Abstract New structural, U–Th/Pb and Ar/Ar data along the Nyalam section constrain the timing of partial melting, crystallization and deformation in the Greater Himalayan Sequence. Prograde metamorphism was followed by the onset of partial melting at c. 30 Ma. In the central Greater Himalayan Sequence, in situ melts crystallized between 24 and 18 Ma. Subsequent cooling was very fast (c. 200 °C Ma−1) and coeval with the emplacement of undeformed dykes that lasted until c. 15 Ma. In the upper Greater Himalayan Sequence, fast cooling continued until c. 13 Ma. Combined with published P–T and thermochronological data from the Langtang and Dudh Kosi valleys, these data imply that: (a) the partial melt zone thinned over time; (b) the end of melting preceded the end of motion on the Main Central Thrust and the South Tibetan Detachment by 6 and 2 Ma, respectively; (c) the South Tibetan Detachment possibly initiated at c. 25 Ma, probably reactivating a pre-existing thrust; and (d) the present-day topography has been established for <6 Ma and focused erosion on the present-day southern slopes of the Himalaya was not active at the time of the exhumation of the Greater Himalayan Sequence. These observations suggest that the Main Central Thrust/South Tibetan Detachment systems are not passive structures induced by focused erosion, as has been suggested previously by some lower crustal channel flow models. Supplementary material: U/Pb, geochemistry and Ar/Ar data, the Ar/Ar analytical procedure, field pictures, T11N26, T11N27, T11N31, T11N53A and T11N40 quartz ⟨C⟩ axis CPOs are available at http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18835


In this paper we apply the Complete Analysis of Differentiable Games (introduced by D. Carfi in [3], [6], [8], [9], and already employed by himself and others in [4], [5], [7]) to the classic Cournot Duopoly (1838), classic oligopolistic market in which there are two enterprises producing the same commodity and selling it in the same market. In this classic model, in a competitive background, the two enterprises employ, as possible strategies, the quantities of the commodity produced. The main solutions proposed in literature for this kind of duopoly are the Nash equilibrium and the Collusive Optimum, without any subsequent critical exam about these two kinds of solutions. The absence of any critical quantitative analysis is due to the relevant lack of knowledge regarding the set of all possible outcomes of this strategic interaction. On the contrary, by considering the Cournot Duopoly as a differentiable game (a game with differentiable payoff functions) and studying it by the new topological methodologies introduced by D. Carfi, we obtain an exhaustive and complete vision of the entire payoff space of the Cournot game (this also in asymmetric cases with the help of computers) and this total view allows us to analyze critically the classic solutions and to find other ways of action to select Pareto strategies. In order to illustrate the application of this topological methodology to the considered infinite game, several compromise decisions are considered, and we show how the complete study gives a real extremely extended comprehension of the classic model.


Mycoplasma arthritidis was demonstrated to incite experimental conjunctivitis and uveitis in Swiss Webster mice which have a known susceptibility to the arthritis customarily associated with infection by this mycoplasma. The initial symptom of ocular involvement was conjunctivitis, which appeared as early as 1 day after intravenous injection with viable culture concentrates of M. arthritidis. By day 2, histological analysis showed intraocular localized inflammatory reactions that were confined primarily to the anterior portion of the uvea and produced results which were compatible with those seen in iridocyclitis. Serological assays of the titer and the class of antibodies involved in the early humoral immune response to infection confirmed the predominance of immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations over IgM concentrations that was described by others (Cole et al., Infect. Immun. 4:431-440, 1971) and revealed significant titers of the IgG2a and IgG2b subclasses of complement-fixing antibodies. The rapid onset of acute conjunctivitis, together with the early appearance of immunoglobulins of the IgG class, suggests that the M. arthritidis-infected Swiss Webster mice may have experienced an anamnestic response to the mycoplasma antigens. These observations introduce a new animal model for the study of mycoplasma-induced experimental uveitis and conjunctivitis, which are demonstrated here to accompany a disseminated systemic disease process.


This research is based on the responses to a questionnaire applied to 351 students of business management in Chile and Colombia. Through the analysis of structural equations on Ajzen's model, we found that entrepreneurial education, the University environment, and the prior entrepreneurial exposure are mediated by the factors of the Ajzen`s model to generate entrepreneurial intention in higher education students. The results show that entrepreneurial education strengthens the perceived control of behavior and, with it, albeit in a differentiated way, the entrepreneurial intention of men and women. University environment affects entrepreneurial intention through attitude towards entrepreneurship; and finally, the work experience, used as one of the variables that measure prior entrepreneurial exposure, explains the entrepreneurial intention inversely through the subjective norms. We found that gender has a moderate effect on perceived control of behavior and entrepreneurial education. The scarce studies on the impact of the University environment and the mixed results of the entrepreneurial education and prior entrepreneurial exposure toward entrepreneurial intention show the necessity for further research. A second contribution is the opportunity to present new evidence about the relationship between University environment, entrepreneurial education and prior exposure to developing countries of South America, including the gender effect (moderator) for entrepreneurial intention. It is important to note that most of the research in this area applies to developed countries, and some scholars suggest that extrapolating the results is not convenient.


Multiple studies have shown that neutrophilic Fe(II) oxidizers can conserve energy from Fe(II) oxidation, however, it is still unclear how they can compete against the fast abiotic reaction at neutral pH, or to which extent these bacteria increase the overall Fe(II) oxidation rate. Similar to acidophilic Fe(II) oxidizers, neutrophilic oxidizers use Fe(II) as electron source. In contrast to acidophilic Fe(II) oxidizers, however, they are challenged by the fast kinetics of the abiotic reaction, because Fe(II) oxidation is significantly faster at neutral pH compared to oxidation under acidic conditions. The competition with abiotic Fe(II) oxidation may be attenuated by environmental factors other than pH. For example, temperature or oxygen concentration may potentially favor microbial Fe(II) oxidation, but the dependence of microbial Fe(II) oxidation rates on these factors has not yet been systematically investigated. This thesis aims at filling this gap by studying the effect of temperature and oxygen concentration on the kinetics and products of microbial Fe(II) oxidation. While the experimental work was conducted in the laboratory under controlled conditions, with a single strain of iron oxidizing bacteria, an attempt was also made to better characterize the relationship between physico-chemical conditions and the occurrence of Fe(II) oxidizers in sediments from a freshwater marsh. The highest abundance of Gallionella-like Fe(II) oxidizers was observed in the upper 5-12cm of sediments collected in the fresh water part of the Scheldt estuary in Belgium. In spring, the largest diversity and cell densities of Fe(II) oxidizers were found when coincidently also the highest concentrations of extractable Fe(III) were detected. The diversity of the Fe(II) oxidizers was smaller and no Fe(III) was detected in samples collected during summer and fall. The change in diversity and possibly the activity of the bacteria may be related to changes in temperature and oxygen concentration. However, no simple relationship between geochemistry and occurrence of Fe(II) oxidizers could be deduced from the results. The laboratory experiments with Leptothrix cholodnii Appels showed that microbial and abiotic Fe(II) oxidation proceed in two phases with different kinetics. During the initial phase, microbial Fe(II) oxidation rates exceeded those of the abiotic reaction. In this phase, the oxygen dependency of the microbial Fe(II) oxidation followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics and the temperature dependency was characterized by an optimum temperature around 30-37°C. During the second phase, the accumulated iron oxides catalyze the reaction so that abiotic Fe(II) oxidation was dominant also in experiments with Leptothrix. Hence, microbial and abiotic rates were similar and showed similar dependencies on temperature and oxygen concentration. Characterizing the oxides from microbial and abiotic experiments revealed that both contained lepidocrocite and ferrihydrite. However oxides produced in the presence of Leptothrix were smaller and better ordered compared to abiotic oxides. In conclusion, oxygen and temperature can influence the role of neutrophilic iron oxidizers in Fe redox cycling by affecting the rates of microbial and abiotic Fe(II) concentration.


ABSTRACT Aim: The optimal combination of chemotherapy with radiation therapy for treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains an open issue. This randomized phase II study compared gemcitabine in two different schedules and cisplatin, followed by radiation therapy concurrent with cisplatin and etoposide. Methods: Eligible patients had microscopically confirmed inoperable non-metastatic non-small cell lung cancer; fulfilled the standard criteria for platin-based chemotherapy; and signed informed consent. Patients were treated with 3 cycles of induction chemotherapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin. Two different aplications of gemcitabine were compared: patients in the arm A received gemcitabine at 1250 mg/m2 in a standard half hour i.v. infusion on days 1 and 8; patients in arm B received gemcitabine at 250 mg/m2 in prolonged 6-hours i.v.infusion on days 1 and 8. In both arms, cisplatin 75 mg/m2 on day 2 was administered. All patients continued treatment with TRT with 60-66 Gy concurrent with cisplatin 50 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, 29 and 36 and etoposid 50 mg/m2 on days 1-5 and 29-33. The primary endpoint was response rate (RR) after induction chemotherapy; secondary endpoints were toxicity, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: From September 2005 to November 2010, 106 patients were recruited to this study. No statistically signifficant differences were found in RR after induction chemotherapy between the two arms (48.1% and 57.4%, p = 0.34). Toxicity was comparable and mild with grade 3/4 neutropenia as primary toxicity in both arms. One patient in arm B suffered from acute peripheral ischemia grade 4. With a median follow-up of 69.3 months, progression-free survival and median survival in arm A were 15.7 and 24.8 months compared to 18.9 and 28.6 months in arm B. The figures for 1-year and 3-year overall survival were 73.1% and 30.8% in arm A, and 81.5 % and 44.4% in arm B, respectively. Conclusions: Among the two cisplatin-based doublets of induction chemotherapy for inoperable NSCLC, both schedules of gemcitabine have a comparable toxicity profile. Figures for RR, PFS and OS are among the best reported in current literature. While there is a trend towards better efficacy of the treament with prolonged infusion of gemcitabine, the number of patients is too small for a statistically significant difference. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.


