The practice of law is not a game. Administrative law in particular can implicate important issues that impact people's health, safety, and welfare and change business' profitability or even viability. Nonetheless, it can seem like a game. This is because courts rarely explain administrative law rulings in terms of the public purposes and policies at issue in lawsuits. Instead, the courts' administrative law opinions tend to turn on arcane interpretive doctrines with silly names, such as the "Chevron two-step" or "Chevron step zero." To advance doctrinal arguments, advocates and courts engage in linguistic debates that resemble a smokescreen—tending to obscure the real issues. Grammatical arguments about things like the "rule of the last antecedent" abound, and they rarely serve to make clear language any clearer, or to clarify ambiguous language. At its worst, this type of analysis frustrates one goal of the requirement of reasoned decisionmaking: preventing agency officials "from cowering behind bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo." In this context, it is not surprising to see courts treat legislative goals and public policy as all but irrelevant to their decisions. Perhaps because much of the population has already written lawyers off as idiots and leeches, there is little public outrage at the spectacle of courts resolving important public issues in terms that only lawyers can understand. And even lawyers do not necessarily take these doctrines seriously.


BACKGROUND
Obese, insulin-resistant persons are at risk of cardiovascular disease. How best to achieve both weight loss and clinical benefit in these persons is controversial, and recent reports questioned the superiority of low-fat diets.

OBJECTIVE
We aimed to ascertain the effects of moderate variations in the carbohydrate and fat content of calorie-restricted diets on weight loss and cardiovascular disease risk in obese, insulin-resistant persons.

DESIGN
Fifty-seven randomly assigned, insulin-resistant, obese persons completed a 16-wk calorie-restricted diet with 15% of energy as protein and either 60% and 25% or 40% and 45% of energy as carbohydrate and fat, respectively. Baseline and postweight-loss insulin resistance; daylong glucose, insulin, and triacylglycerol concentrations; fasting lipid and lipoprotein concentrations; and markers of endothelial function were quantified.

RESULTS
Weight loss with 60% or 40% of energy as carbohydrate (5.7 +/- 0.7 or 6.9 +/- 0.7 kg, respectively) did not differ significantly, and improvement in insulin sensitivity correlated with the amount of weight lost (r = 0.50, P < 0.001). Subjects following the diet with 40% of energy as carbohydrate had greater reductions in daylong insulin and triacylglycerol (P < 0.05) and fasting triacylglycerol (0.53 mmol/L; P = 0.04) concentrations, greater increases in HDL-cholesterol concentrations (0.12 mmol/L; P < 0.01) and LDL particle size (1.82 s; P < 0.05), and a greater decrease in plasma E-selectin (5.6 ng/L; P = 0.02) than did subjects following the diet with 60% of energy as carbohydrate.

CONCLUSIONS
In obese, insulin-resistant persons, a calorie-restricted diet, moderately lower in carbohydrate and higher in unsaturated fat, is as efficacious as the traditional low-fat diet in producing weight loss and may be more beneficial in reducing markers for cardiovascular disease risk.


Software radio is a technique for implementing reconfigurable radio systems using a combination of various circuit elements and digital hardware. By implementing radio functions in software, a flexible radio can be created that is capable of performing a variety of functions at different times. Numerous digital hardware devices are available to perform the required signal processing, each with its own strengths and weaknesses in terms of performance, power consumption, and programmability. The system developer must make trade-offs in these three design areas when determining the best digital hardware solution for a software radio implementation. When selecting digital hardware architectures, it is important to recognize the requirements of the system and identify which architectures will provide sufficient performance within the design constraints. While some architectures may provide abundant computational performance and flexibility, the associated power consumption may largely exceed the limits available for a given system. Conversely, other processing architectures may demand minimal power consumption and offer sufficient computation performance yet provide little in terms of the flexibility needed for software radio systems. Several digital hardware solutions are presented as well as their design trade-offs and associated implementation issues.


ImagineImagine you are walking across a field, when you see a fence in the distance, blocking your way. OK, you say, I can probably hop over it. But as you come nearer, you find that on the near side of the fence, and running parallel to it, is a deep ditch. From the bottom of the ditch, you realize, the top of the fence will be just too high to jump. What to do?

Electrostatic repulsion between a negatively charged substrate and an enzyme's anionic nucleophile, such as a negatively charged serine, can destabilize the ground state, reducing the energy needed to cross the reaction barrier.

For enzymatic reactions carried out by phosphatase enzymes, the answer is, fill the ditch. That's the conclusion from new work by Logan Andrews, Tim Fenn, and Daniel Herschlag, who show that a crucial element of these enzymes' catalytic mechanism is to destabilize the initial binding state of enzyme and substrate, in effect filling the energy ditch into which they would otherwise fall as they come together, and bringing them closer to the energy level needed to "hop the fence." Their work further identifies the central atoms that contribute to this effect, and provides insight into how some phosphatases can at once be so prodigious in their enzymatic activity and so wide-ranging in their choice of targets.

Biochemists characterize the energetic changes during a chemical reaction with a simple and powerful graph, whose vertical axis indicates the overall energy of the molecules involved. When reactant molecules collide, some of their kinetic energy is absorbed as increased potential energy. This distorts their shapes, weakening their bonds and "pushing" them toward the transition state, the top of the energy fence at which the arrangement of atoms is neither reactant nor product but something in between. From there, they can complete the rearrangement, releasing energy as new bonds form, rolling downhill to become products. The graph of such a reaction has a single peak.

With an enzyme, though, the graph becomes more complex. Most importantly, an enzyme stabilizes the transition state, lowering the height of the fence. But the enzyme also binds to the reactant molecule (now called a substrate), lowering its energy as well. The graph has a trough, indicating the enzyme-substrate complex, followed by a peak (the enzyme-transition state complex), then another trough (the enzyme-product complex). If the binding between enzyme and substrate is too tight—if the ditch is too deep—the substrate will be unwilling to rearrange its atoms into the transition state.

Phosphatases cleave phosphate groups from biological compounds. Some phosphatases, including alkaline phosphatase, aren't picky about their substrates, because they don't bind to remote portions of the substrate molecule. Instead, enzyme and substrate engage each other exclusively through five oxygen atoms: four on the phosphate, and one on the enzyme. The incoming phosphate's four negatively charged oxygens find a lot to be attracted to at the active site, including two positively charged metal ions and several weakly positive hydrogens, all positioned to hold the phosphate neatly in place. And this is when they also encounter that fifth oxygen; it is part of a serine amino acid (serine102), and in its normal state it is itself negatively charged. Could this oxygen provide a destabilizing effect that promotes the formation of the transition state?

To test that idea, the authors mutated serine102 to either glycine or alanine, neither of which carry an oxygen or negative charge. They found that phosphate binds to the mutant enzyme so strongly that it takes longer than several days to leave. By mutating a second site to reduce phosphate's affinity, as well as manipulating pH and studying the various anionic forms of the phosphate ion in combination with the mutant and wild-type enzymes, they inferred that serine destabilized enzyme-substrate binding by a factor of more than 1,000-fold. The same serine also destabilized binding of enzyme to product (a ditch on the other side of the fence), preventing end-product inhibition of further enzyme activity.

Finally, they showed that a similar mechanism was likely at work in another class of enzyme, a protein tyrosine phosphatase, in which the critical amino acid is a negatively charged cysteine. Similar experimental manipulations suggested a destabilizing effect of the cysteine approximately equal in magnitude to that of the serine in alkaline phosphatase.

These results provide an important clue to one aspect of the mechanism of an essential group of enzymes. However, the authors note, phosphatases speed reactions by an astonishing 1027-fold versus the uncatalyzed reaction in water, meaning multiple other mechanisms are likely at work, including subtle positioning effects of the substrate by the geometry of the active site.

Andrews LD, Fenn TD, Herschlag D (2013) Ground State Destabilization from Anionic Nucleophiles in Phosphoryl Transfer Active Sites and Femtomolar Ligand Affinity Revealed by Binding Studies. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001599


