In this paper, we introduce a problem structuring method (PSM) called "Value Map". Value Map is an extension to the Supplier Adopter Relationship Diagram in the Systemic Enterprise Architecture Method (SEAM). Value Map assists in understanding, analysis and design of value creation and capture in service systems. To develop the Value Map, we reviewed the literature that examine value creation and capture particularly in the marketing and microeconomics domains. The literature review helped us to discover and explore the relationships among the important concepts relevant to the processes of value creation and capture. Having identified these concepts and their relationships, we graphically represented them in the form of a conceptual model. The conceptual model provided insights into the structure and the dynamics of value creation and capture and served as a reference point for developing the notational elements and the modeling constructs in the Value Map. We illustrate the applicability of the Value Map by modelling value creation and capture in the service system of a social networking company called Webdoc.


Spectrum allocation tussles between incumbents and new entrants have traditionally occurred between licensed services in adjacent bands. By contrast, the recent fight over the deployment of LTE in the unlicensed bands (LTE-in-Unlicensed) addresses services that operate on the same frequencies and are not entitled to interference protection from each other.
We present a study of likely LTE-in-Unlicensed entrant systems coexisting with incumbent IEEE 802.11n Wi-Fi in the 5 GHz unlicensed band. We explore a large design parameter space for several distinct entrant technologies (e.g. LTE-U, LAA) in several deployment scenarios, for different incumbent and entrant node densities. We evaluate the coexistence performance in terms of the downlink throughput per entrant/incumbent access point, based on Monte Carlo simulations in MATLAB.
Our work was not commissioned to serve an advocacy purpose, and our results contradict some of the claims of both camps. Key technical findings bearing on the public policy debate are: (1) For realistic node densities, near-perfect coexistence of Wi-Fi and LTE-in-Unlicensed is ensured by the large number of 5 GHz channels, so that co-channel operation is easily avoided. (2) Evaluated by Wi-Fi throughput, LTE-U and LAA entrants are almost equally good neighbours to Wi-Fi incumbents. (3) For the worst-case scenario of forced co-channel operation – or equivalently, extremely high node densities – LTE-in-Unlicensed is occasionally a better neighbour to Wi-Fi than a Wi-Fi entrant, but sometimes worse.
We examine previous cases of tussles between unlicensed services, as a policy context for our LTE-in-Unlicensed/Wi-Fi coexistence study: HomeRF/Wi-Fi, Blue-tooth/Wi-Fi, and IEEE 802.11b vs. 802.11g. We find that cooperation among engineers from competing parties can significantly mitigate coexistence problems. Also, some debates were rendered moot when one of the competing technologies became dominant in the market, or they were deployed together in devices.
We conclude that if a regulator chooses to use entrant/incumbent coexistence as a criterion for rulemaking in unlicensed bands (which we posit here, but do not endorse), then LTE/Wi-Fi coexistence in 5 GHz does not require any action since problems will be rare. If the regulator chooses to over-weight problematic edge cases, then again there is no basis for action since LTE-in-Unlicensed is some-times friend, and sometimes foe, to Wi-Fi. We submit that the regulator should demand a systematic engineering analysis, surveying a wide range of parameters and scenarios, for supporting evidence-based rulemaking.


Black rice (BR) has higher content of fiber than white rice (WR). Furthermore, black rice contain anthocyanin which has numerous beneficial for health, including anti hyperglycemic effect and protection from cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, it has firmer texture and distinguished flavor, which makes it not as preferable as WR. Adding white rice increased the acceptance of steamed black rice. The percentages of white rice which added in this study were 0% (S100); 25% (S75); 50% (S50); 75% (S25); and 100% (S0). Scoring preference test was used for sensory analysis, followed by proximate analysis for fiber and water content, total starch using Nelson-Somogyi method, total anthocyanin using pH differential method, total phenolic using Folin-Ciocalteu method, and antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). S50 had the highest sensory preference while S25 was the lowest due to its pale color. S50 had higher fiber, anthocyanin, and phenolic content and higher antioxidant activity than S0, while it had higher total starch, water content, and tenderness than S100. Cooking process had reduced antioxidant activity on steamed BR, while the adding of WR had reduced it more. Based on the results, S50 was the best possible mix because it had the highest preference index and still had anthocyanin and phenolic content and antioxidant activity.


Interfuel substitutability has been of longstanding interest to the energy economics and policy community. However, no quantitative meta-analysis has yet been carried out of this literature. This paper fills this gap by analyzing a broad sample of studies of interfuel substitution in the industrial sector, manufacturing industry or subindustries, or macro-economy of a variety of developed and developing economies. Publication bias is controlled for by including the primary study sample size in the meta-regression. Results for the shadow elasticities of substitution between coal, oil, gas, and electricity for forty-six primary studies show that at the level of the industrial sector there are easy substitution possibilities between all the fuel pairs with the exception of gas-electricity and coal-electricity. Substitution possibilities seem more constrained at the macro level and less constrained in sub-industries. Estimates also vary across countries. Publication bias does not seem to be present, but model and data specification issues very significantly affect the estimates derived by each individual study. Estimates from cross-section regressions are generally largest, fixed effects panel estimates intermediate in magnitude, and time-series estimates are mostly much smaller. Econometric research suggests that the fixed effects estimates are likely the best among the existing studies, though biased downwards.


In the absence of federal climate change policy, many states have adopted programs that encourage clean energy generation from sources such as wind, solar, and nuclear. Nuclear energy in particular remains an attractive option for a number of states pursuing clean energy policies because of its ability to generate electricity without producing any greenhouse gas emissions. Thus far, attempts by state regulators to encourage intrastate clean generation have also been trailed by fierce legal challenges from industry and consumer groups. This Comment distills the case law on state clean energy programs, and focuses on the legal issues that have been raised in litigation involving New York and Illinois's zero emission credit programs. It then proposes best practices that state regulators can adopt when designing clean energy programs so as to reduce litigation risk. By insulating their clean energy programs from legal challenges, states will be better equipped to achieve their individual climate change goals.


Background The majority of HIV infection among children occurs through mother-to-child transmission. HIV exposed infants are recommended to have virological testing at birth or 4–6 weeks of age but challenges with centralized laboratory-based testing in Myanmar result in low testing rates and delays in result communication and treatment initiation. Decentralized point-of-care (POC) testing when integrated in prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services, can be an alternative to increase coverage of early infant diagnosis (EID) and timely engagement in HIV treatment and care. Aim This paper aims to explore experiences of caregivers of HIV-exposed infants enrolled in the PMTCT program in Myanmar and the perceived acceptability of point-of-care EID testing compared to conventional centralised laboratory-based testing. Methods This is a sub-study of the cluster randomised controlled stepped-wedge trial (Trial registration number: ACTRN12616000734460) that assessed the impact of near POC EID testing using Xpert HIV-1 Qual assay in four public hospitals in Myanmar. Caregivers of infants who were enrolled in the intervention phase of the main study, had been tested with both Xpert and standard of care tests and had received the results were eligible for this qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 caregivers. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated into English. Thematic data analysis was undertaken using NVivo 12 Software (QSR International). Results The majority of caregivers were satisfied with the quality of care provided by PMTCT services. However, they encountered social and financial access barriers to attend the PMTCT clinic regularly. Mothers had concerns about community stigma from the disclosure of their HIV status and the potential consequences for their infants. While medical care at the PMTCT clinics was free, caregivers sometimes experienced financial difficulties associated with out-of-pocket expenses for childbirth and transportation. Some caregivers had to choose not to attend work (impacting their income) or the adult antiretroviral clinic in order to attend the paediatric PMTCT clinic appointment. The acceptability of the Xpert testing process was high among the caregiver participants and more than half received the Xpert result on the same day as testing. Short turnaround time of the near POC EID testing enabled the caregivers to find out their infants' HIV status quicker, thereby shortening the stressful waiting time for results. Conclusion Our study identified important access challenges facing caregivers of HIV exposed infants and high acceptability of near POC EID testing. Improving the retention rate in the PMTCT and EID programs necessitates careful attention of program managers and policy makers to these challenges, and POC EID represents a potential solution.


The T-section cross member of the lifting sling failed in service while lifting a 966 kg (2130 lb) load. The L-section sling body and the cross member were made of aluminum alloy 5083 or 5086 and were joined by welding using aluminum alloy 4043 filler metal. The fracture was found by visual examination to have occurred at the weld joining the sling body and the cross member. Inadequate joint penetration and porosity was revealed by macrographic examination of the weld. Lower silicon content and a higher magnesium and manganese content than the normal for alloy 4043 filler metal were found during chemical analysis. It was revealed by examination of the ends of the failed cross member that a rotational force that had been applied on the cross member caused it to fracture near the sling body. It was concluded that brittle fracture at the weld was caused by overloading which was attributed to the misalignment of the sling during loading. Aluminum alloy 5183 or 5356 filler metal was recommended to be used to avoid brittle welds.


In this paper, we focus on a (2,2)-threshold scheme in the presence of an opponent who impersonates one of the two participants. We consider an asymptotic setting where two shares are generated by an encoder blockwisely from an n-tuple of secrets generated from a stationary memoryless source and a uniform random number available only to the encoder. We introduce a notion of correlation level of the two shares and give coding theorems on the rates of the shares and the uniform random number. It is shown that, for any (2,2)-threshold scheme with correlation level r, none of the rates can be less than H(S) + r, where H(S) denotes the entropy of the source. We also show that the impersonation by the opponent is successful with probability at least 2−nr+o(n). In addition, we prove the existence of an encoder and a decoder of the (2, 2)-threshold scheme that asymptotically achieve all the bounds on the rates and the success probability of the impersonation.


