The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Savannah River site (SRS) began a program in late 1993 to pursue the recycling of radioactively contaminated stainless steel. The objective of the beneficial reuse demonstration is to recycle up to 200 t of contaminated stainless steel scrap into waste containers for use within the DOE complex. The metal is melted and fabricated by subcontractors at licensed commercial facilities. Product delivery commenced July 31, 1995. The main challenges to initiation of the recycling include the accumulation, characterization, packaging, and shipment of the contaminated metal items. This paper summarizes how these issues are met.


A Droplet Burning Facility which allows the investigation of droplet vaporization and burning under various dynamic and thermal conditions has been constructed. The system has been operated during the parabolic flights of the NASA KC135 aircraft. An important set of data has been collected on the low temperature turbulent vaporization and envelope burning of suspended n‐heptane droplets at ground and reduced gravity conditions. From digitized images obtained by a rapid video camera, the time evolution of the droplet and the flame dimensions are determined with great accuracy. The information is used to deduce the vaporization rate constant, the flame diameter and the flame standoff ratio under various conditions.


Half of all patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection do not respond to peginterferon and ribavirin therapy, and, for these nonresponders, no


The NASA and DOT technology program planning for quieter air transportation systems is reviewed. To put this planning in context, the nature of the noise problem and the projected nature of the air transportation fleet are identified. The technology program planning reviewed here is discussed in relation to the following areas of activity: systems analysis, community acceptance, basic research and technology, and the various classes of civil aircraft, i.e. existing and advanced transports, powered-lift transports, and general aviation.


Does industry experience affect the monitoring effectiveness of independent directors? On the one hand, prior industry experience provides independent directors industry-specific knowledge and expertise critical for understanding and evaluating managerial decision making, thereby enhancing their monitoring capability. On the other hand, independent directors with prior experience in the firm's industry may be socially connected with or sympathetic to the firm's management, thus impairing their monitoring incentives. We test these competing hypotheses in a variety of firm polices and decision making. Specifically, we find that the presence of independent directors with industry experience on a firm's audit committee significantly curtails firms' earnings management via abnormal accruals and reduces both ex ante and ex post probabilities of firms committing financial fraud. In addition, a greater representation of independent directors with industry expertise on a firm's compensation committee reduces CEO excess compensation and a greater presence of such directors on the full board increases the CEO turnover-performance sensitivity and improves acquirer returns from diversifying acquisitions. Overall, the evidence is the consistent with the hypothesis that having relevant industry expertise enhances independent directors' ability to perform their monitoring function. As such, our study sheds new light on the determinants of board effectiveness and provides important policy implications for the design of corporate boards.


DIRECTORY OF CONTRIBUTORS GENERAL INTRODUCTION: The Legislative Branch as an Institution of American Constitutional Democracy INTRODUCTION: Congress and American Democracy: Institutions and Performance SECTION I: IDEALS AND DEVELOPMENT 1. Congress and the Constitutional System 2. Institutional Development of Congress 3. Actions in the Public Square SECTION II: ELECTIONS AND REPRESENTATION 4. Modern Campaigns and Representation 5. Elections, Parties, and Governance 6. Representing Racial and Ethnic Minorities SECTION III: STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES 7. Committees and Policy Formulation 8. Parties and Leadership in the House 9. Parties and Leadership in the Senate SECTION IV: POLICY AND PERFORMANCE 10. Interests, Constituencies, and Policy Making 11. Deliberation and Decision Making 12. Foreign Affairs and War 13. Budgets and Fiscal Policy 14. Advice and Consent: Cooperation and Conflict in the Appointment of Federal Judges 15. Congress and the Bureaucracy SECTION V: ASSESSMENTS AND PROSPECTS 16. Images of Congress 17. Politics of Congressional Reform 18. Congress and American Democracy: Assessing Institutional Performance APPENDIX INDEX


Tuberculosis infection remains a global health problem and the emergence of multidrugresistant TB (MDR-TB) adds further challenges in the battle to stop the spread of infection. Macrophages are the primary host cells to be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), and are therefore key cells in the initial control of TB infection. However, to survive and persist in activated macrophages, Mtb has developed strategies to counteract antimicrobial immunity. This thesis work aimed to explore macrophage responses in Mtbinfected cells, the nature of innate effector mechanisms and how these can be enhanced. For this purpose, we used an in vitro macrophage infection model as well as an organotypic lung tissue model system. The thesis work is based on four papers, Study I and III, involved studies on the effects of the immunomodulatory compounds, vitamin D3 (VitD3) and phenylbutyrate (PBA), on the induction of antimicrobial peptides, primarily human cathelicidin LL-37, and the ability to kill intracellular Mtb. In Study I, we observed that Mtb can down-regulate the expression of LL-37 in infected macrophages, but this effect was effectively counteracted by treatment with VitD3 and/or PBA. PBA and/or VitD3 prevented intracellular Mtb growth via induction of LL-37 as well as activation of autophagy in Mtb-infected macrophages. In Study III, we further demonstrated that PBA+VitD3 enhanced intracellular Mtb killing of both MDR-TB and drug-susceptible strains and this effect was dependent on LL-37. In Study IV, we explored the role of VitD3 in polarization of macrophages in comparison to activation with conventional stimuli such as GM-CSF (polarization of inflammatory M1 macrophages) or MCSF (polarization of anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages). The findings from Study IV, suggested that polarization with VitD3 enhanced the ability of Mtb-infected macrophages to control intracellular Mtb growth in comparison to M1 and M2 subsets. Enhanced Mtb growth control was associated with elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and LL-37, but reduced Mtb-induced expression of the immunosuppressive enzyme IDO (indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase). Study II, aimed to investigate the expression and function of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in early TB granuloma formation using the organotypic lung tissue model that enabled studies on macrophage-Mtb interactions in a more physiological environment in tissue. In this study, we found that pre-treatment of macrophages with the global MMP inhibitor, marimastat, resulted in effective inhibition of TB granuloma formation, which was associated with reduced Mtb growth detected in the lung tissue model. Thus, reduced degradation of extracellular matrix proteins, could prevent Mtb multiplication and spread of the infection. The main conclusion from this thesis work is that immunomodulatory compounds with the ability to boost or block innate effector mechanisms in Mtb-infected macrophages may be used as adjunct host-directed therapies that could support standard anti-TB drugs to enhance clinical recovery from TB. LIST OF SCIENTIFIC PAPERS I. Rokeya Sultana Rekha, SSV Jagadeeswara Rao Muvva, Min Wan, Rubhana Raqib, Peter Bergman, Susanna Brighenti, Gudmuundur H Gudmundsson and Birgitta Agerberth. Phenylbutyrate induces LL-37dependent autophagy and intracellular killing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in human macrophages. Autophagy. 2015 Sep; 11(9): 1688– 1699. II. Venkata R.Parasa, Jagadeeswara Rao Muvva, Jeronimo F. Rose, Clara Braian, Susanna Brighenti and Maria Lerm. Inhibition of Tissue Matrix Metalloproteinases Interferes with Mycobacterium tuberculosis-Induced Granuloma Formation and Reduces Bacterial Load in a Human Lung Tissue Model. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2017; 8: 2370. III. Jagadeeswara Rao Muvva, Sultan Ahmed, Rokeya Sultana Rekha, Thomas schon, Ramona Groenheit, Peter Bergman, Susanna Brighenti and Birgitta Agerberth. Vitamin Dand Phenylbutyrate-mediated growth inhibition of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in human macrophages is dependent on the antimicrobial peptide LL-37. Manuscript. IV. Jagadeeswara Rao Muvva, Venkata Ramanarao Parasa, Maria Lerm, Mattias Svensson and Susanna Brighenti.Polarization of human macrophages with vitamin D promotes control of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Manuscript. ADDITIONAL PUBLICATIONS Min Wan, Xiao Tang, Rokeya Sultana Rekha, S. S. V. Jagadeeswara Rao Muvva, Susanna Brighenti, Birgitta Agerberth and Jesper Z. Haeggstrom. Prostaglandin E2 suppresses hCAP18/LL-37 expression in human macrophages via EP2/EP4: implications for treatment of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. FASEB Journal. 2018 May; 32(5):2827-2840. Tadepally Lakshmikanth Frank Heuts, S. S. V. Jagadeeswara Rao Muvva, Robert P. A. Wallin, Anna-Karin Persson, Cyril Fauriat, Steven E. Applequist, Hans-Gustaf Ljunggren, Petter Hoglund, Klas Karre, Mattias Svensson and Julius G. Juarez. In vivo engineering of mobilized stem cell grafts with the immunomodulatory drug FTY720 for allogeneic transplantation. European Journal of Immunology. 2016 July; 46(7):1758-69. CONTENTS 1 Background on TB infection ........................................................................................... 1 1.1 Pathogenesis of TB infection ................................................................................ 1 1.2 The TB granuloma ................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Macrophage polarization in TB infection ............................................................ 4 1.4 Role of matrix metalloproteinases in the TB granuloma ..................................... 6 1.5 Immune evasion mechanisms of MTB ................................................................ 7 1.6 Antimicrobial effector mechanisms in TB infection ............................................ 7 1.6.1 NO and ROS production: ......................................................................... 8 1.6.2 Antimicrobial peptides: ............................................................................ 8 1.6.3 Autophagy: ............................................................................................... 9 1.6.4 Macrophage extracellular traps (MET's): ............................................. 10 1.6.5 Cytokines: .............................................................................................. 11 1.7 Negative regulators of protective TB immunity ................................................ 12 1.8 Drug resistance in TB ......................................................................................... 13 1.9 Immunomodulatory compounds-Host-directed therapies in TB ....................... 15 1.9.1 Vitamin D: .............................................................................................. 16 1.9.2 Phenylbutyrate: ...................................................................................... 18 2 Aims, materials and Methods ....................................................................................... 19 2.1 Aims .................................................................................................................... 19 2.2 Background on disease models of TB infection ................................................ 20 2.3 Materials and methods ........................................................................................ 20 2.3.1 Cell cultures: .......................................................................................... 22 2.3.2 Bacterial cultures: .................................................................................. 22 2.3.3 Human organotypic lung tissue model: ................................................. 23 2.3.4 Inhibitors: ............................................................................................... 23 2.3.5 Knockdown/silencing of CAMP: .......................................................... 23 2.3.6 Quantitative PCR: .................................................................................. 23 2.3.7 ELISA and western blot: ........................................................................ 24 2.3.8 Microscopy: ........................................................................................... 24 2.3.9 Flow cytometry: ..................................................................................... 25 2.3.10 Bacterial growth: .................................................................................... 25 2.4 Statistical analyses .............................................................................................. 26 2.5 Ethical considerations ......................................................................................... 26 3 Results and discussion .................................................................................................. 27 3.1 STUDY I ............................................................................................................. 27 3.1.1 Background ............................................................................................ 27 3.1.2 Mtb-mediated down-regulation of LL-37 expression in human primary macrophages can be counteracted by PBA+VitD3 .................. 28 3.1.3 Activation of autophagy in Mtb-infected macrophages by PBA and VitD3 treatment is dependent on LL-37 ......................................... 29 3.1.4 LL-37 activates macrophage autophagy in an autocrine or paracrine manner via the P2X7 receptor ............................................... 30 3.2 STUDY III .......................................................................................................... 31 3.2.1 Background ............................................................................................ 31 3.2.2 PBA+VitD3 reduced intracellular growth of MDR-TB as well as drug-susceptible Mtb strains and possessed additive effects together with RIF and INH ..............................................


