Custom Power and Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) denote the application of power electronics in distribution and transmission networks, respectively.
Custom Power is the application of power electronics to improve the quality of power distribution for sensitive industrial plants. Power electronic converters connected in shunt or series with the grid and equipped with energy storage can provide protection of sensitive processes against voltage disturbances, like short interruptions and voltage dips. The first part of this thesis focuses on the control of Voltage Source Converter (VSC) connected in series or in shunt with the grid for mitigation of voltage dips. In both configurations, the core of the control system is the current controller. Here, the deadbeat current controller for grid-connected VSC is presented and analyzed in detail. The controller includes time delay compensation and reference voltage limitation with feedback, to improve the current control during overmodulation. Improvements for proper control of the current under unbalanced conditions of the grid voltage are investigated. For use in a series-connected VSC, the deadbeat current controller is completed with an outer voltage loop, thus realizing a cascade controller that is presented and analyzed in detail. Further, a similar cascade controller for voltage dip compensation using shunt-connected VSC is investigated. In both configurations, it is shown that control of the negative-sequence component of the injected voltage is needed for a proper mitigation of unbalanced voltage dips.
FACTS is instead the application of power electronics at transmission level. In transmission systems, other control objectives are more important than voltage dip compensation. Controllable series compensation is used for e.g. power flow control, stability improvement, and damping of power oscillations. Traditional non-controllable series compensation based on series capacitors can create problems due to unwanted resonance with the rest of the power system. A specific problem that often arises in conjunction with series capacitors is subsynchronous resonance (SSR), which can lead to damage of generator shafts. In this case, a series-connected VSC, similar to the one used for the distribution system and here called Static Synchronous Series Compensator (SSSC), could be used as a dedicated device for SSR mitigation. In the second part of this thesis, a novel control strategy for the SSSC for SSR mitigation is investigated and analyzed. It is shown that, by injecting only a subsynchronous voltage into the power system, SSR mitigation is achieved by increasing the network damping only at those frequencies that are of danger for the generator-shaft system. This will allow to provide SSR damping with very low voltage injection, leading to a cost-effective alternative to the existing solutions.


Spatial-seasonal variability and temporal trends has essential importance to climatic prediction and analysis. The aim of this research is the seasonal variations and temporal trends in the Iran were predicted by using rainfall series. The exploratoryconfirmatory method, and seasonal time series procedure (STSP), temporal trend (TT), seasonal least squares (SLS) and spatial (GIS) methods (STSP¬-SLS-GIS) were employed to bring to light rainfall spatial-seasonal variability and temporal trends (SSVTT). To explore the spatial-seasonal variability and temporal trends during the period over 1975 to 2014 at 140 stations. To investigate the spatial-seasonal variability and temporal trends amount of each series was studied using ArcGIS 10.3 on different time scale. New climatic findings for the region: the investigates and predictions revealed that: (a) range of monthly and seasonal changes of rainfall tends to be highest (increasing trend) during winter (Winter Seasonal Index or WUSI=137.83 mm); (b) lowest (decreasing trend) during summer (Summer Seasonal Index or SUSI=20.8l mm) and (c) the coefficient of rainfall seasonal pattern variations in winter to 5.94 mm, in spring to 11.13 mm, in summer to 4.44 mm and in autumn to 8.05 mm with seasonality being the most effective of all. Mean annual rainfall changed from 51.45 mm (at Bafgh) to 1834.9 mm (at Bandar Anzali). Maximum decrease in annual rainfall was obtained at Miandeh Jiroft (-143.83%) and minimum at Abali (-0.013%) station. The most apparent year of variation was 2007 in annual rainfall.


The expansion of access to mobile phones in the developing world has provided new opportunities for development and peacebuilding institutions to reach communities, and for communities to develop local development and peacebuilding solutions. Kenya has seen a particularly high concentration of programming geared towards using mobile phones for banking, election monitoring and violence prevention, using crowdsourcing methods to collect and share information. While there have been a number of notable crowdsourcing programmes that have been successful at preventing violence, there remains limited theorisation in the peacebuilding community about why these successes occurred. Using Fearon and Laitin's (American Political Science Review 90 [1996]: 715–795) models of inter-ethnic cooperation, intra-group organising and inter-group policing, we explore whether success in crowdsourcing for violence prevention is a function of direct intra-community organising, or is an outcome of previously unavailable information being broadcast on traditional media such as radio.


The balance between exploration and exploitation has always been a core challenge in reinforcement learning. This paper proposes "past-success exploration strategy combined with Softmax action selection"(PSE-Softmax) as an adaptive control method for taking advantage of the characteristics of the online learning process of the agent to adapt exploration parameters dynamically. The proposed strategy is tested on OpenAI Gym with discrete and continuous control tasks, and the experimental results show that PSE-Softmax strategy delivers better performance than deep reinforcement learning algorithms with basic exploration strategies.


Developments over the past year have led to serious, widespread concern that the world could be returning to a more isolationist stance. It is perhaps the greatest threat ever levelled at the post-war globalization movement and all of its supporting architecture. This paper argues that due to the unusual nature of the last business cycle, the general public has become impatient with the existing economic and in particular, international trade architecture. It also points out that its typical defenders are unsure of how to do so. In response, what is suggested is that logic puts definite limits on how much change is actually likely to occur, and if so, which strategic responses are most appropriate.


A theory is presented to account for the fact that a photoconductive cell can detect when an image projected on it is in sharpest focus. Each of the small particles in the photoconductive surface is treated as an individual photoconductor in series–parallel connection with all the other particles. When the distribution of light on the surface of such a photoconductive cell is varied (total incident flux being constant) the total conductance across the whole surface of the cell depends upon detail contrast, acutance, and other factors of the projected image. The observed dependence of conductance on sharpness of focus can be explained by this theory.


Using PSID microdata over the 1980-2010, we provide new empirical evidence on the extent of and trends in the gender wage gap, which declined considerably over this period. By 2010, conventional human capital variables taken together explained little of the gender wage gap, while gender differences in occupation and industry continued to be important. Moreover, the gender pay gap declined much more slowly at the top of the wage distribution that at the middle or the bottom and by 2010 was noticeably higher at the top. We then survey the literature to identify what has been learned about the explanations for the gap. We conclude that many of the traditional explanations continue to have salience. Although human capital factors are now relatively unimportant in the aggregate, women's work force interruptions and shorter hours remain significant in high skilled occupations, possibly due to compensating differentials. Gender differences in occupations and industries, as well as differences in gender roles and the gender division of labor remain important, and research based on experimental evidence strongly suggests that discrimination cannot be discounted. Psychological attributes or noncognitive skills comprise one of the newer explanations for gender differences in outcomes. Our effort to assess the quantitative evidence on the importance of these factors suggests that they account for a small to moderate portion of the gender pay gap, considerably smaller than say occupation and industry effects, though they appear to modestly contribute to these differences.


The Palorchestidae are a family of marsupial megafauna occurring across the eastern Australian continent from the late Oligocene through to their extinction in the Late Pleistocene. The group is known for their odd 'tapir-like' crania and distinctive clawed forelimbs, but their appendicular anatomy has never been formally described. We provide the first descriptions of the appendicular skeleton and body mass estimates for three palorchestid species, presenting newly-identified, and in some cases associated, material of mid-Miocene Propalorchestes, Plio-Pleistocene Palorchestes parvus and Pleistocene Palorchestes azael alongside detailed comparisons with extant and fossil vombatiform marsupials. We propose postcranial diagnostic characters at the family, genus and species level. Specialisation in the palorchestid appendicular skeleton evidently occurred much later than in the cranium and instead correlates with increasing body size within the lineage. We conclude that palorchestid forelimbs were highly specialised for the manipulation of their environment in the acquisition of browse, and that they may have adopted bipedal postures to feed. Our results indicate palorchestids were bigger than previously thought, with the largest species likely weighing over 1000 kg. Additionally, we show that P. azael exhibits some of the most unusual forelimb morphology of any mammal, with a uniquely fixed humeroulnar joint unlike any of their marsupial kin, living or extinct.


User profiles constructed on Social Web platforms are often motivated by the need to maximise user reputation within a community. Subscriber, or follower, counts are an indicator of the influence and standing that the user has, where greater values indicate a greater perception or regard for what the user has to say or share. However, at present there lacks an understanding of the factors that lead to an increase in such audience levels, and how a user's behaviour can affect their reputation. In this paper we attempt to fill this gap, by examining data collected from YouTube over regular time intervals. We explore the correlation between the subscriber counts and several behaviour features extracted from both the user's profile and the content they have shared. Through the use of a Multiple Linear Regression model we are able to forecast the audience levels that users will yield based on observed behaviour. Combining such a model with an exhaustive feature selection process, we yield statistically significant performance over a baseline model containing all features.


The Encyclopedia of the Indian Diaspora is the first comprehensive survey of Indian communities around the world.

Over 30 contextual features show the initiatives taken by these communities and the contributions they have made both internationally and to their host societies, in areas as diverse as literature, cuisine, popular culture, sports and political life. The greater part of the book consists of 44 country/region profiles covering all parts of the world. Written by over 60 scholars from across the globe, most of whom are from the diaspora, the encyclopedia provides insights into the experiences of a people about whom much is often assumed but little is actually known.

The recent expansion of the Indian diaspora, now some 20-million strong and growing, is a social transformation of global significance. Many members of the diaspora have reached the highest levels of global commerce and trade, international public service and diplomacy, the professionals and academia. In addition, the creative literature from and about the diaspora holds a distinctive and distinguished place in the world's literary imagination.


