My current work is the clay installation, in which I use unfired clay, mud as the material, the floor as the stage or canvas, and my bare feet and hands as the tools. call it 'The work of now'; each work is made on the site spontaneously and therefore each work is different each time and is never really finished until it is in place. The most important aspect in this work is 'Non-Intention' from the process of work. 'Non-intention' means that during the work an artist does not put her or his intention in order to achieve a certain result and the artist try to exclude calculations or plans; the artist's intuition is used in her or his work. Therefore the work seems to be imperfect or lack details, however this way of work imparts the sense of freedom and genuineness into the artwork. As a Korean, this non-intentional way of work has been familiar to me because this approach to art is widely known in Korea. The disposition of 'Non-Intention' is explained as the character of its aesthetics, which does not seek technical perfection or inclusion of artificial intention. 'Bun-Chung', le century Korean ceramic ware carries this exquisite character of Korean aesthetics. The beauty of this ware is from the artisans' lives and those were reflected into non-intentional and unplanned way in the making process. There are several contemporary western and Asian artists who embrace 'non intention' to tap into their spirituality or nature of existence. Among contemporary ceramics, Peter Voulkos and 'Abstract Expressionist Ceramists' worked with their intuition as well and tried to reveal their subconscious. The most direct example of this non-intentional way of work is 'Son (Zen Buddhist) painting', which expresses the core idea Buddhism, the true understanding of our existence. As a performer and sculptor, Zhang Huan also has worked with the core idea of Buddhism in unconventional ways. In France Valerie Delarue, a ceramist and sculptor has worked to express the meaning of her existence in a contemporary context. A contemporary glass artist, Mafune Gonjo, works with our state of mind as well and talks about the paradoxical sides of our rational or intellectual minds.


Elementary economics textbooks have become less attractive to students requiring only an introduction to economics, given that their content is pervaded by mathematical diagrams and simple equations. Also they are of relatively little value to those interested in, for example, attempting to gain an understanding of the New Economy, for they rarely emphasise business innovation and its crucial dynamic role. These factors engender something of a double paradox. First (paradox of the tools and the audience), newcomers are frequently 'turned off' by existing economics textbooks due to the pervasive use of mathematics. Second (paradox of the content and relevance), those newcomers who are not initially turned off tend to be disenchanted with economics because they perceive that economics is of little use in understanding the New Economy in which they work, or will come to work. We suggest an integrated solution to both paradoxes. The implementation entails a minor reorientation of the traditional pedagogical strategy for teaching introductory economics.


Radical experimentalists argue that we should give up using intuitions as evidence in philosophy. In this paper, I first argue that the studies presented by the radical experimentalists in fact suggest that some intuitions are reliable. I next consider and reject a different way of handling the radical experimentalists' challenge, what I call the Argument from Robust Intuitions. I then propose a way of understanding why some intuitions can be unreliable and how intuitions can conflict, and I argue that on this understanding, both moderate experimentalism and the standard philosophical practice of using intuitions as evidence can help resolve these conflicts.


This study demonstrates how investment managers can identify and resolve suboptimal operational workflows that diminish an investment strategy's attainable alpha on the order of 24-242 basis points (annualized, gross of fees). A portfolio's potential alpha can be best realized by addressing these portfolio implementation shortfalls through systematic improvements in the data schemas that drive the information exchanges among parties regarding transactions, holdings, and valuations. Using graph modelling techniques, we identify and resolve information workflow inefficiencies that occur both within and external to the investment firm. TOPICS: Portfolio management, portfolio construction, equity portfolio management, fixed-income portfolio management, quantitative methods, statistical methods Key Findings ▪ For portfolio managers, implementation shortfalls stemming from suboptimal information workflows can be systematically mitigated to maximize the expression of alpha inherent in an investment strategy. ▪ For operational managers, re-aligning investment operations workflows to deliver differentiated support across individual strategies can significantly improve portfolio performance. ▪ For data scientists, graph models provide fresh evidence of the quantifiable impacts of data interoperability and information parity on the efficiency of enterprise information flows.


The sporadic nature of inflorescence production and flower protogyny in caladium (Caladium xhortulanum Birdsey) makes it desirable to store pollen and to rapidly assess its viability for cross-pollinations in breeding programs. This study was conducted to develop a procedure to determine caladium pollen viability and to use that procedure to evaluate the effect of short-term storage conditions on pollen viability. The sucrose level in the culture medium was found to have a significant impact on the in vitro germination of caladium pollen; a concentration of 6.8% was determined to be optimal for pollen germination. Caladium pollen lost viability within 1 day under room (24 °C) or freezing (-20 °C) temperatures, but could be stored at 4 °C for 2 to 4 days. Pollen stored at 4 °C produced successful pollinations. Data obtained from large-scale greenhouse pollinations supported use of this in vitro germination assay as a convenient way to evaluate caladium pollen viability (and fertility).


During recent investigations on the terrestrial invertebrates of the tropical rainforest on Martinique Island (Pitons du Carbet), specimens of a new species of the terrestrial amphipod genus Cerrorchestia Lindeman, 1990, C. taboukeli sp. nov., were collected by means of different quantitative and non-quantitative methods (hand collection and Tullgren extraction) in the forest floor. The new species can be easily distinguished from the only other species of the genus, C. hyloraina Lindeman, 1990, by gnathopod 2 (carpus short, palm longer than wide), pereopod 4 dactylus with a denticulate patch, pereopod 5 basis ovate with a deep posterodistal lobe reaching the distal end of the ischium, pleopod 3 ramus with more than six articles. Cerrorchestia tabouleki sp. nov. is the first forest-hopper discovered in the Lesser Antilles, raising the question of island colonization by terrestrial amphipods. Ecological data and a key to terrestrial Talitridae of Central America and the Caribbean islands are provided.


Loss of the kinase AMPK promotes the Warburg effect in cancer cells. Under aerobic conditions, cancer cells use glycolysis to produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from glucose, with lactate as a by-product, a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect. This metabolic shift is believed to give cancer cells an advantage over normal noncancerous cells. Various cancers are functionally deficient in adenosine monophosphate (AMP)–activated protein kinase (AMPK), which acts as an energy sensor. Faubert et al. investigated the role of AMPK in tumorigenesis, tumor metabolism, and tumor progression. Eμ-Myc mice overexpress the oncogene c-Myc and are a model for lymphomagenesis. Eμ-Myc mice that also had an inactivating mutation in the α1 catalytic subunit of AMPK (Eμ-Myc/α1–/– mice) developed lymphomagenesis more quickly and had a lower survival rate compared with Eμ-Myc mice. In vitro competition assays demonstrated that Eμ-Myc lymphoma cells transduced with an shRNA directed against AMPKα1 had a proliferative advantage over those transduced with a control shRNA. Metabolomic analysis revealed decreased glucose concentrations and increased lactate concentrations in AMPKα1 shRNA-expressing Eμ-Myc lymphomas, which also showed increased extracellular acidification rate (ECAR; an index of lactate production) but no change in the rate of oxygen consumption. Lactate production and ECAR were also increased in non–small cell lung carcinoma H1299 cells and colon carcinoma HCT116 cells expressing shRNAs directed against the α1 and α2 subunits of AMPK. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) lacking AMPKα converted glucose to lactate at a higher rate, produced higher concentrations of citrate (which is derived from glucose and shunted into lipid biosynthesis), and were larger in size than control MEFs. AMPKα-deficient MEFs and AMPKα1 shRNA-expressing Eμ-Myc lymphoma cells showed greater abundance of aldolase, lactate dehydrogenase A, and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1, all of which are glycolytic enzymes. In addition, the genes encoding these enzymes are transcriptional targets of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)–1α. This transcription factor is usually low in abundance under normal oxygen tensions (normoxia); however, its abundance was increased in AMPKα-deficient MEFs, Eμ-Myc lymphoma cells, and H1299 cells under normoxic conditions. Silencing HIF-1α in AMPKα-deficient MEFs reduced ECAR; glucose consumption; production of pyruvate, lactate, and citrate; lipid biosynthesis; and proliferation to that seen in control MEFs or lower. The increase in the abundance of aldolase and lactate dehydrogenase A, ECAR, and proliferation in AMPKα1 shRNA-expressing Eμ-Myc lymphoma cells was attenuated by stable expression of a HIF-1α shRNA. When injected into mice, fewer Eμ-Myc lymphoma cells expressing both AMPKα1 and HIF-1α shRNAs were recovered compared with Eμ-Myc lymphoma cells with AMPKα1 or that only expressed the AMPKα1 shRNA, indicating that silencing HIF-1α counteracted the proliferative advantage conferred by silencing of AMPKα1. The authors propose that AMPK restrains metabolic and biosynthetic pathways required to support uncontrolled proliferation. B. Faubert, G. Boily, S. Izreig, T. Griss, B. Samborska, Z. Dong, F. Dupuy, C. Chambers, B. J. Fuerth, B. Viollet, O. A. Mamer, D. Avizonis, R. J. DeBerardinis, P. M. Siegel, R. G. Jones, AMPK is a negative regulator of the Warburg effect and suppresses tumor growth in vivo. Cell Metab. 17, 113–124 (2013). [PubMed]


Most island-ecology studies focus on the properties of entire island communities, thus neglecting species-environment relationships operating at the habitat-level. Habitat-specific variation in the strength and sign of these relationships will conceal patterns observed on the island scale and may preclude a mechanistic interpretation of patterns and processes. Habitat-specific species-environment relationships may also depend on the descriptor of ecological communities. This paper presents a comprehensive plot-based analysis of local vegetation composition and species diversity (species richness and species evenness) of (i) rocky shore, (ii) semi-natural grassland and (iii) coniferous forest habitats in three Baltic archipelagos in Sweden. To identify differences and consistencies between habitats and descriptors, we assessed the relative contributions of the variable-sets "region", "topography", "soil morphology", "soil fertility", "soil water", "light availability", "distance" and "island configuration" on local vegetation composition, species richness and species evenness. We quantified the impact of "management history" on the descriptors of local grassland communities by a newly introduced grazing history index (GHI). Unlike species diversity, changes in vegetation composition were related to most of the variable-sets. The relative contributions of the variable-sets were mostly habitat-specific and strongly contingent on the descriptor involved. Within each habitat, richness and evenness were only partly affected by the same variable-sets, and if so, their relative contribution varied between diversity proxies. Across all habitats, soil variable-sets showed highly consistent effects on vegetation composition and species diversity and contributed most to the variance explained. GHI was a powerful predictor, explaining high proportions of variation in all three descriptors of grassland species communities. The proportion of unexplained variance was habitat-specific, possibly reflecting a community maturity gradient. Our results reveal that species richness alone is an incomplete representation of local species diversity. Finally, we stress the need of including habitat-based approaches when analyzing complex species-environment relationships on islands.


