This article explores the economic incentives of dominant controlling shareholders with regard to the expropriation of minority shareholders, on the one hand, and the monitoring role of non-dominant large shareholders in family firms, on the other. The authors argue that family controlling shareholders (or family owners) do not share common interests with other shareholders. Drawing on 141 family firms in the manufacturing sector that were listed on Bursa Malaysia (the Malaysian stock exchange) from 2003 to 2006, the article finds an inverted U-shaped relationship between excess control rights and a firm's market performance. The findings also show that both the cash flow rights (i.e. claims on cash payouts) of family controlling shareholders and the presence of non-dominant large shareholders with the ability to contest control of the firm have a positive relationship with market performance.  This study contributes to the literature by indicating that family owners are unlikely to collude with other large shareholders to expropriate minority shareholders. Furthermore, low levels of excess family-owner control rights are beneficial for market performance because firms may benefit from group affiliations and receive patronage from wealthy owners. However, high levels of excess control rights are understood to be an economic incentive for family owners to expropriate minority shareholders during non-crisis periods.


This study aims to propose and validate a measurement scale for an eight-dimension entrepreneurial orientation in an international context. A sample of 2,175 students from Brazilian and Finnish universities was used. Exploratory factor analysis followed by validation and reliability using structural equations modelling were performed. Seven of the proposed dimensions were validated and confirmed by this study. Results may contribute to future assessments of entrepreneurial profile within an international setting, to entrepreneurial education and to the debate about the complexity of the entrepreneurial behaviour. Entrepreneurial behaviour assessment has evolved in terms of construct complexity and scope of empirical observation. This study proposes an encompassing conceptualization in terms of the number of dimensions considered and its application in an international setting, involving two different countries in terms of entrepreneurial behaviour.


The objectives in this statement are to characterize and explain the patterns of change in stratification and mobility in Egypt, over the last half century, by placing them within conceptual, explanatory, and historical contexts. First, literature relevant to the primary concepts of "class" and "status", is reviewed. Second, four institutions whose influence is fundamental in shaping these patterns are identified to form an explanatory context: family, polity, economy, and education. And third, an historical account is presented to demonstrate the interplay of these institutions and their consequences for stratification and mobility. For this, four periods are identified that are marked by change in the dominance of institutions and their corresponding influence on stratification and mobility. In addition to data available in relevant literature, this analysis utilizes primary data generated through a national probability household survey.


Form No. 3(A) for the transfer of ordnance received from Captain Hamilton K. Redway on July 17, 1865 in Gallipolis, Ohio. The form includes a listing of the number and kinds of equipment received, including saddles, curry brushes, halters, saddle blankets, etc.


The American chestnut [Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.] was decimated by an exotic fungus [Cryphonectria parasitica (Murr.) Barr] in the early 1900s. Breeding efforts with American and Chinese chestnuts (C. mollissima Blume) produced putatively blight-resistant progeny (BC3F3) in 2007. We compared two nut size classes for differences in seedling quality of bare-root stock grown in commercial nurseries. We compared the BC3F3 generation to parental species and other generations. Nuts in the large size class produced taller trees than nuts in the small size class, but sizing nuts prior to sowing did not reduce variability in nursery seedling size. Results indicate that overall seedling quality could be improved by culling small nuts, but seedling uniformity would only be improved by culling seedlings before planting. We recommend refinement of restoration efforts to match seedling size to site type and planting goals. BC3F3 chestnuts differed from Chinese chestnuts in 67% of tests, and were different than American chestnuts in half the tests, indicating not all American traits were recovered in this early phase of seedling development. Family differences within the BC3F3 generation were most apparent for mean nut weight, and only one BC3F3 family differed from other BC3F3 families in seedling growth characteristics.


The fact that the length of an object, relative to its rest frame, is independent of the object's spatial orientation always holds and cannot be violated or demonstrated to be otherwise by any experimental or analytical means. Therefore, this fact becomes a principle that, by definition, can be brought to the level of a physics law. However, according to the Special Relativity (SR) this law is not applicable in an inertial reference frame in relative motion with respect to the object, thus violating the principle of relativity, the SR first postulate that states: "The laws of physics are the same in all inertial frames of reference". This violation leads to many contradictions between the SR and its first postulate. Indeed, simple thought experiments in different areas of physics are examined showing how the SR predictions result in outcomes inconsistent with the principle of relativity. Relatively moving apparatuses physical measurements such as pressure vessel discharge time, optical lens focal length, and electrical resistance are shown―according to SR―to vary with the respective apparatus orientation in the space relative to the stationary reference frame. This is merely a violation of the relativity principle, since these measurements, in line with the applicable physics laws they're subjected to, are independent of the apparatuses orientation with respect to the reference frames they travel with (i.e. with respect to their rest frames).


On October 23, 2001, Apple Computer, a company known for its chic, cutting-edge technology -- if not necessarily for its dominant market share -- launched a product with an enticing promise: You can carry an entire music collection in your pocket. It was called the iPod. What happened next exceeded the company's wildest dreams. Over 50 million people have inserted the device's distinctive white buds into their ears, and the iPod has become a global obsession. "The Perfect Thing" is the definitive account, from design and marketing to startling impact, of Apple's iPod, the signature device of our young century.Besides being one of the most successful consumer products in decades, the iPod has changed our behavior and even our society. It has transformed Apple from a computer company into a consumer electronics giant. It has remolded the music business, altering not only the means of distribution but even the ways in which people enjoy and think about music. Its ubiquity and its universally acknowledged coolness have made it a symbol for the digital age itself, with commentators remarking on "the iPod generation." Now the iPod is beginning to transform the broadcast industry, too, as podcasting becomes a way to access radio and television programming. Meanwhile millions of Podheads obsess about their gizmo, reveling in the personal soundtrack it offers them, basking in the social cachet it lends them, even wondering whether the device itself has its own musical preferences.Steven Levy, the chief technology correspondent for "Newsweek" magazine and a longtime Apple watcher, is the ideal writer to tell the iPod's tale. He has had access to all the key players in the iPod story, including Steve Jobs, Apple's charismatic cofounder and CEO, whom Levy has known for over twenty years. Detailing for the first time the complete story of the creation of the iPod, Levy explains why Apple succeeded brilliantly with its version of the MP3 player when other companies didn't get it right, and how Jobs was able to convince the bosses at the big record labels to license their music for Apple's groundbreaking iTunes Store. (We even learn why the iPod is white.) Besides his inside view of Apple, Levy draws on his experiences covering Napster and attending Supreme Court arguments on copyright (as well as his own travels on the iPod's click wheel) to address all of the fascinating issues -- technical, legal, social, and musical -- that the iPod raises.Borrowing one of the definitive qualities of the iPod itself, "The Perfect Thing" shuffles the book format. Each chapter of this book was written to stand on its own, a deeply researched, wittily observed take on a different aspect of the iPod. The sequence of the chapters in the book has been shuffled in different copies, with only the opening and concluding sections excepted. "Shuffle" is a hallmark of the digital age -- and "The Perfect Thing," via sharp, insightful reporting, is the perfect guide to the deceptively diminutive gadget embodying our era.


The modern Cypriot town of Polis Chrysochous-"City of Gold"-lies above the city of Arsinoe and the earlier city-kingdom of Marion. In 1885 excavators began exploring the extensive cemeteries of these cities. Since 1983 the Princeton Cyprus Expedition has focused on the remains of sanctuaries, public buildings, workshops, and private residences spanning the Geometric through Classical periods of Marion and the Hellenistic through Roman, early Christian, and medieval periods of Arsinoe. Combining archaeological investigation and historical analysis, City of Gold relates the discoveries establishing that these cities had close ties with Greece and with regions from Egypt to Anatolia, findings best represented by the painted vases and terracotta sculptures of Marion and the architecture of Arsinoe. Nearly half of the 110 artifacts included in the catalogue are previously unpublished, and another third are published in detail for the first time.


The current data protection directive is inadequate to cope with the complexity of the technology of cloud computing. However, the Proposed General Data Protection Regulation seems to offer a suitable solution to this problem. The main issue is to establish who is the controller, and who is the processor in the cloud computing data processing, even considering all intermediate or subordinate positions and the two different kinds of data: user- related personal information and cloud-processed personal information. Several asymmetries complicate this qualification: a contractual and a structural asymmetry does not allow the "user" to be defined a data-controller, in fact, although he determines "scope" and "means" of the treatment, he is a mere "cloud consumer" (users ignore individuals involved in the treatment, the location of the servers where data are collected, and their displacement; he can neither determine autonomously technical or security means of the processing and he just accepts a standard contract). On the other side, an information asymmetry does not allow the "provider" to be defined a data-processor (providers accesses to data just incidentally and just for technical purposes and usually fragments data so that they are not intelligible as personal data). Moreover, if the user is proved to be the "controller" he would be covered by the " household exemption ", with the paradox that the only subject which would be legally liable is the provider-processor (whose role depends on the decisions of the controller). This context is further complicated by the more and more diffused practice to outsource the cloud providing service to sub-contractors (" sub-processors "). Fortunately, the Proposed Regulation can provide a general solution to these problems by the new figure of the " joint-controller" (art. 24) and the more onerous figure of the processor (with precise requirements for the "sub- processor" ) . This paper proposes to break the dualism controller/processor and espouse a multi-level, transverse and functionalist approach: so for cloud-processed data, the user would be a "subject/joint-controller", the provider a "processor/joint-controller". In fact, the purposes of the processing are mainly determined by the users; while conditions and technical means are determined by the provider and the choice of security means is shared. It is also interesting to underlined that the Proposed Regulation specifies that processors who processes data beyond the controller's instructions is to be considered as a joint controller (art. 26). Obviously, the breach of dualism controller/processor requires precise and accurate Terms of Use. From a general review of the terms of use of several popular cloud services, none of them defines precisely the role of provider. The most desirable solution would be the development of a European standard for privacy terms clarifying the different functions, responsibilities, rights and duties for all different subjects involved in a cloud service.


