The growth and composition of the North Dakota economy have been measured by using economic base analysis. Economic base (sales for final demand) has been estimated for sectors corresponding to the North Dakota Input-Output Model and for industrial categories. These two measures produce the same total basic economic activity, but use different delineations. North Dakota's economic base has grown from $8.3 billion in 1990 to $33.2 billion in 2011 when measured in current year (nominal) dollars. When measured in real or constant dollars, the economy grew from $13.0 billion in 1990 to $33.2 billion in 2011. Constant dollars remove the effects of inflation and were calculated using the Gross Domestic Product Implicit Price Deflators. Nominal growth of the state's economy from 1990 to 2011 was 127.2 percent, which amounted to 77.6 percent real growth. Natural resource-based activities (agriculture and energy) continue to comprise over half of the state's economic base, accounting for 50.1 percent in 2011.


We are exploring how information and communication technology (ICT) use affects the work lives of real estate agents, the process of selling/buying houses, and the overall structure of the residential real estate industry. Earlier stages of our work involved intensive field research on how real estate agents use ICT. In this paper, we report on the design and analysis of a pilot survey of 868 agents intended to investigate their ICT use more generally. Analysis of the 153 responses to this survey sheds light on how ICT use supports information control, enables process support, and helps agents to extend and maintain their social capital.


Summary Honey from stingless bees (Tetragonula laeviceps) was collected from Chantaburi and Trat provinces in Thailand where bees are kept for commercial honey production. The honey was studied for its physiochemical, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. For physiochemical analysis, compared to Apis mellifera honey, the honey samples collected from stingless bees were significantly greater in total moisture amount (26.98 ± 0.23 g/100g), ash content (0.26 ± 0.04 g/100g), pH (3.62 ± 0.01), total acidity (81.37 ± 0.55 meq/kg), electrical conductivity (0.62 ± 0.00 mS/cm), and HMF (1.08 ± 0.13 ppm), but no diastase activity could be detected. The sum of fructose and glucose was lower than 65% g/100g standards of A. mellifera honey, but sucrose was much higher. An agar well diffusion method was used to determine antimicrobial activities of the honey against fourteen species of bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae, Listeria monocytogenes, Micrococcus luteus, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Serratia marcescens, Salmonella typhimurium, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Propionibacterium acnes) and two species of yeasts (Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The honey was found to inhibit the growth of thirteen species of bacteria except P. acnes and the two species of yeasts. The broth micro dilution method was used to assess the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of stingless bee honey. The scavenging activity of honey samples was determined by 2, 2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). It was found that the IC50 in the honey samples from Chantaburi and Trat province were 0.07 ± 0.01 and 0.04 ± 0.00 mg/ml, respectively.


Wireless personal area networks (WPANs) are offering high data rates suitable for interconnecting high bandwidth personal consumer devices (wireless HD streaming, Wireless-USB and Bluetooth EDR). ECMA-368 is the Physical (PHY) and Media Access Control (MAC) backbone of many of these wireless devices. WPAN devices tend to operate in an ad-hoc based network and therefore it is important to successfully latch onto the network and become part of one of the available piconets. This paper presents a new algorithm for detecting the Packet/Fame Sync (PFS) signal in ECMA-368 to identify piconets and aid symbol timing. The algorithm is based on correlating the received PFS symbols with the expected locally stored symbols over the 24 or 12 PFS symbols, but selecting the likely TFC based on the highest statistical mode from the 24 or 12 best correlation results. The results are very favorable showing an improvement margin in the order of 11.5 dB in reference sensitivity tests between the required performance using this algorithm and the performance of comparable systems.


Sergot and Saives pointed out how Massey's relational approach to the notions of space and place allows a better integration of the spatial and temporal dimensions of organizational phenomena. This paper shows empirically how activities are embedded in the organizational space as constituted and transformed through day-to-day activities. The increasing number of coworking spaces opening worldwide offers an interesting framework to discuss the meaning of space and the importance of physical co-localization for different businesses in the digital era and open innovation paradigm. We use a case study of a coworking space to show the intertwining of spatial and temporal dimensions in the everyday life of an inter-company workplace.


The use of corporal punishment is one of the most controversial parenting practices and it will continue to be controversial. Although the effects of corporal punishment on children is still undergoing rigorous scientific debate, less attention has been devoted to why parents spank their children. The primary concern of this review of issue of corporal punishment was to identify the major reason(s) why parent spank their child. The belief of the reviewer is that there can be no progress until more attention is devoted to why parents spank their children. This is the side of the issue that the critics failed to address. In this article, I describe and compare the prons and cons of issue of corporal punishment. Many educators support the old notion of spare the rod and spoil the child. As a result, they advocate paddling as a method of disciplining children in school. This reinforces the importance of early training in forming a person's lifelong character. ********** Corporal punishment is a discipline method in which a supervising adult deliberately inflicts pain upon a child in response to a child's unacceptable behavior and/or inappropriate language. The immediate aims of such punishment are usually to halt the offence, prevent its recurrence and set an example for others. The purported long-term goal is to change the child's behavior and to make it more consistent with the adult's expectations. In corporal punishment, the adult usually hits various parts of the child's body with a hand, or with canes, paddles, yardsticks, belts, or other objects expected to cause pain and fear (Dayton 1994). Under the common law, teachers and other school personnel have the right to administer reasonable corporal punishment, which is the infliction of physical pain on a student for misconduct. State Statutes deal with corporal punishment in different ways. Some States authorize it; others forbid it. Still others are silent on the matter but by implication. New York permits corporal punishment unless local boards of education prohibit it. Kentucky allows a teacher to use physical force to maintain reasonable discipline in a school, class, or other group. In the landmark Supreme Court decision Ingraham v. Wright, the court held that corporal punishment of students does not violate the Eighth Amendment nor the due process guarantees of the Fourteenth Amendmend. The Court said that the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment applies to criminals only and is not applicable to the disciplining of students in public schools. The Court noted that at common law a single principle has governed the use of corporal punishment since before the American Revolution: Teachers may impose reasonable but not excessive force to discipline a child. The crucial area of concern for this review, then, has been the breadth and scope of progress involvement in the issues of corporal punishment in schools and at home. There are some isolated tribal hunting and gathering societies in which parents almost never hit children, but these nonviolent societies are the exceptions. They are important, however, because they are also societies where relationships between adults tend to be non-violent. Adults members of most non-literate tribal societies, like people in almost all literate societies, hit children and are also prone to violent among themselves. Societies in which children are hit have cultural norms and beliefs that label corporal punishment as different from violence between adults. But in reality, the basic elements are almost identical. In fact, the only important way they are different is that the culture defines one as legitimate and the other criminal (Straus, 1994). Corporal punishment of students has been defined by the American Medical Association as the "intentional infliction of pain or discomfort and/or use of physical force upon a student as punishment for an offense or behavior. …


Contingent valuation is a survey-based procedure that attempts to estimate how much households are willing to pay for specific programs that improve the environment or prevent environmental degradation. For decades, the method has been the center of debate regarding its reliability: does it really measure the value that people place on environmental changes? Bringing together leading voices in the field, this timely book tells a unified story about the interrelated features of contingent valuation and how those features affect its reliability. Through empirical analysis and review of past studies, the authors identify important deficiencies in the procedure, raising questions about the technique's continued use.


In this paper we present an ILP-based method to simultaneously assign supply and threshold voltages to individual gates for dynamic and leakage power minimization. In our three-step approach, low power min-flipflop (FF) retiming is first performed to reduce the clock period while taking the FF delay/power into consideration. Next, the subsequent voltage assignment formulated in ILP makes the best possible supply/threshold voltage assignment under the given clock period constraint set by the retiming. Finally, a post-process further refines the voltage assignment solution by exploiting the remaining timing slack in the circuit. Related experiments show that the min-FF retiming plus simultaneous Vdd/Vth assignment approach outperforms the existing max-FF retiming plus Vdd-only assignment approach.


The brain regions functionally engaged in motor sequence performance are well-established, but the structural characteristics of these regions and the fiber pathways involved have been less well studied. In addition, relatively few studies have combined multiple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and behavioral performance measures in the same sample. Therefore, the current study used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), probabilistic tractography, and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to determine the structural correlates of skilled motor performance. Further, we compared these findings with fMRI results in the same sample. We correlated final performance and rate of improvement measures on a temporal motor sequence task (TMST) with skeletonized fractional anisotropy (FA) and whole brain gray matter (GM) volume. Final synchronization performance was negatively correlated with FA in white matter (WM) underlying bilateral sensorimotor cortex—an effect that was mediated by a positive correlation with radial diffusivity. Multi-fiber tractography indicated that this region contained crossing fibers from the corticospinal tract (CST) and superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). The identified SLF pathway linked parietal and auditory cortical regions that have been shown to be functionally engaged in this task. Thus, we hypothesize that enhanced synchronization performance on this task may be related to greater fiber integrity of the SLF. Rate of improvement on synchronization was positively correlated with GM volume in cerebellar lobules HVI and V—regions that showed training-related decreases in activity in the same sample. Taken together, our results link individual differences in brain structure and function to motor sequence performance on the same task. Further, our study illustrates the utility of using multiple MR measures and analysis techniques to specify the interpretation of structural findings.


