The increasing suburbanization of immigrant settlement in Canada's major receiving cities has created unprecedented challenges for municipalities. Despite emerging research about the rise of ethnic suburbs in Canada and abroad, the role of suburban municipalities in facilitating immigrant integration and planning with diversity remains unclear. Based on mixed-method ethnographic research, this article investigates how immigrant and racialized communities in the Greater Toronto Area have significantly transformed suburban places and built institutionally complete communities. However, the rapid development of these spaces has not been fully recognized or supported by municipal planning authorities. Conflicts related to land use, public engagement, and public realm development expose planning's failure to keep pace with the diverse needs of immigrant communities, who must continually negotiate and fight for their use of space. Furthermore, the lack of effective civic engagement not only ignores immigrant and racialized communities as important stakeholders in suburban redevelopment, but also threatens to destroy the social infrastructure built by these communities and their 'informal' practices that are often not recognized by the planning 'norm.' Without appropriate community consultation, planning processes can further sideline marginalized groups. Lack of consultation also tends to prevent cooperation between groups, impeding the building of inclusive communities. It is imperative for municipalities to better understand and encourage community engagement and placemaking in ethnic suburbs. This study offers several recommendations for suburban planning with diversity.

Keywords: Canada; diversity; ethnic suburbs; immigrant settlement; institutional completeness; social infrastructure; social space; Toronto


The reactivity of aluminum anion clusters with water was found to exhibit variations with size, with some clusters exhibiting negligible reactivity, others absorbing one or more water, while even others releasing H(2) with addition of multiple waters. (Roach, P.J., Woodward, W.H. et al. Science, 2009, 323, 492). Herein, we provide further details on the role of complementary active sites in the breaking of the O-H bond on the cluster. We examine the reactions of Al(n)(-) + H(2)O where n = 7-18, and show how the complementary active sites may be best identified. The clusters with active sites are found to be reactive, and clusters with barriers to reactivity have an absence of paired active sites. The role of charge in the reactivity is considered, which could account for the observed increase in reactivity at large sizes. The H(2) release in the reactivity of Al(17)(-) with multiple water molecules is also studied by comparing multiple reaction pathways, and the selective H(2) production is explained by the first water inducing a new active site. A mechanism for transferring hydroxyl groups on the surface of the cluster is also discussed.


Cyanobacterial symbionts may enable sponges to play a critical role in bentho-pelagic coupling, recycling nutrients at the benthic surface and providing a key requirement for ecosystem function. This is the first study to investigate the depths to which these symbioses are viable and the first record of photosynthetic sponges (i.e. sponges having a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic cyanobacteria) from mesophotic temperate habitats. Sponges with high levels of photosynthetic cyanobacteria occurred at depths of up to 50 m, medium levels to 75 m and low levels to 150 m off south-western Australia. The proportion of sponges that showed no epifluorescence increased greatly with depth. Cyanobacterial symbionts sequenced from sponges at 40 and 50 m belonged to the genera Synechococcus and Synechocystis. Our results verify that the domain of photosynthetic sponges is not just tropical or shallow water temperate environments. Sponges made up the highest biomass of biota across all the sites we sampled from depths of 30–150 m and we hypothesise that photosynthetic cyanobacterial symbionts may be important in facilitating sponges to dominate habitats at these depths off Australia's oligotrophic west coast.


Face orientation recognition is an important topic in computer vision and pattern recognition. Due to the non-rigid properties of faces, it is computationally expensive and difficult to achieve good recognition accuracy and robustness in face orientation recognition. In this paper, we propose an image mapping technique for face analysis in smart camera networks with a feature extraction and data from the facial feature. We estimate the face orientation angles in all camera views, based on the matched imaged data. Our objective is to obtain a set of facial structures which can work as landmarks for tracking and recognition of facial expressions.


'California Blackeye 50', a blackeye-type cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] (Reg. No. CV-290, PI 655235) cultivar, was developed by the University of California, Riverside, and released by the California Agricultural Experiment Station in 2008. California Blackeye 50 distinguishes itself from the industry standard California Blackeye 46 (CB46) by its greater individual seed weight and grain quality features that are desired in the dry package trade and export markets of this crop. California Blackeye 50 was bred using traditional pedigree breeding methods. It has resistance to the two predominate races (races 3 and 4) of Fusarium wilt (caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. tracheiphilum) found in the irrigated production systems of the southwestern United States, while other currently grown blackeye-type cowpea cultivars adapted to the region either have resistance only to race 3 of this disease or are susceptible to both races. Selection for resistance to Fusarium wilt was conducted using a "clip-dip" procedure in the greenhouse. California Blackeye 50 is also resistant to the two most important root-knot nematodes of the region, Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Chitwood and M. javanica (Treub) Chitwood. Selection for resistance to root-knot nematodes was conducted at specially managed infested field sites and in "pouch tests" in growth chambers. California Blackeye 50 has given grain yields equivalent to CB46 in 13 field tests conducted over 4 yr at multiple environments in the Central Valley of California while producing highly attractive grain that is larger and more than 15% heavier.


Abstract Academic social scientists overwhelmingly vote Democratic, and the Democratic hegemony has increased significantly since 1970. Moreover, the policy preferences of a large sample of the members of the scholarly associations in anthropology, economics, history, legal and political philosophy, political science, and sociology generally bear out conjectures about the correspondence of partisan identification with left/right ideal types; although across the board, both Democratic and Republican academics favor government action more than the ideal types might suggest. Variations in policy views among Democrats is smaller than among Republicans. Ideological diversity (as judged not only by voting behavior, but by policy views) is by far the greatest within economics. Social scientists who deviate from left‐wing views are as likely to be libertarian as conservative.


Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) describes any method of resolving legal disputes other than through litigation in the ordinary courts or tribunals. ADR includes methods such as arbitration, mediation, adjudication, conciliation, med-arb, and early neutral evaluation/expert determination. This chapter explains why ADR in general exists, its many advantages (compared to litigation) as well as its disadvantages, and the differences between the various forms of ADR. The chapter examines the case law over the last fifteen years on the 'cost consequences' of a failure by one party to a legal dispute to engage in ADR when presented with the opportunity to do so. The chapter considers whether ADR should ever be made compulsory and the extent to which the parties to a dispute, having agreed to resolve their dispute through ADR, can be compelled to honour that agreement.


Abstract Increasingly there is recognition from researchers and policy makers that there are legal, institutional and cultural barriers to climate change adaptation that will need to be addressed if we are able to adapt efficiently and equitably. However, there is a limited body of evidence and few examples of how barriers to adaptation to sea level rise emerge and are addressed in local contexts. Focusing on sea level rise in Australia, this project undertakes inquiry into legal, institutional and cultural barriers to adaptation in two ways. The first is an investigation of barriers to climate change adaptation in general by analysing a unique body of evidence in a systematic document analysis of over eight hundred pages of submissions to the Australian Productivity Commission's inquiry to barriers to adaptation. The second was an in-depth investigation into community perceptions of one particular barrier - uncertainty about responsibility for adaptation - in two case study areas: Eurobodalla in New South Wales and Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. The study found that, according to key actors in climate change adaptation in Australia, there are 5 five key kinds of barriers to adaptation: governance, policy, uncertainty, resources, and psychosocial factors. The governance barrier of uncertainty about roles and responsibilities across levels of government and sectors was seen to be one of the most important barriers to adaptation. The subsequent empirical research into community preferences for the distribution of responsibility for key adaptation tasks revealed that there was strong support for a significant role for government in all aspects of adaptation. There is recognition that adaptation to sea level rise should be a shared responsibility, but with distinct roles for each level of government. Local government was seen to be best placed to manage public assets, regulate decisions about private assets, and lead and coordinate public input for local planning. Federal government was viewed as the most appropriate entity to take responsibility for information provision on the risks of sea level rise, and to bear most of the costs of adaptation. State governments, while not viewed as the primary responsible entity for any of these key tasks, was seen to have a role in coordinating adaptation actions across local government areas.


In the recent development of the gasoline combustion engine, direct injection (DI) technology has been widely used to improve fuel economy and reduce exhaust emissions. Because of the limitation of experimental techniques, the transportation of fuel within the GDI injector nozzle hole and near-field spray is not well understood. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling and direct coupling of the Euler in-nozzle flow model with the Lagrangian spray model are employed to investigate the effect of different nozzle geometrical designs on the GDI spray characteristics.

Euler modelling of the inside-nozzle flow reveals that a round nozzle inlet significantly increases the mass flow rate and nozzle exit velocity. A longer internal nozzle wall length results in a decrease in mass flow rate and larger droplet distribution in the nozzle near-field.

At the nozzle exit, the nozzle flow parameters obtained from the Euler-based study are implemented as initial conditions for the subsequent Lagrangian-based spray model. The direct coupled Euler–Lagrangian approach is then compared with the Kelvin-Helmholtz-aerodynamic cavitation–turbulence (KH-ACT) model and the Max Planck Institute (MPI) model.

The effects of injection and ambient pressure on spray characteristics are separately investigated by experimental and numerical approaches. Three different fuels, iso-octane, DMF and ethanol, are investigated using the MPI-CAB model and experimental approaches in order to gain comprehensive insight into the effect of fuel properties on spray characteristics.


