A case study is conducted in Xilingol Rangeland, Inner Mongolia, China, to investigate the driving factors of temporal dynamics of desertification by using time-series Landsat images. The spectral characters of sand dunes and urban lands in the arid and semiarid grassland environments are very similar, and thus, it is hard to discriminate them with traditional image classifiers. Nine available scenes of Landsat images without cloud cover from 1985 to 2010 are chosen for the case study. An object-oriented image classification (OOIC) is developed to classify sand dunes. The classification results are assessed with the ground reference points in 1985, 2004, and 2010, the land-cover maps produced from other classifiers in literature, and Google Earth historical aerial photo archives. Second, the areas of sand dunes derived from OOIC at the nine times are extrapolated into a 26-year time-series data set from 1985 to 2010 by applying several extrapolation techniques commonly used in regional geographic studies. Afterward, six climate factors and nine socioeconomic variables during the same study period along with the sand dune area are composed into a completed data set to investigate the coupled impacts of climate change and socioeconomic transformation on the temporal dynamics of desertification. Three types of regression models (climate model, economic model, and the coupled model) are explored, respectively, to examine which factors contribute more to the desertification dynamics. The findings confirm that the desertification process in Xilingol Rangeland is very complicated although it shows a strong causal relationship with several socioeconomic factors.


R-spondin 1 (Rspo1) plays an essential role in stem cell biology by potentiating Wnt signaling activity. Despite the fact that Rspo1 holds therapeutic potential for a number of diseases, its biogenesis is not fully elucidated. All Rspo proteins feature two amino-terminal furin-like repeats, which are responsible for Wnt signal potentiation, and a thrombospondin type 1 (TSR1) domain that can provide affinity towards heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Using chemical inhibitors, deglycosylase and site-directed mutagenesis, we found that human Rspo1 and Rspo3 are both N-glycosylated at N137, a site near the C-terminus of the furin repeat 2 domain, and Rspo2 is N-glycosylated at N160, a position near the N-terminus of TSR1 domain. Elimination of N-glycosylation at these sites affects their accumulation in media but have no effect on the ability towards heparin. Introduction of the N-glycosylation site to Rspo2 mutant at the position homologous to N137 in Rspo1 restored full glycosylation and rescued the accumulation defect of nonglycosylated Rspo2 mutant in media. Similar effect can be observed in the N137 Rspo1 or Rspo3 mutant engineered with Rspo2 N-glycosylation site. The results highlight the importance of N-glycosylation at these two positions in efficient folding and secretion of Rspo family. Finally, we further showed that human Rspo1 is subjected to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) quality control in N-glycan-dependent manner. While N-glycan of Rspo1 plays a role in its intracellular stability, it had little effect on secreted Rspo1. Our findings provide evidence for the critical role of N-glycosylation in the biogenesis of Rspo1.


Successful open source software (OSS) projects require efficient communication means and a steady supply of voluntary developers. Microblogging, as well as the follower network it generates, is becoming increasingly popular as an emerging Web 2.0 communication technology in many online OSS communities. However, little is known about how microblogging follower networks affect OSS project success. Based on theories drawn from the social network domain, OSS and virtual team research,we hypothesized two follower network mechanisms – preferential attachment and structural holes – which may significantly affect OSS project success, by improving knowledge sharing and attracting more skillful developers. We plan to empirically study a microblog follower network in a large online OSS community, aiming to examine the impacts of the two hypothesized follower network mechanisms on OSS project success. Our potential findings may provide insights for OSS project managers to better manage microblog communications and thereby achieve project success.


What does it mean for Kyrgyzstani migrant workers in contemporary Russia to be legally legible to the state when informal agencies market fictive residency documents and "clean fake" work permits? Examining the uncertainty around being authentically documented provides insight into a mode of governance in urban Russia that thrives less on rendering subjects legible than on working the space of ambiguity between life and law. This dynamic has significant social consequences for the way certain bodies come to be scrutinized as particularly untrustworthy, particularly liable to fakery, and, thus, particularly legitimate targets for document checks, fines, and threats of deportation. The ambiguity with which migrants are forced to live highlights the need to explore how documentary regimes, structures of feeling, and racializing practices coincide.


This paper examines corporate and organizational identification in franchisee organizations from the perspective of the social identity approach. We propose the identity-matching principle (IMP) as a heuristic for understanding and predicting the different effects of nested identifications. According to the IMP, when identifications and relevant behavioural or attitudinal outcomes address the same level of categorization, their relationship will be stronger. A study is presented with employees (n=281) matched to managers (n=101). Supporting the IMP, organizational identification (but not corporate identification) predicted customer-oriented behaviour on the level of the local organization, whereas corporate identification (but not organizational identification) predicted attitude toward corporate citizenship behaviour. Furthermore, multilevel analyses showed that these relationships were enhanced in organizations where managers displayed the respective behaviours themselves to a greater extent. Implications for theorizing about leadership and organizational attachments are discussed alongside recommendations for organizational practitioners.


Extreme fire weather events in southeastern Australia are frequently associated with strong cold fronts moving through the area. A recent study has shown that the 850 hPa temperature and the magnitude of its gradient over a small region of southeastern Australia provide a simple means of discriminating the most extreme cold frontal events during the last 40 yr from reanalysis data sets. Applying this technique to 10 general circulation models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project and calibrating the temperature gradient and temperature climatology of each model's simulation of the climate of the 20th century against the reanalysis climates allows esti- mates of likely changes in frequency of this type of extreme cold front in the middle and end of the 21st century. Applying this analysis to the output of 10 GCM simulations of the 21st century, using low and high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, suggests that the frequency of such events will increase from around 1 event every 2 yr during the late 20th century to around 1 event per year in the middle of the 21st century and 1 to 2 events per year by the end of the 21st century; however, there is a great degree of variation between models. In addition to a greater overall increase under the high emissions scenario, the rate at which the increase occurs amplifies during the second half of the cen- tury, whereas under the low emissions scenario the number of extreme cases stabilizes, although still at a higher rate than that experienced in the late 20th century.


Although the direct effects of work–family enrichment on satisfaction are well-documented, previous theoretical predictions and empirical findings of the relationship have been inconsistent. Drawing on social cognitive theory, the current research examined how work–family enrichment contributes to job and family satisfaction by exploring the mediating mechanisms of self-efficacy and work–life balance. This study also empirically validated a new self-efficacy measure using the work–life interface nomological network. A heterogeneous sample of Australian employees (N = 234) from four different organisations responded to two waves of data collection separated by a 12-month interval. Using structural equation modelling, the results of the statistical analysis provided preliminary support for the hypothesised chain mediation model and the newly developed five-item self-efficacy to regulate work and life scale. Specifically, work-to-family enrichment and family-to-work enrichment were positively related to self-efficacy, which in turn had a positive effect on work–life balance. Similarly, work–life balance had a positive impact on job and family satisfaction. Evidence of these relationships over time was demonstrated, thereby emphasising the importance of person–cognitive resources (e.g. self-efficacy) in influencing life outcomes. Validation of the self-efficacy scale also demonstrated robust psychometric properties and criterion validity. Implications of these results were subsequently discussed.


In an age of 'ethnic cleansing' and forced migration, of contested borders and nations in turmoil, how have issues of place and identity, and of belonging and exclusion, been represented in visual culture? In Terra Infirma, Irit Rogoff examines geography's truth claims and signifying practices, arguing that geography is a language in crisis, unable to represent the immense changes that have taken place in a post-colonial, post-communist, post-migratory world. She uses the work of international contemporary artists to explore how art in the twentieth century has confronted and challenged issues of identity and belonging.

Rogoff's dazzling and richly-illustrated study takes in painting, installation art, film and video by a wide range of artists including Charlotte Salomon, Ana Mendieta, Joshua Neustein, Yehoshua Glotman, Mona Hatoum, Hans Haacke, Ashley Bickerton, Alfredo Jaar and Guillermo Gomez-Pena. Structuring her argument through themes of luggage, mapping, borders and bodies, Rogoff explores how artists have confronted twentieth century phenomena such as the horror of the Holocaust, the experience of diaspora at New York's Ellis Island, and, in the present day, disputed and fraught boundaries in the Middle East, the two Germanies, the Balkan states and the US-Mexican border.


To the Editor: Carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication is a common occurrence in industrialized cities. Most intoxications are accidental. CO is a product of the imperfect combustion of hydrocarbons, and the amount of gas absorbed depends on minute ventilation, time of exposure, and relative concentrations of CO and oxygen in the atmosphere. We report the case of a woman who developed pulmonary infiltrates secondary to carbon monoxide intoxication.


Routability or wiring congestion in a VLSI chip is becoming increasingly important as chip complexity increases. Congestion has a significant impact on performance, yield and chip area. Although advances in placement algorithms have attempted to alleviate this problem, the inherent structure of the logic netlist has a significant impact on the mutability irrespective of the placement algorithm used. Placement algorithms find optimal assignment of locations to the logic and do not have the ability to change the netlist structure. Significant decisions regarding the circuit structure are made early in synthesis, such as during the technology independent logic optimization step. Optimizations in this step use literal count as a metric for optimization and do not adequately capture the intrinsic entanglement of the netlist. Two circuits with identical literal counts may have significantly different congestion characteristics post placement. In this paper, we motivate that a property of the network structure called adhesion can make a significant contribution to routing congestion. We then provide a metric to measure this property. We also show that adhesion, as measured by this metric, can be used in addition to literal counts to estimate and optimize post routing congestion early in the design flow.