Aim To estimate annual societal costs associated with chemotherapy for early breast cancer in the UK. Design Mixed methods: (a) an incidence-based cost-of-illness model was developed of indirect costs in patients with breast cancer and carers, and estimated from diagnosis through active treatment until death; (b) interviews with stakeholders were also undertaken to understand actual experiences and impacts of these costs. Data sources Model data were collated from relevant national data sources covering general population statistics, UK cancer registries, clinical guidelines and published literature, and patient survey data. Patient and staff views were collected through semistructured interviews. Participants Model: patients with early breast cancer receiving systemic anticancer therapy in the UK. Interviews were undertaken with women who had chemotherapy and medical practitioners involved in breast cancer care. Results Total costs of chemotherapy in the UK economy are over £248 million. Societal productivity losses amount to £141.4 million, which includes £3.2 million associated with premature mortality, short-term and long-term work absence (£28.6 million and £105 million, respectively). £3.4 million is associated with mortality losses from secondary malignancies due to adjuvant chemotherapy. A further £1.1 million in lost productivity arises from informal care provision. Out-of-pocket costs per round of chemotherapy account for £4.2 million, or an annual average of almost £1100 per patient. Interview findings support the cost burden modelled and also highlight the impact on cognitive function of patients and how this could increase the cost burden to patients, their families and wider society. In addition, estimated costs for carer emotional well-being are £82 million in lost quality of life. Conclusion Chemotherapy use carries significant indirect costs for society, as well as patients and their carers. These wider costs and societal perspective should be considered by commissioners to ensure chemotherapy is better targeted at those who most need it and to avoid placing unnecessary costs on patients, their caregivers and wider society.


ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS. Capsicum annuum, fluorescence, gas exchange, photosynthesis, CO 2 transfer conductance, vegetative and fruit biomass, drought stress ABSTRACT. Physiological characteristics, growth, and biomass production of rainfed and irrigated bell pepper ( Capsicum annuum L. var. anuum (Grossum Group) 'Quadrato d'Asti') plants were measured in the semiarid conditions of a Mediterranean summer to determine if drought stress effects are transient and do not affect plant growth and crop yield or are persistent and adversely affect plant growth and crop yield. A low midday leaf water potential indicated the occurrence of transient drought stress episodes in rainfed plants during the first 2 months of the study. Later on, predawn water potential also increased, indicating a persistent drought stress condition despite the occurrence of some rainfall. Photosynthesis was reduced when stress conditions developed, but the reduction was transient and limited to the central part of the day during the first 2 months. As plants aged, however, the impact of drought stress on photosynthesis was not relieved during the overnight recovery period. Stomatal conductance was reduced both during transient and permanent stress conditions while CO2 transfer conductance (i.e., conductance to CO 2 inside the leaf) was only reduced when photosynthesis inhibition was unrecoverable. However, chloroplast CO 2 concentration was higher in rainfed than in irrigated leaves indicating that CO 2 availability was not limiting photosynthesis. Nonphotochemical quenching of fluorescence increased significantly in rainfed leaves exposed to permanent stress indicating the likely impairment of ATP synthesis. Transient inhibition of photosynthesis did not significantly affect leaf area index and biomass production, but growth was significantly reduced when photosynthesis was permanently inhibited. Fruit dry weight was even higher in rainfed plants compared to irrigated plants until drought stress and photosynthesis reduction became permanent. It is suggested that bell pepper growth without supplemental irrigation over the first part of the vegetative cycle does not impair plant growth and may even be useful to improve yield of early fruit.


Weathering has a negative effect on both physical and engineering properties of rock specimens and rock masses. When rock masses are weathered it is often difficult to obtain core segments that are the correct size for unconfined compressive strength testing. Thus engineers must use index testing to estimate the strength of specimens for design purposes. This thesis relates the unconfined compressive strength to index strength tests of Ocala limestone. The relationships developed include weathering states of the specimens and proximity of unconfined compressive strength specimens to index specimens. One hundred and ninety five specimens were classified using International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) weathering designations, had their unit weight determined, and were tested under unconfined compression, point load, or indirect tensile conditions. Qualitative results show the average unit weight decreases with an increase in weathering state and the range of index strength values decreases with an increase in weathering state. The data also shows low index strength test results across a wide range of unit weights. Quantitative relationships were also developed with the strength data. All of the developed relationships were linear. Point load strengths have better correlations with unit weight than indirect tensile strengths. Unconfined compressive strength was correlated to index strength and weathering using three different approaches. For all approaches, indirect tensile strength has a better correlation with unconfined compressive strength than point load strength. Specimen pairs from the same weathering state also have a better correlation than specimen pairs from different weathering states. Unconfined compressive strength was also correlated to index strength results by incorporating specimen proximity. Once again, indirect tensile strength is a better predictor of unconfined compressive strength than point


Deep brain stimulation (DBS) provides significant therapeutic benefit for movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Current DBS devices lack real-time feedback (thus are open loop) and stimulation parameters are adjusted during scheduled visits with a clinician. A closed-loop DBS system may reduce power consumption and side effects by adjusting stimulation parameters based on patient's behavior. Thus behavior detection is a major step in designing such systems. Various physiological signals can be used to recognize the behaviors. Subthalamic Nucleus (STN) Local field Potential (LFP) is a great candidate signal for the neural feedback, because it can be recorded from the stimulation lead and does not require additional sensors. This thesis proposes novel detection and classification techniques for behavior recognition based on deep brain LFP. Behavior detection from such signals is the vital step in developing the next generation of closed-loop DBS devices. LFP recordings from 13 subjects are utilized in this study to design and evaluate our method. Recordings were performed during the surgery and the subjects were asked to perform various behavioral tasks. Various techniques are used understand how the behaviors modulate the STN. One method studies the time-frequency patterns in the STN LFP during the tasks. Another method measures the temporal inter-hemispheric connectivity of the STN as well as the connectivity between STN and Pre-frontal Cortex (PFC). Experimental results demonstrate that different behaviors create different modulation patterns in STN and it's connectivity. We use these patterns as features to classify behaviors.


The end of the Cold War and the growth of economic, political, and informational globalization are challenging our traditional definitions of self. Franck displays the complexity and growing subjectiveness of identity by providing a detailed lexicon of identity, including definitions of nation, state, tribe, and ethnicity. He argues that recent appeals to nationalism based on a common sociocultural, geographic, and linguistic heritage should be seen as reactions against the broadening communities of trade, information, and power. However, Franck asserts that anomie and xenophobia can be countered by giving substatal ethnicities, minorities, and political parties a voice and a vote in international forums.


This chapter focuses on child – dog interactions and misinterpretations of situations and behaviours and on how we can teach children and their parents about safe behaviour with dogs.
First, we will briefly describe benefits and risks of human-dog interactions. Second, we will offer a new explanation as to why children under the age of 8 may get bitten in the face more often than older children. We will then focus on typical situations in the home with the pet dog and introduce the Blue Dog Bite prevention tool, its purpose and how it works. We will explain how it was first assessed for its efficacy as well as reflect on others' assessments of the tool. We will also show that the Blue Dog tool changes children's and parents' behaviour in real life, having assessed the Blue Dog bite prevention programme for its effectiveness and longitudinal learning success. Next, we will move from creating awareness of typical risk situations in the home to awareness of dog's distress signalling. We will describe how humans misinterpret still images of dogs' facial expressions with the majority of 4-, 5-, 6- and even 7-year-old children misinterpreting dogs' facial expressions, often misunderstanding dogs' aggressive expression as "happy". Finally, we will demonstrate using videos clips how children and adults show a considerable lack of knowledge and misunderstanding of dogs' facial expressions and body language. We also show how we can improve knowledge in this area by teaching children and their parents to understand dog signalling correctly. Given the results of these studies, we can educate children and parents and other relevant parties and stakeholders as well as inform dog bite prevention programmes to help prevent dog bite incidents and therefore contribute to children's safety and dogs' welfare alike.


Floods in the Mississippi basin can have large negative societal, natural, and economic impacts. Understanding the drivers of floods, now and in the future, is relevant for risk management and infrastructure-planning purposes. We investigate the drivers of 100-yr-return lower Mississippi River floods using a global coupled climate model with an integrated surface water module. The model provides 3400 years of physically consistent data from a static climate, in contrast to available observational data (relatively short records, incomplete land surface data, transient climate). In the months preceding the model's 100-yr floods, as indicated by extreme monthly discharge, above-average rain and snowfall lead to moist subsurface conditions and the buildup of snowpack, making the river system prone to these major flooding events. The meltwater from snowpack in the northern Missouri and upper Mississippi catchments primes the river system, sensitizing it to subsequent above-average precipitation in the Ohio and Tennessee catchments. An ensemble of transient forcing experiments is used to investigate the impacts of past and projected anthropogenic climate change on extreme floods. There is no statistically significant projected trend in the occurrence of 100-yr floods in the model ensemble, despite significant increases in extreme precipitation, significant decreases in extreme snowmelt, and significant decreases in less extreme floods. The results emphasize the importance of considering the fully coupled land–atmosphere system for extreme floods. This initial analysis provides avenues for further investigation, including comparison to characteristics of less extreme floods, the sensitivity to model configuration, the role of human water management, and implications for future flood-risk management.


