This presentation discusses the main processes of a superplastic forming (SPF) method to form a complex component with eight-pocket from a four-sheet sandwich panel sheetstock. Four sheets of titanium alloys were welded using resistance seam welding based on a defined pattern to manufacture a composite sheetstock of four layers. The composite sheet structures were inflated via SPF process using the Advanced Forming Research Centre's 200 T SPF press in pockets where the sheets were not welded to each other to form a complex component. Each sheetstock was arranged to consist of four sheets: two core sheets from the same material, which create the inner structure of the panel, two skin sheets from the same material, which form the outer structure of the panel. Ti64 (Ti-6Al-4V) and Ti54 M (Ti-5Al-4Cr-4Mo-2Sn-2Zr titanium alloy sheets were used for the core sheets, whereas Ti64 and Ti6242 (Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo) titanium alloy sheets were used for the outer sheets of the packs. I will also discuss the manufacture and assembly of the four-sheet packs, and briefly, explain the manufacturing processes adopted to manufacture the dies used in SPF trials. Furthermore, I will go through the applied methodology to define the SPF pressure-time curves to inflate the packs for two SPF gas feeding pipes at specific forming temperature and strain rate. Several samples from selected regions of each inflated pack were investigated via optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to study whether diffusion bonding occurred between the sheets. The optical microscopy images were obtained for three different levels of magnification (x10, x20, and x50) for all samples. The GOM scanning and image analysis demonstrated that during SPF the multisheet packs underwent a degree of diffusion bonding where the adjacent sheets exhibited thickness reduction under compression forces. The thickness reduction to the component surfaces imposed by SPF was found to be up to 59% in some regions of the packs and the elongation was estimated to be up to 134%. The same procedure could be implemented to manufacture sandwich panels with more complex core configurations from sheetstock composed of more than three sheets and made of different titanium alloys


The European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis is a threatened seabird species in Portugal. Knowledge about this population is limited, and currently there is no information about dietary needs and threats posed by fisheries. We studied the diet composition of Shags in the Berlengas archipelago, the largest breeding colony in the country, through the analysis of 124 regurgitated pellets, and estimated trophic overlap with local fisheries, during the breeding and winter seasons of 2016–2017. A total of 32 fish species were identified in their diet, while their major prey consisted of sand eels (Ammodytidae) and species from the Labridae, Gadidae and Sparidae families. Diet composition varied seasonally and was more specialized during the breeding season, with sand eels comprising 70% of all prey consumed and 45% of total biomass. During winter, the consumption of heavier predatory fish increased, particularly fish from the Gadidae and Sparidae families. Shags consumed 17 species also targeted by commercial fisheries, and fish were in the same size range, highlighting the potential for resource competition. Fish species that contributed the most to prey overlap were the Pouting Trisopterus luscus, White Seabream Diplodus sargus, Common Two-banded Seabream Diplodus vulgaris, Bogue Boops boops and Black Seabream Spondyliosoma cantharus. Among different types of fishery, trophic overlap with Shags was more pronounced with polyvalent gear (longlines and gillnets), especially during winter, than with purse seine and trawling. Competition between Shags and local commercial fisheries may represent an additional pressure on foraging Shags, as well as increasing their conflict with fishing activity.


Several laboratory and rotating frame quantitative MRI parameters were evaluated and compared for detection of changes in articular cartilage following selective enzymatic digestion. Bovine osteochondral specimens were subjected to 44 h incubation in control medium or in collagenase or chondroitinase ABC to induce superficial collagen or proteoglycan (glycosaminoglycan) alterations. The samples were scanned at 9.4 T for T1, T1 Gd (dGEMRIC), T2, adiabatic T1 ρ, adiabatic T2 ρ, continuous‐wave T1 ρ, TRAFF2, and T1 sat relaxation times and for magnetization transfer ratio (MTR). For reference, glycosaminoglycan content, collagen fibril orientation and biomechanical properties were determined. Changes primarily in the superficial cartilage were noted after enzymatic degradation. Most of the studied parameters were sensitive to the destruction of collagen network, whereas glycosaminoglycan depletion was detected only by native T1 and T1 Gd relaxation time constants throughout the tissue and by MTR superficially. T1, adiabatic T1 ρ, adiabatic T2 ρ, continuous‐wave T1 ρ, and T1 sat correlated significantly with the biomechanical properties while T1 Gd correlated with glycosaminoglycan staining. The findings indicated that most of the studied MRI parameters were sensitive to both glycosaminoglycan content and collagen network integrity, with changes due to enzymatic treatment detected primarily in the superficial tissue. Strong correlation of T1, adiabatic T1ρ, adiabatic T2 ρ, continuous‐wave T1 ρ, and T1 sat with the altered biomechanical properties, reflects that these parameters were sensitive to critical functional properties of cartilage. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:1111–1120, 2016.


It appears that many individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) receive nonpsychiatric medical treatment and surgery; however, this topic has had little systematic investigation. This study assessed the nonpsychiatric treatment sought and received by 289 individuals (250 adults and 39 children/adolescents) with DSM-IV BDD. Such treatment was sought by 76.4% and received by 66.0% of adults. Dermatologic treatment was most often received (by 45.2% of adults), followed by surgery (by 23.2%). These treatments rarely improved BDD symptoms. Results were similar in children/adolescents. These findings indicate that a majority of patients with BDD receive nonpsychiatric treatment but tend to respond poorly.


Mary Low and Juan Brea's Red Spanish Notebook: The First Six Months of the Revolution and the Civil War (1937) narrates their experiences volunteering alongside Spanish and foreign volunteers in Spain in an effort to suppress the Francoist uprising and to transform the country's social structures. Although their text has received little critical attention in examinations of Surrealism and international Spanish Civil War involvement, Red Spanish Notebook provides a unique and useful example of surrealist documentary photography. The book contains no actual photographs. However, Low periodically uses ekphrasis to undermine dominant notions of journalistic distance, especially in her discussions of Spain's nascent women's movement. By describing photographs of foreign and Spanish women on the front lines and the home front, and offering alternative interpretations of the images, Low illustrates the impossibility of objective reporting. In so doing, she brings political attention away from the war itself, and towards Spanish women's concurrent struggle for equality. This essay examines Low's use of ekphrasis to argue that she elevates and legitimizes Spanish feminism by reporting social revolution in the style of war journalism, while simultaneously constructing an ethics ofinternational collaboration and sympathy. Through their commentary on the perpetual slippages inherent in supposedly objective journalism and documentary photography, Low's writings provide unique insight into surrealist feminism.


This, you might be surprised to learn, is not the first time that Australia has welcomed some of the world's leading thinkers to its shores. Just over a hundred years ago, the British Association for the Advancement of Science held its annual meeting in Australia. In earlier years the Association had journeyed to Canada and South Africa, but this was it's first tour of Australia. One senior Australian scientist heralded the Association's arrival as 'a great event in the history of Imperial unity'.


Studies of government and politics in Africa are dominated by a focus on the national and are typically set apart by anglophone, francophone and lusophone historical influences, with South Africa as an exception. This volume departs from a different set of questions and employs a novel approach in discussing them: cities in sub-Saharan Africa provide the pivot around which issues of policy and practice, planning and service delivery turn, at different scales and both from the top down as well as from the bottom up. Party politics, for example, is discussed at city level and urban security both within a state and a non-state context. The novelty of the approach is found in thematic rather than single-city chapters written by multiple authors each of whom displays depth knowledge of one of three or more cities treated in each case. This volume will interest scholars of African and of urban studies as well as urban policy-makers and practitioners


Scaled analogue models provide a powerful tool for investigating progressive deformation. By varying experimental parameters it is possible to produce a wide variety of diapir morphologies and overburden responses. This paper describes the results of one of a series of experiments which investigates the geometry of overburden sediments around diapirs. The roles of basement faulting and differential sediment loading in the growth of diapirs are assessed. The template for this experiment is provided by analysis of a regional seismic line across the Central Graben of the North Sea. The model produced two diapir types which formed in different ways. Type 1 diapirs are initiated by a large fault smearing the salt along the fault plane which creates a path for later upward migration of salt to produce small diapiric walls. Type 2 diapirs can be triggered by either tectonic or sedimentary differential loading. They are predicted to be longer lived and more voluminous than Type 1 diapirs and will tend to form isolated circular structures.