Cytochrome b5 from rat liver microsomes (microsomal fractions) was purified in its native form. The procedure described has great capacity, is fast, and the final product is pure as judged from SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. Antibodies to cytochrome b5 are obtained after administration of the antigen inserted into small unilamellar lipid vesicles.


This contribution to the Common Knowledge symposium "Peace by Other Means" argues that the drive for self-esteem, achieved by gaining honor or standing, has been a root cause of violent conflict and war throughout history and that peacemaking that does not take account of what the Greeks called thumos is bound to fail. Using an original data set of all wars since 1648 (the Peace of Westphalia) involving great or rising powers, the essay shows how wars associated with honor, standing, and revenge, all expressions of thumos, far outnumber those caused by security or material concerns. At the same time, it is argued, diplomacy and the theory of international relations have turned increasingly toward belief that conflicts are resolved only by negotiation based on the rational consideration of material interests. The author concludes that conflict resolution needs to rethink its presumptions in comparison with those of Greco-Latin literature and philosophy.


In this paper, we use the concepts of graph convergence of H(·, ·)-co-accretive mapping introduced by [R. Ahmad, M. Akram, M. Dilshad, Graph convergence for the H(·, ·)-co-accretive mapping with an application, Bull. Malays. Math. Sci. Soc., doi: 10.1007/s40840-0140103-z, 2014] and define an over-relaxed proximal point method to obtain the solution of a generalized variational inclusion problem in Banach spaces. Our results can be viewed as an extension of some previously known results in this direction.


Goods and services -- public housing, medical appointments, schools -- are often allocated to individuals who rank them similarly but differ in their preference intensities. We characterize optimal allocation rules when individual preferences are known and when they are not. Several insights emerge. First-best allocations may involve assigning some agents "lotteries" between high- and low-ranked goods. When preference intensities are private information, second-best allocations always involve such lotteries and, crucially, may coincide with first-best allocations. Furthermore, second-best allocations may entail disposal of services. We discuss a market-based alternative and show how it differs.


When planning their units, events management tutors face the challenge of fulfilling academic objectives while at the same time helping students develop practical skills. In addition, some students come to university with well developed academic skills, while others have a more 'hands-on' approach – they want 'to do things' that are practical in nature. Motivating the latter group to engage in intellectually demanding tasks, such as strategic thinking and creativity, is particularly difficult. This session will report on an experience at Bournemouth University that attempted to reconcile these two important, yet often contradicting, challenges.

The unit is called Leisure Product (Event Innovation from October) and a piece of coursework was designed to meet the objectives of the unit, which revolve around exploring innovation and new product development theory and apply this knowledge to a real organisation. The coursework involves developing a new event, for which students have to follow a step-by-step process, divided in two stages: a Consultancy report (which identifies the organisation's current market situation and the gap in the market place) and a Group presentation (which follows a 'Dragon's Den' style, where students present the business case for the event in front of 'dragons', with a view to obtain their support for its development and launch).

The coursework has now run for 4 years, and over this period many changes have been made following an analysis of student performance. For 08-09 a number of changes were implemented, which had a tremendous impact on student performance and engagement. Overall, it is felt that the right 'formula' was found. Yet, in order to establish whether the coursework was perceived as an appropriate method for the unit, notably after the implementation of the changes, an evaluation of the experience was made that involved:
• Seminar discussions with each of the seminar groups (five in total) at the end of stage 1 (consultancy report) reflecting on the students' experience
• An online questionnaire at the end of the coursework, which focused on the assessment of the perceived extent of learning achieved by students and support given by tutors.
• A brief email interview with the managers of the organisations allocated to each of the five groups

This session will attempt to share the experience of this unit with a view to establish good practice in using creative assessment to promote students learning and motivation in the context of innovation and new product development in events. The results of the evaluation process will presented and discussed. The session will be centred on this experience, but tutors who teach similar units (or skills) will be invited to share their own experiences.


General-purpose GPU-based systems are highly attractive, as they give potentially massive performance at little cost. Realizing such potential is challenging due to the complexity of programming. This article presents a compiler-based approach to automatically generate optimized OpenCL code from data parallel OpenMP programs for GPUs. A key feature of our scheme is that it leverages existing transformations, especially data transformations, to improve performance on GPU architectures and uses automatic machine learning to build a predictive model to determine if it is worthwhile running the OpenCL code on the GPU or OpenMP code on the multicore host. We applied our approach to the entire NAS parallel benchmark suite and evaluated it on distinct GPU-based systems. We achieved average (up to) speedups of 4.51× and 4.20× (143× and 67×) on Core i7/NVIDIA GeForce GTX580 and Core i7/AMD Radeon 7970 platforms, respectively, over a sequential baseline. Our approach achieves, on average, greater than 10× speedups over two state-of-the-art automatic GPU code generators.


In the remote rural villages in Hambantota district (located in South-East of Sri Lanka) there is no easy access to potable
water, and conventional community water supply schemes by pumping water from deep wells is far from the reality. Present
study investigates the feasibility of community water supply schemes for sparsely distributed houses in these villages by the
installation of a wind rotor coupled to a hand operated deep well pump at a favourable location in the village and storing
of water in a tank at a higher elevation. Based on field measurements of wind data, power requirement for hand pump
installed in a deep well, the scale model testing of two horizontal axis wind rotors and the performance of a pilot wind
pump, potential for introducing wind pumping based community water supply schemes in the district is emphasized.


Aim/Purpose This paper found some factors which influence research supervisees' selection of their research supervisors. Background Research on supervisor-supervisee relationship is mostly conducted when research students have already initiated their studies. Research on how a supervisor is selected before the research begins is researched less. How do supervisees select their supervisors? Which factors do they consider important? These questions were not clearly answered in the literature so far. Methodology A scale was developed to measure factors which influence the selection of research supervisors. Using an online survey, data was collected from 315 research students in Malaysia between August and October 2018. Psychometric properties of the scale were assessed using exploratory factor analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis. Construct reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity of the scale were assessed using composite reliability, maximal reliability, average variance extracted, and maximum shared variance. Contribution How research supervisees select their supervisors is an understudied area. Most of the research on supervisor selection is done after the research journey has begun. This research focuses on the thought processes before supervisor selection. Psychometric Analysis of a Proposed Model 286 Findings Demographics, expertise, and physical appearance emerge as important constructs that influence the thought process of a research supervisee. Each of these constructs is composed of several dimensions, each with its own weight and importance. Recommendations for Practitioners Research supervision is an integral part of contemporary teaching profession. To develop this important dimension of an academic's career, this research holds high significance. The emerging factors will help researcher supervisors enhance their profiles and become more visible. This has practical implications for higher education institutions as well. Recommendation for Researchers Further studies in this area can explore these factors across different cultures, distinction between undergraduate and postgraduate students, public and private higher education institutions, and scholarship or self-funded students. Impact on Society Attracting better and relevant research students will result in a better match between researcher's capability and supervisor's expertise leading to high impact research. Future Research This research was done on only 315 respondents. More respondents from diverse population might influence the outcome.


[1] Probably the most important mechanism of glacial erosion is quarrying: the growth and coalescence of cracks in subglacial bedrock and dislodgement of resultant rock fragments. Although evidence indicates that erosion rates depend on sliding speed, rates of crack growth in bedrock may be enhanced by changing stresses on the bed caused by fluctuating basal water pressure in zones of ice-bed separation. To study quarrying in real time, a granite step, 12 cm high with a crack in its stoss surface, was installed at the bed of Engabreen, Norway. Acoustic emission sensors monitored crack growth events in the step as ice slid over it. Vertical stresses, water pressure, and cavity height in the lee of the step were also measured. Water was pumped to the lee of the step several times over 8 days. Pumping initially caused opening of a leeward cavity, which then closed after pumping was stopped and water pressure decreased. During cavity closure, acoustic emissions emanating mostly from the vicinity of the base of the crack in the step increased dramatically. With repeated pump tests this crack grew with time until the step's lee surface was quarried. Our experiments indicate that fluctuating water pressure caused stress thresholds required for crack growth to be exceeded. Natural basal water pressure fluctuations should also concentrate stresses on rock steps, increasing rates of crack growth. Stress changes on the bed due to water pressure fluctuations will increase in magnitude and duration with cavity size, which may help explain the effect of sliding speed on erosion rates.


Many leading asset pricing models are specified so that the term structure of dividend volatility is either flat or upward sloping. These models predict that the term structures of expected returns and volatilities on dividend strips (i.e., claims to dividends paid over a prespecified interval) are also upward sloping. However, the empirical evidence suggests otherwise. This discrepancy can be reconciled if these models replace their proposed dividend dynamics with processes that generate stationary leverage ratios. Under such policies, shareholders are forced to divest (invest) when leverage is low (high), which shifts risk from long- to short-horizon dividend strips.


