A comparative study was conducted on the antibacterial activities of linoleic acid hydroperoxide (LAHPO) and linoleic acid (LA) against the intestinal bacteria including 35 strains, and the representative species were examined for lipid degradation activity. Enterobacterial species (Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Citrobacter sp. and Enterobacter sp.), Lactobacillus species (acidophilus, casei and plantarum), and Enterococcus faecalis generally showed the same levels in susceptibility to LA and LAHPO. Bacteroides species (distasonis, vulgatus and thetaiotaomicron) and Clostridium ramosum were highly resistant against LA but not LAHPO. Staphylococcus species (aureus and epidermidis), Lactobacillus pecies (salivarius and fermentum) and the Grampositive anaerobic bacteria including Clostridium perfringens, Bifidobacterium species (bifidum, infantis, adolescentis, breve, longum, animalis, pseudolongum and thermophilus), Peptostreptococcus productus, and Eubacterium sp. were more susceptible to LAHPO than were the enterobacterial species and E. faecalis although they were more resistant against LAHPO than LA. Eubacterium aerofaciens was more susceptible to LAHPO, but strikingly susceptible to both lipids compared to the other bacterial strains. Thin layer chromatography showed that C. perfringens degrade LAHPO and C. ramosum degrade LA, which was consistent with the resistance of the corresponding species to the fatty acids. A similar trend in the resistance to and degradation of the fatty acids was found with B. adolescentis and B. infantis. Much higher degradation abilities were observed in the live bacterial cells than the heat-killed cells of B. adolescentis, C. perfringens, and E. coli, suggesting that they can enzymatically degrade LAHPO in vitro.


Abstract Parasola is a genus of small, veil-less coprinoid mushrooms in the family Psathyrellaceae (Agaricales). The genus is not well documented in Asia, specifically in Pakistan. In this study we describe two new species Parasola glabra and P. pseudolactea from Pakistan, based on morphological and molecular data. Phylogeny based on three DNA regions: nuc rDNA region encompassing the internal transcribed spacers 1 and 2 along with the 5.8S rDNA (ITS), nuc 28S rDNA D1-D2 domains (28S) and translation elongation factor 1α gene (TEF1α) show that the new taxa are clustered in a clade formed by the members of section Parasola of genus Parasola. Parasola glabra with grayish pileus, slightly depressed pileal disc, lamellae separated from the stipe by pseudocollarium, basidiospores 14.5–16.5 × 9.5–11.5 × 8.0–10.5 µm, in front view broadly ovoid to oblong, some with rhomboidal outline, in side view ellipsoid, with eccentric germ-pore of 1.5 µm diameter. Parasola pseudolactea with yellowish brown to dull brown pileus, disc indistinctly umbonate, lamellae free, pseudocollarium absent, basidiospores 13.5–14.5 × 10.5–12.0 × 9.5–10.5 µm, in face view rounded triangular to heart shaped, rarely ovoid to subglobose, in side view ellipsoid to oblong, with eccentric germ-pore of 1.5 µm diam. In addition to these new species, P. auricoma and P. lilatincta were also studied. Morphological descriptions for the new species and comparison with known Parasola species are provided. Our observations highlight the diversity of Parasola in northern Pakistan and further document the need for additional systematic focus on the region's fungi.


The unparalleled photometric data obtained by NASA's Kepler Space Telescope has led to an improved understanding of stellar structure and evolution - in particular for solar-like oscillators in this context. Binary stars are fascinating objects. Because they were formed together, binary systems provide a set of two stars with very well constrained parameters. Those can be used to study properties and physical processes, such as the stellar rotation, dynamics and rotational mixing of elements and allows us to learn from the differences we find between the two components. In this work, we discussed a detailed study of the binary system KIC9163796, discovered through Kepler photometry. The ground-based follow-up spectroscopy showed that this system is a double-lined spectroscopic binary, with a mass ratio close to unity. However, the fundamental parameters of the components of this system as well as their lithium abundances differ substantially. Kepler photometry of this system allows to perform a detailed seismic analysis as well as to derive the orbital period and the surface rotation rate of the primary component of the system. Indications of the seismic signature of the secondary are found. The differing parameters are best explained with both components located in the early and the late phase of the first dredge up at the bottom of the red-giant branch. Observed lithium abundances in both components are in good agreement with prediction of stellar models including rotational mixing. By combining observations and theory, a comprehensive picture of the system can be drawn.


We present high-resolution (18 km s-1), high S/N (≈ 50) observations of the Zn II, Cr II, Fe II, Mn II, and Ti II absorption in the damped Lyα system at z = 1.3726 toward the QSO 0935+417. We measure a Zn metallicity ([Zn/H] = -0.70) in this system that is about 3 times greater than those of the lower redshift damped absorbers toward 3C 286 and 0454+039 and comparable to those of the highest metallicity absorbers observed at higher redshifts. The Cr II and Fe II column densities yield gas-phase abundance ratios of [Cr/Zn] = -0.10 and [Fe/Zn] = -0.29 that are much greater than even those of low-density Galactic ISM sightlines and imply that the 0935+417 absorber is essentially a dust-free environment. We also find evidence of a Mn underabundance and a Ti overabundance that is consistent with the nucleosynthetic signature of a gas cloud with a base metallicity similar to that of metal-poor Galactic stars. In summary, the iron group abundance pattern of the z = 1.3726 absorber toward 0935+417 is what one might expect from a dust-free, metal-poor galaxy evolving on a metallicity track similar to that of the Milky Way.


Tin selenide (SnSe), a simple binary compound with low-cost, earth-abundant and eco-friendly elements, has aroused extensive interest in the thermoelectric community on account of its promising power generation. Herein, we report a much more advantageous SnS crystal with promising thermoelectric performance, as an alternative to SnSe. We found that the maximum ZT > 1.0 at 873 K and high device ZT (ZTdev) > 0.57 from 300 to 873 K can be achieved in hole-doped SnS crystals, projecting a conversion efficiency of ∼10.4%. We attribute the excellent performance of SnS to its remarkable electron and phonon band structures. SnS possesses multiple valence bands, which can be activated by hole doping through pushing the Fermi level deep into the valence band structure, and activating several Fermi pockets to produce enhanced Seebeck coefficients and high power factors ∼30 μW cm−1 K−2 at 300 K. Meanwhile, the anharmonic and anisotropic bonding of SnS leads to a low thermal conductivity, which ranges from 0.65 to 0.85 W m−1 K−1 at 873 K. Our results indicate that SnS is a promising thermoelectric material for energy conversion applications in low and moderate temperature ranges.