INTRODUCTION
Longitudinal studies
Longitudinal studies in neurological trauma and disease have faced many challenges not experienced by other areas of medical research. The inclusion of people who experience cognitive dysfunction due to their neurological disorder makes them unique. Studies of other areas of medicine usually exclude people displaying cognitive disorders as they are difficult to recruit, retain and gain useful information from. Retaining participants within longitudinal studies is important so that the study's validity is maintained, leading to the production of generalizable results. This is the key objective of cohort studies, to ensure the benefit of the research can be made to the broader population (Booker, Harding, & Benzeval, 2011; McGonagle, Couper, & Schoeni, 2011; Newberry, Sherwood, Hricic, Bradley, Kuo and Crago, 2011; Ribislk, Walton, Mowbray, Luke, Davidson, Bootsmiller 1991).
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is among the most common causes of serious neurological disorder in adults and research is the key to understanding the needs of those who sustain TBI and the needs of those who are the carers of people with TBI (Helps, Henley, & Harrison, 2004-05; Zasler, Katz, & Zafonte, 2007, p.3). The most effective way to carry out this research is through longitudinal studies, although these are difficult to establish and maintain. This is because recruitment often involves consent by proxy due to levels of disorientation, confusion or coma experienced by the potential participant. In addition retention within the study relies on the memory of the participant or caregiver and regular reminders by research staff. Furthermore lengthy interviews are often needed for the information to meet the needs of the research. These three factors make TBI studies time consuming and expensive. Increasing competition and accountability for financial and human resources, in an environment where people are less inclined to participate in research, means it is important to understand the cohort thoroughly to maximise the information gained and ensure part of the study population is not excluded. (Booker et al., 2011; Newberry et al., 2011; Ribislk et al., 1991).
Once time is allowed for recruitment and initial interview/assessment the priority becomes the maintenance of the cohort between review points. Without the adequate retention of participants a study loses information, loses power and also faces the possibility that it is no longer relevant to the total TBI population which the study was established to help.
Loss to follow up in TBI studies is an issue that requires consideration. TBI research has been identified as a difficult area of research which experiences a loss to follow up rate of 30-50% over a one to two year follow up (Corrigan, Bogner, Mysiw, Clinchot, & Fugate, 1997; Corrigan, Harrison-Felix, Bogner, Dijkers, Terrill & Whiteneck 2003). Such high losses leave a gap in our knowledge as there is no way of knowing how these individuals recover and what effect their injury has on their lives and those around them. It may further indicate an area of unmet need in the community that is yet to be identified, leaving the people affected exposed to medical and psychological impediments.
In addition to exposing an area of unmet need it may be possible to predict who is at risk of dropping out of studies. If people at risk of non-participation in studies and in therapy can be recognised at the time of trauma strategies can be established to assist people to return for follow up interview or treatment. This information is needed by researchers and clinicians to underpin the methodology of future research and the direction of clinical practice ( Zasler et al., 2007, p.38) The influential work of Corrigan et al., (2003) stated participants were lost to follow up if they could not be located, refused to be interviewed, died, made not response to contact or were unable to be identified.


This volume reports the results of the study Progressing Sustainable Regional Development: Appraising institutional innovation and tools appropriate for Nordic practice. The focus here is on the role of certain tools in promoting sustainable development in the context of regional development policy and regional development programming work. While the national level in all of the Nordic countries remains in focus, special case studies were also undertaken on the regional level in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. They also look at the innovative tools and measures developed and implemented in Canada with the aim of promoting sustainable development in the regional development context.


Lung cancer has been considered one of the leading causes of deaths while cancer remains the second most common cause of deaths in the USA. Understanding the behavior of a disease over time could yield important information to make decisions about the disease. Statistical models could provide crucial clues and help to make a decision about the disease, budget allocation, evaluation, and implement prevention. Longitudinal trend analysis of the diseases helps to understand long term effects and nature. Cholesterol level is one of the most contributing risk factors for Coronary Heart Disease. Studying cholesterol statistically helps to know more about its nature and provides crucial information to mitigate its effectiveness in diagnosing its impact to public health. In our study, we have analyzed lung cancer mortality in the USA based on age at death, period at death, and birth cohort to investigate its nature in longitudinal effects. The attempt has been made to estimate mortality rate based on age for different age groups and to find the relative risk of mortality due to period effect and relative risk due to birth cohort for lung cancer in the United States. Our statistical analysis and modeling are based on the data obtained from Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program of the United States. We have also investigated the probabilistic behavior of average cholesterol level based on gender and ethnicity. The study reveals significant differences with respect to the distribution they follow and their basic inferences which could be beneficial to draw conclusions in various ways in addressing related issues. At the same time, the change of cholesterol level over time for an individual might be a good source to study the association of cholesterol level, coronary heart disease and their effects on age. The cholesterol data is obtained vi from inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANS) of the United States. Understanding the average change in total serum cholesterol level over time as people get older could be vital to explore it. We have studied the longitudinal behavior of the association of sex and time with cholesterol level. It is observed that age, sex, and time have an individual effect and can impact differently upon collective considerations. Their adverse effect in increasing cholesterol level could promote to worsen the cholesterol related issues and hence heart related diseases. We believe our study pivots knowing more about target population of cholesterol level and helps to have the useful inference about cholesterol levels for public health. Finally, we also analyzed the average cholesterol data using a functional data analysis approach to understand its nature and effect on age. Since functional data analysis approach presents more flexibility in modeling, it could provide more insight in studying cholesterol level.


Of the new production philosophy of Lean Construction (LC), Koskela (1992) has argued "The conceptual basis of construction management and engineering is obsolete. Formalization of the scientific foundations of construction management and engineering is a primary goal for the research community. [...] The practical application of the new philosophy has commenced and diffused without any scientific, formalised basis [...] The theoretical and conceptual understanding of the new production approach is still limited. [...] [T]here is yet no unified, coherent and consistent theory. [...] An explicit, preferably formalized theoretical basis is necessary for transfer of the new philosophy to new settings and for effective education." Before successful efforts at development of this theoretical and conceptual understanding can be made, there is an a priori need to achieve a sound understanding of the philosophical underpinnings of what 'Lean Construction Theory' might consist of. We will argue that LC theorising is a form of social enquiry and hence empirical studies of the social interaction of managers involved in projects must be the starting point, the focus, the culmination and the ultimate and only basis of all theoretical activity in LC. We examine the nature of the phenomena LC theorists are investigating and as a result dispute that LC theory will necessarily have a scientific foundation. We therefore undertake a preliminary attempt to sketch out some ground rules for a consistent and coherent approach to LC Theory. We suggest that just as construction management is the practical accomplishment of the situated social action of managers, so management theorising is the practical accomplishment of the situated social action of management theorists. Drawing throughout on the respecification of sociology offered by ethnomethodology (Garfinkel, 1984), we will highlight the nature of theorising as an exercise in practical reasoning. Just as Lean Construction has respecified the construction process, ethnomethodology has respecified the process of social research and theorising. This approach highlights the similarity between the entirely practical exercise of theory-building and those activities the theory is about.


Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to create a global medical earnings index, called the Medical MAC Index, to enable a comparison of what medical specialists earn in the countries included in the study. Design: The study gathered data on the earnings of specialist anaesthetists employed in state hospitals with five years' work experience, across 49 developed and developing countries. Setting and subjects: The earnings of anaesthetists were deemed to be indicative of all medical specialities because anaesthesia is one of the largest specialities, and most state hospitals do not distinguish between medical specialities from an earnings perspective. It is likely that a specialist with five years' work experience would have reached the higher echelons of state salary scales, but it is unlikely that he or she would have moved into a management role yet. Outcome measures: To calculate a Medical MAC Index for a specific country, the net earnings of anaesthetists in the countries included in the study were converted into USA dollars, and adjusted using Xpatulator's purchasing power parity model, and then compared to the net earnings of an anaesthetist in that specific country. The specific country was the baseline. Countries above the line pay more, and those below the line, less. Results: The Medical MAC Index for South Africa showed that medical specialists employed by the state in South Africa earn more than they would in most developing countries, but their earnings lag behind those of many developed countries. Conclusion: South Africa could become more competitive if tax incentives were used to manipulate the data.


Countries often amend their constitutions or enact new ones following major political events, such as the founding of newly independent states, the fall of an authoritarian regime or the end of violent conflict. Significant constitutional reform at a crucial moment is often a high-stakes process because a constitution regulates access to public power and resources among different groups. While disagreements over divisive topics are likely and even inherent to constitution-making, they may also result in a serious deadlock when stakeholders are unable to reach agreement. A prolonged deadlock can delay or even derail the whole reform process. In this context, it may be advisable to create incentives that can help parties to the negotiations overcome divergence and resolve deadlocks should they occur. This Constitution Brief focuses on strategies and mechanisms for breaking a deadlock in constitutional negotiations conducted in an environment of competitive democratic politics.


High-strength structure components can be built by the application of an advantageously designed geometry. These structures are challenging to manufacture due to their complex shape. This motivates the design of a new system for quality assurance of the geometric properties of these structures. Firstly, different measurement approaches and their usability for the measurement of high-strength structure components are discussed. Then an optimized solution is suggested. A pattern projection method is introduced, whereas the patterns adapt locally to the measured surface. The basic object of the research are methods of the optic three-dimensional measurement of structural elements with the help of adaptable pattern projection that allows to adjust the measuring process to the local geometry and reflecting characteristics of structural elements. This technique takes care of the special properties of high-strength structure components within the production process. It is described, how a measurement speed can be achieved that can catch up with a common production frequency without interrupting the flow of the parts. Furthermore, the measurement can take place in an industrial environment, because it is relatively tolerant to movements of the measured structure. Therefore, the measurement procedure is divided into two steps. Within the adaptation-step the luminescence and the resolution of the projected pattern is adapted to the measured object. The actual picture is taken and calculated in a second step in order to be robust against vibrations. The result of the measurement is an optimized point cloud of several million points. The paper concludes with a description of the data processing procedures necessary in order to evaluate the correctness of the measured structure.


The impact of political institutions, e.g. the organization of legislature, election and party systems, on agricultural protection has hardly been taken into account explicitly in theoretical and empirical studies, yet. In this framework the paper investigates to what extent political institutions explain observed variances in the political power of the agrarian population in the ten Central and Eastern European Countries / Candidates (CEEC) applying for an accession to the EU. Moreover, it is analyzed to what extent EU-accession will be politically feasible given the specific political and economic framework conditions of the individual states. In particular, empirical analyses imply the following results: (i) The political power of the agrarian population varies significantly among the analyzed countries. (ii) The political weights are significantly determined by political institutions. (iii) Analyzing to what extent EU-accession is politically feasible in the CEEC-states we can show that political feasibility of EU-accession crucially depends on keeping the rule of financial solidarity. Contrary, keeping the rule of financial solidarity implies that future CAP will become even more inefficient in economic terms.