Drawing on research in urban sociology, cultural geography, and social psychology, this paper explores some of the moral rules that govern social relations in public places. In particular, we consider how certain practices become classified as everyday incivilities—infractions of the moral order that sustains public life. In order to develop this notion, we draw illustrations from an ongoing research project that is investigating social attitudes towards "street drinking," an activity that has led to the creation of "alcohol-free zones" in over 100 British cities during the past decade. As an emergent theme, this research has suggested that the classification of street drinking as either acceptable or unacceptable conduct is contingent upon the social construction of public space that users invoke. This theme is discussed in the context of wider struggles over citizenship and social control in the public domain—struggles manifest within "ideological dilemmas" (Billig et al., 1988) over the limits of free conduct, the tension between open and closed public spaces, and the attempt to distinguish "admissible" from "inadmissible" publics.


Background:Viral suppression reduces HIV-related morbidity and transmission to uninfected partners. Models suggest that the transmission benefit may extend to whole communities. Methods:We used New York City surveillance data to analyze viral suppression among persons newly diagnosed with HIV between 2006 and 2009. The Kaplan–Meier product limit method was used to estimate the cumulative proportion achieving suppression and experiencing failure. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify factors associated with time to achieve suppression and duration of suppression and to calculate hazard ratios (HRs). Results:Among the 12,122 new diagnoses, 7663 (63.2%) ever achieved suppression by June 30, 2011, 26.6% within 6 months and 39.8% within 12 months of diagnosis. 89.2% of those ever achieving suppression maintained it for 6 months, and 81.9% for 12 months. The proportion achieving and maintaining suppression improved with each successive diagnostic year (P < 0.0001). Patients with initial CD4 <350 cells per cubic millimeter achieved suppression more rapidly (P < 0.0001) and maintained it longer. Those with the highest nadir CD4 before suppression (≥500 cells/mm3) were least likely to maintain it (men: HR = 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.61 to 0.82 and women: HR = 0.67; 95% confidence interval, 0.53 to 0.87). Conclusions:Persons in successively later diagnostic cohorts and those with nadir CD4 at the federal antiretroviral therapy threshold had larger proportions suppressed, faster time to suppression, and longer duration. New guidelines recommending therapy independent of CD4 may result in improvements in proportion suppressed in future diagnostic cohorts.


Background Specialist physician concentration in urban areas can affect access and quality of care for rural patients. As effective drug treatment for hepatitis C (HCV) becomes increasingly available, the extent to which rural patients needing HCV specialists face access or quality deficits is unknown. We sought to determine the influence of rural residency on access to HCV specialists and quality of liver care. Methods The study used a national cohort of 151,965 Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients with HCV starting in 2005 and followed to 2009. The VHA's constant national benefit structure reduces the impact of insurance as an explanation for observed disparities. Multivariate cox proportion regression models for each quality indicator were performed. Results Thirty percent of VHA patients with HCV reside in rural and highly rural areas. Compared to urban residents, highly rural (HR 0.70, CI 0.65-0.75) and rural (HR 0.96, CI 0.94-0.97) residents were significantly less likely to access HCV specialty care. The quality indicators were more mixed. While rural residents were less likely to receive HIV screening, there were no significant differences in hepatitis vaccinations, endoscopic variceal and hepatocellular carcinoma screening between the geographic subgroups. Of note, highly rural (HR 1.31, CI 1.14-1.50) and rural residents (HR 1.06, CI 1.02-1.10) were more likely to receive HCV therapy. Of those treated for HCV, a third received therapy from a non-specialist provider. Conclusion Rural patients have less access to HCV specialists, but this does not necessarily translate to quality deficits. The VHA's efforts to improve specialty care access, rural patient behavior and decentralization of HCV therapy beyond specialty providers may explain this contradiction. Lessons learned within the VHA are critical for US healthcare systems restructuring into accountable care organizations that acquire features of integrated systems.


GaN epilayers were grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) on z-and x-cut lithium niobate substrates. Ex-situ characterizations of the epilayers by means of scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman scattering measurements have revealed same growth features on both substrates. The observation of the morphology shows homogeneous and relatively smooth surface. The shape and density of GaN islands as well as the observed columnar growth mode are not dependent of the orientation of the LN substrates. The X-ray diffraction analysis of 450 nm thick GaN layers grown at 730 °C on z- and x-cuts showed that both GaN layers reveal the same crystallographic orientation, i.e. c-axis orientation normal to the substrate plane and in-plane orientation that coincides with the primary axis of LN substrates. The Raman scattering measurements confirm the growth of an oriented epitaxial GaN layer on LN substrate. Moreover, the deposited layer exhibit a quite good homogeneity, since the Raman spectra recorded for different positions in the layer do not reveal any significant variations in their relative intensities and frequency shifts.


The Sutton Trust-EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit is an accessible summary of educational research which provides guidance for teachers and schools on how to use their resources to improve the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. The Toolkit currently covers 33 topics, each summarised in terms of their average impact on attainment, the strength of the evidence supporting them and their cost. The Toolkit is a live resource which will be updated on a regular basis as findings from EEF-funded projects and other high-quality research becomes available.


The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon is a naturally occurring climate fluctuation, which originates in the tropical Pacific region and affects ecosystems, agriculture, freshwater supplies, hurricanes and other severe weather events worldwide (Goddard and Dilley 2005; McPhaden et al. 2006). Despite considerable progress in our understanding of the impact of climate change on many of the processes that contribute to ENSO variability (e.g., Collins et al. 2010), it is not yet possible to say whether ENSO activity will be enhanced or damped, or if the frequency or character of events will change in the coming decades (Vecchi and Wittenberg 2010). As changes in ENSO have the potential to be one of the largest manifestations of anthropogenic climate change, this status has profound impacts on the reliability of regional attribution of climate variability and change. Two main reasons can be invoked for these shortcomings. First there is a lack of long and comprehensive enough observations of the various ENSO processes to be able to detect past changes. It may be that we need to observe ENSO for another several decades to detect and attribute significant ENSO changes (Wittenberg 2009; Stevenson et al. 2012). Second, as ENSO involves a complex interplay of numerous ocean and atmospheric processes, accurately modeling this climate phenomenon with CGCMs, and understanding, anticipating, and predicting its behaviour on seasonal to decadal and longer time scales still pose formidable challenges (Guilyardi et al. 2009). Even though the ability of CGCMs to simulate El Niño has largely improved over the last few years, the diversity of model simulations of present-day El Niño characteristics indicate current limitations in our ability to model this climate phenomenon and anticipate changes in its properties on short and long time scales.


A travel-to-work survey of non-industrial workers at Aere Harwell is reported. The response rate was about 90 per cent. Forty-one per cent of respondents used works bus while 48 per cent used a car mode. Journeys were generally between 1 and 22 kilometres. The data collected were used to calibrate a demand model to estimate the probability of works bus use. The factors found to be most significant were distance to work, access distance to a works bus route, car availability and fare per kilometre. The model estimated total works bus patronage to within 1 1/2 per cent. On a route and stop basis the mean errors of estimation were 13 and 28 per cent respectively. The forecast fare elasticity was -0.3. To demonstrate the capability of the model as a planning tool it was used to calculate the numbers of workers needed in a works bus catchment area to ensure break-even operation. It was shown, for example, that for an average direct distance to work of 5 kilometres about 165 low- or 350 high-car-availability workers were needed within 1 1/2 kilometres of a works bus stop, and the fare was 3-4 pence per direct journey kilometre. For a 20 kilometre distance the corresponding figures were 50, 65 and 2 pence per direct journey kilometre respectively.(a) (TRRL)


The objective of this paper is to study the effect of multiple jet impingements on one another in a heat sink under adiabatic conditions. The jet impingement is a unique design which aimed to optimize the cooling performance of a concentrated photovoltaic cell. The paper is based on the design and fabrication of a new 9-celled test section. Initially, to set a baseline, individual cells in the 9-celled test section were tested alone in order to observe their flow regimes. These tests were completed by applying varying water cross flow rates to a set air-water mass flow rate exiting the jet impingement. Afterwards, two cells were tested in conjunction with one another under similar conditions. The location of the cells tested had been varied in order to observe how different cells interact with another. Plug flow and bubbly flow were consistently found through the various experiments. In general, it was noticed at higher crossflow rates the bubble sizes and quantity would decrease drastically.


BACKGROUND
Patients with acute proximal deep-vein thrombosis are usually treated first in the hospital with intravenous standard (unfractionated) heparin. However, the longer plasma half-life, better bioavailability after subcutaneous administration, and more predictable anticoagulant response of low-molecular-weight heparins make them attractive for possible home use. We compared these two approaches.

METHODS
Patients with acute proximal deep-vein thrombosis were randomly assigned to receive either intravenous standard heparin in the hospital (253 patients) or low-molecular-weight heparin (1 mg of enoxaparin per kilogram of body weight subcutaneously twice daily) administered primarily at home (247 patients). The study design allowed outpatients taking low-molecular-weight heparin to go home immediately and hospitalized patients taking low-molecular-weight heparin to be discharged early. All the patients received warfarin starting on the second day.

RESULTS
Thirteen of the 247 patients receiving low-molecular-weight heparin (5.3 percent) had recurrent thromboembolism, as compared with 17 of the 253 patients receiving standard heparin (6.7 percent; P=0.57; absolute difference, 1.4 percentage points; 95 percent confidence interval, -3.0 to 5.7). Five patients receiving low-molecular-weight heparin had major bleeding, as compared with three patients receiving standard heparin. After randomization, the patients who received low-molecular-weight heparin spent a mean of 1.1 days in the hospital, as compared with 6.5 days for the standard-heparin group; 120 patients in the low-molecular-weight- heparin group did not need to be hospitalized at all.

