This study aimed at establishing the spatial distribution of manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) within the periphery of a manganese oxide (Mn oxide) ore abandoned mine. Four hundred soil samples were obtained from a 4 km 2 area close to the Kgwakgwe Mn oxide ore abandoned mine, Kanye, South eastern Botswana. The determination of Fe and Mn concentrations after acid digestion of samples was performed on a Varian Spectra AA-220 FS atomic absorption spectrometer (Varian, Australia) equipped with a deuterium background correction. Laboratory results were processed using Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and Remote Sensing (RS) techniques with the integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS), Geosoft Oasis Montaj and ArcGIS software packages. Microsoft Excel was used for statistical and graphical presentation of data analyses. The range of concentration levels of Fe in soils was from 1116 µg g -1 to 870766 µg g -1 with a mean of 17593 µg g -1 and for Mn in soils was 35 µg g -1 to 24907 µg g -1 with a mean of 1088 µg g -1 . The gridded soil maps for Fe and Mn show anomalies in different parts of the study area. Where Mn is high, the Fe is low and vice versa. Manganese was high at the mine workings and in the northwestern part of the study area. Iron on the other hand is very low in the mine working area and is high on the northern part of the study area. Suggestions are advanced for the Mn interplay in the soils and environment around the Kgwakgwe abandoned Mn oxides ore mine. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management Vol 9(2) 2005: 37-42


Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) dissemination shows a tendency to develop in the bone, where heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) plays a critical role in bone remodeling. Previously by LC/ESI-MSMS, we screened for HO-1 interacting proteins and identified annexin 2 (ANXA2). The aim of this study was to analyze the relevance of ANXA2/HO-1 in PCa and bone metastasis. Methods: We assessed ANXA2 levels using a co-culture transwell system of PC3 cells (pre-treated or not with hemin, an HO-1 specific inducer) and the pre-osteoclastic Raw264.7 cell line. Results: Under co-culture conditions, ANXA2 mRNA levels were significantly modulated in both cell lines. Immunofluorescence analysis unveiled a clear ANXA2 reduction in cell membrane immunostaining for Raw264.7 under the same conditions. This effect was supported by the detection of a decrease in Ca2+ concentration in the conditioned medium. HO-1 induction in tumor cells prevented both, the ANXA2 intracellular relocation and the decrease in Ca2+ concentration. Further, secretome analysis revealed urokinase (uPA) as a key player in the communication between osteoclast progenitors and PC3 cells. To assess the clinical significance of ANXA2/HO-1, we performed a bioinformatics analysis and identified that low expression of each gene strongly associated with poor prognosis in PCa regardless of the clinico-pathological parameters assessed. Further, these genes appear to behave in a dependent manner. Conclusions: ANXA2/HO-1 rises as a critical axis in PCa.


The Li-ion batteries composed of high-capacity SiO x anode and high-potential LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 cathode is the most realistic options to meet the increasing demands for higher-energy-density storage systems. However, the absence of electrolytes covering the multifaceted issues from highly reducing and oxidizing conditions at the SiO x anode and LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 cathode, respectively, has limited its applications. Herein, we present an electrolyte that can solve these issues simultaneously. A concentrated LiN(SO 2 F) 2 /methyl (2,2,2-triuoroethyl) carbonate electrolyte upshifts the reaction potentials of the SiO x anode and enables an earlier formation of a robust anion-derived passivation �lm upon charge to diminish the reductive degradation of the electrolyte. The weak solvating ability of the electrolyte provides a high oxidation tolerance against Al corrosion and transition metal dissolution from the cathode material. Excellent long-term cycling of 5 V-class SiO x |LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 full cells (96% capacity retention after 500 cycles at a low constant current of 0.5 C-rate) was achieved.


A three-dimensional (3-D) numerical model with standard k–ε turbulence closure has been applied to model the transport and mixing of solute in a large-scale laboratory channel. The channel is meandering with self-formed cross-sectional shape. Simulation accuracy was evaluated through comparison of computed and measured temporal concentration curves downstream of a pulse injection from a transverse line source. This study shows that the transport and mixing of solute in a meandering channel with a physically realistic bathymetry can be simulated accurately with a 3-D numerical model using k–ε turbulence closure. The prediction accuracy of the temporal concentration curves using different time steps, numerical schemes and Schmidt numbers are presented. The performance was evaluated in terms of a goodness of fit, computed peak concentration and gradients of the rising and falling limbs. The second order upwind scheme for the advective term in the solution of the advection-diffusion equation was found to give a considerably better prediction of the temporal concentration curve than the power law scheme. A value of unity for the turbulent Schmidt number results in a slightly early arrival time of the peak in tracer concentration, reducing the value of Schmidt number to 0.5 was found to result in a more accurate prediction.


To translate scientific knowledge into actions in social practices outside of science has been highlighted as one of the biggest challenges in environmental conservation. What has been presented as a key in this process is to balance between the need of new knowledge to explain details of nature's complexity and the need to simplify the complexity to make it manageable, a balance that is supposed to contribute to transform knowing into doing. As this challenge is faced to meet the need of science based environmental decisions, it becomes more and more important to also ask the question of how this translation is done, this to understand what consequences it brings to what is, and could be, known and done.By using the case of themonarch butterfly, this study provides knowledge of how the translation of knowledge between different social settings, such as science, citizen science, and policy, are being executed in an ongoing scientific and policy discussion. The study combines document studies with an interview study including scientists, citizen scientists, and ENGO representatives, all positioned in the center(s) of the monarch community. The analysis shows how a strong and engaging narrative are being constructed of the monarch butterfly by balancing detailed knowledge with general descriptions, inclusion and common knowledge with particularities and expertise, and consensus with conflicts.The study shows how scientific ambiguity, complexity, and uncertainty are managed throughout the process of trying to translate knowing into doing, findings of importance to environmental conservation as well as to scientific communication more generally


Distributed compressed sensing is the extension of compressed sampling (CS) to sensor networks. The idea is to design a CS joint decoding scheme at the base station which exploits the inter-sensor correlations, in order to recover the whole observations from very few number of random measurements per node. Here, the questions are about modeling the correlations, design of the joint recovery algorithms, analysis of those algorithms, the comparison between the performance of the joint and separate decoder and finally determining how optimal they are.


The intent of this research is to utilize the waste produced by distillation process of Agarwood oil and convert it into a profitable oilwell cement additive. Common problem during oilwell cementing is free water separation. This problem could weaken cement at the top, gas migration problem and non uniform density of cement slurry that are even worst in cementing deviated well. Another concern on cementing design is the porosity of the hardened cement. If the cement is too porous, it can lead to gas migration and casing corrosion. All tests were conducted according to API Specification-10B. Free water test was determined at different concentrations of Agarwood Waste Additive (AWA), different inclination angles and different temperatures. Based on the findings, it was observed that zero free water was produced when 2% BWOC of AWA was used at all angles. The findings also revealed that AWA can maintain good thermal stability as it could maintain zero free water at increased temperature up to 60˚C.  The porosity of AWA cement was comparable with standard API neat cement as the porosity did not differ much at 2% BWOC of AWA. Therefore, it can be concluded that the AWA is suitable to  be used as an additive in oil well cement (OWC)  with 2% BWOC is taken as the optimum concentration.


This article examines the authorship of an a cappella mass for four voices, which survives in several sources and is presented under various names, including Roeton, Ruetton, and Natale Monferrato maestro di cappella of S. Marco (Venice) during 1676-85. The true author is the Venetian Giovanni Rovetta (c.1596-1668), maestro Claudio Monteverdi's distinguished assistant (1627-44) and successor (1644-68) at S. Marco.


Developing countries are primary destinations for FDI from emerging economies following the World Investment Report 2022, including destinations in OECD countries. Based on three theoretical lenses and case analyses, we argue that Chinese outward FDI has impacts on wellbeing in destination countries, and that this is an important issue for psychological health in response to COVID-19. Based on the super-efficiency DEA approach, our study investigated the impact of Chinese outward FDI on wellbeing in OECD countries. We also applied a Tabu search to identify country groups based on the relationship between Chinese outward FDI and wellbeing and we developed a key node analysis of the country groups using an immune algorithm. This research has implications for public administrators in global governance and could help shape FDI policies to improve psychological health of the destination countries in response to COVID-19.


Despite the desirability of polymers for use in many products due to their flexibility, light weight, and durability, their status as thermal insulators has precluded their use in applications where thermal conductors are required. However, recent results suggest that the thermal conductance of polymers can be enhanced and that their heat transport behaviors may be highly sensitive to nanoscale control. Here we use non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations to study the effect of mechanical twist on the steady-state thermal conductance across multi-stranded polyethylene wires. We find that a highly twisted double-helical polyethylene wire can display a thermal conductance up to three times that of its untwisted form, an effect which can be attributed to a structural transition in the strands of the double helix. We also find that in thicker wires composed of many parallel strands, adding just one twist can increase its thermal conductance by over 30%. However, we find that unlike stretching a polymer wire, which causes a monotonic increase in thermal conductance, the effect of twist is highly non-monotonic, and certain amounts of twist can actually decrease the thermal conductance. Finally, we apply the Continuous Chirality Measure (CCM) in an attempt to explore the correlation between heat conductance and chirality. The CCM is found to correlate with twist as expected, but we attribute the observed heat transport behaviors to structural factors other than chirality.


