This study experimentally investigates the aerodynamic and aeroelastic behaviour of a transonic compressor with non-uniform tip clearance. Current design trends for aero engines require more efficient compressors with high pressure ratio and reduced weight. An increased overall pressure ratio permits a downsized core engine while its power output is maintained. This increases the bypass ratio, which is crucial for engine noise and efficiency.
However, a more compact core engine leads to larger relative gaps between rotor and casing, as the clearance cannot be scaled accordingly. For the same reason, casing asymmetry has become more important for future engines.
On the one hand, the aim of the work is an aerodynamic analysis in the field of clearance sensitivity and thus engine deterioration. On the other hand, an analysis of the aeroelastic behaviour is carried out, since transonic compressors are used in front stages of the core engine, which tend to flow-induced vibrations at part speed. These vibrations can result in cracks or even blade failure. Stabilizing measures, such as casing treatments at the rotor tip, are common knowledge. However, their influence on blade vibration, especially of a non-uniform circumferential distribution, is largely unexplored.

The results of the work relieve aerodynamic and mechanical concerns regarding the application of axial compressors in future small core engines. The destabilizing influence of casing eccentricity is less than previously assumed, which is why the intended safety margins can potentially be reduced. With regard to flowinduced vibrations that occur in concentric casings across the entire speed range, this dissertation shows for the first time that non-uniform rotor tip clearances represent a novel approach in the field of aerodynamic mistuning.
The mass flow redistribution upstream of the compressor with a non-uniform clearance causes a circumferential variation of the rotor incidence, which in turn varies the aerodynamic force on the blades circumferentially. As a result, the rotorrelative flow recovers during one turn of the rotor, which ultimately leads to a reduction of the blade vibration amplitudes.

Slight asymmetries in an engine have a stabilizing influence on blade vibrations. For the given case, e.g. an eccentric rotor clearance reduces the amplitudes of nonsynchronous vibrations by -25% of the rig operating limit, compared to a concentric casing with the same average clearance.
Partial casing treatments benefit from the same effect and will hence be a powerful tool to avoid non-synchronous vibrations in the future. In contrast to a circumferentially uniform casing treatment that can amplify blade vibrations, non-uniform designs are now a smart solution for the problem of non-synchronous vibrations in front stages during off-design operation.


We study the computational power of deciding whether a given truth-table can be described by a circuit of a given size (the Minimum Circuit Size Problem, or MCSP for short), and of the variant denoted as MKTP where circuit size is replaced by a polynomially-related Kolmogorov measure. All prior reductions from supposedly-intractable problems to MCSP / MKTP hinged on the power of MCSP / MKTP to distinguish random distributions from distributions produced by hardness-based pseudorandom generator constructions. We develop a fundamentally different approach inspired by the well-known interactive proof system for the complement of Graph Isomorphism (GI). It yields a randomized reduction with zero-sided error from GI to MKTP. We generalize the result and show that GI can be replaced by any isomorphism problem for which the underlying group satisfies some elementary properties. Instantiations include Linear Code Equivalence, Permutation Group Conjugacy, and Matrix Subspace Conjugacy. Along the way we develop encodings of isomorphism classes that are efficiently decodable and achieve compression that is at or near the information-theoretic optimum; those encodings may be of independent interest.


By investigating contemporary refugees, this paper analyses the contradictory dynamics of a global order whereby universal rights are distributed unequally through nation-state politics. It uses an ethnographic case study of Eritrean refugees in Tel Aviv as its empirical base in order to investigate refugeeness as a condition of everyday life. The paper demonstrates how a repressive environment within Eritrea has made people refugees, and how that condition is being reinforced by the Israeli government's refusal to recognise these refugees as such. It further interrogates the relationship between persecution and belonging that characterises the lives of Eritreans as refugees in Israel. The paper concludes by arguing that being a refugee does not preclude feeling a strong sense of national belonging. Eritrean refugees in Tel Aviv do not aspire to gain cosmopolitan citizenship rights but are driven by the desire to be rightful citizens of Eritrea.


It has been documented that increased vegetable consumption is associated with
preventive effects in some public health problems such as obesity and some chronic
noncommunicable diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the association
of nutritional status with vegetable consumption in adolescents from Technical High
Schools in Mexico City. A sample of 2368 adolescents was obtained who were applied
a questionnaire of frequency food consumption and anthropometric measurements
were taken, the nutritional diagnosis was obtained with Who Anthro Plus
program. The data obtained were analyzed with the statistical package SPSS version
20.0 for Windows Statistics®. When the correlation of frequency consumption of
vegetables with nutritional status, in the final phase, It found that teens who never
ate vegetables were more likely to develop obesity (36.0% GI and 36.10% GC), compared
with teens who consumed daily (8.9% GI and 2.10% GC), existing difference
highly significant. The teenagers of the Technical High School in Mexico City in the
intervention group presented a basal daily intake of 15.7% and after the intervention
their intake increased to 21.3%. With respect to the control group it started with a
daily intake of 12.6% to 14.9% increasing it. An increase was achieved in the daily
consumption of vegetables in adolescents of both groups so it is concluded that the
intervention was successful.


This paper presents a new technique for continuously calibrating the sensitivity of a current measurement microsystem based on a Hall magnetic field sensor. An integrated reference coil generates a magnetic field for calibration. Using a variant of the chopper modulation, the spinning current technique, combined with a second modulation of the reference signal, the sensitivity of the complete system is continuously measured without interrupting normal operation. Modulation and demodulation schemes allowing the joint processing of both external and reference magnetic fields are proposed. Additional techniques for extracting the very low reference signal are presented. The implementation of the microsystem is then discussed. Finally, measurements validate the calibration principle. A thermal drift lower than 50 ppm/degC is achieved. This is 6-10 times less than in state-of-the-art implementations. Furthermore, the calibration technique also compensates drifts due to mechanical stresses and ageing


A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) multiplex assay capable of amplifying 13 rapidly mutating Y chromosome short tandem repeats (RM Y-STRs) simultaneously was developed and optimised. This multiplex assay which was termed RM-Yplex is the first to include all 13 RM Y-STRs including DYF387S1, DYF399S1, DYF403S1a/b, DYF404S1, DYS449, DYS518, DYS526a/b DYS547, DYS570, DYS576, DYS612, DYS626 and DYS627. A developmental validation was performed following the Scientific Working Group for DNA Analysis Methods (SWGDAM) revised guidelines. Robustness and limitations of the assay were demonstrated through a range of studies including reproducibility, sensitivity, specificity, stability and mixture studies. Appropriate controls were used during the studies that included a number of male and female commercial controls including, 2800M, 9948 and Taqman male controls and 9947A female control. An allelic ladder was developed for the assignment of the alleles. This was done by choosing samples with different alleles, amplifying them and then adjusting the volumes of amplified products in a mixture. The developed mixtures were used to balance the composite ladder. Multiple alleles of the various loci included in the ladder were sequenced. Reference haplotypes were developed for the 5 male samples included in the Y chromosome Standard Reference Material 2395 (SRM2395) using RM-Yplex. The International Society of Forensic Genetics (ISFG) recommendations were followed for adopting allele nomenclature. As part of developmental validation, the assay was included in an external proficiency trial which was concluded successfully. An internal validation of RM-Yplex was carried out at the Department of Forensic Sciences and Criminology Laboratory, Dubai where apart from other studies; application of the assay was demonstrated using non-probative forensic casework samples. The value of RM-Yplex was demonstrated for differentiating close male relatives in a case where a previously used Y-STR multiplex assay had shown identical haplotypes for those individuals. 1160 male individual samples were analysed in this study including UAE, other Arabian Peninsula populations as well as two South Asian populations residing in United Arab Emirates. RM-Yplex haplotypes have extremely high power of discrimination. The haplotype diversity for RM-Yplex haplotype is much more than the existing commercial Y-STR assays. Population studies have been carried out for the Arab, Indian and Pakistani populations. AMOVA was conducted for determining the apportionment of diversity and pairwise FST's were estimated between populations. These have shown a marked homogeneity within the UAE Arab sub-populations. MDS plots of pairwise FST's indicated that populations were not grouped significantly in accordance with the geographical locations. A network analysis showed the extent of distribution of haplotypes of various populations and their relationships. A highly sensitive and reliable RM-Yplex multiplex assay has been thus developed, which is expected to help genetic populations studies and forensic casework.


Lipid rafts defined as cholesterol- and sphingomyelin-rich domains have been isolated from different cell types that vary greatly in their lipid profiles. Here, we investigated the contribution of the structural protein caveolin-1 (Cav1) to the overall lipid composition and domain abundance in mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) from wild-type (WT) or Cav1-deficient (Cav1−/−) animals. Our findings show that Cav1 expression had no effect on free (membrane-associated) cholesterol levels. However, Cav1−/−-deficient cells did have a higher proportion of sphingomyelin, decreased abundance of unsaturated phospholipids, and a trend toward shorter fatty acid chains in phosphatidylcholine. We isolated detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs), nondetergent raft domains (NDR), and cholesterol oxidase (CO)-sensitive domains and assessed the abundance of ordered domains in intact cells using the fluorescent dye Laurdan. Despite differences in phospholipid composition, we found that cholesterol levels in DRMs, NDR, and CO-sensitive domains were similar in both cell types. The data suggest that Cav1 is not required to target cholesterol to lipid rafts and that CO does not specifically oxidize caveolar cholesterol. In contrast, the abundance of ordered domains in adherent cells is reduced in Cav1−/− compared with WT MEFs, suggesting that cell architecture is critical in maintaining Cav1-induced lipid rafts.


