While rheological and microstructural complexities have posed tremendous challenges to researchers in developing first principles models and simulation techniques that can accurately and robustly predict the dynamical behaviour of polymeric flows, the past two decades have offered several significant advances towards accomplishing this goal. These accomplishments include: (1). Stable and accurate formulation of continuumlevel viscoelastic constitutive models and their efficient implementation using operator splitting methods to explore steady and transient flows in complex geometries, (2). Prediction of rheology of polymer solutions and melts based on micromechanical models as well as highly parallel self-consistent multiscale simulations of nonhomogeneous flows. The main objective of this study is to leverage and build upon the aforementioned advances to develop a quantitative understanding of the flow-microstructure coupling mechanisms in viscoelastic polymeric fluids and in turn predict, consistent with experiments, their essential macroscopic flow properties e.g. frictional drag, interface shape, etc. To this end, we have performed extensive continuum and multiscale flow simulations in several industrially relevant bulk and free surface flows. The primary motivation for the selection of the specific flow problems is based on their ability to represent different deformation types, and the ability to experimentally verify the simulation results as well as their scientific and industrial significance.


Extending business processes with semantic annotations has gained recent attention. This comprises relating process elements to ontology elements in order to create a shared conceptual and terminological understanding. In business process modeling, processes may have to adhere to a multitude of rules. A common way to detect compliance automatedly is studying the artifact of the process model itself. However, if an ontology exists as an additional artifact, it may prove beneficial to exploit this structure for compliance detection, as it provides a rich specification of the business process. We therefore propose an approach that models a rules-layer ontop of an ontology. Said rules-layer is implemented by a logic program and can be used to reason about the compliance of an underlying ontology. Our approach allows ad-hoc access to external ontologies, other than similar approaches that are reliant on a redundant logical representation of process model elements.


Gabriel Orozcos "Asterisms" is a two-part sculptural and photographic installation comprising thousands of items of detritus he gathered at two sites a playing field near his home in New York City and a coastal wildlife reserve in Baja California, Mexico. Presented as a taxonomic study of material, shape, size and colour, the exhibition highlights Orozcos subtle practice of subjecting the world to personal, idiosyncratic systems while invoking several of the artists recurring motifs, including the effects of erosion, the poetry of the mundane, the relationship between the macro and the micro, and the tension between nature and culture. Nancy Spector, Deputy Director and Chief Curator of the Guggenheim Museum, contributes an essay to this richly illustrated volume.


We present, to the best of our knowledge, the first exact analytical solitons of a nonlinear Helmholtz equation with a saturable refractive-index model. These new two-dimensional spatial solitons have a bistable characteristic in some parameter regimes, and they capture oblique (arbitrary-angle) beam propagation in both the forward and backward directions. New conservation laws are reported, and the classic paraxial solution is recovered in an appropriate multiple limit. Analysis and simulations examine the stability of both solution branches, and stationary Helmholtz solitons are found to emerge from a range of perturbed input beams.


In this study we present new petrological results from the Endora Klippe in the Central Zone of the Limpopo Belt, which may result from horizontal tectonics during the Proterozoic at c. 2.0Ga. Microstructures, assemblages and garnet zonation patterns observed in metapelitic rocks provide evidence that the Endora Klippe rocks underwent a contemporaneous pressure–temperature increase from c. 600°C/5kbar to 650°C/6.5kbar. This is inferred by the use of conventional geothermobarometry and interpretations based on quantitative phase diagrams in the system MnO–(TiO2)–(CaO)–(Na2O)–K2O–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O. Thus, the petrological results indicate that this part of the Central Zone only underwent a medium-grade metamorphic overprint during a single orogenic event and was never affected by granulite-facies metamorphism, as reported from other parts of the Limpopo Belt. The inferred P–T path, in combination with previous structural and petrological results, leads to the conclusion that the area surrounding the Endora Klippe forms the roof zone of the c. 2.0Ga old granulite-facies rocks forming wide parts of the Limpopo Central Zone.


Immigrant self-employment rates vary considerably across regions in Switzerland. Business ownership seems to provide an alternative to wage labour, where immigrants have to face structural barriers such as the limited knowledge of the local language, or difficulties in fruitfully making use of their own human capital. Despite the historically high unemployment rates with respect to natives, immigrants in Switzerland are less entrepreneurial. It is therefore important to uncover the determinants that may facilitate the transition from the status of immigrant to the one of economic agent. Among others factors, concentration in ethnic enclaves, as well as accumulated labour market experience and time elapsed since immigration, have been associated to higher business ownership rates. In this paper we use a cross-section of 2,490 Swiss municipalities in order to investigate the role played by the ethnic concentration of immigrants, as well as cultural factors, in determining self-employment rates.


Abstract This article explores how Sir Walter Scott's fictional condemned women serve as relics through which a history of evolving British legal authority becomes present and legible. It argues that Scott's treatment of gender aestheticizes a particular concept of and reaction to the condemned woman in the context of the common law tradition generally. Using the backdrop of eighteenth century penal practice, it also shows how Scott establishes the female condemned body as an object necessarily fixed in time in order to contemplate legal change through a historically controlled process. The first part of the article considers the late eighteenth century movement to abolish the punishment of burning at the stake for women convicted of treason, and the extent to which competing understandings of chivalry reified an entire history of penal practice into the body of the burned woman. The second part argues that the interrelations between archaic practice and evolved norm which characterize the precedent-based common law system are dramatized in the fixed, idealized bodies of Constance de Beverly and Rebecca of York through which Scott acknowledges the implicit need for legal change over time, while simultaneously legitimizing adherence to a chivalric tradition.


This paper presents a symbolic time series analysis methodology using to detect anomalies and predict the future health of electronic products. Due to the complexity of the system under analysis, a multivariate Mahalanobis Distance approach is used to reduce the dimensionality of the problem as well as to capture correlations between monitored performance parameters. A non-linear dynamic Markov model is developed from the symbolic representation of system dynamics to distinguish healthy from unhealthy system states. Novel anomaly measures are used to detect existing and emerging faults and failures. A case study is presented to demonstrate the capability of the proposed methodology in real time system health monitoring. In the case study, notebook computers are exposed to a set of environmental conditions representative of the extremes of their life cycle profiles. The performance parameters monitored in-situ during the experiments are used to define a baseline for healthy systems and to identify specific parameter behavior. The baseline of healthy systems is used to differentiate unhealthy systems from healthy ones. The proposed anomaly detection methodology is verified by injecting an artificial fault into the system. Results from the study demonstrate the potential of the approach for system diagnostics and prognostics.


"This study focuses on increasing our understanding of the different pathways converts take during conversion to Islam. It looks specifically at the following research question: "How do the pathways of converts involved in jihadist movements differ from those of converts who are not, in terms of their life prior to Islam, their conversion experience and the form of involvement with the Islamic community after conversion?" This question is addressed using semi-structured interviews with a diverse group of 26 Dutch converts to Islam. Results show that there are many similarities, yet also some differences in the pre-conversion lives of the converts we studied, in how they experienced the conversion itself and their involvement with Islamic communities after their conversion. The differences we found, emerged largely from how the respondents shaped and experienced their lives as Muslims. Here we noted not just the important role of the social milieu in which the converts find themselves, and how their surroundings react to their new identities, but also the influence of their own agency in terms of their reactions (or lack thereof) to perceived injustice and their efforts at self-study. Importantly, our study also highlights the fluidity and heterogeneity of the post-conversion experience. Just as Muslims should not be seen as a homogenous group, so too should care be taken to realise that converts' outlook on their religion can and does change over time, sometimes showing quite dramatic fluctuations from Salafi-Jihadist to non-believer. We hope that our study provides insights into conversion to Islam in general, that it helps address why some converts become involved with jihadist movements, but also that it underlines the importance of treating converts to Islam not as a potential security threat, but as a diverse group of individuals with different and evolving perceptions of their religion and their roles within it"


Background : This study aimed to determine: 1) the changes in the physical conditioning of under-19 soccer players, 2) the effects of strength training using resistance executed as a function of the speed of a Smith machine bar, 3) relationships between heart rate (HR) values recorded during training and competition and changes in players' physical conditioning.
Methods : Nineteen field players from a team in the U-19 Spanish first division participated in the study. Changes in jump ability (CMJ, CMJL), bar movement speed in a loaded full squat (FSL), sprint time over 30m (T10, T20, T30, T10-20, T10-30, T20-30), and maximal aerobic speed (MAS) were evaluated three times (E1, E2, E3) during the fourth months studied. Players' HR during practices and matches were recorded. Improvements in MAS, application of strength in CMJ, CMJL, and FSL were reported, while the players significantly worsening their sprint times.
Results : No significant relationships were found between HR values and changes in players' physical conditioning. Changes in sprint times (T30 and T10-30) were correlated with changes in bar speed for the FS60kg (r = 0.53-0.64, p < 0.05) and volume of strength training performed (r = 0.53-0.59, p < 0.05). These improvements in strength did not induce expected improvement in sprint time, possibly due to the interference effect between concurrent aerobic and strength training.
Conclusions : The results suggests that improved ability to accelerate could be related to improvements in loaded full squats moving at speed near 1m.s-1, and the inhibitor effect obtained shows the importance of monitoring the intensity of aerobic training.