this paper considered a multi-objective LEACHC algorithm in the selection of Cluster Head (CH) in such a way so that its energy is used uniformly with load balancing among clusters for delayed disintegration of network. LEACH-C algorithm based single objective clustering approach has been replaced by multi-objective clustering approach where we not only considered the residual energy of nodes but the size of cluster in creating a cluster structure. The improved LEACH-C protocol has been compared with random LEACH and Max Energy LEACH or existing LEACH-C algorithm for energy equi-distribution and load balancing among clusters. Wireless sensor network (WSN) is simulated using a MATLAB programming and power consumption algorithms take into consideration all aspects of power consumption in the operation of the node. The modified LEACH-C routing protocol shows improvements in lifetime as well as in network disintegration criterion.


The influence of mixing frequency and depth on phytoplankton functional group composition (mobile versus immobile species) was studied by enclosure experiments in a shallow, stratified lake. Mixing events were artificially induced at intervals from 2–12 d. The mixing depth was increased from the natural level (4 m) to 6 and 9 m. The mobile phytoplankton in the experiments consisted of cyanobacteria and flagellates. Among the latter, large and rapid swimming species were represented by dinoflagellates. An increase of the relative abundance of gas vacuolated cyanobacteria occurred with increasing frequency of mixing. Additionally Reynolds' hypothesis predicting the occurrence of certain mobile phytoplankton genera in response to the mixing regime could be confirmed for the condition when mixing depth exceeds the euphoric depth.


In this paper a secure steganography algorithm which is based on improved logistic map and DNA sequence is proposed. Canny edge detection is also utilized in this new scheme. The improved logistic map is more sensitive to initial condition than logistic map and efficiently expands key space for cryptographic system. The two-by-two complementary rule is presented in this paper. The number of legal DNA complementary rules is 15!. It is far more than traditional complementary rule which is total 6 legal rules. Secret image is changed into DNA matrix according to mapping rule. Then DNA encoded matrix is converted to 1-D bit streams and 1-D binary bit streams are scrambled. Canny edge detector is applied to detect the edge pixels of cover image. Two secret bits are embedded in edge pixels of host image. The experiments show that the proposed scheme is superior to other schemes in peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and the image fidelity (IF) values.


1Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Provincial de Zamora, IBSAL, Zamora, 49071, Spain; 2Farmacogenética y Medicina de Precisión, Servicio de Bioquímica, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, 37007, Spain; 3Departamento de Fisiología y Farmacología, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, 37007, Spain; 4Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, IBSAL, Salamanca, 37007, Spain; 5Pharmacogenetics Unit, Pharmacy Department, University Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, UGC Provincial de Farmacia de Granada, Granada, 18014, Spain; 6Departamento de Medicina, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, 37007, Spain Background: Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that often manifests within the first three decades of life. Its prognosis is uncertain and may result in a prolonged treatment that could extend throughout the entire lifespan of the patient. Antipsychotic drugs are characterized by a high interindividual variability when considering therapeutic effect and emergence of adverse effects. Such interindividual variability is thought to be associated primarily with pharmacokinetic matters. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the economic impact of the application of the 5-Step Precision Medicine model (5SPM), an approach based on the pharmacogenetic analysis of the primary genes involved in the metabolism of the therapy for each patient, restructuring treatment as necessary. Patients and Methods: One hundred eighty-eight psychiatry patients were analysed for single nucleotide polymorphisms on genes CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP3A5 and ABCB1. Information on patients' diagnosis, pharmacotherapy, and hospitalizations was collected. Results: We achieved a cost–benefit ratio of 3.31–3.59 with a reduction of direct cost (hospitalizations plus pharmacotherapy) with a reduction of total cost in 67% of the patients who underwent the clinical intervention. Conclusion: A rational Precision Medicine-based approach to psychiatric patients could result in a reduction on number of drugs required to control exacerbations, and the underlying pathologies, reducing the risk of adverse effects and improving adherence to treatment, leading to a potential decrease in direct costs. This methodology has been shown to be costdominant and, being based on a pharmacogenetic analysis, it has a lifelong nature, as the data obtained can be applied to other medical disciplines.


Binary compound Y3Fe29 cannot be directly formed by rare earth Y and Fe and the third element M (non-iron transition elements) must be introduced to form ternary compound Y3(Fe,M)29. In this work, six alloys with compositions of the Y3Fe29-xCrx (x=1,2,3,4,5,6) were prepared and investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The study on the thermal stability of these compounds points to that the compoundY3(Fe,Cr)29 is a high temperature phase and exists above 1100K. The alloys with single-phase of Y3(Fe,Cr)29 was decomposed into Y2(Fe,Cr)17 and Y(Fe,Cr)12 annealed at high temperature 1100K.


The seasonal variation of nitrate in the upper layer in the brackish Lake Nakanoumi has been investigated by the analysis of the data collected monthly during the period of 1976-1986. Upward trends in nitrate concentration were found in the colder season (January to March), and also in the rainy season (July). In contrast to nitrate, chlorinity decreased at the same time.A significant negative correlation between nitrate concentration and chlorinity in the surface water in Lake Nakanoumi was found in January, February, March and July. In addition, from the analysis of the correlation between the increment of nitrate concentration in the surface water and cumulative rainfall, it was concluded that the accumulation of nitrate in the upper layer is mainly caused by discharge from the rivers into the lake through rainfall and melted snow.


Abstract: Pannaria leproloma is shown to be a New Zealand endemic, and is characterized by coarse isidiomorphs/isidia, a high frequency of apothecia and the presence of two cytotoxic scabrosin esters, previously unknown from Pannariaceae, and present in 40 of the samples studied. It is not a member of the Pannaria sphinctrina group, as previously thought. It has frequently been confused with a related, finely sorediate, very sparingly fertile species, which lacks scabrosin esters in more than 99 of the specimens studied. This latter species is widely distributed both in southern South America (where it is one of the most common corticolous lichens), south-eastern areas of Australia and in New Zealand. It was originally described as Psoroma isidiosum, but had to be renamed when transferred to Pannaria, and is here named Pannaria farinosa.


In a previous work we studied the interior of the Schwarzschild black hole implementing an effective minimal length, by applying a modification to the Poisson brackets of the theory. In this work we perform a proper quantization of such a system. Specifically, we quantize the interior of the Schwarzschild black hole in two ways: once by using the standard quantum theory, and once by following a minimal uncertainty approach. Then, we compare the obtained results from the two approaches. We show that, as expected, the wave function in the standard approach diverges in the region where classical singularity is located and the expectation value of the Kretschmann scalar also blows up on this state in that region. On the other hand, by following a minimal uncertainty quantization approach, not only the state remains well-defined, but also the expectation value of the Kretschmann scalar remains finite over the whole interior region, therefore signaling the resolution of the black hole singularity. Moreover, we find a new quantum number $m$ which plays a crucial role in determining the convergence and finiteness of the expectation value of the Kretschmann scalar. We also find an exact relation between the Barbero-Immirzi parameter and the minimal uncertainty scale as a result of demanding the convergence of the expectation value of the Kretschmann scalar.


Parpharyngeal space tumors are rater uncommon entity; of these tumors majority are benign and arise from salivary glands. Surgery remains to be the mainstay of treatment with prior CT scan and or MRI scan (to delineate involvement of the adjacent structures like neurovascular, and skull base involvement). Needle biopsy is recommended beforehand to confirm the diagnosis. Radiotherapy is recommended additionally in malignant tumors. Here we present a case of pleomorphic adenoma presenting as left sided parapharyngeal mass in a 37-year old male patient (diagnosed incidentally 9 years ago) with review of current literature on parapharyngeal space tumors.


