We explore the use of Intrinsic Dimension (ID) for gaining insights in how populations evolve in Evolutionary Algorithms. ID measures the minimum number of dimensions needed to accurately describe a dataset and its estimators are being used more and more in Machine Learning to cope with large datasets. We postulate that ID can provide information about population which is complimentary w.r.t.\ what (a simple measure of) diversity tells. We experimented with the application of ID to populations evolved with a recent variant of Grammatical Evolution. The preliminary results suggest that diversity and ID constitute two different points of view on the population dynamics.


This paper highlights the significance of knowledge management in construction activities, focusing particularly in the case of sustainable retrofitted building projects. It has been acknowledged that the industry has a poor attitude to project learning and the capture of project knowledge. Knowledge has been recognised as a most valuable asset in any industry because of its association with innovation, timely project delivery and competitive advantage. In a knowledge-based industry like construction, the work of the key stakeholders is ultimately about making decisions. However, the contribution of knowledge management to the area of decision-making has been largely ignored in the industry. Decision-making is the processing of knowledge that leads to action. Furthermore, most decisions in the delivery of sustainable retrofitted building projects are complex and interdisciplinary. Thus, there is a need for project knowledge to be managed and presented as a framework to enable the key stakeholders make an appropriate and informed decision. This paper presents a new knowledge management paradigm for assisting key stakeholders that are involved in delivering sustainable retrofitted building projects in making informed decisions. The proposed framework was developed after intensive reviews of the related literature.


This demonstration paper describes the conception, design and implementation of a hardware/software musical interface and its use in performance with a group of dancers and a choreographer. It investigates the design and development of such interfaces in the light of these experiences and presents material from two of these custom interfaces.

The work examines the nature of digital interfaces for musical expression through the use of multiple sensors, the data from which is used to generate and control multiple musical parameters in software. This enables levels of expression and diversity not generally available using conventional electronic interfaces, the latter frequently being limited to the direct control of a limited number of musical parameters. The combination of hardware design and algorithmic manipulation combined with the expressive potential of dance and embodied movement is of particular interest.

Reflecting links between embodied movement and expression in live performance, the feedback between form and function is also considered, as are collaborations with sculptors to develop and enhance the physical behaviour and visual appearance of these devices.


The Way Things Go (Der Lauf der Dinge) is a thirty-minute film by Swiss artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss featuring a series of chain reactions involving ordinary objects. It is also one of the truly amazing works of art produced in the late twentieth century. Admired, even loved, by members of the public as much as it is praised by the more specialist audience of artists, critics, and curators, The Way Things Go was perhaps the most popular work shown at Documenta 8, Kassel, in 1987. The work embodies many of the qualities that make Fischli and Weiss's work among the most captivating in the world today: slapstick humor and profound insight; a forensic attention to detail; a sense of illusion and transformation; and the dynamic exchange between states of order and chaos. In discussing what makes The Way Things Go utterly compelling to its viewers--whether they have seen it one time or many times--Jeremy Millar leaves no doubt as to why this film was chosen for the One Works series. As everyday objects crash, scrape, slide, or fly into one another with devastating, impossible, and persuasive effect, viewers find themselves witnessing a spectacle that seems at once prehistoric and postapocalyptic. Millar tells us why this extraordinary film speaks to us at the beginning of the twenty-first century. If history is "just one thing after another," then The Way Things Go is truly a historic work.Jeremy Millar is an artist. He is the author of Place (with Tacita Dean) and has contributed to many artist's monographs. He has also curated many solo and group exhibitions internationally. Swiss artists Peter Fischli and David Weiss received Europe's most coveted art prize, the Roswitha Haftmann Prize, in November 2006. A major retrospective of their work, "Flowers and Questions," originating at the Tate, London, travels to Zurich and Hamburg in 2007 and 2008.


Young women and men today must grapple with serious social, political and environmental problems inherited from their elders. Yet they are systematically excluded from policy decisions, even though young people make up one quarter of humanity. By marshalling the energy, creativity and talents of youth to address the multiple inequalities they face, we will all reap a 'demographic dividend' and build a fairer world.


Increasing stress on the environment and current norms of sustainable development have prompted the formalization of new approaches to decision making. This may be achieved through the integration of sustainability criteria into the project selection process. One of the criteria of relevance in this context is reversibility, the degree to which the anticipated and unanticipated impacts of a project can be mitigated. Impacts are identified under three broad categories found in the sustainable development literature: social, ecological, and economic. Specified characteristics of some impacts and direct measures of the severity of other impacts are used in a distance metric formulation to evaluate a reversibility index in each of the three categories. A combination of the three indexes gives an overall measure of reversibility for a given project.


This paper examines the optimal schedule of marginal tax rates and the design of earned income tax credits. The analysis is based on a structural labour supply model which incorporates unobserved heterogeneity, fixed costs of work and the detailed non-convexities of the tax and welfare system. An analytical framework is developed that allows explicitly for an extensive margin in work choices and also the partial observability of hours of work. This is contrasted to the standard case in which only earnings (and non-labour income) are observable to the government. The empirical motivation is the earned income tax credit reforms in Britain which include a minimum hours requirement at 16 hours per week and a further bonus at 30 hours. Our analysis examines the case for the use of hours-contingent payments and lends support for the overall structure of the tax credit reforms. However, we also provide a strong case for a further reduction of marginal rates for lower earners but only those with school age children.


One of the most intriguing yet elusive areas of scholarship concerning the 19th century marine artist Fitz Hugh Lane (1804-1865) is the connection between his luminist style and Ralph Waldo Emerson's (1803-1882) transcendental philosophy. This influence has been observed in Lane's depictions of the New England coast enveloped in soft atmospheric hues of meditative stillness, which seem to provide an aesthetic counterpart to the romantic nature philosophy of his contemporary Emerson.1 Cape Ann served as the inspiration for some of Lane's greatest luminist paintings. After the artist returned from Boston to Gloucester permanently in 1848, he continued to paint landscapes and seascapes of the area for the rest of his life. Emerson frequently lectured in Gloucester during the same period, and recorded the profound impact which the region had on him. As two major cultural figures in the 19th century American Renaissance, Lane and Emerson have been the primary focus of scholarly attention and numerous studies and exhibitions. A less traveled path which forms a tangential but subordinate area of interest is the question of audience. A survey of references to Emerson and transcendentalism by Gloucester residents who patronized Lane provides new insights into context of meaning their literature and art held for ordinary citizens. Oftentimes relegated to the anonymity of unpublished or outdated materials in the archives of small historical societies, the writings of relatively undistinguished local residents assume greater significance in the absence of extant records of the artist's own intentions. While Lane's thoughts on transcendentalism are unavailable, those of his friends, patrons, clergymen and others are extant in a number of sources. These primary historical sources, many of which have never been published or discussed in a secondary or modern source, serve to illuminate a variety of nuances in the philosophical lens through which Lane's paintings were perceived by his contemporaries. In recognized scholarship, Lane's general proximity to Emerson in time, place and mood has been deemed sufficient to acknowledge a literary and visual correlation between the philosopher's views on nature and the artist's representation of nature, while the lack of any documentary evidence has precluded the attribution of a direct causal relationship between the two. Nonetheless, ascribing a literary source to a non-narrative visual product remains tenuous without a verbal indication by the artist that he or she intended to illustrate a specific program of aesthetic philosophy. One can only state with certainty that the literary expressions of romantic nature philosophy and the reflection of nature in the luminist style were inspired by a common aesthetic response to the New England coastal region in which Lane's hometown of Gloucester, Massachusetts is situated. The beauty of Cape Ann was a common point of reference for its residents and anyone who viewed Lane's paintings could appreciate them on some aesthetic level. Whether this aesthetic quality also took on a metaphysical significance tempered by Emersonian philosophy depended upon the philosophical or denominational orientation of the viewer. There were broadly divergent opinions about Emerson which ranged from outright ridicule to cautious acceptance with crucial reservations. Emerson's idiosyncratic philosophy was not easy to digest, and was regarded by many as a radical concept which challenged contemporary economic and religious beliefs. As such, the term "transcendental" sometimes took on pejorative connotations. As we shall see, outward opposition to transcendentalism in certain social circles was overcome through the ministry of the Universalist Reverend Amory Dwight Mayo (1823-1907). Mayo was inspired by Emerson's writings, but distinguished his beliefs from those aspects of transcendentalist philosophy which his audience found offensive. The most essential aspects of Emerson's philosophy which Mayo found compatible with his own theology were his belief in the divinity of nature and its reflection in art. …


Our research reveals how people employ shared material resources to socially construct their stories and collective identity in times of cultural trauma and recovery. Analysis of a documentary series, interviews, books, songs, and visual images chronicling the recovery of a community following a devastating tornado reveals three themes: (1) a vulnerability narrative about suffering, lost capacity, and responsibility, (2) a resiliency narrative about opportunity, collaboration, and abundant capacity, and (3) a bounce narrative about the power of shared material resources to shift collective identity within the cultural landscape of trauma and recovery. We draw on cultural trauma theory from cultural sociology that explains how a traumatic event shapes collective identity. Our findings extend cultural trauma theory by revealing that vulnerability and resiliency are intertwined processes that are informative when studied together, particularly with respect to the role of shared material resources in empowering shifts in collective identity trajectories.