The mature writer is recognized ... by his ability to create a flow of sentences, a pattern of thought that is produced, one suspects, according to the principles of yet another kind of grammara grammar, let us say, of passages. Mina ShaughnessyRichard M. Coe has developed such a grammar, one which uses a simple graphic instrument to analyze the meaningful relationships between sentences in a passage and to clarify the function of structure in discourse. Working in the tradition of Christensen s generative rhetoric, Coe presents a two-dimensional graphic matrix that effectively analyzes the logical relations between statements by mapping coordinate, subordinate, and superordinate relationships.Coe demonstrates the power of his discourse matrix by applying it to a variety of significant problems, such as how to demonstrate discourse differences between cultures (especially between Chinese and English), how to explain precisely what is bad about the structure of passages that do not work, and how best to teach structure. This new view of the structure of passages helps to articulate crucial questions about the relations between form and function, language, thought and culture, cognitive and social processes."


Geranium (Geraniaceae) comprises more than 23 annual or perennial species in Iran. There is no study in Iran with pollen morphology emphasize. The main aim of this study is to find diagnostic pollen characters in studied species. Totally 40 accessions of five species (G. albanum, G. molle, G. purpureum, G. mascatense and G. pusillum) were collected. Pollen grains were studied by use of light and scanning electron microscopy. To reveal the species relationships different multivariate statistical methods were used. The pollen grains were monad, isopolar, radially symmetric and of spheroid, prolate-spheroid or oblate-spheroid classes. The main ornamentation type was clavate, however reticulate but striate was also observed. All sections are clearly separated by their pollen features except of Batrachioidea which show confusion with Ruberta. Species relationship is discussed.


We have previously shown that internal motion of the vertical stripes within a laterally moving Gabor patch can cause subjective biases in overall speed perception in an occlusion paradigm (Hughes, Stevens and Tolhurst, 2012). Here, we extend this result with a two-alternative-forced-choice paradigm, where observers chose which of two stimulus intervals contained the faster moving Gabor patch; the patches in the two intervals differed in the internal movement of the stripes. A Gabor patch with drifting stripes is perceived to move faster than a non drifting standard if the stripes drift in the same direction as the overall direction of movement. Conversely, if the stripes drift in the opposite direction to the overall direction of movement, the patch is perceived to move slower. We show that this speed effect depends on the relationship between the stripe motion and the direction travelled; when the stripe motion is orthogonal to the overall patch movement, no directional speed bias is seen. Similarly, adding non-directional temporal flicker to the patch does not affect speed judgements. Finally, we show that there are differences in eye movements made to the different types of stimuli, with smooth pursuit being faster on average if the stripes are drifting in the same direction as the overall direction of movement compared to if the stripes are drifting in the opposite direction, which may be related to the differences in speed perception seen. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


The purpose of this action research was to determine the effects of incorporating mathematical projects involving real-world situations into the mathematics curriculum on student's mastery of mathematical concepts in a Montessori middle school program. The research study was conducted in a private Montessori middle school program with seven, seventh grade students. Data collection methods included archived pre-test and post-test scores from the past two years' seventh grade students, pre-test and post-test scores from this years' seventh grade students, field notes, narratives, and student surveys. The student's displayed excitement in the incorporation of mathematical projects within their mathematics curriculum and the data showed a positive impact on students' mastery of mathematical concept understanding when the incorporation of mathematical projects were included into their mathematics curriculum.


In this study, the relationship between the meta-cognitive learning strategies and academic success of university students was examined. Meta-cognition refers to awareness and monitoring of one's thoughts and performance, or simply, thinking about thinking which is an important factor identifying the successful and unsuccessful students in educational process. It also refers to higher-order mental processes involved in learning such as making plans for learning, using appropriate skills and strategies to solve a problem, making estimates of performance and determining the extent of learning. Meta-cognition is important in learning and it is a strong predictor of academic success. Students with good meta-cognition demonstrate good academic performance compared to students with poor meta-cognition. So, effective studying is as important as the study period of time to reach the success. Students with poor meta-cognition may benefit from meta-cognitive training to improve their meta-cognition and academic performance. So, it is necessary to investigate the meta-cognitive strategies of the students. The data of this study were gathered from randomly chosen undergraduate students who have been studying at Ahi Evran University which is the restricted universe of the study, in the first term of 2009-2010 academic year. Randomly chosen 230 students from different departments of Ahi Evran University were included in the sample of the study. "Metacognition Awareness Inventory" developed by Namlu (2004) that is a survey instrument including 4 components of meta-cognition, 21 items, was used to collect data. The alpha coefficient of the scale was calculated as 0,827. On the other hand, the grades of students in the courses were taken as the data for students' academic success. The data were analyzed by using frequencies, percentages, t test and one way ANOVA by the help of SPSS 15 package program.


N-Acylethanolamines (NAEs) are endogenous lipid metabolites that occur in a variety of dry seeds, and their levels decline rapidly during the first few hours of imbibition (Chapman et al., 1999, Plant Physiol., 120:1157-1164). Biochemical studies supported the existence of an NAE amidohydrolase activity in seeds and seedlings, and efforts were directed toward identification of DNA sequences encoding this enzyme. Mammalian tissues metabolize NAEs via an amidase enzyme designated fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). Based on the characteristic amidase signature sequence in mammalian FAAH, a candidate Arabidopsis cDNA was identified and isolated by reverse transcriptase-PCR. The Arabidopsis cDNA was expressed in E. coli and the recombinant protein indeed hydrolyzed a range of NAEs to free fatty acids and ethanolamine. Kinetic parameters for the recombinant protein were consistent with those properties of the rat FAAH, supporting identification of this Arabidopsis cDNA as a FAAH homologue. Two T-DNA insertional mutant lines with disruptions in the Arabidopsis NAE amidohydrolase gene (At5g64440) were identified. The homozygous mutant seedlings were more sensitive than the wild type to exogenously applied NAE 12:0. Transgenic seedlings overexpressing the NAE amidohydrolase enzyme showed noticeably greater tolerance to NAE 12:0 than wild type seedlings. These results together provide evidence in vitro and in vivo for the molecular identification of Arabidopsis NAE amidohydrolase. Moreover, the plants with altered NAE amidohydrolase expression may provide new tools for improved understanding of the role of NAEs in germination and seedling growth.


Xanthomonas axonopodis pathovar citri ( Xac ) causes bacterial citrus canker, a serious disease of most citrus species. Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris ( Xcc ) is the causal agent of black rot disease in cruciferous plants. In Xcc , cell-cell signaling is mediated by diffusible signal factor (DSF). Synthesis of DSF depends on RpfB and RpfF. DSF perception and signal transduction have been suggested to involve a two-component system comprising RpfC and RpfG. It has been proposed that these proteins participate in a signal transduction system linking changes in the environment to the synthesis of DSF and the expression of virulence genes. Although the cluster of the rpf g enes in Xac has synteny with the corresponding cluster in Xcc , two genes ( rpfH and rpfI ) are absent in Xac . To investigate DSF-mediated regulation during Xac - Citrus limon interaction, we constructed two strains of Xac , one with a mutation in the rpfF gene, leading to an inability to produce DSF, and one with a mutation in the rpfC gene leading to an overproduction of DSF. These mutants also show decreased levels of extracellular cyclic β-(1,2)-glucans and decreased production of endoglucanase and protease extracellular enzymes. The Xac DSF-deficient rpfF and the DSF-hyper producing rpfC mutants are both severely compromised in their ability to cause canker symptoms in lemon leaves compared to the wild-type. Here we provide evidence that rpf genes in Xac are involved in controlling virulence factors mediated by DSF.


Objective: To examine the association between childhood diet and cardiovascular mortality. Design: Historical cohort study. Setting: 16 centres in England and Scotland. Participants: 4028 people (from 1234 families) who took part in Boyd Orr's survey of family diet and health in Britain between 1937 and 1939 followed up through the National Health Service central register. Exposures studied: Childhood intake of fruit, vegetables, fish, oily fish, total fat, saturated fat, carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E estimated from household dietary intake. Main outcome measures: Deaths from all causes and deaths attributed to coronary heart disease and stroke. Results: Higher childhood intake of vegetables was associated with lower risk of stroke. After controlling for age, sex, energy intake, and a range of socioeconomic and other confounders the rate ratio between the highest and lowest quartiles of intake was 0.40 (95% confidence interval 0.19 to 0.83, p for trend 0.01). Higher intake of fish was associated with higher risk of stroke. The fully adjusted rate ratio between the highest and lowest quartile of fish intake was 2.01 (95% confidence interval 1.09 to 3.69, p for trend 0.01). Intake of any of the foods and constituents considered was not associated with coronary mortality. Conclusions: Aspects of childhood diet, but not antioxidant intake, may affect adult cardiovascular risk.


