In this paper, we study the achievable link-layer rate, namely, effective capacity (EC), under the per-user statistical delay quality-of-service (QoS) requirements, for a downlink non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) network with <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$M$ </tex-math></inline-formula> users. Specifically, the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$M$ </tex-math></inline-formula> users are assumed to be divided into multiple NOMA pairs. Conventional orthogonal multiple access (OMA) then is applied for inter-NOMA-pairs multiple access. Focusing on the total link-layer rate for a downlink <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$M$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-user network, we prove that OMA outperforms NOMA when the transmit signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is small. On the contrary, simulation results show that NOMA prevails over OMA at high values of SNR. Aware of the importance of a two-user NOMA network, we also theoretically investigate the impact of the transmit SNR and the delay QoS requirement on the individual EC performance and the total link-layer rate for a two-user network. Specifically, for delay-constrained and delay-unconstrained users, we prove that for the user with the stronger channel condition in a two-user network, NOMA prevails over OMA when the transmit SNR is large. On the other hand, for the user with the weaker channel condition in a two-user network, it is proved that NOMA outperforms OMA when the transmit SNR is small. Furthermore, for the user with the weaker channel condition, the individual EC in NOMA is limited to a maximum value, even if the transmit SNR goes to infinity. To confirm these insightful conclusions, the closed-form expressions for the individual EC in a two-user network, by applying NOMA or OMA, are derived for both users and then confirmed using Monte Carlo simulations.


Freshwater pollution compromises drinking water in a worldwide context. Water pollu- tion is one of the major environmental challenges facing humanity. Therefore, the application of methods to control the pollution in water is a growing research field. Among the methods, ozone has been widely applied due to its high oxidation potential. However, one disadvantage is the presence of refractory organic compounds that are partially oxi- dized leaving mineralization incomplete. Several approaches have been considered to improve the oxidizing power, reducing the reaction time, and increasing the mineraliza- tion degree of ozone. So far, the combination of a solid catalyst with ozone (catalytic ozonation) has shown to enhance the degradation of refractory organic compounds in water. This chapter presents the combination of different metallic oxides (Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , SiO 2 , and NiO) with ozone to determine the effect of ozone decomposition and the subsequent elimination of one chlorinated compound (2,4-D). The chemical structure of the initial compound (2,4-D, benzoic and phthalic acid), as well as the initial catalyst dosage (0.1 and 0.5 g L −1 ) with the mentioned compounds, was also studied. Moreover, the degradation of two aromatic compounds (naphthalene and naproxen) with different proportions of ethanol (representing the organic matter of wastewater) was analyzed to establish their effect on the catalytic ozonation process.


The spatial and spectral properties of three solar flare coronal X-ray loops are studied before, during, and after the peak X-ray emission. Using observations from the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), we deduce the temporal changes in emitting X-ray length, corpulence, volume, position, number density, and thermal pressure. We observe a decrease in the loop length, width, and volume before the X-ray peak, and an increasing number density and thermal pressure. After the X-ray peak, volume increases and loop corpulence grows due to increasing width. The volume variations are more pronounced than the position variations, often known as magnetic field line contraction. We believe this is the first dedicated study examining the temporal evolution of X-ray loop lengths and widths. Collectively, the observations also show for the first time three temporal phases given by peaks in temperature, X-ray emission, and thermal pressure, with the minimum volume coinciding with the X-ray peak. Although the volume of the flaring plasma decreases before the peak in X-ray emission, the relationship between temperature and volume does not support simple compressive heating in a collapsing magnetic trap model. Within a low β plasma, shrinking loop widths perpendicular to the guiding field can be explained by squeezing the magnetic field threading the region. Plasma heating leads to chromospheric evaporation and growing number density. This produces increasing thermal pressure and decreasing loop lengths as electrons interact at shorter distances and we believe after the X-ray peak, the increasing loop corpulence.


We present a novel object detection strategy using depth cue which is robust to small-sized objects. In practical cases, the target objects that we want to detect often appear in very small portion of the input images and most of previous object recognition and detection approaches aiming to achieve high accuracy for several object databases are not applicable. Adopting the depth cue as a prior removes the scale ambiguity and allows us to use adaptive scales for all candidate regions even when the object is seen at small size. The depth cue can be easily obtained by a Laser Range Finder (LRF) or a stereo camera which have become common for many camera-based configurations. By using our proposed method in combination with any other object detection/recognition method, we can expect a substantial improvement of success rate when an insufficient appearance of object causes trouble. We designed an experiment with a scenario in which an indoor mobile robot tries to find several target objects in general environment. The experimental result demonstrates that the proposed method is effective to improve the success rate of small object detection tasks.


This article summarizes and draws connections among diverse streams of theoretical and empirical research on the economics of privacy. We focus on the economic value and consequences of protecting and disclosing personal information, and on consumers' understanding and decisions regarding the trade-offs associated with the privacy and the sharing of personal data. We highlight how the economic analysis of privacy evolved over time, as advancements in information technology raised increasingly nuanced and complex issues. We find and highlight three themes that connect diverse insights from the literature. First, characterizing a single unifying economic theory of privacy is hard, because privacy issues of economic relevance arise in widely diverse contexts. Second, there are theoretical and empirical situations where the protection of privacy can both enhance and detract from individual and societal welfare. Third, in digital economies, consumers' ability to make informed decisions about their privacy is severely hindered because consumers are often in a position of imperfect or asymmetric information regarding when their data is collected, for what purposes, and with what consequences. We conclude the article by highlighting some of the ongoing issues in the privacy debate of interest to economists.


The nanogenerator (NG), first proposed for the purpose of self-powered nanotechnology in 2006, converts random mechanical energy into electric energy using piezoelectric zinc oxide nanowire (NW) arrays. The mechanism of the NG relies on the piezoelectric potential created in the NWs by an external strain: a dynamic straining of the NWs results in a transient flow of the electrons in the external load because of the driving force of the piezoelectric potential. The advantage of using NWs is that they can be triggered by tiny-scale physical motions. Further, the excitation frequency can range from one Hz to thousands of Hz, which makes NGs ideal for harvesting random energy in the environment. In our living environment, there exists an abundant amount of mechanical energy otherwise lost, such as light wind, body movement, muscle stretching, acoustic/ultrasonic waves, noises, mechanical vibration, and blood flow. Hence, the NW based piezoelectric NGs can provide a promising potential as energy harvester for solving the energy crisis and preserving environmental health. The objective of this chapter is to introduce the fundamentals of piezoelectric NW based NGs. We start from the synthesis of piezoelectric NWs, followed by a description of the fundamental principle of a NG based on a single NW. We then demonstrate the engineering approaches for achieving high output power by laterally and vertically integrating the contribution from thousands of NWs. Lastly, we show the prototype for self-powered systems and self-powered active sensors.


Stabilizing Silicon Solar-driven water splitting has potential as an energy storage mechanism to supplement the direct conversion of sunlight to electricity. A submersed integrated device has been proposed both to absorb the light and to catalyze the reaction, but stability has been a problem. Kenney et al. (p. 836; see the Perspective by Turner) found that a nickel coating, thin enough to let light through, could protect a silicon absorber in the alkaline environment of a lithium/potassium borate electrolyte. The nickel also functioned as the oxidation catalyst, and the lithium ions helped to establish a protective film structure in situ. A nickel coating renders silicon stable in alkaline lithium borate electrolyte for solar water-splitting applications. [Also see Perspective by Turner] Silicon's sensitivity to corrosion has hindered its use in photoanode applications. We found that deposition of a ~2-nanometer nickel film on n-type silicon (n-Si) with its native oxide affords a high-performance metal-insulator-semiconductor photoanode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation in both aqueous potassium hydroxide (KOH, pH = 14) and aqueous borate buffer (pH = 9.5) solutions. The Ni film acted as a surface protection layer against corrosion and as a nonprecious metal electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution. In 1 M aqueous KOH, the Ni/n-Si photoanodes exhibited high PEC activity with a low onset potential (~1.07 volts versus reversible hydrogen electrode), high photocurrent density, and durability. The electrode showed no sign of decay after ~80 hours of continuous PEC water oxidation in a mixed lithium borate–potassium borate electrolyte. The high photovoltage was attributed to a high built-in potential in a metal-insulator-semiconductor–like device with an ultrathin, incomplete screening Ni/NiOx layer from the electrolyte.


We demonstrate that the soft nature of organic semiconductors can be exploited to directly measure the potential distribution inside such an organic layer by scanning-tunneling microscope (STM) based spectroscopy. Keeping the STM feedback system active while reducing the tip-sample bias forces the tip to penetrate the organic layer. From an analysis of the injection and bulk transport processes it follows that the tip height versus bias trace obtained in this way directly reflects the potential distribution in the organic layer.


Written in Alwyn Scotts inimitable style lucid and accessible The Nonlinear Universe surveys and explores the explosion of activity in nonlinear science that began in the 1970s and 1980s and continues today. The book explains the wide-ranging implications of nonlinear phenomena for future developments in many areas of modern science, including mathematics, physics, engineering, chemistry, biology, and neuroscience. Arguably as important as quantum theory, modern nonlinear science and an appreciation of its implications is essential for understanding scientific developments of the twenty-first century.