In this paper, we combine model predictive control (MPC) and mixed integer linear programming (MILP) into a hierarchical optimization framework capable of solving a class of coordination problems in multi-vehicle networks. A critical issue in MPC/MILP applications is that the underlying optimization problem must be solved on-line. This introduces a time constraint that is hard to meet when the number of vehicles and the number of obstacles increase. To alleviate this problem, we implement some heuristics that significantly improve the efficiency of the proposed hierarchical, decentralized optimization scheme. Numerical simulations verify the scalability of the algorithm to the number of vehicles and complexity of the environment


This essay analyzes three pedagogical manuals on publicity design published by the National Committee of Patriotic Societies (NCPS) during the First World War. The NCPS represented dozens of nationalistic organizations dedicated to the mission of preparedness. This essay argues that in its publicity guidebooks, the NCPS suggested that propaganda designed with a Republican aesthetic could wed the working class to the war effort. Such advice was predicated on the psychological notion that affective experiences conditioned audiences for further persuasive appeals. Examination of these manuals thus highlights the importance of psychological theories of affect to the aesthetics of propaganda.


Hierarchically porous zinc vanadium oxide cathodes contribute to high-rate and ultralong-life aqueous rechargeable zinc batteries. Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries are promising candidates for large-scale energy storage but are plagued by the lack of cathode materials with both excellent rate capability and adequate cycle life span. We overcome this barrier by designing a novel hierarchically porous structure of Zn-vanadium oxide material. This Zn0.3V2O5·1.5H2O cathode delivers a high specific capacity of 426 mA·h g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 and exhibits an unprecedented superlong-term cyclic stability with a capacity retention of 96% over 20,000 cycles at 10 A g−1. Its electrochemical mechanism is elucidated. The lattice contraction induced by zinc intercalation and the expansion caused by hydronium intercalation cancel each other and allow the lattice to remain constant during charge/discharge, favoring cyclic stability. The hierarchically porous structure provides abundant contact with electrolyte, shortens ion diffusion path, and provides cushion for relieving strain generated during electrochemical processes, facilitating both fast kinetics and long-term stability.


Current analyses of UK smoking policy within two frameworks--the 'heroes and villains' view of journalist accounts and a political science emphasis on rival 'producer' and 'issue' networks in policy making. It is often assumed that the US experience provides a universal historical model. This paper sees smoking policy in the UK as a case study in the relationship between 'scientific fact creation' and policy, which has also been emblematic of wider changes in public health ideology. The issue of smoking and lung cancer symbolized the post-war shift from infectious to chronic disease and the rise of a new 'lifestyle'-oriented public health. In the 1980s passive smoking brought a revival of environmentalism; in the 1990s the rediscovered concept of addiction symbolized developments in public health in which curative and preventive initiatives were entwined. Despite the rise of a militant 'healthism' within both anti-smoking and public health since the 1970s, British policy retained a dual focus, an emphasis on risk reduction as well as risk elimination in which policy networks were entwined rather than distinct. Some public health scientists worked in policy milieux, notably the expert committee, which crossed this apparent divide and which linked with industry. Connections between government and industry changed as public health 'treatment' brought the pharmaceutical industry into the picture.


Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) can alleviate acute kidney injury and promote kidney cell regeneration and repair. To investigate the role of ASCs in diabetic nephropathy (DN), Sprague-Dawley rats were made diabetic by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) after uninephrectomy. After 12 weeks, proteinuria was well established. Five times of 5×10(6) human ASCs repeatedly injected through a tail vein at 4 weekly intervals. A reduction in proteinuria was not observed in diabetic rats until 24 weeks. However, urinary protein excretion was significantly suppressed at 28 weeks and persisted up to 32 weeks after STZ treatment. ASC treatment significantly attenuated glomerulus hypertrophy and tubular interstitial injury, and led to the downregulation of WT-1 and synaptopodin expression. CFSE labeled ASCs were injected into DN rats via the tail vein. Within 24 h after injection, the cells were detected in lung, spleen, and peritubular regions, but rarely in pancreas. Human Alu gene expression was detected in lung and spleen up to 4 weeks after ASCs injection. ASC treatment did not improve hyperglycemia or pancreatic damage. In vitro, recombinant human glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) prevented podocyte injury by high glucose similarly to ASC-conditioned medium. After blocking GDNF in ASC-CM with neutralizing antibody, the therapeutic effect of ASC-CM was significantly decreased. ASCs cocultured with podocytes restored the downregulation of synaptopodin expression, which was weakened by GDNF-RNA interfering. These findings indicate that repeated intravenous ASC can reduce diabetic kidney damage in rats even at the progressive stage, and promote podocyte recovery via GDNF secretion.


A central feature of meaning in life is a consideration of more than oneself. We extend this logic to suggest that altruistically motivated prosociality – acting in ways that benefit others – is a self-transcending action that may provide meaning in life. Study 1 provided evidence of a relationship between self-reported prosocial behavior and meaning in life, even after statistically controlling for personality traits and self-esteem. Study 2 provided evidence that engaging in a prosocial action, via writing notes of gratitude, increased meaning in life. Study 3 provided evidence that individuals bolster perceptions of prosociality following threats to meaning. Study 4 suggested relationship satisfaction partially mediates the link between prosocial actions and meaning in life. These studies provide initial evidence that prosociality enhances meaning in life.


Dmitrii Vladimirovich Liseitsev, Prikaznaia sistema Moskovskogo gosudarstva v epokbu Smuty (The Chancellery System of the Muscovite State during the Time of Troubles). 788 + iii pp. Moscow-Tula: Rossiiskaia akademiia nauk, 2009. ISBN-13 978-5812512538. Nataliia Vladimirovna Rybalko, Rossiiskaia prikaznaia biurokratiia v Smutnoe vremia (The Russian Chancellery System in the Time of Troubles). 654 + i pp. Moscow: Kvadriga, 2011. ISBN-13 978-5917910208. There is no other epoch in Russian history matching the consummate disorder and unraveling of statehood of the Time of Troubles (Smuta), 1598-1613, with its seemingly endless dismantlement of dynastic and political legitimacy, government, military effectiveness, social cohesiveness, territorial integrity, and of national control over the capital itself. Though they elicit parallels with the Smuta, the Russian Civil War (1918-21) never saw its capital cities fall under foreign control, and the tumultuous 1990s still had a ways to go to mirror the Russian state's calamity four centuries earlier. Imperial Russia's numerous 18th- and early 19th-century coup attempts were tame by comparison; even the horrific Pugachev rebellion (1773-75) was short and geographically confined. The Smuta's trauma fashioned a post-1613 restorationist saga, deeply imbued with social conservatism, to endure throughout the Romanov dynastic era, and refortified a social order, despite its many imperial alterations, to survive deep into the 19th century. (1) The dimensions of the Smuta's calamity intrigue historians of Russia of all periods, for this episode indelibly affected Russian historical memory, reminding officials and subjects alike of a certain fragility of the power held in the capital. And fragility there was in the decades running up to the late 1590s, when the Rurikovich dynasty became extinct: the stresses of the ultimately unsuccessful Livonian War (1558-83), the horrors of Ivan the Terribles oprichnina (1565-72), and the gradual subjugation of a big percentage of the population to forced labor of various forms. All this carried with it potentially high risks of social explosion for any regime. Judging by the historically quite low ratios of administrators to the general populace--significantly lower than in European countries--it is, perhaps, remarkable that the Russian government was able to survive at all into the 19th century. Staffing the capital, major cities and towns, and the provinces was always a barrier for early modern Russian civil administration. There were insufficient numbers of trained officials available, even taking into account a gradual rise in the administrator-to-population ratio between the early 17th century and 1800. Although we have a dearth of quantitative information for the lesser central and provincial administrative officials of 16th-century Russia, there can be no doubt--given the immaturity of the chancellery system into the late 1590s--that 16th-century staffing ratios would have been even lower than in the 17th century. Not surprisingly, the 400th anniversary of the Time of Troubles witnessed a swelling of Russian-language scholarship on its causes, events, institutions, dramatis personae, and outcomes. From the 1990s to the present, academic Russian historians have published a plethora of articles, books, and document collections on the general time period of the Smuta, with many of them touching on the civil administration. (2) D. V. Liseitsev and N. V. Rybalko capture our attention for their recent, lengthy monographs on Time of Troubles' central administration. All specialists in Russian history can study these two works profitably. The broad dimensions of Muscovite Russia's Time of Troubles are generally well known, but until recently this statement is less true of the numerous blows delivered to the central and provincial administration--the one institution, along with the Russian Orthodox Church, keeping the country stitched together. …


Owens Corning is a global leader in insulat ion, roofing, and fiberglass composite materials. Its insulat ion products conserve energy and improve acoustics, fire resistance, and air quality in the spaces where people live, work, and play. Its roofing products and systems enhance curb appeal and protect homes and commercial buildings alike. Its fiberglass composites make thousands of products lighter, stronger, and more durable. Owens Corning provides innovative products and solut ions that deliver a material difference to its customers and, ult imately, make the world a better place. The business is global in scope, with operations in 33 countries. It is also human in scale, with 20,000 employees cult ivat ing local and longstanding relat ionships with customers. Based in Toledo, Ohio, USA, the company posted 2018 sales of $7.1 billion. Founded in 1938, it has been a Fortune 500® company for 65 consecutive years. For more information, please visit www.owenscorning.com [3].