The integration and usage of uncertain sensor data in workflows is a difficult problem. In this paper we describe these difficulties which result from the combination of very distinct areas. On the one hand, applications from area of measurement engineering manage sensors that capture data and annotate the data with technical meta data. On the other hand, context-aware workflows from the BPM area place high level requirements for the quality of context data that is derived from the sensor data. Between those two areas exists a gap that has to be closed by a context management and mediation system, supporting the handling of Quality of Context (QoC). To achieve this the paper presents an QoC aware architecture based on an extension of the existing Nexus Platform and a first approach for matching the workflow requirements with the sensor annotations.


:Abstract:Abstract:Abstract: The rapid development of cross-border e-commerce has injected new vitality and productivity to e-commerce. But it also brought the lag problem of cross-border logistics and distribution system. Under current models of logistics and distribution, the order cycle is too long to be efficient which coexist with high cost, uncontrollable risks and complicated procedure. These factors have hindered the development of cross-border e-commerce. In this case, the e-commerce overseas warehousing gradually come into being. How to overcome the contradiction of low-cost and fast delivery, take advantage of overseas warehouse building and successfully open up overseas markets, is an important issue needs to be discussed in the field of cross-border e-commerce. This paper talks from cross-border e-commerce and logistics distribution mode, discusses the rise of overseas warehouse building and analyze their strengths and weaknesses, then give a few suggestions to promote the construction and development of overseas warehouse.


Common root rot (CRR) and spot blotch, caused by Cochliobolus sativus (Ito and Kurib.) Drechsl. ex Dast., are important diseases of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) worldwide. However, the population biology of C. sativus is still poorly understood. In this study, the genetic structure of three C. sativus populations, consisting of isolates sampled respectively from barley leaves (BL), barley roots (BR) and wheat roots (WR) in North Dakota, was analysed with amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. A total of 127 AFLP loci were generated among 208 C. sativus isolates analysed with three primer combinations. Gene diversity (H = 0.277-0.335) were high in all three populations. Genetic variation among C. sativus individuals within population accounted for 74%, whereas 26% of the genetic variation was explained among populations. Genetic differentiation was high (empty set PT = 0.261, corrected G ''(st)= 0.39), whereas gene flow (Nm) ranged from 1.27 to 1.56 among the three populations analysed. The multilocus linkage disequilibrium (LD) ((r) over bard = 0.0760.117) was moderate in C. sativus populations. Cluster analyses indicate that C. sativus populations differentiated according to the hosts (barley and wheat) and tissues (root and leaf) although generalists also exist in North Dakota. Crop breeding may benefit from combining genes for resistance against both specialists and generalists of C. sativus.


A new approach towards reprocessing cross-linked rubbery materials by catalytic disassembly of polymer chains, which eliminates the need for energy intensive mechanical processes, is demonstrated. First and second generation (G1 and G2) Grubbs' ruthenium catalysts break down polybutadiene (PBd) networks at their double bonds via cross-metathesis (CM) reactions to produce readily soluble molecules. A dramatic reduction in molecular weight to around 2000 g mol−1 was observed by size exclusion chromatography and the breakdown of cross-linked networks was confirmed by rheometry. This process was repeated with a styrene-butadiene rubber sheet, a common component of vehicle tyres, with a G2 catalyst and a diester to accelerate the breakdown. A sufficient amount of G2 catalyst and a diester were found to diffuse into the styrene-butadiene rubber sheet, to catalyse its breakdown into rubber crumb. This reaction can be achieved at room temperature within 2.5 h. Increasing the reaction time and temperature increased the extent of the breakdown and under these conditions some breakdown of rubber occurred with the addition of only the G2 catalyst, without the need for a diester. We speculate that, when present, pendant ethylene groups in the PBd chain structure can participate in CM reactions, enabling break-down of the cross-linked network into individual molecules with lasso-like structures.


A practical technique for estimating decision-makers' utility functions by survey or group methods is explained and illustrated. Results from a survey of 44 Oregon farmers are reported. Risk attitudes of respondents are related to farm and decision-maker characteristics. Regression analysis found age, education, and percentage of land ownership, either separately or jointly, to be statistically significant variables related to risk attitude. Risk attitudes measured from the estimated utility functions were found to be uniformly distributed across risk aversion, neutral and preference. Even though further empirical work is needed, it appears that the distribution of risk attitude among the human population cannot be predicted from a single variable.


For decades, scholars have attributed Black Americans' unified political and policy views, despite growing internal class and status differences, to a strong perception of linked fate. In recent years, the concept has been applied to other racial and ethnic groups and to gender, but not to social statuses such as class or religion. Without broad comparisons across groups and different statuses, however, one cannot determine the theoretical or empirical meaning of this canonical construct. Using a new national survey, we examine views of linked fate by race or ethnicity, and also by gender, class, or religion. We find that a sense of linked fate is similar across racial groups, robust to experimental manipulation, and as strong for class as for racial or ethnic identity. It may reflect a tendency toward social connectedness more group-based identity or heuristic calculation. Furthermore, in this survey, a sense of linked fate is rarely associated with political views or political participation. We conclude that the enormously fruitful concept of racial linked fate is due for both conceptual and empirical re-examination.


One of the most important challenges in smart grid systems is the integration of renewable energy resources into its design. In this paper, two different techniques to mitigate the time-varying and intermittent nature of renewable energy generation are considered. The first one is the use of storage, which smooths out the fluctuations in the renewable energy generation across time. The second technique is the concept of distributed generation combined with cooperation by exchanging energy among the distributed sources. This technique averages out the variation in energy production across space. This paper analyzes the tradeoff between these two techniques. The problem is formulated as a stochastic optimization problem with the objective of minimizing the time average cost of energy exchange within the grid. First, an analytical model of the optimal cost is provided by investigating the steady state of the system for some specific scenarios. Then, an algorithm to solve the cost minimization problem using the technique of Lyapunov optimization is developed, and results for the performance of the algorithm are provided. These results show that in the presence of limited storage devices, the grid can benefit greatly from cooperation, whereas in the presence of large storage capacity, cooperation does not yield much benefit. Further, it is observed that most of the gains from cooperation can be obtained by exchanging energy only among a few energy-harvesting sources.


Policy makers and scholars have been searching for the magic key to unlock the economic potential of underdeveloped regions. I will argue that there is no single "key", but rather that research in economic sociology shows that development depends on utilizing the historically developed patterns of social organization. Societies do best when they pursue economic activities for which their social structure gives them a comparative advantage.


The swelling of polymeric latex particles with monomers and the partition of slightly water soluble monomers between the particle and aqueous phases are of great importance in understanding the kinetics of emulsion polymerization and particle structure formation. The overall rate of polymerization is directly influenced by the monomer concentration at the loci of chain propagation reaction (latex particle, monomer droplet, or aqueous phase). In addition, initiator efficiency, rates of radical transfer, and copolymer or graft composition (in multistage reactions) also depend on monomer concentration and partition.


Objectives: Evidence supports tocilizumab (TCZ) benefit and safety in adult patients with severe COVID- 19. However, its effectiveness in critically ill older adult patients remains questionable. Thus, the study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of TCZ in older critically ill patients with COVID-19. Methods: A multicenter, retrospective study for all critically ill older adults (aged ≥ 65 years) with confirmed COVID-19 infection and admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs). Eligible patients were catego- rized into two groups based on TCZ use during ICU stay (control vs TCZ). Propensity score (PS) matching was used (1:1 ratio) based on the selected criteria. The primary outcome was the in-hospital mortality. Results: A total of 368 critically ill older adult patients were included in the study. Fifty one patients (13.8%) received TCZ. The in-hospital mortality was lower in the TCZ group (HR 0.41; 95% CI 0.22–0.76, P- value = 0.005). Patients who received TCZ had lower odds of respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation (OR [95% CI]: 0.32 [0.10–0.98], P- value = 0.04). No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups for 30-days mortality, ventilator-free days, length of stay, and complications during ICU stay. Conclusion: Tocilizumab use in critically ill older adult patients with COVID-19 is associated with lower in-hospital mortality and a similar safety profile.


We present an analytical study of the Dyakonov-Perel spin relaxation time for degenerate electrons in a photoexcited electron-hole liquid in intrinsic semiconductors exhibiting a spin-split band structure. The Dyakonov-Perel spin relaxation of electrons in these materials is controlled by electron-hole scattering, with small corrections from electron-electron scattering and virtually none from electron-impurity scattering. We derive simple expressions (one-dimensional and two-dimensional integrals respectively) for the effective electron-hole and electron-electron scattering rates which enter the spin relaxation time calculation. The electron-hole scattering rate is found to be comparable to the scattering rates from impurities in the electron liquid—a common model for n-type doped semiconductors. As the density of electron-hole pairs decreases (within the degenerate regime), a strong enhancement of the scattering rates and a corresponding slowing down of spin relaxation is predicted due to exchange and correlation effects in the electron-hole liquid. In the opposite limit of high density, the original Dyakonov-Perel model fails due to decreasing scattering rates and is eventually superseded by free precession of individual quasiparticle spins.


This contribution explores the significance but also the immense complexities of Christian
discourse on confessing guilt within the context of climate change. It draws especially on
South African discourse on confessing guilt in the context of apartheid. The argument of the
essay is twofold: Christians with an enduring large carbon footprint may wish to confess
their guilt in this regard, but typically find it difficult to live from God's liberating
forgiveness and are therefore prone to rather desperate efforts to save the world themselves.
By contrast, Christians with a small carbon footprint may opt for alternative understanding
of salvation, namely in terms of redemption from the looming threat of climate
change.


