In this report we focus on the use of an economical way on how Scalar Network Analyzer (SNA) works instead of Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) to estimate the phase angle of signals in indoor channel. This is detailed in RMS delay theory and simulation section, experimental is designed in the according Experiment Design section, where we also state the required measurements known from the math part. In our work, data are recorded both from two different channel characteristics. Method of achieving amplitude is by using deconvolution theory. The condition of applying Hilbert transform are highlighted as impulse response h(t) in time domain should be causal. The recorded data amplitude is computed by Hilbert Transform, and therefore validate the condition using Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform (IDFT) back to time domain to achieve h(t). Power delay profile P(t) is therefore presented afterwards. In paper calculations of rms delay τrms of the channel which is the most important variable are also performed, the results calculated from different windowing truncation and the LOS and NLOS characteristics are compared in discussion and conclusion section, it also includes Opinions of window functions chosen for the phase estimation.


Measurement and governance must advance together Achieving universal, safely managed water and sanitation services by 2030, as envisioned by the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, is projected to require capital expenditures of USD 114 billion per year (1). Investment on that scale, along with accompanying policy reforms, can be motivated by a growing appreciation of the value of water. Yet our ability to value water, and incorporate these values into water governance, is inadequate. Newly recognized cascading negative impacts of water scarcity, pollution, and flooding underscore the need to change the way we value water (2). With the UN/World Bank High Level Panel on Water having launched the Valuing Water Initiative in 2017 to chart principles and pathways for valuing water, we see a global opportunity to rethink the value of water. We outline four steps toward better valuation and management (see the box), examine recent advances in each of these areas, and argue that these four steps must be integrated to overcome the barriers that have stymied past efforts.


Abstract A satellite-based inventory of barrier islands was used to study the influence of depositional setting, climate, and tide regime on island distribution and morphology. The survey reveals 20,783 km of shoreline occupied by 2149 barrier islands worldwide. Their distribution is strongly related to sea level history in addition to the influence of tectonic setting. Rising sea level in the late Holocene (5000 YBP–present) is associated with greatest island abundance, especially on North Atlantic and Arctic coastal plains. Stable or falling sea level in the same time frame, a pattern typical of the Southern Hemisphere, is associated with a lower abundance of islands and a higher percentage of islands along deltas rather than coastal plains. Both coastal plain and deltaic island morphology are sensitive to the wave–tide regime; however, island length is 40% greater along coastal plains whereas inlet width is 40% greater on deltas. Island morphology is also fundamentally affected by climate. Island lengths in the Arctic are on average (5 km) only half the global average (10 km) because of the effect of sea ice on fetch and thus wave energy. Storm frequency in the high and middle latitudes is suggested to result in shorter and narrower islands relative to those on swell-dominated low-latitude coasts. The ratio of storm wave height to annual mean wave height is a good indicator of the degree of storm influence on island evolution. The potential for significant climate and sea level change this century underscores the need to improve understanding of the fundamental roles that these two factors have played historically in island evolution in order to predict their future impacts on the islands.


The preeminent figure of early New England, John Winthrop was the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. More than anyone else, he shaped the culture of New England and his effort to create a Puritan "City on a Hill" has had a lasting effect on American values. In John Winthrop, Francis J. Bremer draws on over a decade of research in England, Ireland, and the United States to offer a superb biography of Winthrop, one rooted in a detailed understanding of his first forty years in England. Indeed, Bremer provides an extensive, path-breaking treatment of Winthrop's family background, youthful development, and English career. His dissatisfaction with the decline of the "godly kingdom of the Stour Valley" in which he had been raised led him on his errand to rebuild such a society in a New England. In America, Winthrop would use the skills he had developed in England as he struggled with challenges from Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, among others, and defended the colony from English interference. We also see the personal side of Winthrop-the doubts and concerns of the spiritual pilgrim, his everyday labors and pleasures, his feelings for family and friends. And Bremer also sheds much light on important historical moments in England and America, such as the Reformation and the rise of Puritanism, the rise of the middling class, the colonization movement, and colonial relations with Native Americans. Incorporating previously unexplored archival materials from both sides of the Atlantic, here is the definitive portrait of one of the giants of our history.


This research sought to understand the relationship between educational background, levels of education and understanding of countertransference concepts, in relation to substance abuse treatment. Previous research has identified knowledge of countertransference as a factor increasing a therapist's ability to manage countertransference and increase client success in substance abuse treatment (Seiden, Chandler & Davis, 1994). It was hypothesized that there would be a positive relationship between therapist level of education, and understanding of countertransference. It was also hypothesized that those who have an education specifically in addiction would have a poorer understanding of countertransference than those trained in social work, psychology or marriage and family therapy. This hypothesis was based on educational licensing standards in the state of Minnesota, as addiction counselors in Minnesota prior to 2008 could receive a 2 year certificate in counseling (Office of the Revisor of Statutes, 2010). This research used the Countertransference Measure developed by Hofsess and Tracey (2010). It was found that all therapists, regardless of educational background or level of education had a similar understanding of countertransference concepts. A major limitation of this research included a very small sample size (N=29) and therefore recommended that future research should obtain a larger sample size. Addiction Counseling and Understanding of Countertransference 4


Values of ΔG⊖s(g → aq) and ΔG⊖s(liq → aq) at 298 K are documented for 14 homologous series of gaseous and liquid solutes, and corresponding enthalpies of solution listed for 7 homologous series. It is shown by a thermodynamic argument that only parameters for the process g → aq can be used to assess solute–water interactions and that the standard state of pure liquid solute includes a different solute–solute interaction term for each solute standard state. For most of the homologous series, parameters for the process g → aq are linear in the number of carbon atoms in the solute; from such linear equations, methylene and group contributions are obtained. It is shown that the methylene increments to ΔG⊖s(g → aq) and to ΔH⊖s(g → aq) are not constant but vary from one homologous series to another. In a few homologous series the methylene increment is not constant, the most outstanding examples being the alkan-1-ols and n-alkanes. Above dodecan-1-ol, ΔG⊖s(g → aq) becomes gradually more negative than expected, so that octadecan-1-ol is 16 times as soluble as calculated from results on the low alkan-1-ols. A similar, but much larger, effect is observed for the n-alkanes: n-octadecane is more soluble than expected by a factor of 5 × 103(the factor for n-hexatriacontane is 2 × 1018) and it is deduced that the n-alkane C51H104 will be as soluble in water as in the non-aqueous solvents ethanol and phenol.


Youth involvement in extracurricular activities reflects both family socialization influences and civic development. Parents can promote such activity through examples set by personal involvement in the community and through reinforcement of their children's interests. Using data (N = 362) from the 9th and 10th grade waves of the Iowa Youth and Families Project (Conger & Elder, 1994), we find that both the behavioral model set by parents and their personal reinforcement of children's actions make significant differences in the extracurricular activity involvement of boys and girls. However, parental reinforcement is most consequential when parents are not engaged in community activities. In this situation, warm parents are likely to reinforce their children, and this reinforcement strengthens children's involvement in community activities. The family dynamics of civic socialization deserve more attention than they have received to date.


The motions of key residues at the substrate binding site of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were probed on the 10 ns to 10 ms time scale using laser-induced temperature-jump relaxation spectroscopy employing both UV fluorescence and isotope-edited IR absorption spectroscopy as structural probes. The dynamics of the mobile loop, which closes over the active site and is important for catalysis and binding, were characterized by studies of the inhibitor oxamate binding to the LDH/NADH binary complex monitoring the changes in emission of bound NADH. The bound NAD-pyruvate adduct, whose pyruvate moiety likely interacts with the same residues that interact with pyruvate in its ternary complex with LDH, served as a probe for any relative motions of active site residues against the substrate. The frequencies of its C=O stretch and -COO(-) antisymmetric stretch shift substantially should any relative motion of the polar moieties at the active site (His-195, Asp-168, Arg-109, and Arg-171) occur. The dynamics associated with loop closure are observed to involve several steps with motions from 1 to 300 microms. Apart from the "melting" of a few residues on the protein's surface, no kinetics were observed on any time scale in experiments of the bound NAD-pyr adduct although the measurements were made with a high degree of accuracy, even for final temperatures close to the unfolding transition of the protein. This is contrary to simple physical considerations and models. These results show that, once a productive protein/substrate complex is formed, the binding pocket is very rigid with very little, if any, motion apart from the mobile loop. The results also show that loop opening involves concomitant movement of the substrate out of the binding pocket.


