DEMATEL was developed in the early 1970s to provide necessary means for identification of roles played by cause-effect chain system components. The method was initially applied to identify the nature of contemporary world's economic, social, and environmental problems. The method's merits made it popular again at the beginning of the new century. The range of method's applications extended a lot. The contemporary applications of the method deal with complex problems which are totally different from its original purpose. The method proves to be a useful tool for providing necessary data for other approaches. It can also benefit from the application of other approaches. The method is utilized to extend numerous decision and management support approaches as well. A review of such applications of the method are discussed in the paper.


The behavior of the C IV 1550 A emission line strength in variable active galactic nuclei (AGNs) such as Seyfert 1 galaxies and one broad-line radio galaxy (BLRG) is discussed on the basis of low-resolution spectra from IUE. The results are compared with those obtained previously for QSO samples. The variation of individual AGNs indicate that they present matter-bounded conditions when the AGN is in a high-luminosity state. Such behavior is illustrated by the variations seen in the Seyfert 1 galaxy F9, where the transition from photon-bounded to matter-bounded occurs at a transition luminosity of ergs/sec per Hz. The results indicate the existence of a transition luminosity, which appears to be typical for an individual galaxy. An absolute luminosity limit also appears to be present both in the C IV line at 45.0 ergs/sec and for the continuum at 31.7 ergs/sec per Hz. 25 references.


Sea ice is to date a rather poorly investigated part of the cycling of volatile halogenated organic compounds, halocarbons. These compounds are natural sources of reactive iodine and bromine to the atmosphere, and are produced in the marine environment. The aim of this study was to determine the role of sea ice in terms of production and release of halocarbons to the atmosphere. Iodinated and brominated halocarbons were measured in polar sea ice as well as in snow, air, and seawater under the ice. Multiple samples were collected from the same location in order to cover variability. Studies were performed both in winter and summer, and seasonal variations were observed. Sea ice acted as a source of halocarbons both in winter and in summer. Biotic production was observed during summer, and depth distributions of halocarbons in the ice were related to ice algal biomass. Unexpectedly high concentrations of halocarbons were found at the surface of Antarctic winter sea ice. For bromoform (CHBr3) the concentration range was 0.2 20 nM in the top 10 cm of the ice. High concentrations were also found in the snow closest to the snow-ice interface. Our results suggest that an abiotic formation occurs in seasonal sea ice during polar night. This may lead to a winter accumulation of halocarbons in the marine boundary layer and enhance tropospheric ozone depletion in the polar spring.


Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO), is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome resulting in bone pain, muscle weakness, and recurrent fractures. Hypophosphatemia, hyperphosphaturia, low 1, 25 dihydroxyVitamin D, and normal serum calcium are noted. It is mostly caused by fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) secreting tumors. Apart from testing for FGF23, additional imaging modalities are required to identify the causative lesion. Prompt remission follows successful lesion excision. This case report highlights the importance of FGF 23 in the diagnosis of TIO.


In our foreword of the June (2013) Issue of the Indilinga: African Journal of Indigenous Knowledge Systems we concentrated on analysing the main trends of the themes submitted to the journal as well as the role played by Indilinga in enhancing the quantity and the quality of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) issues among African intellectuals and universities. We also stressed the role of Indilinga as the platform for the theoretical and empirical debate among the young African researchers. It was recognised that Indilinga played an important role in the production, dissemination and most importantly in legitimizing African IKS in the African and world academia.


A paleoecological analysis is based on 755 fossil assemblages (Herbivores and Carnivores) from 232 south-western European sites dated to the end of upper Pleistocene (c.45-10 Ky BP). A statistical and combinative approaches of mammalian stocks is placed into a chronoclimatic frame defined from the main cooling event, known as H EINRICH' events. This preliminary study allows to precise some specific features, especially about the spatio-temporal distribution and the paleo-biodiversity of taxa.


Cradle of Diversity Is the biological diversity of reefs a result of attracting species that originated elsewhere, or are they particularly important as cradles of evolution? Kiessling et al. (p. 196; see the cover) examine a large database of fossil benthic marine organisms dating back to the Cambrian to test these questions. It seems that reefs, even in comparison to other shallow marine environments, were indeed important during the origination of new species, including ones that migrate elsewhere. Analysis of fossil evidence indicates that reefs were disproportionally important in the origination of new species. Large-scale biodiversity gradients among environments and habitats are usually attributed to a complex array of ecological and evolutionary factors. We tested the evolutionary component of such gradients by compiling the environments of the geologically oldest occurrences of marine genera and using sampling standardization to assess if originations tended to be clustered in particular environments. Shallow, tropical environments and carbonate substrates all tend to have harbored high origination rates. Diversity within these environments tended to be preferentially generated in reefs, probably because of their habitat complexity. Reefs were also prolific at exporting diversity to other environments, which might be a consequence of low-diversity habitats being more susceptible to invasions.


Biogas from Marine Macroalgae: a New Environmental Technology — Life Cycle Inventory for a Further LCA The main goal of this paper is to analyze the innovative process of production of biogas (via fermentation processes) using marine macroalgae as feedstock in a pilot project plant in Augusta (Sicily, Italy). Algae, during their growth, have the capacity to assimilate nutrients and thus subsequent harvesting of the algal biomass recovers the nutrients from biowaste sources giving the possibility to transform negative environmental externalities in positive mainly in terms of eutrophication and climate change impact categories. The paper presents a novel environmental technology for the production of biogas and 2nd generation biofuel (liquid biomethane) after an upgrading process through the use of a cryogenic technology. The paper would also like to make the first attempt at understanding the possibility to implement this innovative technology in the Latvian context. The first calculations and assumptions for the Life Cycle Inventory for a further Life Cycle Assessment are presented.


We present the first attempt at localizing in latitude the temporal variation of mode energy, energy supply rate, and lifetime of global acoustic modes. We use Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) and Michelson Doppler Imager data analyzed with the GONG peak-fitting algorithm to measure mode width and amplitude of individual (l, n, m) modes. While measured amplitude and width values are inherently noisier than frequency measurements, it is possible to use the (m/l) dependence of these mode parameters to extract their variation in latitude. With the currently analyzed data sets, we construct maps in time and latitude of acoustic mode energy, lifetime (inverse of mode width), and energy supply rate covering the rising phase of the current solar cycle from the previous minimum to the current maximum. We find that the energy and width of global modes vary in latitude as well as in time and that the variation is clearly related to the distribution of magnetic flux. After removing the average quantity, the residual mode width shows a linear correlation with magnetic activity with a correlation coefficient of 0.88, while the corresponding residual mode energy is anticorrelated with magnetic activity with a correlation coefficient of -0.90. These mode parameters derived from global p-modes respond to the local distribution of surface magnetic activity. The energy supply rate shows no correlation with the latitudinal distribution of magnetic activity within the limits of the current measurements. We estimate the variation of global mode energy in response to an individual magnetic feature, such as a plage, and find that the global mode energy and the mode lifetime are reduced by about 40% by an active region compared to the quiet Sun.


Abstract The structural features of three classes of Cr(II) compounds (alkoxides, amides, aryls) are critically reviewed with the aim of investigating the role of ligand bridging interactions in the formation of short Cr–Cr quadruple bonds. A systematic failure of Cr–Cr bond formation is observed with either monodentate or bidentate ligands. Fairly short Cr–Cr contacts are easily elongated and dinuclear structures cleaved by simply coordinating a molecule of solvent either to chromium or to the alkali cation present in anionic chromates. Conversely, extremely short Cr–Cr contacts are almost invariably formed when particular bridging ligands with a three-center chelating geometry and the electronic configuration of an allylic system have been used. Comparison of the magnetic properties of two series of Cr(II) aryls and pyrrolyls, where the three center chelating geometries of the ligands have been progressively modified, indicated that three-center chelating ligands are able to determine the dimeric aggreg...


The impact of a 3D localized particle source on the edge plasma in 3D global turbulence simulations is investigated using the TOKAM3X fluid code. Results apply to advanced fueling methods such as Supersonic Molecular Beam Injection (SMBI) or pellets injection. The fueling source is imposed as a volumetric particle source in the simulations so that the physics leading to the ionization of particles and its localization are not taken into account. As already observed in experiments, the localized particle source strongly perturbs both turbulence and the large scale organization of the edge plasma. The localized increase of the pressure generated by the source drives sonic parallel flows in the plasma, leading to a poloidal redistribution of the particles on the time scale of the source duration. However, the particle deposition also drives localized transverse pressure gradients which impacts the stability of the plasma with respect to interchange processes. The resulting radial transport occurs on a sufficiently fast time scale to compete with the parallel redistribution of particles, leading to immediate radial losses of a significant proportion of the injected particles. Low Field Side (LFS) and High Field Side (HFS) injections exhibit different dynamics due to their interaction with curvature. In particular, HFS particle deposition drives an inward flux leading to differences in the particle deposition efficiency (higher for HFS than LFS). These results demonstrate the importance of taking into account plasma transport in a self‐consistent manner when investigating fueling methods. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


In order to formulate water allocation schemes under uncertainties in the water resources management systems, an inexact multistage stochastic chance constrained programming (IMSCCP) model is proposed. The model integrates stochastic chance constrained programming, multistage stochastic programming, and inexact stochastic programming within a general optimization framework to handle the uncertainties occurring in both constraints and objective. These uncertainties are expressed as probability distributions, interval with multiply distributed stochastic boundaries, dynamic features of the long-term water allocation plans, and so on. Compared with the existing inexact multistage stochastic programming, the IMSCCP can be used to assess more system risks and handle more complicated uncertainties in water resources management systems. The IMSCCP model is applied to a hypothetical case study of water resources management. In order to construct an approximate solution for the model, a hybrid algorithm, which incorporates stochastic simulation, back propagation neural network, and genetic algorithm, is proposed. The results show that the optimal value represents the maximal net system benefit achieved with a given confidence level under chance constraints, and the solutions provide optimal water allocation schemes to multiple users over a multiperiod planning horizon.


