108 research outputs found
Nephrite Jade in West Pakistan
No full textTwo pebbles of the nephrite variety of jade were found by the author in 1955 in the river bed of the Teri Toi in Kohat District of former North-West Frontier Province of West Pakistan; the positive identification of the compositions of the pebbles was, however, not made until February, 1962. This appears to be the first authenticated record of either of the true jade minerals (nephrite or jadeite) in Pakistan or India, and the discovery is of significance in relation to the unsolved problem of the origin of the raw material of Indian carved jade.</jats:p
Correct-by-construction finite field arithmetic in Coq
No full textThesis: M. Eng., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2018.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 73-74).Elliptic-curve cryptography code, although based on elegant and concise mathematical procedures, often becomes long and complex due to speed optimizations. This statement is especially true for the specialized finite-field libraries used for ECC code, resulting in frequent implementation bugs. I describe the methodologies used to create a Coq framework that generates implementations of finite-field arithmetic routines along with proofs of their correctness, given nothing but the modulus.by Jade Philipoom.M. Eng
Petrographic Analysis of Egyptian Predynastic Pottery from AKAP Excavations in the Aswan Region (TECHNOPREGYPT 2021/43/P/HS3/03262) – Preliminary Report
No full textpreliminary petrographic report made in the frame of the project TECHNOPREGYPT 2021/43/P/HS3/03262This petrographic study has been carried out in the frame of the project TECHNOPREGYPT Ceramic technology and the socio-political environment of Predynastic Egypt (2021/43/P/HS3/03262). The analysis aimed to characterize a variety of pottery fabrics from the 5th and 4th millennium BCE from the sites investigated by the Aswan-Kom Ombo Archaeological project (AKAP) directed by M. C. Gatto and A. Curci in the First Nile Cataract Region. Thirty-three samples were selected by Maria Carmela Gatto and Jade Bajeot, and the thin sections were prepared and analyzed at the Kom Ombo and Aswan storehouses. The sites included in the analysis are: WAL10, two 5th mill. tumuli tombs at Wadi al-Lawi; SN1 a large 5th mill. tumulus tomb at Shaab Nagema; WK15 and WK14, a predynastic settlement and its cemetery at Nag el-Qarmila; NH16, a predynastic funerary complex at Nag el-Hamdulab; WT27, predynastic settlement remains at Wadi el-Tawil; predynastic cemetery SM6 and Pre-Kerma/B-Group camp SM22 at Sheik-Mohamed. Funding This research is part of the project No. 2021/43/P/HS3/03262 (PI Jade Bajeot) co-funded by the Polish National Science Centre and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 945339. For the purpose of Open Access, the author has applied a CC-BY public copyright license to any Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) version arising from this submission
Towards Inclusive Curating: Who gets to Curate Exhibitions?