Abstract The simplest models of passive margins would suggest that they are characterized by tectonic quiescence as they experienced gentle thermal subsidence following the extensional events that originally formed them. Analysis of newly acquired and pre-existing 2D seismic data from the Rockall Plateau to the Faroe Shelf, however, has confirmed that the NE Atlantic Margin was the site of significant active deformation. Seismic data have revealed the presence of numerous compression-related Cenozoic folds, such as the Hatton Bank, Alpin, Ymir Ridge and Wyville–Thomson Ridge Anticlines. The distribution, timing of formation and nature of these structures have provided new insights into the controls and effects of contractional deformation in the region. Growth of these compressional features occurred in five main phases: Thanetian, late Ypresian, late Lutetian, Late Eocene (C30) and Early Oligocene. Compression has been linked to hotspot-influenced ridge push, far-field Alpine and Pyrenean compression, asthenospheric upwelling and associated depth-dependent stretching. Regional studies make it clear that compression can have a profound effect on seabed bathymetry and consequent bottom-water current activity. Bottom-water currents have directly formed the early Late Oligocene, late Early Miocene (C20), Late Miocene–Early Pliocene, and late Early Pliocene (C10) unconformities. The present-day Norwegian Sea Overflow (NSO) from the Faroe–Shetland Channel into the Rockall Trough is restricted by the Wyville–Ymir Ridge Complex, and takes place via the syncline (Auðhumla Basin) between the two ridges. The Auðhumla Basin Syncline is now thought to have controlled the path of the NSO into the Rockall Trough and the resulting unconformity formation and sedimentation therein, no later than the Mid Miocene.


Over the past few years, many research works in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) have been focusing on node power saving. In order to achieve this goal, the amount of data sent over the node network is usually reduced. In this work, we propose an efficient strategy that aggregates and predicts data in WSN, aiming to reduce the data volume sent over the network and thus maximizing the network lifetime. Besides the widely used in-network aggregation strategy, this work presents the use of in-network prediction, based on query processing on the network data. Our prediction strategy works with a linear regression model, using data acquired from one or several sensor nodes. It is implemented in various sensor nodes distributed in a WSN. Experimental results show that our strategy is able to significantly reduce power consumption in WSN.


Solvent extraction technology (Vapor extraction/VAPEX) has drawn a lot of industry attention due to its potential to be an alternative to Steam assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) in heavy oil production. However the mass transfer mechanisms involved is yet to be fully comprehended. Reliable oil production rate data is scarce, hence the reluctance from oil companies to implement the technology on a field/commercial scale. More work is required at the experimental level to fully understand the intricacies of the technology and hence facilitate its commercialization.
Experiments were conducted to evaluate the one-dimensional diffusivity of butane solvent in Athabasca bitumen at varying temperatures. Given diffusion is driven by concentration gradient, the diffusivity cannot be assumed constant throughout the whole diffusion process. Hence the diffusivity was found as a function of butane solvent concentration (mass fraction). Diffusivity functions for ideal mixing and non-ideal mixing were computed. Butane vapor temperature (24.00⁰C and 34.65 psi) is kept constant while the bitumen temperature is varied at 5 levels (27.00⁰C, 30.25⁰C, 33.50⁰C, 36.75⁰C and 40.00⁰C).
Assuming ideal mixing between hydrocarbons in VAPEX experiments is prevalent in the field. This is because finding a parameter in the solvent-bitumen mixing system that accounts for non-ideal mixing without upsetting the system is difficult. This work accounts for non-ideal mixing by constantly measuring the bitumen liquid hydrostatic pressure via pressure differential transmitters as diffusion occurs. With bitumen height change and amount of diffused butane solvent being monitored, the real density reduction (non-ideal density reduction) can be computed. Results showed that assuming ideal mixing over-estimates the density reduction. The deviation between ideal and non-ideal mixing density values increase as temperature increases. This is supported by most literature in the field. As temperature tends to standard temperature (25.00⁰C), the effects of non-ideal mixing become insignificant.
A MATLAB model is used to predict the 'bitumen growth' (bitumen swelling), this is compared to 'bitumen growth' observed experimentally. The difference between the two (experimental – predicted) is minimized by optimizing the diffusivity function coefficients. Results showed that the diffusion values (obtained via diffusivity functions) decreases as temperature increases. There was no 'live oil' drainage in this experiment so diffusion is governed by the butane solvent solubility in the bitumen. This butane solvent solubility decreases with increasing temperature.
At equal mass fractions (ωs) all non-ideal mixing diffusivity functions yielded higher diffusion values than ideal mixing diffusivity functions. This is logical because diffusion is driven by concentration gradient. Ideal mixing scenarios over-estimate density reduction on mixing and hence provide a smaller concentration gradient compared to non-ideal mixing. The assumption of ideal mixing conditions clearly underestimates the real diffusivity values. The deviation between ideal and non-ideal diffusivity functions also increased as temperature increased. This follows the same trend as the deviation between ideal and non-ideal mixing density results.
A macroscopic mass balance was used to independently validate the diffusivity functions. This mass balance predicted the change in solvent height after 'bitumen growth' had been resolved for the full experimental time. This is an independent validation because change in solvent height data was not used to obtain the diffusivity functions. All but one of the diffusivity functions (40.00⁰C) was independently validated. Lack of validation in the 40.00⁰C run was due to technical issues while running the experiment. For all validation data, the non-ideal diffusivity functions provided a better fit for the experimental data than the ideal diffusivity functions.
Finally, the experimentally determined butane slope decrease, bitumen slope increase and non-ideal mixing coefficients for all varied temperature conditions were used as input values to make models in Design Expert (DE). These models were used to predict the aforementioned parameters at a random bitumen temperature (28.50⁰C). An extra experiment was run at this temperature (28.50⁰C) to compare the diffusivity functions coming from the experimental data to those from (DE) predictions. The DE originated diffusivities functions showed a good fit with the experimentally originated diffusivity functions. The model is therefore a robust model and can be used to predict diffusivity of butane at 24.00⁰C, within a given bitumen temperature range of 27.00⁰C - 40.00⁰C, while also accounting for non-ideal mixing and concentration dependency.


Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a pathology preceded mainly by cirrhosis of diverse etiology and is associated with uncontrolled dedifferentiation and cell proliferation pro -cesses. Many cellular functions are dependent on mitochondrial function, among which we can mention the enzymatic activity of PARP-1 and sirtuin 1, epigenetic regulation of gene expression, apoptosis, and so on. Mitochondrial dysfunction is related to liver dis- eases including cirrhosis and HCC; the energetic demand is not properly supplied and mitochondrial morphologic changes have been observed, resulting in an altered metabo- lism. There is a strong relationship between epigenetics and mitochondrion since the first one is dependent on the correct function of the last one. There is an interest to improve or to maintain mitochondrial integrity in order to prevent or reverse HCC; such is the case of IFC-305 that has a beneficial effect on mitochondrial function in a sequential model of cirrhosis-HCC. In this model, IFC-305 downregulates the expression of PCNA, thymidylate synthase, HGF and its receptor c-Met and upregulates the cell cycle inhibitor p27, thereby decreasing cell proliferation. Both effects, improvement of mitochondria function and reduction of tumor proliferation, suggest its use as HCC chemoprevention or as an adjuvant in chemotherapy.


Much of the literature surrounding the effectiveness of intelligent tutoring systems has focused on the type of feedback students receive. Current research suggests that the timing of feedback also plays a role in improved learning. Some researchers have shown that delaying feedback might lead to a "desirable difficulty", where students' performance while practicing is lower, but they in fact learn more.  Others using Cognitive Tutors have suggested delaying feedback is bad, but those students were using a system that gave detailed assistance.    Many web-based homework systems give only correctness feedback (e.g. web-assign).  Should such systems give immediate feedback or might it be better for that feedback to be delayed?  It is hypothesized that immediate feedback will lead to better learning than delayed feedback. In a randomized controlled crossover-"within-subjects" design, 61 seventh grade math students participated.  In one condition students received correctness feedback immediately, while doing their homework, while in the other condition, the exact same feedback was delayed, to when they checked their homework the next day in class. The results show that when given feedback immediately students learned more than when receiving the same feedback delayed.


The rise in American inequality has been exaggerated both in magnitude and timing. Commentators lament the large gap between the growth rates of real median household income and of private sector productivity. This paper shows that a conceptually consistent measure of this growth gap over 1979 to 2007 is only one-tenth of the conventional measure. Further, the timing of the rise of inequality is often misunderstood. By some measures inequality stopped growing after 2000 and by others inequality has not grown since 1993. This cessation of inequality's secular rise in 2000 is evident from the growth of Census mean vs. median income, and in the income share of the top one percent of the income distribution. The income share of the 91st to 95th percentile has not increased since 1983, and the income ratio of the 90th to 10th percentile has barely increased since 1986. Further, despite a transient decline in labor's income share in 2000-06, by mid-2009 labor's share had returned virtually to the same value as in 1983, 1991, and 2001. Recent contributions in the inequality literature have raised questions about previous research on skill-biased technical change and the managerial power of CEOs. Directly supporting our theme of prior exaggeration of the rise of inequality is new research showing that price indexes for the poor rise more slowly than for the rich, causing most empirical measures of inequality to overstate the growth of real income of the rich vs. the poor. Further, as much as two-thirds of the post-1980 increase in the college wage premium disappears when allowance is made for the faster rise in the cost of living in cities where the college educated congregate and for the lower quality of housing in those cities. A continuing tendency for life expectancy to increase faster among the rich than among the poor reflects the joint impact of education on both economic and health outcomes, some of which are driven by the behavioral choices of the less educated.


