Abstract The colonization of species on remote islands may result in phenotypic diversification and ultimately speciation. On the Galápagos Archipelago, seven very closely related morpho-species of the wolf spiders genus Hogna are distinguishable based on small somatic and genital differences. Based on habitat preference, these species can broadly be categorized into (i) three "high elevation species" occurring on the volcanic highlands, (ii) three "coastal dry" species occurring in dune habitats along the coast, and (iii) one generalist species which is chiefly found in wet coastal habitats such as salt marshes but also in wet habitats at higher altitudes. To determine the degree of reproductive isolation among these morpho-species, we investigated gene flow among populations and species based on nine allozyme loci. Genetic analysis by means of genetic distance estimates and cluster agglomerative analyses confirmed the status of the defined morpho-species. Allele frequencies were highly similar among populations within a species but differed profoundly among species. Genetic differentiation within the generalist species was generally very low. There were no constant differences between high elevation and coastal populations for this species. Neutral genetic divergence between species appeared to correspond more to geographic distribution rather than to a clear separation of the two different ecological groups within an island. This suggests that a parallel parapatric divergence between high elevation and coastal dry species may have taken place on the oldest islands of San Cristobal and Santa Cruz.


Lower-limb wearable robotic devices can improve clinical gait and reduce energetic demand in healthy populations. To help enable real-world use, we sought to examine how assistance should be applied in variable gait conditions and suggest an approach derived from knowledge of human locomotion mechanics to establish a 'roadmap' for wearable robot design. We characterized the changes in joint mechanics during walking and running across a range of incline/decline grades and then provide an analysis that informs the development of lower-limb exoskeletons capable of operating across a range of mechanical demands. We hypothesized that the distribution of limb-joint positive mechanical power would shift to the hip for incline walking and running and that the distribution of limb-joint negative mechanical power would shift to the knee for decline walking and running. Eight subjects (6M,2F) completed five walking (1.25 m s-1) trials at -8.53°, -5.71°, 0°, 5.71°, and 8.53° grade and five running (2.25 m s-1) trials at -5.71°, -2.86°, 0°, 2.86°, and 5.71° grade on a treadmill. We calculated time-varying joint moment and power output for the ankle, knee, and hip. For each gait, we examined how individual limb-joints contributed to total limb positive, negative and net power across grades. For both walking and running, changes in grade caused a redistribution of joint mechanical power generation and absorption. From level to incline walking, the ankle's contribution to limb positive power decreased from 44% on the level to 28% at 8.53° uphill grade (p < 0.0001) while the hip's contribution increased from 27% to 52% (p < 0.0001). In running, regardless of the surface gradient, the ankle was consistently the dominant source of lower-limb positive mechanical power (47–55%). In the context of our results, we outline three distinct use-modes that could be emphasized in future lower-limb exoskeleton designs 1) Energy injection: adding positive work into the gait cycle, 2) Energy extraction: removing negative work from the gait cycle, and 3) Energy transfer: extracting energy in one gait phase and then injecting it in another phase (i.e., regenerative braking).


We present an effective operator formalism for open quantum systems. Employing perturbation theory and adiabatic elimination of excited states for a weakly driven system, we derive an effective master equation which reduces the evolution to the ground-state dynamics. The effective evolution involves a single effective Hamiltonian and one effective Lindblad operator for each naturally occurring decay process. Simple expressions are derived for the effective operators which can be directly applied to reach effective equations of motion for the ground states. We compare our method with the hitherto existing concepts for effective interactions and present physical examples for the application of our formalism, including dissipative state preparation by engineered decay processes.


Artificial sensory system is promising to navigate in cluttered and turbid underwater environment by achieving similar functions of biological electrosense of weakly electric fish. In this paper we designed an electrosensory membrane that can operate in a full 3-dimensional mode. Algorithms on the object localization were also designed and tested based on numerical methods of electric field forward simulation. We combined the statistic learning method by training a multi-layer neural network and a probabilistic approach by applying a constrained unscented Kalman filter (CUKF). This exploits the merits of fast estimation and precise signal marching process. Experimental results showed that the detection and localization with the reported sensor were quick and accurate, with errors of around 10 mm using one-step neural network mapping and about 5 mm in close-range using CUKF. This work demonstrated the effectiveness of proposed electrosensory membrane and algorithms.


Mutations in Pol γ represent a major cause of human mitochondrial diseases, especially those affecting the nervous system in adults and in children. Recessive mutations in Pol γ represent nearly half of those reported to date, and they are nearly uniformly distributed along the length of the POLG1 gene (Human DNA Polymerase gamma Mutation Database); the majority of them are linked to the most severe form of POLG syndrome, Alpers–Huttenlocher syndrome. In this report, we assess the structure–function relationships for recessive disease mutations by reviewing existing biochemical data on site-directed mutagenesis of the human, Drosophila and yeast Pol γs, and their homologs from the family A DNA polymerase group. We do so in the context of a molecular model of Pol γ in complex with primer–template DNA, which we have developed based upon the recently solved crystal structure of the apoenzyme form. We present evidence that recessive mutations cluster within five distinct functional modules in the catalytic core of Pol γ. Our results suggest that cluster prediction can be used as a diagnosis-supporting tool to evaluate the pathogenic role of new Pol γ variants.


Verification and validation (V&V) of nuclear data are critical to the accuracy of both stochastic and deterministic particle transport codes. To effectively test a set of nuclear data, the data must be applied to a wide variety of transport problems. Performing this task in a timely, efficient manner is tedious. The nuclear data team at Los Alamos National Laboratory in collaboration with the University of Florida has developed a methodology to automate the process of nuclear data V&V. This automated V&V process can efficiently test a number of data libraries using well-defined benchmark experiments, such as those in the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiment Project. The process is implemented through an integrated set of Python scripts. Material and geometry data are read from an existing medium or given directly by the user to generate a benchmark experiment template file. The user specifies the choice of benchmark templates, codes, and libraries to form a V"V project. The Python scripts automatically generate input decks for multiple transport codes, run and monitor individual jobs, and parse the relevant output. The output can then be used to generate reports directly or can be stored in a database for later analysis. This methodology eases the burden on the user by reducing the amount of time and effort required for obtaining and compiling calculation results. The resource savings by using this automated methodology could potentially be an enabling technology for more sophisticated data studies, such as nuclear data uncertainty quantification. Once deployed, this tool will allow the nuclear data community to more thoroughly test data libraries leading to higher-fidelity data in the future.


Most literature related to Benford's Law discusses what the law can be used for and how it works but fails to address effective methods and procedures for teaching the law to students. This article examines existing information resources to determine the most effective methods and procedures used to explain this Law to those who have no experience with it. A contribution to knowledge is made by providing step by step instructional approaches for teaching Benford's Law to students that are tied to existing literature. Benford's Law is a fascinating lesson for students who have been exposed to statistical and mathematical concepts for as long as they can remember yet know nothing of the law's existence. This lesson is suitable for any introductory statistics or mathematics course where students are learning about probability. The Law has a practical application in the field of business and can also be taught as part of a fraud examination, data analytics, or auditing course.


BACKGROUND
Although osteoporosis is strongly associated with hip fractures, the initiation of osteoporosis treatment following hip fractures occurs at surprisingly low rates of between 5% and 30%. Currently, most patients receiving treatment have been referred back to their primary care physician for osteoporosis management. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of osteoporosis management initiated by the orthopaedic team and osteoporosis management initiated by the primary care physician on the rates of treatment at six months.

METHODS
A prospective randomized trial was conducted to assess the difference in the rate of osteoporosis treatment when an in-house assessment of osteoporosis was initiated by the orthopaedic surgeon and follow-up was conducted in a specialized orthopaedic osteoporosis clinic compared with osteoporosis education and "usual" care.

RESULTS
Sixty-two patients were enrolled in the study. Thirty-one patients each were in the control and intervention groups. The percentage of patients who were on pharmacologic treatment for osteoporosis at six months after the fracture was significantly greater when the evaluation was initiated by the orthopaedic surgeon and was managed in a specialized orthopaedic osteoporosis clinic (58%) than when treatment was managed by a primary care physician (29%) (p = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS
An active role by orthopaedic surgeons in the management of osteoporosis improves the rate of treatment at six months following a hip fracture.


Reflectarray antennas combine the advantages of both reflector and phased array antennas. Therefore, they offer low-loss, low-cost solutions for the high gain, beam steering and beam shaping applications. First the current progress and future perspectives regarding the design and analysis of reflectarrays are discussed. Then, recent technological developments and techniques that are used to realize reconfigurability in reflectarrays are presented.


This article addresses the ways scholar activists interrupt Indigenous marginalization in institutional education. Grounded in our personal and professional experiences as public scholar educators, and speaking from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous positionalities, we approach everyday social justice through an interactional framework. Our collaborative vison of power appropriation and power-sharing—raiding and alliances—conceptualizes efforts to enact Indigenous sovereignties in the academy as an enduring struggle. Our personal vignettes offer on-the-ground instances of interrupting the marginalization of Indigenous peoples are engaged through social justice scholarship and teaching. We propose that the raiding and alliances framework broadens our understanding of the local negotiations to respond to historic tensions with a view of scholarship and teaching as daily opportunities for interrupting entrenched inequities. The end goal of this work is to humanize educational processes from an Indigenous and intercultural perspective.