Background and Objectives: Plastin 3 (PLS3) mutations are associated with an X-linked osteoporosis. Here we describe two new families with novel mutations, including one with a whole gene PLS3 deletion, and review the literature on 9 previously reported cases. Results: Hemizygous male carriers presented with multiple peripheral bone fractures, low bone mineral density (BMD), and vertebral compression fractures. Heterozygous female carriers did not have a history of fragility fractures, although 1 individual presented with low BMD. Apart from greyish-tinged sclera, no other extraskeletal features of osteogenesis imperfecta were identified. Histomorphometry from a transiliac bone biopsy in one of our index patients demonstrated significantly low trabecular bone volume with increased bone turnover. Bisphosphonate treatment was associated with a reduction in the fracture rate and increased bone density. Conclusion: Hemizygous mutations in PLS3 may cause a monogenic form of X-linked osteoporosis presenting in childhood with a nonspecific phenotype. No characteristic ocular, dental, or joint abnormalities are defined. When genetic testing is undertaken to investigate for primary causes of bone fragility, we suggest PLS3 be included in order not to miss this diagnosis.


A study has been made of drugs acting at 5-HT receptors on animal models of anxiety. An elevated X-maze was used as a model of anxiety for rats and the actions of various ligands for the 5-HT receptor, and its subtypes, were examined in this model. 5-HT agonists, with varying affinities for the 5-HT receptor subtypes, were demonstrated to have anxiogenic-like activity. The 5-HT2 receptor antagonists ritanserin and ketanserin exhibited an anxiolytic-like profile. The new putatuve anxiolytics ipsapirone and buspirone, which are believed to be selective for 5-HT1 receptors, were also examined. The former had an anxiolytic profile whilst the latter was without effect. Antagonism studies showed the anxiogenic response to 8-hydroxy-2-(Di-n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) to be antagonised by ipsapirone, pindolol, alprenolol and para-chlorophenylalanine, but not by diazepam, ritanserin, metoprolol, ICI118,551 or buspirone. To confirm some of the results obtained in the elevated X-maze the Social Interaction Test of anxiety was used. Results in this test mirrored the effects seen with the 5-HT agonists, ipsapirone and pindolol, whilst the 5-HT2 receptor antagonists were without effect. Studies using operant conflict models of anxiety produced marginal and varying results which appear to be in agreement with recent criticisms of such models. Finally, lesions of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) were performed in order to investigate the mechanisms involved in the production of the anxiogenic response to 8-OH-DPAT. Overall the results lend support to the involvement of 5-HT, and more precisely 5-HT1, receptors in the manifestation of anxiety in such animal models.


The inference of pairwise competitive outcomes (PCO) and multispecies competitive ranks and intransitivity from empirical data is essential to evaluate how competition shapes plant communities. Three categories of methods, differing in theoretical background and data requirements, have been used: (a) theoretically sound coexistence theory‐based methods, (b) index‐based methods, and (c) 'process‐from‐pattern' methods. However, how they are related is largely unknown. In this study, we explored the relations between the three categories by explicitly comparing three representatives of them: (a) relative fitness difference (RFD), (b) relative yield (RY), and (c) a reverse‐engineering approach (RE). Specifically, we first conducted theoretical analyses with Lotka–Volterra competition models to explore their theoretical linkages. Second, we used data from a long‐term field experiment and a short‐term greenhouse experiment with eight herbaceous perennials to validate the theoretical findings. The theoretical analyses showed that RY or RE applied with equilibrium data indicated equivalent, or very similar, PCO respectively to RFD, but these relations became weaker or absent with data further from equilibrium. In line with this, both RY and RE converged with RFD in indicating PCO over time in the field experiment as the communities became closer to equilibrium. Moreover, the greenhouse PCO (far from equilibrium) were only similar to the field PCO of earlier rather than later years. Intransitivity was more challenging to infer because it could be reshuffled by even a small competitive shift among similar competitors. For example, the field intransitivity inferred by three methods differed greatly: no intransitivity was detected with RFD; intransitivity detected with RY and RE was poorly correlated, changed substantially over time (even after equilibrium) and failed to explain coexistence. Our findings greatly help the comparison and generalization of studies using different methods. For future studies, if equilibrium data are available, one can infer PCO and multispecies competitive ranks with RY or RE. If not, one should apply RFD with density gradient or time‐series data. Equilibria could be evaluated with T tests or standard deviations. To reliably infer intransitivity, one needs high quality data for a given method to first accurately infer PCO, especially among similar competitors.


Dams are man-made structures that in order to keep functioning and to be considered structurally healthy need constant monitoring. Assessing the deformation of dams can be time consuming and economically costly. Recently, the technique of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) has proved its potential to measure ground and structural deformation. This geodetic method represents a cost-effective way to monitor millimetre-level displacements and can be used as supplemental analysis to detect movements in the structure and its surroundings. The objective of this work is to assess the practicality of the method through the analysis of the surface deformation of the Ajaure dam located in northern Sweden, in the period 2014-2017, using the freely available Sentinel-1A images. The scenes, 51 in ascending and 47 in descending mode, were processed exploiting the Persistent Scatterer (PS) technique and deformation trends, and time series were produced. Built in the 60's, the Ajaure embankment dam is considered as high consequence, meaning that a failure would cause socio-economic damages to the communities involved and, for this reason, the dam needs constant attention. So far, a program of automatic measurements in situ has been collecting data, which have been used partly to compare with InSAR results. Results of the multi temporal analysis of the PS points on/around the dam show that the dam has been subsiding more intensely toward the centre, where maximum values are of approximately 5 ± 1.25 mm/year (descending) and 2 ± 1.27 mm/year (ascending) at different locations (separated of approximately 70 m). Outermost points instead show values within -0.7 and 0.9 mm/year, describing a stable behaviour. The decomposition of the rate has furthermore revealed that the crest in the observation period has laterally moved toward the reservoir. It has been observed that the operation of loading and unloading the reservoir influence the dam behaviour. The movements recorded by the PS points on the dam also correlate with the air temperature (i.e. seasonal cycle). The research revealed that the snow cover and the vegetation could have interfered with the signal, that resulted in a relative low correlation. Therefore, the number of PS points on and around the dam is limited, and comparison with the geodetic data is only based on a few points. The comparison shows general agreement, showing the capacities of the InSAR method. The study constitutes a starting point for further improvements, for example observation in longer period when more Sentinel1 images of the study area are collected. Installation of corner reflectors at the dam site and/or by use of high resolution SAR data is also suggested.


This study explores the service-citizenship nexus in Nigeria, using the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme as an empirical backdrop. It attempts to understand the relationship between civic service and citizenship on the one hand, and it examines the question as to whether youth service promotes a sense of citizenship and patriotism on the other. In the relevant studies on service and sociology, the assumption that service is antecedent to, and impacts positively on citizenship, is taken for granted. However, conclusions from this study call for an urgent rethinking of this wisdom. Using data from open-ended interviews, questionnaires and focus group discussions, the study traces the ways in which political dynamics in Nigeria have affected the implementation of the NYSC programme. The study articulates allegiance to national ideals as an essential foundation for creating and nurturing citizenship. Although it upholds the potential of national service as a tool for national integration, this research cautions against unalloyed faith in its presumed agency, arguing that the limitations imposed by the prevailing socio-political ecology should not be ignored.


Harmonia axyridis is an invasive alien predator in many countries across the world. The rapid establishment and spread of this species is of concern because of the threat it poses to biodiversity as a generalist predator. Understanding the mechanisms that contribute to the success of this species as an invader is not only intriguing but also critical to our understanding of the processes governing such invasions. The enemy release hypothesis (ERH) could explain the rapid population growth of many invasive alien species. However, empirical evidence in support of the ERH is lacking. An alternative hypothesis that could explain rapid population growth is evolution of increased competitive ability (EICA). Here we provide an overview of the parasites and pathogens of coccinellids with a particular focus on H. axyridis as a host. We examine the differential susceptibility of host species and highlight the resilience of H. axyridis in comparison to other coccinellids. We recognise the paucity and limitations of available information and suggest that studies, within a life-table framework, comparing life history traits of H. axyridis in both the native and introduced ranges are necessary. We predict that H. axyridis could benefit from both enemy release and EICA within the introduced range but require further empirical evidence.


Although administrative tax data is incredibly valuable for researching questions relating to taxation, inequality, and labour markets, it has been virtually unused for research in Africa. In partnering with African revenue authorities, the ICTD has succeeded in working closely with their staff members to access, understand, and analyse their data, producing impactful and pioneering research. In working with the revenue authorities of Ethiopia, Uganda, and Rwanda, the ICTD has embraced the Institute of Development Studies' 'Engaged Excellence' approach, including its four strategic pillars: co-constructing knowledge, delivering high-quality research, mobilising impact-oriented evidence, and building enduring partnerships. This brief summarises the research projects conducted by the ICTD in partnership with each of the three revenue authorities and concludes with a set of principles for productive partnerships between researchers and practitioners in government agencies.


This article, the purpose of which is to place photography into the discussion, has been developed through the different social sciences with which it particularly deals with the anthropological, historical and social significant elements that include tales of human groups, the means of defining their existence, and rituals and manners of constructing relationships with environmental, social and cultural surroundings. The paper has six sections, starting with an introduction. The following chapter provides some keys to understanding the possible connections between sociology and photography. The third part develops a discussion of the place of the anthropological field in recognizing photography as a human and cultural practice. The next chapter opens a debate about photography, through the results of a case study in Colombia involving a discussion about the family, the construction of visual speech, the tales that individuals create in a family album, and the possible distortions and interest in building particular dialogues about the past. We conclude with theoretical reflections about the important place of visual narration and the construction of collective memory in the institution of the family. In this way, we show the continuously constructed tales that unveil the human sojourn in the world. In the same way, the family as an institution is one of those human groups that uses tools such as photography to construct their stories and their official collective memories in oral and visual discursive narrative codes.


