Background: Premature newborns undergo numerous painful procedures during their process of care and treatment. Nurses can help reduce the complications of pain through various non-medicinal methods. The present study was therefore conducted to assess the effect of swaddling on physiological pain responses of premature infants to Nasogastric Tube Insertion at 29 Bahman Hospital of Tabriz, affiliated with the Social Security Organization in 2013-14. Methods: The present crossover clinical trial was conducted on 38 premature infants born at the gestational age of 28-34 weeks hospitalized at the neonatal intensive care unit, selected through the convenience sampling method and randomly divided into two groups. In both groups, physiological pain responses of the newborn, including heart rate and arterial blood oxygen saturation, were measured before, during and after the nasogastric tube insertion. Data were analyzed in SPSS/18. The independent t-test and were used for comparing the quantitative variables. P-values below 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Result: The results showed no significant statistical differences between the qualitative and quantitative variables in the two groups. In addition, comparing the mean physiological pain responses at different times during the assessment showed that swaddling improves the newborn's heart rate and arterial blood oxygen saturation during and after the nasogastric tube insertion (P<0.05). Conclusion: Given the effect of swaddling on physiological pain responses to nasogastric tube insertion, nurses are recommended to use it as an effective intervention for reducing pain in newborns.


The Community Wellness, Empowerment, Leadership and Lifeskills (CWell) program is a 2-year community-driven program developed in partnership between an underserved community in Limerick City and staff at the University of Limerick, Ireland. This article explores the transformative teaching and learning experiences that arose throughout the duration of the program for the lecturers and students. Data were collected through interviews and focus groups with lecturers and students involved in the program. Students supported the notion of "learning differently" and focused around prior learning and attitude to learning, learning about learning, and impact of learning. Lecturers supported the notion of "teaching differently," focusing on how they had revised their usual teaching practices to more overtly emphasize the importance of culturally responsive pedagogy and student-centered learning (as opposed to content-centered) and the situated learning perspective. There is a necessity for research on diverse and innovative programs to inform culturally responsive pedagogies and transformation for learning.


Septiani D, Suryadi H, Mun'im A, Mangunwardoyo W. 2019. Production of cellulase from Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma reesei mixed culture in carboxymethylcellulose medium as sole carbon. Biodiversitas 20: 3539-3544. Cellulase is one of hydrolytic enzymes that breakdown cellulose into glucose. Cellulases are promising to be applied in natural products which may improve the yield of bioactive in plant extract through cellulose depolymerization. Cellulases from mixed culture of Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma reesei can produce a high cellulase activity because of the synergism activity among endoglucanase, exoglucanase, and also β-glucoside. Cellulase production and partial purification of monoculture and mixed culture (1:1) of these fungi on carboxymethylcellulose media were investigated in this study. Total cellulase activity was measured by filter paper assay followed by protein estimation with Bradford method. The crude extract of Aspergillus niger monoculture has the highest cellulase activity (0.131 U/mL, P<005) followed by mixed culture (0.109 U/mL) and Trichoderma reesei (0.106 U/mL). The cellulase activity of partially purified cellulase from mixed culture significantly increased (0.335, 0.348, 0.374 U/mL, P<0.05) compared to crude extract along with stepwise addition of ammonium sulfate. Cellulase activity of mixed culture at 80% ammonium sulfate increase up to 2.238-fold and showed highest value (P<0.05) compared to monocultures. In conclusion, combination of Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma reesei fungi in carboxymethyl cellulose media followed by 80% ammonium sulfate precipitation can be a promising cellulase production with high cellulase activity. Keyword: Aspergillus niger, cellulase, carboxymethyl cellulose, mixed culture, Trichoderma reesei


Equines contributed a lot to the livelihood of Ethiopian people in terms of income generation, public transport, ploughing, threshing and ambulatory service for sick humans and animals, however various health problems hamper their contributions and of which endoparasitism is the major one. A number of epidemiological studies conducted in different part of Ethiopia point out the burden and type of endoparasites predominantly affecting horses, donkeys and mules, together or independently for each species. So the current study review is conducted on findings of different investigators with the objective of reviewing the epidemiology and identifies the gaps in the epidemiology of equine endoparasites infection in the country. With these objectives, both published and unpublished original works of numerous investigators were collected and reviewed. With this regard, a number studies conducted in different part of Ethiopia reported a high prevalence of endoparasitism of equines, which may be as high as 100%. In addition, numerous species of endoparasite were identified at the different prevalence in different parts of the country. These studies also indicate that species, age, sex and body conditions of animals were found to be an intrinsic host factor, while climatic condition and management were identified as extrinsic risk factor contribute for the epidemiology of endoparasitism in equines. Limited accessibility of information on agro-ecological based data and lack of detailed study on the general epidemiological status of endoparasitism in different parts of the country were identified as gaps for research area. Finally, further epidemiological study on the spatial and temporal distribution of endoparasites infection in equines is recommended.

 Key words: Endoparasite, equines, Ethiopia, prevalence, risk factors.


In Sir Thomas Browne, asserts F. L. Huntley, "one finds three great nourishers of the mind and heart of man: religion, poetry, and science. They met in the seventeenth century and may be coming together again in this mid-term of the twentieth" (Browne vii). In Thomas Pynchon, who began his studies at Cornell in engineering physics, we find an exploration of these same three themes, begun in his first novel, V. (1963), and continued in The Crying of Lot 49 (1966) and Gravity's Rainbow (1973), Like Browne, pynchon is interested in the poetic expression of the "twin themes of scientific research and religious exploration" (Green 7). Paul Ricoeur (among others) has shown that the dialectic which arises out of such a dual interest is the same which characterizes the history of Western religions. The poles of this tension are found in the appearances of the sacred and the interpretation of the Word (Ricoeur 13). The "hermeneutic of proclamation" first gained ascendancy over the "phenomenology of the sacred" in Judaism, and this pattern was subsequently embraced by Christianity and Islam. Within the dialectic the revelation of the Word is concretized with "the support and renewing Rower of the sacred cosmos and the sacredness of vital nature" (Ricoeur 35). Four important similarities, each arising from this problematic, link the work of Browne and Pynchon.


This study is a consumer-survey conducted with former Marriage Guidance Council clients. The objectives were to identify and examine why they chose the agency, what their expectations and experiences were of marital counselling and whether anything was achieved. The material was derived from tape recorded interviews with 51 former M.G. clients (17 men and 34 women) from 42 marriages and with 21 counsellors; data from written material and a card-sort completed by the research sample; and the case record sheets of the research population (174 cases). The results from the written data of clients showed that 49% were satisfied with counselling, 25.5% were satisfied in some ways but not in others, and 25.5% were dissatisfied. Forty-six percent rated they had benefited from counselling, either a great deal or to some degree, 4% were neutral and 50% recorded they had not benefited. However the counsellors' assessments were more optimistic. It was also ascertained that 50% of the research sample eventually separated or divorced subsequent to counselling. A cross-check revealed that the majority who rated they were satisfied with counselling were those who remained married, whilst dissatisfied clients were the ones who unwillingly separated or divorced. The study then describes, discusses and assesses the experiences of clients in the light of these findings on a number of dimensions. From this it was possible to construct a summary profile of a "successful" client describing the features which would contribute to "success". Two key themes emerged from the data. (1) the discrepancy between clients expectations and the counselling offered, which included mis match over the aims and methods of counselling, and problem definition; and (2) the importance of the client/counsellor relationship. The various implications for the agency are then discussed which include recommendations on policy, the training of counsellors and further research.


A parametric study of the ac loss behavior and the stability of 3 NbTi subsize cable-in-conduit conductors has been performed in the SULTAN test facility. Two of the conductors are distinguished only by the SnAg and the Ni coating of the strands. The effective transverse resistance in the SnAg conductor is considerably lower than that found for the conductor with Ni coated strands. Hence, the coupling loss in the SnAg coated conductor is considerably higher than that in the Ni coated conductor. Cyclic loading of the conductor reduces the coupling loss in the SnAg coated conductor, whereas the ac loss of the Ni coated conductor is unchanged. The stability of the conductors has been found to be closely related to the ac loss. Due to the smaller ac loss in the Ni coated conductor the minimum field integral of (dB/dt)/sup 2/dt required to initiate a quench is considerably larger than that for the SnAg coated conductor.


Epilepsy has a strong genetic component, with an ever‐increasing number of disease‐causing genes being discovered. Most epilepsy‐causing mutations are germ line and thus present from conception. These mutations are therefore well positioned to have a deleterious impact during early development. Here we review studies that investigate the role of genetic lesions within the early developmental window, specifically focusing on genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE). Literature on the potential pathogenic role of sub‐mesoscopic structural changes in GGE is also reviewed. Evidence from rodent models of genetic epilepsy support the idea that functional and structural changes can occur in early development, leading to altered seizure susceptibility into adulthood. Both animal and human studies suggest that sub‐mesoscopic structural changes occur in GGE. The existence of sub‐mesoscopic structural changes prior to seizure onset may act as biomarkers of excitability in genetic epilepsies. We also propose that presymptomatic treatment may be essential for limiting the long‐term consequences of disease‐causing mutations in genetic epilepsies.