– Design of Koto including service and the use experience is desired compared with that of Mono to have brought dramatic improvements in pursuing convenience and efficiency. Then, the value creation and the importance of timeaxis designing as a new paradigm to construct, support and continue a sustainable developing was investigated. In conclusion, the convergence of functional quality and living quality showed that it became a key for sustainable development.


Big box stores, the defining retail shopping location for the majority of American suburbs, are being abandoned at alarming rates, due in part to the economic downturn. These empty stores impose numerous negative externalities on the communities in which they are located, including blight, reduced property values, loss of tax revenue, environmental problems, and a decrease in social capital. While scholars have generated and critiqued prospective solutions to prevent abandonment of big box stores, this Article asserts that local zoning ordinances can alleviate the harms imposed by the thousands of existing, vacant big boxes. Because local governments control land use decisions and thus made deliberate determinations allowing big box development, this Article argues that those same local governments now have both an economic incentive and a civic responsibility to find alternative uses for these "ghostboxes." With an eye toward sustainable development, the Article proposes and evaluates four possible alternative uses: retail reuse, adaptive reuse, demolition and redevelopment, and demolition and regreening. It then devises a framework and a series of metrics that local governments can use in deciding which of the possible solutions would be best suited for their communities. The Article concludes by considering issues of property acquisition and management.


In recent years, many firms have adopted outsourcing as a means to govern their information technology (IT) operations. While outsourcing is associated with several important benefits, it also entails risk. The main purpose of this study was to validate measures of the risk factors associated with outsourcing IT operations. Insights from transaction costs theory suggest that risk factors are inherent in the transaction itself, the supplier and the client. A survey of 132 senior IT executives was conducted to assess the measures, and reliability and validity assessment was performed using PLS.


Parents for Joy is an organization that was created in 2014 by a group of parents and families living around the Atascadero community who have children with special needs. The group raised over one million dollars to build a playground that enhances the safety of both children and adults with special needs, regardless of what needs they possess. Nick Volluci and Harrison Tucker, the author, were chosen to assist on this project in order to provide a high quality and methodical product that catered to the special requirements set forth by the owners, Parents for Joy and the City of Atascadero. The author was seeking the opportunity to provide a service to the special needs community because of his heavy personal involvement with disabled children throughout his life. This project provided an opportunity to learn about Project Management in a highlypassionate and emotional project environment. Construction activities spanned from May 1st, 2018 (groundbreaking) to April 5th, 2019. The project team was more than pleased to present them with the first fully inclusive park on the Central Coast.


A negative extratropical shortwave cloud feedback driven by changes in cloud optical depth is a feature of global climate models (GCMs). A robust positive trend in observed liquid water path (LWP) over the last two decades across the warming Southern Ocean supports the negative shortwave cloud feedback predicted by GCMs. This feature has been proposed to be due to transitions from ice to liquid with warming. To gain insight into the shortwave cloud feedback we examine extratropical cyclone variability and the response of extratropical cyclones to transient warming in GCM simulations. Multi-Sensor Advanced Climatology Liquid Water Path (MAC-LWP) microwave observations of cyclone properties from the period 1992–2015 are contrasted with GCM simulations, with horizontal resolutions ranging from 7 km to hundreds of kilometers. We find that intercyclone variability in LWP in both observations and models is strongly driven by the moisture flux along the cyclone's warm conveyor belt (WCB). Stronger WCB moisture flux enhances the LWP within cyclones. This relationship is replicated in GCMs, although its strength varies substantially across models. It is found that more than 80 % of the enhancement in Southern Hemisphere (SH) extratropical cyclone LWP in GCMs in response to a transient 4 K warming can be predicted based on the relationship between the WCB moisture flux and cyclone LWP in the historical climate and their change in moisture flux between the historical and warmed climates. Further, it is found that that the robust trend in cyclone LWP over the Southern Ocean in observations and GCMs is consistent with changes in the moisture flux. We propose two cloud feedbacks acting within extratropical cyclones: a negative feedback driven by Clausius– Clapeyron increasing water vapor path (WVP), which enhances the amount of water vapor available to be fluxed into the cyclone, and a feedback moderated by changes in the life cycle and vorticity of cyclones under warming, which changes the rate at which existing moisture is imported into the cyclone. Both terms contribute to increasing LWP within the cyclone. While changes in moisture flux predict cyPublished by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 1148 D. T. McCoy et al.: Cloud feedbacks in extratropical cyclones clone LWP trends in the current climate and the majority of changes in LWP in transient warming simulations, a portion of the LWP increase in response to climate change that is unexplained by increasing moisture fluxes may be due to phase transitions. The variability in LWP within cyclone composites is examined to understand what cyclonic regimes the mixed-phase cloud feedback is relevant to. At a fixed WCB moisture flux cyclone LWP increases with increasing sea surface temperature (SST) in the half of the composite poleward of the low and decreases in the half equatorward of the low in both GCMs and observations. Cloud-top phase partitioning observed by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) indicates that phase transitions may be driving increases in LWP in the poleward half of cyclones.


In perimeter building zones with glass
facades, controllable fenestration (daylighting/shading) and electric lighting
systems are used as comfort delivery systems under dynamic weather conditions,
and their operation affects daylight provision, outside view, lighting energy
use, as well as overall occupant satisfaction with the visual environment. A
well-designed daylighting and lighting control should be able to achieve high
level of satisfaction while minimizing lighting energy consumption. Existing daylighting
control studies focus on minimizing
energy use with general visual comfort constraints, when adaptive and
personalized controls are needed in high performance office buildings.
Therefore, reliable and
efficient models and methods for learning occupants' personalized visual preference
or satisfaction are required, and the development of optimal daylighting
controls requires integrated considerations of visual preference/satisfaction
and energy use.

In this Dissertation, a novel
method is presented first for developing personalized visual satisfaction
profiles in daylit offices using Bayesian inference. Unlike previous studies
based on action data, a set of experiments with human subjects was designed and
conducted to collect comparative visual preference data (by changing visual conditions)
in private offices. A probit model structure was adopted to connect the
comparative preference with a latent satisfaction utility model, assumed in the
form of a parametrized Gaussian bell function. The distinct visual satisfaction
models were then inferred using Bayesian approach with preference data. The
posterior estimations of model parameters, and inferred satisfaction utility
functions were investigated and compared, with results reflecting the different
overall visual preference characteristics discovered for each person.

Second, we present an online visual preference elicitation
learning framework for efficiently learning and eliciting occupants'
visual preference profiles and hidden satisfaction utilities. Another set of experiments with human
subjects was conducted to implement the proposed learning algorithm in order to
validate the feasibility of the method. A combination of Thompson sampling and
pure exploration (uncertainty learning) methods was used to balance exploration
and exploitation when targeting the near-maximum area of utility during the
learning process. Distinctive visual preference profiles of 13 subjects were
learned under different weather conditions, demonstrating the feasibility of
the learning framework. Entropy of the distribution of the most preferred
visual condition is computed for each learned preference profile to quantify
the certainty. Learning speed varies with subjects, but using a single variable
model (vertical illuminance on the eye), most subjects could be learned to an
acceptable certainty level within one day of stable weather, which shows the
efficiency of the method (learning outcomes).

Finally, a personalized shading control
framework is developed to maximize occupant satisfaction while minimizing lighting
energy use in daylit offices with roller shades. An integrated
lighting-daylighting simulation model is used to predict lighting energy use
while it also provides inputs for computing personalized visual preference
profiles, previously developed using Bayesian inference from comparative
preference data. The satisfaction utility and the predicted lighting energy use
are then used to form an optimization framework. We demonstrate the results of:
(i) a single objective formulation, where the satisfaction utility is simply
used as a constraint to when minimizing lighting energy use and (ii) a
multi-objective optimization scheme, where the satisfaction utility and
predicted lighting energy use are formulated as parallel objectives. Unlike
previous studies, we present a novel way to apply the MOO without assigning
arbitrary weights to objectives: allowing occupants to be the final decision
makers in real-time balancing between their personalized visual satisfaction
and energy use considerations, within dynamic hidden optimal bounds – through a
simple interface.

In summary, we present the first
method to incorporate personalized visual preferences in optimal daylighting
control, with energy use considerations, without using generic occupant
behavior models or discomfort-based assumptions.


Calculations of a relatively comprehensive chemical reaction mechanism applied to individual parcels of aircraft emissions under upper tropospheric conditions show that over a typical residence time of air in the up. per troposphere, each aircraft-emitted NOx molecule produces about 2-3 molecules of O3 per day as long as the reactive NOy remains in the upper troposphere. In the upper tropospheric environment characterized by low ambient turbulence and appreciable vertical wind shear, aircraft plumes grow slowly during initial stages, and take several days to diffuse to a size comparable to the grid volume used by global-scale Eulerian models. By assuming aircraft emissions are immediately diluted into a larger grid cell volume, larger-scale models will overestimate the calculated O3 production by 20 to 30 %. This overestimate depends on the vertical diffusion efficiency, vertical wind shear, and NOx concentrations in the ambient environment. This overestimate can be compensated for in larger scale models by reducing the reaction coefficient of the NO + HO2 reaction by less than 3% under typical upper tropospheric conditions.