Increased demand for local food has led to calls for additional supply-chain infrastructure to move products from farm to market. Meat and poultry are highly perishable, rigorously regulated products that require a complex chain, and processing is often said to be the weak link for local meats. Commitment from producers and meat buyers is essential to the persistence and expansion of processing capacity, but nonmarket actors can provide critical technical support and facilitate innovation that strengthens this sector. We present four collaborative efforts, three regional and one national, that focus on processing with the goal of expanding the local meat sector. These efforts harness the experience and expertise of a variety of partners, both public-sector and private, and provide information, guidance, and direct technical assistance. They also collaborate and cooperate with each other in a national peer-learning community, sharing and generating innovative knowledge, tools, and strategies. Tentative evidence of increased processing capacity, producer access to processing, and local meats marketing, while certainly not solely attributable to these efforts, suggests their value.


It is important to learn various types of classifiers given training data with noisy labels. Noisy labels, in the most popular noise model hitherto, are corrupted from ground-truth labels by an unknown noise transition matrix. Thus, by estimating this matrix, classifiers can escape from overfitting those noisy labels. However, such estimation is practically difficult, due to either the indirect nature of two-step approaches, or not big enough data to afford end-to-end approaches. In this paper, we propose a human-assisted approach called Masking that conveys human cognition of invalid class transitions and naturally speculates the structure of the noise transition matrix. To this end, we derive a structure-aware probabilistic model incorporating a structure prior, and solve the challenges from structure extraction and structure alignment. Thanks to Masking, we only estimate unmasked noise transition probabilities and the burden of estimation is tremendously reduced. We conduct extensive experiments on CIFAR-10 and CIFAR-100 with three noise structures as well as the industrial-level Clothing1M with agnostic noise structure, and the results show that Masking can improve the robustness of classifiers significantly.


Males and females differ in morphology and behaviour, so that selection acts differently on the two sexes. This changes the relative reproductive success of males and females, and it is beneficial for parents to bias the sex ratio of their broods in favour of the sex with the best survival and breeding prospects. Differences between the sexes and brood sex ratio in Tengmalm's owl (Aegolius funereus) in northern Sweden were investigated, using a molecular sexing technique based on PCRamplification of sex-linked CHD1 genes. Among owls caught during autumn migration, females were commoner than males, especially within juveniles. However, in contrast to earlier studies, it was shown that adult males sometimes undertake migratory movements indicatory of nomadism. Measurements of these owls revealed that sexual size dimorphism in Tengmalm's owl is not as great as previously reported from studies carried out during the breeding season. Females were slightly larger (4% by mass) than males, probably owing to the different roles of males and females during breeding, when this dimorphism is greater. The size difference between male and female nestlings was found to be similar to that for adults in autumn, and to investigate whether this led to differential mortality, the effect of supplementary feeding on mortality of male and female nestlings was studied. Supplementary feeding reduced male mortality when vole abundance was low, and it was concluded that larger female nestlings out-competed their smaller brothers, who then suffered increased mortality when food was scarce. Recruitment of male nestlings into the breeding population declined with decreasing food supply at the time of fledging, a pattern not observed in females. Juvenile males were therefore more vulnerable to food shortage than females, both in the nest and after fledging. Mean brood sex ratio varied significantly among years characterized by different phases of the vole cycle and associated vole abundance. Broods were male-biased (63% males) in a year when the food supply was favourable during spring and summer, neutral (50%) in a year with an intermediate food supply, and female-biased (35% males) in a year when food was in short supply. Parents appeared to adaptively adjust the sex ratio of their broods according to the relative mortality risk and reproductive potential of sons and daughters.


Astrocytes become activated in response to brain injury characterized by increased expression of GFAP and increased rates of cell migration and proliferation. Damage to brain cells causes the release of cytoplasmic nucleotides, such as ATP and UTP, ligands for P2 nucleotide receptors. Results in this study with primary rat astrocytes indicate that activation of a G proteincoupled P2Y2 receptor for ATP and UTP increases GFAP expression and both chemotactic and chemokinetic cell migration. UTP-induced astrocyte migration was inhibited by silencing of P2Y2R expression with P2Y2R siRNA. UTP also increased the expression in astrocytes of αVβ3/5 integrins that are known to interact directly with the P2Y2R to modulate its function. Anti-αV integrin antibodies prevented UTP-stimulated astrocyte migration, suggesting that P2Y2R/αV interaction mediates the activation of astrocytes by UTP. P2Y2Rmediated astrocyte migration required the activation of the PI3-K/Akt and MEK/ERK signaling pathways, responses that also were inhibited by anti-αV integrin antibody. These results suggest that P2Y2Rs and their associated signaling pathways may be important factors regulating astrogliosis in brain disorders.


This paper introduces a novel simultaneous optimization and heat integration approach, which can be used directly with the rigorous models in process simulators. In this approach, the overall process is optimized utilizing external derivative-free optimizers, which interact directly with the process simulation. The heat integration subproblem is formulated as an LP model and solved simultaneously during optimization of the flowsheet to update the minimum utility and heat exchanger area targets. A piecewise linear approximation for the composite curve is applied to obtain more accurate heat integration results. This paper describes the application of this simultaneous approach for three cases: a recycle process, a separation process and a power plant with carbon capture. The case study results indicate that this simultaneous approach is relatively easy to implement and achieves higher profit and lower operational cost and, in the case of the power plant example, higher net efficiency than the sequential approach.


Why does the American Constitution lack certain social and economic guarantees, which appear in most contemporary constitutions? This essay explores four possible answers: chronological, cultural, institutional, and realist. The chronological explanation emphasizes the fact that in the late eighteenth century, social and economic rights simply were not on the viewscreen for constitution-makers. The point is correct, but as a complete account, the chronological explanation fails for the simple reason that constitutional meaning changes over time. The institutional explanation emphasizes that Americans typically see constitutional rights not as mere goals or aspirations, but as pragmatic instruments for judicial enforcement. The difficulty with the institutional explanation is that social and economic rights can, in fact, be enforced judicially. The cultural explanation sees the absence of social and economic rights as part of the general failure of socialist movements in the United States ("American exceptionalism"). The problem with this explanation is that social and economic rights can in fact coexist with a market economy. The realist explanation places a spotlight on the underappreciated fact that the United States Supreme Court came very close, in the 1960s and 1970s, to recognizing social and economic rights under the Constitution. The Court's refusal to recognize such rights was largely a result of the presidential election of 1968 and in particular of four critical appointments by President Nixon. This is an important source of "American exceptionalism" in the domain of social and economic rights. Here as elsewhere, there is a possibility of multiple equilibria, and with a small difference or two, the United States might well have had an equilibrium that included social and economic rights.


In 1537, Florentine Duke Alessandro dei Medici was murdered by his cousin and would-be successor, Lorenzino dei Medici. Lorenzino's treachery forced him into exile, however, and the Florentine senate accepted a compromise candidate, seventeen-year-old Cosimo dei Medici. The senate hoped Cosimo would act as figurehead, leaving the senate to manage political affairs. But Cosimo never acted as a puppet. Instead, by the time of his death in 1574, he had stabilized ducal finances, secured his borders while doubling his territory, attracted an array of scholars and artists to his court, academy, and universities, and, most importantly, dissipated the perennially fractious politics of Florentine life.Gregory Murry argues that these triumphs were far from a foregone conclusion. Drawing on a wide variety of archival and published sources, he examines how Cosimo and his propagandists successfully crafted an image of Cosimo as a legitimate sacral monarch. Murry posits that both the propaganda and practice of sacral monarchy in Cosimo's Florence channeled preexisting local religious assumptions as a way to establish continuities with the city's republican and renaissance past. In "The Medicean Succession," Murry elucidates the models of sacral monarchy that Cosimo chose to utilize as he deftly balanced his ambition with the political sensitivities arising from existing religious and secular traditions.


We show that the complete intersection V = V (2, 3) ! P5 of a quadric and a cubic in 5-dimensional projective space defined over a field k, of char. "= 2, 3, is unirational over this field k itself if moreover V has a point p rational over k and if one of the two planes through p on the quadric is also rational over k.