This article presents a simple method for the detection and diagnosis of bearing faults, by fusing the information coming from two accelerometers. The method relies on three simple and intuitive features, extracted from the data coming from accelerometers placed at two different locations of the system under investigation. Our preliminary results indicate that by using simple statistical measures, such as the elements of the covariance matrix of the two sensors, faults at an early stage can be detected. In the proposed scheme, the extracted features are fed to a k-nearest neighbor classifier for diagnosis purposes or to an ensemble of one-class detectors, if only the information from normal situation is available. As it is proven, based on experimental results, in both scenarios a remarkably high detection/diagnostic performance is achieved.


Around 30 Mm3 of sawlogs are extracted annually by selective logging of natural production forests in Amazonia, Earth's most extensive tropical forest. Decisions concerning the management of these production forests will be of major importance for Amazonian forests' fate. To date, no regional assessment of selective logging sustainability supports decision-making. Based on data from 3500 ha of forest inventory plots, our modelling results show that the average periodic harvests of 20 m3 ha−1 will not recover by the end of a standard 30 year cutting cycle. Timber recovery within a cutting cycle is enhanced by commercial acceptance of more species and with the adoption of longer cutting cycles and lower logging intensities. Recovery rates are faster in Western Amazonia than on the Guiana Shield. Our simulations suggest that regardless of cutting cycle duration and logging intensities, selectively logged forests are unlikely to meet timber demands over the long term as timber stocks are predicted to steadily decline. There is thus an urgent need to develop an integrated forest resource management policy that combines active management of production forests with the restoration of degraded and secondary forests for timber production. Without better management, reduced timber harvests and continued timber production declines are unavoidable.


This report examines whether the excess total return to shareholders could be projected by common accounting and market ratios using regression analysis. Our four most important results indicate that; 1) growth stocks outperformed value stocks from 2002 to 2011, 2) size premium of small stocks was valid before the financial crisis in 2008, 3) companies are penalized by having relatively high cash reserves, and, 4) companies with high degree of leverage do not yield a risk premium in normal financial times, but are instead more influenced by such risks in financial recessions. We also show that differences between industry segments are present, and that some ratios could be more predictive when investigating separate segments. Finally, an investment strategy is constructed based on the result of our analysis. We showed that a positive risk-reward return could be earned by using only public information and the preceding year's cross-sectional regression estimates.


OBJECTIVE To assess glucose homeostasis and weight loss in morbidly obese patients undergoing Silastic® ring sleeve gas-trectomy. METHODS This was a prospective clinical study. Thirty-three female patients with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 42.33 ± 1.50 kg/m2 (range: 40–45 kg/m2), a mean age of 36.7 ± 9.4 years and a mean waist circumference of 118.7 ± 5.98 cm were included in this study. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was observed in 11 patients (33.3%), and glucose intolerance was observed in 4 patients (12.1%). Mean plasma fasting glucose levels were 109.77 ± 44.19 mg/dl (75–320) in the preoperative period. All Silastic® ring sleeve gastrectomy procedures were performed by the same surgical team using the same anesthetic technique. The patients were monitored for at least 12 months after surgery. RESULTS The mean weight of the patients decreased from 107.69 ± 6.57 kg to 70.52 ± 9.36 kg (p < 0.001), the mean BMI decreased to 27.4 ± 2.42 kg/m2 (p < 0.001), and the mean waist circumference decreased to 89.87 cm ± 6.66 (p < 0.001) in the postoperative period. Excess BMI loss was 86.5 ± 14.2%. Fasting glucose levels were reduced to 80.94 ± 6.3 mg/dl (p < 0.001). Remission of diabetes and glucose intolerance was observed in all patients. CONCLUSION Silastic® ring sleeve gastrectomy was effective in promoting weight loss, waist circumference reduction and control of glucose homeostasis in morbidly obese patients.


A linear model of a closed three-shaft Brayton cycle is developed. The model is intended to give an understanding of the dominant dynamic behavior in a nuclear power system that utilizes a closed three-shaft Brayton cycle. The insights gained from the model can be used for system design as well as for the design of control algorithms [S.T. Glad et al. (2001)] [B.Hendrisson et al., (2001)]. Linear models of the turbines and compressors are developed, followed by models of the shafts and the volumes inside the circuit. Thereafter, the system equations are derived from the component models and put into state space format. Finally, a time domain comparison is made between the linear system model and the responses predicted by the thermal-fluid analysis software program, Flownex.


Governing equations of motion for a viscous incompressible material surface are derived from the balance laws of continuum mechanics. The surface is treated as a time-dependent smooth orientable manifold of codimension one in an ambient Euclidian space. We use elementary tangential calculus to derive the governing equations in terms of exterior differential operators in Cartesian coordinates. The resulting equations can be seen as the Navier-Stokes equations posed on an evolving manifold. We consider a splitting of the surface Navier-Stokes system into coupled equations for the tangential and normal motions of the material surface. We then restrict ourselves to the case of a geometrically stationary manifold of codimension one embedded in $\Bbb{R}^n$. For this case, we present new well-posedness results for the simplified surface fluid model consisting of the surface Stokes equations. Finally, we propose and analyze several alternative variational formulations for this surface Stokes problem, including constrained and penalized formulations, which are convenient for Galerkin discretization methods.


Abstract. We developed a carbon data assimilation system to estimate surface
carbon fluxes using the local ensemble transform Kalman filter (LETKF) and
atmospheric transport model GEOS-Chem driven by the MERRA-1 reanalysis of
the meteorological field based on the Goddard Earth Observing System model,
version 5 (GEOS-5). This assimilation system is inspired by the method of
Kang et al. (2011, 2012), who estimated the surface carbon fluxes in an
observing system simulation experiment (OSSE) as evolving parameters in the
assimilation of the atmospheric CO2, using a short assimilation window
of 6 h. They included the assimilation of the standard meteorological
variables, so that the ensemble provided a measure of the uncertainty in the
CO2 transport. After introducing new techniques such as "variable
localization", and increased observation weights near the surface, they
obtained accurate surface carbon fluxes at grid-point resolution. We
developed a new version of the local ensemble transform Kalman
filter related to the "running-in-place"
(RIP) method used to accelerate the spin-up of ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) data assimilation
(Kalnay and Yang, 2010; Wang et al., 2013; Yang et al., 2012). Like RIP, the
new assimilation system uses the "no cost smoothing" algorithm for the
LETKF (Kalnay et al., 2007b), which allows shifting the Kalman
filter solution forward or backward within an assimilation window at no cost. In the
new scheme a long "observation window" (e.g., 7 d or longer) is used to
create a LETKF ensemble at 7 d. Then, the RIP smoother is used to obtain
an accurate final analysis at 1 d. This new approach has the advantage of
being based on a short assimilation window, which makes it more accurate,
and of having been exposed to the future 7 d observations, which improves
the analysis and accelerates the spin-up. The assimilation and observation
windows are then shifted forward by 1 d, and the process is repeated.
This reduces significantly the analysis error, suggesting that the newly
developed assimilation method can be used with other Earth system models,
especially in order to make greater use of observations in conjunction with
models.


This painting is dominated by Battersea Bridge, with Chelsea Old Church and the lights of the newly-built Albert Bridge just visible in the background. The Thames has long signified the condition and power of London. Whistler, however, does not portray the riverside crowded with factories, warehouses, wharves and mills, but the atmospheric effects of the water in the evening. He wrote 'when the evening mist clothes the riverside with poetry...tall chimneys become campanili [bell towers] and the warehouses are palaces in the night and the whole city hangs in the heavens and fairy land is before us'.
 (From the display caption April 2009)

 http://www.tate.org.uk


Dear Reader, Those among us who have reached a certain age tend to have developed a long-term perspective and inclination to look back on individual years and to compare them for their respective blessings and injuries. In that sense, 2016 seems to take a special rank as an annus horribilis not just in my own assessment but in numerous commentaries we have come across over the past weeks. Foremost in our awareness featured the surprises: Nobody in my direct acquaintance foretold the Trump phenomenon or the Brexit decision. To find events equally unanticipated and far-reaching, one would have to go back to the 2007/8 financial crash, the 9/11 attacks, the dissolution of the USSR, or the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.


ABSTRACT Many studies focus on trans identity development in young individuals and on the stressors they face, but leave out the particularities of transitioning as an adult, particularly as a transwoman. This study remedies this gap by conducting qualitative interviews on a sample of six transwomen, in the UK, analysed using IPA. While young individuals typically experience a period of dissonance, followed by exploration and finally transition, adults may undergo a different sequence of self-discovery. The current research found that older transwomen generally grew up feeling different, but that their lack of exposure to other trans individuals and the anticipation of negative reactions delayed their transition and led them to engage in over compensatory behaviour. The participants began exploring their identity with the spread of the internet, by seeking new relationships that could bolster their need for coherence, while temporarily neglecting individuals that may have be non-verifying. The respondents thereafter came out to the majority of their ecosystem, forcing them to redefine their relationships and place in society. Physically transitioning improved most of the participants' mental wellbeing, through a newfound sense of authenticity and coherence, although this was generally mitigated by the consistency of support offered by family and friends.


Our study explores the role of individual entrepreneurial competencies in the shaping of social networks around nascent entrepreneurs. We employ GEM's dataset on the process of networking in the MENA region to empirically define three types of social networks: limited, private, and diverse. This allowed us to explore the relationship between an entrepreneur's network type and his/her individual competencies (startup-skills, opportunity-recognition and risk-willingness) as they evolve during the emergence of the respondent's networks. Using multinomial logistic regression methodology we show a small, but reliable relationship between startup-skills, opportunity-recognition, risk-willingness, and the phase of development of the respondent's enterprise.