Obstetric ultrasound examination of physiological parameters has been mainly used to estimate the fetal weight during pregnancy and baby weight before labour to monitor fetal growth and reduce prenatal morbidity and mortality. However, the problem is that ultrasound estimation of fetal weight is subject to populations' difference, strict operating requirements for sonographers, and poor access to ultrasound in low-resource areas. Inaccurate estimations may lead to negative perinatal outcomes. We consider that machine learning can provide an accurate estimation for obstetricians alongside traditional clinical practices, as well as an efficient and effective support tool for pregnant women for self-monitoring. We present a robust methodology using a data set comprising 4,212 intrapartum recordings. The cubic spline function is used to fit the curves of several key characteristics that are extracted from ultrasound reports. A number of simple and powerful machine learning algorithms are trained, and their performance is evaluated with real test data. We also propose a novel evaluation performance index called the intersectionover-union (loU) for our study. The results are encouraging using an ensemble model consisting of Random Forest, XGBoost, and LightGBM algorithms. The experimental results show an loU of 0.64 between predicted range of fetal weight at any gestational age from the ensemble model and that from ultrasound. Comparing with the ultrasound method, the estimation accuracy is improved by 12%, and the mean relative error is reduced by 3%.


Knowledge about migratory connectivity, the degree to which individuals from the same breeding site migrate to the same wintering site, is essential to understand processes affecting populations of migrants throughout the annual cycle. Here, we study the migration system of a long-distance migratory bird, the Montagu's harrier Circus pygargus, by tracking individuals from different breeding populations throughout northern Europe. We identified three main migration routes towards wintering areas in sub-Saharan Africa. Wintering areas and migration routes of different breeding populations overlapped, a pattern best described by 'weak (diffuse) connectivity'. Migratory performance, i.e. timing, duration, distance and speed of migration, was surprisingly similar for the three routes despite differences in habitat characteristics. This study provides, to our knowledge, a first comprehensive overview of the migration system of a Palaearctic-African long-distance migrant. We emphasize the importance of spatial scale (e.g. distances between breeding populations) in defining patterns of connectivity and suggest that knowledge about fundamental aspects determining distribution patterns, such as the among-individual variation in mean migration directions, is required to ultimately understand migratory connectivity. Furthermore, we stress that for conservation purposes it is pivotal to consider wintering areas as well as migration routes and in particular stopover sites.


Ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) and 4D‐Variational (4D‐Var) are two advanced data assimilation methods that are the basis of numerical weather prediction and have been extensively used in trace gas assimilation and inverse modeling. In this study, we compare 4D‐Var and the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter (LETKF), one type of EnKF, in estimating CO2 fluxes with both simulated and real satellite data from Greenhouse gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) and propose a method to calculate flux changes and flux error reductions from assimilating each observation within the LETKF. The results show that the mean posterior flux accuracy across 11 land regions defined by the Atmospheric Tracer Transport Model Intercomparison Project is comparable between 4D‐Var and the LETKF, as shown in the Observing System Simulation Experiment, but the differences between the LETKF and 4D‐Var are relatively larger over data sparse regions. We show that this is most likely due to the fact that the observations from a much broader region have impact on flux estimation in 4D‐Var than in the LETKF. As a result, the posterior fluxes from 4D‐Var are more consistent with the atmospheric CO2 growth rate. We find that the inversion results are less dependent on inversion methods with the increase of observations. With real GOSAT observations, we show that the posterior flux changes in 2011 relative to 2010 are more consistent between these two methods than the absolute estimates.


International crises are modeled as a political "war of attrition" in which state leaders choose at each moment whether to attack, back down, or escalate. A leader who backs down suffers audience costs that increase as the public confrontation proceeds. Equilibrium analysis shows how audience costs enable leaders to learn an adversary's true preferences concerning settlement versus war and thus whether and when attack is rational. The model also generates strong comparative statics results, mainly on the question of which side is most likely to back down. Publicly observable measures of relative military capabilities and relative interests prove to have no direct effect once a crisis begins. Instead, relative audience costs matter: the side with a stronger domestic audience (e.g., a democracy) is always less likely to back down than the side less able to generate audience costs (a nondemocracy). More broadly, the analysis suggests that democracies should be able to signal their intentions to other states more credibly and clearly than authoritarian states can, perhaps ameliorating the security dilemma between democratic states.


Electronic customer-to-customer interaction (eCCI) is a widespread phenomenon in e-commerce platforms and becomes crucial in the service offering embedded in web 2.0 and social media technique, but the research is very limited.This study explores the features of customer perceived quality in eCCI in Tourism E-commerce Platform .Furthermore, it distinguishes the quality of interaction between customers on different demographic variables.The results enable the E-commerce enterprises to learn from understanding,influencing,controlling and managing eCCI and provide the further directions on this field.


With the rapid development of 3D and communication technology, there are many potential application areas of stereoscopic video such as education, manufacturing, inspection and monitoring, entertainment, medical surgery, videoconferencing, and video telephony etc. In this thesis, we worked on the schemes of stereo video coding designing and comparison to find out the best performance design. Video coding is an essential procedure to reduce the data size and improve transmission efficiency. Stereo video usually needs two and more cameras to capture videos. As we know video files include huge information and massive correlations among frames, furthermore stereo video coding requires considering spatial and temporal redundancies at the meantime. Different video standards developed and applied in different fields, H.264 is a latest standard developed by ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) together with the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), as we selected compression standard it have many advanced specifics for stereo video coding. For this reason all schemes in this paper we designed are based on H.264 standard. In this thesis, we designed a set of scenarios with four schemes. Each scheme is probably the best one in different test environments. Accordingly we configure the same parameters in software environment both JM (Joint Model) and JMVC (Joint Multi-view Video Coding). The tested sequences are captured from different scene and resolution to make sure that our analysis and conclusions are fair. With all the results we got from all the scenarios, one out of the four schemes turned out to be the best choice in most cases in this thesis.


In this first part of the paper, the category of meaning is traced starting from the origin of the Universe itself as well as its very grounding in pre-geometry (the second part deals with an appropriate bottom-up approach). In contrast to many former approaches in the theories of information and also in biosemiotics, we will show that the forms of meaning emerge simultaneously (alongside) with information and energy. Hence, information can be visualized as being always meaningful (in a sense to be explicated) rather than visualizing meaning as a later specification of information within social systems only. This perspective taken has two immediate consequences: (1) We follow the GDI as defined by Floridi, though we modify it somehow as to the aspect of truthfulness. (2) We can conceptually solve Capurro's trilemma. Hence, what we actually do is to follow the strict (i.e., optimistic) line of UTI in the sense of Hofkirchner's. While doing this, we treat energy and information as two different categorial aspects of one and the same underlying primordial structure. We thus demonstrate the presently developing convergence of physics, biology, and computer science (as well as the various theories of information) in some detail and draft out a line of argument eventually leading up to the further unification of UTI and biosemiotics.


Objectives/Goals To determine the correlation between conductivity and corrosion rates in various solutions in simulation of a typical oil field environment. Methods/Materials Part I: Carbon-steel corrosion coupons (3#x.5#) were weighed and placed in the following solutions: sodium chloride solution, produced water (from an oil field), hydrochloric acid (pH 4), and carbon dioxide solution (pH 6). The solutions were sealed and placed at either room temperature or 50oC (120oF) for one week. The coupons were then removed, cleaned of excess corrosive residue, and the final mass was obtained. Each solution was tested ten times at both temperatures for a total of 80 trials. Part II: An LPR probe was placed in each of these solutions for one hour at both temperatures. A reading [in mils per year] was then obtained from the probe. A conductivity reading was taken using a conductivity probe. Results The coupon results show that hydrochloric acid was the most corrosive (when heated it had 68.33 mpy and 55.01 mpy at room temperature). The carbon dioxide demonstrated an average loss of 7.72 mpy when heated and 11.39 mpy at room temperature. Produced water showed an average loss of 4.44 mpy when heated and 1.16 mpy at room temperature. Sodium chloride solution was the least corrosive with 1.35 mpy when heated and .77 at room temperature. The LPR Probe demonstrated similar results with the hydrochloric acid being most corrosive (2281.11 mpy heated, 209.68 room temp.), followed by produced water (209.68/125.76), and sodium chloride (100.40/43.48). The conductivity results also mimic this progression. Conclusions/Discussion My hypothesis was supported by the data. Hydrochloric acid was far more corrosive then all of the other solutions. With excess hydronium ions in solution in the acid, the formation of hydrogen gas (and therefore the loss of electrons from the metal) is greatly increased. This allows for the oxidation of iron to be much more prevalent (which indicates that greater amounts of iron would be lost into solution as oxidized ions). In general, the effects of heat produced a more corrosive environment. As conductivity increased, the amount of corrosion also increased. While the conductivity meter is not perfect, it can be useful in understanding general corrosion trends of a solution. For a low budget project that needs supportive results, the conductivity meter can be used effectively.