Objective:under the non-laminar hospital ward condition,how to prevent and control regeneration barrier anemia patient's courtyard infection.Methods:Further clarify the recycled anemia of the main risk factors and worked out the appropriate management system and methods Results:By establishing and carry out effective management system and peronalization psychological care of the design,can effectively reduce the court of infection.Conclusion:The medical care personnel will conscientiously observe the disinfection segregation systems and infrastructure,strengthen the prevention of armed watchmen infection measures to reduce the court of infection.


Through the mentions found in the comedy of the two Nicias (grandfather and grandson) this paper attempts to clarify how the comedy reflects the historic events of the moment.


There is no difference in remission rates between outpatient and inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa (SOR: B, meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials). The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Clinical Practice Guidelines recommend a trial of outpatient therapy as first-line treatment for anorexia in adolescents (SOR: C, consensus guidelines). Copyright © 2020 by Family Physicians Inquiries Network, Inc. DOI 10.1097/EBP.0000000000001111


In this research, we focused attention on the mixture use of public and private in urban area that includes the private use of public area and the public use of private area. We defined personal effects on public area as the private object and defined estates that we can enter all of the time as the public area. This research aims to consider urban space with setting the private object and the public area as subjects of research. We chose the central city of Nagoya in Aichi as a research zone. After a field work, we could classify functions of the private object into six types, and classify installation sites of the private object into three types. And we could also classify figures of the public area into six types.Through this research, we could say that the private object and the public area are common elements that configure urban space.And we could also say that urban space is differentiated by the spatial public sense.


The nuclear matrix(NM),also called nuclear skeleton , is the structural framework of the nucleus that consists of the peripheral lamins and pore complexes, an internal ribonucleic protein network and residual nucleoli. The nuclear matrix provides a framework for the spatial arrangement of chromosoment and other nuclear components, organizing and regulating the diverse functional processes within the nucleus. Differences between the nuclear matrix proteins( NMPs)of cancer cells and their normal homologues were detected in numerous cases. These discrepant proteins were considered very interesting element in the tumorigenesis, the progression of tumor, the diagnosis and therapeutics of cancer. The present review summarized the data on the role of NMPs in the tumorigenesis and progression of tumor, possibilities of usage of NMPs as a diagnostic tool and the therapeutic means in clinical oncology.


The endemic South African spider genus Austrachelas Lawrence, 1938 is revised. The type species, A. incertus Lawrence, 1938, and A. natalensis Lawrence, 1942, are redescribed, and their males described for the first time. Seven new species are described: A. bergi n. sp. (female only), A. kalaharinus n. sp. (male only), A. merwei n. sp. (both sexes), A. pondoensis n. sp. (both sexes), A. reavelli n. sp. (both sexes), A. sexoculata n. sp. (male only), and A. wassenaari n. sp. (both sexes). A cladistic analysis performed including Austrachelas and various species of the corinnid subfamilies Trachelinae, Castianeirinae, Corinninae and Phrurolithinae, and species from the Liocranidae, Gallieniellidae, Gnaphosidae and Lamponidae, suggests that Austrachelas is currently misplaced. Its transfer to the Gallieniellidae is proposed.


EQ3/6 geochemical modeling code package was used to investigate the interaction of the Topopah Spring Tuff and J-13 water at high temperatures. EQ3/6 input parameters were obtained from the results of laboratory experiments using USW G-1 core and J-13 water. Laboratory experiments were run at 150 and 250{sup 0}C for 66 days using both wafer-size and crushed tuff. EQ3/6 modeling reproduced results of the 150{sup 0}C experiments except for a small increase in the concentration of potassium that occurs in the first few days of the experiments. At 250{sup 0}C, the EQ3/6 modeling reproduced the major water/rock reactions except for a small increase in potassium, similar to that noted above, and an overall increase in aluminum. The increase in potassium concentration cannot be explained at this time, but the increase in A1 concentration is believed to be caused by the lack of thermodynamic data in the EQ3/6 data base for dachiardite, a zeolite observed as a run product at 250{sup 0}C. The ability to reproduce the majority of the experimental rock/water interactions at 150{sup 0}C validates the use of EQ3/6 as a geochemical modeling tool that can be used to theoretically investigate physical/chemical environments in support of the Waste Package Task of NNWSI.


On the basis of the Fermi integrals, the influence of the nondegenerate approximation, the degenerate approximation and nonparabolic energy bands on the calculation of the intrinsic carrier concentration and the Einstein relation has been analyzed for heavily doped silicon at low temperatures. The main results show that the degenerate approximation is appropriate up to the doping level of 1020 cm-3. At ultrahigh doping concentrations ( >1020 cm-3), it is necessary to adopt the nonparabolic energy band modilication.


The article explains the concept of external logistics risks. On an example of the situation in Ukraine made the analysis of political risks that impede the planned implementation of international trade contracts. The author gives advice on preventing political risks. The author explores the contractual framework of international commercial contract, namely section trade contract «Force Majeure».


Airborne and terrestrial laser scanning and close-range photogrammetry are frequently used for very high-resolution mapping of land surface. These techniques require a good strategy of mapping to provide full visibility of all areas otherwise the resulting data will contain areas with no data (data shadows). Especially, deglaciated rugged alpine terrain with abundant large boulders, vertical rock faces and polished roche-moutones surfaces complicated by poor accessibility for terrestrial mapping are still a challenge. In this paper, we present a novel methodological approach based on a combined use of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and close-range photogrammetry from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for generating a high-resolution point cloud and digital elevation model (DEM) of a complex alpine terrain. The approach is demonstrated using a small study area in the upper part of a deglaciated valley in the Tatry Mountains, Slovakia. The more accurate TLS point cloud was supplemented by the UAV point cloud in areas with insufficient TLS data coverage. The accuracy of the iterative closest point adjustment of the UAV and TLS point clouds was in the order of several centimeters but standard deviation of the mutual orientation of TLS scans was in the order of millimeters. The generated high-resolution DEM was compared to SRTM DEM, TanDEM-X and national DMR3 DEM products confirming an excellent applicability in a wide range of geomorphologic applications.


Introduction: The assessment of recovery following a treatment in heart failure patients is mainly on clinical evaluations. This study aimed to introduce a non-invasive and less expensive method based on QT dispersion value to evaluate the recovery of heart failure patient patients. Materials and Methods: This was an experimental and clinical study conducted on 52 ischemic cardiomyopathy patients with the diagnosis of decompensated heart failure. The QT dispersion index was measured with an electrocardiogram device before and after treatment. Results: The QT dispersion in the heart failure patients was decreases after treatment. I addition, QT dispersion in the heart failure patients with diabetes was more than the non diabetic counterparts. Conclusion: The treatment of heart failure decreased QT dispersion which was statistically significant. QT dispersion values in diabetic patients were more than the non-diabetic counterparts which was statistically significant.


In this work we will present the fabrication process and preliminary experimental results of a MEMS steerable broadband antenna. Our previous work focused on the design of the broadband dual-linear polarized antennas based on the Fourpoint antenna. The antenna is designed to fit on a 1cm × 1cm silicon platform and operate between 4-9GHz. The modified Fourpoint antenna is simulated using ANSOFT High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) and has a return loss of less than -10dB in the operating band.


52 The average U.S. undergraduate medical student is as overburdened by the learning curve of a medical residency as they are unaware of the byzantine nature of the way graduate medical education is funded. This article seeks to act as a broadly-researched, simplified guide to assist medical students in understanding the current state of graduate medical education (or medical residency) by answering the important question: 'How does a hospital pay a resident's salary?' This question involves breaking down the payments into Medicare and Medicaid contributions, andquickly lookingatother contributions, aswell as looking into thehistorical andpolitical climate. Then the questions of how resident financing may change are explored, such as: 'What is the SGR?Why do I care?' and 'What is the residency cap?' to provide a context for the current political landscape for medical advocacy. While this article may become dated years after its publication, the advent of sweeping changes for healthcare under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) make it timely to synthesize literature in a format that is digestible in a single study break. Additionally, it is the hope of the authors that this article may serve as a call to action for medical students to engagewith their elected officials inmeaningful debate on this issue.While attempting to present as complete a picture as is reasonable for an article designed with medical students in mind, the authors acknowledge that our position is that action should be taken, and we give several suggestions in the conclusion forways to takeup the issue. Nearly all citations are from freely available reports or online articles to help empower the individual medical student researcher in developing a deeper understanding of graduate medical education.


Modern plant breeding and agricultural systems have narrowed the base for the genetic diversity of cultivated chickpea and to explore new sources of variation that might be used in plant breeding programmes. The current investigation was carried out to morphologically characterize and classify desi chickpea genotypes on the basis of DUS descriptors suggested by PPV& FRA, GOI, 2007. Among 20 DUS traits observed; 5 traits were monomorphic, 9 traits were dimorphic, 4 traits were trimorphic and rest 2 traits were found to be polymorphic among all chickpea genotypes revealing the presence of a significant amount of genetic variability with the potential to assign various morphological profiles for varietal identification and characterization.


The "Freeter" and "NEET" phenomenon has escalated in recent years globally including Japan and Europe. It is also becoming a major problem in China. In this paper, we study the behavior of "Freeters" and "NEET" and research on the reasons that caused this phenomenon happened. Furthermore, we try and describe how to resolve this problem by some of the measures on education.