'Of all my novels this bright brute is the gayest', Nabokov wrote of "King, Queen, Knave". Comic, sensual and cerebral, it dramatizes an Oedipal love triangle, a tragi-comedy of husband, wife and lover, through Dreyer the rich businessman, his ripe-lipped ad mercenary wife Martha, and their bespectacled nephew Franz. 'If a resolute Freudian manages to slip in' - Nabokov darts a glance to the reader - 'he or she should be warned that a number of cruel traps have been set here and there'.


Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) with mesenteric artery stenosis or obstructive lesions are occasionally recognized. While performing the graft replacement operation in such cases, if the collateral circulation supplying the gastrointestinal tract is well developed, it is necessary that this collateral circulation should be well perfused during aortic cross-clamping. A 72-year-old woman was admitted because of expansion of AAA. Computed tomography (CT) scan examination revealed occlusion at the origin of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and the development of a collateral circulatory pathway via the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA). During this operation, a vein cannula was placed in the IMA, through which blood was supplied with an extension tube for the protection of the intra-abdominal organs. The IMA was reimplanted after the graft replacement. Previous reports indicate that intestinal ischemia may be successfully prevented by supplying blood to the collateral circulation using various techniques. We report the surgical approach for treatment of AAA using a simple and convenient method to maintain intra-operative blood supply to vital organs.


An effective action is obtained for the N=1, 2D-induced supergravity on a compact super Riemann surface (without boundary) of genus g > 1, as the general solution of the corresponding superconformal Ward identity. This is accomplished by defining a new super integration theory on which includes a new formulation of the super Stokes theorem and residue calculus in the superfield formalism. Another crucial ingredient is the notion of polydromic fields. The resulting action is shown to be well defined and free of singularities on . As a by-product, we point out a morphism between the diffeomorphism symmetry and holomorphic properties.


A series of soluble arylamine-based hole-transporting polymers with glass transition temperatures in the range of 130−150 °C have been synthesized. The synthetic methodology allows facile substitution of the aryl groups on the amine with electron-withdrawing and electron-donating moieties, which permits tuning of the redox potential of the polymer. These polymers have been used as hole-transport layers (HTLs) in two-layer light-emitting diodes ITO/HTL/Alq/Mg [ITO = indium tin oxide, Alq = tris(8-quinolinato)aluminum]. The maximum external quantum efficiency of the device increases if the redox potential of the HTL is increased to facilitate reduction of the positive charge carriers at the HTL/Alq interface. A fluorinated hole-transport polymer with a relatively large redox potential (390 mV vs ferrocenium/ferrocene) yielded the device with the highest external quantum efficiency of 1.25% photons/e-. The device stability, however, follows the opposite trend. The device with the most electron-rich HTL exhibited the best performance after prolonged usage.


The research results have demonstrated that extending collinear fast beam laser spectroscopy to resonance-excitation field-ionization spectroscopy yielded a novel ultrasensitive method to identify minute amounts of radioactive and stable isotopes. The authors have mainly performed measurements involving the trace detection of the various isotopes of Kr, Tl and Xe. In particular the technique is capable to monitor the long-lived radioactive isotopes used as tracers in the well logging industry and also in the biosphere in a range, where nuclear radiation counting techniques do not have the required isotopic selectivity and sensitivity. The authors are working in two directions. Both applications are based on the ultra sensitive detection of {sup 85}Kr, namely: trace detection of {sup 85}Kr to map the reservoir structure of large oil fields; trace detection of {sup 85}Kr in environmental air samples to monitor nuclear activities and nuclear materials processing on a global scale. The authors are in contact with the BP company for practically implementing the oil field related work and have asked for samples from their Alaskan fields.


Higher education in Brazil been expanding in recent years, although, one of the major problems encountered have been the evasion and failure rates in general courses and specifically in engineering undergraduate courses. In this context, educational evaluation, with the goal of diagnosing needs for improvement, can contribute to the quality of higher education, regarding some aspects such as teaching methodology, human interrelationships in the teaching profession and academic management, among others. This study is based on the analysis of the development and subsequent implementation of an assessment tool that would enable the analysis of academic and administrative expertise of academic management. The instrument consists of a list of 15 statements related to aspects of higher education management, where the target audience of the research are the teachers of 6 engineering courses at Federal University of Ceara (UFC), indicating their degree of agreement with the statements. For the analysis, a multivariate statistical tool called Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used. The results show the feasibility of PCA to analyze aspects of academic management, by explaining relevant information extracted from the latent variables of the data, which allowed us to identify a group of clusters related to management of higher education in engineering within the UFC. The study points to the use of this information in the future related to the contents of external assessments through more robust and detailed mathematical analysis tools.


The response of goats treated with r-bST in the estrous synchronization protocol was evaluated. Twenty-six Toggenburg females were divided in two treatments: T1 (n=13) treated with four injections of 250mg r-bST, at 14 days intervals, and T2 (n=13) treated with saline solution (control). The intravaginal device previously used by five days was inserted (day 0) one week after the last injection of r-bST and PGF2a (22.5µg) was injected in the animals of both treatments. The device was removed on day 6. All the females in estrus were bred by fertile bucks. The percentage of animals in estrus and the pregnancy rate were: 76.9 and 70, and 84.6 and 72.7% for goats in T1 and T2, respectively. The estrous cycle length; the interval from treatment to the onset of estrus; the ovulation number; and the intervals from the onset of estrus to ovulation, end of estrus to ovulation, and from device removal to ovulation were not affected by r-bST injection. The r-bST did not affect the diameter of the ovulatory follicles (P>0.05). Progesterone concentration showed similar values (P>0.05) among the goats of T1 and T2 during the treatment with device. The r-bST administration did not affect estrous synchronization.


Worst-case analysis is one of the most often used techniques for verifying that the sensitivity of integrated circuit (IC) performances to changes in manufacturing conditions is minimized. However, worst-case analysis is often carried out in terms of a correlated set of parameters, which results in a design that is unnecessarily pessimistic. This paper presents a new approach to the worst-case analysis of integrated circuits that results in more realistic estimates of variations in device and circuit performances. In particular, worst-case analysis is performed in terms of a set of statistically independent process disturbances. A software package for worst-case analysis is described and illustrated by a number of examples. The results of the proposed worst-case analysis method are compared to Monte Carlo simulations.