Multi-task learning is ideally suited for MR-only radiotherapy planning as it can jointly simulate a synthetic CT (synCT) scan a regression task and an automated contour of organs-at-risk a segmentation task from MRI data. We propose to use a probabilistic deep-learning model to estimate respectively the intrinsic and parameter uncertainty. Intrinsic uncertainty is estimated through a heteroscedastic noise model whilst parameter uncertainty is modelled using approximate Bayesian inference. This provides a mechanism for data-driven adaptation of task losses on a voxel-wise basis and importantly, a measure of uncertainty over the prediction of both tasks. We achieve state-of-the-art performance in the regression and segmentation of prostate cancer scans. We show that automated estimates of uncertainty correlate strongly in areas prone to errors across both tasks, which can be used as mechanism for quality control in radiotherapy treatment planning.


Context.The launch of Parker Solar Probe (PSP) in 2018, followed by Solar Orbiter (SO) in February 2020, has opened a new window in the exploration of solar magnetic activity and the origin of the heliosphere. These missions, together with other space observatories dedicated to solar observations, such as the Solar Dynamics Observatory, Hinode, IRIS, STEREO, and SOHO, with complementary in situ observations from WIND and ACE, and ground based multi-wavelength observations including the DKIST observatory that has just seen first light, promise to revolutionize our understanding of the solar atmosphere and of solar activity, from the generation and emergence of the Sun's magnetic field to the creation of the solar wind and the acceleration of solar energetic particles.Aims.Here we describe the scientific objectives of the PSP and SO missions, and highlight the potential for discovery arising from synergistic observations. Here we put particular emphasis on how the combined remote sensing and in situ observations of SO, that bracket the outer coronal and inner heliospheric observations by PSP, may provide a reconstruction of the solar wind and magnetic field expansion from the Sun out to beyond the orbit of Mercury in the first phases of the mission. In the later, out-of-ecliptic portions of the SO mission, the solar surface magnetic field measurements from SO and the multi-point white-light observations from both PSP and SO will shed light on the dynamic, intermittent solar wind escaping from helmet streamers, pseudo-streamers, and the confined coronal plasma, and on solar energetic particle transport.Methods.Joint measurements during PSP–SO alignments, and magnetic connections along the same flux tube complemented by alignments with Earth, dual PSP–Earth, and SO-Earth, as well as with STEREO-A, SOHO, and BepiColumbo will allow a better understanding of the in situ evolution of solar-wind plasma flows and the full three-dimensional distribution of the solar wind from a purely observational point of view. Spectroscopic observations of the corona, and optical and radio observations, combined with direct in situ observations of the accelerating solar wind will provide a new foundation for understanding the fundamental physical processes leading to the energy transformations from solar photospheric flows and magnetic fields into the hot coronal plasma and magnetic fields and finally into the bulk kinetic energy of the solar wind and solar energetic particles.Results.We discuss the initial PSP observations, which already provide a compelling rationale for new measurement campaigns by SO, along with ground- and space-based assets within the synergistic context described above.


In mobile wireless sensor networks (MWSNs), scavenging energy from ambient radio frequency (RF) signals is a promising solution to prolonging the lifetime of energy-constrained relay nodes. In this paper, we apply the Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer (SWIPT) technique to a MWSN where the energy harvested by relay nodes can compensate their energy consumption on data forwarding. In such a network, how to maximize system energy efficiency (bits/Joule delivered to relays) by trading off energy harvesting and data forwarding is a critical issue. To this end, we design a resource allocation (ResAll) algorithm by considering different power splitting abilities of relays under two scenarios. In the first scenario, the power received by relays is split into a continuous set of power streams with arbitrary power splitting ratios. In the second scenario, the received power is only split into a discrete set of power streams with fixed power splitting ratios. For each scenario above, we formulate the ResAll problem in a MWSN with SWIPT as a non-convex energy efficiency maximization problem. By exploiting fractional programming and dual decomposition, we further propose a cross-layer ResAll algorithm consisting of subalgorithms for rate control, power allocation, and power splitting to solve the problem efficiently and optimally. Simulation results reveal that the proposed ResAll algorithm converges within a small number of iterations, and achieves optimal system energy efficiency by balancing energy efficiency, data rate, transmit power, and power splitting ratio.


The use of aerial anchors for localizing terrestrial nodes has recently been recognized as a cost-effective, swift and flexible solution for better localization accuracy, providing localization services when the GPS is jammed or satellite reception is not possible. In this paper, the localization of terrestrial nodes when using mobile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as aerial anchors is presented. We propose a novel framework to derive localization error in urban areas. In contrast to the existing works, our framework includes height-dependent UAV to ground channel characteristics and a highly detailed UAV energy consumption model. This enables us to explore different trade-offs and optimize UAV trajectory for minimum localization error. In particular, we investigate the impact of UAV altitude, hovering time, number of waypoints and path length through formulating an energy-constrained optimization problem. Our results show that increasing the hovering time decreases the localization error considerably at the cost of a higher energy consumption. To keep the localization error below 100 m, shorter hovering is only possible when the path altitude and radius are optimized. For a constant hovering time of 5 seconds, tuning both parameters to their optimal values brings the localization error from 150m down to 65m with a power saving around 25% based on our simulation results.


Since the early 1980s, Korea's financial development has been a tale of liberalization and opening. After the 1997 financial crisis, great strides were made in building a market-oriented financial system through sweeping reforms for deregulation and the opening of financial markets. However, the new system failed to steer the country away from a credit card boom and bust in 2003, a liquidity crisis in 2008, and a run on its savings banks in 2011, and has been severely tested again by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Financial liberalization, clearly, has been no panacea. This study analyzes the deepening of and structural changes in Korea's financial system since the early 1980s and presents the empirical results of the effects of financial development on economic growth, stability, and the distribution of income. It finds that, contrary to conventional wisdom, financial liberalization has contributed little to fostering the growth and stability of the Korean economy and has exacerbated income distribution problems. Are there any merits in financial liberalization? The authors answer this query through empirical examinations of the theories of finance and growth. They point to a clear need to further improve the efficiency, soundness, and stability of Korean financial institutions and markets. © 2021 by The President and Fellows of Harvard College.


In this presentation we describe the 3D digitization of Museums Sheffield Metalwork Collection and cogitate on a number of issues related to reflective surfaces. We describe the initial approach and how we had to radically change the strategy resulting in a much higher effort than initially anticipated. The project used state-of-the-art 3D laser scanning technologies and 3D models were exported to the open standard COLLADA format and made suitable for visualization over the Internet with standard web browsers. The project has been successful and its outcomes leave a permanent digital record of representative items from the Museums Sheffield Metalwork Collection. The scanned collection is a component of the city's collaborative ambition to celebrate Sheffield's unique place in the world history of metal-making under the banner of Created and Made in Sheffield – a project to enhance knowledge, culture and understanding of the city's contemporary and historical contribution to the development of national economy and culture with a strong community focus. Along these lines we also comment on our key work on 3D scanning the "Man of Steel" a landmark sculpture for the Sheffield region that has gained planning permission and recently made the headlines. The scanned model has allowed Axis Architects to model a virtual environment helping to visualize and determine the final appearance of the 30m sculpture overlooking the M1 in Sheffield.


Many degree courses at technical universities include the subject of control systems engineering. As an addition to conventional approaches Fuzzy Control can be used to easily find control solutions for systems, even if they include nonlinearities. To support further educational training, models which represent a technical system to be controlled are required. These models have to represent the system in a transparent and easy cognizable manner. Furthermore, a programming tool is required that supports an easy Fuzzy Control development process, including the option to verify the results and tune the system behavior. In order to support the development process a graphical user interface is needed to display the fuzzy terms under real time conditions, especially with a debug system and trace functionality. The experiences with such a programming tool, the Fuzzy Control Design Tool (FHFCE Tool), and four fuzzy teaching models will be presented in this paper. The methodical and didactical objective in the utilization of these teaching models is to develop solution strategies using Computational Intelligence (CI) applications for Fuzzy Controllers in order to analyze different algorithms of inference or defuzzyfication and to verify and tune those systems efficiently.


Sexual segregation is common in ungulates. We show, in a high latitude population of feral goats where behavioural synchrony and fission rates have been shown to be the best explanation for segregation, that it is differences explicitly in the feeding time requirements of the two sexes (but not those for other activities) that best explains the variations in monthly frequencies of segregation. However, this effect is less marked during winter months when short day length forces the time budgets of the two sexes to converge. We argue that the various explanations for segregation can best be interpreted as separate factors in a multivariate model in which species- and habitat-specific weightings influence the relative importance of these variables, and thus the likelihood that segregation will occur.


Increasing health care expenditures is a matter of concern in many countries, particularly in relation to the underlying drivers of such escalation which include ageing, medical innovation, and changes in the burden of disease e.g. prevalence of chronic diseases. Most health care systems in developed countries have been designed to 'cure' acute episodes, rather than to 'manage' chronic conditions, and thereby they are not adequately and efficiently organized to respond to the changing needs and preferences of consumers. New models of chronic care provision have been developed to respond to the changing burden of disease and there are already practical experiences in different countries showing their advantages but also the difficulties in their implementation. In this paper, we focus on the Spanish experience in terms of policy changes and pilot studies directing at testing the viability of transiting towards chronic care models. In particular, we utilize a framework that identifies and analyses the 10 key pre-conditions of high performing chronic-care based healthcare systems and we apply it to the current Spanish Nhs. We find that the design of the Spanish national health system already meets some of those pre-conditions. However, other features are still in their early stages of development or being applied in restricted geographical and clinical contexts. We propose a pathway to walk the crucial challenge of the transition towards an optimal health system focused on chronic care. In this transition, the development of the forthcoming chronicity strategy for the whole Spanish Nhs supposes the point of no return towards a disruptive transformation of the healthcare delivery model.