Thermoplastic molding compositions containing the following components: (A) 20 to 79% by weight of at least one polyarylene ether, (B) 5 to 64% by weight of at least one polyarylene sulfide, (C) 1 to 15% by weight of at least one functionalized polyarylene ether comprising carboxyl groups with a viscosity DIN EN ISO 1628-1 as 45 to 65 ml / g measured in a 1% solution by weight in N-methyl -2- pyrrolidone at 25 ° C, (D) 15 to 70% by weight of at least one filler in the form of fibers or particles, and (E) 0 to 40% by weight of other additives and / or processing aid, in which case the sum of the percentages by weight of components (a) to (E) is 100% by weight.


We study the query version of the approximate heavy hitter and quantile problems. In the former problem, the input is a parameter $\varepsilon$ and a set $P$ of $n$ points in $\mathbb{R}^d$ where each point is assigned a color from a set $C$, and we want to build a structure s.t. given any geometric range $\gamma$, we can efficiently find a list of approximate heavy hitters in $\gamma\cap P$, i.e., colors that appear at least $\varepsilon |\gamma \cap P|$ times in $\gamma \cap P$, as well as their frequencies with an additive error of $\varepsilon |\gamma \cap P|$. In the latter problem, each point is assigned a weight from a totally ordered universe and the query must output a sequence $S$ of $1+1/\varepsilon$ weights s.t. the $i$-th weight in $S$ has approximate rank $i\varepsilon|\gamma\cap P|$, meaning, rank $i\varepsilon|\gamma\cap P|$ up to an additive error of $\varepsilon|\gamma\cap P|$. Previously, optimal results were only known in 1D [WY11] but a few sub-optimal methods were available in higher dimensions [AW17, ACH+12]. We study the problems for 3D halfspace and dominance queries. We consider the real RAM model with integer registers of size $w=\Theta(\log n)$ bits. For dominance queries, we show optimal solutions for both heavy hitter and quantile problems: using linear space, we can answer both queries in time $O(\log n + 1/\varepsilon)$. Note that as the output size is $\frac{1}{\varepsilon}$, after investing the initial $O(\log n)$ searching time, our structure takes on average $O(1)$ time to find a heavy hitter or a quantile! For more general halfspace heavy hitter queries, the same optimal query time can be achieved by increasing the space by an extra $\log_w\frac{1}{\varepsilon}$ (resp. $\log\log_w\frac{1}{\varepsilon}$) factor in 3D (resp. 2D). By spending extra $\log^{O(1)}\frac{1}{\varepsilon}$ factors in time and space, we can also support quantile queries.


: The high-quality development of energy is closely related to the efficiency of energy utilization, and improving the hydraulic performance of the pump as turbine ( PAT ) has become increasingly important. In order to explore the influence mechanism of the clocking effect on the hydraulic performance of the pump as turbine, the energy loss analysis method based on entropy production theory is used to explore its hydraulic performance and internal flow characteristics. The results show that the clocking effect has an impact on the pump as turbine at all flow rates. Compared to the initial scheme, the efficiency of the C6 scheme is improved by 1.60% and 1.93% at the design and overload conditions. With the increase of the guide vane clocking angle, the flow field near the tongue and guide vane is improved, and the loss of the vortices in the volute is weakened, which in turn improves the hydraulic performance of the PAT. The effect of the clocking effect on pressure pulsation at low flow rates is more significant, and the C6 scheme has the best pressure pulsation characteristics. The research in this paper reveals the cause of the clocking effect, which can provide a theoretical basis for the hydraulic optimization of the pump as turbine.


In the last few decades, the study of left-handed metamaterials (MTMs) which provides negative values of permittivity and permeability has resulted in many new microwave circuits and applications which have unique properties that can not be realized [8]. Because of its simplicity of feed and compatibility with planar circuitry, the microstrip transmission line is a popular media widely used in communication. However, there is a very limited work to date in the delay property on microstrip transmission lines incorporated with CSRRs, i.e., CSRR left-handed microstrip transmission line [1]. This paper demonstrates that a CSRR left-handed microstrip line can provide significantly larger time delay than that of a conventional microstrip line for the same length. In other words, for the same time delay, CSRR left-handed microstrip line will be much shorter than that of a conventional one. The much needed delay properties with compact size of the line will lead to its application in phase array radar systems.


Enterocytospora artemiae (EAM) mainly parasitizes the hepatopancreas of Palaemonetes sinensis. Serious infection leads to hepatopancreatic lesions, which greatly reduce the vitality of P. sinensis. Currently, EAM is detected via conventional PCR methods. However, conventional PCR has low sensitivity and cannot be used for accurate quantitative detection of EAM or its parasitic activity in host tissues. In this study, we designed a pair of specific primers based on the sequence of the ribosomal protein S9 gene (RPS9; GenBank accession number: MZ420734) to establish and optimize a SYBR Green I real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR detection method for EAM. Only EAM appeared as a bright and single target band, whereas other microorganisms did not, indicating that the primer for RPS9 had high specificity. This method displayed optimum amplification effects at an annealing temperature of 55°C, and the melting curve of the product produced a single peak. The established method showed a good linear relationship from 2.2 × 108 to 2.2 × 101 copies/μL. The relationship between the number of cycle thresholds (Ct) and the logarithm of the initial template amount (x) conformed to Ct = −3.281 log x + 36.543 (R2 = 0.998). Amplification efficiency was 101.737%, and the lower limit of detection sensitivity was 2.2 × 101 copies/μL. Good intra- and inter-group repeatability was observed within the linear range. The sensitivity of this method was more than 200 times higher than that of nested PCR. Thus, detection data obtained using this method may be useful as a technical reference for rapid and accurate identification of EAM infection and for the prevention and control of EAM during P. sinensis breeding.


The height anomaly grid linearity interpolation method can't express a smooth quasigeoid curved surface effectively.Aiming at this problem,this paper presents the machine learning method based on statistical learning theory.Combining with coarse error finding technology and virtual observations,it builds a high precision GPS leveling quasigeoid model.GPS leveling modeling example of Wuhan quasigeoid validates the reliability and advantages of the methods proposed.A series of software,i.e.PC version,WEB version and PDA version are developed successfully,therefore,the Wuhan quasigeoid model can be used widely to maximum extent.


It can display the measurement results reflect the physical condition of the user when measuring blood sugar level, blood sugar level to improve convenience of the user management. A blood glucose level measuring apparatus comprising: measuring means which measures the user's blood glucose level; recording means for recording the measurement data of the blood glucose level of the user; a display unit capable of measurement results displayed on the display, the blood sugar level measuring apparatus further comprising: condition flag setting unit that when the blood glucose measurement of the user's physical condition related condition flag recorded on the recording unit, so that the condition flag value associated with the data measured by the blood glucose measuring unit; and a display measurement control means, based on the status of the condition flag from the flag setting unit, is recorded on the recording unit is displayed on the display.


Abstract The paper presents the results of the analysis of diatoms from surface sediments (stones, sands) and macroflora (seagrass, macroalgae) collected at 16 sampling sites located along the inner coastal zone of Puck Bay (southern Baltic Sea) along the Hel Peninsula. The main diatom species of epilithon, epipsammon and epiphyton were characterized with respect to their autecological preferences (habitat, salinity, trophic status, saprobity). Three groups of diatoms were distinguished with respect to the type of substrate based on the results of benthic flora analysis: diatoms (i) of one type of substrate, (ii) of two types and (iii) those occurring on all types of substrates. Moreover, the distribution of benthic diatom communities indicates ecological differences in the study area. Marine and brackish-water species were observed in large numbers in the coastal zone of the Outer Puck Bay, whereas freshwater flora occurred with a higher frequency in the coastal zone of the Puck Lagoon. The content of polysaprobionts and of α-mesosaprobionts indicates that the region of the Hel Tip is highly eutrophicated and very polluted. The coast in the vicinity of Kuznica is less polluted, whereas the best environmental conditions are found in the Jurata–Jastarnia region, as evidenced by the frequency of diatoms that are β-mesosaprobionts.


Purpose. Effective control of swimming speed can increase training effectiveness and therefore enhance training adaptations. the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of concurrent visual feedback on swimming speed at an exercise intensity above the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA). Methods. the study involved 12 healthy male and female swim team members. the participants executed two 200-m freestyle trials within an individually predetermined swim time matching an exercise intensity above OBLA (exercise zone 4). In one trial, no additional information was provided, whereas concurrent visual feedback was given on swimming speed in the other. Results. concurrent visual feedback narrowed the discrepancy between the predetermined and obtained swimming times (p < 0.001). this improvement in swimming time (accuracy) showed a negative correlation with the increase in post-trial lactate concentration. the correlation between the difference in the predetermined and obtained times and the increase in lactate was R = –0.46 when no visual feedback was provided but R = –0.64 with visual feedback, with the latter result statistically significant (p = 0.024). Conclusions. concurrent visual feedback allows swimmers to consistently maintain a predetermined swimming speed and therefore keep the specified exercise intensity as evidenced by the increase in lactate concentration. this can result in more effective execution of training goals and thereby enhance training outcomes.


Psychometrically sound evaluation measures are vital for examining the contribution of professional training to organizational success in a reliable manner. As training evaluations tend to be both time‐consuming and labor‐intensive, there is an increasing demand for economic evaluation inventories. Simultaneously, evaluation measures have to meet psychometric standards. The present paper develops a time‐efficient training evaluation questionnaire that (1) has psychometrically sound properties; (2) measures more than the participants' reactions; and (3) is widely applicable across different training contents, thus allowing for comparisons of training programs within and between organizations. The Questionnaire for Professional Training Evaluation is primarily developed for use in practice but is also applicable to field research and covers short‐term as well as long‐term training outcomes. Analyses based on a total of n = 1134 employees show the stability of the factor structure and hint at the questionnaire's differential and discriminant validity. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.


