Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Models for Styled Walking Synthesis

Generating realistic motions for digital humans is time-consuming for many graphics applications. Data-driven motion synthesis approaches have seen solid progress in recent years through deep generative models. These results offer high-quality motions but typically suffer in motion style diversity. For the first time, we propose a framework using the denoising diffusion probabilistic model (DDPM) to synthesize styled human motions, integrating two tasks into one pipeline with increased style diversity compared with traditional motion synthesis methods. Experimental results show that our system can generate high-quality and diverse walking motions

A simple method for estimating larval supply in reef fishes and a preliminary test of population limitation by larval delivery in the kelp bass \u3cem\u3eParalabrax clathratus\u3c/em\u3e

This paper describes a method for estimating larval supply of a temperate reef fish, the kelp bass Paralabrax clathratus, that is simple, inexpensive, requires relatively low effort, and integrates larval supply over time. Using this method, we sampled larval supply concurrently at 4 sites spread over about 35 km for nearly an entire settlement season. With these data and visual estimates of recruitment (the density of young-of-the-year after the end of the settlement season), we tested the hypothesis that spatial patterns in recruitment were set by larval supply. This hypothesis was rejected: kelp bass recruitment to the 4 sites was not related to patterns of larval supply. Furthermore, in contrast to the findings of an earlier study, recruitment was not related to the density of the macroalga Macrocystis pyrifera. Recruitment was, however, strongly correlated with the density of 1 yr old kelp bass, suggesting that spatial patterns of recruitment were consistent between the 2 cohorts. Recruitment, however, was not correlated with the density of bass 2+ yr old. We also measured larval supply in a second year and found that spatial patterns of supply were strongly correlated between years at a relatively small scale of 10s to 100s m, but not at a larger scale of several km. This finding suggests that some deterministic process (or set of processes) sets spatial patterns of larval supply at small, but not large scales. At large scales, consistent patterns of recruitment between 2 cohorts in the face of variable larval supply suggest that deterministic, postsettlement processes may generate predictable patterns of recruitment even when the supply of larvae is variable. In addition to demonstrating that spatial patterns in the abundance of demersal fish are not always well predicted by larval supply, this study introduces a technique that may facilitate more thorough exploration of the role of larval supply in determining the dynamics of populations of reef fishes

Secondary school pupils' preferences for different types of structured grouping practices

The aim of this paper is to explore pupils’ preferences for particular types of grouping practices an area neglected in earlier research focusing on the personal and social outcomes of ability grouping. The sample comprised over 5,000 year 9 pupils (aged 13-14 years) in 45 mixed secondary comprehensive schools in England. The schools represented three levels of ability grouping in the lower school (years 7 to 9). Pupils responded to a questionnaire which explored the types of grouping that they preferred and the reasons for their choices. The majority of pupils preferred setting, although this was mediated by their set placement, type of school, socio-economic status and gender. The key reason given for this preference was that it enabled work to be matched to learning needs. The paper considers whether there are other ways of achieving this avoiding the negative social and personal outcomes of setting for some pupils

Organisational participation and women - an attitude problem?

Employee participation is a dynamic and contested area of organisational behaviour, attracting continuing academic, practitioner and policy interest and debate. This chapter focuses on organisational participation and women

Three-Dimensional FDTD Simulation of Biomaterial Exposure to Electromagnetic Nanopulses

Ultra-wideband (UWB) electromagnetic pulses of nanosecond duration, or nanopulses, have been recently approved by the Federal Communications Commission for a number of various applications. They are also being explored for applications in biotechnology and medicine. The simulation of the propagation of a nanopulse through biological matter, previously performed using a two-dimensional finite difference-time domain method (FDTD), has been extended here into a full three-dimensional computation. To account for the UWB frequency range, a geometrical resolution of the exposed sample was $0.25 mm$, and the dielectric properties of biological matter were accurately described in terms of the Debye model. The results obtained from three-dimensional computation support the previously obtained results: the electromagnetic field inside a biological tissue depends on the incident pulse rise time and width, with increased importance of the rise time as the conductivity increases; no thermal effects are possible for the low pulse repetition rates, supported by recent experiments. New results show that the dielectric sample exposed to nanopulses behaves as a dielectric resonator. For a sample in a cuvette, we obtained the dominant resonant frequency and the $Q$-factor of the resonator.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figure

