Abstract
The purpose of this research is to know and examine the influence of relationship marketing and company reputation on consumer trust in Sharia Pawnshop Unit Kutai Kartanegara. Based on the reality as far as the researchers see marketing strategy that has been implemented the Sharia Pawnshop Unit Kutai Kartanegara has not produced maximum results, where the number of customers since 2017 until now in each month began to decline and began to rarely come or move using other similar business services. This study used quantitative data obtained from questionnaire data. The number of research samples as many as 45 people with the method of taking by saturated sampling. The analysis tool used multiple linear regression. Studies have found that 1. Relationship marketing and company reputation are simultaneously affecting on consumer trust, 2. Relationship marketing has a positive effect on consumer trust, 3. Company reputation has a positive effect on consumer trust, 4. The most dominant variable is relationship marketing.

Keywords: Relationship marketing, company reputation, trust.


Modern military Justice punishes officers and soldiers of democratic nations' armies for their military success. "Excessive use of force" and similar artificial judicial constructions undermine incentives of army officers, making the military machine virtually inoperative. Artificially abridged Army capability prevents any opportunities to win the fight against terror, to defend democratic nations and to break trap of violent dictatorship or warlords brutality for peoples of rogue / failed states. Shurat a Din conference "To the new Law of War" addressed the issues such as human shields, proportionality, fighting in civilian areas, defining war crimes in attempt to propose solution of the problem, to restore Democratic nations' ability to defend themselves against Islamic terrorism. Our comments are based on our extensive research program on the issues of Governments' failures to provide sustainable defense for the people. The comments focused on the most obvious practical conclusions and recommendations based on the conference materials. The comments also raise some additional problems to be solved in order to restore our Armies' deterrence capacities.


Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) can stimulate tumor progression by modulating several proneoplastic pathways, including proliferation, angiogenesis, cell migration, invasion, and apoptosis. Although steady-state tissue levels of PGE2 stem from relative rates of biosynthesis and breakdown, most reports examining PGE2 have focused solely on the cyclooxygenase-dependent formation of this bioactive lipid. Enzymatic degradation of PGE2 involves the NAD+-dependent 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH). The present study examined a range of normal tissues in the human and mouse and found high levels of 15-PGDH in the large intestine. By contrast, the expression of 15-PGDH is decreased in several colorectal carcinoma cell lines and in other human malignancies such as breast and lung carcinomas. Consistent with these findings, we observe diminished 15-Pgdh expression in ApcMin+/– mouse adenomas. Enzymatic activity of 15-PGDH correlates with expression levels and the genetic disruption of 15-Pgdh completely blocks production of the urinary PGE2 metabolite. Finally, 15-PGDH expression and activity are significantly down-regulated in human colorectal carcinomas relative to matched normal tissue. In summary, these results suggest a novel tumor suppressive role for 15-PGDH due to loss of expression during colorectal tumor progression.


Symbolic equations are at the core of scientific discovery. The task of discovering the underlying equation from a set of input-output pairs is called symbolic regression. Traditionally, symbolic regression methods use hand-designed strategies that do not improve with experience. In this paper, we introduce the first symbolic regression method that leverages large scale pre-training. We procedurally generate an unbounded set of equations, and simultaneously pre-train a Transformer to predict the symbolic equation from a corresponding set of input-output-pairs. At test time, we query the model on a new set of points and use its output to guide the search for the equation. We show empirically that this approach can re-discover a set of well-known physical equations, and that it improves over time with more data and compute.


Concept definition is important in language understanding (LU) adaptation since literal definition difference can easily lead to data sparsity even if different data sets are actually semantically correlated. To address this issue, in this paper, a novel concept transfer learning approach is proposed. Here, substructures within literal concept definition are investigated to reveal the relationship between concepts. A hierarchical semantic representation for concepts is proposed, where a semantic slot is represented as a composition of atomic concepts. Based on this new hierarchical representation, transfer learning approaches are developed for adaptive LU. The approaches are applied to two tasks: value set mismatch and domain adaptation, and evaluated on two LU benchmarks: ATIS and DSTC 2&3. Thorough empirical studies validate both the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed method. In particular, we achieve state-of-the-art performance (F₁-score 96.08%) on ATIS by only using lexicon features.


Maiduguri metropolis
Nigeria, lies on a relatively flat terrain of about 350 meters above sea level
and is part of the undulating Borno Plain that slopes towards the Lake Chad. The
rapid physical expansion of the metropolis and the annual recurrent flash
flooding and inundation problems within the city continues to impact
devastating socioeconomic effects on the livelihood of residents sometimes
leading to loss of lives and property. It is important therefore to understand
the spatial pattern of floods and terrain characteristics in Maiduguri for
planning purposes. The paper examined the spatial pattern of urban flash floods
and inundations, and the terrain characteristics in Maiduguri metropolis.
Digital Terrain Model (DTM) generated from the Shuttle Raddar Topography
Mission was used to provide the basis for the terrain analysis to generate
hydrological parameters such as elevation, flow accumulation and direction,
drainage network and slope angle as well as classified elevation images and
terrain wetness index to map out potential flood risk areas. The DTM identified
potential areas liable to flash flood and inundation. The 3D Digital Terrain
Model (DTM) of the area showed where potential floods or traps were located in
the metropolis. The findings further revealed that Maiduguri was generally
characterized by low lying locations with slope angles of less than 5 degrees
covering an area of 144.4 km2 out
of 148 km2 making it
extremely difficult to drain. The processed flow accumulation of the study area
showed a high flow accumulation pixel value of 19,972 that drained into outlet,
suggesting that a large proportion of the study area was getting flooded during
a rainstorm. Even though the calculated drainage density of 0.73 for the study
area indicated a very good drainage system, this was also undermined by the
flat terrain and urbanization. The study recommends for improved land use
planning; raising awareness of the residents, provision of more drainages and
continued vulnerability mapping improved the functionality of bodies
responsible for flood management among others for sustainable flood management
in the study area.


In present study, the effects of the process parameters on chlorination of Titanium Carbide (TiC) was studied. Besides that, process parameters were investigated by using experimental design of experiment (DOE) and statistical analysis. The chlorination of the samples was carried out at temperatures between 400 to 500°C. Effects of three parameters, namely temperature, soaking time, and molar ratio of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) to hydrochloric acid (HCl) were investigated. The interaction, on the rate of chlorination of TiC were statistically evaluated by using DOE. The weight loss (wt. %) was the main response taken into account in this paper. The results of the experimental design indicated that the main significant factor for chlorination of TiC was higher temperature, soaking time and higher molar ratio of KMnO4 to HCl. DOE results have demonstrated that the highest extent of chlorination obtained at the highest weight loss (wt. %) was about 54.59 wt. % at 500°C with a soaking time of 180 minutes and KMnO4 to HCl molar ratio of 0.17 respectively. The amounted to a titanium extraction of about 96.39 %. On the other hand, the lowest wt. lost was 30.76 wt. % and this was obtained at 500°C for 120 minutes with KMnO4 to HCl molar ratio of 0.09 respectively. The results obtained from this work will be employed as a guide for the future studies on chlorination of nitrided/carburized Malaysian ilmenite or titanium oxycarbonitride. The final aim was to produce TiCl4 at low temperatures (≤500°C) using the latter samples. The experimental values are in good agreement with calculations from the statistical model.


The presence of a distinct compound in the Pt-Fe Cu system at Pt FeCu composition was hypothesised by Nemilov in 1944, but tre compound (Tulameenite) was first identified by Cabri et al in natural alloys from the platinum placer deposits of the Tulameen river in British Columbia. The present research was initiated to determine the Pt-Fe-Cu phase diagram in the Pt FeCu region and thus to determine the composition range of Tulameenite and its compositional and structural changes during different thermal treatments using synthetic material. Primary investigations have revealed that the compound is a single phase disordered f.c.c. solid-solution above 1178°c. On quenching, it transforms, probably by a martensitic transformation, to an ordered tetragonal structure. Multiple twinning on {101} habit planes avoids any macroscopic shape change due to the ordering. The twinned structure is unstable, and thermal treatments produce stress-relief recrystallization accompanied by deformation twins and grain-boundary fractures as further stress-relief mechanisms. Tulameenite forms an extensive single phase region of solid- solution continuous with the binary region based on the compound FePt. At lower temperatures the stoichiometric compound Pt2 FeCu enters a two-phase field comprising a non- stoichiometric compound together with an ordered cubic phase. The transformation to this two-phase structure occurs by different precipitation mechanisms which are accompanied by recrystallization of the matrlx in some cases.


X-chromosome inactivation is an epigenetic process that silences the majority of genes on one of the two X-chromosomes in female mammals. This silencing effectively equalizes dosage of X-linked genes in females with that of males, who only possess one X-chromosome and a sex-determining Y-chromosome.