ABSTRACT THE use of solar energy for drying shelled corn was investigated. In a three-year field study, energy re-quirements of a conventional low-temperature electric drying installation were compared with those of a similar system supplemented with the output of a simple, inex-pensive solar collector.


This article explains the characteristics of ultrasonic detection in concrete and its concrete defects detection, the basic principles of ultrasound in raises for concrete imperfect area and a hole in the process of test method and testing for the matters of attention.


We are developing a software for energy loss simulation which is affected by jets in the nuclear matter described by relativistic hydrodynamics. Our program uses a Cartesian coordinate system in order to provide high spatial resolution for the analysis of jets propagation in nuclear matter. In this work, we use 7th order WENO numerical algorithm which is resistant to numerical oscillations and diffusions. For simulating energy losses in the bulk nuclear medium, we develop efficient hydrodynamic simulation program for parallel computing using Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) and Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA). It allows us to prepare event-by-event simulations in high computing precision in order to study jet modifications in the medium and event-by-event simulations of fluctuating initial conditions. In our simulation, we start the hydrodynamic simulation from generation initial condition based on the UrQMD model in order to simulate comparable nucleus-nucleus interaction in the RHIC and LHC energies. The main part of this simulation is the computation of hydrodynamic system evolution. We present obtained energy density distributions which can be compared to experimental results.


Objective To understand the situation of medical institutions in the city prior to transfusion recipients of HBsAg,anti-HCV,anti-HIV,syphilis antibody detection of infectious diseases 4,establish of medical institutions in the city before transfusion 4 detection quality assessment system.Methods Unity issued the quality control goods and carry out the external quality assessment in medical institutions laboratory.Results The results of medical institutions in the city prior to transfusion recipients 4 indicators detection of infectious diseases in general are in good condition.Conclusion laboratory internal quality control should be further strengthened,at the same time to strengthen the training of personnel in order to ensure that blood transfusions before 4 the accuracy of test results.


The research tests on the inhibitory effects of 10.8% Gallant Super on wheat germination. The results shows that the effects vary the density. The inhibitory effects improve gradually with the increasing density from 1:8 000 to 1:2 000 and perform best with 1:2 000.


PATHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH, 1888. Sir JA:8s PAGET, Bart., F.R.S., President, in the Chair. Tubercle of O'ary.-Dr. GRIFFITH showed a series of microscopical sections of an ovary, which Dr. Galabin had removed from a young woman, aged 19. The ovary was the size of a small apple, showing on section numerous small cysts filled with viscid fluid. There was no appearance of caseation. The Fallopian tube was also enlarged. The microscopical sections showed connective tissue stroma, with small round cells, containing scattered spherical nodules, the connective tissue being circularly arranged round the nodules, and sending branched prolongations into the centres of the nodules, which were occupied by giant cells. There was no caseation in any part. A few newly-developed blood-vessels were seentraversingthe sections, but they did not enter the nodules. There was no normal ovarian stroma to be detected in the sections. The peritoneal surface was thickened by fibrinous exudation, which was invaded by leucocytes. The thickened Fallopian tube contained only a few tubercles. He referred to the English, French, and German literature of tubercu-


How could we actually find the answers to our every day's practice queries in the era of information overload? We could find the answers thanks to evidence-based practice (EBM). In the following review article I have tried to illustrate an EBM model of approach to one of the greatest concerns of everyday practice of pediatricians (i.e., seizure and fever and febrile seizure). After a case presentation, I have listed some common questions of every day's practice; Then I have tried to find the answers through common and well-known medical information data systems. After finding the relevant data and research in the literature and doing critical appraisal on them. I have listed some evidence-based recommendations.


Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and / or Corporate (RSC) from 2000 has become a global phenomenon that has made changes in their practice, and has taken a significant place in organizations examples of initiatives Forged who have had great impact and influence in Colombian society in the textile sector is related to Antioquia manufacturing firms which were concerned with remedying the most pressing problems of their workers: housing, food, health, primary education, etc . And so the same workers, they began to see the company as the workplace which was the central focus of your life. The social sensitivity of industrial known, constitute pioneering experiences in the field of CSR. that promises to become a key component of business activity in the XXI century. recognizing that the reputation and prestige of a company are crucial issues to ensure success this context is to review the core concepts of what is understood as CSR in contrast to the real experiences that have been observed, with emphasis on textiles.


Carbonation process of concrete under natural condition and its correlation with high CO2 concentration artificial accelerated carbonation are of a great concern. The pH values of carbonated concrete were measured, the variation of pH values was determined, and the variations of Ca(OH)2 and CaCO3 contents in the carbonated concrete under the natural environment and the high CO2 concentration accelerated climate environments were determined by microcosmic test methods such as DTA and X-ray diffraction. The experimental results showed that the overall variation trend of pH values and phase component of carbonation layer of concrete under accelerated climate environments with high CO2 concentrations were the same as those under natural conditions. Therefore, the carbonation processes of concrete were considered consistent under both conditions. However there was a difference in the length of semi-carbonation zones. The one measured under high CO2 concentration accelerated climate environments was shorter than that under natural condition, which was caused by the differences climate condition (temperature and relative humidity) as well as the properties of the concrete. It is acceptable to simulate the natural condition by applying the high CO2 concentration artificial accelerated carbonation technique for the purpose of the study of carbonation process of concrete.


KRASG12D mutant cancers represent a significant unmet medical need with 55,000 new diagnoses annually in the US. The KRASG12D mutation occurs commonly in multiple tumor histotypes, including about 20%, 29% and 17% of KRAS mutant colorectal, pancreatic, and non-small cell lung cancers, respectively. However, there are no directly targeted inhibitors of KRASG12D in clinical development. Mutant RAS proteins exist predominantly in the GTP-bound RAS(ON) state, leading to excessive downstream signaling via interaction with effectors such as RAF kinases. Highly selective inhibitors that covalently target the KRASG12C(OFF) state and inhibit conversion to KRASG12C(ON) have been shown to be active and well tolerated in the clinic, and we have described a novel, covalent tri-complex KRASG12C(ON) inhibitor that has robust anti-tumor activity and is well tolerated in preclinical studies. Developing a covalent inhibitor of KRASG12D presents several challenges. The Asp residue in KRASG12D is significantly less reactive toward electrophiles than is Cys. And most reported covalent chemical warheads capable of reacting with Asp exhibit high nonspecific reactivity. The intrinsic GTP hydrolysis rate of KRASG12D is about 2.6-fold lower than that of KRASG12C, further biasing the cellular KRASG12D pool to the RAS(ON) state and emphasizing the importance of targeting the KRASG12D(ON) state for maximal suppression of this oncogenic driver. Based on these considerations we designed RM-036, a potent, selective, orally bioavailable, covalent KRASG12D(ON) inhibitor with attractive drug-like properties. It forms a tri-complex between the abundant intracellular chaperone cyclophilin A (CypA) and the active state of KRASG12D, positioning the warhead relative to KRASG12D and enabling selective covalent engagement of Asp. In cellular models, RM-036 exhibited efficient and selective covalent binding to KRASG12D, with no detectable reactivity toward the adjacent Asp residue in cells with the KRASG13D mutation. RM-036 showed low off-target reactivity in cell-based proteomic screens. RM-036 potently inhibited growth and induced apoptosis in KRASG12D mutant cancer cells in vitro but not in BRAFV600E-dependent cells. RM-036, as a single agent, produced deep, durable, and dose-dependent suppression of tumor RAS pathway activation with covalent target engagement in vivo following repeat oral administration. Profound tumor regressions, including complete regressions, were observed in various KRASG12D mutant xenograft models upon treatment with RM-036. All treatments regimens tested with RM-036 were well tolerated in vivo. These preclinical findings provide a strong foundation for advancing RM-036 toward clinical evaluation in patients with tumors bearing the KRASG12D mutation.
 Citation Format: John E. Knox, Jingjing Jiang, G. Leslie Burnett, Yang Liu, Caroline E. Weller, Zhican Wang, Laura McDowell, Shelby L. Steele, Shook Chin, Kang Jye Chou, Fang Wang, Mengqi Zhong, Elena S. Koltun, David Wildes, Mallika Singh, Adrian L. Gill, Jacqueline A. Smith. RM-036, a first-in-class, orally-bioavailable, Tri-Complex covalent KRASG12D(ON) inhibitor, drives profound anti-tumor activity in KRASG12D mutant tumor models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 3596.


Familiarity with Louisa Lawson's work has led many writers on Henry Lawson to suppose that he inherited his talent from his mother's people. Knowledge of the strange character of Henry Albury has convinced many that Lawson's emotional instability came from the same source. There has been a tendency to neglect the contribution of his Norwegian ancestry to Lawson's make-up; but examination of evidence in Norwegian archives suggests that it is not to be neglected.


By taking advantage of the best characteristics of wood, modern production methods can offer hard wearing and ecological solutions in industrial construction, house building, machinery construction, furniture manufacturing, transport and many other industries. Laser cutting process is an alternative choice to prepare the final shape of wood parts. Materials like wood have good laser light absorption of wavelength 10600 nm. In this paper a CO2 laser system with a maximum continuous-wave output power of 150 W is described and used in studying laser cutting process of wood materials. Cut depth is evaluated with variation of values of laser power and cutting speed. Additionally, optimal values of parameters for laser cutting of different wood plate thicknesses are determined and graphs are created showing the results.


