The goal of this master thesis is to compare different model depths of a direct drive wind turbine regarding the generator air gap sensitivity under the gravity's impact, the magnetic pull and the wind loads in the FEM and MBS. The wind turbine that has been analysed has a rated power of 3.6MW and it works with a nominal speed of 12rpm. The rotor's diameter is 130m, the hub's height is 115m and between the ground and the rotor axis there is an angle of 5 degrees. All the parts of the generator are in steel. The mass of the generator is 160tons and the mass of each blade is 27tons. The air gap has a length of 1.3m, a diameter of 5m, and a size of 5mm. The first model that has been done is the FEM one. At first, we need to do the convergence analysis for the mesh. The next stage has been made with the generator MBS model. It has been made with only two bodies, one for the stator part and one for the rotor part. In both models the stiffness of the bearings has been applied and the auto MAC matrix and the MAC matrix have performed. The results from the MAC matrices show that the behaviour of the eigenmode of the FEM and MBS models has a good matching with some coupling eigenmodes. After the validation, the impact of the loads was analysed. The static analysis has led to an air gap displacement, under the effect of the only gravity, in the range between -440µm and 370µm. Different models' depths for the magnetic pull are compared and the results show that the air gap displacement is always in a range from -534µm to 462µm. The second model depth analyses how much the bearings surface on the pin and on the connector must be. These simulations include also the wind loads and a displacement always between -1081µm and 1062µm. Moreover, the impact of the stiffness of the bearings has been estimated and one simulation with rigid bearings has been done. The maximum air gap displacement found is of 382µm. This means that the biggest impact on the air gap size is due to this. The MBS generator has been analysed for the same load cases, but the air gap size has been studied only as the displacement between two markers in the middle of the air gap: one constrained with the stator and one constrained with the rotor. In order to see how many eigenmode (without the IRM frequency) are needed, different simulations have been run. To have a good matching between the FEM and MBS output 80 eigenmodes are needed. Before implementing the generator inside the turbine's final model, it was necessary to identify the number of eigenmodes and the IRM cutoff frequency, with two reliable results: 10 and 400Hz. The Campbell diagram for the wind turbine was drawn and it shows that there are 6 resonance points in the working range, but there is no resonance point at the nominal speed and there is also no resonance point for the 3p excitation. This means that there are not dangerous criticalities. Only three different models' depths for the magnetic pull have been analysed and the results show that the difference between them is not relevant (1-2%.). The air gap displacement is always in a range between 0 and 20% of the original size and for most of the time between 6% and 14%. In conclusion, one optimization model has been made and the simulation with all loads has been performed. All the changes bring an increase of mass equal to 30tons. With an increase of 18.7% of the original mass there is an improvement regarding the air gap behaviour equal to the 13.3%


Control structures and strategies have a critical influence on a power electronic converter's behavior during disturbances. Most of the previous works in the field of pulsewidth modulation voltage-source converter (VSC) operation under unbalanced conditions propose dual vector controllers with dc bus voltage optimization strategies, which have been proven to be well adapted for rectifier applications. In this paper, two major contributions are made. On the one hand, a new optimized operation strategy based on exchanged power maximization is proposed for vector control structures, which permits the extension of optimized operation to other VSC applications (e.g., flexible alternating current transmission system and distributed generation interfaces). On the other hand, a scalar control structure is proposed based on resonant controllers, together with three adapted optimized operation strategies, namely: 1) dc bus voltage optimization; 2) power exchange maximization; and 3) a hybrid strategy (an intermediary mode between the other two strategies). Their main advantage is their simplicity and the lack of real-time symmetrical component extraction techniques. This scalar controller and the proposed optimized operation strategies are compared to conventional vector controllers. It is proven through experimental analysis that the proposed scalar controller offers very good performances with simpler structures and bigger flexibility in terms of operation modes.


Cell theory has officially reached 350 years of age as the first use of the word 'cell' in a biological context can be traced to a description of plant material by Robert Hooke in his historic publication 'Micrographia: or some physiological definitions of minute bodies'. The 2015 Royal Microscopical Society Botanical Microscopy meeting was a celebration of the streams of investigation initiated by Hooke to understand at the subcellular scale how plant cell function and form arises. Much of the work presented, and Honorary Fellowships awarded, reflected the advanced application of bioimaging informatics to extract quantitative data from micrographs that reveal dynamic molecular processes driving cell growth and physiology. The field has progressed from collecting many pixels in multiple modes to associating these measurements with objects or features that are meaningful biologically. The additional complexity involves object identification that draws on a different type of expertise from computer science and statistics that is often impenetrable to biologists. There are many useful tools and approaches being developed, but we now need more interdisciplinary exchange to use them effectively. In this review we show how this quiet revolution has provided tools available to any personal computer user. We also discuss the oft‐neglected issue of quantifying algorithm robustness and the exciting possibilities offered through the integration of physiological information generated by biosensors with object detection and tracking.


Due to the intensive and extensive contact of Belarusian and Russian, mixed Belarusian-Russian speech is a widespread phenomenon in the linguistic landscape of Belarus today. Along with features on other linguistic levels, phonetic-phonological features that differ between both languages appear as variants in such mixed speech. This paper reports an acoustical analysis of three sibilant variables (sj), (tj) and (ʧ j) in instances of mixed speech spoken by 27 speakers. For (sj) and (tj), Center of Gravity calculations suggest a more posterior place of articulation for older speakers and a less posterior one for younger speakers. This is interpreted as a shift towards a more Russian-like pronunciation of younger speakers, which can be explained by an earlier and more intensive exposure to Russian. While no such intergenerational difference is found for (ʧ j), there is a relation between the realization of the two affricates (tj) and (ʧ j), suggesting some general principle of keeping distances between sibilants large enough.


This research describes an investigation into the information flows within the
technical and commercial functions of house building organisations. It was initiated
because of the evidence of poor data transfer and communications within the
construction industry as identified by previous research. Little previous research
had addressed the particular problems of the house building industry which
accounts for up to a third of total new construction output in the UK. The
organisational and information structures of six house building companies were
examined and a typical organisational model developed. This model highlighted the
importance of the technical and commercial functions of estimating, purchasing,
valuations and cost monitoring/comparisons and the need for effective transfer of
information between them.
The information flows between these functions were studied and modelled using
systems analysis techniques of data flow diagrams and entity-relationships models.
The requirements for a computer-aided management system to improve and
rationalise the information flows were identified and an integrated system, known
as DEVELOP, was developed.
The system was installed into a collaborating company and its advantages and
disadvantages monitored over time.
The main outcomes of the research are:
(a) an organisational model for a typical house building organisation;
(b) data flow and entity-relationship models for the functions of estimating,
purchasing, valuations and cost monitoring/comparisons; and
(c) an operational integrated management system for house builders that
provides:
(i) faster throughput of information (for example the time required to
aggregated dwelling quantities for a typical development is reduced
from three man days to one hour);(ii) greater consistency of information (by the provision of a company
data library); and
(iii) better communications between the functions (due to the integrated
nature of the system and the adoption of a common coding system).


This is your guide to building Internet applications and user interfaces with the Mozilla component framework, which is best known for the Firefox web browser and Thunderbird email client. Programming Firefox demonstrates how to use the XML User Interface Language (XUL) with open source tools in the framework's Cross-Platform Component (XPCOM) library to develop a variety of projects, such as commercial web applications and Firefox extensions. This book serves as both a programmer's reference and an in-depth tutorial, so not only do you get a comprehensive look at XUL's capabilities--from simple interface design to complex, multitier applications with real-time operations--but you also learn how to build a complete working application with XUL. If you're coming from a Java or .NET environment, you'll be amazed at how quickly large-scale applications can be constructed with XPCOM and XUL. Topics in Programming Firefox include: An overview of Firefox technologyAn introduction to the graphical elements that compose a XUL applicationFirefox development tools and the process used to design and build applicationsManaging an application with multiple content areasIntroduction to Resource Description Files, and how the Firefox interface renders RDFManipulating XHTML with JavaScriptDisplaying documents using the Scalable Vector Graphics standard and HTML CanvasThe XML Binding Language and interface overlays to extend FirefoxImplementing the next-generation forms interface through XForms Programming Firefox is ideal for the designer or developer charged with delivering innovative standards-based Internet applications, whether they're web server applications or Internet-enabled desktop applications. It's not just a how-to book, but a what-if exploration that encourages you to push the envelope of the Internet experience.


Algorithms exist for synthesizing a wide variety of textures over rectangular domains. However, it remains difficult to synthesize general textures over arbitrary manifold surfaces. In this paper, we present a solution to this problem for surfaces defined by dense polygon meshes. Our solution extends Wei and Levoy's texture synthesis method [25] by generalizing their definition of search neighborhoods. For each mesh vertex, we establish a local parameterization surrounding the vertex, use this parameterization to create a small rectangular neighborhood with the vertex at its center, and search a sample texture for similar neighborhoods. Our algorithm requires as input only a sample texture and a target model. Notably, it does not require specification of a global tangent vector field; it computes one as it goes - either randomly or via a relaxation process. Despite this, the synthesized texture contains no discontinuities, exhibits low distortion, and is perceived to be similar to the sample texture. We demonstrate that our solution is robust and is applicable to a wide range of textures.


