Purpose
When wearable and implantable devices first arose in the 1970s, they were rigid and clashed dramatically with our soft, pliable skin and organs. The past two decades have witnessed a major upheaval in these devices. Traditional electronics are six orders of magnitude stiffer than soft tissue. As a result, when rigid electronics are integrated with the human body, severe challenges in both mechanical and geometrical form mismatch occur. This mismatch creates an uneven contact at the interface of soft-tissue, leading to noisy and unreliable data gathering of the body's vital signs. This paper aims to predict the role that discreet, seamless medical devices will play in personalized health care by discussing novel solutions for alleviating this interface mismatch and exploring the challenges in developing and commercializing such devices.

Design methodology/approach
Since the form factors of biology cannot be changed to match those of rigid devices, conformable devices that mimic the shape and mechanical properties of soft body tissue must be designed and fabricated. These conformable devices play the role of imperceptible medical interfaces. Such interfaces can help scientists and medical practitioners to gain further insights into the body by providing an accurate and reliable instrument that can conform closely to the target areas of interest for continuous, long-term monitoring of the human body, while improving user experience.

Findings
The authors have highlighted current attempts of mechanically adaptive devices for health care, and the authors forecast key aspects for the future of these conformable biomedical devices and the ways in which these devices will revolutionize how health care is administered or obtained.

Originality/value
The authors conclude this paper with the perspective on the challenges of implementing this technology for practical use, including device packaging, environmental life cycle, data privacy, industry partnership and collaboration.


This poster demonstrates the use of a smoothing spline (SS) ANOVA for studying differences in vowel acoustics, and shows how this method may both inform and add to the widely-used point-based measurement of formant values in the study of sociophonetic variation. The SS ANOVA is a test that determines whether there are significant differences between the smoothing splines (i.e. curves) that are fitted to the data sets being compared (Gu 2002). By using the SS ANOVA in combination with Bayesian confidence intervals, one can also determine the loci of statistically significant differences along any two compared curves. This method has been successfully applied in linguistic ultrasound research to assess differences between tongue shapes (Davidson 2006). Here we apply the SS ANOVA to the comparison of vowel formant contours drawn from tokens produced by speakers of different dialects.

This method contrasts with the common practice of measuring formant values at single points, such as the vowel midpoint. While the reasoning behind such measurements (i.e. the avoidance of coarticulation effects) is valid, it overlooks the fact that vowels are dynamic, time-varying acoustic events. Consequently, single point measurements suffer from at least two disadvantages. First, they require a priori assumptions as to which points in the vowel serve as loci for significant and interesting variation. Second, measurements taken at one point in time preclude an examination of transitional changes within the vowel, which may contain important acoustic cues relevant to creating contrast (Lindblom & Studdert-Kennedy 1967) or conveying sociolinguistic information (Thomas 2000).

To demonstrate how an SS ANOVA works, we use this test to compare formant contours for two data sets: 1) tokens of tense [ae] and lax [ae] allophones produced by speakers from New Jersey and Canada, and 2) tokens of /ɑ/ vs. /ɔ/ spoken by speakers from New York City and New Jersey. For this test, the dependent variables are individual formant contours (F1 and F2) of the test vowels as calculated by the LPC formant tier extraction feature in Praat (Boersma & Weenik 2006). Preliminary results reveal a) significant differences in overall F1 and F2 contours between vowel categories for a given dialect and b) differences in overall contours for the same vowel category produced by speakers of different dialects.

We also evaluate the utility of this method by comparing its results with those of a standard single point analysis of variance, in which the dependent variables are single point measurements of F1 and F2 taken at the onset, temporal midpoint and offset of our test vowels. A comparison of these two tests allows us to determine if the analysis of overall formant contours reveals differences in the test vowels that are missed by single point analyses. Our findings confirm that an SS ANOVA can identify differences in transitional acoustic properties that single point measurements are unable to detect. Therefore, we argue that an SS ANOVA can inform a traditional single point analysis and improve upon it by allowing the sociophonetician to compare overall formant contours and identify regions of the contour which show significant differences. We also discuss how a holistic assessment of formant trajectories may be used in the analysis of vowel/liquid transitions, enabling the phonetician to discern more systematically where and how the transition between these sounds occur.


Morphological changes in carotid body (CB) were studied in Meriones shawi rats that were made hypoxic by placing them in poor area inspired oxygen (10 % O2, 28 days) in a normobarique room. The comparisons were carried out with animals kept in normoxia. At the end of the experimental period, hypertrophy CB was observed in all hypoxic animals. It induced an increase in the size of the organ by a factor of 3.8. In an attempt to elucidate the mechanisms involved in this phenomenon, a quantitative study was performed on serial 5-μm thick sections. The morphometric results concern the extravascular compartment (connective tissue islets of glomus cells) and the vascular compartment.1) The extravascular surface (by section) has increased by +67.5 % and the extravascular underwent an increase of +88 %. However, when the extravascular volume is expressed relative to the volume of CB no significant change was observed. 2) The volume density (Dv) of the islets of glomus cells underwent a slight but non-significant decrease of -7.4%, while the Dv of connective tissue has undergone a significant increase of +50.8%. These results demonstrate that increase observed in the extravascular space of hypoxic CB was not due to cell multiplication, as no mitotic figures were observed. It took place by hypertrophy of type I cells and by an increase in the size of the interstitial space. 3) Regarding the vascular compartment, the Dv of microvessels has increased +99.6%, total vascular volume increased by +398% while the volume of the small vessels ( 12 mm in diameter) show that the observed increase in the total vascular volume would largely due to increased volume of large vessels. 4) A high number of type I cells that react to the chromaffin reaction was detected in hypoxic animals. Data show that the number of positive type I cells in this reaction was increased by 80.8-times. Their Dv was enhanced by 32-times. In the absence of cell multiplication signs, these results suggest that CH induced the appearance of noradrenaline in glomus cells. All data obtained in Meriones shawi rats suggests that CB hypertrophy is due to an increase in total vascular volume primarily generated by large vessels and an increase in the extravascular volume. Glomus cells react to the CH by hypertrophy and increased, after a delay, of its noradrenaline content. This could be correlated to subsequent increase in the CB sensitivity. We suggest that ventilatory adaptation related to carotid chemoreceptor can induce, at least in part, progressive morphological changes leading to an increase in the extravascular, reducing the density of the small vessels, and enhancing the volume extravascular by small vessels. This should have the effect of increasing the distance between the vessels and the center of the type I and type II islets that would reduce the PO2 in the tissue and from there an increase in the activity of chemoreceptor. If, as we have proposed, increasing the extracellular volume is the result of the increase in the interstitial space and probably of cell type I and type II it should further increase the blood capillary-tissue distance.


This paper reviews the behaviour of saving and investment in Australia during the 1980s. The subject matter is divided into three broad areas: a description of trends in saving and investment (Section 2); a discussion of the basic determinants of private saving rates (Section 3) and a discussion of the role of saving-investment imbalances in the determination of the current account (Section 4). A central finding of the paper is that gross private saving rates when adjusted for inflation have been quite stable over a period of at least three decades. This is in contrast to the somewhat misleading impression given by movements in the conventionally quoted household saving ratio, which has been in steady decline since the mid 1970s. The short-term behaviour of private saving appears to be qualitatively well explained by simple principles of consumption smoothing, whereby the saving ratio moves inversely with income. However, evidence from both time series and cross sectional data suggests that consumption is more closely correlated with income over longer time periods than would be predicted by conventional theoretical models. In inflation adjusted terms, the private sector has typically been in deficit, investing more than it saves. Two main explanations are offered for these persistent deficits: first, the effect of Australia's relatively high population growth on the demand for capital and secondly the presence of certain tax distortions (such as those arising from the interaction of inflation with the tax system) which tend to encourage capital importing. It is likely that both factors are important in explaining private sector deficits. Saving levels in the public sector have shown much larger swings than have occurred in the private sector. Public saving rates fell dramatically in the mid 1970s and did not recover until a decade later. Although the public sector financing requirement has been dramatically shifted into surplus in the second half of the 1980s, this result has been achieved at lower levels of public saving and investment than were typical prior to the mid 1970s.


We show that the vibrations of an ion Coulomb crystal can be cooled to the zero-point motion through the optomechanical coupling with a high-finesse cavity. Cooling results from the interplay between coherent scattering of cavity photons by the ions, which dynamically modifies the vibrational spectrum, and cavity losses, that dissipate motional energy. The cooling mechanism we propose requires that the length scales of the crystal and the cavity are mismatched so that the system is intrinsically frustrated, leading to the formation of defects (kinks). When the pump is strong enough, the anti-Stokes sidebands of all vibrational modes can be simultaneously driven. These dynamics can be used to prepare ultracold chains of dozens of ions within tens of milliseconds in state-of-the-art experimental setups. In addition, we identify parameter regimes of the optomechanical interactions where individual localized modes can be selectively manipulated, and monitored through the light at the cavity output. These dynamics exemplify robust quantum reservoir engineering of strongly-correlated mesoscopic systems and could find applications in optical cooling of solids.