This project focuses on the design and implementation of student grade management system using component-based middle-tier distributed applications. Object-oriented design and component technology paradigms are used to analyze and design this GRADER application. The implementation is based on the Java language Enterprise Java Bean (EJB) and J2EE application server. Three different distributed architectures: DNA, CORBA and J2EE, are introduced and compared to give an overview of the current distributing computing technologies. By partitioning three or more tiers to a Web application, each tier can be logically and may physically separated from each other to present better design patterns and improve overall Web application reliability and scalability. All application services are also distributed in each tier, including clients on the front end, data resources on the back-end, and one or more middle tiers between them where business logic of the application should stay. The middle tier implements as EJB component, and hence has good reusability and hides the client tier from the complexity of the enterprise, and takes advantage of rapidly maturing Internet technologies to minimize user administration and good portability. Transparent access allows clients to interact with remote servers regardless of physical component location. The underlying infrastructure takes care of locating any server resource. Java security mechanism is also discussed in this project.


Lattice defects are inevitably present in two-dimensional materials, with direct implications on their physical and chemical properties. We show that the formation energy of a lattice defect in buckled two-dimensional crystals is not uniquely defined as it takes different values for different boundary conditions even in the thermodynamic limit, as opposed to their perfectly planar counterparts. Also, the approach to the thermodynamic limit follows a different scaling: inversely proportional to the logarithm of the system size for buckled materials, rather than the usual power-law approach. In graphene samples of ∼1000 atoms, different boundary conditions can cause differences exceeding 10 eV. Besides presenting numerical evidence in simulations, we show that the universal features in this behavior can be understood with simple bead-spring models. Fundamentally, our findings imply that it is necessary to specify the boundary conditions for the energy of the lattice defects in the buckled two-dimensional crystals to be uniquely defined, and this may explain the lack of agreement in the reported values of formation energies in graphene. We argue that boundary conditions may also have an impact on other physical observables such as the melting temperature.


Authoritarian regimes that have their origins in revolution boast a much higher survival rate than other brands of authoritarianism. What accounts for the durability of these revolutionary regimes (which the authors define—building on the work of Samuel Huntington and Theda Skocpol—as those which emerge out of sustained, ideological, and violent struggle from below, and whose establishment is accompanied by mass mobilization and significant efforts to transform state structures and the existing social order). Four variables emerge as decisive in explaining the durability of revolutionary regimes: The destruction of independent power centers, strong ruling parties, invulnerability to coups, and enhanced coercive capacity.


Several foraminiferal species of Cenomanian-Turonian age have been recorded from the Umm Khayshar section in Southern Galala Plateau, Eastern Desert, Egypt. The most abundant species are: Thomasinella fragmentaria Omara, T. punica Schlumberger, Biconcava bentori Hamaoui, Daxia cenomana Cuvillier and Szakal, Flabellammina aegyptiaca Said and Barakat, F. alexanderi Cushman, Nezzazata gyra conica (Smout), N. simplex Omara, Dicyclina sampoi Cherchi and Schroeder and Nakkadyia awadi (a new genus and a new species). The occurrence of Whiteinella archaeocretacea (Pessagno) delineates the latestCenomanian-Early Turonian interval through theMaghra ElHadida Formation. The identified fauna provide an interpretation of the environmental conditions that prevailed during the Cenomanian-Turonian age. The Cenomanian transgression occupied most lowlands marked by shallowmarine facies. At the end of the Cenomanian, sea-level rise deposited mixed clastic – carbonate rocks with a considerable faunal content. At the start of the Turonian, awidemarine transgression took place as reflected from the planktonic/ammonite-bearing rocks.


The role of Work Package (WP) 2 of the PADAMOT project – 'Palaeohydrogeological Data
Measurements' - has been to study late-stage fracture mineral and water samples from
groundwater systems in Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and the Czech Republic, with the aim
of understanding the recent palaeohydrogeological evolution of these groundwater systems. In
particular, the project sought to develop and evaluate methods for obtaining information about
past groundwater evolution during the Quaternary (about the last 2 million years) by examining
how the late-stage mineralization might record mineralogical, petrographical and geochemical
evidence of how the groundwater system may have responded to past geological and
climatological changes.
Fracture-flow groundwater systems at six European sites were studied:
• Melechov Hill, in the Bohemian Massif of the Czech Republic: a shallow (0-100 m)
dilute groundwater flow system within the near-surface weathering zone in fractured
granitic rocks;
• Cloud Hill, in the English Midlands: a (~100 m) shallow dilute groundwater flow system
in fractured and dolomitized Carboniferous limestone;
• Los Ratones, in southwest Spain: an intermediate depth (0-500 m) dilute groundwater
flow system in fractured granitic rocks;
• Laxemar, in southeast Sweden: a deep (0-1000 m) groundwater flow system in fractured
granitic rocks. This is a complex groundwater system with potential recharge and
flushing by glacial, marine, lacustrine and freshwater during the Quaternary;
• Sellafield, northwest England: a deep (0-2000 m) groundwater flow system in fractured
Ordovician low-grade metamorphosed volcaniclastic rocks and discontinuous
Carboniferous Limestone, overlain by a Permo-Triassic sedimentary sequence with
fracture and matrix porosity. This is a complex coastal groundwater system with deep
hypersaline sedimentary basinal brines, and deep saline groundwaters in crystalline
basement rocks, overlain by a shallow freshwater aquifer system. The site was glaciated
several times during the Quaternary and may have been affected by recharge from glacial
meltwater;
• Dounreay, northeast Scotland: a deep (0-1400 m) groundwater flow system in fractured
Precambrian crystalline basement overlain by fractured Devonian sedimentary rocks.
This is within the coastal discharge area of a complex groundwater system, comprising
deep saline groundwater hosted in crystalline basement, overlain by a fracture-controlled
freshwater sedimentary aquifer system. Like Sellafield, this area experienced glaciation
and may potentially record the impact of glacial meltwater recharge.
In addition, a study has been made of two Quaternary sedimentary sequences in Andalusia in
southeastern Spain to provide a basis of estimating the palaeoclimatic history of the region that
could be used in any reconstruction of the palaeoclimatic history at the Los Ratones site:
• The Cullar-Baza lacustrine sequence records information about precipitation and
palaeotemperature regimes, derived largely from the analysis of the stable isotope (δ18O
and δ13C) signatures from biogenic calcite (ostracod shells).
• The Padul Peat Bog sequence provided information on past vegetation cover and
palaeogroundwater inputs based on the study of fossil pollen and biomarkers as proxies
for past climate change.
Following on from the earlier EC 4th Framework EQUIP project, the focus of the PADAMOT
studies has been on calcite mineralization. Calcite has been identified as a late stage mineral, closely associated with hydraulically-conductive fractures in the present-day groundwater
systems at the Aspo-Laxemar, Sellafield, Dounreay and Cloud Hill sites. At Los Ratones and
Melechov sites late-stage mineralization is either absent or extremely scarce, and both the
quantity and fine crystal size of any late-stage fracture mineralization relevant to Quaternary
palaeohydrogeological investigations is difficult to work with. The results from the material
investigated during the PADAMOT studies indicate that the fracture fillings at these sites are
related to hydrothermal activity, and so do not have direct relevance as Quaternary indicators.
Neoformed calcite has not been found at these two sites at the present depth of the investigations.
Furthermore, the HCO3
- concentration in all the Los Ratones groundwaters is mainly controlled
by complex carbonate dissolution. The carbonate mineral saturation indices do not indicate
precipitation conditions, and this is consistent with the fact that neoformed calcite, ankerite or
dolomite have not been observed petrographically.


Background and Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the observance rate of patient charter of rights from the perspective of patients admitted to Shahid Dr Beheshti research and treatment training center affiliated to Qom University of Medical Sciences in an effort to enhance and promote medical care, defend patients' rights and ensure adequate medical and health care. Methods: The current cross-sectional study was conducted on 467 patients in the year 2014. The data were collected using a Likert scale questionnaire with 28 questions whose validity and reliability had been tested and approved in previous studies. Data analysis was performed using T-test analysis of variance via SPSS software Ver. 19. Results: The results obtained from this research indicated that the patient charter of rights was observed based on the overall score of patient charter of rights in 64.62% of cases. Patient rights was observed to be 71.00 % in the category of "optimal receipt of information,", "patient privacy," 71 .52 %, "optimal receipt of health services," 71.44 %, and access to complaints handling system, 44.53 %. Conclusion: According to the findings, the patient charter of rights has been observed satisfactorily according to the admitted patients in the statistical population under investigation, yet it has not been desirable regarding access to the complaint handling system, thus it is suggested that necessary measures be conducted to expand patients and service recipients' access to complaint handling system.


Aerosols create large uncertainty in the planetary energy balance due to both direct and indirect radiative forcing. Understanding aerosol seasonal patterns is essential for accurate climate change prediction, but mountain regions are often difficult for climate models to resolve. Therefore, long-term observations collected at high elevations are particularly useful. In-situ surface aerosol optical measurements were analyzed for the years 2011–2016 at a mountain site located in western Colorado and tied to potential sources based on relationships among the aerosol properties.
The peak values for the scattering and absorption coefficients were observed during the summer, suggesting greater aerosol loading (likely due to wildfires), whereas the lowest values were observed during the winter, indicating cleaner conditions (due to less influence from the boundary layer). The scattering Angstrom exponent, a property that provides information about size distributions, revealed the predominance of coarse-mode particles during the spring, which is consistent with the presence of dust. The aerosols observed during the summer, however, were mostly composed of fine-mode particles. This increase in the fine fraction points to combustion, likely wildfires during the dry season (Hallar, 2015), as a source, which is further supported by the absorption Angstrom exponent dropping to its lowest value (close to 1) during the summer after exhibiting a slightly higher value (~1.3) during the spring. Schmeisser et al. (2017) suggests that, for in-situ aerosol, absorption Angstrom exponents larger than 1.5 may be indicative of dust if they are associated with low (< 1.3) scattering Angstrom exponents. The increase in combustion aerosols during the summer accompanied by high values for the single scattering albedo suggests that these aerosols underwent processing in the atmosphere before reaching Storm Peak Laboratory. These results are important for improving visibility and predicting future aerosol concentrations in the western U.S.