The aim of this study was to investigate the histopathological side effects of doxorubicin on pancreas tissue in male albino rats Rattus norvegicus. This study were used 55 adult rats (2.5-3.5) month of age. The rats divided into two groups, the first group include (35) rats. The second group were (20) rats. Microscopial examination of pancreas lesion demonstrated oedema around the acini, swelling of the epithelial cells of acini, occurance of cystic fibrosis (mucoviscidosis) at the concentration of (4,5) mg/kg of body weight ,occurrence of small islets that form of few cells and exocrine-endocrine transformation. There were thickness in the walls of blood vessels, thrombus, congestion of blood vessels, we conclude, that doxorubicin had histopathological effect on pancreas in sub-acute doses more than chronic doses. Available online at http://www.vetmedmosul.org/ijvs


This is the second of seven detailed reports published with the evaluation Review of the Bank's Support to Agriculture, 2002-2014: Evidence from Key Thematic Areas conducted by the Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE). This second annex evaluates a number of projects, approved between 2002 and 2014, that provide direct financial support to agricultural producers to enable them to adopt new technologies and improve their market access. To this end, it first establishes an analytical framework for each objective, before conducting a comparative analysis of the projects.


Abstract:  There are functional inter‐relationships between the beta cells of the endocrine pancreas and the pineal gland, where the synchronizing circadian molecule melatonin originates. The aim of this study was to elucidate a putative interaction between insulin and melatonin in diabetic patients and a diabetic rat model. We analyzed glucose, insulin, and melatonin levels of type 2 patients, as well as type 2 diabetic Goto Kakizaki (GK) rats by radioimmunoassay. Expression of pancreatic melatonin and pineal insulin receptors, as well as arylalkylamine‐N‐acetyltransferase (AANAT), was determined by real‐time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). The AANAT enzyme activity was measured in pineal homogenates. Diabetic patients showed a decrease in melatonin levels, while in the pancreas of GK rats an upregulation of the melatonin‐receptor mRNA was determined. The pancreatic islets of GK rats showed expression of the mRNA for the pancreatic melatonin (MT1) receptor, which had previously been identified in rats and insulinoma (INS1) cells. Besides their presence in animal cells, the MT1‐receptor transcript was also detected in human pancreas by RT‐PCR. Whereas the rat pancreatic mRNA expression of the MT1‐receptor was significantly increased, the activity of the pineal AANAT enzyme was reduced. The latter observation was in accordance with plasma melatonin levels. The insulin‐receptor mRNA of the pineal gland was found to be reduced in GK rats. Our observations suggest a functional inter‐relationship between melatonin and insulin, and may indicate a reduction of melatonin in the genesis of diabetes.


Data collected south-west of the Balearic Islands (Western Mediterranean) on two cruises, Quimera-I (October, 1996) and Quimera-II (May, 1998), were used to establish general ecological patterns in deep-sea fish assemblages. A total of 39 trawls were taken at depths between 400 and 1714 m. Fish assemblages were analysed in terms of species composition, ecological parameters and biomass spectra. Differences in species composition between cruises and depth (Upper slope: 400-800 m, Middle slope: 801-1400 m and Lower slope: 1401-1714 m depth) were evaluated using multivariariate analysis. The most important feature was the existence of a biomass peak at intermediate depths. Moreover, the analysis of the biomass spectra indicated the absence of large individuals at the shallower depth interval considered. To determine the causes of the biomass peak on the middle slope four hypothesis were explored: (1) species richness is higher on the middle slope; (2) the fish assemblage from the middle slope can be characterised by the highest abundance (number of fish/area); (3) species found on the middle slope are larger (the species assemblage is built up by larger species); and (4) there is a trend for the specimens of several species to be larger at the middle slope. The data gathered support that the biomass peak is better explained by the existence of abundance peaks of medium and large-sized species, and by the presence of some of the largest individuals of other large-sized species, in both cases related to specific depth size trends which do not always follow a bigger-deeper trend.


Abstract Objective: The objective was to assess the dietary intake of subjects with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and to compare it to that of international recommendations. The hypothesising assumption of this study was that a situation in which subjects insist that diet or trigger foods play a part in symptom generation may lead to an unbalanced dietary intake. Design: This was a descriptive observational study, with an analytical component. Setting: A private, secondary care-level clinic in South Africa. Subjects: The study population comprised 122 participants. Each subject completed an estimated, three-day dietary record. The data were analysed using a computerised food analysis programme. The fructose intake was analysed semi-quantitatively. IBS subjects' protein and carbohydrate intake were significantly higher than the recommended dietary allowance for protein and carbohydrate (p-values < 0.000 and < 0.000, respectively). Outcome measures: The identification of dietary risk factors that affect IBS. Results: The IBS subjects' daily total dietary fibre (15.13 g ± 13.11) was significantly lower (p-value < 0.000) than the dietary reference intake (DRI) target intake of 24.76 g/day, and the intake of micronutrients,(calcium, iron and folate) was significantly less than the DRI. There was no significant difference in macronutrient intake between the diarrhoea-predominant IBS (D-IBS), constipation-predominant IBS (C-IBS) and the control groups. The total number of fructose serves per day was not statistically significant between the three groups (C-IBS 2.68 ± 1.68, D-IBS 2.15 ± 1.86, and controls 3.17 ± 2.39, p-value = 0.157). Conclusion: The IBS subjects in this study consumed diets that were deficient in key micronutrients and total fibre when judged against the recommended DRIs. Dietary adjustments may have been tailored by subjects to minimise symptom development and this led to nutritionally deficient diets.


Abstract This article relates the eight Guiding Principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) to both liberal and relational perspectives on autonomy and different layers of citizenship. While the UNCRPD covers a broad scope of citizenship, accounting for liberal and relational values of autonomy, it appears that the recent long-term care reforms in the Netherlands primarily address outcomes based on liberal values. As a consequence, persons with long-term cross-domain care needs face barriers that threaten their citizenship in terms of access to adequate care and support services. We argue that long-term care and support services need to explicitly address the relational aspects of autonomy to warrant the citizenship of persons with disabilities.


Local studies aimed at assessing the impact of climate variability on crop yield at the individual farm level require the use of weather and climate data. These are often collected at points known as meteorological stations. In West Africa, meteorological stations are sparsely distributed and as a result, are often unable to satisfy the data requirements for such studies. One major problem arising from this is how to estimate values for locations where primary data is not available. General Circulation Models (GCMs) have recently been deployed for weather forecasting and climate change projections but the resolution of their outputs is low requiring downscaling. This article describes a GIS‐based procedure for downscaling GCMs' outputs for use in studies assessing the impacts of climate variability on crop yield at the farm level. The procedure is implemented with the Hadley Centre's GCM (HadCM2) data, although any other GCM can be used. Results in this study show that the model works best when representing drier months as compared to wet months in all three domains tested. For example, it estimated the rainfall for January (the driest month) better than that of July which is the peak of the rainy season in West Africa. There is also a north‐south pattern influencing the accuracy of estimated rainfall distribution, with stations in the south better represented than those in the north. For the greater part of West Africa where similar climatic conditions persist as in Nigeria, this procedure can be considered suitable for interpolation and downscaling.


Abstract. We use an ensemble of runs from the MIROC3.2 AGCM with slab-ocean to explore the extent to which mid-Holocene simulations are relevant to predictions of future climate change. The results are compared with similar analyses for the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and pre-industrial control climate. We suggest that the paleoclimate epochs can provide some independent validation of the models that is also relevant for future predictions. Considering the paleoclimate epochs, we find that the stronger global forcing and hence larger climate change at the LGM makes this likely to be the more powerful one for estimating the large-scale changes that are anticipated due to anthropogenic forcing. The phenomena in the mid-Holocene simulations which are most strongly correlated with future changes (i.e., the mid to high northern latitude land temperature and monsoon precipitation) do, however, coincide with areas where the LGM results are not correlated with future changes, and these are also areas where the paleodata indicate significant climate changes have occurred. Thus, these regions and phenomena for the mid-Holocene may be useful for model improvement and validation.


Decision-theoretic planning with nonlinear utility functions is important since decision makers are often risk-sensitive in high-stake planning situations. One-switch utility functions are an important class of nonlinear utility functions that can model decision makers whose decisions change with their wealth level. We study how to maximize the expected utility of a Markov decision problem for a given one-switch utility function, which is difficult since the resulting planning problem is not decomposable. We first study an approach that augments the states of the Markov decision problem with the wealth level. The properties of the resulting infinite Markov decision problem then allow us to generalize the standard risk-neutral version of value iteration from manipulating values to manipulating functions that map wealth levels to values. We use a probabilistic blocks-world example to demonstrate that the resulting risk-sensitive version of value iteration is practical.


Fence, Path and Path, Fence, (both 2018), were initially selected as a pair of painted works by curators Jack Doyle and Richard Ward of PS Mirabel, Manchester, to appear in the annual open exhibition, Twice as Nice.

Following their selection for the exhibition, this pair of works won the Top Prize at the exhibition.

An established annual exhibition, it has been running since the establishing of Mirabel Studios (and the associated gallery) in 2009. To facilitate the judging of the 2018 exhibition, the curators of PS Mirabel invited Claire Owen (Curator, Chapel Gallery), Matt Retallick (Curator, Turnpike Gallery) and Jason Thompson (2017 Winner) to the space to view the works ahead of the prize-giving.

Twice as Nice, featured 104 selected works, from 52 artists, after initially receiving over 300 submitted pieces. The exhibition included practitioners of international standing such as Enzo Marra, Susan Gunn and Garth Gratrix.