Psychiatrists facing a desperate shortage of beds are sectioning patients so that they can get hospital care, say MPs who are calling for urgent government reviews of mental health services.

In its report on the effects of the 2007 Mental Health Act, the House of Commons Health Committee heard evidence that many psychiatric wards are still desperately short of beds, with some 15% operating at over 100% occupancy.

The committee concluded, "It is now acknowledged that there appears to be an inverse relationship between the number of available beds and rates of detention."

Stephen Dorrell, the committee's chairman, and a former health secretary, said that patients' basic rights were being "violated." He called for a government investigation into whether voluntary patients were being sectioned to get a bed, adding, "It is never acceptable for patients …


The Colorado River is contaminated with low levels of perchlorate derived from aerospace-and defense-related fuel industries once located near the Las Vegas Wash. At sufficiently high doses, perchlorate can disrupt thyroid function by inhibiting uptake of iodide. Researchers have reported on the presence of perchlorate in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) grown in the lower Colorado River region. Recent work has demonstrated the potential for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to accumulate perchlorate when irrigated with perchlorate contaminated irrigation water in Texas. Over 45 000 ha of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum var. durum) are irrigated with Colorado River water in Arizona and California for the national and international pasta industries. Studies were conducted to determine perchlorate accumulation of wheat irrigated with Colorado River water. Perchlorate did accumulate in the above-ground plant components (982 to 3924 µg/kg dry weight (dw)) and roots (96 to 650 µg/kg dw) of immature durum wheat. For mature wheat, concentrations were greater in the stalk (490 µg/kg dw) compared to the spike (80 µ/kg dw). Most of the detectable perchlorate in the spike was in the rachis (125 µ/kg dw) and glumes (236 µ/kg dw). A majority of grain samples collected had perchlorate concentrations below levels of quantification by ion chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (IC/MS/MS) (25


Abstract We illustrate how the combination of both 'backward-looking' and 'forward-looking' perspectives serves as a powerful catalyst for profitable exploration. The phrase 'backward-looking' refers to a company9s discipline to rapidly learn from their past performance. The process utilizes tracking predictive performance to focus on patterns from exploration parameter results relative to forecasts. The learnings are implemented through technology applications and improved forecasts that can lead ultimately to a more predictive (i.e. calibrated) portfolio. This discipline may be viewed as time-consuming, but is a critical part of the role of a professional. Often we observe that a calibrated state of accurately estimating the chance of success was achieved before a company reached a calibrated state of prospect pre-drill size prediction. The phrase 'forward-looking' here refers to a company9s ability to conduct three tasks. First, exploration from a play perspective that quantifies candidate plays in a comparative sense. Second, integrate quantitative play analysis and an understanding of their risk-tolerance levels in order to build comprehensive models of how different plays can compete to best accomplish the goals of corporate strategy. Third, to apply the same discipline of unbiased, calibrated estimation to the characterization of prospects as they are technically matured to the drill-ready state.


Traditionally, shareholders seeking to encourage more environmentally-friendly corporate governance have pursued one of two strategies. First, some shareholders have sought to nominate environmentally-sensitive directors to corporate boards. Second, shareholders have initiated shareholder resolutions regarding environmental practices. In some limited sense, these efforts have had positive results, raising environmental awareness in the corporate governance community. However, from a purely tactical legal perspective, they have faced severe impediments. Existing corporate law disfavors insurgent board candidates in director elections; and even where successfully elected, an environmentally friendly director may be unable to alter corporate policy due to board structures preventing wholesale change in a single election cycle (such as staggered boards) or fiduciary obligations which bar directors from serving special interests exclusively. Similarly, shareholder resolutions concerning environmental protection are often excludable from a corporation's definitive proxy solicitation as ordinary business or beyond the power of the corporation to effectuate under applicable SEC rules. Even where a shareholder resolution is included in a corporation's proxy solicitation, or where a resolution's proponents bear the cost of financing a proxy campaign on their own, such resolutions are rarely adopted and may have limited practical effect.This Essay, a contribution to a Corporate Governance and Environmental Best Practices Symposium held at William & Mary in February 2006, attempted to flesh out an alternative strategy for environmental activists based on the Delaware Chancery Court's decision in Caremark. The Article details the legal burdens, benefits, and strategies available to environmental activists in a post-Caremark setting.


The theory of complex multiplication makes it possible to construct certain class fields and abelian varieties. The main theme of this thesis is making these constructions explicit for the case where the abelian varieties have dimension 2.

Chapter I is an introduction to complex multiplication, and shows that a general result of Shimura can be improved for degree-4 CM-fields.

Chapter II gives an algorithm for computing class polynomials for quartic CM-fields,
based on an algorithm of Spallek. We make the algorithm more explicit, and use Goren and Lauter's recent bounds on the denominators of the coefficients, which yields the first running time bound and proof of correctness of an algorithm computing these polynomials.

Chapter III studies and computes the irreducible components of the modular variety of abelian surfaces with CM by a given primitive quartic CM-field. We adapt the algorithm of Chapter II to compute these components.

Chapters IV and V construct certain `Weil numbers'. They have properties that are number theoretic in nature and are motivated by cryptography. Chapter IV is joint work with David Freeman and Peter Stevenhagen. Chapter V is joint work with Laura Hitt O'Connor, Gary McGuire, and Michael Naehrig.


With the advent of new media and Web 2.0 technologies, language and discourse have taken on new meaning, and the implications of this evolution on the nature of interpersonal communication must be addressed.

Innovative Methods and Technologies for Electronic Discourse Analysis highlights research, applications, frameworks, and theories of online communication to explore recent advances in the manipulation and shaping of meaning in electronic discourse. This essential research collection will appeal to academic, research, and professional audiences engaged in the design, development, and distribution of effective communications technologies in educational, social, and linguistic contexts.


Introduction The use of operations management procedures in the current very competitive environment and under the conditions of growing pressures of business environment globalization is one of indivisible instruments for the success of the organization. These dynamic days, methods and procedures of this discipline react appropriately to every change occurring both in the external and internal environment of the organization and thus they foster the reaching of required objectives of business enterprise, which is the maximization of market value, competitiveness maintaining or increasing, profitability, or, possibly, just a simple survival of the organization (Hruzova, 1999). The main activity of any organization is such activity that, in concurrence with financial, marketing, personnel and other activities of the organization, results in the transformation of a certain input into the output with a higher value (Tomek, Vavrova, 2000). It is the operation activity that is considered precisely such basic activity being the core of all organizations whether they are manufacturing or providing services, engaged in both public and private sector, aimed at earning profit or without profit. And it is operations management that deals with managing operation activities. If this activity is not performed effectively and efficiently then a hope that the organization will be effective (it will provide required products or services of good quality) and efficient (it will provide products or services with costs as low as possible) as a whole is very small. Only such organizations that are able to meet the above-stated requirements have got the best positions on the market and can be successful in fighting with competition. What is the Essence of Operations Management? The main field which operations management is concentrated on is managing the sources directly taking share in product manufacturing or providing a service by the organization. Sources are usually represented by people, materials, technologies and information. They are combined together by a number of processes in order to be used for acquiring an organization primary service or a product. Operations management can be then understood as a transformation process in which inputs (resources) are by means of this process transformed into outputs (products or services). There are two categories of inputs. Resources such as information and materials, the state of which changes as a consequence of the process of conversion are called transformed resources. On the contrary, inputs such as employees, equipment and buildings that help the transformation process but their state does not change as a consequence of the conversion process are called transforming resources (Slack et al., 2004). The process of transformation includes a draft of operations system, planning and control, and improvement activities that are necessary for production and providing of goods and services to customers. Products and services are outputs the purpose of which is to satisfy customers' requirements and operation, and to achieve strategic business objectives so that the organization would be continuously able to compete on the market. Achieving of all set objectives in the organization including competitiveness maintaining and increasing by the application of principles, theories and methodologies of operations management is based on the implementation of efficient and effective transformation process, specifically by the utilization of determined methods of transformation. Operations management as a transformation process is depicted in the following figure. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] What are Operations Managers' Roles and Tasks? It can be said that practically all managers are operations managers, because it is assumed that almost all activities within any organization are productive activities (Galloway et al. …


Background The aim was to study the association between six serological markers and Crohn's disease (CD) activity at an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) referral center. Methods We designed a retrospective cohort study using adults (> 18 years) with CD followed for at least 1 year at University of Alabama at Birmingham. Baseline serological markers ASCA-IgA, ASCA-IgG, anti-OmpC IgA, anti-CBir1 IgG, anti-A4Fla2 IgG and anti-FlaX IgG were drawn at initial visit. Poisson regression was used to assess the longitudinal relationship between these markers drawn at baseline and rate of active clinical disease during follow-up. Results Each marker, from 135 patients, was categorized into high vs. low. A Poisson regression model adjusted for age, gender, race, duration of disease, obesity, proton pump inhibitor; steroid and thiopurine use, and disease location demonstrated that CD patients with high anti-CBir1 IgG at baseline were approximately twice more likely to have active clinical disease (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 2.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.28 - 3.33, P = 0.0032). The unadjusted Poisson regression model for A4Fla2 IgG antibody level did suggest that a high A4Fla2 IgG at baseline was associated with a higher likelihood of active CD (IRR 1.64, 95% CI 1.07, 2.53, P = 0.0238) which however, upon adjustment based on effect size, was not significant. The other four antibodies did not appear to predict clinical course. Conclusions High levels of anti-CBir1 IgG appear to be associated with a greater likelihood of active CD. Whether routine baseline testing for anti-CBir1 IgG to predict a more active clinical course is warranted needs more research.