There is no large series about retained foreign bodies in abdominal cavity. In fact data are underestimated because of the lack of reports considering its serious medicolegal implications. An inflammatory fibrotic process inside the peritoneal cavity, a virtual discharge of inorganic material through the surgical incision and also a slow process of transmural migration into the intestinal lumen are the most frequent pathophysiologic situations. It is not uncommon the incidental diagnosis of foreign body and radiographic studies may be particularly helpful to elucidate the etiology. An early recognition minimizes the surgical risks and contributes to avoid severe complications. The best approach is to adopt preventive measures. Careful peroperative materials vigilance and instrumentation and also a meticulous check at the end of operations are essential to avoid such legal responsibility.


The purpose of the present study was to explore if providing recast and prompt by teacher would have different effects on the grammatical development of Iranian learners of English as a foreign language with high and low anxiety level. In fact, the study investigated the effectiveness of corrective feedback on learners' grammatical achievement. After administering a proficiency test, sixty participants out of eighty-five were selected from the intact classes at two language institutes in Kerman. These selected participants were randomly assigned to three groups namely, prompt, recast and control group each comprising of twenty participants. Before starting the treatment, all participants were given a pre-test to assess their prior level of English knowledge and then Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale ( FLCAS), a 33-item questionnaire to find out their degree of anxiety. During a four-session treatment, participants were given corrective feedback (recasts and prompts) while control group did not receive any kind of feedback. Then at the end of the study a post-test was given to participants to assess their knowledge after treatment. The obtained results indicated that participants, who received planned focus on form using recasts feedback, outperformed those students who received planned focus on form in terms of prompts feedback and control group in the post-test.  All in all, the results also revealed that regardless of their anxiety level both groups had similar beliefs about CF and strongly favored receiving frequent CF in English classes when they were made aware of the purpose, significance, and types of CF.


In 2010 Haiti experienced a catastrophic earthquake that destroyed a substantial amount of infrastructure in the capital of Port-au-Prince. Limited national resources and widespread poverty have made the rebuilding slow and piecemeal. Five years later that infrastructure is still unevenly repaired and maintained. Nevertheless, the Haitian people have, by necessity, continued to adapt in order to take care of day-to-day activities. Based on a field visit, this paper describes some of the ways that infrastructure has re-emerged, gives examples of how people deal with the alternate infrastructures, how the infrastructures structure their lives and discusses what these lessons entail for how the developed world frames infrastructure in the face of similar challenges caused by global energy shortages.


Abstract The series of experiments on plasma heating by the electron beam of reduced diameter was carried out at the GOL-3 facility. To define the size of a high-temperature plasma region the imaging VUV spectrometer was used in these experiments. In the paper the description of the diagnostic system, the results of measurements, the comparison with simulation data of the ionization balance are presented. Estimations of transverse diffusion and macroscopic movements of the beam are discussed.


Mobile phones, mobile phone base stations, cordless phones and power lines are among the main sources of our daily exposures to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF). Today, a large proportion of children aged eight and under has used smart phones and tablets for media activities such as playing online games, watching videos or using different applications. Over the past several years, our society has witnessed a rapid growth both in the percent of children who regularly use smart phones and tablets and the time spent using these devices. Expanded access of children to these mobile devices and the games that make mobile phones attractive to young users are believed to be the key factors that increased the time spent by children for using mobile devices. In IR Iran, students are not allowed to use mobile phones in schools. On the other hand, although students do not have access to Wi-Fi in schools, as Wi-Fi provides efficient access to the Internet on the campus, Wi-Fi routers are widely used. The rapid growth of mobile phone use has raised global public concerns especially for children. Focusing on the issue of cognitive performance, this paper is aimed at answering the following question; Should parents let their children use smart phones and tablets?


Classroom orchestration refers to the teacher's (or tutor's) responsibility to identify and manage the evolving learning opportunities and constraints, in real-time. We study the use of computer technology to support this orchestration task in a multi-constraint pedagogical practice: "recitation section". In university teaching, recitation sections complement lecture sessions by providing an opportunity for students to practice the course material in teams, under the supervision of the tutors. We start by analyzing recitation sections as they are held in our university and identify the causes of their inefficiencies. We show that lack of information on the progress and the current status of the students makes the orchestration task difficult for the tutors, and on the students' side results in a hesitation to interact with their peers. Thus, we propose an ambient awareness tool that makes this information available. Our tool, called Lantern, is an interactive lamp which is placed on each group's table that shows its status, namely the specific exercise that the group is currently working on, if assistance is needed, and, if so, for how long this assistance has been needed. Several questions are raised about how Lantern can facilitate the orchestration task and increase collaboration within and between teams. To answer these questions, we describe two user studies. In the first study, we show how Lantern can help the tutors share their resources between teams, enhance students' productivity, increase collaboration among students, and improve the structure of inter-team communication. In the second study, we compare Lantern with another tool, Shelf, which provides the same information but on a single screen in front of the classroom. It appears that Shelf, instead of encouraging collaboration, creates a competitive atmosphere among students. We relate the differences between Lantern and Shelf as to how they position the displayed information in the classroom space. In a second version of Lantern, the lamps are equipped with a wireless communication module that connects them to a server. The server receives every user action and controls the lamps by specifying what should be displayed on each of them. This allows for flexibility both in terms of the variety of the learning scripts that Lantern can implement and also in terms of integration with other technologies inside and outside of the classroom. Finally, we explore the possibilities of using Lantern in other learning contexts, such as high school courses, training workshops, or open learning spaces.


OBJECTIVE To evaluate a training workshop for community pharmacy personnel to improve their counselling in smoking cessation based on the stage-of-change model. DESIGN A randomised controlled trial of community pharmacies and pharmacy customers. SETTING All 76 non-city community pharmacies registered in Grampian, Scotland, were invited to participate. Sixty-two pharmacies (82%) were recruited. SUBJECTS All the intervention pharmacy personnel were invited to attend the training; 40 pharmacists and 54 assistants attended. A total of 492 customers who smoked (224 intervention, 268 controls) were recruited during the 12-month recruitment period (overall recruitment rate 63%). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The perceptions of customers and pharmacy personnel of the pharmacy support and self-reported smoking cessation rates for the two groups of customers at one, four, and nine months. RESULTS The intervention customer respondents were significantly more likely to have discussed stopping smoking with pharmacy personnel, 85% (113) compared with 62% (99) of the controls (p<0.001). The former also rated their discussion more highly; 34% (45) of the intervention customers compared with 16% (25) of the controls rated it as "very useful" (p = 0.048). Assuming non-responders had lapsed, one-month point prevalence of abstinence was claimed by 30% of intervention customers and 24% of controls (p = 0.12); four months' continuous abstinence was claimed by 16% of intervention customers and 11% of controls (p = 0.094); and nine months' continuous abstinence was claimed by 12% of intervention customers and 7% of controls (p = 0.089). These trends in outcome were not affected by potential confounders (sex, age, socioeconomic status, nicotine dependence, and type of nicotine replacement product used) or adjustment for clustering. CONCLUSIONS The intervention was associated with increased and more highly rated counselling, and a trend toward higher smoking cessation rates, indicating that community pharmacy personnel have the potential to make a significant contribution to national smoking cessation targets.


This article argues that the work of the late Johan van der Keuken offers a contribution to ecological semiotics, and that it also defines the relationship between the semiotic animal and nature in ways that avoid glottocentricism. Taking from the recent work of Kalevi Kull, Jesper Hoffmeyer, and John Deely amongst others, I will argue that van der Keuken's documentaries offer a view of ecology that is broader than a study of bio-physical processes that might reduce ecology to a narrow political issue. In order to support this argument, I will be looking at two contrasting films from van der Keuken – Flat Jungle (1978) and Face Value (1991). The first film examines natural habitats within a confined coastal area in Western Europe, while the second film looks at human beings in the different urban environments of late-20th-century Europe. I will then argue that van der Keuken does not collapse the vital distinctions between umwelt and Lebenswelt , yet his films also succeed at reminding us of their constant interdependence.


Improving physical connectivity between South and Southeast Asia has long been recognized as a key element in promoting greater trade and investment linkages within the region. As an island economy, Sri Lanka's regional connectivity has been mainly through its main sea port in Colombo, a transshipment hub port for South Asia. Investments to expand capacity at Colombo port are underway as part of Sri Lanka's renewed efforts to develop its infrastructure following the long internal separatist conflict that ended in 2009. Despite significant improvements in physical infrastructure connectivity, Sri Lanka has made only limited headway in strengthening its trade and investment links with the rest of the region. Moreover, the country has seen a sharp decline in its overall exports-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio, which is worrying in view of the growing external debt financing of many large infrastructure projects through state-led investment initiatives. Thus, Sri Lanka needs to focus on two priority areas: engaging private investment in infrastructure by strengthening the country's institutional and regulatory environment; and implementing a more strategic trade policy geared to enhance regional integration efforts.


Zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos are increasingly used as a model for studying the function of the vertebrate innate immune system in host-pathogen interactions 1. The major cell types of the innate immune system, macrophages and neutrophils, develop during the first days of embryogenesis prior to the maturation of lymphocytes that are required for adaptive immune responses. The ease of obtaining large numbers of embryos, their accessibility due to external development, the optical transparency of embryonic and larval stages, a wide range of genetic tools, extensive mutant resources and collections of transgenic reporter lines, all add to the versatility of the zebrafish model. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. typhimurium) and Mycobacterium marinum can reside intracellularly in macrophages and are frequently used to study host-pathogen interactions in zebrafish embryos. The infection processes of these two bacterial pathogens are interesting to compare because S. typhimurium infection is acute and lethal within one day, whereas M. marinum infection is chronic and can be imaged up to the larval stage 2, 3. The site of micro-injection of bacteria into the embryo (Figure 1) determines whether the infection will rapidly become systemic or will initially remain localized. A rapid systemic infection can be established by micro-injecting bacteria directly into the blood circulation via the caudal vein at the posterior blood island or via the Duct of Cuvier, a wide circulation channel on the yolk sac connecting the heart to the trunk vasculature. At 1 dpf, when embryos at this stage have phagocytically active macrophages but neutrophils have not yet matured, injecting into the blood island is preferred. For injections at 2-3 dpf, when embryos also have developed functional (myeloperoxidase-producing) neutrophils, the Duct of Cuvier is preferred as the injection site. To study directed migration of myeloid cells towards local infections, bacteria can be injected into the tail muscle, otic vesicle, or hindbrain ventricle 4-6. In addition, the notochord, a structure that appears to be normally inaccessible to myeloid cells, is highly susceptible to local infection 7. A useful alternative for high-throughput applications is the injection of bacteria into the yolk of embryos within the first hours after fertilization 8. Combining fluorescent bacteria and transgenic zebrafish lines with fluorescent macrophages or neutrophils creates ideal circumstances for multi-color imaging of host-pathogen interactions. This video article will describe detailed protocols for intravenous and local infection of zebrafish embryos with S. typhimurium or M. marinum bacteria and for subsequent fluorescence imaging of the interaction with cells of the innate immune system.


Participatory Modeling (PM) is becoming increasingly common in environmental planning and conservation, due in part to advances in cyberinfrastructure as well as to greater recognition of the importance of engaging a diverse array of stakeholders in decision making. We provide lessons learned, based on over 200 years of the authors' cumulative and diverse experience, about PM processes. These include successful and, perhaps more importantly, not-so-successful trials. Our collective interdisciplinary background has supported the development, testing, and evaluation of a rich range of collaborative modeling approaches. We share here what we have learned as a community of participatory modelers, within three categories of reflection: a) lessons learned about participatory modelers; b) lessons learned about the context of collaboration; and c) lessons learned about the PM process. First, successful PM teams encompass a variety of skills beyond modeling expertise. Skills include: effective relationship-building, openness to learn from local experts, awareness of personal motivations and biases, and ability to translate discussions into models and to assess success. Second, the context for collaboration necessitates a culturally appropriate process for knowledge generation and use, for involvement of community co-leads, and for understanding group power dynamics that might influence how people from different backgrounds interact. Finally, knowing when to use PM and when not to, managing expectations, and effectively and equitably addressing conflicts is essential. Managing the participation process in PM is as important as managing the model building process. We recommend that PM teams consider what skills are present within a team, while ensuring inclusive creative space for collaborative exploration and learning supported by simple yet relevant models. With a realistic view of what it entails, PM can be a powerful approach that builds collective knowledge and social capital, thus helping communities to take charge of their future and address complex social and environmental problems.


An important trend in global financial markets is the growth of sovereign wealth funds (SWFs), some of which purport to invest ethically by considering the social and environmental impact of their financing. Yet, like private investors, these funds primarily view themselves as financial institutions interested in enhancing investment returns. A significant tension, therefore, may emerge between the ethical and financial expectations of SWFs.

This article investigates two contrasting cases, the Norwegian Government Pension Fund - Global (NGPF-G) and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund (NZSF), in order to evaluate how they address any tensions between being both virtuous and prosperous. These SWFs have legislative mandates to invest ethically, and have been hailed by some researchers as having among the most progressive approaches in this area. But neither fund yet manages its entire portfolio comprehensively to promote sustainable development, and disseminate socially responsible investment (SRI) norms and practices. Some interesting research has begun to measure the cost of environmental externalities to these "universal investors."

In comparing how these SWFs attempt to reconcile their ethical and financial aspirations, the article highlights the importance of governance frameworks. While there are some salient differences in how each SWFs is governed, each has, especially in their early years, focused on avoiding complicity in unethical conduct or social and environmental harm. This stance represented a rather narrow approach to ethical investment, which limited the capacity of these SWFs to promote environmentally sustainable development. More recently, both funds have begun to accept the business case for SRI, and reconceptualised ethical investment as a means of promoting long-term financial returns. But neither the NGPFG nor the NZSF is mandated to actively promote sustainable development or to seek improvements in corporations' sustainability performance. In the future evolution of SWFs, the creation of explicit duties to invest in sustainability is perhaps the next logical step if they are to play their role in steering the global economy towards sustainability.


Almost half of the world's vineyards are in the EU and the EU produces around 60% of the world's wine. The EU is also the world's most regulated wine market. In 2007, the European Union decided on a major reform of its wine policy, the so-called Common Market Organization (CMO) for wine. A crucial element was the abolishment of a system of planting rights to regulate planting of vineyards in the EU. However, before its implementation opponents of the liberalization of planting rights are lobbying EU governments to reverse the decision. Our paper provides the first theoretical analysis of the economic effects and the welfare implications of planting rights. Our model integrates the markets for land, planting rights and wine to analyze the efficiency and distributional effects. We analyze the impact of enforcement problems, trade restrictions, and the use of government reserves in the planting rights system.


ARTICLE INFO Concrete Filled Double Steel Tubular columns are from the concrete filled tubular columns' (CFT) family formed of two steel walls with square or circular sections. They are assembled concentrically and the space between the two walls is filled with concrete. Since CFDST columns do not need concrete casting and are easy to assemble and carried and are well protected against damages, they have some advantages over other columns. They are generally used in offshore structures, piers of the bridges with large openings, and nuclear canals in power plants. They have recently been used in the frames of high rising buildings in Japan as well. The present study attempts to investigate the behavior of these new columns under axial pressure forces and bending moment through finite element method and ABAQUS 6.10 program. In order to make sure the finite element modeling is correct, the results of numerical analyses of CFT columns were compared to the laboratory results and the results were satisfying. The present study also investigated the effects different parameters of column thinness, the cross section's geometric features, and characteristics of strength of materials and found that these columns' capacity for load is more than CFT columns and are lighter and more economical compared to them.


Purpose. This special volume is dedicated to eight updated and expanded communications selected from 33 refereed papers presented at the inaugural international conference on Technology-based Learning with Disability (LWD-07) which took place on July 19–20, 2007 at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Methods. Approximately 140 researchers and practitioners attended LWD-07 representing a cross-section of K-12 and higher education, pure and applied research, disability-related industry and rehabilitation agencies with common interests in facilitating educational attainment for people with all types of disabilities through use of technology. Results. The communications selected for publication are representative of the breadth of interest at the nexus of disability, assistive technology, and the pedagogy of individualized learning. Conclusions. Access to education is a key component for quality of life and rehabilitation of any individual with a disability.


On January 8, 2020, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention officially reported the identification of a new strain of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) as the pathogen causing the global COVID-19 pandemic. The main clinical manifestations produced by SARS-CoV-2 are well described in the literature. However, the information about oral manifestations is limited. It has been suggested that the oral cavity is a perfect habitat for SARS-CoV-2 invasion due to the special affinity that the virus has for cells with the receptors for the converted angiotensin enzyme (ACE2), present in the respiratory tract, oral mucosal, tongue and salivary glands, thus being able to affect the functioning of the salivary glands, sensations of taste, smell and integrity of the oral mucosa. The new coronavirus could have the ability to alter the balance of the oral microbiota, which added to a depressed immune system would allow opportunistic infections colonization. It has been established that correct oral hygiene could decrease the incidence and severity of the main complications of COVID-19. The objective of this study is to review and analyze the available evidence in relation to oral manifestations at the mucosa, salivary glands disorders and olfactory and gustatory alterations in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection.


Seeking a way out of today's bewildering rush of rights claims, Tara Smith's Moral Rights and Political Freedom offers a systematic account of the nature and foundations of rights. The book carefully elucidates what political freedom is and demonstrates why it should be protected by rights. Smith's thesis is that rights are teleological: respect for freedom is necessary for individuals' flourishing or eudaimonia. Smith illustrates how many alleged rights would actually undermine that objective. Her decisive refutation of the assumption that conflicts between rights are inevitable-demonstrating how such conflicts are theoretically incoherent and practically self-defeating-should go a long way toward resolving many contemporary disputes about rights.