We study a recent model of collaborative PAC learning where $k$ players with $k$ different tasks collaborate to learn a single classifier that works for all tasks. Previous work showed that when there is a classifier that has very small error on all tasks, there is a collaborative algorithm that finds a single classifier for all tasks and has $O((\ln (k))^2)$ times the worst-case sample complexity for learning a single task. In this work, we design new algorithms for both the realizable and the non-realizable setting, having sample complexity only $O(\ln (k))$ times the worst-case sample complexity for learning a single task. The sample complexity upper bounds of our algorithms match previous lower bounds and in some range of parameters are even better than previous algorithms that are allowed to output different classifiers for different tasks.


This paper presents a new fault diagnosis method for analog circuits. The proposed method extracts the original signals from the output terminals of the circuits under test (CUTs) by a data acquisition board and finds the kurtoses and entropies of the signals, which are used to measure the high-order statistics of the signals. The entropies and kurtoses are then fed to a neural network as inputs for further fault classification. The proposed method can detect and identify faulty components in an analog circuit by analyzing its output signal with high accuracy and is suitable for nonlinear circuits. Preprocessing based on the kurtosis and entropy of signals for the neural network classifier simplifies the network architecture, reduces the training time, and improves the performance of the network. The results from our examples showed that the trochoid of the entropies and kurtoses is unique when the faulty component's value varies from zero to infinity; thus, we can correctly identify the faulty components when the responses do not overlap. Applying this method for three linear and nonlinear circuits, the average accuracy of the achieved fault recognition is more than 99%, although there are some overlapping data when tolerance is considered. Moreover, all the trochoids converge to one point when the faulty component is open-circuited, and thus, the method can classify not only soft faults but also hard faults.


[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The Genomic Revolution From June 2004 through January of 2005, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta hosted the traveling exhibit, The Genomic Revolution, described as the most comprehensive presentation on the complex subject of genomics. Originally created by the American Museum of Natural History, this exhibit presented cutting edge information on genetic research and how that knowledge is "impacting decisions about our health, our food, and our stewardship of the natural world" (The Genomic Revolution press release, 2004). In addition to displays featuring hands-on models, interactive stations, and short films, the exhibition also included a working laboratory where attendees could experience firsthand the techniques used in modern genetics research through short exercises in DNA extraction (see cover) and forensic analysis (Figure 1). Electronic polling stations were also placed throughout the exhibit space so visitors could voice their opinions on controversial scientific issues and compare their responses with the accumulated views of other attendees. By examining these scientific breakthroughs and their potential applications in areas like medicine, nutrition, and the legal system, visitors could evaluate their own reactions from scientific, technical, and socio-ethical perspectives. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] As stated on its Web site, the mission of the Fernbank Museum is to "inspire life-long learning of natural history through dynamic programming to encourage a greater appreciation of our planet and its people" (http://www.fernbank.edu). The museum is typically self-guided but because of the complexity of the topic and the functional lab within the exhibit, it was decided to staff The Genomic Revolution with a team of paid undergraduate interns. A docent (derived from the latin word docere meaning to teach) serves as a bridge between the museum and the attendees, acting as the face and voice of the collection and interpreting it for the visitors (Chin, 1995). Consequently it's a challenging job requiring a person to act as an educator, a public speaker, and a leader. The museum directors felt that undergraduate science majors would make especially effective candidates for this exhibit because of their backgrounds in the discipline, enthusiasm for the subject matter, and good communication skills. Exhibit interpreters have been shown to promote a more effective learning experience when used in science museums (Stronck, 1983). Additionally, at least one report has described greater student and teacher satisfaction with student docents compared with their adult counterparts, based on their interactions with elementary school groups (Cox-Peterson & Ramirez, 2001). The Fernbank Museum of Natural History partnered with the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience (a consortium of eight colleges and universities focused on neurobiology research and education [http://www.cbn-atl.org]) to enlist and train undergraduate students as docents for The Genomic Revolution. Undergraduate students were recruited from schools in the metropolitan Atlanta area, including the Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, and Spellman College. Eight of the nine students in the program were science majors (biology, neuroscience, biomedical engineering), ranging from sophomores to recently-graduated seniors, and all but one had previously taken at least some coursework in genetic fundamentals. Also, students were required to have at least a 3.0 GPA. From this group, two classes of docents were formed to staff the duration of the exhibit: one group of five students covering the summer to early fall, and a second group of four students covering the fall through the winter. * Undergraduate Docent Training Our challenge was to create a docent training program that would cover the genetic principles in the exhibit along with the communication and leadership techniques needed for their interpretation in a museum setting. …


An investigation into the quality of affordable housing in the UK. Should the demand be fulfilled by the Government or are the private sector house builders keeping up with demand of good quality housing? The main aim of the project is to investigate the provision of affordable housing quality. The two interviewees where from the North West, however the company they work for is a national company and well known. The small sample interviewed to allowed succinct contrast of their responses in contrast to the literature review. The literature review in chapter 2 supports the hypothesis that the Government wants to achieve X number of affordable houses, but it is down to private sector housebuilders to bear the duty and provide this. The interviews of two senior managers from the house building found that there is a reluctance to provide AH. This may be for several reasons. One reason is that housebuilders may feel that AH is a burden placed on them by the planning system. House builders want to build houses that the customers/buyers want. The planning system seeks to ensure that AH is provided through the use of s.106. However the interviewees have provided responses that would suggest that were possible they try to mitigate there AH quota or reduce their contributions in favour for profit.


Silicon nanoparticles are synthesized by pyrolysis of 1% silane (SiH4) in argon in a microwave plasma reactor. As-prepared silicon nanoparticles show the luminescence behaviour at room temperature. Covalent attachment of organic molecules to the surface of silicon nanoparticles is achieved by thermally induced hydrosilylation process. The surface oxide layers of silicon nanoparticles are first removed by hydrofluoric acid and the surface is further terminated by alkyl molecules. Blue shift in the photoluminescence (PL) of silicon nanoparticles is obtained after the surface passivation of silicon nanoparticles. The surface chemistry of nanoparticles is analysed by diffuse reflectance infrared fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT) technique. The surface coverage of functionalized silicon nanoparticles with alkyl molecules is confirmed by the presence of Si-CH2 bending vibration mode at 1461 cm-1 in the DRIFT spectrum. An almost complete disappearance of Si-O bending vibration and stretching modes as compared to untreated silicon nanoparticles indicate nearly complete removal of surface oxide upon etching with hydrofluoric acid. On further room temperature air oxidation of functionalized sample, the increase in the intensity of oxygen\silicon related modes and decrease in intensity of hydrogen\silicon related modes are observed owing to incomplete coverage of surface with alkyl molecules. This accompanies with a red shift and a decrease in PL with time as compared to freshly functionalized silicon nanoparticles. The change in particle shape and morphology before and after the passivation are investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) technique. The electron diffraction pattern confirms that as-prepared silicon nanoparticles are crystalline in nature and the process does not destroy the crystallinity of silicon nanoparticles.


Diverse, sometimes even contradictory concepts and practices of resilience have proliferated into a wide range of security policies. In introducing this special issue, we problematize and critically discuss how these forms of resilience change environments, create subjects, link temporalities, and redefine relations of security and insecurity. We show the increased attention – scholarly as well as political – given to resilience in recent times and provide a review of the state of critical security studies literature on resilience. We argue that to advance this discussion, resilience needs to be conceptualized and investigated in plural terms. We use temporalities and subjectivities as key analytical aspects to investigate the plural instantiations of resilience in actual political practice. These two issues – subjectivity and temporality – form the overall context for the special issue and are core themes for all the articles collected here.


Digital photogrammetry, using digital camera images, is an important low-cost engineering method to produce precise three-dimensional model of either an object or the part of the earth depending on the image quality. Photogrammetry which is cheaper and more practical than the new technologies such as LIDAR, has increased point cloud generation capacity during the past decade with contributions of computer vision. Images of new camera technologies needs huge storage space due to larger image file sizes. Moreover, this enormousness increases image process time during extraction, orientation and dense matching. The Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) is one of the most commonly used methods as lossy compression standard for the storage purposes of the oversized image file. Particularly, image compression at different rates causes image deteriorations during the processing period. Therefore, the compression rates affect accuracy of photogrammetric measurements. In this study, the close range images compressed at the different levels were investigated to define the compression effect on photogrammetric results, such as orientation parameters and 3D point cloud. The outcomes of this study show that lower compression ratios are acceptable in photogrammetric process when moderate accuracy is sufficient.