In the course of implementing the use of nonrotating origin (Guinot 1979) in astrometric VLBI, for the transformation between celestial and terrestrial frames, we have compared the new approach with the classical one. We have shown that a difference exists between the two procedures at a few milliarcsecond level; this difference is due to the terms generally neglected when considering the equation of equinoxes in the classical representation of the Earth angle of rotation.


Water-analysis kits are useful for practical aquaculture only if they provide equivalent decision-making as compared to standard water-analysis methods. This study used weighted Cohen's kappa (κ) statistics to compare management decisions made by farmers who used water-analysis kits (e.g., Seneye slide kit, Tetra EasyStrips, API test strips, Seachem Ammonia Alert, Salifert Profi test kit, and Hach dissolved oxygen (DO) and alkalinity kit) and decisions made by those who used standard methods. The decisions made by farmers were similar for water-analysis kits and standard methods, except for Tetra and API test strips, when measuring nitrate concentrations. The highest conformity between the two methods (κ-value = 1.0, P < 0.0001) was obtained with the Hach and Salifert Profi test kits (for measuring DO) and the API test strip (for measuring total hardness). The rapid, simple measurements by the kits appear suitable for use by farmers if they are properly maintained and manufacturer's instructions are followed.


BiofuelsReactive and Functional Polymers Volume OneCost Effective Technologies for Solid Waste and Wastewater TreatmentBiorefinery Concepts, Energy and ProductsKKU International EngineeringAdvances in Microwave ChemistryMicrowaveMediated Biofuel ProductionSustainable Bioconversion of Waste to Value Added ProductsLignin ValorizationBiochemical and Environmental BioprocessingLaccases in Bioremediation and Waste ValorisationLignin and Lignans as Renewable Raw MaterialsAdvances in Biodegradation and Bioremediation of Industrial WasteFungal BiorefineriesRecent Developments in Bioenergy ResearchEco-Friendly Adhesives for Wood and Natural Fiber CompositesMycodegradation of LignocellulosesBioremediation: Applications for Environmental Protection and ManagementFermentation Processes: Emerging and Conventional TechnologiesProduction of Biofuels and Chemicals with MicrowaveFuel Ethanol Production from SugarcaneBiopolymer-Based Metal Nanoparticle Chemistry for Sustainable ApplicationsBiorefineries and Chemical ProcessesBioethanol Production from Food CropsConfronting Global Climate ChangeLigninSynthesis and Characterization of Novel Functional Lignins -Lignin-based Materials for Biomedical ApplicationsMicro and Nanolignin in Aqueous Dispersions and PolymersRecent Advances in Thermochemical Conversion of BiomassBioremediation and Sustainable Technologies for Cleaner EnvironmentGreen Polymer Composites TechnologyProduction of Biofuels and Chemicals with PyrolysisBioenergy Research: Advances and ApplicationsRecent Advances in Bioconversion of Lignocellulose to Biofuels and Value Added Chemicals within the Biorefinery ConceptMicrowaves in Chemistry ApplicationsBioreactorsNano-(Bio)Catalysis in Lignocellulosic Biomass ValorizationChemical Catalysts for Biomass UpgradingAdvanced Biofuel Technologies


Farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were stored as fillets at −10 and −20 °C and whole at −30 °C. The most pronounced sensory changes were first recognized by the assessors, when the salmon samples were in the oral cavity, and were significant increases in train oil taste, metal taste, and bitter taste in the fillets. This was shown by mixed model analysis of variance and canonical variates analysis. Volatile lipid peroxidation products such as aldehydes and ketones were identified and quantified in the salmon. For most of the peroxidation products the concentration increased during storage. The content of lipid hydroperoxides and free fatty acids also increased during storage, and the changes were fastest in salmon stored at −10 °C. A decrease in highly unsaturated fatty acids was observed in salmon stored at −10 and −20 °C. Peroxide values and the content of free fatty acids were shown by a partial least-squares analysis to be the best of the instrumental data in describing the sensory changes. Keyword...


Significant interest has been focused on the importance of nurse staffing levels on hospitals' performance (Evans, 2006; Stanton & Rutherford, 2004). In spite of this interest, little attention has been focused on understanding the implications of how this staffing is obtained (Page, 2008; Stanton & Rutherford, 2004). While evidence suggests nurse staffing levels are positively related to hospitals' performance (e.g., Needleman, Buerhaus, Mattke, Stewart, & Zelevinsky, 2001), virtually no attention has been devoted to the implications of various staffing options, such as the use of contract or registry nurses to sustain high staffing levels (Page, 2008; Stanton & Rutherford, 2004). This article will investigate the performance implications of using contract or registry nurse personnel in the context of a hospital's nurse staffing strategy. Specifically, the article will address whether the source of nurse staffing (i.e., contract or regular staff) affects the performance outcomes of hospitals' nurse staffing levels? Theoretically, this article will further develop understanding of the implications of using contract workers in the context of staffing strategies. Practically, it will help hospital managers evaluate decisions regarding the use of temporary versus permanent nurses when attempting to achieve a particular nurse staffing level.Staffing LevelsIncreased staffing levels generate positive benefits as they decrease the overall work load of individual employees (Brown, Sturman, & Simmering, 2001). In a hospital setting, increased nurse staffing allows nurses to pay greater attention to individual patients and their needs, allower nurses to closely monitor patient condition and response to treatment (Kovner & Gergen, 1998). This increased monitoring is clinically beneficial as it facilitates quicker detection of potential complications and adverse patient outcomes.Higher nurse staffing levels also permit nurses to exercise more attention to detail in their patient care and treatment activities. Patient care mistakes are a well recognized source of adverse outcomes in hospitals (Aiken, Clarke, Sloane, & Sochalski, 2001). By increasing nurse staffing, hospitals can decrease errors and improve patient care outcomes. Thus, increased nurse staffing is not only beneficial to the extent it gives nurses the opportunity to closely monitor patients, but also as it allows nurses greater opportunities for attention to detail in their patient care activities.The Use of Contract StaffingAlthough nurse staffing levels are an important contributor to patient care quality, the method used to obtain and maintain a specific nurse staffing level may influence their (i.e., the staffing levels) effectiveness. While hospitals have traditionally used staff nurses (i.e., nurses who are regular employees of the hospital) to maintain specific nurse staffing levels, recent shortages in nurses, combined with competitive nurse labor markets have led hospitals to increasingly use contract nurses to achieve specific staffing levels (Page, 2008).Contract nurses are nursing staff who are not regular employees of the hospital. Although contract nurses must have the same credentials and licensure as a hospital's staff nurses, contract nurses - due to their nonpermanent status - lack knowledge of the unique policies and procedures a specific institution may employ. This lack of "local knowledge" may adversely influence contract nurses performance. For instance, a contract nurse may be unfamiliar with a specific brand of equipment a hospital employs. Although the nurse understands the purpose of the equipment, they may not understand the uniqueness of operating the unfamiliar equipment. This unfamiliarity may either slow or introduce opportunities for errors in patient care. Patient care errors are a documented source of poor hospital performance and negative patient outcomes (Aiken et al., 2001). …


After making its appearance in analytic moral philosophy at the beginning the 1970s, the animal cause in its modern form – that is, as a challenge to human supremacism and as a defense of interspecies egalitarianism – is recently undergoing a profound change thanks to the advent of new political approaches. Politics now dominates the intellectual scene in at least three main forms: as the devising of new social arrangements, as a critique of the prevailing order, and as an emancipatory project. It will lie with the contemporary animal liberation movement to explore these alternatives in order to definitely assert itself on the social terrain. This journal article is available in Animal Studies Journal: https://ro.uow.edu.au/asj/vol8/iss2/4 ANIMAL LIBERATION: PATHWAYS TO POLITICS 20 Animal Liberation: Pathways to Politics Paola Cavalieri Independent scholar Abstract: After making its appearance in analytic moral philosophy at the beginning the 1970s, the animal cause in its modern form – that is, as a challenge to human supremacism and as a defense of interspecies egalitarianism – is recently undergoing a profound change thanks to the advent of new political approaches. Politics now dominates the intellectual scene in at least three main forms: as the devising of new social arrangements, as a critique of the prevailing order, and as an emancipatory project. It will lie with the contemporary animal liberation movement to explore these alternatives in order to definitely assert itself on the social terrain. After making its appearance in analytic moral philosophy at the beginning the 1970s, the animal cause in its modern form – that is, as a challenge to human supremacism and as a defense of interspecies egalitarianism – is recently undergoing a profound change thanks to the advent of new political approaches. Politics now dominates the intellectual scene in at least three main forms: as the devising of new social arrangements, as a critique of the prevailing order, and as an emancipatory project. It will lie with the contemporary animal liberation movement to explore these alternatives in order to definitely assert itself on the social terrain.


Although dwellers living near a nuclear power station are entitled to economic/financial benefits such as increased job opportunities and local tax revenues pertaining to the power station, it is not clear whether such benefits are appreciated by the dwellers. Two findings of this study based upon a social survey of local dwellers living near the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Station are summarized as follows. First, an increase in the per capita sizes of the local tax revenue and national subsidies resulted in a larger share of respondents who thought that those revenues are beneficial. Therefore, local dwellers are aware of the sizes of economic/financial benefits. Second, given the same risk level of nuclear disaster, a larger per capita financial benefit resulted in a larger share of respondents who felt compensated for the nuclear risk. However, this increase in the number of compensated respondents is low relative to the increase in the amount of financial benefits.


