Incremental Grid-like Layout Using Soft and Hard Constraints

We explore various techniques to incorporate grid-like layout conventions into a force-directed, constraint-based graph layout framework. In doing so we are able to provide high-quality layout---with predominantly axis-aligned edges---that is more flexible than previous grid-like layout methods and which can capture layout conventions in notations such as SBGN (Systems Biology Graphical Notation). Furthermore, the layout is easily able to respect user-defined constraints and adapt to interaction in online systems and diagram editors such as Dunnart.Comment: Accepted to Graph Drawing 201

The social security rights of older international migrants in the European Union

Europe is now home to a significant and diverse population of older international migrants. Social and demographic changes have forced the issue of social security in old age onto the European social policy agenda in the last decade. In spite of an increased interest in the financial well-being of older people, many retired international migrants who are legally resident in the European Union face structured disadvantages. Four linked factors are of particular importance in shaping the pension rights and levels of financial provision available to individual older migrants: migration history, socio-legal status, past relationship to the paid labour market, and location within a particular EU Member State. Building on a typology of older migrants, the paper outlines the ways in which policy at both the European Union and Member State levels serves to diminish rather than enhance the social security rights of certain older international migrants

Taking Place 8: Interstitial Breakfast

A contextualised presentation of an interstitial act by taking place at the AHRA conference Architecture and Feminisms: Ecologies, Economies, Technologies: 13th International Architectural Humanities Research Association Conference, KTH School of Architecture Stockholm 17-19 November 2016. Taking place (Jos Boys, Julia Dwyer, Teresa Hoskyns, Katie Lloyd Thomas and Helen Stratford) curated their 8th spatial intervention, tp8, a breakfast held early on the second conference day which addressed through conversation and evidence marked into table cloths , the conference participants' responses to an open call by taking place to the question “What are the relevant questions for architecture and feminism today

Status of Outer Planet Global Reference Atmospheric Model (GRAM) Upgrades

The inability to test planetary spacecraft in the flight environment prior to a mission requires engineers to rely on ground-based testing and models of the vehicle and expected environments. One of the most widely used engineering models of the atmosphere is the Global Reference Atmospheric Model (GRAM) developed and maintained by the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) has provided funding support to upgrade the GRAMs

Returning to Solvency Through Quality Improvement

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore quality improvement strategies senior manufacturing production managers use to reduce Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ) to increase profit. The participants for this study were production managers within a manufacturing company located in the southeastern region of the United States who successfully developed and implemented strategies to lower COPQ to increase profitability. Six major themes emerged from the study: continuous improvement, quality assurance, employees as agents of quality improvement, communication between stakeholders, holding all firm members accountable for quality, and training. Manufacturing managers can use these strategies to lower COPQ and increase profits, which could result in enhancing other organizations’ financial performance. Findings from this study may enable manufacturing managers to improve organizational performance when continuous quality improvement processes are implemented throughout the manufacturing process and senior leaders champion lessons learned, support the training program approach, and implement a quality assurance program that empowers frontline employees as agents of quality throughout the manufacturing process

Impact of information and communication technology in Nigerian small-to medium-sized enterprises

