Depriving a small retinal area of patterned inputs against a dynamic background, known as an artificial scotoma, allows for investigations of the immediate changes in cortical visual representations in response to a loss of afferent sensory input (short-term plasticity). Previous research with artificial scotomas (Parks & Corballis, 2012) has demonstrated effects in the sensory components of the visual evoked potential (VEP) consistent with the occurrence of disinhibition within visual cortical scotoma representations and invading activity from surrounding spatial representations. This experiment sought to further probe the spatial extent of these effects by constructing a periscotoma spatial map of disinhibition and invading activity using event-related potentials (ERPs) in an artificial scotoma paradigm. EEG was recorded over two experimental sessions while participants viewed an artificial scotoma display and performed a two-alternative forced choice task, discriminating the tilt of a gabor probe. Scotoma discs were conditioned, bilaterally, for a six second period after which time varying spatial locations were probed relative to the edge of an artificial scotoma. These locations were two positions inside of the scotoma region, 1º and 3º from the edge of the scotoma disc, and three locations outside of the scotoma region, 1º, 3º, and 6º from the edge of the disc. A sham condition used an identical scotoma-probe configuration, with the exception that the scotoma discs were presented only one second prior to probe onset so as to minimize plasticity effects. VEPs were compared between scotoma and sham conditions at each of the five locations to examine modulations in early visual components (P1 and N1) attributable to the induction of short-term plasticity. Preliminary results reveal differential modulations these components between positions within, bordering, and distal from the artificial scotoma. These results support the induction of disinhibition within scotoma boundaries and establish the spatial limits of invading activity. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


Precise leveling, global positioning system (GPS), and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) have had marked influences on the geodesy field. Many studies have applied these techniques to land subsidence monitoring and predictions. Land subsidence in the Choushui River Fluvial Plain (CRFP) in western central Taiwan is severe, primarily because of excessive groundwater pumping. Exploiting various observational techniques this study employed a geostatistical cokriging algorithm to integrate multiple types of observations for mapping land subsidence in the CRFP between 1993 and 2008 to effectively reduce the regional effects and interpolation biases in InSAR observations. Precise leveling data and persistent scatterer InSAR results were first assessed through variogram analysis, the results of which revealed similar directional variograms and no nugget effect for the experimental variograms. All observed sill values decreased with increasing temporal intervals and the ranges of the same type of observations tended to be stable for time intervals of different lengths. The accuracy of a cokriged land subsidence map was verified using continuous GPS data at the same cell locations and was significantly improved compared to when the precise leveling data were used. The cokriging interpolations of land subsidence in the CRFP indicated that the severe subsidence areas had moved from the coastal area to the central CRFP. An obvious critical subsidence migration point for the southern CRFP occurred in 1998. Overall subsidence rate trends increased in the early periods (1993 - 1998 and 1998 - 2003) and decreased in the most recent period (2005 - 2008).


The optical system of an extreme ultra-violet (XUV) spectrograph was modified to produce high speed, spatially resolved spectra of small sources m the spectral range of about 5 to 25 nm. This was achieved by the use of a toroidal focusing mirror placed before the spectrograph. The instrument was used to record photoabsorption spectra of laser-produced plasmas in a technique employing a continuum emitted by a second laser plasma, known as the dual laser-produced plasma (DLP) method.

The optical theory of the spectrograph and the toroidal mirror are examined in chapter 1 to analyse the imaging properties of the system and determine how best to use a toroidal mirror to compensate for the main aberrations of the concave grating. The spectrograph and experimental arrangement, as previously used to achieve DLP photoabsorption, is described in detail in chapter 2. This description includes a characterisation of the optical system by raytracing. The modifications to the expenment required to effect the improvements are described m chapter 3. This includes a descnption of the design of the optical system, housing and mounting structures and vacuum system. The alignment process and experimental method are detailed in the form of an user's guide and the chapter is concludconcluded by an in-depth analysis of the imaging properties of the spectrograph system by ray-tracing.

The final chapter contains a presentation of the experimental results obtained after careful testing and optimisation of the instrument. The combination of time and space resolution has facilitated the isolation of singly ionised aluminium, the photoabsorption spectrum of which is presented here for the first time The experimental results are compared to the ray-tracing analyses to test the validity of the modelling process and the spatial characteristics of the photoabsorption expenment are thus deduced The salient features of the optical system before and after modification are compared to determine the performance gain achieved The thesis is concluded by a cntical appraisal of the instrument as a tool for studying the photoabsorption spectroscopy of laser plasmas.


Reliable obstacle avoidance is a key to navigating with UAVs in the close vicinity of static and dynamic obstacles. Wheel-based mobile robots are often equipped with 2D or 3D laser range finders that cover the 2D workspace sufficiently accurate and at a high rate. Micro UAV platforms operate in a 3D environment, but the restricted payload prohibits the use of fast state-of-the-art 3D sensors. Thus, perception of small obstacles is often only possible in the vicinity of the UAV and a fast collision avoidance system is necessary. We propose a reactive collision avoidance system based on artificial potential fields, that takes the special dynamics of UAVs into account by predicting the influence of obstacles on the estimated trajectory in the near future using a learned motion model. Experimental evaluation shows that the prediction leads to smoother trajectories and allows to navigate collision-free through passageways.


Conjunctive use operation policies play a vital role in the sustainability of water resources and their optimal allocation. To be realistic conditions of real water resource system should be considered in simulation and derivation of operating rules of real-world water resource system. In this research, the combined fuzzy logic and direct search optimization technique is used to account for the uncertainty associated with parameters affecting groundwater table level fluctuations. These parameters include specific yields and inflow recharge and outflow discharge from the aquifer, which are typically uncertain. A membership function is determined for each parameter using hydrogeologic and piezometric data. For each membership value ( α level cut), the corresponding intervals are determined. These intervals are considered as constraints on the membership value of the groundwater table level fluctuations in the optimization model. The process is repeated for other α level cuts to obtain the fuzzy number. For the uncertainty influencing the water demands, a conjunctive use model with water resources constraints is developed. Using this model, the priorities for the different zones and their optimal allocations are determined. The results show that the better the real conditions are reflected in the conjunctive use model, the better will the system be reliably capable of handling the water demands. The results of the proposed model also indicate that it present reliable allocations compared to the static conventional models and that it performs more desirably and practically in allocating supplies to water demands as it duly includes the opinions of the decision-makers involved.


PURPOSE
The risk of falling increases dramatically with age, and visual impairment is known to be an important risk factor. Therefore, it is highly pertinent to assess the effects of age and vision on the performance of everyday tasks linked to falling, such as stepping from one level to another.

METHODS
Nine young (age, 26 +/- 4 years) and ten elderly (age, 72 +/- 5 years) subjects performed a stepping-up task of three different heights. Their stepping strategies with blurred and optimally corrected vision were compared. Center of mass (CM), center of pressure (CP) dynamics (in the mediolateral and anteroposterior directions), and foot clearance parameters were determined, and statistical regression modeling was applied.

RESULTS
Elderly subjects spent 20% more time (P = 0.03) than young subjects during double support and they had reduced anteroposterior CM-CP divergence (P < 0.001) during double support and slower anteroposterior (P < 0.001) and mediolateral (P = 0.002) CM velocities during initiation of movement and single limb support. Blur caused similar adaptations, such as increased toe clearance, across both age groups, though mediolateral (ML) CM-CP divergence in elderly subjects was significantly more reduced than in young subjects (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
Findings indicate, in general, that older subjects used a more cautious and controlled stepping strategy. However, the lack of significant age differences in toe clearance suggests this strategy was mainly aimed at reducing ML instability rather than increasing margins of safety regarding toe clearance.


Citizen science is a form of research collaboration involving members of the public in scientific research projects to address real-world problems. Often organized as a virtual collaboration, these projects are a type of open movement, with collective goals addressed through open participation in research tasks. Existing typologies of citizen science projects focus primarily on the structure of participation, paying little attention to the organizational and macrostructural properties that are important to designing and managing effective projects and technologies. By examining a variety of project characteristics, we identified five types-Action, Conservation, Investigation, Virtual, and Education- that differ in primary project goals and the importance of physical environment to participation.


Evolution is fuelled by independent reproduction events. Yet, the offspring of at least three percent of all bird species postpone dispersal and forego independent reproduction. The Siberian jay, Perisoreus infaustus, is such a species where some offspring are philopatric and remain in their natal territory for up to three years, forming family groups. The main finding of this thesis is that nepotistic anti-predator behaviour displayed by parents provided philopatric offspring benefits, which could be an incentive to stay and forego independent reproduction. Predation, (hawks - 80 % and owls - 15% of deaths observed) is the main cause of mortality. Parents increased their vigilance nepotistically; they were more vigilant against surprise predator attacks, and gave alarm calls when attacked when feeding together with offspring. However, the two parents differed in their behaviour. Mothers gave calls only when together with their offspring, while males also warned unrelated immigrants. Sitting predators were approached and mobbed more intensely by parents in the presence of philopatric offspring. The vocalisation of Siberian jays provides information about predation risk. Specific calls are given for hawks and owls, and calls also varied with hawk behaviour. The nepotistic anti-predator behaviour of parents is a benefit, which the offspring can gain only "at home", and such behaviour appears to promote offspring to forego dispersal and independent reproduction. This was confirmed in an experimental manipulation; philopatric offspring dispersed when fathers were removed and replaced by a despotic, immigrant stepfather. From a life-history perspective, parents have an incentive to protect their reproductive investment. Nepotistic anti-predator behaviour create a safe haven in the natal territory for philopatric offspring and provides direct fitness benefits. Without such direct fitness benefits offspring may disperse and wait for a breeding opening elsewhere.


Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine that occurs in genetically predisposed people of all ages and associated with an increased risk of developing other autoimmune conditions including type 1 diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, Sjogren's syndrome and IgA nephropathy; nonetheless, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) collapsing variant was not reported before as one of glomerulonephritis associated with celiac disease. We report a case of nephrotic syndrome due to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis collapsing variant in a patient with CD. An 18-year-old male patient presented with progressive generalized body swelling for 1 month. He was diagnosed with CD when proven by small bowel biopsy and FSGS collapsing type by renal biopsy. Patient was treated with gluten-free diet and immunosuppressive therapy. The association between CD and nephrotic syndrome is extremely rare. To the best of our knowledge, an association of CD with FSGS has been reported only in one case. Our extensive literature review revealed no reported cases stating association of CD and appearances of collapsing variant of FSGS. The query arises whether there is a rare association between CD and FSGS, or this is a fortuity finding? World J Nephrol Urol. 2015;4(4):264-266 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/wjnu242w


Approximately 2.5 million people in the United States-one percent of the population-have an intellectual disability (previously referred to as mental retardation). These conditions range from genetic disorders such as Down syndrome to disabilities caused by infectious diseases and brain injury. Intellectual Disability: A Guide for Families and Professionals, by one of the country's foremost authorities on intellectual disability, is a comprehensive resource that will be of importance to anyone with a personal connection to a child or adult with a neurodevelopmental disorder. Emphasizing the humanity of persons with intellectual and related developmental disabilities, psychiatrist and pediatrician James Harris provides essential information on assessment and diagnosis of intellectual disability, treatments for specific disorders, and ways to take advantage of the wide array of services available today. The focus throughout is on the development of the person, the positive supports necessary for self-determination, and, to the extent possible, independent decision making. Harris also surveys historical attitudes toward intellectual disability, the medical community's current understanding of its causes and frequency, and the associated physical, behavioral, and psychiatric conditions (such as seizure disorder, depression, and autism) that often accompany particular types of intellectual disability. The book addresses legal, medical, mental health, and research-related issues as well as matters of spirituality, highlighting the ways in which individuals with intellectual disability can meaningfully participate in the spiritual lives of their families and their communities. Each chapter ends with a series of key points to remember, and the book concludes with a list of additional resources of further interest. Intellectual Disability is a must-read for parents and families of those with neurodevelopmental disorders, providing guidance and essential information to help their family members effectively, and to make a significant, positive difference in their lives now and in the future.


Background
Stroke is the foremost medical condition responsible for acquired disability and dependency. The initial psychological and physical deficits should arguably be identified early to allow interventions to be put in place if potential long-term sequelae are to be minimised.
Physical impairments within stroke cohorts have been extensively researched and reported. We have access to numerous scales that describe general physical functioning during daily activities and its effects on independence and quality of life. Deficits in movement are easily identified and attributes of physical movements can be associated with such obvious measurement terms as strength, speed, co-ordination and task completion. As these attributes can be graded, it is simple to compare patients over time, within stroke cohorts and against the general population: controlled studies are straightforward, even if natural biological variation demands large samples.
However, though physical impacts on a patient may be easily observed and measured, corresponding deficits in cognition and mood are less easily detected and quantified. Psychological problems are common within stroke populations, and exert both short and long term effects throughout all stages of rehabilitation. Despite our awareness of the potentially critical effects of psychological factors on patient outcome, there is a dearth of high quality research in this area. Although many cognitive and mood assessments are available, including some that were developed specifically for use in stroke, these are neither regularly administered nor have been convincingly shown to be accurate and reliable in identifying specific deficits. Thus, it is understandable that research available to us that describes prevalence and effects of cognitive and mood problems post-stroke is sparse in comparison to our knowledge of physical deficits.
Methodology
In order to begin to understand the effects that cognition and mood have on patient outcome post-stroke, a way of identifying prominent issues is required. Knowing that their effects can have both short and long term impact, reliable screening beginning early after stroke onset could offer opportunities to improve patient outcome through early implementation of interventions.
Before an appropriate screening tool can be selected, evidence is required to support its feasibility and accuracy within acute stroke cohorts. In this thesis, I investigate cognitive and mood-screening assessments in stroke, across a series of linked projects.
I carried out a review of the current research and I surveyed stroke units to identify which cognitive and mood assessments are commonly implemented. I collated and offer synthesis of the published data on accuracy of cognitive assessment instruments. I used these results to inform a diagnostic test accuracy study, examining selected measures that are commonly used in UK practice to screen for cognitive and mood problems. Based on these results, I designed (and was awarded grant funding for) a clinical study to assess test properties of cognitive and mood screening instruments in a rehabilitation setting and to describe potential obstacles affecting patient assessment.
Findings
There is heterogeneity in the choice of cognitive and mood tests employed across research and clinical practice. There was some overlap in assessment choice within these domains but no clear consensus on a preferred assessment tool. This is in part explained by the substantial number of tests available, it is telling that the most popular assessments accounted for only a fraction of the tool assessments employed. My literature based work also points to a relative lack of published science employing a cognitive or mood assessment tool.
My review of diagnostic test accuracy found that properties of cognitive tools commonly used in practice and research (Folstein's Mini Mental State Examination: MMSE, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment: MoCA, the Addenbrookes' Cognitive Examination Revised: ACE-R and the Cambridge Cognitive Examination revised: R-CAMCOG) were susceptible to changing populations and purpose of assessment, with test properties differing when screening tools are used in acute and chronic stage of stroke. Depending on the cut-offs that are used to define "screen positive" cases, these tools would have varying ability to identify multi=domain cognitive impairment or dementia. Generally when applying standard (i.e. the traditional cut-off described for test use in an unselected population) cut-offs, sensitivity was good but specificity was low. Specificity could be improved when the cut-offs were altered while maintaining reasonable sensitivity and this suggests that screen positive thresholds may need to be altered to suit a stroke population The need for lowering our standard cut-offs suggests that there may be factors present in typical acute stroke patients which affect assessment accuracy compared to the populations and purpose for which these scales have been developed.
Using the MOCA in the acute setting of my clinical study, confirmed that stroke cohorts require altered cut-offs to improve accuracy in cognitive impairment detection. A stroke cognitive assessment that can be derived from a standard neurological examination *the Cog4) has been described. Cross sectional comparison of MoCA and Cog 4 suggest that Cog4 has questionable validity and stroke specific cognitive measures are required since scores derived from other types of measures are not necessarily testing the most appropriate domains for stroke deficits.
A lack of published data on cognitive and mood screening in the first days post-stroke suggested that describing the feasibility of assessing stroke patients in an acute setting would be a useful topic for research. My subsequent clinical study incorporated verbal and non-verbal assessments for mood and the MOCA. As well as usual test accuracy outcomes I considered feasibility issues such as proportion of patients suitable for initial approach, acceptance of assessment, prevalence of common stroke related impairments that mandate assistance or cause difficulty in completing assessments, or that preclude assessment altogether. A moderate proportion of patients who were approached declined to take part and several others required external assistance to complete the assessments. Shorter, less cognitively demanding assessments required less assistance and appeared to offer higher accuracy for predicting mood problems at follow-up. These results suggest that delaying cognitive and mood assessments until later during the post-stroke period may reduce the interference from acute stroke deficits.
The final piece of work generated from my PhD studies, and that is ongoing, continues the theme of feasibility of cognitive and mood assessments. Cognitive and mood assessments are performed in stroke rehabilitation centres. The rehabilitation setting was chosen, as it will include varying patterns of physical and cognitive impairment. By comparing brief assessments and more lengthy measures of cognition, I hope to identify the most appropriate testing scheme that minimises patient burden. As part of this work I will describe the impact of stroke deficits on assessment and quantification of the patient's psychological capabilities.

Conclusions
In conclusion, these studies have demonstrated a lack of guidance and of protocols for cognitive and mood assessment post-stroke. The evident heterogeneity in choices of assessment in research and usual practice indicated a need for evidence based accuracy studies. In conducting these I found that usual measures are susceptible to the population, timing, and cut-off used to define test positive cases, together indicating undesirable sources of variation. Transient stroke-related problems may lead to overestimation of persistent impairments. Although acute screening of cognition and mood would be possible, such screening may not be widely acceptable to patients and would require a high level of assistance from health professionals. Acute screening should only be performed if there are potential benefits that could impact on the patient from identification of cognitive or mood problems at this early stage. With the transient changes in cognition and mood that the majority of stroke survivors experience, screening is best left until later in the patient journey. However, there may still be potential feasibility issues of administration and assessment completion during later stages. Therefore, I suggest that studies that investigate what assessments are feasibly administered to stroke patients in later stages are required. This will inform future trial recruitment for complete data requirements as well as provide clearer picture of stroke survivors' affected cognitive domains and or mood problems.