Communication concerning the care one wishes to receive at the end of life (EOL) is central to ensuring that wishes are honored. Many studies have examined doctor-patient or doctor-family EOL communication. However, relatively few studies have focused on the occurrence of EOL care discussions among family members. This is an important topic, as research suggests that advance directives (ADs) are ineffective if patients have not involved surrogate decision-makers, most of whom are family members. This study examined EOL care discussions among family members. It used quantitative and qualitative data from a diverse sample of older adults from West Central Florida collected for the purpose of this examination. The quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed separately and together.
This study employed the Transtheoretical Model, which proposes that individuals are in varying behavioral "stages of change" and that bringing about a behavioral change requires understanding their particular stage and adapting interventions appropriately. Statistical analysis of the quantitative data (N=364) using multinomial logistic regression showed that participants were in distinct stages that were associated with several factors, including family involvement with health care decision-making and communications with doctors. Racial and ethnic differences were not found in controlled analysis, though Hispanics were less likely to be in more advanced EOL care discussion stages in unadjusted analyses.
Several themes were found in qualitative analysis of focus groups (n=36) drawn from the larger sample. Findings suggested that those who engaged in family EOL care discussions were more careful planners overall, more accepting of death, and able to manage complex family dynamics. They also had greater knowledge of EOL matters, largely related to knowledge of loved ones EOL wishes.
The quantitative-qualitative (mixed-methods) study reinforced the role of family relationships in general in whether EOL care discussions occurred. It also highlighted the role of being proactive and having EOL care knowledge. All three studies – the quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods showed the potential for doctors and other health professionals to help families with EOL care discussions and ACP overall.


This groundbreaking collection explores the beliefs and approaches to the history of English that do not make it into standard textbooks. Orthodox histories have presented a tunnel version of the history of the English language which is sociologically inadequate. In this book a range of leading international scholars show how this focus on standard English dialect is to the detriment of those which are non-standard or from other areas of the world. Alternative Histories of English: * reveals the range of possible 'narratives' about how different varieties of 'Englishes' may have emerged * places emphasis on pragmatic, sociolinguistic and discourse-oriented aspects of English rather than the traditional grammar, vocabulary and phonology * considers diverse topics including South African English, Indian English, Southern Hemisphere Englishes, Early Modern English, women's writing, and politeness. Presenting a fuller and richer picture of the complexity of the history of English, the contributors to Alternative Histories of English explain why English is the diverse world language it is today.


Objectives 1) To determine the accuracy and reliability of an automated anthropometric measurement software for the oropharyngeal airway and 2) To compare the anthropometric dimensions of the oropharyngeal airway in skeletal class II and III deformity patients. Methods Cone-beam CT (CBCT) scans of 62 patients with skeletal class II or III deformities were used for this study. Volumetric, linear and surface area measurements retroglossal (RG) and retropalatal (RP) compartments of the oropharyngeal airway was measured with the 3dMDVultus software. Accuracy of automated anthropometric pharyngeal airway measurements was assessed using an airway phantom. Results The software was found to be reasonably accurate for measuring dimensions of air passages. The total oropharyngeal volume was significantly greater in the skeletal class III deformity group (16.7 ± 9.04 mm3) compared with class II subjects (11.87 ± 4.01 mm3). The average surface area of both the RG and RP compartments were significantly larger in the class III deformity group. The most constricted area in the RG and RP airway was significantly larger in individuals with skeletal class III deformity. The anterior-posterior (AP) length of this constriction was significantly greater in skeletal class III individuals in both compartments, whereas the width of the constriction was not significantly different between the two groups in both compartments. The RP compartment was larger but less uniform than the RG compartment in both skeletal deformities. Conclusion Significant differences were observed in morphological characteristics of the oropharyngeal airway in individuals with skeletal class II and III deformities. This information may be valuable for surgeons in orthognathic treatment planning, especially for mandibular setback surgery that might compromise the oropharyngeal patency.


Abstract In many countries, housing cooperatives are longstanding and stable components of housing systems, providing a range of housing options that sit between the historically dual tenure poles of renting and owning. In others, such as Australia, cooperatives represent a very small proportion of total housing stock. Such differences derive from institutional lock-in resulting from market failures, government policy and historical norms. Breaking the institutional lock-in requires evidence of the benefits of cooperative housing to demonstrate the rationale for appropriate policy frameworks. However, despite their longevity in some countries, cooperatives remain relatively under-researched, such that their purported benefits as compared to other tenure forms can be hard to assess or compare. This article provides a brief synthesis of extant literature on the benefits of cooperatives before focusing on Australia where the sector is poised for growth from a very small base. We consider the impediments and opportunities for growing the sector in Australia, which highlight issues of potential relevance to other jurisdictions with similarly nascent cooperative sectors.


On Being a Mindful Authoritarian: Is Need for Cognition Always with Greater of and Previous research shows that the motivation to be mindful is associated with less intolerance toward deviant and stigmatized groups. The present research examines authoritarianism as a possible moderator of this seemingly robust finding. We obtained consistent evidence from two studies that authoritarianism (right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation) moderates the relationship between need for cognition and punitiveness. Among low authoritarians, need for cognition was negatively associated with punitiveness and dispositional attribution of crimes and positively associated with support for rehabilitation of criminals. However, among high authoritarians, the pattern reversed. These results are discussed in the context of some recent advances in the understanding of motivated social cognition.


Recent studies have demonstrated that miR-205 has a role in both normal development and cancer, however conflicting reports on its function illustrate the complexity of its regulation and targets. Additionally, miR-205 was found to be highly expressed in stem cell-enriched populations from the mouse mammary gland, and thus may play a function in normal mammary stem cell maintenance. The role that miR-205 plays in tumor formation and metastasis is likely contextdependent as reports have indicated that it may function as either a tumor suppressor or an oncogene. The role that miR-205 plays in directing stem cell fate is still unknown.


This sixth volume in the AOSpine Masters Series provides expert guidance on making an accurate diagnosis and classification of injuries to the thoracolumbar area of the spine. Chapters include: Radiographic Assessment of Thoracolumbar Fractures, Posterior and Anterior MIS in TL Fractures, and Thoracolumbar Fracture Fixation in the Osteoporotic Patient. Key Features: * Each chapter provides historic literature as well as a synthesized analysis of current literature and proposes an evidence-based treatment plan* Editors are international authorities on thoracolumbar spine trauma * Expert tips and pearls included in every chapterThe AOSpine Masters Series, a copublication of Thieme and AOSpine, a Clinical Division of the AO Foundation, addresses current clinical issues whereby international masters of spine share their expertise and recommendations on a particular topic. The goal of the series is to contribute to an evolving, dynamic model of an evidence-based medicine approach to spine care. All spine surgeons and orthopaedic surgeons, along with residents and fellows in these areas, will find this book to be an excellent reference that they will consult often in their treatment of patients with thoracolumbar spine injuries.


As a natural, biological material, wood emits various organic chemical substances, mostly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), very volatile organic compounds (VVOCs) and formaldehyde. When such emissions occur in indoor spaces, concentrations of these substances are higher than concentrations outdoors. Consequently, the level of emissions from building materials are of relevance in relation to their possible health effects. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that exposure to VOCs from Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) might increase mucous membrane symptoms and/or general symptoms, compared to exposure to VOCs from Norway spruce (Picea abies). The study was carried out as a double-blinded, crossover, randomized, controlled trial. The health indicators were measured using objective and subjective methods. The VOC exposure was measured with a proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Thirty healthy individuals participated. The mean concentration of CO2 inside the chamber in each session varied between 420 ppm and 533 ppm. The temperature and RH varied between 21.5°C and 23.7°C and 12.0% and 24.2%. Ozone was supplied via ventilated outdoor air. The median concentration in outdoor air was 23 μg/m3 (13 ppb). The study was conducted with a statistically significant difference in the exposure to VOCs between the experimental (pine) exposure and the control (spruce) exposure. The mean concentrations of VOCs during the experimental exposure were methanol (31 ppb), acetaldehyde (8 ppb), formic acid (11 ppb), acetone/propanal (14 ppb), acetic acid (14 ppb) and monoterpenes (172 ppb). No difference in health outcome was revealed between the experimental and the control exposure. No inflammatory reactions or sensory irritation were found with exposure to 172 ppb monoterpenes and a low ozone concentration. Low relative humidity may have increased eye blinking in the participants in both exposure situations.


Cold (cryotherapy) is commonly applied to an athlete immediately before and/or after sports participation. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of cold water submersion (CWS) on isokinetic strength of the plantar flexor muscle group. Eleven women and five men (mean age 22.1 years, height 170.8 cm, weight 64.5 kg) with no history of ankle joint pathology were tested for peak torque, average power, and total work of the dominant foot at 60 deg/sec with a Cybex II isokinetic dynamometer. Before isokinetic testing subjects were randomly assigned to either CWS or an inactive rest period (RP). Subjects returned 1 week later to receive the opposite treatment and undergo isokinetic testing. The CWS consisted of placing the leg in a 15°C tub of water for 20 minutes. The RP consisted of remaining seated for a 20-minute period. Paired t tests were computed to determine if any differences existed in peak torque, average power, and total work between the CWS and RP conditions. Results indicated concentric isokinetic strength values were lower after CWS for peak torque, average power and total work of the plantar flexor muscle group. These findings indicate that concentric isokinetic torque, power, and work of the plantar flexor muscle group are reduced immediately after CWS. Further research should be undertaken to determine the length of time isokinetic output is reduced before returning to normal responses after CWS is present.