Keywords:

dosage compensation;
epigenetics;
chromatin modification;
deoxyribonucleic acid methylation;
sex chromosomes;
transcriptional regulation


A study is made of the free and forced oscillations of the earth. The natural periods are determined for radial, torsional and spheroidal types of oscillation. Several models of the earth are used: a homogeneous model, such as was assumed originally by Love, a model consisting of a homogeneous solid mantle enclosing a homogeneous liquid core, Bullen's model B, and Bullard's models I and II. It is found that the spheroidal oscillation of order 2 has a period of about 53·5 min in all models, except the homogeneous one, for which this period is only 44·3 min. The common period of 53·5 min agrees to within the observational error with the period of 57 min observed by Benioff on the seismograms of the Kamchatka earthquake of 1952. In contrast to all the other models, Bullen's model B possesses an additional spheroidal oscillation of order 2 of a period of 101 min. The latter oscillation is confined mainly to the core, its amplitude in the mantle being relatively very small. Benioff's observation of a second oscillation of a 100 min period in the Kamchatka earthquake record might be considered as evidence favouring Bullen's model B. The latter differs from Bullard's models mainly by having a central density of around 18 instead of about 12 g/cm3. However, a theoretical investigation of the relative excitation of the various free modes by an impulsive compressional point-source situated at a shallow focal depth, shows that the amplitude of the 100 min oscillation should be more than 1000 times weaker than that of the 53·5 min oscillation. It is thus not clear how a near-surface earthquake could have excited the core-oscillation. The spectrum of the free modes of oscillation has also been determined for n = 3 and 4, including the fundamental and the first two overtones for each case. The computed free periods of spheroidal oscillation range from 53·5 min down to a period of 8 min for the fourth overtone in the case n = 2. We have also treated the bodily tides for Bullen's and Bullard's models. Love's numbers were determined in the case n = 2 for tidal periods of 6, 6√2, 12 h and ∞. The dependence of the Love numbers on the period is small, a maximum range of variation of 13% occurring in the k-values between the periods of 6 h and ∞.


Using data from a survey of loan applicants and bank officials from Union Bank of Nigeria and First Bank of Nigeria in south-western Nigeria, this paper empirically evaluated the determinants of loan approval decision and the size of the loan given using a Tobit regression model. With a multi-stage sampling technique, data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaire drawn on 450 applicants. The respondents' ages varied between twenty five years and sixty nine years with a mean of fifty and a half years for all the respondents. The mean age recorded for each category of respondents suggests that middle-aged farmers who are expected to be economically active and energetic dominated the sampled population. They should be willing to explore avenues and adopt new methods in order to raise their level of productivity. The relatively large farm sizes owned by the applicants indicated that it is one of the major criteria for giving loans to the farmers; hence those with very small farm sizes may not have access to loans from the two institutions. Tobit estimates show that institutional, environmental and part of the resource variables were important determinant factors of loan approval decision and a decomposition of elasticities calculated at the mean of the variables revealed that a 10% increase in the RISK variable will lead to a total elasticity change of about -0.79 %. This indicates that the elasticity of probability of loan approval will decrease by about 0.36 % and elasticity of expected loan size will decrease by 0.43%. The result tends to imply riskaverseness of the lenders, as fewer loans are granted. The positive coefficient of HHZE indicated that high farm assistance was received from respondents' relations who positively influenced the implications for family labour and cultivation of large area of land and eventually influenced the approval decision. The coefficient of NFI positively influenced the loan approval decision since the farmer can expand his options to acquire more loans and use for profitable ventures since this variable is viewed as a proxy for wealth, thus the beneficiary will have sufficient resources to absorb the cost and risk of failure in their agricultural enterprises. In each of the two institutions, the marginal changes in most of the variables considered increased the probability of loan size influence than it increased the probability of approval. Key words: Lending Decision, Tobit Regression, Credit


In recent years, the Internet has grown so large that the future scalability of the Internet has become a major concern. The two primary scalability concerns are the size of the forwarding table and the ability for BGP to converge while distributing hundreds of thousands of routes. HIDRA [5, 9] is a new Internet routing architecture that is backwards-compatible with existing routing technologies and protocols that focuses on feasibility-of-implementation. HIDRA remedies the first Internet scalability concern by proposing a means to reduce the number of entries in the default-free zone (DFZ) forwarding table. This project extends HIDRA by designing a complete reactive routing implementation. This addresses the second Internet scalability concern by reducing the number of routes maintained by BGP. Adding reactive routing still allows for incremental deployment of HIDRA and also provides a means for finer route control with support for load-balancing and host mobility. This paper provides background information on HIDRA, discusses reactive routing design details, and validates complete HIDRA behavior though a series of experimental tests and results.


Information systems security (ISS) has become one of the top agendas of companies located in the developed world. Despite this fact, there is an increasing trend in the types and frequency of ISS breaches. Most of the time researchers and practitioners focus on threat that are caused by external agents while most of the threats are originated from insiders. In addition to this, the majority of the investments and researches around ISS are limited to technically oriented solutions. It is now realized that the technical approach alone couldn't bring the required level of ISS, and this led ISS researchers to embark on socio-technical approaches. One of the critical social factors that has been given little emphasis is culture. Thus, this research investigates the impact of national culture on employees' ISS behaviour. Specifically, it answers the question "what is the moderating impact of national culture on the influence of ISS countermeasures on employees' intention to violate ISS policies?" We will develop and test an empirical ISS compliance model, using rational choice theory and national culture constructs. Survey will be used to collect data from Italy and Ethiopia.


Abstract A convenience sample of 400 students were recruited to investigate gender differences in sleep habits and sleep-related problems using a self-administered questionnaire. Univaraiate analysis showed that females went to bed earlier (p<0.01) and rose earlier (p<0.01), had longer sleep duration (p<0.01), more nightmares (p<0.01), lesser snoring (p<0.01), lesser nocturnal awakening caused by eating (p<0.01), and had poorer sleep quality than males on the night of examination (p<0.01). Gender differences in sleep habits and sleep problems were found and were different than those reported from other cultures.


OBJECTIVE
To analyze the impact of hospital mergers on treatment intensity and health outcomes.

DATA
Hospital inpatient data from California for 1990 through 2006, encompassing 40 mergers.

STUDY DESIGN
I used a geographic-based IV approach to determine the effect of a zip code's exposure to a merger. The merged facility's market share represents exposure, instrumented with combined premerge shares. Additional specifications include Herfindahl Index (HHI), instrumented with predicted change in HHI.

RESULTS
The primary specification results indicate that merger completion is associated with a 3.7 percent increase in the utilization of bypass surgery and angioplasty and a 1.7 percent increase in inpatient mortality above averages in 2000 for the average zip code. Isolating the competition mechanism mutes the treatment intensity result slightly, but it more than doubles the merger exposure effect on inpatient mortality to a 3.9 percent increase. The competition mechanism is associated with a sizeable increase in number of procedures.

CONCLUSIONS
Unlike previous studies, this analysis finds that hospital mergers are associated with increased treatment intensity and higher inpatient mortality rates among heart disease patients. Access to additional outcome measures such as 30-day mortality and readmission rates might shed additional light on whether the relationship between these outcomes is causal.


Background: Vitamin D is increasingly associated with the pathology of cognition and mental illness. Vitamin D receptors have been detected on neurons that regulate behavior. Objective: To assess vitamin D serum concentrations in patients with major depression and schizophrenia as compared to healthy controls and to determine if a correlation exists between serum levels of vitamin D and disease activity. methods: We recruited 50 patients with schizophrenia and compared them to 33 patients with major depression and 50 controls with no major psychopathology. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for schizophrenia and the Hamilton Depression scale for depression were administered on the same day the blood samples were drawn. We used LIAISON® 25-OH vitamin D (DiaSorin) immunoassay to measure serum concentrations of 25-OH vitamin D. r esults: Lower serum vitamin D concentrations were detected among patients with schizophrenia (15.0 ± 7.3 ng/ml) compared to patients with depression (19.6 ± 8.3 ng/ml) and to controls (20.2 ± 7.8 ng/ml, P < 0.05). We found no correlation between disease activity, measured by the PANSS score, and vitamin D levels. conclusions: Serum vitamin D levels were lower in patients with schizophrenia as compared to patients with depression and to healthy controls. No correlation was found between serum concentration and disease activity. Additional studies are needed to elucidate the role of vitamin D in the autoimmune mechanism and in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.


Byline: Juliana Texley and David Adelstein One of the most powerful technology tools available to science teachers is often the least used. A course management system (CMS) is a web-based application that provides an online distance learning platform for teachers and students. CMS platforms such as Blackboard, WebCT, Jenzabar, and Desire-2-Learn provide many opportunities for good science instruction. This article touches on just some of the online CMS tools available for the science classroom. [Editor's note: "Moodle" offers a free, open-source software alternative. For more details about using an online course management program, read "Using a Course Management System to Improve Classroom Communication, " another article from The Science Teacher on this topic.] Gradebook help The gradebook on a CMS is often the most-used function by teachers. The online gradebook is handy and convenient, and there are some solid educational advantages to an open gradebook for students and parents that teachers seldom consider. Many students find it difficult to plan ahead to achieve results that will not be evident for four or six weeks. This can be especially true for students who have attention or organization difficulties. Therefore, a system that allows students to log in every day and see their grades and missing assignments (with or without their parents) is beneficial. Entering grades punctually can sometimes seem overwhelming to teachers who tend to procrastinate, but those who use platforms as gradebooks often see immediate and significant results in classroom management and achievement. Asynchronous discussion The second most-used function on CMS platforms is the threaded (asynchronous) discussion or forum. (This is different from a real-time chat because comments can be entered at any time.) Teachers know that today's students want to constantly communicate with their peers-it's sometimes a challenge to pry personal digital assistants (PDAs) or cell phones from students long enough to hold class. Smart teachers know that what you cannot fight you can use. One way to use an online discussion or forum in the classroom is to ask students to respond through a discussion thread to a mystery picture, an observational challenge in the community, or a demonstration of a discrepant event. Students will need help to structure their conversations in a constructivist way. Students should be reminded that they are having a "discussion"-they are talking to others on a forum, not just putting words in a post. This is to discourage students from "googling" the topic and pasting something unrelated to the discussion. Students should acknowledge the post to which they are responding and add something of their own, or start a new thread with clear information to invite others to join. Some tips for good asynchronous discussions in online science classrooms include: Limiting the length of responses. This is a conversation, not a series of monologues. Cutting the discussion off after a reasonable period of time to stop students from posting after the class has abandoned the thread. Not allowing students to go back and delete their posts (because the replies after that will not make sense), but allowing them to edit slightly. Reminding students to acknowledge, complement, and question one another politely and respectfully. Encouraging students to use science vocabulary but define terms that may be unfamiliar to their peers. For the mystery picture activity, a picture can be posted as an attachment to the discussion thread introduction, or right at the "door" of the online classroom. Great photos are available in the image libraries from NASA (www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/index.html), the U.S. Geological Survey's Earthshots (http://earthshots.usgs.gov), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (http://images.fws. …


