We investigated physical, chemical, and biological variables contributing to biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in 17 North Carolina lotic and lentic water bodies affected by mild to severe hypoxia. Phytoplankton production created the dominant reservoir of labile carbon driving BOD, and subsequent hypoxia, in a Piedmont river subject to algal blooms, three urban streams, a set of anthropogenically affected tidal creeks, and two urban lakes. Autotrophic phytoplankton production contributed to the BOD load in some rural streams. Autochthonous heterotrophic processes, stimulated primarily by phosphorus and secondarily by nitrogen loading, were the major influences on BOD in two large black water rivers and some rural black water streams. Inputs of biochemical oxygen‐demanding materials from storm water runoff contribute to BOD in some urban and rural streams and black water rivers. We suggest that reductions of hypoxia can be better achieved by a system‐specific approach based on an array of factors that potentially influence BOD, including both autochthonous and allochthonous variables. In some circumstances targeting the nutrient(s) stimulating phytoplankton blooms will suffice to reduce hypoxia, but in other situations targeting nutrient(s) limiting bacterial production will be necessary. Reduction of non—point source inputs of biochemical oxygen‐demanding materials derived from urbanization or other land disrupting activities will be critical in some cases.


In this study we present the results of a ten year survey of the aquatic macroinvertebrate fauna along the four karst rivers: Jadro, Žrnovnica, Grab and Ruda, all of them situated in the Middle Dalmatia region of Croatia, in an attempt to construct the Iliric Biotic Index, which will be more applicable for the water quality analysis than the most frequently applied biotic index in Croatia, the Italian Modification of Extended Biotic Index. The rivers geologically belong to the Dinaric karst, unique geological phenomena in Europe. Benthic macroinvertebrates were collected along each river at 15 sites by standard methods of sampling along with several physicochemical parameters, including: temperature, dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, alkalinity, hardness and pH. Univariate and multivariate techniques revealed differences in the macroinvertebrate community structure as well as in physicochemical parameters between the Karst rivers and continental rivers. Based on those differences, the Iliric Biotic Index was proposed as the standard of karst river water quality in Croatia in accordance with the EU Water Framework Directive. Differences between the Iliric Biotic Index and the most commonly used biotic indices in the European Community and the USA (The Biological Monitoring Working Party (B.M.W.P.) scores, i.e. Extended Biotic Index, Indice Biotique, Family Biotic Index) suggest that karst rivers need a new biotic index.


Our inherited image of Nicolo Paganini as a 'demonic violinist' has never been analysed in depth. What really made him 'demonic'? This book investigates the legend of Paganini. Separating fact from fiction, it explains how the virtuoso violinist challenged the very notion of what it meant to be a musician. Mai Kawabata considers Paganini's performance innovations, violin techniques and musical ethos in the light of contemporary attitudes towards music and the supernatural, gender, sexuality, violence, heroism and masculinity as well as conceptions of power. The many perceptions of Paganini as demonic - Faust, magician, devil, rake/libertine, Napoleon - were inter-related but not equivalent. A swirl of cultural factors coalesced in the performer to create that phenomenon of Romanticism, a larger-than-life Gothic villain. Kawabata shows how the idea of virtuosity spiralled out of control, acquiring a potent, overwhelmingly negative aura in the process, as the mythology surrounding Paganini outlived and outgrew the man to monstrous proportions. An appendix brings together late nineteenth-century British press and literature coverage of Paganini that contributed to the developing myth surrounding the now famous composer and performer.


Seamounts are vulnerable marine ecosystems. In Chile, information on these ecosystems is quite scarce; thus, a compilation of information on their geographical distribution and biodiversity is presented herein. A total of 118 seamounts distributed in the Chilean EEZ are identified and characterized. Additionally, an in situ assessment was carried out on the Juan Fernandez seamounts 1 and 2 (JF1 and JF2), which were also oceanographically characterized. Phytoplankton, zooplankton, and marine invertebrate samples were collected and an exploratory fishing survey was executed using different gears. According to the bibliographical review, a total of 82 species have been collected on the JF1 and JF2 seamounts, highlighting findings of black coral species caught in lobster traps at the Juan Fernandez Archipelago. Submarine images of the marine substrate at JF1 and JF2 reveal characteristics attributable to the impact of bottom dredges, coinciding with the information obtained from the trawling fleet. The fishing activity was carried out primarily at JF2 (4,667 km of trawling). The monthly fishing effort increased considerably in 2002, 2003, and 2005, reaching values above 500 km of trawling and, thus, modifying the spatial structure of the resource aggregates on the JF2 seamount.


Our study examined the two-dimensional nature of the Two Major Environmental Values model (2-MEV) in comparison with the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) scale's unidimensional construct. The latter places respondents on a continuum from a bio-centric to anthropocentric worldview, where an individual can either have a pro-environmental (bio-centric) or an anti-environmental (anthropocentric) perspective, but not both. On the other hand, the 2-MEV treats biocentrism (Preservation, PRE) and anthropocentrism (Utilization, UTL) as two separate and not necessarily related components. The model allows us to place individuals into one of four quadrants, rather than on either end of a continuum, allowing an individual to have a bio-centric and an anthropocentric worldview at the same time. Students' environmental perceptions were measured using the NEP and 2-MEV questionnaires. As predicted, high preservation/low utilization scorers preferred a biocentric worldview on the NEP; similarly, low preservation/high utilization scorers preferred an anthropocentric worldview on the NEP. However, the NEP failed to differentiate between the high preservation/high utilization and low preservation/low utilizations scorers. Both of these groups of students, while on different quadrants on the 2-MEV, cluster together in the middle of the unidimensional NEP. Evidence suggests that the NEP may not fully explore all dimensions of environmental perceptions.


Arctic tundra ecosystems exhibit small-scale variations in species composition, micro-topography as well as significant spatial and temporal variations in moisture. These attributes result in similar spectral characteristics between distinct vegetation communities. In this study we examine spectral variability at three phenological phases of leaf-out, maximum canopy, and senescence of ground-based spectroscopy, as well as a simulated Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program (EnMAP) and simulated Sentinel-2 reflectance spectra, from five dominant low-Arctic tundra vegetation communities in the Toolik Lake Research Area, Alaska, in order to inform spectral differentiation and subsequent vegetation classification at both the ground and satellite scale. We used the InStability Index (ISI), a ratio of between endmember and within endmember variability, to determine the most discriminative phenophase and wavelength regions for identification of each vegetation community. Our results show that the senescent phase was the most discriminative phenophase for the identification of the majority of communities when using both ground-based and simulated EnMAP reflectance spectra. Maximum canopy was the most discriminative phenophase for the majority of simulated Sentinel-2 reflectance data. As with previous ground-based spectral characterization of Alaskan low-Arctic tundra, the blue, red, and red-edge parts of the spectrum were most discriminative for all three reflectance datasets. Differences in vegetation colour driven by pigment dynamics appear to be the optimal areas of the spectrum for differentiation using high spectral resolution field spectroscopy and simulated hyperspectral EnMAP and multispectral Sentinel-2 reflectance spectra. The phenological aspect of this study highlights the potential exploitation of more extreme colour differences in vegetation observed during senescence when hyperspectral data is available. The results provide insight into both the community and seasonal dynamics of spectral variability to better understand and interpret currently used broadband vegetation indices and also for improved spectral unmixing of hyperspectral aerial and satellite data which is useful for a wide range of applications from fine-scale monitoring of shifting vegetation composition to the identification of vegetation vigor.


Project management is a critical skill that is needed and used frequently by eHealth professionals.  But eHealth projects often exhibit certain characteristics that require special background and knowledge to address.  Specific characteristics that are of importance to eHealth projects and certain methodologies that can be of value in managing such projects are presented.  The focus in this paper is how to impart relevant project management and eHealth content skills to students. An approach is described where a major eHealth project case is proposed to a class of eHealth students, and used to demonstrate the application of eHealth background and project management skills to implement such a project.  For this purpose the class is organized into a number of teams, each responsible for a specific project characteristic (e.g. planning, workflow, development, eHealth standards, procurement, privacy and security, and organizational change management).  This supports learning in project management while at the same time students learn about relevant eHealth issues. This approach has been used successfully in a required introductory eHealth course at the Masters level.


Anomaly detection is an important problem that has been well-studied within diverse research areas and application domains. The aim of this survey is two-fold, firstly we present a structured and comprehensive overview of research methods in deep learning-based anomaly detection. Furthermore, we review the adoption of these methods for anomaly across various application domains and assess their effectiveness. We have grouped state-of-the-art research techniques into different categories based on the underlying assumptions and approach adopted. Within each category we outline the basic anomaly detection technique, along with its variants and present key assumptions, to differentiate between normal and anomalous behavior. For each category, we present we also present the advantages and limitations and discuss the computational complexity of the techniques in real application domains. Finally, we outline open issues in research and challenges faced while adopting these techniques.