CONCLUSIONS
Low-molecular-weight heparin can be used safely and effectively to treat patients with proximal deep-vein thrombosis at home.


We present results of our recent studies concerning effects of Λ > 0 in astrophysically motivated problems. Here we summarize properties of circular geodesic motion of test particles in the equatorial plane of Kerr-de Sitter black-hole and naked-singularity spacetimes. Along with the standard analysis of geodesic equations of the ordinary geometry, we introduce alternative inertial forces formalism defined within the General Theory of Relativity in the framework of optical reference geometry.


Knowledge transfer is a key aspect of securing the continuous improvement of learning, being the reuse and recombination of knowledge a difficult task. Hence, this process can be enriched by approaches such as graph theory, transactive memory and social networks to boost and facilitate the team members' learning. This paper presents an approaching of representing knowledge transfer of learning contexts, applying graph structures to perceive dynamically the collaborative learning under transactive memory mechanisms and social network aspects when connecting participants in building knowledge. The proposed model allows rate the learning process and determines weak elements to so reinforcing the understanding and comprehension of a determined subject. Through case studies, this approach was validated by people belonging to academic and business context, which participated in learning collaboratively specific topics and provided support for acquiring skills. The dynamic of the model, supported by a graph structure was analysed to disclose encouraging perceptions on this proposal.


The proliferation of mobile ubiquitous devices faces a hurdle in the form of high resource consumption rates that restrict longevity. Several low-power devices and application designs and optimization techniques have been proposed. Simultaneously, energy harvesting technologies are increasingly being viewed as a complementary technique to drive down resource consumption rates and even achieve self-sustenance. Towards this end, we propose a foot-strike powered harvester array composed of a novel high-energy density material called Dielectric Elastomers. To compensate for their control parameter sensitivity, we propose an adaptive closed-loop control algorithm based on general characteristics of human gait. From experimentally collected datasets of human plantar pressure and detailed characterization of DE behavior, we show that our algorithm yields enough accuracy to produce upwards of 85% of the maximum energy harvestable by the DE array. We also show that, in many cases, this is sufficient to fully drive low-power mobile ubiquitous applications.


This paper considers evidence for diachronic change in medieval mixed-language business writing produced in London in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The relevant languages were Middle English, Anglo-Norman and Medieval Latin, and the mixed-language system is briefly described, consisting of function words in either Medieval Latin or Anglo-Norman (depending on which was chosen as the matrix), and an amount of lexical items in English. The changes discussed concentrate around the end of the fourteenth century, which is when English resurfaced as a written language (the Norman administration had replaced English with Latin and French for written purposes). Further, it seems likely that spoken Anglo-Norman, as a language of bilinguals in Britain, died out at the end of the fourteenth century, which seems to have been pivotal.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Nutrition can have profound effects on aging and age-related pathologies including cancer. As such, studies of fasting (the complete withdrawal of food) and dietary restriction (DR, generally described as a 20- 40% reduction in calories) have greatly contributed to the understanding of the relationship between nutrients, cellular aging, cancerogenesis and cancer cell survival. Our findings in yeast indicated that starvation decreases age-dependent mutations whereas our mouse xenograft tumor models indicate that fasting alone can be as effective as chemotherapy drugs in delaying the progression of certain tumor types, in part through the reduction of extracellular glucose and IGF-1 concentration/signaling. Here, we developed a fasting mimicking/enhancing diet (FMD) and tested its effects on cancerogenesis. In a cohort of female C57Bl6 mice, bi-monthly 4 day FMD feeding cycles followed by normal food intake, significantly improved survival in mice without causing excessive weight loss. Mice in the FMD cohort had a significantly reduced lifelong cancer incidence rate. Lymphoma was the most common cause of morbidity/mortality and affected ∼67% in the ad lib fed control group but only ∼40% of the FMD fed mice. In both cohorts lymphomas contributed to the great majority of all neoplasms found. Neoplasms were found in animals in the ad lib fed cohort starting 5 months after onset of our study, whereas no tumors occurred in the first 8 months in the FMD cohort. Furthermore, the FMD caused a shift from the presence of tumors in multiple organs (≥3) to tumors being either absent or present in 2 or less sites, thus indicating a potential shift to the development of benign tumors in the FMD group. In summary, the periodic FMD cycles had a significant impact on the development of cancer while allowing the preservation of lean body mass and animal weight until old age and extending longevity.

Citation Format: Sebastian Brandhorst, Min Wei, Gerrardo Navarre, Louis Dubeau, Peter Conti, Todd Morgan, Valter D. Longo. Periodic fasting mimicking diet started late in life reduces and delays carcinogenesis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4120. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4120


Abstract Neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs) deteriorate high-pressure tokamak plasma confinement and can be suppressed by electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD). In order to obtain efficient suppression, the ECCD power needs to be deposited at the center of an NTM magnetic island. To enhance efficiency, this power also needs to be synchronized in phase with the rotation of the island. The problem is that of real-time detection and precise localization of the island(s) in order to provide the feedback signal required to control the ECCD power deposition area with an accuracy of 1 to 2 cm. Existing schemes based on mode location, equilibrium reconstruction, and plasma profile measurements are limited in positional and temporal accuracy and moreover will become very complex when applied to ITER. To overcome these limitations, it is proposed to provide the feedback signal from electron cyclotron emission (ECE) measurements taken along the identical line of sight as traced by the incident ECCD millimeter-wave beam but in reverse direction. Experiments on TEXTOR have demonstrated a proof of principle. These measurements motivate the further development and the implementation of such an ECCD-aligned ECE system for NTM control in larger fusion machines. Possible implementation of such a system on ASDEX-Upgrade, based on waveguides equipped with a fast directional switch, is presented in this paper. Possible further development for ITER is also discussed.


Machine translation services available on the Web are becoming increasingly popular. However, a pivot translation service is required to realize translations between non-English languages by cascading different translation services via English. As a result, the meaning of words often drifts due to the inconsistency, asymmetry and intransitivity of word selections among translation services. In this paper, we propose context-based coordination to maintain the consistency of word meanings during pivot translation services. First, we propose a method to automatically generate multilingual equivalent terms based on bilingual dictionaries and use generated terms to propagate context among combined translation services. Second, we show a multiagent architecture as one way of implementation, wherein a coordinator agent gathers and propagates context from/to a translation agent. We generated trilingual equivalent noun terms and implemented a Japanese-to-German-and-back translation, cascading into four translation services. The evaluation results showed that the generated terms can cover over 58% of all nouns. The translation quality was improved by 40% for all sentences, and the quality rating for all sentences increased by an average of 0.47 points on a five-point scale. These results indicate that we can realize consistent pivot translation services through context-based coordination based on existing services.


For many applications, ranging from commercial, surveillance, or defense, it is essential to analyze the frequency components of a captured microwave signal over a wide bandwidth in real time and with high resolution. Various photonic approaches have been proposed for the processing of wideband microwave signals in order to overcome limitations imposed by conventional electronic frequency measurements. Here, we present the performance analysis and characterization of a parametric channelized receiver with 275 MHz resolution defined by the Fabry-Perot 3 dB bandwidth and 1 GHz step. Our approach relies on the generation of high quality copies of the RF input by self-seeding wavelength multicasting in a two-pump parametric mixer. Periodic filtering using off-the-shelf elements is then performed on the multicast beam. Ease of filtering is thus achieved by relying on frequency nondegeneracy of the newly generated copies. In this paper, instantaneous analysis of the incoming microwave signal is demonstrated by simultaneous monitoring five of the generated parametric copies while transmitting a frequency-hopping pattern. Operating margins in terms of optical and microwave powers are studied using the five-channel data simultaneously collected on a real-time oscilloscope. Dynamic range adjustments through optical power tuning of the input signal seed are demonstrated. Finally, the effects of frequency mapping detuning are observed to determine optimal operating conditions.


Surface tension variations on the surface of the weld pool produced by a laser during the process of welding, can produce very strong currents. A linearized description of the process is constructed, as well as a non-linear boundary layer model that takes account of thermal conduction and fluid convection. It is found that there is a considerable difference between the predictions of the two approaches. The non-linear model produces results that are compatible with what is believed to occur in practice.


A route map depicting a path from one location to another is a powerful tool for visualizing and communicating directions. However, it can be difficult for a computer to automatically render route maps that meet the four design goals of effective route maps: readability, clarity, completeness, and convenience. Achieving all of these goals requires trade-offs. We survey the cartography, graphic design, and psychology literature for insight about these trade-offs. We then analyze several common route-mapping styles to demonstrate the variables in map design: what information is included, the precision of that information, and the rendering style. This analysis illustrates that hand-drawn route maps are particularly effective. Finally, we describe in detail a design and implementation for computer-generated maps that mimics the style of hand-drawn route maps.