Twenty endurance-trained athletes (five male speed-skaters, eleven male and four female cross-country skiers, 16•`18 years) ran on a treadmill by a protocol of incremental graded increase in workload until exhaustion during an endurance training period in off-season summer. Immediately after exercise, all developed peripheral leukocytosis (1.9 times; p<0.01) due mainly to lymphocytosis (2.6 times; p<0.01) with a predominant effect on large granular lymphocyte (natural killer cell) count (5.9 times ; p<0.01). Monocyte count was also enhanced 2.3 times (p<0.01). These increases were transitory and returned to the pre-exercise levels 1 h later. Peripheral neutrophilia was also observed by 43% (p<0.01) immediately after exercise and remained elevated by 25% (p<0.01) 1 h after exercise, but a shift to the left did not take place. The capacity of isolated neutrophils to produce reactive oxygen species was assessed by luminol-dependent chemiluminescence which detects mainly myeloperoxidase (MPO) -mediated formation of such hyperreactive oxidants as HOCI. The maximum intensity of chemiluminescence (peak height) upon stimulation with opsonized zymosan was significantly enhanced following exercise (p<0.05). Similar results were obtained when phorbol myristate acetate was employed as nonphagocytic soluble stimulus (p<0.01), suggesting that the capacity of neutrophils to degranulate MPO rather than phagocytosis was enhanced following exercise. In addition, the enhancements of chemiluminescence were positively correlated with the increase in segmented neutrophil count. These data indicate that maximal exercise not only mobilized mature neutrophils from the marginated pool into the circulation, but also augmented their capacity to generate reactive oxygen species of higher reactivity. (Jpn. J. Phys. Fitness Sports Med. 1996. 45, 451-460) key words: exercise, large granular lymphocytes (LGL), neutrophils, luminol-dependent chemiluminescence, immunity


Planktonic δ18O and Mg/Ca-derived sea surface temperature (SST) records from the Agulhas Corridor off South Africa display a progressive increase of SST during glacial periods of the last three climatic cycles. The SST increases of up to 4°C coincide with increased abundance of subtropical planktonic foraminiferal marker species which indicates a progressive warming due to an increased influence of subtropical waters at the core sites. Mg/Ca-derived SST maximizes during glacial maxima and glacial Terminations to values about 2.5°C above full-interglacial SST. The paired planktonic δ18O and Mg/Ca-derived SST records yield glacial seawater δ18O anomalies of up to 0.8‰, indicating measurably higher surface salinities during these periods. The SST pattern along our record is markedly different from a U37K′-derived SST record at a nearby core location in the Agulhas Corridor that displays SST maxima only during glacial Terminations. Possible explanations are lateral alkenone advection by the vigorous regional ocean currents or the development of SST contrasts during glacials in association with seasonal changes of Agulhas water transports and lateral shifts of the Agulhas retroflection. The different SST reconstructions derived from U37K′ and Mg/Ca pose a significant challenge to the interpretation of the proxy records and demonstrate that the reconstruction of the Agulhas Current and interocean salt leakage is not as straightforward as previously suggested.


This report presents the results of work performed in cooperation with the Binding lab (Jotun AS) and the Colloid and Polymer Chemistry group at Department of Chemical Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The research performed is on the emulsification process of alkyds by catastrophic phase inversion (CPI). Focus has been on the development of emulsion properties such as viscosity, conductivity and optical density, during the emulsification process. The definition of properties at inversion point, from a water-in-oil (w/o) to an oil-in-water (o/w) continuous emulsion, and the influence changes in these properties have on emulsion quality. The techniques used to investigate the properties are the conductivity, the e-critical cell, the Near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and a cone and plate rheometre. One emulsification has also been evaluated using Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). A brief introduction to alkyds and alkyd emulsions is provided along with general theory on surfactants and emulsification procedures. Trends that illustrate the importance of the development of, and changes in, these properties on the emulsification process and emulsion quality has been investigated. Emulsifications with alternative emulsification systems and process conditions were performed in order to investigate possible deviations from the trends further illustrating the importance of the property development. The reference system proves to be a robust system with a clear trend in the development of the properties. The emulsion quality for the reference system, determined by the droplet size distribution, was not significantly affected by small deviations and failures in the process conditions. The reference system shows clear trends in the property development, and especially the viscosity proves to be an important property. Surfactants, and surfactant amounts and combinations, seems to be important for the viscosity development, along with the alkyd properties. The trend showed that the emulsification process could be divided in to four periods. First an introduction period, then a period where significant changes in the properties occur prior to a period covering the inversion point and finally a period where the inverted emulsion is stabilized.


Introduction Current endoscopic knives utilise mono-polar energy to incise the mucosa, dissect the submucosa and coagulate bleeding vessels. Monopolar devices have proven efficacy but remain technically challenging to use with the risk of major complications. Methods A new bipolar endoscopic device "Speedboat-RS2, (S-RS2) Creo Medical Ltd, UK" was compared to a standard mono-polar endoscopic device (Flush-knife-BT/F-BT/Fujifilm, Japan) for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the porcine colon. The S-RS2 blade delivers bipolar radio frequency (RF-400 KHz) cutting and microwave coagulation (5.8 GHz) for hemostasis, and contains a retractable needle for submucosal injection/tissue irrigation. It also has an insulated hull to prevent thermal injury to the underlying muscle layer. ESD was performed in a random order and video recorded on 5 consecutive 60kg pigs. The following parameters were measured: time taken to complete resection, complications encountered and histological assessment. Two animals were recovered for one week and four animals for four weeks. Results Ten consecutive resections were performed in the colorectum (2 per animal), 5 with S-RS2 and 5 with F-BT. Median time for S-RS2 to complete a resection was 44 min using RF cutting 30W, and for F-BT was 52min using monopolar cutting for mucosal incision (80W) and for submucosal dissection, monopolar forced coagulation 30W. Median flap size for S-RS2 was 36.8mm and for F-BT was 43mm. Microwave coagulation was applied for either minor bleeding or visible vessels on 25 occasions with S-RS2. Monopolar coagulation was applied 14 times with F-BT, mean energy 30W. The Hemostatic Coagrasper was used 7 times to control arteriolar bleeding during S-RS2 dissection when microwave was not sufficient and only once during Flushknife-RS2 dissection. Endoclips were placed to treat deep muscle injury in the resection base on 10 occasions in the F-BT resections (15clips placed) and on 3 occasions (3 clips) for the S-RS2 resections. There was only one study perforation – F-BT group, where urgent peritoneal decompression was required and the resection was abandoned. Histology (S-RS2 resections) showed an intact muscle layer in four resection bases and in one there was slight muscle alteration but muscle cell viability was retained. The muscle layer was absent in two F-BT resection bases and moderately altered in one. Conclusion Compared to Flush knife-BT ESD colonic resections (monopolar) the Speedboat-RS2 was was associated with less muscle injury and need for endoscopic clipping. However Speedboat-RS2 resections produced more intraprocedural bleeding requiring the haemostatic forceps. Disclosure of Interest Z. Tsiamoulos Consultant for: Creo Medical Ltd, C. Hancock Shareholder of: Creo Medical Ltd, P. Sibbons Paid instructor for: Creo Medical Ltd, B. Saunders Consultant for: Creo Medical Ltd, Paid instructor for: Olympus KeyMed.


The design process has a great influence over several processes in building companies
and also on the quality of the final product. However, there are usually many deficiencies in
design management. There are many actors involved in this process with different personal
cultures, functions and skills, and much information is needed to perform design activities.
Because of these factors, planning the design process is a difficult task.
One of the main steps needed to improve the design process is the development of a
model. The design process model consists of a general plan for developing the design process,
which includes the description of the main activities, their precedence relationships, the clear
definition of responsibilities, the general information flow between the actors and the feedback
within the process and to other projects.
This work presents the main elements that must be considered in the development of a
general model of the design process, focusing on small sized building companies. These elements
were established through the development of case studies in two building companies, in which
good practices identified in the bibliography and also in some companies from the construction
sector where considered.


In response to the shift away from direct work in social work, there has been resurgence in relationship-based participatory approaches. Such approaches are dependent upon practitioner expertise in developing and sustaining relationships with families. This article presents findings from an evaluation of the Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) Service embedded within Children's Services in a unitary authority in England. The Service provides therapeutic strengths-based direct work with families delivered by educational psychologists, social workers and family support workers trained in VIG. Interview findings with parents and referrers highlighted the significance of conducting the intervention within the home as a separate service distinct from the child protection role. The therapeutic relationship between the practitioner and the parent served as an exemplar of a positive relationship and a safe space where parents' internalised perception of themselves could be challenged. The VIG service offers an evidence-based intervention aimed at increasing primary carers' attunement and sensitivity towards their child. VIG also enables professionals the time to engage in direct work with families and to review how they interact and engage with them. Such an approach allows the 'invisible trade' of social work to become visible and subject to improvement and refinement.


An irregular pyramid consists of a stack of successively reduced graphs. Each smaller graph is deduced from the preceding one by the contraction or the removal of a set of edges. Using a fixed decimation ratio we need approximatelyO(log(image size )) graphs to encode the whole pyramid. A combinatorial map encodes a planar graph thanks to two permutations encoding the edges and their orientation around the vertices. We present in this article an encoding of a combinatorial pyramid which allows to fold the whole pyramid in the base level layer and provides at the same time a measure of the importance of every pixel. Any reduced combinatorial maps of the pyramid maybe directly retrieved from this encoding if needed.


Background:

Urothelial bladder cancer is a common disease that arises by at least two different molecular pathways. The biology of bladder cancer is incompletely understood, making the management of patients with this disease difficult. Recent evidence implicates a regulatory role for microRNA in cancer, suggesting the need to study these in more depth. In this thesis I will focus upon these RNAs to better understand their role in bladder cancer. Firstly, I hypothesise that altered microRNA expression contributes to bladder cancer carcinogenesis.

Secondly, I will focus upon the use of microRNA in the diagnosis of bladder cancer. Urinary biomarkers are needed to improve the care and reduce the cost of managing bladder cancer. Current biomarkers struggle to identify both high and low-grade cancers due to differing molecular pathways. Therefore, my second hypothesis is that urinary microRNAs reflecting low and high-grade pathways could detect a broad spectrum of bladder cancers to overcome differences in genetic events seen within the disease.

Thirdly, I will manipulate the expression of microRNA-1224-3p in urothelial cells and assess the phenotypical outcomes. Current chemotherapeutic regimes in bladder cancer are limited with no gene-based agents in the near horizon. My third hypothesis is that the manipulation of microRNA will alter urothelial cells in an anti-tumourigenic manner.

Materials and Methods:

To test the first hypothesis, I examined the expression of 322 microRNAs in 78 normal and malignant urothelial samples using real-time rtPCR.