Under the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme, foresters can obtain carbon units as their forests sequester carbon. If they sell these units as they are earned, the units must be repurchased when the forest is harvested, exposing foresters to price risk. This paper examines the way forward markets, futures markets, and carbon lending markets could be used to manage this risk. It argues that carbon lending markets are likely to be the most convenient form for foresters, as they allow the total returns from forestry investments to be increased with minimal risk. The carbon units can be lent to industrial firms or developers of new forests to minimise the carbon risk they face if they make carbon reducing investments.


Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a mental illness with serious physical, psychological, interpersonal, social, and economic consequences. AN is difficult to treat, with affected individuals experiencing symptoms after treatment completion. Recovery-oriented AN discussion boards are online forums on which individuals with AN can communicate with the goal of promoting their recovery. Using inclusion criteria, the author selected Mirasol, Something Fishy, Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), and PsychForums. The research questions asked were: (a) What are the themes of recovery-oriented AN Internet discussion boards? (b) What types of support can be found on the boards? (c) How frequently are potentially 'triggering' materials posted on websites? and (d) What are the responses of site moderators to potentially triggering materials posted on the websites? Through the qualitative method of thematic analysis, themes and subthemes emerged from the exchanges among website users. The 10 themes were: Symptom Severity and Eating Disorder Thoughts; Advice and Suggestions; Forum Support; Unpleasant Emotions; Recovery, Improvement, and Motivation; Treatment; Requests; Interpersonal Issues; Insights; and Benefits of the Website and Gratitude. Other themes of support included Challenges/Confrontations and Information. Something Fishy and ANAD contained high levels of support and relatively few potentially triggering statements. Mirasol and PsychForums indicated high frequencies of potentially triggering posts. The presence of forum moderators did not substantially influence the frequency with which triggering material was posted. The interpretation of the themes and subthemes indicated that clients in treatment for AN may benefit from participating in select websites by becoming more motivated in treatment and maintaining treatment gains between sessions. Careful selection of websites, with the guidance of therapists, could help AN individuals reduce their reliance on defense mechanisms, provide a RECOVERY-ORIENTED WEBSITES 2 facilitative environment of peers, generate some of the therapeutic factors of group therapy, and challenge the distorted thinking of availability heuristics. Limitations included absence of diagnostic homogeneity among participants; a small time-limited sample of comments; and lack of representation of individuals who do not have Internet access, such as, those who are rural, poor, uneducated, and some racial and ethnic minorities. Future research could address client utilization of recovery-oriented websites as an adjunct to effective psychotherapy treatment.


Browsers warn users when the privacy of an SSL/TLS connection might be at risk. An ideal SSL warning would empower users to make informed decisions and, failing that, guide confused users to safety. Unfortunately, users struggle to understand and often disregard real SSL warnings. We report on the task of designing a new SSL warning, with the goal of improving comprehension and adherence. We designed a new SSL warning based on recommendations from warning literature and tested our proposal with microsurveys and a field experiment. We ultimately failed at our goal of a well-understood warning. However, nearly 30% more total users chose to remain safe after seeing our warning. We attribute this success to opinionated design, which promotes safety with visual cues. Subsequently, our proposal was released as the new Google Chrome SSL warning. We raise questions about warning comprehension advice and recommend that other warning designers use opinionated design.


The levels of natural antioxidants and phytochemicals present in tree nuts are reported. Where possible, the health claims by Food and Drug Administration and European Food Safety Authority and health effects of tree nuts are provided. The content and recommended dietary allowances of nutrient antioxidants (such as vitamins A, C, E, and the mineral selenium) present in various tree nuts are compared. Antioxidant activity and phytochemicals present among tree nuts have been thoroughly reviewed. Research findings from over 65 references, many of which have been published within the last 10 years, have been compiled and reported.


Sketch-based image retrieval (SBIR) has undergone an increasing interest in the community of computer vision bringing high impact in real applications. For instance, SBIR brings an increased benefit to eCommerce search engines because it allows users to formulate a query just by drawing what they need to buy. However, current methods showing high precision in retrieval work in a high dimensional space, which negatively affects aspects like memory consumption and time processing. Although some authors have also proposed compact representations, these drastically degrade the performance in a low dimension. Therefore in this work, we present different results of evaluating methods for producing compact embeddings in the context of sketch-based image retrieval. Our main interest is in strategies aiming to keep the local structure of the original space. The recent unsupervised local-topology preserving dimension reduction method UMAP fits our requirements and shows outstanding performance, improving even the precision achieved by SOTA methods. We evaluate six methods in two different datasets. We use Flickr15K and eCommerce datasets; the latter is another contribution of this work. We show that UMAP allows us to have feature vectors of 16 bytes improving precision by more than 35%.


Fecundity and fertility in the amphipod Echinogammarus marinus (Leach) were investigated at 2 industrially contaminated sites and compared with data from 2 reference sites. Although some studies have used amphipod fecundity or fertility as biomarkers of environmental perturbation, there has been very little standardisation with regard to the endpoints quantified. Mean brood size, brood size normalised to female weight, and embryos in early and late stages of development have been utilised as measures of amphipod fecundity and fertility. The present study examined the effectiveness of all these measures as biomarkers of pollution. The results suggest that different interpretations can be derived depending on the measure used to express fecundity or fertility. Compared with impacted sites, only reference sites had larger broods normalised to female weight. Separating early- and late-egg developmental stages provided additional information as to whether initial fecundity, or relative fertility, was being affected compared with pooled data (all embryo stages). Both reference sites produced more eggs in early stages of development than impacted sites, but only 1 impacted site had fewer embryo numbers at later stages of development. These results indicate that separating embryo stages in field monitoring or laboratory studies provides more effective indicators of reproductive endpoints, and misinterpretations may result if the loss of eggs and/or embryos from the brood chamber is not taken into consideration.


ABSTRACT Iron content and cathodoluminescence define six regionally extensive calcite cement zones over 100,000 sq. km of study area in the Burlington-Keokuk Formation of Illinois and Missouri. The regional cement stratigraphy is composed of mappable zones, analogous to lithostratigraphic units, which represent diagenetic episodes during which calcite with distinct cathodoluminescent properties precipitated in a given time interval relative to other diagenetic events such as cement fracturing and calcite dissolution. Individual cement zones may not be strictly isochronous throughout the study area but are not strongly diachronous. Two different, but related, cathodoluminescent sequences have been identified within pre-Pennsylvanian cements in the Burlington-Keokuk Formation: 1) within lower strata, early, nonferroan cement consists of both nonluminescent and luminescent calcite (zones II-IV); 2) within upper strata, early, nonferroan cement consists of entirely luminescent calcite (zone II). Petrographic relationships indicate that zone II is time equivalent with zones II-IV in lower Burlington-Keokuk strata. The occurrence of cement zones II-IV encased in Pennsylvanian shale and quartz sand within pre-Pennsylvanian karst cavities constrains the age of early, nonferroan calcite as pre-Pennsylvanian. In ll cases, pre-Pennsylvanian cements are followed by ferroan, dull to moderately luminescing calcite (zone V) which, in turn, is overgrown by nonferroan, moderate to brightly luminescing calcite (zone VI). Cross-cutting relations of Burlington-Keokuk syntaxial calcite with Mississippi Valley-type mineralization phases constrains the minimum age of cement zones V and VI as Early Permian. Pre-Pennsylvanian cements formed in a shallow, meteoric aquifer characterized by vertically segregated chemical facies. Pre-Pennsylvanian cements within lower strata precipitated from waters of varying Eh, while those in upper strata formed from reduced waters. Post-Mississippian/pre-Early Permian cements precipitated under less than 1 km of overburden from reducing meteoric waters or subsurface brines.


Airborne bacteria are dispersed along with Asian dust and have various influences on atmospheric characteristics, downwind ecosystems, and public health. In this study, aircraft observations were conducted during Asian dust passage and non-dust conditions over the East China Sea in December 2010, and the composition of culturable bacteria within the dust was investigated using culture-based gene analysis. The 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed that the 34 cultured strains isolated from the transported dust could be grouped into Bacillales and Actinomycetales. Highly tolerant endospore-forming bacteria (25 isolates) were predominant in the composition. On the other hand, all non-endospore-forming bacteria (9 isolates) were gram-positive bacteria with high guanine and cytosine contents, which have substantial ultraviolet (UV) resistance. Thus, the isolated culturable bacteria were strains having some tolerance for exposure to UV radiation. Although the atmosphere is an extreme environment for bacterial survival, Asian dust can facilitate atmospheric dispersion of culturable bacteria that are resistant to the harsh ambient air environment.


Since his death in 1847, Felix Mendelssohn's music and personality have been both admired and denigrated to extraordinary degrees. In this study Clive Brown weaves together a rich array of documents - letters, diaries, memoirs, reviews, news reports and more - with the aim of presenting a balanced picture of the composer and his work. Rejecting the received view of Mendelssohn as a facile, lightweight musician, Brown demonstrates that he was in fact an innovative and highly cerebral composer who exerted a powerful influence on musical thought into the 20th century. Brown discusses Mendelssohn's family background and education; the role of religion and race in his life and reputation; his experiences as practical musician (pianist, organist, string player, conductor) and as teacher and composer; the critical reception of his works; and the vicissitudes of his posthumous reputation. The text also includes a range of hitherto unpublished sketches made by Mendelssohn. The result is a portrayal of the man and his achievements as viewed through his own words and those of his contemporaries.