Objectives:Intensive insulin therapy for tight glycemic control in critically ill surgical patients has been shown to reduce mortality; however, intensive insulin therapy is associated with iatrogenic hypoglycemia and increased variability of blood glucose levels. The incretin glucagon-like peptide-1 (7–36) amide is both insulinotropic and insulinomimetic and has been suggested as an adjunct to improve glycemic control in critically ill patients. We hypothesized that the addition of continuous infusion of glucagon-like peptide-1 to intensive insulin therapy would result in better glucose control, reduced requirement of exogenous insulin administration, and fewer hypoglycemic events. Design:Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Setting:Surgical or burn ICU. Patients:Eighteen patients who required intensive insulin therapy. Interventions:A 72-hour continuous infusion of either glucagon-like peptide-1 (1.5 pmol/kg/min) or normal saline plus intensive insulin therapy. Measurements and Main Results:The glucagon-like peptide-1 cohort (n = 9) and saline cohort (n = 9) were similar in age, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation score, and history of diabetes. Blood glucose levels in the glucagon-like peptide-1 group were better controlled with much less variability. The coefficient of variation of blood glucose ranged from 7.2% to 30.4% in the glucagon-like peptide-1 group and from 19.8% to 56.8% in saline group. The mean blood glucose coefficient of variation for the glucagon-like peptide-1 and saline groups was 18.0% ± 2.7% and 30.3% ± 4.0% (p = 0.010), respectively. The 72-hour average insulin infusion rates were 3.37 ± 0.61 and 4.57 ± 1.18 U/hr (p = not significant). The incidents of hypoglycemia (⩽ 2.78 mmol/L) in both groups were low (one in the glucagon-like peptide-1 group, three in the saline group). Conclusions:Glucagon-like peptide-1 (7–36) amide is a safe and efficacious form of adjunct therapy in patients with hyperglycemia in the surgical ICU setting. Improved stability of blood glucose is a favorable outcome, which enhances the safety of intensive insulin therapy. Larger studies of this potentially valuable therapy for glycemic control in the ICU are justified.


The Cretaceous rocks of Florida have been recognized as potentially suitable reservoirs for geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration. Specifically, the upper member of the Upper Cretaceous Lawson Formation, together with the lower part of the Paleocene Cedar Keys Formation, is presented here as a potential composite CO2 storage reservoir that is mainly composed of porous dolostone sealed by thick anhydrites of the overlying middle Cedar Keys Formation. Many of the porous intervals within the Cedar Keys-Lawson storage reservoir display lateral continuity and have an average porosity range of 20%–30%. The estimated CO2 storage capacity for the reservoir is approximately 97 billion t of CO2, which means the Lawson and Cedar Keys Formations composite reservoir could potentially support CO2 sequestration for hundreds of large-scale power plants in the southeastern United States for their entire 40-yr lifespan. Because most of the previous research on the Lawson Formation is concentrated in north-central and northeastern Florida and southern Georgia, this study further characterizes the formation and its CO2 sequestration potential in south-central and southern Florida.


Abstract: A key problem in EU private law is actor heterogeneity. While special rules exist for certain subgroups of actors, for example consumers or retail investors, the members of these legal categories still exhibit vast differences in behaviour, degrees of rationality, vulnerability, and economic endowment. Therefore, private law stands much to gain from tailoring its regulatory apparatus to the individual addressees. This article draws on behavioural economics and Big Data analytics to develop a comprehensive framework for the personalization of EU private law across different regulatory tools such as disclosures, nudges, and mandates. Hitherto, in market settings, data mining techniques have almost exclusively been used by tech-savvy companies. The time seems ripe for lawmakers to use digital technologies in order to take European market regulation one step further. By harnessing Big Data techniques, laws can be tailored to individual characteristics of addressees; the relevant parameters could then be stored and updated in a 'legal blockchain'. Through the use of different metrics and pseudonymization, the right to privacy, a key feature of European law in the digital age, can ultimately be respected. The article shows how laws can be personalized in a variety of different settings. Examples range from the salience and complexity of disclosures in consumer and investment law, to default caps on overdraft charges, debiasing optimism bias, and usury laws. Finally, it is argued that personalization can inspire a novel theory of legal categories which transcends the traditional, status-based dichotomies of, for example, 'consumer-seller' or 'retail-professional investor'. By providing a tool for making empirical distinctions, which affect the impact of laws, legally relevant, personalization thus ultimately serves equality before the law.


The peak power density of GaN high-electron-mobility transistor technology is limited by a hierarchy of thermal resistances from the junction to the ambient. Here, we explore the ultimate or fundamental cooling limits for junction-to fluid cooling, which are enabled by advanced thermal management technologies, including GaN-diamond composites and nanoengineered heat sinks. Through continued attention to near-junction resistances and extreme flux convection heat sinks, heat fluxes beyond 300 kW/cm2 from individual 2-μm gates and 10 kW/cm2 from the transistor footprint will be feasible. The cooling technologies under discussion here are also applicable to thermal management of 2.5-D and 3-D logic circuits at lower heat fluxes.


The inherent brevity of ultrashort laser pulses prevents a direct measurement of their electric field as a function of time; therefore different approaches based on autocorrelation have been used to characterize them. We present a discussion, guided by experimental studies, regarding accurate measurement, compression, and shaping of ultrashort laser pulses without autocorrelation or interferometry. Our approach based on phase shaping, multiphoton intrapulse interference phase scan, provides a direct measurement of the spectral phase. Illustrations of this method include new results demonstrating wavelength independence, compatibility with sub-5fs pulses, and a perfect match for experimental coherent control and biomedical imaging applications.


The current article focuses on the special aspects of venture capital's value creation methods, summarizing the author's researches in this field. This article puts special emphasis on the scrutiny of the Hungarian market as the value creation practices on the domestic market have not been revealed thoroughly in the literature yet. The article attempts to examine the performance of venture capital, especially the JEREMIE funds, according to the limited available secondary data of the companies involved, which helps to assess the role of the government in bridging the financial gap and solving the problems in the venture capital market in Hungary. In this field reliable statistical data is not available, but there is an ongoing primer research led by the author, producing new information soon. The article presents the special investment and value creating methods of venture capitalists. In the first part of the article the theoretical background is presented, and in the second part of the article the author's research results are demonstrated following the same order.


We outline the valuation process for a No-Negative Equity Guarantee in an Equity Release Mortgage loan and for an Equity Release Mortgage that has such a guarantee. Illustrative valuations are provided based on the Black '76 put pricing formula and mortality projections based on the M5, M6 and M7 mortality versions of the Cairns–Blake–Dowd (CBD) family of mortality models. Results indicate that the valuations of No-Negative Equity Guarantees are high relative to loan amounts and subject to considerable model risk but that the valuations of Equity Release Mortgage loans are robust to the choice of mortality model. Results have significant ramifications for industry practice and prudential regulation.


The resident space object population in the near-Earth vicinity has steadily increased since the dawn of the space age. This population is expected to increase drastically in the near future as the realization of proposed mega-constellations is already underway. The resultant congestion in near-Earth space necessitates the availability of more complete and more accurate satellite tracking information to ensure the continued sustainable use of this environment. This work sets out to create an operational system for the delivery of accurate satellite tracking information by means of optical observation. The state estimates resulting from observation series conducted on a GPS satellite and a geostationary satellite are presented and compared to existing catalog information. The satellite state estimate produced by the system is shown to outperform existing two-line element results. Additionally, the statistical information provided by the processing pipeline is evaluated and found to be representative of the best information available for the satellites true state.


MRI has recently been presented as a nondestructive in vivo readout to report perfusion capacity in biomaterials planted on the CAM in the living chick embryo in ovo. Perfusion capacity was assessed through changes in T1 relaxation pre- and post-injection of a paramagnetic contrast agent, Gd-DOTA (Dotarem®). Hence local contrast agent concentration was dependent on perfusion, vascular permeability, and extravascular compartment size. In the present study we, therefore, explore intravascular SPIO particles of the FeraSpin® series to deliver a more direct measure of vascularization in a 3D polymer DegraPol® scaffold. Furthermore, we present contrast enhancement upon SPIOs of different particle size, namely FeraSpin® series XS, M, XXL and Endorem® for comparison, and hence different efficiency on T1 and T2, and study respective dose-effects. No signal change was observed within the egg yolk, consistent with the SPIO remaining in the vasculature. Consequently, T1 positive signal enhancement (reduction in T1) and T2 negative contrast (reduction in T2) were observed only in the vasculature and hence were restricted mainly to the surface of the CAM at the interface to the biomaterial. Furthermore, the effect upon T2 appears stronger than in T1 with all SPIOs investigated and at blood concentrations between 0.46 mM to 4.65 mM. Comparison of different concentrations shows larger T1 enhancement at the highest dose, as expected. Vessel structures in and around the scaffold as seen in MRI were corroborated by histology. Different particle sizes show reduced T1 effect with larger particles, yet the effect on T2 was less apparent. In sum, SPIO-enhanced MRI provides measures for vascularization nondestructively in biomaterials connected to the CAM, based on intravascular contrast enhancement in T1 and T2, in ovo in the living chick embryo. Small SPIOs provide the best efficiency for that purpose, and contrast enhancement is most prominent in T2.


With the emergence of Yahoo Pipes and several similar services, data mashup tools have started to gain interest of business users. Making these tools simple and accessible ton users with no or little programming experience has become a pressing issue. In this paper we introduce MARIO (Mashup Automation with Runtime Orchestration and Invocation), a new tool that radically simplifies data mashup composition. We have developed an intelligent automatic composition engine in MARIO together with a simple user interface using an intuitive "wishful search" abstraction. It thus allows users to explore the space of potentially composable data mashups and preview composition results as they iteratively refine their "wishes", i.e. mashup composition goals. It also lets users discover and make use of system capabilities without having to understand the capabilities of individual components, and instantly reflects changes made to the components by presenting an aggregate view of changed capabilities of the entire system. We describe our experience with using MARIO to compose flows of Yahoo Pipes components.