The purpose of dynamic classification in application to the economic development of EU countries is to work out an Economic Welfare Growth Index (EWGI), the use of which would make it possible to establish, for each year and each country in the study, the level of its economic welfare, to estimate the rate of advance of each country toward economic well-being, to compare different countries and to make forecasts. EWGI is defined as an "optimal" linear combination of leading socio-economic parameters, such as GDP, CPI (corruption transparency index), level of unemployment, inflation, average life expectancy. On the first stage we consider one "training" year and classify all EU countries by using standard clustering algorithms to single out two groups: P and R, having the "worst" and the "best" values of the parameters, respectively ("poor" and "rich"). On the second stage we use these groups for constructing the Fisher Discriminant Function (FDF). For sake of convenience the FDF is linearly transformed in such a way that the centers of P and R give the FDF values 0 and 10, respectively. This transformed FDF is taken as the EWGI. It has range [-2, 4] for P, [9, 14] for R and [4, 9] for countries in the "middle". The final output of our analysis is a collection of time series (graphs) representing the dynamics and the behaviour pattern of EWGI for each country in the period 1995-2004. Similar approach can be used also in other areas, such as transportation, education, health care, whenever the development in time is described by a multidimensional time series.


Wellness Spa is developed from conventional spa in response to the influence of the present tourism trend which is much in demand of the achievement of wellness aspect of life. Wellness tourism is a subdivision of health tourism. Wellness spa is the core product for wellness tourism. In fact, to date, people's knowledge about wellness spa is still poor. This fact has motivated the implementation of this research under the title "Spa Products as Main Orientation in Wellness Tourism in Bali". The objective of the research is to find out what products becomes the orientation in wellness tourism in Ubud as well as in South Badung. This qualitative research uses a phenomenological approach to the study. The determination of the informants is purposively done, and the information concerning the object of the research is obtained by deep interview controlled by a checklist based on Wellness Wheel concept. The location of the research is Ubud and South Badung areas, the latter represented by Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, and Kuta. The research uses 10 informants, 5 from Ubud and 5 from South Badung. The informants include spa managers and spa therapists. The result of the research shows that such packages as Bali spa ritual package, personal growth, and eco-adventure package become the most attractive products offered by wellness tourism industry and enjoyed by the tourists for the fulfilment of the tourists' wellness needs.


In recent years, the interest in damage identification of structural components through innovative techniques has grown significantly. Damage identification has always been a crucial concern in quality assessment and load capacity rating of infrastructure. In this regard, researchers focus on proposing efficient tools to identify the damages in early stages to prevent the sudden failure in structural components, ensuring the public safety and reducing the asset management costs. The sensing technologies along with the data analysis through various techniques and machine learning approaches have been the area of interest for these innovative techniques. The purpose of this research is to develop a robust method for automatic condition assessment of real-life concrete structures for the detection of relatively small cracks at early stages. A damage identification algorithm is proposed using the hybrid approaches to analyze the sensors data. The data obtained from transducers mounted on concrete beams under static loading in laboratory. These data are used as the input parameters. The method relies only on the measured time responses. After filtering and normalization of the data, the damage sensitive statistical features are extracted from the signals and used as the inputs of Self-Advising Support Vector Machine (SA-SVM) for the classification purpose in civil Engineering area. Finally, the results are compared with traditional methods to investigate the feasibility of the hybrid proposed algorithm. It is demonstrated that the presented method can reliably detect the crack in the structure and thereby enable the real-time infrastructure health monitoring.


In South Africa certain development activities, which may have a substantial detrimental effect on the environment, require an environmental impact assessment (EIA), including projects with the potential of affecting wetlands. A key element of the EIA process is the submission of an environmental impact report (EIR) for review in order to determine whether the report is adequate and / or whether a greater quantity of information is required before the project can be authorised. The information available to decision-makers in the EIR is a major determinant in the outcome of wetland protection and / or destruction.
The quality of 4 environmental impact reports of large projects with the potential of impacting on wetlands was assessed using an EIA report quality review checklist. It is concluded that the quality of the 4 reports was generally satisfactory but certain areas were found to be poorly performed, i.e. identification and evaluation of impacts to the potential detriment of the wetlands for which the EIAs were performed.
To improve the quality of the reports for projects with the potential of affecting wetlands it is recommended that a quality review checklist be used by EIA practitioners and authorities as an additional tool to the EIA regulations and the integrated environmental management series. This should assist in ensuring that key aspects are addressed before submission to the relevant authority, and will also contribute to establishing a baseline of EIR quality for evaluation of wetlands EIA practice under the new regulations promulgated in 2006.


Kaohsiung City is a special municipality in Southern Taiwan. The difference between northern and southern cities in terms of public investments, industrial structures, and social perspectives has been a problem in Taiwan because talented people keep moving from the south to the north. The difference in cognition of government's allocation of policy resources between professional civil servants and the general public demonstrates the conflict between "public opinion" and "professionalism". This study adopted the social judgment theory (SJT) to examine the cognition of individuals affected by policy resource allocation regarding the allocation of policy resources made by the Government of Kaohsiung City. The SJT is applicable to real-world circumstances in the field of judgment and analysis. The research result indicated that the affected individuals were concerned that the government lost its focus when allocating policy resources. Obscure schemes and plans for policymaking and election-oriented decision making significantly impact government allocation of policy resources. The essential problem of policy resource allocation in Kaohsiung City is that although the supply of resources is higher than the demand, the types of resources do not meet the requirements of the demand.


Ecosystem maps are foundational tools that support multi-disciplinary study design and applications including wildlife habitat assessment, monitoring and Earth-system modeling. Here, we present continuous-field cover maps for tundra plant functional types (PFTs) across ~125,000 km2 of Alaska's North Slope at 30-m resolution. To develop maps, we collected a field-based training dataset using a point-intercept sampling method at 225 plots spanning bioclimatic and geomorphic gradients. We stratified vegetation by nine PFTs (e.g., low deciduous shrub, dwarf evergreen shrub, sedge, lichen) and summarized measurements of the PFTs, open water, bare ground and litter using the cover metrics total cover (areal cover including the understory) and top cover (uppermost canopy or ground cover). We then developed 73 spectral predictors derived from Landsat satellite observations (surface reflectance composites for ~15-day periods from May–August) and five gridded environmental predictors (e.g., summer temperature, climatological snow-free date) to model cover of PFTs using the random forest data-mining algorithm. Model performance tended to be best for canopy-forming PFTs, particularly deciduous shrubs. Our assessment of predictor importance indicated that models for low-statured PFTs were improved through the use of seasonal composites from early and late in the growing season, particularly when similar PFTs were aggregated together (e.g., total deciduous shrub, herbaceous). Continuous-field maps have many advantages over traditional thematic maps, and the methods described here are well-suited to support periodic map updates in tandem with future field and Landsat observations.


Purpose. As multiple sclerosis (MS) often occurs in the prime of life and is unpredictable in nature, there is likely to be a strong psychological effect, with changes in values and beliefs and how the individual sees him or her self. This article presents the findings of a focus group study which aimed to explore the subjective experiences of living with, and adjusting to, MS. Method. Seven individuals who had been diagnosed with MS for at least 5 years reflected on their reactions to being diagnosed, how they cope with the day to day challenges of the disease, and the changes that they have experienced. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results. Diagnosis was met with negative reactions: denial, concealment and diminished confidence. However, the majority reported that, over time, there were positive changes in terms of their values and outlook. It would appear that the functional difficulties and psychological challenges, such as uncertainty and depression, are ameliorated to some extent by an increased appreciation for life and spirituality. Conclusions. The findings provide insight into the psychological process of identity redefinition associated with adjusting to MS. Given this, interventions should target role/identity re-examination to assist individuals with MS in better managing the disease and enjoying life.


Abstract. Observing system experiments (OSEs) are carried out over a 1-year period to quantify the impact of Argo observations on the Mercator Ocean 0.25° global ocean analysis and forecasting system. The reference simulation assimilates sea surface temperature (SST), SSALTO/DUACS (Segment Sol multi-missions dALTimetrie, d'orbitographie et de localisation precise/Data unification and Altimeter combination system) altimeter data and Argo and other in situ observations from the Coriolis data center. Two other simulations are carried out where all Argo and half of the Argo data are withheld. Assimilating Argo observations has a significant impact on analyzed and forecast temperature and salinity fields at different depths. Without Argo data assimilation, large errors occur in analyzed fields as estimated from the differences when compared with in situ observations. For example, in the 0–300 m layer RMS (root mean square) differences between analyzed fields and observations reach 0.25 psu and 1.25 °C in the western boundary currents and 0.1 psu and 0.75 °C in the open ocean. The impact of the Argo data in reducing observation–model forecast differences is also significant from the surface down to a depth of 2000 m. Differences between in situ observations and forecast fields are thus reduced by 20 % in the upper layers and by up to 40 % at a depth of 2000 m when Argo data are assimilated. At depth, the most impacted regions in the global ocean are the Mediterranean outflow, the Gulf Stream region and the Labrador Sea. A significant degradation can be observed when only half of the data are assimilated. Therefore, Argo observations matter to constrain the model solution, even for an eddy-permitting model configuration. The impact of the Argo floats' data assimilation on other model variables is briefly assessed: the improvement of the fit to Argo profiles do not lead globally to unphysical corrections on the sea surface temperature and sea surface height. The main conclusion is that the performance of the Mercator Ocean 0.25° global data assimilation system is heavily dependent on the availability of Argo data.