IBM Cognos 10 is the next generation of the leading performance management, analysis, and reporting standard for mid- to large-sized companies. One of the most exciting and useful aspects of IBM Cognos software is its powerful custom report creation capabilities. After learning the basics, report authors in the enterprise need to apply the technology to reports in their actual, complex work environment. This book provides that advanced know how. Using practical examples based on years of teaching experiences as IBM Cognos instructors, the authors provide you with examples of typical advanced reporting designs and complex queries in reports. The reporting solutions in this book can be directly used in a variety of real-world scenarios to provide answers to your business problems today. The complexity of the queries and the application of design principles go well beyond basic course content or introductory books. IBM Cognos 10 Report Studio: Practical Examples will help you find the answers to specific questions based on your data and your business model. It will use a combination tutorial and cookbook approach to show real-world IBM Cognos 10 Report Studio solutions. If you are still using IBM Cognos 8 BI Report Studio, many of the examples have been tested against this platform as well. The final chapter has been dedicated to showing those features that are unique to the latest version of this powerful reporting solution.


The Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) recently approved a new type of hybrid mortgage, the Asset Integrated Mortgage (AIM), that combines a home loan and a fixed insurance annuity. The borrower invests most of the money in an annuity that is normally earmarked for the down payment. As long as the annuity investment plus the down payment exceeds 20 percent of the home's worth, the borrower avoids mortgage insurance costs, just like a conventional mortgage with 20 percent down. The AIM is being promoted as a way for consumers to save, diversify their asset base and build a nest egg for retirement.(1)


The skin is a visible organ, playing an important role in interpersonal relations, and when wounded may cause distress. Stress has influences on several skin diseases just as these are stress generators. This study assessed stress and dermatological lesion sites and the association between these variables, comparing stress levels in patients with lesions on the face and/or hands and patients with lesions on other parts of the body. It was a descriptive, association-based, cross-study. The sample was made of 205 patients, who filled out the Lipp's Stress Symptom Inventory for Adults, the Socio-demographical Data File and the Lesion Site File. No significant differences were found in the stress results between the groups, but the presence of stress symptoms in the majority of patients is worth highlighting, being the resistance phase and the psychological symptomatology the predominant ones. These was no significant difference in stress results between the two groups (p=0,495; p=0,873 and p=0,815). These findings corroborate the need of a biopsychosocial care to the pacientes.


This Article proposes amending Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect marital status discrimination. In doing so, this Article seeks to overcome two injustices in the law. The first injustice is when an employer terminates an employee because the employer disapproves of the employee's marital status for moral reasons. Because such terminations involve invidious and arbitrary decisions by an employer that are not based on the skill or qualifications of an employee, they should be prohibited. However, less than half of the states protect against marital status discrimination, leaving an employee's freedom to be protected from this type of discrimination dependent on the state in which he lives. Even though this is troubling, it is not itself a sufficient reason for protecting marital status under federal law. Instead, I am more concerned with protecting marital status discrimination because of the effect that companies' "no-spouse" or "anti-nepotism" policies have on women. This Article reveals that when a married couple who works together is or becomes subject to a no-spouse rule (forcing one of them to quit), it is usually the woman who does so. This is because it is most often the woman who earns less money and whose job is seen as second in the couple's relationship (perhaps because of time taken for childbirth and rearing). Because our sex discrimination laws have not adequately protected against the disparate effect no-spouse rules have on women, this Article proposes that marital status be protected under federal law. This Article also proposes that Congress adopt a broad interpretation of marital status because a narrow interpretation (adopted by some states) only prohibits the discrimination if it is based on the "status" of being married. A no-spouse rule might not violate the marital status provision because the rule is seen as discriminating not just because of the status of being married but because of the identity of the spouse. A broad or "identity" interpretation would prohibit no-spouse rules because it would protect against discrimination based on both the status of being married and the identity of an employee's spouse. Finally, because I recognize that there are some situations where employers have a legitimate reason for not wanting married employees working together; this proposed amendment to Title VII would include a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) defense which would allow an employer to prohibit married employees from directly supervising one another.


Public health refers to the management and prevention of disease within a population by promoting healthy behaviors and environments in an effort to create a higher standard of living. In this comprehensive volume, editor James W. Holsinger Jr. and an esteemed group of scholars and practitioners offer a concise overview of this burgeoning field, emphasizing that the need for effective services has never been greater. Designed as a supplemental text for introductory courses in public health practice at the undergraduate and graduate levels, Contemporary Public Health provides historical background that contextualizes the current state of the field and explores the major issues practitioners face today. It addresses essential topics such as the social and ecological determinants of health and their impact on practice, marginalized populations, the role of community-oriented primary care, the importance of services and systems research, accreditation, and the organizational landscape of the American public health system. Finally, it examines international public health and explores the potential of systems based on multilevel partnerships of government, academic, and nonprofit organizations. With fresh historical and methodological analyses conducted by an impressive group of distinguished authors, this text is an essential resource for practitioners, health advocates, and students.


Dynamic binary translation (DBT) is a key system technology that enables many important system applications such as system virtualization and emulation. To achieve good performance, it is important for a DBT system to be equipped with high-quality translation rules. However, most translation rules in existing DBT systems are created manually with high engineering efforts and poor quality. To solve this problem, a learning-based approach was recently proposed to automatically learn semantically-equivalent translation rules, and symbolic verification is used to prove the semantic equivalence of such rules. But, they still suffer from some shortcomings. In this paper, we first give an in-depth analysis on the constraints of prior learning-based methods and observe that the equivalence requirements are often unduly restrictive. It excludes many potentially high-quality rule candidates from being included and applied. Based on this observation, we propose an enhanced learning-based approach that relaxes such equivalence requirements but supplements them with constraining conditions to make them semantically equivalent when such rules are applied. Experimental results on SPEC CINT2006 show that the proposed approach can improve the dynamic coverage of the translation from 55.7% to 69.1% and the static coverage from 52.2% to 61.8%, compared to the original approach. Moreover, up to 1.65X performance speedup with an average of 1.19X are observed.


Context. Four open clusters are present in the Kepler field of view and timeseries of nearly a year in length are now available. These timeseries allow us to derive asteroseismic global oscillation parameters of red-giant stars in the three open clusters NGC 6791, NGC 6819 and NGC 6811. From these parameters and effective temperatures, we derive masses, radii and luminosities for the clusters as well as field red giants. Aims. We study the influence of evolution and metallicity on the observed red-giant populations. Methods. The global oscillation parameters are derived using different published methods and the effective temperatures are derived from 2MASS colours. The observational results are compared with BaSTI evolution models. Results. We find that the mass has significant influence on the asteroseismic quantities Δν vs. νmax relation, while the influence of metallicity is negligible, under the assumption that the metallicity does not affect the excitation/damping of the oscillations. The positions of the stars in the H-R diagram depend on both mass and metallicity. Furthermore, the stellar masses derived for the field stars are bracketed by those of the cluster stars. Conclusions. Both the mass and metallicity contribute to the observed difference in locations in the H-R diagram of the old metal-rich cluster NGC 6791 and the middle-aged solar-metallicity cluster NGC 6819. For the young cluster NGC 6811, the explanation of the position of the stars in the H-R diagram challenges the assumption of solar metallicity, and this open cluster might have significantly lower metallicity [Fe/H] in the range −0.3 to −0.7 dex. Also, nearly all the observed field stars seem to be older than NGC 6811 and younger than NGC 6791.


This chapter describes a new, hybrid methodology to measure and code party positions on salient political issues. This new method combines expert-judgements based on text analysis with self-placement of parties. The resultant reliable party positions can be used to construct online applications that help voters to decide which party is closest to their own political preferences. The chapter presents the methodology used to identify salient issues and to frame these issues into statements to which users of the online tools are asked to respond. Furthermore, consideration is given to how relevant party documentation is identified and how these textual sources are used to calibrate political parties on the issues. Finally, the chapter discusses the methodological problems of aggregating voters' opinions into an easy-to-understand output.


In a two-year study, we aimed to determine the susceptibility of four plum cultivars to two fungal pathogens of plum (Stigmina carpophila and Polystigma rubrum) in two training systems with tree spacings of 4 x 1.5m and 6 x 3m. Results showed that shothole symptoms were not detected on cvs 'Bluefre' and 'Stanley' in August, 2016. Disease incidence was above 50% in the case of 'Čačanska lepotica' in both training systems in 2016. There were no significant difference between the two training systems. Shot hole incidence was lower in the 6 x 3m spacings compared to the 4 x 1.5m spacings on cv 'President' in 2016. Cultivar 'Čačanska lepotica' showed the highest incidence of Stigmina carpophila in the 4 x 1.5m spacing in 2017. Disease incidence of Stigmina carpophila was significantly lower in the 6 x 3m spacing compared to the 4 x 1.5m spacing. Shothole incidences on cv 'President' were similar to the values in 2016 ranging from 40% to 60%. Leaf disease incidence was higher in the 4 x 1.5m spacing compared to the 6 x 3m plot. Low disease incidence (below 10%) was observed on cv 'Stanley' in 2017 and only in the 4 x 1.5m spacing. There were no visible symptoms of blackhorn dotty in 2016 due to inadequate weather conditions for the Polystigma rubrum fungus. However, all the four cultivars were infected by Polystigma rubrum in 2017. The most susceptible cultivar was cv 'Čačanska lepotica' with the highest disease incidence in the 4 x 1.5m spacing. Disease incidence of this cultivar was lower in the 6 x 3m spacing which was significantly less than in the 4 x 1.5m spacing. The least susceptible cultivar was 'Bluefre' and symptoms were observed only in the spacing of 4 x 1.5m. The disease incidence of cv 'President' was similarly low to cv 'Stanley' in both spacings.


