This paper studies the expressive power of finite automata recognizing sets of real numbers encoded in positional notation. We consider Muller automata as well as the restricted class of weak deterministic automata, used as symbolic set representations in actual applications. In previous work, it has been established that the sets of numbers that are recognizable by weak deterministic automata in two bases that do not share the same set of prime factors are exactly those that are definable in the first order additive theory of real and integer numbers . This result extends Cobham's theorem, which characterizes the sets of integer numbers that are recognizable by finite automata in multiple bases.

In this paper, we first generalize this result to multiplicatively independentbases, which brings it closer to the original statement of Cobham's theorem. Then, we study the sets of reals recognizable by Muller automata in two bases. We show with a counterexample that, in this setting, Cobham's theorem does not generalize to multiplicatively independent bases. Finally, we prove that the sets of reals that are recognizable by Muller automata in two bases that do not share the same set of prime factors are exactly those definable in . These sets are thus also recognizable by weak deterministic automata. This result leads to a precise characterization of the sets of real numbers that are recognizable in multiple bases, and provides a theoretical justification to the use of weak automata as symbolic representations of sets.


Since their popularity began to rise in the mid-2000s there has been significant growth in the number of multi-core and multi-processor computers available. Knowledge representation systems using logical inference have been slow to embrace this new technology. We present the concept of inference graphs, a natural deduction inference system which scales well on multi-core and multi-processor machines. Inference graphs enhance propositional graphs by treating propositional nodes as tasks which can be scheduled to operate upon messages sent between nodes via the arcs that already exist as part of the propositional graph representation. The use of scheduling heuristics within a prioritized message passing architecture allows inference graphs to perform very well in forward, backward, bi-directional, and focused reasoning. Tests demonstrate the usefulness of our scheduling heuristics, and show significant speedup in both best case and worst case inference scenarios as the number of processors increases.


We argue that alternative COVID-19 vaccine dosing regimens could potentially dramatically accelerate global COVID-19 vaccination and reduce mortality, and that the costs of testing these regimens are dwarfed by their potential benefits. We first use the high correlation between neutralizing antibody response and efficacy against disease (Khoury et. al. 2021) to show that half or even quarter doses of some vaccines generate immune responses associated with high vaccine efficacy. We then use an SEIR model to estimate that under these efficacy levels, doubling or quadrupling the rate of vaccination by using fractional doses would dramatically reduce infections and mortality. Since the correlation between immune response and efficacy may not be fully predictive of efficacy with fractional doses, we then use the SEIR model to show that fractional dosing would substantially reduce infections and mortality over a wide range of plausible efficacy levels. Further immunogenicity studies for a range of vaccine and dose combinations could deliver outcomes in weeks and could be conducted with a few hundred healthy volunteers. National regulatory authorities could also decide to test efficacy of fractional dosing in the context of vaccination campaigns based on existing immune response data, as some did for delayed second doses. If efficacy turned out to be high, the approach could be implemented broadly, while if it turned out to be low, downside risk could be limited by administering full doses to those who had received fractional doses. The SEIR model also suggests that delaying second vaccine doses will likely have substantial mortality benefits for multiple, but not all, vaccine-variant combinations, underscoring the importance of ongoing surveillance. Finally, we find that for countries choosing between approved but lower efficacy vaccines available immediately and waiting for mRNA vaccines, using immediately available vaccines typically reduces mortality.


The question of whether financial intermediaries and institutional investors in the U.S. and Europe should welcome Argentina back to the global capital markets is certainly relevant -- especially for those with short memories who may be tempted by the high yields on offer to rush in without a full understanding of the significant risks involved. At first sight, it would appear that Argentina has come a long way from its troubled past. However, it would be naive to rush to the conclusion that Argentina is a creditworthy or relatively safe place in which to invest. To begin with, under both the late Nestor Kirchner and the current President Fernandez-Kirchner, the government has spent its enormous revenue windfall, such that in fact there are hardly any extra fiscal resources available to support the existing –- or any new –- public indebtedness. Serious allegations have been made about the accuracy and integrity of official inflation data in Argentina, casting doubt on all kinds of economic indicators that use price indexes as a deflator. If inflation has indeed been running closer to 25% than to 10%, then the government's fiscal, monetary and exchange-rate policies are unsound and destabilizing. Moreover, key institutions of relevance to investors have been undermined by government actions, such as the national statistical agency (INDEC), the central bank, and the country's pension funds. The controversy over the true rate of inflation is part of a larger picture of lack of transparency in Argentina. The country is the only member of the G-20, and one of the very few in the world, that refuses to abide by its treaty obligations to the IMF, which include allowing the Fund to inspect its books and evaluate the country's economic performance and policies -– especially its exchange-rate policies under the IMF's Article IV Consultation process. Argentina is also the only G-20 member government that is in default on its loan obligations to its fellow members -– and it has been in default to them for nearly a decade. An eventual restructuring of these debts by the Paris Club will likely force today's investors to have their own bonds restructured as well, given the Club's principle of "comparable treatment." The country is the G-20 member with by far the most U.S. court judgments against it and the most investor claims and arbitral awards against it at ICSID, the world's premier dispute-resolution center. Argentina is likewise the only G-20 member that has been put on probation by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an inter-governmental body whose purpose is the development and promotion of policies, both at national and international levels, to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. Many allegations of corruption have been made but never investigated, and the FATF highlights the impunity that prevails in Argentina. In sum, despite the allure of high yields, investors and financial intermediaries are well advised to approach Argentine fixed-income and equity investment and trading opportunities with extreme caution, because they embody substantial market and default risks.


A simple, highly efficient and green procedure for the condensation of aryl and alkyl 1,2-diamines with α-diketones in the presence of catalytic amount of sulfonic acid functionalized imidazolium salts (SAFIS) is described. Using this method, quinoxaline derivatives as biologically interesting compounds are produced in high to excellent yields and short reaction times. Environmentally benign, simple methodologies, easy workup procedure, clean reaction, short reaction time, high yield and easy preparation of the catalysts are some advantages of this work. In this work, some sulfonic acid functionalized imidazolium salts (SAFIS), as a new category of ionic liquids, are synthesized by eco-friendly and simple procedures, and used as highly efficient and reusable catalysts to promote the following one-pot organic transformations under solvent-free conditions.


Aim: to estimate the resting energy expenditure (REE) of organ tissue components using Dual Energy x-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) in pubertal boys. The mass of components and REE were compared among groups of different nutritional statuses. Methods: a sample of 278 boys (13.7 ± 2.4 years old) was grouped according to BMI nutritional status for Brazilian children and adolescents1 such as Underweight (UW), Normal weight (NW), Overweight (OW), and Obese (OB). The REE of organ tissue components given by DXA was calculated using specific models for skeletal muscle tissue (SMT), adipose tissue (AT), bone tissue (BT) and residual tissue (RT) based on previous reports. The absolute and relative REE (REEDXA) of each component were statistically compared among groups. Results: No differences of total REEDXA were found among nutritional groups (F(3, 274)=0.071, p=0.976). When, however, specific REE was considered per component, differences were found for BT and REEBT between NW-OW (p=0.003) and NWOB (p=0.048); in AT and REEAT for all the groups (p<0.001), except between UW-NW (p=1.000); in RT and REERT between NW-OB (p=0,022) and SMT and REESMT (p=0,039). Greater proportions of organ tissue of RT and high metabolic rates, were observed in the UW group (78.3%) in comparison to the OB group (60.7%). Conclusion: This approach provides a new opportunity to examine energy metabolism for individual differences of pediatric populations. It is an applicable strategy both to prescribe exercises and to administer diets to this population, as it reveals the magnitude of heat-producing body components.


Nuclear power has begun to lose its popularity after the major catastrophes of Chernobyl and Fukushima that caused a global environmental and public health problem. Radioactivity released from these accidents spread all around the world and negatively influenced large areas as a result of different meteorological conditions prevailing at the time of the accidents. Another particularly important parameter used in assessing the atmospheric dispersion of radioactivity is the characteristics of the source term that defines the release pattern of radionuclides from the accident site. Core inventory and shape and extent of the release define the source term to be used in simulating the dispersion pattern of radioactivity. Thus, mathematical representation of the source term is a crucial part of the dispersion modeling of radionuclides. Ideal types of releases (such as pulse, step, linear, sinusoidal) can occur in an accident or a combination of these types can constitute the real pattern of the release from the accident's source. The mathematical character of the release is influential in the overall dispersion and deposition of radioactivity. Based on this premise, this study is conducted to assess the possible differences in the spatial distribution of dispersed and deposited radionuclides that can originate from a potential accident in Akkuyu nuclear power plant (NPP) in the southern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Simulations are per- formed with FLEXPART model to predict the atmospheric dispersion and ground level depositions of radionuclides to be released from a hypothetical accident in Akkuyu under various release patterns and different meteorological conditions representing extreme conditions. Model simulations considered a 10-day release duration with distinct release patterns under extreme meteorological conditions for the site. A comparative assessment is then conducted to evaluate the extent and magnitude of Cs-137 dispersion and deposition, which is the most commonly used radionuclide in NPP accident simulations.


