An equivalent model and electromechanical characteristics for the disk motor was obtained based on the Steinmetz parameters. This paper describes a series of tests conducted on an axial flux motor, equipped with an aluminum rotor disc and an YBCO high temperature superconducting rotor disc, at liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K). The rotating magnetic field was produced by a four-pole, three-phase stator winding, at 50 Hz. At asynchronous permanent regime, Steinmetz-type models are able to describe both motors' behavior. From the performed tests, the parameters of both motors' models were deduced. A variable load was used to obtain both motor's characteristics (conventional and superconducting). Experimental obtained characteristics of both motors are compared with the ones predicted from parameters' calculation. The HTS motor provides high efficiency then the conventional ones.


The ability to infer actionable information from genomic variation data in a resequencing experiment relies on accurately aligning the sequences to a reference genome. However, this accuracy is inherently limited by the quality of the reference assembly and the repetitive content of the subject's genome. As long read sequencing technologies become more widespread, it is crucial to investigate the expected improvements in alignment accuracy and variant analysis over existing short read methods. The ability to quantify the read length and error rate necessary to uniquely map regions of interest in a sequence allows users to make informed decisions regarding experiment design and provides useful metrics for comparing the magnitude of repetition across different reference assemblies. To this end we have developed NEAT-Repeat, a toolkit for exhaustively identifying the minimum read length required to uniquely map each position of a reference sequence given a specified error rate. Using these tools we computed the -mappability spectrum" for ten reference sequences, including human and a range of plants and animals, quantifying the theoretical improvements in alignment accuracy that would result from sequencing with longer reads or reads with less base-calling errors. Our inclusion of read length and error rate builds upon existing methods for mappability tracks based on uniqueness or aligner-specific mapping scores, and thus enables more comprehensive analysis. We apply our mappability results to whole-genome variant call data, and demonstrate that variants called with low mapping and genotype quality scores are disproportionately found in reference regions that require long reads to be uniquely covered. We propose that our mappability metrics provide a valuable supplement to established variant filtering and annotation pipelines by supplying users with an additional metric related to read mapping quality. NEAT-Repeat can process large and repetitive genomes, such as those of corn and soybean, in a tractable amount of time by leveraging efficient methods for edit distance computation as well as running multiple jobs in parallel. NEAT-Repeat is written in Python 2.7 and C++, and is available at https://github.com/zstephens/neat-repeat.


Abstract. In the Mediterranean basin, olive orchards occupy a large fraction of agricultural lands due to its sustainability to harsh conditions, drought in particular. Since most modeling tools to simulate vegetation functioning are not meant to represent very sparse crops (i.e., rainfed olive trees have a vegetation fraction cover ranging from 2 to 15 %), computing the water needs and the vulnerability to drought of an olive orchard is a challenge. There is indeed a very high contribution of the bare soil signal to the total fluxes, and it is difficult to decipher the contribution of the tree from that of the entire surface. In this context, in an attempt to study the olive tree hydrological functioning at field scale (38 ha), an experimental site was setup and a Soil–Vegetation–Atmosphere (SVAT) model has been applied. To represent the orchard soil–plant–atmosphere interactions, a simulation with default settings was assessed using parameters derived from both the literature and ground measurements. In this default configuration, neither the predicted actual nor the potential transpiration could reach the observed transpiration acquired during the wet season (R2 = 0.67, the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) = 5.63 mm week−1). We show that the model fails to reproduce the relevant leaf surface that transpires. To address this issue and to improve the estimate of the year-to-year variability of the olive tree transpiration, we propose guidance on how a SVAT model can be modified to more appropriately represent the hydrological functioning of a sparse orchard. Once the tree transpiration is accurately simulated (R2 = 0.93, RMSE = 1.62 mm week−1), we evaluated whether the fully coupled (single patch) or a fully uncoupled (two patch) system better reproduced the total fluxes and their components. Owing to the independent characteristics of the soil columns inherent in the assumption of the 2-patch version, the bare soil column shows a deficiency if the topsoil root extraction is not accounted for. We deduced that we cannot accurately reproduce the soil evaporation in this configuration. This study open perspectives for a better representation of water fluxes over sparse tree crops into both hydrological and SVAT models.


Antenatal ultrasound is an established technique to identify foetal abnormalities, which may lead to increased perinatal morbidity or mortality. As machine resolution has improved, detection of umbilical cord anomalies has increased. Recent studies have highlighted that two vessel cords are associated with congenital abnormalities, growth restriction and small placental size and that identifying them is important in determining pregnancy outcome. During the past 12 months the authors have detected eight patients with two vessel cords in routine 12- and 20-week antenatal ultrasound scans. Following the identification of a two-vessel cord, a level 3 scan was done and antenatal surveillance was increased. Renal hydronephrosis was queried in two foetuses and growth velocity was slow in one. Obstetric outcomes were obtained, including gestation, mode of delivery, weight at birth, cord pH and associated abnormalities. All deliveries occurred after 36 weeks, including a pair of twins. There were two elective Caesarean sections and one ventouse delivery. Cord pHs were normal for all neonates. Only one baby had an abnormality identified in the form of an undescended testis. All babies, except the twins, had weights above 3 kilos. No renal problems were identified in neonatal scans carried out in the two cases of foetal hydronephrosis. This case series suggests that two vessel cords identified on ultrasound does not directly correlate with adverse pregnancy outcomes. The authors suggest that the finding of a two-vessel cord in the absence of other abnormalities does not need increased ultrasound surveillance unless growth is suboptimal using customised growth charts.


The concept of software testability has been researched in several different dimensions, however the relation of this important concept with other quality attributes is a grey area where existing evidence is scattered. The objective of this study is to present a state-of-the-art with respect to issues of importance concerning software testability and an important quality attribute: software robustness. The objective is achieved by conducting a systematic literature review (SLR) on the topic. Our results show that a variety of testability issues are in focus with observability and controllability issues being most researched. Fault tolerance, exception handling and handling external influence are prominent robustness issues in focus.


Objective: Baseline quantitative PET parameters measuring tumour burden and metabolism are proposed as early prognosticators of outcome in different lymphoma subtypes. It has been shown that in advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and Primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma, total metabolic tumor volume (TMTV) or total lesion glycolysis (TLG) predicted outcome better than the bulk. From the H10 EORTC/LYSA/FIL randomized intergroup trial (NCT00433433) including patients with supradiaphragmatic stage I/II, histologically proven classical HL, we investigated the prognostic value of quantitative PET metrics measured on baseline FDG PET/CT in the unfavorable group of the standard arm. Methods: One hundred and fifty patients were randomly selected from the 352 patients recruited by the LYSA centers, in the unfavorable group (≥ 4 nodal areas or age ≥ 50 yrs or mediastinal thoracic (MT) ratio ≥ 0.35 or erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) ≥ 50 (without B-symptoms) or ESR ≥ 30 (with B-symptoms)) of the standard arm of the H10 trial. Only patients who had baseline PET/CT with fused images available were analyzed. Standard treatment was 4 cycles of ABVD completed by involved-node radiotherapy. All patients had an interim PET performed after 2 ABVD cycles (PET2). Baseline TMTV was computed using the 41% and 25% SUVmax thresholding methods; SUVmax, TLG41%, TLG25% were calculated. PET2 was centrally reviewed reported. Optimal quantitative parameters cut-off to predict PFS and OS were determined by ROC curves, and Kaplan Meier (KM) curves were obtained. Multivariate analyses were performed using a Cox model. Results: 128 patients with a median age of 32 years were analyzed: 54 (42%) had B symptoms, 74 (58%) had ESR>40 (ROC optimal cut off), 48 (37%) mediastinal bulk as defined above. Median TMTV41%, TMTV25%, SUVmaxand TLG41%, TLG25%were 81 cm3 (25th-75thpercentiles 44-145 cm3), 194 cm3 (112-323), 11 (8-14), 407 cm3 (221-475) and 731 cm3 430-1321) respectively. After a median follow-up of 5 years, the 5y-PFS was 84% and the 5y-OS was 92%. The strongest PET quantitative parameter to predict outcome was the TLG41% (p=0.0006 HR=6.5 for PFS with a cut off of 420 cm3, p=0.025 HR=7.7 for OS with a cut off of 584 cm3). Patients with a high TLG41% had a 5y-PFS of 76% vs 92% (95%CI 71-81; 88-96) and a 5y-OS of 88% vs 96% (95%CI 83-92; 92-100) for those with the lower TLG41% respectively. Similar results were found using 25% SUVmax threshold (p=0.0005 HR=4.7 for PFS, p=0.0032 HR=7.9 for OS). TMTV41% higher than 149 cm3 cut off was associated with a worse PFS (p=0.0099, HR=3.26) and OS (p=0.022, HR=4.8) but with a lower significance level. A SUVmax greater than 14 was also associated with a worse PFS (p=0.018 HR=3.0) with a 5y-PFS of 74% vs 86% but not with OS. In multivariate analysis testing TLG41% and SUVmax or TLG41%and TMTV41%, only TLG41% remained significant (p=0.0096 and p=0.015 for PFS and OS respectively). B symptoms and ESR>40 were predictive of PFS (p=0.0077 HR=3.7 and p=0.0062 HR=6.07 respectively) but not of OS. MT ratio was predictive of neither PFS nor OS (p=0.49, p=0.20). In multivariate analysis, B symptoms, ESR>40 and TLG41% remained significant independent predictors of PFS (p=0.038; p=0.034; p=0.014 respectively). For the 124 patients with a centralized reading available, a positive PET after two cycles (PET2 +) using IHP criteria (n=29) was associated with a worse PFS (p=0.0006). In multivariate analysis testing TLG41% and interim PET, they both remained independent prognosticators (p=0.014 and p=0.025 respectively). Interestingly combining TLG41% and interim PET brings out 3 distinctive prognostic categories (p Conclusion: Quantitative PET parameters improve patient risk stratification at staging. The study data suggest that TLG is an independent prognosticator of outcome and seems particularly interesting in early stage HL patients, to identify in conjunction with the early PET response, those patients who require treatment intensification. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