The public is fascinated with financial crashes. Historians portray the roar of an angry mob toppling presidents or prime ministers and destroying the property of those who are regarded as malefactors. And certainly, financial crisis is often a factor in political change. It is often overlooked, but nonetheless significant that one of the major causes for the French Revolution was the poor state of finances, with the nation coming to bankruptcy. Large systemic financial crises create history. Various actors, big and small, become caught in the drama, contributing to it in their own special way. When Small Countries Crash seeks to capture some of the drama of financial collapses and their impact on small countries, which the author defines as populations under 10 million, generally 5-6 million. MacDonald and Novo have selected countries that have had a financial crisis in the national economy; that included key actors; and where access to reliable data is available. As the authors demonstrate, the story of small countries suffering the costs of financial missteps is long and painful. They argue that smaller economies tend to be more vulnerable to economic shocks, many of which are externally generated. Small economies confront particular challenges in terms of economies of scale, diversification, and depth of expertise and workforce. The chapters in this absorbing book focus on Iceland, Latvia, Ireland, the Caribbean, Scotland, Finland, and Albania. This in-depth study is unique in its close look at financial disasters in countries that have, until now, been overlooked.


In computer terminology, a schema is a model to describe structures for containing and processing data. A flawed schema in the computer world is a bug; the result may be unexpected behavior or even system shutdown. In cognitive theory, a schema is a structure or framework that helps organize and interpret information. Incorrect schema in this realm can lead to flawed decision making or understanding. These two worlds – computer science and cognitive science – have collided at the intersection of eligibility for patent protection of software and computer-related inventions; unfortunately, the resulting system is in dire need of debugging. The frameworks that are currently influencing decision making about software patents include the analysis that software patents are generally bad (the bad patent schema) and that software patent holders are problematic (the troll schema). These schemas have been created and maintained through various cognitive biases, resulting in flaws that are negatively impacting the conversation about patent eligibility for software and computer-related inventions. With awareness of these biases, it is possible to minimize the negative impact. But even if we are able to eliminate the biases, there exists an even bigger bug in the system: the framework underlying the discussions about software patents is incorrect. Although the primary question affecting the patent eligibility of these inventions is whether they are abstract ideas, the framework has very little, if anything, to do with that question. With an incorrect structure driving the discussion, reaching a correct result is unlikely.


Evidence showing that some unsaturated fatty acids, and in particular docosahexaenoic acid, can be powerful inhibitors of mitochondrial beta-oxidation is presented. This inhibitory property is, however, also observed with the cis- and trans-isomers of the C18:1(16) acid. Hence it is probably the position of the double bond(s), and not the degree of unsaturation, which confers the inhibitory property. It is suggested that the inhibitory effect is caused by accumulation of 2,4-di- or 2,4,7-tri-enoyl-CoA esters in the mitochondrial matrix. This has previously been shown to occur with these fatty acids, in particular when the supply of NADPH was limiting 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase (EC 1.3.1.-) activity [Hiltunen, Osmundsen & Bremer (1983) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 752, 223-232]. Liver mitochondria from streptozotocin-diabetic rats showed an increased ability to beta-oxidize 2,4-dienoyl-CoA-requiring acylcarnitines. Docosahexaenoylcarnitine was also found to be less inhibitory at lower concentrations with incubation under coupled conditions. With uncoupling conditions there was little difference between mitochondria from normal and diabetic rats in these respects. This correlates with a 5-fold stimulation of 2,4-dienoyl-CoA reductase activity found in mitochondria from streptozotocin-diabetic rats.


To date, no standard drug therapy has proven effective to counter COVID-19 disease. There are only hit and trial based on assumptions and weak evidence that are directing prescribing practices for asymptomatic to symptomatic and serious cases of COVID-19. ICMR being the apex body, responsible for framing the guidelines for the management of disease in India has not yet approved the use of combination doxycycline and ivermectin in the prophylaxis or treatment of Covid-19 cases but being used in the treatment of COVID-19 infection. Their adverse drug reactions individually are well known among scientific community. Doxycycline ADRs range from gastrointestinal, urogenital, neuropsychiatric, respiratory, nervous system to skin and appendages. We have reported a case of doxycycline induced drug allergy (rashes) all over the trunk and legs as a result of self-medication. The event happened after a female patient had complaints of persistent fever and weakness consumed doxycycline and ivermectin on her friend's advice and developed rashes on her trunk and legs. The above ADE is very mild but alarming for the medical fraternity that warrants strict compliance with the electronic/text/online prescription. The usage of doxycycline and ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19 disease, as an indication of treatment should not be considered prior to any concrete evidence or issuance of treatment, guidelines by the apex body in India.


This volume addresses fundamental questions about the nature, value, and efficacy of museum collections in a postcolonial world and the agency of indigenous people in their production. The book's primary focus lies with those objects that, by way of their specific histories, have been defined as "ethnographic"; however, the question of the contexts in which things are defined as "art" as opposed to "artifact" (e.g., Clifford 1988, 1997; Danto 1988; Putnam 1991; Marcus and Myers 1995; Gell 1998; Thomas 1999b; Myers 2001) also constitutes a key concern. The book is most appropriately situated within the context of various postcolonial critiques of the role of museums and museum collections in the politics of indigenous representation (e.g., Clifford 1988, 1995; O'Hanlon 1993; Greenfield 1996; Lidchi 1997; Barringer and Flynn 1998; Russell 2001; Karp and Lavine 1991; Fforde, Hubert, and Turnbull 2002; Kramer 2006; Cuno 2008; Lonetree and Cobb 2008; Sleeper-Smith 2009) and as a reaction to the perception that indigenous people had little or no agency in the processes that were responsible for the genesis of ethnographic museum collections (largely a phenomenon of the exercising of asymmetrical colonial power relations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries). Although we see this book as a product of that literature and its accompanying themes, what sets it apart from much of the current literature is that it makes a significant attempt to move beyond the concerns of the politics of representation, which have tended to dominate critical museum studies (Macdonald 2011), to consider the affective qualities of things alongside their representational role in the museum. Similarly, in considering the complex material and social interactions of things, people, and institutions that constitute ethnographic collections, we attempt to move beyond the observation that indigenous people and ethnographic objects had (and continue to have) agency, to consider how concepts of agency and indigeneity need to be reconfigured in the light of their study within the context of the museum. In doing so, the volume develops a series of new concepts and considers their application to historical and contemporary engagements between ethnographic museums and the various individuals and communities who were and are involved in their production. These themes have profound implications not only for understanding the ongoing processes that have formed museum collections in the past and present but also for developing new and innovative curatorial practices in the future. Key concepts include the idea of museums as meshworks and as material and social assemblages; the ways in which the application of an archaeological sensibility might inform approaches to understanding the past and present relationships between people, "things," and institutions in relation to museums; and the curatorial responsibility that arises from a reconsideration of the nature of museum "objects."


In spring 2006, the United States witnessed immigrant marches throughout the nation. Although Latina/os are often depicted as the "face" of the immigrant marches, we know little about how racial and citizenship statuses shaped Latina/os' perceptions of how the marches influenced public perceptions of undocumented immigrants. Using logistic regression on data from the 2006 National Survey of Latinos, we find that Latina/os identifying as white are less likely to be supportive of the immigrant marches than those who defied standard racial classifications, and instead identified as "Latina/o." Moreover, Latina/os who are born in the United States are not as supportive of the immigrant marches in comparison with naturalized citizens and non-citizen Latina/os, accounting for demographic and human capital factors. This study suggests there is a "racial- and citizenship divide" among Latina/os that fragments perceptions on the immigrant mobilizations in the United States.


Seymour Benzer was born in New York City in 1921. His parents were immigrants who had come to the United States some 10 years earlier from the Jewish shtetl of Sochaczew near Warsaw. A true scientific romantic, Benzer was a pioneer in two different fields of biology: the initial studies of the nature of the gene in the early days of molecular biology, and later the launching of a new field that applied mutant induction and other genetic approaches to the study of behaviour. In the century that began with the rediscovery of Mendelian units of heredity and ended with the sequencing of the human genome, Benzer's work set two milestones. His early work in bacteriophages on the fine structure of the gene defined a pivotal moment in the transition from classical to molecular genetics. His later work in the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, launched an entirely new genetic strategy with which to tackle the complexity of behaviour.


The European legislator has frequently stressed the competitive advantage that is provided in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). However, there is little scientific evidence as to whether this promise will come true or not. Focusing on data protection certification mechanisms, this paper illustrates why the regulatory approach inherent in the GDPR has indeed the potential to provide its regulation addressees, that are, data controllers and processors, competitive advantage and even enhance data-driven innovation. Therefore, this paper will first outline an approach that will help to conduct research on the effects of regulatory instruments on innovation. This perspective differentiates between two perspectives. In a first step, the approach assesses which regulatory instruments are best suited to protect the individuals against the risks caused by innovation. In a second step, the approach focuses on the question on how these risk protection instruments should be designed to not unnecessarily hamper innovation, or even enhance innovation. This two-levelled approach does not only help the legislator to draft laws that both effectively protect against risks and support innovators in their innovation processes, but the approach also helps interpret existing laws regarding both regulatory functions. In this regard, this paper will firstly demonstrate that a co-regulation strategy is particularly suitable for reaching this aim, and secondly that the GDPR can be interpreted in such a way that it does not only protect against data protection risks but, indeed, also provides for competitive advantages. This becomes clear, in general, when examining the effects of data protection certification mechanisms on a micro-, meso-, and macroeconomic level, if these mechanisms are used to specify and standardise, for example, the data protection- and security-by-design requirements (Art. 25 and 32 GDPR). Following the proposed levels at which the competitive advantage can be achieved, conclusions can be drawn, in particular, on the following aspects. Firstly, the different economic effects of data protection certification mechanisms compared to codes of conduct (and to a limited extent also to binding corporate rules — in the following also referred to as "BCR"). Secondly, the different incentives to specify and standardise the GDPR provisions that depend on the type of data controllers and processors. Third, the appropriate level of protection signaled by data protection certification mechanisms and its interplay with the "state of the art"-requirement. Fourthly, the suitable object of data protection certification mechanisms with respect to the ability of data subjects to assess the level of protection. Lastly, three selected key questions on how to cope with the complexity of such "data protection markets", taking into account the perspective of certification bodies, data controllers as well as processors, and data subjects. On this basis, the paper concludes by highlighting the need for empirical research to answer several remaining questions on the effectiveness of the discussed regulatory instruments from the point of view of regulating innovation.


