Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) are generally believed to be the result of the thermonuclear disruption of Chandrasekhar-mass carbon-oxygen white dwarfs, mainly because such thermonuclear explosions can account for the right amount of nickel, which is needed to explain the light curves and the late-time spectra, and the abundances of intermediate-mass nuclei which dominate the spectra near maximum light. Because of their enormous brightness and apparent homogeneity SN Ia have become an important tool to measure cosmological parameters.
In this article the present understanding of the physics of thermonuclear explosions is reviewed. In particular, we focus our attention on subsonic ("deflagration") fronts, i.e. we investigate fronts propagating by heat diffusion and convection rather than by compression. Models based upon this mode of nuclear burning have been applied very successfully to the SN Ia problem, and are able to reproduce many of their observed features remarkably well. However, the models also indicate that SN Ia may differ considerably from each other, which is of importance if they are to be used as standard candles.


Since the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, the ecological status of European running waters has been evaluated using a set of harmonised ecological indicators that should guide conservation and restoration actions. Among these, the restoration of the natural flow regime (ecological flows) is considered indispensable for the achievement of the good ecological status, and yet the sensitivity of the current biological indicators to hydrologic parameters remains understudied. The Italian Star_ICMi well represents other similar WFD indicators; it is a macroinvertebrate-based multimetric index officially adopted to assess the ecological status of running waters at the national level. Recent legislation has also included the Star_ICMi as one of the indicators used to assess and prescribe ecological flows in river reaches regulated by water abstraction. However, the relationship between river hydrology and the Star_ICMi index is so far virtually unknown. Using data from the Trentino - Alto Adige Alpine region, we first assessed the relationship between the Star_ICMi and synthetic descriptors of the physico-chemical (LIMeco) and morphological (MQI) status of respectively 280 and 184 river reaches. Then, we examined the relation between the Star_ICMi and a set of ecologically-relevant hydrologic parameters derived from discharge time-series measured at 21 hydrometric stations, representing both natural and regulated river reaches. Although the Star_ICMi showed significant and linear relationships with the physico-chemical character and, slightly, with the morphological quality of the reaches, its response to flow parameters appeared weak or non-existent when examined with linear models. Mixed quantile regressions allowed the identification of flow parameters that represented limiting factors for macroinvertebrate communities and the associated Star_ICMi scores. In particular, the index showed 'negative floors' where lower values were observed in reaches with large temporal variation in flow magnitude as well as frequent low and high flow events. The modelled quantiles also tracked the transition of the index from acceptable to unacceptable conditions. The results suggest that while the central tendency of the Star_ICMi index is not strongly influenced by river flow character, some key flow parameters represent limiting factors that allow the index to reach its lowest values, eventually 'pushing' the site towards unacceptable ecological conditions. The identification of limiting flow parameters can aid the setting of hydrologic thresholds over which ecological impairment is likely to occur. Overall, however, results imply caution is needed in using biological indicator like the Star_ICMi for the quantitative assessment and design of ecological flows.


A report is given on the diagnosis of obstructions of the ureter by means of computerized tomography, using 8 examples. We distinguish between exterior compression, stricture of the ureteral wall and intracanalicular blockage. Computerized tomography is indicated above all for external compressions on which anamnesis gives no information. The typical finding with CT is ectasis of the ureter above the stenotic region and structures with dense soft parts in the compression section, whereby the density pattern often gives hints as to the nature of the compression. However, benign genesis cannot always be distinguished from a malignant process.


Nuclear fusion is seen as a much ''cleaner'' energy source than fission. Most of the studies and experiments on nuclear fusion are currently devoted to the Deuterium-Tritium (DT) fuel cycle, since it is the easiest way to reach ignition. The recent stress on safety by the world's community has stimulated the research on other fuel cycles than the DT one, based on 'advanced' reactions, such as the Deuterium-Helium-3 (DHe) one. These reactions pose problems, such as the availability of 3He and the attainment of the higher plasma parameters that are required for burning. However, they have many advantages, like for instance the very low neutron activation, while it is unnecessary to breed and fuel tritium. The extrapolation of Ignitor technologies towards a larger and more powerful experiment using advanced fuel cycles (Candor) has been studied. Results show that Candor does reach the passive safety and zero-waste option. A fusion power reactor based on the DHe cycle could be the ultimate response to the environmental requirements for future nuclear power plants.


Computerized seedling image analysis are one of the most recently techniques to detect differences of vigor between seed lots. The aim of this study was verify the hability of computerized seedling image analysis by SVIS® to detect differences of vigor between tomato seed lots as information provided by traditionally vigor tests. Ten lots of tomato seeds, cultivar Santa Clara, were stored for 12 months in controlled environment at 20 ± 1 °C and 45- 50% of relative humidity of the air. The moisture content of the seeds was monitored and the physiological potential tested at 0, 6 and 12 months after storage, with germination test, first count of germination, traditional accelerated ageing and with saturated salt solution, electrical conductivity, seedling emergence and with seed vigor imaging system (SVIS®). A completely randomized experimental design was used with four replications. The parameters obtained by the computerized seedling analysis (seedling length and indexes of vigor and seedling growth) with software SVIS® are efficient to detect differences between tomato seed lots of high and low vigor.


It has been widely reported that carbide-free bainitic steels or super-bainite TRIP (SB-TRIP) steels for the automotive industry are a new family of steels offering a unique combination of high strength and ductility. Hence, it is important to exactly evaluate the volume fraction of RA and to identify the 3-D morphology of constituent phases, because it plays a crucial role in mechanical properties. Recently, as electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) equipped with focused ion beam (FIB) has been developed, 3-D EBSD technique for materials science are used to these steels. Moreover, newly developed atom probe tomography (APT) technique can provide the exact distribution and chemical concentration of alloying elements in a sub-nm scale. The APT analysis results indicate exactly the distribution and composition of alloying elements in the austenite and bainite phases of SB-TRIP steels with the atomic-scale resolution. And thus, no partitioning of aluminum and manganese atoms was showed between the austenite containing at% C and the bainitic ferrite associated with at% C in SB-TRIP steel.


The single-chain variable fragment (scFv) against lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) is a promising molecule for its potential use in the diagnosis and immunotherapy of atherosclerosis. Producing this scFv in several milligram amounts could be the starting point for further engineering and application of the scFv. In this study, the abundant expression of the anti-LOX-1 scFv was attempted using Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Brevibacillus choshinensis (B. choshinensis). The scFv had limited soluble yield in E. coli, but it was efficiently secreted by B. choshinensis. The optimized fermentation was determined using the Plackett-Burman screening design and response surface methodology, under which the yield reached up to 1.5 g/l in a 5-L fermentor. Moreover, the properties of the scFvs obtained from the two expression systems were different. The antigen affinity, transition temperature, and particle diameter size were 1.01E-07 M, 55.2 ± 0.3°C, and 9.388 nm for the scFv expressed by B. choshinensis, and 4.53E-07 M, 52.5 ± 0.3°C, and 13.54 nm for the scFv expressed by E. coli. This study established an efficient scale-up production methodology for the anti-LOX-1 scFv, which will boost its use in LOX-1-based therapy.


Pseudoaneurysm, or false aneurysm, is a clinical entity caused by arterial wall rupture, with blood extravasation contained by neighboring tissues. We report a case of a 64-year-old female patient, who was referred due to a rare right lateral thoracic artery lesion leading to pseudoaneurysm secondary to blunt trauma. The authors did not find a similar case in the literature.


The main objective of this project is to design and implement an indoor autonomous flight control for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) of type Parrot AR Drone. Autonomous flight is achieved when the AR Drone is capable of following a predefined trajectory without any human interaction. For this purpose, a control algorithm for Parrot AR Drone designed by Mathworks under software Matlab\Simulink was used and enhanced. As a part of the control model development and enhancement, a Vicon Capture System consisting of a set of cameras was integrated in real time with the AR Drone Matlab\Simulink. Vicon Capture System was used to capture the position of AR Drone and compare it with the estimated position obtained from AR Drone on-board sensors. It was noticed that the Vicon cameras' position estimation was closer to the real position than the sensors' estimation.


In the recent years, due to the emergence of new models of production based on collaboration, collaborative writing tools started to be increasingly used by various communities. Due to great variety of groupware software, there is the need of criteria for discriminating the working modes supported by these tools. In this paper we propose a new model for the classification of collaborative writing tools. Based on our model, we categorize most popular existing collaborative tools. We also propose novel working modes that are not adopted by existing tools and that improve the process of collaboration.


Drug-coated stents appear to be the most promising approach among all interventional strategies to prevent restenosis. These stents both suppress geometric remodeling and inhibit neointimal hyperplasia with a therapeutic agent. Animal studies and recent randomised clinical trials with sirolimus-eluting stents have achieved excellent results in the prevention of restenosis. These stents also have a good safety record and demonstrate a durable clinical benefit for patients at long-term follow-up. This article summarises experimental and clinical experiences with local drug delivery via a stent coating in the prevention of restenosis after coronary angioplasty, outlining the clinician's view of current trends.


Inventory survey is process collecting data about cut slope. It's different from inspection. Collected data are being used get at status about cut slope along national roads. And we analyse between current situation and data about collapse slope. It helps finding better method about maintenance of cut slope. We found changes in the situation between data at present and data at 10 years ago. We will research collapse and counterplan by cause.


In this paper, a digital fractional-order differentiator (FOD) is designed by using fractional sample delay. To improve the design accuracy of conventional fractional differencing and Tustin design methods at high frequency regions, the integer delay is replaced by fractional sample delay. By using the well-documented finite-impulse-response Lagrange, infinite impulse response allpass, and Farrow fractional delay filters, the proposed FOD can be implemented easily even though the fractional sample delay is introduced. Several design examples are illustrated to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.


