Head and hands in the cloud: cooperative models for global trade to be found in traditional crafts

Abstract: Until recent times, the standard globalization model has been to maximize profit by moving manufacture to locations where wages are low, and there are fewer obstacles, such as environmental standards. This model has been supported by a form of branding which elides the means of production, separating consumer from producer. The emergence of online trading platforms promises to bridge this gap. Both eBay and Amazon have recently created virtual stores for connecting ethical consumers with poor craft producers. Meanwhile, alternative platforms seek a similar connection in a cooperative framework, such as a Non-Government Organization (NGO), Just Change, in Bangalore. This paper compares the corporate and the cooperative models for ethical trade. From this review, it proposes a model emerging from the three-year Sangam Project that seeks to give market value to the relational practices involved in the design, production and sale of handmade craft products. The aim is to find a place for traditional craft practices otherwise displaced by globalization and urbanization. The platform presumes a three–way partnership between craftspersons, designers and consumers. Though limited primarily to gift products, it is proposed as a model for other trading practices. This paper was presented at People and the Planet 2013 at RMIT in July 201

New computational methods and plant models for evolutionary genomics

This thesis is in the service of a greater understanding of the genetic basis of adaptive traits. Chapter 1 introduces background literature relevant to this thesis. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 develop novel methods and software for the analysis of genetic sequencing data. Chapter 5 details a large collaborative project to establish genetic resources in the model cereal Brachypodium, and perform a genome-wide association study for several agriculturally-relevant traits under two climate change scenarios. Chapter 6 investigates the spatial genetic patterns in two species of woodland eucalypt, and determines the landscape process that could be driving these patterns. Finally, Chapter 7 summarises these works, and proposes some areas of further study. In Chapters 2 and 3, I develop methods that enable analysis of Genotyping-by-sequencing analysis. Axe, a short read sequence demultiplexer, demultiplexes samples from multiplexed GBS sequencing datasets. I show Axe has high accuracy, and outperforms previously published software. Axe also tolerates complex indexing schemes such as the variable-length combinatorial indexes used in GBS data. Trimit and libqcpp (Chapter 3) implements several low-level sequence read quality assessment and control methods as a C++ library, and as a command line tool. Both these works have been published in peer-reviewed journals, and are used by numerous groups internationally. In Chapter 4, I develop kWIP, a de novo estimator of genetic distance. kWIP enables rapid estimation of genetic distances directly from sequence reads. We first show kWIP outperforms a competing method at low coverage using simulations that mimic a population resequencing experiment. We propose and demonstrate several use cases for kWIP, including population resequencing, initial assessment of sample identity, and estimating metagenomic similarity. kWIP was published in PLoS Computational Biology. In Chapter 5, I present the results of a large, collaborative project which surveys the global genetic diversity of the model cereal Brachypodium. We amass a collection of over 2000 accessions from the Brachypodium species complex. Using GBS and whole genome sequencing we identify around 800 accessions of the diploid Brachypodium distachyon, within which we find extensive population structure and clonal families. Through population restructuring we create a core collection of 74 accessions containing the majority of genetic diversity in the "A genome" sub-population. Using this core collection, we assay several phenotypes of agricultural interest including early vigour, harvest index and energy use efficiency under two climates, and dissect the genetic basis of these traits using a genome-wide association study (GWAS). This work has been accepted for publication at Genetics; I am co-first author with Pip Wilson and Jared Streich, having lead many genomic analyses. In Chapter 6, I perform a study of landscape genomic variation in two woodland eucalypt species. Using whole genome sequencing of around 200 individuals from around 20 localities of both E. albens and E. sideroxylon, I find incredible genetic diversity and low genome-wide inter-species differentiation.I find no support for strong discrete population structure, but strong support for isolation by (geographic) distance (IBD). Using generalised dissimilarity modelling, I further examine the pattern of IBD, and establish additional isolation by environment (IBE). E. albens shows moderately strong IBD, explaining 26% of deviance in genetic distance using geographic distance, and an additional 6% deviance explained by incorporating environmental predictors (IBE). E. sideroxylon shows much stronger IBD, with 78% of deviance explained by geography, and stronger IBE (12% additional deviance explained). This work will soon be submitted for publication