Much of the difficulty experienced by the modern systematic botanist is nomenclatorial. Though he may have a clear conception of a plant as a taxonomic unit, he is often at a loss to find out what it is as a legitimate nomenclatural entity. If a haphazard use of names is permitted, it will result in different botanists using the same name in a different sense, so that the names themselves, unaccompanied by a description, will give no definite denotation; that is, a name may become applicable to several independent taxonomic units. And if it is attempted to skip over these difficulties by creating a new name every time the legitimacy of a name of a plant is questioned, a usage may be established in virtue of which, on the one hand, very good names may be rejected on insufficient grounds, while, on the other, one and the same taxonomic group of plants will be known by different names to different botanists in different countries. Actually, some such state of affairs as this was common at one time in taxonomic botany, so that it came to be felt that personalities had a great deal to do with popularizing some names, however erroneous, as well as with rejecting quite good ones. In other words, there was a tendency to subordinate the naming of plants, or the validity and legitimacy of plant-names, to personal or national or provincial likes and dislikes, with the result that the scientific names were often less stable and precise in their application than the vernacular names. In order to obviate these drawbacks and to make the nomenclature of plants more precise and international, the new nomenclatorial Rules adopted as their basis the type- and the priority-concepts as the most important guiding principles in such matters. These Rules do not recognize personalities, but they oblige taxonomists to examine the claims of each plant-name for legitimacy on the merits of the names themselves, and not of the authors of the names, or of the authors of the works in which the names have been published. Thus at one stroke these two principles have, in nomenclatorial procedure, attempted to do away with all incentives for botanists to split themselves into different camps on a national basis or according to the sides taken by the heads of the particular institutions to which they belong.


Abstract. Using an unprecedentedly large geochemical database, we compare temporal and spatial variations in inhalable trace metal background concentrations in a major city (Barcelona, Spain) and at a nearby mountainous site (Montseny) affected by the urban plume. Both sites are contaminated by technogenic metals, with V, Pb, Cu, Zn, Mn, Sn, Bi, Sb and Cd all showing upper continental crust (UCC) normalised values >1 in broadly increasing order. The highest metal concentrations usually occur during winter at Barcelona and summer in Montseny. This seasonal difference was especially marked at the remote mountain site in several elements such as Ti and Rare Earth Elements, which recorded campaign maxima, exceeding PM10 concentrations seen in Barcelona. The most common metals were Zn, Ti, Cu, Mn, Pb and V. Both V and Ni show highest concentrations in summer, and preferentially fractionate into the finest PM sizes (PM1/PM10 > 0.5) especially in Barcelona, this being attributed to regionally dispersed contamination from fuel oil combustion point sources. Within the city, hourly metal concentrations are controlled either by traffic (rush hour double peak for Cu, Sb, Sn, Ba) or industrial plumes (morning peak of Ni, Mn, Cr generated outside the city overnight), whereas at Montseny metal concentrations rise during the morning to a single, prolonged afternoon peak as contaminated air transported by the sea breeze moves into the mountains. Our exceptional database, which includes hourly measurements of chemical concentrations, demonstrates in more detail than previous studies the spatial and temporal variability of urban pollution by trace metals in a given city. Technogenic metalliferous aerosols are commonly fine in size and therefore potentially bioavailable, emphasising the case for basing urban background PM characterisation not only on physical parameters such as mass but also on sample chemistry and with special emphasis on trace metal content.


-Considerable progress was needed at COP23 with regards to the Paris Agreement Rulebook, which must define the rules and modalities for the implementation of the PA and should enter into force in 2018.
-However, progress with this regard was limited, except for the Talanoa dialogue, a facilitative dialogue framework to be launched in 2018 which aims at accelerating action under the Paris Agreement.
-The need for more ambitious actions before 2020 and the relevance of the stock-taking process in 2018 were recognised during COP23.
-The Subsidiary Bodies made some progress on issues such as the climate Gender Action Plan or the Platform for Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples.
-A breakthrough was achieved with regards to agriculture as, for the first time, Parties have agreed to address central climate challenges related to this sector, mainly adaptation, emission reduction and food security issues.
-In parallel to the official agenda, strong political support to the PA was shown by non-state actors -cities, regions, businesses and NGOs-, who are taking important commitments and are gaining relevance within the climate negotiation process.
-The alternative US delegation, gathered under the motto "We are still in", gained a lot of public attention and showed their commitment with climate action.


Looking through international literature one can see that almost nobody doubts that Lithuania is advanced in terms of privatization, price liberalisation, opening of its economy. On the other hand, official statistical figures are providing indications that country is failing to assure stable economic development. The article provides a look into the complex developments of contemporary Lithuanian history (structural changes, such as decomposition of the shortage economy, effects of trade liberalization, inflated bubbles and the shadow economy) and is challenging methodology of national accounting as partially failing to reflect these developments. The evidence suggests that national accounts are likely underestimated Lithuanian gross domestic product (GDP) during the initial transition period of 1989-1994 and market formation period (1994-2003) while growth was exaggerated during the "boom" 2004-2007, and the fall was overestimated in the recession of 2008-2009. The main objective of the article is to assess the impact of certain transitional factors (e.g. shift from planned shortage economy to the liberal market economy with a mixture of official and shadow activities, opening of economy and cetera) to economic growth and methodology of national accounting. Regression analysis is used to quantify significance of convergence theory. Overview of the literature using Coub-Douglas function to asses potential output. Based on the modified income data, the annual potential growth during 2003-2010 is estimated to be around 5,3%. JEL classification: E000. Keywords: transition to market economy, volatility of Lithuanian economy, national accounting, GDP.


The first modern Swedish checklist of fungus gnats of the families Bolitophilidae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae, Keroplatidae and Mycetophilidae is presented. The checklist results from a comprehensive literature research as well as treatment of a considerable determined and undetermined material from Swedish museum collections and recent material from several sources. To get better grounds for judging many old and doubtful records from Sweden, a nearly complete review of fungus gnats from the J. W. Zetterstedt collection at the Museum of Zoology in Lund has been undertaken and identifications corrected where needed. In order to preserve nomenclatural stability three species names are reinstated, all with priority over junior synonyms, viz. Orfelia lugubris (Zetterstedt, 1851) comb. n. = Orfelia tristis (Lundstrom, 1911) syn. n., Ectrepesthoneura ovata Ostroverkhova, 1977 = Ectrepesthoneura bucera Plassmann, 1980 syn. n., and Dynatosoma thoracicum (Zetterstedt, 1838) sens. auct. nec Zaitzev = Dynatosoma norwegiense Zaitzev & Okland, 1994 syn. n. We further find the holotype of Mycetophila grisea Zetterstedt, 1852 to be identical to Mycetophila perpallida Chandler, 1993, but retain Mycetophila perpallida pending a review of other possible synonyms with precedence. Ectrepesthoneura pubescens (Zetterstedt, 1860) is found to be a synonym of Ectrepesthoneura unifurcata (Zetterstedt, 1860) comb. n. syn. n. where the first name is retained as valid due to page priority. Four names described by Zetterstedt remain nom. dub., viz.: Mycomya diluta (Zetterstedt, 1860), Mycomya (Mycomya) notata (Zetterstedt, 1860), Brevicornu fusculum (Zetterstedt, 1838), and Brevicornu obscurellum (Zetterstedt, 1838) comb. n. Stigmatomeria obscura (Winnertz, 1863) sp. restit. is found to be a distinct species separate from Stigmatomeria crassicornis (Stannius, 1831). New combinations are suggested for Exechia praedita Plassmann, 1976 = Exechiopsis (Xenexechia) praedita (Plassmann, 1976) comb. n., and for Rhymosia pectinacea Ostroverkhova, 1979 = Pseudexechia pectinacea (Ostroverkhova, 1979) comb. n. Having removed 17 published species names with doubtful or wrong records (listed at the end) we find that the published sources comprise altogether 585 species. 137 species are reported for the first time in Sweden, bringing the total up to 722. Additional 36 species considered to be new to science are mentioned for completeness, but will be further presented and described elsewhere. Hence, at present the known fauna (including claimed undescribed species) comprises 758 species in 83 genera; 25 species of the family Bolitophilidae, 5 of the family Diadocidiidae, 3 of the family Ditomyiidae, 45 of the family Keroplatidae, 679 of the family Mycetophilidae and 1 in the unplaced genus Sciarosoma Chandler. For each species a full account of published Swedish sources with pagination, all synonyms used in Sweden, and the currently known distribution in the Swedish provinces as well as the known world distribution is given. The Swedish species of fungus gnats are generally very widespread: 47% being widespread in Europe, 43% being distributed in the Eastern Palaearctic Region, and 25% having a Holarctic distribution. We find significantly higher species richness in the boreal forests of northern Sweden, but only 3% of the species so far described are known only from the Nordic biogeographical region.


Despite the growing popularity of cocreation approaches to innovation, the bottom-line results of these efforts continue to frustrate many firms. Marketing communications are one important tool in stimulating consumer adoption, yet marketers to date have not taken advantage of a unique phenomenon associated with many cocreated innovations: the presence of a genesis story in the words of the creator, which can be combined in different ways with traditional marketing messaging. Using mixed methods, the authors demonstrate a crossover effect in which a "mismatch" of the fundamental motivations behind authentic creation narratives and traditional persuasive messages enhances adoption of the cocreated innovation. This effect is mediated by potential adopters' self-referencing of their own stories about similar experiences or consumption episodes. Furthermore, the effect of a motivation mismatch strategy is attenuated for expert consumers. Finally, this motivation mismatch strategy triggers "takeoff" of cocreated innovations. This research offers substantial implications for research on cocreated innovation, narrative persuasion, and firm-generated and user-generated communication. It provides managers specific guidance on enhancing the success of cocreation programs through an integrated communications strategy.


