The KioskNet project aims to provide extremely low-cost Internet access to rural kiosks in developing countries, where conventional access technologies, e.g., DSL, CDMA and dial-up, are currently economically infeasible. In the KioskNet architecture, an Internet-based proxy gathers data from the Internet and sends it to a set of edge nodes, called "gateways" from which ferries, such as buses and cars, opportunistically pick up the data using short-range WiFi as they drive past, and deliver it wirelessly to kiosks in remote villages. The first part of this thesis studies the downlink scheduling problem in the context of KioskNet. We pose the following question: assuming knowledge of the bus schedules, when and to which gateway should the proxy send each data bundle so that 1) the bandwidth is shared fairly and 2) given 1), the overall delay is minimized? We show that an existing schedule-aware scheme proposed in the literature, i.e., EDLQ [11], while superficially appearing to perform well, has some inherent limitations which could lead to poor performance in some situations. Moreover, EDLQ does not provide means to enforce desired bandwidth allocations. To remedy these problems, we employ a token-bucket mechanism to enforce fairness and decouple fairness and delay-minimization concerns. We then describe a utility-based scheduling algorithm which repeatedly computes an optimal schedule for all eligible bundles as they come in. We formulate this optimal scheduling problem as a minimum-cost network-flow problem, for which efficient algorithms exist. Through simulations, we show that the proposed scheme performs at least as well as EDLQ in scenarios that favour EDLQ and achieves up to 40% reduction in delay in those that do not. Simulation results also indicate that our scheme is robust against the randomness in actual timing of buses. The second part of the thesis shares some of our experience with building and testing the software for KioskNet. We subjected a prototype of the KioskNet system, built on top of the DTN reference implementation, to stress tests and were able to identify and fix several software defects which severely limited the performance. From this experience, we abstract some general principles common to software that deals with opportunistic communication.


This research study examines the job satisfaction level and its dimensions of teacher educators-who are working atthe departments, faculties and institutes of education. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted andfield-work observations were recorded on TEs (n = 40), working as lecturers, assistant professors, associateprofessors and professors at their respective universities. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Sixthemes were inductively identified: (a) work, assignments and workload; (b) opportunities for advancement, growthand development; (c) financial and fringe benefits; (d) supervisory support, permissions and free hand; (e) workingand sympathetic relationships; and (f) available facilities and working environments. All themes revealed thesignificance and utility of the study and also explained the proper usage of findings for the benefits of organizations,faculties, departments and TEs. This article increases and advances the knowledge by revealing the values ofqualitative research methods generally, and thematic analysis specifically, as a means of disseminating theevidence-based information to its readers and all stakeholders in the concerned paradigm of the job satisfaction ofTEs among the universities of the Sindh province of Pakistan. This article is a suitable, reliable and strong resourcefor the heads of educational organizations, such as universities, institutes, faculties, departments and TEs themselvesto help them to understand the real position and the dimensions of job satisfaction, which they can apply in theirdaily practice to make their professional and personal life easier and more meaningful.


Engineering and science labs play a central role in illustrating concepts and principles as well as improving technical skills. Through introducing of remote labs, it will be possible to share devices, equipment and instrumentations with lots of universities. Moreover, they relax time and space constraints and are capable to be adapted to pace of each student if there was insufficient time in lab; this contribution reports the experiences at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem in Palestine with deploying VISIR, and represents the results of an evaluation for its appropriateness as a complementary asset to traditional labs. The questionnaire for the interaction between students and VISIR includes survey questions with the goal to measure the evaluation criteria: usefulness and satisfaction, sense of reality/immersion and usability.


This paper focuses on the developmental changes that take place inside the eggs of the semi-terrestrial freshwater crab, Sinopotamon yangtsekiense, from Qiantang River in Zhejiang Province, China. The egg consists of two layers, a thick outer membrane and a thin inner membrane that encloses the fluidfilled embryonic sac. Development in this species took up to 77 days, after which the free-living juvenile hatchling crab emerged from the egg. During development the embryo underwent a series of morphological changes that corresponded to the free-living larval stages of marine crabs, and the yolk mass decreased in size and changed color (from creamy pale yellow, to orange, and finally grey). The eggs remained attached to the pleopods in the female's abdominal brood pouch during development and showed a great deal of independence from water. Embryos developed normally whether they were immersed in water or in air. The implications of this adaptation for freshwater crab evolution are discussed.


Skin test reactivity and in vitro lymphocyte stimulation responses to varicella-zoster (VZ) were examined in a large normal population ranging in age from 6 months to 93 years. Warning of cellular immunity, as examined by skin delayed hypersensitivity, began at age 40 years. Skin test responses to phytohemagglutinin, however, remained positive into the eighth decade of life. In vitro lymphocyte stimulation responses to VZ were usually positive (stimulation index greater than or equal to 2.5) until age 60 years, after which time levels, as observed with nonimmune individuals, were often demonstrated. Antibody levels, as measured by fluorescent antibody to membrane antigen, remained positive into the ninth and tenth decades of life. This was especially so with a history of reactivation (zoster) VZ infections, while skin test and in vitro responses were rarely positive in those individuals. This cellular, as contrasted with humoral, immunity decreases with advancing age, which may account for a propensity to reactivation of VZ virus.


An estimated 20 million children born each year are at risk of brain damage from in utero iodine deficiency, the only micronutrient deficiency known to have significant, non-reversible effects on cognitive development. Cognitive damage from iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) has potentially important implications for economic growth through its effect on human capital attainment. To gauge the magnitude of this influence, we evaluate the impact of reductions in fetal IDD on child schooling attainment that resulted from an intensive distribution of iodized oil capsules (IOC) in Tanzania. We look for evidence of improvements in cognitive ability attributable to the intervention by assessing whether children who benefited from IOC in utero exhibit higher rates of grade progression at ages 10 to 14 relative to siblings and older and younger children in the district who did not. Our findings suggest that reducing fetal IDD has significant benefits for child cognition: Protection from IDD in utero is associated with 0.36 years of additional schooling. Furthermore, the effect appears to be substantially larger for girls, consistent with new evidence from laboratory studies indicating greater cognitive sensitivity of the female fetus to maternal thyroid deprivation. There is no indication that IOC improved rates of illness or school absence due to illness, suggesting that IOC improves schooling through its effect on cognition rather than its effect on health. However, there is weak evidence that the program also reduced child but not fetal or infant mortality, which may bias downward the estimated effect on education. Cross-country regression estimates corroborate the results from Tanzania, indicating a strong negative influence of total goiter rate and strong positive influence of salt iodization on female school participation. Together, these findings provide micro-level evidence of the direct influence of ecological conditions on economic development and suggest a potentially important role of variation in rates of learning disability in explaining cross-country growth patterns and gender differences in schooling attainment.


Objectives HCV co-infection is a poor prognostic factor in HIV-1-infected patients. Although the number of newly reported patients who show seroconversion is increasing, the clinical features are still unclear, especially in Asian countries. Design A single-center retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed between 2001–2012. Methods Acute hepatitis C (AHC) was diagnosed upon detection of high serum ALT (>100 IU) followed by anti-HCV seroconversion. Clinical characteristics, HIV-1-related immunological status and IL-28B genotypes (rs12979860, rs8099917) were collected. We compared these variables between patients with and without spontaneous clearance of HCV and between responders and non-responders to treatment with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin. Results Thirty-five patients were diagnosed with AHC during the study period. The majority (96.9%) were MSM. Three were lost to follow-up. Seventy-five percent of patients with AHC (24/32) were asymptomatic and found incidentally to have high serum ALT. Compared to those who did not show spontaneous clearance, patients with spontaneous HCV viral clearance showed more symptoms and more severe abnormalities related to acute hepatitis. Spontaneous clearance was seen in 4 out of 28 patients with CC+TT genotype, but not in 6 patients with IL-28B CT+TG genotype. PEG-IFN plus ribavirin treatment was initiated in 12 out of 28 cases without spontaneous clearance. The sustained virological response rate was high (81.8%, 9/11), even in cases with CT+TG genotype infected with HCV genotype 1b (SVR 2/2). Conclusions Careful attention to AHC is needed in HIV-1-infected MSM. Early diagnosis and PEG-IFN plus ribavirin treatment should be considered for AHC cases.


In this work, we describe our preliminary experiences on the Stampede system in the context of the Uintah Computational Framework. Uintah was developed to provide an environment for solving a broad class of fluid-structure interaction problems on structured adaptive grids. Uintah uses a combination of fluid-flow solvers and particle-based methods, together with a novel asynchronous task-based approach and fully automated load balancing. While we have designed scalable Uintah runtime systems for large CPU core counts, the emergence of heterogeneous systems presents considerable challenges in terms of effectively utilizing additional on-node accelerators and co-processors, deep memory hierarchies, as well as managing multiple levels of parallelism. Our recent work has addressed the emergence of heterogeneous CPU/GPU systems with the design of a Unified heterogeneous runtime system, enabling Uintah to fully exploit these architectures with support for asynchronous, out-of-order scheduling of both CPU and GPU computational tasks. Using this design, Uintah has run at full scale on the Keeneland System and TitanDev. With the release of the Intel Xeon Phi co-processor and the recent availability of the Stampede system, we show that Uintah may be modified to utilize such a coprocessor based system. We also explore the different usage models provided by the Xeon Phi with the aim of understanding portability of a general purpose framework like Uintah to this architecture. These usage models range from the pragma based offload model to the more complex symmetric model, utilizing all co-processor and host CPU cores simultaneously. We provide preliminary results of the various usage models for a challenging adaptive mesh refinement problem, as well as a detailed account of our experience adapting Uintah to run on the Stampede system. Our conclusion is that while the Stampede system is easy to use, obtaining high performance from the Xeon Phi co-processors requires a substantial but different investment to that needed for GPU-based systems.


