Mobile elements transposing via DNA intermediates often leave small rearrangements, or "transposon footprints," at sites where they excise. Each excision event leaves its own footprint and, at any given site, these vary in size and sequence. Footprint formation involves DNA repair of sequences flanking the element. We have analyzed the footprints formed by a 2-kb Ds element excising from six different sites in exons of the maize waxy (Wx) gene. We find that groups of footprints left at individual sites are surprisingly nonrandom; different excision products predominate consistently at each site. Less frequent footprints left by each insertion appear related to the predominant type. The data suggest that flanking sequences affect the DNA repair processes associated with element excision. Two models have been proposed to explain footprint formation, one featuring a 5' exonuclease and the other featuring hairpin loop formation and an endonuclease. Our data have interesting implications for both these models. Evidence is also presented to support the presence of a separate excision mechanism that can remove Ac/Ds elements without leaving any footprint and that operates in parallel with the footprint-forming mechanism.


Spanning a thousand years of history--and bringing the story to the present through ethnographic fieldwork in Senegal, Gambia, and Mauritania--Rudolph Ware documents the profound significance of Qur'an schools for West African Muslim communities. Such schools peacefully brought Islam to much of the region, becoming striking symbols of Muslim identity. Ware shows how in Senegambia the schools became powerful channels for African resistance during the eras of the slave trade and colonization. While illuminating the past, Ware also makes signal contributions to understanding contemporary Islam by demonstrating how the schools' epistemology of embodiment gives expression to classical Islamic frameworks of learning and knowledge.Today, many Muslims and non-Muslims find West African methods of Qur'an schooling puzzling and controversial. In fascinating detail, Ware introduces these practices from the viewpoint of the practitioners, explicating their emphasis on educating the whole human being as if to remake it as a living replica of the Qur'an. From this perspective, the transference of knowledge in core texts and rituals is literally embodied in people, helping shape them--like the Prophet of Islam--into vital bearers of the word of God.


Open-Source Lab: How to Build Your Own Hardware and Reduce Scientific Research Costs details the development of the free and open-source hardware revolution. The combination of open-source 3D printing and microcontrollers running on free software enables scientists, engineers, and lab personnel in every discipline to develop powerful research tools at unprecedented low costs. After reading Open-Source Lab, you will be able to: Lower equipment costs by making your own hardwareBuild open-source hardware for scientific researchActively participate in a community in which scientific results are more easily replicated and citedNumerous examples of technologies and the open-source user and developer communities that support themInstructions on how to take advantage of digital design sharingExplanations of Arduinos and RepRaps for scientific useA detailed guide to open-source hardware licenses and basic principles of intellectual property


In this study the phase relations between Pd or 70Ag/30Pd electrode systems with commercially important Bi-or Pb-based oxides were determined to establish the conditions under which detrimental interfacial chemical reactions may occur. For the reaction of Pd with Bi compounds, PdBi2O4 formation was observed if the reaction proceeded at temperatures less than 835°C. At higher temperatures a Pd (Bi) alloy formed containing the maximum solubility of the Bi, i.e., 16 at.%. For the reaction of Pd with Pb compounds, a Pd (Pb) alloy formed which in all instances exhibited the maximum solubility of the Pb, i.e., 14 at.%. These reactions had an adverse effect on the local stoichiometry and composition of the dielectric, causing depletion of Bi or Pb. Studies on commercial capacitor dielectrics from DuPont (X7R and Z5U formulations) and Pb (Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 showed that the use of Pd electrodes decreased the dielectric constant substantially, which was due to the formation of a low permittivity phase in series connectivity with the unaltered dielectric.


This analysis investigates a political corruption model that builds on previous literature on corruption in hierarchies. Our study enriches the literature on political corruption emphasizing the contrasting role of the minorities having a control role of the majorities. In particular, this paper provides a set-up for the conditions in which a briber can choose between either bribing only the majority and accepting the monitoring of the minority, or alternatively, bribing also the minority, which gives up to its control role and increases the probability of success of the illicit action. Minorities can exploit their typical monitoring role in modern democracies either to gain a reputational premium or to get involved in bribing and raising higher stakes. Thus, policy-makers face a sort of paradox when attempting to strengthen the control role of minorities and reduce corrupt behavior because this may cause the opposite effect of inducing the minorities to get involved into the illicit activity and, eventually, spread the corruption disease.


Foreign real estate capital was a major source of financing domestic property market office construction in Central Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. During the 1990s, over 800 office buildings were either newly constructed or refurbished in Budapest, Prague and Warsaw. The primary focus of this analysis is explaining the spatial construction and redevelopment patterns of the post-1989 office buildings in these cities. Secondarily, we analyze the correlation of foreign direct investment flows to annual construction of office buildings. We seek to explain the location of new or refurbished office buildings in the central business district (CBD) or in non-CBD locations in terms of the effect of time, size of property and other variables, and test whether there is a positive correlation relationship of foreign direct investment flows and new office construction or refurbishment. Integrating relevant foreign direct investment (FDI), economic geography and property theories in the research, the authors attempt to bridge existing gaps in the literature.


Introduction: Gait speed is a simple and safe measure with strong predictive value for negative health outcomes in clinical practice, yet in-laboratory gait speed seems not representative for daily-life gait speed. This study aimed to investigate the interrelation between and robustness of in-laboratory and daily-life gait speed measures over 12 months in 61- to 70-year-old adults. Methods: Gait speed was assessed in laboratory through standardized stopwatch tests and in daily life by 7 days of trunk accelerometry in the PreventIT cohort, at baseline, and after 6 and 12 months. The interrelation was investigated using Pearson's correlations between gait speed measures at each time point. For robustness, changes over time and variance components were assessed by ANOVA and measurement agreement over time by Bland-Altman analyses. Results: Included were 189 participants (median age 67 years [interquartile range: 64–68], 52.2% females). In-laboratory and daily-life gait speed measures showed low correlations (Pearson's r = 0.045–0.455) at each time point. Moreover, both in-laboratory and daily-life gait speed measures appeared robust over time, with comparable and smaller within-subject than between-subject variance (range 0.001–0.095 m/s and 0.032–0.397 m/s, respectively) and minimal differences between measurements over time (Bland-Altman) with wide limits of agreement (standard deviation of mean difference range: 0.12–0.34 m/s). Discussion/Conclusion: In-laboratory and daily-life gait speed measures show robust assessments of gait speed over 12 months and are distinct constructs in this population of high-functioning adults. This suggests that (a combination of) both measures may have added value in predicting health outcomes.


What role do cultural dimensions of cooperation and competition play in economic life? Taking a multidisciplinary perspective, this essay uses the example of the concept of trust to consider some implications for competition policy. The author suggests that the field of competition policy is at core about the authoritative allocation of categories of economic activity along a spectrum with individualism and competition at one end and collectivism and cooperation at the other. The allocation is a function of the state, made on the basis of a variety of imprecise inputs—cultural, political, historic, economic, and institutional—and not merely neoclassical economic theory. Sensitivity to the cultural aspects of competition and cooperation places constraints on overly optimistic expectations for global harmonization of antitrust enforcement.


The discovery of the role of P2Y12 receptor in platelet aggregation leads to a new anti-thrombotic drug Plavix; however, little is known about non-platelet P2Y receptors in thrombosis. This study tested the hypothesis that endothelial P2Y receptor(s) mediates up-regulation of tissue factor (TF), the initiator of coagulation cascade. Stimulation of human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) by UTP/ATP increased the mRNA level of TF but not of its counterpart-tissue factor pathway inhibitor, which was accompanied by up-regulation of TF protein and cell surface activity. RT-PCR revealed a selective expression of P2Y2 and P2Y11 receptors in HCAEC. Consistent with this, TF up-regulation was inhibited by suramin or by siRNA silencing of P2Y2 receptor, but not by NF-157, a P2Y11-selective antagonist, suggesting a role for the P2Y2 receptor. In addition, P2Y2 receptor activated ERK1/2, JNK, and p38 MAPK pathways without affecting the positive NF-κB and negative AKT regulatory pathways of TF expression. Furthermore, TF up-regulation was abolished or partially suppressed by inhibition of p38 or JNK but not ERK1/2. Interestingly, blockade of the PLC/Ca2+ pathway did not affect P2Y2 receptor activation of p38, JNK, and TF induction. However, blockade of Src kinase reduced phosphorylation of p38 but not JNK, eliminating TF induction. In contrast, inhibition of Rho kinase reduced phosphorylation of JNK but not p38, decreasing TF expression. These findings demonstrate that P2Y2 receptor mediates TF expression in HCAEC through new mechanisms involving Src/p38 and Rho/JNK pathways, possibly contributing to a pro-thrombotic status after vascular injury.


Researchers develop sutureless conductive patch with enhanced biostability and effect on heart conduction velocity. Electrically active constructs can have a beneficial effect on electroresponsive tissues, such as the brain, heart, and nervous system. Conducting polymers (CPs) are being considered as components of these constructs because of their intrinsic electroactive and flexible nature. However, their clinical application has been largely hampered by their short operational time due to a decrease in their electronic properties. We show that, by immobilizing the dopant in the conductive scaffold, we can prevent its electric deterioration. We grew polyaniline (PANI) doped with phytic acid on the surface of a chitosan film. The strong chelation between phytic acid and chitosan led to a conductive patch with retained electroactivity, low surface resistivity (35.85 ± 9.40 kilohms per square), and oxidized form after 2 weeks of incubation in physiological medium. Ex vivo experiments revealed that the conductive nature of the patch has an immediate effect on the electrophysiology of the heart. Preliminary in vivo experiments showed that the conductive patch does not induce proarrhythmogenic activities in the heart. Our findings set the foundation for the design of electronically stable CP-based scaffolds. This provides a robust conductive system that could be used at the interface with electroresponsive tissue to better understand the interaction and effect of these materials on the electrophysiology of these tissues.