The continuous growth of complex systems makes the development of correct software increasingly challenging. In order to address this challenge, formal methods offer rigorous mathematical techniques to model and verify the correctness of systems. Refinement is one of these techniques. By allowing a developer to incrementally introduce design details, refinement provides a powerful mechanism for mastering the complexities that arise when formally modelling systems. Here the focus is on a posit-and-prove style of refinement, where a design is developed as a series of abstract models introduced via refinement steps. Each refinement step generates proof obligations which must be discharged in order to verify its correctness – typically requiring a user to understand the relationship between modelling and reasoning. This thesis focuses on techniques to aid refinement-based formal modelling, specifically, when a user requires guidance in order to overcome a failed refinement step. An integrated approach has been followed: combining the complementary strengths of bottomup theory formation, in which theories about domains are built based on basic background information; and top-down planning, in which meta-level reasoning is used to guide the search for correct models. On the theory formation perspective, we developed a technique for the automatic discovery of invariants. Refinement requires the definition of properties, called invariants, which relate to the design. Formulating correct and meaningful invariants can be tedious and a challenging task. A heuristic approach to the automatic discovery of invariants has been developed building upon simulation, proof-failure analysis and automated theory formation. This approach exploits the close interplay between modelling and reasoning in order to provide systematic guidance in tailoring the search for invariants for a given model. On the planning perspective, we propose a new technique called refinement plans. Refinement plans provide a basis for automatically generating modelling guidance when a step fails but is close to a known pattern of refinement. This technique combines both modelling and reasoning knowledge, and, contrary to traditional pattern techniques, allow the analysis of failure and partial matching. Moreover, when the guidance is only partially instantiated, and it is suitable, refinement plans provide specialised knowledge to further tailor the theory formation process in an attempt to fully instantiate the guidance. We also report on a series of experiments undertaken in order to evaluate the approaches and on the implementation of both techniques into prototype tools. We believe the techniques presented here allow the developer to focus on design decisions rather than on analysing low-level proof failures. To the memory of my father, Guillermo Llano, and my Grandma, Yayita. You will always be in my heart.


It remains a central problem in population genetics to infer the past action of natural selection, and these inferences pose a challenge because demographic events will also substantially affect patterns of polymorphism and divergence. Thus it is imperative to explicitly model the underlying demographic history of the population whenever making inferences about natural selection. In light of the considerable interest in adaptation in African populations of Drosophila melanogaster, which are considered ancestral to the species, we generated a large polymorphism data set representing 2.1 Mb from each of 20 individuals from a Ugandan population of D. melanogaster. In contrast to previous inferences of a simple population expansion in eastern Africa, our demographic modeling of this ancestral population reveals a strong signature of a population bottleneck followed by population expansion, which has significant implications for future demographic modeling of derived populations of this species. Taking this more complex underlying demographic history into account, we also estimate a mean X-linked region-wide rate of adaptation of 6 × 10−11/site/generation and a mean selection coefficient of beneficial mutations of 0.0009. These inferences regarding the rate and strength of selection are largely consistent with most other estimates from D. melanogaster and indicate a relatively high rate of adaptation driven by weakly beneficial mutations.


Orientation: Assessment Centres (ACs) are used globally for the selection and development of candidates. Limited empirical evidence exists of the ethical challenges encountered in the use of ACs, especially in South Africa (SA). Research purpose: Firstly, to explore possible ethical challenges related to ACs in SA from the vantage point of the practitioner and, secondly, to search for possible solutions to these. Motivation for the study: Decisions based on AC outcomes have profound implications for participants and organisations, and it is essential to understand potential ethical challenges to minimise these, specifically in the SA context, given its socio-political history, multiculturalism, diversity and pertinent legal considerations. Research design, approach and method: A qualitative, interpretative research design was chosen. Data were collected by means of a semi-structured survey that was completed by 96 AC practitioners who attended an AC conference. Content analysis and thematic interpretation were used to make sense of the data. The preliminary findings were assessed by a focus group of purposively selected subject-matter experts ( n = 16) who provided informed insights, which were incorporated into the final findings. The focus group suggested ways in which specific ethical challenges may be addressed. Main findings: The findings revealed many ethical challenges that can be better understood within a broad framework encompassing 10 themes: Universal ethical values; multicultural global contexts; the regulatory-legal framework for ACs in SA; characteristics of the assessor; psychometric properties of the AC; characteristics of the participant; bias and prejudice; governance of the AC process; ethical culture of the employer organisation and the evasive nature of ethics as a concept. Practical and managerial implications: Considerable risk exists for the unethical use of ACs. An awareness of possible areas of risk may assist AC stakeholders in their search for ethical AC use. Contribution or value-add: The study may contribute to an evidence-based understanding of the ethical aspects of ACs. The recommendations may also benefit all AC stakeholders who wish to use ACs ethically.


Empirical evidence suggests that diversion of instream flows for human use, coupled with the potential impacts of changing climatic conditions, is threatening the sustainability of aquatic life. Nonetheless, several states merely prevent stream flows from being reduced below the "7Q10 flow," or the average flow during the driest consecutive seven-day period that has a likelihood of recurring only once every ten years. Overwhelming scientific consensus suggests that 7Q10 merely preserves water quality standards by calculating the concentration of pollutants in point source discharges, without considering water quantity and numerous other core principles of instream management. The protection of instream flows preserves water management options for future generations, and a varied size structure and level of species diversity is reflective of a healthy watershed. This Article examines whether states have an affirmative common law duty to these future generations beyond the strictures of their water codes to ensure the sustainability of watercourses to support freshwater and marine life in the face of growing stresses on these resources. Since Hawaii became the first regulated riparian state to recognize explicitly that the public trust doctrine operates independently of the state's legislatively pronounced water code in a 2000 state Supreme Court decision, several commentators have suggested that Hawaii's approach could assist mainland states facing an urgent need to move proactively, rather than wait to react to imminent water conflicts and crises. However, there is little evidence that the decision has played any appreciable role in addressing water quantity issues in the many regulated riparian jurisdictions in the eastern United States. This Article suggests that the Hawaii high court's decision can function as the foundation for a conceptual framework where the public trust doctrine serves as an independent operative in instream flow protection in select regulated riparian states. To demonstrate the implementation of the proposed framework, the Article applies the approach to the current state of instream flow protection in Mississippi.


Social Web platforms are quickly becoming the natural place for people to engage in discussing current events, topics, and policies. Analysing such discussions is of high value to analysts who are interested in assessing up-to-the-minute public opinion, consensus, and trends. However, we have a limited understanding of how content and user features can influence the amount of response that posts (e.g., Twitter messages) receive, and how this can impact the growth of discussion threads. Understanding these dynamics can help users to issue better posts, and enable analysts to make timely predictions on which discussion threads will evolve into active ones and which are likely to wither too quickly. In this paper we present an approach for predicting discussions on the Social Web, by (a) identifying seed posts, then (b) making predictions on the level of discussion that such posts will generate. We explore the use of post-content and user features and their subsequent effects on predictions. Our experiments produced an optimum F1 score of 0.848 for identifying seed posts, and an average measure of 0.673 for Normalised Discounted Cumulative Gain when predicting discussion levels.


We present an approach for the design and analysis of an electronic voting machine based on a novel combination of formal verification and systematic testing. The system was designed specifically to enable verification and testing. In our architecture, the voting machine is a finite-state transducer that implements the bare essentials required for an election. We formally specify how each component of the machine is intended to work and formally verify that a Verilog implementation of our design meets this specification. However, it is more challenging to verify that the composition of these components will behave as a voter would expect, because formalizing human expectations is difficult. We show how systematic testing can be used to address this issue, and in particular to verify that the machine will behave correctly on election day.


This paper provides an overview of Suriname's trade sector and, based on an assessment of the sector's performance, presents policy recommendations, so that becomes a useful tool for improving the country's economic growth and development prospects. The paper suggests that Suriname's primary objective in this area should be to maximize the benefits and mitigate the costs of trade liberalization. To achieve this, the country should focus on eight strategic areas related to trade: defining and adopting a trade strategy, strengthening trade-related institutions, improving public-private sector coordination, enhancing the regulatory framework, improving the quality and coverage of statistics, expanding access for Surinamese products in international markets, boosting domestic supply conditions, and supporting export diversification.


Brant M. Horio and Kyle M. Ballard. Modeling a Victim-Centered Approach for Detection of Human Trafficking Victims within Migration Flows, Policy and Complex Systems. Volume 3, Number 2, Fall 2017: Washington, D.C. doi: 10.18278/jpcs.3.1.9

Human trafficking—the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel individuals into sex trafficking or forced labor—is a global problem. It is challenging to determine the magnitude of this "hidden crime" because the detection of victims is largely dependent on establishing a sufficient level of trust between them and authorities that encourages victims to self-identify. The U.S. government promotes a victimcentered approach for the detection of human trafficking, the implementation of which is becoming widely accepted as the most effective means to detect trafficking victims, especially in scenarios of increased vulnerability such as the European migration crisis. Using the migration crisis and the networks among migrant populations as context, this paper presents human trafficking as a dynamic process whereby a victim's willingness to self-identify adapts over time both spatially (e.g., due to influence from nearby neighbors) and through networks (e.g., familial, country of origin, traveling parties). We employ an agent-based model for exploring the victim-centered approach and its effectiveness for detecting human trafficking victims in an abstract representation of migrant flows. Our sensitivity analysis over a range of initial cooperation levels among migrants finds a tipping point exists for when the victim-centered approach will achieve positive results. It also suggests minimum system conditions for the propagation and persistence of migrants' strategic intention to self-identify. We also discuss our findings with respect to tradeoff considerations for balancing immigration policy objectives, with the need for allowing sufficient time for positive cooperation among the migrant population to develop.