To test the second hypothesis, I investigated urinary samples from patients with bladder cancer (n=68) and age-matched controls (n=53) which included patients with a diagnosis of urosepsis (n=6). Fifteen microRNAs were quantified using real-time PCR from these urine samples.

To test the third hypothesis, I investigated the under- and over-expression of microRNA-1224-3p on urothelial cells and investigated the phenotypical responses of these cells to microRNA manipulation.

Results:

Altered microRNA expression is common in bladder cancer, and changes occurs early in tumourogenesis. In normal urothelium from patients with bladder cancer, 11% of microRNA's have altered expression when compared to disease-free controls. In bladder cancer microRNA alterations occur in a tumor phenotype-specific manner and can predict disease progression. High-grade UCC were characterized by microRNA up-regulation, including microRNA-21 that suppresses p53 function. In low-grade UCC there was down-regulation of many microRNA molecules including miR-99a/100 that regulate FGFR3 and FOXA1.

MicroRNA expression is stable within urinary samples despite adverse handling. MicroRNA had the ability to be detected in urine after they were stored at room temperature for 48 hours. We detected differential expression of 10 microRNAs from patients with cancer and controls (miRs-15a/15b/24-1/27b/100/135b/203/212/328/1224-3p, ANOVA p<0.05). Individually, miR-1224-3p had the best individual performance with specificity, positive and negative predictive values and concordance of 83%, 83%, 75% and 77%, respectively. The combination of miRs-135b/15b/1224-3p detected bladder cancer with a high sensitivity (94.1%), sufficient specificity (51%) and was correct in 86% of patients (concordance).

Over-expression of microRNA-1224-3p on urothelial cells was shown to be of a reproducible manner. Over-expression of microRNA-1224-3p resulted in a significant decrease of urothelial cell viability.

Conclusion:

This was one of the first studies to demonstrate that distinct microRNA alterations characterise bladder cancer in a grade-specific manner. These data reveal new insights into disease biology and have implications regarding tumor diagnosis, prognosis and therapy.

The use of the panel of urinary microRNAs-135b/15b/1224-3p in patients with haematuria would have identified 94% of bladder cancers, whilst reducing cystoscopy rates by 26%. However, 2 invasive cancers (3%) would have been missed.

Over-expression of microRNA-1224-3p leads to the inhibition of urothelial cell growth and viability. With further studies, this finding could potentially be developed to create a chemotherapeutic agent for patients with bladder cancer.


We present evidence of first impression bias among finance professionals in the field. Equity analysts' forecasts, target prices, and recommendations suffer from first impression bias. If a firm performs particularly well (poorly) in the year before an analyst follows it, that analyst tends to issue optimistic (pessimistic) evaluations. Consistent with negativity bias, we find that negative first impressions have a stronger effect than positive ones. The market adjusts for analyst first impression bias with a lag. Finally, our findings contribute to the literature on experience effects. We show that a set of professionals in the field, equity analysts, apply U-shaped weights to their sequence of past experiences, with greater weight on first experiences and recent experiences than on intermediate ones.


The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition of the essential oils of Algerian citrus. They were extracted by hydrodistillation from the leaves of citrus species (orange, Bigaradier, mandarin and lemon), using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Their chemical composition and antifungal activity against four phytopathogenic fungi ( Fusarium oxysporum f.sp., albedinis sp, Penicelium sp., Alternaria sp.  and Fusarium sp .)  were studied. The inhibiting minimal concentration (CMI) effect was also given for four oils. Ten compounds were recorded jointly among the 51 identified, of which limonene (7.18 to 36.10%),  β-pinene (4.35 to 30.0%) and linalool (0.21  to 63.03%) represent the principal major compounds. These results indicate that essential oils can be employed as natural fungicides against phytopathogenic fungi. Key words: GC/MS, essential oils , citrus, antifungal activity, phytopathogenic fungi.


Objective: To classify children with cerebral palsy (CP) using classifi cation systems for mobility and manual function; to compare groups of children with CP regarding gross motor function and functional performance outcomes; and to evaluate associations between the functional classifi cations and the scores obtained in the outcomes that were investigated. Methods: Thirty children with CP were classifi ed using the Gross Motor Function Classifi cation System (GMFCS) and the Manual Abilities Classifi cation System (MACS), and were divided into three groups, based on their classifi cation (mild, moderate or severe) in each of these systems. Gross motor function was documented using the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66) test, while functional abilities and the caregiver's assistance regarding self-care and mobility were documented using the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI). Results: One-way ANOVA showed that the groups were signifi cantly different regarding the GMFM-66 and PEDI results. Post-hoc comparison tests (Scheffé) revealed that the children with moderate impairment (GMFCS) had functional abilities and caregiver support that were similar to those of the mildly impaired children. However, the moderate children (MACS) were not different from the severe children. Spearman rank correlations showed strong and signifi cant inverse associations between the functional classifi cations and the results from the PEDI and GMFM-66 tests. Conclusions: The results suggest that the MACS and GMFCS functional classifi cations are good indicators of the manual function and mobility of children with CP. These classifi cations may be useful in the processes of evaluation and intervention planning.


The concept of "design space" has been proposed in the ICH Q8 guideline and is gaining momentum in its application in the biotech industry. It has been defined as "the multidimensional combination and interaction of input variables (e.g., material attributes) and process parameters that have been demonstrated to provide assurance of quality." This paper presents a stepwise approach for defining process design space for a biologic product. A case study, involving P. pastoris fermentation, is presented to facilitate this. First, risk analysis via Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is performed to identify parameters for process characterization. Second, small‐scale models are created and qualified prior to their use in these experimental studies. Third, studies are designed using Design of Experiments (DOE) in order for the data to be amenable for use in defining the process design space. Fourth, the studies are executed and the results analyzed for decisions on the criticality of the parameters as well as on establishing process design space. For the application under consideration, it is shown that the fermentation unit operation is very robust with a wide design space and no critical operating parameters. The approach presented here is not specific to the illustrated case study. It can be extended to other biotech unit operations and processes that can be scaled down and characterized at small scale.


Protein fortified and tasty shrimp croquette was developed from different component parts of shrimp wastes by using a combination of vegetables (potato, Colocasia, green banana, green papaya and spinach), spices (green chili, onion, garlic, turmeric, red pepper and ginger) and other ingredients (salt, wheat flour, egg, sugar and milk powder). The ingredients were mixed with variable quantities of shrimp shell powder (3, 5 and 10%), shaped and covered with egg and bread crumb. Proximate composition of shrimp shell powder (SSP) and shrimp croquette was determined as crude protein, crude lipid, ash and moisture. It was observed that the SSP contained 47.48±0.74% crude protein indicating its potentiality as a good protein source for the food industry. The lipid content of SSP was 10.50±0.71% and 19.61±0.64%. When SSP was used in the croquette, protein content increased with the higher levels of SSP. The final protein content found were 7.22±0.66, 9.39±0.37 and 11.73±0.61% in the croquettes added with 3, 5 and 10% SSP, respectively. The suggested recipes containing 5% SSP were preferred by the panelists on the basis of their overall quality. Sensory, chemical and microbiological quality changes of shrimp croquette were determined to evaluate the shelf life and storage stability under different storage conditions. At room temperature shelf life of shrimp croquette was very short, in fact not more than 24 hours. On the other hand, at refrigeration temperature it remained in good condition up to 10 days. At frozen storage it remained in good condition for 1 month. The research reveals that good quality protein fortified shrimp croquette could be manufactured from shrimp shell wastes. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbau.v11i2.19937 J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 11(2): 331-340, 2013


1. Introduction Hermann Schmitt European Attitudes 2. Attitudes to European Integration: Investigating East-West Heterogeneity John Garry and James Tilley 3. Dynamics in European Political Identity Angelika Scheuer and Hermann Schmitt The EU Party System 4. The EU Party System after Eastern Enlargement Hermann Schmitt and Jacques Thomassen 5. The Support Base of Radical Right Parties in the Enlarged European Union Wouter van der Brug and Meindert Fennema Electoral Participation and Vote Choice 6. Turning Out or Turning Off: Do Mobilization and Attitudes Account for Turnout Differences between New and Established Member States at the 2004 EP Elections? Bernhard Wessels and Mark N. Franklin 7. Vote Switching in European Parliament Elections: Evidence from June 2004 Michael Marsh 8. Second-Order Elections versus First-Order Thinking: How Voters Perceive the Representation Process in a Multi-Layered System of Governance Nick Clark and Robert Rohrschneider 9. The Clarity of Policy Alternatives, Left-Right and the European Parliament Vote in 2004 Andre Freire, Marina Costa Lobo and Pedro Magalhaes


With the global need for new approaches to sustainable development in periurban "slums" as a backdrop, this paper reports on an innovative approach to community-based, in situ informal settlement upgrading in the Monwabisi Park community of Cape Town, South Africa. The program described is an experimental effort to combine the creative resources of parties that often have difficulty working together to nurture local self-help efforts that, with judicious and limited outside resources, can lead to sustained provision of improved community services and infrastructure. Starting with a local street committee's creation of a children's creche in 2005 and partnering with a small local NGO, the Indlovu Project has established a set of public amenities and a vision for the future that combines western sustainable development concepts such as permaculture with Xhosa cultural sensibilities regarding equity, ubuntu, collective decision-making and the nature of private and public spaces. The Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), a US university, has through an experiential science-technology-society educational program begun engaging students and faculty members with community members and city agencies to develop an integrated plan for transforming the eleven year old Monwabisi Park squatter camp into an "ecovillage" based on these local community perspectives and desires. This paper discusses the principles and strategies underlying the redevelopment effort; explores how students can be uniquely positioned as agents of redevelopment; and presents some of the unique strategies and services that are emerging through this collective effort.