This paper analyzes spatial grey self-similar solitary waves propagation and collision in graded-index nonlinear waveguide amplifiers with self-focusing and self-defocusing Kerr nonlinearities. New exact self-similar solutions are found using a novel transformation and their main features are investigated by using direct computer simulations.


Objective: To compare the effect the direction of catheter traction to the abdomen with direction to the leg on hemostasis and pain degree post-TURP. Material & Method: 122 patients with BPH came to Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital and Budi Asih Hospital, Jakarta during the period between January 2005 to January 2011. Results: 101 patients with retention and 21 patients without retention were included in this study. Resected tissue weight was 22,95 grams, irrigation time was 2,24 days, catheterisation time was 3,97 days, and post TURP hospitalization was 3,9 days. Hb decline was 1,17g/dl. There was no statistical difference on Hb decline between leg direction 1,23 g/dl and abdominal direction 1,12 g/dl. Resected tissue weight in abdominal direction group was 25 grams, while in leg direction group was 21 grams. Irrigation time in abdominal direction group was 2 days while in leg direction group was 2,4 days. Catheterisation time in abdominal direction group was 3,3 days while in leg direction was 3,4 days. Post TURP hospitalization in abdominal direction group was 3,7 days while in leg direction groups was 4,2 days. In this study resected tissue weight, irrigation time, catheterisation time, and hospitalization time. There were 64 patients with pain degree registration, patients with abdominal traction had mean pain degree scale 1,52 and 33 patients with leg traction had pain degree scale 2,97, in this study this differences were significant. Conclusion: Abdominal traction post TURP was statistically difference on shortened postoperative irrigation and catheterisation time, including reduced post TURP hospitalization and pain degree. Abdominal traction was recommended from this study to be used as the reference standard for changing leg traction.
Keywords: Catheter traction, visual analog scale, hemostasis, transurethral resection of the prostate.


Background: HPV (Human Papillomavirus) is a DNA virus that infects the skin and mucous membranes of humans and is in many cases responsible for the appearance of cancerous or precancerous lesions in many parts of the body. In recent years, vaccines have been integrated into national vaccines in most countries in an effort to combat the virus. There are 3 types of vaccines: Bivalent vaccine targets on HPV types 16, 18 to prevent cervical cancer. Quadrivalent vaccine targets on HPV type 6, 11, 16, 18 to prevent genital warts and cervical cancer. Ninevalent targets on types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58 which protects from cervical cancer and genital warts too but also anal, vaginal, and vulvar cancer.
Methodology: In the recent years many studies have been conducted in order to determine the cost – effectiveness of the vaccines against HPV. The purpose of this work is to collect and analyze all available data from these studies. Another purpose is to find correlations between the various variables that are often present in these studies and identify which factors are more relevant when conducting such studies. A systematic review of the literature was performed through Pubmed and Cochrane Library by using relevant keywords. Specific Inclusion and Exclusion criteria set the boundaries for this systematic review.
Results: The search engine identified 264 studies retrieved for evaluation. 235 of those studies were excluded either because their focus was not economic evaluation, or they were already reviews, or they were editorials of HPV vaccination strategies not of interest. A of total 29 studies were included in the review. 12% of them showed that the vaccine is not cost effective and 88% showed that the vaccine is cost effective. Also some of the studied variables have negative or positive effect on the cost – effectiveness analysis.
Conclusions: The comparison of different studies using different models cannot lead to deterministic conclusions. Any type of the vaccine should be generally considered cost – effective under certain thresholds. The additional costs of protecting by vaccinating the targeted population through the established screening program would be balanced by the potential savings from not having to treat diseases related to HPV. However, the results should be interpreted with caution. Decision makers must take into account the results, and also reconsider the price of the vaccine as it is΄probably the factor that affects most the cost – effectiveness.


This study describes why and how a small-and-medium sized enterprise (SME) should implement customer complaint management via an action research methodology named socio economic approach to management (SEAM). The action research project including two action plans (2015-2016 and 2017-2018) analyzes customer complaints, explore the causes of customer complaints from employees' viewpoints, put forward action plans, implement action plans and evaluate organizational performance in a case of Passenger Transport Company in Vietnam. The study develops customer complaint management framework by approaching from a strategic level, with aggregate complaint analysis, an organic perspective of exit–voice theory in combination with SEAM (a pragmatic oriented action research methodology) and holistic approach of People, Process and Technology. The study standardizes the customer complaint management process, improves organizational performance and fosters the relationships between final consumers and service providers through customer complaint management process, employer and employees through SEAM, researcher and organizational actors (those researched) through SEAM. These findings lead to develop stakeholder engagement trend of relationship marketing in which new knowledge is co-created by all relevant stakeholders such as customers, employees, researcher and top management.


Substantiation of the age of Kildin, Volokov, Eina and Bargout formations from the Sredny and Rybachy Peninsulas and Kildin Island has been presented in the paper. The traces of microbial life as filamentous and ribbon-like forms were detected using the scanning laser microscopy in stratiform stromatolites of the Sredny Peninsula. It has been proved that the studied stratiform stromatolites cannot be referred to the formal Early Riphean species Stratifera flexurata Komar 1966. Ключевые слова: верхнепротерозойские отложения, пластовые строматолиты, п-ов Средний, п-ов Рыбачий, о-в Кильдин.


This research aims to identify the technology, methods, approaches applied in developing plant pest and disease detection systems. For this purpose, it mainly reviews systematically related research on identification, monitoring, detection, and control techniques of plant pests and diseases using a computer or mobile technology. Evidence from the literature shows previous both academia and practitioners have used various technologies, methods and approaches for developing detection system of plant pests and diseases. Some technologies have been applied for the detection system, such as web-based, mobile-based, and internet of things (IoT). Furthermore, the dominant approaches are expert system and deep learning. While backward chaining, forward chaining, fuzzy model, genetic algorithm (GA), K-means clustering, Bayesian networks and incremental learning, Naïve Bayes and Certainty Factors, Convolutional Neural Network, and Decision Tree are the most frequently methods applied in the previous researches. The review also indicated that no single technology or technique is best for developing accurate pest/disease detection system. Instead, the combination of technologies, methods, and approaches resulted in different performance and accuracies. A possible explanation for this is because the systems are used for detecting, controlling and monitoring various plants, such as corn, onion, wheat, rice, mango, flower, and others that are different. This research contributes by providing a reference for technologies, methods, and approaches to the detection system for plant pests and diseases. Also, it adds a way of literature review. This research has implications for researchers as a reference for researching in the computer system, especially for the detection of plant pest and disease research. Hence, this research also extends the body of knowledge of the intelligence system, deep learning, and computer science. For practice, the method references can be used for developing technology for detecting plant pest and disease.