The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness and safety of available treatment alternatives for degenerative ataxias (DA). We systematically reviewed studies that assess pharmacological, rehabilitative, or psychological treatments in patients with DA. Studies were included if they fulfilled prespecified criteria. All included clinical trials were scored for methodological quality. Main outcome measures were clinical status of neurological disorder, adverse events, and patient‐based factors. Twenty‐five studies were included. Most studies were of small sample sizes, wide age variations, and low scientific validity. Only one study gave information on physical rehabilitation and none on psychological therapy. The remaining 24 studies reported on the effects of different pharmacological treatments. Outcomes such as functional capacity and psychological functioning of patients were evaluated by few studies. Some evidence supports that 5‐hydroxytryptophan is more effective than placebo improving neurological symptoms in patients with Friedreich ataxia (FA), olivopontocerebellar atrophy, or cerebellar atrophy. Idebenone is more effective than placebo for halting and reversing the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy associated with FA, but it seems unable to improve neurological semiology. Limited evidence for other therapies was found. No relevant side effects for drugs that shown some degree of effectiveness were reported. Availability of quality studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of treatments for most DA is scarce. No valid information on the actual value of physical rehabilitation and psychological support as treatments for DA is available. Further investigations with improved trial designs are necessary. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society


This is your must-have resource to the theoretical and practical concepts of mobile UX. You'll learn about the concepts and how to apply them in real-world scenarios. Throughout the book, the author provides you with 10 of the most commonly used archetypes in the UX arena to help illustrate what mobile UX is and how you can master it as quickly as possible. First, you'll start off learning how to communicate mobile UX flows visually. From there, you'll learn about applying and using 10 unique user experience patterns or archetypes for mobile. Finally, you'll understand how to prototype and use these patterns to create websites and apps. Whether you're a UX professional looking to master mobility or a designer looking to incorporate the best UX practices into your website, after reading this book, you'll be better equipped to maneuver this emerging specialty. Addresses the gap between theoretical concepts and the practical application of mobile user experience designIllustrates concepts and examples through an abundance of diagrams, flows, and patternsExplains the differencesin touch gestures, user interface elements, and usage patterns across the most common mobile platformsIncludes real-world examples and case studies for this rapidly growing field


Abstract The theoretical basis for the application of sensitivity and uncertainty (S/U) analysis methods to the validation of benchmark data sets for use in criticality safety applications is developed. Sensitivity analyses produce energy-dependent sensitivity coefficients that give the relative change in the system multiplication factor keff value as a function of relative changes in the cross-section data by isotope, reaction, and energy. Integral indices are then developed that utilize the sensitivity information to quantify similarities between pairs of systems, typically a benchmark experiment and design system. Uncertainty analyses provide an estimate of the uncertainties in the calculated values of the system keff due to cross-section uncertainties, as well as correlation in the keff uncertainties between systems. These uncertainty correlations provide an additional measure of system similarity. The use of the similarity measures from both S/U analyses in the formal determination of areas of applicability for benchmark experiments is developed. Furthermore, the use of these similarity measures as a trending parameter for the estimation of the computational bias and uncertainty is explored. The S/U analysis results, along with the calculated and measured keff values and estimates of uncertainties in the measurements, were used in this work to demonstrate application of the generalized linear-least-squares methodology (GLLSM) to data validation for criticality safety studies. An illustrative example is used to demonstrate the application of these S/U analysis procedures to actual criticality safety problems. Computational biases, uncertainties, and the upper subcritical limit for the example applications are determined with the new methods and compared to those obtained through traditional criticality safety analysis validation techniques. The GLLSM procedure is also applied to determine cutoff values for the similarity indices such that applicability of a benchmark experiment to a criticality safety design system can be assured. Additionally, the GLLSM procedure is used to determine how many applicable benchmark experiments exceeding a certain degree of similarity are necessary for an accurate assessment of the computational bias.


While critiquing the dominance of the Western tradition in the discipline of political theory, recent methodological discussions in Comparative Political Theory (CPT) fail to move beyond the East-West dichotomy. More specifically, CPT does not offer the resources to deal with global convergence as embodied in the phenomenon of modernity. I focus on the emergence of the sovereign state in the modern period and argue that the universal acceptance of the state form creates a globally-shared institutional condition. This condition, in turn, necessitates a shared normative and conceptual apparatus centered on ideals like constitutionalism, rights, and democracy. Two implications follow from my argument. First, we should reconceptualize the history of political thought such that we move from an East/West division to a modern/pre-modern division. Second, alternatives to the dominant ("Western") model are not real alternatives unless they transcend the sovereign state itself, charting a new course of multilayered local, regional, and global political arrangements.


Yugoslavia has 12 underground water power plants in operation and 3 under construction, 2 of which exceed 400 Mw; majority are constructed in limestone, which has been found satisfactory for such plants; plant chamber is generally near face of mountain to reduce length of access and galleries; table lists plants with number of turbines, plant capacity, height of head, and type of surrounding rock formations; plans and elevational drawings of plants are given.


Unreported aspects of the life-history of the isopod Edotia dahli are described based on intertidal collections carried out during 2002, 2005 and 2011 in 5 locations in central Chile (29-33°S; Pacific coast). Isopods were recorded for the first time living on 2 species of echinoderms, the sea-star Heliaster helianthus and the sea-urchin Arbacia sp. The observation of sea-urchins hosting isopods was casual (i.e., no formal samplings); however, nearly 20% of the sampled sea-stars hosted isopods (from 2 to > 100 individuals per host). This association was similar through years. Surveys also revealed that E. dahli was present at higher latitudes than those previously recorded in the central Chilean coast, extending the northern distribution range 3° to 29°S.


The main purpose of this study is to investigate leadership among secondary school Agricultural Science teachers and their job performance in Akwa Ibom State. To achieve the aim of this study, three research hypotheses were generated to direct the study. Literature was reviewed based on the variables derived from the postulated hypotheses. Survey research design was adopted for the study. Four hundred (400) respondents were randomly selected for the study. The selection was done through the stratified and simple random sampling techniques. The questionnaire was the main instrument used for data collection. Pearson product moment correlation analysis was employed to test the hypotheses directing the study. The hypotheses were subjected to testing at 0 .05 level of significance. The result of the analysis revealed that leadership variables such as creativity, communication competences, and human relation competences, ability to take decisions, health and fitness and intellectual capacity of Agricultural Science teachers significantly relate to their job performance.


To evaluate the repeatability of the fast measurement of the visual acuity (VADC) and contrast sensitivity (CSDC) defocus curves with a new test as well as the agreement of measurements at far distance obtained with the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart and the ClinicCSF test for measuring Contrast Sensitivity Function (CSF).Records from fifty-nine subjects implanted with Multifocal Intraocular Lenses (MIOLs) were retrieved from our database. VADC and CSDC were measured from +1.00 D to -4.00 D in 0.50 D steps. The agreement with the ETDRS and the CSF at far distance was assessed in comparison to the 0 D location of the VADC and the CSDC, respectively. The repeatability was evaluated in 34 subjects who consecutively repeated two measures.Median Visual Acuity (VA) was -0.1 logMAR with the VADC at 0 D of defocus and 0 logMAR with the ETDRS (p>0.05). A total of 45.8% of eyes showed no differences between both tests and the difference was less than one line of VA in 96.6% of the eyes. The intrasubject repeatability was under one line of VA along all the defocus curve except for positive defocus levels. The CSDC showed the best agreement with the CSF for 18 cycles per degree. The CSDC was less repeatable than VADC. Mean time spent on completing the VADC and CSDC was 7.81 and 7.98 minutes, respectively.The VADC showed good agreement with the ETDRS and good repeatability despite the short testing time. In contrast, poorer repeatability was found for CSDC. Our method would facilitate the inclusion of VADC in clinical practice as it is a fast test, being also the first one including the measure of CSDC.


In the wake of large earthquake disasters, governments, international agencies, and large nongovernmental organizations scramble to conduct impact and damage assessments that help them understand the nature and scale of the emergency in order to orchestrate a complex series of emergency, response, and recovery activities. Using the Gorkha earthquake as a case study, this research seeks to provide greater clarity into the types of post-disaster damage assessments, their purposes, and their potential as catalysts for critical recovery activities. We argue that damage assessment methodologies need to be tailored to the diverse information needs in post-disaster contexts, which vary by user group and change over time. This research builds upon the authors' direct experience supporting the government of Nepal in the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) process, support with the rapid visual inspections conducted by the National Engineering Association, and interviews with humanitarian organizations who conducted damage assessment in Nepal.


Billy Elliot's tough, funny and heart-warming story is given new depth by best-selling author, Melvin Burgess. Billy's mother is dead, and his father and brother are fiercely involved in a bitter miners' fight that has split the local community. Billy's father wants his son to learn boxing, like he did and his father before him. But Billy is fascinated by the grace and magic of ballet and is determined to dance his way to a different future. Told from the differing viewpoints of Billy, his father and brother and his friend Michael, Melvin Burgess has captured the spirit of the original film screenplay while demonstrating the skill and inspiration he showed in his award-winning novel, Junk.


The observed role of CTL in the containment of AIDS virus replication suggests that an effective HIV vaccine will be required to generate strong CTL responses. Because epitope-based vaccines offer several potential advantages for inducing strong, multispecific CTL responses, we tested the ability of an epitope-based DNA prime/modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) boost vaccine to induce CTL responses against a single SIVgag CTL epitope. As assessed using both 51Cr release assays and tetramer staining of in vitro stimulated PBMC, DNA vaccinations administered to the skin with the gene gun induced and progressively increased p11C, C→M (CTPYDINQM)-specific CD8+ T lymphocyte responses in six of six Mamu-A*01+ rhesus macaques. Tetramer staining of fresh, unstimulated PBMC from two of the DNA-vaccinated animals indicated that as much as 0.4% of all CD3+/CD8α+ T lymphocytes were specific for the SIVgag CTL epitope. Administration of MVA expressing the SIVgag CTL epitope further boosted these responses, such that 0.8–20.0% of CD3+/CD8α+ T lymphocytes in fresh, unstimulated PBMC were now Ag specific. Enzyme-linked immunospot assays confirmed this high frequency of Ag-specific cells, and intracellular IFN-γ staining demonstrated that the majority of these cells produced IFN-γ after peptide stimulation. Moreover, direct ex vivo SIV-specific cytotoxic activity could be detected in PBMC from five of the six DNA/MVA-vaccinated animals, indicating that this epitope-based DNA prime/MVA boost regimen represents a potent method for inducing high levels of functionally active, Ag-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes in non-human primates.