Millimeter wave (mmWave) wireless technologies are expected to exploit large-scale multiple-input multiple-output and adaptive antenna arrays at both the transmitter and receiver to deal with unfavorable radio propagation and realize sufficient link margin. However, the high cost and power consumption of mmWave radio components prohibit the use of fully-digital precoding/combining architectures, which incurs one dedicated RF chain per antenna element. This paper proposes a practical design of multi-beamwidth codebook exploiting hybrid analog-digital architectures with a number of RF chains much lower than the number of antenna elements and 2-bit RF phase shifters. The proposed solution relies on the orthogonal matching pursuit algorithm enhanced by a dynamic dictionary learning mechanism. Simulation results show that the designed hybrid codebooks are able to shape beam patterns very close to those attained by a fully-digital beamforming architecture. Furthermore, when leveraged in the framework of an adaptive, multiresolution beam training protocol, our hybrid codebooks are able to estimate the most promising angle-of-departure and angle-of-arrival directions with extreme accuracy, yet requiring lower complexity hardware compared to the state of art.


STUDY QUESTION
Are uterine fibroids associated with increased cardiovascular risk?

SUMMARY ANSWER
This study reports an association between increased serum lipids and metabolic syndrome with an increased risk of uterine fibroids.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
Recent studies suggest similarities in biological disease mechanisms and risk factors for fibroids and atherosclerosis: obesity, hypertension and abnormal serum lipids. These findings are awaiting confirmation that a population-based follow-up study could offer with extensive health examination data collection linked with a national hospital discharge register.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
The Northern Finland Birth Cohort (NFBC1966) is a population-based long-term follow-up study including all children with estimated date of delivery in 1966 in the Northern Finland area. The data were collected from national registries, postal questionnaires and clinical health examinations. The study population for this study comprised all females included in the NFBC1966 that underwent an extensive clinical health examination at age 46 years (n = 3635).

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS
All females included in the NFBC1966 who were alive and traceable (n = 5118) were invited for the 46-year follow-up study; 3268 (63.9%) responded, returned the postal questionnaire and attended the clinical examination. Uterine fibroid cases were identified through the national hospital discharge register that has data on disease diagnoses based on WHO ICD-codes. Uterine fibroid codes, ICD-9: 218 and ICD-10: D25 were used for case identification. Self-reported fibroid cases were identified through the postal questionnaire.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
A total of 729 fibroid cases were identified, including 293 based on hospital discharge registries. With adjustment for BMI, parity, education and current use of exogenous hormones the risk of prevalent fibroids rose significantly for every 1 mmol/l increase in LDL (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02-1.26 for all cases) and triglycerides (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.09-1.49 for all cases). Metabolic syndrome associated with hospital discharge-based fibroid diagnosis (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.09-2.01). Additionally every 1 unit increase in waist-hip ratio associated with fibroids (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.10-1.57).

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
The case ascertainment may present some limitations. There was likely an under-identification of cases and misclassification of some cases as controls; this would have diluted the effects of reported associations. The data analysed were cross-sectional and therefore cause and effect for the associations observed cannot be distinguished.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
Increased serum lipids and metabolic syndrome are associated with increased risk of uterine fibroids. Along with central obesity these findings add to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease among women with fibroids. These observations may suggest that there are shared predisposing factors underlying both uterine fibroids and adverse metabolic and cardiac disease risk, or that metabolic factors have a role in biological mechanisms underlying fibroid development.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS
This study was supported by the Academy of Finland, University Hospital Oulu, University of Oulu, Finland, Northern Finland Health Care Foundation, Duodecim Foundation, ERDF European Regional Development Fund-Well-being and health: Research in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. The authors declare no conflict of interest.


Despite the explosion of new, innovative technologies in the area of multiple identification and subsequent attenuation, their applicability is mostly limited to marine environments especially in deep water. In land seismic data sets however, the application of such multiple-elimination methodologies is not always straightforward and in many cases poor results are obtained. The unique characteristics of land seismic data (i.e., noise, statics and coupling) are major obstacles in multiple estimation and subsequent elimination. The well-defined surface multiples present in marine data are rarely identifiable in land data. Particularly in desert terrains with a complex near surface and low-relief structures, surface multiples hardly exist. In most cases, we are dealing with so called "near-surface-related multiples." These are primarily internal multiples generated within the complex near surface.


This dissertation is a collection of three essays in international and financial economics. In these essays, I focus on government debt and firm financing decisions over the business cycle. In the first essay, I study the role of income inequality in government's borrowing and default decisions. To explore the relationship between default risk and income inequality, I extend the standard endogenous default model to allow for heterogeneous agents. The main finding of this paper is that inequality shocks can increase the default risk significantly. The model can also generate high consumption volatility of poor households relative to rich households, consistent with the data. I extend the model by introducing progressive income taxes and show that as the progressivity of the tax increases, the probability of default decreases. In the second essay, I address how the financing of working capital plays a role in the default risk and the business cycle characteristics observed in emerging market economies. I propose a general equilibrium model with endogenous sovereign default risk and working capital conditions and study the role of labor markets in generating the drops in output observed in defaults. I find that the working capital condition increases the default risk through a feedback loop. I show that this model is able to match the countercyclical interest rates, high volatility of consumption relative to output and countercyclical trade balance observed in Argentina. The third essay analyzes the role of binding financing constraints on manufacturing firms' investment decisions in the U.S., using the Great Recession period as a natural case study. The main finding of this paper is that firms that do not borrow from public bond markets experienced binding liquidity constraints on their R&D investments during the recession. The paper also compares the evidence on financial constraints in R&D investments to the evidence about capital and inventory investments. Firms without bond ratings show the highest liquidity sensitivity for inventory investments, and investment-liquidity sensitivity is greater for capital than it is for R&D investments.


Mean-field variational inference is one of the most popular approaches to inference in discrete random fields. Standard mean-field optimization is based on coordinate descent and in many situations can be impractical. Thus, in practice, various parallel techniques are used, which either rely on ad hoc smoothing with heuristically set parameters, or put strong constraints on the type of models. In this paper, we propose a novel proximal gradient-based approach to optimizing the variational objective. It is naturally parallelizable and easy to implement. We prove its convergence, and demonstrate that, in practice, it yields faster convergence and often finds better optima than more traditional mean-field optimization techniques. Moreover, our method is less sensitive to the choice of parameters.


Are all film stars linked to Kevin Bacon? Why do the stock markets rise and fall sharply on the strength of a vague rumour? How does gossip spread so quickly? Are we all related through six degrees of separation? There is a growing awareness of the complex networks that pervade modern society. We see them in the rapid growth of the internet, the ease of global communication, the swift spread of news and information, and in the way epidemics and financial crises develop with startling speed and intensity. This introductory book on the new science of networks takes an interdisciplinary approach, using economics, sociology, computing, information science and applied mathematics to address fundamental questions about the links that connect us, and the ways that our decisions can have consequences for others.


Research universities throughout the world are part of a larger effort by nation-states to bolster science and technological innovation and compete economically. The US remains highly competitive as a source of High Tech (HT) innovation because of a number of market positions, many the result of long term investments in institutions such as research universities and in R&D funding, and more broadly influenced by a political culture that has tended to support entrepreneurs and risk taking. In essence, the US was the first mover in pursuing the nexus of science and economic policy. The following essay places universities within this larger political and policy environment by discussing market factors that have influenced knowledge accumulation and HT innovation in the US, their current saliency in the face of globalization, and the growing market position of competitors, such as the EU. The paper also provides observations on major US state-based HT initiatives intended to create or sustain Knowledge Based Economic Areas (KBEA's). Thirteen variables are used to assess the overall comparative ability for creating KBEA's, including the vitality of regional and national research universities, patterns of R&D investment, access to venture capital, intellectual property laws, educational attainment levels of the workforce, access and retention of global labor force, and political interest and forms of government support for promoting science and technology. Among the papers conclusions: There is a large disconnect in US policy related to promoting KBEA's and national competitiveness. Few policymakers, or even the higher education community are aware of stagnant and, in some states, real declines in higher education access and graduation rates relative to economic competitors, that the US is no longer a net importer of high tech goods, or that the US is no longer the number one destination for international students. Combined with global changes in the market for S&T talent, and the significant and increasingly successful effort of competitors to increase the educational attainment of their population, the US's HT advantage is eroding – although there remain a number of strengths, chiefly related to an entrepreneurial culture, more conducive tax advantages for business, a cadre of elite research universities, and the highest concentration of venture capital in the world. But even here, these advantages may wane over the next decade as the world becomes more economically, and educationally, competitive. The US generally lacks a broadly conceived strategy for retaining America's high tech advantage.


Black Americans living in rural regions of the U.S. are an underserved and under-researched population in the mental health field. Health and wellness disparities in Black populations are consistently documented as far worse than in White populations. Yet, the effects of low density of Black people living in predominantly White rural communities is unknown to mental health professionals and researchers alike. This study aimed to fill gaps in the literature concerning effects of Black density and city population on community attachment, place attachment, and subjective well-being, as well as community and place attachment's effects on subjective well-being. Using a secondary dataset titled Soul of the Community [in 26 Knight Foundation Communities in the United States] (Gallup International, Inc., 2009), it was discovered that Black density alone had no significant relationships with any other variables, but the interaction of Black density and city population negatively predicted place attachment. In addition, community and place attachment both positively predicted subjective well-being. These results indicate that where people live matters and has a significant impact on their attachment to their physical surroundings. In addition, one's connection to community and place are vital contributors to subjective well-being. Clinical implications can be drawn from this study pointing to the importance of clinical awareness regarding rurality, racial density, and community and place attachment. Moreover, clinicians can assess for these factors in the therapy room and encourage clients to explore their own communities.