The oldest specimen of Persian-Arabic script is found in Izzat-Bin –Suleman's Book "Sindhi Manzoomia" written in 1067-1069A.H. In this book additional dots have been given to Arabic letters for typical Sindhi phonemes. Makhdoom Abul Hassan wrote a book entitled "Muquadam-ul-Salwat" in 1700AD, he inverted dot of legislatives for pure Sindhi sounds, many of them are still in use in today's Sindhi Alphabet. Makhdoom Mohammad Hashim wrote many books in Sindhi Language, he made some additions and alteration in the Alphabet of Makhdoom Abul Hassan. Makhdoom Ziaudin also wrote many books in Sindhi Language using same pattern. Makhdoom Abdullah Narey waro wrote more than 18 books in Sindhi. He improved Arabic Script and made it simple for Sindhi readers. Therefore contribution of Sindhi scholars towards developments of Persio-Arabic script for Sindhi language is worth commendable.


Magnetic recording coatings are still made predominantly of iron oxide particles but the newer particles are significantly better in magnetic properties, dispersibility and orientability than the particles used, say, ten years ago. Chromium dioxide particles show excellent recording performance (particularly at densities above 1000 flux changes per millimeter) but they are presently being challenged by the new cobalt-modified iron oxides. These are formed by diffusing cobalt into the surface of acicular iron oxide particles and it is claimed that the particles prepared in this way are much more stable with respect to temperature and stress than the older cobalt-substituted iron oxides. Metal particles, by virtue of their high moment density and high coercivity, would be ideal for high density recording if they could be passivated permanently. The paper reviews improvements which have been made within the last nine years in the properties of particles for magnetic recording applications and discusses how the improvements were effected.


Most economists believe capitalism is a compromise with selfish human nature. As Adam Smith put it, "It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interest." Capitalism works better than socialism, according to this thinking, only because we are not kind and generous enough to make socialism work. If we were saints, we would be socialists. In Why Not Capitalism?, Jason Brennan attacks this widely held belief, arguing that capitalism would remain the best system even if we were morally perfect. Even in an ideal world, private property and free markets would be the best way to promote mutual cooperation, social justice, harmony, and prosperity. Socialists seek to capture the moral high ground by showing that ideal socialism is morally superior to realistic capitalism. But, Brennan responds, ideal capitalism is superior to ideal socialism, and so capitalism beats socialism at every level. Clearly, engagingly, and at times provocatively written, Why Not Capitalism? will cause readers of all political persuasions to re-evaluate where they stand vis-a-vis economic priorities and systems-as they exist now and as they might be improved in the future.


Section I: Flood Risk Management Practice Decision-making for flood-threatened properties I. Kelman The influence of floodplain compartmentalization on flood risk within the Rhine-Meuse delta D. Alkema and H. Middelkoop OSIRIS - an example of citizen-oriented technology development in the area of dissemination of information on flood risk management M. Erlich Evolving concepts in flood risk management: searching for a common language K. de Bruijn, C. Green, C. Johnson and L. McFadden COMRISK - a transnational project of public authorities on coastal risk management J.L.A. Hofstede Dike investigations using geophysical methods - Techniques for the future? R. Morawetz, J. Schon, C. Wohlfart and M. Rock Section II: Flood Events and Impacts The environmental impact of flooding of the Dutch 'Delta-Metropole' L.C.P.M. Stuyt, J.E.A. Reinders, E.E. van der Hoek, E.G.M. Hermans, M. de Muinck Keizer and J. Icke Structural economic effects of large-scale inundation: A simulation of the Krimpen Dike breakage M. Bockarjova, A.E. Steenge, A. Van der Veen A method to estimate loss of life caused by large-scale floods in the Netherlands N.E.M. Asselman and S.N. Jonkman Automation of flood contingency plans: benefits and implementation experiences J.-J.Flikweert, C. Coremans, K. de Gooijer, L. Wentholt Section III: Flood Analysis and Modelling The IMPACT European research project on flood propagation in urban areas: experimental and numerical modelling of the influence of buildings on the flow S. Soares Frazao, F. Alcrudo, J. Mulet, B. Noel, G. Testa and Y.Zech Sustainable development and flood risk -Reducing uncertainty (Bristol city re-development case study) M. Pinnell Flood risk mapping at the local scale: Concepts and challenges B. Merz, A.H. Thieken and M. Gocht Flood modelling and the August 2002 flood in the Czech Republic P. Sklenar, E. Zeman, J. Spatka and P. Tacheci Seasonal rainfall and flow trends within three catchments in South-West England D. Han Propagation of discharge uncertainty in a flood damage model for the Meuse River Y. Xu, M.J. Booij and A.E. Mynett A stochastic model for simulating long time series of river-mouth discharge and sediment load R. Hoogendoorn and G.J. Weltje Section IV: Flood Forecasting Forecasting flash floods with an operational model: application in the south-east of France (Gard) P.A. Ayral, S. Sauvagnargues-Lesage, S. Gay and F. Bressand Flood forecasting for the Upper and Middle Odra river basin M. Butts, A. Dubicki, K. Stronska, G. Jorgensen, A. Nalberczynski, A. Lewandowski and T. van Kalken Flood forecasting in the Anglian Region: User-driven development towards forecasting flood risk D.E. Cadman, D.A. Price and M.B. Butts Flood forecasting model selection: A structured approach K.A. Tilford, K.J. Sene and R. Khatibi Numerical modelling in coastal flood forecasting and warning in England and Wales K. Hu, and C. Wotherspoon Section V: Flood Risk Management Policy Reflections on the challenges of EU policy-making with view to flood risk management: actors, processes and the acquis communautaire A.L. Vetere Arellano, A. de Roo and J.-P. Nordvik On


This article maps the global governance processes on migration and assesses whether the human rights of migrants are effectively included and mainstreamed therein. It is argued that the lack of a comprehensive framework for migration governance and the insufficient focus on the human rights dimension in migration management have led to serious human rights violations in the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers, and to a lack of oversight and accountability when these violations occur. The article commences with an examination of the legal and normative framework related to the three areas that have been the main objects of global migration governance: the refugee regime, international labour standards and transnational criminal law regarding human trafficking. It goes on to explore the complex institutional framework of global migration governance and how it has been mostly informal, ad hoc, non-binding and State-led. The article concludes with a discussion on the future perspectives for a human rights-centred approach in global migration governance. It is contended that there is a need to bring the migration dialogue inside the United Nations, as it already plays a key role in international cooperation, with human rights as one of its pillars.


Satellite ultraspectral infrared sensors provide key data records essential for weather forecasting and climate change science. The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite environmental data records (EDRs) are retrieved from calibrated ultraspectral radiance or sensor data records (SDRs). Understanding the accuracy of retrieved EDRs is critical. The first Suomi NPP Calibration/Validation Campaign was conducted during May 2013. The NASA high-altitude ER-2 aircraft carrying ultraspectral interferometer sounders such as the National Airborne Sounder Testbed-Interferometer (NAST-I) flew under the Suomi NPP satellite that carries the cross-track infrared sounder (CrIS) and the advanced technology microwave sounder (ATMS). Here, we intercompare the EDRs produced with different retrieval algorithms from SDRs measured from satellite and aircraft. The available dropsonde and radiosonde measurements together with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analysis are used to assess the results of this experiment. This study indicates that the CrIS/ATMS retrieval accuracy meets the Suomi NPP EDR requirement, except in the planetary boundary layer (PBL) where we have less confidence in meeting the requirement due to retrieval null-space error.


Meta-learning is a tool that allows us to build sample-efficient learning systems. Here we show that, once meta-trained, LSTM Meta-Learners aren't just faster learners than their sample-inefficient deep learning (DL) and reinforcement learning (RL) brethren, but that they actually pursue fundamentally different learning trajectories. We study their learning dynamics on three sets of structured tasks for which the corresponding learning dynamics of DL and RL systems have been previously described: linear regression (Saxe et al., 2013), nonlinear regression (Rahaman et al., 2018; Xu et al., 2018), and contextual bandits (Schaul et al., 2019). In each case, while sample-inefficient DL and RL Learners uncover the task structure in a staggered manner, meta-trained LSTM Meta-Learners uncover almost all task structure concurrently, congruent with the patterns expected from Bayes-optimal inference algorithms. This has implications for research areas wherever the learning behaviour itself is of interest, such as safety, curriculum design, and human-in-the-loop machine learning.


academic] Quercetin is a flavonol with potential health benefits including activities against cardiovascular disease, obesity, and oxidative stress. However, the benefits of quercetin are likely limited by poor bioavailability, primarily attributed to its poor aqueous solubility (due to its hydrophobicity and crystallinity) and extensive phase-II metabolism. Improving the apparent solubility of quercetin has the potential to improve its in vivo bioavailability. Strategies to increase solution concentrations in the small intestinal lumen have the potential to substantially increase quercetin bioavailability, and efficacy. We aimed to achieve this by incorporating quercetin into amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) with cellulose derivatives, eliminating crystallinity, and selectively releasing amorphous quercetin under simulated intestinal conditions (pH 6.8, 37°C). Amorphous quercetin was dispersed in cellulose esters including 6carboxycellulose acetate butyrate (CCAB), hydroxypropylmethylcellulose acetate succinate (HPMCAS) and cellulose acetate suberate (CASub) to achieve stability and provide pH-triggered release. In addition, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) containing CASub and CCAB blends were prepared to further promote enhanced dissolution. The ASD employing 10% quercetin in 20% PVP:70% CASub was most successful at enhancing the solution concentration of quercetin, providing an 18-fold increase in the area under the concentration/time curve (AUC) compared to quercetin alone. These results warrant in vivo assessment of quercetin-loaded ASDs formulated with CASub and its blend with PVP towards improving the bioavailability of quercetin. Amorphous solid dispersion effects on in vitro solution concentrations of quercetin