One of the central tenets in applied theatre is the ability to confront issues of 'power' and 'powerlessness'. Indeed, success or lack thereof in applied theatre projects is often adjudged against the ability or the extent to which these projects are, or have been able to 'empower' the 'powerless'. In this paper we seek to examine the extent to which, in spite of the traditional tensions between 'power' and 'powerlessness', the power of the facilitator can be a positive force that ought to be celebrated and harnessed towards resisting and subverting larger forces of manipulation and power in given rural contexts, especially when the facilitator works with the 'less privileged'. We also seek to demonstrate that even though grass-roots participants in Theatre for Development (TfD) projects may appear as passive objects of power, project participants in apparently 'non-political' and paternalistic projects also enjoy a complex relational subjectivity in terms of the power dynamics of applied theatre projects. The paper is inspired by the recognition that all power can be overtly or covertly resisted. Thus Foucault's discourses on power and resistance and Scott's theorisation of public and hidden transcripts provide the theoretical foundations to this paper. Foucault and Scott's theorisation of power is consistent with postcolonial African views on power which conceptualise power in relational terms. Postcolonial theorists such as bell hooks, Mangeni and Mbembe all suggest that the 'weak' have their own forms of power which are often ignored by the powerful in their pursuit of the grand narratives of normative power relations. We draw on our personal experience as university-based facilitators in a TfD project which took place in the two rural districts of Zvishavane and Mberengwa in southern Zimbabwe between 2001 and 2004.


Defining Reality: Satellite Television's Reinvigoration of Arab Polities Reality Television and Arab Politics: Contention in Public Life, by Marwan M. Kraidy. Cambridge University Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-521-74904-6 252pp.Analyses of Arab media are too often limited to studies of Al-Jazeera's news programs, and studies of Arab politics too often ignore the influence of popular culture. Marwan Kraidy breaks both of these disciplinary trends in Reality Television and Arab Politics by conducting a detailed study of how reality television is reshaping public spheres in the Middle East. This book is a valuable synthesis of information from interviews with station employees, close readings of reality television shows, and analyses of news articles. More impressive than the contribution that his book represents to charting the interaction between global media flows and local cultures is the prescient nature with which he describes the political potential of the hypermedia event that has come to characterize the demonstrations of the Arab Spring.Kraidy's main assertion is that by forcing public debate on controversial issues and by enlarging the number of people who participate in these debates, reality television affects politics because it has a distinct ability to agitate unstable social relations. He describes how three reality television shows, Star Academy, Superstar, and al-Ra'is, created controversies that were debated in local and international Arab media sources. He also shows how more formal political structures and actors became implicated in these controversies. Additionally, he analyzes how new media have changed the way that Arab polities conduct age-old debates over modernity, authenticity, nationalism, and piety.One of the book's recurring ideas is that reality television problematizes distinctions between reality and image; pure and hybrid; and authentic and foreign. Kraidy suggests that reality based programming allows for greater contestation over who defines realities both political and cultural. Thus, reality television erodes cultural elites' ability to monopolize public spheres and causes what Kraidy calls the "chamber politics" of official governments to be infiltrated by the "street politics" of activists. He further asserts that the participatory nature of reality television allows for citizens in Arab countries to learn mobilization strategies that take advantage of digital media. His book is useful in looking at the shiftin power dynamics evidenced by the successful demonstrations in the Middle East.Kraidy demonstrates reality television's effects on Arab polities by exploring case studies in Bahrain, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Syria. He carefully explicates the transnational financial and political connections that characterize the Middle East in order to render the region's media production and transmission patterns comprehensible. Though Kraidy makes an earnest effort to situate the controversies in their historical and cultural contexts, his rapid transitions between various Arab countries and historic periods can at times confuse even readers who are familiar with the region and its history. The book is rather successful at integrating Arab media into the contexts of new media, globalization, and gender studies. In addition to being written clearly enough for casual readers interested in learning about the Middle East, the book's interdisciplinary nature makes it a valuable addition to any syllabus on global media, Arab politics, or media politics.In the first chapter, Kraidy sets the historical context within which he evaluates the emergence of reality television in the Middle East. He sketches the history of media in the Middle East by starting with the late Ottoman period and continuing to the modern day. He draws a distinction between these two periods by saying that the late Ottoman period propitiated the growth of nationalist groups while the late twentieth century aided the development of transnational linkages. …


This dissertation develops a real-time implementation of rendering perspective and refocused imagery from a light field camera for the generation of sparse point clouds using a traditional stereo camera approach, a multiperspective approach, and two refocused ranging approaches. Unlike monocular cameras that have difficulty in extracting depth information without prior knowledge of a scene either in the form of previous images or object recognition, light field, or plenoptic, cameras can estimate depth with the introduction of additional hardware in the form of a microlens array to capture the 4-D radiance. The centers of these microlens are extracted with a calibration procedure and are used to build the radiance that contains the additional angular information that gives the plenoptic camera its ability to render multiple perspectives with a single main lens, thus improving upon the stereo or multiple camera setups that require more space and power as well as additional hardware for triggering synchronous images. This additional information for rendering multiple perspectives and refocused images greatly increases the plenoptic image size and thus the image processing time. With the end of dramatic growth in single processor performance, parallel processing has become the dominant method to decrease computing times. In response, this dissertation develops efficient methods for plenoptic image rendering algorithms for single core processor, multiple core processor, and graphics processing unit (GPU) architectures. The multiple core processor architecture is realized through OpenMP with an Intel Core i7-4720HQ processor, and the GPU implementation uses Nvidia's CUDA API with a GeForce GTX 980M. For the perspective image rendering from the plenoptic case, OpenMP gives a 3.9x speedup from 21.8 ms with a single core to 5.6 ms on eight cores. The integral refocused image case improves its computation time with OpenMP from 699 ms for the serial architecture to 242.1 ms with eight cores for a 2.9x speedup. A 3.3x speedup is achieved with OpenMP for the FFT refocused imaging case from 717.3 ms for one core to 217.4 ms using eight cores. The perspective image rendering from the plenoptic image case has a GPU computation time of 5.6 ii ms and a speedup of 3.9x over the single core processing time. Computation with CUDA takes 17.3 ms to render an integral refocused image which amounts to a 40x speedup over the single core processing time. Finally, the FFT refocused imaging case results in a 14.6x speedup over the serial time with a total computation time of 49 ms. Four methods are discussed in this dissertation for determining range using these efficiently rendered multiple perspective and refocused images: stereo ranging, multiperspective ranging, integral refocused ranging, and FFT refocused ranging. The stereo ranging approach follows similar techniques as traditional stereo algorithms through the ability of the plenoptic camera to render two virtual cameras. A multiperspective ranging approach uses an extrinsic property calibration model to rectify multiple virtual stereo pairs for a robust multiple stereopair ranging approach. Two depth-from-focus approaches use correlation to measure the depth through either an integral-based refocusing method or an FFT-based refocusing method to compare the α-refocused image with the in-focus perspective image. A ranging model then relates the α at the maximum correlation with the distance. During experimental testing, each of the four ranging algorithms estimates ranges to tracked features on a target using a 55 mm lens and a 135 mm lens. The 55 mm lens renders images with a field of view of 40◦ at the cost of a maximum range of about 2 meters, while the 135 mm lens estimates improved ranges out to 6.5 meters at the cost of a field of view of only 16◦. Finally, this dissertation demonstrates plenoptic odometry with target tracking using each of the four ranging methods.


Background Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is endemic in Latin America and an emerging infectious disease in the US and Europe. We have shown TcG1, TcG2, and TcG4 antigens elicit protective immunity to T. cruzi in mice and dogs. Herein, we investigated antigenicity of the recombinant proteins in humans to determine their potential utility for the development of next generation diagnostics for screening of T. cruzi infection and Chagas disease. Methods and Results Sera samples from inhabitants of the endemic areas of Argentina-Bolivia and Mexico-Guatemala were analyzed in 1st-phase for anti-T. cruzi antibody response by traditional serology tests; and in 2nd-phase for antibody response to the recombinant antigens (individually or mixed) by an ELISA. We noted similar antibody response to candidate antigens in sera samples from inhabitants of Argentina and Mexico (n = 175). The IgG antibodies to TcG1, TcG2, and TcG4 (individually) and TcGmix were present in 62–71%, 65–78% and 72–82%, and 89–93% of the subjects, respectively, identified to be seropositive by traditional serology. Recombinant TcG1- (93.6%), TcG2- (96%), TcG4- (94.6%) and TcGmix- (98%) based ELISA exhibited significantly higher specificity compared to that noted for T. cruzi trypomastigote-based ELISA (77.8%) in diagnosing T. cruzi-infection and avoiding cross-reactivity to Leishmania spp. No significant correlation was noted in the sera levels of antibody response and clinical severity of Chagas disease in seropositive subjects. Conclusions Three candidate antigens were recognized by antibody response in chagasic patients from two distinct study sites and expressed in diverse strains of the circulating parasites. A multiplex ELISA detecting antibody response to three antigens was highly sensitive and specific in diagnosing T. cruzi infection in humans, suggesting that a diagnostic kit based on TcG1, TcG2 and TcG4 recombinant proteins will be useful in diverse situations.


