Controlled thin film etching is essential for future semiconductor devices, especially with complex high aspect ratio structures. Therefore, self-limiting atomic layer etching processes are of great interest to the semiconductor industry. In this work, a process for atomic layer etching of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) films using sequential and self-limiting thermal reactions with trimethylaluminum and hydrogen fluoride as reactants was demonstrated. The Al2O3 films were grown by atomic layer deposition using trimethylaluminum and water. The cycle-by-cycle etching was monitored throughout the entire atomic layer etching process time using in situ and in real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry. The studies revealed that the sequential surface reactions were self-limiting versus reactant exposure. Spectroscopic ellipsometry analysis also confirmed the linear removal of Al2O3. Various process pressures ranging from 50 to 200 Pa were employed for Al2O3 etching. The Al2O3 etch rates increased with process pressures: Al2O3 etch rates of 0.92, 1.14, 1.22, and 1.31 Å/cycle were obtained at 300 °C for process pressures of 50, 100, 150, and 200 Pa, respectively. The Al2O3 etch rates increased with the temperature from 0.55 Å/cycle at 250 °C to 1.38 Å/cycle at 350 °C. Furthermore, this paper examined the temperature dependence of the rivalry between the removal (Al2O3 etching) and growth (AlF3 deposition) processes using the reactants trimethylaluminum and hydrogen fluoride. The authors determined that 225 °C is the transition temperature between AlF3 atomic layer deposition and Al2O3 atomic layer etching. The high sensitivity of in vacuo x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy allowed the investigation of the interface reactions for a single etching pulse as well as the initial etch mechanism. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements indicated that the fluorinated layer is not completely removed after each trimethylaluminum exposure. The Al2O3 atomic layer etching process mechanism may also be applicable to etch other materials such as HfO2.


A fundamental problem in communication is the transmission of an information source across a communication channel. According to Shannon's separation principle, this problem can be separated (without loss of optimality) into two different, yet similar, problems: source coding and channel coding. This result, however, holds only when complexity and delay are not an issue. In practical situations, complexity plays a major role in many system designs. When complexity is constrained, treating these two problems jointly may prove to be more fruitful than treating them separately.
In this work, we consider two approaches to joint source-channel coding of discrete-time, continuous-amplitude sources and discrete memoryless channels when complexity is constrained.
In the first approach, we consider the analysis and design of two low-complexity vector quantizers--the tree-structured vector quantizer (TSVQ) and the multi-stage vector quantizer (MSVQ)--when used over a noisy channel. The resulting schemes are called channel-matched TSVQ and channel-matched MSVQ. These schemes are compared with (i) the ordinary TSVQ and MSVQ which are designed for the noiseless channel and (ii) a tandem source-channel coding scheme in which the source and channel codes are designed separately.
In the second approach, we assume a low-complexity quantizer (i.e., source code) is given. Because of its low complexity, the quantizer is sub-optimum and hence certain redundancy remains at its output. Our aim is to make use of this redundancy to combat channel noise. We consider two scenarios: (i) the redundancy is in the form of memory and (ii) it is in the form of a non-uniform distribution. In the second case, we propose the use of a rate-one convolutional code to convert the residual redundancy into a usable form. Comparisons are also made with a tandem source-channel coding scheme.


The use of microorganisms of the genus Bacillus in aquaculture is a nutritional management practice that is rapidly expanding in regions with intensive fish farming. This study aimed to quantify the total bacteria and total coliforms from the intestinal microbiota and estimate the partial operating costs and growth performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) of the GIFT strain. A total of 1,200 post-larvae (24.7 ± 0.50 mg) were distributed into 24 aquaria (0.03-m³ capacity) within a completely randomized design in 2 x 3 factorial (phase × bacteria), with four replications. Each aquarium, containing 50 post-larvae (sex reversal phase) or 30 fish (fingerlings phase), it was considered to be an experimental unit, consisting of three treatments (diet+Bacillus subtilis C-3102, diet+Bacillus cereus var. toyoi and diet without probiotic addition). The quantification of the total bacteria and total coliforms of the intestinal microbiota of tilapia were influenced (P 0.05) by adding probiotics in the diets and no effect of the interaction between phase and bacteria was observed. The weight gain, average daily weight gain, specific growth rate and apparent feed conversion were not affected (P > 0.05) by inclusion of probiotics as part of the diets. The inclusion of B. subtilis and B. cereus as part of diets for Nile tilapia promotes intestinal colonization and improves the survival rate without negatively influencing the feed intake, total biomass, gross revenue and partial operating costs and net revenue. Therefore it recommends the use of these probiotics to growth of tilapia fingerlings Nile, GIFT strain.


ABSTRACT This article examines a series of spatial practices called 'cross walks' and 'cross vigils' undertaken by a Pentecostal Christian church in West Belfast, Northern Ireland. It discusses the ways in which cross walk and vigil participants used imitative practices to bring divine power to bear on the urban spaces and place-specific issues of the church's local area. The article begins by discussing the church itself, and the ways in which participants understand themselves as situated within the ethno-political designations of 'Protestant' and 'Catholic' in Northern Ireland. It studies the various exemplars set up for the spatial practices in official discourse, and the ways in which these exemplars created a gendered narrative. Finally, it examines the links to Northern Ireland's parading tradition and the church pastor's suggested response to a local dispute over parade routes.


The purpose of information fusion is to support and improve decision making. However, theories of decision making differ significantly on their view of what a good decision actually is. Hence, depending on which decision making theory one (un)consciously adopts there are different requirements for information fusion as decision support Information fusion researchers and practitioners should therefore be more explicit about their assumptions regarding decision making by carefully describing their theoretical frameworks. To illustrate this point the 'theory of sensemaking' by Karl Weick is presented as one example of a decision making theory. Major differences between decision making assumptions in that theory and assumptions common in much information fusion research are highlighted. Implications and challenges for information fusion are discussed.


Importance The diagnostic path presented narrows down the cause of acute vision loss to the cone photoreceptor outer segment and will refocus the search for the cause of similar currently idiopathic conditions. Objective To describe the structural and functional associations found in a patient with acute zonal occult photoreceptor loss. Design, Setting, and Participants A case report of an adolescent boy with acute visual field loss despite a normal fundus examination performed at a university teaching hospital. Main Outcomes and Measures Results of a complete ophthalmic examination, full-field flash electroretinography (ERG) and multifocal ERG, light-adapted achromatic and 2-color dark-adapted perimetry, and microperimetry. Imaging was performed with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), near-infrared (NIR) and short-wavelength (SW) fundus autofluorescence (FAF), and NIR reflectance (REF). Results The patient was evaluated within a week of the onset of a scotoma in the nasal field of his left eye. Visual acuity was 20/20 OU, and color vision was normal in both eyes. Results of the fundus examination and of SW-FAF and NIR-FAF imaging were normal in both eyes, whereas NIR-REF imaging showed a region of hyporeflectance temporal to the fovea that corresponded with a dense relative scotoma noted on light-adapted static perimetry in the left eye. Loss in the photoreceptor outer segment detected by SD-OCT co-localized with an area of dense cone dysfunction detected on light-adapted perimetry and multifocal ERG but with near-normal rod-mediated vision according to results of 2-color dark-adapted perimetry. Full-field flash ERG findings were normal in both eyes. The outer nuclear layer and inner retinal thicknesses were normal. Conclusions and Relevance Localized, isolated cone dysfunction may represent the earliest photoreceptor abnormality or a distinct entity within the acute zonal occult outer retinopathy complex. Acute zonal occult outer retinopathy should be considered in patients with acute vision loss and abnormalities on NIR-REF imaging, especially if multimodal imaging supports an intact retinal pigment epithelium and inner retina but an abnormal photoreceptor outer segment.


Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) have led to important advancements in generation of time-series data in areas like speech processing. This ability of GANs can be very useful for Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) where collecting large number of samples can be expensive and time-consuming. To address this issue, this paper presents a new approach for generating artificial electroencephalography (EEG) data for motor imagery. GANs here use a generator and discriminator networks that consist of Bidirectional Long Short Term Memory neurons. Trained models are evaluated using the dataset 2b from the BCI competition IV. The dataset consists of trials with left and right hand motor imagery. Separate GANs are trained to generate artificial EEG samples corresponding to the two types of trials present in the data set. For the purpose of evaluation, the time-frequency characteristics of the real and artificial EEG signals are compared using Short-Term Fourier Transform and Welch's power spectral density. The results indicate that GANs can capture important characteristics of motor imagery EEG data such as power variations in the beta-band. The power variation in the artificial generated and original signal was in the similar frequency bin when looked at Welch's power spectral density.


BACKGROUNDSubarachnoid hemorrhage accounts for 2% to 5% of all strokes and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Reports in the literature show that case-fatality rates vary with time and according to geographical area. OBJECTIVEThe objective of the study was to evaluate the case-fatality rates in subarachnoid hemorrhage at 1 and 6 months and to determine trends in these rates over 22 years using a population-based registry. METHODSThe Dijon Stroke Registry has enabled us to perform a comprehensive analysis of subarachnoid hemorrhage diagnosed in a population of >150 000 inhabitants hospitalized between 1985 and 2006 in the Dijon University Hospital, which has both a neurosurgery unit and a neuroradiology unit. Diagnosis was based on clinical and neuroimaging features and, when necessary, on lumbar puncture. RESULTSCase-fatality rates for hospitalized subarachnoid hemorrhages at 1 and 6 months were 15.59% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.37–25.34) and 16.84% (95% CI, 10.33–26.78), respectively. From 1985 to 1995, case-fatality rates for SAH at 1 and 6 months were 17.1% (95% CI, 8.1–34.2) and 17.7% (95% CI, 9.6–31.3), whereas from 1996 to 2006, they were 20.2% (95% CI, 10.2–37.8) and 19.7% (95% CI, 11.1–33.6), respectively. CONCLUSIONCase-fatality rates for hospitalized subarachnoid hemorrhages in this population-based study remained stable over 22 years, suggesting that this stroke subtype is still a very severe disease despite early management. Most deaths occurred during the first 30 days. Further work is necessary to evaluate levels of prehospital case-fatality in our population-based registry.