The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of using WiziQ platform as a virtual classroom on students' achievement, motivation and attitudes. The sample of this study consists of 42 students enrolled in the course of "Educational and Information technology" at the college of education, Sultan Qaboos University. The participating students were assigned randomly to a control and experimental group (17 and 25 students respectively). Data collection tools included: an academic achievement test, motivation scale and attitude scale. The results of the study showed that there is a significant difference in the mean scores of the post-test between the control group and experimental group in favor of experimental group. The results also indicated that students in the experimental group developed positive attitude towards using WiziQ virtual classroom in their learning. In addition, the findings showed that students in the experimental group were more engaged and motivated to learn compared to their counterparts in the control group.


Heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems consume 43 % of the energy used by buildings. This percentage grows when the HVAC system operates with malfunctions. Fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) methods are developed to reduce abnormal events and down-times and to promote energy saving use of equipment. Most FDD methodologies for HVAC systems found in the literature revolve around first principle models and mathematical models. This dissertation describes a FDD solution based on process history data and artificial neural network (ANN) models. ANN models, of HVAC components, are built from fault-free operation data. Faulty data are then used with the ANN models to build various residuals and statistical residual transformations. From these residuals, unique residual patterns are assigned to discern between a variety of malfunctions. This FDD strategy is, firstly, applied to a static pressure control loop and secondly, applied to the overall power consumption of an HVAC system. In both studies, the FDD system successFully detected and classified unwanted anomalies some deviating as little as 5% from normal operational standards. Finally, the FDD system is rated according to a common set of criteria reviewed in the literature study. This criterion shows the FDD strategy to be robust and adaptable, with low modelling and computational requirements.


Optical modulation plays arguably the utmost important role in microwave photonic (MWP) systems. Precise synthesis of modulated optical spectra dictates virtually all aspects of MWP system quality including loss, noise figure, linearity, and the types of functionality that can be executed. But for such a critical function, the versatility to generate and transform analog optical modulation is severely lacking, blocking the pathways to truly unique MWP functions including ultra-linear links and low-loss high rejection filters. Here we demonstrate versatile RF photonic spectrum synthesis in an all-integrated silicon photonic circuit, enabling electrically-tailorable universal analog modulation transformation. We show a series of unprecedented RF filtering experiments through monolithic integration of the spectrum-synthesis circuit with a network of reconfigurable ring resonators.


Aim
Typically, non-indigenous species have been studied in relation to either the invaded (recipient) community or the donor community. However, we still lack a broad understanding of the mechanisms underlying the establishment of non-indigenous species that combines both perspectives. Since the opening of the Suez Canal, hundreds of species have invaded the Mediterranean from the Red Sea, forming a unique system in which the entire species pool (donor, non-indigenous and recipient) is known. Focusing on species ecological traits, we assess the drivers underlying the establishment of non-indigenous species from the onset of the invasion to the present.

Location
The Mediterranean and Red Seas.

Methods
We compiled traits for shallow-water hard-bottom-associated fishes in the Mediterranean (recipient community) and the Red Sea (donor community). We compared the multivariate community trait structure of non-indigenous species with the donor and recipient assemblages, using a novel method to objectively assign trait-weights, thereby increasing the robustness of the results. Patterns were contrasted with two types of null models which provide distinct insights into the ecological processes.

Results
Non-indigenous fishes are very diverse ecologically, substantially increasing the total community trait diversity of the Mediterranean. Trait similarity between non-indigenous and indigenous Mediterranean species was lower than expected, indicating that non-indigenous fishes tend to occupy relatively vacant niches within the Mediterranean. However, we further found that over time non-indigenous species display increased trait similarity to indigenous Mediterranean species. This suggests that trait constraints associated with successful establishment are weakening.

Main conclusions
Non-indigenous species establish in relatively vacant ecological niches, opening the possibility for predicting establishment using ecological traits. However, the weakening of trait constraints through time suggests that forecasting future establishment may be difficult. Faced with an accelerating pace of invasion, it appears that the Mediterranean is going to be transformed into an extension of the Red Sea in terms of trait and species composition.


Combat modeling involves opposing forces following set processes coupled with uncertainty to determine the winner. These models are built around traditional weaponry and tactics; however, cyber-attacks do not follow the traditional rules. Moreover, due to the very nature of a cyber-attack, it is difficult to model their effects, especially as it relates to a tactical mission. This study provides a simplified method to model the impact of a cyber-attack on a dismounted Army squad. Different pathways for the attack are identified. This method then assumes that the cyber-attack was effective and looks at the change in soldier performance as a result of the attack. In particular, it looks at the degradation of a soldier's ability to shoot, move, and communicate. This degradation can then be modelled in the Infantry Warrior Simulation (IWARS) to capture the changes in performance metrics to include survivability and lethality. Two case studies are presented. The first looks at the degradation of a soldier with a hacked Facebook account that received personal misinformation. The second looks at a jammed surveillance drone that provides the soldiers with the wrong information.


[Extract] Mangroves are a type of tropical forest, uniquely positioned at the dynamic interface of land and sea. They are found along coasts and estuaries throughout the tropics and subtropics and are capable of thriving in salt water; prospering in conditions to which only a few species have adapted. Mangroves form the foundation of a highly productive and biologically rich ecosystem which provides a home and feeding ground for a wide range of species, many of which are endangered. Although mangroves make up less than one percent of all tropical forests worldwide, they are highly valuable ecosystems, providing an array of essential goods and services which contribute significantly to the livelihoods, well-being and security of coastal communities. The complex network of mangrove roots can help reduce wave energy, limiting erosion and shielding coastal communities from the destructive forces of tropical storms. Mangrove ecosystems are often an essential source of seafood for both subsistence consumption and the local and national seafood trade, in addition to providing other materials such as firewood and timber, which support the livelihoods of thousands of coastal communities. Beyond their direct benefits, mangroves also play an important role in global climate regulation. On average, they store around 1,000 tonnes of carbon per hectare in their biomass and underlying soil, making them some of the most carbon-rich ecosystems on the planet. Despite its value, the mangrove ecosystem is one of the most threatened on the planet. Mangroves are being destroyed at rates 3-5 times greater than average rates of forest loss and over a quarter of the original mangrove cover has already disappeared; driven by land conversion for aquaculture and agriculture, coastal development, pollution and overexploitation of mangrove resources. As mangroves become smaller and more fragmented, important ecosystem goods and services will be diminished or lost. The consequences of further mangrove degradation will be particularly severe for the well-being of coastal communities in developing countries, especially where people rely heavily on mangrove goods and services for their daily subsistence and livelihoods. However, the future of mangroves does not have to be bleak. Increasing recognition of the importance of mangrove ecosystems for both biodiversity and human well-being is driving efforts around the world to conserve, better manage and restore these ecosystems. Many of these have been successful at a local scale, often supported by national policies that recognise the significant long-term benefits of mangroves over short-term financial gains. Mangroves need to be understood for the valuable socio-economic and ecological resource they are, and conserved and managed sustainably. This will take a commitment by governments to make policy decisions and enforce existing protection measures to curb the widespread losses from human activities. This global synthesis document serves as a call to action to decision makers and highlights the unique range of values of mangroves to people around the world. It aims to provide a science-based synthesis of the different types of goods and services provided by mangroves and the associated risks in losing these services in the face of ongoing global habitat loss and degradation. The document provides management and policy options at the local, regional and global level with the aim of preventing further losses through effective conservation measures, sustainable management and successful restoration of previously damaged mangrove areas. Our hope is that this call to action will generate renewed interest in mangroves for policy-makers, helping to safeguard a future for these essential yet undervalued ecosystems.