The purpose of this study is to investigate how family and social relations affect the life satisfaction levels of elderly men and women in Japan. We used micro-data from 3,063 Japanese elderly adults (1,565 men and 1,498 women) collected from a sample in the first-wave of the Japanese Study of Aging and Retirement (JSTAR), a survey compatible with HRS in the United States and SHARE in Europe. This study found that life satisfaction is more closely associated with family and social relations for women than for men, after controlling for socioeconomic, health, and other factors. Women are more sensitive than men to coresidence and contact with family members, especially parents-in-law, as well as to social relations with others in the community, while men become much more depressed than women following a divorce or widowhood. Observed associations between each factor and life satisfaction are largely consistent with those separately reported by preceding studies. However, this analysis compared the relative importance of each factor and its gender difference, contributing to a more comprehensive and subjective understanding of the well-being of elderly people.


In this paper the climate change e¤ect is an unforeseen earth temperature level above which a negative externality on technology and hence on society's welfare is exerted. We use a dynamic overlapping generations model to develop a positive analysis of the growth path of an economy with the negative temperature spillover leading to a structural breakdown in capital productivity. Two scenarios for the impact of climate change on intergenerational equity are analyzed: the ...rst is consistent with a state-of-nature framework in which atomistic agents cannot in‡uence the probability that a particular event (productivity collapse) will occur. In the second, according to the maxim "that everybody does what I am doing....", agents recognize that their choices may in‡uence the probability of productivity collapse occurring in their lifetime.


An experimental study was conducted to determine the energy dissipation characteristics of a discontinuous wave absorber consisting of an impervious lower slope and a stone-filled upper slope. The purpose was to determine the wave energy absorption as a function of the incident wave parameters and the wave absorber geometry. Parameters varied were wavelength, wave height, lower and upper absorber slopes, berm depth and width, and stone size. For virtually all test conditions, a minimum wave reflection was found when the discontinuity (berm) depth was at one-quarter to one-half the water depth below the water surface. The overall wave absorption increased under the following conditions: an increase in horizontal berm width of up to five layers of stone; a decrease in the angle of the upper (stone-filled) slope when the berm depth is below one-fifth the water depth; and a decrease in the angle of the lower (impervious) slope when the berm depth is above one-half the water depth. The results should be useful where water wave reflections must be minimal and space is limited, such as in harbor walls or for hydraulic models.


Mobile commerce (m-commerce) has undoubtedly become an omnipresent and an active area in electronic payments. It allows mobile user to buy and pay for things, pay his bill or make a bet via mobile phone when on move, anywhere and at anytime. However, several challenges in accountability and privacy properties have emerged with the widespread of mobile payments in recent years. Consequently, many public-key cryptography based mobile payment protocols have been proposed. However, limited capabilities of mobile devices (poor computation power, low battery capacity and limited storage memory), limitation of wireless networks (less bandwidth and reliability, and higher latencies), and higher wireless networks connection cost make these protocols unsuitable for mobile network. In this paper, a lightweight and private mobile payment protocol involving mobile network operators (MNOs) and employing symmetric key operations is proposed. It is unrealistic to expect all payers and all payees to have accounts with multiples MNOs. Therefore, the proposed protocol supports the interoperability among multiple MNOs, each with its own customer (payer) and merchant (payee), allowing customers of one MNO to make purchases from merchants of the other MNO. The symmetric cryptographic technique applied into the proposed protocol not only reduces the number of cryptographic operations and communication passes between the involved parties, but also achieves completely privacy protection of payer and satisfies all the criteria of end-to-end security property, party's requirements including non-repudiation. The proposed mobile payment protocol is analyzed with Kungpisdan et al. accountability logic (KP Logic). The result shows that the proposed protocol satisfies all security requirements in electronic payment transaction, enhances privacy protection and reduces the number of cryptographic operations in existing mobile payment protocols.


Establishing a line of research always begins with a plan of action that I call a research plan. For untenured faculty members, developing and implementing a research plan may seem more like racing through an orienteering course than creating a systematic plan to contribute new information to a knowledge base. Young scholars often feel as though they must dash madly from one orienteering flag (i.e., publication) to the next in their attempt to create products as quickly and efficiently as possible. Although products are important, I would like to encourage young scholars to slow their pace for just a moment and think about the development of their respective research plans as more like solving a puzzle than running a race. In the research puzzle, the central piece is the development of a theoretical framework to guide your research decisions. The theoretical framework is a structure that identifies and describes the major elements, variables, or constructs that organize your scholarship. It is used to hypothesize, understand, or give meaning to the relationships among the elements that influence, affect, or predict the events or outcomes you specify. The theoretical framework grows out of the research focus, guides the design of individual studies, and structures your research presentations and publications. It is important to begin to assemble the theoretical framework and the other pieces you will need to solve the research puzzle rather than racing around in a scattered attempt to produce a few disjointed products.


The German practice of Richterliche Hinweispflicht is a judicial duty to give hints and feedback. In a very proactive position, the German judge asks questions of the parties designed to clarify and sharpen the key facts and issues and to give the parties a chance to correct matters that may be grounds for disposition. German judges also must ensure that the parties understand all matters that could affect the outcome of the case. In effect, the German judge's roles may be viewed as civil servant, teacher, and activist, rather than as umpire and overseer, as in the United States. American civil jurisprudence would benefit from this German concept of the judiciary's role. Judicial participation could increase without resistance in four areas of the U.S. system: the pretrial conference, the pretrial scheduling order for discovery, the use of special masters, and the calling and questioning of witnesses. Under the American approach, although the judiciary has the right to take a more active role in proceedings, most judges fail to exercise this power other than for, perhaps, complex litigation. For example, American judges are given discretionary authority to call a pretrial conference where they can take action with respect to numerous aspects of a case. If the rules of civil procedure were amended to make mandatory both pretrial conferences and the consideration of certain topics, the American system would function more fairly and efficiently, like the German system. American judges could also increase their involvement by facilitating detailed discussions of settlement agreements for all civil cases. Recommendations must account for the difficulties inherent in extracting any procedural rule from a foreign system and trying to import it into another unique, complex system. Implementing a recommendation can be most successfully undertaken when two cultures are similar enough to be harmonized. A German legal system typically described as inquisitorial seems completely at odds with the American adversarial system and its legal history. However, recent German reforms and changes to the U.S. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure have brought closer these two systems. Both countries seek to recognize due process rights and to avoid situations where litigants will be surprised about a verdict. Additionally, American courts have moved closer to their European counterparts in the past decade by adopting a heightened pleading standard, comparable to the standards imposed by the American Law Institute ("ALI") and UNIDROIT. Many potential obstacles to implementation relate to judicial workload, to the legal profession's distaste for increased judicial participation, and to the judiciary's limited view of its role. These obstacles could be overcome through the increased use of special masters and magistrates and the continued use of contingency fees. Any move toward increased judicial involvement must be made cautiously in a system so fundamentally and stubbornly adversarial as is the American civil trial process. Still, such reforms can and should be pursued.


This very popular design book has been wholly revised and expanded to feature a new dimension of inspiring and counterintuitive ideas to thinking about graphic design relationships.The Elements of Graphic Design, Second Editionis now in full color in a larger, 8 x 10-inch trim size, and contains 40 percent more content and over 750 images to enhance and better clarify the concepts in this thought-provoking resource. The second edition also includes a new section on Web design; new discussions of modularity, framing, motion and time, rules of randomness, and numerous quotes supported by images and biographies. This pioneering work provides designers, art directors, and students--regardless of experience--with a unique approach to successful design. Veteran designer and educator Alex. W. White has assembled a wealth of information and examples in his exploration of what makes visual design stunning and easy to read. Readers will discover White's four elements of graphic design, including how to: define and reveal dominant images, words, and concepts; use scale, color, and position to guide the viewer through levels of importance; employ white space as a significant component of design and not merely as background; and use display and text type for maximum comprehension and value to the reader. Offering a new way to think about and use the four design elements, this book is certain to inspire better design. Allworth Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, publishes a broad range of books on the visual and performing arts, with emphasis on the business of art. Our titles cover subjects such as graphic design, theater, branding, fine art, photography, interior design, writing, acting, film, how to start careers, business and legal forms, business practices, and more. While we don't aspire to publish a "New York Times" bestseller or a national bestseller, we are deeply committed to quality books that help creative professionals succeed and thrive. We often publish in areas overlooked by other publishers and welcome the author whose expertise can help our audience of readers."