Synaptic plasticity in the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system is thought to contribute to the neural adaptations that mediate behavioral sensitization, a model for core aspects of addiction. Recently, it has been demonstrated that multiple classes of drugs of abuse, as well as acute stress, enhance strength at excitatory synapses on midbrain DA neurons. Here, we show that both the cocaine- and stress-induced synaptic enhancement involves an up-regulation of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors. This enhancement requires the alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor subunit GluRA as evidenced by its absence in mice lacking this subunit. The cocaine-elicited, but not the stress-elicited, synaptic potentiation in DA neurons was blocked by a D1-like receptor antagonist, indicating that the in vivo triggering mechanisms differ for these forms of experience-dependent synaptic modification. Surprisingly, behavioral sensitization to cocaine was elicited in GluRA(-/-) mice, indicating that potentiation of excitatory synaptic transmission in DA neurons is not necessary for this form of behavioral plasticity. However, GluRA(-/-) mice did not exhibit a conditioned locomotor response when placed in a context previously paired with cocaine, nor did they exhibit conditioned place preference in response to cocaine. We suggest that the drug-induced enhancement of excitatory synaptic transmission in midbrain DA neurons, although not required for behavioral sensitization per se, may contribute to the attribution of incentive value to drug-associated cues.


We analyze the influence of health and financial incentives on the retirement behavior of older workers in France, building upon the Stock and Wise (1990) option value approach. The model accounts for three main retirement routes: normal retirement, disability insurance (DI), and unemployment/preretirement pathways, and is estimated with a combination of microeconomic datasets that include the French data of the European SHARE survey. The estimates confirm that a decrease in the generosity of the pension and DI schemes induces people to stay longer in the labor market, and that people with better health tend to retire later. We present extreme situations simulating what an individual's retirement behavior would have been if only one retirement route had existed and in the absence of constraints on work capabilities. We show that average years of work between 55 and 64 are nearly 14% greater when regular retirement incentives are applied to the whole population than when it is DI rules that are systematically applied.


As one of the most significant subtasks for event extraction, event detection(ED) aims to identify the trigger words in a sentence and classify them with correct event types. Most methods in previous work rely on various neural networks to extract trigger features automatically which still suffer a lot from word-trigger mismatch and disability of sparse triggers detecting, especially in Chinese corpus. In this paper, we propose a lexical and compositional stream learning approach to alleviate these two limitations in ED task with sememes in How Net as the external knowledge base. Concretely, we employ convolutional neural network (CNN) to learn lexical representation and compositional representation separately, and we consolidate event sememe information into structural features where the event sememe embeddings provide sememe trigger clues in sentence-level and word sememe-type tertiary structure enriches the compositional features. Then we fuse both of them into a hybrid representation to achieve trigger identification and event type classification. Experiments conducted on ACE2005 dataset show our model outperforms the state-of-the-art method especially for event type classifier.


The NACA model 11-G flying-boat hull, a modification of NACA model 11-A was tested over a range of loadings. The planing bottom of model 11-G has a variable-radius flare, or concavity, at the chines in contrast to the straight V planing bottom of model 11-A. The results are given as curves of resistance and trimming moment plotted against speed for various angles of trim. The characteristics of the form at the optimum angles of trim are given in non-dimensional form as curves of resistance coefficient, best trim angle, and trimming-moment coefficient plotted against speed coefficient. As compared with the original form, model 11-G is shown to have higher resistance at all loads and speeds and higher maximum trimming moments at heavy loads. The spray pattern, however, is generally more favorable, indicating that the service performance of model 11-A would be improved by some form of chime flare.


This study examines how financial literacy, financial behaviour, family support (as another source of income), number of dependents, and retirement planning influence on the financial well-being of retirees in Cape Coast Metropolis of Ghana. A cross-sectional survey strategy was employed on 400 respondents randomly selected from 1500 members of the association to analyze the effect of financial literacy, financial behaviour, family support, number of dependents and retirement planning on financial wellbeing. It then tests their hypothesized relationships with the use of Partial Least Squares (PLS), a structural equation modelling technique. The results reveal that financial literacy, retirement planning and family support significantly impact the financial well-being of retirees. More importantly, the effect of family support and retirement planning on retirees' financial well-being is stronger than the one of financial literacy. The findings imply that finance literacy and retirement planning should be promoted. In addition to policies aimed at bridging social cohesion and promoting family values should not be ignored the maximizing of financial well-being of retirees. The study contributes to the extant literature on financial literacy and provides evidence on the effect of financial literacy and financial planning on the financial well-being of retirees in a developing country. It has also provided support for the need of social cohesion.


Background: HIV clinicians are increasingly confronting mild major depression and dysthymic disorder in their older patients. Despite rapid advances in technologybased interventions in the medical field, particularly in psychiatric treatment, the utilization of this resource in mental health services delivery research in the context of HIV disease has been limited. Home-based telemedicine (HBT) – which in this article mainly refers to telepsychiatry – combined with in-home cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may serve as a promising clinical strategy through which a broader patient population can be treated.
Objective: The current study aimed to assess: (1) change in psychiatric symptoms, (2) change in perception towards the acceptability of telemedicine, and (3) the viability of using a combined treatment of in-home CBT and HBT.
Methods: Subjects engaged in 6-12 weeks of weekly in-home CBT paired with monthly follow-up home-based telepsychiatry (HBT) sessions for the management of mild to moderate depression in older persons living with HIV (PLWH).
Results: 3 subjects completed the current study. Subjects reported comfortability with receiving services by telemedicine, ability to talk freely, and perceived privacy of the sessions. Clinician feedback further supported the feasibility and acceptability of using this delivery of treatment.
Conclusion: Data gathered from the current study support the findings from the predecessor study. HBT coupled with in-home CBT may serve as a feasible method for the management and treatment of mild to moderate depression in PLWH aged 50+ in an urban setting. Larger clinical trials focused on older PLWH using a similar treatment regimen will help provide more insight into viable healthcare models for this growing population.


Seven widely held conceptions about formal methods are challenged. These beliefs are variants of the following: formal methods can guarantee that software is perfect; they work by proving that the programs are correct; only highly critical systems benefit from their use; they involve complex mathematics; they increase the cost of development; they are incomprehensible to clients; and nobody uses them for real projects. The arguments are based on the author's experiences. They address the bounds of formal methods, identify the central role of specifications in the development process, and cover education and training.<<ETX>>


paper, the cooperation models for service oriented multi- agent system are formally and rigorously investigated and put forward. According to the service request forces and service offer manners, a number of elementary cooperation models and their atomic communication acts are identified. The rigorous semantics of the communication acts and the cooperation models and their constraints are formally defined and analyzed.


Among the conventional and alleged bulk deformation processes in metalworking, equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) is an innovative and attractive method to refine grain structures effectively. Grain refining by this process on magnesium alloy AZ31 was studied and compared to published data. An interesting and unique question is proposed and studied - that is, how dominant is the accumulated strain as obtained through multiple angular extrusion passes. Tensile tests were performed at room and high temperatures, and processed AZ31 was examined with optical and transmission electron microscopy as well as x-ray diffraction.


This research presents an experimental study in a spatial wave basin for nonlinear interaction of regular waves with a perpendicular shear current over a movable bed. Detailed measurements were collected for current velocity profiles under different conditions, from which the bed shear stress and apparent roughness heights were determined. These combined with the measured velocities were used to validate theoretical models for wave–current interaction at an angle. It is found that for small wave heights all models agree well with the measured mean current velocities in the combined flow, while for larger wave heights only two models are reasonably close to the measurements for current velocities. For very large waves none of the models adequately describes the near-surface current velocities, which deviate significantly from the log-law. For the bed shear stress and the apparent roughness, only one model describes the measured data well.


The results of 64 total pancreatectomies performed at the Mayo Clinic between 1942 and 1973 have been reviewed. Improvement in recent results as compared to the previously reported series is probably related to improvements in operative techniques and in selection of patients with more favorable malignant lesions. The recent results are more favorable than those reported for a group of comparable patients undergoing standard Whipple procedures for malignant lesions at this institution. Diabetes was easily managed in 76% of patients. Hypoglycemia due to insulin sensitivity is the major problem, and ketoacidosis seldom occurs. Recognition of this has resulted in better management of diabetes with relatively small doses of insulin. The sequels of long-standing diabetes do not appear to be a problem. Gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage has been greatly decreased through the use of more extensive gastric resection.


The Internet has revolutionized the way in which we consume and participate in sexual activities. Digital technologies are shaping the ways in which people interact with one another romantically and sexually. This chapter reviews some of the ways in which digital technologies are potentially shaping sexual behaviors, especially those of adolescents and young adults. Evidence suggests that technologies are facilitating increasingly more sexual activities among young people and adults, yet our understanding of these remains incomplete. The Internet has made pornography highly accessible to most individuals around the world, but the effects of frequent pornography use on individuals' sexual beliefs and practices remain largely unknown. Sexting is also common among adolescents and adults, with some initial evidence finding that sexting was a partial mediator between problematic alcohol use and sexual hookups. More work on sexting behaviors is needed, particularly among vulnerable populations or groups at risk for exploitation. The wide use of smartphone applications designed to help users find casual sex partners are becoming more common, mirroring the increasing acceptability of having relationally uncommitted sex among young adults. More research is needed to investigate the influences of digital technologies on shaping the sexual practices of adolescents and emerging adults who may be spending increasingly more time online. Furthermore, more research is needed to examine both the potential benefits and risks associated with digital technologies that may facilitate sexual behaviors.