Predicting the threat of extinction aids efficient distribution of conservation resources. This paper utilises a comparative macroecological approach to investigate the threat of extinction in Neotropical birds. Data on ecological variables for 1708 species are analysed using stepwise regression to produce minimum adequate models, first using raw species values and then using independent contrasts (to control for phylogenetic effects). The models differ, suggesting phylogeny has significant effects. The raw species analysis reveals that number of zoogeographical regions occupied, elevational range and utilisation of specialised microhabitats were negatively associated with threat, while minimum elevation and body mass were positively associated, whereas the independent contrasts analysis only identifies zoogeographical regions as important. Confining the analysis to the 582 species restricted to a single zoogeographical region reveals elevational range and number of habitats occupied to be negatively correlated with threat whether the analysis is based on the raw data or on independent contrasts. Analysis of four contrasting zoogeographical regions highlights regional variation in the models. In two Andean regions the threat of extinction declines as the elevation range across which the species occurs increases. In the presence of substantial human populations on high Andean plateaus, a species with a greater elevational range may be more likely to persist at some (relatively) unsettled altitudes. In Central South America, the strongest predictor of threat is minimum elevation of occurrence: species with a lower minimum are less threatened. The minimum elevation result suggests that lowland species experiencing an ecological limit to their minimum elevation (min. elevation >0 m) may be more at risk than those not experiencing such a limit (min. elevation = 0 m). Finally, in southern Amazonia, where there is little altitudinal variation, the only weak predictors of threat are body size, larger species being more threatened, and number of habitats, species occupying more habitats being less threatened. These contrasting results emphasise the importance of undertaking extinction risk analyses at an appropriate geographical scale. Since the models explained only a low percentage of total variance in the data, the effects of human‐mediated habitat disturbance across a wide range of habitats may be important.


The first chapter of this thesis focuses on the synthesis and reactivity of cyclopropane hemimalonates. The cyclopropane hemimalonates can easily be synthesized from 1,1-cyclopropanediesters. The reactivity of cyclopropane hemimalonates with indole under ultra-high pressure conditions leads to ring opened adducts that are complementary to previous research in the Kerr group. The tandem ring opening decarboxylation reaction of cyclopropane hemimalonates led to the synthesis of γ-aminobutyric acid analogues. When an external nucleophile was not present, the cyclopropane hemimalonates could rearrange to form butyrolactones in good to excellent yields. The stereochemical integrity of the cyclopropane hemimalonate is retained through this process, which is not usually seen in cyclopropane reactivity. The second chapter describes the progress towards the synthesis of Kainic acid. While the progress towards this natural product appeared to be going well, after closer analysis of the products, a new reactivity of diazo species and cyclopentadiene was realized. In the third chapter, the progress towards the synthesis of Actinophyllic acid is provided. Synthesis of advanced intermediates was completed, however the key formation of a 1,4-dicarbonyl species of the pyrrolidine ring eluded this study.


Stereo visual odometry has received little investigation in high altitude applications due to the generally poor performance of rigid stereo rigs at extremely small baseline-to-depth ratios. Without additional sensing, metric scale is considered lost and odometry is seen as effective only for monocular perspectives. This paper presents a novel modification to stereo based visual odometry that allows accurate, metric pose estimation from high altitudes, even in the presence of poor calibration and without additional sensor inputs. By relaxing the (typically fixed) stereo transform during bundle adjustment and reducing the dependence on the fixed geometry for triangulation, metrically scaled visual odometry can be obtained in situations where high altitude and structural deformation from vibration would cause traditional algorithms to fail. This is achieved through the use of a novel constrained bundle adjustment routine and accurately scaled pose initializer. We present visual odometry results demonstrating the technique on a short-baseline stereo pair inside a fixed-wing UAV flying at significant height (~30-100m).


Cultural heritage is under a constant threat of damage or even destruction and comprehensive and accurate recording is necessary to attenuate the risk of losing heritage or serve as basis for reconstruction. Cost effective and easy to use methods are required to record cultural heritage, particularly during a world recession, and close-range photogrammetry has proven potential in this area. Off-the-shelf digital cameras can be used to rapidly acquire data at low cost, allowing non-experts to become involved. Exterior orientation of the camera during exposure ideally needs to be established for every image, traditionally requiring known coordinated target points. Establishing these points is time consuming and costly and using targets can be often undesirable on sensitive sites. MEMS-based sensors can assist in overcoming this problem by providing small-size and low-cost means to directly determine exterior orientation for close-range photogrammetry. This paper describes development of an image-based recording system, comprising an off-the-shelf digital SLR camera, a MEMS-based 3D orientation sensor and a GPS antenna. All system components were assembled in a compact and rigid frame that allows calibration of rotational and positional offsets between the components. The project involves collaboration between English Heritage and Loughborough University and the intention is to assess the system's achievable accuracy and practicability in a heritage recording environment. Tests were conducted at Loughborough University and a case study at St. Catherine's Oratory on the Isle of Wight, UK. These demonstrate that the data recorded by the system can indeed meet the accuracy requirements for heritage recording at medium accuracy (1-4cm), with either a single or even no control points. As the recording system has been configured with a focus on low-cost and easy-to-use components, it is believed to be suitable for heritage recording by non-specialists. This offers the opportunity for lay people to become more involved in their local heritage, an important aspiration identified by English Heritage. Recently, mobile phones (smartphones) with integrated camera and MEMS-based orientation and positioning sensors have become available. When orientation and position during camera exposure is extracted, these phones establish off-the-shelf systems that can facilitate image-based recording with direct exterior orientation determination. Due to their small size and low-cost they have potential to further enhance the involvement of lay-people in heritage recording. The accuracy currently achievable will be presented also.


ABSTRACT Within higher education literature, assessment and graduate employability are linked and co-presented, in that quality student assessment is purported to enhance employability. This research was designed to query the extent to which these same conceptual links are perceived by those actively involved in higher education. Four stakeholder groups from multiple disciplines and eight Australian states and territories (students, alumni, educators and employers) were interviewed about graduate employability (n = 127). Interviewers intentionally omitted any mention of assessment to determine whether the various stakeholders would bring it up themselves when asked questions such as what is and is not effective for nurturing employability. The results indicated that among the educators, assessment emerged as a dominant theme. While the three other stakeholder groups infrequently used the term assessment, they did discuss related educational concepts and practices in the context of enhanced employability. All stakeholder groups identified a missing link between theory and practice, with educators specifying that link as assessment. Recommendations to improve employability through assessment are the key takeaways from this research.


BACKGROUND
Monitoring severe acute maternal morbidity (SAMM) appears essential for optimising care and informing health care policies, especially given changes in obstetric practices and mother profiles. International comparisons can identify areas where improvement is needed, but the comparability of indicators must be evaluated.

OBJECTIVE
To assess the feasibility of monitoring SAMM using common definitions from hospital discharge databases across Europe.

METHODS
We used hospital discharge data in eight countries (2 826 868 deliveries) to identify women with SAMM among all hospitalisations of women of reproductive age admitted for antenatal or delivery care. Five SAMM indicators were investigated: eclampsia, septicaemia, hysterectomy, hysterectomy associated with a diagnosis of obstetric haemorrhage, and red blood cell (RBC) transfusion associated with a diagnosis of obstetric haemorrhage. Between-country variation was described, by the ratio of the highest to lowest rates, while external validation was assessed by comparing with population-based studies on maternal morbidity.

RESULTS
Ratios for hysterectomy and red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in the context of obstetric haemorrhage were 1:2.1 and 1:3.5, respectively. High values of hysterectomy and low values of transfusion were both consistent with high maternal mortality from haemorrhage (France, Italy, Portugal). Ratios across countries were relatively low for eclampsia (1:3.4) but very high for septicaemia (1:22.5). Compared to population-based morbidity estimates, eclampsia was over-reported in hospital databases whereas the two indicators of severe haemorrhage had good external validity.

CONCLUSIONS
In association with diagnosis codes indicating obstetric haemorrhage, hysterectomy and RBC transfusion appear to be good candidates for surveillance of maternal morbidity in Europe.


Background Current approaches for AD prediction are based on biomarkers, which are however of restricted availability in primary care. AD prediction tools for primary care are therefore needed. We present a prediction score based on information that can be obtained in the primary care setting. Methodology/Principal Findings We performed a longitudinal cohort study in 3.055 non-demented individuals above 75 years recruited via primary care chart registries (Study on Aging, Cognition and Dementia, AgeCoDe). After the baseline investigation we performed three follow-up investigations at 18 months intervals with incident dementia as the primary outcome. The best set of predictors was extracted from the baseline variables in one randomly selected half of the sample. This set included age, subjective memory impairment, performance on delayed verbal recall and verbal fluency, on the Mini-Mental-State-Examination, and on an instrumental activities of daily living scale. These variables were aggregated to a prediction score, which achieved a prediction accuracy of 0.84 for AD. The score was applied to the second half of the sample (test cohort). Here, the prediction accuracy was 0.79. With a cut-off of at least 80% sensitivity in the first cohort, 79.6% sensitivity, 66.4% specificity, 14.7% positive predictive value (PPV) and 97.8% negative predictive value of (NPV) for AD were achieved in the test cohort. At a cut-off for a high risk population (5% of individuals with the highest risk score in the first cohort) the PPV for AD was 39.1% (52% for any dementia) in the test cohort. Conclusions The prediction score has useful prediction accuracy. It can define individuals (1) sensitively for low cost-low risk interventions, or (2) more specific and with increased PPV for measures of prevention with greater costs or risks. As it is independent of technical aids, it may be used within large scale prevention programs.