The increasing diffusion of Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) has raised many concerns about the protection of personal data related to energy, water or gas consumption, from which details about the habits of the users can be inferred. On the other hand, aggregated measurements about consumption are crucial for several goals, including resource provisioning, forecasting, and monitoring. This paper proposes a framework for allowing information Consumers, such as utilities and third parties, to collect data with different levels of spatial and temporal aggregation from smart meters without revealing information about individual customers. The proposed infrastructure introduces a new set of functional nodes, namely the Privacy Preserving Nodes (PPNs), which collect customer data masked by means of a secret sharing scheme with homomorphic properties, and aggregate them directly in the masked domain, according to the Consumer's needs and access rights. The information Consumers can recover the aggregated data by collecting multiple shares from the PPNs. The paper describes an Integer Linear Programming formulation and a greedy algorithm to address the problem of deploying the information flows between the information Producers (i.e. the customers), the PPNs, and the Consumers and evaluates the scalability of the infrastructure both under the assumption that the communication network is reliable and timely and in presence of communication errors.


Faced with the need to prove the value of their library to institution decision makers, librarians are becoming increasingly aware of the value of marketing and public relations to accomplish these goals. A marketing campaign can also be useful in competing for diminishing financial resources, distinguishing the library from other information service providers, increasing awareness of library resources and services, and communicating the value of the profession. This CLIP Note presents results of a survey of over 175 college libraries along with sample documents of their marketing activities. A variety of activities related to marketing and public relations are represented, such as annual reports, fundraising, marketing campaigns, mission statements, position descriptions, and planning documents for exhibits, public relations, promotions, and marketing. This volume will be invaluable in assisting libraries that are considering initiating, expanding, or evaluating campaigns.


The only complete guide to designing, implementing, and supporting state-of-the-art certificate-based identity solutions with PKI Layered approach is designed to help readers with widely diverse backgrounds quickly learn what they need to know Covers the entire PKI project lifecycle, making complex PKI architectures simple to understand and deploy Brings together theory and practice, including on-the-ground implementers' knowledge, insights, best practices, design choices, and troubleshooting details PKI Uncovered brings together all the techniques IT and security professionals need to apply PKI in any environment, no matter how complex or sophisticated. At the same time, it will help them gain a deep understanding of the foundations of certificate-based identity management. Its layered and modular approach helps readers quickly get the information they need to efficiently plan, design, deploy, manage, or troubleshoot any PKI environment. The authors begin by presenting the foundations of PKI, giving readers the theoretical background they need to understand its mechanisms. Next, they move to high-level design considerations, guiding readers in making the choices most suitable for their own environments. The authors share best practices and experiences drawn from production customer deployments of all types. They organize a series of design "modules" into hierarchical models which are then applied to comprehensive solutions. Readers will be introduced to the use of PKI in multiple environments, including Cisco router-based DMVPN, ASA, and 802.1X. The authors also cover recent innovations such as Cisco GET VPN. Throughout, troubleshooting sections help ensure smooth deployments and give readers an even deeper "under-the-hood" understanding of their implementations.


This research project strives to help the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) fully achieve the full benefits of pavement preservation through training on proper selection, design, and application of pavement preservation treatments. In some cases, there is a lack of training when conducting one of these steps and the objective of applying pavement preservation techniques is compromised. Extensive amounts of literature on pavement preservation exist, but a structured approach on how to train staff in selecting, designing, and applying pavement preservation techniques is lacking. The objective of this project was to develop a training-oriented learning management system to address pavement preservation treatments (chip seals, fog seals, slurry systems, and crack seals and fills) as they are dealt with during the phases of selection, design, and construction. Early in the project, it was critical to identify the staff divisions to be trained and the treatments to be included. Through several meetings with the Iowa DOT, three staff divisions were identified: maintenance staff (in charge of selection), design staff, and construction staff. In addition, the treatments listed above were identified as the focus of the study due to their common use. Through needs analysis questionnaires and meetings, the knowledge gap and training needs of the agency were identified. The training modules developed target the gap from the results of the needs analysis. The concepting (selection) training focuses on providing the tools necessary to help make proper treatment selection. The design training focuses on providing the information necessary on the treatment materials (mostly binders and aggregates) and how to make proper material selection. Finally, the construction training focuses on providing equipment calibration procedures, inspection responsibilities, and images of poor and best practices. The research showed that it is important to train each division staff (maintenance, design, and construction) separately, as each staff division has its own needs and interests. It was also preferred that each treatment was covered on an individual basis. As a result of the research, it is recommended to evaluate the performance of pavement preservation treatments pre- and post-training continuously to compare results and verify the effectiveness of the learning management system.


Purpose: The purpose of this correlation research was to identify the relationship between Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and sleep efficiency. Subjects: A total of six men and twelve women (N=18) form the College of Health Professions fulfilled the requirements for inclusion in this study. Method: This research integrated two investigation methods. 1) STOP-BANG questionnaire was completed by students and faculty from the College of Health Professions at Texas State University. Then, 2) each participant wore an Actigraphy watch for seven days. The result of the STOP-BANG questionnaire was compared to the result of the Actigraphy in regard to low or high risk of OSA and the normal or below normal sleep efficiency. Results: There was no significant relationship between the risk of having OSA according to STOP-BANG and sleep efficiency measured by Actigraphy watch in undiagnosed individuals (r =.240, p =.337). However, there was a positive, significant relationship between age and sleep efficiency. Conclusion and Recommendations: In order to improve the external validity, more participants need to be included in future research. Moreover, the use of medication that could affect sleep and alcohol consumption need to addressed. A full night sleep study in a sleep lab adds a standard for comparison. Finally, using other questionnaires or advanced forms of Actigraphy technology could provide better results.


This study concerns itself with pursuing the remarks
made by Hilal ("Sociology and Underdevelopment", Durham
mimeo 1970 ppl-3) to the effect that the 'discovery' of
the Third World was (is) as significant for present day
social-theorizing as was that l9th century discovery of
industrializzation made by the 'founding fathers' of
sociology and the classical political economists. The
elucidation of this claim has been effected by the
preparation of a critical history of the career of
'development studies' in the post war period, 1945-75.

Three schools' have been identified, labelled
'positivist'. 'radicals' and 'marxists', by asking how
the linked matters 'Of disciplinary independence and
theoretical autonomy have been regarded by the practitioners
themselves. Briefly, it is argued that: (l) the earliest efforts regarded development as a technical matter of the appropriate application of the eetablished procedures of economics , where economics was taken as a 'positive science'; (2) the efforts characteristic of the middle period adopted varieties of 'sociologized' economics and lodged claims for the independence and theoretical novelty of 'development-studies'; (3) the marxists, the most recent identifiable grouping, deny the independence and novelty of 'development-studies' and subsume its questions and concerns within a wider historico-economic schema which revolves around the idea of a 'world capitalist system'

The career of 'development-studies' is seen as an emergent series whereby the self-conception of the practitioners
broadens such that a narrowly-technical engagement gives way to a richer and increasingly subtle exercise in social theorizing. The contributions of each school have been considered by means of sociology of knowledge-informed analyses of exemplars. The study has looked at the occasions for theorizing, at the intellectual
recources invoked, and has been interested in displaying
their characteristic 'argument forms'. This 'formal'
aspect has provided the means whereby the study as a
whole has been both integrated as a text and related to
recent debate as to the proper nature of social-theorizing.
Social-theorizing is taken to be concerned with, in the
prime case, the construction of ideological(where this term
is used non-pejoratively) schemas serving to order and
legitimate action in the world; and, thereafter, with the
criticism and comparative ranking of such schemas.

We conclude by insisting upon the fundamental practicality
of social theoretic engagement and suggest that theorists must pay attention to what it makes sense for them to say given their particular circumstances and problem situations.


1. Non-invasive recording techniques of the arterial pressure pulse will distort the arterial wall and may alter pulse wave measurements. We hypothesized that intersubject variability of these measurements would be reduced if recording forces were normalized to reflect individualized arterial occlusion forces. 2. In 10 normal male subjects (age 24 +/- 1 years), brachial, radial and finger arterial pressure pulses were recorded simultaneously using volume displacement pulse transducers (Fukuda TY-303) and a finger pressure monitoring system (Finapres, Ohmeda 2300) and were made at 2, 5 and 10-100% (10% increments) of the brachial arterial force associated with marked distortion of finger pulsations. Forces were applied at the brachial site in a randomized order while a constant 1.8 N force was applied at the radial artery site. Pressure pulses were analysed using the discrete fast Fourier transform. 3. Pulse amplitude, contour, wave velocity and relative transmission ratios remained relatively constant until the branchial artery recording force exceeded 59.9 +/- 0.3% of the largest recording force used in each subject (7.14 +/- 0.75 N). The finger pulse pressures (P < 0.0001), radial pulse amplitudes (P < 0.0001) and contours (harmonics 2-6, P < 0.003), pulse wave velocity (P < 0.021) and relative transmission ratios (harmonics 3-7, P < 0.01) then decreased with higher recording forces. 4. To avoid distortion, non-invasive recordings of arterial pressure pulse amplitude, contour, pressure wave velocity and relative transmission ratios along a peripheral arterial segment should use recording forces of less than 60% of the force associated with marked distortion of finger pulsations.


Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the persistence of dioecy despite the reproductive advantages conferred to hermaphrodites, including greater efficiency at purging deleterious mutations in the former. Dioecy can benefit from both mutation purging and accelerated evolution by bringing together beneficial mutations in the same individual via recombination and shuffling of genotypes. In addition, mathematical treatment has shown that sexual selection is also capable of mitigating the cost of maintaining separate sexes by increasing the overall fitness of sexual populations, and genomic comparisons have shown that sexual selection can lead to accelerated evolution. Here, we examine the advantages of dioecy versus hermaphroditism by comparing the rate of evolution in sex-related genes and the rate of accumulation of deleterious mutations using a large number of orthologs (11,493) in the dioecious Caenorhabditis remanei and the hermaphroditic Caenorhabditis briggsae. We have used this data set to estimate the deleterious mutation rate per generation, U, in both species and find that although it is significantly higher in hermaphrodites, both species are at least 2 orders of magnitude lower than the value required to explain the persistence of sex by efficiency at purging deleterious mutations alone. We also find that genes expressed in sperm are evolving rapidly in both species; however, they show a greater increase in their rate of evolution relative to genes expressed in other tissues in C. remanei, suggesting stronger sexual selection pressure acting on these genes in dioecious species. Interestingly, the persistence of a signal of rapid evolution of sperm genes in C. briggsae suggests a recent evolutionary origin of hermaphrodism in this lineage. Our results provide empirical evidence of increased sexual selection pressure in dioecious animals, supporting the possibility that sexual selection may play an important role in the maintenance of sexual reproduction.


This study examines occupational licensing in the United States using a specially designed national labor force survey. Estimates from the survey indicated that 35% of employees were either licensed or certified by the government and that 29% were licensed. Another 3% stated that all who worked in their job would eventually be required to be certified or licensed, bringing the total that are or eventually must be licensed or certified by government to 38%. We find that licensing is associated with about 18% higher wages but that the effect of governmental certification on pay is much smaller.


firstname.lastname@example.com AJN ▼ November 2012 ▼ Vol. 112, No. 11 13 Patients who experience cardiogenic shock after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have alarmingly high mortality rates, and judging from a new study, one current recommended treatment may make little difference in terms of 30-day survival. Treatment guidelines for AMI patients in whom early revascularization is planned include mechanical hemodynamic support—most commonly in the form of an intraaortic balloon pump (IABP)—a class I recommendation in the United States and in international guidelines. The treatment has been credited with enhanced coronary blood flow, increased perfusion of vital organs, maintenance of infarct artery patency, and decreased systemic inflammation. Evidence supporting these assertions, however, has so far been limited; support for IABP use has been based mainly on registry data and few adequately powered randomized trials. Thiele and colleagues at the Leipzig Heart Center (University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany) noted this paucity of clinical trials and set out to compare the efficacy of IABP counterpulsation with that of standard therapy. Between June 2009 and March 2012, the team studied 600 patients from 37 medical centers in Germany, randomly assigning them either to an IABP treatment group (301 patients) or a nonIABP treatment group (controls, 299 patients). At 30 days, all-cause mortality was similar among patients in the two groups—39.7% in the IABP group and 41.3% in the control group. Although the authors make it clear that the use of an IABP proved safe, with no significant differences between the groups in rates of stroke, bleeding, sepsis, or peripheral ischemic complications, they found no real benefit to its use. In an accompanying editorial, O'Connor and Rogers write that the patients represented a moderate-risk cohort, with a 30-day mortality rate of 40%— lower than that in other trials involving patients with cardiogenic shock—so the results may not apply to patients at highest risk. Despite this fact and the small study size, they conclude that the data don't support the routine use of an IABP in AMI patients with cardiogenic shock, and they express hope that the study will galvanize interest in exploring new and innovative solutions to this devastating clinical problem. Clinicians, however, shouldn't necessarily expect a sea change in the treatment of AMI patients, but rather a more carefully focused look at the treatment and its applications. "Many critical care nurses could share that they have seen patients improve hemodynamically with the use of IABPs and argue that there is benefit with its use in cardiogenic shock, based on casespecific data," says Rochelle Armola, director of trauma services at ProMedica Toledo Hospital in Toledo, Ohio. However, she added, it should also give nurses pause when a guideline recommendation is made at a high level, such as class I, despite insufficient research to support it. "That recommendation needs to be reexamined," she says. "What the trial really emphasizes is the need to revascularize the patients as soon as possible," says Gordon Tomaselli, immediate past president of the American Heart Association and chief of the Division of Cardiology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He notes that although the IABP offers no mortality benefit early on, at least one study has indicated that it might do so at six months or further out. "With future randomized trials," says Armola, "we may find the results of this research to be confirmed, challenged, or population specific. Until then, we will probably begin to see some practitioners giving more careful consideration to IABP use."—Laura Wallis


The Paris Agreement long‐term global temperature goal refers to two global warming levels: well below 2°C and 1.5°C above preindustrial. Regional climate signals at specific global warming levels, and especially the differences between 1.5°C and 2°C, are not well constrained, however. In particular, methodological challenges related to the assessment of such differences have received limited attention. This article reviews alternative approaches for identifying regional climate signals associated with global temperature limits, and evaluates the extent to which they constitute a sound basis for impacts analysis. Four methods are outlined, including comparing data from different greenhouse gas scenarios, sub‐selecting climate models based on global temperature response, pattern scaling, and extracting anomalies at the time of each global temperature increment. These methods have rarely been applied to compare 2°C with 1.5°C, but some demonstrate potential avenues for useful research. Nevertheless, there are methodological challenges associated with the use of existing climate model experiments, which are generally designed to model responses to different levels of greenhouse gas forcing, rather than to model climate responses to a specific level of forcing that targets a given level of global temperature change. Novel approaches may be required to address policy questions, in particular: to differentiate between half degree warming increments while accounting for different sources of uncertainty; to examine mechanisms of regional climate change including the potential for nonlinear responses; and to explore the relevance of time‐lagged processes in the climate system and declining emissions, and the resulting sensitivity to alternative mitigation pathways. WIREs Clim Change 2017, 8:e457. doi: 10.1002/wcc.457


Purpose: This article analyzes the reactions, communication, and marketing strategies of some of the most affected areas of activity during the COVID-19 crisis period, namely the tourism and the luxury-goods sector The measures provided for the limitation of physical contact between people generated drastic pay cuts and rising unemployment rates Design/Approach/Methodology: The method used to conduct the study is desk research followed by semi-structured interviews with eight tourism agencies managers and seven small-luxury-goods brand managers, which aim to offer a panoramic perception of the situation, a market prospecting, and a useful practice guide for enterprises Findings: Among the basic results of finding that the world of luxury goods is subject to huge losses, one solution is to develop relational marketing in this sector, while in tourism, flexibility and innovation could save the business Some of them waited too long to restructure the business model into a feasible one in a crisis In contrast, others reacted immediately, and few managed to identify methods to survive or even increase their income during the crisis Tourism agencies focused on internal markets and on tourism types that imply nature and social-distancing, while luxury-brands concentrated on recreating the luxury experience even in online Practical Implication: This article contains a best practice guide that can be used by companies in the tourism industry or the field of luxury goods to improve their performance in communicating with customers Originality/Value: This article's originality comes from in-depth interviews with marketing and communication representatives from the analyzed sectors, tourism, and luxury goods Their input, together with the specialized literature, can generate examples of good practice for other companies


Objective: The aim of this study was to detect the prevalence of soft tissue calcifications in the head and neck using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to determine their clinical importance. Subjects and Methods: Soft tissue calcifications in the head and neck region were retrospectively evaluated in 1557 CBCT images obtained between 2013 and 2015. The findings were categorized as follows: tonsillolith (calcified tonsil), carotid artery calcification (CAC), sialolith (salivary stone), calcified triticeous cartilage (CTC), calcified lymph node (CLN), rhinolith, antrolith, calcification of the superior cornu of the thyroid cartilage (CSCTC), calcified stylohyoid ligaments (CSL), myositis ossifican, osteoma cutis, and intracranial calcification. A Chi-square test was performed for categorical variables. In the 1557 CBCT images, 520 (33.4%) contained had at least one soft tissue calcification in the head and neck region. Results: Tonsilloliths (18.8%) were the most prevalent soft tissue calcification, followed by CTC (5.8%), CAC (4.3%), intracranial calcifications (3.9%), CSL (3.7%), CSCTC (2.1%), osteoma cutis (1%), sialoliths (0.7%), antroliths (0.5%), myositis ossificans (0.4%), rhinoliths, and CLN (0.2%). Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of soft tissue calcifications in the head and neck region on CBCT images. Tonsilloliths were the most common type of calcification. CBCT imaging may aid the diagnosis and assessment of these calcifications.