Algebra: Chapter 0 is a self-contained introduction to the main topics of algebra, suitable for a first sequence on the subject at the beginning graduate or upper undergraduate level. The primary distinguishing feature of the book, compared to standard textbooks in algebra, is the early introduction of categories, used as a unifying theme in the presentation of the main topics. A second feature consists of an emphasis on homological algebra: basic notions on complexes are presented as soon as modules have been introduced, and an extensive last chapter on homological algebra can form the basis for a follow-up introductory course on the subject. Approximately 1,000 exercises both provide adequate practice to consolidate the understanding of the main body of the text and offer the opportunity to explore many other topics, including applications to number theory and algebraic geometry. This will allow instructors to adapt the textbook to their specific choice of topics and provide the independent reader with a richer exposure to algebra. Many exercises include substantial hints, and navigation of the topics is facilitated by an extensive index and by hundreds of cross-references.


Tubal ligation provides an effective and reliable method by which women can choose to limit the number of children they will bear. However, because of the irreversibility of the procedure and other potential disadvantages, it is important to understand factors associated with women's choice of this method of birth control. Between May 1999 and August 2000, data were collected from 755 women aged 40 to 60 years from a cross-section of neighborhoods of varying socio-economic make-up in Puebla, Mexico, finding a tubal ligation rate of 42.2%. Multiple logistic regression models were utilized to examine demographic, socio-economic, and reproductive history characteristics in relation to women's choice of tubal ligation. Regression analyses were repeated with participants grouped by age to determine how the timing of availability of tubal ligation related to the decision to undergo the procedure. The results of this study suggest that younger age, more education, use of some forms of birth control, and increased parity were associated with women's decisions to undergo tubal ligation. The statistically significant difference of greater tubal ligation and lower hysterectomy rates across age groups reflect increased access to tubal ligation in Mexico from the early 1970s, supporting the idea that women's choice of tubal ligation was related to access.


The speciation of trace metals in the oceans is typically explained by invoking the concept of metal binding to specific organic ligands, but a lack of detailed knowledge about the ligands has impeded the formulation of comprehensive models to predict speciation chemistry. The aim of our study was to shed further light on the possible role of humic-type ligands in trace metal complexation in the oceans by comparing published seawater (open ocean) speciation measurements with predictions obtained using a speciation model typically used for freshwater and soil systems (Windermere Humic Aqueous Model; WHAM). We show that in some cases, speciation of trace metals in seawater environments may be reasonably predicted using this model with its default parameter set, without any model fitting. The results support the idea that humic-type ligands may account for much of the observed organic binding at least in the cases of Fe, Cu and Pb. Although the model does not consistently provide agreement with the measured values, it provides a useful benchmark to compare different datasets and to examine variation in speciation as a result of varying levels of competing metal ion concentration and fulvic acid activity.


In this work, we study strongly prime submodules and strongly 0-dimensional modules. We give some equivalent conditions for being a strongly 0-dimensional module. Besides we show that the quasi-Zariski topology on the spectrum of a strongly 0-dimensional module satisfies all separation axioms and it is a metrizable space.


Background: Ear problems, particularly hearing loss, in divers are well known and documented all over the world. Studies showed that they form the most common health problems among divers. However, it seems that this problem has never been investigated in the Iraqi divers population. Aim: This cross-sectional comparative study is an attempt aims to contribute to the better understanding of the extent and impact of the problem among the local divers and to relate certain risk factors associated with diving. Subjects & Methods: One hundred and eleven divers and 222 non-divers were interviewed regarding this problem and examined audiometerically. Results showed that 45% of the studied divers complained of some sort of ear problems. In a considerable number of them the problem is serious. Audiometerically, about 50.5% of divers have some degree of hearing loss. There was a significant difference in the prevalence of hearing loss in divers as compared to non-divers. Furthermore, hearing loss problem among divers was more severe than in nondivers and it was mostly bilateral. High frequencies are the ones affected more. The role of certain proposed risk factors was studied with few conclusive findings; these are the association between hearing loss and underwater blast, maximum depth, duration of profession and underwater diving accidents. Further studies and regular check-ups are strongly recommended.


The U.S. Global Health Initiative (GHI) represents the Obama administration's new strategy for international development assistance in health. With a pledge of $63 billion over six years, GHI aims to fund PEPFAR and a set of broader global health issues (e.g., maternal and child health, nutrition, and neglected tropical diseases). GHI is also being framed as "smart power" whereby health would serve as a critical tool for U.S. foreign policy. However, as the U.S. enters a period of severe budgetary restraint and as domestic crises rise to the fore, the promise of global health reform could become illusory. The lack of coordination and coherence in the U.S. global health architecture, as well as the broader U.S. foreign assistance system, require fundamental changes in the U.S. approach to global health going forward. This article analyzes current weaknesses in the GHI strategy and makes four key suggestions for the transformation of the U.S. global health enterprise under GHI. These suggestions include: (1) the devotion of resources that are predictable, sustainable, and scalable to needs; (2) the development of a true "whole of government" approach; (3) greater collaboration with international partners for success; and (4) the encouragement of host country ownership.


Introduction: Splenic abscess is an uncommon clinical problem. Traditionally, the "gold standard" treatment has been splenectomy. However, there is increasing use of non-operative treatments worldwide. Materials and Methods: A 10-year (1996-2005) retrospective review of case records from a single centre (an 800-bed general hospital) was performed. Information regarding demographics, clinical presentation, aetiological agents and management was gathered and analysed. Results: There were 21 cases from 1996 to 2005. Nineteen (90%) had multiple abscesses. Disseminated melioidosis was the most common aetiological agent (15 cases, 71%). Only 3 patients underwent splenectomy. The remainder were treated conservatively with antibiotics. Almost all the patients (19, 90%) also suffered from diabetes mellitus. Conclusions: The most common aetiological agent encountered was Burkholderia pseudomallei. Diabetes mellitus may be an important co-factor in the pathogenesis of splenic abscesses. The majority of our patients were managed conservatively and splenectomy was only occasionally required.


While it is widely agreed that Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) holds as a long-run concept the specific dynamic driving the process is largely build upon a priori economic belief rather than a thorough statistical modeling procedure. The two prevailing time series models, i.e. the exponential smooth transition autoregressive (ESTAR) model and the Markov switching autoregressive (MSAR) model, are both able to support the PPP as a long-run concept. However, the dynamic behavior of real exchange rates implied by these two models is very different and leads to different economic interpretations. In this paper we approach this problem by offering a bootstrap based testing procedure to discriminate between these two rival models. We further study the small sample performance of the test. In an application we analyze several major real exchange rates to shed light on the question which model best describes these processes. This allows us to draw a conclusion about the driving forces of real exchange rates.


The study focused on the transition economies of South Eastern Europe, Central Europe and those of the ex-Soviet countries, during the period 1990-2005. The main research aims included the identification of the distinct FDI features, the research for FDI determinants and the relation between FDI and the host countries' institutions with a particular emphasis on corruption and poor governance phenomena. Additional to that the study shed light on the impact of transition process reforms on FDI. The research employed a variety of different data sources and empirical methods, in order to achieve its goals. The empirical analysis indicated that foreign investments in the area of interest were not particularly affected by the presence of corruption. Actually, foreign investors were rather encouraged by both high corruption and the low governance levels. Regarding FDI features, the formulated view is of foreign investments as business entities with secured financial support, export orientation, not significant contribution to labour skills and production increase and with a rather indifferent approach towards taxation. With regards to FDI determinants, the empirical results highlighted the host country's market potential, the privatization opportunities both at small and large scale, the existence of strategic natural resources, the quick implementation of the transition reforms in terms of competition policies, trade and prices liberalization and banking reforms, while also the existence of an adequate and exploitation promising infrastructure.