Abstract The carbene adducts 3a-c (R1 = Me, Et, iso-Pr; R2 = Me) are formed from the 2,3-dihydro-imidazol-2-ylidenes 1a-c and 1,2-dichloroethane as air-sensitive solids in good yields. The compounds exhibit a reactive Cl-Cl bond. Benzene is chlorinated by 3a,b to give chlorobenzene and the imidazolium salts 10a,b under mild conditions. 3c acts as a chloride donor to give with AICI3 and SO2 the 2-chloroimidazolium salts 12c and 13c (X = AlCl4, SO2Cl). On hydrolysis, the less reactive hydrate salt 14c is formed from 3c. The X-ray structures of 10a and 14c are reported.


An automated design of bending process was carried out by using an artificial intelligence. This design which is to decide an optimum order of edges to be bent can be considered as a kind of traveling salesman problem. A genetic algorithm was applied for a solution, where a gene is an edge to be bent and chromosome is an order of gene. If an interference occurred due to an ill-considered order, a process cannot be carried out. The interference would to be known at the beginning of a design, while it often occurs at the end of a process. In order to design efficiently a practice of an inverse process design, which means not to decide a beginning order from a raw material to a product but to do a development order from a product to a raw material. Automatic design of two product profiles were carried out in the condition that two crossovers were examined and a scaling changed and it done successfully in the case of combination of two point and permutation crossover and gradual change of weight of a scaling. A fitness function was composed of five process factors which include a interference.


This report is a brief survey of the evolution of microwave art in China through its several stages in the past thirty years. After a historical account of the Chinese microwaves, the author has endeavored to provide a cross-sectional view of the current state of the microwave art in this country. Emphasis is laid on some typical microwave systems, on microwave solid state devices and integrated circuits, on the efforts made by the Chinese microwave people in pushing the frequency to the short millimeter or submillimeter wavelength range with a view to covering the entire electromagnetic spectrum, and on exploring novel microwave applications which appear potentially attractive and very promising. A survey of the past and the present shows that remarkable progress in microwave R&D has been made in China, despite long periods of hard times. However, it is expected that more years of assiduous effort will be required in many areas of the microwave art before the advanced standards in other parts of the world can be attained.


Abstract. We document changes in the avifauna of Longueville, a residential suburb of Sydney, between 1971–73 and 1977–79 based on daily bird lists, and make comparisons with the present avifauna based on surveys in 2013–14. Of the 31 most common native terrestrial bird species, 17 were 'decreasers', present in 1971–73 but not recorded in 2013–14 (although 16 of them were recorded in a large bushland remnant 5 km away), and 14 were 'increasers', seven of which were absent or very rare in 1971–73. Eleven species decreased during the 1970s, and six species afterwards. Eight species increased during the 1970s and six species afterwards. The decreasers were predominantly small insectivores and nectarivores. The increasers were of three main types: medium to large carnivores, large frugivores or granivores, and medium-sized nectarivores. Two of the nectarivores, the noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala) and rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus), now dominate the urban bird community of Longueville and are by far the most numerous birds. The increase of both species dates from the late 1970s. The noisy miner is highly aggressive towards other birds and its dramatic increase (it was absent in 1971–73) appears to be the chief cause of the decline of small native birds in Longueville.


Has Korean urban administration as an applied social science properly responded to the social demands so far? In oder to provide in part some answers to the question, this study analyzes the current status of urban administration education and researches. Main findings are follows: Firstly, twenty three undergraduate programs of 19 universities as of 2008 are offering urban administration majors within the social science orientation. Those institutions offer 790 courses in total for urban administration education. Among them planning is the most common course offered by those institutions, while politics, intergovernmental relations, NGO are the least offered. Average number of faculties of an urban administration department(major) is only 4.9 persons. Secondly, an analysis of all articles published in the Journal of the Korean Urban Administration Management Association(JKRUMA) between 1988 and 2008 reveals that studies dealing with practical urban issues have been dominant while studies on urban government have been relatively few. Particularly, among those studies on an urban government field, such issues as local autonomy, e-government have been researched continuously after the introduction of local autonomy in Korea, other issues such as personnel and leadership have been almost absent. And among those studies dealt with practical urban issues, the field of industry/economy/finance has been researched most, while issues such as NGO, IGR, and conflict resolution have been studied very few. Finally, almost 50 % of researches published in JKRUMA have not utilized any quantitative data, and those studies using quantitative data have not employed various advanced analytic statistical techniques by just presenting descriptive statics such as frequencies and means. The study concludes with some discussions on future Korean urban administration education and research practices.


Abstract The identification of the detected pulsation modes in terms of the spherical harmonic quantum numbers is crucial for asteroseismology. Light curves obtained in different passbands have become an important tool for mode identifications, which rely on wavelength-dependent amplitudes and phase shifts. We demonstrate this for different types of pulsators and review recent successes from earth-based measurements, especially in determining the important l values. The extensive amount of accurate data needed to determine small phase shifts and accurate amplitude ratios suggests multicolor measurements using space satellites. This motivated the multicolor BRITE satellite project, for which the first two satellites have already been launched successfully. We demonstrate the potential from models computed for the BRITE wavelengths. Most of the excellent presently available satellite photometry is not multicolor, although frequencies with amplitudes as small as a few parts-per-million have been detected and confirmed. We briefly discuss mode identifications from frequency patterns, including the use of correlations between phase and amplitude changes.


Worldwide, corrosion causes the value of the gross domestic product to decrease in industrialized countries by 4.26% and causes significant losses to industries including infrastructure. As a result, corrosion prevention and research related to it are extremely important. Some researchers are working to develop plant-based natural corrosion inhibitors, and experimental and computational studies are being conducted widely to prevent corrosion through cheap and environmental friendly coatings. A case study of Convolvulus microphyllus (C. microphyllus) extract was examined as eco-friendly for bio-corrosion inhibitor of mild steel in 0.5 M H2SO4 by using conventional weight loss, electrochemical polarization measurements, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. The compounds responsible for decreasing the rate of corrosion are kaempferol and phydroxycinnamic acid present in the extract. This inhibitor slows down the corrosion rate. Out of many observations, the best result 89.87% corrosion resistance efficiency was obtained at 600 mg/L of C. microphyllus as extract for mild steel in 0.5 M H2SO4 by applying electrochemical and weight loss measurements. The presence of a heteroatom in the main component of C. microphyllus as extract is believed to be an excellent inhibitor. Theoretical research revealed an entirely important report about comparative inhibition effect of different phytochemicals.


A granitic stock at Oak Spring, Nevada, was selected in 1960 by the Atomic Energy Commission as a possible site to study the seismic effect of a deep nuclear shot contained in a large volume of rock. Geophysical surveys were conducted to determine the general configuration of the stock, particularly the thickness. The stock intrudes a sequence of carbonate and siliceous sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic age, which are overlain by Tertiary pyroclastic rocks consisting of tuff, welded tuff, and breccia. A three‐dimensional analysis of a detailed aeromagnetic survey indicates that the stock has a shape similar to a truncated cone, the diameter of which increases from about one mile at the surface to at least 6 miles near sea level, 5,000 feet beneath the surface. The stock, therefore, is much larger than indicated by the area of 113 square miles exposed at the surface. In addition, computations show that the intrusion has a thickness of at least 13,000 ft. Much of the ambiguity of interpretation was removed fro...


A four week double-blind study comparing pimozide and chlorpromazine was designed to test the hypothesis that pimozide, a powerful dopamine receptor blocker, is more effective in the treatment of acute schizophrenia than chlorpromazine. Twenty patients, 13 males and 7 females ranging in age from 21 to 53 years (mean age 33 years) admitted to St. Mary's Hospital with acute schizophrenia were placed on the study. They were treated on an individual titrated dosage of either chlorpromazine 300 mg to 2100 mg, or pimozide 10 to 70 mg. The results revealed that on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, the chlorpromazine group significantly improved after one week, whereas the pimozide group showed no statistical improvement until the third week. By the end of the study no significant differences were apparent between the two groups. In the Clinical Global Impression Scale, a significant difference between the two groups was found at week 4 showing a greater improvement in the chlorpromazine group. In terms of adverse reactions, the chlorpromazine group had significantly fewer extrapyramidal symptoms than the pimozide group (Simpson and Angus Scale) and in addition 15 adverse reactions were noted for the pimozide group as compared with 8 for the chlorpromazine group. This study shows that chlorpromazine has an earlier onset of action than pimozide in the acute schizophrenic patient despite the fact that it has a weaker effect on the dopamine receptor than has pimozide. In view of this finding, the dopamine theory of schizophrenia should be critically re-examined.


TiO2(B) is considered as a new kind of anode material, and an alternative to graphite, for high-power lithium ion batteries (LIBs) due to its characteristic pseudocapacitive energy storage mechanism. Herein, we firstly report the synthesis of one-dimensional (1D) mesoporous TiO2(B) nanobelts by hydrothermal treatment of commercial TiO2 (P25) powders in NaOH medium. The as-prepared TiO2(B) nanobelts, with typical sizes of 50–100 nm in width and several micrometers in length, have mesopore channels in the range of 10–30 nm. Moreover, we demonstrate the use of graphene as an excellent mini-current collector to in situ construct unique hybrid sheet–belt nanostructures (G–TiO2(B)) to optimize the performance. Such a 1D mesoporous TiO2(B) structure can provide numerous open channels for the electrolyte to access and facilitate the ultrafast diffusion of lithium ions. In addition, the introduced graphene layers will both be favorable for the fast electron transport in the electrode and make a great contribution to the specific capacity. As a consequence, this G–TiO2(B) hybrid can deliver an ultrahigh reversible capacity (over 430 mA h g−1 at a low current density of 0.15 A g−1), and present a superior rate capability (210 mA h g−1 at 3 A g−1).