We examine the prospects for supersymmetry discovery in the minimal supergravity (mSUGRA) model via indirect detection of neutralino dark matter. We investigate rates for muon detection in neutrino telescopes, and detection of photons, positrons and anti-protons by balloon and space based experiments. We compare the discovery reach in these channels with the reach for direct detection of dark matter, and also with the reach of collider experiments such as Fermilab Tevatron, CERN LHC and a TeV linear e+e− collider. We pay particular attention to regions of model parameter space in accord with recent WMAP results on the dark matter density of the universe. We find that third generation direct dark matter detection experiments should be able to cover the entire WMAP allowed portion of the hyperbolic branch/focus point (HB/FP) region of parameter space, while the IceCube neutrino telescope can cover almost all this region. This is in contrast to the case of the CERN LHC or a linear e+e− collider, where only a fraction of the HB/FP region can be accessed. In addition, we show that detection of γs, e+s and should occur in much of the HB/FP region, as well as in the low m1/2 portion of the A annihilation funnel, and will be complementary to searches via colliders in these regions.


KVAPILIK, J., O. HANUS, P. ROUBAL and V. FILIP, 2015. Economic metaanalysis of impact of once a day milking. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 21: 419–428 The impact of changeover of cow group from two (TAD) to once a day (OAD) milking was observed and evaluated in the course of short time experiment. It had as consequence the milk yield (MY) reduction by 30%, milk fat and protein concentration and production decrease by 0.10 and 0.01% and 216 and 151 g per cow/day and somatic cell count (SCC) increase by 125 10 3 × ml –1 . According to references this changeover can show lower MY by 10–30% (with mean 20), higher fat percentage by 0–0.35 (0.13), higher protein percentage by 0–0.27 (0.11) and higher SCC by 5–70 10 3 × ml –1 (35). The highest economical losses are caused by lower MY. The savings are reached at fi rst of all at labour costs, intake of concentrates and some lower items (transport, energy, water, disinfectants and so on). The costs per cow were reduced by 9,525 CzC (20%), the milk takings by 13,580 CzC (31%) and gain by 4,055 CzC in experimental cow group after changeover to OAD milking. The milk takings were reduced by 18, 23 and 28%, estimated costs by 16, 19 and 21% and gain by 1,288, 2,825 and 4,360 CzC in three model dairy cow groups after under consideration MY decrease in consequence of changeover to OAD milking from 7,000 litres of milk by 20, 25 and 30%. Considering productive and nonproductive functions of cattle rearing the possibility and advantageousness of economical support of dairy cow pasture under less favourable conditions should be taken into account.


Kinubi, as it is spoken today in Kenya and Uganda, is strongly influenced by Swahili, the two languages having been in contact with each other for more than one century. This influence does not occur in the lexicon alone, but also in the phonology and even the morphology and syntax of Kinubi. Though the analysis of the lexicon and the phonology appear to be rather easy, the possible influence of Swahili on Kinubi morphology and syntax may prove to be may be more problematic. However, this influence may be 'measured' through the comparison of Kinubi and Juba Arabic: many features shared by Kinubi and Swahili are not found in Juba Arabic, which tends to show that these expressions come from Swahili.This influence seems to be rather uniform, though Swahili does not occupy the same place in Uganda and Kenya. This fact may be explained by several factors, like the 'Islamic' culture of the Nubi, which makes Swahili a language of prestige, even in the community based in Uganda, as well as the permanence of the contact between Nubi communities across the border, including intermarriage and other social factors.


The complexity of modelling risk in farming systems is explained and the artistic nature of the task noted. A brief outline is presented of an appropriate conceptual framework, drawing attention to the merits of stochastic efficiency criteria for analysis of systems when risk preferences of individual farmers are unavailable. A distinction is drawn between planning problems with and without embedded risk. The merits of 'utility efficient' (UE) programming are explained. Extensions of programming models, including UE formulations, to embedded risk using discrete stochastic programming are reviewed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the importance of correctly understanding the way risk impacts upon the target farming system, and then of formulating a programming model appropriate to the case.


Graphite is used as a moderator and structural component in the United Kingdom's fleet
of Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactors (AGRs) and features in two Generation IV reactor concepts:
the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) and the Molten Salt Reactor (MSR). Under the
temperature and neutron irradiation conditions of an AGR, nuclear-grade graphite demonstrates
significant changes to it mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. These changes include
considerable dimensional change with expansion in the c-direction and contraction in the a/bdirections.
As the United Kingdom's AGRs approach their scheduled decommissioning dates, it
is essential that this behaviour be understood in order to determine under what reactor conditions
their operating lifetimes can be safely extended.
Two models have been proposed for the dimensional change in graphite due to displacing
radiation: the "Standard Model" and "Ruck and Tuck". The Standard Model draws on a
conventional model of Frenkel pair production, point defect migration and agglomeration but
fails to explain several key experimental observations. The Ruck and Tuck model has been
proposed by M.I. Heggie et al. and is based upon the movement of basal dislocation to create
folds in the "graphene" sheets and seeks not only to account for the dimension change but also
the other phenomena not explained by the Standard Model.
In order to test the validity of these models, work is underway to gather experimental
evidence of the microstructural evolution of graphite under displacing radiation. One of the
primary techniques for this is transmission electron microscopy with in situ ion irradiation. This
paper presents the results of electron irradiation at a range of energies (performed in order to
separate the effects of the electron and ion beams) and of combined electron and ion beam
irradiation.


A well studied geometric problem, with applications ranging from molecular structure determination to sensor networks, asks for the reconstruction of a set P of n unknown points from a finite set of pairwise distances (up to Euclidean isometries). We are concerned here with a related problem: which sets of distances are minimal with the property that they allow for the reconstruction of P, up to a finite set of possibilities? In the planar case, the answer is known generically via the landmark Maxwell-Laman Theorem from Rigidity Theory, and it leads to a combinatorial answer: the underlying structure of such a generic minimal collection of distances is a minimally rigid (or Laman) graph, for which very efficient combinatorial decision algorithms exist. For non-generic cases the situation appears to be dramatically different, with the best known algorithms relying on exponential-time Gröbner base methods, and some specific instances known to be NP-hard. Understanding what makes a point set generic emerges as an intriguing geometric question with practical algorithmic consequences.
 Several definitions (some but not all equivalent) of genericity appear in the rigidity literature, and they have either a measure theoretic, topologic or algebraic-geometric flavor. Some generic point sets appear to be highly degenerate, and still turn out to be generic. All existing proofs of Laman's Theorem make use at some point of one or another of these geometric genericity assumptions.
 The main result of this paper is the first purely combinatorial proof of Laman's theorem, together with some interesting consequences. Genericity is characterized in terms of a certain determinant being not identically-zero as a formal polynomial. We relate its monomial expansion to certain colorings and orientations of the graph and show that these terms cannot all cancel exactly when the underlying graph is Laman. As a surprising consequence, genericity emerges as a purely combinatorial concept.


In recent years scholars have discussed the relationship of contractual and relational governance in information systems outsourcing. For a long time the substitutional view of governance mechanisms originating from transaction cost theory was dominant. As an example, complex contracts were seen as an opposing alternative to unwritten agreements based on trust. Empirical results, however, challenged this view and rather supported the competing perspective, implicating that relational and contractual governance are complements. However, results of novel investigations favor another argument: Relational and contractual governance mechanisms can simultaneously be complements and substitutes. However, if governance mechanisms can be both substitutes and complements, the question arises whether the relationship between governance mechanisms is the outcome of distinct processes of interaction between contractual and relational governance. Therefore our research question is: Which underlying processes explain the relationship (substitutes or complements) between relational and contractual governance? To answer this research question we conducted an exploratory, multiple-case study of five IT outsourcing projects at a leading global bank. Our results show, that there are three archetypical processes that illustrate how the interaction between relational and contractual governance results in their complementarity. Our major contribution is a shift in perspective. While former studies focused on explaining, whether contractual and relational governance are complements or substitutes, we answer the question how and why they become complements or substitutes. We argue that the processes we discovered have the explanatory power to unify contradictory empirical results by tracing them back to differences in the underlying processes. Based on our findings, we give implications for further research.


A new introductory course, Fundamentals of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), has been designed to provide a rigorous, integrated introduction to the ECE field. The course laboratory, described in this paper, both promotes concept integration and provides a mechanism by which students can explore applications. Consistent with the curricular theme of Integrated Sensing and Information Processing (ISIP), a microcontroller-based robotic platform that includes a suite of sensors was selected as the foundation of all laboratory exercises. To develop both the students' conceptual understanding and their design skills, each laboratory session includes an initial, guided experimental component, in which basic concepts are investigated, and a subsequent open-ended exploration component, during which students are challenged to design a robot that completes a real-world task. After students complete a series of eight such laboratory sessions, the experience culminates in a five-week Integrated Design Challenge (IDC). To successfully complete the IDC, students have to go beyond the knowledge developed in previous weekly laboratory activities, assimilating new knowledge and using new sensors or processing data in new ways. The IDC is structured to not only emphasize technical accomplishments, but also to promote the development of project management, team organization, and communication skills. This paper elaborates on the philosophy behind the design of the laboratory experience, describes specific laboratory activities (including the IDC), and provides an assessment of the course based on data from several semesters. These data indicate that the more integrative, design-oriented, sensor-based approach benefits students in a variety of ways such as reinforcing fundamental concepts, motivating the study of ECE, and providing an opportunity to develop creative problem solving skills. In addition, the laboratory experience has been shown to have a significant positive impact on the achievement of several ABET criteria.


Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ), and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) are the most important anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs). Variation in soil moisture can be very dynamic, and it is one of the dominant factors controlling the net exchange of these three GHGs. Although technologies for high-frequency, precise measurements of CO 2 have been available for years, methods for measuring soil fluxes of CH 4 and N 2 O at high temporal frequency have been hampered by lack of appropriate technology for in situ real-time measurements. A previously developed automated chamber system for measuring CO 2 flux from soils was configured to run in line with a new quantum cascade laser (QCLAS) instrument that measures N 2 O and CH 4 . Here we present data from a forested wetland in Maine and an agricultural field in North Dakota, which provided examples of both net uptake and production for N 2 O and CH 4 . The objective was to provide a range of conditions in which to run the new system and to compare results to a traditional manual static-chamber method. The high-precision and more-than-10-times-lower minimum detectable flux of the QCLAS system, compared to the manual system, provided confidence in measurements of small N 2 O uptake in the forested wetland. At the agricultural field, the greatest difference between the automated and manual sampling systems came from the effect of the relatively infrequent manual sampling of the high spatial variation, or "hot spots", in GHG fluxes. Hot spots greatly influenced the seasonal estimates, particularly for N 2 O, over one 74-day alfalfa crop cycle. The high temporal frequency of the automated system clearly characterized the transient response of all three GHGs to precipitation and demonstrated a clear diel pattern related to temperature for GHGs. A combination of high-frequency automated and spatially distributed chambers would be ideal for characterizing hot spots and "hot moments" of GHG fluxes.


Carbon offset markets have been suggested as a cost effective means of reducing GHG emissions. This paper develops a model of heterogeneous emitters and producers to examine the consequences of non-compliance on the performance of the carbon-offset market. The analysis begins with the derivation of demand and supply curves for carbon offsets based on perfect compliance. The paper then considers the impact of non-compliance by producers on the supply of carbon offsets. Results show that the extent of producers' non-compliance decreases with an increase in the audit probability and/or an increase in the penalty per unit of non-compliance. In addition, the number of producers participating in the carbon offsets market is shown to increase with an increase in the carbon-offset price. Based on the supply and demand curves, the analysis then considers the price and the quantity traded that are established by private firms that are engaged in carbon offset trading. The key role of the traders is to guarantee, based on the amount of monitoring that is undertaken, that the emitters purchase only carbon offsets that actually correspond to sequestered carbon. Both an oligopolistic and a monopolistic trading sector structure are considered. The analysis then examines two different organizational structures for the group that monitors producer compliance a group owned by the firms and a government-run agency. The results of the analysis show that both monitoring groups always undertake sufficient monitoring to ensure that full compliance is achieved thus, while non-compliance is possible, it does not occur in equilibrium. Since the level of monitoring effectively determines the amount of carbon that is sequestered and that can be traded, a monitoring group owned by the traders can achieve monopoly profits for the sector, even when it is oligopolistic. Although the formation of a government monitoring agency can potentially increase traded output and lower the price paid by emitters, these changes are likely to be small, particularly when the trading sector is monopolistic.


Reasons for writing and research problem: The purpose of this paper is to show the situation of child protection in Bosnia and Herzegovina most objectively.
Aims of the paper (scientific and/or social): The paper is articulated around specific area of interest which includes the systems in place for the delivery of child protection services, related policies and frameworks, child protection education and resources management; data from research of the child protection workforce key skills, knowledge, and interests.
Metholodogy / Design: We were used: semi-structured and in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Field research was done in the period from July to October 2015 in Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Mostar in total, 3 focus groups were organized (1 with students of social work at MA level, 1 with managers/ trainers and 1 with child protection practitioners).
Research /paper limitation: Three limitations have been identified in terms of this study. The first limitation is related to the complexity of the system as it is set up in B&H. In addition, the collected data were not collected in an adequate, representative sample. Data were collected during one round of interviews and focus groups with respondents who take up different positions in the system
Results / Findings: Findings from the paper will provide a basic analysis f the education and training context in which child protection practices are delivered in Bosnia and Herzegovina and try to identify needs and opportunities for further professional development, training, and/or capacity building to strengthen the child protection workforce in the Bosnia and Herzegovina
General conclusion: The results may provide significant insight into processes related to development of the child protection systems in the Bosnia and Herzegovina standardisation of services and quality control mechanisms in terms of human resources development.
Research / paper validity: The results should allow a critical analysis of the needs and gaps to be addressed in order to offer appropriate support to professionals from different fields and disciplines in improving the quality of child protection interventions and response.


In this paper approaches to the evaluation of Software Visualization for Parallel Computing are considered on the examples of representation of call graphs and execution traces of parallel programs. The concept of visualization metaphor is described. The visualization metaphors using to depict call graphs and execution traces are surveyed. The validity of visualization techniques is considered on basis of analysis of metaphor properties, Shneiderman's scheme and other approaches to the evaluation of metaphors and views.


Solid organ transplantation influences the biology of the skin profoundly. In the wake of transplantation, inflammatory, infectious and neoplastic disorders arise, often with atypical clinical presentation. Inflammatory disorders mainly relate to pathogen-driven conditions such as seborrheic dermatitis and pityrosporum folliculitis and to drug reactions. Infectious disorders are dominated by viral infections of human papilloma virus and by infections and reactivations of herpes family members. Neoplastic disorders are greatly increased with squamous cell carcinoma of the skin as most relevant clinical problem which is increased 65- to 100-fold following transplantation. This dramatic increase in cutaneous carcinogenesis results from the isolated effect of ultraviolet light on the skin with immunosuppression and DNA damage and of immunosuppressants which drive skin cancer formation by properties unrelated to immunosuppression and from the combined effect of UV light and immunosuppressive drugs on immunomodulation which results in impaired antitumor response as well as chronic tumorigenic inflammation.


the teRm SoftwaRe defined radio (SDR) first appeared in 1992 and referred to a radio transceiver where the basic signal processing components (for example, filtering, frame detection, synchronization, and demodulation) are all done in a general-purpose processor. The goal of an SDR was to enable a single radio to support multiple wireless technologies (for example, AM, VHF, FM) and be easily upgradable with a software patch. While the concept of SDR has been around for decades, only recently have SDRs become common in academic wireless research. However, research projects typically employ SDR as a development platform, that is, they use software radios to develop new physical layer designs with the understanding that if these designs make it to a product they will be built in ASICs. The reason why SDR has become a development platform rather than a fully functional software radio is that building high-performance SDRs has turned out to be very challenging. Sora has revived the original SDR vision. The objective of Sora is to build an SDR that combines the performance and fidelity of hardware platforms with the programmability and flexibility of general-purpose processors. To do so, Sora must overcome the following challenge: How can a radio deliver high throughput and support real-time protocols when all signal processing is done in software on a PC? Sora's approach uses various features common in today's multicore architectures. For example, transferring the digital waveform samples from the radio board to the PC requires very high bus throughput. While alternative SDR technologies employ USB 2.0 or Gigabit Ethernet, Sora opts for PCI-Express. This design decision enables Sora to achieve significantly higher transfer rates, which are important for high bandwidth multi-antenna designs. The choice of PCI-express also enables Sora to reduce the transfer latency to sub-microseconds, which is necessary for wireless protocols with timing constraints (for example, MAC protocols). Further, to accelerate wireless processing, Sora replaces computation with memory lookups, exploits single instruction multiple data (SIMD), and dedicates certain cores exclusively to real-time signal processing. There are many reasons why the following paper about Sora stands out as one of the most significant wireless papers in the past few years. First, it presents the first SDR platform that fully implements IEEE 802.11b/g on standard PCs. Second, the design choices it makes (for example, the use of PCIe, SIMD, trading computation for memory lookups, and core dedication) are highly important if software radios are ever to meet their original goal of one-radio-for-all-wirelesstechnologies. Third, the paper is a beautiful and impressive piece of engineering that spans signal processing, hardware design, multicore programming, kernel optimization, and so on. For all these reasons, this paper will have a lasting impact on wireless research. The Sora platform has been used in multiple research projects and realtime demos. It has enabled demanding designs, such as LTE and AP virtualization, to be built fully in software. However, currently most SDR-based research uses the GNU Radio/USRP platform. Despite the limitations of this platform, previous attempts at replacing it with more capable platforms did not experience significant success. In fact, history shows that wide adoption is not necessarily correlated with the more capable design. One of the classic papers we teach our undergraduate students is "The Rise of Worse is Better" by Richard Gabriel that explains why the Lisp language lost to C and Unix. Gabriel argues that for wide adoption, a system must be good enough and as simple as possible. Such a design (termed worse is better) tends to appear first because the implementer did not spend an excessive amount of time over-optimizing. Therefore, if good enough, it will be adopted by developers because of its simplicity. Once adopted, the system will gradually improve until it is almost the right design. One may argue that the history of the GNU Radio/ USRP SDR is fairly similar; the platform originally provided just enough for people to start experimenting with the wireless physical layer. As a result, it was simple and cheap, which caused it to spread. Once it was accepted, it kept improving just enough to enable the next step in research. The Sora team has recently started a program that awards Sora kits to academic institutions to enable them to experiment with this new platform. It will be interesting to see whether Sora with its higher performance can eventually replace the GNU Radio/USRP platform. If this happens, it will be a major success for Sora.