Recruitment variability of marine fish is influenced by the reproductive potential of the stock (i.e. stock characteristics and abundance) and the survival of early life stages, mediated by environmental conditions of both a physical (water temperature, salinity and oxygen conditions, ocean currents) and a biological nature (i.e. food, predators). The objective of this study is to assess the importance of variability in environmental conditions within different western Baltic cod spawning grounds for egg survival. Habitat identification was based on environmental threshold levels for egg survival and development and ambient hydrographical conditions at different times during the spawning season. The long-term resolution of environmental conditions allowing survival of western Baltic cod eggs indicates that favourable conditions predominantly occurred during the late spawning season in April/May, while minimum survival rates could be expected from January to March. Unsuitable time periods and habitats exhibiting the highest mortality rates are exclusively characterized by ambient water temperatures below the critical survival threshold. Despite the strong influence of water temperature on habitat suitability, the impact of habitat suitability on recruitment was not clearly defined, suggesting that other mechanisms regulate year class strength.


This paper focuses on the legal and institutional aspects faced by practitioners during their professional actions. There are two situations: parcelling for private housing on private terrains promoted by private promoters and parcelling for young people housing on local council lands. Urban plans have been and still are facing the gloomy reality of suggested changes inside the legislation and methodology of approving the urbanism documentation, the LAP (Local Area Plan) and UDP (Urban Design Plan). In order to establish differentiated responsibilities for local administration and private developer (initiator of the Local Area Plan) regarding the ensuring of necessary resources so that the urban plan should be applied and without whose completion the building permit cannot be issued. To further illustrate the issues, a successful operation of building a 240 apartment housing development on 11.00 ha given in Chitila, Ilfov County is presented. The involved project partners were: Chitila Local Council which provided with the land and pledged to carry out the infrastructure works, architects' design office which produce the parcelling plan and provided the execution projects for a set of 6 types of buildings and the young beneficiaries


With the growing use of mobile technology to access health information, patients are being empowered in their healthcare choices. While specific mobile applications are becoming available for patients to manage their own care, most treatment processes support healthcare professionals and offer little support for patient centered care. In order to address this problem, federal regulations require providers to become "meaningful users" of Health Information Technology (HIT) in an effort to encourage patient centered care through the assessment of health outcomes. This paper contends that addressing meaningful use practices for patient centered care involves the activation of knowledge, which means bringing knowledge into action. A survey of 73 health care providers sought to discover how their knowledge activation affects patient centered care. The results suggest that current HIT usage by providers has limited knowledge activation. The contribution of this research is in that it identifies areas that would to bring about improvements in patient centered care and a model that shows how mobile access to patient records could potentially streamline the patient care process.


Two hundred and fifteen pre-service teachers engaged in a scientific inquiry unit in the newly created Bachelor of Primary and Early Childhood Education course at an Australian university This paper discusses how the Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) model provided the conceptual framework to create an online inquiry unit. The unit enabled students to research an authentic problem focusing on environmental sustainability using an inquiry framework and an array of information and communication technology (ICT) tools. The survey data collected at the conclusion of the unit indicated that 90 % of students thought the unit improved their understanding of the inquiry process and 88% reported more confidence in their understanding of science concepts. Ninety four percent of students reported an increase in their knowledge and confidence of Web 2.0 tools in supporting scientific inquiry in science. The research determined that the online inquiry improved students' knowledge and confidence in the skills and processes associated with inquiry and in science concepts. It will, however, not replace more traditional hands-on investigative approaches but will provide another valuable tool to teach interesting and engaging science.


Motors stirring within the living cell Cytoskeletal dynamics is key to cellular function. At very short time scales, thermal motions probably dominate, whereas on time scales from minutes to hours, motor-protein-12–based directed transport is dominant. But what about the times in between? Fakhri et al. tracked kinesin molecules labeled with carbon nanotubes and monitored their motion in living cells for milliseconds to hours. The kinesins motored along microtubule tracks, but sometimes moved more randomly as the tracks themselves were moved by active, larger-scale cell movements. This active "stirring" of the cytoplasm may play a role in nonspecific transport. Science, this issue p. 1031 Random active stress fluctuations, detected by tracking labeled kinesin motors, stir the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells. Cells are active systems with molecular force generation that drives complex dynamics at the supramolecular scale. We present a quantitative study of molecular motions in cells over times from milliseconds to hours. Noninvasive tracking was accomplished by imaging highly stable near-infrared luminescence of single-walled carbon nanotubes targeted to kinesin-1 motor proteins in COS-7 cells. We observed a regime of active random "stirring" that constitutes an intermediate mode of transport, different from both thermal diffusion and directed motor activity. High-frequency motion was found to be thermally driven. At times greater than 100 milliseconds, nonequilibrium dynamics dominated. In addition to directed transport along microtubules, we observed strong random dynamics driven by myosins that result in enhanced nonspecific transport. We present a quantitative model connecting molecular mechanisms to mesoscopic fluctuations.


Project-based education allows students to explore real-world problems and challenges. It can also bemore cost-effective than traditional teaching and individual tutoring. However, projects are sometimes messy, need a long takeoff roll and risk being difficult to monitor by teachers. There is a need to better understand and support students' creative design processes. We propose the 'interactionary' format as providing one way forward to meet these needs. An 'interactionary' is a highly time-constrained collaborative design assignment which forces students to complete a design task live on stage (Berkun, 2001). We present findings from three separate case studies in which the format has been tested. The studies involved students of interaction design (Ramberg, Artman, Karlgren, 2013) and chemical engineering (Artman, House, Hulten 2014) as well as multidisciplinary student teams (Artman, House, Hulten, Ramberg, Unpublished).Our results show that the interactionary as a didactic format engages students and allows them to explore a messy design space. Furthermore, three phases of the design process were identified in all studies: ideation, sketching and reflection/evaluation. The groups displayed differences in their multimodal approach to design. For example, the engineering students mainly made use of ephemeral communication strategies (gestures and speech) rather than sketching with physical materials, while the two other student groups employed physical materials (clay, lego, paper sketching) to a higher degree. Furthermore, there was a tendency for the design objective to override the specific competences of the participating individuals whereby the design process became a collaborative team effort. Students mainly made use of their everyday knowledge, indicating a need to better address domain knowledge (in interaction design, chemical engineering or other domains respectively). Nevertheless, all thirteen groups in the three studies articulated and produced prototypes and basic use-scenarios within the time-limit which shows that the format engages the students and enables a short project takeoff. There remains, however, the need for research into how teachers can instruct, coach and intervene in the design process as well as in the use of disciplined domain knowledge.


A novel, simple, clinically useful quantitative liver function test, called the galactose single point (GSP) method, was developed by measurement of galactose blood concentration 1 h after galactose was administered (0.5 g/kg). It was quickly infused intravenously in 55 normal healthy volunteers, 73 patients with chronic hepatitis (CH), 36 with cirrhosis and 41 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients with CH diagnosis were assessed by liver biopsy. Cirrhosis was diagnosed by histological examination or a chronic hepatitis history with esophageal varices or ascites, whereas HCC was diagnosed either histologically, or cytologically proved, or as implied in the 'one imagine study' being positive with AFP > 300 ng/dl. Highly significant galactose blood levels were observed between normal healthy volunteers and patients 50, 60 and 70 min after galactose was administered. Galactose elimination capacity (GEC), modified GEC (MGEC) and consecutive GSP tests were performed in 6 healthy volunteers for 2 days. 0.64-16.87% variation was observed for each subject. The significant differences (p < 0.001) in average GSP values were 247 +/- 18.1, 422 +/- 27.3, 629 +/- 42.8 and 579 +/- 43.6 micrograms/ml for normal healthy volunteers, CH, cirrhosis and HCC patients, respectively. Highly significant correlations (p < 0.001) were obtained among GSP, GEC and MGEC for all patients. Positive correlations were observed between GSP, GEC, MGEC and AST (serum aspartate aminotransferase), ALT (serum alanine aminotransferase), serum bilirubin, albumin, prothrombin time and r-globulin. According to results obtained from 202 normal healthy volunteers and patients, the GSP method may be a simple, clinically useful quantitative measurement of liver function for the determination of a patient's residual liver function, the prognosis of liver function for patients with cirrhosis, postoperational follow-up and, finally, the timing of a liver transplant.


Abstract. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology are increasingly used for the analysis and visualisation of geospatial data. It has become simple to create an immersive three-dimensional AR or VR map with a combination of game engines (e.g., Unity), software development kits for streaming and rendering geospatial data (e.g., Mapbox), and affordable hardware (e.g., HTC Vive). However, it is not clear how to best interact with geospatial visualisations in AR and VR. For example, there are no established standards to efficiently zoom and pan, select map features, or place markers on AR and VR maps. In this paper, we explore interaction with AR and VR maps using gestures and handheld controllers.As for gesture-controlled interaction, we present the results of recent research projects exploring how body gestures can control basic AR and VR map operations. We use motion-tracking controllers (e.g., Leap Motion) to capture and interpret gestures. We conducted a set of user studies to identify, explore and compare various gestures for controlling map-related operations. This includes, for example, mid-air hand gestures for zooming and panning (Satriadi et al. 2019), selecting points of interest, adjusting the orientation of maps, or placing markers on maps. Additionally, we present novel VR interfaces and interaction methods for controlling the content of maps with gestures.As for handheld controllers, we discuss interaction with exocentric globes, egocentric globes (where the user stands inside a large virtual globe), flat maps, and curved maps in VR. We demonstrate controller-based interaction for adjusting the centre of world maps displayed on these four types of projection surfaces (Yang et al. 2018), and illustrate the utility of interactively movable VR maps by the example of three-dimensional origin-destination flow maps (Yang et al. 2019).