In 1971, when the author enrolled in the Yale School of Art as an aspiring photographer, his principal aim was to learn all he could from one of the leading and most admired American photographers of this century, Walker Evans. Once Evans accepted Jerry Thompson as a student, they developed an extremely close working relationship as well as a personal friendship. At Yale, at Evans's Connecticut home in Old Lyme, and during a number of field trips to other parts of the country, Thompson was always close at hand, helping in the darkroom, fetching and carrying, mounting prints for exhibitions, driving, dealing with the archives that were the accumulation of almost forty years of work, and absorbing all the time what Evans, always articulate, had to say about his interests, his intellectual curiosity, and the basis of his approach to the art of photography. By the time Evans's health deteriorated and he died in 1975, Thompson had become deeply involved with his idol, learning as much about Evans's foibles and eccentricities as he did about the man's genius. As a result, Thompson's account of those last four years gives us a precious insight into the mind and sensibilities of a great man. To remind the reader of some of Evans's most famous photographs, a number of them are reproduced here, along with informal photographs of him at home, and a sampling of his late interest in color Polaroid photography, published for the first time. In combination with an unusually sensitive text, this is a book of great interest not only to photographers and those interested in photography, but to all who respond to biography and the analysis of character.


This study relates to a method for evaluating the degradation efficiency of Ascaris lumbricoides eggs through a Fenton reaction, using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at 100, 250, and 500 mg/L, ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) at 458 mg/L Fe(2+) and pH values of 3, 4.5, and 6. The experiments were conducted according to a 3(2) experimental design, with 1:1, 3:1, and 5:1 (H2O2/Fe(2+)) molar ratios. The oxidation and flocculation stages were performed at 130 rpm during 2 hours and at 25-30 rpm during 20 min, respectively. As a result of the Fenton reaction, an average of 91.2% Ascaris lumbricoides egg degradation was achieved at pH 6 using a 500 mg/L dose of H2O2 and a 3:1 (H2O2/Fe(2+)) molar ratio. Thus, this process is an alternative for eliminating parasites that are resistant to conventional disinfection processes and significantly reduces the human health hazard they represent.


The goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy are to reduce new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections, increase access to care and improve health outcomes for persons living with HIV, and reduce HIV-related health disparities. In July 2013, by presidential executive order, the HIV Care Continuum Initiative was established, focusing on accelerating federal efforts to increase HIV testing, care, and treatment. Hispanics or Latinos are disproportionately affected by HIV infection; the annual rate of HIV diagnosis among Hispanics or Latinos is approximately three times that of non-Hispanic whites. To achieve the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, and to be consistent with the HIV Care Continuum Initiative, Hispanics or Latinos living with HIV infection need improved levels of care and viral suppression. Achieving these goals calls for 85% of Hispanics or Latinos with diagnosed HIV to be linked to care, 80% to be retained in care, and the proportion with an undetectable viral load (VL) to increase 20% by 2015. Analysis of data from the National HIV Surveillance System (NHSS) and the Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) regarding progress along the HIV care continuum during 2010 for Hispanics or Latinos with diagnosed HIV infection indicated that 80.3% of HIV-diagnosed Hispanics or Latinos were linked to care, 54.4% were retained in care, 44.4% were prescribed antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 36.9% had achieved viral suppression (VL result of ≤200 copies/mL). Among Hispanic or Latino males and females, the percentages that were linked to care, were prescribed ART, and had achieved viral suppression were similar; however, the percentage retained in care was lower among males compared with females. The levels of linkage to care and viral suppression were lower among Hispanics or Latinos with HIV infection attributed to injection drug use than among those with HIV infection attributed to heterosexual or male-to-male sexual contact. These data demonstrate the need for implementation of interventions and public health strategies that increase linkage to care, retention in care, and consistent ART among Hispanics or Latinos, particularly Hispanics or Latinos who inject drugs.


Abstract. Projections of the contribution of the Greenland ice sheet to future sea-level rise include uncertainties primarily due to the imposed climate
forcing and the initial state of the ice sheet model. Several state-of-the-art ice flow models are currently being employed on various grid
resolutions to estimate future mass changes in the framework of the Ice Sheet Model Intercomparison Project for CMIP6 (ISMIP6). Here we investigate
the sensitivity to grid resolution of centennial sea-level contributions from the Greenland ice sheet and study the mechanism at play. We employ the
finite-element higher-order Ice-sheet and Sea-level System Model (ISSM) and conduct experiments with four different horizontal resolutions, namely 4, 2, 1 and
0.75 km. We run the simulation based on the ISMIP6 core climate forcing from the MIROC5 global circulation model (GCM) under the high-emission
Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 scenario and consider both atmospheric and oceanic forcing in full and separate scenarios. Under the
full scenarios, finer simulations unveil up to approximately 5 % more sea-level rise compared to the coarser resolution. The sensitivity depends
on the magnitude of outlet glacier retreat, which is implemented as a series of retreat masks following the ISMIP6 protocol. Without imposed retreat
under atmosphere-only forcing, the resolution dependency exhibits an opposite behaviour with approximately 5 % more sea-level contribution
in the coarser resolution. The sea-level contribution indicates a converging behaviour below a 1  km horizontal resolution. A driving mechanism
for differences is the ability to resolve the bedrock topography, which highly controls ice discharge to the ocean. Additionally, thinning and
acceleration emerge to propagate further inland in high resolution for many glaciers. A major response mechanism is sliding, with an enhanced
feedback on the effective normal pressure at higher resolution leading to a larger increase in sliding speeds under scenarios with outlet glacier
retreat.


The modication of message that meets the sucient conditions for collision is found in the last step of dierential attack proposed by Wang et all. (2005) on MD4 hash algorithm. Here we show how this attack phase, nding a collision starting from the list of sucient conditions for the collision, can be implemented using a combination of two algorithms - evolutionary algorithm and hill climbing. Hybridization of evolutionary algorithm and hill climbing is a well-known technique for improving solutions, but it isn't applied to this domain (at least by information that author has collected).


As street art continues to fuel a generation of counterculture and gains popularity in pop culture, laws enacted by local governments to curb this art form raise interesting constitutional issues surrounding the Fifth Amendment's Takings Clause. More and more cities across America are classifying street art and graffiti as public nuisances. Such municipalities impose their agenda on private property owners with street art ordinances. These laws allow the government to come onto private property to remove the street art; some laws go even further by requiring the property owner to remove the street art at his own cost. This Article attempts to make sense of the Takings Clause's tumultuous doctrines and their underlying principles in order to analyze this anti-street art campaign. In the process, this Article analyzes whether street art ordinances constitute takings under the Fifth Amendment due to their potential negative economic impact on property values and the temporary deprivation of essential property rights.


The performance of cars has during recent years become increasingly dependent on complex electronic systems used especially for safety but also comfort, performance and informatics. Automotive winter testing activities in northern Sweden is vital to test and try out those systems. A contradiction to increased performance is that faulty software also causes 30 % of severe malfunctions in the functionality of the car. To deal with these problems, as early in the design process as possible, innovative methods to cope with digital abstraction and the physical world in a unified way seems promising. One useful approach, in automotive winter testing, might be to support the possibilities for real-time vehicle simulations of the car in motion. The closer collaboration in the automotive industry might be an incitement for investing in technologies for knowledge sharing. Besides enhancing the product development process, additional knowledge might support innovations. Today, instead of providing parts similar to their competitors and relying on one or two automakers, successful suppliers focus heavily on innovation and on collaboration with a number of manufacturers on a global market. Due to the possibilities to visualize whole processes, the use of simulations seems to support a 'seeing first' approach to innovations. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to describe an as-is scenario and a to-be scenario for automotive winter testing to highlight how the use of real-time simulations facilitates innovative methods.


