Transpose-and-Cache Branch-and-Bound (TCBB) has shown promise in solving large single machine quadratic penalty problems. There exist other classes of single machine job sequencing problems which are of more practical importance and which are also of considerable interest in the area of AI search. In the weighted earliness tardiness problem (WET), the best known heuristic estimate is not consistent; this is contrary to the general belief about relaxation-based heuristic. In the quadratic penalty problem involving setup times (SQP) of jobs, the evaluation function is non-order-preserving In this paper, we present the TCBB scheme to solve these problems as well. Experiments indicate that (i) for the WET problem, the TCBB scheme is highly effective in solving large problem instances and (ii) for the SQP problem, it can solve larger instances than algorithm GREC in a given available memory.


1. The presence of an acidosis in dogs with experimental uranium nephritis is demonstrable by the Van Slyke-Stillman-Cullen method and that of Marriott. It is detected more readily by the former method. 2. This acidosis is associated with increase in the blood urea and plasma chlorides and with the appearance of albumin and casts in the urine. 3. The oral administration of sodium bicarbonate diminishes the acidosis, the increase in plasma chlorides, the amount of albumin and casts in the urine, and, to a lesser degree, the increase in the blood urea following the administration of uranium. It also diminishes the severity of the changes produced by uranium in the kidneys. 4. The oral administration of sodium bicarbonate to normal dogs raises the carbon dioxide content of the plasma as determined by the. Van Slyke-Stillman-Cullen method.


We report on the successful fabrication of stretchable microsupercapacitor (MSC) arrays on a deformable polymer substrate that exhibits high electrochemical performance even under mechanical deformation such as bending, twisting, and uniaxial strain of up to 40%. We designed the deformable substrate to minimize the strain on MSCs by adopting a heterogeneous structure consisting of stiff PDMS islands (on which MSCs are attached) and a soft thin film (mixture of Ecoflex and PDMS) between neighboring PDMS islands. Finite element method analysis of strain distribution showed that an almost negligible strain of 0.47% existed on the PDMS islands but a concentrated strain of 107% was present on the soft thin film area under a uniaxial strain of 40%. The use of an embedded interconnection of the liquid metal Galinstan helped simplify the fabrication and provided mechanical stability under deformation. Furthermore, double-sided integration of MSCs increased the capacitance to twice that of MSCs on a conventional planar deformable substrate. In this study, planar-type MSCs with layer-by-layer assembled hybrid thin film electrodes of MWNT/Mn3O4 and PVA-H3PO4 electrolyte were fabricated; when they are integrated into a circuit, these MSCs increase the output voltage beyond the potential of the electrolyte used. Therefore, various LEDs that require high voltages can be operated under a high uniaxial strain of 40% without any decrease in their brightness. The results obtained in this study demonstrate the high potential of our stretchable MSC arrays for their application as embedded stretchable energy storage devices in bioimplantable and future wearable nanoelectronics.


We study the empirical strategies that humans follow as they teach a target concept with a simple 1D threshold to a robot.1 Previous studies of computational teaching, particularly the teaching dimension model and the curriculum learning principle, offer contradictory predictions on what optimal strategy the teacher should follow in this teaching task. We show through behavioral studies that humans employ three distinct teaching strategies, one of which is consistent with the curriculum learning principle, and propose a novel theoretical framework as a potential explanation for this strategy. This framework, which assumes a teaching goal of minimizing the learner's expected generalization error at each iteration, extends the standard teaching dimension model and offers a theoretical justification for curriculum learning.


Based on a comprehensive sample of 1,641 funds, this article investigates the performance of private equity funds of funds versus direct fund investments. On a risk-adjusted basis, funds of funds outperform the aggregated direct funds. When separated into categories such as buyout, venture, and fund of funds, buyout funds exhibit the most attractive risk–return profile. Analyzing how fund performance depends on macroeconomic variables, direct funds generate pro-cyclical returns: Returns increase with high public market performance and economic growth as well as declining corporate bond yields. For funds of funds, we cannot observe such a pattern.


In this study the relationship between facial directional asymmetry and extreme handedness was investigated in 72 (35 left-handed and 37 right-handed) Turkish males and 76 (39 lefthanded and 37 right-handed) females, a total of 148 university students. Asymmetry was determined on the digital photographs of the participants, taken from the front. Handedness was assessed via the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory. Subjects with scores of +100 were designated as extreme right-handers, and participants with scores of -100 were designed as extreme left-handers. The results of the study indicate that in right-handed individuals linear dimensions from the left side were greater when compared with those taken from the right side. In left-handed subjects right dimensions were greater when compared with the left side. However, the difference between the sides was more prominent in right-handed individuals. While significant difference was observed between right and left-handed individuals related with composite directional asymmetry no significant difference was observed between the two sexes. In conclusion, extreme handedness may affect the level of directional facial asymmetry, and this may be caused by the asymmetrical development of the cerebral hemispheres.


Objective. Acute allergic reactions are important causes of Emergency Department (ED) admissions. Although the current recommendations for treatment of patients with anaphylaxis are focused on the central role of adrenaline, evidence in support of this therapy is still scarce. We planned a retrospective analysis of all allergic and anaphylactic reactions managed in the ED, to assess adherence to current guidelines and clinical outcomes.Methods. The study population consisted of all consecutive adult patients admitted to the ED with acute allergic reactions during the year 2013. Overall, the final study population consisted of 589 patients, i.e., 329 women and 260 men (55.9% vs. 44.1%, mean age 43±18 years, range 16-96 years).Results. Fifty-six patients were diagnosed with anaphylaxis (9.5%), 75 with angioedema (12.7%), 363 with urticaria (61.7%), and 95 with urticaria-angioedema (16.1%). The triggers included drugs (21.9%), foods (15.0%), hymenoptera stings (9.9%), and chemicals (4.4%), whereas a specific cause could not be recognized in nearly half of the cases. Only 5 (8.9%) of 56 patients diagnosed with anaphylaxis received adrenaline and no death or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission occurred within one month from the acute allergic episode.Conclusion. The results of our study suggest that anaphylaxis is widely undertreated with adrenaline in our local ED compared to guidelines and recommendations. Nevertheless, a favorable outcome was recorded for all patients included in the study, even when managed with second- and third-line treatments, as attested by the lack of deaths at 1 month and the very limited number of hospitalizations (3/589; 0.5%), related to comorbidities rather than to treatment failure. The strength of recommendations contained in current guidelines should hence be reconsidered.


Aberrant methylation of CpG islands (CGIs) is associated with transcriptional silencing of key tumour suppressor genes in cancer and is a frequent epigenetic event in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The methylation status of 24 CGIs in a retrospective group of 142 EOCs and 16 non-tumour adjacent tissues were analysed using methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and Combined Bisulphite Restriction Analysis (COBRA) methods. CGI methylation of at least one of these loci was a frequent event in both early (78%) and late stage (60%) disease. A group of loci were identified as being methylated in 64% of early stage tumours (CGIs linked to the OPCML, RASSFIA and HIC1genes). The HIC1 CGI was frequently methylated in matched non-tumour adjacent tissues, but not in normal ovarian surface epithelium, potentially representing an early epigenetic event in the carcinogenic process present even before apparent morphological change.

Differential methylation hybridisation (DMH) of a 12K CGI microarray using ovarian cell lines identified methylation of a CGI located at the LMX1A gene. This CGI was shown by MSP to be a potential early epigenetic marker methylated in 75% of early stage ovarian tumours. 87.5% of the early stage tumours examined were methylated in at least one of four loci (LMX1A, OPCML, RASSFIA or HIC1). The clinical application of this group of methylated CGIs was examined in matched plasma from chemonaive patients with EOC for similar methylation changes. Methylation of LMX1A was detected in 43.3% of all plasma samples and in 48.2% of those patients with methylated LMXIA in their tumour. When methylation was detected in plasma, it was always detectable in the corresponding tumour. Therefore, detection of LMX1A methylation in plasma has a sensitivity of 48.2% and a specificity of 100%.


The Intelligent Systems Series comprises titles that present state of the art knowledge and the latest advances in intelligent systems. Its scope includes theoretical studies, design methods, and real-world implementations and applications. Traditionally, Intelligence and Security Informatics (ISI) research and applications have focused on information sharing and data mining, social network analysis, infrastructure protection and emergency responses for security informatics. With the continuous advance of IT technologies and the increasing sophistication of national and international security, in recent years, new directions in ISI research and applications have emerged to address complicated problems with advanced technologies. This book provides a comprehensive and interdisciplinary account of the new advances in ISI area along three fundamental dimensions: methodological issues in security informatics; new technological developments to support security-related modeling, detection, analysis and prediction; and applications and integration in interdisciplinary socio-cultural fields. Identifies emerging directions in ISI research and applications that address the research challenges with advanced technologies Provides an integrated account of the new advances in ISI field in three core aspects: methodology, technological developments and applications Benefits researchers as well as security professionals who are involved in cutting-edge research and applications in security informatics and related fields


Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) is being considered as a therapeutic candidate for Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment but the clinical application is hindered by its potent pro-nociceptive activity. Thus, to reduce systemic exposure that would induce pain, in recent clinical studies NGF was administered through an invasive intracerebral gene-therapy approach. Our group demonstrated the feasibility of a non-invasive intranasal delivery of NGF in a mouse model of neurodegeneration. NGF therapeutic window could be further increased if its nociceptive effects could be avoided altogether. In this study we exploit forms of NGF, mutated at residue R100, inspired by the human genetic disease HSAN V (Hereditary Sensory Autonomic Neuropathy Type V), which would allow increasing the dose of NGF without triggering pain. We show that "painless" hNGF displays full neurotrophic and anti-amyloidogenic activities in neuronal cultures, and a reduced nociceptive activity in vivo. When administered intranasally to APPxPS1 mice ( n = 8), hNGFP61S/R100E prevents the progress of neurodegeneration and of behavioral deficits. These results demonstrate the in vivo neuroprotective and anti-amyloidogenic properties of hNGFR100 mutants and provide a rational basis for the development of "painless" hNGF variants as a new generation of therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases.


