Deploying service functions, SFs, is an essential action for a network provider. However, the action of creating, modifying and removing network SFs is traditionally very costly in time and effort, requiring the acquisition and placement of specialized hardware devices and their interconnection. Fortunately, the emergence of concepts like cloud computing, SDN, and ultimately NFV is expected to raise new possibilities for the management of SFs with a positive impact in terms of agility and cost. From a telco viewpoint these concepts can help to both reduce OPEX and open the door to new business opportunities. In this article, we identify how téleos can benefit from the abovementioned paradigms, and explore some of the aspects that still need to be addressed in the NFV domain. We focus on two major aspects: enabling telco infrastructures to adopt this new paradigm, and orchestrating and managing SFs toward telco-ready cloud infrastructures. The technologies we describe enable a telco to deploy and manage SFs in a distributed cloud infrastructure. In this context, the Cloud4NFV platform is presented. Special attention is given to the way SFs are modeled toward cloud infrastructure resources. In addition, we explore the ability to perform service function chaining as one of the fundamental features in the composition of SFs. Finally, we describe a proof of concept that demonstrates how a telco can benefit from the described technologies.


Objective: To assess the potential benefit of treating patients with acute ischemic stroke using intra-arterial methods.
Methods: A meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials that compared standard therapy with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IVtPA) for thrombolysis to intra-arterial therapies in patients with acute stroke was performed. All studies reported were analyzed as one group and studies documenting patients with large vessel obstruction were analyzed as a second group. The standardized mean difference (SMD) and the odds ratio (OR) of the dichotomized outcomes of Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) of these trials was calculated.
Results: Nine trials were identified with 2,711 patients treated. Meta-analysis of all studies, with and without large vessel obstruction documented, showed a significant benefit with intra-arterial therapy (SMD: 0.22 + 0.041; P=0.003). The dichotomized outcomes of mRS of these trials showed significant improvement (OR: 1.66 -2.43 in four of the five treatment arm groups examined). Meta-analysis of all publications with large vessel obstruction documented as an entry criteria showed a greater significant benefit with intra-arterial therapy (SMD: 0.35 + 0.05; P<0.001). The dichotomized outcomes of mRS of these trials showed significant improvement (OR: 1.36 -2.38 in all five treatment arm groups examined). Some heterogeneity was observed between studies.
Conclusion: Treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke was associated with improved outcomes as measured by mRS. Patient selection, standard treatment, and study treatment factors contributed to the statistical evaluation of inter study heterogeneity and may have contributed to different study outcomes.


One year of multi-wavelength (3 backscatter + 2 extinction + 1 depolarization) Raman lidar measurements at Gual Pahari, close to New Delhi, were analysed. The data was split into four seasons: spring (March–May), summer (June–August), autumn (September–November) and winter (December–February). The vertical profiles of backscat-ter, extinction, and lidar ratio and their variability during each season are presented. The measurements revealed that, on average, the aerosol layer was at its highest in spring (5.5 km). In summer, the vertically averaged (between 1– 3 km) backscatter and extinction coefficients had the highest averages (3.3 Mm −1 sr −1 and 142 Mm −1 at 532 nm, respectively). Aerosol concentrations were slightly higher in summer compared to other seasons, and particles were larger in size. The autumn showed the highest lidar ratio and high extinction-relatedÅngström exponents (AE ext), indicating the presence of smaller probably absorbing particles. The winter had the lowest backscatter and extinction coefficients, but AE ext was the highest, suggesting still a large amount of small particles.


Although it is widely accepted that both summary statistics and salient patterns affect human decision making based on temporally varying visual input, the relative contributions and the exact nature of how these aspects determine human judgment are unclear and controversial, often discussed under the labels of priming, adaptation, or serial effects. To tease apart the role of the various factors influencing such decision making tasks, we conducted a series of 7 adult behavioral experiments. We asked subjects to perform a 2-AFC task of judging which of two possible visual shapes appeared on the screen in a randomly ordered sequence while we varied the long- and short-term probability of appearance, the level of Gaussian pixel noise added to the stimulus, and the ratio of repetitions vs. alternations. We found that the quality of the stimulus reliably and systematically influenced the strength of influence by each factor. However, instead of a simple interpolation between long-term probabilities and veridical choice, different pairings of short- and long-term appearance probabilities produced various characteristic under- and over-shootings in choice performances ruling out earlier models proposed for explaining human behavior. Independent control of base probabilities and repetition/alternation revealed that despite the two characteristics being correlated in general, repetition/alternation is a factor independently influencing human judgment. In addition, we found that human performance measured by correct answers and by reaction times (RT) yield opposing results under some conditions indicating that RT measures tap into motor rather than cognitive components of sequence coding. Our results can be captured by a model of human visual decision making that not only balances long- and short-term summary statistics of sequences, but in parallel also encodes salient features, such as repetitions, and in addition, relies on a generic assumption of non-discriminative flat prior of events in the environment. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


Geographic targeting is often recommended as a way to improve the impact of social spending and infrastructure investments on rural poverty. Previous research shows that such targeting is not very accurate unless the geographic units are small. Household surveys, however, rarely allow the estimation of poverty rates for more than 5-10 regions in a country. This study develops a method for generating disaggregated poverty maps and applies the method to Viet Nam. First, the relationship between rural poverty and 25 household indicators is estimated using household survey data. Then, census data on those same indicators are used to estimate the poverty rates for each of the 543 rural districts in Viet Nam. The results indicate that poverty is concentrated in the north and in districts furthest from the coast and cities.


Restored plant communities provide a uniquely simplified context for studying difficult questions such as how ecological processes structure plant communities. Spatial pattern among individuals is an important component of community structure, and plays a role in determining ecosystem properties and restoration trajectories in plant communities. Nevertheless, the role of spatial pattern has previously received scant attention in a restoration context. We compared 87 plant species patterns from two samples of vegetation restored after sand-mining, with 233 patterns of species in four nearby natural reference sites in fire-prone, species-rich shrublands in south-west Australia. Spatial tests were performed at each site, both pooling species, and for each species with >20 individuals. Between 44 and 86% of species were aggregated in natural sites, with pattern in the remainder not distinguishable from random: unexpectedly, the restored sites lay at the upper bound of this variation. Comparison across species groups showed little difference in restored sites, but large differences in natural sites – with aggregation less frequent among large-seeded species, serotinous species and resprouting species. Observed differences among species groups may be attributed to contrasting dispersal mode patterns, spatial heterogeneity associated with fires, and multi- versus single-generational dispersal and these differences in observed patterns may influence future restoration trajectories. Other differences between natural and restored vegetation included a higher incidence of gaps, and lower stem density of restored vegetation. The increased abundance of gaps in restored vegetation suggests a major role of spatial processes in restoration failure.


Background: The outcome of rotator cuff repair correlates with tendon healing. Early studies of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair demonstrate lower healing rates than traditional open techniques. Transosseous-equivalent repair techniques (suture bridge) were developed to improve the initial fixation strength. Purpose: To compare the initial in vitro tensile fixation strength of a transosseous-equivalent suture bridge (TOE-SB) rotator cuff repair construct to a traditional transosseous (TO) suture construct. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Identical simulated rotator cuff tears were created on 8 matched pairs of humeri. Each matched pair underwent repair with 4 sutures using either the TOE-SB or TO technique. Initial fixation strength was tested in a custom testing jig. Each shoulder underwent 1000 cycles each of low and then high load testing. Gap displacement was measured at anterior and posterior sites of the repair with digital video tracking of paired reflective markers and recorded at predetermined cycle intervals. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in gap formation at the repair sites under low or high load conditions between TOE-SB and TO techniques. The mean maximal gap formation of the repairs during low load testing in the TOE-SB and TO constructs was 0.93 ± 0.88 mm and 0.55 ± 0.22 mm, respectively (P = .505). The mean maximal gap formation during high load testing in the TOE-SB and TO constructs was 2.04 ± 1.10 mm and 2.28 ± 1.62 mm, respectively (P = .517). The most significant increase in gap distance occurred at the transition from low load to high load in both constructs. Most of the incremental displacement occurred within the first 100 cycles for both high and low load testing (P < .001). Conclusion: The arthroscopic TOE-SB technique is comparable in initial fixation strength to the traditional TO simple suture repair technique. Clinical Relevance: Arthroscopic techniques can achieve initial fixation strength comparable with traditional TO techniques performed without suture anchors.


This article examines the career and legacy of Charles Stenvig, a police lieutenant elected to three terms as mayor of Minneapolis. Stenvig's initial victory as the independent candidate in 1969 following his pledge to "take the handcuffs off the police," marks a decisive shift in Minneapolis' political landscape. This article helps to complicate the history of Minnesota politics by exploring how a self-styled conservative, law and order politician like Charles Stenvig was able to gain office, and by looking at the connections between his career and the rise of the "New Right" as a national political movement.

This article focuses on how Stenvig successfully opposed liberalism's perceived reliance on social scientific explanations in addressing issues such as crime. Stenvig argued that these explanations were ineffective in remedying Minneapolis's social problems in the late 1960s and early 1970s. By invoking his close relationship to God and his "street-smart" sensibilities, Stenvig claimed a different type of governing wisdom as Mayor, while disavowing the expertise of the technocrats and University professors who had preceded him in the position. As a police officer only recently removed from the beat, Stenvig affirmed and physically embodied the unmediated, practical knowledge of the street and everyday experience. In his rhetoric Stenvig attacked liberals' attempts to apply theoretical knowledge to "real world" problems, and dismissed the notion that politicians needed to rely on academic professors, business leaders, and community activists in order to govern. This article demonstrates that the cultural resentments attributed to the "backlash" of the 1960s and 1970s were not solely motivated by racism, patriotism, and the desire to maintain traditional cultural values, but also included anger toward presumed liberal expertise.