Thermography of tuberculin skin reactions in cattle sensitized with Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium bovis, or Mycobacterium paratuberculosis was rapid and sensitive, but was not as specifically related to the homologous sensitization as was increased skin thickness at 48 and 72 hours. Systemic temperature responses were more completely monitored by radiotelemetry of intraperitoneally located temperature transmitters than by rectal thermometry, but the temperatures indicated by the 2 methods were nearly identical. The intraperitoneal transmitters showed that the systemic responses consisted of 1, 2, or 3 temperature peaks, and in 1 animal which had previously been exposed to a heterologous tuberculin, a hypothermic response developed. The systemic temperature responses were more specifically related to homologous sensitization than were dermal responses, but were more cumbersome to measure.


The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) report on Trauma, entitled 'Trauma: Who cares?' was published in November [1] with widespread publicity in the medical and lay press. The report examined clinical and organisational aspects of prehospital and in–hospital care given to 795 trauma patients (with injury severity scores > 16) admitted to participating emergency departments over a 3-month period in 2006. The results were gloomy, although perhaps not entirely unexpected. The report 'headline' was that, according to the expert panel of assessors, almost 60% of patients in the study received sub-optimal care. This may have been an underestimate because only 78% of case notes of initially identified trauma patients were received, patients who died in the prehospital phase or on arrival at hospital were not included, and some data were provided by clinicians involved in managing the cases. The cohort was typical of other UK trauma studies: 75% male, mostly young and just over half involved in road traffic collisions. Over 60% had head injuries and more than half presented 'out of hours'. The report emphasised the infrequency of major trauma patient admission in many hospitals: 129 (91.5%) hospitals in the study dealt with fewer than one severely injured patient per week and 25 hospitals that were expected to participate failed to identify a single serious trauma patient during the 12-week study period. Despite the difficulties that the investigators obviously had collecting a full dataset at every stage of the study, a great deal of useful information is presented. The report recognises the vital role that good prehospital care can contribute to trauma patients. In the UK the majority of the first hour after injury is spent in the prehospital phase [2] and this country differs significantly from the majority of Europe in that prehospital care for the seriously injured is delivered by paramedics and technicians rather than physicians [3–6]. There is some consensus in the practice of prehospital trauma care. Most clinicians favour a prehospital system that attends the scene rapidly, deals with immediate patient needs and transfers rapidly to an appropriate hospital. Unfortunately NCEPOD failed to get ambulance services to agree to complete questionnaires on patient care and one-third of case notes contained no ambulance report form. The remainder demonstrated no relationship between mortality and ambulance response times (13% had response times of more than 20 min). The report emphasised that, in non-trapped patients, the scene time frequently exceeded the previously recommended 10-min maximum [7]. There is undoubtedly room for improvement in scene times but the difficulties of a crew of only two moving a patient from a block of flats, or down a staircase, after completing even minimal interventions and immobilisation, are not to be underestimated. Curiously many patients had a secondary survey recorded in the prehospital phase, which is clearly not appropriate and a waste of valuable time. 25.5% of patients taken to hospital by ambulance had to have secondary transfers. These are associated with a high rate of adverse physiological events that may influence outcome negatively [8, 9]. The secondary transfer rate of those patients taken to hospital by helicopter was much less at 11.9%. The helicopters would have had a mixture of paramedic only and doctor-paramedic crews. The expert advisors judged that all of the helicopter transfers were to an appropriate hospital. However, a secondary transfer rate of 11% in a doctor-paramedic system is unacceptably high and this rate should be significantly less in the increasing number of doctor-paramedic staffed air ambulances. The report did not attempt to establish whether patients attended by doctors in the prehospital phase had improved care or outcome. A major recurring theme of this report which is of particular interest to anaesthetists is the suboptimal level of airway care. Eighty-five (17%) cases had partial or complete airway obstruction on scene and 12.6% of patients arrived at hospital in the same state. Thirty-five percent of patients (85) whose tracheas were intubated in hospital had the procedure within 10 min of arrival, which implies urgent need. Of the patients with head injury, 22% were not given oxygen in the prehospital phase. Patients with severe head injury had a high rate of failed prehospital intubation; most were transported unintubated and a significant number arrived with total or partial airway obstruction and documented hypoxaemia and hypercapnia. This makes uncomfortable reading and suggests that the current system is failing some trauma patients in a basic area. The report recommends that prehospital anaesthesia should be available to ensure that trauma patients are not subject to secondary insults before arrival in hospital. It is stated that 'if prehospital intubation is to be part of prehospital trauma management then it needs to be in the context of a physician based prehospital care system'. Achieving this level of care may appear challenging but significant progress has been made recently. The inclusion of doctors on UK air ambulances is proceeding rapidly. A few years ago only London's air ambulance carried doctors. This service has now been joined by another six regional services and more are planned. Clinical governance in voluntary schemes is being implemented [10] and The Faculty of Pre-hospital Care of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is preparing, with the other relevant organisations, a submission to Anaesthesia, 2008, 63, pages 455–457 .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................


The Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is a device capable of generating topographic images of sample surfaces with extremely high resolutions down to the atomic level. It is also being used in applications that involve manipulation of matter at a nanoscale. Early AFMs were operated in open loop. As a result, they were susceptible to piezoelectric creep, thermal drift, hysteresis nonlinearity and scan-induced vibration. These effects tend to distort the generated image. The distortions are often minimized by limiting the scanning speed and range of the AFMs. Recently a new generation of AFMs has emerged that utilizes position sensors to measure displacements of the scanner in three dimensions. These AFMs are equipped with feedback loops that work to minimize the adverse effects of hysteresis, piezoelectric creep and thermal drift on the obtained image using standard PI controllers. These feedback controllers are often not designed to deal with the highly resonant nature of an AFM's scanner, nor with the cross-coupling between various axes. In this paper we illustrate the drastic improvement in accuracy and imaging speed that can be obtained by proper design of a feedback controller. Such controllers can be incorporated into most modern AFMs with minimal effort since they can be implemented in software with the existing hardware.


An examination is made of waves moving under centrifugal force and surface tension along the oore in a swirling liquid. The waves may be of varicose form in which the cross-section of the core remains circular, or they may be helical, giving the core the shape of a multithreaded screw. The relation is obtained between the lengths of the waves and their axial and angular velocities; at a critical length the waves possess a minimum velocity. The group velocities are determined, and are shown to be negative under certain conditions. It is found that waves can exist which move so slowly that they should be readily visible although the core may be revolving at high speed.


This research highlights a new model of Attendance Posting System through mobile phones using SMS feature. The proposed system eliminates all kinds of paper work involved in traditional attendance system. This is a one step process, which eliminates redundant data and efforts. The proposed system can also be programmed to send attendance reports in the form of short messages to parents and students regularly. In the proposed system, a user is given an application which, as a prerequisite has to be populated with student's data. The user needs to authenticate him/her self using a username and password. The application has a simple user interface displaying a list of students' names and their register numbers. The user marks the presence of a student using a check box. The marked attendance is converted to a predefined report format and is then sent to a server in the form of a SMS. The SMS is the analysed at the server side and is updated to the respective students' ERP accounts. This system does not require a third party provider like SMS Gateway Hardware or a Commercial SMS application developer. This system can be further extended as an application that can be implemented in any educational institution. Keyword: Attendance System, Mobile System, Economical, Mobile Phone Application, J2ME Applications, SMS Services.


Despite the wide acceptance of Failure-to-Rescue (FTR) as a patient safety indicator (defined as the deaths among surgical patients with treatable complications), no study has explored the geographic variation of FTR in a large health jurisdiction. Our study aimed to explore the spatiotemporal variations of FTR rates across New South Wales (NSW), Australia. We conducted a population-based study using all admitted surgical patients in public acute hospitals during 2002–2009 in NSW, Australia. We developed a spatiotemporal Poisson model using Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA) methods in a Bayesian framework to obtain area-specific adjusted relative risk. Local Government Area (LGA) was chosen as the areal unit. LGA-aggregated covariates included age, gender, socio-economic and remoteness index scores, distance between patient residential postcode and the treating hospital, and a quadratic time trend. We studied 4,285,494 elective surgical admissions in 82 acute public hospitals over eight years in NSW. Around 14% of patients who developed at least one of the six FTR-related complications (58,590) died during hospitalization. Of 153 LGAs, patients who lived in 31 LGAs, accommodating 48% of NSW patients at risk, were exposed to an excessive adjusted FTR risk (10% to 50%) compared to the state-average. They were mostly located in state's centre and western Sydney. Thirty LGAs with a lower adjusted FTR risk (10% to 30%), accommodating 8% of patients at risk, were mostly found in the southern parts of NSW and Sydney east and south. There were significant spatiotemporal variations of FTR rates across NSW over an eight-year span. Areas identified with significantly high and low FTR risks provide potential opportunities for policy-makers, clinicians and researchers to learn from the success or failure of adopting the best care for surgical patients and build a self-learning organisation and health system.


CUBES (Cassegrain U-Band Efficient Spectrograph) is the recently approved high-efficiency VLT spectrograph aimed to observe the sky in the UV ground-based region (305-400 nm) with a high-resolution mode (∼ 20K) and a low-resolution mode (∼ 5K). In this paper we will briefly describe the requirements and the design of the several software packages involved in the project, namely the instrument control software, the exposure time calculator, the end-to-end simulator, and the data reduction software suite. We will discuss how the above mentioned blocks cooperate to build up a "software ecosystem" for the CUBES instrument, and to support the users from the proposal preparation to the science-grade data products.


