Mathematical algorithm to transform digital biomass distribution maps into linear programming networks in order to optimize bio-energy delivery chains

Many linear programming models have been developed to model the logistics of bio-energy chains. These models help to determine the best set-up of bio-energy chains. Most of them use network structures built up from nodes with one or more depots, and arcs connecting these depots. Each depot is source of a certain biomass type. Nodes can also be a storage point for a certain biomass type or a production facility (e.g. power plant) where the biomass is used. Arcs represent transport between depots. To be able to combine GIS spatial studies with linear programming models it is necessary to build a network from a digital map. In this work a mathematical calculation method is developed to select the actual points on the map where to collect biomass that will then be considered as biomass sources in a network model

The relationship between the MBTI and a values conflict resolution

This study investigated the relationship between Jungian type personality dimensions and an intrapersonal values conflict resolution. Seventy subjects filled out the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) which assesses the sixteen Jungian personality types. Subjects returned in approximately two weeks to complete the Values Conflict Resolution Assessment (VCRA) which assesses the degree of their resolution about a particular values conflict. It was hypothesized that the thinking-feeling function of mind would positively correlate with scores on the Ethical-Emotional subscale and negatively correlate with scores on the Rational-Behavioral subscale of the VCRA. The result did not confirm our hypotheses. Reliablilty and a principal components analysis with a varimax rotation was performed to determine if the VCRA is an appropiate tool for the college undergraduate population. It is suggested that caution be used when interpreting the VCRA with undergraduates

Relative pleopod length as an indicator of size at sexual maturity in slipper (Scyllarides squammosus) and spiny Hawaiian (Panulirus marginatus) lobsters

Body size at gonadal maturity is described for females of the slipper lobster (Scyllarides squammosus) (Scyllaridae) and the endemic Hawaiian spiny lobster (Panulirus marginatus) (Palinuridae) based on microscopic examination of histological preparations of ovaries. These data are used to validate several morphological metrics (relative exopodite length, ovigerous condition) of functional sexual maturity. Relative exopodite length (“pleopod length”) produced consistent estimates of size at maturity when evaluated with a newly derived statistical application for estimating size at the morphometric maturation point (MMP) for the population, identified as the midpoint of a sigmoid function spanning the estimated boundaries of overlap between the largest immature and smallest adult animals. Estimates of the MMP were related to matched (same-year) characterizations of sexual maturity based on ovigerous condition — a more conventional measure of functional maturity previously used to characterize maturity for the two lobster species. Both measures of functional maturity were similar for the respective species and were within 5% and 2% of one another for slipper and spiny lobster, respectively. The precision observed for two shipboard collection series of pleopod-length data indicated that the method is reliable and not dependent on specialized expertise. Precision of maturity estimates for S. squammosus with the pleopod-length metric was similar to that for P. marginatus with any of the other measures (including conventional evidence of ovigerous condition) and greatly exceeded the precision of estimates for S. squammosus based on ovigerous condition alone. The two measures of functional maturity averaged within 8% of the estimated size at gonadal maturity for the respective species. Appendage-to-body size proportions, such as the pleopod length metric, hold great promise, particularly for species of slipper lobsters like S. squammosus for which there exist no other reliable conventional morphological measures of sexual maturity. Morphometric proportions also should be included among the factors evaluated when assessing size at sexual maturity in spiny lobster stocks; previously, these proportions have been obtained routinely only for brachyuran crabs within the Crustacea

Human-centred design methods : developing scenarios for robot assisted play informed by user panels and field trials

Original article can be found at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/ Copyright ElsevierThis article describes the user-centred development of play scenarios for robot assisted play, as part of the multidisciplinary IROMEC1 project that develops a novel robotic toy for children with special needs. The project investigates how robotic toys can become social mediators, encouraging children with special needs to discover a range of play styles, from solitary to collaborative play (with peers, carers/teachers, parents, etc.). This article explains the developmental process of constructing relevant play scenarios for children with different special needs. Results are presented from consultation with panel of experts (therapists, teachers, parents) who advised on the play needs for the various target user groups and who helped investigate how robotic toys could be used as a play tool to assist in the children’s development. Examples from experimental investigations are provided which have informed the development of scenarios throughout the design process. We conclude by pointing out the potential benefit of this work to a variety of research projects and applications involving human–robot interactions.Peer reviewe