The way in which industrial activities are organised among firms is a fundamental theoretical concern. In practice, firms have found these matters, referred to as make-or-buy issues, difficult to analyse. Organising Industrial Activities Across Firm Boundaries succeeds in combining an analysis of the theoretical background to such issues with an in-depth case study of the practical consequences and implications. The book is an important contribution to the literature on networks, business relationships, out-sourcing and the division of labour.


1 SUMMARY Alkaloids, saponins, anthraquinones, glycosides, phenolics, terpenoids and flavonoids distribution in ten medicinal plants belonging to different families were assessed and compared. The medicinal plants investigated were Asparagus racemosus , Clutia abbysinica, Clerodendrum myricoides, Ehretia cymosia, Leucas calostachys, Toddalia asiatica, Rubia cordifolia, Spermacoce princeae,Carrisa edulis and Ajuga remota . The leaves and roots of the plants were collected from their natural habitat in Aldai division South Nandi district. All the plant samples were identified at University of Nairobi and confirmed in national museums of Kenya. The Voucher specimens were deposited in the University Botanic garden Maseno herbarium. The harvested roots were washed with water and the barks peeled off while still fresh and cut into small portions. The materials were then air –dried under a tree shade at room temperature for one week when possible, but in the sun when the humidity was too high. Phytochemical screening was carried out at Centre for Traditional Medicine and Drug Research (CTMDR) KEMRI Nairobi according to Harborne, 1984 & 1973. All plants were found to contain alkaloids, terpernoids, saponins and flavonoids except for the absence of saponins in root extracts of R. cordifolia and C.myricoides and flavonoids in leave extracts of L. calostachys and A. remota . The significance of the plants in traditional medicine and the importance of the distribution of these constituents were discussed with respect to the role of these plants in ethnomedicine in South Nandi district


Soil moisture is one of the key variables controlling the water and energy exchanges between
Earth's surface and the atmosphere. Therefore, remote sensing based soil moisture
information has potential applications in many disciplines. Besides numerical weather
forecasting and climate research these include agriculture and hydrologic applications like
flood and drought forecasting.
The first satellite specifically designed to deliver operational soil moisture products, SMOS
(Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity), was launched 2009 by the European Space Agency
(ESA). SMOS is a passive microwave radiometer working in the L-band of the microwave
domain, corresponding to a frequency of roughly 1.4 GHz and relies on a new concept. The
microwave radiation emitted by the Earth's surface is measured as brightness temperatures in
several look angles. A radiative transfer model is used in an inversion algorithm to retrieve
soil moisture and vegetation optical depth, a measure for the vegetation attenuation of the
soil's microwave emission.
For the application of passive microwave remote sensing products a proper validation and
uncertainty assessment is essential. As these sensors have typical spatial resolutions in the
order of 40 – 50 km, a validation that relies solely on ground measurements is costly and
labour intensive. Here, environmental modelling can make a valuable contribution.
Therefore the present thesis concentrates on the question which contribution coupled land
surface and radiative transfer models can make to the validation and analysis of passive
microwave remote sensing products. The objective is to study whether it is possible to explain
known problems in the SMOS soil moisture products and to identify potential approaches to
improve the data quality.
The land surface model PROMET (PRocesses Of Mass and Energy Transfer) and the
radiative transfer model L-MEB (L-band microwave emission of the Biosphere) are coupled
to simulate land surface states, e.g. temperatures and soil moisture, and the resulting
microwave emission. L-MEB is also used in the SMOS soil moisture processor to retrieve soil
moisture and vegetation optical depth simultaneously from the measured microwave
emission. The study area of this work is the Upper Danube Catchment, located mostly in
Southern Germany.
Since model validation is essential if model data are to be used as reference, both models are
validated on different spatial scales with measurements. The uncertainties of the models are
quantified. The root mean squared error between modelled and measured soil moisture at
several measuring stations on the point scale is 0.065 m3/m3. On the SMOS scale it is 0.039
m3/m3. The correlation coefficient on the point scale is 0.84.
As it is essential for the soil moisture retrieval from passive microwave data that the radiative
transfer modelling works under local conditions, the coupled models are used to assess the
radiative transfer modelling with L-MEB on the local and SMOS scales in the Upper Danube
Catchment. In doing so, the emission characteristics of rape are described for the first time
and the soil moisture retrieval abilities of L-MEB are assessed with a newly developed LMEB
parameterization. The results show that the radiative transfer modelling works well
under most conditions in the study area. The root mean squared error between modelled and
airborne measured brightness temperatures on the SMOS scale is less than 6 – 9 K for the
different look angles.
The coupled models are used to analyse SMOS brightness temperatures and vegetation optical
depth data in the Upper Danube Catchment in Southern Germany. Since the SMOS soil
moisture products are degraded in Southern Germany and in different other parts of the world
these analyses are used to narrow down possible reasons for this.
The thorough analysis of SMOS brightness temperatures for the year 2011 reveals that the
quality of the measurements is degraded like in the SMOS soil moisture product. This points
towards radio frequency interference problems (RFI), that are known, but have not yet been
studied thoroughly. This is consistent with the characteristics of the problems observed in the
SMOS soil moisture products. In addition to that it is observed that the brightness
temperatures in the lower look angles are less reliable. This finding could be used to improve
the brightness temperature filtering before the soil moisture retrieval.
An analysis of SMOS optical depth data in 2011 reveals that this parameter does not contain
valuable information about vegetation. Instead, an unexpected correlation with SMOS soil
moisture is found. This points towards problems with the SMOS soil moisture retrieval,
possibly under the influence of RFI.
The present thesis demonstrates that coupled land surface and radiative transfer models can
make a valuable contribution to the validation and analysis of passive microwave remote
sensing products. The unique approach of this work incorporates modelling with a high
spatial and temporal resolution on different scales. This makes detailed process studies on the
local scale as well as analyses of satellite data on the SMOS scale possible. This could be
exploited for the validation of future satellite missions, e.g. SMAP (Soil Moisture Active and
Passive) which is currently being prepared by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space
Administration). Since RFI seems to have a considerable influence on the SMOS data due to
the gained insights and the quality of the SMOS products is very good in other parts of the
world, the RFI containment and mitigation efforts carried out since the launch of SMOS
should be continued.


The combination of melphalan–prednisone–thalidomide (MPT) has been investigated in several clinical studies that differed significantly with regard to patient characteristics and treatment schedules. This prospective trial differs from previous melphalan–prednisone (MP) vs. MPT trials by treatment dosing, duration, routine anticoagulation, and permission for a crossover. Newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma (MM) (n = 122) aged greater than 55 yr, not eligible for transplantation were randomized to receive 8 cycles of M (9 mg/m2/d) and P (60 mg/m2/d) for 4 d every 6 wk (n = 62) or MP and thalidomide (100 mg/d) continuously (n = 60). Primary endpoint was treatment response and toxicities following 4 and 8 cycles of therapy. Secondary endpoints were disease‐free (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Overall, MPT‐treated patients were younger (median 69 yr vs. 72 yr; P = 0.016) and had a higher incidence of renal impairment (RI, 19% vs. 7%, respectively; P = 0.057). After 4 cycles of treatment (n = 115), there were more partial responses or better in the MPT arm than in the MP arm (57.9% vs. 37.5%; P = 0.030). However, DFS and OS were not significantly different between the arms after a median of 23 months follow‐up (median OS 26.0 vs. 28.0 months, P = 0.655; DFS 21.0 vs. 14.0 months, P = 0.342, respectively). Crossover to MPT was required in 11 patients, 57% of whom responded to treatment. A higher rate of grade 3–4 infections was observed in the MPT arm compared with the MP arm (22.4% vs. 7.0%; P = 0.033). However, none of these infections were associated with febrile neutropenia. Death within the first 3 months was observed more frequently in the MP arm (n = 8, 14.0%) than in the MPT arm (n = 2, 3.4%; P = 0.053). Long‐term discontinuation and dose reduction rates were also analyzed (MPT: 15.5% vs. MP: 5.3%; P = 0.072). Although patients treated with MPT were relatively younger and had more frequent RI, better responses and less early mortality were observed in all age groups despite more frequent discontinuation. This study is registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00934154.


