The fundamental problem in data mining is whether the whole information available is
always necessary to represent the information system (IS). The goal of data mining is to
find rules that model the world sufficiently well. These rules consist of conditions over
attributes value pairs called description and classification of decision attribute. However,
the set of all decision rules generated from all conditional attributes can be too large and
can contain many chaotic rules that are not appropriate for unseen object classification.
Therefore the search for the best rules must be performed because it is not possible to
determine the quality of all rules generated from the information systems. In rough set
approach to data mining, the set of interesting rules are determined using a notion of reduct. Rules were generated from reducts through binding the condition attribute values
of the object class from which the reduct is originated to the corresponding attribute. It is
important for the reducts to be minimum in size. The minimal reducts will decrease the
size of the conditional attributes used to generate rules. Smaller size of rules are
expected to classify new cases more properly because of the larger support in data and in
some sense the most stable and frequently appearing reducts gives the best decision
rules.
The main work of the thesis is the generation of classification model that contains
smaller number of rules, shorter length and good accuracy. The propositional
satisfiability method in rough classification model is proposed in this thesis. Two
models, Standard Integer Programming (SIP) and Decision Related Integer
Programming (DRIP) to represent the minimal reduct computation problem were
proposed. The models involved a theoretical formalism of the discemibility relation of a
decision system (DS) into an Integer Programming (IP) model. The proposed models
were embedded within the default rules generation framework and a new rough
classification method was obtained. An improved branch and bound strategy is proposed
to solve the SIP and DRIP models that pruned certain amount of search. The proposed
strategy used the conflict analysis procedure to remove the unnecessary attribute
assignments and determined the branch level for the search to backtrack in a nonchronological
manner.
Five data sets from VCI machine learning repositories and domain theories were
experimented. Total number rules generated for the best classification model is recorded where the 30% of data were used for training and 70% were kept as test data. The
classification accuracy, the number of rules and the maximum length of rules obtained
from the SIPIDRIP method was compared with other rough set method such as Genetic
Algorithm (GA), Johnson, Holte l R, Dynamic and Exhaustive method. Four of the
datasets were then chosen for further experiment. The improved search strategy
implemented the non-chronological backtracking search that potentially prunes the large
portion of search space. The experimental results showed that the proposed SIPIDRIP
method is a successful method in rough classification modeling. The outstanding feature
of this method is the reduced number of rules in all classification models. SIPIDRIP
generated shorter rules among other methods in most dataset. The proposed search
strategy indicated that the best performance can be achieved at the lower level or shorter
path of the tree search. SIPIDRIP method had also shown promising across other
commonly used classifiers such as neural network and statistical method. This model is
expected to be able to represent the knowledge of the system efficiently.


OBJECTIVE
To develop and validate a PubMed search filter, LIt.search, that automatically retrieves Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health literature and to make it publicly accessible through the Lowitja Institute website.

METHODS
Search filter development phases included: (1) scoping of the publication characteristics of Aboriginal and Torres Start Islander literature; (2) advisory group input and review; (3) systematic identification and testing of MeSH and text word terms; (4) relevance assessment of the search filter's retrieved items; and (5) translation for use in PubMed through the web.

RESULTS
Scoping study analyses demonstrated complexity in the nature and use of possible search terms and publication characteristics. The search filter achieved a recall rate of 84.8% in the full gold standard test set. To determine real-world performance, post-hoc assessment of items retrieved by the search filter in PubMed was undertaken with 87.2% of articles deemed as relevant. The search filter was constructed as a series of URL hyperlinks to enable one-click searching.

CONCLUSION
LIt.search is a search tool that facilitates research into practice for improving outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and is publicly available on the Lowitja Institute website. WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THIS TOPIC?: Health professionals, researchers and decision makers can find it difficult to retrieve published literature on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health easily, effectively and in a timely way. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD?: This paper describes a new web-based searching tool, LIt.search, which facilitates access to the relevant literature. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Ready access to published literature on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health reduces a barrier to the use of this evidence in practice. LIt.search encourages the use of this evidence to inform clinical judgement and policy and service decision-making as well as reducing the burdens associated with searching for community practitioners, academics and policy makers.


The Transformer is widely used in natural language processing tasks. To train a Transformer however, one usually needs a carefully designed learning rate warm-up stage, which is shown to be crucial to the final performance but will slow down the optimization and bring more hyperparameter tunings. In this paper, we first study theoretically why the learning rate warm-up stage is essential and show that the location of layer normalization matters. Specifically, we prove with mean field theory that at initialization, for the original-designed Post-LN Transformer, which places the layer normalization between the residual blocks, the expected gradients of the parameters near the output layer are large. Therefore, using a large learning rate on those gradients makes the training unstable. The warm-up stage is practically helpful for avoiding this problem. On the other hand, our theory also shows that if the layer normalization is put inside the residual blocks (recently proposed as Pre-LN Transformer), the gradients are well-behaved at initialization. This motivates us to remove the warm-up stage for the training of Pre-LN Transformers. We show in our experiments that Pre-LN Transformers without the warm-up stage can reach comparable results with baselines while requiring significantly less training time and hyper-parameter tuning on a wide range of applications.


A combination of burial histories, geochemical analyses, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, and types of organic matter have been used to evaluate the potential source rocks and the generation of hydrocarbons in the Western Desert of Egypt. Perhydrous vitrinite and amorphous kerogen appear to be the dominant organic matter with lesser amounts of other maceral components. Good oil prone source rocks have been identified in the Upper Cretaceous while in older sediments mixed and good gas prone source rocks occur. The burial history models indicate that the measured and modeled derived values are in good agreement. The top of the oil window has been interpreted deeper than 8000 ft (Kharita Formation) in both wells studied which indicates that the Middle Jurassic Khatatba Formation, and older sediments, are presently in the late stage of oil generation and are able to generate gas with some oil. The models suggest the Jurassic Formations began to generate oil during Late Cretaceous. Gas generation is expected during the Eocene and Oligocene in the studied wells. The times of peak oil generation are recorded in the range 87-84 my and at different depths for the studied wells. The Lower Cretaceous Alam El-Beuib sources are expected to generate oil during the Late Cretaceous. But for the Alamein and Kharita Formations, oil was generated during the Miocene. The time of peak oil generation is around 72-71 my for the Alam El-Beuib and 13-12 my for the Alamein and Kharita Formations in the studied wells. In both wells the bottom of gas window is not reached.


There is a long-standing belief in the value of diversity for team creativity. An evaluation of the evidence, however, suggests that team diversity does not reliably produce team creativity, and that the challenge for team creativity research and practice is to identify the moderating influences that allow teams to reap the benefits of diversity in their creative performance. We review the available evidence for the moderating influences on the relationship between team diversity and team creativity, and we conclude that the categorization-elaboration model (CEM) of team diversity and performance provides a useful framework to understand these moderating influences. We discuss how the CEM can both guide the further development of the study of team creativity and the integration of the study of diversity effects on team creativity and of cross-level effects on individual creativity.


The regional economics and geography literature on urban population size has in recent years shown interesting conceptual and methodological contributions on the validity of Gibrat's Law and Zipf's Law. Despite distinct modeling features, they express similar fundamental characteristics in an equilibrium situation. Zipf's law is formalized in a static form, while its associated dynamic process is articulated by Gibrat's Law. Thus, it is likely that both Zipf's Law and Gibrat's Law share a common root. Unfortunately, empirical investigations on the direct relationship between Gibrat's Law and Zipf's Law are rather rare and not conclusive. The present paper aims to answer the question whether (a generalisation of) Gibrat's Law allows us to infer Zipf's Law, and vice versa? In our conceptual and applied framework, particular attention will be paid to the role of the mean and the variance of city population as key indicators for assessing the (non-) validity of the generalised Gibrat's Law. Our empirical experiments are based on a comparative analysis between the dynamics of the urban population of four countries with entirely mutually contrasting spatial-economic and geographic characteristics: Botswana, Germany, Hungary and Luxembourg. We arrive at the following results: if (i) the mean is independent of city size (first necessary condition of Gibrat's law) and (ii) the coefficient of the rank-size rule/Zipf's Law is different from one, then the variance is dependent on city size.


Eurypterid post abdomen: Pterygotus anglicus Agassiz, Devonian, Atholville, New Brunswick, Collector: J. McGovern and R.F. Miller, 1995. Eurypterids are often called sea scorpions since they superficially resemble modern scorpions. Pterygotid eurypterids are 'giant' sea scorpions reaching 2.5 to 3 metres in length. In New Brunswick fossils indicate eurypterids were at least 1.7 metres long.


Three-dimensional (3D) integration of electronics and/or MEMS-based transducers is an emerging technology that vertically interconnects stacked dies using through silicon vias (TSVs). They enable the realization of devices with shorter signal lengths, smaller packages and lower parasitic capacitances, which can result in higher performance and lower costs of the system. This paper presents a novel low-cost fabrication technique for solid metal-filled TSVs using nickel wires as conductive path. The wires are placed in the via hole of a silicon wafer by magnetic self-assembly. This metal filling technique enables through-wafer vias with high aspect ratios and potentially eliminates characteristic cost drivers of the TSV production such as metallization processes, wafer thinning and general issues associated with thin-wafer handling.