Nitrogen emissions and atmospheric deposition are globally significant with the potential to alter ecosystem nutrient balance, provoking changes in vegetation composition. Shifts in plant biochemistry are good indicators of nitrogen pollution and have been used to monitor vegetation health. Fourier transform‐infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy has previously been shown to be a rapid and relatively inexpensive method for evaluating leaf biochemistry. In the present study, FT‐IR spectra were collected from Galium saxatile samples taken from sites across the United Kingdom. Spectral changes in the tissue samples were correlated with a gradient of N deposition using partial least squares regression analysis. We show that FT‐IR analysis of G. saxatile leaf tissue is an effective way to evaluate nitrogen deposition across the entire UK landscape.


Computerized testing is rapidly becoming pragmatic in admissions, licensure and certification, education placement, and guidance settings. This testing method offers many practical advantages to examinees, such as frequently available administration, instantaneous scoring and reporting, and greater test reliability (Bennett, Steffen, Singley, & Morley, 1997). In addition, computerized testing allows quick and easy item analyses, which in educational practice can serve to improve and guide instruction, evaluate items, and improve the properties of the overall test (Hsu & Yu, 1989). However, the arguably main benefit of computerized testing is one that often goes unsaid: money. In contexts where the training of the raters is very extensive, and the number of examinees to score is large, the use of expert raters may be extremely expensive if not impossible (Clauser, Margolis, Clyman, & Ross, 1997). Yet, in computerized testing we still have the same problem traditionally associated with paper-and-pencil testing, that is, limitations in the use of item formats. Despite the fact that multiple-choice (MC) items are the most frequently used in computerized testing they still carry with them the same "baggage" of criticisms that they receive in paper-and-pencil-based situations. The main problem with MC items is their tendency to test mainly at the knowledge level of the cognitive domain (Putnam, 1992). In addition, MC items can be quite susceptible to guessing and testwiseness strategies (Towns & Robinson, 1993; Rogers & Yang, 1996). Braswell & Kupin (1993) also note that although MC items are reliable indicators of examinee ability and achievement, complementary formats can provide a more appropriate target for instruction. In response to these criticisms of MC items, many test constructors have been using the power of computerized testing to create new types of "hybrid" computer scorable MC items which were not previously possible in the traditional paper-and-pencil setting. Many open-ended response type items have now been incorporated into computer-administered tests because they can now be scored automatically by using computer algorithms. Some of the best examples of these are the "mathematical-expression" item used by the Educational Testing Service for use on the Graduate Records Exam (Bennett et al., 1997), "computerized long-menu" items (Schuwirth, Van de Vleuten, Stoffers, & Peperkamp, 1996), and "automated scoring algorithms for complex assessments" under development by the National Board of Medical Examiners (Clauser et al., 1997). In addition, positive results have been reported for computer scoring of essays (Page & Petersen, 1995), assessment of architectural problem solving (Bejar, 1991), computer programming (Braun, Bennett, Frye, & Soloway, 1990), and hypothesis formation (Kaplan & Bennett, 1994). However, to date, most of these items are still prototypes under development. The Student Evaluation Branch of Alberta Education has responded to the criticisms of MC items by developing a number of computer-scorable item formats. The first stage of this development was the numerical-response (NR) item format, a format which requires the examinee to produce a numeric answer, and record this answer in a numeric field rather than simply choosing the correct answer from a list of alternatives. This information is then scanned, and the recorded value is computer scored by comparing the value recorded by the student to the computer's key. The fact that examinees are required to recall as opposed to recognize the correct answer drastically reduces the biases due to testwiseness (Towns & Robinson, 1993). Furthermore, the chances of guessing the correct answer is essentially zero, thus effectively reducing two of the main concerns associated with MC items. Currently, this format is being used for a wide range of question types with calculation based sequencing and matching items being the most common. …


The consequence of elevated oxidative stress on exercising skeletal muscle blood flow as well as the transport and utilization of O2 in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is not well understood. The present study examined the impact of an oral antioxidant cocktail (AOC) on leg blood flow (LBF) and O2 consumption during dynamic exercise in 16 patients with COPD and 16 healthy subjects. Subjects performed submaximal (3, 6, and 9 W) single-leg knee extensor exercise while LBF (Doppler ultrasound), mean arterial blood pressure, leg vascular conductance, arterial O2 saturation, leg arterial-venous O2 difference, and leg O2 consumption (direct Fick) were evaluated under control conditions and after AOC administration. AOC administration increased LBF (3 W: 1,604 ± 100 vs. 1,798 ± 128 ml/min, 6 W: 1,832 ± 109 vs. 1,992 ± 120 ml/min, and 9W: 2,035 ± 114 vs. 2,187 ± 136 ml/min, P < 0.05, control vs. AOC, respectively), leg vascular conductance, and leg O2 consumption (3 W: 173 ± 12 vs. 210 ± 15 ml O2/min, 6 W: 217 ± 14 vs. 237 ± 15 ml O2/min, and 9 W: 244 ± 16 vs 260 ± 18 ml O2/min, P < 0.05, control vs. AOC, respectively) during exercise in COPD, whereas no effect was observed in healthy subjects. In addition, the AOC afforded a small, but significant, improvement in arterial O2 saturation only in patients with COPD. Thus, these data demonstrate a novel beneficial role of AOC administration on exercising LBF, O2 consumption, and arterial O2 saturation in patients with COPD, implicating oxidative stress as a potential therapeutic target for impaired exercise capacity in this population.


Monitoring of motor symptom fluctuations in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients is currently performed through the subjective self-assessment of patients. Clinicians require reliable information about a fluctuation's occurrence to enable a precise treatment rescheduling and dosing adjustment. In this review, we analyzed the utilization of sensors for identifying motor fluctuations in PD patients and the application of machine learning techniques to detect fluctuations. The review process followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Ten studies were included between January 2010 and March 2021, and their main characteristics and results were assessed and documented. Five studies utilized daily activities to collect the data, four used concrete scenarios executing specific activities to gather the data, and only one utilized a combination of both situations. The accuracy for classification was 83.56–96.77%. In the studies evaluated, it was not possible to find a standard cleaning protocol for the signal captured, and there is significant heterogeneity in the models utilized and in the different features introduced in the models (using spatiotemporal characteristics, frequential characteristics, or both). The two most influential factors in the good performance of the classification problem are the type of features utilized and the type of model.


We present a generic analysis approach to the imperative relationship update problem, in which destructive updates temporarily violate a global invariant of interest. Such invariants can be conveniently and concisely specified with dependent refinement types, which are efficient to check flow-insensitively. Unfortunately, while traditional flow-insensitive type checking is fast, it is inapplicable when the desired invariants can be temporarily broken. To overcome this limitation, past works have directly ratcheted up the complexity of the type analysis and associated type invariants, leading to inefficient analysis and verbose specifications. In contrast, we propose a generic lifting of modular refinement type analyses with a symbolic analysis to efficiently and effectively check concise invariants that hold almost everywhere. The result is an efficient, highly modular flow-insensitive type analysis to optimistically check the preservation of global relationship invariants that can fall back to a precise, disjunctive symbolic analysis when the optimistic assumption is violated. This technique permits programmers to temporarily break and then re-establish relationship invariants--a flexibility that is crucial for checking relationships in real-world, imperative languages. A significant challenge is selectively violating the global type consistency invariant over heap locations, which we achieve via almost type-consistent heaps. To evaluate our approach, we have encoded the problem of verifying the safety of reflective method calls in dynamic languages as a refinement type checking problem. Our analysis is capable of validating reflective call safety at interactive speeds on commonly-used Objective-C libraries and applications.


Abstract Renesting decisions and annual fecundity are crucial for interpreting other demographic information, yet are infrequently reported. We used radiotelemetry to monitor female Dickcissels (Spiza americana) throughout the 1999 and 2000 breeding seasons in southeastern Illinois. Overall fecundity (regardless of whether females remained in the study area throughout the breeding season) was 0.61 ± 0.13 female fledglings per year. Of females that remained within the study area, 94% fledged young (1.25 ± 0.15 female fledglings per year). Most females (62%) that experienced nest failure emigrated from the study area (moved >10 km) in 2.8 ± 0.6 days; others (36%) initiated subsequent nests in 8.5 ± 0.8 days. After fledging ≥1 young, 95% of females ceased breeding for the season. Successful and failed nest sites were indistinguishable on the basis of vegetative characteristics. Moreover, replacement nests had similar vegetative characteristics and were similar distances from habitat edges, compared with initial nests, which suggests that female Dickcissels do not or cannot "improve" nest-site characteristics in response to nest failure. We observed two behaviors unusual in female Dickcissels: one bird that fledged two broods in one season, and the return of five females banded in 1999 to the study site in 2000.


AIMS
In patients with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT), implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shocks are sometimes ineffective and may even trigger fatal electrical storms. We assessed the efficacy and complications of ICDs placed in patients with CPVT who presented with a sentinel event of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) while undiagnosed and therefore untreated.