In addition to the monetary award, the prize featured a solo exhibition in 2019 at PS Mirabel. This show will take place during May 2019.

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'Fence, Path' and 'Path, Fence' (both 2017-18) are works which reflected on a specific site north of Glasgow, in which parallel red blaes paths ran at either side of a chain link fence. Previously a football pitch (with a surface comprised of the typical Scottish red cinder), the site has now become overgrown, with the distinctive blaes surface now being covered in grass and weeds.

The parallel paths now exist as red lines traced at either side of the metal, chain link fence. At one time the fence represented a barrier between two different pitches, separating two different games or areas of recreation. Now however, it offers up a slightly odd scenario, where attention is drawn to a space in which two distinct paths head in the same directions, lines in space which are certainly used (as no ground cover grows there) but which are kept apart by the often unnoticed barrier weave of the chain link fence.


Correlative approaches to understanding the climatic controls of vegetation distribution have exhibited at least two important weaknesses: they have been conceptually divorced across spatial scales, and their climatic parameters have not necessarily represented aspects of climate of broad physiological importance to plants. Using examples from the literature and from the Sierra Nevada of California, I argue that two water balance parameters—actual evapotranspiration (AET) and deficit (D)—are biologically meaningful, are well correlated with the distribution of vegetation types, and exhibit these qualities over several orders of magnitude of spatial scale (continental to local). I reach four additional conclusions. (1) Some pairs of climatic parameters presently in use are functionally similar to AET and D; however, AET and D may be easier to interpret biologically. (2) Several well‐known climatic parameters are biologically less meaningful or less important than AET and D, and consequently are poorer correlates of the distribution of vegetation types. Of particular interest, AET is a much better correlate of the distributions of coniferous and deciduous forests than minimum temperature. (3) The effects of evaporative demand and water availability on a site's water balance are intrinsically different. For example, the 'dry' experienced by plants on sunward slopes (high evaporative demand) is not comparable to the 'dry' experienced by plants on soils with low water‐holding capacities (low water availability), and these differences are reflected in vegetation patterns. (4) Many traditional topographic moisture scalars—those that additively combine measures related to evaporative demand and water availability—are not necessarily meaningful for describing site conditions as sensed by plants; the same holds for measured soil moisture. However, using AET and D in place of moisture scalars and measured soil moisture can solve these problems.


The fortieth anniversary of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre's founding provided the opportunity to assemble many of Australia's leading analysts and commentators to review some of the more significant issues that should define Australian defence policy. In the first 20 years after its establishment, SDSC scholars played a prominent role in shaping the ideas and aspirations that eventually found official expression in the 1987 Defence of Australia White Paper. This policy sustained a coherent balance between strategy, force structure and budgets for well over a decade. In recent years, however, the cumulative effects of the end of the Cold War and watershed events like the East Timor experience; the attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., in September 2001; the Bali bombings in October 2002; and the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 have fractured the former consensus on defence policy. These developments have eroded acceptance of the core judgements underpinning defence policy. This has led to a more tenuous connection between some recent major equipment acquisitions and declared policy. The unravelling of the consensus on the 'defence of Australia' policy means that we must again undertake a balanced, long-term assessment of the nature of Australia's strategic interests. Only by doing so can we determine the kinds of armed forces that would contribute most effectively to protecting those interests. The papers collected in this volume are not informed by a common view of where Australia should focus its defence policy, but all address themes that should figure prominently in this difficult but essential task.


A significant number of changes in Articles of the Criminal Code of Lithuania (hereinafter – C.C.) was made in the year 2011. Some important changes were made in chapter XXXIII of the C.C., providing criminal liability for crimes and misdemeanors against the civil service and the public interest. The essence of the above mentioned changes is the objective to reconcile the rules of the C.C. with the recommendations of European Union institutions report, as well as to ensure the effectiveness of the criminal law. Though the role of development, consideration and adoption of legal norm is a very important process, but the entry into force of the Law itself does not guarantee the effectiveness and proper functioning of the rules as well as regulation of social relations. Another very important stage – legal practice – is directly related to the implementation of justice and judicial practice, the consistency and quality of the content is becoming one of the main preconditions for the effectiveness of the application to the Criminal Law. In this paper, the jurisprudence of Lithuanian courts in the field of corruption related crimes is analysed. If the dynamics of passive bribery (Article 225 of the C.C.) in comparison with active bribery (Article 227 of the C.C.) have been analysed during the last decade, it can be tracked that the number of recorded acts of active bribery has increased almost 10 times, while the number of recorded acts of passive bribery has increased about 2 times. There is no ground for a priori opinion that persons have become much more likely to bribe civil servants or persons equivalent thereto. The background for such dynamics could be changes in priorities of law enforcement institutions, etc. Such situation has inspired the overview of some problematic issues in jurisprudence of Lithuanian courts, which relates both to the practical challenges in application of criminal law (qualification of corruption-related offenses, evaluation of evidence and arguments, etc.) and the challenges of criminology (the preventive effect of reaction of state institutions to corruption, etc.).


Three experiments were conducted with pigs to examine the influence of two antimicrobial agents on growth, blood parameters, the intestinal flora population and the therapeutic action on mycoplasma pneumonia. The pigs were fed a medicated milk replacer for 21 days in individual cages in an environmentally controlled room. In Experiment 1, pigs received two levels of lincomycin (L): 5 mg (LILO) and 10 mg (LIHI) injection per pound of body weight, and two levels of long-acting oxytetracycline (LAO): 100 mg (LALO) and 200 mg (LAHI) per injection and were compared to a control. Growth, feed efficiency, scour score, severity of mycoplasma pneumonia, leukocyte and erythrocyte counts were evaluated. LAHI reduced growth, feed efficiency and blood parameters. The LIHI pigs had a slight improvement in growth, feed efficiency and leukocyte count over the LILO pigs. These data suggest that the correct dosage rate of LAO is 100 mg per injection and of L is 10 mg per pound of body weight for improvement in performance of artificially reared piglets. In Experiment 2, coliform (EC) and lactobacillus (LB) counts from five portions of the gastrointestinal tract plus the feces were enumerated. The LAO increased EC and LB in the stomach. A combination treatment of LAO+L decreased LB in the stomach and depressed EC in the colon. Forty additional piglets were allotted to a nursery study to determine the effect of isolation after antimicrobial therapy on growth parameters and mycoplasma pneumonia. Isolation had no effect on growth or mycoplasma pneumonia during the nursery phase. In Experiment 3, piglets were challenged with mycoplasma pneumonia after antimicrobial therapy. No differences were observed in any portion of the lung for severity of mycoplasma pneumonia. The culture of mycoplasma pneumonia either did not infect the piglets or they showed no evidence of it's presence.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 10, 1983


Excerpt] Labor unions remain the largest membership-based organizations in major North American cities, even after years of decline. Labor continues to play a vital role in mobilizing urban residents, shaping urban conflict, and crafting the policies and regulations that are transforming our urban spaces. As unions become more involved in the daily life of the city, they find themselves confronting the familiar dilemma of how to fold union priorities into broader campaigns that address nonunion workers and the lives of union members beyond the workplace. If we are right to believe that the future of the labor movement is an urban one, union activists and staffers, urban policymakers, elected officials, and members of the public alike will require a fuller understanding of what impels unions to become involved in urban policy issues, what dilemmas structure the choices unions make, and what impact unions have on the lives of urban residents, beyond their members.Unions and the City serves as a road map toward both a stronger labor movement and a socially just urbanism. The book presents the findings of a collaborative project in which a team of labor researchers and labor geographers based in New York City and Toronto investigated how and why labor unions were becoming more involved in urban regulation and urban planning. The contributors assess the effectiveness of this involvement in terms of labor goals―such as protecting employment levels, retaining bargaining relationships with employers, and organizing new workforces―as well as broader social consequences of union strategies, such as expanding access to public services, improving employment equity, and making neighborhoods more affordable. Focusing on four key economic sectors (film, hospitality, green energy, and child care), this book reveals that unions can exert a surprising level of influence in various aspects of urban policymaking and that they can have a significant impact on how cities are changing and on the experiences of urban residents.


When unions undertake labor organizing campaigns, they often do so from strong moral positions, contrasting workers' rights to decent pay or better working conditions with the more venal financial motives of management. But how does labor confront management when management itself has moral legitimacy? In With God on Our Side, Adam D. Reich tells the story of a five-year campaign to unionize Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, a Catholic hospital in California. Based on his own work as a volunteer organizer with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Reich explores how both union leaders and hospital leaders sought to show they were upholding the Catholic "mission" of the hospital against a market represented by the other. Ultimately, workers and union leaders were able to reinterpret Catholic values in ways that supported their efforts to organize.More generally, Reich argues that unions must weave together economic and cultural power in order to ensure their continued relevancy in the postindustrial world. In addition to advocating for workers' economic interests, unions must engage with workers' emotional investments in their work, must contend with the kind of moral authority that Santa Rosa Hospital leaders exerted to dissuade workers from organizing, and must connect labor's project to broader conceptions of the public good.