The Mediterranean brown trout (Salmo trutta complex) is one of the freshwater fish species complex at greater risk of extinction in the Mediterranean area. The introduction of alien invasive species and their interaction with the native fauna represent some of the major threats to the survival of this species. Currently, the genetic variability of the Mediterranean trout (Salmo trutta complex) is being compromised by the introgressive hybridization with the Atlantic trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758). Therefore, it is necessary to gain further knowledge on genetic and demographic characteristics of Mediterranean trout populations, that, combined with environmental and angling data, will allow to undertake sound conservation strategies. The aims of the present study were to analyze: i) the demographic characteristics of the Mediterranean trout in seven central Apennine river basins where native populations are threatened by stocking with the domestic trout of north Atlantic origin; ii) the influence of both environmental parameters and different fishery management strategies on the status of native trout populations. The project focuses on 14 sites included in the Natura 2000 EU wide network of nature protection areas, established under the 1992 Habitat Directive. A total of 25 watercourses were investigated for a total of 32 sampling sites. A census of the fish fauna was carried out by electrofishing at each sampling location. Fish and environmental data were collected in spring and autumn 2014. The results obtained in the present research allowed us to detect the presence of three residual Mediterranean trout populations with a high degree of genetic integrity in the study area. The native trout populations were characterized by higher abundances and higher adult density values. Well-structured native populations with higher legal-size specimens density and poor body conditions in terms of relative weight were observed in the no-fishing areas, probably due to the presence of intraspecific competition phenomena. The environmental analysis confirmed the key role played by the geological characteristics of the central Apennines in shaping the introgression levels observed in the wild trout populations, while the recovery of the water quality appears decisive in the development of management strategies aimed at their conservation.


Mangla dam is one of the largest water reservoirs used for irrigation/drinking purposes and power production in Pakistan. The present study is the assessment of physicochemical parameters and selected metals in surface water samples collected from Mangla dam to evaluate water quality for irrigation and drinking purpose. The concentration of selected metals (Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb and Zn) was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Average levels of the metals showed the decreasing concentration order: Ca > Mg > Na > K > Pb > Fe > Cr > Ni> Cd > Zn > Mn > Cu. Multivariate statistical methods evidenced significant anthropogenic contributions of Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb in water samples from the reservoir, which were above the permissible levels. The measured levels of pH, TA, EC, TDS, Cl–, PS, KR, Mg/Ca, MAR and PI were within the permissible limits. Based on the TH, the water samples were graded as moderately hard, while HCO3– and RSBC demonstrated that the water samples were categorized as unsuitable for irrigation use. However, the irrigation water quality (IWQ) index revealed medium level suitability of the water for agricultural use. The study revealed elevated concentration of Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb and suggested that future planning and management strategies should address the metal contamination for restoration of water quality of the reservoir.


This study follows the progress of 11 elementary students who exhibited similar language-arts deficiencies and were treated with traditional and non-traditional language-arts remediation methods. Non-traditional methods were exclusively Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE) lessons that required students to observe, talk about, and write about art images using a DBAE framework. Portfolios maintained by the students during one complete school year included writings and art production. Writings were marked using a color-coding system developed for the research project and designed to track growth in art cognition. Interviews for affective measure and the Test of Non-Verbal Intelligence, Edition II were administered as pre- and post-tests. Evidence indicated art understanding improved as cognition in language arts improved. Change in attitudes toward art and artists demonstrated a slight positive change. No significant difference was detected in non-verbal intelligence.


One of the most dramatic economic transformations of the past century has been the entry of women into the labor force. While many theories explain why this change took place, we investigate the process of transition itself. We argue that local information transmission generates changes in participation that are geographically heterogeneous, locally correlated and smooth in the aggregate, just like those observed in our data. In our model, women learn about the effects of maternal employment on children by observing nearby employed women. When few women participate in the labor force, data is scarce and participation rises slowly. As information accumulates in some regions, the effects of maternal employment become less uncertain, and more women in that region participate. Learning accelerates, labor force participation rises faster, and regional participation rates diverge. Eventually, information diffuses throughout the economy, beliefs converge to the truth, participation flattens out and regions become more similar again. To investigate the empirical relevance of our theory, we use a new county-level data set to compare our calibrated model to the time-series and geographic patterns of participation.


Hierarchical reliable multicast transport protocols partition group members into local groups and allocate one local repair node for each local group to distribute the task of detecting and recovering lost packets. This repair node uses the data stored in its buffer to retransmit the requested packets to the requesting receivers. The problem is that they keep these packets for a long time until they get acknowledgments from all their children receivers of correctly receiving these packets. Keeping these packets creates a congestion problem which decreases the network throughput. This paper proposes a new scheme to solve this problem, by distributing the required packets between the repair node which we call it here the control receiver and some selected receives that have already received these packets correctly. The distribution of the packets decreases the number of packets in the repair node buffer, thus solve the congestion problem and increase the network throughput.


By measuring excited state and charge dynamics in blends of an alternating polyfluorene copolymer and fullerene derivative over nine orders in time and two orders in light intensity, we have monitored the light-induced processes from ultrafast charge photogeneration to much slower decay of charges by recombination. We find that at low light intensities relevant to solar cell operation relatively fast (approximately 30 ns) geminate recombination is the dominating charge decay process, while nongeminate recombination has a negligible contribution. The conclusion of our work is that under solar illumination conditions geminate recombination of charges may be directly competing with efficient charge collection in polymer/fullerene solar cells.


Abstract: Very little research has examined the experiences of Black and White rural battered women. In this exploratory study of 88 participants, 30 rural battered women who sought assistance from domestic violence shelters in southwest Virginia were interviewed. Black and White rural women's experiences in the shelters, helpseeking, and perceived social support during and after their stay in the shelter were compared. Future research directions and suggestions to improve services are presented. Key Words: African American women, Appalachian and rural family, battered women, domestic violence, domestic violence shelters. Background and Significance: Rurality and Domestic Violence According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2000), more than 24% of U.S. residents live in rural areas. However, despite an increasing body of research on domestic violence, few research studies focus on domestic violence in rural settings (Van Hightower, Gorton, & DeMoss, 2000). Much of the research on battered women is conducted with samples from urban and college populations, rendering the experiences of rural battered women practically invisible (Van Hightower & Gorton, 2002; Van Hightower, et al.; Websdale, 1995, 1998). This lack of attention to domestic violence in rural communities may result, in part, from existing perceptions and myths about the "idyllic, tranquil, and nonviolent life in rural communities" (Krishnan, Hilbert, & Pase, 2001, p. 2). Yet, research debunks this myth and has consistently found that domestic violence is as prevalent in rural areas as it is in urban areas (Websdale, 1995). Scholarship on domestic violence in rural areas is necessary as there is some evidence that women in rural contexts face unique barriers in terms of accessing help. Beliefs and values are elements of the rural culture that impact women's experience with violence as well as their helpseeking practices. For example, domestic violence research in rural Kentucky (Websdale, 1995, 1998) and rural Appalachia (Gagne, 1992) indicates that residents of rural communities generally hold patriarchal views of the family, traditional sex-role ideologies, strong religious values, and conventional beliefs about privacy. These beliefs, rules, and values, in turn, promote gender inequality, failure to report incidents to police, and potentially undermine intervention when it does occur (Websdale, 1998; Wendt, Taylor, & Kennedy, 2002). In addition to challenges in rural life with regard to values and beliefs that make it difficult for rural battered women to seek help, rural battered women also often face logistic barriers. Rural residence is an isolating factor that can reduce access to domestic violence services and contribute to the perpetuation of battering (Van Hightower et al., 2000). Physical isolation can allow battering to go on without neighbors being aware of the violence, and access to services can be challenging in rural areas where shelters may be located many miles away from the battered wife who seeks services. The overall inattention given to domestic violence in rural settings extends to minority women. This is a particularly glaring omission, given that Blacks are the largest minority group (i.e., 4.1 million) living in rural areas, and rural counties with high concentrations of Blacks frequently are characterized by a greater degree of economic disadvantage, higher rates of family violence, and lower availability of and access to community services than White rural counties (Whitener, Jen, & Kassel, 2004). For Black women in rural communities, racial status in and of itself can be an isolating factor contributing to their victimization and further compromising intervention. For example, McNair and Neville (1996) suggested that institutional racism and Blacks' historical distrust of social services and mental health facilities were reasons for Blacks' underuse of the domestic violence shelters. …


It can be difficult to hear the voices of Roman children, women and slaves, given that most surviving texts of the period are by elite adult men. This volume redresses the balance. An international collection of expert contributors go beyond the usual canon of literary texts, and assess a vast range of evidence - inscriptions, burial data, domestic architecture, sculpture and the law, as well as Christian and dream-interpretation literature. Topics covered include: * child exposure and abandonment * children in imperial propaganda * reconstructing lower-class families * gender, burial and status * epitaphs and funerary monuments * adoption and late parenthood. The result is an up-to-date survey of some of the most exciting avenues currently being explored in Roman social history.