Mostly television channel's commercials were flooded with the trend of product-centric advertisements. We have observed that the commercials in general, laud the product specifications and its features, which repeat the same product features again and again. Interestingly, in the last decade commercials have been shifted moreover from product-centric ads to more creative ads that talk about an idea, which is close to the brand values. Some popular television commercials talk about certain ideas and take up deeper consumer insights instead of harping on the product solely. Television Commercials (in short i.e. TVCs) are going beyond the product features' details by setting with a new advertising communication strategy. TVCs are being used for the social approach along with their commercial motives. Therefore in this study, we have traced these changes of television commercials and analyzed also the television commercials' aesthetics values, the presentations style, and the social content behind it, which made this type of commercials worth watching.


This study of person fit in attitude surveys was undertaken in order to investigate the influence of the inclusion of misfitting persons on item parameter estimates in analyses using the Partial Credit extension of the Rasch measurement model. It was hypothesised that the inclusion of misfitting persons in data sets used for the calibration of attitude survey instruments might compromise the measurement properties of those instruments. Using both actual and simulated data sets, the inclusion of misfitting cases was found to reduce item variance. Several characteristics of both item and person samples were found to influence the proportion of cases identified as misfitting. These characteristics must be considered before removing cases that, according to customary practice, appear to misfit. The residual based misfit indicators that are commonly reported in Rasch analyses, the weighted and unweighted mean squares, appear not to have the generality over all instruments nor the precision required to make clear decisions on the retention or elimination of cases from samples, and there is a need to seek better misfit indicators.


GPs can do very positive things for some patients with aches and pains as many such patients are Vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D deficiency commonly presents with widespread aches, weakness, and tiredness, and can also present with focal symptoms. If a patient has several musculoskeletal diagnoses over time (for example plantar fasciitis, hip pain, back pain, and knee pain) then Vitamin D deficiency should be suspected. Deficiency can be confirmed biochemically by checking Vitamin D levels. Expert consensus suggests that optimal Vitamin D status requires serum levels of 25 OH Vitamin D of 75 nmol/l (that is, 30 mg/l) or more (repeat levels 3 months after initial treatment to ensure patients are replete). Recent work shows 'no credible evidence' for hypercalcaemia at treatment doses of Vitamin D.1 Treatment must be with adequate doses (for example, 400 000 iu in the first 2 weeks and then 20 000 weekly) as low dose supplements containing calcium will not restore Vitamin D levels, nor give symptom relief. This condition is common in all ethnic groups, especially in the north and west of the country, and is often forgotten or missed.

I received this comment recently, after treatment (of a white middle-aged man). 'I feel 10 years younger with fewer aches and pains. Mood and energy levels are much improved. I can get about to go fishing much more easily'. Many patients have similar positive experiences.

Moreover, treatment may improve general health as it is now well recognised that Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for many other conditions including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and infections.2

Finally, patients may approach exercise with more equanimity if the hopeful phrase 'wear and repair' is used instead of the sinister 'wear and tear'.


From the Publisher:
This classic programmer's book will teach you to write more effective programs using C++. Living up to its reputation as a helpful how-to for every level of programming skill, teach yourself...C++, 5th Edition demonstrates the hows and whys of C++ program design in an accessible, informative style.
teach yourself...C++, 5th Edition helps you understand the differences between function-oriented and object-oriented programming. Get a solid foundation in such valuable concepts as default function arguments, variable declarations, inline functions, and global scope resolutions. Learn about the Free Store, class inheritance, and C++ input/output streams. The disk includes the GNU C++ Compiler which runs under MS-DOS. For instructive reading and reliable spot reference, teach yourself...C++, 5th Edition is a must-have book for beginner and expert programmers alike.


The impact on device stability of the bulky cation-modified interfaces in halide perovskite solar cells is not well-understood. We demonstrate the thermal instability of the bulky cation interface layers used in some of the highest performing solar cells to date. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and synchrotron-based grazing incidence X-ray scattering measurements reveal significant changes under thermal stress in the chemical composition and structure at the surface of these films. The changes impact charge carrier dynamics and device operation, as shown in transient photoluminescence, excitation correlation spectroscopy, and solar cells. The type of cation used for passivation affects the extent of these changes, where long carbon chains provide more stable interfaces and thus longer durability (more than 1000 hrs at 55ºC). Such findings highlight that annealing the treated interfaces before characterization is critical to enable reliable reporting of performances and to drive the selection between different cations.


M.E. Verkade, F. Ugahary, A. Martens and P. Wiemer Lingehoeve Diergeneeskunde, Lienden, the Netherlands; Consultant in General Surgery, Tiel, the Netherlands; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Surgery and Anaesthesiology, Merelbeke, Belgium. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com Objectives: Surgical technique, including method of closure, plays an important role in preventing ventral midline incisional complications. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical and ultrasonographic outcome of three suture techniques for closure of the equine linea alba (LA).


The higher effective barrier height of Dy2O3 , which is around 2.32 eV calculated from the Fowler-Nordheim plot, accounts for the reduced leakage current in Dy-incorporated HfO2 n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor devices. The lower barrier height of HfO2 characterizes the increasing electron-tunneling currents enhanced by the buildup of hole charges trapped in oxide, which causes a severe increase in the stress-induced leakage current (SILC), leading to oxide breakdown. However, the increased barrier height in Dy-incorporated HfO2 inhibits a further increase in the electron tunneling from the TaN gate, and trapped holes lessen the hole-tunneling currents, resulting in a negligible SILC. The lower trap generation rate by the reduced hole trap density and the reduced hole tunneling of the Dy-doped HfO2 dielectric demonstrate the high dielectric-breakdown strength by weakening the charge trapping and the defect generation during the stress.


Abstract Organizational commitment refers to an individual's identification and involvement with an organization. This paper examines the organizational commitment of employees toward firms with varying levels of environmental sustainability efforts. Analysis of surveys from 195 employees from nine small and medium-sized food-processing businesses shows employees' level of organizational commitment is influenced by their perceptions of their firm's environmental sustainability. Specifically, individuals working for firms that they perceive as having a collectivistic organizational identity orientation or that manufacture more certified organic product lines have greater affective and normative organizational commitment. In addition, higher employee affective organizational commitment is positively related to employee perceptions of environmental management practices. However, employee normative organizational commitment is not related to more stringent environmental management practices.


: This paper explores various approaches for implementing bilingual (Spanish and Basque) intent classifiers in cases where limited annotated data is available. Our study examines which fine-tuning strategy is more appropriate in such resource-limited scenarios: bilingual fine-tuning on a small number of manually annotated examples; a monolingual fine-tuning that relies on data augmentation via paraphrasing; or a combination of both. We explore two data augmentation strategies, one based on paraphrasing language models and the other based on back translation. Experiments are conducted on multiple pre-trained language models in order to evaluate the suitability of both monolingual and multilingual language models. The different approaches have been evaluated on two scenarios: i) a real use case over procedures associated with municipal sports services; and ii) a simulated scenario from the multi-domain Facebook Multilingual Task-Oriented dataset. Results show that data augmentation based on back translation is beneficial for monolingual classifiers that rely on pre-trained monolingual language models. Combining bilingual fine-tuning of the multilingual model with the data augmented by back translation outperforms the monolingual model-based approaches for Basque.


State estimation is crucial for robot autonomy, visual odometry (VO) has received significant attention in the robotics field because it can provide accurate state estimation. However, the accuracy and robustness of most existing VO methods are degraded in complex conditions, due to the limited field of view (FOV) of the utilized camera. In this paper, we present a novel tightly-coupled multi-keyframe visual-inertial odometry (called VINS-MKF), which can provide an accurate and robust state estimation for robots in an indoor environment. We first modify the monocular ORBSLAM (Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) to multiple fisheye cameras alongside an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to provide large FOV visual-inertial information. Then, a novel VO framework is proposed to ensure the efficiency of state estimation, by adopting a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) based feature extraction method and parallelizing the feature extraction thread that is separated from the tracking thread with the mapping thread. Finally, a nonlinear optimization method is formulated for accurate state estimation, which is characterized as being multi-keyframe, tightly-coupled and visual-inertial. In addition, accurate initialization and a novel MultiCol-IMU camera model are coupled to further improve the performance of VINS-MKF. To the best of our knowledge, it's the first tightly-coupled multi-keyframe visual-inertial odometry that joins measurements from multiple fisheye cameras and IMU. The performance of the VINS-MKF was validated by extensive experiments using home-made datasets, and it showed improved accuracy and robustness over the state-of-art VINS-Mono.


Summary The issues raised from the photographic close range, non-contact and harmless digitization of antique maps are discussed in this paper, concerning the production of 1:1 scale digital copies of antique map originals, using partial digital images as taken by low cost non specialized digital cameras, available in the general market. A proper implementation technique is de- scribed and the technical requirements and specifications, that are important for the relevant photogrammetric processing and camera calibration, are analyzed in order to obtain the most precise digital copies of historical maps.


A laser beam with a flat-top is desired in many applications, such as laser fusion, laser radar, laser heat treatment, etc. Unfortunately, the laser device operated in TEM/sub 00/ mode delivers a laser beam with Gaussian profile. Therefore beam shaping that reshapes a laser beam from Gaussian profile, into flat-top is very important. We theoretically prove that, by using a lens with negative spherical aberration (SA), one can reshape a partially coherent light beam with Gaussian profile into a flat-top. As a special case, we consider that the partially coherent light beam as a Gaussian Schell-model (GSM) beam with Gaussian profile of both the optical intensity and the degree of coherence. The numerical results show that after focusing by the lens with negative spherical aberration, the partially coherent light with flat-top can be achieved.