For at least the last decade, evaluation of the benefits of research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RD3) by the U.S. Department of Energy has been conducted using deterministic forecasts that unrealistically presume we can precisely foresee our future 10, 25, or even 50 years hence. This effort tries, in a modest way, to begin a process of recognition that the reality of our energy future is rather one rife with uncertainty. The National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) is used by the Department of Energy s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE) and Fossil Energy (FE) for their RD3 benefits evaluation. In order to begin scoping out the uncertainty in these deterministic forecasts, EE and FE designed two futures that differ significantly from the basic NEMS forecast. A High Fuel Price Scenario and a Carbon Cap Scenario were envisioned to forecast alternative futures and the associated benefits. Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) implemented these scenarios into its version of NEMS, NEMS-LBNL, in late 2004, and the Energy Information Agency created six scenarios for FE in early 2005. The creation and implementation of the EE-FE scenarios are explained in this report. Both a Carbon Cap Scenario and a High Fuel Price Scenarios were implemented into the NEMS-LBNL. EIA subsequently modeled similar scenarios using NEMS. While the EIA and LBNL implementations were in some ways rather different, their forecasts do not significantly diverge. Compared to the Reference Scenario, the High Fuel Price Scenario reduces energy consumption by 4 percent in 2025, while in the EIA fuel price scenario (known as Scenario 4) reduction from its corresponding reference scenario (known as Scenario 0) in 2025 is marginal. Nonetheless, the 4 percent demand reduction does not lead to other cascading effects that would significantly differentiate the two scenarios. The LBNL and EIA carbon scenarios were mostly identical. The only major difference was that LBNL started working with the AEO 2004 NEMS code and EIA was using AEO 2005 NEMS code. Unlike the High Price Scenario the Carbon Cap scenario gives a radically different forecast than the Reference Scenario. NEMS-LBNL proved that it can handle these alternative scenarios. However, results are price inelastic (for both oil and natural gas prices) within the price range evaluated. Perhaps even higher price paths would lead to a distinctly different forecast than the Reference Scenario. On the other hand, the Carbon Cap Scenario behaves more like an alternative future. The future in the Carbon Cap Scenario has higher electricity prices, reduced driving, more renewable capacity, and reduced energy consumption. The next step for this work is to evaluate the EE benefits under each of the three scenarios. Comparing those three sets of predicted benefits will indicate how much uncertainty is inherent within this sort of deterministic forecasting.


Energy and glucose homeostasis are regulated by central serotonin 2C receptors. These receptors are attractive pharmacological targets for the treatment of obesity; however, the identity of the serotonin 2C receptor-expressing neurons that mediate the effects of serotonin and serotonin 2C receptor agonists on energy and glucose homeostasis are unknown. Here, we show that mice lacking serotonin 2C receptors (Htr2c) specifically in pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons had normal body weight but developed glucoregulatory defects including hyperinsulinemia, hyperglucagonemia, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance. Moreover, these mice did not show anorectic responses to serotonergic agents that suppress appetite and developed hyperphagia and obesity when they were fed a high-fat/high-sugar diet. A requirement of serotonin 2C receptors in POMC neurons for the maintenance of normal energy and glucose homeostasis was further demonstrated when Htr2c loss was induced in POMC neurons in adult mice using a tamoxifen-inducible POMC-cre system. These data demonstrate that serotonin 2C receptor-expressing POMC neurons are required to control energy and glucose homeostasis and implicate POMC neurons as the target for the effect of serotonin 2C receptor agonists on weight-loss induction and improved glycemic control.


This paper presents a game theory model of the strategic interaction between Khartoum and Juba leading up to the referendum on Sudan's partition in 2011. The findings show that excessive militarization and brinksmanship is a rational response for both actors, neither of which can credibly commit to lower levels of military spending under the current status quo. This militarization is often at the expense of health and education expenditures, suggesting that the opportunity cost of militarization is foregone economic development. These credibility issues might be resolved by democratization, increased transparency, reduction of information asymmetries, and efforts to promote economic and political cooperation. The paper explores these devices, demonstrating how they can contribute to Pareto preferred outcomes in equilibrium. The authors characterize the military expenditure associated with the commitment problem experienced by both sides, estimate its costs from data for Sudan, and identify the opportunity cost of foregone development implied by continued, excessive, and unsustainable militarization.


At present, performance and efficiency of a system-on-chip (SoC) design depends significantly on the on-chip global communication across various modules on the chip. On-chip communication is mostly implemented using a bus architecture that runs long distances, covering significant area of the integrated circuit. Difficult challenges in designing of a large SoC, e.g., one containing many processor cores, include hardware area, power dissipation, routing complexity, congestion and latency of the communication network. In this work, we propose an analog bus for digital data. In our scheme we replace n wires of an n-bit digital bus carrying data between cores with just one (or few) wire(s) carrying analog signal(s) encoding 2 levels of voltage. This analog bus uses digital-to-analog converter (DAC) drivers and analog-to-digital converter (ADC) receivers. Such on-chip communication scheme can potentially save hardware area and power. Reduction in number of wires saves chip area and the reduction in total intrinsic wire capacitance consequently reduces bus power consumption. The scheme should also reduce signal interference and crosstalk by eliminating the need for multiple line drivers and buffers. In spite of overheads of the DACs and ADCs, savings in power consumption from our scheme is significant. We have carried out simulated experiments that serve as a proof-of-concept by evaluating power consumption of a single wire with DAC/ADC encoding in comparison to an n-bit digital bus of a large system. SPICE simulation for an ideal case shows that the ratio of bus power consumed by the proposed analog scheme to a typical digital scheme (without bus encoding or differential signaling) is given by Panalog/Pdigital = 1/(3n). For 500MHz frequency and 1mm intermediate wire line, 4−bit replacement analog bus consumes 16μW over 219μW in parallel bus. Whereas, the 8−bit replacement bus consumes 18μW over the 470μW power consumption in the 8-bit parallel bus.


This paper employs a unique, hand-collected dataset of exchange rates for five major currencies (the lira of Barcelona, the pound sterling of England, the pond groot of Flanders, the florin of Florence and the livre tournois of France) to consider whether the law of one price and purchasing power parity held in Europe during the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries. Using single series and panel unit root and stationarity tests on ten real exchange rates between 1383 and 1411, we show that the parity relationship held for the pound sterling and some of the Florentine florin series individually and for almost all of the groups that we investigate. Our findings add to the weight of evidence that trading and arbitrage activities stopped currencies deviating permanently from fair values and that the medieval financial markets were well functioning. This supports the results reported in other recent studies which indicate that many elements of modern economic theories can be traced back over 700 years in Europe.


The rise of graph analytic systems has created a need for new ways to measure and compare the capabilities of graph processing systems. The MIT/Amazon/IEEE Graph Challenge has been developed to provide a well-defined community venue for stimulating research and highlighting innovations in graph analysis software, hardware, algorithms, and systems. GraphChallenge.org provides a wide range of pre-parsed graph data sets, graph generators, mathematically defined graph algorithms, example serial implementations in a variety of languages, and specific metrics for measuring performance. Graph Challenge 2017 received 22 submissions by 111 authors from 36 organizations. The submissions highlighted graph analytic innovations in hardware, software, algorithms, systems, and visualization. These submissions produced many comparable performance measurements that can be used for assessing the current state of the art of the field. There were numerous submissions that implemented the triangle counting challenge and resulted in over 350 distinct measurements. Analysis of these submissions show that their execution time is a strong function of the number of edges in the graph, $N_{e}$, and is typically proportional to $N_{e}^{4/3}$ for large values of $N_{e}$. Combining the model fits of the submissions presents a picture of the current state of the art of graph analysis, which is typically 108 edges processed per second for graphs with 108 edges. These results are 30 times faster than serial implementations commonly used by many graph analysts and underscore the importance of making these performance benefits available to the broader community. Graph Challenge provides a clear picture of current graph analysis systems and underscores the need for new innovations to achieve high performance on very large graphs.


A preliminary study was conducted to investigate the effects of the extracts of eight plant species collected from Ninavah governorate on the second instar of larval stage of Culex pipiens molestus Forskal. Three out of the eight plant extracts Azadirachta excelsa Jack, Cleome glaucescens Dc. and Quercus infectoria DL. caused 100% mortality of larvae at a concentration of 200 µg/mL after 3days of treatment. The LC50 values were less than 150µg/mL (62.5µg/mL-140µg/mL). The A. excelsa leave extract showed mortality on larval and pupal at low concentrations 40µg/mL-10µg/mL also affected in delaying larval development. The extracts of Achillea santolina L., Ammi majus L. and Ricinus communis L. caused high mortality to the larvae after 7 days of treatment, but the Datura stramonium L. and Carum petroselinum Benth extracts did not cause any mortality to the larvae at the same date.


In the UK in 2014, the government introduced a directive that 'British Values' were to be made a compulsory aspect of all State-funded education. This was mainly seen as a response to the controversial 'Trojan Horse' affair, whereby a number of Islamic schools in Birmingham were purported to be implementing a plan to systematically 'radicalise' their students. While a public inquiry found no evidence of such radicalisation, the accusation and the subsequent British Values directive sparked a number of debates in the media and in the public sphere on the place of religion and the role of the State in the formation of citizens and their identities. This paper argues that the media representations of these debates have been insufficiently penetrating, and the issue exposes deeper systemic problems in the history of the liberal democratic State and contemporary moral discourse. A historical investigation of how the British Values directive came to be introduced into schools is therefore provided, in order to expose why it came to be seen as a legitimate and necessary action. The paper has three objectives. First, it will outline the philosophical and conceptual approach taken to the historical investigation, building on a set of ideas introduced by Alistair MacIntyre concerning the loss of moral coherence in modern liberal democracies. Second, it will examine what light this philosophical approach throws on the contexts and conditions out of which the 2014 British Values initiative was born. Third, it will focus on two other discourses in British political theory, Realism and Multiculturalism, that appear to have emanated from those same contexts and conditions, and which attempt (with varying degrees of success) to move the situation forward. The paper will end with an open question about whether the teaching of British Values in schools is really the best way forward.