Surface soils and their microbiology have been studied for decades. However, subsurface soil, more broadly referred to as the vadose zone, is of increasing interest to microbiologists. The vadose zone, extending from the terrestrial surface to the groundwater table, is rich in microbes of many types. This review summarizes what is known about the abundance and diversity of microbes in the vadose zone and the environmental factors that influence vadose zone microbes and microbial processes. We discuss the roles of vadose zone microbes in nutrient cycling as well as their importance in pollutant remediation. We address a number of fundamental questions in vadose zone microbial ecology, including: What do we need to learn about vadose zone microbes to improve our ability to predict the fates of pollutants? How different are microbial communities and microbial activities in the terrestrial subsurface compared with surface soil? Numerous questions and arguments justify "deepening" soil microbiology's spatial context to include the whole unsaturated subsurface.


Dr W NORMAN-TAYLOR (Chorleywood, Herts WD3 5NT) writes: Dr N Howard-Jones (20 October, p 1080) denigrates the World Medical Association by producing chapter and verse to show that the United Nations' resolution on professional ethics in the presence of torture, etc (1982), was not "based" on WMA's existing declaration on the subject. This was in fact promulgated in 1975 at the Tokyo assembly, three years before the Council for International Organisations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS), the body to whom the United Nations had referred the problem, reported back. It is inconceivable that CIOMS did not see the WMA declaration because the wording of their report is almost identical with it, except that they included all health personnelfor example, nurses-not just doctors. The inclusion of nurses was one of the reasons why WMA "hesitated" and eventually declined to enter the discussion, in the belief that its position as regards doctors was clear and that it could hardly have an opinion about nurses. Dr HowardJones tries to make anti-WMA capital out of this. The irony of it all is that the WMA's Declaration on Tortuire and Forced Feeding arose out of a motion submitted to it by the BMA itself, jointly with the Irish Medical Association. This in turn came from the annual representative meeting at Southampton in 1972, when the Parker report on Northern Ireland was under discussion. The BMA Council motion, which eventually went to WMA, also owed much to a report from the medical group of the British section of Amnesty International.' One might wonder why Dr Howard-Jones protests so much about the WMA. Is it because he is, or was, an employee of the World Health Organisation and therefore has among his masters the governments of Russia, South Africa, certain Latin American countries, and other governments to whom WMA, with its pronouncements on civil rights, has caused much embarrassment, and who would welcome any statement, however tendentious, that might lower its standing ?


Background Immunogenicity of aTNFs is one of the mechanisms behind treatment failure. Objective To assess the effect of anti-drug antibodies (ADA) on drug response to infliximab, adalimumab and etanercept, and the effect of immunosuppression on ADA detection, in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Spondyloarthritis, Psoriasis and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Data sources PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane databases, article reference lists (through August 19 2012). Study selection Out of 2082 studies, 17 were used in the meta-analysis (1RCT; 16 observational studies). Data extraction Two reviewers extracted data. Risk ratios (RR), 95% CI, using random-effect models, sensitivity analysis, meta-regressions and Egger's test were calculated. Data synthesis Of 865 patients, ADA against infliximab or adalimumab reduced drug response rate by 68% (RR=0.68, 95% CI=0.12 to 0.36), an effect attenuated by concomitant methotrexate (MTX): <74% MTX+: RR=0.23, 95% CI=0.15 to 0.36; ≥74% MTX+: RR=0.32, 95% CI=0.22 to 0.48. Anti-etanercept antibodies were not detected. Of 936 patients, concomitant MTX or azathioprine/mercaptopurine reduced ADA frequency by 47% (RR=0.53, 95% CI=0.42 to 0.67), particularly when ADA were assessed by RIA (RR=0.36, 95% CI=0.23 to 0.55) compared with ELISA (RR=0.63, 95% CI=0.53 to 0.74). Conclusions ADA reduces drug response, an effect that can be attenuated by concomitant immunosuppression, which reduces ADA frequency. Drug immunogenicity should be considered for the management of patients receiving biological therapies.


Although regional climates throughout much of the world appear to have become more arid in late Cenozoic time, sedimentation rates, and therefore presumably erosion rates, have increased. For sustained erosion of elevated terrain, at least where glaciers are not the major erosive agent, rivers must incise. Therefore bed-load transport by rivers should be a rate-limiting process in erosion. Theories of bed-load transport call for a threshold in either stream power per unit area or shear stress before the bed load can be moved, and most transport should be accomplished during high discharge. The frequency- magnitude distribution of floods shows that the ratio of magnitudes of, for example, 100 yr floods and annual floods is greater in arid than in humid environments. Thus, a shift toward more arid conditions may have increased relative magnitudes of rare floods or, conversely, increased the frequency of large floods. Such a shift, despite a decrease in precipitation and discharge, could have doubled incision rates, particularly in regions already quite arid.


Widespread flooding, such as the events in the winter of 2013/2014 in the UK and early summer 2013 in Cent ral Europe, demonst rate clearly how important it is to understand the characterist ics of floods in which mult iple locat ions experience ext reme river flows. Recent developments in mult ivariate stat ist ical modelling help to place such events in a probabilist ic framework. It is now possible to perform joint probability analysis of events defined in terms of physical variables at hundreds of locat ions simultaneously, over mult iple variables (including river flows, rainfall and sea levels), combined with analysis of temporal dependence to capture the evolut ion of events over a large domain. Crit ical const raints on such data-driven methods are the problems of missing data, especially where records over a network are not all concurrent , the joint analysis of several different physical variables, and the choice of suitable t ime scales when combining informat ion from those variables. This paper presents new developments of a high-dimensional condit ional probability model for ext reme river flow events condit ioned on flow and r ainfall observat ions. These are: a new computat ionally efficient paramet ric approach to account for missing data in the joint analysis of ext remes over a large hydromet ric network; a robust approach for the spat ial interpolation of extreme events throughout a large river network,; generat ion of realist ic est imates of ext remes at ungauged locat ions; and, exploit ing rainfall information rat ionally within the stat ist ical model to help improve efficiency. These methodological advances will be illust rated with data from the UK river network and recent events to show how they cont ribute to a flexible and effective framework for flood risk assessment, with applicat ions in the insurance sector and for nat ional-scale emergency planning.


Abstract We investigated the effect of silver, Ag(In) alloy and Y2BaCuO5 (the so-called Y-211 green phase) on melt-textured samples of YBa2Cu3O7-δ (Y-123) phase in order to check whether better grain growth and alignment were possible. We demonstrate that the addition of silver to Y-123 always led to an enhanced texture. The typical microstructure of the composite Y-123 plus Y-211 (that is believed essential for high critical currents in these high-T c superconductors) was not disturbed by addition of silver up to 7.5 wt% while higher concentrations of metal led to a degradation of the texture. Differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis were used to investigate the influence of silver and Ag(In) alloy on the Y-Ba-Cu-O equilibria around the Y-123 phase. We found a very unexpected thermal behaviour, similar to eutectic equilibrium, when the silver concentration was increased to 35wt%. We believe that this effect was essentially due to the increasingly higher concentration of silver that could react with the impurities present in the melt.


No longer is patient engagement the fanciful notion it was at the start of FasterCures' journey in 2003, and the rush of activity is welcome and vital. It is early days in the creation of a science of patient input. Participants are establishing rigorous methods to better integrate patient perspectives, needs, and priorities throughout biomedical and bioengineering R&D and care delivery to patients. To assess progress and unmet needs, FasterCures tracked more than 70 collaborative initiatives clustered in six categories that are defining and shaping this developing field. No longer is patient engagement a fanciful notion as it was at the start of our journey in 2003, and the rush of activity is welcome and vital.


Details of the microphysics are shown to be responsible for a region of ice cloud which, when probed from above, has decreasing radar reflectivity (Ze) downwards at 94 GHz but increasing Ze at 9.7 GHz. This 94‐GHz radar dim band is found to be due to the combination of ice particle aggregation and non‐Rayleigh scattering effects. Observations and model calculations indicate that it occurs when the particle size distribution (PSD) broadens such that its slope, as derived from fitted PSD, decreases below about 15 cm−1, or equivalently, to a median volume diameter exceeding 0.25 cm. Dimming occurs at temperatures (T) primarily between −5 and 0°C but can occur at −30°C or below in convectively‐generated ice clouds (anvils). The dimming effect may produce an appreciable low bias in the ice water content (IWC) retrieved from Ze measured by CloudSat's 94‐GHz radar. Methods to estimate the IWC in the dim band are proposed.


The effects of wildfires and deforestation on the remobilization of persistent inorganic contaminants are not completely understood. In forests, trace metal contaminants (e.g., lead) are sequestered in terrestrial sediment, soil organic matter, and vegetation, where they are relatively immobile. However, the combustion of soil organic matter and vegetation releases these contaminants in more labile forms. The associated deforestation and accelerated weathering increase the mobilization of trace metals from forests by simply increasing rates of erosion. These remobilized contaminants are transported to water bodies, increasing the loads of contaminants in these aquatic systems.This project used analyses of trace metal inventories and lead isotopic compositions to study the remobilization and transport of toxic metals with respect to forest fires and deforestation associated with land-use. Chapters 2 and 3 present the results of investigation of the pyrogenic remobilization of trace metals at two contrasting sites in California: the relatively pristine Santa Barbara and the more populated and industrialized Los Angeles Metropolitan Area. The results indicate that wildfires are increasing the remobilization and transport of persistent contaminants (e.g., lead) in both study areas. Chapter 4 presents the results of a similar study conducted in Chile, in which geochronology and lead isotopic compositions were used to investigate the impact of historic (about a century ago) slash and burn practices on the deposition of trace metals in Lake Thompson, Patagonia. The results show a positive relationship between fire size and the flux of metals to the lake. These findings are significant because the frequency and intensity of wildfires are expected to increase with global climate change. Chapter 5 presents the results of a study in which contaminant remobilization was linked to land-use practices by characterizing temporal changes in the flux of trace metals to Lake Tanganyika, Africa. The results indicate that deforestation is the predominant factor accelerating trace metals transport to the lake. This land-use associated remobilization of contaminants is projected to increase with population growth and industrialization in Africa.


