vibrational, or rotational states can be measured and used in the identification of molecules and their chemical states. However, transitions among all of these states in a molecule are not feasible and the molecule symmetry determines whether a particular transition is allowed or forbidden (Cotton 1971). A variety of electron, X-ray, and optical spectroscopic methods can be used in studying the core (innermost) and valence (outermost) electronic transitions, and infrared and Raman spectroscopic methods can be used to obtain information …


In the contemporary runaway world, few societies, communities or individuals escape the globalising effect that impacts upon our everyday lives; each society finds itself in the midst of either gradual or eruptive political, social and economic change. Often a product of this process is one of reflexive modernisation which brings with it the creation of societal and communal uncertainty following the decline or erosion of hitherto institutional and cultural certainties. This feeling of uncertainty and insecurity tends to be further intensified in those communities emerging from the experience of prolonged violent conflict, such as Northern Ireland (NI) and Bosnia-Hrezegovina (BaH). Furthermore, in such societies communal segregation and separation is regarded as normal and essential for both physical security and survival of identity. Such a situation serves to further reinforce distrust, prejudice, suspicion and hatred of the 'other'. It is in the realm of civil society where youth and community development work must engage not only with local community, history and tradition, but also the influence and impact of modern globalism and consumerism, for the hearts and minds of young people. Drawing on initiatives and experiences from both BaH and NI this paper will highlight some of the positive practice as well as some of the barriers encountered in relation to youth and community development and social cohesion.


In French Atlantic coastal ponds of Charente, oysters can grow under conditions where phytoplankton production is limited by nutrients exhaustion. Such ponds typically show a high concentration of ciliates and flagellates during the growing season (1 x 104 to 3 x 105 cells l-1 in June 1997). In order to evaluate the importance of the "protozoan trophic link " for energy transfer from the " microbial food web" to large benthic suspension feeders, we offered a coastal pond community of ciliates and flagellates as potential prey to the oyster, Crassostrea gigas. Clearance rate, filtered particles and relative retention efficiency were evaluated. In the grazing experiment, 94 % of ciliates and 86 % of flagellates (size between 4 and 72 μm), were retained by the oyster. Whatever their size, protists were similarly retained by the oyster gills. In terms of carbon, oyster retain on average 126 μg carbon (C) h-1 g-1 dry weight, a value over 4 times higher than reported for phytoplankton. These results indicate that a field community of protists can contribute in coastal oyster rearing ponds to the energy requirements of the oyster Crassostrea gigas. We report here the first experimental evidence of a significant retention of a protist community by oysters, supporting the role of protists as a trophic link between picoplankton and benthic filter-feeding bivalves.


ABSTRACT Integrative biological simulations have a varied and controversial history in the biological sciences. From computational models of organelles, cells, and simple organisms, to physiological models of tissues, organ systems, and ecosystems, a diverse array of biological systems have been the target of large-scale computational modeling efforts. Nonetheless, these research agendas have yet to prove decisively their value among the broader community of theoretical and experimental biologists. In this commentary, we examine a range of philosophical and practical issues relevant to understanding the potential of integrative simulations. We discuss the role of theory and modeling in different areas of physics and suggest that certain sub-disciplines of physics provide useful cultural analogies for imagining the future role of simulations in biological research. We examine philosophical issues related to modeling which consistently arise in discussions about integrative simulations and suggest a pragmatic viewpoint that balances a belief in philosophy with the recognition of the relative infancy of our state of philosophical understanding. Finally, we discuss community workflow and publication practices to allow research to be readily discoverable and amenable to incorporation into simulations. We argue that there are aligned incentives in widespread adoption of practices which will both advance the needs of integrative simulation efforts as well as other contemporary trends in the biological sciences, ranging from open science and data sharing to improving reproducibility.


Breast cancer subtype-specific molecular variations can dramatically affect patient responses to existing therapies. It is thought that differentially phosphorylated protein isoforms might be a useful prognostic biomarker of drug response in the clinic. However, the accurate detection and quantitative analysis of cancer-related protein isoforms and phospho-isoforms in tumors are limited by current technologies. Using a novel, fully automated nanocapillary electrophoresis immunoassay (NanoProTM 1000) designed to separate protein molecules based on their isoelectric point, we developed a reliable and highly sensitive assay for the detection and quantitation of AKT isoforms and phosphoforms in breast cancer. This assay enabled the measurement of activated AKT1/2/3 in breast cancer cells using protein produced from as few as 56 cells. Importantly, we were able to assign an identity for the phosphorylated S473 phosphoform of AKT1, the major form of activated AKT involved in multiple cancers, including breast, and a current focus in clinical trials for targeted intervention. The ability of our AKT assay to detect and measure AKT phosphorylation from very low amounts of total protein will allow the accurate evaluation of patient response to drugs targeting activated PI3K-AKT using scarce clinical specimens. Moreover, the capacity of this assay to detect and measure all three AKT isoforms using one single pan-specific antibody enables the study of the multiple and variable roles that these isoforms play in AKT tumorigenesis.


Ultrathin and flexible power sources are essential for the rapid development of portable and wearable electronics. The deployment of 3-dimensional (3-D) nanostructured materials on the current collectors has recently emerged as a promising strategy for preparing high-performance supercapacitors. Additionally, it is equally important to develop an appropriate device packaging technique, so as to maximize the improvement of the electrode performance characteristic. Herein, we develop a simple and efficient method for fabricating ultrathin and flexible supercapacitor electrodes containing a manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanostructure deposited onto 3-D nickel nanocone arrays (NCAs). The MnO2-NCAs electrode was prepared by an electro-deposition technology, which involves the cathode deposition of NCAs on a titanium carrier film as the current collector and subsequent anode deposited from the MnO2 nanostructures as the active material. The electrode can be peeled off from the carrier film and thus the resulting freestanding electrode is as thin as 3 μm, and exhibits outstanding mechanical robustness, high specific capacitance (632 F g−1), enhanced energy density (52.2 W h kg−1) and excellent cycle performance (95.3% retention after 20000 cycles). We further fabricated ultrathin supercapacitors with a total thickness of ∼27 μm, which achieved unprecedented features including superior energy density by volume (2.7 × 10−3 W h cm−3), superior flexibility and reliability. We demonstrated the application of the MnO2-NCAs supercapacitor as an ultrathin power source such as driving a LED indicator. This technology may find vast applications in future wearable electronics.


'Narrative Theory' is an online introduction to classical structuralist narratological analysis. The fourth section deals with the modes of narrative, "showing" and "telling", as theorized by Henry James and other theorists of the dramatic aesthetics in narrative. Outline: 1. Two concepts of narrative distance. 2. The theory of the novel before James; Besant's 'Art of Fiction'; 3. James and the Art of the Novel; 4. The Novel as an Organic Unit; 5. Point of View; 6. The Revaluation of Narrative; 7. Distance: Conclusion.


Candidatus Ornithobacterium hominis sp. nov. represents a new member of the Flavobacteriaceae detected in 16S rRNA gene surveys from Southeast Asia, Africa and Australia. It frequently colonises the infant nasopharynx at high proportional abundance, and we demonstrate its presence in 42% of nasopharyngeal swabs from 12 month old children in the Maela refugee camp in Thailand. The species, a Gram negative bacillus, has not yet been cultured but the cells can be identified in mixed samples by fluorescent hybridisation. Here we report seven genomes assembled from metagenomic data, two to improved draft standard. The genomes are approximately 1.9Mb, sharing 62% average amino acid identity with the only other member of the genus, the bird pathogen Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale. The draft genomes encode multiple antibiotic resistance genes, competition factors, Flavobacterium johnsoniae-like gliding motility genes and a homolog of the Pasteurella multocida mitogenic toxin. Intra- and inter-host genome comparison suggests that colonisation with this bacterium is both persistent and strain exclusive.


Happiness is a fundamental societal metric. Normally it is measured through self-reported answers to questionnaires which do not necessarily reflect experienced utility of respondents. In this paper, we examine instead messages posted on the social networking service Twitter, investigating idiosyncratic shocks of happiness . Our data set comprises over 43 millions of tweets posted on a daily basis in all the 110 Italian provinces and collected during 2012. In measuring happiness, we construct an original index using innovative statistical techniques to quantify the level of happiness at the provincial level related to a specific amount of tweets. We then explore the determinants of happiness in our sample. Variables capturing the overall quality of institutions seem to matter only marginally in affecting the level of happiness of the Italian provinces. On the contrary, meteorological variables and extemporaneous events related to specific days, including the variability of the spread between German and Italian Bonds, have the largest impact.


Poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) is known as an exciting biomaterial owing to its tunable mechanical properties and controllable degradation rate. However, it is always challenging to control these properties. In this study, we have proposed a solvent-based system to provide a better control of reaction temperature in a microwave cavity, which can minimize evaporation of monomers, and water was collected to analyse the degree of esterification. Pre-PGSs with varied degrees of esterification were prepared using both single mode and multimode microwave cavity irradiation (MI) in this solvent-based reaction system. For a similar degree of esterification of pre-PGSs, the reaction time was almost halved with a better control on mechanical properties by single mode MI compared to multimode MI. Furthermore, the single mode MI approach was compared with the conventional heating (CH) approach. The mechanical properties and degradation rate of PGSs can be controlled readily by using the single mode MI approach compared to CH, which are crucial for their application as a biomaterial. It has been found that the single mode MI not only accelerates the pre-polymerisation process rate by six times, but also speeds up the curing time to the same extent. The Young's modulus of PGSs prepared by single mode MI is increased from 0.77 to 3.14 MPa when the degree of esterification is 66.82%, which is 50% higher than that reported in the literature. Furthermore, PGS using a highly branched pre-PGS prepared by the single mode MI method has a large degree of flexibility. It can achieve a much higher Young's modulus than that obtained by CH with a short curing time (<10 hours). In addition, the residual mass of PGSs prepared by single mode MI is varied from 78.54% to 92.96% compared to the CH method that ranges from 84.24% to 93.31%. Thus, these highly branched PGSs produced by single mode MI also show a wider degradation window (approximately 59% higher degree of flexibility than the CH method), which is found to be highly dependent on the degree of esterification and curing time of the pre-polymer, and controlled by branching.


In humanoids and other redundant robots interacting with the environment, one can often choose between different configurations and control parameters to achieve a given task. A classic tool to describe specifications of the desired force/displacement behavior in such problems is the stiffness ellipsoid, whose geometry is affected by the choice of parameters in both joint control and redundancy resolution—namely, gains and angles. As is well known, impedance control techniques can regulate gains to realize any desired shape of the Cartesian stiffness ellipsoid at the end-effector, so that robot geometry selection could appear secondary. However, humans do not use this possibility: To control the stiffness of our arms, we predominantly use arm configurations. Why is that, and does it makes sense to do the same in robots? To understand this discrepancy, we provide a more complete analysis of the task-space force/deformation behavior of compliant redundant arms to illustrate why the arm geometry plays a dominant role in interaction capabilities of robots. We introduce the notion of allowable Cartesian force/displacement ("stiffness feasibility") regions (SFR) for compliant robots with given torque boundaries. We show that different robot configurations modify such regions and explore the role of robot geometry in achieving an appropriate SFR for the task at hand. The novel concepts and definitions are first illustrated in simulations. Experimental results are then provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed Cartesian force and stiffness control.


The authors share a common vision with respect to social justice and disability rights, displaying a common interest in making professional post-secondary education more responsive to persons with disabilities.  While the focus of this research and advocacy is stemming from the work of the Canadian Association of Social Work Education, Persons with Disabilities Caucus, the authors believe it is transferable and applicable to any faculty, school or department within an academic setting.  Within this paper, the authors will highlight eighteen years of work by the caucus including the initial formation of this group, a small group of academics across Canada who joined together with the purpose of transforming post-secondary social work education into an accessible, inclusive environment for disabled persons. Further, the authors will report on research findings related to disability inclusion within Canadian schools of social work, drawing upon the data from the initial survey in 2003 (Dunn, Hanes, Hardie, & MacDonald, 2006), with the primary focus on the most recent survey in 2010 'Ai 2011. Finally, the authors will conclude this paper by presenting the barriers they faced while bringing about curricular and structural changes and the lessons learned from their journey. In essence, they will demonstrate how academics can unite to challenge post-secondary institutions in becoming more accessible to persons with disabilities.


This study presents the first comprehensive evaluation of the performance of three globally high‐resolution remotely sensed products in replicating the main characteristics of rainfall over the Middle East, with special emphasis on extreme wet events. Specifically, we employed daily observational data from a network of rain gauges (N = 217), spanning the retrospective period 1998–2013 and covering six countries in the Middle East (i.e., Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Syria), against data derived from three global satellite‐based precipitation products: the Version 7 TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) Multi‐satellite Precipitation Analysis 3B42 product (TRMM‐3B42), the Climate Prediction Center MORPHing technique (CMORPH), and the Precipitation Estimation from Remotely Sensed Information using Artificial Neural Networks (PERSIANN). Alongside a range of conventional statistical error measures (e.g., bias, normalized root‐mean‐square error [nRMSE] and Spearman's rho correlation coefficient), this study also gives priority to evaluate the skill of these products in reproducing characteristics of extreme wet events (e.g., frequency, intensity, duration, onset, anomaly). Results demonstrate that TRMM‐3B42 generally performs well in estimating rainfall totals during the rainy season (ONDJFMA), with a mean bias of 0.05 mm, nRMSE of 0.15 mm, and Spearman's rho of 0.74 for the whole Middle East. In contrast, PERSIANN‐CDR and CMORPH‐BLD underestimate the observed rainfall. Importantly, TRMM‐3B42 outperforms other products in reproducing the frequency and intensity of the most extreme wet events, while PERSIANN‐CDR and CMORPH‐BLD fail to reproduce these key characteristics. Notably, all products perform poorly in reproducing the climatology of the anomalous wet events in the region, indicating that careful scrutiny must be warranted before using these products, particularly for hydrological modelling. Considering the daily resolution of these remotely sensed precipitation products and their reasonable spatial resolution (0.25 × 0.25°) in comparison to available in situ data over the Middle East, results of this work provide a solid scientific reference for national stakeholders and policy makers to decide on the most useful product for their specific applications (e.g., hydrological modelling, streamflow forecasts, water resources management, and hydrometeorological hazard assessment and mitigation).


BACKGROUND
Poor adherence to long-term antipsychotic injectable (LAI) medication in patients with psychotic disorders is associated with a range of negative outcomes. No psychosocial intervention has been found to be consistently effective in improving adherence.

OBJECTIVES
To test whether or not offering financial incentives is effective and cost-effective in improving adherence and to explore patient and clinician experiences with such incentives.

DESIGN
A cluster randomised controlled trial with economic and nested qualitative evaluation. The intervention period lasted for 12 months with 24 months' follow-up. The unit of randomisation was mental health teams in the community.

SETTING
Community teams in secondary mental health care.

PARTICIPANTS
Patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective psychosis or bipolar illness, receiving ≤ 75% of their prescribed LAI medication. In total, 73 teams with 141 patients (intervention n = 78 and control n = 63) were included.

INTERVENTIONS
Participants in the intervention group received £15 for each LAI medication. Patients in the control group received treatment as usual.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

PRIMARY OUTCOME
adherence to LAI medication (the percentage of received out of those prescribed).

SECONDARY OUTCOMES
percentage of patients with at least 95% adherence; clinical global improvement; subjective quality of life; satisfaction with medication; hospitalisation; adverse events; and costs. Qualitative evaluation: semistructured interviews with patients in the intervention group and their clinicians.

RESULTS

PRIMARY OUTCOME
outcome data were available for 131 patients. Baseline adherence was 69% in the intervention group and 67% in the control group. During the intervention period, adherence was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (85% vs. 71%) [adjusted mean difference 11.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.9% to 19.0%; p = 0.003]. Secondary outcome: patients in the intervention group showed statistically significant improvement in adherence of at least 95% (adjusted odds ratio 8.21, 95% CI 2.00 to 33.67; p = 0.003) and subjective quality of life (difference in means 0.71, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.15; p = 0.002). Follow-ups: after incentives stopped, adherence did not differ significantly between groups, neither during the first 6 months (adjusted difference in means -7.4%, 95% CI -17.0% to 2.1%; p = 0.175) nor during the period from month 7 to month 24 (difference in means -5.7%, 95% CI -13.1% to 1.7%; p = 0.130). Cost-effectiveness: the average costs of the financial incentives was £303. Overall costs per patient were somewhat higher in the intervention group, but the difference was not significant. Semistructured interviews: the majority of patients and clinicians reported positive experiences with the incentives beyond their monetary value. These included improvement in the therapeutic relationship. The majority of both patients and clinicians perceived no negative impact after the intervention was stopped after 1 year.

CONCLUSIONS
Financial incentives are effective in improving adherence to LAI medication. Health-care costs (including costs of the financial incentive) are unlikely to be increased substantially by this intervention. Once the incentives stop, the advantage is not maintained. The experiences of both patients and clinicians are largely, but not exclusively, positive. Whether or not financial incentives are effective for patients with more favourable background, those on oral mediation or for shorter or longer time periods remains unknown.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN77769281.

FUNDING
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 20, No. 70. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.


The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) reflective solar bands (RSBs) are calibrated on-orbit using an onboard solar diffuser (SD) panel, made of Spectralon. An onboard Solar Diffuser Stability Monitor (SDSM) tracks the SDs degradation. The SDSM views the sun through a 1.44% attenuation screen during SD calibration. The observed SDSM sun view response has shown serious unexpected ripples that are as large as 10% of the averaged response and consequently disable the originally designed SD degradation tracking algorithms. In this report, a model based on geometric factors and design parameters is developed to simulate the SDSM sun view response. It is shown that the ripples are induced by erroneous design parameters and incorrect installation of the involved optical elements. The model could be used to improve the MODIS SD calibration and to provide helpful information for the design of future remote sensing systems.