Abstract The oldest known Jurassic coral reef is exposed in the Ardèche region of southern France. This reef site, consisting of at least three reefal bodies, is of early Hettangian age and thus immediately postdates the end-Triassic mass extinction, which is well known for its catastrophic effect on reef building. Bulk carbonate carbon isotopes of the limestones below the reef are likely to record environmental perturbations subsequent to the mass extinction. The main reef is surprisingly well developed (20 m in thickness, 200 m in lateral extent) and composed of at least four genera and six species of corals—not only holdover genera from the Triassic, but also one newly evolved genus (Phacelophyllia), contributed to reef construction. Just like their latest Triassic counterparts, the reef is dominated by phaceloid corals with a considerable contribution of microbialite. The reef predates similarly well developed structures by almost ten million years. The shelf setting of the reef renders it unlikely that refuges around oceanic islands are needed to explain survival of corals across the end-Triassic mass extinction.


Erik Abraham Olofsson Rim, 1844-1920, was a Sami, commonly remembered for allegedly having sold his land and water rights to the State Power Company, Vattenfall, for the first large scale hydropower plant, Porjus – on the Lule River in Sapmi, Sweden. When Erik is mentioned in historical books and PR-brochures about Porjus, his Sami name "Rim" has most of the time been taken away, as well as his Sami identity. He is instead referred to as the "old man" of Porjus.At the time when the Vattenfall started showing interest for Porjus, Erik lived with his family off self-subsistence agriculture and from guiding tourists in the area. Erik disapproved of the selling, and claimed he had been deceived by Vattenfall.When the Porjus power station was inaugurated on February 8th, 1915, Erik was invited to the inauguration lunch along with several prominent guests. However, Erik opted to not attend, and to move from Porjus on this very day. In the contemporary media, referred to as the King of Porjus, he was accused of being greedy, doing this silent protest just to get more money out of the deal.So far very little work in regard to Sami resistance against hydropower exploitations in the early 20th century has been made. It has proved difficult to find examples. The intention of this paper is to revoice Erik's story, as part of revoicing Sami resistance against the hydropower exploitations in Sapmi.The study is based on archival documents, contemporary newspaper articles and earlier literature.


A proposed three-degree-of-freedom (tilt/tip/piston) manipulator, suitable for aligning an optical or mechanical component, would offer several advantages over prior such manipulators: Unlike in some other manipulators, no actuator would support the weight of another actuator: All of the actuators would be mounted on a base. Hence, there would be less manipulated weight. The basic geometry of the manipulator would afford mechanical advantage: that is, actuator motions would be larger than the motions they produce in the manipulated object. Mechanical advantage inherently increases the accuracy and resolution of manipulation. Unlike in some other manipulators, it would not be necessary to route power and/or data lines through manipulator joints. The proposed manipulator (see figure) would include three prismatic actuators (T1N1, T2N2, and T3N3) mounted on the base and operating in the same plane. Examples of suitable prismatic actuators include lead-screw mechanisms, linear hydraulic motors, piezoelectric linear drives, inchworm-movement linear stepping motors, and linear flexure drives. The actuators would control the lengths of links R1T1, R2T2, and R3T3. Three spherical joints (P1, P2, and P3) would be located at the corners of an equilateral triangle of side length q on the platform holding the object to be manipulated. Three inextensible limbs (R1P1, R2P2, and R3P3) having length r would connect the spherical joints on the platform to revolute joints (R1, R2, and R3) at the ends of the actuator-controlled links R1T1, R2T2, and R3T3. By varying the lengths of these links, one could control the tilt, tip, and piston coordinates of the platform. Closed-form equations for direct or forward kinematics of the manipulator (given the lengths of the variable links, find the tilt, tip, and piston coordinates) have been derived. The equations of inverse kinematics (find the variable link lengths needed to obtain the desired tilt, tip, and piston coordinates) have also been derived.


The genetic gain formula has been used to determine the best allocation of resources. The assumptions of this formula are that genotypes are selected based on the mean of data averaged across several locations within years. When plant breeders select genotypes after the first year of replicated yield tests, the assumptions of the genetic gain formula are violated. For this reason, information provided by the genetic gain formula is not useful for determining the optimum allocation of replicates and environments. Our objectives were to (i) develop a heritability formula that included covariances between genotype-by-environment (G × E) interaction effects for the same genotype evaluated in different environments; and (ii) show how these G × E covariances influence resource allocation strategies to maximize genetic gain. Our operational genetic gain formula considers genetic gain to be a correlated response between the test and target environments and allows for G × E covariances between the same genotype evaluated at two selection sites. When selection was conducted at two sites that had a small G × E component of variance and also conducted at two sites with a large G × E component of variance, the realized gain was equal in the target environments. Optimal resource allocation cannot be decided, based on the genetic gain formula.


Abstract. The pattern of air–surface gaseous mercury (mainly Hg(0)) exchange in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) may be unique because this region is characterized by low temperature, great temperature variation, intensive solar radiation, and pronounced freeze–thaw process of permafrost soils. However, the air–surface Hg(0) flux in the QTP is poorly investigated. In this study, we performed field measurements and controlled field experiments with dynamic flux chambers technique to examine the flux, temporal variation and influencing factors of air–surface Hg(0) exchange at a high-altitude (4700 m a.s.l.) and remote site in the central QTP. The results of field measurements showed that surface soils were the net emission source of Hg(0) in the entire study (2.86 ng m−2 h−1 or 25.05 µg m−2 yr−1). Hg(0) flux showed remarkable seasonality with net high emission in the warm campaigns (June 2014: 4.95 ng m−2 h−1; September 2014: 5.16 ng m−2 h−1; and May–June 2015: 1.95 ng m−2 h−1) and net low deposition in the winter campaign (December 2014: −0.62 ng m−2 h−1) and also showed a diurnal pattern with emission in the daytime and deposition in nighttime, especially on days without precipitation. Rainfall events on the dry soils induced a large and immediate increase in Hg(0) emission. Snowfall events did not induce the pulse of Hg(0) emission, but snowmelt resulted in the immediate increase in Hg(0) emission. Daily Hg(0) fluxes on rainy or snowy days were higher than those of days without precipitation. Controlled field experiments suggested that water addition to dry soils significantly increased Hg(0) emission both on short (minutes) and relatively long (hours) timescales, and they also showed that UV radiation was primarily attributed to Hg(0) emission in the daytime. Our findings imply that a warm climate and environmental change could facilitate Hg release from the permafrost terrestrial ecosystem in the QTP.


This paper examines the linguistic and pictorial representation of Muslims and Islam in a Swiss right-wing populist party's campaign for a federal minaret ban. Using a methodology that combines Conceptual Metaphor Theory with Critical Discourse Analysis we explore two interacting levels of the discourse under examination. Firstly, we show that the discourse is centrally informed by the metaphorical Idealized Cognitive Model of an islamic takeover, with its two metaphorical subframes of conquest and organic growth. Secondly, we describe the discursive strategies – such as categorization, indexing, semantic reframing, the exploitation of intertextual links – used to (re)activate and perpetuate this cognitive model.


Abstract Background Complications of acute inflammatory sinusitis into orbital and intracranial sepsis is a common problem in paediatrics. A delay in making a diagnosis and early appropriate treatment has a high morbidity and mortality rate. The commonest presenting symptoms are throbbing headache and facial or periorbital swelling usually fallowing a two week history of upper respiratory tract infection. A high resolution Computed Tomography(CT) scan is very helpful in making a proper and accurate diagnosis. Appropiate early medical and surgical treatment has a good outcome. We are reporting our epidemiological study of complicated sinusitis of 59 cases treated at Dr George Mukhari Hospital, ENT Department a Tertiary referral centre, Medunsa Campus, University of Limpopo, RSA. Methods A prospective case series of all patients admitted with complicate inflammatory confirmed on CT scan between April 2004 to August 2005 (Winter months). An interview data collection sheet was used to collect all clinical information. Results Fifty-nine (59) inpatients (50 males and 9 females) admitted and treated at DGMH for complicated pan-sinusitis. The mean age of the patients was 13 years, with a male:female ratio of 7:1. All patients presented with a sporadic first episode of sinusitis, occurring within two weeks of upper airway infection. The affected age group was mainly paediatric of peripubertal age. In almost all the patients, headache and facial (peri-orbital) swelling were the main presenting symptoms. Most patients (85%) were initially referred to other departments 59.3% (35) to Ophthalmology, 18.6% (11) to Neurosurgery, 6.7 % (4) to Paediatrics and only 15.2 % (9) directly to ENT (Otorhinolaryngology). Of these patients, 36 (61%) had intracranial complications confirmed on CT scan and were managed in consultation with the neurosurgeons and ophthalmologists. No major surgical complications were reported. Staphylococcus species were the most common organisms isolated; however, 50% of the pus swabs had a negative culture. Medical treatment based on culture and sensitivity, together with surgical drainage, achieved good results. Three females with severe complications died during the period of the study, but there were no male deaths reported in this study, even though more males than females were affected. Conclusion Complications of septic sinusitis are a common problem in the paediatrics, with males more commonly affected than females. Females, however, had a poorer prognosis than males in this study. Complicated sinusitis should be suspected in any adolescent with orbital, facial or frontal swelling associated with headache always during the winter (cold) months. To prevent morbidity and mortality, a high resolution contrasted CT scan is mandatory for the exclusion of complicated sinusitis, medical and surgical treatments are effective management of complicated sinusitis.