Introduction: An ongoing Zika virus pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean has raised concerns that travel-related introduction of Zika virus could initiate local transmission in the United States (U.S.) by its primary vector, the mosquito Aedes aegypti. Methods: We employed meteorologically driven models for 2006-2015 to simulate the potential seasonal abundance of adult Aedes aegypti for fifty cities within or near the margins of its known U.S. range. Mosquito abundance results were analyzed alongside travel and socioeconomic factors that are proxies of viral introduction and vulnerability to human-vector contact. Results: Meteorological conditions are largely unsuitable for Aedes aegypti over the U.S. during winter months (December-March), except in southern Florida and south Texas where comparatively warm conditions can sustain low-to-moderate potential mosquito abundance. Meteorological conditions are suitable for Aedes aegypti across all fifty cities during peak summer months (July-September), though the mosquito has not been documented in all cities. Simulations indicate the highest mosquito abundance occurs in the Southeast and south Texas where locally acquired cases of Aedes-transmitted viruses have been reported previously. Cities in southern Florida and south Texas are at the nexus of high seasonal suitability for Aedes aegypti and strong potential for travel-related virus introduction. Higher poverty rates in cities along the U.S.-Mexico border may correlate with factors that increase human exposure to Aedes aegypti. Discussion: Our results can inform baseline risk for local Zika virus transmission in the U.S. and the optimal timing of vector control activities, and underscore the need for enhanced surveillance for Aedes mosquitoes and Aedes-transmitted viruses.


"The End of Peasantry?" examines the dramatic recent decline of agriculture in post-Soviet Russia. Historically, Russian farmers have encountered difficulties relating to the sheer abundance of land, the vast distances between population centers, and harsh environmental conditions. More recently, the drastic depopulation of rural spaces, decreases in sown acreage, and overall inefficiency of land usage have resulted in the disruption and spatial fragmentation of the countryside. For many decades, rural migration has been a selective process, resulting in the most enterprising and self-motivated people leaving the rural periphery. The new agricultural operators representing nascent but aggressive Russian agribusiness have difficulty co-opting traditional rural communities afflicted by profound social dysfunction. The contrast between agriculture in proximity to large cities and in their hinterlands is as sharp as ever, and some vacant niches are increasingly occupied by ethnically non-Russian migrants. All of these conditions existed to some degree in pre-Soviet times, but they have been exacerbated since Russia took steps toward a market economy. Understudied and often underestimated in the West, the crisis facing Russian agriculture has profound implications for the political and economic stability of Russia. The authors see hope in the significant increase in land use intensity on vastly diminished farmland. The lessons gathered from this thoroughly researched study are far-reaching and relevant to the disciplines of Slavic and European studies, agriculture, political science, economics, and human geography.


Throughout this paper, I argue for a reapplication of those theories set out by George Bornstein in Material Modernism. More specifically, I suggest that Bornstein's work should be considered in the context of the textual and literary constructs of the digital age. I begin with an account of those elements from Bornstein's argument that I consider to be of most relevance to this particular discourse, giving particular consideration to what he refers to as the 'bibliographic code.' I argue that this notion has gathered fresh momentum now that its potential has been enhanced through new forms of computer-based media. What the material modernists of the modernist movement sought to achieve with the material elements of their works, contemporary scholars and critics can seek to replicate and explore with greater clarity and creativity. The bibliographic code has gained new importance, as the degree by which it can be manipulated, I argue, has been extended significantly.


The main contribution of this paper is to challenge the current understanding in Swedish spatial planning of power systems being, inherently, alternating current (AC) systems. We propose two areas for piloting local direct current (DC) systems as a way of introducing the concept of mixed AC/DC power systems with the aim of supporting more (self-)sustainable local communities. One is local recreational areas, so called 'green spaces' in urban planning. The other is eHealth, when it involves spatial planning and building, or rebuilding existing living space, for supporting healthcare provision in the patient's own home. The paper discusses how mixed AC/DC power systems might be introduced into the current planning discourse and practice in Sweden as part of the necessary reconceptualization of what sustainability means in spatial planning. The paper is based on the authors' previous and on-going research, in spatial planning and eHealth respectively, and has been inspired by the on-going research and development at IIT-M on robust and affordable local DC solutions for Indian households. It is an early-stage exploratory paper based on a recently initiated interdisciplinary dialogue between computer scientists and spatial planning researchers at Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden, about green infrastructuring for a more sustainable society.


Abstract
Introduction: Postcardiac injury syndrome (PCIS) is the term that encompasses of postpericardiotomy syndrome, postmyocardial infarction syndrome and post-traumatic pericarditis.  The patient typically presents with fever, pericardial friction rub, and pericardial effusion with or without pleural effusion. The latency period between surgery and clinical manifestation greatly varied which not seldomly causing a delayed diagnosis of the disease.
Case Report: Herein we report a 30-year-old woman with 1-year history of constrictive pericarditis who was scheduled for a pericardiectomy.  She had a history a liver tuberculosis of which she was treated with oral antituberculous drug for 18 months. Her physical examination showed an increased jugular venous pressure with a positive Kussmaul's Sign, cardiomegaly, and minimal bipedal pitting edema, with otherwise normal examination. Her transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and MSCT cardiac were positive for constrictive pericarditis. The surgery was uneventful with 200 mL of serous pericardial fluid was removed. Ten days after the surgery, the patient complained fever with increased production of the drainage. She was then assessed as post pericardiotomy syndrome and was given high dose steroid. The drainage was gradually decreased and she was discharged after ten days with anti-inflammatory
Conclusion:While PCIS is not uncommon, physicians practicing in the field of pulmonary and critical care medicine, and cardiac surgery should be aware not only the presence of this disease, but also to master its prevention and treatment.


Graphical representation of molecular biology knowledge in the form of interactive diagrams became widely used in molecular and computational biology. It enables the scientific community to exchange and discuss information on cellular processes described in numerous scientific publications and to interpret high-throughput data. Constructing a signaling network map is a laborious process, therefore application of consistent procedures for representation of molecular processes and accurately organized annotation is essential for generation of a high-quality signaling network map that can be used by various computational tools. We summarize here the major aims and challenges of assembling information in a form of comprehensive maps of molecular interactions and suggest an optimized workflow. We share our experience gained while creating a biological network resource Atlas of Cancer Signaling Network (ACSN) that was successfully applied in several studies. We explain the map construction process. Then we address the problem of user interaction with large signaling maps and suggest to facilitate navigation by hierarchical organization of map structure and by application of semantic zooming principles. In addition, we describe a computational technology using Google Maps API to explore signaling networks in the manner similar to global geographical maps and provide the outline for preparing a biological network for this type of navigation. Nowadays the most demanded application of signaling maps is integration and functional interpretation of high-throughput data. We demonstrate several examples of cancer data visualization in the context of comprehensive signaling network maps.


Globalization in this 21st century unifies nations. The globalization impacts positively to promote trade and services among the nations but it could also harm economic growth and technological innovations in nations as their capital are drained to elsewhere. On its own merits, the globalization is a true manifestation of an open economy. The medical profession is not immune to this phenomenon: globalization. Mainly for the sake of affordability, many patients in much advanced nations, often voluntarily, seek medical services in far less underdeveloped nations. In other times, some patients are incited by their health insurance industries to practice medical tourism. The medical tourism creates an economic turmoil. Several medical economists are quite puzzled by the advantages as much as by the damaging impacts by the booming popularity of the medical tourism. It is time that all consequences of the medical tourism are examined in details as the findings would benefit the patients, the health policy makers and health industries. Such are the aims of this article. This article applies a data mining approach to compute and interpret economic indices, in a novel manner, to portray the economic booming in the hosting nations which render the medical treatments to the patients who emanate from the guest nations. Using the variations in the medical tourism data, a principal components analysis is performed to group the medical treatments and separately to group the hosting nations in terms of their closer proximities. According to the principal component analysis of the medical tourism data, there are three groups of nations which provide the treatments. The first group consists of USA, Columbia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The second group consists of India, Israel and South Africa. The third group consists of Jordan, Thailand and Malaysia. Also, an analysis of variance is performed to assess the significance of the factors on the cost of the medical treatment. Performing likewise on the type of the medical treatments which the medical tourists seek, there are three groups. The first group consists of medical treatments: heart by-pass, angioplasty, heart valve replacement, hip replacement, hip resurfacing, knee replacement, spinal fusion, gastric sleeve and gastric by-pass and lap band and liposuction and ivy treatments. The second group consists of tummy tuck, breast implants, rhinoplasty, facelift, hysterectomy, cornea and retina. The third group consists of dental implant and Lasik eye-surgery. The analysis of variance reveals that the nation Israel differs significantly from the hosting nations Columbia, India, Jordan, Malaysia and South Africa. The nation India differs significantly from the hosting nations South Korea. Furthermore, the Gini's index of heterogenity and entropy index of heterogenity are computed as these indices capture the cost data volatility. These indices are then standardized and interpreted. Among the nations from which the medical tourists seek treatment in other nations, the nation USA emerges to the top in the list while Israel, India, South Korea and Thailand are emerging to the top in the list for treatments by the medical tourists. Interestingly, the cost differences among all other nations are not significantly different. The medical tourists concentrated on nations: India, Malaysia, Columbia and Mexico in its descending order of importance for the medical treatments: heart bupass, ental impant and liposuction in its descending order.


