Benchmarking the vertically integrated ice-sheet model IMAU-ICE (version 2.0)

Ice-dynamical processes constitute a large uncertainty in future projections of sea-level rise caused by anthropogenic climate change. Improving our understanding of these processes requires ice-sheet models that perform well at simulating both past and future ice-sheet evolution. Here, we present version 2.0 of the ice-sheet model IMAU-ICE, which uses the depth-integrated viscosity approximation (DIVA) to solve the stress balance. We evaluate its performance in a range of benchmark experiments, including simple analytical solutions, as well as both schematic and realistic model intercomparison exercises. IMAU-ICE has adopted recent developments in the numerical treatment of englacial stress and sub-shelf melt near the grounding-line, which result in good performance in experiments concerning grounding-line migration (MISMIP) and buttressing (ABUMIP). This makes it a model that is robust, versatile, and user-friendly, and which will provide a firm basis for (palaeo-)glaciological research in the coming years.

Unenforceable Target Movable Property Under Enforcement

Nowadays, enforcement is one of the crucial elements of justice. Right to the property is guaranteed by the constitution and therefore exercising property rights is one of the key goals of justice, the latter is implemented through effective and efficient enforcement. The present study is mainly dedicated to the specifics of enforcing property rights. Methods used in the research involve qualitative study, the latter encompasses observation of rules and regulations in national and international practices based on primary and secondary legal and historical sources, including official legal documents, court decisions as first-hand material, as well as derived sources such as various articles, monographs, comments on laws and regulations, etc. The comparative method used in the study is aimed at demonstrating differences and similarities of enforcement rules and procedures in different legal systems, revealing their advantages and disadvantages, while practical examples focus on the identification of gaps to lay the path for better legal solutions. The complex scrutiny of the subject to the present research allows to review it from different angles and suggest legal recommendations to raise the efficiency of the enforcement system and subsequently provide a firm basis for justice.

Evolving in the darkness: phylogenomics of Sinocyclocheilus cavefishes highlights recent diversification and cryptic diversity

Troglomorphism-morphological adaptation enabling life in constant darkness of caves, such as loss of pigment, reduced eyesight or blindness, over-developed tactile and olfactory organs has long intrigued biologists. However, inferring the proximate and ultimate mechanisms driving the evolution of troglomorphism in freshwater fish requires a sound understanding of the evolutionary relationships among surface, troglomorphic, and intermediate lineages. We use Restriction Site Associated DNA Sequencing (RADseq) to probe deeper into the evolution of the Sinocyclocheilus fishes of China. They comprise the largest cavefish diversification in the world with a remarkable array of derived troglomorphic traits, and are currently considered as an emerging multi-species model system to study evolutionary novelty. We sequenced a total of 120 individuals from throughout the Sinocyclocheilus distribution. The data comprised a total of 646,497 bp per individual, including 4378 loci and 67,983 SNPs (61,023 parsimony-informative) shared across more than at least 114 individuals at a given locus. Phylogenetic analyses using either the concatenated RAD loci (RAxML) or the SNPs only under a coalescent model (SVDquartets) showed a high degree of congruence and high node support (> 95) for most nodes in the phylogeny. The major clades we recovered conform to a pattern established previously using Sanger-based mt-DNA sequences, however, with a few notable exceptions. With an increased representation of the genome sequenced, we now recognize 6 major clades in this group, two additional clades than before. The blind cavefish S. tianlinensis and the micro-eyed S. microphthalmus are now recognized as distinct clades due to their deep divergence from other clades. A Bayes factor delimitation (BFD) analysis showed support for 21 species, recognizing 19 previously described species and two putative new cryptic ones. Two species whose identity were previously disputed, S. furcodorsalis and S. tianeensis, are supported here as distinct species. Our multi-species calibrated tree in SNAPP suggests that the genus Sinocyclocheilus originated around 10.5 Mya, but most speciation events happened in the last 2 Mya, likely favored by the uplift of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and a climate driven aridification event forcing cave occupation during this period. These results provide a firm basis for future comparative studies on the evolution of Sinocyclocheilus and its adaptations to cave life.

The Thermal Properties of L12 Phases in Aluminum Enhanced by Alloying Elements

The L12 type trialuminide compounds Al3M possess outstanding mechanical properties, which enable them to be ideal for dispersed strengthening phases for the high-strength thermally stable Al based alloys. Ab-initio calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT) were performed to study the structural, electronic, thermal, and thermodynamic properties of L12-Al3M (M = Er, Hf, Lu, Sc, Ti, Tm, Yb, Li, Mg, Zr) structures in Al alloys. The total energy calculations showed that the L12 structures are quite stable. On the basis of the thermodynamic calculation, we found that the Yb, Lu, Er, and Tm atoms with a larger atomic radii than Al promoted the thermal stability of the Al alloys, and the thermal stability rank has been constructed as: Al3Yb > Al3Lu > Al3Er > Al3Tm > Al, which shows an apparent positive correlation between the atomic size and thermal stability. The chemical bond offers a firm basis upon which to forge links not only within chemistry but also with the macroscopic properties of materials. A careful analysis of the charge density indicated that Yb, Lu, Er, and Tm atoms covalently bonded to Al, providing a strong intrinsic basis for the thermal stability of the respective structures, suggesting that the addition of big atoms (Yb, Lu, Er, and Tm) are beneficial for the thermal stability of Al alloys.