McNicoll, Sylvia. crush.candy.corpse: What really happened in the forty-first hour? Toronto: James Lorimer & Co. Ltd, 2012. Print. Sunny is sixteen and is accused of the manslaughter of a woman with Alzheimer's whom she had met as a volunteer at a senior's home. Sunny, named so by her own grandmother, has two pink strips in the front of her hair and an attitude that is not appreciated by the supervisor at Paradise Manor. Sunny's attitude extends to her choice of boyfriend and to ignoring her parents' request that she not see him after they are caught shoplifting. Sunny's immigrant parents work long hours managing a condo. Occasionally, Sunny helps out at the condo office but she would prefer to work at Salon Teo as a hairdresser. Sunny and her family are also dealing with her mother's ongoing treatment of a cancer. These issues create the path that leads Sunny to her arrest for manslaughter.  Sunny is hurt and frightened; she is confused and defiant as she begins her compulsory forty volunteer hours in order to graduate from high school. Sunny is a realistic and believable protagonist experiencing authentic events and responding with genuine reactions. As we review each visit to Paradise Manor in Sunny's required English journal and through the events of the trial, we witness the changes that many teens experience as they mature. Her relationships with the victim's grandson, the victim and the other residents at the Manor change as she progresses through her forty hour sentence. Sunny's frank opinions, spontaneous reactions and often caring participation in Manor bingo, birthday parties and funerals show us the true nature of her being. Sunny develops a crush and becomes close to a fellow volunteer whose grandmother is a resident at Paradise Manor.  This relationship hovers around her while she volunteers and helps her come to terms with the loss of her own grandmother and creates the dilemma of choosing between the boy at the manor and the one she is secretly dating. Some readers like myself may hesitate to select a book about an Alzheimer's ward, but this reasoning will be unfounded, even when the issue of euthanasia intrudes on the experiences of the two young volunteers. The subject is dealt with honestly and with a genuine understanding of the patients, the families and the caregivers. My own experience with the disease rang true in this story. Even young readers without the experience of living with Alzheimer's disease can relate to and understand Sunny's experiences at Paradise Manor. Without burdening the reader with Canadian justice system legal jargon and procedure, we experience the trial as an equal companion to Sunny's narrative and her journal entries. McNicoll is the author of twenty-seven books and five award-winning titles including Bringing up Beauty . crush.candy.corpse is nominated for the Ontario Library Association Red Maple Award 2013. Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Leslie Holwerda Leslie Holwerda is a teacher-librarian/literacy coach at Lougheed Middle School in Brampton Ontario. She has been a teacher-librarian for ten years and loves reading, selecting and recommending books for readers. She is especially interested in encouraging reluctant readers to pick up and read books no matter the genre, topic or format. The opportunity to motivate readers with e-books and reading apps in the school library is an exciting prospect.


Description

Collecting together essays written by an international set of contributors, this book provides an important contribution to the emerging field of disability history. It explores changes in understandings of deformity and disability between the sixteenth and twentieth centuries, and reveal the ways in which different societies have conceptualised the normal and the pathological.

Through a variety of case studies including: early modern birth defects, homosexuality, smallpox scarring, vaccination, orthopaedics, deaf education, eugenics, mental deficiency, and the experiences of psychologically scarred military veterans, this book provides new perspectives on the history of physical, sensory and intellectual anomaly.

Examining changes over five centuries, it charts how disability was delineated from other forms of deformity and disfigurement by a clearer medical perspective. Essays shed light on the experiences of oppressed minorities often hidden from mainstream history, but also demonstrate the importance of discourses of disability and deformity as key cultural signifiers which disclose broader systems of power and authority, citizenship and exclusion.

The diverse nature of the material in this book will make it relevant to scholars interested in cultural, literary, social and political, as well as medical, history.


Objective: The focus of this study was to determine if there is any significant difference in academic achievement for girls and boys with a cleft compared to the general population of Swedish students at graduation from compulsory school. Design: A retrospective population-based study using data obtained from the Swedish Medical Birth Register that was linked to the Swedish School–Grade Register. Participants: Two hundred seventy girls and 241 boys with cleft palate (CP), 222 girls and 429 boys with cleft lip (CL), and 299 girls and 531 boys with cleft lip and palate (CLP) were compared with the compulsory school population comprising 609,397 girls and 640,007 boys. Main Outcome Measures: (1) Odds of receiving the lowest grade and reduced odds in receiving high grades in Mathematics, English, and Swedish. (2) grade point average (GPA). Results: In all 3 subject grades, for boys with cleft there was no difference when compared to the male population. Girls with cleft were similar to their peers with a few exceptions. Girls with CLP had lower Math grades, and girls with CP had lower Math, English, and Swedish grades. Girls with CP and CLP achieved a significantly lower GPA in comparison to the female population and boys with CP and CL achieved lower GPAs in comparison to the male population. Conclusions: This study indicates that educational outcomes for girls with cleft are more negatively affected than for boys with cleft.


Abstract: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are potential candidates to enhance the heat balance of concrete, reducing internal stresses caused by differential heating in massive concrete elements. The higher the aspect ratio (AR) and content of CNTs, the greater the expected thermal conductivity (TC). However, high AR may impair the proper dispersion of CNTs in cementitious matrix, potentially harming the workability and mechanical strength of the composite. This work evaluated the effect of the AR (35, 250, 900, and 3500) and content (0.05% and 0.10%) of CNTs on the TC, rheology (squeeze flow), and mechanical strength of cement paste. Results showed that 0.05% CNT increased the TC of paste by up to 15% for AR of 250, but further increasing AR progressively reduced the TC of the composite. In turn, 0.10% CNT incorporation did not result in significant TC gains. The yield stress and viscosity of the mixes progressively increased as CNTs content and AR increased, by up to 119% compared with plain cement paste. No significant differences were observed in 28-day compressive strength with 0.05% CNT incorporation, while 0.10% CNT led to slight strength reductions for some mixes. Regarding flexural strength, 0.05% incorporation of either CNT decreased the strength of the mixes while 0.10% incorporation generally compensated this reduction, except for the lowest aspect ratio. Overall, CNTs with intermediate AR (around 250) was effective in improving the thermal conductivity of cement paste, increasing it by 15% with relatively low content (0.05%) while did not significantly impair the fresh and mechanical performance of the composite.


Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have become essential tools in modern life and their use in education is increasing rapidly at all levels. It is only recently, however, that they have been introduced more widely to children of pre-school age and one very important reason for this is to prepare them for their future lives in the knowledge society. In Europe there is a growing awareness that the foundation for technological literacy, life-long learning and creativity should be laid in the earliest years of a child's education. The pre-school education sector is still, however, at a very early stage of its development in incorporating ICT effectively into teaching and learning and it is in this context that the contribution of IBM's KidSmart Early Learning programme is particularly significant. The programme was designed as a specific initiative to address the 'digital divide' in under-resourced communities and aims to support the newly identified need to develop enriched teaching and learning through the use of ICT, a key element of which is the promotion of teacher skills and confidence. The programme began in 1999 and $40 million has been invested to date. 20,000 KidSmart Early Learning Centres have been donated to over 50 countries worldwide and 4,500 Centres are now distributed in Europe, benefiting over 200,000 children. In IBM's EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa) it was introduced to nine countries in 2000 and in 2004 it will be in 23 countries. 9,000 European teachers have received ICT training as a direct result of the programme. The KidSmart Early Learning Centre consists of an IBM desktop computer housed in durable and colourful furniture, specially designed for children aged three to six in association with the toy manufacturer Little Tikes. Award winning educational software from Riverdeep is installed in most national languages and a Web site provides advice for early education teachers and the parents of young children on the appropriate use of ICT to support child development1. IBM implements KidSmart in partnership with early learning organisations, usually Ministries of Education or leading professional bodies, who provide high quality training, participate in the selection of schools and contribute to programme evaluation. In 2003 IBM organised the first European Conference on ICT in early education. This conference brought together policy makers, researchers and leading teachers from 20 countries with the European Commissioner for Education to showcase innovative practice and to propose recommendations for policy development.


Present data stream management systems allow the automatic recording and processing of huge data volumes to guide any kind of process control or business decision. However, a crucial problem is posed by data quality deficiencies due to imprecise sensors, environmental influences, transfer failures, etc. If not handled carefully, they lead to misguided decisions and inappropriate actions. In this paper, we present the quality-driven optimization of stream processing to improve the resulting quality of data and service. First, we present the optimization objectives and discuss the parameterization of stream processing operators to define the underlying optimization problem. We develop the generic optimization framework and present the quality-driven evolution strategy (QES). Finally, we show that the designed optimization scales very well with regard to processing complexity and reduces numerical errors in the contact lens production monitoring.