Grazing in a megagrazer-dominated savanna does not reduce soil carbon stocks, even at high intensities

Recent studies suggest that wild animals can promote ecosystem carbon sinks through their impacts on vegetation and soils. However, livestock studies show that intense levels of grazing reduce soil organic carbon (SOC), leading to concerns that rewilding with large grazers may compromise ecosystem carbon storage. Furthermore, wild grazers can both limit and promote woody plant recruitment and survival on savanna grasslands, with both positive and negative impacts on SOC, depending on the rainfall and soil texture contexts. We used grazing lawns in one of the few African protected savannas that are still dominated by megagrazers (> 1000 kg), namely white rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum, as a model to study the impact of prolonged and intense wild grazing on SOC stocks. We contrasted SOC stocks between patches of varying grazing intensity and woody plant encroachment in sites across different rhino habitat types. We found no differences in SOC stocks between the most- and least grazed plots in any of the habitats. Intermediately grazed plots, however, had higher SOC stocks in the top 5 cm compared to most and least grazed plots, but only in the closed-canopy woodland habitat and not in the open habitats. Importantly, we found no evidence to support the hypothesis that wild grazing reduces SOC, even at high grazing intensities by the world's largest megagrazer. Compared to the non-encroached reference plots, woody encroached plots had higher SOC stocks in soils with low clay content and lower SOC stocks in soils with high clay content, although only in the top 5 cm. Accordingly, our study highlights that wild grazers may influence SOC indirectly through their impact on tree-grass ratios in grassy ecosystems. Our study thus provides important insights for future natural climate solutions that focus on wild grazer conservation and restoration.Keywords: fire, grazing impact, rewilding, soil carbon, white rhinoceros, woody encroachmen

The long-term health and wellbeing impacts of Healthy New Towns: a six-month feasibility study of Healthy New Town demonstrator sites in England

BACKGROUND: Major public health challenges in England include high levels of health risk behaviour and associated diseases. In the context of an ageing population and falls in spending on adult social care, these challenges place huge pressure on health services. There is evidence to show that living environments can shape health, wellbeing and behaviour. However, there is an urgent need to understand how this evidence can be brought together to deliver healthy environments in local urban settings. The HNT programme was commissioned by NHS England in 2015 and is supported by Public Health England. HNTs are 10 major housing developments that aim to improve population health by applying healthy built environment design principles, increasing residents' use of healthy spaces, promoting community activation and cohesion to improve mental health and reduce social isolation, and creating new models for integrating health and social care. The programme provides a natural experiment in which to investigate the effects on health, wellbeing and inequalities of large-scale interventions targeting the wider social determinants of health. RESEARCH QUESTIONS: 1. What are the similarities and differences in the Healthy New Town (HNT) programme developments, activities and processes, contexts and expected impacts and outcomes across the HNT sites? 2. How feasible is the use of existing HNT evaluation data and data from routine sources as the baseline for a longer-term study to assess impact on health, wellbeing and behavioural outcomes, programme processes and mechanisms and Social Return on Investment? AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: 1) To produce participatory systems maps for 5 HNT sites, illustrating processes and expected outcomes from HNT activities and developing a theoretical framework for longer-term research. 2) To scope and synthesise available qualitative data produced through existing local evaluations and to test the feasibility of using this data to ground a longer-term qualitative study of HNT processes. 3) To define primary and secondary outcome measures for assessment of HNT effectiveness and Social Return on Investment, using existing HNT datasets and routinely available data. 4) To test the feasibility of expanding the research programme to include the 5 HNT sites that are not currently in the HNT Evaluation Collaborative to improve study power and representativeness. METHODS The proposed research involves workstreams to: a) use participatory systems mapping with stakeholders in each HNT to produce a theoretical framework for a longer term study on the HNT programme; b) scope and synthesise existing qualitative data from local HNT evaluations to understand local processes and intervention mechanisms; c) scope and standardise local and routinely available data to establish a baseline and feasibility for a longer term study of health and economic outcomes; d) build relationships and recruit 5 further HNTs into the proposed research. TIMELINE FOR DELIVERY The proposed research will be conducted between 1st November 2018 and 30th April 2019 to enable completion while HNT site leads are still in post. ANTICIPATED IMPACT AND DISSEMINATION The proposed research will produce a theoretical framework for the HNT programme, designed to guide further research on the health impacts of HNTs. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presentations and local audiences including residents, local government and Public Health England