Historically the Seventh-day Adventist Church has been a mission-oriented movement. In harmony with this emphasis church planting is beginning to gain a higher p rio rity in some parts of North America. Very little evidence has been gathered, however, which supports this practice as being an effective means of evangelism. Furthermore, v irtu a lly no guidance has been offered to local SDA churches explaining why church planting should be considered or how it should be accomplished. Empirical data are gathered from various denominations, including the Adventist denomination, regarding the relationship of new church development and membership growth. With positive correlations confirming the place of this practice in a comprehensive plan for evangelism in North America, the report then seeks to develop a strategy which would be helpful for those who will be engaged in this ministry. In order to gain the necessary insights for a holistic and effective approach to church planting two studies are conducted. The first is a description of church growth as recorded in the biblical book of Acts. The second is an analysis and a critique of an actual church-planting experience, the organization of the Spokane South Hill SDA Church, according to "church growth" lite ra tu re . The principles gained from these two studies provide the framework for a proposed strategy for the placement and development of new congregations in North America. The strategy is designed to be of primary value for those churches which have memberships of 250 or more. The report contends that churches of this size can plant a church by sending a group of dedicated members, approximately fifty , to help form a nucleus for the new church—thereby providing an immediate presence for evangelism and nurture. The strategy is designed to facilitate this process by preparing the mother church theologically and missionally for the eventual church planting. The organizational aspects are then dealt with which lead to the actual formation of the new church. To accentuate the on-going process, flow charts have been prepared to relate the parts to the whole. A theological rationale for this process is presented as an extension of a shared ministry of reconciliation which is also characterized as an incarnational ministry for specific communities and "people groups." The joint roles of the clergy and the laity are integrated in both parts of the strategy. Some general recommendations are made which are directed towards creating a more intentional climate for church planting in North America.


Can we experience depictions of repulsive objects more positively when we watch them as part of a work of art? We addressed this question by using a scenario approach in a laboratory setting designed to activate two different cognitive schemata: participants viewed the same pictures framed either as art photographs or as documentary photographs for educational purposes. Self-reports of the positivity, the negativity, and the intensity of the affective responses yielded three results. First, participants experienced the photos more positively in the art-framing condition. Second, the negativity ratings did not differ in both conditions, suggesting that art framing does not erase, diminish, or convert the negative affect vis-a`-vis the disgusting stimulus features. Third, there was no difference in terms of the intensity of the experience—a result that contradicts the position that aesthetic emotions are less intense than ordinary emotions. The results of our study suggest that cognitive schema activation should be included in a multifactor psychological account of the aesthetic enjoyment of artworks that involve negative emotions. More specifically, results add to the growing insight into what distinguishes aesthetically modified emotions from ordinary emotions.


We show how to identify "hotspot" biodiversity areas on which to base relevant policies and management options whenever traditional, community-based, resource management puts biodiversity conservation at risk, as is the case in Lawaan, Eastern Samar, Philippines. Digital spatial data integration revealed that the lower elevation areas are under the heaviest human pressure and also have the highest biodiversity. This calls for a set of procedures for engaging the full range of stakeholders to identify areas for preservation. Accordingly, we combined Social Based (SB) and Environmental Based (EB) maps to identify four different classifications and identify the locations of "very critical" and "critical" areas that need priority if biodiversity-conservation efforts are to be effective. We also report the results of deploying developed protocols that are designed to support regular updates, thereby accommodating stakeholder interests so that an environmentally-based, zone map can form a basis for consensus building and preservation-zone protection via community enforcement.


"Since the 1980s, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have interacted in a pattern best described as a "helix of rhetorical transformation," with each engaging in a recursive and interactive process of definition, description and ingratiation. The relatively recent emergence of the biotechnology industry has destabilized the older pharmaceutical industry, causing heightened activity of self-evaluation for each, as well as assessment by media, government, economic development agencies, investors, and others. Although the two industries have much in common, their differences have set in motion a rhetorical helix that winds both toward and away from each other. Both industries have foundations built on the modern scientific method and share a mission to develop new drugs for humans and animals. At the same time, they are also made distinct by size (small biotechs versus "big pharma"), relative age, method of drug development (biology-based versus chemistry-based), product capabilities, and characterization of the employee base (innovative and risk-taking versus traditional and risk-averse). In the early 1900s, nascent pharmaceutical companies were keen to shed the image of drug manufacturing as alchemy and adopt a new definition that was grounded in scientific methodology. Public ingratiation soared mid-century with the development of life-saving penicillin but declined toward the end of the century, attributable to several high-profile drug failures as well as charges of excessive profiteering and immoral marketing practices. Meanwhile, public response to biotechnology was rising since the newer industry represented greater potential for transformation--not only of the landscape of drug development, but of communities themselves. The intricacies of the bio-pharma rhetorical helix--including the play between scientistic and dramatistic approaches to language--can be examined by using the framework of dramatism and specifically Kenneth Burke's pentad of key analytical terms. Burke's concepts serve as a systematic form of inquiry for understanding the biotechnology and pharmaceutical meta-narratives (including the mythology associated with Alexander Fleming, Francis Crick, and James Watson) that have emerged within a complex and volatile cultural environment of shifting modernism and postmodernism. They also provide a basis for predicting future constructions of the "biopharmaceutical" drama. George Lakoff's work in metaphor (alone, and in collaboration with Mark Turner and Mark Johnson) is useful in understanding the potent imagery of the double helix, and Ann E. Berthoff's observations of the writing process as a helix speaks to the usefulness of this structure in generating exciting and transformational new meaning."--Abstract from author supplied metadata.


This paper studies the problem of rank aggregation under the Plackett-Luce model. The goal is to infer a global ranking and related scores of the items, based on partial rankings provided by multiple users over multiple subsets of items. A question of particular interest is how to optimally assign items to users for ranking and how many item assignments are needed to achieve a target estimation error. Without any assumptions on how the items are assigned to users, we derive an oracle lower bound and the Cramer-Rao lower bound of the estimation error. We prove an upper bound on the estimation error achieved by the maximum likelihood estimator, and show that both the upper bound and the Cramer-Rao lower bound inversely depend on the spectral gap of the Laplacian of an appropriately defined comparison graph. Since random comparison graphs are known to have large spectral gaps, this suggests the use of random assignments when we have the control. Precisely, the matching oracle lower bound and the upper bound on the estimation error imply that the maximum likelihood estimator together with a random assignment is minimax-optimal up to a logarithmic factor. We further analyze a popular rank-breaking scheme that decompose partial rankings into pairwise comparisons. We show that even if one applies the mismatched maximum likelihood estimator that assumes independence (on pairwise comparisons that are now dependent due to rank-breaking), minimax optimal performance is still achieved up to a logarithmic factor.


Abstract. We investigate the flow of brine-enriched shelf water from Storfjorden (Svalbard) into Fram Strait and onto the western Svalbard Shelf using a regional set-up of NEMO-SHELF, a 3-D numerical ocean circulation model. The model is set up with realistic bathymetry, atmospheric forcing, open boundary conditions and tides. The model has 3 km horizontal resolution and 50 vertical levels in the sh-coordinate system which is specially designed to resolve bottom boundary layer processes. In a series of modelling experiments we focus on the influence of tides on the propagation of the dense water plume by comparing results from tidal and non-tidal model runs. Comparisons of non-tidal to tidal simulations reveal a hotspot of tidally induced horizontal diffusion leading to the lateral dispersion of the plume at the southernmost headland of Spitsbergen which is in close proximity to the plume path. As a result the lighter fractions in the diluted upper layer of the plume are drawn into the shallow coastal current that carries Storfjorden water onto the western Svalbard Shelf, while the dense bottom layer continues to sink down the slope. This bifurcation of the plume into a diluted shelf branch and a dense downslope branch is enhanced by tidally induced shear dispersion at the headland. Tidal effects at the headland are shown to cause a net reduction in the downslope flux of Storfjorden water into the deep Fram Strait. This finding contrasts previous results from observations of a dense plume on a different shelf without abrupt topography.


Awaking in One's Own Country is a new collection of texts written by Valancin Akudovič, a renowned Belarusian philosopher. Akudovič sets out to prove that language, history, and culture are not after all so important in the nation-building process, the process of constructing the nation's collective identifi cation as Belarusian. Instead, the most important factor is merely the fact that a country or state exists. This exerts a more tangible infl uence on people's everyday lives. When Belarusians take money out of their pocket – they see Belarusian money. When they join the army, they join the Belarusian army, and when they go to gaol – they are put in a Belarusian gaol and not sent to Siberia. Moreover, they have their own president, their own television channels, and, what's more, they even have their own dictator at the very top of the state. All of this makes Belarusians become more Belarusian every day, little by little.