Introduction Narrative research methods are widely used in social sciences to gain insight into illness experiences and social constructions of health. Qualitative analysis of narrative interviews are increasingly utilised to improve knowledge of individuals' unmet needs at the end of life. However, use of storytelling to understand concepts of hope and meaning has been relatively underexplored in palliative care settings. Aims Explore the experiences of hospice patients with advanced cancer and their close relatives, and the impact of these on cancer beliefs. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 patients with breast, bowel or lung cancer in the last weeks or months of life, and their close family members. The social science literature and theory of narrative coherence guided qualitative analysis using a constant comparison method. Results Patient narratives followed a pattern of initial confusion and chaos at the time of diagnosis which later transcended to accounts focused on creating sense, hope and meaning. Leaving a legacy was an important part of fostering hope in the face of acceptance of dying. In contrast, narratives from relatives were dominated by persistent chaos, exemplified by a sense of helplessness and fear. Diagnostic delays, awareness of their own mortality and perceptions of 'feeling out of the loop' exacerbated these negative experiences, which frequently resulted in cancer fatalism and information avoidance. Conclusion Narrative analysis of individuals' stories can facilitate development of client-centred palliative care services. Case studies are presented that demonstrate important points at which information provision and supportive care could be improved.


Time-optimal magnetic attitude maneuvers for near-Earth spin-stabilized spacecraft are treated using Pontryagin's Principle. A nonlinear bang-bang switching function is derived for the electromagnets' polarity. The approach is quite general, allowing user-prescribed orbit dynamics models and geomagnetic field models. For the case of a single electromagnet aligned with the nominal spin axis of a symmetric satellite, and retaining general orbit and geomagnetic models, the determination of time-optimal magnetic maneuvers reduces to a bounded one-dimensional search of an initial costate variable. The formulation is used to construct extremal field maps of typical optimal maneuvers and is further used to determine "for example" time-optimal maneuvers for the NOVA navigational satellite scheduled for launch in the spring of 1981.


This research is the result of a California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) request to assess the most commonly available transit performance measures in California. Caltrans wanted to understand performance measures and data used by Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and transit agencies to help it develop statewide measures. This report serves as a summary reference guide to help Caltrans understand the numerous and diverse performance measures used by MPOs and transit agencies in California. First, investigators review the available literature to identify a complete transit performance framework for the purposes of organizing agency measures, metrics, and data sources. Next, they review the latest transit performance measures documented in planning reports for the four largest MPOs in California (San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Sacramento). Researchers pay special attention to the transit performance measures used by these MPOs, because these measures are available for the majority of California's population. Finally, investigators summarize 231 performance measures used by a total 26 local transit agencies in the State of California, based on transit planning documents available on the internet.


This qualitative study focuses on issues of space created by the Olympic Games in London and the ways in which activists demonstrated against these issues by using space to their advantage. The Olympic Games is a phenomenon that scales local, national and international space in various ways, through its effects on global culture, identity, and economic processes. The games have a history of protest and activism, but the issues created by the games and struggles against them are not often discussed. My study aims to analyze the spatial effects of the Olympics on a local and global level through the stories of activism. I discuss the ways in which the Olympic games affects space for a host city, through influencing local politics to unleash spatial practices that favor private development over public necessity. To counter spatial issues including eviction, the seizure of green space, and limitations to access of space, activists in turn use spatial politics to demonstrate against Olympic development. The Olympic Games as a global institution also effects larger spatial practices, such as their corporate sponsorship program, which activists also used spatial tactics to demonstrate against these processes. I use geographic theory of space and sociological theory of Olympic processes to present a comprehensive analysis of the challenges that activists at the 2012 Olympic games were faced with. Data includes observations of demonstrations leading up to the opening ceremonies of the Olympic games and interview material from counter-Olympic activists. Through my analysis of the ways in which space creates problems and opportunities for activism, and the unique situation the Olympic Games present for spatial politics, I aim to provide examples of strengthened activism against spatial issues.


Intelligence analysis often involves the task of gathering information about an organization. Knowledge about individuals in an organization and their relationships, often represented as a hierarchical organization chart, is crucial for understanding the organization. However, it is difficult for intelligence analysts to follow all individuals in an organization. Existing hierarchy visualizations have largely focused on the visualization of fixed structures and can not effectively depict the evolution of a hierarchy over time. We introduce TimeTree, a novel visualization tool designed to enable exploration of a changing hierarchy. TimeTree enables analysts to navigate the history of an organization, identify events associated with a specific entity (visualized on a TimeSlider), and explore an aggregate view of an individual's career path (a CareerTree). We demonstrate the utility of TimeTree by investigating a set of scenarios developed by an expert intelligence analyst. The scenarios are evaluated using a real dataset composed of eighteen thousand career events from more than eight thousand individuals. Insights gained from this analysis are presented


In this paper we investigate the role of poultry in households' livelihoods portfolios and the impact of supply-and-demand shocks that may be caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on households' various livelihoods outcomes in four Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. The study countries include Ethiopia and Kenya in East Africa and Ghana and Nigeria in West Africa. These countries represent a spectrum of SSA countries regarding disease status, means of disease spread, and the role of the poultry sector in the economy. By using nationally representative household-level secondary data and discrete choice methods (probit and zero-inflated negative binomial models), we profile the household, farm, and regional characteristics of those households that are most likely to keep poultry and those households that are most likely to be engaged in intensive poultry production (that is, to keep larger household flocks). We estimate the ex ante impact of HPAI outbreaks and scares/threats on livelihoods outcomes by using the propensity score matching approach. The results of this study generate valuable information regarding the role of poultry in the livelihoods of small-scale poultry-producing households and the livelihoods impacts of HPAI-induced supply-and-demand shocks. Such information is critical for the design of targeted, and hence effective, HPAI control and mitigation policies.


ABSTRACT Model alloys of 304 Stainless Steels (SS) (Fe-18Cr-9.5Ni-1.75Mn) and 304 SS+Zr (Fe-18Cr-9.5Ni-1.75Mn+0.04Zr and Fe-18Cr-9.5Ni-1.75Mn+ 0.16Zr) were irradiated with 3.2 MeV protons to a dose of 1.0 dpa at 400°C. Following irradiation, the microstructure was characterized. The number density, defect size, and size distributions for faulted loops and voids were determined. Swelling for each irradiation condition was calculated based on the void measurements. The effect of Zr addition on the irradiated microstructure and hardening is clearly demonstrated. The number density of defects decreased with the Zr addition while the size change of faulted loops and voids is less pronounced. Radiation hardening was reduced by Zr addition. Void swelling is decreased with Zr addition. The reduction in void density and swelling may be caused by the enhanced recombination of defects at oversized Zr solute atoms, suppressing the vacancy super saturation and therefore directly suppressing void nucleation. The reduction in loop density is believed due to the enhanced point defects recombination caused by oversized solute Zr.


The floating memory properties of thiolate-protected gold (Au:SR) nanoclusters, Au25(SR)18, Au38(SR)24, Au144(SR)60, and Au333(SR)79 (R = C12H25), and Au colloids were investigated using four-probe measurements in vacuum. Uniform and monolayer films of Au:SR nanoclusters or Au colloids were formed as floating memory layers on p-type Si substrates by Langmuir–Blodgett method. The fluoropolymer (CYTOP, ∼15 nm thick) was spin-coated on top to form a hydrophobic insulating layer. Using Au dot (∼40 nm thick) as the anode electrode, the capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurements were performed using the Au and Cu plate electrodes as contact points for the two probes. Clockwise hysteresis curves originating from the Au:SR nanoclusters or Au colloids were observed, and the hysteresis width was dependent on the size of the Au:SR nanoclusters and the sample temperature. In particular, for the Au38(SR)24 nanocluster, multiple phases were observed in the C–V curve, implying their application in multivalued memory devices.


It is shown that mode matching, aberration compensation, control of beam overlap, and feedback are critical issues in designing multipass amplifiers for ultrashort pulse amplification. We have developed a Ti:sapphire amplifier system capable of producing aberration-free millijoule-level 25-fs pulses at 1 kHz. This system has a unique five-mirror ring design, which is capable of compensating second-order aberrations, and the flexibility to mode match the input beam and the pump laser. A unique compressor, which is a part of the amplification system, was designed to eliminate feedback.


Many high-level functional programming languages provide programmers with the ability to interoperate with untyped and low-level languages such as C and assembly. Research into such interoperation has generally focused on a closed world scenario, one where both the highlevel and low-level code are defined and analyzed statically. In practice, however, components are sometimes linked in at run-time through malicious means. In this paper we formalise an operational semantics that securely combines MiniML, a light-weight ML, with a model of a lowlevel attacker, without relying on any static checks. We prove that the operational semantics are secure by establishing that they preserve and reflect the equivalences of MiniML. To that end a notion of bisimulation for the interaction between the attacker and MiniML is developed.


Classical query optimization compares query plans according to one cost metric and associates each plan with a constant cost value. In this paper, we introduce the multi-objective parametric query optimization (MPQO) problem where query plans are compared according to multiple cost metrics and the cost of a given plan according to a given metric is modeled as a function that depends on multiple parameters. The cost metrics may, for instance, include execution time or monetary fees; a parameter may represent the selectivity of a query predicate that is unspecified at optimization time. MPQO generalizes parametric query optimization (which allows multiple parameters but only one cost metric) and multi-objective query optimization (which allows multiple cost metrics but no parameters). We formally analyze the novel MPQO problem and show why existing algorithms are inapplicable. We present a generic algorithm for MPQO and a specialized version for MPQO with piecewise-linear plan cost functions. We prove that both algorithms find all relevant query plans and experimentally evaluate the performance of our second algorithm in multiple scenarios.


In this paper, the problem of transmitting redundant data over an insecure, bandwidth-constrained communications channel is discussed. A content owner encrypts the original uncompressed image using an encryption key. Then, a data-hider may compress the least significant bits of the encrypted image using a data-hiding key to create a sparse space to accommodate some additional data. Using data hiding key the receiver can extract additional data even the receiver has no information about the original image content. Using the decryption key the receiver can extract data to obtain an image similar to the original one, but cannot extract the additional data. If the receiver has both the data-hiding key and the encryption key, the receiver can extract the additional data and the original imagewithout any loss.