Characterizing the timing, severity, and agents of historic forest disturbances is critical to developing management and conservation strategies based on natural processes. Typically such information is derived from retrospective studies of remnant old-growth forests; however, this approach has limited application in regions dominated by secondary forests heavily influenced by past land-use. One striking example is the secondary aspen mixedwood forests of northern Minnesota, which have risen in both abundance and aerial extent, the result of post-settlement harvesting and subsequent land-use changes. Given their recent rise in abundance, as well as their dominance by relatively short-lived aspen, they have not been the focus of retrospective studies examining pre-settlement conditions. Using methods of dendrochronology, we reconstructed nearly a 90-year history of canopy disturbances and stand development for nine secondary mesic aspen mixedwood forests of northern Minnesota. Results show all stands initiating after near stand-replacing disturbance, presumably harvests, marked by initial recruitment dominated by Populus tremuloides. Ensuing development included an extended recruitment period by shade-tolerant species such as Abies balsamea, Acer rubrum, and Picea glauca. However, some stands experienced defoliation by forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) quite early during the stem exclusion stage (major events occurring as early as 23 years after stand initiation), causing tree mortality and giving rise to a new cohort. Subsequent repeated outbreaks of tent caterpillar and spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) further opened the canopy, resulting in complex mixed-species, multi-cohort stands. This study is one of the first to link chronic defoliation events with long-term community dynamics for this forest type. Our findings highlight the critical roles these events play in structuring aspen mixedwood forests, particularly within the early stages of stand development, resulting in multi-cohort stands. Moreover, our findings support the growing body of literature suggesting that the range of variability in aspen age structures extends beyond the single-cohort model that has guided forest management in this region. Collectively, these findings have important implications for the design of forest management practices that approximate this range of variability and emulate defoliation disturbances, with early harvest entries aimed at increasing stand structural and compositional complexity. 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


In the UK, large areas of blanket bogs were afforested with non-native conifers between the 1960s and the 1980s. Following recognition of the detrimental effects of such practice on biodiversity and carbon stocks, large-scale restoration trials started in the late 1990s and are further supported by recent changes in policy. The removal of forestry from peatlands is likely to be a widespread land-use change in the coming decades and could affect adjacent freshwater systems. This study aimed to investigate whether forestry removal with drain blocking affected nearby spawning sites used by Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). We analysed the chemistry of hyporheic (beneath and just above the streambed) and surface water, and measured sediment deposition upstream of, within and downstream of a forestry block in the north of Scotland, during and after restoration management operations. We found no immediate effect of management except on potassium and zinc concentrations, which increased after restoration. The general lack of effect is attributed to catchment properties, including the small proportion of catchment (< 5 %) affected by management, and to dilution effects related to heavy precipitation during the intervention phase. We suggest that longer-term monitoring should be implemented as the sizes of areas undergoing restoration management increases.


The cases studied show a lively bamboo sector that is expanding, contributing to employment and economic development in rural areas of China. County variations seem to indicate alternative land use options and different degrees of industrial development among them. New demands, notably for bamboo shoots are widening the range of species being planted, signaling a trend towards greater diversification, although most bamboo remains the dominant species. A new emerging issue is how to improve bamboo management while trying to satisfy development and environmental objectives. While bamboo intensification is showing signs of environmental impact, many naturally occurring species of bamboo remain still under-utilized if not blatantly ignored, being sometimes considered as a weed. The first phase of land reform seems to have reached a ceiling. There is a wide consensus that the reforms undertaken have triggered a major expansion of the bamboo sector. However, a new momentum in the reform process is needed. Extending the length of contracts, improving the conditions and guarantees for inheritability of rights, allowing for some flexibility in the allocation of land and a new approach to subleasing, as well as incentives to improve management of state and collective farms are currently being discussed and applied in an experimental way. The recent bamboo raw material price stagnation and even decline seem to indicate a market glut. The Asian economic crisis has had an effect in this trial installed capacity, old technologies and insufficient response to new demands has also contributed to the decline of prices. Restructuring the bamboo industry, focusing it on quality and innovation, seem to be one of the key tasks ahead.


In this paper we study the relationship between task complexity and the occupational wage- and employment structure. Complex tasks are defined as those requiring higher-order skills, such as the ability to abstract, solve problems, make decisions, or communicate effectively. We measure the task complexity of an occupation by performing Principal Component Analysis on a broad set of occupational descriptors in the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) data. We establish four main empirical facts for the U.S. over the 1980-2005 time period that are robust to the inclusion of a detailed set of controls, subsamples, and levels of aggregation: (1) There is a positive relationship across occupations between task complexity and wages and wage growth; (2) Conditional on task complexity, routine-intensity of an occupation is not a significant predictor of wage growth and wage levels; (3) Labor has reallocated from less complex to more complex occupations over time; (4) Within groups of occupations with similar task complexity labor has reallocated to non-routine occupations over time. We then formulate a model of Complex-Task Biased Technological Change with heterogeneous skills and show analytically that it can rationalize these facts. We conclude that workers in non-routine occupations with low ability of solving complex tasks are not shielded from the labor market effects of automatization.


In the development of magnesium alloys for high pressure die casting which have excellent high temperature strength, creep properties have been investigated with focusing on calcium addition. Creep tests were performed in the temperature range of 373–473 K and the stress range of 40–100 MPa. The creep resistance of the Mg–Zn alloy at temperature below 440 K is extremely improved with calcium addition. As the concentration of zinc increased, the creep properties tend to deteriorate. In other words, if the alloy contains less than 4 mass%Zn and more than 0.5 mass%Ca, good creep properties is shown below 440 K in the alloy systems. The fine plate precipitates consisting of several atom layers are found in the crept samples which show good creep properties. On the other hand, the coarse precipitates are observed in the samples after creep in alloys without calcium and with calcium crept above 440 K. Improvement of the creep properties by calcium addition is considered to be caused by the precipitation of fine compounds.


For achieving better environmental performance of products or product systems, it is essential to manage total product life cycle. This paper describes a method for supporting product life cycle management by comprehensive product life cycle simulation, which is a basis for designing and evaluating total product life cycle. For life cycle evaluation, it is important to seek for the better product services, at the same time to seek for lower environmental burden and life cycle management costing. For this purpose, a product usage model is proposed, where customer satisfaction is measured by offered product functionality. The same level of customer satisfaction can be achieved by various different life cycle management options. By taking examples of technologically immature short-life products, like mobile phones, effect of difference of required product service quality is investigated, and appropriate product management strategy is discussed for improving product service quality.


If you are looking for a fast, visual way to learn Macromedia Flash 8 and create your interactive website, Macromedia Flash 8 On Demandi¾ is the book you need. Step-by-step instructions with accompanying 4-color visuals mean you'll spend less time reading and more time learning. You'll learn howi¾ you can easily integrate and add interactivity with tools, develop content using pre-built components and effectively improve authoring capabilities with custom extensions.The new features icon used throughout the book highlights what's new in Macromedia Flash 8 and a troubleshooting guide is included to help solve your most common problems. Also, the companion software shows you how to perform everyday tasks and helps you gain web authoring experience. Let Macromedia Flash 8 On Demandi¾ help you master Macromedia Flash 8.


With an expected lifetime of 20 years and an expected cost of $500, the Cal Poly Sustainable Power for Electrical Resources (SuPER) project needed a strong central design. This thesis looks at the work completed by students over the previous 5 years, with an eye on the future, to create the phase 2 design. Part of this new structure focuses on a distributed communication bus for monitoring system health and status. Instead of complex and costly computer or FPGA systems, the new system will run solely with microcontrollers. This reduces costs and will hopefully still be used within 5, 10, and 20 years as the number of embedded devices continues to grow globally. The new system design was created using many systems engineering tools and benchmarks, including: requirements breakdown, hardware interfacing, software interfacing, safety, reliability, maintainability, and cost. Major components have been broken down into subsystems with well-defined requirements for implementation. These smaller projects can be completed by future team members as senior projects, independent work, or even Master's theses. Upon test and integration, these subsystems will come together into a field-ready model to help bring power to the two billion people on Earth lacking it.


Making logic-based AI representations accessible to ordinary users has been an ongoing challenge for the successful deployment of knowledge bases. Past work to meet this objective has resulted in a variety of ontology editing tools and task-specific knowledge-acquisition methods. In this paper, we describe a Web-based ontology browsing and editing system with the following features: (a) well-organized English-like presentation of concept descriptions and (b) use of graphs to enter concept relationships, add/delete lists, and analogical correspondences. No existing tool supports these features. The system is Web-based and its user interface uses a mixture of HTML and Java. It has undergone significant testing and evaluation in the context of a real application.


The deep sea is characterized by extreme environmental conditions including limited light availability, which makes non-visual sensory capabilities quite important. In addition to the visual, auditory, olfactory and gustatory systems found in all vertebrates, all fishes have a mechanosensory lateral line system. This system is composed of neuromast receptor organs on the skin and in bony canals on the head and trunk and is sensitive to unidirectional water flows and low frequency vibrations. Our knowledge about the lateral line system (LL) in deep-sea fishes is limited. Of the taxa in which the LL has been described, there appears to be two morphologies: widened LL canals with large canal neuromasts, and a reduced LL canal system with a proliferation of superficial neuromasts (SNs). However, the one published description of the LL in a species of the prominent midwater order Stomiiformes, suggests that there is a third LL morphology defined by a reduction in canals on the head accompanied by just a few, small SNs. The goal of Chapter 1 was to use traditional and modern morphological methods to provide the first detailed description of the LL system in two groups of stomiiform fishes (Argyropelecus [Family Sternoptychidae] and Cyclothone [Family Gonostomatidae]) as well as other fishes in the Families Gonostomatidae, Phocichthyidae, and Stomiidae in order to test the hypothesis that reduced canals and a reduced number of SNs is a strategy in the evolution of the LL in stomiiform fishes. A total of 27 species in 17 genera in four families were studied using one or more morphological approaches (including histology and micro computed tomography, or μCT). In depth analysis of four Argyropelecus species (Sternoptychidae) revealed the presence of several incompletely ossified LL canals on the head, including the supraorbital (SO), mandibular (MD) and preopercular (PO) canals. Examination of whole preserved specimens of other taxa also revealed the presence of SO, MD, PO, and IO (infraorbital) canals with varying degrees of ossification. Few species had all canals typically found in bony fishes, but all taxa, with the exception Cyclothone species, had some cranial LL canals. A proliferation of SNs was revealed using histological material and scanning electron microscopy in fishes in the families Sternoptychidae, Gonostomatidae, and Stomiidae. These domed, circular structures (= "white dots") stood out against darkly pigmented skin and were visible under low magnification in very well preserved specimens. They appeared to be innervated, and had a similar morphology and distribution on the head and/or body in all species. Thus, it appears that there is a proliferation of SNs in many stomiiform genera, that the initial description of just a few SNs in Argyropelecus is incorrect, and that the LL is more important to these deep-sea fishes than has been previously suggested. The discovery of a proliferation of SNs in these fishes made it necessary to be able to distinguish them from the numerous bioluminescent photophores and other structures found in in the skin of these fishes. In Chapter 2, specimens were imaged under different wavelengths of light as a new tool to distinguish SNs from both complex and simple photophores. A total of 34 stomiiform species (in four families) and representatives of two other deep-sea taxa (Myctophidae, Melamphaidae) were examined under brightfield illumination, and at three different excitation wavelengths (390, 470, 545 nm). Complex photophores were visible under all wavelengths, while SNs and simple photophores were only visible at 390 and 470 nm. SNs and simple photophores were brighter under different wavelengths, allowing for SNs to be differentiated from photophores when illuminated under different wavelengths of light. This technique also revealed variation in the size, distribution, density, and orientation (direction of light emission) of numerous, minute, complex photophores on the head and trunk of stomiids. Additionally, the fragile, gelatinous coating found in some stomiid fishes and the simple photophores found within it were described in Chauliodus sloani and Stomias boa ferox.