Distance education as a primary means of instruction is expanding significantly at the college and university level. Simultaneously, the growth of social networking sites (SNS), including Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace, is also rising among today's college students. An increasing number of higher education instructors are beginning to combine distance education delivery with SNSs. However, there is currently little research detailing the educational benefits associated with the use of SNSs. Non-commercial, education-based SNSs have been recently shown to build communities of practice and facilitate social presence for students enrolled in distance education courses. In order to evaluate the largely unexplored educational benefits of SNSs, we surveyed graduate students enrolled in distance education courses in ANU, an education-based SNS, based on their attitudes toward SNSs as productive online tools for teaching and learning. The results of our study suggest that education-based SNSs can be used most effectively in distance education courses as a technological tool for improved online communications among students in higher distance education courses. Debates rage about the appropriateness of using social networking in teaching, with arguments ranging from waste of time and distraction from academic goals to the need to reach net generation students. This paper explores a range of current social networking choices and argues that like any tool, they should be carefully evaluated in terms of affordances and course goals. Several different tools are reviewed, and questions that might be useful for evaluation are discussed.


This thesis explores how the concept of intangible cultural heritage can inform the design of a tangible form in a changing cultural context. Specifically, questioning how the intangible concepts of community, craft, and story can inform a design strategy which integrates the adaptive reuse of a traditional barn with its new suburban environment. Heritage buildings can act to inspire architects to think outside of the box and to raise the bar on suburban design.
Timber framed barns are beautifully exposed examples of traditional craft, serve as a reminder of the agricultural history of an area, and provide a unique opportunity to give a new sense of identity to the evolving suburban culture. This project explores the technical, conceptual, and contextual implications of adaptive reuse of a barn in a suburban environment. The Bradley-Craig Farm at 590 Hazeldean Road, Stittsville serves as a case study for this research and adaptation.


Image blur kernel classification and parameter estimation are critical for blind image deblurring. Current dominant approaches use handcrafted blur features that are optimized for a certain type of blur, which is not applicable in real blind deconvolution application when the Point Spread Function (PSF) of the blur is unknown. In this paper, a Two-stage system using Deep Belief Networks (TDBN) is proposed to first classify the blur type and then identify its parameters. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that Deep Belief Network (DBN) has been applied to the problem of blur analysis. In the blur type classification, our method attempts to identify the blur type from mixed input of various blurs with different parameters, rather than blur estimation based on the assumption of a single blur type in current methodology. To this aim, a semi-supervised DBN is trained to project the input samples in a discriminative feature space, and then classify those features. Moreover, in the parameter identification, the proposed edge detection on logarithm spectrum helps DBN to identify the blur parameters with very high accuracy. Experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods with better results compared to the state-of-the-art on the Berkeley segmentation dataset and the Pascal VOC 2007 dataset.


This article unveils how the complex multilevel governance system of a developing country affects environmental policy implementation. The Philippine Renewable Energy Act is discussed as an in-depth case study. The law was passed in 2008 to increase the share of renewables in the electricity mix, but its implementation remains a challenge. Analysing the complex multilevel governance system of the Philippines, this article shows how interjurisdictional coordination and the distribution of power resources and capacities affect the implementation process. This qualitative research is based on key documents and insights from 48 expert interviews. From a theoretical perspective, research about power in central–local relations can make a useful contribution to current multilevel governance concepts.


Developmental dyslexia is a learning disability characterized by difficulties in word reading. While the prevalence in the general public is around 10-12%, an increased prevalence of 40-60% has been reported for children with a familial risk. Neural atypicalities in the reading network have been observed in children with (FHD+) compared to without (FHD-) a family history of dyslexia, even before reading onset. Despite the hereditary risk, about half of FHD+ children develop typical reading abilities (FHD+Typical) but the underlying neural characteristics and the developmental trajectories of these favorable reading outcomes remain unknown. Utilizing a retrospective, longitudinal approach, this is the first study to examine whether potential protective neural mechanisms are present before reading onset in FHD+Typical. Functional and structural brain characteristics were examined in 69 pre-readers who subsequently developed typical reading abilities (35 FHD+Typical/34 FHD-Typical) using MRI/fMRI. Searchlight-based multivariate pattern analyses identified distinct activation patterns during phonological processing between FHD+Typical and FHD-Typical in right inferior frontal (RIFG) and left temporo-parietal (LTPC) regions. Hypoactivation in LTPC was further demonstrated in FHD+Typical compared to FHD-Typical, suggesting that this previously reported neural characteristic of dyslexia is primarily associated with familial risk. Importantly, FHD+Typical pre-readers exhibited higher activation in RIFG than FHD-Typical, which was associated with increased interhemispheric functional and structural connectivity. These results suggest that putative protective neural mechanisms are already established in FHD+Typical pre-readers and may therefore support their successful reading development. Further studies are needed to investigate the functional significance and developmental trajectories of these neural mechanisms as well as their enabling factors, which has the potential to inform the design of early preventative/remediation strategies.


This paper presents an algorithm that continues segmentation from a semi automatic artificial neural network (ANN) segmentation of the Hippocampus of registered T1-weighted and T2-weighted MRI data. Due to the morphological complexity of the Hippocampus and difficulty of separating from adjacent structures, reproducible segmentation using MR imaging is complicated. The human intervention in the ANN approach, consists of selecting a bounding-box. Grey-level dilated and grey-level eroded versions of the T1-weighted and T2-weighted data are used to minimise leaking from Hippocampus to surrounding tissue combined with possible foreground tissue. The segmentation algorithm uses a histogram-based method to find accurate threshold values. Grey-level morphology is a powerful tool to break stronger connections between the Hippocampus and surrounding regions than is otherwise possible. The method is 3D in the sense that all grey-level morphology operations use a 3 /spl times/ 3 /spl times/ 3 structure element and the herein described algorithms are applied in the three directions, sagittal, axial, and coronal, and the result are then combined together.


Population growth alone dictates that global food supplies must increase by over 50% in coming decades. Advances in technology offer an array of opportunities to meet this demand, but history shows that these can be fully realised only within an enabling policy environment. Sustaining Global Food Security makes a compelling case that recent technological breakthroughs can move the planet towards a secure and sustainable food supply only if new policies are designed that allow their full expression.
Bob Zeigler has brought together a distinguished set of scientists and policy analysts to produce well-referenced chapters exploring international policies on genetic resources, molecular genetics, genetic engineering, crop breeding and protection, remote sensing, the changing landscape of agricultural policies in the world's largest countries, and trade. Those entering the agricultural sciences and those who aspire to influence public policy during their careers will benefit from the insights of this unique set of experiences and perspectives.


Abstract With the term microinstabilities, we indicate a class of plasma drift waves such as the ion temperature gradient (ITG) mode, the trapped electron mode (TEM), and the electromagnetic Alfvénic ion temperature gradient (AITG) mode. They are usually driven by spatial gradients in the plasma and they are held responsible for anomalous transport and enhanced heat flux in tokamaks. Their understanding is therefore crucial for the development of magnetically confined plasma fusion devices. Our approach is based on the gyrokinetic model (Hahm 1988) for particle dynamics. The gyrokinetic nonlinear Vlasov equation, in the presence of an electromagnetic perturbation (Brizard 1989, 1995), is derived using Lie perturbation theory (Cary and Littlejohn 1983) to average out the fast particle motion around the gyrocenter. We have linearized the gyrokinetic Vlasov equation and added the quasi‐neutrality equation and Ampère's law, providing closure to the system. A temporal spectral formulation is used, ensuring the absence of numerical instabilities due to high frequency modes. The equations are simplified with a large aspect ratio approximation for an axisymmetric toroidal configuration. The fields are expanded in a Fourier series in the three spatial directions (radial, poloidal, and toroidal) reducing the problem in a matrix form. The code EM‐GLOGYSTO (Brunner et al. 1998; Falchetto et al. 2003; Joint Varenna‐Lausanne International Workshop 2002) has been developed to look at its solutions. Recently, we have included in the model an electrostatic equilibrium potential in order to provide E×B sheared flow. The code has been optimized for running in a parallel environment using MPI routines, and it allows us to study frequencies, growth rates, and mode structures of electromagnetic microinstabilities. Results on an AITG mode are shown to illustrate these features.


This paper addresses a remarkably-underconsidered topic: the potential impact of scientific discoveries and an increased understanding of the biology of human behavior on sentencing decisions in the criminal justice system, specifically, the way that sentencing has the capacity to rely on scientific evidence (such as brain imaging) as a mitigating factor (or perhaps, in the mind of some, as an aggravating factor) in determining punishment. Such a new method of evaluating criminality, we argue, can be beneficial not only for the defendant, but also for the attorneys and judge involved in the case. If used properly, it may help to provide a more truly objective set of factors that contribute to an individual's particular offending patterns, rather than continuing reliance on sentencing schemes that are swayed by societal bias and prejudice. However, it can become problematic if a legal system relies too heavily on untested theories, and even more problematic in cases in which science does not support legal conclusions. Scientific discovery moves faster than the law, and it is critical to make sure that the legal system is given an opportunity to catch up, rather than risk allowing "junk science" to influence how a defendant is treated.In this paper, we first examine criminal sentencing procedures, and discuss how a criminological view of a defendant's offending behavior can work to mitigate harshly inappropriate sentences; in this context, we consider how Federal Sentencing Guidelines cases consider the significance of mental disability in sentencing decisions, especially in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Booker. Then we review recent work on the biological bases of certain criminal behaviors and how it can be captured through brain imaging. Next, we consider how the use of such evidence continues to expand in the criminal trial process. Following this, we look at how the school of therapeutic jurisprudence can better inform how the legal system incorporates such evidence. Finally, we offer our recommendations for ensuring that scientific evidence is introduced appropriately in the legal system.


Introduction to the book 'Hotel Lobbies and Lounges: The Architecture of Professional Hospitality' which was co-edited by Tom Avermaete and Anne Massey.