The process of gentrification, whereby lower-income residents are replaced with higher-income ones (Glass 1964), has changed the composition and character of hundreds of urban neighborhoods in cities worldwide. These changes affect not only the physical landscape but also the diversity of the people who live there. This research explores diversity seeking, consumption, and community in neighborhoods undergoing gentrification. The authors conducted a qualitative study of longer-term and newer residents in three neighborhoods in Washington, DC, to examine how the demographic changes that accompany gentrification relate to consumption. The findings suggest that diversity-seeking tendencies among newer residents were accompanied by tensions in the social and consumption domains, such that longer-term residents perceived exclusion and all residents experienced a reduced sense of community. The authors also find that these dynamics undermined the diversity that drew residents to these areas in the first place, resulting in "faux diversity." The authors draw on these findings to discuss strategies that marketers and policy makers can utilize to contribute to the development of inclusive, healthy, and sustainable diverse communities.


This thesis explores the potential for food policy groups in England to render the food environment within their local areas more sustainable and resilient. The main question it addresses is how institutional norms, values and practices affect food policy groups' capacity to pursue their aims.

The research is informed by earlier literature identifying factors that shape the governance context within which a food policy group operates. It finds that institutions affecting food policy groups reside in four locations: within groups, between groups and their local authorities; within the local context; and within the multilevel governance context.

The study design is five case studies: the London Food Programme; the Islington Food Strategy; the Bristol Food Policy Council; Manchester Food Futures; and the County Durham Sustainable Local Food Strategy. These were selected to have diversity in: local government structure; location of the group vis-a-vis local government; and progress towards a food strategy. Data collection was through document analysis, direct observation, and semi-structured interviews.

The analysis shows the importance of food policy groups purposively determining and articulating institutions for efficiency and to foster actor agency to overcome constraints. Groups try to align their institutions with organisations they seek to influence in order to boost legitimacy and influence policy efficiently. Despite the dynamism of food policy groups and the difference they make in the lived experience of local areas, at present they are not prompting major change in the over-all food system configuration.

This research applies new institutionalism to the study of local level food policy for the first time, enabling insights into how institutional factors affect capacity. It contributes new perspectives to the new institutionalist literature on agency and institutional change.

The research is the first coherent exploration of the capacity of English food policy groups. It provides an evidence base to guide local food policy groups to be cognisant of contextual factors as they adopt structures and practices to maximise their impact.


J.S. Mill's deep interest in French intellectual, political, and social affairs began in 1820 when, in his fourteenth year, he went to France to live for a year with the family of Sir Samuel Bentham. French became his second language, and France his second home, where he died and was buried in 1873. His interest in history began even earlier when, as a child of seven, he tried to imitate his father's labours on the History of British India; though he never wrote a history in his maturity, study of the past remained a passion and helped shape the philosophy of history that informed his views of society and ethics. His intense interest in contemporary French politics also led him to seek connections between historical developments and present trends, both seen by his from a Radical perspective approproate to what he believed to be an age of transition. The English historians of France, including Walter Scott and Thomas Carlyle, as well as the French, some of whom were themselves political figures, are judged by their historical methods, but those methods are seen as having practical effects in shaping as well as revealing the mind of the times. This volume brings together for the first time the essays, running from 1826 to 1849, that meld these abiding interests. They give as well insights into Mill's personal aspirations, his developing view of comparative politics and sociology, his concern for freedom, and his feminism. During these years Mill worked on a published his System of Logic, Book VI of which shows in condensed form the results of the speculations here developed; reading these essays with that work, which made his reputation as a philosopher, enables one to see the effects of romanticism on analytic thought in a way not as clearly evident even in Mill's Autobiography. Independently important, then, the essays in this volume also enable us to interpret anew the practical and theoretical concerns fundamental to his formative years and maturity. John C. Cairns' Introduction demonstrates how the essays reveal, through their reactions to the Revolutions of 1789, 1830, and 1848, and to French historiography, politics, and thought, the effect of France on Mill's ideas, and also the way in which his other concerns influenced his reactions to France. The texts, with the variants and notes that are the hallmark of this edition, are described in John M. Robson's Textual Introduction, which explains the editorial principles and methods.


type="main" xml:id="poms12403-abs-0001"> Staffing decisions are crucial for retailers since staffing levels affect store performance and labor-related expenses constitute one of the largest components of retailers' operating costs. With the goal of improving staffing decisions and store performance, we develop a labor-planning framework using proprietary data from an apparel retail chain. First, we propose a sales response function based on labor adequacy (the labor to traffic ratio) that exhibits variable elasticity of substitution between traffic and labor. When compared to a frequently used function with constant elasticity of substitution, our proposed function exploits information content from data more effectively and better predicts sales under extreme labor/traffic conditions. We use the validated sales response function to develop a data-driven staffing heuristic that incorporates the prediction loss function and uses past traffic to predict optimal labor. In counterfactual experimentation, we show that profits achieved by our heuristic are within 0.5% of the optimal (attainable if perfect traffic information was available) under stable traffic conditions, and within 2.5% of the optimal under extreme traffic variability. We conclude by discussing implications of our findings for researchers and practitioners.


Monitoring medical data, e.g., Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, is a common application of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Compression methods are often applied on the massive amounts of sensor data generated prior to sending it to the Cloud to reduce the storage and delivery costs. A lossy compression provides high compression gain (CG), but may reduce the performance of an ECG application (downstream task) due to information loss. Previous works on ECG monitoring focus either on optimizing the signal reconstruction or the task's performance. Instead, we advocate a lossy compression solution that allows configuring a desired performance level on the downstream tasks while maintaining an optimized CG that reduces Cloud costs. We propose Dynamic-Deep, a task-aware compression geared for Cloud systems. Our compressor is trained to optimize the CG while maintaining the performance requirement of the downstream tasks chosen out of a wide range. In deployment, the IoT edge device adapts the compression and sends an optimized representation for each data segment, accounting for the downstream task's desired performance without relying on feedback from the Cloud. We conduct an extensive evaluation of our approach on common ECG datasets using two popular ECG applications, which includes heart rate (HR) arrhythmia classification. We demon-strate that Dynamic-Deep can be configured to improve HR classification F1-score by a factor of 3 and increases CG by up to 83% compared to the previous state-of-the-art (autoencoder-based) compressor. Analyzing Dynamic-Deep on the Google Cloud Platform, we observe a 97% reduction in cloud costs compared to a no compression solution. To the best of our knowledge, Dynamic-Deep is the first proposal to focus on balancing the need for high performance of cloud-based downstream tasks and the desire to achieve optimized compression in IoT ECG monitoring settings.


ABSTRACT Preprolipopoprotein diacylglyceryl transferase (Lgt) is the gating enzyme of lipoprotein biosynthesis, and it attaches a lipid structure to the N-terminal part of preprolipoproteins. Using Lgt from Escherichia coli in a BLASTp search, we identified the corresponding Lgt homologue in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and two homologous (MSMEG_3222 and MSMEG_5408) Lgt in Mycobacterium smegmatis. M. tuberculosis lgt was shown to be essential, but an M. smegmatis ΔMSMEG_3222 mutant could be generated. Using Triton X-114 phase separation and [14C]palmitic acid incorporation, we demonstrate that MSMEG_3222 is the major Lgt in M. smegmatis. Recombinant M. tuberculosis lipoproteins Mpt83 and LppX are shown to be localized in the cell envelope of parental M. smegmatis but were absent from the cell membrane and cell wall in the M. smegmatis ΔMSMEG_3222 strain. In a proteomic study, 106 proteins were identified and quantified in the secretome of wild-type M. smegmatis, including 20 lipoproteins. All lipoproteins were secreted at higher levels in the ΔMSMEG_3222 mutant. We identify the major Lgt in M. smegmatis, show that lipoproteins lacking the lipid anchor are secreted into the culture filtrate, and demonstrate that M. tuberculosis lgt is essential and thus a validated drug target.


This paper is an exploration and interpretation of Kierkegaard's account of Christian belief. I argue that Kierkegaard believed that the Christian metaphysical tradition was exhausted and hence that there could be no defence of belief in God in purely rational terms. I defend this interpretation against objections, going on to argue that Kierkegaard thought it possible to defend a post-metaphysical conception of religious belief. I argue that Kierkegaard thought that such a defence was available if we understand correctly what it is to speak with ethico-religious authority. I argue that, when interpreted in the way I outline, Kierkegaard's notion of ethico-religious authority shows his conception of religious belief to have great plausibility. However, Kierkegaard goes on to argue that an individual's true relationship with God is constituted through the cultivation of guilt and the sense of himself as a sinner, and I give reasons for rejecting this claim, arguing that such cultivation is a form of asceticism.