The invention relates to a heat treatment process of large-size high-tensile magnesium alloy extrusion. The magnesium alloy extrusion comprises the components in percent by weight of 6 to 13 percent of Gd, 2 to 6 percent of Y, 0.3 to 0.8 percent of Zr, and the balance of Mg and unremovable impurity elements. The heat treatment process comprises the steps of: homogenizing magnesium alloy ingots semicontinuously casted at a temperature of 445 to 455 DEG C for 5 h and at a temperature of/535-545 DEG C for 15h; extruding and moulding the homogenized magnesium alloy ingots to obtain large-size extrusion boards and bars, and carrying out artificial aging treatment on the extrusion boards at a temperature of 200 to 220 DEG C for 20-64h. The strength of the magnesium alloy is greatly improved. The tensile strength of the extrusion boards subjected to artificial aging is more than 460Mpa, and the yield strength is more than 390Mpa. The tensile strength of the bars subjected to the artificial aging is more than 455Mpa, and the yield strength is more than 400Mpa.


We present seismic data from Fogo Volcano (Cape Verde Republic) that document a tidal control on the amplitude of seismic noise and volcanic tremor. The effect is detectable in the raw data by simple eye inspection. We identified the main periodicity in the noise modulation, which coincides with the tidal component M2. The signal duration of 40 days, together with a sampling rate of 1440 samples per day (seismic r.m.s. time series) allowed the resolution of M2 from the neighbor solar frequencies that are often related to environmental effects. Spectral analysis shows that the modulation affects selectively the frequency range 2.0 Hz–3.0 Hz, which we interpret as volcanic tremor. White noise from 1.5 Hz to 7 Hz is also modulated. Comparison with meteorological data reinforces the conclusion that the effect is not due to environmental parameters.


Abstract : This report describes a computationally robust approach to search path performance evaluation where the objects of search interest exhibit structure in the way in which they occur within the search space. The report describes the undenying theoretical probability basis for the search evaluation computations, and provides specific details about the implementation of the numerical method. While the method is general for searchers looking for objects with structured placement, specific examples are given that are drawn from a mine hunting application. In these examples, the object structures to be examined are the laying of mines. In specific mine field patterns, and the performance criterion under evaluation is search effectiveness and its relation to object clearance. Numerical issues such as the discretization of space, the detail of representation, and the scalability of computation are discussed. The application of this theoretical foundation and the numerical methods to other search paradigms is also discussed.


In order that resolutions intended for discussion and possible adoption at the national meeting in Philadelphia are adequately prepared and discussed we would like to encourage early consideration by Society membership.


Abstract : The ionosphere can be studied in a variety of ways - observation, modeling, and the simulation of ionospheric processes in the laboratory. Over the last several years we have carried out such studies in two ways, from ground-based observations using astronomical sky spectra, and from laboratory investigations. At altitudes above 200 km, the dominant atmospheric particles are oxygen atoms, and for any collisional studies it is always necessary to inquire as to the role of these atoms. One example is given by the oxygen red line, a ubiquitous emission in dayglow, nightglow, and aurorae, both artificial and induced. In order to understand both the intensity and the decay of this long-lived emission, one must establish the effect of collisions of the red line emitter - O(1D) with ground-state O-atoms. The conclusion reached from application of the laboratory results to atmospheric observations is that the dominant loss process at altitudes relevant to ionospheric modification experiments is in fact collisions with O(3P). It follows that measuring the O(1D) decay rate provides a measure of the local O-atom density. Another example comes from observation of the O2 Atmospheric bands, which normally emit in the mesosphere, but can also be seen from the lower thermosphere. Again, it is essential to find out how the excited O2 molecules interact with O-atoms. In this paper we demonstrate how laboratory studies are used to address these questions, how the results are applied to atmospheric issues, and also what we are being taught by the high resolution nightglow spectra accessible from astronomical systems.


Control of plant diseases is usually carried out by the community using chemical pesticides. These chemical pesticides can damage the environment and human health. As an alternative, a technique for using fluorescent pseudomonad biological agents has been developed as an antagonistic, environmentally friendly microorganism to reduce the negative impact of using chemical pesticides. Community service has been carried out in Korong Kampung Guci Nagari Lubuk Pandan, Padang Pariaman regarding the application of compatible fluorescent pseudomonad biological agents. After the material was presented to the participants, it was continued with the application of compatible fluorescent pseudomonads to the tissue cultured rhizosphere of banana plants. All participants enthusiastically applied compatible fluorescent pseudomonads in the field.


In Webster v. Reproductive Health Services,' the Supreme Court settled a tiny fraction of abortion law, but it did so in a way that unsettled the greater part of the matter. Some argue that Webster overruled Roe v. Wade,2 and yet others proclaim that Webster was merely a funding case with little precedential value for abortion litigation and legislation. Still others predict dire consequences for civil and contraceptive rights, and the lives of expectant women. Clearly, the Supreme Court is well on the way to a new constitutional analysis for abortion jurisprudence, but what does Webster mean? Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes declared that the state of the law was only a prediction of what a court would decide when confronted with a given set of facts.3 Applying this Legal Realism insight to analyze predictively4 what five Justices have now said concerning abortion jurisprudence, it is" evident that Roe and its progeny are de facto overruled. The result, however, portends none of the dire consequences promised by abortion proponents. Rather, Webster demonstrates that the Supreme Court will once again honor the text and histdry of the Constitution, and at the same time consider the rights and interests of all human beings, born and unborn.


A method for splicing optical waveguide ends (2a, 2b), wherein the optical waveguide (1a, 1b) in a positioning device (20, 21) is introduced and the light waveguide (1a, 1b) are aligned with each other and a splice between the optical waveguide ends (2a, 2b) wherein is prepared: a) after completion of the alignment, the positions of the optical waveguide ends (2a, 2b) (of at least one image receiving device 13a, 13b) are detected and stored as initial position data, b) a splicing operation by an image signal evaluation of at least one image recording device (13a, 13b) at least once monitored and the splicing is viewed in one of two viewing planes, in which the larger offset between the outer contours (7a, 7b) of the optical waveguide ends (2a, 2b) has been found c) a local variation of the merging optical waveguide ends (2a, 2b) relative to the position detected at the beginning of the splicing process during the splicing, d) at least once set the data stored and the position data detected in relation to one another and e) the resulting, the deviation from ...


Empirical examination of the pricing policies of brands in several categories reveals that the pricing distribution is multi-modal with firms offering shallow and deep discounts with varying frequencies. Another interesting feature of these pricing distributions is that the modes are in the interior of the support. However, extant theory on price promotions predicts that the equilibrium pricing density will be bi-modal and the modes will be at the ends of the support of the distribution. In this study, we develop a dynamic game-theoretic model which allows for inter-temporal shifts in demand that may result from some consumers' stockpiling at promotional prices. We examine how such behavior affects firms' pricing strategy in a setting where firms and consumers interact repeatedly over an infinite horizon. The pricing distributions predicted by our theory are remarkably consistent with the pricing patterns observed in practice. The model allows us to generate many new and interesting insights on the optimal promotional strategies of firms and its interplay with the clientele mix, market structure and other market factors. Interestingly, we find that the stockpiling threshold is decreasing in the consumer's willingness to stockpile. The model also highlights whether or not the stockpiling occurs in equilibrium depends on the market structure, mix of price sensitive, price insensitive and opportunistic consumers and discount rate.


Objective: To evaluate the results of revision endoscopic sinus surgery of recurrent sinusitis and nasal polyps. Methods: 64 cases of recurrent sinusitis and nasal polyps had been operated by revision endoscopic sinus surgery with Messerklinger Method. Results:35 cases (55 sides) of recurrent sinusitis were cured.5 cases ( 8 sides) were improved:24 cases (46 sides)of recurrent nasal polyps were cured,4 cases(6 sides)of recurrent nasal polyps were improved. Conclusion: Revision endoscopic sinus surgery is a valuable metnod to treat recurrent sinusitis and nasal polyps.


Dielectric permittivity \ensuremath{\varepsilon} as a function of temperature is measured in ${\mathrm{PbMg}}_{1/3}{\mathrm{Nb}}_{2/3}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ and a number of other relaxor ferroelectrics with the perovskite structure. It is found that the data taken from the high-temperature slopes of the diffused permittivity peaks of all the materials studied can be collapsed onto a single scaling line derived from the formula ${\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}_{A}/\ensuremath{\varepsilon}=1+0.5(T\ensuremath{-}{T}_{A}{)}^{2}/{\ensuremath{\delta}}^{2},$ where ${\ensuremath{\varepsilon}}_{A},$ ${T}_{A},$ and \ensuremath{\delta} are the parameters depending on the composition. This formula describes the static conventional relaxor susceptibility, which provides the dominant contribution to the permittivity peak at temperatures above the temperature of the maximum. In the close vicinity of the peak temperature and below, the scaling is disturbed due to the conventional relaxor dispersion.


The invention discloses a scale type hydrostatic level, which comprises a container, a floater, a bracket, a fixed scale tube, a hang spring and a floating scale tube, and is characterized in that: a water inlet and a water outlet are formed on the lower part of the container, and a cup cover is arranged on the upper part of the container; the outer diameter of the floater is smaller than the inner diameter of the container; a hole of which the pore size is greater than the outer diameter of the fixed scale tube is formed in the middle of the floater; the bracket is fixed on the floater; an inward convex tube is arranged at the bottom of the fixed scale tube, a steel counter weight is arranged inside the fixed scale tube, and a fixed scale is carved on the inner wall of the upper part of the fixed scale tube; the outer diameter of the floating scale tube is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the fixed scale tube, a steel counter weight is arranged on the lower part of the floating scale tube, a floating scale is carved on the outer wall of the upper part of the floating scale tube, and a hanging ring is arranged in the center of the top of the floating scale tube and is hung on the bracket through the hang spring; a thimble is arranged at the bottom of the container; the bottom of the fixed scale tube is arranged on the top of the thimble; and the fixed scale tube can be automatically vertically positioned in the container in a certain water level range of the container. The scale type hydrostatic level has the advantages of simple structure, low construction cost, convenience of use and high observation accuracy, and is suitable for settlement measurement of constructional engineering on a second level or below.