Objective: To discuss the treatment of a patient with type 1 diabetes presenting with chronic neck and shoulder pain by using chiropractic manipulation and an active rehabilitation program with emphasis on correcting postural imbalances. Clinical features: A 46-year-old insulin dependant (type1) diabetic female presented with neck and right shoulder pain of 6 to 8 months duration. Her history included similar left-sided complaints 2 years prior at which time she underwent 3 months of rehabilitation at a local medical center, which improved her condition. Over time her pain resolved but the residuals of restricted left shoulder range of motion remained. The patient had postural changes consisting of forward head posture, rounded shoulders and internally rotated arms. Intervention and outcome: Treatment included spinal manipulation, ultrasound and active rehabilitation consisting of at home exercises initially and followed with in office low-tech rehabilitation. Rehabilitation was primarily aimed at improving postural abnormalities, muscle imbalances and abnormal movement patterns. The patient improved with this course of treatment. Conclusion: Chiropractic care including active rehabilitation may be helpful in treating diabetic patients suffering from chronic neck and shoulder problems. (J Chiropr Med 2004;3:138–144) Key Indexing Terms: Manipulation, Chiropractic; Neck Pain; Shoulder Pain; Diabetes; Posture, Rehabilitation


Electrostatic tuning of the frequency in micromachined Si-SiO2 composite resonators for temperature compensation is demonstrated and analyzed. Electrostatic tuning exploits the bias voltage dependence of frequency for the compensation. Si-SiO2 composite resonators have intrinsically small frequency variation over temperature, thus being appropriate for electrostatic tuning. We developed a tuning procedure and applied it to a flexural-mode composite resonator. Experimental results show ±2.5-ppm stability over a 90°C-wide temperature range.


Summary

White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) in the Columbia River in Canada have recently been listed as Endangered/Critically Imperiled, based on a shift in size and age-class composition from a population dominated by juveniles in the early 1980s to one presently dominated by adults. This shift has been attributed to a poor survival of early life stages. To determine the causes for this poor survival, investigations conducted annually since 1990 have focussed on identifying white sturgeon movement patterns, population dynamics, reproductive biology, and critical habitats. The reasons for the low recruitment remain poorly understood but river regulation and reservoir formation due to dam construction and pollution from municipal and industrial effluent inputs are suspected as contributing factors.

The history of dam development on the Columbia River and implications to white sturgeon are discussed from a historical perspective. A synopsis of post-1990 study results is provided and discussed in the framework of management strategies that include: 1) angling regulations, 2) flow enhancement strategies during spawning, 3) development of a population stabilization plan, 4) investigations into the feasibility of artificial stock supplementation, and 5) proposed future study programs to identify factors limiting recruitment.


Nasopharyngeal swab sample collection is the first-line testing method for diagnosing COVID-19 infection and other respiratory infections. Current information on how to properly perform nasopharyngeal swabbing in children is largely defective. This study aimed at collecting nostril to nasopharynx distance measurements on lateral skull radiographs of children and adolescents to design a nasopharyngeal swab meant to standardize and facilitate the sample collection procedure. A total of 323 cephalograms of 152 male and 171 female children aged 4–14 years taken for orthodontic reasons were selected. On each cephalogram, the shortest distance between the most anterosuperior point of the nostril contour and the nasopharynx outline was measured in mm parallel to the palatal plane. Descriptive statistics of the measurements were calculated for each age group. The lower limit of the 95% confidence intervals of the measurements was taken as a reference to design a swab shaft with marks that, at each age, delimitate a safety boundary for swab progression up to the posterior nasopharyngeal wall. The simplification of the procedure enabled by the newly designed nasopharyngeal swab is valuable to help healthcare providers perform specimen collection on children in a safe and effective way, perhaps under the less-than-ideal conditions possibly occurring in 'point-of-need' contexts.


Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers on the risk and outcomes of sepsis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Design: A retrospective study. Setting: Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Patients: All patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who received angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers for more than 90 days between 2000 and 2005 were recruited for this study. Pairwise matching (1:1) of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker groups resulted in two similar subgroups with 5,959 patients in each. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: The primary outcome was sepsis, and the secondary outcome was death. The occurrence rate of sepsis was 3.67 per 100 person-years for the patients receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and 2.87 per 100 person-years for those receiving angiotensin receptor blockers. In addition, the patients receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors had a higher risk of septic shock (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.26–1.67) and mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.22–1.40) than those receiving angiotensin receptor blockers. No matter whether the patients had prior severe exacerbation before the index date, those receiving angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors had a higher risk of sepsis, septic shock, and mortality than those receiving angiotensin receptor blockers (all p < 0.001). Conclusions: Angiotensin receptor blockers were associated with lower rates of sepsis and mortality than angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in the patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The similar findings were also noted in subgroup analysis.


It is challenging to design large and low-cost communication networks. In this paper, we formulate this challenge as the prize-collecting Steiner Tree Problem (PCSTP). The objective is to minimize the costs of transmission routes and the disconnected monetary or informational profits. Initially, we note that the PCSTP is MAX SNP-hard. Then, we propose some post-processing techniques to improve suboptimal solutions to PCSTP. Based on these techniques, we propose two fast heuristic algorithms: the first one is a quasilinear time heuristic algorithm that is faster and consumes less memory than other algorithms; and the second one is an improvement of a state-of-the-art polynomial time heuristic algorithm that can find high-quality solutions at a speed that is only inferior to the first one. We demonstrate the competitiveness of our heuristic algorithms by comparing them with the state-of-the-art ones on the largest existing benchmark instances (169 800 vertices and 338 551 edges). Moreover, we generate new instances that are even larger (1 000 000 vertices and 10 000 000 edges) to further demonstrate their advantages in large networks. The state-of-the-art algorithms are too slow to find high-quality solutions for instances of this size, whereas our new heuristic algorithms can do this in around 6 to 45s on a personal computer. Ultimately, we apply our post-processing techniques to update the best-known solution for a notoriously difficult benchmark instance to show that they can improve near-optimal solutions to PCSTP. In conclusion, we demonstrate the usefulness of our heuristic algorithms and post-processing techniques for designing large and low-cost communication networks.


Since most of the XY positioning stages with large travel range proposed in previous studies suffer from low out-of-plane stiffness and loose structure, this paper presents a novel two degrees-of-freedom large travel linear compliant positioning stage with high out-of-plane stiffness and compact size. The linear guide compliant mechanism of the stage takes spatial leaf spring parallelograms as the basic units, which are serially connected to obtain large travel, high out-of-plane stiffness, and compact size simultaneously. The theoretical static stiffness and dynamic resonant frequency are obtained by matrix structural analysis. Finite element analysis is carried out to investigate the characteristics of the developed stage. The analytical model is confirmed by experiments. It is noted that the developed stage has a workspace of 4.4 × 7.0 mm2, and the area ratio of workspace to the outer dimension of the stage is 0.16%, which is greater than that of any existing stage reported in the literature. The results of out-of-plane payload tests indicate that the stage can sustain at least 20 kg out-of-plane payload without changing the travel range. And the positioning experiments show that the developed stage is capable of tracking a circle of radius 1.5 mm with 10 µm error and the resolution is less than 2 µm.


Family practice residency programs have recently become a fact in a number of medical schools, particularly in the more rural states. The purpose of this editorial is to present a philosophic and pragmatic approach to the role of the surgical specialties in family practice residency programs. The American Academy of Family Physicians has published Education for Family Practice , which contains guidelines for training in family practice. Surgery is used in the broad sense in these guidelines. I have substituted the term "surgical specialties" to include all of surgery. Under surgery, the guidelines state, The resident should acquire competence in recognizing surgical emergencies and when appropriate referring them for necessary specialized care, an ability to evaluate conditions that require elective surgical management, an understanding of the kinds of surgical treatment that might be employed and the problems that may result from surgical procedures and their management. He should have sufficient knowledge


Lithium-ion traction battery systems of hybrid and electric vehicles must have a high level of durability and reliability like all other components and systems of a vehicle. Battery systems get heated while in the application. To ensure the desired life span and performance, most systems are equipped with a cooling system. The changing environmental condition in daily use may cause water condensation in the housing of the battery system. In this study, three system designs were investigated, to compare different solutions to deal with pressure differences and condensation: (1) a sealed battery system, (2) an open system and (3) a battery system equipped with a pressure compensation element (PCE). These three designs were tested under two conditions: (a) in normal operation and (b) in a maximum humidity scenario. The amount of the condensation in the housing was determined through a change in relative humidity of air inside the housing. Through PCE and available spacing of the housing, moisture entered into the housing during the cooling process. While applying the test scenarios, the gradient-based drift of the moisture into the housing contributed maximum towards the condensation. Condensation occurred on the internal surface for all the three design variants.


For a continuous transformation f of a compact metric space (X,d) and any continuous function \phi on X we consider sets of the form K_{\alpha} =\bigg\{x\in X:\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac 1n \sum_{i=0}^{n-1} \phi( f^i(x))=\alpha \bigg\},\quad\alpha\in\R. For transformations satisfying the specification property we prove the following Variational Principle h_{\rm top}(f,K_{\alpha}) = \sup\bigg( h_\mu(f): \mu\text{ is invariant and } \int\phi \,d\mu=\alpha \bigg), where h_{\rm top}(f,\cdot) is the topological entropy of non-compact sets. Using this result we are able to obtain a complete description of the multifractal spectrum for Lyapunov exponents of the so-called Manneville–Pomeau map, which is an interval map with an indifferent fixed point. We also consider multi-dimensional multifractal spectra and establish a contraction principle.