One of the main goals when developing anticancer therapies is to find a compound that will target a tumor cell but not adversely affect a normal cell. Yagoda et al. discovered one such compound, erastin, in a screen of 24,000 compounds. The compounds were screened for the ability to cause cell death (as determined by Trypan blue exclusion) in an engineered human tumor cell line with oncogenic v-Ha-ras Harvey rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (H-Ras)V12 but not in a nontumorigenic cell line that did not contain oncogenic Ras. Ras is a small guanosine triphosphatase that activates the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in response to signaling of receptor tyrosine kinases. Three mammalian ras genes are oncogenic: H-ras, K-ras, and N-ras. Light and electron microscopic analyses showed that treatment with erastin did not result in changes in the nucleus that are characteristic of apoptotic cell death, but instead resulted in loss of the structural integrity of mitochondria. The authors performed another screen (for suppressor compounds) and found that antioxidants blocked erastin-induced cell death. Erastin treatment of the H-Ras-expressing cell line, but not the nontumorigenic cell line, resulted in the production of oxidative species, but this did not lead to activation of apoptosis, as the authors were unable to detect markers of apoptotic cell death, including cytochrome c release from the mitochondria or cleavage of pro-caspase-3. A lung carcinoma cell line (which expresses oncogenic K-Ras) was sensitive to erastin-induced cell death, which was blocked by lentiviral-mediated expression of K-Ras-specific short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs). Three inhibitors of mitogen-activated or extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK) blocked erastin-induced cell death in the H-Ras-expressing cell line. Affinity chromatography with a death-inducing analog of erastin (erastin A6) and an inactive analog (erastin B2) led to the isolation of the mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) as a specific target of erastin A6. The abundance of VDAC was greater in the H-Ras-expressing cell line than in the nontumorigenic cell line, and after 10 hours of treatment of H-Ras-expressing cells with erastin, VDAC2 and VDAC3 proteins were no longer detectable by Western blotting. Whereas knockdown of VDAC3 by shRNA in an N-Ras-positive cell line resulted in resistance to erastin treatment, increased expression of VDAC3 in another cell line did not confer sensitivity to erastin, showing that VDAC3 is necessary but not sufficient to mediate sensitivity to erastin. Together, these data show that the interaction between erastin and VDAC isoforms results in oxidative, nonapoptotic cell death and that this process is selective for cells that have increased Ras-mediated activation of the MAPK pathway. N. Yagoda, M. von Rechenberg, E. Zaganjor, A. J. Bauer, W. S. Yang, D. J. Fridman, A. J. Wolpaw, I. Smukste, J. M. Peltier, J. J. Boniface, R. Smith, S. L. Lessnick, S. Sahasrabudhe, B. R. Stockwell, RAS-RAF-MEK-dependent oxidative cell death involving voltage-dependent anion channels. Nature 447, 864-868 (2007). [PubMed]


The prosodic change that has been reported to have occurred from Classical to Modern Portuguese is investigated by means of a new approach to the study of rhythm in language change. Assuming that rhythm is a by-product of the presence/absence of a set of properties in a given linguistic system, we computed frequency information on rhythm-related properties from written texts of the 16th to the 19th centuries, by means of the electronic tool FreP. Results show a change in the distributions of properties related to word stress and prosodic word shape after the 16th century, indicating that the prosodic change occurred between the 16th and 17th centuries. A predictive analysis based on Bayesian statistics provided strong support for the timing of the change, and successfully modelled our data showing a timeline consistent with the direction of the prosodic shift towards the integration of stress-timing properties into Romance syllable-timed rhythm.


A fusion gene detected in a small subset of human brain tumors encodes a potentially druggable target. Human cancers exhibit many types of genomic rearrangements—including some that juxtapose sequences from two unrelated genes—thereby creating fusion proteins with oncogenic activity. Functional analysis of these fusion genes can provide mechanistic insights into tumorigenesis and potentially lead to effective drugs, as famously illustrated by the BCR-ABL gene in chronic myelogenous leukemia. Singh et al. identify and characterize a fusion gene present in 3% of human glioblastomas, a deadly brain cancer. In the resultant fusion protein, the tyrosine kinase region of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) is joined to a domain from a transforming acidic coiled-coil (TACC) protein. The TACC-FGFR protein is oncogenic, shows unregulated kinase activity, localizes to the mitotic spindle, and disrupts chromosome segregation. In mice, FGFR inhibitors slowed the growth of tumors driven by the TACC-FGFR gene, suggesting that a subset of glioblastoma patients may benefit from these types of drugs. D. Singh, J. M. Chan, P. Zoppoli, F. Niola, R. Sullivan, A. Castano, E. M. Liu, J. Reichel, P. Porrati, S. Pellegatta, K. Qiu, Z. Gao, M. Ceccarelli, R. Riccardi, D. J. Brat, A. Guha, K. Aldape, J. G. Golfinos, D. Zagzag, T. Mikkelsen, G. Finocchiaro, A. Lasorella, R. Rabadan, A. Iavarone, Transforming fusions of FGFR and TACC genes in human glioblastoma. Science 337, 1231–1235 (2012). [Abstract] [Full Text]


C+L open line systems represent a cost-effective way to scale backbone network capacity. In this article, we review challenges and opportunities for C+L line systems stemming from Google's experience in designing, deploying, and operating a global C+L open optical network. We discuss business, operational, and technical aspects of C+L systems, and describe best practices for designing C+L links. Finally, we compare C and C+L systems, showing how the latter not only conceal capacity penalties but can even increase, depending on the deployed fiber types, the total system capacity with respect to two parallel C-band only systems.


Anthony Comstock [3] was a US postal inspector and politician who advocated for the suppression of obscenity and vice throughout the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Comstock considered any sexually explicit material like pornography and literature related to birth control [4] and abortion [5] as obscene. In 1873, Comstock lobbied US Congress to pass an anti-obscenity law titled "An Act for the Suppression of Trade in, and Circulation of, Obscene Literature and Articles of Immoral Use," also called the Comstock Act. The law penalized individuals for sending material classified as obscene through the US postal services, which Comstock, as a special agent of the United States Post Office, could enforce. Comstock's role in passing and enforcing the Comstock Act influenced the social and political restriction of birth control [4], hindering women's access to contraceptives.


This article investigates how human rights in the digital age can be considered as an overall frame accommodating fundamental rights and freedoms that relate to communication processes, and related challenges, in societies worldwide. The article brings together different disciplinary backgrounds (communication studies, linguistics and sociology of networks) and complementary empirical analyses of the content, structure and relevance of evolving discourses concerning human rights in the digital age. In doing so, the article defines and adopts a constructivist and communicative approach to the study of world politics, and details its relevance in order to assess the evolution of normative standards concerning communication as a human right in the transnational context.


Following Meinong, many philosophers have been attracted by the view that emotions have intrinsically evaluative correctness conditions. On one version of this view, emotions have evaluative contents (the Perception View). On another version, emotions are evaluative attitudes; they are evaluative at the level of intentional mode rather than content (the Attitudinal View). We raise objections against the latter version, showing that the only two ways of implementing it are hopeless. Either emotions are manifestly evaluative or they are not. In the former case, the Attitudinal View threatens to collapse into the Perception View or any other view according to which emotions are evaluative at the level of content. In the latter case, the Attitudinal View does not stand up to an obvious alternative, namely that emotions can only be assessed with respect to extrinsic (moral, prudential, aesthetical, etc.) norms or conditions of correctness


With a basis in conclusions from a comparative meta-synthesis of teaching and learning, the question of structured and teacher-led teaching in Swedish comprehensive schools is discussed and analysed. The aim is to illustrate the development of results and changes in teaching patterns in Swedish comprehensive schools in relation to new regulations in the curriculum concerning structured teaching. The result shows that in current research there is some support for structured teaching but, at the same time, a gradual and parallel development of the pupil's personal discovery and learning is emphasised. Regardless of the grade of structure, the quality of interaction and communication in teaching seems to be conclusive. One superior teaching dimension consists of structure and interaction.


How can we persuade consumers to adopt more sustainable purchasing practices (e.g. buying less, buying sustainable items, or choosing for sustainable brands) when it comes to fashion products? With the support of 2nd year International Business Management students, we collected data from 1008 respondents, mostly from Millennials and Generation Z. Based on the results, we conclude that concern about the environment motivates consumers to consume fashion products more sustainable, in particular when reminded of its positive impact. Consumers who are less concerned about the environment can be persuaded to choose the sustainable option when sustainable choices are widely available, when items are competitively priced, and when second-hand garments look like new. This research gives direction to further identification and exploration of the triggers that can persuade consumers to consume more sustainable.


