Abstract Morphological quantification of the complex structure of hierarchical geomaterials is of great relevance for Earth science and environmental engineering, among others. To date, methods that quantify the 3D morphology on length scales ranging from a few tens of nanometers to several hundred nanometers have had limited success. We demonstrate, for the first time, that it is possible to go beyond visualization and to extract quantitative morphological information from X-ray images in the aforementioned length scales. As examples, two different hierarchical geomaterials exhibiting complex porous structures ranging from nanometer to macroscopic scale are studied: a flocculated clay water suspension and two hydrated cement pastes. We show that from a single projection image it is possible to perform a direct computation of the ultra-small angle-scattering spectra. The predictions matched very well the experimental data obtained by the best ultra-small angle-scattering experimental setups as observed for the cement paste. In this context, we demonstrate that the structure of flocculated clay suspension exhibit two well-distinct regimes of aggregation, a dense mass fractal aggregation at short distance and a more open structure at large distance, which can be generated by a 3D reaction limited cluster-cluster aggregation process. For the first time, a high-resolution 3D image of fibrillar cement paste cluster was obtained from limited angle nanotomography.


The paper suggests an approach that reshapes the market for recruitment services by engaging with employers in destination countries at the top of the labour supply chain, who could play a key role in influencing the recruitment business worldwide.

It presents several case studies through which this approach was tested through regulatory efforts, such as the Philippines, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, several Canadian provinces; and in three agreements negotiated with employers by United States agricultural workers' organizations to govern the terms of recruitment for migrant workers further down the chain.

This paper draws on these public and private sectors' case studies to propose regulatory and market approaches that promote fair recruitment practices.


Free-radical dispersion polymerisation of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate was carried out in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) in the presence of stabilisers based on polyethylene oxide (PEO) and poly(heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate) (PFDA). Different architectures of copolymers (random, palm-tree and diblock) were tested for their surface tension, cloud point and as a stabilising agent. The diblock architecture was found to be the best candidate resulting in poly(HEMA) spherical particles with a size of 316 nm. Furthermore, the effect of the CO2-phobic block (PEO) in the diblock architecture was investigated by using three different chain lengths (1000, 2000, 5000 g mol-1). By optimizing the stabiliser composition and structure, mild reaction conditions have been identified allowing us to obtain well-defined spherical cross-linked poly(HEMA) particles with a mean diameter of unprecedented low size (216 nm) at a temperature as low as 35 °C.


Three factors as isotopic composition, the temperature and pH value of water were analyzed in experiments with prognosis of primary hydrosphere and possible conditions for origin of first organic forms in hot mineral water. For  this aim the authors performed experiments with hot mineral and seawater from Bulgaria, and water with varrying content of deuterium using IR-spectroscopy (NES-, and DNES-method). As model systems were used cactus juice of Echinopsis pachanoi and Mediterranean jellyfish Cotylorhiza tuberculata . There were discussed the reactions of condensation and dehydration occuring in alkaline aqueous solutions at 65–95 0 C and ?? = 9–10, resulting in synthesis from separate molecules larger organic molecules as polymers and short polipeptides, as well as were predicted the possible mechanisms of the deuterium accumulation in form of HDO in hot water. It was shown that hot alkaline mineral water with temperature from +65 0 C to +95 0 C and pH value from 9 to 11 is more suitable for the origination of life and living matter than other analyzed water samples. The pH value of seawater on contrary is limited to the range of 7.5 to 8.4 units. Two common local maximums were observed in the IR-spectra of jellyfish and seawater, which were more pronouncedly expressed in IR-spectra of jellyfish. In hot mineral waters the local maximums in the IR-spectrum are more manifested compared to the local maximums obtained in IR-spectrum of the same water at a lower temperature. The difference in the local maximums from +20 0 C to +95 0 C at each 5 0 C according to Student t-criterion – p < 0.05. These data indicate that the origination of life and living matter depends on the structure and physical chemical properties of water, as well as its temperature and pH value. Keywords : deuterium, hydrosphere, evolution, origin of life, IR-spectroscopy.


ABSTRACT This article examines Nigeria's experience with civil service reforms after it attained independence from Britain in 1960. It first highlights civil service reform programs attempted by various post-independence Nigerian governments. Within this context the study addresses key issues, challenges, and factors that impeded implementation of previous civil service reform programs. Next. The study explores future policy directions for enhancing the design and implementation of a sustainable civil service reform program. The study concludes by recapitulating the key policy reform measures essential for bringing about a sustainable civil service process and improving the future effectiveness and performance of the civil service. INTRODUCTION The civil service plays a vital role in formulation, implementation, evaluation, and review of government policies and programs. Civil service reform provides an enabling environment for civil servants to perform their duties in an unfettered manner, fair treatment of personnel, and establishment of a demographically representative apparatus. The main purpose of civil service reform is to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the service and thereby increasing its capacity to promote economic and social development to meet the needs and aspirations of all citizens (Corkery, 1995). Moreover, a competent and motivated civil service is a prerequisite for maintenance of good governance, production and distribution of public goods and services, fiscal management and sustainability, and efficient and effective performance of government (Schiavo-Campo, Tommaso, and Mukherjee, 1997). Ideally, civil service reform should focus on creating a "government workforce with the size, skills, culture and accountability necessary for delivering quality public services and perform vital governmental functions" (Schiavo-Campo, 1996:10). In Nigeria, as in most countries in Africa, the civil service deteriorated in capability, integrity, and morale in the past three decades (Campos et al., 1997:ix). Consequently, social demands placed upon state institutions have rapidly diminished, the public sector has become less effective and efficient, the state's capacity to fulfill its obligations to the public has weakened and gradually a crisis evolved in Nigerian public institutions (Yahaaya and Bur, 1994:38). In an attempt to halt further degradation in the civil service, virtually all post-independence governments took some measures to reform or improve the skills, integrity, incentives of civil servants and overall performance of the civil service. This study provides a review of Nigeria's experience with civil service reform after it attained independence from Britain in 1960. The article first overviews the major civil service reform measures attempted by various postindependence Nigerian governments. Second, the study describes the major factors that impeded previous attempts to improve the performance of Nigeria's civil service. Next, the study proposes future directions for reform in the context of the experiences of a few countries in Africa that successfully implemented civil service reforms in the past decade. The study concludes by recapitulating key policy measures for improving the effectiveness and performance of the civil service and bringing about a sustainable civil service reform process. LEGACY OF POST-INDEPENDENCE REFORMS The history of the Nigerian civil service dates back to 1914 when the British colonial rulers established a unified government structure that encompassed the territory now known as Nigeria. During the colonial era, the Nigerian civil service was dominated by imperial European officials with power concentrated in the hands of a few of them (appointed colonial officers). The main function of the imperial civil service was maintenance of law and order. The colonial government adopted the process of "Nigerianization," a process that involved rapid replacement of foreign or imperial administrators in the civil service with nationally-oriented qualified Nigerians over a decade prior to Nigeria's attainment of independence. …


Abstract. The permafrost degradation is a probable cause for the increase of rock instabilities and rock falls observed in recent years in high mountain areas, particularly in the Alpine region. The phenomenon causes the thaw of the ice filling rock discontinuities; the water deriving from it subsequently freezes again inducing stresses in the rock mass that may lead, in the long term, to rock falls. To investigate these processes, a monitoring system composed by geophones and thermometers was installed in 2007 at the Carrel hut (3829 m a.s.l., Matterhorn, NW Alps). In 2010, in the framework of the Interreg 2007–2013 Alcotra project no. 56 MASSA, the monitoring system has been empowered and renovated in order to meet project needs. In this paper, the data recorded by this renewed system between 6 October 2010 and 5 October 2011 are presented and 329 selected microseismic events are analysed. The data processing has concerned the classification of the recorded signals, the analysis of their distribution in time and the identification of the most important trace characteristics in time and frequency domain. The interpretation of the results has evidenced a possible correlation between the temperature trend and the event occurrence. The research is still in progress and the data recording and interpretation are planned for a longer period to better investigate the spatial-temporal distribution of microseismic activity in the rock mass, with specific attention to the relation of microseismic activity with temperatures. The overall goal is to verify the possibility to set up an effective monitoring system for investigating the stability of a rock mass under permafrost conditions, in order to supply the researchers with useful data to better understand the relationship between temperature and rock mass stability and, possibly, the technicians with a valid tool for decision-making.


Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Authors have analyzed operations of major fashion operators, interviewed business experts with the intention to support small to mid-sized enterprises. Their first-ever-in-its-kind projects can be a guide for industry players to follow when seeking ways in which to increase their competitiveness. Some of the key aspects authors have focused on their project are as follows: a limited number of possible supply chain strategies companies can deploy, e.g. based on demand/supply predictability, various opportunities for so-called postponement strategies and pragmatic ways of matching demand and supply along the product life cycle. All is supported with a first hand and up-to-date examples of industry players. Practical implications The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


It is critical to compare existing sample digestion methods for evaluating soil contamination and remediation. USEPA Methods 3050, 3051, 3051a, and 3052 were used to digest standard reference materials and representative Florida surface soils. Fifteen trace metals (Ag, As, Ba, Be, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, and Za), and six macro elements (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, and P) were analyzed. Precise analysis was achieved for all elements except for Cd, Mo, Se, and Sb in NIST SRMs 2704 and 2709 by USEPA Methods 3050 and 3051, and for all elements except for As, Mo, Sb, and Se in NIST SRM 2711 by USEPA Method 3052. No significant differences were observed for the three NIST SRMs between the microwave-assisted USEPA Methods 3051 and 3051A and the conventional USEPA Method 3050 Methods 3051 and 3051a and the conventional USEPA Method 3050 except for Hg, Sb, and Se. USEPA Method 3051a provided comparable values for NIST SRMs certified using USEPA Method 3050. However, for method correlation coefficients and elemental recoveries in 40 Florida surface soils, USEPA Method 3051a was an overall better alternative for Method 3050 than was Method 3051. Among the four digestion methods, the microwave-assistedmore » USEPA Method 3052 achieved satisfactory recoveries for all elements except As and Mg using NIST SRM 2711. This total-total digestion method provided greater recoveries for 12 elements Ag, Be, Cr, Fe, K, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, and Zn, but lower recoveries for Mg in Florida soils than did the total-recoverable digestion methods.« less


The paper presents results of the study performed within the European Thematic Network ECOserve (www.eco-serve.net). The production of blended cements in Europe and its applications in construction are analyzed in respect to environmental impact and technical properties. The efficiency of reduction of CO2 emissions into the air and the use of energy for blended cement production is discussed using data e.g. from the German industry. The influence exerted by different main constituents of blended cement on concrete properties has been discussed on the basis of a comparison between concrete made from Portland cement and concretes made from cements containing, for example, limestone or blast furnace slag. The comparison shows that the advantages and disadvantages of the different main constituents for the properties of concrete, which extend from workability via strength development to durability characteristics, are distributed fairly evenly. The option of combining several main constituents makes blended cements particularly well suited for developing these cements into even more robust systems. A user of blended cements gets one optimized and quality controlled product from one source. The use of blended cements offers numerous benefits for the cement producer, the ready-mix-concrete producer and the end-user. The overall environmental benefit results from the reduction of the specific CO2 emissions of cement and concrete. The topic of environmental impact from cement-based materials to soil and groundwater is also addressed. Leaching of major, minor and trace elements from all cement-based materials – CEM I, CEM II, CEM III, CEM IV – is found quite systematic. Blended cements e.g. based on blast furnace slag feature low Cr VI leachability.


Mortalities from collisions with vehicles have created concern for the welfare of the San Clemente Island fox (Urocyon littoralis clementae); 1 of only 6 genetically distinct subspecies of island fox. To find possible solutions for minimizing these mortalities, we compared 9 characteristics of roads and roadsides at kill-sites and control-sites to ascertain whether certain features were associated with risk of collisions. We found that kill-sites were positively associated with the volume of traffic, and negatively associated with the distance of motorists' visibility, which had not been previously identified for island foxes. Additionally, visual obstructions along roadsides (i.e., steep ditches and tall vegetation) showed some evidence of increasing mortalities. We also found that gravel mounds, a possible pseudo-barrier along roadsides, were associated with reduced mortalities. Speeds of vehicles, presence of drainages, cacti, and culverts, and seasonality showed minimal effects on road-kills. Our findings suggest that efforts to reduce mortalities should focus on roads with high volumes of traffic and high amounts of visual obstruction for motorists. Possible methods for reducing road-kills include installing signs and speed bumps on curves of roads, regular mowing of roadsides, constructing gravel-mound barriers along edges of roads, and educating motorists. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.


Mobile payment applications are poised to replace traditional checks, credit, and debit cards at cash registers around the country. Largely seen as the next step forward for increased convenience in shopping, mobile payments are making it easier for American consumers to make payments simply by having their phone on them at all times. However, until recently, many of the applications that consumers use to make their mobile payments may fall out of the American regulatory system already in place for banks and bank payment sources. The recently formed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed regulatory changes in 2014 that include mobile payment systems and applications in the wheelhouse of services various banking regulations cover. Still, in light of many highly publicized privacy breaches and security hacks in 2014, many consumers are wary of the trustworthiness of mobile payment applications. In order to address these concerns, and ensure that mobile payments have a foothold in the American marketplace, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau should adopt more regulations than what it proposed in 2014 by using their ability to promulgate rules using informal rulemaking procedures to help establish data security and privacy standards in the mobile payment marketplace. Journal of Law, Technology & the Internet · Vol. 7 · 2016 What's In Your Wallet?


BACKGROUND
International guidelines recommend greater protein delivery to critically ill patients than they currently receive. This pilot randomized clinical trial aimed to determine whether a volume-target enteral protocol with supplemental protein delivered greater amounts of protein and energy to critically ill patients compared with standard care.

METHODS
Sixty participants received either the intervention (volume-based protocol, with protein supplementation) or standard nutrition care (hourly-rate-based protocol, without protein supplementation) in the intensive care unit (ICU). Coprimary outcomes were average daily protein and energy delivery. Secondary outcomes included change in quadriceps muscle layer thickness (QMLT, ultrasound) and malnutrition (subjective global assessment) at ICU discharge.

RESULTS
Mean (SD) protein and energy delivery per day from nutrition therapy for the intervention were 1.2 (0.30) g/kg and 21 (5.2) kcal/kg compared with 0.75 (0.11) g/kg and 18 (2.7) kcal/kg for standard care. The mean difference between groups in protein and energy delivery per day was 0.45 g/kg (95% CI, 0.33-0.56; P < .001) and 2.8 kcal/kg (95% CI, 0.67-4.9, P = .01). Muscle loss (QMLT) at discharge was attenuated by 0.22 cm (95% CI, 0.06-0.38, P = .01) in patients receiving the intervention compared with standard care. The number of malnourished patients was fewer in the intervention [2 (7%) vs 8 (28%); P = .04]. Mortality and duration of admission were similar between groups.

CONCLUSIONS
A high-protein volume-based protocol with protein supplementation delivered greater amounts of protein and energy. This intervention was associated with attenuation of QMLT loss and reduced prevalence of malnutrition at ICU discharge.


This thesis examines the factors which small island nations in the Pacific could consider measuring as indicators when monitoring and reporting on the sustainability of supply chain management practices, focused on the logistics elements. A theoretical framework is derived from a review of appropriate literature to guide the research, which employs a case study methodology. The case study provides a cross sectional view of the reporting environment for early 2015, focused on the small island developing states (SIDS) that are members of the Pacific Islands Forum. Governmental regional organisations are the core participants for the development of the research, due to the nature of the political and business environment in these Pacific nations. One private company and one academic institute are also included as possible triangulation validations. The research finds that no effective measuring or reporting is currently being conducted in relation to assessing the holistic sustainability levels of logistics in the region. The lack of past adequate cross sectional or other methodology of data capture and reporting by the nations, has consequently resulted in a lack of adequate longitudinal data sets. Such data is needed to reliably inform and enable effective decision and policy making on logistics activity and investment in the region. The research finds that monitoring and reporting systems would operate effectively at the regional government level, with data disaggregation to national and indicator level. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) method of reporting fits within the political environment, and the research finds that this, linked with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicators, which are to apply from 2015 to the year 2030, could provide a suitable monitoring and reporting framework. This would enable a consistent longitudinal data capture. The research's recommended methodology will enhance the monitoring value and improve the opportunity for effective further research for the sustainability levels of logistics and other related societal functions in the small island nations.


Introduction: LGBT youth are disproportionally affected by suicidal ideation and behaviours. However, the psychological processes driving this association are not yet known. Aim: The current study aimed to test predictions, informed by the Integrated Motivational-Volitional Model of Suicidal Behaviour, concerning the role of feelings of defeat, entrapment, and suicidal ideation within an LGBT population. More specifically, the study aimed to 1) Determine whether LGBT young people in Scotland are at an increased risk of suicidal ideation relative to heterosexual adolescents 2) Investigate differences in levels in defeat and entrapment between LGBT and non-LGBT youth and 3) Test a hypothesised multi-step pathway between LGBT identity and suicidal ideation via perceptions of defeat and entrapment. Methods: 565 high school students (aged 15-17; 54.2% female) from Scottish secondary schools completed an anonymous self-report survey assessing sexual orientation and gender identity, suicidal ideation, and feelings of defeat and entrapment. Results: Of the young people who took part in the survey, 20.1% reported a history of suicidal ideation. LGBT youth demonstrated an increased likelihood of reporting suicidal ideation (OR=6.38, 95% CI: 2.74, 14.84, p<0.001) compared to their heterosexual peers (58.2% LGBT youth vs. 17.6% heterosexual youth). Perceptions of defeat were elevated in the LGBT group (M=27.05, SD=16.85) relative to young people who did not identify as LGBT (M=15.40, SD= 12.13). Perceptions of entrapment were also significantly higher in LGBT youth (20.72, SD=16.09) than young people who identified as heterosexual (M=8.57, SD=12.17). LGBT status was significantly associated with suicidal ideation indirectly through defeat and entrapment. Conclusion: These results support the hypothesised role of defeat and entrapment in explaining the psychological pathway to suicidal ideation in LGBT youth and provide novel insights into this relationship. Notably, suicide risk assessment, prevention and intervention efforts aimed at young people should consider defeat and entrapment as important modifiable clinical targets in young people identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.


PURPOSE
In transitioning from ray-tracing (RT) to Monte Carlo (MC) dose computation algorithm for Cyberknife lung stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), we realized large differences (10-20%) in PTV coverage to heterogeneous target regions which required dosimetric confirmation. Currently, our practice requires an independent second calculation for all plans. MuCheck software (Oncology Data Systems) is used in lieu of physical measurements for RT plans; however, there exists no commercial software for verifying MC plans. We determined all lung SBRT plans should utilize the MC algorithm and initially be confirmed by direct measurements.