Outsourcing Household Tasks in 1973-2002 Among the Working Mothers of America By Mahmoud Mahmoud Khaial August, 2004 The United States has 70 percent of married mothers and 79 percent of single mothers with children under the age of 18 participating in the work force (U.S. Census Bureau, 2002). Most women in the labor force work primarily because the family needs the money. Because of the decline in real family income over the past two decades, most families find it essential for both parents to work to support them at a level that used to be achieved by one wage-earner, and in many families two earners are required to keep the family out of poverty. As a result of their inability to meet all the demands of work and home, including child care, outsourcing of daily household tasks has become a common practice for working mothers, both single and married -mothers households (Branch, 2001). The purpose of this study was to examine the general progress of the purchase of s e ~ c e s that replace households production from the year 1994 through 2002 as an extension of a study conducted by Haron (2000), whch focused on outsourcing of household tasks in 1973,1983 and 1993 among single-mother and married-mother households. Specifically, the purchase service expenditures of working married and single mothers are examined. The research objectives were to analyze new purchased service expenditure patterns, which were added to the study data conducted by Haron (2000) and to determine if the outsourcing pattern have remained the same or have changed over time. The objectives were also to determine if trends are continuing or not; to analyze factors influencing households expenditures on purchased services; to estimate the budget share allocated to each purchased services as a proportion of total expenditures, and to estimate the income elasticity of demand for purchased services of the three models: all-household, married-mother, and single-mother households. The study included three models: all-households, married-mother and single-mother households. The Study analyzed purchases of services that replace households' production between 1973-2002. The theoretical framework was taken from a prior study conducted by Haron (2000). The dependent variables are the households annual spending on each purchased services category, i.e., food away from home (FAFH), childcare (ChC), and of housekeeping supplies and services (HKSS). Research results were generated through the use of descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis to examine the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. The results of this study showed that married-mother households (young family, mature family, and adult children family) show a steady increase in both income and expenditure levels, the increase in average FAFK and HKSS expenQtures is largest as the chldren age h m younger than 6 years old to between 6 and 17 years old; the increase in income is largest as the children age from between 6 and 17 years old to over 18. For both, married and single-mother households, Annual Expenditure on FAFH has a high correlation with Income after Taxes (I' = 0.974, P value <0.001). Annual expenditure on ChC has a high correlation with family income after tax, mothers' level of education and mothers' employment status. All were highly statistically s i d c a n t with <0.0001 of P value indicating that these 3 factors are highly influential in predicting the number of children enrolled in child care kilities (ChC) per category.


Today, the executive enjoys unprecedented power, particularly in the area of national security. By and large, this authority is not meaningfully restrained by Congress or the courts. However, some scholars argue that the presidency is still kept in check by the rule of law and politics. According to this view, substantive and procedural laws and internal executive branch rules combine with political efforts by the public, like voting, to hold the President accountable. This Article challenges this view. It argues that the rule of law and politics do not always work together to restrain the executive. Instead, law can sometimes undermine political efforts to check the presidency, particularly where minority rights or interests are concerned.

Focusing on the national security domain, this Article demonstrates how some laws and programs that are consistent with the rule of law frustrate executive accountability. These initiatives give the President far-reaching powers, threaten civil liberties, and disproportionately impact communities of color. While this is precisely where political accountability is most needed, it often fails to materialize. As this Article explains, the rule of law's influence over social norms and behaviors helps explain this result. Facially neutral national security programs that disproportionately affect a small, disfavored group of Americans—in this case, Arabs and Muslims—legitimize and further their marginalization. This legalized discrimination undermines the solidarity—or "social cohesion"—between groups necessary for political accountability. This contrasts with other legalistic national security initiatives that also involve broad executive powers and threaten civil liberties but have generated efforts at political accountability.

This Article compares various national security programs to understand how the rule of law and politics can better combine to check presidential actions that negatively affects minorities. In adopting this comparative approach, this Article unpacks the complex relationship between the rule of law, politics, and executive power in the national security arena. Based on the resulting insights, it presents preliminary solutions to the rule of law's failure to further political accountability for communities of color in some cases.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The characterization of peripheral nerve sheath tumors is challenging. The purpose here was to investigate the diagnostic value of quantitative proton MR spectroscopy at 3T for the characterization of peripheral nerve sheath tumors as benign or malignant, compared with PET. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty participants with 24 peripheral nerve sheath tumors underwent MR spectroscopy by use of a point-resolved sequence (TE, 135 ms). Six voxels were placed in 4 histologically proven malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors and 22 voxels in 20 benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors (9 histologically proven, 11 with documented stability). The presence or absence of a trimethylamine signal was evaluated, the trimethylamine concentration estimated by use of phantom replacement methodology, and the trimethylamine fraction relative to Cr measured. MR spectroscopy results for benign and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors were compared by use of a Mann-Whitney test, and concordance or discordance with PET findings was recorded. RESULTS: In all malignant tumors and in 9 of 18 benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors, a trimethylamine peak was detected, offering the presence of trimethylamine as a sensitive (100%), but not specific (50%), marker of malignant disease. Trimethylamine concentrations (2.2 2.8 vs 6.6 5.8 institutional units; P .049) and the trimethylamine fraction (27 42 vs 88 22%; P .012) were lower in benign than malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. A trimethylamine fraction threshold of 50% resulted in 100% sensitivity (95% CI, 58.0%–100%) and 72.2% (95% CI, 59.5%–75%) specificity for distinguishing benign from malignant disease. MR spectroscopy and PET results were concordant in 12 of 16 cases, (2 false-positive results for MR spectroscopy and PET each). CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative measurement of trimethylamine concentration by use of MR spectroscopy is feasible in peripheral nerve sheath tumors and shows promise as a method for the differentiation of benign and malignant lesions. Trimethylamine presence within a peripheral nerve sheath tumor is a sensitive marker of malignant disease, but quantitative measurement of trimethylamine content is required to improve specificity.


Bao et al. studied the relationship between neuropeptide release and insertion of δ opioid receptors (DORs) into the plasma membrane of sensory neurons and discovered a novel positive-feedback mechanism whereby DOR activation led to DOR insertion and the release of the excitatory neuropeptide, calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP). The analgesic effects of opiates are effected in part through an inhibition of evoked neuropeptide release, mediated by presynaptic μ and δ opiate receptors located on the terminals of dorsal root ganglion neurons (DRGs). In small DRGs, most DORs are cytoplasmic and are often associated with large dense core vesicles (LDCVs) that store neuropeptides, rather than being found on the cell surface. Bao et al. stimulated dissociated DRGs or PC12 cells with deltorphin-1 (delt), a selective DOR agonist, and observed redistribution of DOR-immunoreactive (DOR-Ir) LDCVs toward the cell surface as well as the appearance of DOR-Ir on the cell surface. Membrane capacitance measurements confirmed that delt, as well as leucine-enkephalin, stimulated slow, prolonged vesicular exocytosis. The authors used Ca2+-imaging in combination with Ca2+ replacement and pharmacological analysis to show that DOR redistribution and exocytosis in response to delt depended on both Ca2+ influx and Ca2+ release from intracellular inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive stores. DOR stimulation also stimulated movement of CGRP-immunoreactive (CGRP-Ir) vesicles toward the cell surface and the appearance of CGRP-Ir in the incubation medium. The stimulation of CGRP release and DOR insertion by DOR agonists suggests that combining μ opiate receptor agonists with DOR antagonists may be more effective in producing analgesia than stimulating both classes of receptor. L. Bao, S.-X. Jin, C. Zhang, L.-H. Wang, Z.-Z. Xu, F.-X. Zhang, L.-C. Wang, F.-S. Ning, H.-J. Cai, J.-S. Guan, H.-S. Xiao, Z.-Q. D. Xu, C. He, T. Hökfelt, Z. Zhou, X. Zhang, Activation of delta opioid receptors induces receptor insertion and neuropeptide secretion. Neuron 37, 121-133 (2003). [Online Journal]


This examination paper has been commissioned by the Tunnel and Bridge unit of Ramboll in Stockholm. The purpose of the report is to describe the procedure of constructing a calculation template in Excel for the designing of a retaining wall, based on the principles of Lean design. The intention of making processes more efficient in order to save time and improve quality exists within most businesses. In management literature, one reappearing tool for making processes more efficient in the construction consulting industry is called Lean design. Lean design can be applied to all design and calculation processes for different types of bridges and structures. This report describes the background to Lean design and the process of trying to implement its principles in the making of a calculation template for the designing of a retaining wall. The purpose is to enable a more efficient designing process, where calculations are standardized, and the results of the process are comprehensibly presented to other actors within the consulting business, such as reviewers and CAD designers. The template is to be used for designing retaining walls in different situations depending on, for instance, construction and soil material, geometry and loads. Consequently, a major part of this report has been devoted to standardizing calculations for load effects and bearing capacity in the construction, depending on different possible settings. Designing is regulated by Eurocodes and national annexes, why it is important to refer to relevant chapters in the regulations. The regulations depend on settings and the field of application for the construction. Therefore, some generalizations of the design process have been made. However, during the process it has been clear that implementation of Lean design is one possible way of making construction design more efficient when it comes to time and quality.