Zhu et al. cloned, expressed, and characterized a plasma membrane progestin receptor implicated in fish oocyte maturation. Although steroid hormones have classically been considered to act through nuclear receptors that act as transcription factors, some of their effects occur too rapidly to depend on transcriptional activation and appear to be initiated at the plasma membrane. The identification of plasma membrane steroid receptors, however, has remained elusive. Zhu et al. immunized mice with a partially purified progestin receptor preparation and created hybridomas that produce monoclonal antibodies from their splenocytes. The authors used antibodies that enabled progestin binding in a receptor capture assay to screen a sea trout ovarian expression library. Structural analysis of a cDNA clone thus identified predicted a plasma membrane protein with seven transmembrane domains. Northern analysis indicated that the putative receptor (mPR) was expressed in reproductive and neuroendocrine tissues; Western analysis combined with immunocytochemistry demonstrated plasma membrane localization in sea trout oocytes. Recombinant mPR showed specific, high-affinity progestin binding. Progestins inhibited adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cAMP) production and stimulated phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 in transfected mammalian cells. The effect on cAMP was sensitive to pertussis toxin, which suggests that mPR may couple to a heterotrimeric guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-binding protein. mPR protein expression in sea trout oocytes was sensitive to hormonal stimulation and varied with maturation state; antisense analysis in zebrafish oocytes further suggested a role for mPR in oocyte maturation. In a related paper, this group cloned and partially characterized homologous genes from humans and several other species. Structural and phylogenetic analyses suggested that they comprised three groups in a novel family of membrane-associated steroid receptors. Hammes commented on this research, and proposed a model for nongenomic progestin signaling that encompassed both the classical steroid receptor and the mPR. Y. Zhu, C. D. Rice, Y. Pang, M. Pace, P. Thomas, Cloning, expression, and characterization of a membrane progestin receptor and evidence it is an intermediary in meiotic maturation of fish oocytes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100, 2231-2236 (2003). [Abstract] [Full Text] Y. Zhu, J. Bond, P. Thomas, Identification, classification, and partial characterization of genes in humans and other vertebrates homologous to a fish membrane progestin receptor. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100, 2237-2242 (2003). [Abstract] [Full Text] S. R. Hammes, The further redefining of steroid-mediated signaling. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100, 2168-2170 (2003). [Full Text]


Lubbock is already known as an artistic hub for the state of Texas, but the art is not always easily accessible, and needs to have a place where it can be the focus. Creating an art district that brings residents, visitors, artists and businesses to a particular part of the city will serve the city of Lubbock with revenue and an artistic reputation beyond what already exists. This study will provide a small-scale solution to a large problem. Lubbock's downtown is prime real estate for an exciting future, and many steps have already been taken to assure that it be successfully altered. Every first Friday of the month the Friday Art Trail provides an atmosphere that is appreciated by many, but is not always utilized. The city provides trolleys to escort people from one venue to the next, but they are usually crowded or take longer than a person is willing to wait. If pedestrian access was more apparent, and routes were more successfully designed, this art trail could be on display more than once a month. Other issues involving the existing downtown area are the fact that there is no other form of entertainment, and restaurants, residences, retail are few and far between. If people are already downtown, there will be no need to bring them there, and if successfully designed they could use the pedestrian access routes on a daily occurrence. Purpose driven districts have shown success in many different scales of projects, and it is important to know that "the birth of art districts is not merely the consequence of a renewal process but also a catalyst for the further re-use of other nearby derelict buildings for art purposes and, in general, for the boosting of standards of living," as noted. (Lorente, 2000) Previous analysis has not only shown progress towards better, more cohesive communities, but can provide examples of what can be done in all types of situations, including downtown Lubbock, Texas.


[1] A high-resolution sediment core from the Voring Plateau has been studied to document the centennial to millennial variability of the surface water conditions during the Holocene Climate Optimum (HCO) and the late Holocene period (LHP) in order to evaluate the effects of solar insolation on surface ocean climatology. Quantitative August summer sea surface temperatures (SSSTs) with a time resolution of 2–40 years are reconstructed by using three different diatom transfer function methods. Spectral- and scale-space methods are applied to the records to explore the variability present in the time series at different time scales. The SSST development in core MD95-2011 shows a delayed response to Northern Hemisphere maximum summer insolation at ∼11,000 years B.P. The record shows the maximum SSST of the HCO to be from 7.3 to 8.9 kyr B.P., which implies that the site was located in the regional warm water pool removed from the oceanic fronts and Arctic waters. Superimposed on the general cooling trend are higher-frequency variabilities at time scales of 80–120, 210–320, 320–640, and 640–1280 years. The climate variations at the time scale of 320–640 years are documented both for periods of high and low solar orbital insolation. We found evidence that the submillennial-scale mode of variability (640–900 years) in SSST evident during the LHP is directly associated with varying solar forcing. At the shorter scale of 260–450 years, the SSST during the LHP displays a lagged response to solar forcing with a phase-locked behavior indicating the existence of a feedback mechanism in the climate system triggered by variations in the solar constant as well as the role of the thermal inertia of the ocean. The abruptness of the cooling events in the LHP, especially pronounced during the onsets of the Holocene Cold Period I (approximately 2300 years B.P.) and the Little Ice Age (approximately 550 years B.P.), can be explained by a shutdown of deep convection in the Nordic Seas in response to negative solar insolation anomalies. These cooling events are on the order of 1.5°C.


I analyze how lack of commitment affects the maturity structure of sovereign debt. Governments balance benefits of default induced redistribution and costs due to income losses in the wake of a default. Their choice of short- versus long-term debt affects default and rollover decisions by subsequent policy makers. The equilibrium maturity structure is shaped by revenue losses on inframarginal units of debt that reflect the price impact of these decisions. The model predicts an interior maturity structure with positive gross positions and a shortening of the maturity structure when debt issuance is high, output low, or a cross default more likely. These predictions are consistent with empirical evidence.


The unliganded Sestrin2 structure awaits discovery. An elusive apo-structure for Sestrin2 The protein complex called mTORC1 integrates growth factor signals and nutrient status to control cell growth and metabolism. The molecular mechanism by which mTORC1 activity is controlled by nutrients has been an active and controversial area of research. Castor1 and Sestrin2 have been reported to function as an arginine sensor and a leucine sensor, respectively. Saxton et al. provide evidence that all of the available Sestrin2 crystals and crystals that they generated in the absence of exogenous leucine contain a bound ligand that is most likely leucine. These data indicate that the unbound apo-structure awaits determination. Not only will a true apo-structure be informative, but crystals containing Sestrin2 and other binding partners will as well. Thus, the mechanism of exactly how amino acids control mTORC1 activity awaits further study. Sestrin2 is a GATOR2-interacting protein that directly binds leucine and is required for the inhibition of mTORC1 under leucine deprivation, indicating that it is a leucine sensor for the mTORC1 pathway. We recently reported the structure of Sestrin2 in complex with leucine [Protein Data Bank (PDB) ID, 5DJ4] and demonstrated that mutations in the leucine-binding pocket that alter the affinity of Sestrin2 for leucine result in a corresponding change in the leucine sensitivity of mTORC1 in cells. A lower resolution structure of human Sestrin2 (PDB ID, 5CUF), which was crystallized in the absence of exogenous leucine, showed Sestrin2 to be in a nearly identical conformation as the leucine-bound structure. On the basis of this observation, it has been argued that leucine binding does not affect the conformation of Sestrin2 and that Sestrin2 may not be a sensor for leucine. We show that simple analysis of the reported "apo"-Sestrin2 structure reveals the clear presence of prominent, unmodeled electron density in the leucine-binding pocket that exactly accommodates the leucine observed in the higher resolution structure. Refining the reported apo-structure with leucine eliminated the large Fobs-Fcalc difference density at this position and improved the working and free R factors of the model. Consistent with this result, our own structure of Sestrin2 crystallized in the absence of exogenous leucine also contained electron density that is best explained by leucine. Thus, the structure of apo-Sestrin2 remains elusive.


We propose a new function of the two-dimensional lens array that is composed of many gradient-index lenses. The array forms three-dimensional (3D) images. The characteristics of the 3D images depend on the length of the gradient-index lens. Especially, if the length of the lens is an odd-integer multiple of the half period of the optical path, 3D images are pseudoscopic with a reversed depth. The two lens arrays are positioned at a suitable distance, so that orthoscopic 3D images with the correct depth are formed in front of the lens array.


Abstract. This paper presents a novel capacitive strain gauge with interdigital electrodes, which was processed on polyimide and LCP (liquid crystal polymer) foil substrates. The metallization is deposited and patterned using thin-film technology with structure sizes down to 15 μm. We determined linear strain sensitivities for our sensor configuration and identified the most influencing parameters on the output signal by means of an analytical approach. Finite-element method (FEM) simulations of the strain gauge indicated the complex interaction of mechanical strains within the sensitive structure and their effect on the capacitance. The influence of geometry and material parameters on the strain sensitivity was investigated and optimized. We implemented thin films on 50 μm thick standard polymer foils by means of a temporary bonding process of the foils on carrier wafers. The characterization of the strain sensors after fabrication revealed the gauge factor as well as the cross sensitivities on temperatures up to 100 °C and relative humidity up to 100%. The gauge factor of a sensor with an electrode width of 45 μm and a clearance of 15 μm was −1.38 at a capacitance of 48 pF. Furthermore, we achieved a substantial reduction of the cross sensitivity against humidity from 1435 to 55 ppm %−1 RH when LCP was used for the sensor substrate and the encapsulation instead of polyimide. The gauge factor of a sensor half-bridge consisting of two orthogonal capacitors was 2.3 and the cross sensitivity on temperature was reduced to 240 ppm K−1. Finally, a sensor system was presented that utilizes a special instrumentation Integrated Circuit (IC). For this system, performance data comprising cross sensitivities and power consumption are given.