Norway is currently the only Western European state and 'old' NATO member that strongly relies on the traditional dimension of NATO's collective defence. It is also the only ally in Western Europe which perceives Russia as a threat to its military security, in the so-called High North.

In order to successfully deal with the potential challenges and threats in the region, Norway has been pursuing a defence policy based on cooperation and deterrence. Cooperation means improving collaboration with Russia in cross-border relations, in the petroleum sector and in the military sphere. The deterrent measures include maintaining NATO's credibility as a collective defence alliance; increasing military cooperation with the United States; building up Norway's own military capabilities; and developing military cooperation across Northern Europe.

The primary objective of Oslo's defence policy is to minimise the likelihood of crises and conflicts emerging in the High North which could prove too 'big' for Norway but too 'small' for NATO.


The RSA system is widely employed and achieves good performance and high security. In this paper, we use Verilog to implement a 16-bit RSA block cipher system. The whole implementation includes three parts: key generation, encryption and decryption process. The key generation stage aims to generate a pair of public key and private key, and then the private key will be distributed to receiver according to certain key distribution schemes. Data security is achieved after the 64-bit input data are block encrypted by RSA public key. The cipher text can be decrypted at receiver side by RSA secret key. These are simulated in NC LAUNCH and hardware is synthesized using RTL Compiler of CADENCE. Netlist generated from RTL Compiler will be used to generate IC.


The spatio-temporal evolution of the current distribution at a disk electrode during a current pulse has been examined within the mathematical formalism introduced by NisancioŽlu and Newman[J. Electrochem. Soc., 120, 1339 (1973)]. Under conditions in which the disk electrode-electrolyte interface can be represented by a capacitor (double layer) in parallel with a resistor (linearized faradaic process), the dominant contribution to the total disk current density, i T , immediately following application of the current step, is capacitive, i C . During this period, both i C and the significantly smaller faradaic component of i T , i F , are highly nonuniform over the disk surface, attaining maximum values at its edge. At longer times, i C decreases and i F increases, becoming the only contribution to i T when steady state is reached. Upon current interruption, the charged interface relaxes via two distinct pathways: a faradaic shorting of the double layer and a redistribution of the charge stored in the interfacial capacitor, which, for the electrolyte plate, generates current loops extending far into the solution that terminate near the edge of the disk electrode. This zero total current condition across the entire electrode leads to the development of a concentric ring, where i C and i F are equal in magnitude but opposite in sign, which propagates toward the center of the disk as steady state is approached.


Glycosylated p-hydroxybenzoic acid methyl esters and structurally related phenolphthiocerol glycolipids are important virulence factors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Although both types of molecules are thought to be derived from p-hydroxybenzoic acid, the origin of this putative biosynthetic precursor in mycobacteria remained to be established. We describe the characterization of a transposon mutant of M. tuberculosis deficient in the production of all forms of p-hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives. The transposon was found to be inserted in Rv2949c, a gene located in the vicinity of the polyketide synthase gene pks15/1, involved in the elongation of p-hydroxybenzoate to phenolphthiocerol in phenolic glycolipid-producing strains. A recombinant form of the Rv2949c enzyme was produced in the fast-growing non-pathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis and purified to near homogeneity. The recombinant enzyme catalyzed the removal of the pyruvyl moiety of chorismate to form p-hydroxybenzoate with an apparent Km value for chorismate of 19.7 μm and a kcat value of 0.102 s-1. Strong inhibition of the reaction by p-hydroxybenzoate but not by pyruvate was observed. These results establish Rv2949c as a chorismate pyruvate-lyase responsible for the direct conversion of chorismate to p-hydroxybenzoate and identify Rv2949c as the sole enzymatic source of p-hydroxybenzoic acid in M. tuberculosis.


This paper derives the infinite horizon CCAPM with heterogeneous agents, stochastic dividend taxation and monetary policy. I find that under reasonable assumptions on assets' dividends and probability distributions of the future dividend taxes and consumption, the model implies the constant price/after-tax dividend ratios. I also obtain that the higher current and expected dividend tax rates imply lower current asset prices. Finally, contrary to popular belief, monetary policy is neutral, in the long run, with respect to the real equilibrium asset prices.


Reservoir computing (RC) is a technique in machine learning inspired by neural systems. RC has been used successfully to solve complex problems such as signal classification and signal generation. These systems are mainly implemented in software, and thereby they are limited in speed and power efficiency. Several optical and optoelectronic implementations have been demonstrated, in which the system has signals with an amplitude and phase. It is proven that these enrich the dynamics of the system, which is beneficial for the performance. In this paper, we introduce a novel optical architecture based on nanophotonic crystal cavities. This allows us to integrate many neurons on one chip, which, compared with other photonic solutions, closest resembles a classical neural network. Furthermore, the components are passive, which simplifies the design and reduces the power consumption. To assess the performance of this network, we train a photonic network to generate periodic patterns, using an alternative online learning rule called first-order reduced and corrected error. For this, we first train a classical hyperbolic tangent reservoir, but then we vary some of the properties to incorporate typical aspects of a photonics reservoir, such as the use of continuous-time versus discrete-time signals and the use of complex-valued versus real-valued signals. Then, the nanophotonic reservoir is simulated and we explore the role of relevant parameters such as the topology, the phases between the resonators, the number of nodes that are biased and the delay between the resonators. It is important that these parameters are chosen such that no strong self-oscillations occur. Finally, our results show that for a signal generation task a complex-valued, continuous-time nanophotonic reservoir outperforms a classical (i.e., discrete-time, real-valued) leaky hyperbolic tangent reservoir (normalized root-mean-square errors=0.030 versus NRMSE=0.127).


In this Ph.D Thesis a computing procedure is proposed as possible tool to simulate and analyze the flow field in a thin film deposition apparatus similar to the van de Sanden deposition apparatus at the University of Eindhoven. A sensitivity analysis of test parameters (electrical power supplied to the torch, precursor mass flow rate, thermo-fluid-dynamic quantities at the inlet chamber section by means of different nozzle geometry) on fluidics is evaluated. More over a method is proposed for a very preliminary evaluation of the film thickness distribution on the substrate and the influence of the above test parameters on film distribution is carried out. The computing procedure is based on two codes working in tandem. The first code is a pre-processor and simulates the flow field in the torch, where Argon is ionized according to the Saha's equation and in part of the nozzle. The second code is the commercial DS2V code based on Direct Simulation Monte Carlo method and simulates the flow field in the remaining part of nozzle and in the whole chamber. Gas is a mixture of 21 chemical species and 24 chemical reactions from Argon plasma and Acetylene are implemented in both codes. Results show that the effects of the electrical power as well as of the mass flow rate look to be not very strong on the shock wave intensity, while are not negligible on the shock wave thickness. For what concern the film distribution, the sensitivity analysis verifies that the higher is electrical power and the precursor mass flow rate, the ticker and less uniform is the film.


Depth estimation in computer vision and robotics is most commonly done via stereo vision (stereopsis), in which images from two cameras are used to triangulate and estimate distances. However, there are also numerous monocular visual cues--such as texture variations and gradients, defocus, color/haze, etc. --that have heretofore been little exploited in such systems. Some of these cues apply even in regions without texture, where stereo would work poorly. In this paper, we apply a Markov Random Field (MRF) learning algorithm to capture some of these monocular cues, and incorporate them into a stereo system. We show that by adding monocular cues to stereo (triangulation) ones, we obtain significantly more accurate depth estimates than is possible using either monocular or stereo cues alone. This holds true for a large variety of environments, including both indoor environments and unstructured outdoor environments containing trees/forests, buildings, etc. Our approach is general, and applies to incorporating monocular cues together with any off-the-shelf stereo system.


The Chinese have labored to perfect the art of gemstone carving for several thousand years. Beginning with primitive tools and limited materials, they eventually developed the iron-tipped spindles and treadle machines that were to become the traditional tools of the trade for two millenia. With these relatively simple implements andmeticulous craftsmanship, Chinese master carvers have produced some o f the world's most sophisticated gemstone carvings. Within the past 10 years, however, increased government01 participation, the ovailability of powerdriven machinery, and more varied carving materials have had a major impact on gemstone carving in China.