Technological human surrogates, including robotic and virtual humans, have been popularly used in various scenarios including training, education, and entertainment. Prior research has investigated the effects of the surrogate's physicality and gesturing in human perceptions and social influence of the surrogate. However, those studies have been carried out in research laboratories, where the participants were aware it was an experiment, and the participant demographics are typically relatively narrow—e.g., college students. In this paper, we describe and share results from a large-scale exploratory user study involving 7685 people in a public space, where they were unaware of the experimental nature of the setting, to investigate the effects of surrogate physicality and gesturing on their behavior during human–surrogate interactions. We evaluate human behaviors using several variables, such as proactivity and reactivity, and proximity. We have identified several interesting phenomena that could lead to hypotheses developed as part of future hypothesis-based studies. Based on the measurements of the variables, we believe people are more likely to be engaged in a human–surrogate interaction when the surrogate is physically present, but movements and gesturing with its body parts have not shown the expected benefits for the interaction engagement. Regarding the demographics of the people in the study, we found higher overall engagement for females than males, and higher reactivity for younger than older people. We discuss implications for practitioners aiming to design a technological surrogate that will directly interact with real humans.


Outside the United States, very little is known about long-run trends in school productivity. We present new evidence using two data series from Australia, where comparable tests are available back to the 1960s. For young teenagers (aged 1314), we find a small but statistically significant fall in numeracy over the period 19642003 and in both literacy and numeracy over the period 197598. The decline is in the order of one-tenth to one-fifth of a standard deviation. Adjusting this decline for changes in student demographics does not affect this conclusion; if anything, the decline appears to be more acute. The available evidence also suggests that any changes in student attitudes, school violence, and television viewing are unlikely to have had a major impact on test scores. Real per child school expenditure increased substantially over this period, implying a fall in school productivity. Although we cannot account for all the phenomena that might have affected school productivity, we identify a number of plausible explanations.


OBJECTIVE
To estimate the need for downsizing the physician workforce in a changing health care environment.

METHODS
First assuming that 1993 physician-to-population ratios would be maintained, the authors derived downsizing estimates by determining the annual growth in the supply of specialists necessary to maintain these ratios (sum of losses from death and retirement plus increase necessary to parallel population growth) and compared them with an estimate of the number of new physicians being produced (average annual number of board certificates issued between 1990 and 1994). Then, assuming that workforce needs would change in a system increasingly dominated by managed care, the authors estimated specialty-specific downsizing needs for a managed care dominated environment using data from several sources.

RESULTS
To maintain the 1993 199.6 active physicians per 100,000 population ratio, 14,644 new physicians would be needed each year. Given that an average of 20,655 physicians were certified each year between 1990 and 1994, at least 6011 fewer new physicians were needed annually to maintain 1993 levels. To maintain the 132.2 ratio of active non-primary care physicians per 100,000 population, the system needed to produce 9698 non-primary care physicians per year, because an average of 14,527 new non-primary care physicians entered the workforce between 1990 and 1994, downsizing by 4829, or 33%, was needed. To maintain the 66.8 active primary care physicians per 100,000 population ratio, 4946 new primary care physicians were needed per year, since primary care averaged 6128 new certifications per year, a downsizing of 1182, or 20% was indicated. Only family practice, neurosurgery, otolaryngology, and urology did not require downsizing. Seventeen medical and hospital-based specialties, including 7 of 10 internal medicine subspecialties, needed downsizing by at least 40%. Less downsizing in general was needed in the surgical specialties and in psychiatry. A managed care dominated-system would call for greater downsizing in most of the non-primary care specialties.

CONCLUSION
These data support the need for downsizing the nation's physician supply, especially in the internal medicine subspecialties and hospital support specialties and to a lesser extent among surgeons and primary care physicians.


Crowd funding platforms make projects financially viable through contributions from people in a way that apparently dismisses support from government or corporations. This realm is not precisely public but allows this community to sustain strong political claims. The tension in the divide between the public and the private is the core of this investigation: the emphasis put on action within the crowd funding community rein- forces a world view that puts forward the anew in the form of a very specific realm which blurs the public and the private boundaries.

The relationship between these realms has been long debated in political and social theory. Arendt criticized the role of the modern state as a guardian of individual freedom, highlighting that the capacity for effective political action is often still restricted to elites. Private interests of corporations have compromised the political sphere, as Wolin and Schedler have argued, and states take decisions within the private realm, diminishing public interests. Finally, Bellah has argued this scenario emphasizes private interests, favor- ing individualism. Yet, he adds, the lack of social ties makes citizens eager for connections. This thesis combines these critiques together with a hacker culture that focuses on action, as described by Palmas.

I draws on interviews I conducted with people engaged with crowd funding. The analysis suggests that if the institutional conjuncture seems to seize the public sphere from people, citizens might be fighting back by recreating the public realm within the purportedly private space on online crowd funding. In the process they rely on cathartic self-perceptions and dissonances regarding their position within society and their representativeness, a fact that calls into question the potential of crowd funding as political action. This research contributes to the understanding of digital culture by reaching online networks impact upon areas such as politics, professional careers, and money.


Nanotechnology has been one of the most widely used tools in various industries such as pharmaceutical, food, and chemistry, among others, for the encapsulation of compounds or even microorganisms. However, an analysis of the methodologies or polymer matrices to be used is rarely generated, and these in turn contribute to the objective of the product that is intended to be designed. In addition to the evaluation of its physicochemical, optical, and rheological characteristics, and others, are a set of technological tools that allow predicting the stability of a colloid, however, some of the factors that have less importance as the effect of the synthesis process on the shape and size that a structure may have, studies have been carried out to evaluate this phenomenon, which has become a determining factor in the design of any nanoscale material.


Abstract In his book The Purse and the Sword: The Trials of Israel's Legal Revolution, Daniel Friedmann brings under critical inspection what he names as a legal revolution in Israel. Friedmann gives us, under that name, an account of a shift of certain major and sensitive state powers from elected leaders and legislators to politically insulated officials and judges. The Supreme Court's construction of two Basic Law enactments of the twelfth Knesset into a justiciable, substantive "formal constitution" for Israel figures in Friedmann's book as one component of the revolution, along with other judicial developments, including purposive interpretation of constitutional and other laws, an intensified form of common-law review of administrative actions for unreasonableness, and expansionary revisions to standing and justiciability. In all these developments, Aharon Barak took a leading part as judge and as scholar. I here consider to what extent these developments may be understood as responsive to promptings from a "political-liberal" conception of a justificational burden and need for substantive constitutional law. I reflect here on the possible pull of this conception in a political-cultural setting of a persisting widespread attachment to an idea of Israel as a member of the family of liberal constitutional states, and hence on Barak's understanding of the role and responsibility of the Supreme Court. I speculate briefly about how far that pull may extend also to Professor Friedmann in his role of critic of the judicial handiwork of Barak and the Court on which he served.


Deep neural networks (DNN) used for acoustic modeling in speech recognition often have a very large number of output units corresponding to context dependent (CD) triphone HMM states. The amount of data available for speaker adaptation is often limited so a large majority of these CD states may not be observed during adaptation. In this case, the posterior probabilities of unseen CD states are only pushed towards zero during DNN speaker adaptation and the ability to predict these states can be degraded relative to the speaker independent network. We address this problem by appending an additional output layer which maps the original set of DNN output classes to a smaller set of phonetic classes (e.g. monophones) thereby reducing the occurrences of unseen states in the adaptation data. Adaptation proceeds by backpropagation of errors from the new output layer, which is disregarded at recognition time when posterior probabilities over the original set of CD states are used. We demonstrate the benefits of this approach over adapting the network with the original set of CD states using experiments on a Japanese voice search task and obtain 5.03% relative reduction in character error rate with approximately 60 seconds of adaptation data.


One's native language is normally a marker of national identity. This is particularly true of China, which many regard as a relatively linguistically homogeneous nation. The huge impact of the spread of English on the local culture of China alongside a buoyant wave of global capitalism raises interesting questions such as the following: (i) Does the spread of English challenge or undermine the sense of China's national identity? (ii) By drawing upon English as a new linguistic and cultural resource, is China now redefining its own culture? (iii) What strategies are observable in the use of English intranationally in contemporary China? To answer these questions, this study examines the use of English in China's real estate advertising. The relatively new discourse of real estate advertisements in mainland China has been attributed to the process of increasing urbanization which has accelerated since 2000. In addition, as one of the most fundamental symbols of a nation, land is closely associated with national identity, which suggests that real estate transformed from land can be taken as a source discourse for an investigation of national identity (Smith, 1991; First and Avraham, 2007). By focusing on the use of English in China's real estate advertising and its possible association with the national identity of mainland China, this study discusses the strategic use of English as a linguistic and cultural resource in identity construction.


Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data over the area of the Hector Mine earthquake (Mw 7.1, 16 October 1999) reveal postseismic defor- mation of several centimeters over a spatial scale of 0.5 to 50 km. We analyzed seven SAR acquisitions to form interferograms over four time periods after the event. The main deformations seen in the line-of-sight (LOS) displacement maps are a region of subsidence (60 mm LOS increase) on the northern end of the fault, a region of uplift (45 mm LOS decrease) located to the northeast of the primary fault bend, and a linear trough running along the main rupture having a depth of up to 15 mm and a width of about 2 km. We correlate these features with a double left-bending, right- lateral, strike-slip fault that exhibits contraction on the restraining side and extension along the releasing side of the fault bends. The temporal variations in the near-fault postseismic deformation are consistent with a characteristic time scale of 135 42 or 25 days, which is similar to the relaxation times following the 1992 Landers earthquake. High gradients in the LOS displacements occur on the fault trace, con- sistent with afterslip on the earthquake rupture. We derive an afterslip model by inverting the LOS data from both the ascending and descending orbits. Our model indicates that much of the afterslip occurs at depths of less than 3 to 4 km.