This Article deals with a unique intersection between civil (tort and/or contract) law, criminal law, family and child law, and international law.Perhaps one of the most traumatic crises that can occur to an individual is having his child abducted by the other parent and taken to another country. The widely ratified 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is designed to enable the crisis to be resolved as quickly as possible by mandating that the authorities in the state to which the child has been abducted order return of the child to the state of his habitual residence immediately preceding the abduction, unless one of the narrow exceptions in the Convention is established.However, this remedy by itself does not put the left-behind parent in the position he or she was in before the abduction. In particular, the process of recovering the child often places a considerable financial burden on the left-behind parent. For example, he may incur costs in identifying the whereabouts of the child, in traveling to and staying in the state of abduction, and in paying the legal costs of submitting an application for the child's return in the courts of the requested state. Furthermore, the discovery that his child has been abducted together with the uncertainty as to whether and when he will recover the child and the lack of or reduced contact with the child will often cause considerable emotional distress. The issue of compensation for the left-behind parent is not discussed inthe existing literature.This Article examines, therefore, the extent to which it is appropriate to require the abductor to compensate the left-behind parent and the preferred framework for the provision of such compensation. We present four alternative models: the tort model (in which the left-behind parent brings a civil tort claim against the abducting parent), the contract model (in which the left-behind parent brings a civil contract claim against the abducting parent when a contract between the parents has been breached), the criminal model (in which compensation is awarded in criminal proceedings against the abducting parent), and the Abduction Convention model (in which compensation is awarded by the court of the state which is requested to return the child, as part of the proceedings under the Hague Convention). We analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each model from both a theoretical and practical perspective. After concluding that the Abduction Convention model is the preferred model, we discuss various dilemmas that arise in implementing this model and consider how to find an ppropriate balance between the objectives of tort law and those of child law, as expressed in the Abduction Convention.Among other considerations, this Article examines the delicate question of whether, in determining the compensation, courts should consider the background of the abduction, and in particular, the relationship between the abductor and the left-behind parent, the relationship between the left-behind parent and the child, contributory negligence or comparative fault on the part of the left-behind parent, the social background of the family, any involvement by the authorities, and the possibility that the abductor has acted out of frustration and despair due to mistreatment by the authorities.


This thesis is concerned with interaction between people and virtual humans in the context of highly immersive virtual environments (VEs). Empirical studies have shown that virtual humans (agents) with even minimal behavioural capabilities can have a significant emotional impact on participants of immersive virtual environments (IVEs) to the extent that these have been used in studies of mental health issues such as social phobia and paranoia. This thesis focuses on understanding the impact on the responses of people to the behaviour of virtual humans rather than their visual appearance. There are three main research questions addressed. First, the thesis considers what are the key nonverbal behavioural cues used to portray a specific psychological state. Second, research determines the extent to which the underlying state of a virtual human is recognisable through the display of a key set of cues inferred from the behaviour of real humans. Finally, the degree to which a perceived psychological state in a virtual human invokes responses from participants in immersive virtual environments that are similar to those observed in the physical world is considered. These research questions were investigated through four experiments. The first experiment focused on the impact of visual fidelity and behavioural complexity on participant responses by implementing a model of gaze behaviour in virtual humans. The results of the study concluded that participants expected more life-like behaviours from more visually realistic virtual humans. The second experiment investigated the detrimental effects on participant responses when interacting with virtual humans with low behavioural complexity. The third experiment investigated the differences in responses of participants to virtual humans perceived to be in varying emotional states. The emotional states of the virtual humans were portrayed using postural and facial cues. Results indicated that posture does play an important role in the portrayal of affect however the behavioural model used in the study did not fully cover the qualities of body movement associated with the emotions studied. The final experiment focused on the portrayal of affect through the quality of body movement such as the speed of gestures. The effectiveness of the virtual humans was gauged through exploring a variety of participant responses including subjective responses, objective physiological and behavioural measures. The results show that participants are affected and respond to virtual humans in a significant manner provided that an appropriate behavioural model is used.


The early 1990s saw great optimism over emerging markets. The public came to believe that governments worldwide were committed to economic reforms and greater transparency in markets. The low correlations of emerging markets with developed markets promised advantages to pioneer investors. As crises originating in Mexico, Thailand, and Russia rippled throughout the world, however, investors experienced instead falling liquidity, rising volatility, and increased correlations with developed markets. Emerging markets will earn their place as a legitimate asset class, the author notes, when sound companies offer foreign investors a fair participation in the above-average economic growth rates of many developing countries. The emerging markets experience may be compared to the development of small-cap investing in international markets during the 1990s, when smaller stocks initially underperformed, sold at deep discounts, and offered great diversification benefits. Then in the late 1990s they delivered excellent performance.


Abstract High pressure/high temperature (HP/HT) and pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment of food are among the novel processing techniques considered as alternatives to conventional thermal food processing. Introduction of new processing techniques with fast and gentle processing steps may reveal new possibilities for preservation of healthy bioactive compounds in processed food. However, effects on various food components due to autolysis and fast reactions prior to the applied HP/HT or PEF need to be considered as the total contribution of processing steps affects the obtained food quality. The present experiments were performed on broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. Italica) florets, purée and juice. Specific focus was given to effects of HP/HT and PEF processing on the content of glucosinolates and activities of myrosinase isoenzymes (EC.220.127.116.11) in the broccoli preparations. Certain conditions applied in HP/HT processing of broccoli florets were able to maintain a high level of intact glucosinolates. Treatment at 700 MPa and 20°C for 10 min was found to inactivate myrosinase activity, but also pressure treatments at 300 MPa and 20°C were able to maintain a high level of intact glucosinolates present in the untreated broccoli florets. PEF processing of broccoli purée and juice showed that the myrosinase activities resulted in nearly total glucosinolate transformations as result of autolysis during puréeing and juice making prior to the PEF processing. These data demonstrated that insight into potential effects on myrosinase activities from application of PEF processing implies specific focus on the sample steps preceding the PEF processing


One-handed operation of touchscreen smartphones presents challenges such as hard-to-reach targets and the thumb occluding the interface. There are two main approaches to address these challenges: Modification of the graphical user interface (GUI) and extension of the device's input modalities using its sensors. Previous work has presented techniques addressing a specific problem in isolation, but has failed to provide one solution which tackles all main challenges of thumb interaction together. This thesis examines whether this can be done.

To establish the background, the thesis finds that users prefer convenience over efficiency and confirms that they predominantly use one hand. To detect mode of operation, the thesis presents an approach to classify a user's finger with a high degree of accuracy using a single touch. Following the first research avenue, the thesis presents a thumb-optimised GUI that increases usability and efficiency of one-handed website operation. Following the second avenue of research, the thesis presents a novel one-handed input technique for smartphones, using a set of three off-screen gestures. Both approaches address the most common problems of one-handed smartphone operation via the thumb largely successfully, but fail to completely solve the problem of interface occlusion.

The thesis adds to the literature in the field of visual perception, input classification, GUI optimisation, and input techniques. Readers learn that visual search strategies of the desktop world may also apply to the mobile world and that eye gaze position may have a greater impact on target acquisition time than Fitts's law. The one-touch finger classification technique provides an additional layer of context and new opportunities for improving the human-machine dialogue. The thumb-optimised GUI presents practitioners with a potential blueprint for translating classical WIMP UI elements into thumb-friendly touch interfaces while the novel input technique provides a new layer of complexity for off-screen interaction.


Globalization means many things for governments around the world in terms of governance. Questions that are left unexplored in the public administration literature are what changes in the globalization of production mean for governments and their relationships with business and civil society, and what the implications are for public administration. The authors develop a conceptual framework that governments can use to shape their interactions with business in more strategically and mutually beneficial ways. The data are derived from extensive fieldwork in the emerging economies of Southeast Asia. Key challenges to government include the importance of understanding global value chains, value chain-related trade facilitation, investment in logistics, the strengthening of enterprise clusters, effective education, skill development and training, and the governance risks inherent in value chains and networks. The essay concludes with a discussion of five key considerations for public administration in thinking, planning, and acting strategically in relationships with the private sector regarding the globalization of production. These considerations are crucial for creating business environments that strengthen economic development and manage societal concerns in ways that are aligned with public values.


Introduction: Aerva lanata (Linn) of family Amaranthaceae is an important and commonly used plant for its medicinal and pharmacological properties and proving the traditional uses of flowers of A. lanata Linn. Objective: All extracts of A. lanata were further evaluated for antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiurolithiatic potential to scientifically prove the traditional uses. Materials and Methods: In the present investigation, different solvent extracts of flowers were obtained using a Soxhlet extractor. Microorganisms were obtained from IMTECH, Chandigarh. Antiurolithiatic study was carried out in Albino Research and Training Centre, Hyderabad. Results: Regardless of the antioxidant studied, the methanolic extract presented the highest antioxidant activity and the aqueous extracts offered the lowest, following the order: methanolic extract > ethyl acetate > chloroform > aqueous. The results of this antimicrobial study indicate that methanolic extract of A. lanata could be used as antimicrobial agents. Overall, the methanolic flower extract of A. lanata (Linn) was significantly more promising as antiurolithiatic spectrum. This result also suggested the potential usefulness of the methanolic extract as an antiurolithiatic agent. Conclusion: Henceforward, this research can be acknowledged as a prime new report that focuses on the application of A. lanata (Linn) as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiurolithiatic agent. Abbreviations used: IMTECH Chandigarh: Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh; IMMT: Institute of Mineral and Material Technology; CSIR: Council of Scientific & Industrial Research; DPPH: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl; MTCC: Microbial Type Culture Collection; BHT: Butylated Hydroxyl Toluene.


This research proposed a model to recognize the common activities of people with special needs using soft computing and infrared depth sensor. We developed a rotatable single sensor which resolves the blind spots that are occluded by non-rotatable single depth sensor; it also saves on resources as one rotatable sensor can provide the view field of two sensors. The model provides computationally inexpensive and efficient algorithms to recognize the activities for real time indoor monitoring of people with disabilities. Besides, the model works in real time, non-intrusive and intuitive manner. There is no wearable device required on the person under monitoring and he or she does not have to coordinate any interface element. The prototype evaluation shows that the model is able to recognize the common activities and critical incidents effectively. It has the potential to be adapted and enhanced for monitoring people with disabilities.