Mining appears to represent an important threat to conservation efforts in Madagascar. Expanding mining activities on the island have the potential to provide revenue for development and conservation efforts, but also pose a potential threat to conservation efforts on the island due to the spatial distribution and extent of mining concessions and the environmental impacts that mines often cause. By measuring the extent of overlap of permitted mining concessions with protected areas, potential protected areas, and mining-exclusion zones on the island, we assessed potential effects of mining on terrestrial conservation and evaluated the success of the governing institutions in limiting that impact. Permitted mining areas in 2006 overlapped with protected areas, potential protected areas, and mining - exclusion zones on the island. Mining concession areas overlapped with 33% of surface area planned for protection in 2005, 21% of surface area planned for protection in 2006, and 12% of the surface area from which mining was to be legally excluded. Total permitted area and area of overlap with conservation areas increased between 2005 and 2006 despite efforts in 2004 to limit such overlap. Changes in the mining permitting and regulation could improve prospects for limiting the impact of mining on biodiversity conservation on the island.


Docetaxel (DTX) widely used for treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is associated with dose-limiting side effects primarily neurotoxicity and myelosuppression. Here, we have developed cylic cNGQGEQc peptide-directed polymersomal docetaxel (cNGQ-PS-DTX) as a targeted and multifunctional formulation for NSCLC. cNGQ-PS-DTX carrying 8.1 wt.% DTX had a size of 93 nm, neutral surface charge, high stability, and glutathione-triggered DTX release behavior. Cytotoxicity studies demonstrated a clearly better antitumor activity of cNGQ-PS-DTX in α3β1 integrin over-expressing A549 human lung cancer cells than free DTX and non-targeted PS-DTX. cNGQ-PS-DTX showed a remarkably high tolerability (over 8 times better than free DTX) and slow elimination in mice. Importantly, cNGQ-PS-DTX exhibited greatly improved tumor accumulation and higher suppression of subcutaneous and orthotopic A549 xenografts as compared to PS-DTX and free DTX controls. α3β1 Integrin-targeting polymersomal docetaxel emerges as an advanced nanotherapeutics for NSCLC treatment.


Presented at "SDG Short Course I on Sustainability and Environmental Management of Geothermal Resource Utilization and the Role of Geothermal in Combating Climate Change", organized by UNU-GTP and LaGeo, in Santa Tecla, El Salvador, September 4-10, 2016.


The Variational Autoencoder (VAE) is a powerful architecture capable of representation learning and generative modeling. When it comes to learning interpretable (disentangled) representations, VAE and its variants show unparalleled performance. However, the reasons for this are unclear, since a very particular alignment of the latent embedding is needed but the design of the VAE does not encourage it in any explicit way. We address this matter and offer the following explanation: the diagonal approximation in the encoder together with the inherent stochasticity force local orthogonality of the decoder. The local behavior of promoting both reconstruction and orthogonality matches closely how the PCA embedding is chosen. Alongside providing an intuitive understanding, we justify the statement with full theoretical analysis as well as with experiments.


In the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Cobalt (Co) and Ruthenium (Ru) metal using nitrogen plasma, the structure and composition of the post N-plasma NHx terminated (x = 1 or 2) metal surfaces are not well known but are important in the subsequent metal containing pulse. In this paper, we use the low-index (001) and (100) surfaces of Co and Ru as models of the metal polycrystalline thin films. The (001) surface with a hexagonal surface structure is the most stable surface and the (100) surface with a zigzag structure is the least stable surface but has high reactivity. We investigate the stability of NH and NH2 terminations on these surfaces to determine the saturation coverage of NHx on Co and Ru. NH is most stable in the hollow hcp site on (001) surface and the bridge site on the (100) surface, while NH2 prefers the bridge site on both (001) and (100) surfaces. The differential energy is calculated to find the saturation coverage of NH and NH2. We also present results on mixed NH/NH2-terminations. The results are analyzed by thermodynamics using Gibbs free energies (ΔG) to reveal temperature effects on the stability of NH and NH2 terminations. Ultra-high vacuum (UHV) and standard ALDoperating conditions are considered. Under typical ALD operating conditions we find that the most stable NHx terminated metal surfaces are 1 ML NH on Ru (001) surface (350K-550K), 5/9 ML NH on Co (001) surface (400K-650K) and a mixture of NH and NH2 on both Ru (100) and Co (100) surfaces.


Corona discharge is used in many practical applications. For designing and optimization of corona devices, the discharge phenomenon should be numerically simulated. Most often, the corona discharge model is simplified by neglecting the process dynamics and assuming a limited number of reactions and species. In the extreme case, monopolar corona models with just one species and no reactions are studied. However, there is a problem with determining boundary conditions for the space charge density. The simplest solution to this problem was suggested by Kaptzov, who hypothesized that the electric field on the electrode surface remains constant and equal to the value at the onset conditions, which is known from a semiempirical Peek's formula. Experimental data confirm good accuracy of this approach. However, it is impossible to experimentally measure the surface electric field at different voltage levels and compare it to Peek's value. Our thesis will discuss different methods for simulating corona discharge in 1D wire-cylinder geometry in air at atmospheric pressure. The classical model based on Kaptzov's hypothesis is compared with other approaches. The first model is still a single-species one, but it uses direct ionization criterion. Two other models consider a higher number of species and some number of reactions, so the ionization layer is included. The surface electric field can differ from Peek's value by almost 43%. In addition, the results of numerical investigations of the EHD flow generated by dc corona discharge in the point-plane configuration in atmospheric air are presented in this thesis. A computational model of the discharge includes the ionization layer and three ionic species. The most important ionic reactions (ionization, attachment, recombination and detachment) are considered. The results of the corona simulations were used to predict the secondary EHD flow. All flow parameters (velocity components, pressure, streamlines) are determined. In addition to main flow vortex reported before, a local vortex near the discharge tip has also been discovered. COMSOL, a commercial finite element package, was used in simulations.


Objectives: Aging individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience multiple comorbidities that can affect recovery from injury. The objective of this study was to describe the most commonly co-occurring comorbid conditions among adults 50 years and older with TBI. Setting: Level I Trauma centers. Participants: Adults 50 years and older with moderate/severe TBI enrolled in the TBI-Model Systems (TBI-MS) from 2007 to 2014 (n = 2134). Design: A TBI-MS prospective cohort study. Main Measures: International Classification of Disease–9th Revision codes collapsed into 45 comorbidity categories. Comorbidity prevalence estimates and trend analyses were conducted by age strata (50-54, 55-64, 65-74, 75-84, ≥85 years). A dimension reduction method, Treelet Transform, classified clusters of comorbidities that tended to co-occur. Results: The 3 most commonly occurring comorbid categories were hypertensive disease (52.6/100 persons), other diseases of the respiratory system (51.8/100 persons), and fluid component imbalances (43.7/100 persons). Treelet Transform classified 3 clusters of comorbid codes, broadly classified as (1) acute medical diseases/infections, (2) chronic conditions, and (3) substance abuse disorders. Conclusion: This study provides valuable insight into comorbid conditions that co-occur among adults 50 years and older with TBI and provides a foundation for future studies to explore how specific comorbidities affect TBI recovery.


Snow cover is an important feature of the terrestrial landscape in Siberia. Variability and changes of snow cover have profound implications for surface energy and water balance, first due to its high short-wave albedo, high thermal emissivity and low heat conductivity, and second due to the control of evaporation, water storage, soil moisture, river discharge and freshwater transport. The snow properties affect moreover the soil temperature and thus the thermal state of permafrost and the biogeochemical cycle.

Monitoring of Siberian climate parameters, including those for snow cover, is complicated by the lack of in situ measurements, especially in the arctic regions. The sparse station density and limited length of data records makes it difficult to obtain a detailed regional overview of past and ongoing changes. The need of long-term climate information with less spatial and temporal gaps has motivated the effort to generate a model-based reconstruction of recent Siberian climate using the regional model COSMO-CLM (CCLM).

Although CCLM has been used for several areas, no simulations have been conducted for Siberia before. Therefore, different sensitivity experiments have been performed to identify important regional-specific processes and related adjustments that can be used for a specific model configuration for Siberia. These adjustments are an increased soil column depth down to 92m, the application of the multi-layer snow model and the reduction of the minimal heat diffusion that has implications on the turbulence parameterization to better account for the stable conditions during the winter high pressure system.

One hindcast simulation has been conducted from 1948-2010 at about 50 km grid spacing using NCEP-R1 as driving global reanalysis to obtain a reconstruction of 63 years and to investigate long-term regional changes of climate parameters focusing on snow cover. A second climate reconstruction has been performed for comparison using ERA-40 reanalysis as forcing that range from 1958-2001.

In terms of snow cover, snow water equivalent (SWE) is one important parameter to consider. CCLM-NCEP1 is able to provide more realistic SWE information from 1987-2010 relative to the global driving data NCEP-R1 and thus show a clear added value when compared with the satellite-derived SWE product of ESA GlobSnow as reference. The temporal consistency of CCLM is higher than that presented by ERA-Interim and NCEPR2.