Knowledge management is aimed at the sustainable development and competitiveness increasing of an organization, a state, a human. The appropriateness of knowledge application for solving a new class of complete ill-structured qualitative problems in weak-structured domains is noted, for example, of many problems in the social (organizational) systems, ecological systems; for the information society creation; creating and implementing new informational technologies; for improving the management and many others. To solve such problems is also needed a preliminary information-analytical phase, of taking into account the semantics of information and the application of new effective system methodology - systemology, which corresponds to the new noospheric stage of science development. The sections of this work are meaningfully combined, in the first place, by using the new method of systemological classification analysis for the knowledge systematization and conceptual models creation, taking into account the criteria of natural classification. The method of systemological classification analysis, for example, allows obtaining new deep knowledge and systematizing the knowledge in any domain the most adequately and objectively, taking into account the essential properties and relations. Using the systemological classification analysis allows evaluating any knowledge classification, to take into account the objects essential properties and relations; to predict the new objects on the base on their properties. New constructive criteria of natural classification allow creating "correct" classifications, which in all spheres of application ensure the effectiveness of solving problems. The examples of systemology and systemological classification analysis application are proposed for creating the domain ontological models - social networks, change management, human needs, directly related to knowledge management, as well as during the development the online store products and services catalog. When using systemology in change management, the organizations can obtain weighty benefits. The application of systemological classification analysis in social networks allows increasing the effectiveness of their functioning based on the use of knowledge systematization (through the development of an effective system of functions and menus). All this will help the company to increase significantly its intellectual capital without using large investments.


Bloom's syndrome (BS) is a genetic disorder associated with short stature, fertility defects, and a predisposition to the development of cancer. BS cells are characterized by genomic instability; in particular, a high rate of reciprocal exchanges between sister-chromatids and homologous chromosomes. The BS gene product, BLM, is a helicase belonging to the highly conserved RecQ family. BLM is known to form a complex with the RAD51 recombinase, and to act upon DNA intermediates that form during homologous recombination, including D-loops and Holliday junctions. Here, we show that BLM also makes a direct physical association with the RAD51L3 protein (also known as RAD51D), a so-called RAD51 paralog that shows limited sequence similarity to RAD51 itself. This interaction is mediated through the N-terminal domain of BLM. To analyze functional interactions between BLM and RAD51L3, we have purified a heteromeric complex comprising RAD51L3 and a second RAD51 paralog, XRCC2. We show that the RAD51L3-XRCC2 complex stimulates BLM to disrupt synthetic 4-way junctions that model the Holliday junction. We also show that a truncated form of BLM, which retains helicase activity but is unable to bind RAD51L3, is not stimulated by the RAD51L3-XRCC2 complex. Our data indicate that the activity of BLM is modulated through an interaction with the RAD51L3-XRCC2 complex, and that this stimulatory effect on BLM is dependent upon a direct physical association between the BLM and RAD51L3 proteins. We propose that BLM co-operates with RAD51 paralogs during the late stages of homologous recombination processes that serve to restore productive DNA replication at sites of damaged or stalled replication forks.


STUDY OBJECTIVE--To measure delay in admission to a large hospital and to study the role of social class and other potential determinants of delay. DESIGN--Interview of a 10% sample of newly diagnosed patients admitted to medical or surgical wards, and all those admitted for external hernia or colon cancer between June 1989 and May 1990. SETTING--The largest hospital in an Italian region of five million inhabitants. SUBJECTS--The study population consisted of 330 patients with a range of different medical and surgical conditions, 83 patients with external hernias, and 97 patients with colon cancers. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS--After patient interview and discharge from hospital, the clinical record was consulted for information on the length of stay and the diagnosis, and in particular for the staging of hernia or colon cancer (according to the protocol of the Jefferson Medical College). Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. There was an association between advanced disease at hospital admission and the patient's educational level. In each of the three groups of patients, those with the highest educational level had a 30% or lower probability of being admitted to hospital with advanced disease compared with those with the lowest education level (after allowance for sex, age, area of residence, and marital status). CONCLUSION--Lower social class was associated with a more advanced clinical stage of hernia or colon cancer, and with a higher probability of urgent admission to the hospital for a newly diagnosed disease. Delay in seeking care, did not however, seem to explain the social class differentials for disease stage.


Although equalizers promise to improve the signal- to-noise energy ratio, zero forcing equalizers are derived classically in a deterministic setting minimizing intersymbol interference, while minimum mean square error (MMSE) equalizer solutions are derived in a stochastic context based on quadratic Wiener cost functions. In this paper, we show that it is possible-and in our opinion even simpler-to derive the classical results in a purely deterministic setup, interpreting both equalizer types as least squares solutions. This, in turn, allows the introduction of a simple linear reference model for equalizers, which supports the exact derivation of a family of iterative and recursive algorithms with robust behavior. The framework applies equally to multiuser transmissions and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channels. A major contribution is that due to the reference approach the adaptive equalizer problem can equivalently be treated as an adaptive system identification problem for which very precise statements are possible with respect to convergence, robustness and l2-stability. Robust adaptive equalizers are much more desirable as they guarantee a much stronger form of stability than conventional in the mean square sense convergence. Even some blind channel estimation schemes can now be included in the form of recursive algorithms and treated under this general framework.


INTRODUCTION In the latest attempt to revitalize K-12 public education, many state governments have passed enabling legislation for "public charter" schools, empowering individuals and organizations to establish private schools financed by public funds. Some state legislatures have even mandated state takeovers of egregiously non-performing school districts, turning the schools over to private school-- management companies. However, although public school districts have always been nonprofit entities, most states did not require that private school-management entities be nonprofit. In the euphoria of "solving" America's educational woes, a basic inconsistency in the notion of private, for-profit corporations controlling public education escaped serious consideration. Private corporations are legal entities established within a paradigm of maximization of profits for those who provide the working capital of the organization, the shareholders. The directors of such corporations owe fiduciary duties of care and loyalty to the shareholders. They owe, under the law, no concomitant duties to other constituencies. This paper addresses the conflict inherent in the shareholder-primacy paradigm and delivery of traditional K- 12 public education by for-profit school management corporations. Part I examines the fiduciary duties of corporate directors and the shareholder wealth maximization model. Part I also examines legislative attempts to expand the reach of fiduciary obligations; namely, permissive statutes that allow corporate directors' consideration of other constituencies besides shareholders. Part II discusses the degree to which for-profit school management companies have penetrated the public education market, briefly detailing how the two best-known for-profit school management companies originated and function. Part III examines whether for-profit school management companies actually deliver on their promises of educational reform or of profits for shareholders. Finally, Part IV argues that state legislatures have ignored the inherent conflict between the corporate objective of shareholder profit maximization and the public's interest in children's education when services are delivered by for-profit corporations. In the absence of stricter legislative governance, the courts must recognize new causes of action that safeguard the interests of children educated in schools run by for-profit corporations. PART 1: Fiduciary Duties, Shareholders, and Other Constituencies The Origin of Fiduciary Duties Fiduciary duties are creatures of both statute and common law.2 The basic concept of fiduciary duty arises from the need to trust someone who purports to act on one's behalf.3 The contractarian model of the corporation4 posits fiduciary duties of corporate directors and managers as arising from the need to protect shareholders who risk their money for the corporation, but who cannot exercise control over the destiny of the company. Although variously expressed as duties of loyalty,5 care,6 good faith,7 disclosure,8 oversight,9 or candor,10 the IMAGE FORMULA7 fundamental fiduciary duties in the corporate context comprise the dyad of loyalty and care. What exactly those duties compel depends on the factual context in which directors or managers contemplate action (or inaction).11 Fiduciary duties attach most "peremptorily and inexorably" in situations where directors and managers have the most to gain by disregarding those duties.12 Delaware statutes and case law occupy a preeminent position in corporate law,13 and their pronouncements on the duty of loyalty have shaped court decisions in all jurisdictions.14 The Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) does not specifically impose fiduciary duties on corporate directors and managers. Rather, the DGCL permits corporations to excuse directors from monetary liability for breaches of the duty of care, but not of the duty of loyalty,15 establishing by that distinction a hierarchy of fiduciary obligations. …


Background Mental disorders are generally a significant reason for increased morbidity. They constitute a serious disease burden. One of the main reasons for this disease burden is long hospitalization periods. Objective The current study investigated the length of hospital stay and the variables affecting it in patients treated in the Gazi University Hospital Psychiatry Department between 2005-2016. Methods Patient diagnoses were analyzed according to the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (ICD-10). Data was obtained for 7027 hospitalizations over a 12-year period. Records of repeated hospitalizations, non-psychiatric primary diagnoses, and missing data were not included in the analysis. As a result, data from 5129 hospitalizations were included in the analysis. Results Mean age of the sample was 45.27±14.69, and 62.5% (n=3204) of the patients were male. Mean hospitalization period was 28.66±17.25 days. Schizophrenia and depressive disorder significantly prolonged hospital stay, while substance addiction shortened the duration of hospitalization (P < 0.001). It was found that the duration of hospitalization decreased significantly over the years (P < 0.001). Advanced age (P < 0.001), recurrent admission (P < 0.001), and female gender (P = 0.029) were other variables affecting this period. Conclusion Schizophrenia and depression are the most common psychiatric disorders in the inpatient service, and these disorders prolong hospitalization periods. The duration of hospital stay is considerably less in substance addiction than in other psychiatric disorders. Non-clinical variables, such as year of hospitalization, may affect the length of hospital stay.


Two Si-based hybrid self-assembled monolayers were synthesized by electro-grafting two di-O-alkylated porphyrins as the σ–π–σ systems. The monolayers showed a stable and reversible negative differential resistance (NDR) property at room temperature. The monolayer, fabricated using the porphyrin with fluorophenyl groups was more compact and showed a tenfold peak-to-valley ratio (PVR) relative to the other similar system devoid of the fluorine atoms in the porphyrin moiety. This suggested better pre-organization of the former, possibly by hydrogen bonding through the electro-negative fluorine atoms.