METHODS
Lung treatment plans were first optimized with RT then recalculated using MC for final optimization and high-resolution dose computation. The MC plan was superimposed on a heterogeneous thorax phantom CT (Standard Imaging 91230) using the phantom overlay tool of the MultiPlan 3.5.2 software. Isodose distributions were manually shifted to place the ion chamber (0.053cc Exradin-A1SL) in a suitably homogeneous region within the CTV. The plan was then delivered to the thorax phantom with the ion chamber placed in the mediastinum insert location.

RESULTS
This methodology was used for 33 consecutive lung patients receiving Cyberknife SBRT with PTVs ranging from 10.7-185.9cm3. The mean deviation between measured and MC calculated doses was -2.31%±1.66%. The maximum deviation was -4.69%. Acceptable tolerance for patient-specific QA was considered ±5%.

CONCLUSION
The MC algorithm provides improved accuracy over RT for heterogeneous dose calculation, confirmed by direct point measurements. Patient-specific QA using a heterogeneous lung phantom provided an acceptable anthropomorphic approximation of patient plans calculated with MC. Since the QA results establish satisfactory delivery of MC doses, patient-specific plans calculated on a homogeneous phantom comparing RT and MC algorithms may provide a suitable second check without direct measurement. Conversely, many users may continue direct measurement as a second check until commercial MC verification software becomes available.


In this study we suggest that the velocity of water entering the cervical esophagus can be used as an index of pharyngeal swallowing function. In this article, the basic in vitro principles of water and viscous water flow velocity evaluation using ultrasonic methods are introduced. Water flow involving small gas bubbles passing through a silicon tube could be monitored in the B-mode images and the flow velocity could be measured by Doppler shift spectra produced by a medical ultrasound imaging (GE YOKOGAWA LOGIQ500 and linear convex probe 739L). By an in vitro experiment, we confirmed that the maximum water flow velocity (Vmax) obtained from Doppler shift spectra and actually measured water flow velocity showed a high correlation. The maximum velocity of viscous water flow measured from Doppler shift spectra and actually measured viscous water flow velocity also showed a high correlation.We measured Doppler spectra of water flow speed through the cervical esophagus of five subjects (two male, 41-50 y. o; three females, 28-42 y. o) without dysphasia 10 times and examined the coefficient of variation of Vmax. Values of the coefficient variation of Vmax were 3.4, 3.8, 8.8, 12.7, 15.5% (median 8.8%). It seemed that Vmax could be used as an index of the speed of water flow during swallowing. We suggest that the Doppler spectra of water flow speed through the cervical esophagus in swallowing analysis may be useful for assessing pharyngeal swallowing function, and that it may be useful in the diagnosis of pharyngeal swallowing disorders.


Though there are surprisingly few estimates of the economic benefits of coordinated infrastructure development and operations in international river basins, there is a widespread belief that improved cooperation is beneficial for managing water scarcity and variability. Hydro-economic optimization models are commonly-used for identifying efficient allocation of water across time and space, but such models typically assume full coordination. In the real world, investment and operational decisions for specific projects are often made without full consideration of potential downstream impacts. This paper describes a tractable methodology for evaluating the economic benefits of infrastructure coordination. We demonstrate its application over a range of water availability scenarios in a catchment of the Mekong located in Lao PDR, the Nam Ngum River Basin. Results from this basin suggest that coordination improves system net benefits from irrigation and hydropower by approximately 3–12% (or US$12-53 million/yr) assuming moderate levels of flood control, and that the magnitude of coordination benefits generally increases with the level of water availability and with inflow variability. Similar analyses would be useful for developing a systematic understanding of the factors that increase the costs of non-cooperation in river basin systems worldwide, and would likely help to improve targeting of efforts to stimulate complicated negotiations over water resources.


Abstract Two rumen-fistulated Holstein cows, weighing approximately 550kg, were in an experiment with switchback design to evaluate effects of consuming large amounts (38% of total ration dry matter) of dried whole whey on synthesis of microbial protein in the rumen. Cows were fed total mixed rations of (dry matter) 45% corn silage, 10% alfalfa hay, and 45% concentrate mix. The concentrate mix was primarily corn and soybean meal (control) or 85% dried whole whey. Dry matter intakes averaged 16.4 and 15.3 kg/day for control and whey diets. Diaminopimelic acid nitrogen as percent of bacterial nitrogen was similar for both diets (.61 and .63% for control and whey diets). Likewise, aminoethylphosphonic acid nitrogen as percent of protozoal nitrogen was similar for both diets (.17 and .19% for control and whey diets). For the control diet, total ruminal nitrogen was estimated to be 45% bacterial and 27% protozoal. Bacteria and protozoa accounted for 52 and 22% of the total ruminal nitrogen in the cows fed the whey diet. Ruminal fluid volume (33.8 and 39.2 liters for control and dried whey diets) and dilution rates (10.2 and 12.8% h) were higher for dried whey. Ruminal ammonia (5.0 and 3.4 mg/dl) was lower for dried whey. Butyrate (16.5 and 24.4 moles/100 moles total volatile fatty acids) was higher, whereas propionate was lower (32.4 and 23.2 moles/100 moles total volatile fatty acids) when cows were fed dried whey. Bacterial synthesis appeared to be increased when cows were fed a diet containing large amounts of dried whey.


This review essay introduces the work of the Egyptian scientific historian and philosopher Roshdi Rashed, a pioneer in the field of the history of Arab sciences. The article is based on the five volumes he originally wrote in French and later translated into Arabic, which were published by the Centre for Arab Unity Studies and which are now widely acclaimed as a unique effort to unveil the achievements of Arab scientists. The essay reviews this major work, which seems, like Plato's Republic to have "No Entry for Those Who Have No Knowledge of Mathematics" written on its gate. If you force your way in, even with elementary knowledge of computation, a philosophy will unfold before your eyes, described by the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei as "written in that great book which ever lies before our eyes—I mean the universe—but we cannot understand it if we do not first learn the language and grasp the symbols, in which it is written. This book is written in the mathematical language, and the symbols are triangles, circles and other geometrical figures, without whose help it is impossible to comprehend a single word of it; without which one wanders in vain through a dark labyrinth." The essay is a journey through this labyrinth where the history of world mathematics got lost and was chronicled by Rashed in five volumes translated from the French into Arabic. It took him fifteen years to complete.


In this paper we develop an inverse Bayesian approach to find the value of the unknown model parameter vector that supports the real (or test) data, where the data comprises measurements of a matrix-variate variable. The method is illustrated via the estimation of the unknown Milky Way feature parameter vector, using available test and simulated (training) stellar velocity data matrices. The data is represented as an unknown function of the model parameters, where this high-dimensional function is modelled using a high-dimensional Gaussian Process (${\cal GP}$). The model for this function is trained using available training data and inverted by Bayesian means, to estimate the sought value of the model parameter vector at which the test data is realised. We achieve a closed-form expression for the posterior of the unknown parameter vector and the parameters of the invoked ${\cal GP}$, given test and training data. We perform model fitting by comparing the observed data with predictions made at different summaries of the posterior probability of the model parameter vector. As a supplement, we undertake a leave-one-out cross validation of our method.


We introduce a transformation of finite integer sequences, show that every sequence eventually stabilizes under this transformation and that the number of fixed points is counted by the Catalan numbers. The sequences that are fixed are precisely those that describe themselves — every term $t$ is equal to the number of previous terms that are smaller than $t$. In addition, we provide an easy way to enumerate all these self-describing sequences by organizing them in a Catalan tree with a specific labelling system.


Arginine deprivation as an anticancer therapy has historically been met with limited success. The development of pegylated arginine deiminase (ADI-PEG20) has renewed interest in arginine deprivation for the treatment of some cancers. The efficacy of ADI-PEG20 is directly correlated with argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS) deficiency. CWR22Rv1 prostate cancer cells do not express ASS, the rate-limiting enzyme in arginine synthesis, and are susceptible to ADI-PEG20 in vitro. Interestingly, apoptosis by 0.3 microg/mL ADI-PEG20 occurs 96 hours posttreatment and is caspase independent. The effect of ADI-PEG20 in vivo reveals reduced tumor activity by micropositron emission tomography as well as reduced tumor growth as a monotherapy and in combination with docetaxel against CWR22Rv1 mouse xenografts. In addition, we show autophagy is induced by single amino acid depletion by ADI-PEG20. Here, autophagy is an early event that is detected within 1 to 4 hours of 0.3 microg/mL ADI-PEG20 treatment and is an initial protective response to ADI-PEG20 in CWR22Rv1 cells. Significantly, the inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine and Beclin1 siRNA knockdown enhances and accelerates ADI-PEG20-induced cell death. PC3 cells, which express reduced ASS, also undergo autophagy and are responsive to autophagy inhibition and ADI-PEG20 treatment. In contrast, LNCaP cells highly express ASS and are therefore resistant to both ADI-PEG20 and autophagic inhibition. These data point to an interrelationship among ASS deficiency, autophagy, and cell death by ADI-PEG20. Finally, a tissue microarray of 88 prostate tumor samples lacked expression of ASS, indicating ADI-PEG20 is a potential novel therapy for the treatment of prostate cancer


Palliative care enhances the quality of life. To improve the quality of life, it is necessary for nurses to have good knowledge and attitude towards palliative care. It is imperative that nurses provide quality care to terminally ill and chronically sick patients. The present study was designed to assess the knowledge and attitude of medical staff nurses about palliative care in cancer. This crosssectional, descriptive study was conducted in Mayo Hospital, Lahore and Jinnah Hospital, Lahore with sample size of 300 registered nurses by using the simple random sampling technique. Inclusion and exclusion criteria was used. Data was collected from the nurses who have more than one-year job experience. The statistical analysis results showed that only 43.5% of respondents agree on when the palliative care is needed to be provided. Over all in the study, nurses were less aware about palliative care. Most of the nurses distorted the term palliative care. They become confused about the term palliative care and dying patient care.