The $787 billion recovery package marks a big, bold, and historic investment in creating green jobs and building more equitable communities. The package invests nearly $100 billion in funding for transportation and infrastructure, $48 billion in investments in job training and education, $41 billion for energy-related programs, and $20 billion in tax incentives for renewable energy. But without substantial advocacy from local and state groups, these historic federal investments may not end up in the communities that need them most. The in-depth guide offers tangible, up-to-date information and ideas for using and securing recovery dollars to help expand opportunity in low-income communities and communities of color. The guide is a first step in what will be a vital nationwide effort to ensure the recovery package helps all communities rise stronger than ever from this economic crisis, and that community-based organizations are at the forefront in crafting a green, equitable recovery.


We present a new algorithm to calculate the optical imbalances and differential prismatic effects that appear when two eyes look at an object through correcting eyeglasses. These are important magnitudes in ophthalmic optics because large amounts of them will disturb the binocular vision of the spectacle wearer. As a practical application of our algorithm, the distribution of optical imbalances and differential prismatic powers for a pair of progressive addition lenses has been calculated, and we obtain information about the effects of this kind of lens on the binocular vision of the wearer.


Photo catalytic degradation of 4-NP and 2-NP was also achieved over Cu2O under visible light irradiation for 180 and 150 min respectively in presence of external oxidant H2O2. Photodegradation of 2, 4-dinitrophenol and 2, 4, 6- trinitrophenol occurred in 4 hrs and 5 hrs respectively. Presence of H2O2 was found to enhance the rate of degradation in terms of a synergetic effect to generate more E™OH free radicals that help degrade the organic pollutants rapidly. Ease of photocatalytic degradation in the nitrophenols studied has been found to vary in the order 4-nitrophenol > 2-nitrophenol > di-nitrophenol > tri-nitrophenol


Over the last fifty years Ann Williams has transformed our understanding of Anglo-Saxon and Norman society in her studies of personalities and elites. In this collection, leading scholars in the field revisit themes that have been central to her work, and open up new insights into the workings of the multi-cultural communities of the realm of England in the early Middle Ages. There are detailed discussions of local and regional elites and the interplay between them that fashioned the distinctive institutions of local government in the pre-Conquest period; radical new readings of key events such as the crisis of 1051 and a reassessment of the Bayeux Tapestry as the beginnings of the Historia Anglorum; studies of the impact of the Norman Conquest and the survival of the English; and explorations of the social, political, and administrative cultures in post-Conquest England and Normandy. The individual essays are united overall by the articulation of the local, regional, and national identities that that shaped the societies of the period. Contributors: S.D. Church, William Aird, Lucy Marten, Hirokazu Tsurushima, Valentine Fallan, Judith Everard, Vanessa King, Pamela Taylor, Charles Insley, Simon Keynes, Sally Harvey, K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, David Bates, Emma Mason, David Roffe, Mark Hagger.


This paper examines the links between urban planning and the politics of water provisioning and violence and conflict in people's lives by drawing upon research in a low-income locality in Ahmedabad, India. By focusing on public housing sites constructed to resettle poor and low-income residents displaced from central and intermediate areas of the city for urban development projects, the paper looks beyond poor, informal neighbourhoods to explore the dynamics of water provisioning and inequalities in the city. A close examination of the water infrastructure at the sites and their everyday workings is undertaken in order to unravel the sociomaterial configurations which constitute inadequate water flows, and the ways in which urban planning, policies and governance produce infrastructural violence at the sites. It also traces the various forms of water-related deprivations, burdens, inequities, tensions and conflicts that emerge in people's lives as a result of their practices in the context of this infrastructural violence.


The USDA, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Web Soil Survey is a valuable teaching tool for soil science education. By incorporating the Web Soil Survey into an undergraduate-level course, students are able to use the most detailed digital soil survey information without the steep learning curve associated with geographic information systems (GIS). We have developed two laboratory exercises utilizing the Web Soil Survey: (1) "Using NRCS Web Soil Survey to evaluate soil physical properties, septic suitability and basement suitability"; and (2) "Using NRCS Web Soil Survey to evaluate soil chemical properties." The primary objective of these laboratory exercises was to teach students how the Web Soil Survey can be used as a tool to make environmentally based land use decisions. Sixty-seven Clemson University students from various fields (horticulture, forestry, agricultural mechanization, and agricultural education) had hands-on training in using the Web Soil Survey during CSENV 202: Introductory Soil Science course taught in spring 2006. Student responses to the laboratory exercises were strongly positive, both in terms of how the Web Soil Survey helped them understand a range of soil science topics as well as the potential for using the system in their future careers. Incorporation of the Web Soil Survey into introductory soil science courses should have a significant impact on the quality of soil science education and training.


"Naive Lattice Decoding" (NLD) and its low-complexity approximations such as lattice reduction-aided linear decoders represent an alternative to Maximum Likelihood lattice decoders for MIMO systems. Their diversity order has been investigated in recent works. These showed that the NLD achieves only the receive diversity and that MMSE-GDFE left preprocessing followed by NLD or its approximations achieves the maximum diversity. All the theoretical results have so far focused on the diversity order but this is not the only relevant parameter to achieve good performance and the coding gain also needs to be considered. In addition, up to now there has not been any numerical analysis of the actual performance of these techniques for the coded systems for moderate SNR. In this paper, we consider MIMO systems using high-dimensional perfect space-time codes. We show that by adding MMSE-GDFE preprocessing, the NLD has a loss of only 1.5 dB with respect to optimal decoding in the case of the Perfect Code 4×4. However, even with MMSE-GDFE preprocessing, the performance of lattice-reduction aided linear receivers is still very poor for high-dimensional lattices.


The first section of this article identifies four Jesuit values and describes their meaning relevant to a teaching environment. Next the article defines and describes service learning from the faculty member and Regis University perspective. The next section describes how each of these Jesuit values is integrated in a meaningful and relevant way into a marketing course using a service learning project as the vehicle to demonstrate their meaning. The author uses examples from her Advertising and Promotion and Consumer Behavior marketing classes to illustrate these concepts. The author teaches accelerated classes for non-traditional students. This means the classes are held once a week for four hours for either five or eight weeks. The students are comprised of adults with families and careers. These examples are from classes taught in the classroom, but she has also adapted them to online classes as well.


Although the physiological and behavioural changes that can indicate poor welfare are generally agreed upon, using these measures in practice sometimes yields results that are hard to interpret. For example, different types of measure may suggest quite different things about an animal's welfare. Such contradictions are often due to the differing properties of the variables being measured. How each variable responds to a stressor can be affected by several factors - the type of unpleasant stimulus to which the animal is exposed; when and for how long exposure occurs; the animal's psychological state, eg does it feel that it is in control?; and the time at which the measurement is made, relative to the stressor. Typical responses also often differ between species and between individuals, and may even change in a single individual over time. Furthermore, some responses used to assess welfare lack specificity: they can be elicited by neutral or even pleasant events as well as by aversive ones. Appreciating these factors is vital when designing experiments, when choosing what to measure along with each welfare variable, and when interpreting results. Even after taking these factors into consideration, interpreting a result can still be difficult. One approach then is to consider the effects on welfare of the changes measured, eg if there is immunosuppression, does the animal succumb to disease? Another is to use the animal's behaviour to indicate its preference for, or aversion to, particular environments. Ultimately, however, interpreting welfare measures involves subjective judgements which will be influenced by the nature of our concern for the animal under consideration. By raising these problems, we hope that this review will highlight and clarify the apparent contradictions that sometimes emerge in scientific studies of animal welfare, and help researchers improve the designs of their experiments for the benefit of the animals concerned.


Background Thalassemia is associated with the generation of labile iron in the red blood cells, which promotes the formation of reactive oxygen species, leading to cumulative cell damage. Ischemia modified albumin (IMA) is now suggested to reflect generalized oxidative stress. Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate IMA in children with transfusion-dependent (TD) β-thalassemia and its relation with serum ferritin and iron chelation therapies. Patients and methods A total of 60 children with TD thalassemia were divided into three groups on the basis of the type of iron chelation therapy received: group A received oral deferiprone (DFP), group B received effervescent deferasirox (DFX), and group C did not receive any type of iron chelation therapy. A total of 20 age-matched and sex-matched healthy children were included as controls. Serum ferritin and IMA were determined for all participants. Results There were significant increases in serum ferritin and IMA levels in thalassemic children than in controls (P < 0.001 for each). Children on DFP and DFX had significantly lower IMA levels compared with children not receiving any iron chelation therapy (P < 0.001 and 0.01, respectively). Serum ferritin had a positive significant association with IMA (r = +0.27 and P = 0.03). Conclusion IMA was higher in children with TD thalassemia than in controls. Moreover, its level in thalassemic children on either DFP or DFX was significantly lower than its level in children not receiving any chelation therapy. Therefore, IMA may be a possible marker of iron-induced oxidative stress in β-thalassemia.


Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have identified a link between a critical cancer pathway and an Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) protein known to be expressed in a number of EBV-associated cancers. Their findings demonstrate a new mechanism by which EBV transforms human B cells from the immune system into cancerous cells, which can lead to development of B-cell lymphomas. Erle S. Robertson, PhD, Associate Professor of Microbiology and Director of Tumor Virology, with Penn's Abramson Cancer Center and MD/PhD student Jason Knight, published their results in the early March issue of Molecular and Cellular Biology. Using human cell cultures infected with the Epstein-Barr virus, the investigators found that a specific viral protein targets a molecule that normally regulates the cell-cycle progression, or duplication process, of resting B cells. In the presence of this viral protein - called EBNA3C (for EBV nuclear antigen) - the cell cycle of the usually quiescent human B cells gets a jump start, which ultimately initiates uncontrolled growth. EBV, a member of the herpesvirus family and one of the most common human viruses, plays a role in cancers such as lymphoproliferative diseases in transplant or AIDS patients, Burkitt's lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and also causes the well-known disease, infectious mononucleosis. As many as 95 percent of adults 20 years and older have been infected with EBV, but show no symptoms. "Viruses that are associated with cancers typically target the cell cycle to gain control," says Robertson. "However, this is the first time that laboratory research into how EBV drives the cancer process has directly identified a critical component of the cell cycle for control. Now we can develop targeted therapeutics to disrupt the function of this viral protein." The researchers surmise that the first use of future therapies from these studies will be in lymphoproliferative disease in transplant and immunocompromised patients because this is a clear case of EBV-driven B-cell lymphoma. The use of peptides to block the interaction between this essential EBV protein and the specific pathway in human B cells is currently underway. Initial studies show that the growth of EBV-associated cancer cells can be inhibited in tissue-culture assays. The investigators are actively pursuing this line of investigation for developing potential therapies. This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Leukemia and Lymophoma Society of America. Nikhil Sharma, a student from Cherokee High School, New Jersey who volunteers at Penn, was also a co-investigator in this study. Contact: Karen Kreeger; 215-349-5658; email@example.com


In 2010, after years of tolerating an ambiguous policy on whether clinical or counseling psychology fits into the U.S. National Science Foundation9s (NSF9s) mission to fund basic science, agency officials announced that they would reject any application—without even reviewing it—from students in clinical or counseling psychology graduate programs. The psychological science community protested the decision, and within a year, NSF had restored eligibility for scores of graduate psychology students. The reversal has had a significant impact: A doctoral student in psychology has won a prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship.


International criminal trials are often contentious in the countries where the alleged crimes took place, and participation in them can place witnesses at risk. Where the risk to a witness is particularly severe, it may not be possible for that person to return home after testifying. In that case, they must be relocated to a safe third country. Many of the witnesses who testify before the International Criminal Court (ICC) can be adequately protected through the court's witness protection programme. However, the ICC's witness protection suffers from certain shortfalls that have left some witnesses unwilling to rely on it for their protection. These have turned instead to the to the ICC's host state, The Netherlands, to claim protection against refoulement. This article argues that many of the shortfalls in the ICC witness protection regime can be addressed by reference to international human rights norms, particularly the prohibition on refoulement, through the interpretative tool in Article 21(3) of the ICC Statute. For the shortfalls that cannot be lessened in this way, seeking protection from The Netherlands may be a viable option. However, the possibility of a non-refoulement claim against The Netherlands, as an alternative to protection by the ICC, does not necessarily solve all of the difficulties facing ICC witnesses.


The tumor suppressor CYLD is a deubiquitinating enzyme that suppresses polyubiquitin-dependent signaling pathways, including the proinflammatory and cell growth–promoting NF-κB pathway. Missense mutations in the CYLD gene are present in individuals with syndromes such as multiple familial trichoepithelioma (MFT), but the pathogenic roles of these mutations remain unclear. Recent studies have shown that CYLD interacts with a RING finger domain protein, mind bomb homologue 2 (MIB2), in the regulation of NOTCH signaling. However, whether MIB2 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that acts on CYLD is unknown. Here, using the cell-free–based AlphaScreen and pulldown assays to detect protein-protein interactions, along with immunofluorescence assays and murine Mib2 knockout cells and animals, we demonstrate that MIB2 promotes proteasomal degradation of CYLD and enhances NF-κB signaling. Of note, arthritic inflammation was suppressed in Mib2-deficient mice. We further observed that the ankyrin repeat in MIB2 interacts with the third CAP domain in CYLD and that MIB2 catalyzes Lys-48–linked polyubiquitination of CYLD at Lys-338 and Lys-530. MIB2-dependent CYLD degradation activated NF-κB signaling via tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) stimulation and the linear ubiquitination assembly complex (LUBAC). Mib2-knockout mice had reduced serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and exhibited suppressed inflammatory responses in the K/BxN serum-transfer arthritis model. Interestingly, MIB2 significantly enhanced the degradation of a CYLDP904L variant identified in an individual with MFT, although the molecular pathogenesis of the disease was not clarified here. Together, these results suggest that MIB2 enhances NF-κB signaling in inflammation by promoting the ubiquitin-dependent degradation of CYLD.


By the advances in high frequency communication systems, and particularly Internet, wide bandwidth and high-speed transistors became key devices for the circuits. Especially, optical fibres can transport data at high rates. Therefore, high-speed electronics is necessary for all kind of data processing. One limitation is the ultra high frequency modulation of the light for data transport. This requires high frequency and high voltage of operation. Second, high linearity of amplification is necessary for analog-to-digital conversion (ADCs). Indium Phosphide based Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors (InP HBTs) have the potential to provide high speed and high voltage for optoelectronic communication ICs. Moreover, since their energy band gap corresponds to the 1.3 and 1.55 µm wavelength, which are the wavelengths providing minimum optical loss in fibres, InP HBTs are the best choices for optical communication circuits. In this work, a process technology is developed for HBTs capable of 80Gbit/s. The theory and also careful analysis have shown that the main limitations for the device speed are the base-collector capacitances and base resistances. Various designs are proposed to lower RC time constant. The influence of emitter size is observed on RF performance and for optical lithography it is found out that emitters with area of 1x15 µm2 provides the best RF performance. Another important aspect is to lower any additional parasitic effects. Therefore directly contacted emitters are proposed to eliminate parasitic components caused by dummy pads and to dissipate the heat overall the emitter efficiently. Since the contact spacing between base and emitter plays an important role for base resistance, emitter contacts are patterned perpendicular to the major flat for low underetching. In addition to this, emitter mesa wet chemical etching process is optimised and 170 nm of underetching is achieved, which is sufficient to realize 1 µm width emitters. A mask set is designed offering directly contacted emitters and reliable processes. To reduce the base resistance, Pt/Ti/Pt/Au contact metal system providing 4x10?7 Ohm.cm2 contact resistance, is used on the base layer. Moreover, current density is also an important aspect for the RF performance. The well-known Kirk Effect is analysed and the collector layer is doped to improve the maximum current density. 1x1017 cm-3 of collector doping density has doubled the maximum current density in comparison to the HBTs with non-intentionally doped collector layers. For HBTs with an emitter area of 1x15 µm2 on the optimised layer structure, presented maximum oscillation frequency (fmax) of 330 GHz and cut-off frequency (fT) of 170 GHz at 1.2 mA/µm2. 1 µm is the minimum width achievable by wet chemical etching. But on the other hand, for ultra high speed HBTs, submicron emitters are dispensable. Therefore, an ICP-RIE process with Cl2/N2 chemistry providing less emitter underetching is optimised. According to this, dry etching processes offering etch rate of 120 nm/min up to 1200 nm/min are optimised. For HBTs lower etch rate, vertical sidewall profile less damage to the surface are important aspects. An etch rate of 120 nm/min is sufficient for emitter mesa etching. Therefore, this process is investigated in details. It is found out that, RMS surface roughness less than 5 nm, ± 5 % uniformity over 2" wafer and ± 5 % run-to-run stability can be achieved at this low etch rates. Since the dry etching with this chemistry is not selective for InP and InGaAs, a hybrid etching process is sufficient to complete the emitter mesa etching. With this hybrid etching, the selectivity problem is solved with an emitter underetching of 85 nm. HBTs with an emitter area of 0.5x7.5 µm2 processed with hybrid etching, has shown a maximum oscillation frequency of 370 GHz and a cut-off frequency of 165 GHz. Not only the RF performance but also the uniformity of the HBT properties is also an important aspect for circuit applications. Hbyrid etching process offers better homogeneity in terms of etching in comparison to the solely wet chemical etching. The samples etched with wet chemical etching have shown dc current gain 41 with 4 % standard deviation where the solely etched ones have presented dc current gain of 64 with 7 % standard deviation. The yield for both type of processing is more than 90 %.With the optimised layout, layer structure and processing, InP HBTs with high speed, high yield and high uniformity are now ready for 80 Gbit/s communication circuits.


From the early Mercury missions (1961) until now, astronauts have been observing and photographing the Earth. Their ability to photograph in any direction and under different lighting conditions makes their photographs and observations an important and critical supplement to unmanned orbital spacecraft, which can only look straight down and usually are over a feature at a fixed time of day. Since most of these photographs are in color, they are excellent teaching aids. This lecture will show many of Earth's surface features that were first identified by astronaut observations, as well as a set of pictures taken of plate tectonic boundaries. Insight into many geologic, atmospheric, and oceanic processes will be gleaned from large-scale images of active volcanoes, deltas, mountain ranges, glaciers, ocean gyres, hurricanes, rivers that have altered course, dust storms that cross oceans, and much more. Assessing the impact of human activities on these processes becomes more important in the new century, and can be addressed using these unique views of Earth.


We introduce the notion of an admissible Mordell equation and establish some basic results concerning properties of its integral solutions. A non class-number and complete parametrization, with the most minimal set of conditions, for generating all the integral solutions of admissible Mordell equations was then proved. An eective and ecient algorithm for computing the integral solutions of admissible Mordell equations was also established from a proof of the Hall conjecture. One of our major results concerns the upper-bound for the number of integral solutions of each of these equations which we show may be explicitly computed. The analysis of these results leads us to the problem of deriving a general expression for the number of integral solutions of the Mordell equations. This problem is completely solved.