In this personal narrative I aim to describe internal struggles I endure for one day in Srebrenica on my visit to a mass exhumation site. The narrative discusses and raises a series of questions related to human motivations, actions and disturbing traumatic experiences. In an attempt to bring attention and value to our personal experiences, my essay is a critical reflection on some common concerns facing all post conflict societies; that is, making sense of the past horrors and the ways we pay tribute to them. This essay intends to talk about the things and feelings often left unspoken, and, although quite specific in its focus on Srebrenica, contains universal themes that cross countries and continents. Written only a few days after my visit to the site of genocide, the narrative brings with it many humbling and vivid details that are imprinted on my memory. Although I am excited at the prospect of sharing my memories with the world, at the same time I am reluctant to give a revisionist account of this day as I am aware of ethical dilemmas whenever one tries to challenge values and aims of the post genocide tours. The narratives of women from Bosnia and Herzegovina are making an important contribution to history and warn future generations to learn lessons from the past atrocities. This is my contribution to it.


1. Female southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina L.) expend variable, often large, amounts of their stored body resources on their pups during lactation. There is some evidence that pups with higher weaning masses have a better chance of surviving their first year. But in order to understand what level of maternal investment is required to produce successful pups, we need to understand the behaviour and problems faced by naive pups before nutritional independence. 2. We used satellite telemetry to track 30 newly weaned pups on their first trip to sea from their natal site at Macquarie Island in 1995 and 1996. Track duration varied from 2 to 179 (mean. 77) days. Seven seals were tracked for the entire duration of their first trip. 3. The movements were grouped into three phases. Phase 1 (mean duration 30 days) was characterized by rapid and directed dispersal from Macquarie Island at daily travel rates of up to 140 km day(-1). Phase 2 (mean duration 67 days) consisted of slower travel rates (generally <20 km day(-1)) where activity was often centred on localized patches up to 1900 km from Macquarie Island. This phase was sometimes interrupted by bouts of increased travel rate as the seal moved to another patch. Phase 3 (mean duration 42 days) consisted of prolonged increased travel rates as the seals returned to Macquarie or, in one case, Chatham Island. 4. The routes of the tracks to the south-east were very similar. Simulated tracks based on a constant heading of magnetic east, at variable swimming speed, and modified by ocean Current vectors produced a pattern similar to. but not identical to, the south-east tracks. The tracks to the west and south were more diverse and meandering. 5. Based on a nearest neighbour analysis, neither sex, year nor weaning mass influenced Phase 1-2 or Phase 2-3 transition locations. 6. Phase 2 tracks were associated in the south-eastern group with the Pacific Antarctic Ridge and in the south-west group, to a lesser extent, with the Indian Antarctic Ridge. The southern limits of Phase 2 tracks in the south-eastern group aligned with the southern Antarctic Circumpolar Circulation front. 7. Using calculated estimates of body composition at weaning and estimates of the rate of utilization of body reserves for the period before animals reach phase 2 of their trip, we estimate that large pups will have reserves remaining to supply their needs whereas pups in the small group are approaching critical limits. However, these estimates are based on several assumptions and extrapolations. More information on body composition of pups at weaning and departure is needed along with behavioural information to clarify the value of maternal expenditure in terms of offspring survival.


A fascinating new form of the Hantzsch reaction with methyl ketones and pyrazol-5-amines for the selective synthesis of dipyrazolo-fused pyridines has been discovered. This special [3 + 2 + 1] heteroannulation was accomplished via the domino generation of two C–C bonds and one C–N bond. Preliminary mechanistic studies indicated that the I2/DMSO system realized the oxidative carbonylation of Csp3–H of methyl ketones, while Cu(OTf)2 acted as a relay reagent to accelerate this transformation.


This essay focuses on untranslatability to discuss the diachronic temporality of the history of concepts. Defining untranslatables as the paradoxical origin and product of translating, it explores their role in mediating the long-term history of concepts by disrupting the historical boundaries of a period and challenging the contexts through which past meaning is confined to the moyenne duree. Addressing first the critical appraisal of the history of ideas by Quentin Skinner and J. G. A. Pocock, it discusses their alternative suggestion of a history of discourses, rather than concepts or ideas, to move to Pocock's formulation of the category of "diachronic translation" as a shift from the moyenne to the longue duree. It then turns to Begriffsgeschichte to explore the interrelation of untranslatables, Koselleck's consideration of translation, and his theory of historical times. It suggests that Koselleck not only states that translation mediates the history of concepts, but also envisions a distinct temporality associated with the aporetic condition of translating what is untranslatable. The aporia of translations underlies both the historical depth of concepts as a conceptual reserve and an act of silencing past meaning. The ensuing conjunction of surplus and erasure qualifies Koselleck's category of multiple times by designating the time of translation as "obscure time." It is a time that displaces us from the apparent meaning of concepts in a certain period by receding toward the otherness of the past and suspending meaning that is already in the future. These two characteristics of obscure time, its receding and suspending nature, not only stand against the continuity of periodizing; they also make visible a politics of translation as an act of disruption of the present wherein the past becomes a reserve of meanings resisting appropriative interpretation.


The UK, and the world economy generally, continue to confront serious
challenges. Europe as a whole is threatened by financial instability, and
countries face risks and trade offs as they seek to accelerate recovery. Against
this background, the UK Government aims not only to raise potential output
but to generate sustained growth. This is necessary not only to tackle the
effects of the recession, but also to remove longer-term weaknesses in UK
development. These include sectoral imbalances, high household debt, weak
investment, persistent trade deficits and constrained public spending. Growth is
the connecting thread as we seek to solve these problems. The only viable way
to build a strong, sustainable and balanced economy is to develop new sources
of growth. Innovation in all its forms is at the heart of this.
Innovation is the engine of long-term economic development because it is the
channel through which improved knowledge is applied to economic processes.
This paper opens by showing that economic growth theories and models
converge in giving a central role to innovation. Growth rests ultimately on
innovating firms. Empirical research shows that innovation, in the form of
performance improvements in products, processes, services and systems, is a
core condition for both for business competitiveness and the wider growth of
the economy. Innovation is not costless: it requires investment and resource
commitment. Investments in tangible and intangible innovation assets – such
as research, design, training and skills, intellectual property, organisational
and managerial abilities etc. – are needed to underpin the productivity growth
that drives both GDP growth and wider welfare. A central component of this
is investment by government in scientific and informational infrastructures, in
education and training, and in public procurement.


In this paper, the authors propose a new configuration of an expert system for WEDM which realizes the heuristic knowledge recording by the machine itself. This system consists of the following 3 functions: (1) self-search of suitable setting of multi-parameters in machining, (2) fuzzy control for avoiding the unstable machining states and (3) database for recording and self-organizing the heuristic knowledge. According to the desirable performance of the machine directed by human operator such as "faster cutting speed", the system progresses searching the most suitable setting of machining parameters. When the machining status falls into unstable during the search operation, fuzzy controller works to recover the machining stability. Reached values of the machining parameters obtained through the search operation are recorded and organized by the database. Fundamental experiments on searching the fastest cutting conditions were carried out to confirm the ability of the proposed system. As a result, the following conclusions were obtained. (1) Self-seach of the suitable values of the machining parameters to achieve the fastest cutting speed was carried out successfully. (2) The stability of the machining could be recovered quickly by the fuzzy controller during the search operation. (3) By organizing the reached values of the machining parameters obtained by the search operations, values of machining parameters close to the suitable ones could by estimated at the beginning of the search operation.


Many large and small lakes of varying depths are present in the Eastern Black Sea Range of Turkey, the nation's third most important glacial region following the Agri and Cilo-Sat mountain ranges. During the present study, 6 expeditions to collect aquatic oligochaetes from these lakes were conducted in July and August of 2005, 2006, and 2007; qualitative and quantitative samples were collected from 59 glacial lakes. We present and analyze the dominancy and distribution of aquatic oligochaete assemblages and their relation to environmental factors (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, electrical conductivity, salinity, turbidity, PO4-3-P, HCO3-, organic carbon, hardness, Ca2+, Mg2+, Si, water depth, and altitude) using classification and ordination techniques. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to characterize the relationship between oligochaetes and the environmental variables. As a result, we determined the 4 most important environmental variables (elevation, water depth, dissolved oxygen, and temperature) affecting species distribution in general. Sampling localities were clustered into 8 groups with the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) based on physicochemical characteristics. The relationships between the total number of individuals and environmental measurements were determined by a simple analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. The results of our analyses suggest a significant positive correlation between altitude (P < 0.05; F = 2.994) and the total number of individuals.