Marked by the diversity of initiatives linking science and art and by new presentation formats, the 15th Congress of the Network for Popularisation of Science and Technology in Latin America and the Caribbean (RedPOP) saw heated debates on science, culture, politics and society. Between 21st and 25th August, it brought together in Buenos Aires (Argentina) about 400 participants from 14 countries in order to share new visions, initiatives and research work in science communication. During the event, which included a vast cultural programme, a series of challenges were raised for the future development of the field. Abstract


Accepted: 19 Oct. 2016 To further understand the importance of row spacing as an agronomic practice, a study was conducted to evaluate how levels of row spacing determines the critical period of weed control (CPWC) in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). The experiment was laid out as a split-plot design with eight periods of weed interference as the main plots and three row spacing (60, 75 90 cm) as the subplots with three replications of each treatment combination. Period of weed interference consisted of weed removal for 14, 35, 54, and 77 days after emergence (DAE), and weed infestation for 14, 35, 54, and 77 DAE. Results indicated that the mean yield of cowpea was higher at narrow spacing (60 cm) than at wide spacing (90 cm) under season-long weed infestation plots but no difference in yield was found among the row spacing in the season-long weed removal plots. There was no difference in the beginning of the CPWC among the row spacing. However, 90 cm row spacing requires longer period of weed removal to avoid unacceptable yield loss when compared to 60 cm row spacing. The end of the CPWC coincides with the period of canopy closure by the crop. This finding suggests that it took the crop longer time to close canopy at wide row spacing (90 cm) compare to reduced row spacing. The differences in the duration of weed control intervention in crop row spacing suggest the importance of integrating decisions regarding row spacing and period of weed control in weed management strategies.


Due to the emergence of rapid information consumption habits, journalism has been submerged into a deep crisis of credibility. There is a need to rethink the direction of the sector and find ways in which the relevance of journalism can be renewed. Slow journalism advocates a slow, thoughtful and sustainable approach to the production and consumption of news. This research analyses consumer habits of Spanish readers of journalism in general, and digital slow journalism in particular, through a structured questionnaire. Results show that the digital press is the habitual media of the analysed population to stay informed about current affairs. Despite the value that slow journalism has obtained, there is a lack of knowledge about the type of journalism that is being consumed: only 40% claim to have read or heard about it. Those who do read slow press spend a limited amount of time on it (between 15-30 minutes), so the patterns of 'fast' reading typical of the traditional media are repeated in slow journalism and the audience attraction and retaining capacity of slow journalism is still limited. Additionally, the vast majority of the analysed population are not willing to pay for slow journalism (73%), which is an obstacle to establishing a business model for this new media trend. However, there is a strong willingness to pay among the readers of slow press, where 45% would readily pay for it. Finally, there are significant differences in terms of the age and educational level of the readers analysed, and our findings evidence the need for further audience research in order to improve the interaction between digital slow journalism and its own audience as well as to develop innovative promotional strategies.


Large-scale gene expression studies have mainly focused on highly expressed and 'discriminatory' genes to decipher key regulatory processes. Biological responses are consequence of the concerted action of gene regulatory network, thus, limiting our attention to genes having the most significant variations is insufficient for a thorough understanding of emergent whole genome response. Here we comprehensively analyzed the temporal oligonucleotide microarray data of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated macrophages in 4 genotypes; wildtype, Myeloid Differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) knockout (KO), TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF) KO and MyD88/TRIF double KO (DKO). Pearson correlations computed on the whole genome expression between different genotypes are extremely high (>0.98), indicating a strong co-regulation of the entire expression network. Further correlation analyses reveal genome-wide response is biphasic, i) acute-stochastic mode consisting of small number of sharply induced immune-related genes and ii) collective mode consisting of majority of weakly induced genes of diverse cellular processes which collectively adjust their expression level. Notably, temporal correlations of a small number of randomly selected genes from collective mode show scalability. Furthermore, in collective mode, the transition from large scatter in expression distributions for single ORFs to smooth linear lines emerges as an organizing principle when grouping of 50 ORFs and above. With this emergent behavior, the role of MyD88, TRIF and novel MyD88, TRIF-independent processes for gene induction can be linearly superposed to decipher quantitative whole genome differential control of transcriptional and mRNA decay machineries. Our work demonstrates genome-wide co-regulated responses subsequent to specific innate immune stimulus which have been largely neglected.


This book provides a checklist with updated information of the species of crustacean zooplankton in Chilean inland waters, while the results of an ecological study offers data for understanding the distribution and abundance of those faunal elements in the area.


Background The continuing fall in coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality is widely celebrated. However, the impact of public policies and treatments on socio-economic gradients in health is poorly quantified. Understanding the separate contributions of prevention and treatment to recent trends is thus crucial to planning the most effective and equitable future strategies. Methods Using a previously validated epidemiological model, we estimated the contribution of uptake of 40+ evidence-based treatments in nine patient groups and changes in seven major cardiovascular risk factors to the reduction of CHD mortality between 2000 and 2007 in England. The analysis was stratified by deprivation quintiles and included adults aged 25+. Results were confirmed using multi-way sensitivity analyses. Results Nationally, CHD mortality fell by 35% (from 219 to 142 deaths per 100 000), resulting in 38 070 fewer deaths in 2007 compared with 2000. Rates fell fastest in the most affluent (38%) and slowest (29%) in most deprived quintile. Treatments accounted for approximately −52% of the mortality decline across all social groups. The largest contributors were medical therapies in community settings for hypercholesterolemia (−14%), chronic angina (−13%) and secondary prevention (−11%). Decreases in risk factors accounted for approximately −37% of the overall CHD mortality decrease. This ranged from −50% in the most deprived quintile to −30% in the most affluent. The biggest contribution came from substantial falls in systolic blood pressure (−33%). Other mortality gains were more modest: total cholesterol (−6%), smoking (−4%) and inactivity (−2%). Furthermore, these benefits were negated by socially patterned increases in obesity and diabetes (+11%). About 11% of the CHD mortality fall remained unexplained by the model: more in affluent (−19%) than deprived (+2%) quintiles, and more in men (−29%) than women (+14%). Conclusions This is perhaps the first study to quantify the contributions from specific evidence-based treatments and risk factor trends, stratified by underlying socio-economic circumstances. Approximately half the recent mortality fall was attributable to medical therapies, evenly distributed across social groups. This is welcome, and suggests relative equity in NHS treatment provision. However, risk factor changes accounted for barely one third of the CHD mortality fall. This was unexpected, and probably reflects frustratingly small recent decreases in cholesterol and smoking, compounded by continuing rises in obesity and diabetes. Coronary mortality fell by 35% in just 7 years: but large social gradients persisted. Powerful and equitable evidence-based population–wide policy interventions exist; these now need to be urgently implemented.


The effective capturing of carbon dioxide using regenerable high capacity sorbents is a prerequisite for industrial applications aiming at CO2 capture and sequestration. The removal of CO2 directly from chemical reaction environments at high temperature is a less energy intensive method of its separation with the added benefit of improved efficiency in equilibrium limited reactions. However, the separation of CO2 at the typical reaction temperatures of 573–1073 K is a challenging task due to the non-availability of absorbents with kinetics comparable to reaction rates. Moreover their poor durability due to sintering and particle growth on prolonged use at high temperature is also an impediment to their practical application. Herein, we demonstrate the development of an efficient CO2 absorbent material, made of Li4SiO4 nanorods, with ultrafast sorption kinetics as well as remarkable durability. These nanorods enabled easier surface reaction with CO2 due to shorter diffusion pathways for lithium from the bulk to the surface of the rods permitting extremely fast absorption of CO2. Furthermore, the compositional tuning of the materials helped to realize absorbents with extraordinary CO2 absorption rates of 0.72 wt% s−1 at 100% CO2/923 K. The exceptional performance of these absorbents at lower temperatures (573–823 K) as well as lower CO2 pressures (0.15 atm) demonstrates their potential in practical CO2 separation applications.


A mini-HTS on 4000 compounds selected using 2D fragment-based similarity and 3D pharmacophoric and shape similarity to known selective tau aggregate binders identified N-(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)quinolin-2-amine 10 as a novel potent binder to human AD aggregated tau with modest selectivity versus aggregated β-amyloid (Aβ). Initial medicinal chemistry efforts identified key elements for potency and selectivity, as well as suitable positions for radiofluorination, leading to a first generation of fluoroalkyl-substituted quinoline tau binding ligands with suboptimal physicochemical properties. Further optimization toward a more optimal pharmacokinetic profile led to the discovery of 1,5-naphthyridine 75, a potent and selective tau aggregate binder with potential as a tau PET tracer.