The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 aims to provide for mental health care and services for persons with mental illness in India and to protect, promote and fulfill the rights of such persons during delivery of mental health care and services. Chapter V of the Act enumerates the rights of persons with mental illness, including the right to equality, right to confidentiality, the right to protection from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in any mental health establishment (which includes the right to proper clothing so as to protect such person from exposure of his/her body to maintain his/her dignity, and the right to be protected from all forms of physical, verbal, emotional and sexual abuse), right to community living, etc. This paper analyses the provisions of the Act from the perspective of rights of women with mental illness in need of mental health care, and draws a comparison with the relevant provisions of the United Nation Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Comparison is also made with the existent reality reported in legal literature, the media and the field work undertaken by the author in India.


Background: The objective of this work, of an experimental clinical nature, was to observe in vitro, through the utilization of different types of microscopes and of the study microanalytical, possible structural and chemical changes of root cement, produced by the effect of orthodontic forces generated when using braces active and passive self-ligating, after the period of alignment, leveling and expression initial torque of orthodontic treatment. Materials and methods: the study was carried out on a sample of 20 first premolars upper, 10 right and 10 left, extracted for orthodontic reasons, after informed consent, from 10 young patients 13 to 18 years of age (3 men and 7 women), which presented complete permanent dentition, with a discrepancy osseo-dental less than 5 millimeters, and with dental extraction orthodontic ally indicated for make up for the discrepancy skeletal or dental sagittal of class II existing. Everyone patients received orthodontic treatment with active self -ligating braces and Passives in shape simultaneous. The braces self-ligating assets were cemented in the hemiarcades right, While than the braces self-ligating Passives, in the hemiarcades left. The variables analyzed microscopically in the first premolars superior rights and left were: Area, volume and depth, to level of the zones of reabsorption of the tissue cement, how So too, the changes in the composition chemistry (content mineral to through of microscopy electronics analytics) in the zones of reabsorption and periphery of them. Results: Although structural and chemical changes were observed in the root cement, There were no significant differences when using active or passive self-ligating brackets. Neither there were marked differences between the samples from different patients. The size of the craters in the root resorption zone, in area, volume and depth was very similar for both types of braces. On the other hand, when studying chemical changes, through microanalysis of the tissue, I know they identified variations relative similar in both of them groups of samples first premolars superior rights and left, submitted to braces self-ligating assets and liabilities respectively. Conclusions: There are no significant differences in the biological response (structural and micro-analytical) of the dental cement, among the different samples analyzed from of different patients, when using active or passive self-ligating brackets. European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine ISSN 2515-8260 Volume 07, Issue 02, 2020 4404


In order to improve the throughput performance of medium access control (MAC) schemes in wireless communication networks, some researchers proposed to divide a single shared channel into several sub-channels: one as control sub-channel and the others as data sub-channels. In this paper, we analyze and evaluate the maximum achievable throughput of a class of generic multi-channel MAC schemes that are based on the RTS/CTS (ready-to-send/clear-to-send) dialogue and on ALOHA contention resolution. We study these multi-channel MAC schemes under two split-channel scenarios: the fixed-total-bandwidth scenario and the fixed-channel-bandwidth scenario. In the fixed-total-bandwidth scenario, we show that the throughput of the multi-channel MAC schemes is inferior to that of the corresponding single-channel MAC scheme, which sends the RTS/CTS packets and DATA packets on a single shared channel. For the fixed-channel-bandwidth scenario, where CDMA or similar techniques can be applied, we derive the optimal number of the data sub-channels that maximizes the throughput. The analytical framework that we derive in this paper can also be used to evaluate other contention resolution technique, when the average contention period is known


Many today's software systems need to be self-adapted at run-time. Model transformation is a good approach to adapt the component-based architecture of such software systems. However, existing model transformation processes focus on the functionalities of systems, giving less importance to the quality attributes. The goal of this study is to improve model transformation processes by also considering quality attributes in the generation and adaptation of component-based architectures (i.e., driving the selection among many alternative model transformations by software architecture metrics). Such metrics evaluate the qualities of an architecture, such as flexibility and modifiability. This paper provides some measures of quality for different transformation alternatives and an example in the ENIA software.


In response to growing postwar violence in Guatemala, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) cosponsored a reality television show in which ten former gang members were split into two teams, each of which was expected to build a sustainable business within Guatemala's formal economy. This competition modeled a kind of entrepreneurial self-fashioning that relied on Christian images and imperatives to "formalize" the show's reportedly delinquent participants. Based on several years of ethnographic fieldwork in Central and North America, this article explores how this Christian self-fashioning dramatizes an increasingly popular strategy for gang prevention and intervention throughout the Americas: regional security by way of good Christian living. Christianity today has become entangled with the geopolitics of American security, especially when it comes to efforts at gang abatement, linking the illegal activities of transnational criminal networks to the morality of individual men and women.


Abstract As increasing numbers of people are displaced from their homes by war, poverty, and ecological necessity, immigration and the so-called 'refugee crisis' have become a heated political topic. The rhetoric has become dualistic and is fueling a polarity of discussion that is locking individuals and communities into stances of either "for" or "against," pro or anti, incoming refugees. The discourse is consequently dividing communities around the world into ideological groupings of nationalistic or globalized visions of the future. This article seeks to go beyond the binary and expand the conversation by bringing a more complex picture of the issue into view. Introducing the notion of transcontextual description to the immigration and refugee discourse is an attempt to hold back the tendencies of us/them reductionism and reframe the conversation of what the possibilities are for responding. Using a transcontextual approach, this article zooms in on institutional contexts as they relate to immigration, and then zooms out to look at the larger interception of these contexts in a new light. The institutions that form societal and global structures are forming interdependency that is similar to an ecology. These institutions include economics, culture, politics, history, family and more. The implications of this process are not described in concrete instructions on how to solve the refugee crisis, but rather to offer a pattern through which to generate conversation that will lead to an entirely new set of questions. Collaborative inter-institutional research at the community level is suggested to generate possibilities as they are found within the natural complexity of the situation.


Over the last decades, shipping, fisheries and other uses of the oceans have considerably increased. However, adverse impacts caused by man have also been threatening the marine environment and the living resources of the sea. Hence the various international maritime organisations involved in managing the oceans are facing new challenges which in particular may be met by the concept of sustainability. How they cope with the present and future needs is shown in this book compiling information about some of the most relevant organisations in light of a sustainable marine development.


At the heart of green industrial policy is rent management: government creating and withdrawing opportunities for profitable investment. This paper asks what the key factors are for rent management to succeed. Drawing on a range of literatures, the paper first deals with the critical success factors for 'normal' rent management and then turns to one of the most pressing and controversial issues of our time: how to bring about the transition to green energy. This is extra challenging because technological uncertainties are high, time horizons for investment are long, yet action is required now.


Improvements in the physiological relevance of cell-based assays have been enabled by the development of various interdisciplinary methods. However, due to their complexity, in vivo structures such as basement membranes (BMs), which regulate the phenotype of adherent cells, are still difficult to mimic in vitro. The reconstruction of a physiologically relevant BM is crucially important to develop cell-based assays with the capacity for drug screening and disease modelling. Here, we review the biophysical and biochemical properties of BMs in vivo and their interactions with neighbouring cells. We discuss the current methods used to mimic BM functions in cell-based assays according to the type of targeted applications. In doing so, we examine the advantages and limitations of each method as well as exploring approaches to improve the physiological relevance of engineered or cell-derived BMs in vitro.


OBJECTIVE: To improve the characterisation of chest pain by comparing symptoms in patients with normal and abnormal coronary angiograms. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective case-control study. SETTING: Single tertiary cardiac referral centre. PATIENTS: 65 consecutive patients with chest pain and completely normal coronary angiograms recruited over a period of one year, and 65 sex matched patients with significant stenoses at angiography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Standardised chest pain questionnaires. RESULTS: 61 of 65 patients (94%) and every control reported chest pain on exertion. There were no important differences in the site, quality, and radiation of pain but three symptoms had discriminatory value expressed in binary fashion ("typical" v "atypical"): the consistency with which pain was reproduced by exercise (typical, score index 10/10), the duration of pain episodes (typical, five minutes), and the frequency of pain at rest (typical, 10% all pain episodes). All three symptoms were atypical in 21 (32%) patients with normal coronary angiograms, but only one patient with an abnormal coronary angiogram. Patients with no typical features had a 2% chance of an abnormal coronary angiogram if aged under 55 years or 12% if aged 55 years or more. The additional impact of exercise stress testing was low. CONCLUSIONS: Chest pain characteristics which separate patients with normal coronary angiograms from patients with obstructive coronary heart disease can be defined objectively. This may allow improvements in referral patterns for specialist opinion or angiography, and in characterisation of patients in research studies.