Total Quality Approach To Cell Incubation And Processing / Scale-Up & Scale-Out

Total quality recognizes that for best cell potency, cells need full-time optimization of all critical cell process parameters (O2, CO2, RH, T). Total quality recognizes that all typical negative side effects of machines on cells (particles, heat, vibration, etc.) must be neutralized to make automation compatible with a cell optimized ecosystem, and those machines must be protected from dust, aerosols, and corrosion. Total quality recognizes that each entire cell production line (all manual and automated steps) must be protected from microbial contamination by full-time, absolutely aseptic conditions. Total quality recognizes that all personnel must be fully protected from cells harboring virus, vectors, prion, and other pathogens. Total quality recognizes that scaling up and out must be efficient. Total quality recognizes that cost efficiency is a fundamental quality attribute, critical for commercial. The Xvivo System is a comprehensive, modular, total quality platform for cells. Biography Kevin Murray, Sales Manager for BioSpherix, Ltd. BS BioChemistry, MBA Finance & Marketing, 20+ Years experience in the Pharmaceutical/Biotech/Medical Research Industry

Improved monotone polynomial fitting with applications and variable selection

We investigate existing and new isotonic parameterisations for monotone polynomials, the latter which have been previously unconsidered in the statistical literature. We show that this new parameterisation is faster and more flexible than its alternatives enabling polynomials to be constrained to be monotone over either a compact interval or a semi-compact interval of the form [a;∞), in addition to over the whole real line. Due to the speed and efficiency of algorithms based on our new parameterisation the use of standard bootstrap methodology becomes feasible. We investigate the use of the bootstrap under monotonicity constraints to obtain confidence and prediction bands for the fitted curves and show that an adjustment by using either the ‘m out of n’ bootstrap or a post hoc symmetrisation of the confidence bands is necessary to achieve more uniform coverage probabilities. However, the same such adjustments appear unwarranted for prediction bands. Furthermore, we examine the model selection problem, not only for monotone polynomials, but also in a general sense, with a focus on graphical methods. Specifically, we describe how to visualize measures of description loss and of model complexity to facilitate the model selection problem. We advocate the use of the bootstrap to assess the stability of selected models and to enhance our graphical tools and demonstrate which variables are important using variable inclusion plots, showing that these can be invaluable plots for the model building process. We also describe methods for using the ‘m out of n’ bootstrap to select the degree of the fitted monotone polynomial and demonstrate it’s effectiveness in the specific constrained regression scenario. We demonstrate the effectiveness of all of these methods using numerous case studies, which highlight the necessity and usefulness of our techniques. All algorithms discussed in this thesis are available in the R package MonoPoly (version 0.3-6 or later)

Are Settlement Agreements Executory Contracts? Courts That Say “No” Give More Power to Creditors in Bankruptcy Actions

(Excerpt) In order to provide for quick and efficient resolutions in bankruptcy cases, courts will often encourage settlement agreements. Settlement agreements are so common that it is unusual for there not to be a settlement between adversaries. Additionally, settlement agreements are favored by law to allow the parties to avoid the expense and burdens that are associated with litigating claims. Courts have taken two approaches when analyzing disputes that involve settlement agreements. Some courts have held that a settlement agreement is a court approved contract between two adversarial parties and its interpretation is governed by the general provisions of contract law. Other courts have held that settlement agreements are executory contracts under section 365 of title 11 of the United States Code (the “Bankruptcy Code”) allowing a trustee to assume or reject any executory contract or unexpired lease of a debtor. This memorandum explores the consideration of courts when deciding which approach to take when determining the validity of settlement agreements. Part I examines the use of common law contract doctrine to be applied to settlement agreements. Part II analyzes court decisions that that have held settlement agreements to be executory contracts under both the “Countryman” definition of executory contracts and the “functions test.” This memorandum concludes with a discussion of the effects that this choice has on bankruptcy litigation