Legacy preferences in college admissions offend the fundamental values of a society founded on equality and committed to social mobility based on talent and merit. Amassing extensive legislative history of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Joint Resolution that became the Fourteenth Amendment, this article shows that the 39th Congress enacted into positive law the principle against hereditary distinctions that the Founders had inscribed in the Declaration of Independence and the egalitarian provisions of the 1787 Constitution. The Republicans who dominated the 39th Congress understood the Declaration's statement that "all men are created equal" specifically to reject hereditary distinctions among white men. They codified this principle and extended it to proscribe discrimination based on inherited race. Congress' rejection of lineage as a permissible basis for discrimination is confirmed in the 1866 Act's definition of a "citizen" as anyone (with limited exceptions) who was born in the United States. Congress expressly rejected the view - reflected in the Dred Scott decision and in southern State statutes - that citizenship should be determined by family lineage. Congress ultimately viewed even the 1866 Act as too status-based, so the Equal Protection Guarantee extends its protection to "all persons" rather than only citizens. Although the caselaw is sparse, Supreme Court precedent confirms that strict scrutiny applies to hereditary distinctions under the Equal Protection Guarantee. The Court has also prohibited "race" and "ancestry" discrimination under the 1866 Act and has stated in dicta that this proscription applies to discrimination based on family lineage. Legacy preferences are therefore presumptively unlawful in both public and private universities. The article also shows that legacy preferences cannot survive strict scrutiny because the universities' justification for legacy preferences - that they result in increased alumni donations - is not legally cognizable. And our analysis of extensive data from more than 100 elite universities suggests that in fact there is no correlation between legacy preferences and increased university revenues.


A modified assimilable organic carbon (AOC) bioassay is proposed. We evaluated all aspects of the AOC bioassay technique, including inoculum, incubation water, bioassay vessel, and enumeration technique. Other concerns included eliminating the need to prepare organic carbon-free glassware and minimizing the risks of bacterial and organic carbon contamination. Borosilicate vials (40 ml) with Teflon-lined silicone septa are acceptable incubation vessels. Precleaned vials are commercially available, and the inoculum can be injected directly through the septa. Both bioassay organisms, Pseudomonas fluorescens P-17 and Spirillum sp. strain NOX, are available from the American Type Culture Collection and grow well on R2A agar, making this a convenient plating medium. Turbid raw waters need to be filtered prior to an AOC analysis. Glass fiber filters used with either a peristaltic pump or a syringe-type filter holder are recommended for this purpose. A sampling design that emphasizes replication of the highest experimental level, individual batch cultures, is the most efficacious way to reduce the total variance associated with the AOC bioassay. Quality control for the AOC bioassay includes an AOC blank and checks for organic carbon limitation and inhibition of the bioassay organisms.


An elastic gridshell is a freeform structure, generally doubly curved, but formed out through the reversible deformation of a regular and initially flat structural grid. Building curved shapes that may seems to offer the best of both worlds~: shell structures are amongst the most performant mechanically speaking while planar and orthogonal constructions are much more efficient and economic to produce than curved ones. This ability to form a form efficiently is of peculiar importance in the current context where morphology is a predominant component of modern architecture, and envelopes appear to be the neuralgic point for building performances.

The concept was invented by Frei Otto, a German architect and structural engineer who devoted many years of research to gridshells. In 1975 he designed the Multihalle of Mannheim, a 7500m2 wooden shell which demonstrated the feasibility of this technology and made it famous to a wide audience. However, despite their potential, very few projects of this kind were built after this major realization. And for good reason, the resources committed at that time cannot guarantee the replicability of this experiment for more standard projects, especially on the economic level. Moreover, the technics and methods developed by Otto's team in the 1960s have mostly fall into disuse or are based on disciplines that have considerably evolved. New materials, such as composite materials, have recently emerged. They go beyond the limitations of conventional materials such as timber and offer at all levels much better technical performances for this kind of application. Finally, it should be noted that the regulatory framework has also deeply changed, bringing a certain rigidity to the penetration of innovations in the building industry. Therefore, the design of gridshells arises in new terms for current architects and engineers and comes up against the inadequacy of existing tools and methods.

In this thesis, which marks an important step in a personal research adventure initiated in 2010, we try to embrace the issue of the design of elastic gridshells in all its complexity, addressing both theoretical, technical and constructive aspects. In a first part, we deliver a thorough review of this topic and we present in detail one of our main achievements, the ephemeral cathedral of Creteil, built in 2013 and still in service. In a second part, we develop an original discrete beam element with a minimal number of degrees of freedom adapted to the modeling of bending and torsion inside gridshell members with anisotropic cross-section. Enriched with a ghost node, it allows to model more accurately physical phenomena that occur at connections or at supports. Its numerical implementation is presented and validated through several test cases. Although this element has been developed specifically for the study of elastic gridshells, it can advantageously be used in any type of problem where the need for an interactive computation with elastic rods taking into account flexion-torsion couplings is required.


The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) provides heightened protections for religious institutions that seek to build or expand their facilities in excess of local zoning regulations. Although RLUIPA claims on its face that it does not preempt state protections for reglious land uses, more and more religious organizations have elected to bring suit under RLUIPA in addition to or in lieu of state laws. This Note focuses on Massachussetts and Washington as representative examples of states' religious land use protections and examines the effect of RLUIPA on those protections. The Note suggest that RLUIPA may unintentionally preempt state laws, particularly where states have


The formation of focal adhesions and actin stress fibers on fibronectin is dependent on signaling through (&bgr;)1 integrins and the heparan sulfate proteoglycan syndecan-4, and we have analyzed the requirement of the glycosaminoglycan chains of syndecan-4 during these events. Chinese hamster ovary cells with mutations in key enzymes of the glycanation process do not synthesize glycosaminoglycan chains and are unable to assemble actin stress fibers and focal contacts when cultured on fibronectin. Transfection of the mutant cells with a cDNA that encodes the core protein of chicken syndecan-4 leads to the production of unglycanated core protein. The overexpression of syndecan-4 core protein in these mutant cells increases cell spreading and is sufficient for these cells to assemble actin stress fibers and focal adhesions similar to wild-type cells seeded on fibronectin and vitronectin matrices. Syndecan-4 core protein colocalizes to focal contacts in mutant cells that have been transfected with the syndecan-4 core protein cDNA. These data indicate an essential role for the core protein of syndecan-4 in the generation of signals leading to actin stress fiber and focal contact assembly.


Direct sampling gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to quantitate hexanal levels in nitrite and non-nitrite cured loin bacon stored for two weeks at 4 degrees C. The objective was to evaluate the effect of varying levels of sodium nitrite on the flavour of cured bacon. Non-nitrite cured bacon yielded greater amounts of hexanal than bacon cured with 40, 120 and 1000 ppm sodium nitrite. Initially the differences were not significant but became evident during storage. Hexanal produced by samples during storage paralleled subjective undesirable flavour estimates (r = -0.88) and would undoubtedly be useful as an indicator of oxidative deterioration or rancidity for this product.


The Sporty Fairies are in need of Rachel and Kirsty's help. Everyone in Fairyland is preparing for the Fairy Olympics, but Jack Frost and his goblins have stolen the magic sporty items so they can win by cheating! What's more, with the items missing, everyone in the human world is playing sports really badly, and so the human Olympics is in danger of being ruined too! Gemma's Magic Ribbon is the last item that Rachel and Kirsty must rescue to ensure the Olympics, both in Fairyland and the human world, will go ahead smoothly. But how can they get it back from Jack Frost?


Social welfare policies are a modern instantiation of a phenomenon that has pervaded human evolutionary history: resource sharing. Ancestrally, food was a key shared resource in situations of temporary hunger. If our evolved psychology continues to shape how individuals think about current, evolutionarily novel conditions, this invites the prediction that attitudes regarding welfare politics are influenced by short-term fluctuations in hunger. Using blood glucose levels as a physiological indicator of hunger, we test this prediction in a study in which subjects are randomly assigned to consume a soft drink with carbohydrate or an artificial sweetener. Analyses show that subjects with experimentally induced low blood glucose levels express stronger support for social welfare. Using an incentivized measure of actual sharing behavior, we furthermore demonstrate that this increased welfare support does not translate into genuinely increased sharing motivations. Rather, we suggest, it is "cheap talk" aimed at increasing the sharing efforts of others.


Report presents the results of an investigation of the general aerodynamic characteristics of the NACA 23012 and 23021 airfoils, each equipped with a 0.20c external flap of NACA 23012 section. The tests were made in the NACA 7 by 10-foot and variable-density wind tunnels and covered a range of Reynolds numbers that included values corresponding to those for landing conditions of a wide range of airplanes. Besides a determination of the variation of lift and drag characteristics with position of the flap relative to the main airfoil, complete aerodynamic characteristics of the airfoil-flap combination with a flap hinge axis selected to give small hinge moments were measured in the two tunnels. Some measurements of air loads on the flap itself in the presence of the wing were made in the 7 by 10-foot wind tunnel.


Orthosiphon aristatus (Lamiaceae) is an herb medicinal found mainly in China, Indian and South East Asia. The purpose of this work was to develop a technological process for obtaining dry extract of Orthosiphon aristatus by spray dry. A process for the obtaining of dry extract from aqueous extract of Orthosiphon aristatus was studied. Response Surface Methodology experimental design was applied to evaluate the effects of inlet and outlet air temperature on drying yield (%). Mixture experimental design was applied to evaluate the drying adjuvant - total solids relation. Maltodextrin was evaluated as drying adjuvant. The best results were obtained when applying an inlet temperature of 120 °C and outlet temperature of 80 °C and a drying adjuvant - total solids relation (w/w) of 60:40. Under these conditions it was demonstrated that the process is reproducible scale studied.