This paper elucidates the willingness of an autocrat to push through institutional reforms in a context where traditional authorities represented by religious clerics are averse to them and where the military control the means of repression and can potentially make a coup. We show that although the autocrat always wants to co-opt the military, this is not necessarily true of the clerics. Empirically, the dominant regime in contemporary Muslim countries is the regime of double co-option. Exclusive co-option of the military obtains only where the autocrat's intrinsic legitimacy and the loyalty of his army are strong while the organizational strength of religious movements is rather low. Radical institutional reforms can then be implemented. Rent economies where ultra-conservative clerics are powerful enough to block any institutional reform that they dislike represent another polar case. More frequently, the autocrat resorts to a double-edged tactic: pleasing the official clerics by slowing the pace of reforms, and ensuring the loyalty of the military to be able to put down an opposition instigated by rebel clerics.


Using apparatus designed by Priest and Gibson, the writer has determined sensibility to wave-length difference for his right eye: (1) For stimuli of unit purity (spectral light) from 450 to 645 mμ. (2) For stimuli consisting of artificial noon sunlight plus homogeneous light of some selected wave-length, the wave-lengths being 455, 470, 481.5, 493, 530, 580, 635 mμ, and the purities ranging from unity to a few percent. (3) For stimuli consisting of homogeneous light of wave-length 455 plus some one of heterogeneous stimuli specified as follows: (a) equal energy, (b) color temperature 2570°K, (c) color temperature over 24,000°K. (4) For a stimulus consisting of homogeneous light of wave-length 530 mμ plus heterogeneous light of color temperature over 24,000°K. The results of (1) are concordant with previous determinations by others. The least perceptible difference (LPD) in wave-length for (2) shows, for wave-lengths 635, 580, 530 and 493 mμ at first a slow and then, near zero purity, a rapid increase as purity is decreased. For wave-length 455 mμ with decreasing purity, the LPD at first increases and then decreases to a pronounced minimum at about fifteen percent purity, increasing rapidly beyond this. Wave-lengths 470 and 481.5 mμ show a similar but less marked effect. The experiments noted under (3) and (4) were undertaken in order to study the effect of the spectral distribution of the heterogeneous stimulus in modifying the peculiar results just described for wave-lengths less than 482 mμ. It is shown that the form of the curve showing LPD as a function of purity depends upon the spectral distribution of the heterogeneous stimulus. Two hypotheses are proposed to account for the peculiar results for short wave-lengths.


Self-determination theory (SDT) is a macro theory of human motivation that evolved from research on intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and expanded to include research on work organizations and other domains of life. We discuss SDT research relevant to the workplace, focusing on (a) the distinction between autonomous motivation (i.e., intrinsic motivation and fully internalized extrinsic motivation) and controlled motivation (i.e., externally and internally controlled extrinsic motivation), as well as (b) the postulate that all employees have three basic psychological needs—for competence, autonomy, and relatedness—the satisfaction of which promotes autonomous motivation, high-quality performance, and wellness. Research in work organizations has tended to take the perspectives of either the employees (i.e., their well-being) or the owners (i.e., their profits). SDT provides the concepts that guide the creation of policies, practices, and environments that promote both wellness and high-quality performanc...


The object of analysis of this dissertation is the process of the assertion of the European Community as a distinct and distinctive international actor during the 1970s. The main argument is that the EC's activity on the global stage underwent a major qualitative change in those years, increasing considerably in intensity and scope. The EC asserted itself not only as a major economic player, but also as a distinct political player. Moreover, its international activity was endowed with a distinctive character. The EC claimed that it was a «force for good», particularly attached to dialogue and cooperation, and aimed at promoting a more balanced and a more just international order, as well as an original and innovative approach to international relations. To be sure, the EC's international activity remained quite fragmentary, often declaratory, and sometimes ineffective. This was hardly surprising. To a large extent, disappointment with the EC's achievements was due to the excessively high expectations that had been held of its activity. Contrary to most existing historiography, I argue that the 1973–74 crisis was more a beginning than an ending point for the assertion of the EC as an international actor. In those years its traits and ambitions were defined. The European Council was established and the coherence of the EC's international activity was improved. The EC became a recognizable player at the UN and it gained recognition by basically all of the world's countries. The range of action available for the EC's international activity was defined and quite a clear division of labor with the member states and with the US was established, leading the EC to focus on "civilian" activities and to cultivate a distinctive profile. This is the first extensive and dedicated historical account of the EC's international activity as a whole during the 1970s. I consider all the main aspects of it, in order to reconstruct the overall process of assertion of the EC on the international stage and the general traits of the EC as an international actor. I consider how and why such an assertion was promoted, how it was connected to other contemporary developments, and who influenced the definition of the traits of the EC as a global player. I focus on instances where the assertion of the EC on the global stage was debated and its traits were defined. In most cases debates about it were not explicit, and debates on more specific and actual topics worked as proxies for them. As a consequence, I focus on the aspects of the EC's international activity where the fundamental conceptions underlying it were the most apparent. Actors involved in the making of the EC as an international actor often held different views and conceptions of it. The compromise and combination of these different conceptions led to the definition and assertion of the EC's specific traits as an international actor. The main actors involved were the governments of the EC member states – a particularly important role being played by France – but the EC Commission also took some significant initiatives. In order to reconstruct the views of the governments and of the Commission, I rely mainly on archival sources drawn from the archives of the EC institutions and from the archives of the foreign ministries of France, Britain and Germany. The first three chapters of the thesis focus on the process of establishment of the EC as a distinct international actor. Thus, they focus on the definition of the structures, procedures and means for its international activity. I show that the design of the institutional structure for it was quite difficult and it often required to reach fragile and ambiguous compromises. The reason for this was that the institutional design was strongly affected by the member states' views on the final form of European political integration, which were divergent. I look at the means created for the expression of the EC's voice on the international stage, and I argue that the main reason why the EC did not always manage to speak clearly was its member states' reticence about it. The structure for the EC's international activity was heavily affected not only by institutional constraints, but also by some political ones. These constraints led to the exclusion of entire fields of international affairs from it. I argue that this exclusion strongly affected the traits of the EC as an international actor, by inviting it to focus on specific "civilian" sectors of international affairs. The adoption of a distinctive approach to international affairs was useful for the EC's assertion, since it made it possible to highlight its original character with regard to its own member states and to the US. The EC sought to assert itself as a distinctive international actor by focusing on fields of international affairs such as development cooperation, dialogue with the developing countries, the promotion of human rights in third countries, and so on. It is towards these fields that I turn to in chapters 4 through 6. In each chapter, I analyze the conceptions underlying the EC's engagement in the field, as well as the image that the EC tried to project on the international stage. I show that the EC consistently tried to convey an image of itself as a «force for good.» However, there was a fundamental mismatch between the discourse and image of the EC as a force for good and its actual policies and initiatives: deeds often fell well short of words. I consider this mismatch, analyzing the reasons why the EC rhetoric set very ambitious goals and why the EC found it very difficult to meet them. Part of the reason for it was that rhetoric was meant to rationalize some of the limited capabilities available for the EC's international activity, and to make up for them. I argue that the EC established a sort of vicious circle: it resorted to rhetoric in order to make up for its limited capabilities, but this strategy raised very high expectations. The EC was unable to meet these expectations, and as a result the limits of its capabilities were exposed even more.


The KunDoc project investigates coreference chaining with ontology-based methods. In this paper, we discuss knowledge-based methods for coreference chaining and in particular the use of ontologies and their acquisition from a corpus. We present the KunDoc methodology and its implementation. We use concepts and their interrelations extracted from a corpus of Norwegian newspaper articles to build up domain-specific ontologies which contribute with selectional restrictions on possible co-referents. We expect to see an improvement over methods that do not employ any semantic knowledge.


We describe a framework for standardising the colour of plant images taken using both mobile phones and compact cameras. This is with a view to maximising the accuracy of plant pathology diagnosis. Rather than attempt to characterise each camera, we place cheap and easily portable custom colour targets in the scene being captured. We propose a novel weighted least squares formulation for optimising the transformation function deduced for each image, where the relative contribution for each patch is proportional to the number of closely matching pixels in the image to be transformed. We also introduce our custom colour target which has been designed to preferentially map plant colours and facilitate simple automatic extraction from the image being processed. We provide subjective and objective results demonstrating the efficacy of our approach. It is anticipated that the methods described here could be applied to any application where perceptual consistency


Global warming and ocean acidification are among the most important stressors for aquatic ecosystems in the future. To investigate their direct and indirect effects on a near-natural plankton community, a multiple-stressor approach is needed. Hence, we set up mesocosms in a full-factorial design to study the effects of both warming and high CO2 on a Baltic Sea autumn plankton community, concentrating on the impacts on microzooplankton (MZP). MZP abundance, biomass, and species composition were analysed over the course of the experiment. We observed that warming led to a reduced time-lag between the phytoplankton bloom and an MZP biomass maximum. MZP showed a significantly higher growth rate and an earlier biomass peak in the warm treatments while the biomass maximum was not affected. Increased pCO2 did not result in any significant effects on MZP biomass, growth rate, or species composition irrespective of the temperature, nor did we observe any significant interactions between CO2 and temperature. We attribute this to the high tolerance of this estuarine plankton community to fluctuations in pCO2, often resulting in CO2 concentrations higher than the predicted end-of-century concentration for open oceans. In contrast, warming can be expected to directly affect MZP and strengthen its coupling with phytoplankton by enhancing its grazing pressure.