I. INTRODUCTION 1. "Who am I?": Cultural Variations in Self-Systems Evolution of Western Self-Construction: "America's Civil Religion" Interdependent Self-Construals-An Alternative Framework 2. Independent and Interdependent Models of the Self as Cultural Frame 3. Why Self-Construals are Useful Parismony of Explanation: Impact of Culture Cultural Relativity of Communication Theories ii. CULTURAL RELATIVITY OF COMMINCATION CONSTRUCTS AND THEORIES: "U.S.- CENTRISM" 4. "Communication Apprehension": "Deficiency" or "Politeness"? Motivation to "Avoid" Verbal Communication Traditional View: Communication "Avoidance" as a Deficiency Communication Avoidance Stemming from a Sensitivity to Social Contexts Implications 5. Motivation to "Approach" Verbal Communication: Is Communication Approach Always Healthy? Assertiveness: "Standing up for your own Rights" Argumentativeness: A Subset of Assertiveness Critique and Summary 6. Conflict Management Styles: Is Avoidance Really a "Lose-Lose"? Prior Conflict Management Typologies Individualistic Bias in Past Conceptualizations of Conflict Styles 7. Cognitive Consistency: A Cultural Assumption? Fundamental Assumptions of Cognitive Dissonance Theory Is Cognitive Dissonance a Culture-Bound Concept? 8. Attitude-Behavior Consistency: Cultural Ideal of the Individualistic Society Predicting Behaviors: Deemphasizing Situations Over Attitudes Emphasizing Other Sources of Behavior 9. Susceptibility to Social Influence: Conformity or "Tact"? An Eco-Cultural Explanation of Conformity Conformity as "Social Sensitivity," Independence as "Insensitivity" 10. Internal Control Ideology and Communication: Are Internals "Good Guys" and Externals "Bad Guys"? Internal Control Ideology Relationship between Locus of Control and Communication Ideology 11. Deceptive Communication: Moral Choice or Social Necessity? Deception as a Moral Issue: Independent Perspective Deception as a Social Necessity: Interdependent Perspective 12. Self-Disclosure: Bragging vs. Negative Self-Disclosure Motivational Influences on Styles of Self-Disclosure 13. Silence: "Is It Really Golden?" Silence as Malfunctioning of (Human) Machines Neglected Component of Human Communication: Silence 14. Acculturative Communication Competence: Who Bears the Burden of Adjustment? Assimilation Model: "Marginal Man [sic]" Perspective Alternation Model: Bicultural Perspective Host Communication Competence: One-Way Assimilation Bicultural Communication Competence: Alternation Model III. TOWARDS A BI-DIMENSIONAL MODEL OF CULTURAL IDENTITY 15. The Sources of Dualism: Mechanistic Cartesian Worldview Bias Toward "Yang" Communication Behaviors Particle/Wave Paradox: Implications of Personhood for Human Communication 16. Dimensionality of Cultural Identity Unidimensional Model of Self-Construals Bi-dimensional Model of Self-Construals Support for the Bi-dimensional Model Formation of Bicultural Identity IV. CONCLUSION-TOWARDS MODELS OF MATURITY 17. Into the Future: Implications for Future Inquiry Postscript References


Early fault detection and diagnosis of diesel engines are paramount now, especially with countries like the UK and France, in-line with the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change, making plans to ban the use of an automobile with diesel and petrol engines before the year 2040. This ban could affect other sectors where diesel engines are the prime mover and result in more stringent exhaust emission regulations. The instantaneous angular speed (IAS) model based fault diagnosis has shown more prospects of fault detection and location. However, there are serious gaps in available knowledge regarding IAS model based fault diagnosis which takes into account the effect of the system's modal properties. Hence, this research focuses on the online modal properties identification of a typical engine-load system for an improved performance of IAS based fault diagnosis.

Having acknowledged the essentials of IAS based fault diagnosis techniques through a comprehensive literature study, this research firstly investigates the impact of modal properties on the IAS of a four-cylinder engine. This is achieved through a three degree of freedom (DOF) torsional vibration model of the engine-load system, which allows for the modal properties of the system to be calculated and analysed. The calculated modal properties of the system showed one rigid and two flexible modes which had a low (<13Hz) and high (<92Hz) frequencies. The mode shape of the low frequency resonance shows more amplitude on the flywheel-load reference point of the system while that of the high frequency resonance shows more amplitude on the engine-flywheel reference point of the system. It then simulated the IAS which represents the torsional vibration signature with altered modal properties. The simulated result demonstrated that the low frequency resonance is more sensitive to the peak and trough values of the IAS waveform.

After identifying the deployment merits of operational modal analysis (OMA) techniques through a comprehensive literature study, this research then explore the prospect of an IAS based output-only modal properties identification of a typical engine-load system. This was done through both experimental and simulation evaluations, which allowed simulated and experimental IAS to be used for implementing covariance-driven reference based stochastic subspace identification (SSI). The simulated result using pseudo-random input shows that the identified resonance frequencies and mode shapes are 80% correlated with the calculated ones. The simulation results also demonstrated that the accuracy of the identified modal properties is dependent on the number of IAS responses used for implementing the covariance-driven reference based SSI technique. The experimental result using estimated IAS during engine shutdown operation showed that both high and low frequency vibration mode can be identified. The identified resonance frequencies with their mode shapes are 80% correlated with the predicted ones.

Having identified the modal properties of the engine-load system online through the implementation of an IAS based covariance-driven SSI, this research then investigates the impact of misfire on the system's modal properties especially the mode shape of the low frequency resonance. This was achieved experimentally by inducing a complete misfire in respective cylinders (1st, 3rd and 4th) and the IAS estimated during engine's transient shutdown operation was used for implementing a covariance-driven reference based stochastic subspace modal properties identification. While the mode shape of the identified high frequency resonance (<80Hz) showed no characteristics for cylinder misfire detection, that of the low frequency resonance (<13Hz) did.

Faults in the engine's injection system and an abnormal clearance valve train conditions significantly affects its combustion process. The cylinder by cylinder pressure torque obtained from measured IAS through order domain deconvolution technique can be used to detect and diagnose injection faults. In the interim, this research has also recognised that the closer the low-resonance frequency of the model used for the order domain deconvolution gets to its real time value the more accurate the pressure torque becomes. The reconstructed pressure torque which takes into consideration the real time low frequency resonance can be used to detect faulty injection system with different severities and abnormal clearance valve conditions of several severities. Furthermore, the importance of an accurate modal properties utilisation in IAS model


It's A Rat-Eat-Rat World...Every town on Discworld knows the stories about rats and pipers, and Maurice - a streetwise tomcat - leads a band of educated ratty friends (and a stupid kid) on a nice little earner. Piper plus rats equals lots and lots of money. Until they run across someone playing a different tune. Now he and his rats must learn a new concept: evil...


Sensitive and versatile evanescent wave-sensing systems featuring polished optical fiber-based sensor designs with low-cost light sources have been developed for temperature, relative humidity, and pH measurements. The work herein contained describes the fabrication of three types of sensors based on standard silica, single-mode fibers previously subjected to a lateral polishing of the cladding. Temperature sensing through oils whose refractive index varied linearly with temperature showed applicability with up to 5 dB//spl deg/C for a 5/spl deg/ range. Polyvinyl alcohol films on the fibers showed almost 10-dB linear variation from 70% to 90% relative humidity. Sol-gel trapped dyes as thin films on the polished surface were capable of performing 15-dB output variation (although not linearly) for pH ranging from 2 to 11.


Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center This article is based on the paper presented by Dr. Adelaida L. Palma during the Symposium on Strategy for Fisheries Resources Enhancement in the Southeast Asian Region organized by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center on 27-30 July 2015 in Pattaya, Thailand. In her paper, Dr. Palma discussed the efforts of the Philippines through its Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) – Inland Fisheries Technology Center (IFTC) in enhancing fish production from 36 lakes and reservoirs in the sixteen regions of the country. Specifically, BFAR-IFTC conducts research and develops rehabilitation measures for indigenous freshwater fish species, e.g. Leiopotherapon plumbeus, Anabas testudineus, Clarias macrocephalus, Ophicephalus striatus. As part of the promotion of its initiatives, BFAR-IFTC established a network of private hatcheries to sustain the fish fingerling requirements. A prototype model of such initiatives is the physical restoration and reconstruction of the fisheries in 7-ha Dagatan Lake. Enhancing the Fishery Resources in Philippine Lakes: The Philippine National Inland Fisheries Enhancement Program


Much of the attraction, value and romance of gems lies in their beauty, rarity, and exotic origins. With ever increasing advances in techniques for gem synthesis and for improving the appearance of natural gems, traditional perceptions of gem rarity and uniqueness are changing. Using primarily ruby and emerald as examples, this lecture examines such questions as: Why are natural gems rare? What are the geologic processes that form them? Where are they found? Are natural gems different from man-made gems? What is done to improve the appearance of natural gems? Are such treatments permanent and do they affect gem values? Answers to these and other questions provides perspective on some of the many conflicting claims and confusion surrounding natural and man-made gems, and provide a stepping stone for understanding the unique processes and circumstances responsible for gem formation.


In this paper, an analysis of power losses for the three-level T-type and neutral-point clamped (NPC) PWM inverters is presented, in which the conduction and switching losses of semiconductor devices of the inverters are taken into account. In the inverter operation, the conduction loss depends on the modulation index (MI) and power factor (PF), whereas the switching loss depends on the switching frequency. Power losses for the T-type and NPC inverters are analyzed and calculated at the different operating points of MI, PF and the switching frequency, in which the four different models of semiconductor devices are adopted. In the case of lower MI, the NPC-type is more efficient than the T-type, and vice versa. The validity of the power loss analysis has been verified by the simulation results.


Orientation: The researchers described the experiences of first-year master's students in industrial and organisational psychology in terms of their anxiety and basic assumption behaviour. Apart from their academic tasks, they seem to be unconsciously involved in many relationship and relatedness matters. Research purpose: The purpose of this research was to describe the systems psychodynamic experiences of first-year master's students in Industrial and Organisational Psychology. Motivation for the study: Academic staff members tend to forget their own experiences as master's students, lose touch with their students' experiences, lose empathy and treat student groups in mechanistic ways. Although the students' conscious tasks and roles are relatively clear, very little is known about their unconscious experiences. Research design, approach and method: The researchers used qualitative research involving a case study. They collected the data and conducted their analyses by administering a Listening Post (LP) and discourse analysis. Two themes emerged, from which the researchers formulated their working and research hypotheses. Main findings: The themes related to anxiety and basic assumption behaviour. The research hypothesis referred to students' introjections of emotional incompetence. This resulted in exhaustion. Practical/managerial implications: More focused attention to the students' emotional experiences, by themselves and by academic staff members, could conserve students' energy for their academic work and relationships. Contribution/value-add: Being master's students consumes emotional energy that jeopardises students' academic work and forming relationships. Being aware of these and managing them could help students to achieve better academically.