Cholesky-VAR impulse responses estimated with post-1984 U.S. data predict modest macroeconomic reactions to monetary policy shocks. We interpret this evidence by employing an estimated medium-scale DSGE model of the business cycle as a Data-Generating Process in a Monte Carlo exercise in which a Cholesky-VAR econometrician is asked to estimate the effects of an unexpected, temporary increase in the policy rate. Our structural DSGE model predicts conventional macroeconomic reactions to a policy shock. In contrast, our Monte Carlo VAR results replicate our evidence obtained with actual U.S. data. Hence, modest macroeconomic effects may very well be an artifact of Cholesky-VARs. A combination of supply and demand shocks may be behind the inability of Cholesky-VARs to replicate the actual macroeconomic responses. The difference in the VAR responses obtained with Great Inflation vs. Great Moderation data may be due to instabilities in the parameters related to households' and firms' programs, more than to a more aggressive systematic monetary policy. A Monte Carlo assessment of sign restrictions as an alternative identification strategy is also proposed.


In this paper, we show that up to hundreds of software load balancer (SLB) servers can be replaced by a single modern switching ASIC, potentially reducing the cost of load balancing by over two orders of magnitude. Today, large data centers typically employ hundreds or thousands of servers to load-balance incoming traffic over application servers. These software load balancers (SLBs) map packets destined to a service (with a virtual IP address, or VIP), to a pool of servers tasked with providing the service (with multiple direct IP addresses, or DIPs). An SLB is stateful, it must always map a connection to the same server, even if the pool of servers changes and/or if the load is spread differently across the pool. This property is called per-connection consistency or PCC. The challenge is that the load balancer must keep track of millions of connections simultaneously. Until recently, it was not possible to implement a load balancer with PCC in a merchant switching ASIC, because high-performance switching ASICs typically can not maintain per-connection states with PCC. Newer switching ASICs provide resources and primitives to enable PCC at a large scale. In this paper, we explore how to use switching ASICs to build much faster load balancers than have been built before. Our system, called SilkRoad, is defined in a 400 line P4 program and when compiled to a state-of-the-art switching ASIC, we show it can load-balance ten million connections simultaneously at line rate.


Purpose: More context-specific research regarding the praxis of organisational coaching was needed for increased understanding of this emerging profession. Whilst progress was being made internationally, African coaching practice research was sparse, leading to potentially false assumptions about local praxis based on international trends. The aim of this research was to gain a context-specific perspective on the coaching approaches used by organisational coaches in Africa and the factors that influence the rates they charge.Design/methodology/approach: Snowball sampling was used to collect survey data from organisational coaches practicing in Africa (n = 299). Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.Findings/results: Organisational coaches in Africa predominantly use the Behavioural or Goal-focussed or GROW approach, but employ more sophisticated approaches in more complex situations. They charge a mean rate of R1761 ($1041) per hour (R1573 [$93] in South Africa) with higher qualified, more experienced and older coaches charging a higher rate. Receiving supervision plays no role in rates charged; however, belonging to a coaching body correlates to higher rates. Male and female coaches charge similar rates, suggesting a level of gender equality in the African coaching profession.Practical implications: Organisational coaches should ensure they have a wide repertoire of approaches to cater for the complexity of organisational situations. Coaches could increase their rates by obtaining high quality coaching education and join coaching regulatory bodies. Coaches in Africa could expand their market internationally given that they charge significantly lower rates, especially given the acceptance of virtual coaching in recent times.Originality/value: This is the first study to our knowledge that investigates pan-African coaching praxis.


The transient response of a deformable mirror to be used in a closed-loop adaptive-optics imaging system is modeled and evaluated. A theoretical model is developed that describes the motion of the mirror membrane. This allows an adaptive control to achieve reduced overshoot and short settling time. Applicability of the model is tested on a mirao 52-e electromagnetic deformable mirror using a specially designed high-speed adaptive-optics test bench. This test bench permits precise mirror motion measurements up to 10 kHz.


During the process of Lithuania's integration to the European Union, as well as performing the alignment of legislation, a new topicality has recently emerged, i.e., the definition of the concept of corruption, and it is precisely this issue which is being tackled herein. The need of a clearly defined concept of corruption in the legal acts of the Republic of Lithuania is determined by its unanimous perception not only in the legislative procedure and the practice of application of anti–corruption laws, or in public administration institutions, but also by the civic society. The model of the classical corruption definition in the rule of law gradually turns into a relic, "falls out" of the context of the civil service and its subject and transforms itself into a modern corruption concept comprising all of the aspects of social life. Institutionalisation of the modern corruption definition into the legislation of the Republic of Lithuania has become an obligation after the Council of Europe Criminal Law Convention on Corruption was signed, as well as following the legislation alignment and, in general, heading towards such legal acts which acknowledge precedence of the individual over the state.


We present a comparative performance study of a wide selection of optimization techniques to enhance application performance in the context of wide-area wireless networks (WWANs). Unlike in traditional wired and wireless IP-based networks, applications running over WWAN cellular environments are significantly affected by the vagaries of the cellular wireless medium. Prior research has proposed and analyzed optimizations at individual layers of the protocol stack. In contrast, we introduce the first detailed experiment-based evaluation and comparison of all such optimization techniques in a commercial WWAN testbed. This paper, therefore, summarizes our experience in implementing and deploying an infrastructure to improve WWAN performance.The goals of this paper are: (1) to perform an accurate benchmark of application performance over such commercially deployed WWAN environments, (2) to implement and characterize the impact of various optimization techniques across different layers of the protocol stack, and (3) to quantify their interdependencies in realistic scenarios. Additionally, we also discuss measurement pitfalls that we experienced and provide guidelines that may be useful for future experimentation in WWAN environments.


This book explores a fundamental tension in Aristotle's metaphysics: how can an entity such as a living organisma composite generated through the imposition of form on preexisting matterhave the conceptual unity that Aristotle demands of primary substances? Mary Louise Gill bases her treatment of the problem of unity, and of Aristotle's solution, on a fresh interpretation of the relation between matter and form. Challenging the traditional understanding of Aristotelian matter, she argues that material substances are subverted by matter and maintained by form that controls the matter to serve a positive end. The unity of material substances thus involves a dynamic relation between resistant materials and directive ends. Aristotle on Substance offers both a general account of matter, form, and substantial unity and a specific assessment of particular Aristotelian arguments. At every point, Gill engages Aristotle on his own philosophical ground through the detailed analysis of central, and often controversial, texts from the Metaphysics, Physics, On Generation and Corruption, De Anima, De Caelo, and the biological works. The result is a coherent, firmly grounded rethinking of Aristotle's central metaphysical concepts and of his struggle toward a fully consistent theory of material substances.


Procedure Appropriateness Category Relative Radiation Level US axilla Usually Appropriate O Digital breast tomosynthesis diagnostic May Be Appropriate ☢☢ Mammography diagnostic May Be Appropriate ☢☢ MRI breast without and with IV contrast Usually Not Appropriate O MRI breast without IV contrast Usually Not Appropriate O Sestamibi MBI Usually Not Appropriate ☢☢☢ CT chest abdomen pelvis with IV contrast Usually Not Appropriate ☢☢☢☢ CT chest abdomen pelvis without and with IV contrast Usually Not Appropriate ☢☢☢☢ CT chest abdomen pelvis without IV contrast Usually Not Appropriate ☢☢☢☢ FDG-PET/CT skull base to mid-thigh Usually Not Appropriate ☢☢☢☢


Owing to their high abundance in eukaryotic genomes, bisexual mode of inheritance and hyper-mutability, microsatellites have quickly developed into an invaluable tool in molecular and wildlife genetics. Despite their widespread application, microsatellites have only marginally been used in studies utilising ancient/historical materials. This is primarily because of the characteristics inherent to such materials, that is, a low abundance of autosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and a high degree of degradation resulting in endogenous DNA of insufficient length for microsatellite amplification. The few studies that have combined microsatellites and historical materials have helped to uncover information otherwise irretrievable from contemporary materials. The last decade's advances in sequencing technologies are both foe and friend to future investigations utilising microsatellites and historical materials. Although sequencing genomes of extinct specimens has never been easier and attract a lot of attention, such projects might inadvertently identify novel microsatellite loci, a powerful prospective tool for population-wide assessments of past genetic variation.

Key Concepts:

Owing to characteristics such as their omnipresence in eukaryotic genomes, high mutability, multiallele state and ease of typing, microsatellites have been a prominent marker in molecular ecology over the past 20 years.

The peculiarities of DNA obtained from historical and ancient specimens hamper the successful application of microsatellites to such sample materials.

Although not very numerous, studies that have combined microsatellites and historical materials have unravelled genetic variation otherwise lost in time.