Hardware Trust and Assurance through Reverse Engineering: A Tutorial and Outlook from Image Analysis and Machine Learning Perspectives

In the context of hardware trust and assurance, reverse engineering has been often considered as an illegal action. Generally speaking, reverse engineering aims to retrieve information from a product, i.e., integrated circuits (ICs) and printed circuit boards (PCBs) in hardware security-related scenarios, in the hope of understanding the functionality of the device and determining its constituent components. Hence, it can raise serious issues concerning Intellectual Property (IP) infringement, the (in)effectiveness of security-related measures, and even new opportunities for injecting hardware Trojans. Ironically, reverse engineering can enable IP owners to verify and validate the design. Nevertheless, this cannot be achieved without overcoming numerous obstacles that limit successful outcomes of the reverse engineering process. This article surveys these challenges from two complementary perspectives: image processing and machine learning. These two fields of study form a firm basis for the enhancement of efficiency and accuracy of reverse engineering processes for both PCBs and ICs. In summary, therefore, this article presents a roadmap indicating clearly the actions to be taken to fulfill hardware trust and assurance objectives.

Superstar Search: Studying the Current and Potential Populations of Canadian Exporters and Foreign Direct Investors Abroad

In this article, we analyze the potential to increase Canada’s exports and foreign direct investment abroad. To do so, we construct a unique administrative dataset containing detailed information for millions of companies that operated in Canada between 2010 and 2015. This allows us first to study the current population of Canada’s exporters and foreign direct investors abroad. Then, using probit modelling and propensity score matching, we infer the potential populations of these firms and examine their observable characteristics. Our estimates suggest there is considerable untapped potential to grow Canada’s outward international activity, with thousands of firms identified as high-potential exporters or foreign direct investors abroad. On a per-firm basis, the initial international activity of potential entrants is likely be considerably lower because they tend to operate at a smaller scale than companies that are already internationally active—for exporters, less than half the scale, and for outward investors, less than one-tenth the scale.

Implementing Community-Engaged Participatory Research Methods in a Study of Cree Women’s Wellness: Describing Recruitment Processes and Outcomes

Background: In 2017, the Sohkitehew Group was funded to undertake research to identify wellness strategies adopted by mature women as they age in the rural Cree community of Maskwacis, Alberta. We describe our recruitment processes and outcomes for events from July 2017 to June 2018, the first phase of this research. Methodology: Data gathered from minutes of 36 Sohkitehew Working Group and two Elders Advisory Committee meetings were used to identify recruitment strategies, event characteristics and recruitment outcomes for two large community events and three Sharing Circles. Results:1. Recruitment strategies: Strategies were similar for community events and Sharing Circles: event posters were displayed throughout Maskwacis, and advertisements were broadcast by Hawk Radio and appeared in Band newsletters.2. Event Characteristics: Settings included a large community gymnasium for large events, and smaller community venues in different Bands for Sharing Circles. Traditional/cultural protocols were addressed by smudging meeting spaces, inviting community Elders to attend all events, and saying prayers. Healthy lunches were provided.3. Event attendance: The two larger community events attracted 96, and 37 participants, respectively. Sharing Circle attendance ranged from 8 to 23 participants. Conclusion: Recruitment strategies succeeded for the Sohkitehew events in Maskwacis. Prior trusting and respectful relationships with the community established over several years provided a firm basis for this research. Successful recruitment efforts required time, planning, flexibility, and careful attention to culture and tradition to meet objectives to attract participants. Similar strategies may be successful in other rural Indigenous communities if tailored for the specific needs and expectations of individual communities.

A Q-method approach to perceptions of professional reasoning in occupational therapy undergraduates

Background Professional reasoning provides a firm basis for the development of teaching and assessment strategies to support the acquisition of skills by healthcare students. Nevertheless, occupational therapy educators should use diverse methods of learning assessment to examine student learning outcomes more fully with an evaluation that supports the overall complexity of the process, particularly learners’ subjective experience. The aim of this article is to identify the range of perspectives among occupational therapy undergraduates regarding terms or concepts that are key for improving their professional reasoning. Methods Q-methodology was used to address the aim of the study. A concourse relating to a series of ideas, phrases, terminology, and concepts associated with various studies on professional reasoning in occupational therapy, specifically on students in this field, was generated. The terms that had the clearest evidence, the most relevance or the greatest number of citations in the literature were collected (n = 37). The P-set was assembled by non-probabilistic sampling for convenience. It comprised undergraduate university students in occupational therapy. Factor analysis was conducted using Ken-Q Analysis v.1.0.6, reducing the number of Q-sets to smaller groups of factors representing a common perspective. Results Through statistical analysis of the Q-sorts of 37 occupational therapy students, 8 default factors were identified. The four factors in accordance with the selection criteria were rotated by varimax rotation to identify variables that could be grouped together. Each viewpoint was interpreted, discussed and liked to different aspects of professional reasoning in occupational therapy. Conclusions The observed perceptions were linked to the various aspects of professional reasoning that have been widely discussed in the occupational therapy literature. For most of the students, there was a strong correspondence between the narrative, interactive and conditional aspects of the various components.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND THE FUTURE GENERATIONS

<p>Due to the increasing rate of human’s economic activity and rapid population growth, twenty first century has seen an unprecedented environmental change. These changes have an unprecedented impact on climate, life-sustaining systems on the earth. Future generations are exposed to great harm by the way in which humans exploit environmental resources of the earth. There is a call among environmental ethicists to review human ethical relationship with the environment as to attain sustainable development for the now and the future generations. Hence, the essence of this paper is to discuss the anthropoholistic environmental ethics, sustainable development and the future Generations. This paper argues that humans need to strive for a new and more respectful relationship with the natural environment in other to attain sustainable development. Also, human obligations towards sustainable development for the future must find a firm basis in social ethics: those obligations have to do with our conception of a just society.</p>