The current investigation explored what is known regarding the psychological sequelae of the posthomicide experience for murder victims' family members and friends (MVFM). Participants were also asked about whether they felt they had attained closure, a term which populates anecdotal and theoretical accounts of MVFM's experience. Previous literature guided a theoretical definition of closure as a dimensional construct that represents adaptive functioning following a murder, and includes (1) absence of disabling symptomatology, (2) absence of ruminations about the event or murder victim, and (3) subjective return to baseline functioning. This quasi-experiment consisted of a between-subjects cross-sectional design. The dependent variable (DV) was the post-homicide psychological functioning of the participant, consisting of (1) depressive, posttraumatic stress, and complicated grief symptomatology as well as (2) self-reports of closure. The independent variable (IV) is the perpetrators' case disposition. Participants (N = 92) were recruited via organizations that serve MVFM as well as a sample of MVFM selected from a random sample of death row inmates. All participants were administered a structured interview and standardized psychodiagnostic measures by telephone. Of the total sample, 33% of the participants' offenders were sentenced to LWOP, 25% to death, 14.1% to a sentence less than LWOP, and 2.2% were found Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity. Twenty-three (25.0%) participants' offenders did not qualify for a penal sentence, as the case was unsolved (n = 10), the trial or sentencing phase was in process (n = 7), or the offender took his or her own life during the course of the murder (n = 4). Participants were, on average, approximately 15 years post-homicide at the time of the interview. Participants were diverse with regard to age and geography, but were disproportionately female (83.7%) and Caucasian (81.5%). The results of the current study indicated that participants were highly symptomatic, with particularly high rates of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Complicated Grief. Few MVFM were amenable to endorsing closure regardless of penal sentence. Sentence of the offender was correlated with PTSD scores and was uncorrelated with scores of depression, complicated grief, and quality of life. The results of the current study suggest a conceptual distinction between these often conflated diagnoses for this population and impart empirical insight into the commonly-held yet largely untested assumption that the DP serves a restorative, if not psychologically rehabilitative, function for survivors.


Soaring health costs are squeezing government and household budgets. Rising public costs are also likely to boost future tax burdens. This study considers how rising tax burdens and out-of-pocket health care costs will affect the timing of retirement. Conceptually, the impact of taxes depends on which particular taxes are raised. How well people anticipate future increases in taxes and health care costs, and how they react at younger ages, will crucially affect retirement impacts. If households are farseeing rational planners, higher health costs and tax burdens will likely induce more saving and harder work while young, muting effects on retirement decisions. To gauge the potential importance of rising taxes and health care costs to the retirement decision, the study compares projected retirement income for prototypical workers under two sets of assumptions about future tax and health care burdens. The results show that a moderate-income couple would have to work an additional 2.5 years under the scenario with high health care costs and tax burdens to receive as much income in the first year of retirement — net of taxes and out-of-pocket health spending — as they would receive under the low-cost scenario. The low-income couple would have to delay retirement under the high cost scenario by about 2.4 years to offset income lost from higher taxes and health costs, and the high-income couple would have to work an additional 2.8 years.


Recently, much interest has been directed towards software defined radios and embedded intelligence in teleco m- munication devices. However, no fundamental basis for cog- nitive radios has ever been proposed. In this paper, we intro- duce a fundamental vision of cognitive radios from a physical layer viewpoint. Specifically, our motivation in this work i s to embed human-like intelligence in mobile wireless devices, following the three century-old work on Bayesian probability theory, the maximum entropy principle and minimal probabil- ity update. This allows us to partially answer such questions as "what are the signal detection capabilities of a wireless de- vice?", "when facing a situation in which most parameters are missing, how to react?" and so on. As an introductory example, we will present previous works from the same authors follow- ing the cognitive framework, and especially the multi-antenna channel modelling and signal sensing.


In European legal scholarship, many articles discuss the equilibrium reached in the case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union ("CJEU") when the EU antitrust prohibitions apply to, and restrain, the free and ordinary use of intellectual property rights ("IPRs"). We call this the antitrust-IP intersection. The most interesting feature of this literature is perhaps the common assumption that a unifying substantive perspective, vision or theory on IPR underpins the intersection point reached by the antitrust case-law. Whilst the theory of "absolutism" can be quickly disposed of, several other theories like inherency, exceptionalism or complementarity have been described as the lynchpin of the antitrust-IP intersection. Our paper offers a different reading of the case-law. It submits that the antitrust-IP intersection does not rest on any unitary theory which, in turn, bespeaks the Court's vision of the social function of IPRs. Instead, the main feature of the CJEU case-law is that a specific methodology is applied to antitrust cases with IPR ramifications. The CJEU deals with most of such cases under a rule-based approach, instead of a standard-based approach. By rule-based approach, we refer to the ex ante setting of structured tests of liability, by opposition to ex post case-by-case resolution on grounds of a pre-determined, general standard (e.g., reasonableness, competition on the merits, efficiency, fairness, equity, etc.). As will be seen below, this approach has many virtues, not least in terms of legal certainty. But it also has a major qualification. Whilst the Court has consistently formulated rules of liability and justifiability at the antitrust and IP intersection, it has at the same time often embedded abstract standards within those rules. The implications of this mixed approach are unclear.


The decision-making processes used by many state transportation agencies in US and Canada for selecting a strategy for pavement rehabilitation primarily depend on initial construction and maintenance costs for identifying the most economically efficient pavement rehabilitation alternative. While this approach is appropriate for optimally allocating increasingly limited funds in the face of increasing investment backlog, it is not economically efficient because it does not account for user costs. Despite a significant body of research, the state transportation agencies are hesitant to include user costs in their pavement life-cycle cost analysis processes because of a lack of availability of standard method of calculating user costs. This article presents the results of a study conducted to review the pavement alternative selection processes used by the Ohio Department of Transportation and recommend ways to include user costs in the decision-making process. Incorporating user costs in the decision-making processes right from project-development phase will help transportation agencies stay focused on the customer and minimise overall impact of rehabilitation of the highway system.


The author examines the functions of Russian voivodas in the town of Nezhin between the mid-17th and early 18th centuries and the role the voivoda administration played in the integration of Ukrainian lands into Russia. The author introduces previously unstudied sources, such as Nezhin voivodas' correspondence with the Little Russia Prikaz and economic documents drawn up in the local office. He demonstrates that, in terms of the Ukrainian population, Nezhin voivodas had neither administrative nor legal power: their functions were limited to the taxation of Nezhin burghers and peasants (between 1666 and 1668). In legal cases where one of the parties was represented by Cossacks or townspeople and the other by military men of the garrison, voivodas judged them together with Nezhin regimental officers and communal authorities. The author states that only in certain cases could voivodas arrest Ukrainian Cossacks, burghers, and peasants accused of treason against the tsar. The author focuses on voivodas' functions in the administration of the military garrison: they led the defence of the castle during sieges, prevented service people from escaping the town, and maintained the town fortifications in peace and wartime. Together with their military duties, voivodas managed the local office, dealt with the return of runaway serfs to their owners, and reported sensitive information that concerned the state of affairs in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Right-bank Ukraine to Moscow. Moreover, the voivodas also had to handle a number of economic issues, like purchasing grain for the garrison, supporting its activity, and controlling the distribution of income received by the tavern.


Since the groundbreaking work of Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton, the concept of the Balanced Scorecard has achieved increasing popularity in the business world. Previously, many organizations had built their business objectives around financial targets and goals that bore little relation to a long-term strategic vision. Typically, this leaves a gap between the development of a company's strategy and its implementation.
The business scorecard, however, provides a more 'balanced view' by looking at not just-financial concerns, but also customers, internal business processes, and learning and growth. But it is not just a system of performance measurement - by focusing on future potential success it can be used as a dynamic management system that reinforces, implements and drives corporate strategy forward. In this book, the authors draw on their extensive experience with scorecard projects to provide a step-by-step method for introducing the Balanced Scorecard into an organization. This is done through the use of some of the most important practical examples in existence, with case studies from ABB, Coca Cola, Electrolux, British Telecom, Nat West, Skandia and Volvo.
The desired strategic control system using scorecards that is presented focuses on creating and communicating a total comprehensive picture to all members of the organization from the top down, a long-term view of what the company's strategic objectives really are, how to make use of knowledge gained through experience and the required flexibility of such a system to cope with the fast-changing business environment.
This book will provide senior and operational managers, consultants and business academics with a comprehensive view of emerging Balanced Scorecard practice supported by both business advice and a theoretical foundation. Reflections on the relations between the Balanced Scorecard and other areas, such as TQM, information systems and intellectual capital and knowledge management are also made.


With worldwide shipments of smartphones (487.7 million) exceeding PCs (414.6 million including tablets) in 2011, and in the US alone, more users predicted to access the Internet from mobile devices than from PCs by 2015, clearly there is a desire to be able to use mobile devices and networks like we use PCs and wireline networks today. However, in spite of advances in the capabilities of mobile devices, a gap will continue to exist, and may even widen, with the requirements of rich multimedia applications. Mobile cloud computing can help bridge this gap, providing mobile applications the capabilities of cloud servers and storage together with the benefits of mobile devices and mobile connectivity, possibly enabling a new generation of truly ubiquitous multimedia applications on mobile devices: Cloud Mobile Media (CMM) applications.