The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the anthropometrics parameters for the evaluation of overweight and obesity in adult population that is one of the risk factor for metabolic disorders and cardio-vascular pathology. The target of our study is to describe the variations of anthropometric parameters of the Latvian women population. The present paper includes the analysis of data of 200 women in the age 40–65 years. We evaluated the anthropometrics indicators in Latvian women in the age over 40 years, various somatometric measurements – height (cm), the body mass (kg), the circumference of the waist and hips (cm) – and calculated the mean parameters, the Body Mass Index and the Waist Hip Ratio. The respondents of the study group were divided into five age subgroups. We provided the analysis of anthropometric data, compared them with the data from other European countries. We have fixed the high prevalence of overweight and obesity in the examined women groups and proposed potential activities to reduce them.


E-moderators are the new generation of teachers and trainers who work with learners online. There has been explosive growth of online teaching and learning, training, resources and events, and the e-moderator is central to its quality and success. This is a ground-breaking book, which will be essential for the electronic-learning community. Practical and accessible, it is based on Gilly Salmon's considerable experience and research. It explains the qualities and competencies required of those teaching, training or developing materials in the online field, and how their skills can be developed. It presents a user's guide to working effectively in the virtual world, backed up with case studies and specific information about how to be a successful e-moderator, along with its unique collection of resources for practitioners, original research material and learner-oriented consideration of outcomes. Contents include: * What is e-moderating? * CMC in education and training * E-moderating, the key to the future of online teaching * Resources for practitioners. E-Moderating is for any and all teachers, instructors, tutors or facilitators operating in any electronic environment. From simply posting notes on the Internet at the end of a physical teaching or training session through to fully fledged distance learning, it makes full use of the most up-to-date communications and information technology. It will also be valuable reading for software designers, teachers in schools, and for anyone with management responsibilities in education or training.


Objective: The present report describes the green synthesis of Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using Argemone maxicana leaf extract by an eco-friendly approach. Also, the in-vitro cytotoxicity of prepared ZnO NPs against the cardiac cell lines of Sahul India Catla catla fish (SICH) was studied.
Methods: ZnO NPs were prepared by using Argemone maxicana leaf extract as reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesized ZnO NPs have been characterized by using techniques such as FT-IR, XRD, UVVis, Photo luminescence, EDS and SEM instruments. Also, the in-vitro cytotoxicity of the synthesized ZnO NPs was tested against the SICH cell lines.
Results: The synthesized ZnO NPs were analysed using different characterization techniques. XRD and SEM have confirmed the cubic structure of the prepared ZnO NPs with crystalline nature. FTIR showed the capping of plant biomolecules onto the surface of ZnO NPs. The in-vitro cytotoxicity of Argemone maxicana extract mediated ZnO NPs showed the concentration dependant cytotoxicity against SICH cell lines.
Conclusions: A simple, fast and environment friendly approach for the preparation of ZnO NPs using Argemone maxicana leaf extract is showed in this work. Argemone maxicana extract mediated ZnO NPs have showed the concentration dependant cytotoxicity against SICH cell lines.


Alterations in nuclear morphology are common in cancer progression. However, the degree to which gross morphological abnormalities translate into compromised higher‐order chromatin organization is poorly understood. To explore the functional links between gene expression and chromatin structure in breast cancer, we performed RNA‐seq gene expression analysis on the basal breast cancer progression model based on human MCF10A cells. Positional gene enrichment identified the major histone gene cluster at chromosome 6p22 as one of the most significantly upregulated (and not amplified) clusters of genes from the normal‐like MCF10A to premalignant MCF10AT1 and metastatic MCF10CA1a cells. This cluster is subdivided into three sub‐clusters of histone genes that are organized into hierarchical topologically associating domains (TADs). Interestingly, the sub‐clusters of histone genes are located at TAD boundaries and interact more frequently with each other than the regions in‐between them, suggesting that the histone sub‐clusters form an active chromatin hub. The anchor sites of loops within this hub are occupied by CTCF, a known chromatin organizer. These histone genes are transcribed and processed at a specific sub‐nuclear microenvironment termed the major histone locus body (HLB). While the overall chromatin structure of the major HLB is maintained across breast cancer progression, we detected alterations in its structure that may relate to gene expression. Importantly, breast tumor specimens also exhibit a coordinate pattern of upregulation across the major histone gene cluster. Our results provide a novel insight into the connection between the higher‐order chromatin organization of the major HLB and its regulation during breast cancer progression.


This book explores the two major elements of Hintikkas model of inquiry: underlying game theoretical motivations and the central role of questioning. The chapters build on the Hintikkan tradition extending Hintikkas model and present a wide variety of approaches to the philosophy of inquiry from different directions, ranging from erotetic logic to Lakatosian philosophy, from socio-epistemologic approaches to strategic reasoning and mathematical practice. Hintikka's theory of inquiry is a well-known example of a dynamic epistemic procedure. In an interrogative inquiry, the inquirer is given a theory and a question. He then tries to answer the question based on the theory by posing questions to nature or an oracle. The initial formulation of this procedure by Hintikka is rather broad and informal. This volume introduces a carefully selected responses to the issues discussed by Hintikka. The articles in the volume were contributed by various authors associated with a research project on Hintikka's interrogative theory of inquiry conducted in the Institut dHistoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques (IHPST) of Paris, including those who visited to share their insight.


Objectives Zinc (Zn) is related to insulin synthesis, storage, and secretion. This study demonstrates the effects of Zn supplementation in donor rats on the outcomes of islet transplantation. Methods Donor rats received 3 different regimens of dietary Zn supplementation for 2 weeks before undergoing pancreas donation: a standard diet containing Zn at 50 ppm (control), 1 ppm (low-Zn group) or 1000 ppm (high-Zn group), respectively. Diabetic recipient rats underwent islet transplantation, and the blood glucose levels and insulin secretion were monitored for 7 days after transplantation. Results The serum and pancreatic Zn levels at the time of donation were significantly lower in the low-Zn group (48.8 ± 25.5 µg/dL and 11.3 ± 1.9 µg/g) and higher in the high-Zn group (147.3 ± 17.6 µg/dL and 18.7 ± 2.2 µg/g) when compared with those observed in the controls (118.7 ± 7.9 µg/dL and 14.6 ± 2.0 µg/g) (P < 0.05). The blood glucose levels became re-elevated 2 days after transplantation in rats receiving islet grafts from the controls and the low-Zn groups. In contrast, in the rats that received islets from the high-Zn groups, these were maintained within a reference range (P < 0.01). Conclusions These data indicate that a Zn-rich diet for donor rats improves the function of islet grafts in chemically induced diabetic rats.


Seepage meters, like most benthic flux chamber techniques, come with inherent concerns about how their presence may alter the environment and flow regimen of the benthic boundary layer and underlying sediments. Flow due to wave and current movement across topographic features induces a downward and upward flow field within the sediments surrounding the feature. We found this Bernoulli‐induced flow is a real, but maybe minor, component of measured advection using seepage meters. This study was conducted in a Florida coastal lagoon to test the physical forcing mechanisms that may influence seepage measurements from sediments. Calculated Bernoulli seepage was within the measured background (~1 to 2 cm day−1) expected from seepage meters when a plastic barrier beneath the device is used to inhibit natural seepage contributions. Nearby seepage measurements made with Lee‐type seepage meters placed directly in the sediments ranged from 1 to 12 cm day−1. Thus, when seepage flow is very slow from sediments, Bernoulli‐induced seepage may obscure the measurement. However, this study demonstrates that seepage in the Indian River Lagoon must be driven by forces other than Bernoulli‐induced (pumped) flow. Suggestions for these forcing mechanisms highlight the uncertainty of the water source(s) in seepage measurements. In these Florida lagoon sediments, bioirrigation and terrestrial groundwater inputs are the most likely drivers, depending on distance from shore, benthic community composition, and continental recharge. Seepage measurements can be an excellent measure of advection in shallow‐water marine sediments if Bernoulli‐induced seepage is taken into account either experimentally or calculated based on local hydrographic and meteorological data.


In various matching market settings, such as hospital-doctor matching markets (Hatfield and Milgrom 2005), the existence of stable outcomes depends on substitutability of preferences. But can these stable matchings be computed efficiently, as in the one-to-one matching case? The algorithm of (Hatfield and Milgrom 2005) requires efficient implementation of a choice function over substitutable preferences. We show that even given efficient access to a value oracle or preference relation satisfying substitutability, exponentially many queries may be required in the worst case to implement a choice function. Indeed, this extends to examples where a stable matching requires exponential time to compute. We characterize the computational complexity of stable matchings by showing that efficient computation of a choice function is equivalent to efficient verification—determining whether or not, for a given set, the most preferred subset is the entire set itself. Clearly, verification is necessary for computation, but we show that it is also sufficient: specifically, given a verifier, we design a polynomial-time algorithm for computing a choice function, implying an efficient algorithm for stable matching. We then show that a verifier can be implemented efficiently for various classes of functions, such as submodular functions, implying efficient stable matching algorithms for a broad range of settings. We also investigate the effect of ties in the preference order, which causes complications both in defining substitutes and in computation. In this case, we tightly connect the computational complexity of the choice function to a measure on the number of ties.