In this article, we investigate the local and global dynamics of a nonlinear duopoly model with price-setting firms and managerial delegation contracts (relative profits). Our study aims at clarifying the effects of the interaction between the degree of product differentiation and the weight of manager's bonus on long-term outcomes in two different states: managers behave more aggressively with the rival (competition) under product complementarity and less aggressively with the rival (cooperation) under product substitutability. We combine analytical tools and numerical techniques to reach interesting results such as synchronisation and on-off intermittency of the state variables (in the case of homogeneous attitude of managers) and the existence of chaotic attractors, complex basins of attraction, and multistability (in the case of heterogeneous attitudes of managers). We also give policy insights.


This paper summarizes the state of the art of the proprietary A/01 system for biological nutrient removal. The A/0 system is a modified form of the activated sludge process employing an anaerobic zone to promote biological phosphorus removal. Process options discussed include BOD oxidation, biological phosphorus removal, nitrification and denltrification. The biochemical basis for phosphorus removal is reviewed. Results of several pilot studies and a 11400 m3/day demonstration plant operated for 3 years are given.

1A/O is a registered trademark of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA.


MediaTeam conducts research on the features, use, and applications of multimedia and digital media types (image, sound, video, text) in information and communication systems. MediaTeam's research brings together the different areas of information and telecommunications technology, with special focus on mobility and wireless features, as well as future generations of communication technology. MediaTeam's main fields of interest are distributed computing, image and video processing, information hiding, language and audio technology, mobile services and packet networks.


Introduction: Integrated care can prosper from e-health solutions that hold a vast potential for increasing effective information sharing and communication: collaboration. This is in particular the case in the care for elder persons: a growing population often in need of a variety of care, health monitoring and social support. However, despite promises and almost 20 years of investing in e-health deployment and research, implementing e-health often proofs to be more complex and arduous than anticipated. Like many other international initiatives, several pan-European consortia have been implementing e-health enabled integrated care solutions for elderly care. End of 2014, three European Commission (EC) co-funded and large-scale e-health Projects (CAREWELL, BEYONDSILOS and SMARTCARE) started combining efforts and sharing experiences. Based on a preliminary scoping study and in line with suggestions in recent literature, this 'SYNERGY' research project has set out with a focus on challenges relating "organizational and human factor characteristics of sustainable implementation of e-enabled integrated care". The mutual goal of the Projects is to 'synergize' into: (a) Set of Implementation Indicators to prepare for and monitor sustainable implementation activities and (b) Implementation Toolkit with strategies and instruments. Methods: This project entails a mixed methods approach combining the following phases and procedures: 1. Scoping study Based on a preliminary online survey (within the Projects), several discussions with (change management and implementation) experts, review of current leading literature and discussions with researchers this phase depicted the scope of this project. 2. Systematic Literature Search A comprehensive protocol for a systematic literature research was developed to investigate reported experiences and evidence for implementation interventions as well as indicators for implementation preparation and monitoring, with a specific focus on engagement of physicians as well as assessment tools related to interdisciplinary collaboration and integrated care. 2a. Field study (1) - Online Survey Implementation teams at all 22 participating European regions were asked to respond to an extensive online survey to inventory 'implementation challenges' resulting in qualitative and qualitative data on implementation barriers/facilitators and interventions. 2b. Field study (2) - Expert Interviews An international selection of field experts with knowledge and experience on e-health enabled integrated care is subject to 1-on-1 semi-structured interviews, investigating their experiences and suggestions, e.g. on sustainable implementation strategies. 2c. Field study (3) – Pilot study A field study will be performed in one of the participating regions. Based on local change management needs, a tailored set of implementation tactics will be rolled out to enhance implementation, while investigating usability in a field setting and observing related dynamics related. 3. Validation Outcomes After syntheses, study results will be validated based on expert focus groups and online Delphic consultations within a substantial number of stakeholders. During this validation process study results will be tested for usability. Progress report: Early findings in this research confirm an imperative need for a more comprehensive insight into the 'black box' of organizational dynamics relating the implementation of e-health enabled integrated care teams. In particular the role of physicians seems to be rated as crucial. Discussion: These findings are in lined with suggestions of a number of researchers that indicate the importance of the effects of e-health on roles and responsibilities in care delivery. An important question seems to emerge challenging to what extent 'e-health implementation' is about a combination of (a) process redesign, (b) (training use of) new technologies and (c) change management strategies, e.g. engaging professionals. The sheer complexity of e-health implementation might imply the consequences of the 'disruptive innovation' as it has been described before. We have indications that the currently internationally emerging field of 'medical leadership' might also be relevant to the field of e-health implementation. Conclusion: This EC co-funded research aims to add to more in depth comprehension of strategies of e-health implementation that result in the change that is needed, in particular related to integrated care teams. Building on experiences and lessons learned within three large scale European Projects, final study results will be made available through an indicator set and an implementation toolbox. These deliverables are to help novice regions in Europe -and beyond- in preparing and executing implementation in a sustainable manner. To this point, these researchers are convinced that future research should investigate even more along the lines of the current study, in particular into relatively uncharted fields of sustainable integration of professional roles and responsibilities and those of clients, patients and informal carers, collaborating in the 'broader integrated care team'.


Electroosmotic flow of salt-free power-law fluids through planar slit and cylindrical micro and nanochannels with fluid slip is theoretically analyzed. Analytical solutions are obtained to investigate the effects of flow behavior index, channel size, applied electric field strength, Gouy-Chapman length (or surface charge density), and fluid slip length on the velocity distribution and volumetric flow rate. The results show that the electroosmotic flow velocity and thereby the flow rate for shear-thinning fluids are many times larger than those for Newtonian and shear-thickening fluids for the ranges of applied electric field strength and surface charge density usually encountered in practice. Such augmentation can be further amplified by increasing the surface charge density, applied electric field strength and fluid slip. Furthermore, the electroosmotic flow velocity profile of shear-thinning fluids becomes more plug-like as the ratio of channel half-width (or radius) to GouyChapman length increases. However, such a profile for shear-thickening fluids always exhibits a parabolic-like flow pattern regardless of the ratios of channel half-width (or radius) to Gouy-Chapman length.


ABSTRACT Carvalho, A.M.C.; Ellis, J.T.; Lamothe, M., and Maia, L.P., 2016. Using wind direction and shoreline morphology to model sand dune mobilization. This paper aims to establish a relationship between wind direction, shoreline position, and aeolian transport directions. Ceará State in NE Brazil, which mainly comprises barchans, barchanoids, parabolic dunes, and large flattened composed dunes was used to formulate and test a dune transport model that can be applied to north and east facing beaches. The headland-bay beaches of Ceará progressively increase in angle from E to W. This is accompanied by a corresponding change in the near-beach dune migration direction. A significant change in the wind pattern for the northern portion of Ceará was found, which resulted in a shift in dune migration from E-W to ENE-WSW as the shoreline orientation changed from NW-SE to W-E. The different aeolian transport conditions along the stretches of the headland-bay beach gradually shifted from transport parallel to the shoreline to unimpeded aeolian transport that moves sediments inland. Beach feeding occurs from headland bypass as dunes occupy the area landward of the headland. A zone of composite wind transport directions, winds carrying sand directly from the beach and those transporting sediment landward of the headland, was identified. This variation of wind transport conditions is confirmed by the dune morphology and influenced by the relationship between shoreline position and wind angle approach. The proposed model uses the sine of the angle between wind direction and shoreline orientation to predict aeolian transport and determines the volume of sediment transported by the wind. This model identifies stretches of shoreline under different aeolian transport directions and exhibits compatibility with measured dune migration.


The extreme vulnerability of soil organic carbon to climate and land use change empha-sizes the need for further research in di ff erent terrestrial ecosystems. We have studied the aggregate stability and carbon dynamics in a chronosequence of three di ff erent land uses in a south Chilean Andisols: a second growth Nothofagus obliqua forest 5 (SGFOR), a grassland (GRASS) and a Pinus radiata plantation (PINUS). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Al as soil organic matter stabilizing agent in this Andisol. In a case study, we linked di ff erences in carbon dynamics between the three land use treatments to physical protection and recalcitrance of the soil organic matter (SOM). In this study, C aggregate stability and dynamics were studied using size and 10 density fractionation experiments of the SOM, δ 13 C and total carbon analysis of the di ff erent SOM fractions, and mineralization measurements. The results showed that electrostatic attractions between and among Al-oxides and clay minerals are mainly responsible for the stabilization of soil aggregates and the physical protection of the enclosed soil organic carbon. Whole soil C mineralization rate constants were high- 15 est for SGFOR and PINUS, followed by GRASS. In contrast, incubation experiments of isolated macro organic matter fractions showed that the recalcitrance of the SOM decreased in another order: PINUS > SGFOR > GRASS. We concluded that physical protection of soil aggregates was the main process determining whole soil C mineralization. Land use changes a ff ected soil organic carbon dynamics in this south Chilean 20 Andisol by altering soil pH and consequently available Al. Al-humus complexes, electrostatic-C binding and aggregate structure


A public transport with government subsidy is considered to encourage the sustainability of the transportation. The transportations revenue is determined by the maximum of the uptimes of the vehicle. In this paper, we study a one-dimensional maintenance policy for new vehicle which is characterized by age parameter. We consider that the degradation of the vehicle is affected by the age of the vehicle, and modelled by using a one-dimensional approach. The owner performs both preventive and corrective maintenance actions, and the preventive maintenance action will reduce the vehicle failure rate and hence it will decrease the corrective maintenance cost during the life time of the vehicle. The decision problem for the owner is to find the optimal preventive maintenance time of the vehicle of each subsidy option offered by maximizing the expected profit for each subsidy.


