From Nobilissima dux to Beata: expressions of female authority and influence in medieval Florence

2013 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.This thesis argues that by examining four influential women of Florence and northern Italy over some five centuries' time (circa 1060-1471A.D.) historians can view change over time related to female authority and how it reflects larger social norms that became increasingly entrenched over time. These women inform our understanding of the role and status of women in medieval Florence through their exceptionality. By considering such a large expanse of time these women's lives can be compared to one another, as well as to their contemporaries. Chapter 1 introduces the topic and discusses general themes that are occurring contemporaneously across Europe that serve to inform and provide context for the laws and social norms that are occurring in Florence. Chapter 2 focuses more directly on each woman and her familial and social circumstances in which she uses and exercises her authority. Chapter 3 builds on the base of Chapter 2 and makes arguments regarding the extent to which each woman wielded her authority and the ways in which that authority was exercised. Chapter 4 provides a brief conclusion in relation to each woman and how the four, together, help to inform historians' knowledge about the ways in which patriarchal power structures, including patrilineage, worked to increasingly exclude women from positions of authority

Uncertainty reasoning and representation: A Comparison of several alternative approaches

Much of the research done in Artificial Intelligence involves investigating and developing methods of incorporating uncertainty reasoning and representation into expert systems. Several methods have been proposed and attempted for handling uncertainty in problem solving situations. The theories range from numerical approaches based on strict probabilistic reasoning to non-numeric approaches based on logical reasoning. This study investigates a number of these approaches including Bayesian Probability, Mycin Certainty Factors, Dempster-Shafer Theory of Evidence, Fuzzy Set Theory, Possibility Theory and non monotonic logic. Each of these theories and their underlying formalisms are explored by means of examples. The discussion concentrates on a comparison of the different approaches, noting the type of uncertainty that they best represent

Antidepressants for the Treatment of Insomnia in Patients with Depression

There is no single antidepressant or class of antidepressants that is most effective for the treatment of insomnia in patients with depression. The use of antidepressant medications can have a positive impact on sleep physiology, but does not seem to improve subjective ratings of sleep quality. (Strength of Recommendation: B, based on one qualitative study and one meta-analysis.

Cosmogenic-neutron activation of TeO2 and implications for neutrinoless double-beta decay experiments

Flux-averaged cross sections for cosmogenic-neutron activation of natural tellurium were measured using a neutron beam containing neutrons of kinetic energies up to $\sim$800 MeV, and having an energy spectrum similar to that of cosmic-ray neutrons at sea-level. Analysis of the radioisotopes produced reveals that 110mAg will be a dominant contributor to the cosmogenic-activation background in experiments searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay of 130Te, such as CUORE and SNO+. An estimate of the cosmogenic-activation background in the CUORE experiment has been obtained using the results of this measurement and cross-section measurements of proton activation of tellurium. Additionally, the measured cross sections in this work are also compared with results from semi-empirical cross-section calculations.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Satisfaction and Race Influence on Positive Health Choices among Patients at an Urban Community Health Center

Background. Promoting positive health choices is one way to lessen health care disparities in indigent populations. This pilot study investigated satisfaction with the health information received at an urban heath care center for the indigent and its effect on health behaviors. Such information will inform providers on their role in advancing the health center’s quality improvement goals (i.e., goals used to measure the clinic’s performance in providing preventive service information to patients). Methods. A survey was used to determine respondent satisfaction with health care information and whether respondents would make positive health choices based on this information. Results. Respondents (n = 185) were satisfied with the health information received; this was the most consistent predictor of making a lifestyle change. Minority respondents were more likely to get a vaccination, to not start smoking, and to start exercising than non-minority respondents. Conclusion. The results suggested that, for the positive health choices examined, satisfaction with education is very important. For certain positive health choices, race also may play a role. Additional studies should be undertaken linking chronic health problems to patient responses

Field testing a novel high residence positioning system for monitoring the fine‐scale movements of aquatic organisms

1. Acoustic telemetry is an important tool for studying the behaviour of aquatic organisms in the wild. 2. VEMCO high residence (HR) tags and receivers are a recent introduction in the field of acoustic telemetry and can be paired with existing algorithms (e.g. VEMCO positioning system [VPS]) to obtain high‐resolution two‐dimensional positioning data. 3. Here, we present results of the first documented field test of a VPS composed of HR receivers (hereafter, HR‐VPS). We performed a series of stationary and moving trials with HR tags (mean HR transmission period = 1.5 s) to evaluate the precision, accuracy and temporal capabilities of this positioning technology. In addition, we present a sample of data obtained for five European perch Perca fluviatilis implanted with HR tags (mean HR transmission period = 4 s) to illustrate how this technology can estimate the fine‐scale behaviour of aquatic animals. 4. Accuracy and precision estimates (median [5th–95th percentile]) of HR‐VPS positions for all stationary trials were 5.6 m (4.2–10.8 m) and 0.1 m (0.02–0.07 m), respectively, and depended on the location of tags within the receiver array. In moving tests, tracks generated by HR‐VPS closely mimicked those produced by a handheld GPS held over the tag, but these differed in location by an average of ≈9 m. 5. We found that estimates of animal speed and distance travelled for perch declined when positional data for acoustically tagged perch were thinned to mimic longer transmission periods. These data also revealed a trade‐off between capturing real nonlinear animal movements and the inclusion of positioning error. 6. Our results suggested that HR‐VPS can provide more representative estimates of movement metrics and offer an advancement for studying fine‐scale movements of aquatic organisms, but high‐precision survey techniques may be needed to test these systems

Survey of Blueberry (\u3ci\u3eVaccinium\u3c/i\u3e spp.) Problems in the Gulf South

The blueberry (Vaccinium) industry in Mississippi has been steadily increasing since the early 1980s, but some plants in older fields are now in decline. The root rot pathogen, Phytophthora cinnamomi, is endemic in the southeastern United States and has caused severe losses to blueberries in North Carolina and Arkansas. Because the warm, humid climate of Mississippi, with periods of high precipitation, provides a favorable environment for Phytophthora root rot disease, it was suspected to be the cause of plant decline in older blueberry fields. Members of the Gulf South Blueberry Growers Association were mailed surveys to determine cultural practices and the extent of losses in their blueberry fields. The survey was written in partial, open-ended question format with 33 questions pertaining to cultivars, number of hectares planted, cultural practices, overall health of the blueberry plants, and losses due to diseases, insects, or other problems. Fifty-eight of 146 surveys (40%) were completed and returned. 89% of respondents grew rabbiteye (Vaccinium ashei) cultivars and the balance grew southern highbush (V. corymbosum hybrids) cultivars. The average number of plants per hectare was 1523 with the majority of plants 10 - 20 years old. 79% of the growers described the overall condition of their plants as average, healthy, or vigorous. The most common cause of plant death cited was environmental with damage caused by the 2004 and 2005 hurricanes at the top of the list. No major diseases were reported by 36% of the respondents, while mummy berry (Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi [Reade] Honey), leaf spots (many causal organisms), and root rot (Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands) were noted as problems by 22, 15, and 10% of the growers, respectively. Phytophthora species were isolated from root and soil samples collected from symptomatic plants on three farms. Weeds were listed as problems on 100% of the surveys. 47% of the respondents plan to increase their blueberry plantings mainly with rabbiteye cultivars