The analytical study of grounding systems is only possible for basic electrodes, i.e. hemispherical and spherical electrodes, rods and horizontal wires. However, it is normal practice to employ more complex earthing systems, such as grounding grids integrated with rods, in order to obtain lower resistances-to-ground and improve the electrical safety of substations. This paper introduces a semi-analytical (or semi-numerical) method, consisting of an analytical approach integrated with a numerical solution, to study grounding grids of complex geometry and their effects on non-stratified soils. The algorithm that was created, and realized with MATLAB, allows the determination of all the quantities of interest for the design and the analysis of such grounding systems: ground-resistance, ground potentials and the distribution of the ground-fault current along the grid's components (i.e. horizontal wires and rods). The model is based on the assumption that conductors forming grids have radii very small if compared to their lengths and that the wires can be considered equipotential cylindrical elements. A verification of the proposed algorithm through a finite element method (FEM) has also been carried out to confirm the validity of the results. Exemplary calculations of the ground resistance of grids are included in the paper.


The authors report some forty cases of renal masses, cystic in appearance and having raised a certain number of diagnostic or therapeutic problems. These masses included 7 cystic carcinomas, 3 benign tumors of cystic appearance and 28 cysts including 2 infected and 2 hydatid cysts. No paraclinical investigation is infallible in confirming the nature of the mass in doubtful cases, and pre-operative diagnosis is more easily obtained by investigation including the majority of standard imaging methods often completed by puncture. Amongst clinical factors which raise doubts as to the benign nature of the cystic mass seen, hematuria remains the most important, other symptoms and signs being of little significance. With regard to imaging, septate calcified masses with echoes within them, with a thick wall or high CT scan density are theoretically suspect. The same applies to masses having rapidly increased at two successive investigations or where puncture fluid is bloody. In all cases if proof of the benign nature cannot be obtained, surgical exploration would appear to be required.


We study the class of overconvergent subanalytic subsets of a $k$-affinoid space $X$ when $k$ is a non-archimedean field. These are the images along the projection $X \times B^n \to X$ of subsets defined with inequalities between functions of $X\times B^n$ which are overconvergent in the variables of $B^n$. In particular, we study the local nature, with respect to $X$, of overconvergent subanalytic subsets. We show that they behave well with respect to the Berkovich topology, but not to the $G$-topology. This gives counter-examples to previous results on the subject, and a way to correct them. Moreover, we study the case dim$(X)=2$, for which a simpler characterisation of overconvergent subanalytic subsets is proven.


Embodied carbon is a buzzword in the construction industry. Australia is committed to achieving Net Zero 2050 targets, and minimizing embodied carbon (EC) is inevitable. Owing to the population growth, there will be a significant demand for residential construction. Therefore, the material consumption in residential construction should be evaluated and proper strategies should be in place to minimize EC. The aim of this research is to undertake a preliminary study of EC in the Australian residential sector, with an emphasis on new residential home construction. This research presents a preliminary study on EC in residential buildings in Australia. Three case study residential buildings were used in this study. All three case studies are single -story residential units, with a gross floor area between 200 and 240 m2. One Click LCA software was used to calculate the EC. The EC of three case study residential homes is between 193 and 233 kgCO2e/m2. Based on the findings of this study, 'other structures and materials' contribute to a large amount of EC in residential construction. Concrete and aluminum are considered significant contributors to EC. Therefore, it is vital to either introduce low-EC material to replace aluminum windows or introduce various design options to minimize the use of aluminum in windows. There are various sustainable concretes available with low EC. It is essential to explore these low-EC concretes in residential homes as well. This research identifies the importance of adopting strategies to reduce the carbon impact from other sources, including concrete. It is also essential to consider the EC through transportation related to construction and promote locally sourced building materials in residential construction. Therefore, the results of this research indicate the necessity of reducing raw material consumption in Australian residential construction by implementing approaches such as a circular economy in order to circulate building materials throughout the construction supply chain and reduce raw material extraction.


We consider the problem of minimizing a sum of several convex non-smooth functions. We introduce a new algorithm called the selective linearization method, which iteratively linearizes all but one of the functions and employs simple proximal steps. The algorithm is a form of multiple operator splitting in which the order of processing partial functions is not fixed, but rather determined in the course of calculations. Global convergence is proved and estimates of the convergence rate are derived. Specifically, the number of iterations needed to achieve solution accuracy $\varepsilon$ is of order $\mathcal{O}\big(\ln(1/\varepsilon)/\varepsilon\big)$. We also illustrate the operation of the algorithm on structured regularization problems.


Construction management is a continuous process like cycle that consists of planning, execution, evaluation, and post constructions. For the planning stage, the standard project has to be made to execute with project constraint (cost, time, and quality) that has been assigned. For implementation stage, it is needed the supervision or control process so that the project remains in the standards line. Supervision and control process are one of the functions of project management. These functions aim to achieve the targeted job without diversion in particular the performance of time and cost. The methods that used to evaluate the project performance are Earned Value Analysis (EVA) with three indicators: 1) Budget Cost of Work Schedule (BCWS), 2) Budget Cost of Work Performed (BCWP), and 3) Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP); and Analysis of Variance CV (Cost Variance). Based on the results of the methods, the fi nal cost of the project is less than the contract value, it is about IDR 5,482,117,166.72,- and contract value, it is about IDR 5,979,736,026.50,-. For time variable, the project execution time is shorter (26 weeks) than schedule time plan 34 weeks). To sum up, with CPI value of 1.12 and 1.32 SPI shows the cost of the project is smaller than the budget plan and time project is faster execution than time schedule plan. Keywords: project performance, classroom, earned value analysis


GF Biochemicals and Towell Engineering have formed a joint venture to make and sell derivatives of levulinic acid. The partnership, called Nxtlevvel, expects to open a plant in Europe or India that will produce 30,000 metric tons per year of biodegradable solvents and plasticizers for cleaning, personal care, coatings, and agriculture markets. GF's core business is the production of levulinic acid from cellulosic biomass.