ABSTRACT In the United Kingdom there are guidelines and policies to facilitate boundaries within professional interactions which recognise power differences between those employed in services and those referred to them. However, perhaps we must acknowledge that these boundaries may have indirectly resulted in an unbridgeable division between professionals and those that use services in current professional policies. This paper considers what it means to be a Clinical Psychologist and user of services or carer with the complexity that surrounds this dual position. Through incorporating personal reflections, it seeks to highlight how hard it can be to break down 'them and us' barriers despite the best intentions of the profession and policy makers. The suggestion is that to be truly equal and inclusive we must shift from relating differently to service users, professionals and professionals who may use services by acknowledging our personal positions; otherwise breaking down barriers will remain an ideal rather than a reality. When it comes to our overall well-being breaking down these barriers could shift us from direct or oblique misunderstandings, judgements and stigma towards understanding, tolerance and acceptance within and between all of us.


The plant-pathogen interaction is a multifactor process that may lead to resistance or susceptible responses of plant to pathogens. During the arms race between plant and pathogens, various biochemical, molecular and physiological events are triggered in plant cells such as ROS signaling, hormone activation and gene expression reprogramming. In plants, microRNAs (miRNAs) are key post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and are involved in several cellular processes including response to environmental stress. In recent years, plant pathologists have presented a logical approach of plant immune system as zigzag based model that includes two phases of immunity, PTI and ETI in which miRNA molecules are determinant regulators. Here, we present an overview of miRNA biology, a brief explanation of plant immune systems in zigzag model, the role of phytohormones and miRNAs in plant immunity with a main focus on Arabidopsis-Pseudomonas interactions and finally we discuss our results on miRNA expression in lemon-Xanthomonas interactions.


This thesis explores the construction of difference in colonial discourse through the lens of the London Missionary Society c. 1840-1895. Writings produced by missionaries to India and southern Africa are used to explore the varied construction of difference across colonial sites. The central argument is that the missionary commitment to human universalism was mediated through understandings of cultural, gender, and racial difference.
The thesis is structured around three important themes in missionary writing. Part one, 'Families and Households', examines the relationship between gendered domesticity and 'civilisation'. It discusses the idealisation of the missionary family, the denigration of indigenous 'home life' and the ambiguities posed to such a division by colonial experiences – from inter-racial sexuality to domestic service. Part two, 'Sickness and the Embodiment of Difference', considers the embodiment of difference in missionary thinking. It argues that metaphors evoking sickness were used to pathologise 'heathenism', and explores how medical missionaries drew on the shared language of spiritual and bodily sickness to position themselves as 'healers' to 'needy' Africans and Indians. Given this association between sickness and otherness, it then explores how missionaries dealt with their own experiences of illness overseas. Part three looks at 'Violence and Racialisation'. It argues that violence operates as a racialising mechanism in missionary thinking: from sati, to cannibalism, to tribal warfare, missionaries used accounts of violence to 'demonstrate' that 'heathenism' was 'cruel', 'violent' and 'different'. This is juxtaposed with a consideration of missionary reflections on colonial violence perpetrated by Europeans. Each theme demonstrates a complex interplay between self and other in missionary thinking. Each suggests that while principally articulating itself in terms of spirituality, missionaries also understood difference through the body. Each theme was manifested differently in India and southern Africa, suggesting that colonial discourse was significantly differentiated across sites of empire.


Health information technology (HIT) is ever-increasing in complexity and has incrementally become a fundamental part of our everyday clinical lives. As HIT becomes more complex and commonplace, so do the questions it raises about stewardship and usage of data, along with the ethics of these applications. With the development of rapid-learning systems, such as ASCO's CancerLinQ, careful thought about the ethics and applications of these technologies is necessary. This article uses the principles-based framework of modern bioethics to examine evolving ethical issues that arise in the context of HIT and also discusses HIT's application in reducing cancer care disparities in the developing world. We recognize that this topic is quite broad, so here we provide an overview of the issues, rather than any definitive conclusions about a particular "correct path." Our hope is to stimulate discussion about this important topic, which will increasingly need to be addressed in the oncology community.


The ancient Greek aphorism "know thyself" engraved on the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo epitomizes the human desire for the exploration into the unknown. In fact, never has mankind dragged their feet in understanding themselves, as in the achievements scientists have made all these years in the studies of disease and pathology.


This research focus on the influence of bank inclination and roughness on the near-bank flow patterns which is relevant for bank protection, bank erosion and design of stable river configuration. Foregoing studies have been carried out mostly in rectangular channels which are far from being representative of natural conditions. In straight-channel flows large scale vortical structures, such as secondary currents or circulation cells of Prandtl's second kind, play a fundamental role. In curved flows mainly two circulation cells are generated, the center-region cell and the outer-bank cell. The outer-bank cell has a fundamental role in protecting the outer-bank by constraining the center-region cell and thereby decreasing the downstream velocity and turbulence. It is still not clear how the secondary circulation cells interact with varying channel shape and wetted perimeter roughness distribution in straight as in curved flows. This work is a part of a joint research program. The project other three partners are: Delft University of Technology (TUD), WL | Delft Hydraulics (WL) and the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB). The main goal is to improve the understanding of flow underlying mechanisms and to improve existing hydrodynamic and morphodynamic tools. Despite the broader program where this research project is inserted, it is also self-contained. This research project is situated in the discipline of fluid dynamics applied to open-channel flows in the topic of dynamics of the mean-flow field and the turbulence in straight and curved channels. The two main goals are: i) To investigate, systematically in laboratory controlled conditions the influence of the outer bank inclination and roughness on the patterns of main flow, secondary flow, turbulence and outer-bank shear stress in straight and curved flows; ii) To give insight in the flow mechanisms responsible for the observed patterns. The channel width of B = 1.3 m, water depth of H = 0.16 m and a bulk velocity of U = 0.43 m/s were kept constant. The bank inclination was varied between 90°, 45° and 30° whereas the bank roughness was varied between smooth PVC, sand (d = 0.002 m) and d = 0.03 m materials (simulating riprap). The measurements were performed using the Acoustic Doppler Velocimetry Profiler (ADVP). The ADVP is fundamental for the accomplishment of these goals due to its accuracy and profiler capabilities. Straight channel results reveal that rectangular and trapezoidal channels have different flow patterns. The trapezoidal channels have less circulation cells than rectangular channels and a bed shear stress distribution with fewer oscillations. In trapezoidal channels the bed shear stress is higher than the cross-section averaged shear stress regardless the bank/bed roughness ratio. The bank shear stress value increases with outer-bank roughness. The experimental measurements were compared with methods of estimating mean and maximum bed and bank shear stresses, Chow (1959) and Knight et al. (1994). Chow (1959) wetted perimeter shear stress distribution is in agreement with the experiments for the trapezoidal channel experiments with homogeneous roughness distribution whereas for heterogeneous roughness distribution no agreement is verified. Knight (1994) estimations are in good agreement with measurements suggesting its applicability as engineering expedite process. In the curved flow experiments focus is given to the outer-bank roughness and inclination effect on the outer-bank flow region mainly on the outer-bank cell. Curved channel flow results reveal that the outer-bank roughness and inclination has a strong effect on the outer-bank cell, and as consequence, on the center-region cell and downstream velocity evolution along the bend. In all experiments the outer-bank cell constrains the outward limit of the center-region cell regardless its size or strength. In curved flows with rectangular channel, the outer-bank cell size increases with increasing outer-bank roughness and so further protect the bed close to the outer-bank. In curved flows with trapezoidal channel, the outer-bank cell is located over the outer-bank toe close to the free-surface even for low-bank inclination, however, the outer-bank basal zone is more exposed to higher shear stresses. In curved flows with trapezoidal channel, low outer-bank angle and varying bank roughness, the outer-bank cell does not increase with increasing outer-bank roughness. The mechanisms underlying the outer-bank cell are disclosed by analyzing the downstream vorticity equation main terms. The centrifugal term and the cross-stream shear term favor the outer-bank cell rotation sense but cross-stream turbulent anisotropy


Get up and running with Oracle's premium cloud blockchain services and build distributed blockchain apps with ease
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Hyperledger Fabric empowers enterprises to scale out in an unprecedented way, allowing organizations to build and manage blockchain business networks. This quick start guide systematically takes you through distributed ledger technology, blockchain, and Hyperledger Fabric while also helping you understand the significance of Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS).

The book starts by explaining the blockchain and Hyperledger Fabric architectures. You'll then get to grips with the comprehensive five-step design strategy - explore, engage, experiment, experience, and in?uence. Next, you'll cover permissioned distributed autonomous organizations (pDAOs), along with the equation to quantify a blockchain solution for a given use case. As you progress, you'll learn how to model your blockchain business network by defining its assets, participants, transactions, and permissions with the help of examples. In the concluding chapters, you'll build on your knowledge as you explore Oracle Blockchain Platform (OBP) in depth and learn how to translate network topology on OBP.