In the context of the current debate about teaching reading, research to ascertain primary teachers' personal and professional reading practices was undertaken. The study explored teachers' reading habits and preferences, investigated their knowledge of children's literature, and documented their reported use of such texts and involvement with library services. Questionnaire responses were gathered from 1200 teachers. The data were analysed and connections made between the teachers' own reading habits and preferences, their knowledge of children's literature, their accessing practices and pedagogic use of literature in school. This paper reports on part of the dataset and focuses on teachers' knowledge of children's literature; it reveals that primary professionals lean on a narrow repertoire of authors, poets and picture fiction creators. It also discusses teachers' personal reading preferences and considers divergences and connections between these as well as the implications of the teachers' limited repertoires on the reading development of young learners.


> There is only one Coliseum or Pantheon; but how many millions of potential negatives have they shed.… Every conceivable object of Nature and Art will soon scale off its surface for us. Men will hunt all curious, beautiful, grand objects, as they hunt the cattle in South America, for their skins, and leave the carcasses as of little worth.
>
> — Oliver Wendell Holmes ,
> "The Stereoscope and the Stereograph," 1859
Histories of the built environment, like contemporary discourse on architecture, have been populated by photographic images for more than a century, even as photographic technologies have changed radically. For architects and historians, photographs offered seemingly evidentiary representations throughout the analog life of the medium (often dated from 1839 to roughly 1990) despite frequent doctoring of images in the darkroom or on the page. Products of an obsolete technology, photographs are yet fabulous discursive propositions as much as dry records of building. They are revealing diagnostic devices, speaking with more than one tongue to say more than one thing. Reading photographic evidence, then, complicates the architectural historian's task by adding multivalent, nonexclusive, sometimes contradictory visual "texts" to other information about the production and consumption of architecture. Photographs do tell us about the hard stuff of buildings on sites; they also tell us how that stuff is seen at a given moment in time, and how buildings are deployed differently through photographic means—whether in series, sequences, single instances, compilations, or montage. Such photographic assemblages elicit strikingly rich interpretations. In short, photographs are discursive, but in ways that differ profoundly from text or spoken word. We continue to seek analytical frames adequate to what photography historian Matthew Witkovsky refers to as "the game," in addition to "the match" of this extremely heterogeneous manner of imaging.1

I recently asked Witkovsky whether photographs are like letters, words, sentences, paragraphs, or texts. "All of the above, …


Newspaper representation of blackmail cases from over half a century (1960–2009) is used to illustrate 'marginal' crime reporting in an era of social change: we asked how such crimes fare in attracting public attention and what meanings they represent during a period of politicised, public and criminological narratives of crime and disorder. 'Marginal' crimes sit at the edges of crime narratives and at the boundaries of criminology, yet the example of blackmail indicates wider social concerns. A macro analysis of 252 cases showed a steady public profile with six major categories of blackmail reported. At a micro level, only 33 cases achieved sustained reporting, deriving meaning from current social anxiety; acted normatively – defining current group values; or were one of a palette of charges brought against individuals.


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Shirley Fiske and Niel Tashima are contributing editors of "Anthropology Works", the AAA Committee on Practicing, Applied and Public Interest Anthropology column in Anthropology News.


Ni-base single-crystal superalloys exhibit a dynamic evolution of their microstructure during operation at elevated temperatures. The rafting of γ′ precipitates changes the mechanical behavior in a way that was understood insufficiently. In this work, we combine a phase-field method with a discrete dislocation dynamics model to clarify the influence of different rafted microstructures with the same initial dislocation density and configuration on creep behavior. The unrafted and rafted microstructures of Ni-base single crystal superalloys are simulated by a phase-field crystal plasticity method. By introducing these microstructures into a 3D discrete dislocation dynamics (DDD) model, the creep behavior under uniaxial loads of 350 and 250 MPa along [100] direction at 950 °C is studied. Due to the negative lattice mismatch of Ni-base superalloys, the N-type rafting with the formation of plate-like γ′ precipitates occurs under uniaxial tensile loads along {100} direction at high temperatures, while the P-type rafting with the formation of rod-like γ′ precipitates occurs under compressive loads. Taking the cuboidal, N-type rafted and P-type rafted microstructures as the initial and fixed microstructures for the same loading conditions, it is found from DDD simulations that the rafted microstructures result in smaller creep deformation than the cuboidal microstructure. The reason for this is that the coalescence of γ′ precipitates during the rafting diminishes the width of some γ channels, so as to increase the local Orowan stresses which retard the dislocation glide. For tensile loads, the N-type rafted microstructure has the best creep resistance. For a low compressive load, the P-type rafting shows a better creep resistance than N-type rafting.


The ongoing use of landscape-based conflict commodities — diamonds and other minerals, timber, wildlife, etc. — to finance wars continues to evolve. The success with which such commodities can be transacted to support militaries, militias and insurgencies has led belligerents to innovate with additional commodities. Housing, land and property (HLP) rights within war zones have belatedly joined the list of conflict commodities that are subject to transaction, and to such an extent as to warrant significant concern. However, the use of 'conflict HLP rights' has not yet been operationally described in the way that other conflict commodities have been. This is a necessary first step towards deriving and designing countermeasures. This article makes a preliminary attempt to delineate the exploitation of conflict HLP rights by examining how they are transacted to support belligerent groups in three conflicts: Darfur, Colombia and Syria.


Since the outbreak of the financial crisis, the macro-prudential policy paradigm has gained increasing prominence (Bank of England, 2009; Bernanke, 2011). The dynamics of this shift in the economic discourse, and the reasons this shift has not taken place prior to the crisis have not been addressed systemically. This paper investigates the evolution of the economic discourse on systemic risk and banking regulation to better understand these changes and their timing. Further, we use our sample to inquire whether, and if so, why the economic regulatory studies failed to recommend a reliable banking regulation prior to the crisis. By following a discourse analysis, we establish that the economic discourse on banking regulation has not been suitable for providing the knowledge basis required for a dynamically reliable banking regulation, and we identify the underlying reasons for such failure. These reasons include the obsession of economic discourse with optimization and particular forms of formalism, particularly, partial equilibrium analysis. Further, the economic discourse on banking regulation excludes historical and practitioners' discourses and ignores weak signals. We point out that post-crisis, these epistemological failures of the economic discourse on banking regulation were not sufficiently recognized and that recent attempts to conceptualize systemic risk as a negative externality and to thus price it point to the persistence of formalism, equilibrium thinking and optimization, with their attending dangers.


A methodology is described to improve the accuracy of vibrating-tube-based density measurements of aerated liquids. In many applications, density measurements are employed to determine compositional information of process liquids. For most density measuring devices, the presence of a small, but unknown, quantity of entrained gaseous phase within the process mixture can introduce significant errors in both the measured mixture density as well as the interpreted density of the liquid phase. This paper describes an approach to measuring fluid density which couples a sonar-based speed-of-sound measurement with vibrating-tube-based density measurement, commonly used in coriolis mass and density meters, to determine the density of aerated liquids. It is well known that the accuracy of coriolis meters can be significantly degraded with the aeration of the process fluid. Augmenting the output of the coriolis meter with a speed of sound measurement provides a novel approach to improved density measurement for aerated fluids in two ways. Firstly, sound speed based gas volume fraction measurement provides a first-principles-based, real time measurement of the gas volume fraction and compressibility of the aerated process fluid. Secondly, the sound speed of the process fluid is used to compensate for the effect of the increased compressibility and inhomogeniety of aerated mixtures on the output of the coriolis density measurement. To illustrate the fundamental ways in which aeration impacts vibrating-tube density measurements, a simplified, lumped parameter model for the effects of aeration in vibrating tubes is developed. The model illustrates that the effects of aeration can be attributed to at least two independent mechanisms; 1) the density inhomogeniety of discrete gas bubbles and 2) increased mixture compressibility due to aeration. Analytical results are supported by experimental data which suggest that augmenting the density measurements from the coriolis meter with a sound speed measurement significantly enhances the ability determine the density of aerated liquids with an accuracy that approaches that for non-aerated mixtures.


Received: April 2016, Accepted: October 2016 Background: The global burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is noticeable and important. However, most STIs are curable and all of them are preventable. In this article, we reviewed and evaluated STI prevalence, current services, existing programs, and the challenges of control and management them in Iran. Materials and Methods: The author searched literature published from 2005 to 2015 in PubMed, MEDLINE, Google, Embase, and Cochran library databases, and by UNAIDS, , the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Health Ministry of Iran. A variety of Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms were used to access the literature. Results: The present review revealed that the prevalence of contamination with hepatitis B virus (HBV) in Iran has decreased dramatically in recent years. The prevalence of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis in the Iranian population did not exceed the estimated prevalence of these infections in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Although the condition of HIV epidemy is concentrated in Iran, its prevalence in the general population, based on literature, is extremely low. Centers of behavioral disease counseling, women centers, and positive clubs are three available centers in Iran helping in STI/AIDS prevalence reduction. The changing trend of HIV transmission pattern and lack of youth friendly services are the two main challenges of STI/AIDS prevention in Iran. Conclusions: The overall prevalence of STIs and HIV/AIDS is low in Iran. However, neglecting youth sexual activity and premarital sexual relationships could result in the failure of the STIs and HIV/AIDS prevention programs. Keyword: Sexually Transmitted Infections, Iran, Review


ABSTRACT: The conspicuous shifts in summertime values of common measures of water qualify that have persisted for 10 years (1993 to 2002) in the Seneca River, New York, as a result of the zebra mussel invasion are documented. Resolution of patterns in time and space is supported by water quality monitoring that extends back to the late 1970s. Patterns are evaluated to describe the stability of impacts and quantify metabolic activity of the invader. The water quality impacts that have persisted unabated for 10 years since the invasion are the most severe documented for a river in North America. Changes in summer median conditions since the invasion include: (1) a 16‐fold decrease in chlorophyll concentration (Chi), (2) a 2.5‐fold increase in Secchi disc transparency, (3) a 17‐fold increase in soluble reactive phosphorus concentration, (4) a 3.7‐fold increase in total ammonia concentration, (5) a greater than 25 percent decrease in dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration, and (6) a decrease in pH of 0.55 units. The strength of these signatures has been driven by anthropogenic influences that include upstream nutrient loading and morphometric modifications of the river, and the functioning of Cross Lake, through which the river flows. This hypereutrophic lake sustains dense zebra mussel populations and related water quality impacts in the river downstream of the lake outflow by acting as a source of veligers and suitable food for this bivalve. Evidence is presented that levels of metabolic activity of the zebra mussel in this river have been resource limited, manifested through increased consumption of Chl and DO with increased delivery of these constituents in the lake's outflow.