Amid discussions about a currency crisis in Europe and at a time where the post-financial crisis era is accompanied by the implementation of sweeping reforms all around the globe, cross-border mergers in the European Union are vital in many respects. First of all, cross-border mergers as a means of consolidation in the financial services industry are likely to become more and more important in the aftermaths of the crisis. Owing to intensive regulations– especially the new capital requirements under BASEL III - it is envisaged that in 2012, at least as far as the smaller and regional financial institutions are concerned, consolidation will be taking place. Furthermore, cross-border mergers have the potential to contribute to the realization and completion of a European internal market. As far as that goes, it has to be noted that not only large corporations, but also small and medium-sized enterprises heavily rely on a legal framework allowing them to take their businesses across the border. After all, it is broadly acknowledged that small and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of the European economy and essential for its competitiveness. To this end, the law has to provide reliable, flexible and efficient transaction structures.


A history of the design and achievements of the high-speed, 1950s-era X-15 airplane is presented. The following chapters are included: A New Science; A Hypersonic Research Airplane; Conflict and Innovation; The Million-Horsepower Engine; High Range and Dry Lakes; Preparations; The Flight Program; and the Research Program. Selected biographies, flight logs and physical characteristics of the X-15 Airplane are included in the appendices.


The objective of this study was to assess if there are any differences between patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery with COPD compared to patients without COPD. We conducted a prospective hospitalization cohort study. The study population was patients undergoing CABG by the Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery Group. Inclusion criteria included CABG surgery between 10/1/93 and 1/1/8 and age greater than eighteen. Exclusion criteria included any other surgery performed simultaneously with the CABG surgery, repeat procedures, and any patient with incomplete data for the COPD variable. Data were collected on 225 variables concurrently with admission. We controlled for seven variables. The primary outcome was thirty-day mortality. There were eight secondary outcomes. Ten thousand, four hundred and fourteen patients meet the criteria to be included in the cohort, (1,739 with COPD and a positive smoking history, 8,675 patients without COPD). Univariate analysis comparing the patients with and without COPD for the seven potential confounders found no significant difference between the two populations. The patients undergoing CABG surgery with COPD did experience significantly longer length of stay (6.7 ± 6.0 days vs. 5.9 ± 6.1 days, p < 0.05), more likely to significantly elevate their creatinine after surgery (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.85), more prolonged ventilation (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.60 to 2.49), more likely to get pneumonia (OR 2.99, 95% CI 2.25 to 3.96) and significantly more mortality (OR 1.78, (95% CI 1.32 to 2.40). Patients with COPD undergoing CABG surgery experience significantly more mortality and more morbidity compared to patients without COPD.


In this work the molecular weight distribution (MWD) of several atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) techniques has been derived and solved using the Reduced Stiffness by Quasi Steady State Approximation (RSQSSA) methodology. The Quasi Steady State Approximation has been validated on the living radicals for normal, Simultaneous Reversible and Normal Initiation and Activators Regenerated by Electron Transfer (ARGET), and it is shown that the information lost due to its application is negligible. According to these results, RSQSSA shows the best performance in terms of wall-clock time and required memory in comparison to implicit techniques and Predici. In the case of the ARGET technique, the model predictions show good agreement with experimental data. Finally, an analysis on the impact of the slow and fast activation of the initiator on the MWD using ARGET has been carried out, indicating that the optimal initiator to control the MWD should exhibit activation-deactivation rates very similar to those of the polymeric equilibrium. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 2762–2777, 2016


Of late there has been considerable interest in optical fiber transmission systems in the several gigabit-rate and 1-μm wavelength regions. InGaAs avalanche photodiodes (APDs) are the most promising photodetectors in such systems because of the low-noise and high-speed characteristics. However, to constitute gigabit-rate systems, the capacitance of InGaAs APDs must be reduced as much as possible, because noise governed by the first stage of the optical receiver is proportional to the square of the total input capacitance.


The simple binary compound SnSe has been reported as a robust thermoelectric material for energy conversion by showing strong anharmonicity and multiple electronic valence bands. Herein, we report a record-high average ZT value of ∼1.6 at 300-793 K with maximum ZT values ranging from 0.8 at 300 K to 2.1 at 793 K in p-type SnSe crystals. This remarkable thermoelectric performance arises from the enhanced power factor and lowered lattice thermal conductivity through crystal structure modification via Te alloying. Our results elucidate that Te alloying increases the carrier mobility by making the bond lengths more nearly equal and sharpening the valence bands; meanwhile, the Seebeck coefficient remains large due to multiple valence bands. As a result, a record-high power factor of ∼55 μW cm-1 K-2 at 300 K is achieved. Additionally, Te alloying promotes Sn atom displacements, thus leading to a lower lattice thermal conductivity. Our conclusions are well supported by electron localization function calculations, the Callaway model, and structural characterization via aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. Our approach of modifying crystal structures could also be applied in other low-symmetry thermoelectric materials and represents a new strategy to enhance thermoelectric performance.


In this work, we present a novel web-based platform for real-time teleconsultation services on medical imaging. The introduced platform encompasses the principles of heterogeneous Workflow Management Systems (WFMSs) and the peer-to-peer paradigm to enhance collaboration among healthcare professionals. The novelty of the presented work is that: (i) it combines the concept of client side computing with the microservices architectural pattern to enhance user experience, while increasing the efficiency of healthcare provision, and that (ii) it could be considered the springboard of an ecosystem of Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) services in medicine. The paper discusses the implementation details and the technological aspects behind the whole system, along with some initial evaluation results.


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PURPOSE
Peritoneal seeding is one of problems to be solved in gastrointestinal and ovarian cancers. Angiogenesis is the critical step for a dormancy tumor cluster to be an overt metastatic nodule. However, whether an anti-angiogenesis strategy is effective in the control of peritoneal metastases is still obscure. In this study, we evaluated whether endostatin, an endogenous angiogenesis inhibitor, suppresses peritoneal metastases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We transduced a human gastric cancer cell line, AGS and a murine renal cancer cell line, Renca, with the plasmid pEndoSTHB, which encodes a secretable form of murine endostatin. Endostatin expression was tested with western blotting, and the biological activity of the secreted endostatin was confirmed with in vitro endothelial cell growth inhibition. In the animal experiments, stable transfectants were injected intraperitoneally.

RESULTS
We demonstrated secretion of endostatin from two cell lines transduced with the plasmid pEndoSTHB. Conditioned media secreted from pEndoSTSB-transduced mammalian cells were shown to potently inhibit endothelial cell growth in vitro. We selected stable transfectants with similar in vitro growth rates of their parental cell lines. Significant tumor growth inhibition was observed in the endostatin-expressing Renca cells intraperitoneal injection group at days of 28, compared to the null transfectants intraperitoneal injection control group.

CONCLUSION
These results support that peritoneal seeding is angiogenesis-dependant and an anti-angiogenesis strategy is a good way to control peritoneal metastases.


Huizhou-style gardens have been greatly influenced by Huizhou culture, their plant landscapes have also been integrated with various aspects of Huizhou culture, which demonstrated the ideology, historical and cultural connotation of the society in an abstract and impalpable way. In this study, Huizhou-style miniature landscapes, plants of virtual implications, flowers or fruit trees of special connotations are taken for examples to analyze the influence of Xin'an Neo-Confucianism on plant landscapes in Huizhou-style gardens, the demonstration of Huizhou businessmen's aesthetic tastes, as well as folk cultures of Huizhou, which implies that plant landscapes in Huizhou-style gardens are those incorporating with humanistic spirits, ornamental and practical uses. This study aims to provide references for further researches in the present situation of ancient Huizhou areas, protection of ancient Huizhou-style gardens and construction of new-style Huizhou gardens.


PCCSAC-3D is a code originally developed for AC600 containment thermo-hydraulic analysis. Its validated capabilities include simulating the behaviors of steam-air mixture and liquid water under the unique conditions of an AC600/AP1000 containment after a DBA. The film-tracking model applied gives it the ability to simulate the liquid film both outside and inside the steel containment. Refined with some new models, the new version of the code, named PCCSAP-3D, can cover hydrogen behavior, fission products behavior (in the form of gas and aerosol) and iodine behavior.In the module of noncondensable gas, diffusion of up to 11 species are taken into consideration. A user-definable recombiner/ignitor model is developed to accommodate different types of hydrogen recombiners and ignitors.Given the source term as a boundary condition, the fission products model would be able to track up to 64 radio-isotopes after a LOCA. The leakage and spontaneous decay is accounted for all of these nuclides. Besides, the noble gases, gaseous iodine and fission product aerosols are treated separately. There is no removal mechanism of noble gases. Whereas removal mechanisms of radio-aerosols considered include spray, gravitational sedimentation, diffusio-phoresis and thermo-phoresis. A simple model for gaseous iodine comprises organic iodine and elemental iodine, in which the effects of spray and liquid adsorption are treated integrally.To evaluate the radioactivity consequences of a certain accident, a radioactivity calculation model is brought out to convert the molar concentration or mass concentration of radioactive material into radioactivity concentration.The new version of PCCSAP-3D code with models aforementioned is preliminarily validated by comparing the simulation results with safety analysis results reported in AP1000 Design Control Document. The accident scenario is set as a design basic LOCA with core melt.Copyright © 2013 by ASME