METHODS AND RESULTS
We analysed 136 patients who presented with SCA and in whom CPVT was diagnosed subsequently, leading to the initiation of guideline-directed therapy, including β-blockers, flecainide, and/or left cardiac sympathetic denervation. An ICD was implanted in 79 patients (58.1%). The primary outcome of the study was sudden cardiac death (SCD). The secondary outcomes were composite outcomes of SCD, SCA, appropriate ICD shocks, and syncope. After a median follow-up of 4.8 years, SCD had occurred in three patients (3.8%) with an ICD and none of the patients without an ICD (P = 0.1). SCD, SCA, or appropriate ICD shocks occurred in 37 patients (46.8%) with an ICD and 9 patients (15.8%) without an ICD (P < 0.0001). Inappropriate ICD shocks occurred in 19 patients (24.7%) and other device-related complications in 22 patients (28.9%).

CONCLUSION
In previously undiagnosed patients with CPVT who presented with SCA, an ICD was not associated with improved survival. Instead, the ICD was associated with both a high rate of appropriate ICD shocks and inappropriate ICD shocks along with other device-related complications. Strict adherence to guideline-directed therapy without an ICD may provide adequate protection in these patients without all the potential disadvantages of an ICD.


1. This document relates to the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill introduced in the Scottish Parliament on 27 September 2004. It has been prepared by the Scottish Executive to satisfy Rule 9.3.3(c) of the Parliament's Standing Orders. The contents are entirely the responsibility of the Scottish Executive and have not been endorsed by the Parliament. Explanatory Notes and other accompanying documents are published separately as SP Bill 25–EN.


Since the first release of modern electric vehicles, researchers and policy makers have shown interest in the deployment and utilization of charging infrastructure. Despite the sheer volume of literature, limited attention has been paid to the characteristics and variance of charging behavior of EV users. In this research, we answer the question: which scientific approaches can help us to understand the dynamics of charging behavior in charging infrastructures, in order to provide recommendations regarding a more effective deployment and utilization of these infrastructures. To do so, we propose a conceptual model for charging infrastructure as a social supply–demand system and apply complex system properties. Using this conceptual model, we estimate the rate complexity, using three developed ratios that relate to the (1) necessity of sharing resources, (2) probabilities of queuing, and (3) cascading impact of transactions on others. Based on a qualitative assessment of these ratios, we propose that public charging infrastructure can be characterized as a complex system. Based on our findings, we provide four recommendations to policy makers for taking efforts to reduce complexity during deployment and measure interactions between EV users using systemic metrics. We further point researchers and policy makers to agent-based simulation models that capture interactions between EV users and the use complex network analysis to reveal weak spots in charging networks or compare the charging infrastructure layouts of across cities worldwide.


A hybrid model for streamflow generation is presented to explore the possibilities of using the multilayer feedforward artificial neural networks (ANNs) as generators of future scenarios, with emphasis on the ability to reproduce the statistics of flows related to drought and storage. The artificial neural network model has two components: deterministic and random. The second part of the model incorporates the uncertainty associated with the hydrological processes. The model is applied to the monthly inflows of Mula irrigation project in Maharashtra, India. A comparison of drought and storage among other statistics was made between the performance of the ANN-based model results and the results of the Thomas–Fiering models. The results show that ANN is a promising alternative modelling approach for flow simulation purposes, with interesting potential in the context of water resources systems management and optimization.


The focus of this thesis is to look at breastfeeding patterns in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa in relation to HIV infected women, who as mothers may, transmit the HIV virus to their child. It seeks to understand in depth the social context of HIV and AIDS in the time of the AIDS pandemic looking at gender culture; powerlessness of women in households in society. These dynamics occurring at such a crucial time and moment of this spiral explosive epidemic reflects a more broader concerted effort to understand and find solutions. This study emerges from a larger research project conducted under the auspices of the Medical Research Council, which was examining the transmission rates of HIV infection in babies born to HIV positive woman for a period of six months, on breastfeeding having given these women nevirapine as well. The study was HIVNET 023, which looked at the use of NVP that was given to breastfed infants in order to reduce MTCT of HIV, Phase 1,11 Study. This work was conducted from 2000 and completed in 2001. This thesis seeks to further explore challenges experienced by these breastfeeding HIV positive women in the public domain (i.e. in the clinics, hospitals as well as in communities), and how these challenges impinge in their daily lives as women. Issues of gender inequality, the social context of culture in the midst of a health crisis, and suggestions for change in the context of clinical practice, make up the bulk of the thesis argument. Breastfeeding Patterns of HIV Positive Mothers in the context of MTCT in KwaZulu-Natal


In order to support the development of complex products, modeling tools and processes need to support co-design of software and hardware in an integrated way. Modelica is the major object-oriented mathematical modeling language for component-oriented modeling of complex physical systems and UML is the dominant graphical modeling notation for software. In this paper we propose ModelicaML UML profile as an integration of Modelica and UML. The profile combines the major UML diagrams with Modelica graphic connection diagrams and is based on the System Modeling Language (SysML) profile.


"Since the 1960s, artworks that involve the participation of the spectator have received extensive scholarly attention. Yet interactive artworks using digital media still present a challenge for academic art history. In this book, Katja Kwastek argues that the particular aesthetic experience enabled by these new media works can open up new perspectives for our understanding of art and media alike. Kwastek, herself an art historian, offers a set of theoretical and methodological tools that are suitable for understanding and analyzing not only new media art but also other contemporary art forms. Addressing both the theoretician and the practitioner, Kwastek provides an introduction to the history and the terminology of interactive art, a theory of the aesthetics of interaction, and exemplary case studies of interactive media art.

Kwastek lays the historical and theoretical groundwork with discussions of processual strategies of twentieth-century art and theories of aesthetic experience, process aesthetics, play, and performance. She then develops an aesthetics of interaction, discussing such aspects as real space and data space, temporal structures, instrumental and phenomenal perspectives, and the relationship between materiality and interpretability. Finally, she applies her theory to specific works of interactive media art, including narratives in virtual and real space, interactive installations, and performance—with case studies of works by Olia Lialina, Susanne Berkenheger, Stefan Schemat, Teri Rueb, Lynn Hershman, Agnes Hegedus, Tmema, David Rokeby, Sonia Cillari, and Blast Theory." -- [flap of the book jacket]


Lucy's life is being made hell by Melanie Prosser and her bullying sidekicks - the present takers - who threaten her every day at school for presents and money. Too ashamed to tell her parents, and too scared to tell her teacher, Lucy finds an unexpected ally in Angus Burns. But when push comes to shove, there's only one thing to do: take on the present takers at their own game, to silence them once and for all.


This paper is based on findings from a longitudinal study of twenty young people who have spent significant periods of time categorised as NEET (not in education, employment or training). Drawing on three years of ethnographic research conducted across two local authorities in the north of England, it focuses on the lived experience of a set of young people as they move between various sites of exclusion and participation in the labour market. Central to the paper are the experiences of three individuals and their attempts to begin work in the retail, care and catering industries.
The paper illustrates a range of tensions between the aspirations of young people and the opportunities open to them. It provides a critical insight into some of the conditions which characterise work on the fringes of the labour market and the inter-play between these and the attitudes, values and dispositions of the young people taking part in the research. The paper's findings challenge popular discourses about young people on the margins of participation and pose questions about the articulation between education, work and training for those seeking to enter the labour market.


All governments today - at the federal, state, and local level - feel the pressure to accomplish more with fewer resources because citizens expect it and are watching to ensure that their taxpayer funds are spent wisely. One answer to the two-prong challenge of spurring more innovation and doing more-for-less is to encourage entrepreneurial leadership and problem solving in government. To that end, this report describes a first-of-its-kind accelerator that teaches governmental employees and law students entrepreneurial problem-solving skillsets and how to apply them to real-world government problems. The program, called the Governmental Entrepreneurial Leadership Accelerator (GELA), explores a new model of governmental problem solving and leadership development.
GELA, a partnership between the City and County of Denver and the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado Boulder, aims to accelerate governmental entrepreneurial leadership. We believe it is the first program of its kind. There are other accelerators for technology entrepreneurship (Techstars), for social entrepreneurship (Unreasonable Institute), and for startup companies with at least one woman on the leadership team (MergeLane). There are also programs that target innovation in how government uses technology (Code for America). To our knowledge, GELA is the only program that combines the startup accelerator approach of a Techstars or MergeLane, which develops entrepreneurial leadership and problem-solving skills, and the problems faced by governments.
Governmental decision making and problem solving often rely on institutional inertia and a top-down managerial approach, making the entire organization less responsive to constituent demands and less innovative. By contrast, startup businesses and entrepreneurs generally embrace innovative solutions that leverage unique insights into action, regardless of where those insights come from. In short, governments tend to operate as a hierarchy; entrepreneurs and startups tend to operate as a network.
The network/hierarchy distinction is a very important one. For starters, it captures the notion that the best idea does not always come from the top, and anyone in the network can challenge status quo thinking as long as they back it up with data, strong reasoning, and a plan for implementation. It also captures what is now called "Joy's Law," named after Sun Microsystems co-founder Bill Joy, and recognizes that "no matter who you are, most of the smartest people work for someone else." In practice, this means that the best networks do not end within an organization but extend outside of it, allowing others to help solve important problems. One element of training entrepreneurial leaders in government is to develop this network mindset.
A second key aspect of entrepreneurial problem solving involves a willingness to experiment. For governmental entities, there is a real barrier to this mindset because of the risk of negative publicity if and when an experiment fails. This status quo bias mirrors the old adage "no one ever got fired for buying IBM." The challenge for governmental leaders is to empower people at all levels to challenge assumptions, innovate, or advocate for change as well as to design experiments to evaluate appropriate changes.
In the entrepreneurial world, problem-solving techniques such as "lean startup" and design-centered thinking provide a framework for developing and testing experimental ideas. For governments, the question of how to think more entrepreneurially when solving problems and build more innovative solutions to pressing policy issues is only starting to be asked by elected officials and agency leaders. For many, the term "entrepreneurial thinking" or "entrepreneurial problem solving" connotes startup companies or at least private sector efforts. In practice, however, the substantive methodology, as well as the mindset, can readily be used in government. The challenge is how to apply an entrepreneurial mindset and skillset to the public sector.
An irony related to governmental resistance to entrepreneurial leadership in is that it can be readily seen in political campaigns, which are themselves a start-up. In political campaigns, entrepreneurial methods and mindsets - notably, a bias towards experimenting with data-driven strategies - are often the norm. Consider, for example, how the 2008 Obama campaign used A/B testing (quick testing of small changes in a website) to increase fundraising numbers in emails. Yet it was the Obama Administration that used the traditional procurement playbook - to terrible ends - when rolling out Healthcare.gov. The challenge, in short, is for governments to embrace the techniques now used to innovate in startup companies, established companies, social enterprises, and political campaigns. This report explains how GELA developed a model to facilitate this very transition.
This report proceeds in five parts. After this Introduction, Part II describes the nuts and bolts of GELA, how it was implemented, and how the program fared. Part III evaluates how GELA can be improved in its next iteration. Part IV explains how other governments can replicate GELA with a civic innovation accelerator model. Part V offers a short conclusion.