Series introduction, Laurie J. Bassi, John A. Woodbury. Part 1 Benefit adequacy and coverage: unemployment insurance, consumption smoothing and private insurance - evidence from the PSID and CEX, Jonathan Gruber unemployment insurance and household welfare - microeconomic evidence 1980-1983, Daniel S. Hamermesh, Daniel T. Slesnick the adequacy of employment insurance benefits - a consumer theoretic approach, Christopher J. O'Leary unemployment insurance in a federal system - a race to the bottom line? Laurie J. Bassi, Daniel P. McMurrer. Part 2 Incentives and disincentives: do employers take advantage of free-layoff loopholes in unemployment insurance? Paul L. Burgess, Stuart A. Low the incentive effects of partial unemployment insurance rates, Brian P. McCall. Part 3 Financing and administration of unemployment insurance: the sensitivity of the costs of unemployment benefits to variations in key program parameters - evidence from G-7 nations, Pravin K. Trivedi administrative funding of employment insurance as a principal-agent problem, Carl Davidson, Lawrence W. Martin improving employer compliance with unemployment insurance tax reporting requirements, Paul L. Burgess et al understanding denials and appeals in the unemployment insurance system, Amy B. Shasanov, Eileen Cubanski.


This book gathers in one volume all the information related to Automated DEC [Development Economics - Vice Presidency at the World Bank] Poverty Tables (ADePT) Edu, the software platform created by the World Bank for reporting and analyzing education indicators and education inequality. It includes a primer on the availability of education data, an operating manual for using the ADePT software, a technical explanation of all the education indicators ADePT generates, and an overview of global education inequality using ADePT Edu. Chapter one is an introduction to ADePT Edu. It describes its origin and intended use and familiarizes readers with educational statistics. Chapter two is intended for users unfamiliar with the different datasets that contain education statistics and household-level data that contain information on education. Chapter three is a step-by-step technical guide for potential users. In addition to identifying the hardware and operating system requirements, it provides graphic examples of each of the steps needed to install and operate the software. Chapter four describes the outputs of ADePT and the definitions of all the indicators it generates. Chapter five provides a global and regional overview of education inequality, using ADePT Edu outputs obtained from household survey data. It analyzes inequality in school participation, progression, and attainment. Chapter 5 also illustrates how ADePT Edu can be used to readily analyze data from any household survey, a feature that makes this software unique. The analysis of education inequality serves as a backdrop for the potential use of household surveys for analyzing the demand side of education.


Genetic models for many Irish Lower Carboniferous Zn + Pb ore deposits invoke a dual supply of sulphide. The dominant source is from the bacteriogenic reduction of Lower Carboniferous seawater sulphate, but a significant, minor supply is derived from deep-seated sources. The δ34S range of the latter component varies among the deposits: from the lightest range of —15% to 0% at Keel, to the heaviest of –4% to +14.4% in the Navan/Tatestown area. We hypothesize that such sulphur is leached mainly from diagenetic sulphide minerals in the underlying Lower Palaeozoic sediments. 6"s of pyrite in the Silurian/Ordovician Moffat Shales (—17.1% to —0.6%), and of sphalerite and galena in Lower Palaeozoic-hosted veins at Salterstown (—8.7% to -4.5%) and Wanlockhead (—10.3% to —5.1%) are consistent with the hypothesis. Below the Navan ore deposit, Lower Palaeozoic shales containing minor diagenetic pyrite with a very wide range in δ34S have been found; δ34S is typically heavy (+16%) but extreme values up to +62% are encountered. The general enrichment in δ34S is in accord with the noticeably heavy isotopic composition of deep-seated sulphur in the Navan orebody and its Tatestown satellite. Our preliminary results therefore suggest that geographical variations in the δ34S range of Lower Palaeozoic diagenetic -write_. may have contributed to the isotopic variation in the deep-seated sulphur among the Irish deposits.


Open burning of waste is estimated to cause 14,000 premature deaths a year in Pakistan and could account for a quarter of the nation's reported carbon emissions, according to recent estimates. Dumped waste is also a major cause of diarrhoeal diseases. A community-based approach to waste management addresses these problems while also creating jobs. A centre piloting this approach offers ten dollars in benefits for every dollar invested in establishing it, and the centre became self-financing in its third year. This approach reduces the need for more expensive, centralised waste management facilities by up to 90 per cent. These figures are consistent with the wider success of this model across Asia.


Cholesterol crystals form in early atherosclerotic lesions and activate inflammatory responses. The NLRP3 inflammasome, which includes the pattern recognition receptor NLRP3 and the adaptor protein ASC, responds to potentially threatening endogenous and exogenous stimuli by activating caspase-1, which subsequently processes the cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) into its active form. Inflammation contributes to atherosclerosis; however, the primary inflammatory signal is unknown. Cholesterol can crystallize, and the NLRP3 inflammasome can be activated by crystals, but cholesterol crystals have been detected only in mature atherosclerotic lesions. By combining laser reflection and confocal microscopy, Duewell et al. were able to detect cholesterol crystals in early atherosclerotic lesions in aorta from apolipoprotein E–deficient mice on high-cholesterol diets. Formation of cholesterol crystals coincided with immune cell infiltration into the lesions. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells or mouse macrophages released IL-1β when primed with lipopolysaccharide and subsequently incubated with cholesterol crystals; IL-1β secretion did not occur in unprimed cells and depended on the presence of NLRP3 and ASC as well as caspase-1 activity. Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome by cholesterol crystals required phagocytosis, and various imaging techniques revealed that cholesterol crystals disrupted the phagolysosome. In wild-type mice, intraperitoneal injection of cholesterol crystals recruited neutrophils to the peritoneum. In contrast, neutrophil recruitment was reduced in mice lacking the IL-1 receptor, caspase-1, ASC, or NLRP3. Mice lacking the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) are susceptible to hypercholesterolemia on high-cholesterol diets. Irradiated LDLR-deficient mice reconstituted with bone marrow from NLRP3-, ASC-, or IL-1α− and IL-1β−deficient mice had smaller atherosclerotic lesions than those mice reconstituted with bone marrow from wild-type mice. Thus, cholesterol crystallization occurs earlier than previously suspected in atherosclerotic lesions and triggers the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. P. Duewell, H. Kono, K. J. Rayner, C. M. Sirois, G. Vladimer, F. G. Bauernfeind, G. S. Abela, L. Franchi, G. Nuñez, M. Schnurr, T. Espevik, E. Lien, K. A. Fitzgerald, K. L. Rock, K. J. Moore, S. D. Wright, V. Hornung, E. Latz, NLRP3 inflammasomes are required for atherogenesis and activated by cholesterol crystals. Nature 464, 1357–1361 (2010). [PubMed]


This note extends the Bernardo, Talley & Welch (1999) model of legal presumptions to study situations where litigation efforts are spent sequentially rather than simultaneously. The equilibria of the litigation stage are presented as functions of the underlying presumption. The equilibria and comparative statics are shown to be qualitatively similar to those of the simultaneous version. However, sequentiality allows the principal to pre commit to a litigation strategy, and thus possibly preempt any litigation effort whatsoever by the agent.


The FAO Outlook Studies were published in October 1986. Projections of the demand and supply of forest products were presented up to year 2880 by country and for aggregates of countries. The Outlook Studies were based on two alternative economic scenarios: the FAO and Chase-Manhattan GDP growth-rate projections. The effect of varying the input to the FAO model system was, however, modest and did not reflect the inherent uncertainty of long-term projections. As an alternative, a pessimistic economic scenario has been developed based on simple time-series extrapolations of GDP growth rates. This subjective/statistical scenario gives generally substantially lower growth rates than the main alternatives of the Outlook Studies. This paper presents the methods of making projections of the FAO model system and demonstrates the effect of varying the input economic growth rates. Furthermore, it stresses the uncertainty aspects of long-term projections of the demand for forest products.


Purpose – This mixed-method study aims to determine the extent to which the career paths of senior managers conform with the traditional versus protean elements described in the careers literature and whether these paths vary by gender.
Design/methodology/approach – A total of 15 senior managers (seven women and eight men) in a large public sector agency in Australia were interviewed about their career trajectories to date. Data were coded according to four major areas which characterise and distinguish between traditional and protean careers: development, orientation of the employee, definition of success, and organisational environment. A total of 81 managers (34 women and 47 men) from the same organisation were also surveyed. Variables of interest were those that could be triangulated with qualitative data such as the availability of career opportunities.
Findings – Results suggest that, contrary to much existing literature which proposes that all careers have been fundamentally altered, the traditional career which relies on length of service, geographic mobility and a steady climb up the corporate ladder, is still the dominant model in some organisations. However, the trend towards protean careers is evident and is more pronounced for women than for men.
Research limitations/implications – The specific nature of the organisation (large, male-dominated, public sector) may limit the generalisability of results.
Practical implications – The framework used to explore career paths according to traditional/ protean elements in this study may assist human resource practitioners to develop appropriate strategies which maximise the professional development of employees.
Originality/value – The results of this research challenge the universality of change in the nature of careers, particularly in public sector environments.


We propose the novel approach of dynamic affine-invariant shape-appearance model (Aff-SAM) and employ it for handshape classification and sign recognition in sign language (SL) videos. Aff-SAM offers a compact and descriptive representation of hand configurations as well as regularized model-fitting, assisting hand tracking and extracting handshape features. We construct SA images representing the hand's shape and appearance without landmark points. We model the variation of the images by linear combinations of eigenimages followed by affine transformations, accounting for 3D hand pose changes and improving model's compactness. We also incorporate static and dynamic handshape priors, offering robustness in occlusions, which occur often in signing. The approach includes an affine signer adaptation component at the visual level, without requiring training from scratch a new singer-specific model. We rather employ a short development data set to adapt the models for a new signer. Experiments on the Boston-University-400 continuous SL corpus demonstrate improvements on handshape classification when compared to other feature extraction approaches. Supplementary evaluations of sign recognition experiments, are conducted on a multi-signer, 100-sign data set, from the Greek sign language lemmas corpus. These explore the fusion with movement cues as well as signer adaptation of Aff-SAM to multiple signers providing promising results.