Private health insurance is playing an increasing role in both high- and low-income countries, yet is poorly understood by researchers and policy-makers. This paper shows that the distinction between private and public health insurance is often exaggerated since well regulated private insurance markets share many features with public insurance systems. It notes that private health insurance preceded many modern social insurance systems in western Europe, allowing these countries to develop the mechanisms, institutions and capacities that subsequently made it possible to provide universal access to health care. We also review international experiences with private insurance, demonstrating that its role is not restricted to any particular region or level of national income. The seven countries that finance more than 20% of their health care via private health insurance are Brazil, Chile, Namibia, South Africa, the United States, Uruguay and Zimbabwe. In each case, private health insurance provides primary financial protection for workers and their families while public health-care funds are targeted to programmes covering poor and vulnerable populations. We make recommendations for policy in developing countries, arguing that private health insurance cannot be ignored. Instead, it can be harnessed to serve the public interest if governments implement effective regulations and focus public funds on programmes for those who are poor and vulnerable. It can also be used as a transitional form of health insurance to develop experience with insurance institutions while the public sector increases its own capacity to manage and finance health-care coverage.


A meeting of the Religious Society of Friends ("Quakers") formed in the British Virgin Islands in the 1740s offers a window onto broader practices of religion making. Equality, simplicity, and peace form a basis for Quaker thought, but in the BVI these ideals intersected with the realities of Caribbean life and the central fact that members also held enslaved Africans. What members did to create Quakerism varied for this group, yet it was nonetheless understood to be a part of the broader community of "Friends." Practice perspectives are employed here to gain access to seemingly ephemeral religion through the concrete objects of archaeology but also as a means of reconciling variation in practice with the idea of a coherent religion. Here religious identity was negotiated through practices on multiple scales, creating unity via larger-scope practices of writing and reading while the most frequent identifications were local and variable. Written works are often seen to encode a static, "real" version of religion against which actions can be measured, but I will argue that religion is better seen in practice, and here Quakerism was created at least as much in the variable minutia of individual performance as in widely shared documents.


Purpose: Previous studies have shown that patients with type I diabetes can exhibit significant loss of colour vision that often precedes any clinical signs of retinopathy. In this study we investigated loss of red-green (RG) and yellow-blue (YB) chromatic sensitivity in both type I and type II diabetic patients. The aim was to establish how the type, onset, retinal thickness and the glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level affect the severity of RG and YB loss.

Methods: 110 patients diagnosed with diabetes (90 type II and 20 type I) took part in this study. BCVA, duration of diabetes, HbA1c and central subfield thickness (CST) were recorded in each patient. RG and YB colour thresholds were measured monocularly using the CAD (Colour Assessment & Diagnosis) test (Expert Rev. Ophthalmol. 6:409-420, 2011).

Results: Both type I and II diabetic patients showed significant loss of both RG and YB chromatic sensitivity with thresholds that ranged from just above the upper, age-corrected threshold limits for normal colour vision to complete absence of chromatic sensitivity. There was little or no correlation with type, duration of diabetes, loss of visual acuity, retinal thickness changes or the HbA1C index. The diabetics examined separated into two groups, the majority have RG (72%) and YB (65%) thresholds below ~ 6 standard normal CAD units with little or no difference between type I and II. A subgroup of patients (mostly type II) exhibit much larger thresholds, but no correlation with age or duration of diabetes.

Conclusions: RG and YB colour thresholds provide a sensitive measure of functional change in diabetics. Both type I and II diabetic patients exhibit loss of both RG and YB chromatic sensitivity, with little or no difference between the two types. Neural changes in diabetes that cause loss of colour vision do not appear to be linked directly to type, duration or the HbA1c level.


Spectrum, which supports the transmission of sound, data, and video, is critical to the implementation of mobile connected society. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been seeking policies that offer more spectrum access opportunities, such as secondary spectrum market and TV white space. In this paper, we develop the idea of trading spectrum in Interference Right. It means to alleviate the spectrum scarcity by cooperative spectrum usage and making the spectrum market as liquid as possible. We use some plausible case studies to illustrate the characteristics and features. The paper therefore includes a detailed description of trading procedures along with some first order quantitative modeling of the cases coupled with qualitative analysis.


The 23rd volume of this annual publication continues to present a wide variety of original and reprinted papers on the psychoanalytic study of the child. These include topics concerned with psychopathology, therapy, theory, development, and clinical case-studies. As expected the contributions are unequal in significance but continue to represent whatever standards exist in the field. However, deserving of special mention is an interesting paper by S. L. Lustman entitled "The Economic Point of View and Defense" which should stimulate some hard thinking for the reader.


We give dimension-free and data-dependent bounds for linear multi-task learning where a common linear operator is chosen to preprocess data for a vector of task specific linear-thresholding classifiers. The complexity penalty of multi-task learning is bounded by a simple expression involving the margins of the task-specific classifiers, the Hilbert-Schmidt norm of the selected preprocessor and the Hilbert-Schmidt norm of the covariance operator for the total mixture of all task distributions, or, alternatively, the Frobenius norm of the total Gramian matrix for the data-dependent version. The results can be compared to state-of-the-art results on linear single-task learning.


In this article the attention is focused on the problems of application of criminal laws while proceeding from the Criminal Code of 1961 to the Criminal Code (CC) of 2000. The article starts with an overview of the universal and generally accepted principal rules included in the provisions of international law which regulate the validity and application of criminal laws within the aspect of time. The influence of these rules, which predetermined the similarity of Article 7 of the preceding CC to Article 3 of the new CC is emphasised. The text and content of both Articles is compared: attention is given to certain differences and their legal significance. The article gives references to the judgements passed by the European Court of Human Rights in concrete cases where Article 7 of the European Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms were applied: Welch v. United Kingdom (9 February 1995); Jamil v. France (8 June 1995); G. v. France (27 September 1995); C. R. v. United Kingdom; S. W. v. United Kingdom (22 November 1995); Ecer and Zeyrek v. Turkey (27 February 2001); Streletz, Kessler and Krenz v. Germany, and K.-H. W. v. Germany (22 March 2001). Special notice is given of the relationship between the validity of the criminal law and its application. Cases are indicated where the existing law is not applied, and, on the contrary – the ones which include the application of the law are no longer in effect. It is emphasised here that criminal law has no retroactive effect in abstracto. This effect may only arise upon the commitment of a certain criminal deed. The relation between the previous and the current CC is analysed according to three criteria: criminality of deeds, punishability of their perpetrators, and the rest of the legal status of such persons. The main part of the article deals with the comparison of the two CCs. Four variants are highlighted: 1) when certain deeds are not considered to be criminal by both CCs; 2) when the new CC decriminalises former crimes; 3) when the new CC criminalizes deeds which were not considered as criminal before; 4) when the new CC to a certain degree adopts the deeds foreseen in the old CC. Possibilities of the application of criminal law in all four variants are being commented upon. The most complicated Variant 4 is analysed in a more detailed way. Four possible situations are described: where the new CC and the old CC are considered to be "identical"; making criminal liability more lenient; aggravating the criminal liability; or "contradictory", resulting from the criminal liability being made more lenient and more severe. Recommendations on how to apply criminal law in such situations are offered. Separate attention is given to such instances where both Codes – the previous and the current – are being applied simultaneously. The prevalence of the current Code in such cases is evidenced. Such conclusion arises from the new Law on the Enforcement and Implementation Procedure of the Criminal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and the Code of the Enforcement of Penal Sanctions (Official Gazette, 29 October 2002, No. IX-1162). Attention is drawn to the fact that the application of the current CC precludes the application of a new penalty which is stricter than the previous sentence. The article ends with conclusion and recommendations, as well a list of references.


As computers become more widely used in schools, it is clear that they have the potential not just to support the achievement of conventional goals, but also to redefine what we mean by reading, writing and discussion. The contributors to Language, Classroom and Computers - all with experience of teaching about language and computers for The Open University - use teachers' accounts together with their own research to examine how the use of computers in school can affect the ways in which children learn and teachers teach. The first section looks at some generic aspects of computer use, focusing particularly on class management: individual and group learning, the role of the teacher as facilitator and co-learner and the problems of limited access. The second section examines the contribution of specific sorts of software package: word processing, e-mail, hypertext and so on to lanugage learning. This is a book for everyone who wants IT to add a new dimension to their teaching.


The theme of this volume is Entrepreneurial Strategic Content. As such, it addresses the types of strategies that entrepreneurial companies use to effectively position themselves and gain competitive advantages. As a companion to Volume 10 ("Entrepreneurial Strategic Processes"), Volume 11 identifies several strategic dilemmas and strategic choices that organizations face in their efforts to be more entrepreneurial. Top researchers from a diverse set of perspectives - including Saras Sarasvathy, Per Davidsson, Tom Dean, and Kaye Schoonhoven - have contributed their latest research on a variety of topics such as celebrity entrepreneurship, innovation in traditionally conservative settings (banking and the military) and acquisitions as an entrepreneurial growth strategy. The strategic implications of tax policy and the importance of knowledge management and human resources management to the success of entrepreneurial strategies are also highlighted. The last two chapters constitute a spirited debate between researchers with sharply different views about the role of individual versus collective effort to entrepreneurial progress and success. Volume 11 identifies important strategic alternatives that entrepreneurial companies use to optimize performance and provides valuable insights into how organizations of all types use entrepreneurial strategies to achieve competitive advantages.