Lyapunov functions are an important tool for the determination of the domain of attraction of an equilibrium point of a given ordinary differential equation. The Radial Basis Functions collocation method is one of the numerical methods to construct Lyapunov functions. This method has been improved by combining it with a refinement algorithm to reduce the number of collocation points required in the construction process, as well as a verification that the constructed function is a Lyapunov function. In this paper, we propose a combination of both methods in one, called the combination method. This method constructs a Lyapunov function with the refinement algorithm and then verifies its properties rigorously. The method is illustrated with examples.


In the classical literature both the masking and the suppression of one tone by a second tone of lower frequency have been shown to be nonlinear functions of overall level. Here, the relation between these two tasks is further constrained by measuring both remote masking and suppression with the same subjects. The remote masking experiment measures the effect of a 602‐Hz sinusoidal masker on the detectability of a simultaneous 1500‐Hz sinusoidal signal, while the suppression experiment measures the effect of a 602‐Hz sinusoidal suppressor on the forward masking produced by a 1500‐Hz sinusoid. The data agree with earlier studies and are interpreted in the context of the multiple band pass nonlinearity model [J. L. Goldstein, "Updating cochlear driven models of auditory perception: A model for nonlinear auditory frequency analyzing filters," in Working Models of Human Perception, edited by B. Elsendoorn and H. Bouma (Academic, New York, 1989), pp. 19–57], which suggests that both excitatory and suppressive ...


Showers of gamma rays and positrons are produced when a high-energy electron beam collides with a superintense laser pulse. We present scaling laws for the electron-beam energy loss, the gamma-ray spectrum, and the positron yield and energy that are valid in the nonlinear, radiation-reaction-dominated regime. As an application we demonstrate that by employing the collision of a > GeV electron beam with a laser pulse of intensity > 5 x 10(21) Wcm(-2), today's high-intensity laser facilities are capable of producing O(10(4)) positrons per shot via light-by-light scattering.


: Desiccation-tolerant organisms can survive dehydration in a state of anhydrobiosis. Tardigrades can recover from anhydrobiosis at any life stage and are considered among the toughest animals on Earth. However, the factors that influence recovery from anhydrobiosis are not well understood. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of sex, age, occurrence in a group and the combination of the number and duration of anhydrobiosis episodes on the recovery of Paramacrobiotus experimentalis . The activity of 1,200 individuals for up to 48 hours after rehydration was evaluated using ANOVA. Age was the main factor influencing return to activity, followed by the number and duration of anhydrobiosis episodes, group influence, and sex. More individuals returned to activity after repeated short than repeated long anhydrobiosis episodes and older individuals were less likely to recover than younger individuals. In addition, more individuals were active after rehydration in groups than individually. The effect of sex was significant, but there was no general tendency for one sex to recover from anhydrobiosis better than the other one. The results contribute to a better understanding of the anhydrobiosis ability of Pam. experimentalis and provide background for evolutionary, molecular and environmental mechanisms of anhydrobiosis ability.


Neighbor discovery is of paramount importance in mobile sensing applications and is particularly challenging if the operating frequencies of mobile devices span multiple channels. In this paper, we formulate the multi-channel neighbor discovery problem and establish a theoretical framework of it, under which we derive the performance bound of any neighbor discovery protocol guaranteeing discovery. We then develop a multi-channel discovery protocol that achieves guaranteed discovery with order-minimum worst-case discovery delay and fine-grained control of energy conservation levels.


In recent years, a tremendous amount of development has been seen in the field of Internet of Things (IoT) enabled solutions, triggering the advent of novel applications. This evolutionary trend has been led in part by radio frequency identification (RFID) and smart technologies, among others. Inspired by the endeavors in this area, the results reported here apply to a smart architecture for patient tracking and monitoring within hospitals. The aim is to implement RFID based solutions to tracking patients location and movement and expensive equipment in hospitals. Experimental results are reported of a novel patient tracking system that uses of multiple RFID tags in bracelets worn by patients to reliably determine their location within certain area. We also present results on processing the phase of the received signal in order to detect movement of a patient.


In order to measure website visibility in search engines, there are softwares for analytics and referencing follow-up. They permit to quantify website's efficacity of referencing and optimize its positionning in search engines. With regard to search engines' algorithms' evolution and centralization of Key Performance Indicators for Marketing decision making, it becomes hard to find solutions to effectively lead a lot of projects for referencing. That's why we have built a methodology in order compare, evaluate and choose a software for analytics and referencing follow-up in search engines.


Context: The adoption of cloud computing in small and medium size organisations has become a significant trend in today's information technology. Therefore, there is a requirement to identify possible security challengesand guidelines for the researchers based on the adoption. Keeping in view of these elements, a systematic literature review (SLR) of cloud computing adoption in businesses and organisations was conducted. Goal: The main purpose of this research is to identify the possible opportunities, challenges, factors and guidelines for the evaluation and adoption of cloud computing (CC) for organisations intending to adopt or already using CC. Method: ASLR is conducted to achieve the above goals.The search process of this literature review used quality scholarly databases such as ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, Inspec, Springer, Google Scholar, Researchgate, Google Books and Wolverhampton University Online Library(8 types of databases) along with open-access journals for relevant articles. Results: A total of 561articles were found of which 85articles met the included criteria. Ninedifferent categorieswere identified securingCCadoption in organisation, namely (1) CC adoption (n=30); (2) CC security (n=18); (3) CC overview / Objective (n=8); (4) CC adoption challenges (n=7); (5) CC adoption factor influencing (n=7); (6) CC adoption factor affecting (n=6); (7) CC future forecast (n=4); (8) CC adoption decision (n=3); (9) CC adoption & implementation (n=2); Conclusion:The basis of this SLRcan help the development of guidelines to support newcomer companies whether to adopt and migrate to CC, the evaluation of relationship between nine factors and the selection of providers.


* From the Centre de Cardiologie (Dir.: Prof. P.W. Duchosal), Hôpital Cantonal, Geneva, Switzerland. A persistent left superior vena cava (LSVC) is observed in about 3% of the patients examined in the catheterization laboratoryl; in the majority of cases the abnormal vessel enters the right atrium through the coronary sinus. Drainage into the left atrium is much more uncommon. Other intracardiac malformations such as septal defects are frequently combined, but the association with coarctation of the aorta is unusual.


With more than a half-century in operation, the industrial chemical complex of Estarreja (ICCE) in northern Portugal has left serious environmental liabilities in the region. Although protective measures were implemented, soils, surface, and groundwater contamination caused by persistent pollutants are still prevalent. This study presents data from several geophysical and hydrochemical campaigns carried out to monitor groundwater contamination in the Estarreja region over a period of 30 years. Both geophysical and hydrochemical data showed a good agreement and revealed an important anomaly caused by groundwater contamination (high levels of Na, Cl, SO4, and Fe, among others) in 2006–2007, likely caused by the remobilization of waste pollutants (roasted pyrites, soils, and sludge) during their deposition in a sealed landfill (operating between 2003 and 2005). More recently, in 2016, this impact persists, but was more attenuated and showed a general migration pattern from E to SW according to one of the main groundwater flow paths. Groundwater flow in this region has a local radial behaviour. Drainage effluent systems, such as ditches and buried pipes formerly used by ICCE, are also likely to contribute to some contamination "hotspots". Finally, the results obtained by the combined use of these two approaches allowed for the delineation of the contamination plume for future monitoring.


Using a simple Monte Carlo integration method for quantum-mechanical problems on a time lattice'' the mass gaps of the low-lying states of Luescher's effective Hamiltonian with and without massless fermions for a small volume are computed. While there is good agreement between this method and previous Rayleigh-Ritz-type calculations in the case of SU(2), notable differences are found in the case of SU(3) for most states. The statistical and systematic errors are competitive with those of the variational method. Having no dependence on basis set size, the Monte Carlo method is a good alternative to the Rayleigh-Ritz calculations also for SU(3). An extension of the method to intermediate volumes including fermions is definitely possible.


The Pythagorean fuzzy set (PFS), which Yager extended, is a novel tool for dealing with ambiguity when considering membership(MS) grade p and non-membership (NMS) q that fulfil the criteria $p^{2} + q^{2} \leq 1$ allowing the structure to characterise fuzziness more thoroughly and precisely than intuitionistic fuzzy sets. The Pythagorean Fuzzy Hypersoft (PFHS) set theory is a useful method for dealing with abnormalities and uncomfortable information in real-life situations. The Pythagorean fuzzy set and the Hypersoft set, which comprise the truthfulness grade (TG) and falsehood grade (FG) in the Pythagorean environment, are combined in the PFHS principle. This study tries to define the arguments around allergy diagnosis and the effects that arise with it. After considering the dire outcomes of Allergies, it becomes challenging to distinguish between the various types of Allergies and their complexity. Because the false portions of practical assessments are usually ignored, precision in the person's developmental history is difficult to recognize, and number of sessions cannot be projected. This work presents the PFHS set and PFHS mapping with its inverse mapping (INM) to alleviate these constraints. These notions are capable and necessary for correctly analyzing the problem by combining it with scientific modelling. This study establishes a link between symptoms and medications, lowering the narrative's complexity. For the various types of allergies, a table based on a fuzzy interval between [0, 1] is created. The techniques that are based on PFHS-mapping, which is used to effectively identify a problem then choose the right treatment for each patient's condition.