Prognostics is an engineering discipline that focuses on estimation of the health state of a component and the prediction of its remaining useful life (RUL) before failure. Health state estimation is based on actual conditions and it is fundamental for the prediction of RUL under anticipated future usage. Failure of electronic devices is of great concern as future aircraft will see an increase of electronics to drive and control safety-critical equipment throughout the aircraft. Therefore, development of prognostics solutions for electronics is of key importance. This paper presents an accelerated aging system for gate-controlled power transistors. This system allows for the understanding of the effects of failure mechanisms, and the identification of leading indicators of failure which are essential in the development of physics-based degradation models and RUL prediction. In particular, this system isolates electrical overstress from thermal overstress. Also, this system allows for a precise control of internal temperatures, enabling the exploration of intrinsic failure mechanisms not related to the device packaging. By controlling the temperature within safe operation levels of the device, accelerated aging is induced by electrical overstress only, avoiding the generation of thermal cycles. The temperature is controlled by active thermal-electric units. Several electrical and thermal signals are measured in-situ and recorded for further analysis in the identification of leading indicators of failures. This system, therefore, provides a unique capability in the exploration of different failure mechanisms and the identification of precursors of failure that can be used to provide a health management solution for electronic devices.


In federal administrative law, the nondelegation doctrine purports to forbid Congress from entrusting its "legislative powers" to federal administrative agencies. The Supreme Court developed this doctrine during the nineteenth century to safeguard republican values embedded in the Constitution. Over time, however, the Court has loosened the doctrine's grip, permitting federal agencies to wield broad lawmaking powers subject only to minimalist "intelligible principles" established by Congress. The Court has defended this approach on pragmatic grounds, arguing that Congress cannot perform its essential legislative functions without entrusting lawmaking authority to administrative agencies. What the Court has never adequately addressed, however, is the extent to which congressional delegation potentially undermines liberty by instituting domination - the capacity for arbitrary state action. Although the Court continues to invoke the nondelegation doctrine's republican ideals, it has yet to articulate a coherent legal theory to explain how its anemic review of congressional delegations can be squared with the Constitution's liberty-promoting checks and balances. This Article contends that courts can reconcile administrative lawmaking with the Constitution's republican design, but only if they abandon the nondelegation doctrine's antiquated separation-of-powers rationale. In its place, courts should focus upon due process as the primary constitutional constraint on congressional delegation. Although the link between delegation and due process has received only sparse attention in legal scholarship, the Supreme Court has employed due process analysis in a variety of cases involving both state and federal delegations. Three general principles inform these cases: to ensure that congressional delegation does not beget domination, agency lawmaking must be (1) constrained by a basic substantive standard, (2) channeled through fair and deliberative administrative procedures, and (3) subject to political accountability and judicial review. This subterranean due process model challenges the conventional wisdom that due process is inapplicable to agency rulemaking. It also has a variety of important - and potentially controversial - implications for other areas of federal administrative law, including the scope of Chevron deference, the Administrative Procedure Act's applicability to presidential lawmaking, and the constitutional status of federal delegations to states, tribes, private entities, and international organizations.


Traverses across metamorphic reaction zones at contacts between mafic rocks and ultramafic mélange matrix were analyzed in two mélange zones in order to investigate a mechanically mixed contribution to subduction-related reaction zones. Elements enriched in peridotite relative to mafic crust such as Os, Ir, Ru, Ni and Cr were used to assess the addition of a peridotitic component to reaction zones. Results showed co-varying concentrations of Ni, Cr, Os, Ir, and Ru in reaction zones, suggesting these components were added via mixing with mantle peridotite. 187 Os/ 188 Os ratios were lower in reaction zones relative to block cores, consistent with the addition of peridotite to mafic rock. Reaction zone samples plot along mixing trends between peridotite and basalt, indicating that mechanical mixing, along with fluid-mediated mass transfer of fluid-mobile elements, contributes to reaction zone formation in the Catalina Schist mélange zone.


The present study investigated the severity and intensity of peritraumatic responses of individuals during criminal victimisation and while engaging in a police interview and court testimony. Of particular interest were the different aspects of these criminal justice events that might contribute to their stressful nature. A personalised, staged guided imagery methodology was employed to assess the peritraumatic psychological and psychophysiological reactions of the 43 victims of crime. As predicted, results of the crime analysis indicated that victims respond in negative ways to criminal victimisation, more so than emotionally neutral events. Although perceived risk to life did not impact the severity of all responses to criminal activity, it did increase the overall sense of threat, violation and fear in victims. As expected, results of the police interview analysis also indicated that police interviews elicit stronger psychophysiological and psychological responses in victims than neutral events. However, victims are affected differently during police interviews in comparison to crimes. A perceived need to prove victimisation during police interview impacted on victims' feelings of control and violation at different stages of their experiences. However, contrary to the hypothesis, the perceived support received from police officers did not impact on victims' experiences. When considering the results of the court testimony analysis (n=19), the psychological and psychophysiological ratings again provided support for the hypothesis, in this case, that testifying in court is a distressing event when compared to emotionally neutral events. Further, the need to prove victimisation during testimony increased feelings of anger during this stage and a general sense of threat throughout the entire courtroom experience. Against predictions, levels of violation, lack of control and anger were elevated when the perpetrator was absent from the courtroom. The results add to the literature on, and provide some interesting insights into, the complex impact of involvement in criminal justice system on victims' posttraumatic wellbeing.


Abstract. A global model of aerosol microphysics is used to simulate a large East Asian dust storm during the ACE-Asia experiment. We use the model together with size resolved measurements of aerosol number concentration and composition to examine how dust modified the production of sulfate aerosol and the particle size distribution in East Asian outflow. Simulated size distributions and mass concentrations of dust, sub- and super-micron sulfate agree well with observations from the C-130 aircraft. Modeled mass concentrations of fine sulfate (Dp 1.0 μm) by more than an order of magnitude, but total sulfate concentrations increase by less than 2% because decreases in fine sulfate have a compensating effect. Our analysis shows that the sulfate associated with dust can be explained largely by the uptake of H2SO4 rather than reaction of SO2 on the dust surface, which we assume is suppressed once the particles are coated in sulfate. We suggest that many previous model investigations significantly overestimated SO2 oxidation on East Asian dust, possibly due to the neglect of surface saturation effects. We extend previous model experiments by examining how dust modified existing particle concentrations in Asian outflow. Total particle concentrations (condensation nuclei, CN) modeled in the dust-pollution plume are reduced by up to 20%, but we predict that dust led to less than 10% depletion in particles large enough to act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). Our analysis suggests that E. Asian dust storms have only a minor impact on sulfate particles present at climate-relevant sizes.


This thesis identifies and challenges two distinct modes of describing contemporary childhood and traces these two modes to their roots in the philosophies of mind that engendered the Enlightemnent. It is argued that these two modes, labelled for ease of reference Romantic and Utilitarian as culturally constructed during the Enlightenment are no longer capable of containing the meaning of childhood within a rapidly changing technological environment.
Furthermore, it is argued that the adherents to these two modes perpetuate a continuous debate between these ideas of childhood that is inconclusive and as such does a disservice to children.
By adopting a multi-disciplinary approach this thesis contributes to the body of work already existing on childhood development by contextulising the research within cultural studies. This approach enables childhood to be seen as a cultural
construct within human social development rather than as a 'unique' time that is preserved by adults for each subsequent generation of children.
Returning childhood to the 'mainstream' of society not only enables a negotiated settlement between the two modes of childhood to be proposed but also suggests a unique way or remodelling childhood that engages with the social, cultural, scientific and teclmological developments that are and will be faced by contemporary and future generations.


Background: Oxidative stress has become a real entity in etiopathogenesis of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). It may result from steady flux of free radicals and lipid peroxides in vivo. Malondialdehyde (MDA) is a stable end product of lipid peroxidation. Accumulative evidences suggest that hyperglycemia in Type 2 DM can produce major changes in nitric oxide (NO) production as well as in its action. Alteration in metabolism of trace elements is also observed in DM. Objective: To evaluate oxidative stress, status of NO, and trace elements zinc (Zn) and magnesium (Mg) in type 2 DM and to correlate these parameters with disease process. Materials and Methods: Ninety-two cases with diabetes were included in the study, out of which 51 were type 2 DM without any complication and 41 were type 2 DM with complications. Fifty-one nondiabetic healthy controls from hospital staff were selected for the study. Blood samples were collected after an overnight fast for estimation of fasting plasma glucose, postprandial glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid profile, trace element status, MDA, and NO. Results: Study revealed a rise in MDA levels in both uncomplicated and complicated cases with diabetes (2.47 ± 0.53, 3.98 ± 0.42 nmol/ml, respectively) as compared to controls (1.43 ± 0.23 nmol/ml), which was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The mean levels of NO, Zn, and Mg were significantly lower in both the diabetic groups than the control group (P < 0.05). MDA showed a significant positive correlation with plasma glucose, lipid profile parameters (except high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), and significant negative correlation with Zn (r = −0.44, P< 0.05) and Mg (r = −0.31, P< 0.05). NO levels were correlated significantly with plasma glucose, dyslipidemia, and HbA1c (P < 0.05). The effects of glycemic status on trace element concentrations were evident from a significant negative correlation between Zn and Mg with fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c. Conclusion: Findings of the present study may establish the role of hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, impaired NO, and trace elements in pathogenesis and long-term vascular complications of type 2 DM.