In 2018 the biographies of two women who have shaped and animated the city's theatrical life since the 1930s were published in Montréal: one, Madame Jean-Louis Audet, dedicating herself to the training of actors through her diction courses, the other, Monique Miller, playing key roles in the Montreal and the international theatre scene. The paths of the two women are outlined in two volumes –  signed respectively by Muriel Gold and Pierre Audet –  rich in iconographic documents that allow to relive some important episodes of Québec's sociolinguistic and cultural history. The aim of this contribution is to highlight how the two writings can be useful sources for the study of some of the changes that marked the advent of the 'Révolution tranquille': the first signs of women's emancipation, the emergence of Québec's cultural production, the advent of television and its correlations with the other performing arts (theater, radio, cinema), the role of some actors in Québec's linguistic, ideological and artistic evolution


This article considers how traditional physical memorials to war and other catastrophic events differ from online memorials in the Web 2.0 environment and it asks what the benefits and drawbacks of each may be. There has always been an awkward fit between the public statements embodied in monuments to those who died in war and the personal stories told by individuals who returned. This disjuncture serves to demonstrate that the two ways of remembering traumatic events—the collective and the individual—have traditionally been poles apart and often contradictory. Gradually, over the past two decades, with the increasing influence of critical theories that have questioned national and other dominating discourses—and also with growing interest within the field of clinical psychology in what is now labeled posttraumatic stress disorder—there has been an increasing interest in the vast underlayer of personal stories that national narratives have shut out or silenced. What can new interactive digital modes for r...


In this paper, we study the optimal mix of monetary and macroprudential policies in an estimated two-country model of the euro area. The model includes real, nominal, and financial frictions, and hence both monetary and macroprudential policy can play a role. We find that the introduction of a macroprudential rule would help reduce macroeconomic volatility, improve welfare, and partially substitute for the lack of national monetary policies. Macroprudential policy would always increase the welfare of savers, but its effects on borrowers depend on the shock that hits the economy. In particular, macroprudential policy may entail welfare costs for borrowers under technology shocks, by increasing the countercyclical behavior of lending spreads.


Purpose To compare intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction and to develop a predictive surgery calculator based on the results between trabectome-mediated ab interno trabeculectomy in pseudophakic patients versus phacoemulsification combined with trabectome-mediated ab interno trabeculectomy in phakic patients. Methods This observational surgical cohort study analyzed pseudophakic patients who received trabectome-mediated ab interno trabeculectomy (AIT) or phacoemulsification combined with AIT (phaco-AIT). Follow up for less than 12 months or neovascular glaucoma led to exclusion. Missing data was imputed by generating 5 similar but non-identical datasets. Groups were matched using Coarsened Exact Matching based on age, gender, type of glaucoma, race, preoperative number of glaucoma medications and baseline intraocular pressure (IOP). Linear regression was used to examine the outcome measures consisting of IOP and medications. Results Of 949 cases, 587 were included consisting of 235 AIT and 352 phaco-AIT. Baseline IOP between groups was statistically significant (p≤0.01) in linear regression models and was minimized after Coarsened Exact Matching. An increment of 1 mmHg in baseline IOP was associated with a 0.73±0.03 mmHg IOP reduction. Phaco-AIT had an IOP reduction that was only 0.73±0.32 mmHg greater than that of AIT. The resulting calculator to determine IOP reduction consisted of the formula -13.54+0.73 × (phacoemulsification yes:1, no:0) + 0.73 × (baseline IOP) + 0.59 × (secondary open angle glaucoma yes:1, no:0) + 0.03 × (age) + 0.09 × (medications). Conclusions This predictive calculator for minimally invasive glaucoma surgery can assist clinical decision making. Only a small additional IOP reduction was observed when phacoemulsification was added to AIT. Patients with a higher baseline IOP had a greater IOP reduction.


Background. The use of conceptual frameworks has been advocated when implementing interprofessional initiatives. Objective. To present the use of the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) and the community-based rehabilitation (CBR) matrix for identifying and addressing the health needs of the community. Methods. The ICF care plan and the CBR matrix were used to conduct a retrospective document analysis. The documents were completed by interprofessional groups of students who were involved in an interprofessional community-based intervention. Data were captured on a sheet and analysed descriptively using the domains of the ICF and the CBR matrix. Ethical clearance was obtained from the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa. Results. A total of 30 senior nursing, physiotherapy and biokinetics students were divided into groups and interacted with five community-based groups. Each group of students completed one ICF care plan and one CBR matrix. The needs documented in the ICF care plans included impairments, activity limitations, participation restrictions and environmental challenges. Impairments included sensory, motor and psychological impairments, while activity limitations included limitations in activities of daily living and mobility. Limited social interaction and physical environment were identified as experienced environmental challenges. The interventions documented to address these needs included health promotion, prevention, medical care, skills development and facilitation of access to justice. Conclusion. The ICF and CBR matrix can be used to facilitate students' identification of the needs of communities and the implementation of interventions to address these needs in an interprofessional manner.


This thesis investigates the use of low temperature plasmas as a means of improving the surface properties of hard gas permeable contact lenses. It is important that the polymers used for this application should have good optical properties, should allow transport of oxygen to the cornea and be biocompatible, that is they should not stimulate an adverse response in the tissues which they contact. Whilst most patients have no problems with current materials there are a significant number who experience irritation of the eyes and abnormal build up of deposits on the lens surface. It has been found that mild oxygen plasma treatment of the contact lens can be helpful in alleviating these problems. In this volume the effects of such treatment are examined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and alternative treatments proposed. It is found that the oxygen plasma treatment increases the wettability of the lens surface by the incorporation of oxygen in the polymer. This effect decays with time but is not wholly lost on prolonged storage. The mechanism of this decay appears to be a migration of oxidized material from the surface and is dependent on the storage conditions. During this decay an anomalous transient increase in hydrophilicity was encountered which can be associated with the temporary return of highly oxidized material to the surface. This effect is observed in other polymers and can be shown to be temperature dependent. The use of plasma polymerization as an alternative treatment was investigated and a number of materials produced with similar surface properties to the oxygen treated lens material. It was hoped that a coating would be generally applicable to a variety of lens materials.*Adsorption studies showed that the oxygen treated material has the property of reversibly adsorbing glycoproteins which may account for its performance in the eye. Some of the plasma polymer coatings gave a similar response.


The article presents a place of agricultural holdings and enterprises in the food chain. It demonstrates that, despite a decline in both the share of agriculture in: the Gross Domestic Product, employment, and the share of food expenditure in household expenditure, agricultural holdings and enterprises constitute a fundamental and inalienable link in the food chain. Agri-food products determine the positive balance of foreign trade in these products. Furthermore, the article discusses efficiency drivers for the food chain. The most important ones include cooperative ties between the links in the chain.


ABSTRACT Tissue development and homeostasis are controlled by mechanical cues. Perturbation of the mechanical equilibrium triggers restoration of mechanostasis through changes in cell behavior, while defects in these restorative mechanisms lead to mechanopathologies, for example, osteoporosis, myopathies, fibrosis or cardiovascular disease. Therefore, sensing mechanical cues and integrating them with the biomolecular cell fate machinery is essential for the maintenance of health. The Notch signaling pathway regulates cell and tissue fate in nearly all tissues. Notch activation is directly and indirectly mechanosensitive, and regulation of Notch signaling, and consequently cell fate, is integral to the cellular response to mechanical cues. Fully understanding the dynamic relationship between molecular signaling, tissue mechanics and tissue remodeling is challenging. To address this challenge, engineered microtissues and computational models play an increasingly large role. In this Review, we propose that Notch takes on the role of a 'mechanostat', maintaining the mechanical equilibrium of tissues. We discuss the reciprocal role of Notch in the regulation of tissue mechanics, with an emphasis on cardiovascular tissues, and the potential of computational and engineering approaches to unravel the complex dynamic relationship between mechanics and signaling in the maintenance of cell and tissue mechanostasis. Summary: This Review presents evidence that Notch signaling is directly and indirectly mechanosensitive, and discusses engineered and computational approaches to help unravel its complex dynamics.


As consumers become more conscious of marketing messages, and as media fragmentation increases, companies are turning to Brand Ambassadors to spread 'credible' messages and advice on their products and services. Consider that during the five years between 2001 and 200 , the number of TV channels in South Africa increased by 5%, radio stations by 10%, consumer magazines by 27%, community press by 44%, and DSTV audio by 5%. This media fragmentation has made it increasingly difficult for marketers to reach the same amount of people, and when coupled with media inflation, often leads to single-media, as opposed to multi-media, campaigns.


OBJECTIVES--To survey the health status of the temporarily homeless population of North West Thames region and make comparisons with regional residents. DESIGN--Direct interview with standardised questionnaires. SETTING--Temporarily homeless people resident in hotels in the London boroughs in the North West Thames region and a random sample of regional residents. SUBJECTS--137 hotels thought to be providing accommodation to homeless people selected at random from a list of 295. 113 (82%) participated in the study, and 319 (61%) of 522 homeless people approached participated. The study was restricted to adults aged 16 and over selected at random. RESULTS--The homeless population was predominantly female (195/319; 61%), young (229 (72%) aged 16-34), and poor, 54% (172/319) receiving income support. 207 subjects (65%) had dependent children aged 16 and under. Rates of acute illness among homeless people (32 cases; 10%) were similar to those reported by regional residents. The prevalence of longstanding limiting illness (108 cases; 34%) was similar to that for regional residents, but the prevalence of mental morbidity was twice that for the region as a whole (145 cases (45%) v 1485 (18%)). Utilisation of general practitioner services, accident and emergency departments, and inpatient admission was much higher by the homeless population than by regional residents. General practitioner registration rates were above 90% for the homeless sample. CONCLUSIONS--Survey data provide empirical evidence about the nature and characteristics of the temporarily homeless population. The high service utilisation recorded may, in part, have resulted from the higher morbidity in this sample of homeless people. The concentration of homeless people into specific locations may suggest that additional funding should be provided to the district which provides care to this group. However, such funding should not necessarily be used for additional acute care but should be used to purchase appropriate services which meet the health needs of this very young, poor and vulnerable group.