Aim: To determine the value of and indications for measuring cutaneous DTH responses to evaluate cellular immune function in HIV-infected patients. Methods: Data on DTH responses, CD4 T-cell percentages and opportunistic infections (OIs) were analysed from patients in the Western Australian HIV Cohort Study (WAHCS) database. DTH responses were measured using the Multitest CMI method and results expressed as a Multitest score. Results: Multitest scores declined progressively in all patients who developed AIDS with the greatest decline commencing at about 20-25% CD4 T-cells. By multivariate analysis DTH had prognostic value in predicting the time to both AIDS and death independantly of %CD4 T-cells, particularly in patients with 10-19% CD4 T-cells RH=0.728 per 5mm for both, p=0.002 and 0.004 respectively). Furthermore, patients with a Multitest score of greater than 5 n=127) at the time of first reaching less than 20% CD4 T-cells, had a median survival of 70.7 months compared with 36.5 months in patients with a Multitest score of less than 5 (n=83) [p=0.0016, log rank test]. Measurement of Multi-test scores in 68 patients at or within the 50 days prior to developing an OI demonstrated that 73% of 41 patients with pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) were anergic, including 3 with greater than 20% and 5 with 10-20% CD4 T-cells. All but one of the other PCP patients has a Multitest score of less than 5. Multi-test scores in patients with greater than 10% CD4 T-cells who developed PCP were significantly lower than in randomly selected patients matched for %CD4 T-cells who had never had an OI (p is less than 0.05, Mann-Whitney). In patients with OIs other than PCP (n=27), 89% had Multitest scores of less than 5 but all except one, who had tuberculosis, also had less than 10% CD4 T-cells. Conclusion: Measurement of DTH responses has additional value to quantitation of CD4 T-cells in determining (a) the prognosis of HIV-infected patients1, and (b) the susceptibility of patients to PCP, especially patients with 10-20% CD4 T-cells, as well as having clinical utility in demonstrating restoration of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) by zidovudine2, including CMI to pathogenic mycobacteria3,4.


Renowned theologian Robert McAfee Brown believes that Christianity cannot be fenced off or separated from the world, but must always be viewed in relation to other realms of society. Making religious and moral concepts integral to real life is the challenge that Brown presents in this book. This call to a more active faith is perfect for use in study groups or for personal reflection. Here, Brown puts his belief to the test, writing on Christianity and a multitude of topics.


In this paper, we considered the number and diversity of underwater vocalizations given by aquaticbreeding phocids, and two species that copulate both in the water and on ice, in relation to what is known or hypothesized about their mating systems. Underwater recordings made throughout the year by both bearded ( Erignathus barbatus ) and Weddell (Leptonychotes weddellii ) seals indicated that most of the vocalizations could be attributed to males and were given almost exclusively during the breeding season. Less extensive studies of other species indicated the same pattern. Thus, for this study, we considered only underwater vocalizations known, or suspected, to be given by adult males during intra-specie c agonistic behaviour, defence of territories or access to females, or attraction of females. A one-way ANOVA and linear regression indicated a signie cant relationship between the numbers of underwater vocalizations given by individual species and their mating systems. A Pearson' s correlation analysis discerned the following: the mating system and the number of vocalizations were positively correlated; female gregariousness was positively correlated with the number of underwater vocalizations and geographic variation in vocalizations, but there was no correlation with the duration of lactation. The degree of predation was negatively correlated with the number of vocalizations, geographic variation in vocalizations, and the number of days of lactation. A principal component analysis showed that 66.1% of the variation in this data set was explained by Factor 1, a suite of variables that included mating system, number of underwater vocalizations, intensity of predation, female gregariousness, and geographic variation in vocalizations. The number of days of lactation explained an additional 19.5% of the variability. These results suggest that additional selection pressures, more specie c to the ecological circumstances of individual species, also ine uence the size of the underwater repertoire. The development of a diverse underwater repertoire with geographic variations was consistently associated with the development of population genetic structure and geographic e delity. Within each category of social system, the species with the greatest number of underwater vocalizations consistently occurred at higher densities during the breeding season than did the species with the lowest vocal diversity. The role of predators on the evolution of social systems is not well known, but could be signie cant for some species. Characteristics of the underwater vocalizations of walruses during the breeding season were found to share similar characteristics to phocids occurring at similar densities in similar habitats, suggesting that the most important selection factors ine uenced both phocids and odobenids similarly. On the basis of the available information from better-studied species, some testable hypotheses are proposed for further investigations of spotted ( Phoca largha ), Ross (Ommatophoca rossii ), Hawaiian monk (Monachus schauinslandi), and ribbon ( Phoca fasciata) seals.


The article explores and explains Germany's pre-emptive 'No' to the war in Iraq and argues that the 'No' was not a structural break in the relationship with the US, although for many its dramatic consequences appeared as a 'parting of ways' of two close allies. With the European Union deeply divided and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization split into two camps, the result was a profound disunity of the West. After the war in Kosovo and the German military contribution to the 'war on terror' in Afghanistan, there was no chance that the SPD/Green coalition would have been able to put together its own majority for an additional war effort in Iraq. Opposing a perceived US unilateralism was popular and an opportunity to stand up to the Bush administration. On a more fundamental level, Germany reclaimed the right to national sovereignty in spite of its commitment to multilateralism. This self-assertion was a new development for German foreign policy and it will also characterise Germany's actions in the future. With the arrival of the Trump administration in Washington and its challenge to the liberal world order America created after World War II, the US and Germany could end up on an even more profound collision course.


Although Rhododendron subg. Vireya, comprising 400 taxa, is one of the largest plant genera in Southeast Asia, with taxa found throughout the region, it has a significant conservation problem, with conservation status assessments in 2011 and 2015 placing 201 taxa in an IUCN Red List threat category. Plant conservation is driven by the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, with Target 8 requiring 75 % of threatened plant taxa to be conserved in ex situ collections, by 2020. To date there has been limited analysis of conservation priorities for subg. Vireya, or any consideration of how its geographic characteristics, complex taxonomy, and existing ex situ collections might influence priorities. We analyse the IUCN Red List status of geographic origins and taxonomic sections within Rhododendron subg. Vireya, then determine the representation of those groups in cultivation in New Zealand and selected international collections. Using a set of 'Red List' and 'not in cultivation' factors, our analysis shows that geographic origins New Guinea, Sumatra and Sulawesi, and taxonomic sections Schistanthe: malesia, Schistanthe: euvireya, and Hadranthe (Phaeovireya) should have priority for both in situ and ex situ conservation. Of the 400 taxa, 245 (61 %) are in cultivation, and of the 201 Red List taxa, 80 (40 %) are in cultivation. Wild-source material is held for 218 taxa, including 66 Red List taxa. These analyses provide baseline data for development of a conservation strategy for Rhododendron subg. Vireya, and we propose six actions that should be included in that strategy.


Abstract According to the most recent draft of the Restatement (Third) of Torts: Intentional Torts to Persons, the intentional torts protect the rightholder's interests differently from negligence-based rules and strict liability, placing them into a distinct substantive category. This conceptualization, however, does not provide courts with adequate guidance on how to formulate the element of intent. Different formulations can protect the rightholder's interests differently from negligence and strict liability, so something else must determine the appropriate way to formulate the element of intent. The draft Restatement's reasoning can be easily extended to provide a more useful conceptualization of the intentional torts. The practice of tort law involves the enforcement of behavioral norms, and so the substantive categories of tort law should correspond to normatively distinguishable categories of behavior. For tort purposes, three different paradigmatic forms of social behavior are relevant: aggressive interactions; interactions of mutual advantage; and the remaining nonaggressive, risk-creating interactions that are not motivated by an expectation of mutual benefit. Within this normative framework, the category of intentional torts is defined by aggressive interactions, which involve intentional harms that are normatively different from accidental harms. The intentional torts accordingly protect different interests in a distinctive manner as per the rationale in the draft Restatement. This normative framework straightforwardly explains a number of established rules while also resolving two questions of intent that have vexed courts and commentators. Difficult issues of intent involve hard questions about how the conduct is best categorized for tort purposes. Once the categories have been conceptualized in behavioral terms, the element of intent has a clear substantive purpose: it determines whether or not an interaction is aggressive and properly governed by the intentional torts.


Swarming has been observed in many animal species, including fish, birds, insects and mammals. These biological observations have inspired mathematical models of distributed coordination that have been applied to the development of multi-agent robotic systems, such as collections of unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAVs). The advantages of a swarming approach to distributed coordination are clear: each agent acts according to a simple set of rules that can be implemented on resource-constrained devices, and so it becomes feasible to replicate agents in order to build more resilient systems. However, there remain significant challenges in making the approach practicable. This thesis addresses two of the most significant: coordination and scalability. New coordination algorithms are proposed here, all of which manage the problem of scalability by requiring only local proximity sensing between agents, without the need for any other communications infrastructure.

A major source of inefficiency in the deployment of a swarm is 'oscillation': small movements of agents that arise as a side effect of the application of their rules but which are not strictly necessary in order to satisfy the overall system function. The thesis introduces a new metric for 'oscillation' that allows it to be identified and measured in swarm control algorithms.