Timed automata (TA) have been widely adopted as a suitable formalism to model
time-critical systems. Furthermore, contemporary model-checking tools allow the
designer to check whether a TA complies with a system specification. However,
the exact timing constants are often uncertain during the design phase.
Consequently, the designer is often able to build a TA with a correct
structure, however, the timing constants need to be tuned to satisfy the
specification. Moreover, even if the TA initially satisfies the specification,
it can be the case that just a slight perturbation during the implementation
causes a violation of the specification. Unfortunately, model-checking tools
are usually not able to provide any reasonable guidance on how to fix the model
in such situations. In this paper, we propose several concepts and techniques
to cope with the above mentioned design phase issues when dealing with
reachability and safety specifications.


Protein-protein interaction networks provide a global picture of cellular function and
biological processes. Some proteins act as hub proteins, highly connected to others, whereas some others have few interactions. The dysfunction of a single highly connected interactor can cause widespread disruption of cellular processors including diseases and cancer. Therefore, detailed study of the interactions made by cancer-related proteins will help explain their role in the interaction networks. The investigation of proteins by mass spectrometry (MS) has provided unique opportunities to gain insight into the dynamics of these proteins at the molecular level. MS uses mass
analysis for protein characterization, and is currently the most comprehensive and versatile tool in proteomics. MS can provide confirmation of protein samples of interest, accurate molecular mass measurements of proteins, purity of protein samples, detection of posttranslational modifications, and more recently, interactions between two or more proteins. The conventional way of investigating the structure of proteins involves nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) or X-ray crystallography. Compared to MS these methods are time consuming methods and, furthermore, require a considerable amount of protein. MS has proved to be useful in this regard as it provides insights into the structural arrangement of proteins, and/or their interacting partners, without the need for crystalliastion or the tedious process of backbone assignment before structural and functional annotations can be attributed to the protein of interest. However, in many cases, conventional methods are used parallel to MS to serve as validation of the MS data. The broad objective of this MSc study was to provide structural and functional insights into the function of Retinoblastoma Binding Protein-6 (RBBP6), using a MS approach. The aims were twofold: 1) to investigate metal ion binding by RING (Really Interesting New Gene) finger domains from RBBP6, and 2) to investigate the in vitro interaction between RBBP6 and Hsp 70(Heat Shock Protein 70), and between RBBP6 and Murine Double Minute-2 (Mdm2).


The class of steroid-like compounds designated cardiac glycosides includes well-known drugs such as digoxin, digitoxin, and ouabain. Their continued efficacy in treatment of congestive heart failure and as anti-arrhythmic agents is well appreciated. Less well known, however, is the emerging role of this category of compounds in the prevention and/or treatment of proliferative diseases such as cancer. New findings within the past five years have revealed these compounds to be involved in complex cell-signal transduction mechanisms, resulting in selective control of human tumor but not normal cellular proliferation. As such, they represent a promising form of targeted cancer chemotherapy. New clinical studies of their anticancer potential as single or adjuvant treatments may provide insight into these potentially valuable therapeutic options. This review focuses on recent findings on cellular pharmacology of cardiac glycosides as they relate to treatment of human cancer and attempts to explain why these agents have been overlooked in the past.


Polar and electromechanical properties of ferroelectric thin films including polarization domain formation and switching under the influence of flexoelectric effect, surface charges, and chemical strains have been studied using the phenomenological Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire theory. The effects are inherent to a thin single-crystalline ferroelectric film containing lattice defects and were studied both separately and in competition with one another to determine their exclusive impacts as well as their interplay in the investigated system.

Ferroelectric films of barium titanate, lead titanate, and lead zirconate-titanate are best characterized, having the predictable behaviour at domain formation and polarization switching and possess the fullest set of measured parametric coefficients to use in phenomenological model in this thesis. Their behaviour is modelled with the inclusion of flexoelectricity, an electromechanical effect connecting polar properties with strain gradient, charges at the film surface, formed from surface states or a non-ideal electrode, and chemical strains resulting from inclusion of defects into the crystal lattice.

The first chapter gives an overview of ferroelectric research, applications, and challenges, as well as explains the origin and working principles of the effects of interest. Ferroelectrics are intensively studied materials that are invisibly omnipresent in modern electronic technology. Their phenomenological study is set to move forward the understanding of processes taking place in these substances. Previous experimental and theoretical works support the statement that the effects of interest indeed have influence upon solid-state substances, and particularly upon ferroelectrics. This study helps to understand how these effects can be represented in phenomenological models and most importantly, how they interact with each other.

The second chapter describes the theoretical background of this study. It is shown how properties of ferroelectrics are expressed through thermodynamic potentials and incorporated into the framework of the Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire theory. All relevant effects taking place in the ferroelectric film are incorporated into the theoretical model, including ferroelastic properties and semiconductor properties, expressed via electromechanical and electrostatic terms, respectively. Among these properties, the effects of interest are introduced and underlined. A part of the chapter explains the basic principle of the finite-element method used in the modelling software to perform calculations with given precision.

The third chapter is dedicated to the specific problems studied in this thesis. The sections of the chapter follow this division, focusing first on the flexoelectric impact on the static and dynamic characteristics of the samples, then the surface charges influence on domain formation and switching dynamics, and finally the defect-driven chemical strains impacting domain properties of the ferroelectric in a competition with the two other mechanisms. The specific problems are first stated being followed by the publications where the investigations were made.

The fourth chapter discusses the results and makes conclusions on the contributions of each considered effect into the domain formation process and parameters and/or ferroelectric switching dynamics. The tunability of parameters and the prospects of usage and processing of ferroelectric films are discussed.

The final chapter gives an overview of the related scientific problems that may be addressed using methods or results described in the current work.


Hydrotreating of vegetable oils or animal fats is an alternative process to esterification for producing biobased diesel fuels. Hydrotreated products are also called renewable diesel fuels. Hydrotreated vegetable oils (HVO) do not have the detrimental effects of ester-type biodiesel fuels, like increased NO x emission, deposit formation, storage stability problems, more rapid aging of engine oil or poor cold properties. HVOs are straight chain paraffinic hydrocarbons that are free of aromatics, oxygen and sulfur and have high cetane numbers. In this paper, NO x ‐ particulate emission trade-off and NO x ‐ fuel consumption trade-off are studied using different fuel injection timings in a turbocharged charge air cooled common rail heavy duty diesel engine. Tested fuels were sulfur free diesel fuel, neat HVO, and a 30% HVO + 70% diesel fuel blend. The study shows that there is potential for optimizing engine settings together with enhanced fuel composition. HVO could be used in optimized low emission diesel power trains in captive fleet applications like city buses, indoor fork-lift trucks, or mine vehicles.