No full textTo many, curating is a closed and mystifying aspect of exhibition-making. Here, artist, curator and author Jade French discusses her latest book, Inclusive Curating in Contemporary Art: A Practical Guide, with Marie-Anne McQuay, Head of Programme, Bluecoat and Artistic Director of Wales in Venice 2019. The book, intended to make curating accessible to people without a traditional arts education background, features a range of practical resources and key debates. These are grounded in a case study, Auto Agents. French and McQuay begin by discussing the case study and book over email during lockdown
Microbial attachment to sulfide minerals in a bioleach environment
No full textIncludes bibliographical references (leaves 119-125).This research pertains to bioleaching of copper containing ores with particular reference to the copper sulfide mineral chalcopyrite (CuFeS₂). While it is focused on heap bioleaching, it has applications to stirred tank bioleaching operations. Industrial heap bioleaching offers opportunities for processing of low grade ores but poses process operational challenges. These challenges include ineffective heap inoculation, a lag period before effective leaching commences and poor heap performance. These aspects are attributed to several contributing factors, such as heap construction, engineering and microbial activity. To date little attention has been paid to colonisation as a means of mitigating these challenges and effectively improving process operation. Current literature regarding microbial attachment to sulfide minerals is limited to pure culture studies using iron oxidising mesophiles, and the use of sulfide mineral concentrates. In a heap environment, mineral dissolution is accelerated through the presence of a mixed consortium of microbial species; with the contribution of each not yet fully understood. In addition, gangue minerals comprise the bulk of the minerals present and thus cannot be neglected when attempting to better understand microbial attachment and the role of micro-organisms in a heap environment. The predominant methodology employed to study microbial attachment in a bioleach context has used batch agitated systems (shake flasks). This may not adequately represent attachment under heap-like fluid dynamics. The idea of this project stemmed from a requirement to contribute to the mitigation of challenges faced by industry through addressing the aforementioned gaps prevailing in literature and improving understanding of the role of microbial attachment and colonisation under conditions simulating a heap. The aim of this study was to investigate attachment of three bioleach micro-organisms (A. ferrooxidans, L. ferriphilum and S. metallicus)to complex, sulfide-containing minerals ores in a bioleach environment using methodologies simulating heap-like conditions
TeamWorker: An agent-based support system for mobile task execution
No full textTraditional workflow management systems are considered insufficiently flexible to support autonomous job management via close team working. This paper proposes a multi-agent system approach to enhancing existing workflow management systems to enable team-based job management in the field of telecommunications service provision and maintenance. This paper adopts a component-based approach and explains how applications can be developed by customising the generic components provided by a multi-agent systems framework
Frequentistische en Bayesiaanse statistiek in de forensische statistiek
No full textIn de statistiek zijn er verschillende methodes voor het uitvoeren van model selectie. Het verschil in deze methodes komt voort uit het verschil in stromingen. Voor niet-geneste model selectie zijn de meest ganbare stromingen de Bayes Factor en de likelihood ratio. D. M. Ommen en C. P. Saunders presenteerden theoretische resultaten voor de relatie tussen de Bayes Factor en de likelihood ratio, waardoor de resultaten van beide paradigma's met elkaar kunnen worden vergeleken [5]. De Bayes Factor wordt uitgedrukt in de verwachting van likelihoodratio functie met betrekking tot de posterior verdeling van de parameters. In de bewijzen van deze theoriën ontbraken een aantal belangrijke aspecten. Om deze resultaten volledig te kunnen bewijzen, wordt in dit verslag aangetoond dat eerdere theoretische resultaten moeten worden uitgebreid met extra aannames of volledig moeten worden aangepast. Aan de hand van deze aannames en aanpassingen worden de theoretische resultaten bewezen. De theoretische resultaten zijn belangrijk in de toepassing van niet-geneste model selectie, omdat er nu gecommuniceerd kan worden tussen experts vanuit een ander paradigma
Towards interoperable standards for 1D time series data within the water sector
No full textWater management is becoming increasingly important in the world. Population growth, climate change, and increasing demands placed on infrastructure call for a smart and standardized approach. The data needs to stay at the source and sharing information in a more efficient way is becoming increasingly important. To make this possible in the water sector a platform is needed to facilitate the exchange of information. This platform allows for keeping data at the source, which can then be accessed all over the world. The data exchange will become possible when the platform works according the right standards. An integrated model based on existing standards is one of the first steps in achieving better communication and interoperability. The research goal is to to design a well defined information model based on standards that will be optimal for implementation in a information infrastructure within the water sector to make the 1D time series data exchange easier. This is done by a research to the existing standards and there capabilities. The standards are described and from their background an information a model is created