We present mitochondrial haplogroup characterizations of the prehistoric Anasazi of the United States (US) Southwest. These data are part of a long-term project to characterize ancient Great Basin and US Southwest samples for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) diversity. Three restriction site polymorphisms (RSPs) and one length polymorphism identify four common Native American matrilines (A, B, C, and D). The Anasazi (n = 27) are shown to have a moderate frequency of haplogroup A (22%), a high frequency of haplogroup B (56%), and a low frequency of C (15%). Haplogroup D has not yet been detected among the Anasazi. In comparison to modern Native American groups from the US Southwest, the Anasazi are shown to have a distribution of haplogroups similar to the frequency pattern exhibited by modern Pueblo groups. A principal component analysis also clusters the Anasazi with some modern (Pueblo) Southwestern populations, and away from other modern (Athapaskan speaking) Southwestern populations. The Anasazi are also shown to have a significantly different distribution of the four haplogroups as compared to the eastern Great Basin Great Salt Lake Fremont (n = 32), although both groups cluster together in a principal component analysis. The context of our data suggests substantial stability within the US Southwest, even in the face of the serious cultural and biological disruption caused by colonization of the region by European settlers. We conclude that although sample numbers are fairly low, ancient DNA (aDNA) data are useful for assessing long-term populational affinities and for discerning regional population structure.


The interactions of metal-containing molecules and nanoparticles (NPs) with the interior of hollow graphitic carbon nanostructures (CNs) were investigated and their chemical transformations in the nanoscale channels of CNs appraised. The gas phase insertion of Group VI metal hexacarbonyl complexes (M(CO)6, M=Cr, Mo, W) into CNs was successfully developed and optimised to provide good filling rates as confirmed by transition electron microscopy (TEM). Infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy demonstrated that Group VI M(CO)6 complexes with greater polarisability exhibit stronger van der Waals interactions with the interior of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The synthesis of metal based NPs inside graphitised carbon nanofibers (GNFs) by the in situ transformation of the encapsulated M(CO)6 precursor molecules was successfully achieved and it was demonstrated that GNFs can act as a source of oxygen in these reactions. The nanotube filling methodology was applied for the multi-step synthesis of new inorganic materials inside CNs by the controlled reactions of M(CO)6, I2 and H2S. This approach yielded unusual van der Waals hybrid materials such as "tube inside a tube" and other hybrid structures of MoS2 and GNFs. In SWNTs, with significantly narrower diameters than GNFs or multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), metal complexes form unique 1D arrays of octahedral [M6I14]2- clusters with the nanotube acting as a nanocontainer and a poly-cation balancing the charge of the guest-clusters. The iodides of Mo and W were effectively converted into extremely thin MS2 nanoribbons (NRs) within SWNTs, providing a new more efficient route to the hybrid inorganic nanostructures. In MWNTs, the [Mo6Ii8Ia2Ia a4/2] clusters are packed in a hexagonal pattern to optimise filling of the void, and when reacted with H2S they provide a range of multi-layered MS2NRs with their widths controlled by the internal diameter of the host nanotube.


STUDY OBJECTIVES
We hypothesize that extremes of sleep duration are associated with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), a pro-inflammatory marker for cardiovascular disease risk.

DESIGN
Cross-sectional.

SETTING
Population-based research.

PARTICIPANTS
Nationally representative sample of 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants (n = 5,587 adults).

INTERVENTIONS
None.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS
Associations between CRP and self-reported total sleep time (TST) were examined. Explanatory models considered contributions of sex, age, race/ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), and BMI squared (BMI2). Models also explored the role of insomnia symptoms, sleep apnea, active medical illness, and antidiabetic/antihypertensive treatment. Differential patterns among race/ethnicity groups were examined using interactions and stratified analyses. Nonlinear relationships between CRP and TST were assessed using polynomial and multinomial regression models (< 5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and > 9 h). Linear and squared terms were significant in all models in the complete sample, with notable differences by sex and ethnoracial group. Overall, in models adjusted for sociodemographics and BMI, different patterns were observed for non-Hispanic white (elevated CRP for < 5 h and > 9 h), black/African-American (elevated CRP for < 5 h and 8 h), Hispanic/Latino (elevated CRP for > 9 h), and Asian/ Other (higher in 9 and > 9 h and lower in 5 h and 6 h) groups. Ethnoracial groups also demonstrated patterning by sex.

CONCLUSION
In a representative sample of American adults, elevated CRP was associated with extreme sleep durations. Sex, race/ethnicity, sleep disorders, and medical comorbidity influenced these associations. Differences in CRP along these dimensions should be considered in future research on sleep related disparities influencing cardiometabolic disease risk.


We present a model and system for deciding on computing versus storage trade-offs in the Cloud using von Neumann-Morgenstern lotteries. We use the decision model in a video-on-demand system providing cost-efficient transcoding and storage of videos. Video transcoding is an expensive computational process that converts a video from one format to another. Video data are large enough to cause concern over rising storage costs. In the general case, our work is of interest when dealing with expensive computations that generate large results that can be cached for future use. Solving the decision problem entails solving two sub-problems: how long to store cached objects and how many requests we can expect for a particular object in that duration. We compare the proposed approach to always storing and to our previous approach over one year using discrete-event simulations. We observe a 72% cost reduction compared to always storing and a 13% reduction compared to our previous approach. This reduction in cost stems from the proposed approach storing fewer unpopular objects when it does not regard it as cost-efficient to do so.


This article uses a popular cultural framework to address the near-epidemic levels of depression, decision-making errors, and professional dissatisfaction that studies document are prevalent among many law students and lawyers today. Zombies present an apt metaphor for understanding and contextualizing the ills now common in the American legal and legal education systems. To explore that metaphor and its import, this article will first establish the contours of the zombie literature and will apply that literature to the existing state of legal education and legal practice — ultimately describing a state that we believe can only be termed "the Zombie Lawyer Apocalypse". The article will draw parallels between the zombie state of being — the state of being mindless, thoughtless, and devoid of hope — and the state of some aspects of legal culture and legal education today. This article will then offer solutions to the problem of legal zombies. Those solutions draw on the positive psychology literature and include 1) mindfulness, 2) a shift in attribution style (the way people think about their experiences), 3) reliance on core strengths, and 4) an effort to developing meaning in work and life. Through the application of these and other interventions, we believe it may be possible to stem the tide of lawyer and law student distress and dissatisfaction and protect future students and lawyers from falling prey to the Zombie Lawyer Apocalypse.


The importance of the Baltic states has increased due to increase of capital inflow from the West. A large part of the foreign involvement takes the form of alliance with local partners in the region. But how these alliances operate and fulfill the objectives of the partners in the Baltic states remain almost unexplored. By the help of depth interviews, four alliances, two in Estonia and the other two in Lithuania, have therefore been studied in this research work. The theoretical framework is based on the concepts of motives, resources, learning, network, performance and general environment. Cost reduction, market seeking, and development and maintenance of services have been the main motives of foreign firms in entering into the alliances. No clear cut motive is observed from the local partners' side. Learning has been found important for both the partners and concerns cultural differences, local knowhow and adaptation to the Western way in doing business. A broader view of performance is presented by including network development in the article. Profitability, market share, and sales have been seen as short term while network development and relationships as longterm performance criteria in the alliances. The role of general environment on alliances and its impact on network development have also been observed. This study further suggests that alliances offering service dominated products concentrate on the local markets, while alliances offering products with less service elements have export as the target.


The activity of the kinase Aurora-A (Aur-A) peaks during mitosis and depends on phosphorylation by one or more unknown kinases. Mitotic phosphorylation sites were mapped by mass spec sequencing of recombinant Aur-A protein that had been activated by incubation in extracts of metaphase-arrested Xenopus eggs. Three sites were identified: serine 53 (Ser-53), threonine 295 (Thr-295), and serine 349 (Ser-349), which are equivalent to Ser-51, Thr-288, and Ser-342, respectively, in human Aur-A. To ask how phosphorylation of these residues might affect kinase activity, each was mutated to either alanine or aspartic acid, and the recombinant proteins were then tested for their ability to be activated by M phase extract. Mutation of Thr-295, which resides in the activation loop of the kinase, to either alanine or aspartic acid abolished activity. The S349A mutant had slightly reduced activity, indicating that phosphorylation is not required for activity. The S349D mutation completely blocked activation, suggesting that Ser-349 is important for either the structure or regulation of Aur-A. Finally, like human Aur-A, overexpression of Xenopus Aur-A transformed NIH 3T3 cells and led to tumors in nude mice. These results provide further evidence that Xenopus Aur-A is a functional ortholog of human Aur-A and, along with the recently described crystal structure of human Aur-A, should help in future studies of the mechanisms that regulate Aur-A activity during mitotic progression.


The difficult task of innovation is a key facet of Research & Development (R&D) institutions. To Design, innovation is to make the project technically feasible, economically viable, merchandising interesting and emotionally engaging. Design Thinking integrated with R&D organizations can foster the relationship between Universities and new markets. By addressing these topics, this book researches new emerging design methods and provide an overview of Design Thinking tools that can be applied in an early stage of the R&D research process to produce meaningful results. It is taken into account that design, through Design Thinking, extends to the experience that costumers/users have with products/services or even multidimensional experiences, which is a relevant input for R&D innovation development. In fact, the establishment of coherent guidelines for the Design Thinking process is a very complex task, due to its interdisciplinary requirements, that convey many diverse mindsets. The main focus of this book is creating an analysis toolkit that enables non-specialist and specialist users to perform high-quality design solutions.