Abstract Not Available – First paragraph follows:
Decisions regarding high, medium, or low density orchards must include consideration of present and future mechanization. Tree size, shape, spacing, and pruning methods in established orchards limit the selection of new methods for performing cultural and harvest operations. Every effort should be made to plant and train new orchards so as to make them as adaptable as possible to new technology but also suited to present methods. Many tree crops will be harvested by hand labor for some time; yet we cannot afford to invest in new plantings without considering mechanization. The wisest plan is to consider hand operations now and mechanized operations in the future.


Solar-powered photovoltaic (PV) system encounters a significant amount of losses due to different derating factors of PV modules throughout its lifespan. Thus, proper investigation is much needed to grasp the technical and economic impact of derating factors on the solar PV system, specially the one which is connected to the utility grid. This study performs a comprehensive discussion on various PV loss parameters followed by a techno-economic-environmental assessment of combined derating factor on an grid-connected and optimally tilted PV system located at Hatiya, Bangladesh using HOMER (Hybrid Optimization Model for Multiple Energy Resources) software. Some criteria linked with derating factor such as PV degradation and ambient temperature are further explored to analyze their impact on the aforementioned power system. Simulation results show that the system provides the best technical performance concerning annual PV production, power trade with grid, and renewable fraction with less emissions at a higher value of derating factor since it represents the lower impact of loss parameters. Similarly, financial performance in terms of net present cost (NPC), levelized cost of energy (LCOE), and grid power exchange cost is found lower when derating factor value is higher.


Buffalo's status as a destination from which African Americans escaping slavery could cross the Niagara River to reach freedom in Canada is well known. However, when reconstructing Buffalo's involvement in the Underground Railroad, the words of those who experienced it are rarely consulted. We all know that the Underground Railroad was an illegal smuggling operation and that no one kept guest books, but a surprisingly good body of evidence exists in the form of slave narratives and other first-person accounts. This article offers eyewitness testimony from men and women who passed through Buffalo while escaping from slavery and from those who assisted them. Slave narratives, memoirs of bondage by those who survived it, are the first African American genre of literature. Thousands of slave narratives were published in North America and Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today they provide scholars with primary sources-participant or eyewitness accounts--of the means by which Africans gained their freedom. This tradition continued into the 20th century. In 1936-1938, the Federal Writers Project interviewed elderly African-Americans who were born into slavery. Many of their stories are now available online at the American Memory Library of Congress website. (2) Many slave narratives are still in print and can be found in bookstores and libraries. They are also increasingly available in full text sources such as Google Books (3) and the Internet Archive. Entering the terms "slave narrative bibliography" into a search engine will deliver good author/title lists. While this author has not yet (bund any first-person accounts if concealment in any of Buffalo's existing buildings, there are some excellent descriptions of what fugitives and runaways did experience when they came arrived in the city. Some stayed overnight, some found employment and knit themselves into the community, some were here so briefly that they didn't describe Buffalo at all, and some offer legends that are very interesting but hard to substantiate. One early account of Buffalo's role in the Underground Railroad comes to us from abolitionist, orator, historian, and novelist William Wells Brown (1815-1884), who lived in Buffalo ca. 1836-1845 after escaping from slavery. Brown found work on Great Lakes steamboats, which enabled him to carry other fugitives to safety in Canada. In his autobiography. Brown wrote: "It is well known, that a great number of fugitives make their escape to Canada, by way of Cleaveland [sic]; and while on the lake, 1 always made arrangement to carry them on the boat to Buffalo or Detroit, and thus effect their escape to the "promised land." The friends of the slave, knowing that I would transport them without charge, never failed to have a delegation when the boat arrived at Cleaveland. I have sometimes had four or five on board, at one time. In the year 1842, I conveyed, from the first of May to the first of December, sixty-nine fugitives over Lake Brie to Canada." (4) Brown's daughter Josephine Brown (b. 1839) later whole a biography of her father, describing the frequent use of the family home to give unspecified assistance to those journeying to freedom. "... Buffalo being a place through which many fugitives passed while on their way to Canada. Mr. Brown spent much time in assisting those who sought his aid. His house might literally have been called the 'fugitive's house.' As Niagara Falls were only twenty miles from Buffalo, slaveholders not unfrequently passed through the latter place attended by one or more slave servants. Mr. Brown was always on the look-out for such, to inform them that they were free by the laws of New York, and to give them necessary aid. The case of every colored servant who was seen accompanying a white person was strictly inquired into, Mr. Brown's residence also became the home of Anti-Slavery agents, and lecturers on all reformatory movements. …


A Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) is a system that allows individuals with severe neuromuscular disorders to communicate and control devices using their brain waves. It has been demonstrated that a non-invasive scalp-recorded ElectroEncephalo Graphy (EEG) based BCI paradigm can be used by a disabled individual for long-term, reliable control of a personal computer. This BCI paradigm allows users to select from a set of symbols presented in a flashing visual matrix by classifYing the resulting evoked brain responses. The same BCI paradigm and techniques can be used in a straightforward implementation to generate high-level commands for controlling a robotic manipulator in three dimensions according to user intent. The robot application is envisioned to provide superior dimensional control over alternative BCI techniques, as well as provide a wider variety of practical functions for performing everyday tasks. paper describes the early stages toward providing disabled individuals a new level of autonomy for performing everyday tasks, hence improving their quality of life. The objective of the initial experiment is to demonstrate that an EEG-based BCI can provide accurate and reliable high-level control of a robotic manipulator. A man-machine interface between the human brain and the robotic manipulator is developed and the early stages of insight into the practicality of a BCI operated assistive manipulation device are explored.


We live in challenging times. From climate change to economic inequality and forced migration, the difficulties confronting decision-makers are unprecedented in their variety, as well as in their complexity and urgency. Our standard policy toolkit seems stale and ineffective while existing governance institutions are increasingly outdated and distrusted. To tackle today's challenges, we need not only new solutions but new ways of arriving at solutions. In particular, we need fresh research methodologies that can provide actionable insights on 21st century conditions. Such methodologies would allow us to redesign how decisions are made, how public services are offered, and how complex problems are solved around the world. Rethinking research is a vast project, with multiple components. This new essay focuses on one particular area of research: action research. In the essay, I first explain what we mean by action research, and also explore some of its potential. I subsequently argue that, despite that potential, action research is often limited as a method because it remains embedded in past methodologies; I attempt to update both its theory and practice for the 21st century. Although this article represents only a beginning, my broader goal is to re-imagine the role of action research for social innovation, and to develop an agenda that could provide for what Amar Bhide calls "practical knowledge�? at all levels of decision making in a systematic, sustainable, and responsible manner.


Change point detection is becoming increasingly popular in many application areas. On one hand, most of the theoretically-justified methods are investigated in an ideal setting without model violations, or merely robust against identical heavy-tailed noise distribution across time and/or against isolate outliers; on the other hand, we are aware that there have been exponentially growing attacks from adversaries, who may pose systematic contamination on data to purposely create spurious change points or disguise true change points. In light of the timely need for a change point detection method that is robust against adversaries, we start with, arguably, the simplest univariate mean change point detection problem. The adversarial attacks are formulated through the Huber $\varepsilon$-contamination framework, which in particular allows the contamination distributions to be different at each time point. In this paper, we demonstrate a phase transition phenomenon in change point detection. This detection boundary is a function of the contamination proportion $\varepsilon$ and is the first time shown in the literature. In addition, we derive the minimax-rate optimal localisation error rate, quantifying the cost of accuracy in terms of the contamination proportion. We propose a computationally feasible method, matching the minimax lower bound under certain conditions, saving for logarithmic factors. Extensive numerical experiments are conducted with comparisons to robust change point detection methods in the existing literature.


In early March 2012, I successfully submitted an abstract to the Wordsworth Trust to present a paper at the conference Words on the Page and the Meanings Beyond: The Innovative Interpretation of Manuscripts. A copy of this abstract can be found on the right hand side of this page as a downloadable PDF. The Trust described the aims of the conference as follows:

The Wordsworth Trust is undertaking research into the innovative use of manuscripts to further engagement and learning ... As well as facilitating a greater understanding of a person's life and creative process through analysis of a text (poetry, prose, correspondence, etc) the aim of the conference is to explore meanings within a manuscript and its history that go beyond interpretation of the words on the page.
Creating an understanding of a manuscript's emotional value to its contemporaries (for its content, but also as an object in itself) is essential to understanding its importance today, and its physicality can be as significant as its content when doing so. The formality of the handwriting for example, or the nature of underlinings and deletions, as well as the circumstances of its composition, its purpose and its intended audience, provide a sense of direct access to its author and emotional engagement with the historical figures with which the manuscript is associated.
During the conference (and as a part of my paper), I showed new visual work linking text and image that explored, in detail, entries from the original manuscripts (held by the Trust) of the diaries of Dorothy Wordsworth, exploring her phenomenological referencing of flora, fauna, weather and landscape. This is an area of visual and academic research that is relatively unexplored territory – a considerable amount of work has been written about William Wordsworth's relationship to the philosophy of phenomenology[1], but not Dorothy's. There is a link to youtube on the right hand side of this page with a video of my presentation at the conference. There is also a PDF of the report produced by the Arts Council about both the conference and the larger project of which the conference was a part.