Simulators are widely used in computer architecture research. While detailed cycle-accurate simulations provide useful insights, studies using modern workloads typically require days or weeks. Evaluating many design points, only exacerbates the simulation overhead. Recent works propose methods with good accuracy that reduce the simulated overhead either by sampling the execution (e.g., SMARTS and SimPoint) or by using fast analytical models of the simulated designs (e.g., Interval Simulation). While these techniques reduce significantly the simulation overhead, modeling processor components with large state, such as the last-level cache, requires costly simulation to warm them up. Statistical simulation methods, such as SMARTS, report that the warm-up overhead accounts for 99% of the simulation overhead, while only 1% of the time is spent simulating the target design. This paper proposes WarmSim, a method that eliminates the need to warm up the cache. WarmSim builds on top of a statistical cache modeling technique and extends it to model accurately not only the miss ratio but also the outcome of every cache request. WarmSim uses as input, an application's memory reuse information which is hardware independent. Therefore, different cache configurations can be simulated using the same input data. We demonstrate that this approach can be used to estimate the CPI of the SPEC CPU2006 benchmarks with an average error of 1.77%, reducing the overhead compared to a simulation with a 10M instruction warm-up by a factor of 50x.


Growth hormone (GH) is a poly-peptide hormone produced by the anterior pituitary. Growth hormone not only stimulates body and muscle growth but also inhibits adipose tissue growth. The overall objective of this study was to determine the mechanisms by which GH inhibits adipose tissue growth. Three studies were conducted to achieve this objective. The first study was conducted to determine if GH inhibits fat tissue growth by stimulating lipolysis. In this study, adipose tissue weight and adipocyte size were compared between GH-deficient growth hormone releasing hormone receptor (Ghrhr) homozygous mutant mice (i.e., lit/lit mice), lit/+ mice, and lit/lit mice injected with GH. lit/lit mice had less body weight but more subcutaneous fat and larger adipocytes compared to lit/+ mice at the same ages. GH treatment to lit/lit mice for four weeks partially reversed these differences. These data suggest that GH inhibits adipose tissue growth in mice at least in part by stimulating lipolysis. Additional data from this study suggest that GH indirectly stimulates lipolysis in vivo and this indirect mechanism is independent of β adrenergic receptors in the adipose tissue. The second study was conducted to investigate if GH inhibits fat tissue growth also by inhibiting adipogenesis. In this study, stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells were isolated from subcutaneous fat of lit/+ and lit/lit mice and were induced to differentiate into adipocytes in vitro. Oil Red O staining and gene expression analysis revealed that the SVF cells from lit/lit mice had iii greater adipogenic potential than from lit/+ mice. This suggests that GH inhibits adipose tissue growth also through inhibition of adipogenesis. Additional data from this study suggest that GH may inhibit adipogenesis by inhibiting the formation of adipogenic precursor cells in adipose tissue in mice. The third study was conducted to determine the role of the central component of GH receptor signaling, STAT5, in GH inhibition of differentiation of bovine preadipocytes. In this study, preadipocytes were isolated from subcutaneous fat of adult cattle and were induced to differentiate with or without GH. Based on Oil Red O staining, gene expression, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH) activity and acetate incorporation assays, GH inhibited differentiation of bovine preadipocytes into adipocytes. GH induced phosphorylation of STAT5 in differentiating bovine preadipocytes. Overexpression of constitutively active STAT5 through adenovirus mimicked the effect of GH on differentiation of bovine preadipocytes. These data support a role of STAT5 in mediating the inhibitory effect of GH on differentiation of bovine preadipocytes into adipocytes. Overall, GH inhibits adipose tissue by both stimulating lipolysis and inhibiting adipogenesis; GH stimulates lipolysis through an indirect mechanism that is independent of the β adrenergic receptors; GH inhibits adipogenesis through a direct mechanism that may involve the transcription


A pathogenic fungus activates two C-type lectin receptors to skew the T cell response to one favorable to infection. Pathogen-associated molecules trigger immune responses through pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), both of which are present on dendritic cells (DCs) (see Rivera). Wevers et al. report a mechanism by which Fonseca monophora, a pathogenic fungus that causes the chronic skin infection chromoblastomycosis, subverted the antifungal response through the stimulation of two CLRs with antagonistic activity. In coculture experiments, DCs stimulated with the TLR4 agonist lipopolysaccharide (LPS) promoted the differentiation of T helper 1 (TH1) cells, whereas DCs stimulated with F. monophora alone or F. monophora plus LPS promoted TH2 differentiation. Although F. monophora stimulated primary human DCs to produce various cytokines, it did not trigger production of interleukin (IL)-12p35, a subunit of the TH1-inducing cytokine IL-12. DCs stimulated with LPS produced IL-12p35, and production of this cytokine subunit was inhibited by the presence of F. monophora. Analysis of the cytokine profile of DCs lacking either the CLR dectin-1 or the CLR Mincle showed that the production of IL-6, IL-1β, IL-12p40, and IL-23 in response to F. monophora required dectin-1, and the suppression of IL-12p35 production required Mincle. Activation of Mincle by F. monophora promoted the degradation of interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1), which is activated by dectin-1 or TLR4 signaling and remodels nucleosomes to promote transcription of IL12A. Mincle triggered IRF2 degradation through Akt-dependent activation of the ubiquitin E3 ligase Mdm2. This antagonism of dectin-1–mediated IL12A expression by Mincle benefits the pathogen by favoring the differentiation of TH2 cells at the expense of TH1 cells. TH1 cells are critical for activation of pathogen-destroying phagocytes. In contrast, TH2 cells, which are present in chromoblastomycosis lesions, dampen the TH1 response. This may be a common strategy for evading the antifungal response, because several other species of fungi related to F. monophora also bound to recombinant Mincle, inhibited LPS-induced TH1 differentiation, and promoted TH2 differentiation. B. A. Wevers, T. M. Kaptein, E. M. Zijlstra-Willems, B. Theelen, T. Boekhout, T. B. H. Geijtenbeek, S. I. Gringhuis, Fungal engagement of the C-type lectin Mincle suppresses dectin-1-induced antifungal immunity. Cell Host Microbe 15, 494–505 (2014). [Online Journal] A. Rivera, When PRRs collide: Mincle meddles with dectin and Toll. Cell Host Microbe 15, 397–399 (2014). [Online Journal]


Pedestrian flows occurring in train stations are multi-directional and highly non-stationary. In this work, we develop a cell-based pedestrian flow model capable of describing flow patterns arising when a multitude of trains arrive and depart in close succession. We assume that pedestrian demand, i.e., OD flows and corresponding route fractions, are known a priori. Based on first-order pedestrian flow theory and a cell-transmission model, propagation of individual groups of pedestrians is described depending on route, departure time and group size. Furthermore, tra c-dependent path choice is considered using route-specific potentials assigned to each cell. A detailed derivation of the mathematical framework and a literature review is provided, underlining the novel aspects of the proposed model.


Introduction: Due to undeniable effect of surface treatment on restoration bond strength, this study was conducted to measure and compare the shear bond strength of hybrid ionomer and compomer using the three different methods of surface conditioning. Methods: In this in vitro experimental study, 72 samples were prepared from hybrid ionomer (Vitremer-3M) and compomer (Compoglass-Vivadent) restoration materials on the basis of three methods of surface conditioning (etching with 37% phosphoric acid/using silicon carbide paper/micro abrasion with 50 μmaluminum oxide particles). After thermo cycling and simulating the oral environment, maximum shear bond strength of samples was measured by instron machine at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm per minute on mega Pascal. The data were analyzed by SPSS software and ANOVA completely randomized design and two independent samples t-test. This significance level was considered p<0.05. Results: There was statistically significant difference between the shear bond strength of two types of restoration material, acid phosphoric and silicon carbide, after the different surface treatments (p=0.016 and p=0.002). In micro abrasion surface preparation method, no statistically significant difference was found in restoration shear bond strength. The shear bond strength of compomer group was also significantly more than hybrid ionomer group (p=0.015). Conclusions: Reconstruction capability of Compoglass was better than Vitremer.


Deep aquifers are potential long‐term storage sites for anthropogenic CO2 emissions. The retention time and environmental safety of the injected CO2 depend on geologic and physical factors and on the chemical reactions between the CO2, the aquifer water, and the host rocks. The pH buffer capacity of the aquifer water and the acid neutralization potential of the host rocks are important factors for the permanent stabilization of the injected CO2. Mafic rocks, such as basalt, which primarily consists of Ca, Mg silicate minerals, have a high acid neutralization capacity by providing alkaline earth elements that form stable carbonate minerals. The carbonate minerals formed thus sequester CO2 in a chemically stable and environmentally benign form. In this study, we present results from a small‐scale CO2 injection test in mafic and metasedimentary rocks. The injection test was conducted using a single‐well push‐pull test strategy. CO2 saturated water (pH = 3.5) was injected into a hydraulically isolated and permeable aquifer interval to study the acid neutralization capacity of Ca, Mg silicate rocks and to estimate in situ cation release rates. Release rates for Ca, Mg, and Na were calculated by use of solute compositions of water samples retrieved after the CO2 injection, the incubation time of the injected solution within the aquifer, and geometric estimates of the reactive surface area of the host rocks. Our results confirm rapid acid neutralization rates and water‐rock reactions sufficient for safe and permanent storage of CO2. Carbonic acid was neutralized within hours of injection into a permeable mafic aquifer by two processes: mixing between the injected solution and the aquifer water, and water‐rock reactions. Calculated cation release rates decrease with increasing pH that is confirmed by laboratory‐based experiments. Large differences between release rates obtained from the field and laboratory experiments may be mainly due to uncertainties in the estimation of the reactive surface area in the field experiment and in hydrological and geological factors. Our results underscore the importance of defining bulk rock dissolution rates under in situ conditions in order to evaluate target formations for permanent mineral sequestration of carbon dioxide.