This paper describes the methodology used to incorporate two numerical plume rise algorithms, one by Janicke and Janicke and another by Webster and Thomson, into the Lagrangian particle model LAPMOD. LAPMOD is fully interfaced with the diagnostic meteorological model CALMET, which is part of the widely used CALPUFF modeling system. LAPMOD can also use the meteorological input files produced with the AERMET meteorological processor of the US-EPA recommended model AERMOD. This paper outlines the theory behind the two plume rise algorithms and the details of their implementation in LAPMOD. The paper also provides the results of the evaluation of LAPMOD and its included plume rise algorithms against the well-known Indianapolis and Kincaid SF6 and SO2 field studies and tracer experiments. The performance of LAPMOD is successfully evaluated with the Model Evaluation Kit and compared with that of other air quality models.


1. A turbomachine with a screw (screws) for an aircraft, comprising at least one turbine (5) adapted to drive the rotation of the screw (3, 4) and the nozzle (8) coaxially extending said turbine, forming, the output cone (10) which terminates turbine passage (11) with a transverse annular cross-section for the combustion gases passing through the turbine, wherein the nozzle (8) movably mounted between two extreme positions in which the transverse annular passage section (11), respectively It is minimal or maximum, and means (12) control linked with the nozzle to change its position and change in the cross section of passage for the combustion gas depending on the aircraft functional phases, characterized in that for changing the cross section of passage (11) for combustion gas above a nozzle (8) translates under the action of means (12) controls parallel to the longitudinal axis of the turbomachine, which converges toward the output cone (10) turbiny.2. A turbomachine according to Claim. 1, wherein the means (12) control determined power cylinders (15) or analogues connecting the peripheral portion of the nacelle (6) surrounding a turbine with a nozzle (8) .3. A turbomachine according to claim. 2, wherein the actuators (15) control are arranged so that they are distributed uniformly around the nozzle at an angle parallel to a longitudinal axis turbomashiny.4. A turbomachine according to Claim. 1, in which the nozzle is moved in translation between its extreme positions of its cylindrical wall (9) remains in contact with the wall (7) gondoly.5. A turbomachine according to Claim. 1, wherein the translational ne


Analytic modeling of radiation from sources or scattering by obstacles near submerged layered environments generally leads to Fourier‐type spectral integrals with integrands that contain pole and branch point singularities. In the high‐frequency range, there are spectral intervals in which the integrands are highly oscillatory, thereby making their numerical evaluation problematic, especially in the vicinity of singularities that lie on the Fourier path in the absence of dissipation. Various methods of performing the numerics are examined, including deformation of the real‐axis integration path into a contour in the complex plane, on which the integrand has weak or no oscillations and is exponentially damped away from a local maximum. By comparing the corresponding steepest descent and stationary phase analytic approximations with the numerics, one may calibrate these algorithms for accuracy, especially when saddle (stationary) points and singularities are in close proximity. The physical wave phenomena a...


The scalp is the most external and important barrier of the skull and brain. Burns in this area are rare, but often caused by high voltage injuries, fire, li...


A fuel control system for a diesel engine includes a first module that calculates a block learn multiplier (BLM) based on a feedback signal during a closed-loop fuel control period. A second module adjusts a base fueling rate of the diesel engine based on the BLM during an open-loop fuel control period.


This report provides insight into the effects of policies and regulations designed to reduce supply chain greenhouse gas emissions. The report provides nine suggested practices based on an extensive literature review, industry interviews, and the research team's experience. Readers also can explore the outcomes of actual greenhouse gas reduction initiatives through a review of domestic and international case studies included in the report. Chapter 1 of this report provides background and describes the research method. Chapter 2 explores how stakeholders can collaborate to help balance supply-chain emissions reduction initiatives with environmental, social, and economic goals. In Chapter 3, the benefits of operational improvements are discussed, including an assessment of the extent to which these improvements are attributable to either private-sector efforts or public policy. Chapter 4 focuses on how newly implemented technologies are being used to achieve both greater supply-chain efficiency and reduced emissions. Many companies improving their supply-chain sustainability are actively promoting their efforts; this concept of the "sustainability brand" is described in Chapter 5. The research also identified several instances of unforeseen and unintended consequences stemming from air emissions regulations; these are discussed in Chapter 6. The research culminates in suggestions that policymakers may want to consider as they address supply-chain emissions (Chapter 7). The case studies are provided in six appendices focused on the international experience, domestic examples, ports and the coastal perspectives, the inland perspective, private sector initiatives, and supply chain sustainability metrics.


a new generation of apparatus extending these possibilities in the three dimensions of space was introduced by the authors (A. Cerezo, G.D.W Smith, Oxford and M.K Miller, Oak Ridge National Laboratory) and the FIM group of the University of Rouen. With this new generation of analytical microscopy, the small volume analysed within the material can be reconstructed in the three dimensions of space, on an atomic-scale. This monograph, written by renowned specialists may be viewed as an updated extension of the book of M.K Miller and G.D.W Smith already published in 1989 (MRS, Pittsburgh, PA, 1989). Many new items are added, including a description of the different types of position sensitive detector designed in Oxford, Oak Ridge or in France and that are implemented to different variants of 3D atom-probes. A more exhaustive description of the statistical treatment of atom-probe data is also provided. This monograph is intended for specialists of Atom-Probe Microscopy as well as for non-specialists interested into application to materials. Special efforts are made for scientists new in the field.


The eucaryotic cells possess specific intracellular transport system to deliver newly synthesized proteins to their sites of function. This review summarizes the biosynthetic protein transport pathways and highlights the recent progress in the studies of mitochondrial protein import.


Objective To investigate the effect of simvastatin at different concentration on the functions of endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs) incubated with lipopolysaccharide(LPS) in vitro.Methods Total mononuclear cells(MNCs) were isolated from human peripheral blood by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation,and then the cells were plated on fibronectin-coated culture dishes.After 7 days culture,attached cells were isolated and assessed with a laser scanning confocal microscope.EPCs were cultivated with standard EGM-2MW fluid(control group) or plus LPS(100 ng/ml)(LPS group) or first incubated with LPS for 24 hours and then added simvastatin of different concentrations(0.1μmol/L,1.0 μmol/L and 10.0 μmol/L).The proliferation,adhesion and migration of EPCs were detected with MTT assay,modified Boyden chamber assay after 48 hours respectively.And the influences of LPS and simvastatin on EPCs′proliferation,adhesion and migration were evaluated.Results Incubated with LPS,the proliferation of EPCs were declined significantly(P =0.009),the adhesion and migration of EPCs were also descended,but there was no significance(P =0.279,P =0.056).With the addition of simvastatin,the proliferation,adhesion and migration of EPCs were all improved.There was hardly any improvment in the proliferation,adhesion and migration of EPCs when added of 0.1 μmol/L simvastatin(P =0.687,P =0.501,P =0.683,respectively),EPCs′proliferation was improved significantly when incubated with simvastatin of 1.0 μmol/L compared with LPS group(P =0.017),while the adhesion and migration were also improved but there was no significance(P =0.064,P =0.069 respectively).When incubated with simvastatin at the concentration of 10.0 μmol/L the proliferation 、adhesion and migration of EPCs were all improved significantly(P =0.00,P =0.002,P =0.00 respectively)compared with LPS group,and the adhesion and migration of EPCs were ameliorated significantly even compared with the EPCs cultivated with standard EGM-2MW fluid(P =0.039,P =0.000 respectivly).Conclusion LPS could cut down the proliferation of EPCs sharply,while the adhesion and migration were declined when incubated with EPCs.Simvastatin could improve the declined proliferation,adhesion and migration of EPCs which incubated with LPS first.


Introduction. We aimed to assess the prognostic significance of the sex of patients with primary tracheal tumors based on our own results as well as the literature review. Material and methods. We carried out a retrospective analysis of 89 patients with primary tracheal tumors treated at the Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology in Warsaw, Poland, between January 2000 and December 2016. Men and women were compared in terms of overall survival, disease-free survival, and progression-free survival. Results. In the entire study group, the median overall survival was 61.30 months in women and 8.55 months in men (p < 0.0001). 5-year overall survival rates were 2.1% in men versus 50.6% in women (p < 0.0001). Among those receiving radical treatment, women had improved survival rates compared with men. Sex was an independent prognostic factor in both the total study population and among those undergoing radical treatment. Conclusions. According to our results, women with primary tracheal tumors have significantly better survival than men. Because female sex is an independent prognostic factor in patients with primary tracheal tumors, the ratio of women to men should be taken into consideration in reports comparing the outcomes of different treatments.


This paper presents research and discussions on the projects of smart surveillance systems based on the present trouble of active surveillance. Several domestic and foreign inventions and designs are analyzed, and some scarcities are found. Then new methods are proposed to realize auto-tracking surveillance. And some related experimentations have been carried out.


We report a novel evanescent-coupled germanium electro-absorption modulator with a small active area of 16 µm2 giving an extinction ratio of ∼10 dB for a wavelength range of 1580 – 1610 nm. In addition, monolithic integration of both evanescent-coupled Ge electro-absorption modulator and Ge p-i-n photodetector is demonstrated. This high speed low power electro-absorption modulator is extremely useful in developing CMOS-compatible integrated silicon photonics circuits for short reach optical communication links


/department of mechanical engineering Introduction Throughout the Netherlands 22,500 km of unplasticised poly(vinyl chloride) (uPVC) pipes are in use for gas distribution purposes. Physical ageing causes embrittlement of these pipes [1] and can limit their residual lifetime. Replacement is costly, but can only be postponed if the risk on accidents, such as shown in Figure 1, remains very low. The goal of the present study is to investigate whether micro-indentation measurements can be used to measure the condition of uPVC gas pipes.