This present work aimed to investigate pervaporation for aroma recovery and concentration from fruit aroma condensate collected during evaporation of fruit juices. A 5% ethanol solution, feijoa and boysenberry aroma condensates were concentrated in a pervaporation apparatus fitted with polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS: GFT1060, GFT1070) and poly-etherblock-amide (PEBA, GKSS) membranes, under the following operating conditions: feed temperature of 30°C, feed flow rate of 8 .3 x 10m s-, 1.1 x 10m sor 1.4 x 10m s-, and permeate pressures of 100 Pa or 1000 Pa. Feijoa and boysenberry aroma condensates were also concentrated by vacuum distillation. Aroma compounds and their concentrations in the feed, retentate and permeate were identified and determined by gas chromatography (GC) and a mass spectrometer coupled to a GC. The three membranes investigated for pervaporation gave different total fluxes, partial fluxes, mass transfer coefficients, enrichment factors and aroma compositions for feijoa and boysenberry condensate. PEBA membranes proved to have best performance for concentration of feijoa and boysenberry aroma due to high enrichment factors and mass transfer coefficients for the important aroma compounds of both feijoa and boysenberry. Increasing the feed flow rate from 1.1 x 10m sto 1.4 x 10m s1 did not affect the total flux, but increased significantly the partial fluxes and enrichment factors of preferentially permeating compounds such as methyl benzoate, ethyl benzoate and linalool. Decreasing permeate pressure significantly increased the total flux, the partial fluxes and enrichment factors for higher boiling aliphatic alcohols. The mass transfer resistances of methyl benzoate, ethyl benzoate and linalool was dominated by the boundary layer effects. The mass transfer resistances of high boiling aliphatic alcohols, hexanol, Z-3-hexenol and E-2-hexenol were strongly influenced by permeate pressure. Compared with vacuum distillaltion, pervaporation showed better performance for producing concentrated feijoa and boysenberry aromas which were highly enriched in the important flavour compounds for each fruit.


Toulon naval base, located on the Mediterranean coast, is the first French military harbour. As it receives nuclear power ships, any possibility of accidental release of radionuclides is to be considered. To estimate post-accidental consequences in the marine environment and to propose adapted management plans, data concerning both radionuclides spatial dispersion and environmental sensitivity to this contamination are necessary. The French Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) developed an integrated tool to support experts and decision makers in post-accidental situations concerning this area. This management tool aims to combine radionuclides dispersion modelling and radioecological sensitivity local maps to outline vulnerable areas in advance of a known release. The calculation of radionuclides dispersion is based on an existing hydrodynamic model (MARS 3D developed by IFREMER). Data concerning local bathymetry, sedimentology and climatic conditions are necessary to build a model with a good resolution (100 m grid). The radioecological sensitivity of the marine environment is estimated and mapped after a specific study. The studied area is divided into several unit zones, for which a sensitivity index will be attributed. Sensitivity is determined by the relationship between different factors: the ecosystem intrinsic characteristics (physical or biological), the radioecological parameters (dependant of the concerned radionuclide) and the socio-economical resources. Values are attributed to these factors regarding their efficiency to increase or decrease the final sensibility. Their combination results in a sensitivity index that is reported in a geographical information system (GIS). The development of such a management tool requires an important data collection step. The results are based on the local environment characterization.


Tapasin plays a critical role in promoting peptide binding by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules in the endoplasmic reticulum. In its absence, cell surface expression of most allotypes is significantly reduced. Two exceptions are HLA-A*0201 and HLA-B*2705. In this study, the repertoire of peptides bound endogenously by these allotypes in the absence of tapasin was examined and stability of the HLA class I/peptide complexes assessed. Similar quantities of peptides were recovered from B*2705 complexes expressed in the absence and presence of tapasin and the composition of the peptide pools were not radically different. However, the stability of B*2705 molecules expressed at the surface of tapasin-deficient cells was found to be reduced which suggests there are subtle changes to the peptide repertoire. The impact of the absence of tapasin was more dramatic for A*0201. Although equivalent levels of cell surface A*0201 are expressed in the presence and absence of tapasin, very little A*0201 glycoprotein was recovered from tapasin-deficient cells suggesting the complexes readily dissociate. Consistent with reduced stability, A*0201 complexes were found to be rapidly lost from the surface of tapasin-deficient cells. Analysis of the small quantity of endogenously bound peptides recovered from A*0201 expressed in the absence of tapasin revealed a complex mixture typical of A*0201 molecules expressed in normal cells. Therefore these molecules are unable to exploit the alternative supply of TAP-independent A*0201-binding peptides present in the endoplasmic reticulum. Loading of A*0201 with peptides from both TAP-dependent and TAP-independent sources is significantly compromised without tapasin.


This book examines government ethics rules and their enforcement in China (as well as in three other jurisdictions for comparative insights). Empirical research methods (involving primarily semi-structured interviews) were employed to explore the dynamics of actual enforcement policies and practices in China. This book formed an analytical framework through reviewing existing theories on government ethics regulation and general regulation literature and analysing government ethics rules in the US, the UK, and Hong Kong. Using this framework, it seeks to explore the patterns and features of government ethics rules and their enforcement in China. It shows that the inadequacy of government ethics rules per se and the deterrence-oriented criminal enforcement style of government ethics regulation are important but ignored elements of the problem of rampant corruption in China. Such analysis has generated important and practical policy implications for China's government ethics rules and their enforcement.


The focus for the first part of the thesis is on the systematics of species belonging to Silene subgenus Silene. Phylogenetic relationships are inferred from DNA sequences from both the plastid (the rps16 intron) and the nuclear (ITS, intron of the RPB2 gene) genomes. Silene section Rigidulae is shown to be non-monophyletic in its previous circumscription, but instead consisting of six separate clades, each correlated to the geographical distribution of the included species. The taxonomic consequences for each clade are discussed. One of the clades is recognized as a new section and described as Silene sect. Arenosae sect. nov. The morphological descriptions of the species are formalized using a novel implementation of the Prometheus Description Model. Two proposals are included in the thesis, one to reject the name Silene polyphylla L., which is a senior synonym to S. portensis L. Silene linearis Decne. is proposed for conservation against the rarely used S. linearis Sweet. Silene antirrhina, a weedy American annual, is strongly supported as sister to the Hawaiian endemic species of Silene, suggesting an American origin for these. Two of the endemics have evolved woodiness after introduction to Hawaii. In the second part of the thesis we use four nuclear DNA regions, (introns from RPA2, RPB2, RPD2a, RPD2b), and the chloroplast psbE-petG spacer. A framework is developed to evaluate different phylogenetic explanations for conflicting gene trees, where divergence times are used to discriminate among inter- and intralineage processes. The incongruences observed regarding the relationships among the three major lineages of Heliosperma are best explained by homoploid hybridization. The pattern regarding the origin of Heliosperma itself is more complicated and is likely to include several reticulate events. Two lineages have probably been involved in the origin of Heliosperma, one leading to Viscaria and Atocion and the other to Eudianthe and/or Petrocoptis.


The central issue addressed in this thesis was the validation of a novel risk assessment system designed to meet the security requirements of a high secure forensic hospital. To this end, three research strands investigating the clinical, predictive and preventative utility of the system were pursued. This thesis reports the process of the development, adaptation and implementation of a system based on the HCR-20, called the Structured Clinical Judgement: Risk (SCJ: Risk). The first research strand involved investigation of the processes necessary implement a system of structured professional judgement. The conceptual and operational utility of the system were investigated, and successful implementation of the system within clinical practice was demonstrated by compliance of use by clinical teams. A survey was conducted, investigating the perceptions of clinicians in relation to the clinical utility and usability of the SCJ: Risk. Overall acceptance of the pilot and implementation phase of the system was demonstrated, and the system was perceived to assist clinical teams to structure and document risk-related decisions. The second research strand studied the validity of the SCJ: Risk in predicting intra-institutional behaviour. A prospective investigation of the application of the SCJ: Risk to a forensic population detained in conditions of high security was conducted and this demonstrated variation in the predictive utility of the system. The predictive accuracy of subscale items of the SCJ: Risk, and the individual risk factors comprising the subscales of the system were robust for behaviours relevant to violence and suicide/self-harm. However, prediction of behaviours relevant to escape/abscond, vulnerability to risk from others and subversion of security were not demonstrated. The third research strand involved exploration of the preventative utility of the system, specifically if the identification of a patient as high-risk would minimise the occurrence, or prolong the time to an incident of intra-institutional behaviour. Results illustrated the efficacy of the SCJ: Risk system in the identification of high risk individuals for behaviours relevant to any intra-institutional infraction, violence and self-harm. Patients identified as high-risk displayed a higher prevalence and earlier incidence of relevant intra-institutional behaviour. It is concluded that the system of Structured Clinical Judgement: Risk (as an adaptation of the HCR-20) contributes positively to the overall goals of clarity of risk communication, identification and management of high risk patients within forensic psychiatric practice. However, the extended risk assessment of the SCJ: Risk does not make a significant additional contribution to the parental system on which it is based.


Historically, Anglo-American law has jealously guarded the right of an accused to have a speedy trial in a criminal prosecution. It is extended to defendants in federal cases by the sixth amendment to the Constitution. Through incorporation into the fourteenth amendment, the protection is likewise available to defendants in state prosecutions. Notwithstanding constitutional provisions and Supreme Court decisions, the concept of a speedy trial has always been ambiguous. Until recent times it has been considered a matter that could only be defined in the context of the special circumstances of individual cases. The right was said to be "consistent with delays;" thus there has been less than an absolute guarantee that a defendant would be tried within a short time of his arrest of indictment. Society has several vital interests in securing speedy trials in criminal prosecutions. This Note will discuss those interests and examine two plans which represent attempts to give exact definition to the right. One plan was made effective in 1971 by the Judicial Council for the Second Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals. The other, the Speedy Trial Act of 1974, is the product of congressional action. By 1979, after a five year break-in period, this Act must be given full effect in all federal courts.