Introduction : Folate is an essential vitamin vital for normal cell growth and DNA synthesis. A folate deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anaemia and severe neurological problems. Samples received at our laboratory often have long transit times as they are sent from peripheral clinics; therefore we determined sample stability. An accreditation non-conformance for the storage temperature of prepared haemolysate led to this haemolysate stability study.
Methods : Fasting blood samples were drawn from 40 healthy volunteers. Baseline RBC folate was performed in duplicate on each sample. Half the whole blood was then stored at various temperatures for 72 hours prior to haemolysate formation and RBC folate was determined every 24 hours. The other half was haemolysed, the haemolysate stored at various temperatures and analysed at 4-hourly intervals for 12 hours.
Results: Using the 15% acceptable assay imprecision allowed for RBC folate determination, it was found that whole blood was stable at room temperature unprotected from light for 72 hours. Taking the manufacturers 10% allowable degradation of the haemolysate and 15% acceptable assay imprecision into consideration, haemolysates may be stored for up to 12 hours at -20°C.
Conclusions : Samples transported from distant clinics for RBC determination are stable for up to 72 hours at room temperature even if unprotected from light. Haemolysates prepared for RBC folate determination may be stored at -20°C.


This paper critically examines the intersection of several key factors influencing access to nature-based resources in New Zealand's public lands. Particular attention is directed to three major global influences on such access: international tourism, New Zealand's increased exposure to global market-driven philosophies, and the increasing prominence worldwide of indigenous land-rights movements. These influences embody important notions of property rights and rights of ownership in New Zealand. Out of a beginning which promised a wealth of public access to natural areas has grown a strong New Zealand outdoor tradition. Today, the terrain which fostered this tradition is passionately contested and the sustainability of access to public lands is threatened. In the last decade, free public access has been progressively eroded, and, among other developments, there has been a tendency for commodification and privatisation of public lands. These significant changes stem from a broader, ideologically driven social and economic revolution, which has taken place in New Zealand. In parallel with this economic and social revolution, the legitimate and historically marginalised claims of the indigenous Maori people for sovereignty over land and resources have begun to be addressed. In an environment characterized by rapid, radical, globally induced change, the sustainability of cultural traditions, such as access rights to the countryside, will continue to be a source of controversy.


This article examines the various possibilities for making an analogy or disanalogy between cosmetic and trans surgeries, focusing on the suggestion that trans surgeries are medically necessary while cosmetic surgeries are not—a position that has a great deal of rhetorical force. The authors argue that this disanalogy both fails to understand the complexity of the justifications used by recipients of these diverse surgeries and should be seen as symptomatic of various attempts in medical practice to impose particular understandings of suffering, gender identity, and gender politics on trans patients. The appeal to the intense and intrinsic suffering of the trans patient because they cannot become the normatively gendered person they always believed themselves to be, the authors argue, elides the diversity of trans experience as well as coerces trans patients into a politics of ressentiment.


This paper examines the impact of the drivers of economic growth in developing countries. We modify the conventional neoclassical growth model to account for the impact of the increase in the number of people working relative to the total population and that of the increase in the value added per worker over time. Based on data from the World Bank for the 1995-2010 period and a sample of thirty-eight developing economies we find that the growth rate of per capita GDP is linearly dependent on technological progress, gross capital formation, the initial level of output per capita, and labour productivity growth, measured as the growth rate of the value added per worker, as well as human capital formation, measured as the growth rate of the average number of years of formal schooling among all persons aged 15 and above. We observe that all coefficient estimates except one have their expected sign and these explanatory variables except one are found to be statistically significant. We note that the increase in the number of people working, relative to the total population does not help explain cross-country differences in per capita GDP growth in developing economies. Statistical results of such empirical examination will assist governments in developing countries identify policy fundamentals that are essential for economic growth.


Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology has become the technology of choice for keeping up with the requirement of higher throughput in mobile communication in bands below 6 GHz. It is expected that within the next decade LTE will become the primary commercial standard. LTE is often used to broadcast emergency information in times of natural disasters and national crises and is under investigation for further end use application in government as well as military application fields. Communication via LTE has some vulnerabilities. This drawback is a matter of concern since it is possible to completely take down the LTE network or at least partially block communication, intentionally with the help of jamming signals, or unintentionally through various forms of interference. An example of unintentional interference issues is the frequently discussed coexistence issues with Air Traffic Control (ATC) S-band radar and Digital TV bands. The in-device coexistence challenge is also a potentially important issue with the rapid evolution of multi-standard radios. This White Paper will focus on the vulnerabilities of LTE communication by explaining LTE jamming and unintentional interference problems, address the coexistence issues with other services, and discuss the mitigation options to build a broad perspective on the possible deployment of the LTE technology for future military and civil governmental applications. Understanding the susceptance of new technologies to known and expected environments is critical to the adoption for defense applications


Background: Entry of untreated wastewater of wool scouring factories has been associated with many environmental hazards because of high rate of pollution. Presently effective treatment methods and reducing the costs of operation and maintenance from treatment units have always been under the attention of this industry owners. The aim of this survey is to present a suitable method for the treatment of wool scouring.Methods: In this study, chemical coagulant is used for wastewater treatment (aluminum sulfate, ferric chloride, poly aluminum chloride and lime). And then these materials with "ozone" as a strong oxidative in reduction of the amount of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) in wastewater effluent has been surveyed.Results: The results of this work showed that only ferric chloride and aluminum sulfate among the above chemical coagulant had a high efficiency in the turbidity removal. Productivity of turbidity removal using ferric chloride with the pH of 4 to 5 was 99%, and turbidity was reduced from 166 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) to 1.5 NTU, and productivity of turbidity removal using aluminum sulfate within the pH 4.5 to 5 was 99.33% that reduced turbidity from 166 to 1.1 NTU. Results of ozonation with 5 g/hour and the oxygen flow of 2.5 litter per min with the pH assess of 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 150 min to wastewater from chemical treatment with ferric chloride showed that the rate of COD was reduced from 24700 mg/L to 2940 mg/L. In ozonation to wastewater of chemical treatment with aluminum sulfate within the above rang of time, the rate of COD was reduced from 22500 mg/l to 4800 mg/l.Conclusion: We can be hopeful that in near future, getting the cheap technology of ozone production in industrial scale, one can use this technology for the propose of removal of pollutants having removal preferable by help of advanced treatment approaches.


This article analyzes issues related to the Tax Court's constitutional status. Although the issue has been debated for decades, recent litigation has revived the issue. In Battat v. Commissioner, the primary issue before Tax Court was whether the President's limited removal power over tax judges violates the Constitution's separation of powers. In addressing this issue, the Tax Court outlined the background on the Tax Court's status to show the Tax Court is not in the Executive branch. Further, the Battat opinion holds that even though the court exercises judicial power, the Tax Court does not exercise the "judicial power of the United States" reserved for Article III courts. Thus, the President's limited removal power presents no separation of powers violation. The Tax Court did not reach an ultimate answer as to which branch of the government it resides, but it does provide background showing that it lies outside the Executive branch.
To determine which branch the Tax Court resides, the article first examines whether the Tax Court is an Article III court. As an Article III court, the Tax Court would be in the Judicial branch. Under the two approaches in the case law permitting non-Article III courts to exercise limited judicial power, the formalistic approach would suggest the Tax Court is not an Article III court. However, recent cases applying the second approach (i.e., the functional approach) could reach a contrary determination. Next, this article looks at whether the Tax Court may reside in the Judicial branch even if it does not exercise the "judicial power of the United States." For reasons related to the how the Constitution set up the government, the Tax Court likely may call the Judicial branch its home.


This paper reconstructs Antonio Gramsci's early forays into journalism for the Socialist weekly «Il Grido del Popolo» and on the editorial team for the Turin page of the daily «Avanti!» between late 1915 and May 1916. It outlines the political and cultural profiles of the other journalists with whom Gramsci worked, and pays particular attention to Giuseppe Bianchi, who directed both «Il Grido del Popolo» and «Avanti!» during the period examined. Based on this examination, the paper proposes that the paternity of some of the articles previously thought to be Gramsci's should no longer be recognized, while others should now be attributed to him. The appendix presents "Barbonite", an article published anonymously in «Il Grido del Popolo» in January 1916, in which the author, presumed to be Gramsci, confesses he has overcome his former interventionist stance.


Critical Infrastructures (CIs) use Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems for remote control and monitoring. Sophisticated security measures are needed to address malicious intrusions, which are steadily increasing in number and variety due to the massive spread of connectivity and standardisation of open SCADA protocols. Traditional Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) cannot detect attacks that are not already present in their databases. Therefore, in this paper, we assess Machine Learning (ML) for intrusion detection in SCADA systems using a real data set collected from a gas pipeline system and provided by the Mississippi State University (MSU). The contribution of this paper is two-fold: 1) The evaluation of four techniques for missing data estimation and two techniques for data normalization, 2) The performances of Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Random Forest (RF) are assessed in terms of accuracy, precision, recall and F 1 score for intrusion detection. Two cases are differentiated: binary and categorical classifications. Our experiments reveal that RF detect intrusions effectively, with an F_1 score of respectively > 99%.