Confirmation Bible, Beth-El Congregation. Presented to Rose Levenson for Confirmation on Shevuoth, May 26, 1909 at Fort Worth, Texas by Rabbi George Zepin. Title page and inscription of the bible states that this volume contains "the Twenty-Four Books of the Holy Scriptures, carefully translated according to the Massoretic text, after the best Jewish authority by Isaac Lesser."


BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to develop and characterize standardized in vitro three-dimensional organotypic models of human junctional epithelium (JE) and sulcular epithelium (SE). METHODS Organotypic models were constructed by growing human normal gingival keratinocytes on top of collagen matrices populated with gingival fibroblasts (GF) or periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PLF). Tissues obtained were harvested at different time points and assessed for epithelial morphology, proliferation (Ki67), expression of JE-specific markers (ODAM and FDC-SP), cytokeratins (CK), transglutaminase, filaggrin, and basement membrane proteins (collagen IV and laminin1). RESULTS The epithelial component in 3- and 5-day organotypics showed limited differentiation and expressed Ki-67, ODAM, FDC-SP, CK 8, 13, 16, 19, and transglutaminase in a similar fashion to control JE samples. PLF supported better than GF expression of CK19 and suprabasal proliferation, although statistically significant only at day 5. Basement membrane proteins started to be deposited only from day 5. The rate of proliferating cells as well as the percentage of CK19-expressing cells decreased significantly in 7- and 9-day cultures. Day 7 organotypics presented higher number of epithelial cell layers, proliferating cells in suprabasal layers, and CK expression pattern similar to SE. CONCLUSION Both time in culture and fibroblast type had impact on epithelial phenotype. Five-day cultures with PLF are suggested as JE models, 7-day cultures with PLF or GF as SE models, while 9-day cultures with GF as gingival epithelium (GE) models. Such standard, reproducible models represent useful tools to study periodontal bacteria–host interactions in vitro.


In Australia, amendments to the Legal Profession Act require that incorporated legal practices (ILPs) take steps to assure compliance with provisions of the Legal Profession Act 2004. Specifically, the legislation provides that the ILP must appoint a legal practitioner director to be generally responsible for the management of the ILP. The ILP must also implement and maintain "appropriate management systems" to enable the provision of legal services in accordance with the professional obligations of legal practitioners. Because the new law did not define "appropriate management systems" (AMS) the Office of Legal Services Commissioner for New South Wales worked with representatives of other organizations and practitioners to develop guidelines and an approach for evaluating compliance with the statutory requirements. The collaboration resulted in an "education toward compliance" strategy in which a designated director for an ILP completes a self-assessment process (SAP), evaluating the ILP's compliance with ten specific objectives of sound legal practice. To evaluate the new regulatory regime, Professor Susan Fortney conducted a mixed method empirical study of incorporated law firms in New South Wales Australia. In Phase One of the study, all incorporated law firms with two or more solicitors were surveyed. In Phase Two, legal services directors were interested. This article discusses the survey findings, focusing on the relationship between the self-assessment process and the ethics norms, systems, conduct, and culture in firms.


Process Control for Sheet-Metal Stamping presents a comprehensive and structured approach to the design and implementation of controllers for the sheet metal stamping process. The use of process control for sheet-metal stamping greatly reduces defects in deep-drawn parts and can also yield large material savings from reduced scrap. Sheet-metal forming is a complex process and most often characterized by partial differential equations that are numerically solved using finite-element techniques. In this book, twenty years of academic research are reviewed and the resulting technology transitioned to the industrial environment. The sheet-metal stamping process is modeled in a manner suitable for multiple-input multiple-output control system design, with commercially available sensors and actuators. These models are then used to design adaptive controllers and real-time controller implementation is discussed. Finally, experimental results from actual shop floor deployment are presented along with ideas for further improvement of the technology. Process Control for Sheet-Metal Stamping allows the reader to design and implement process controllers in a typical manufacturing environment by retrofitting standard hydraulic or mechanical stamping presses and as such will be of interest to practising engineers working in metal-working, automotive and aeronautical industries. Academic researchers studying improvements in process control and how these affect the industries in which they are applied will also find the text of value.


Boston is a city steeped in history. Beyond the struggle for abolition, however, the historical experiences of the majority of black Bostonians, especially during the early twentieth-century, are lacking recognition. In this respect, the Jazz Age (represented here as circa 1919 – 1929) serves as a noteworthy case-in-point. For insofar as the impact of jazz music on social, political, and economic climates in cities such as New York, New Orleans, and even Kansas have been recorded, the music's impact on and significance in Boston is yet to be addressed in any great detail. Simply put, the history of jazz in Boston, and with it an important period for black development in the city, exists in fragments such as discographies, newspaper listings, musical handbooks, potted witness accounts among others. Therefore, the principle aim of this thesis is to piece-together these fragments to form a mosaic history that reveals instances of black struggle, resistance, and progress during a period of heightened racial (Jim Crow segregation), political (the Red Scare), and economic tension. Essential to this process is not only the need to locate the voices of Boston's black past, whether in text, testimony, sound and beyond, but also to create the conditions to hear them on their own terms. In order to achieve this, emphasis here is placed on tracing instances of voice, and as a by-product heritage, in musical form from the arrival of the first slaves to Boston in the first-half of the seventeenth century and analysing the ways in which these voices were perpetuated through methods of adaptation, appropriation, and evolution. This approach would ultimately assist in enriching the Jazz Age with a black art form that was not only unique but a distinct form of expression for a race lacking a significant voice in America at the time. In this respect, this thesis looks at the ways in which homegrown Boston musicians, such as Johnny Hodges and Harry Carney, and frequenting players, such as Duke Ellington, used jazz music as a way to oppose standard forms of white dominance, cultural elitism, and economic subjugation.


The importance of constructive mens engagement in reproductive health has taken hold around the world over the past decade. Skeptics are being won over by the preponderance of evidence: Unless men are actively engaged in supporting better health and well-being for families and the empowerment of women progress will remain slow; women will remain vulnerable to reproductive health threats including gender-based violence; and men themselves will remain trapped in the confining space of traditional masculine norms. These norms including risk-taking lack of healthseeking behavior and emotional distance from women and children harm men as well as women and children. These harmful masculine norms can be challenged and changed. Numerous program examples from around the world show that men can be successfully engaged in gender-equitable decisionmaking -- sharing responsibility for contraception supporting safe childbirth preventing violence and protecting themselves and their loved ones from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. These programs can have enormous payoffs for women men and families but they must reach a much larger audience if they are to have an impact on gender norms which are societies expectations of how men and women should behave. For this to occur work to promote constructive mens engagement must move to the policy level where broader reforms can be defined implemented and mandated.


Winner of the 2010 Royal Society Prize for science books Powerful new research methods are providing fresh and vivid insights into the makeup of life. Comparing gene sequences, examining the atomic structure of proteins and looking into the geochemistry of rocks have all helped to explain creation and evolution in more detail than ever before. Nick Lane uses the full extent of this new knowledge to describe the ten greatest inventions of life, based on their historical impact, role in living organisms today and relevance to current controversies. DNA, sex, sight and consciousnesses are just four examples. Lane also explains how these findings have come about, and the extent to which they can be relied upon. The result is a gripping and lucid account of the ingenuity of nature, and a book which is essential reading for anyone who has ever questioned the science behind the glories of everyday life.


Implementations of Fourier Methods in CFD to Analyze Distortion Transfer and Generation Through a Transonic Fan Marshall Warren Peterson Department of Mechanical Engineering, BYU Master of Science Inlet flow distortion is a non-uniform total pressure, total temperature, or swirl (flow angularity) condition at an aircraft engine inlet. Inlet distortion is a critical consideration in modern fan and compressor design. This is especially true as the industry continues to increase the efficiency and operating range of air breathing gas turbine engines. The focus of this paper is to evaluate the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Harmonic Balance (HB) solver in STAR-CCM+ as a reduced order method for capturing inlet distortion as well as the associated distortion transfer and generation. New methods for quantitatively describing and analyzing distortion transfer and generation are investigated. The geometry used is the rotor 4 fan geometry, consisting of one rotor and one stator. The inlet boundary condition is a 90◦ sector total pressure distortion profile with total pressure and swirl held constant. Multiple HB simulations with varying mode combinations and distortion intensities are analyzed and compared against full annulus Unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) simulations. Best practices and recommendations for the implementation of the HB solver are given. The pre-existing Society of Automotive Engineers Aerospace Recommended Practice (SAEARP) 1420b descriptors are demonstrated to be inadequate for the purposes of analyzing distortion transfer and generation on a stage-to-stage basis. New implementations of Fourier methods are presented as an alternative to the SAE-ARP 1420b descriptors. These Fourier descriptors are shown to describe distortion transfer and generation to a higher degree of fidelity than the SAE-ARP 1420b descriptors. These new descriptors are demonstrated on the analysis of full annulus URANS and HB simulations. The HB solver is shown to be capable of capturing distortion transfer, generation and performance degradation. Recommendations for the optimal implementation of the HB method are given.