Methods, systems, and apparatus are provided to separate and evaluate audio and video. Audio and video are captured; the video is evaluated to detect one or more speakers speaking. Visual features are associated with the speakers speaking. The audio and video are separated and corresponding portions of the audio are mapped to the visual features for purposes of isolating audio associated with each speaker and for purposes of filtering out noise associated with the audio. ® KIPO & WIPO 2007


Coronary heart disease threat the health of human beings profoundly,including unstable angina patients between unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction which is an important type of acute coronary syndrome performance,and comes into the domain of "painful"or"Chest" in Chinese medicine. Chinese scholars have improved the clinical symptoms of the disease very well in according with Chinese characteristics Differential Treatment methods that controlled of the disease focused on the overall function from the start,which is unique advantage in treatment and prevention.This paper summarizes against the effective treatment in clinical and experiment about stasis,true,sputum,and drugs,in order to provide more lessons about unstable angina for the clinician to based on.


The progressive postharvest disorder of 'Nules Clementine' mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco), referred to as rind breakdown (RBD), starts to develop during storage, about 3–5 weeks after harvest. Variation within the tree canopy, i.e. inside or outside canopy positions, as well as postharvest handling practices such as ethylene degreening, storage temperature and storage duration, were investigated for their influence on RBD incidence. Two experiments were conducted wherein fruit were subjected, in the first experiment, to ethylene degreening and a delay in commencement of cold storage (2004), and, in the second experiment, fruit were sampled from the inside and outside of the canopy and cold-stored at either −0.5 ◦C or 7.5 ◦C during 2005 and 2007. Rind pigment and carbohydrate contents as well as rind colour and RBD incidence were recorded during prolonged storage. The senescence-promoting treatments resulted in an increase in RBD incidence, except for storage at −0.5 ◦C, which resulted in a lower occurrence of RBD. Overall, results indicated that the incidence of RBD was aggravated by senescence-promoting factors during the postharvest handling of fruit and this is thought to lead to the premature senescence of the flavedo. In addition, fruit position in the tree canopy during fruit development contributed significantly to RBD sensitivity, with inside fruit having significantly higher RBD incidence compared to outside fruit. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


We give a self contained construction of the Wiener probability space Introduction Let W Wd C be the collection of continuous R valued functions on the interval R In this note we present a self contained construction of the Wiener probability space W F where F is a sigma algebra of subsets of W and is the Wiener measure The mathematical theory of the Brownian motion is based on this probability space We follow the methods of but we intend to make our presentation more speci c See also Definition of the Wiener measure De nition We write t t tn R n if t t tn R n R R n fold product and t t tn We also write R Rd when Cartesian products of R are considered De ne t W Rd t R n by t f t f tn f where tj f f tj and R n d Rd n Rd Rd n fold product Set Gt t B B B Rd where t B ff W t f Bg and B Rd denotes the Borel class of Rd Since B Rd is a sigma algebra obviously we have the following result Lemma Gt is a sigma algebra for every t R n We observe the following result on Gt Lemma Let t R m s R n with m n Let t ft tmg s fs sng which are sets of positive numbers if t t tm s s sn Suppose that t s Then Gt Gs Proof Take s s s s n satisfying s t s t s m tm with some Sn the permutation group Suppose A Gt Then there exists B Rd such that A t Let R m d De ne f x x n x xn g


Dynamic climate and land use in arid and semi-arid systems result in complex spatial and temporal variation of vegetation properties. Large-scale monitoring is critical for assessments of ecological change in these regions (UNEP, 1992). The tight coupling of vegetation cover to important hydrological and biogeochemical processes (Schlesinger et al, 1996, Schlesinger and Pilmanus, 1998) emphasizes the paramount importance of resolving vegetation and bare soil extent for functional analyses of these environments. However, the spatial extent of vegetation and bare soils is notoriously difficult to measure in arid and semi-arid ecosystems using satellite imagery because variation occurs on the scale of a few meters or less.


How to control the exacerbation saline-alkali soil and recover to forest vegetation has been recognized as an important project of national science and technology supporting program of China,which is also a key issue of the soda alkali land rehabilitation.By using krilium of HPMA and PAA,as well as wood tar and vinegar as alkali-depressing and alkali-preventing agents,soil improvement experiments at heavy soda saline-alkali soil were carried out,and growth of planted poplar seedlings and the dynamic of soil pH and salt content were also monitored.We found following conclusions.Firstly,both addition of HMPA and PAA could improve the saline-alkali soil,and HPMA was better than PAA.HPMA addition together with the alkali-preventing agent(wood vinegar+wood tar+PAA spraying at soda alkali soil,then forming a compact layer to prevent salt and alkali movement from deep layer to surface layer) made soil pH and soil salt content sharply decreased 0.93 and 0.78%,respectively,and the height and diameter growth rates of poplar sapling were 2.41 times and 2.36 times higher than those at control.Comparing to the effect of HPMA,PAA addition made a 0.23 decrease in pH and 0.63% in soil salt content,and height and diameter growth rate of planted poplar were 1.43 and 1.07 times higher than those at control;Secondly,addition of film-topsoil agent could decrease the pH of surface soil to 8.87,but no changes found in other deep layers.The film-topsoil agent addition could change the exchange of salt between surface layer and deep layer of soil;thirdly,data of rhizosphere soil and non-rhizosphere soil indicates that the growth of poplar saplings could decrease soil salinity and pH value,and strengthen the effect of krilium(HPMA and PAA) addition.


In the case of Breton, lots of attempts were made to determine its historically grown word order. Proposals in this regard range from VSO (Timm) over V2 (Schafer) to SVO (Varin). This paper shows that traditional Breton has a preference for V2 positioning within a VSO-type framework. Lower Sorbian is a language with a rich morphology and consequently shows a relatively flexible word order. However, in unmarked declarative sentences it is normally the subject which occurs in sentence-initial position whereas the verb does not seem to prefer any specific position. Having determined the word order in the traditional varieties of Breton and Lower Sorbian, an outlook will be given on potential changes of their actual word order under language contact.


After some intensive scrutiny, the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment has found that the Superfund program still "remains largely ineffective and inefficient" despite eight years of operation and an infusion of more than $5 billion. To reach this conclusion, OTA studied recent Environmental Protection Agency cleanup decisions at what OTA termed 10 representative sites. The 10 sites were chosen because cleanup decisions were made after Congress re-enacted Superfund in 1986 and because these decisions illustrate problems in the technologies selected as they relate to different types of sites and hazardous materials. Using EPA's own records, OTA finds that the agency is still choosing land disposal and containment over more permanently effective cleanup technologies. "EPA appears to be picking a lot of low-cost cleanup technologies that won't work over the long term," says Joel S. Hirschhorn, author of "Are We Cleaning Up?—10 Superfund Case Studies." The study also notes that the Superfund program...


This work presents experimental measurements and numerical computations about the magnetic behavior of a toroidal FeSi core made by means of additive manufacturing. The building technique of the sample is based on the laser bed powder fusion. The static hysteresis loops of the toroid have been measured for different magnetic inductions, and these data have been used to identify the corresponding Jiles-Atherton model parameters. The accuracy and reliability of this approach have been evaluated implementing the identified model in a finite element scheme. The numerical computations have been compared with the experimental data and an evaluation of the accuracy is given.


The aim of this study is to assess the insulinBlike peptide bombyxin and some molecular aspects of silkworm (Bombyx mori). The interactions among bomyxin, bomyxin gene and amino acide sequences of bombyxin were verified. In this investigation, the miscellaneous dimensionals of the bombyxin were reviewed. Peptides play a crucial role in many physiological processes including actions as neurotransmitter s, hormones, and antibiotics. Research has shown their importance in such fields as neuroscience, immunology, pharmacology, and cell biology. A large number of neuropeptides has been identified in the brain of insects. At least 35 neuropeptide precursor genes have been characterized in Drosophila melanogaster, some of which encode multiple peptides. Additional neuropeptides have been found in other insect species. W ith a few notable exceptions, most of the neuropeptides have been demonstrated in brain interneurons of various types (Aizono, et.al., 1997a, Aizono, et.,al., 1997b). The products of each neuropeptide precursor seem to be co-expressed, and each precursor displays a unique neuronal distribution pattern. Commonly, each type of neuropeptide is loca lized to a relatively small number of neurons. Emphasis has been placed upon interneuro ns innervating specific brain areas, such as the optic lobes, accessory medulla, antennal lobes, central body, and mushroom bodies. The functional roles of some neuropeptides and their receptors have been investigated in D. melanogaster by molecular genetics techniques. In addition, behavioral and electrophysiological assays have addressed neuropeptide functions in the cockroach Leucophaea maderae. Thus, the involvement of brain neuropeptides in circadian clock function, olfactory processing, various aspects of feeding behavior, and learning and memory are highlighted in this review. Studies so far indicate that neuropeptides can play a multitude of functional roles in the brain and that even single neuropeptides are likely to be multifunctional (Hironori, et.al., 1994; Ebberink, et.al., 1989; Ishizaki, et.al., 1983). The excretory process of insects is controlled by both diuretic and antidiuretic hormones. In general, diuretic hormones act on Malpighian tubules to increase secretion of primary urine, whereas antidiuretic hormones stimulate fluid reabsorption in the hindgut (ileum ana rectum). There are, however, exceptions to this, with early reports of an antidiuretic factor acting on Malpighian tubules to reduce secretion of primary urine and of a diuretic factor that appears to decrease fluid uptake from the hindgut. The first identified peptide shown to reduce primary urine production was Manse-CAP2b, which is a cardioacceleratory peptide (CAP) from the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta. Manse-CAP2b acts via cyclic GMP to reduce secretion by serotonin-stimulated Malpighian tubules of the blood-sucking bug Rhodnius prolixus. Surprisingly, the same peptide acts via cyclic GMP and Ca2+ to stimulate primary urine production by Malpighian tubules of the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster (Aizono, et.al., 1997a, Aizono, et.,al., 1997b; Dow and Davies, 2003; Kawakami, et.al., 1989; Kawakami, et.al., 1990; Kondo, et.al., 1996; Terhzaz et al., 2006). Subsequently, two other antidiuretic peptides (Tenmo-ADFa and Tenmo-ADFb) that act on Malpighian tubules have been identified from a pupal head extract of the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, based upon their ability to