Here's a detailed, nonfictional explanation of why time travel (into both the future and past) is not impossible – I've tried to exclude mathematics as much as possible since my goal is to present an explanation of physical reality, and to make it comprehensible to the nonmathematician (I have referred to some maths, e.g. the Poincare conjecture, but have always used English). My text also seeks to explain, in nonfictional terms, phenomena such as intergalactic travel, hyperspace and space-time's nature. This last point includes a new way of viewing gravity which explains dark energy and is based on Einstein's work – as well as viewing gravity as fundamental to the nuclear forces and electromagnetism as well as fundamental to the composition of matter and mass (also based on Einstein's work). The article does speak of God, but definitely not in any way you've heard of. And while I don't believe evolution accounts for the origin of living species, I have no doubt that it does cause modifications in those species. To grossly oversimplify the article, intelligent beings spend thousands of years learning more and more about science. Then they discover how to time travel into the past (early 21st-century physics only believes in time travel to the future) where they put future biotechnology and computer science into practice (these sciences are far more advanced than today's science). While the planned Mars mission of 2018 is robotic, we cannot limit our sights to that since we hope to follow with manned exploration of the Red Planet in the 2030's. The physical bodies and psychology, as well as technology, we possess now or will possess in the foreseeable future are not well suited to prolonged space travel (e.g. our brains and bodies are vulnerable to radiation, muscle and bone loss, abnormal psychology, etc. when travelling in space … and simply reaching nearby stars would take hundreds or thousands of years). However, there is an alternative to astronauts (or cosmonauts, or taikonauts) reaching Mars and being unable to walk, or think clearly. We can thank the theories of Albert Einstein, an electrical engineering experiment conducted at Yale University in 2009, and some conclusions that logically follow from Einstein/Yale, for pointing the way to this alternative. When fully developed, the "Einstein-Yale Bridge" will take us anywhere in the universe and anywhen in time. There are 2 bonuses - Bonus #1 – Infinite universe, and Bonus #2 – How "Pioneer anomaly" refines Einstein's gravitation / space-time


The perceptual centre (P-centre) is hypothesised to be the unique moment of occurrence of an auditory event. It is furthermore hypothesised that the P-centres induced by an acoustic signal form the temporal pattern which is perceived as rhythm. For this reason researchers of rhythm need a good P-centre model which can be used to prepare rhythmic stimuli or determine the rhythmic properties of produced speech and musical performance. In order to be widely utilised, a good model would be data independent (subject to level and perhaps frequency range calibration), robust, straightforward to implement and in good agreement with all known P-Centre data. For natural speech rhythm research, it is desirable that the model could be directly applied to acoustic signals without requiring explicit segmentation into syllables. This work reviews the existing P-Centre models in detail. With varying degrees of sophistication, these models are shown to use one of just two P-Centre identification strategies: an onset threshold crossing (requiring only short term temporal information) or a weighted sum of features drawn from the entire acoustic signal corresponding to a single auditory event. Each approach is considered in detail and notable differences of prediction between the models are identified for further empirical investigation. A problem which affects the validity of all existing P-Centre models is that they have been trained/fitted and tested with fairly sparse data. (A standard corpus of sounds, labelled with experimentally determined P-Centres, would be enormously useful to all future research in the field.) In the absence of a large P-Centre labelled corpus, a simple test is proposed for coarse subjective evaluation of the perceptual accuracy of any P-centre model. Finally, it is noted that some published P-Centre models are underspecified so that they cannot be implemented without making significant assumptions. This prevents replication and validation of earlier results and reduces confidence in the model. For this reason, it is proposed that any future P-Centre model should be accompanied by reference implementation code.


We report upon the characterization of the steady-state shear stresses and first normal stress differences as a function of shear rate using mechanical rheometry (both with a standard cone and plate and with a cone partitioned plate) and optical rheometry (with a flow-birefringence setup) of an entangled solution of asymmetric exact combs. The combs are polybutadienes (1,4-addition) consisting of an H-skeleton with an additional off-center branch on the backbone. We chose to investigate a solution in order to obtain reliable nonlinear shear data in overlapping dynamic regions with the two different techniques. The transient measurements obtained by cone partitioned plate indicated the appearance of overshoots in both the shear stress and the first normal stress difference during start-up shear flow. Interestingly, the overshoots in the start-up normal stress difference started to occur only at rates above the inverse stretch time of the backbone, when the stretch time of the backbone was estimated in analogy with linear chains including the effects of dynamic dilution of the branches but neglecting the effects of branch point friction, in excellent agreement with the situation for linear polymers. Flow-birefringence measurements were performed in a Couette geometry, and the extracted steady-state shear and first normal stress differences were found to agree well with the mechanical data, but were limited to relatively low rates below the inverse stretch time of the backbone. Finally, the steady-state properties were found to be in good agreement with model predictions based on a nonlinear multimode tube model developed for linear polymers when the branches are treated as solvent.


David Silverman offers a critical appraisal of two prizewinning works in Native American and Indigenous studies (NAIS), Our Beloved Kin: A New History of King Philip's War, by Lisa Brooks, and Memory Lands: King Philip's War and the Place of Violence in the Northeast, by Christine M. DeLucia. Silverman's review treats the methodology associated with NAIS with some skepticism, offering the opportunity for a lively discussion about the merits and perils of community-engaged history scholarship. Four scholars of Native American history, including DeLucia, respond, defending new approaches to Indigenous history represented by these recent works.


EXTENDED ABSTRACT Albert Gaudry and the fossil vertebrates from Luberon. The history of a reference collection. The collection of fossil vertebrates from Luberon on the one hand, and the description of the fossil animals from "Mont Léberon" by Gaudry, Fischer & Tournouër in 1873 on the other, played a major role in the emergence in France of what can be called evolutionary palaeontology. Gaudry decided to excavate the locality of Luberon (also called Cucuron) to compare its fauna to that of Pikermi described by him a few years before. In the section of the monograph devoted to vertebrates, Gaudry especially developed the biostratigraphical, paleobiogeographical, and evolutionary aspects of the fauna in a very modern manner. From the evolutionary viewpoint, Gaudry discussed the question of identifying chronological and/or geographical "races", that is subspecies, and species. This genuine work is mainly based on the collection housed in the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris (MNHN), so that both the monograph and the collection are milestones in the history of palaeontology. The fate of the collection since Gaudry's time is analyzed from the curators' viewpoint. The previous state of the fossils is described as well their restoration. The fossils were previously disseminated in several areas of the palaeontology building due to their different sizes. They are now located in one place opened for study and revision (a few is exhibited in the public gallery). The basic cleaning and restoration of the material was also associated with the taxonomic and geographic identification since several specimens studied by Gaudry had been in the past erroneously transferred to other localities such as Maragheh (Iran). One explanation, except previous poor curation, is the greyish colour due to dust, decades after decades, that makes the different late Miocene fossils of various localities look alike (and even from middle Miocene). One example is one exquisite cranium of Gazella deperdita (now MNHN.F.LUB681) figured by Gaudry in his monograph dated 1873, which bore other undue numbers with the MAR acronym for Maragheh (Maragha in the French litterature), and previously thought to be lost. Once cleaned, the specimens were restored and consolidated with an acrylic emulsion (a methyl methacrylate/n-butyl methacrylate polymer), with different concentrations depending on different operations. Generally speaking the collection was in a very bad state and numerous specimens figured by Gaudry broken and incomplete since their description. The worst case is a specimen broken in seven parts. As an example, let us cite one tibia-fibula of the rhinocerotid Dihoplus schleiermacheri figured by Gaudry was found in six pieces, some of them discovered in a drawer containing miscellaneous middle and late Miocene mammal fragments. Others were not even completely separated from the matrix, a situation not always demonstrated by Gaudry's drawings which are sometimes more reconstructions then mere reproduction. Ultraviolet light was used to identify old hand writing. Many fossils of Gaudry's collection from Luberon bore the number 156, but not all. This number corresponds to the first catalogue number of Gaudry's collection. Other specimens from Luberon are from Christol, Caire, Conil, Lartet, Saporta and Depéret's collections (some Saporta's specimen bore also Gaudry's number 156). All the collection is now labelled with the acronym LUB for Luberon, that is, 988 numbers for 1201 elements. The electronic catalogue is complete and available online at the address: http://science.mnhn.fr/institution/mnhn/collection/f/item/search/form/ For the first time since 1873, the entire set housed in the collection of palaeontology is available. Although a rather modest collection, its expertise, restoration, and electronic catalogue were time consuming. Circa 700 hours were spent during the last two years on the curation of the material from Luberon. This timing gives an idea of what is needed for the whole collection of fossil mammals (between 300 000 and 500 000 specimens). Yet, as it is, the Luberon collection is ready for the next century, and after (as the other fossil mammal Late Miocene localities). More generally speaking, restorations of specimens such as these from Luberon, are the basis of curation in palaeontology and, ironically, are in contradiction with present strategies of collection managing which favour data banks somehow disconnected from the specimens themselves.