In this paper, we propose ELF, an Extensive, Lightweight and Flexible platform for fundamental reinforcement learning research. Using ELF, we implement a highly customizable real-time strategy (RTS) engine with three game environments (Mini-RTS, Capture the Flag and Tower Defense). Mini-RTS, as a miniature version of StarCraft, captures key game dynamics and runs at 40K frame-per-second (FPS) per core on a Macbook Pro notebook. When coupled with modern reinforcement learning methods, the system can train a full-game bot against built-in AIs end-to-end in one day with 6 CPUs and 1 GPU. In addition, our platform is flexible in terms of environment-agent communication topologies, choices of RL methods, changes in game parameters, and can host existing C/C++-based game environments like Arcade Learning Environment. Using ELF, we thoroughly explore training parameters and show that a network with Leaky ReLU and Batch Normalization coupled with long-horizon training and progressive curriculum beats the rule-based built-in AI more than $70\%$ of the time in the full game of Mini-RTS. Strong performance is also achieved on the other two games. In game replays, we show our agents learn interesting strategies. ELF, along with its RL platform, is open-sourced at this https URL.


This study is concerned with the control and optimization of the vitrification process of High-Level-Waste in a Cold Crucible Induction Melter (CCIM). We developed a new method for the control of glass temperature in the crucible, based on the precise measurement of heat flux through a water-cooled stick immersed into the glass melt. The measuring stick is separated from the flowing hot glass by a cold glass skull, ensuring much lower exposure to corrosive conditions than classical thermocouple sensors. This heat flux measurement enables a precise estimate of the glass temperature using a newly designed correlation formula between heat flux and glass temperature. Dimensioning of the measurement stick size and cooling water supply was achieved by running coupled 3D numerical simulations of fluid flow, heat transfers and electromagnetics in the CCIM.


Fibroblast growth factor 19 regulates liver metabolism through a mechanism distinct from that of insulin. Insulin has been the main hormone described to regulate metabolism in the liver. Kir et al. (see the Perspective by Kim-Muller and Accili) now show that fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) appears to be another important regulator, promoting synthesis of glycogen and proteins. FGF19 is made in the small intestine in response to food intake, which stimulates receptors at the liver to regulate metabolism through a mechanism distinct from that of insulin. Unlike insulin, FGF19 did not promote lipogenesis in the liver. In a mouse model of diabetes, FGF19 promoted glycogen synthesis and could thus provide a target for therapeutic control of insulin resistance. S. Kir, S. A. Beddow, V. T. Samuel, P. Miller, S. F. Previs, K. Suino-Powell, H. E. Xu, G. I. Shulman, S. A. Kliewer, D. J. Mangelsdorf, FGF19 as a postprandial, insulin-independent activator of hepatic protein and glycogen synthesis. Science 331, 1621–1624 (2011). [Abstract] [Full Text] J. Y. Kim-Muller, D. Accili, Selective insulin sensitizers. Science 331, 1529–1531 (2011). [Abstract] [Full Text]


This paper examines the factors driving hidden underemployment on Irish farms during the course of the economic boom in Ireland and the subsequent economic decline post 2008. This measure of hidden underemployment is due to differences between the farmer"s reported amount of labour and the standard labour requirement estimated in the Teagasc National Farm Survey. Hidden underemployment can be attributed to a number of factors relating to inadequate employment situations as described at the 16th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (16th ICLS) such as low productivity, casual work practices and the poor utilisation of skills and other factors specific to agriculture and/or self employment. We place particular attention upon the potential role of off-farm labour supply in solving the underemployment problem. We use a two-stage residual inclusion model and a random effects probit model to examine the forces behind farm underemployment. This paper provides an interesting set of results given that the end of the economic boom phase co-incided closely but not precisely with the decoupling of farm-level subsidies in 2006.


In remote areas the sun is a cheap source of electricity because instead of hydraulic generators it uses solar cells to produce electricity. While the output of solar cells depends on the intensity of sunlight and the angle of incidence. It means to get maximum efficiency; the solar panels must remain in front of sun during the whole day. But due to rotation of earth those panels can't maintain their position always in front of sun. This problem results in decrease of their efficiency. Thus to get a constant output, an automated system is required which should be capable to constantly rotate the solar panel. The Automatic Sun Tracking System (ASTS) was made as a prototype to solve the problem, mentioned above. It is completely automatic and keeps the panel in front of sun until that is visible. The unique feature of this system is that instead of taking the earth as its reference, it takes the sun as a guiding source. Its active sensors constantly monitor the sunlight and rotate the panel towards the direction where the intensity of sunlight is maximum. In case the sun gets invisible e.g. in cloudy weather, then without tracking the sun the ASTS keeps rotating the solar panel in opposite direction to the rotation of earth. But its speed of rotation is same as that of earth's rotation. Due to this property when after some time e.g. half an hour when the sun again gets visible, the solar panel is exactly in front of sun. Moreover the system can manage the errors and also provides the error messages on the LCD display. In manual mode, through the software (GUI) at computer, the solar panel can be rotated at any desired angle. 2. STRUCTURE OF ASTS


The development of immunity in humans starts within a few days of conception and proceeds over a few years before it reaches full maturity. Maturation of the immune system during gestation occurs through waves of cellular production and turnover. Unlike the adult immune system, the foetal one shows reduced antigenic diversity and attenuated pathogen recognition receptor function. Current models suggest that this state is well adapted to the foetal environment. However, this physiological state can prove to be detrimental for infants born prematurely. Consequently, given the high burden of neonatal morbidity and mortality due to infections, understanding of the foetal and neonatal immune system is important to improving health outcomes in this age group. In this article, we review the developmental changes in the immune system during human gestation and highlight its impact on the risk of neonatal infections.

Key Concepts

The development of the immune system takes place in sequential waves during gestation.
The foetal immune system is biased towards immunological tolerance to the mother.
Macrophages play a broad role in embryonic organ development.
Foetal lymphoid cells show more limited antigenic diversity and an increased proportion of innate-like lymphoid cells.
This developmental immaturity of the immune system is responsible for a high health burden, especially in neonates born prematurely.

Keywords:

foetal immune ontogeny;
postnatal immune response;
embryonic and foetal monocytes;
foetal T cells;
innate-like lymphocytes;
invariant natural killer T cells;
human immunology


As technology keeps on evolving, different organisations make use of the recent trends in technology and the health sector is no exception. As the cost of healthcare services is increasing, healthcare professionals are becoming scarce. Healthcare organisations have also adopted the latest technology of cloud computing. The introduction of cloud computing has proved to be a feasible idea on the information technology community. Rather than keeping the patient's information in a file in a health facility he/she was treated in, the information is stored in a cloud so that it can be shared amongst all health organisations and health professionals. Information is stored in a central place where it can be easily accessed, thus saving time and avoiding repetition of always writing the information each time a patient is attended to in a different facility. However, there are issues with sharing such information on the cloud since it is sensitive information. Ensuring this sensitive information security, availability and scalability are a major factor in the cloud computing environment. In this study, we proposed a mathematical model for measuring the availability of data and machines (nodes). We also present the current state-of-the-art research in this field by focusing on several shortcomings of current healthcare solutions and standards and we further proposed a system that will encrypt data before it is being sent to the cloud. The system is intended to be linked to the cloud in such a way that, before the client submits the data to the cloud and, the data will go through that system for encryption. The paper presents the steps to achieve the proposed system and also a sample encrypted and decrypted file.


Background and Aims: Many articles evaluating oxygen ingress for different wine stoppers have been published. However, none of these have studied the impact of the stopper type on oxygen ingress during the bottling process. This study tested a range of commercially available stopper types on oxygen entry into headspace during bottling.

Methods and Results: Oxygen concentration in the headspace was measured using the Winkler method. Stopper type significantly (P < 0.05) affected oxygen introduced into the headspace. Oxygen concentration correlated well with the volume and the overpressure of the headspace and was also strongly influenced by stopper height. Bottles sealed with natural cork had the lowest headspace oxygen concentration (1.31�2.12 mg/L) despite these stoppers having a lower height (38 mm) than the others tested. Non-cork stoppers were associated with higher oxygen concentrations, probably because they generated higher overpressure. Bottles sealed with screw cap and synthetic stoppers had the highest oxygen concentration (3.29�3.82 mg/L) and, in the case of screw caps, this was probably a result of greater headspace volume. Headspace oxygen concentration for the synthetic stoppers and the screw cap was approximately equivalent to the oxygen entrance through natural cork during the first 8�10 months of ageing.

Conclusions: Stopper type can affect oxygen ingress during bottling because of the changes in headspace volume and overpressure.

Significance of the Study: Along with permeability, stopper selection should also consider the effects of stopper type on the amount of oxygen that initially enters the headspace. If the bottler is not equipped with an efficient vacuum and/or inert gas system, the impact of the stopper type on the entry of oxygen is an important consideration.