A factor of safety method for quantitative estimates of grid-spacing and time-step uncertainties for solution verification is developed. It removes the two deficiencies of the grid convergence index and correction factor methods, namely, unreasonably small uncertainty when the estimated order of accuracy using the Richardson extrapolation method is greater than the theoretical order of accuracy and lack of statistical evidence that the interval of uncertainty at the 95% confidence level bounds the comparison error. Different error estimates are evaluated using the effectivity index. The uncertainty estimate builds on the correction factor method, but with significant improvements. The ratio of the estimated order of accuracy and theoretical order of accuracy P instead of the correction factor is used as the distance metric to the asymptotic range. The best error estimate is used to construct the uncertainty estimate. The assumption that the factor of safety is symmetric with respect to the asymptotic range was removed through the use of three instead of two factor of safety coefficients. The factor of safety method is validated using statistical analysis of 25 samples with different sizes based on 17 studies covering fluids, thermal, and structure disciplines. Only the factor of safety method, compared with the grid convergence index and correction factor methods, provides a reliability larger than 95% and a lower confidence limit greater than or equal to 1.2 at the 95% confidence level for the true mean of the parent population of the actual factor of safety. This conclusion is true for different studies, variables, ranges of P values, and single P values where multiple actual factors of safety are available. The number of samples is large and the range of P values is wide such that the factor of safety method is also valid for other applications including results not in the asymptotic range, which is typical in industrial and fluid engineering applications. An example for ship hydrodynamics is provided. DOI: 10.1115/1.4001771


The purpose of Artificial Intelligence is to make computers more useful in solving problematic healthcare challenges and by using computers we can interpret data which is obtained by diagnosis of various chronic diseases like Alzheimer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases and various types of cancers like breast cancer, colon cancer etc. It helps in early detection of various chronic diseases which reduces economic burden and severity of disease. Various automated systems and tools like Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), arterial spin labeling (ASL) imaging, ASL-MRI, biomarkers, iT bra, Natural language processing (NLP)and various algorithms helps to minimize errors and control disease progression. The computer assisted diagnosis, decision support systems, expert systems and implementation of software may assist physicians to minimize the intra and inter-observer variability. To streamline the process of diagnosis artificial intelligence methods specifically artificial neural networks (ANN), Fuzzy approach can be implemented to handle diverse type of medical data. ANN technique discovers the hidden patterns and correlation in medical data and effective in designing support system in clinical field. The application of AI facilitates interpretation of results with high accuracy and speed. This review will explore how artificial intelligence and machine learning can save lives by helping individual patients beat the odds. Some examples of artificial intelligence assisted diagnosis of various diseases are given below.


Term-weighting techniques are responsible for giving a weight for each query term to determine its significance. This term significance is based on the generality or specificity of that term. Traditional weighting models, such as the Inverse Document Frequency (IDF), measure the generality/specificity of terms through document collection statistics. This paper presents a technique that employs the WordNet ontology to determine the significance of query terms without depending on document collection statistics. The experiments are carried out on the WT2g document collection under the Terrier Information Retrieval Platform.


Presently, groundwater conservation has become a very important issue in the world. The attention has been given to groundwater pollution problems. The application of
Information Technology (IT) in the form of an expert system namely GWPES (Groundwater Pollution Expert System) will be able to help in information retrieval and decision support when dealing with groundwater pollution and protection. The
rule base and Graphic User Interface (GUI) of GWPES was developed using wxCLIPS version 1.62 for Personal Computer (PC), version 1.49 for Local Area Network (LAN) system and Authorware 3.5 for developing graphic presentation files. These application softwares also supported the GWPES for the interpretation of some knowledge data bases. The wxCLIPS expert system shell was originally designed by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). The rules
were developed according to the comprehensive groundwater pollution information and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure. The main menu of GWPES consists of six main parts as follows; Introduction, EIA Procedure, Concept,
Prediction, Mitigation and Monitoring. The first three parts help all interested people related to EIA to understand groundwater pollution information and EIA procedure. The next three main parts have been incorporated into an expert system to predict future situation of groundwater [Pollution Vulnerability, Nitrogen Fertiliser Impact and Project Activities Impact], and to propose possible mitigation measures as well as to approach groundwater quality-monitoring plan. Knowledge bases for GWPES have been elicited from domain experts (2 geologists, 1 hydrologist, 1 civil engineering majoring in groundwater, 2 soil scientists and 1 soil & water engineering expert) through interviews, existing established literature, EIA reports and field study. The GWPES has friendly graphical user interface that has been accepted satisfactorily by external domain experts and end-users.


This letter proposes a scheme for the format conversion of on-off keying (OOK) signal to quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) and 16-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (16QAM) signals via cross-phase modulation (XPM) in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA). Theoretical and experimental analyses of the format conversion scheme are conducted to validate its feasibility. The phase changing is obtained because of the XPM in the SOA. The QPSK and 16QAM signals are converted from the OOK signal. The performance of the 10 Gb/s format conversion system is evaluated and discussed. The receiver sensitivities of the converted QPSK and 16QAM signals after detection are -27.25 and -23.5 dBm, respectively, at a bit error rate (BER) of 10-9.


The aim of the study was to collect and analyse the frequency of fruit (fresh, dried, canned and nuts) and vegetable (fresh, tinned, legumes, soya) consumption in the group of 242 respondents aged 19 - 22 years-students of Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra; to evaluate differences according to field of study and language in which they study (Hungarian or Slovak) by questionnaire method. On the base of collected data it can be concluded that in general the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables can be considered as very low (only once a day) together with canned and dried fruit (nuts) and tinned vegetable (rarely). Furthermore, the majority of respondents took legumes only 1 - 3 times a week or rarely and soya had never been consumed. The statistically significant differences between college students of PEEH and the rest of assayed group of students had not been confirmed so the higher level of knowledge in health has not been connected with the higher consumption of fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, statistically significant differences have been proved between the following assayed groups of university students: RTH ↔ RTS (χ 7.90, p <0.05), J ↔ RTH (χ 9.99, p <0.05), J ↔ RTS (χ 10.00, p <0.05), J ↔ PEES - SK (χ 9.91, p <0.05). Statistically significant differences were assayed also in consumption of dried fruits or nuts among the following field of study: J ↔RTS (χ 9.48, p <0.01), RTH ↔ RTS (χ 12.57, p <0.05), RTS↔PEES (χ 8.19, p <0.01). Consumption of fresh vegetables was statistically different between the students J↔RTS (χ 9.95, p <0.05) and RTS ↔PEES (χ 8.19, p <0.01).


Graphics processing units (GPUs) have been widely used to accelerate algorithms that exhibit massive data parallelism or task parallelism. When such parallelism is not inherent in an algorithm, computational scientists resort to simply replicating the algorithm on every multiprocessor of a NVIDIA GPU, for example, to create such parallelism, resulting in embarrassingly parallel ensemble runs that deliver significant aggregate speed-up. However, the fundamental issue with such ensemble runs is that the problem size to achieve this speed-up is limited to the available shared memory and cache of a GPU multiprocessor. An example of the above is dynamic programming (DP), one of the Berkeley 13 dwarfs. All known DP implementations to date use the coarse-grained approach of embarrassingly parallel ensemble runs because a fine-grained parallelization on the GPU would require extensive communication between the multiprocessors of a GPU, which could easily cripple performance as communication between multiprocessors is not natively supported in a GPU. Consequently, we address the above by proposing a fine-grained parallelization of a single instance of the DP algorithm that is mapped to the GPU. Our parallelization incorporates a set of techniques aimed to substantially improve GPU performance: matrix re-alignment, coalesced memory access, tiling, and GPU (rather than CPU) synchronization. The specific DP algorithm that we parallelize is called Smith-Waterman (SWat), which is an optimal local-sequence alignment algorithm. We then use this SWat algorithm as a baseline to compare our GPU implementation, i.e., CUDA-SWat, to our implementation on the Cell Broadband Engine, i.e., Cell-SWat.


Despite the plethora of research on the role of tonality and meter in music perception, there is little work on how these fundamental properties function together. The most basic question is whether the two hierarchical structures are correlated – that is, do metrically stable positions in the measure preferentially feature tonally stable pitches, and do tonally stable pitches occur more often than not at metrically stable locations? To answer this question, we analyzed a corpus of compositions by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin, tabulating the frequency of occurrence of each of the 12 pitch classes at all possible temporal positions in the bar. There was a reliable relation between the tonal and metric hierarchies, such that tonally stable pitch classes and metrically stable temporal positions co-occurred beyond their simple joint probability. Further, the pitch class distribution at stable metric temporal positions agreed more with the tonal hierarchy than at less metrically stable locations. This tonal-metric hierarchy was largely consistent across composers, time signatures, and modes. The existence, profile, and constancy of the tonal-metric hierarchy is relevant to several areas of music cognition research, including pitch-time integration, statistical learning, and global effects of tonality.


Recently the workflow control as well as compliance analysis of the Enterprise Resource Planning systems are of a high demand. In this direction, this thesis presents the potential of developing a Workflow Management System upon a large Enterprise Resource Planning system by involving business rule extraction, business process discovery, design of the process, integration and compliance analysis of the system. Towards this, usability, limitations and challenges of every applied approach are deeply explained in the case of an existing system named SHD ECORO.


Selection by sulphonamides was investigated in Neisseria gonorrhoeae because a sulphonamide-resistant (Sulr), methionine-requiring (Met-) phenotype that was common in the era of sulphonamide therapy became rare in the penicillin era. Cultures of wild-type (SulsMet+) gonococci on a conventional medium containing sulphadiazine (2-10 micrograms ml-1) yielded numerous, nonidentical mutations of two met genes. The requirement of MetI- mutants was satisfied only by methionine, whereas MetII- mutants utilized either homocysteine or methionine. My theory that increased resistance to sulphonamides is a pleiotropic effect of methionine auxotrophy was confirmed by the return of sulphonamide susceptibility in all Met+ spontaneous mutants. Furthermore, the SulrMet- traits were introduced or eliminated together by DNA-mediated transformation. Sulphonamides are known to inhibit dihydropteroate synthase; consequently, they interrupt the entire sequence of reactions in the folate pathway including the methyl group transfer from N5-methyltetrahydrofolate to homocysteine to form methionine. The increased sulphonamide resistance of these Met- mutants is discussed in terms of conservation of the pool of essential tetrahydrofolate derivatives. The ease with which spontaneous forward and reverse met mutations can be obtained is unique among gonococcal genes.


Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a new dynamic clinical examination for detection of gluteus medius (GM) tears. A case group of 50 patients undergoing arthroscopy with GM repair was compared with a control group of 50 patients undergoing arthroscopy who had no peritrochanteric symptoms. Both groups were examined clinically, had magnetic resonance imaging studies performed and underwent arthroscopic surgery. Recorded clinical examinations included abnormal gait (Trendelenburg), tenderness to palpation of the greater trochanter, resisted abduction and the test being studied, resisted internal rotation. For all clinical tests, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy rates were calculated and compared with the arthroscopic and MRI data for the case group, and the MRI data for the control group. The resisted internal rotation test had a sensitivity of 92%, specificity of 85% and diagnostic accuracy of 88% in the detection of GM tears, with a low rate of false-positive and false-negative recordings. Other traditional clinical examination tests, with the exception of Trendelenburg gait, showed inferior rates. Trendelenburg gait had a higher specificity, but much lower sensitivity. The resisted internal rotation test aides in the detection of GM pathology. Due to the good results of the resisted internal rotation test in all the diagnostic parameters, we recommend incorporating it on the physical exam of patients with hip pain.


The following thesis explores the vicissitudes of the British copyright law defence of fair dealing from its birth as the common law defence of fair use through its subsequent development under the 1911, 1956 and 1988 Copyright Acts to its present situation in light of the most recent case of Ashdown v The Daily Telegraph [2002] as well as the changes proposed by the British Patent Office in its endeavours to implement the European Information Society Directive (29/2001/EC). It is submitted that the general development of this provision has been one of gradual decline. On a statutory level the defence has been continually restricted to the point where if the proposals of the Patent Office are accepted, it will be barely be able to operate as a defence designed to balance the interests of copyright owners against copyright users. As far as judicial pronouncements are concerned, up until 1990 it is submitted that the courts, in general, failed to demonstrate any real dynamism when interpreting the fair dealing provisions. It has only been in the last 10 years that the true potential of the defence, in maintaining this copyright balance, has been explored, although this has only tended to manifest when the courts have considered the position of media litigants. This in conjunction with the latest proposals for reform from the Patent Office, in light of the emergence of the digital age, could arguably sound the death knell for fair dealing. As governments of the two main trading blocks of Europe and the US continue to adopt an increasingly rights-maximising approach in favour of copyright owners it is submitted that fair dealing may well become a footnote to the British copyright regime.


Given the number of lives affected by cancer and the great potential for optimizing well-being via lifestyle changes, patients, providers, health care systems, advocacy groups, and entrepreneurs are looking to digital solutions to enhance patient care and broaden prevention efforts. Thousands of health-oriented mobile websites and apps have been developed, with a majority focused upon lifestyle behaviors (e.g., exercise, diet, smoking). In this review, we consider the use and potential of social media and mHealth technologies for cancer prevention, cancer treatment, and survivorship. We identify key principles in research and practice, summarize prior reviews, and highlight notable case studies and patient resources. Further, with the potential for scaled delivery and broad reach, we consider application of social media and mHealth technologies in low-resource settings. With clear advantages for reach, social media and mHealth technologies offer the ability to scale and engage entire populations at low cost, develop supportive social networks, connect patients and providers, encourage adherence with cancer care, and collect vast quantities of data for advancing cancer research. Development efforts have been rapid and numerous, yet evaluation of intervention effects on behavior change and health outcomes are sorely needed, and regulation around data security issues is notably lacking. Attention to broader audiences is also needed, with targeted development for culturally diverse groups and non-English speakers. Further investment in research to build the evidence base and identify best practices will help delineate and actualize the potential of social media and mHealth technologies for cancer prevention and treatment.


Design experiences can provide valuable opportunities for learners to improve their understanding of both science content and scientific practices. However, the implementation of design-based science learning (DBSL) in classrooms presents a number of significant challenges. In this article we present two significant challenges, bridging the design-science gap and overcoming time and material constraints, and a strategy for addressing them through software design in which explanation-construction scaffolding integrates with modeling and simulation. We present two software systems (SIMCARS and SHADE) developed based on our strategy and guidelines for integrating them into DBSL practices. We present a pilot study (involving SIMCARS), the findings of which support the potential of our technology for responding to the identified challenges. A follow up study (involving SHADE) is presented which shows the affordances of our technology for improving the quality of classroom discourse, suggesting the potential of our strategy to enhance collaborative understanding and social construction of knowledge in DBSL environments.


Foreign Body Aspiration (FBA) is a common and sometimes life-threatening problem in children and in higher age groups. FBA highest incidence rate is during the second year in children and the sixth decade of life in adults, and often foreign bodies due to their shape and size pass through larynx and trachea and place in bronchi. The most common aspirated body by children are nuts. Symptoms of aspiration can be asphyxia, cough, or cyanosis. Although in some cases patients may have no symptoms, an accurate and positive history even without clinical signs must be suspected doctor to a foreign body aspiration. However, in some cases, radiological intervention is normal and helps to diagnose and should be performed in all suspected cases to FBA. FBA definite diagnosis is by bronchoscopy, and to prevent complications and possibly death, timely removing of foreign body is vital and necessary. Most of the complications of delayed diagnosis and treatment and early detection are associated with few complications. FBA potential complications include pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax, atelectasis, bronchiectasis, lung abscess, and recurrent pneumonia. Most of these complications are irreversible in people with problems diagnosed too late. Technological advances and clinical application of bronchoscopy have caused the majority of foreign bodies are removed from the respiratory system are without sequela. The removal of foreign body through undergone rigid bronchoscopy is the preferred method of treatment, but in certain cases may require surgical intervention to remove the foreign body. This report is a case of 17-month-old infant with fever, coryza, and cough symptoms with a diagnosis of pneumonia was hospitalized due to suspected pulmonary mass by chest x-ray or chest CT scan and bronchoscopy was performed and the seed was removed from the right lung.


The impact of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on a semi-natural, soft-bottom diatom commu- nity from Potter Cove, King Georg Island, Antarctica, was investigated. The objective was to estimate the impact of UV-B (280 to 320 nm) and UV-A (320 to 400 nm) on photosynthetic efficiency, pigments, DNA damage and repair. The diatom community was exposed to different doses of radiation treat- ments: PAR + UV-A + UV-B (PAB), PAR + UV-A (PA) and PAR (P). The most frequently observed spe- cies were Pleurosigma obscurum and Gyrosigma fasciola. Within the 0.7 mm substrate, UV radiation significantly reduced the Photosystem II (PS II) maximum efficiency (Fv/Fm). Complete recovery was observed after 6 h post-cultivation under dim white light. The accumulation of diatoxanthin increased with exposure time for the P and PA treatments, but not for the PAB treatment, indicating a UV-B-related blocking of the de-epoxidation process within the xanthophyll cycling process. The ratio of diatoxanthin:(diatoxanthin+diadinoxanthin) decreased again to initial values after 24 h of recovery. The amount of DNA damage, measured as accumulation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs), was minimal and increased with increasing UV-B dose, but DNA lesions were completely repaired within 24 h under dim white light. Regardless of possible avoidance strategies, e.g. vertical migration, negative UV treatment effects were observed. However, these effects were transient, facilitated by the dynamic recovery of photoinhibition and an efficient DNA damage repair mecha- nism. Although results from laboratory experiments using artificial radiation can only be extrapolated to field conditions with great caution, we conclude that Antarctic marine benthic diatoms inoculated into a semi-natural habitat are resilient to unnaturally high UVR.


1 Plant species differ in their capacity to influence soil organic matter, soil nutrient availability and the composition of soil microbial communities. Their influences on soil properties result in net positive or negative feedback effects, which influence plant performance and plant community composition. 2 For two grassland systems, one on a sandy soil in the Netherlands and one on a chalk soil in the United Kingdom, we investigated how individual plant species grown in monocultures changed abiotic and biotic soil conditions. Then, we determined feedback effects of these soils to plants of the same or different species. Feedback effects were analysed at the level of plant species and plant taxonomic groups (grasses vs. forbs). 3 In the sandy soils, plant species differed in their effects on soil chemical properties, in particular potassium levels, but PLFA (phospholipid fatty acid) signatures of the soil microbial community did not differ between plant species. The effects of soil chemical properties were even greater when grasses and forbs were compared, especially because potassium levels were lower in grass monocultures. 4 In the chalk soil, there were no effects of plant species on soil chemical properties, but PLFA profiles differed significantly between soils from different monocultures. PLFA profiles differed between species, rather than between grasses and forbs. 5 In the feedback experiment, all plant species in sandy soils grew less vigorously in soils conditioned by grasses than in soils conditioned by forbs. These effects correlated significantly with soil chemical properties. None of the seven plant species showed significant differences between performance in soil conditioned by the same vs. other plant species. 6 In the chalk soil, Sanguisorba minor and in particular Briza media performed best in soil collected from conspecifics, while Bromus erectus performed best in soil from heterospecifics. There was no distinctive pattern between soils collected from forb and grass monocultures, and plant performance could not be related to soil chemical properties or PLFA signatures. 7 Our study shows that mechanisms of plant–soil feedback can depend on plant species, plant taxonomic (or functional) groups and site‐specific differences in abiotic and biotic soil properties. Understanding how plant species can influence their rhizosphere, and how other plant species respond to these changes, will greatly enhance our understanding of the functioning and stability of ecosystems.


We demonstrate that sorting stocks on sales seasonality predicts future abnormal returns. A long-short strategy of buying low-sales-season stocks and shorting high-sales-season stocks generates an annual alpha of 8.4%. Further, this strategy has become stronger over time, generating an annual alpha of approximately 15% over the last decade. This seasonal effect predicts future stock returns in cross-sectional regressions, and is independent of previously documented seasonal anomalies. Moreover, the alphas from this trading strategy cannot be explained by differences in stock market liquidity, systematic risk, asymmetric information, or financing decisions. Further tests indicate that this phenomenon may be driven partially by seasonal fluctuations in the level of investor attention.