Mother Mexican free-tailed bats, Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana, produce 'directive' calls while searching for pups inside cave maternity roosts. These calls consist of highly repetitive pulses of sound uttered in rapid sequence. Calls are sufficiently intense that they are perceptible above the substantial background noise within roosts at distances of at least 1m. Calls are stereotyped within individuals, and statistically discriminable between individuals. These characteristics are expected for vocalizations that function for mother-pup reunions, and are shared with directive calls described previously in other bats. Mother T. b. mexicana directive calls are statistically no less discriminable than are the isolation calls of pups. Playback experiments, using recordings made inside the cave colony, show that pups perceive directive calls and are strongly attracted to them.


The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is threatened with extinction because of a contagious cancer known as Devil Facial Tumor Disease. The inability to mount an immune response and to reject these tumors might be caused by a lack of genetic diversity within a dwindling population. Here we report a whole-genome analysis of two animals originating from extreme northwest and southeast Tasmania, the maximal geographic spread, together with the genome from a tumor taken from one of them. A 3.3-Gb de novo assembly of the sequence data from two complementary next-generation sequencing platforms was used to identify 1 million polymorphic genomic positions, roughly one-quarter of the number observed between two genetically distant human genomes. Analysis of 14 complete mitochondrial genomes from current and museum specimens, as well as mitochondrial and nuclear SNP markers in 175 animals, suggests that the observed low genetic diversity in today's population preceded the Devil Facial Tumor Disease disease outbreak by at least 100 y. Using a genetically characterized breeding stock based on the genome sequence will enable preservation of the extant genetic diversity in future Tasmanian devil populations.


Network-on-Chip (NoC) architectures were introduced to help mitigate the bottleneck and scalability issues faced by the traditional bus interconnect in Multi-Processor System-On Chip (MPSoC). Nowadays, many embedded systems host a significant number of micro-controllers and processors (i.e. vehicles, airplanes, satellites, etc.) and as this number continues to increase, traditional bus solutions will start to fail on those platforms as well. NoCs not only offer a scalable solution for MPSoC interconnects but they can also provide a uniform platform of communication to embedded systems with multiple off-chip, often heterogeneous, processors. This leads to the need for investigation on inter-chip communication bridges suitable for transmitting flits/packets across chips and possibly across clock domains. This paper investigates an inter-chip communication link, of an MPSoC NoC architecture which is extended with an off-chip, heterogeneous processor (node) and proposes a scalable, fault-tolerant, globally asynchronous locally synchronous bridge for inter-chip communication. The proposed bridge is implemented on a prototype board of the SEUD KTH experiment where it successfully enables the communication of a NoC distributed over two FPGAs. The inter-chip bridge is verified in-circuit achieving transfer speeds up to 24 MByte/s (≈ 1.5 Mflit/s) and its ability to correct single bit errors is demonstrated in simulation.


BACKGROUND: The impact of paediatric upper limb difference may extend beyond the child themselves to their parents and other family members. Previous research has found that feelings of shock, numbness and loss are common amongst parents and that peer support can be a buffer against stress. OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to explore the experiences of parents of children with limb difference, and the role of services and prosthetic devices in these experiences. METHODS: Nine parents of children with limb difference participated in either a group (n= 2) or individual (n= 7) interview. RESULTS: Analysis of the interview transcripts revealed four themes – 'grief and guilt', 'prosthesis as a tool for parental adjustment', 'support' and 'fun and humour'. CONCLUSIONS: Parents may employ coping strategies to help them adjust to their child's limb difference, including use of a prosthesis, accessing support from statutory services and peers, and use of fun and humour within the family.


Which factors can affect the assembly process and thus cease the production flow and cause a stop? This question was posed early in the study. The bachelor thesis was made in collaboration with Flakt Woods AB. The study takes place in the plant's final assembly step where all work is done manually. Flakt Woods produces ventilation systems made to order, specifically designed for each customer. The study covers the process in which the products are completed. The assembly is a complex process which can be divided into two processes, one pre-assembly and one final assembly process. The pre-assembly consists of five sub-processes, which provides material to one of the three assembly lines located in the final assembly process.The foundation of the question formulations are based on the stops occurring in the supply between the pre-assembly and the final one. The occurrence of a stop makes it unfeasible for the pre-assembly to deliver materials thus also the final assembly's possibility to receive materials. This generates a risk where the pre-assembly may become full while the final assembly could become empty. Furthermore, it has an immediate effect on the production flow and the usage of resources. The purpose of the bachelor thesis was to examine what causes the disruptions in the supply.To achieve this purpose, data was collected to establish a status report of the current situation by executing a process map. By observing the assembly process and applying root cause analysis the collaboration within the process and production flow were analysed to answer the posed question regarding the supply issue. This made up the foundation which the result of the study and action proposals where based on.The analysis showed that the disruptions in the supply were caused by an imbalance between the workstations in the final assembly, as well as the three assembly lines. The imbalance was a result of the varying cycle time per station for each customer order-specific products, and the manual release method that Flakt Woods uses for their orders. The large variation in cycle times affected the production flow to the point that queue occurred on the lines in the final assembly. Together, the queue and the current method to release production orders, caused disruptions in the supply between the pre- and final assembly, which resulted in unused resources.In order to eliminate this imbalance the cycle time per station must be levelled off and the method to release production orders must be optimized in order to obtain an even flow of supply to all final assembly lines. The study presents suggestions as to how this could be managed with the currently existing recourses. By introducing an improved way of collaborating between workstations the cycle time per workstation could be levelled off. Furthermore, suggestions have been made regarding how assignments for the assemblers could be made less complicated. For instance the blur prints used could be simplified and more information should be made available for the worker who releases production orders. Meanwhile, the system which establishes the order of release need to be updated in order to correspond to Flakt Woods product portfolio and their production layout. The thesis also presents more large-scaled suggestions for improvement. The suggestion that is believed to be the optimal solution for Flakt Woods assembly process is to invest in a material square between the pre-assembly and final assembly. Furthermore, the line assembly layout ought to be changed into set assembly stations. This proposal eliminates the unnecessary interferences and the root causes that are connected to the imbalance and the manual method for release of production orders.


At present, one of the most studied molecular device for the conversion of sunlight into electricity is the dye-sensitised solar cell (DSSC). To date, ruthenium polypyridyl complexes have shown the highest light-to-energy conversion efficiencies because of their photophysical, photochemical and electrochemical properties. In addition, the overall efficiency achieved by DSSCs is strongly dependent on the interfacial charge-transfer reactions that take place between the different components of the solar cell: the injection of electrons into the conduction band of the semiconductor by the dye, the transport of electrons through the semiconductor towards the working electrode contact, dye regeneration by the redox pair present in the electrolyte and the recombination reaction between the photoinjected electrons in the semiconductor and the oxidised species of the dye and the electrolyte. This microreview comprises: (i) the operational principles of complete functional photovoltaic devices and (ii) several synthetic methods, properties and main applications of most relevant homoleptic and heteroleptic ruthenium complexes reported in the literature.


Democracies derive their resilience and vitality from the fact that the rule of a particular majority is usually only of a temporary nature. By looking at four case-studies, The Awkward Embrace studies democracies of a different kind; rule by a dominant party which is virtually immune from defeat. Such systems have been called Regnant or or Uncommon Democracies. They are characterized by distinctive features: the staging of unfree or corrupt elections; the blurring of the lines between government, the ruling party and the state; the introduction of a national project which is seen to be above politics; and the erosion of civil society. This book addresses major issues such as why one such democracy, namely Taiwan, has been moving in the direction of a more competitive system; how economic crises such as the present one in Mexico can transform the system; how government-business relations in Malaysia are affecting the base of the dominant party; and whether South Africa will become a one-party dominant system.


One of the main concerns of today's world is the reduction of non-renewable energies and environmental pollution caused by them in buildings, which can be controlled by saving and optimizing energy consumption. On the other hand, global climate change and its local and regional effects are important in buildings energy management policies. To this end, identifying and exploiting passive systems and climate-friendly design strategies are one of the cheap and sustainable solutions in this regard. The present study examined the use of soil thermal potentials and earth-sheltered design as one of the practical solutions for providing thermal comfort and reducing energy consumption in hot and dry climates and case studied "Shahdad Desert". Various active and passive techniques are currently used throughout the world to reduce energy consumption, some of which have been common from the past to the present such as the construction of buildings in the shelter of earth, like the Iranian native architecture. This study empirically and practically investigated the effect of the depth of a building in the soil on the rate of cooling and heating energy consumption. The information required for the construction site of the earth-sheltered building was obtained by conducting a field survey in the Shahdad Desert. It was further suggested to build a tourist residence by taking refuge in the heart of the Kaluts in the hot and dry climates of Shahdad. By moving the designed building inside Kalut, the rate of cooling and heating energy consumption of the building during the year was calculated and the results showed that changing the depth of the earth-sheltered building did not have much effect on heating energy, but as it approached the earth edges, its cooling energy increased. As the building left the earth, the total cooling and heating energy consumption increased dramatically.