Objective: Mandibular movements have been investigated for decades in dentistry to diagnose problems related to the masticatory system and temporomandibular joint. This study proposes a novel method for analysing the border movements of the mandible using 3D electromagnetic articulography and scripts developed in MATLAB software, which has the advantages of free and accurate assessment of movements in three dimensions from different angles.
Methods: Mandibular border movements of six patients were recorded using a magnetic articulograph AG501 with 5 sensors (4 static and 1 dynamic) in the protocols: 1. maximum mouth opening associated with noncontact laterality movements; 2. border movement in the frontal plane; and 3. border movement in the sagittal plane.
Results: The means of the parameters evaluated were 39.9 ± 4.7 mm for mouth opening (displacement on the vertical axis); 61.6 ± 6.5 mm for opening along the three-dimensional trajectory; 11.3 ± 2.1 mm and 11.6 ± 2.5 mm for displacement of non-contacting right and left laterality, respectively; (Posselt's envelope of motion-frontal view) 481.5 ± 110 mm2 frontal border movement polygon area; and 65.3 ± 31.6 mm2 sagittal border movement polygon area (Posselt's envelope of motion-sagittal view).
Conclusion: The method for analysing border mandibular movement proposed in this study using EMA AG501 and MATLAB scripts generate graphical data similar to classic studies and provided high precision data in a systematic, easy and intuitive way, allowing for further analysis with patients in different clinical conditions as well as the possibility of association with different analysis modalities.


The conjugative transfer genes of 52-kb staphylococcal R plasmid pGO1 were localized to a single BglII restriction fragment and cloned in Escherichia coli. Sequence analysis of the 13,612-base transfer region, designated trs, identified 14 intact open reading frames (ORFs), 13 of which were transcribed in the same direction. Each ORF identified was preceded by a typical staphylococcal ribosomal binding sequence, and 10 of the 14 proteins predicted to be encoded by these ORFs were seen when an E. coli in vitro transcription-translation system was used. Functional transcription units were identified in a Staphylococcus aureus host by complementation of Tn917 inserts that abolished transfer and by Northern (RNA) blot analysis of pGO1 mRNA transcripts. These studies identified three complementation groups (trsA through trsC, trsD through trsK, and trsL-trsM) and four mRNA transcripts (trsA through trsC [1.8 kb], trsA-trsB [1.3 kb], trsL-trsM [1.5 kb], and trsN [400 bases]). No definite mRNA transcript was seen for the largest complementation group, trsD through trsK (10 kb). Comparison of predicted trs-encoded amino acid sequences to those in the data base showed 20% identity of trsK to three related genes necessary for conjugative transfer of plasmids in gram-negative species and 32% identity of trsC to a gene required for conjugative mobilization of plasmid pC221 from staphylococci.


The Drosophila retroelement gypsy has a number of unusual features including an unusual LTR terminal sequence and an apparent target sequence preference. The ovo locus is a known hotspot for gypsy insertion. We examined the target sequence preference of gypsy within ovo by isolating 26 new insertions and sequencing the gypsy/ovo junctions. Insertions were found at multiple sites within the ovo locus. The insertions clustered within an approximately 150 bp region in the non-translated region of the ovo beta transcript, with most insertions falling within the first intron. There were seven sites of insertion within this region and these mostly conform to the consensus sequence YRYRYR (where Y = pyrimidine and R = purine). However, this target sequence is at best necessary but not sufficient to specify a hotspot, as there were several other sequences conforming to this consensus in the ovo locus that were not hit. The results indicate that gypsy may have a higher degree of target specificity than most infectious LTR retroelements.


Isolation of graphene is today a milestone in condensed matter physics that paves the way to a new entire class of 2D synthetic materials referred to as Xenes with no analogous bulk layered allotropes. The booming rush to discover first novel and unprecedented materials flows into two generations of Xenes: the first one strictly relates to carbon being made of elements of the IV/14 column/group of the periodic table, and the second one includes elements of the adjacent columns. From borophene to tellurene, with rare exceptions, the physics and chemistry of the elements are rewritten and herein reviewed in terms of their fundamental and peculiar properties. Particular attention is paid to the epitaxial methodologies and configurational details, aiming at determining key points for nanotechnology applications of the Xenes afforded by scalability, quality, and stability aspects. Finally, the ongoing efforts to devise and realize applications based on the Xenes are summarized.


In order to reduce the use of fossil fuel without interfering the availability of food crop, Cerbera manghas biodiesel has been studied as potential renewable fuel. This study investigated Cerbera manghas biodiesel as a replacement for pure petro-diesel and palm oil biodiesel produced in Indonesia. The investigation result indicates that Cerbera manghas biodiesel fuel has a lower density, kinematic viscosity, sulfur content, color (lighter), water content, distillation point compared to pure petro-diesel and palm oil biodiesel. Higher flash point and cetane index value in Cerbera manghas biodiesel were also discovered. The study investigated further the effect of biodiesel derived from Cerbera manghas biodiesel compared with pure petro-diesel and palm oil biodiesel in a single cylinder diesel engine. The study suggested that Cerbera manghas biodiesel has better engine performance (fuel consumption, brake mean effective pressure, thermal efficiency, torque, and power) compared to pure petro-diesel and palm oil biodiesel. The utilization of Cerbera manghas biodiesel gave better engine performance output compared to pure petro-diesel and palm oil biodiesel. This study supported the viability of Cerbera manghas biodiesel to be implemented as an alternative diesel fuel without interfering food resources or requiring additional modification to the existing diesel engine.


There is one file -- a PDF derived from a PowerPoint presentation -- which was created for Journalism 231, Communication Theory during Fall term 2015. The course was taught by Professor Claudette G. Artwick.


The aim of this paper is to develop a conceptual model which allows for an understanding of the general and discipline specific support needed by academics new to the profession. The approach taken is qualitative in nature and centers around a series of semi-structured interviews carried out with new academics and senior managers in two research-intensive business schools in the UK. The research suggests that there are four crucial dimensions to successful career support for new academics: managing expectations, career management, mentoring, and professional development. While it is important to offer good practice in each of these dimensions, this paper argues that it is the relationship between them, which determines the quality of career support offered. This paper offers a number of original insights into this issue and contributes to both the scant literature on career support for new academics and to practice with a model that may have applicability across a number of different settings.


Third-party tracking allows companies to collect users' behavioural data and track their activity across digital devices. This can put deep insights into users' private lives into the hands of strangers, and often happens without users' awareness or explicit consent. EU and UK data protection law, however, requires consent, both 1) to access and store information on users' devices and 2) to legitimate the processing of personal data as part of third-party tracking, as we analyse in this paper. This paper further investigates whether and to what extent consent is implemented in mobile apps. First, we analyse a representative sample of apps from the Google Play Store. We find that most apps engage in third-party tracking, but few obtained consent before doing so, indicating potentially widespread violations of EU and UK privacy law. Second, we examine the most common third-party tracking libraries in detail. While most acknowledge that they rely on app developers to obtain consent on their behalf, they typically fail to put in place robust measures to ensure this: disclosure of consent requirements is limited; default consent implementations are lacking; and compliance guidance is difficult to find, hard to read, and poorly maintained.


The diverse planetary environments in the solar system react in somewhat different ways to the encompassing influence of the Sun. These different interactions define the electrostatic phenomena that take place on and near planetary surfaces. The desire to understand the electrostatic environments of planetary surfaces goes beyond scientific inquiry. These environments have enormous implications for both human and robotic exploration of the solar system. This book describes in some detail what is known about the electrostatic environment of the solar system from early and current experiments on Earth as well as what is being learned from the instrumentation on the space exploration missions (NASA, European Space Agency, and the Japanese Space Agency) of the last few decades. It begins with a brief review of the basic principles of electrostatics.


This paper introduces two different microcontroller based three phase induction motor starters, the first using electromechanical star-delta with reactor starting and the second utilizes electronic AC voltage controllers starting technique. For each of the proposed methods, the experimental setup is implemented and the output voltage, current and speed waveforms were demonstrated and analyzed for different selection options and operating conditions. A dynamic model of three phase induction motor has been developed to validate a model of six terminals connection motor for star and delta performance analysis. The model has been utilized for the simulation analysis and comparison of various electromechanical and electronic induction motor starters techniques. Comparison between commercial analog controller based soft starter LH4-N2 and the proposed starter has been introduced as well. Experimental and simulation waveforms obtained are matched validating the proposed starters for practical applications.


OBJECTIVE
To analyse the expression and specificity of co-receptors for the entry of HIV and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) into megakaryocytes.

DESIGN AND METHODS
The expression of co-receptors was determined by flow cytometric analysis in combination with reverse transcription-polymerase chain (RT-PCR) reaction. The specificity of co-receptors in virus entry was determined by the infection of HIV-1 pseudotyped with X4- (HXB2), R5- (YU2), or R5X4-tropic (89.6) envelope proteins of HIV-1 or with envelope proteins of SIVpbj1.9.

RESULTS
The model human erythroleukemia (HEL) cell line, exhibiting megakaryocytic-like properties, expressed CCR5, CCR3, CXCR4, and CPR15/BOB, and all viruses except YU2 (R5) efficiently entered the cells. The blocking of virus entry with specific chemokines showed that the entry of HXB2 (X4) was impaired by SDF-1beta but not by other chemokines, indicating that CXCR4 was a major co-receptor for the entry of HXB2. Primary human bone marrow megakaryocytes displayed a different repertoire of co-receptor expression from that of HEL cells, as all viruses except YU2 efficiently entered these cells. However, chemokine blocking experiments showed that the entry of HXB2 into primary bone marrow megakaryocytes was insufficiently blocked by SDF-1beta compared with the entry into HEL cells, suggesting that alternative co-receptors could be employed for the entry of X4 virus into bone marrow cells.