What is the functional significance of the fast-burst firing of midbrain dopaminergic neurons, and what are the normal afferents projecting to these cells that carry the information to which the neurons respond? Dommett et al. found that the superior colliculus is the major input source of short-latency visual responses of dopaminergic neurons. The induction of visual responses in dopaminergic neurons leads to an increase in dopamine release in the striatum. However, dopaminergic cells only responded to the novel visual stimuli when the colliculus was pharmacologically disinhibited. E. Dommett, V. Coizet, C. D. Blaha, J. Martindale, V. Lefebvre, N. Walton, J. E. W. Mayhew, P. G. Overton, P. Redgrave, How visual stimuli activate dopaminergic neurons at short latency. Science 307, 1476-1479 (2005). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Palabras clave: sindrome de ovario poliquistico, resistencia insulinica, test de tolerancia a la glucosa Abstract Critical evaluation of the oral glucose tolerance test for the diagnosis of insulin resistance in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is the most commonly used method to evaluate insulin resistance (IR) in the clinical practice. Our objective was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of fasting tests compared with OGTT tests in women with PCO, and the ability of fasting tests to detect postprandial hyperglycemia. One hundred fourteen women with PCO and 29 normal women were evaluated by a 2 hours OGTT. Fasting plasma insulin (INS) and glucose were measured during the test. GLU:INS ratio (r) (fasting glucose/fasting insulin), HOMA (homeostatic model assessment), QUICKI (quantitative insulin sensitivity check index) (fasting tests), as well as the AUCI (area under the curve of INS) and ISI composite (ISI) (insulin sensitivity index) (OGTT tests), were determined. A significant correlation between fasting tests and OGTT tests was found. Normal fasting tests with abnormal OGTT tests were found in 9 patients. No patient with fast- ing insulin levels less than 9.9 UI/ml were IR, and all women with fasting insulin levels over 18.4 UI/ml were classified as having IR. We found glucose levels 120 min post glucose load (G 120) ≥ 140 mg/dl in 14 patients (12.2%). Fasting glucose and insulin levels and the fasting tests, were poor predictors of impaired glucose toler- ance (IGT) and type 2 diabetes (DBT 2). Thus, fasting tests are useful in the diagnostic of IR in PCO patients. OGTT is necessary when the fasting insulin levels range between 9.9 and 18.4 UI/ml. Women with PCO should undergo periodic screening for abnormal glucose tolerance.


The rise of memetic culture in digital media is a growing source of popular culture and academic research. Moving from /b/ board insider knowledge to broader cultural adoption, this paper theorizes the intervention of institutions into the production and circulation of memes as a part of a third wave of memetic culture. While studies on memes have emphasized the push of participatory culture into everyday life, this research on religious institutional memes contributes to an emergent vein of digital religion scholarship focused on institutional authority. In an analysis of the Mormon 'doubt your doubts' meme as liminal and metonymic, we theorize religious memetics as a space for the reconnection of the everydayness of religious practice to institutions, which boils down meaningful moments of faith into facile, non-threatening avenues for sharing religion. While this is beneficial for institutions, the reflexive and metonymic function of religious memes ruptures routine, offering participants momentary pauses from the demands of orthodox religious life; a cathartic release and recalibration within everyday religious practice. Implications on corporate branding, public relations, and the pitfalls of publication are discussed.


MICROKINETIC MODEL OF FISCHER-TROPSCH SYNTHESIS ON IRON CATALYSTS Uchenna P. Paul Department of Chemical Engineering Doctor of Philosophy Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS), developed in the early 1900's, is defined as the catalytic conversion of H2 and CO to hydrocarbons and oxygenates with the production of H2O and CO2. Accurate microkinetic modeling can in principle provide insights into catalyst design and the role of promoters. This work focused on gaining an understanding of the chemistry of the kinetically relevant steps in FTS on Fe catalyst and developing a microkinetic model that describes FTS reaction kinetics. Stable Al2O3-supported/promoted (20% Fe, 1% K, 1% Pt) and unsupported Fe (99% Fe, 1% Al2O3) catalysts were prepared and characterized. Transient experiments including temperature programmed desorption (TPD), temperature programmed hydrogenation (TPH), and isothermal hydrogenation (ITH) provided insights into the chemistry and energetics of the early elementary reactions in FTS on Fe catalyst. Microkinetic models of CO TPD, ITH, and FTS were developed for Fe catalyst by combining transition state theory and UBI-QEP formalism. These models support the conclusion that hydrocarbon formation occurs on Fe via a dual mechanism involving surface carbide and formyl intermediates; nevertheless, hydrocarbon formation is more favorable via the carbide mechanism. Carbon hydrogenation was found to be the rate determining step in the carbide mechanism. CO heat of adsorption on polycrystalline Fe at zero coverage was estimated to be -91.6 kJ/mol and -64.8 kJ/mol from ITH and FTS models respectively, while a mean value of -50.0 kJ/mol was estimated from the TPD model. Statistically designed steady-state kinetic experiments at conditions similar to industrial operating conditions were used to obtain rate data. The rate data were used to develop a microkinetic model of FTS. FTS and ITH appear to follow similar reaction pathways, although the energetics are slightly different. In both cases, hydrocarbon formation via the carbide mechanism was more favorable than via a formyl intermediate while carbon hydrogenation was the rate determining step. Promotion of Fe with K does not alter Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction pathways but it does alter the energetics for the steps leading to the formation of CO2. This phenomenon accounts for the CO2 selectivity of 0.3 observed for K-promoted Fe against 0.17 observed for un-promoted Fe. A Langmuir Hinshelwood rate expression derived from the microkinetic model was put into a fixed bed FTS reactor design code; calculated reactor sizes, throughput, temperature profiles and conversion are similar to those of pilot and demonstration FTS reactors with similar feed rates and compositions.


Aims. The origin and evolution of the magnetic helicity in the solar corona are not well understood. For instance, the magnetic helicity of an active region is often about 10 42 Mx 2 (10 26 Wb 2 ), but the observed processes whereby it is thought to be injected into the corona do not yet provide an accurate estimate of the resulting magnetic helicity budget or time evolution. The variation in magnetic helicity is important for understanding the physics of flares, coronal mass ejections, and their associated magnetic clouds. To shed light on this topic, we investigate here the changes in magnetic helicity due to electric currents in the corona for a single twisted flux tube that may model characteristic coronal structures such as active region filaments, sigmoids, or coronal loops. Methods. For a bipolar photospheric magnetic field and several distributions of current, we extrapolated the coronal field as a nonlinear force-free field. We then computed the relative magnetic helicity, as well as the self and mutual helicities. Results. Starting from a magnetic configuration with a moderate amount of current, the amount of magnetic helicity can increase by 2 orders of magnitude when the maximum current strength is increased by a factor of 2. The high sensitivity of magnetic helicity to the current density can partially explain discrepancies between measured values on the photosphere, in the corona, and in magnetic clouds. Our conclusion is that the magnetic helicity strongly depends on both the strength of the current density and also on its distribution. Conclusions. Only improved measurements of current density at the photospheric level will advance our knowledge of the magnetic helicity content in the solar atmosphere.


iPod users want to start using their devices as soon as they get their hands on them, and this guide shows them how. In these pages, trusted gadget teacher Christopher Breen reveals the secrets to using the leading portable player. This handy guide offers the quickest way to learn how to use the iTunes Store (including the new movie store!), import songs from CDs, and how to pick the right accessories. Readers will also find thorough coverage of the entire iPod family, including the iPod shuffle ($79-1GB; the world's smallest MP3 player), iPod nano ($149-2GB; $199-4GB; $249-8GB), and the updated iPod ($249-30GB and $349-80GB, which holds up to 20,000 songs or 100 hours of video). Along the way, Christopher offers hints for burning CDs, tips for making the most of the device's storage capabilities,andi¾ troubleshooting advice for when the gadgets become uncooperative.


The diversity among Artemia species proves the importance of morphologic and morphometeric investigations. Morphologic studies not only help in identification of close species, but also help to study the effects of environmental factors on the species and to identify the most influencing parameters on the morphologic changes. In this research investigated we investigated the simultaneous effect of salinity and temperature on morphologic changes in two populations of Artemia urmiana and Artemia parthenogenetica. The hatching of the cysts, feeding of nauplii and their culture were performed according to standard conditions. The Artemia from both populations were cultured under sailities 60, 120 and 180 g/L at 15, 24 and 30°C for a period of 30 days. Later the morpholpgic characteristics of adult Artemia were measured using a steriomicropscope equipped with drwing tube and digitizer. During this research over all 15 morphologic indices were measured at nine combinations of salinity and temperature. The results of analysis of variance showed that the average of measured parameters in both populations were higher at 24-60 treatment. Dendrogram of the cluster analysis based on morphologic characteristics seprated the two populations. In general Artemia urmiana and Artemia parthenogenetica demonstrated more regular groupings based on temperature and salinity respectively. Based on the discriminant analysis the width of uterus, maximum distance between two compound eyes, length of telson, total body length, distance of 3 segment to end of abdomen, width of head, length of left antenna, length of right antenna, width of 3 abdominal segment, maximum diameter of left eye, number of setae on left furca, number of setae on right furca, maximum diameter of right eye, length of furca and length of abdomen respectively showed increasing effect on separating the two population.


With advances in computer technology, complex applications are being developed which involve multi-window operations. With the increasing number of windows on the desktop, effective viewing of all the necessary information for a task becomes difficult. A significant portion of the user's time is spent in opening/closing or moving/resizing the windows. Since these window interface housekeeping activities are not directly related to the user's task domain, time spent on window management causes an increase in the actual task completion time, resulting in reduced user throughput. We propose the A/sup 2/DL (Adaptive Automatic Display Layout) system, which performs window management functions to free the user's cognitive and temporal resources to work on task domain activities rather than managing the multi-window desktop. Our system aims to automate and adapt the layout of the windows according to the current user and his current task domain, thereby enhancing the overall human-computer system performance.