Autonomous vehicles are one of the most highly anticipated technological developments of our time, with potentially wide-ranging social implications. Where dominant popular discourses around autonomous vehicles have tended to espouse a crude form of technological determinism, social scientific engagements with autonomous vehicles have tended to focus on rather narrow utilitarian dimensions related to regulation, safety or efficiency. This article argues that what is therefore largely missing from current debates is a sensitivity to the broader social implications of autonomous vehicles. The article aims to remedy this absence. Through a speculative mode, it is shown how a mobilities approach provides an ideal conceptual lens through which the broader social impacts of autonomous vehicles might be identified and evaluated. The argument is organized across four dimensions: transformations to experiences, inequalities, labour and systems. The article develops an agenda for critical sociological work on automated vehicles; and it calls on sociologists to contribute much-needed critical voices to the institutional and public debates on the development of autonomous vehicles.


Cloud computing provides an approach to accessing shared computing resources. However, a traditional cloud is composed of powerful but energy-hungry workstations. The growth of the population of mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets provides huge amount of idling computing power. In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of a mobile computing system prototype named GEMCloud that utilizes energy efficient mobile devices (e.g., smartphones and tablets) as computing resources. We evaluate the computing power and energy efficiency of the mobile devices through comprehensive experiments. The results show that a cloud computing system with enough mobile devices working cooperatively is able to save 55% to 98% of the energy consumption of conventional server-based clouds while providing comparable computing speed.


The use of economic incentives to improve health and safety (H&S) performance in the construction industry in general has been investigated by various scholars. However, few studies have looked at the impact of economic incentives on construction clients, especially in the developing world. This paper reports findings on the feasibility of incentives to influence construction clients to perform on H&S.
The investigation was conducted using a Delphi technique to determine the impact significance of economic incentives or disincentives on construction clients' H&S performance. A panel of experts in construction H&S was assembled from most regions of the world. A threeround iterative Delphi study aimed at establishing consensus from the expert panel was then conducted.
The study found that economic factors have critical impact significance on clients' H&S performance, and that clients were 'very likely' to implement various H&S elements as a result of the economic incentives and or disincentives.
There is little research on the use of incentives to influence construction clients' H&S performance and the effectiveness of such incentives. This gap in literature, and the need for improvement in construction H&S performance, motivated the current study. Therefore it was necessary to investigate specifically the extent to which economic incentives could be used to influence construction clients to become involved in H&S programmes. Economic incentives are considered to be a proactive way of improving H&S performance among other key parties, such as employees in the construction industry.
The paper reports on the findings from an analysis of the impact significance of economic incentives on clients. It underscores the point that economic incentives or disincentives for construction clients are necessary to encourage them to actively participate in H&S programmes, hence resulting in performance improvement.


Computer simulation studies of a few representative Platinum-GroupMinerals (PGM), which are of industrial importance to the mining industry in South Africa were carried out. The electronic, structural and optical properties of PGM (PtS, PdPt3S4, PtAs2 and Pt4As4S4) were calculated within the framework of the density functional theory. We have used both the pseudopotential planewave and the Tight Binding Linear Muffin-Tin Orbital (TB-LMTO) methods to complement each other, since there is not much experimental data available for these systems. In the TB-LMTO method, the radii of overlapping Muffin Tin (MT) spheres were chosen to provide an efficient packing of space while ensuring that the overlap between the spheres remains small. The ground state structural properties were obtained by self-consistent energy minimization with respect to the atomic volume. The predicted equilibrium volume is within less than 15% of experiment. We have also found non-metallic semi-conducting behaviour for the three systems, PtS, PdPt3S4 and PtAs2 using both ab initio techniques. On the other hand, Pt4As4S4 was predicted to be metallic. We argue that the strong bonding between the Pt 5d and the S(As) 3p(4p) states plays a crucial role in the formation of the band gap in the semiconducting. The optical properties of PtS, PdPt3S4 and PtAs2 were calculated, and their reflectance spectra were found to be in good agreement with the experimental measurements. Full relaxation of both the volume and the internal parameters was carried out using the plane-wave pseudopotential method. It was found that the internal parameters as well as the bond lengths decrease with hydrostatic compression particularly for the cubic PtAs2, Pt4As4S4 and tetragonal PdPt3S4, and PtS has no internal parameters. The bulk moduli were calculated for these representatives of PGM and there are currently no experimental results available. We have derived a new set of potential models for PtS, PdPt3S4, PtAs2 and Pt4As4S4 structures. The models were used to study the pressure dependence of lattice constant for all the four systems and agree well with our electronic structure methods. However, PtS display anomaly under hydrostatic pressure, by expanding along c-lattice constant with increased pressure, for which there are no experimental evidence. We then modelled the structure and stabilities of PtAs2 and Pt4As4S4 of the dry and hydrated surfaces for low and high index surfaces, and predicted the {100} surface to be the most stable in both cases. It is further shown that molecular absorption of water has a stabilising effect on all the surfaces of the two structures. Stepped surfaces were created for {510} and {610} for both PtAs2 and Pt4As4S4 in order to model more realistic surfaces under dry condition with one dimensional defects, and then acute stepped were found to be the most stable compared to the obtuse steps. The three surfaces expressed in the equilibrium morphology of PtAs2, {100}, {210} and {102}, are in good agreement with experiment.


Many laboratories manage point-of-care services either in their hospital or in their wider locality in association with primary care commissioners. As a result, they tend to be asked to contribute to assessment of the acceptability of new point-of-care systems from the point of view of accuracy and comparability to current systems. This is particularly the case for glucose testing strips, which currently make up 53.7% of the total global point-of-care testing (POCT) market.1

In testing whether systems are acceptable for clinical use, it is usual for 'pragmatic' testing regimes to be used. A fully correct ISO 15197:2013 evaluation2 is difficult because it requires collection of capillary blood samples from volunteers with a wide range of blood glucose concentrations, meaning that many healthy individuals and many patients with diabetes mellitus need to be recruited. It is not only difficult to find suitable volunteers but it is also difficult to simultaneously test a wide range of POCT analysers because multiple lancet punctures are necessary as one puncture site rarely stays open long enough for multiple blood drops to be collected. Moreover, there is inherent variability in capillary blood samples collected from fingerprink sites, compounding the problem even further.3 Finally, the use of live volunteers means that regulatory approval for the study would be required from a Research …


Intellectual property law was once an arcane subject. Today it is at the center of some of the most highly charged political contests of our time. In recent years, college students, subsistence farmers, AIDS activists, genomic scientists, and free-software programmers have mobilized to challenge the contours of intellectual property (IP) law. Very recently, some from these groups have begun to develop a shared critique under the umbrella of "access to knowledge" (A2K). Existing accounts of the political economy of the field of IP have suggested that such a mobilization was unlikely. This Article takes the emergence of the A2K mobilization as an opportunity to develop a richer and less deterministic account of the contemporary politics of IP. It draws upon "frame mobilization" literature, which illuminates the role that acts of interpretation play in instigating, promoting, and legitimating collective action. The frame-analytic perspective teaches that before a group can act it must develop an account of its interests and theorize how to advance these interests. These acts of interpretation are both socially mediated and contingent. Ideas can be a resource for those engaged in mobilization, but one that is not fully in their control. Frames thus can lay the scaffolding for a countermovement even as they pave the way for a movement's success. Law is a key location for framing conflicts because it provides groups with symbolic resources for framing, and because groups struggle within the field of law to gain control over law's normative and instrumental benefits. Law thus exerts a gravitational pull on framing processes. Engagement with law can influence a group's architecture, discourse, and strategies, and can also create areas of overlapping agreement and - as importantly - a language of common disagreement between opposing groups. The Article closes by suggesting some implications of this point, which should be of interest to those who design legal institutions and who engage in social mobilization. Most intriguing, perhaps, is the role it suggests that law may play in the creation of global publics and polities.


Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) are widely used in many structural applications, such as rehabilitating and reinforcing different structures that are subjected to risks of external damage, because of their excellent material properties. However, this technique leads to a delamination problem, which is a failure mode that occurs between the FRP patch and the retrofitted structure and is caused by the interfacial stress concentration in the adhesive layer, thereby reducing the effectiveness of this reinforcement technique. Thus, the objective of this research is to investigate the taper effect of multilayer FRP patch on the reduction of the interfacial stresses, including fiber orientation and shear-lag effect, while thermo-mechanical loads are applied. An analytical model is developed to predict the interfacial stresses in the adhesively patched structures with FRP. A numerical simulation using finite element method is also employed to validate the results from the analytical analysis. Finally, a parametric study is carried out in order to determine the influence of each parameter and to determine the optimal configurations.


The Minoan eruption of Santorini produced the following sequence of deposits: a plinian pumice fall deposit, interbedded surtseyan-type ash fall and base surge deposits, mud-flow deposits and ignimbrite interbedded with very coarse, well-sorted flood deposits. The variation of thickness and grain size in the plinian deposit indicates a vent 1 km west of Thera town. The base surges and surtseyan-type activity is interpreted as the result of sea water entering the magma chamber. The poorly sorted mud-flow deposits and ignimbrite are distinguished on their grain size, temperature and morphological characteristics, which indicate substantial rheo-logical contrasts in the mass flows which produced them. Grain size analyses show wide ranges in the lithic contents of the different types of deposit: ignimbrite (35–60%), mud-flows (20–30%) and the pyroclastic fall and base surge deposits (4–15%). The ignimbrite is enriched in crystals, complemented by depletion in fine air-fall ash beds that interstratify with the ignimbrite. The gas velocity of the plinian phase is estimated as 550 m/s, the eruption column height as greater than 20 km and it is shown that only particles of 2 mm could have reached Minoan Crete.


Material and methods: The present study was conducted on all 100 volunteers recruited from the student population of Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences, Bellary, belonging to the age group of 18-24 years from May 2008 to May 2009. Baseline characteristics of all subjects were recorded which includes age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI = Weight in kg /Height 2 in meters), resting heart rate and resting blood pressure. Then, they were subjected to exercise stress test on treadmill as per Bruce protocol. Independent-Sample T-test was used to find significant difference between the subjects with and without parental history of hypertension. Results: Mean heart rate was significantly higher in male subjects having family history of hypertension across different stages of exercise except in stage-1 (heart rate 1). Mean systolic blood pressure was significantly higher across all stages of exercise whereas mean Diastolic blood pressure was comparable between the two groups. Mean heart rate, systolic blood pressure and Diastolic blood pressure were significantly higher across all stages of exercise in female subjects having family history of hypertension except peak heart rate (heart rate peak) which was comparable in two groups. Conclusion: important finding was that those with a family history of hypertension had a higher heart rate, systolic blood pressure response across several stages of treadmill exercise. In female subjects, in addition, diastolic blood pressure was also significantly higher in those with family history of hypertension.


In many lower-income countries, the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) involves significant opportunity costs for artisanal fishers, reflected in changes in how they allocate their labor in response to the MPA. The resource economics literature rarely addresses such labor allocation decisions of artisanal fishers and how, in turn, these contribute to the impact of MPAs on fish stocks, yield, and income. This paper develops a spatial bio-economic model of a fishery adjacent to a village of people who allocate their labor between fishing and on-shore wage opportunities to establish a spatial Nash equilibrium at a steady state fish stock in response to various locations for no-take zone MPAs and managed access MPAs. Villagers' fishing location decisions are based on distance costs, fishing returns, and wages. Here, the MPA location determines its impact on fish stocks, fish yield, and villager income due to distance costs, congestion, and fish dispersal. Incorporating wage labor opportunities into the framework allows examination of the MPA's impact on rural incomes, with results determining that win-wins between yield and stocks occur in very different MPA locations than do win-wins between income and stocks. Similarly, villagers in a high-wage setting face a lower burden from MPAs than do those in low-wage settings. Motivated by issues of central importance in Tanzania and Costa Rica, we impose various policies on this fishery – location specific no-take zones, increasing on-shore wages, and restricting MPA access to a subset of villagers – to analyze the impact of an MPA on fish stocks and rural incomes in such settings.


Abstract:
Introduction: In this article, we present our findings regarding the lessons learned by using critical thinking, project-based learning, and flipped classroom educational approaches in an online course. The course, "Systems Thinking," was delivered to 20 graduate students during the Covid pandemic, in the second semester of 2020. The students worked in project teams to create short videos that analyzed the dynamics present in different real-life systems. The objective is to determine the effects of combining critical thinking, project-based learning, and flipped classrooms to maximize learning.
Methods: We followed a convergent parallel mixed-method approach. The quantitative data was collected through two multiple-choice tests (pre-test and a post-test). The qualitative data was collected from students' discussion forums and students' projects. We also collected data employing one questionnaire sent at the end of the course. The data were analyzed following a systemic approach.
Results: The course design led to the development of five interconnected dynamics that favored the learning. The flipped classroom made the synchronous meetings more effective. The way the synchronous meetings were conducted (using different learning tools, tests as extrinsic motivators, and praising the students' achievements) kept the students motivated to learn. The discussion forum fostered critical thinking and the project-based learning approach gave opportunities to the students to learn by doing.
Conclusions: The combination of critical thinking, project-based learning, and flipped classroom can be a very effective way of enhancing the learning experience in online courses.
Keywords: critical thinking, project-based learning, flipped classroom, systems thinking, learning


"In order to realize agricultural potential and to increase agricultural yields, India's extension system has experienced major conceptual, structural, and institutional changes since the late 1990s. This paper reviews existing reform programs and strategies currently existing in agricultural extension in India. It distinguishes strategies that have been employed to strengthen both the supply and demand sides of service provision in the area of agricultural extension, and it reviews the effects of the demand- and supply-side strategies on the access to and the quality of agricultural extension services. The ultimate objectives are (1) to gain a view on what works where and why in improving the effectiveness of agricultural extension in a decentralized environment; (2) to identify measures that strengthen and improve agricultural extension service provision; and (3) to reveal existing knowledge gaps. Although the range of extension reform approaches is wide, this paper shows that an answer to the question of what works where and why is complicated by the absence of sound and comprehensive qualitative and quantitative impact and evaluation assessment studies. Even evidence from the National Agricultural Technology Project and the Diversified Agricultural Support Project of the World Bank, the women empowerment programs of the Danish International Development Agency, the Andhra Pradesh Tribal Development Project, and the e-Choupal program of the Indian Tobacco Company is subject to methodological and identification problems. Conclusions regarding the importance (1) of implementing both decentralized, participatory, adaptive, and pluralistic demand- and supply-side extension approaches; (2) of involving the public, private, and third (civil society) sectors in extension service provision and funding; and (3) of strengthening the capacity of and the collaboration between farmers, researchers, and extension workers are necessarily tentative and require further quantification. The paper seeks to inform policymakers and providers of extension services from all sectors about the need to make performance assessments and impact evaluations inherent components of any extension program so as to increase the effectiveness of extension service reforms." from Author's Abstract


During the colonial period, Africans told each other terrifying rumors that Africans who worked for white colonists captured unwary residents and took their blood. In colonial Tanganyika, for example, Africans were said to be captured by these agents of colonialism and hung upside down, their throats cut so their blood drained into huge buckets. In Kampala, the police were said to abduct Africans and keep them in pits, where their blood was sucked. Luise White presents and interprets vampire stories from East and Central Africa as a way of understanding the world as the storytellers did. Using gossip and rumor as historical sources in their own right, she assesses the place of such evidence, oral and written, in historical reconstruction. White conducted more than 130 interviews for this book and did research in Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia. In addition to presenting powerful, vivid stories that Africans told to describe colonial power, the book presents an original epistemological inquiry into the nature of historical truth and memory, and into their relationship to the writing of history.