In general, changes and interannual variations of mean SWE are characterized by strong spatial and seasonal variability. According to CCLM-NCEP1, regional averages for the period of 1981-2010 show only minor changes of SWE during fall, whereas during winter and spring stronger changes occur with varying patterns throughout the region. Both hindcasts show stronger interannual variations of snow cover extent during the transition seasons spring and fall than in winter. During spring a negative tendency is evident since the early 1980s, which has ceased in recent years.


This master thesis presents the FireTracker Indoor Positioning System (FireTracker) for tracking movement of firefighters in cold smoke diving exercises. The research presented in this thesis is a part of the iComPAss project (Inquire Competence for better Practice and Assessment), a collaboration between NORCE (Norwegian Research Center) and the University of Bergen. The research went through design and development that included testing and feedback from Sotra Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). Much of the development in this thesis was done with a co-student. This Design Science research project engaged four iterations of design, development and testing. The result, FireTracker, comprised of a mobile application, a web application, and a back-end server. With the use of Bluetooth beacons, the system was able to create visualizations based on firefighter movements in an exercise building. The two first iterations ended with a test of the system, followed by an interview. The prototype was tested with the SFRS in these iterations. The third iteration ended with a heuristic evaluation with four IT-students. The feedback given from these tests was used to further improve the prototype. In the final evaluation, the prototype was field trialled with the SFRS in a live exercise. The system was tested multiple times in several sessions. After the test, the firefighters involved in the testing were interviewed and given questionnaires to assess their opinions of the system. The results presented in this research are based on the analysis of the data collected in the evaluation of the final prototype.


abstract:Drawing on the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment (Yuanjuejing) and repentance liturgies such as Zongmi's Manual for Cultivating Realization in the Place of Practice of the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment (Yuanjuejing daochang xiuzheng yi), this essay examines the visual program of the Southern Song–dynasty Cave of Perfect Enlightenment (Yuanjuedong) at Baodingshan, Dazu. It argues that the cave serves not as an arena for ritual practice per se but instead presents an idealized representation of such a site. In particular, this essay focuses on the conceptual function of the sculpture of the kneeling bodhisattva in the middle of the cave, a figure that finds no exact counterpart in scriptural sources. Investigating the significance of such figures that mediate between worshippers and their deities in various media in the Song, this essay contends that the kneeling bodhisattva not only enacts perpetual reverence on behalf of absent worshippers but also solicits spectatorial self-identification, enabling viewers to imagine themselves into the representational world of scriptural narrative and liturgical practice constructed in the cave. This essay then interrogates the triangular relationship between illusion, matter, and the mind that is thematized in the cave and in liturgies like that by Zongmi. Engaging with Hans Belting's recent work on image anthropology, this essay concludes by suggesting that the cave, its source texts, and related repentance rituals collectively insist on the fundamental irrelevance of all media save the mind itself. Such a notion points to the need to develop a specifically Buddhist theory of images, media, and minds.


What can Christianity as a tradition contribute to the struggle to secure the future well-being of the earth community? This collaborative volume, the third in the series on religions of the world and the environment, announces that an ecological reformation, an eco-justice reorientation of Christian theology and ethics, is prominent of the ecumenical agenda. The authors explore problematic themes that contribute to ecological neglect or abuse and offer constructive insight into, and responsive imperatives for, ecologically just and socially responsible living.


Near-net shape casting of wrought aluminium alloys has proven to be difficult due to a tendency towards hot tearing during cooling. Rheocasting, or semi-solid metal (SSM) processing followed by high pressure die casting (HPDC), has recently been shown to be an effective alternative to conventional die casting, yielding near-net shape wrought aluminium alloy castings with less risk of hot tearing. This casting process involves pouring the liquid metal into a processing cup, which is then transferred into a coil for induction stirring and simultaneous forced air cooling. When the metal reaches the semi-solid casting temperature, the resultant slurry is transferred to a high pressure die casting machine and cast to near-net shape. This modifies the as-cast microstructure, yielding a more globular primary phase and results in mechanical properties in the -T6 condition closely approaching those of wrought material in the same condition. Little information is currently available on the response of SSM-HPDC material to welding. This project investigated the influence of autogenous laser and gas tungsten arc welding on the microstructure and mechanical properties of aluminium 7017 after rheocasting. It is possible to successfully weld this material without solidification or liquation cracking. The effect of welding on the rheocast microstructure in the heat-affected zone and weld metal was shown, and the hardness and tensile properties of the resulting joints in the as-welded condition were tested and related to the microstructures achieved.


I develop a novel method to detect election fraud from irregular patterns in the distribution of vote-shares. I build on a widely discussed observation that in some elections where fraud allegations abound, suspiciously many polling stations return coarse vote-shares (e.g., 0.50, 0.60, 0.75) for the ruling party, which seems highly implausible in large electorates. Using analytical results and simulations, I show that sheer frequency of such coarse vote-shares is entirely plausible due to simple numeric laws and does not by itself constitute evidence of fraud. To avoid false positive errors in fraud detection, I propose a resampled kernel density method (RKD) to measure whether the coarse vote-shares occur too frequently to raise a statistically qualified suspicion of fraud. I illustrate the method on election data from Russia and Canada as well as simulated data. A software package is provided for an easy implementation of the method.


This article discusses two studies of evolution and human behavior addressing child-adult relationships and explores implications for policies and practices surrounding placement of children in foster homes. The first study indicates that men favor children whose facial features resemble their own facial features. This study may justify public child welfare decisionmakers in considering facial resemblance as they attempt to place children in safe foster homes. The second study indicates that parents are likely to invest more in children who are biologically related to them, thus enhancing their long term well-being. Among other implications, this study may justify public child welfare decisionmakers in attempting to preserve biological families and avoid the removal of children from biological parents. It may also justify maintaining contact between biological parents and children even if removal is necessary. Although this article recognizes that the studies do not provide for comprehensive decisionmaking rules, the article articulates how the studies can be used to incrementally construct, test, and improve policies and practices in a specific area of public activity.


This report contains a compendium written for a fatigue course at Aarhus University during 2016-2018. It introduces the basic concepts governing fatigue strength of metals and presents associated engineering approaches needed for practical application. Both machined components and welded (steel) structures are covered and similarities and differences are discussed.


Agnostophobia, the fear of the unknown, can be experienced by deep learning engineers while applying their networks to real-world applications. Unfortunately, network behavior is not well defined for inputs far from a networks training set. In an uncontrolled environment, networks face many instances that are not of interest to them and have to be rejected in order to avoid a false positive. This problem has previously been tackled by researchers by either a) thresholding softmax, which by construction cannot return "none of the known classes", or b) using an additional background or garbage class. In this paper, we show that both of these approaches help, but are generally insufficient when previously unseen classes are encountered. We also introduce a new evaluation metric that focuses on comparing the performance of multiple approaches in scenarios where such unseen classes or unknowns are encountered. Our major contributions are simple yet effective Entropic Open-Set and Objectosphere losses that train networks using negative samples from some classes. These novel losses are designed to maximize entropy for unknown inputs while increasing separation in deep feature space by modifying magnitudes of known and unknown samples. Experiments on networks trained to classify classes from MNIST and CIFAR-10 show that our novel loss functions are significantly better at dealing with unknown inputs from datasets such as Devanagari, NotMNIST, CIFAR-100 and SVHN.


Responsible supply chain is about ensuring that members of the supply chain are responsible for the well-being of the people and mother earth. There are both the environmental responsibility side and the social responsibility side. On top of this, responsibility also entails ensuring that products sold to consumers are authentic without having been adulterated, and the processes throughout the supply chain are run in an ethical manner. Although interests and concerns on responsibility by the general public, governments and companies have continued to increase, the problems of controlling violations or non-compliance of responsibility standard remain daunting. This chapter uses a "sense" and "respond" lens to look at how such problems can be addressed. We describe some of the innovative ways that some leading companies have used to make progress.


Even if individuals care about their current economic status, they are mainly concerned about the time they remain in it (its duration). The expected duration of an economic status affects how individuals perceive it and therefore, it should modify any economic policy aiming for Social Welfare maximisation. Poverty is defined as a state of economic hardship for individuals or households and therefore, the study of transitions into or out of this status and its duration and persistence bring about further information on the causes of poverty and the ways to exit from it or avoid it. Using longitudinal data on Spanish households, some groups of households are detected as long slayers in poverty after some time in it and other are found as only transitional poor. Some evidence is also found in the data of the duration dependence of the probability of entering or exiting poverty. Moreover, some groups of households reveal a distinct shape of the probability of entering or exiting poverty in time. The group of female headed households and households without a spouse appears to be that having most difficulty in exiting poverty in the short-run. In turn, it is those households headed by an unemployed or part-time employed individual who are more likely to fall into poverty. The main reason pushing a household into or out of poverty seems to be the employment/unemployment and viceversa transition of the head of household. However, changes in the demographic characteristics of the household appear to significantly affect the probability of re-entering poverty for the most mobile group of households.