The observation of sharp atomiclike multiplet features is unexpected for individual 3d atoms adsorbed on transition-metal surfaces. However, we show by means of x-ray absorption spectroscopy and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism that individual Fe atoms on Cu(111) exhibit such features. They are reminiscent of a low degree of hybridization, similar to 3d atoms adsorbed on alkali-metal surfaces. We determine the spin, orbital, and total magnetic moments, as well as magnetic anisotropy energy for the individual Fe atoms and for small Fe clusters that we form by increasing the coverage. The multiplet features are smoothened and the orbital moment rapidly decreases with increasing cluster size. For Fe monomers, comparison with density functional theory and multiplet calculations reveals a d 7 electronic configuration, owing to the transfer of one electron from the 4s to


We report on a quantum dots-in-a-well infrared photodetector (DWELL QDIP) grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy. The DWELL QDIP consisted of ten stacked InAs/In0.15Ga0.85As/GaAs QD layers embedded between n-doped contact layers. The density of the QDs was about 9 x 1010 cm-2 per QD layer. The energy level structure of the DWELL was revealed by optical measurements of interband transitions, and from a comparison with this energy level scheme the origin of the photocurrent peaks could be identified. The main intersubband transition contributing to the photocurrent was associated with the quantum dot ground state to the quantum well excited state transition. The performance of the DWELL QDIPs was evaluated regarding responsivity and dark current for temperatures between 15 K and 77 K. The photocurrent spectrum was dominated by a LWIR peak, with a peak wavelength at 8.4 μm and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 1.1 μm. At an operating temperature of 65 K, the peak responsivity was 30 mA/W at an applied bias of 4 V and the dark current was 1.2×10-5 A/cm2. Wavelength tuning from 8.4 μm to 9.5 μm was demonstrated, by reversing the bias of the detector.


Whereas interruptions is a very active subfield of research within HCI, as of today interruptions in immersive virtual reality (IVR) have received only little attention. We conducted a lab study (N=20) with a head mounted display (HMD) to understand the relationship between presence, workload and attention in IVR when measuring three virtual interruption designs. The answer to this question is interesting because prior research has revealed a positive effect on performance when providing intelligent interruptions, for example based on users' level of attention. Our work launches research on interruptibility in IVR by investigating (1) the relationship between attention, presence and workload, and the (2) methods for measuring them in IVR. Our analysis suggests that a trade-off between presence and attention is required when designing interruptions for IVR. Our findings are valuable for researchers and practitioners who want to collect data on attention, presence and workload in IVR to inform interruptibility.


Abstract We provide experimental data on the initiation of persistent fission chains obtained at different supercritical states, using the fast burst reactor Caliban. In many previous papers, theory has been compared mostly with initiation experiments at various superprompt critical states, whereas very few experimental data have been published on delayed supercritical states. To fill the lack of data, we have conducted three studies on the reactor at reactivities far below 0.7 $, which is one of the lowest states ever published for a similar assembly. We give a justification of the use of the gamma function to fit experimental results for the temporal distributions of waiting times and compare experiments with numerical simulations obtained with a punctual zero-dimensional Monte Carlo code and a punctual deterministic initiation code.


A dynamic hydraulic model was integrated with a model that simulates the behavior of the control system in the field. Open Model Interface (OMI) was used to connect the different simulation components into an overall simulation environment. The model (simulator) of the control system uses the same actual code that runs on Remote Terminal Units (RTU's) in the field. This architecture simplifies the maintenance of the simulation software, provides a realistic simulation of the control elements, and provides a mechanism for testing the control system logic with full consideration of hydraulic impacts.


During the retention of visual information in working memory, event-related brain potentials show a sustained negativity over posterior visual regions contralateral to the side where memorized stimuli were presented. This contralateral delay activity (CDA) is generally believed to be a neural marker of working memory storage. In two experiments, we contrasted this storage account of the CDA with the alternative hypothesis that the CDA reflects the current focus of spatial attention on a subset of memorized items set up during the most recent encoding episode. We employed a sequential loading procedure where participants memorized four task-relevant items that were presented in two successive memory displays (M1 and M2). In both experiments, CDA components were initially elicited contralateral to task-relevant items in M1. Critically, the CDA switched polarity when M2 displays appeared on the opposite side. In line with the attentional activation account, these reversed CDA components exclusively reflected the number of items that were encoded from M2 displays, irrespective of how many M1 items were already held in working memory. On trials where M1 and M2 displays were presented on the same side and on trials where M2 displays appeared nonlaterally, CDA components elicited in the interval after M2 remained sensitive to a residual trace of M1 items, indicating that some activation of previously stored items was maintained across encoding episodes. These results challenge the hypothesis that CDA amplitudes directly reflect the total number of stored objects and suggest that the CDA is primarily sensitive to the activation of a subset of working memory representations within the current focus of spatial attention.


ABSTRACT This research work studies the impact of single wheel hub motor failures on the dynamic behaviour of electric vehicles and the corresponding driver reactions. An experimental study in a moving-base driving simulator is conducted to analyse the influence of single wheel hub motor failures for motorway speeds. Driver reaction times are derived from the measured data and discussed in their experimental context. The failure is rated objectively on the dynamic behaviour of the vehicle and compared to the subjective evaluation. Findings indicate that critical traffic situations impairing traffic safety can occur for motorway speeds. Clear counteractions by the drivers had to be taken.


The Hard X-ray Detector (HXD-II) is one of the scientific payloads on board the fifth Japanese cosmic X-ray satellite Asrto-E2, scheduled for launch in 2005. The HXD-II is designed to cover a wide energy range of 10-600 keV with a high sensitivity of /spl sim/ 10/sup -5/ cnt/s/cm/sup 2//keV, using 16 identical GSO and BGO phoswich counters combined with 2 mm-thick silicon PIN diodes. In order to investigate the in-orbit performance of HXD-II in cosmic radiation environment, a Monte Carlo simulator based on the Geant4 toolkit is currently developed. There are two main goals of this simulator, which is directly connected to the detector's performance. One is to derive energy response to photons within the acceptance energy range, with 5% accuracy, after several types of standard event-selection of the HXD-II. The other is to estimate detector background with 10% accuracy. In addition to the background caused directly by the primary and secondary cosmic-rays, of particular importance is the radio-activation background induced by MeV protons trapped in the South Atlantic Anomaly. The simulator is also used in the pre-launch verifications of the HXD-II hardware. This paper describes the design concept of the Monte Carlo simulator, and its verification through comparison with the actual data of pre-flight radio-isotope irradiation experiments, together with calculated outputs that can demonstrate the in-orbit performance of the HXD-II.


The purpose of the research herein presented is the automatic detection of lung boundaries in posterioranterior digital chest radiographs. The precise location of the two lungs is important in a computer-aided diagnosis system as it allows the reduction of the region under analysis, decreasing the computation time and facilitating data compression. Furthermore, it allows the delimitation of the search area, easing the selective tuning of the abnormalities detection algorithms. The results produced by the automatic method were validated by comparison with manual contours traced by an experienced radiologist. For this particular purpose, two programs with friendly interfaces were developed. The achieved comparison results demonstrate the good performance of the automatic method.


A considerable amount of work has been conducted developing exposure estimate
models for quantitative evaluation of Hg intake and human health risks, but few have
assessed the applicability and the validity for evaluating the risks posed by Hg in the
environment and have achieved very mixed results. The present study focused on
verifying the daily Hg intake estimates using exposure estimate models. Deterministic
methods and the probabilistic methods (the Monte Carlo) were applied to simulate the
daily Hg intake doses which were verified by comparing the estimates to those
established from measured Hg concentrations in the hair of 289 participants. The
results showed that the single-value deterministic method for simulating Hg exposure
levels overestimated the level of risk by a factor of 1.5 when compared with the
highest concentration of the Hg observed in the hair of the study population. The
average daily Hg intake doses simulated using the probabilistic simulation were
similar in distribution to the biomarker data, with the variability of 23%. The
difference between the probabilistic simulation and the data derived from hair Hg
levels was considered to be most likely due to the uncertainties in unconfirmed
questionnaire-based survey data, small sampling sizes and the surrogates used in the
exposure models. When the reference dose (RfD) of 0.1 ?g/kg body weight/day was
adopted as the acceptable dose for daily intake rate, there were approximately 19%
estimated to have potential Hg exposure risks based on the Monte Carlo simulation.
This percentage was favourably similar to the 17% determined from Hg
concentrations in the hair samples. The findings implied that the existing exposure
models together with the probabilistic approach were appropriate for the research of
human exposure to Hg. On the other hand, low Hg levels in the participants' hair
indicated that Hg accumulated in the study population was not very serious, probably
due to the good Hg absorptivity of the on-site fly ash. However, it should be advised
that consumption of river fish elevates the health risks to the local population.


Oxidative stress promotes cardiac myocyte apoptosis through the mitochondrial death pathway. Since Bcl-2 family proteins are key regulators of apoptosis, we examined the effects of H2O2 on the expression of principal Bcl-2 family proteins (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bax, Bad) in neonatal rat cardiac myocytes. Protein expression was assessed by immunoblotting. Bcl-2, Bax, and Bad were all down-regulated in myocytes exposed to 0.2 mm H2O2, a concentration that induces apoptosis. In contrast, although Bcl-xL levels initially declined, the protein was re-expressed from 4–6 h. Bcl-xL mRNA was up-regulated from 2 to 4 h in neonatal rat or mouse cardiac myocytes exposed to H2O2, consistent with the re-expression of protein. Four different untranslated first exons have been identified for the Bcl-x gene (exons 1, 1B, 1C, and 1D, where exon 1 is the most proximal and exon 1D the most distal to the coding region). All were detected in mouse or rat neonatal cardiac myocytes, but exon 1D was not expressed in adult mouse hearts. In neonatal mouse or rat cardiac myocytes, H2O2 induced the expression of exons 1B, 1C, and 1D, but not exon 1. These data demonstrate that the Bcl-x gene is selectively responsive to oxidative stress, and the response is mediated through distal promoter regions.