The first phase of this qualitative study employed the extended case method. Its aim was to explore the role behaviour of the most senior corporate communication practitioner in the government Department of Housing, South Africa. It was found that the Director: Communication Services played a combination of roles: firstly, Dozier's (1984) media relations specialist (seen as part of the historic technician role) and secondly, certain generic managerial activities were also performed. The two (new) strategic management roles of the corporate communication function, the strategist and the redefined manager, were not observed (Steyn, 2000a; 2000b). The second phase entailed the development of a corporate communication strategy for the Department by the Deputy Director, using action research. The unit of analysis was the communicative output, in the form of the strategy. Empowered by post-graduate studies, the incumbent was found to possess the necessary strategic communication management knowledge and skills to successfully perform this important activity of a practitioner in the redefined role of manager. Lastly, the applicability of the model for developing corporate communication strategy in a government department was confirmed.


We the undersigned committee hereby approve the attached thesis, " Using a Personalized Machine Learning Approach to Detect Stolen Phones " by Huizhong Hu. With the increasing number of smartphone penetration, mining smartphone data that make smartphone smarter became a top research area, there are a lot of event data which we can use to predict behavior or detect anomalies. The privacy disclosure caused by stolen or lost phones becomes an increasingly difficult problem that cannot be ignored. So we design an anomaly detection system by mining patterns to detect stolen phones. We use a pattern mining algorithm to abstract patterns from user past behavior, then construct a personalized model and use a scoring function and threshold setting strategy to detect stolen events. Moreover, we apply our system to a data set from MIT Real Mining Project. Experimental results show that our system can detect 87% stolen events with 0.009 false positive rate on the average.


Few economic analyses examine land trusts, their decisions, and the land-trust "industry," despite their growing importance. For example, statistics on the wide variation in the number of trusts in different regions of the United States raise questions about whether such variation makes economic sense. This paper builds a model to identify the optimal number of private conservation agents. The model depicts two competing forces: regional spatial externalities in conservation benefits that increase the efficiency of having fewer agents and organizational costs, and fund-raising specialization, which increases the efficiency of having more agents. Using state-level variables, we perform a count-data analysis of the number of trusts conserving land in each state. We find that the number of trusts actually observed is consistent with the optimal number of trusts that is predicted by the model on the basis of the relative importance of spatial externalities and organizational size in different regions.


Background :Adolescence is a transition from child to adulthood. Stress is a common phenomenon occurring during adolescence, which can be caused by several factors both internal and external. Stress that occurs in adolescents will affect their psychological state, therefore, they need some help in dealing with stress. Self-help group is an intervention which can be used to assist adolescents in reducing stress.
Purpose : The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of self-help group on reducing stress level in adolescents. This study used a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design with a control group.
Methods : The samples were 141 adolescents selected using stratified random sampling. Data were collected using Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS-42) questionnaire and analyzed using Wilcoxon test.
Results  : The results showed a decrease in adolescents' stress level after given self-help group with p = 0.368 in the control group,  and p = 0.000 in the intervention group. There was a significant difference in the decrease of stress level before and after the intervention between the control group and the intervention group.
Conclusion : Effects of Self-help group could reduce stress level in adolescents.


Analysis of data from nine, temporary broadband seismic stations operated across West Bengal and Sikkim, along with publicly available data from seismographs in the surrounding region, provides the first image of the descending Indian Plate beneath the Darjeeling–Sikkim Himalaya. The down-going Indian crust is imaged by receiver function common conversion point stacking using data from 32 sites in combination with more detailed analyses from simultaneous modelling of receiver function data and Rayleigh wave group velocity dispersion at 13 stations. Compared to locations farther south on the Indian Shield our southernmost station shows evidence for thickened crust beneath the Mahanadi Rift basin with a possible mafic basal layer. North of the Mahanadi Rift the Indian Moho is ∼38 km deep below the Archean terranes of the northeast part of the Indian Shield. The Moho then dips gently northward beneath the Himalayan foreland basin reaching a depth of 44–48 km below the Himalayan foothills. Below Sikkim the Moho continues to deepen but there are indications of secondary structures in the receiver function image and modelling results suggesting some imbrication of the crust as it flexes downward. The crust thickens further beneath the Greater Himalaya and southern Tibet reaching depths of ∼65–70 km below the Southern Tibet Detachment (STD). Below the Lhasa Terrane north of the STD a double discontinuity exists with interfaces at 55–60 km and ∼80 km depth. There is a significant reduction in the average shear wave velocity of the crystalline crust between sites to the south of and on the Himalayan foreland basin and sites in the Himalaya and to the north. Below the Himalaya and southern Tibet the P-to-S conversion (Ps) has a lower amplitude compared to that observed at sites on the undeformed Indian Shield. This decrease in amplitude of the Moho Ps phase could arise from a lower impedance contrast across the crust–mantle boundary or from scattering due to deformation of the crust and Moho. A coherent negative arrival beneath the Darjeeling–Sikkim Himalaya indicate the presence of a low velocity zone (LVZ), possibly associated with the Main Himalayan Thrust. This LVZ can be traced beneath the Darjeeling–Sikkim Himalaya but disappears beneath the Greater Himalaya.


The authors investigated the prevalence and risk factors of childhood incestuous abuse in the Northern Province (South Africa). High School students in Standard 9 and 10 in representative High Schools in the province filled in a retrospective self-rating questionnaire in a classroom setting. Result shows that the overall prevalence is 15.2%. The risk factors are 'dwelling in a village', 'parents are unemployed or labourers', 'highest education of the father is below standard 6', 'natural biological mother was not living with participant until he/she was at least 16 years old', 'participant was leaving in a Group Home before he/she was 16 years old', 'participant did not feel loved or cared for by the parents/step/foster parents before he/she was 8 years old'. We recommend the above risk factors for' proper consideration while planning preventive strategies and campaign against childhood incestuous abuse, and therapy for victims in the province.


Growing degree days (GDD) is a simple temperature-based index of biological development. In this paper we evaluated the potential of using 2003-2005 MODIS-based 8-day and 16-day composites of daytime surface temperature (TS) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) values at 250 m resolution for mapping GDD. The work was applied to the Canadian Atlantic Maritime Ecozone as a demonstration of the methodology. The work proceeded by establishing an empirical relationship between mean tower-based estimates of TS for the MODIS-acquisition period of 10:30 am-12:00 pm and the daily mean TS calculated from half-hourly emitted infrared/longwave radiation measurements taken from four flux sites in southern commercial forests of Canada. The relationship revealed a strong correlation between variables (r2=98.4%) and was central to the calculation of daily mean TS from MODIS-based estimates of TS. Since seasonally-based estimates of GDD and EVI were strongly correlated (r2=87%), data fusion techniques were applied to enhance the GDD map originally produced at 1 km resolution (from infrared emission band data), to 250 m. In general, the MODIS-derived map of GDD showed a positive constant offset of about 511 degree days from calculated long-term averages (1971 2000) based on temperatures collected at 101 Environment Canada climate stations.


With the projected increase in world population to 9 billion by 2050, along with per capita income growth, the demand for land and water resources is going to increase significantly. Conversion of land to intensive agriculture has led to dramatic decreases in plant, animal and insect biodiversity, with approximately 40% of the world's land surface now covered by croplands and pastures. Intensive agricultural practices cause erosion and lead to transport of soil particles and associated sorbed chemical (fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides) contaminants, which are responsible for significant degradation in the quality of both surface and subsurface water bodies. Soil erosion is an outcome of complex interactions between precipitation, physical transport, topography and conservation management strategies; and there have been many physically based mathematical models developed over the past 20 years that attempt to make predictions of erosion rates as a function of these interactions. These have been applied across scales corresponding to the laboratory, plot, hillslope and watershed with varying degrees of success. Two particular characteristic features of erosion data from both the laboratory and field scale that almost all these models have yet to reproduce reliably are hysteresis in the water discharge versus sediment discharge relationship, and the size distributions of transported sediment. We show that the model of Hairsine and Rose is able to produce the known common types of hysteresis curves, these being clockwise, counter-clockwise, figure 8 (both flow orientations), and that these forms are in keeping with measured data in the literature. Numerical simulations demonstrate that such curves are a consequence of (i) the soil's sediment size distribution and (ii) the existence and evolution of a deposited layer of non-cohesive sediment on top of original un-eroded cohesive soil. It is shown that the initial state of this layer prior to a rainfall event plays a significant role in determining which type of hysteresis loop evolves. An application to published experimental data for flow-driven erosion down a rill is then considered. Excellent agreement between measured and suspended sediment concentrations was found throughout the hysteretic cycle.


In this thesis I introduce a method on addressing the problem of learning in the absence of training data, when information on the distribution of the system parameters and of the observable that influences such parameters are also lacking. Additionally, it can be anticipated that the relation between the system parameter and observable vector, is nonlinear. I introduce the method for a stationary dynamical system for which the temporal evolution of the state space probability density function (pdf) is known, by embedding the sought system parameters into the support of the likelihood of the state space pdf. This allows to learn (the discretised versions of) the relevant system function as well as the state space pdf, using the only available test data on the observable. Inference is carried out using a Metropolis-within-Gibbs Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) scheme. I illustrate this new method empirically, by learning the system property of the real galaxy NGC4494 – namely its gravitational mass density function – and the pdf of the galactic state space vector, where test data comprises measured values of only half of the state space coordinates of resolved particles of the galaxy. Two distinct test datasets available for two distinct types of galactic particles are used. On the basis of my work, I reject the hypothesis that the state space pdf could be modelled using a parametric density that is symmetric about any point in its support. Additionally, the results show a large gravitational mass condensation near the centre of this galaxy, but I cannot reject the hypothesis that this central mass condensation is the supermassive black hole reported by some astronomers in NGC4494. Learning in this galaxy is conditional on the assumption of a simple (isotropic) model for the galactic state space. Then in the very distant galaxy 0047-281, I investigate if invoking ancillary information (comprising analysis of gravitational lensing measurements) can identify the solution for the galactic gravitational mass density, in spite of this potentially mis-specified model. I conclude that including the ancillary information definitely introduces identifiability to the mass density parameters, even within the given mis-specified model.