Recent technical advances have transformed the field of immunology. We are now capable of measuring features of immune responses, including B- and T-cell specificity and repertoire, serum and intracellular cytokines, and more, on a scale never imagined before. As a consequence, the generation of big data sets has become routine and there is an urgent need for an analysis platform to facilitate data exploration and integration across assays and studies. Here we present ImmuneSpace, the data repository and analysis platform of the Human Immunology Project Consortium (HIPC). The HIPC program, funded by the NIH, is a multi-center collaborative effort to characterize the status of the immune system in different populations under diverse stimulations and disease states. This ongoing effort has generated large amounts of varied high-throughput, high-dimensional biological data (flow cytometry, CyTOF, RNA-Seq, Luminex, among others). All data generated to date by HIPC, along with other selected datasets generated by other NIAID funded projects, have been made publicly available through ImmuneSpace and are ready to be explored using visualization and analysis tools built in ImmuneSpace. To this end, we hope that ImmuneSpace will act as a central immunological hub, allowing experimentalists, statisticians, and bioinformaticians to freely retrieve, explore and compare data across assays and across studies generated within and outside of HIPC.


We consider the task of clustering items using answers from non-expert crowd workers. In such cases, the workers are often not able to label the items directly, however, it is reasonable to assume that they can compare items and judge whether they are similar or not. An important question is what queries to make, and we compare two types: random edge queries, where a pair of items is revealed, and random triangles, where a triple is. Since it is far too expensive to query all possible edges and/or triangles, we need to work with partial observations subject to a fixed query budget constraint. When a generative model for the data is available (and we consider a few of these) we determine the cost of a query by its entropy; when such models do not exist we use the average response time per query of the workers as a surrogate for the cost. In addition to theoretical justification, through several simulations and experiments on two real data sets on Amazon Mechanical Turk, we empirically demonstrate that, for a fixed budget, triangle queries uniformly outperform edge queries. Even though, in contrast to edge queries, triangle queries reveal dependent edges, they provide more reliable edges and, for a fixed budget, many more of them. We also provide a sufficient condition on the number of observations, edge densities inside and outside the clusters and the minimum cluster size required for the exact recovery of the true adjacency matrix via triangle queries using a convex optimization-based clustering algorithm.


The story of the creative relationship between the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) and the British artist Ben Nicholson (1894-1982) is largely untold, yet during the 1930s they were leading forces of avant-garde art in Europe and their work was profoundly connected. This book accompanies an exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery, London, that will be the first to offer a comprehensive account of the parallel artistic paths charted by Mondrian and Nicholson during this remarkable decade. It will bring together an extraordinary group of paintings and reliefs to show how each artist was driven by a profound belief in the potential of abstract art to attain the highest aesthetic and spiritual power. Nicholson's visit in 1934 to Mondrian's studio in Paris, where they were both involved with the Abstraction-Creation group, inspired a friendship that would last until Mondrian's death ten years later and would see them working in neighboring London studios for two years from 1938. Together they contributed to a number of groundbreaking exhibitions and avant-garde publications, in which their work was often presented side by side, expressing their shared commitment to creating new forms of abstract art. The friendship spanned a highly productive period for both artists who, in their different ways, were determined to refine and intensify their abstract work. Nicholson found powerful confirmation of his artistic convictions through Mondrian's example, which emboldened his approach and led him to produce some of the very greatest works of his career. At the same time Mondrian was taking new directions in his painting, making greater use of expanded areas of white space in combination with restrained but intensive areas of vibrant color. He also renewed the possibilities of his famous horizontal and vertical black lines leading to his development of the `double line', which greatly enhanced the visual dynamism of his compositions and are recognized today as being among his most iconic painting. This publication will reunite paintings and reliefs which were exhibited or published together in the 1930s as well as the Mondrian works originally bought by collectors from Nicholson's circle. It will explore in depth the importance of the relationship and the shared artistic sensibilities of the two artists, shedding new light upon this vital episode in the history of abstract art.


Because of its simplicity the rational method is still frequently used in urban planning and design. In this paper using the time-area method and statistically derived design storms, the design peak flow is computed for urban basins of different complexity and compared with the design flow determined from the rational method. It is shown that the design flow is underestimated using the rational method unless a reduced time of concentration is used. The relation between travel times in different parts of a drainage system is used to correct the design flow computed by the traditional rational method.


The tectonic subsidence history recorded in middle Cenomanian to early Campanian (96 to 80 Ma) strata in the U.S. Cretaceous Western Interior basin was studied by applying two-dimensional flexural backstripping techniques to six regional stratigraphic sections across different segments of the basin. Results indicate that tectonic subsidence over the 16 m.y. study interval consists of two distinct components: a westwardincreasing flexural subsidence confined within a few hundred kilometers of the thrust belt, and a spatially uniform "residual" subsidence that affected the entire basin. The residual subsidence does not represent signals of eustatic sea level changes but instead reflects epeirogenic movements specific to the North American Western Interior. The flexural component exhibits significant spatial and temporal variations along the strike of the Sevier thrust belt. The greatest cumulative subsidence occurred in southwestern Wyoming and northern Utah, whereas concurrent subsidence in northwestern Montana and southern Utah was insignificant. Temporal trends in subsidence also show a distinct regional pattern. From middle Cenomanian to late Turanian (96 to 90 Ma), subsidence rates were high in Utah and much lower in Wyoming and Montana. In contrast, during the Coniacian and Santonian stages (90 to 85 Ma) subsidence accelerated rapidly in Wyoming, increased slightly in Montana, and decreased in Utah. The observed variations in flexural subsidence were probably manifestations of basement structures, particularly those zones of crustal weakness inherited from the Precambrian rifting and early Paleozoic passive margin development.


Transformation of sound by statistical techniques is a promising method for a new range of digital audio effects. In this paper a data driven voice transformation algorithm is used to alter the timbre of a neutral (non-emotional) voice in order to reproduce a particular emotional vocal timbre. Perceptually based Mel-Cepstral analysis and Mel Log Spectral Approximation digital filter are used to represent the speech timbre and to synthesize speech with modified spectral envelope. The transformation function adopts a GMM (Gaussian Mixture Model) based parametrization in order convert the spectral envelopes. Experiments with the first and second order derivatives of the mel-cepstral coefficients have been undertaken to prove the benefit of including dynamic information in the model. The proposed algorithm has been evaluated by means of objective measures in the neutral-to-happy and neutral-to-sad tasks.


Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) targets both underlying factors in glaucoma pathogenesis by reducing elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and providing retinal neuroprotection, whereas the current clinical approaches targets only reducing IOP. Therefore, H2S could be a potential superior candidate for glaucoma pharmacotherapy. However, H2S could be toxic in a concentration greater than 200 μM and its donors are unstable in water. Therefore, this study investigated the preparation and characterization of a non-aqueous in situ gelling sustained-release delivery system for H2S donors. The delivery system was prepared by dissolving GYY 4137, a H2S donor, in poly lactide-co-glycolide polymer (PLGA) (Resomer® RG 502H) solution prepared by dissolving polymer in a mixture of benzyl alcohol and benzyl benzoate in a ratio of 7:3, respectively. The GYY 4137 formulation was characterized for syringeability/injectability, change in pH and tonicity, moisture content, GYY 4137 degradation, and toxicity using rheometer, pH and osmometer, Karl Fisher titrimeter, NMR spectrometer, and Y79 retinoblastoma cells, respectively. The formulation was easily syringeable and injectable as evidenced by rheological data (plastic flow pattern with 43.89 ± 3.21 cP viscosity and 1.12 ± 0.15 Pa yield value). The pH, tonicity, and moisture content values were within acceptable range. NMR spectroscopy indicated presence of 4-methoxyphenylphosphonic acid (GYY 4137 degradation product). The GYY 4137 formulation did not show any significant (p < 0.05) toxicity except the solvent mixture. A sustained release of H2S was observed up to 72 h. The in situ gel forming PLGA-based system can be manipulated to achieve sustained release of H2S from its donor GYY 4137.


Cool Accretion Numerical models predict that in order to keep forming stars, galaxies should be continuously replenished with gas from the intergalactic medium. Using data from the Very Large Telescope in Chile, Bouché et al. (p. 50) report observations that are consistent with accretion of cold, chemically pristine gas onto a star-forming galaxy at a time when the cosmic star-formation activity was at its peak. Observations of gas near a star-forming galaxy reveal kinematic signatures expected from gas inflowing onto the galaxy. Galaxies are thought to be fed by the continuous accretion of intergalactic gas, but direct observational evidence has been elusive. The accreted gas is expected to orbit about the galaxy's halo, delivering not just fuel for star formation but also angular momentum to the galaxy, leading to distinct kinematic signatures. We report observations showing these distinct signatures near a typical distant star-forming galaxy, where the gas is detected using a background quasar passing 26 kiloparsecs from the host. Our observations indicate that gas accretion plays a major role in galaxy growth because the estimated accretion rate is comparable to the star-formation rate.


This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a novel buddy-Motivational Interviewing intervention intended to help apparently healthy but relatively sedentary adults to adopt and maintain regular physical activity for health and fitness. This intervention is an adaptation of Motivational Interviewing which adds client-selected motivational-buddies who can provide in-session input as well as ongoing out-of-session support focused on strengthening client's motivation for and movement toward their physical activity goals. A pragmatic parallel-group randomised controlled trial with 12-month follow-up was implemented to test the intervention. The trial demonstrated that buddy-MI was feasible and could be delivered with equivalent fidelity to standard MI and both groups demonstrated statistically significant changes across a range of behavioural and health-status outcomes. Moreover, the experimental group participants generally 'outperformed' the control group participants as shown by the consistent trends observed over three repeated measures out to 12-months (although these between-group differences were statistically non-significant). Qualitative data indicated participant acceptance of the programme as well as providing initial evidence of positive collateral health effects ('ripple effects' whereby buddies changed their behaviours also). Consideration for further development, evaluation and applications are also discussed.