Teaching lecture or lab courses in instrumental analysis can be a source of frustration since one can only crowd a small number of students around a single instrument, typically leading to round-robin approaches. Round-robin labs can spread students into multiple labs and limit instructor�student interactions. We discuss "Mass Spectrometry Theatre" as an example of how to teach instrumental analysis with a single instrument, using a digital projector. Since most instruments are now computer controlled and have few if any dials or indicators, most of the interactions are with the computer. With the computer display projected onto a large screen in the lab, students can interact with the instructor and the data system together, with a small number of operators assigned to use the mouse and keyboard. In this way, the use of any instrument with an attached computer can be taught to larger groups, in the lab, in ways that involve all of the students and the instructor, throughout the laboratory period.


Mobile devices are ubiquitous in the lives of modern consumers, who use them for information-seeking and purchasing activities, fostering the emergence of m-commerce. This trend has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has boosted m-commerce growth in both developed and developing countries. Hence, there is a need for cross-cultural research concerning the factors affecting behavioural intentions. Drawing upon the hedonic information systems model, we measure the impact of utilitarian factors on satisfaction, repurchase intention, and eWOM through the mediation of enjoyment across two countries characterized by different stages of m-commerce readiness and culture: China and Italy. Findings suggest that the impact of utilitarian factors on satisfaction is stronger among Italian users than Chinese users. On the contrary, for Chinese users, who use their mobile phones as a primary device to shop online, the mediation effect of enjoyment on satisfaction and eWOM is stronger. With this study, we contribute to cross-cultural research in m-commerce and provide guidelines to mobile retailers operating in diverse international markets. © 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Consumer Studies published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.


Digital platform technology enables circular business models that facilitate the reduction, reuse, and recycling of resources and materials across large ecosystems of platform actors. However, little is currently known about the inner workings of such platforms and how they are organized. Framing these platforms as meta-organizations, this study examines the orchestration mechanisms deployed by platform owners to facilitate economic value creation with a circular business model among a large group of actors. Building on an inductive analysis of 10 European platform organizations, this study identifies five meta-organizational orchestration mechanisms and develops an empirically grounded model that explains how the focal firm orchestrates value creation with a platform-based circular business model. This study advances the existing knowledge on orchestration mechanisms in platform-based meta-organizations in a circular economy context and highlights novel implications for theory and practice.


The degradation of chloroform is studied for two different methanogenic cultures grown on acetate and methanol exclusively, as the primary substrates. In chemostats, chloroform was fed at different concentrations as high as 2000 μg/l along with the primary substrate and chloroform degradation greater than 98% was observed. The kinetics of degradation of chloroform and the primary substrate were investigated using BMP tests and it was seen that the methanol-fed methanogenic culture exhibited higher rates of chloroform degradation than the acetate-fed methanogenic culture. Besides, chloroform inhibited acetate degradation at any concentration while methanol inhibition was observed only for chloroform concentrations higher than 800 μg/l.


Prostate‐specific membrane antigen (PSMA) has been found to be expressed in the tumor‐associated neovasculature of multiple solid tumor types including breast cancers. However, thus far, the number of cases studied from some tumor types has been limited. In this study, we set out to assess PSMA expression in the tumor‐associated vasculature associated with invasive breast carcinomas in a sizable cohort of patients. One hundred and six patients with AJCC stage 0‐IV breast cancer were identified. Ninety‐two of these patients had primary breast cancer [invasive breast carcinoma with or without co‐existing ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) (74) or DCIS alone (18)]. In addition, 14 patients with breast cancer metastases to the brain were identified. Immunohistochemical staining for PSMA and CD31 was performed on parallel representative tumor sections in each case. Tumor‐associated vascular endothelial cell PSMA immunoreactivity was semi‐quantitatively assessed based on two parameters: overall percent of endothelial positivity and staining intensity. PSMA expression for tumor‐associated vascular endothelial cells was scored 0 if there was no detectable PSMA expression, 1 if PSMA staining was detectable in 5–50%, and 2 if PSMA expression was positive in >50% of microvessels. CD 31 staining was concurrently reviewed to confirm the presence of vasculature in each case. Tumor‐associated vasculature was PSMA‐positive in 68/92 (74%) of primary breast cancers and in 14/14 (100%) of breast cancers metastatic to brain. PSMA was not detected in normal breast tissue or carcinoma cells. All but 2 cases (98%) showed absence of PSMA expression in normal breast tissue‐associated vasculature. The 10‐year overall survival was 88.7% (95% CI = 80.0%, 93.8%) in patients without brain metastases. When overall survival (OS) was stratified based on PSMA score group, patients with PSMA scores of 0, 1, and 2 had 10‐year OS of 95.8%, 96.0%, and 79.7%, respectively (p = 0.12). When PSMA scores of 0 and 1 were compared with 2, there was a statistically significant difference in OS (96.0% vs 79.7%, respectively, p = 0.05). Patients with a PSMA score of 2 had a significantly higher median tumor size compared with patients in the lower PSMA score groups (p = 0.04). Patients with higher nuclear grade were more likely to have a PSMA score of 2 compared with patients with lower nuclear grade (p < 0.0001). Patients with a PSMA score of 2 had a significantly higher median Ki‐67 proliferation index compared with patients in the lower PSMA score groups (p < 0.0001). Patients with estrogen receptor (ER)‐negative tumors were more likely to have a PSMA score of 2 compared with patients with ER‐positive tumors (p < 0.0001). Patients with progesterone receptor (PR)‐negative tumors were more likely to have a PSMA score of 2 compared with patients with PR‐positive tumors (p = 0.03). No significant association was observed between PSMA score group status and lymph node involvement (p = 0.95). Too little variability was present in Human epidermal growth factor receptor‐2 (Her2/neu) amplified tumors to correlate with PSMA score group status. To date, this is the first detailed assessment of PSMA expression in the tumor‐associated vasculature of primary and metastatic breast carcinomas. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether PSMA has diagnostic and/or potential therapeutic value.


This paper investigates how two male teachers construct health and physical education (HPE) as a particular site for schooling the gendered body. Using knowledge of productive pedagogies and a theoretical framework that draws on the work of Foucauldian analytic categories, we foreground how issues of identity, the body and gendered knowledge/power relations get mobilised through how these two male teachers talk about the HPE curriculum and their pedagogical practices. It is concluded that teacher threshold knowledges about gender impact significantly on the execution or pedagogical practices and the implementation of curriculum in the HPE classroom.


The relationship of college P.E. reform and college students' education for all-round development was expounded. Aiming at the present situation that college P.E. is incompatible with education for all-round development,the authors propose ways for the college P.E. to be adaptable to education for all-round development. That is,acquiring the idea of education for (all-round) development,reforming college P.E. courses;establishing sports culture on campus and setting up a P.E. teacher contingent with high qualities.


New Amsterdam Theatre, New Victory Theater The restoration of two historic theaters not only jump-starts Times Square's recent revival but also enables theater- goers to revel in the area's complex architectural history. Top: New Amsterdam Theatre signage and interior detail reflect different eras of renova- tion. Left photo © Chris Lovi, right photo by Whitney Cox, © Disney Enterprises, Inc. Above: The new theatres, which face each other across the street, were among the first signs of change along redeveloping 42nd Street. Photo © Elliott Kaufman PLACES 14:2


We present a stylized model that illustrates how interbank trading can reduce the sensitivity of lending to entrepreneurs' net worth, thus affecting the transmission mechanism of monetary policy through the credit channel. We build a model-consistent measure of interconnectedness and document that, in the United States, this measure has increased substantially during the period 1952–2016. Finally, interacting the measure of interconnectedness in a structural vector autoregression and a factor-augmented vector autoregression for the US economy, we find that the impulse responses of several real and financial variables to monetary policy shocks are dampened as interconnectedness increases. We confirm the same result using data from 10 Euro area countries for the period 1999–2016.


We present results from molecular dynamics computer simulations of the dynamic properties of amorphous material derived from zeolite ZSM-5, in particular secondary relaxations for temperatures below the critical temperature. We observe local jumps where groups of atoms move collectively. At low temperatures the relaxations comprise mainly of one-dimensional chains of atoms. The dimensionality of the relaxing centers increases with the temperature due to side branching. Both the displacement vector and the number of atoms participating in the jumps increase with temperature. The possibility of having reversible jumps decreases with increasing temperature due to a strong drop in the potential energy during aging. There exist very prominent peaks in the van Hove correlation functions as a manifestation of the hopping processes. The dynamics of the oxygen atoms is found to be more heterogeneous than those of the silicon atoms.


We introduce the notion of a task for innnitely many processors and investigate necessary and suucient conditions for such a task to be wait{free solvable. A protocol that solves such a task must be uniform: Processors must produce a valid output even when there is no upper bound on the cardinality of the participating set. We extend the Asynchronous Computability Theorem of Herlihy and Shavit to uniform protocols. This entails a completely diierent approach to deal with complexes of innnite dimensions. Our characterization directly implies that the Immediate Snapshot task admits a uniform protocol. We match this result by providing a particular uniform protocol for Immediate Snapshot, and consequently for Renaming. We also describe a speciic task that is not uniformly solvable although every subtask for nitely many processors is solvable.


Context. Distant galaxy clusters provide an effective laboratory in which to study galaxy evolution in dense environments and at early cosmic times. Aims. We aim to identify distant galaxy clusters as extended X-ray sources that are coincident with overdensities of characteristically bright galaxies. Methods. We used optical and near-infrared data from the Hyper Suprime-Cam and VISTA Deep Extragalactic Observations (VIDEO) surveys to identify distant galaxy clusters as overdensities of bright, zphot ≥ 0.8 galaxies associated with extended X-ray sources detected in the ultimate XMM extragalactic survey (XXL). Results. We identify a sample of 35 candidate clusters at 0.80 ≤ z ≤ 1.93 from an approximately 4.5 deg2 sky area. This sample includes 15 newly discovered candidate clusters, ten previously detected but unconfirmed clusters, and ten spectroscopically confirmed clusters. Although these clusters host galaxy populations that display a wide variety of quenching levels, they exhibit well-defined relations between quenching, cluster-centric distance, and galaxy luminosity. The brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) within our sample display colours that are consistent with a bimodal population composed of an old and red sub-sample together with a bluer, more diverse sub-sample. Conclusions The relation between galaxy masses and quenching seem to already be in place at z ∼ 1, although there is no significant variation in the quenching fraction with the cluster-centric radius. The BCG bimodality might be explained by the presence of a younger stellar component in some BCGs, but additional data are needed to confirm this scenario.