By the end of this book, you will be well-versed with OBP and have developed the skills required for infrastructure setup, access control, adding chaincode to a business network, and exposing chaincode to a DApp using REST configuration.
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Model your blockchain-based business network by defining its components, transactions, integrations, and infrastructure through use cases

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If you are a blockchain developer, blockchain architect or just a cloud developer looking to get hands-on with Oracle Blockchain Cloud Service, then this book is for you. Some familiarity with the basic concepts of blockchain will be helpful to get the most out of this book


Following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the globe coerced their citizens to adhere to preventive health behaviours, aiming to reduce the effective reproduction numbers of the virus. Driven by game theoretic considerations and inspired by the work of US National Research Council's Committee on Food Habits (1943) during WWII, and the post-WWII Yale Communication Research Program, the present research shows how to achieve enhanced adherence to health regulations without coercion. To this aim, we combine three elements: (i) indirect measurements, (ii) personalized interventions, and (iii) attitude changing treatments (IMPACT). We find that a cluster of short interventions, such as elaboration on possible consequences, induction of cognitive dissonance, addressing next of kin and similar others and receiving advice following severity judgements, improves individuals' health-preserving attitudes. We propose extending the use of IMPACT under closure periods and during the resumption of social and economic activities under COVID-19 pandemic, since efficient and lasting adherence should rely on personal attitudes rather than on coercion alone. Finally, we point to the opportunity of international cooperation generated by the pandemic.


This chapter argues that nominalization, as a subordination strategy, is significantly more pervasive in South America than would be predicted on the basis of global patterns. The patterns found within South America are most consistent with a scenario of several smaller spreads, possibly promoted by a few language families with major extensions (e.g. Quechuan, Tupian, Cariban).


From a survey of published data on the Wechsler subtest performance of primarily mild and borderline mentally retarded persons, 4304 protocols from 4004 individuals were collated and their subtest patterns on the WAIS, WAIS-R, WISC, and WISC-R were compared. Rank order correlations of subtest scores on the different scales were statistically reliable for all but the WAIS/WAIS-R comparison. On all but the WAIS, reliable inverse relationships were found between subtest performance and the subtests' g-loadings, indicating that mildly retarded groups tend to score relatively lower on subtests that are better measures of general intelligence. Likewise, reliable and marginally reliable inverse relationships were found between subtest patterns of retarded groups and the subtests' estimated indexes of heritability, raising the possibility that inherited capacities differentially influence the pattern of performance of these groups.


by Janice Harper It is God who has purposed an encounter with man. Without such an encounter, man will remain in sin and there will be no relationship with God, his creator. This book is written to help bring about such an encounter. It will take God, by His Spirit to bring life. May the words written be Spirit and Life.


State-of-the-art neural networks are heavily over-parameterized, making the optimization algorithm a crucial ingredient for learning predictive models with good generalization properties. A recent line of work has shown that in a certain over-parameterized regime, the learning dynamics of gradient descent are governed by a certain kernel obtained at initialization, called the neural tangent kernel. We study the inductive bias of learning in such a regime by analyzing this kernel and the corresponding function space (RKHS). In particular, we study smoothness, approximation, and stability properties of functions with finite norm, including stability to image deformations in the case of convolutional networks, and compare to other known kernels for similar architectures.


While existing methods for estimating the intrinsic dimension of datasets require to know distances between data points, we consider a situation where one has considerably less information. Given a sample of points, all we get to see is who are the k nearest neighbors of every point. In other words, we get the adjacency matrix of the directed, unweighted k-nearest neighbor graph on the sample, but do not know any point coordinates or distances between the points. We provide two estimators for this situation, a naive one and a more elaborate one. Both of them can be proved to be statistically consistent. However, further theoretical and experimental evidence shows that the naive estimator performs rather poorly, whereas the elaborate one achieves results comparable to those of estimators based on distance information.


Tests were made to determine the effect of length and the effect of ratios of diameter to wall thickness upon the flexural and torsional moduli of failure of 61S-T aluminum-alloy tubing. The moduli of failure in bending, as determined by tests in which the tubing was loaded on the neutral axis at the one-third points of the span, were found to bear an approximately linear relationship with diameter-thickness ratio and were practically independent of span within the limits investigated. Empirical equations are given describing the relations obtained. The moduli of failure in torsion were found to be dependent upon length as well as upon diameter-thickness ratios. Empirical equations are given for predicting strengths within the range of plastic buckling. Within the elastic range, available torsion theories were found to be satisfactory.


This article elaborates on an ethnographic effort of a workplace design project. Examples and analysis of fieldwork instances are presented with an emphasis on the issue visibility of work in relation to the dynamics of identity among members of a design research group at a university setting. Through further analysis of social interaction instances, the role of actors and space seems to be dynamically influenced by the 'invisibles' of a workplace: identity, quality, efficiency, social interactions, limitations, and power structure. Re-framing and mapping give insights to the dynamic and nuanced relationships of the invisibles and thus further challenges the rigid de- contextualization of notion visibility of work. This study has told us that visibility of work is a sensitive issue to the group and thus requires careful understanding of the invisibles. All these are put forth with hopes in a grounded starting point for participatory, user-centered efforts in this workplace design.


This Article argues that Originalism has achieved its intellectual respectability only at the necessary expense of its ballyhooed promise of constraint. The Article recounts the theoretical advances of the New Originalism and argues that the New Originalism is substantially more defensible than was the Old one and is much better positioned to answer the scholarly critiques that demolished its predecessor. The Article further explains that these benefits have, however, come at the cost of judicial constraint. By its very nature - and to a far greater degree than its proponents have tended to recognize - the New Originalism is a theory that affords massive discretion to judges in resolving contentious constitutional issues. The Article suggests that there is something unsustainable in the current state of affairs. Originalism gains it salience in the public discourse by its continued reliance on a promise to constrain judges; it is that promise that brings it lay respect. Yet, it gains academic respect only by foregoing that promise. Originalism now garners esteem from much of both the public and the academy, but only because the public and the academy are speaking of very different things when they refer to originalism. Originalism somehow continues to thrive as both a political movement and as a scholarly theory, even though the features that make it attractive as a political movement render it impotent as a scholarly theory and vice versa.


I listen to two people speaking in a language which is unknown to me. Do I therefore hear them talk?Henri Bergson (1991:109)
Linguistic conventions and standard forms do not leap full grown from the egg.
Jerome Bruner (1983:69)
Let us … consider again spiritual living beings, those beings animated in a special sense, i.e. human beings (but of course all animals are included)…. [T]he apprehension of that person there, who dances, laughs when amused, and chatters, or who discusses something with me in science, etc., is not the apprehension of a spirit fastened to a Body…. [I]n his movements, in his action, in his speaking and writing, etc., [the person] is not a mere connection or linking up of one thing, called a soul, with another thing, the Body. The Body is, as Body, filled with the soul through and through. Each movement of the Body is full of soul, the coming and going, the standing and sitting, the walking and dancing, etc. Likewise, so is every human performance, every human production.
Edmund Husserl (1989:251–52)


This study examined the beliefs and knowledge of principals and teachers in a selected Missouri public school district. One hundred and thirty-two teachers and nineteen principals participated in the study. The use of retention in the selected school district was found to be a widely accepted practice among teachers. Principals did not agree with the practice of grade retention, but did not rule out the use of retention, especially in the primary grades. Principals and teachers possessed very little knowledge on the current research findings and relied on their own experiences when making decisions regarding retention. Principals based their decision whether to promote or retain on student potential and teachers based their decisions on current academic achievement.


We report on an in vivo single-molecule study of the signaling kinetics of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) performed using the neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R) as a representative member. The NK1R signaling cascade is triggered by the specific binding of a fluorescently labeled agonist, substance P (SP). The diffusion of single receptor-ligand complexes in plasma membrane of living HEK 293 cells is imaged using fast single-molecule wide-field fluorescence microscopy at 100 ms time resolution. Diffusion trajectories are obtained which show intra- and intertrace heterogeneity in the diffusion mode. To investigate universal patterns in the diffusion trajectories we take the ligand-binding event as the common starting point. This synchronization allows us to observe changes in the character of the ligand-receptor-complex diffusion. Specifically, we find that the diffusion of ligand-receptor complexes is slowed down significantly and becomes more constrained as a function of time during the first 1000 ms. The decelerated and more constrained diffusion is attributed to an increasing interaction of the GPCR with cellular structures after the ligand-receptor complex is formed.


The main thesis in this book proposes that physical phenomena underlies the formation of three-dimensional (3D) tissue. In this thesis, tissue regeneration with mesenchymal stem cells was studied through the law of conservation of mass. MSCs proliferation and 3D tissue formation were explored from 2D to 3D conditions. The kinetics of proliferation was the unifying principle to compare and analyze the behavior of human MSCs (hMSCs) through the quantification of the movement or conversion of mass during proliferation. This thesis focuses on the kinetics of proliferation of hMSCs under two physical phenomena (Diffusive mass transport and shear stress). hMSCs were shown to have different kinetics when cultured at different seeding densities (Chapter 1). On the other hand, a kinetic pattern was maintained under both diffusive mass transport and shear stress (Chapter 2). The importance of these two chapters lies in identifying the metabolic processes during hMSCs proliferation that are in/dependent of physical parameters. The shear stress characterization of 3D scaffolds provided Darcian permeability constants to include in the design and analysis of 3D scaffolds. Based on the findings of chapters 1- 3, the main purpose of chapter 4 was to explore 3D tissue formation with hMSCs under diffusive mass transport (static) and shear stress (bioreactor). These results showed that 3D tissue formation correlates with concentration gradients that were estimated through computational fluid dynamics. The kinetics of proliferation of hMSCs under both 2D and 3D showed that hMSCs proliferate slower in 3D than in 2D, but achieve a higher degree of organization in 3D. The practical application of 3D tissue formation by hMSCs was further explored in chapter 5 towards the development of an in vivo high throughput screening (HTS) system. This HTS system offers the possibility to screen multiple conditions in animal models, thereby significantly decreasing the costs and lives sacrificed in animal experiments.