Career distress has a negative effect on college retention rates (Sharkin, 2004), psychological well-being (Hartman & Fuqua, 1983) and future career choices (Turner & Berry, 2000). While career indecision and the related distress it causes can be reduced with appropriate sources of help, many students do not seek these services. Few studies have examined the factors that lead to avoidance of the use of career service on college campuses. Therefore, to address this omission in the literature, the current investigation explored the links between indices related to career/major distress (i.e., congruence/incongruence) and help-seeking attitudes among a sample of college undergraduates (N = 741). Results of regression analyses suggest that incongruence, as measured by Occupational Euclidean Distance, uniquely predicted 2.7% of the variance in attitudes towards seeking professional help. Furthermore, this link was moderated by one unique career-related factor (i.e., career decision-making self-efficacy) and by the interaction of gender and self-stigma associated with seeking counseling. Specifically, the addition of the interaction terms added an additional 1.7 percent to the variance of the regression model including all study variables. Implications for researchers and clinicians interested in understanding incongruence and enhancing career service utilization are discussed.


This paper examines the adoption of the International Accounting Standard No 7 (IAS 7) "Cash Flow Statements (CFS)" of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) by the listed companies in the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE) in Turkey. The purpose of this study is to provide brief information about the history and background of the adoption or harmonization of the global financial reporting standards, to explore the degree of homogeneity in choosing among different options permitted by the IAS 7 and the degree of compliance with it. In order to achieve this purpose, an exploratory study was developed and conducted by analyzing financial statements of 17 non-financial firms of ISE top 30 from the year of 2007 to 2009. The findings of the study have shown a significant heterogeneity and non-compliance in applying the IAS 7 in Turkey. The high degree of heterogeneity may dismiss the comparability of financial statements across entities, requiring further efforts by the IASB to reduce options permitted in its standards. The high degree of non-compliance may create the risk of misleading financial information users who might have expected that the audited financial statements they have been prepared according to the IASB standards.


OF DISSERTATION ESSAYS ON THE VALUE OF A FIRM'S ECO-FRIENDLINESS IN THE FINANCIAL ASSET MARKET This dissertation presents three different closely related topics on the value of ecofriendliness in the financial market. The first essay attempts to estimate hedonic stock price model to find a contemporaneous relationship between stock return and firms' environmental performance and recover the value of investor's willingness to pay of ecofriendliness. This study follows stock and environmental performances of the 500 largest US firms from 2009 to 2012. The firms' environmental data come from the Newsweek Green Ranking, both aggregate measures: green ranking (GR) and green score (GS), and disaggregate measures: environmental impact score (EIS), green policy and performance score (GPS), reputation survey score (RSS), and environmental disclosure score (EDS). The results show a non-linear relationship between environmental variables and stock return, i.e. upside down bowl shape or increasing in decreasing rate. That means for low green ranking firms the marginal effect is positive while for high green ranking firms the marginal effect is negative. The investor's willingness to pay (WTP) for a greener stock for firms in the lowest 25 green ranking, on average, is 0.0096% higher stock price The second essays attempt to determine if a firm's environmental performance affects future systematic risk. Systematic risk measures an individual stock's volatility relative to the market price. This study also uses the Newsweek Green Ranking's environmental variables. The results show significant evidence of a non-linear relationship between green variables and systematic (market) risk, but the shape is not unanimous for all environmental variables. The shape of the relationship for green ranking (GR), for example, is U-shape. This means that for the firms in the bottom rank, improving rank will lower systematic (market) risk, and for the firms in the top rank improving rank will increase systematic (market) risk. On average the marginal effect for the firms in the bottom and top 25 firms are -0.2% and 0.09% respectively. The third essay is the effect of a firm's environmental performances on a firm's idiosyncratic risk. Idiosyncratic risk measures an individual stock's volatility independent from the market price. This study also uses the Newsweek Green Ranking's environmental variables. The results show significant non-linear relationships between environmental variables and idiosyncratic risk, even though there is no unanimous shape among the environmental variables. In the case of green ranking, for example, it has U-shape; for the firms in the bottom rank, improving green ranking will lower idiosyncratic risk and for firm in the top green ranking, improving green ranking will increase idiosyncratic risk. On average the marginal effect for firm in bottom and top 25 firms are -0.4% and 0.2% respectively.


The pool of early retirees is characterized by a large heterogeneity along several criteria. The present paper focuses on the key distinction between those in forced early retirement and those who retire early by individual choice. We start by estimating a retirement probit model for older workers in Belgium. Based on these estimates, we then perform micro-simulations relating to a hypothetical actuarial reform of a pension system, i.e., a reform imposing on average actuarial neutrality with respect to the time of retirement. We explore two scenarios, one where the entire population is subjected to the actuarial system, and one where a duly screened sub-sample of the unemployed is shielded against these actuarial adjustment factors, a group we call the truly unemployed. We evaluate the impact on the average retirement age, the pension budgets as well as indicators of redistribution within the group of the elderly. We find that the extra budgetary gain of exposing this subgroup to the full-blown reform is modest, while the distributional cost is rather high. Our results thus comfort the idea that the budgetary cost of a focused unemployment system are moderate, and that returning the unemployment insurance to its primary role might be a desirable strategy.


and this study investigated how perspectives differ in an Asian context. Methods Twenty ACP discussion sheets completed with the patients, with or without a proxy decision maker and 20 ACP discussion sheets completed only with proxy, without the patient, were chosen at random for analysis. Thematic analysis was used to identify salient themes from both sets of discussion sheets and compared to understand the differences between decisions made by patients and proxies. Results While overarching ideas on suffering and living well remain largely similar between the groups, there were marked differences in the area of medical interventions, place of care and religion. More proxies wanted comfort measures only for their loved ones, while patients tended to opt for additional interventions, such as intravenous medications or antibiotics. Similarly, while proxies preferred a trial of treatment at home or in a hospice before transferring to hospital, more patients wanted to be transferred to hospital immediately upon illness onset. Many patients mentioned religious beliefs as of importance whereas this was less mentioned by proxies. Conclusions There are differences between the perspectives of patients and proxy decision makers in making ACPs. Future investigation should look at ways to align the proxy's perspectives with that of the patient especially in dyad pairs including means to reduce differences during ACP facilitation.


This thesis explores the influence of molecular and electronic structure on the reactivity of some small inorganic complexes, beginning with a review of the nature and properties of metal-hydrogen and metal-carbon bonds of early transition metals and of their importance in catalysis. A series of cationic niobium methyl complexes, TpMe2NbMe(L)(MeC=CMe) BArf4 (L = OEt2, THF, 0'Pr2, PMe2Ph and PEt/j) was synthesised and characterised by NMR spectroscopy. Small-scale reactions at low temperatures resulted in the formation of a highly unstable cation, which was stabilised by co-ordination with a series of small electron donor ligands (L). Low temperature NMR studies were used to characterise the resulting air- and temperature-sensitive complexes in solution. One adduct (L = OEt2) was isolated in the solid state and its structure, determined by X-ray crystallography, accorded with the interpretation of its NMR spectrum. The influence of L on the reactivity and stability of the complexes was explored, with preferred co-ordination demonstrated through ligand exchange reactions. Initial catalytic assays established a level of activity warranting further investigation. A high quality crystal of (Bz3Ti)20 was sujected to an experimental charge density study, assisted by an 'Atoms in Molecules' (AIM) theory analysis. This yielded insights into the charge distribution at the Ti and O centres demonstrating the presence of 'ligand induced charge concentration' (LICC). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out on (Bz3Ti)20 producing theoretical charge densities in excellent agreement with the experimental results. X-ray crystallography studies were conducted on the intermediates in the synthesis of MeTi(NMe2)3, BrTi(NMe2)3 and the novel complex {lcub}Ti(NMe2)20{rcub}2Ti3(NMe2)60Br2. IR and NMR spectroscopies were used to explore the nature of the Ti-Me moiety in MeTi(0'Pr)3 no a-agostic interactions were discovered. Variable energy photoelectron spectroscopy has been used for an in-depth study of the electronic structure, including core electrons, of some small, tetrahedral inorganic compounds. The bonding in the industrially used catalyst MeRe03 was studied through the variation of the valence electron band intensities over a wide range of photon energies. Investigation of the electronic structure at the metal centres of the series of metalloborohydrates Zr(BH4)4, Hf(BH4)4 and U(BH4)4 was carried out in a similar manner. Calculation of relative partial photoionisation cross-sections and derived branching ratios along with observation of features such as shape and giant resonance gave insight into the relative ligand and metal contributions to the orbitals. The core electrons and absorption edges of the complexes were also studied. Experimental results showed good correlation with density functional theory calculations.


Odontocete depredation involves stealing or damaging bait or prey already captured by fishing gear. The increase in depredation is of concern for small stocks of cetaceans because interactions with fishing gear can lead to serious injury or mortality through entanglement or ingestion. Using long-term data sets available for the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) community in Sarasota Bay, Florida, we investigated recreational fishing gear interactions by (1) examining temporal patterns in depredation and associated behaviors from 2000 to 2007; (2) quantifying the behavior of dolphins that depredate or engage in associated behaviors; and (3) identifying factors associated with the rise in depredation locally. The number of incidents of dolphins (primarily adult males) interacting with recreational anglers and boaters increased following 2004. Depredation and associated behaviors increased during red tide lags and tourist seasons during times of prey depletion and heightened angler and boater activity. Dolphins with a history of fishing gear interactions shifted away from natural activity patterns and were more likely to be within 50 m of fishing lines. Recreational fishing gear interactions were attributed to a two percent population decline in Sarasota Bay in 2006 and need to be considered along with other cumulative human impacts in the development of conservation measures for dolphins.