In the eyes of many Westerners, the idea of reform in Saudi Arabia is a contradiction. The Al Saud dynasty has long held a monopoly of political, religious, and social power over its citizens. The government currently bans all opposition political parties and tightly controls domestic media outlets. Saudi Arabia has also gained notoriety around the world for its strict interpretation of Sunni Islam called Wahhabism. Despite the apparent lack of freedom, Saudi Arabia has in fact experienced some movements toward reform and modernization over the past few years. Unfortunately, they do not represent a trend toward liberalization and political reform. Rather, they have only appeared in response to events such as lowered oil earnings and threats of terrorism. Given Saudi Arabia's recent economic successes, it seems unlikely that the kingdom will move toward substantial reform in the near future. The years of 2001 and 2003 were marked by significant drives for political reform in Saudi Arabia. Concerns over declining oil revenues and rising unemployment formed the basis for domestic dissatisfaction. The participation of 15 Saudis in the September 11, 2001, attacks left the government with a new combination of US pressure and internal calls for reform. In January 2003, 104 Saudi liberal reformers created a "Strategic Vision for the Present and the Future," which consisted of detailed proposals for democratic changes such as separation of power and elected legislative bodies at the national and provincial levels. This document used religious and legal arguments to justify citizens' supervision of government actions. Pressures for reform reached a peak when 12 suicide bombers attacked the capital of Riyadh in May 2003, killing 30 people and wounding 200. Saudis refer to the attacks as their own September 11, and the bombings seemed to initially push the Saudi government to reform its authoritarian practices. The Riyadh attacks were followed by unprecedented criticism of religious extremism in the media. The Crown Prince himself made speeches acknowledging the problem of Islamic extremism--acknowledgments that would have been unthinkable just a few years prior. In 2005, Saudis also witnessed their first municipal elections in almost a half-century. That same year, women were even allowed to participate in elections for the board of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce. The start of the 21st century, thus, seemed a positive one for Saudi reform. The impact of these reforms, however, should not be overstated. In many cases, they have been overshadowed by continued authoritarian behavior. Despite the optimism of the 2003 petitions, signatories to more recent appeals for reform have faced stiff government resistance. In March 2004, 13 pro-reform activists in favor of a constitutional monarchy were arrested, some of whom are forbidden to travel abroad even today. …


Interpositional arthroplasty is a treatment option for isolated medial compartment
osteoarthritis of the knee. No bone resection and no mechanical fixation
are the main advantages of this procedure. However post-operative problems,
such as implant dislocation, swelling and severe knee pain have been generally
observed. Since these problems are related to the motions and loads occurring
at the knee and probably to design factors of the implant, there is a need to
investigate the kinematics and contact mechanics of the knee implanted with an
interpositional spacer and its differences with respect to the normal knee. Although
the knee joint is routinely involved in dynamic activities, to date, no
experimental or numerical studies have investigated the kinematics and contact
mechanics of the normal knee joint during dynamic loading conditions, most of
the experimental and finite element studies are static or quasi-static in nature.
Hence the purpose of this study was to investigate: 1) the behaviour of the
normal knee joint under dynamic loading conditions, 2) the performance of a
knee implanted with an interpositional spacer and 3) the effect of several implant
design parameters on the behaviour of the implanted knee. The kinematics and
contact pressures of the normal knee joint during the activities of walking, stair
ascent and squatting were obtained using dynamic finite element analysis. Higher
contact pressures were predicted when applying more demanding loads, during
the simulation of the squatting and stair ascent activities. Similar ranges of motion
were predicted for the three activities simulated, despite the difference in the
magnitude of the loads applied, due to the restraining function of the ligaments
and the geometry of the surfaces into contact. In the second study, the kinematics
and contact pressures of a knee implanted with a polyurethane interpositional
spacer were obtained and compared to the normal knee. In general, for the three
activities simulated, the implanted knee was able to follow the kinematics of the
normal knee, however higher contact pressures were predicted in the medial side
of the tibial and femoral articular cartilages, which could increase the propensity
for articular cartilage degeneration. In the third study, the influence of implant
material, size, thickness and radii of the bearing surface in anterior/posterior and
medial/lateral directions was assessed. A hard material compared to the menisci,
such as a cobalt-chromium alloy, caused higher contact pressures in both the medial
and lateral side of the knee. Implant size did not affect the kinematics or
contact pressures in the knee, however anterior dislocation of the implant was
observed for a large spacer during the squatting activity. Thickness and radii of
the bearing surface did not show any significant influence on the kinematics or
contact pressures.


Abstract A stellarator systems/optimization code is used to optimize the ARIES-CS fusion power plant parameters for minimum cost of electricity subject to a large number of physics, engineering, and in-vessel component constraints for a compact stellarator configuration. Different physics models, reactor component models, and costing algorithms are used to test sensitivities to models and assumptions. The most important factors determining the size of the fusion power core are the allowable neutron and radiative power fluxes to the wall, the distance needed between the edge of the plasma and the nonplanar magnetic field coils for the intervening components, and an adequate tritium breeding ratio. The magnetic field and coil parameters are determined from both plasma performance and constraints on the Nb3Sn superconductor. The same costing approach and algorithms used in previous ARIES studies are used with updated material costs. The result is a compact stellarator reactor with a major radius close to that of tokamaks. A one-dimensional power balance code is used to study the path to ignition and the effect of different plasma and confinement assumptions on plasma performance for the reference plasma and coil configuration. A number of variations are studied that affect the size and cost of the fusion power core: maximum field at the coils, component cost penalties, a different blanket and shield approach, alternative plasma and coil configurations, etc. Comparisons are made with some earlier ARIES power plant studies. A number of issues for the development of compact quasi-axisymmetric stellarators are identified.


The effect of Cu-Sn intermetallic compounds (IMC) on the fatigue failure of solder joints during thermal cycling has been studied. The samples consist of components [leadless ceramic chip carrier (LCCC)] soldered onto FR-4 printed circuit board (PCB), and are prepared by conventional reflow soldering using a 63Sn-37Pb solder paste. The specimens are subjected to thermal cycling between -35/spl deg/C and 125/spl deg/C with a frequency of two cycles per hour until failure. The results indicate that the fatigue lifetime of the solder joints depends on the thickness of IMC's layer between Cu-pad and bulk solder, and the relation of the lifetime to the thickness can be described as a monotonically decreasing curve. The lifetime is very sensitive to the thickness of the IMC when the thickness is less than 1.4 /spl mu/m. During thermal cycling the thickness of the IMC layer increases and then the interface between IMC and solder becomes gradually flatter. The results of X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis show that cracks propagate along the interface between the IMC layer and the solder joint. The Cu/sub 3/Sn (/spl epsiv/-phase) is also found to form between the Cu-pad and /spl eta/-phase during thermal cycling. On the basis of the above results, the thick and flattened IMC layer is shown to responsible for the fatigue failure of solder joint during thermal cycling. The results of this paper can be used to optimize the reflow soldering process for the fabrication of robust solder joints.


ABSTRACT Sixty percent of the supratidal deposits of a well in the giant Yacheng Gas Field show evidence of pedogenic alteration. Pedogenic features of these Mid-Tertiary sediments include porphyroskelic and lattisepic textures, argillans, embayed quartz grains, peds, horizonation, high carbonaceous content, pedotubules, and mottling. Yacheng sediments presently occur in a high-grade diagenetic setting (depth of approximately 4 km and temperatures of about 180°C). Despite mineralogical transformations induced by burial, much of the pedogenic and burial diagenetic history of Yacheng sediments is revealed by detailed mineralogical and geochemical analysis. This analysis also reveals the co-existence of authigenic illite formed by different reaction pathways over differing timetables. Analytical data indicate that although the clay mineral suite includes only chlorite and illite, each mineral has formed by a variety of processes. Most chlorite in Yacheng sediments is of detrital origin. This is indicated by the similarity in the amount and distribution of Fe and Al in chlorite from schist cobbles and in the sediment clay fraction as determined by quantitative x-ray diffraction (XRD) and analytical electron microscopy (AEM). Authigenic chlorite, while comparatively rare in the studied interval, grew from solution in pore spaces and tends to be significantly poorer in Fe and Mg than detrital chlorite. Three varieties of illite were recognized by their textural, morphological, and structural characteristics. Detrital illite, the least abundant component, exhibits 2M1 stacking order by powder XRD. Macroscopic muscovite flakes, the probable parent of clay-sized detrital illite, were dated by K/Ar methods at 207.35 ± 3.95 Ma. Authigenic illite formed by precipitation in pore spaces and by replacement of smectite of pedogenic origin. These two varieties of illite have distinctive textural, morphological, and chemical characteristics. Pore-growth illite displays euhedral textures in scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopes and post-dates authigenic quartz and feldspar formation. This type of illite has 1M stacking order, and electron diffraction images show that individual particles have a single coherently diffracting domain down the c* crystallographic axis. By contrast, authigenic illite particles that formed by replacement of smectite have anhedral morphologies in TEM and exhibit a texture similar to that of smectite in petrographic thin sections, SEM, and lattice fringes imaged by high resolution electron microscopy (HRTEM). Matrix illite also displays 1M order by powder XRD but electron diffraction shows that submicron particles are aggregates of coherently diffracting domains that are rando ly stacked along the c* axis. HRTEM lattice fringe images indicate that these diffracting domains average 8-10 unit cells thick. Anhedral illite particles show, on average, higher Al and Fe and lower Si and K by AEM than co-existing pore-growth illite. K/Ar age dates suggest that the integrated time of formation of pore-filling illite is significantly later than the mean illitization time of smectite-derived illite.