AHPL (A Hardware-Programming language) is a hardware description language based on the notational conventions of APL. AHPL makes use of only those APL operations which can be readily interpreted as hardware primitives. A few special conventions have been added to AHPL to represent unique hardware capabilities such as parallel control sequences and asynchronous and conditional transfers. No attempt will be made in this short article to list every feature of AHPL. A complete description of the language may be found in Reference 1. Our purpose here will be to present the underlying philosophy of AHPL and to illustrate its usefulness as a design tool.


Additive manufacturing (AM) enables new possibilities for the design and manufacturing of complex metal architectures. Incorporating lattice structures into complex part geometries can enhance strengthto-weight and surface area-to-volume ratios for valuable components, particularly in industries such as medicine and aerospace. However, when it comes to metal AM technologies like laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), the design parameters of lattice structures and their interconnections may result in unsupported downskin surfaces, potentially limiting their manufacturability. This study aimed to examine the correlation between downskin surface area and the manufacturability of lattice structures fabricated using LPBF. Image processing algorithms were used to analyze the downskin surface areas of seven unique lattice designs and to devise quantitative metrics (such as downskin surface area, discrete surface count, surface inter-connectivity, overhang ratio, overprint/underprint volumes, etc.) to evaluate LPBF manufacturability. The seven lattice designs were subsequently manufactured using maraging steel via LPBF, and then examined using imaging using X-ray micro-computed tomography (XCT). The geometric accuracy of the lattice designs was compared with XCT scans of the manufactured lattices by employing a voxel-based image comparison technique. The results indicated a strong relationship between downskin surface area, surface interconnectivity, and the manufacturability of a given lattice design. The digital manufacturability evaluation workflow was also applied to a medical device design as an example, further affirming its potential industrial utility for complex geometries.


We read with great interest the paper by Juvanhol et al (1) on the association between demand‒control model (DCM) components and blood pressure (BP) using the baseline data of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). The authors reported a marginal, but positive cross-sectional association between job decision authority and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (0.59 mmHg, 95% CI 0.00-1.18) among non-users of anti-hypertensives from five universities and one research institute (2). And they claimed that (in the contemporary world of work), "the health benefits of increasing decision authority may not be as evident as in the historical context where the DCM was developed, which was characteristically one of industrialization and repetitive tasks." We agree with the authors that, in principle, the associations between psychosocial working conditions and health outcomes should be examined and interpreted with a socioecological perspective with consideration of societal and organizational structures and contexts (3). However, we could not find any convincing structure- and context-based explanation of the authors for the positive association between decision authority and SBP, for example, one grounded in their in-depth understanding of detailed working conditions and contexts of the Brazilian workers at higher education institutes during 2008-2010. Instead, we have found serious weaknesses in their analyses and interpretations, which undermine their finding and claim. First, the authors should have tested effect modification by race/color or socioeconomic status (SES) in their analysis. As expected, high decision authority was initially negatively associated with SBP among both users and non-users of anti-hypertensives (model 1, table 3) and also after controlling for gender, age, and recruitment site (model 2). However, only when race/color, schooling and mother's schooling were additionally included in their analysis (model 3), the direction of the association between decision authority and SBP changed from negative to positive among non-users of anti-hypertensives, while it substantially attenuated but remained negative among users of anti-hypertensives. Although the authors discussed these changes as a confounding effect of SES, it does not explain why the direction of the association was different between non-users and users of anti-hypertensives in model 3. In addition, there is a possibility of effect modification by race/color, schooling, or occupational class of their study participants (faculty and professional staff, technical and clerical workers, and unskilled workers) (2). The association between decision authority and SBP may differ by race/color or SES (education, income, or occupational class) (4,5). Furthermore, the job strain hypothesis of the DCM was not also tested in the study. Second, the authors should have tested the association between decision authority and SBP separately in normotensives and unmedicated hypertensives as well as medicated hypertensives. In their previous study (6), the authors demonstrated that BP distributions in the aforementioned three subgroups were very distinct to one another. Ignoring the distinct BP distributions between the two subgroups (normotensives and unmedicated hypertensives) in non-users of antihypertensives may have resulted in a bimodal BP distribution by a mix of two mononmodal distributions. Interestingly, in their quantile analysis, there was no significant association between decision authority and SBP in both ends of the SBP distribution among non-users of hypertensives that would more exclusively represent the SBP values of normotensives (the lower end) and unmedicated hypertensives (the upper end), respectively. Third, the authors should have examined the whole distribution of exposure (decision authority) in their analysis. They used a median-based low and high decision authority variable for analyses. However, using the dichotomous variable can result in a substantial information loss and sometimes, attenuate or distort the real association with health outcomes (7,8), particularly when the study population is not a random sample of general working populations. All participants in the ELSA-Brasil study worked for higher education institutes. And about 37% of them had postgraduate degrees. As a result, their study participants were characterized by relatively high job control and demands (6). In this situation, using a tertile- or quartile-based decision authority variable would be more appropriate for investigating the association between decision authority and BP, including a possible non-linear relationship. In fact, decision authority was non-linearly associated with a clinical cardiovascular health score of blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and total cholesterol in a recent study with the same ELSA-Brasil study data (8). Fourth, the marginal positive association between decision authority and SBP is also inconsistent with the finding of a previous study (8) with the same ELSA-Brasil study data in which high decision authority was positively associated with higher lifestyle cardiovascular health scores of diet, physical activity, smoking, and body mass index (higher scores mean better cardiovascular health). On the other hand, we would like to raise a question about the clinical implications of the marginal difference in the SBP, 0.59 mmHg between the low and high decision authority groups reported in the paper. Lastly, during the recent decades, the main principles of the 1918 Argentine Córdoba University Reform (university autonomy, co-government of all parties in universities, and no tuition from students) may have substantially eroded in Latin American countries (9) due to higher education policies with emphases on government control, privatization, efficiency, competitiveness, and partnerships with business. In this case, it would be more likely that many workers at higher education institutes (eg, non-tenure track, part-time faculty and researchers, clerks, janitors, and food-service workers) in Brazil, have suffered from low or decreasing rather than "excessive" decision authority on their tasks (10, 11). Given all the above, we think that the authors' claim in the paper ‒ "excessive" decision authority of workers as a source of stress in workers at higher education institutes in Brazil ‒ is unsubstantiated and also misleading for societal and worksite efforts to improve workers' cardiovascular health. We suggest that the authors have collaborative and concrete discussions and qualitative investigations with their study participants about the contemporary working conditions and health issues of the workers at higher education institutes in Brazil. We believe that such approaches will further shed light on the underlying reasons for the marginal, but positive association between decision authority and SBP, which may be hardly captured by statistical analysis alone.


The March 2006 decision by the EU Commission in respect of broadcast rights for FA Premier League
(FAPL) football matches is the latest in a series of decisions in which the Commission has permitted
collective selling of such rights. The decision precludes the sale of all rights to live FAPL football matches
to a single broadcaster. The Commission had initially objected that the joint selling arrangements were
anti-competitive and ''tantamount to price fixing''. Given that price fixing is generally regarded as a
serious breach of competition law, the acceptance of such arrangements in the case of sports broadcasting
raises some serious issues. A subsequent UK Government report on football recommended the
introduction of a block exemption permitting collective selling of football broadcasting rights. Three main
arguments have been advanced in support of collective selling of sports broadcast rights?that it is
necessary because of the unique characteristics of sports leagues; that it improves competitive balance
within sports leagues; and that it permits the redistribution of some of the revenues from the sale of
broadcast rights to lower level clubs. The present article analyses these arguments and concludes that they
are not supported by the evidence.


We present a fast, highly sensitive, and efficient potentiometric glucose biosensor based on functionalized InN quantum-dots (QDs). The InN QDs are grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The InN QDs are bio-chemically functionalized through physical adsorption of glucose oxidase (GOD). GOD enzyme-coated InN QDs based biosensor exhibits excellent linear glucose concentration dependent electrochemical response against an Ag/AgCl reference electrode over a wide logarithmic glucose concentration range (1 × 10−5 M to 1 × 10−2 M) with a high sensitivity of 80 mV/decade. It exhibits a fast response time of less than 2 s with good stability and reusability and shows negligible response to common interferents such as ascorbic acid and uric acid. The fabricated biosensor has full potential to be an attractive candidate for blood sugar concentration detection in clinical diagnoses.