The scourge of small arms and light weapons (SALW) proliferation in Eastern Africa is a reality and should be vigorously addressed, sooner than later. This clearly emerged during the third anniversary of the signing of the Nairobi Declaration on the Problem of the Proliferation of Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa, commemorated on 15 March 2003 in Nairobi, Kenya.


Prediction of a system's stress in succession to a human-machine interaction is difficult due to the variety and variability of the involved factors. Thereby, the human factor represents an important role, positive as well as negative, whereat the resulting uncertainty can be ascribed to the human performance variability. Current approaches for the investigation of the human influence onto system stress predominantly focus on human error and thus only on the negative aspects. In contrast, the concept of uncertainty recently attracts increased attention and allows for a holistic assessment of human induced uncertainty, but misses an applicable method. Assessment of the human influence onto the uncertainty during usage would lead to the reduction of safety measures and thus to a conservation of resources.

The present work addresses the development of a holistic approach for the characterization, assessment, quantification and control of the human influence onto the uncertainty during usage. Based on a literature review, a model for the description of human-machine interaction, focusing on human sub-processes, is developed and a total of 67 influencing factors are allocated to the model's elements. On this basis, the method of Human Uncertainty Modes and Effects Analysis (HUMEAn) is derived, which allows for a systemic assessment and quantification of human induced uncertainty.
The developed method of HUMEAn is subsequently applied within a laboratory study to investigate the uncertainty of the human sub-process execution of action. For this, 58 participants must fulfill the task to place a specific weight on top of a tripod. The interindividual human influence, represented by the strength and dexterity of the participants, as well as the influence of task variation in form of different placing weights and instructions, are assessed. As a first result, system stress seems to follow a lognormal distribution. Thereby, a significant negative influence of the placing weight as well as the strength of the participants onto the resulting system stress is found. In contrast, specific instructions as well as the dexterity of the participants show a significant positive impact onto uncertainty.
During a second study with 44 participants, the HUMEAn is applied for the investigation of the complex task of landing an airplane. Thereby, the human sub-process choice of action in conjunction with intraindividual influences are focused. The uncertainty of choice of action is quantified by means of a Markov model. Again, the resulting uncertainty is represented by a lognormal distribution. Further, pilots holding a commercial pilot license tend to less variation within their action sequence as other pilots. Overall, a significant positive influence of the factors qualification, simulator- and flight experience are found. Moreover, several predictors for the resulting system stress for specific states of the Markov model are identified.
A third study with 32 participants is conducted to investigate the applicability of appropriate interface design for the reduction of uncertainty. Therefore, participants must stack two identical weights consecutively on top of a tripod. The findings confirm the possibility to reduce uncertainty regarding the resulting system stress through the implementation of appropriate feedback.

Overall, the developed model and the derived methodological approach of the HUMEAn allow for a systematic and holistic characterization and quantification of human induced uncertainty. Based on the application of the method, implications for the control and reduction of human induced uncertainty can be realized, e.g. through selection or qualification of the operator as well as through appropriate interface design.


The Paleogene Lower Dongying Formation of the Bohai Bay Basin, China, consists of a series of vertically stacked sand-filled delta distributary channels. These laterally complex sandstones create the need for a precise interwell estimation of reservoir porosity. In this study, we integrated wireline logs from 101 wells and ![Formula][1] of seismic data to directly predict porosity in the area of an existing heavy-oil field in the middle of the Liaoxi Uplift, Bohai Bay Basin. The top and the bottom horizons of the target oil unit interpreted on high-quality 3D seismic data are used to constrain the time window for 41 horizon-based attribute extractions. Next, we used the joint rough sets and Karhunen-Loeve transform (K-L transform) selection method to choose the optimal number and the type of seismic attributes that exhibit a high correlation with porosity. Finally, a method combinings multiple linear regression and radial basis function neural network was used to predict porosity based on the selected attribute subsets. After error analysis of the 101 wells, the results from the joint attribute selection approach showed the least prediction error at well locations because the joint attribute selection captured the linear and nonlinear relationship between attributes and porosities. We obtained a geologically realistic predicted porosity distribution using the joint approach, which suggested a network of main distributary channel sands characterized by high-porosity zones (approximately 32%).

 [1]: /embed/mml-math-1.gif


Botulinum neurotoxins (BTXs) inhibit the presynaptic release of acetylcoline causing a chemical denervation that results in sustained muscle weakness and have been used in the past 20 years to induce selective blocking of hyperactive striatal (and smooth) muscles. All the different seven serotypes of BTXs have in common the mechanism of action (block of the neuroexocytosis machinery inside the end plate, responsible for the release of acetylcholine into the neuromuscular junction), acting on different targets. The two commercially available serotypes, botulinum toxin type A and botulinum toxin type B (abbreviated BTX-A and BTX-B, respectively) are reported to act as zinc dependent endopeptidases on different intraneuronal target proteins. The clinical value of BTX-A has been recognised for a long time and is widely demonstrated by hundreds of clinical reports. More recently a clinical usefulness of BTX-B has been investigated. Two controlled clinical trials have demonstrated that local intramuscular injections of BTX-B are effective in the treatment of cervical dystonia in patients with BTX-A responsive disease, as well as in patients with BTX-A resistant disease (secondary non-responders). BTX-B was found to be effective in both studies, with a significant improvement observed in all the parameters investigated (severity, disability, and pain); action was found to last as long as 16 weeks. 3 Based on these favourable results, we investigated BTX-B treatment in blepharospasm (BLS), another common form of focal dystonia, and in hemifacial spasm (HFS). Indeed, despite BTX-A being an efficacious treatment for these conditions, a percentage of patients still shows a suboptimal response, particularly in long term treatments. They could, therefore, benefit from the availability of another botulinum toxin serotype.


Based upon the adsorbate–adsorbent interactions due to pore size distribution and surface heterogeneity, as characterized by the adsorption isotherms, the adsorption phenomenon has many industrial and environmental applications. These adsorption isotherms are very important to define the information related to the equilibrium uptake of adsorbate–adsorbent pair. Due to the presence of different energy distribution of adsorption sites, pore size distribution, surface area availability and surface heterogeneity, of each of the adsorbent–adsorbate pair, these isotherms are categorized into six types by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and so far, in the literature, there is no generalized adsorption isotherm model available that can define and predict the behavior of all adsorption isotherm types. In this study, a universal adsorption isotherm model is developed based upon the energy distribution function of the available adsorption sites and the pore size. The proposed model is able to define all adsorption isotherm characteristics, irrespective of their multi- or monolayer formations and micro- or meso-pore distribution.


Get the latest on rapidly evolving global electricity markets direct from the scholars and thought leaders who are shaping reform. In this volume, dozens of world-class experts from diverse regions provide a comprehensive assessment of the relevant issues in today's electricity markets.

 Amid a seething backdrop of rising energy prices, concerns about environmental degradation, and the introduction of distributed sources and smart grids, increasingly stringent demands are being placed on the electric power sector to provide a more reliable, efficient delivery infrastructure, and more rational, cost-reflective prices. This book maps out the electric industry's new paradigms, challenges and approaches, providing invaluable global perspective on this host of new and pressing issues being investigated by research institutions worldwide. Companies engaged in the power sector's extensive value chain including utilities, generation, transmission & distribution companies, retailers, suppliers, regulators, market designers, and the investment & financial rating community will benefit from gaining a more nuanced understanding of the impacts of key market design and restructuring choices. How can problems be avoided? Why do some restructured markets appear to function better than others? Which technological implementations represent the best investments? Which regulatory mechanisms will best support these new technologies? What lessons can be learned from experiences in Norway, Australia, Texas, or the U.K.? These questions and many more are undertaken by the brightest minds in the industry in this one comprehensive, cutting-edge resource.

 Features a unique global perspective from more than 40 recognized experts and scholars around the world, offering opportunities to compare and contrast a wide range of market structures

 Analyzes how the implementation of existing and developing market designs impacts real-world issues such as pricing and reliability

 Explains the latest thinking on timely issues such as current market reform proposals, restructuring, liberalization, privatization, capacity and energy markets, distributed and renewable energy integration, competitive generation and retail markets, and disaggregated vs. vertically integrated systems


CONTEXT
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority in the United States, Latinos/Hispanics. CVD risk factors such as metabolic syndrome, obesity, and diabetes are prevalent in Latinos/Hispanics at alarming rates. It is therefore imperative to understand this population's risk of CVD and the most effective and culturally sensitive treatment methods.

OBJECTIVES
To review recent findings on the prevalence of CVD, CVD risk factors, and related illnesses in the US Latino/Hispanic population, and discuss gaps in the current knowledge. To summon a call for greater action on the part of governmental agencies, pharmaceutical companies, academia, industry media, professional and community organizations to address the escalating health problem of CVD and related illnesses, such as diabetes, in the Latino/Hispanic population.

DATA SOURCES
An extensive PubMed and Internet literature search for studies published from January 1995 to July 2005 was conducted, using a combination of search terms (cardiovascular disease, CVD, Latino, Hispanic, prevention, guidelines, clinical trials, interventions).

STUDY SELECTION
Studies meeting initial search criteria were distilled using the date of publication, study population size, and specific relevance to the topic being reviewed.