Developing countries face two broad categories of challenges in financing the deployment of the sustainable technologies of today. Commercially viable technologies, characterized by considerable existing deployment and relatively low risk perceptions, require the scaling up of investment flows for sustainable development. Financially underserved segments, characterized by higher risk perceptions as a result of limited track records of business models and technology performance, require de-risking to attract the initial flow of investments. Using real world examples, this paper analyses the capacity of developing country financial systems to finance the deployment of sustainable technologies consistent with sustainable development trajectories. Highlighting existing constraints, the paper outlines the role of financial instruments and financial regulation in addressing existing bottlenecks to the flow of capital. Building upon the solutions identified, the paper examines the role of both domestic policy and multilateralism in implementing these solutions.


The aim of this work has been the study of an electrochemical treatment that allows the prevention and halting of chloride corrosion processes in passive reinforced concrete. This treatment is based on a desalination system that removes free chloride in concrete simultaneously increasing the pH around reinforcement steel until its repassivation. With this purpose a concrete has been manufactured with mixing proportions close to that used in civil engineering. The chloride attack has been carried out at room temperature, and the chloride removal process has been started at several concrete ages. Chloride ions have been determined before and after the attack, as well as the corrosion potential, in order to establish comparison between the grade of corrosion of the reinforcement steel before and after treatment, according to exposition time and initial corrosion situation. Relationships between electrochemical parameters have been determined. The studied procedure is a non-destructive and non-intrusive method that does not change either the strength of the concrete or its external appearance. The procedure uses non-pollutant materials, so no environmental damage is caused.


Metal conditioners (MC) are friction, wear, and heat-reducing agents between metal components in motion and are mainly used in engines and transmission boxes as aftermarket additives. Laboratory and field tests were conducted to assess the performance of a commercial MC. Laboratory tribotests revealed the MC's potential to reduce wear and friction in lubricated steel contacts. Field studies were performed on two new motorcycles (160 cc) under urban driving conditions for 15,000 km. The physico-chemical properties of the used oils were similar and within the acceptable limits provided in the literature. The FTIR results showed that specific components in the MC formulation do not allow for a direct comparison between oils and their mixtures with MC. Regarding engine wear, MC provided overall aluminum and iron metal parts protection, mainly in the first 7000 km of engine break-in, but a higher wear of copper-containing parts, although at levels below the warning limits. Accurate measurements of engine components demonstrated there were changes of less than 0.05% in the cylinder, piston, and transmission system pieces, except for gear #5. The lubrication of the crown, pinion, transmission chain and gear #5 with the MC significantly increased their wear resistance. The motorcycle driven with MC maintained higher average fuel economy improvements (+1 km/L), representing a 2.5% gain compared to the other motorcycle. Although only two motorcycles were tested, the laboratory and field results suggested that mixing MC with the fully formulated oil (10W-30) reduces wear and friction during the break-in period.


Emotion is frequently made to play a full positive role in teachers' teaching.With the consideration of their students' recognition,to improve the effectiveness of students' study in the process of teaching,which is also called emotional teaching method,this paper seeks for a valuable approach and strategy for bringing out the relation between students' knowledge about physiology and the emotional interaction among students and their teachers,combining with the teachers' teaching practice in college.It is proved through practice that the emotional input from both students and teachers is an important factor to strengthen the teaching effect and to improve the effectiveness.


Circular economy (CE) is based on environmental, economic and social dimensions which aims to ensure sustainable development on each step of product creation, transformation and conversion by creating a closed loop economy. The purpose of the article is to propose a concept of social dimension of the CE, apply and provide empirical evidence based on the data of Baltic Sea region countries. The study augmented for the models that include the analysis of the circular economy concept, necessary for the social pillar as part of it including: human well-being, healthy ageing, health and social justice. The multi-criteria decision methods MULTIMOORA and TOPSIS were used to assess the social dimension in the context of circular economy. Results reveal that the highest ranks of social aspect of circular economy were tagged to Denmark, Sweden and Finland for the periods of 2014-2017 and the weakest result belonged to Latvia. Findings are also useful to add to theoretical building and also evaluate the social aspect in the concept of circular economy.


The homogeneous electrocatalytic oxidation of L-cysteine by 1,1Ferrocenedicarboxylic acid (FDC) as a redox mediator was studied in aqueous medium at the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) using cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) methods. It was found that in the presence of FDC at pH 6.0, the mediated oxidation peak current of L-cysteine is maximum and the oxidation overpotential of L-cysteine decreases about 450 mV. The diffusion coefficient of L-cysteine and catalytic reaction rate constant were also determined using chronoamperometry. The experimental results showed that the electrocatalytic oxidation peak current of L-cysteine is proportional to the concentration of L-cysteine. The calibration plot for L-cysteine was found to be linear in the ranges of 6.0×10 M–2.0×10 M and 2.0×10 M–5.0×10 M by CV and DPV, respectively. The detection limits (S/N=3) were determined as 3.6×10 M and 9.8×10 M using CV and DPV methods, respectively. Finally, the proposed voltammetric method was used for the determination of L-cysteine in water samples by standard addition method. KeywordsL-Cysteine, 1,1-Ferrocenedicarboxylic acid, Homogeneous electrocatalysis, Voltammetric determination, Glassy carbon electrode Analytical & Bioanalytical Electrochemistry © 2010 by CEE www.abechem.com Anal. Bioanal. Electrochem., Vol. 2, No. 1, 2010, 24 – 35 25


the article analyzes the issues of the influence of modern developed parliamentarism on the formation of constitutionalism on democratic foundations. Arguments are presented regarding the modern development of the state as a social and political institution in the context of the restrictive impact of law. It points to the relationship between a constitution that can legitimately legitimize legal norms, the rule of law, constitutionalism, democracy and parliamentarism. Based on the foregoing, it is summarized that modern parliamentarism is the key to the formation of constitutionalism on democratic foundations, creating the necessary conditions for the progressive development of legal statehood and ensuring the implementation of the rule of law.


This paper examines the relation between the ethnic origin and the strength  of national identification, as emotional attachment  to Romania. Despite there are many nationalism studies, not enough are exploring empirical data while questioning ethno-nationalist conceptions in and about Romania. Considering the primordialist perspectives, the roots of the  nation  are  of ethnic  origin,  therefore  a  stronger  relation  should  be  expected between  those  of Romanian  ethnic  background  and  their  national  identifications,  as compared to national  identifications  of people that  ascribe a different or mixed ethnic origin. By running  a multivariate analysis on the Romanian ESS9 wave, the article finds clues  of equal  degrees  of identification  with  Romania among  all these  categories  of people. Results do not  deny connections  between  ancestry  and national  identification. The  findings  rather   point  out  that  in  terms  of  emotional  attachment,   Romanians, Hungarians,  Roma, and  other  citizens  declaring  a  different  common  ancestry  for  all ancestors or a mixed ancestry, have similar levels of identification with the country.


TRL was commissioned to develop a protocol for undertaking Road Protection Score (RPS) surveys in the UK that is compatible with protocols of EuroRAP and iRAP, and applicable to conditions on UK roads. EuroRAP RPS rates the safety of a road based on how well the design would protect a car occupant from severe injury in a collision, on a scale of 1 to 4 stars. Roadside, median and junction designs are the key factors in RPS. About 7000km of roads, including 2350km of Highways Agency network, were surveyed. Overall, motorways score significantly higher than A-roads, but 2% and 42% respectively scored less than 3-star. Nearly 1% of HA motorways scored below 3-star; around 51% scored 3-star, and 48% scored 4-star. Over 75% of HA A-roads scored 3 or 4 stars. Nearly two-thirds of English non-HA A-roads scored less than 3-star. Scottish motorways and A-roads scored well, gaining 4-star rating at a higher percentage. Welsh motorways scored well, but A-roads poorly, probably due to other road selection criteria that were employed. In Northern Ireland, 76% of motorways scored 3-star and 13% 4-star. 81% of A-roads scored less than 3-star. RPS performs the important function of providing information that accident histories do not, yet a good correlation is observed between both.


The main motivation for this work was to identify and propose, through the technique of case study, actions to attract new customers for the company advisory in Foreign Trade. For this, a survey was conducted about these actions in order to identify them. We tried to point out through literature review the main issues of outsourcing and foreign trade corresponding to the corresponding field of advising the company in a matter, as well as some points of marketing in order of basing the suggested actions. Through the study we could lift the shares of the company foreign trade advisory can do to assist in the search by attracting new customers.