Pattern-matching techniques have recently been applied to network security applications such as intrusion detection, virus protection, and spam filters. The widely used the Aho-Corasick algorithm can simultaneously match multiple patterns while providing a worst-case performance guarantee. The traditional Aho-Corasick algorithm has some problems on the large-scale dictionary matching, such as take a huge memory space, cost too much time when building trie, huge update cost (rebuild trie) and so on. In this paper, we summarize several recent works on the expansion of the AC algorithm: the original Aho-Corasick algorithm(AC), the parallel Aho-Corasick algorithm(PAC), and the parallel failure-less Aho-Corasick algorithm(PFAC). Among them, the PAC used muti-thread to process input text by divide input to few parts, but in this way, this is a problem called boundary detection problem. The PFAC which uses parallel processing, discarding the failure function and enhancing the AC processing capability by the power of GPU is relatively popular. The PFAC not only enhance the speed of matching process but also solve the boundary detection problem. In the original PFAC paper, only a small size dictionary pattern matching test was conducted. In this paper, we verify the feasibility of using PFAC for large-scale dictionary characters. And give a discussion on the possibility of using the PFAC algorithm to match large-scale pattern dictionaries. At last, we present our proposals for PFAC expansion for large-scale dictionary pattern matching. For example, the one called pattern cut approach is to cut the pattern from the common prefix with other words, and the other one is the large automaton is divided according to the input text by the prefix of words. And the sub-automatons are constructed separately. When the input text is processed, each word is processed by the sub-automaton that distributed according to the prefix of words. By this way, we can achieve the purpose of improving the parallel processing efficiency.


Obesity is a major health concern for a growing fraction of the population, with the prevalence of obesity and its related metabolic disorders not being fully understood. Over the last decade, many attempts have been undertaken to understand the mechanisms at the basis of this condition, in which the accumulation of fat occurring in adipose tissue, leads to the pathogenesis of obesity related disorders. Among the most recent studies, those on Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptors (PPARs) revealed that these nuclear receptor proteins acting as transcription factors, among others, regulate the expression of genes involved in energy, lipid, and glucose metabolisms, and chronic inflammation. The three different isotypes of PPARs, with different tissue expression and ligand binding specificity, exert similar or overlapping functions directly or indirectly linked to obesity. In this study, we reviewed the available scientific reports concerning the PPARs structure and functions, especially in obesity, considering both natural and synthetic ligands and their role in the therapy of obesity and obesity-associated disorders. In the whole, the collected data show that there are both natural and synthetic compounds that show beneficial promising activity as PPAR agonists in chronic diseases related to obesity.


Since reform and opening-up began in 1978, Chinese Marxist philosophy has undertaken the double mission of enhancing the emancipation of the mind in society and of realizing its own ideological emancipation. It has gone through an evolutionary process from "extensive discussion about the criterion of truth" to "reform of philosophical textbooks"; from the proposal of the philosophical conception of "practical materialism" to reflection on "modernity"; and from the carrying-out of dialogues among Chinese, Western, and Marxist philosophies to the exploration of "new forms of civilization." Chinese Marxist philosophy has shifted its way of doing research with practical materialism as a core conception, and it changed such modes of thinking as the intuitive theory of reflection based on naive realism, the theory of linear causality based on mechanical determinism, and the reductionism of essence based on abstract substantialism. As a result, it has boosted changes that were already underway in Chinese philosophy, worldviews, theories of truth, conceptions of history, and views of development, and it has further endowed the discourse system of Marxist philosophy with laudable subjectivity and originality.


This study examined the determinants of international financial integration (IFI) and how they impact on the Nigerian economy over the period 1986-2015. The error correction model was employed to regress the key determinants of IFI against GDP growth, and to ascertain the speed of adjustment. The results showed that financial market capitalisation and trade openness both have negative and insignificant influence on economic growth. The real effective exchange rate has positive but insignificant effect on economic growth while inflation exerted positive and significant impact on the economy. The Engel and Granger cointegration test result shows evidence of long-run association between economic growth and the independent variables. The dynamic estimate provided evidence of long-run causality running from IFI determinants to economic growth. The coefficient of the error correction term indicates that the system corrects disequilibrium in the previous period at the speed of 81.43% annually to get at the steady state.


Adorno and Bourdieu share the same interest in developing theoretical and methodological tools of a sociology of cultural forms. In this article, I argue that the main goal of both thinkers is to investigate ways to overcome internal and purely formal interpretations without falling into vulgar sociological explanations that reduce cultural forms to external social context. In line with the thesis of "priority of mediation" of his negative dialectics, Adorno develops a meta-critical style of interpretation based on establishing formal analogies between different fields which abolishes the illusion of absolute autonomy of cultural forms while acknowledging their truth contents. In his reflexive sociological critique, Bourdieu aims to reveal social and political implications of cultural forms without reducing them to external social context by building homologies between different fields. I try to reveal the common aspects of these critical methods through the Heidegger critiques of two thinkers. I also try to show that the dialectical critiques of rationality of them echo each other in aiming to reach an understanding of reason free from domination and symbolic violence by revealing the social mediations of reason that embodied in cultural fields.


The present study has as an object the modalities of conflict administration adopted by nurses in professional praxis. Considering the Management Grid Theory (BLAKE & MOUNTON, 1978), the conflict can be solved in different levels of quality or even, not solved, influenced by the manager behavior model. It is intended to identify nurses managing styles in conflict administration, analyzing their interactions. A questionnaire composed with 25 items, in its majority of popular adagios which express the five basic models of the Management Grid, has been tested. The research was run at the Rio de Janeiro State University Pedro Ernesto University Hospital from June, 1996 to August, 1997, and descriptive method and check-list schedule type functional analysis technique have been used. The factorial analysis of items has showed an occurrence of eight interdependent factors which designing the following styles that have been adopted by nurses: confrontation, negotiation, facing, conciliation, manipulation, acceptance, submission and withdrawing. The authors recommend data collect instrument revalidation.


A simple, rapid, and efficient functionalization of the metal–organic framework MIL-53(Al)-NH2 with copper(II) complexes by microwave irradiation is described. The one-pot post-synthetic modification was based on the Schiff base reaction between the aldehyde added and the primary aryl amino group in the organic linker of MIL-53(Al)-NH2, which afforded coordination sites for copper(II). The effects of synthetic parameters such as solvent, reaction time, and reactant ratio were evaluated. The functionalized materials were structurally characterized and examined for potential applications in catalysis. The copper complex functionalized MIL-53(Al) was active towards the oxidation of olefins with tert-butyl hydroperoxide as an oxidant. The results showed that if the olefin possessed allylic hydrogens such as cyclohexene, allylic oxidation products were obtained, but epoxide was the major product obtained from terminal olefins without allylic hydrogens. The reaction mechanism based on density functional theory calculations provides some insights into the observed experimental results.


Patients who have had a stroke resulting in the deficit of visuo-spatial neglect are normally not provided with a powered wheelchair, as they are either considered or found to be unsafe navigating about their environment. As these patients are relatively unlikely to regain functional mobility by walking, the denial of alternative forms of mobility is of particular concern. Modest progress has been made over the past two decades with regards to the rehabilitation of neglect but there have been calls for further research which addresses "real world" measures of independence such as wheelchair navigation. In this study, we investigated the ability of patients with neglect to improve their performance when navigating a powered wheelchair by using theoretically-driven strategies that have shown promise in previous studies (spatial cueing and limb activation). Strategies were applied and tested in the most realistic and practical manner for each individual, based on their abilities and concurrent deficits. Performance was improved by the experimental strategies. The data suggest it is possible to apply theoretically-driven strategies to improve wheelchair navigation in patients with neglect and are supportive of further studies that could lead to improved access to powered mobility by this population in the future.


Global financial shocks under a revamped global financial landscape can produce unexpected, multi-faceted, and disruptive implications for emerging market economies. Using the VIX index as a proxy for global financial stress, we argue that Southern Cone macro conditions can undergo significant pressure under adverse global financial shocks. The region needs to start rebuilding macro buffers now -in addition to simultaneously correcting macro imbalances and enhancing policy frameworks- to cope with the emerging global financial environment. International organizations, including multilateral development banks, can play several key roles in supporting the rebuilding of macro buffers.


The interest in production of buffalo milk is increasing in Brazil due to its physico-chemical and nutritional characteristics. However, just as sheep, goats and cows are susceptible to mastitis, so are buffaloes, which is mainly caused by Staphylococcus aureus. In this regard, biofilm formation, the ability to escape host immune defense and virulence factor, is presumably a key factor for acute and chronic intra-mammary infection in buffaloes. In this study, biofilm forming capabilities and virulence genes were evaluated in S. aureus isolated from buffalo milk and milking environments, using phenotypic and genotypic assays. Thirty two S. aureus strains isolated from buffalo milk, milking machines and milkers' hands were obtained from a farm in Analândia, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Samples were collected in April, June, October and November 2013. These strains were tested for the presence of sa442, icaA, icaD, clfA, clfB, sarA and hla genes, slime production using Congo Red Agar (CRA), and biofilm formation using microtiter assay. All samples of S. aureus were positive for CRA and microtiter assay. Although, icaA and icaD genes were simultaneously detected in nine of the 32 samples, none of the samples were positive for icaA; only seven were positive for icaD gene. This suggests that other factors may be involved in biofilm formation. Seventeen strains of S. aureus were positive for sarA gene, nine for clfA gene, 16 for clfB and 16 for hla. A great variability in SmaI restriction profiles of S. aureus strains was observed. Thirty isolates were typified and two strains were not by SmaI restriction. In addition, 18 pulse types were detected. It is hypothesized that biofilm can be produced by the expression of icaD gene only. Our findings suggest that S. aureus strains from buffalo milk and milking environment are similar, which contradict the findings obtained from bovine strains. This behavior may contribute to the persistence of mastitis in buffalo caused by S. aureus, which results in a potential zoonotic problem. Our results may bring new insights into the development of novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of bubaline mastitis.