This series investigates the historical, theoretical and practical aspects of interiors. The volumes in the Interior Architecture series can be used as handbooks for the practitioner and as a critical introduction to the history of material culture and architecture.

Hotels occupy a particular place in popular imagination. As a place of exclusive sociability and bohemian misery, a site of crime and murder and as a hiding place for illicit liaison, the hotel has embodied the dynamism of the metropolis since the eighteenth century.

This book explores the architectural significance of hotels throughout history and how their material construction has reflected and facilitated the social and cultural practices for which they are renowned. Contemporary developments in the planning and design of hotels are addressed through a series of interviews and case studies.

Illustrated throughout, this book is an innovative and important contribution to architectural and interior design theory literature.


Many lakes show vertical stratification of their water masses, at least for some extended time periods. Density differences in water bodies facilitate an evolution of chemical differences with many consequences for living organisms in lakes. Temperature and dissolved substances contribute to density differences in water. The atmosphere imposes a temperature signal on the lake surface. As a result, thermal stratification can be established during the warm season if a lake is sufficiently deep. On the contrary, during the cold period, surface cooling forces vertical circulation of water masses and removal of gradients of water properties. However, gradients of dissolved substances may be sustained for periods much longer than one annual cycle. Such lakes do not experience full overturns. Gradients may be a consequence of external inflows or groundwater seepage. In addition, photosynthesis at the lake surface and subsequent decomposition of organic material in the deeper layers of a lake can sustain a gradient of dissolved substances. Three more geochemical cycles, namely, calcite precipitation, iron cycle, and manganese cycle, are known for sustaining meromixis. A limited number of lakes do not experience a complete overturn because of pressure dependence of temperature of maximum density. Such lakes must be sufficiently deep and lie in the appropriate climate zone. Although these lakes are permanently stratified, deep waters are well ventilated, and chemical differences are small. Turbulent mixing and convective deep water renewal must be very effective. As a consequence, these lakes usually are not termed meromictic. Permanent stratification may also be created by episodic partial recharging of the deep water layer. This mechanism resembles the cycling of the ocean: horizontal gradients result from gradients at the surface, such as differential cooling or enhanced evaporation in adjacent shallow side bays. Dense water parcels can be formed which intrude the deep water layer. In the final section, stratification relevant physical properties, such as sound speed, hydrostatic pressure, electrical conductivity, and density, are discussed. The assumptions behind salinity, electrical conductance, potential density, and potential temperature are introduced. Finally, empirical and theoretical approaches for quantitative evaluation from easy to measure properties conclude this contribution.


Scrub typhus is an acute febrile illness caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi, transmitted to humans by the bite of the larva of trombiculid mites. Diagnosis of scrub typhus is normally based on the clinical presentations. However, it is difficult to differentiate scrub typhus from other acute febrile illnesses, such as dengue fever, malaria and leptospirosis due to similar symptoms. For differential diagnosis of scrub typhus from other acute febrile diseases, a rapid and reliable serological diagnosis is important. In order to produce an ELISA kit for detection of antibodies against O. tsutsugamushi in Vietnam, four truncated 56 kDa antigenic genes of O. tsutsugamushi including Karp (HT-09), Gilliam (HT-11), TA763 (HT-49), and Kato (YB-50) íolated from the most prevalent cases in Vietnam were cloned and expressed in E. coli Rosetta 1 cells. The recombinant proteins formed inclusion bodies when expressed in E. coli. The recombinant 56 kDa proteins in insoluble form were solubilized in 6M urea and were successfully purified by Ni2+affinity column. The purity of four recombinant proteins,HT-09, HT-11, HT-49 and YB-50,reached more than 95% and their concentrations are 12,57 mg/ml; 11,6 mg/ml; 8,98 mg/ml và 8,02 mg/ml, respectively.


Background Many maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) programmes have paired community health workers with mobile technologies to strengthen the ability of health information systems (HIS) to track women and children across time and beyond the clinical setting. However, little is known regarding the comparative effectiveness of using mobile technologies to enhance HIS data in resource-poor settings. Methods Focus group discussions were conducted with community health workers called Health Activists (HAs; n=30), Community Organisation Leaders (n=28), HA Trainers (n=21), district and tribal area officials (n=3) and State Officials (n=4). We analysed user perceptions along seven key HIS processes: data collection, transmission, processing, analysis, display, quality checking and feedback. Results The mobile-based health information system (mHIS) was found to be supportive of the MNCH continuum of care by improving the regularity and timeliness of access to robust data. Respondents noted that data errors were reduced in real time through automated error checking and data processing, which also reduced users' workloads. The mHIS additionally enabled users to analyse both individual and aggregate data, allowing them to identify specific individuals in need of services or training as well as to identify general trends in service delivery. The system's data display and feedback mechanisms were viewed as improving data use for decision-making. The remaining challenges of the mHIS versus the paper-based HIS included resource, infrastructural and technological barriers that hindered efficient use over time. Conclusions As compared to paper-based HIS systems, mobile technologies can improve health information processes in resource-poor settings. More efforts are needed to ensure sufficient financial investment, training and use of mHIS data at all levels of the HIS.


The effective development of ecological resources of the sport can achieve harmonious development among people, nature and sport. Therefore, it is of great significance to apply ecological resources to development the sport. Meanwhile, the ecological sport is also the new lifestyle and sport philosophy of modern people, which also makes China's sport had a great change. China is rich in ecological resources of sport, and the potential of ecological sport development is enormous. In this paper, the current situation of development and application of ecological resources of the sport in China's college is studied, the binding mode among regional ecological resources, school sports and family sports and so on is analysed, and the corresponding countermeasures against the model is proposed, which provides new ideas for the development of ecological sports of China, only for reference.


Background: The vascular anatomy of the thoracodorsal artery perforator flap, which has not previously been elucidated, was examined using three- and four-dimensional computed tomographic angiography and venography. Methods: Twenty-five thoracodorsal artery perforator flaps were harvested from fresh cadavers from the Western population. Dynamic static computed tomographic angiography using iodinated contrast media was performed following cannulation of the largest perforator from the descending branch of the thoracodorsal artery and its vena comitans in 10 flaps. Imaging was repeated subsequent to flap thinning between the deep and superficial adipose layers. Colored latex injections and flap dissections were performed in a further 15 flaps to establish the location, caliber, and intramuscular length of the thoracodorsal artery perforators. Results: Two distinct perforator complex types were described. Flap thinning can be safely performed between the deep and superficial adipose layers without significantly affecting flap vascularity, provided that a safety zone about the perforator is respected. The superficial venous system consisted of large veins arranged in a polygonal pattern situated at the subdermal level and was connected to the deep system by the venae comitantes of the thoracodorsal artery perforators. Perforators from the descending branch of the thoracodorsal artery were found in reliable locations. Conclusions: Using a novel dynamic three-dimensional imaging technique, perfusion of the arterial and venous system of the thoracodorsal artery perforator flap was elucidated. Although the flap is inherently thin, it can be safely thinned between the superficial and deep adipose layers. This study identified important advantages of the thoracodorsal artery perforator flap for use in reconstruction.


Liu Zaifu is one of the most influential critics in the New Era after the Cultural Revolution. His works, such as On Literary Subjectivity (1985) and A Treatise of Character Composition (1986), inspired a generation of Chinese youth yearning for intellectual breakthroughs. After June 4, 1989, however, Liu's life took unexpected twists and turns. He exiled himself overseas, finally settling down in the United States. In the ensuing three decades, he has produced dozens of books, articles, and essays, some of which—including Farwell to Revolution (1995)—have become instant classics. However, in terms of personal engagement and reflective intensity, his forthcoming Five Autobiographical Accounts outstrips his other, prior work. This article seeks to describe Liu's intellectual and personal adventures in light of his autobiography. The year 2019 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the June Fourth democracy movement, as well as Liu's self-exile; the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (1949); and most important, the centennial of the May Fourth movement (1919). Juxtaposed against one another, these dates compel us to reflect on the high hopes and bitter outcomes, grand projects and failed expectations, that informed China's century-long pursuit of modernity.


In Hungary, black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is one of the most important exotic stand-forming tree species, growing mostly under unfavourable ecological conditions. Considering the climate change effects its importance is increasing in many other countries. As a result of a selection programme, several black locust cultivars have been improved for setting up cultivar trials. In the paper four black locust cultivars were evaluated in Central Hungary under arid hydrological and brown forest soil conditions. Significant differences (P<5%) were found in height, DBH, mean tree volume and average stem form value (SFV).  At the age of 35 the cultivar 'R.p. Jászkiséri' appeared to be the most promising one for yield production and 'R.p. Zalai' for SFV.


Because worldwide declines coral reef health are of major concern, studying coral reefs through the lens of conservation efforts at local scales is essential for determining and monitoring effective policy measures. In the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, there are conflicts of interest between exploitative rapid tourism development, overfishing practices, and national efforts to conserve the local marine biodiversity. Coral and reef fish species abundance richness, diversity, evenness, and similarity were measured to see how coral and reef fish assemblages changed between protected and unprotected areas. A total of 329 fish and 322.5 square meters of benthos were analyzed using underwater photo and video data along three 30 meter transects in Coral Cay, Hospital Point, and Piña Cay in November 2016. Unprotected sites (Coral Cay and Hospital Point) showed a significantly higher fish abundance and overall higher fish species diversity than the protected site (Piña Cay), however the protected area surveyed had a higher overall benthic macrofauna diversity. All sites were statistically different from each other in major benthic macrofauna categories, including gorgonian, macroalgae, and sand/rubble/pavement cover. There was no clear relationship between the coral cover and fish abundance in sites. Despite establishing statistical significance in some comparisons, all the conclusions were complicated by differences in weather conditions and depth between sites during data collection.