The Advanced Vector Extensions 512 (AVX-512) are modern Single Instruction Multiple Data (SIMD) extensions to the x86 instruction set using 512-bit wide registers, enabling substantial acceleration of numeric workloads, for example processing eight sets of 64bit operands in parallel. Because of the high power consumption of the corresponding functional units, a CPU core executing AVX-512 instructions has to temporarily reduce its clock frequency to maintain thermal and electrical limits. This clock frequency reduction can slow down the scalar part of mixed workloads because it persists substantially beyond the last AVX-512 instruction. To mitigate this performance impediment, core specialization can be used, which is the preferred use of certain cores for specific kinds of computation. By running AVX-512 and scalar code on disjoint sets of CPU cores, throttling of cores executing scalar code can be avoided. The Operating Systems Group at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology has already demonstrated that core specialization can be effectively employed against the aforementioned performance reduction by implementing it in Linux. A new system call is introduced to mark the beginning and end of AVX-512 phases of a task, such that the scheduler can migrate it to a specialized core. However, the existing implementation is neither transparent nor automatic, but instead requires the application to be modified. This thesis presents an extension of the existing core specialization implementation, making it transparent and automatic by efficiently virtualizing AVX-512 to intercept the instructions and subsequently trigger migration. Our extension determines the necessary number of AVX-512 cores at runtime based on CPU time consumed. Because there is no trivial way of detecting the end of an AVX-512 phase, we compare different heuristics for re-migration. We evaluate our prototype in a web server scenario with nginx and OpenSSL using ChaCha20-Poly1305 encryption and brotli compression, using AVX-512 to accelerate the combination of cipher and message authentication code. The benchmarks show that the performance degradation caused by AVX-512-induced frequency reductions can be almost completely mitigated, without having to modify the application.


Several classes of non-planar metallic and dielectric waveguides have been proposed in the literature for guidance of terahertz (THz) or T-ray radiation. In this review, we focus on the development of dielectric waveguides, in the THz regime, with reduced loss and dispersion. First, we examine different THz spectroscopy configurations and fundamental equations employed for characterization of THz waveguides. Then we divide THz dielectric waveguides into three classes: solid-core, hollow-core, and porous-core waveguides. The guiding mechanism, fabrication steps, measured loss, and dispersion are presented for the waveguides in each class in chronological order. The goal of this review is to compare and contrast the current solutions for guiding THz radiation.


Design can be viewed as a constraint satisfaction problem: given constraints on functionality, structure, and manufacturability, produce a detailed structural description of an artifact. We present the notion of a constraint-based design system as one that explicitly represents and operates upon these constrairus. A key feature of constraint-based systems is the separation of problem statement from problem solution techniques. Constraint systems are distinguished from parametric design systems, which do not separate problem statement and solution. Current constraint-based systems arc examined, and their strengths and weaknesses discussed. We describe DOC (Design Objects and Constraints), an objectoriented constraint-based design system, and WoRM (Window Regulator Mechanism design), a mechanical design system built upon DOC. Issues requiring further research are discussed, and a description of our own research directions is presented.


It is well documented that using exhaustive chemical extractions is not an effective means of assessing exposure of hydrophobic organic compounds in sediments and that bioavailability‐based techniques are an improvement over traditional methods. One technique that has shown special promise as a method for assessing the bioavailability of hydrophobic organic compounds in sediment is the use of Tenax‐extractable concentrations. A 6‐h or 24‐h single‐point Tenax‐extractable concentration correlates to both bioaccumulation and toxicity. This method has demonstrated effectiveness for several hydrophobic organic compounds in various organisms under both field and laboratory conditions. In addition, a Tenax bioaccumulation model was developed for multiple compounds relating 24‐h Tenax‐extractable concentrations to oligochaete tissue concentrations exposed in both the laboratory and field. This model has demonstrated predictive capacity for additional compounds and species. Use of Tenax‐extractable concentrations to estimate exposure is rapid, simple, straightforward, and relatively inexpensive, as well as accurate. Therefore, this method would be an invaluable tool if implemented in risk assessments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:1445–1453. © 2015 SETAC


Transistors are the fundamental elements in Integrated Circuits (IC). The development of transistors significantly improves the circuit performance. Numerous technology innovations have been adopted to maintain the continuous scaling down of transistors. With all these innovations and efforts, the transistor size is approaching the natural limitations of materials in the near future. The circuits are expected to compute in a more efficient way. From this perspective, new device concepts are desirable to exploit additional functionality. On the other hand, with the continuously increased device density on the chips, reducing the power consumption has become a key concern in IC design. To overcome the limitations of Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) technology in computing efficiency and power reduction, this thesis introduces the multiple- independent-gate Field-Effect Transistors (FETs) with silicon nanowires and FinFET structures. The device not only has the capability of polarity control, but also provides dual-threshold- voltage and steep-subthreshold-slope operations for power reduction in circuit design. By independently modulating the Schottky junctions between metallic source/drain and semiconductor channel, the dual-threshold-voltage characteristics with controllable polarity are achieved in a single device. This property is demonstrated in both experiments and simulations. Thanks to the compact implementation of logic functions, circuit-level benchmarking shows promising performance with a configurable dual-threshold-voltage physical design, which is suitable for low-power applications. This thesis also experimentally demonstrates the steep-subthreshold-slope operation in the multiple-independent-gate FETs. Based on a positive feedback induced by weak impact ionization, the measured characteristics of the device achieve a steep subthreshold slope of 6 mV/dec over 5 decades of current. High Ion/Ioff ratio and low leakage current are also simultaneously obtained with a good reliability. Based on a physical analysis of the device operation, feasible improvements are suggested to further enhance the performance. A physics-based surface potential and drain current model is also derived for the polarity-controllable Silicon Nanowire FETs (SiNWFETs). By solving the carrier transport at Schottky junctions and in the channel, the core model captures the operation with independent gate control. It can serve as the core framework for developing a complete compact model by integrating advanced physical effects. To summarize, multiple-independent-gate SiNWFETs and FinFETs are extensively studied in terms of fabrication, modeling, and simulation. The proposed device concept expands the family of polarity-controllable FETs. In addition to the enhanced logic functionality, the polarity-controllable SiNWFETs and FinFETs with the dual-threshold-voltage and steep-subthreshold-slope operation can be promising candidates for future IC design towards low-power applications.


In this paper we present an approach for scheduling with preemption for fault-tolerant embedded systems composed of soft and hard real-time processes. We are interested to maximize the overall utility for average, most likely to happen, scenarios and to guarantee the deadlines for the hard processes in the worst case scenarios. In many applications, the worst-case execution times of processes can be much longer than their average execution times. Thus, designs for the worst-case can be overly pessimistic, i.e., result in low overall utility. We propose preemption of process executions as a method to generate flexible schedules that maximize the overall utility for the average case while guarantee timing constraints in the worst case. Our scheduling algorithms determine off-line when to preempt and when to resurrect processes. The experimental results show the superiority of our new scheduling approach compared to approaches without preemption.


Robert J. Stevens, proprietor of "Dogs of Velvet and Steel," was indicted for marketing dog-fighting videos in violation of 18 U.S.C. §48, a law criminalizing visual or auditory depictions of animals being "intentionally mutilated, tortured, wounded, or killed" if such conduct violated federal or state law where "the creation, sale, or possession [of such materials]" takes place." The law aimed principally at makers and distributors of "crush videos" wherein women wearing high heels and depicted from the waist down, grind small animals to death. However, the language of 18 U.S.C. §48 extended to dog-fighting as well. Stevens challenged the law as unconstitutional, claiming it violated his First Amendment right of freedom of speech. The case eventually ended up before the Supreme Court, which vacated Stevens' conviction and ruled the law unconstitutional. This article explores what U.S. v. Stevens means for the world of animal protection and whether the Court's decision will have lasting implications for the campaign to rein in animal cruelty. It argues that the answer is "maybe, but probably not." In Stevens, the Court for the second time skirted the question of whether preventing animal cruelty can rise to the level of compelling state interest. Ironically, the Court's avoidance of the issue may constitute a net positive for animal advocacy.


This contribution presents measurements and analysis of the outdoor-to-indoor propagation characteristics in the 1.35 GHz band. Indeed, in such a configuration, most of the results already published in the literature deal with an analysis of the path loss variation as a function of the position of the receiver inside the building, thus when it moves from a light indoor configuration to deep indoor. In this paper we extend these results to analyze the change in wave polarization, expressed in terms of cross-polar discrimination factor, and to study the distribution of the direction of the rays for many positions of the receiver inside the building. To achieve this goal, experiments have been carried out with a real time MIMO channel sounder, designed and developed by the authors, and based on flexible software architecture. After describing the main features of the sounder and the geometrical configuration of the experiments, results on narrow band and wide band analysis will be described. Key-Words: Outdoor-to-indoor, polarization, direction of arrival, delay spread, penetration into building


This work describes how a new, extremely porous, hairy layer of carbon nano-fibers (CNFs) can be prepared on the surface of porous inorganic bodies, e.g. wash-coated monoliths. CNFs were prepared catalytically by methane and ethene decomposition over a Ni catalyst. The influence of the Ni particle size and growth conditions on the properties of the resulting material is reported. It turns out that the thickness of the CNF layer at the outermost surface (ca. 1 mm) as well as the diameter of the fibers increases with mean Ni particle size. The structure of this layer resembles the inverse structure of a traditional inorganic support material, combining high surface area, high porosity and low tortousity. Growing CNFs using methane leads to immediate fragmentation and doubling of the thickness of the washcoat which is independent of the amount of CNFs, forming a macro-porous composite layer of entangled alumina particles and CNFs with a typical diameter of 10?30 nm. Immediate fragmentation is due to the fact that some of the fibers are too thick for the pores in the washcoat. The total porosity decreases with the amount of CNFs whereas the surface area per gram of monolith increases. Large Ni particles are able to grow CNFs for longer times, resulting in detachment of the washcoat from the cordierite, which is caused by extensive growth of CNFs out of the washcoat. Furthermore, extended growth of CNFs inside the cordierite body causes disintegration of the monolith body when macro-pores are locally overfilled with CNFs. Methane is preferred over ethene for growing CNFs because ethene grows CNFs rapidly even on relatively large Ni particles, resulting in thick fibers up to 70 nm in the macro-porous cordierite, destroying the monolith. Controlling both the Ni particle size and Ni distribution as well as choosing the right activity of the hydrocarbon are essential to grow CNF washcoats without damaging the monolith structure.