Efficient mapping of message passing concurrency (MPC) abstractions to Java Virtual Machine (JVM) threads is critical for performance, scalability, and CPU utilization; but tedious and time consuming to perform manually. In general, this mapping cannot be found in polynomial time, but we show that by exploiting the local characteristics of MPC abstractions and their communication patterns this mapping can be determined effectively. We describe our MPC abstraction to thread mapping technique, its realization in two frame- works (Panini and Akka), and its rigorous evaluation using several benchmarks from representative MPC frameworks. We also compare our technique against four default mapping techniques: thread-all, round-robin-task-all, random-task-all and work-stealing. Our evaluation shows that our mapping technique can improve the performance by 30%-60% over default mapping techniques. These improvements are due to a number of challenges addressed by our technique namely: i) balancing the computations across JVM threads, ii) reducing the communication overheads, iii) utilizing information about cache locality, and iv) mapping MPC abstractions to threads in a way that reduces the contention between JVM threads.


Analysis of a 3D inlet textured slider bearing with a temperature dependent fluid is performed. Numerical simulations are carried out for a laminar and steady flow. Hot and cold lubricant mixing in the groove is modelled and examined for different operating conditions. Thermohydrodynamic performance of the bearing is analysed for different texture lengths. Results show that texture has a stronger and positive influence on load carrying capacity when thermal effects are considered. This beneficial effect is at a maximum for the longest dimples with a length shorter than the pad length. Texture is also beneficial for the load carrying capacity when the sliding speed and inlet flow rate are varied: with an appropriate supply mass flow, load carrying capacity can be increased by 6-7% at low sliding speeds.


Strong boy-bias and its consequences for young and unborn girls have been widely documented for Asia. This paper considers a country in Sub-Saharan Africa and finds that parental gender preferences do affect fertility behavior and shape traditional social institutions with negative effects on adult women's health and well-being. Using individual-level data for Nigeria, the paper shows that, compared to women with first-born sons, women with first-born daughters have (and desire) more children and are less likely to use contraceptives. Women with daughters among earlier-born children are also more likely to have shorter birth intervals, a behavior medically known to increase the risk of child and maternal mortality. Moreover, they are more likely to end up in a polygynous union, to be divorced, and to be head of the household. The preference for sons is also supported by child fostering patterns in which daughters are substitutes for foster girls, while the same does not hold for sons and foster boys. These results can partly explain excess female mortality among adult women in Sub-Saharan Africa.


We present a framework for dynamic quadrupedal locomotion over challenging terrain, where the choice of appropriate footholds is crucial for the success of the behaviour. We build a model of the environment on-line and on-board using an efficient occupancy grid representation. We use Any-time-Repairing A* (ARA*) to search over a tree of possible actions, choose a rough body path and select the locally-best footholds accordingly. We run a n-step lookahead optimization of the body trajectory using a dynamic stability metric, the Zero Moment Point (ZMP), that generates natural dynamic whole-body motions. A combination of floating-base inverse dynamics and virtual model control accurately executes the desired motions on an actively compliant system. Experimental trials show that this framework allows us to traverse terrains at nearly 6 times the speed of our previous work, evaluated over the same set of trials.


Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is described throughout the literature as a devastating neurological disorder associated with significant mortality and morbidity rates, arising not just from the haemorrhage itself, but also as a result of the catastrophic multisystem sequelae that can accompany the condition. Rupture of an intracranial aneurysm accounts for up to 85% of instances of SAH, occurring in approximately 6–7 per 100,000 in most populations and costing an estimated £510 million annually in the United Kingdom alone (Rivero-Arias et al, 2010). Treatment of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Haemorrhage (aSAH) includes prevention of re-bleeding, evacuation of space occupying haematomas, management of hydrocephalus and prevention of secondary cerebral insult. Headache has been highlighted as the predominant, most characteristic and often the only symptom of aSAH, its severity having a variety of physiological and psychological effects on the patient. This paper summarises the findings of a literature review conducted as part of a research study to examine existing practices in the assessment and management of headache in patients with aSAH in an Irish Neurosciences Centre. The review demonstrates that despite a wealth of published literature on the diagnosis and management of aSAH, evaluation and management of its main symptom, headache, remains suboptimal and under-researched. The lack of available literature demonstrates that such enquiry is both timely and necessary.


Although the interest for thoracoscopic sublobar resections (TSLR) is rising, its use for treating non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is still controversial because publications dealing with survival and recurrence rate provide contradictory results. If applied to the resection of lung cancer, thoracoscopic segmentectomies must be performed according to oncological criteria. The aim of this technical paper is to give some technical details on thoracoscopic segmentectomies for the treatment of malignancies. Our experience is based on 235 thoracoscopic anatomical segmentectomies performed in 232 patients for a malignant lesion between January 2007 and July 2016. Indication for segmentectomy was a proven or suspected NSCLC in 184 and suspected metastasis in 51 patients. Intraoperative and postoperative data were recorded in a prospective manner. There were eight conversions into a posterolateral thoracotomy (3.4%) and seven unplanned additional pulmonary resections for an oncological reason (3%). We discuss some technical refinements that could minimize these adverse events and make thoracoscopic segmentectomy a safe and reliable procedure.


A new high-port-count wavelength-selective switch (WSS) has been realized using two cross-scanning one-axis analog micromirror arrays in a 4 − f optical system. The number of output ports is increased from N to N, where N is the maximum linear port count limited by optical diffraction. Using surface-micromachined micromirrors with hidden vertical comb drives, large scan angles (> ±5◦ mechanical), low drive voltages (7 V), and high fill factors (> 96.25%) are achieved for both scanning mirrors. Experimental results for WSS are demonstrated using both two-dimensional (2-D) array of discrete collimators and monolithic 2-D collimator array. A fiber-to-fiber insertion loss ranging from 6 to 18 dB and a switching time of < 700 μs have been achieved.


Diagnostic characters of the recently established new genus of radiolitid rudist Auroradiolites include an entirely compact outer shell layer, a distinctly convex upper (left) valve and a robust myocardinal apparatus surrounding a strongly internally projected ligamentary infolding. Until now, A. biconvexus (previously considered to be exclusively late Albian in age) has been reported only from the Langshan Formation, which crops out along the northern portion of the Lhasa block, Tibet. Here, it is recorded for the first time from the Sangzugang Formation of the Xigaze Forearc Basin, situated on the southern margin of the Lhasa block. A. biconvexus differs from the south‐west Asian type species A. gilgitensis (late Aptian to Albian) by its relatively larger size, more strongly domed left valve and distinct radial undulations of the outer shell layer. The characters of A. gilgitensis are further clarified from archived material from central Afghanistan, also newly identified and described herein. All Auroradiolites records to date are revised. The recognition of examples of A. biconvexus from upper Aptian strata increases both the stratigraphical and geographical ranges of the species, indicating that it had already branched off from A. gilgitensis in the late Aptian. Some new radiolitid specimens that combine both compact and cellular calcitic outer shell layer structures are also described from the Langshan Formation, but a number of internal differences from Auroradiolites cast doubt on their constituting a sister group to the latter and we assign them to Eoradiolites cf. hedini. Rather, the evolution of Auroradiolites directly from the ancestral radiolitid genus Agriopleura is favoured on the grounds of parsimony. So far, the genus Auroradiolites has been recorded from Iran, central and eastern Afghanistan, the type locality of Yasin in north‐western Pakistan, southern and northern Ladakh, the Lhasa block, as well as Hokkaido in northern Japan. During the late Aptian to Albian interval, all of these localities were associated with terranes and blocks that were limited to the north‐eastern margin of Tethys and the western Pacific margin, making Auroradiolites an indicator of a SW Asian to Pacific faunal province.


Inefficient and error-prone interaction between human operators and technical systems was the reason for various catastrophic accidents in the past. User interfaces implement the communication between a human user and a technical system which is the reason why inaccurate design of user interfaces has been identified as one major factor for those errors. The use of adaptive user interfaces is one possible solution to reduce inefficient interaction by adapting the user interface to a specific user, task, or context. However, currently no self-contained formal approach exists that allows for the creation of adaptive user interfaces despite various advantages of formal methods: interaction becomes verifiable, formal methods close the gap between modeling and implementation by using executable formal languages, and they allow for using existing rewriting concepts making formal models adaptable. This paper introduces a new approach to a formal rule generation concept, which enables a flexible creation of adaptive user interfaces. This concept is based on a formal modeling and reconfiguration approach for the creation and adaptation of user interfaces. The applicability of this approach will be shown through an implementation of an adaptive user interface for adaptive automation. The main contribution of the presented work is a new concept for rule generation that is capable of adapting formally modeled user interfaces. Keywords–Formal Modeling; User Interface; Adaptive User Interface; Formal Reconfiguration; Rule Generation.