This paper proposes a technique for group object motion estimation based on evolving graph networks. The main novelty over alternative group tracking techniques stems from learning the network structure for the group. An algorithm is proposed for automatic graph structure initialisation, incorporation of new nodes and unexisting nodes removal in parallel with the edge update. This evolving graph model is combined with the sequential Monte Carlo framework and its effectiveness is illustrated over a complex scenario for group motion estimation in urban environment. Results with merging, splitting and crossing of the groups are presented with high estimation accuracy.


Perthes' disease is an idiopathic osteonecrosis of a developmental hip that is most frequent in Northern Europe. Currently, the absence of a common set of standardized outcomes makes comparisons between studies of different interventions challenging. The overarching aim of this thesis was to understand and enhance the important clinically relevant outcomes that should be measured in Perthes' disease. A protocol was devised to define a set of core outcomes (COS) (Study 1), which involved a systematic review of the literature, patient and associated family interviews and a Delphi survey. In Study 2, 18 parents were interviewed and perspectives of 12 children affected by Perthes' disease (mean 7.1 years, SD±4.1 years) were explored using a survey tool. Thematic analysis of the parents interviews (main themes n=4) identified a marked effect of the disease on many facets of the child's life, particularly pain and the impact on sleep, play and school attendance. Study 3 followed the guidelines of the COMET-Initiative (Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials) to define a COS for Perthes' disease. The outcomes from the systematic review, together with the domains collected in Study 2, formed the basis of a Delphi survey (2 rounds), where 18 patients with Perthes' disease, 46 parents and 36 orthopaedic surgeons rated each outcome for importance. A final consensus meeting among representatives of surgeons, patients and parents voted 14 outcomes to be included in the final Core Outcomes Set. Following the systematic review of previous studies (n=112), 33 outcomes were identified. After round 1 of the Delphi survey, participants suggested additional 5 outcomes, therefore a total of 38 outcomes were scored in round 2 of the Delphi. Among these, 16 outcomes (divided in 6 main categories: adverse events; life impact; resource use; pathophysiological manifestations; death; technical considerations) were scored over the 70% threshold for importance. After feedback from final consensus meeting, a total of 14 outcomes were included in the final Core Outcomes Set (COS). The results of Study 3 highlighted that hip mobility is an important outcome to measure in clinical trials for Perthes' disease, but to date there is no system able to continuously monitor hip angle in children. Thus, Study 4 aim was to develop a wearable device capable of continuously monitoring joint mobility in both laboratory and everyday life environments. The wearable device developed consists of a microcontroller (ATMEL ATtiny85), with an optical flexible sensor, furnished with a Bluetooth shield (to allow wireless monitoring) and a local storage system (I2C EEPROM), which is worn on the joint of interest. The device demonstrated good accuracy compared to a gold standard goniometer when measuring hip and knee during flexion and extension with a Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) of ±0.27 degrees at 95% confidence interval. When everyday activities were simulated in the laboratory, including walking and sitting (half-squat test), the device was able to retrieve information about the joint angle in real time. The reduced mobility of the hip joint in childhood hip diseases may affect the physical activity (PA) level of children, promoting a sedentary lifestyle. Study 5 aimed to investigate the relationship between hip mobility (assessed with the current clinical tool for hip mobility- PROMIS questionnaire) and objectively measured PA in children with hip diseases. Twenty-eight children (12 boys and 16 girls) aged between 8 to 17 years old (mean 12±3 years) were recruited for the study. A bivariate Pearson Correlation test (two-tailed) found a moderate correlation between the normal score of hip mobility and the average daily LPA (r=0.46, n=28, p=0.01). Additionally, a moderate to strong positive correlation (r=0.67, n=28, p=0.01) between normal scores of hip mobility and increased participation in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and a positive moderate correlation (r=0.54, n=28, p=0.01) among normal scores of hip mobility and increased participation in vigorous PA (VPA) were found. Children with hip diseases surprisingly reported a higher level of MVPA compared to the general population, however their sedentary time was higher than the general population. In summary, the work undertaken in this thesis has (i) defined a COS that can be employed in future clinical trials for Perthes' disease; (ii) defined a prototype of a low cost wireless monitor to assess hip mobility, as relevant outcome in the COS for Perthes' disease, in children with hip diseases; (iii) shown that the current clinical tool to assess hip mobility in childhood hip diseases is strongly correlated with objectively measured physical activity. Further research is required to identify and refine the tools to measure the outcomes defined in our core outcomes set.


In plants, organ formation and cell elongation require the constant adjustment of the dynamic and adaptable cell wall in response to environmental cues as well as internal regulators, such as light, mechanical stresses, pathogen attacks, phytohormones, and other signaling molecules. The molecular mechanisms that perceive these cues and translate them into cellular responses to maintain integrity and remodelling of the carbohydrate-rich cell wall for the coordination of cell growth are still poorly understood. In the last 3 years, the function of six membrane-localized receptor-like kinases (RLKs) belonging to the CrRLK1L family has been linked to the control of cell elongation in vegetative and reproductive development. Moreover, the presence of putative carbohydrate-binding domains in the extracellular domains of these CrRLK1Ls makes this receptor family an excellent candidate for coordinating cell growth, cell-cell communication, and constant cell wall remodelling during the plant life cycle.


Infants with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection were identified through urine cultures of 15,212 consecutive neonates and studied prospectively to determine whether their neurodevelopmental and audiologic status was different from that of matched uninfected control subjects. Of 64 children with congenital CMV infection, three died, 11 could not be located for follow-up, one had quadriplegic cerebral palsy, and seven had varying degrees of sensorineural hearing loss. All matched control subjects were normal neurologically, and none of them had sensorineural hearing impairment. The Stanford-Binet test revealed scores within the normal range, at 3 and 5 years of age, for both children with CMV infection and matched control subjects, as did the preschool assessment (Wide Range Achievement Test) in children older than 5 years. However, in children with CMV infection, the home environment was less stimulating, discipline and punishment were more readily implemented, and behavioral problems were significantly greater than in the matched control subjects.


In the introduction to his Britannia William Camden is keen to deny the historicity of the text and prefers to define it as belonging to the discipline of chorography. This article argues that Camden's definitions to not strictly hold true, especially in the opening section of the Britannia. By tracking changes and continuity across the seven editions published during Camden's lifetime  this article intends to explore the influences of continental humanist teaching on Camden's approach to writing the Britannia . Investigating the interplay between words and images within the Britannia provides fascinating case studies for the discussion of the European influence on Camden's work whilst also stressing the centrality of typographical issues to our understanding of the Britannia . This article also takes into account Camden's role as a school master as well as his other professional positions and how these may have influenced the production of this hugely popular work. Finally this article suggests that Camden's Britannia is representative of the growing influence that humanism had on insular literature, and highlights the fact that this narrative of a nation was part of a much larger European intellectual endeavour.


Background: The demographic development, with the older population growing fast, is becoming a huge challenge for society, with great demands on health and social care and concerning the individual's well-being. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a four-month occupational based health-promoting programme for older persons living in community dwellings could maintain/improve their general health and well- being. Further the aim was to explore whether the programme facilitated the older persons' occupational adaptation.Method: The study had a quasi- experimental design combined with semi-structured interviews. The intervention group comprised 22 participants, and the control group 18. Outcomes were measured using the Short Form 36, Life Satisfaction Index-Z and Meaningful Activity Participation Assessment. Content analysis, based on concepts from the Model of Occupational Adaptation, was used to analyse the interviews.Results: The intervention group showed statistically significant improvements in general health variables such as vitality and mental health, and positive trends for psychological well-being. There were no statistically significant differences between the intervention group and the control group. The qualitative analysis based on Occupational Adaptation pointed out social aspects as a compliment to the overall results.Conclusion: Participating in meaningful, challenging activities in different environments stimulates the occupational adaptation process.Application to Practice: Occupational therapists can use this result to empower older persons to find their optimal occupational lives.


At heart, gamification is a powerful tool for catalyzing attention, focus and investment. What parent ever resisted gamifying the process of getting a group of kids to the car by announcing that it was a race? Gamification transfers the mode, value and incentive of game play to a separate experience like buying groceries, visiting web sites, or even learning. By borrowing the intrinsically rewarding elements of game play; rules, victory conditions, rewards, punishments, status, stakes and personally vested narrative other endeavors can find fresh appeal with stakeholders and increase the likelihood adoption. As the core concept of marketing is the association of two appealing, but dissimilar ideas; motorcycles and prestige, cereal and athleticism – so too, gamification can be applied to associate fun with learning. In essence, the student is hooked by the idea of the game, pulled forward by curiosity to learn more or win, and ends up enjoying the experience, becoming engaged in the idea or activity and opening themselves up to the possibility of learning.


Given a large matrix A ∈ Rn×d, we consider the problem of computing a sketch matrix B ∈ R`×d which is significantly smaller than but still well approximates A. We are interested in minimizing the covariance error ‖AA−BB‖2. We consider the problems in the streaming model, where the algorithm can only make one pass over the input with limited working space. The popular Frequent Directions algorithm of (Liberty, 2013) and its variants achieve optimal space-error tradeoff. However, whether the running time can be improved remains an unanswered question. In this paper, we almost settle the time complexity of this problem. In particular, we provide new space-optimal algorithms with faster running times. Moreover, we also show that the running times of our algorithms are near-optimal unless the state-of-the-art running time of matrix multiplication can be improved significantly.