Among developing countries, one can identify both proponents and opponents of extending the use of geographical indications (GIs) beyond wines and spirits. Such an extension is currently being discussed under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) of the World Trade Organization. While labeling is mostly based on private initiatives, GIs are considered to be long-term public rights. Proponents therefore regard GIs as the stronger tools for protecting their national property rights and offering them new opportunities to develop their export markets. Opponents, however, consider GIs to be new barriers to trade that impede their export opportunities. This article clarifies these positions and pulls together some evidence on costs and benefits related to GIs versus labels.


The purpose of this study is to assess the learning effect of introducing a peer review exercise in a fieldwork based bachelor course where the end product is a written scientific report based on the data sampled during fieldwork. The review exercise was designed to accommodate some learning challenges observed over the years the course has been running and consisted of; first an evaluative judgement of an older student report with a similar topic as they had chosen to work with, and second a presentation of the reviewed report to the co-students in class. Afterwards the students were asked to assess how the review exercise met these challenges by a set of eight reflective statements. The reviews were categorized as balanced, neutral or critical based on the givencomments, and the majority of reviews were in the balanced group. The choice of report to review clearly influenced the type of given-comments. The sparse data in this study based on 20 bachelor students, might indicate that reviewers who provided only critical comments didn't necessarily find it easier to start writing their own report afterwards. Regardless of types of comments given, the majority of students felt that the review exercise improved their writing competence and the confidence to start writing their own report. Further findings of the study indicate that the students felt that the review exercise made them motivated and engaged for fieldwork and report work, and made them better prepared for fieldwork. The presentations gave them broad comprehension of the different topics and an increased interest for the other students' topics. More than half of the students found it easier to connect sampled data with lectured theory after doing the review exercise, and felt they had changed an idea they used to have on their subject. The positive feedbacks from the students indicate a gained intrinsic motivation in the students and that they have utilized a high level of cognitive processes during the review exercise. The perception of the experience gained from the review exercise observed by the course responsible corresponded with the findings in the study. According to the course responsible, the average quality of the written reports reflected a higher writing skill and higher-level science in each report than before. The result of this study shows the benefits of introducing peer reviewing in field-based bachelor courses where students have limited experience with fieldwork and in writing scientific reports.


This article examines the manifestations of the idea of a sustainable information society in everyday life and in laymen's attitudes. It seeks to answer the question of how people perceive the potential of a sustainable information society – how mobile phones and computers connect with environmental matters in people's minds. It is our contention that such a 'reality check' is necessary for the promotion of a sustainable information society. It is essential that the visions produced by experts are supplemented by information about the realistic or unrealistic potential in real life. The article is based on the results of an attitude survey and thematic interviews conducted in Finland. Finland is a country with a good international reputation, both as an information society and in sustainable development. The results show that Finns are largely uncertain about the ecological sustainability of an information society. People recognise that the information society has its own environmental problems.


In 2009, the Mexican Congress received a proposal of a generalized 2% increase in the statutory VAT rate, including currently untaxed food and medicine. Whereas opponents emphasized the regressive effect, supporters argued that progressivity of the compensatory expenditures included in the bill more than compensated the bottom income quintiles. In this paper I present a tax-benefit incidence of this proposal using national survey data on household's income and consumption. Despite the regressive effect of the tax increase, the data shows that the progressive expenditure offsets this effect. Overall the proposal was progressive. This finding undermines the arguments in favor of keeping food and medicines exempt of VAT to prevent a regressive effects. This result also contributes to the debate about the regressive effects of a single VAT to all consumption and no exemptions. To illustrate that, I analyze the redistributive effect of this policy. The result is that the increase in public expenditure can offset the regressive effect of this policy.


The problem using the CHEMTAX program in freshwater environments is that the few matrices of pigment ratios available have not been tested in a wide range of environments. Sixteen Amazonian, Andean, and Caribbean lakes, lagoons, and swamps were sampled over a year. The aim was to determine if it was possible to obtain a reliable matrix of input pigment ratios that may be used in freshwater habitats with different environmental conditions. There were no clear differences among regions for most of the ratios of marker pigments to Chlorophyll a (Chl a) in most of the phytoplankton groups. Only the zeaxanthin/Chl a ratio showed clear variations among areas. The estimates for the mean relative contribution of each phytoplankton group calculated for the pigment ratios obtained in each separate habitat and season were very similar to the estimates calculated using the average pigment ratio obtained for all habitats and seasons. Our study suggests that the matrix of the average pigment ratio obtained in this study can be used to estimate phytoplankton class abundances with the CHEMTAX program in freshwater habitats with different limnological conditions.


Previous research on the temporal evolution of CO2 concentrations focused either on short, local time-scales, or on larger regional time-scales. On these dierent time-scales the importance of dynamical processes for the CO 2 concentration can dier as well. To study this shift of signicance, a model is needed that is able to capture all relevant processes for both short and long time-scales. The purpose of this paper is to extend a mixed-layer model in order to make it suitable for longer time-scales. A mixed-layer model is only valid for convective day-time conditions and can only simulate the convective boundary layer during several hours. By including the theory of Nappo & van Dop (1994) the model will also be suitable for simulating night-time conditions of the mixing ratio of CO2, and as a consequence also longer simulations can be done with it. The results of this extended model are compared with observations of 2426 September 2003 to assess the accuracy. This shows that the mixing ratio of CO2 is well captured during the rst day and night, but after the transition of night to day the mixing ratio is too low. This is due to incorrect morning conditions (especially the boundary-layer depth), which emphasizes that when modelling the concentration of a chemical compound accurately, rst the dynamical characteristics should be correct.


Abstract
 Two new Hyphodontia species, H. pseudotropica and H. rhizomorpha spp. nov., are described based on morphological and molecular characters. Hyphodontia pseudotropica is characterized by poroid hymenophore with buff to buff-yellow pore surface, a monomitic hyphal system with thick-walled, frequently branched generative hyphae and oblong-ellipsoid basidiospores, and plenty of bladder-like cystidia. Hyphodontia rhizomorpha is distinguished by poroid hymenophores when juvenile, cracked with age; white pore surface, larger pores (1–2 per mm), bearing white rhizomorphs, a monomitic hyphal system with encrusted generative hyphae, and ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid basidiospores (4.3–5.5 × 3.7–4.1 µm). Both morphological characters and phylogenetic analysis inferred from ITS sequences confirmed the placement of the two new species in Hyphodontia s.l. and showed its relationships with similar species in the genus.


BACKGROUND
The long-term significance of early and prolonged antibiotic use in critically ill patients is yet to be described. Several studies suggest that antimicrobial exposure may have as yet unrecognized long-term effects on clinically meaningful outcomes. Our group previously conducted a quasi-experimental, before and after observational cohort study of hemodynamically stable surgical patients suspected of having an intensive care unit-acquired infection. This study demonstrated that aggressive initiation of antimicrobial therapy was associated with increased 30-day deaths. In a follow-up survival analysis, we hypothesized that aggressive antimicrobial treatment would not be a significant predictor of long-term death.

METHODS
Survival data for the 201 patients included in the initial study were obtained from our clinical data repository. Univariable analysis, Kaplan-Meier, and Cox proportional hazards models were used. Survival was evaluated at one and four years. Age, gender, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score, and co-morbidities were chosen a priori for potential inclusion in the model. Variables that met the model assumptions after testing were included in the final model.

RESULTS
Follow-up data were available for 190 patients (95 in each group) representing 94.5% of the initial cohort. Twenty-four (25.3%) patients in the aggressive group had initial APACHE II scores of less than 15 compared with 13 (13.7%) patients in the conservative group (p = 0.04). There was a trend toward higher deaths in the aggressive group at four years (41.1% vs. 30.5%; p = 0.13). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated a difference in survival at one year but not at four years. The Cox proportional hazards model showed a higher long-term death for patients in the aggressive antimicrobial group at both one and four years (hazard rate: 2.26 and 1.70, respectively).

CONCLUSION
Aggressive initiation of antimicrobial therapy is independently associated with decreased long-term survival after critical illness. While further work is needed to confirm these findings, waiting for evidence of infection before initiation of antibiotic agents may be beneficial.


Purpose of review Anemia is the most common hematologic problem preoperatively. In itself it compromises the outcome of surgical patients, and additionally results in more frequent allogeneic red blood cell (RBC) transfusions which again independently compromise patient outcome. In elective cardiac surgery as well as in other surgical specialties the use of a patient blood management program will minimize the exposure to blood products, lead to a cost reduction and improve patient's outcome. The aim of this review is to discuss the rationale for patient blood management, explain patient blood management in detail including modern and future transfusion strategies. Recent findings The risk for allergenic RBC transfusions is increased by preoperative anemia. The adverse outcome in recipients of RBC transfusions has recently been shown to be caused rather than only associated with RBC transfusions. In Jehovah's witnesses undergoing cardiac surgery patient blood management programs have been established effectively, demonstrating that it is possible to correct preoperative anemia and avoid RBC transfusions resulting in better outcomes. Summary Patient blood management strategies are based on an interdisciplinary multimodal approach including early preoperative recognition and treatment of anemic patients, surgical efforts to minimize blood loss, optimal perfusion strategies to reduce hemodilution and continuous assessment of the bleeding and coagulation status of patients as well as a restrictive volume management. This allows specific and goal-directed treatment of patients, preventing anemia in elective patients, optimizing patient's coagulation status early, minimizing exposure to blood products, reducing costs and improving patient's outcome.