Recent advances in sequencing techniques are helping to quickly discover new microsatellite loci and will potentially enable the time- and cost-effective generation of multilocus genotypes of the innumerable specimens hidden in natural history museums.

Keywords:

microsatellites;
historical DNA;
ancient DNA;
NGS;
population genetics;
demographic modelling


We report the results of a Mendelian randomization study in which multiple genetic variants are used as instrumental variables to estimate the causal effect of body mass index on personal income in the presence of unobserved confounding. The data come from Understanding Society, a large-scale longitudinal household survey, and the GIANT consortium study. Mendelian randomization studies are known to be affected by both weak instrument bias and the pleiotropic bias that arises when some genetic variants are invalid instrument variables. We review and compare some of the recently developed techniques for using multiple genetic variants as instrumental variables. Our principal focus, however, is to assess the 'some invalid some valid instrumental variable estimator' (sisVIVE) developed by Kang et al. (2016). We conduct a comprehensive simulation study to assess sisVIVE for Understanding Society-like data, and find that it outperforms alternative methods across a range of scenarios. However, its performance is poor in absolute terms when the presence of indirect pleiotropy leads to failure of the key 'InSIDE' condition, despite this not being explicitly required for identification. We argue that this is because the consistency criterion for sisVIVE does not identify the true causal effect if InSIDE fails. In the application to Understanding Society, we find no evidence for pleiotropic bias, and the negative effect of body mass index on income to be around five times larger than the observational association. However, this conclusion depends on the unverifiable assumption that InSIDE holds.


Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) is a proposed transport protocol for Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI) that operates on top of TCP. This memo describes a standard mechanism for enabling clients to bootstrap themselves using the iSCSI protocol. The goal of this standard is to enable iSCSI boot clients to obtain the information to open an iSCSI session with the iSCSI boot server.


Many popular direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimators rely on the fact that the array response vector of the array is Vandermonde, for example, that of a uniform linear array (ULA). Array interpolation is a preprocessing technique to transform the array response vector of a planar array of arbitrary geometry to that of a ULA over an angular sector. While good approximation within the target sector is attained in the existing array interpolation approaches, the response of the interpolated array in the out-ofsector region is at best partially controlled. Accordingly, out-ofsector signals, especially those highly correlated with the insector signals, can degrade significantly the performance of DOA estimators (e.g., MUSIC with spatial smoothing) that rely on the Vandermonde form to work correctly. In this paper, we propose an improved array interpolation approach that takes into account the array response over the full azimuth. We present also numerical examples to demonstrate the shortcomings of the existing approaches and the effectiveness of our proposal.


It is generally agreed upon that fictional stories can serve as sources for the audience's perceptions of reality. This also includes the political realm. Our paper examines the fictional representation of politics in the U.S. series The West Wing and its German adaption, Kanzleramt. The comparative content analysis concentrates on political actors and political themes as key parameters of fictional politics. It investigates whether the national political context is reflected in the political dramas. Results show a rather small impact of national contexts. This indicates that the logic of fictionalization levels out national differences in shaping fictional politics.


Calculation of passage time distributions in large semi-Markov models can be accomplished by means of a previously-presented iterative algorithm, the core of which is repeated sparse matrix–vector multiplication. The algorithm's performance is therefore highly dependent on the number of multiplications of matrix and vector elements that must be performed during each iteration. At the same time, the products of matrix and vector elements that are very small contribute little to the overall result of the multiplication. In this paper, we investigate the effect of ignoring these values on both the performance and accuracy of the iterative passage time algorithm. We show that in the models we analyse here this truncation significantly reduces the number of multiplications which must be performed, and hence significantly reduces the running time of the algorithm, with little effect on the accuracy of the final result.


Background: Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is an upcoming imaging modality in field of dentistry with promising outcomes. Aim of the Study: To assess the dental student's knowledge and attitude regarding CBCT in K. M. Shah Dental College and Hospital as they are future practitioners. Methodology: An anonymous questionnaire consisting of 11 questions was distributed among 320 dental students which included final BDS students, interns, and postgraduate students. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the responses of the participants, and Chi-square test was applied to statistically evaluate the differences in the responses according to the education level. Results: Totally, 96.9% response rate was achieved. All the students had heard of CBCT used for dental practice. The majority of them gained knowledge about CBCT through faculty lessons. Lower radiation dose was given as the most important advantage of CBCT over medical computed tomography. Many of the students thought that CBCT should be taught during clinical phase of their education, and there is necessary for CBCT unit at dental faculties. More than half of the students believed that the use of CBCT would become more widespread in the near future, and they aspire to use CBCT technology in their future careers. Conclusion: Seeing the positive attitude, it was concluded that the students' should be provided with thorough practical knowledge and efforts should be made to improve their concepts regarding CBCT.


Study Design: Radiologic study of scoliosis in pectus excavatum patients. Objectives: To determine the relation between pectus excavatum deformity and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Summary of Background Data: AIS may be related to other whole body deformities, but few reports have addressed the relation between chest deformity and scoliosis. Methods: A total of 248 patients with a diagnosis of pectus excavatum were enrolled in this study. All study patients underwent whole spine anteroposterior radiographs and chest computed tomography. Severity and type of scoliosis and chest deformity were measured using radiographs, and relations between pectus deformity and AIS were analyzed. Results: Overall, 56 of the 248 study patients had scoliosis (Cobb angle >10 degrees)—a prevalence of 22.58%. The incidence of scoliosis was significantly higher in female patients (38.46%) (P=0.002), and Lenke type 1 predominated in pectus patients (48.2%, P<0.0001). Mean age was greater in the scoliosis group than in the nonscoliosis group (P<0.0001), and the asymmetry of pectus deformity was more prominent in the scoliosis group (P=0.007). However, pectus deformity severity was similar in the 2 groups (P=0.061). Furthermore, although the scoliosis group showed a higher proportion of female patients (P=0.002), the severities of chest and spinal deformities were similar in the 2 groups for both sexes (P=0.314, P=0.227). Conclusions: Pectus excavatum and AIS were found to have a high concomitant incidence. And, the age, sex, and type of disease were significantly different in the scoliosis and pectus excavatum groups. Surgeons should consider these relationships when deciding upon treatment in patients with chest and spinal deformities.


Fatigue cracks in early designs of trough to crossbeam connections in orthotropic steel bridge decks have occurred after less than 20 years service. The objectives of this research, which was partly funded by the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), were to assess the fatigue performance of more recent designs of connections and, if appropriate, to suggest design improvements. The research involved the static load testing of a full-scale bridge deck panel incorporating three different designs of connections. Specimens representing two of the connections were tested under constant amplitude fatigue loading and one type was tested under variable amplitude loading. Measurements were also made on a bridge under traffic loading to assess the effect of the bridge deck surfacing. It is concluded that none of the three designs tested, and currently in use in major European bridges, meet the 120 year design life for UK bridges when assessed by the BS5400 Code of Practice for Fatigue, ignoring the effect of the bridge deck surfacing. An "optimised" design is suggested but will require a similar testing programme to assess its performance before being adopted for use in practice. (TRRL)


In a recent paper in this journal, Gabor Forrai offers ways to resist my argument that in so-called Gettier cases the belief condition is not, as is commonly assumed, satisfied. He argues that I am mistaken in taking someone's reluctance to assert a proposition he knows follows from a justified belief on finding the latter false as evidence that he does not believe it, as such reluctance may be explained in other ways. While this may be true, I show that it does not affect my central claim which does not turn on considerations special to assertion.


The economic importance of innovative activity brings with it an active debate on public policy's effect on the innovation process. This annual series, sponsored by the National Bureau of Economic Research, brings the work of leading academic researchers to the broader policy community. Volume 6 considers such topics as the diversity of patent protection and the implications of weak patents for innovation and competition; reforms in U.S. patent policy that will encourage innovation; the multifaceted benefits of the Internet for consumers, including price competition and novel forms of communication; the drug development and approval process; the "offshoring" of research and development; and the advantages of industry-specific studies of the relationship between innovation and competition. The papers highlight the role economic theory and empirical analysis can play in evaluating current and prospective innovation policy alternatives.


A review of models and approaches to family-based policy and service provision for those at risk of social exclusion suggests three distinct categories. In the first category, approaches seek to strengthen the ability of family members to offer support to a primary service user within that family. In the second category, family members are recognised as having their own specific and independent needs arising out of their relationship with the primary service user. The third category includes 'whole family approaches' focused on shared needs and strengths that could not be dealt with through a focus on family members as individuals.


The concentration of wealth in the hands of a few at the expense of general impoverishment is a major problem in some modern societies. However, there is a general opposition to redistribution policies or to the application of a progressive taxation system. The goal of this research was to explore one factor that might drive the attitudes toward income redistribution: The (de)humanization of high socioeconomic status groups. Previous studies have shown that high socioeconomic status groups tend to be considered as unemotional machines without any concern for others. However, the consequences of mechanizing (vs. humanizing) high socioeconomic status on the interpretation of socioeconomic differences has not been explored yet. We considered that humanizing high socioeconomic status groups might have an unexpected negative effect on attitudes about income inequality and wealth concentration. Specifically, this research aims to determine how humanizing high socioeconomic status groups influences people's perceptions of the group's wealth and preferences for income redistribution. We conducted two studies in which we manipulated the humanity (mechanized vs. humanized in terms of their Human Nature traits) of a high socioeconomic status group. Results of these two studies showed that humanizing (vs. mechanizing) high socioeconomic status groups led to lower support for income redistribution/taxation of wealthy groups, through considering that the group's wealth comes from internal sources (e.g., ambition) rather than external ones (e.g., corruption). These results were independent of the group's likeability and perceived competence/warmth. The present research provides valuable insight about the possible dark side of humanizing high socioeconomic status groups as a process that could contribute to the maintenance of the status quo and the legitimation of income inequality in our societies.