The last decade has been marked by U.S. leadership on the Internet market. Consequently, in most parts of the world Internet access and usage is PC-centred. This is not the case in Japan, where Internet usage and electronic commerce in business-to-consumer markets is mainly promoted by mobile phones and convenience stores. Japanese e-commerce models are products of the regional urban structure and lifestyles. Distinct features of Japan's urban areas favouring the use of mobile Internet are traffic jams and long commuting times. They explain why entertainment services are the most popular among mobile Internet contents, since they seem to be most suitable to bridge waiting time in an entertaining way. Another typical feature of Japanese cities are the ubiquitous convenience stores. They have become focal points in the B2C e-commerce, serving as payment and distribution centres, as well as Internet access points through multimedia terminals. Japanese e-commerce models are about to expand to other Southeast Asian countries, where urban structures are similar to those in Japan. One has to conclude that e-commerce in different countries is developing in various ways, according to local culture and habits. Hence, promoting global e-commerce involves the necessity of understanding and respecting local and regional culture and customs.


The success of an organization depends increasingly on its business strategy. A structural component of the strategy is the fittting between their primary activities and support activities. And as in industry, in a hospital, a new strategy to be implemented in general involves reviewing business processes or introduce new ways to run the operations of the company. However, organizations that have problems of alienation between the business strategy with its Information Technology infrastructure will have difficulties to implement a systemic model of the competitive intelligence process. It is believed that the private hospital sector has problems of synchronization between the business strategy with information technology infrastructure. Therefore, one can question: A systemic model of Competitive Intelligence for the private hospital sector can be a conceptual model of the change process, liable to be implemented in this type of organization? The main objective of this research is to propose a systemic model of Competitive Intelligence process version 2 in private hospitals in the southern region of Brazil.


Purpose : To evaluate the usefulness of the coaxial technique in US-guided breast core biopsy. Materials andMethods : Using the coaxial technique, US-guided breast core biopsy was performed in 49 breast lesions (40patients). Under US-guidance the 17-gauge, 13 cm long introducer needle was positioned proximal to the lesion.Once the needle was in place, the central trocar was removed and was replaced with the core biopsy needle. We usedan 18-gauge, 16-cm-long core biopsy needle with a 17 mm specimen notch. Four to eight tissue specimens wereobtained from each lesion, and the quality and quantity of specimens, procedure time, and complications and theirrate were evaluated. Results : For 48 of 49 lesions, specimens were adequate for histopathologic diagnosis, andthe findings were as follows : six cases of invasive ductal carcinoma, one of ductal carcinoma in situ, 29 offibrocystic disease, eight of fibroadenoma, two of chronic inflammation, and two of sclerosing lesion. In 12lesions agreement between the pathologic results of needle core biopsy and surgical results was 100%. Theprocedure time was about 15 minutes and no significant complications were noted. Conclusion : In breast corebiopsy, the coaxial technique is simple and time-saving, and compared with stan-dard breast core biopsy, may alsobe less traumatic and decrease the potential risk of seeding the biopsy tract with malignant cells.


This paper presents development activities of the T700/701K turbo-shaft engine for Korean Utility Helicopter(KUH). The T700/701K is the first rear-drive variant of the GE's T700 engine which is proven for military applications in the world. The main workscope of the development includes a modification from a front-drive engine to a rear-drive one, an performance enhancement of the power turbine and an incorporation of two channel FADEC(Full Authority Digital Engine Control) system for more reliable operation. The first engine run for development and qualification test was successfully completed in 2008. Since the PFRT(Preliminary Flight Rating Test) has been completed, the first flight of the engine installed in the first prototype of KUH has been successfully demonstrated in March, 2010 and the engine installation compatibility tests are being carried out during KUH flight test. The test and evaluation for qualification has been done except for the low cycle fatigue test up to date.


Human impacts are often thought of as homogenizing natural communities, but it is unclear how these impacts interact to alter the beta diversity (spatial variability) of plant communities. In a grassland with high beta diversity along a soil fertility gradient, we asked which combinations of nutrient enrichment, precipitation enhancement and disturbance would homogenize communities along the gradient by allowing dominant species from one part of the gradient to increase their abundances in other parts of the gradient. In particular, joint addition of nutrients and water might especially benefit resource‐acquisitive and/or exotic species, which have been observed to compete well in resource‐rich conditions; this would tend to reduce variation in species composition across the gradient. To alleviate dispersal limitation as a constraint on treatment responses, we added seeds of 15 species abundant in different parts of the soil fertility gradient to our 132 plots. Fertilization and water addition allowed species from fertile soils to increase their abundance in infertile soils, an effect that strengthened with time. Disturbance permitted species from infertile soils to increase in abundance in infertile soils, but only transiently. Plant height, specific leaf area and exotic status best predicted the abilities of species to attain greater cover in harsh habitats under ameliorated conditions. Among‐habitat beta diversity of seeded species was reduced by the interactive effect of fertilization and watering, although not by watering alone. Synthesis. Our findings are a novel demonstration of how interacting global change factors reduce beta diversity by eroding the biotic and abiotic resistances that control community structure along soil fertility gradients.


We describe a successive-cancellation list decoder for polar codes, which is a generalization of the classic successive-cancellation decoder of Arikan. In the proposed list decoder, up to L decoding paths are considered concurrently at each decoding stage. Simulation results show that the resulting performance is very close to that of a maximum-likelihood decoder, even for moderate values of L. Thus it appears that the proposed list decoder bridges the gap between successive-cancellation and maximum-likelihood decoding of polar codes. The specific list-decoding algorithm that achieves this performance doubles the number of decoding paths at each decoding step, and then uses a pruning procedure to discard all but the L "best" paths. In order to implement this algorithm, we introduce a natural pruning criterion that can be easily evaluated. Nevertheless, straightforward implementation still requires O(L · n2) time, which is in stark contrast with the O(n log n) complexity of the original successive-cancellation decoder. We utilize the structure of polar codes to overcome this problem. Specifically, we devise an efficient, numerically stable, implementation taking only O(L · n log n) time and O(L · n) space.