On the basis of the statistical theory of multiple scattering of waves, we offer a numerical approach to calculate coherent transmission and reflection for the three-dimensional (3-D) photonic crystals that consist of partially disordered dielectric spheres. With the proposed scheme, which we call the transfer-matrix (TM) method with quasi-crystalline approximation (QCA), we consider a quasi-regular 3-D assembly of particles as a stack of close-packed monolayers with a short-range ordering. Single-scattering characteristics are determined by Mie theory. Lateral electrodynamic coupling between the particles of a monolayer is treated in the QCA. Multibeam interference between monolayers is described in a manner analogous to the TM technique. We apply the TM-QCA calculation technique to study two revealed effects: (1) short-wavelength attenuation due to particles of finite sizes and (2) nonmonotonic dependence of the pseudogap depth on the particle size, refractive-index contrast, and intermonolayer distances.


The possible impacts of the level of formal education on different aspects of disaster management, prevention, alarm, emergency, or postdisaster activities, were studied in a comparative perspective for three countries with a comparable exposure to hurricane hazards but different capacities for preventing harm. The study focused on the role of formal education in reducing vulnerability operating through a long-term learning process and put particular emphasis on the education of women. The comparative statistical analysis of the three countries was complemented through qualitative studies in Cuba and the Dominican Republic collected in 2010-2011. We also analyzed to what degree targeted efforts to reduce vulnerability were interconnected with other policy domains, including education and science, health, national defense, regional development, and cultural factors. We found that better education in the population had clear short-term effects on reducing vulnerability through awareness about crucial information, faster and more efficient responses to alerts, and better postdisaster recuperation. However, there were also important longer term effects of educational efforts to reduce social vulnerability through the empowerment of women, its effect on the quality of institutions and social networks for mutual assistance creating a general culture of safety and preparedness. Not surprisingly, on all three accounts Cuba clearly did the best; whereas Haiti was worst, and the Dominican Republic took an intermediate position.


This article examines a regionalised set of international legal norms and values, and expunges whether they can be reconstituted as regional jus cogens norms. An analysis of the Brezhnev Doctrine, juvenile executions in the Americas, and Islamic human rights will be instructive in this manner. The practical utility of regional jus cogens norms will also be highlighted. Steeped in a positivist stance, the article suggests that a set of higher laws of overriding importance can assist in accomplishing certain political tasks that are deemed acceptable within a specific time-period by a group of nation-states. Moreover, regional jus cogens norms can be replaced by another super-norm, or eliminated entirely by the passing of their usefulness. The implications for the existence and practice of regional jus cogens norms will be considered, notably their effect on sovereign equality and the promotion of differential treatment. Given a current international community of nation-states characterized by unprecedented heterogeneity, this article will argue that the use of regional jus cogens norms are demanded in limited situations.


To learn about cooling of gas quenched batches, this paper reports on numerical predictions of local and average convective heat transfer coefficients, and overall pressure drops, on batches of five axially aligned, constant temperature, short cylindrical disks (25 cm diameter, 5 cm thickness) with and without a concentric hole, with interdisk spacings of 5-20 cm, in axial turbulent flows of 20 bar nitrogen gas at inlet speeds from 10 m/s to 100 m/s, corresponding to Reynolds numbers (Re) between 3.27×106 and 32.7×106. The heat transfer coefficients along the disk surfaces vary strongly up to a worse case of two orders of magnitude for the upstream disk. This nonuniformity is much lower for the disks downstream, especially after spacing is increased beyond 0.1 m. As expected, the upstream disk exhibited rather different heat transfer coefficients than the ones downstream, the magnitude of the heat transfer coefficient and its uniformity increased with the interdisk spacing, and varied by a factor of about 4-5 along the surfaces. The average heat transfer coefficient (Nusselt number, Nu) on the disks increased approximately with Reynolds number as Re0.85. Re did not have much influence on the nonuniformity of Nu on the disk surfaces. The overall pressure drop along the flow increases with the interdisk spacing, rising by about 60 % as the spacing is increased from 0.05 m to 0.20 m. The presence of a hole increases the heat transfer coefficient in all cases. Some suggestions for reducing the heat transfer coefficient nonuniformity are made.


JORDAN A History of Jordan, by Philip Robins. London, UK and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. xvii + 204 pages. Map. Chron. Notes to p. 223. Bibl. to p. 232. Index to p. 243. $60 cloth; $22 paper. Philip Robins has written a succinct and accessible history of Jordan. He has researched and produced an informative book that should serve as an ideal companion for undergraduates. Robins writes with authority; and it is clear that he is not only familiar with the contours of Jordan's history, but he is also conversant with the historical and contemporary personalities that have shaped the country. The "almost" omnipresence of Jordan's leading families within the political elite makes it possible to trace the story of the state through a network of family trees - the Majalis, Rif'ais, al-Talls and so on. As one breezes through the book, the dramatis personae seem to appear in every chapter, despite it covering 137 years. Hence, the author manages to draw the reader into the inner circle of each generation of Jordan's decision-makers - and make them feel part of the furniture. A History of Jordan pays considerable attention to the struggles within domestic political scene, as it considers the tensions between the Transjordanian communities -the Hashemites and their dream of panTransjordan and the more localised followers of Transjordanian nationalism. Of course, the author juxtaposes this intra-Transjordanian tension against the ambitions of the Palestinian nationalists of the post-1967 order and the 1948 Palestinian Jordanians, who were resigned to Jordanian citizenship. Robins depicts the struggle for the heart of the state and touches upon the critical issues of identity, Arab nationalism, rentierism and economic dependency. On the whole, Robins offers an orthodox version of Jordanian history. It is a familiar narrative compiled into one very readable volume. Although it does not offer any new insights into Jordan's history, it does, nevertheless, provide an historical analysis of the choices made by Jordan's leadership since the inception of the state, and this allows one to place Jordan's contemporary decision-making process within context. For example, one is struck by the cyclical nature of events that have come to shape Jordan's history, and that will most likely shape its future. Robins argues that, despite its leading personalities, and many analysts' overemphasis on the role of Kings Abdullah and Husayn, Jordan's path to statehood has been shaped primarily by its strategic position and a dependence upon external patrons. This idea was present at the outset of Transjordan's history, when it teetered on the edge of empire in 1867. …


Many U.S. students arrive on college campus lacking the skills expected for college-level work. As state leaders seek to increase postsecondary enrollment and completion, public colleges have sought to lessen the delays created by remedial course requirements. Tennessee has taken a novel approach by allowing students to complete their remediation requirements in high school. Using both a difference-in-differences and a regression discontinuity design, we evaluate the program's impact on college enrollment and credit accumulation, finding that the program boosted enrollment in college-level math during the first year of college and allowed students to earn a modest 4.5 additional college credits by their second year. We also report the first causal evidence on remediation's impact on students' math skills, finding that the program did not improve students' math achievement, nor boost students' chances of passing college math. Our findings cast doubt on the effectiveness of the current model of remediation—whether in high school or college—in improving students' math skills. They also suggest that the time cost of remediation—whether pre-requisite or co-requisite remediation—is not the primary barrier causing low degree completion for students with weak math preparation.


This study of disease among the native peoples of the New World before and after 1492 challenges many widely held notions about encounters between European and native peoples. Whereas many late twentieth century scholars blamed the catastrophic decline of post-conquest native populations on the introduction of previously unknown infections from the Old World, Alchon argues that the experiences of native peoples in the New World closely resembled those of other human populations. Exposure to lethal new infections resulted in rates of morbidity and mortality among native Americans comparable to those found among Old World populations. Why then did native American populations decline by 75 to 90 percent in the century following contact with Europeans? Why did these populations fail to recover, in contrast to those of Africa, Asia, and Europe? Alchon points to the practices of European colonialism. Warfare and slavery increased mortality, and forced migrations undermined social, political, and economic institutions. This timely study effectively overturns the notion of New World exceptionalism. By showing that native Americans were not uniquely affected by European diseases, Alchon also undercuts the stereotypical notion of the Americas as a new Eden, free of disease and violence until the intrusion of germ-laden, rapacious Europeans.


Sensitive detection and quantification of hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), which is one of commonly used explosives by terrorists, was presented on the basis of electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) technology coupled with silver nitrate (AgNO3) enhancement in acetonitrile at a platinum electrode. Upon anodic potential scanning, HMTD irreversibly oxidized at approximately 1.70 V vs Ag/Ag+ (10 mM) at a scan rate of 50 mV/s, and the ECL profile was coincident with the oxidation potential of HMTD in the presence of ruthenium(II) tris(bipyridine) (Ru(bpy)3(2+)) luminophore species, which showed a half-wave potential of 0.96 V vs Ag/Ag+. The addition of small amounts of AgNO3 (0.50-7.0 mM) into the HMTD/Ru(bpy)3(2+) system resulted in significant enhancement in HMTD ECL production (up to 27 times). This enhancement was determined to be largely associated with NO3(-) and was linearly proportional to the concentrations of NO3(-) and Ag+ in solution. Homogeneous chemical oxidations of HMTD by electrogenerated NO3* and Ag(II) species proximity to the electrode were proposed to be responsible for the ECL enhancement. On the basis of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and CV digital simulations, standard potential values of 1.79 V vs Ag/Ag+ (or 1.98 V vs NHE) and 1.82 V vs Ag/Ag+ (or 2.01 V vs NHE) were estimated for Ag(II)/Ag(I) and NO3*/NO3(-) couples, respectively. A detection limit of 50 microM of HMTD was achieved with the current technique, which was 10 times more sensitive than that reported previously, which was based on a high-performance liquid chromatography/Fourier transform infrared (HPLC/FT-IR) detection method.


