White-tailed Deer in Southeastern Minnesota: Winter Observations

Food habits, movements, vegetation type use, and bedding of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus borealis) were observed while snow-tracking in southeastern Minnesota. Waste corn (Zea Mays) was the most important food item. Three dogwoods (Cornus racemosa, C. rugosa, C. alternifolia), all non-commercial forest species, were the most important for browse. Acorns were unavailable due to crop failure. Six trails made in less than 24 hours covered more than 1 mile each, straight line distance. The longest was 31/s miles. Snow did not appear to affect movements. About two-thirds of the beds were on wooded uplands. Browsing areas appeared dependent on bedding locations which appeared dependent on upland field location

Territorio, territorialidad y territorialización en las redes de producción globales

Global production networks (GPN) provide a powerful multi-scalar approach for analyzing the organization of production, but lack the means for conceptualizing social-ecological issues. Territory and territoriality underscore the epistemological character of socio-environmental problems. Territoriality is an underdeveloped conceptual resource for analyzing a GPN’s territorial configuration. Discussing different contextual conceptions of territory, territoriality and territorialization (e.g. in the Anglophone, Francophone and Latin American debate), we propose an analytical framework to enable a more structured operationalization in GPN research.  As a result, we introduce the five P of territoriality – pluralistic, polysemic, process, power relations and physical space.Las redes globales de producción (GPN por sus siglas en inglés) ofrecen un enfoque multiescalar muy potente para analizar la organización de la producción, pero carecen de medios para conceptualizar las cuestiones socio-ecológicas. El territorio y la territorialidad subrayan el carácter epistemológico de los problemas socioambientales. La territorialidad es un recurso conceptual poco desarrollado para analizar la configuración territorial de un GPN. Discutiendo diferentes concepciones contextuales del territorio, la territorialidad y la territorialización (en el debate anglófono, francófono y latinoamericano), proponemos un marco analítico que permita una operacionalización más estructurada en la investigación de la GPN. Como resultado, introducimos las cinco P –en inglés– de territorialidad: pluralista, polisémica, de proceso, de relaciones de poder y de espacio físico. &nbsp

Airships in U.N. Humanitarian and Peace Operations: Ready for Service?

This study examines whether the United Nations should take steps in the near future to exploit the operational characteristics of lighter-than-air (LTA) and hybrid aircraft in support of its peace and humanitarian operations. Continued progress in the development of LTA transport system makes this a timely issue. At the same time, this progress highlights persistent challenges to the conduct of reliable and safe LTA operations, particularly in the face of bad weather and threats from groups hostile to the UN mission. The report examines this issue in four sections: (1) the potential advantages of LTA operations; (2) their disadvantages; (3) current developments in available systems; and (4) their general application to peace and humanitarian operations. In conclusion, the study recommends that the United Nations and its Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) begin an active program to assess the progress of and develop contacts within the emerging LTA industry. Once a proven airship of modest size becomes available on a contract basis, the study suggests that the United Nations seek an opportunity to integrate it into pilot projects and selected humanitarian and peace operation. Eventually, if its initial projects are successful, the UNHAS should look to acquiring a small fleet of LTAs

Becoming Skilled in Doing What\u27s Appropriate: The Nonreflective Rationality of Ethical Expertise

An Interview with Hubert Dreyfus, Department of Philosophy, University of California, Berkeley

Reconfigurable Surfaces Employing Linear-Rotational and Bistable-Translational (LRBT) Joints

Reconfigurable surfaces are useful in many applications. This paper proposes a type of reconfigurable surfaces that consist of rigid elements (tiles) connected by novel compliant joints. Depending on the actuation, these novel connecting joints can either operate as torsional hinges, which create isometric transformation (like origami folding) between connected tiles, or bistable translational springs, which accommodate metric-changing transformation between connected tiles. A specific example of a reconfigurable surface with square tile shape that can morph into flat, cylindrical (in two different directions), and spherical configurations with simple actuation is given

Reconfigurable Surfaces Employing Linear-Rotational and Bistable-Translational (LRBT) Joints