Catalytic reaction studies and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation time measurements have been compared to study the influence of competitive adsorption of reactant and solvent on catalytic conversion. The reaction chosen is the aerobic catalytic oxidation of 1,4-butanediol in methanol over different supported-metal catalysts. From the NMR T1/T2 ratio, where T1 is the longitudinal and T2 the transverse spin relaxation time, the relative affinity of reactant and solvent for different catalytic surfaces is determined. The catalysts with the lowest activity show a preferential surface affinity for the solvent compared to the reactant. Conversely, the catalyst with the highest activity shows a preferential surface affinity for the reactant compared to the solvent. Significantly, Ru/SiO2, which is totally inactive for the oxidation of 1,4-butanediol, exhibited a lower T1/T2 ratio (surface affinity) for 1,4-butanediol (reactant) than for a "weakly-interacting" alkane, indicating a very poor surface affinity for the diol functionality. The results provide direct evidence of the importance of the adsorbate–adsorbent interactions on catalyst activity in liquid-phase oxidations and indicate that the competitive adsorption of the solvent plays an important role in these reactions. This work demonstrates that NMR relaxation time analysis is a powerful method for comparing adsorption of liquids in porous catalysts, providing valuable information on the affinity of different chemical species for a catalyst surface. Moreover, the results demonstrate that NMR relaxation time measurements can be used not only to guide selection of solvent for use with a specific catalyst, but also selection of the catalyst itself. The results suggest that this method may be used to predict catalyst behaviour, enabling improved design and optimisation of heterogeneous catalytic processes.


When it was published in 1979, Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar's "The Madwoman in the Attic: The Woman Writer and the Nineteenth-Century Literary Imagination"was hailed as a pathbreaking work of criticism, changing the way future scholars would read Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, the Brontes, George Eliot, and Emily Dickinson. This thirtieth-anniversary collection adds both valuable reassessments and new readings and analyses inspired by Gilbert and Gubar s approach. It includes work by established and up-and-coming scholars, as well as retrospective accounts of the ways in which "The Madwoman in the Attic" has influenced teaching, feminist activism, and the lives of women in academia. These contributions represent both the diversity of today s feminist criticism and the tremendous expansion of the nineteenth-century canon. The authors take as their subjects specific nineteenth- and twentieth-century women writers, the state of feminist theory and pedagogy, genre studies, film, race, and postcolonialism, with approaches ranging from ecofeminism to psychoanalysis. And although each essay opens "Madwoman "to a different page, all provocatively circle back with admiration and respect, objections and challenges, questions and arguments to Gilbert and Gubar's groundbreaking work. The essays are as diverse as they are provocative. Susan Fraiman describes how "Madwoman" opened the canon, politicized critical practice, and challenged compulsory heterosexuality, while Marlene Tromp tells how it elegantly embodied many concerns central to second-wave feminism. Other chapters consider "Madwoman" s impact on Milton studies, on cinematic adaptations of "Wuthering Heights," and on reassessments of Ann Radcliffe as one of the book s suppressed foremothers. In the thirty years since its publication, "The Madwoman in the Attic" has potently informed literary criticism of women s writing: its strategic analyses of canonical works and its insights into the interconnections between social environment and human creativity have been absorbed by contemporary critical practices. These essays constitute substantive interventions into established debates and ongoing questions among scholars concerned with defining third-wave feminism, showing that, as a feminist symbol, the raging madwoman still has the power to disrupt conventional ideas about gender, myth, sexuality, and the literary imagination."


This thesis addresses the issue of Pastoral remuneration for the clergy. It is an attempt to investigate whether or not full-time Pentecostal pastors in Nairobi are adequately remunerated. The thesis argues that presently the situation is far less than desirable. Reasons for such a conclusion are explored in the thesis. This is done by attempting to examine this phenomenon and critically analysing the theology behind the practice. The thesis con1mences by giving a background of the research topic, defining the research problem and in1portant terms. This chapter introduces the criteria to determine adequate or inadequate remuneration. It then proceeds to identify and to define the methodology employed in the thesis. This is followed by a survey chapter where data is analysed and interpreted revealing lack of adequate pastoral remuneration. Chapter four has two parts, the first one unpacks the Pentecostal liturgy and practice at the ground revealing a heaven-ward world view of theology which does not favour the economic circumstance of the Pastors. The world view perceives that wealth and earthly prosperity are inherently dangerous to God's calling. Part two constitutes a theological critique of some ideologies. It challenges an observed dualism of Pentecostal eschatology with its form of dispensationalism. Chapter five seeks the biblical mandate for remuneration of ministers. The examined passages of Scripture articulates that the worker is worth his wages. While it is imperative that the pastor be remunerated, it does not depend on the willingness of the church but it is mandatory.


On 10 of June 2011 a high amount of precipitation fell on southern Norway, the result of this precipitation in a combination with increased snowmelt cause a flood, the aspects of the flooding will not be discussed here because it has already been documented by others. The precipitation event triggered landslides in southern Norway, and caused several important roads to close. Six landslides were identified in the study area of Veikledalen; several other landslides in the area were observed but are not part of this thesis. The landslides have been interpreted to have been triggered by precipitation, in the form of intense rainfall with or without antecedent rainfall. Rainfall thresholds were used to determine the triggering by precipitation. The landslides were determined to have started as debris slides which quickly transformed into debris flows. Triggering zones of the six debris flows were identified and they are triggered on the western slope of the valley where the slope angle changes from a shallower angle to a steeper angle. Four debris flows were triggered at approximately the same elevation, while two debris flows were triggered at a lower elevation. Erosion and deposition volumes have been estimated, and slope angles where deposition and erosion occurs have been measured. This can help determine the slope angle at which the debris flow transition from erosion to deposition. A possible connection between confinement of flow, by channelized flow, and erosion, and a connection between an open slope and deposition can also be observed in the study area. A combination of slope angle and confinement of flow is probably the important factors that determine the transition for a debris flow from erosion to deposition. Debris flows are a threat to human life and property, the initial volume of the flow might be low but due to erosion the volume increases greatly. Debris flow can cause damage from impact forces, and can transport large objects for example a tractor or a car, which can cause damage due to collision with another object. Observations in the study area suggest that debris flows could transport boulder with a diameter of 4 meters, heavy tractors, and several cars. Processes that could support these objects in the debris flows are discussed. Historical data from the area indicate that debris flows have occurred in the area previously, and with the possibility from climatic models that precipitation will increase in the study area the frequency of these events might increase.


The purpose of this article is to offer a wide-ranging consideration of the policy objectives underlying the derivative action. More specifically, it inquires into an indefinite, but fundamental, question that has received inadequate attention in the literature on corporate law theory in European and English law: what rationale or rationales justify the use of derivative actions? First, an initial analysis of the merits and demerits of the derivative action is presented. The article then analyses the role derivative actions may assume in enforcing corporate accountability. The question addressed is whether its purpose is primarily to deter misconduct or simply to compensate the company for the wrongdoing. The possible benefits and limitations of these rationales are explored. The article then examines the public image, or expressive value, of the derivative action. The purpose is to determine if some of the features inherent in the derivative action procedure enhance or detract from derivative actions being understood as a positive social force. Finally, it briefly considers strategies that can be pursued to reverse the negative effects of those forces that weaken the social meaning of derivative actions so that the action is more likely to be viewed as an instrument that affirms desirable norms in the corporate setting.


The Biographical Dictionary of British Prime Ministers is a wide-ranging, comprehensive guide to the political lives of Britain's prime ministers from Sir Robert Walpole to Tony Blair. Written by some of the leading authorities on British politics this authoritative dictionary provides essential information about each premiership, including facts and analytical debate. Each entry has been written to the same formula and contains: * brief biographical information outlining career history and significant dates and events * a brief summary of the significance and peculiarities of a particular prime minister followed by a more descriptive and interpretative account of his or her political life and impact on British politics * references and further reading. The Biographical Dictionary of British Prime Ministers addresses many of the key themes to understanding the role and impact of particular prime ministers such as: the political context; party management and reform; intra-party intellectual debate; and where relevant the evolution of the office of prime minister.


A review of recent experimental studies carried out on gas transfer at water surfaces in various situations shows that the absorption coefficient is better related to the turbulence level below the interface than to other classical parameters such as the interfacial friction velocity. When the source of the turbulent motion does not lie in the free surface deformation, usual one-point closure models allow a reasonable prediction of the turbulence level; it is no longer the case when strong wind waves exist. In order to understand the mechanisms occurring at a wavy surface in presence of wind, a theoretical analysis of wave-turbulence interactions is developed, which reproduces correctly the most prominent features observed, especially the level of the turbulent kinetic energy. A similar analysis of the fluctuating concentration budget of any passive scalar is carried out and shows that the turbulent velocity-concentration correlation in the vertical direction represents the entire mean mass flux: there does not seem to exist any direct correlation between the wave motion and the concentration fluctuations.