High heart rate is associated with longevity in many animal species including men.1 It has been shown in various cardiovascular diseases that high resting heart rate is a known marker of cardiovascular outcomes in hypertension,2 atherosclerosis,3 myocardial infarction4 and heart failure.5 ,6 Among the different conditions the threshold from which risk is increased is different. More close correlations at low thresholds (≥70 bpm) to risk have been established in heart failure.5–8 One beat increase of baseline heart rate and five beats increase of resting heart rate is associated with an increase of cardiovascular death and heart failure hospitalisation of 3% and 16%, respectively.6 Therefore, it was tempting to speculate that heart rate reduction reverses risk, in particular in heart failure, where the association of heart rate and risk is very close. Furthermore, the pathophysiology is plausible for heart failure, because the force-frequency relationship is reversed in the failing heart in vitro9 ,10 and in vivo.11 Shortening of diastole reduces oxygen supply to the myocardium. High heart rates are associated with atherosclerosis12 ,13 potentially important in energy starvation of the failing heart.7 ,8 Finally, high heart rates are a reflection of neurohormonal activation and are associated with malignant arrhythmias.14–16 A reduction of events by heart rate reduction only, would qualify heart rate as a target of treatment and risk factor beyond representing just a surrogate or risk marker.

Evidence for heart rate being indeed one of the crucial pathophysiological steps in progression of left ventricular dysfunction, has already been scrutinised by β blocker trials in heart failure.17–20 There is evidence that β blockers …


We study time-varying semidefinite programs (TV-SDPs), which are semidefinite programs whose data (and solutions) are functions of time. Our focus is on the setting where the data vary polynomially with time. We show that under a strict feasibility assumption, restricting the solutions to also be polynomial functions of time does not change the optimal value of the TV-SDP. Moreover, by using a Positivstellensatz (positive locus theorem) on univariate polynomial matrices, we show that the best polynomial solution of a given degree to a TV-SDP can be found by solving a semidefinite program of tractable size. We also provide a sequence of dual problems that can be cast as SDPs and that give upper bounds on the optimal value of a TV-SDP (in maximization form). We prove that under a boundedness assumption, this sequence of upper bounds converges to the optimal value of the TV-SDP. Under the same assumption, we also show that the optimal value of the TV-SDP is attained. We demonstrate the efficacy of our algorithms on a maximum-flow problem with time-varying edge capacities, a wireless coverage problem with time-varying coverage requirements, and on biobjective semidefinite optimization where the goal is to approximate the Pareto curve in one shot.


How can Congress play a role in formulating national security policy? This Article identifies one way that Congress already plays such a role: in its oversight of executive branch decisions regarding foreign investments in the United States, via the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The executive's role in this relationship is passive; it is best understood as a congressional notification service. This Article considers the implications of such a service, which could serve as a model for increased congressional involvement in other aspects of foreign affairs. It offers historical support for the descriptive claim that Congress plays a central role in policing foreign investments for national security concerns; the mildness of the executive role is shown both qualitatively and quantitatively through a content analysis of the "boilerplateness" of executive approvals of foreign acquisitions. The role Congress has played in national security and foreign direct investment policymaking has implications for theories of presidential administration and executive discretion in foreign affairs, and also for practicing lawyers interested in defining what exactly the scope of "national security" might be. The Article concludes with a review of these implications.


Objectives: To measure the patient safety attitudes of trainee physicians at an academic paediatric hospital. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: An academic paediatric hospital. Participants: 209 trainee physicians based at the academic paediatric hospital in January 2004. Main outcome measures: Patient safety attitudes of trainee physicians measured using the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (Inpatient Version) and a specific trainee survey. Results: In the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire, responses were most positive in areas associated with independent care: job satisfaction (mean factor score = 77.5) safety climate (76.1), working conditions (75.6), perception of management (70.4) and less positively in areas associated with interdependent care: teamwork climate (64.6) and stress recognition (59.1). In the trainee survey, following a principal component analysis to identify summary factors, responses were most positive in the independent areas of clinical supervision and support (75.0), communication with their immediate senior physician (65.5) and orientation of new personnel (63.9), and less positive in the interdependent areas of handoffs and multiple services, (58.1), role identification during codes (51.0) and support following an adverse event (42.8). The combined independent factor scores were higher than the interdependent (difference = 17.9, 95% CI 16.1 to 19.7, p<0.001). Fellows reported higher independent factor scores than residents (5.5, 95% CI 2.2 to 8.9, p = 0.001), but not for the interdependent scores (−0.5, 95% CI −3.6 to 2.7, p = 0.767). Conclusions: Trainees appear comfortable with caring independently for patients but less so caring interdependently. With experience, trainee physicians may experience improvement in their ability to act independently but not interdependently. Recently developed patient safety culture instruments may enable additional understanding of what could be implemented to make improvements.


[1] Shell chemistry of planktic foraminifera and the alkenone unsaturation index in 69 surface sediment samples in the tropical eastern Indian Ocean off West and South Indonesia were studied. Results were compared to modern hydrographic data in order to assess how modern environmental conditions are preserved in sedimentary record, and to determine the best possible proxies to reconstruct seasonality, thermal gradient and upper water column characteristics in this part of the world ocean. Our results imply that alkenone-derived temperatures record annual mean temperatures in the study area. However, this finding might be an artifact due to the temperature limitation of this proxy above 28°C. Combined study of shell stable oxygen isotope and Mg/Ca ratio of planktic foraminifera suggests that Globigerinoides ruber sensu stricto (s.s.), G. ruber sensu lato (s.l.), and G. sacculifer calcify within the mixed-layer between 20 m and 50 m, whereas Globigerina bulloides records mixed-layer conditions at ∼50 m depth during boreal summer. Mean calcifications of Pulleniatina obliquiloculata, Neogloboquadrina dutertrei, and Globorotalia tumida occur at the top of the thermocline during boreal summer, at ∼75 m, 75–100 m, and 100 m, respectively. Shell Mg/Ca ratios of all species show a significant correlation with temperature at their apparent calcification depths and validate the application of previously published temperature calibrations, except for G. tumida that requires a regional Mg/Ca-temperature calibration (Mg/Ca = 0.41 exp (0.068*T)). We show that the difference in Mg/Ca-temperatures of the mixed-layer species and the thermocline species, particularly between G. ruber s.s. (or s.l.) and P. obliquiloculata, can be applied to track changes in the upper water column stratification. Our results provide critical tools for reconstructing past changes in the hydrography of the study area and their relation to monsoon, El Nino-Southern Oscillation, and the Indian Ocean Dipole Mode.


The objective of this study was to gain an understanding for drying sawn timber produced from fast-grown, well-managed Queensland hardwood plantations using accelerated drying methods. Due to limited resources, this was a preliminary study and further work will be required to optimize schedules for industrial implementation. Three conventional kiln trials, including two for 38-mm-thick, 19-year-old plantation Gympie messmate (Eucalyptus cloeziana F. Muell.) and one for 25mm thick, 15-year-old plantation red mahogany (Eucalyptus pellita F. Muell.), and two vacuum kiln drying trials, one each for 38- and 25mm thick Gympie messmate, were conducted. Measurements of final cross-sectional moisture content, moisture content gradient, residual drying stress, and internal and surface checking were used to quantify dried quality. Drying schedules were chosen based on either existing published schedules or, in the case of the vacuum drying trials, existing schedules for species with similar wood density and dying degrade properties, or manipulated schedules based on the results of trials conducted during this study. The findings indicate that both species can be dried using conventional drying techniques with acceptable grade quality in approximately 75 percent of the drying time that industry is currently achieving when drying native forest timber of the same species. The vacuum drying time was 60 percent less than conventional drying for 38-mm-thick, 19-year-old Gympie messmate, although drying quality needs improving. The findings have shown that through careful schedule manipulation and adjustment, the grade quality can be optimized to suit the desired expectation. Additional research is required to further optimize the schedules to ensure acceptable grade qualities can be reliably achieved across all drying criteria and exploit opportunities to reduce drying times further.


This document contains two papers which address threats by tropical and extratropical systems in the northeastern United States. A suite of numerical models are used to assess waves, storm surge and coastal erosion during extreme storms. Modeling Waves and Sediment Transport Around Artificial Reefs: Simulation of the Impact of Multi-purpose Reefs on Dune Erosion in Southern Rhode Island Barrier Beaches The objective of this study is to set up a suite of numerical models capable of simulating the impacts of storms on coastal flooding and erosion, and use it to assess performance of mitigation measures. Three numerical models were used to analyze the possible erosion due to inundation and overwash for a small section of coast in southern Rhode Island. SWAN (Simulating Waves Nearshore), a third-generation wave model was used to compute the wave conditions. ADCIRC (ADvanced CIRCulation Model), a three-dimensional circulation model used atmospheric and tidal forcing to generate water levels, and currents. A regional coupled SWAN+ADCIRC model was used to calculate water levels and wave conditions over an unstructured mesh. XBeach, a sediment transport model, encompasses a barrier system on the southern coast of Rhode Island, and is nested within the regional domain. A non-uniform cartesian grid with a resolution across dunes of 5×10 meters is used to calculate the sediment transport during storms, the resolution decreases to 25×25 meters resolution at the boundaries. Hurricane Sandy (2012) was used to calibrate the models, where volume of erosion was compared along transects monitored by the University of Rhode Island. The model was then forced with winds from Hurricane Irene (2011) for validation. The regional model had a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.21 meters for storm surge, and a RMSE of 0.18 meters for offshore significant wave height. The nearshore model was able to estimate erosion with an error of 24.26%. Once validated, two synthetic storms from the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study (NACCS) were modeled. These storms both produced storm surges of around the same magnitude in comparison to the 100-year event in Rhode Island. Development of a Realtime Wave and Storm Surge Forecasting Model For Rhode Island A set of MATLAB and bash programs were designed for preprocessing and automating the coupled wave and hydrodynamic model SWAN+ADCIRC for real time forecasting of waves and storm surge. The method allows the user to locally preprocess, package, and automate the system, while running the system externally using High Performance Computing (HPC). Each of the user input files are described, and the forecasting process is explained. The system is then applied to a SWAN+ADCIRC domain in Rhode Island, and tested during Stella, an extratropical event in March 2017, Nor'Easter Stella. The three day forecast system had a maximum offshore significant wave height Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of less than 1.2 m, and a storm surge RMSE of less than 0.2 meters during simulation of NorEaster Stella. The system was shown to be conveniently activated and monitored in the event of an emergency.