The purpose of this study was to examine Christianity and the worldview of Kelabit
society, which is one of the small indigenous groups in Sarawak, East Malaysia.
There were four objectives outlined in this study. Firstly, the study examined the
spread of Christianity in the Kelabit highlands, Sarawak and Malaysia. Secondly, it
was carried out to determine the religiosity of the Kelabit. Thirdly, it was done to
identify the worldview of the Kelabit, and finally it was aimed at analyzing the social
changes experienced by the Kelabit society and their worldview.
Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were applied for this study. Data
from the qualitative research were collected through in-depth interview with fortyone
respondents who were selected from among social, religious and educational
leaders of the Kelabit society. Participant observation was also conducted by the
researcher in the villages in Bario, Sarawak. Meanwhile, qualitative data were
arranged by encoding them into thirteen topics. The topics were classified by three important themes, which included religiosity of Christianity, worldview and social
changes of the Kelabit. The qualitative data were analyzed by interpreting according
to the three main themes. In addition, the quantitative data were also obtained by
distributing one hundred questionnaires among the Kelabits who are residing in
Kelabit Highlands, Miri, Kuching and Kuala Lumpur. The quantitative data were
analyzed using SPSS version 15.0.
There are four findings yielded in this research. Firstly, the Kelabit society has been
influenced by the spread of Christianity through the Australian and American
missionaries in the early stage. As a result, the Kelabits converted to Christianity and
experienced the Christian revival. Secondly, the Kelabit has unique religious
practices which include various church activities such as early morning prayers and
worships. Moreover, their religiosity is strongly related to their social lifestyles.
Thirdly, the present worldview of the Kelabits is influenced through the years by
animism, Christianity and Christian revival. Finally, the study also revealed that the
worldview of the Kelabits has shaped their society.


This chapter focuses on the instructional content, both text and images, published in 26 issues of three jihadi magazines: Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's Inspire, Inspire's forerunner Jihad Recollections, and Somali Al-Shabab's Gaidi M'taani. Instruction was found to be a core component of Inspire as distinct from the varying types and levels of instruction appearing in Jihad Recollections and Gaidi M'taani. Noticeable too was that the text and images composing bomb-making instructional guides were not only the commonest, but also the most detailed types of guides contained in Inspire, with both a high number of images and lengthy supporting text. A clear finding is thus that the purpose of AQAP's Inspire was not just to inspire readers, in the sense of infusing them with some thought or feeling, but also to supply them with instructions on how these thoughts or feelings could be violently actuated.


When saccading towards a grating that disappears during the eye movement, observers report a short-lived sensation of this target at the saccade goal (Wolf et al, 1980). Our study further characterizes this short-lived percept, examining how its localization can be influenced by a highly dissimilar post-saccadic stimulus. Participants made saccades towards a small, black square. During the eye movement this target was replaced with a white disk that was eight (experiment 1) or ten (experiment 2) times larger. The center of the disk could be situated up to 6° on the right or left of the pre-saccadic target, where the target location fell well outside the disk. Subjects indicated whether they perceived the square inside or outside the post-saccadic disk. In a control condition both stimuli appeared with the same spatio-temporal characteristics but subjects were required to maintain fixation. Overall, participants perceived the stimuli at overlapping locations more often in the saccade than in the fixation condition. Surprisingly, the square was perceived inside the disk even when it was as much as 6° outside. In the fixation condition, the responses were more veridical. This erroneous perception of the target inside the disk can be considered as an instance of trans-saccadic fusion. This is in contrast with previous experiments that failed to observe this phenomenon (eg. O'Regan & Levy-Schoen, 1983) probably because they used complex stimuli. Moreover, this interaction between pre- and post-saccadic stimuli may be related to the classic saccadic suppression of displacement (SSD, Bridgeman et al, 1975). However, unlike the normal SSD case where the similar pre- and post-saccadic targets are seen as one replacing the other, the two targets here differ dramatically and both can be seen. This suggests that the short-lived sensation of the pre-saccadic target might be involved in SSD. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


IRAN All the Shah's Men: The Hidden Story of the CIA Coup in Iran, by Stephen Kinzer. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2003. xiv + 228 pages. Notes to p. 243. Bibl. to p. 249. Index to p. 258. $24.95. Mohammad Mosaddeq and the 1953 Coup in Iran, ed. by Mark J. Gasiorowski and Malcom Byrne. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, forthcoming, n.p. Hayden White, in his classic Metahistory, argues that historical narratives tend to follow one of four basic structures - that of Tragedy, Comedy, Satire, or Romance. If White had taken more interest in American foreign policy, he would have been tempted to add to either Tragedy or Irony the subcategory Benign Intent. Much American writing on US foreign policy begins with the premise that American decision-makers have noble intentions even though the consequences of their actions may not always be so noble. Even if US intervention sometimes paves the way to dictatorship, death squads, mass killings, or (as now in Iraq) a Hobbesian nightmare, these "unforseen and unfortunate occurences" should be severed from the ideals that initially generated that policy - ideals such as Manifest Destiny, spreading civilization (especially Christianity), defending democracy, or, in more recent decades, protecting rthe world from the evils of communism and international terrorism. Other states might be Machiavellian and malevolent, but the United States is altruistic, idealistic, and benevolent. The two books under review share this underlying theme of benign intent. All the Shah's Men, written by Stephen Kinzer veteran New York Times reporter and author of the well-known Bitter Fruit: The Story of the Coup in Guatemala - is a highly readable story of the overthrow of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq that ends with an indictment of the ensuing "dictatorship" and with an epilogue which recounts, touchingly, the author's visit to Mossadeq's home and the reminiscences of local villagers. Mohammad Mosaddeq and the 1953 Coup in Iran is a collection of conference papers delivered at St. Antony's College, Oxford. Dedicated to "Iranians who have struggled for independence and democracy," the volume is co-edited by Marc Gasiorowski, who years ago established himself as a leading authority on the subject; and by Malcom Byrne, who, as a Deputy Director of the Na-tional Security Archive, has taken on the frustrating task of persuading the US government to declassify documents, including those on the 1953 coup. In addition to co-editing this volume, Gasiorowski has contributed an article on the coup itself and Byrne a separate one on US policy towards Iran from 1945 to 1953. The volume also contains articles by Homa Katouzian on the problems of democracy in Iran; Fakhreddin Azimi on the internal opposition of Mosaddeq; Maziar Behrooz on the Tudeh Party; William Roger Louis on Britain's role in the coup; and Mary Heiss on how the oil companies mustered a successful international boycott against Iran. All of the articles are meticulously researched and thick with detail. Moreover, many of them, as well as Kinzer's book, use interviews to supplement the available written sources. One could well say that these two books give readers all the details they would ever want to know about the 1953 coup, and more. This is a refreshing contrast to earlier generations of Anglo-American historians, whose treatment of the subject of US involvement in the 1953 coup was silence, denial, or blame of the Shah and Iran (not the United States) for the fact that the coup had not produced a better outcome. While these two books share the new liberal consensus that the coup was a tragic disaster for Iran as well as for US-Iran relations, they nevertheless conform, on the whole, to the dominant theme of benign intent. They place the crisis squarely in the context of the Cold War, emphasizing that the overwhelming reason for US involvement was fear of, and the desire to save Iran and the Middle East as a whole from international communism. …


IMPORTANCE
Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal self-injury are very harmful behaviors and are associated with several psychiatric disorders. In the recently developed fifth edition of the DSM, NSSI and suicidal behavior disorder are for the first time introduced as conditions in their own right instead of symptoms of other psychiatric disorders. It is unclear to what extent NSSI and suicidal self-injury share the same underlying biological mechanisms and are influenced by the same environmental factors.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the relative importance of genetic and environmental influences on the variation in NSSI and suicidal ideation and their covariation.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
Classical twin design using a sample of 10,678 male and female adult twins (mean [SD] age, 32.76 [6.99] years) from the Australian Twin Registry, a population-based twin registry. Between 1996 and 2009, the twins participated in semistructured telephone interviews that primarily focused on psychiatric disorders.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Lifetime presence of self-reported NSSI and suicidal ideation. RESULTS The prevalences of NSSI and suicidal ideation were 4.7% and 26.5%, respectively, and individuals who engaged in self-harm were much more likely to report suicidal ideation (odds ratio = 8.39; 95% CI, 6.84-10.29). Results from a bivariate genetic model indicated that genetic factors explain a substantial part of the variance in both NSSI (37% for men and 59% for women) and suicidal ideation (41% for men and 55% for women), while residual influences (including nonshared environmental influences and measurement error) explain the remainder of the variance. Shared (family) environment did not seem to play a role. Moreover, both behaviors were strongly correlated (r = 0.49 for men and 0.61 for women), and this correlation was largely explained by overlapping genetic influences (76% for men and 62% for women), whereas residual influences accounted for the remainder of the phenotypic correlation.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Results indicated that the substantial correlation between NSSI and suicidal ideation is largely driven by overlapping genetic factors, suggesting that the 2 behaviors share similar biological underpinnings. Overlapping residual influences also explain part of the covariance between the 2 traits. Future research should further investigate which genetic and environmental influences underlie the vulnerability to NSSI and suicidal ideation.