 Key words: Staphylococcus aureus, buffalo milk, biofilm, milking machine, milkers' hands, utensils, mastitis.


This study adopted sol–gel and spin-coating methods for fabricating ZnO thin films on Pt/ Ti/Si substrates. Each layer is carbonized at a low temperature and finally sintered at a high temperature for spin-coating. The luminescent characteristics of ZnO films were investigated using photoluminescence (PL). The crystal structures of the films were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to analyze the chemical states of ZnO thin films. The platinum and aluminum layers were deposited as top and bottom electrodes, respectively. The sandwich structure of electroluminescence (EL) elements was fabricated and its conductivity was measured. The SEM images showed that the surface roughness of the thin films and the grain size improved as the thickness of the films increased. These results were verified by XRD patterns in which the peak intensities of the ZnO (002) C preferred orientation increased as the thin films thickened. In addition, enhanced crystallinities increased the ultraviolet (UV) radiation intensities of the ZnO thin films. Moreover, only UV radiation excited through the intrinsic band gap was observed in the PL spectra, and no visible light was produced by the luminescence mechanisms of defects. the chemical configuration analysis of the thin films revealed that the proportions of O–Zn bonding and Vo increased and decreased respectively as the number of spin-coated layers increased. These results indicate that increased thin film thickness reduces thin film internal defects and improves the ZnO structure. Regarding the EL measurements of the EL elements, at a ZnO film thickness of 530 nm, the threshold and alternating-current working voltages were 25 and 33 V, respectively.


In this paper, we consider solving a class of nonconvex and nonsmooth problems frequently appearing in signal processing and machine learning research. The traditional alternating direction method of multipliers encounters troubles in both mathematics and computations in solving the nonconvex and nonsmooth subproblem. In view of this, we propose a reweighted alternating direction method of multipliers. In this algorithm, all subproblems are convex and easy to solve. We also provide several guarantees for the convergence and prove that the algorithm globally converges to a critical point of an auxiliary function with the help of the Kurdyka–Łojasiewicz property. Several numerical results are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.


Abstract A sample of three hundred and nine alcoholic and nonalcoholic women in South Carolina were asked three family-of-origin questions that were thought to relate to the development of alcoholism. Specifically the women were asked: "While you were growing up did anyone in your family: (1) drink a lot? (2) use drugs? or (3) serve a jail sentence?" Results of multivariate odds ratio analyses indicate that alcoholic women were 7.31 times more likely to indicate a family member who drank a lot, 3.57 times more likely to report a family member who used drugs, and 5.6 times more likely to report a family member who served a jail sentence in their families of origin. The prediction of alcoholism by any of these family of origin variables did not differ as a function of age or race. These data suggest that policy makers may contribute to improved outcome measures by providing attention to children passing through these difficulties.


The briefest explanation that could be provided for asceticism in the original Theravada Buddhist tradition is that it is a physically and mentally lived enterprise for fulfilling enlightenment (nibbana). As such, the enterprise demands serious practical and intellectual commitment. In total contrast to this original Theravada Buddhist concept of asceticism, a contextual frame of asceticism has been developing in Sinhalese Buddhist culture in recent years. The frame will be defined in the present discussion as 'popular asceticism'. The frame is profoundly influenced by specific developments in Sinhalese Buddhist culture among which are some noticeable concepts and practices. These concepts and practices are assumed in this discussion as part of an underlying structure of a dynamic historical process which exemplifies a framework involving beliefs and practices of diverse social groups in Sinhalese Buddhist culture. The investigation of the practice of upavasa maghata (abstinence from killing animals on special ceremonial days), spirit worship and the concept of caste will help comprehend their contribution in forming the 'popular' ascetic context in Sinhalese Buddhist culture.


Background Improving transport infrastructure to support walking and cycling on the journey to and from work – active commuting – could help to promote physical activity and improve population health. Aims To assess whether or not investment in new high-quality transport infrastructure was associated with an increase in active commuting; wider health impacts of changes in travel behaviour; determinants of the use and uptake of active commuting; and how changes in travel behaviour were distributed in the population and related to the wider social context. Design The Commuting and Health in Cambridge study, comprising a quasi-experimental cohort study combined with both nested and supplementary in-depth quantitative and qualitative studies. Setting Cambridgeshire, UK. Participants A cohort of 1143 adults living within 30 km of Cambridge, working in the city and recruited in 2009; and a separate sample of 1710 users intercepted on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway in 2012. Intervention The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway, comprising a new bus network using 22 km of guideway (segregated bus track) accompanied by a traffic-free path for pedestrians and cyclists, opened in 2011. Main outcome measure Change in time spent in active commuting from 2009 to 2012, using a self-reported measure validated using georeferenced combined heart rate and movement sensor data. Methods A delay from 2009 to 2011 in completing the intervention entailed some changes to the original design and attrition of the cohort. A period of methodological and observational research on active commuting preceded the evaluation, which was based on a quasi-experimental cohort analysis together with the intercept and qualitative data. A graded measure of each participant's exposure to the intervention, based on the proximity of the busway to his or her home, served as the basis for controlled comparisons. Results Commuting practices were complex and shaped by various changeable social and environmental factors. Walking and cycling were often incorporated into longer commuting journeys made predominantly by car or public transport. In multivariable multinomial regression analyses, exposure to the intervention was associated with a greater likelihood of a large increase in the proportion of commuting trips involving any active travel [adjusted relative risk ratio (RRR) 1.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.27 to 2.55], of a large decrease in the proportion of trips made entirely by car (RRR 2.09, 95% CI 1.35 to 3.21), and of an increase in weekly cycle commuting time (RRR 1.34, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.76). There was a mixed pattern of effects at the individual level, with the intervention providing a more supportive environment for active commuting for some and not for others. There was some evidence that the effect was most pronounced among those who reported no active commuting at baseline, and observational evidence suggesting a relationship between active commuting, greater overall physical activity, and improved well-being and weight status. Conclusions These findings provide new empirical support and direction for reconfiguring transport systems to improve population health and reduce health inequalities. They should be combined with evidence from research evaluating related environmental changes in other settings, preferably using longer periods of observation and controlled comparisons, to support more generalisable causal inference. Funding The National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research programme.


The methods for parametric identification of fractional differential operators with $\alpha \on (1, 2)$ degree according to instantaneous values of experimental observations based on the Barrett differential equation example are suggested. The methods are based on construction of the linear parametrical discrete model for fractional differential equation. The coefficients of the model are associated with the required parameters of differentiation equation of fractional order. Different approaches to the determination of the relationships between the parameters of the differential equation and the discrete model coefficients are considered. Connection expressions for coefficients of linear parametrical discrete model and Cauchy type problem parameters to be identified are obtained. The algorithm of the method which let us reduce the problem to computation of mean-square estimates for coefficients of linear parametrical discrete model is described. Numerical investigations have been done; furthermore, their results let us conclude high efficiency of the methods.


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

The physiological role of this HDAC11, the newest member of the HDAC family was mainly unknown until the discovery by our group that HDAC11 regulates IL-10 gene expression in myeloid cells in-vitro. To better elucidate the role of HDAC11 in these cells, we have utilized HDAC11 promoter-driven eGFP reporter transgenic mice (TgHDAC11-eGFP) which allow us to "visualize" dynamic changes in HDAC11 gene expression /transcriptional activity in immune cells in vivo. Immature myeloid cells (IMCs) differentiate into macrophages, dendritic cells, and neutrophils and are also considered to be precursors of MDSCs in tumor-bearing hosts. Here, we show for the first time that HDAC11 plays an important role in this process. First, IMCs from the bone marrow and spleen of TgHDAC11-eGFP mice display high expression of eGFP indicative of HDAC11 transcriptional activation in these cells in the steady state. Subcutaneous injection of EL4 tumor cells into these mice resulted in expansion of MDSCs (identified by the expression of CD11b+/GR1+ [Ly6G and Ly6C] with variable expression of CD49d and CD115) in their lymphoid organs which was similar in extent to the expansion observed in tumor-bearing wild type (WT) mice. Of note, flow cytometric analysis revealed that expression of eGFP was significantly decreased in the myeloid compartment of tumor bearing TgHDAC11-eGFP mice, with greatest decrease in the Ly6Chigh population suggesting that the transition of IMC into MDSCs might require a decrease in HDAC11 expression. Reminiscent of our findings in the eGFP mice, studies in nontransgenic mice also demonstrated that tumor derived MDSCs display less HDAC11 mRNA expression compared to splenic MDSCs, with lowest expression of HDAC11 in the Ly6Chigh MDSCs. Additional support for the regulatory role of HDAC11 in MDSC expansion/function has been recently provided by our preliminary functional studies in TgHDAC11-eGFP mice which demonstrates that isolated GR1+/eGFP- cells demonstrate more suppressive phenotype than that of GR1+/eGFP+ cells, in the presence of tumor challenge. Taken together, these results suggest that HDAC11 plays a regulatory role in the expansion and function of MDSCs in vivo. A better understanding of this previously unknown role of HDAC11 in MDSC biology might lead to targeted epigenetic therapies to influence the suppressive abilities of these cells and augment the efficacy of immunotherapeutic approaches against malignancies.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4260. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4260