SUMMARY It has been suggested that the effects of epinephrine on glucose production by the liver may be mediated through glucagon. To investigate this possibility, epinephrine (EPI) (0.2 or 0.1 μg/kg-min) was infused in 12 conscious normal dogs with or without somatostatin (ST) (0.05 μg/kg-min), a known inhibitor of glucagon and insulin release. EPI (0.2 μg/kg-min) induced a sustained hyperglycemia. This resulted from both an increase in glucose production, which rose initially to 45% above basal and then plateaued at suprabasal levels, and a small but noticeable reduction (18%) in the metabolic clearance rate of glucose. Plasma levels of both immunoreactive glucagon (IRG) and insulin (IRI) also increased transiently. ST plus EPI resulted in a more severe hyperglycemia, which was due to an exaggerated initial peak of glucose production. This response occurred despite a clear suppression (71%) of IRG below basal. ST blunted the initial EPI-induced IRI peak, but IRI never fell below basal with the combined infusion of EPI and ST. The blunting of this initial insulin peak may have affected the hyperglycemie response to EPI. The lower dose of EPI (0.1 μg/kg-min) had a similar but less definite effect on glucose regulation and caused both insulin and glucagon levels to rise. However, at the lower EPI dose, ST had no appreciable effect on insulin release (as judged by peripheral IRI levels), although IRG was again greatly suppressed. Neither the EPI-induced hyperglycemia nor the rapid rise in glucose production was affected by ST, suggesting that the EPI-induced hyperglycemia is not mediated through glucagon release. It also appears that elevated EPI levels can compensate for the role of basal glucagon in regulation of basal glucose production in the postabsorptive state. EPI induced a transient 120% rise in free fatty acid (FFA) levels. The rise in FFA was more marked and more sustained when ST was given together with EPI irrespective of whether the initial EPI-induced insulin peak was blunted or remained unaltered, thus indicating a possible effect of ST on EPI-induced lipoly-sis. The same low dose of ST (0.5 μg/kg-min) infused without EPI greatly suppressed both IRG and IRI below basal (60%). Thus (1) EPI infusion induced sustained hyperglycemia, resulting from a transient increase in glucose production and an inhibition of metabolic clearance of glucose; both IRG and IRI were also transiently increased. (2) The effect of EPI on glucose production was independent of glucagon, but it was possibly enhanced by suppression of the initial insulin peak. (3) A low dose of ST, which, by itself, suppressed basal IRI and IRG release, was able to override the effect of EPI on IRG but not on IRI release. Thus, the effect of a selective glucagon suppression could be studied. (4) EPI increased plasma FFA only transiently. (5) ST may directly or indirectly increase the lipolytic effect of EPI.


Digitalization across sectors drives an increasing demand for IT specialists. Women, however, still make up a small part of computing communities, IT education and work – in the US and across Europe. The "gender equality paradox" is a label for women's underrepresentation in STEM disciplines, particularly in IT, that seems to be more extreme in highly gender egalitarian cultures. It has been suggested that the paradox is a result of women's choices in wealthy countries with a high degree of individual freedom. However, our research suggests that there is another side to this paradox, thus demonstrating the importance to recognize how other groups affect women's participation in IT. Our study of attitudes towards women's underrepresentation in IT among IT employers and organizations uncovers mixed signals from these actors, as they both welcome and doubt women in IT. Employers' negotiation of the meaning of women's underrepresentation in IT leaves little space for gender equality actions. While this can have major consequences for women's careers in computing and IT work, it also illustrates a central mechanism of the "gender equality paradox" characterized by a widely accepted norm of gender equality existing alongside employers' skepticism to the goal of gender balance in computing.


This dissertation explores the applicability of RC helicopters as a tool to map wind conditions. This dissertation presents the construction of a robust instrumentation system capable of wireless in-situ measurement and mapping of ship airwake. The presented instrumentation system utilizes an RC helicopter as a carrier platform and uses the helicopter's dynamics for spatial 3D mapping of wind turbulence. The system was tested with a YP676 naval training craft to map ship airwake generated in controlled heading wind conditions. Novel system modelling techniques were developed to estimate the dynamics of an instrumented RC helicopter, in conjunction with onboard sensing, to estimate spatially varying (local) wind conditions. The primary problem addressed in this dissertation is the reliable estimation and separation of pilot induced dynamics from the system measurements, followed by the use of the dynamics residuals/discrepancies to map the wind conditions. This dissertation presents two different modelling approaches to quantify ship airwake using helicopter dynamics. The helicopter systems were characterized using both machine learning and analytical aerodynamic modelling approaches. In the machine learning based approaches, neural networks, along with other models, were trained then assessed in their capability to model dynamics from pilot inputs and other measured helicopter states. The dynamics arising from the wind conditions were fused with the positioning estimates of the helicopter to generate ship airwake maps which were compared against CFD generated airwake patterns. In the analytical modelling based approach, the dynamic response of an RC helicopter to a spatially varying parameterized wind field was modeled using a 30-state nonlinear ordinary differential equation-based dynamic system, while capturing essential elements of the helicopter dynamics. The airwake patterns obtained from both types of approach were compared against anemometrically produced wind maps of turbulent wind conditions artificially generated in a controlled indoor environment. Novel hardware architecture was developed to acquire data critical for the operation and calibration of the proposed system. The mechatronics design of three prototypes of the proposed system were presented and performance evaluated using experimental testing with a modified YP676 naval training vessel in the Chesapeake Bay area. In closing, qualitative analysis of these systems along with potential applications and improvements are discussed to conclude this dissertation. Estimation and Mapping of Ship Airwake Using RC Helicopters as a Sensing Platform


In this highly original work, Teed Rockwell rejects both dualism and the mind-brain identity theory. He proposes instead that mental phenomena emerge not merely from brain activity but from an interacting nexus of brain, body, and world. The mind can be seen not as an organ within the body, but as a "behavioral field" that fluctuates within this brain-body-world nexus. If we reject the dominant form of the mind-brain identity theory -- which Rockwell calls "Cartesian materialism" (distinct from Daniel Dennett's concept of the same name) -- and accept this new alternative, then many philosophical and scientific problems can be solved. Other philosophers have flirted with these ideas, including Dewey, Heidegger, Putnam, Millikan, and Dennett. But Rockwell goes further than these tentative speculations and offers a detailed alternative to the dominant philosophical view, applying pragmatist insights to contemporary scientific and philosophical problems. Rockwell shows that neuroscience no longer supports the mind-brain identity theory because the brain cannot be isolated from the rest of the nervous system; moreover, there is evidence that the mind is hormonal as well as neural. These data, and Rockwell's reanalysis of the concept of causality, show why the borders of mental embodiment cannot be neatly drawn at the skull, or even at the skin. Rockwell then demonstrates how his proposed view of the mind can resolve paradoxes engendered by the mind-brain identity theory in such fields as neuroscience, artificial intelligence, epistemology, and philosophy of language. Finally, he argues that understanding the mind as a "behavioral field" supports the new cognitive science paradigm of dynamic systems theory (DST).


Ultra-large scale (ULS) systems are becoming pervasive. They are inherently complex, which makes their design and control a challenge for traditional methods. Here we propose the design and analysis of ULS systems using measures of complexity, emergence, self-organization, and homeostasis based on information theory. These measures allow the evaluation of ULS systems and thus can be used to guide their design. We evaluate the proposal with a ULS computing system provided with adaptation mechanisms. We show the evolution of the system with stable and also changing workload, using different fitness functions. When the adaptive plan forces the system to converge to a predefined performance level, the nodes may result in highly unstable configurations, that correspond to a high variance in time of the measured complexity. Conversely, if the adaptive plan is less "aggressive", the system may be more stable, but the optimal performance may not be achieved.


The installation of PV systems for optimum yield is primarily dictated by its geographic location and installation design to maximize solar exposure. However, there are other depending factors that arise in determining the system performance (efficiency and output). Dust is the lesser acknowledged factor that significantly influences the performance of the PV installations. PV modules are highly reliable. However, in polluted environments, over time, they will collect grime and dust. There are also limited field data studies about soiling losses on PV modules. The photovoltaic cells already have low conversion efficiencies in the range of 16% to 18% , the accumulation of sand and dust particles from the outdoor environment on their surface further reduces the generated output power. This is due to the reduction the solar radiation incident on the solar cell. Further dust changes the dependence on the angle of incidence of such radiation. This limitation makes photovoltaic cells an unreliable source of power for unattended remote devices, such as solar-powered traffic and other remote applications in environmentally hazard areas. For large-scale solar plants to maintain their maximum efficiency, the photovoltaic cells must be kept clean, which can be a challenging task in dusty environments. This paper is an insight into the losses caused by the accumulation of dust on the surface of photovoltaic modules and an attempt to analyze and quantify such losses based on the experiments conducted by various researchers all over the world.


In most economies, the potential of saving energy via insulation and more efficient uses of electricity is important. In order to reach the Kyoto Protocol objectives, it is urgent to develop policies that reduce the production of carbon dioxide in all sectors of the economy. This paper proposes an analysis of a green-jobs employer-of-last-resort (ELR) program based on a stock-flow consistent (SFC) model with three productive sectors (consumption, capital goods, and energy) and two household sectors (wage earners and capitalists). By increasing the energy efficiency of dwellings and public buildings, the green-jobs ELR sector implies a shift in consumption patterns from energy consumption toward consumption of goods. This could spur the private sector and thus increase employment. Lastly, the jobs guarantee program removes all involuntary unemployment and decreases poverty while lowering carbon dioxide emissions. The environmental policy proposed in this paper is macroeconomic and offers a structural change of the economy instead of the usual micro solutions.