The mechanical stability of α-phase formamidinium (FA) lead iodide perovskite is investigated using a systematic finite deformation method based on all the possible FA cation orientations, inside an inorganic cage. Two specific strain boundaries of deformation or strain amplitudes were efficiently examined over this optimized pseudo-cubic structure, which needs nine independent elastic constants (EC) to determine the stability. The stable structure was found while applying an initial amplitude limit (0.02), which is attributed to the balanced charge distribution in between the hydrogens (H4, H5 and H2, H3) to the specific iodine (I2) atom. Surprisingly, with increasing amplitude (0.04), the structure was unstable due to their disturbed charge distribution and FA cation tilting as found from electron density difference (EDD) spectrum. From the computational perspective, the obtained EC values, Mulliken charge, and EDD results provide some crucial information's to understand the reason behind the instability issues based on the FA cation position which is reported so far. Hence, we provide a solid justification regarding the stability threshold of a pseudo-cubic model based on the FA cation position to get an insight into this FA cation-based perovskite material.


Abstract. The mid-Holocene period (MH) has long been an ideal target for the validation of Global Circulation Model (GCM) results against proxy reconstructions gathered in global datasets. These studies aimed to test the GCM sensitivity mainly to the seasonal changes induced by the orbital parameters (precession). Despite widespread agreement between model results and data on the MH climate, some important differences still exist. There is no consensus on the continental size of the MH thermal climate response, which makes regional quantitative reconstruction critical to obtain a comprehensive understanding of MH climate patterns. Here, we compare the annual and seasonal outputs from the most recent Paleoclimate Modelling and Coupled Modelling Intercomparison Projects Phase 3 (PMIP3) models with an updated synthesis of temperature reconstruction over China, including, for the first time, a seasonal cycle. Most of the models provide a linear response driven by the seasonal forcing (warmer in summer, cooler in winter), which disagrees with the new seasonal data reconstruction over China. We show that to capture the seasonal pattern reconstructed by data, it is critical to access surface processes. These results pinpoint the crucial importance of including the non-linear process associated with vegetation changes in hydrology and radiative forcing.


The conservation of genetic diversity, both among and within breeds, is a costly process. Therefore, choices between breeds and animals within breeds are unavoidable, either for conservation in vitro (gene banks) or in vivo (maintaining small populations alive). Nowadays, genomic information on breeds and individual animals is the standard for the choices to be made in conservation. Genomics may accurately measure the genetic distances among breeds and the relationships among animals within breeds. Homozygosity at loci and at parts of chromosomes is used to measure inbreeding. In addition, genomics can be used to detect potentially valuable rare alleles and haplotypes, their carriers in these breeds and can facilitate in vivo or in vitro conservations of these genomic regions.


Expecting events in time leads to more efficient behavior. A remarkable early finding in the study of temporal expectancy is the foreperiod effect on reaction times; i.e., the influence or reaction time of the time period between a warning signal and an imperative stimulus to which subjects are instructed to respond as quickly as possible. Recently it has been shown that the phase of oscillatory activity preceding stimulus presentation is related to behavior. Here we connect both of these findings by reporting a novel foreperiod effect on the inter-trial phase coherence of the electroencephalogram (EEG) triggered by stimuli to which subjects are instructed not to respond. Inter-trial phase coherence has been used to describe regularities in phases of groups of trials time locked to an event of interest. We propose a singletrial measure of inter-trial phase coherence and prove its soundness. Equipped with this measure, and using a multivariate decoding method, we demonstrate that the foreperiod duration in and audiovisual attention-shifting task modulates single-trial phase coherence. In principle, this modulation could be an artifact of the decoding method used to detect it. We show that this is not the case, since the modulation can also be observed using a simple averaging method. We show that the strength of this modulation correlates with subject behavior (both error rates and mean-reaction times). We anticipate that the new foreperiod effect on inter-trial phase coherence, and the decoding method used here to detect it, will be important tools to understand cognition at the single-trial level. In Part II of this manuscript, we support this claim, by showing that changes in attention modulate the strength of the new foreperiod effect on a trial-by-trial basis.


This article analyzes how the "modern state" in Ethiopia has played crucial roles in the dynamics of personal names and naming practices of the Gofa people through its ideology, institutions, and strategies of standardizing linguistic and personal naming practices. The double roles of the state, both as a fortification and change agent, are analyzed by categorizing the Ethiopian state into two periods: the imperial state (1890's to 1974) and post-imperial state (1974 to present). Based on empirical data, I argue on one hand that the imperial state, through its persistence effort and perceived opportunities, significantly succeeded in converting the indigenous Gofa names and patterns to the state (Amhara) nomenclature. On the other hand, the post-imperial state policies have shown significant signs of restoring indigenous cultures but could not fully materialize the policies and their discourses due to the involvement of multiple actors that complicate the restoration process.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.


In spite of the risks, people often share large quantities of personal information online. The objective of this research was to gain an understanding as to why people take such risks when engaging with others on social networking sites like Facebook. Initially the existence of online communities had to be established, and consideration given to the possibility that these online communities reflected groups found in the real world. The following hypotheses were then tested using an online survey with Likert Scale questions and freeform questions. This data was then triangulated by and supplemented with data received as a result of semi-structured interviews. Interview and survey questions were informed by a full literature review undertaken on the topic. H1: Humans mimic online behaviours including risky behaviours to gain acceptance in online communities. There was insufficient support for this hypothesis. This may be due to the fact that online and real world groups differ in terms of the way in which they communicate. The five senses are not fully engaged in online communication and there is an absence of body language and other non-verbal communication. This difference may determine that there is less need for social affiliation online than in the real world. H2: The need for personal safety online is secondary to the need for social affiliation. Again there was insufficient support for this hypothesis, and even those with online communities of trusted friends drawn from the real world were concerned for their personal safety and configured their privacy settings. However these people were comfortable sharing personal information online with trusted friends, demonstrating that they were under the illusion that their information was private. H3: Humans reflect the values of their friends on social networks to gain their approval. This hypothesis was well supported and indications were that people were more prepared to share personal information online with those who shared their values. They are also unlikely to share controversial information that violated their personal values. The results of this research were viewed through the lens of "The Online Disinhibition Effect" (Suler, 2004), and recommendations made to companies planning online business.


Perpendicular anisotropy of suprathermal ions, observed inside some of the dipolarizing flux bundles (DFBs) in the magnetotail plasma sheet, have been attributed to successive, betatron‐type accelerations during the DFB entry of ambient ions. It has been unclear, however, where and how these ions enter the DFBs. The proposed locations include the DFB flanks where cross‐tail drifting ions are picked up, and the DFB leading edge with sharp magnetic field gradient (the dipolarization front, DF). Here we examine the latter scenario, based on a simplistic, test particle approach, to predict the preferred conditions for the appearance of the DFB ion anisotropy. Our model predicts that the ion anisotropy would be stronger at locations closer to the neutral sheet and would appear preferentially in the DFB dawnside and central sectors rather than the duskside sector. We also predict that the ion anisotropy would more likely be observed in DFBs with higher propagation speeds. These properties can be understood in our model by the dawnward drift of ions during their DF penetration (attributed to the large magnetic gradient). To examine these predictions, we carry out a statistical survey based on observations from the THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) mission, to show a clear dependence of the ion anisotropy on spacecraft location and the DFB propagation speed. These findings, therefore, are consistent with the scenario that the perpendicular ion anisotropy originates from the ion acceleration and penetration across sharp DFs.


We study the influence of wage differential on the emergence of endogenous fluctuations. In this way, we introduce a dual labor market, based on the Shapiro–Stiglitz efficiency wage theory in an overlapping generations model. We show that wage inequality is a source of endogenous fluctuations. Indeed, a sufficiently strong wage differential leads to the occurrence of cycles of period 2 and local indeterminacy. Moreover, in contrast to several existing contributions, these results depend neither on increasing returns to scale nor on the degree of capital–labor substitution.


This paper examines the impact of long-range dependent real-time variable bit rate (rt-VBR) traffic in a multi-service CDMA system that has been dimensioned using a short-range dependent traffic model. A simulation of the system is performed using both a self-similar Pareto renewal process and a Poisson process as traffic models. The importance of traffic model choice when dimensioning the system is established by comparing the QoS delivered under each traffic model. Simulation results show that the factor of performance difference between the two models is heavily dependent upon the level of self-similarity in the traffic, traffic load and propagation conditions. This difference is most significant when: the Hurst parameter exceeds approximately 0.75; there is a medium traffic load; and the probability of propagation loss is low. The scheduling policy is shown to skew the relative importance of the traffic model to each service.


Background: Previous studies have shown that high-producer TGFβ1 genotypes are associated with severe lung disease in CF, but data on TGFβ1 levels and its impact on CF lung disease are scarce. Our aim was to assess the relationship between TGFβ1 genotypes, TGFβ1 (in induced sputum and serum) and lung disease.

Methods: 23 patients delta F 508 homozygous (median age 24 y, m/f 13/10, BMI 20,96 kg/m2, Shwachman score 75, FEV1 (%) 84) were examined. TGFβ1 was assessed in serum and IS by ELISA. Genotyping was performed for the TGFβ1 C-509T and T+869C genotype.