Lowering the dietary protein content can reduce N excretions and NH3 emissions from manure and increase milk N efficiency of dairy cows. However, milk yield (MY) and composition can be compromised due to AA deficiency. Methionine and Lys are known as first limiting EAA for dairy cows, and recently His is also mentioned as limiting, especially in grass-based or low-protein diets. To examine this, a trial was conducted with a 3-wk pre-experimental adaptation period (diet 16.5% crude protein), followed by a depletion period of 4 wk, in which 39 cows (average ± standard deviation: 116 ± 29.3 d in milk, 1.8 ± 1.2 lactations, 638 ± 73.2 kg of body weight, and 32.7 ± 5.75 kg MY/d) received a low-protein diet (CTRL) (14.5% crude protein). Then, taking into account parity, His plasma concentration, and MY, cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups during the rumen-protected (RP) AA period of 7 wk; (1) CTRL; (2) CTRL + RP-Met + RP-Lys (MetLys); (3) CTRL + RP-Met + RP-Lys + RP-His (MetLysHis). Products were dosed, assuming requirements for digestible (d) Met, dLys, and dHis being, respectively, 2.4%, 7.0%, and 2.4% of intestinal digestible protein. In the cross-back period of 5 wk, all cows received the CTRL diet. During the last week of each period, a N balance was conducted by collecting total urine and spot samples of feces. Total feces production was calculated using the inert marker TiO2. Statistical analysis was performed with a linear mixed model with cow as random effect and data of the last week of the pre-experimental period used as covariate for the animal performance variables. No effect of supplementing RP-Met and RP-Lys nor RP-Met, RP-Lys, and RP-His on feed intake, milk performance, or milk N efficiency was observed. However, the plasma AA profile indicated additional supply of dMet, dLys, and dHis. Nevertheless, evaluation of the AA uptake relative to the cow's requirements showed that most EAA (exclusive Arg and Thr) were limiting over the whole experiment. Only dHis was sufficiently supplemented during the RP-AA period due to an overestimation of the diet's dMet and dLys supply in the beginning of the trial. The numerically increased milk urea N and urinary N excretion when RP-Met, RP-Lys, and RP-His were added to the low-protein diet suggest an increased catabolism of the excess His.


Summary The availability of inexpensive, lightweight, portable ultrasound machines will greatly facilitate the use of reproductive imaging in the female pig and may prove useful in making management decisions based on an accurate diagnosis of the reproductive status of the sow or gilt at any point in time. Real-time ultrasonography (RTU) using 3.5 and 5.0 MHz transducers transabdominally or 5.0 and 7.5 MHz transducers transrectally can allow the practitioner to determine the pregnancy and estrous status of breeding females in commercial herds. In our experience, less structural detail was visually revealed with transabdominal RTU when assessing the ovary or uterus during the estrous cycle or early pregnancy. In contrast, transrectal ultrasound allowed faster and more detailed means of assessing fine reproductive structures of varying echogenicity (follicles, corpora hemorrhagica [CH], and corpora lutea [CL]) and the conceptus components of early pregnancy (day 16‐20). In this article, transrectal and transabdominal procedures are described in detail, and image specificity, quality, and ease of imaging of the female reproductive tract is considered. Reference sonograms are provided.


The Generalized Vehicle Routing Problem (GVRP) is an extension of the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) defined on a graph in which the nodes (customers, vertices) are grouped into a given number of mutually exclusive and exhaustive clusters (nodesets). In this paper, an integer linear programming formulation of the GVRP with O(n 2 ) binary variables and O(n 2 ) constraints is presented. It is shown that, under specific circumstances, the proposed model reduces to the well-known routing problems. The computational performance of the models solved using a commercial code on test problems are also presented.


Early transection and stimulation studies suggested the existence of sleep-promoting circuitry in the medullary brainstem, yet the location and identity of the neurons comprising this putative hypnogenic circuitry remains unresolved. In the present study, we sought to uncover the location and identity of medullary neurons that might contribute to the regulation of sleep. Here we show the following in rats: (1) a delimited node of medullary neurons located lateral and dorsal to the facial nerve—a region we termed the parafacial zone (PZ)—project to the wake-promoting medial parabrachial nucleus; (2) PZ neurons express c-Fos after sleep but not after wakefulness and hence are sleep active; and (3) cell-body-specific lesions of the PZ result in large and sustained increases (50%) in daily wakefulness at the expense of slow-wave sleep (SWS). Using transgenic reporter mice [vesicular GABA/glycine transporter (Vgat)–GFP], we then show that >50% of PZ sleep-active neurons are inhibitory (GABAergic/glycinergic, VGAT-positive) in nature. Finally, we used a Cre-expressing adeno-associated viral vector and conditional Vgatlox/lox mice to selectively and genetically disrupt GABA/glycinergic neurotransmission from PZ neurons. Disruption of PZ GABAergic/glycinergic neurotransmission resulted in sustained increases (40%) in daily wakefulness at the expense of both SWS and rapid eye movement sleep. These results together reveal the location and neurochemical identity of a delimited node of sleep-active neurons within the rostral medullary brainstem.


OBJECTIVE
To identify predictors of relapse at 6-month follow-up for women with binge eating disorder (BED).

METHOD
Participants were 32 women with BED who had initially achieved abstinence from binge eating after 20 weeks of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) adapted for patients with BED. Posttreatment predictor variables included the subscales Restraint, Weight Concerns, and Shape Concerns from the Eating Disorders Examination (EDE), the Emotional Eating Scale score, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, body mass index, and early versus late age of binge eating onset.

RESULTS
The largest effect sizes for predicting relapse were found with early onset of binge eating and higher EDE Restraint scores.

DISCUSSION
Previous findings that earlier age of onset (age 16 years or younger) is linked to less successful treatment outcome are now extended to the 6-month follow-up assessment. The finding that higher restraint scores after treatment predict relapse adds to the literature concerning the role of restraint in patients with BED.


Equinatoxin II is a cytolytic polypeptide from the sea anemone Actinia equina L. which forms pores in natural and artificial membranes. The intrinsic fluorescence of its five tryptophanyl residues was used to monitor the conformational changes induced by denaturing agents, pH and lipids. In the presence of denaturants, the emitted fluorescence peak, normally occurring at 335 nm, was reduced in height by about 65% and red-shifted to 354 nm indicating unfolding. The toxin fluorescence intensity reversibly decreased by increasing the pH, whereas lipid vesicles, at every pH, caused an increase and a blue shift. The amount of toxin binding to the lipid vesicle was increased by the presence of sphingomyelin. With sphingomyelin-containing vesicles half-saturation occurred at a lipid/toxin molar ratio of about 40, whereas with phosphatidylcholine no saturation appeared up to a ratio of 300. One hydrophilic neutral quencher (acrylamide) and two lipid-confined phosphatidyltype quenchers [bis(9,10-dibromostearoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and 1-palmitoyl-2-(1-pyrenedecanoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine] were used to assess the exposure of the emitting centres to the solvent and/or to the lipid. Most of the indolyl residues were found to be solvent-exposed in the water-soluble form of the toxin, as inferred from acrylamide quenching. Upon association with lipid vesicles, the fraction accessible to acrylamide dropped considerably, meanwhile the toxin became sensitive to lipid-soluble quenchers. Taken together these results suggest that insertion of equinatoxin II into sphingomyelin-containing bilayers is facilitated by high pH and results in the transfer of one or more exposed tryptophanyl residues into the liquid phase. Calcein-loaded vesicles, with or without a lipid quencher, were used to monitor simultaneously the formation of pores and the transfer of the tryptophans to the lipid phase. We found that the rate constants for vesicles permeabilization and for changes of intrinsic tryptophanyl fluorescence had a different dependence on the lipid/toxin ratio suggesting they correspond to separate steps in the toxin lipid interaction.


We have presented in this paper the laser-induced fluorescence excitation and resolved fluorescence spectra of five 1:1 hydrogen-bonded complexes of 2-pyridone (2PY) with formic acid (FA), acetic acid (AA), propanoic acid (PA), formamide (FM), and acetamide (AM). The resolved fluorescence spectra, measured following excitation to different single vibronic levels of the dimers indicate that the intermolecular hydrogen bond vibrations undergo mixing with a number of intramolecular modes of the 2PY moiety in the excited state. A comparison of the emission spectral features of these dimers clearly indicates that the methyl groups belonging to the AA and AM moieties spectacularly accelerate the vibrational energy redistribution (IVR) in the 2PY moiety. On the other hand, although the molecular size of PA is bigger than AA, the spectral features of the 2PY-PA dimer bear signatures of a slower IVR rate compared to those of 2PY-AA. We propose that hyperconjugation of the methyl group with the cyclic hydrogen-bonded network involving AA and AM is responsible for the observed phenomenon.


Professors Brilmayer, Laycock, and Sullivan in their Rejoinder have identified several of the areas on which we disagree.1 At the outset I hope that needless disputation can be avoided by specifying the legal and ethical values on which I believe we agree. The reader, in any event, will have a basis for judging the extent to which we differ about ends, means, and facts. Fundamentally, I believe that: 1. It is ethically wrong in employment-related decisions for an employer to take a person's race, gender, religious preference, political opinions, national origin, marital status, and other personal characteristics and beliefs into account when they are not germane to the job performed or to be performed.2 2. The Equal Pay Act' and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 19644 forbid invidious discrimination against individuals who are members of designated groups.5 Furthermore, I agree with Professor Laycock e that the Constitution's prescriptions establish rights for individuals rather than for groups.


Applies the methodology adopted in contemporary business cycle research on establishing the stylized facts of aggregate output fluctuations, in the context of the office, industrial and retail building cycle. The objective of the study is to identify the degree to which cyclical regularities, which are in conformity with theoretical modelling, are identified across property sectors. Undertakes a statistical analysis of the cyclical properties of certain variables in relation to the building cycle in the respective commercial property sectors. The variables considered capture real economic conditions and trends in both the property and investment markets. The findings illustrate that certain variables display a cyclical pattern in relation to the property cycles which is in accordance with theoretical intuition. They also show that either other variables do not display any cyclical relationship to the commercial building cycles or the relationship does not conform to the predictions of the existing theoret...