Shape control means control of position or alignment of a certain number of points of the structure so as to track a desired value, which is an important task of smart structures. Shape control is mostly extended by smart materials such as piezoelectric actuators or shape memory alloys. In this paper a new approach for static shape control of beams without the draw back of the smart materials-based scheme is developed. A system of eccentric reversing channels embedded into structures is then developed utilizing this fluidic actuator which acts as a continuous actuator. Shape control of elastic structures. In this system, by adjusting parameters such as fluid's velocity, fluid's density, and the eccentricity path's equation of the channel, shape and deflection curve of the beam can be controlled. Several analytical examples are at last demonstrated considering different eccentricity paths for the channel with and without external load. Distinct characteristics are observed in the deflection curve associated with this kind of fluidic actuators, such that the tip deflection for a cantilever beam embedded with fluidic actuators does not necessarily occurs at the tip. This method can be applied in aircraft wings for getting higher lift or drag at the time of take off or landing.


This thesis reports a cross-national study carried out in England and India in an attempt to clarify the association of certain cultural and non-cultural characteristics with people's work-related attitudes and values, and with the structure of their work organizations. Three perspectives are considered to be relevant to the objectives of the study. The contingency perspective suggests that a 'fit' between an organization's context and its structural arrangements will be fundamentally necessary for achieving success and survival. The political economy perspective argues for the determining role of the social and economic structures within which the organization operates. The culturalist perspective looks to cultural attitudes and values of organizational members for an explanation for their organization's structure. The empirical investigation was carried out in three stages in each of the two countries involved by means of surveys of cultural attitudes, work-related attitudes and organizational structures and systems. The cultural surveys suggested that Indian and English people were different from one another with regard to fear of, and respect and obedience to, their seniors, ability to cope with ambiguity, honesty, independence, expression of emotions, fatalism, reserve, and care for others; they were similar with regard to tolerance, friendliness, attitude to change, attitude to law, self-control and self-confidence, and attitude to social differentiation. The second stage of the study, involving the employees of fourteen organizations, found that the English ones perceived themselves to have more power at work, expressed more tolerance for ambiguity, and had different expectations from their job than did the Indian equivalents. The two samples were similar with respect to commitment to their company and trust in their colleagues. The findings also suggested that employees' occupations, education and age had some influences on their work-related attitudes. The final stage of the research was a study of structures, control systems, and reward and punishment policies of the same fourteen organizations which were matched almost completely on their contextual factors across the two countries. English and Indian organizations were found to be similar in terms of centralization, specialization, chief executive's span of control, height and management control strategies. English organizations, however, were far more formalized, spent more time on consultation and their managers delegated authority lower down the hierarchy than Indian organizations. The major finding of the study was the multiple association that cultural, national and contingency factors had with the structural characteristics of the organizations and with the work-related attitudes of their members. On the basis of this finding, a multi-perspective model for understanding organizational structures and systems is proposed in which the contributions made by contingency, political economy and cultural perspectives are recognized and incorporated.


Recent findings Peripherally, cannabinoids show anti-inflammatory effects by activating cannabinoid type 2 receptors (CB2) which decrease cytokine production and immune cell mobilization. In contrast, cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1) activation on immune cells is proinflammatory while CB1 antagonism provides antiinflammatory effects by increasing b2-adrenergic signaling in the joint and secondary lymphoid organs. In addition, the nonpsychotropic cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD) demonstrated antiarthritic effects independent of cannabinoid receptors. In addition to controlling inflammation, cannabinoids reduce pain by activating central and peripheral CB1, peripheral CB2 receptors and CBD-sensitive noncannabinoid receptor targets.


VI. Summary and Conclusions
1.
In feces of pigs collected from Peking markets the common Balantidium, Iodamoeba, Endamoeba polecki, and Trichomonas of the pig have been found. In addition protozoa resembling E. coli, E. dysenteriae, E. nana, and Chilomastix mesnili have been found.
2.
The differences between the endamoebae of naturally infected pigs are discussed and it is concluded that E. polecki Prowazek 1912 should be the name applied to the amoeba forming mononucleate cysts and that E. dysenteriae Councilman and Lafleur 1891 is the amoeba in the pig which forms four-nucleate cysts.
3.
E. debliecki Nieschulz 1923 is regarded as a synonym of E. polecki and E. suis Hartmann 1912 is probably the amoeba which forms four nucleate cysts discussed in this paper.
4.
Negative pigs fed cysts of the intestinal protozoa of man have become infected with E. dysenteriae, E. coli, E. nana and Chilomastix mesnili of man and the infections have persisted for a period of six weeks.
5.
The finding of E. dysenteriae in naturally infected pigs and the successful experimental infection of pigs with E. dysenteriae of man indicate that the pig may serve as a reservoir host of this amoeba though it may be only a temporary host since the infection may be lost spontaneously after a period of about six weeks.
6.
The dysentery amoeba (a) of the naturally infected pig, (b) of man experimentally established in the pig and (c) of the monkey experimentally established in the pig have all been successfully cultured in the egg-serum medium and have been experimentally transferred to kittens which have developed the same pathology found in kittens infected directly with the dysentery amoeba from man.


TOKYO-- The Institute of Cetacean Research in Tokyo is the scientific arm of Japan9s whaling research program, which is reviled by most countries for its deadly methods. What have its researchers contributed to the field? Japan9s recent decision to add two species to its scientific haul--which until now has targeted minke whales--has revived the question of whether the real purpose of the program is research, as Japan claims, or keeping the country9s whaling industry alive.


Visual information is taking a predominant place in our society. With the advent of digital technologies, visual information will find new applications in domains ranging from communication, commerce to entertainment. New functionalities will be required that permit an extended interaction with the visual information. In particular, this is the case for digital television and the related problem of video sequence compression. The extent of possible interactions depends on the manner in which the visual information is represented. Up to now, the canonical representation is used. Also referred to as the waveform representation, it is a technical artifact of the image capture procedure. This representation severely restricts the functionalities available to the end-user. The latter is unable to freely manipulate or customize the received visual information. In this dissertation, we propose to describe the visual information through a semantically meaningful representation. This representation directly derives from the scene content, which is decomposed in terms of its constituting objects. Consequently, the viewing process is totally disconnected from the image capture procedure. This permits full interactivity with the visual information, leading to enhanced functionalities for the end-user. The essence of this dissertation is to automatically define the objects forming the scene arid to automatically track them through the video sequence. Two main issues are identified: the initial segmentation of the objects and their tracking. The first issue deals with segmenting the scene into its constituent objects. This has to be performed on the basis of the information available in two consecutive frames. In order to solve the problem, a split-and-merge approach is used. First, the image is segmented into small, spatio-temporally homogeneous regions. This is achieved through a top-down approach where spatial, temporal and change information is combined. These regions are used as a starting point to define the objects forming the scene. A bottom-up approach is used which iteratively merges the regions. The propensity of the regions to form an object is assessed in terms of both spatial and temporal information. The second issue deals with segmenting and tracking the objects in the successive frames. The coherence between the successive segmentations is ensured by using past and current information. Also, the different objects composing the scene are identified throughout the video sequence. This identification relies on temporal, spatial and spatio-temporal features of the objects. The proposed representation of the visual information finds a natural application in video coding. A second generation video coding scheme is presented which combines compression efficiency with extended functionalities. In particular, scalable coding is achieved in terms of both scene content and object coding quality.


— The term "biometrics" is derived from the Greek words bio means life and metric means to measure. That means Biometrics is referred to the identification of a person based on his/her behavioral or physiological characteristics. This method of identification is preferred over traditional methods involving passwords and PIN numbers for its accuracy and case sensitiveness. A biometric system is essentially a pattern recognition system which makes a personal identification by determining the authenticity of a specific physiological or behavioral characteristic possessed by the user. An important issue in designing a practical system is to determine how an individual is identified. Depending on the context, a biometric system can be either a verification (authentication) system or an identification system. Verification involves confirming or denying a person's claimed identity while in identification, person must establish his/her identity. Biometric systems are divided on the basis of the authentication medium used. They are broadly divided as identifications of Hand Geometry, Vein Pattern, Voice Pattern, DNA, Signature Dynamics, Finger Prints, Iris Pattern and Face Detection. These methods are used on the basis of the scope of the testing medium, the accuracy required and speed required.


Photooxygenations allow for the incorporation of molecular oxygen into substrates under mild and sustainable conditions. They only use light, oxygen and catalytic amounts of an organic dye to generate singlet oxygen (1O2), a short-lived reactive species, which can subsequently react with a multitude of functional groups within a substrate. Photooxygenations have found applications in fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries, for example in the manufacture of fragrances, building block chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Unlike batch processes, photooxygenations under flow conditions avoid accumulation of potentially explosive intermediates or products by continuously producing small amounts of materials, which can be subsequently quenched or converted safely. Continuous-flow reactors also allow for precise temperature control and the utilization of low-power light sources such as LEDs or OLEDs. The combination of flow operation, miniaturized dimensions and photooxygenations enables an environmentally friendly and safe adaptation to green organic synthesis. This chapter highlights various flow photoreactor technologies and successful examples of photooxygenations in flow.