This paper presents an analysis of Portugal's economy from 1999 to 2015, providing an alternative to explanations that present the situation faced by Southern European countries after the Great Recession as a matter of excessive expenditure or loss in competitiveness. Based upon the Sraffian Supermultiplier model, we look at how demand components evolved along the analyzed period, in a growth accounting setting. This assessment evidences that insufficient effective (public) demand -not balance-ofpayments constraints nor an alleged excess of public expenditure -is what explains Portugal's low-to-negative growth rates from 2001 forward. Given the limited productive structure, a labor market that is not strong enough to guarantee a solid internal credit expansion and the present institutional setting (which makes fiscal expenditure an also limited source of effective demand), we conclude that the only way for Portugal to abandon the low growth path would be a more cooperative fiscal stance from the European Union.


This study examined aesthetic response to Brazilian and African music experienced with and without instruction received prior to the listening session. In addition, there was an attempt to determine if there was a difference in response between musicians (music therapy majors) and non-musicians (psychology majors). The participants (N = 44) were undergraduate students enrolled at two private comprehensive universities in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Data was collected via the Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI). Prior to the listening experience, half the participants from both musicians (n = 22) and non-musicians (n=22) groups read an instruction sheet describing the musical style, historical background, and cultural context of the musical selections. The remaining participants in both groups received no instruction prior to their listening session. Results indicated that instruction had a statistically significant effect on musicians' aesthetic response to the African and Brazilian songs, but the same instruction did not significantly affect non-musicians. The study of affective responses to music is a significant subject in music education research. Within the area of music preference, most researchers have developed their own definition of listening response to music. For instance, Price (1986) defines it as the "art of choosing, esteeming, or giving advantage to one thing over another" (p. 154) while LeBlanc (1984) considers music preference as "an operational construct which represents a demonstrated level of liking specific musical stimuli" (p. 1). LeBlanc adds that "music preference decisions are based upon the interaction of input information and the characteristics of the listener's cultural environment, with input information consisting of the musical stimulus and the listener's cultural environment" (LeBlanc, 1987, p. 139). Several factors seem to have an effect on the music preference of students. LeBlanc (1984) proposed an interactive model of music preference in which he suggested three kinds of variables that may explain music-making decisions: characteristics of the musical stimulus, listener, and cultural environment. Kuhn (1980) identified eight similar variables that contribute to music preference decisions: age, musical training, familiarity with the musical stimuli, socio-economic status, moods, degree of media exposure to the musical stimuli, stereophonic or monophonic presentation modality, and elemental aspects of intact musical examples such as tempo, meter, tonality, and generic styles. Early studies on listeners' preference for music style indicate that children prefer popular and rock music to classical music (LeBlanc, 1981; Shehan, 1981), a result that seems to be related to issues of familiarity with those two music styles. Familiarity, through exposure and training, has been an invaluable element in the preference for the music of world cultures. Shehan (1985) observed that the discussion of non-Western musical styles at the elementary and middle school levels was not able to affect enthusiastic response from children. Heingartner and Hall (1974) investigated how familiarity affects music preference for world music in college and fourth grade students and found that increased frequency of exposure to Pakistani music selections increased students' preference. Demorest and Schultz (2004) examined fifth graders' preference for authentic and arranged versions of world music recordings, the relationship of those ratings to familiarity, and teachers' ability to predict students' preference. Results showed that familiarity with a song from another world culture is positively related to student preference for that song. Findings for studies that compare the preference means between musicians and non-musicians consistently indicate that musicians had significantly higher preference means than did non-musicians regardless of musical style (Burke & Gridley, 1990; Hargreaves, Messerschmidt & Rubert, 1980; Smith & Cuddy, 1986). …


Questions of bodies and embodiment are a critical focus for geographers. In this paper we advance discussion of the mobilisation of bodies that investigates the interconnections between the visceral and discursive, through paying attention to the affordances of sound. We draw on our ethnographic research of the Climate Camp parade held during October 2009 in Helensburgh, New South Wales, Australia. Using feminist theory and visceral understandings of socio-political life, we explore sounds to illustrate how people's beliefs about climate change are mobilised at this parade. We argue that visceral experiences of the rhythmic affordances of sounds—flow, pulse and beat—provide us insights as to how people are mobilised into action. Our results explore bodily judgements of sounds to illustrate how a visceral approach can help to mobilise bodies in ways that can both upset, and reproduce, particular beliefs, subjects and places.


This practically-oriented, all-inclusive guide covers all the major enabling techniques for current and next-generation cellular communications and wireless networking systems. Technologies covered include CDMA, OFDM, UWB, turbo and LDPC coding, smart antennas, wireless ad hoc and sensor networks, MIMO, and cognitive radios, providing readers with everything they need to master wireless systems design in a single volume. Uniquely, a detailed introduction to the properties, design, and selection of RF subsystems and antennas is provided, giving readers a clear overview of the whole wireless system. It is also the first textbook to include a complete introduction to speech coders and video coders used in wireless systems. Richly illustrated with over 400 figures, and with a unique emphasis on practical and state-of-the-art techniques in system design, rather than on the mathematical foundations, this book is ideal for graduate students and researchers in wireless communications, as well as for wireless and telecom engineers.


The etiology of age-related bone loss is unclear but both habitually low calcium intake
and lack of physical activity have been proposed as its determinants. The objective of
this two-year randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the efficacy of increasing
calcium intake and weight-bearing exercise on bone mineral density (BMD) in
postmenopausal Chinese women who were not on hormone replacement therapy.
Bone mineral density at the total body, lumbar spine L2-L4, femoral neck, Ward's
triangle, trochanter and total hip were measured using dual energy X-ray absorptionmetry
(DEXA) at six month intervals. Information on sociodemographic background, lifestyle
factors and reproductive history were assessed using a validated questionnaire. Calcium
intake was evaluated by both the three-day food record and food frequency questionnaire
at baseline, 1 2 and 24 months. Exercise habits were assessed with an exercise diary and
Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (P ASE) questionnaire.


Researchers at EPIC face something of a trap. Situated in an ethos of twenty first century consumer capitalism, our professional duties overemphasise individual consumers, and the products of our research always diverge towards our respective corporations' interests. As a result we have little basis for collective enterprise as a discipline. However, if we remember that human beings are always part of naturally occurring social systems (communities, work organizations, etc.) we might find we have more to say, both to our corporations and among ourselves. When we shift our perspective this way we find our work is as much about catalyzing human social systems as it is about understanding "the consumer." This paper uses three examples from my own experience at Intel to explain, and highlights some implications of this shift: we must adopt multiple levels of analysis, attend to the fact that structures emerge from human interaction, and account for divergent interests, needs and abilities as these networks form.


This paper represents the results from an experimental investigation of the flow physics behind the difference in the transition zone length indicated by the momentum boundary layer and thermal boundary layer parameters observed on the suction surfaces of gas turbine blades. The experiments were carried out on turbulent spots created artificially in an otherwise laminar boundary layer developing over a heated flat plate in a zero pressure gradient and a favorable pressure gradient. A specially designed miniature triple wire probe was used to measure the streamwise velocity component U, transverse velocity component V and temperature T simultaneously during the passage of the spots. In this paper, the general characteristics of the ensemble-averaged velocity and temperature perturbations, rms fluctuations, and the second moment turbulent quantities are discussed and the influence of favorable pressure gradient on these parameters is examined. When a favorable pressure gradient is present, unlike in the velocity boundary layer where significant velocity fluctuations and Reynolds shear stress occur both on the plane of symmetry and the spanwise periphery, high temperature fluctuations (and turbulent heat fluxes) are confined in the plane of symmetry. The difference in the levels of velocity/ temperature fluctuations at these two locations gives an indication of the effectiveness of momentum/heat transfer across the span of the spots. The results of this study indicate that the heat transfer within a spot is inhibited more than that of the momentum transfer at the presence of a favorable pressure gradient. This phenomenon is expected to slow down the development of a transitional thermal boundary layer, leading to a longer transitional zone length indicated by the heat transfer parameters as reported in the literature.


We propose a versatile framework for combining knowledge bases in modular systems with preferences. In our formalism, each module (knowledge base) can be specified in a different language. We define the notion of a preference-based modular system that includes a formalization of metapreferences. We prove that our formalism is robust in the sense that the operations for combining modules preserve the notion of a preference-based modular system. Finally, we formally demonstrate correspondences between our framework and the related preference formalisms of cp-nets and preference-based planning. Our framework allows one to use these preference formalisms (and others) in combination, in the same modular system.


WHEN introduced a century ago, the purpose of the surgical facemask was to provide protection for the patient from surgical wound infections. But is there evidence that face masks prevent wound infections? A recent review concluded that it is not clear whether face masks prevent surgical wound infections, and the scientific evidence for this practice is weak and insufficient. Questioning the efficacy of surgical face masks, an established routine in operating rooms worldwide, is clearly controversial given the tradition of the practice. Recognizing the lack of sound scientific evidence, we have changed facemask routines in several units at the Karolinska University Hospital (see image by Henrik Jörnvall, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Anesthesia, Surgical Sciences and Intensive Care, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden). Anesthesia personnel are no longer required to wear disposable face masks in the operating room, a practice approved by our surgical colleagues. Surgeons, their assistants, and scrub nurses are still required to wear masks. Face masks are worn by all operating room personnel when treating patients susceptible to infections as in neurosurgery, vascular, and orthopedic procedures involving implants and regional anesthesia procedures (e.g., spinal or epidural). Face masks are also used to protect staff from contamination. All personnel wear face masks when taking care of trauma patients or patients with blood-borne infections. Our decision to no longer require routine surgical masks for personnel not scrubbed for surgery is a departure from common practice. But the evidence to support this practice does not exist, and studies to establish differences in infection rates with or without face masks will likely be difficult to design and implement given the small potential effect.


