Legumes in antiquity: a micromorphological investigation of seeds of the Vicieae.

Early evidence for the importance of legumes in nutrition is limited by difficulties in the identification and interpretation of pulse remains from archaeological contexts. The main aims of this work are to seek in a detailed survey of legume seed micromorphology, criteria that can be used i) for the identification of species and, ii) as evidence of cultivation. Assessment of the role of SEM in archaeobotany is a supplementary aim. Archaeological evidence of pulses in the Old World is first reviewed, followed by the rationale for the selection of members of the tribe Vicieae as the species researched. The second part of the thesis is a background study of the Vicieae and its four major genera Vicia, Lathyrus, Lens and Pisum. Brief accounts of their taxonomy, seed morphology and geographical distribution are followed by an examination of traditional Old World systems of pulse agronomy. Chapter three concerns the material and methods of research. The results are described qualitatively in chapter four, and following multivariate analysis in chapters five and six. The seventh chapter describes some miscellaneous procedures. The eighth chapter is a discussion of the results. Identifications down to species level using seed micromorphology are restricted to certain taxa, contrary to some published reports; but allocation of specimens to a higher taxonomic rank, using an array of criteria, is usually more realistic. Most useful characters are found in features in the hilar region. Clear evidence of cultivation has only been observed in the genus Pisum. Using SEM, similar data may be recorded equally in fresh seeds and fragments of charred archaeological specimens. It is concluded that seeds of the Vicieae usually do not exhibit sufficient morphological differences for species identification. Evidence for cultivation may rather be sought in biochemical changes that facilitate control of the germinationin seeds of cultigens. Future research into pulse biochemistry and agronomy is anticipated

A performative-performance analytical approach: infusing Butlerian theory into the narrative-discursive method

Judith Butler’s theory of performativity provides gender theorists with a rich theoretical language for thinking about gender. Despite this, Butlerian theory is difficult to apply, as Butler does not provide guidance on actual analysis of language use in context. In order to address this limitation, we suggest carefully supplementing performativity with the notion of performance in a manner that allows for the inclusion of relational specificities and the mechanisms through which gender, and gender trouble, occur. To do this, we turn to current developments within discursive psychology and narrative theory. We extend the narrative-discursive method proposed by Taylor and colleagues, infusing it with Butlerian theory in order to fashion a dual analytical lens, which we call the performativity-performance approach. We provide a brief example of how the proposed analytical process may be implemented

The management of acne vulgaris in primary care: a cohort study of consulting and prescribing patterns using CPRD

Background Effective management of acne vulgaris in primary care involves support (usually provided over a number of consultations) and prescribing effective treatments. However, consulting and prescribing patterns for acne in primary care are not well described. Objective To describe the rate of primary care consultations and follow-up consultations; prescribing patterns, including overall use of acne related medications (ARM) and initial and follow-up prescribing, for acne vulgaris in the UK. Methods UK primary care acne consultations and prescriptions for ARMs were identified in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). Annual consultation rates (between 2004 and 2013) by age and gender, new consultations and consultations in the subsequent year; prescribing trends, prescribing during a new consultation and over the subsequent 90 days and year were calculated, using number of registered patients as the denominator. Results 65.9% of patients who had a new acne consultation had no further acne consultations in the subsequent year. 26.6%, 25.2%, 23.5% and 2.8% of patients were prescribed no ARM, an oral antibiotic, a topical antibiotic, or an oral plus topical antibiotic respectively during a new acne consultation. 59.9% and 38.5% of patients prescribed an ARM received no further ARM prescriptions in the following 90 days and one year respectively, despite most prescriptions being for 2 months or less. Prescribing rates for lymecycline and topical combined clindamycin/benzoyl peroxide increased substantially between 2004 and 2013. There were no important changes in consultation rates between 2004 and 2013. Conclusion These data suggest that patients with acne are receiving sub-optimal initial choice of ARMs, longitudinal care and prescribing

Perspicuity and Granularity in Refinement

This paper reconsiders refinements which introduce actions on the concrete level which were not present at the abstract level. It draws a distinction between concrete actions which are "perspicuous" at the abstract level, and changes of granularity of actions between different levels of abstraction. The main contribution of this paper is in exploring the relation between these different methods of "action refinement", and the basic refinement relation that is used. In particular, it shows how the "refining skip" method is incompatible with failures-based refinement relations, and consequently some decisions in designing Event-B refinement are entangled.Comment: In Proceedings Refine 2011, arXiv:1106.348