Spectroscopists' Calendar is a regular feature in Applied Spectroscopy. Your cooperation in submitting timely information for the column is appreciated. For publication in one issue of Applied Spectroscopy, send information no less than four months in advance of the actual event. Please send announcements of meetings and symposia of interest to spectroscopists to Mary Carrabba, Rogue River Spectroscopy, LLC, 508 Gold Terrace, Rogue River, Oregon 97537, e-mail: email@example.com, Ph: (541) 261-9800. Announcements of short courses, schools, workshops, or other educational activities should be sent to the SAS webmaster, Stephen Bialkowski (sbialkow@cc. usu.edu).


A novel general method for the synthesis of oxindoles, namely the 'azirine/oxindole ring enlargement via amidinium-intermediates' has been established: the reaction of 2H-azirin-3-amines 1 with BF3.OEt2 in THF solution at -78° leads to 1,3,3-trialkyl-2-amino-3H-indolium tetrafluoroborates 14 in good yields (Scheme 5). Treatment of aqueous solutions of 14 at 0° with aqueous NaOH (30%) and extraction with CH2Cl2 gives oily substances that are either hydrates of 1,3,3-trialkyl-2-dihydroindol-2-imines 15 or the corresponding indolium hydroxides. These products are transformed to the corresponding 1,3,3-trialkyl-2,3-dihydroindol-2-ones 17 in modest yields upon refluxing in H2O/THF. Reaction of 14 with Ac2O in pyridine at ca. 23° for 16 h followed by aqueous workup and chromatographic separation leads to mixtures of N-(1,3,3-trialkyl-2,3-dihydro-indol-2-yliden)acetamides 16 and oxindoles 17 (Scheme 6). Hydrolysis of 16 with aqueous HCl under reflux for 1 - 2 h gives oxindoles 17 in a good yield. Several oxindoles, spiro-oxindoles, and 5-substituted oxindoles were synthesized by means of the reactions mentioned above.


It is acknowledged that the courtyard house is one of the most important types of vernacular housing in the world, especially in the Arab countries. However, the use of courtyard house has not excluded on the vernacular architecture in the twentieth century, modern architects in their latest work tried to rediscover this type again. This paper discusses this rediscovering, and clarifies different ways of adapting vernacular concepts of courtyard houses to produce a modern one. Modernists combined the historical authenticity of this type with the requirements of modern life as well as with the modern methods of design and construction. Three famous ways of modernizing the courtyard house are clarified in this paper, in order to discover influences of vernacular concepts on the modern movement as well as tools of developing this type in the modern architecture. The paper concludes that the courtyard house as a type has passed several stages of modernization: simulation, integration, and transformation. In all these stages, the ability of the courtyard house to keep up with the times and achieve a remarkable success in modern architecture is observed. Therefore, it is possible to modernize the courtyard house in line with keeping qualities found in the vernacular architecture.


Regulation of Set1-COMPASS-mediated H3K4 methylation and Dot1-mediated H3K79 methylation by H2BK123 ubiquitination (H2Bub1) is an evolutionarily conserved trans-histone crosstalk mechanism. How H2Bub1 impacts chromatin structure and affects Set1-COMPASS/Dot1 functions has not been fully defined. Ubiquitin was proposed to bind proteins to physically bridge H2Bub1 with Set1-COMPASS/Dot1. Alternatively, the bulky ubiquitin was thought to be a "wedge" that loosens the nucleosome for factor access. Contrary to the latter possibility, recent discoveries provide evidence for nucleosome stabilization by H2Bub1 via preventing the constant H2A-H2B eviction. Recent data has also uncovered a "docking-site" on H2B for Set1-COMPASS. Collectively, these findings invoke a model, where ubiquitin acts as a "glue" to bind the nucleosome together for supporting Set1-COMPASS/Dot1 functions. This review provides an overview of these novel findings. Additionally, how H2Bub1 and its deubiquitination might alter the chromatin dynamics during transcription is discussed. Possible models for nucleosome stabilization by ubiquitin are also provided.


Dioxins are among the most toxic chemicals on the earth. They are by-products of a number of human activities such as combustion of fuels and wastes containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorine bleaching of paper products, and selected industrial processes. Current releases of dioxins by humans are due to the combustion of fuels and burning of household trash. The good news is that levels of dioxins in the environment have decreased in the United States throughout the past 30 years due to the improved emission controls and regulatory activities. But dioxins break down slowly, so they remain in the environment for a long time and accumulate in the food chain. Long-term exposure to dioxins can harm immune system, nervous system, endocrine system, and reproductive functions. This 7-page fact sheet discusses the sources, emission trends, and impacts of dioxins as well as the ways to minimize exposure to dioxins. Written by Yun-Ya Yang and Gurpal S. Toor, and published by the UF Department of Soil and Water Science, July 2015.


Poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) was prepared electrochemically from p-xylene-bis(diethylsulphonium chloride) in a solvent-electrolyte couple of acetonitrile-tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TBAFB). The polymer obtained from the electrode surface was converted to PPV by the thermal elimination of diethyl sulfide, HCl and ethyl sulfide. PPV was also obtained chemically in order to investigate the effect of the synthetic method on the structure and electrical conductivity. The characterization of the polymers was carried out by means of fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetry analysis (TGA) techniques. The doping effect on the conductivity of the PPV was investigated by using different agents such as H2SO4, I2 and metallic Na. It was concluded from the results of spectroscopical investigations that trans-vinylene units are formed on the backbones of polymers obtained by both chemical and electrochemical methods. Thermal analysis data confirmed that the thermal elimination of diethyl sulfide from the polymers obtained by electrochemical and chemical methods are almost complete, and therefore, the resultant product is PPV. It was evident from the TGA results that the polymer obtained chemically had a thermal stability higher than the electrochemically prepared polymer. Although the polymers obtained were insoluble and insulating, they were successfully converted into conducting polymers with the maximum conductivity of 10-3 S/cm by doping in solution or in vapor.


Since most social science research relies on multiple data sources, merging data sets is an essential part of researchers' workflow. Unfortunately, a unique identifier that unambiguously links records is often unavailable, and data may contain missing and inaccurate information. These problems are severe especially when merging large-scale administrative records. We develop a fast and scalable algorithm to implement a canonical model of probabilistic record linkage that has many advantages over deterministic methods frequently used by social scientists. The proposed methodology efficiently handles millions of observations while accounting for missing data and measurement error, incorporating auxiliary information, and adjusting for uncertainty about merging in post-merge analyses. We conduct comprehensive simulation studies to evaluate the performance of our algorithm in realistic scenarios. We also apply our methodology to merging campaign contribution records, survey data, and nationwide voter files. An open-source software package is available for implementing the proposed methodology.


In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that people who contracted HIV from "blameless" routes (e.g., blood transfusion, sex with stable partners) are less stigmatized compared to people who contracted HIV from "blamable" routes (e.g., injection drug use, sex with sex workers). A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,987 participants in Guangxi province, China, between 2012 and 2013. We employed both explanatory and predictive modeling strategy by using multivariate linear regression models. In the explanatory models, we assessed the association between routes of infection and three types of stigma (perceived, internalized, and enacted). From identified routes of infection that significantly contributed to higher stigma, we employed predictive modeling to explore predictors for the specific type of stigma. Multiple-imputation was employed for sensitivity analyses. Of the total sample, 63% were male and the average age was 42.9 years (ranged between 18 and 88). Multivariate regression models revealed that contraction from commercial sex increased the perceived (β = 0.46, 95%CI = 0.02, 0.90) and internalized stigma (β = 0.60, 95%CI = 0.09, 1.10), while injecting drug use increased the perceived (β = 0.65, 95%CI = 0.07, 1.22) and enacted stigma (β = 0.09, 95%CI = 0.02, 0.16) after controlling for confounders. Among PLWHA who were infected via commercial sex partners, social support was negatively associated with perceived (β = -0.47, 95%CI = -0.79, -0.14) and internalized stigma (β = -0.80, 95%CI = -1.24, -0.35). Among PLWHA who were infected via injecting drugs, no adherence to antiretroviral treatment (β = 0.41, 95%CI = 0.01, 0.82) was positively associated with perceived stigma, and disclosure of serostatus to others was negatively associated with enacted stigma (β = -0.20, 95%CI = -0.34, -0.05). Knowledge of the association between routes of infection and stigma can guide health professionals and policy makers to develop tailored intervention strategies to mitigate the effects of stigma and enhance HIV care utilization among PLWHA in China.


This article presents the results of a survey on how people perceive the Klimkówka storage reservoir located on the Ropa River in the Polish Carpathians. The analysis focused on establishing the role of various factors which impact the assessment of the reservoir by the local community. Community perception of the reservoir was analyzed in relation to several aspects linked to the reservoir itself, e.g. the risk of dam failure, feeling of safety, pros and cons, and how accustomed people were to the reservoir. A crucial issue was to identify how the real threat of a flood, experienced by people living below the dam, affected the way people perceived the reservoir. As a result of the analysis, a hierarchy of factors which determine people's assessment of large hydraulic structures was established. The results can be applied to determine specific measures aimed at limiting negative community perception of water infrastructure.


James's friendship with Constance Fenimore Woolson ended in 1894 when he tried to drown a boatload of her dresses in the Venetian lagoon; she had fallen to her death three months before. It was an elusive friendship that echoed his mysterious relationship with Minny Temple who had died twenty years earlier. From their graves, these two women haunted his imagination and his fiction, inspiring the creation of his heroines.