A high packing density laser diode stack array is developed utilizing Al-free active region laser bars with a broad waveguide and discrete copper microchannel-cooled heatsinks. The microchannel cooling technology leads to a 10-bar laser diode stack array having the thermal resistance of 0.199 oC/W, and enables the device to be operated under continuous-wave (CW) condition at an output power of 1200 W. The thickness of the discrete copper heatsink is only 1.5 mm, which results in a high packing density and a small bar pitch of 1.8 mm.


There is general agreement that the "promise" of Gideon has been systematically denied to large numbers of criminal defendants. In some cases, no counsel is provided; in many others, excessive caseloads and lack of resources prevent appointed counsel from providing effective assistance. Public defenders are forced to violate their ethical obligations by excessive case assignments that make it impossible for them to practice law in accordance with professional standards, to say nothing of Sixth Amendment commands. This worsening situation is caused by the failure of governmental bodies to properly fund indigent defense services and by the refusal of courts to provide adequate remedial measures to ensure that appointed counsel have the time and resources necessary to meet their constitutional obligations. I propose a litigation strategy as a means of confronting the issues of funding and resources that incorporates both Sixth Amendment and professional responsibility standards to enable courts to order structural relief in cases of systemic deficiencies. The Supreme Courts of Florida and Missouri have recently applied these principles in permitting public defenders to withdraw from cases where excessive caseloads and under-funding have interfered with their ethical obligations to their clients. Recognizing that the Strickland post-conviction test was not the sole means of enforcing Sixth Amendment rights, these courts permitted pre-trial challenges that did not depend on a showing of sub-standard performance or actual prejudice in an individual case. Other courts have permitted pre-trial challenges as well and the United States Supreme Court has recognized the significance of a lawyer's professional judgments and obligations in fulfilling their ethical and constitutional duties. The article concludes by discussing three cases from Pennsylvania that show both the promise and the difficulties of litigation in achieving systemic reform.


Tapered glass capillaries have successfully condensed hard x-ray beams to ultrasmall dimensions providing unprecedented spatial resolution for the characterization of materials. A spatial resolution of 50 nanometers was obtained while imaging a lithographically prepared gold pattern with x-rays in the energy range of 5 to 8 kiloelectron volts. This is the highest resolution scanning x-ray image made to date with hard x-rays. With a beam 360 nanometers in diameter, Laue diffraction was observed from the smallest sample volume ever probed by x-ray diffraction, 5 x 10(-3) cubic micrometers.


Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) are highly infectious food-borne pathogens that cause severe diarrhoea in both, industrialised and developing countries all over the world. Their pathogenicity factors involve shiga-like toxins and a type III secretion system along with so called effector proteins, which are translocated directly into the cytoplasm of their host cells, usually enterocytes. Most of these proteins are encoded in pathogenicity islands within the bacterial genome that are framed by sequences of lambdoid phages. Some of these phages are still able to produce infectious particles after UV induction.
In this study I generated two protein-protein interactomes, namely EHEC-host and phage lambda-E. coli. For the EHEC-host interactome, 34 effector proteins that had been previously shown to be secreted into human host cells were cloned and screened against pooled human cDNA and ORF libraries via yeast two-hybrid screening. This resulted in 35 reproducible interactions of 15 EHEC effectors with 34 human proteins, of which only four had been published previously. Inclusion of secondary human protein interactors retrieved from the BioGRID database revealed that EHEC effectors are interconnected in the human cell.
The translocated intimin receptor (TIR) that was found to interact with eight human proteins was compared to its homologue in enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). This revealed that five of the eight EHEC TIR interactors also interact with EPEC TIR.
Another interaction discovered in this study involves the EHEC effector NleF, previously a protein of unknown function, and human caspase-9. LUMIER assays against other human caspases identified caspase-4 and -8 as additional binding partners of NleF. Tests with purified enzymes revealed that NleF can potentially inhibit all three caspases. The effector decreased caspase activity significantly in HeLa cell lysate and impaired apoptosis induction in HeLa and Caco-2 cells. A collaboration partner solved the crystal structure of the NleF/caspase-9 complex, which suggested a dominant role of the carboxy-terminal four amino acids in caspase-9 binding and inhibition. I was able to confirm these findings by constructing NleF versions with mutagenized carboxy-termini. NleF versions that lacked the last four amino acids or comprised an additional carboxy-terminal alanine were unable to bind any of the three caspases or impair apoptosis. Apoptosis inhibition is a strategy often applied by viral and bacterial pathogens. Even though NleF is not the only effector protein capable of inhibiting apoptosis in human cells, direct inhibition of caspases by bacterial effectors has not been reported to date.
The phage lambda-E. coli.interactome was generated during my research stay at the J. Craig Venter Institute in Rockville (USA). I screened 68 phage lambda proteins against the E. coli W3110 ORF library via yeast two-hybrid screening using two different vector systems. This resulted in 144 reproducible interacting pairs. The phage lambda and E. coli proteins involved in interactions were categorized in functional groups and analysed for interactions between phage and host groups.


Previously, we demonstrated that ADP inhibits cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) opening by competing with ATP for a binding site presumably in the COOH-terminal nucleotide binding domain (NBD2). We also found that the open time of the channel is shortened in the presence of ADP. To further study this effect of ADP on the open state, we have used two CFTR mutants (D1370N and E1371S); both have longer open times because of impaired ATP hydrolysis at NBD2. Single-channel kinetic analysis of ΔR/D1370N-CFTR shows unequivocally that the open time of this mutant channel is decreased by ADP. ΔR/E1371S-CFTR channels can be locked open by millimolar ATP with a time constant of ∼100 s, estimated from current relaxation upon nucleotide removal. ADP induces a shorter locked-open state, suggesting that binding of ADP at a second site decreases the locked-open time. To test the functional consequence of the occupancy of this second nucleotide binding site, we changed the [ATP] and performed similar relaxation analysis for E1371S-CFTR channels. Two locked-open time constants can be discerned and the relative distribution of each component is altered by changing [ATP] so that increasing [ATP] shifts the relative distribution to the longer locked-open state. Single-channel kinetic analysis for ΔR/E1371S-CFTR confirms an [ATP]-dependent shift of the distribution of two locked-open time constants. These results support the idea that occupancy of a second ATP binding site stabilizes the locked-open state. This binding site likely resides in the NH2-terminal nucleotide binding domain (NBD1) because introducing the K464A mutation, which decreases ATP binding affinity at NBD1, into E1371S-CFTR shortens the relaxation time constant. These results suggest that the binding energy of nucleotide at NBD1 contributes to the overall energetics of the open channel conformation.


A high order finite difference scheme is introduced to deal with thermo-hydraulic quench simulation in superconducting magnets, specifically in the case of cable-in-conduit conductors (CICC). Liquid helium flow in CICC is governed by the unsteady convection-diffusion conservation equations, in the low Mach number and high Reynolds number flow region. In the past several years many methods have been considered for quench simulation in superconducting magnets, for example, finite element, finite volume, and finite difference methods. One of the main challenges is the accurate simulation of flow during a superconductor quench, given the large gradients in pressure and temperature that arise during conductor normalization. These simulations are key to proper magnet protection design. The Dispersion Relation Preserving (DRP) scheme is applied to the quench simulation problem. The computational results are compared to those obtained using a well-proven commercial quench simulation code (Gandalf), as well as experimental data. Preliminary results are promising.


International organizations most often recommend a virtual one stop shop such as the Single Window for Foreign Trade (Spanish acronym: VUCE). This model is undoubtedly the most successful scheme available. This paper presents the general framework for trade facilitation and shows how VUCEs have triggered a new perspective of cohesiveness as countries seek to facilitate trade and influence competitiveness indexes. In addition, it assesses the current situation in countries of the Americas that are starting to or have already taken the first steps in developing a VUCE, such as Costa Rica, Colombia, Mexico, and Chile, and discusses the conditions required to implement a VUCE with the understanding that there is more than one possible model of implementation and every government must choose one that is suitable to its own institutional structure and technological progress. This paper was presented at the Fifth Americas Competiveness Forum for the Inter-American Development Bank and Compete Caribbean Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, October 5-7, 2011.


This study explored the phenomenon of English Corners (EC) in Shanghai. These are informal communities formed for the purpose of practising English. In 1978, just after the death of Mao Ze Dong and the fall of the 'gang of four', many eager Chinese people gathered together to practise their oral English in the Shanghai People's Park. Many of these were old men and had been educated in English at missionary schools in Shanghai in the early 20h century. Today we see many successors to such groups in the ECs which meet in different locations throughout the city and which comprise people ranging from young children through to octogenarians. The persistence of the English corner phenomenon over more than 20 years suggests that, despite Shanghai's massive modernization, there is still a perceived need for language learning support at a community level. It seems that for many Chinese learners today the use of English in an infonnal setting is an important support to the learning of the language. In this study, the ECs were explored on the basis of questionnaires, interviews, observations and ethnographic descriptions. The focus (~collecting data was from 20 infonnants from four ECs in Shanghai. Also four other ECs were visited and ethnographic observations were recorded. To supplement the description of ECs in Shanghai I interviewed four English native speakers and six Chinese English teachers. The research into ECs in Shanghai demonstrated benefits and limitations lent by context to EFL. The major benefits for the local Chinese were that the EC communities provided places to practise their spoken English, make friends, and exchange infonnation. The limitations with the corners were firstly the lack of fluent and accurate English speakers and secondly the low level of English language competency to which the learners had access in a society that demonstrates massive modernization.