This was a tremendous conference both in scope and originality. There was a generosity of spirit that ran throughout the two days and stimulated discussion across a range of disciplines. I have attached a copy of the powerpoint I gave at the conference as a downloadable PDF on the right hand side of this page.

The images below (which I showed at the conference) explore the idea developed by writers such Coleridge and Wordsworth that there Is a specific relationship between the word used to describe an object or thing and the object itself – a poetic, embodied relationship. Coleridge believed that 'words can embody and not just stand for thoughts and things' … and he 'puts his faith in words as "living things" – as plants, as live bodies: "The focal word has acquired a feeling of reality – it heats and burns, makes itself be felt. If we do not grasp it, it seems to grasp us, as with a hand of flesh and blood, and completely counterfeits an immediate presence, an intuitive knowledge' [2]

My proposition here is that the hand-written texts (letters/journals etc) by the poets (in my case by Dorothy Wordsworth) are themselves an expressive and embodied 'response' to the things they describe – and indeed that individual letters have a special quality that is related to the environment in which they are written (in DW's case, the Lake District). In the first series of works here, I have isolated individual letters from DW's Journal and 'created' words from the journal running vertically on blocks of colour. The texts are as follows.

A beautiful morning
Cuckow
Silverhow
Thursday 29th April 1802
A sound of water in the air

Gowbarrow
Misty morning
Daffodils
Thursday 15th April 1802
The wind seized our breath

Hail showers
Thrush singing
Wytheburn
Monday 17th May
Snow and Cold Attacked Me

In the second series of images I have worked directly and intuitively OVER the image/text of the journal. Here, however, I am responding not just to the words on the page, but to the PLACE the words describe – as I have walked these landscapes many times

[1] See, for instance, Broglio, Ron. 2008. Technologies of the Picturesque. New Jersey. Bucknell University Press (Chapter 3, Wordsworth and the Phenomenology of Place)

[2] Ed Curran, S. 1993 British Romanticism (the Cambridge Companion to). Cambridge. Cambridge University Press.


The discovery of mechanisms of nerve cell dysfunction, degeneration, and death in prion diseases acquired by infection, in dominantly inherited forms, and in sporadic (idiopathic) forms has gone hand in hand with the discovery of the prion and how prions are propagated. The generation of PrP-specific antibodies led to our first immunohistochemical study, in which we discovered that the amyloid plaques in experimental scrapie in Syrian hamsters contain protease-resistant PrP (Fig. 1A) (Bendheim et al. 1984; DeArmond et al. 1985). That finding convinced us that we had a unique opportunity to obtain a better understanding of the pathogenesis of scrapie in animals and the related human disorders that include sporadic, iatrogenic, and familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), and the rare familial disorder Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS). The overall objective was to test the hypothesis that PrP Sc accumulation in the brain causes the clinically relevant neuronal dysfunction, vacuolation, and death that are the characteristics of prion diseases. The results of many studies have led to the unifying hypothesis that neuronal degeneration in spontaneous, infectious, and genetic prion diseases and the propagation of prions in those diseases are both related exclusively to abnormalities of PrP. Multiple investigators in Great Britain, Europe, Japan, and the US have contributed to our understanding of the mechanisms of CNS degeneration peculiar to prion diseases. We have attempted to identify and acknowledge their many contributions; however, the number of prion disease investigators is increasing logarithmically and, therefore, inevitably we will have missed some and apologize to them for that...


This paper presents a brief analysis of the main changes in the structure of Turkish trade and its industrial competitiveness, highlights some fault lines that need to be corrected if Turkey's international trade is to help it stay on a sustainable growth path and analyses the role which EU-Turkey trade can play in this. Trade has expanded considerably over the last decades, but more recently the share of exports in GDP has been declining, albeit slowly. While the growth of exports has been robust, it appears that an increasing proportion of Turkish exports contain imported intermediate inputs, which implies that the local value of Turkish exports might be growing by much less than one would expect from the high growth rates of overall exports. The high import content of Turkey's exports makes a correction of the trade imbalance via the exchange rate channel more difficult. Furthermore, Turkey's industry seems to be specialising in low to medium technology products. The structure of Turkey's comparative advantage has become different from both those of developing countries and some southern European countries. The Customs Union Treaty with the EU has helped Turkish firms to improve their competitiveness over the years. Turkey should benefit from being obliged to conclude free trade agreements (FTAs) with those countries that already have entered into such an agreement with the EU because this will reduce the margin of preference for EU goods in the Turkish market. Although this will come with a decrease in bilateral trade, it will help Turkey's welfare by means of reduction in trade diversion.


The present study was conducted to improve the rate and stage of blastoderm and embryo development of quail oocytes by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with quail phospholipase Cζ (PLCζ) cRNA. Blastoderm development of quail oocytes cultured for 24 or 72h were staged under a stereomicroscope. The blastoderms were stained with 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) for cell division progress. A quail PLCζ cDNA clone was isolated from sperm by RT-PCR. The 1978bp nucleotide sequence contained an ORF encoding 637 amino acids of protein. The deduced quail PLCζ protein consists of EF-hand domain, X and Y catalytic domain and C2 domain, but lacked a plextrin-homology (PH) domain at the N-terminus. RT-PCR analysis revealed that PLCζ mRNA is expressed only in the testis. ICSI into a quail oocyte without PLCζ cRNA induced blastodermal development in 16% (4/25) of the oocytes which reached stages III-VI 24h after culture. In contrast, ICSI together with PLCζ cRNA (in 3nl at 60μg/ml) into a quail oocyte induced blastoderm development more than 2 fold (36.8%, 7/19) with embryos reaching stages VI-VII. Furthermore, 72h after culture ICSI into a quail oocyte without PLCζ cRNA induced embryo development in 15.4% (2/13) of the oocytes and reached stages V-VII. In contrast, ICSI together with PLCζ cRNA (in 3nl at 60μg/ml) into a quail oocyte induced 3 fold more embryo development (50%, 9/18) with embryos between stages VI and over X. The microinjection of PLCζ cRNA significantly improved the conventional ICSI method by enhancing the proportion and the stages of embryo development. Accordingly, the present PLCζ cRNA microinjection method in birds may contribute to assist in the production of transgenic birds and protection of endangered species of birds.


This short essay explores how the notion of hacktivism changes due to easily accessible, military grade Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs). Privacy Enhancing Technologies, technological tools which provide anonymous communications and protect users from online surveillance enable new forms of online political activism. Through the short summary of the ad-hoc vigilante group Anonymous, this article describes hacktivism 1.0 as electronic civil disobedience conducted by outsiders. Through the analysis of Wikileaks, the anonymous whistleblowing website, it describes how strong PETs enable the development of hacktivism 2.0, where the source of threat is shifted from outsiders to insiders. Insiders have access to documents with which power can be exposed, and who, by using PETs, can anonymously engage in political action. We also describe the emergence of a third generation of hacktivists who use PETs to disengage and create their own autonomous spaces rather than to engage with power through anonymous whistleblowing.


In order to provide an integrated solution for two sustainability issues, supplying clean water and using renewable energy sources, we propose a solar desalination plant that uses solar energy for seawater desalination and generating electricity. To test the efficiency of the hypothetical plant, we conducted two small-scale simulations. The first simulation tested our solar tracking robot and how it could maximize the amount of solar energy collected. When the sun's position is near the zenith, our data on the solar azimuth and elevation angles were consistent with theoretical predictions, but the data deviate from theoretical values at other times due to atmospheric refraction, which was not considered in the theory. The second simulation investigated the desalination process by controlling the salinity and surface area, while keeping the water temperature below the boiling point. We found that the volume of water vapor exponentially decreased with salinity and linearly increased with the surface area of the saline water. From our experimental data, we estimated that, by collecting vapor from saline water at a temperature slightly less than the boiling point, the yield of desalinated water was 67% greater than that of the direct evaporation method. Locations where the system would be most efficient are coastal areas between 40 °N and 40 °S, where the ratio between solar radiation and ground water recharge rate is at a maximum.


The Hungarian government's discriminatory actions against the Central European University constitute one of the most prominent conflicts between an academic institution and a government today. My contribution gives a detailed account of how the conflict has unfolded so far. Various frameworks of interpretation, including democratic backsliding, cultural war, and international politics are discussed. I place the story of the university in the context of the polarized cultural climate of Eastern Europe and draw attention to the power of universities in collaborating across borders in defense of academic freedom—and freedom in general.