Non-linear regression models for Approximate Bayesian Computation

Approximate Bayesian inference on the basis of summary statistics is well-suited to complex problems for which the likelihood is either mathematically or computationally intractable. However the methods that use rejection suffer from the curse of dimensionality when the number of summary statistics is increased. Here we propose a machine-learning approach to the estimation of the posterior density by introducing two innovations. The new method fits a nonlinear conditional heteroscedastic regression of the parameter on the summary statistics, and then adaptively improves estimation using importance sampling. The new algorithm is compared to the state-of-the-art approximate Bayesian methods, and achieves considerable reduction of the computational burden in two examples of inference in statistical genetics and in a queueing model.Comment: 4 figures; version 3 minor changes; to appear in Statistics and Computin

Wildlife conservation in a fragmented landscape: the Eurasian red squirrel on the Isle of Wight

Island populations may have a higher extinction risk due to reduced genetic diversity and need to be managed effectively in order to reduce the risk of biodiversity loss. The Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in the south of England only survive on three islands (the Isle of Wight, Brownsea and Furzey islands), with the Isle of Wight harbouring the largest population in the region. Fourteen microsatellites were used to determine the genetic structure of red squirrel populations on the Isle of Wight, as well as their relatedness to other populations of the species. Our results demonstrated that squirrels on these islands were less genetically diverse than those in Continental mainland populations, as would be expected. It also confirmed previous results from mitochondrial DNA which indicated that the squirrels on the Isle of Wight were relatively closely related to Brownsea island squirrels in the south of England. Importantly, our findings showed that genetic mixing between squirrels in the east and west of the Isle of Wight was very limited. Given the potential deleterious effects of small population size on genetic health, landscape management to encourage dispersal of squirrels between these populations should be a priorit

Sporting embodiment: sports studies and the (continuing) promise of phenomenology

Whilst in recent years sports studies have addressed the calls ‘to bring the body back in’ to theorisations of sport and physical activity, the ‘promise of phenomenology’ remains largely under-realised with regard to sporting embodiment. Relatively few accounts are grounded in the ‘flesh’ of the lived sporting body, and phenomenology offers a powerful framework for such analysis. A wide-ranging, multi-stranded, and interpretatively contested perspective, phenomenology in general has been taken up and utilised in very different ways within different disciplinary fields. The purpose of this article is to consider some selected phenomenological threads, key qualities of the phenomenological method, and the potential for existentialist phenomenology in particular to contribute fresh perspectives to the sociological study of embodiment in sport and exercise. It offers one way to convey the ‘essences’, corporeal immediacy and textured sensuosity of the lived sporting body. The use of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) is also critically addressed. Key words: phenomenology; existentialist phenomenology; interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA); sporting embodiment; the lived-body; Merleau-Pont

Affective Man-Machine Interface: Unveiling human emotions through biosignals

As is known for centuries, humans exhibit an electrical profile. This profile is altered through various psychological and physiological processes, which can be measured through biosignals; e.g., electromyography (EMG) and electrodermal activity (EDA). These biosignals can reveal our emotions and, as such, can serve as an advanced man-machine interface (MMI) for empathic consumer products. However, such a MMI requires the correct classification of biosignals to emotion classes. This chapter starts with an introduction on biosignals for emotion detection. Next, a state-of-the-art review is presented on automatic emotion classification. Moreover, guidelines are presented for affective MMI. Subsequently, a research is presented that explores the use of EDA and three facial EMG signals to determine neutral, positive, negative, and mixed emotions, using recordings of 21 people. A range of techniques is tested, which resulted in a generic framework for automated emotion classification with up to 61.31% correct classification of the four emotion classes, without the need of personal profiles. Among various other directives for future research, the results emphasize the need for parallel processing of multiple biosignals

A Preliminary Study of Elderly Emergency Service Clients in Chicago and Their Housing-Related Problems

Emergencies to which city agencies respond reveal a connection between homelessness and other housing hardships of the elderly. This study examines a random sample of 125 case records of elderly clients assisted by the Chicago Department of Human Services Emergency Services program between 1984 and 1987. The crises that lead to emergency services, the extent of clients' housing-related problems, and the needs that cluster around shelter placement and other housing related problems are analyzed An extraordinarily broad range of problems and service needs are identified The findings reveal the prevalence of housing problems for the elderly and the relationship between basic needs, patterns of services offered, and certain emergencies, includ ing homelessness. They have implications for improving client services and underscore the importance of ongoing rather than emergency assistance with the elderly. Very old persons without kin who experience crises are at great risk and pose growing dilemmas for urban public agencies.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68265/2/10.1177_073346489201100102.pd