Abstract. This paper describes MicroHH 1.0, a new and open-source ( www.microhh.org ) computational fluid dynamics code for the simulation of turbulent flows in the atmosphere. It is primarily made for direct numerical simulation but also supports large-eddy simulation (LES). The paper covers the description of the governing equations, their numerical implementation, and the parameterizations included in the code. Furthermore, the paper presents the validation of the dynamical core in the form of convergence and conservation tests, and comparison of simulations of channel flows and slope flows against well-established test cases. The full numerical model, including the associated parameterizations for LES, has been tested for a set of cases under stable and unstable conditions, under the Boussinesq and anelastic approximations, and with dry and moist convection under stationary and time-varying boundary conditions. The paper presents performance tests showing good scaling from 256 to 32 768 processes. The graphical processing unit (GPU)-enabled version of the code can reach a speedup of more than an order of magnitude for simulations that fit in the memory of a single GPU.


Nurture Groups (NGs), an intervention designed for use with primary aged children with 'Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties' (SEMHD), has been adapted for use in secondary schools and schools for children with special educational needs. Existing research suggests that the NG approach can be an effective intervention with secondary aged pupils however very little research has studied the use of the approach in specialist settings.
This research explored the use of nurturing approaches and the establishment of a nurture unit in a specialist secondary school for young people with SEMHD. The explorative study used a grounded theory approach to data collection and analysis, aiming to explore the process of change which was occurring within the school and the impact of this change on the young people, staff group and the wider school context.
Findings suggest that the establishment of a year seven Nurture Group alongside whole school nurturing approaches was having a positive impact. It seemed that the young people within the group were building trusting relationships with their teachers and feeling safe within the smaller setting. The whole school was thought to have a calmer atmosphere, attributed largely to the use of "wondering aloud" interactional techniques. Nonetheless, the approach had not impacted all pupils equally, needing to be balanced with other approaches and adapted to meet individual needs as well as the adolescent population.
The implementation of the NG approaches was facilitated by a number of factors including a motivated management team, shared ownership of the project, availability of resources, support from outside professionals, whole school training and an on-going process of reflection and adaptation. Furthermore, there was a need for sufficient time for teachers to prepare, plan and reflect. Limitations to this study and implications for practice are discussed.


Abstract. Drifter measurements and satellite altimetry data are merged to reconstruct the surface geostrophic circulation of the Black Sea in the period 1999–2009. This combined data set is used to estimate pseudo-Eulerian velocity statistics for different time periods. Seasonal and interannual variability of currents and kinetic energy fields are described with particular attention to the mesoscale and sub-basin coastal eddies. The mean currents are generally stronger in winter and enhanced speeds are observed in the period 2002–2006. The most intense activity of sub-basin Batumi Eddy occurs in summer with greater speeds and dimensions in 2006 and 2008. The sub-basin Sevastopol Eddy is generated in spring from a meander of the Rim Current. Mesoscale eddies located along the Anatolia, Caucasus and Crimea coasts are permanent, quasi-permanent or intermittent features and can interact and merge with each other, showing high values of kinetic energy.


CONTEXT
The quadratus lumborum (QL) is expected to contribute to segmental motor control of the lumbar spine to prevent low back pain. It has different layers (anterior [QL-a] and posterior [QL-p] layers), whose functional differences are becoming apparent. However, the difference between the QL-a and QL-p activities during bridge exercises utilized in rehabilitation is unclear.

OBJECTIVE
To compare QL-a and QL-p activities during bridge exercises.

DESIGN
Repeated-measurement design was used to assess electromyographic activity of trunk muscles recorded during 14 types of bridge exercises.

SETTING
University laboratory.

PARTICIPANTS
A total of 13 healthy men with no history of lumbar spine disorders participated.

INTERVENTION
The participants performed 14 types of bridge exercises (3, 3, and 8 types of side bridge, back bridge, and front bridge [FB], respectively).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Fine-wire electromyography was used for QL-a and QL-p activity measurements during bridge exercises.

RESULTS
Both QL-a and QL-p showed the highest activity during the side bridge with hip abduction  (47.3% [29.5%] and 43.0% [32.9%] maximal voluntary isometric contraction, respectively). The activity of the QL-a was significantly higher than that of the QL-p during back bridge with ipsilateral leg lift and FB elbow-toe with ipsilateral arm and contralateral leg lift (P < .05). With regard to the QL-p, the activity of the FB hand-knee with contralateral arm and ipsilateral leg lift, the FB elbow-knee with contralateral arm and ipsilateral leg lift, and the FB elbow-toe with contralateral arm and ipsilateral leg lift were significantly higher than that of the FB elbow-knee and FB elbow-toe (P < .05).

CONCLUSION
This study indicates different regional activities; the QL-a activated during the back bridge with ipsilateral leg lift and FB with ipsilateral arm lift, and the QL-p activated during the FB with ipsilateral leg lift. These results have implications for the rehabilitation of low back pain or lumbar scoliosis patients based on QL recruitment.


Chapter 1 introduces the need for an updated study on the inheritance in the Pauline epistles, examines the history of research on this topic, and states the thesis of this dissertation. Then it explains the method that will be employed to examine the relevant inheritance texts and provides an overview of the dissertation.

Chapter 2 argues that typology and intertextuality are significant for interpreting the inheritance in Paul. Thus it explains these hermeneutical concepts before moving on to an analysis of the pertinent texts.

Chapter 3 contends that in Genesis to Chronicles the central understanding of the inheritance is the land of Canaan promised to Abraham and his descendants (e.g.Gen 15:3-5, 17:8; 21:10), the territory to which Israel sojourned and established a kingdom.

Subsequently, chapter 4 displays that the Psalms and Prophets expand the inheritance to include the eschatological world (e.g., Ps 2; Isa 54, 65-66). When God's people enter their inheritance, David's royal descendent will reign over them forever (Ezek 36-37; cf. Dan 7).

Chapter 5 demonstrates that the Second Temple literature, in line with the Psalms and Prophets, expands the inheritance to include the whole world (e.g., Sir 44:21; Jub. 22:14, 32:19). This is the place to which God's people will be resurrected to dwell (e.g., 4 Ezra 7) and over which Messiah will reign (e.g., 1 En. 51:1-5; 1QHa 14:29-31).

Chapter 6 argues that Paul's interpretation of the inheritance in Galatians follows that of the Old Testament and Second Temple literature, for he views this theme to be the renewed world (3:15-29; 4:21-31) where God will establish his lasting monarchy (4:1-7). Paul also suggests that the Spirit will see to it that believers receive their future inheritance (4:1-7).

Chapter 7 then examines the pertinent passages in Romans and other Pauline texts, confirming the observations about the inheritance in Galatians.

Chapter 8 summarizes the findings of each chapter and affirms the thesis of this dissertation.


The time-scale for galaxies within merging dark matter haloes to merge with each other is an important ingredient in galaxy formation models. Accurate estimates of merging time-scales are required for predictions of astrophysical quantities such as black hole binary merger rates, the build-up of stellar mass in central galaxies and the statistical properties of satellite galaxies within dark matter haloes. In this paper, we study the merging time-scales of extended dark matter haloes using N-body simulations. We compare these results to standard estimates based on the Chandrasekhar theory of dynamical friction. We find that these standard predictions for merging time-scales, which are often used in semi-analytic galaxy formation models, are systematically shorter than those found in simulations. The discrepancy is approximately a factor of 1.7 for M sat /M host ≈ 0.1 and becomes larger for more disparate satellite-to-host mass ratios, reaching a factor of ∼3.3 for M sat /M host ≈ 0.01. Based on our simulations, we propose a new, easily implementable fitting formula that accurately predicts the time-scale for an extended satellite to sink from the virial radius of a host halo down to the halo's centre for a wide range of M sat /M host and orbits. Including a central bulge in each galaxy changes the merging time-scale by ≤10 per cent. To highlight one concrete application of our results, we show that merging time-scales often used in the literature overestimate the growth of stellar mass by satellite accretion by ≈40 per cent, with the extra mass gained in low mass ratio mergers.


This dissertation investigates and introduces novel algorithms, theories, and supporting frameworks to significantly improve the growing problem of Internet security. A distributed firewall and active response architecture is introduced that enables any device within a cyber environment to participate in the active discovery and response of cyber attacks. A theory of semantic association systems is developed for the general problem of knowledge discovery in data. The theory of semantic association systems forms the basis of a novel semantic path merger packet classification algorithm. The theoretical aspects of the semantic path merger packet classification algorithm are investigated, and the algorithm's hardware-based implementation is evaluated along with comparative analysis versus content addressable memory. Experimental results show that the hardware implementation of the semantic path merger algorithm significantly outperforms content addressable memory in terms of energy consumption and operational timing.