Reconfigurable surfaces are useful in many applications. This paper proposes a type of reconfigurable surfaces that consist of rigid elements (tiles) connected by novel compliant joints. Depending on the actuation, these novel connecting joints can either operate as torsional hinges, which create isometric transformation (like origami folding) between connected tiles, or bistable translational springs, which accommodate metric-changing transformation between connected tiles. A specific example of a reconfigurable surface with square tile shape that can morph into flat, cylindrical (in two different directions), and spherical configurations with simple actuation is given

(Counter-)Imperial Mode of Living and Surviving: contextualizations from South America

The notion of the imperial mode of living (IML) has been widely taken up in both academic, activist and sociopolitical contexts. More recently, scholars have begun to explore the concept not only theoretically, but also empirically, dealing with how the IML works in practice. We see great potential for human geography to ground the IML. To do so, in this article we introduce a set of five geographical cornerstones on the IML, stating that (1) the IML demonstrates that capitalism requires a non-capitalist outside, (2) the IML relies on infrastructural colonialism constituted by global value chains, (3) the IML is tied to current notions of development, (4) the critique of the IML concept challenges the patriarchal order and that (5) the IML conditions a counter-imperial mode of living. Reflecting on soybean cultivation, transhumance and lithium mining in South America, we show that grounding the IML not only requires a critical analysis of the dominant power relations, but also a consideration of opposing tendencies. In this context, we observe that a reproduction of global discourses inherent to the IML often leads to an ‘imperial mode of surviving’ locally. In contrast, we understand protest movements and conflicts as a ‘counter-imperial mode of living’

Endovascular treatment of basilar tip aneurysms in the era of endosaccular flow disruption: a comparative study

PURPOSE This study aims to compare endosaccular flow disruptor (EFD) for treatment of basilar tip aneurysm (BTA) with coiling in terms of safety and efficacy. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed patients treated with an EFD for BTAs at our institution between 2013 and 2019 to standard coiling from the same period (control group). Patient demographics, aneurysm characteristics, procedural data, complications and clinical and angiographic outcome were compared between groups. RESULTS Twenty-three (56%) patients were treated with an EFD and eighteen (44%) patients were treated with coiling. Average aneurysm size was 8~mm in the EFD group and 6.9~mm in the coiling group, respectively (P = 0.2). Average fluoroscopy time, treatment DAP and air kerma were 33~min, 76 Gycm2 and 1.7~Gy in the EFD group and 81~min, 152 Gycm2 and 3.8~Gy in the coiling group, respectively (P < 0.001). In the EFD group, clinically relevant thromboembolic complications occurred in one patient (4%) vs. in 5 patients (28%) in the coiling group (P = 0.07). In each group, 4 patients had an unfavourable outcome at discharge (P = 0.7). Adequate occlusion rates were 96% in the EFD group and 100% and coiling group. Six (26%) patients were prescribed long-term antiplatelet therapy in the EFD group vs. eleven (61%) patients in the coiling group (P = 0.02). CONCLUSION Both treatment concepts provided similar technical success and safety. However, procedure time, radiation exposure and a need for long-term antiaggregation were lower with EFD

From Machinery to Insights: A Comprehensive Data Acquisition Approach for Battery Cell Production

To ensure the widespread use of sustainably produced battery cells, further progress in research is needed. The transition to automated data acquisition is complicated by the technical complexity of industrial data acquisition. Existing software solutions also fall short in meeting usability, reproducibility, extensibility, and cost-effectiveness requirements for research-scale battery production lines. To address these gaps, this paper presents and evaluates a comprehensive data acquisition and collection solution for research-scale battery production lines. It offers a systematic overview of the industrial data acquisition process, focusing on gathering data from various existing machinery and utilizing the industry standard OPC UA protocol. Given the lack of existing solutions that meet the specified requirements, the paper introduces the "ProductionPilot" software as a solution. "ProductionPilot" is designed to provide an extensible platform with a user-friendly web interface. It enables users to select, structure, monitor, and export live production data delivered via OPC UA. The effectiveness of the proposed system is validated at the CELLFAB battery production research facility at eLab of RWTH Aachen university, demonstrating its capability for long-term data acquisition and the generation of digital shadows. By addressing the limitations of current data collection methods and providing a comprehensive solution, this research aims to facilitate the broader adoption of lithium-ion batteries in renewable energy applications