Slides from a presentation at the 2016 AALA (Applied Linguistics Association of Australia) Conference. Abstract:

Study abroad is often
seen as way for second language learners to gain authentic, immersive contact
with the target language, providing gains in language acquisition. However, many
studies reporting on the outcomes of study abroad programs have shown that
while some learners seem to flourish, others experience negative consequences
(Kinginger, 2013). Indeed, exposure to the unfamiliar linguistic, cultural and
social situations encountered during study abroad can have far-reaching impacts
for a learner's sense of self and their relationship with the target language
(Block 2007).

This presentation contrasted the experiences of two Japanese high school students who participated
in a short-term study abroad program in England and had vastly different learning
outcomes. The students completed daily journals while in the host country and were
interviewed both before and after the program. Extracts from this data are presented to highlight critical experiences the students encountered and how
they attempted to resolve them, resulting in changes to their cultural and
second language identities. This presentation also demonstrates how individual
differences, including social histories and motivations for participating in
the program, contributed to the way their relationship to English evolved
during and directly after the program. Examination of these experiences help us
to better understand how some participants in study abroad programs can
struggle and fail to make gains in the target language.

References

Block,
D. (2007). Second language identities.
London: Continuum.

Kinginger,
C. (2013). Identity and language learning in study abroad. Foreign Language Annals, 46(3), 339-358.


The protocol evaluation is an integral part of network protocol design. From the perspective of experimental design, discrete event simulations constitute a middle ground between analytical protocol evaluation and testbeds. They allow precise control of otherwise external influences while supporting more detailed protocol models than analytical evaluations. Compared to testbeds, a major restriction is that existing protocols require a separate implementation in the discrete event model. Creating this implementation model may cause differences between the protocol's simulator-based model and the native implementation, invalidating simulation results. We propose a novel architecture to evaluate unmodified, binary protocol implementations in the state-of-the-art discrete event simulators by utilizing the operating system's system call barrier. Notably, our approach does not affect discrete simulation properties, such as repeatability, and it does not require the native protocol implementation's source code. The evaluation results using existing network protocols show the feasibility of our approach in combination with the ns-3 simulator core. We show that our approach more closely resembles realistic protocol performance when compared to simulator-based protocol models. Moreover, our approach performs better than existing solutions for more realistic protocol simulations.


Background Among other preoperative parameters, extremely low or extremely high body mass index (BMI) has been discussed as a substantial risk factor for postoperative complications after cardiac surgery. However, the exact relationship between BMI and postoperative risk has not yet been defined. Methods We retrospectively investigated consecutive patients ( n =22 666) who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting with or without concomitant valve surgery between 1990 and 2001 in our institution. A number of preoperative and intraoperative variables and BMI (as a quadratic term) were used in a logistic regression model as covariates. Further, the patients were divided into 20 groups each with an increase in BMI of 1 kg/m 2 (BMI as a categorical variable). The calculations of odds ratios (ORs) for re-intubation, infection, re-exploration, prolonged stay (>1 day) on the intensive care unit (ICU) and 30-day mortality were adjusted for age, gender and type of surgery. Results In the multivariate analysis only age (OR between 1.01 and 1.038, P <0.01), additional aortic valve (OR between 1.335 and 2.977, P <0.01) or mitral valve surgery (OR between 2.123 and 3.301, P <0.01) showed significant impact on all five end-points. Patients with BMI between 25 and 35 kg/m 2 were not at elevated risk for any of the investigated end-points, except for infection. Patients with BMI between 21 and 27 kg/m 2 were not at elevated risk for infection. The ORs for postoperative complications were significantly higher in underweight patients compared with obese or severely obese patients, except those for infection. Further, the underweight patients presented significantly more comorbidity. Conclusion Patients with low BMI are at higher risk after cardiac surgery than obese or severely obese patients. We hypothesize that a preoperative focus on avoiding and/or reversing cachexia may be more efficacious than reducing obesity in reducing the overall risk associated with heart surgery. 2003 by Elsevier on behalf of The European Society of Cardiology.


Cases from Sranan are presented in order to illustrate the various processes and mechanisms involved in developments in a creole language that could be interpreted as grammaticalization. While we do find "ordinary" grammaticalization, substrate patterns sometimes provided a model. In the extreme case, where the development consists of a large shortcut, grammaticalization as a usage-based process is no longer at issue, but rather a kind of local relexification variously referred to as "calquing" (Keesing 1991), "apparent grammaticalization" (Bruyn 1996), or "polysemy copying" (Heine and Kuteva 2005). Yet other cases involve reanalysis of a lexifier form without grammaticalization (Detges 2000). Distinguishing between the various types of developments is essential both for understanding the processes shaping creoles, and for delimiting the concept of grammaticalization.


Spectral measurements of BrO using zenith-sky and off-axis viewing geometries are combined in a linear multiple regression retrieval algorithm to provide stratospheric and tropospheric BrO vertical columns. One year of measurement data are investigated over Reunion-Island, from August 2004 to June 2005. A comparison between the stratospheric columns retrieved at 45°, 80°, 85°, 87.5° and 92.5° solar zenith angles and photochemical simulations initialized by chemical fields from the 3D-CTM SLIMCAT and further constrained by observed NO2 profiles shows a good agreement only by considering a contribution from the very short-lived organic bromine substances to the stratospheric inorganic bromine budget, of 6 to 8 pptv. Furthermore, stratospheric BrO profiles retrieved from late twilight zenith-sky observations are consistent with a total inorganic bromine loading of approximately 23 pptv. This represents 6 to 7 pptv more than can be supplied by long-lived organic bromine sources, and therefore supports an added contribution from very short-lived organic bromine substances as recently suggested in several other studies. Moreover strong evidences are presented for the existence of a substantial amount of BrO in the tropical free-troposphere, around 6 km altitude, possibly supplied by the decomposition of short-lived biogenic bromine organic compounds. Tropospheric BrO vertical columns of 1.1±0.45 x 10 molec/cm are derived for the entire observation period. Comparisons between ground-based BrO vertical columns and total BrO columns derived from SCIAMACHY (onboard the ENVISAT satellite) nadir observations in a latitudinal band centered around 21°S present a good level of consistency, which further strengthens the conclusions of our study.


Precision agriculture in cotton production attempts to maximize profitability by exploiting information on field spatial variability to optimize fiber yield and quality. For precision agriculture to be viable economically, collection of spatial variability data within a field must be automated and incorporated into normal harvesting and ginning operations. An automated prototype system that uses image processing to estimate the micronaire value of cotton fiber during harvest was designed and built. The system was based on a camera with a visible Indium Gallium Arsenide detector sensitive to a broad range of visible and near-infrared (NIR) energy. Image processing algorithms were developed to identify foreign matter in the images so that it could be excluded from the measurement of reflectance in three NIR wavebands. After the effects of foreign matter were removed, the NIR reflectance measurements had a strong relationship to standard micronaire measurements, even though the measurements were made on seed cotton, which has a high level of foreign matter compared to fiber samples. A simplified version of the system could be constructed from a similar camera with only three optical band-pass filters at 650, 1550, and 1600 nm. The prototype system developed shows promise for in-situ measurement of cotton fiber quality, specifically micronaire, and can enable creation of fiber quality maps to improve crop management and ultimately profitability.


This Essay briefly considers both the current and optimal role of privacy in employment discrimination jurisprudence. The recently passed Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) is illustrative of one way to value privacy through employment discrimination mandates. In particular, GINA includes a prohibition on the use of genetic information in all employment decisions, affording a measure of genetic privacy to potential and current employees.GINA stands in contrast to prior employment discrimination statutes, which have often encouraged or required employers to be knowledgeable of and consider particular identity traits through policies such as reasonable accommodation and affirmative action, and the disparate impact doctrine. There is thus a tension between privacy and effectuating certain employment discrimination policies that are directed toward antisubordination ends. After exploring the tension that sometimes exists between privacy and antisubordination, this Essay argues that, in the statutory areas of the Americans with Disabilities Act and GINA, foregoing privacy is often desirable in order to fight subordination by employees revealing, and employers considering, particular health traits and information.


The authors report a case of hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) associated with acute visceral leishmaniasis (VL). A 4-year-old boy was admitted with high fever, hepatosplenomegaly, and pancytopenia. Elevated serum ferritin and triglyceride, low fibrinogen levels, and bone-marrow (BM) histiocytic hyperplasia with prominent hemophagocytosis were consistent with a HPS. An initial diagnosis of kala-azar was refuted because of negativity of BM aspiration and serology for this parasite, and the diagnosis of HPS was made. Three months after first admission, reevaluation of the BM aspiration revealed many amastigotes of Leishmania parasites. The serology of VL became positive, finally establishing the diagnosis of VL. Although specific therapy for VL was instituted, the patient died 4 weeks after the diagnosis.


There have been many recent attempts to incorporate defaults into unification-based grammar formalisms. What these attempts have in common is that they all lose one of the most desirable properties of feature systems: namely, presentation order independence. This paper describes a method of dealing with defaults that retains order independence. The method works by making a strong distinction between strict and default information. The addition of nonmonotonic sorts allows default information to be carried in the feature structure while retaining a simple, deterministic unification operation. Monotonic feature structures are rederived through a satisfaction relation that is abstract in that it depends only on the ordering information for sorts.