Presented at the Ghana Golden Jubilee Symposium, Kwantlin University College, Vancouver, BC. Introduction: Grass roots leadership and democracy in Gold Coast's independence struggles provide an important key to understanding the success and failures of Canadian and other foreign NGOs in post-independence Ghana. Those NGOs that tap into Ghanaian grass roots leadership and democracy are able to facilitate development in civil society. Those that do not tap into this vital resource contribute to growth without development. NGOs emerge to fill the gaps in civil society left by the disconnect between the State/Government and the grass roots. Many Canadian NGOs in Ghana are motivated by the love for Africa, to help the poor and the disenfranchised--A LAUDABLE GOAL. However, because of their disconnect from grass roots leadership and democracy they become mere charities creating social parasites and deepening the dependency syndrome of Ghana. For Canadian NGOs in Ghana to empower civil society, particularly the poor and the disenfranchised, they need to take cues from the key ingredient used to achieve success in the Gold Coast independence struggles. The key was Nkrumah and the CPP's effective connection with grass roots leaders and their democratic practices. Leadership and Grass Roots Democracy in Ghana's Independence Struggles: Ghana's independence struggles began formally with the establishment of the United Gold Coast Convention. This first political party of Ghana aimed to rely on the vanguard or the elite to organize the struggle for independence. This organizations and governance system was foreign and antithetical to indigenous governance of the various ethnic groups of Gold Coast. In these communities, governance thrived on grass roots leadership and democracy. Kwame Nkrumah's strategy proved to be a different one. He turned to "the people", the grass roots, to facilitate a democratic mass movement. His background of poverty on the margins of the Gold Coast gave him more credibility as a populist leader than all his overseas education. The poor youth, farmers, women and wage earners of the Gold Coast were far removed in the social spectrum from the intellectuals and professionals of the colony. The grass roots were already directed against the colonial government. They were therefore natural allies to Nkrumah in his search for a wide-ranging grass roots coalition to challenge the local colonial authorities. The democratically operated mass movement consisted of three main grass roots groups (Birmingham, 1990): the detached youth (Verandah Boys), cocoa farmers, women, and workers. * The Youth Movement The core of the youth movement was composed of school leavers and drop-outs who came to the urban centers in search of employment and slept on the back verandahs of distant relatives. When Nkrumah broke with the UGCC in 1949, it is this youth movement that was turned into the initial autonomous Convention People's Party (ibid). * Cocoa Farmers To gain a broad base of support from voters, Nkrumah connected with and motivated cocoa farmers to organize a democratically strong movement in support of the CPP's independence struggle against the Colonial government that was exploiting these farmers (ibid.). * Women The liberation movements of Africa discovered that one way of mobilizing support was to seek the approval of women. Powerful market women of Ghana were leaders who democratically organized grass roots women to facilitate Nkrumah's early organizing ventures. In the independent struggles, Gold Coast grass roots women were cheer leaders, fund-raisers, street-demonstrators, boycott organizers in support of the cause represented by Nkrumah and the grass roots in general (ibid.). * The Workers The Gold Coast wage-earners, especially the railway workers trade union movement of Takoradi, were a significant source of support for the Nkrumah-led independence struggles. …


Aspergillus spp. is frequently isolated in respiratory samples from patients with severe COPD; however, the clinical significance of this mold is unclear and its presence may indicate temporary passage, benign chronic carriage, or onset of invasive disease. The definitive diagnosis of pulmonary aspergillosis in COPD patients is often difficult owing to the lack of specific clinical and radiological signs. However, retrospective studies show the risk for developing pulmonary aspergillosis in older patients with severe COPD, and a high number of comorbidities who have received treatment with corticosteroids and/or broad spectrum antibioties. The development of algorithms based on microbiological and radiological data and risk factors for pulmonary aspergillosis can help to differentiate between colonization and infection.


There are many software projects started daily, some are successful, while others are not. Successful projects get completed, are used by many people, and bring benefits to users. Failed projects do not bring similar benefits. In this work, we are interested in developing an effective machine learning solution that predicts project outcome (i.e., success or failures) from developer socio-technical network. To do so, we investigate successful and failed projects to find factors that differentiate the two. We analyze the socio-technical aspect of the software development process by focusing at the people that contribute to these projects and the interactions among them. We first form a collaboration graph for each software project. We then create a training set consisting of two graph databases corresponding to successful and failed projects respectively. A new data mining approach is then employed to extract discriminative rich patterns that appear frequently on the successful projects but rarely on the failed projects. We find that these automatically mined patterns are effective features to predict project outcomes. We experiment our solution on projects in Source Forge. Net, the largest open source software development portal, and show that under 10 fold cross validation, our approach could achieve an accuracy of more than 90% and an AUC score of 0.86. We also present and analyze some mined socio-technical patterns.


Background: Silver nanoparticles can consider as an alternative source for some antibiotic usages due to those effective antibacterial activity and eco-friendly characteristics.
Objective: This in vitro study was done to evaluate the inhibitory effect of extracellular synthesized of silver nanoparticles using inexpensive cellulosic materials and supernatant culture of Isoptericola variabilis sp. IRSH1 against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Methods: Silver nanoparticles were produced by extracellular biosynthesis using supernatant culture of a novel thermotolerant Isoptericola variabilis sp.IRSH1 and characterized. The antibacterial activities of the synthesized silver nanoparticles were examined by the standard Kirby-
Bauer disc diffusion method against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa on
Muller-Hinton agar plates.
Findings: The silver nanoparticles were produced with an average size of 77 nm and 0.29 polydispersity index (PDI). The inhibition zones of AgNPs (1000 μg/ml) were 10 mm and 11 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa respectively.
Conclusion: The biosynthesized AgNPs has good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results indicate Pseudomonas aeruginosa is more sensitive to silver nanoparticles.
Keywords: Nanotechnology, Metallic nanoparticle, Anti-bacterial agents, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa


Humans, in comparison to robots, are remarkably adept at reaching for objects in cluttered environments. The best existing robot planners are based on random sampling of configuration space- which becomes excessively high-dimensional with large number of objects. Consequently, most planners often fail to efficiently find object manipulation plans in such environments. We addressed this problem by identifying high-level manipulation plans in humans, and transferring these skills to robot planners. We used virtual reality to capture human participants reaching for a target object on a tabletop cluttered with obstacles. From this, we devised a qualitative representation of the task space to abstract the decision making, irrespective of the number of obstacles. Based on this representation, human demonstrations were segmented and used to train decision classifiers. Using these classifiers, our planner produced a list of waypoints in task space. These waypoints provided a high-level plan, which could be transferred to an arbitrary robot model and used to initialise a local trajectory optimiser. We evaluated this approach through testing on unseen human VR data, a physics-based robot simulation, and a real robot (dataset and code are publicly available1). We found that the human-like planner outperformed a state-of-the-art standard trajectory optimisation algorithm, and was able to generate effective strategies for rapid planning- irrespective of the number of obstacles in the environment.


Traditional authorities are powerful leaders alongside the state in Ghana. The chieftaincy has been resilient to "modernization"—maintaining land rights, allegiance from citizens, and influence in rural communities. Nonetheless, there are few rules defining their official role in the local government structure. It is empirically acknowledged that chiefs seriously impact the development of their communities. Hence, this study looks for factors that might explain the state's deficiency in policy regarding chiefs. This analysis combines the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework with theory on formal and informal rules. Not only does this adaptation provide additional insight, but it helps to reduce the complexity in political research on dual governance bodies. Findings suggest that the formal and informal rule sets coupled with the resources available to state and customary actors result in strong exchange organizations between the two institutions. Incentives encourage noninterference and avoidance from the state; thus, rules concerning the chieftaincy are rarely enforced or modified. If attempting to harness collaboration and mitigate conflict and collusion, the state—in partnership with the chiefs—might reconsider the lawful role and authorities of the chiefs at local levels. Based on the analysis, policy revisions are needed to improve the outcomes of the institutional arrangement; however, major changes may be difficult to achieve in the current political context.


The usefulness of negative corona discharge for oxidation of condensed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including anthracene, naphthalene and 2,3-benzanthracene, adsorbed on a solid substrate is evaluated. In the case of anthracene, the application of corona discharge under high voltage (10-20 kV) for 10 to 180 min with a current intensity of 5-120 m A in a controlled, humid atmosphere leads to the progressive formation of anthraquinone. A kinetic study of the anthracene oxidation shows that the apparent half-lives range from 5 to 48 min, according to the initial anthracene amount (50-5000 nmol), indicating a reaction order between 0 and 1. The effect of corona discharge current intensity and the role of corona discharge-produced high-speed electrical wind ( \approx 10 m/s) are discussed. The efficiency of the solid-phase corona discharge method is found to depend on the adsorption strength of the PAH molecules on the solid substrate and/or their capacity to be sublimated under the influence of electrical wind. Key Word: PAHs; anthracene; naphthalene; 2,3-benzathracene; corona discharge; oxidation.