Results: TGFβ1 mutants (C-509T mutant/wildtype n=9/14; T+869C mutant/wildtype (7/16) had no influence on levels of TGFβ1 in IS (C-509T mutant/wildtype median 80.2/71.8 pg/ml, n.s; T+869C mutant/wildtype median 80.2/71.75 pg/ml, n.s) and serum (C-509T mutant/wildtype median 35.8/34.9 pg/ml, n.s; T+869C mutant/wildtype median 35.8/34.9 pg/ml, n.s) nor on leukocytes in IS (C-509T mutant/wildtype median 651/495/μl, n.s; T+869C mutant/wildtype median 651.25/495/μl, n.s) and in EDTA blood (C-509T mutant/wildtype median 6325/6990 pg/ml, n.s; T+869C mutant/wildtype median 6325/6990/μl, n.s), lung function resp FEV1 (%) (C-509T mutant/wildtype median 68.6/86.7%, n.s; T+869C mutant/wildtype median 60.3/86.66%, n.s) or BMI (C-509T mutant/wildtype median 21.9/19.2 pg/ml, n.s; T+869C mutant/wildtype median 22.41/19.52, n.s).

Conclusion: Genotype had no difference on TGFβ1 in IS and serum as well as for lung function or BMI. An explanation is that TGF β is activated by different pathways e.g. ανβ6-mediated activation appears to be absolutely dependent on direct cell-cell contact and does not release any diffusible free TGF β (Munger et al 1999).


Background: Although aminoglycosides are often used as treatment for Gram-negative infections, optimal dosing regimens remain unclear, especially in ICU patients. This is due to a large between- and within-subject variability in the aminoglycoside pharmacokinetics in this population. Objective: This review provides comprehensive data on the pharmacokinetics of aminoglycosides in patients hospitalized in the ICU by summarizing all published PopPK models in ICU patients for amikacin, gentamicin, and tobramycin. The objective was to determine the presence of a consensus on the structural model used, significant covariates included, and therapeutic targets considered during dosing regimen simulations. Method: A literature search was conducted in the Medline/PubMed database, using the terms: 'amikacin', 'gentamicin', 'tobramycin', 'pharmacokinetic(s)', 'nonlinear mixed effect', 'population', 'intensive care', and 'critically ill'. Results: Nineteen articles were retained where amikacin, gentamicin, and tobramycin pharmacokinetics were described in six, 11, and five models, respectively. A two-compartment model was used to describe amikacin and tobramycin pharmacokinetics, whereas a one-compartment model majorly described gentamicin pharmacokinetics. The most recurrent significant covariates were renal clearance and bodyweight. Across all aminoglycosides, mean interindividual variability in clearance and volume of distribution were 41.6% and 22.0%, respectively. A common consensus for an optimal dosing regimen for each aminoglycoside was not reached. Conclusions: This review showed models developed for amikacin, from 2015 until now, and for gentamicin and tobramycin from the past decades. Despite the growing challenges of external evaluation, the latter should be more considered during model development. Further research including new covariates, additional simulated dosing regimens, and external validation should be considered to better understand aminoglycoside pharmacokinetics in ICU patients.


In the last few decades, solar energy has gained extra attention as a renewable and clean energy source. The photovoltaic (PV) cells are made to convert solar energy from the sunlight directly to electrical energy. This energy can be utilised in many different applications, like heating lighting, and many more. Over the years, solar photovoltaic power cells have managed to be the main component of harvesting solar power since they are not only sustainable but also harmless and free of pollution. Many of the costs of a solar power plant are relational to the area of the plant. A higher efficiency cell may reduce area and plant cost, even if the cells themselves are more costly. In any case, some photovoltaic projects implemented in different parts of the country cannot meet the average lifespan due to several factors. In this investigation, literature assessment of several works was carried out. Economic and government policy as well as security challenges were observed to the major factors bedevilling the industry. Technology improvement and management are vital ingredients for the sector to achieve desired outcomes.


This paper draws on theories of network governance to analyse a case study of policy implementation aimed at reforming Chinese public education. It builds on the work of Rod Rhodes (1997), who conceptualises ʻnetwork governance' in terms of interactions between groups that make up networks involved in policy making. Public school reform in China has included the establishment of the Modern Enterprise System, which disconnected schooling functions previously associated with State-owned Enterprises to rectify the loss of profit. The State Commission for Restructuring the Economy proposed that these schools should be relocated from enterprises to the Ministry of Education in order to rectify loss of profit in State-owned Enterprises. This paper reports on a case study of the railway state-owned enterprise schools in Harbin, the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China. The study examines how the top-down policy is implemented from central government to ministry level, to province level, to municipal city level and finally to the district level. It also shows the way networks support negotiation and bargaining at the district level, which influences the education policy of the central government. These intersecting policy implementation processes show how the centralised Modern Enterprise System policy proposal is coordinated through actions and resource transactions between actors at different levels of government and schools. This paper argues that the processes of formulating and implementing Chinese education policy can be characterised as a form of network governance, which coordinates actors, decision making processes, and stakeholders' motivation to comply with collective decisions in Chinese education. The paper reveals network governance to be an effective and legitimate way of problem-solving that assists policy implementation and education reform in China.


Clock domain crossing (CDC) signals pose unique and challenging issues in complex designs with multiple asynchronous clocks running at frequencies as high as multiple giga hertz. Designers can no longer rely on ad hoc approaches to CDC analysis. This paper describes a methodical approach for static analysis of structural issues in asynchronous CDCs. The illustrated approach can be integrated easily in standard static timing analysis (STA) flows of any design house. The methodology was successfully deployed on a 32 nm accelerated processing unit (APU) design, and a case study of the same is included in this paper.


Neuropsychological assessment is undertaken in epilepsy surgery candidates for a number of reasons. One of the primary purposes is to provide information of relevance to the lateralization and localization of the seizure onset zone. Naming tasks are among the most predictive of the laterality of temporal lobe epilepsy in adults.1,2 Auditory naming in this population is more predictive than traditional visual object naming, as assessed by classic measures such as the Boston Naming Test (BNT).3 The pediatric epilepsy literature is less clear in this regard, with multiple studies showing no association between naming performance and laterality of temporal lobe epilepsy.4 This difference has been attributed by some to developmental differences between children and adults: specifically, the burgeoning specialization and localization of language functions in children.5 The competing hypothesis is that previously used assessments of naming ability, and especially visual naming, were designed for and validated in adult populations and were developmentally inappropriate and inaccurate in pediatric populations. Hamberger and her colleagues6 have recently developed and validated age-appropriate visual and auditory naming tests for children.


Light and electron microscopic examination demonstrated two types of non‐endocrine agranular cells, cavity boundary cells and stellate cells, in the adenohypophysis of the South American lungfish, Lepidosiren paradoxa. The cavity boundary cells line the hypophyseal cleft and diverticulum and display few microvilli, occasional cilia, prominent junctional complexes, and many cytoplasmic microfilaments. The stellate cells are scattered in the glandular parenchyma and are devoid of microvilli and cilia. When adjacent, they are connected to one another by desmosomes. Pinocytotic vesicles or caveolae are frequently seen along the plasma membrane of the agranular cells adjoining the endocrine cells or abutting on the basement membrane. Possible roles of the agranular cells, physically and metabolically supportive functions, are discussed on the basis of their ultrastractural features.


Ultrasonography allows early and reliable pregnancy detection in several domestic animals. Transrectal sonography can be recommended in horses and cattle, transrectal or transcutaneous procedures in sheep, goats and pigs while transcutaneous ultrasound scanning is appropriate in dogs and cats. Three periods of time can be distinguished in the diagnosis of early pregnancy by ultrasound: the earliest phase, where signs of pregnancy can be found in some cases, but accuracy of diagnosis is very low; the succeeding period, where reliable diagnosis is possible, but results are often difficult to achieve and examination can be time consuming; the third phase in which ultrasound diagnosis is very accurate even under practice conditions and can be efficiently carried out on a large scale basis in breeding management. To achieve high accuracy in determining pregnancies a suitable ultrasound scanner with a good image quality and considerable expertise are required. Under field conditions ultrasonic pregnancy diagnosis should be possible: from Day 14 in the horse, from Day 25-28 in cattle, from Day 25 (transrectal), resp. 35 (transcutaneous) in sheep, goats and swine and from Day 24-25 (transcutaneous) in the dog and cat. Before this period of time reliable diagnosis is sometimes possible: between Day 11 and 13 in the horse, between Day 20 and 25 in cattle, between Day 20 and 25 (transrectal), resp. between Day 30 and 35 (transcutaneous) in sheep and goats, between Day 20 and 25 (transrectal) and Day 22 and 35 (transcutaneous) in swine and between Day 19-20 and 24-25 in the dog and cat. Earlier sonographic indications of pregnancy are not sufficiently reliable for large scale accurate pregnancy diagnosis.


The performance evaluation of banks is an essential task in the determination of banks' capabilities to compete in the sector. The conventional method - a calculation by intuition - for devising such evaluations is often inaccurate. To overcome these difficulties, this paper proposes that case-based reasoning (CBR) could be employed to provide performance evaluations from historical banks of Tunisian banking sector. The main objective of these evaluations is to transform data and statistics into synthetic information easy to understand by several groups of people in the banking domain such as creditors, investors and stakeholders. The aim of this study is to propose a linguistic similarity method in the retrieval mechanism of CBR to evaluate the banks' performances. By this way, the two-tuple linguistic representation model is integrated in the proposed model. The weights of criteria are determined based on the opinions of experts using the Choquet integral to model interactions between them.


Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common and distressing mental health problem that is characterised by uncontrollable worry, inattention, and physiological arousal. A better understanding of anxiety disorders could be enabled with effective human models and may improve upon the poor predictive validity of animal models in the identification of treatments. The inhalation of 7.5% carbon dioxide (CO2) produces robust increases in subjective and physiological symptoms of anxiety (Bailey, Argyropoulos, Kendrick, & Nutt, 2005) and impairs attentional control (Garner, Attwood, Baldwin, James, & Munafo, 2011a) in healthy volunteers. Research in animals (Ziemann et al., 2009) has provided evidence for the critical involvement of the amygdala in the detection and coordination of anxious behaviours to CO2, however the role of the amygdala in the human response to CO2 has not been identified. Study One used eye-blink startle magnitude, a well-validated, yet indirect measure of amygdala activity, to examine whether CO2 inhalation in humans might provoke a fear response coordinated by the amygdala. Despite producing strong anxiogenic effects on subjective mood and autonomic arousal, 7.5% CO2 had no effect on startle magnitudes. Instead, CO2 inhalation slowed eye-blink startle latencies. This may be due to fewer available processing resources to respond to an external threat. Study Two investigated the extent to which duloxetine, an effective treatment for GAD, might reduce subjective anxiety and associated deficits in attentional control experienced during 7.5% CO2inhalation. Using the antisaccade task, CO2 inhalation was found to increase the number of antisaccade errors (suggesting poor control of attention) in the placebo group; an effect that was not seen in the duloxetine group. No clear effect of duloxetine on CO2-induced subjective anxiety or physiological arousal was revealed. Study Three extended these findings with the novel drug memantine, a licenced treatment for cognitive degeneration in Alzheimer's disease that has displayed some preclinical anxiolytic properties (Minkeviciene, Banerjee, & Tanila, 2008). Two week administration of memantine in healthy volunteers resulted in significantly fewer antisaccade errors than placebo, in the absence of any change in subjective mood. Collectively, these results suggest that modelled deficits in attentional control in healthy volunteers can be targeted by known and potential treatments of anxiety disorders, without a comparable decrease in subjective and autonomic symptoms. Examination of symptoms across the anxiety phenotype with human models could help identify better treatments, and understand the neural basis underlying pathological anxiety.


The preferred type of cutting used for vegetative propagation of grapevine rootstocks which will later be grafted for grape plant production is the hardwood cutting. The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of organic fertilizer concentrations on rooting of hardwood cuttings in two grape rootstocks, 'SO4' and 'Kober 5BB'. The cuttings were treated with organic fertilizer at concentration of 0, 5 and 10 mL L -1 . Twenty mL solution per 280 cm 3 plastic tubes containing commercial substrate were applied twice; when the experiment was installed and 30 days later. At 60 days were evaluated the experiment. Organic fertilizer concentration exerted influence on the percentage of rooted cuttings, the higherst percentage of rooted cuttings (95,8%) was obtained with 5 mL L -1 of organic fertilizer. The 'Kober 5BB' rootstock presented higher rooting percentage and number of roots per cutting than the 'SO4'. There was no difference in shooting or dry matter production between the rooststocks with the different concentrations.


Objectives: To describe the surgical approach to the treatment of iatrogenic gynecomastia via peri-areolar incision. Methods: In this study, we describe our experience in the surgical management of iatrogenic hormonal gynecomastia with our technique described for idiopathic gynecomastia. We treated 70 patients with gynecomastia at a plastic surgery unit between 2000 and 2016. Ten of these patients had a painful hypertrophic mammary gland with grade III gynecomastia secondary to hormone therapy after prostate cancer. Results: The presence of a very discreet scar around the areola often has very interesting aesthetic results. Areolar tissue sensation was completely preserved in 40% of patients. No short-term complications were observed; in follow-up, only one case of keloid scars was noted on a patient with dark skin, and only one case of areolar necrosis on a patient with critical breast ptosis. Conclusion: This technique is feasible. It restores almost normal anatomy structure with minimal scarring and preserves good regional neurovascular supply, with only 60% altered areolar sensation.


As one of the earliest English religious reformers of the 1520s, William Tyndale sought to influence ecclesiological reform in England through a vernacular printing campaign. Beginning with an English translation of the New Testament, Tyndale extended European ecclesiological controversy into England by offering the English people a distinct and radical ecclesiology that was built upon "a congregation." This study examines the body of Tyndale's printed works to illuminate the variety of methodologies he developed and utilized to gain public consensus for his understanding of congregation and church in hopes that lexical reform in English would initiate ecclesiological reform in England. Over time, and perhaps because of Thomas More's criticisms, Tyndale found that the best way to appeal to the public was by lexical flexibility. Contrary to his historiographical reputation, Tyndale embraced the public's traditional fondness for church so that he did not have to sacrifice his theological preference for congregation.


A geographic perspective is essential in tackling COVID-19. This research study is framed in the collaboration project set up by the University of Cantabria, the Valdecilla Hospital Research Institute (IDIVAL) and the Regional Government of Cantabria. The case study is the Santander functional urban area (FUA), which is considered from a multi-scale perspective. The main source is the daily records of micro-data on COVID-19 cases and the methodology is based on ESRI geo-technologies, and more specifically on a tool called SITAR (a Spanish acronym which stands for Fast-Action Territorial Information System). The main goal is to analyse and contribute to knowledge of the spatial patterns of COVID-19 at neighbourhood level from a space-time perspective. To that end the research is based on data mining methods (3D bins and emerging hot-spots) and exploratory geo-statistical analysis (Global Moran's Index, Nearest Neighbourhood and Ordinary Least Square analyses, among others). The study identifies space-time patterns that show significant hot-spots and demonstrates a high presence of the virus at building level in neighbourhoods where residential and economic uses are mixed. Knowing the spatial behaviour of the virus is strategically important for proposing geo-prevention keys, reducing spread and balancing trade-offs between potential health gains and economic burdens resulting from interventions to deal with the pandemic.


The field of existentialist thought is of venerable age (cf. St. Paul: " We know that the whole creation groaneth '?) and wide extent, but to most people it means the psychological notions lately purveyed in the novels, plays, and lectures of Jean-Paul Sartre, much of their intriguing content having reached the wondering public via explanatory journalism not always well informed. A feature of Sartrian theory is " lucidity ": if the subjective world is anguish, the corresponding objective dreadfulness must be clearly observable. But, epistemologically, existence is a philosophic abstraction ; and to focus it lucidly as a projection of personal subjectivity would be to hallucinate it, could it be visually observed. However, since an abstraction is a meaningful inference, existence can be cognized only inferentially. To cognize it lucidly in terms of personal subjectivity is not to hallucinate it; it is to infer it as a fantasy, for fantasy is the cognitive homologue of perceptual hallucination. Mystic emotion is a yearning for cosmic unity. In the ecstatic mood attainment is enjoyed as a feeling of identity; the vertigo, nausea, and anorexia (" It's the giddy limit " '; "it makes me sick " ; " I'm fed up ") provoked by the aggravation of being separated and out of tune with the pitch-andtoss of the world then disappear. But the paradox of actual forlornness in a potentially friendly world is otherwise resolved by another existentialism with an opposite axiology --for example, Gabriel Marcel-in the mystic doctrine of presence. Some of the phenomena of autoscopy may be well accounted for by the desire, mediated either psychosomatically or soma-psychotically, to gain the comfort of empirical evidence for pre'sence within the isolated person by means of le double-the self hallucinating its own image in order to enjoy its own company. While doing research on existentialism for the Philosophical Society of England I came across a poem, Le Double, by Jules Supervielle, which depicts an extremely subtle self projecting its double, which thereupon reprojects the image of the self to mutual advantage:


We are interested in the dynamic of a structured branching population where the trait of each individual moves according to a Markov process. The rate of division of each individual is a function of its trait and when a branching event occurs, the trait of the descendants at birth depends on the trait of the mother and on the number of descendants. In this article, we explicitly describe the penalized Markov process, named auxiliary process, corresponding to the dynamic of the trait along the spine by giving its associated infinitesimal generator. We prove a Many-to-One formula and a Many-to-One formula for forks. Furthermore, we prove that this auxiliary process characterizes exactly the process of the trait of a uniformly sampled individual in the large population approximation. We detail three examples of growth-fragmentation models: the linear growth model, the exponential growth model and the parasite infection model.


Current reliance on fossil fuels is unsustainable due to pollution and finite supplies. Microbial cell factories serve as promising alternatives renewable energy resources. Microorganisms generate electricity in their metabolism; act as catalysts for converting the chemical energy into electricity. In Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC), electrons provided by microorganisms flow through an electrical external circuit transport, create current and power. There are kind of MFCs such as Photosynthetic Alga Microbial Fuel Cells (PAMFCs), Microbial Desalination Cells (MDCs), and Sediment Microbial Fuel Cells (SMFCs). One of the main challenges with current state of MFCs biotechnology is its power output. MFCs with comparable power output can develop by terminal electron acceptors with a low redox potential and increase the cathode surface area. Anode and cathode performance are important factors limiting the power density of MFCs for practical application, but only a little development has been reported in the case of anode chamber.