With high penetration of distributed energy resources, fault management strategy is of great importance for the distribution network operation. The objective of this paper is to propose a current and voltage limiting strategy to enhance fault ride-through (FRT) capability of inverter-based islanded microgrids (MGs) in which the effects of inverter control system and inverter topology (four/three-wire) are considered. A three-phase voltage-sourced inverter with multi-loop control system implemented in synchronous, stationary, and natural reference frames is employed in this paper for both four- and three-wire configurations. The proposed strategy provides high voltage and current quality during overcurrent conditions, which is necessary for sensitive loads. Several time-domain simulation studies are conducted to investigate the FRT capability of the proposed strategy against both asymmetrical and symmetrical faults. Moreover, the proposed method is tested on the CIGRE benchmark MG to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed limiting strategy.


The authors have proposed and experimentally demonstrated all-optical logic gates using a single SOA and delay interference filtering that enable simultaneous logic functions of OR and NOR at 40 Gbits/s. The proposed scheme, which utilizes the combinative filtering profile of a delay interferometer and an optical bandpass filter, has great merits for use in generating logic outputs with high quality in terms of pulse shape, extinction ratio, and eye diagram. Reconfiguration between the two gates is achieved by adjusting the tunable filter and the delay interferometer.


The purpose of this paper is to introduce sequential investment strategies that guarantee an optimal rate of growth of the capital, under minimal assumptions on the behavior of the market. The new strategies are analyzed both theoretically and empirically. The theoretical results show that the asymptotic rate of growth matches the optimal one that one could achieve with a full knowledge of the statistical properties of the underlying process generating the market, under the only assumption that the market is stationary and ergodic. The empirical results show that the performance of the proposed investment strategies measured on past nyse and currency exchange data is solid, and sometimes even spectacular.


We show that for any sequence $f: {\bf N} \to \{-1,+1\}$ taking values in $\{-1,+1\}$, the discrepancy $$ \sup_{n,d \in {\bf N}} \left|\sum_{j=1}^n f(jd)\right| $$ of $f$ is infinite. This answers a question of Erd\H{o}s. In fact the argument also applies to sequences $f$ taking values in the unit sphere of a real or complex Hilbert space.
The argument uses three ingredients. The first is a Fourier-analytic reduction, obtained as part of the Polymath5 project on this problem, which reduces the problem to the case when $f$ is replaced by a (stochastic) completely multiplicative function ${\bf g}$. The second is a logarithmically averaged version of the Elliott conjecture, established recently by the author, which effectively reduces to the case when ${\bf g}$ usually pretends to be a modulated Dirichlet character. The final ingredient is (an extension of) a further argument obtained by the Polymath5 project which shows unbounded discrepancy in this case.


In this article, I test predominant normative approaches to CAH against the notion's deployment in law. Embarking on this cross-disciplinary project is needed because those the predominant literature fail to address (or were just articulated before) the waves of cases brought before international criminal courts throughout the last decade. I start by examining how international criminal courts have specified the core elements of the definition and then assess if and how the predominant philosophical literature can account for it. I then argue that this legal-empirical inquiry leads to both refining the structure and revisiting the relevant jurisdiction of CAH. As far as structure is concerned, I distinguish a third but neglected element in the structure of CAH, which I identify as the preparatory conditions of the crimes (the 'PCs'). In relying on Joseph Raz' concept of authority, I argue that reconstructing the PCs help to specify what it is about states that those crimes deeply pervert. While the PCs strikingly mirror the systematic and pre-emptive role of the state, those patterns are established to massively persecute, terrorize and finally odiously attack. As far as jurisdiction is concerned, I infer that the agent of CAH and the state in which those crimes occur become 'answerable' to the normative community of responsible states (following Anthony Duff's accountability model). By establishing international trials, this normative community does justice not only to the victims by proving the crimes but also to the perpetrators by treating them as responsible members.


Mixed-initiative clustering is a task where a user and a machine work collaboratively to analyze a large set of documents. We hypothesize that a user and a machine can both learn better clustering models through enriched communication and interactive learning from each other.
The first contribution or this thesis is providing a framework of mixed-initiative clustering. The framework consists of machine learning and teaching phases, and user learning and teaching phases connected in an interactive loop which allows bi-directional communication. The bi-directional communication languages define types of information exchanged in an interface. Coordination between the two communication languages and the adaptation capability of the machine's clustering model is the key to building a mixed-initiative clustering system.
The second contribution comes from successfully building several systems using our proposed framework. Two systems are built with incrementally enriched communication languages — one enables user feedback on features for non-hierarchical clustering and the other accepts user feedback on hierarchical clustering results. This achievement validates our framework and also demonstrates the possibilities to develop machine learning algorithms to work with conceptual properties.
The third contribution comes from the study of enabling real-time interactive capability in our full-fledged mixed-initiative clustering system. We provide several guidelines on practical issues that developers of mixed-initiative learning systems may encounter.
The fourth contribution is the design of user studies for examining effectiveness of a mixed-initiative clustering system. We design the studies according to two scenarios, a learning scenario where a user develops a topic ontology from an unfamiliar data set, and a teaching scenario where a user knows the ontology and wants to transfer this knowledge to a machine. Results of the user studies demonstrate the mixed-initiative clustering has advantages over non-mixed-initiative approaches in terms of helping users learn an ontology as well as helping users teach a known ontology to a machine.


There are several factors that affect piglet survival and this has a bearing on sow productivity. Ten variables that influence pre-weaning vitality were analysed using records from the Pig Industry Board, Zimbabwe. These included individual piglet birth weight, piglet origin (nursed in original litter or fostered), sex, relative birth weight expressed as standard deviation units, sow parity, total number of piglets born, year and month of farrowing, within-litter variability and the presence of stillborn or mummified littermates. The main factors that influenced piglet mortality were fostering, parity and within-litter variability especially the weight of the individual piglet relative to the average of the litter (P <0.05). Presence of a mummified or stillborn littermate, which could be a proxy for unfavourable uterine environment or trauma during the birth process, did not influence pre-weaning mortality. Variability within a litter and the deviation of the weight of an individual piglet from the litter mean, influenced survival to weaning. It is, therefore, advisable for breeders to include uniformitywithin the litter as a selection criterion. The recordingof various variables by farmers seems to be a useful management practice to identify piglets at risk so as to establish palliative measures. Further, farmers should know which litters and which piglets within a litter are at risk and require more attention.


Entropy as an important state function can be considered to provide insight into the thermodynamic properties of seawater. In this paper, the spatial-temporal distribution of specific entropy in the oceans is presented, using a new Gibbs thermodynamic potential function of seawater, which is proposed by R. Feistel. An important result is found that the distribution of specific entropy is surprisingly different from that of potential density or neutral density surfaces. By contrast, the distribution of specific entropy is quite similar to that of potential temperature in the oceans. This result is not consistent with the traditional assumption that isopycnal or isoneutral surfaces could be approximately regarded as isentropic surfaces in the physical oceanography.


Bone formation onto poly(L-lactide), which was plasma-spray coated with various quantities of hydroxyapatite (0%, 15%, 36% and 100% coverage), was investigated in an in vitro assay. Rat bone marrow cells were grown on the different coatings and the cellular response and elaborated extracellular matrix was examined at the light and electron microscopical level after 1, 2 , 4 and 8 weeks of culture. Proliferation of cells into multilayers was seen on the 0% , 36% and 100% , but not on the 15 % coatings. Coinciding with this was the sparse formation of extracellular matrix on the latter, and its abundant appearance on the former three coatings. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed a mineralized extracellular matrix on the 100% and 36% coatings after 2 and 4 weeks , respectively, and on the 15 % coating after 8 weeks. Mineralization was not observed on uncoated poly(L-lactide). At the interface between hydroxyapatite and the mineralized extracellular matrix, one or more electron dense layers were frequently observed , which showed morphological similarities with structures between these two entities in vivo. The results of this in vitro study show that , in the model used, hydroxyapatite is required to obtain the elaboration of mineralized extracellular matrix on poly(L-lactide) .


In this thesis, I explore the ways in which cinematic representations reconstruct and maintain the symbolic power of the global city. Using London as a paradigmatic example, I situate the research in the 1997- 2007 period, the height of the New Labour era in Britain. I investigate the ways in which London's symbolic power was produced and maintained during this period, using a sociological-thematic analysis of several London-set films, which I categorised by theme. The analysis, which incorporates elements of discourse and social semiotics, demonstrates how these films, with both negative and positive portrayals of the city space, are central in the construction of London as a symbolically significant global city. I discuss the consequences of this symbolic construction of the city in relation to its global image and indeed the ways in which the city is changing as a result of the blurring boundaries between the cinematic and 'real' cities. My analysis shows that 'Glamorous London', one of the thematic categories I devised, paints a picture of the city through the lens of class and racial homogeneity, and gender normativity, where the principles of neoliberal capitalism dominate the landscape. 'Glamorous London' is an exclusive and exclusionary place in which only certain types of individuals who fit these normative stereotypes, are welcome. At the same time, films which relate to the 'Multi-Cultural London' thematic category, provide a more bleak and gritty image of the city, where asylum seekers and economic migrants live 'cheek by jowl', struggling to survive in the city's unforgiving underbelly. My analysis shows that Multi-Cultural London films are equally central in painting a picture of a diverse global city which is dynamic, exciting and full of possibilities. The films in this thematic category show the 'other side' of London's global city identity and, more specifically, the city's success as a global centre for capitalism and, correlatively, the city's symbolic power as multi-faceted and full of contradictions. This thesis also provides evidence from non-cinematic media as well as from the city's evolving landscape, to demonstrate that these cinematic trends have farreaching implications beyond cinema and indeed beyond the time period in which the film analysis is located.