Paramedics deal with a variety of emergency situations, ranging from natural disasters to road traffic accidents. Higher education providers need to critically explore how to best prepare student paramedics for high risk, unforeseen events that require critical awareness and diagnostic problem-solving capabilities. Hi-fidelity mannequin based simulation is a widely adopted and proven technique for clinical training and critical care response education (Kaufman, 2010). However, traditional mannequin based simulation in isolation limits a meaningful learning context and authentic real-world assessment influences.
The MESH360 project involves a collaborative transdisciplinary team of designers and educational researchers, in the design of XR to enhance student and professional paramedic training to prepare practitioners for the environmental stressors and critical care decisions involved in high-risk situations.
This presentation explores the third iteration prototype design stage of an immersive reality (XR) enhanced simulation project in critical healthcare higher education. To promote student engagement through innovative learning tasks, XR was employed to introduce critical elements of patient and practitioner risk and stress by creating a learning environment that more authentically simulates these elements.
Design Based Research (DBR) provided a structure within a four-phase iterative framework (McKenney & Reeves, 2012) when designing the XR learning environment (Cochrane et al., 2017). Using DBR, the project explored the impact of mobile XR enhanced simulation for novice and professional paramedics. This project explored the development and implementation with an enhanced simulation scenario involving a virtual helicopter ride and an immersive simulated patient rescue.
The project used mixed methods to triangulate qualitative and quantitative data within the design. We measured participant stress by recording heart rate (HR) followed by subjective qualitative participant responses and feedback (Pre and post participant surveys, and post focus group). The thematic analysis showed a positive and enthusiastic experience by the students. Whilst some thought there was room for increased helicopter fidelity, all students believed that XR provided a more authentic experience. This presentation will demonstrate the methods and user reaction of this prototype study.
This is the third iteration prototyping a DBR project that explores the development of an immersive reality framework for enhanced critical care simulation for educating paramedics within an authentic learning environment. A learning solution was implemented into an educational setting offering context to real-world learning within an engaging authentic environment. The next stages of the research will iteratively evaluate and refine prototype immersive reality learning environments, comparing the impact upon both novice and expert paramedics. This will inform the next phase of the DBR project that will focus upon the development of design principles for a transferable design framework.
References
Cochrane, T., Cook, S., Aiello, S., Christie, D., Sinfield, D., Steagall, M., & Aguayo, C. (2017). A DBR Framework for Designing Mobile Virtual Reality Learning Environments. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology (AJET), 33(6), 54-68. doi: https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.3613
Kaufman, D. (2010). Simulation in Health Professional Education. In D. Kaufman & L. Sauvé (Eds.), Educational Gameplay and Simulation Environments: Case Studies and Lessons Learned (pp. 51-67). Hershey, PA, USA: IGI Global.
McKenney, S., & Reeves, T. (2012). Conducting educational design research. London: Routledge.


The Geography of Money-Benjamin J. Cohen 2018-10-18 The traditional assumption holds that the territory of money coincides precisely with the political frontiers of each nation state: France has the franc, the United Kingdom has the pound, the United States has the dollar. But the disparity between that simple mental landscape and the actual organization of currency spaces has grown in recent years, as territorial boundaries of individual states limit currency circulation less and less. Many currencies are used outside their "home" country for transactions either between nations or within foreign states. In this book, Benjamin J. Cohen asks what this new geography of money reveals about financial and political power. Cohen shows how recent changes in the geography of money challenge state sovereignty. He examines the role of money and the scope of cross-border currency competition in today's world. Drawing on new work in geography and network theory to explain the new spatial organization of monetary relations, Cohen suggests that international relations, political as well as economic, are being dramatically reshaped by the increasing interpenetration of national monetary spaces. This process, he explains, generates tensions and insecurities as well as opportunities for cooperation.


Expert book-and-video package helps you conquer Adobe InDesign CS6Whether you want to create sophisticated page layouts for print or electronic books or produce dazzling brochures and other publications, chances are Adobe InDesign is the design and page layout tool you'll call upon. Now you can enhance your creativity and discover all the ways to use Adobe InDesign with this book-and-DVD training package. Thirteen self-paced lessons teach you how to design, produce, and develop streamlined workflows for page layout. Each lesson is accompanied by a video tutorial that clearly demonstrates techniques and further explains concepts.A complete Adobe InDesign book-and-video training package from the expert instructors at the AGI Creative Team Thirteen self-paced lessons allow you to absorb the material at your own pace Includes short, downloadable videos that demonstrate techniques and further illustrate and explain concepts Covers the basics, the essentials, and seasoned techniques, as well as new features of InDesign CS6Adobe InDesign CS6 Digital Classroom is like having your own personal instructor guiding you through each unique lesson.Note: The DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of the e-book file. These materials are available for download upon purchase.


Missoni, Eres and Zimmerman are the rockstars of quality swimwear — and they tend to come with MSG-sized price tags. Yeah, we feel your pain, and it's only the beginning of getaway season. Similarly disappointed by the sub-par swim options at a reasonable price, fashion publicist — and part-time streetstyle starlet Gabby Sabharwal — dreamed up Giejo, a pint-sized collection that's already heavy in print-cred. The idea was to offer six mix-and-match separates inspired by her favorite vintage fabrics and silhouettes. After scouring the garment district for swatches and samples, Sabharwal chose both the classic and unexpected. The nautically-oriented will love the bandeau top in cream and navy, and underwire number in the sweetest periwinkle floral is straight-up gorgeous. For those who dare to go bold, the zoomed-in ikat triangle in noir and the retro bottoms are must-haves. And if you're somewhere in the middle like us, there are plenty of patchworked styles to indulge your indecision! Check Barneys for the Giejo collection soon, or shop online here!


Many reports in the literature suggest the involvement of perinodal adipocytes in inflammatory immune responses taking place in immune-challenged lymph nodes. Triacylglycerols (TAG) from the diet accumulate in adipocytes, and pass to lymph node lymphoid cells where they are used to provision immune responses. These adipocytes are specialised: TAG in perinodal adipose tissue are relatively enriched in polyunsaturated fatty acids compared with adipocytes that are not in proximity to lymphoid tissue. Polyunsaturated fatty acids can be used as precursors of eicosanoids and other regulatory molecules, as well as for membrane biosynthesis and energy. Thus perinodal adipocytes are specialized to provision immune cell metabolism.

Dendritic cells are well known as antigen presenting cells. They are migratory and are found in lymph nodes, and in significant numbers among perinodal adipocytes. Their numbers are modulated by dietary fatty acids. Dendritic cells can induce primary immune responses and allow the establishment of immunological memory. They are known to interact with adipocytes in various situations such as Crohn's disease, and it has been reported that developing dendritic cells accumulate lipid, which may derive from adipocytes. Thus dendritic cells are candidates for involvement in the transfer of TAG to lymphoid cells mounting an immune response.

Here we show by light and electron microscopy that small adipocyte-like cells are normal residents of the lymph node, and that following an immune challenge they are observed in association with dendritic cells deep within the stimulated node.

We also show in an in vitro co-culture system that both adipocytes and lymphoid cells exhibit altered metabolic activities when they are cultured together compared to when they are cultured alone. This is indirect evidence for a functional molecular interaction in vivo.

We propose that this co-localisation and putative interaction is the basis for provisioning a rapid immune response by dendritic cells. This phenomenon may therefore represent part of the mechanism for the development and/or deployment of immunological memory.


The dynamic and efficient usage of the resources is one of the fundamental aspects studied in the DIANA project: at first the traffic specification should reflects the real traffic demand, but, at the same time, optimize the resources requested. In applications using RSVP, this can be reached with the introduction of the RVBR Service, which is based on the renegotiation of the traffic specification. In this paper we present and discuss the RVBR service in detail. Then we describe how it applies to resource reservation for Internet traffic with RSVP and we show some results from simulation.


The present study confirms the presence of the Norwegian skate Dipturus nidarosiensis (Storm, 1881) in the Mediterranean Sea, by means of morphological traits and molecular markers providing the first record of this species in the Alboran Sea. Cannas et al . (2010) reported D. nidarosiensis for the first time in the Mediterranean from specimens captured in the central western basin, but Ebert & Stehmann (2013) and Stehmann et al . (2015) considered these records "likely refer to the smaller morphotype, Dipturus sp.", a species not yet described. Eight specimens of the Dipturus genus (Rajiformes: Rajidae) were caught off the Alboran Island (western Mediterranean) in 2012, 2013 and 2016, between 620 and 819 m depth. These specimens showed morphometric diagnostic features corresponding to those of Norwegian skates from the Northeast Atlantic and the central western Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, the Alboran individuals were genetically compared to Northeast Atlantic specimens available in GenBank by means of two mitochondrial DNA fragments: cytochrome c oxidase subunit I ( COI ) and cytochrome b ( Cytb ). Analyses showed that the Northeast Atlantic Norwegian skate specimens and the Alboran Sea ones were genetically similar and shared haplotypes, corroborating the identification of the Alboran individuals as Dipturus nidarosiensis . However, they were different from other Dipturus species distributed throughout the Northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. Our results confirm the occurrence of this deep-sea large skate species in the Mediterranean, although the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species does not consider it possible (Stehmann et al ., 2015).