In mid-18th century Giovanni Battista Piranesi's etchings systematically document the old and new monuments, decrepit buildings and broken down infrastructures of a Rome that continues to inhabit and reinvent its past. His views of Rome offer a devastating account of the blurring of distinctions and articulations that time, use and neglect have imposed on the old differentiations of the urban and the rural, the public and the private, the monumental and the domestic in the 18th century city. Rome becomes for Piranesi the laboratory for a questioning of architecture that places his work well beyond the debate on style and on the origin that dominated the architectural discourse of his time. This paper suggests that Piranesi's images anticipate the dispersion and sprawl of the city of today, in which the 'vague', the 'viral' and the 'parasitic' become modes of inhabitation and of transient negotiated definition.

In the Antichità di Roma, ancient buildings are represented not only in their large scale and magnificence, but also in their decay and reversal to a state of naturalness. These works, together with the acute observations of the Vedute di Roma, provide the materials that are then dislocated, manipulated, cloned and endlessly mutated by Piranesi in the synthesis of the Campo Marzio dell'Antica Roma, in which the historical city is almost entirely dissolved and replaced by an extraordinary congestion of fragments. When they are re-examined on the grounds of contemporary architectural and urban theory, the sites of Piranesi's views reveal anticipations of phenomena that affect the metropolis of today. Political, social and economic conditions have changed dramatically, but the questions asked of architecture in and by these sites challenge the definition of an architecture of style, forms and boundaries – in the 18th century as well as in the 21st – in favour of an architecture of change.


Divisive normalization (DN) has been advocated as an effective nonlinear efficient coding transform for natural sensory signals with applications in biology and engineering. In this work, we aim to establish a connection between the DN transform and the statistical properties of natural sensory signals. Our analysis is based on the use of multivariate t model to capture some important statistical properties of natural sensory signals. The multivariate t model justifies DN as an approximation to the transform that completely eliminates its statistical dependency. Furthermore, using the multivariate t model and measuring statistical dependency with multi-information, we can precisely quantify the statistical dependency that is reduced by the DN transform. We compare this with the actual performance of the DN transform in reducing statistical dependencies of natural sensory signals. Our theoretical analysis and quantitative evaluations confirm DN as an effective efficient coding transform for natural sensory signals. On the other hand, we also observe a previously unreported phenomenon that DN may increase statistical dependencies when the size of pooling is small.


PURPOSE
To study duty cycle and respiratory period influence on VMAT delivery using portal dosimetry.

METHODS
For this study, we selected 12 ARC fields from four different gated VMAT plans with Varian, TrueBeam 6 MV photon beam and HD120 MLC. For Planning and portal dose prediction we used Varian, Eclipse (Version 10.0) AAA and PDIP algorithms respectively. We acquired integrated portal images with and without gated arc fields delivered to EPID at SID 140cm. We simulated respiratory periods with Quasar, Motion Phantom. For gated delivery, we used planned duty cycle for patient respiratory trace, and 6 sec per breath (SPB) and duty cycles 40%, 30%, 20% and 10% with 3SPB. Eclipse, Portal dosimetry software was used for Gamma analyses of measured and predicted portal dose images. In addition, we compared with and without gated portal dose images of same arc. MLC log file analyses of delivered arcs were done with Mobius, Dose lab software. Gamma passing criteria is to have gamma<1 for greater than 90% data points.

RESULTS
For all arcs, predicted vs. measured dose distributions passed with criteria ΔD = 3% & DTA = 3mm, excluding few 10% duty cycle measurements. For these, pass criteria is ΔD = 5% & DTA = 4mm. Similarly, with and without gated portal dose image comparison passed the criteria of ΔD = 1% & DTA = 1mm excluding few 10% duty cycle measurements. For these pass criteria is ΔD = 2% & DTA = 2mm. For all delivered arcs, Leaf error 95 percentile is < 0. 1mm and error RMS is below 0.05mmConclusion: Except 10 % duty cycle, the gating influence on VMAT delivery is minimal. Therefore, gated VMAT QA can be done without gating. Duty cycles larger than 20% are recommended to minimize delivery errors.


This article presents a simple approach of incorporating a Value at Risk (VAR) constraint to tactical asset allocation (TAA). We outline a dynamic VAR TAA strategy that is useful in controlling the risk and expected losses of any balanced product. From our results it is evident that controlling losses can improve returns and at the same time reduce risk. The attractive feature of the strategy is that it is easy to implement and does not require assumptions about the distribution of returns or estimating investors' utility functions. In summary, the strategy provides pension fund managers with prescribed tactical tilts in asset allocation that are consistent with their level of risk aversion. The VAR TAA strategy significantly outperforms the buy-hold strategy. This approach can be used as a stand-alone strategy or in conjunction with the views of a TAA manager. The article shows that combining the VAR TAA strategy with more traditional TAA strategies produces a more robust investment process with improved information ratios.


We demonstrate a simple technique to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in Brillouin optical time-domain analysis sensors by the addition of gain and loss processes. The technique is based on the shift of the pump pulse optical frequency in a double-sideband probe system, so that the gain and loss processes take place at different frequencies. In this manner, the loss and the gain do not cancel each other out, and it makes possible to take advantage of both informations at the same time, obtaining an improvement of 3 dB on the SNR. Furthermore, the technique does not need an optical filtering, so that larger improvement on SNR and a simplification of the setup are obtained. The method is experimentally demonstrated in a 101 km fiber spool, obtaining a measurement uncertainty of 2.6 MHz (2σ) at the worst-contrast position for 2 m spatial resolution. This leads, to the best of our knowledge, to the highest figure-of-merit in a BOTDA without using coding or raman amplification.


The system of nonlinear equations modeling the process of nonstationary stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in noncentrosymmetric crystals for the waves on laser, Stokes, polariton, and phonon frequencies is investigated by using the numerical methods. The general case for amplitudes of waves that resulted in doubling of the number of equations is considered. It is shown that the application of the methods of finite differences to the computer simulation of transition regimes is completely consistent with the analytical results found for the asymptotical solutions in form of solitons. The obtained results also indicate that the laser pulses of Gaussian shape appearing at the boundary of nonlinear medium tend to become solitons of Lorentzian shape. It was also found that the formation of solitons occurs when the vibrations of optical phonons and that of electromagnetic wave were either in or out of phase. It is shown that all electromagnetic waves entering the medium with different speeds become solitons having the same speed. In the second part of the paper we considered the computer simulation of soliton stability with respect to small (weak) perturbations of all interacting waves. In the present paper we considered the case of evolution of those disturbances in the vicinity of peaks of solitons. The numerical analysis showed that in wide range of parameters the solitons were stable.


The ability of amphibians to regenerate an amputated limb represents a developmental flexibility largely lost for humans. The regeneration process in amphibians depends on interactions with the nerve supply. Kumar et al. (see the Perspective by Stocum) have now identified a secreted protein growth factor expressed in the nerves and epidermis of newts during limb regeneration that can serve to support regeneration even when the nerve supply is removed. A. Kumar, J. W. Godwin, P. B. Gates, A. A. Garza-Garcia, J. P. Brockes, Molecular basis for the nerve dependence of limb regeneration in an adult vertebrate. Science 318, 772-777 (2007). [Abstract] [Full Text] D. L. Stocum, Acceptable nAGging. Science 318, 754-755 (2007). [Summary] [Full Text]


Over the last decade a wide range of publish/subscribe (pub/sub) systems have come out of the research community. However, there is little consensus on a common pub/sub API, which would facilitate innovation, encourage application building, and simplify the evaluation of existing prototypes. Industry pub/sub standards tend to be overly complex, technology-centric, and hard to extend, thus limiting their applicability in research systems.
 In this paper we propose a common API for pub/sub that is tailored towards research requirements. The API supports three levels of compliance (with optional extensions): the lowest level specifies abstract operations without prescribing an implementation or data model; medium compliance describes interactions using a light-weight XML-RPC mechanism; finally, the highest level of compliance enforces an XML-RPC data model, enabling systems to understand each other's event and subscription semantics. We show that, by following this flexible approach with emphasis on extensibility, our API can be supported by many prototype systems with little effort.


Understanding both the dynamics of volatility as well as the shape of the distribution of returns conditional on the volatility state are important for many financial applications. A simple single-factor SV model appears to be sufficient to capture most of the dynamics; it is the shape of the conditional distribution that is the problem. This paper examines the idea of modeling this distribution as a discrete mixture of normals. The flexibility of this class of distributions provides a transparent look into the tails of the returns distribution. Model diagnostics suggest that the model, SV-mix, does a good job of capturing the salient features of the data. In a direct comparison against several affine-jump models, SV-mix is strongly preferred by Akaike and Schwarz information criteria.


Abstract
Aim: To observe the changes in cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and GABAA receptor subunit α1 in amygdala-kindled pharmacoresistant epileptic rats subjected to hippocampal low-frequency stimulation (Hip-LFS).
Methods: A total of sixteen pharmacoresistant epileptic rats were selected from fifty rats with amygdalakindled epilepsy by testing their seizure response to phenytoin (PHT) and phenobarbital (PB). The pharmacoresistant epileptic rats were assigned to a pharmacoresistant control group (PRC group) or a pharmacoresistant stimulation group (PRS group), each of which included 8 rats. The same number of pharmacosensitive epileptic rats was assigned to a pharmacosensitive control group (PSC group, 8 rats). A normal rat control (NRC) group of 8 rats was also used in the study. A stimulation electrode was implanted in the hippocampus of each rat from each of the four groups. Hip-LFS was administered to the PRS group twice per day for 2 weeks. The other three groups only received hippocampal sham stimulation. Following 2 weeks of Hip- LFS, seizure degree and amygdala EEG were recorded. The levels of CREB protein and GABAA receptor subunit α1 in the hippocampal tissues were measured by a Western blot.
Results:The CREB level increased remarkably and the GABAA receptor subunit α1 level decreased in the pharmacoresistant epileptic rats compared with the control. Following two weeks of Hip-LFS, stimulation-induced seizures and amygdala EEG were inhibited significantly. The CREB and p-CREB level decreased significantly in the PRS group compared with the PRC group. However, the GABAA α1 subunit level in the PRS group increased dramatically compared with that in the PRC group.
Conclusions: Hip-LFS might increase the expression of the GABAA α1 subunit and decrease the level of CREB. The Hip-LFS-induced increase in the level of the GABAA receptor α1 subunit might be associated with the decreases in CREB and p-CREB in the treatment of amygdala-kindled pharmacoresistant epileptic rats.