ABSTRACT Despite significant biomedical and policy advances, 199,000 infants and young children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) became infected with HIV in 2013, indicating challenges to implementation of these advances. To understand the nature of these challenges, we sought to (1) characterize the barriers and facilitators that health workers encountered delivering prevention of vertical transmission of HIV (PVT) services in SSA and (2) evaluate the use of theory to guide PVT service delivery. The PubMed and CINAHL databases were searched using keywords barriers, facilitators, HIV, prevention of vertical transmission of HIV, health workers, and their synonyms to identify relevant studies. Barriers and facilitators were coded at ecological levels according to the Determinants of Performance framework. Factors in this framework were then classified as affecting motivation, opportunity, or ability, per the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) framework in order to evaluate domains of health worker performance within each ecological level. We found that the most frequently reported challenges occurred within the health facility level and spanned all three MOA domains. Barriers reported in 30% or more of studies from most proximal to distal included those affecting health worker motivation (stress, burnout, depression), patient opportunity (stigma), work opportunity (poor referral systems), health facility opportunity (overburdened workload, lack of supplies), and health facility ability (inadequate PVT training, inconsistent breastfeeding messages). Facilitators were reported in lower frequencies than barriers and tended to be resolutions to challenges (e.g., quality supervision, consistent supplies) or responses to an intervention (e.g., record systems and infrastructure improvements). The majority of studies did not use theory to guide study design or implementation. Interventions addressing health workers' multiple ecological levels of interactions, particularly the health facility, hold promise for far-reaching impact as distal factors influence more proximal factors. Incorporating theory that considers factors beyond the health worker will strengthen endeavors to mitigate barriers to PVT service delivery.


25 years ago when the Durham conferences were in full swing, I presented results of investigations on language and behaviour in autism. I tentatively proposed that early language in autism might tell us about the cognitive skills of people with ASD and the behaviour might lead to greater understanding of which brain systems might be affected. In this presentation, I will update these topics and present a summary of other work I have been involved with in attempting to improve the lives of people with autism and their families.

Data on three people with autism at the early stages of speech development showed an unusual pattern of learning colour and number names early. One possibility was that this skill represented a sign of weak central coherence – they only attended to one dimension. Colleagues of mine were equally puzzled so we tried to find out if my results could be replicated – they were not (see Schafer, Williams & Smith, 2014). Instead we found this pattern was also seen in Down Syndrome, but that early vocabulary in autism was associated with low Colorado Meaningfulness at least in comprehension. The Colorado Meaningfulness of a word is a measure of how many words can be associated with it and often involve extensive use of context. Our data suggest that the number of contexts in which a particular word can appear has a role in determining vocabulary in ASD which is consistent with the weak central coherence theory of autism. In the course of this work I also came across a group of young people with autism who appeared to have a written vocabulary but not a spoken one. It seems possible that print might be a medium of communication when speech is not.

Repetitive behaviour in autism remains a mystery. We can use functional analysis to determine why the behaviour occurs, but a worryingly large percentage of behaviours are described as being internally driven or sensory reinforced. What does that mean in terms of brain activity – could it be system analogous to epilepsy, where brain activity becomes inappropriately synchronised? At the moment I cannot claim to have solved this problem, but if sensation is a driver then sensory interventions should make a difference. Data from a recent study will be presented to suggest that for some individuals this is the case.

Social behaviour remains the key however, and it remains to be seen whether it is possible for social behaviour to be aided. One route that has potential is direct teaching of skills through drama and working with others who do not have social difficulties of the same type. The picture is complicated by changes in social skills with age and experience, but the failure of people with ASD to interact when in settings of social contact is little researched.


This guide is dedicated to the study of Italian literature, history, and art. It includes bibliographic information and resources, full-text databases, as well as links to other internet resources.


Podocytes are specialized cells that play an integral role in the renal glomerular filtration barrier via their foot processes. The foot processes form a highly organized structure, the disruption of which causes nephrotic syndrome. Interestingly, several similarities have been observed between mechanisms that govern podocyte organization and mechanisms that mediate neuronal synapse development. Dynamin, synaptojanin, and endophilin are functional partners in synaptic vesicle recycling via interconnected actions in clathrin-mediated endocytosis and actin dynamics in neurons. A role of dynamin in the maintenance of the kidney filtration barrier via an action on the actin cytoskeleton of podocytes was suggested. Here we used a conditional double-KO of dynamin 1 (Dnm1) and Dnm2 in mouse podocytes to confirm dynamin's role in podocyte foot process maintenance. In addition, we demonstrated that while synaptojanin 1 (Synj1) KO mice and endophilin 1 (Sh3gl2), endophilin 2 (Sh3gl1), and endophilin 3 (Sh3gl3) triple-KO mice had grossly normal embryonic development, these mutants failed to establish a normal filtration barrier and exhibited severe proteinuria due to abnormal podocyte foot process formation. These results strongly implicate a protein network that functions at the interface between endocytosis and actin at neuronal synapses in the formation and maintenance of the kidney glomerular filtration barrier.


Using simultaneous manometry and cineradiography, oesophageal evacuation was studied while contrast medium was infused via a catheter. The distal half of the oesophagus could be filled with contrast medium without triggering peristalsis. The hydrostatic pressure necessary to open the lower oesophageal sphincter (LES) was of approximately the same magnitude as the pressure gradient between oesophagus and LES. No significant relaxation of the LES could be observed at the initiation of swallowing. The LES may be looked upon not only as a sphincter preventing reflux but also as a gate which must be forced open by food.


Abstract Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality in the Westernised world. Lifestyle changes and drug therapy can reduce cardiovascular risk. Many interventions such as lipid-lowering therapy reduce relative risk to the same extent irrespective of baseline risk, but the absolute benefit is still highest in those with the highest absolute risk. Cardiovascular risk assessment is a tool to determine absolute cardiovascular risk in asymptomatic patients and to select those most likely to benefit from intervention. Conventional risk assessment (Framingham) requires age, gender, blood pressure, smoking status, total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) to determine risk. This is usually expressed as the 10-year risk of coronary heart disease. The accuracy and predictive ability of conventional risk assessment have limitations. Many biomarkers, genetic tests and vascular imaging procedures correlate statistically with vascular risk. Adding these tests to conventional risk assessment (expanded risk assessment) may therefore improve our ability to predict risk. It has, however, been difficult to conclusively demonstrate that expanded risk assessment outperforms conventional risk assessment. Many tests and procedures require further validation before they become part of routine clinical practice. Additional testing may be useful in patients with intermediate risk or where risk is difficult to determine for other reasons.


In recent years, the concern for environmental issues has become an area of concern for organisations, governments and consumer alike. In Ireland, the green economy has grown exponentially providing major employment opportunities. Government initiatives have been introduced to provide financial support and grants to organisations that offer goods and services in a sustainable manner through activities such as sustainable food, production, tourism, green financial services, green products and services, waste and water management, renewable energy and energy efficiency. They do this in order to achieve sustainable economic growth according to Growth and employment in the green economy in Ireland. (2013). This trend gave huge rise to the topic of green marketing especially due to environmental issues such as dramatic changes in the world's climate, which has led to global warming, flooding, earthquakes are more natural disasters effecting the entire globe.

Green marketing is a broad concept and organisations alike have changed their habits to become more sustainable and are turning to the production and consumption of more eco-friendly products and services. Green marketing aims at changing consumer's attitudes towards products or services which are deemed more environmentally friendly. The difficulty lies in changing consumer behaviour. Consumers have changed their attitudes towards eco-friendly choices mostly due to government regulations as well as the growing trend and demand for "green" products brought on by competitor's forces. Even through recessionary times green marketing has generated employment and economic growth.

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of green marketing on consumer and corporate behaviour. According to a report by developing the green economy in Ireland. (2009), there is massive potential for the green economy to provide significant grow in employment and cash flow into Ireland. The report stated that renewable energy sector will create at least 50,000 direct jobs by 2020 whereas the construction sector will generate approximately €600 million in revenue whilst meeting the energy efficiency regulations set out in 2007. As well as this many brands have recognised these trends as way to build positive brand equity by displaying how their company is making an effort to act environmentally friendly.

The title of this report is "The effect of Green Marketing on consumer and corporate behaviour". According to Kaue, S (2014) "Green Marketing is the marketing of products which are considered not to be harmful for environment. Various terms like eco-friendly, recyclable, ozone friendly are often associated with green marketing. Green Marketing offers various incentives to business firms & provides growth possibilities." (Kaur, S. (2014)

The Hypothesis of the study is to determine how the green movement has influenced consumers and corporate entities purchase choices and practices by have an influencing stance their decision choices and business CSR strategies.

A deductive approach was conducted by the author. In accordance with Bryman & Bell (2011), deductive approach occurs when researcher uses known and established information in order to use a guide to create a hypothesis which is therefore tested to be confirmed or rejected in the review. This allowed the author to identify green marketing has an influence consumer and corporate behaviour by using qualitative data.