Recent advances in psychological research indicate that traumatic events can have effects on the victims, perpetrators and those who witness such events.  This is on the premise that no one who experiences a disaster is untouched by it. In the 2007/2008 post-election violence in Kenya, children were exposed to and witnessed various traumatic events.  Some may have developed behavioral and anxiety disorders. The study sought to assess the relationship between irrational beliefs and levels Posttraumatic Stress Disorder severity among the children survivors of 2007/2008 post-election violence. The study was guided by Cognitive Behavioral Theory. The study target population was 77,768 children. A sample size of 460 respondents was derived from 10 divisions in Nakuru county which were hard hit by post-election violence.  The sample comprised of 400 children who included primary and secondary survivors of the violence and 20 deputy head teachers in the schools sampled and 40 parents who took part in focused group discussions. Expost facto comparative research design was utilized and multi-stage sampling approach was used to derive the sample. Data for the study was obtained using questionnaires, interview schedules and focused group discussions. A pilot study was conducted in Subukia division involving 80 children, four deputy head teachers and two focused group discussions. The hypotheses were tested at significance level of 0.05. The study found fairly strong correlation between irrational beliefs and level of PTSD severity. This study recommended psychological debriefing and trauma counseling as interventions needed for the survivors. Key words: Irrational beliefs , Post-Traumatic Stress disorder traumatic experiences, post-election violence, secondary survivors, and primary survivors


We estimate the impact of district-level schooling mode (in-person versus hybrid or distance learning) on test scores. We combine Spring 2021 state standardized test score data with comprehensive data on schooling in the 2020-21 school year across 12 states. We find that pass rates declined compared to prior years and that these declines were larger in districts with less in-person instruction. Passing rates in math declined by 14.2 percentage points on average; we estimate this decline was 10.1 percentage points smaller for districts fully in-person. Changes in English language arts scores were smaller, but were significantly larger in districts with larger populations of students who are Black, Hispanic or eligible for free and reduced price lunch.


The design of the Eta model goes back to early 1970s, when its original dynamical core was designed following the philosophy of Akio Arakawa of emulating important properties of the atmospheric governing equations. The core's later major features were invented and implemented in the mid-1980s. Once a comprehensive physics package was added, the model became operational as a regional NWP model in the United States in 1993. Its use for regional climate projections followed later, for the South American region and then for a regional reanalysis over the North American region. Summary of the model's dynamical core is given, followed by that of its physics package. Results of experiments revealing the model's ability to generate added value even at large scales when run as a regional climate model (RCM) are summarized. The Eta model is applied on various climate scales seamlessly, from subseasonal, seasonal to multidecadal, from coarse 40 km up to high 5 km resolution. Examples of applications to various socioe‐ conomic sectors, such as for hydropower management, crop yield forecasts, environ‐ mental and forest conservation, urban areas management, assessment of natural disaster risks, etc., are given. The Eta RCM capability to reproduce extreme climatic values is pointed out.


With the availability of home improvement supplies, plant owners can quickly and easily set up an automatic system that waters their gardens based on a specified schedule. However, most of these systems require an electric outlet or water faucet making them unusable in locations where installed water and power lines do not exist, such as apartment balconies. This project defines a small-scale automated watering system that runs independently of installed water and power lines. The system takes water from a reservoir, such as a tank or bucket, and supplies that water to individual plants via a drip system. The design runs on battery power and incorporates maximum water efficiency by measuring soil moisture before watering and protecting against dry operation.


Preclinical observations and measurements in heart failure patients demonstrate, for
the first time, the relationship between coronary venous pressure and intra-cavity left
ventricular pressure. These data support the concept that CorVP could be used as a
surrogate for LVP. Further optimization of the technique would be needed for clinical
applications.


This paper is concerned with a coupled system of nonlinear difference equations which is a discrete approximation of a class of nonlinear differential systems with time delays. The aim of the paper is to show the existence and uniqueness of a positive solution and to investigate the asymptotic behavior of the positive solution. Sufficient conditions are given to ensure that a unique positive equilibrium solution exists and is a global attractor of the difference system. Applications are given to three basic types of Lotka-Volterra systems with time delays where some easily verifiable conditions on the reaction rate constants are obtained for ensuring the global attraction of a positive equilibrium solution.


With the natural product (1R)-(−)-myrtenal as the starting material, a series of chiral pentadienes (Pdl*) such as dimethylnopadiene (2a), methylphenylnopadiene (2b), and methylnopadiene (2c) have been prepared by Wittig reactions. Deprotonation with the Schlosser base gives the corresponding potassium pentadienides 3a-K–3c-K, whose structures were investigated by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction studies. In all cases a "U" conformation was observed. Furthermore, the coordination chemistry and electronic properties of these new pentadienyl systems were explored in several half-open trozircene complexes [(η7-C7H7)Zr(η5-Pdl*)] and their PMe3 and tBuNC adducts. Density functional theory (DFT) computations are consistent with the experimentally observed face selectivity upon metal coordination: namely, that the metal coordinates exclusively from the sterically less encumbered side.


Abstract : The Air Force s individual mobilization augmentee (IMA) program provides trained, equipped, and ready reservists when the service needs them to support an operational requirement. A significant change to the Reserve brought about by Operation Desert Storm continues to affect this program. These reservists are assigned to active duty rather than Reserve units, so their program s organizational structure is unique and often confusing. Since an organization s configuration can significantly influence its ability to support the mission, one may reasonably inquire about the viability of the commandstructure of the Air Force s current IMA program. This article uses Stafford Beer s viable system model as an analytical tool to examine that structure. The evaluation presented here focuses on optimizing the management of IMA forces to ensure increased operational readiness in times of crisis; it also addresses the need to meet reservists reasonable expectations that the Air Force use them in roles for which they are well suited and well trained, as well as roles consistent with an integrated All-Volunteer Force.


Students' declining motivation to learn English in school presents a major challenge for teachers (Ushioda, 2013) and motivation researchers need to help them "find ways of eliciting, enhancing, and sustaining students' motivation" (Guilloteaux, 2013: 3). While recent publications (e.g. Dornyei & Kubanyiova, 2014; Gregersen & Macintyre, 2014) offer theoretically-based, practically-oriented guidance on generating motivation, focus tends to be on the development of language-speaker/user self-concepts over longer timescales. In the research literature on materials design, itself an under-explored area (Gilmore, 2012), focus has been directed to the effectiveness of tasks as classroom input, rather than their motivational qualities. Faced with a daily need to deliver motivating activities, teachers are poorly supported by principled advice. With the aim of contributing to the development of effective practice, and recognizing that "the accumulated wisdom of best practices in the teaching profession considerably exceeds the significance of the findings of empirical investigations" (Dornyei, 2009: 267), the purpose of the research presented here is to examine the language learning activities teachers themselves consider motivational.An electronic questionnaire was distributed to 325 teachers of English from a randomly-drawn sample of 65 secondary schools in Sweden. An open-ended question invited teachers to describe an activity carried out in the current/previous term which they experienced as generating student motivation. Quantitative and qualitative content analysis techniques were employed in the analysis of these descriptions. Drawing on activity-relevant motivational factors outlined by Dornyei and Csizer (1998), Ushioda's (2011) principles for motivating learners 'to speak as themselves', and Henry's (2013) identification of the motivational potential of activities with 'affinity space' features (Gee, 2007), analyses were guided by five overarching motivational characteristics; Interest, Personal relevance, Autonomy, Invoking transportable identities and Affinity space features. Recurring themes, frequencies, and exemplar activities are presented and tentative proposals are made for practice development.SUMMARYIn delivering motivational activities, teachers are poorly supported by principled advice. The research objectives were to examine activities teachers consider motivational. Descriptions of activities provided by Swedish EFL teachers from a randomly-drawn sample (N=325) were analysed. Themes, frequencies, and exemplar activities are presented. Proposals for practice development are offered.


This thesis examines the development by local authorities of alternative models of ownership of public housing, focusing on large scale voluntary transfers (LSVTs) to specially created housing associations. I attempt to place stock transfer within the wider policy context of changes in the State's role in the provision of services; and changes in organisational development, reflected in transfer structures; and the wider shift in responsibility for the delivery of public services to the private sector.
I examine theories that explain the development of the State's role in housing and discuss their relationship to LSVT. As discussions involving 'the State' must recognise the different interests and motivations of Central and local government, I examine action taken to promote and achieve stock transfer by local authorities and central government.
The research method adopted to achieve my aims includes both analysis of existing data and the collection of new data through a sample survey of twenty LSVT associations. I approached the research in five stages: background research – including reviewing literature and examining the legal and regulatory framework for LSVT; identifying the characteristics of early LSVT associations; selecting a sample of twenty selected associations for in-depth survey; conducting in-depth interviews with the twenty associations; analysing and tabulating the data collected and drawing conclusions.
The survey focuses on staff perceptions of the reasons for transfer and why politicians and tenants accepted the change; organisational and management change brought about by the new landlords; and the changes brought about by private sector involvement, including new personnel brought in to help run the organisations and the influence of private funders. I attempt to draw key conclusions about LSVT associations from the evidence presented. Finally, I examine how early LSVTs paved the way for a wider stock transfer programme, including transfers by inner-urban authorities and large city councils. I argue that while LSVT may have been developed in response to the financial pressure upon local authorities from the early 1980s onwards, the process has created a new style of business orientated social landlord.


Motivated by the human ability to maintain a high level of speech recognition when large parts of the spectrogram are masked (i.e. dominated) by noise, the original "missing data" (MD) approach to noise robust speech recognition was based on the paradigm whereby models are trained on clean speech and during recognition parts of the spectrogram identified as being dominated by noise are ignored by marginalisation over the clean data pdf. However, the implied rule that each spectral data value should be treated as either as 100% clean or completely missing is inaccurate. The performance of MD based recognition has been steadily improving over the last few years with each increase in the accuracy of the modelling of clean-data uncertainty. Another assumption of the MD approach, which is more reasonable, is that it is often relatively easy to obtain an accurate estimate of the local noise spectrum. In this report we present an analysis of the way in which uncertainty in the noise spectrum is transformed into uncertainty in the clean speech spectrum. The take up of this approach will depend on the existence of closed form and computationally feasible solutions to the equations here presented. This is a preliminary study and no empirical tests are included. It is intended as a theoretical foundation from which practical solutions may be developed in future.