Hybrid desalination (thermal/membrane) process is a viable solution in Gulf Cooperation countries (GCC). In GCC, large thermal desalination plant, e.g. Multi Stage Flash (MSF) and Multi-Effect-Distillation (MED), exist and will stay in operation through their expected life, (10's of years) while new large capacity reverse osmosis (RO) plants should be applied to lower the water specific consumed energy and cost. The thermal desalination technology was the prevailing technology in the GCC, where capacity per unit is large (up tom 20 MIGD), low energy cost was assumed, seawater salinity is high, and combining desalting plants with power plants provides low cost steam extracted from turbines to desalting plants at low pressures (e.g. 1–3 bars). However, in recent years, membrane systems, namely seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO), become the prevalent desalting worldwide as a result of much lower specific energy consumption (compared to MSF and MED systems), development in RO membranes properties and energy recovery devices, and low electric load in winter forcing some power plant units to cease operation, and thus unavailability of steam extracted from turbines. In this case, the boiler generated steam is wastefully throttled to the conditions required by desalting units. Realizing the fact that large MSF and MED are existing and operating, while large SWRO have to be implemented, combining the operation of both technologies can be beneficial and a need to have optimum configurations exist in terms of reduced total desalted water cost. The synergy of the present commercial hybrid thermal/membrane desalting plants is limited by using common intakes and outfalls facilities, while are running independently at the same site. Product water of both membrane and thermal plants are usually blended to meet the international standards water quality specifications. Moreover, the use of forward osmosis (FO) as a pre-treatment to the MSF units was suggested to remove the divalent ions, such as MgSO4 and CaSO4 in order to increase the top brine temperature (TBT) beyond 110°C was suggested. This increases the MSF unit capacity and gain ratio. In this arrangement, the MSF brine (of high concentration) is used as draw solution to the incoming seawater to the FO membrane. The brine is diluted by drawing pure water from seawater feed, and is circulated back to the MSF unit where distillate is recovered. The main advantage of this suggestion is the use of brine as draw solution without the need to external solution and the MSF process is utilized as recovery process. However, the relatively low osmotic pressure of the brines necessitates high required FO membrane area, which is expensive. In the present work, a new configuration of tri RO-FO-MSF hybrid desalination process is proposed. The aim of the proposed configuration is reduce the specific thermal energy consumption by producing the desalted seawater by both MSF and RO systems. The cooling water leaving the MSF heat rejection sections is used as a feed to RO to improve the RO productivity (i.e. recovery ratio). The RO brine and MSF blow-down mixture is used a draw solution to the FO process, and the diluted solution is directed to the MSF unit. This lead to higher productivity and low chemical consumptions compared to separate systems. A flexible and powerful tool of Visual Design and Simulation program (VDS) is used to evaluate this novel tri hybrid RO-FO-MSF. Typical desalting plants are simulated to verify and the wide scope and high capability of the developed package. In this work, the scope of the VDS program is extended to develop novel tri hybrid RO-FO-MSF and compare it against MSF-NF, MSF-FO and RO-MSF configurations. In order to compare among different configuration, the reference RO plant (33 MIGD) in UAE and reference MSF (15 MIGD) unit in Qatar are considered as a base of comparison. For fare comparison between thermal and membrane in terms of energy consumption, the equivalent mechanical energy of thermal energy associated with heating steam supplied to the brine heater of the MSF is calculated using exergy method. This equivalent energy is equal to the power loss in steam power plant due to combined with thermal desalination plant. The equivalent energy varies according the Gain Output ratio (GOR) of the thermal system. The total energy consumption in MSF unit is a summation of the equivalent of the thermal energy and pumping energy. Comparison between different hybrid configurations will be based on total consumed energy per unit production at different recovery ratio of the system. In the present methodology, a fixed value of input seawater feed flow rate is specified and then total energy consumption is calculated at varying recovery ratio for each hybrid system. Simulation results showed that the consumed energy of the hybrid FO-MSF is 10 % lower than NF-MSF and 29 % higher in the recovery ratio. The hybrid RO-MSF in series is 20 % higher in the recovery ratio and 60 % lower in consumed energy compared to the traditional MSF. The hybrid RO-MSF consumes the same energy of standalone RO however the recovery ratio is 23 % higher than RO. The recovery ratio for tri-hybrid RO-FO-MSF configuration is higher 30 % higher, when compare with the traditional MSF and standalone RO. The consumed specific energy in the tri hybrid configuration is 60 % lower than MSF and consume the same energy of the RO process. The tri hybrid RO-FO-MSF, when compared with other hybrid configurations, has superior lower consumed energy, as well as with standalone MSF and RO processes. The novel (RO-FO-MSF) configuration provides a solution of the limited recovery ratio of the standalone RO and MSF. The product blend of the MSF distillate and RO permeate would enable using single pass RO and excluding the second pass which will reduce the capital investment cost. Also the product blend will resolve the borne issue rose up in standalone RO plant since the permeate of the RO is diluted by the MSF distillate.


Purpose: Explaining how companies can benefit from their human rights due diligence process to identify opportunities for Sustainable Develop Goal (SDG) activities in an operationalisation of political corporate social responsibility (PCSR).

Design/methodology/approach: Combining PCSR, SDGs and business & human rights (BHR) literatures, the article develops an extension of the risk-based due diligence process described by the BHR literature, helping companies identify societal needs to which they may contribute in accordance with PCSR through engaging in the SDGs.

Findings: Companies can benefit from resources they already invest in due diligence to identify their adverse human rights impacts, by drawing on the insights gained on broader needs, including human rights, to which they may contribute. This can help them develop appropriate interventions to address local needs and advance their moral legitimacy through assisting in SDG-relevant fulfilment of human rights.

Research limitations/implications: The article provides theory-based guidance on how companies can assess their capacity for contributing societal value through human-rights-oriented SDG-interventions. Future empirical research may explore how companies apply the extended due diligence process to assess needs and determine relevant actions.

Practical implications: The article offers a principle-based analytical approach for integrating the 'do-no-harm' imperative of BHR theory with PCSR's call for business assistance in the delivery of public goods and the SDGs' call for business action to 'do good'.

Social implications: Enhanced business implementation of the SDGs in line with PCSR and human rights theory, especially the emergent field of Business & Human Rights.

Originality/value: Theory-based guidance for companies for SDG contributions based on innovative combination of literatures.


This paper outlines the establishing of a law clinic to assist individuals with their application under the refugee family reunion (RFR) provision. We consider that a significant gap exists in the scope of university law clinics to provide a dedicated RFR service, a gap which extends to service providers generally in many regions in the UK. The removal of legal aid for family reunion applications has negatively affected the efficacy of refugees and those with humanitarian protection status to be reunited with their families (a right provided under international law to which the UK is a signatory). Family reunion is a very current issue of concern given global developments and the political instability in many countries, and it is also a topic which is at the very heart of social justice, a philosophy which underpins many law clinics in universities. Law clinics allow universities and their students to use their talents and resources to positively change the lives of people in their local communities. Significantly, broadening the scope of law clinics to offer a RFR service will enrich the learning experience of staff and students involved in RFR clinics, help to produce the next generation of lawyers, policy and decision-makers with an awareness of the issues facing refugees and the human perspective of the crises affecting them, and facilitate research opportunities through effective data collection and analysis. Subsequent outputs can positively affect national policy on immigration, asylum, legal aid, and engagement with, and the education of, the public.


The camera stabilizer stabilizes the camera's line of sight by isolating the camera from the model uncertainties, disturbances of operating environment and system movements. This paper presents a voltage-base optimal adaptive fuzzy sliding mode control for camera stabilizer. In this proposed control method, a voltage-base sliding mode controller is applied. But unfortunately, undesirable control input chattering is caused by employing the sliding mode control. In the following, for the prevention of incidence of the control input chattering, a first order TSK fuzzy approximator is employed. Although fuzzy sliding mode control prevents the chattering phenomenon, it has some disadvantages such as disability in estimating the bounds of the existing uncertainties and lack of stability proof of the closed-loop system. In what follows, to overcome the aforementioned problems, an adaptive fuzzy system is designed such that it can estimate the bounds of the existing uncertainties. Ultimately, the chicken swarm optimization algorithm is utilized to determine the optimal values of coefficients of the adaptive fuzzy sliding mode control and to decrease the control input amplitude. To investigate the desirable performance of the optimal adaptive fuzzy sliding mode controller, simulations in four steps are implemented on a camera stabilizer.


The scattering-parameter extraction method of metamaterial homogenization is reviewed to show that the only ambiguity is that related to the choice of the branch of the complex logarithmic function (or the complex inverse cosine function). It is shown that the method has no ambiguity for the sign of the wavenumber and intrinsic impedance. While the method indeed yields two signs for the intrinsic impedance and thus the wavenumber, the signs are dependent. Moreover, both sign combinations lead to the same permittivity and permeability, and are thus permissible. This observation is in distinct contrast to a number of statements in the literature where the correct sign of the intrinsic impedance and wavenumber resulting from the scattering-parameter method is chosen by imposing additional physical requirements, such as passivity. The scattering-parameter method is reviewed through an investigation of a uniform plane wave normally incident on a planar slab in free space. The severity of the branch ambiguity is illustrated through simulations of a known metamaterial realization. Several approaches for proper branch selection are reviewed, and the suitability to metamaterial samples is discussed.


"This paper has been prepared in support of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) roundtable in Ghana. The study also takes a fresh perspective on the role of agriculture for development in light of the global food crisis. It addresses two main questions: what are the impacts of Green-revolution type agricultural growth to reach the CAADP goal in Ghana? Given the large investments required to achieve such productivity-led growth, what is the sector's contribution to the overall economy? Results from the dynamic computable general equilibrium model suggest that by closing the existing yield gaps in crop production and supporting essential growth in the livestock sector Ghana can achieve CAADP's 6 percent growth target. In this process, agriculture supports the rest of the economy through substantial and largely invisible monetary transfers to the nonagricultural sectors, which are primarily driven by the reduction of domestic food prices. Thus, CAADP growth benefits both rural and urban households, and reduces poverty by more than half within 10 years. However, widening regional disparities between the North and the rest of Ghana will increasingly pose a challenge for the development. Additional measures more targeted towards generating growth in the lagging North will be necessary to bridge the income gap and reach Ghana's poorest of the poor." from Author's Abstract


The specific differential phase shift on propagation Kdp is widely employed in the study of precipitation, although little is known about the effective accuracy of its estimates. The aim of this letter is to analyze the quality of Kdp estimates, using realistic simulated fields of drop size distributions. Two classical and one recently proposed estimation algorithms are tested, which are chosen among the algorithms that use the measured and noisy total differential phase shift Ψdp as their main input. A data set of six simulated rain events, from which polarimetric radar variables can be derived, is employed in this letter. The mean normalized absolute error in the estimation of Kdp at the radar resolution volume scale ranges from 27% to 30% for all the algorithms proposed, and significant negative biases up to -50% emerge at the highest values of Kdp for the most biased algorithm. The new algorithm, which is based on Kalman filtering, is able to keep these localized bias values around -25% and outperforms the classical algorithms in terms of efficiency, correlation, and root-mean-square error.