Chromolaena odorata (L.) King and Robinson (Siam weed) is a highly invasive plant and a high priority for control in north Queensland. It can be effectively treated using high-volume, groundbased herbicide spray equipment, but operational information shows that this control method becomes increasingly difficult in areas where vehicle access is prevented by rougher terrain. Low-volume, high-concentration herbicide applications have proven capable of causing high mortality in these remote situations. Two trials were undertaken between May 2010 and May 2012 to refine effective rates of aminopyralid/fluroxypyr, fluroxypyr and metsulfuron-methyl, only using low-volume, high-concentration applications on Siam weed. Fluroxypyr on its own was as effective as aminopyralid/fluroxypyr as both herbicides caused 95-100% mortality at overlapping rates containing 5 to 18.85 g a.i. L-1 of fluroxypyr. Metsulfuron-methyl caused 100% mortality when applied at 3 and 6 g a.i. L-1. Effective control was achieved with approximately 16 to 22 mL of the solutions per plant, so a 5 L mixture in a backpack could treat 170 to 310 adult plants. There are several options for treating Siam weed on the ground and the choice of methods reflects the area, plant density and accessibility of the infestation. Control information from Siam weed field crews shows that low volume, high concentration herbicide applications applied using a splatter gun are a more efficient method for controlling larger, denser remote infestations than physical removal. By identifying effective herbicides that are applied through low-volume equipment, these trials provide an additional and more efficient tool for controlling Siam weed in remote areas.


This activity builds upon The Marshmallow Challenge developed by Tom Wujek, and has been showcased among other places, on his website (https://www.tomwujec.com/), in a TED talk (https://www.ted.com/talks/tom_wujec_build_a_tower), and in the literature across a variety of disciplines. The purpose for using this activity has been twofold. First, the exercise introduces the concept of design thinking. Design thinking is a collaborative and systematic process for creative problem solving. The design thinking approach is used extensively in this course that asks students to work throughout the semester to develop a new product idea from concept to prototype, and to plan for product launch. Second, the exercise is the first of several that focus on team building. It is therefore applicable for courses in a range of disciplines that utilize team projects and/or to foster team work. The goal of the exercise is for small teams to compete to create the tallest freestanding structure out of a limited set of materials provided by the instructor - 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow that must be placed at the top. The teams are given 18 minutes to complete the exercise. After the exercise is completed and a winner declared, the faculty member poses questions to the teams on factors that contributed to their success and failure, students watch the TED talk, and are debriefed by the faculty member. The students learn that successful innovation involves including multiple perspectives, each member's skills, and iterative trial and error.


Sleep loss is an important determinant of health status owing to its relationships with molecular, immune, and neural changes; these changes, in turn, are important etiological mechanisms for the development of cardiovascular, metabolic diseases and increased risk of accident related injuries. While the association between sleep loss and risk of weight gain is established, studies on the association between sleep loss and nutrition and physical activity are limited. The purpose of this research was to determine if there are significant associations between reported sleep variations and nutrition and physical activity level while recognizing the association between body mass index (BMI) and sleep loss. Data from the 2011 sleep-related questions captured by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) was used to identify possible behavioral indicators related to sleep loss in women. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the hypothesized associations between sleep loss and fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity levels. The odds ratios for the association between fruit/vegetable intake and sleep loss and that of BMI and sleep loss were (OR =0.761, 95% CI =0.651, 0.889) and (OR = 1.108, 95% CI =0.972, 1.262), respectively. The odds ratio for the association between physical exercise and sleep loss was (OR = 0.991, 95% CI =0.864, 1.137). Having adjusted for relevant covariates, consumption of fruits and vegetables was significantly associated with sleep loss; physical activity was not significantly associated with sleep loss.


This study examines features of regional clusters and environmental sustainability among member firms. By studying a sample of 646 firms across four regional wine clusters in Australia, the evidence suggests regional export intensity is positively associated with implementation rates of environmentally sustainable practices. Further, as women in leadership roles (as a proxy for social proximity) grow within regional clusters, this strengthens the relationship between export intensity and environmental sustainability. The results advance research on the features of regional clusters that are expected to influence the adoption of organizational practices among member firms. Conclusions are presented along with limitations and future research opportunities.


Effects of bounce on particle transport, deposition and removal in turbulent channel flow are studied. The pseudo-spectral method is used to generate the instantaneous turbulent fluid velocity field by Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) procedure. The particle equation of motion includes all the relevant hydrodynamic forces. In addition, simulation accounts for particle adhesion, resuspension and rebound processes. For particle bounce from the surface, the critical velocity is evaluated and is used in the analysis. Effects of bounce during particle-wall collisions on the deposition rate are also studied.Copyright © 2002 by ASME


Abstract Gullies are widespread morphological features on Mars for which current changes have been observed. Liquid water has been one of the potential mechanisms to explain their formation and activity. However, under present-day Martian conditions, liquid water is unstable and should only be transiently present in small amounts at the surface. Yet little attention has been paid to the mechanisms by which unstable water transports sediment under low atmospheric pressure. Here we present the results of laboratory experiments studying the interaction between liquid water flowing over a sand bed under Mars-like atmospheric pressure (c. 9 mbar). The experiments were performed in a Mars Simulation Chamber (at the Open University, UK), in which we placed a test bed of fine sand at a 25° slope. We chose to investigate the influence of two parameters: the temperature of the water and the temperature of the sand. We performed 27 experiments with nine different combinations of water and sand temperatures ranging from 278 to 297 K. Under all experimental conditions, the water was boiling. We investigated and compared the types and timing of sediment transport events, and the shapes, characteristics and volumes of the resulting morphologies. In agreement with previous laboratory studies we found that more intense boiling increased the volume of sediment transported for a given volume of water. We found four main types of sediment transport: entrainment by overland flow; grain ejection; grain avalanches; and levitation of saturated sand pellets. Our results showed that increasing sand temperature was the main driving parameter in increasing the sand transport and in modifying the dominant sediment transport mechanism. The temperature of the water played a negligible or minor role, apart from the duration of sand ejection and avalanches, which lasted longer at low water temperature. At low sand temperature the majority of the sand was transported by overland flow of the liquid water. At higher sand temperatures the transport was dominated by processes triggered by the boiling behaviour of the water. At the highest temperatures, sediment transport was dominated by the formation of levitating pellets, dry avalanches and ejection of the sand grains. This resulted in a transport volume about nine times greater at a sand temperature of 297 K compared with 278 K. Our heat transfer scaling shows that the boiling behaviour will be enhanced under Martian low gravity, resulting in more efficient transport of sediment by levitating sand pellets even at temperatures close to the triple point. Our results showed that the boiling intensity played an important role in the physics of sediment transport by liquid water. This implied that the amount of water required to produce morphological changes at the surface of Mars could be lower than previously estimated by assuming stable liquid water. Boiling is a critical process to be considered when assessing gully formation and modification mechanisms mobilized by liquid water. Our work could have similar implications for any water-formed landform on Mars, which could include recurring slope lineae, dark dune flows and slope streaks.


The Supreme Court's Eleventh Amendment decisions give conflicting signals about what the Amendment does. On one view, the Amendment functions as a forum-allocation principle--immunizing states from liability in suits filed in federal court, but leaving open the possibility that states may be compelled to entertain suits against themselves in their own courts. A separate line of cases, however, implies that state courts enjoy an immunity from suit in their own courts and that nothing in the Constitution withdraws such immunity; on this view, the Eleventh Amendment, by protecting the states from suit in the federal courts, effectively immunizes the states from any damage liability to individuals under federal law. This latter view finds strong support in last term's decision in Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida. This article examines the doctrinal support for these competing lines of cases, and looks for ways to reconcile them. The article also considers the rule-of-law ramifications of adopting the latter interpretation of the Amendment. It concludes that so long as officials remain personally liable in damages for their willful violations of federal law, the latter interpretation comports tolerably well with the rule-of-law ideal that for violations of federal rights there be a federally enforceable remedy. If so, then what matters most from a rule-of-law perspective is not so much which of the two interpretations of the Eleventh Amendment the Court adopts, but that it clearly and definitively adopt one or the other.


Internet eXchange Points (IXPs) serve as landmarks where many network service providers meet to obtain reciprocal connectivity. Some of them, especially the largest, offer route servers as a convenient technology to simplify the setup of a high number of bi-lateral peerings. Due to their potential to support a quick and easy interconnection among the networks of multiple providers, IXPs are becoming increasingly popular and widespread, and route servers are exploited increasingly often. However, in an ever-growing level of market competition, service providers are pushed to develop concerns about many aspects that are strategic for their business, ranging from commercial agreements with other members of an IXP to the policies that are adopted in exchanging routing information with them. Although these aspects are notoriously sensitive for network service providers, current IXP architectures offer no guarantees to enforce the privacy of such business-critical information. We re-design a traditional route server and propose an approach to enforce the privacy of peering relationships and routing policies that it manages. Our proposed architecture ensures that nobody, not even a third party, can access such information unless it is the legitimate owner (i.e., the IXP member that set up the policy), yet allowing the route server to apply the requested policies and each IXP member to verify that such policies have been correctly deployed. We implemented the route server and tested our solutions in a simulated environment, tracking and analyzing the number of exchanged control plane messages.


Biocontaminants, such as dust mites and microfungi, can live in building habitats with a spatial scale of only a few millimetres. With the recent development of very small size microchip-based sensors, it is now practicable to measure the humidity at different locations within these microenvironments. In the laboratory study described here, sensors were used to measure the conditions in a number of typical flooring systems using a variety of coverings. The measurements were compared with the predictions of a well-established and validated dynamic heat and moisture transfer simulation model. In order to provide an accurate input to the model, permeability and sorption tests were carried out on the flooring materials used. Finally, using monitored domestic environmental data, simulation results were coupled to a simplified growth model to predict dust mite activity in the flooring systems under realistic boundary conditions.