Aims (1) Understand the impact of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), (2) Manage complications arising during CPB, Clarify roles of team members, (3) Practice team communication for coordinated patient care. Background The cardiac anaesthesia setting is a highly dynamic environment requiring continuous processing of feedback from multiple sources. CAST is a valuable enhancement to prepare and orientate residents to the high risk environment. We report our continuing efforts to develop CAST for our first year anaesthesia residents using a high-fidelity simulator, adapted to simulate the CPB state. Methodology The course is led by a multidisciplinary faculty, including surgeons and perfusionists. The simulation scenarios focused on management of complications during CPB, re-warming and weaning from bypass (e.g. arrhythmias, electrolyte abnormalities and protamine reactions). This is followed by facilitated debriefing. Pre-reading, pre-/post-tests and short didactics are also used to augment the learning experience. Outcomes To date, 26 residents have undergone CAST, including 2 cardiac surgical residents, who found CAST useful in fostering inter-professional understanding and learning. 92% of the residents scored CAST 'Excellent or Good' for clarity of the course objectives, 84% for reinforcing knowledge, and 66.6% for‖improvement of communication. The challenges faced by faculty included getting buy-in from stake-holders from different disciplines, securing protected time for residents and faculty, and developing a comprehensive lesson plan to address different training needs of the multidisciplinary team. Recommendations and take home messages CAST scenarios with varying complexity targeted at training our advanced residents are currently in development. There is also potential to develop a separate course with an emphasis on non-technical skills (e.g. team‖communication) and inter-professional education.


A method for the prediction of the residual life of a component subject to structural degradation which stems from the combination of a particle filter with an artificial neural network is proposed in this study. The artificial neural network is adaptively trained on-line, i.e., its parameters are identified in real time by the particle filter as new observations of the structural degradation become available from a generic diagnostic system. The adaptive network is then used to perform a multiple-step ahead prediction, thus estimating the probability density function of the residual life. The advantage of the method is that it can potentially adapt to different trends in the damage evolution, even in presence of anomalous behaviors due to failures or unforeseen operating conditions.


Hydrologic analysis indicated that surface runoff from manure accumulated in dairy areas would not occur very frequently in southern California. This was verified by a field test using simulated rainfall. Hydrologic data collected in this experiment were used to establish the runoff-rainfall relationship for the Chino-Corona dairy preserve. Though the amount of runoff may not be large, the high mineral and organic carbon contents of manured runoff is detrimental to the water quality of receiving streams. The high salinity and low nutrient content would make its possible beneficial use on cropland seem doubtful. In wet years, the disposal of salt-laden wastewater could become a problem. Holding ponds and retention structures for surface runoff merely prevent it temporarily from entering the receiving water.


To date, realistic ISP topologies have not been accessible to the research community, leaving work that depends on topology on an uncertain footing. In this paper, we present new Internet mapping techniques that have enabled us to measure router-level ISP topologies. Our techniques reduce the number of required traces compared to a brute-force, all-to-all approach by three orders of magnitude without a significant loss in accuracy. They include the use of BGP routing tables to focus the measurements, the elimination of redundant measurements by exploiting properties of IP routing, better alias resolution, and the use of DNS to divide each map into POPs and backbone. We collect maps from ten diverse ISPs using our techniques, and find that our maps are substantially more complete than those of earlier Internet mapping efforts. We also report on properties of these maps, including the size of POPs, distribution of router outdegree, and the interdomain peering structure. As part of this work, we release our maps to the community.


How can law be a mechanism for police reform? The most familiar answer, for legal scholars who work on the regulation of law enforcement, is as a deterrent: the law sets some limit on police behavior and imposes some sanction for violations. But the deterrent model is not the only method through which the law can affect police behaviors. In this article, I contend that evidentiary considerations have the potential to change both police training and agency culture. My contention is based on the observation that evidentiary considerations have shaped not just police behavior but also the culture of policing itself. Cultural change is a critical component of meaningful police reform; one who seeks to change some aspect of policing must take into account the role of culture in shaping the objectionable behavior. But police culture is neither independently organic nor develops in a vacuum. The development of a police culture depends, in large part, on external factors including the legal rules and social expectations in which the culture develops. I focus on three examples of how the culture and practices of law enforcement have been shaped by different evidentiary considerations: the warnings required by Miranda v. Arizona, the perceived need to maintain an unbroken chain of custody for evidence, and the popular enthusiasm for forensic investigations.I then explore the possibility of using evidentiary rulings to further advance reform, focusing on the use of officers' opinion testimony. Police testimony often straddles the line between lay and expert testimony. Much of their testimony requires specialized knowledge, experience, or training. Unfortunately, under the existing evidentiary framework, police officer testimony is frequently admitted in a way that blurs the already muddy line that separates lay and expert testimony, leading to three distinct problems. First, An officer may provide what is undeniably lay testimony, but using language that indicates a particular expertise. Second, an officer may provide expert testimony dressed in the guise of a lay opinion. Finally, and most importantly for the ultimate thesis of this article, an officer's statements, even when he speaks as an expert, may lack the reliability that expert testimony is supposed to demonstrate. By addressing these concerns through the mechanism of evidentiary rulings, I suggest that police culture and training itself could be improved. While the impact of evidentiary considerations is neither certain nor the appropriate way to address all aspects of policing, it can be a useful addition to the broader conversation about police reform.


Target tracking in multistatic active sonar systems is often limited in shallow-water environments due to the high level of bottom reverberation that produces false detections. Past research has shown that these false alarms may be mitigated when complete knowledge of the environment is available for discrimination, but these methods are not robust to environmental uncertainty. Recent work has demonstrated the existence of a waveguide invariant for active sonar geometries. Since this parameter is independent of specifics of the environment, it may be used when the environment is poorly known. In this paper, the invariance extended Kalman filter (IEKF) is proposed as a new tracking algorithm that incorporates dynamic frequency information in the state vector and uses the invariance relation to improve tracker discrimination. IEKF performance is quantified with both simulated and experimental sonar data and results show that the IEKF tracks the target better than the conventional extended Kalman filter (CEKF) in the presence of false detections.


Abstract
The dye test for toxoplasmosis was performed on blood samples from 50 foxes, 50 cats, 35 sheep, 432 pigs, and 40 rabbits collected in the area of Siena, Italy. All the animals were apparently healthy, except for 19 rabbits obtained from an epizootic focus. Isolation trials were performed from dye-test positive animals. The incidence of toxoplasmosis was remarkable. A higher number of positive isolations was obtained from animals with higher dye-test titers. Better results in isolation trials could be observed by pooling the inocula from animals with low titers. Numerous strains of Toxoplasma were found in pigs' diaphragms, which are used in Siena as an ingredient of raw sausages. In foxes, cats, and pigs the skeletal muscle appeared to be an important site of cysts in chronic infection. In the rabbit a small epizootic focus was observed, including one instance of generalized asymptomatic toxoplasmosis. A natural congenital transmission is very likely to have occurred in another case.


A coarse-to-line two-stage control method is investigated for the display visual alignment systems. The proposed visual servo is with hierarchical loops, where the original line but slow vision loop is necessary for the exact localization of alignment marks while the coarse but fast vision loop of exploiting pruned image data is to compensate for the mask-panel misalignment. The degraded resolution of the reduced images is recovered in terms of the Kalman filter which tracks the mark centroids in near realtime. In order to construct the recursive estimation algorithm, the motion model for the moving alignment marks is determined by solving the forward kinematics of positioning mechanism and the measurements from vision sensors are given by means of the geometric template matching (Kwon and Hwang, "Kinematics, pattern recognition, and motion control of mask-panel alignment system," Control Eng. Practice, vol. 19, pp. 883-892, 2011). Compared with the conventional alignment methods, this approach enables a fast and line alignment control. Experimental results are followed to validate the proposed control framework. Note to Practitioners-In order to successfully apply the developed alignment control to any display manufacturing equipment, it is necessary to well understand the principle of the geometric template matching (GTM) as an alignment mark specific fast algorithm, the details on which can be consulted in our preceding works (Kwon and Hwang, "Kinematics, pattern recognition, and motion control of mask-panel alignment system," Control Eng. Practice, vol. 19, pp. 883-892, 2011). The new approach has the goal of updating the pose of an alignment mark as fast as the capturing rate of a frame grabber by utilizing pruned image data but recovering the lost resolution in terms of the Kalman filter. For example, in using a common 30 fps grabber, the reduced image of 320 240 pixels is a proper choice to finish the image processing and Kalman filtering within 30 ms under GTM. The proposed algorithm can be implemented in the current industrial display aligners by modifying the control software so that the reference inputs for the distributed joint servos follow the error compensation trajectory in Fig. 4 with the Kalman filter estimates.


There is a general expectation that robots should operate in urban environments often consisting of potentially dynamic entities including people, furniture and automobiles. Dynamic objects pose challenges to visual SLAM algorithms by introducing errors into the front-end. This paper presents a Light Field SLAM front-end which is robust to dynamic environments. A Light Field captures a bundle of light rays emerging from a single point in space, allowing us to see through dynamic objects occluding the static background via Synthetic Aperture Imaging(SAI). We detect apriori dynamic objects using semantic segmentation and perform semantic guided SAI on the Light Field acquired from a linear camera array. We simultaneously estimate both the depth map and the refocused image of the static background in a single step eliminating the need for static scene initialization. The GPU implementation of the algorithm facilitates running at close to real time speeds of 4 fps. We demonstrate that our method results in improved robustness and accuracy of pose estimation in dynamic environments by comparing it with state of the art SLAM algorithms.