Meige Syndrome or Segmental Craniocervical Dystonia Syndrome is a rare variant of dystonia. It is clinically accompanied by dystonia in facial, masseter, and trapezius muscles together with symmetrical blepharospasm. Even though drugs such as anticholinergic, antidopaminergic, benzodiazepines, and tetrabenazine are used with botulinum toxin in its therapy, success of therapy is low and side effects are a lot when they are used alone. In this study, we reported two cases with Meige syndrome, that were a 60-year-old male patient and a 50-year-old female patient who had ongoing dystonia complaints even though they had previously received other therapies and then were successfully treated with a combined therapy of trihexyphenidyl, which is an anticholinergic, and Btx without any side effect. This rare clinical picture is mostly supposed to have a psychogenic origin. Also, it is mainly confused with entity tardive dystonia in differential diagnosis. Clinicians should be careful in order not to miss out diagnosis of Meige Syndrome or establish misdiagnosis like psychogenic movement disorders in differential diagnosis. It also should be kept in mind that chance of success for treatment of Meige Syndrome increases with combined medical therapies such as Trihexyphenidyl and Btx.


Economic growth in Northern Ireland has undoubtedly raised the standard of living for many consumers and contributed to a growing culture of consumption. However, this heroic discourse masks the various social problems associated with economic growth, in particular, the deepening of inequality. This article aims to demonstrate the lived experience of poverty against the backdrop of a society that is increasingly dominated by consumption. Findings suggest that limited financial resources and the resulting consumption constraints are a source of stress and dissatisfaction. Such dissatisfaction stems from feelings of exclusion from the 'normal' consumption patterns that these consumers see around them. It is only by highlighting their stories that we can really understand the full consequences of what it means to live in a consumer culture. The importance of social support to counteract marketplace exclusion is also highlighted, reinforcing the need to consider capital in all its forms and not only from an economic perspective.


The aim of this paper is to provide the idea of the level of the research being carried out worldwide in the area of acoustic home textiles. This paper covers the brief introduction of various aspects being analyzed in 21st Century, where the research methodology is booming day and night. The critics on the papers is omitted and everyone's research related to sound or noise absorbing home textile or even general textile material suitable for home textiles is warmly welcomed. The final summary is presented in the conclusion section after the extensive available research in the area of sound or noise insulating home textiles. This review depicts the acoustical property and factors affecting the acoustical property of home textile material from raw materials to the finished goods. Moreover, the measurement of acoustic property and sound absorption mechanism of home textiles have also been described. The significance of textile materials and making the better acoustic home textiles has also been presented. A large variety of textile raw material being used in the area of acoustic home textiles is quoted and described.


This thesis examines the political evolution of the industrial bourgeoisie in Peru. It argues that the industrial bourgeoisie has been undergoing a rapid and dynamic process of economic development and political formation in the period since the reforms of 1968 which reduced the power of the landed oligarchy. The experience of the Garcia government (1985-1990) is used as a case study to illustrate the changing role of industrialists in the Peruvian development process. The Garcia government, a populist government with reformist tendencies and redistributive objectives, nonetheless attempted to forge an alliance with the industrial bourgeoisie as part of its heterodox economic strategy. This approach was later abandoned, as the government attempted to gain greater autonomy from the bourgeoisie through the expropriation of the financial system. This thesis examines the way in which the industrial bourgeoisie organises itself to intervene in politics, and considers the political and economic factors which acted to stimulate this political development. In this period, industrialists demonstrated an increased ability to forge alliances with other fractions of the bourgeoisie to act collectively in the political sphere; first, through the formation of a confederation of industrial organisations known as CONFIEP, and second, through the successful opposition to the expropriation of the financial system in 1987. This thesis concludes, therefore, that the Garcia government acted as a catalyst for the political development of the industrial bourgeoisie which by 1990 had become a more prominent social and political actor.


Pathogenic theories of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep (PLMS) were reviewed and critiqued, and a new theory for the pathogenesis of RLS and PLMS was presented. It was proposed that both disorders are caused by sleep-related hypoperfusion in the area of the cerebral cortex that mediates sensation and movement in the legs. The hypoperfusion was proposed to be caused by high amplitude oscillations in total cerebral blood flow known as B-waves and by flow-reducing turbulence at several of the bifurcations in the anterior cerebral artery. This theory was tested by using near infra-red spectroscopy (NIRS) to measure cerebral hemoglobin oxygen saturation and total blood flow in three groups of subjects: nine patients with RLS, six patients with PLMS, and eleven age-matched control subjects. Cerebral oximetry was performed during both wakefulness and sleep. Polysomnography was used to assess sleep. It was predicted that high amplitude B-waves would occur in the RLS subjects during wakefulness, and in both RLS and PLMS subjects during sleep. In addition, it was predicted that the abnormal sensations and movement in RLS patients and the PLMS in both RLS and PLMS patients would occur during the B-wave troughs in cerebral hemoglobin vii R eproduced with perm ission o f the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without perm ission. oxygen saturation. As expected, significant differences among the groups in abnormal leg sensations and leg movements while awake, and periodic leg movements while asleep were found. However, the results did not support the proposed theory. Although there was a statistically significant non-random occurrence of abnormal sensations and movements (both waking RLS movements and PLMS) in the B-wave cycle, the tendency was for these events to occur at both B-wave peaks and troughs. B-wave amplitudes and cerebral hemoglobin oxygen saturation levels were not significantly different among the three groups. There were also no significant differences within the RLS and PLMS groups in hemoglobin oxygen saturation levels at event onset as compared to periods when no events were present. Future studies should attempt to replicate the previous research that has implicated circulatory insufficiency in the pathogenesis of both disorders.


The objective of this study was to estimate the impact of somatic cell count (SCC) in early lactation (SCCel) [measured between 5 to 14 d in milk (DIM)] of dairy heifers on test-day milk yield (MY) during the first lactation. In total, 117,496 four-weekly test-day records of 14,243 heifers were used. A multilevel regression analysis, which included test-day SCC among the explanatory variables, revealed that an increase by one unit of the natural log-transformed SCCel (LnSCCel) was on average associated with a decrease in MY of 0.13 kg/d later in lactation. As an example, a heifer with an SCCel of 50,000 cells/mL measured at 10 DIM was estimated to produce 119 and 155 kg more milk during its first lactation than heifers with a SCCel of 500,000 and 1,000,000 cells/mL, respectively. When not accounting for test-day SCC, the effect of LnSCCel on MY was larger, indicating that part of the negative impact of elevated SCCel was associated with elevated test-day SCC later in lactation.Furthermore, an elevated SCCel at 14 DIM had a larger impact than an equally elevated SCCel measured at an earlier DIM. In addition, the negative effect of an elevated SCCel remained present during almost the entire first lactation in a subgroup of heifers with a second test-day SCC </=50,000 cells/mL, suggesting that prevention rather than cure of an elevated SCCel should be preferred. This study stresses the importance of heifers having low SCCel, as an elevated SCCel will negatively affect milk production during the first lactation, probably via impairment of mammary function and, to a smaller extent, via elevated test-day SCC later in lactation.


The recent spells of recurrent and consecutive droughts in the Bundelkhand region in Central India have led to uncertain rain-fed agriculture and its sustainability. Adequate knowledge of starting dates and lengths of dry spells has a considerable importance in rain-fed agriculture, irrigation planning, and various decision-making processes. The long dry spells incur heavy costs to the affected communities in the form of lost crop production and reduced crop yield, particularly in semi-arid regions. The sustainability of agriculture very much depends on the provision of supplemental irrigation during droughts, for which a detailed analysis of dry spells is a pre-requisite. An attempt has been made to study the temporal variation of dry spell lengths to identify whether it can be related to climate change. The dry spell analysis revealed that two critical dry spells with spell lengths of 10 days and more occurs invariably every year and therefore rain-fed agriculture needs adequate supplemental irrigation backup for sustainable operations under such a scenario. The supplemental irrigation requirements have been estimated for each critical dry spell period for all development blocks in each district, which will provide useful inputs to decision-makers for planning agricultural operations during an impending drought scenario.


Many postsecondary institutions, and community colleges in particular, require that students demonstrate specified levels of literacy and numeracy before taking collegelevel courses. Typically, students have been assessed using two widely available tests — ACCUPLACER and Compass. However, placement testing practice is beginning to change for three reasons. First, the Compass test will no longer be offered as of the end of 2016. Second, questions have been raised about the validity of commonly used placement tests. Third, there are emerging discussions about the need to consider other aspects of students' readiness to succeed in college, especially so-called noncognitive skills. In this paper, we discuss the history of college placement testing, with a focus on nonselective colleges. We describe the limitations of placement tests, the consequences of placement errors, and the movement toward changing systems of placement. The use of multiple measures is suggested as an approach that will result in more accurate placement. A typology of approaches to assessment and placement is described, including the identification of individual measures (e.g., alternative math and English tests, noncognitive assessments, and high school transcript information), ways to use them in combination (e.g., waivers, decision rules, and placement formulae), and how colleges might use assessment results in more varied ways (e.g., for placement into different course types or services). Finally, we include a discussion of emerging issues affecting assessment and placement practices.