A new perimeter detection mechanism is introduced and applied to the coordination of goal-based swarms. The mechanism is used to improve the internal coordination of agents whilst maintaining a directional focus to the swarm; this is then analysed using the new metric.

A mechanism is proposed to allow a swarm to exhibit a 'healing' behaviour by identifying internal perimeter edges (doughnuts) and then altering the movement of agents, based upon a simple criterion, to remove the holes; this also has the emergent effect of smoothing the outer edges of a swarm and creating a more uniform swarm structure.

Area coverage is an important requirement in many swarm applications. Two new, efficient area-filling techniques are introduced here and exit conditions are identified to determine when a swarm has filled an area. In summary, the thesis makes significant contributions to the analysis and design of efficient control algorithms for the coordination of large scale swarms.


Bottlenose (Tursiops sp.) and common dolphins (Delphinus sp.) are amongst the most common small cetaceans. They both have a world-wide distribution from warm temperate to tropical waters inhabiting pelagic and coastal waters, and they both show high morphological variability throughout their range, leaving the taxonomic issues in both species unresolved. This thesis provides a comparative assessment of these two species, by molecular analysis, especially in the context of comparing coastal and pelagic populations of each species. The aim is to better understand the evolutionary processes and the factors involved in shaping the population structure in small delphinids. The strategy 1 followed was: 1) Analyse the population structure of the bottlenose and common dolphins on a worldwide scale and compare large scale patterns in the context of known similarities and differences with respect to life history. 2) Analyse populations on a smaller geographic scale (Mediterranean Sea and South Africa) to further understand the relationship between habitat and population generic structure. On a worldwide scale, bottlenose dolphins showed high genetic diversity and strong population structure, both between different and similar morphotypes, suggesting limited gene flow. Two populations, of the same morphotype, have diverged considerably to the extent that they should be considered different species. Common dolphins showed lower genetic diversity and weak population structure even over a large geographic range, suggesting higher level of gene flow. However, this species also has similar morphotypes that were genetically differentiated from one another. On a smaller geographic scale, we found a similar pattern of population structure, with the bottlenose dolphin showing higher population divergence than common dolphins. However, both species provided evidence supporting the role of habitat in defining population structure in these species. These findings should facilitate the development of effective conservation and management strategies for these species, especially for the specific case studies for populations in the Mediterranean Sea and off the Natal coast of South Africa.


How the brain makes correct inferences about its environment based on noisy and ambiguous observations is one of the fundamental questions in Neuroscience. Prior knowledge about the probability with which certain events occur in the environment plays an important role in this process. Humans are able to incorporate such prior knowledge in an efficient, Bayes optimal, way in many situations, but it remains an open question how the brain acquires and represents this prior knowledge. The long time spans over which prior knowledge is acquired make it a challenging question to investigate experimentally. In order to guide future experiments with clear empirical predictions, we used a neural network model to learn two commonly used tasks in the experimental literature (i.e. orientation classification and orientation estimation) where the prior probability of observing a certain stimulus is manipulated. We show that a population of neurons learns to correctly represent and incorporate prior knowledge, by only receiving feedback about the accuracy of their inference from trial-to-trial and without any probabilistic feedback. We identify different factors that can influence the neural responses to unexpected or expected stimuli, and find a novel mechanism that changes the activation threshold of neurons, depending on the prior probability of the encoded stimulus. In a task where estimating the exact stimulus value is important, more likely stimuli also led to denser tuning curve distributions and narrower tuning curves, allocating computational resources such that information processing is enhanced for more likely stimuli. These results can explain several different experimental findings, clarify why some contradicting observations concerning the neural responses to expected versus unexpected stimuli have been reported and pose some clear and testable predictions about the neural representation of prior knowledge that can guide future experiments.


We consider the classic problem of network reliability. A network is given together with a source vertex, one or more target vertices and probabilities assigned to each of the edges. Each edge appears in the network with its associated probability and the problem is to determine the probability of having at least one source-to-target path. This problem is known to be NP-hard for general networks and has been solved for several special families.
In this work we present a fixed-parameter algorithm based on treewidth, which is a measure of tree-likeness of graphs. The problem was already known to be solvable in linear time for bounded treewidth, however the known methods used complicated structures and were not easy to implement. We provide a significantly simpler and more intuitive algorithm that while remaining linear, is much easier to implement.


As the capabilities of manipulator robots increase, they are performing more complex tasks. The cumbersome nature of conventional programming methods limits robotic automation due to the lengthy programming time. We present a novel method for reducing the time needed to program a manipulator robot: predictive robot programming (PRP). The PRP system constructs a statistical model of the user by incorporating information from previously completed tasks. Using this model, the PRP system computes predictions about where the user will move the robot. The user can reduce programming time by allowing the PRP system to complete the task automatically. In this paper, we derive a learning algorithm that estimates the structure of continuous-density hidden Markov models from tasks the user has already completed. We analyze the performance of the PRP system on two sets of data. The first set is based on data from complex, real-world robotic tasks. We show that the PRP system is able to compute predictions for about 25% of the waypoints with a median prediction error less than 0.5% of the distance traveled during prediction. We also present laboratory experiments showing that the PRP system results in a significant reduction in programming time, with users completing simple robot-programming tasks over 30% faster when using the PRP system to compute predictions of future positions.


Sustainable urban development (SUD) is influenced by social, cultural, economic and environmental sustainability (ES) of developing and developed countries. Our paper will focus on the challenges confront the developing countries in sustainable urban development an application will be on Egypt, which will clarify current situation and future challenge will assess the impact of sustainable development on developing country to propose some possible directions for the future .A new solution of improving sustainability of developing cities (SDC) should be found.


A Critical History of The Taming of the Shrew The Play and Its Critics Dana Aspinall The Taming of the Shrew: Critical Appraisals from His Introduction to The Taming of the Shrew (1928) Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch The taming of the Shrew: A Social Comedy George R. Hibbard The Taming Untamed, or, the Return of the Shrew Robert B. Heilman Comic Structure and the Humanizing of Kate in The Taming of the Shrew John C. bean Horses and Hermaphrodites: Metamorphoses in The Taming of the Shrew Jeanne Addison Roberts The Good Marriage of Katherine and Petruchio David Daniell Shrewd and Kindly Farce Peter Saccio Refashioning the Shrew Valerie Wayne The Ending of the Shrew Margie Bunrs Renaissance Family Politics and Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew Karen Newman "Love Wrought These Miracles": Marriage and Genre in The Taming of the Shrew Margaret Lael Miksell Scolding Brides and Briding Scolds: Taming the Woman's Unruly Member Lynda E. Boose The Shakespeare Editor as Shrew-Tamer Leah Marcus The Taming of the Shrew: Women, Acting, and Power Juliet Dusinberre The performance of Things in The Taming of the Shrew Lean Cowen Olin Framing the Taming: Metatheatrical Awareness of Female Impersonation in The Taming of the Shrew Michael Shapiro Cultural Control in The Taming of the Shrew Laurie E. Maguire What's That to You?" or, Facing Facts: Anti-Paternalist Chords and Social Discords in The Taming of the Shrew Thomas Moisan Hosehold Kates: Domesticating Commodities in The Taming of the Shrew Natasha Korda Civilizing Subordination: Domestic Violence and The Taming of the Shrew Emily A. Detmer The Taming of the Shrew on Stage, in Film, and on Television From Shakespeare on the Stage William Winter "An Unholy Alliance": William Poel, Martin Harvey and The Taming of the Shrew Jan Macdonald The Taming of the Shrew, Presented by Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival at the Stephen Foster Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA 30 June-16 July 1994 Patty S. Derrick The Performance of Feminism in The Taming of the Shrew Margaret Loftus Ranald Review of Gale Edwards' Taming of the Shrew, Royal Shakespeare Company Evening Standard, 24 April 1995 Nicholas de Jongh Petruchio's House in Postwar Suburbia: Reinventing the Domestic Woman (Again) Ann C. Christensen Katherina Bound, or Play(k)ating the Strictures of Everyday Life Barbara Hodgdon


We view web forums as virtual living organisms feeding on user's clicks and investigate how they grow at the expense of clickstreams. We find that (the number of page views in a given time period) and (the number of unique visitors in the time period) of the studied forums satisfy the law of the allometric growth, i.e., . We construct clickstream networks and explain the observed temporal dynamics of networks by the interactions between nodes. We describe the transportation of clickstreams using the function , in which is the total amount of clickstreams passing through node and is the amount of the clickstreams dissipated from to the environment. It turns out that , an indicator for the efficiency of network dissipation, not only negatively correlates with , but also sets the bounds for . In particular, when and when . Our findings have practical consequences. For example, can be used as a measure of the "stickiness" of forums, which quantifies the stable ability of forums to remain users "lock-in" on the forum. Meanwhile, the correlation between and provides a method to predict the long-term "stickiness" of forums from the clickstream data in a short time period. Finally, we discuss a random walk model that replicates both of the allometric growth and the dissipation function .