This article describes a transmedia learning experience for early school-aged children. The experience represented an effort to transition a primarily television-based series to a primarily web-based series. Children watched new animation, completed online activities designed to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) exploration, and participated in (and reported on) offline activities that required them to investigate real-world phenomena. Children were expected to visit the website every weekday, for four weeks, as part of the experience. A single group pre-post test design was utilized to assess the impact of the experience on science knowledge and participants' satisfaction with the temporal and other elements of the multimedia experience. The national sample included 115 children aged five to eight years. Families preferred not to visit the website daily and instead preferred to follow their own pace. We observed no differences in key outcomes based on frequency of use. We observed a significant improvement in children's science knowledge and attitudes towards doing STEM activities at home. We also observed significant improvements in parental attitudes towards doing science activities. This study has implications for the design of transmedia learning experiences that are designed around temporal constraints.


Domestic violence or Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the form of violence against women (VAW) that is most reported to the police in Liberia. This violence cuts across class, ethnic, religious, and age lines (Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services, et al. 2008) and results in psychological trauma, physical injuries, and, in some cases, death. Societal beliefs that frame domestic violence as a regular part of life serve to legitimize and foster the problem in Liberia (Allen and Devitt 2012; LISGIS et al. 2008) and pose a challenge to the state and to international organizations (IOs) and women's nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that have introduced measures to combat domestic violence since the end of the country's 14-year civil war in 2003. One such effort is the Women and Children Protection Section (WACPS) of the Liberian National Police (LNP), established by the government in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other international partners in 2005. Although the section was established primarily to address rape, its officers are mandated to investigate all forms of VAW, including domestic violence.


The flood triggered by the ENSO event of 1997-1998 was one of the largest floods since records are available (1884). Water chemistry and nutrient concentrations of the river and of a representative floodplain marsh were assessed along the flood, and results were compared with available information during normal periods. Decreased concentration and similar daily transport of suspended matter (SM) during the ENSO flood, in spite of higher erosion in the basin, indicates a large retention of sediments by the floodplain. The transport of dissolved and particulate organic carbon was higher during the ENSO flood. Flood water returned from the marshes to the river with roughly 10 % of the initial SM content, and was enriched in organic carbon, contributing to the higher organic content of river SM during the ENSO flood. The highest organic carbon concentrations were first observed in the marshes, when the flood water initially contacted the floodplain, and later in the river. Our results suggest the marshes are important sources of organic carbon. Dissolved oxygen was undersaturated (4.3-8.5 mg/l), and dissolved free CO 2 was oversaturated (11.4-81.0 mg/ 1) with respect to the atmosphere; values more higher on the floodplain than in the river. The transport of total phosphorus (TP) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) increased during the ENSO flood (42 and 105 %, respectively). The ratio TP/SRP in the river water decreased from 4.6 during the pre-ENSO period to 3.2 during the ENSO flood. Discharge-weighed mean concentrations of NO 3 - were roughly double during the pre-ENSO period, and in spite of the significantly higher river discharge during the ENSO event, the daily transport was only 28 % higher during the flood. This increase was lower than that of the non-biologically active major inorganic components (Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Na + , Cl - ; 37-60%) and much lower than that of SRP (105 %). Lower values during floods, in coincidence with NO 3 - depletion in the floodplain, suggest marshes are important sinks of inorganic nitrogen. SO 4 = concentration and transport in the river and floodplain water was significantly diminished during the ENSO flood.


Person re-identification (Re-ID) is an important task in video surveillance which automatically searches and identifies people across different cameras. Despite the extensive Re-ID progress in RGB cameras, few works have studied the Re-ID between infrared and RGB images, which is essentially a cross-modality problem and widely encountered in real-world scenarios. The key challenge lies in two folds, i.e., the lack of discriminative information to re-identify the same person between RGB and infrared modalities, and the difficulty to learn a robust metric towards such a large-scale cross-modality retrieval. In this paper, we tackle the above two challenges by proposing a novel cross-modality generative adversarial network (termed cmGAN). To handle the issue of insufficient discriminative information, we leverage the cutting-edge generative adversarial training to design our own discriminator to learn discriminative feature representation from different modalities. To handle the issue of large-scale cross-modality metric learning, we integrates both identification loss and cross-modality triplet loss, which minimize inter-class ambiguity while maximizing cross-modality similarity among instances. The entire cmGAN can be trained in an end-to-end manner by using standard deep neural network framework. We have quantized the performance of our work in the newly-released SYSU RGB-IR Re-ID benchmark, and have reported superior performance, i.e., Cumulative Match Characteristic curve (CMC) and Mean Average Precision (MAP), over the state-of-the-art works [Wu et al., 2017], respectively.


Fine-scale differences in behaviour and habitat use have important ecological impli- cations, but have rarely been examined in marine gastropods. We used tri-axial accelerometer loggers to estimate activity levels and movement patterns of the juvenile queen conch Lobatus gigas (n = 11) in 2 habitat types in Eleuthera, The Bahamas. In 2 manipulations in nearshore areas, queen conchs were equipped with accelerometers and released in adjacent coral rubble or sea- grass habitats. Queen conchs were located approximately every 6 h during daylight by snorkel- ing, to measure individual differences in linear distance moved, and after 24 h they were relocated to an alternate habitat (24 h in each habitat). We found significant inter-individual variability in activity levels, but more consistent levels of activity between the 2 habitat types within individual queen conchs. Four (36%) of the individuals placed in seagrass moved back to the adjacent coral rubble habitat, suggesting selectivity for coral rubble. Individuals showed variable behavioural responses when relocated to the less preferable seagrass habitat, which may be related to differ- ing stress-coping styles. Our results suggest that behavioural variability between individuals may be an important factor driving movement and habitat use in queen conch and, potentially, their susceptibility to human stressors. This study provides evidence of diverse behavioural (activity) patterns and habitat selectivity in a marine gastropod and highlights the utility of accelero meter biologgers for continuously monitoring animal behaviour in the wild.


In accordance with SOLAS Convention amendments concerning navigational equipment (Chapter V: Safety of Navigation ; Regulation 19: Carriage Requirements for Shipborne Navigational Systems and Equipment), ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System) and ENCs (Electronic Navigational Chart) should be implemented on existing and new built cargo and passenger vessels. This process started with 1st of July 2012. In accordance with amendments, the number of vessels which should and/or must carry ECDIS equipment onboard increases significantly. It applies both on national and world fleet vessels, depending from their size and type. With the objective to protect the official electronic navigational charts, the International Hydrographic Organization adopted the security plan and standards of data protection have been accepted (IHO Data Protection Scheme: Standard S- 63, edition 1.1.1). With present, increasing expansion of internet-based communications, computer users (that could be unqualified and, even more important, unauthorized persons) are allowed to access ENC software and official electronic charts in various ways, thereby opening the possibility/opportunity of abusive actions. The proposed paper structurally analyzes the usage and security implications of mentioned, illegal software. Illegal ENC security issues are discussed in the context of safety-of-navigation related possible – real scenarios using unproven and non-validated electronic navigational charts.


This research is entitled, 'Electronic Governance and Service Delivery in Selected Ministries in Ebonyi State.' The main objective of this study is to find out the extent electronic governance facilitates service delivery in Ebonyi State Bureaucracies. In specific terms, the objective of this study is to: Find out the extent the adoption of electronic governance aids record keeping/tracking of events in Ebonyi State Bureaucracies/Ministries; Examine the extent the adoption of electronic governance encourages accountability and transparency in Ebonyi State Bureaucracies/Ministries and Determine the extent the adoption of electronic governance encourages quality service delivery in implementing the projects and programmes of Ebonyi State Bureaucracies/Ministries.The theory adopted in this research is the Theory of Innovation and Diffusion propounded by Everett Rogers (1957). This theory tries to elucidate the implication of Technology/ Internet in the various spheres of life in the contemporary society.The research design adopted is a descriptive survey design. The instrument used in generating data in the study is questionnaire. The following are some of the main findings made in the study:Electronic government makes an impact on the knowledge of the society as well as on the literate level of the society.Electronic governance is very beneficial to the people who have electricity.The adoption of electronic governance in running the affairs of the ministries brings about effective service delivery in the state. It helps in defining and re-defining the current vision and mission of the government. The adoption of electronic governance curtails the level of corruption and encourages accountability and transparency in governance since it is a mechanism for carrying out proper internal and external auditing in government.The adoption of electronic government in Bureaucracies helps in facilitating the formulation of strategies for project and programme implementation in the states. The research has the following recommendation: The government of Ebonyi State should adopt therefore electronic governance in order to institutionalize in the state for real budget tracking in the state. Government should adopt the use of electronic governance in the state since it brings about significant improvement in governance through accountability and transparency; detects and prevents poor service delivery, curtails unnecessary waste, as well as arbitrary and captious behavior in Bureaucracies. Government should employ both qualitative and quantitative manpower who are experienced in the electronic governance in the Bureaucracies so that the programmes and projects of the government will always be effectively and efficiently carried out.