GM1 gangliosidosis is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease, caused by a deficiency in the enzyme β -galactosidase. The disease affects the CNS, liver, kidney, heart and skeletal system, leading to severe neurodegeneration and death. We propose to treat this disorder using ex vivo hematopoietic stem cell therapy. The effectiveness of this therapy requires the recruitment of transduced donor cells to the CNS. This is only found to occur after mice are conditioned with total body irradiation, due to the increase in CNS cytokine production and blood brain barrier permeability that occurs. As the use of total body irradiation in pediatric patients has been linked to future developmental problems, this myeloablation approach is often avoided in younger patients in favor of a conditioning regimen using the chemotherapy drugs, busulfan and cyclophosphamide. Whether donor cells can enter the CNS when a busulfan and cyclophosphamide conditioning regimen is used has not been determined. In this study we plan to quantify the cytokine and blood-brain barrier permeability increases necessary for donor cells to be recruited to the CNS after total body irradiation. We will then investigate whether busulfan and cyclophosphamide conditioning and/or the chronic neuroinflammation present in GM1 mice can produce similar conditions and facilitate the recruitment of donor hematopoietic stem cells to the CNS. Finally we will assess whether ex vivo hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy is still an effective therapy when busulfan and cyclophosphamide are used for myeloablative conditioning.


Water utilities in developing countries are struggling to provide customers with a reliable level of service due to their peculiar water distribution characteristics including poorly zoned networks with irregular supply operating under restricted budgets. These unique conditions demand unique tools and methods for water loss control. Water loss management: Tools and Methods for Developing Countries provide a decision support toolbox (appropriate tools and methodologies) for assessing, quantifying, prioritising strategies and improving water distribution efficiency in the developing countries. It promotes good stewardship of water resources and sustainable delivery of water supply services in urban water distribution systems.


This study analyses the spatial and aspatial aspects of the settlement pattern of Nottinghamshire before 1700. Two crucial problems are encountered: firstly, much of the descriptive evidence must be taken from taxation documents which do not directly refer to settlements, and secondly the foundations of the medieval settlement pattern lay in the Anglo-Scandinavian period, for which remarkably little evidence survives in Nottinghamshire. The first of these difficulties is alleviated by treating townships as functional settlements, each based on a defined territory with a system of communal agriculture. The second, however, is more intransigent. Part I begins by reconstructing the territorial structure of the county within which the settlements existed. It then analyses the Anglo-Scandinavian and Norman settlement patterns in the light of Jones' model of the multiple estate and Taylor's exemplar of the polyfocal village. Chapter Four, which is critical to the argument, reveals that throughout the period 1100-1 TOO the overall rank-size distribution remained convex-upwards. Nevertheless, individual places did change in relative importance, and there is also evidence for the appearance of an urban hierarcy. In spatial terms, the early dominance of the south-east of the county was replaced by a more even distribution of rural settlements and wealth. Part II seeks explanations for these changes by studying individual settlements and by examining certain specific factors. It reveals that it is extremely difficult to produce generalised models concerning settlement development, but that the role of individual landlords appears to have been of fundamental importance. The presence of a large monastic house and the growth of rural marketing were also significant factors stimulating settlement growth. In conclusion, there is a vital need to re-evaluate our theoretical and abstract views concerning the nature of medieval settlement, both by undertaking detailed field research and also by drawing comparisons with contemporary processes.


We report on the in situ synthesis of nanostructured MnO2 onto natural fique fibers. The fiber surface was rendered positive by exposure to alkaline conditions, and permanganate anions (MnO4−) were embedded onto the resultant alkali cellulose via coulombic interactions. An ultrasound-assisted procedure was used to reduce MnO4− and yield MnO2 nanoparticles (NPs). UV-Vis diffuse reflectance was used to assess the influence of the precursor concentration, loading and reduction times on the synthesis of the nanostructured MnO2. FESEM provided direct evidence that MnO2 NPs and aggregates could be formed on the fiber's surface. The catalytic activity of the new bionanocomposite was tested for the removal of indigo carmine dye in water samples. The MnO2–fique fiber bionanocomposite was able to remove up to 98% of the colour present in the contaminated water samples in less than 5 minutes. Mass spectrometry was used to determine the degradation route of the dye. Additionally, we found that the bionanocomposite can be reused with no effect on the dye degradation efficiency. The reported procedure provides a new route for the development of biodegradable and easy to synthesize composite materials capable of efficiently degrading pollutants found in industrial effluents.


A gastric diverticulum is an unusual anomaly of the alimentary tract. Of the two types, congenital and acquired, the former is far more common. The majority of congenital diverticula protrude from the posterior gastric wall just inferior to the gastroesophageal junction. While most gastric diverticula are asymptomatic, some are associated with epigastric discomfort that can be medically controlled. A distinct minority result in devastating complications such as perforation or hemorrhage. The preoperative diagnosis of a bleeding gastric diverticulum mandates aggressive lavage and thorough endoscopy of the stomach to include a retroflexed view of the cardiac portion of the stomach. Surgical amputation of the bleeding juxtacardiac diverticulum is the treatment of choice.


This article compares the Mitteleuropa visions of Friedrich List and Friedrich Naumann, two liberal thinkers from two different centuries. Their conceptualizations demonstrate how fragile the connection is between free trade and democracy. Friedrich List was a liberal thinker in pre-revolutionary Germany who was very interested in the question of how to create a political economy based on a strong nation-state. List stretched the concept of Mitteleuropa to include an area from the Baltic and the North Sea to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea in the south. List was a typical liberal of that time with a belief in the combination of free trade, democracy and nationalism. Friedrich Naumann's goal was to reconcile the categories of state and economy, the Emperor and the working class, German and Slavic populations, understood as opposites by many in the debate of his time. The task he set himself was to reconcile these opposites and connect them to liberal thoughts about constitution and democracy. His utmost goal was to unify the national and the social, the Kaiser and the Volk. On this point, Naumann failed, as we know. As we also know, other forces then took up his search for ways to unite the national and the social.


International lawyers are familiar with the argument – dating back to Austin, but still quite common today – that there is no international law, but, to say it in a nutshell, international powers only. Prof. Charles Leben's book, The Advancement of International Law, is a rich, stimulating, and up-to-date rebuttal to such an assertion. Emeritus Professor of international law at Pantheon-Assas University in Paris, France, Prof. Leben is the new NYU Straus/Tikvah Fellow for the academic year 2011/2012. One of the leading French scholars in public international and international economic law, Prof. Leben is a practitioner as well as a theorist of law: this new volume of the French Studies in International Law series, published by Hart Publishing under the direction of Prof. Emmanuelle Jouannet, links together the two facets of its author.


In this work, we investigate the influence of different visualizations on a manipulation task in virtual reality (VR). Without the haptic feedback of the real world, grasping in VR might result in intersections with virtual objects. As people are highly sensitive when it comes to perceiving collisions, it might look more appealing to avoid intersections and visualize non-colliding hand motions. However, correcting the position of the hand or fingers results in a visual-proprioceptive discrepancy and must be used with caution. Furthermore, the lack of haptic feedback in the virtual world might result in slower actions as a user might not know exactly when a grasp has occurred. This reduced performance could be remediated with adequate visual feedback. In this study, we analyze the performance, level of ownership, and user preference of eight different visual feedback techniques for virtual grasping. Three techniques show the tracked hand (with or without grasping feedback), even if it intersects with the grasped object. Another three techniques display a hand without intersections with the object, called outer hand, simulating the look of a real world interaction. One visualization is a compromise between the two groups, showing both a primary outer hand and a secondary tracked hand. Finally, in the last visualization the hand disappears during the grasping activity. In an experiment, users perform a pick-and-place task for each feedback technique. We use high fidelity marker-based hand tracking to control the virtual hands in real time. We found that the tracked hand visualizations result in better performance, however, the outer hand visualizations were preferred. We also find indications that ownership is higher with the outer hand visualizations.


Micrococcaceae isolated from the shunt, ventricles, and bloodstream of children with colonized ventriculo-venous shunts were classified within the scheme of Baird-Parker (1963). With one exception, all belonged to subgroup II of the genus Staphylococcus; tests were therefore devised for division within this subgroup, and results are reported in 30 cases from this and other hospitals. Skin and nasal staphylococci isolated from many of these patients were compared with those recovered from their shunts and blood. Evidence is offered for the occasional coexistence of more than one strain of staphylococcus in colonized shunts and in the bloodstream. Successive recolonization of replaced shunts was apparently not necessarily caused by the same type of staphylococcus. Nasal and skin micrococcaceae from many other babies, both in hospital and in parental care, from hospital staff and from adults selected at random from non-hospital sources, were similarly classified. The validity and significance of the findings are discussed.


'Kung fu' has become synonymous with the traditional Chinese martial arts in the popular imagination. Yet some practitioners and writers object to this usage, insisting instead on the adoption of other labels such as 'wushu'. Increasingly authors in both the academic and more serious popular literatures are  moving away from 'kung fu', as it is perceived to be both inauthentic and ahistorical. But is this really the case? The following article examines the use of 'kung fu' in both the Chinese and English language literatures on the martial arts from the middle of the 19 th century to the 1960s. It finds that the term's adoption as a descriptor of a set of martial practices is older than is generally acknowledged. There are also specific regional and social reasons why certain Chinese martial artists have chosen to adopt and promote this term in describing their own practice. Like the traditional Chinese martial arts themselves, the term kung fu has meant many things to various practitioners in different times and places. By studying the evolution and spread of this terminology, students of martial studies can gain insight into the changing nature of the Chinese martial arts.