Introduction: Coordinating smooth patient transitions remains a growing area of interest among healthcare professionals in light of the addition of the Readmission Reductions Program to the Affordable Care Act, which enables CMS to penalize hospitals for 30-day readmissions due to myocardial infarction, pneumonia, heart failure, and in due time, COPD. 2 Many facilities have tested varying TOC models previously piloted at other institutions, focusing on ensuring the proper measures are in place before patients depart. However, there is a significant lack in data quantifying the rate of timely patient follow up after discharge, despite the evidence supporting the value of this visit. The purpose of this study is to analyze TOC outcomes at a local family medicine clinic to assess potential lack of billing utilization and gaps of care related to patient follow up.
Methods: The investigators were provided with emergency department discharge charts from the local hospital affiliated with the family medicine clinic; discharge dates ranged from April 2014 to August 2014. Discharge charts were analyzed to establish medical complexity. Investigators used electronic medical records to extract descriptive data to analyze patient and financial outcomes. A subgroup analysis was performed utilizing a subset of patients identified as "established" at the clinic.
Results: A total of 317 unique discharge reports were evaluated, with 104 of those in the "established" patient subgroup. During the study period, 8.8% of the total group of patients demonstrated timely follow-up. Additionally, rate of incorrect billing techniques was 79%. A consequence of the low percentage of patient follow up and improper billing is missed revenue opportunity for the clinic; financial consequences range from $3,248.60-$67,150 over the 5 month period.
Conclusion: A coordinated outpatient TOC procedure cannot be determined from this study. However, need for further analysis of outcomes at outpatient facilities has been identified.

Type: Original Research


Background: Baculovirus expression system is one of the most attractive and powerful eukaryotic expression systems for the production of recombinant proteins. The presence of a biomarker is required to monitor transfection efficiency or protein expression levels in insect cells. Methods: The aim of this study was to construct a baculovirus expression vector encoding a copepod super green fluorescent protein (copGFP). In this light, the resultant vector was constructed and used for transfection of Spodoptera frugiperda cells. Results: Expression of the copGFP protein in insect cells was confirmed by fluorescent microscopy and Western-blot analysis. Conclusion: The application of copGFP control bacmid can be considered as an appropriate control for insect cell transfection.


We use time, rather than money, as the salient component of subjects' incentives in three workhorse experimental paradigms. The use of waiting time can be interpreted as a special type of real effort condition, in which it is particularly straightforward to achieve experimental control over incentives. The three experiments, commonly employed to study social preferences, are the dictator game, the ultimatum game and the trust game. All subjects in a session earn the same participation fee, but their choices affect the time at which they are permitted to leave the laboratory. Decisions that are associated with greater own payoff translate into the right to depart earlier. The modal proposal in both the dictator and ultimatum games is an equal split of the waiting time. In the trust game, there is substantial trust and reciprocity. Overall, social preferences are evident in time allocation decisions. We compare subjects' decisions over time and money and find no significant differences in average decisions. The pattern of results suggests that results obtained in the laboratory with money as the medium of reward generalize to other reward media.


Studies show that Brazil in the world ranking is the second country with the largest population of domestic animals, with the front only the US. These animals, which usually occupied a decorative space, were valued as a company and considered an integral part of the family.It is estimated that 59% of Brazilian households have some pets, spending an average of R $ 390,00 on products and services (pharmaceuticals, vaccines, beautification and accessories). In this survey we evaluate the current situation of the pet market, trends and innovations, especially on snacks/foods with high added value. In this research we have compiled national and international circulation periodicals for the last five years (2012-2017). It was found that the world market grew at an annual average of 17%, earning around US $ 1.5 billion since the year 95. The Brazilian market in 2014 reached R $ 16 billion, placing the country in the third position in the ranking world. The food segment is the main representative of the sector, with 67% of revenues. It is verified that the trend of the sector is directed towards health and animal welfare focused on health and practicality. It is generally seen that the market is susceptible to changing societal patterns and demands impose imposed by consumers, and to achieve competitive advantage must constantly be on the side of innovative technologie.


Periodontitis, an inflammatory disease caused by subgingival Gram-negative (G-) bacteria, is linked with loss of the connective tissue and destruction of the alveolar bone. In the regulation of inflammatory response, chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2), a specific receptor for interleukin-8 and neutrophil chemoattractant, plays an important role. The first aim of this study was to investigate the CXCR2 gene variability in chronic periodontitis (CP) patients and healthy nonperiodontitis controls in the Czech population. The second aim was to find a relation between CXCR2 gene variants and the presence of periodontal bacteria. A total of 500 unrelated subjects participated in this case-control study. 329 CP patients and 171 healthy nonperiodontitis controls were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction techniques for three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): +785C/T (rs2230054), +1208T/C (rs1126579), and +1440A/G (rs1126580). A DNA microarray detection kit was used for the investigation of the subgingival bacterial colonization, in a subgroup of CP subjects (N = 162). No significant differences in allele, genotype, haplotype, or haplogenotype frequencies of CXCR2 gene variants between patients with CP and healthy controls (P > 0.05) were determined. Nevertheless, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans was detected more frequently in men positive for the C allele of the CXCR2 +785C/T polymorphism (61.8% vs. 41.1%, P < 0.05; OR = 2.31, 95% CI = 1.03-5.20) and for the T allele of the CXCR2 +1208C/T variant (61.8% vs. 38.9%, P < 0.05; OR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.13-5.71). In contrast, no statistically significant associations of CXCR2 variants with seven selected periodontal bacteria were found in women. Although none of the investigated SNPs in the CXCR2 gene was associated with CP, the CXCR2 gene variants can be associated with subgingival colonization of G- bacteria in men with CP in the Czech population.


The last fifteen years has seen significant growth and advancement in the study of sport tourism. The publication of numerous texts, journal and conference papers - along with the progress made to the Journal of Sport and Tourism are testament to the subject's maturity. In tandem with these developments institutions in higher education have seen a proliferation in modules, programmes and courses at both under graduate and post graduate level in sport tourism, as well as notable increases in PhD theses with sport tourism related themes and perspectives.
This commentary presents a synthesized critical evaluation on my research publications and their impact upon the developments of sport tourism detailed above. The ten publications chosen have come from both journals and book chapters, and are a blend of conceptual and empirical studies. Whilst the majority of the published are conceptual in nature the methodology adopted in the empirical studies have ranged from qualitatively driven research using in-depth interviews and observational methods – to more quantitatively driven studies which implemented questionnaire and document analyses.

The case is made that the evaluated published works have both collectively contributed to the knowledge in the areas of sport tourist motivation with particular reference to nostalgia and heritage. More specifically, the synthesis demonstrates that the selected studies have contributed in laying the foundations of sport tourism by introducing and explaining the synergistic relationship between the two concepts of sport and tourism, as well as identifying definitive sport tourism markets – and doing so providing unique insights into the distinct sport and tourism-related services and experiences required by each. Furthermore, not only do the published works introduce, define and categorise for the first time the concept of heritage sport tourism but also offer the first empirical studies on the experience and design of sport stadium tours. Collectively, the papers are regularly referred to in the literature and, as a consequence, continue to stir debate and further research in the area which, in turn, will contribute to the general advancement of sport tourism.


Why have companies faced a backlash for running experiments? Academics and pundits have argued people find corporate experimentation intrinsically objectionable. Here we investigate "experiment aversion," finding evidence that, if anything, experiments are more acceptable than the worst policies they contain. In six studies participants evaluated the acceptability of either corporate policy changes or of experiments testing them. When all policy changes were deemed acceptable, so was the experiment, even when it involved deception, unequal outcomes, and lack of consent. When a policy change was deemed unacceptable, so was the experiment, but less so. The acceptability of an experiment hinges on its critical condition — its least acceptable policy. Experiments are not unpopular, unpopular policies are unpopular.


The Amvrakikos Bay is one of the most important ecosystems in the Mediterranean with great environmental, ecological and biological value. However, over the years, water quality has suffered severe degradation and is now one of the most polluted environmental areas in Greece. In the present study, using the analytical data of concentrations of precipitated metal deposits at the bottom of Amvrakikos Gulf, at its three largest lagoons: Logaros, Tsoukalio and Rodia, and by applying the indicators PLI, Igeo and EF, an assessment of the level of pollution of the area was made. The use of these indicators may show the degree of pollution of the area with heavy metals, and reveal the source of pollution i,e. whether the heavy metals are of anthropogenic or of natural processes, assessing simultaneously the degree of anthropogenic effect. Based on the PLI indicator, the marine zone in Menidi and Paliovarka as well as the Rodia and Tsoukalio lagoons are considered to be polluted. According to the Igeo Index, the sampling areas are unchanged to slightly burden by heavy metals. The largest charge is caused by Ni, followed by Mn and Pb. Based on EF, the concentrations of Cr, Mn, Co, Pb and Ni are significantly influenced by the various anthropogenic activities.