The literature review was carried out to define green marketing and to examine primary and secondary literature around green marketing and the influence and impact it has in today's world. The literature highlights key factors and theories in which define the relationship between green marketing and the power of influence. The focus group conducted for the purpose of this study provided primary data determining the perception, influences, impacting factors and responsibility today's people have to a green economy and market when making purchase and corporate strategic decisions.

The results found that research concluded that:
1) Consumers do not readily trust green brands due to green washing.
2) There is a need consumers and corporations to be educated on green initiatives.
3) Organisations feel that they can be doing a lot more to support green practices
4) Governing bodies need to be more proactive in the legislating and developing sustainability.

Recommendations of the researcher dictate that there is demand for the government to more proactive in their approach in regards to encouraging and incentivising operations in a more sustainable manner. Secondly, it was apparent there was a direct linkage between consumer knowledge and consumers behaviour, therefore recommendations include the need for increased education and communication of green practices. Similarly the final recommendation is based from the research finding's which highlighted that there was fears and concerns that surround the topic of green marketing and that offered that the solutions was increased government legislation and increased education and awareness of the topic.


On-farm research can be a powerful tool for farmers wishing to establish the true value of new and emerging technology for their own operation. It requires that farmers develop an understanding of how experimental design and data analysis are required to make sound decisions, given the biological variability characteristic of our environment. The development of global positioning systems (GPS) and yield monitors have the potential to significantly improve the ease with which on-farm testing is carried out. The ability to georeference the application of treatments, collection of data during the growing season, and align specific landscape positions with topographic variation in the field, will permit the interpretation of data at both the field and landscape element level. While the time required to establish and collect data from the field trials may be reduced, it will likely be more than offset by the time required to organize, analyse and interpret the results prior to making appropriate decisions. There are several issues that should be addressed in the future to facilitate the growth of on-farm testing: 1. There is a need to develop skills amongst farmers involved in on-farm testing, allowing them to efficiently use the technology available. In particular, the use of GIS software to integrate all of the information which will be collected, and methods of extracting data from field maps for analysis. 2. We need to develop a "clearing house" for new and emerging research and methods in the use of Precision Farming technology in Saskatchewan. Research results need to be presented to allow for testing on-farm, and we need a forum where the experience of producers can be shared and further developed. 3. Remote sensing has the potential to have the greatest impact on precision farming through its identification of site specific pest problems. The development and application of remote sensing technology to the expansive agriculture characteristic of Saskatchewan requires immediate attention.


. The Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) has gained popularity as a new technology for e-Health, and is considered as one of the key research areas in computer science and healthcare applications. WBAN collects patients' data, monitors constantly their physiological parameters, using small implantable or wearable sensors, and communicates these data using wireless communication techniques in short range. WBAN is playing a huge role in improving the quality of healthcare. Still, due to sensitive and concurrent nature of e-Heath systems, current research has showed that designers must take into considerations the security and privacy protection of the data collected by a WBAN to safeguard patients from different exploits or malicious attacks, since e-Health technologies are increasingly connected to the Internet via wireless communications. In this paper we outline the most important security requirements for WBANs. Furthermore, we discuss key security threats to avoid. Finally, we conclude with a summary of security mechanisms to follow that address security and privacy concerns of WBANs, and need to be explored in an increasingly connected healthcare world.


We investigate the use of liquid crystal (LC) adaptive optics elements to provide full 3 dimensional particle control in an optical tweezer. These devices are suitable for single controllable traps, and so are less versatile than many of the competing technologies which can be used to control multiple particles. However, they have the advantages of simplicity and light efficiency. Furthermore, compared to binary holographic optical traps they have increased positional accuracy. The transmissive LC devices could be retro-fitted to an existing microscope system. An adaptive modal LC lens is used to vary the z-focal position over a range of up to 100 mum and an adaptive LC beam-steering device is used to deflect the beam (and trapped particle) in the x-y plane within an available radius of 10 mum. Furthermore, by modifying the polarisation of the incident light, these LC components also offer the opportunity for the creation of dual optical traps of controllable depth and separation.


The ability of a robot to track its position and its surroundings is critical in mobile robotics applications, such as autonomous transport, farming, search-and-rescue, and planetary exploration.
As a foundational building block to such tasks, localization must remain reliable and unobtrusive. For example, it must not provide an unneeded level of precision, when the cost of doing so displaces higher-level tasks from a busy CPU. Nor should it produce noisy estimates on the cheap, when there are CPU cycles to spare.
This thesis explores localization solutions that provide exactly the amount of accuracy needed to a given task. We begin with a real-world system used in the DARPA Learning Applied to Ground Robotics (LAGR) competition. Using a novel hybrid of wheel and visual odometry, we cut the cost of visual odometry from 100% of a CPU to 5%, clearing room for other critical visual processes, such as long-range terrain classification. We present our hybrid odometer in chapter 2.
Next, we describe a novel SLAM algorithm that provides a means to choose the desired balance between cost and accuracy. At its fastest setting, our algorithm converges faster than previous stochastic SLAM solvers, while maintaining significantly better accuracy. At its most accurate, it provides the same solution as exact SLAM solvers. Its main feature, however, is the ability to flexibly choose any point between these two extremes of speed and precision, as circumstances demand. As a result, we are able to guarantee real-time performance at each timestep on city-scale maps with large loops. We present this solver in chapter 3, along with results from both commonly available datasets and Google Street View data.
Taken as a whole, this thesis recognizes that precision and efficiency can be competing values, whose proper balance depends on the application and its fluctuating circumstances. It demonstrates how a localizer can and should fit its cost to the task at hand, rather than the other way around. In enabling this flexibility, we demonstrate a new direction for SLAM research, as well as provide a new convenience for end-users, who may wish to map the world without stopping it.


The aim of this study was to test the effect of oestradiol-17β (E2) on the motility, viability and the acrosomal status of bull sperm in vitro. Pooled semen from Holstein bulls were incubated in the presence of 2, 4, and 8 μg E2/mL for 24 h. Semen was also incubated in media without E2. During the incubation, the number of motile, viable sperm and the number of sperm possessing lost/damaged acrosomes, cytoplasmic droplets and coiled tails were counted at 0, 4, 18 and 24 h of incubation. Addition of 2 μg E2/mL at 18 h of incubation increased the total motility over the control. The number of forward progressing sperm was increased by the supplementation of 2 and 8 μg E2/mL over the control group at the 4 h incubation. Lower doses of E2 (2 and 4 μg/mL) did not affect viability of sperm, but a high dose of E2 (8 μg/mL) caused reductions in viability at 4 and 24 h of incubation. The number of sperm cells with lost acrosomes was significantly high in control group at 24 h of incubation. The number of sperm cells possessing proximal and distal cytoplasmic droplets and the number of sperm cells bearing coiled tails were not altered by any of the treatments. A small dose of E2 (2 μg/mL) had a beneficial effect on the motility and acrosome integrity of bull sperm in vitro. Higher dose of E2 (8 μg/mL) had a detrimental effect on viability. Keywords: Bovine males, estradiol, acrosome, motility, spermatozoa, in vitro incubation


Early Pithouse period villagers played a generative role in the cultural and historical sequence of the Mogollon region, which is best known for the stunning black-on-white pottery of the Classic Mimbres culture. This volume presents a complete report on the archaeology of two important Early Pithouse settlements located along the Rio Mimbres, including detailed accounts of the excavation units, depositional contexts, architectural details, radiocarbon dates, miscellaneous artifacts, and ceramic frequency distriductures. The Thomson and McAnally sites contain architecture, artifacts, and other remains of the earliest relatively sedentary horticulturalists to occupy this part of the Southwest. The authors synthesize the data about charges over time in the villagers' lifestyle to develop a new chronology for the occupation of the region.


In this work, a study of electrochemical conversion was performed to elucidate different degradation pathways of the heterocyclic brominated flame retardants 1,3,5-tris-(2,3-dibromopropyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-trione (TDBP-TAZTO) and 2,4,6-tris-(2,4,6-tribromo-phenoxy)-1,3,5-triazine (TTBP-TAZ). EC/MS was used to simulate the (bio)-transformation processes and to identify possible transformation products (TPs) which have never been reported before. For TDBP-TAZTO, six new TPs were observed after the electrochemical oxidation (applied potential of 0 to 1800 mV vs. Pd/H2). In the case of TTBP-TAZ, seven debromination products were generated with an applied potential of 0 to 2200 mV vs. Pd/H2. The main degradation pathways confirmed by high resolution mass spectrometry for both compounds were hydroxylation, debromination and dehydrobromination.


The increasing trend among several manufacturing industries of producing precise and complex micro-pieces with three-dimensional geometries and shapes has forced researchers to develop new micro-techniques. Micro-milling is a key technology characterized by a material removal performed by mechanical interaction between a tool with sharp edges and a workpiece. Cutting force prediction at micro-scale is an important research field in order to
enable correct choice of cutting parameters, correct design of micro tools and estimation of machining tolerances.
This work aims to determine if the finite element model taken as an input for a global
dynamic model is accurate enough to simulate experimental measurements, therefore a
simulation approach and experimental tests are performed to be compared. The dynamic
simulation software employed is DyStaMill which has been developed in the faculty of
engineering. The software is based in three fundamental aspects: modeling of the cutting
forces, modeling of the surface generation and prediction of the displacement between the tool and the workpiece.
The experimental plan followed comprises slot milling tests and shoulder milling tests with small feed per tooth and several cutting parameters to titanium (Ti6Al4V) workpieces. The calculations for the developed cutting force model are compared to the experimental findings.
The comparison shows significant differences between measurements and simulation on the
values of the efforts. These differences can be explained by the cutting edge radius which is different between simulations and experiments and to a possible effect of cutter run-out.
Finally, an inverse analysis confirmed the validity of the model when correct input parameters are given.