This study examines boundary layer turbulence derived from high temporal resolution meteorological measurements from 40 research flights over the western North Atlantic Ocean during the 2020 deployments of ACTIVATE. Frequency distributions of various turbulent quantities reveal stronger turbulence during the winter deployment than in summer and for cloud‐topped than in cloud‐free boundary layers during the summer deployment. Maximum turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) is most often within cloud from observations in winter and summer, whereas it is mostly below cloud in both seasons by a global model turbulence parameterization. Bivariate frequency distributions are consistent with the bivariate Gaussian probability distribution functions assumed for the closure of higher‐order turbulence/shallow convection parameterizations used by some global models. Turbulence simulated by the Community Atmosphere Model version 6 and the Energy Exascale Earth System Model Atmosphere Model version 2 using such parameterizations is not as strong as observed, with more TKE going into vertical wind perturbations rather than into zonal wind perturbations as observed, suggesting that the treatment of turbulence in Earth system models still needs to be further improved.


Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the systemic causes of the failure of business ethics (BE) and suggest some possible remedies. The discipline and the movement of BE has at least three decades of history. BE has developed concepts and theories, and provided empirical evidences. However, BE as a movement and as a practice has failed to deliver the expected results. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses results from management ethics, moral psychology and corporate governance to analyze the underlying causes of corporate unethical behavior. Findings – The failure of BE is deeply rooted in today's corporation-ruled business world. BE has failed to realize systemic features of modern business and therefore missed its target. The social, ethical and environmental problems caused by corporations may require a different kind of treatment based on law, politics and social institutions. Originality/value – The paper uses models outside ethics to help business organizations to become more ethical in ...


Globalization and technological advancement have in a big way altered the business landscape, making it difficult for banks to sustain competitive advantage. The need to enhance competitiveness has forced banks to consider competitive intelligence not only as a tool and a mechanism for discovering new opportunities and trends. Competitive intelligence contributes to continuous improvement of the quality of products, services and solutions offered by companies to their clients as well as increasing a firm's innovative capability. Market place opportunities have been identified as one of the competitive intelligence domains that a firm needs to focus on in order to gain and sustain competitive advantage. This paper sought to examine the effect of market place opportunities on the competitive advantage among commercial banks in Kenya. The target population for the study were directors or managers in-charge of planning or strategy in each of the forty banks in the country. Primary data was collected using a semi structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was tested for both validity and reliability and was found to meet the required threshold. A response rate of 77.5% was achieved in the study and this was adequate for analysis. The study found that market place opportunities had significant effect on the ability of banks to gain and sustain competitive advantage. The study concluded that market place opportunities domain of competitive intelligence would help managers understand strategies the banks would use to identify opportunities in the market before they become obvious to rivals thereby gaining competitive advantage. The study therefore recommends that banks should raise the level of use of competitive intelligence in monitoring the competitive landscape to enable early identification of opportunities in the market place that banks could exploit to their advantage.


Carabids are an important insect group in grassland ecosystems and are involved in numerous ecosystem services. Steppes are the most widespread ecosystems in China, but they are under increasing degradation. Despite their importance, little is known about the relationships between environmental variables and carabid community structure in Chinese steppes. We studied the effects of fine-scale factors (soil and vegetation) and coarse-scale factors (climate) on carabid community parameters (abundance, richness, diversity, dominance, and evenness) in three types of steppes (desert, typical, and meadow steppes) in northern China. Carabid communities responded to environmental factors in different ways according to the type of steppe. Climate factors were the most important drivers of community structure, whereas the effects of soil and vegetation were less important. Desert steppe showed the lowest carabid abundance, richness, diversity, and evenness, and the highest dominance. This community is relatively simple and strongly dominated by a few species adapted to the severe conditions of this environment. Typical and meadow steppes showed carabid communities with a more complex structure. As expected on the basis of environmental severity, the most severe ecosystem (i.e., the desert) was only influenced by climatic factors, whereas a certain influence of biotic factors emerged in the other ecosystems.


The recent emergence of Olive Quick Decline Syndrome in Italy, caused by Xylella fastidiosa, has drawn attention to the risks posed by this vector-borne bacterium to important crops in Europe (especially fruit trees and grapevine). Comparatively very little is known on actual and potential impacts of this pathogen in forests, in the native (North American) and introduced (European) regions, respectively. The present review aims to address important questions related to the threat posed by X. fastidiosa to European forests, such as the following: What are the symptoms, hosts and impact of bacterial leaf scorch caused by X. fastidiosa on trees in North America? Which forest tree species have been found infected in the introduction area in Europe? How does X. fastidiosa cause disease in susceptible hosts? Are there any X. fastidiosa genotypes (subspecies and sequence types) specifically associated with forest trees? How is X. fastidiosa transmitted? What are the known and potential vectors for forest trees? How does vector ecology affect disease? Is the distribution of X. fastidiosa, especially the strains associated with trees, restricted by climatic factors? Is disease risk for trees different in forest ecosystems as compared with urban settings? We conclude by pointing to important knowledge gaps related to all these questions and strongly advocate for more research about the Xylella-forest pathosystems, in both North America and Europe.


In bright beers, the formation of permanent haze is a serious quality
problem that places limitations on the storage life of the product. From
silica gel, used for the colloidal stabilization of beer, a silica eluent
(SE) protein fraction was isolated and an antibody raised against this
fraction. Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
(SDS-PAGE) immunoblot analysis using the SE antiserum detected a
range of protein bands in barley, malt, beer, and haze. Interestingly, a
polymorphism was observed in some barley varieties that contained an
~12,000-molecular-weight band (SE +ve), while in other varieties, this
band was absent (SE –ve). Pilot brewing trials found that beer brewed
from SE –ve varieties formed less haze in haze force testing trials (5
days at 55°C/1 day at 0°C) than did beer produced from SE +ve varieties.
The interaction between the presence/absence of the SE protein
and controlled-atmosphere brewing by brewing under nitrogen or air
was also investigated. Surprisingly, the application of a nitrogen-rich atmosphere
produced beer that was less stable compared with that produced
when brewing under a normal atmosphere. Filtration trials showed
that the colloidal stability of beer could be influenced by the filtration
process. The removal of the SE protein and other proteins during filtration
from beer brewed with an SE +ve malt variety, along with a reduction
in the level of total protein as measured by Bradford, resulted
in improved colloidal stability. Combined, these investigations are discussed
in terms of brewers' options for extending the colloidal stability
of their beer and optimizing the colloidal stabilization treatments.


• The ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir that was packaged in accordance with the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) is the only ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir available at this time. For information on how to request expanded access use of ritonavir-boosted nirmatrelvir (e.g., for a course of treatment longer than 5 days), see "May health care providers prescribe Paxlovid for uses not authorized under EUA?" in this Frequently Asked Questions document from the Food and Drug Administration.


The phenotypic similarities between natural killer (NK) and T cells have led to the hypothesis that these distinctive lymphocyte subsets may be developmentally related and thus may share a common progenitor (Lanier, L. L., H. Spits, and J. H. Phillips, 1992. Immunol. Today. 13:392; Rodewald, H.-R., P. Moingeon, J. L. Lurich, C. Dosiou, P. Lopez, and E. L. Reinherz. 1992. Cell. 69:139). In this report, we have investigated the potential of human CD34+ triple negative thymocytes ([TN] CD3-, CD4-, CD8-) to generate both T cells and NK cells in murine fetal thymic organ cultures (mFTOC) and in vitro clonogenic assays. CD34+ TN thymocytes, the majority of which express prominent cytoplasmic CD3 epsilon (cytoCD3 epsilon) protein, can be divided into high (CD34Bright) and low (CD34Dim) surface expressing populations. CD34Bright TN thymocytes were capable of differentiating into T and NK cells when transferred into mFTOC, and demonstrated high NK cell clonogenic capabilities when cultured in interleukin (IL)-2, IL-7, and stem cell factor (SCF). Likewise, CD34Bright TN thymocyte clones after 5 d in culture were capable of generating NK and T cells when transferred into mFTOC but demonstrated clonogenic NK cell differentiation capabilities when maintained in culture with IL-2. CD34Dim TN thymocytes, however, possessed only T cell differentiation capabilities in mFTOC but were not expandable in clonogenic conditions containing IL-2, IL-7, and SCF. No significant differentiation of other cell lineage was detected in either mFTOC or in clonogenic assays from CD34+ TN thymocytes. These results represent the first definitive evidence of a common T/NK cell progenitor in the human fetal thymus and delineate the point in thymocyte differentiation where T and NK cells diverge.