Neuroendoscopic treatment of colloid cysts is limited by the reach and flexibility of the instruments that can be passed through the working channels of the rigid neuroendoscope. The authors describe a case of a third ventricular colloid cyst where a large solid colloid fragment was recovered using a nitinol stone retrieval basket as a flexible wall-guided atraumatic salvage instrument. A flexible nitinol stone retrieval basket was successfully used through an endoscopic working channel to retrieve a large portion of the colloid cyst from the occipital horn of the lateral ventricle in a 70-year-old man who presented with progressive memory loss, urinary incontinence, and slowness of gait. A flexible nitinol stone retrieval basket can be safely and effectively maneuvered in the ventricular system, using the ventricular wall for deflection, and can be used to retrieve colloid cyst fragments as a salvage technique. Remaining free-floating large colloid cyst fragments in the ventricular system do not necessarily require a second craniotomy or bur hole for access but may be retrieved using a nitinol stone retrieval basket.


The aim of this book is to present an in-depth analysis of the socio-economic dynamics that took place from the Bronze Age until the middle of the eighth century BC, in the Latium Vetus (Italy). To understand the archaeological record, knowledge of the transformations through time of the various landscape units is necessary. Such knowledge was obtained by studying historical, geological and pedological maps, and by using air photography, pollen diagrams and soil augering as well as observations in the field. The presentation of the evidences takes the form of a catalogue that lists 232 sites: settlements, tombs (both isolated and necropoleis), hoards and ritual loci. This is the first time that all available archaeological evidence of the study area is catalogued in a single format. Furthermore, a number of locational variables for each site were analysed, using GIS techniques and statistical analysis, in order to identify certain tendencies in the location of settlements. A functional analysis of the catalogued sites was also conducted considering the potential natural harbours along the coast and evaluating the agricultural potential of the sites' territories. In the concluding chapter an up-to-date explanation of the emergence of social inequality and the warrior elite is proposed as well as a global (proto)history of the subsistence economy and settlement patterns in the Bronze Age and Iron Age. In addition, a new and simple method is suggested for reconstructing the territories of the ancient protohistoric polities.


Summary form only given. Self-assembled semiconductor quantum dots are interesting and rich physical systems. Their inherently mesoscopic nature leads to a multitude of interesting interaction mechanisms of confined spins with the solid state environment of spins, charges and phonons. In parallel, the relatively clean spin-dependent optical transitions make quantum dots strong candidates for stationary and flying qubits within the context of spin-based quantum information science. The recently observed quantum dot resonance fluorescence has become a key enabler for optical detection of spin and charge. I will discuss how resonance fluorescence allows coherent generation of single photons suitable (and tailored) for linear-optics quantum computation and for establishing a high-efficiency spin-photon quantum interface within a distributed quantum network.


The interest in renewable energy and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) is expected to lead to a continuous increase in Embedded Generation (EG) directly connected to the distribution network. In order to maximise the benefits from EG, it is expected that islanding operation will be allowed in the future. This paper discusses the dynamic behaviour of induction generators (widely used in EG) connected directly to the grid, during disconnection and reconnection to the grid. Direct connection of induction generators is used in EG, such as micro CHP and some wind turbines. Results showed that self-excited induction generators experience a serious voltage regulation problem when the load and speed change. Results from simulation and experimental analyses showed that it is necessary to control the real and reactive power in order to maintain the generator terminal voltage and to avoid high in-rush current during reconnection.


We thank van Staal & Winchester (2017) for their discussion of our paper (McConnell et al. 2015) and their concise summary of the evolution of the Popelogan–Victoria Arc, Tetagouche–Exploits Basin and Ganderian margin in the northern Appalachians. They make the case that we have failed to recognize the same tectonic elements and geological history in Ireland. They propose that we, in concluding there was no Exploits basin-equivalent in Ireland, have 'an absence of evidence rather than evidence of absence'. We have documented a stratigraphical sequence that provides evidence of a 10 myr gap in volcanism at Bellewstown (c. 474–464 Ma) at a time when the Tetagouche–Exploits Basin was actively opening further to the west along the orogen. We have placed that observation in the regional context of a middle–late Ordovician stratigraphical and faunal linkage to the Leinster Terrane (Parkes & Harper 1996), where volcanism demonstrates continued subduction under a north-facing volcanic arc on the Ganderian margin (McConnell 2000). We concede that the Bellewstown succession, if taken in isolation, could represent deposits on the passive margin of the Tetagouche–Exploits Basin, but the Darriwilian–Sandbian volcanic rocks of north Leinster are too voluminous, too young and geochemically incompatible with representing remnants of the passive margin of a Tetagouche–Exploits Basin-aged rifted arc basin.


Most youth sports around the world are classified on the basis of chronological age to guarantee equal chances within each of the different age groups. At the elite level, international sporting federations organise competitions in various age classes ranging from as low as under-13 up to under-21, depending on the sport. In August 2010, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is conducting the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore for 14–18-year-old athletes.

The standing of these youth competitions has increased to the stage at which there may be considerable rewards, individual fame or national prestige associated with winning, not only for the athlete but for the coach and his or her entourage. These competitions also represent important showgrounds for young athletes; in some sports, this is often where talented athletes are identified for a future professional career.

Unfortunately, in a number of sports it is suspected that the chronological age of the participating players is higher than the age stated on the official documents used to determine the eligibility of the individual. Players with a greater relative age are more likely to be identified as talented because of the likely physical advantages they have over their 'younger' peers.1

International sporting federations have uncovered several cases of document fraud, presumably aimed at allowing over-age athletes to gain a performance advantage by competing in a lower age class. At the other end of the spectrum, there are also documented cases of under-aged athletes competing in events in which there is a lower age limit (eg, the age of 14 years in the Olympic Games); particularly in sports in which late maturers may be at an advantage, such as in gymnastics.

It should be noted that the participation of over-age or under-age athletes is not always due to intentional cheating. To verify age, …


The following research aims to examine the interaction of law, either hard law (legislation) or soft law (governing body regulation), on achieving a balance between racial equality and success in sport. Nearly all national jurisdictions have legislated to some degree in an attempt to affect equality or equality of opportunity for its citizens. This might be based on achieving equality of opportunity or by means of affirmative action. The research aim is to ascertain how far racial discrimination laws have positive or negative impacts on the success of sports in different countries. The research also has a series of supplementary objectives:
to ascertain and consider critically the extent to which the law in various jurisdictions (Malaysia, South Africa, England and the United States) has been used to promote equality; to develop a sequential model to describe general trends to predict the influence of affirmative action and equal opportunity legislation upon the potential success of countries' sporting achievements; to review tensions inherent in reconciling the equality of citizens at a national level and their impacts upon the international sporting success of that nation; to establish a correlative relationship between the types of anti-discrimination law within nations and the impact of these upon the degree of international sporting success of those nations. The research conducted concentrates primarily on qualitative methods by first adopting a doctrinal approach in a comparative legal study of four jurisdictions (Malaysia, South Africa, England and the United States). A non-doctrinal approach is then adopted and a qualitative intrinsic case study completed, including interviews concerning the subject area. Thus, the research has used multi-method qualitative approaches. The research indicated different anti-discrimination approaches taken in achieving equality. This can be typified by countries such as the United States or England based primarily on meritocracy and countries such as South Africa and Malaysia based primarily on preferential treatment. There is evidence to suggest that these approaches do have a certain correlation, albeit not similar in the outcome of achieving equality for selection. From the evidence presented, the overall study illustrates that racial discrimination laws in the four jurisdictions produced a mixed outcome in relation to the success of professional team sports. Specifically, England and the United States witnessed a positive impact in terms of achieving international success in sports even though there are inherent difficulties in reconciling the equality of citizens at a national level. For Malaysia and South Africa, the result tends to be positive in general at this stage although it is equally recognised that this approach might result in some negative impacts in the long run. The research however is subject to certain limitations which are outside the scope of this thesis, but it is recognised that these might affect the overall success of professional team sports within those countries.


This paper interrogates the construction of gender relations in the Twilight books and films, vis-à-vis issues of implicit and overt gender violence. A combination of ideological analysis, semiology, and feminist critique is used to examine the verbal and visual codes at work in these texts. Five dominant themes emerge: (1) the representation of violence as an inherent characteristic of masculinity; (2) the portrayal of male violence as a justifiable by-product of heterosexual relationships; (3) the definition of masculinity in terms of a dualism wherein "good" boys repudiate their own "instinctive" predilection for violence and "bad" boys allow it to go unchecked; (4) the continual imperilment of girls in situations from which they are rescued by boys; and (5) the assertion of control by boys over girls' crucial life decisions. I conclude that Twilight works ideologically and visually to coax audiences to expect boys to be violent and girls to be compliant in regard to violence in the context of heterosexual relationships.


Winner of The North American Society for the Sociology of Sport 2009 Book Prize:

In parks and cafes, homes and stadium stands, Cubans talk baseball. Thomas F. Carter contends that when they are analyzing and debating plays, games, teams, and athletes, Cubans are exchanging ideas not just about baseball but also about Cuba and cubanidad, or what it means to be Cuban. "The Quality of Home Runs" is Carter's lively ethnographic exploration of the interconnections between baseball and Cuban identity. Suggesting that baseball is in many ways an apt metaphor for cubanidad, Carter points out aspects of the sport that resonate with Cuban social and political life: the perpetual tension between risk and security, the interplay between individual style and collective regulation, and the risky journeys undertaken with the intention, but not the guarantee, of returning home. As an avid baseball fan, Carter draws on his experiences listening to and participating in discussions of baseball in Cuba (particularly in Havana) and among Cubans living abroad to describe how baseball provides the ground for negotiations of national, masculine, and class identities wherever Cubans gather. He considers the elaborate spectacle of Cuban baseball as well as the relationship between the socialist state and the enormously popular sport. Carter provides a detailed history of baseball in Cuba, analyzing players, policies, rivalries, and fans, and he describes how the sport has forged connections (or reinforced divisions) between Cuba and other nations. Drawing on insights from cultural studies, political theory, and anthropology, he maintains that sport and other forms of play should be taken seriously as crucibles of social and cultural experience.