It is commonly assumed that indigenous American nations had neither sovereignty in international law not title to their territories when Europeans first arrived; North America was legally vacant and European powers could gain title to it simply by discovery, symbolic acts, occupation, or treaties among themselves. It follows, on this view, that current indigenous claims to internal sovereignty or a "third order of government" have no historical basis. This paper argues that this viewpoint is misguided and cannot be justified either by reference to positive international law or basic principles of justice. The author's view is that indigenous American nations had exclusive title to their territories at the time of European contact and participated actively in the formation of Canada and the United States. This fact requires us to rewrite our constitutional histories and reconsider the current status of indigenous American nations.


The reinforcing and restraining effect of piles embedded in soils is objective existence. However, the correlative research work on pile groups settlement methods is not deep enough and needs to be continued. Based on the shear displacement method, considering the reinforcing and restraining effect, the settlements of the analyzing pile caused by loads on the pile top were calculated, including the reduction effect caused by the existence of the other adjacent piles. And the additional settlements of the adjacent piles arising from the settlement of the loaded pile were obtained as well. Thus a simplified formula of interaction coefficients between any two piles was presented. Meanwhile, the equivalent shear stiffness coefficients of soil around each pile were developed; and an equation of displacements caused by load on top of the analyzing pile imbedded in multi-layered soils was built; so recurrence relations of settlement and axial force of pile shaft between upper and lower of each pile sections were respectively deduced; in the process of deduction, Boussinesq solution was modified to include the effect of different embedded depths, and then used to derive the equivalent stiffness coefficients of the soil under the pile tips. Lastly, the formula was extended to the settlements calculation of high and low cap pile groups. Different methods were compared with two engineering cases. The results show that the load-settlement curve computed by present method agreed well with those measured from real engineering cases; and the calculating interaction coefficients are much less than ones calculated by the elastic theory method.


This Note explores how courts interpret the meaning of "essential functions" under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To be protected under the ADA, a plaintiff must be able to perform the "essential functions" of her job with or without a reasonable accommodation. In general, courts follow one of two approaches when interpreting this phrase. The first approach narrowly focuses on the employer's judgment regarding which functions are essential. The second approach considers the employer's judgment, but looks beyond to consider the broader employment relationship. This Note argues that these different approaches have led to varying levels of scrutiny, which ultimately hinders the ADA's efforts to eliminate discrimination. This Note asserts that these different approaches exist because Section 12111(8) fails to clearly indicate which one courts should follow. As a result, courts are able to apply that level of scrutiny they consider appropriate, instead of that level of scrutiny Congress intended. To clarify the proper test that courts should follow, this Note proposes a statutory amendment to Section 12111(8). This Note concludes that this amendment is the most effective way to make Title I's protections more robust.


The Paul Scherrer Institute used to be very active in fuel fabrication R and D using the internal gelation process, which is a promising production method for spherical nuclear fuel. Such fuel kernels can be directly packed in a cylindrical cladding (a sphere-pac pin), or they can be coated in the TRISO concept. The internal gelation offers several advantages, as it is aqueous up to the forming of the sphere. Consequently, the process is almost dustless, with lower risk of incorporation. The production does not require mechanical and maintenance intensive equipment, as for example presses and grinding machines necessary for pellet type fuel. Especially for low decontaminated fuel coming from aqueous reprocessing, this offers a great advantage, because the production line can easily be handled remotely in a hot cell. In the past, many different fuel matrices were produced and tested at PSI (carbide, nitride and oxide fuels). The paper summarizes the past activities, and some important findings. Furthermore, future perspectives of this concept are shown. These are especially seen in context of Generation IV nuclear systems such as the sodium cooled fast reactor (SFR), the very high temperature reactor (VHTR), and the gas cooled fast reactor (GFR). The paper describes the former production line, which was a classical internal gelation process. Some advantages and disadvantages of this system will be illustrated which lead to a new project at PSI. A silicon oil-free system will be developed over the next years. The oil as a heat carrier is replaced by a cavity, where microwaves act on falling drops and lead to the desired gelation before the spheres drop into a washing solution. The idea of a microwave gelation has already been tested at several laboratories in the past. The paper gives an overview of these activities. Finally the concept of the new production at PSI is introduced. (author)


Quantum computing is a new field which combines computer science and quantum physics. Its most famous result, Shor's factoring algorithm, would enable us to one day compromise the widely-used RSA cryptosystem if we are able to design efficient quantum architectures. Studying the depth of these architectures would allow us to solve this human problem within a human lifetime. Toward that end, we contribute two hybrid factoring architectures in poly-logarithmic and sub-logarithmic depths, which are both exponential improvements over previous known works. We also present an improved procedure for generating quantum Fourier states useful for quantum compiling. Finally, we invent a new circuit resource called coherence which upper bounds the error-correcting effort needed in a future quantum computer. We use this to characterize a better time-space tradeoff for factoring as well as to provide configurable-depth factoring architectures.


Summer Lecture Series 2006: Rich Muller, a Berkeley Lab physicist, discusses Nobel laureate Luis Alvarez and colleagues' 1979 discovery that an asteroid impact killed the dinosaurs. He also discusses what scientists have learned in the subsequent 27 years. Alvarez's team detected unusual amounts of iridium in sedimentary layers. They attributed the excess iridium to an impact from a large asteroid. His talk was presented June 30, 2006.


Like many childhood disorders, prevalence rates of AD/HD differ significantly across gender, with male-to-female ratios ranging from 2:1 to 9:1 depending on the sample (APA, 1994). Limited research has been conducted thus far in an effort to better understand these differential prevalence rates. However, it has been proposed that the current symptom descriptions for AD/HD in the DSM-IV may not be fully capturing how females manifest the disorder (Ohan & Johnston, 2005). To address this theory and the existing gap in the literature, this study examined the ability of the current DSM-IV symptom items and some newly proposed gender-sensitive items (Ohan & Johnston, 2005) to predict impairment in elementary school girls. Sixty-three parents and 45 primary classroom teachers of girls ages six to eleven completed packets providing information about the girls. Primary analyses of parent data revealed that a combination of some gender-sensitive items in addition to some DSM-IV items were predictive of overall impairment in girls. However, secondary analyses of teacher data revealed that only some DSM-IV items were predictive of overall impairment. Nonetheless, these findings lend some support for the notion that although the underlying mechanisms of AD/HD may be the same for boys and girls, how this disorder is manifested may be different, and the current diagnostic criteria are not fully capturing how females express AD/HD. Implications for future research and clinical practice were discussed.


Tuna viscera is highly potential as a source of protease enzyme. A wide enzyme applications requires an economical and efficient enzyme purification techniques and therefore can be applied in a large scale. The ultrafiltration (UF) process is one of the potential technology but has disadvantage due to fouling and concentration polarization. The studies on the operating trans-membrane pressure (TMP), the operating temperature, materials of the membrane and the molecular weight cut off (MWCO) of the membrane to reduce fouling and concentration polarization should be carried out. Reverse osmosis (RO) process at the next step was used to increase the concentration of the protease enzyme. This study was divided into several stages of preparation of protease enzyme, crude extract, pre-filtration, UF process, RO process and SDS-PAGE analysis. The tests included measurements of protein levels and activity of the protease enzyme. Optimum conditions for the purification of the UF polyacrylonitrile with MWCO 100 kDa was obtain on TMP 55 kPa and a temperature of 40 °C. Flux in both membrane was influenced by the TMP, temperature, the membrane material and MWCO. Rejection of protein and enzyme activity in both membrane is more influenced by the membrane material and MWCO of the membrane. Estimation of protein molecular weight after the RO from UF polyacrylonitrile with MWCO 100 kDa were 37.53; 27.77; 22.72 and 19.88 kDa while the specific activity of the protease was 1.38 unit/ mg. Keywords: protease, tuna viscera, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis.


"Love and Summer" - a remarkable, heart-rending novel by acclaimed writer William Trevor. "Lingers in the memory as a beautiful meditation on love, belonging and the impossibility of escape". ("Observer"). "Unbearably moving". ("Spectator"). It is summer and a stranger has come to quiet Rathmoye. He is noticed by Ellie, the young convent girl, who is married to Dillahan, a farmer still mourning his first wife. Over the long and warm days, Ellie and the stranger form an illicit attachment. And those in the town can only watch, holding their tongues, as passion, love and fate take their inevitable course. "A portrait of a brackish rural backwater, complete with family tragedy, sexual scandal, a repressed spinster and a half-crazed ancient retainer ...delicate, elegiac, written with all Trevor's trademark compassion and understanding". ("Daily Mail"). "A series of wrenching human dramas, which Trevor depicts with kindness and beautiful delicacy". ("Sunday Telegraph"). "Brilliant. Trevor is the ultimate Old Master". ("Evening Standard"). "Beautiful. A flawless work of art". ("Independent on Sunday"). Readers of "The Story of Lucy Gault" and "Felicia's Journey" will adore "Love and Summer". It will also be cherished by readers of Colm Toibin and William Boyd. William Trevor was born in Mitchelstown, County Cork. He has written eighteen novels and novellas, and hundreds of short stories, for which he has won a number of prizes including the Hawthornden Prize, the Yorkshire Post Book of the Year Award, the Whitbread Book of the Year Award and the David Cohen Literature Prize in recognition of a lifetime's literary achievement. In 2002 he was knighted for his services to literature. His books in Penguin are: "After Rain"; "A Bit on the Side"; "Bodily Secrets"; "Cheating at Canasta"; "The Children of Dynmouth"; "The Collected Stories" (Volumes One and Two); "Death in Summer"; "Felicia's Journey"; "Fools of Fortune"; "The Hill Bachelors"; "Love and Summer"; "The Mark-2 Wife"; "Selected Stories"; "The Story of Lucy Gault" and "Two Lives".