To increase road safety, the concept of forgiving roadsides is one of the main priorities in the area of road infrastructure measures. It mainly aims to mitigate the consequences of single vehicle accidents—and especially run-off-road accidents—, which are responsible for nearly half of all road accident fatalities in the European Union. This paper introduces a novel approach for analyzing the necessity and effectiveness of forgiving roadside treatments. The work comprises simulations of various run-off-road accident scenarios at real accident black spots as well as the analysis of vehicle dynamics. The proposed concept is based on an accurate replication of real road sections by creating a three-dimensional road model. In simulation, various roadside designs with either single fixed roadside objects or continuous objects such as safety barriers are implemented to obtain information about their effect on safety. Indicators for the effectiveness of roadside treatments are the head injury criterion (HIC) and the abbreviated injury scale (AIS), which describe the injuries to occupants involved in collisions. Simulations show that the risk of fatal injuries strongly declines with forgiving roadside design. In future, the concept could be utilized for road safety inspections and road safety audits in order to assess safety levels.


Detailed surveys of aquatic invertebrates in 28 springs along the western border of the Great Basin were made using pan traps, emergence traps, black lights, and benthic sampling devices from 1994 to 1998. Although all macroinvertebrate groups were collected, caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) were sampled most intensively. Fifty-eight species of caddisflies were collected from the 28 springs, with up to 18 species from a single spring. Although several springs had very similar physicochemical characteristics, none had identical trichopteran species composition. Using Ward's minimum variance clustering technique, and with all macroinvertebrates identified to the lowest possible level, we found 3 taxa assemblages. These assemblages occurred in springs with the following physical conditions: (1) warm water (15.9°C), low elevation (1794 m); (2) cold water (8.5°C), mid-elevation (2334 m); and (3) cold water (6.6°C), high elevation (1794 m). Although the warm water group had a distinct assemblage of invertebrates (amphipods, gastropods, Trichoptera), distinct assemblages did not separate the 2 cold water groups. Discriminant analysis indicated that tem- perature, conductivity, alkalinity, and elevation were most responsible for discriminating group 1 from groups 2 and 3; temperature and elevation distinguished the latter 2 groups. Spring permanence, lack of disturbance, and cold water temperatures were the factors most responsible for explaining higher species richness of Trichoptera.


As the most widely used agile software development method, Scrum has become a mainstay in many organizations that develop software. Despite Scrum's popularity, several studies examine Scrum implementations that include some parts of the methodology and exclude others. This paper describes how Scrum has been incorporated into the classroom wholesale and highlights important considerations when using Scrum for student software development projects. Students having little to no knowledge of Scrum were able to gain confidence in using the method in a real-world setting. The paper discusses the use of a hands-on Scrum project as a pedagogical tool for teaching the Scrum methodology and software development life cycle principles. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to understand student experiences with a wholesale Scrum implementation in the classroom. The paper concludes with data analysis and recommendations for implementing Scrum in future projects.


Background: The environmental impacts of tourism have recently become a high-profile topic due to the increasing amount of attention devoted to issues such as climate change. The harmful effects of aviation, in particular, have led airline companies to adopt proactive sustainability agendas. In light of this, this study seeks to explore the extent of environmental awareness amongst consumers as well as the effects that corporate sustainability measures have on the decision-making process of air travelers. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to determine whether or not consumers value environmental responsibility within the airline industry and to determine the factors that influence the consumer decision-making process. Method: This thesis utilizes a mixed-method approach, with both quantitative and qualitative methods employed. Quantitative data was collected through a survey distributed online and to travelers at Göteborg Landvetter airport, with a total of 95 respondents. Additionally, an in-depth interview was conducted with Stefan Gössling, a prominent researcher within the field of tourism. Findings: The results of this thesis reveal relatively low awareness amongst consumers with regard to the environmental actions of airlines. Although consumers appear to have a general knowledge of the negative impacts of air travel, they are reluctant to alter their own flying behavior. Additionally, the results of the survey reveal that consumers are not yet familiar with the concept of eco-friendly flights or the sustainable options that are available to them when purchasing flight tickets. Ultimately, when buying from airline companies, consumers place greater emphasis on other factors such as costs, services and the availability of desired routes.


Electoral commissions are organizations responsible for the conduct of elections and referendums. Their performance level is of paramount importance for the development of electoral integrity and democracy on the continent. In Africa, electoral commissions largely belong to what is usually termed the independent model of electoral management, i.e., the electoral commissions are formally independent from the executive and other government structures. However, there are also examples of the so-called governmental model, where the election-conducting agencies are embedded in the executive, as well as the mixed model, where one finds a country-specific mixture of the two other elements. It has become commonplace to use the generic term election management bodies (EMBs) to cover all three models, as they to a very considerable degree have the same functions and responsibilities in relation to election management.
 African electoral commissions belonging to the independent model are a clear majority of electoral commissions on the continent and share important organizational features, i.e., a small policy-deciding commission, often filled with non-election experts, and a policy-implementing secretariat structured according to the tasks to be performed by the organization. However, the formal and structural similarities cover different realities on the ground, as African electoral commissions differ enormously in actual autonomy and performance. The usefulness of the traditional categorization of EMBs according to their formal independence and present data is unclear in light of the performance level of at least some African electoral commissions. African electoral commissions are assessed very differently by politicians, voters, and election observers.


Hereditary hemochromatosis is caused by mutations in the hereditary hemochromatosis protein (HFE), transferrin-receptor 2 (TfR2), hemojuvelin, hepcidin, or ferroportin genes. Hepcidin is a key iron regulator, which is secreted by the liver, and decreases serum iron levels by causing the down-regulation of the iron transporter, ferroportin. Mutations in either HFE or TfR2 lower hepcidin levels, implying that both HFE and TfR2 are necessary for regulation of hepcidin expression. In this study, we used a recombinant adeno-associated virus, AAV2/8, for hepatocyte-specific expression of either Hfe or Tfr2 in mice. Expression of Hfe in Hfe-null mice both increased Hfe and hepcidin mRNA and lowered hepatic iron and Tf saturation. Expression of Tfr2 in Tfr2-deficient mice had a similar effect, whereas expression of Hfe in Tfr2-deficient mice or of Tfr2 in Hfe-null mice had no effect on liver or serum iron levels. Expression of Hfe in wild-type mice increased hepcidin mRNA and lowered iron levels. In contrast, expression of Tfr2 had no effect on wild-type mice. These findings suggest that Hfe is limiting in formation of the Hfe/Tfr2 complex that regulates hepcidin expression. In addition, these studies show that the use of recombinant AAV vector to deliver genes is a promising approach for studying physiologic consequences of protein complexes.


The aim of this research was to create a decadal-scale terrestrial quantitative palaeoclimate record for NW Iceland from lake sediments for the last millennium. Geochemical, stable isotope and chironomid reconstructions were obtained from a lake sequence constrained by tephra deposits on the Snæfellsnes peninsula, western Iceland. Obtaining a quantitative record proved problematic, but the qualitative chironomid record showed clear trends associated with past summer temperatures, and the sedimentological records provided evidence for past changes in precipitation, mediated through catchment soil in-wash. When the full range of chronological uncertainty is considered, four clear phases of climatic conditions were identified: (1) a relatively warm phase between AD 1020 and 1310; (2) a relatively stable period between AD 1310 and 1510, cooler than the preceding period but still notably warmer than the second half of the millennium; (3) a consistent reduction of temperatures between AD 1560 and 1810, with the coolest period between AD 1680 and 1810; and (4) AD 1840–2000 has temperatures mainly warmer than in the preceding two centuries, with a rising trend and increased variability from c. AD 1900 onwards. The reconstructions show clearly that the first half of the millennium experienced warmer climatic conditions than the second half, with a return to the warmer climate only occurring in the last c. 100 years. Much of the variability of the chironomid record can be linked to changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The reconstructions presented can track low-frequency and long-term trends effectively and consistently but high-resolution and calibrated quantitative records remain more of a challenge – not just in finding optimal sedimentary deposits but also in finding the most reliable proxy. It is this that presents the real challenge for Holocene climate reconstruction from this key area of the North Atlantic.


The number of colonies of red wood ants (Formica rufa group) in the north western part of Belgium has declined by more than half over the past 20 years. In the study area of 20 × 50 km there are currently only 36 colonies of two species of red wood ants (Formica rufa and F. polyctena). Both species form both monodomous and polydomous colonies. Monodomous F. rufa colonies occur in large areas of open woodland dominated by Pinus sylvestris. The other three types of red wood ant (F. rufa polydomous, F. polyctena mono- and polydomous) occur in clearings or along the margins of small areas of deciduous or mixed woodland. The extinction of red wood ants cannot be attributed to a loss of their main habitat. Their decline in abundance, however, appears to be due to the deterioration in their habitat caused by several factors. Shading by overgrowing shrubs and the closure of the tree canopy, nearby intensive agriculture, urbanisation and use of the forest for recreation are the more important factors threatening and ulti- mately leading to the extinction of colonies. At poor quality sites there are no or very few nests of Serviformica ants, which initially serve as host ants and are necessary for recolonization by red wood ants. Thus, it is unlikely that these sites will be recolonized. To conserve red wood ants and maintain populations there is an urgent need to undertake certain measures, especially in areas outside nature reserves. For this there is a need to create clearings in the woodland, reduce shading due to overgrowing shrubs and closure of the tree canopy, and mitigate the effects of intensive agriculture, urbanisation and recreation. It is important that the effects of these measures should be monitored.