Field studies were conducted in November 1979 to measure suspended sand transport on Twin Harbor Beach, Washington U.S.A. This beach has an average slope of 0.02 and is composed of well-sorted sand with a mean diameter of 0.21mm. The significant height of breaking swells approaching the beach at small angles can be estimated from variance spectra of water level by 4.36 0^. In the surf zone significant wave heights are linearly related to the local mean water depth by Y = H /h » 0.45. Variance, a \, in the gravity wave band (0.048 to 1.0 Hz) is proportional to water depth squared. Low-frequency variance (less than 0.048 Hz) although not systematically related to water depth, is usually largest in the inner surf zone where breakers are small. Sand suspension is correlated with strong offshore flows that recur at about one-fifth the incident wave frequency. Vertical mixing of sand in the water column by these water motions rather than turbulence generated by shear at the bed associated with individual wave oscillations is a key mechanism in sand transport on dissipative beaches. The largest sediment loads occur in the inner surf zone where lowfrequency motions dominate the breakers. Maximum longshore transport rates, however, were measured in the middle of the surf zone because of the higher longshore current speeds there. The suspended load probably accounts for as much as 45 percent of the litoral drift on a dissipative beach exposed to moderately-high swells approaching the shore at small angles.


Whereas a number of influences have directed the attention of sociologists and others towards language
as a feature of social phenomena, these same influences have served to reveal wide discrepancies in the
place accorded to figurative language, and to metaphor in particular. This has proved to be the case both
in respect of the phenomena studied and of the subsequent writing. These influences have included, inter
alia, 'the linguistic turn' in philosophy, the rise and fall of structuralism both as philosophy and as a
model for anthropology, and also in the development of ethnomethodology from phenomenology.
The thesis specifically locates the enquiry within the writer's biography and is not sited within anyone
traditional discipline, but has rather been a reading 'between literature and science' and one 'privileging'
metaphor over concept. The attempt to explore the 'privileging' of metaphor over concept renders
problematic an understanding of language as langue, and prefers parole. Rendering language problematic
has consequences for how knowledge and science are understood. In parallel with the reading, an
ethnomethodological study of a school was undertaken in order to provide a context in which the
outcomes of the reading could be sited and compared, leading to a consideration of metaphor within
ethnography.
With these starting assumptions, a report is made of a limited number of authors who have been widely
acknowledged as influential in considerations of metaphor. Aristotle is read, through and against recent
interpreters, as if an ontology of metaphor were considered undesirable. This leads to an understanding
of metaphor as a tool. Hobbes is seen through the work of Quentin Skinner as one who, influenced by his
contemporary Descartes, is critical of the use of metaphor in spite of his articulate use of it. Vico, not
widely influential until the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, reveals a diachronic picture of the
primacy of metaphor in relation to the development of concepts, later supported by Herder who offered a
complementary, though synchronic, version. Nietzsche, writing in a post-Darwin context, sees the
formation of metaphor as the fundamental human drive and links it with truth as a value. Work on
metaphor during the latter parts of the twentieth century is described beginning with I. A. Richards,
leading to brief considerations, inter alia, of Max Black, W. V. O. Quine, Mary Hesse, Rom Harre and
Hayden White. Writers in the social sciences who have been explicit about the part played by metaphor,
Victor Turner, R. H. Brown, R. A. Nisbet and D. McCloskey are acknowledged. Donald Davidson is seen
as particularly influential, denying the possibility of a separate notion of metaphorical meaning and
confirming a denial of langue. Richard Rorty is seen as a writer who has treated metaphor positively in his
Contingency, Irony and Solidarity and his use of metaphor there is examined in its variety. Throughout, the
Nietzschean view of the formation of metaphor as the fundamental human drive is connected with
Cohen's view that metaphor cultivates intimacy. It is on this basis that the above writers, some of whom
would otherwise be seen as belonging to different genres, most prominently philosophy, have
contributed to social thought, and to the place of metaphor within it. The insight into metaphor as a
fundamental human drive and as cultivating intimacy is then linked with the view that metaphor
becomes valued as concept by virtue of the work done in linking past action to new circumstances. This
combination, one linking metaphor with pragmatism, is used as a pattern by which to inspect others'
writings. The widespread rejection or devaluation of metaphor in social theory could then be related to its
role having been undermined by the rhetoric of natural science, though freed somewhat by T. S. Kuhn, an
undermining which threatens creativity and the cultivation of intimacy with its implications for the
formation and sustaining of communities.
The supposition, for reasons of the production of social science, that once the analogies contained in or
suggested by a metaphor may thereafter be discarded, is resisted on the grounds that history is
overlooked, persons are no longer seen in relation, knowing and certainty work to bring play to an end,
learning is transformed from personal engagement to instruction, community is replaced by rules for
rational conduct, and obedience replaces discovery and growth. Metaphor explicitly identified offers
hope.


Vernon J. Williams Jr.'s "The Social Sciences and Theories of Race" focuses on anthropology and sociology's engagement with some of the U.S.'s most enduring problems: race and race relations. In discussing the work of key scholars (both black and white) on race and culture, including Franz Boas, George W. Ellis, Booker T. Washington, Ulysses G. Wetherley, and Monroe N. Work, Williams demonstrates the dynamic nature of their ideas and reveals the social, cultural, and intellectual forces that influenced their supposedly value-neutral scientific thinking. The evolution of their work is outlined through expert use of a variety of tools from social, cultural, and intellectual history, as well as biography and autobiography. Williams shows that ethnicity, and a range of social and political pressures had important impacts on the developing fields of both sociology and anthropology, and he demonstrates that those working in the social sciences can improve their own analyses by understanding the mentality of the observer whose work they're evaluating.


"Auto Focus" features the work of 75 contemporary photographers from around the world for whom self-portraiture is a central part of their work. Issues of identity national, sexual, racial, personal or artistic are key to all the images featured in this book. In an extended introduction, historical examples are used to enrich the understanding of how self-portraiture was first used in photography and to illustrate how the contemporary self-portrait derived and developed from those origins. The book, organized around five themes dominant in contemporary self-portraiture, provides a clear guide for readers through a significant and dynamic genre.


Modern tennis has been played for over a hundred years, but despite significant improvements in the design and manufacture of tennis balls to produce a long-lasting and consistent product, the design of a tennis ball has barely changed in the last century. While some work has been done to better understand the dynamic behaviour of a tennis ball, no structured analysis has been reported assessing how the typical constructions of the inner
rubber core and cloth panels affect its behaviour and performance.

This research describes the development of an advanced and validated finite element (FE)
tennis ball model which illustrates the effects of the viscoelastic and anisotropic materials of a tennis ball on ball deformation and bounce during impacts with the ground and the racket,representative of real play conditions. The non-linear strain rate properties exhibited by the materials of a tennis ball during high velocity impacts were characterised using a series of experiments including tensile and compressive tests as well as low and high velocity impact tests. The impacts were recorded using a high speed video (HSV) camera to determine
deformation, impact time, coefficient of restitution (COR) and spin rate. The ball material
properties were tuned to match the HSV results, and the ball s model parameters were in good agreement with experimental data for both normal and oblique impacts at velocities up to 50 m/s and 35 m/s, respectively. A time sequenced comparison of HSV ball motion and FE model confirmed the accuracy of the model, and showed significant improvement on previous models.
Although the existing construction of tennis ball cores was found to provide a sufficiently uniform internal structure to base competition standard tennis balls, the anisotropic nature of the cloth panels resulted in deviation angles as high as 1.5 degrees in ball bounce. Therefore,
new cloth panel configurations were modelled which allowed the cloth fibre orientations
around the ball to be adjusted resulting in better bounce consistency. The effect of cloth seam length on ball flight was explored through wind tunnel tests performed on solid balls made by additive manufacturing (AM) and on actual pressurised tennis ball prototypes. A reverse
Magnus effect was observed on the AM balls, however, this phenomenon was overcome by
the rough nature of the cloth cover on the real tennis ball prototypes. A ball trajectory
simulation showed that there was no obvious dependence between seam length and shot length or ball velocity. Finally, a basic panel flattening method was used to determine the 2Dsize
of the cloth panel patterns corresponding to the new configurations, and tiling methods
were designed to estimate cloth wastage. The traditional dumbbell design appeared to result
in the minimum amount of waste.
The work reported in this thesis represents a significant improvement in the modelling of
tennis ball core, cloth and seams, as well as the ball s interaction with the ground and racket strings. While this research focused on woven cloth, needle cloth is also widely used in the manufacture of balls in the US. The modelling of needle cloth could therefore be part of a
future study. Additionally, details such as the depth and roughness of the cloth seam could be included in the model to study their effect on spin generation. Also, including cloth anisotropy in the flattening method would allow a better prediction of cloth wastage which could then have an influence on the configuration of the cloth panels.