An abstract of 75 words or less must accompany the manuscript; therefore, a summary is not required. FOOTNOTES: Unpublished documents and personal communications should be cited in the text by footnotes. Footnotes should be indicated by consecutive, superscript numerals rather than by asterisks or other symbols. LITERATURE CITED: In the text, references to literature citations should be designated by the author's name and year of publication in parentheses. If there are more than two authors, only the senior author's name should be listed in the text with the abbreviation et al., for example: (Smith et al., 1965). Only published references should be given in the Literature Cited, and each should conform in style to the name-and-yearsystem of the C. B. E. STYLE MANUAL. March 1968 189 INFORMATION FOR CONTRIBITORS This content downloaded from 220.127.116.11 on Sat, 16 Apr 2016 06:36:38 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms


In this thesis I present the work I did during my PhD at the Institute of Theoretical Physical (IPhT), CEA Saclay, under the supervision of Iosif Bena. The framework I have been working in is string theory, and more precisely supergravities in ten and eleven dimensions, as low energy limits of string theory. The first part of the thesis deals with the study of supersymmetric three-charge black holes and black hole microstates: Using supersymmetric D-branes called supertubes, we have performed a probe analysis of supergravity solutions, and showed how this approach exactly captures, in all known cases, the physical properties of the complete supergravity solution. We also found that when the supertube is in a magnetically charged background, it sees its entropy enhanced with respect to its flat space one. The supergravity solutions sourced by supertubes are regular and horizonless, and hence can be seen, in the "fuzzball proposal", as black hole microstates. This enhanced entropy could therefore contribute for a large part in a microscopic counting of the black hole entropy. In the second part of the thesis, I present a new class of five-dimensional non-supersymmetric solutions, called "floating brane" solutions. The equations giving these new solutions generalize the BPS equations and have the key property to still be partially first order and linear. The BPS equations, and thus all the known supersymmetric solutions, are recovered as a subcase of the floating brane equations. Some of the new solutions have a horizon and are thus black holes – with different horizon topologies – but some are completely regular and horizonless and should correspond to microstates of non extremal black holes.


This anthology pays tribute to Allan Berube (1946-2007), a self-taught historian and MacArthur Fellow who was a pioneer in the study of lesbian and gay history in the United States. Best known for his Lambda Literary Award-winning book Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War II (1990), Berube also wrote extensively on the history of sexual politics in San Francisco and on the relationship between sexuality, class, and race. John D'Emilio and Estelle Freedman, who were close colleagues and friends of Berube, have selected sixteen of his most important essays, including hard-to-access articles and unpublished writing. The book provides a retrospective on Berube's life and work while it documents the emergence of a grassroots lesbian and gay community history movement in the 1970s and 1980s. Taken together, the essays attest to the power of history to mobilize individuals and communities to create social change. |This anthology pays tribute to Allan Berube (1946-2007), a self-taught historian and MacArthur Fellow who was a pioneer in the study of lesbian and gay history in the United States. D'Emilio and Freedman have selected sixteen of his most important essays which provide a retrospective on Berube's life and work while documenting the emergence of a grassroots lesbian and gay community history movement in the 1970s and 1980s.


Inhibins and activins are dimeric ligands belonging to the TGFβ superfamily with emergent roles in cancer. Inhibins contain an α-subunit (INHA) and a β-subunit (either INHBA or INHBB), while activins are mainly homodimers of either βA (INHBA) or βB (INHBB) subunits. Inhibins are biomarkers in a subset of cancers and utilize the coreceptors betaglycan (TGFBR3) and endoglin (ENG) for physiological or pathological outcomes. Given the array of prior reports on inhibin, activin and the coreceptors in cancer, this study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis, assessing their functional prognostic potential in cancer using a bioinformatics approach. We identify cancer cell lines and cancer types most dependent and impacted, which included p53 mutated breast and ovarian cancers and lung adenocarcinomas. Moreover, INHA itself was dependent on TGFBR3 and ENG/CD105 in multiple cancer types. INHA, INHBA, TGFBR3, and ENG also predicted patients' response to anthracycline and taxane therapy in luminal A breast cancers. We also obtained a gene signature model that could accurately classify 96.7% of the cases based on outcomes. Lastly, we cross-compared gene correlations revealing INHA dependency to TGFBR3 or ENG influencing different pathways themselves. These results suggest that inhibins are particularly important in a subset of cancers depending on the coreceptor TGFBR3 and ENG and are of substantial prognostic value, thereby warranting further investigation.


This article reports luminescence studies on wet-chemical route prepared YVO4:Er3+/Yb3+ microdisc phosphor. The 980 nm laser excited upconversion (UC) emission intensity ratio of green to red bands is found too high to neglect the contribution from the red emission band, which is not observed normally in Er3+/Yb3+-doped materials. The red emission is also found absent in the downconversion emission under excitation at 316 nm. The variation of UC intensities with external temperature exhibits a well-fashioned pattern, which suggests that the H11/22 and S3/24 levels of Er3+ ion are thermally coupled. The YVO4:Er3+/Yb3+ phosphor has shown outstanding temperature-sensing behavior with maximum sensitivity of 0.0117  K−1 at 400 K. This material is also employed to develop a latent fingerprint in green color. Furthermore, the present phosphor could be useful for solar cell concentrators, drug delivery, and disease therapy applications.


Background Hippocampal changes may be a useful biomarker for Alzheimer's disease if they are specific to dementia sub-type. We compare hippocampal volume and shape in population-based incident cases of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia (VaD). Methods Participants are Japanese-American men from the Honolulu Asia Aging Study. The following analysis is based on a sub-group of men with mild incident Alzheimer's disease (n=24: age=82.5±4.6) or incident VaD (n=14: age=80.5±4.5). To estimate hippocampal volume, one reader, blinded to dementia diagnosis, manually outlined the left and right formation of the hippocampus using published criteria. We used 3-D mapping methods developed at the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging (LONI) to compare regional variation in hippocampal width between dementia groups. Results Hippocampal volume was about 5% smaller in the Alzheimer's disease group compared to the VaD group, but the difference was not significant. Hippocampal shape differed between the two case groups for the left (p<0.04) but not right (p<0.21) hippocampus. The specific region of the hippocampus that most consistently differed between the Alzheimer's disease and VaD cases was in the lateral portion of the left hippocampus. Our interpretation of this region is that it intersects the CA1 sub-region to a great extent but also includes the dentate gyrus (and hilar region) and subiculum. Conclusion As indicated by shape analysis, there are some differences in atrophy localisation between the Alzheimer's disease and VaD cases, despite the finding that volume of the hippocampi did not differ. These findings suggest hippocampal atrophy in Alzheimer's disease may be more focal than in VaD.


Subtilisin-like proteases form a large group of serine proteases with diverse functions, including the specific processing of a variety of proproteins and prohormones, and are found in prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. The work in this thesis focuses mainly on the Aral2 subtilisin-like protease following its discovery in the filtrate of Arabidopsis cell suspension cultures. Evidence obtained by Southern blotting and database searching is presented for the existence of a large gene family encoding subtilisin-like proteases in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. There may be more than fifty members in this gene family. Three of the corresponding DNA sequences have been cloned by RT-PCR and used as probes in Northern analysis to investigate the tissue specificity of the gene transcripts. These three genes appear to be expressed to varying degrees in Arabidopsis leaf, stem, root and silique tissues. A 650bp cDNA fragment encoding the C-terminal portion of the Aral2 protease has been obtained by RT-PCR, ligated to the malE gene and overexpressed as a fusion protein in E. coli cells. Polyclonal antisera have been raised against a combination of the fusion protein and the Aral2 C-terminal protein purified after cleavage from the fusion protein using Factor Xa protease. Aral2 protein has been detected in Arabidopsis tissues, particularly in siliques and stems, by Western blotting using these antibodies. An apoplastic location has been ascribed to Aral2 protease by immunocytochemistry using electron microscopy. The mature Aral2 subtilisin-like protease has been purified to homogeneity from Arabidopsis cell suspension culture filtrate by ion exchange chromatography and hydrophobic interaction chromatography. The purified enzyme has an acidic pH optimum of approximately pH5.5, which is unusual for a plant subtilisin-like protease. Aral2 protease is relatively thermostable and is activated in the presence of Ca(^2+) ions. The known serine protease inhibitors phenylmethanesulphonyl fluoride (PMSF), 4-(2- aminoethyl) benzenesulphonyl fluoride (AEBSF) and diisopropyl fluorophosphates (DFP) have an inhibitory effect on the proteolytic activity of Aral2. Substrate specificity studies have been performed using artificial peptide substrates, native proteins and cell wall protein extracts from Arabidopsis cells.