Abstract. The Manihiki Plateau is a Large Igneous Province (LIP) in the central Pacific. It was emplaced as part of the "Super-LIP" Ontong Java Nui and experienced fragmentation into three sub-plateaus, possibly during the break-up of Ontong Java Nui. The Manihiki Plateau is presumably the centerpiece of this "Super-LIP" and its investigation can therefore decipher the break-up mechanisms as well as the evolution of the plateau after its initial emplacement. By analyzing two seismic refraction/wide-angle reflection profiles crossing the two largest sub-plateaus of the Manihiki Plateau, the High Plateau and the Western Plateaus, we give new insights into their crustal structure and magmatic evolution. The High Plateau shows a crustal structure of 20 km thickness and a seismic P wave velocity distribution, which is comparable to other LIPs. The High Plateau experienced a strong secondary volcanism, which can be seen in relicts of seamount chain volcanism. The Western Plateaus on the other hand show no extensive secondary volcanism and are mainly structured by fault systems and sedimentary basins. A constant decrease in Moho depth (9–17 km) is a further indicator of crustal stretching on the Western Plateaus. Those findings lead to the conclusion, that the two sub-plateaus of the Manihiki Plateau experienced a different magmatic and tectonic history. Whereas the High Plateau experienced a secondary volcanism, the Western Plateaus underwent crustal stretching during and after the break-up of Ontong Java Nui. This indicates, that the sub-plateaus of the Manihiki Plateau play an individual part in the break-up history of Ontong Java Nui.


(a) The geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) source category comprises any well or group of wells that inject a CO2 stream for long-term containment in subsurface geologic formations. (b) This source category includes all wells permitted as Class VI under the Underground Injection Control program. (c) This source category does not include a well or group of wells where a CO2 stream is being injected in subsurface geologic formations to enhance the recovery of oil or natural gas unless one of the following applies: (1) The owner or operator injects the CO2 stream for long-term containment in subsurface geologic formations and has chosen to submit a proposed monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) plan to EPA and received an approved plan from EPA. (2) The well is permitted as Class VI under the Underground Injection Control program. (d) Exemption for research and development projects. Research and development projects shall receive an exemption from reporting under this subpart for the duration of the research and development activity. (1) Process for obtaining an exemption. If you are a research and development project, you must submit the information in paragraph (d)(2) of this section to EPA by the time you would be otherwise required to submit an MRV plan under § 98.448. EPA will use this information to verify that the project is a research and development project. (2) Content of submission. A submission in support of an exemption as a research and development project must contain the following information: (i) The planned duration of CO2 injection for the project. (ii) The planned annual CO2 injection volumes during this time period. (iii) The research purposes of the project. (iv) The source and type of funding for the project. (v) The class and duration of Underground Injection Control permit or, for an offshore facility not subject to the Safe Drinking Water Act, a description of the legal instrument authorizing geologic sequestration. (3) Determination by the Administrator. (i) The Administrator shall determine if a project meets the definition of research and development project within 60 days of receipt of the submission of a request for exemption. In making this determination, the Administrator shall take into account any information you submit demonstrating that the planned duration of CO2 injection for the project and the planned annual CO2 injection volumes during the duration of the project are consistent with the purpose of the research and development project. (ii) Any appeal of the Administrator's determination is subject to the provisions of part 78 of this chapter. (iii) A project that the Administrator determines is not eligible for an exemption as a research and development project must submit a proposed MRV plan to EPA within 180 days of the Administrator's determination. You may request one extension of up to an additional 180 days in which to submit the proposed MRV plan.


The fabless integrated circuit (IC) design is one of the most important sec- tors of the semiconductor industry. In 2010, the total revenue of the fabless IC design sector had already hit US $59.6 billion, accounting for one-�fth of the total semiconduc- tor industry revenue. Thus, understanding the efficiency of fabless IC design houses is critical not only for managers of fabless IC design houses, but semiconductor foundries and investors as well. However, very few researches have tried to benchmark fabless IC design houses. Most existing researches have focused on benchmarking the fabless IC design houses within a particular geographic area, such as Taiwan. Further, very few of the researches that tried to benchmark the world's leading fabless IC design houses intro- duced the traditional CCR or BCC Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) models based on improper weight derivations. Such performance evaluation results were derived based on different bases of comparisons of decision-making units (DMUs). Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the efficiency of the world's leading fabless IC design houses by introducing a new and reasonable Multiple Objectives Programming (MOP)-based DEA method with derivations of the efficiency achievement measure (EAM). The performance of the world's top forty fabless IC design houses will be evaluated. According to the an- alytic results, the strength and weakness of IC design houses can be demonstrated and strategies for enhancing the houses can be proposed. In the future, the proposed MOP- based DEA method can serve as an appropriate method for performance evaluations. Keywords: Data envelopment analysis (DEA), Fabless IC design house, Multiple ob- jectives programming/efficiency achievement measure (MOP/EAM), Semiconductor in- dustry


Literacy educators world-wide will be saddened to hear of the death of Professor Alison Lee following a tough struggle with pancreatic cancer. Alison has been one of the editors of Literacy and Numeracy Studies since 1994 and her commitment to ensuring its quality and its future will be much missed.


This paper examines the determinants of unemployment duration in a competing risks framework with two destination states, namely, inactivity and employment. The major innovation is our recognition of defective risks. We first use a polynomial hazard function to test for the presence of two-sources of defective risks: search involving a random process of unlucky draws that yields a non-proper duration distribution; and a split-population model in which the decision by some individuals not to consider certain destination states produces a defective distribution. Having established the primacy of the latter model, we refine it using a more flexible piecewise-constant baseline hazard function. This specification broadly confirms our earlier findings but offers a more convincing explanation for positive and zero transition rates out of unemployment. Although we do not reject the null of proportionality, abandoning the proportionality assumption does not materially alter our conclusions.


Low-temperature cracking is a critical distress form and is heavily influenced by the relaxation and strength capabilities of the material. These properties are related to the stiffness through principles of viscoelasticity. Recently, there is elevated pressure on decisions made by pavement and materials engineers to produce the longest lasting, most resourceful pavement systems possible to optimise monetary and non-renewable resource usage. The primary objectives of this study are to: (1) assess the value of a parameter which can describe low-temperature cracking resistance by using dynamic modulus (|E*|) and phase angle (δ) of the mixture and laboratory-measured performance; (2) present shape parameters of a mixture master curve that are directly related to the relaxation spectra, which is expected to play a pivotal role in low-temperature distress resistance with ageing; (3) define failure lines in Black Space which correspond with laboratory-measured performance and operate under a well-understood basis reinforced by the literature; and (4) provide agencies with a tool to aid in the movement towards a performance-based mixture design, acceptance, or rehabilitation decision-making system. An analysis of the mixture master curve is done to establish parameters which describe the relaxation spectra and ageing potential of materials. A mixture-based Black Space parameter is presented based on results from the |E*| master curve construction and the thermal stress restrained specimen test. This approach holds promise, but must be calibrated with a robust database before serious implementation considerations are made. Future work will look to determine a common stiffness condition to better define the failure threshold and to identify possible alternatives to the modified Glover–Rowe function used in this study. Further evaluation is also needed to optimise the temperature–frequency combination of the Black Space parameter itself and ensure a condition is specified that can be captured by test equipment an owner agency or contractor may possess as part of a performance-based specification framework.


In modern days, communication role of wireless device is picking place. With the advent of WSN's, the problem of battery life to enhance the lifetime is a significant challenge to overcome. Moreover heavy traffic load for packet transmission on the nodes closer to the sink also increase power consumption and reduce battery life. It is desired that the distance between the nodes and sink to be reduced. So reduction of delay and improvement in energy efficiency are the critical concern. The major objective behind the design is to keep the sensors operating for as long as possible by increasing lifetime of the network. The data collected by sensor nodes is forwarded to the sink, so therefore proper placement of sinks has a great impact on the performance of the WSN. Almost all applications of Wireless Sensor Network require the flow of sensed data from multiple sources to a sink. So, the optimal location of sink is an important topological consideration to minimize the energy consumption. This paper proposes a mechanism to improve and optimize the existing Multiple Sink placement strategy i.e. Geographic Sink Placement (GSP) strategy using network division in concentric circular rings around the central circular region where sinks placement is in uniform and random manner. It has been observed that the proposed strategies provide better performances with respect to energy usage and lifetime. The work is implemented in Matlab and simulation shows improved results in proposed strategies.