Abstract This work applies the predictive modeling procedure formulated by Cacuci and Ionescu-Bujor [Nucl. Sci. Eng., Vol. 165, p. 18 (2010)] to assimilate experimental data from the international Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development/U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission boiling water reactor full-size fine-mesh bundle test (BFBT) benchmarks to calibrate and reduce systematically and significantly the uncertainties in the predictions of the light water reactor thermal-hydraulic code FLICA4. The BFBT benchmarks were designed by the Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation of Japan for enabling systematic validation of thermal-hydraulic codes by using full-scale experimental data. This work specifically uses BFBT experimental data for the "pump trip for a high-burnup assembly" in the predictive modeling formalism to calibrate parameters and time-dependent boundary conditions (power, mass flow rates, and outlet pressure distributions) in FLICA4, yielding best-estimate predictions of axial void fraction distributions. The resulting uncertainties for the best-estimate time-dependent model parameters and void fraction response distributions are shown to be smaller than the a priori experimental and computed uncertainties, thus demonstrating the successful use of predictive modeling for the large-scale reactor analysis code FLICA4 using BFBT benchmark-grade experiments.


Handbook of Geosynthetic Engineering details the different types of geosynthetics and their practical application for students and for practicing engineers seeking efficient, cost-effective solutions to civil engineering problems. Written by subject specialists, the second edition of Handbook of Geosynthetic Engineering details the basic concepts of geosynthetics and their application in major civil engineering projects in an easily-readable form. With new chapters on filters and drains, tunnels, and the use of geosynthetics in sustainable development, the handbook is fully updated in line with current research and developments. Handbook of Geosynthetic Engineering: (1) explains the technical, economical and environmental advantages of using geosynthetic construction materials over conventional solutions to field problems; (2) discusses methods of analysis, design, construction and field monitoring of structures constructed with geosynthetics; (3) describes the practical applications of geosynthetics with general and specific application guidelines, including seismic aspects, for the most effective solutions to specific field and research problems; (4) presents case histories of geosynthetics use; (5) concludes each chapter with a summary of main points and common questions and answers; and (6) identifies further potential areas for research. An essential resource for practicing civil, geotechnical, transport, hydraulic, environmental and mining engineers in search of novel approaches for solving civil engineering problems using geosynthetics; Handbook of Geosynthetic Engineering is an invaluable reference for civil engineering researchers, lecturers and students, as well as for manufacturers of geosynthetic products, including polymer industries, and specialized contractors.


For years, experts have blamed Strickland v. Washington's lax standard for assessing trial attorney effectiveness for many of the criminal justice system's problems. But the conventional understanding of Strickland as a problem for ineffectiveness claims gives Strickland too much prominence, because it treats Strickland as the test for all such claims. That is a mistake. Properly understood, the Supreme Court has recognized four different constitutional forms of trial attorney ineffectiveness, and Strickland's two-pronged test applies to only one of the four. If litigants and courts would notice the complexity and relegate Strickland to its proper place, it would pave the way for meritorious ineffectiveness claims of the other three kinds. This Article disaggregates strands of Sixth Amendment doctrine that others have jumbled together so as to enable courts and litigants to confine Strickland to its proper domain and use more appropriate analyses elsewhere.

The Article also explains why additional disaggregation is necessary within the category of cases where Strickland rightly applies. Implicitly, the Supreme Court has created not one but three tests for assessing deficient performance within that domain, and it has indicated a willingness to soften the outcome-determinative prejudice prong as well. Failure to recognize these different forms of Strickland ineffectiveness has made the test seem much harder for defendants to satisfy than needs to be true. Recognizing these complexities, and applying the right test in the right case, is necessary if individual defendants are to be treated fairly and systemic constitutional problems in the provision of indigent defense services are to be addressed.


The behaviour of staff in a fire emergency can have a profound impact on the safety of occupants. This paper presents an analysis of staff behaviour in five unannounced evacuations of Marks and Spencer retail stores. The retail stores participating in the study comprised two three-storey city centre stores and one single storey out-of-town store in different locations in the United Kingdom. The evacuations were video taped using inhouse closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) orientated to cover pre-determined fields of view, and additional, portable cameras which were positioned and concealed when the stores were closed for business on the evenings before the evacuations. This paper presents an analysis of staff behaviour, and consequential impact on customers, as evidenced primarily from the video tapes and questionnaires administered to occupants as they evacuated the store. It was found that staff responses to the alarm, both in terms of time and nature of their responses, varied depending on the setting they were in and their associated responsibilities. Contrary to their training, they did not always respond immediately by evacuating customers but, in the majority of cases, first sought confirmation of the need to evacuate. They did, however, have a significant impact on customer response, not only in overcoming customers' initial evacuation inertia but also in directing them towards suitable exits. This paper seeks to explain staff behaviour in the context of their training and discusses fire safety training in the context of management as an important consideration in performance based fire safety engineering design.


Subjective studies have been conducted in the past to obtain human judgments of visual quality on distorted images in order, among other things, to benchmark objective image quality assessment (IQA) algorithms. Existing subjective studies primarily have records of human ratings on images that were corrupted by only one of many possible distortions. However, the majority of images that are available for consumption are corrupted by multiple distortions. Towards broadening the corpora of records of human responses to visual distortions, we recently conducted a study on two types of multiply distorted images to obtain human judgments of the visual quality of such images. Further, we compared the performance of several existing objective image quality measures on the new database and analyze the effects of multiple distortions on commonly used quality-determinant features and on human ratings.


Built to Change: How to Achieve Sustained Organizational Effectiveness Edward E. III Lawler and Chris Worley; Jerry Porras (Foreword) John Wiley and Sons, (2006) 311 pages, Hardcover, $18.87 In 2001, Neff and Citrin wrote Lessons from the Top: The Fifty Most Successful Business Leaders in America-and What You Can Learn from Them. Lawler and Worley remind us that in 2006, nine of those leaders, including Ken Lay, Dennis Kozlowski and Bernie Ebbers (Enron, Tyco and WorldCom, respectively) have witnessed their companies, indeed they themselves, face legal challenges resulting from what one might characterize as behaviors that were at odds with espoused corporate core values. Professors Lawler and Worley believe that living these core values support the ability of an organization to promote change and capitalized on small, discrete changes in the business environment. Lawler and Worley posit that organization excellence and ultimately competitive advantage is all about an organization's ability to change. However, the authors contend that organizational change is difficult because organizations and their managers are developed and trained to sustain stability, to keep those management systems that have made the organization successful in the past, but might not be useful to be successful in the future or in the face of external environmental change. Jerry Porras, who along with Jim Collins wrote Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, writes in the Foreword that "enduringly great" companies have a passion for change. These great companies hold a set of core values (for which he supplies a simple yet elegant three part value litmus test to determine if in fact they are "core") not only as an anchor with respect to valued organizational behaviors but these core values also promote behaviors that facilitate change. Lawler and Worley pick up on this theme in the Preface stating that they view Built to Change as the sequel to Built to Last. In developing this theme throughout the book, they present the Built-to-Change Model ("B2Change Model") as a challenge to the conventional wisdom that stability, i.e. those systems, behaviors, products, services, etc., which produced success over and over again in the past, is the continuing road to organizational excellence. Instead they believe that the challenge for an organization is to change constantly, adapting to the environment so as to string together a series of temporary competitive advantages. Therefore change, not stability, is the norm and expected within excellent organizations. The B2Change Model is a dynamic view of organizational effectiveness consisting of environmental scenarios, which the authors consider key determinants of business strategy and organizational design, and three organizational processes which are the primary contributors to organizational effectiveness: strategizing, creating value and designing, in other words, how things get done. Environmental scenarios are the broad trends and future demands that confront an organization. At the center of the model, much like the nucleus of an atom is a firm's identity consisting of its core and stable set of values. Circulating around the nucleus of values are these dynamic contributors in response to or in anticipation of change in the environment. The ability of an organization to effectively understand the environment, organize its key contributors of strategizing, creating value and designing to effect change while honoring its identity is what the authors call proximity. Lawler and Worley theorize that organizational performance over time is a function of how well a firm's organizational design, its primary contributors, are in proximity to the demands of the environment. Lawler and Worley further develop their taxonomy by explaining more fully the connections between terms. They put forward the idea that identity is essential to good strategizing. Strategizing is the manner by which an organization decides which goods, products, services and markets to focus on and how to compete. …


BACKGROUND
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) aims to reframe underlying conditional beliefs that are thought to maintain depression.

AIM
To systematically explore conditional beliefs expressed by primary-care based patients with TRD, defined as non-response to at least 6 weeks of antidepressants.

METHOD
Conditional beliefs (stated in an "If. . .then. . ." format) were extracted from a random sample of 50 sets of therapist notes from the CoBalT trial, a large randomized controlled trial of CBT for TRD in primary care. The beliefs were separated into their two constituent parts; the demands (Ifs) and consequences (thens). An approach based on framework analysis provided a systematic way of organizing the data, and identifying key themes.

RESULTS
Four main themes emerged from the demand part of the conditional beliefs (Ifs): 1. High standards; 2. Putting others first/needing approval; 3. Coping; and 4. Hiding "true" self. Three main themes emerged from the consequence part of the conditional beliefs (thens): 1. Defectiveness; 2. Responses of others; 3. Control of emotions.

CONCLUSIONS
Identifying common themes in the conditional beliefs of patients with TRD adds to our clinical understanding of this client group, providing useful information to facilitate the complex process of collaborative case conceptualization and working with conditional beliefs within CBT interventions.