In this paper, we propose stochastic fingerprints for application traffic flows conveyed in Secure Socket Layer/Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS) sessions. The fingerprints are based on first-order homogeneous Markov chains for which we identify the parameters from observed training application traces. As the fingerprint parameters of chosen applications considerably differ, the method results in a very good accuracy of application discrimination and provides a possibility of detecting abnormal SSL/TLS sessions. Our analysis of the results reveals that obtaining application discrimination mainly comes from incorrect implementation practice, the misuse of the SSL/TLS protocol, various server configurations, and the application nature.


Sedimentary structures are used to establish a 'Younger' Moine stratigraphical succession in Strathtummel. Polyphase re-folding of the Moine sequence between Schiehallion and Drumochter can be clearly subdivided into primary and secondary deformations. Primary NE-SW trending deformational events D1 and D2 include the formation of the south-eastward facing D1 Atholl nappe re-folded by strongly overturned D2 folds which become upright on the crest of the Drumochter dome. Secondary deformation resulted in D3 (oblique) and D4 (transverse) major folds, both of which plunge into the SE quadrant.


This study seeks to ascertain the spatial distribution of IEQ in hospital wards based on the physical measurement of the hospital ward units with different architectural features. Field survey was undertaken in the medical and surgical wards units of two case study Hospitals both located in Jos, Nigeria. IEQ parameter variables were monitored and recorded, and compared against recommended international standards for hospital facilities. Results show that the measurements of the IEQ parameters conditions in the selected hospital ward buildings, differ substantially depending on the ward design configuration and orientation, and also the outdoor weather condition. The indoor environment in the hospital wards had different thermal conditions because of variations in orientations, window sizes and air inlet/outlet. Building orientation, also affected the indoor daylight quality in each of the hospital ward buildings within the period of measurements. The Teaching Hospital wards whose orientation (NW-SE) allows the fenestration façade to fall within the sun path, maximised it for daylighting within the wards. It is therefore recommended that, the design of hospital wards for improved IEQ conditions should be such that proper attention is given to the orientation, floor plan configuration and window design for natural ventilation and lighting.


This paper selects the trading volume data from January 2010 to December 2014 to study investor sentiment and regards the market daily earnings ratio of Shanghai Stock Exchange A-shares index as stock return. Using ARMA model to research its own characteristics of investor sentiment, then use VAR model and Granger causality test, impulse response function and variance decomposition to research the relationship between investor sentiment and the market returns, thereafter empirical results show that two series have Granger causal relationship exist between each other. Then the heteroscedastic EGARCH model tests the impact of the returns on investor sentiment, and the "bad news" in the market can cause greater volatility than"good news"; Finally, the EGARCH-M heteroscedastic model shows that the impact of investor sentiment to returns exist "risk premium" phenomenon.


Molybdenum and cobalt binary oxide (CoMoO4) nanowires, nanorods and micro-rhombohedra were synthesized by facile hydrothermal/solvothermal methods. Of all the structures, the ultra-small nanorods showed pseudocapacitive nature, high coulombic efficiency, and the best overall performance as compared to the other electrodes, with a maximum specific capacitance of 420 F g−1 at 1 A g−1. Besides, the rate capability and galvanostatic cycling test revealed their good rate capability and cycling stability. More importantly, the CoMoO4 nanorods and a pure graphene hydrogel were used to assemble an asymmetric electrochemical capacitor, which exhibited improved power density and energy density when compared to the performances of some transition metal oxide based full cells. CoMoO4 nanorods possess large specific capacitance, rate capability and long-term performance. The enhanced electrochemical behaviors of nanorods show that controlling the nano-architecture and crystallinity could be a simple and effective strategy to boost electrochemical energy capacitive capabilities.


We conducted a pilot study to evaluate the psychological effects and consequences of Marfan syndrome in 17 patients between 16 and 35 years of age. Through a semi-structured interview, we investigated how the patients coped daily with Marfan syndrome and evaluated the impact of the disease on specific items such as schooling, occupational choices, self-image, and social behaviour. A second part of the study consisted of a battery of standardised psychological tests to evaluate the patients' anxiety and depression levels and coping styles. The following psychological tests were used: State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Utrecht Coping List (UCL). The interviews showed that the disease represented a significant burden on the daily physical activities of the patients, as well as on their schooling and job opportunities. During childhood, most of them were insensitively teased by peers because of their typical phenotypic features. This had its consequences on their social behaviour in that they are all more introvert. In the female patients, the risk associated with child bearing represented a major concern. Most patients emphasised the need for accurate information about the illness immediately after knowing the diagnosis and all found psychological support helpful. Depression and anxiety levels were higher in the female than in the male group, without being significantly different from the normal population. Nevertheless, most patients have come to terms with their disease and consider themselves happy most of the time.


The present study aimed to investigate the effect of isometric training on the elasticity of human tendon structures. Eight subjects completed 12 wk (4 days/wk) of isometric training that consisted of unilateral knee extension at 70% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) for 20 s per set (4 sets/day). Before and after training, the elongation of the tendon structures in the vastus lateralis muscle was directly measured using ultrasonography while the subjects performed ramp isometric knee extension up to MVC. The relationship between the estimated muscle force and tendon elongation (L) was fitted to a linear regression, the slope of which was defined as stiffness of the tendon structures. The training increased significantly the volume (7.6+/-4.3%) and MVC torque (33.9+/-14.4%) of quadriceps femoris muscle. The L values at force production levels beyond 550 N were significantly shorter after training. The stiffness increased significantly from 67.5+/-21.3 to 106.2+/-33.4 N/mm. Furthermore, the training significantly increased the rate of torque development (35.8 +/- 20.4%) and decreased electromechanical delay (-18.4+/-3.8%). Thus the present results indicate that isometric training increases the stiffness and Young's modulus of human tendon structures as well as muscle strength and size. This change in the tendon structures would be assumed to be an advantage for increasing the rate of torque development and shortening the electromechanical delay.


Staphylococcus aureus UC 9271 mixed with dextran or gelatin microcarrier beads and injected subcutaneously into mice resulted in the formation of reproducible, sustained abscesses with as few as 2 x 10(3) cfu. Without microcarrier beads, 4 x 10(7) cfu were required to produce an abscess. The abscesses that developed with microcarriers attained a diameter of up to 1.5 cm and persisted for several days before discharging through the skin. The pH of the abscesses fell from 7.1 to 6.6 within 24 h. Histological and microscopic examination of the abscesses revealed an influx of phagocytic cells, mostly polymorphonuclear leucocytes, within 1-2 h after injection. Cell debris accumulated and the abscess became encapsulated 24-48 h after infection. Enzymatic digestion of the abscess contents allowed analysis of the host and bacterial cell populations and treatment with lysostaphin permitted differentiation between phagocytosed and free bacterial populations of S. aureus. Phagocytosed but viable S. aureus comprised c. 50% of the total bacterial population after 24 h; however, by 96 h the phagocytosed population was only 1-5% of the total population, primarily because of an increase in extracellular bacterial numbers. Prevention of abscess formation by antibiotic treatment based upon the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of an antibiotic for S. aureus was not always predictable. Tetracycline did not prevent abscess formation even though it possessed a low MIC for S. aureus; methicillin had a borderline MIC value but was quite active. However, the MIC values were quite predictive of antibiotic cures in a systemic-lethal S. aureus infection in mice.


In the heart of the Great Crisis, amidst great uncertainty and concerns surrounding the future of capitalism, John Maynard Keynes launched his optimistic prophecy that growth and technological change would allow mankind to solve its economic problem within a century. He envisioned a world where people would work much less and be less oppressed by the satisfaction of material needs. To what extent have his predictions turned out to be accurate? This essays attempts to provide some answers.


The precise evaluation of the reliability of logic circuits has a significant importance in highly-defective and future nanotechnologies. It allows efficient comparison of fault-tolerance techniques, and enables designs improvement with respect to their reliability figure. This paper presents a novel, accurate and scalable method for modeling the output probability density functions (PDFs) of logic circuits. Our method combines probability theory with concepts from logic synthesis and testing. The PDFs are modeled using the acquired circuit output probability of failure and PDFs of gates in the last two layers of the output cone. Unlike the existing output PDF modeling techniques, the proposed method is directly applicable to standard CMOS design. Simulation results of benchmark circuits demonstrate the accuracy of the method. Several potential applications of the proposed technique include the analysis of averaging (analog) fault-tolerant techniques, fine-grained redundancy insertion, and reliability-driven design optimization.