Carrier Interferometry Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (CI-COFDM) system has been widely studied in multi-carrier communication system. The CI-COFDM system spreads each coded information symbol across all N sub-carriers using orthogonal CI spreading codes. The CI-COFDM system shows the advantages of Peak to Average Power Ratio (PAPR) reduction, frequency diversity and coding gain without any loss of communication throughput. On the other side, a great attention has been devoted to Multi Input Multi Output (MIMO) antenna systems and space-time-frequency processing. In this paper, we focus on two Transmit (Tx)/one Receive (Rx) antennas configuration and evaluate the performance of MIMO OFDM, MIMO CI- OFDM and MIMO CI-COFDM systems. Space Frequency Block Coding (SFBC) is applied to MIMO OFDM, MIMO CI-ODFM and MIMO CI-COFDM systems. For CI-COFDM realization, digital implemented CI-COFDM is used in which information conventional is encoded, CI code spreading operation and carrier allocation are processed by IFFT type operation. From simulation results, it is shown that MIMO SFBC CI-COFDM reduces PAPR significantly as compared with that of MIMO SFBC CI-OFDM and MIMO SFBC OFDM systems. In Narrow Band Interference (NBI) channel MIMO SFBC CI-COFDM systems achieve considerable Bit Error Rate (BER) improvement compared with MMO SFBC CI-OFDM and MIMO SFBC OFDM system.


PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION
The authors examined the relation between post-progression survival (PPS) and overall survival (OS) in phase III trials of first-line chemotherapy for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The authors partitioned OS into progression-free survival (PFS) and PPS and evaluated the relation between OS and either PFS or PPS. They also examined whether any association might be affected by the year of completion of trial enrollment.

RESULTS
The average PPS was longer in recent trials than in older trials (26.9 vs. 20.2 months,p = 0.0002). For all trials, PPS was strongly associated with OS (r = 0.94), whereas PFS was more moderately but still strongly correlated with OS (r = 0.83). The average proportion of median OS accounted for by median PPS significantly increased from 54.1% in older trials to 60.3% in recent trials (p = 0.0001).

CONCLUSION
The present findings indicate that, especially for recent trials, PPS is more highly associated than PFS with OS in first-line chemotherapy for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.


Integrating computer simulation with conventional wet-lab research has proven to have much potential in furthering the understanding of biological systems. Success requires the relationship between simulation and the real-world system to be established: substantial aspects of the biological system are typically unknown, and the abstract nature of simulation can complicate interpretation of in silico results in terms of the biology. Here we present spartan (Simulation Parameter Analysis R Toolkit ApplicatioN), a package of statistical techniques specifically designed to help researchers understand this relationship and provide novel biological insight. The tools comprising spartan help identify which simulation results can be attributed to the dynamics of the modelled biological system, rather than artefacts of biological uncertainty or parametrisation, or simulation stochasticity. Statistical analyses reveal the influence that pathways and components have on simulation behaviour, offering valuable biological insight into aspects of the system under study. We demonstrate the power of spartan in providing critical insight into aspects of lymphoid tissue development in the small intestine through simulation. Spartan is released under a GPLv2 license, implemented within the open source R statistical environment, and freely available from both the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN) and http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/spartan. The techniques within the package can be applied to traditional ordinary or partial differential equation simulations as well as agent-based implementations. Manuals, comprehensive tutorials, and example simulation data upon which spartan can be applied are available from the website.


On behalf of the editorial team, welcome to European Journal of Chemistry. European Journal of Chemistry is a recently established journal publishing original research papers, reviews and technical notes on the topics of Analytical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Theoretical and Applied Physical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Applied and Materials Chemistry, Chemical Technology, Agro Chemical Technology, Pharmaceutical Technology, Colloid Chemistry, Interfacial Chemistry, Surface Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Green Chemistry, etc. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish their theoretical and experimental details, while interacting and exchanging valuable information with each other. European Journal of Chemistry is an Open Access Journal. The published articles in European Journal of Chemistry are freely accessible via the Internet for immediate worldwide, open access to the full text of research articles for the best interests of the scientific community. All interested readers can read, download, and print any Open Access article at no cost. There are no subscription fees for European Journal of Chemistry. This journal accepts original research and review papers as well as letters in all areas of chemistry. A manuscript submitted to the journal for publication should be original. It should not have been previously published and should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere. All published research articles in this journal have undergone rigorous peer review, based on initial editor screening and anonymised refereeing by at least two expert reviewers. Authors are encouraged to suggest referees for their work. The journal is published print and online and articles are available as online rapidly after acceptance. The published articles are expected to receive high citations as the journal develops and reaches prominence in the field. I expect that European Journal of Chemistry will attract manuscripts of the highest quality which are of the greatest possible benefit to readers. We look forward to receiving your submissions. Please do not hesitate to contact the Editor, if you would like to discuss the suitability of your contribution to European Journal of Chemistry. Dr. Hakan Arslan Founding and Editor-in-Chief European Journal of Chemistry www.eurjchem.com


Henry Petroski's The Pencil is one of Henry Petroski's many, always both scholarly and literary, and, most importantly, always engaging, books on engineering theory, practice, and history. For the software engineer, the pencil has a special place; while software engineers are not, particularly more than anyone else, pencil- users these days, we do have a special emphasis on sketching and the development of engineering tools, and one major thread of Petroski's history of the art of pencil-making is the use of pencils as an essential tool for engineers.


Purpose Survivors of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) are at risk for cardiopulmonary adverse events. Data on long-term effects on cardiorespiratory fitness are limited. To address the gap in knowledge, we aimed to determine peak oxygen uptake (V̇O2peak) and identify associations between cardiorespiratory fitness and clinical characteristics, self-reported physical activity, cardiac, and pulmonary function. Methods In a nationwide, single-center cross-sectional study, 90 survivors [aged median (range) 35 (17–54) years, 56% females] were examined, 17 (6–26) years after allo-HSCT. Myeloablative conditioning comprised busulfan/cyclophosphamide or cyclophosphamide only. Methods included pulmonary function tests, echocardiography, and cardiopulmonary exercise test. Results Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) was found in 31% of the subjects, of whom 40% had bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS). Seventy-one percent of the survivors did not meet WHO recommendations for physical activity and 42% were overweight. Reduced gas diffusion (DLCO) and systolic ventricular dysfunction (LVEF) were found in 44% and 31%, respectively. For the group, mean (95%CI), V̇O2peak was 36.4 (34.7–38.0) mL/min/kg [89 (85–93)% of predicted]. V̇O2peak was low at 43%. Cardiopulmonary factors and deconditioning were equally common limitations for exercise. In a multiple linear regression model, low V̇O2peak was associated with low DLCO, low LVEF, BOS, overweight, and inactivity. Conclusion Half of the survivors had reduced cardiorespiratory fitness median 17 years after allo-HSCT. Cardiopulmonary factors and deconditioning were equally common limitations to exercise. We encourage long-term cardiopulmonary monitoring of allo-HSCT survivors and targeted advice on modifiable lifestyle factors.