The principal concept of navigation is to start from a known (initial) position and to ensure a continued and reliable localisation of the user during his/her movement. The initial position of the trajectory is usually obtained via GPS or defined by the user. Consider a pedestrian navigation system which contains a set of inertial sensors, connected with a map database. In the urban environment and indoors the localisation depends entirely on the measurements from the inertial sensors. The trajectory is defined in a local coordinate system and with an arbitrary orientation. The problem to solve is to determine the users location using the map database and inertial measurements of the navigation system. The idea behind our approach is to find the location and orientation of the trajectory and thus the users location. The proposed solution associates the users trajectory with the map database applying statistical methods in combination with map-matching. Similar geometric forms must be identified in both the trajectory and the link-node model. The trajectory, defined by a set of consecutive points, is transformed to a set of lines thanks to a dedicated motion model. In this research we propose a solution based on statistical methods where the history of the route and actual measurements are treated at the same time. The determination of the absolute position is entirely represented by its probability density function (PDF) in the frame of Bayesian inference. Following this approach the posterior estimation of the users location can be calculated using prior information and actual measurements. Because of the non-linear nature of the estimation problem, non-linear filtering techniques like particle filters (Sequential Monte Carlo methods) are applied.


This study investigates university instructors' attitudes in cognitive, affective and behavioral terms towards students' media use and multitasking behavior in class. A mixed methods strategy was adopted, in which data was gathered via interviews in the qualitative phase that informed the survey, used as instrument in the quantitative phase. The findings illustrate aspects instructors consider being positively and negatively impacted by students' media use behavior, showing that most instructors have favorable implicit and behavioral attitudes towards the event. Pearson correlation coefficient tests demonstrated implicit attitudes were correlated to instructors' familiarization to media devices and use of lecture. This study provides an update of nowadays' picture of teaching in universities, contributing for the achievement of a more adequate education system for both learners and educators.


The article deals with the interpretation of the budgetary competence of the Seimas which is entrenched in the Constitution and in the rulings of the Constitutional Court. While studying the budgetary competence of the Seimas, one analyses how the Constitutional Court interprets the Seimas' powers to approve the State budget, to establish State taxes and other compulsory payments. The Seimas' powers to approve the State budget, to establish State taxes and other compulsory payments, which are entrenched in the Constitution, may not be transferred to other State institutions, while the other State institutions may not take them over. These powers may not be restricted by law. Taxes and other compulsory payments may only be established by law. While establishing State and other compulsory payments by law, the law must contain all the most important elements of the tax (the object of the tax, the taxpayer, the amount of the tax (tariff), the term of the tax, the exceptions and deductions). Under the Constitution, it is only the Seimas that may establish taxes and other compulsory payments; taxes and other compulsory payments may not be established by referendum. By the laws pointed out in Paragraph 2 of Article 131 of the Constitution, providing for certain expenditures, which may be not reduced as long as the said laws are not altered, one is permitted to establish expenditures for a concretely defined, generally important purpose to be attained during the time period established by law and only if these needs may not be satisfied during the budget year. Such laws may not establish expenditures to execute routine functions of the State. Once the court which was investigating the case had doubts as to the constitutionality of the law or another legal act applicable in the case and addressed the Constitutional Court, the Constitutional Court has a duty to consider the petition of the said court irrespective of the fact whether the disputed law or other legal act is in effect or not. The provision "the annulment of a disputable legal act shall be grounds to adopt a decision to dismiss the initiated legal proceedings" of Paragraph 4 of Article 69 of the Law on the Constitutional Court is to be construed as establishing the right to the Constitutional Court, in cases when not courts but the other entities pointed out in Article 106 of the Constitution appealed to the Constitutional Court, while taking account of the circumstances of the case, to dismiss the initiated legal proceedings, but not as establishing that in every case when the disputed legal act was annulled the instituted legal proceedings must be dismissed. The Constitution establishes powers for the Constitutional Court to consider the constitutionality of the laws and other legal acts adopted by the Seimas, acts adopted by the Government and acts of the President of the Republic regardless of the fact whether they have gone into effect or not.


A problem of great interest in monitoring a nuclear test ban treaty (NTBT) is related to interpreting properly the differences between a waveform generated by a nuclear explosion and that generated by an earthquake. With a view of comparing these two types of waveforms, Singh (1992) developed a technique for identifying a model in time domain. Fortunately this technique has been found useful in modelling the recordings of the killer earthquake occurred in the Kobe-Osaka region of Japan at 5.46 am on 17 January, 1995. The aim of the present study is to show how well the method for identifying a model (developed by Singh (1992)) can be used for describing the vibrations of the above mentioned earthquake recorded at Charters Towers in Queensland, Australia.


This paper presents a new approach to identifying and eliminating mislabeled training instances. The goal of this technique is to improve classification accuracies produced by learning algorithms by improving the quality of the training data. The approach employs an ensemble of classifiers that serve as a filter for the training data. Using an n-fold cross validation, the training data is passed through the filter. Only instances that the filter classifies correctly are passed to the final learning algorithm. We present an empirical evaluation of the approach for the task of automated land cover mapping from remotely sensed data. Labeling error arises in these data from a multitude of sources including lack of consistency in the vegetation classification used, variable measurement techniques, and variation in the spatial sampling resolution. Our evaluation shows that for noise levels of less than 40%, filtering results in higher predictive accuracy than not filtering, and for levels of class noise less than or equal to 20% filtering allows the base-line accuracy to be retained. Our empirical results suggest that the ensemble filter approach is an effective method for identifying labeling errors, and further, that the approach will significantly benefit ongoing research to develop accurate and robust remote sensing-based methods to map land cover at global scales.


Serious damages have been reported in hydraulic structures due to cavitation. It is known that introducing air into the flow will considerably reduce cavitation risks. Thus, aerators are used in many situations to introduce air into the flow and to eliminate cavitation tendency. Although many works have been reported for flow aeration in outlet conduits of rectangular sections, less information can be found for circular tunnels. These structures are commonly used to supply water for hydroelectric power plants or drinking and irrigation systems. In this paper, experimental information regarding the intensity of pressure fluctuations and its dominant frequency downstream of rectangular aerators in such structures are provided. Experiments were performed in a circular pipe of 28.8 cm diameter. Rectangular aerators of different heights and angles were fixed inside the tunnel and air was supplied through aerator to check its effect on the intensity of hydrodynamic pressures. This information is useful for the structural design of such outlet tunnels.


Windows 7 For Seniors for Dummies Learn to: Use the Windows 7 desktop and create your first documents Connect to the Internet and browse the Web View, edit, and print photos Keep in touch by e-mail and play games online Mark Justice Hinton Author of Digital Photography For Seniors For Dummies You can learn to use Windows, get online, and start doing things today! You don't need a grandchild to teach you Windows 7 with this friendly guide, you'll be using the mouse, working with folders, hooking up a printer, and cruising the Internet in nothing flat. Learn to use all the gizmos that come with Windows 7, shop online, view a slideshow of your favorite photos, send e-mail to a friend, enjoy music, and more! Tour the desktop learn to use menus, the Start menu button, files, and folders Do it create notes and letters, connect a printer, download photos from your digital camera, and put music on a CD Have some fun discover Solitaire and other built-in games, listen to music, and watch a movie Use the accessories display Gadgets on your desktop, draw with Paint, and use the Calculator To keep or not install additional programs you want and remove those you don't need Protect your Windows learn to use the Action Center, download and install virus protection software, and keep it up to date Have it your way make your screen easier to see, open files with a single click, and even have your computer read to you The wide, wide Web shop and explore online and learn to stay safe Open the book and find: What's on the taskbar Directions for creating and saving documents Steps for installing a printer and other peripherals How to connect to the Internet anywhere Backgammon and other games you can play online Guidance on protecting your computer from viruses How to send e-mail attachments Advice on backing up documents and photos


Background/Aim Blood flow deficiencies of the retinal and retrobulbar circulations have been previously reported in open-angle glaucoma (OAG) and other eye diseases. Herein we investigated the effects of image brightness and contrast dynamic altering stimuli (DAS) when viewing a video content on ocular blood flow, intraocular pressure (IOP) and ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) in OAG and healthy subjects. Methods Thirty-five subjects, 25 with OAG (mild to moderate) and 10 healthy controls, were evaluated for blood pressure, IOP, OPP and retinal capillary blood flow before, immediately after, 30 min after and 60 min after using ReviView (a dichoptic video goggles device), which stimulates one eye with a DAS video image that is brighter and with greater contrast than the fellow eye (duration of exposure 30 min). Differences between each subject's eyes and between OAG and healthy subjects were evaluated using repeated-measures analysis of variance with p<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results All subjects demonstrated a significant increase in OPP in both eyes immediately following viewing. In all DAS eyes, retinal capillary blood flow rose immediately after stimulation and remained elevated for an hour postviewing. Viewing DAS increased retinal blood flow compared with control eyes (p=0.0014, 0.0135 superiorly and p=0.0094, 0.0001 inferiorly, at 30 and 60 min, respectively). OAG eyes had a significant reduction in the number of dormant retinal capillaries (p=0.0174), while healthy eyes demonstrated a larger increase in retinal capillary blood flow (p=0.0006 and p=0.0093 at 60 min, superior and inferior, respectively) following DAS viewing. Conclusion Viewing DAS video for 30 min using ReviView increased retina blood flow both in healthy subjects and in patients with OAG. Trial registration number NCT02959593.