Food quality has been a strong focus of the BOL research programme since it started in 2001. Among other things, the policy on EU organic regulations was supported with research projects; for example regarding the discussion concerning the admission of meat curing agents (nitrite and nitrate) in 2006. In a project on this subject, consumer acceptance of cured meat products, not using these curing agents, has been described as surprisingly positive, and the practical use of alternative materials and technologies was evaluated. It was found that the implementation of new technologies to reduce the use of curing agents was mainly inhibited by their lacking acceptance in practice, technical adaptation needs and investment in product development as well as disputed legal issues. As part of another project, a guide for processors was created, within which the new methods and solutions were presented.
To enhance knowledge transfer regarding the new EU hygiene standards for organic meat proces-sors in 2008, a number of general information and specific documents for the admission application as well as templates for the necessary internal controls were developed.
The general use and suitability of new organic food additives were also examined. Different sub-stances, which could serve as binding agents or antioxidants, were tested. Locust bean gum, guar gum, xanthan and agar agar showed a sufficient bond-stabilising effect without affecting the sensory quality of the products. Substances such as ascorbic acid, citric acid, rosemary extract, ginger and lemon juice showed a satisfactory effect against oxidative browning reactions. Furthermore, the use of rye sprouts as an ingredient in wheat bread produced very positive results: a study found that the volume, crumb firmness and crumb elasticity could be improved. The use of ingredients from yam (Dioscorea batatas) was investigated regarding the potential sensory and health benefits for flour blends. In another project, the use of yeast extract in organic foods was reviewed. It was shown here that there is very little research about the components and nutritional effects of yeast extract; also a survey among experts could not come to a clear formulation of conclusions. Thus, it was recommended that each processor should decide for or against the use of yeast extract in each particular case. Since 2008, an additive list is now being published annually and a website has been created where the manufacturers of additives can register themselves and sign up their organically certified and non-certified commercial products for evaluation.
The data from the National Nutrition Survey II (NVS II) in 2010 were analysed in detail, looking at organic buying habits in relation to socio-demographic characteristics, parameters of health and nutrition behaviour as well as food consumption. Over 13,000 participants, aged between 18 and 80 years, were included in this survey. The derived recommendations show considerable potential. It was found for example, that organic buyers compared with non-organic buyers are more likely to lead a healthier lifestyle. Altruistic buying motives, such as interest in fair trade, animal welfare and the renunciation of the use of genetic modification, have been identified as a central driver of organic buying behaviour. It was also recommended, in addition to ethical arguments, to integrate health benefits more directly into the marketing of organic food. Further results from the BOLN research on food quality and processing are continuously published at www.bundesprogramm-oekolandbau.de.


In today's global business ecosystem, enabled by advanced technologies in personalization and customization, an individual or business team has more leverage than ever before regarding the choice of communication media and communication tool. Moreover, an individual's personal attributes and preferences should be taken into consideration. As one of the new communication technologies, micro-blogging via the smartphone or other similar mobile devices may be acquired and used by a business person according to the person's preferences. To understand how people use micro-blogging in their decision-making with a smartphone, and how individual attributes such as personality and cultural background impact communication, a study is undertaken with a group of over 300 graduate students from both Korea and the United States. This 2 (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator [MBTI] personality group: diverse vs. similar) X 3 (communication mode: micro-blogging vs. asynchronous vs. face-to-face) X 2 (cultural background: Western culture vs. Eastern culture) factorial designed experiment is expected to reveal the degree of impact of the MBTI personality factor, communication mode, and cultural background on four-person group decision-making. A questionnaire is used as a measurement tool to assess the participants' experience from each group.


Land-use restrictions in the vicinity of airports are increasingly employed as a means to reduce bird strikes on aircraft. Yet, in the absence of controlled studies, the link between land usage and bird strikes is largely anecdotal. In seeking a connection between bird strikes and land use, the records of reported bird strikes from the years 1990-2001 were examined for 28 airports in down-state Illinois. For each airport it was noted whether land use within 6 miles of the airports included large bodies of water or wetlands, wildlife sanctuaries, golf courses, landfills, shopping venues with food concessions, or croplands. Because most bird strikes reportedly occur in the course of aircraft takeoffs and ascent or aircraft descent and landing, aircraft operations (defined as takeoffs or landings) are taken to represent opportunities for bird strikes such as might be linked to surrounding land uses. This allows the creation of a comparative statistic for the number of aircraft operations per reported bird strike. Because bird strike reports are voluntary, no attempt is made to formulate a predictive statistic. However, it is noted that the largely rural down-state Illinois airports report bird strikes (as a function of aircraft operations) far less frequently than is indicated by a comparative national statistic. The bird strike reporting frequency among the studied down-state Illinois airports is noticeably greater at the more heavily trafficked airports. It is found that land uses in the vicinity of the 28 airports that were examined do not represent an obvious linkage to bird strikes reported at those airports.


The rapid growth of customer applications and datasets has led to demand for storage that can scale with the needs of modern workloads. We have developed FlexGroup volumes to meet this need. FlexGroups combine local WAFL® file systems in a distributed storage cluster to provide a single namespace that seamlessly scales across the aggregate resources of the cluster (CPU, storage, etc.) while preserving the features and robustness of the WAFL file system. In this paper we present the FlexGroup design, which includes a new remote access layer that supports distributed transactions and the novel heuristics used to balance load and capacity across a storage cluster. We evaluate FlexGroup performance and efficacy through lab tests and field data from over 1,000 customer FlexGroups.


By tracing connotations of the word « representation » in history, Roger Chartier elaborates on the word's various meanings. On the one hand, representation refers to someone or something acting in place of an absent person or object. On the other hand, representation can also refer to public presence. Furthermore, Chartier describes how collective representations and social order are closely related. Finally, Chartier toues on the problem of historical representation itself. He suggests that historical discourse may be a mere representation of the past.


This briefing paper considers the diversity in early years provision. It was produced for the Healthy Early Years study, which was funded by the Department of Health, to help inform decisions about extending the Healthy Schools Programme approach to early years settings. The paper focuses on childcare and early education provision for children aged from birth to five years: maintained and private nursery schools, Sure Start local programmes, children's centres, day nurseries, pre-school playgroups and childminders. An overview of the relevant issues and of the distinguishing features of each type of setting is provided.


Geek. Nerd. Dork. Outsider. Anti-social. Outcast. Non-mainstream. No life. All of these words have been used to describe me, and all of them are true to some degree. These are terms used for people who have interests that are outside of popular culture. When a person falls out of the "in" group due to different interests, whether it be from liking things that the dominant group does not approve of or from not liking things that the dominant group likes, he gets branded with one (or all) of the above terms. This categorization is a way to separate the insiders and the outsiders, and a hierarchy is established. It is obvious that the outsiders are at the bottom of that arrangement, since all of the terms used to describe them bear a negative connotation. I open this discussion by first looking at myself. I do this because, according to the works of G.I. Gurdjieff, the process of knowing has to start with self-awareness. "The only person who can know myself is myself ... no amount of fantasizing about who or what I am will substitute for a direct, dispassionate look at the data" (Speeth). To look at this with such a narrow scope is not good enough, however. The problem of separating popular and geek culture lies far beyond just me or the groups of people I associate with. I move on then to gain a better understanding of the situation by reading the work of Elizabeth Minnich. She explains how divisions have formed, and how groups are excluded. This exclusion is necessary so that the dominant group can de-legitimize all other groups. The root of our problems with knowledge is that we have separated people into groups, or "kinds," as she calls them, and then taken the words of one group as having more significance than all other groups. Minnich goes on to explain that the root problem has led to errors in the way that we construct knowledge, and that there are four main areas where errors occur. She calls them faulty generalization, circular reasoning, mystified concepts, and partial knowledge. The four errors have a tendency to overlap, and they perpetuate each other as well as perpetuate the root problem itself. Looking inside out, and drawing upon Gurdjieff and Minnich, I then try to develop a sociological approach to the knowledge and ignorance of geekness.


The stratospheric response to the observed Arctic sea ice retreat is analysed based on European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) Re-Analysis Interim (ERA-Interim) atmospheric data from 1979–2012. It is shown that changes in August/September sea ice concentration impact on tropospheric and stratospheric geopotential heights in the following winter. During low ice phases a negative tropospheric Arctic Oscillation pattern is found, which is connected to a weakened stratospheric polar vortex and warmer stratospheric temperatures. Furthermore, the analysis reveals enhanced upward EP fluxes due to planetary waves for low ice conditions. Strong stratospheric anomalies in the Atlantic/European region are associated with a weaker polar vortex. Low ice periods are connected with additional tropospheric wave energy excitation in the Pacific/North America region and influence the stratosphere through three-dimensional planetary wave propagation.