DATA EXTRACTION
Data validity was assessed based on the quality of the source (large sample size, government agencies, major publications) and a consensus of the authors on perceived validity.

DATA SYNTHESIS
The review found limitations in current research as well as treatment methods and options for Latinos/Hispanics at risk for developing CVD and related illnesses.

CONCLUSIONS
Due to limitations in current data and trials and public health concern, additional research needs to be conducted to fully determine the best predictors of CVD and diabetes in Latino/Hispanic patients. A combined effort on the part of health-influencing and health-governing bodies is needed on all levels in order to address the CVD problem in the Latino/Hispanic population.


Postpartum is recognized as a critical period in many cultures, when societies view mothers as vulnerable. A longitudinal qualitative study of pregnant women in the rural area of Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, Indonesia was conducted to explore cultural beliefs and practices during the postpartum period. Ethnography approach was performed and the data on the postpartum period are presented. Intensity sampling was used to select informants from Muara Kaman Ulu and Ilir villages, Muara Kaman Sub district, Kutai Kartanegara and in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 Kutai postpartum women, two midwives, and two traditional birth attendants. Data analyses were conducted using the thematic analysis method. The main health problem occurring in the postpartum period is called "kamboh". It is a whole body ache with many symptoms, mainly fever, becoming skinny, with burning sensation that suddenly appears on the legs, itchiness and shivering. In order to prevent it women should undergo dietary and physical activity restrictions for 40 days. Certain foods were perceived as the possible causes of the itchy condition, delayed wound healing and hemorrhage. Following the traditional taboo, going outside the house and working hard were restricted. Close families and traditional birth attendants play important roles to ensure compliance of postpartum women to these restrictions. Understanding of cultural beliefs during the postpartum period is critical to support women. Therefore, health promotion interventions with particular attention to diet and physical activity should be designed by taking into account the local practices.


Current evolutions in the Internet of Things and cloud computing make it believable to build smart cities and homes. Smart cities provide smart technologies to residents for the improved and healthier life, where smart healthcare systems cannot be ignored due to rapidly growing elderly people around the world. Smart healthcare systems can be cost-effective and helpful in the optimal use of healthcare resources. The voice is a primary source of communication and any complication in the production of voice affects the personal as well as professional life of a person. Early screening of voice through an automatic voice disorder detection system may save life of a person. In this paper, an automatic voice disorder detection system to monitor the resident of all age group and professional backgrounds is implemented. The proposed system detects the voice disorder by determining the source signal from the speech through the linear prediction analysis. The analysis calculates the features from normal and disordered subjects. Based on these features, the spectrum is computed, which provided distribution of energy in normal and voice disordered subjects to differentiate between them. It is found that lower frequencies from 1 to 1562 Hz contributes significantly in the detection of voice disorders. The system is developed by using sustained vowel and running speech so that it can be deployed in a real world. The obtained accuracy for the detection of voice disorder with the sustained vowel is 99.94% ± 0.1, and that is for running speech is 99.75% ± 0.8.


Should the world demand for energy increase sixfold within the next 50 years, largely because the underdeveloped countries industrialize, and if half this demand is met by coal, then the estimated world recoverable resource of coal of 4 x 10/sup 12/ metric tons would last at this asymptotic level about 140 years. The carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere is then estimated to increase about threefold. These two eventualities may place limits on our ultimate use of coal. The risk of a CO/sub 2/ accumulation inherent in the widespread use of coal is in a sense analogous to the risk of nuclear proliferation: both problems are global, uncertain, and could pose profound challenges to man's future.


The Confidence Hills form a well exposed, composite, positive flower structure developed in Pliocene to Recent lacustrine and alluvial fan sediments. The structure has developed along the current trace of the southern Death Valley dextral strike-slip fault zone. California, USA. NW–SE-striking fault zones bound the Confidence Hills. In 3D, these fault segments are inferred to link at depth to a common basal fault system. The flower structure is formed by doubly plunging anticlines that roughly parallel the bounding fault segments. Fold development was aided by: (a) the presence of a basal salt deposit and numerous detachment horizons within the sedimentary pile and (b) buttressing and uplift along and against the bounding oblique-slip reverse faults. Structural and palaeomagnetic evidence indicates that the anticlines developed with axial surfaces parallel and sub-parallel to the trace of both fault zones. Folding appears to have initially developed adjacent to and above the southeastern fault segment and then propagated outwards and to the northwest. The latest displacements along the current southern Death Valley fault zone are probably only in the orders of hundreds of metres and as young as 0.9 Ma to Recent. This young fault zone is highly segmented along the length of the floor of southern Death Valley: the high proportion of oblique-slip faulting consistent with the strike-slip zone being immature. The Confidence Hills structure displays close geometric similarities with other natural examples of positive flower structures and to the features found in scaled. analogue sandbox experiments of strike-slip faulting.


The northern Hudson Bay lowland includes the largest area of frozen peat plateau bog in Canada. Polar bear denning habitat, caribou forage, carbon storage, and wetland drainage control provided by peat plateaus will be affected if post-Little Ice Age warming continues. Mapping and thermal modeling of frozen peat plateau stability indicate that permafrost peatlands are stable at a mean annual air temperature as warm as -3.5˚C. In the peat plateaus of the northern lowland, permafrost can be absent at the peat plateau margins where peat plateaus border fens or lakes. Here, insulating snow accumulations permit thawed conditions at mean annual air temperatures colder than -3.5˚C. Continued warming will result in expansion of thawed zones, subsidence at plateau margins, and even collapse of plateau surfaces, resulting in conversion to fen. This process has already occurred across north-central Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta since the end of the Little Ice Age, and there are signs that it is extending into the northern Hudson Bay lowland. Wave erosion of subsiding plateau borders at lake shorelines is also resulting in loss of peat plateau bog.


While numerous ancient human DNA datasets from across Europe have been published till date, modern-day Poland in particular, remains uninvestigated. Besides application in the reconstruction of continent-wide human history, data from this region would also contribute towards our understanding of the history of the Slavs, whose origin is hypothesized to be in East or Central Europe. Here, we present the first population-scale ancient human DNA study from the region of modern-day Poland by establishing mitochondrial DNA profiles for 23 samples dated to 200 BC – 500 AD (Roman Iron Age) and for 20 samples dated to 1000–1400 AD (Medieval Age). Our results show that mitochondrial DNA sequences from both periods belong to haplogroups that are characteristic of contemporary West Eurasia. Haplotype sharing analysis indicates that majority of the ancient haplotypes are widespread in some modern Europeans, including Poles. Notably, the Roman Iron Age samples share more rare haplotypes with Central and Northeast Europeans, whereas the Medieval Age samples share more rare haplotypes with East-Central and South-East Europeans, primarily Slavic populations. Our data demonstrates genetic continuity of certain matrilineages (H5a1 and N1a1a2) in the area of present-day Poland from at least the Roman Iron Age until present. As such, the maternal gene pool of present-day Poles, Czechs and Slovaks, categorized as Western Slavs, is likely to have descended from inhabitants of East-Central Europe during the Roman Iron Age.


Following on from earlier work on the female form and water, for example my 'Bathers' series, I wanted to revisit images of women and water produced by painters such as Degas, Bonnard, and Botticelli. My concept was to investigate the female nude form distorted by water by using photography, as compared to other artists who had used painting or drawing. By positioning the model under water, sensations of space and depth were uncertain and blurred for the viewer. In addition, an almost painterly effect was produced through the movement of the water displaced by the bodies and the play of light. Being a woman, I wanted to investigate how I could portray female nudes in water differently from these male artists, and show the female nudes as active, yet suspended in time and motion.

A selection of this work was shown in a solo show at Galerie Kohinoor, Karlsruhe (September-November 2003) and then went on to the Karlsruhe Contemporary Art Show. More recently at the Design Biennale in Kosovo (2006) (winner of the special jury prize).

I researched various locations and found pools in the South of France and in Sweden, which were without tiles, so that the figures would appear against a plain background. Tiles would have created a grid behind the figure, and I wanted to avoid this in order to produce a photograph that appeared more abstract from everyday contexts, and more dream-like. I asked friends and models to pose naked for me, after ensuring that they understood the purpose of the work and felt comfortable with this. I took 1000 shots and selected 50, which have been shown at various exhibitions.


Many high dimensional sparse learning problems are formulated as nonconvex optimization. A popular approach to solve these nonconvex optimization problems is through convex relaxations such as linear and semidefinite programming. In this paper, we study the statistical limits of convex relaxations. Particularly, we consider two problems: Mean estimation for sparse principal submatrix and edge probability estimation for stochastic block model. We exploit the sum-of-squares relaxation hierarchy to sharply characterize the limits of a broad class of convex relaxations. Our result shows statistical optimality needs to be compromised for achieving computational tractability using convex relaxations. Compared with existing results on computational lower bounds for statistical problems, which consider general polynomial-time algorithms and rely on computational hardness hypotheses on problems like planted clique detection, our theory focuses on a broad class of convex relaxations and does not rely on unproven hypotheses.


The rise of China in the world economy and in international trade has raised the possibility of a rise of the Yuan as an international currency, particularly after the Chinese authorities have undertaken policy initiatives such as Yuan settlement and Yuan swap lines. In this paper, we measure one dimension of Yuan internationalisation: the role of the Yuan in the exchange rate arrangements of other economies. While the magnitudes are small, our findings show that as many as 34 currencies in the world have been sensitive to movements in the Yuan. This suggests that the Yuan potentially has a significant role to play in global exchange rate arrangements. Contrary to popular belief, however, we find a limited role of the Yuan among Asian. economies.