It is reality that disasters affect all strata of society at different levels. To take an active role in reducing disaster loses of society is essential in raising awareness and the most effective way is education. In this study, first it was focused on the concept of 'disaster' and disaster education, then science and technology teachers' opinions on gains, activities and the importance of explanations of disaster education in elementary school science and technology curriculum and their realization levels and the causes of difficulties that teachers faced and their ideas of how disaster education should be thought were investigated. Randomly selected from all schools in Kocaeli, 80 science and technology teachers participated the study. Likert-type scale developed by the researchers was used in the study which was followed correlative survey model. According to the results of the study, teachers found significant the disaster education curriculum, but they could not realize at the same rate, female teachers were significantly different from male teachers in terms of the given importance to the disaster curriculum and its application. At the end of the article, solutions about dissemination and continuity of the disaster education were presented in terms of the teachers' difficulties and recommendations while they faced in


This paper discusses the stability problem of linear continuous-time distributed systems. When dealing with large-scale systems, usually there is not thorough knowledge of the interconnection models between different parts of the entire system. In this case, a useful stability analysis method should be able to deal with high dimensional systems accompanied with bounded uncertainties for its interconnections. In this paper, in order to formulate the stability criterion for large-scale systems, stability analysis of LTI systems is first considered. Based on the existing methods for estimating the spectra of square matrices, sufficient criteria are proposed to guarantee the asymptotic stability of such systems. One of the advantages of these stability conditions is in analyzing linear systems having uncertainties. In this case, a new sufficient criterion is introduced. Back to the main purpose of the paper, it will be proved that the method can also be used for the stability investigation of large-scale systems accompanied with bounded time-variant uncertainties. Then the maximum permissible bounds for the interconnections while holding the stability will be obtained. Since in analyzing large-scale systems there is hardly thorough knowledge about the interactions between subsystems, finding such bounds is of great importance. Unlike most of the previous work, this method is not restricted to structured uncertainties belonging to convex sets. The merit of the suggested stability analysis is illustrated via several examples.


: In this paper, stabilization and trajectory tracking control of the double inverted pendulum (DIP) as a benchmark under actuated highly nonlinear dynamical system, attributed with specific control complexities using hybrid observer based indirect fuzzy adaptive control is investigated. Due to inherent nature of the process that the equal number of control inputs as the degrees of freedom of the plant are not available, therefore, setting up the control action faces with serious challenges. Meanwhile, inaccessibility assumption to some state parameters as the most important factor in designing the controller by means of the proposed control method is for the first time addressed stabilizing the specified plant in this research. In order to illustrate the performance of the proposed approach, specific simulation software is developed in Matlab/Simulink platform. Set of conducted simulation results and comparative studies with the published papers addressing the same aim, showing the capability and excellence of the proposed hybrid fuzzy adaptive observer control approach achieving the targets in terms of establishing stabilization, trajectory tracking and robustifying the under controlled plant.


The members of the ADAR (adenosine deaminase acting on RNA) gene family are involved in site-selective RNA editing that changes adenosine residues of target substrate RNAs to inosine. Analysis of staged chimeric mouse embryos with a high contribution from embryonic stem cells with a functional null allele for ADAR1 revealed a heterozygous embryonic-lethal phenotype. Most ADAR1+/- chimeric embryos died before embryonic day 14 with defects in the hematopoietic system. Our results suggest the importance of regulated levels of ADAR1 expression, which is critical for embryonic erythropoiesis in the liver.


The first fossil remains of vertebrates, invertebrates, plants and palynomorphs of the Chorrillo Formation (Austral Basin), about 30km to the SW of the town of El Calafate (Province of Santa Cruz), are described. Fossils include the elasmarian (basal Iguanodontia) Isasicursor santacrucensis gen. et sp. nov., the large titanosaur Nullotitan glaciaris gen. et sp. nov., both large and small Megaraptoridae indet., and fragments of sauropod and theropod eggshells. The list of vertebrates is also composed by the Neognathae Kookne yeutensis gen. et sp. nov., two isolated caudal vertebrae of Mammalia indet., and isolated teeth of a large mosasaur. Remains of fishes, anurans, turtles, and snakes are represented by fragmentary material of low taxonomical value, with the exception of remains belonging to Calyptocephalellidae. On the other hand, a remarkable diversity of terrestrial and freshwater gastropods has been documented, as well as fossil woods and palinological assemblages. The Chorrillo Formation continues south, in the Las Chinas River valley, southern Chile, where it is called Dorotea Formation. Both units share in their lower two thirds abundant materials of titanosaurs, whose remains cease to appear in the upper third, registering only elasmarians (Chorrillo Formation) and hadrosaurs (Dorotea Formation). Above both units there are levels with remains of invertebrates and marine reptiles. It is striking that the dinosaurs of the lower two thirds of the Chorrillo and Dorotea formations are represented by large basal titanosaurs and Megaraptoridae coelurosaurs, being the Saltasaurinae and Aeolosaurinae sauropods and Abelisauridae theropods totally absent. In contrast, these taxa are dominant components in sedimentary units of central and northern Patagonia (e.g., Allen, Los Alamitos, La Colonia formations). Such differences could reflect, in part, a greater antiquity (i.e., late Campanian-early Maastrichtian) for the Chorrillo fossils, or, more probably, different environmental conditions. Thus, knowledge of the biota of the southern tip of Patagonia is expanded, particularly those temporarily close to the K-Pg boundary.


OBJECTIVES
Psychologic problems is increasing among pupils and has become a major problem in Sweden as well as in other Western countries. The aim of this study was to explore whether scheduled qigong exercise could have an effect on well-being at school, psychologic distress, self-image, and general stress.

SUBJECTS
Pupils, 13-14 years, were assigned to either a qigong group or a control group.

INTERVENTION
The qigong group had scheduled qigong 2 times a week for 8 weeks.

MEASURES
Self-reported well-being at school, psychologic distress, self-image, and stress were measured pre- and postintervention.

RESULTS
The control group had reduced well-being at school during the semester and the qigong group was stable. The qigong group reduced psychologic distress and stress, and had a tendency to improved self-image, whereas no changes were found in the control group. Self-image explains 47% (R(2) = 0.47) of well-being at school, and stress explains 29% (R(2) = 0.29) of psychologic distress.

CONCLUSIONS
Scheduled qigong, meditative movement, is a possible way to improve well-being at school.


Abstract: Gastric pellets (i.e., regurgitated indigestible food remains) are rare in the fossil record. Here, we describe three gastric pellets with bird remains from the early Eocene Messel fossil site in Germany. A small, ball-shaped specimen that contains various broken bird bones resembles the pellets of owls and may have been produced by the Messel owl Palaeoglaux artophoron, which would make it the oldest owl pellet identified so far. The two other gastric pellets with bird remains have more elongated shapes and probably stem from snakes or other squamates. Both contain partially articulated bird skeletons, one of which belongs to an undescribed species that is otherwise unknown from the abundant avian fossil record from Messel. The fossil pellets described here therefore not only contribute to a better understanding of the avifauna of Messel, but are also important for reconstructing trophic webs and add to an understanding of the early Eocene Messel ecosystem.


Coffee is a rich source of dietary antioxidants, and this property, coupled with the fact that coffee is one of the world's most popular beverages, has led to the understanding that coffee is a major contributor to dietary antioxidant intake. Brewed coffee is a complex food matrix with numerous phytochemical components that have antioxidant activity capable of scavenging free radicals, donating hydrogen and electrons, providing reducing activity and also acting as metal ion pro-oxidant chelators. More recent studies have shown that coffee components can trigger tissue antioxidant gene expression and protect against gastrointestinal oxidative stress. This paper will describe different in vitro, cell-free and cell-based assays that both characterize and compare the antioxidant capacity and mechanism of action of coffee and its bioactive constituents. Moreover, evidence of cellular antioxidant activity and correlated specific genomic events induced by coffee components, which are relevant to antioxidant function in both animal and human studies, will be discussed.


In an ongoing investigation on the helminths of amphibians in southeastern Mexico, specimens of 2 undescribed species of Haematoloechus were collected from Rana brownorum. Haematoloechus ceciliae n. sp. is morphologically most similar to Haematoloechus meridionalis, but differs in the shape of the oral sucker, in the nature of the acetabulum, and in the distribution of the glandular cells in the pharyngeal region; Haematoloechus celestunensis n. sp. closely resembles Haematoloechus floedae, but differs in the form and size of the testes and measurements of acetabulum. COI and 28S DNA sequences of both new species show high divergence compared to other species of the genus. In the phylogenetic trees, H. ceciliae appears most closely related to Haematoloechus danbrooksi and H. celestunensis to Haematoloechus veracruzanus.


This comprehensive, two-volume resource provides a thorough introduction to lithium ion (Li-ion) technology. Readers get a hands-on understanding of Li-ion technology, are guided through the design and assembly of a battery, through deployment, configuration and testing. The book covers dozens of applications, with solutions for each application provided. Volume One focuses on the Li-ion cell and its types, formats, and chemistries. Cell arrangements and issues, including series (balance) and parallel (fusing, inrush current) are also discussed. Li-ion Battery Management Systems are explored, focusing on types and topologies, functions, and selection. Battery design, assembly, deployment, troubleshooting and repair are also discussed, along with modular batteries, split batteries and battery arrays. Written by a prominent expert in the field and packed with over 500 illustrations, these volumes contain solutions to practical problems, making it useful for both the novice and experienced practitioners.