SUMMARY: Attention is drawn to certain requirements of the current International Botanical and Bacteriological Codes of Nomenclature, with special reference to the denoting of categories, the proposal of new species, and the changing of names; three procedures commonly encountered by authors and editors. The requirements for the proposal of new specific names of fungi and bacteria are:
General requirements. The name chosen must be in Latin binomial form and should be coined according to the practices set out in the Codes (Bact. Code, Rules, 6, 27, 28, Appendix A; Bot. Code, Art. 33, 82, Rec. 83A).
The name must be effectively published. (It is desirable that scientific journals in which new taxa are proposed should indicate the exact date of publication of the parts.)
The name must be validated by a concise description (the diagnosis) of the diagnostic features of the new taxon. (The diagnostic features should not have to be deduced from an exhaustive account of the organism possibly spread over several pages.)
The description should, whenever possible, be accompanied by illustrations of which the scale and the specimen(s) on which they are based should be stated.
All measurements should be in the metric system.
The date of collection or isolation of the type material should be given together with the precise locality and the substrate or host (the last being designated by its scientific name).
The location of the type should be stated.
The etymology of the name should be explained.
Special requirements for fungi. The diagnosis must be in Latin (Bot. Code, Art. 44).
The type specimen should be deposited, if possible, in a national herbarium, and if the type is a collection and portions are deposited in several herbaria then one of these isotypes should be designated as the holotype.
Special requirements for bacteria. No Latin diagnosis is required but 'in works written in a language unfamiliar to the majority of workers in bacteriology, it is recommended that the authors publish simultaneously the diagnosis in a more familiar language' (Bact. Code, Rec. 12a).
Subcultures of the type strains should be deposited at one or more of the national culture collections.


Part of the Chinese Studies Commons, Defense and Security Studies Commons, Diplomatic History Commons, Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons, International Relations Commons, Military History Commons, Military, War, and Peace Commons, National Security Law Commons, Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons, Policy History, Theory, and Methods Commons, Political History Commons, President/Executive Department Commons, Public Affairs Commons, Public Policy Commons, Strategic Management Policy Commons, and the United States History Commons


Home dialysis, and mainly peritoneal dialysis, is indicated as the optimal choice as far as the comfort and lifestyle of uremic patients is concerned. Despite this, home treatments show a lack of growth. The reasons are mainly linked to the patients' cognitive, psychosocial, familiar and physical barriers due to aging and morbidity. To overcome these barriers, we analyzed all the available institutional aids: civil disability, not-self-sufficiency funds, home, social and nursing assistance, expenses refunds. The assessment of the patients' needs is performed through validated instruments such as multidimensional evaluation (VMD) and equivalent economic index (ISEE). Overall, economic relief is limited to low income patients, and those in serious distress. Some Italian regions have issued specific measures dedicated to home dialysis. Our review shows a great heterogeneity of measures, centered in some cases on economic aids and on home assistance in others. Moreover, some Italian dialysis centers directly provide caregivers for home dialysis. The international literature describes many experiences relating to home dialysis assistance. Their common message is that, in developed countries, economic help is generally sustainable despite the heterogeneity of health care systems. Home support and economic aids for dialysis, in fact, are made possible by the overall savings enabled by home treatments and by the careful redistributions of the funds.


This project seeks to study the first expression of Israelite literature which would was elaborated under the shadow of the Neo-Assyrian cultural influence. This occurred approximately between the 9th to 8th centuries BCE, before a transformation triggered off by theological viewpoints held in the southern kingdom of Judah between the 7th to 6th centuries BCE. Thus, we shall be considering the first eleven chapters of Genesis, consisting primarily of Hebrew myth, with a view to identifying Neo- Assyrian influence in the Israelite narrative. The Neo-Assyrian Empire was at the peak of its power between the 9th and 7th centuries BCE. The northern kingdom of Israel became the most important loyal vassal and also the most favored for this Mesopotamian Empire by some cuneiforms sources. Perhaps, due to the Neo-Assyrian influences, the northern kingdom of Israel developed the full complement of the criteria of statehood with a developed bureaucracy in the administration, a sophisticated economic system of credit and records, an impressive building activity and a powerful military development. Considering these records, it is possible to assume an important Neo-Assyrian cultural influence in the elaboration of the first examples of Israelite literature, but the problem lies in trying to find them, or some of their traces, within the biblical narratives. This is the very objective of this dissertation.


A new, quite sensitive disposable immunosensor, based on the anti-RACK1 antibody, was developed for the determination of Receptor for Activated C Kinase 1 (RACK1) for the first time. Moreover, indium tin oxide (ITO) flexible sheets were modified by using aldehyde ended silane 11-(triethoxysilyl)undecanal (TESU) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) for immobilizing the anti-RACK1 antibody via covalent bonds. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and square wave voltammetry (SWV) methods were used for characterizing the immobilization steps and for determining the RACK1 concentration. To obtain a successful immunosensor, experimental factors were optimized. This quite sensitive biosensor was able to detect concentrations as low as fg mL(-1). The detection principle was based on the change in charge transfer resistance and the Nyquist plot diameter and these changes were monitored by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). This impedimetric immunosensor had perfect repeatability and reproducibility. We proved that the new silane agent, TESU, performs well in biosensor applications. The feasibility of the fabricated immunosensor was tested by detecting RACK1 in artificial and real human serum samples.


A liquid bridge between two solid surfaces is known as a capillary bridge. In the experiments to be described, the bridge liquid is a mixture of PDMS with a dense organic liquid. The bridge has the same density as the surrounding water bath such that its equilibrium shape between circular posts is a circular cylinder of length L and radius R. Low‐frequency modes of such a bridge are known to exist where surface tension provides the restoring force. Even neglecting viscosity, the modal characteristic equation is complicated by the boundary conditions. It is demonstrated that low‐frequency modulation of an ultrasonic standing wave in the surrounding bath can be used to excite specific axisymmetric or nonaxisymmetric capillary modes. Coupling to each mode depends on the location of the bridge in the standing wave. The coupling is a consequence of the space‐time modulation of the radiation pressure as discussed previously for drops and bubbles [P. L. Martson, 15–26 (1980)]. The predicted decrease of mode freq...


Turbidite reservoirs of the Sele Formation in the Central North Sea produce from fields such as Forties, Nelson, Montrose–Arbroath, Scoter, Pierce, the Gannet cluster, Guillemot A, Mirren and are under appraisal/development in fields such as Merganser, Phyllis, Starling and Blane. These reservoirs form part of the 'Forties' submarine fan system that was sourced from feeder channels in the northwest and west. Blanket 3D seismic coverage tied to wells shows that nearer their updip sources the turbidites are thicker, higher in net:gross, and more channelized. Downdip, the turbidite reservoirs are thinner bedded, finer grained and with depositional architectures that are characterized by stacked lobes and minor channels controlled by accommodation space and salt movement. In updip fields, such as Nelson and Forties, production is mature. High-quality reservoir channel sands are mostly drained. Recovery factors of 60–62% are achievable by application of water injection and 4D seismic technologies. The remaining challenge in these reservoirs is to (1) find by-passed oil in the channel facies and (2) to identify/model oil remaining in non-channelized facies, such as channel margin and interchannel facies. Portions of the channelized reservoirs have not been swept because of non-uniform water ascent and breakthrough or shale barriers. Non-channelized reservoirs have not been swept because their sands are thin bedded, interbedded with shales and of lower reservoir quality. Remaining oil zones are not correlatable between existing wells, emphasizing the uncertainties of lateral heterogeneities away from the wellbore and the importance of static reservoir modelling techniques to properly model, identify and plan infill targets with multiple realizations. Higher recovery factors (possibly as high as 70%) may be achievable with higher resolution seismic interpretations and reservoir models, application of enhanced oil recovery and sharpshooter drilling techniques and improved water management. In downdip fields, such as Scoter, Merganser, Pierce and Guillemot A, production is not as mature and wells are not as abundant. Consequently, development planning is more dependent on high-quality static and dynamic reservoir models to predict the interwell reservoir character, volumetrics and performance. In general, turbidite reservoir sandstones are thinner and finer grained. The thickest sands may be more correlatable as lobes/sheets. Permeability is lower than in updip reservoirs of equivalent porosity (tens of mD as opposed to hundreds or thousands of mD), probably due to reductions in mean grain size and textural maturity and a corresponding increase in detrital clay matrix. The greatest challenges lie in modelling lateral changes in net:gross, bed thickness, facies (especially shale bed architecture) and cementation. Where depositional slopes were oversteepened by the growth of salt diapirs, slumps and slides introduce lateral heterogeneities and reduce predictability in the reservoir section. Multiple faults radiate from such salt diapirs and may compartmentalize the reservoir. These effects may be mitigated by the construction of robust conceptual models of reservoir accumulation and architecture, supported by relevant field analogues and detailed biostratigraphy which may delineate multiple widespread marker horizons. For liquid hydrocarbons, recovery factors are typically 40–45%. Gas recovery factors are projected to be 60–65%.


Understanding the dynamics of mental health of recently resettled refugees is an essential component of any comprehensive resettlement program, yet establishing the components of a successful and acceptable mental health intervention is an elusive task. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 resettled refugees from five countries who had received treatment for depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, or anxiety. Themes generated from the interviews emphasized the need for strong group-based social support as well as a focus on practical needs such as acquiring and maintaining employment, language and literacy training, and access to care.