Abstract A procedure for the design of non-linear compensators for automatic control systems is presented. Asymptotic stability in the large (ASIL) is chosen as the constraint condition. The Popov criterion forms the basis for ensuring ASIL. Two examples illustrate the design procedure. Although, the approach is digital computer oriented, the design can be accomplished using a paper-and-pencil equivalent.


The topographical relationships between cholinergic neurons, identified by their immuno‐reactivity for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) or their staining for β‐nicotinamide ademine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)‐diaphorase, and dopaminergic, serotoninergic, Nonadrenergic, and glutamatergic neurons that occur in the mesopontine tegmentum, were studied in the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus). The ChAT‐positive neurons in the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) form two distinct subpopulations, one that corresponds to PPN pars compacta(PPNc) and the other to PPN pars dissipata (PPNd). The ChAT‐positive neurons in PPNc are clustered along the dorsolateral border of the superior cerebellar peduncle (SP) at trochlear nucleus levels, whereas those in PPNd are scattered along the SP from midmesencephalic to midpontine levels. At levels caudal toe the trochlear nucleus, ChAT‐positive neurons corresponding to the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT) lie within the periaqueductal gray and extend caudally as far as locus coeruleus levels. All ChAT‐positive neurons in PPN and LDT stain for NADPH‐diaphorase; the majority of large neurons in PPN and LDT are cholinergic, but some large neurons devoid of NADPH‐diaphorase also occurnin these nuclei. Cholinergic neurons in the mesopontine tegmentum form clusters that are largely segregated from raphe serotonin immunoreactive neurons, as well as from nigral dopaminergic and coeruleal noradrenergic neurons, as revealed by tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry. Nevertheless, dendrites of cholinergic and noradrenergic neurons are clolinergic and noradrenergic neurons are closely intermingled, suggesting the possibility of dendrodendritic contacts. In addition, numerous large and medium‐sized glutamate‐immunoreactive neurons are intermingled among cholinergic neurons in PPN. Furthermore, at trochlear nucleus levels, about 40% of cholinergic neurons display glutamate immunoreactivity, whereas other neurons express glutamate or ChAT immunoreactivity only. This study demonstrates that (1) cholinergic neurons remain largely segregated from monoaminergic neurons throughout the mesopontine tegmentum and (2) PPN contains cholinergic and glutamatergic neurons as well as neurons coexpressing ChAT and Glutamate in primates. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Since the Second World War the corporate pension trust has become a prominent method of provision for employees' retirement income. The continuing liberalization of pension provisions and pressures to match pension trust liabilities with assets has established pension contributions as a significant component of corporate cash outlays. Asset accumulation in pension trusts has rendered such institutions a major source of capital funds.


In Spanish /b, d, g/ are usually realized as voiced approximants in all sylllabic contexts unless following a stop—a phenomenon called spirantization. However, in North‐Central Peninsular Spanish (NCS) voiceless fricatives rather than voiced approximants are produced. In the majority of cases this occurs in stressed syllables. This study examines whether stress is a factor in the likelihood of frication and devoicing of coda /b, d, g/ in this dialect. Nine native speakers of NCS were recorded producing nonce words with /b, d, g/ in coda position in both stressed and unstressed syllables. Measurements were made of vowel and consonant duration, presence and absence of frication and voicing, and voicing duration. The results indicate that frication is more likely in stressed syllables than in unstressed syllables. This suggests that in stressed syllables a higher subglottal pressure produces higher airflow across the glottis, favoring frication. In turn, frication inhibits voicing due to conflicting aerodyna...


We address a question raised by Anderson, Hayman and Pommerenke relating to a classical result on univalent functions $f$
 in the unit disc due to Spencer, and involving the size of the set of ${\it\theta}\in [-{\it\pi},{\it\pi}]$
 for which we have $\log |f(r\text{e}^{\text{i}{\it\theta}})|\neq o(\log (1/(1-r)))$
 as $r\rightarrow 1.$
 An answer is given in terms of a certain generalized capacity, and also in terms of Hausdorff measure. Further results regarding the radial growth of univalent functions are also established, and some examples are constructed which relate to the sharpness of these results.


This study focuses on the design of multiple Arabic diacritical marks and to developing a model that generates the stacking of multiples Arabic diacritics in order to integrate it into a system of Arabic composition. The problem concerns the presence of multiple diacritics on a single basic letter. This model is based on the layering composition. The combination of diacritics with letters requires a basic layering to combine any diacritics in the word with their base letter, without having to deal individually and separately each pair of base letter and diacritics.


With reference to the method suggested by ISRM for determining the fracture toughness of rock,quasi-static fracture toughness of anthracite has been measured on the Instron 1342 electro-hydraulic servo controlling material testing machine for the first time using short rod specimens.The fracture toughness value increases fast when displacement rate is lower,but trends to be steady when the rate is higher.The reason for load jump when specimen is fractured has been analyzed on the basis of P-COD curves,and the time when the triangular ligament starts fracturing can be known according to load jump.The result indicates that the influence of geometrical error on the fracture toughness values of anthracite is small and the error is less than 2.4%;but the influence of geometrical error on the elastic modulus is large and the error reaches to 13.3%.Meanwhile,the degree of non-linearity of anthracite has been evaluated according to the graphical construction method,and it is larger than 0.4.


Simultaneously acquiring broad clinical knowledge and scientific expertise is a major challenge for young clinical scientists. Female researchers may face additional hurdles in their career, for example, due to unconscious bias. We aimed to address clinical, research, and gender‐related challenges among young female clinical neuroscientists. We implemented a peer‐led networking group dedicated to increasing clinical and scientific knowledge, improve soft skills, and encourage exchange between fellow residents. In monthly meetings, two participants hold short presentations on a clinical topic or scientific method, followed by a discussion and feedback to the presenter. Afterwards, participants network and discuss challenges they face in their daily experience. Nine neurology residents at a Swiss University Hospital with ≤3 years of training participated in the Connecting Women in Neurosciences project from August 2020 to June 2021. In a qualitative evaluation, participants reported they felt empowered by these meetings and profited from their new network. We identified several challenges in combining clinical and research activities, some of which participants perceived to be gender‐related. In addition to women‐only meetings, we will promote events addressing all interested researchers. Peer‐to‐peer networking is an easy and low‐budget intervention to encourage female residents to engage in research activities, profit from each other's expertise, and promote interdisciplinary teamwork. It can provide a protected environment to discuss and overcome in particular gender‐related challenges. We encourage young colleagues to regularly engage in structured networking activities with their local peers.


One of the facets of singer-song writer Vladimir Vysotsky's genius was his ability to say a lot concisely and clearly, thereby making his thoughts absolutely vivid. When I recall the Belamsans who were with me in the Belavezha Forest, I cannot help the urge to exclaim once again, like Vysotsky: "if only I had known those I traveled with, those I drank vodka with ..." Yet, I did not drink any vodka in Viskuli. This is a fact, even though it violated the protocol of informal meetings. My main associate, who agreed with me the most in the Viskuli affair, or at least so it seemed at the time, turned out to have so many faces that even today if they were to prosecute me for anti-state activities, I would be glad that there are no grounds to add to it Vysotsky's line: "it's alright, you are so young!" It is immoral to reproach those who favored, and still favor a different approach, than the one established in Viskuli. Every man has a right to an opinion. Every man has a right to defend his or her opinion and to change it, explaining why that change occurred. But sacrilege is the only word that comes to my mind when I want to describe the actions of some high-ranking politicians who made possible the Viskuli decision, warmly welcomed it, but later, afraid of losing their relatively small benefits, changed their opinions to the contrary, in order to fawn in front of a powerful ruler. The Invitation At that time I considered Prime Minster Vyacheslav Frantsevich Kebich to be the most devoted and practical man in our government. We talked over the phone more frequently than we met in person, and, as the KGB operators assured us, we had two kinds of untapped telephone connections: a secret "triad" with three-digit numbers and a "rotator" with four. Nonetheless, in addition to these links, we decided to establish another way of communication this--time numberless. Whenever I picked up the receiver, the phone rang at the office of the premier, and vice versa. Exploiting this new, untapped, according to the KGB, individual connection, Vyacheslav Frantsevich and I realized that we both were equally concerned about the upcoming winter of 1991-1992. "You and Boris Nikolayevich [Yeltsin] are on very good terms," Kebich used to tell me quite often, "it would be wrong not to use this fact to keep our citizens warm. Invite him to come hunting in the forest; we will receive him as is appropriate for the president of Russia, and I have no doubt that we will convince him to help us with oil and gas." I always replied that this was exactly what 1 myself wanted to do, adding that so far there had been no good opportunity for extending an invitation. Vyacheslav Frantsevich, in turn, regularly reminded me: we have little time, hurry. Finally, the opportunity presented itself. On October 20, 1991, Gorbachev gathered the State Council at Novo-Ogarevo, and gave each of its members, the heads of the republics that made up the USSR, a new draft of the Union Treaty. For a long time, everyone flipped through the pages of the document, but no one rushed to say something. I could not help myself and spoke up, and I said something along the lines of the following: "Dear Mikhail Sergeyevich. I have strange feelings about this project. The agreement assumes the joining of the republics into a Confederation. But I would feel uncomfortable presenting this document to the [Belarusan] Supreme Soviet, since it does not abide by the ordinary definitions of words. Our deputies are intelligent people and they will reproach me for presenting them such a document. The draft describes as a confederation something which is essentially a unitary state. The president is endowed with extensive power. In other words, this is another Soviet Union, except with a president in the place of the Communist Party Politburo." Everyone became silent and Gorbachev did not say a word. After a small pause, Yeltsin stood up. …


