Combinatorial conditions that imply word-hyperbolicity for 3-manifolds

Thurston conjectured that a closed triangulated 3-manifold in which every edge has degree 5 or 6, and no two edges of degree 5 lie in a common 2-cell, has word-hyperbolic fundamental group. We establish Thurston's conjecture by proving that such a manifold admits a piecewise Euclidean metric of non-positive curvature and the universal cover contains no isometrically embedded flat planes. The proof involves a mixture of computer computation and techniques from small cancellation theory.Comment: (21 pages) To appear in Topolog

Broad Programmatic, Policy and Planning Assessments under the National Environmental Policy Act and Similar Devices: A Quiet Revolution in an Approach to Environmental Considerations

This article examines the legal background of broad-based environmental assessments and court decisions interpreting the scope, timing and other issues regarding these assessments. The author then explores the use of these broad-based assessments in both the U.S. government and international institutions

A geophysical study of the hydrogeology of the Carrizo Plain area, San Luis Obispo County, California

National audienceLe geste de la quenelle, inventé par Dieudonné, pose des problèmes d'interprétation particuliers. Symbole antisémite pour certains, il n'est qu'une provocation "anti-système" pour d'autres. La réalisation de ce geste par le footballeur Nicolas Anelka a donné l'occasion aux instances disciplinaires du football anglais d'analyser en détail les implications de la quenelle. Mais l'intérêt de la décision rendue dépasse largement les faits de l'espèce. Elle permet de réfléchir sur les difficultés juridiques soulevées par les tactiques d'insinuation qu'utilise la "nouvelle vague" du discours de haine, si l'on veut bien appeler ainsi la mouvance qui s'inscrit dans le sillage de Dieudonn

Rotations, Risk and Reward: Farming system choice on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia

A farming systems and rotations trial was conducted at Minnipa on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia between 1995 and 2001. The results have been presented to local farmers as simple gross margin comparisons (with a relatively low value for the pasture phase if present) in extension publications. The results are reassessed in terms of increased livestock return, and allowing for permanent/family labour and machinery overheads. The relative risk vs return is also considered to explain the acceptance of the research by local farmers.Farm Management, Land Economics/Use,

Evaluating possible uses of a Raspberry Pi in an academic library environment

Loughborough University's Library Systems Team investigated two potential uses for Raspberry Pis. The first use to be identified for investigation was using the Raspberry Pi as a replacement for the existing OPAC hardware. While it met a majority of the requirements there were issues with the responsiveness to user input at certain times. The second use for Raspberry Pis investigated was to provide a number of digital signs to display details about resource bookings and the availability of PCs in IT labs around campus. The Raspberry Pi demonstrated that it was ideally suited to this task

Raspberry Pi driven digital signage

Loughborough University makes extensive use of digital signage to display rapidly changing information to its staff, students and visitors. Within the library, digital signage displays show PC availability, study and meeting room bookings, IT support information and details of forthcoming events. To drive the displays small, inexpensive and low powered Raspberry Pi computers are used. The low cost and ease of use of the Raspberry Pi based solution has allowed the Library to have far more displays in use than would otherwise be possible, which provides for an enhanced user experience in the building. This paper describes how Raspberry Pi's can be used to drive displays, shows some of the cost savings that can be made and looks at some potential future applications of cheap, digital signage