Institutional repositories (IRs) established at universities and academic libraries over a decade ago, large and small, have encountered challenges along the way in keeping faith with their original objective: to collect, preserve, and disseminate the intellectual output of an institution in digital form. While all institutional repositories have experienced the same obstacles relating to a lack of faculty participation, those at small universities face unique challenges. This article examines causes of low faculty contribution to IR content growth, particularly at small academic institutions. It also offers a first-hand account of building and developing an institutional repository at a small university. The article concludes by suggesting how institutional repositories at small academic institutions can thrive by focusing on classroom teaching and student experiential learning, strategic priorities of their parent institutions.


We compared an indacenodithiophene(IDT)-based fused-ring electron acceptor IDIC1 with its counterpart IHIC1 in which the central benzene unit is replaced by a naphthalene unit, and investigated the effects of the benzene/naphthalene core on the optical and electronic properties as well as on the performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). Compared with benzene-cored IDIC1, naphthalene-cored IHIC1 shows a larger π-conjugation with stronger intermolecular π–π stacking. Relative to benzene-cored IDIC1, naphthalene-cored IHIC1 shows a higher lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy level (IHIC1: −3.75 eV, IDIC1: −3.81 eV) and a higher electron mobility (IHIC1: 3.0 × 10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1, IDIC1: 1.5 × 10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1). When paired with the polymer donor FTAZ that has matched energy levels and a complementary absorption spectrum, IHIC1-based OSCs show higher values of open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current density, fill factor and power conversion efficiency relative to those of the IDIC1-based control devices. These results demonstrate that extending benzene in IDT to naphthalene is a promising approach to upshift energy levels, enhance electron mobility, and finally achieve higher efficiency in nonfullerene acceptor-based OSCs.


The robotics field has grown in recent years to a point where unmanned systems are no longer limited by their capabilities. As such, the mission profiles for unmanned systems are becoming more and more complicated, and a demand has risen for the deployment of unmanned systems into the most complex of environments. Additionally, the objectives for unmanned systems are once more complicated by the necessity for beyond line of sight teleoperation, and in some cases complete vehicle autonomy. Such systems require adequate sensory devices for appropriate situational awareness. Additionally, a large majority of what is currently being done with unmanned systems requires visual data acquisition. A stereo vision system is ideal for such missions as it doubles as both an image acquisition device, and a range finding device. The 2D images captured with a stereo vision system can be mapped to three dimensional point clouds with reference to the optic center of one of the stereo cameras. While stand alone commercial stereo vision systems are capable of doing just that, the GPS/INS aided stereo vision system also has integrated 3-axis accelerometers, 3-axis gyros, 3-axis magnetometer, and GPS receiver allowing for the measurement of the system's position and orientation in global coordinates. This capability provides the potential to georeference the 3D data captured with the stereo camera. The GPS/INS aided stereo vision system integrates a combination of commercial and inhouse developed devices. The total system includes a Point Grey Research Bumblebee stereovision camera, a Versalogic PC104 computer, a PCB designed for sensor acquisition and power considerations, and a self contained battery. The entire system is all contained within a 9.5" x 5" x 6.5" aluminum enclosure and weighs approximately 6 lbs. The system is also accompanied with a graphical user interface which displays the geo-referenced data within a 3D virtual environment providing adequate sensor feedback for a teleoperated unmanned vehicle. This thesis details the design and implementation of the hardware and software included within this system as well as the results of operation.


North American sporting teams receive enormous public funding for new stadiums after threatening to depart their hometowns, or by actually moving to a new town. Whereas English sporting teams neither receive massive public grants for stadium building, nor move towns. We argue that these differences are caused not by any inherent cultural or political cross-Atlantic variations; rather, it is the industrial organization of sports in the two countries - the structure of league control - that enables rent seeking by American sporting teams but not by their English counterparts. We support our claim with cross-country time series data contrasting American professional football and baseball stadiums with English soccer grounds, and by contrasting data regarding the stadiums of geographically flexible NFL teams with those of functionally immobile major collegiate football teams.North American sports leagues are cartels: they control entry of teams, then collaborate to maximize effective rent seeking, stave off competition and keep prices high. In most of the world, entrance into leagues is based on competitive merit via a system known as promotion-and-relegation, whereby the worst performing teams in one competitive tier are demoted to the next lower tier at season's end, and an equivalent number of top teams are promoted from the division below. The fluidity created by promotion-and-relegation severely undermines the credibility of a team's threat to leave town, and creates alternative entry points into the league. This open entry mitigates pressure to engage in intercity competition over scarce team slots, and thus relieves the pressure to transfer wealth from the public to private sporting team owners through stadium funding. The stadium rent seeking issue illustrates shortcomings in antitrust law in remedying problems at the intersection of market and political organization. While it is clear that stadium rent seeking stems from a competition problem in the U.S., it is not clear if there is an antitrust solution - it is questionable whether antitrust law can recognize or remedy this damage to taxpayers. Although the anti-competitive structure of American leagues provides the platform for stadium rent seeking, the harm that results is arguably a political injury and not an antitrust offense. Nonetheless, we argue that imposition of a promotion-and-relegation system would be the least intrusive means for the U.S. and Canada to limit sporting league cartel behavior to its proper functions, such as arranging schedules and defining homogeneous rules. The uncertain availability of promotion-and-relegation is a solution under antitrust law makes it all the more imperative for Congress to address this costly injury.


We propose a full model-based framework for a statistical analysis of incidence or mortality count data stratified by age, period and space, with specific inclusion of additional cohort effects. The setup will be fully Bayesian based on a series of Gaussian Markov random field priors for each of the components. Additional space-time interactions will be either modelled as space-period or space-cohort effects. Statistical inference is based on efficient algorithms to block update Gaussian Markov random fields, which have recently been proposed in the literature. We illustrate our approach in an analysis of stomach cancer data in West Germany.


Background: Cesarean delivery, one of the most common major surgical procedures performed worldwide used for 15% of births around the world and it continues to increase in frequency. It is an important contributor to surgical site complications such as infection, hematoma and dehiscence. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is a volume fraction of blood having a high concentration of platelets above the baseline. This product is a rich source of growth factors. PRP can be activated by CaCl2 or medical Ozone. The induction of growth factors found in PRP by ozone can support and potentiate their action.
Aim: The purpose of this study is to compare the effect of application of autologous Fibrin Gel and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) activated by medical Ozone (Ozonated PRP) versus those activated by CaCl2 on wound healing and prevention of infection in high risk cesarean sections.
Design: 90 high risk pregnant females undergoing cesarean section were selected randomly according to inclusion criteria and divided into 3 groups each contains 30 patients. Group Ca received Autologous PRP and Fibrin gel activated by CaCl2 at the wound site. Group O received Autologous PRP and Fibrin gel activated by Medical Ozone at the wound site while group P (control) did not receive any of them. All patients were examined for wound complications and healing progress on day 1, day 7 and day 21 postoperative by visual analogue scale (VAS), REEDA scale and Vancouver Scar System (VSS).
Results: the results revealed statistically significance decrease in pain by VAS in group Ozone compared to group P on day 7 and 21. For REEDA also group O showed significant decrease compared to group Calcl on day 1 and 7 while compared to group P was also decreased on day 1, 7 and 21. Group Cacl was significantly decreased compared to group P on day 7 and 21 only. Regarding VSS both group O and group Cacl were significantly decreased compared to group P on all days.
Conclusion: this study gives evidence that applying autologous platelet rich plasma (PRP) promote wound healing and when activated by Ozone gives better results and helps prevention of infection in cesarean section of high risk patients.


Physical and chemical properties of four Cryorthods (Podzols) developed in silty materials in the Cook Inlet-Susitna Lowland of south central Alaska were studied. Intensity of development of the soils was directly related to precipitation rates. Cryorthods in the southern part of the Lowland appear to have developed from previously existing Cryandepts (Andos) following replacement of grasslands by forest. In the northern part, the loess was probably subject to podzolization immediately after its deposition.


ABSTRACT The conceptual reach of the basic input–output modeling framework is substantially extended by new models that incorporate the economic logic of comparative advantage as the basis for the endogenous choice among alternative production technologies. This paper establishes procedures that define the conditions under which the database used for scenario analysis in this extended framework assures the existence of an economically feasible solution. We provide a criterion for structural feasibility, the property established by the Hawkins–Simon condition for the basic input–output model, and introduce a criterion for scale feasibility. The logic underlying the tests is illustrated by numerical examples based on the Rectangular Choice-of-Technology model and database. These procedures can be particularly useful for incorporating engineering and other technical sources of information into multi-regional input–output databases; they can also provide substantial underlying detail about individual technologies, sectors, and factors of production for both feasible and infeasible scenarios.