OBJECTIVES
The aim of the study was to explore factors that may influence mental health status of HIV-infected patients, and to figure out a method that could effectively classify the patients by evaluating the severity of their mental health problems.

METHODS
Eighty-five patients were recruited and divided into two groups: the low risk group (LRG, n = 38) and the high risk group (HRG, n = 47). All patients finished Symptom Check-List 90 Revised (SCL-90-R) which is a multidimensional questionnaire designed to screen for a broad range of psychological problems.

RESULTS
SCL-90-R scores of HRG were significantly higher than those of the general population and did not differ from those of psychosomatic outpatients. Scores of LRG were significantly lower than those of psychosomatic outpatients and did not differ from those of the general population in most subscales. HIV-infected men having sex with men and unemployed patients had much higher incidence of mental health problems.

CONCLUSION
Besides undistinguishable group psychotherapy, we call for a clinical screening by psychological questionnaires at the first step, and then at-risk or high-risk patients should be given corresponding and individualized treatments. More attention and health care should be given to HIV-infected men who have sex with men and unemployed patients.


It has been demonstrated that reactive magnetron sputtering can be controlled in low
pumping speed vacuum system through observation of the spectral line emission by the
plasma emission monitor (PEM). Confining the deposition process in an enclosed
volume has provided the gettering-pumping action needed to deposit films with good
quality reducing the active contamination that low pumping vacuum system suffers. TiN
films of specular quality has been optimised by observing the emission line of the
sputtered titanium. It was shown that optimum TiN film is formed when the consumption
of nitrogen flow at the metal line set point is a maximum. This optimisation is
characterised by a clear minima of ultimate resistivity and better selective optical
properties. Films of TiN deposited using the balanced magnetron source had higher
resistivity than the metal titanium in contrast to its bulk properties. That was explained by
their lower densities. The lack of activation energy of the growing film during deposition
resulted in a columnar structure separated by voids which is a normal microstructure of
low film density. By adding activation energy, from an unbalanced magnetron source, a
plasma beam was leaked to the substrate subjecting the growing film to energetic ions of
sufficient energy to modify the structure of the film. Films were shown to have resistivities lower than the metal titanium. This characterisation was verified by
examining their structure by SEM which showed dense films.
The reactive gas consumption gave also a good indication of the process control and the
optimisation of dielectric films of Ti02 and Zr02. Optimum films characterised by lowest
absorption and high refractive index were shown to form when the consumption of
oxygen is low at the lowest metalline set point within the limit of the plasma emission
monitor. This shift occurred because the much tighter control of reactive gas pressure
which is consequently higher for oxides than for nitrides. Films of TiN were also deposited at a low magnetTon potential. Increasing electron
injection reduced the operating potential of the sputtered titanium resulting eventually in a
reduction of sputtering rate and consequently a reduction in nitrogen consumption. Films
made at lower target potentials had lower resistivities due to the enhanced reactivity and
increasing ion current density bombarding the film.


This paper summarises the on-going work at the University of Glasgow on the computational modelling of the hygro-mechanical behaviour of textile based fibre reinforced composite materials, including the strong coupling of the solid and moisture phases. A multiscale description is adopted and the associated implementation of the computational homogenisation (CH) scheme is described in detail. The ultimate goal is a multiscale modelling framework for durability assessment. CH delivers the macroscopic constitutive behaviour of the structures based on its microscopically heterogeneous representative volume element (RVE). A single layered plain weave textile composite RVE is considered, which consists of mainly two parts, i.e. yarns and matrix. Elliptical cross sections and cubic splines are used respectively to model the cross sections and paths of the yarns. The RVE geometry along with other input parameters, e.g. material properties and boundary conditions are modelled in CUBIT using a parameterised Python script. The multiscale CH scheme, with a unified imposition of RVE boundary conditions (displacement, traction and periodic) [1], is implemented in our group's FE software MoFEM (Mesh Oriented Finite Element Method). MoFEM utilises hierarchic basis functions [2], which permits the use of arbitrary order of approximation leading to accurate results for relatively coarse meshes. The matrix and yarns within the RVE are modelled by considering isotropic and transversely isotropic materials models respectively. The principal direction of the yarns required for the transversely isotropic materials model are calculated using a computationally inexpensive potential flow analysis along these yarns. The implementation and performance of the computational tool is demonstrated with numerical examples.


We propose and test stable algorithms for the reconstruction of the internal conductivity of a biological object using acousto-electric measurements. Namely, the conventional impedance tomography scheme is supplemented by scanning the object with acoustic waves that slightly perturb the conductivity and cause the change in the electric potential measured on the boundary of the object. These perturbations of the potential are then used as the data for the reconstruction of the conductivity. The present method does not rely on 'perfectly focused' acoustic beams. Instead, more realistic propagating spherical fronts are utilized, and then the measurements that would correspond to perfect focusing are synthesized. In other words, we use synthetic focusing. Numerical experiments with simulated data show that our techniques produce high-quality images, both in 2D and 3D, and that they remain accurate in the presence of high-level noise in the data. Local uniqueness and stability for the problem also hold.


A Tn Gated Fin Field Effect Transistor is on of the many novel devices that may be replacing planar MOSFETs, by reducing short channel effects. The FinFET has emerged as one of the most promising double gate structures primarily because of its ease of manufacturing. There are still significant challenges to overcome it in order to make the process available commercially. The Tri-Gated FinFET is tri-gated meaning that the gate overlaps the top and the two sides of the FIN. Three dimensionally the gate depletes three surfaces of the FIN, which results in a higher drive current relative to a planar MOSFET. In order to reduce current crowding in the Fin corners, we have curved the corners using oxide etch back process. FinFETs has been built previously at Rochester Institute of Technology. We have designed and fabricated Tri-Gated FinFETs of various geometries. Electrical test showed poor performance of the devices. Proper scrutiny of the electrical results and the SEM micrographs allowed us to conclude that if LTO or Nitride is used as etch hard mask for silicon fin etch, electrical results closer to that of an ideal NMOS transistor could would be achieved.


A closed-form analytical expression is derived for the limiting empirical squared singular value density of a spreading (signature) matrix corresponding to sparse low-density code-domain (LDCD) non-orthogonal multiple-access (NOMA) with regular random user-resource allocation. The derivation relies on associating the spreading matrix with the adjacency matrix of a large semiregular bipartite graph. For a simple repetition-based sparse spreading scheme, the result directly follows from a rigorous analysis of spectral measures of infinite graphs. Turning to random (sparse) binary spreading, we harness the cavity method from statistical physics, and show that the limiting spectral density coincides in both cases. Next, we use this density to compute the normalized input-output mutual information of the underlying vector channel in the large-system limit. The latter may be interpreted as the achievable total throughput per dimension with optimum processing in a corresponding multiple-access channel setting or, alternatively, in a fully-symmetric broadcast channel setting with full decoding capabilities at each receiver. Surprisingly, the total throughput of regular LDCD-NOMA is found to be not only superior to that achieved with irregular user-resource allocation, but also to the total throughput of dense randomly-spread NOMA, for which optimum processing is computationally intractable. In contrast, the superior performance of regular LDCD-NOMA can be potentially achieved with a feasible message-passing algorithm. This observation may advocate employing regular, rather than irregular, LDCD-NOMA in 5G cellular physical layer design.


Many pathogenic bacteria cause local infections but occasionally invade into the blood stream, often with fatal outcome. Very little is known about the mechanism underlying the switch from local to invasive infection. In the case of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, phase variable type 4 pili (T4P) stabilize local infection by mediating microcolony formation and inducing anti-invasive signals. Outer membrane porin PorBIA, in contrast, is associated with disseminated infection and facilitates the efficient invasion of gonococci into host cells. Here we demonstrate that loss of pili by natural pilus phase variation is a prerequisite for the transition from local to invasive infection. Unexpectedly, both T4P-mediated inhibition of invasion and PorBIA-triggered invasion utilize membrane rafts and signaling pathways that depend on caveolin-1-Y14 phosphorylation (Cav1-pY14). We identified p85 regulatory subunit of PI3 kinase (PI3K) and phospholipase Cγ1 as new, exclusive and essential interaction partners for Cav1-pY14 in the course of PorBIA-induced invasion. Active PI3K induces the uptake of gonococci via a new invasion pathway involving protein kinase D1. Our data describe a novel route of bacterial entry into epithelial cells and offer the first mechanistic insight into the switch from local to invasive gonococcal infection.