VTT has been hosting the Finnish national hot laboratory infrastructure since the first nuclear power plants were constructed in Finland in the 1970's. Historically the principle radioactive materials handling has been for the testing of reactor pressure vessel steels, but over time the activities have broadened to outgrow both the capacity and capabilities of the existing facilities. As such, a decision was made in 2011 to build a whole new facility, with the additional goal of gathering most of the VTT Nuclear Safety research personnel currently scattered around the Otaniemi campus, into a single, compact facility called the VTT Centre for Nuclear Safety (CNS). The CNS is comprised of an office wing and a laboratory wing, and the laboratory wing is comprised of C-, Band A-class radiological laboratories. Although the site is atop an underground parking garage, special attention was paid to optimizing the basement space, to exploit the natural gamma shielding offered by the granite. The VTT research staff has been integral in the design process, in order to assure that the laboratories meet the current and foreseen future needs. The C-class laboratories include radiochemistry laboratories, cleanroom facilities for trace element analysis, nuclear waste management research, and C-laboratory support facilities like an electronics shop and utensil cleaning and storage. The Bclass radiological laboratories contain the controlled entrance area (also used for accessing the Alaboratory), an iodine filter laboratory, radiochemistry laboratory with nuclear material handling allocation, and a mechanicals workshop. Microscopy facilities include a TEM on the B-laboratory side, and a SEM and light microscopy facilities in the A-class laboratory. The A-laboratory spans a part of the main floor shared with the B-laboratory, as well as the basement facilities. On the main floor it includes the hot cell high bay and the pilot hall, equipped with a 10 ton capacity bridge crane. The basement facilities are mainly for storage and handling of radioactive sources, specimens and waste, but include a liquid waste handling room, autoclave room and double hot cell. Transportation of radioactive materials into and out of the laboratory occurs by way of a separate, covered truck park, through an airlock into the basement. Transfer of radioactive materials within the laboratory is possible with a dedicated facility cask handled by the bridge crane and/or a cart. Overall the design process carried out over the last two years has yielded very satisfactory results and the facilities can be expected to serve the purposes well.


Performance gaps in science are well documented, and an examination of underlying mechanisms that lead to underperformance and attrition of women and underrepresented minorities (URM) may offer highly targeted means to promote such students. Determining factors that influence academic performance may provide a basis for improved pedagogy and policy development at the university level. We examined the impact of class size on students in 17 biology courses at four universities. Although the female students underperformed on high-stakes exams compared with the men as class size increased, the women received higher scores than the men on nonexam assessments. The URM students underperformed across grade measures compared with the majority students regardless of class size, suggesting that other characteristics of the education environment affect learning. Student enrollment is expected to increase precipitously in the next decade, underscoring the need to prioritize individual student potential rather than yield to budget constraints when considering equitable pedagogy and caps on classroom sizes.


Abstract The clay mineralogy and chemical composition of the white veins, red matrix and both Fe- and Mn-bearing nodules occurring in a laterite profile in Hubei, south China were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy-dispersive spectrometer, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results show that the mineral components of the red matrix are mainly quartz, kaolinite, halloysite, goethite and minor illite, whereas the white net-like veins contain mostly quartz, kaolinite, halloysite, and illite. In the net-like horizon, the chemical index of alteration (CIA, the ratio of Al2O3/(Al2O3+CaO+K2O+Na2O)) and the TiO2/Al2O3 ratio are 89.8% and 0.021 for the white vein and 90.7% and 0.025 for the red matrix, respectively. Both white-vein and red-matrix components have similar TiO2/Al2O3 ratios, and are similar to the ratio 0.027 of the unaltered bedrock. The similarity in TiO2/Al2O3 values indicates that all three portions of the laterite soil share the same origin. Also, although the white-vein and redmatrix components differ in Fe2O3 abundance, the similar CIA values do imply similar degrees of alteration. The Fe-bearing and Mn-bearing nodules were produced by the local accumulation of Fe2O3 and MnO, respectively. Halloysite in the weathering profile occurs in two different morphologies, tubular and platy crystals. Tubular halloysite occurs both in the red matrix and the Fe-bearing nodule whereas platy halloysite occurs only in the white vein and Mn-bearing nodule assemblages. Crystallization of small tubular halloysite from Si and Al concretions in the red matrix is observed, indicating that the morphology of these crystals in the weathering environment is mainly controlled by Fe3+ cations, whereas platy halloysite may be derived from the hydration of kaolinite.


This stimulating book sets out to critically explore the notion of men, masculinities and teaching in early childhood education. It addresses the global pattern of gender, teaching and care where men are in the minority, and explores the notion that the greater involvement of men within teaching and associated professions has the potential to transform gender relations for future generations. International contributors raise critical questions about the construction of masculinities, the continuing reluctance of men to engage in this type of work, and the influence of political and public debates on the issue. Through this engaging discussion readers are asked to question whether this is something that we should care about, with key topics including: The roles of men in education and care Teachers' beliefs, norms and values of gender equality The construction of male identities Gendered ideals, and children's interpretations of gender. Men, Masculinities and Teaching in Early Childhood Education brings together a refreshing and critical set of perspectives linked to an increasingly important educational debate and will be a valuable text for practitioners, professionals, policy makers and parents/carers. © 2016 Simon Brownhill, Jo Warin and Inga Wernersson. All rights reserved.


A Maximum Power Point Tracker has been previously developed for a single high performance GaAs solar cell for hybrid and electric vehicle applications. This paper presents a new Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) control algorithm which is based on the Incremental Conductance (IncCond) method but does not require any current sensing devices. In this new algorithm, the condition for the Maximum Power Point (MPP) operation can be established from the solar cell voltage and the converter switching duty ratio alone. The method can also be readily applied to any load type where power increases monotonically with voltage. A solar cell model for the triple junction cell is also thoroughly discussed. This model is used in the simulation circuit and the results for the new MPPT method are provided. Finally, a solar cell simulator and a 600-mW buck converter switching at 20 kHz controlled by Texas Instrument MSP430 microprocessor are used as the test platform for the new IncCond MPPT algorithm. The experimental results show that the proposed MPPT algorithm has secured a 1.5-ms response time due to insolation changes.


The fast development of technology and the reinforcement of society encouragement to give contribution for society and their environment raise the need of implementing Corporative Social Responsibility (CSR). It is the concept that until today is still has pro and anti in its implementation. Nevertheless, this concept is the best, especially to develop community; for instance, by many activities conduct and maintain and preserve limited natural sources that are exploited by company. By the development and preservation of natural sources, the company can live in the long-run. In Indonesia, the concept of CSR is included in the form of regulations by make company to compulsory have CSR based on UU No. 40 tahun 2007. The purposes of this study are to describe that the company is having or making policies about CSR program in PT. Easterntex, what activities have been programmed and realized in the company, and there is any significantly change of society behavior or not in relation with the society prosperity around the company. Method for this study is descriptive qualitative that purposes to describe, to summary conditions, situations or variables in society or even institutions as the object of study. Data sources of this study is the chairman and secretary of CSR division, each of village head; they area head of Karang Jati and Tanjung Arum. Besides, also society man, society and farmers have become the sources of data. Instruments of this study are triangulation method. It consists of observation, documentation and communication (interview by using question guides). Data analysis for this study is descriptive qualitative, while data interpretation of this study is by explaining the matters studied in field based on the data. Based on the result of study, it shows that there is any policy of company made by Group Toray located in Japan ? subsidiary company obligated to have social activity in company environment or it is called as CSR. From the Group Toray policy, PT Easterntex forms activity that is divided into two programs, internal and external. The effect and implication felt by society is that there is any change of life style by the development program and the availability of infrastructure. Keyword : TANGGUNGJAWAB SOSIAL,KEHIDUPAN SOSIAL Link: http://skripsi.umm.ac.id/files/disk1/346/jiptummpp-gdl-s1-2009-achmadhijr-17254-PENDAHUL-N.pdf


A combined inelastic neutron scattering (INS) and theoretical study was carried out on H2 adsorbed in two covalent organic framework (COF) materials: COF-1 and COF-102. These COFs are synthesized from self-condensation reactions of 1,4-benzenediboronic acid (BDBA) and tetra(4-(dihydroxy)borylphenyl)methane (TBPM) molecules, respectively. Molecular simulations of H2 adsorption in COF-1 revealed that the H2 molecules occupy the region between two eclipsed layers of the COF. The most favorable H2 binding site in COF-1 is located between two B3O3 clusters of the eclipsed layers. Two distinct H2 binding sites were identified in COF-102 from the simulations: the B3O3 clusters and the phenyl rings of the tetraphenylmethyl units. Two-dimensional quantum rotation calculations for H2 adsorbed at the considered sites in both COFs resulted in rotational transitions that are in good agreement with those that appear in the corresponding INS spectra. Such calculations were important for interpreting the INS spectra in these materials. Calculation of the rotational potential energy surface for H2 bound at the most favorable adsorption site in COF-1 and COF-102 revealed unusually high rotational barriers that are attributed to the nature of the B3O3 rings. The values for these barriers to rotation are greater than or comparable to those observed in some metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) that possess open-metal sites. This study demonstrates the power of using INS experiments in conjunction with theoretical calculations to gain valuable insights into the nature of the binding sites and, for the first time, the rotational dynamics of H2 adsorbed in COFs.