Radio detection of the young binary HD 160934

Precise determination of dynamical masses of pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars is essential to calibrate stellar evolution models that are widely used to derive theoretical masses of young low-mass objects. Binary stars in young, nearby loose associations are particularly good candidates for this calibration since all members share a common age. Interestingly, some of these young binaries present a persistent and compact radio emission, which makes them excellent targets for astrometric VLBI studies. We aim to monitor the orbital motion of the binary system HD 160934, a member of the AB Doradus moving group. We observed HD 160934 with the Very Large Array and the European VLBI Network at 8.4 and 5 GHz, respectively. The orbital information derived from these observations was analyzed along with previously reported orbital measurements. We show that the two components of the binary, HD 160934 A and HD 160934 c, display compact radio emission at VLBI scales, providing precise information on the relative orbit. Revised orbital elements were estimated. Future VLBI monitoring of this pair should determine precise model-independent mass estimates for the A and c components, which will serve as calibration tests for PMS evolutionary models.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&

GROUP AFFILIATION AND THE PERFORMANCE OF INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS IN THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET

We document the effects of group affiliation on the initial performance of 2,713 Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) in India under three regulatory regimes during the period 1990-2004. We distinguish between two competing hypotheses regarding group affiliation: the “certification” and the “tunneling” hypotheses. We lend support to the latter by showing that the underpricing of group companies is higher than that of stand-alone companies. We ascribe the higher initial returns of group IPOs to investor overreaction. Ex post, we find that group-affiliated companies have a higher probability of survival over the long term: groups support their affiliates to maintain their reputation

Integrating Prosodic and Lexical Cues for Automatic Topic Segmentation

We present a probabilistic model that uses both prosodic and lexical cues for the automatic segmentation of speech into topically coherent units. We propose two methods for combining lexical and prosodic information using hidden Markov models and decision trees. Lexical information is obtained from a speech recognizer, and prosodic features are extracted automatically from speech waveforms. We evaluate our approach on the Broadcast News corpus, using the DARPA-TDT evaluation metrics. Results show that the prosodic model alone is competitive with word-based segmentation methods. Furthermore, we achieve a significant reduction in error by combining the prosodic and word-based knowledge sources.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figure

An ancestral secretory apparatus in the protozoan parasite Giardia intestinalis

The protozoan parasite Giardia intestinalis belongs to one of the earliest diverged eukaryotic lineages. This is also reflected in a simple intracellular organization, as Giardia lacks common subcellular compartments such as mitochondria, peroxisomes, and apparently also a Golgi apparatus. During encystation, developmentally regulated formation of large secretory compartments containing cyst wall material occurs. Despite the lack of any morphological similarities, these encystation-specific vesicles (ESVs) show several biochemical characteristics of maturing Golgi cisternae. Previous studies suggested that Golgi structure and function are induced only during encystation in Giardia, giving rise to the hypothesis that ESVs, as a Giardia Golgi equivalent, are generated de novo. Alternatively, ESV compartments could be built on the template structure of a cryptic Golgi in trophozoites in response to ER export of cyst wall material during encystation. We addressed this question by defining the molecular framework of the Giardia secretory apparatus using a comparative genomic approach. Analysis of the corresponding transcriptome during growth and encystation revealed surprisingly little stage-specific regulation. A panel of antibodies was generated against selected marker proteins to investigate the developmental dynamics of the endomembrane system. We show evidence that Giardia accommodates the export of large amounts of cyst wall material through re-organization of membrane compartment(s) in trophozoites with biochemical similarities to ESVs. This suggests that ESVs are selectively stabilized Golgi-like compartments in a unique and archetypical secretory system, which arise from a structural template in trophozoites rather than being generated de novo