DAVID W. COON, DOLORES GALLAGHER-THOMPSON, LARRY W. THOMPSON (EDS.): Innovative Interventions to Reduce Dementia Caregiver Distress. Springer Publishing Company, Inc., New York, 2003, 316 pp., $43.95, ISBN No.: 0-8261-4801-8. As psychotherapists, we are accustomed to learning about treatments directed at specific illnesses and syndromes. Conversely, most of the emotional distress and emotional burden in life come not from these illnesses and syndromes, but from various, frequently unavoidable life circumstances. Caregiving is one of those circumstances; especially for elders and those others who care for persons who are chronically ill. Caregiving is especially distressing when chronic illness erodes care recipients' cognition, their personality, and their function as part of a family unit. In the preface, the editors suggest that efforts to alleviate caregiver stress and strain may both improve the quality of life of the family unit and may also be cost-effective by delaying or obviating the need for institutionalization. The authors also indicate that Caregiving has an important impact on caregiver health. Older adults experiencing strain as a result of their caregiving role are 63 % more likely to die within four years than non-caregivers (p. 9). This slim volume is a superb resource for techniques in helping caregivers deal with the issues related to caring for persons with dementing illnesses. Much of the core information comes from the REACH project, funded jointly by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institutes for Nursing Research. This project, involving six sites across the country, was an effort to test systematically well-specified and theory-based caregiver interventions that were tailored to meet the needs of racial and ethnic majority and minority caregivers. Unconfined by the traditional boundaries of the therapeutic relationship, these interventionists tested a range of strategies that integrate one-on-one sessions with group educational activities and a variety of community support services. They recommend multi-faceted approaches including information about the care recipient's illness, the development of problem-solving techniques, reframing the caregiving experience, and the use of family supports and community resources. Interventionists connect with caregivers in interventionists' offices, at the homes of caregivers, and by telephone. They recognize that not all caregivers have the same needs and that the caregiving experience and caregiver needs change over the course of the care recipients' illness. One proposed model consists of the following steps: identification of a primary target person or entity, targeting a domain within that person or entity, determining the most desirable intensity of intervention, and personalizing the intervention to the particular person or circumstance. …


A stirring biography of a hero in the struggle for economic justice and a book that probes the question: Whatever happened to labor liberalism in America?"Excellent . . . gripping. . . . Mr. Lichtenstein has produced more than a biography. He has given us an elegantly written and unfailingly intelligent portrait of American labor in the mid-twentieth century."--Alan Brinkley, "New York Times Book Review" "In an ideal union of scholarship and literature, Nelson Lichtenstein properly places labor leader Walter Reuther in the center of the most important social and political movements of the 20th century. This is an important book."--Julian BondA"A meticulously researched, clearly written and quickly paced story . . . a masterful portrayal of the social and political stage on which the labor leader performed." "--Washington Post Book World"


Social networking applications have emerged as potential new tools for enhancing second language vocabulary learning. The current study explores the development of academic vocabulary knowledge of English as a foreign language (EFL) students using WhatsApp compared to the traditional method of vocabulary instruction. It also aims at investigating students' perceptions about the use WhatsApp in learning vocabulary. Forty Arab EFL students at the elementary level enrolled at a public university in the Arabian Gulf region participated in the study. Twenty one participants belonging to the same class were randomly assigned to the experimental group. They completed and submitted their vocabulary assignments which consisted of looking up the meanings of new words in a dictionary and building a sentence using each word and submitting their sentences via WhatsApp. Nineteen students from another class were assigned to the control group. They had to submit the same homework assignment using the paper and pencil method. Data were collected using pretest-posttest design. Results of t-test scores indicated that WhatsApp group significantly outperformed the traditional group on a vocabulary test. Furthermore, results of a questionnaire that gauged participants' perception of the use of WhatsApp in learning vocabulary show that generally participants have positive attitudes towards learning new vocabulary items via WhatsApp. Implications for teaching and future research are discussed.


The cost of a return journey to a soccer match can often be comparable to,
or even exceed the admission price. However, in spite of the importance of travel
costs, previous studies on the demand for live soccer generally exclude travel costs
from the analysis. The thesis explores the consequences of this omission and
shows that the likely effect is to bias estimates of the ticket price elasticity
downwards. The thesis also argues that the previous estimates of the ticket price
and income elasticities are likely to be biased due to generic problems with the
time series approach and methodological problems with particular pooled studies.
To overcome these problems, the travel cost methodology, developed in the
economics of outdoor recreation, is adapted to permit analysis of demand
relationships in professional soccer. Attendance at Premier League matches is
modelled as a function of travel costs and other factors, such as the admission
price and consumer income, using data from a national fan survey. From the
results, ticket price elasticities are estimated that are more consistent with profit
maximisation than previous estimates. Subsequent analysis on the relationship
between attendance and income distinguishes between the decision to become a
fan and, given that one is a fan, the question of the number of games to attend in a
season. The first decision is shown to be positively related to income, via a social
class proxy, and the second decision unrelated to income, giving a positive income
elasticity of demand.


The Hero's Journey is an embodied game activity based on the monomyth of Joseph Campbell (1949). This participatory art-based activity served as a research instrument in a development context in southern Africa with marginalised San youth. One of the outcomes of employing this art-based activity in research was the development of the GRACE model which encompasses grass-root participation, art, creativity, embodiment, expression and empowerment. This paper asks how participatory and art-based methods enable the dialogical and solution orientated GRACE model to function in development work within marginalised communities. The paper discusses how improvisation facilitates power distribution when participatory art-based methods are applied. Improvisation permits continuous negotiation processes with stakeholders, thus enabling communities to participate in development activities in power sensitive settings.


Biome differences in surface energy balance strongly affect climate. However, arctic vegetation is considered sufficiently uniform that only a single arctic land surface type is generally used in climate models. Field measurements in northern Alaska show large differences among arctic ecosystem types in summer energy absorption and partitioning. Simulations with the Arctic Regional Climate System Model demonstrate that these variations in land surface parameters and ecological processes cause variation in surface fluxes that is sufficiently large to affect the regional climate. Plausible changes in arctic vegetation in response to high-latitude warming would feed back positively to local summer warming. This local warming could extend into the boreal zone. Climate feedbacks that operate during the growing season are particularly likely to impact vegetation and ecosystem properties. These field and model results suggest that vegetation changes within a biome could be climatically important and warrant consideration in regional climate modeling.


We study the dual relationship between market structure and prices and between market structure and investment in mobile telecommunications. Using a uniquely constructed panel of mobile operators' prices and accounting information across 33 OECD countries between 2002 and 2014, we document that more concentrated markets lead to higher end user prices. Furthermore, they also lead to higher investment per mobile operator, though the impact on total investment is not conclusive. Our findings are not only relevant for the current consolidation wave in the telecommunications industry. More generally, they stress that competition and regulatory authorities should take seriously the potential trade-off between market power effects and efficiency gains stemming from agreements between firms.


In this paper, we propose a novel contention-aware channel selection algorithm that focuses on throughput and energy efficiency improvement in Cognitive Radio Ad-Hoc Networks (CRAHNs). Specifically, we study the operation and performance of a Secondary Network (SN) in a scenario where other non-cooperating CRAHNs are also using the primary resources. We prove that a channel categorization of the idle channels based on their contention level and the selection of the less contented ones can result in up to 70% improvement in throughput and up to 68% improvement in energy efficiency. Simulation results are presented for the performance evaluation of our proposed algorithm.


Determination of space distribution of ocean currents in the sea is one of the most important problems in dynamical oceanography. Such studies facilitate the determination
of the areas of convergence and divergence in the ocean, which are of important consequence to the fertility and thus to the fisheries of the region (Hela and Laevastu, 1961). Studies regarding current patterns along the west coast of India from hydrographical observations have been made by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, from the data collected on board the research vessels
VARUNA and, KALAVA (Sastry, 1959 ; Ramamirtham etal, 1960 ; Jayaramane/ al.,1960 ; Patil et al., 1963). The above-mentioned accounts pertained to a coastal belt of maximum width 150 miles only, and for localised areas around the Laccadives. Moreover, in all these studies the main properties considered for the current studies
were temperature and Sigma-T only, as the data collected were not sufficient to permit a detailed study using the method of dynamic computation. During the period November 1962 - January 1963 detailed hydrographic studies were made in the southeastern Arabian Sea, covering a vast region between 11° and 17° N, within the meridians of 70° and 75° E. The observations were extended to deeper waters of 2000-3000 m., and the whole region was covered within a period of nearly one and a half months. Hence it was considered worthwhile to attempt a detailed study of the current patterns from the geopotential topographies of the isobaric surfaces, and the data collected were quite sufficient for the purpose.


The group of alternating colored permutations is the natural analogue of the classical alternating group, inside the wreath product $\mathbb{Z}_r \wr S_n$. We present a 'Coxeter-like' presentation for this group and compute the length function with respect to that presentation. Then, we present this group as a covering of $\mathbb{Z}_{\frac{r}{2}} \wr S_n$ and use this point of view to give another expression for the length function. We also use this covering to lift several known parameters of $\mathbb{Z}_{\frac{r}{2}} \wr S_n$ to the group of alternating colored permutations.


Abstract. Applying metrics to quantify the similarity or dissimilarity of hydrographs is a central task in hydrological modelling, used both in model calibration and the evaluation of simulations or forecasts. Motivated by the shortcomings of standard objective metrics such as the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) or the Mean Absolute Peak Time Error (MAPTE) and the advantages of visual inspection as a powerful tool for simultaneous, case-specific and multi-criteria (yet subjective) evaluation, we propose a new objective metric termed Series Distance, which is in close accordance with visual evaluation. The Series Distance quantifies the similarity of two hydrographs neither in a time-aggregated nor in a point-by-point manner, but on the scale of hydrological events. It consists of three parts, namely a Threat Score which evaluates overall agreement of event occurrence, and the overall distance of matching observed and simulated events with respect to amplitude and timing. The novelty of the latter two is the way in which matching point pairs on the observed and simulated hydrographs are identified: not by equality in time (as is the case with the RMSE), but by the same relative position in matching segments (rise or recession) of the event, indicating the same underlying hydrological process. Thus, amplitude and timing errors are calculated simultaneously but separately, from point pairs that also match visually, considering complete events rather than only individual points (as is the case with MAPTE). Relative weights can freely be assigned to each component of the Series Distance, which allows (subjective) customization of the metric to various fields of application, but in a traceable way. Each of the three components of the Series Distance can be used in an aggregated or non-aggregated way, which makes the Series Distance a suitable tool for differentiated, process-based model diagnostics. After discussing the applicability of established time series metrics for hydrographs, we present the Series Distance theory, discuss its properties and compare it to those of standard metrics used in Hydrology, both at the example of simple, artificial hydrographs and an ensemble of realistic forecasts. The results suggest that the Series Distance quantifies the degree of similarity of two hydrographs in a way comparable to visual inspection, but in an objective, reproducible way.