This study assesses the impact of reductions in cost sharing for prescription drugs on preventable hospitalizations and outpatient care utilization among the elderly in the United States. In addition to affecting demand for drugs, drug cost sharing can also affect the demand for complement services, such as primary or preventive care. In order to evaluate this possibility, I analyze the effects of varying patient cost sharing for prescription drugs on hospitalizations from ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC), which can represent a failure of preventive and outpatient care. To address endogeneity from selection and sorting of individuals into insurance plans, I aggregate data from the 2000-2009 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) to the region-year level, and use an instrumental variables strategy. The analysis exploits exogenous variation in prescription drug cost sharing that occurred as a result of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, and therefore plausibly identifies causal effects of cost sharing. Results show that for the elderly in the United States, who have generous insurance coverage for other outpatient services, reductions in prescription drug cost sharing do not have an effect on hospitalizations related to ambulatory care sensitive conditions, or on specific types of preventive care utilization.


In 2013 the function field sieve algorithm for computing discrete logarithms in finite fields of small characteristic underwent a series of dramatic improvements, culminating in the first heuristic quasi-polynomial time algorithm, due to Barbulescu, Gaudry, Joux and Thome. In this article we present an alternative descent method which is built entirely from the on-the-fly degree two elimination method of Gologlu, Granger, McGuire and Zumbragel. This also results in a heuristic quasi-polynomial time algorithm, for which the descent does not require any relation gathering or linear algebra eliminations and interestingly, does not require any smoothness assumptions about non-uniformly distributed polynomials. These properties make the new descent method readily applicable at currently viable bitlengths and better suited to theoretical analysis.


The study traces the evolution of West African economic integration efforts, leading up to the formation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The original Lagos Treaty of 1975 is reviewed against the background of its revised 1993 Abuja version under the framework of the Customs Unions theory. This study is undertaken to ascertain the consistency of regional integration theory with the stated objectives of ECOWAS. It questions, for example, whether the Customs Unions theory and its welfare effects could actually explain the experience of regional integration of West Africa in general, and within ECOWAS in particular. In other words, the critical success factors and/ or moderating influences in ECOWAS are examined against the background of the Community's objectives as set out in its two Treaties. The study also benefits from a wide range of discussions on different political and economic bases for regional integration theory: functionalism, neofunctionalism, federalism and intergovernmentalism and their relevance to ECOWAS. Strange enough, while these 'isms' are demonstrated to be inconsistent with ECOWAS objectives having dwelt more on regional integration efforts in Europe, no other study on West African integration has examined ECOWAS along these lines.The experience of ECOWAS is made against the backdrop of Customs Unions within Africa, such as the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADCC); and others outside Africa in regions like the European Union (EU), North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA) and the South American Customs Union (MERCOSUR). One emerging pattern of such comparison reveals that ECOWAS has wavered from its stated objectives in favour of the static principles of customs unions theory and consequently been unable to improve its record on the welfare levels of contracting states. The implication of such departures from its original objectives is that market inter-penetration and intra-regional trade within ECOWAS has neither yielded the desired welfare gains nor improved levels of industrialisation, sustained growth and economic development. It is safe to conclude, therefore, that despite considerable efforts at achieving regional economic integration in ECOWAS, the result has been dismal largely as a result of applying unrealistic models of customs unions theory to the West African situation. It is therefore posited that the process of regional economic integration in other parts of the world and particularly in Europe, are not readily applicable in the West African context, where the economic, political and institutional foundations are not only grossly dissimilar but largely at variance.


The two problems in reconstructability analysis, abbreviated as RA, are referred to as the reconstructability problem and the identification problem. The former relates to the process of reconstructing a given system under a given criterion from the knowledge of its subsystems and, during this process, identifying those subsystems that are important in the reconstruction. The latter allows the identification of an unknown system from the knowledge of its subsystems. The advent of RA has intensi fied the research efforts on system studies. The objective of this research is to study the process of system reconstruction for general systems and apply it in the context of automated knowledge acquisition from databases. First, we describe basic concepts in reconstructability theory and machine learn ing. We then modify existing results in reconstructability theory for probabilistic and selection systems in order to generate better algorithms for determining the unbiased reconstruction and reconstruction families in the wake of new developments such as ksystems and the use of independent information. Further, we extend RA methodology for possibilistic systems using only partial information. An algorithm is proposed to compute the unbiased reconstruction, and the reconstruction families are identified as a set of max-min fuzzy relation equations. Furthermore, we define a new measure of the cognitive contents of a rule, referred to as the K-measure. Based on the K-measure, we introduce a new approach for automated knowledge acquisition from databases. Based on RA, the recon structability approach to generalized rule induction from databases should work for most data covered by the framework of RA and k-systems. In particular, this approach is appropriate for expert-systems-like domains where the data is intrinsically nominal. Finally, we summarize our results and discuss the potentials for further research.


This survey of current issues and controversies in environmental policy and management is unique in its thematic mix, broad coverage of key debates and approaches, and in-depth analysis of concepts treated less thoroughly in other texts. The contributing authors, all distinguished scholars or practitioners, offer a comprehensive examination of key topics in environmental governance today, including perspectives from environmental economics, democratic theory, public policy, law, political science, and public administration. Environmental Governance Reconsidered is the first book to integrate these wide-ranging topics and perspectives thematically in one volume.Many are calling for a change in the bureaucratic, adversarial, technology-based regulatory approach that is the basis for much environmental policy -- a move from "rule-based" to "results-based" regulation. Each of the thirteen chapters in Environmental Governance Reconsidered critically examines one aspect of this "second generation" of environmental reform, assesses its promise-versus-performance to date, and points out future challenges and opportunities. The first section of the book, "Reconceptualizing Purpose," discusses the concepts of sustainability, global interdependence, the precautionary principle, and common pool resource theory. The second section, "Reconnecting with Stakeholders," examines deliberative democracy, civic environmentalism, environmental justice, property rights and regulatory takings, and environmental conflict resolution. The final section, "Redefining Administrative Rationality," analyzes devolution, regulatory flexibility, pollution prevention, and third-party environmental management systems auditing. This book will benefit students, scholars, managers, natural resource specialists, policymakers, and reformers and is ideal for class adoption.


Background: It is argued that in order to identify the needs of children pre-operatively it is appropriate to ask the children themselves (Coyne 1998), and it can be demonstrated that children are competent and reliable sources of information (Alderson 1993). There is persuasive evidence that the preadmission education of children reduces anxiety and leads to faster recovery and less psychological trauma post-discharge(Lynch 1194, Strachan 1993, Ellerton & Merriam 1994). Present education comprises pre-admission clinics, tours, videos and written literature designed by health care professionals. Unfortunately this information may not be developmentaly appropriate. It is also of concern to acknowledge that many children not able to attend clinics often rely on parental knowledge or outdated written literature (Manworren and Wooding 1998).
Objectives: To establish the information needs of children prior to being admitted for planned surgery. To enable children to participate in, and contribute to, establishing child-focussed pre-admisison information.
Pilot Sample: Fifteen children seven to eleven years old of both sexes chosen through purposive sampling, to be admitted to a regional childrens hospital for planned suregrey on their first inpatient stay.
Method: Sessions occur in the child's home several weeks prior to admission. The child is asked to write or draw "anything you would like to know about before going into hospital". The child is asked to discuss the drawings or text to allow clarification of meanings, thus ensuring the 'true' opinions of the child are not misinterpreted by the researcher.
Analysis: Analysis is by the use of framework analysis (ritchie & Lewis 2003). The drawing and text is taken at face value and not analysed projectively (Bradding & Horstman 1999).
Preliminary Results: Themes identified for further exploration include:- A genuine need for increased information preoperatively. Concern that health care professionals will withold information from them. Children are able to clearly idenfify their own concerns and questions, which do not necessarily mirror those of health care professionals. Information from the pilot study will be used to create child-friendly leaflets to distribute preoperatively.


This translation was created by Ana Remesal, PhD.,
Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of
Barcelona, Spain.

This translation has been done with special
care to avoid technical jargon, so as to be responded by teacher-students. The
language follows the Peninsular-Spanish standards.

 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com

Recommended citation for this version.

Remesal,
A.
(2009). Cuestionario Abreviado
de Concepciones de Evaluacion del Aprendizaje. Unpublished translation of
Teachers' Conceptions of Assessment inventory (CoA-IIIA), Universidad de Barcelona, Spain.This version was used in the following publication:

Brown,
G. T. L., & Remesal, A. (2012). Prospective teachers' conceptions of
assessment: A cross-cultural comparison. The Spanish Journal of Psychology,
15(1), 75-89. doi: 10.5209/rev_SJOP.2012.v15.n1.37286


A blind deconvolution method is applied to the recovery of atmospherically degraded solar images. The method consists of an iterative deconvolution algorithm that uses several partial images segmented from each of multiple frames. It is shown that the algorithm decreases a specified error metric, allows a unique solution, and reduces contamination originally existing in solar images observed with a limited field of view. Artificial contamination introduced into the partial images by segmentation is calibrated with the use of estimates of an object and a point-spread function at the previous iteration. Computer simulation demonstrates successful reconstruction for a low-contrast degraded image and the expected behavior of an error metric. High-resolution images are reconstructed from observed solar images.