There is increasing interest in renewable energy technologies throughout the world, as they diminish our carbon footprint, and address concerns with the adverse environmental consequences of fossil fuel combustion. Gasification of biomass is an old concept that is regaining popularity, as wood-based feedstock is suitable for use. The South African rural poor are numerous, and they are either located too far from the electricity grid or cannot afford alternatives such as paraffin or liquefied petroleum gas. Most of these rural populations have access to renewable biomass resources that can be used to complement their energy needs. The University of Fort Hare and Eskom, the national electricity utility, have been involved in a biomass gasification pilot project at Melani village, 13 km north of the university's main campus in Alice, in the Eastern Cape province. Gasification of biomass is the heatconversion, in a retort, of wood, charcoal, sawdust or other available biomass into an energy-rich gaseous product that is called producer gas. Producer gas is a mixture of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water vapour. This producer gas has a thermal energy value of approximately 6 MJ/kg, and is suitable for heating, mechanical work, and electricity generation. An engine that runs on producer gas can either generate electricity by driving an alternator, or it can supply direct power to other mechanical equipment, such as agricultural or industrial machinery, including pumps, saws, and grainmills. Producer gas, and the 'scrubber liquors' formed as by-products, can also be used in the manufacture of methanol, ammonia, and other chemicals. A community survey was undertaken before the installation of the gasifier, which established that approximately 70 per cent of villagers of working age in Melani are unemployed. This has been attributed to the severe skills-shortage among them. Most households subsist on government grants such as old-age pensions and child-support payments. A local sawmill is the main employer of people in the village, appointing staff both on a full-time as well as a part-time basis. Part-time staff are contracted for only six months of the year. The sawmill's main waste material is sawdust, cut-offs, bark, shavings and reject timber. This is usually incinerated without energy capture, as its accumulation creates a growing firehazard at the site. The core objectives of the pilot project have been to implement a biomass-based renewable energy system that will generate sufficient electricity to support rural economic development initiatives, as well as supplement the energy requirements of the local sawmill. The project has also aimed at the creation of small-scale agribusinesses. Apart from providing the community with electricity, the initiative is intended to alleviate socio-environmental problems experienced in Melani village as a consequence of smoke that currently arises from burning waste sawdust from the sawmill. Smoke from poorly-controlled burning of sawdust can be dense, offensively acrid, and will contain health-hazardous materials such as tars and ash. Gasifier emissions, in contrast, are invisible, and are relatively innocuous. The principal feedstock for our gasifier consists of the mill's excess off-cuts, sawdust and shavings. The available mass is approximately 250 tonnes per day, which could generate about 4800 kWh of electricity using our gasifier system that consumes about 150 kg of waste wood per hour running a 200-kW generator at 75% capacity. Comprehensive process data capture has been essential for evaluation of the plant's performance, and a data acquisition system was installed for this purpose. Non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) gas sensors (for CO, CH4 and CO2) were fitted, and connected to a computer-interfaced data logger. A gas-sampling pump was connected between the retort and the gas inlet side of the NDIR. Each gas sensor is protected by a particulate filter, located upstream, to trap aerosols and particulates before they enter and contaminate the gas cells Ten previously unemployed people have been contracted and trained as gasifier operators. The draft business plan indicates that employee numbers could be doubled through establishment of small business enterprises. Those activities identified in the business plan will need new skills, requiring funding for skills-development. The electricity generated from the producer gas will be available to a bakery and a grain mill, and business plans for these two enterprises have been completed. Their funding will be provided by the Eskom Development Foundation, and we expect that this project will make various indirect contributions to the local community's economic uplift. In time, it may even be possible to sell surplus electricity to the Eskom grid. ❑ 162 South African Journal of Science 104, May/June 2008 News & Views


Abstract : This report provides guidance for those who want to make the business case for building software assurance into software products during each software development life-cycle activity. The business case defends the value of making additional efforts to ensure that software has minimal security risks when it is released and shows that those efforts are most cost-effective when they are made appropriately throughout the development life cycle. Although there is no single model that can be recommended for making the cost-benefit argument, there are promising models and methods that can be used individually and collectively for this purpose, as well as some convincing case study data that supports the value of building software assurance into newly developed software. These are described in this report. The report includes a discussion of the following topics as they relate to the business case for software assurance: cost-benefit models, measurement, risk, prioritization, process improvement, globalization, organizational development, and case studies. These topics were selected based on earlier studies and collaborative efforts, as well as the workshop "Making the Business Case for Software Assurance," which was held at Carnegie Mellon University in September 2008.


Sugarcane bagasse was delignified with alkali and peracetic acid in a two-stage process to obtain pulps with high yield and low kappa number. The experimental results indicated that alkali pretreatment prior to peracetic acid (PAA) delignification could significantly reduce PAA loading by partially removing lignin and swelling the fibers. An optimum condition for the two-stage delignification was obtained for pulping of sugarcane bagasse. The pulps were further characterized by chemical composition analysis, strength property tests, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA). It was found that the alkali-PAA process could be conducted under milder conditions with resulting higher pulping selectivity, higher degree of polymerization (DP), and superior mechanical properties of pulps, compared to the kraft pulping process. Both kraft pulps and alkali-PAA pulp had similar FTIR spectra, XRD spectra, and TGA (DTG) curves. However, further analysis indicated that the alkali-PAA pulp had higher infrared crystallization index and cellulose crystallinity.


In today's academe, the fields of science and literature are considered unconnected, one relying on raw data and fact, the other focusing on fiction. During the period between the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, however, the two fields were not so distinct. Just as the natural philosophers of the era were discovering in and adopting from literature new strategies and techniques for their discourse, so too were poets and storytellers finding inspiration in natural philosophy, particularly in astronomy. A work that speaks to the history of science and literary studies, "Fictions of the Cosmos" explores the evolving relationship that ensued between fiction and astronomical authority. By examining writings of Kepler, Godwin, Hooke, Cyrano, Cavendish, Fontenelle, and others, Frederique Ait-Touati shows that it was through the telling of stories - such as accounts of celestial journeys - that the Copernican hypothesis, for example, found an ontological weight that its geometric models did not provide. Ait-Touati draws from both cosmological treatises and fictions of travel and knowledge, as well as personal correspondences, drawings, and instruments, to emphasize the multiple borrowings between scientific and literary discourses. This volume sheds new light on the practices of scientific invention, experimentation, and hypothesis formation by situating them according to their fictional or factual tendencies.


Milton Friedman's influence on the economics profession has been enormous. In part, his success was due to political forces that have made neoliberalism the dominant global ideology, but Friedman also rode those forces and contributed to them. Friedman's professional triumph is testament to the weak intellectual foundations of the economics profession which accepted ideas that are conceptually and empirically flawed. His success has taken economics back in a pre-Keynesian direction and squeezed Keynesianism out of the academy. Friedman's thinking also frames so-called new Keynesian economics which is simply new classical macroeconomics with the addition of imperfect competition and nominal rigidities. By enabling the claim that macroeconomics is fully characterized by a divide between new Keynesian and new classical macroeconomics, new Keynesianism closes the pincer that excludes old Keynesianism. As long as that pincer holds, economics will remain under Friedman's shadow.


Background Anaemia in children under five years old is associated with poor health, growth and developmental outcomes. In Papua, Indonesia, where the burden of anaemia in infants is high, we conducted a community survey to assess the association between Plasmodium infection, helminth carriage and the risk of anaemia. Methods A cross sectional household survey was carried out between April and July 2013 in 16 villages in the District of Mimika using a multistage sampling procedure. A total of 629 children aged 1–59 months from 800 households were included in the study. Demographic, symptom and anthropometry data were recorded using a standardized questionnaire. Blood and stool samples were collected for examination. Results Of the 533 children with blood film examination, 8.8% (47) had P. vivax parasitaemia and 3.9% (21) had P. falciparum; the majority of children with malaria were asymptomatic (94.4%, 68/72). Soil transmitted helminth (STH) infection was present in 43% (105/269) of children assessed; those with STH were at significantly greater risk of P. vivax parasitaemia compared to those without STH (OR = 3.7 [95%CI 1.5–9.2], p = 0.004). Anaemia (Hb<10 g/dl) was present in 24.5% (122/497) of children and associated with P. vivax parasitaemia (OR = 2.9 [95%CI, 1.7–4.9], p = 0.001), P. falciparum parasitaemia (OR = 4.3 [95%CI, 2.0–9.4], p<0.001), hookworm carriage (OR = 2.6 [95%CI, 1.2–5.8], p = 0.026), Plasmodium–helminth coinfection (OR 4.0 [95%CI, 1.4–11.3], p = 0.008) and severe stunting (OR = 1.9 ([95%CI, 1.1–3.3], p = 0.012). Conclusions Asymptomatic P. vivax and P. falciparum infections and hookworm all contribute to risk of paediatric anaemia in coendemic areas and should be targeted with prevention and treatment programs. The relationship between helminth infections and the increased risk of P. vivax parasitaemia should be explored prospectively.