By logical proportion, we mean a statement that expresses a semantical equivalence between two pairs of propositions. In these pairs, each element is compared to the other in terms of similarities and/or dissimilarities. An example of such a proportion is the well known analogical proportion: a is to b as c is to d. Analogical proportions have been recently characterized in logical terms, but there are many other proportions that are worth of interest. Some of them can be related to the analogical pattern, others are related to semantical equivalence between conditional objects and express statements such as a ressembles to b and differs from b in the same way as c with respect to d. We show that there are 5 direct proportions, including the analogical one and 4 others having a conditional object flavor, where the change (if any) from a to b goes in the same direction as the change from c to d (if any), together with 5 reverse proportions obtained by switching c and d. Moreover, there exists only one auto-reverse proportion called paralogy and stating that what a and b have in common, c and d have it as well. It is then established that there is none other proportion than these ones (with the exception of 4 degenerated ones) that satisfies a natural "full identity" requirement. The paper proposes a structured and unified view of these logical proportions and discusses their characteristic properties. It extends previous works where only proportions related to analogy were considered. It also explores the use of these logical proportions in transduction-like inference, where new items are classified on the basis of already classified items without trying to induce a generic model, considering similarities and differences between items only. Taking advantage of different proportions, a transduction procedure is proposed.


Rethinking Drinking and Sport examines the complex nature of sport-related drinking. With close attention to the contradictory nature of sport-related drinking, this book considers both 'the problem' of drinking in sport, as well as some of the issues for treatment and recovery that sports-related drinking presents. Bringing together a range of methodological and theoretical debates that address the relationships between alcohol and sport, Rethinking Drinking and Sport draws on rich new interview material with fans and both drinking and non-drinking sportsmen and women, as well as documentary and media sources. Based on research across a variety of sports in the UK and Australia, Rethinking Drinking and Sport explores not only the relationship between alcohol, fans, participants and industry, but also questions of gender and identity to provide fresh insights into the complex relationships between drinking and sport.

Examining possible directions for health and public policy in relation to sport-related drinking, this book will appeal to social scientists and policy makers with interests in consumption, leisure, sport, drinking, and health.


Within academia, clear and standardised communication is vital. From this point of departure, we discuss the trustworthiness of teaching portfolios when used in assessment. Here, misconduct and fraud are discussed in terms of fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism, following the literature on research fraud. We argue that the portfolio's unclear academic status and confusing standards makes it difficult to define misconduct. We see a risk that the practice of portfolio writing for assessment can lead to misconduct, including downright lies about accomplishments. We conclude that the trustworthiness of teaching portfolios is a responsibility for the academic community as a whole.


Acetic acid bacteria, the fermentative microorganisms of traditional foods, have unique and highly pure membrane lipid components such as sphingolipids (dihydroceramide). Sphingolipids are important components of brain tissue and many indirect studies demonstrated that ingestion of ceramide or its sphingolipid-derivatives might have beneficial effects on cognitive function. In a double-blind experiment, we tested whether continuous ingestion of the acetic acid bacterium, Acetobacter malorum NCI 1683 (S24) derived from fermented milk, could improve cognitive function in healthy middle-aged and elderly persons. Cognitive function was evaluated using the CogHealth battery of tasks that can detect slight variations. A 12-week supplement of Acetobacter malorum significantly shortened the response times of the working memory, the primary outcome of this study, compared to the placebo supplement (P‹0.05). The working memory and delayed recall tasks in the low-dosage group (111 mg/day), and the choice reaction and delayed recall tasks in the high-dosage group (400 mg/day) were also improved at 8 or 12 weeks when compared to those observed before treatment (P‹0.05). These results suggest that the continuous ingestion of Acetobacter malorum has a beneficial effect on cognitive function. No clinical problems were observed in the physical and medical examinations of any of the groups. These results and the historic experiences with eating fermented foods indicate that an intake of acetic acid bacteria is safe and beneficial for the life of elderly persons through the maintenance of cognitive function from the early stages of aging.


SUMMARY This review combines two Presidential Addresses (2005, 2006) and aims to provides an up-to-date overview of the stratigraphy and sedimentation of the Jurassic sequence of the Cleveland Basin (Yorkshire), including poorly known data from the western outcrop. These fascinating rocks have been the focus of geological research since the 18th Century and have had a profound influence on the development of the geological sciences. Throughout the 20th Century, the excellent coastal exposures have acted as a magnet for palaeontologists, stratigraphers, sedimentologists and geochemists, as a natural geological laboratory, and in recent decades, the coastal exposures received increased scientific interest as a result of their analogy with hydrocarbon source and reservoir rocks in the North Sea. Designation of the international Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Sinemurian–Pliensbachian stage boundary in Robin Hood9s Bay, the establishment of the Dinosaur Coast, and development of the Rotunda Museum in Scarborough have all given the regional geology additional importance. The Lias Group (Hettangian–Toarcian age; 199.6–175.6 Ma), exposed in the well known coastal sections, is illustrated by the fully cored Felixkirk Borehole, located at the western margin of the outcrop, and is one of the best examples of shallow marine sedimentation in an epeiric shelf-sea setting. It comprises two large-scale, upward coarsening cycles, namely the Redcar Mudstone to Staithes Sandstone cycle, followed by the Cleveland Ironstone to Blea Wyke Sandstone cycle. Within this broad pattern, smaller scale transgressive–regressive cycles are described from stratigraphically expanded and reduced successions. Detailed ammonite biostratigraphy provides a finely calibrated temporal framework to study the variations in sedimentation, which include storm-generated limestones and sandstones ('tempestites') interbedded with mudstone deposited during fair-weather periods. Hemipelagic mud, occasionally organic-rich, reflects deeper-water anoxic events that may indicate a response to global climate change. In cores, the tempestite beds (Hettangian–Sinemurian) are characterized by sharp bases that, at outcrop, are often masked by downward penetrating burrows. Cyclicity on a centimetre scale in the overlying Pliensbachian 'Banded Shales' may be the result of orbitally induced, climatic cycles. Gradational upward coarsening to the Staithes Sandstone Formation marks a transition to sand-rich tempestite deposits, characterized by low angle and swaley cross-lamination, interbedded with sand-starved units (striped siltstones). The sands were probably deposited from sediment-laden, storm-surge and ebb currents in inner- and mid-shelf settings; the sandy substrate was, at some levels, extensively bioturbated by deposit feeding organisms that produced a spectacular range of trace fossil assemblages characteristic of shoreface, inner-, mid-, and outer-shelf settings. Intrabasinal tectonics was a controlling factor during deposition of both the Staithes Sandstone and the overlying Cleveland Ironstone (Late Pliensbachian). The influx of sand is attributed to hinterland uplift and increased sediment flux. More marked intraformational uplift during deposition of the Cleveland Ironstone is manifested in a much attenuated succession in the west of the basin (Felixkirk); southwards, towards the Market Weighton High, the Pecten/Main Seam of the ironstone oversteps unconformably onto progressively older beds to rest on the lower part of the Redcar Mudstone Formation. Ironstone, in the form of berthierine ooids and sideritic mud, was deposited during 5–6 cycles (in coastal exposures) of high sea-level stands that cut off siliciclastic influx from the low-gradient hinterland; regressive, upward-shoaling intervals are marked by interbedded, bioturbated siltstone and fine-grained sandstone. The Toarcian succession (Whitby Mudstone and Blea Wyke Sandstone formations) continues the second upward coarsening cycle in response to increased subsidence, rising sea-level, and an influx of siliciclastic sand. Oxygenated, open marine mud was deposited during the initial deepening phase, followed by bituminous mud, attributed to ocean-water stratification and the establishment of anoxic bottom conditions; in the west of the basin an upward shoaling sequence suggests that water depths were not as great. Recent research on the geochemistry and stable isotope signatures across this early Toarcian interval indicates a widespread, global anoxic event, possibly attributed to the release of methane hydrate on the ocean floor. The Alum Shale Member represents increasingly oxygenated bottom conditions and an upward coarsening motif with passage to the Blea Wyke Sandstone Formation, which is preserved only in the Peak Trough, an actively subsiding graben. Basin uplift accompanied by gentle folding in late Toarcian to Aalenian times removed much of the late Toarcian succession so that the Middle Jurassic Dogger Formation (Aalenian), a complex, condensed, shallow water unit rests unconformably on beds as low as the Alum Shale over much of the basin. Deep boreholes and revision mapping by the British Geological Survey (BGS) in the west of the outcrop have allowed a fuller, basin-wide synthesis of the palaeoenvironments and the influence of intra-Jurassic tectonics during Mid- to Late Jurassic times. During Mid-Jurassic times the low-lying, paralic coastal plain, typified by braided and meandering fluvial systems and lacustrine deposits was invaded by marine incursions from the south and east. Each transgressive event was different in its geographical penetration across the coastal plain, resulting in varied lithofacies and palaeoenvironments including ooidal ironstone and lime mud (Eller Beck Formation), peloid and ooid carbonate shoals (Lebberston Member), and tidal sand bars, pelloidal limestones and nearshore marine muds (Scarborough Formation). Trace fossils, including dinosaur footprints, and macro-plant fossils tell us much about the palaeoenvironments on the coastal plain, during this time interval (175.6–164.7 Ma) that was characterized by a warm, seasonal climate. The basin wide transgression and marked global sea-level rise represented by the Cornbrash Formation, marks deposition in a shallow marine environment during the Callovian, followed by sand (Osgodby Formation) and deeper water muds (Oxford Clay Formation) that spread northwards from the East Midlands over the Market Weighton High during the Oxfordian. Subsequent shallowing of the basin resulted in the establishment of a carbonate/siliciclastic platform typified by ooidal shoals, coral patch reefs and sponge spicule-rich marine sands (Corallian Group). Their complex sedimentation pattern was influenced by local infra-Oxfordian tectonics related to the Howardian–Flamborough Fault Belt. Although the Ampthill Clay and Kimmeridge Clay formations, the latter representing the most important regional hydrocarbon source rock, are not well-exposed, recent boreholes in the Cleveland Basin have allowed a much better understanding of the hemi-pelagic marine environment (both oxic and anoxic) during this phase of sedimentation which marks a global sea-level rise. Although well-studied by world standards, the Jurassic sediments of the Cleveland Basin continue to throw up surprises and advances in our understanding of the Earth as a dynamic system over a period of c . 30 million years. These studies have directly and indirectly influenced our understanding of the Earth as a system, and have played an important role in educating non-specialists, undergraduates and professional geologists over many decades.