CONCLUSION
These data suggest that cells of megakaryocytic lineage are susceptible to infection by X4 viruses, with less marked susceptibility to R5 isolates, and that SDF-1beta efficiently blocks the infection of HEL cells but not of primary bone marrow megakaryocytes. Our data reveal that novel co-receptors are probably utilized for the entry of X4 virus into megakaryocytes.


Congenital absence of the vas deferens (CAVD) has been considered a virtually untreatable cause of male infertility. Men with this condition have been shown on testicular biopsy to have adequate spermatogenesis, and are theoretically producing sperm capable of fertilizing an oocyte. Yet epididymal transit was thought to be essential for the maturation of spermatozoa and development of their fertilizing ability since the characteristics of sperm motility improve as the sperm passes through the cauda. However recent studies in man have shown that spermatozoa aspirated from the obstructed caput epididymis and ductuli efferentia are, in fact, capable of fertilization in vitro. Microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA) from the proximal region (caput) of the epididymis, obtained 0.5 x 10(6) sperm per ml, following washing and direct swim-up. Twelve oocytes were inseminated and three embryos were generated for transfer. The patient conceived and delivered a healthy female baby weighting 2838 gm, on March 3, 1994. This is the first documentation in Taiwan of live birth resulting from MESA from a patient with CAVD combined with in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.


The study attempts to measure organization's perception on learning and growth with the help of Balanced scorecard model  in a multinational firm of Bangladesh.That is to say, in this paper it has been shown how a proper and effective knowledge management can make possible the organization's financial success that can be revealed using the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) framework. Additionally, the perception about knowledge management , its linkage to the BSC and its usage have been identified. Primary  data  collected  for conducting  this  emperical  research was carried out through survey method using structured questionnaire. Data were then analysed with the help of bi-variate and  multi-vatiate techniques of statistics. Empirical results of our study suggest that learning and growing organization is one in which knowledge management activities are deployed and expanded with a view to leverage the creativity of all the people in the organization The result also evidenced that BSC, as a strategic performance measurement tool, helps in strategic management by linking some strategically significant, relevant, and interrelated measures or indicators with organizational emphasis on knowledge and learning initiatives.


The phenomenon of organizations offering service bundles can typically be observed in dynamic markets with heterogeneous customer demand. Available literature broaching the issue of service bundling covers strategic considerations for organizations related to their respective market position as well as their pricing options for different bundle configurations. However, little guidance can be found regarding the identification of potential bundle candidates and the actual process of bundling. In this paper, we present an approach to service bundling that can be utilized by organizations to identify services that are suitable for bundling. The contribution of the paper is twofold. Firstly, the proposed method represents a structured conceptualization approach for organizations to facilitate the creation of bundles in practice based on empirical findings. Secondly, from a Design Science research perspective, the proposed method represents an innovative artifact that extends the academic knowledge base related to service management.


In this paper, we adapt a broad understanding of the term media (after McLuhan) and discuss the term geomedia, which we define in a wider sense, focusing not only on localized forms of geomedia, such as digital maps, but also on representations that are loosely linked to the lifeworld, without geometrically and geographically measurable addresses. Furthermore, geomedia, like all media, refer to a communication space which creates spaces of the in-between. In the case of geomedia, these spaces of the in-between are somehow de-linked from geographical spaces and the limitations of the lifeworld. At the same time, geomedia are closely linked to spaces, due both to the lifeworld content to which geomedia refer and to the influence of geomedia on human action. These spaces of the in-between can open up in digital and analogue media, which we regard as inseparably intertwined. This opening up of the in-between presents opportunities for people, including marginalized groups, to get connected and stimulate social actions by sharing interests, exchanging ideas or criticizing social injustices, as well as discussing options for implementing social change. Given the strong connection between communication, participation and being innovative, we argue that geomedia are useful instruments that enable people to acquire innovativeness, which in turn fosters their ability to participate in


Second and third hand smoke exposure increases risk for a number of cancers and other adverse health effects in smokers and non- smokers. Public health campaigns have reduced smoking in many types of public enclosed spaces, but the residential environment remains an important area for risk reduction. In multi-unit housing, significant exposure due to drift between units has led to market and policy efforts to promote smoke-free multi-unit housing options. Public housing authorities have implemented smoke-free policies in greater numbers since the 2009 HUD Healthy Homes Strategic Plan, but the implementation of smoke-free policies in public housing, which must serve diverse communities of low income families, disabled, and elderly residents, presents ethical and logistical challenges. The Philadelphia Housing Authority is the fourth largest housing authority in the US, serving over 80,000 residents, and is among the largest to implement smoke-free policies. The Drexel School of Public Health, in partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has conducted a longitudinal mixed methods evaluation of the implementation process. Our formative evaluation began with in-depth interviews and focus groups with residents, including smokers and non-smokers, as well as PHA staff, policy leaders, and local tobacco control stakeholders, as well as ethnographic observations of the tobacco use culture in diverse housing communities in Philadelphia. We then conducted baseline interviews with a sample of residents in four communities, and conducted air nicotine monitoring in both residents9 homes and in public areas, including elevators, laundry rooms, hallways, and lobbies. During implementation, we will continue to monitor resident knowledge, attitudes and tobacco related behaviors, as well as tobacco use in public and home environments. Results will be discussed in the context of community behavior change, and tobacco control policies for high risk, low resource communities. As well, the Philadelphia example will be compared to other cities and communities, and to the broader theory of implementation science for public health. Citation Format: Ann Carroll Klassen. Dissemination and implementation of cancer prevention policies: The example of smoke-free public housing. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2014 Sep 27-Oct 1; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2015;8(10 Suppl): Abstract nr CN03-01.


This environmental assessment for the Mexico - Transport Corridors, presents recommendations for mitigating impacts during construction of the corridor. Recommendations include: selection of construction yards for storage of materials and transportation equipment; avoid dust propagation caused by earth removal and smoke generated by trucks; use of noise control techniques on noisy equipment, such as the use of machinery equipped with appropriate mufflers; proper handling of demolition debris in accordance existing regulations of the Government of Mexico City; affected land and vegetation will be restored to its original conditions; temporary work camps are to provide facilities for garbage and sanitary waste management; and spray with water using pressurized water jets to control dust, specially during dry or windy weather. A manual and training on environmental good practices will be offered to construction, administrative personnel, administrators of materials, and subcontracting staff.


PURPOSE
Complications from renal angiomyolipomas (AMLs) are common in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) and tumors greater than 4 cm are more likely to cause symptoms. AMLs are the most common cause of death in adults with TSC. We present our long-term experience with transcatheter tumor embolization as a definitive treatment for AMLs due to TSC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 16 patients with TSC between 7.5 and 47.2 years old with symptomatic or large (4 to 21 cm) AMLs underwent embolization. Followup consisted of periodic physician visits or telephone contacts and renal imaging.

RESULTS
The 16 patients underwent 18 treatment sessions to embolize 27 tumors. There were no intraoperative complications. The post-embolization syndrome occurred in 11 individuals but all responded to medical management. Two individuals had an arterial aneurysm within a tumor. The AML size decreased in the 13 patients who were imaged 3 months after treatment, and the 7 patients who were imaged 3 to 9 years after treatment have shown no tumor regrowth. No renal failure or hemorrhage has developed in patients following embolization.

CONCLUSIONS
Transcatheter embolization of symptomatic or large AMLs due to TSC prevents hemorrhage and renal loss. The treatment is minimally invasive, preserves renal function, and can be performed multiple times. All of the patients who underwent followup renal imaging after embolization showed decreased AML size, and none of the 16 patients has developed renal loss or renal insufficiency in these individuals. Embolization should be considered the initial treatment of choice for large or symptomatic AMLs.


This paper summarizes 'procedural justice' approaches to policing, contrasting these to the more politically dominant discourse about policing as crime control. It argues that public trust in policing is needed partly because this may result in public cooperation with justice, but more importantly because public trust in justice builds institutional legitimacy and thus public compliance with the law and commitment to the rule of law. Some recent survey findings are presented in support of this perspective.