One of the clearest legacies of the growing concern expressed over the international competitiveness of Canadian and American businesses has been the urgency it has lent to a very old debate respecting the efficacy of the apparatus used to govern the business and affairs of large, public corporations. For instance, Michael Porter, one of the most articulate if not the most prolific of the new competitiveness scholars, has suggested that American economic performance could be improved by enhancing the performance of the traditional corporate governance apparatus. In this respect, his suggestions closely track the thrust of recent reform initiatives proposed by investors and regulators who seek to increase the performance of the board by making it more responsive, indeed responsible, to shareholder interests. Although some of the current critics of the corporate board have placed exclusive faith in the ability of market mechanisms to ensure heightened board effectiveness, most initiatives rely to some extent on strengthened legal duties and responsibilities to achieve this task. And, as measured by the growing willingness of both courts and securities regulators to impose liability on directors for failing to review diligently various corporate transactions (i.e., self-interested transactions, public financings, etc.), it is clear that the reformist calls made by these critics are slowly but surely being heeded. Paralleling the trend to increased legal liability of boards for actions that are inimical to shareholder interests has been an equally clear trend towards enhanced legal responsibility for corporate conduct deemed contrary to broader stakeholder or community interests.


Private School Quality in Italy We discuss how a schooling system's structure may imply that private school enrolment leads to worse subsequent performance in further education or in the labour market, and we seek evidence of such phenomena in Italian data. If students differ not only in terms of their families' ability to pay but also in terms of their own ability to take advantage of educational opportunities ("talent" for short), theory predicts that private schools attract a worse pool of students when publicly funded schools are better suited to foster progress by more talented students. We analyze empirically three surveys of Italian secondary school graduates, interviewed 3 year after graduation. In these data, the impact of observable talent proxies on educational and labour market outcomes is indeed more positive for students who (endogenously) choose to attend public schools than for those who choose to pay for private education. JEL Classification: I21


Abnormal protein structure and function have been implicated as the toxic species in many diseases including neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's. One key pathological hallmark in Parkinson's disease is the formation of Lewy bodies, of which alpha-synuclein is the major component. These Lewy bodies are formed by the aggregation and oligomerization of alpha-synuclein. The oligomeric form of the protein is suspected to be the main contributor to the neurotoxicity seen in the disease. The formation of toxic oligomers has been shown to occur through reactions with lipids, dopamine, hydrogen peroxide as well as metals. The interplay between metals and alpha-synuclein has also been proposed to cause oxidative stress, which promotes the formation of protein aggregates. Most studies investigating the relationship of Cu, Fe and Zn with alpha-synuclein have relied on the use of recombinant protein and there is little evidence that the interaction between metals and alpha-synuclein are physiologically relevant. To address this gap in our knowledge we have characterized the metal content and metal binding capacity of alpha-synuclein purified from human erythrocytes and brain tissue. In addition, we examined the ability of dityrosine cross-linked alpha-synuclein oligomers to bind Cu, Fe and Zn. Using size exclusion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry we demonstrated that native human alpha-synuclein, recombinant familial mutants and oligomers do not bind to significant amounts of metal even when they are added to the protein in excess.


Computational screening is a method to prioritize small-molecule compounds based on the structural and biochemical attributes built from ligand and target information. Previously, we have developed a scalable virtual screening workflow to identify novel multitarget kinase/bromodomain inhibitors. In the current study, we identified several novel N-[3-(2-oxo-pyrrolidinyl)phenyl]-benzenesulfonamide derivatives that scored highly in our ensemble docking protocol. We quantified the binding affinity of these compounds for BRD4(BD1) biochemically and generated cocrystal structures, which were deposited in the Protein Data Bank. As the docking poses obtained in the virtual screening pipeline did not align with the experimental cocrystal structures, we evaluated the predictions of their precise binding modes by performing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The MD simulations closely reproduced the experimentally observed protein–ligand cocrystal binding conformations and interactions for all compounds. These results suggest a computational workflow to generate experimental-quality protein–ligand binding models, overcoming limitations of docking results due to receptor flexibility and incomplete sampling, as a useful starting point for the structure-based lead optimization of novel BRD4(BD1) inhibitors.


The PAMELA experiment was launched on board the Resurs-DK1 satellite on June 15th 2006. The apparatus was designed to conduct precision studies of charged cosmic radiation over a wide energy range, from tens of MeV up to several hundred GeV, with unprecedented statistics. In five years of continuous data taking in space, PAMELA accurately measured the energy spectra of cosmic ray antiprotons and positrons, as well as protons, electrons and light nuclei, sometimes providing data in unexplored energetic regions. These important results have shed new light in several astrophysical fields like: an indirect search for Dark Matter, a search for cosmological antimatter (anti-Helium), and the validation of acceleration, transport and secondary production models of cosmic rays in the Galaxy. Some of the most important items of Solar and Magnetospheric physics were also investigated. Here we present the most recent results obtained by the PAMELA experiment.


Extensive prior art within the Engine Combustion Network (ECN) using a Bosch single axial-hole injector called 'Spray A' in constant-volume vessels has provided a solid foundation from which to evaluate modeling tools relevant to spray combustion. In this paper, a new experiment using a Bosch three-hole nozzle called 'Spray B' mounted in a 2.34 L heavy-duty optical engine is compared to sector-mesh engine simulations. Two different approaches are employed to model combustion: the 'well-mixed model' considers every cell as a homogeneous reactor and employs multi-zone chemistry to reduce the computational time. The 'flamelet' approach represents combustion by an ensemble of laminar diffusion flames evolving in the mixture fraction space and can resolve the influence of mixing, or 'turbulence-chemistry interactions,' through the influence of the scalar dissipation rate on combustion. Both combustion methodologies are implemented in the Lib-ICE code which is an unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes solver with k-ɛ turbulence closure based on OpenFOAM® technology. Liquid length and vapor penetration predictions generally fall within the experimental measurement uncertainty at 7.5% O2, 900 K, and 15.2 kg/m3. Flame liftoff length, cylinder pressure, apparent heat release rate, and ignition delay time from the two computations are compared to experiments under single parametric variation of ambient density 15.2 kg/m3 and 22.8 kg/m3, temperatures of 800, 900, and 1000 K, at 13, 15 and 21% Oxygen and injection pressure of 500, 1000, and 1500 bar. Both models generally provide apparent heat release rate maxima to within the uncertainty. The flamelet model better predicts the sensitivity of lift-off length while the well-mixed model better predicts ignition delay.


the next medium, whatever it is—it may be the extension of consciousness—will include television as its content, not as its environment, and will transform television into an art form. A computer as a research and communication instrument could enhance retrieval, obsolesce mass library organization, retrieve the individual's encyclopedic function and flip into a private line to speedily tailored data of a saleable kind. (p. 293)


This paper deals with a number of closely related subjects. In Ch. 2 the AOO beaker group in the Netherlands, Belgium and Western Germany is examined, especially regarding distribution pattern, association with Single Grave culture and burial ritual. In Ch. 3 a partly new typology of the Central Dutch bell beakers is presented. Ch. 4 to 7 deal with the NE Dutch/NW German Bell Beaker group, especially with the typology of the beakers, dating evidence and burial ritual. Differences in burial wealth between the Central Dutch and the NE Dutch/NW German Bell Beaker group are emphasized. Ch. 8 and 9 deal with finds from settlements and from wet contexts, respectively with stray finds of wrist guards in the NE Netherlands and NW Germany. Ch. 10 proposes a new typo-chronology of large settlement pottery (Beaker Pots) in the same area. Ch. 11 is an extensive summary of the Dutch text. In Appendix 1 the Hoenderlo-Schenkenshul barrow is re-analyzed, using the original documentation, and the Ahsen/1934 barrow excavation is published. Appendix 2 is a catalogue of NE Dutch bell beaker finds, with detailed descriptions of find circumstances and drawings of the objects.


In this article a major channel through which financialisation or finance-dominated capitalism affects macroeconomic performance is examined: the distribution channel. Empirical data for the following dimensions of (re-)distribution in the period of finance-dominated capitalism since the early 1980s is provided for 15 advanced capitalist economies: functional distribution, personal/household distribution and the share and the composition of top incomes. Based on the Kaleckian approach to the determination of income shares, the effects of financialisation on functional income distribution are studied in more detail. Some stylised facts of financialisation are integrated into the Kaleckian approach, and by means of reviewing empirical and econometric literature it is found that financialisation and neoliberalism have contributed to the falling labour income share since the early 1980s through three main Kaleckian channels: 1) a shift in the sectoral composition of the economy, 2) an increase in management salaries and rising profit claims of the rentiers and thus in overheads, and 3) weakened trade union bargaining power.


We report an isotope dilution mass spectrometry method using capillary gas chromatography/negative ion chemical ionization to quantitate urine concentrations of benzidine (BZ) and of its acetylated metabolites N-acetylbenzidine (ABZ) and N,N'-diacetylbenzidine (DABZ). Urine samples were purified by solid-phase extraction columns, reduced with LiAlH4/THF, and derivatized with pentafluoropropionic anhydride. The derivatives were measured by selected ion monitoring relative to deuterium-labeled internal standards. A detection limit as low as 0.5, 0.8, and 1.5 ppt for BZ, ABZ, and DABZ, respectively, can easily be achieved. Urinary concentrations of ABZ substantially exceed those of either BZ or of DABZ in workers exposed to BZ or BZ-based dyes. This method has been successfully used to measure BZ, ABZ, and DABZ in 1.0-ml urine samples collected from workers involved in manufacturing BZ and BZ-based dyes. The method should be applicable to the measurement of other aromatic amines and their acetylated metabolites.