Results from depth integrated and vertically stratified plankton sampling in the northwestern Adriatic Sea were used for comparison of gut contents of larvae of European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus with composition and concentration of potential prey in the plankton. Sampling was carried out over a grid of stations both before and after a period of increased wind mixing to investigate changes in food availability and larval feeding success. All larvae had empty guts soon after dusk, indicating daytime feeding and rapid gut clearance. With increasing larval length there was a greater percentage of specimens with empty guts, despite suitable food being available in the plankton for these larger larvae; this suggests differential gut evacuation during sampling-possibly related to the degree of gut development. Larval diet was principally the various developmental stages of copepods, especially calanoid and cyclopoid nauplii, which were preferentially selected by larvae, whereas selection was against harpacticoid nauplii. Lamellibranch larvae and Peridinium were generally abundant in the plankton, but were only present in the gut contents in any number when the preferred dietary organisms were present in the plankton at low concentrations. The number of food organisms in the gut contents increased with concentration of the preferred food organisms in the plankton up to a limit of similar to 50 organisms/l. Within the upper 18 m of the water column, there was a reduction in the proportion of larvae with food in their guts with increasing depth, irrespective of the vertical profile of food concentration. Following a period of wind mixing the composition of the plankton changed. This was reflected in the diet of anchovy larvae, which altered in parallel. There was also an overall 41% decrease in concentration of the preferred food particles of larvae in the plankton following the period of wind mixing, but larvae were still able to maintain their food intake. These results show that anchovy larvae can successfully adapt their diet to a changing prey field and suggest that in the conditions observed in the northern Adriatic, quite radical changes in the feeding environment were probably insufficient to affect overall larval mortality.


Introduction The human factor is a key factor in the provision of healthcare services, that directly influence
the outcomes. Therefore, the way health operators are valued and staffed is strategic for the success of the healthcare organisations. In the Centre of Excellence for Nursing Scholarship of the IPASVI Board of Nursing
in Rome, a survey was conducted from December 2009 to December 2011 to measure the organisational
health of nurses. Independent organisational variables, outcome variables (general satisfaction, lack of motivation,
and indicators of psychophysical ailments), and planning variables (the nurses' organisational/working
area and their professional area) were investigated .
Materials and Methods The survey was conducted using the Nursing Questionnaire on Organisational
Health on a sample of 4751 nurses working in different healthcare organization in the city and in the Province
of Rome.
Results The results show the presence of stress and fatigue in the nurses in all the health structure types considered.
In health structures and university polyclinics were found negative indicators like the presence of gossip,
the feeling of counting very little for the organization, the resentment towards the organization and the
feeling to do useless things. Professional integration and general level of satisfaction were found in all the health
structure types considered. Some aspects like openness to innovation, the comfort and the safety in the professional
environment were found only in the private health structures. Isolation, routine and indicators of mental
and physical malaise were not present in the structures considered. In this study hasn't been evaluated
the statistical significativity of the results.
Conclusions It's important that health operators feel satisfied within the organisation they work for, and this
impact on their motivation and sense of belonging to the organisation itself. Nurses will be able to provide
personalised holistic care only if all workers have a good organisational health, which, instead, in the health
realities considered in this study, showed to be lacking for some aspects. To promote the establishment of
an organisational health, the health structures must offer a comfortable and safe environment, grant more decisional
power and contain the stress and the fatigue with an adequate planning of nurses' turnover. The results
of this study can be the starting point for the design of studies with a stronger methodology.


In this paper we analyse the effects of large block trades on market prices of Italian shares. Block trades on the Italian Stock Market are negotiated off-exchange with no interaction rules and a 60-minute disclosure time. Our sample embraces a period where listed stocks migrated gradually from the floor-based daily call auction to the electronic continuous trading system. In the meanwhile off-exchange block trades gradually declined, and they remained a viable trading option mainly for mid and small-cap stocks. We find that both seller and buyer-initiated blocks experience significant temporary and permanent price impacts. Price effects are also economically relevant. When trading in the central market is conducted in the open-outcry daily call auction, price impacts are consistently higher. We then analyse whether price effects are related to trade size as predicted by some theoretical model. Our findings show that temporary effects are an increasing function of any measure of block size, while permanent effects are not. We interpret our results as consistent with an upstairs market mostly used by traders who can credibly signal that they are uninformed [e.g., Seppi (1990)], and the implicit trading costs we uncover is further evidence of the importance of noninformational liquidity events that may affect significantly and permanently firms' market valuation.


Computers have become essential tools in almost every field of research and applied technology. The advent of the micro-computers allows us as veterinarians enter and analyze vast amount of data on animal health, production and administrative responsibilities. Computers in veterinary medicine have been used for veterinary education; veterinary informatics; veterinary practice, research, as well as in agro-veterinary consultancy services. Informatics, which entail using the computer to access information by facilitating the formation of discussion groups; reviewing expert system' type programs such as Bovid and Canid (simulate the decision-making skills of an expert). Several Internet programs such as discussion groups, journals, dedicated veterinary sites as well as E-learning are important for veterinary continuing education. The Internet specialized computer based CD ROMs have become an invaluable source of literature in developing a research methodology as well as getting updated with current research direction and findings. An instructor or teacher of veterinary medicine would also find the computer useful in preparation of lecture materials; exam result computation; student data/records; pooling of exam questions and answers as well as clinical case documentation. Computers could be effective in a good and progressive modern veterinary practice and these include their use for reception services; diagnostic services; clinical services; surgeries and surgical management (laser surgeries); pharmacy and pharmacy management; client information services; field/ambulatory services; hospital management (storing hospital records; analyzing management data; revenue generation, targets and projections; epidemiological data as well as the automation of staff schedules); practice updates; diagnostic imaging and laboratory evaluations of specimens. Computers have also crept into the field of agro-veterinary consultancy services and have been useful here for clinical consultancy; agro-veterinary project design, monitoring and implementation; preparation of presentations as resource persons or instructor; feasibility for agro-veterinary projects as well as epidemiological studies and disease surveillance on farms. KEY WORDS: Computers, application, Veterinary Medicine Nigerian Veterinary Journal Vol.25(2) 2004: 1-12


In this paper, the nanocrystalline porous silicon (PS) films is prepared by electrochemical etching of p-type silicon wafer with different currents density (15 and 30 mA/cm 2 ) and etching times on the formation nano-sized pore array with a dimension of around few hundreds nanometric. The films were characterized by the measurement of XRD, FTIR spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy properties. We have estimated crystallites size from X-Ray diffraction about nanoscale for porous silicon and Atomic Force microscopy confirms the nanometric size Chemical fictionalization during the electrochemical etching show on surface chemical composition of PS. The etching possesses inhomogeneous microstructures that contain a-Si clusters (Si3–Si–H) dispersed in amorphous silica matrix and (O-SiO, C-SiO). From the FTIR analyses showed that the Si dangling bonds of the as-prepared PS layer have large amount of Hydrogen to form weak Si–H bonds. The atomic force microscopy investigation shows the rough silicon surface, with increasing etching process (current density and etching time) porous structure nucleates which leads to an increase in the depth and width (diameter) of surface pits. Consequently, the surface roughness also increases.


The scaling of device technologies poses new challenges, not only in circuit design, but also in device modeling, especially because of the short-channel effects and the emergence of novel phenomena like ballistic transport. Nonetheless, it enables the design of ultra low-power analog and Radio Frequency (RF) circuits by allowing to push the operating points intomoderate and eventually weak inversion regions, which are increasingly becoming the preferred regions of operation for such applications. Even though modern compact models have evolved to adequately model the short-channel effects in all regions of operation, there is a lack of simpler models that (a) reliably predict the physics of downscaled devices while (b) remaining continuous through moderate inversion and (c) aid the designer's intuition through simple designmethodologies. In this work, we extend the EKV charge based model to include the velocity saturation effect for weak inversion operation. Using the simple analytical model hence developed, we propose a design methodology for low-power analog circuit design. Then, we focus our attention on ballistic transport in MOSFETs, that is expected to dominate in the deeply scaled devices. Again, despite the extensive body of work available in the literature, most models remain deeply rooted in physics, consisting of fairly complicated equations, that are of little use for an intuitive understanding and design. In addition, the quasi-ballistic devices, which lie on the continuumbetween the ballistic and the diffusive devices, pose their own modeling challenges: a model for the quasi-ballistic devices would have to remain continuous between the ballistic and diffusive regimes. Most of the published works, based on the carrier flux transport over the source-channel potential barrier approach, seem to ignore the electrostatics in the rest of the channel. The shape of the electrostatic potential in the channel is approximated through polynomial functions, which is adequate for the very short-channel devices but not scalable to long channel quasi-ballistic devices. In this work, we study the role of the gate and the electrostatics in a ballistic channel by drawing on the insights gained from Monte-Carlo simulations on quasi-ballistic and ballistic doublegate MOSFETs. We propose a simple semi-empirical model of the channel charge, using which we develop an analytical model for the channel potential, both of which could be used as precursors to a scalable compact model that would encompass the ballistic, quasi-ballistic and drift-diffusion regimes.


Problem Based Learning (PBL) is widely recognised as an effective teaching and learning strategy (Glen & Wilkie, 2000; Price, 2003). Since the 1990's PBL has gained in popularity within nursing curricula throughout the United Kingdom (Andrews & Jones, 1996; Biley & Smith, 1998; Gibbon, 1998; Biley, 1999, Long et al., 1999; Glen & Wilkie, 2000; Darvill, 2003; Horne et al. 2006). Moore (2009) identifies that facilitation is a central component of PBL, however despite the fact that PBL has existed within nursing education for almost twenty years, the effectiveness of its facilitation and implementation remain relatively undiscovered (Horne et al, 2006, Moore, 2009).
This paper will discuss the journey of PBL facilitation from the perspectives of two senior nurse lecturers, novice to PBL. The discussion will highlight the challenges and rewards experienced throughout a two-year period, following the introduction of PBL into a third year module within a pre-registration nursing curriculum at the University of Huddersfield. Throughout the discussion, references will be made to how these experiences compare with the relevant literature on PBL as a teaching and learning strategy.