The manifold hypothesis states that high-dimensional data can be modeled as lying on or near a low-dimensional, nonlinear manifold. Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) approximate this manifold by learning mappings from low-dimensional latent vectors to high-dimensional data while encouraging a global structure in the latent space through the use of a specified prior distribution. When this prior does not match the structure of the true data manifold, it can lead to a less accurate model of the data. To resolve this mismatch, we introduce the Variational Autoencoder with Learned Latent Structure (VAELLS) which incorporates a learnable manifold model into the latent space of a VAE. This enables us to learn the nonlinear manifold structure from the data and use that structure to define a prior in the latent space. The integration of a latent manifold model not only ensures that our prior is well-matched to the data, but also allows us to define generative transformation paths in the latent space and describe class manifolds by transformations stemming from examples of each class. We validate our model on examples with known latent structure and also demonstrate its capabilities on a real-world dataset.


The aim of this case study is to demonstrate how a co-design approach could be used within design-based research (DBR) with diverse multi-stakeholders in the LUMA ecosystem to promote social creativity towards novel student-based solutions and pedagogical innovations. As a case, a national LUMA2020 development program (2019–2020), organized by the national LUMA Centre Finland and funded by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, was studied in detail. The different data sources (e.g. an action plan, written observations) were analysed through qualitative content analysis. The Edelson's design-based research model used in the program offered a systematic framework or a map for co-designing both the action plan and its implementation. The co-design approach within the model was organised through three stages to engage all multi-stakeholders (altogether about three hundred participants) for it: (i) a research and societally oriented framework stage, (ii) a practical stage and (iii) a "bottom-up" stage in which teachers from 160 schools were active participants and professional key contributors. The co-design approach and the design decisions were facilitated by using guided face-to-face communication in small group work and digital creative learning spaces as a medium for social creative thinking. The co-designers were teachers, teacher educators, scientists or industry specialists in different stages. The co-design model used could be a way to bridge the newest research and innovations into praxis for supporting the curriculum at the school level and for promoting teachers' professional development by forming creative and diverse learning communities, in which all partners can learn from each other through sharing.


Dispersed Fringe Sensing (DFS) is a technique for measuring and phasing segmented telescope mirrors using a dispersed broadband light image. DFS is capable of breaking the monochromatic light ambiguity, measuring absolute piston errors between segments of large segmented primary mirrors to tens of nanometers accuracy over a range of 100 micrometers or more. The DFSA software tool analyzes DFS images to extract DFS encoded segment piston errors, which can be used to measure piston distances between primary mirror segments of ground and space telescopes. This information is necessary to control mirror segments to establish a smooth, continuous primary figure needed to achieve high optical quality. The DFSA tool is versatile, allowing precise piston measurements from a variety of different optical configurations. DFSA technology may be used for measuring wavefront pistons from sub-apertures defined by adjacent segments (such as Keck Telescope), or from separated sub-apertures used for testing large optical systems (such as sub-aperture wavefront testing for large primary mirrors using auto-collimating flats). An experimental demonstration of the coarse-phasing technology with verification of DFSA was performed at the Keck Telescope. DFSA includes image processing, wavelength and source spectral calibration, fringe extraction line determination, dispersed fringe analysis, and wavefront piston sign determination. The code is robust against internal optical system aberrations and against spectral variations of the source. In addition to the DFSA tool, the software package contains a simple but sophisticated MATLAB model to generate dispersed fringe images of optical system configurations in order to quickly estimate the coarse phasing performance given the optical and operational design requirements. Combining MATLAB (a high-level language and interactive environment developed by MathWorks), MACOS (JPL s software package for Modeling and Analysis for Controlled Optical Systems), and DFSA provides a unique optical development, modeling and analysis package to study current and future approaches to coarse phasing controlled segmented optical systems.


Re-translation is an inevitable phenomenon in the process of translation practice. As early as the fifth-century B C., China had had the first re-translation of Buddhism. In some sense good re-translation contributes not only to the spread of the original text and the former translations, but also to the promotion of the translation practice of a nation.Recently re-translating foreign literary masterpieces has become a fad in Chinese literary circles. There even appeared more than ten different translations of one work within a short span of several years. A questionnaire research involving readers of diverse levels was sponsored by the Translation Study Centre of Nanjing University and the prestigious Reader Weekly of Shanghai, aiming at gathering opinions on many fundamental problems in translation exemplified by the fifteen Chinese translations of Le Rouge et le Noir.A good number of readers hold that the fad of re-translating masterpieces is encouraged by the double factors of the internal and external, that the translator's recreation is unavoidable but should he limited, that the translation which is strictly faithful to the original text in content and form (the version that retains the exotic sentiments in particular) is more welcome to the Chinese readers than the completely Sino-centered one, and that the translation criticism should, according to the principle of multi-standards, facilitate readers of different levels to choose their favourite version.


The upper member of the Jafnayn Formation in Wadi Rusayl and Al Khoud, Seeb Area in north Oman contains Nemkovella stockari Less & Özcan, 2007, an Early Eocene orthophragminid recorded here for the first time from the Arabian Peninsula. N. stockari, the only orthophragminid identified in Jafnayn Formation, is quite distinct from any other species from Tethys in having spiral and orbitoidiform chambers around the isolepidine embryon developed before the onset of annular chambers. The Oman specimens exhibit equal-sized principal auxiliary chambers and symmetrical spirals and are assigned to N. stockari bejaensis Özcan, Boukhalfa & Scheibner, 2014, an advanced form of the N. stockari lineage. The associated alveolinids, revised in this study, rotaliids and other age-diagnostic foraminiferal taxa in the transgressive basal part of the upper member have enabled us to revise the age as middle Ilerdian (Early Eocene), assignable to SBZ 7/8 and 8; OZ 3/4. Integrating a new record of this species from Arabian Plate margin in Belen, S Turkey, and previous records from north Africa, N. stockari appears to be a diagnostic marker for the Early Eocene along the southern peri-Tethys platforms, facilitating the Tethyan correlation by orthophragminids. The palaeobiogeographic distribution of N. stockari is discussed.


Obesity, a principal risk factor for the development of diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and hypertension, is a growing and serious health problem all over the world. Leptin is a weight-reducing hormone produced by adipose tissue, which decreases food intake via hypothalamic leptin receptors (Ob-Rb) and the Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) signaling pathway. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) negatively regulates leptin signaling by dephosphorylating JAK2, and the increased activity of PTP1B is implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity. Hence, inhibition of PTP1B may help prevent and reduce obesity. In this study, we revealed that phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), a naturally occurring isothiocyanate in certain cruciferous vegetables, potently inhibits recombinant PTP1B by binding to the reactive cysteinyl thiol. Moreover, we found that PEITC causes the ligand-independent phosphorylation of Ob-Rb, JAK2, and STAT3 by inhibiting cellular PTP1B in differentiated human SH-SY5Y neuronal cells. PEITC treatment also induced nuclear accumulation of phosphorylated STAT3, resulting in enhanced anorexigenic POMC expression and suppressed orexigenic NPY/AGRP expression. We demonstrated that oral administration of PEITC to mice significantly reduces food intake, and stimulates hypothalamic leptin signaling. Our results suggest that PEITC might help prevent and improve obesity.


The prevalence of chronic kidney disease increases worldwide resulting in more people being affected by the most severe stage; end-stage renal disease. The treatment options available today, hemodialysis and transplantation, can not substitute a fully functioning kidney but the emerging regenerative medicine strategies provide promising treatment alternatives. One strategy is tissues engineering aiming to replace the damaged kidney with a reconstructed one produced by the process of decellularization and recellularization. The success of this strategy is highly dependent on the efficacy of cellular removal and preservation of the kidney extracellular matrix scaffold.This study evaluated three protocols for decellularization of adult porcine kidney utilizing a combination of different agents; enzymatic agent and ionic, non-ionic and zwitterionic detergents. While the third protocol utilized the ionic detergent sodium dodecyl sulphate, the first and second protocol utilized sodium deoxycholate. The first decellularization protocol utilized a freeze and thaw step additionally. The produced kidney extracellular matrix scaffold was characterized and the findings were that all protocols had a major total protein loss. Although, they all retained the extracellular matrix components elastin, collagen, fibronectin and glycosaminoglycans fairly well. The results of the study suggests to always use sodium deoxycholate above sodium dodecyl sulphate when choosing an iconic detergent due to being better at retaining the extracellular matrix ultrastructure . In addition, when utilizing the decellularization protocols of this report at least two cycles of decellularization needs to be performed . The main finding of the study was that only the freeze, thaw and sodium deoxycholate protocol for decellularization of adult porcine kidney achieved a satisfactory level of decellularization. This report should be seen as a step in the process of developing a kidney extracellular matrix scaffold optimal for recellularization.