The Campos Basin is the best known and most productive of the Brazilian coastal basins. Turbidites are, by far, the main hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirs in the Campos Basin. Using a 4C ocean-bottom cable seismic survey, we set out to improve the reservoir characterization in a deepwater turbidite field in the Campos Basin. To achieve our goal, prestack angle gathers were derived and PP and PS inversion were performed. The inversion was used as an input to predict the petrophysical properties of the reservoir. Converting seismic reflection amplitudes into impedance profiles not only maximizes vertical resolution but also minimizes tuning effects. Mapping the porosity is extremely important in the development of hydrocarbon reservoirs. Combining seismic attributes derived from the PP and PS multicomponent data and porosity logs, we used linear multiregression and neural networking to predict porosity between the seismic attributes and porosity logs at the well locations. After estimating porosity in the well locations, those relationships were applied to the seismic attributes to generate a 3D porosity volume. The porosity volume highlighted the best reservoir facies in the reservoir. The integration of elastic impedance, shear impedance, and porosity improved the reservoir characterization.


Abstract This study of gambling discourse focuses on how the governing party in Singapore makes use of the discursively constructed juxtaposing identities of social and problem gamblers as a symbolic resource for reaching its objective of public governance. To this end, the present article studies four gamblers' spoken testimonials recorded for a campaign launched by the Singapore National Council on Problem Gambling. The data were analyzed in relation to process types, appraisal resources, and code choice. It is found that via different linguistic means, the gamblers, as represented in the discourse, perform a range of identities, thereby foregrounding specific aspects of their self. Examples include the social gamblers' frequent use of relational processes to offer descriptive statements on the definition of gambling and the problem gamblers' self-evaluation of unethical behavior associated with gambling through intensive use of social sanction judgment markers. The results lead to the conclusion that the juxtaposition of the identities between social and problem gamblers is used symbolically by the government to construct the stigmatized identity of "problematic gamblers" so as to monitor its citizens' demeanor in the midst of legitimizing casino gambling.


This paper addresses a range of critical problems involving higher education funding, curricula, staff recruitment, retention and development, and student affairs that the system of higher education in Ethiopia is facing. After discussing the fundamental contributions of higher education to technological innovations, better health, improved service delivery, labour productivity, pluralism, and democratic governance, the paper examines the current state of affairs of higher education in Ethiopia. It not only discusses the problems and issues of higher education, but it also explores the ramifications of the pressure that the current expansion of higher education has on the staff, meagre resources, and facilities, thereby raising grave concern for the quality of education. The paper concludes that higher education institutions in Ethiopia are underfunded and understaffed with the curricula running the risk of becoming obsolete. Finally, it sheds light on ways to deal with the plethora of problems that the system of higher education in Ethiopia is encountering.


The unique, visual format of Illustrated C# 2008 has been specially created by author, and teacher of development methods, Daniel Solis. The concise text, use of tables to clarify language features, frequent figures and diagrams, as well as focused code samples all combine to create a unique approach that will help you understand and get to work with C# fast. It was while teaching numerous seminars on various programming languages that the author realized the immense power diagrams have in explaining programming language concepts. Most people learn quicker and retain information better when the material is presented in a clean, simple, visual format. To achieve this result in his book, Solis uses concise text and bulleted lists, tables to clarify and summarize language features, as well as his renowned, ubiquitous figures and diagrams. Each language feature is illustrated with a concise and focused code sample for complete clarity. Following an overview of the .NET platform and the role played by C#, youll soon move into exploring the C# language in its entirety, including all the new C# 2008 features right down to the most complex topics involved in C#. If youre a C++ or VB programmer migrating to C# 2008, this book will be invaluable; the unique visual approach offers a far from lightweight treatment of C# 2008, so even the most experienced programmers will come away with a deeper understanding of the C# language. What youll learn Details of the C# 2008 language presented in a clear, concise treatment New features in the latest version of .NET, in the authors unique visual style How C# differs from and is similar to other programming languages, aiding migrating C++ and VB programmers who already know how languages work Who is this book for? Visual Basic programmers interested in moving to C# C++ programmers interested in moving to C# Novice programmers interested in learning C# Students in introductory programming classes learning C# Related Titles Beginning C# 2008: From Novice to Professional Beginning C# 2008 Databases: From Novice to Professional Pro C# 2008 and the .NET 3.5 Platform, Fourth Edition Pro LINQ: Language Integrated Query in C# 2008


Determination of the solar cell efficiency and internal quantum efficiency are standard characterization methods used by the majority of research institutes. Random errors can be assessed by institutes themselves by repeated measurements, but systematic deviations cannot be assessed without comparisons with other institutes. The comparisons were performed for illuminated IV, spectral response and reflection measurements. The results were split into systematic differences between the partners and random differences within an institute for a single measurement session. The total differences are: Jsc: 0.27 A, Voc: 8.5 mV, FF: 2.4 %, η: 0.6%, spectral response: 0.14 A/W and reflection: 0.08. For all measurement methods, the systematic differences exceeded the random differences. The major component for the systematic differences is likely the reference device, but also temperature control, contacting scheme and setup differences play a part.


Discussion boards are a form of social media which allow users to discuss topics and exchange information in a complex manner, in a number of different settings. As the popularity of such message boards has increased, communities of users have emerged, and several prominent types of social role have been identified, such as Question Answerer, Celebrity, Discussion Person and Topic Initiator. Recent studies have noted the structural similarity of the egocentric network of users assigned the same role by qualitative criteria. In this paper a methodology is developed with which to cluster together users with similar ego-centric network structures. This is achieved using a mixed membership formulation which allows for the fact that different groups of users may have characteristics in common. The method is then applied to data taken from boards.ie, a medium sized message boards website. Prominent clusters of users are identified and discussed, and illustrative examples of user behaviour provided. The type of interaction, both locally and globally, taking place within forums is examined.


On a busy surgical receiving day my last patient is an elderly gentleman. As I approach, I see he is reading the Bible, and my heart sinks somewhat. Already that day I have listened, unprovoked, to a rude limerick, an election manifesto, and a rendition of Yesterday . I have no wish to add a sermon to this list. I introduce myself and apologise he has been kept waiting.

He smiles, "Kept myself occupied," and motions to the book.

"The good book," I mumble.

"Several good books," He corrects me. "The complete works." He shows me the spine of his black leather book. The word Shakespeare is embossed in gold leaf.

"Which one are you reading? My favourite is…"

Before I can finish, he replies, " Measure for Measure ," and, of the entire canon, names the obscure play I was about …


Data state in a data management system such as a database is the result of the transactions performed on that data management system. Approaches such as single-message transactions and field calls [Gray1993] come closer than before/after values to expressing the intent of a transaction, the semantic transformation that should be performed on the data state even if that state is different than what was previously read. But intent is an even higher-level semantic description. This paper illustrates the use of intent-based transactions and processes in several applications, and describes the benefits from exploiting transactional intent. We provide an application framework for intent, and discuss some advanced aspects of intent, including its relationship to apologyoriented computing [Helland2007].


By interacting with a particular set of neurexin splice variants, leucine-rich repeat transmembrane protein 2 contributes to the formation of excitatory synapses. Synapses are complex structures that form between a neuron's axon and the target cell, and both the presynaptic and postsynaptic cell become specialized and contribute to the formation of the synapse. Many trans-synaptic signals and complexes have been identified that contribute to synapse formation. Following on the identification of leucine-rich repeat transmembrane proteins (LRRTMs) as postsynaptic contributors in an artificial synapse-formation assay (the formation of synapses between nonneuronal cells expressing specific candidate proteins cocultured with neuronal cells), Ko et al. and de Wit et al. found that LRRTM2 contributed to the formation of excitatory synapses and bound neurexin-1α and -1β, which are also known to bind the trans-synaptic protein neuroligin-1. Both groups analyzed the activity of LRRTM2 in the artificial synapse assay and also found an increase in excitatory synapses when LRRTM2 was overexpressed in cultured hippocampal neurons. de Wit et al. also showed that knockdown of LRRTM2 in cultured hippocampal neurons decreased excitatory synapse density without affecting inhibitory synapse density and decreased the abundance of AMPA-type glutamate receptors at the synaptic cell surface. de Wit et al. showed that, when cotransfected into 293T cells, the extracellular LRR domain interacted with both AMPA-type and NMDA-type glutamate receptors and that the intracellular domain interacted with postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95), a scaffolding protein. de Wit et al. confirmed the importance of LRRTM2 in vivo by knocking down the protein in the dentate gyrus of rat pups and observing a specific decrease in both evoked and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents. Both groups also used an affinity purification scheme to identify neurexins-1α and -1β as interacting with the extracellular domain of LRRTM2. Ko et al. further showed that it was the splice variants of the neurexins lacking an insert in splice site #4 that bound LRRTM2, whereas both forms of the neurexins interacted with neuroligin-1. de Wit et al. showed that when neurexin-1 was knocked down in the neurons of the artificial synapse assay, LRRTM2 (expressed in 293T cells) failed to stimulate presynaptic differentiation. Ko et al. showed that soluble neurexin-1β blocked the activity of LRRTM2 in the artificial synapse assay. Thus, neurexins now have two possible partners, LRRTM2 and neuroligin-1, with the interaction with LRRTM2 functioning specifically in excitatory synapse formation J. Ko, M. V. Fuccillo, R. C. Malenka, T. C. Südhof, LRRTM2 functions as a neurexin ligand in promoting excitatory synapse formation. Neuron 64, 791–798 (2009). [Online Journal] J. de Wit, E. Sylwestrak, M. L. O'Sullivan, S. Otto, K. Tiglio, J. N. Savas, J. R. Yates III, D. Comoletti, P. Taylor, A. Ghosh, LRRTM2 interacts with Neurexin1 and regulates excitatory synapse formation. Neuron 64, 799–806 (2009).[Online Journal]


During the last IAIS Global Seminar in June 2017, IAIS disclosed the agenda for a gradual shift in the systemic risk assessment methodology from the current Entity Based Approach (EBA) to a new Activity Based Approach(ABA). The EBA, which was developed in the aftermath of the 2008/2009 financial crisis, defines a list of Global Systemically Important Insurers (G-SIIs) based on a pre-defined set of criteria related to the size of the institution. These G-SIIs are subject to additional regulatory requirements since their distress or disorderly failure would potentially cause significant disruption to the global financial system and economic activity. Even if size is still a needed element of a systemic risk assessment, the strong emphasis put on the too-big-to-fail approach in insurance, i.e. EBA, might be partially missing the underlying nature of systemic risk in insurance. Not only certain activities, including insurance activities such as life or non-life lines of business, but also common exposures or certain managerial practices such as leverage or funding structures, tend to contribute to systemic risk of insurers but are not covered by the current EBA (Berdin and Sottocornola, 2015). Therefore, we very much welcome the general development of the systemic risk assessment methodology, even if several important questions still need to be answered.