An ethnobotanical survey of useful plants was conducted in Okomu forest reserve, with a view to documenting indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants used by the inhabitants of the communities and enclaves around the reserve. Information were obtainedfrom 106 structurally designed questionnaires, which were administered to different individuals and thereafter analysed using descriptive statistics. A total of 90 angiosperm species in belonging to 45 families were identified to be useful in the management of various ailments within the study area. Euphorbiaceae and the Legumes constituted the highest species occurrence while the largest number of plant families (22) had only one species each represented. Further findings showed that the leaves and stem bark are the most useful parts of the plants while the flower and pith were the least useful. In general, the trees were the most useful of all plant habits followed by the herbs and the shrubs. While this work reflects the biodiversity richness of the study area and its environs, it also suggests the enforcement of conservation strategies as a measure to mitigate species loss. Keywords : Okomu Forest Reserve, ethno-medicine, medicinal plants, conservation


Background: Changes in high sensitivity cardiac troponin-T ( hs-cTnT) concentrations may reflect either acute myocardial injury or biological variation. Distinguishing between these entities is essential to accurate diagnosis, however, the biological variation of hs-cTnT in dialysis population is currently unknown. We sought to estimate the within- and between-person coefficients of variation of hs-cTnT in stable dialysis patients, and derive the critical difference between measurements needed to exclude biological variation with 99% confidence.


The upcoming United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, taking place in Rio de Janeiro, 20–22 June 2012, aims to reaffirm the principle of sustainable development and to forge international agreements to further it. In some cases, however, the interests and expectations of civil society actors on the one hand and political decision makers on the other vary considerably. These differences are evident from recent discussions on the zero draft for »The Future We Want«, the conference outcome document.


Centrifugal compressors experience various kinds of downstream pressure disturbances which can lead to unstable operation even at the design condition. In this paper, 3-D numerical simulation was performed to understand the dynamic behaviors of a centrifugal compressor under the pulsation of downstream pressure disturbances and 1-D model using the method of characteristic was developed to predict the behaviors more effectively. Static pressure downstream of the impeller was disturbed as a sinusoidal function with frequencies ranging from 25 to 1,300 ㎐. The response of mass flow rate was attenuated or severely amplified according to the disturbance frequency. The 1-D model predicted well the unsteady behavior as compared with the results of the 3-D numerical simulation.


Objective To evaluate the effect of near infrared heptamethine cyanine dye IR-783-mediated specific tumor imaging in spontaneous tumor of dogs. Methods IR-783 was intraperitoneally injected to nude mice models of transplanted tumor in a dose of 5μmol / kg. The metabolic time course of IR-783 was detected by in vivo imager. Based on the results of above observation,IR-783 was injected to dogs with spontaneous tumor in a dose of 1. 5μmol / kg. The site of intravenous injection was the hind leg. Tumor and peri-tumoral tissues were removed at 5 days after IR-783-injection for fluorescence imaging,pathology and frozen section fluorescence examinations. Results After i. p. IR-783 injection to nude mice models of transplanted tumor,the transplanted tumor tissues of nude mice had stronger specific fluorescence than normal tissues by imaging at 8 days after injection. After i. v. IR-783 injection to four dogs with spontaneous tumor,the fluorescence signal in the tumor tissues was stronger than that in the normal tissues at 5 days after injection. Conclusions Near infrared fluorescent dye IR-783 could be specifically taken up by tumor tissues,and can be used for specific diagnosis of tumor. It has an important clinical application prospect.


This paper explores the challenges facing process generations past the 32 nm technology node and speculates on what new solutions will be needed. The challenges facing planar and multiple-gate devices are compared and contrasted. Resistance and capacitance challenges are reviewed in relation to past history and on-going research. Key enhancers such as high-k metal-gate (HiK-MG), substrate and channel orientation, as well as NMOS and PMOS stress are discussed in relation to the challenges of the coming transistor generations.


This paper describes the design considerations underlying the development of an advanced minicomputer (.MINIC-S) noW' in commercial production. Emphasis is placed on programming/compiler and operating-sy:stllm requirements ,on the one hand and engineering feasibility on the other. Hicropl:'ogramming/ trapping enables all ~chines of the range to offer the identical architecture and range of facilities. Descriptor-based data organisation enables a very wide range of operand types and lengths to be made available. Relocation/protection and a separate mini~omputer I-O processor enable reaL-time process-structured operating systems to be implemented erficiently. The original design brief for the machine described in this paper was a replacement for an 8-bit mini-computer widely used in machine tool control-the replacement to have enhanced arithmetic. capabilities on wider operands together with wider address scope. The technology was to be conventional and the overall price range to be in the centre of ,the mini-computer market. It very rapidly became apparent, however, in the early stages of design that such a conception of minicomputer architecture had been overtaken by events. On the one hand microcomputers on a few chips were attaining the power 'Of conventional minis-on the other hand standard circuit technology and costs were 1IIuc:h that one could go way beyond present ~nicomputer architec-tures whilst still maintaining the cost objectives. Indeed a basic problem for small computer designers nowadays is the effective exploitation of the capabilities of current electronic components. There is the danger on the one hand of designing a too-simple machine where the processor cost is negligible relative to power-supplies, cabinet and memory, Whereas on the other hand il machine may ha over-engineered with a diverse range of complex facilities that do not integrate well together and are difficult to utilise particularly under compilers. 1.1 Increased hardware content for improved system performance There .Ill'!! two main area.s where inCl'eAsed hardware content may be used to improve system performance and take advantage of recent developments in computer science: (i) Ope~ting systems-the advantages of process-structured operating systems have been extolled as major aids to real-time system development and software reliability [1-3J, both of which are of major importance in typical minicomputer applications. However, the protection and cOlll1lunicat.ion mechaniS1llS necessary are not implementable on conventional machines without a high time overhead which in turn limi t's the potential of process-structuring in its most important applications-most real-time gyste .. are inhel'!!ntly short of time. Additional hardware, appropriately organised. call provide a suitable environment …


We investigate the correspondence between a perfect fluid and a scalar field and show a possible way of expressing thermodynamic quantities such as entropy, particle number density, temperature and chemical potential in terms of the scalar field ϕ and its kinetic term X. We prove a theorem which relates isentropy with purely kinetic Lagrangian. As an application, we study the evolution of the gravitational potential in cosmological perturbation theory.


Background—Atrial fibrosis is an important component of the arrhythmogenic substrate in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We studied the effect of interstitial fibrosis on conduction velocity (CV) in the left atrial appendage of patients with AF. Methods and Results—Thirty-five left atrial appendages were obtained during AF surgery. Preparations were superfused and stimulated at 100 beats per minute. Activation was recorded with optical mapping. Longitudinal CV (CVL), transverse CV (CVT), and activation times (>2 mm distance) were measured. Interstitial collagen was quantified and graded qualitatively. The presence of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts was assessed immunohistochemically. Mean CVL was 0.55±0.22 m/s, mean CVT was 0.25±0.15 m/s, and the mean activation time was 9.31±5.45 ms. The amount of fibrosis was unrelated to CV or patient characteristics. CVL was higher in left atrial appendages with thick compared with thin interstitial collagen strands (0.77±0.22 versus 0.48±0.19 m/s; P=0.012), which were more frequently present in persistent patients with AF. CVT was not significantly different (P=0.47), but activation time was 14.93±4.12 versus 7.95±4.12 ms in patients with thick versus thin interstitial collagen strands, respectively (P=0.004). Fibroblasts were abundantly present and were associated with the presence of thick interstitial collagen strands (P=0.008). Myofibroblasts were not detected in the left atrial appendage. Conclusions—In patients with AF, thick interstitial collagen strands are associated with higher CVL and increased activation time. Our observations demonstrate that the severity and structure of local interstitial fibrosis is associated with atrial conduction abnormalities, presenting an arrhythmogenic substrate for atrial re-entry.


In this paper, we study the peculiarities of the dynamics of non-stationary chaotic systems under external or internal parametric control. In the systems under consideration, a scalar control action governs the chaotic process evolution rate. This is achieved by the derivative value of each state variable synchronous variation. As the result, the dynamic chaos time and frequency domain characteristics control is provided by means of the control action behavior variation. Simulation results are presented for some parametric and autoparametric modes of chaotic system based on Chuas stationary prototype.


This study examined the effect of cash flow on banks' lending to SMEs in Nigeria. Although, cash flow lending is getting recognition nowadays, little is known about its impact on banks' lending to SMEs particularly in Nigeria. Studies in the past dwelled much on the assessment of government programmes to support the creation of SMEs, but grossly overlooked the analytical impact of such policies on efficient allocation of credit to SMEs. As an attempt to fill this gap, this study answered the following questions; what factors determine cash flow lending to SMEs in Nigeria? To answer the question we used a data consisting of 49 non-financial firms listed in the Nigerian stock exchange for the period 2005 to 2018 and employed both pooled and random effect estimation techniques. The result from the study shows that both current and previous cash flow positively and significantly affect the amount of credit granted to firms by the banks. Additionally, deterioration of firms' net situations reduces the amount of credit granted by banks to firms. The study thus, recommends that Government should remove all unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles and discrimination, establish strategic and robust venture capital sector, crowd funding and other forms of financial institutions such as micro finance institutions to make funds available at affordable rate to critical sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing.


