Limit theory for planar Gilbert tessellations

A Gilbert tessellation arises by letting linear segments (cracks) in the plane unfold in time with constant speed, starting from a homogeneous Poisson point process of germs in randomly chosen directions. Whenever a growing edge hits an already existing one, it stops growing in this direction. The resulting process tessellates the plane. The purpose of the present paper is to establish law of large numbers, variance asymptotics and a central limit theorem for geometric functionals of such tessellations. The main tool applied is the stabilization theory for geometric functionals.Comment: 12 page

Debating whether Dinosaurs Should be "Cloned" from Ancient DNA to Promote Cooperative Learning in an Introductory Evolution Course

This interactive internet exercise engages students in cooperative library and web research on a controversial topic in science (and ethics), specifically the cloning of extinct forms of life. To debate the many complex issues embedded in this topic, students have to apply knowledge acquired from a variety of sources about dinosaurs, their evolutionary history, diversity, distribution, physiology, behavior, environmental requirements, and extinction. They must achieve a general understanding of the techniques used to discover and retrieve ancient DNA and to produce a clone from a living adult animal. During an in-class "trial," two teams of students representing six types of specialists argue cases for and against dinosaur cloning. Student "judges" hear testimony, pose questions to the specialists, and render their verdict about whether dinosaur cloning should be allowed. Working cooperatively in small groups and arguing a position in an authoritative fashion requires students to exercise their communication (written and oral), collaborative, and critical thinking skills. This exercise creates a dynamic learning environment in a moderately large introductory geology course and demonstrates the importance of scientific literacy in the contemporary experience. Educational levels: Graduate or professional

Exploring the Role of Employee Age in Improving ICT Adoption Projects: Lessons Learned from Enterprise System Practitioners

This study aims to investigate the role of employees’ age in improving ICT adoption projects. In doing so, the current study draws from the opinions of enterprise systems (ES) practitioners collected during an exploratory research in Poland. The discovered recommendations for improving ES adoptions have been categorized into a two-level taxonomy and then analyzed from the respondent age perspective. The main findings suggest that the strong points of older workers involve their people-oriented approach to various issues connected with system, training, provider, and project preparation. However, on the other hand, the elderly need training on modern management techniques and ICT, which would reduce differences in their perception of the implementation process- and system-related areas as compared to younger workers. The awareness of strong and weak points of the elderly in the context of their experience with ES and eliminating shortcomings should contribute to their greater digital inclusion

Sinorhizobium fredii Strains HH103 and NGR234 Form Nitrogen Fixing Nodules With Diverse Wild Soybeans (Glycine soja) From Central China but Are Ineffective on Northern China Accessions

Sinorhizobium fredii indigenous populations are prevalent in provinces of Central China whereas Bradyrhizobium species (Bradyrhizobium japonicum, B. diazoefficiens, B. elkanii, and others) are more abundant in northern and southern provinces. The symbiotic properties of different soybean rhizobia have been investigated with 40 different wild soybean (Glycine soja) accessions from China, Japan, Russia, and South Korea. Bradyrhizobial strains nodulated all the wild soybeans tested, albeit efficiency of nitrogen fixation varied considerably among accessions. The symbiotic capacity of S. fredii HH103 with wild soybeans from Central China was clearly better than with the accessions found elsewhere. S. fredii NGR234, the rhizobial strain showing the broadest host range ever described, also formed nitrogen-fixing nodules with different G. soja accessions from Central China. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing an effective symbiosis between S. fredii NGR234 and G. soja. Mobilization of the S. fredii HH103 symbiotic plasmid to a NGR234 pSym-cured derivative (strain NGR234C) yielded transconjugants that formed ineffective nodules with G. max cv. Williams 82 and G. soja accession CH4. By contrast, transfer of the symbiotic plasmid pNGR234a to a pSym-cured derivative of S. fredii USDA193 generated transconjugants that effectively nodulated G. soja accession CH4 but failed to nodulate with G. max cv. Williams 82. These results indicate that intra-specific transference of the S. fredii symbiotic plasmids generates new strains with unpredictable symbiotic properties, probably due to the occurrence of new combinations of symbiotic signals.España, Junta de Andalucía P11-CVI-7500España Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad BIO2016-78409-

Private governance in royalty collection: Effectiveness and limitations in tracing GM soybean in Brazil

Ce papier analyse l'émergence d'une innovation institutionnelle en accompagnement de la diffusion du soja génétiquement modifié au Brésil. Il en découle une gouvernance plutôt efficace par la création d'une situation gagnant-gagnant pour les acteurs impliqués, au moins à court terme, tant que la coexistence avec les variétés conventionnelles peut demeurer. Cette coexistence est menacée surtout du fait d'une absence de prime de marché pour le soja conventionnel.OGM; soja; Brésil; innovation institutionnelle; redevance d'emploi; coexistence

Defining Seniors’ Value-based Objectives for ICT-supported Governmental Elderly Care Services: Preliminary Lessons from Poland and Sweden

ICT-supported governmental elderly care services are often introduced in an ad-hoc, technology-driven manner, which results in a low level of acceptance by seniors. The current paper aims to address this shortcoming by applying a Value-focused thinking (VFT) approach to investigate value-based objectives of older adults. The presented solution is based on the interviews with seniors (65-85) in Poland and Sweden, two countries with very diverse approaches to governmental elderly care services. The designed research approach includes the analysis of the data gathered following the VFT approach, comparison of findings across the two countries, definition of fundamental and means objectives of seniors, and formulation of recommendations regarding strategies for the implementation of governmental elderly care services. The preliminary findings suggest that using VFT is promising in the identification of value-based objectives that can be included in policies guiding ICT-supported elderly care services