1. In order to compare pre- and post-synaptic mechanisms influencing human vascular smooth muscle contraction, post-mortem digital arteries have been studied in vitro. After preloading transmitter stores with [ 3 H]noradrenaline, stimulation-induced total tritium outflow and the associated pressure response were measured. 2. Tetrodotoxin either partially or completely abolished both stimulation-induced tritium outflow and constrictor response. 3. Neither the total tritium outflow nor the degree of its reduction by tetrodotoxin was related to the time after death the arteries were removed. Similarly no correlation was observed between stimulation-induced tritium outflow and age, sex, previous medications or underlying disease of the patient from whom the arteries were removed. 4. Total tritium outflow per impulse was markedly enhanced by increasing the frequency of stimulation from 1 Hz to 6 Hz. 5. Cocaine produced only a modest increase in stimulation-induced tritium outflow. Phentolamine more markedly enhanced stimulation-induced tritium outflow, whereas clonidine significantly reduced the outflow, thus demonstrating the presence of presynaptic α-adrenoreceptors. 6. It is concluded that post-mortem human digital arteries are suitable for the study of adrenergic transmitter release in man and that the two most important factors influencing transmitter release are frequency of stimulation and presynaptic receptors.


Many factors influence success and failure of large-scale faecal sludge and wastewater treatment projects in low-income countries. Benchmarking indicators and multicriteria analysis were adapted to define key institutional, technical and financial factors, to analyse their interrelations, and understand priorities to consider when planning and managing treatment plants. For the first time, these methods have been combined in a quantitative manner to assess planned and on-going treatment plant projects. This new methodology will aid sanitation utilities, private consultants, and funding institutions to prioritise activities and organise the operation of treatment plants.


The papers cover a wide range of topics on debris flows, including the analysis of debris-flow occurrence, initiation, mechanics, rheology, deposition, field and laboratory observations and measurements, methods for hazards prediction and assessment as well as countermeasures thereof. The papers reflect the latest developments and advances in debris-flow research. Several studies discuss the development and application of simulation models for the initiation, propagation, and stopping processes of debris flows. Timely topics presented in the papers also include the development of new or innovative techniques for debris-flow monitoring, hazard alert systems, and the assessment of watersheds with respect to debris-flow occurrence and hazard control. Many case studies illustrate a wide variety of debris-flow phenomena and their hazardous effects on human activities and settlement. In addition to peer-reviewed papers, the proceedings also include three invited lectures. A keynote lecture gives an overview on the application of a comprehensive scientific approach to the understanding of debris flows. Two special lectures discuss approaches to hazard mapping and risk management, which have been recently developed in Switzerland.


Introduction Post Keynesian economics is mainly a school of macroeconomic thought (see Davidson 2005; Holt and Pressman 2001; Lavoie 2006). It has focused on issues such as financial instability, exchange rate regimes, unemployment, trade deficits, and inflation, and it has made significant contributions to the policy debates in these areas. Unfortunately, Post Keynesians have virtually ignored microeconomic policy issues such as immigration, crime, and education. (1) Part of the problem likely stems from the quip (attributed to Gerald Shove) that Keynes never put in the half hour necessary to learn microeconomics. This has left Post Keynesian micro underdeveloped relative to the macro side. Another part of the problem is that Post Keynesian microeconomists tend to focus on methodological and theoretical debates and to provide empirical evidence for the Post Keynesian theory of pricing, ignoring the policy side of microeconomics. The goal of this paper is to help remedy this gap in Post Keynesian thought and get Post Keynesians to focus on microeconomic public policy issues. Toward this end, it outlines the fundamental principles of the Post Keynesian approach, explains how they can be applied to micro policy issues, and draws out some key policy conclusions that differ markedly from those of neoclassical theory on two issues-health care and productivity growth. The Post Keynesian Approach Five key notions distinguish Post Keynesian economics from neoclassical economics: (1) a recognition that the future is uncertain, rather than known with some probability distribution; (2) a view that individual decision making depends on social factors, such as habits and emulation, rather than on individual rational choice; (3) a belief that economic analysis should examine economies that move through historical time rather than economies that effortlessly reach some equilibrium; (4) a recognition that real world markets are not perfectly competitive; and (5) a focus on income effects rather than on substitution effects. Uncertainty Versus Risk One distinguishing characteristic of the Post Keynesian approach is its focus on uncertainty. Knight ([1921] 1971) argued that risk involved measurable probabilities while uncertainty involved unmeasurable and unknowable probabilities. We can know the chance that a 40-year-old man will die in the next year, and we can know the probability that a hurricane will hit land in Florida, because we have a good set of past observations about these events. For this reason private firms can insure against these catastrophes. However, past evidence is no guide when events happen infrequently or when dealing with situations that extend far into the future. Keynes ([1936] 1964: ch. 12) applied this distinction to investment decisions, claiming they do not depend on an objective assessment of probable outcomes and the expected profitability of each possible outcome. Rather, firms operate under uncertainty, and investment decisions must be based on "animal spirits" or the state of confidence of business executives. Rosser (2001) points out that Post Keynesians have two main arguments that many real world decisions require overcoming uncertainty. First, Loasby (1976) and Shackle (1955, 1972, 1974) claim that the world itself is unpredictable and constantly changing. So, we never know when things will change or how they will change. Important decisions are thus "experiments," to use Shackle's (1955: 63) evocative term. Davidson (1991, 1994, 1996) provides a more scientific defense of this view. Systems are ergodic if their structure remains stable over time. In this case, we can extrapolate from the past to the future. Non-ergodic systems experience structural change over time. It means that people cannot figure out what the future will be like. Second, Arestis (1996) and Carabelli (1988) see uncertainty arising because we do not know what others will do. …


It is often said, albeit sometimes for rhetorical effect, that the First Amendment protects the speech we hate just as rigorously as the speech we value. In some ways, Synder v. Phelps tests our commitment to this principle as severely as any case in recent memory. There is virtually unanimity among Americans of all religions or political persuasions that the expressive conduct of the defendants directed at the mourners attending a funeral of a soldier killed in Iraq was despicable and contemptible. Indeed, it is hard for us to keep our minds focused on the free speech issues raised by this case given our visceral instinct simply to vent about the defendants' utter lack of human decency. Yet the Phelps case does raise important questions about government's ability, consistent with the First Amendment, to protect individuals who are uniquely vulnerable from hurtful speech at particular times and locations. In this article, we take up the question of whether certain kinds of speech directed at funeral mourners can be restricted without running afoul of constitutional guarantees and, assuming that some limitations on such speech are permissible, whether certain forms of restrictions on speech are more or less constitutionally appropriate ways of accomplishing this goal. Of particular significance, we analogize to and borrow from various lines of authority - residential picketing of abortion provider cases, abortion clinic access cases, hospital patient protection cases, tort cases dealing with the mishandling of human bodies, telephone and other harassment cases, and so-called "compelled speech" cases in which the First Amendment has been held not to permit individuals to be "used" as mere instruments for the speech of others - to suggest that categorical and doctrinal lines are and can be drawn to permit government to reach odious conduct of the kind at issue in Phelps. We point to two specific features of the Phelps scenario - the well-recognized vulnerability of the victims, and the distinctive way in which the speakers disregarded the victims' essence as autonomous beings and misused the mourners' torment as means to an end - that would justify some meaningful regulation under existing doctrine.


Seed transmission of Pantoea stewartii was evaluated by assays of more than 76,000 plants in greenhouse and field grow-out trials. Fourteen P. stewartii-infected seed lots were obtained from two dent corn inbreds and two sweet corn cultivars that were inoculated with either a rifampicin and nalidixic acid-resistant strain (rif-9A) or a wild-type strain (SS104) of P. stewartii. Four additional seed lots were collected from naturally infected inbreds. Percentages of infected kernels ranged from 0.8 to 72%, as determined by agar plating or by individual-kernel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Plants grown from this seed were assayed by a stem-printing technique that consisted of cutting and pressing a cross-section of each stem onto agar media. Prints were examined for development of P. stewartii colonies after 24 and 48 h. The transmission rate from seed produced on the inoculated plants was 0.066% (28 of 42,206 plants), based on all seedlings assayed. Transmission was estimated to be 0.14% from infected kernels. The transmission rate from seed produced on naturally infected plants was 0.0029% (1 of 34,924 plants), based on all seedlings, and 0.022% from infected kernels. Seed transmission occurred significantly less often (P = 0.034) from seed produced on naturally infected plants than from seed produced on inoculated plants, probably due to greater kernel damage caused by ear shank inoculation. The rarity of seed transmission of P. stewartii from heavily infected seed lots that would ordinarily be rejected due to poor germination suggests that the likelihood of seed transmission from good quality commercial seed corn is virtually nonexistent.


Are you optimistic or pessimistic? Glass half-full or half-empty? Do you look on the bright side or turn towards the dark? These are easy questions for most of us to answer, because our personality types are hard-wired into our brains. As pioneering psychologist and neuroscientist Elaine Fox has discovered, our outlook on life reflects our primal inclination to seek pleasure or avoid danger-inclinations that, in many people, are healthily balanced. But when our 'fear brain' or 'pleasure brain' is too strong, the results can be disastrous, as those of us suffering from debilitating shyness, addiction, depression, or anxiety know all too well. Luckily, anyone suffering from these afflictions has reason to hope. Stunning breakthroughs in neuroscience show that our brains are more malleable than we ever imagined. In Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain, Fox describes a range of techniques - from traditional cognitive behavioural therapy to innovative cognitive bias retraining exercises - that can actually alter our brains' circuitry, strengthening specific thought processes by exercising the neural systems that control them. The implications are enormous: lifelong pessimists can train themselves to think positively and find happiness, while pleasure-seekers inclined toward risky or destructive behavior can take control of their lives. Drawing on her own cutting-edge research, Fox shows how we can retrain our brains to brighten our lives and learn to flourish. With keen insights into how genes, life experiences and cognitive processes interleave together to make us who we are, Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain revolutionises our basic concept of individuality. We learn that we can influence our own personalities, and that our lives are only as 'sunny' or as 'rainy' as we allow them to be.