Purpose – The purpose of this (qualitative, multiple-case) study is to determine how small-to medium-sized enterprise (SME) leaders in Nigeria use information and communication technology (ICT) adoption as a business strategy to increase profitability and compete globally. Design/methodology/approach – The participants for this study consisted of executive-level SME leaders who had the authority to approve ICT implementation within their respective organizations. Individual interviews were undertaken with participants to gain an understanding of their experience of determining the merits of and implementing ICT. The technology acceptance model, which specifies the relationship between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward computer use and intention to use technology, was applied as a framework to explain the Nigerian SME’s ICT adoption strategies. Findings – Four major themes emerged from the data analysis: ICT adoption factors, ICT roles and benefits, role of government and SME success factors. The findings of this study may help SME leaders and government leaders address many of the factors inhibiting the adoption of ICT in SMEs in Nigeria. Practical implications – This study may ensure that SMEs are successful and able to create jobs, which in turn may help to promote socioeconomic development through adoption of ICT. Originality/value – The findings from this study contribute to the knowledge base regarding factors that affect ICT adoption by SME leaders as a business strategy to increase profitability and compete globally, particularly within SMEs in Lagos, Nigeria. It further addressed the gap in existing literature regarding other factors such as the influence of culture on ICT adoption, cost of ICT implementation, available ICT skills, infrastructure and ICT knowledge gap as the primary impeding factors of ICT adoption in Nigerian SMEs.Objetivo - El propósito de este estudio (cualitativo, de casos múltiples) es determinar cómo los líderes de las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYME) en Nigeria utilizan la adopción de tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) como estrategia comercial para aumentar la rentabilidad y competir a nivel mundial. Diseño / metodología / enfoque - Los participantes de este estudio consistieron en líderes de pymes de nivel ejecutivo que tenían la autoridad para aprobar la implementación de las TIC dentro de sus respectivas organizaciones. Se realizaron entrevistas individuales con los participantes para comprender su experiencia en la determinación de los méritos y la implementación de las TIC. El modelo de aceptación de la tecnología, que especifica la relación entre la utilidad percibida, la facilidad de uso percibida, la actitud hacia el uso de la computadora y la intención de utilizar la tecnología, se aplicó como marco para explicar las estrategias de adopción de las TIC de la PYME nigeriana. Recomendaciones - Del análisis de datos surgieron cuatro temas principales: factores de adopción de las TIC, funciones y beneficios de las TIC, función del gobierno y factores de éxito de las PYME. Los hallazgos de este estudio pueden ayudar a los líderes de las PYME y los líderes gubernamentales a abordar muchos de los factores que inhiben la adopción de las TIC en las PYME en Nigeria. Implicaciones prácticas - Este estudio puede garantizar que las PYME tengan éxito y puedan crear puestos de trabajo, lo que a su vez puede ayudar a promover el desarrollo socioeconómico mediante la adopción de las TIC. Originalidad / valor - Los hallazgos de este estudio contribuyen a la base de conocimientos sobre los factores que afectan la adopción de las TIC por parte de los líderes de las pymes como estrategia comercial para aumentar la rentabilidad y competir a nivel mundial, particularmente dentro de las pymes en Lagos, Nigeria. Además, abordó la brecha en la literatura existente con respecto a otros factores como la influencia de la cultura en la adopción de las TIC, el costo de la implementación de las TIC, las habilidades disponibles en TIC, la infraestructura y la brecha de conocimiento de las TIC como los principales factores que obstaculizan la adopción de las TIC en las PYME nigerianas

The application of ultrasonic NDT techniques in tribology

The use of ultrasonic reflection is emerging as a technique for studying tribological contacts. Ultrasonic waves can be transmitted non-destructively through machine components and their behaviour at an interface describes the characteristics of that contact. This paper is a review of the current state of understanding of the mechanisms of ultrasonic reflection at interfaces, and how this has been used to investigate the processes of dry rough surface contact and lubricated contact. The review extends to cover how ultrasound has been used to study the tribological function of certain engineering machine elements

Differential Cellular Distribution of HIV-1 Drug Resistance in Vivo: Evidence for Infection of CD8+ T Cells during HAART

AbstractThis study presents a detailed analysis of HIV-1 populations isolated from total PBMC, plasma, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and monocytes/macrophages in 13 patients receiving HAART. Sequence analysis of the reverse transcriptase and protease genes indicated that viral strains isolated from different blood leukocytes were genetically distinct in each subject. Notably, HIV variants isolated from CD8+ T cells were distantly related to strains derived from other blood cell types, providing evidence for the strain-specific infection of CD8+ T cells in vivo. Compartmentalization of drug resistance mutations in specific blood cell types was observed in approximately 50% of patients. The prevalence of resistance mutations was higher in either CD4+ T cells or monocytes/macrophages in these subjects. However, CD8+ T cells showed markedly lower levels of viral drug resistance in these patients, indicating a lack of viral replication in this compartment. This study is the first to demonstrate the differential distribution of HIV drug resistance in different blood cell types during HAART and provides new insights into the infection of CD8+ T cells in vivo