Schwann cells (SCs) are the glial component of the peripheral nervous system, with essential roles during development and maintenance of axons, as well as during regenerative processes after nerve injury. SCs increase conduction velocities by myelinating axons, regulate synaptic activity at presynaptic nerve terminals and are a source of trophic factors to neurons. Thus, development and maintenance of peripheral nerves are crucially dependent on local signaling between SCs and axons. In addition to the classic mechanisms of intercellular signaling, the possibility of communication through secreted vesicles has been poorly explored to date. Interesting recent findings suggest the occurrence of lateral transfer mediated by vesicles from glial cells to axons that could have important roles in axonal growth and axonal regeneration. Here, we review the role of vesicular transfer from SCs to axons and propose the advantages of this means in supporting neuronal and axonal maintenance and regeneration after nerve damage.


This PhD work has focused on the effect of microstructure and changes in microstructure introduced by welding procedure, on the brittle to ductile transition properties of high strength low alloy steels which have been developed for application at low temperatures (Arctic regions). For this purpose, the experimental work was based on the new pipeline steel API X80 that has a low transition temperature. The relationship between the brittle to ductile transition temperature and the microstructure in the coarse grained heat affected zone, CGHAZ, and the intercritically reheated coarse grained heat affected zone, ICCGHAZ was studied by applying Smitweld TCS1405 weld simulation for producing the HAZ microstructures. During the weld thermal cycles, both single and double cycle, the specimens were resistance heated to 1350°C by a rate of 150°C/s. The cooling rate was adjusted to give a cooling time between 800°C and 500°C (Δt8/5) of 15 seconds. The second heating cycle had a peak temperature, Tp2, of 780°C, and the cooling rate was the same as during the first cycle to simulate the reheated intercritical coarse grained HAZ. Fracture toughness was measured at low temperatures down to -90°C by both tensile and CTOD testing. In order to study the slip system activity of this steel, low cycle three point bending fatigue tests were also performed on polished specimens in the same temperature range. Fracture surfaces and changes in microstructure were analyzed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy and by light optical microscopy.In summary, the present work showed that, at each temperature the ICCGHAZ specimens had lower fracture toughness values than the CGHAZ specimens. Thus, the fracture mechanism is potentially more brittle in the case of ICCGHAZ specimens, and this is probably connected to the microstructure. The microstructure evalutions revealed that the ICCGHAZ contained blocky M-A constituents along prior austenite grain boundaries and stringer M-A constituents between the bainite laths. A more detailed investigation of the fracture surfaces by electron microscopy revealed also the existence of M-A constituents at the initiation points of the cleavage cracks. During deformation, the stress concentration is expected to increase due to the presence of the M-A constituents, and thus the level of stress and strain concentration around the M-A constituents become significantly larger than the nominal stress value and then causes initiation of cleavage fracture. Fracture surface analysis of fractured specimens documented that the cracks initiated either from debonded M-A constituents or from the region between two or more closely separated blocky M-A constituents where the transformation induced stress fields overlapped.In the present work, the initiation of cleavage fracture occurred within the double CTOD distance from the crack tip. This implies that brittle fracture is easily initiated when M-A constituents are located near the fatigue crack tip, and it is also controlled by accumulation of continuum stress fields and local plastic strains.The slip system analysis revealed that several slip systems are activated with a variety of Schmid factors within one grain, and in some cases the first activated slip system is not necessarily that with the highest Schmid factor. Thus, it can be concluded that the Schmid factor is not the only parameter that determines activation of slip.Finally, the crystallographic facet analysis by EBSD illustrated that the {100} planes are the most potent cleavage facet planes in both CGHAZ and ICCGHAZ specimens. It was also shown that the {100} and {110} planes in the case of CGHAZ, and the {100} and {211} planes in the case of ICCGHAZ were the most favourable cleavage facet planes at subzero temperatures.


Viruses utilize microRNAs (miRNAs) in a vast variety of possible interactions and mechanisms, apparently far beyond the classical understanding of gene repression in humans. Likewise, herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) expresses numerous miRNAs and deregulates the expression of host miRNAs. Several HSV-1 miRNAs are abundantly expressed in latency, some of which are encoded antisense to transcripts of important productive infection genes, indicating their roles in repressing the productive cycle and/or in maintenance/reactivation from latency. In addition, HSV-1 also exploits host miRNAs to advance its replication or repress its genes to facilitate latency. Here, we discuss what is known about the functional interplay between HSV-1 and the host miRNA machinery, potential targets, and the molecular mechanisms leading to an efficient virus replication and spread.


Supply chain performance is regarded as a viable strategy that enhances an organization's productivity and lead-time. The study looked at procurement practices and supply chain performance of the World Food Program (WFP) in Nairobi, Kenya. The study was guided by a specific objective being to determine the effect of procurement monitoring on supply chain performance of an organization. The study employed a descriptive research design. The target population of the study was 170 personnel of WFP, with a sample size of 51 respondents. Primary data was collected through the use of Likert scale questionnaire. The study used a statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) software. A descriptive and panel regression analysis was used to assess the connection between the independent and dependent variables of the study. The study used a panel regression model, inferential statistics, and Coefficient of determinations. The findings also revealed that procurement monitoring is vital to the success of an organization in that when the processes of procurement are closely analyzed and monitored then the loopholes that are found are easily identified and mitigated. The study recommended that procurement monitoring was the most significant supply chain process practices. The organization should also focus on matters pertaining information technology and supply chain management as critical components in optimizing decisions of the supply chain network flow for achieving organizational competitiveness, improving higher service, lowering inventory, supply chain, and reducing electronic risks.  Keywords: Procurement monitoring, Procurement Practices, and Supply Chain Performance  CITATION: Talib, S. M., Muhoho, J., & Makali, J. (2020). Procurement practices and supply chain performance of an organization. (A case study of World Food Programme Nairobi, Kenya) . The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 7(3), 1051 – 1061.


Expansive soils cause more damage to structures annually than a combination of other major natural disasters. Because of the cost to our society, all means and methods need to be fully explored to mitigate the problems associated with expansive soils. This study will present a foundation design approach that is underutilized in this application, driven piles. The main objective of the study is to present pile test results and analysis from four driven pile project sites in three types of expansive soils found in central Texas: Del Rio formation, Taylor/Navarro formation, and expansive alluvium. High strain dynamic pile tests were conducted on each of the four studies with rigorous signal matching analysis from the CAse Pile Wave Analysis Program (CAPWAP). Ultimate pile capacities ranged from 73 to 311 kips with an average of 61% of the total capacity coming from the pile shaft and were two to six times the structural capacity needed. Allowable loads calculated from Modified Gates dynamic formula best modeled allowable test results. Average unit skin frictions ranged from 0.50 to 4.71 ksf. Restrike pile tests of 1 to 17 days after initial driving reported 30 to 100% shaft capacity gain. All open-ended pipe piles driven produced soil plugs ranging from 4 to 14 feet thick. Small diameter, thick-walled, openended pipe piles reached penetration of twice the depth of designated zone of seasonal moisture change without problem. The observed production rate of the driven piles was on average 8 minutes, which implied daily production of 15 to 40 piles. Predrills or augered holes should be specified for underground obstructions found in soil investigation.


Pregnancy is thought to create a metabolic condition of accelerated starvation. To clarify this idea, the effect of fasting on pregnant rats (day 21 of gestation) and their fetuses was examined. Although pregnancy significantly increased plasma insulin, plasma ketone body concentrations in fed pregnant rats were higher than those of age-matched fed virgin rats. After 48 hr fasting (i.e., fasting during days 19-21 of gestation), plasma insulin was markedly decreased in virgin rats compared with term pregnant rats, while ketone bodies were significantly higher in pregnant rats than in virgin rats. Body weight was lower in fetuses from fasted mothers than those from fed mothers. Starvation also markedly diminished the insulin response to glucose in isolated, perfused pancreases in both virgin and pregnant rats. The amount of insulin released during glucose stimulation was greater in pregnancy, and the inhibitory effect of 48 hr fasting on insulin release was greater in virgin rats than in pregnant rats. It is possible, therefore, that in term pregnant rats a decrease in insulin release caused by fasting may cause more profound catabolism than in nongravid rats.


As the number of discovered deafness genes and our knowledge about their role in hearing continuously increases, the need to accurately manage this genetic information is becoming more apparent. Gene Ontology (GO) is a golden standard for gene annotation and the GO database is central to bioinformatics. This thesis demonstrates how GO terms can be used to annotate auditory genes and their gene products in a systematic and sustainable manner. The GO-based framework proposed in this study facilitates the comprehensive annotation of single genes as well as the integrated analysis of high-throughput data related to hearing in multiple species. This practical framework approaches hearing on various levels of molecular complexity comprising genes, transcripts and gene networks: Combining emerging data about deafness genes with the adequate bioinformatics infrastructure helps to leverage the value of gene annotations and can thus contribute to a better understanding of hearing and hearing disorders. In addition to utilizing existing bioinformatics tools, a novel web-based application for mining the GO database with complex queries is presented and applied to extract information about auditory relevant genes. Future perspectives include further extension of this flexible framework to other data sources, such as expression databases and phenotype ontologies, to build powerful platforms for integrative data analysis. This study is a step forward towards systems biology approaches that are expected to broaden hearing research horizons and ultimately translate into novel strategies for fighting deafness.