To say that the rules governing lawyers do - or should - reflect a commitment to truth is a worthy goal, but it misapprehends how the professional standards should be applied. Many accuse lawyers of being liars with little devotion to the truth, while the law imposes on them a fiduciary obligation to put their clients' interests ahead of their own. References to "truth" tend to obfuscate rather then clarify the role of the lawyer. The core of the lawyer-client relationship is trust, protected by the attorney-client privilege that prevents an attorney from being compelled - with limited exceptions - to reveal what a client communicated in the course of the representation. That privilege, of course, frustrates the search for the truth because the lawyer ordinarily may not reveal what has been learned during the representation of the client, even after the client's death. Dedication to the truth cannot be the lawyer's paramount goal when every attorney is equally compelled to keep the truth hidden, at least if it is in the client's interest and there is no basis to avoid the protection afforded client communications. Finding the truth is the object of the judicial system, but it is not the governing principle for the lawyer. Instead, the focus for the lawyer should be honesty in dealing with clients, opponents, and the system. The principle of honesty governs the attorney in all forms of representation, not just when he is acting on behalf of a client in the course of an adjudication. While truth and honesty are certainly related, they are not identical. In this article, I use honesty to cover assertions - both verbal and non-verbal - by the attorney on behalf of a client, such as expressions of fact, legal argument, or a negotiating position. While truth is focused more on determining the existence of an historical fact, honesty focuses on the accuracy and authenticity of the lawyer's current assertions on behalf of the client. An attorney's honesty will assist a tribunal in ascertaining the truth, yet that is not the core function of the lawyer acting on behalf of a client. Whenever a lawyer communicates, whether it is to the court, to an opposing party or attorney, or even to a client, that communication must be honest. I do not offer honesty as a heretofore unrevealed agenda in the professional responsibility rules or as a curative measure for resolving every conflict among duties a lawyer can face in practice. Instead, the idea that lawyers must be honest when they offer information or take a position can provide a guide to understanding how to resolve some of the difficult issues in practicing law. Lawyers do not operate in a vacuum, and the professional responsibility rules and other guidelines that regulate attorneys provide only limited assistance in resolving difficult issues. The principle of honesty, rather than truth, can provide a further means, in addition to the lawyer's own ethical judgment, to accommodate the dual roles of the attorney as an advocate for a client and an officer of the court.


Either meeting the UNFCCC Paris agreement to limit global average warming below the 2–1.5 °C threshold, or going beyond it entails huge challenges in terms of institutional innovation and transformation. This research describes a participatory integrated assessment process aimed at exploring the options, opportunities, necessary capacities and implications for institutional co-operation and innovation in the Iberian Peninsula under High-End Climate Change (HECC). Using in-depth interviews and a novel participatory research approach, different scenario narratives and pathways about the future of Iberia have been identified using Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs). Special attention is given to the knowledge and policy options needed to implement cross-border organizational changes and co-operation mechanisms that would support the Integrated Climate Governance of the Tagus and Guadiana river basins. We show that a wealth of institutional innovation pathways and specific options and solutions exist not only to reduce GHG emissions (mitigation) and the negative impacts of climate change (adaptation), but, above all, to generate new forms of social-ecological system interactions aligned with sustainability (transformation). In particular, and depending on which scenario contexts unfold in the future in Iberia, different kinds of institutional and governance capacities and clusters of solutions may be needed in order to achieve transformation.


Entrepreneurial Finance: Strategy, Valuation, and Deal Structure applies the theory and methods of finance and economics to the rapidly evolving field of entrepreneurial finance. This approach reveals how entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and outside investors can rely on academic foundations as a framework to guide decision making. Unlike other texts, this book prepares readers for a wide variety of situations and problems that stakeholders might confront in an entrepreneurial venture. Readers will find a unique and direct focus on value creation as the objective of each strategic and financial choice that an entrepreneur or investor makes. The authors specifically address the influences of risk and uncertainty on new venture success, devoting substantial attention to methods of financial modeling and contract design. Finally, the authors provide a comprehensive survey of approaches to new venture valuation, with an emphasis on applications. The book appeals to a wide range of teaching and learning preferences. To help bring the book to life, simulation exercises appear throughout the text. For those who favor the case method, the authors provide a series of interactive cases that correspond with the book chapters, as well as suggestions for published cases. Finally, the book is organized to complement the development of a business plan for those who wish to create one as they read along. Entrepreneurial Finance is most effectively used in conjunction with a companion website, http://www.sup.org/entrepreneurialfinance. On this site, Venture.Sim simulation software, spreadsheets, templates, simulation applications, interactive cases, and tutorials will be available for download. For those teaching from the book, the authors also provide an invaluable suite of instructor's resources.


n engl j med 370;16 nejm.org april 17, 2014 1541 A 19-year-old woman presented with amputation of her left ear by a pit bull (Panels A and B). The patient's tetanus vaccination and the dog's rabies vaccination were up to date. The ear was débrided and replanted by microvascular anastomosis of a 0.3-mm branch of the posterior auricular artery. Since no suitable veins were found, medicinal leeches (Hirudo medicinalis) provided venous drainage for 17 days (Panel C). Ciprofloxacin was administered as prophylaxis against Aeromonas hydrophila bacteria, which are found in a leech's digestive tract. Aspirin and heparin, followed by enoxaparin, were administered to prevent thrombosis. The patient recovered without complications. The ear did not lose viability, and 24 days postoperatively, a normal appearance had been restored (Panel D); 4 months postoperatively, the result was stable and the normal appearance was maintained. Although advances have been made in bioengineering and allogeneic transplantation of facial structures, replantation of a patient's own tissue is ideal when possible.


Establishing business intelligence analytics (BIA) in small- and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises is a pervasive problem. SME's - the majority of businesses - play an important role in creating jobs, but research is primarily focused on large corporations. The authors worked with small manufacturing companies at the aspirational capability level but found that their motivation to introduce BIA was low. They had many business challenges but perceived the obstacles (primarily cost and effort) as too great, and their priorities were with operational issues. A two-phase approach based on a well-known analytics maturity model was devised to help raise company motivation. The article describes three studies in different companies using variations of the approach. Comparative analysis of the cases shows that demonstrating a clear path to improved functional efficiency is key to improving motivation, and that simple, easy to learn tools can provide these insights at little cost.


Urban mobility is a difficult sustainability challenge; measures to reduce transport impacts produce only marginal reductions in overall energy use and CO2 emissions. Even fuel switch to electric vehicles and measures to manage traffic produce insufficient improvements. Seeking transport sustainability within the existing socio-technical regime involves policy approaches for dense cities to provide high-capacity, corridor-based public transport, expecting people to arrange their lives around such transport systems. Yet this socio-technical regime ill-fits modern mobility needs.
 The reluctance to use public transport stems much from this 150 year old regime configuration. The social-technical landscape has shifted significantly: travel patterns are increasingly dispersed in space and time – not funnelled into traditional corridor peak-hour movements. The key is not getting people to return to travel patterns of 100 years ago, but in a transition to a socio-technical transport regime that delivers sustainability compatible with the 21st century social-technical landscape. An opportunity may be emerging for socio-technical configurations in niche environments to effect transitions to alternate mobility futures. Autonomous vehicles are rapidly approaching market application. Since 2011, small autonomous pods have operated on segregated tracks at Heathrow Airport. In 2014 a similar system opened at the Suncheon Bay tourist area in South Korea. Since 2011 there have been public street trials of autonomous vehicles in the USA and in 2015 they became street legal in the UK. The Milton Keynes (MK) 'Pathfinder' project focuses on two-seat pods which do not need segregated tracks, but will run on cycleways and footpaths, mixing with cyclists and pedestrians. Trials will start in 2015, on short distance links from the railway station to destinations in Central Milton Keynes. This project forms part of the wider Milton Keynes Future Cities Programme and Open University-led MK:Smart project. This paper draws on these trials in MK to show through case study research how autonomous vehicles applications are moving beyond protected niches and, along with other developments, hold the potential to stimulate a major transition in public transport systems. The vehicles are small and each journey is individual to the passenger(s). Services do not run along corridor routes, like buses and trams, but are based on alternate rule-sets to the existing regime with individual journeys customised for each user. Such developments may therefore stimulate transition to totally different sorts of public transport systems and ultimately, socio-technical mobility regimes, by offering much more to users than any corridor system can provide. Rather than people adjusting their behaviour to bus routes, schedules and operating times, they travel directly, whenever they want, on services running 24/7. Thus these new regimes could be more compatible with lifestyle and economic trends that comprise 21st century socio-technical landscapes. As such, they provide credible alternatives to the private car, and so hold potential to deliver major sustainability gains. But such transitions face major challenges from entrenched actors within the existing regime. Taxis, minicabs and bus operators would be threatened. If the Uber cab app is being blocked by incumbent actors, they look likely to be powerful opponents of autonomous vehicle based cab services. However, MK provides an interesting innovation context where there are several overlapping smart transport niches in different stages of development. As well as autonomous pods, demand responsive minibuses are planned and inductive changed electric buses are in service. If these projects build links to each other (niche accumulation), demonstrate economic value and reproduced beyond their original experimental spaces (niche proliferation), there is potential for them to overcome incumbent resistance. In Milton Keynes, these processes could be getting close to reaching critical mass, opening up the possibility of moving closer to radical regime transitions.