We deal in EJIL with the world we live in – often with its worst and most violent pathologies, often with its most promising signs of hope for a better world. But, inevitably, since our vehicle is scholarship, we reify this world. Roaming Charges is designed not just to offer a moment of aesthetic relief, but to remind us of the ultimate subject of our scholarly reflections: we alternate between photos of places – the world we live in – and photos of people – who we are, the human condition. We eschew the direct programmatic photograph: people shot up; the ravages of pollution and all other manner of photojournalism.


In this study, we report the elaboration of vanadium-aluminium co-doped ZnO nanoparticles prepared by a sol-gel processing technique. Aluminium and vanadium doping concentrations of 1 at% and 10 at% respectively have been investigated. The obtained nanopowder was characterised by various techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. After thermal treatment at 500°C in air, the powder with an average particle size of 30 nm presents a strong luminescence band in the visible range. The PL band energy position presents a small blue shift with the increase of measurement temperature. Different possible attributions of this emission band will be discussed.


This thesis consists of an introduction and three self-contained chapters.Chapter I summarizes and relates the thesis to a larger context in the area of corporate tax integration. In particular, the main findings are related to the ongoing tax harmonization debate within the EU.Chapter II presents a comprehensive overview of existing methods of mitigating economic double taxation of corporate income within a standard cost of capital model. Two of the most well-known and most utilized methods, the imputation and the split rate systems, do not mitigate economic double taxation in corporations where the marginal investment is financed with retained earnings. However, all methods are effective when the marginal investment is financed with new share issues. The corporate tax rate, fiscal allowances, allocation to periodization funds and allocation to tax equalization reserves (or allowance for corporate equity) are effective instruments, independent of the sources of financing. The chapter also discusses why so many different methods have been employed in mitigating economic double taxation.Chapter III studies the interaction of various methods of mitigating economic and international double taxation of corporate source income. The main purpose is to determine to what extent methods effective in mitigating economic double taxation in a closed economy remain useful in an open economy, where the firm's marginal investor is a foreigner. While a cut in the statutory corporate tax rate invariably reduces the cost of capital, the impact of the imputation and split rate systems is shown to depend on whether the credit or exemption method is used in mitigating international double taxation, and the precise design of these methods.Chapter IV addresses the ongoing debate on which view of equity, traditional or new, that best describes firm behavior. According to the traditional view, the marginal source of finance is new equity, whereas under to the new view, marginal financing comes from retained earnings. In the theoretical part, I set up a model where the firm faces a cost of adjusting the dividend level because of an aggravated free cash flow problem. The existence of such a cost - which has been used in arguing the traditional view - does not invalidate the core of the new view, namely that the marginal investment may be financed with retained earnings. The combination of costly changes in dividends and retained earnings as the marginal source of funds actually defines an extended new view of equity. In the empirical part of the chapter, I test the implication of the new view that dividends and investments are negatively is related. The overall conclusion is that the implication of the new view is supported for traded Swedish firms during 1980-98.


Too few researchers receive adequate pre- or postgraduate training to conduct a rigorous scientific study. In the digital age, new tools are emerging, and the development of distance education could improve this worrying situation. In this context, Health Science e-Training (HSeT), a nonprofit Swiss foundation, has developed new pedagogical concepts and tools under customized online training (COLT). For the ADMIRE Cost network, we have used an article-based e-learning (ABL) tool that allowed the students to learn how to read in depth and critically a scientific article and to rigorously address the problem of scientific reproducibility. The evaluation of the program by the students and the tutors has been quite positive. In conclusion COLT was well adapted to the needs of the ADMIRE Cost Action, a European network in which students from countries separated by thousands of miles can work at distance under the online supervision of tutors and then meet in a face-to-face session to maximize their learning experience and the interactions between peers and tutors.


Background : The Italian Observatory Healthcare Report (IOHR - 8th edition) [1] aims to help policy makers in the process of decision making through a set of validated indicators resulting from the multidisciplinary activity of several public health experts. Its main task is to gather comparable data on the health status and the quality of health care services throughout the Italian regions. Methods : The report adopts a European approach in order to build a benchmarking activity and the selection criteria of indicators include: meaning, feasibility and quality, comparability and reliability. Each indicator is analyzed by experts in terms of meaning, pattern, validity and limits, graphic representation; recommendations are included for decision makers. A peer reviewing is performed for quality assessment. Results : The IOHR 2010 included 96 indicators, analysed by 203 authors. Through comparable regional data coming from different sources, an overview of the Italian Health System, and a gauging of the impact that different regional organizational and institutional arrangements have on the quality of health services, have been provided. Though data analysis showed a North-South gradient in the quality and the organization of health care services, nevertheless, the overall health status of Italian population is good. Risk factors, lifestyles and prevention together with geographical and social differences in health status and service access are the main priorities. Conclusions : The IOHR helps monitoring the health status in the Italian regions through specific indicators characterized by scientific strictness. It contributes to identifying the situations of excellence and disseminating public health care control tools in order to facilitate the decision making process.


Image classification models often learn to predict a class based on irrelevant co-occurrences between input features and an output class in training data. We call the unwanted correlations"data biases,"and the visual features causing data biases"bias factors."It is challenging to identify and mitigate biases automatically without human intervention. Therefore, we conducted a design study to find a human-in-the-loop solution. First, we identified user tasks that capture the bias mitigation process for image classification models with three experts. Then, to support the tasks, we developed a visual analytics system called DASH that allows users to visually identify bias factors, to iteratively generate synthetic images using a state-of-the-art image-to-image translation model, and to supervise the model training process for improving the classification accuracy. Our quantitative evaluation and qualitative study with ten participants demonstrate the usefulness of DASH and provide lessons for future work.


READING THE HISTORIAN Arnold Toynbee's lectures on the British Industrial Revolution, it is quickly apparent that conditions in England prior to 1760 were in many respects similar to those in developing countries today: Poor infrastructure and communication, lack of technological innovation, no division of labor, a focus on local commerce, and a weak banking system. (1) Surprisingly, the modern study of religion and economics begins with Adam Smith's An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776), an examination of conditions leading to the Industrial Revolution. In his book, Smith applies his innovative laissez-faire philosophy to several aspects of religion. However, Smith's fundamental contribution to the modern study of religion was that religious beliefs and activities are rational choices. As in commercial activity, people respond to religious costs and benefits in a predictable, observable manner. People choose a religion and the degree to which they participate and believe (if at all). Smith's contribution to the study of religion is not simply theoretical. He held substantive views, for example, on the relationship between organized religion and the state. Smith argued strongly for a disassociation between church and state. Such a separation, he said, allows for competition, thereby creating a plurality of religious faiths in society. (2) By showing no preference for one religion over others, but rather permitting any and all religions to be practiced, the lack of state intervention (short of violence, coercion, and repression) creates an open market in which religious groups engage in rational discussion about religious beliefs. This setting creates an atmosphere of "good temper and moderation." Where there is a state monopoly on religion or an oligopoly among religions, one will find zealousness and the imposition of ideas on the public. Where there is an open market for religion and freedom of speech, one will find moderation and reason. A contemporary of Smith (though they were not acquainted) and a public intellectual during the British Industrial Revolution, John Wesley had much to say about the relationship between religion and economic development, though his perspective differed radically from Smith's. Wesley (1703-1791), a theologian and the founder of Methodism and the Holiness Movement, championed the two-way causation between religion and economic growth, preaching in 1744, "Gain all you can, Save all you can, Give all you can." Later, in his famous sermon of 1760, "The Use of Money," Wesley expounded upon these three points, emphasizing hard work, self-reliance, and mutual aid. Finally, just two years before his death (he lived to be 88), Wesley berated his congregants from the pulpit for their comfortable lifestyle and urged them to give away their fortunes. In the 45 years between these two sermons, Wesley's followers, by working hard and saving, had raised themselves up into the comfortable middle class. Wesley understood very well the direct causal relationship between religious beliefs and productivity. He also understood well that wealth accumulation could weaken religiosity both in terms of beliefs and participation. Wesley concluded that economic growth was detrimental to religion. Is it? And, if so, must it be? The two-way causation LET US LOOK at the two-way causation and, thereby, the relationship between religion and development. First, how does a nation's economic and political development affect its level of religiosity? When we look at the effects of economic development on religion, we find that overall development--represented by per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP)--tends to reduce religiosity. (3) The empirical evidence supports, to a degree, the secularization thesis which holds that with increased income, people tend to become less religious (as measured by religious attendance and religious beliefs). Economic development causes religion to play a lesser role in the political process and in policymaking, in the legal process, as well as in social arrangements (marriages, friendships, colleagues). …