This paper analyses in two ways the effects of an Australian Government proposal to reduce the corporate tax rate from 30 to 25 per cent. Murphy (2016a) modelled the proposal for the Australian Treasury using CGETAX (Murphy, 2016b), a large-scale, long-run CGE model designed for tax policy analysis. The gain in the real wage is estimated at 1.0 per cent. Depending on how the company tax cut is funded, the net gain in annual consumer welfare is between $4.1 billion and $5.2 billion in 2015/16 terms and the associated gain in real GDP is from 0.7 to 0.9 per cent. This paper also uses a highly stylised version of CGETAX to provide a theoretical analysis of the proposed tax cut, applicable to advanced, open economies in general. Echoing CGETAX including by allowing for imperfect competition, the Stylised model shows an increase in the capital-labour ratio from the reduction in the cost of capital, an increase in the labour supply induced by a higher real wage when the tax cut is passed on from internationally mobile capital to labour, and a reduction in the incentive to shift profits to lower-taxed jurisdictions (de Mooij and Devereux (2009)). This paper also discusses the likely timing on the introduction of the tax cut and the economic responses to it.


Leitch and Collier sporulating Bacillus medium was used to isolate some strains of Bacillus species from soil, wastewater and food sources in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, by heat activation method. Heat treatment at 80oC allowed the growth of sporulating Bacillus species, in the culture sample source without other bacteria forms. The amylolytic Bacillus species isolated during the study were identified as Bacillus macerans, Bacillus coagulans Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus circulans, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus polymyxa and Bacillus subtilis. Heat treatment at 70oC denatured the -amylase component of the amylase source while -amylase retained its potency at this temperature. Calcium cations (Ca2+) enhance the enzyme production than Na+ which was less effective. Physiological studies show that an optimum temperature of 40oC was suitable for the enzyme activity while temperature above 60oC reduced its activity unless positive measures are taken to stabilize it with relevant cations like Ca2+.


We present an independent assessment of the health and water sustainability of the East River (Dongjiang) in South China, which is the source of nearly 80% of Hong Kong's water supply. Field measurements show that the water quality in the upper and middle reaches is generally good and well exceeds the drinking quality standard, with high bio-diversity. The streamflow of the East River Basin is satisfactorily simulated using both the distributed MIKE-SHE model and the lumped HSPF model. With an average streamflow of 760 m 3 /s, the River is able to satisfy the current water demand. Using the HSPF model, the water quality is found to have deteriorated in recent years. In addition to water supply, the River also supports a variety of needs such as hydro-power generation, waste assimilation, navigation, habitat for aquatic life, and expulsion of sea water intrusion. Using the projected need of 150 m 3 /s for water supply, the instream flow requirement based on hydrological and water quality simulation is estimated to be 467 m 3 /s in 2010. This suggests that the water sustainability of the East River requires alternative strategies, which may include integrated water resources management, provision of better wastewater treatment, and water and soil conservation.


This paper presents a review of researches on CBN (cubic boron nitride) grinding wheels with the purpose of identifying the state of art in abrasive machining and serving as the basis for future researches and laboratory tests. The scientific studies investigated here report on interesting results involving grinding, published by Brazilian and foreign authors. The methods and the results are presented and discussed. In addition, a grinding setup is presented which provides more reliable experimental results about the surface integrity of fragile materials. This setup was obtained for grinding tests in several grinding conditions during the wheel service life, using alumina and vitrified and resin bond CBN grinding wheels. Results of cutting force, surface roughness and G ratio are also presented and discussed. They confirm the excellent machining capacity of the CBN wheel, with stable behavior in cutting force and roughness results during the tests. The G ratio values are in agreement with the results found by other researchers.


By a countably compact space we mean a topological space every countable open cover of which contains a finite subcover. It is known that a countably compact space is compact if it is either a Moore space or a paracompact space. In the first section of this note we introduce a class of topological spaces that includes all Moore spaces and all paracompact spaces but includes no space that is countably compact and not compact. In the second section we study the class of those spaces in which closed countably compact subsets are always compact.


The funding allocated to England's new clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) could be based on the age of their patient population rather than levels of deprivation, the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, has suggested.

Speaking at a conference for CCG leaders in London last month, Lansley said that age is the principal determinant of healthcare need and could drive the allocation of funding to CCGs. The funding will be determined by the NHS Commissioning Board and the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation, an independent expert body, which will look at factors in a CCG's population data that are likely to give rise to demand for NHS services. "What is likely to make the biggest difference is elderly populations who are not in substantial deprivation," …


High-performance networking (HPN) is of significance today in order to enable next-generation applications using wired and wireless networks. Some of the examples of HPN include low-latency industrial sensing, monitoring and automation using Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). HPN however requires protocol optimization at many layers of the open system interface (OSI) network model in order to meet the stringent performance constraints of the given applications. Furthermore, these protocols need to be impervious to denial of service (DoS) and distributed DoS (DDoS) attacks. Some of the key performance aspects of HPN are low point-to-point and end-to-end latency, high reliability of transmitted frames and performance predictability under various network load situations.
This work focuses on two discrete issues in designing protocols for HPN applications. The first research issue looks at the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer of the OSI network model for designing of MAC protocols that provide low-latency and high reliability for point-to-point communication under a WSN. Existing standards in this area are governed by IEEE 802.15.4 specification which defines protocols for MAC and PHY layers for short-range, low bit-rate, and low-cost wireless networks. However, the IEEE 802.15.4 specification is inefficient in terms of latency and reliability performance and, as a result, is unable to meet the stringent operational requirements as defined by counterpart wired sensor networks. Work presented under current research issue describes new MAC protocols that are able to show low-latency transmission performance under strict timing constants for power limited WSNs. This enhancement of the MAC protocols is named extended GTS (XGTS) contained under extended CFP (ECFP) and is published under the IEEE's 802.15.4e standard.
The second research issue focuses on the application layer of the OSI network model to design protocols that enhance the robustness of the text based protocols to various traffic inputs. The purpose of this is to increase the reliability of the given text based application layer protocol under a varied load. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is used as a case study and the work aims to build algorithms that ensure that SIP can continue to function under specific traffic conditions, which would otherwise deem the protocol useless due to DoS and DDoS attacks. Proposed algorithms investigate techniques that enhance the robustness of the SIP against parsing attacks without performing a deep parse of the protocol data unit (PDU). The desired effect of this is to reduce the time spent in parsing the SIP messages at a SIP router and as a result increase the number of SIP messages processed per unit time at a SIP router.


Mediation has grown tremendously in the last three decades, yet only a small number of mediators have been able to benefit financially from its growth. The supply of willing mediators by far exceeds the demand for their services. Mediator trainee overoptimism and the lack of formal barriers to entry result in excess entry in the market for mediators. However, the lack of a formal barrier, but the existence of de facto barriers to entry, such as mediator selection practices and specialization, combined with excessive individual optimism, creates inefficiently high levels of entry. This is socially suboptimal: many aspirant mediators spend money pursuing what is likely an illusory career and forego other career options, even though they were never going to be able to make money as mediators. The article presents data that income distribution in the market for private mediation in uneven, and suggests that the market is a winner-take-all market, where a few mediators at the top of the pyramid are busy and well-paid, while the vast majority of aspiring mediators is constantly looking for work, yet makes little or no money. The article proposes economic reasons that contribute to this phenomenon: non-homogeneity of the product (i.e., mediation services), de facto barriers to entry, including mediator selection preferences and specialization, organizational structures, and inelastic demand for mediator services. Since mediation consumers often compare the cost of mediation to the cost of litigation instead of comparing costs of different mediators, new mediators are unable to compete for work on price. Information problems, in particular the lack of objective measures of mediator quality, other than settlement rates, and attorneys' control of access to clients, have made reputation the most important factor for mediator selection, making it difficult for new entrants to gain a foothold in the private mediation market. Small firm size further reduces the number of opportunities for new mediators to learn skills and acquire the necessary reputation to be able to practice on their own. Since experience and reputation are essential for success, only celebrity mediators, mediators with authority - such as former judges - and those with sufficient resources and stamina are able to survive in the market long enough to make a living as mediators. As a result, mediation is a second or third career for virtually all full-time mediators in private practice. This has important implications for aspirant mediators and for design of mediation training programs. Aspirant mediators would be well-advised to specialize in a particular field, such as environmental issues or construction, and gain a solid reputation among lawyers and/or business people in that field before starting a mediation career. In addition, mediation training programs ought to be redesigned to convey to aspirant mediators the realities of mediation practice.


An experimental method for determining the equilibrium charge state of fast helium ions backscattered by solid Al-foils has been conducted using single Silicon Surface Barrier Detector (SBD) in a post acceleration system (PAS). The charge state measurements have been conducted to cover a wide energy range of the incident singly charged helium ion He+. The detected charge states increases from 0 to +Z with the incident ion's velocity. The method consists of measuring the charge states of ions after backscattering from the Al-foil as a function of projectile velocity and also finding the charge state distributions as a function of Al-foil thickness. The measurements are conducted for two types of Al-foil, one of which is thinner (2.5, 4.0, 5.4 ?g/cm2) and the other of which is of the order of an equilibrium foil thickness, where thicknesses of 6.8, 8.1, 9.5, and 10.8 were used. Ratios of equilibrium charge state yields for singly to doubly ionized He ions; He+1 and He+2, were also measured. The kinematics behavior of the measured He0, He+ and He+2 fractions is understood by the well-known Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry technique (RBS). It has been shown that the dominant processes occurring to a fast He+ ions traversing Al-foil are the capture of the electron from the Al-atom to vacant state in the ion and the stripping of the bound electron from the He+ ion. The charge composition of the ion beams changes when it backscatters Al-foil, which thick enough for multiple atomic collisions, leading eventually to an equilibrium charge state distribution (ECSD). It was found that the theoretical calculations for electron-capture and loss ratios, based of semi-classical approach of Bianconi, are successful in describing the measured He ions. The satisfactory fits of the measured equilibrium charge state fractions (ECSF's) are mainly accounted to the contribution of both free valance electrons of the target and screened target nucleus in the calculation of total electron-loss cross sections. Bianconi approach is also applied to describe the measured mean equilibrium charges (MEC). The agreement between experiment and theory in this investigation is accounted to the reliability of the used post-acceleration system where all the backscattering charge-states, at certain incident ion's velocity, are separated and collected in one measurement.