Study-texts may give problems to learners because they do not present their contents clearly enough.In order to understand a text one should be able to regard it as a complex of parts, interrelated by specific links. Parts the size of simple sentences may be understood "in one go", i.e. one may grasp them in an internal representation. Larger parts may be understood in abbreviated form, in a representative statement. A complex of larger parts may be understood in their representative statements and the specific relations between them.For the recognition of parts in a text and the recognition of the specific relations between them (which very often are not formulated explicitly or specifically) one requires anticipation based on knowledge, on schemes.For a text to be clear, it must not only be formulated in such a way that the elements at sentence level may be grasped in an inter-nal representation by the reader, and in such a way that the links are easily identifiable. The text must also mark its larger parts and make the representative statements easily recognizable, for instance through frontpositioning in the unit.In addition the text must contain signals which enable the reader to anticipate on the larger parts and their links, thus promoting the identification of the markings and enabling the reader to recog-nize unmarked parts and their links as well.It is demonstrated how a history text may be made more accessible without affecting the contents. Changes in formulation have only been made in so far as they are necessary for increasing the possi-bilities for identification of the structure.


Because hydrocarbon fuels have higher energy storage density than commercially available batteries, there is considerable interest in miniaturizing thermochemical systems for electrical power generation for portable electronic devices such as laptop computers, cell phones, PDA's, remote sensors, autonomous air and space vehicles, etc. Even with low conversion efficiencies, fuel-driven generators will still have superior energy density. Most current micro-scale power generation concepts employ scaled-down versions of existing macroscale devices, in particular internal combustion (IC) engines, though such micro-devices experience more difficulties with heat and friction losses due to higher surface to volume ratios than their macroscale counterparts. Moreover sealing, fabrication and assembly are much more difficult at small scales because microfabrication processes have much poorer relative precision than conventional macroscale processes. Consequently, the objective of this work is to develop a meso/micro-scale self-sustaining power generator that is self-contained, has pumping and power generation integrated into one device, has no moving parts and operates only on thermal and electrochemical energy supplied by hydrocarbon fuels, thus it has no parasitic electrical energy losses. It is proposed to develop a microscale or mesoscale propulsion system based on a catalytic combustion-driven thermal transpiration pump. Thermal transpiration (thus pressurization) is accomplished using nanoporous materials whose pore size is comparable to the mean free path of gas molecules at relevant conditions. This system has no moving parts, no supplemental working or pressurization fluids, very low mass and integrates pressurization and thrust generation. Moreover, an integrated power generator is proposed that is self-contained, provides pumping and power-generation in one device, has no moving parts and operates only on thermal and electrochemical energy supplied by hydrocarbon fuels. The system consists of a catalytic combustion-driven thermal transpiration-based pumping device, and integrated with single-chamber Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs). This particular type of SOFCs requires no seals (the Achilles heel of conventional SOFCs) and has already demonstrated > 400 mW/cm 2 power density. A novel cubic configuration is used for optimal thermal management. With this device 2 Watts of electrical power are expected at ~ 20 % conversion efficiency (chemical to electrical), with energy storage densities exceeding commercially available batteries by a factor of 10.


In recent years, Information and Communication Science and Technology have witnessed awesome advances thanks to the groundbreaking nature of new materials, calculation processes and data sources. 'Grey box' computers now only represent a small proportion of calculation resources and data sources. Indeed, more than 80% of processors are today integrated into various sophisticated devices. The number of sensors integrated into components with processing and signal transmission units has significantly increased. Each sensor is an active node in a system whose local processing capabilities make it possible to aggregate, sort and filter data or carry out more sophisticated processing. Human-computer interaction has also significantly evolved. It is no longer simply confined to the traditional 'screen, keyboard, mouse' triplet but permeates our everyday objects and activities. User Interfaces (UIs) are no more limited to graphics, neither to static contexts of use. Rather, they become multimodal and capable of adaptation to dynamic contexts of use. They migrate from one interactive space to another as long as the user moves. Whilst this vision is exciting from a usage point of view, it raises grand challenges for the engineering of such UIs. These challenges are as great as calculatory devices are powerful and therefore allow merging and mining huge databases. Anticipating and overcoming the risk of system hijacks are also part of these issues. Transparency becomes a highly valuable quality for ensuring better access to resources at all levels of the system or corporation ('virtual', 'in-network' etc.) making resources vulnerable to threats and attacks. Due to the wide range of risks, from economic intelligence to protecting personal data, it is necessary to find the right balance between ensuring data protection and transparency of access to new autonomous resources in open environments. New challenges have emerged such as those related to managing data access, ethics and the well known 'precautionary principle', 'Big data', 'Big Brother'; the list is endless. With such challenges, the growing diversity of dynamic services and of smart objects raises new issues in the design, development and execution of software applications. These applications must be able to adapt to a software and hardware infrastructure that continuously and unpredictably changes. Prime examples are applications that follow the user as he/ she moves, such as those used in mobile phones, cars, houses, etc. which provide him/ her with permanent access to services over a prolonged period of time. As such, the application must face to variations in the context of use, and nevertheless ensure its quality of service. Having simplified the distribution of software applications, middleware have now to facilitate the design of these applications by providing them with the ability to adapt. They must provide software mechanisms at runtime which guarantee the permanent adaptation of the application to a changing context of use. These challenges will therefore increase when faced with new usage in increasingly diverse, variable and unpredictable contexts of use. The present book 'Computer science and ambient intelligence: from sensors to applications' is an outcome of two CNRS 'ambient intelligence' schools organized in July of 2009 and 2011. In line with the ethos of this school, the present work aims to inform the lay reader of the challenges posed by this new field of research. Taking a holistic view, it covers various levels of abstraction, ranging from fundamental to advanced concepts and bringing together the contributions of various specialists in the field, the majority of whom have carried out their research within the school. This book features the main areas of computer science concerned with ambient intelligence (e.g. human-computer interaction, middleware, networks and information systems, etc.). It is a multidisciplinary advance with contributions coming from intelligent materials and ethics, the aim of which is to demonstrate the importance of integrated research, based on social sciences and technological advances. Such research is multi-disciplinary with the aim to mobilize and bring together expertise from each field to develop new theories. This book also pays tribute to the field's wide spectrum of applications with chapters focusing on health, transport and even tourism. The aim of the current work is not pedagogical; rather it is designed to provide a stimulating perspective to attest to the challenge of teaching within current frameworks due to the paradigm's interdisciplinary and contemporary nature and the lack of structures, platforms and generic materials. Recent initiatives such as 'FabLabs' are surely part of a response to this. We would like to warmly thank all the authors who have contributed to the creation of this book. We also sincerely hope that you have as much enjoyment reading their contributions as we have had in listening to their talks during both editions of the Ambient Intelligent school.


The development of numerical methods for solving the Helmholtz equation, which behaves robustly with respect to the wave number, is a topic of vivid research. It was observed that the solution of the Galerkin finite element method (FEM) differs significantly from the best approximation with increasing wave number. Many attempts have been presented in the literature to eliminate this lack of robustness by various modifications of the classical Galerkin FEM.
However, we will prove that, in two and more space dimensions, it is impossible to eliminate this so-called pollution effect. Furthermore, we will present a generalized FEM in one dimension which behaves robustly with respect to the wave number.


The formation of granite batholiths, commonly by incremental assembly of small magma batches, and their correlation with tectonic events, on both local and regional scales, is crucial to understanding the evolution of the Earth's continental crust. However, these correlations often rely on assumptions about the detailed relationship and timing of mapped units. Here we report how an integrated geochronological, structural and isotope geochemical study in only one key locality from the late Caledonian Leinster Batholith in SE Ireland provides the potential for unravelling essential questions on batholith petrogenesis. The Northern Unit of the Leinster Batholith intruded incrementally, as demonstrated by three crosscutting granite varieties at Glenmacnass Waterfall. The oldest, foliated granite, yielded a zircon U–Pb age of 417.4 ± 1.7 Ma. Following deformation, equigranular granite intruded at 409.8 ± 1.9 Ma and was cut by megacrystic granite at 404.9 ± 2.6 Ma. Hence, batholith formation lasted up to 16.8 myr, challenging the widely accepted 405 Ma age for the entire batholith. Multi-isotope geochemical investigations permit derivation of the three granites from the same sources, including both Mid- to Upper Ordovician peri-Gondwanan arc-related magmatic and Lower to Mid-Ordovician Ribband Group metasedimentary rocks. Zircon inheritance and Lu–Hf isotope geochemistry also reveal reprocessing of older granite wall rock in the younger magmas. Supplementary Material: Data tables are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3898330


A relaxed randomized Kaczmarz algorithm is investigated in a least squares regression setting by a learning theory approach. When the sampling values are accurate and the regression function (conditional means) is linear, such an algorithm has been well studied in the community of non-uniform sampling. In this paper, we are mainly interested in the different case of either noisy random measurements or a nonlinear regression function. In this case, we show that relaxation is needed. A necessary and sufficient condition on the sequence of relaxation parameters or step sizes for the convergence of the algorithm in expectation is presented. Moreover, polynomial rates of convergence, both in expectation and in probability, are provided explicitly. As a result, the almost sure convergence of the algorithm is proved by applying the Borel-Cantelli Lemma.