Purpose: Experimental studies showed that local capture of atrial fibrillation (AF) by rapid pacing was possible in humans. However, contradictory observations were reported on its effect at distant atrial sites. The present model-based study investigated the effect of rapid pacing on the paced and the non-paced atria. Methods: A biophysical model of AF based on a geometry from human MRI and a membrane kinetics model was used. Rapid AF pacing was applied during 30s in right atrial (RA) free wall or left atrial (LA) appendage at optimal pacing cycle lengths based on previous studies (RA:76 ms, LA:77ms). The pacing effect was characterized by measuring 256 electrograms evenly located in RA and LA, from which the following values were computed: AF cycle length (AFCL), number of wavefronts (#WF), percentage of excited tissue (ET) and AF organization index (OI) assessing spectral regularity and ranging from 0 to 1. Results: Pacing successfully induced local AF capture in the paced atrium with an AFCL close to the pacing cycle length. Local capture was accompanied by a significant (p<0.001) reduction in #WF and increase in ET and OI in the paced atrium. In the non-paced atrium, AFCL only slightly decreased while the effect on #WF was the opposite to what was observed in the paced atrium (increase) and ET did not change. Interestingly, the effect on OI was different when pacing from the LA (decrease in the non-paced atrium compared to no pacing) or the RA (increase). Conclusions: The effect of AF rapid pacing on the non-paced atrium showed an acceleration of AF with an increased number of wavefronts. However, the effect on AF organization was dependent on the pacing site, which could explain the contradictory results reported in humans.


A revolution in utilities domain is underway, namely the Internet of Energy. Networked Embedded Devices (NEDs) are making the electricity grid itself, the homes and the factories smarter, increasing the possibilities of collaboration among them. It is expected that NEDs will offer their functionality as one or more services, one of which will be a real-time measurement of the energy they consume or produce. In such highly distributed heterogeneous infrastructures it is clear that the metering goes beyond the classical understanding; it is becoming ubiquitous, distributed and will be the core for future value added services. Modeling such dynamic event-based systems is a challenging approach. We focus our work on simulating large scale infrastructures where multiple web-service enabled devices offer metering data on an event based mode and provide some metrics for evaluating them.


Civil engineering structures involve structural elements with direct contact with ground. When the external actions, such as earthquakes, act on these systems, neither the structural displacements nor the ground displacements, are independent of each other. The process in which the response of the soil influences the motion of the structure and the motion of the structure influences the response of the soil is termed as soil-structure interaction (SSI). Damage occurred in recent earthquakes, have highlighted that the seismic behaviour of a structure is highly influenced not only by the response of the superstructure (considered as fixed based), but also by the response of the foundation and the ground as well. Hence, some modern seismic design codes impose that the effect of SSI must be taken into account, even if only in particular situations (depending on the particular Code). The complex 3-component interaction (soil-foundation-structure) may be analysed (in the hypothesis of linear elasticity) with reference to two separate interaction, reflecting distinct physic phenomena. The first one is the modification of the input motion at the base of the structure due to the different stiffness of the foundation with respect to the soil, referred to as kinematic interaction; the structure vibrates (because of its inertia) in dependence also of the soil-foundation system, and the latter experiences additional deformations (inertial interaction). The thesis deal with seismic SSI problems for pile supported structures with particular reference to the design aspects in the light of the recent Italian Codes and Eurocodes. In fact, despite the state of the art in SSI analyses has evolved steadily over the last decades, the state of practice for engineering characterization of SSI effects for routine structures has not undergone recent similar advancement. For this reason, aim of the thesis is: - to better understand the mathematical and physical meaning of kinematic interaction; - to provide simplified formulas for evaluating its effects in terms of bending moments (interface and pile head);to find simply rules to estimate the importance of "filtering effect" exerted by piles on foundation input motion; - to investigate the relative importance of kinematic vs. inertial interaction; - to provide a criterion to combine inertial and kinematic maximum effects.


The etiology of most chronic diseases involves interactions between environmental factors and genes that modulate important biological processes (Olden and Wilson, 2000. Nat Rev Genet 1(2):149-153). We are developing the publicly available Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) to promote understanding about the effects of environmental chemicals on human health. CTD identifies interactions between chemicals and genes and facilitates cross-species comparative studies of these genes. The use of diverse animal models and cross-species comparative sequence studies has been critical for understanding basic physiological mechanisms and gene and protein functions. Similarly, these approaches will be valuable for exploring the molecular mechanisms of action of environmental chemicals and the genetic basis of differential susceptibility.


The Noble Element Simulation Technique (NEST) is an exhaustive collection of models explaining both the scintillation light and ionization yields of noble elements as a function of particle type (nuclear recoil, electron recoil, alphas), electric field, and incident energy or energy loss dE/dx. It is packaged as C++ code for Geant4 that implements said models, overriding the default model which does not account for certain complexities, such as the reduction in yields for nuclear recoils (NR) compared to electron recoils (ER). We present here improvements to the existing NEST models and updates to the code which make the package even more realistic and turn it into a more full-fledged Monte Carlo simulation. All available liquid xenon data on NR and ER to date have been taken into consideration in arriving at the current models. Furthermore, NEST addresses the question of the magnitude of the light and charge yields of nuclear recoils, including their electric field dependence, thereby shedding light on the possibility of detection or exclusion of a low-mass dark matter WIMP by liquid xenon detectors.


Analysis of primary survey data collected among university students in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan shows that China's surging influence is felt by locals in Greater Central Asia (GCA). If China continues to interact more through the bazaars and road constructions, it will embed itself deeper into the local imaginations. The future elites of GCA might not necessarily see the rising influence of China in the framework of "great game" competition between Russia and China. Rather, China's relations with GCA is just back to a kind of "new normal" which both regions had enjoyed back in the 19th century.


The weekly dependence of pollutant aerosols in the urban environment of Lisbon (Portugal) is inferred from the records of atmospheric electric field at Portela meteorological station (38°47′N, 9°08′W). Measurements were made with a Bendorf electrograph. The data set exists from 1955 to 1990, but due to the contaminating effect of the radioactive fallout during 1960 and 1970s, only the period between 1980 and 1990 is considered here. Using a relative difference method a weekly dependence of the atmospheric electric field is found in these records, which shows an increasing trend between 1980 and 1990. This is consistent with a growth of population in the Lisbon metropolitan area and consequently urban activity, mainly traffic. Complementarily, using a Lomb–Scargle periodogram technique the presence of a daily and weekly cycle is also found. Moreover, to follow the evolution of theses cycles, in the period considered, a simple representation in a colour surface plot representation of the annual periodograms is presented. Further, a noise analysis of the periodograms is made, which validates the results found. Two datasets were considered: all days in the period, and fair-weather days only.


Most experts trace the birth of international trade back to China's Old Silk Road, but Africa too has a long and rich history of commerce. Walk through any marketplace in Africa and evidence of the continent's commercial vibrancy and entrepreneurial spirit abounds. From a small village in Cameroon, to a miles-long bazaar in Cote d'Ivoire, African markets are alive with the shouts of merchants hoping to finalize a sale with a recalcitrant shopper. In Senegal, young boys roam the streets hawking cheap goods made in China to every pedestrian or unwary commuter stuck in one of Dakar's infernal traffic jams. And Benin's "Mama Benzes" keep the economy going while providing for their families in style. Despite the many examples of its trade-focused and entrepreneurial spirit, however, Africa has failed to join the global economy in anything other than a consumer capacity. What accounts for Africa's failure to prosper from a globalization phenomenon that has brought benefits to countries as diverse as Costa Rica, India, China and Brazil? Some maintain Africans themselves are to blame, while others suggest Africa's woes can best be explained by a system that is inherently biased against it. While there is evidence to support both viewpoints, either taken alone represents at best only a partial truth. A full understanding of Africa's position in the modern economic order must also take into account the phenomenon of fear that permeates much of the continent's interaction with the world trade system.Until very recently African countries were not a significant presence in the world trading system. What accounts for this hesitancy? "Africa does not want to develop," is the rather provocative response of African scholar Axelle Kabou. This rejection of development, according to Kabou, has its roots in sociological and psychological considerations. At least one of the "sociological and psychological" conditions to which Kabou refers, this article maintains, is fear. The origin of the fear that dominates Africa and hampers its full engagement in the trade order has roots dating back to 1884. In November of that year, European, American and Australian leaders met to define Africa's role in the "community of nations". The Berlin West African Conference is remembered primarily for having drawn the map of modern Africa by carving up the continent into nation-states, but the conference has its true roots in economic rather than political history. The goal of the conference was to establish free trade as the guiding principle in large parts of the continent. Beyond establishing borders, it succeeded in legitimizing Africa's de facto position as a source of wealth to be exploited for the benefit of others. It is this single act that gave birth to modern Africa's fear and resistance to the globalization phenomenon. What elevates the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 from a relic of history to a pathway towards understanding Africa's place in the world trade system is that the theoretical underpinnings of the conference to this day continue to animate the Western approach to African development. Drawing on the rich but forgotten history of the Berlin Conference, as well as the emerging literature on law and emotion, this article re-conceptualizes Africa's place in the world trade order through a lens of fear first constructed by the conference. What is the shape, texture, depth and breadth of that fear? How might a full understanding of that fear help us adopt a new set of trade rules responsive to Africa's needs?