Rising partisanship and ideological polarization are defining features of contemporary American politics, but relatively little attention has been given to how this growing polarization and partisanship are affecting U.S. foreign policy making. I argue that foreign policy bipartisanship still occurs with some frequency because many foreign policy issues do not break down along partisan ideological lines, and lawmakers of both parties tend to see the world differently than the president. I apply my argument to the issue of foreign policy sanctions – an issue on which Congressional Republicans and Democrats often favor highly punitive measures that are resisted by the president. My analysis of three recent major U.S. sanctions debates shows that bipartisan majorities in Congress have driven the enactment of strict human rights and nonproliferation sanctions concerning Russia and Iran, and have nearly succeeded in sanctioning China for its currency policies – even though the president has resisted these laws and bills in whole or in significant part. The analysis demonstrates that foreign policy bipartisanship remains alive; that Congress remains capable of challenging the president successfully on important foreign policy issues; and that congressional activism on sanctions issues is motivated not only by interest group pressure, but also by ideational differences in the foreign policy approaches of lawmakers and the president.


The ability to calculate soil hydraulic properties from soil physical data has been a dominant objective of soil physics research since the 1950s. The purpose of this study was to develop an approach based on modern physics to deal with an arbitrary porous medium. Some important advances resulted from applying critical path analysis from percolation theory and percolation scaling to a truncated random fractal model (Rieu and Sposito) of a soil. In fact, some of the perceived limitations of the fractal model at high and low saturations were reevaluated as strengths in the previous application. Nevertheless, it is not realistic to expect all media to be characterized accurately in such a simple fashion. We developed an appropriate generalization of the description of the medium to an arbitrary pore size distribution while maintaining the complications related to fluid connectivity at high and low saturations relating to percolation theory. It also maintains the relevance of the pore size distribution to the hydraulic conductivity through the application of critical path analysis. A numerical routine was constructed to apply these concepts to an arbitrary pore size distribution, which in our case was inferred from experimentally determined particle size data. Although more than 50 soils were investigated, our preliminary study does not indicate what the general relevance of fractal models is.


The Coronet Peak and Arthurs Point Landslides have both formed in schist bedrock on the northwestern side of the Wakatipu Basin. The rock masses at both sites show evidence for the presence of many defects, such as foliation, schistosity, foliation shears, sheared and crushed zones, faults and joints, all which have formed as a result of the deformation and metamorphism the schist has undergone. The Arthurs Point Landslide has a volume of 2.4 x 10m, and is a wedge failure, with sliding occurring along the intersection of two master joint sets rather than foliation, the latter dipping into the slope. It is a retrogreSSive failure, with the eastern part having failed as a consequence of undercutting of the slope during the Last (Otiran) Glaciation. Actual failure of the eastern segment occurred after retreat of the ice left the valley sides over steepened and unsupported, whilst failure of the western part was related to the rock above the initial failure being left unsupported and incision of the Shotover River. The Coronet Peak landslide is a translational planar slide with a volume of approximately 1 x 10m that failed along foliation and/or foliation shears, and the slide can be divided into zones (Zone A and B), based on morphological evidence. Zone A is the larger zone (it has a volume of 6 x 10m\ and has well-developed hummocky topography, indicating continued but slow movement (probably less than 2-5mm/yr) as it has no form of toe support removal. Initial failure of the Coronet Peak landslide was triggered by ice undercutting and subsequent retreat of the Wakatipu Basin, most probably during the Waimean Glaciation (approx 135 000 years ago), as it was during this ice advance that the Wakatipu Glacier extended all the way into the Wakatipu Basin and partially up the Shotover and Arrow Valleys. Zone B can be divided into three subzones, which are all different reactivations. Zone B1 is a reactivated part of the Coronet Peak landslide and was triggered by the ice erosion related to the Otiran Glaciation. Evidence for this is seen on the valley floor at the toe of Coronet Peak landslide, with the Old Ben Lomond moraine situated adjacent to the end of the reactivated part. Most surficial glacial deposits in the Wakatipu Basin are related to the Otiran advance. Zone B2 is a reactivation within this, and was triggered by incision of the Shotover River. Zone B3 consists of two reactivations, both possibly related to flood events of the Shotover River. Back analysis of the Coronet Peak Landslide were performed, to ascertain whether the model used for the landslide is appropriate. The results showed that the model is a reasonable one. It is feasible to build on the Arthurs Point and Coronet Peak landslides, as long as it is not at the usual densities. With landslide debris, the foundation materials are not always compacted well, and therefore injudicious excavation could cause reactivations, like at the Coronet Plaza, where trimming a small amount of rock off the toe of the CPL to allow room for extensions caused some of the toe area to reactivate. The other important factor when building on landslides is surface and subsurface water, as more water in the slope than normal will increase the instability. Building at the usual densities would increase the area being excavated, and so the disruption to the foundation materials, and it would increase the amount of water to be controlled.


This paper argues that the present approach, which aims at proliferating the use of ICTs in developing countries, by neglecting its production, is likely to perpetuate technological dependence of the South. Hence the e-strategies and policies in the South need to integrate both production and use. In this process much could be gained by South-South cooperation because, unlike the earlier general-purpose technologies, in case of ICTs substantial capabilities exist in the South. While there are certain initiatives at the regional and bilateral level to foster cooperation, the paper calls for an e-South Framework Agreement to facilitate a broad based approach to pool the resources such that economies of scale and scope are achieved and risks minimized.


Technologies based on micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) present advantages for rheological applications as they enable the fabrication of smaller sensors with faster response times. In this work we propose fabrication parameters and simulation of a MEMS viscometer. This research presents the design considerations and feasibility regarding the use of capacitive micro-machined ultrasound transducer (CMUT), for viscosity sensing applications. A novel CMUT based micro-viscosity sensor is designed. As shown in the Figure 1 (A), two CMUTs one transmitter and other receiver are subjected in a vertical column facing each other with fluid in inspection between them. The mechanical performance and resonant characteristics of receiver CMUT will be changed by the viscosity of its surrounding fluid medium, due to the damping effect of the liquid. Thus, affecting the ultrasonic signal generated at the receiver, under same driver conditions. The Sensor is based on excitation of a free acoustic mode description of an isolated transmitter CMUT, which in turn is coupled to the receiver CMUT via the fluid under inspection. The receiver CMUT picks up the impulse signal in time-domain, this signal resonates the receiver CMUT at a frequency which depends on the viscosity of the fluid. The receiver end then processes the signal and applies Fourier transform, generating a frequency response. The frequency response is correlated to the viscosity of the fluid. Thus, viscosity information could successfully be extracted from this device. As shown in Figure 1 (B), Sharp resonance occurs that could be significantly helpful in measuring the viscosity. The model describes the parameters of isolated transmitter CMUT and neighboring receiver CMUT which acts like an impulse resonator. The acoustic pressure described in the fluid depends on the plate dimensions and electronic excitation of the transmitter CMUT. The entire model is simulated through various domains of physics like Electronics, Structure Mechanics and Fluid Mechanics. In this paper, to study the entire working of the rheological device, simulations were done in parts using various COMSOL® physics in COMSOL Multiphysics® software. Time domain and frequency domain studies are computed to understand the functioning of the device. As the device was axis symmetric, a 2D axis symmetric geometry was used to reduce simulation time and have a 3D idea of the simulation results. The simulation was broken up in following parts and the physics used is mentioned with it. • CMUT parameters using desired materials to operate at desired ultrasonic range. Solid Mechanics • Actuation of CMUT Electro Mechanics • Generation and transmission of pressure wave (Figure 1 (C)) Acoustic Structure Interaction. • Applying impulse signal on receiver CMUT Solid Mechanics • Change in resonant frequency of the receiver CMUT in different fluids Acoustic Structure Interaction. • Signal sensing in receiver CMUT Electro Mechanics The design variables were optimized for the experimental measurements of viscosity, and this testifies the capability of MEMS as a potential candidate for the versions of viscometers and associated types of fluid sensors. The results obtained from the simulation are validated with analytical results at various frequencies.


DESCRIPTION An economic and military superpower with 20 percent of the world's population, China has the wherewithal to transform the international system. Xi Jinping's bold calls for China to "lead in the reform of the global governance system" suggest that he has just such an ambition. But how does he plan to realize it? And what does it mean for the rest of the world? In this compelling book, Elizabeth Economy reveals China's ambitious new strategy to reclaim the country's past glory and reshape the geostrategic landscape in dramatic new ways. Xi's vision is one of Chinese centrality on the global stage, in which the mainland has realized its sovereignty claims over Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the South China Sea, deepened its global political, economic, and security reach through its grand-scale Belt and Road Initiative, and used its leadership in the United Nations and other institutions to align international norms and values, particularly around human rights, with those of China. It is a world radically different from that of today. The international community needs to understand and respond to the great risks, as well as the potential opportunities, of a world rebuilt by China.


Statistical methodology is proposed for comparing
molecular shapes. In order to account for the continuous nature of molecules, classical shape analysis methods are combined with techniques used for predicting random fields in spatial statistics. Applying a modification of Procrustes analysis, Bayesian inference is carried out using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods for the pairwise alignment of the resulting molecular fields. Superimposing entire fields rather than the configuration matrices of nuclear positions thereby solves the problem that there is usually no clear one--to--one correspondence between the atoms of the two molecules under consideration. Using a similar concept, we also propose an adaptation of the generalised Procrustes analysis algorithm for the simultaneous alignment of multiple molecular fields. The methodology is applied to a dataset of 31 steroid molecules.