On the 25th April 2012 the University of Ulster held a hack day at the Ulster Museum, participants developed innovative interactive experiences within the context of a traditional museum setting. The interactive experiences that participants develop will question the notion of play in the museum, recontextualising the collections and gallery spaces to create new modes for the public to investigate and interrogate the spaces of the museum as an institution and develop new dialogues with the exhibits.A unique feature of this project is the limited involvement of the museum, whilst aware that the hack day is taking place the museum is not directly involved in the planning or running of the event, instead students will observe the normal museums rules and regulations, and in many ways will look and behave like traditional visitors. The aim of this project is to work outside the traditionally slow, often bureaucratic management structure of museums as a means to explore how time constrained working can facilitate innovation within museums.After the event the interactive experiences that students produce will be distributed freely under a creative commons license and will be available for download from this website.


Introduction and Objectives Medical bronchoscopy is a key skill for respiratory physicians taking years to achieve competency. The majority of trainees learn traditionally by one-to-one mentorship. However, introduction of the European Working Time Directive and increase in numbers of trainees has led to a breakdown in the mentorship model and reduced opportunity to attend procedural lists. In 2009, Du Rand and Lewis presented results of a national survey of training in Bronchoscopy. "Learning curves" of average number of procedures required to become competent in different aspects of sampling in bronchoscopy were presented, but no information was gathered on different approaches to learning or factors affecting these curves. Indeed, there have been no studies examining "how" trainees learn in bronchoscopy. This study aimed to identify learning strategies currently being used by respiratory trainees in bronchoscopy and any helpful or unhelpful factors in this learning strategy. Methods A qualitative study in two parts was conducted between April and June 2011. Firstly, a questionnaire to all respiratory trainees in the Northern Deanery. Thematic analysis was used to identify core themes and design the format for a subsequent focus group. The focus group was transcribed in full and two independent evaluators identified themes from the raw data. Triangulation was sought through a separate questionnaire to trainers. Validation of results was provided through local presentation of results. Results 19 trainees and seven consultants completed questionnaires and five trainees took part in the focus group. Abstract P184 table 1 summarises themes identified. Few trainees had an explicit learning plan, however, trainees and trainers readily identified key steps involved in the primary approach of "learning from experience". Furthermore, many participants identified similar helpful and unhelpful factors within their own learning, their trainers' behaviour and the training environment. Many of these findings are supported by established learning theory and procedural-based learning (Kolb, 1984, Thuraisingam et al, 2006).Abstract P184 table 1 Summary of themes identified from trainee questionnaires and focus group discussion Conclusions Experience of the procedure is the key learning approach used by trainees in bronchoscopy. There are core steps within this that trainees and trainers can utilise to maximise learning. This is particularly important at the current time as training opportunities in bronchoscopy are reduced.


Importance Among adults with diabetes in the United States, severe forms of diabetic retinopathy (DR) are significantly associated with a greater vision-related functional burden. Objective To assess the functional burden of DR across severity levels in the United States. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study was based on 1004 participants 40 years or older with diabetes and valid ocular and sociodemographic outcomes in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) (2005-2006 and 2007-2008). Diabetic retinopathy was based on fundus photograph grading, using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study severity scale. The analysis was performed from October 15, 2016, to June 15, 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures Functional difficulties secondary to vision were assessed during a household questionnaire in which participants self-reported difficulty with reading, visuospatial tasks (ie, close-up work or finding things on a crowded shelf), mobility (ie, walking down steps, stairs, or curbs), and driving. The main outcome measure was vision-related functional burden, which was defined as present for individuals reporting moderate or greater difficulty in any of the aforementioned tasks. Results Of the 1004 persons with diabetes analyzed for this study (mean age, 65.7 years [95% CI, 64.0-67.3 years]; 51.1% male [95% CI, 47.1-55.2] and 48.9% female [95% CI, 44.8-52.9]), the prevalence was 72.3% for no retinopathy, 25.4% for mild and moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), and 2.3% for severe NPDR or proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). The prevalence of vision-related functional burden was 20.2% (95% CI, 16.3%-24.1%) for those with no retinopathy, 20.4% (95% CI, 15.3%-27.8%) for those with mild and moderate NPDR, and 48.5% (95% CI, 25.6%-71.5%) for those with severe NPDR or PDR (P = .02). In multivariable analysis, the odds of vision-related functional burden were significantly greater among those with severe NPDR or PDR relative to those with no retinopathy (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.59; 95% CI, 1.29-10.05; P = .02). Those with severe NPDR or PDR did not have a statistically significant greater odds of vision-related functional burden than did those with mild or moderate NPDR (aOR, 2.70; 95% CI, 0.93-7.78; P = .07). Conclusions and Relevance Among US adults with diabetes, approximately half of those with severe NPDR or PDR had difficulty with at least one visual function task. Moreover, vision-related functional burden was significantly greater among those with severe NPDR or PDR than among those with no retinopathy. These data suggest the importance of preventing severe forms of DR to mitigate the vision-related functional burden among US adults with diabetes. Future studies should complement our study by assessing the association of worsening retinopathy with objectively measured functional outcomes.


This thesis all started from my reflections on being an English Literature major. I mention this not because it is rare or unique, but rather because realizing my interest in literature and considering the cognitive effect it has on humans initiated my current academic endeavor: writing a very, very long paper. Even though the skills English majors exercise seem like the mundane activities of introverted bookworms, these experiences with language are spectacular phenomenons that prove to be, in fact, universal. Many argue that literature has an adaptive function that not only demonstrates why we gravitate toward story and how we learn from them best, but also how it continues to positively benefit us as social beings by improving our ability to empathize. Therefore I strive to make the "mundane" process of thesis writing a journey in which readers will experience and become aware of how language and story affect them as they navigate a mixture of creative examples and research from the realms of evolutionary psychology, social cognition, and more. By the completion of this process, I will have demonstrated how language heightens empathetic ability so it is clear why English majors, for example, live happily ever after with an adaptive and heightened awareness that others were living happily too.


The electronic health record (EHR) is an array of computer applications that is being touted as a key patient safety, quality and hospital efficiency initiative. Due to the complexity of the health care environment, the implementation of an EHR can be challenging especially if health care providers, in particular physicians, are not supportive of the process. Physicians play a key role in the provision of health care and should be involved in all phases of the implementation process. Variations of EHR acceptance have been widely documented highlighting the importance of a well-planned implementation process. Theoretical frameworks, such as Roger's Science of Diffusion of Innovation, provide guidance on how process changes can be successfully incorporated into organizations and the physician champion role can be utilized as an extensive of the theory. To illustrate how an EHR implementation can employ the physician champion role to achieve widespread adoption, a case history of a 724 bed, private not for profit hospital will be presented. The rest of this paper will be organized as follows: In the first section a review of the history of the EHR; in the second section, a discussion of barriers to implementation; in the third section, an overview of the Science of Diffusion of Innovation; in the forth section, the presentation of the physician champion role; in the fifth section a recommendation for the physician role in an EHR implementation; and in the sixth section, the case history of an actual


The aim of this study is to determine the nutritional status of police officers and to access the prevelence of obesity among police officers, to determine their daily physical activity level, and to compare their energy intake and expenditure, and to determine the eating pattern and examine the interrelationship between dietary habits and body composition. This study was done in IPK Kota Kinabalu. There
were 45 police personnel aged between 22 to 59 years involved in this study. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and body fat percentage of respondents were measured. Information on energy intake was collected using 3- days dietary food recalls and analysed using DietPlus 2.0 (1887.3 ± 423.5 kcal/d for men and 1907.0 ± 425.3 kcal/d for women). Respondents tend to have foods
that contains high fat. Energy expenditure was calculated based on basal metabolic rate (BMR), thermic effect of food (TEF) and physical activity level (PAL) (2639.6 ±
229.4 kcal/d for men and 2268.9 ± 203.5 kcal/d for women). BMR was calculated using predictive equation for estimation of BMR In Malaysian adults, TEF was estimated as 8% of total energy intake, while PAL was measured using information collected through 24-hour Physical Activity Recalls. In conclusion, majority of police personnel in Kota Kinabalu was overweight (54.9%) and having high body fat percentage (51. 6%). All respondents were had sedentary lifestyles. There is Significant relationship between BMI and body fat percentage (r=0.685, p<0.001). However, there is no significant relationship between BMI and WC (r=0.288, p=0.055).


Procedural textures are powerful tools that have been used in graphics for decades. In contrast to the alternative exemplar-based texture synthesis techniques, procedural textures provide user control and fast texture generation with low-storage cost and unlimited texture resolution. However, creating procedural models for complex textures requires a time-consuming process of selecting a combination of procedures and parameters. We present an example-based framework to automatically select procedural models and estimate parameters. In our framework, we consider textures categorized by commonly used high level classes. For each high level class we build a data-driven inverse modeling system based on an extensive collection of real-world textures and procedural texture models in the form of node graphs. We use unsupervised learning on collected real-world images in a texture class to learn sub-classes. We then classify the output of each of the collected procedural models into these sub-classes. For each of the collected models we train a convolutional neural network (CNN) to learn the parameters to produce a specific output texture. To use our framework, a user provides an exemplar texture image within a high level class. The system first classifies the texture into a sub-class, and selects the procedural models that produce output in that sub-class. The pre-trained CNNs of the selected models are used to estimate the parameters of the texture example. With the predicted parameters, the system can generate appropriate procedural textures for the user. The user can easily edit the textures by adjusting the node graph parameters. In a last optional step, style transfer augmentation can be applied to the fitted procedural textures to recover details lost in the procedural modeling process. We demonstrate our framework for four high level classes and show that our inverse modeling system can produce high-quality procedural textures for both structural and non-structural textures.