Multi-User Dimensions (MUDs) [3], and their Object-Oriented versions (MOOs) [6], are geographically distributed, programmable client-server systems that support the cooperation of multiple users according to the virtual environment metaphor. In this metaphor, users are allowed to concurrently navigate in a set of "virtual" rooms. Rooms are interconnected through doors and may contain objects. Users are allowed to explore the contents of rooms, create and manipulate objects, and contact other users visiting the same room.


This paper surveys the various voter surveillance practices recently observed in the United States, assesses the extent to which they have been adopted in other democratic countries, and discusses the broad implications for privacy and democracy. Four broad trends are discussed: the move from voter management databases to integrated voter management platforms; the shift from mass-messaging to micro-targeting employing personal data from commercial data brokerage firms; the analysis of social media and the social graph; and the decentralization of data to local campaigns through mobile applications. The de-alignment of the electorate in most Western societies has placed pressures on parties to target voters outside their traditional bases, and to find new, cheaper, and potentially more intrusive, ways to influence their political behavior. This paper builds on previous research to consider the theoretical tensions between concerns for excessive surveillance, and the broad democratic responsibility of parties to mobilize voters and increase political engagement. These issues have been insufficiently studied in the surveillance literature. They are not just confined to the privacy of the individual voter, but relate to broader dynamics in democratic politics.


type="main"> Increases in alliance activity between research-intensive firms and incumbents is puzzling because it is challenging to contract upon highly uncertain R&D activities. Our paper extends prior research by exploring the relationship between firm capabilities and gains from trading ownership rights. This link is important because the allocation of ownership rights has been shown to influence alliance outcomes. Using data based on a survey of biotechnology firms, we find that both current and future capabilities provide strong explanatory power for understanding firm valuation of ownership rights. These ownership rights are ultimately allocated across firms in order to maximize their gains from trade.


We present a novel methodology for the production of PDMS-carbon powder electrodes with high adhesion for dielectric elastomer (DE) transducers. DE transducers have received significant interest in recent years due to their potential as stretchable-flexible actuators, sensors and energy harvesters. As the field matures, the need for mechanically resilient devices able to perform in "real-world" conditions, not just laboratory environments, increases. Our methodology produces electrodes of various thicknesses using a blade casting technique. The electrodes are subsequently laser cut to the desired shape, the electrode and dielectric membrane activated in oxygen plasma and finally placed in contact to achieve bonding. In this way we are able to produce large area (up to several cm in length) compliant electrodes with impressive adhesion qualities. Electrode adhesion is qualitatively evaluated using the "scotch-tape" method. We also produced multi-segment dielectric elastomer minimum energy structure actuators using this fabrication procedure, validating its ability to produce functional DE devices.


The nature of visual properties used for object perception in midand high-level vision areas of the brain is poorly understood. Past studies have employed simplistic stimuli probing models limited in descriptive power and mathematical underpinnings. Unfortunately, pursuit of more complex stimuli and properties requires searching through a wide, unknown space of models and of images. The difficulty of this pursuit is exacerbated in brain research by the limited number of stimulus responses that can be collected for a given human subject over the course of an experiment. To more quickly identify complex visual features underlying cortical object perception, I develop, test, and use a novel method in which stimuli for use in the ongoing study are selected in realtime based on fMRI-measured cortical responses to recently-selected and displayed stimuli. A variation of the simplex method [7] controls this ongoing selection as part of a search in visual space for images producing maximal activity — measured in realtime — in a pre-determined 1 cm brain region. I probe cortical selectivities during this search using photographs of realworld objects and synthetic "Fribble" objects [76]. Real-world objects are used to understand perception of naturally-occurring visual properties. These objects are characterized based on feature descriptors computed from the scale invariant feature transform (SIFT, [36]), a popular computer vision method that is well established in its utility for aiding in computer object recognition and that I recently found to account for intermediate-level representations in the visual object processing pathway in the brain [35]. Fribble objects are used to study object perception in an arena in which visual-properties are well defined a priori. They are constructed from multiple well-defined shapes, and variation of each of these component shapes produces a clear space of visual stimuli. I study the behavior of my novel realtime fMRI search method, to assess its value in the investigation of cortical visual perception, and I study the complex visual properties my method identifies as highly-activating selected brain regions in the visual object processing pathway. While there remain further technical and biological challenges to overcome, my method uncovers reliable and interesting cortical properties for most subjects — though only for selected searches performed for each subject. I identify brain regions selective for holistic and component object shapes and for varying surface properties, providing examples of more precise selectivities within classes of visual properties previously associated with cortical object representation [24, 63, 71]. I also find examples of "surround suppression," in which cortical activity is inhibited upon viewing stimuli slightly deviation from the visual properties preferred by a brain region, expanding on similar observations at lower levels of vision [22, 73].


We investigate the spectral efficiency gain of an uplink cognitive radio (CR) multi-input-multi-output system in which the secondary user (SU) is allowed to share the spectrum with the primary user (PU) using a specific precoding scheme to communicate with a common receiver. The proposed scheme exploits, at the same time, the free eigenmodes of the primary channel after a space alignment procedure and the interference threshold tolerated by the PU. At the common receiver, we adopt a successive interference cancellation (SIC) technique to eliminate the effect of the detected primary signal transmitted through the exploited eigenmodes. Furthermore, we analyze the SIC operation inaccuracy as well as the CSI estimation imperfection on the PU and SU throughputs. Numerical results show that our proposed scheme enhances considerably the cognitive achievable rate. For instance, in case of a perfect detection of the PU signal, the CR rate remains non-zero for high signal to noise ratio, which is usually impossible when we only employ a space alignment technique. We show that a modified water-filling power allocation policy at the PU can increase the secondary rate with a marginal degradation of the primary rate. Finally, we investigate the behavior of the PU and SU rates through the study of the rate achievable region.


In routine endoscopic practice, usage of biopsy forceps is inevitable. But most of the times we have to work under time constraints, particularly in high volume centers and we are in a hurry to complete the procedure, especially when we need to take multiple biopsies. Taking a biopsy in a hurry may lead to mucosal trauma, bleeding and possible perforation. It is sometimes difficult to observewhen to slow down the insertion of biopsy forceps through the working channel of the endoscope to decrease chances of trauma, particularly for beginners. We have observed that the endoscopist has to push the biopsy forceps 16 to 20 times before it reaches the gastrointestinal lumen in the standard gastroscope. When the endoscopy assistant starts extending his elbow and when his arm crosses the level of trunk towards endoscopist, only 2 to 4 further pushes are needed for the biopsy forceps to reach the lumen (Figures 1 & 2). So by just observing assistant's movements which usually lie within the visual field of the endoscopist, we can slow the rate of pushing the biopsy forceps once the assistant's arm crosses the level of the trunk. Following this method reduces the chances of trauma and results in the smooth introduction of the biopsy forceps into the gastrointestinal lumen. This holds good for standard gastroduodenoscopes, colonoscopes and enteroscopes as well, when standard biopsy forceps recommended by endoscope manufacturers are used. We feel our observation or any other similar relevant observations by endoscopists can be helpful in avoiding trauma to the mucosa and damage to biopsy forceps, especially for the beginners.


We model the geodynamical evolution of super-Earth exoplanets in synchronous rotation about their star. While neglecting the effects of a potential atmosphere, we explore the parameter spaces of both the Rayleigh number and intensity of incoming stellar flux, and identify two main stages of mantle convection evolution. The first is a transient stage in which a lithospheric temperature and thickness dichotomy emerges between the substellar and the antistellar hemispheres, while the style of mantle convection is dictated by the Rayleigh number. The second stage is the development of degree-1 mantle convection. Depending on mantle properties, the timescale of onset of this second stage of mantle evolution varies from order 1 to 100 billion years of simulated planetary evolution. Planets with higher Rayleigh numbers (due to, for instance, larger planetary radii than the Earth) and planets whose incoming stellar flux is high (likely for most detectable exoplanets) will develop degree-1 mantle convection most quickly, on the order of 1 billion years, which is within the age of many planetary systems. Surface temperatures range from 220 K to 830 K, implying the possibility of liquid water in some regions near the surface. These results are discussed in the context of stable molten magma ponds on hotter planets, and the habitability of super-Earths which may lie outside the Habitable Zone.


Recently, we developed pre-image iteration methods for single-channel speech enhancement. We used objective quality measures for evaluation. In this paper, we evaluate the de-noising capabilities of pre-image iterations using an automatic speech recognizer trained on clean speech data. In particular, we provide the word recognition accuracy of the de-noised utterances using white and car noise at 0, 5, 10, and 15 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Empirical results show that the utterances processed by pre-image iterations achieve a consistently better word recognition accuracy for both noise types and all SNR levels compared to the noisy data and the utterances processed by the generalized subspace speech enhancement method.