This study aims at identifying the strategies used by learners to derive meaning of vocabulary in one of the KBSM literature component, which is short story. The effectiveness of the strategies identified is also being looked at. Besides that, it is also to find out if the ESL learners use the five common strategies to derive meaning of words. A total of 70 Form Two students in Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Munshi Abdullah, Kulai, Johor participated in this study. The research instruments used for this study were questionnaires and a rated vocabulary exercise on a short story. The questionnaires were distributed to each respondent with the purpose of finding out the strategies used to derive meaning of words, in general readings as well as in a short story. In addition, the rated vocabulary exercise was given to them to see whether the strategies used in deriving meaning of vocabulary in a short story have been effective or otherwise. This was done by comparing the exercise scores and the strategies used. Result from the findings indicate the following: 1) The learners do use the five common strategies mentioned by most researchers in the field, 2) In deriving the meaning of vocabulary in a short story, most of the high, average and low achievers referred to the dictionary, 3) The effectiveness of the strategies used depended on the learners language proficiency and their ability to fit in the meanings of the unknown words with the context in which these words occurred. Finally, the pedagogical implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are put forward.


Kialo is a novel peer production system focused on pro/con debate construction. Distributed moderator teams vet and accept claims submitted by writers. Moderators also edit and refactor debates as they grow. Thus, moderators play a critical role in cultivating and maintaining debates. Conflict between moderators is typical. It is a feature of argumentation and debate. However, not all conflict is productive. Conflict between moderators can undermine collaboration (by distracting from the task of managing debates) and drive attrition (by discouraging participation on the site altogether). Based on a ten-month participant observation on Kialo, we identify a common source of conflict between moderators: adversarial beliefs and values. Moderators are not neutral participants on Kialo. They take positions on debate topics. We suggest foregrounding these positions, which are potential sources of conflict, through interface design as a scalable way to facilitate conflict management.


Although the identification of peripheral blood biomarkers would enhance early detection strategies for breast cancer, the discovery of protein markers has been challenging. In this study, we sought to identify coordinated changes in plasma proteins associated with breast cancer based on large-scale quantitative mass spectrometry. We analyzed plasma samples collected up to 74 weeks before diagnosis from 420 estrogen receptor (ER)(+) cases and matched controls enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative cohort. A gene set enrichment analysis was applied to 467 quantified proteins, linking their corresponding genes to particular biologic pathways. On the basis of differences in the concentration of individual proteins, glycolysis pathway proteins exhibited a statistically significant difference between cases and controls. In particular, the enrichment was observed among cases in which blood was drawn closer to diagnosis (effect size for the 0-38 weeks prediagnostic group, 1.91; P, 8.3E-05). Analysis of plasmas collected at the time of diagnosis from an independent set of cases and controls confirmed upregulated levels of glycolysis proteins among cases relative to controls. Together, our findings indicate that the concomitant release of glycolysis proteins into the plasma is a pathophysiologic event that precedes a diagnosis of ER(+) breast cancer.


Education policy decisions are both normatively and empirically challenging. These decisions require the consideration of both relevant values and empirical facts. Values tell us what we have reason to care about, and facts can be used to describe what is possible. Following Hamlin and Stemplowska, we distinguish between a theory of ideals and descriptions of feasibility. We argue that when feasibility constraints are used to rank competing states of affairs, two things must be articulated. First, one must explain why one feasibility constraint is preferred over another. Second, because of empirical uncertainty, one must describe the upper and lower bounds of a specified feasibility constraint. The first case implies that different optima are possible depending on, for example, what one takes to be fixed about the world. The second case implies that different optima are always possible, and the upper and lower bounds of these optima will depend on the empirical uncertainty of an estimated feasibility constraint. We then describe three distinct forms of empirical uncertainty. Careful consideration of these sources of uncertainty can help to mitigate the risks of imprecision. The article closes by considering a case study whereby a meritocratic conception of fair equality of opportunity is considered alongside competing values of priority and parental partiality.


Compact polarization control elements based on index-guiding soft-glass photonic crystal fibers infiltrated with nematic liquid crystals are proposed and thoroughly studied. The nematic director profiles at the fiber's cross section are consistently calculated by solving the coupled electrostatic and elastic problem, in the context of an analysis on the tunability of liquid-crystal-infiltrated photonic crystal fibers. The fiber's dispersive properties and light propagation in the proposed polarization controller are studied by means of a fully anisotropic finite-element-based beam propagation method. The electrically induced evolution of the state of polarization is mapped on the Poincaré sphere. Efficient polarization conversion is demonstrated, with a crosstalk of -50 dB, for a total device length of 4.65 mm and a maximum applied voltage of 150 V. Crosstalk values lower than -20 dB are achieved over a 30 nm window. The proposed devices are envisaged as compact all-in-fiber dynamic polarization controllers.


A 45-year-old female came to the clinic complaining of periorbital swelling and ptosis on the left upper eyelid that had started 6 months previously. She had received an autologous fat injection in the forehead 6 months prior, and there was no other ophthalmologic history. There were no abnormal findings, including pupil, extraocular movement, or fundus examination. There was eyebrow elevation of the left upper eyelid, and the marginal reflex distance 1 was 1 mm on the left eye compared to 4 mm on the right eye. There were a 2-cm-sized round and firm mass on the left upper eyelid that was not accompanied by tenderness. Orbital computed tomography showed heterogeneous infiltration with an ill-defined margin. Excisional biopsy and levator advancement were performed on the left upper eyelid, and histological findings showed chronic granulomatous inflammation with foreign body reaction and fat necrosis.A complete history for patient presentation with autologous fat injection is important when a periorbital mass is encountered clinically because granulomatous inflammation of the eyelid may occur after autologous fat injection in the forehead and can be related to migration of the injected fat.


Two prominent commissions recently proposed introducing a "chained" consumer price index (CPI) to adjust Social Security benefits, other government benefits, and the brackets in the federal income tax each year. The argument is that a chained CPI would be more accurate since it reflects the extent to which people substitute one item for another in the face of a price increase. The chained CPI is projected to rise about 0.3 percentage points per year more slowly than the current index. Thus, the change would result in lower cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for Social Security beneficiaries and for federal civilian and military retirees, and would also lead to an increase in federal taxes. Although this provision was not included in the initial package of cuts to raise the debt limit, it will almost certainly be considered by the Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, which has been assigned the task of identifying an additional $1.5 trillion in cuts over 10 years by the end of November. Therefore, it is important to understand how a chained CPI would work and how it would affect Social Security beneficiaries. This brief proceeds as follows. The first section describes what the CPI is intended to measure and how it is constructed. The second section summarizes progress to date in accounting for substitution and the goal and mechanics of creating a chained CPI. The third section discusses one of the assumptions underlying the improved accuracy of a chained CPI – namely, that the current index fully reflects the increase in prices faced by beneficiaries. This assumption may not hold, since the CPI-E, which re-weights components to reflect the market basket of the elderly, has risen more rapidly than the current index. The fourth section explores another underlying assumption of the chained CPI – namely, that everybody has an equal ability to substitute when relative prices change. To the extent that the low-income elderly lack this flexibility, adopting a chained version of the CPI would understate the impact of inflation on their welfare. The final section concludes that, under current circumstances, moving to a chained index should be viewed as a cut in benefits. The cut could impact the poor, who are less likely to be able to shift their spending patterns in response to price changes, and the oldest old as they see the effects compounding over time. The adverse impacts can be mitigated by one-time adjustments around age 85, as suggested by both commissions. But, in the current context, moving to a chained CPI is much more than a technical correction.


In Ziglar v. Abbasi, Justice Clarence Thomas recommended to the Court that, "[i]n an appropriate case, we should reconsider our qualified immunity jurisprudence." If the Supreme Court did find an appropriate case to reconsider qualified immunity, and took seriously available evidence about qualified immunity's historical precedents and current operation, it could not justify continued existence of the doctrine in its current form. Qualified immunity is historically unmoored, ineffective at achieving its policy ends, and detrimental to the development of constitutional law. Scholarly defenses of the doctrine are similarly unpersuasive. The Court should not feel constrained by stare decisis, given the questionable foundations of qualified immunity and the liberty the Court has taken with its scope and structure over the fifty years of its existence. And there are many ways, short of downright repeal, that the Court could adjust the doctrine to better reflect its role in constitutional litigation. The Supreme Court has created the mess that is qualified immunity, and it is time for them to clean it up.


Why do new legislative acts and regulations designed to improve schools have little impact on teaching? Why have so many attempts at school reform been so notably unsuccessful?; While seeking to answer these questions, Angus examined the complex issue of rules and regulations. He found a shell of rules around teaching that is guarded by unions and departmental officials. This shell is made up not only of official rules but also informal rules, some of which, even though unspoken, are highly influential. Collectively, these rules provide stability but also confine the extent of any change.; In "The Rules of School Reform" the author draws two separate but related conclusions that have serious implications for school improvement. Firstly, as long as the basic regulatory structures are left in place there is unlikely to be any enduring change to teaching. Secondly, should officials remove these structures, they will lose control of the system they are employed to manage. There is no escape from this dilemma. The author asks how can school reform succeed, unless we examine how established rule systems shape classroom life?