Many ecological drivers have been proposed to explain the spatial distribution of species richness (productivity, energy, climate), but historical and paleogeographical contingencies may also be important. All these hypotheses make the implicit assumption that species richness would be similar everywhere in absence of any direct environmental variations; this is known as the mid-domain effect (MDE). The Mediterranean Sea is an 'archetypal situation' where we would expect this effect, so we used the MDE as a null model for fish richness and analyzed the deviations. Temperature, primary production and distance from both the Gibraltar Strait and Suez Canal have been included in our models as predictors. To obtain our objective we (1) built a database containing the geographic distributions of 619 Mediterranean fishes, (2) implemented 1- and 2-dimensional MDE models, and (3) carried out spatial autoregressive models on MDE deviations. It appeared that in 1 dimension, the only true MDE was displayed longitudinally by the large-ranged endemic species. In 2 dimensions, the MDE accounted for 21% of variation in fish richness distribution on the continental shelf. However, we showed that neglecting the MDE when relating fish richness to envi- ronmental predictors is misleading. In fact, minimum temperature and primary production negatively influenced fish species richness per se, but had a positive effect on deviations from MDE predictions. Finally, our study suggested that by analyzing the deviations from MDE predictions and taking into account spatial autocorrelation we developed a more rigorous assessment of the factors influencing diversity patterns.


Today, much emphasis is placed on the ecological dimension of architectural and town planning, focusing on the relationship between humans and the environment. Outdoor public spaces are a prominent element in physical planning structures, firstly because it is within them that the public life of their users may develop – they in fact serve to maintain an equilibrium between the private and public spheres in the cities – and secondly because with suitable planning they can provide environmentally-friendly natural inputs. A central open public area can function as the heart of a city. A whole network of open spaces, suitably interlinked and extending throughout the urban fabric, goes further, imparting vigour to all parts of it. Such open spaces comprise a totality that is something more than the sum of its components. Networks of open spaces in the historic cities of Venice (Italy), Venice Canals (L.A.), Savannah (Georgia), and Folegandros (Greece) are outstanding individual examples tending to confirm the above thesis. It has been verified that the balanced proliferation of open public spaces can create a comprehensible network and constitute an important element in their identity. The purpose of the following article is to document the importance of suitably planned polycentric structures, the crucial element being their relations of mutuality and their linkage with the cities not only of the present but also of the future.


A fast method for the reliable estimation of the photodissociation quantum yield Φdiss is presented. Pulsed laser polymerization (PLP) experiments are performed at various pulse energies (1.5–6 mJ) and regression analysis is performed to the ratio of the peak heights identified in the size exclusion chromatography (SEC) trace. The high accuracy of the method is demonstrated for PLP initiated by 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone (DMPA), considering in silico generated data including large theoretical errors (up to 20%). The method has also been successfully applied to experimental data of DMPA based isothermal PLP of n-butyl acrylate at 306 K, with an estimated Φdiss of 0.42 ± 0.04. In the long term, the method will facilitate the evaluation of current and the design of new highly efficient photoinitiators.


What is rhetoric? Is it the capacity to persuade? Or is it 'mere' rhetoric: the ability to get others to do what the speaker wants, regardless of what they want? This is the rhetoric of ideological manipulation and political seduction. Rhetoric is for some a distinctive mode of communication; for others, whenever someone speaks, rhetoric is present. This book is devoted to helping readers understand these rival accounts, by showing how it has happened that there are so many conceptions of rhetoric. Any such approach must be rooted in classical antiquity, since our ideas of rhetoric are the product of a complicated historical process starting in ancient Greece. Greek rhetoric was born in bitter controversy. The figure of Gorgias is at the centre of that debate and of this book: he invites us to confront the terrifying, exhilarating possibility that persuasion is just power.


Since the end of the 20th century, wireless networking is experiencing explosive growth, driven by the popularity of wireless telephony on one hand, and by the development of wireless computer networks on the other hand. Both trends are currently merging into a single attempt: enabling massive wireless Internet access. This phenomenon was inspired by Norman Abramson's pioneer work on packet radio networks [14] in the 1970s, and made possible by the authorization of wireless spectrum use for civil telecommunication purposes, in the 1980s1 . At first, this deregulation encouraged the democratization of wireless telephony, in the 1990s, thanks to the availability of cheaper, more efficient hardware stemming from Cold War military industry efforts. Since 2000, the introduction of new wireless communication standards using the spectrum authorized for civil use has also fueled the development of wireless computer networks and wireless Internet access.


Forestry in Malå, northern Sweden, coexists with other land uses. Reindeer husbandry is in the area for centuries and requires large areas of grazing land. Competing land uses may threaten the Malå Sami village. The aim of the study was to evaluate increased consideration in forest management towards 1) reindeer husbandry, 2) nature and 3) a combination of the two. These scenarios were compared with forest management as it was in 2009. Results indicate that all three scenarios lead to a decrease in annual harvesting volumes of 0.2 to 0.4 million m3. Forest industry dominated the economic viability in the area. Forest management adapted to the needs of reindeer husbandry resulted in less potential for yearly harvest, employment and profits from forest industry. On the other hand, it led to an increase in growing stock and consequently the potential for carbon sequestration over time. Indeed the increased sequestration would compensate for all fossil emissions of carbon from the Forest Wood Chain (FWC). The nature scenario had minor effects on economic result and on the emissions of fossil carbon. The combined scenario gave a reduced economic performance for the FWC. A scenario based on forest management accommodating the needs of reindeer husbandry gave the best economic result for the reindeer chain, due to high survival rate of the reindeer. However the economic importance of reindeer husbandry in the region was small compared to the FWC. Results from scenario analysis could serve as a platform for mutual understanding between stakeholders.


Cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) is the obligate electron donor for all microsomal cytochrome P450 enzymes, which catalyze the metabolism of a wide spectrum of xenobiotic and endobiotic compounds. Point mutations in POR have been found recently in patients with Antley-Bixler-like syndrome, which includes limb skeletal defects. In order to study P450 function during limb and skeletal development, we deleted POR specifically in mouse limb bud mesenchyme. Forelimbs and hind limbs in conditional knockout (CKO) mice were short with thin skeletal elements and fused joints. POR deletion occurred earlier in forelimbs than in hind limbs, leading additionally to soft tissue syndactyly and loss of wrist elements and phalanges due to changes in growth, cell death, and skeletal segmentation. Transcriptional analysis of E12.5 mouse forelimb buds demonstrated the expression of P450s involved in retinoic acid, cholesterol, and arachidonic acid metabolism. Biochemical analysis of CKO limbs confirmed retinoic acid excess. In CKO limbs, expression of genes throughout the whole cholesterol biosynthetic pathway was upregulated, and cholesterol deficiency can explain most aspects of the phenotype. Thus, cellular POR-dependent cholesterol synthesis is essential during limb and skeletal development. Modulation of P450 activity could contribute to susceptibility of the embryo and developing organs to teratogenesis. moderated T-statistic, shrinking estimated sample variances toward a stable


Additive Manufacturing (AM) is an emerging manufacturing technology that plays a growing role in both industrial and consumer settings. However, security concerns of the AM have been raised among researchers. In this paper, we present an online detection mechanism for the malicious attempts on AM system, which taps into both audios and videos collected during the actual printing process. For audio signals, we propose to monitor the characteristics or patterns in the spectrogram via the Wasserstain metric. For video signals, we present a path reconstruction method which effectively monitors the motion of the printer extruder. We then show the effectiveness of our methods in a case study using Ender 3D printer, where the cyber-incidence of modifying the internal fill density can be easily identified in an online manner.


A single leg hopping robot has been constructed which includes a clutch in series with the hip motor and a prototype Linear Multi-Modal Actuator (LMMA) at the knee. The single leg will be used to test how the different actuation methods can improve the behavioural diversity of the robot.


We propose a model of family conflict and coercion that links economic stress in family life to adolescent symptoms of internalizing and externalizing emotions and behaviors. The 180 boys and 198 girls in the study were living in intact families in the rural Midwest, an area characterized by economic decline and uncertainty. Theoretical constructs in the model were measured using both trained observer and family member reports. These adolescents and their parents were interviewed each year for 3 years during the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades. Our theoretical model proposes that economic pressure experienced by parents increases parental dysphoria and marital conflict as well as conflicts between parents and children over money. High levels of spousal irritability, coupled with coercive exchanges over money matters, were expected to be associated with greater hostility in general by parents toward their children. These hostile/coercive exchanges were expected to increase the likelihood of adolescent emotional and behavioral problems. Overall, results were consistent with the proposed model. Moreover, the hypothesized processes applied equally well to the behavior of mothers and fathers, as well as sons and daughters.


This guide will help you find resources within the field of Global Studies. It contains relevant books, journals, databases and free online resources covering disciplines like International Relations, Anthropology, Regional Studies and Human Ecology.


