Participatory process management

Although the process of public and stakeholder participation continues to be intensively investigated and discussed in academic circles, the implementation of participatory methods in practice remains problematic. This can be attributed to the lack of knowledge transfer on the one hand, and the general underestimation of participatory approaches in planning processes on the other.\ud A possible solution - participatory processmanagement - is introduced in this article. Participatory process management means that all participatory activities are embedded in the overall planning activities of a project. The most significant criteria for a participatory process are identified as ’objectives’, ’constraints’ and ’process’which together forma framework for combining generally applicablemethodswith local constraints and the objectives of a project. Themain elements of the participatory management framework introduced here are levels and classes of participation and a generic process scheme includingmonitoring and evaluation of participatory processes. This work is based upon long-term experiences of consultants and scientists. However, the insights from the InterReg project TRUST are particularly valuable and confirm the hypotheses that different water management projects are comparable in terms of their participatory process performance. The participatory management framework is a step forward in closing the gap between scientific knowledge about participatory methods and their applicability in practice

The monic integer transfinite diameter

We study the problem of finding nonconstant monic integer polynomials, normalized by their degree, with small supremum on an interval I. The monic integer transfinite diameter t_M(I) is defined as the infimum of all such supremums. We show that if I has length 1 then t_M(I) = 1/2. We make three general conjectures relating to the value of t_M(I) for intervals I of length less that 4. We also conjecture a value for t_M([0, b]) where 0 < b < 1. We give some partial results, as well as computational evidence, to support these conjectures. We define two functions that measure properties of the lengths of intervals I with t_M(I) on either side of t. Upper and lower bounds are given for these functions. We also consider the problem of determining t_M(I) when I is a Farey interval. We prove that a conjecture of Borwein, Pinner and Pritsker concerning this value is true for an infinite family of Farey intervals.Comment: 32 pages, 5 figure

Cryptic post-transition state bifurcations that reduce the efficiency of lactone-forming Rh-carbenoid C-H insertions.

Byproducts of chemical reactions are generally thought to result from the competition between two reaction pathways, each with its own rate-determining transition state structure. We show here, however, that pathways with a single transition state structure followed by a post-transition state bifurcation may also be a source of undesired products, especially those whose appearance is unexpected. The viability of this scenario for intramolecular C-H insertion reactions affording β-lactones via Rh-carbenoid intermediates is assessed through quantum chemical calculations on potential energy surfaces and quasi-classical molecular dynamics simulations. It appears that, in these cases, the rhodium catalyst is to blame for the accessibility of a second, unintended, pathway following the transition state structure for β-lactone formation that leads to fragmentation to a ketene and carbonyl compound. If an unexpected product is formed via a post-transition state bifurcation, conventional strategies for suppressing its formation are unlikely to succeed. Guidelines for recognizing the presence of a post-transition state bifurcation are described here, along with hints at means for controlling product distributions

Comparison of average larval fish vertical distributions among species exhibiting different transport pathways on the southeast United States continental shelf

Water currents are vertically structured in many marine systems and as a result, vertical movements by fish larvae and zooplankton affect horizontal transport (Power, 1984). In estuaries, the vertical movements of larvae with tidal periods can result in their retention or ingress (Fortier and Leggett, 1983; Rijnsdorp et al., 1985; Cronin and Forward, 1986; Forward et al., 1999). On the continental shelf, the vertical movements of organisms interact daily and ontogenetically with depth-varying currents to affect horizontal transport (Pillar et al., 1989; Barange and Pillar, 1992; Cowen et al., 1993, 2000; Batchelder et al., 2002)

Modulation of the GABAergic pathway for the treatment of fragile X syndrome.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability and the most common single-gene cause of autism. It is caused by mutations on the fragile X mental retardation gene (FMR1) and lack of fragile X mental retardation protein, which in turn, leads to decreased inhibition of translation of many synaptic proteins. The metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) hypothesis states that the neurological deficits in individuals with FXS are due mainly to downstream consequences of overstimulation of the mGluR pathway. The main efforts have focused on mGluR5 targeted treatments; however, investigation on the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system and its potential as a targeted treatment is less emphasized. The fragile X mouse models (Fmr1-knock out) show decreased GABA subunit receptors, decreased synthesis of GABA, increased catabolism of GABA, and overall decreased GABAergic input in many regions of the brain. Consequences of the reduced GABAergic input in FXS include oversensitivity to sensory stimuli, seizures, and anxiety. Deficits in the GABA receptors in different regions of the brain are associated with behavioral and attentional processing deficits linked to anxiety and autistic behaviors. The understanding of the neurobiology of FXS has led to the development of targeted treatments for the core behavioral features of FXS, which include social deficits, inattention, and anxiety. These symptoms are also observed in individuals with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, therefore the targeted treatments for FXS are leading the way in the treatment of other neurodevelopmental syndromes and autism. The GABAergic system in FXS represents a target for new treatments. Herein, we discuss the animal and human trials of GABAergic treatment in FXS. Arbaclofen and ganaxolone have been used in individuals with FXS. Other potential GABAergic treatments, such as riluzole, gaboxadol, tiagabine, and vigabatrin, will be also discussed. Further studies are needed to determine the safety and efficacy of GABAergic treatments for FXS

A compound figure of merit for photonic applications of metal nanocomposites

Selecting nanocomposites for photonic switching applications requires optimizing their thermal, nonlinear and two-photon absorption characteristics. We simplify this step by defining a compound figure of merit (FOM_{C}) for nanocomposites of noble metals in dielectric based on criteria that limit these structures in photonic applications, i.e. thermal heating and two-photon absorption. The device independent results predict extremely large values of FOM_{C} for a specific combination of the metal and insulator dielectric constant given by \epsilon_{h}=\frac{\epsilon_{1}-\epsilon_{2}}{2}, where \epsilon_{h} is the dielectric constant of the host and \epsilon_{1} and \epsilon_{2} are the real and imaginary parts for the metal.Comment: Appearing in Appl. Phys. Lett. (2006

On univoque Pisot numbers

We study Pisot numbers $\beta \in (1, 2)$ which are univoque, i.e., such that there exists only one representation of 1 as $1 = \sum_{n \geq 1} s_n\beta^{-n}$, with $s_n \in \{0, 1\}$. We prove in particular that there exists a smallest univoque Pisot number, which has degree 14. Furthermore we give the smallest limit point of the set of univoque Pisot numbers.Comment: Accepted by Mathematics of COmputatio