The rapid pace and grand scale of China's rise have produced a heady mixture of wonder and consternation in the West. Is China on track to become a superpower? What would that mean for the rest of the world? Economist Hu Angang approaches these questions through analysis of three major dimensions of China's rise: its overall economic and social development; advances in education, science, and technology (including alternative energy); and the likely complications posed by resource scarcity, environmental degradation, and climate change. After three decades of unprecedented economic growth, China is now home to the world's second-largest economy. It is the world's largest exporter and its second-largest consumer of energy (as well as number one in carbon emissions). Extrapolating from these seismic changes, Hu forecasts that by 2020 China will become a ""mature, responsible, and attractive superpower"" that will contribute, alongside the European Union, to the ""end of the unipolar era dominated by the United States."" China in 2020 presents a native Chinese perspective on the challenges and opportunities that Beijing will face as its global footprint expands. Through a meticulous examination of China's development trajectory, Hu Angang explains how his nation --as the world's largest emerging market --will impact global economic growth, foreign direct investment flows, energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions. He proposes a comprehensive strategic framework to guide the next stage of China's rise, seeking to maximize the country's positive impact on the world and minimize the negative externalities of its meteoric development.


This paper analyses tax harmonisation in the SADC region. Results of first attempt to devise a tax policy harmonisation measure (TPHM) by the use of a cross-sectional and panel data are reported. New methodology of computing optimum tax rates (OTRs) are introduced and a robustness test (via a sensitivity analysis) on the impact of taxation (based on new tax dataset from the TPHM and OTRs computation) on FDI inflows to the SADC is conducted.The research shows a need for the SADC countries to develop policies aimed at collectively expanding their corporate tax base in order to accommodate the relatively low optimum CIT rates. It is also shown that the adoption of an optimum VAT rate by all SADC member countries will reduce the usage of different politically motivated VAT rates by individual member states as instruments to gain voters' confidence. The research shows that, some further policy considerations towards enhanced harmonisation and tax revenue could include developing a benchmarking process with other regional economic groupings such as the EU and the EAC.


The early Salvation Army professed its commitment to sexual equality in ministry and leadership. In fact, its founding constitution proclaimed women had the right to preach and hold any office in the organization. But did they? Women in God's Army is the first study of its kind devoted to the critical analysis of this central claim. It traces the extent to which this egalitarian ideal was realized in the private and public lives of first- and second-generation female Salvationists in Britain and argues that the Salvation Army was found wanting in its overall commitment to women's equality with men. Bold pronouncements were not matched by actual practice in the home or in public ministry. Andrew Mark Eason traces the nature of these discrepancies, as well as the Victorian and evangelical factors that lay behind them. He demonstrates how Salvationists often assigned roles and responsibilities on the basis of gender rather than equality, and the ways in which these discriminatory practices were supported by a male-defined theology and authority. He views this story from a number of angles, including historical, gender and feminist theology, ensuring it will be of interest to a wide spectrum of readers. Salvationists themselves will appreciate the light it sheds on recent debates. Ultimately, however, anyone who wants to learn more about the human struggle for equality will find this book enlightening.


Raw meal of the cement production process could probably suppress the formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). In this study, these suppression effects were studied and compared during the co-processing of municipal solid waste (MSW) with conventional feed materials such as pure CaCO3, and pure CaO. A top suppression efficiency of 96% was achieved for a ratio of MSW to raw meal of 1:15. Moreover, NaCl and CuCl2 were added to the mix of feed material and MSW, to reveal the impact of additional chlorine and cations on PCDD/F formation. Similarly, the raw meal was mixed with the kiln dust to investigate possible suppression effects of those PCDD/Fs formed through the precursor or the de novo synthesis at a temperature of 350°C. The raw meal suppressed the formation of PCDD/Fs from kiln dust. Furthermore, the raw meal could not suppress the formation of PCDD/Fs on mixtures of kiln dust and NaCl or CuCl2, which could be associated with a potential increase in the formation effects of PCDD/Fs on the raw meal. The results can help in potential decision-making on the applicability of certain cement kilns on the co-processing of MSW containing high levels of Cl and Cu.


Abstract. Generalized Maximum Covariance Analysis (GMCA) has been developed and applied to diagnosing the dynamical modes associated with variations in the Antarctic spring ozone hole. GMCA is used to identify the most important patterns of co-variability between interannual ozone mixing ratio variations in the Antarctic region and temperature, zonal, meridional and vertical velocities between 100 and 10 hPa in the same region. The most important two pairs of GMCA time coefficients show large year-to-year variations and trends, which are connected with the growth of the Antarctic Ozone Hole and the increase of ozone depleting substances. The associated spatial patterns of ozone variations may be characterized as being quasi-symmetric and asymmetric about the pole. These patterns of ozone variations are associated with comparable patterns of variations of temperature and winds through most of the vertical domain. The year 2000 is shown to be dominated by the asymmetric mode, whereas the adjacent year 2001 is dominated by the quasi-symmetric mode. A case study, focusing on the asymmetric differences between these two years, shows the magnitude of the ozone mixing ratio, temperature and zonal wind differences to be in the range of 2 e–6 kg/kg, 10°C and 10 m/s, respectively. Budget calculations show that transport processes contribute substantially to the ozone and temperature changes in the middle stratosphere over the Antarctic continent. However, both radiative and chemical processes also play important roles in the changes.


In order to meet future communication system requirements, channel estimation over fast fading and frequency selective channels is crucial. In this paper, Space Alternated Generalized Expectation Maximization Maximum a Posteriori (SAGE-MAP) based channel estimation algorithm is proposed for Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) systems for Autoregressive (AR) modeled time-varying sparse channels. Also, an initialization algorithm has been developed from the widely used sparse approximation algorithm Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP), since the performance of SAGE algorithm strictly depends on initialization. The results show that multipath delay positions can be tracked successfully for every time instant using the proposed SAGE-MAP based approach.


Abstract We use volatiles in melt inclusions and nominally anhydrous phenocrysts, with volcanic gas flux and composition, and textural analysis of mafic inclusions to estimate the mass of exsolved vapour prior to eruption at Soufrière Hills Volcano (SHV). Pre-eruptive andesite coexists with exsolved vapour comprising 1.6–2.4 wt% of the bulk magma. The water content of orthopyroxenes indicates a zone of magma storage at pressures of approximately 200–300 MPa, whereas melt inclusions have equilibrated at shallower pressures. Inclusions containing >3 wt% H2O are enriched in CO2, suggesting flushing with CO2-rich gases. Intruding mafic magma contains >8 wt% H2O at 200–300 MPa. Rapid quenching is accompanied by crystallization and vesiculation. Upon entrainment into the andesite, mafic inclusions may undergo disaggregation, where expansion of volatiles in the interior overcomes the strength of the crystal frameworks, thereby recharging the vapour content of the andesite. Exsolved vapour may amount to 4.3–8.2 vol% at 300 MPa, with implications for eruption longevity and volume; we estimate the magma reservoir volume to be 60–200 km3. Exsolved vapour may account for the small volume change at depth during eruptions from geodetic models, and has implications for magma flow: exsolution is likely to be in equilibrium during rapid magma ascent, with little nucleation of new bubbles.


Over the last decade, there has been extensive research on modelling challenging features in programming languages and program logics, such as higher-order store and storable resource invariants. A recent line of work has identified a common solution to some of these challenges: Kripke models over worlds that are recursively defined in a category of metric spaces. In this paper, we broaden the scope of this technique from the original domain-theoretic setting to an elementary, operational one based on step indexing. The resulting method is widely applicable and leads to simple, succinct models of complicated language features, as we demonstrate in our semantics of Charguéraud and Pottier's type-and-capability system for an ML-like higher-order language. Moreover, the method provides a high-level understanding of the essence of recent approaches based on step indexing.


In this thesis CoCr and CoCr/NiFe double layers are studied by ferromagnetic resonance. The coercivity and the initial susceptibility of these layers are measured. An approximation of the Kooy and Enz model which is suitable for calculating the initial suceptibility is presented [3.36]. A theoretical model [3.34] for magnetization curves which includes hysteresis is given. Neutron depolarization [4.5] is used to check a model [4.1] which describes the interaction between the two layers of the double layer. Chapter 1 gives a brief introduction on perpendicular recording and describes some of the properties of CoCr. The preparation of our samples is explained. A short account of the apparatus used to measure the magnetic parameters is included. Chapter 2 is divided into three parts. Part I gives a general introduction on FMR. The general theory, which is elaborated further on in this chapter for specific application for CoCr and NiFe, is given. Part II describes FMR measurements carried out on single NiFe layers and NiFe layers which form part of a double layer configuration of CoCr/NiFe. An X-band spectrometer is used. Both the resonant field Hr and the linewidth AH are measured for a range of values of ~, the angle between the applied field and the normal to the film. Theoretical curves for ~(~) are calculated. A new low field, low frequency, theoretical model [2.18] for AHC~) is presented. These theoretical curves also enable us to study the effect of each individual magnetic parameter on Hr(~) , AHC~) and AHCHr). The magnetic parameter ~ can be obtained from experimental values of Hr(~). Using this model the damping parameter « can be obtained from experimental values of AH. In part III HrC~) of both CoCr and NiFe in the double layer and of single CoCr layers is measured for ~ = 00- 90°. A Q band spectrometer is used. In order to obtain information on the origin of the different CoCr peaks these measurements are also carried out on the single CoCr layers before and af ter various etching steps. Theoretical curves for H(~) are calculated and a new high field model [2.32] is presented enabling us to determine the magnetic parameters of the different layers of microstratified CoCr. FMR measurements were also carried out on single CoCr layers using an X band spectrometer [2.33]. A peak due to the uniform precession mode and a resonance peak in the zone where the film is still unsaturated was measured. In chapter 3 the hysteresis loop and in particular the perpendicular coercivity H c and the initial susceptibility or the initial slope T of single CoCr layers and CoCr/NiFe double layers are studied. This provides information on the possible interaction between the two layers, on the origin of coercivity and on the domain structure. H c of both magnetron sputtered CoCr layers and CoCr/NiFe double layers, as well as the coercivity of the CoCr layer of the double layer is measured. Hysteresis loops are calculated using a modification [3.34] of the Kooy and Enz model [3.5] to include hysteresis, using the friction force which opposes domain wall movement as a source of hysteresis. The initial susceptibility T of single and double layers is also measured. A low field approximation [3.36] of the Kooy and Enz model gives that T-l is proportional to t-l/2 where t is the thickness of the film. When applying this model to RF sputtered CoCr films there is a difference in behaviour depending on the thickness of the film. Chapter 4 gives the response [4.1] of the NiFe layer to the stray field of the domains of CoCr i.e. the magnetostatic interaction in a double layer consisting of a medium with horizontal anisotropy and one with vertical anisotropy. In order to study the interaction experimentally, neutron depolarizat1on experiments [4.5] were carried out on double layers and the corresponding single layers. Neutron depolarizat1on enabled us to study the interaction between the NiFe and the domains of CoCr. Furthermore the coercivity of the NiFe of the double layer ls compared with that of the single layer.