Low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells require the use of cathodes with improved performance. In this context, microstructural optimization is fundamental in order to obtain more efficient and stable materials. However, most of the current fabrication techniques involve multiple steps and therefore they are not suitable for industrial applications. This report describes alternative strategies to prepare PrBaCo2O5+δ (PBC) cathodes by using a simple and economic spray-pyrolysis deposition (SP) method. Three different electrode configurations have been tested: (i) PBC prepared by spray-pyrolysis on dense CGO pellets, (ii) PBC deposited onto porous CGO backbone layers and (iii) submicrometric PBC powders prepared from freeze-dried precursors and deposited by a screen-printing process. The second approach is an alternative to the traditional wet infiltration method with a number of advantages, such as a shorter preparation time and simplicity of implementation at industrial scale. Reduced values of polarization resistance (Rp) are obtained at 600 °C, 0.027 Ω cm2 for SP electrodes on porous CGO backbones, in comparison to 0.22 Ω cm2 for submicrometric powder cathodes by screen-printing. Moreover, SP electrodes demonstrate improved stability with stable Rp values at 650 °C over time. A Ni–CGO anode-supported cell with an SP cathode achieves a remarkable peak power density of 0.95 W cm−2 at 600 °C in comparison to 0.6 W cm−2 for the cell with a screen-printed cathode.


Sixty 1-day-old male Ross-PM3 broiler chickens were used in this study. The chickens were divided into 5 groups, including one control and 4 experimental. The control group was fed commercial broiler feed free from aflatoxin (AF), whereas the experimental groups, namely, groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 were given feed containing, respectively, 0.05 ppm, 0.1 ppm, 0.5 ppm and 1.0 ppm of AF (approximately, 81.30% AF B1, 10.40% AF B2, 5.75% AF G1 and 2.55% AF G2) for 45 days. Blood samples were collected on days 15, 30 and 45 of the study. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in erythrocytes were determined. The results of this study revealed a significant decline in comparison to the control group with respect to SOD activity on days 30 and 45 in groups 4 and 5, GSH-Px activity on day 30 in group 5 and day 45 in groups 4 and 5, CAT activity on day 45 in group 5 and G6PD activity on day 45 in group 5, and a significant increase in the level of MDA in group 5. Therefore it was concluded that long-term (30 and 45 days) administration of AF at high doses (0.5-1.0 ppm) caused lipid peroxidation in broiler chickens. Certain significant statistical changes that occurred on day 30 in SOD and GSH-Px activities, and on day 45 in primarily SOD and GSH-Px (for groups 4 and 5) and secondly (for group 5) in all enzyme activities and MDA levels are supportive of this hypothesis. Furthermore, it has been understood that the most sensitive parameters utilised in determination of lipid peroxidation may include SOD, GSH-Px and MDA, and these parameters may prove to be significant with regard to the assessment of the severity of aflatoxicosis in poultry naturally intoxicated with AF, implementation of precautions taken against AF intoxication and the evaluation of such practices with regard to success.


Immunoglobulins regulate the complement system by activating complement on foreign surfaces and diverting reactive complement proteins away from autologous cell surfaces. Based on this model, we explored the ability of Ig to balance complement activation versus control in a pig-to-primate cardiac xenotransplantation model in which the binding of xenoreactive antibodies of the recipient to graft blood vessels and the activation of complement cause hyperacute rejection. Human IgG added to human serum caused a dose-dependent decrease in deposition of iC3b, cytotoxicity, and heparan sulfate release when the serum was incubated with porcine endothelial cells. This decrease was not caused by alteration in antibody binding or consumption of complement but presumably reflected decreased formation of C3 convertase on the endothelial cells. Infusion of purified human IgG into nonhuman primates prevented hyperacute rejection of porcine hearts transplanted into the primates. As expected, the transplants contained deposits of recipient Ig and C1q but not other complement components. The inhibition of complement on endothelial cell surfaces and in the xenotransplantation model supports the idea that IgG regulates the classical complement pathway and supports therapeutic use of that agent in humoral-mediated disease.


This paper describes the design of the propulsion system and depth control of a robot fish. The design is inspired from the knifefish. The propulsion system is based on the undulating fins. A simplified model of the fins is constructed by using oscillating servomotors to which are attached cranks holding flexible membranes that can slide permitting the variation of the length of the fins. The depth control was inspired from the gas bladder of fish which changes volume to control the depth based on the buoyancy forces. A buoyancy tank, equipped with two pistons, is used to change the submerged volume. Proximity sensors are used to monitor and limit the piston movement. The robot fish was controlled using microprocessors which takes readings from proximity, depth and pitch sensors, and implements a control scheme. Bluetooth technology was used to interface the robot fish to a laptop to allow the operator to control the robot fish. The propulsion speed was measured as a function of phase angle and a frequency of the servomotors. Testing has also been conducted in an outdoor diving pool to demonstrate the capability of the knifefish robot in various swimming courses and also the depth control of the bio-fish 4 m under the water. The design structures and mechanisms can be scaled down for micro-bio-fish models. The micro-fin model driven by a smart actuator is being tested. The bio-mechatronics implementation can be applied in defence and medical applications as the model is modular, scalable, and re-configurable.


On the basis of findings from an experiment with 6-year-old children we show a proposal for a cognitive model of representational shifts in learning the number line. The findings from the experiment provide information on number line estimation that is, translating a number to a spatial position on a number line. Though the experiment is a replication of an experiment done by Siegler and Ramani (2008) where they concluded with a logarithmic to linear shift, we could not find logarithmic representation of the results from any of our subjects. What we find is anchor points as important for improvement on learning the number line.


This psychosocial study examines some processes at work when commissioners outsource to independent social worker experts (from a black and ethnic minority background social work), assessments involving black and ethnic minority children and families in cases where there are serious child protection issues.
Eight participants, (three commissioners, four independent social workers and one parent). were interviewed using the Free Associative Narrative Interview method (FANI). The psycho-social research method used values the subjectivity of the researcher, and the FANI method is consistent with this. (Holloway and Jefferson 2000). Data was analysed using a blend of thematic and narrative approaches, supported by reflections on the researcher's own emotional experience of the interviews.
The findings of this study centre on assessments of parents from black and ethnic minority backgrounds who had experienced structural inequalities, discrimination and in some cases racism. The independent social work experts have used a particular framework to undertake the assessments and this has assisted them in formulating recommendations. Anxiety and conflict have featured heavily in the assessments. These anxieties are interwoven with the impact of racism on families, independent social work experts and commissioners working in modern social work organisations. Alongside this the importance of anti-racist social work is considered. Anti-racist social work recognises that racism exists within social work and offers a framework to tackle racism within social work. However, currently anti-racist social work appears to have slipped off the professional agenda and has been replaced by more 'neutral' discourses such as 'diversity'. This allows one not to think about race and racism. It is a study of how anxieties are delegated to independent social work experts. My interest in this study stems from being a black, female, ethnic minority researcher and independent social work expert.
The key research findings are firstly, there are conscious and unconscious processes that have influenced the independent social work expert's approach, which included being motivated and affected by their personal experiences with their own parents and families of origin.
Secondly, the way an assessment was presented by the independent social work expert was influenced by unresolved issues from their background.
Thirdly, the independent social work expert's biographical material is significant both in shaping their capacity to do the work sensitively and in depth, but also in creating blind spots for them.
There are significant implications for social work practice. There is a need for a different model and approach to supervision in social work, which is informed by a recognition of the impact of conscious and especially unconscious influences of a practitioner's biographical material. The importance of intersectionality is considered. This is thinking about how family/emotional/biographical factors are interacting with the dynamics of race/ethnicity, and how anxieties about all these in commissioners and practitioners produce a complex psycho-social knot that has to be understood and worked with if we are to do justice to these cases.
This deep and complex biographical investment in this work is both a source of strength and vulnerability. It is evident that there is something professionally and personally reparative for the independent social work experts, and myself as the researcher, in engaging in the discussions and reflections that make up the data and the findings of this research.


A novel environmentally benign approach based on microwave-assisted solid phase diazotation to convert o-phenylendiamines to substituted benzotriazoles is described. Excellent yields were obtained for a phenylenediamines proving the efficacy of the method. The reaction was carried out in the solid phase under microwave irradiation taking advantage of the strong microwave absorption capability of K-10 montmorillonite that acted as a catalyst and medium in one. The catalyst is recyclable, and the reaction occurs with high efficiency and does not produce any harmful waste.


TGFβ/activin/Nodal receptors activate both Smad2 and Smad3 intracellular effector proteins. The functional activities of these closely related molecules have been extensively studied in cell lines. We show both are expressed in the early mouse embryo from the blastocyst stage onwards and mediate Foxh1-dependent activation of the Nodal autoregulatory enhancer in vitro. Genetic manipulation of their expression ratios reveals that Smad3 contributes essential signals at early post-implantation stages. Thus, loss of Smad3 in the context of one wild-type copy of Smad2 results in impaired production of anterior axial mesendoderm, while selective removal of both Smad2 and Smad3 from the epiblast additionally disrupts specification of axial and paraxial mesodermal derivatives. Finally, we demonstrate that Smad2;Smad3 double homozygous mutants entirely lack mesoderm and fail to gastrulate. Collectively, these results demonstrate that dose-dependent Smad2 and Smad3 signals cooperatively mediate cell fate decisions in the early mouse embryo.


We present Force Brushes, a haptic-based interaction technique for controlled selection in multi-variate flow visualizations. Force Brushes addresses the difficult task of volumetric selection and filtering by rendering haptic constraints that allow scientists to snap directly to proxy geometry, such as streamlines, to select regions of interest and then progressively filter the selection using a data-driven approach. Using progressive brushing actions with multiple variables, a user has the potential to explore volumetric data in a more immediate, fluid, and controllable way guided by the underlying data.