The aim of the research has been to discover new ways in which documentary film might be developed as a performative academic research tool. In reviewing the literature I have acknowledged the well-established use of observational documentary film making in ethnography and visual anthropology underpinned by a positivist epistemology, but I suggest there are forms of reportage in literary and dramatic traditions as well as film that are more relevant to the possibility of an auto-ethnographic approach which applies documentary film in an evocative context. I have examined the newly emerging field of Performative Social Science and the "new subjectivity" evident in documentary film to investigate emerging opportunities to research and disseminate scholarly knowledge employing reflective documentary film methods in place of, or alongside, text. This inquiry has prompted me to consider the history of the creation and transmission of scholarship. The research methodology I have employed has been auto-ethnographic reflective film practice. Specifically, I have drawn on images from my previous documentary films and woven them together into a research film to explore the possibility of provocative, evocative filmmaking as a "creative academic research tool", whilst noting the value of a relevant skill-set to deliver a quality threshold in applying such a method. In this particular instance of filmic scholarship, I have questioned the notion of the 'B' roll to illustrate and interrogate the performative application of auto-ethnographic film production. I became interested in the idea of the performative artefact as an expression of investigation when I spent a year documenting the construction of Sir Antony Gormley's landmark sculptures Another Place and The Angel of the North. Gormley's statement in the film that sculpture might be thought of as "a witness to life", has informed my own practice as a filmmaker and informs the film that has become the data for this thesis. The following year when I made a film about a fishing community, Village By The Sea, I began to develop the idea that film or video artefacts might also be viewed like sculpture, as "an inert, benign object that stands somewhat outside time, somewhat outside the span of human life, but that acts as a witness to it" (Gormley, 1998). I have incorporated what Gormley terms this "impulse" into my research by creating a hybrid 'para-documentary' using 'B' roll footage: an experiment in a performative method that I am reporting on here, and an experiment which obliges the filmmaker to engage with the ethical questions which arise when grappling with the imaginative and the documented. The outcome of the research is described as the discovery of the research experience that while I have been walking around in the world, that world has been walking about in me. Three implications are identified from this outcome. Firstly, that the concept of the Creative Academic Research Tool might be a useful systematic matrix with which to frame the specific traces of a practice-based research and from which to draw more generic outcomes. Secondly, counter-intuitively to the conventions of other media documentary forms that prioritize character and dialogue, the application of the wider angle of the 'B' roll filmic technique might offer a particularly powerful evocative tool in Performative Social Science. Thirdly, the documentary sensibility identified in this research, when placed performatively in the hands of the audience, might place the imagination at the heart of the scholarly documentary project.


As data-center energy consumption continues to rise, efficient power management is becoming increasingly important. In this work, we examine the use of a novel market mechanism for finding the right balance between power and performance. The market enables a separation between a 'buyer side' that strives to maximize performance and a 'seller side' that strives to minimize power and other costs. A concise and scalable description language is defined for agent preferences that admits a mixedinteger program for computing optimal allocations. Experimental results demonstrate the robustness, flexibility, practicality and scalability of the architecture.


This study investigates a method for teaching vocabulary of Biology using English to Arab learners who study English as a foreign language at a private school in Sharjah. The rationale for doing this study is that Arab students who learn all subjects in Arabic find difficulties when they learn the same subjects in English, consequently, a failure in understanding English scientific texts will happen to students. The methodology of teaching vocabulary of Biology in English is expected to enhance students' skills such as reading, writing and speaking to be able to understand scientific texts especially those related to Biology. Also, the study is adapted to suit the needs and motivations of the Arab learners whom I teach and may be suitable in schools that provide academic subjects in Arabic while English is studied as a foreign language. To achieve the purpose of the study a literature review of the main theories related to content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is conducted. Then, data samples are collected from 30 female students of grade 12 who are nearly advanced learners of English and have studied Biology for about three years but in Arabic. The qualitative instruments used to collect data include observations by school supervisors, students' works, and interviews with some of the students who are involved in the study. The results of data analysis prove the positive outcomes of the study which are represented by promoting students to understand English scientific texts, answering questions of comprehension, pronouncing words of the lesson correctly and reading aloud parts of the texts easily.


This paper proposes a new kind of modular rolling robot called multi-loop rover (MLR), which is essentially a multi-loop linkage that is able to roll and switch its rolling directions. For ease of rolling, the MLR retains a multi-loop topological structure composed of a number of strut and node modules. First, the modular design and assembling method are introduced to construct an MLR. Then, the mobility is analyzed based on screw theory, and a brief formula is presented to calculate the degree-of-freedoms of the robot. The results show that all node modules only have translational motions, which can significantly reduce the complexity of kinematics. The forward and inverse kinematics are conducted to show the deformation properties. Based on the kinematic rolling principle, the morphing strategies for rolling and turning functions are developed. Finally, a physical prototype is manufactured and a serial of experiments are carried out to verify the proposed method.


The Death and Life of Great American Cities was written in 1961 and is now one of the most influential book in city planning. In it, Jane Jacobs proposed four conditions that promote life in a city. However, these conditions have not been empirically tested until recently. This is mainly because it is hard to collect data about "city life". The city of Seoul recently collected pedestrian activity through surveys at an unprecedented scale, with an effort spanning more than a decade, allowing researchers to conduct the first study successfully testing Jacobs's conditions. In this paper, we identify a valuable alternative to the lengthy and costly collection of activity survey data: mobile phone data. We extract human activity from such data, collect land use and socio-demographic information from the Italian Census and Open Street Map, and test the four conditions in six Italian cities. Although these cities are very different from the places for which Jacobs's conditions were spelled out (i.e., great American cities) and from the places in which they were recently tested (i.e., the Asian city of Seoul), we find those conditions to be indeed associated with urban life in Italy as well. Our methodology promises to have a great impact on urban studies, not least because, if replicated, it will make it possible to test Jacobs's theories at scale.


Learning Real-Time A* (LRTA*) is a real-time search method that makes decisions fast and still converges to a shortest path when it solves the same planning task repeatedly. In this paper, we propose new methods to speed up its convergence. We show that LRTA* often converges significantly faster when it breaks ties towards successors with smallest f-values ( a la A*) and even faster when it moves to successors with smallest f-values instead of only breaking ties in favor of them. FALCONS, our novel real-time search method, uses a sophisticated implementation of this successor-selection rule and thus selects successors very differently from LRTA*, which always minimizes the estimated cost to go. We first prove that FALCONS terminates and converges to a shortest path, and then present experiments in which FALCONS finds a shortest path up to sixty percent faster than LRTA* in terms of action executions and up to seventy percent faster in terms of trials. This paper opens up new avenues of research for the design of novel successorselection rules that speed up the convergence of both realtime search methods and reinforcement-learning methods.


ABSTRACT In this article, I develop three conceptual innovations within the area of formal metatheory, and present a computer program, called Reconstructor, that implements those developments. The first development consists in a methodology for testing formal reconstructions of scientific theories, which involves checking both whether translations of paradigmatically successful applications into models satisfy the formalisation of the laws, and also whether unsuccessful applications do not. I show how Reconstructor can help carry this out, since it allows the end-user to specify a formal language, input axioms and models formulated in that language, and then ask if the models satisfy the axioms. The second innovation is the introduction of incomplete models (for which the denotation of some terms is missing) into scientific metatheory, in order to represent cases of missing information. I specify the paracomplete semantics built into Reconstructor to deal with sentences where denotation failures occur. The third development consists in a new way of explicating the structuralist notion of a determination method, by equating them with algorithms. This allows determination methods to be loaded into Reconstructor and then executed within a model to find out the value of a previously non-denoting term (i.e. it allows the formal reconstruction to make predictions). This, in turn, can help test the reconstruction in a different way. Finally, I conclude with some suggestions about additional uses the program may have.


We present automatic dispersion control of 1.28Tb/s optical time domain multiplexed signals. The dispersion is monitored by measuring the power of the 1.28THz tone of the RF spectrum using a photonic-chip-based radio-frequency spectrum analyzer (PC-RFSA) and the dispersion compensation is realized by means of a spectral pulse shaper, via computer-controlled feedback from the PC-RFSA.


This paper reports on a microfabrication technology for implementing high-performance passive components suitable for advanced RF front-ends. This technology offers three metal layers with different thicknesses, one dielectric, and two sacrificial layers, enabling the fabrication of continuously tuned capacitors, capacitive and ohmic switches, as well as high- inductors all on a single chip. To demonstrate the versatility of this technology, several passive components are fabricated on a Borosilicate glass substrate . A high- tunable capacitor is fabricated exhibiting an electrostatic tuning range of more than 6 : 1. The temperature variation of capacitance from 223 to 333 K is less than 9%, and the tuning speed is better than 80 . To achieve a higher zero-bias capacitance, a tunable capacitor bank is also implemented, which can be tuned from 2.2 pF to 6.1 pF. In addition, a coupled inductor pair with self-inductances of 15 and 21 nH is implemented showing s exceeding 40 at 800 MHz. Measurements are compared with high frequency structure simulator (HFSS) electromagnetic simulations, showing good agreement. The technology reported is post-CMOS compatible and low cost.


This guide give you information on 3D printing and scanning services provided by the Radcliffe Science Library, along with links to helpful 3D printing, scanning, and modelling resources and tips.


Background: On-going mass conflicts and the resulting flow of displaced persons have increased interest in potentially traumatic experiences (PTEs) of migrants. However, studies on the topic using population-based samples are still scarce. Aims: The present study aims 1) to assess the prevalence of specific PTEs in Finland's migrant population and 2) to determine whether socio-demographic and migration-related factors are associated with PTEs.
Methods: Data from the Finnish Migrant Health and Wellbeing Study (Maamu), a cross-sectional interview and health examination survey, was used. The sample comprised Russian; Somali and Kurdish migrants aged 18-64. PTEs, with eight specified traumatic event items common among those exposed to war and conflict, were measured using interview questions.
Results: The prevalence of having at least one PTE was 21% among Russian, 58% among Somalian and 77% among Kurdish origin migrants, higher in Kurdish men than women and lower in Somali men than women. The most typical forms of PTEs among Kurds and Somalis were war and witnessing a violent death or injury. The most severe events (e.g. torture) were more common and the highest cumulative number of PTEs was among Kurds. Migrating as a refugee or asylum seeker was not associated with higher prevalence of PTEs.
Conclusions: Results indicated an alarmingly high overall PTE prevalence among Kurdish and Somali migrants in Finland, especially among Kurds. Results suggest that effort to identify PTEs and interventions should be targeted not only at those migrating with a refugee of asylum seeker status but all migrants from conflict areas.