Background: Mikulicz's disease (MD) has been considered as one manifestation of Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Recently, it has also been considered as an IgG4-related disorder. Objective: To determine the differences between IgG4-related disorders including MD and SS. Methods: A study was undertaken to investigate patients with MD and IgG4-related disorders registered in Japan and to set up provisional criteria for the new clinical entity IgG4-positive multiorgan lymphoproliferative syndrome (IgG4+MOLPS). The preliminary diagnostic criteria include raised serum levels of IgG4 (>135 mg/dl) and infiltration of IgG4+ plasma cells in the tissue (IgG4+/IgG+ plasma cells >50%) with fibrosis or sclerosis. The clinical features, laboratory data and pathologies of 64 patients with IgG4+MOLPS and 31 patients with typical SS were compared. Results: The incidence of xerostomia, xerophthalmia and arthralgia, rheumatoid factor and antinuclear, antiSS-A/Ro and antiSS-B/La antibodies was significantly lower in patients with IgG4+MOLPS than in those with typical SS. Allergic rhinitis and autoimmune pancreatitis were significantly more frequent and total IgG, IgG2, IgG4 and IgE levels were significantly increased in IgG4+MOLPS. Histological specimens from patients with IgG4+MOLPS revealed marked IgG4+ plasma cell infiltration. Many patients with IgG4+MOLPS had lymphocytic follicle formation, but lymphoepithelial lesions were rare. Few IgG4+ cells were seen in the tissue of patients with typical SS. Thirty-eight patients with IgG4+MOLPS treated with glucocorticoids showed marked clinical improvement. Conclusion: Despite similarities in the involved organs, there are considerable clinical and pathological differences between IgG4+MOLPS and SS. Based on the clinical features and good response to glucocorticoids, we propose a new clinical entity: IgG4+MOLPS.


The African development question has a long pedigree and is a complex debate that no single scholar or author can effectively capture all the details in one breath. Situating the concept of development within the global context has generated a pocket of conferences, seminars, symposia, books, journals, articles, essays, etc; but the development question still remains with us, especially, people of the Third World countries. The dynamics of development in Nigeria in particular seems to be the most widely-debated topic among academics, researchers, policymakers, activists, students, professionals, etc, not only in the country but also abroad and different factors have been noted to be responsible for the underdevelopment. While some scholars or authors look at the issue of development in Nigeria from the perspectives of factors such as imperialism or colonialism and neo-colonialism, others look at it from the perspective of factors such as wars and conflicts. This paper seeks to address the issue of development in Nigeria from the standpoint of the havoc which the existence of tax havens has wrecked on the economy so far. Tax havens are located in well-known locations worldwide and are not as hidden as they may seem to be. Tax haven countries offer foreign investors very low tax rates and other tax features designed to attract investment and thereby stimulate economic activity in their own country, but most times to the detriment of the investors' countries. Rising volumes of international investment contribute to the growing importance of tax havens, which in turn has exposed tax havens' activities to greater scrutiny and has prompted a number of policy responses in higher-tax countries, this is not to mention the fact that the Third World countries are equally frowning at the activities of these tax havens. Furthermore, the paper aims to examine how much of Nigeria's assets and wealth which could have been used to develop the nation to an enviable standard are hidden away in these tax haven countries which may and may never be recovered. On a final note, the paper will examine the various means by which the existence of tax havens has stunted economic growth in Nigeria.


The natural water temperature regime represents a key factor of the abiotic environment in rivers. Today, this factor is often modified by anthropogenic influence. Thermal changes were shown to have an effect on benthic invertebrates in various laboratory studies. In spite of these conditions, until now temperature has rarely been evaluated in detail in surveys on the ecological quality in rivers. Furthermore, the question whether temperature-sensitive taxa could function as indicators for thermal conditions has not yet been studied.
In the first chapter of the present thesis the thermal regime of two river-types was characterised with the objective to test if significant temperature parameters for a thermal assessment can be identified. In small- and mid-sized rivers in the Lower Mountain Range of Western Germany temperature data was continuously recorded for at least a one-year period up to three years, and environmental conditions were assessed: Concerning spring- and summer temperatures, the small- and mid-sized rivers differed significantly. Daily temperature variation differed in winter and early spring, whereas the maximum amplitudes revealed a similar range in both types. Main determinants for temperature characteristics were river-size and channel morphology, and, concerning only small-sized rivers, vegetation cover. Rivers, not grouping into the corresponding river-type by cluster analysis on thermal variables, with temperature characteristics modified by anthropogenic and groundwater influence, were excluded and temperature ranges were suggested for a thermal typology.
In the second chapter, a river with an artificially changed temperature regime was analysed, and the effects on the development of two benthic species was observed. The temperature regime of the Lenne river is influenced by cold water originating from a tributary with hypolimnic water of an impoundment, and, further downstream, influenced by warm water originating from a power station. Hypolimnic water and the effluent of the power station caused a decrease respectively increase of more than 10% in temperature measured in degree-days over a one-year period. The main thermal change by the hypolimnic water was restricted to summer, depressing temperatures and decreasing thermal variability. The power station increased thermal variability and elevated the temperature throughout the year. Hydropsyche siltalai and Hydropsyche incognita developed slower downstream from the hypolimnic confluence, whereas the development did not change downstream from the effluent of the power station.
In the third chapter, variation in the invertebrate community of the two rivers types (see first chapter) was related to temperature, the significance of temperature was compared with other environmental factors, and species related to the thermal environment were identified. The data was analysed using multivariate techniques. The EPTC-community was changing primarily along the thermal gradient of small- and mid-sized rivers. Up to 29% of the variability in the EPTC-community could be explained by summer temperature in the data set for both river-types as well as only for small-sized rivers. Other environmental variables explaining a smaller, but significant part of the variability in species distribution were conductivity, substrate type, and amount of local riparian forest. In mid-sized rivers, temperature showed to be less important for the faunal composition. Taxa found to be correlated with temperature were identified, and a comparison with autecological data revealed that a great part of the taxa (most Plecoptera and some Ephemeroptera) corroborate observations made in laboratory studies concerning thermal adaptations.
In this thesis, a methodical approach is shown to distinguish different river types by their characteristical thermal parameters. Furthermore, the research resulted in showing, that it is possible to identify potential indicator taxa for thermal conditions within river-types.


Atypicalities in the development of regions within the core and extended face-processing network have been implicated in the development of social symptoms for individuals with autism (Schultz, 2005; Scherf et al., 2014). As a result, the functional organization among these regions may also be impacted. Uddin, Supekar, & Menon (2013) proposed a developmental model, suggesting that adolescence may be a time of functional under-connectivity in neural networks of individuals with autism. To investigate whether the face-processing network exhibits such functional under-connectivity in autism, the current study examined functional connectivity within the face processing networks of 14 adolescents with high functioning autism (HFA) and 14 typically developing (TD) adolescents (13 to 18 years). The fMRI task consisted of a 1-back memory task while viewing multiple visual categories including: human faces, animal faces, and common objects. Regions in the face-processing network were defined at the group level separately for TDs and HFAs, and then fit to each participant's individual activation. For connectivity, the best-fit model for the 12 regions was assessed for each group separately using unified structural equation modeling. We computed graph theory metrics based on the connection weights for each individual participant. The HFA adolescents had significantly higher clustering coefficients and global efficiency (p < .05), denoting more direct connections between regions. Following this, there was also a trend for the HFA group to have a greater number of edges or connections between regions. These results suggest that task-related functional connectivity between individual regions in the face-processing network of HFA adolescents is largely over-connected compared to TD adolescents. These results converge with our additional findings that TD adults with weaker face recognition abilities also have over-connected networks compared to those with stronger abilities. Together, these findings suggest that over-connected, redundant networks may interfere with proficient face-recognition behavior. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


This paper shows new resutls of our artificial evolution algorithm for positron emission tomography (PET) reconstruction. This imaging technique produces datasets corresponding to the concentration of positron emitters within the patient. Fully three-dimensional (3D) tomographic reconstruction requires high computing power and leads to many challenges. Our aim is to produce high quality datasets in a time that is clinically acceptable. Our method is based on a co-evolution strategy called the "Fly algorithm". Each fly represents a point in space and mimics a positron emitter. Each fly position is progressively optimised using evolutionary computing to closely match the data measured by the imaging system. The performance of each fly is assessed based on its positive or negative contribution to the performance of the whole population. The final population of flies approximates the radioactivity concentration. This approach has shown promising results on numerical phantom models. The size of objects and their relative concentrations can be calculated in two-dimensional (2D) space. In 3D, complex shapes can be reconstructed. In this paper, we demonstrate the ability of the algorithm to fidely reconstruct more anatomically realistic volumes.