This work deals with Cu-modified 1DTiO2 microrods (MRs) and their surface properties. The pristine lyophilized precursor Cu_1DTiO2, prepared by an environmentally friendly cryo-lyophilization method, was further annealed in the temperature interval from 500 to 950 °C. The microstructure of all samples was characterized by electron microscopy (SEM/EDS and HRTEM/SAED), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy, simultaneous DTA/TGA thermoanalytical measurement, and mass spectroscopy (MS). Special attention was paid to the surface structure and porosity. The 1D morphology of all annealed samples was preserved, but their surface roughness varied due to anatase-rutile phase transformation and the change of the nanocrystals habits due to nanocavities formation after releasing of confined ice-water. The introduction of 2 wt.% Cu as electronically active second species significantly reduced the direct bandgap of 1DTiO2 in comparison with undoped TiO2 and the standard Degussa TiO2_P25. All samples were tested for their UV absorption properties and H2 generation by PEC water splitting. We presented a detailed study on the surface characteristics of Cu doped 1DTiO2 MRs due to gain a better idea of their photocatalytic activity.


Abstract : Asian states often make tradeoffs between economic and military security goals, and shifts in states' preferences for economic advantage versus military strength explain variation and diversity in their responses to China. Countries that prioritize technological advantage and economic strength respond differently to China than those that do not because they accept a greater degree of security risk to realize economic gains from interactions with China. This dissertation assesses the security and economic policy responses of a representative sample of Asian states to China between 1992 and 2008. The responses of Japan, Korea and Thailand have defied predictions of the dominant international relations paradigm--realism--that states would either balance against or bandwagon with a rising China. However, the three states have not discarded consideration of external security threats. Differences in how Japan, Korea and Thailand have responded to China over time are explained not only by changes in China's military threat, but perceptions of the threat as weighed against changing economic priorities. Domestic strategic evolution--change in political structure and grand strategy--has had an important impact on the manner in which the three nations have responded to China. The findings of this dissertation bear on both the study and practice of international security policy. Domestic politics and state preferences are important factors to consider when explaining the responses of Asian states to China, responses which would not have been implied by the consideration of external threats alone. Understanding the determinants of Asian nations' different and evolving preferences for the ratio of economic versus military strength will aid U.S. officials in formulating policies that affirm these states' strategic interests.


Based on the contribution of postcolonial studies for contemporary feminist critique, this paper intends to discuss gender and race representations of women's experience in two novels: the Brazilian writer Conceicao Evaristo's Becos da memoria, and O alegre canto da perdiz, from the Mozambican writer Paulina Chiziane. Through this brief comparative reading, this article underscores its option for a decolonial critique, situated within cultural systems crossed by the heritage of Portuguese colonialism.


Background: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a cytokine that has a diverse but potential role in cancer including breast cancer. HGF, which action is mediated by its specific receptor, cMET, stimulate the aggressiveness of cancer cells by increasing the invasiveness and cellular migration. HGF is also a potent angiogenic factor. Small inhibitors to the HGF receptor are currently investigated in clinical trials of various cancers. In solid tumours which have potency of bone metastasis, HGF and particularly the HGF receptor, cMET, have been found to be particularly over-expressed in tumour cells metastasised to bones. Materials and methods. A panel of breast cancer cell lines were used. Cell growth was determined using a colorimetic method. Cell adhesion and migration were investigated using a ECIS model. Bone matrix proteins were prepared from fresh bones. A small inhibitor to human cMET, PF02341066 was used in the present study in all the cell models. Results. Depending on cell types, cancer cells tended to grow at a faster rate in bone marrow microenvironment than under normal conditions (12% higher for MDA MB 231 cells, for example). While PF02341066 have a concentration dependent effect on the growth of breast cancer, this effect became more marked when cells were growing in the bone marrow matrix. Breast cancer cells migrated rapidly in the presence of bone marrow environment, in comparison with controls. This was also inhibited by the cMET inhibitor. The study further showed that cells over-expressing a molecule linked to bone metastasis, namely ALCAM (1,2), responded more vigorously to cMET inhibitor in the matrix adhesion and cellular migration. Conclusions. The present study has shown that the HGF receptor inhibitor has an inhibitory effect on breast cancer cells. This is particularly so when cells are grown in bone matrix microenvironment. It is concluded therefore that inhibitors to the HGF receptor may have a particular role in the management of bone metastasis in breast cancer. References: 1. Davies S, Jiang WG. ALCAM, activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule, influences the aggressive nature of breast cancer cells, a potential connection to bone metastasis. Anticancer Res. 2010, 30(4):1163–8; 2. King JA, et al. Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule in breast cancer: prognostic indicator. Breast Cancer Res. 2004;6(5):R478–87 Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-18-01.


We examined the risk of any perinatal mental illness associated with pre-pregnancy diabetes and identified how diabetes duration, complexity, and intensity of care affect this risk. We performed a population-based study of 15 to 49-year-old women with (n=14,186) and without (n=843,818) pre-pregnancy diabetes who had a singleton livebirth (Ontario, Canada, 2005-2015) and no recent mental illness. Modified Poisson regression estimated perinatal mental illness risk between conception and 1 year postpartum in women with vs. without diabetes and in diabetes groups, defined by a latent class analysis of diabetes duration, complexity, and intensity of care variables, vs. women without diabetes. Women with diabetes were more likely than those without to develop perinatal mental illness (18.1% vs. 16.0%; adjusted relative risk: 1.11; 95% confidence interval: 1.07, 1.15). Latent classes of women with diabetes were: uncomplicated and not receiving regular care (59.7%); complicated, with longstanding diabetes, and receiving regular care (16.4%); and recently diagnosed, with comorbidities, and receiving regular care (23.9%). Perinatal mental illness risk was elevated in all classes vs. women without diabetes (adjusted relative risks: 1.09 to 1.12), but class 2 was non-significant after adjustment. Women with diabetes could benefit from preconception and perinatal strategies to reduce their mental illness risk.


Perfect crystals in transmission (Laue) geometry can be used effectively for x‐ray monochromators, and moreover, perfect Laue crystals show an interesting focusing effect when the incident beam is white and divergent. This focusing is directly dependent on the incident beam divergence and on the diffraction profile width of the crystal. The aim of this work is to study whether this property can be used for focusing a synchrotron x‐ray beam, and to obtain quantitatively the dimensions of the resulting monochromatic beam. We have experimentally measured the size of an undulator beam after diffraction from a diamond crystal in Laue geometry, and we analyze and explain the results by comparison with ray‐tracing simulations.