We study the effects of a dc external magnetic field on the polaritons propagating in hollow dielectric cylinders, taking into account the retardation effects. In solving Maxwell's equations we show that only the TM modes can propagate in these systems, and we obtain the dispersion relation of the confined-surface-polariton modes. The effects of geometric parameters and the external magnetic field on the propagation of surface-polariton modes are also analyzed and show significant influence on the behavior of the modes. Numerical results are presented for the dispersion relation of surface polaritons with GaAs as the optically active medium.


Simulations of Hurricane Katrina using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model on a 9 km grid over the Gulf of Mexico and the southeast United States are analyzed. Global Forecast System (GFS) analyses provided the initial fields and lateral boundary conditions (LBC) 4 times per day to drive a control simulation during the period 27 to 30 August 2005. The control cap- tured many of the observed characteristics of Katrina. A new approach, mean signal nesting, was devised to make climate change projections of the storm for each decade in the 21st century. Mean climate change signals were extracted from A2 scenario projections of the future climate by an atmosphere-ocean global climate model (AOGCM). These signals were combined with the GFS data used in the control to create the initial fields and LBC for WRF climate change simulations. This inno- vative method allows the LBC to retain realistic sub-daily variability present in GFS data, but still include the climate change signal. Hurricane simulations representing the earlier decades tracked east of the 2005 trajectory, and west of that track for 4 of the 5 later decades. Sensitivity experiments suggest that anticipated atmospheric warming versus expected positive sea surface temperature trends have opposing influences on developing storms. Warming trends during the 21st century are associated with ever-increasing vertical thermal stability, inhibiting initial hurricane intensification and limiting their diameters. Eye wall wind speeds in excess of 60 m s -1 at the time of landfall could be sustained for a somewhat longer duration in storms toward the end of the 21st century.


Abstract. We present an overview of the background, scientific goals, and execution of the Aerosol, Radiation, and Cloud Processes affecting Arctic Climate (ARCPAC) project of April 2008. We then summarize airborne measurements, made in the troposphere of the Alaskan Arctic, of aerosol particle size distributions, composition, and optical properties and discuss the sources and transport of the aerosols. The aerosol data were grouped into four categories based on gas-phase composition. First, the background troposphere contained a relatively diffuse, sulfate-rich aerosol extending from the top of the sea-ice inversion layer to 7.4 km altitude. Second, a region of depleted (relative to the background) aerosol was present within the surface inversion layer over sea-ice. Third, layers of dense, organic-rich smoke from open biomass fires in southern Russia and southeastern Siberia were frequently encountered at all altitudes from the top of the inversion layer to 7.1 km. Finally, some aerosol layers were dominated by components originating from fossil fuel combustion. Of these four categories measured during ARCPAC, the diffuse background aerosol was most similar to the average springtime aerosol properties observed at a long-term monitoring site at Barrow, Alaska. The biomass burning (BB) and fossil fuel layers were present above the sea-ice inversion layer and did not reach the sea-ice surface during the course of the ARCPAC measurements. The BB aerosol layers were highly scattering and were moderately hygroscopic. On average, the layers produced a noontime net heating of ~0.1 K day −1 between 3 and 7 km and a slight cooling at the surface. The ratios of particle mass to carbon monoxide (CO) in the BB plumes, which had been transported over distances >5000 km, were comparable to the high end of literature values derived from previous measurements in wildfire smoke. These ratios suggest minimal precipitation scavenging and removal of the BB particles between the time they were emitted and the time they were observed in dense layers above the sea-ice inversion layer.


Introduction: Patients are essential sources of information to assess the accessibility and effectiveness of pharmaceutical care. Therefore, their perception and satisfaction on the quality of care delivered has a direct influence on treatment adherence. This study was thus aimed to assess HIV/AIDS patients' level of satisfaction on the pharmaceutical services provided in Zewditu Memorial Hospital (ZMH), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: An institution based cross sectional study was conducted from April 16, 2018 to May 16, 2018 in ZMH. Results: Among the total 285 participants enrolled in the study, 172(60.4%) of them were females and the mean age of the participants was 42.5 ± 9.8. The participants of this study received ART service for a mean duration of 7.3 ± 3.5 years. The overall satisfaction to the ART pharmaceutical service was rated as excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor by 26.7%, 13.7%, 38.6%, 13% and 8.1% of the study participants, respectively. Participants who were well informed by the pharmacist about drug-drug and drug-food interaction (AOR=2.72, 95% CI: 1.13-6.54) were more likely to be satisfied with pharmaceutical service compared to their counterparts. Conclusion: In conclusion, participants were satisfied with the availability and commitment of pharmacists. Provision of medication related information was found to increase the likelihood of being satisfied in ART service.


Background and Aim: Marital conflicts are unavoidable in family life, especially between a couple employed in a stressful job such as nursing. Therefore, identification and improvement of individualistic skills that can affect marital conflicts are important. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between resilience, psychological hardiness, and marital conflicts among nurses working in educational hospitals of Birjand, Iran. Methods: In this descriptive, correlational study, the statistical population included all the married nurses from Birjand (n = 220) of whom 170 nurses were randomly selected as the sample. The instruments included Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RIS) (25 items), Kobasa's Personal View Scale (50 items) and Marital Conflict Questionnaire (42 items). The collected data were analyzed in SPSS (version 16) using descriptive statistics, i.e., Pearson correlation and regression analysis at the significance level of P < 0.05. Results: The results of the present study showed a negative significant correlation between resilience and marital conflicts (r = -0.17, P = 0.025). The relationship between hardiness and marital conflicts was also negatively significant (r = -0.21, P = 0.005). However, the relationship between challenge and marital conflicts was insignificant. Regression analysis showed that resilience and hardiness could predict about 20% of marital conflict variance. Conclusion: Training and improvement of individualistic skills of resilience and hardiness can be effective in reducing marital conflicts in nurses.


A coupled sharp-front (SF) liquid transport and evaporation model is used to describe the capillary rise of moisture in monoliths and masonry structures. This provides a basis for the quantitative engineering analysis of moisture dynamics in such structures, with particular application to the conservation of historic buildings and monuments. We show how such a system responds to seasonal variations in the potential evaporation (PE) of the immediate environment, using meteorological data from southern England and Athens, Greece. Results from the SF analytical model are compared with those from finite-element unsaturated-flow simulations. We examine the magnitude and variation of the total flow through a structure as a primary factor in long-term damage caused by leaching, salt crystallization and chemical degradation. We find wide seasonal variation in the height of moisture rise, and this, together with the large estimated water flows, provides a new explanation of the observed position of salt-crystallization damage. The analysis also allows us to estimate the effects of future climate change on the capillary moisture dynamics of monoliths and masonry structures. For example, for southern England, predicted increases in PE for the period 2070–2100 suggest substantial increases in water flux, from which we expect increased damage rates.


We find that long-period variations in tropical cyclone and hurricane frequency over the past century in the North Atlantic Ocean have occurred as three relatively stable regimes separated by sharp transitions. Each regime has seen 50% more cyclones and hurricanes than the previous regime and is associated with a distinct range of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Overall, there appears to have been a substantial 100-year trend leading to related increases of over 0.7°C in SST and over 100% in tropical cyclone and hurricane numbers. It is concluded that the overall trend in SSTs, and tropical cyclone and hurricane numbers is substantially influenced by greenhouse warming. Superimposed on the evolving tropical cyclone and hurricane climatology is a completely independent oscillation manifested in the proportions of tropical cyclones that become major and minor hurricanes. This characteristic has no distinguishable net trend and appears to be associated with concomitant variations in the proportion of equatorial and higher latitude hurricane developments, perhaps arising from internal oscillations of the climate system. The period of enhanced major hurricane activity during 1945–1964 is consistent with a peak period in major hurricane proportions.


In this paper, we propose a fast algorithm for gesture recognition based on the saliency maps of visual attention. A tuned saliency-based model of visual attention is used to find potential hand regions in video frames. To obtain the overall movement of the hand, saliency maps of the differences of consecutive video frames are overlaid. An improved Characteristic Loci feature extraction method is introduced and used to code obtained hand movement. Finally, the extracted feature vector is used for training SVMs to classify the gestures. The proposed method along a hand-eye coordination model is used to play a robotic marionette and an approval/rejection phase is used to interactively correct the robotic marionette's behavior.