We apply a simple dynamical rule to determine the dominant forcing direction in locally coupled ocean-atmosphere anomalies in the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/ NCAR) reanalysis data. The rule takes into account the phase relationship between the low-level vorticity anomalies and the Sea Surface Temperature (SST) anomalies. Analysis of the frequency of persistent coupled anomalies for five-day average data shows that, in general, the ocean tends to force the atmosphere in the tropics while the atmosphere tends to force the ocean in the extratropics. The results agree well with those obtained independently using lagged correlations between atmospheric and oceanic variables, suggesting that the dynamical rule is generally valid. A similar procedure carried out using data from the NCEP global model run with prescribed SST (in which the coupling is one-way, with the ocean always forcing the atmosphere) produces fewer coupled anomalies in the extratrop-ics. They indicate, not surprisingly, an increase in ocean-driving anomalies in the model. In addition, and very importantly , there is a strong reduction of persistent atmosphere-driving anomalies, indicating that the one-way interaction of the ocean in the model run may provide a spurious negative feedback that damps atmospheric anomalies faster than observed .


The number of malicious programs has grown both in number and in sophistication. Analyzing the malicious intent of vast amounts of data requires huge resources and thus, effective categorization of malware is required. In this paper, the content of a malicious program is represented as an entropy stream, where each value describes the amount of entropy of a small chunk of code in a specific location of the file. Wavelet transforms are then applied to this entropy signal to describe the variation in the entropic energy. Motivated by the visual similarity between streams of entropy of malicious software belonging to the same family, we propose a file agnostic deep learning approach for categorization of malware. Our method exploits the fact that most variants are generated by using common obfuscation techniques and that compression and encryption algorithms retain some properties present in the original code. This allows us to find discriminative patterns that almost all variants in a family share. Our method has been evaluated using the data provided by Microsoft for the BigData Innovators Gathering Anti-Malware Prediction Challenge, and achieved promising results in comparison with the State of the Art.


Texture transition in silver introduced by the addition of 10 at% Pd alloying element was analyzed in this study. Experimental results show that the dependence of rolling texture on rolling reduction in thickness rather than on rolling temperature has been mostly detected, and the recrystallization texture transition process in pure silver is so strongly influenced by the addition of alloying element palladium that the final stable state of recrystallization texture has been changed from Brass {011}<211> orientation to Copper {112}<111> orientation. The single cube {001}<100> recrystallization texture in warm rolled silver, Brass {011}<211> recrystallization texture in room-temperature rolled silver, and Copper {112}<111> recrystallization texture in room-temperature rolled or warm rolled Ag-10 at% Pd alloy have been successfully developed for the fabrication of metallic substrates suitable for high-temperature superconducting tapes.


An increase in explosive attacks in present era has boosted the need to have a continuous monitoring of explosives in public places. This paper proposes an effective warning mechanism for security threats in public places such as stations, temples, community halls, offices so that security corps can take immediate action against explosive threats. Using a multi phase wireless sensor network, the system will provide a technique to reduce, control, warn about and provide essential security measures for the forthcoming terrorist activity by accurate and fast detection of explosives and deactivating them. Multiple wireless sensor nodes integrated with different types of sensors is used to identify the chemical composition of explosives. Based on different orthogonal techniques, the system collect data from the sensing nodes dynamically aggregate the data and forward to the sink node for further analysis. A mobile node has been introduced to confirm the suspected objects, thus contributing an enhanced target tracking mechanism that reduces number of false alarms. After suspecting the object a command (basically a code for deactivation) is sent to the object's brain for system failure or deactivation of the explosive system.


This paper describes three constraints that together govern the distribution of the exhaustive focus marker shì in Mandarin Chinese. First, I argue that shì is a sentential focus particle that is subject to a requirement to adjoin as low as possible within its clause or phase. Second, I show that shì requires a congruent Question Under Discussion (QUD) and demonstrate the effects of this semantic constraint on the distribution of shì. Third and finally, I show that there are certain reduced clauses where shì is completely disallowed, although other focus particles such as 'only' may appear. I propose that this last restriction is a particular proposal for the syntax/semantics of discourse congruence: reference to a QUD — required by the semantics of shì — is mediated by a functional head in the high CP periphery. Shì is thus unavailable in reduced clauses which do not project this high functional layer.


Singular value decomposition (SVD) of the fast imaging data of plumes in the laser-blow-off experiment at various background gas pressures is analyzed. It has been observed that structures in the plasma plume are developed not only at the edge but also inside the plume. The principal components based on eigenvectors clearly show the dynamics of plume and its structures both in the longitudinal and lateral directions. SVD analysis is proved to be much clear and better representation than the spectroscopic measurement to show the behavior of expanding plumes, particularly its internal structures in the presence of different ambient environment.


Image is a powerful medium for expressing one's ideas and rightly confirms the adage, "One picture is worth a thousand words." In this work, we explore the application of world knowledge in the form of Wikipedia to achieve this objective-literally. In the first part, we disambiguate and rank semantic concepts associated with ambiguous keywords by exploiting link structure of articles in Wikipedia. In the second part, we explore an image representation in terms of keywords which reflect the semantic content of an image. Our approach is inspired by the desire to augment low-level image representation with massive amounts of world knowledge, to facilitate computer vision tasks like image retrieval based on this information. We represent an image as a weighted mixture of a predetermined set of concrete concepts whose definition has been agreed upon by a wide variety of audience. To achieve this objective, we use concepts defined by Wikipedia articles, e.g., sky, building, or automobile. An important advantage of our approach is availability of vast amounts of highly organized human knowledge in Wikipedia. Wikipedia evolves rapidly steadily increasing its breadth and depth over time.


Archaeology![Figure][1]

CREDIT: REPRODUCED WITH KIND PERMISSION OF DR. JOAN OATES

The development of colored glass and its formation into vessels marked a major innovation in the early Bronze Age. Artisans learned how to heat the two main ingredients, silica sand and a plant ash, in large containers. The plant ash served as the source of soda-lime flux that decreased the melting point of the glass. Colored glass vessels, which appeared about 1600 B.C.E. in Mesopotamia and later in Egypt and elsewhere around the Eastern Mediterranean, became prized possessions. The variety of sites where glass has been found has made it difficult to ascertain the location of the main centers of production and the extent of glass trading. Henderson et al. analyzed strontium and neodymium isotopes in a variety of early glass samples from Greece, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. The isotopic compositions clearly distinguish Egyptian from Mesopotamian glass, as well as glass with different colors within Mesopotamia. The results imply that there were separate industries and distinct sources of materials soon after 1400 B.C.E. The data also reveal details about the glass production and sources of sand and plant ash in each locality. Early glass in Greece evidently derives from both centers, which confirms that there was widespread early trade throughout the region.

Mediterr. Archaeol. Archaeom. 10 , 1 (2010).

 [1]: pending:yes


ABSTRACT Some Amanita specimens collected from Malaysia are critically investigated by morphological examination and molecular analysis of two gene fragments, the nuc rDNA partial 28S (28S) gene and the internal transcriber spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 = ITS) regions. Six phylogenetic species of Amanita section Caesareae are recognized among the studied collections. One of them is described as new, A. malayensis. Four of the phylogenetic species correspond with existing morphology-based taxa: A. aporema, A. javanica, A. princeps, and A. similis. The remaining species is not described because of the paucity of material. Detailed descriptions and the distribution of these southeastern Asian species are provided, along with a key to the species of section Caesareae from Malaysia.


Hydraulic actuation systems have a broad range of applications covering almost all areas of manufacturing and production and also the service industry. However, it is usual for systems to have low energy efficiency. In recent decades, due to global environmental concerns, research in the field of digital hydraulics to develop more efficient hydraulic systems has increased. In this paper, an analysis of the possible combinations of chambers in a multi-chamber cylinder is presented. A mathematical expression is derived to verify the total number of combinations of chambers that it is possible to achieve for a cylinder with four or more chambers and that result in different constant velocities without cavitation occurring. In addition, a digital hydraulic pump is considered as a supply unit and, since it has discrete output flow rates, an analytical method to combine the pump with a multi-chamber cylinder is developed resulting on a total number of cylinder velocities with a required resolution. For application in a positioning system, design guidelines for an actuator using a cylinder with four chambers and a digital hydraulic pump with three fixed displacement units are presented in which an optimization algorithm for the calculation of the cylinder areas and the volumetric displacement of the pumps is applied. The proposed approaches were applied to design a proof-of-concept and the experimental values presented very good accuracy when compared with the results obtained with the model. Closed-loop position control responses shows that the system can achieve the required setting time with a smooth movement and steady state error around 1 mm.


In today's world knowledge is a key lever of development. Influencing and shaping the environment, as well as possibility of creation and positioning within the environment is to a great extent connected with knowledge management. The process of knowledge management is a moving force in the spiral of knowledge creation. A newly designed knowledge structure is required also by the much-sought economic knowledge. Applying knowledge in economics is nowadays taken not only as a product, or a new business opportunity. In addition, it creates a critical framework for the development of scientific information. Companies are now looking for predominantly applicative solutions to the problems perceived and identified in their operation. Awareness that investment into education brings excellent returns, a growing need for life-long learning and continuous expansion of knowledge through interdisciplinary approach are all systematically and justifiably built into a knowledge quality model. Implementing the Bologna process in the education of economists (undergraduate studies, graduate studies, doctoral studies) requires constant changing, adaptation, innovation and transparency of the model.