Abstract Organic-rich shale contains significant amounts of gas held within fractures and micropores and adsorbed onto organic matter. In the USA shale gas extracted from regionally extensive units such as the Barnett Shale currently accounts for 6% of gas production and is likely to reach 30% by 2015. Shale gas prospectivity is controlled by the amount and type of organic matter held in the shale, its thermal maturity, burial history, microporosity and fracture spacing and orientation. Potential targets range in age from Cambrian to the late Jurassic, within the main UK organic-rich black shales: younger shales have been excluded because they have not reached the gas window, but they may possess a biogenic gas play. A geographic information system, showing the distribution of potential reservoir units, has been created combining information on hydrocarbon shows, thermal maturity, fracture orientation, gas composition, and isotope data to identify potentially prospective areas for shale gas. Some of these data are shown as graphs and maps, but crucial data is lacking because earlier exploration concentrated on conventional reservoirs. The prospects include Lower Palaeozoic shale basins on the Midland Microcraton (a high risk because no conventional gas has been proved in this play), Mississippian shales in the Pennine Basin (the best prospect associated with conventional fields and high maturity), Pennsylvanian shales in the Stainmore and Northumberland Basin system (high risk because no conventional gas discoveries exist) and Jurassic shales in Wessex and Weald basins (small conventional fields signify potential here).


Paroxetine is a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) available in immediate release and controlled release (CR) formulations. Paroxetine is the most potent inhibitor of serotonin re-uptake among the now available SSRIs. Paroxetine has been approved for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive–compulsive disorder, panic disorder (PD), generalised anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and social anxiety disorder (SAD) in adults, whereas paroxetine CR is approved for the treatment of MDD, SAD, PD and premenstrual dysphoric disorder in adults. The overall efficacy of paroxetine seems to be comparable to other SSRIs in the treatment of approved indications, although paroxetine treatment induces more sedation, constipation, sexual dysfunction, discontinuation syndrome and weight gain than other SSRIs. Recent data suggest that paroxetine treatment leads to increased rates of congenital malformations, although this evidence is not conclusive. Paroxetine and paroxetine CR are not indicated for use in the paediatric population and are categorised as Pregnancy Class D. In conclusion, whether the tolerability profile of paroxetine differs substantially from other new antidepressants (including other SSRIs) needs to be determined in adequately powered well-designed randomised controlled comparative clinical trials.


Catch shares are a fishery management strategy under which persons are allocated exclusive access to specific portions of the total allowable catch of a fishery. Proponents of catch share management argue that these programs allow for more efficient management of annual catch limits and mitigate the negative biological and economic impacts associated with other management programs. Because of the exclusivity of their allocations, catch share programs have been characterized by their opponents as privatizing the public fisheries resource and granting catch share holders a property right to fish. However, case law suggests that a court is unlikely to conclude that catch shares constitute property or entitle a share holder to compensation under the Fifth Amendment takings clause if those shares are revoked or modified. Nevertheless, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act instills catch shares with more attributes of property than other fishing permits. This paper examines the existing authority for establishing catch share management programs and the property right implications of that authority. Despite the low probability that a court would find a compensable taking, an analysis of takings law provides useful guidance to policymakers and fishery managers as they attempt to develop catch share programs. Consideration of takings law can help managers to structure a program that provides some of the benefits that arise from property rights, while avoiding potential claims of entitlement from catch share holders when program modifications are


Utilizing low-grade waste heat from industries to heat and cool homes and businesses through fourth generation district energy systems (DES) is a novel strategy to reduce energy use. This paper develops a generalizable methodology to estimate the energy saving potential for heating/cooling in 20 cities in two Chinese provinces, representing cold winter and hot summer regions respectively. We also conduct a life-cycle analysis of the new infrastructure required for energy exchange in DES. Results show that heating and cooling energy use reduction from this waste heat exchange strategy varies widely based on the mix of industrial, residential and commercial activities, and climate conditions in cities. Low-grade heat is found to be the dominant component of waste heat released by industries, which can be reused for both district heating and cooling in fourth generation DES, yielding energy use reductions from 12%–91% (average of 58%) for heating and 24%–100% (average of 73%) for cooling energy use in the different cities based on annual exchange potential. Incorporating seasonality and multiple energy exchange pathways resulted in energy savings reductions from 0%–87%. The life-cycle impact of added infrastructure was small (<3% for heating) and 1.9% ~ 6.5% (cooling) of the carbon emissions from fuel use in current heating or cooling systems, indicating net carbon savings. This generalizable approach to delineate waste heat potential can help determine suitable cities for the widespread application of industrial waste heat re-utilization.


Historically, state commissions have presided over the development of utility rate structures, but Congress has occasionally required commissioners to consider new rate designs. Most recently, the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included $3.1 billion for the Department of Energy's State Energy Program. In order for a state to access its share of the funding, the governor had to notify the Secretary of Energy that state regulators would "seek to implement a policy that ensures that utility incentives are aligned with helping their customers use energy more efficiently." While all 50 governors pledged to comply, little research has been published that determines whether this open-ended provision actually impacted electric utility rate structures. This paper reviews federal attempts (ARRA and PURPA) to influence electric rate design and specifically examines the ways in which states responded to the ARRA request. ARRA's provision had the potential to affect utility business models, but that potential has been largely unrealized. The paper also reflects upon changes occurring in the electricity sector, which are driving considerations of new rate designs, and explores the potential for additional federal policy options to impact utility rate structures.


for the 37th Annual North American Meeting of the Society for Medical Decision Making HEALTH ACTIVITY TRACKING IS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER MEDICATION ADHERENCE Thomas Quisel, BS, Luca Foschini, PhD, Jessie Juusola, PhD Evidation Health, San Mateo, CA Purpose: Adherence to medication is associated with better health outcomes and lower total healthcare costs for patients with certain chronic conditions, but the relationship between medication adherence and patient behavior has not been established. We leveraged data from patients who have adopted digital health and wellness tracking tools to examine this relationship. Method: We conducted a retrospective analysis of deidentified medical and pharmacy claims from a large national insurer for patients with hypertension, diabetes, or dyslipidemia. Adherence was measured in terms of medication possession ratio (MPR), calculated from pharmacy claims using both a fixed and a variable MPR methodology. We used our unified data aggregation platform to collect and sanitize step counts, sleep, weight, and food log data for patients who have adopted relevant activity trackers. We computed perpatient metrics on the frequency of tracking and the extent to which patients engaged in each activity. Finally, we used ordinary least square regression with fixed effects to model the relationship between MPR and the activity tracking metrics, including age and gender as fixed effects. Result: Medication adherence increases with age and exhibits a small but significant correlation with gender, with males with diabetes or dyslipidemia having slightly higher adherence than females with those conditions. Including age and gender as fixed effects, patients who tracked steps, sleep, weight, or diet were significantly more adherent to medication than patients who did not track any activities. Furthermore, patients who tracked activities more frequently were more adherent when including age and gender as fixed effects. We found no significant correlation between the extent of activity tracked (e.g., number of steps, hours of sleep, etc.) and medication adherence. Conclusion: Adopters of digital health activity trackers tend to be more adherent to hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia medications, and adherence increases with tracking frequency. As such, use of activity trackers can serve as an effective predictor of medication adherence in clinically relevant decisions such as targeting patients for clinical trial enrollment.


The objective of this research is the critical assessment of driving simulator studies on driver distraction. For this purpose 45 scientific papers have been examined with respect to the design of driving simulator experiments on the effects of various sources of driver distraction (in-vehicle or external). More specifically, for each experiment reviewed, several basic characteristics have been recorded and analyzed such as the sample characteristics (size, sex, age distribution), the experiment design (number of trials, duration and type of driving tasks, simulated road and traffic environment), as well as the distraction source examined (cell phone, conversation, visual, music, driver assistance systems, etc.). Through this analysis it was concluded that there is a considerable body of research devoted to driver distraction and the existing studies have contributed useful insights on the effects of distraction on driver behavior and safety. It was revealed that research results are consistent in terms of the sign and magnitude of the effects of distraction, indicating that driving simulators – despite their limitations – are a most useful tool for distracted driving research. However, the analysis also revealed several areas for improvement in the design of future studies. It appears that the design and implementation of such experiments can be carried out in a variety of ways, depending on the research question and the type of simulator, however it is important to conform to experimental design principles. It was found that the majority of existing studies are based on samples between 30-40 participants, in most cases not representative of the general population, and for which statistical power is not always reported. The number and duration of experiment trials vary considerably, not always proportionally to the number of parameters examined, complicating the comparability of the studies. The most common distraction sources examined are visual distraction and cell phone use, while other sources of distraction have received notably less attention in existing studies. The simulated road environment of most experiments was rural, whereas far less is known on the effects of distraction in urban areas; furthermore, ambient traffic is not explicitly simulated and the effect of traffic flow on distracted driving may be a key question for further investigation. Finally, driver distraction is expressed by a number of measures, in terms of its impact to driver attention (hands-off the wheel, eyes-off the road), driver behavior (vehicle speed, headway, lateral position, driver reaction time) and driver accident risk. Although these different measures describe different aspects of the distracted driving mechanism, it would be important to focus on the most sensitive ones, keeping in mind the entire chain of distracted driving causes and impacts, in order to significantly enhance the potential of exploitation of the results of existing studies.