Management of scorpion envenomation in children is a difficult problem. The envenomation syndrome is not very well understood in humans although there has been extensive work on animal envenomation. This is an attempt to bring together the two experiences in order to produce an acceptable management protocol for envenomation in children. This protocol is based on the management of more than 2,500 cases over a period of seven years in Saudi Arabia where the mortality was about five per cent at the start and zero at the end. The management protocol adopted there in 1992 was a result of serious work on clinical data from Ministry of Health hospitals and laboratory work in the pharmacology department of the faculty of Pharmacy, King Saud University


Abstract Unlike rollback-recovery, proactive fault management takes preventive actions before the occurrence of failures. In this survey paper, we classify the current research of proactive fault management into two broad categories: failure analysis and prediction, and proactive techniques. Analytical methods have been widely used to analyse and forecast contiguous values, while data mining or machine learning methods are mostly suited to categorical data. Various proactive fault management systems have been recently developed, each of them exploring different proactive techniques to achieve its specific design goal. Our investigation shows that research should be conducted in the context of high performance computing to enable efficient proactive fault management for the emerging large-scale supercomputers.


Large scale deployment of carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and sequestration (CCS) has the potential to significantly reduce global CO2 emissions, but this technology faces social, economic, and environmental challenges that must be managed early on. Carbon capture technology is water-, energy-, and capitalintensive and proposed geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) storage options, if conducted in pressureconstrained formations, may generate large volumes of extracted brine that require costly disposal. In this study, we evaluate brine management in three locations of the United States (US) and assess whether recovered heat, water, and minerals can turn the brine into a resource. Climate and aquifer parameters varied between the three regions and strongly affected technical feasibility. We discovered that the patial distribution rine management eologic carbon sequestration enewable energy levelized net present value (NPV) of extracted brine can range from −$50 (a cost) to +$10 (a revenue) per ton of CO2 injected (mt-CO2) for a CO2 point source equivalent to emissions from a 1000 MW coal-fired power plant (CFPP), compared to CCS NPV ranging from −$40 to −$70 per mt-CO2. Upper bound scenarios reflect assumed advancements in current treatment technologies and a favorable market and regulation landscape for brine products and disposal. A regionally appropriate management strategy may be able to treat the extracted brine as a source of revenue, energy, and water.


Sustainable passenger transport policies are most often directed towards everyday travel and ignore the large and expanding amount of leisure travel. The paper examines whether policies aimed at reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions for everyday travel may have the opposite effect on leisure travel by reviewing studies of three sustainable passenger transport policies: developing more compact cities, building pro-environment awareness and attitudes, and promoting the growth of information and communication technologies. We found that the policies may indeed have unintended effects and suggest several mechanisms that could explain why this opposite effect occurs. Consideration is also given to the implications for developing more comprehensive sustainable transport policies.


A lengthy Harvard Law Review essay by Laurence H. Tribe - eroG v. hsuB and its Disguises: Freeing Bush v. Gore from its Hall of Mirrors - reaches the following conclusion about the Court's holding in that case: EQUAL PROTECTION, MY ASS! Notwithstanding Professor Tribe's vulgar expression of contempt for the Court, his essay is extremely sophisticated, and it deserves to be read carefully. Much of Professor Tribe's essay is taken up with peripheral discussions, the daunting volume and dazzling intricacy of which serve primarily to distract the reader's eye from the absence of any solid arguments that can support his two principal conclusions about the decision in Bush v. Gore. Those two conclusions can be stated very simply: the Court's equal protection ruling was untenable as a matter of law, and the case in any event was technically nonjusticiable. On the basis of these conclusions, Professor Tribe renders this further verdict: the five Justices in the Bush v. Gore majority have little but disdain for Congress as a serious partner in the constitutional enterprise, and not much patience with 'We the People' as the ultimate source of sovereignty in this republic. It is Professor Tribe's accusations that are genuinely untenable, and he is forced to rely entirely on sleights of hand in order to make them look like the results of a detached and sober analysis. This article explains why a large majority of the Supreme Court (7 out of 9) and a near majority of the Florida court (3 out of 7) have no reason at all to be embarrassed by their conclusion that equal protection was violated by the Florida court, and why Professor Tribe's arguments about justiciability are spectacularly indefensible.


Introduction Globalization, defined as the international integration of markets in goods and services, is at the centre of the development process in the contemporary world and is an inescapable part of the external environment in which Caribbean 1 countries must exist. Global financial integration, the integration of the world's financial markets into a single global marketplace, is a subset of globalization. The developing countries of the Caribbean can ill afford to disregard the existence of this process. Indeed, advances in communications and recent developments in finance make the path toward financial integration unavoidable (World Bank, 1997). The real issue is not whether the Region should be part of this new age of global capital, but rather, how to proceed along the road to financial integration such that the considerable benefits could be realized and the significant pitfalls mitigated.Creating the right macroeconomic environment is a prerequisite for effective financial integration. But the small countries of the Caribbean also face peculiar constraints in attracting global capital. Small size and the associated structural inefficiencies, a limited natural resource base and high transportation costs to export markets, all reduce the relative attractiveness of many of the economies to international capital. In effect, these features make the Caribbean market for global funds inefficient. Providers of international capital find it difficult to adequately measure and allocate the risks. The imminent cessation of preferential trading arrangements, under which critical segments of the regional productive sector have operated, exacerbates the risk perceptions. A relatively broad consensus has emerged concerning the necessary conditions for successful financial integration. These include an appropriate macroeconomic framework, a liberalized trading environment so as to preclude large domestic price distortions, a sound and well regulated banking system and appropriate capital market infrastructure. It is the thesis of this paper, that in the small and very vulnerable countries of the Caribbean, these conditions are not sufficient to ensure financial integration. It is argued that in spite of the low and declining volume of official flows to the Region, such flows are critical in assisting these countries address risk perceptions and help to induce increased private flows. This paper examines the recent developments of international capital flows into the Caribbean. It first reviews the experience of the Region in the 1990s with respect to both official and private capital flows. The major determinants of the flows are then examined and the policy implications are identified. The impact of external flows on domestic savings is analyzed. Finally, the paper examines the accessibility of international capital markets to regional economies and the role the Caribbean Development Bank could play in facilitating such access.


In this essay, I explore the possibility that the storied article "The Right to Privacy," 4 Harv. L. Rev. 193 (1890), might have come into existence in part because of lead author Sam Warren's powerful drive to protect his younger siblings -- and, in particular, his gay brother Ned. For reasons both obvious and less intuitive, Sam might have viewed the article as a promising vehicle for shielding Ned and the rest of the Warren family from potentially devastating journalistic and public scrutiny of Ned's sexuality. Viewed in this light, the article acquires a special resonance in this, its one hundred twenty-fifth anniversary. Rhetoric central to the piece can be traced, link by link, case by case, to Supreme Court decisions that collectively established a multifaceted constitutional right to personal autonomy. The article can arguably be understood as a catalyst for the series of events culminating in the Supreme Court's 2015 recognition, in Obergefell v. Hodges, of a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. If "The Right to Privacy" is indeed about Ned, even in part, then what originated as an effort to protect one gay man might, quite remarkably, be a 125-year-old precursor of the Court's decision securing the protection of a fundamental right for gay people throughout the nation.


How does an economy respond when policymakers change interest rates? In this thesis we seek to answer this question by examining the Norwegian monetary policy transmission mechanism. Further, we discuss the evolution in macroeconomic thought on the monetary policy transmission mechanism and present related empirical evidence. In particular, we use a Factor-augmented Vector Autoregression (FAVAR) approach to examine the policy instrument effect over the last twenty-five years, where we assess the response of a contractionary monetary shock on a broad dataset of 102 variables across the Norwegian economy. Present-day policymakers monitor a large set of variables in their decision-making. In order to reduce the omitted-information problem of small-scale vector autoregression (VAR) models, we combine the VAR methodology with dynamic factor analysis to assess the effect of a monetary policy shock on the Norwegian economy. Specifically, the FAVAR model allows us to better capture the dynamics of the economy by being designed to handle a large information set, thereby minimizing the probability of biased results. Utilizing a rich dataset of 103 macroeconomic variables, spanning from 1990:M1 to 2016:M9, we add to the literature by examining and evaluating the transmission mechanism of monetary policy in Norway. The results indeed show that the policy effect is strong and significant across a broad set of variables in the economy. Furthermore, the results are broadly in line with economic intuition, indicating a dampening effect on real activity following a contractionary monetary policy. These findings are consistent with the effects found in earlier literature for the U.S. economy (Bernanke, Boivin, et al., 2005; Stock and Watson, 2005), and provides valuable insight on the transmission mechanism of monetary policy in Norway.


A demonic being, introduced by Maxwell, to miraculously create thermal non-equilibrium and violate the Second law of thermodynamics, has been among the most intriguing and elusive wishful concepts for over 150 years. Maxwell and his followers focused on 'effortless gating' a molecule at a time, but overlooked simultaneous interference of other chaotic molecules, while the demon exorcists tried to justify impossible processes with misplaced 'compensations' by work of measurements and gate operation, and information storage and memory erasure with entropy generation. The illusive and persistent Maxwell's demon fallacies by its advocates, as well as its exorcists, are scrutinized and resolved here. Based on holistic, phenomenological reasoning, it is deduced here that a Maxwell's demon operation, against natural forces and without due work effort to suppress interference of competing thermal particles while one is selectively gated, is not possible at any scale, since it would be against the physics of the chaotic thermal motion, the latter without consistent molecular directional preference for selective timing to be possible. Maxwell's demon would have miraculous useful effects, but also some catastrophic consequences.