TODOROV, N., M. SIMEONOV AND A. KIRILOV, 2013. Feeding early-weaned lambs with pelleted dry distillers' grain with solubles (DDGS) plus whole grain, and two methods of supplying minerals and vitamins. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 19: 810-816 The aim of the experiment is to examine possibilities to feed early-weaned lambs with pelleted DDGS, whole maize grain and alfalfa hay when minerals and vitamins supplement are given by two different methods. Lambs weaned at 19 days age are divided in two groups and for the period from 10 to 25 kg live weight (duration of the trial is 62-65 days) are fed on the same diet consisting of pelleted DDGS, whole maize and alfalfa hay ad libitum. Additionally lambs received restricted to 100 g soybean meal per head daily. For the first group minerals and vitamins are included in pelleted DDGS, while for the second group a mineral-vitamin mixture (MVM) is offered separately in a special trough ad libitum. The daily live weight gain is equal for two groups (P>0.05). There is a tendency for intake of more feeds and MVM when MVM is offered free consumption. Therefore, feed efficiency ratio is worse in the second group with free access to MVM. Separable inside body fat deposit (P<0.05) and slaughtering percentage are higher for lambs consuming ad libitum MVM (P=0.10). In conclusion, the two methods of feeding ensure practically equal results and their application merits attention because both tested systems of feeding are cheap and easy for applying under farm conditions.


University of Washington Abstract Fourth Year Dental Students' Confidence Level in Treating Pediatric Dental Patients Tiara B. Brown Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Assistant Professor Ana Lucia Seminario, DDS, PhD, MPH School of Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry Purpose: To determine characteristics of the University of Washington, School of Dentistry, Pediatric Clinical Rotation and dental students' demographic factors associated with fourth year dental students' high levels of knowledge, experience, and confidence in treating pediatric patients. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was administered to fourth year dental students. Demographics, previous dental experiences, future practice plans, and pediatric rotation experiences as well as information on students' self-rated levels of knowledge, experience, and confidence on seventeen treatment and diagnosing categories were collected. Data on dental encounters accomplished by the students' was also collected and consisted of the patient's age and the type of treatment provided. ANOVA and 2 Sample t-tests were used to evaluate association between the students' demographic factors and their self-reported knowledge, experience, and confidence levels. Results: Sixty-nine percent of students participated in this study and one hundred percent reported willingness to treat children. The majority of the procedures that students were exposed during their clinical rotation were preventive. There were no statistically significant associations with any of the characteristics of the University of Washington, School of Dentistry, Pediatric Clinical Rotation or any of the students' demographic factors. Conclusions: This study provided information on the age of patients, number and type of procedures the students treated. Students had high numbers of preventative procedures; therefore, they would be more willing and likely to conduct these procedures on young pediatric patients in their future practice which, as a result, would increase the number of general dentists treating pediatric patients.


Most people are familiar with carbohydrates, one type of macromolecule, especially when it comes to what we eat. To lose weight, some individuals adhere to "low-carb" diets. Athletes, in contrast, often "carb-load" before important competitions to ensure that they have enough energy to compete at a high level. Carbohydrates are, in fact, an essential part of our diet; grains, fruits, and vegetables are all natural sources of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide energy to the body, particularly through glucose, a simple sugar that is a component of starch and an ingredient in many staple foods. Carbohydrates also have other important functions in humans, animals, and plants.


In this paper, we propose a spreading activation approach for collaborative filtering (SA-CF). By using the opinion spreading process, the similarity between any users can be obtained. The algorithm has remarkably higher accuracy than the standard collaborative filtering using the Pearson correlation. Furthermore, we introduce a free parameter β to regulate the contributions of objects to user–user correlations. The numerical results indicate that decreasing the influence of popular objects can further improve the algorithmic accuracy and personality. We argue that a better algorithm should simultaneously require less computation and generate higher accuracy. Accordingly, we further propose an algorithm involving only the top-N similar neighbors for each target user, which has both less computational complexity and higher algorithmic accuracy.


Aims: Although shrubs are an important component of forests, their role has not yet been considered in forest biodiversity experiments. In the biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) experiment with subtropical tree species in south-east China (BEF-China), we factorially combined tree with shrub species-diversity treatments. Here, we tested the hypotheses that shrub survival differs between the 10 planted shrub species, with lower survival rates of late- than early-successional species and is affected by environmental conditions, such as topography and top soil characteristics, as well as by biotic factors, represented by tree, shrub and herb layer characteristics.
Methods: We analyzed the survival of 42 000 shrub individuals in 105 plots varying in tree and shrub species richness of the BEF-China project four years after planting. Shrub survival was analyzed with generalized linear mixed effects models at the level of individuals and with variance partitioning at the plot level. Random intercept and random slope models of different explanatory variables were compared with respect to the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC).
Important Findings: Survival rates differed largely between the 10 shrub species, ranging from 26% to 91% for Ardisia crenata and Distylium buxifolium, respectively. Irrespective of species identity, single abiotic factors explained up to 5% of species survival, with a negative effect of altitude and slope inclination and a positive effect of the topsoil carbon to nitrogen ratio, which pointed to drought as the major cause of shrub mortality. In contrast, neither tree nor shrub richness affected shrub survival at this early stage of the experiment. Among the biotic predictors, only herb layer species richness and cover of the dominant fern species (Dicranopteris pedata) affected shrub survival. Overall, our models that included all variables could explain about 65% in shrub survival, with environmental variables being most influential, followed by shrub species identity, while tree species diversity (species richness and identity) and herb layer characteristics contributed much less. Thus, in this early stage of the experiment the biotic interactions among shrubs and between shrubs and trees have not yet overruled the impact of abiotic environmental factors.


We present our state of the art multilingual text summarizer capable of single as well as multi-document text summarization. The algorithm is based on repeated application of TextRank on a sentence similarity graph, a bag of words model for sentence similarity and a number of linguistic pre- and post-processing steps using standard NLP tools. We submitted this algorithm for two different tasks of the MultiLing 2015 summarization challenge: Multilingual Singledocument Summarization and Multilingual Multi-document Summarization.


An earthquake in Japan cuts off the supply of key equipment and/or pharmaceutical ingredients to a biotechnology company with facilities in the U.S.  High winds and flooding from a hurricane along the East coast—home to a notable number of biotechnology facilities—causes catastrophic property damage. What these cataclysmic events have in common is the wide scale business interruption that is left in their wake. While no company is immune to the threat that natural disasters pose to operations, biotechnology companies also face an increased risk of manmade disasters, from chemical spills and steam explosions to fires intensified by combustible dust. A business interruption of any kind jeopardizes a company's critical output and its financial security—a reality that some never recover from. In order to withstand the crisis and return to business, developing and implementing a business continuity plan, which includes the purchase of insurance protection, is integral to the recovery process. Although the development and implementation of a business continuity plan may require a serious initial financial commitment, it can help protect your biotechnology firm against greater physical and financial loss.


Abstract. Nowadays almost every map is a component of the information system. Design and production of maps requires the use of specific rules for modeling information systems: conceptual, application and data modelling. While analyzing various stages of cartographic modeling the authors ask the question: at what stage of this process a map occurs. Can we say that the "life of the map" begins even before someone define its form of presentation? This question is particularly important at the time of exponentially increasing number of new geoinformation products. During the analysis of the theory of cartography and relations of the discipline to other fields of knowledge it has been attempted to define a few properties of cartographic modeling which distinguish the process from other methods of spatial modeling. Assuming that the map is a model of reality (created in the process of cartographic modeling supported by domain-modeling) the article proposes an analogy of the process of cartographic modeling to the scheme of conceptual modeling presented in ISO 19101 standard.


In Either/Or, using the voices of two characters - the aesthetic young man of part one, called simply 'A', and the ethical Judge Vilhelm of the second section - Kierkegaard reflects upon the search for a meaningful existence, contemplating subjects as diverse as Mozart, drama, boredom, and, in the famous Seducer's Diary, the cynical seduction and ultimate rejection of a young, beautiful woman. A masterpiece of duality, Either/Or is a brilliant exploration of the conflict between the aesthetic and the ethical - both meditating ironically and seductively upon Epicurean pleasures, and eloquently expounding the noble virtues of a morally upstanding life.


We report on a detailed investigation into the electron emission processes of Ne atoms exposed to intense femtosecond x-ray pulses, provided by the Linac Coherent Light Source Free Electron Laser (FEL) at Stanford. The covariance mapping technique is applied to analyse the data, and the capability of this approach to disentangle both linear and nonlinear correlation features which may be hidden on coincidence maps of the same data set is demonstrated. Different correction techniques which enable improvements on the quality of the spectral features extracted from the covariance maps are explored. Finally, a method for deriving characteristics of the x-ray FEL pulses based on covariance mapping in combination with model simulations is presented.