This book provides battle-tested tips on how to become an outstanding educator. Written by a veteran teacher, it s packed with every classroom management secret he discovered in two decades of teaching. Rookies and veterans alike will learn how to: Create the perfect classroom environmentTurn defiant students into stellar performersTransform unruly parents into loyal alliesMake peace with difficult administratorsIncrease productivity and learning This is a real-world guide for creating a calm, nurturing, and effective learning environment. Whether they re just out of college or have been teaching for decades, teachers will learn how to survive, thrive, and excel in the classroom."


Attribute-Based Encryption (ABE) is a promising cryptographic primitive which significantly enhances the versatility of access control mechanisms. Due to the high expressiveness of ABE policies, the computational complexities of ABE key-issuing (by Attribute Authorities (AAs)) and decryption (by eligible users) are getting prohibitively high. Despite that the existing Outsourced ABE solutions are able to offload some intensive computing tasks to a third party, for example, a cloud, so to relieve the local burden of eligible users during decryption, the high computational complexity of the key-issuing at the AAs has yet to be addressed, while an ABE system will continue to grow with more users being included, and with the user revocation being considered in practice which will trigger more key (re-)issuing. Aiming at tackling the challenges above, for the first time, we propose a Secure Outsourced ABE system, which not only supports secure outsourced decryption, but also provides secure outsourced key-issuing. Unlike the current outsourced ABE systems, our new method offloads all access policy and attribute related operations in the key-issuing process or decryption to a Key Generation Service Provider (KGSP) and a Decryption Service Provider (DSP), respectively, leaving only a constant number of simple operations for the AAs and eligible users to perform locally. Furthermore, we show that both outsourcing processes (to KGSP and to DSP) are secure, namely, the KGSP and the DSP would not be able to recover the keys or decrypt the ciphertexts, respectively. In addition, we consider the scenario that a KGSP or DSP may be dishonest and could maliciously generate some incorrect returning values rather than following the outsourced operations. Therefore, in this paper, we also propose another ABE construction which allows the AAs and eligible users to check the correctness of outsourced operations in an efficient way. The security of the construction is analyzed under a recently formalized model called Refereed Delegation of Computation (RDoC).


The nitrous oxide-hydrogen flame provides efficient combustion of aspirated gasoline without the formation of luminescent unburned carbon particles. Direct aspiration of gasoline into this flame is practical even at very high nebulizer uptake rates and is thus the basis for rapid direct determination of manganese by atomic absorption spectrometry. The atomic absorption spectrophotometer, however, must be calibrated by using standards prepared from the same organometallic manganese compound present in the samples. Atomic absorption response for manganese naphthenate, manganese octoate, and methylcyclopentadienylmanganese tricarbonyl (MMT) can differ by as much as 45% relative depending on the nebulizer uptake rate. At the optimum nebulizer uptake rate used, 6 ml/min, the difference between absorption response of the most sensitive compound, manganese naphthenate, and the least sensitive, MMT, is 15%. Very high nebulizer efficiencies and relatively high uptake rates result in high sample transport to the flame. Absorption at a given concentration for all compounds increases in a linear fashion with the amount of sample transported to the flame up to about 3.0 ml/min. At 4.0 ml/min equivalent liquid phase volume delivered to the flame maximum absorbance occurs; absorbance diminishes rapidly thereafter. Plots of absorption vs equivalent liquid phase volume delivered to the flame passed through the origin for manganese naphthenate and manganese octoate. The same plot for MMT shows a positive intercept on the volume delivered axis, which indicates a consistent loss of absorption for MMT relative to the naphthenate and the octoate for all rates of sample delivery to the flame.


Immigrant access to social protection in the Netherlands has changed quite markedly over time. This paper discusses the changes from an historical perspective and introduces a theoretical framework (the Welfare Pentagon) explaining how immigrants cope with (economic) hardship when they do not have access to formal social protection. The relationship between migrants and social protection in the Netherlands has been and still is marked by asymmetries in entitlements and contributions (taxes). Shifting notions of fairness throughout time to both documented and undocumented migrants are noticed and interpreted.


Title of Thesis: IMPROVING CLUSTER TOOL PERFORMANCE BY FINDING THE OPTIMAL SEQUENCE AND CYCLIC SEQUENCE OF WAFER HANDLER MOVES. Degree candidate: Manh-Quan Tam Nguyen Degree and year: Master of Science, 2000 Thesis directed by: Assistant Professor Jeffrey W. Herrmann Department of Mechanical Engineering The research aims to develop algorithms that can minimize the total lot processing time (makespan) of cluster tools used for semiconductor manufacturing. Previous research focuses on finding an optimal sequence of wafer handler moves in a cluster tool that has one process chamber in each stage. In practice, if the number of chambers in a stage is more than one, either a pre-specified sequence of moves is given in advance or a dispatching rule is applied. No previous work has addressed the problem of finding an optimal sequence of wafer handler moves to improve performance of cluster tools with more than one chamber in a stage. Cluster tools are highly integrated machines that can perform a sequence of semiconductor manufacturing processes. The performance of cluster tools becomes increasingly important as the semiconductor industry produces larger wafers with smaller device geometry. Some factors that motivate the use of cluster tools, instead of stand-alone tools, include increased yield and throughput, less contamination, and less human intervention. In this research, the cluster tool is modeled as a manufacturing system with a material handling system (wafer handler). The model specifies all constraints that a feasible sequence of wafer handler moves must satisfy. The thesis develops two cluster tool scheduling algorithms. Given the lot size, the wafer handler move time, the inchamber processing times, and the tool configuration the first algorithm, based on a complete forward branch-and-bound algorithm, searches for an optimal solution from the set of all feasible sequences of wafer handler moves. The second algorithm, a truncated branch-and-bound algorithm, quickly searches for the best solution from the set of feasible cyclic sequences of wafer handler moves. For simple tool configurations, analytical makespan models are also derived. The results show that, in many cases, the search algorithms can significantly reduce the total lot processing time. This reduces tool utilization, reduces manufacturing cycle times, and increases tool capacity. IMPROVING CLUSTER TOOL PERFORMANCE BY FINDING THE OPTIMAL SEQUENCE AND CYCLIC SEQUENCE OF WAFER HANDLER MOVES.


Abstract. The EURODELTA III exercise has facilitated a comprehensive intercomparison and evaluation of chemistry transport model performances. Participating models performed calculations for four 1-month periods in different seasons in the years 2006 to 2009, allowing the influence of different meteorological conditions on model performances to be evaluated. The exercise was performed with strict requirements for the input data, with few exceptions. As a consequence, most of differences in the outputs will be attributed to the differences in model formulations of chemical and physical processes. The models were evaluated mainly for background rural stations in Europe. The performance was assessed in terms of bias, root mean square error and correlation with respect to the concentrations of air pollutants (NO2, O3, SO2, PM10 and PM2.5), as well as key meteorological variables. Though most of meteorological parameters were prescribed, some variables like the planetary boundary layer (PBL) height and the vertical diffusion coefficient were derived in the model preprocessors and can partly explain the spread in model results. In general, the daytime PBL height is underestimated by all models. The largest variability of predicted PBL is observed over the ocean and seas. For ozone, this study shows the importance of proper boundary conditions for accurate model calculations and then on the regime of the gas and particle chemistry. The models show similar and quite good performance for nitrogen dioxide, whereas they struggle to accurately reproduce measured sulfur dioxide concentrations (for which the agreement with observations is the poorest). In general, the models provide a close-to-observations map of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) concentrations over Europe rather with correlations in the range 0.4–0.7 and a systematic underestimation reaching −10 µg m−3 for PM10. The highest concentrations are much more underestimated, particularly in wintertime. Further evaluation of the mean diurnal cycles of PM reveals a general model tendency to overestimate the effect of the PBL height rise on PM levels in the morning, while the intensity of afternoon chemistry leads formation of secondary species to be underestimated. This results in larger modelled PM diurnal variations than the observations for all seasons. The models tend to be too sensitive to the daily variation of the PBL. All in all, in most cases model performances are more influenced by the model setup than the season. The good representation of temporal evolution of wind speed is the most responsible for models' skillfulness in reproducing the daily variability of pollutant concentrations (e.g. the development of peak episodes), while the reconstruction of the PBL diurnal cycle seems to play a larger role in driving the corresponding pollutant diurnal cycle and hence determines the presence of systematic positive and negative biases detectable on daily basis.


An inverted pendulum is a pendulum - a free body hung from a fix point and can swing freely in all directions –
that has its center of mass above its pivot point. Unlike regular pendulum which is inherently stable, an inverted pendulum
is inherently unstable and must be actively balanced in order to remain upright by applying some force at the pivot point,
thus moving the pivot point horizontally as a feedback system. The pivot point is moved using a simple vehicle consisting
of two wheels that moves freely in one direction. The feedback control to move the pivot point horizontally is a sensor
system consisting of solid state accelerometer and gyroscope. The accelerometer will detect the angle of the inverted
pendulum device and the gyroscope will detect the rate of rate of change of angle and therefore measure the angular
velocity. The vehicle robot is a two-wheel vehicle which is controlled independently using two independent DC motor.
The DC motors are controlled by a microprocessor which controls the speed of the motors using pulse width modulation
independently for each motor and the feedback on how to move the robot horizontally is by the accelerometer and
gyroscope system which is mounted on the top of the robot. The control system is a PID control which in which the
proportional gain, differential factor and the integral factor already predetermined. A second microcontroller will obtain the
result from the sensor and put it on a display for monitoring purposes. The robot has been built and programmed and
shown to work to balance the robot for certain period of time using accelerometer and gyroscope as the feedback sensors
and a set of microcontrollers as the control system to set the robot stay erect.