What Tolstoy says about families also applies to banks: sound banks are all alike, but every failing bank fails in its own way. This is the reason why broad discretion is needed to manage banking crises. This paper studies the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive to assess whether it grants the competent authorities enough discretionary powers to deal with banking crises in the most efficient way. The new EU legal framework for banking resolution is marked by a very complex system of rules, with numerous constraints on the discretionary choices of the competent authorities, which could make it difficult to reach the goals underlying the BRRD, i. e., ensuring long term financial and economic stability and reducing the public cost of banking crises.


Abstract In the present work, we attempt to test the applicability of common trophic state indices such as Carlson's index (1977), probability distribution diagrams of Vollenweider (1982), and fixed boundary systems of the OECD (1982) and of Nurnberg (1996) for evaluating the risk of eutrophication in the Sejnane reservoir in North Tunisia. The environmental parameters considered include monthly values of nutrients, chlorophyll a, Secchi transparency, turbidity and dissolved oxygen over a decade of monitoring from November 2001 through October 2011. To compile data and to identify key aspects of water quality, a multivariate technique as Principal Component Analysis was performed. Results show that productivity is limited by sedimentary turbidity, which contributes to decreasing water clarity and promotes the adsorption of phosphorus to suspended matter that decreases, indirectly, the bioavailability of nutrients. The Nurnberg model provides an accurate assessment of eutrophication with a clear internal coherence between self-indicators, and appears to be the most suitable way to evaluate eutrophication risk in the reservoir.


HER2 receptor tyrosine kinase (encoded by ERBB2 gene) is overexpressed in approximately 25% of all breast cancer tumors (known as HER2-positive breast cancers). Overexpression of HER2 causes overactivation of downstream receptor tyrosine kinase pathways including PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways and is a poor prognosis factor in breast cancer. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor lapatinib and anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies trastuzumab and pertuzumab are FDA-approved HER2-targeted drugs for treatment of HER2-positive breast cancers. However, development of de novo resistance to HER2 blockade occurs in majority of patients after treatment started. Resistance to HER2 targeting therapies partially due to the loss of HER2 expression on their tumor cells during the treatment. But little is known about the exact mechanism of loss of HER2 on originally HER2-positive tumor cells. Downregulation of extracellular HER2 by metalloproteinases during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in trastuzumab-resistant/lapatinib-sensitive cells has been shown by limited studies, however, the mechanism of ERBB2 gene silencing during EMT and in the mesenchymal-like cells derived from trastuzumab-resistant/lapatinib-resistant HER2-positive breast tumors was entirely unknown. In this study, hypothesized that EMT abrogates HER2 expression by chromatin-based epigenetic silencing of ERBB2 gene as a mechanism of acquired resistance to HER2-targeted therapies. we found that HER2 expression is positively and negatively correlated with the expression of epithelial and mesenchymal phenotype marker genes respectively in breast cancer tumors. We also found that chromatin of ERBB2 gene in HER2-high epithelial-like breast cancer cells is active, while, the chromatin is inactive in HER2-low mesenchymal-like cells. HER2-low breast cancer cell line also revealed less promoter-enhancer interaction and small chromatin loops compared to the HER2-high cell lines. The lower HER2 expression, the higher EMT phenotype, and inactivated chromatin all were found correlated with a lower response to lapatinib. The higher EMT phenotype was found correlated with a lower response to lapatinib. We also found that induction of EMT of HER2-positive breast cancer BT474 cells results in downregulated HER2 expression and lower binding rate of trastuzumab to the cells. These results show that the downregulation of HER2 in mesenchymal-like cells in the culture of HER2-positive breast cancer cell lines was due to ERBB2 gene silencing by epigenetic reprogramming of the cells during EMT. These results indicate that ERBB2 gene silencing by epigenetic regulation during EMT is the main mechanism of resistance of HER2-positive breast cancer cells to trastuzumab and lapatinib.


Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a leading causative organism of opportunistic respiratory tract infections, including otitis media and acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Despite the enormous disease burden associated with NTHi infections, there are currently no effective prevention strategies, and the rapid development of antibiotic resistance is compromising treatment. We previously discovered Haemophilus haemolyticus (Hh) strains capable of producing haemophilin (HPL), a heme-binding protein that restricts NTHi growth by limiting its access to an essential growth factor, heme. Thus, these strains may have utility as a probiotic therapy against NTHi infection by limiting colonization, migration and subsequent infection in susceptible individuals. Here, we have assessed the feasibility of this approach by in vitro competition assays between NTHi and Hh strains with varying capacity to produce HPL. HPL-producing strains of Hh exhibited enhanced growth and consistently outcompeted NTHi compared to Hh strains unable to produce the protein. This competitive advantage was maintained over a period of six days, culminating in the complete eradication of NTHi. Expression analysis of HPL during competition coincided with the NTHi-inhibitory capacity of HPL-producers, confirming that inhibition was mediated by the presence of HPL. Together, results suggest that natural levels of HPL production by Hh are sufficient to limit NTHi's access to heme, even under excess heme conditions unlikely to be encountered in vivo. Further investigation is required to determine the protective capacity of HPL-producers in vivo and their ability to interrupt NTHi colonization of host cells.


The paper aims to present the results of the research of agri-business operation efficiency in Ukraine. The research underlines the analysis of the conditions of the above mentioned sector of economy especially agriculture and food processing industry as well as consideration of factors affecting their functioning and underused potential of the industries. The export activities in the country related to the movement and processing of farm products have been thoroughly analyzed. The estimation of lost benefits in the form of lost added value from under conversion of the grain sold abroad. On the basis of the conducted research we have made a conclusion that agrarian sector of economy can work as a guarantee for the national safety of Ukraine today. The analysis of dualization phenomenon in agrarian economy, its reasons and consequences and possibility for regulation has been carried out. The state support of agri-business and the role of this sector of economy in the euro integration process of Ukraine have been considered. The impact of the economic situation in Ukraine on the efficiency of agribusiness operation has been also revealed.


Bleeding from oesophageal and gastric varices is one of the most dramatic and important complications of cirrhosis. Non surgical options are favoured as first line treatment because the operative mortality in cirrhotic patients is high. These options include vasoactive drugs (terlipressin or somatostatin) and endoscopic treatment or a combination of these two treatments. Vasoactive drugs could be given before endoscopic treatment and perhaps even earlier during transfer to hospital to permit a therapeutic measure to be given at initial diagnostic endoscopy when bleeding is controlled and the patient stable. Balloon tamponade should be used only in patients with uncontrolled bleeding. Surgical portacaval shunt or transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunts is used as a second line treatment when all else has failed to control bleeding and because of an increased mortality risk surgery should never be too much delayed.


Queen Fabiola Hospital--Free University of Brussels (HUDERF) and Robert-Debré Hospital--Denis-Diderot University Paris 7 (HRD-P7) are born almost at the same time. They developed recently robust collaborations, especially for training of young pediatricians. In research, numerous results and papers have been produced, particularly in the fields of neuroprotection and sudden infant death. This article reviews also future perspectives and tools to expand joint programs between both institutions.


The classical exploratory factor analysis (EFA) finds estimates for the factor loadings matrix and the matrix of unique factor variances which give the best fit to the sample correlation matrix with respect to some goodness‐of‐fit criterion. Common factor scores can be obtained as a function of these estimates and the data. Alternatively to the classical EFA, the EFA model can be fitted directly to the data which yields factor loadings and common factor scores simultaneously. Recently, new algorithms were introduced for the simultaneous least squares estimation of all EFA model unknowns. The new methods are based on the numerical procedure for singular value decomposition of matrices and work equally well when the number of variables exceeds the number of observations. This paper provides an account that is intended as an expository review of methods for simultaneous parameter estimation in EFA. The methods are illustrated on Harman's five socio‐economic variables data and a high‐dimensional data set from genome research.


We consider the dynamic pricing problem a monopolistic seller faces when customers arrive in heterogeneous time periods and their purchase decisions are affected by reference prices formed from their past observations of prices. We illustrate that a new form of price discrimination opportunity exists in such situations, where the seller's optimal pricing strategy is a cyclic one, even when the customers are loss-neutral and their demand functions are identical. This result differs from those of prior studies where the optimal price paths are shown to be asymptotically constant and thus is unique due to the interaction between the heterogeneous arrivals and the reference price effects. We also provide the cycle length of the optimal pricing policy when the demand function is linear and when customers are loss-neutral. In this era when customer information is easier accessible, our results suggest the sellers consider this new dimension of price discrimination in conjunction with the old ones, to take advantage of the full power of customer data.


Chapter I considers cyclotron oscillations of an equilibrium plasma (the cyclotron heating problem). It is devoted mainly to the analysis of processes that lead to energy exchange between oscillations and a plasma in cyclotron resonance in an inhomogeneous magnetic field. According to present-day concepts, such an exchange is effected by excitation of modulated beams. The oscillations due to individual beams are analogous to the known Van Kampen waves. In the presence of a thermal spread of the plasma-particle velocity, the interference quenches these oscillations. As a result, the energy drawn by the plasma from the cyclotron wave takes on a thermal (random) form. An appendix (at the end of the article) traces the analogy with Cerenkov resonance in an inhomogeneous plasma and with surface absorption of the oscillations incident on an abrupt plasma boundary (anomalous skin effect). Chapter II summarizes earlier results on the analysis of the stability of a plasma not in thermal equilibrium situated in the inhomogeneous field of a magnetic trap. It was shown in the earlier papers that, depending on the conditions on the plasma boundaries, an increase in the inhomogeneity of the magnetic field can lead to either a lowering of the increment of the unstable natural oscillations (oscillation-reflecting boundaries), or to their total stabilization (absorbing boundaries). Two approaches to the investigation of stability are compared in the review, viz., analysis of the natural oscillations and an investigation of the evolution of the initial perturbations with time.