Bilateral patellar tendon rupture is rare, and usually occurs in patients with ligamentous laxity, a predisposing rheumatologic disorder, chronic renal failure, or exogenous corticosteroid use1-3. We describe a patient who sustained traumatic bilateral patellar tendon ruptures nearly ten years apart. Surgical repair of each knee was successfully performed with use of an open technique, and the patient was followed for more than two years after each procedure. The most recent radiographs demonstrated bilateral patella alta; however, the patient was asymptomatic. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of an individual with asymptomatic bilateral patella alta after surgical repair of bilateral patellar tendon rupture. The patient was informed that data concerning the case would be submitted for publication, and he consented.

A forty-seven-year-old man sustained a patellar tendon rupture in each knee, with the ruptures occurring ten years apart. Both tendon ruptures were repaired surgically. No previous knee problems were reported. He had no other medical conditions or surgical procedures and was on no medication. He had no personal or family history of ligamentous laxity. He denied using corticosteroids, tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drugs. He was physically active regularly and worked on his feet daily as a manual laborer.

The right patellar tendon ruptured in 2000, after a fall from a standing height; it was repaired acutely at another institution with use of nonabsorbable sutures tied superiorly through transpatellar bone tunnels with no operative or postoperative complications. The patient wore a knee immobilizer for eight weeks postoperatively, and was fully compliant with weight-bearing as tolerated. After eight weeks, he was allowed full active and passive knee motion and experienced no pain. Physical examination ten years later revealed full active knee extension and lower-extremity strength. He was able to actively flex the hip and lift the …


Engine fan diameter and Bypass Ratio (BPR) optimization studies have been conducted since the beginning of the turbofan age with the recognition that reducing the engine core jet velocity and increasing fan mass flow rate generally increases propulsive efficiency. However, performance tradeoffs limit the amount of fan flow achievable without reducing airplane efficiency. This study identifies the optimum engine fan diameter and BPR, given the advanced Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) powerplant efficiencies, for use on an advanced subsonic airframe. Engine diameter studies have historically focused on specific engine size options, and were limited by existing technology and transportation infrastructure (e.g., ability to fit bare engines through aircraft doors and into cargo holds). This study is unique in defining the optimum fan diameter and drivers for future 2015 (UEET) powerplants while not limiting engine fan diameter by external constraints. This report follows on to a study identifying the system integration issues of UEET engines. This Engine Diameter study was managed by Boeing Phantom Works, Seattle, Washington through the NASA Glenn Revolutionary Aero Space Engine Research (RASER) contract under task order 10. Boeing Phantom Works, Huntington Beach, completed the engine/airplane sizing optimization, while the Boeing Commercial Airplane group (BCA) provided design oversight. A separate subcontract to support the overall project was issued to Tuskegee University.


Fibre-reinforced plastics (FRP) are susceptible to damage resulting from impacts, even non-penetrating ones. This damage, even without outright destruction, may lead to reduction of fibre-reinforced plastics strength and static load-bearing abilities. This paper presents the results of three-point flexural tests on glass fibre/polyester composites after non-penetrating ballistic impact, where the word "ballistic" refers to a high-speed free-flying impactor (projectile). This is a continuation of previous studies, during which the extent of damage in glass/polyester composites after non-penetrating ballistic impact was evaluated. Materials used in the study were laminated composites produced via the Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) technology. This laminates were produced using Polimal 1094 AWTP-1 unsaturated polyester resin and E-glass reinforcement in the form of multiple perpendicular layers of chopped-strand mats, continuous-filament mats, twisted-yarn fabrics and woven rovings. Composites with varying thickness, number of layers and fibre content were produced. The impactor is a free-flying 3 g steel ball propelled from a gas gun. Two striking velocities were tested 60 and 70 m/s, producing impact energies of 5.4 and 7.35 J accordingly. After the impact, the extent of damage in samples (100x100 mm square plates) was evaluated through digital image analysis. The as-impacted samples were then subjected to three-point bending under set conditions. The results were compared to the results of identical examination of undamaged samples and the reduction in mechanical properties was determined. In all cases, the reduction in strength and load-at-break value was noticed. Thicker, more reinforced laminates show lower loss of mechanical properties, than thinner ones. Difference between strength and load-at-break approach for load-bearing abilities reduction was discussed, and the conclusion is that the latter is preferred to the former in laminated composites due to high thickness dependence of strength. Comparing reinforcement types, continuous-filament mat is superior to chopped-strand mat and woven-rovings. Tightly woven twisted-yarn fabric compares favourably to the woven rovings.


Four groups (even-even, even-odd, odd-even and odd-odd) of heavy and super-heavy nuclei are of interest for the synthesis of the isotopes with $Z=119, 120$. We report calculations of $\alpha$~decay half-lives using four models: AKRA (Akrawy); ASAF (Analytical Super-Asymmetric Fission); UNIV (Universal Formula), and semFIS (Semi-empirical formula based on Fission Theory). We compare the experimental $Q_\alpha$ values either with AME16 atomic mass evaluation (whenever available) and with the theoretical model WS4, able to give masses of not yet measured nuclides. For $^{92,94}$Sr cluster radioactivity of $^{300,302}$120 we predict a branching ratio relative to $\alpha$~decay of -0.10 and 0.49, respectively, meaning that it is worth trying to detect such kind of decay modes in competition with $\alpha$~decay.


This paper analyzes the feasibility of converting a 5 kW natural gas SOFC power generator system designed to operate on natural gas to be fuelled by methanol. The analysis included laboratory methanol fuel processing experimentation, methanol reformate SOFC cell testing, and SOFC system mass and energy balance modelling. Methanol fuel processing experimentation indicated that theoretical reformate compositions can be achieved for high temperature (600-900°C) methanol steam reforming. A 6% open circuit voltage decrease and a 10% peak power current density decrease between cell operation on humidified hydrogen and methanol reformate was observed. SOFC system mass and energy balance modelling indicated that a natural gas SOFC system can be converted to operate on methanol fuel with minimal (1%) efficiency impact; however, the systems' thermal integration can be impacted. been demonstrated in a variety of fuel cell applications (1,2). However, research and development is needed to fully understand the operating envelope differences between methanol and natural gas fuelling as well as the overall impact of the changes on the SOFC generator system. This paper will analyze the


Globally, the residential sector consumes a significant amount of energy. Therefore, bioclimatic architectural systems which consider passive solutions should be studied, analyzed, and implemented to reduce energy consumption. This review aims to promote thermal comfort in African countries by using passive solar systems. It begins with the keyword thermal comfort and then reviews articles published over the last ten years that consider bioclimatic architecture and construction strategies in Africa, the main trends in scientific research in this field, and the possibilities for each climate zone in achieving the highest degree of climate comfort. Following an extensive review, certain bioclimatic architectural strategies adopted in specific countries can be applied in countries with similar climates and this can contribute to significant energy savings through effective functional solar and ventilation design strategies. Several countries have been identified as having the most significant publications on thermal regulations in buildings, and the associated regulations and projects are discussed. Several studies have also examined static and adaptive models of thermal comfort.


The Szilard–Chalmers recoil of the cations Rb+, Cs+, Ba2+, La3+, Co2+, Zn2+, Cu2+ and Na+ from the sodalite cage and hexagonal prism sites into the supercage sites of zeolites X and Y has been studied. This study is complementary to that described in Part 2. It has been found that these cations recoil from the sodalite cage sites into the supercage sites with a probability of ∼90 % whereas the corresponding probability for these cations in the hexagonal prism sites (site I) is between 40 and 50 % depending on the cation. It is thus possible to determine the preferences shown by these cations for these "locked-in" sites as a function of temperature of calcination, Tc, concentration and type of other cations contained in these sites. In these studies the cations present in the supercage sites before irradiation were usually NH+4 but Ba2+, Ca2+ and Na+ have also been used.When Tc > 400°C, Rb+ and Cs+ began to populate site I. These ions populated this site in zeolite X at lower calcination temperatures than required for zeolite Y. When Tc was increased from 110 to 220°C the occupancy of site I by Ba2+ was greatly enhanced and when Tc > 440°C Ba2+ ions now occupied this site in preference to all other "locked-in" sites. Barium exhibited a higher affinity for site I in zeolite X than in zeolite Y when Tc= 110°C. If dehydrated La–Y was assumed to have 5 La3+ ions per u.c. in site I, the hydration of this material did not change the concentration of La3+ in site I.Co2+, Zn2+ and Cu2+ ions all exhibited similar affinities for the "locked-in" sites of zeolites X and Y. When any of these three ions had to compete with Na+ ions for these "locked-in" sites at Tc 500°C, the divalent ions were always found in site I as long as the concentration of these divalent ions was kept below 8 ions per u.c. When, however, there were NH+4 or Ca2+ ions present in the "locked-in" sites, only about 50 % of the Co2+, Zn2+ or Cu2+ ions were accommodated in site I. When Tc was 110°C the sodalite cage sites were now the preferred sites for these three ions.In the final set of experiments Na+, either in trace quantities or at high concentration, was made to compete with numerous other cations for site I. The ability of Na+ to be accommodated in site I was shown to be dependent, not only on the character of the other cation competing for this site but, also, on the character of the cation contained in the supercage sites.


The construction of evaluation index system is of great significance for the scientific development of aviation logistics industry. The diamond model proposed by Michael E. Porter is applied to construct a comprehensive evaluation index system for the aviation logistics industry at Zhengzhou airport-based zone by combining with literature study and expert assessment method. Finally, a comprehensive evaluation index system with three levels is formed, where some core indexes for evaluating the development of the aviation logistics industry at Zhengzhou airport-based zone are included. They include the regional gross product per capita; total volume of import and export trade; passengers and freight turnover of air transport; Internet users; business total of posts and telecommunications; general budget revenue in local finance; the number of students in colleges and universities. Keywords-Aviation Logistics Industry; Industry Evaluation; Evaluation Index System; Construction; Research