A case of a sclerosing variant of osteosarcoma of a toe phalanx is reported in a 28-year-old man. This represents the first reported case of osteosarcoma of any kind at this site. This is based on a review of 4,214 cases of conventional osteosarcoma. The reason for the extraordinary rarity in toe or hand phalanges is unknown although osteosarcoma is the second most common primary tumor of bone. Since the neoplasm had minimal signs of cytologic anaplasia, it was originally mistaken for and treated as an osteoid osteoma. The lesion recurred and extended into soft tissues. Reevaluation revealed the tumor to be an osteosarcoma, sclerosing variant with "normalization" of nuclei. The lesions that this tumor should be distinguished from are osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma.


In this paper, we present a novel methodology for the automatic construction of summaries for multi-episode videos, such as TV series. This work is based on the Simulated User Principle to evaluate the quality of a video summary in a way, which is automatic, yet related to user's perception. The method is studied for the case of multi-episode video, where we don't only select what is important in a video, but rather what distinguishes this video from the others. Experimental results are presented to support the proposed ideas.


The purpose of the thesis is to examine Shiah law, as an undeveloped systen-4 in order to identify if it could be applied to modem sale transactions. The focus is on remedies in which Shiah jurists have done a great deal of work. The subject is first examined under English law and the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (as two developed systems) to identify the issues which have to be dealt with and then under Shiah law in depth. An extensive examination shows that current Shiah law suffers from substantive gaps and uncertainty. It is suggested that the current situation is due to lack of applying an efficient methodology. Instead of dealing with the legal rules in respect of concrete issues, Shiah jurists tend to deal with traditional as well as hypothetical cases to derive further detailed rules. To present a sensible picture of this system, it is suggested that the law should be analysed in the light of studying developed systems. Relying on this method, attempts are made to systematise the relevant rules and answer the various questions these two modem systems deal with. Shiah law is then compared with English law and the Convention to highlight the existing gaps in Shiah law and to assess how it could be applied to modem sales. Comparative assessment of the three systems shows that while in English law primacy is given to damages and specific performance is rarely awarded, the Convention gives significance to both. Similarly, English law seems to permit termination more easily than the Convention. But unlike the Convention, it does not recognise price reduction as a separate remedy. Overall, it is shown that Shiah law is closer to the Convention than to English law. It attaches significance to both damages and specific performance, and entitles the buyer to reduce the contract price, but permits termination more easily than the Convention and less easily than English law. It is concluded that because of substantive gaps and uncertainty in current Shiah law it is not an appropriate system to govern modem sale transactions, but if the suggested methodology is applied it could be developed and fill in the gaps.


Room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone rubber coating is increasingly being used by power utilities to overcome the contamination problems encountered in ceramic and glass insulators under wet conditions. The formulation of the RTV coating system is currently undergoing an intensive development in an effort to optimize its performance and in particular to extend its lifetime. While there are many forms of RTV, those used for insulator coating purposes invariably use a base of polydimethylsiloxane. The amount of RTV used in the service application is also important as it impacts on both the cost of the protection offered and on the electrical performance. This paper reports on a study of the influence of the coating thickness, different substrates, addition of silicone fluid to the coating formulation and different carrier solvents on the leakage current, pulse current count rates and the lifetime of the RTV coatings. It has been found that all these parameters affect the electrical performance under wet and contamination condition in a salt-fog. The optimum coating thickness has been determined for a fixed substrate. Mechanisms by which these four parameters affect the performance are suggested and discussed.


This article presents a group protocol designed to assist people in coping with direct and ongoing threats of terrorism. The protocol is intended to enable participants to address the psychological issues necessary to cope during periods of extreme threat. A step-by-step description of the protocol is provided.


The various software systems developed for the DIII-D tokamak have played a highly visible and important role in tokamak operations and fusion research. Because of the heavy reliance on in-house developed software encompassing all aspects of operating the tokamak, much attention has been given to the careful design, development and maintenance of these software systems. Software systems responsible for tokamak control and monitoring, neutral beam injection, and data acquisition demand the highest level of reliability during plasma operations. These systems made up of hundreds of programs totaling thousands of lines of code have presented a wide variety of software design and development issues ranging from low level hardware communications, database management, and distributed process control, to man machine interfaces. The focus of this paper will be to describe how software is developed and managed for the DIII-D control and data acquisition computers. It will include an overview and status of software systems implemented for tokamak control, neutral beam control, and data acquisition. The issues and challenges faced developing and managing the large amounts of software in support of the dynamic and everchanging needs of the DIII-D experimental program will be addressed.


India has drawn up plans for it to contribute to the fulfilment of the UN's Global Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. This chapter focuses on India's plans for fostering biodiversity conservation in relation to sustainable development goal 15 of this agenda. The aim of SDG15 is to conserve natural ecosystems and life (biodiversity) on land. As noted in this chapter, there is a lack of clarity in Global Agenda 2030 about what ecosystems and components of biodiversity are worthy of preservation. Also the concept of sustainable development is not well defined. Therefore, Global Agenda 2030 gives individual nations considerable leeway in applying these objectives. Furthermore, the targets associated with the UN's SD goals are 'fuzzy' and individual nations are at liberty to decide which targets to pursue. India has selected only three of the twelve UN targets as a part of its contribution to satisfying SDG15, and these are only partly covered by its planning specifications. The reasons for India's choice and the limitations of its choice are discussed. Also the implications for biodiversity conservation of India's other SD targets (e.g. those pertaining to water and food supplies) are analyzed and deficiencies are noted. It is contended that India's SD responses to Global Agenda 2030 reflect the 'fuzziness' of the agenda itself. There is a real risk that India will not meet its conservation targets and significantly improve the state of its environment by 2030. It is predicted that India is unlikely to follow a 'green' path policy in order to achieve sustainable development by 2030 given that a pro-economic growth climate is likely to prevail politically for some time yet in India.


Decreased consumption of nicotine and other drugs during pregnancy appears to be a cross‐species phenomenon from which mechanism(s) capable of interrupting addictive processes could be elucidated. Whether pregnancy influences smoking behaviour independent of women's knowledge of the pregnancy, however, has not been considered. Using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), we estimated within‐person change in mean cigarettes/day smoked across the estimated date of conception but prior to individually reported dates of pregnancy recognition using longitudinal smoking data from two independent observational cohorts, the Growing Up Healthy (GUH, n = 271) and Midwest Infant Development Studies (MIDS, n = 145). Participants smoked an average of half a pack/day in the month immediately before conception (M (SD) = 12(8.1) and 9.5(6.7) cigarettes/day in GUH and MIDS, respectively). We observed within‐person declines in smoking after conception, both before (MGUH = −0.9; 95% CI −1.6, −0.2; p = 0.01; MMIDS = −1.1; 95% CI ‐1.9, −0.3; p = 0.01) and after (MGUH = ‐4.8; 95% CI ‐5.5, −4.1; p < 0.001; MMIDS = −3.3; 95% CI −4.4, −2.5; p < 0.001) women were aware of having conceived, even when women who had quit and women who were planning to conceive were excluded from analyses. Pregnancy may interrupt smoking‐related processes via mechanisms not previously considered. Plausible candidates and directions for future research are discussed.


An ID-based cryptographic scheme enables the user to public keys without exchanging public key certificates. In these schemes, users can generate their public and private keys using their identity. The positive application of bilinear pairings over elliptic curves makes the system easy and efficient in providing security. In this paper, we propose an ID-based signature scheme using bilinear pairings. We prove that the proposed signature scheme is secure against existential forgery under adaptively chosen message and ID attack in the random oracle model with the assumption that the computational Diffie-Hellman problem is intractable. We compare the efficiency of the proposed scheme with some related ID-based signature schemes.


Introduction: the idea of continuing breastfeeding and work raises conflicting demands on the mother. Work correlates with early termination of breastfeeding and full-time work is associated with a shorter duration of breastfeeding than working part time. Objective: we aimed to systematically explore literature relating to factors related to breastfeeding duration in mothers returning to work. Materials and Methods: this research uses systematic review where systematic review is carried out following a combination of selected reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis. Results: many selected articles were found related to factors affecting the duration of breastfeeding in breastfeeding mothers who returned to work. Discussions: delaying return to work until at least 15 weeks postpartum indicates a long duration of breastfeeding (at least 6 months). Part-time work is also positively related to the duration of feeding. Conclusions: employment and early return to work, support from social environment, perception of milk production, higher maternal occupational and education, household income, delaying return to work at least 15 weeks postpartum, working part time and longer maternity leave are predictors of breastfeeding duration on mother return to work.


An association has been established between lipid metabolism, clinical course and immediate prognosis of unstable angina. It has been shown that the low level of the main protein of high density lipoproteins Apo-I in unstable stenocardia is prognostically unfavourable criterion for the development of acute myocardial infarction.


Objective: Analysis of vitamin D effect on the course of caries process in children of Khabarovsk territory. Methods: 785 children aged 3–8 years were examined. The prevalence, intensity of caries of temporary teeth and oral hygiene were calculated. The concentration of calcium and alkaline phosphatase was determined in the oral fluid; calcium and vitamin 25(OH)D were deter- mined in the blood serum. Results: An inverse correlation between the degree of activity of dental caries and the concentration of vitamin D in blood serum (r = –0.93) was determined. Deficiency of vitamin D and ionized calcium was detected in blood serum as well as reduction of calcium and alkaline phosphatase in oral fluid. Conclusions: Making a plan of preventive care and treatment of caries of temporary teeth in children, it is necessary to consider dental health, caries activity and general diseases taking into account the effect of vitamin D on the mineral exchange.