Disorders of the endocrine system usually manifest in a multi-organ fashion. More specifically, many endocrinopathies become apparent in the eye first through a variety of distinct pathophysiologic disturbances. The eye provides physicians with valuable clues for the recognition and management of numerous systemic diseases, including many disorders of the endocrine pathway. Recognizing ophthalmic manifestations of endocrine disorders is critical not only for rapid diagnosis and treatment, but also to prevent significant morbidity and mortality. In this review, we discuss relevant ophthalmic findings associated with key disorders of the pancreas, thyroid gland, and hypothalamic-pituitary axis, as well as with multiple hereditary endocrine syndromes. We have chosen to focus on diabetes mellitus (DM), Graves' ophthalmopathy, pituitary tumors, and some less common disorders that underscore the unique relationship between the eye and the endocrine system.


In 2009 in Grafner v. Department of Employment Security, an Illinois appellate court considered whether a nonlawyer hired from an employer services company could represent a former employer in an administrative proceeding before the Department of Employment Security in a case involving disputed employment compensation benefits allegedly owed a former employee. Relying, in part, on a Pennsylvania precedent, the majority found the nonlawyer could serve "as an adjunct," especially where nothing was "intended to be intensely litigated;" minimal dollar amounts were at stake; "informal, speedy and low cost" proceedings were desired; there was a "long history of participation" by nonlawyer representatives; the proceedings were "largely routine" as there were no "complex and intricate legal problems;" and a relevant statute stated an individual or entity may be represented by a union or a duly authorized agent. A concurrer noted "the appropriate remedy" lies with the General Assembly or Supreme Court. Important questions remain after Grafner involving what Professor Stephen Gillers calls "fear of the other." First, who should write any new laws on nonlawyer representation: the legislature, the high court, or the agency? In many states, including Illinois, (exclusive or primary) regulatory authority over the practice of law is vested in the high court. As well, should any nonlawyer representation standards vary between administrative agencies? For example, only some agencies have a "long history" of nonlawyer representation, while other agencies (like human rights commissions) routinely hear "complex and intricate legal problems." Finally, to what extent should opportunities for nonlawyer representation differ before adjudications commence? If insurance adjusters regularly settle prelawsuit claims, other nonlawyers in similar settings may be equally qualified, though they could still be held to lawyer conduct standards as were certain adjusters in Jones v. Allstate Insurance, 45 P.3d 1068 (Wash. 2002).


Cytotoxic activity of invariant NKT cells in human allergic contact dermatitis Background: The role of cytotoxicity of NKT-cells in the skin is not defined. There are two prototypic skin diseases in which epidermal Keratinocytes (KC) over-express CD1d, a MHC class-I-like molecule that present antigens to NKT-cells, in all layers of the epidermis and which there is infiltration of NKT-cells into the skin: allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and psoriasis. In both diseases, NKT-cells are found within skin lesions, and within the epidermis in close apposition to CD1d bearing KC. This suggests that there may be direct KC-NKT-cell interactions that can affect the ongoing immune mediated inflammatory response. Purpose: To investigate the cytotoxic activity of invariant NKT cells in the skin and in human allergic contact dermatitis. Materials and methods: Paired skin biopsies from patch test reaction and normal skin were used for qPCR and immunohistochemistry. Calcein release assay was performed with NKT-cells as effector cells and KC as target cells. Results: Invariant NKT-cells are enriched in ACD reactions, but not in normal skin. Gene expression of cytotoxic effector molecules (perforin and granzymes) was higher in ACD lesions compared to normal skin (qPCR). Perforin and granzymes were found in invariant NKT-cells in patch test reactions, where as these molecules were also expressed by other cells, such as CD8+ conventional T-cells and NK-cells. Invariant gene expression of cytotoxic effector molecules is increased when these cells are activated in vitro by glycolipid and potent APC such as CD1d bearing monocytes, and KC in some cases as well. Cytotoxicity of NKT cells is increased versus keratinocytes. Conclusions: Human NKT-cells are in an activated state in ACD, and contribute to the tissue damage of allergic inflammation. These findings indicate that innate immunity plays an important role in the elicitation phase of ACD, and may represent a novel therapeutic target in allergic skin inflammation.


In Africa, why have so many more women converted to Christianity than men? What explains the appeal of Christianity to women? What does religious conversion mean for the negotiation of gender and ethnic identity? What role does religious conversion play as a tool for empowering women? In "The Church of Women", Dorothy L. Hodgson looks at how gender has shaped the encounter between missionary priests and Maasai men and women in Tanzania. Building on her extensive experience with Maasai and the Spiritan missionaries, Hodgson explores how gendered change among Maasai has shaped women's notions of religious faith, religious practice, and spiritual power. Hodgson explores the appeal of Catholicism among women in East Africa, the enmeshing of Catholic practice with Maasai spirituality, and the meaning of conversion to new Christians. This rich, engaging, and original book challenges notions about religious encounter and the role of ethnic identity, female authority, and power among Maasai. Dorothy L. Hodgson teaches anthropology at Rutgers University, where she is affiliated with the Center for African Studies and the Women's and Gender Studies Department. She is author of "Once Intrepid Warriors" (IUP, 2001).


During the International Hydrological Decade six representative basins were operated in Sweden. One of these represented an extensive raised bog area, Komosse, southwest of Lake Vattern. Another basin, Verka, north of Stockholm, represented a mixture of agricultural and forestry typical for this part of Sweden. A third covered an extensively glaciated area in the north of Sweden, well above the thimber line. The typical forested areas in Sweden were represented by three basins, Velen between Lake Vanern and Lake Vattern; Kassjoan in the middle of Sweden and Lapptrasket in the far north. The research programs for all these basins included hydrochemistry mainly for the purpose of establishing balances of dissolved inorganic matter. The present paper discusses the results from the three forested basins, Velen, Kassjoan and Lapptrasket.


Biodiesel derived from indigenous feed stocks such as Tylosema esculentum kernel oil is deemed a feasible alternative to petroleum diesel for the diesel engine. This paper presents results of investigation of performance and emissions characteristics of diesel engine using Tylosema biodiesel. In this investigation, Tylosema biodiesel was prepared, analyzed and compared with the performance of petroleum diesel fuel using a single cylinder compression ignition diesel engine. The specific fuel consumption, engine torque, engine brake power, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide were analyzed. The tests showed a decrease in engine brake power and torque with increase in engine load, while specific fuel consumption showed an increasing trend with maximum variation of 33% between the two fuels at engine load of 90%. Emission levels of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide showed an increasing trend with increase in load for both fuels. Tylosema biodiesel produced significantly lower concentrations of hydrocarbons than petroleum diesel, while levels of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide were largely comparable to those of petroleum diesel. Soot production from combustion of Tylosema biodiesel was found to be approximately 98% lower than that from combustion of petroleum biodiesel, demonstrating insignificant contribution to environmental pollution.


Discusses Zero Time, or manipulating time as an independent variable, as critical to any enterprise's success in the 21st Century. Discusses five disciplines of a Zero Time organization (customer value driven, knowledgization, holonic management, zero resistance and inclusion) and how the disciplines result in instant customerization, meaning the needs of the customer are met as soon as the needs are expressed. Provides examples of near-Zero Time organizations. Applies a methodology, consisting of strategic visioning and operational excellence, for any organization to follow to evolve holistically into a Zero Time organization, allowing it to quickly and effectively adapt to rapid, continuous change.


Surmont is a heavy oil field located in northeast Alberta which is currently being developed by a joint venture between ConocoPhillips and Total using Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD). To monitor the enhanced oil recovery process and caprock integrity, highly repeatable 4D seismic surveys using dynamite have been completed over the years. In order to maximize the value of information while controlling costs, a novel light seismic monitoring approach has been "blind-tested" on existing 4D data.
 The concept requires the use of only one source and one receiver couple, optimally placed in the field to monitor one or several subsurface spots, using time redundancy to detect 4D changes in these zones of interest. Three spot locations have been defined by the client on a well pad for which the history was not provided. For each of these spots, specific series of seismic processing steps have enabled the identification of the optimum source/receiver locations. Then, these optimum raw seismic traces extracted from different 4D campaigns have been analysed to detect potential time shift changes in the selected horizon induced by the growth of the steam chamber.
 Time-shift changes were plotted for all 3 spots. An increase was observed for one of the spots (Spot 3) from the first 4D monitor in 2010 up to the last monitor in 2015. An increase was also plotted between March 2013 and September 2013 for another spot (Spot 1), changes attributed to the dynamics of the steam chamber. On the contrary, spot 1 did not see any effect of the steam. These time-shift changes were then successfully cross-checked with temperature data from observation wells, confirming the qualitative variations attributed to the effects of the steam chamber evolution.
 It demonstrated the viability of this innovative seismic and focused monitoring approach to monitor the evolution of the steam chamber in Surmont. This also paves the way for a simpler and yet reliable and cost-effective way of monitoring the evolution of the steam chamber to further optimize production and increase rentability.