The Boys from Brazil is a science fiction film based on the novel of the same name by Ira Levin about an underground neo-Nazi society in South America trying to clone Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Nazi Germany during World War II, to restore the Nazi movement. The film was directed by Franklin Schaffner and released in 1978 by 20th Century Fox in Los Angeles, California. The Boys from Brazil is a film that was one of the first films to depict cloning [4], and to discuss the ethical implications of genetic engineering, cloning [4], and eugenics [5].


This work is the result of a geoarchaeological investigation on the Anfiteatro Flavio, one of the most important archaeological sites in the Campania region (southern Italy), situated in an area of great geological and archaeological interest, the Campi Flegrei volcanic field. The aim of this research was to characterise building stonesemployed for structural use, focusing on the type of materials and their provenance. The mineralogical-petrographic characterization of 27 samples from corbels and pillars involved X-ray powder diffraction analyses (XRPD), thin section optical microscopy observations (OM) and energy dispersive spectrometry microanalyses (EDS). The results revealed that the source materials are represented by two distinctive trachytic/phonolitic lava deposits. Pillar light grey block samplesare made of a feldspar-phyric (F-p) lava type that shares many petrographic and mineral chemical features with the Campi Flegrei Accademia lava dome, cropping out in the immediate proximities of the Anfiteatro Flavio. On the other hand, pillar grey block and corbel samples are made of an alkali feldspar and sodalite-phyric (KS-p) lava that has been correlated to an Ischian lava deposit based mainly of the peculiar composition of the observed amphibole crystals. Previous data attesting for the use of the Piperno welded tuff for the pillar grey blocks were likely driven by the "eutaxitic-like" fluidal oriented texture and by the alveolitization alteration displayed by the samples. This however does not exclude that the Piperno had been employed as a building stone for other structural elements of the amphitheatre. The use of the Ischia lavas as an exported building material had been never reported before, possibly suggesting that current knowledges about the use and trade of building materials in the Campania area during the Roman period need to be reconsidered.


While it is important and beneficial to study the impact of cultural diversity on American literature, it is also important to note that the teaching of literary and non-literary reading and writing in the American classroom is influenced by cultural diversity. American academic situations generally require a display of critical thought and individuality from students, but studies show that students with non-mainstream American cultural backgrounds often have difficulty performing to their fullest in such contexts (see, for example, Helen Fox, Robert Kaplan). These difficulties can occur because the students' expectations of what constitutes "good writing" may differ from the expectations of their American teachers. The situation worsens when teachers and students both fail to realize that their difficulties in teaching and learning good writing do not arise from inefficient teaching methods or slow learning on the part of the student, but in their foundations in different systems of thought which emphasize different values. Writers such as Fan Shen (Chinese), Ulla Connor (Finnish) and Virginia LoCastro (Mexican) have demonstrated how differences in cultural standards can affect the kind of writing that is produced. This paper will describe and analyze differences between the mainstream American academic system of writing and that of a Muslim Southeast Asian one—differences in definitions of critical thinking, in concepts of audience, and in taking sides in an argument. This will be done through personal reflections as well as from evidence gathered from surveys of college students in the Houston area. Southeast Asians constitute a group increasing in numbers in the U.S., and a study of their cultural academic background in contrast with an American academic one could prove useful to both teachers and students, to understand differences to overcome them.


Understanding large, complex networks is important for many critical tasks, including decision making, process optimization, and threat detection. Existing network analysis tools often lack intuitive interfaces to support the exploration of large scale data. We present a visual recommendation system to help guide users during navigation of network data. Collaborative filtering, similarity metrics, and relative importance are used to generate recommendations of potentially significant nodes for users to explore. In addition, graph layout and node visibility are adjusted in real‐time to accommodate recommendation display and to reduce visual clutter. Case studies are presented to show how our design can improve network exploration.


The present study deals with the shear behavior of the composite sandwich panels comprised of Polyvinylchloride (PVC) and Polyurethane (PU) foam core sandwiched between Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) skins using epoxy resin. Experiments have been carried out to characterize the mechanical response of the constituent materials under tension, compression and shear loading. In-plane shear tests for the sandwich panel reveal that the main failure mode is the delamination between the skin and the core rather than shearing the core itself since the skin-core interaction is the weakest link in such structure. The Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the sandwich structure, based on the non-linear behavior of the foam core and skin-core cohesive interaction, shows that shear response and failure mode can be predicted with high accuracy.


A highly diverse association of monocyrtid and dicyrtid nassellarians is described from the lower Tithonian Muhlheim Member of the Solnhofen area. Nine genera and 52 species are described as new, and a new family is defined. Spicular nassellarians are first reported from the Jurassic, bridging the pre-existing long stratigraphic gap between the Middle Triassic and the Paleogene. The first occurrence of Sethoperidae Haeckel, 1881 is dated back from the Eocene to the Pliensbachian and the range of the Cuniculiformidae De Wever, 1982 is extended up to the Cenomanian by the inclusion in it of the genus Cassideus Pessagno, 1969, the definition of which is emended. The range of the family Foremanellinidae Dumitrica, 1982 is also extended up to the lower Tithonian where it is represented by the genus Sanniopileus n. gen. Among the new genera described herein it is interesting to mention Poculinapora n. gen., very close to Napora Pessagno, 1977 but bang an apical tube. Beside the lower Tithonian species, one species is described from the Bajocian of Japan.


Potato is among food crops that are heavily relied upon for food security assurance worldwide. Potato tubers are consumed in their fresh form and therefore require proper storage to prolong their life after harvest. Being succulent, massive losses result if bruised, exposed to light and low relative humidity. The present experiment was conducted to find optimal conductions that prolong the shelf-life of potato tubers grown using the biomass and succulence enhancing Biozyme®. Potatoes were grown in a split plot experiment, arranged in a randomized complete block design. The experiment was replicated three times and repeated once. Main plots were assigned to potato cultivar (Tigoni and Asante), while subplots were assigned to Biozyme® foliar feed rate (0, 125, 250, 500 and 750 ml/ha). Each subplot was planted with 28 seed potato tubers spaced at 30 cm x 70 cm in four rows. A distance of 1 m separated adjacent subplots and main plots. After harvesting, ware potato tubers, from each treatment, were divided into four groups for four postharvest handling regimes (Cured + Dark, Cured + Room, Not Cured + Dark, and Not Cured + Room Storage). Each postharvest regime had 20 tubers, replicated four times. Weight loss, shrinkage and rotting percentages increased, but firmness decreased with increase in Biozyme® rate. The deterioration was counteracted by Curing and Dark Storage of the potato tubers that reduced weight loss, shrinkage and rotting, but increased firmness. Thus, foliar-feeding potato plants with 500 ml/ha Biozyme® followed by Curing and Dark Storage of harvested tubers are recommended to ensure high potato tuber yields and effective reduction of premature postharvest deterioration of the tubers during storage.


Porous carbon nanotube coatings for potential solar thermal receiver applications were generated on silicon carbide via an infiltration process from an aqueous dispersion. A screening evaluation was applied to generate carbon nanotube coatings with enhanced absorption, i.e., reduced reflection of solar wavelength spectra from 2 500–500 nm. Structures with low density nanotube packing with a total reflectance <2% were fabricated from a low concentration dispersion of sterically stabilized (PVP) carbon nanotubes. Though the optical performance is lower when compared to carbon nanotube coatings generated by CVD, the filtration method offers control of the nanotube pore structure over a wide range, a greater flexibility with regards to substrate geometry and excellent up‐scaling capability.


The credit approval represents a complex banking process which requires a significant involvement of the people and departments responsible with the final decision. The decisions taken by the Central Biro as a result of credit analysis may be alsoaffected by the subjectivity of the working people in charge, causing thedecision-making quality. In order to facilitate the credit approval process, the automation of the credit function made by an automated system may represent a solution in this case. In this paper an automated system based on data mining techniques is proposed and designed to assist the decision credit process. The strong points of this prototype consist in increasing the accuracy of credit decision, increasing the bank's profitability, decreasing the credit risk etc.