to illustrate in one overview the relations between these standards on several levels. To create one Hydrological TimeSeries Stan- dard Based Information Model (HydroTS-SBIM) the international standards that are most relevant are selected and reviewed; ISO 19156 O&M, OGC Timeseries Profile of O&M and WaterML 2.0: Part 1- Timeseries. This is done to get a clear and complete HydroTS-SBIM that gives an accurate insight on both the positive and negative aspects of the existing standards, and will show in one information model the possible relation between them. For now the standards cannot be merged into one complete model due to the inconsistencies among the standards. Therefore the HydroTS-SBIM 2.0 is created to illustrate these inconsistencies and complications on each level. To create an HydroTS-SBIM thorough research has been done, including interviews with highly educated specialists within the fields of data standardization, governance and the water sector. A survey was used as feedback for the creation of a demo version of the proposed solution, called the Packet Plan. The Packet Plan is an step-by-step approach to the standards. To show the use of the packets, the core packet is developed which is called core packet A. It illustrates that there is no need to implement the total standard in all its richness at once to be able to share data, instead it presents a model with the concept of compact packets. This is a time efficient process where the implementation of the standard will be in parts, leading to less information at once but divided over the packets. The user will only get the required information for the specific part the user needs at that time, resulting in an easier and more time efficient data exchange.Geomatic
Repeated estradiol administration alters different aspects of neurogenesis and cell death in the hippocampus of female, but not male, rats
No full textEstradiol has been shown to have neuroprotective effects, and acute estradiol treatment enhances hippocampal neurogenesis in the female brain. However, little is known about the effects of repeated administration of estradiol on the female brain, or about the effects of estradiol on the male brain. Gonadectomized male and female adult rats were injected with 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) (200 mg/kg), and then 24 h later were given subcutaneous injections of either estradiol benzoate (33 μg/kg) or vehicle daily for 15 days. On day 16, animals were perfused and the brains processed to examine cells expressing Ki-67 (cell proliferation), BrdU (cell survival), doublecortin (young neuron production), pyknotic morphology (cell death), activated caspase-3 (apoptosis), and Fluoro-Jade B (degenerating neurons) in the dentate gyrus. In female rats, repeated administration of estradiol decreased the survival of new neurons (independent of any effects on initial cell proliferation), slightly increased cell proliferation, and decreased overall cell death in the dentate gyrus. In male rats, repeated administration of estradiol had no significant effect on neurogenesis or cell death. We therefore demonstrate a clear sex difference in the response to estradiol of hippocampal neurogenesis and apoptosis in adult rats, with adult females being more responsive to the effects of estradiol than males.Peer reviewedSex differencesCell survivalHippocampal neurogenesisDentate gyru
A voting-based agent system to support personalised e-learning in a course selection scenario
No full textAgent technologies are a promising approach to solving a number of problems concerned with personalised learning due to the inherent autonomy and independence they provide for learners. The objective of this thesis is to find out whether a multiagent system could potentially replace a centralised infrastructure, and to explore the impact of agents taking different strategies. More specifically, our aim is to show how intelligent agent systems can not only form a good framework for distributed e-learning systems, but also how they can be applied in contexts where learners are autonomous and independent. The study also aims to investigate fairness issues and propose a simple framework of fairness definitions derived from the relevant literature.To this end, a university course selection scenario has been chosen, where the university has many courses available, but has only sufficient resources to run the most preferred ones. Instead of a centralised system, we consider a decentralised approach where individuals can make a collective decision about which courses should run by using a multi-agent system based on voting. This voting process consists of multiple rounds, allowing a student agent to accurately represent the student’s preferences, and learn from previous rounds. The effectiveness of this research is demonstrated in three experiments. The first experiment explores whether voting procedures and multiagent technology could potentially replace a centralised infrastructure. It also explores the impact of agents using different strategies on overall student satisfaction. The second experiment demonstrates the potential for using multiagent systems and voting in settings where students have more complex preferences. The last experiment investigates how intelligent agent-based e-learning systems can ensure fairness between individuals using different strategies.This work shows that agent technology could provide levels of decentralisation and personalisation that could be extended to various types of personal and informal learning. It also highlights the importance of the issue of fairness in intelligent and personalised e-learning systems. In this context, it may be said that there is only one potential view of fairness that is practical for these systems, which is the social welfare view that looks to the overall outcome
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