We study the important role of temperature rise in the dynamic weakening of fault gouge at seismic slip rates by using host blocks composed of brass, stainless steel, titanium alloy, and gabbro with thermal conductivities (λh) of 123, 15, 5.8, and 3.25 W/m/K, respectively. Our experiments are performed mostly on fault gouge collected from the Longmenshan fault, Sichuan, China, consisting primarily of illite and quartz. High-velocity weakening of gouge becomes more pronounced as λh decreases because the temperature in the gouge increases. Microstructure observations reveal welded slip-zone material and more compact slip surfaces for the gouge deformed with low-λh host blocks, which is probably caused by a sintering process indicative of higher temperatures. These conclusions are supported by temperature calculation performed using the finite-element method. The observed differences in frictional behaviors, deformation microstructures, and calculated temperature demonstrate that temperature rise driven by frictional heating is essential in causing dynamic weakening of gouge at seismic velocities. We show that our data are in good agreement with the flash-heating model, though thermochemical pressurization may also be important. Some of our experiments, where nanoparticles are present but show negligible weakening, demonstrate that the presence of nanoparticles alone is not sufficient to cause dynamic weakening of faults.


Current models of alluvial to coastal plain stratigraphy are concept‐driven and focus on relative sea‐level as an allogenic control. These models are tested herein using data from a large (ca 100 km long and 300 m thick), continuous outcrop belt (Upper Cretaceous Blackhawk Formation, central Utah, USA). Many channelized fluvial sandbodies in the Blackhawk Formation have a multilateral and multistorey internal character, and they generally increase in size and abundance (from ca 10% to ca 30% of the strata) from base to top of the formation. These regional, low‐resolution trends exhibit much local variation, but are interpreted to reflect progressively decreasing tectonic subsidence in the upper Blackhawk Formation and overlying Castlegate Sandstone. The trend may also incorporate progressively more frequent channel avulsion during deposition of the lower Blackhawk Formation. Laterally extensive coal zones formed on the coastal plain during shallow‐marine transgressions, and define the high‐resolution stratigraphic framework of the lower Blackhawk Formation. Large (up to 25 m thick and 1 to 6 km wide), multistorey, multilateral, fluvial channel‐complex sandbodies that overlie composite erosion surfaces occur at distinct stratigraphic levels, and are interpreted as fluvial incised valley fills. Low amplitude (<30 m) relative sea‐level variations are interpreted as the dominant control on stratigraphic architecture in the lower Blackhawk Formation, which was deposited up to 50 km inland from the coeval shoreline. In contrast, the high‐resolution stratigraphy of the upper Blackhawk Formation is poorly defined, and channelized fluvial sandbodies are poorly organized. Vertical and laterally offset stacking of a small proportion (<10%) of sandbodies produced 'clusters' that are not confined by 'master' erosion surfaces. Avulsion is interpreted to dominate the stratigraphic architecture of the upper Blackhawk Formation. This data‐driven analysis indicates that alluvial to coastal plain stratigraphic architecture reflects a combination of various allogenic controls and autogenic behaviours. The relative sea‐level control emphasized in sequence stratigraphic models is only rarely dominant.


Voting power methodology offers insights to understand coalition building in collective decision making. Using cooperative game theory, Banzhaf (1965) developed an index to capture the numerical importance of voters in coalition building. This voting power index is still widely used today in applications to international politics. Yet, it assumes that voters are symmetric and focuses on particular voters only. This paper proposes a new measure of voting power which account for the numerical proximity between voters by capturing how often they appear in winning coalitions together. The index is also developed to account for the relative importance of coalitions and the relative linkages among coalition participants. We present an application to the governance structure of the International Monetary Fund, with linkages being represented by bilateral trade between voters. The results are able to explain several important features of the functioning of this particular voting body, and may be useful for other applications of international politics. JEL Classification: C71, F33


Three groups recently identified essential genes in human cancer cell lines using wet experiments, and these genes are of high values. Herein, we improved the widely used Z curve method by creating a λ-interval Z curve, which considered interval association information. With this method and recursive feature elimination technology, a computational model was developed to predict human gene essentiality. The 5-fold cross-validation test based on our benchmark dataset obtained an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.8814. For the rigorous jackknife test, the AUC score was 0.8854. These results demonstrated that the essentiality of human genes could be reliably reflected by only sequence information. However, previous classifiers in three eukaryotes can gave satisfactory prediction only combining sequence with other features. It is also demonstrated that although the information contributed by interval association is less than adjacent nucleotides, this information can still play an independent role. Integrating the interval information into adjacent ones can significantly improve our classifier's prediction capacity. We re-predicted the benchmark negative dataset by Pheg server (https://cefg.uestc.edu.cn/Pheg), and 118 genes were additionally predicted as essential. Among them, 21 were found to be homologues in mouse essential genes, indicating that at least a part of the 118 genes were indeed essential, however previous experiments overlooked them. As the first available server, Pheg could predict essentiality for anonymous gene sequences of human. It is also hoped the λ-interval Z curve method could be effectively extended to classification issues of other DNA elements.


To understand the geothermal variation of the active volcano, Kueishantao island, we conducted continuous monitoring of borehole temperatures beginning in July 2006. Fifteen miniature temperature loggers with resolution better than 0.001°C were deployed at different depths in a 290-m well. The borehole temperatures ranged between 22 and 34°C. No significant annual variation was found below 30 m depth. We divided the geotherm into three sections. The shallow one, at a depth less than 110 m, showed an extreme negative geothermal gradient of -0.6°C (100 m)-1, which may be strongly affected by the convection of shallow water. The middle section, at a depth between 110 and 250 m, had a geotherm of 9.7°C (100 m)-1. The heat flow was estimated to be 153 mW m-2, on the same order as that acquired on the seafloor around Kueishantao island. The lower portion, below 250 m depth, showed a geotherm of -8.5°C (100 m)-1 which may be effected by a fracture zone identified by the drilling data. The average geotherm for the whole hole is 4.8°C (100 m)-1. Several thermal events with amplitudes of -0.023 ~ 0.015°C and durations of tens of hours were found in different depths in the well. These events have been identified to correlate with the occurrences of typhoons. During the study period there were 17 earthquakes greater than 3.4 in magnitude and within 50 km radius of Kueishantao. However, we did not find any significant relationships between earthquake occurrence and temperature variations in the borehole. More observation data are needed to discuss the mechanism of temperature variation.


Computer vision is a rapidly growing area. The range of applications is increasing very quickly, robotics, inspection, medicine, physics and document processing are all computer vision applications still in their infancy. All these applications are written with a specific task in mind and do not perform well unless there under a controlled environment. They do not deploy any knowledge to produce a meaningful description of the scene, or indeed aid in the analysis of the image.

The construction of a symbolic description of a scene from a digitised image is a difficult problem. A symbolic interpretation of an image can be viewed as a mapping from the image pixels to an identification of the semantically relevant objects. Before symbolic reasoning can take place image processing and segmentation routines must produce the relevant information. This part of the imaging system inherently introduces many errors. The aim of this project is to reduce the error rate produced by such algorithms and make them adaptable to change in the manufacturing process. Thus a prior knowledge is needed about the image and the objects they contain as well as knowledge about how the image was acquired from the scene (image geometry, quality, object decomposition, lighting conditions etc,). Knowledge on algorithms must also be acquired. Such knowledge is collected by studying the algorithms and deciding in which areas of image analysis they work well in.

In most existing image analysis systems, knowledge of this kind is implicitly embedded into the algorithms employed in the system. Such an approach assumes that all these parameters are invariant. However, in complex applications this may not be the case, so that adjustment must be made from time to time to ensure a satisfactory performance of the system. A system that allows for such adjustments to be made, must comprise the explicit representation of the knowledge utilised in the image analysis procedure.

In addition to the use of a priori knowledge, rules are employed to improve the performance of the image processing and segmentation algorithms. These rules considerably enhance the correctness of the segmentation process.

The most frequently given goal, if not the only one in industrial image analysis is to detect and locate objects of a given type in the image. That is, an image may contain objects of different types, and the goal is to identify parts of the image. The system developed here is driven by these goals, and thus by teaching the system a new object or fault in an object the system may adapt the algorithms to detect these new objects as well compromise for changes in the environment such as a change in lighting conditions. We have called this system the Visual Planner, this is due to the fact that we use techniques based on planning to achieve a given goal.

As the Visual Planner learns the specific domain it is working in, appropriate algorithms are selected to segment the object. This makes the system domain independent, because different algorithms may be selected for different applications and objects under different environmental condition.


System-Level Design Languages (SLDL) allow component-oriented specifications, e.g. for separating computation and communication. This separation allows for a flexible model composition, refinement and explorations. This flexibility, however, requires dynamic dispatch during execution that degrades the simulation performance. After synthesized to a target platform, the model re-composition is no longer required. Then, the involved Dynamic Dispatch Overhead (DDO) only limits performance without providing benefits. Thus, approaches are needed for software synthesis to analyze model connectivity and eliminate the DDO wherever possible. This paper introduces a static dispatch type analysis as part of the DDO-aware embedded C code synthesis from SLDL models. Our DDO-aware software (SW) synthesis emits faster, more readable static dispatch code whenever a static connectivity is determinable. By replacing virtual functions with direct function calls, the DDO can be totally eliminated allowing for aggressive inlining optimizations by the compiler. We demonstrate the benefits of the improved SW synthesis on a JPEG encoder, which runs up to 16% faster with DDO-reduction on an ARM9-based HW/SW platform. Our approach combines the flexibility benefits in specification modeling with efficient execution when synthesized to embedded targets.