Settler Feminism and Race Making in Canada engages in a discursive analysis of three 'texts' - the narratives of Anna Jameson (Winter Studies and Summer Rambles in Canada), Theresa Gowanlock and Theresa Delaney (Two Months in the Camp of Big Bear), and the 'Janey Canuck' books of Emily Murphy - in order to examine how, in the context of a settler colony, white women have been part of the project of its governance, its racial constitution, and its role in British imperialism. Using Foucauldian theories of governmentality to connect these first-person narratives to wider strategies of race making, Jennifer Henderson develops a feminist critique of the ostensible freedom that Anglo-Protestant women found within nineteenth-century liberal projects of rule. Henderson's interdisciplinary approach - including critical studies in law, literature, and political history - offers a new perspective on these women that detaches them from the dominant colony-to-nation narrative and shows their importance in a tradition of moral regulation. This project not only redresses problems in Canadian literary history, it also responds to the limits of postcolonial, nationalist, and feminist projects that search for authentic voices and resistant agency without sufficient attention to the layers of historical sedimentation through which these voices speak.


In current scenarios, cloud computing gaining a great drive and plays a significant role in improving the infrastructure of internet computing. It's a developing technology but however it's a very challenging to integrate cloud computing in mobile devices. With integration, Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC) facing security issues like user authority, data confidentiality, etc. MCC is an essential technology in current environment as it became one of the main processing devices for the users now-a-days. Recent studies on this aspect are not yet efficient in eliminating the security issues. So, this research paper presents an effective safe and secure hierarchical access control method known as M-HABE (Modified Hierarchical Attribute-Based Encryption) and a modified three-layer structure. This proposed solution enables the users to control and monitor their enormous sensitive data from mobile devices from unauthorized third party. This new method mainly concentrates on the data storing, processing and accessing where it make sure that only the user with legal authorities get access to information and restricts the unauthorized users. Finally, this research clearly explains the introduced method through Java technology. Hence, the proposed method will be very suitable for the mobile cloud computing in securing user data.


In the 1980s "restructuring" became a popular term in education circles. In fact, by the end of the decade it had become so popular that some people felt it had become meaningless. Assuming that the word retains some meaning, we ought to ask, "Does it work?" That is, do schools that claim to have restructured themselves function any better than schools that follow traditional practice? Some new research by Valerie Lee of the University of Michigan and Julia Smith of the University of Rochester suggests that the answer may well be yes. A summary of their report appears in the fall 1994 issue of Issues in Restructuring Schools. Lee and Smith begin by seeking to contrast traditional American high schools with restructured schools. The usual high school conforms to what they call a "bureaucratic" structure. In the hope of obtaining economies of scale, these schools are large, offer many courses, have a principal who functions as a CEO, are organized by department, and engage in tracking. While there are indisputable economies of scale, there is a loss of sustained personal contact between the staff and the students. In contrast to the bureaucratic school stands the communal school. "Complicated rules and procedures are less necessary because the school setting is smaller, contact between people is more sustained and more personal, and there is more agreement on organizational purpose for which people share responsibility. In a communally organized school, teachers work collaboratively, often in teams that are formed across subjects. Instead of having top-down directives, teachers have more input into decisions affecting their work." For their study Lee and Smith chose schools included in the surveys of the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). Recognizing that restructuring efforts are anything but uniform, the researchers distinguished between the activities of schools that did not depart from traditional practice and those that did. Using a set of criteria on restructuring from the Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools, they categorized school reform practices as traditional, moderate, or restructuring. A school was considered to be a restructuring school if it reported having in place any three of 12 practices judged to be restructuring reform practices. Of the schools that met this criterion, most had adopted a total of 11 to 13 of the 30 reform practices identified by the researchers. At the level of individual pupils, the researchers imposed statistical controls on initial differences in socioeconomic status (SES), minority status, gender, and differences in engagement and achievement prior to reaching high school. At the school level, controls were in place for SES, minority concentration, course taking, and the degree to which different students took different courses within each grade. The first finding of note was that most of the school reform practices adopted were not those that would lead to a restructured school. Instead, they were practices that would maintain a traditional organization. Tradition-oriented practices such as increased graduation requirements had been adopted in about 60% of the schools. Restructuring practices occurred much less frequently. For example, having interdisciplinary teaching teams occurred in 24% of the schools, mixed-ability grouping in math or science in 21%, and flexible time for classes in only 9%. Clearly the millennium of school restructuring will have to wait a bit. Having located schools with various types of reforms in place - and schools that engaged in no reform practices - the researchers next sought to determine what difference restructuring and traditional reforms made. The achievement levels of students in schools with no reforms and in schools with restructuring reforms were compared to those of students in schools with traditional reforms. As part of NELS:88, students took reading, mathematics, history, and science tests in the eighth grade and again in the 10th grade. …


Modern cellular mobile communications systems are characterized by a high degree of capacity. Consequently, they have to serve the maximum possible number of calls while the number of channels per cell is limited. The objective of channel allocation is to assign a required number of channels to each cell such that both efficient frequency spectrum utilization is provided and interference effects are minimized. Channel assignment is therefore an important operation of resource management and its efficient implementation increases the fidelity, capacity, and quality of service of cellular systems. Most channel allocation strategies are based on deterministic methods, however, which result in implementation complexity that is prohibitive for the traffic demand envisaged for the next generation of mobile systems. An efficient heuristic technique capable of handling channel allocation problems is introduced as an alternative. The method is called a combinatorial evolution strategy (CES) and belongs to the general heuristic optimization techniques known as evolutionary algorithms (EAs). Three alternative allocation schemes operating deterministically, namely the dynamic channel assignment (DCA), the hybrid channel assignment (HCA), and the borrowing channel assignment (BCA), are formulated as combinatorial optimization problems for which CES is applicable. Simulations for representative cellular models show the ability of this heuristic to yield sufficient solutions. These results will encourage the use of this method for the development of a heuristic channel allocation controller capable of coping with the traffic and spectrum management demands for the proper operation of the next generation of cellular systems.


The School of Industrial Engineering at Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (ETSII-UPM) has been promoting student-centred teaching-learning activities, according to the aims of the Bologna Declaration, well before the official establishment of the European Area of Higher Education. Such student-centred teaching-learning experiences led us to the conviction that project based learning is rewarding, both for students and academics, and should be additionally promoted in our new engineering programmes, adapted to the Grade-Master structure. The level of commitment of our teachers with these activities is noteworthy, as the teaching innovation experiences carried out in the last ten years have led to the foundation of 17 Teaching Innovation Groups at ETSII-UPM, hence leading the ranking of teaching innovation among all UPM centres. Among interesting CDIO activities our students have taken part in especially complex projects, including the Formula Student, linked to the complete development of a competition car, and the Cybertech competition, aimed at the design, construction and operation of robots for different purposes. Additional project-based learning teamwork activities have been linked to toy design, to the development of medical devices, to the implementation of virtual laboratories, to the design of complete industrial installations and factories, among other activities detailed in present study. The implementation of Bologna process will culminate at ETSII-UPM with the beginning of the Master's Degree in Industrial Engineering, in academic year 2014-15. The program has been successfully approved by the Spanish Agency for Accreditation (ANECA), with the inclusion of a set of subjects based upon the CDIO methodology denominated generally "INGENIA", linked to the Spanish "ingeniar" (to provide ingenious solutions), also related etymologically in Spanish with "ingeniero", engineer. INGENIA students will live through the complete development process of a complex product or system and there will be different kind of projects covering most of the engineering majors at ETSII-UPM.


The superior piezoelectric and dielectric properties of the relaxor based piezoelectric single crystals (PMN-PT) render them as prime candidates for Navy sonar detectors as well as in broad band medical ultrasonic imaging devices. Production of phased array probes utilizing these types of high performance ceramics requires dicing these crystals to arrays with pitches of less than the desired wavelength, ranging from tens to hundreds of micrometers. However, the relaxor based single crystals are very brittle with fracture toughness of about a third to a half that of typical PZT ceramics ( m MPa 8 . 0 4 . 0  ). Excessive chipping and cracking, either during the cutting or poling process, have been reported as major hurdles in processing, leading to spurious resonance and degradation of the distance resolution. In addition, residual stress from the cutting process could be major reliability degradation if it is not well quantified and minimized. In this work, we experimentally analyzed the machining induced damage in a group of Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate solid solution single crystal {(1x)[Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3]-x[PbTiO3] (PMN-PT)} under simulated process parameters for cutting speeds and down feeds. The machined surfaces are examined by non-contact optical profilometer for planarity and roughness, scanning electron microscopy for subsurface damage, and by micro-raman spectroscopic analysis and X-ray diffraction analysis to uncover machining induced phase transformations. The analysis reveals the preferred process parameters for minimal machining induced damages.


The Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG), developed by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) under the directive of the U.S. National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 1-37A, is the latest development in the concept and theories for the analysis and design of new pavements and of overlays for the existing pavements. While MEPDG is waiting for its full-scale implementation and to replace the traditional pavement design methods, it is desirable to make use of the performance prediction capacity of the MEPDG for accurate life-cycle costing analysis. The objective of this study is to review the state of the art and state of the practices for LCC and the new MEPDG methodology for flexible pavement design/preservation, and explore a framework for the integration of LCC into the new MEPDG, which would help the pavement agencies to evaluate the most economic (cost-effective) flexible pavement design for a new roadway section and overlay design for an existing flexible pavement as well as the preservation (maintenance and rehabilitation) time/strategy based on MEPDG methodology.