The second edition of this classic reference deals exclusively with the biology and diseases of bone as they affect children. Rapid advances have been made in our understanding of the mechanisms and factors controlling the growth and development of bone, and these are discussed in detail in this book. Further, the various diseases of bone that are peculiar to children are highlighted and discussed in the light of our current knowledge with regard to causation, clinical signs and treatment. The book is aimed to provide those clinicians interested in children's diseases and basic scientists with a comprehensive resource covering the various aspects of bone health and disease in children. * Deals exclusively with bone development and diseases of children * Includes an appendix of usually difficult to find information on the investigation of pediatric bone disease and reference values * Covers both the physiology of bone and mineral homeostasis in children and diseases


Health care spending in the United States far exceeds that of other high-income countries (Squires & Anderson, 2015). In 2013, the U.S. spent 17.1 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on healthcare, which was almost 50 percent more than the next highest spender noted as France (Squires & Anderson, 2015). While the U.S. spends more on healthcare than other countries, multiple other health outcome measures are worse including life expectancy, heart disease, diabetes, and chronic respiratory illnesses (Squires & Anderson, 2015). Today's healthcare system is highly fragmented, lacking the necessary coordination within the primary care setting. Better care coordination may ultimately improve patient care, lower costs, and increase patient satisfaction in health care. In order to address the complex nature of health care there have been multiple models introduced. One model is the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) with the goal of reforming the healthcare system. For this scholarly project, a quality improvement project was implemented at an integrated primary care clinic currently PCMH recognized where the PCMH documentation practices of the staff have diminished putting the clinic's re-recognition at risk. The purpose of this project was to develop a PCMH toolkit to improve the staff knowledge and documentation compliance regarding PCMH. To address the lack of documentation, a toolkit was developed. A survey consisting of 10 Likert-style items was given to all staff members prior to the development of the toolkit to evaluate the level of knowledge about PCMH and associated documentation. A chart audit was conducted to assess the current documentation compliance for PCMH prior to development of the toolkit to guide the focus of the toolkit and educational intervention. The PCMH toolkit was developed to include useful information for staff to utilize during documentation practices based on the results of the initial surveys and chart audit. The DEVELOPMENT OF A PCMH TOOLKIT 4 PCMH toolkit also included information for the future PCMH standard requirements and the crosswalk between the current and future standards. Once the toolkit was assembled, the staff were then educated on its contents and how to utilize the toolkit. After a two-week period of time, the staff were given post-intervention questionnaires to assess for changes in knowledge and a post-intervention chart audit was performed to assess documentation compliance. Donabedian model served as a conceptual model to frame the formal quality improvement project exploring staff knowledge and practice about PCMH and required documentation. The Plan-Do-Study-Act model served as an implementation guide for educating staff about PCMH and required documentation as well as developing a PCMH toolkit. Findings suggested that education and training on PCMH and associated required documentation may increase the knowledge of staff members. This may contribute to an increase in successful Patient Centered Medical Home implementation. Limitations of the project included the brief evaluation period and a continued incomplete staffing structure. Recommendations for sustainability and future iterations of the toolkit involve further investigation of the documentation process and identification of effective staffing roles and responsibilities once the staff is up to full capacity with a nursing supervisor in place. The formalization of the quality improvement project in the integrated primary care clinic during the PDSA cycle provided a strong foundation from which to build subsequent PDSA cycles focusing on improved documentation practices.


In rural areas, access to electricity is required for better living standard, enhance income options and reduce population migration. In last decades, steady progress has been made but the status of electrification significantly varies across countries. In developing countries, about 1.6 billion people live without electricity and another 2 billion have access but to an unreliable extent. Large population also live in remote areas where extension of grid is not feasible, where people continuing to live under distress conditions. International projections reveal that number of un-electrified people will remain same by the year 2030 if similar pace of electrification is continued in future.From this perspective, the study describes what bigger countries such as India, China and Brazil are doing and where rural electrification stands in priority in a poor country like Ethiopia. Is off-grid technologies show an option for such remote locations" The two case studies of Vietnam and South Africa reveal that work carried out through external support in the absence of national policies. As a result, people have experienced the benefits of technologies but unable to retain them in long term. Electricity has given various advantages but poor affordability of the people hinders the acceptance of technologies in rural areas.The study shows the need of a framework to achieve the long-term support for rural electrification. A framework that could direct the national priorities, understands social, economic and environmental aspects of off-grid technologies, identify key areas to be strengthen, allocates the roles and responsibilities at different working levels, maintains a consistent flow of adequate finance, pursue regular monitoring process and incorporate the monitoring results, or, critical success factors into the national policies to make them more effective. Both macro- as well as micro-level approaches have been suggested in this study.


This in vitro study evaluated the fracture resistance of weakened endodontically treated premolars with class II MOD cavities restored with different composite restorations (Low-shrinkage Filtek P90, nanohybrid Filtek Z250 XT and SDR bulk fill). The type and mode of fracture were also assessed for all the experimental groups. Materials and Method: Fifty human adult maxillary premolar teeth were selected for this study. Standardized extensive class II MOD cavities with endodontic treatment were prepared for all teeth, except those that were saved as intact control. The teeth were divided into five groups of ten teeth each (n=10): (Group 1) intact control group, (Group 2) unrestored teeth with endodontic treatment, (Group 3) restored with (Filtek Z250 XT), (Group 4) restored with SDR bulk-fill flowable composite and (Group 5) restored with Filtek P90 composite. All specimens were subjected to compressive axial loading until fracture in a universal testing machine. The data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA test and LSD test. Macroscopic fracture type were observed and classified into favorable and unfavorable. Specimens in group 3, 4 and 5 were examined by stereomicroscope at a magnification of 20× to evaluate the mode of failure into adhesive, cohesive or mixed. Results: The mean fracture load was (1.123 Kn) for group 1, (0.545 Kn) for group 2, (0.687 Kn) for group 3, (0.799 Kn) for group 4 and (0.672 Kn) for group 5. Using one way ANOVA test a highly significant difference (P < 0.01) were found among all groups. The use of bulk-fill flowable composite improved the fracture resistance significantly in comparison to silorane and non-significantly to Filtek Z250 XT. Filtek Z250 XT showed better improvement in fracture resistance but with no significant differences in comparison to Filtek P90 composite restorations. The type of failure was unfavorable for all the restored groups. Conclusion:All experimental composite restorations showed significant improvement in the resistance to cuspal fracture in comparison to unrestored one. However, under the conditions of this study, direct composite restorations should be considered as a valid interim restoration for weakened endodontically treated teeth before cuspal


This article describes a on-going research project that blurs the frontiers between dominant and marginal cultures, their social practices, visual symbologies, and aesthetic manifestations, in the unstable space of the city, by discovering, collecting and preserving graffiti and street art works in middle range cities of Northern Portugal. Using the conceptual tools of intercultural studies, StreetArtCEI awakens tourist and inhabitants alike to the symbolic power of self- and hetero-marginalized aesthetical stances, organized by routes that reflect the social-cultural geography of the city. The methodology of the project includes the collection and study of both illegal art works in marginal sites; and of art works ratified and commissioned by private and public institutions, in tourist spots and high-end streets. The article analyses critically the feedback obtained from local authorities, the media and the community, and proposes several topics for further consideration.
StreetartCEI thrives inside of a paradox built by itself, as a public institution led project that, at same time, collects, preserves and legitimizes cultural products which damage public and private property. We highlight the media's interest for the economic potential of the project, as well as for the aesthetic appeal of the writers' techniques, readily transformed into recognized canonical authors. Concerning the reception by local powers, we emphasise their swift investment in the creation of tailor-made local routes of graffiti and street art, that is, in artworks whose deletion those authorities are sponsoring at the same time. This apparent paradox by local institutions reproduces the common need for domestication of irreverence and commodification of the illegal, a paradox that all intervenient actors are aware of. StreetArtCEI's intercultural action takes place in a borderzone between the legal and the illegal, where researchers play the role of mediating agents, creating new discursive fields in permanent intersection.


In this paper, an analysis of the effect of the various types of resolution involved in photovoltaic potential computation is presented. To calculate solar energy incident on a surface, shadow from surrounding buildings has been considered. The incident energy on a surface has been calculated taking the orientation, tilt and position into consideration. Different sky visibility map has been created for direct and diffuse radiation and only the effect of resolution of the factors has been explored here. The following four resolutions are considered: 1. temporal resolution (1, 10, 60 minutes time interval for calculating visibility of sun), 2. object surface resolution (0.01, 0.1, 0.375, 0.75, 1.25, 2.5 and 5 m2 as maximum triangle size of a surface to be considered), 3. blocking obstacle resolution (number of triangles from LoD1, LoD2, or LoD3 CityGML building models), and 4. sky resolution (ranging from 150 to 600 sky-patches used to divide the sky-dome). Higher resolutions result in general in more precise estimation of the photovoltaic potential, but also the computation time is increasing, especially as realizes that this computation has to be done for every building with its object surface (both roofs and facades). This paper is the first in depth analysis ever of the effect of resolution and will help to configure the proper settings for effective photovoltaic potential computations.