A major purpose of the third joint Soviet-American Gases and Aerosols (SAGA 3) oceanographic cruise was to examine remote tropical marine O3 and photochemical cycles in detail. On leg 1, which took place between Hilo, Hawaii, and Pago-Pago, American Samoa, in February and March 1990, shipboard measurements were made of O3, CO, CH4, nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHC), NO, dimethyl sulfide (DMS), H2S, H2O2, organic peroxides, and total column O3. Postcruise analysis was performed for alkyl nitrates and a second set of nonmethane hydrocarbons. A latitudinal gradient in O3 was observed on SAGA 3, with O3 north of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) at 15–20 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) and less than 12 ppbv south of the ITCZ but never ≤3 ppbv as observed on some previous equatorial Pacific cruises (Piotrowicz et al., 1986; Johnson et al., 1990). Total column O3 (230–250 Dobson units (DU)) measured from the Akademik Korolev was within 8% of the corresponding total ozone mapping spectrometer (TOMS) satellite observations and confirmed the equatorial Pacific as a low O3 region. In terms of number of constituents measured, SAGA 3 may be the most photochemically complete at-sea experiment to date. A one-dimensional photochemical model gives a self-consistent picture of O3-NO-CO-hydrocarbon interactions taking place during SAGA 3. At typical equatorial conditions, mean O3 is 10 ppbv with a 10–15% diurnal variation and maximum near sunrise. Measurements of O3, CO, CH4, NMHC, and H2O constrain model-calculated OH to 9 × 105 cm−3 for 10 ppbv O3 at the equator. For DMS (300–400 parts per trillion by volume (pptv)) this OH abundance requires a sea-to-air flux of 6–8 × 109 cm−2 s−1, which is within the uncertainty range of the flux deduced from SAGA 3 measurements of DMS in seawater (Bates et al., this issue). The concentrations of alkyl nitrates on SAGA 3 (5–15 pptv total alkyl nitrates) were up to 6 times higher than expected from currently accepted kinetics, suggesting a largely continental source for these species. However, maxima in isopropyl nitrate and bromoform near the equator (Atlas et al., this issue) as well as for nitric oxide (Torres and Thompson, this issue) may signify photochemical and biological sources of these species.


A model has been developed, based on the finite element method (FEM) of computational fluid dynamics (CFD), for the description of the complete flow field and concentration distribution inside a membrane capillary, driven in inside-out and dead-end or 'slow' cross-flow mode, sometimes referred to as 'bleed flow'. Particle or floc transport and deposition have been described by trajectory analysis, i.e. superimposing the calculation of forces and torques acting on the particles or flocs, based on the previously modelled fluid flow field. The model is used to give an overview of deposition behaviour and fouling layer formation of particles and flocs of a certain size in dead-end and cross-flow filtration. Example results are shown for different sized flocs. It is shown that the choice of dead-end or cross-flow operation is more significant if small floc aggregates have to be filtered by the membrane. Small flocs will be deposited more or less homogeneously along the membrane wall after some significant distance to the capillary inlet, leaving the first part of the membrane area unused for deposition. A 'slow' cross-flow could be used to transport small flocs out of the capillary which entered the capillary cross section area in the neighbourhood of the axis. The faster the chosen cross-flow velocity, the larger the area. Larger flocs will be 'accumulated' in one resulting equilibrium trajectory and are transported to the rear end of the capillary, independent of their starting radial position at the inlet and operation conditions. It was calculated, that larger flocs will not be significantly transported out of the capillary lumen by introducing 'slow' cross-flow velocities at the capillaries outlet only.


This research project investigated moments of joy and laughter during therapy sessions when these occur simultaneously between a therapist and a client. In the context of this study, joy and laughter moments were considered as heightened affective moments that play an important part in the organisation of interactive encounters between individuals. Whilst theorists often place them at the core of the process of therapeutic change, very little empirical data beyond observational studies of mother and infant interactions has been produced so far. This research project made an attempt to fill this gap.

Semi-structured interviews of experienced practitioners were conducted to collect the data and Grounded theory methodology was applied to analyse the results of this study. A theory of joy and laughter 'crescendos' in relational psychotherapy was developed that defines joy and laughter moments as processes rather than individual events. These processes include elements of the implicit and explicit communication between a therapist and a client that interact and mutually influence each other in a complex, iterative and mutually influencing way. These processes have a distinctive sense of a flow, a sense of a build-up, a climax and a reverb. Furthermore, the data analysis indicated that joy and laughter 'crescendos' involve the intersubjectivity of the participants within the dyad as they are engaged in the process of therapy.

The implications of this study were discussed in terms of their applicability and contribution to the clinical practice, theoretical knowledge, and, in relation to the training of the counselling psychologists and psychotherapists encouraging clinicians to engage in the explorations of not only negative affective states, but the positive interpersonal experiences too. Whilst this study highlighted a valuable role that positive, non-threatening interpersonal experiences can play in the process of therapy, limitations of this research project were discussed and further research ideas were put forward.


Abstract Post-election audits are an important method for verifying the outcome of an election. Recent work on risk-limiting, post-election audits has focused almost exclusively on plurality elections. Several organization and municipalities use nonplurality methods such as range voting, the Borda count, and instant-runoff voting (IRV). We believe that it is crucial to develop effective methods of performing risk-limiting, post-election audits for these methods. We define a general notion of the margin of victory and develop risk-limiting auditing procedures for these nonplurality methods. For scored systems, we show how to adapt methods from plurality auditing. For IRV, the situation is markedly different. We provide a risk-limiting method for auditing the candidate elimination order. We provide a more efficient audit for the elections in which the margin of the IRV election can be efficiently calculated or bounded. We provide efficiently computable upper and lower bounds on the margin and, where possible, compare them to the exact margins for a large number of real elections.


Photographs deployed in scientific investigation also are circulated and consumed in popular culture. Examination of the work of an early-twentieth-century consulting U.S. scientist in commercial print advertising illuminates a still mostly unwritten history concerning scientific realism, photography, and American advertising's middle-class audiences. The work of American scientific photographer Philip O. Gravelle with American national advertising campaigns during the early decades of the twentieth century draws attention to the myriad creative uses of scientific photography during the first decades of the twentieth century. It also sheds new light on a pivotal era in the evolution of illustration-based American print advertising.


A contract exchange, defined as an organized marketplace for the creation or trading of specific contracts, provides benefits to its members as well as the public at large. But legal disputes can arise on contract exchanges, just as they do anywhere else, and those disputes can be litigated, mediated, arbitrated, or resolved in some other way. This Essay claims that arbitration, rather than litigation, is a particularly useful and appropriate means for resolving exchange-related disputes, and that this is true not only for traditional contract exchanges, like the Chicago Board of Trade, but also for online "consumer contract exchanges," such as Priceline.com. In support of this claim, this essay shows that the vast majority of disputes arising out of American commodities exchanges are resolved through arbitration, not litigation.The nature of arbitration requires that judicial review of an arbitrator's decision be minimal, and it is under current law. But that does not mean that the state plays no role in contract-exchange disputes. To the contrary, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission and other government agencies regulate exchange arbitration to ensure that the process is sufficiently robust to be relied upon for just results. This regulation of contract exchange arbitration enhances the respect that courts will pay to the regulated arbitration clause, process, and decisions. The foundation for this enhanced respect is that the ex ante (regulatory) review acts as a substitute for ex post (judicial) review of exchange-related arbitration. In recent years, however, the Federal Arbitration Act has been read by the Supreme Court to mandate a high level of judicial respect for arbitration and arbitration clauses regardless of whether there was ex ante regulatory approval. Given the other significant costs of regulatory oversight, especially for a nascent and growing industry like consumer contract exchanges, it may be wise to rely solely on the FAA to protect exchange-related arbitration.


This paper discusses on-going research in optimal regional aquifer management that has a multiplicity of goals: water supply, subsidence control, and energy management. Current research is directed at simulation and optimization of the aquifer system using a variety of methods. The goal of the research is to identify pumping policies that control subsidence, yet meet current and projected groundwater demands and require minimal lift (a surrogate for energy). Two fundamentally different operational strategies are studied: (1) pumping (extraction) only; and (2) pumping combined with injection where net extraction meets demand. The simulation model uses the USGS modular three-dimensional finite difference groundwater flow code with the interbed storage package for modeling flow and subsidence. The current model is a four-layer model with spatial resolution of 2.5 miles in the horizontal dimensions and 0.1 miles in the vertical dimension.


E. Thomas introduced the notion of span of a differentiable manifold (or of a vector bundle). The notion of span can be extended in an obvious way to $PL$-microbundles, topological microbundles and spherical fibrations. In the case of a vector bundle or a microbundle the dimension of the fibre will be referred to as its rank. A spherical fibration with fibre homotopically equivalent to $S^{k-1}$ will be said to be of rank $k$. In this paper we study stably trivial objects of rank $k$ over a $CW$-complex of dimension $\leqq k$ from each of the above collections. Then we determine the span of such stably trivial objects over $CW$-complexes of a ``special type'' yielding generalizations of the Bredon-Kosinski, Thomas theorem on the span of a closed differentiable $\pi$-manifold [3], [19]. Though originally $PL$-microbundles were defined only over simplicial complexes, in this paper by a $PL$-microbundle of rank $k$ over a $CW$-complex $X$ we mean an element of the set $[X,BPL(k)]$ of homotopy classes of maps of $X$ into $BPL(k)$.