In this volume, the BIS is publishing two papers examining in detail monetary policy operating procedures in the Unites States, Japan and the euro area. These two papers were originally presented at a conference hosted by the European Central Bank entitled "The Operational Framework of the Eurosystem and Financial Markets" on 5-6 May 2000. They have been updated in order to take into account the main changes in the implementation frameworks occurring since then. While an extensive academic literature exists on monetary policy objectives, strategy and tactics, comparatively little attention has been given to the "nuts and bolts" of policy implementation. This subject has remained the preserve of a relatively small group of cognoscenti, mostly limited to central bankers and some market participants. Likewise, there is a great dearth of comparative material. In many ways, this is regrettable. For, understanding how day-to-day monetary policy is implemented can cast light on a number of important economic questions, not least on the source of central banks' power to set interest rates, and the peculiar features of the market for central bank reserves, from which that power arises. The two papers in this volume help to fill this gap. They can be seen as updating the material contained in a previous BIS volume, prepared at the time when the euro had not yet been established. In the first paper, Borio provides a general conceptual framework to classify and understand monetary policy operations. He then uses it to highlight similarities and differences between the set ups in the three currency areas. The implications of the various choices made and the possible factors underlying them are analysed against the background of the evolution of the systems. In the second paper, Blenck, Hasko, Hilton and Masaki delve into the subject further, making an exhaustive comparison of the characteristics of the three frameworks considered. This volume could be of interest to three types of audiences. Central bankers will find in it the most authoritative description of operating procedures in the three main currency areas. They could use the information as a possible benchmark for evaluating the features of their own systems. Market participants could discover valuable information to read more accurately the day-to-day behaviour of the central banks concerned. Finally, the curiosity of academics may be whetted by the attempt to bridge the gap between their own traditional reference framework and the perspective of those who are actually in charge of implementing policy. A common language is a first necessary step towards a common understanding.


We demonstrate a terahertz (THz) directional coupler for future THz applications including THz power dividers, THz communications, and THz fiber-endoscopes. By using subwavelength polyethylene fibers, we successfully established a single-mode fiber-based THz directional coupler. Unlike traditional directional couplers, the demonstrated subwavelength directional fiber coupler shows less dependency on the overlapped length of two fibers and the delivered THz frequency in our interested minimal-attenuation wavelength regime. By tuning the geometry, we also show the feasibility to control the coupling ratio.


U–Pb zircon ages obtained from the late- to post-tectonic 'Newer Granite' suite in Shetland, northernmost Scottish Caledonides, indicate a significantly more protracted intrusion history than was inferred previously from K–Ar data. Emplacement of the Brae Complex (c. 465 Ma), Graven Complex (c. 440 Ma) and the Muckle Roe Granophyre (c. 438 Ma) followed regional deformation and metamorphism of metasedimentary successions during the Grampian orogenic event, and is attributed to NW-directed subduction beneath Laurentia. The almost complete absence of plutons of this age along-strike in mainland Scotland suggests a change in subduction angle and/or the distance between the subduction zone and the Laurentian margin. Intrusion of the Ronas Hill Granite (c. 427 Ma) was approximately coeval with displacement on the Moine Thrust in mainland Scotland, and therefore probably occurred during Baltica–Laurentia collision. A gap of c. 35 myr followed before emplacement of the Mangaster Voe Intrusion and Eastern Granophyre (c. 390 Ma), and a further gap of c. 20 myr before emplacement of the Sandsting Complex (c. 370 Ma). Both periods of magmatism are attributed to pulses of localized lithospheric melting in the vicinity of the Walls Boundary Fault during Devonian sinistral relative displacements between Laurentia and Baltica. Supplementary material: Petrological details, full analytical methods and data tables are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3655706


Apolipoprotein E (apoE), a chaperone for the amyloid β (Aβ) peptide, regulates the deposition and structure of Aβ that deposits in the brain in Alzheimer disease (AD). The primary apoE receptor that regulates levels of apoE in the brain is unknown. We report that the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) regulates the cellular uptake and central nervous system levels of astrocyte-derived apoE. Cells lacking LDLR were unable to appreciably endocytose astrocyte-secreted apoE-containing lipoprotein particles. Moreover, cells overexpressing LDLR showed a dramatic increase in apoE endocytosis and degradation. We also found that LDLR knock-out (Ldlr-/-) mice had a significant, ∼50% increase in the level of apoE in the cerebrospinal fluid and extracellular pools of the brain. However, when the PDAPP mouse model of AD was bred onto an Ldlr-/- background, we did not observe a significant change in brain Aβ levels either before or after the onset of Aβ deposition. Interestingly, human APOE3 or APOE4 (but not APOE2) knock-in mice bred on an Ldlr-/- background had a 210% and 380% increase, respectively, in the level of apoE in cerebrospinal fluid. These results demonstrate that central nervous system levels of both human and murine apoE are directly regulated by LDLR. Although the increase in murine apoE caused by LDLR deficiency was not sufficient to affect Aβ levels or deposition by 10 months of age in PDAPP mice, it remains a possibility that the increase in human apoE3 and apoE4 levels caused by LDLR deficiency will affect this process and could hold promise for therapeutic targets in AD.


An attempt has been made to see whether there is a basic charge separation process which operates between ice and water when they are moving relative to one another. Measurements have also been made on the potential differences produced between ice and water under a variety of different conditions and the effect on the potential differences of having air bubbles within the ice/water interface has been studied. Apparatus is described for the measurement of the electrical effects on freezing and melting bulk samples of water. No evidence has been found for a charge separation process which operates only when water moves relative to ice at the freezing point However, the results show that at freezing rates of 10 µm s(^-1) and above that the mechanism proposed by Workman and Reynolds (1950) is responsible for the majority of the net charge separated, whereas, at very low freezing rates or on melting, the Temperature Gradient Mechanism, proposed by Latham and Mason(1961) predominates. The relevance of the electrification of ice and water to the origin of electrical charges in clouds is discussed, and explanations of the results of earlier work on simulations of conditions in clouds are put forward, in the light of the results obtained during the experiments with bulk water samples.


This study presents the self-consistent field (SCF) treatment of the local response dispersion (LRD) method. The implementation of SCF involves the modification of the Kohn–Sham Fock matrix by adding the dispersion potential. The derivatives of atomic pseudo-polarizabilities with respect to the density variables, which are required for evaluating the dispersion potential, are efficiently updated in the SCF procedure. Analytical energy gradient of the LRD method is also developed based on the SCF treatment. Numerical assessments of the present treatment clarified that the SCF effect brings about minor changes in both energy and electronic structure. The computational time, and number of SCF iterations, are essentially unaffected by moving from a non-self-consistent implementation to a self-consistent one. For the geometry optimizations for weakly interacting systems, the inclusion of the LRD energy gradients is shown to be essential for accurately demonstrating the intermolecular geometric parameters. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Objective: To develop a speech recognition index that summarizes data collected through an array of age-appropriate hierarchical speech recognition tests in a longitudinal study. Study Design: Prospective cohort. Setting: Six tertiary referral centers in the Childhood Development after Cochlear Implantation (CDaCI) Study. Patients: One hundred eighty-eight children implanted at age 5 years or younger and 97 age-comparable normal-hearing controls. Intervention: Cochlear implantation. Main Outcome Measures: Outcome measures were the following: Infant-Toddler Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale, Meaningful Auditory Integration Scale, Early Speech Perception Test, Pediatric Speech Intelligibility Test, Multisyllabic Lexical Neighborhood Test, Lexical Neighborhood Test, and Hearing in Noise Test, obtained before implantation and at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postimplant. Results: A speech recognition cumulative index, speech recognition index in quiet (SRI-Q), was created to combine information from tests administered in quiet. This index allows simultaneous display of data from all tests in the speech recognition hierarchy and is sensitive to improvements in performance over time as a function of age. SRI-Q also provides a composite of performance on multiple tests, allowing both the tracking of "growth curve" in speech recognition across a wide age range over an extended follow-up period and the comparison of normal-hearing and implanted children on multiple measures. The data range for individual tests is also preserved for ease of interpretation. Conclusion: SRI-Q allows tracking of global development of speech recognition over time as children progress through a hierarchy of speech perception measures and complements the more detailed assessments obtained from individual tests within the hierarchy.


In Facing the Planetary William E. Connolly expands his influential work on the politics of pluralization, capitalism, fragility, and secularism to address the complexities of climate change and to complicate notions of the Anthropocene. Focusing on planetary processes—including the ocean conveyor, glacier flows, tectonic plates, and species evolution—he combines a critical understanding of capitalism with an appreciation of how such nonhuman systems periodically change on their own. Drawing upon scientists and intellectuals such as Lynn Margulis, Michael Benton, Alfred North Whitehead, Anna Tsing, Mahatma Gandhi, Wangari Maathai, Pope Francis, Bruno Latour, and Naomi Klein, Connolly focuses on the gap between those regions creating the most climate change and those suffering most from it. He addresses the creative potential of a "politics of swarming" by which people in different regions and social positions coalesce to reshape dominant priorities. He also explores how those displaying spiritual affinities across differences in creed can energize a militant assemblage that is already underway.