We report a sol–gel approach to fabricate aluminum oxyhydroxide (AlOOH)-based inks for the gravure printing of high-dielectric-constant nanocomposite films. By reacting 3-glycidoxypropyl-trimethoxysilane (GPTS) with aluminum oxyhydroxide (AlOOH) nanoparticles under constant bead milling, inks suitable for gravure printing were obtained. The calculated relative dielectric constants based on the measured capacitances and film thicknesses for the gravure-printed GPTS:AlOOH nanocomposites varied between 7 and 11 at a frequency of 10 kHz. The dielectric constant depended on the mixing ratio of the composite and was found to follow the Maxwell-Garnett ternary-system mixing rule, indicating the presence of micro/nanopores, which affect the electrical properties of the fabricated films. An increasing leakage current with increasing AlOOH content was observed. The high leakage current was reduced by printing two-layer films. The double-layered gravure-coated films exhibited a similar capacitance density, but a clearly lower leakage current and fewer electrical breakdowns compared to single-layered films with comparable film compositions and film thicknesses. The best composite yielded a capacitance density of 109 ± 2 pF mm−2 at 10 kHz frequency and a leakage current density of 60 ± 20 μA cm−2 at a 0.5 MV cm−1 electric field as a single layer. The calculated relative dielectric constant at 10 kHz frequency for this composition was 11.2 ± 0.5.


A critical examination of the transnational discourse of indigeneity in the context of adivasi or indigenous peoples' political struggles in India contrasts two Indian indigenous political movements: the "transnational" imaginary of the Indian Council for Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, which is the central organization representing India's indigenous peoples at the United Nations, and the "local" imaginary of the Koel-Karo movement, one of several adivasi movements against displacement that mark the Indian political landscape today. Given that these transnational and very local imaginaries both work in relation to different domains of governmentality, I question why a transnational governmentality involving indigenous peoples produces a static and essentialized discourse of indigeneity that inadvertently undermines local initiatives like Koel-Karo. Rural adivasi populations redeploy elements of colonial and nation-state governmentality forged in relation to them in ways that demonstrate a remarkable flexibility in the imagination of indigeneity. As the neoliberal regime in India has, with a terrifying intensity, contributed to the displacement of adivasis, the question of indigeneity as adivasi identity has to address these different histories of governmentality, the modalities of the politics they have precipitated, and other ways of articulating "local" adivasi movements with transnational alliances. This examination of indigeneity in India concludes by problematizing some of the ways in which contemporary academic discourse has interpreted "governmentality" in relation to subaltern movements.


In the present paper the author gives an onomastic analysis of new pharmacy names of Heves county by calling attention to the appearance of new name types, the presence of Palóc dialectal features in the name forms, and the existence of a wide range of typical name giving practices. The author compares her results with those of a nation-wide survey carried out by Andrea Bölcskei and with those of her own research done some years ago in Veszprém county. Relying on a study by Dénes Horváth the author also identifies the differences in name giving practices adopted in Budapest and in the country. In relation to pharmacy names possible motivational factors and fashion trends in name giving practices are presented in the paper; furthermore, stylistic and orthographic problems of the name forms are also discussed.


Background and purpose — An increased incidence rate of acromioplasty has been reported; we analyzed data from the Finnish National Hospital Discharge Register. Patients and methods — During the 14-year study period (1998–2011), 68,877 acromioplasties without rotator cuff repair were performed on subjects aged 18 years or older. Results — The incidence of acromioplasty increased by 117% from 75 to 163 per 105 person years between 1998 and 2007. The highest incidence was observed in 2007, after which the incidence rate decreased by 20% to 131 per 105 person years in 2011. The incidence declined even more at non-profit public hospitals from 2007 to 2011. In contrast, it continued to rise at profit-based private orthopedic clinics. Interpretation — We propose that this change in clinical practice is due to accumulating high-quality scientific evidence that shows no difference in outcome between acromioplasty and non-surgical interventions for rotator cuff disease with subacromial impingement syndrome. However, the exact cause of the declining incidence cannot be defined based solely on a registry study. Interestingly, this change was not observed at private clinics, where the number of operations increased steadily from 2007 to 2011.


Objective: The objective of this paper is to determine and analyse the framework conditions that influence the entrepreneurial opportunity identification and action in the international market context . Research Design & Methods: Scholars from the International Business and International Entrepreneurship (IE) research fields agree that the process of internationalisation is triggered by opportunity identification. The extant literature is reviewed by assessing the framework conditions that domestic and international markets offer for entrepreneurial actions. An analytical juxtaposition of the influential factors is conducted in the light of various stages of the opportunity identification process by examining − at each stage − possible effects of domestic and international market context. Findings: This paper brings into the IE discussion a conceptual matrix of various elements and factors − external conditions – which influence the creation of nexus by entrepreneurs to the markets . Implications & Recommendations: The conceptual matrix offers new insights for theoretical development and arguments for designing empirical research in terms of external conditions. It is expected to provoke more theoretical and practical questions from scholars within the IE field. Contribution & Value Added: The originality of this work lies in proposing a comprehensive framework to understand how context interacts with the entrepreneurial opportunity identification process.


In this paper, a new approach for fixed-order H∞ and H2 dynamic output-feedback controller design of continuous-time systems with state space polytopic uncertainty is proposed. This approach is based on the use of some instrumental matrices, which operate as a tool to decouple the controller parameters and the Lyapunov matrices. The stability of the closed-loop system as well as H∞ and H2 performance criteria are expressed by a set of linear matrix inequalities based upon linearly parameter-dependent Lyapunov matrices. Iterative procedure for updating the instrumental matrices using the previous controller can increase the performance of the approach. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.


Predicting and warning for tornadoes developing near the complex coastline of urban Lee and Charlotte counties in Southwest Florida is often a challenge. The closest National Weather Service Doppler radar is 130-180 km to the northwest. Four warm season tornado days were initially examined from coastal southwest Florida. Those cases showed a number of similarities in the synoptic and mesoscale patterns and processes leading to tornado development. Easterly flow and gulf coast sea breeze development interacted with local topography to create cyclonic mesoscale circulations around 50 km in diameter. These circulations likely lead to more predictable boundary collisions and enhanced convection with strong updrafts capable of supporting brief tornadoes. An additional nineteen case days were gathered by collecting dates of tornadoes in Lee and Charlotte counties and parsed to include only those days with similar vertical wind profiles. To gain more insight into the patterns of various interactions, the cases were composited to show ambient flows and the degree of instability. Thirty warm season tornado events that occurred on 23 different days from 1980-2008 are examined from coastal southwest Florida to identify synoptic and mesoscale environments associated with tornado development. The results of this study should help forecasters identify the profiles conducive to southwest Florida tornado development.


Single-to-three-phase direct AC/AC Modular Multilevel Converters have gained a significant interest in the field of railway interties. The use of such an MMC-based structure implies more advanced control techniques as well as design requirements, especially in the case where the three-phase side experiences grid asymmetries. This paper proposes a global control scheme, which is capable of ensuring high performance in such operating conditions. In addition, the impact of grid unbalances on the MMC capacitive energy storage requirements is evaluated by using different line current control techniques with current amplitude limitation as well as taking into consideration a three-phase reactive power injection. The proposed concepts are validated by means of simulation results. Finally, preliminary experimental results from a down-scaled laboratory prototype are provided.


A permanent magnet in the form of a ring or disc is one of the components in many
devices. In this project, hard magnetic ferrite with formula Sr₁₋ₓMₓFe₁₂₋ₓZnxO₁₉ (x=
0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9) (M= La, Nd, Dy, Vb) is used because of the low cost, high
energy, good electrical insulation, hard to demagnetize and easy to process.
Substitutions from Lanthanide group and zinc oxide (non magnetic material) are
used in order to get different microstructures according to the value of hysteresis
properties. Hysteresis parameters are investigated such as the remanence, Br, energy
product (BH)max and coercive force He Conventional sintering technique is used with
sample being formed in disc shape. From XRD result, it was found that the substitution of Yb₂O₃,Nd₂O₃,La₂O₃,Dy₂O₃ and ZnO to the strontium ferrite magnet stabilizes the magnetoplumbite phase. The results for density, Curie temperature and
grain size are better than non-substituted Sr-M. As a conclusion, improvement of the
magnetic properties has been done to produce high performance of Sr-M in the
future.