With the exception of the clitics of 2 sg and 3 sg . m , Friulian subject clitics tend towards their non-realisation in postnegative position. Preceding an object clitic or a reflexive pronoun, only the 2 sg subject clitic has to be realised obligatorily. In the present chapter, I analyse this complex phenomenon, arguing that the non-realisation of subject clitics in postnegative position can be explained in purely phonological terms as vowel deletion. In contrast, the omission of subject clitics in phrases containing object clitics or reflexive pronouns is caused by their syntactic position and on the interaction of conflicting constraints. My analysis is mainly based on fieldwork data presented in this chapter. In addition, as both the Friulian conjugation system and its paradigm of subject clitics are highly syncretic, I discuss the role avoiding syncretism plays. Moreover, I claim that the syncretic shape of the scl -paradigm is morphomic, that is, autonomously morphological.


Thanks Stuart for sending article; read it with interest; appreciates constructive interest Stuart has shown in administrative problems of State Dept.; believes U.S. has now finest Foreign Office of any government; confident successor, [Breckinridge] Long will carry on work creditably; competent personnel in office to ease burdens of Assistant Secretary; Stuart will find when he goes to Washington, men like [Nathaniel P.] Davis, [G. Howland] Shaw and [Charles B.] Hosmer helpful and cooperative; was in intimate contact in recent years with those who would use force as primary weapon of internal and external policy; U.S. cannot remain isolated out of desire for peace; if Germany gets control of rest of world, U.S. will be next target; U.S. should take steps now which enlightened self interest dictates; has interesting field in Cuba; key to some of problems in American republics lies here; if Stuart and Mrs. Stuart take holiday in area would be delighted to have them for visit.


Book synopsis:

- A welcome new edition of this well respected text

- Gives comprehensive coverage of the principal renewable energy sources available today

- Accessible to readers across a wide range of academic backgrounds

- Interdisciplinary approach covers the economic, social, environmental and policy issues raised by renewable energy, as well as describing their key physical and engineering features

- New full colour design includes hundreds of illustrations plus numerous tables of data and a wide range of detailed case studies

- Written by an experienced and authoritative course team at the Open University

The prospect of producing clean, sustainable power in substantial quantities from renewable energy sources is now arousing interest world-wide, stimulated by recent technological developments that have improved the cost-effectiveness of many of the 'renewables' and by increasing concern over the environmental impact and sustainability of conventional fossil and nuclear fuel use.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the principal renewable energy sources including:

· Solar thermal
· Photovoltaics
· Bioenergy
· Hydro
· Tidal
· Wind
· Wave
· Geothermal

With the aid of over 350 detailed illustrations, more than 50 tables of data and a wide range of case studies it explains, for each source, the underlying physical and technological principles, and examines its environmental impact and future prospects.

The overall approach is interdisciplinary, covering the economic, social, environmental and policy issues raised by renewable energy as well as the physical and engineering aspects. The book will therefore appeal strongly to non-specialist readers who wish to improve their understanding of this complex, fascinating and increasingly important subject.

New to this Edition:

- Full colour design

- Updated to reflect developments in technology. policy and attitudes

- Complemented by a new book on traditional sources of energy, Energy Systems and Sustainability edited by Godfrey Boyle, Bob Everett and Janet Ramage of the Open University

Readership: Undergraduates and postgraduates taking courses in energy, sustainable development, environmental subjects and architecture. Also suitable for non-specialists.

Contents:

1. Brief Introduction , Godfrey Boyle

2. Bioenergy , Janet Ramage, Jonathan Scurlock and Stephen Larkin

3. Solar Thermal Energy , Bob Everett

4. Photovoltaic Power , Godfrey Boyle

5. Hydro Power , Janet Ramage

6. Tidal Energy , David Elliott

7. Wave Energy , Les Duckers

8. Wind Power , Derek Taylor

9. Geothermal Energy , Geoff Brown and John Garnish

10. Integration , Godfrey Boyle and Bob Everett


This paper describes the implementation of the Hoek–Brown model as a perfect elastoplasticity model in a finite element code. The yield function is a standard Mohr–Coulomb surface incorporating a stress-dependent friction angle which accomplishes an exact reproduction of the HoekBrown strength envelope for all stress states. The formulation of the model is performed in such a way as to allow for a direct implementation of the shear strength-reduction technique in order to calculate the factor of safety of boundary-value problems. The efficiency of the numerical algorithm is discussed, with emphasis in the effect of the numerical implementation of three dilatancy models: deviatoric associativity, full non-associativity employing a Mohr–Coulomb shaped plastic potential and radial return. A comparison is presented between the results obtained for slope stability analyses using limit equilibrium methods and the built-in Hoek–Brown model available in Plaxis. Finally, the application of the model to an excavation for an underground mine in Uruguay is presented and discussed.


Vast amounts of information result from business and consumer search, communication, and transactions. All this information can enhance market efficiency and consumer surplus as firms tailor products to buyers. But, there is increased risk of information loss. What issues should be on the Digital Agenda with regard to information loss, and what data are available to inform and generate incentives for consumer, business, and policy interactions in the information marketplace? This paper reviews the situation and points out where we need more thought and more data. Topics include: (1) Frameworks for analysis: How should we model the information marketplace, particularly with regard to the benefits and costs of information aggregation and protection? (2) Quantification and data: What is the evidence on the prevalence and nature of information loss, and what are the costs of information loss, and to whom? (3) Market and Policy Response: What do we know about the efficacy of market vs. other approaches to incentivize market participants to avoid loss or remediate after information loss? Throughout, of particular interest is the international dimension of the information marketplace. What issues arise when countries differ in their attitudes and policies toward the information marketplace?


Prior studies have suggested that children as young as the second grade are able to draw inferences when reading narrative texts (Casteel, 1993; Casteel & Simpson, 1991). The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether students were making inferences while reading expository texts at various age and skill levels. Participants were 64 second graders and 78 third graders from urban schools in Georgia and New Jersey. Participants were presented six-sentence expository passages. The children read pairs of sentences aloud, after which an unrelated word, an associated word, or an inference word were presented and the child read the word as quickly and accurately as possible. Results indicated that no inferences were being generated regardless of age or skill level.


We propose a genetic relationship between the 43–34 Ma magmatism, extensional tectonics, and gold mineralization event centered in the Great Basin of Nevada and the development of the ancestral Yellowstone hotspot. The model is compatible with Cenozoic regional tectonics and provides a plausible explanation of the spatial coincidence of the Eocene-Oligocene magmatic events and the Carlin-type gold deposits. These features are centered in the Battle Mountain region of the Great Basin, coincident with the inferred ca. 40–30 Ma position of the Yellowstone hotspot. The Yellowstone hotspot is probably a plume that ascended from the core-mantle boundary, a region thought to be anomalously rich in gold and in the moderately siderophile elements associated with gold deposits. As the hotspot was progressively overridden by the North American plate after ca. 60 Ma, a magmatically quiescent period related to subhorizontal subduction gave way to the generation of ca. 43–34 Ma voluminous intracrustal melts and metamorphic devolatization as the hotspot broke though the subducted Farallon plate. Coeval crustal extension and convective circulation of hydrothermal fluids in the upper crust facilitated the exploitation of the structural and lithologic traps that characterize the classic Carlin-type deposits.


ABSTRACT In the light of what appears to be a growing consensus that historicist and postmodern thought undermines the credibility of appeals to women's experience as a source of theological and moral knowledge, I assess whether these criticisms do indeed discredit appeals to experience as a legitimate source of knowledge and norm for feminist theology. While such critiques pose insightful challenges to assumptions underlying the appeal to experience, I argue that they do not definitively discredit the appeal to experience itself. Drawing on trauma theory and the work of Margaret Farley and Martha Nussbaum, I seek to show how women's experiences can be defended as a credible source of knowledge and a norm for feminist theology.


: Various designs of equipment used in heat treatment furnaces are presented. The equipment is assembled from components varying in shape and size. In this case study it is composed of castings only. Castings are made from creep-resistant alloys, mainly cast austenitic steel and nickel alloys, using gravity poured sand molds. The design should allow for the simultaneous solidification of all thin-walled cast parts. The study focuses on the equipment for the heat treatment of parts of uncommon shape and size, or parts that require special heat treatment conditions. It is used for the charge formation in furnace and transport of this charge inside and outside the furnace. Different designs are illustrated. Their shape and size depends on the type of furnace, production volume, and the number and shape of heat-treated parts.


This paper introduces the general features of Senso Comune, an open knowledge base for the Italian language, focusing on the interplay of lexical and ontological knowledge, and outlining our approach to conceptual knowledge elicitation. Senso Comune consists of a machine-readable lexicon constrained by an ontological infrastructure. The idea at the basis of Senso Comune is that natural languages exist in use, and they belong to their users. In the line of Saussure's linguistics, natural languages are seen as a social product and their main strength relies on the users' consensus. At the same time, language has specific goals: i.e. referring to entities that belong to the users' world (be it physical or not) and that are made up in social environments where expressions are produced and understood. This usage leverages the creativity of those who produce words and try to understand them. This is the reason why ontology, i.e. a shared conceptualization of the world, can be regarded to as the soil on which the speakers' consensus may be rooted. Some final remarks concerning future work and applications are also given.