We present a method for characterizing ultrashort laser pulses in space and time, based on spatially resolved Fourier transform spectrometry. An unknown pulse is interfered with a delayed, spatially uniform reference on a CCD camera. The reference pulse is created by spatially filtering a portion of the unknown pulse. By scanning the delay between the two pulses, an interferogram is obtained at each pixel, allowing us to determine the spatially resolved phase difference between the unknown pulse and the reference pulse. High-resolution spatiotemporal characterization of an ultrashort pulse is demonstrated, and the sensitivity of the method to spatiotemporal coupling is shown for the case of a pulse with pulse front tilt.


This paper considers the problem of communicating over a relay channel with state when noncausal state information is partially available at the nodes. We first establish a lower bound on the achievable rates based on noisy network coding and Gelfand-Pinsker coding, and show that it provides an alternative characterization of a previously known bound. We then introduce the class of state-decoupled relay channels and show that our lower bound is tight for a subclass of semideterministic channels. We also compute the capacity for two specific examples of this subclass - a channel with multiplicative binary fading and a channel with additive Gaussian interference. These examples are not special cases of previous classes of semideterministic relay channels with known capacity.


The process of development of an ontology-based knowledge portal and creation of its content is time-consuming and labor-intensive. It is very desirable to have special analysis facilities for maintenance and development of such a portal. The subject of our paper is a tool for visual analysis of content and ontology of a knowledge portal. The basis of our approach is application of graph generation and graph visualization methods. Browsing of the content of a knowledge portal is organized as a multilevel stepwise process. Appropriate placement algorithms are used at each step of this process. They take into account certain types of ontological relations and their combinations. Radial, circular and layered tree placement algorithms are used for visualization of the inheritance relation. Several force-directed algorithms are used for visualization of role relations between different classes as well as between class instances. Finally, we have two special placement algorithms for visualization of the superposition of partonomy and role relations. A number of useful graph transformations are implemented. They essentially improve understandability of a portal under investigation. This approach provides users with general understanding of ontology and a possibility of visual estimation of the sizes of classes and relations. It allows the user to select and analyze specific relations between classes and between objects as well as to identify errors. The program was tested on real knowledge portals and appeared to be rather helpful.


The topic of this thesis is modeling and control of the last part of the paper machine - the drying section. Paper is dried by letting it pass through a series of steam heated cylinders and the evaporation is thus powered by the latent heat of vaporization of the steam. The moisture in the paper is controlled by adjusting the set point of the steam pressure controllers. There exist several commercial incentives to focus on the performance of the moisture control. The time to perform a grade change is often limited by the moisture and shorter grade change time is directly correlated to economic profit. Studies have shown that the drying section uses 2/3 of the total energy requirement in paper making. Reduced variations in moisture gives opportunity for target shifts (changed set point) which reduces the amount of raw material and steam requirement. It also creates opportunity for increased production rate. The thesis is divided in two parts. The first part deals with the control of the steam pressure inside the cylinders. Both a black-box model and a physical model are given for the steam pressure process. A tuning rule for both PI and PID control is derived and various other controller structures are investigated. Many of the results are verified by experiments on paper machines at different paper mills. The second part of the thesis treats the moisture controller. The physical model from the first part is expanded with a model for the paper. This gives a complete simulation model for the drying section that is implemented in the object-oriented modeling language Modelica. Two new approaches to control the moisture by feedback are evaluated. The first utilizes the air around the paper in combination with the drying cylinders to improve the controller performance. The second uses only the last part of the drying section to control the moisture, while the first part is put at an appropriate level. Finally, feedforward of a surface temperature signal is examined. (Less)


Most surface water and shallow groundwater occurring in northeastern Nebraska are of the calcium bicarbonate type, with minor concentrations (e.g., 10–200 mg/L) of sulfate (SO4). Examination of historical water quality data (major cations and anions) for Ponca Creek, a predominantly ephemeral stream in northeastern Nebraska, revealed that SO4 concentrations ranged from about 110 to almost 1000 mg/L and contribute to a calcium sulfate hydrochemical facies. Consequently, most SO4 concentrations were above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency secondary maximum contaminant level in drinking water of 250 mg/L. Sulfate concentrations for the same period for a nearby stream, Verdigre Creek, range from about 20 to 120 mg/L. Research into probable sources of the elevated SO4 in Ponca Creek revealed that a Late Cretaceous shale, the Pierre Shale, occurs at or near the land surface throughout most of the creek's drainage area, whereas alluvium, other Quaternary deposits, or the Tertiary Ogallala Formation comprises the streambed in Verdigre Creek. The Pierre Shale, encompassing soils formed on this Cretaceous shale, is rich in sulfate-bearing minerals (e.g., gypsum, pyrite, jarosite) that comprise the principal source of the high sulfate in drainage basin soils, alluvium, creek discharge, and shallow groundwater of the Ponca Creek watershed. A public domain geochemical speciation software (Visual MINTEQ) was used to investigate aqueous SO4 geochemistry of Ponca Creek flow. Calculated saturation indices for Ponca Creek waters suggest that they are slightly undersaturated with respect to gypsum and anhydrite despite significant sulfate dissolution and are slightly supersaturated with respect to calcite in numerous samples.


Objectives Anxiety is associated with elevated levels of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) and an increased risk for diseases with an inflammatory aetiology. In cancer, higher levels of IL-6 have been associated with increased expression of the epigenetic enzymes DNMT1 and Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2). However, the relationship between IL-6 and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and EZH2 expression has not previously been examined in anxious individuals. Methods Global DNA methylation levels were measured using the Methylflash Methylated DNA Quantification Kit and gene expression levels of the DNMT and EZH2 genes in anxious (n=25) and nonanxious individuals (n=22) were compared using quantitative real-time PCR. Specifically, we investigated whether global DNA methylation or aberrant expression of these genes was correlated with IL-6 mRNA and protein serum levels in anxious individuals. Results Anxious participants had significantly higher levels of global DNA methylation compared with controls (P=0.001). There were no differences in the mean mRNA expression levels of the DNMT1/3A/3B, EZH2 and IL-6 genes in anxious individuals compared with controls. However, the expression of DNMT1/3A, EZH2 and IL-6 genes increases with increasing Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety scores in the anxious cohort only. Interestingly, IL-6 gene expression was correlated strongly with DNMT1/3A/3B and EZH2 expression, highlighting a potential relationship between IL-6 and important epigenetic regulatory enzymes. Conclusion This study provides novel insight into the relationship between anxiety, epigenetics and IL-6. Moreover, our findings support the hypothesis that changes in DNA methylation profiles may contribute to the biology of anxiety.


Sustainability is being increasingly acknowledged as a critical factor in the ability of the Canadian health care system to cope with future demands, as well as a driver of both environmental and economic benefits. This article provides an overview of factors influencing trends in sustainable health care delivery in Canada, and discusses the growing importance of two aspects of sustainability: greening of the supply chain, and utilities optimization. It examines the potential benefits of these types of initiatives for Canadian health care organisations and highlights a number of common challenges and risks relating to their implementation. An "Art and Science of TransformationTM" framework is proposed as the most effective approach to overcoming the challenges and ensuring that sustainable supply chain management and utilities optimization produce a good return on investment for the health care system, as well as generating environmental benefits and contributing to improved health outcomes.


Transculturality, though conceptualized differently depending on the intellectual context, is broadly understood here as a research perspective that while challenging universalism, acknowledges the existence of ideas, institutions and practices across different cultural settings as a result of asymmetrical cultural flows. This perspective allows for transcending disciplinary boundaries by deploying concepts such as flow, asymmetry, hybridity, structure and agency as heuristic tools which are crucial in critically analyzing the meta-narratives of Euro-centrism, and their implications for understanding non-Western societies in their own terms, rather than along the lines of Western parameters. Each of these conceptual categories becomes an important tool to address the particular contexts of a society in its entirety rather than fitting them into a given model. This does not imply a theoretical and methodological exoticism of non-Western societies, but constitutes an attempt to generalize from these societies in a more inclusive manner. As the title suggests, this Special Issue strives to comprehend discourses of transculturality as an emerging and alternative paradigm to analyze concrete concepts, such as citizenship, governance, identity, bureaucracy, diplomacy, and tourism networks in the specific contexts of India and China.


Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the increasing concern of the impact climate change on vulnerable nations, the creation of environmental refugees and the notion of government accountability towards addressing issues associated with supporting environmental refugees. Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on the Second Reading, in the Australian Federal Parliament, of the proposed Migration (Climate Refugees) Amendment Bill 2007 and the associated replies by the various political actors within the senate. The main method used to review this material is discourse analysis. Findings: The key finding from this initial review is that while all actors within the senate agree the Australian government does have a responsibility to contributing to addressing the issues around environmental refugees their views on the level of accountability varies. This indicates any mechanism developed to contribute to the discharge of this accountability will be shaped by differing views and foci of the participating actors. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the limited literature on environmental refugees and the associated level of government accountability.


Presents a low-power analog integrated circuit which implements a biologically inspired algorithm for the spectral analysis of sound. The chip features an efficient interface to digital systems; preserving analog processing's low-power, high-density advantages requires careful attention to interface issues. To send the spectral representation off chip, it generates a sparse coding of the output spectrum, and communicates the code as an asynchronous stream of events. We store parameters for the spectral analysis algorithm as charge on floating nodes, and support the modification of these parameters via Fowler-Nordheim tunneling, under the control of a digital interface. A prototype system uses this chip as a preprocessor.<<ETX>>