This paper introduces the concept of a commutativity race. A commutativity race occurs in a given execution when two library method invocations can happen concurrently yet they do not commute. Commutativity races are an elegant concept enabling reasoning about concurrent interaction at the library interface. We present a dynamic commutativity race detector. Our technique is based on a novel combination of vector clocks and a structural representation automatically obtained from a commutativity specification. Conceptually, our work can be seen as generalizing classical read-write race detection. We also present a new logical fragment for specifying commutativity conditions. This fragment is expressive, yet guarantees a constant number of comparisons per method invocation rather than linear with unrestricted specifications. We implemented our analyzer and evaluated it on real-world applications. Experimental results indicate that our analysis is practical: it discovered harmful commutativity races with overhead comparable to state-of-the-art, low-level race detectors.


We present an unsupervised method to generate Word2Sense word embeddings that are interpretable — each dimension of the embedding space corresponds to a fine-grained sense, and the non-negative value of the embedding along the j-th dimension represents the relevance of the j-th sense to the word. The underlying LDA-based generative model can be extended to refine the representation of a polysemous word in a short context, allowing us to use the embedings in contextual tasks. On computational NLP tasks, Word2Sense embeddings compare well with other word embeddings generated by unsupervised methods. Across tasks such as word similarity, entailment, sense induction, and contextual interpretation, Word2Sense is competitive with the state-of-the-art method for that task. Word2Sense embeddings are at least as sparse and fast to compute as prior art.


The 8th edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging of epithelial cancers of the esophagus and esophagogastric junction (EGJ) presents separate classifications for clinical (cTNM), pathologic (pTNM), and postneoadjuvant (ypTNM) stage groups. Histopathologic cell type markedly affects survival of clinically and pathologically staged patients, requiring separate groupings for each cell type, but ypTNM groupings are identical for both cell types. Clinical categories, typically obtained by imaging with minimal histologic information, are limited by resolution of each method. Strengths and shortcomings of clinical staging methods should be recognized. Complementary cytology or histopathology findings may augment imaging and aid initial treatment decision-making. However, prognostication using clinical stage groups remains coarse and inaccurate compared with pTNM. Pathologic staging is losing its relevance for advanced-stage cancer as neoadjuvant therapy replaces esophagectomy alone. However, it remains relevant for early-stage cancers and as a staging and survival reference point. Although pathologic stage could facilitate decision-making, its use to direct postoperative adjuvant therapy awaits more effective treatment. Prognostication using pathologic stage groups is the most refined of all classifications. Postneoadjuvant staging (ypTNM) is introduced by the AJCC but not adopted by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). Drivers of this addition include absence of equivalent pathologic (pTNM) categories for categories peculiar to the postneoadjuvant state (ypT0N0-3M0 and ypTisN0-3M0), dissimilar stage group compositions, and markedly different survival profiles. Thus, prognostication is specific for patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy. The role of ypTNM classification in additional treatment decision-making is currently limited. Precision cancer care advances are necessary for this information to be clinically useful.


Arrays of interacting identical neurons can develop coherent firing patterns, such as moving stripes that have been suggested as possible explanations of hallucinatory phenomena. Other known formations include rotating spirals and expanding concentric rings. We obtain all of them using a novel two-variable description of integrate-and-fire neurons that allows for a continuum formulation of neural fields. One of these variables distinguishes between the two different states of refractoriness and depolarization and acquires topological meaning when it is turned into a field. Hence, it leads to a topologic characterization of the ensuing solitary waves, or excitons. They are limited to pointlike excitations on a line and linear excitations, including all the examples noted above, on a two dimensional surface. A moving patch of firing activity is not an allowed solitary wave on our neural surface. Only the presence of strong inhomogeneity that destroys the neural field continuity allows for the appearance of patchy incoherent firing patterns driven by excitatory interactions.


The need for fast time to market of new embedded processor-based designs calls for a rapid design methodology of the included processors. The call for such a methodology is even more emphasized in the context of so called soft cores targeted to reconfigurable fabrics where per-design processor customization is commonplace. The C language has been commonly used as an input to hardware/software co-design flows. However, as C is a sequential language, its potential to generate parallel operations to utilize naturally parallel hardware constructs is far from optimal, leading to a customized processor design space with limited parallel resource scalability. In contrast, when utilizing a parallel programming language as an input, a wider processor design space can be explored to produce customized processors with varying degrees of utilized parallelism. This Thesis proposes a novel Multicore Application-Specific Instruction Set Processor (MCASIP) co-design methodology that exploits parallel programming languages as the application input format. In the methodology, the designer can explicitly capture the parallelism of the algorithm and exploit specialized instructions using a parallel programming language in contrast to being on the mercy of the compiler or the hardware to extract the parallelism from a sequential input. The Thesis proposes a multicore processor template based on the Transport Triggered Architecture, compiler techniques involved in static parallelization of computation kernels with barriers and a datapath integrated hardware accelerator for low overhead software synchronization implementation. These contributions enable scaling the customized processors both at the instruction and task levels to efficiently exploit the parallelism in the input program up to the implementation constraints such as the memory bandwidth or the chip area. The different contributions are validated with case studies, comparisons and design examples.


The colorectal cancer is one of most frequent neoplasia in adult population. Since was described the adenoma-carcinoma sequence for the first time in 1978, the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer became studied. The study of colorectal cancer has been one of the most important elements for understanding the mechanisms involved in the genesis of malignant neoplasms. Several genes, like DCC, APC, p53 were identified as participants of the adenoma-carcinoma. The annexin A1 protein (ANXA1) is related with some types of tumor and its study in colorectal cancer in scientific literature is been done, but discreetly yet. The increasing advancement in molecular biology research have contributes for understanding the carcinogenesis, with the possibility of detecting earlier pre-malignant lesions and a proper diagnosis, more over it allow the development an efficient therapy.


The fertility transition of Rwanda stagnated between 1992 and 2005 at a total fertility rate (TFR) of 6 children per woman. After 2005 the fertility decline resumed its course and the TFR dropped remarkably fast till 4.6. The period of the fertility stall coincided with a very disruptive period in Rwanda's history. A civil war, culminating in a genocide and massive refugee flows undermined the society and destroyed the country's infrastructure, The broad objective of this thesis is to uncover the mechanisms that relate the disrupting events in Rwanda to fertility behaviour during and after the crisis. This thesis also intends to explore the drivers of the second shift in fertility after 2005. Finally it analyses the relation between conflict-related migration and fertility to bring additional empirical evidence to the inconclusive existing literature on this subject. This research illustrates that to understand the relation between conflict, fertility and migration the multi-dimensionality of this relation must be taken as a starting point. The impact of indirect factors on fertility, however, display through the classical direct factors of mating, risk of conception (use of contraceptive methods), chances on a live birth. Four important contributions are highlighted in this research. The first is that fertility preferences do matter in explaining actual fertility and fertility control. In particular de loss of own children and pregnancy losses (replacement effect) contributed to an increase of desired family size after 1992. But also women who did not experienced those losses wanted on average more children in 2000 and 2005. This could be interpreted as an insurance effect, a reaction on the massive killings. The second is that in the wake of the conflict several mechanisms have opposing effects on fertility. In decomposing age-standardised fertility we could show that in Rwanda the negative separation effect outweighed the positive replacement and contraceptive effects, yet also showed that the ones in a union had higher fertility after the conflict than before. The third is that migration is part of the relation between conflict and fertility in Rwanda. As the conflict spread over the whole country, many of the non-migrants may have lost their husband in the killings or got separated due to his flight abroad. Displaced and refugee women did suffer more from the conflict as they lost more children and more pregnancies. The replacement of these losses accounted for their higher level of fertility compared to non-migrants, to voluntary migrants and women returned from exile, at least after controlling for the better socio-economic position of the latter two groups. The fourth contribution is the issue of 'breaking into time'. Looking back over a longer period (20 years) we could not only go back to the onset of the stall in fertility decline, but also capture the mechanism in the resumption of this decline. After 2005 the desired family size dropped fast and thanks to an enormous improvement of reproductive health facilities and of general access to it, women could better regulate their births.


Gait anomalies give rise to several clinical problems in stroke survivors, which restrict their functional mobility and have a negative impact on their quality of life. Robotics-aided gait training post-stroke has proven capable of improving patients' functional walking, but so far it has not performed significantly better than conventional therapy. We hypothesize that an exoskeleton-based training program, aimed at correcting deficits in the leg joints' movement, could produce greater improvements in gait function than conventional therapy. As a first step towards testing this hypothesis, we designed an exoskeleton control to correct a typical kinematic deficit post-stroke, namely, reduced knee flexion on the paretic side during swing. The proposed control attempts to minimize this deficit by delivering assistive torque synchronized with the continuous phase of the patient's gait. Nine healthy male participants walked in a unilateral cable-driven exoskeleton while subject to an artificial knee flexion impairment produced by a custom-made knee brace. The experiments employed a treadmill featuring a variable-velocity control to allow self-selected gait speed. The artificial impairment by itself caused a significant reduction in peak flexion angle (p = 0.000129). Exoskeleton assistance compensated most of the knee flexion deficit, yielding no significant difference with unrestricted flexion (p = 0.3393). No significant changes in self-selected gait speed or stride frequency were detected. The proposed control can be expanded to correct motion deficits in other joints at different stages of the gait cycle.