Organizations that are not efficient and innovative today quickly become irrelevant tomorrow. Ambidexterity (i.e., simultaneously conducting two seemingly contradicting activities, such as exploitation and exploration) helps organizations to overcome this challenge and, hence, has become increasingly popular with manifold applications in information systems (IS) research. However, we lack a systematic understanding of ambidexterity research, its research streams, and their future trajectory. Hence, we conduct a systematic literature review on ambidexterity in IS research and identify six distinct research streams that use an ambidexterity lens: IT-enabled organizational ambidexterity, ambidextrous IT capability, ambidexterity in IS development, ambidextrous IS strategy, ambidextrous inter-organizational relationships, and organizational ambidexterity in IS. We present the current state of research in each stream. More so, we comprehensively overview application areas, conceptualizations, antecedents for, and outcomes of ambidexterity. Hence, this study contributes to the emergent theme of ambidexterity in IS research.


An assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) has become an increasingly popular method to assess genome-wide chromatin accessibility in isolated nuclei from fresh tissues. However, many biobanks contain only snap-frozen tissue samples. While ATAC-seq has been applied to frozen brain tissues in human, its applicability in a wide variety of tissues in horse remains unclear. The Functional Annotation of Animal Genome (FAANG) project is an international collaboration aimed to provide high quality functional annotation of animal genomes. The equine FAANG initiative has generated a biobank of over 80 tissues from two reference female animals and experiments to begin to characterize tissue specificity of genome function for prioritized tissues have been performed. Due to the logistics of tissue collection and storage, extracting nuclei from a large number of tissues for ATAC-seq at the time of collection is not always practical. To assess the feasibility of using stored frozen tissues for ATAC-seq and to provide a guideline for the equine FAANG project, we compared ATAC-seq results from nuclei isolated from frozen tissue to cryopreserved nuclei (CN) isolated at the time of tissue harvest in liver, a highly cellular homogenous tissue, and lamina, a relatively acellular tissue unique to the horse. We identified 20,000–33,000 accessible chromatin regions in lamina and 22–61,000 in liver, with consistently more peaks identified using CN isolated at time of tissue collection. Our results suggest that frozen tissues are an acceptable substitute when CN are not available. For more challenging tissues such as lamina, nuclei extraction at the time of tissue collection is still preferred for optimal results. Therefore, tissue type and accessibility to intact nuclei should be considered when designing ATAC-seq experiments.


Plant roots interact with a wide variety of rhizospheric microorganisms, including bacteria and the symbiontic arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. The mycorrhizal symbiosis represents a series of complex feedbacks between plant and fungus regulated by their physiology and nutrition. Despite the widespread distribution and ecological significance of AM symbiosis, little is known about the potential of AM fungi to affect plant VOC metabolism. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether colonization of plant roots by AM fungi and associated soil microorganisms affects VOC emission and content of Artemisia annua L. plants (Asteraceae). Two inoculum types were evaluated: one consisted of only an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus species (Glomus spp.), and the other was a mixture of different Glomus species and associated soil bacteria. Inoculated plants were compared with non-inoculated plants and with plants supplemented with extra phosphorus (P) to obtain plants of the same size as mycorrhizal plants, thus excluding potentially-confounding mycorrhizal effects on shoot growth. VOC emissions of Artemisia annua plants were analyzed by leaf cuvette sampling followed by off-line measurements with pre-concentration and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Measurements of CO(2) and H(2)O exchanges were conducted simultaneously. Several volatile monoterpenes were identified and characterized from leaf emissions of Artemisia annua L. by GC-MS analysis. The main components identified belong to different monoterpene structures: alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, camphor, 1,8-cineole, limonene, and artemisia ketone. A good correlation between monoterpene leaf concentration and leaf emission was found. Leaf extracts included also several sesquiterpenes. Total terpene content and emission was not affected by AM inoculation with or without bacteria, while emission of limonene and artemisia ketone was stimulated by this treatment. No differences were found among treatments for single monoterpene content, while accumulation of specific sesquiterpenes in leaves was altered in mycorrhizal plants compared to control plants. Growth conditions seemed to have mainly contributed to the outcome of the symbiosis and influenced the magnitude of the plant response. These results highlight the importance of considering the below-ground interaction between plant and soil for estimating VOC emission rates and their ecological role at multitrophic levels.


Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used in patients with epilepsy and psychosis. From 50 patients with epilepsy, a subgroup of 12 patients were categorised by the Present State Examination (PSE) as having nuclear schizophrenia (NS) and then compared with an epileptic control group with no psychiatric history. Further, patients with hallucinations were compared with patients without hallucinations. No differences in T 1 relaxation times in any regions of interest were noted in the NS group compared with the other group. However, patients with hallucinations had a significantly higher T 1 value in the left temporal lobe. These findings support the concept that specific abnormalities in limbic system structures relate to the phenomenology of the psychoses of epilepsy, especially left temporal lobe epilepsy.


The setting of the petroleum basins of Russia varies from Precambrian cratons to Tertiary active margins. Four economically and strategically important basins illustrate this diversity. The North Sakhalin Basin is a Tertiary strike-slip basin supplied with Oligocene-Pliocene reservoir sands, and seal- and source-forming mudrocks by the palaeo-Amur delta. Miocene diatomites are additional source rocks. Plio-Pleistocene structuring was crucial to hydrocarbon entrapment. The West Siberia Basin contains identified oil reserves of 60 billion bbl and 1400 tcf gas, respectively 47% of the oil reserves of the CIS and 77% of its gas reserves. The world-class Upper Jurassic Bazhenov source rock and a high impedance entrapment style are the keys to the productivity of the basin. The Timan-Pechora Basin contains Ordovician-Triassic reservoirs and a major Late Devonian source rock. Hydrocarbon preservation is good despite the basin's complex history of subsidence and inversion. On the Siberian Platform in East Siberia 12 billion BOE reserves are sourced, reservoired and sealed by Upper Precambrian-Cambrian rocks. Protracted preservation times there reflect a stable geological setting.


The Cuban Revolution was one of the most important events in 20 th century Latin American history. The unlikely success of revolutionary heroes such as Fidel Castro and Ernesto "Che" Guevara inspired not only similar movements throughout the region, but an entire generation of artists and musicians. One such artist was Cuban singer-songwriter Carlos Puebla. A long-time critic of Batista and his corrupt administration, Puebla set to music the ideals that the Revolution sought to build a new Cuba upon. In a country which most of the population was illiterate until 1961, the music of artists such as Puebla served as an invaluable vehicle for these new ideas. In addition, Puebla's work served as a form of "people's narration" of the Revolution, as the words and deeds of revolutionary heroes were set to music and lyrics. This paper seeks to place the music of Puebla as an important "document" within Cuban historiography, as it focuses on people's feeling and thoughts, rather than cold, unbiased reporting from a newspaper.


From measurements of changes in transit time of 10 MHz of ultrasonic waves as a function of temperature and hydrostatic pressure, the acoustic properties of (La203)x(Sm203)y(P20,,) (l-x-y) glasses with compositions near to that corresponding to the metaphosphate have been determined. For each glass, the second order elastic stiffness tensor components Cij ' (SOEC) continue to
increase down to 10 Kin a manner consistent with phonon interactions with tVi'Qlevel systems. Measurements of the effects of hydrostatic pressure on the ultrasonic wave velocities have been used to determine the hydrostatic pressure derivatives (dCij/dP) T,P=O of the SOEC and (dBo'/ dP) T,P=O of the bulk modulus Bo at room temperature (293K). For these glasses, (dCll/dP), (dC44/dP), and
(dBo / dP), are small but positive; the corresponding glasses stiffen under pressure. The elastic behaviour under pressure of these glasses lies intermediate between those of (Sm203)y(P20,,),(I_x) and (La20:1)y(P20,,) (I-x) glasses.
Replacement of La3+ by Sm3+ in the temary phosphate glasses drives a slight acoustic mode softening. Possible. sources of the different effect of La:>+ and Sm3+ modifiers on the nonlinear acoustic properties of metaphosphate glasses
are discussed.


Open Government Websites are a different perspective for presenting government information. In the Mexican case, it is mandatory by law since 2002 to present some government data through Websites. Despite this strong impulse of transparency, there is not enough measurement for the success or the failure of this novel practice. This chapter analyses data collected from a benchmarking of three year measures of open government portals during 2007, 2009, and 2010. From this data, three success factors are identified: trust, search engine, and legal issues. The success factors for open government portals are a contribution that must be verified by further research. This chapter is organized in seven sections. In the first section is the introduction of open government and the background of the Mexican case; the second section presents a literature review about open government and success factors; the third section describes the methodology of the open government portals measurement during 2008-2010; the fourth section discusses the results of this benchmarking and identifies three success factors: trust, search engine, and legal component; the fifth section describes these three findings and provides some recommendations for practitioners; the sixth section discusses the limitations of success factors and the limitations of this kind of research; a final section of future research presents some research paths, and a final conclusion section closes the chapter with a summary of findings and discussion.


Hyperspectral image classification with limited number of labeled pixels is a challenging task. In this paper, we propose a bilayer graph-based learning framework to address this problem. For graph-based classification, how to establish the neighboring relationship among the pixels from the high dimensional features is the key toward a successful classification. Our graph learning algorithm contains two layers. The first-layer constructs a simple graph, where each vertex denotes one pixel and the edge weight encodes the similarity between two pixels. Unsupervised learning is then conducted to estimate the grouping relations among different pixels. These relations are subsequently fed into the second layer to form a hypergraph structure, on top of which, semisupervised transductive learning is conducted to obtain the final classification results. Our experiments on three data sets demonstrate the merits of our proposed approach, which compares favorably with state of the art.