THE INFLUENCE OF EXERCISE ON OXYGEN UPTAKE IN MILD HYPERTENSION by Matthew Joseph Herban The amount of oxygen used by muscle cells increase with exercise. The two body systems that influence the amount of oxygen delivered are the cardiovascular system and the pulmonary system. Two groups of patients were studied, those that were mildly hypertensive (but are not taking prescription medication for hypertension) and the control or normal group. The two groups exercised on a bicycle ergometer. Work rate was increased in steps (multiples of thirty watts) until anaerobic threshold (as measured by an ear oximeter) was reached. Heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide production were measured during exercise. Their data were then fitted to a mathematical model developed by Kyuichi Niizeki, Tatsushisa Takahashi, and Yoshimi Miyamoto. The model consisted of three compartments (the lungs, muscle tissue involved in exercise, and the inactive tissues and organs). The assumptions made for the model are: (1) that the dynamic responses of pulmonary blood flow and the muscle VO2 obey first-order kinetics; (2) the ratio of blood flow in the muscle compartment to total cardiac output was assumed to increase linearly with work rate; (3) the muscle compartment and the inactive tissue compartment were assumed to be connected in parallel to the lung compartment and perfused by separate regional circulations. The model is able to predict the volume of oxygen consumed by the cells as a function of time during incremental step exercise. THE INFLUENCE OF EXERCISE ON OXYGEN UPTAKE IN MILD HYPERTENSION by Matthew Joseph Herban A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of New Jersey Institute of Technology in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering Department of Biomedical Engineering


Each year, there are over 500 fatal crashes in work zones in the U.S., with over 100 road construction workers killed on work sites (NSC, 2011; FARS, 2011). Speed and distraction are among the top contributing factors to work zone crashes (Garber & Zhao, 2002; Mountain, Hirst, & Maher, 2005; Wilson, Willis, Hendrikz, Le Brocque, & Bellamy, 2006). The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of different types of speed enforcement methods on driver attention in work zones. The investigation not only examined enforcement methods currently used in Minnesota, but also examined how implementing automated speed enforcement (ASE), which is not currently used in Minnesota, may influence driver attention and behavior in simulated work zones. Overall, the results do not appear to support the hypothesis that ASE without dynamic speed display sign (DSDS) improves driver attention in work zones. There is some evidence, however, that drivers did heighten their visual attention in work zones with ASE+DSDS enforcement. Drivers fixated on the secondary task display less frequently in the ASE+DSDS condition compared to other enforcement types while they traveled in the downstream portion of the work zone. The largest effects of the study were found among the age groups, with younger and older drivers exceeding the speed limit most often and varying their speed slightly depending on the type of enforcement present. Middle-aged drivers exhibited the greatest speed control and tended to abide by the speed limit to the same extent regardless of the type of enforcement present.


This document is a product of the Center for Trustworthy Scientific Cyberinfrastructure (CTSC). CTSC is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number OCI 1234408. For more information about the Center for Trustworthy Scientific Cyberinfrastructure please visit http://trustedci.org/. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.


Haliscomenobacter hydrossis van Veen et al. 1973 is the type species of the genus Haliscomenobacter, which belongs to order "Sphingobacteriales". The species is of interest because of its isolated phylogenetic location in the tree of life, especially the so far genomically uncharted part of it, and because the organism grows in a thin, hardly visible hyaline sheath. Members of the species were isolated from fresh water of lakes and from ditch water. The genome of H. hydrossis is the first completed genome sequence reported from a member of the family "Saprospiraceae". The 8,771,651 bp long genome with its three plasmids of 92 kbp, 144 kbp and 164 kbp length contains 6,848 protein-coding and 60 RNA genes, and is a part of the GenomicEncyclopedia ofBacteria andArchaea project.


During the last decade, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) have become a part of modern transportation fleet, offering green alternatives to fossil fuel based transit system. Taking PHEVs great potentials into consideration, this transition can revolutionize transportation systems and push technological advancements further.

However, in spite of plentiful economical and environmental advantages, new concerns are being brought up as PHEVs' utilization rate increases. PHEV's driving force is supplied by electricity. Hence, the built-in battery requires charging. Such newly introduced power demand, has raised alarming realizations for utility providers. Impacts of PHEVs on distribution networks, although have been proven to be noticeable, have not been thoroughly investigated for future years.

In smart grid, the charging of PHEVs can be controlled to reduce the peak load, known as Demand-Side Management (DSM). In this work, we explore various DSM approaches accompanied by their effects on power consumption patterns. Moreover, Geometric Water-filling (GWF) method has been utilized to increase the accuracy of our proposed scheduling schemes. The main contribution of this work emerges by fusing consumer and utility provider concerns, resulting in our dual-target objective function. Such method allows us to alter the focal point between consumer and utility company satisfaction.

Index Terms: Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles, Demand-Side Management, Water-Filling


Anti-globalization sentiments are rising, especially in Europe and the United States, with the increasingly integrated global economy blamed for domestic economic distress. In this book, Assaf Razin argues that Israel offers a counterexample to this view, showing decisively positive economic effects of globalized finance, trade, and immigration. He offers a rigorous analysis of the role played by globalization in key episodes in the remarkable development of the Israeli economy. His findings may hold lessons for productivity-challenged advanced economies as well as for other countries such as China currently making the transition to fully developed economies. Razin examines the wave of immigration after the collapse of the Soviet Union, as highly skilled Soviet Jews migrated to Israel and the effect on income inequality; the Great Moderation of inflation and employment in advanced economies, as Israel's inflation converged in parallel with low world inflation rates; Israel's robustness in the face of the deflation shocks of the 2008 financial crisis; and technology transmission through foreign direct investment, reinforcing Israel's high-tech sector surge. He also considers such ongoing challenges as high fertility and low labor market participation and the economic costs of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.


Aim of study: This contribution describes a systematic search method for identifying optimum thinning regimes for beech forests (Fagus sylvatica L.) by using a combination of optimization heuristics and a simple whole stand growth prediction model. Area of study: Data to build the model come from standard and management forest inventories as well as yield tables from the Northern and Western part of Germany and from southern and central Denmark. Material and methods: Growth projections are made from equations to project basal area and top height. The remaining stand variables are recovered from additional equations fitted from forest inventory data or acquired from other authors. Mortality is estimated through an algorithm based on the maximum density line. The optimization routine uses a two-state dynamic programming model. Thinning type is defined by the NG index, which describes the ratio of the proportion of removed trees and basal area with respect to the same proportion before thinning. Main results: Growth equations fitted from inventory data show high goodness of fit with R 2 values larger than 0.85 and high significance levels for the parameter estimates. The mortality algorithm converges quickly providing mortality estimates within the expected range. Research highlights: The combination of a simple growth and yield model within a Dynamic Programming framework in conjunction with NG values as indicators of thinning type yield good estimates of practical thinning schedules compared to thinning recommendations provided by diverse authors.


Recent and future changes to Arctic climate have the potential to impact the region's wildlife, vegetation and the local indigenous communities. In addition, changes in the Arctic impact lower latitudes through the modification of weather patterns and ocean circulation. There is a need to accurately represent the Arctic region on various timescales to predict future climate changes and to produce improved seasonal and sub-seasonal mid-latitude weather forecasts. Both climate and numerical weather prediction models currently perform poorly over the Arctic region, especially in their representation of cloud occurrence, cloud radiative and microphysical properties and the surface turbulent fluxes.

The Arctic Ocean Experiment (AOE) 2001 and the Arctic Summer Cloud-Ocean Study (ASCOS) 2008 took place in the central Arctic Ocean during the late summer/early freeze-up period. The aim of both campaigns was to improve the understanding of processes relating to the formation and persistence of low-level Arctic clouds. This study uses data from both campaigns to gain an insight into surface exchange, the structure of the lower atmosphere and cloud formation and then uses this knowledge to evaluate the
performance of the Met office Unifed Model (MetUM) over the central Arctic region.

The air temperature away from the surface, pressure and wind speed fields are generally well reproduced by the model, suggesting it captures the large-scale circulation with good accuracy. A significant problem is however, found in the model's temperature dependent albedo parameterisation scheme. Due to an underestimation of the model ice surface albedo, too much radiation is absorbed at the surface, which causes the surface temperature to be too high. This causes a feedback of errors that locks the albedo at its minimum value of 0.5 and the surface temperature at 0 C for most of the observation
period. The model also significantly overestimates the magnitude of the surface turbulent fluxes. This is shown to be due to the use of a value for the roughness length for
momentum, z0 that is too large and the application of Monin-Obukhov similarity theory under the observed conditions. The measurements show that the boundary layer was
almost always less than 200 m deep; this means that the constant flux layer was always less than 20 m deep and often extended to only a few metres above the surface. Spectral analysis of the turbulence measurements shows that turbulent properties differ between the upper (30.60 and 15.40 m) and lower measurement levels and that the observed
boundary-layer depths are a likely explanation for this. The third main error involves the model's representation of the low-level layer of stratus cloud. The modelled clouds
are too thin and too low in the model, which was at least partly due to the overestimation of boundary-layer depth and inaccuracies in the structure of the lower atmosphere. A
number of sensitivity tests involving the surface albedo, roughness length for momentum and vertical grid resolution are performed to refine these conclusions and investigate
possible solutions. Several recommendations for improvements to the MetUM and for further research are also presented.