The popularity of Japanese popular culture in Indonesia, especially anime and manga, has made the growth of anime and manga fans increase. Despite the fact that Indonesia and Japan share differences in language, cultural and geographical aspects, but people who become fans of anime and manga keeps amplifying. This research, therefore, was aimed to study fans of anime and manga in terms of seeking aspects that make people become fans and changes they have experienced as fans of anime and manga. This research was developed by using phenomenological approach of qualitative research method. Observation and in-depth interviews were conducted to get the data and information from informants regarding their experiences and opinion toward anime and manga. This study has revealed that media and technology trigger the increasing numbers of anime and manga fans, but there are other aspects triggering people to become anime and manga fans: 1) their social environments, 2) the characteristics of anime and manga, 3) the access to get anime and manga and 4) preferences to fulfill their certain needs. The fans have experienced some changes and their changes have pervaded in almost all aspects of their life. Key words: Anime; Cultural studies; Fan studies; Japan; Manga; Popular Culture


The minimum wage is a traditional instrument of economic policy which generate contradictory reactions. All Member States of the European Union have introduced some wage thresholds and most of them use the statutory minimum wage. The development of the minimum wage is very often affected by the state of the labour market. The main aims of this article is to analyse the differences in development of the minimum wage before and during the economic crises which hit the European countries. In this respect, the development of the nominal minimum wage in the period 2005-2013 is considered. The key factor which effects purchasing power of people on the minimum wage is the development of the price level. The development of the real minimum wage in these two time periods is compared. According to established opinions the minimum wage has a negative impact on employment. The influence of the minimum wage on unemployment in the European Union is analysed in the last part of the article.


We propose an action formalism that is based on description logics (DLs) and may be viewed as an instance of the Situation Calculus (SitCalc). In particular, description logic concepts can be used for describing the state of the world, and the pre- and post-conditions of actions. The main advantage of such a combination is that. on the one hand, the expressive power for describing world states and conditions is higher than in other decidable fragments of the Sitcalc, which are usually propositional. On the other hand, in contrast to the full Sitcalc, effective reasoning is still possible. In this paper, we perform a detailed investigation of how the choice of the DL influences the complexity of the standard reasoning tasks executability and projection in the corresponding action formalism. We also discuss semantic and computational problems in natural extensions of our framework.


The paper traces the dramatic jurisprudential innovations of the New Deal Revolution, including the articulation of incorporation theory, the abandonment of judicial construction of state common law, and the ascension of textual originalism as the Court's method of constitutional interpretation. I argue that the New Deal Court transcended the political goals of the Roosevelt administration and attempted to restructure the nature of legitimate judicial review in a post-Lochner world. Acting, in effect, as a constitutional convention, the Court not only changed the nature of judicial review, it altered the shape of the Constitution in ways that cut across modern political ideologies. Accepting the New Deal as a legitimate moment of constitutional change justifies the modern scope of the commerce power, but calls into question both the due process and federalism jurisprudence of the Modern Court. Part II of the paper traces the evolution of individual rights under the Fourteenth Amendment in the period between 1868 and 1937. Although liberty of contract is associated with the Lochner Court, economic rights like labor and trade have their roots in mid-Nineteenth Century common law. There is evidence that the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment anticipated such liberties would be protected under the Privileges or Immunities Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Temporarily blocked by the Court's restricted reading of the Privileges or Immunities Clause in the Slaughterhouse Cases, economic liberties eventually surfaced as common law rights protected under the Due Process Clause. Substantive Due Process rights during the Lochner period went beyond economic liberties, however, and included freedom of speech, press and parental autonomy. Under the common law methodology of Lochner and Twining v. New Jersey, the fact that speech and press were listed in the text of the Bill of Rights was irrelevant to their enforcement as fundamental Due Process liberties. Part III addresses the impact of the New Deal revolution on the protection of individual rights. Lacking a textual amendment, the Court embarked on a revolution of jurisprudence - the construction of a new and more legitimate approach to judicial review. The core principle of this jurisprudential revolution was the embrace of textual originalism. Regardless of its history as a common law right, liberty of contract was nowhere mentioned in the text of the Constitution and, therefore, could not be a legitimate ground for interfering in the political process. Similarly, the Tenth Amendment contained no express restrictions on the powers of Congress, but stood as "a mere truism" regarding the reserved powers of the States. No longer constrained by an unjustifiably broad reading of the Tenth Amendment, the Court returned the commerce power to what it claimed was the original understanding of the Founders. Finally, de-coupling judicial review from the common law methodology of the Nineteenth Century had a number of consequences. At the same time the Court abandoned common law liberty of contract, it also abandoned judicial construction of state common law (Erie v. Tompkins). Moreover, if the error of Lochnerian liberty of contract was its lack of textual foundation, then Lochnarian parental autonomy shared the same error. In order to survive the New Deal Revolution, decisions like Meyer v. Nebraska and Pierce v. Society of Sisters would have to be recharacterized to represent judicial protection of textual rights like religious freedom and equal protection under the law. In Part IV, I explore the birth and evolution of Incorporation Doctrine. Prior to 1937, there had been no reason to speak of incorporating the "texts" of the First Amendment because liberties like speech and press were protected as fundamental liberties under the common law. The fact they were (or were not) mentioned in the Bill of Rights was irrelevant. The abandonment of common law methodology and the new emphasis on textual originalism required a new justification for the enforcement of individual rights, including those of speech and press. Ultimately, consensus formed around the Preferred Freedoms model in which some, but not all, of the texts of the Bill of Rights were incorporated into the Fourteenth Amendment. This "selective incorporation" approach, however, echoed the selective approach of the Lochner Court and triggered the famous debates between Justices Frankfurter and Black over the original meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment. In Part V, I explore the implications of viewing the New Deal Revolution as a revolution in jurisprudence. Instead of constitutionalizing some form of Rooseveltian progressivism, the Court self-consciously placed both laissez-faire capitalism and progressive redistributionism within the legitimate reach of the political process. Efforts to define the New Deal Revolution in terms of progressive politics thus is at odds with the original intentions of the New Deal Convention. Finally, the New Deal emphasis on textual originalism conflicts with the modern embrace of non-textual common law rights like privacy and parental autonomy, and with the increasing use of federalism principles as a substantive limit on the otherwise plenary powers of Congress. If one embraces the New Deal as a "constitutional moment," it appears one must reject both non-textual due process liberties and non-textual federalist restraints on federal power.


We investigate a family of algorithms minimizing energetic effort in random networks computing aggregative functions. In contrast to previously considered models, our results minimize maximal energetic effort over all stations instead of the average usage of energy. Such approach seems to be much more suitable for some kinds of networks, in particular ad hoc radio networks, wherein we need all stations functioning and replacing batteries after the deployment is not feasible. We analyze also the latency of proposed energy-optimal algorithms. We model a network by placing randomly and independently $n$ points in a $d$-dimensional cube of side-length $n^{1/d}$. We place an edge between vertices that interact with each other. We analyze properties of the resulting graphs in order to obtain estimates on energetic effort and latency of proposed algorithms.


Objective To understand the determinants of troponin release in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) by comparing high sensitive troponin T (hsTnT) levels with computed tomography angiography (CTA) characteristics of atherosclerotic plaque. Methods hsTnT was determined in 124 consecutive patients with stable angina, who underwent clinically indicated 256-slice CTA for suspected CAD. CTA was used to assess (1) coronary calcification; (2) stenosis severity; (3) non-calcified plaque volume; (4) plaque composition (soft or mixed, described as 'non-calcified' versus calcified) and (5) the presence of vascular remodeling in areas of non-calcified plaque. Results All CT scans were performed without adverse events, and diagnostic image quality was achieved in 1830/1848 available coronary segments (99.0%). In 29/124 patients, hsTnT was ≥14 pg/ml (range 14.0–34.4). Weak, albeit significant, correlations were found between hsTnT and calcium scoring (r=0.45, p<0.001), while a stronger correlation was found between hsTnT and the total non-calcified plaque burden (r=0.79, p<0.001). Patients with non-calcified plaque (n=44) yielded significantly higher hsTnT values than those with normal vessels (n=46) or those with only calcified lesions (n=26), (12.6±5.2 vs 8.3±2.6 and 8.8±3.0 pg/ml, respectively, p<0.001). Furthermore, those with remodeled non-calcified plaque (n=8) showed even higher hsTnT values of 26.3±6.5 pg/ml than all other groups (p<0.001). This allowed the identification of patients with remodeled non-calcified plaque by hsTnT with high accuracy (area under the curve=0.90, SE=0.07, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.95). Conclusions Chronic clinically silent rupture of non-calcified plaque with subsequent microembolisation may be a potential source of troponin elevation. In light of recent imaging studies, in which patients with positively remodeled non-calcified plaque were shown to be at high risk for developing acute coronary syndromes, hsTnT may serve as a biomarker for such 'vulnerable' coronary lesions even in presumably stable CAD.