This article examines some of the main pitfalls, problems, and promises of genocide research. It argues that genocide is a viable academic concept if protected from moral, legal, political, and emotional constraints. It should be approached in a dispassionate, amoral, non-juridical, and apolitical way. The article further discusses a model for understanding genocide that identifies three levels of analysis: the interstate pressures of the global state system and the influence of crises and war; the intrastate context of radical ideology, state power, and the dynamic of the genocidal process; and the micro-level conditions that enable the involvement of individual actors in violence.


Analyzing multiband observations of dust continuum emission is one of the useful tools to constrain dust properties that help us to understand the physical properties of the protoplanetary disks. We perform a synthetic ALMA multiband analysis to find the best ALMA band set for constraining the dust properties of the TW Hya disk. We find that the Band [10, 6, 3] set is the best set among the possible combinations of ALMA Bands [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. We also find two conditions for the good ALMA band sets providing narrow constraint ranges on dust properties: (1) Band 9 or 10 is included in the band set, and (2) there are enough frequency intervals between the bands. These are related to the conditions that give good constraints on dust properties: the combination of optically thick and thin bands is required, and large β (β is the power-law index of dust opacity, κν ∝ νβ) and low dust temperature are preferable. To examine our synthetic analysis results, we apply the multiband analysis to ALMA archival data of the TW Hya disk at Bands 4, 6, 7, and 9. The Band [9, 6, 4] set provides the dust properties close to the model profile, while the Band [7, 6, 4] set gives the dust properties deviating from the model at all radii with too broad a constraint range to specify the accurate values of dust temperature, optical depth, and β. Since these features are expected by the synthetic multiband analysis, we confirm that the synthetic multiband analysis is consistent with the results derived from real data.


Temperature observations were collected inside 2 caves in the Bahamas and 1 cave in Puerto Rico to characterize the microclimatology of tropical flank margin cave systems. Three aspects of these tropical cave temperatures agree with temperate cave microclimate theory. Specifically, external atmospheric disturbances can affect temperatures inside tropical flank margin cave systems, tropical flank margin caves are warmer than the exterior temperatures during winter, and water can impact temperatures deep into a tropical flank margin cave system. The temperature observations collected also indicate potential differences between the microclimatology of tropical and temperate cave systems. In particular, the temperate 3-zone cave microclimate model may not be applicable to tropical flank margin caves, diurnal fluctuations were not apparent in tropical flank margin cave sys- tems, and the existence of a temperature inversion in a down-sloping cave may not be applicable to all tropical flank margin caves. The potential differences in temperate and these tropical cave sys- tems can be linked to the physical dimensions of the tropical flank margin cave systems and the unique hydrology of small carbonate islands. Specifically, tropical flank margin caves have a width greater than length while temperate fluvio-karst caves have a length greater than width and tidal water can exist in the pits and depressions of tropical flank margin caves as opposed to flowing streams in temperate cave systems.


A M_s 7.7 earthquake struck the western, equatorial coast of Sumatra in December 1935. It was the largest event in the region since the two devastating giant earthquakes of 1833 and 1861. Historical seismograms of this event from several observatories around the world provide precious information that constrains the source parameters of the earthquake. To more precisely quantify the location, geometry, and mechanism of the 1935 event and to estimate the coseismic deformation, we analyze the best of the available teleseismic historical seismograms by comparing systematically the records of the 1935 earthquake with those of a smaller event that occurred in the same region in 1984. First we constrain the source parameters of the 1984 event using teleseismic records. Then, we compare the records of the 1935 event with those of 1984 from the same sites and instruments. To do this, we choose several time windows in the corresponding seismograms that contain clearly identifiable phases and deconvolve the modern event from the older one. The deconvolutions result in very narrow pulses with similar sizes, thus confirming similar locations and mechanisms for the events. The initiation of the 1984 event was on the subduction interface at a depth of 27 ± 2 km; its M_0 is 6.5 x 10^(19) N m (M_w is 7.2). The sense of slip was nearly pure thrust, on a plane dipping 12°. The 1935 event also involved rupture of the shallow subduction interface, but was about five times larger (M_0 3.3 x 10;^(20) N m, M_w 7.7) and initiated a few kilometers to the southeast, along strike. The 1935 rupture propagated unilaterally toward the southeast. The along-strike rupture length was about 65 km. From these source parameters, we calculate the surface deformations, assuming an elastic multilayered medium. These deformations compare favorably with those actually recovered from paleoseismic data in the form of coral microatolls.


Gainsbourg's 1979 release Aux armes et caetera, an album entirely recorded in Kingston with legendary reggae musicians, takes French song where it had never geographically or musically gone before. In retrospect, we might be tempted to dismiss this cover of the French national anthem; after all, Gainsbourg had already borrowed other musical genres like jazz and disco. Yet, while Gainsbourg's previous work had earned him recognition as a major innovator of French song somewhat because of his playful and provocative eccentricities, this song was met with a scathing, overtly anti-Semitic and nationalist backlash. Gainsbourg's play with genres (national anthem, French song, and reggae) touched on sour spots of French identity. years later, Big Red recovers Gainsbourg's cover of the national anthem on his release Big Redemption. While Gainsbourg only minimally alters the words of 'La Marseillaise,' letting the genre itself perform the critique, Big Red's release remilitarizes and desexualizes the cover while inverting and re-inscribing the roles of revolutionary and oppressor in the contemporary dynamics of popular culture and postcoloniality. His recovery of the national anthem becomes a performance of the 'empire singing back.'


A computational model is developed to investigate fundamental flow physics and transport phenomena of evaporating wavy-laminar falling liquid films of water and black liquor. The computational model is formulated from first principles based on the conservation laws for mass, momentum, energy and species in addition to a phase transport equation for capturing interface deformation and evolution. Free surface waves are generated by monochromatic perturbation of velocity. Continuum models for interfacial evaporation define source terms for liquid vaporization and species enrichment in the conservation laws. A phenomenological crystallization model is derived to account for species depletion due to salt precipitation during black liquor falling film evaporation. Using highly resolved numerical grids on parallel computers, the computational model is implemented to analyze the dynamics of capillary separation eddies in low Reynolds number falling films, investigate the dominant mechanisms of heat transfer enhancement in falling films at moderately high Reynolds numbers and study the fundamental wave structures and wave induced transport in black liquor falling films on flat and cylindrical walls. From simulation results, a theory based on the dynamics of wavefront streamwise pressure gradient is proposed to explain interfacial waves interaction that give rise to multiple backflow regions in films dominated by solitary-capillary waves. The study shows that the mechanism of heat transfer enhancement in moderately high Reynolds number films follows from relatively lower conduction thermal resistance and higher crosswise convective transport at newly formed intermediate wavefronts. Interfacial phenomena such as wave-breaking and vapor entrainment observed in black liquor falling films is explained in terms of a mechanistic theory based on evolution of secondary instabilities and large amplitude wave force imbalances.


The past decade has seen advances in general methods for symmetry breaking in mixed-integer linear programming. These methods are advantageous for general problems with general symmetry groups. Some important classes of MILP problems, such as bin packing and graph coloring, contain highly structured symmetry groups. This observation has motivated the development of problem-specific techniques. In this paper we show how to strengthen orbital branching in order to exploit special structures in a problem's symmetry group. The proposed technique, to which we refer as modified orbital branching, is able to solve problems with structured symmetry groups more efficiently. One class of problems for which this technique is effective is when the solution variables can be expressed as orbitopes, as this technique extends the classes of orbitopes where symmetry can be efficiently removed. We use the unit commitment problem, an important problem in power systems, to demonstrate the strength of modified orbital branching.


A high-permittivity (high-k) material is applied as the gate dielectric layer in a silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitor to form a special electro-optic (EO) modulator. Both induced charge density and modulation efficiency in the proposed modulator are improved due to the special structure design and the application of the high-k material. The device has an ultra-compact dimension of 691 \mu m in length.


Florida, like much of the southeastern United States, is rapidly urbanizing. With this urbanization, there is an increasing interest in commercial urban agriculture (CUA) as an important sector for agriculture in the state. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Census of Agriculture does not report data about CUA operations, thus limiting the knowledge about the status of CUA operations regarding basic features such as farm size, operator demographics, production systems, sources of revenue, barriers to business operations and profitability, and future opportunities for development. Because previous research has found differences in urban farmers' demographics and their perceptions of barriers and opportunities, the purpose of this research was to characterize CUA operations in Florida and to understand the urban farmers' perceptions of the primary needs, barriers, and opportunities for developing CUA, as well as CUA operators' informational needs and preferred informational formats. We performed a cluster analysis to identify salient groups of urban growers in Florida to identify subgroups based on shared characteristics that revealed three distinct groups of urban farmers with differing perceptions of barriers, opportunities, informational needs, and preferred informational formats.