Gender-based violence (GBV) is a complicated challenge embedded in displaced
 people's lived experiences throughout the conflict displacement cycle.
 Despite the awareness of existing institutionalised help-seeking referral
 pathways, these do not necessarily translate to the full utilisation of such
 services. This paper examines the critical role of refugee leaders and service
 providers in potentially enabling and realising a GBV survivor's
 help-seeking. By adapting a meso-level analysis, it attempts to explain how
 social networks built within conflict and displacement contribute to responding
 to GBV. Based on the review of collected interviews in 2019 from refugee leaders
 and service providers working with South Sudanese refugees in selected
 settlements in Uganda, the paper reflects on the importance of network, norms
 and trust in effectively responding to GBV in conditions of conflict-affected
 displacement.


Policies guide the way entities within a domain act, by providing rules for their behavior. Most of the research in policies is within a certain application area, for example security for databases, and there are no general specifications for policies. Another problem with policies is that they require domain dependent information, forcing researchers to create policy languages that are bound to the domains for which they were developed. This prevents policy languages from being flexible and being usable across domains. This report describes the specifications of the Rei policy language, which provides constructs based on deontic concepts. These constructs are extremely flexible and allow different kinds of policies to be stated. This simple policy language is not tied to any specific application and allows domain dependent information to be added without any modification. The policy engine associated with Rei accepts policies in first order logic and RDF. The report also discusses the functionality of the policy engine that interprets and reasons over Rei policies.


Mostert, L., J.-C. Kang, P. W. Crous & S. Denman (2001). Phomopsis saccharata sp. nov., causing a canker and die-back disease of Protea repens in South Africa. Sydowia 53(2): 227-235. Phomopsis saccharata is newly described from cankers of Protea repens plants collected on the Jonkershoek Mountains in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The pathogenicity of this species was established in a previous study, but the fungus has never been formally described. Morphologically this species is easily distinguished from others in the genus based on its large, chiefly 1-septate alpha conidia. Although this is an unusual feature for Phomopsis, ITS DNA sequence data indicate that this taxon is best accommodated in Phomopsis. This finding also suggests that the generic concept of Phomopsis should be expanded to include taxa with 1-septate alpha conidia.


The present thesis focuses on the mechanics of the seismic source, in the framework of asperity models of faults. Thanks to the major role played by asperities in the dynamics of the seismic source, faults have been treated as dynamical systems made of a small number of asperities, weak regions or fault segments. The state of the system is described by the slip deficits or Coulomb stresses associated with the regions of the fault. Five cases are illustrated, differing for the number of asperities, weak regions or fault segments and for the mechanical processes investigated. In a model of a fault with a single asperity, the dynamics is described by two dynamic modes, corresponding to asperity loading and asperity failure, respectively. In a model of a fault with an asperity and a weak region, the dynamics is studied in terms of three dynamic modes, corresponding to interseismic intervals, seismic slip of the asperity and afterslip in the weak region. In a model of a two-asperity fault with purely elastic coupling, the dynamics is described by a sticking mode, associated with stationary asperities, and three slipping modes, corresponding to the slip of one or both asperities at a time. If viscoelastic coupling between the asperities is assumed, the model allows to highlight the role of rock rheology in the duration of the interseismic intervals of the fault and in the response to stress perturbations from neighbouring faults. In a model of a system of n faults generating a seismic sequence, it is possible to retrieve the state of the system at any time during the sequence. Also, the order of fault activation is described by a permutation of the first n natural numbers. In each case, applications to real faults are presented.


A classifier training methodology is presented for Kapvik, a micro-rover prototype. A simulated light detection and ranging scan is divided into a grid, with each cell having a variety of characteristics (such as number of points, point variance and mean height) which act as inputs to classification algorithms. The training step avoids the need for time-consuming and error-prone manual classification through the use of a simulation that provides training inputs and target outputs. This simulation generates various terrains that could be encountered by a planetary rover, including untraversable ones, in a random fashion. A sensor model for a three-dimensional light detection and ranging is used with ray tracing to generate realistic noisy three-dimensional point clouds where all points that belong to untraversable terrain are labelled explicitly. A neural network classifier and its training algorithm are presented, and the results of its output as well as other popular classifiers show high accuracy on test data sets after training. The network is then tested on outdoor data to confirm it can accurately classify real-world light detection and ranging data. The results show the network is able to identify terrain correctly, falsely classifying just 4.74% of untraversable terrain.


ABSTRACT In most mammals, adults produce relatively low frequency vocalizations compared to those of juveniles. This rule is not maintained however at least in four species of ground squirrels, whose juveniles call at the adult's fundamental frequency. These findings have been obtained however with separate sets of juveniles and adults and no data is available concerning the ontogeny linked to these differences. Here we analyze the acoustic structure of alarm calls of the same Yellow Spermophilus fulvus and Speckled S. suslicus ground squirrel individuals, recorded as pups and as adults after hibernation. We found the fundamental frequencies of adults within the same frequency ranges as those of pups, in spite of the significant difference in body mass. In ground squirrels, severing the relationship between body size and call frequency removes some vocal cues to age. We discuss some functional hypotheses advanced to explain manipulations with fundamental frequencies in ground squirrels and other animals, and suggest the lack of data for discussing the mechanisms of such vocal tuning.


This paper presents a novel Internet object cache replacement strategy named LSR/H where semantics of objects and subject access history are employed as heuristics to evict objects from cache. It is shown that LSR/H performs better than well-established replacement strategies when multiple threads of interest exist and the multiple semantics stability property is verified. Our work shows that, depending on cache size, LSR/H can perform around 15% better than well-established replacement strategies, thus permiting an important gain in network performance. It can be a starting point to redesign the caching scheme currently in use in order to achieve better network performance. Also, our research work can be exploited in specific domains of applications, such as digital libraries and e-commerce, where taxonomy for objets are often well-established.


Tropical moist forests are declining rapidly world-wide. Reforestation efforts in Trinidad have generally been insufficient and focused on non-native species. Some of these species (e.g. Pinus caribaea), however, appear ecologically inappropriate but have been used extensively on sandy soils after fires or where harvesting has degraded the original vegetation. Little research attention has been given to natural regeneration as a potential for future timber production. The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not post-fire regeneration provided sufficient species of commercial importance that could influence forest management planning. The field research was conducted at the Melajo Nature Reserve in north-east Trinidad, where there has been a particular focus on non-native species plantation in adjacent areas. A fire in 1987 devastated much of the remaining mature mora (Mora excelsa Benth.) forest at the Melajo Nature Reserve. The successional species were identified and recorded four years after the fire, and the abundances of commercially-important regenerating species were determined. The total number of species recorded was 201, representing 60 families with 153 genera. There were 14 species of timber value, with Mora excelsa, Terminalia amazonia, Byrsonima spicata and Sterculia caribaea being the most abundant. The abundance of commercially-important timber species in the most fire-damaged plot was 93% less than that for the least fire-damaged plot. The density of these species at the post-fire site in Melajo was on average higher than that of the same species in the mature mora forest. In 1991, the post-fire site at Melajo contained about 54% of the species recorded for a mature mora forest at Matura, north of Melajo (over 50 years ago).


You have likely seen the bumper sticker, bold white text on a green background, reading "No Farms No Food." The sticker is a product of, and in fact a tagline for, the American Farmland Trust. On the one hand, the point is obvious: As American Farmland Trust puts it, "[e]very meal on our plates [c]ontains ingredients grown on a farm. We all need farms to survive." On the other hand, what seems like a plain statement on its face, "no farms no food," is not so simple. Farms produce affordable food, they produce vast quantities of food, they produce healthy and not so healthy food, but they are not the only source of food. Hunting is another obvious source of food. Foraging is a less obvious example.
In his writing on foraging, Baylen Linnekin reiterates this point about the diversity of food sourcing and offers the possibility of a food system more robust and welcoming than the system that dominates today. Foraging is a source of food with an even longer historical shadow than traditional agriculture. Like the plain and simple promise that without farms we would have no food, the plain and simple appeal of foraging also masks important nuances, many of which Linnekin uncovers in his work, including the complexity of defining foraging at all, the potential ecological impacts of foraging, and the types of properties on which foraging takes place. Despite Linnekin's effort, some nuance remains.
This Response will evaluate the same issues that Linnekin's work addresses, in an attempt to add some additional insight. This Response will also highlight several complexities within foraging law and policy that deserve further attention. Part I will focus on the importance of a precise definition for foraging. Part II will consider society's essentialist approach to food and agriculture. Part III will then consider the way foraging, despite its populist overtones, may succumb to elitism. Part IV will dissect the apparent political and ideological consensus around the benefits of foraging. Part V will examine the property rights issues that are part and parcel of foraging. Finally, Part VI will look more closely at potential ecological issues that can arise from increased foraging. This Response will conclude by offering an alternative regulatory regime that borrows from Linnekin's proposal but combines it with other successful environmental regulatory strategies.