Asthma affects more than 300 million people in the world, costs over $80 billion annually in the United States, and is efficaciously treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). To our knowledge, no studies have examined the real-world effectiveness of ICS, including the combination therapy consisting of ICS and long-acting beta agonists (LABAs), and patterns of use over a 15-year time period. We used data from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California multi-ethnic Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging (GERA) Cohort which comprises longitudinal electronic health record data of over 100,000 people. Data included longitudinal asthma-related events, such as ambulatory office visits, hospitalizations, emergency department (ED) visits, and fills of ICS and ICS–LABA combination. Asthma exacerbations were defined as an asthma-related ED visit, hospitalization, or oral corticosteroid (OCS) burst. We used an expected-value approach to determine ICS and ICS–LABA coverage over exacerbation events. We compared rates of exacerbation of subjects on ICS or ICS–LABAs to their own rates of exacerbation when off controller medications. We found ICS–LABA therapy had significant effects, reducing all types of exacerbations per day by a factor of 1.76 (95% CI (1.06, 2.93), p = 0.03) and, specifically, bursts per day by a factor of 1.91 (95% CI (1.04, 3.53), p = 0.037). In conclusion, ICS–LABA therapy was significantly associated with fewer asthma-related exacerbations in a large population of individuals with asthma who were followed for 15 years.


Background/Context This article contributes to the literature on how teachers learn on the job and how schools and districts can support teacher learning to improve student learning and incorporate changing standards and curricular materials into instructional practices. The findings in this study are relevant to the implementation of ambitious mathematics instruction reform through changing teachers' knowledge and instructional practices. Focus of Study This study examines how middle school teachers' networks influence their mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) and instructional practices. We also examined how mathematics coaches' expertise, in the form of MKT, plays a role in augmenting the extent to which teachers learn through interacting with close colleagues. Research Design The article draws on data from a larger NSF-funded study in four large, urban districts that responded to accountability pressures by attempting to implement ambitious mathematics instruction aligned with the recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and by supporting implementation with a significant investment in teacher learning. The analysis in this paper involves 89 focal participants who were middle school mathematics teachers in 29 schools, the focal participants' close colleagues, and their instructional coaches. Measures include mathematics teachers' professional networks, MKT, classroom practices, individual background characteristics, and school factors. We used hierarchical linear models with cross-level interaction effects and in-depth sensitivity analyses of the effects of close colleagues and coaches. Findings/Results Our results show that changes in teachers' instructional practice were positively related to their access to instructional expertise through interactions with close colleagues. But, we did not find a similar significant relationship between changes in teachers' MKT and access to their close colleagues' MKT expertise. Rather, coaches' MKT expertise positively moderated the extent to which teachers learned MKT from their close colleagues through seeking advice on teaching mathematics; that is, having an expert coach in the school enhanced the MKT learning opportunities that teachers had from interacting with close colleagues. Conclusions/Recommendations Results from this study shed light on how to support teachers' on-the-job learning and successfully implement ambitious instructional reforms in schools. It is important for schools and districts to consider ways to encourage the development of teacher networks that can promote instructional changes. For example, schools and districts can purposely provide common planning time and common workspaces that facilitate sharing expertise among teachers. They can also support teachers with instructional coaches who have content expertise and know how to facilitate interactions among teachers.


The objective of this paper is to assess the potential for energy savings in water and sewerage services by means of on-site integrated water and sewage management strategies in low-income households in Florianopolis, Brazil. The on-site water efficient measures include reclamation of gray water and rainwater use. The water and energy saving potential of both strategies were studied, and their energy intensities were compared to centralized water and sewerage services. Furthermore, the water consumption pattern at ten low-income households was empirically determined using smart meters; the rainwater supply was estimated by using the computer program Netuno 4.0; and the water supply and sewage reduction capacities of gray water systems were determined using a theoretical method. On average, the gray water and rainwater supply capacities were equivalent to 24% and 43% of the total water consumption of households, respectively. In regard to energy savings, rainwater harvesting was the most energy intensive strategy (0.86 kWh/m3), followed by centralized systems (0.84 kWh/m3); whereas, gray water was the most energy efficient one (0.54 kWh/m3). The findings suggest that alternative water and sewerage services may promote energy savings in comparison with centralized ones only when a concomitant reduction in sewage production is achieved.


The volume is a collection of original articles that present new research on first and second language acquisition from the perspective of current generative linguistics, using a detailed case study of Portuguese as a first, second and third language. The book focuses on studies exploring both empirical/experimental and theoretical aspects of the acquisition of syntax and its interfaces with morphology, with semantics/pragmatics, and language change. The volume includes chapters on the child and adult acquisition of European and Brazilian Portuguese, and several chapters that also compare and contrast the two varieties from these different perspectives.


The focus of the material presented in this PhD thesis is the development of stochastic Direct and Inverse Monte-Carlo-based models for drug dissolution. Drug dissolution from different carriers is a complex phenomenon. Limited knowledge is available on some of the underlying constituent processes, which restricts development of mechanistic models. Monte Carlo techniques permit the treatment of certain structures and events in a probabilistic manner. The thesis examines a number of possible ways of using Monte Carlo both (1) to explore modelling
for the dissolution of Drug Delivery Systems and (2) to reconstruct general system behaviour during dissolution, using noisy drug delivery data. Further, important investigations on the determination of factors responsible for noise and quantification of noise levels, are reported.
In the first part of the thesis, an investigation of MC-based methods in the field of Drug Delivery is given, with the complexity of drug dissolution and design explored and the contribution of the MC approach reported. The use of Direct MC and Stochastic Cellular Automata models in the simulation of dissolution from pharmaceutical compacts or related phenomena are discussed, together with various features and requirements.
The principal objective here is to extend use of Direct Monte Carlo techniques in simulating drug delivery from compacts of complex composition, taking into consideration special features of the dissolution in an in vitro environment. After examining the existing MC models for drug delivery, the need for more sophisticated models is described. Exploratory modelling is proposed in order to address the problems of dissolution related to certain drug carriers with complex internal morphology and difficult-to-predict dissolution profiles. Phenomena such as local interactions of dissolving components, development of wall-roughness at the solid-liquid interface, diffusion through occlusions and pores and moving concentration boundary layers were examined and directly accounted for in the model. As a result, new models have been developed for: i) matrix soluble drug carriers and ii) bioerodible polymeric micro- and nanospheres for controlled release of proteins. The simulations provide results in acceptable agreement with different drug release profiles obtained during laboratory experiments. The novelty of this work consists in including new features of experimental system complexity in the frame of simple and user-friendly Direct MC models, indicating that the Direct MC technique can be very helpful in exploring design parameters in the field of drug delivery.
The other major axis of the thesis investigates use of Monte Carlo in data reconstruction and noise quantification. The problem posed was whether it is possible to extract detailed dynamic distributional knowledge about a dissolving pharmaceutical system composed from many small entities, when the researcher is provided with insufficient experimental data. A model based on Inverse Monte Carlo simulations was designed to exploit Bayesian principles in retrieving the desired features, such as particle size distribution. Importantly, this work demonstrates that Inverse Monte Carlo methods are capable of reconstructing underlying characteristics of drug carriers involved, even when dissolution profiles available rely on sparse data sets. The models proposed in this thesis are currently being incorporated in a largescale project in collaboration between the DCU research team and the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York. The project focuses on developing therapeutic implants with controlled drug release, specifically designed for the regeneration of severely damaged tissues.


In cases of aortic valve diseases, diagnosis and subsequent interventional planning are highly facilitated by deriving exact threedimensional geometric models of a patient's aortic valve apparatus from Cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography data. Fully-automatic approaches to do so however lack in absolute reliability and manual editing of the initially detected geometric model is often required. We therefore present an interactive editing method for this scenario – in particular for editing the aortic root model – based on the As-Rigid-As-Possible (ARAP) surface modeling paradigm, which allows efficient, robust, intuitive and physically plausible deformations of three-dimensional geometric models. The user constrains a model's surface by setting and moving handles – the so-called constraints – while the remaining, and only the remaining, free part of the surface is deformed automatically in a way such that the global shape is preserved in real-time. We extended the classical ARAP approach for our scenario by an energy smoothness regularization to overcome non-smooth artifacts at constrained positions. We furthermore incorporated the use of image evidence-based cues in the interactive workflow such that handles can be made "snap" into visible 3-D surface indicators. We evaluated our method in a user study regarding intuitiveness, achievable accuracy, inter-user variability, required time and robustness. The participants started with an initial average meshto-mesh surface error of 1.65 mm and achieved after 50 mouse clicks on average and less than 3.5 minutes an average error of 0.48 mm with respect to an expert-defined ground truth. The inter-user variability was 0.43 mm.


This volume presents the results of archaeological investigations between 1996 and 2005, carried out as part of the Ben Lawers Historic Landscape Project, a multi-disciplinary project based on north Loch Tayside in the Central Highlands of Scotland (NGR: NN 63763 41298). Archaeological surveys and excavations formed the core of the Ben Lawers Project, but many other disciplines also contributed to researching this landscape. Some of these partner projects are reported here, while others have been presented elsewhere (Tipping et al 2009), and some have formed part of doctoral research projects (Watters 2007). The results of the 13 field seasons, particularly the nine evaluation and excavation seasons, together with the results of the partner projects, specialist studies and scientific analyses, have provided a body of evidence which permits the story of the land of Lawers to be told. The historical continuum in that story can be used to curate and manage this landscape for generations to come.


This report sketches the procedures prescribed by the Atomic Energy Act (AEA) for congressional action in relation to nuclear cooperation agreements, then summarizes legislative proceedings occurring in relation to the proposed agreement with Russia, beginning with its recent submission. It also addresses several questions regarding the implementation and intent of these statutory requirements related to the proposed agreement with the Russian Federation. Special attention is given to the definition of "days of continuous session" and possible implications of this definition depending on whether or not the requisite period ends before the end of the 110th Congress.