Introduction Some time ago, when I was sitting in on a middle school theology class at a private Catholic school, I noticed prominently displayed on one wall a familiar poster on the "Golden Rule" as found in thirteen world religions, from Christianity to Zoroastfianism. Having some familiarity with several of these traditions, I found the poster to be essentially accurate, and certainly the more the Golden Rule is known and practiced is all to the good. I also would acknowledge that there is a definite place for some measure of comparative ethics in all levels of our curricula, but I have become convinced that this approach alone is seriously deficient on several fronts and ultimately does not advance us much beyond a certain superficial politically correct tolerance on one hand or articulating what I have termed elsewhere a "lowest common denominator" (LCD) ethics. (1) As any mathematician will tell you, finding the LCD is often a vitally important first step in solving more complex problems, but its discovery alone will hardly result in the ethical equivalent of a string theory for human rights, not to mention resolving the more modest challenges posed by the reality of multiculturalism and pluralism that exists in virtually every classroom today. I begin then with a very brief discussion of what I mean by "cross-cultural ethics" and will then outline my own approach, termed "cross-fertilization," which builds on the metaphor of hybridization. This both helps students come together to discover the ethical perspectives of the cultural "other" and helps them to become more deeply aware of how their own "global pre-scientific convictions" (Karl Rahner) and Fundamental Values and Root Paradigms (Victor Turner, Mary Douglas, Clifford Geertz, et al.) shape their ethical worldviews, which are necessarily conditioned by the dynamics of ethnocentrism. (2) Cross-Cultural Ethics Cross-cultural ethics differs from the established academic sub-discipline of comparative ethics in both its object and its methodology. Comparative ethics is usually undertaken in one of two ways: either as an investigation of a different culture's mores, belief systems, and the like (often done within the discipline of cultural anthropology), or as an "ethical" treatment of an issue from a supposedly "neutral' (or "universalist" or "global") stance. Thus, comparative ethics in the first version is pursued chiefly as an object of academic "interest," while comparative ethics in the second instance often aims at the establishment of some common philosophical platform for discussion and/or possibly "adjudication" of concrete ethical issues that seem to involve many if not all contemporary cultures. (3) Much of the work in the so-called globalization of ethics and human rights, as the language of universal morality, exemplifies comparative ethics in the second instance. (4) Unfortunately, these approaches and "projects" have raised a number of significant questions (5) regarding its methodology and implicit conceptions of "culture," as well as the nettlesome issue of attempting to "compare" different cultural ethics from a standpoint that itself is never "acultural" and therefore can never claim to be completely "neutral." (6) Leaving aside for the moment the debate between "comparative" versus "cross-cultural" ethics or the viability of a globalization of ethics project, let me suggest that cross-cultural ethics involves both a somewhat different object of inquiry and a concomitant methodology. First, cross-cultural ethics stresses more the concept of culture and many of its related aspects--such as how ethos and ethnocentricity interact in particular ethical systems of moral reflection, enculturation, or socialization and the process of cross-cultural interaction termed "acculturation," which can at times become quite violent and which nearly always results in changes in all the parties involved in these interactions. …


. Lossy plus lossless techniques for image compression split an image into a low-bit-rate lossy representation and a residual that represents the difference between this low-rate lossy image and the originaL Conventional schemes encode the lossy image and its lossless residual in an independent manner. We show that making use of the lossy image to encode the residual can lead to significant savings in bit rate. Further, the complexity increase to attain these savings is minimaL The savings are achieved by capturing the inherent structure of the image in the form of a noncausal prediction model that we call a prediction tree. This prediction model is then used to transmit the lossless residuaL Simulation results show that a reduction of 0.5 to 1.0 bit/pixel can be achieved in bit rates compared to the conventional approach of independently encoding the residuaL


This thesis describes an infrared search for the intervening galaxies responsible for some of the heavy-element absorption lines observed in QSO spectra. Deep K-band images have been obtained of 11 QSOs whose spectra are known to contain multiple CIV absorption systems in the redshift range 1.2 ˂ z ˂ 2.0. After background subtraction, a clear excess of sources is detected within a small angular separation (≈ 6."0) of the QSOs. We discuss the possible origins of this excess, in particular the hypotheses that the excess arises from QSO-galaxy associations or from MgII systems at lower redshifts, but consider them unlikely in the light of previous studies. We thus conclude that the excess objects are most likely to be associated with the CIV absorption systems. Prom a final sample of 19 candidate absorbers with a mean redshift 1 - 1.6, we find that the absorbing candidate population consists of bright L* galaxies whose luminosities are similar to their present-day counterparts. Their linear impact parameters (30-40h(^-1) kpc) are found to be similar to those of spectroscopically-confirmed Mgll absorbers at lower redshifts, ruling out significant evolution in galactic halo sizes from z ~ 1.6 to z ~ 0.5. Optical R and /-band photometry of four fields is also presented, allowing us to determine optical-infrared colours for a subsample of our candidates; these are found to be typical of late-type, star-forming galaxies. We thus find that our candidate absorbers share several properties with the galaxies known to give rise to lower redshift MgII absorption lines.


The argument of this paper is that whistleblowing is an orphan. It is proven as the most effective way to identify wrongdoing, yet it belongs within no academic discipline or professional occupation. The paper argues that such a home is vital. There are several reasons. All disciplines and occupations experience whistleblowing issues. Where do the people from those occupations find the information to teach, consult or manage whistleblowing practices? Where do whistleblowers in these many different disciplines  go to find out what to do? How do they protect themselves from the retribution that will possibly follow? In addition, there are many institutional questions on how a society effectively ensures wrongdoing is stopped yet fully protects the whistleblower. How and where are those questions best answered? And from what academic base is that knowledge passed onto other disciplines? Research on whistleblowing is conducted by many disciplines. Those researchers will likely publish in their respective discipline journals. How then are these findings cross fertilised? Finally, in addition to difficulties in learning and teaching across different disciplines, we do not seem to learn from the different systems around the world. We do not know which system, or combination thereof, maximises the ability of ordinary people to speak out safely and effectively against wrongdoing. The paper concludes with an exploration of the institutional and academic options that could provide an effective mother. Keywords: whistleblowing, whistleblowing research, interdisciplinarity


Levine begins this review essay by noting that at the outset of his discussion, Gedicks notes the difficulty one faces in critically engaging Supreme Court decisions in the area of church and state law. Gedicks goes on to premise his analysis on the identification of "competing rhetorical discourses of church-state relations," through which he attempts to "organize virtually all of religion clause doctrine." Gedicks applies this phenomenon, which he terms "discourse," to church and state law. Thus, in The Rhetoric of Church and State: A Critical Analysis of Religion Clause Jurisprudence, Professor Gedicks succeeds in his goal of providing a thoughtful look at many of the central issues in current church-state law "at a level deeper than doctrine." Levine states that the book's most important contribution may be its identification of competing discourses which see the relationship between church and state through different and somewhat incompatible world views. As Gedicks convincingly illustrates throughout the book, it is the basic differences between discourses that make the pursuit of religious neutrality so elusive. Gedicks concludes the book with a call for a third discourse of church and state, one that could weave the threads of religion clause jurisprudence into a coherent whole and attract popular support, which secular individualism had failed to do, and which could also protect a meaningful measure of religious freedom and pluralism, which religious communitarianism would threaten. Though Gedicks does not identify such a solution, he acknowledges that, as his analysis often - though perhaps not always self-consciously - demonstrates, "since each of these discourses is antithetical to the other, efforts to mediate a compromise position between the two are doomed."


In a GPU, all threads within a warp execute the same instruction in lockstep. For a memory instruction, this can lead to memory divergence: the memory requests for some threads are serviced early, while the remaining requests incur long latencies. This divergence stalls the warp, as it cannot execute the next instruction until all requests from the current instruction complete. In this work, we make three new observations. First, GPGPU warps exhibit heterogeneous memory divergence behavior at the shared cache: some warps have most of their requests hit in the cache (high cache utility), while other warps see most of their request miss (low cache utility). Second, a warp retains the same divergence behavior for long periods of execution. Third, due to high memory level parallelism, requests going to the shared cache can incur queuing delays as large as hundreds of cycles, exacerbating the effects of memory divergence. We propose a set of techniques, collectively called Memory Divergence Correction (MeDiC), that reduce the negative performance impact of memory divergence and cache queuing. MeDiC uses warp divergence characterization to guide three components: (1) a cache bypassing mechanism that exploits the latency tolerance of low cache utility warps to both alleviate queuing delay and increase the hit rate for high cache utility warps, (2) a cache insertion policy that prevents data from highcache utility warps from being prematurely evicted, and (3) a memory controller that prioritizes the few requests received from high cache utility warps to minimize stall time. We compare MeDiC to four cache management techniques, and find that it delivers an average speedup of 21.8%, and 20.1% higher energy efficiency, over a state-of-the-art GPU cache management mechanism across 15 different GPGPU applications.


In the present paper, recent progress in direct catalytic decomposition of NO is reviewed. In last twenty years many catalysts have been tested (metals, zeolites, different types of oxides). Some of them have been reported as effective for the NO direct decomposition; however, no catalyst exhibits satisfactory activity in the presence of co-existing gases (O-2, CO2, SO2). The catalyst basicity and ability to desorb N-2 and O-2 from its surface plays an important role in the NO direct decomposition. The active sites for the NO decomposition differ depending on the catalyst type and the reaction mechanism. In many cases these mechanisms are still not fully understood. Since the sufficiently active and stable catalyst has not been found yet, further studies should be continued.


The rapid proliferation of cloud and service-oriented computing infrastructure is creating an ever increasing thirst for storage within data centers. Ideally management applications in cloud deployments should operate in terms of high-level goals, and not present specific implementation details to administrators. Cloud providers often employ Storage Area Networks (SANs) to gain storage scalability. SAN configurations have a vast parameter space, which makes them one of the most difficult components to configure and manage in a cloud storage offering.
 As a step towards a general cloud storage configuration platform, this paper introduces a SAN configuration middleware that aids management applications in their task of updating and troubleshooting heterogeneous SAN deployments. The middleware acts as a proxy between management applications and a central repository of SAN configurations. The central repository is designed to validate SAN configurations against a knowledge base of best practice rules across cloud deployments. Management applications contribute local SAN configurations to the repository, and also subscribe to proactive notifications for configurations now no longer considered safe.