Most approaches to multi-robot control either rely on local decentralized control policies that scale well in the number of agents, or on centralized methods that can handle constraints and produce rich system-level behavior, but are typically computationally expensive and scale poorly in the number of agents, relegating them to offline planning. This work presents a scalable approach that uses distributed trajectory optimization to parallelize computation over a group of computationally-limited agents while handling general nonlinear dynamics and non-convex constraints. The approach, including near-real-time onboard trajectory generation, is demonstrated in hardware on a cable-suspended load problem with a team of quadrotors automatically reconfiguring to transport a heavy load through a doorway.


One of the main reasons for children needing hospital admission is the need for respiratory support and monitoring. Intubation and ventilation has been the standard method of supporting patients in respiratory failure. With better ventilators and interfaces many of these children with respiratory failure could benefit from non-invasive ventilation (NIV). The main advantages of NIV over its invasive counterpart are reduced need for sedation, avoiding laryngeal and tracheal injuries, reducing nosocomial infections, and shorter length of stay.1,2 NIV can be used for acute conditions. Studies have shown that NIV is more successful in type 2 respiratory failure compared to type 1 respiratory failure as in type 2 respiratory failure, a failing pump is replaced by another pump i.e., NIV machine.3,4 With improvement in technology NIV has emerged as a core therapy in the management of patients with acute and chronic respiratory failure. Use of NIV has not spread worldwide. Even in the countries where they are being used, there is huge variability in the use of NIV. This reluctance in usage could be partly explained by the lack of adequate scientific literature in children concerning this technology. The first thing to do to overcome this barrier is to create an understanding and familiarity of this technology, resulting in more usage of NIV which has been shown to improve the quality of care and reduce cost of healthcare. A FAST-NIVT (Forwarding Advanced Simulation Training in Noninvasive Ventilation Therapy) project supported by the Respiratory group of ESPNIC (European Society of Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care) has developed blended courses (online and face to face) for attendees and for NIV trainers in order to promote the teaching and learning of NIV around the world. As an extension of this project we have developed a structured algorithm with the acronym ICEMAN (Figure 1) and used it to train our clinicians in the judicious selection of patients, contraindications and equipment used for NIV.2 This approach helps the teams to recognize failure of non-invasive ventilation, troubleshoot hypercapnia and hypoxemia, manage asynchrony and plan for weaning or escalation of care using algorithms. We have conducted workshops globally to provide clinicians with best practice recommendations and guidance about how to best deliver non-invasive ventilation to patients who sometimes need this lifesaving technology. By attending this workshop, delegates would be able to understand the various indications, NIV options, modes of delivery, effective monitoring, and analysing failures which will definitely go a long way in providing this care more effectively with less failure. All the workshops are led by trained educators who are experienced practicing paediatric intensivists, neonatologists, and pulmonologists with an extensive NIV experience. To make learning fun and to encourage participation, high-quality learning materials and skill stations have been tailored to the needs of each group. This methodology has been successfully used to train the next generation of clinical champions.


The Madden‐Julian oscillation (MJO), as represented by the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology Earth System Model (MPI‐ESM), is analyzed for the first time over time periods ranging from decades to more than a millennium. Particular attention is paid to the behavior of the MJO index as calculated from the leading pair of empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) derived from a multivariate EOF analysis. The analysis of 1000 year simulations with the MPI‐ESM and its predecessor reveals significant interannual (2–6 years) to interdecadal (10–20 years) internal variability of the MJO but relatively little evidence of significant variability at longer timescales in unforced runs. A 1200 year experiment forced by the best estimates of solar variability, volcanism, and changing atmospheric composition indicates that the MJO simulated in the twentieth century is very similar to the MJO simulated since AD 800. The analysis of sensitivity experiments shows the influence of different external forcings: solar variability may contribute to MJO variability on 11 and 22 year periods, but this is difficult to separate from internal variability; and there is a hint of enhanced decadal variability associated with volcanic forcing. Land use change and changes associated with anthropogenic forcing over the twentieth century have no detectable effect on the simulated MJO. An increase of the CO2 concentrations by 1% per year starting in AD 1850 leads to an increase in the MJO strength in the twenty‐first century, as does the warming associated with an abrupt quadrupling of the atmospheric CO2 concentration, suggesting that the MJO may intensify with warming.


The Carnegie Mellon's Silicon Valley Campus offers a master's degree in Software Engineering, with technical and development management tracks, targeted at working software professionals in Silicon Valley. We believe the program to be unique in that it is entirely team-based and project-centered. Students learn by doing as they are coached just in time by faculty in the context of their work on authentic projects, and they are evaluated based on what they produce. In response to our interactions with an industry characterized by innovation and short project development timelines, the program evolved from one focused on "high ceremony" processes to one focused on agile software development methodologies. Student satisfaction is high: Eighty-seven percent of our alumni believe that the program has given them a competitive advantage with respect to their professional peers, and their promotion and salary histories bear out this belief.


The internet has made an enormous volume of information available, and there has been substantial research into how users look for information. However, there has been much less research about how they make sense of what they find, and how sensemaking is shaped by the tasks they are trying to achieve. This research addresses that gap, with empirical studies of sensemaking during web-based information tasks.

Two main studies are presented, which aimed to expose the relationship between information seeking and information comprehension and use. The first study explored the actions of experienced information processors (in this case, doctoral students) as they undertook research-related web-based tasks related to their own work. The second study observed experienced users as they undertook an unfamiliar topic comprehension task. In both studies participants were encouraged to 'think-aloud' as they completed web-based tasks. Audio-recording was used in Study-1 with video-recording in Study-2. In addition to the task session, background questionnaires and sample interviews were applied. A detailed, iterative inductive analysis was undertaken for each study.

The analysis produced a framework that models the users' process in terms of five categories of information interactions: seeking, evaluating for selection, evaluating for use, compilation, and planning. A range of visual representations were developed to capture the user sessions, expressing facets such as how resources were used over time and in combination, and the sequences of user behaviours. Attention was given to the use of representation throughout this process. Sensemaking goals and strategies were inferred from users' behaviours and utterances, and were related to their activity and output. The intertwined nature of information seeking and sensemaking activity was revealed, and planning (not addressed in previous literature) was identified as a significant behaviour that drives strategy and binds the other behaviours to the task-in-hand. These findings have implications for interaction design and for tools to support sensemaking.


In this paper, we propose quality function for an unsupervised neural classification. The function is based on the third order polynomials. The objective of the quality function is to find a place of the input space sparse in data points. By maximising the quality function, we find decision boundary between data clusters instead of centres of the clusters. The shape and place of the decision boundary are rather insensitive to the magnitude of the weight vector established during the maximisation process. A superiority of the proposed quality function over other similar functions as well as conventional clustering algorithms tested has been observed in the experiments. The proposed quality function has been successfully used for colour image segmentation.


Recreational use of the coastal lagoons in Rhode Island is one of the major factors that makes the southern part of the state a tourism-dependent economy. The coastal lagoons (also known as salt ponds) are highly valued for a wide range of recreational activities such as fishing, clamming, boating, and water tubing. Weather considerably affects an individual's decisions to recreate outside, especially on the water. Climate change will affect the weather in Rhode Island, thereby affecting when, how, and how much people recreate in the coastal areas of the state. Understanding both shortand long-term variance in coastal recreation could help state managers and business owners better utilize resources and plan for the future. This mixed methods study focuses on how sensitive different types of coastal recreational users (relaxing, kayaking, motor boating, and fishing) are to different weather conditions and how much weather is perceived by the recreationist to play a role in the decision making process. Observational data of human activities in RI coastal lagoons was used to determine revealed importance for weather factors using linear regression models. Intercept surveys were used to determine how much weather played a role in the decision to recreate at the lagoon that day. Based on these results, shortand long-term forecasts can be made about how recreational activities might change with day-to-day weather changes and, in the longer term, with climate change trends. Recreational fishing and clamming was found to be the least affected by weather factors, which is complemented by interview results which suggest the main motivators for fishers are not weather factors but mostly tidal conditions. Humidity, precipitation, and wind were found to have significant negative effects across activities and average high temperatures were found to have significant positive effects across activities, with higher coefficients indicating a high percent increase in recreational use with a one degree increase in temperature. Results also indicate a high temperature threshold for all uses tested (relaxing, kayaking, fishing) except motor boating, which may have implications for recreational activity as summer temperature trends increase with climate change. Observational and interview results were qualitatively compared, and it was found that stated importance of weather factors matches relatively well with observed action for relaxing and rowing, and less well for fishing and motoring. If climate change brings warmer temperatures and more intense wind and rain events, the results indicate that we can expect a decrease in relaxing, rowing, and fishing on the hotter days and a decrease in especially rowing and fishing on windier days. Warmer temperatures may increase the length of the summer season and may lead to an overall increase in recreational use, though in the peak of the heat there may be a shift towards motor boating as it was found to be the most resistant to high temperatures. This information can help businesses and managers better understand fluctuations in recreational use type and amount on the coastal lagoons.