In the last few decades the puissant desire to miniaturize the digital circuits to achieve higher speed and larger density has shaped the evolution of the silicon-based technologies. This development opens a new era in the field of millimeter-wave electronics in which many low-cost high-yield silicon-based transistors can be used on a single chip to enable creation of novel architectures with unique properties not achievable with old processes. In addition to this high level of integration capability, the die size of comparable or even larger than the wave-length makes it possible to integrate antennas, transceivers, and digital circuitry all on a single silicon die. It is important to realize that although smaller parasitic capacitors and shorter transistor channels have improved fT and fmax of transistors, extremely thin metal layers, highly doped substrates, and low breakdown voltage transistors have severely affected the performance of analog and RF building blocks. For example, thin metal layers have increased the loss and lowered the quality factor of the building blocks such as capacitors and inductors and low breakdown voltage transistors have made the power generation quite challenging. Additionally, if not carefully designed, small wave-lengths in the millimeter-wave range may cause unintended radiation by on-chip components. In this dissertation, we address these issues in design of millimeter-wave silicon-based single-chip phased-array transceivers with integrated antennas. We also introduce the technique of Direct Antenna Modulation (DAM) and implement two proof-of-concept chips operating at 60 GHz. We will present the receiver and the on-chip antenna sections of a fully integrated 77 GHz four-element phased-array transceiver with on-chip antennas in silicon. The receiver section of the chip includes the complete down-conversion path comprising low-noise amplifier (LNA), frequency synthesizer, phase rotators, combining amplifiers, and on-chip dipole antennas. The signal combining is performed using a novel distributed active combining amplifier at an IF of 26 GHz. In the LO path, the output of the 52 GHz VCO is routed to different elements and can be phase shifted locally by the phase rotators. A silicon lens on the backside is used to reduce the loss due to the surface-wave power of the silicon substrate. Our measurements show a single-element LNA gain of 23 dB and a noise figure of 6.0 dB. Each of the four receive paths has a gain of 37 dB and a noise figure of 8.0 dB. Each on-chip antenna has a gain of +8 dBi. A direct antenna modulation (DAM) technique is also introduced, where the radiated far-field signal is modulated by time-varying changes in the antenna near-field electromagnetic (EM) boundary conditions. This enables the transmitter to send data in a direction-dependent fashion producing a secure communication link. The transmitter architecture makes it possible to use narrow-band highly-efficient switching power amplifiers to transmit wideband constant and non-constant envelope modulated signals. Theoretically, these systems are capable of transmitting independent data in multiple directions at full-rate concurrently using a single transmitter. Direct antenna modulation (DAM) can be performed by using either switches or varactors. Two proof-of-concept DAM transmitters operating at 60GHz using switches and varactors are demonstrated in silicon proving the feasibility of this approach.


We present an indexing technique providing support for queries involving complex, nested objects and inheritance hierarchies. This technique is compared with two techniques obtained from more traditional organizations. The three techniques are evaluated using an analytical cost model. The discussion is cast in the framework of object-oriented databases. However, results are applicable to data management systems characterized by features such as complex objects and inheritance hierarchies. >


Background The use of medication in professional football has previously been shown to defy clinical guidelines. Materials and methods Physicians of the teams who participated at the 2010 FIFA World Cup provided the list of medications used by each player within the 72 h preceding every match. Results During the tournament 71.7% of all players took medication, and 60.3% (444 of 736 players) took painkilling agents at least once. Over a third of players (39.0%) took a painkilling agent before every game. More medications were used during the finals than during the qualifying round of matches (pool games) (0.87±0.09 vs 0.77±0.03, p<0.01). Players from North and South America took almost twice the number of medications than did players from other continents (1.18±0.08 vs 0.64±0.03; p<0.01). Conclusion The use of medication reported by the team physicians in international football competition is increasing. Systematic use – medication for every match – appeared to be the norm in certain teams. This has implications for player health. These data encourage efforts to better understand, and to address, this potential disastrous practice in professional sports.


SUMMARY This study concerns the design and prototype of four different mobile robot platforms for rescue robot operations after an earthquake. At first, a test field is constructed to represent a mildly damaged earthquake zone. The test field consists of eight different sections: sand, gravel, ditch, water, bridge, incline, decline, and turn. The mechanical structure, electronics, software, communication, and possible sensory systems are explained. After the robots are manufactured, they are physically tested for their performance in the test field for 18 different parameters. The test results show the effective body structure. Challenges of the rescue robot design are explained and future expectations are given.


The global infrastructure of the Web, designed as an open and transparent system, has a significant impact on our society. However, algorithmic systems of corporate entities that neglect those principles increasingly populated the Web. Typical representatives of these algorithmic systems are recommender systems that influence our society both on a scale of global politics and during mundane shopping decisions. Recently, such recommender systems have come under critique for how they may strengthen existing or even generate new kinds of biases. To this end, designers and engineers are increasingly urged to make the functioning and purpose of recommender systems more transparent. Our research relates to the discourse of algorithm awareness, that reconsiders the role of algorithm visibility in interface design. We conducted online experiments with 105 participants using MTurk for the recommender system Recoin, a gadget for Wikidata. In these experiments, we presented users with one of a set of three different designs of Recoin's user interface, each of them exhibiting a varying degree of explainability and interactivity. Our findings include a positive correlation between comprehension of and trust in an algorithmic system in our interactive redesign. However, our results are not conclusive yet, and suggest that the measures of comprehension, fairness, accuracy and trust are not yet exhaustive for the empirical study of algorithm awareness. Our qualitative insights provide a first indication for further measures. Our study participants, for example, were less concerned with the details of understanding an algorithmic calculation than with who or what is judging the result of the algorithm.


This article examines a miracle, credited to the Dominican saint Vincent Ferrer, in which a "demented" wife and mother butchers and partially cooks her infant son. In the decades following Vincent's 1455 canonization, artists like Colantonio and the Erri workshop approached the macabre narrative in very different ways. Beyond this iconographic instability, this essay argues that the unsettled status of the narrative—in both text and picture—enabled its use as a malleable vessel for articulating and projecting certain social anxieties. The Erri version, the primary focus of the article, emerges as a case study in pictorial indeterminancy: saintly power is both pivotal and marginalized; social class is both highlighted and obfuscated; cannibalism is both seen and unseen. These contradictions demonstrate the contested status of the social problems represented: female madness, child-killing, cannibalism, and, in a broader sense, the inability of men to assert control over the spaces of their domestic world.


Purpose: The aim is to contribute to improving management of solutions, implementation and sustainability of the effects of entrepreneurial innovation projects through a comprehensive approach to their effectiveness.
Scientific aim: formation of system effectiveness criteria of complex business project innovation, creation of model of product usability.
Methodology/methods: Based on the theory of innovation. It uses a system approach, comparison, analysis, synthesis, modelling, abstraction, structuring and concretisation.
Findings: Most important is the creativity and originality of the solution and implementation of a complex innovation. Object of the effectiveness analysis of the business project is an entire complex innovative action, it is not sufficient only to analyse the effectiveness of selected individual innovations. Improving the preparation of innovative project decisions must be based on this knowledge.
Conclusions: The following is a summary of the results of work of the author. A structure of project effectiveness analysis was created, which is the same for the analyses done: before including the project into the plan, when the project solution is in progress, in the scope of documentation for regular manufacturing of the new product, after bringing the product to regular production and to the market. A practical system of analyses of an extensive business project's effectiveness was created. A system of groups of project effectiveness criteria was created: 1-Criteria of competitiveness by increasing product usefulness, 2-Time criteria, 3-Criteria of quantitative aspect of demand and the level of demand satisfaction, 4-Criteria of project's complexity and feasibility, 5-Criteria of safety, health, sanitary, ecological, aesthetic and psychological effects of the new product's manufacturing process, 6- Financial criteria. It is essential to apply all the groups of criteria. The analysis cannot be limited only to the financial criteria. A model of product usefulness, which contains seven groups of parameters, was created. In the group of financial criteria, the "calculation model of cash-flow and other selected indicators" allows different views on the financial effects of the project.


Following the several episodes of zoonotic disease outbreaks and the more recent COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian policy initiatives are committed to institutionalize One Health (OH) approaches and promote intersectoral, transdisciplinary collaboration and cooperation. The OH principle needs to be visualized beyond the scope of zoonoses. While conservation, ecological and veterinary professions are getting increasingly engaged with OH, most of the medical/clinical and social sciences professions are only peripherally aware of its nuances. The OH initiatives, by their essentially multidisciplinary nature, entail working across ministries and navigating tacit institutional hierarchies and allocating leadership roles. The logical operational step will be the constitution of One Health Committees (OHC) at the State and district levels. Here, we outline the key foundational principles of OHC and hope that the framework for implementation shall be deliberated through wider consultations and piloted and adopted in a phased manner.