Background: Sepsis is a very common serious medical condition among patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) that increases with age and ICU length of stay (LOS). Objectives: The primary goal of this study was to estimate the mortality rate due to sepsis among adult patients admitted to the mixed medical–surgical ICUs for a long time. The secondary goal was to identify factors associated with predicting ICU mortality in individuals with long-term ICU LOS. Methods: Adult patients admitted to the medical ICU for a long time (≥75 days) were included in this retrospective secondary analysis study. Baseline demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were recorded upon inclusion in the study. Results: ICU mortality occurred in 78 (43.1%) patients, out of 188 participants. A greater portion of patients with sepsis at admission (62.7%) were observed in the death group (59.2% vs. 30.8%, P < 0.001), than the survivor group. Additionally, survived patients differed significantly in terms of age, family engagement, baseline cognitive impairment, activity, nurse anticipated turnover scale (ATS), duration of a mechanical ventilator (MV), and ICU LOS. The results of multivariate binary logistic regression showed that the older age and low family intervention can increase the risk of mortality in patients with sepsis at the time of admission, with a long ICU LOS. Conclusion: Our findings are crucially important to increase the awareness of the impact of sepsis, highlight the need for continued research into potential preventive and therapeutic interventions, and help guide resource allocation.


Background
the health impacts of caregiving and volunteering are rarely studied concurrently, despite the potential for both synergies and conflicts. This population-based study examines the association of these activities on health and subsequent mortality.

Method
a census-based record-linkage study of 244,429 people aged 65 and over, with cohort characteristics, caregiving and volunteering status, and presence of chronic health conditions derived from the Census returns. Mortality risk was assessed over the following 45 months with adjustment for baseline characteristics.

Results
caregivers and volunteers were individually more mobile than those undertaking neither activity; caregivers who also volunteered were more mobile than those who did not volunteer, but no less likely to suffer from poor mental health. Both caregiving and volunteering were separately associated with reduced mortality risk (HR = 0.74: 95% confidence intervals (CIs) = 0.71, 0.77 and HR = 0.76: 0.73, 0.81, respectively); the lowest mortality was found amongst light caregivers who also volunteered (HR = 0.53: 95% CIs = 0.45, 0.62), compared to those engaged in neither. There was no evidence of a multiplicative effect of caregiving and volunteering at more intense levels of caregiving.

Conclusion
there is a large overlap in caregiving and volunteering activities with complex associations with health status. There is some evidence that combining caregiving and volunteering activities, for those involved in less intense levels of caregiving, maybe associated with lower mortality risk than associated with either activity alone. Further research is needed to understand which aspects of caregiving and volunteering are best and for whom and in which circumstances.


Work began in July 1970 on Lilongwe, the new capital city of Malawi, and, after Nouakchott in Mauritania and Gaborone in Botswana, the third new post-independence capital in Africa. The Malawi Housing Corporation has begun to build houses and the first Ministry building, for the Ministry of Works and Supplies, should be completed by the end of 1971, whilst the Ministries of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Education should be established there by early 1972. The first capital in Nyasaland was sited at Zomba before the end of the 19th century, where the administration could live at a respectable distance from the missionaries in Blantyre, and where the scenery was slightly more beautiful, but it gradually became apparent that the forty mile distance between Zomba and Blantyre, where the majority of settlers and business interests were centred and which was nearest to the most important airport at Chileka, made administration difficult.


In cell culture studies, dried plum (Prunus domestica L.) polyphenols increased osteoblast alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, mineralized nodule formation, and the expression of the bone marker genes runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) and osterix. The purpose of this study was to determine whether human serum collected 1 and 2 h after dried plum ingestion influenced osteoblast cell activity and gene expression. Five healthy women ingested 100 g of dried plum, and serum samples were collected at baseline (before dried plum ingestion) and 1 and 2 h postingestion of dried plum. MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cells were treated (2% of medium) with these serum samples for 3 or 9 days. Intracellular and extracellular ALP activities were significantly increased after 3 or 9 days of treatment with serum both postingestion time points, with no effect seen in baseline samples. Also, serum obtained 1 and 2 h postingestion significantly increased the mRNA expression of bone markers RUNX2 and connexin43 (CX43) after both 3 and 9 days of incubation periods. Finally, serum obtained 1 and 2 h postingestion increased the mRNA expression of β-catenin after 9 days of incubation. We conclude that osteoblast activity and function are increased by dried plum ingestion, which may, in part, explain its beneficial effects on bone health.


In humans and nonhuman primates, Mycobacterium tuberculosis lung infection yields a complex multicellular structure—the tuberculosis granuloma. All granulomas are not equivalent, however, even within the same host: in some, local immune activity promotes bacterial clearance, while in others, it allows persistence or outgrowth. Here, we used single-cell RNA-sequencing to define holistically cellular responses associated with control in cynomolgus macaques. Granulomas that facilitated bacterial killing contained significantly higher proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells expressing hybrid Type1-Type17 immune responses or stem-like features and CD8-enriched T cells with specific cytotoxic functions; failure to control correlated with mast cell, plasma cell and fibroblast abundance. Co-registering these data with serial PET-CT imaging suggests that a degree of early immune control can be achieved through cytotoxic activity, but that more robust restriction only arises after the priming of specific adaptive immune responses, defining new targets for vaccination and treatment.


By improving Internet traffic forecasting, more efficient TCP/IP traffic control and anomaly detection tools can be developed, leading to economic gains due to better resource management. In this paper, Neural Networks (NNs) are used to predict TCP/IP traffic for 39 links of the UK education and research network, under univariate and multivariate strategies. The former uses only past values of the forecasted link, while the latter also uses the traffic from neighbor links of the network topology. Several experiments were held by considering hourly real-world data. The Holt-Winters method was also tested in the comparison. Overall, the univariate NN approach produces the best forecasts for the backbone links, while a Dijkstra based NN multivariate strategy is the best option for the core to subnetwork links.


Recent optimism about sustainability has centred on the opportunities for improvements in environment-efficiency through the international diffusion of environmentallybeneficial innovations. This paper investigates two claims about the conditions under which countries are most likely to realise these gains. First, "dirtier" economies should improve their environment-efficiency faster, as they adopt environmentally sound technologies and policies similar to those in "cleaner" countries, resulting in catch-up and convergence over time. Second, transnational linkages accelerate the international spread of environmentally-beneficial innovations, and therefore improvements in environment-efficiency. To test these claims, we use econometric techniques to examine the dynamics and determinants of two pollutants, CO2 and SO2, using a panel comprising up to 114 countries over the period 1980-2000. Our empirical findings broadly support both claims. Applying tests of unconditional convergence, we find robust evidence for convergence in levels of CO2 and SO2-efficiency, indicating catch-up by less pollution-efficient economies over time. Similarly, confirming claims about transnational linkages, we find that imports from more pollution-efficient countries and telecommunications connectivity are associated with faster improvements in domestic CO2 and SO2-efficiency. Results also suggest that inward FDI stock is positively associated with CO2-efficiency. Yet we find that exports to countries with high levels of pollution-efficiency have no discernable effect on domestic pollution-efficiency.


Visual cues help to select a target and attract attention to it. In the present study, a 50-ms exogenous cue was presented to select one of 80 tilted lines, and attention effects at various delays were measured as the time observers needed to identify this target. Like in earlier detection studies, there was a transient cuing effect; targets presented soon after the cue (delays of 50-300 ms) were identified particularly fast. This benefit was followed by a continuous decay of performance toward longer delays (measured up to 5 s), at which the necessary presentation time to identify the target was strongly increased. The decay was substantially reduced when placeholder dots were shown during the delay, at subsequent line positions. The simple presentation of a structured background in the form of random dots did not have this effect. When the presentation times for constant performance were taken to compute the presumed strength of underlying neural responses, the effect of placeholders was seen as a nearly constant addition to the cued target signals, with an additional transient peak about 100 ms after cue (and placeholders) onset.


INS/GPS integration scheme can overcome the shortcoming of GPS or INS alone to provide superior performance, thus this study implements a tightly-coupled INS/GPS integration scheme using AKF as the core estimator by tuning the measurement noise matrix R adaptively. The AKF is based on the maximum likelihood criterion for choosing the most appropriate weight and thus the Kalman gain factors. The conventional EKF implementation suffers uncertain results while the update measurement noise matrix R and/or the process noise matrix Q does not meet the case. The primary advantage of AKF is that the filter has less relationship with the priori statistical information because R and/or Q vary with time. The innovation sequence is used to derive the measurement weights through the covariance matrices, innovation-based adaptive estimation (IAE) in this study. The covariance matrices R are adapted in the study when measurements update with time. A window based approach is implemented to update the quality of GPS pseudo-range measurements by adaptively replace the measurement weights through the latest estimated covariance matrices R . The use of odometer is particularly recommended when a low cost and precise vehicle localization system has to be implemented and there is the risk of GPS coverage failure, which is prone to happen when the vehicle enters a tunnel or cross deep valleys. Odometers are applied in land-vehicle navigation to provide augmented host velocity observations for standalone INS system in this study. There are two non-holonomic constraints (NHC) available for land vehicles. Land vehicles will not jump off the ground or slid on the ground under normal condition. Using these constraints, the velocity of the vehicle in the plane perpendicular to the forward direction is almost zero. EKF and AKF based tightly-coupled scheme with NHC is implemented in the study. To validate the performance of AKF based tightly-coupled INS/GPS integration scheme with odometer and NHC, field scenarios were conducted in the downtown area of Tainan city. The data fusion of INS/GPS/Odometer/NHC can be used as stand-alone positioning tool during GPS outages of over 1 minute, and AKF based tightly-coupled INS/GPS integration scheme can be more stable combined with odometer and NHC during GPS outages of over 1 minute likewise.