Affective computing (AC) adopts a computational approach to study affect. We highlight the AC approach towards automated affect measures that jointly model machine-readable physiological/behavioral signals with affect estimates as reported by humans or experimentally elicited. We describe the conceptual and computational foundations of the approach followed by two case studies: one on discrimination between genuine and faked expressions of pain in the lab, and the second on measuring nonbasic affect in the wild. We discuss applications of the measures, analyze measurement accuracy and generalizability, and highlight advances afforded by computational tipping points, such as big data, wearable sensing, crowdsourcing, and deep learning. We conclude by advocating for increasing synergies between AC and affective science and offer suggestions toward that direction.


This article gives an overview of recent progress in the self-assembly of nanocrystals. Classic self-assembly of nanocrystals, so-called colloidal crystallization driven by van der Waals interactions, is highlighted first with an emphasis on the recent realization of binary colloidal crystals. Next, new developments in the integration of nanocrystals into clusters based on electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding and dipole-dipole interactions are summarized, shedding light on the defined control of the interactions between the nanocrystals. Finally, the fabrication of heterogenous nanocrystals, obtained via either phase selective modification at the water/oil interface or facet-selective crystal growth on non-spherical nanocrystals is discussed. These last materials may provide significant building blocks for mimicking molecular self-assembly.


The "special relations" between banks and non-financial companies, that take form analogous to the industrial groups in the Western economies, are becoming an important feature of the economies. The commercial banks in the Central and Eastern European countries play an important role, often creating these groups or otherwise initiating them. The paper presents the development of such "special relations" in the Czech Republic, Russia and Ukraine. With the proliferation of these groups (both formal and informal, and of different organizational structure) the financial system of the countries in transition gradually starts resembling the German-Japanese style bank-oriented one. The attempts to create such groups 'from above' in the key sectors of economy (as in Russia and especially Ukraine) are based on perception that they provide a mechanism for long-term investment superior to that of the open stock-market. The evidence from the developing countries shows that in an unstable economic and institutional environment, these groups may well cause more trouble than benefit. So the problem of the regulation of this institutional transition becomes crucial.


In the development of commercial quadrupole mass spectrometers, there is an interest in improving the performance characteristics such as transmission, resolution, and mass range. In particular, parametric and dipolar resonance excitation of trapping ions are used for linear quadrupole mass filters. Theoretical methods and numerical simulation of ion trajectories were applied for study of ion-optical properties. The review is devoted to description of different excitation methods to improve QMF performance and consists of three parts. The first part presents the results of a linear ion trap simulation for various operating conditions and excitation methods. The second part considers the effects of dipole excitation (DE) on the performance of the quadrupole mass filter. The last part analyzes the formation of stability islands by different methods of quadrupole excitation. To date conditions of mass separation in quadrupole mass filters with sin wave supply were described for stability islands of the first and third stability regions formed by quadrupole and DE. By complicating the electronics such methods allow to overcome the destructive influence of electric field distortions and obtain a resolving power and ion transmission efficiency comparable with commercial devices. At quadrupole resonance excitation by a two-frequency signal, it is possible to reduce the length of electrodes three times without losses in resolution and transmission, which reduces the cost of rod set production with micrometer accuracy. Dipole resonance excitation allows controlling the shape of the mass peak by changing amplitude and phase of the auxiliary AC signal. The main factors affecting the resolving power of a linear ion trap are described theoretically. The numerical modeling results are confirmed by experiment.


The air-liquid interface is a convenient medium to obtain monolayers or multilayers. The molecular structure of such crystalline films can be established by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD), complemented by spectroscopic techniques and lattice energy calculations. Formation of two-dimensional clusters using GIXD may provide insight into the first stages of crystal nucleation. Langmuir monolayer can serve as a template for induced nucleation of bulk crystals or to be a model system of natural membranes. A host of architectures composed of water-insoluble molecules can be formed on liquid surfaces. The number of layers and the polymorphism can be controlled. The concept of supramolecular design was applied in two-dimensions with the use of water-insoluble and water-soluble components.


When it comes to international development, and more specifically rural development, effective partnership is of the utmost importance. The procedure for effective partnership should be streamlined, and should be aimed at involving and engaging the community partnership regardless of what service is being provided. From recent projects in various countries in Engineers Without Borders, I have compiled a series of vital lessons relating to developing and maintaining effective partnership with our most important stakeholders the community in question. First, the community must have trust and a direct stake in the project's success to ensure longevity. Second, the scope ought to be carefully set via a rigorous baseline study and managed through effective communication. Finally, an effective communication strategy must be constructed that adequately manages the community's technological limitations, and cultural and language barriers.


This study aims to identify the impact of financial performance of stock prices of Jordanian Islamic Banks which are listed on the ASE. In order to achieve the goal of this study, the researcher collected and analyzed data from two banks, as a study sample, during the period (2010-2018), using the panel data method. The study the measures the financial performance in financial ratios which were represented in (return on assets, return on equity, change in earnings per share) and were measured at stock prices. The results of the study showed that there is a discussion of the results of the main variable. Based on the results of the previous statistical tests, it was found that there is a significant statistical significance between the financial performance of the Islamic banks represented by (return on assets, return on equity, change in earnings per share); therefore, we believe that this result is consistent with economic studies and financial and market analyzes, therefore, stock prices are an indicator of the health of growth in the financial markets, and evidence of stock prices for banks which constitute the basis of stability and the functioning of markets, all due to the profitability of banks and stability of financial performance. The researcher recommended that the Jordanian Islamic banks seek to increase their profits and improve their financial performance and strive for excellence in their activities in order to win the trust and preservation of customers. He also recommended Islamic banks to distribute dividends on a periodic basis to shareholders and encourage them to keep shares instead of selling, which leads to the evaporation of those banks.


This paper presents a system that works as an assistant for students in their learning process. The assistant system has two main parts: an Android application and a server platform. The Android application is a chatterbot (i.e., an agent intended to conduct a conversation in natural language with a human being) based on AIML, one of the more successful languages for developing conversational agents. The chatterbot acts as an intermediation agent between a student and the server platform. The server platform contains four repositories and a recommender (which are part of a bigger professor assessment system). The final objective of the assistant system is to make a student able to carry out several actions related to his/her learning and assessment processes, such as: to consult exam questions from a repository, to receive recommendations about learning material, to ask questions about a course, and to check his/her own assessed exams. These actions are carried out through and Android application using a natural language interface (by voice or typing). The purpose of this development is to facilitate the access to this information through a friendly interface.


This paper presents the implementation of fuzzy based load frequency controller (FLFC) for controlling the frequency of an automatic generation control (AGC) in electric power generation systems. A typical single area power system is considered with governor dead-band. As a consequence of continually load variation, the frequency of the power system changes over time. In conventional studies, frequency transients are minimized by using conventional proportional integral (PI) controllers aiming of secondary control in AGC and zero steady-state error is obtained after sufficient delay time. In this paper, instead of this method, the configurations of fuzzy load frequency controller (FLFC) is proposed. For any load changes, the proposed controller restores the frequency to its nominal value within the shortest possible time. This controller provides a satisfactory balance between frequency overshoot and transient oscillations with zero steady-state error. All simulation results of the proposed controller are compared with conventional PI controller in both cases with and without governor dead-band.


This rapid evidence assessment undertaken by RSM UK Consulting LLP (RSM) and Dr Samuel Short (University of Cambridge) aimed to develop an understanding of the alternatives to single-use plastics in food packaging and production in terms of their risks and opportunities, as well as potential future developments. Literature from within and beyond the UK was gathered from academic databases and reports published by government and non-governmental organisations such as environmental charities. Evidence from the literature was supplemented by findings from a workshop with experts in the field from a variety of industries such as academia, manufacturing, and government. Two broad groups of alternatives were established: material/product alternatives (traditional materials, natural fibres, biopolymers synthesised from biomass, biopolymers synthesised from bioderived monomers, biopolymers produced by microorganisms) and, and system/process alternatives (reducing, reusing, and recycling food packaging and, active and intelligent packaging). These alternatives and systems vary considerably in terms of their properties, such as effectiveness as a barrier to moisture or contamination, convenience for consumers, production costs, and potential for commercialisation. Our review also highlighted gaps in the current knowledge, for example in terms of consumer acceptance and carbon footprint at each stage of their life cycle. The capacity to produce bioplastics (i.e. biopolymers that look and feel similar to conventional plastics but are made from natural materials rather than fossil fuels and are biodegradable or compostable) is anticipated to increase globally from 2.1 million tonnes in 2019 to 6.3 million tonnes by 2027. This growth appears to be enabled by increased consumer awareness of environmental issues and existing regulation and legislation encouraging the development and establishment of a circular economy. However, there are barriers that may challenge this growth. These include already established industry regimes, high production cost of novel materials and a lack of waste management guidance. Overall, fossil-based conventional plastics are a very cheap, versatile material compared to the alternatives currently being developed and tested. Because of this, they might remain the preferred industry choice for certain applications, while alternatives continue to be optimised and commercially scaled. To add to this, the reviewed evidence suggests that there is unlikely to be one single solution to the single-use plastics problem. The solution will likely draw on a range of materials and systems depending on food type and context.