Electronic devices in which the electrons are confined to fewer than three spatial dimensions are an important tool for physics research and future developments in computing technology. Recently discovered carbon nanotubes (1991) and graphene (2004) are intrinsically low-dimensional materials with remarkable electronic properties. Combined with semiconductor technologies they might be used to fabricate smaller devices with more complex functionality. This thesis addresses two routes towards this goal. The detection of charge transport through quantum dots using a GaAs point contact is a potential tool for quantum computation. This project aimed to fabricate and measure hybrid devices with carbon nanotube quantum dots on top of GaAs point contacts. Dispersion and AFM manipulations of nanotubes on GaAs were studied, revealing comparatively weak binding. Transport measurements indicated that GaAs induces disorder in nanotubes, creating multiple tunnel barriers. Preliminary attempts were made at CVD growth and ink-jet printing of nanotubes directly onto GaAs. Although only one atom thick, graphene is macroscopic in area and must be patterned to confine conduction; room temperature transistor behaviour requires graphene ribbons only a few nanometres wide. This work fabricated such structures using a charged AFM tip, achieving reliable cutting even on single layer graphene and feature sizes as small as 5 nm. The cutting mechanism was found to be chemical oxidation of carbon by a polarised water layer, with an activation energy determined by the energy of dissociation of water at the graphene surface. The critical variables were the voltage difference between the tip and graphene and the atmospheric humidity. An unstable solid oxide intermediate was also observed. Thermal annealing revealed the presence of a layer of water beneath flakes. Finally, EFM measurements were made of graphene at 20 mK, enabling estimates of the local carrier density and revealing spatial variations in the electronic structure on a scale consistent with electron and hole puddles.


Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is a well-known positioning approach in GPS-denied environments such as urban canyons and inside buildings. Autonomous/aided target detection and recognition (ATR) is commonly used in military application to detect threats and targets in outdoor environments. This papers present approaches to combine SLAM with ATR in ways that compensate for the drawbacks in each method. The methods use physical objects that are recognizable by ATR as unambiguous features in SLAM, while SLAM provides the ATR with better position estimates. Landmarks in the form of 3D point features based on normal aligned radial features (NARF) are used in conjunction with identified objects and 3D object models that replace landmarks when possible. This leads to a more compact map representation with fewer landmarks, which partly compensates for the introduced cost of the ATR. We analyze three approaches to combine SLAM and 3D-data; point-point matching ignoring NARF features, point-point matching using the set of points that are selected by NARF feature analysis, and matching of NARF features using nearest neighbor analysis. The first two approaches are is similar to the common iterative closest point (ICP). We propose an algorithm that combines EKF-SLAM and ATR based on rectangle estimation. The intended application is to improve the positioning of a first responder moving through an indoor environment, where the map offers localization and simultaneously helps locate people, furniture and potentially dangerous objects such as gas canisters.


The prevalence of farmer's lung was studied in five districts of the French Doubs province (Rougemont, Clerval, Levier, Montbenoît, Mouthe) on the basis of a medical and occupational questionnaire and serological studies for precipitins. Of the 1763 active farmers (response rate 69%) who participated in the study, 270 were suspected of having farmer's lung and divided, on the basis of clinical and serological criteria, into probable and possible farmer's lung groups. This subgroup of 270 patients was examined in more detail with physical examination, chest radiographs, and pulmonary function tests. Probable farmer's lung was diagnosed in 77 cases (53 men and 24 women, mean age 51.7 years), a prevalence of 43.7/1000. Possible farmer's lung was present in a further 193 subjects. Fever was the most specific symptom. In the group with probable farmer's lung the frequency of crepitations, restrictive ventilatory defect, and radiological interstitial abnormalities was 21.5%, 9.5%, and 9.2% at the time of the study. Farmer's lung was more common in the middle tablelands than in the plain or mountain areas (p less than 0.01). The difference in prevalence of farmer's lung between the Mouthe mountain and Levier middle tableland districts (25.2/1000 and 60.8/1000) raises the possibility that cold may protect against the disease. Farmer's lung was more frequent in men and in the age group 51-55 years. Among possible occupational factors, only regular work connected with feeding animals was associated with a significant risk (odds ratio 2.55 with a 95% confidence interval of 1.09-5.93). The frequency of chronic bronchitis in the population studied was 14.8%. There was a close link between farmer's lung and chronic bronchitis, 50.6% of patients with probable farmer's lung having it but only 8.6% of patients without farmer's lung (p less than 0.001). In patients with probable farmer's lung chronic bronchitis was independent of smoking and age. There were fewer smokers in the probable farmer's lung than in the non-farmer's lung group (p less than 0.05).


There is little knowledge about the psychosocial distress of children affected by HIV/AIDS in Ghana, to aid planning of services. This study investigated mental health problems among children affected by HIV/AIDS in Ghana, compared to control groups of children orphaned by other causes, and non-orphans. It employed a cross-sectional survey that interviewed 291 children and their caregivers on their psychosocial wellbeing using standardized scales. The results indicated that controlling for relevant socio-demographic factors both children's self-reports and caregivers reports indicate that both children living with HIV/AIDS-infected caregivers and children orphaned by AIDS were at heightened risk for mental health problems than both children orphaned by other causes and non-orphans. The findings further indicated that significant proportion of orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) exhibited symptoms for depression and other psychiatric disorders (approximately 63%) compared with 7% among the non-orphaned group. Caregivers gave higher ratings for children on externalizing problems and lower on internalizing problems, and vice versa when the children's self-reports were analyzed. These findings suggest that both children and their informants have diverse yet complementary perspectives on psychological outcomes. The study discusses the theoretical and practical implications of these findings andurgently called for necessary intervention programs that targets all children affected by HIV/AIDS to effectively alleviate psychological distress and enhance the mental health of these children.


Abstract Community composition and ecosystem processes during succession may be driven partly by traits of plant species that attain dominance. Here, we addressed the hypothesis that Stipa pulcherrima, the dominant grass of abandoned continental grasslands, controls seedling recruitment of co-occurring species through chemical effects of its litter. Eight species with successful and unsuccessful recruitment under field conditions were selected (four familial pairs) to study experimentally the effects of leaf leachate under four temperature regimes. Since fungi developed in leachate-treated Petri dishes, in another experiment seeds were surface sterilized to remove confounding effects of fungi on recruitment. Leachate affected various stages of seedling recruitment: it significantly reduced seed germination (by 33–94%) and radicle elongation, and it delayed germination of seedlings of all species. In two families, species with unsuccessful field recruitment were more negatively affected than the successful ones. In a third family, the species with successful recruitment was more negatively affected, and in the fourth there were no differences. Similar germination responses after exclusion of fungi through seed-surface sterilization suggested that leachate was responsible for the observed effects on recruitment. Besides other traits and physical/microclimatic effects of accumulating litter, S. pulcherrima influences plant community dynamics and may potentially affect ecosystem processes through its secondary compounds.


The Paris Agreement was a critical step forward in the global fight against climate change. But even as the Agreement enters into force, it is unclear how it can achieve its ambitious collective goals within a framework that affords nearly unfettered flexibility to countries to define their own contributions. The conventional view is that elements of the Agreement such as coordinated five-year pledging cycles and robust peer review will overcome this tension between ambition and flexibility by catalyzing increased action over time. Previous climate agreements, however, have not been particularly effective in this regard. They have struggled to mobilize pledges that are consistent with shared objectives, generate new actions to close gaps that have arisen, and ensure that countries actually follow through on their commitments. If the Paris Agreement is to succeed where its predecessors have not, it must produce stronger incentives for countries to align their domestic actions with global objectives. Countries with the most at stake in the Agreement — namely, the most ambitious and the most vulnerable — must prioritize climate change in their foreign policies, and use their diplomatic resources to incentivize others to increase their actions and to deter free-riding. This includes providing positive inducements for countries to increase their actions, and where necessary, imposing consequences on countries that refuse to do their part or honor their commitments. The countries of the High Ambition Coalition should build on their success in securing the Paris Agreement by leading this effort.


A growing number of U.S. states have adopted "millionaire taxes" on top income-earners. This increases the progressivity of state tax systems, but it raises concerns about tax flight: elites migrating from high-tax to low-tax states, draining state revenues, and undermining redistributive social policies. Are top income-earners "transitory millionaires" searching for lower-tax places to live? Or are they "embedded elites" who are reluctant to migrate away from places where they have been highly successful? This question is central to understanding the social consequences of progressive taxation. We draw on administrative tax returns for all million-dollar income-earners in the United States over 13 years, tracking the states from which millionaires file their taxes. Our dataset contains 45 million tax records and provides census-scale panel data on top income-earners. We advance two core analyses: (1) state-to-state migration of millionaires over the long-term, and (2) a sharply-focused discontinuity analysis of millionaire population along state borders. We find that millionaire tax flight is occurring, but only at the margins of statistical and socioeconomic significance.


The Vocal Joystick (VJ) is an assistive device that uses the rich complexity of the human voice to drive a human-computer interface. The system has previously been shown to work well for control of a computer mouse, yet it does not currently make full use of the continuous nature of the vowel space. This work examines the potential use of the Gaussian process latent variable model (GP-LVM), which provides a non-linear, smooth probabilistic mapping from latent to data space. The results show promise for some speakers but do not currently generalize well across speakers. The GP-LVM provides a well-motivated approach, but additional work is still needed to translate the existing potential into an effective new control scheme for VJ.