Introduction: In view of the fact that motivation is linked directly to the learning process and educational achievement, this study endeavored to identify strategies to improve students' educational achievement motivation at Guilan University of Medical Sciences.
Methods: To conduct this descriptive-analytical study, 368 students from Guilan University of Medical Sciences were selected using simple random sampling from 2013-2014. All of the Guilan University of Medical Sciences' students met the general eligibility criteria except guest students. The questionnaire included five domains of economic, socio-cultural, educational, geo-regional, and personality factors in educational achievement motivation. Through using descriptive and inferential statistics (Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests), the compiled data were analyzed at the significance level of 0.05.
Results: Data analysis revealed that socio-cultural factors have the maximum score (64.14 ± 9.92) and geo-regional factors have the minimum score (19.01±3.63) on the participants' educational achievement motivation. What is more, a significant difference was revealed between educational field and educational effective factors as well as educational level and educational effective factors (p<0.011, p<0.004, respectively).
Conclusion: Given that the socio-cultural factors had the maximum score on the students' educational achievement motivation, it is recommended that university officials take these factors into account, and attempt to plan to provide appropriate strategies to enhance their students' motivation, specifically their educational achievement motivation.


For many Coastal Plain soils, high soil strength within subsurface horizons requires that deep tillage be performed to provide a suitable rooting environment. Longevity of deep tillage effects have been seen for three years with older tillage equipment. Newer equipment often disrupts more of the profile; tillage effects may last longer. We used soil strength results from experiments that were deep tilled twice a year or annually to examine longevity of soil loosening from tillage. Within these experiments, tillage disruption was measured from 9 days to 6 years after tillage. Effects of disruption, as measured by a leveling off of soil strength with time, began to disappear after three years; yet strengths continued to build up for another two years. Though strengths continued to build up for five years, tillage would still be necessary annually or seasonally because yield reducing soil strengths built up after a year or less with incomplete


This is a critical phase for Open Educational Resources (OER) movement: on one side the number of OER is increasing rapidly, and on other side debates about quality of OER-based courseware are heating up. These debates emanate from the fact that OER-based courseware are supposed to help users to follow a logical learning path and get an engaging, interactive, and enjoyable learning experience. There are two aspects of quality assurance in OER-based courseware: content and pedagogy. The content aspect primarily rests with subject experts, and pedagogical quality of courseware mainly lies in the hands of developers. Present trends reveal that mainly enthusiasts, working with some support from the institution management are designing and developing OER-based courseware. There seems a possibility that these enthusiasts are developing courseware without undergoing any specific courseware development training, and in the absence of proper knowledge and training about pedagogy, one can not be sure that the produced courseware will be of superior quality. In this backdrop, present paper discusses and details about a number of guiding principles for enrichment of pedagogical quality in OER-based courseware.


Giordano, N., Rigo, M., Ciarapica G. & Bertinelli A. 2010: New biostratigraphical constraints for the Norian/Rhaetian boundary: data from Lagonegro Basin, Southern Apennines, Italy. Lethaia. 10.1111/j.1502-3931.2010.00218.x.

Four stratigraphic sections belonging to Lagonegro succession (Southern Apennines) at Mt S. Enoc, Pignola-Abriola, Sasso di Castalda and Mt Volturino have been studied in detail under to provide a new micro-palaeontological data set based on conodonts and radiolarians for the characterization of the Norian/Rhaetian interval. The studied sections represent the different settings of the Lagonegro Basin (from proximal to distal facies) and permit a detailed, integrated, biostratigraphy of the Calcari con Selce (cherty limestones) and Scisti Silicei formations (bedded cherts with radiolarians) to be drawn up. The upper portion of the Calcari con Selce Formation, exhibits intermediate characteristics between the Calcari con Selce and Scisti Silicei Formation, in particular the progressive decrease in carbonate content against an increase in shales and cherts. Within the four sections studied, the Norian/Rhaetian interval has been documented both with conodonts and radiolarians. Because of the continuity and the absence of condensed facies, it has been possible to recognize the morphocline between species Misikella hernsteini and Misikella posthernsteini, here represented by all the transitional forms characterized by common features between the two species, gathered in three evolutionary steps. Moreover, the morphocline between M. hernsteini and M. posthernsteini has been involved in the definition of the Norian/Rhaetian Boundary, recognizing thus the FAD of M. posthernsteini, one of the possible biomarkers proposed for the boundary. The rich, well-preserved, radiolarian associations of Pignola-Abriola, Sasso di Castalda and Mt Volturino permit the correlation of Tethyan and American conodont successions, highlighting the importance of the mostly coincident occurrences of M. posthernsteini and Epigondolella mosheri morphotype A, which correspond to the base of Proparvicingula moniliformis A. Z. and the disappearance of bivalve Monotis. These coincident bioevents are used here to define the base of the Rhaetian stage. □Biostratigraphy, conodonts, Lagonegro Basin, Late Triassic, Norian/Rhaetian boundary, radiolarians.


Tadpole loves his rainbow friend, the caterpillar, and she tells him she loves everything about him. Promise that you will never change, she says. But as the seasons pass and he matures, his legs grow, and then his arms - and what happens to his beautiful rainbow friend? As he sits on his lily pad, digesting a butterfly, Tadpole little realises that now he will never know! Follow the predictable changes of a tadpole and a caterpillar to their natural conclusion in this award winning picture book


In multi-label classification tasks, labels are commonly related with each other. It has been well recognized that utilizing label relationship is essential to multi-label learning. One way to utilizing label relationship is to map labels to a lower-dimensional space of uncorrelated labels, where the relationship could be encoded in the mapping. Previous linear mapping methods commonly result in regression subproblems in the lower-dimensional label space. In this paper, we disclose that mappings to a low-dimensional multi-label regression problem can be worse than mapping to a classification problem, since regression requires more complex model than classification. We then propose the binary linear compression (BILC) method that results in a binary label space, leading to classification subproblems. Experiments on several multi-label datasets show that, employing classification in the embedded space results in much simpler models than regression, leading to smaller structure risk. The proposed methods are also shown to be superior to some state-of-the-art approaches.


We present the first in-band diode-pumped TDFAs operating in the 2 µm wavelength region and test their suitability as high performance amplifiers in potential future telecommunication networks. We demonstrate amplification over a 240 nm wide window in the range 1810 - 2050 nm with up to 36 dB gain and noise figure as low as 4.5 dB.


Supply chain management is a demanding and complicated task due to its broad scope and the strong connectedness of its objects and issues. In order to make theoretical investigations of supply chains feasible and to support decision-making in real world supply chains, simulation models are used. An integration of system dynamics and discrete agent-based modeling is a promising combination of methods for reducing the a priori complexity of the model. The paper discusses the strengths and weaknesses of system dynamics and discrete agent-based modeling. An approach for integration of the two modeling methodologies is presented. Issues concerning the practical coupling of software environments and a simple, prototypical supply chain model are discussed. Experiments for which the integrated simulation solution is applied are described. Insights in emergent structures in supply chains are derived from these simulation analyses.


What makes teamwork tick? Cooperation matters, in daily life and in complex applications. After all, many tasks need more than a single agent to be effectively performed. Therefore, teamwork rules! Teams are social groups of agents dedicated to the fulfilment of particular persistent tasks. In modern multiagent environments, heterogeneous teams often consist of autonomous software agents, various types of robots and human beings. Teamwork in Multi-agent Systems: A Formal Approach explains teamwork rules in terms of agents' attitudes and their complex interplay. It provides the first comprehensive logical theory, TeamLog, underpinning teamwork in dynamic environments. The authors justify design choices by showing TeamLog in action. The book guides the reader through a fascinating discussion of issues essential for teamwork to be successful: What is teamwork, and how can a logical view of it help in designing teams of agents? What is the role of agents' awareness in an uncertain, dynamic environment? How does collective intention constitute a team? How are plan-based collective commitments related to team action? How can one tune collective commitment to the team's organizational structure and its communication abilities? What are the methodological underpinnings for teamwork in a dynamic environment? How does a team and its attitudes adjust to changing circumstances? How do collective intentions and collective commitments arise through dialogue? What is the computational complexity of TeamLog? How can one make TeamLog efficient in applications? This book is an invaluable resource for researchers and graduate students in computer science and artificial intelligence as well as for developers of multi-agent systems. Students and researchers in organizational science, in particular those investigating teamwork, will also find this book insightful. Since the authors made an effort to introduce TeamLog as a conceptual model of teamwork, understanding most of the book requires solely a basic logical background.


CD32a has been proposed as a specific marker of latently HIV-infected CD4+ T cells. However, CD32a was recently found to be expressed on CD4+ T cells of healthy donors, leading to controversy on the relevance of this marker in HIV persistence. Here, we used mass cytometry to characterize the landscape and variation in the abundance of CD32a+ CD4+ T cells during HIV infection. To this end, we analyzed CD32a+ CD4+ T cells in primary HIV infection before and after effective combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and in healthy donors. We found that CD32a+ CD4+ T cells include heterogeneous subsets that are differentially affected by HIV infection. Our analysis revealed that naive (N), central memory (CM), and effector/memory (Eff/Mem) CD32a+ CD4+ T-cell clusters that co-express LILRA2- and CD64-activating receptors were more abundant in primary HIV infection and cART stages. Conversely, LILRA2− CD32a+ CD4+ T-cell clusters of either the TN, TCM, or TEff/Mem phenotype were more abundant in healthy individuals. Finally, an activated CD32a+ CD4+ TEff/Mem cell cluster co-expressing LILRA2, CD57, and NKG2C was more abundant in all HIV stages, particularly during primary HIV infection. Overall, our data show that multiple abundance modifications of CD32a+ CD4+ T-cell subsets occur in the early phase of HIV infection, and some of which are conserved after effective cART. Our study brings a better comprehension of the relationship between CD32a expression and CD4+ T cells during HIV infection.