For many toothed whales, two predominant and multifunctional spatial positions occur between a mother/calf pair after birth: (1) the echelon position and (2) the infant position. Other nonpredominant positions also have social and developmental significance for the calf. So far, the observational period of studies on the spatial positions tends to be too short, and the studies have primarily focused on the marine groups. Moreover, few, if any, studies examining spatial relations between mother/calf pairs have been conducted on endangered toothed whale species. The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) is one endangered and freshwater toothed whale. We studied the development of echelon, infant, and other position(s) in one calf maintained in captivity and two in a seminatural enclosure up to 1 y after birth. Focal following and continuous recording methods were used. A total of 180.6 h of video were recorded for the captive calf during the first year after birth (1.8 +/- 0.5 h/d; n = 99 d). For the two calves in the enclosure, a total of 254.9 and 479.9 h of visual observations were recorded between 12 to 109 d after birth (5.8 +/- 0.9 h/d; n = 44 d) and during the first year after birth (5.9 +/- 0.5 h/d; n = 81 d), respectively. Results indicated that time spent in echelon, infant, and other position(s) accounted for 24.6 +/- 2.7%, 34.4 +/- 8.1%, and 4.6 +/- 2.2% (n = 3), respectively. As the calves grew, they decreased their time spent in the echelon position. In contrast, time spent in the infant position increased and decreased in a parabolic fashion. The peaks (40.2%, 47.8%, and 46.8%) were approached at 91, 62, and 62 d after birth for the three calves, respectively. At 245 d after birth for the captive calf and 187 d for the second seminatural calf, time spent in the infant position began a second increase. This increase continued until the end of the year. Other positions were assumed during a small amount of time and changed slightly over time. In regards to animal management and conservation, we should regulate human activities contributing to the separation of a mother and her calf, especially before 90 d after birth. In addition, we should eliminate fishing gears and other risky factors in the environment until at least 60 d after birth.


Invasions by non-native species are a threat to biodiversity because invaders can impact native populations, communities and entire ecosystems. To manage this threat, it is necessary to have a strong mechanistic understanding of how non-native species affect local species and communities. We reviewed 259 published papers (1972–2012) that described field experiments quantifying the impact of aquatic nonnative species, to examine whether various types of study biases are limiting this understanding. Our review revealed that invasion impacts had been experimentally quantified for 101 aquatic non-native species, in all major freshwater and marine habitats, on all continents except Antarctica and for most higher taxonomic groupings. Over one-quarter (26%) of studies included tests for impacts on local biodiversity. However, despite this extensive research effort, certain taxa, habitats and regions remain poorly studied. For example, of the over one hundred species examined in previous studies, only one was a marine fish and only six were herbivores. Furthermore, over half (53%) of the studies were from the USA and two-thirds (66%) were from experiments conducted in temperate latitudes. By contrast, only 3% of studies were from Africa and <2% from high latitudes. We also found that one-fifth (20%) of studies were conducted in estuaries, but only 1% from coral reefs. Finally, we note that the standard procedure of pooling or not reporting non-significant treatments and responses is likely to limit future synthetic advancement by biasing meta-analysis and severely limiting our ability to identify non-native species with none or negli


The year 2013 celebrated the 40th anniversary since Martin Cooper made the World's first mobile phone call setting off a slow start to a mobile revolution diffusing a range of mobile information and communication technologies (mobile ICT) within reach of just about anyone. This paper explores how the Information Systems (IS) field has reacted to this significant phenomenon as an example of a measure of our field's agility in quickly addressing environmental changes to the sociotechnical phenomena constituting our field and incorporating these changes into the mainstream academic discussions. The main assumption is that irrespective of what possible impact and influence the IS field may have on such emerging phenomena, it is an essential part of the field's justification for existence to provide academically grounded treatments of the most significant sociotechnical phenomena. Given the force, pace and generativity of contemporary ICT development, we assume an increasing need for the IS field to display agility in the way it considers emerging phenomena and either rejects or adopts them as significant for the field. This paper explores the IS field response to mobile ICT as an example of such need for academic agility. A bibliometric study of the basked of eight journals from 2000 to 2010 reveals that the IS field still needs to find ways of responding to developments in a more agile manner.


Traditionally, cities have been regarded as centres of production: Firms produce goods in cities because agglomeration economies make them more productive. People live in cities because firms provide jobs and income. The existence of cities and closely related location decisions by households and firms have often been explained by these production linkages. Density is thought to offer agglomeration benefits on the production side but negative congestion effects
on the consumption side. More recently, urban scholars have departed from this view and considered cities not only as centres of production but also of consumption (Glaeser et al., 2001). Workers have arguably become more heterogeneous in terms of taste, more educated and their incomes have risen. Firms have become more footloose and goods more diverse (Brueckner et al., 1999; Kolko, 1999; Kotkin, 2000; Glaeser et al., 2001; Florida, 2002; Dalmazzo & de Blasio, 2011; Glaeser, 2011; Bauernschuster et al., 2012; Suedekum et al., 2012; Ahlfeldt, 2013). These developments have left workers with more leisure time and income to spend on the consumption side so that workers and firms are no longer expected to only respond to classic production links but to a wide range of amenities.

This dissertation intends to shed further light on the consumer city idea. Motivated by a lack of empirical evidence, I contribute to this young field of research by investigating different aspects of the role of amenities in the location decision of households and firms. The work is structured around the classification of urban amenities as suggested by Glaeser et al. (2001). This classification as well as related literature is presented in Chapter 2. The comprehensive literature review is intended to provide a background for the analyses carried out in this work. Moreover, it shows the field's methodological development which is characterised by a move from correlations to establishing causality.

Chapter 3 investigates the role of cultural amenities in the location decision of firms. I define cultural amenities as localised goods and services, which is one of the four urban amenity categories defined by Glaeser et al. (2001). The idea is that innovative service firms are highly footloose and mainly rely on qualified labour as input factor. At the same time, highly qualified and "creative" individuals have a strong preference for a rich social and cultural life (Florida,
2002). It is therefore expected that firms, following its workers, act as amenity-maximising agents. I empirically test this hypothesis by estimating a location choice model for internet start-ups in Berlin. The identification of the cultural amenity effect is based on the fall of the Berlin Wall which is interpreted as a quasi-natural experiment. Amenities are found to positively impact on the location of web firms. A comparison with other service industries moreover
suggests that amenities are significant to the location choice of creative sectors, whereas no effect can be observed for non-creative firms.
Chapter 4 is centred around the amenity role of aesthetics and physical setting, and on heritage preservation in particular. Heritage designation is considered to solve an externality problem thus providing benefits to home owners, in terms of a reduction of uncertainty regarding the future of an area, but at the costs of development restrictions. The chapter proposes a simple theory of the designation process, in which it is postulated that the optimal level of designation is chosen so as to Pareto-maximise the welfare of local owners. The implication of the model is that a) an increase in preferences for historic character should increase the likelihood of a
designation, and b) new designations at the margin should not be associated with significant house price capitalisation effects. The empirical results are in line with these expectations.
In Chapter 5 a third type of urban amenities according to the Glaeser et al. (2001) definition is investigated in further detail, i.e. speed of transportation. Transport's important role in economics is beyond controversy. The estimation of the impact of a new infrastructure project is, however, not entirely straightforward as the relation between transport and economic development is plagued by a notorious simultaneity problem. The allocation of transport is not
completely random and may respond to demand as infrastructure projects usually require large investment costs. Conventional causal inference has approached this problem by only focusing on the uni-directional effect of transport provision. I therefore propose a method, which is well established in macroeconomics, to explore the structure of mutually related endogenous variables. In particular, I run bivariate Panel VAR models using unique historical data for Berlin
during a dynamic period when most of today's public rail network was established (1881-1935). Results do indeed suggest a simultaneously determined relation between transport and urban development.
Chapter 6 extends the previous analysis of the Berlin rail sector by applying the Panel VAR methodology to the city of Chicago, Illinois, and the development of the 'L' train over a period of over 100 years (1910-2010). The analysis can be interpreted as both an additional robustness test and a comparative study. Results are in line with the findings for Berlin.
The dissertation ends with the conclusion in Chapter 7, where I summarise the main findings and stress important contributions to the literature.


Author(s): Fall, Michael W. | Abstract: The coyote is highly adaptable in exploiting man's livestock production systems and, indeed, thrives in such situations. Recent research by the Denver Wildlife Research Center has drawn upon earlier studies to focus effort on priority needs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) cooperative Animal Damage Control (ADC) program. Substantial improvements have been made in some control methods and several new methods or effective modifications have become available for use by ADC and by producers. Additional developments have occurred in improving chemical delivery systems and in understanding the ecological requirements for effective control programs. With the substantial investments being made by USDA in test facilities and personnel to meet new regulatory requirements, prospects for the development and registration of new control methods and materials have greatly improved.


The royal estate in Viking Age Jelling has long been a theme for both saga and research, but has, nonetheless, lived an elusive life as far as its archaeological remains are concerned. However, recent excavations have revealed the remains of a massive wooden palisade demarcating an area of c. 125,000 m2, encircling a series of buildings and monuments. The impressive structure follows a strict architectural regularity and demonstrates a rigid concept behind the laying out of the monumental parts. The current article focuses on the construction and geometrical principles behind this layout and discusses the detailed biography of the palisade. Furthermore, preserved wood was found during the excavation of a small wetland area, thus permitting a more precise dating of the structure by dendrochronology. The resulting dates firmly link the palisade and the individual monumental parts to the royal family named on the rune stones in Jelling and in particular to the reign of King Harald Bluetooth. In addition to the structure and date of the palisade, the article will present the tentative results from a series of analyses regarding the construction, composition, function and demolition of the palisade and discuss the contemporaneous political scene.