Kerstin Radde-Antweiler stresses the aspect of ritual construction by the individual believers in her paper Rituals Online. Transferring and Designing Rituals. In addition to the potential of the Internet to offer interaction and new processes of communication in the context of rituals – the so called "Online-Rituals" –, this medium also offers much information about rituals and instructions how to perform a ritual, in and outside the Internet. This varies from the publication of – at first glance - fixed ritual prescripts to texts on how to design a ritual by him- or herself. These fixed texts are often identified as old traditional scripts, whereas critical analyses show explicit or implicit transfers and receptions of various religious traditions. In the paper, different ritual prescripts presented on Wicca- and Solitaire Homepages, which are often seen as continuation of pre-Christian, matriarchal, Celtic and Germanic cults and mythologies, are analysed and their transfer processes are exemplified. Instances that show the processes of ritual transfer are the choice of the owner-names, the mixture of deities of different religions, the integration of different feasts and festivals etc. The assertion of perpetual continuity from the insider perspective seems contradict those texts which encourage the believers to develop their own individual ritual. Therefore, the elements of newness and invention as well as the phenomenon of Ritual Design in their processes of gaining legitimacy and authority has to be examined.


Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common affective disorders which ranks among the top causes of worldwide disease burden and disability. Recent studies suggested that MDD resulted in the functional connectivity alteration in the resting state brain networks, such as the emotional circuit and the default mode network (DMN). In addition to these emotion-relevant networks, some other brain regions, such as cuneus gyrus, lingual gyrus and precuneus gyrus, were reported that the activity reduced while performing cognitive tasks. In this study, we examined three networks, i.e. the emotional circuit, the default mode network, and the whole brain network, derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the difference between MDD patients and normal subjects. Furthermore, we explored whether there is another network affected by MDD. The functional MRI data was acquired from 22 healthy subjects and 20 patients with MDD. All images of each subject were parcellated into 90 cortical and sub-cortical regions which were defined as the nodes of the network. The functional relations between the 90 regions were estimated by the time-frequency normalized mutual information (TFNMI). We found that the functional connectivity between any pair of brain regions within each of the three networks was significantly decreased in MDD group by using the t test. The significantly decreased connectivity for MDD in emotional circuit was found in the frontal lobe and between the frontal cortex and limbic regions, and that in DMN exhibited between the frontal cortex and superior temporal cortex. However, in the whole brain network, the most significantly decreased connectivity was revealed in occipital lobe, parietal-occipital, and frontal-occipital regions. Our findings suggested that the functional brain network affected by MDD comprised not only the frontal and limbic regions but also the parts of the parietal and occipital lobe.


Understanding genetic parameters of populations that are being considered for inclusion into plant-breeding programs provides critical knowledge to enhance economic traits of interest. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic parameters influencing forage yield for nine populations selected from the USDA National Plant Germplasm System alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) core collection that possessed high-yield potential and differing fall dormancy response. Forage dry matter yields of 36 diallel hybrids, their 9 parents, and 6 commercial checks were harvested three times in each of 2 yr from seeded plots near Las Cruces, NM. Variation among hybrids for forage yield was primarily attributed to general combining ability effects, which were 5.6 times greater than specific combining ability effects. More than 70% of the hybrids performed similarly to the best commercial check. Fourteen hybrids exhibited significant mid-parent heterosis (MPH), and seven hybrids exhibited significant high-parent heterosis (HPH). The frequency of hybrids showing significant MPH was twofold greater for hybrids generated between parents with different fall dormancy response as compared with hybrids generated from parents with similar fall dormancy response. Eight of the nine top-yielding hybrids were derived from populations that originated from Peru and Argentina. All hybrids with significant positive HPH involved a population from South America.


Even though recurring criticism has been directed against the academic part of teacher education, little research has focused on student teachers as they engage in their academic studies. Reporting on a study of 53 Norwegian student teachers, this article explores student teachers' reading practices in university courses in education. The study draws on the notion of approaches to learning as a particularly influential perspective in research on higher education. The findings reveal that the student teachers predominantly apply a deep approach to learning (with the aim to understand) and that writing academic texts in particular acts as an enabler of this approach. However, the participants also reported considerable difficulties with reading pedagogical literature. The article suggests that, in order to understand the persistent criticism against teacher education, there is a need to pay explicit attention to supporting student teachers in dealing with different text genres and texts from different academic disciplines. It also suggests that the important factor in students' engagement with theory is not necessarily that it can be used immediately in the classroom, but that they recognise themselves as persons. Finally, the article raises a question about the balance between breadth and depth in the university courses.


Conjugated polymers are of interest as optical imaging probes for clinical diagnostic applications. However, clinical translation requires not only an excellent optical performance, but also an established safety profile and scalable manufacturability. Taking these factors into account, a self-assembling nanoparticle system was designed utilising the amphiphilic diblock copolymer, PLGA–PEG, to encapsulate the red-emitting conjugated polymer, CN-PPV. Encapsulation of decreasing amounts of CN-PPV (50% to 5% w/w) resulted in a decrease in nanoparticle size and an increase in optical performance (quantum yield% ∼40%). All systems were colloidally and optically stable over 60 days at 37 °C. Optimized systems were then used to encapsulate small amounts (0.5–0.8% w/w) of small molecule near-infrared dyes, NIR680 and NIR720, generating systems with shifted emission peaks >700 nm. Optimised PLGA–PEG micelles containing 5% CN-PPV and 0.5% NIR720 showed enhanced characteristics, such as a high product yield (>90%), a narrow emission peak at 720 nm, a high quantum yield of 45%, a small hydrodynamic diameter (∼104 nm), and an enhanced cytocompatibility profile compared to other systems tested in this study, i.e. no reduction in cell viability and negligible impairment of mitochondrial acitivity at higher concentrations.


Effects of visual obstruction on white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) include enhanced vigilance and flight-initiation distances. Prior work suggests that artificial visual barriers might enhance perceived risk of predation to deer. During 2008–2010 at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Plum Brook Station (Erie County, OH), we tested the hypotheses that visual obstruction of winter feeding stations would result in fewer white-tailed deer visiting treatment stations and increased vigilance exhibited relative to deer using control stations. When feeding stations were bounded on 3 sides by a 22.5-m-long, 1.5-m-high, continuous, polyethylene visual barrier (including a 5-m opening on the fourth side), and offset from the food resource by 22.5 m, we observed no differences in deer use or vigilance compared with control stations (4.5-cm mesh, snow fencing only). In a second experiment, feeding stations bounded by individual, 1.5-m-high, polyethylene visual barriers, positioned on 3 sides only and offset from the food resource by only 7.6 m each, were characterized by 1) fewer deer, 2) increased alert behavior (e.g., head held above horizontal, ears erect, body posture noticeably stiff and animal paused, directed attention, tail flagging, or fleeing) by deer using the stations, and 3) fewer deer using stations at night, relative to control stations. Visual barriers offset at most by 7.6 m from a food resource (e.g., crops), or located randomly within target areas frequented by deer can offer temporary and easily manipulated means of diminishing deer use of resources on unfenced General Aviation airports or depredation of agricultural crops, and ready integration with other management methods. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.


In the upcoming smart grid era, dynamic pricing using primarily data collected from smart meters installed in homes and businesses is a virtual certainty. The possibilities this feature may offer are many, and we examine in this study how subunits of the electricity grid may implement load scheduling given a model for predicting ever-changing energy prices over a day. We present a realistic linear model that utilities may use for implementing dynamic pricing, and argue how accurate prediction of this model by its customers may be profitable both for the utilities and their customers. The thesis provides algorithms for achieving balancing using this pricing model. Using the total demand on the grid for a 24-hour period, we provide a dynamic programming algorithm and a greedy algorithm that find the partitioning of the total demand into intervals which will minimize the total cost. The output of the above algorithms can be seen as providing us with the global ideal load curve. Using this, each subunit of the grid creates its own ideal load curve, which is the scaled version of the global load curve. The issue then for each grid subunit is to find a schedule for its flexible loads so that its load profile is as close to its ideal load curve as possible. We have proposed a number of algorithms for this purpose using different search heuristics. One needs to resort to heuristics as the optimization problem can be shown to be NP-hard. The search heuristics that we have considered are: a Greedy algorithm to traverse through our search space of possible schedules, a randomized Greedy algorithm with random restarts to explore the search space further, the Metropolis algorithm, the Tabu search, and finally, a randomized Tabu search with random restarts. Algorithms for the Implementation of a Dynamic Energy Pricing Policy Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Computer Science Manek Biswas B.E., Manipal University, 2011