Australia's unique biodiversity is under threat from a rapidly changing climate. The effects of climate change are already discernible at all levels of biodiversity - genes, species, communities and ecosystems. Many of Australia's most valued and iconic natural areas - the Great Barrier Reef, south-western Australia, the Kakadu wetlands and the Australian Alps - are among the most vulnerable. But much more is at stake than saving iconic species or ecosystems. Australia's biodiversity is fundamental to the country's national identity, economy and quality of life. In the face of uncertainty about specific climate scenarios, ecological and management principles provide a sound basis for maximising opportunities for species to adapt, communities to reorganise and ecosystems to transform while maintaining basic functions critical to human society. This innovative approach to biodiversity conservation under a changing climate leads to new challenges for management, policy development and institutional design. This book explores these challenges, building on a detailed analysis of the interactions between a changing climate and Australia's rich but threatened biodiversity. Australia's Biodiversity and Climate Change is an important reference for policy makers, researchers, educators, students, journalists, environmental and conservation NGOs, NRM managers, and private landholders with an interest in biodiversity conservation in a rapidly changing world.


The initial education of preschool educators, their general and professional competencies, needed for their continuing professional developments are very important and actual matters. These matters have always attracted the professional and scientific community, especially today, with efforts to create a unique and modern system of education of teachers in accordance with the Bologna process (ECTS).
In this the paper we present the results of a descriptive analysis of curricula for preschool teacher education, which present the results of the analysis of multiple parameters, that are fundamental in building a base concept for preschool teacher education; we also analysed competencies that educators acquire during initial education in different faculties of the same country?, but different geographical areas in which specific kind of differences were observed.
We present the results of a survey conducted with 42 student teachers regarding the perceived advantages and disadvantages during their initial education and their capacity for a successful start in their career as preschool teachers. We also present results based on interviews with fifteen preschool teachers about their professional development like an employer – working conditions, needs and opportunities.
This paper is an attempt to elucidate some aspects of the problem with preschool teacher education and to create opportunities for creating a consistent overall structure of their initial education and continuing professional development.


Background: The reduction in the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) may indicate TB control, however it could also reflect underdiagnosis or underreporting. In 1999, the Health District of South Granada (HDSG) initiated a TB control programme based on case-finding. The objective of this study was to define the characteristics of TB in the HDSG and the efficacy of the control programme. Methods: Prospective study of all cases of TB diagnosed in the HDSG during the period 2003 to 2010. The incidence of TB and the absolute and relative frequencies of the most relevant variables were calculated. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 19 software. Results: TB was diagnosed in 319 cases, of which 272 (85.2%) were pulmonary (PTB) cases. 96.3% of all PTB cases were culture-confirmed. The incidence of TB in the study period was 27.5/100.000 population. The incidence of PTB was 23.8/100.000 and of smear positive PTB was 9.3/100.000. Smear positive PTB was detected in 39.1% of cases. Chest x-ray showed cavitation in 21.3% of cases of PTB. Cavitation was present in 45.4% of smear positive PTB cases and in 4.9% of smear negative cases. Treatment success was achieved in 90% of smear positive PTB cases. Conclusions: Incidence of TB in HDSG is higher than that reported in Spain, but the percentage of smear positive PTB cases and those with cavitation were lower, indicating earlier diagnosis following the implementation of the TB control programme.The percentage of smear positive PTB cases out of the total number of culture-confirmed cases could be an indicator of underdiagnosis. A high percentage of smear positive PTB cases would indicate detection of advanced cases and later diagnosis indicating high rate of underdiagnosis of TB.


ABSTRACT International bureaucrats employed in inter-governmental organizations (IGOs) have a stake in the solidification and expansion of traditional global governance structures. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) often are thought to be threats to IGOs. But international bureaucracies regularly seek cooperation with NGOs that can help in 'cross-national layering': the creation of formal or informal international institutions that overlay domestic institutions, seeking to replace or subsume them over time. This article develops a '4Cs taxonomy' in which shared/unshared resource bases and shared/unshared values translate into cooperative, co-optative, competitive, or conflictual relations between NGOs and international bureaucracies. It then examines the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) over a 70-year period, showing how different mixes of resources and values help to explain why FAO bureaucrats have cycled through different relationships with NGOs. This exemplifies themes of the New Interdependence Approach: (1) the forces of globalization and interdependence create openings for transnational alliances among non-state actors; (2) continued globalization takes place not in a state of anarchy, but in an environment of overlapping responsibilities or principles; and (3) institutions go beyond being 'rules of the game' and can be drivers of power shifts in domestic and international affairs.


The effect of compressed CO2 treatment on the thermal behavior of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) with low L-isomer content of 94% was studied by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and temperature modulated DSC. It was shown that the treated samples displayed rich thermal transition signals during DSC heating, which is differ from the PLLA having high L-isomer content, including enthalpy relaxation, endothermic annealing, melting-recrystallization process, and cold crystallization. The results suggested that the crystalline phase obtained has less perfection and low crystallinity regardless of the treatment conditions because of the low crystallizability of the PLLA. This PLLA was induced to crystallize after treatment under CO2 at 2 MPa and temperature >= 65 degrees C and at pressures of 4-16 MPa and temperatures as low as 0 degrees C. At 2 MPa, the alpha crystal form is formed predominantly in the crystallized samples. The results also indicated that the ELLA-CO2 system exhibited the property of retrograde vitrification.


Organized jointly by the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, Loyola University Chicago, and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, the Fourth Subsistence Marketplace Conference will be held July 27-29, 2012 in Chicago at the Loyola University Chicago Water Tower Campus. Subsistence marketplaces consist of consumer and entrepreneur communities living at subsistence income levels, concentrated in developing countries and regions such as Brazil, India, China, Vietnam and Sub-Saharan Africa. In the last five years, the Subsistence Marketplaces Conference has been a leading forum for developing and sharing research and fostering best practices in these communities. In its fourth edition, the theme of the 2012 conference is on the emergence of macro-level implications from micro-level research insights. To generalize and expand findings from focused studies of individual consumers, entrepreneurs, and communities, to higher levels such as marketplace ecosystems, markets, economies, and regions is a complex endeavor. It needs dedicated multi-disciplinary, multi-level, and multisector work that will guide meaningful policy and market decisions. The conference will include plenary panels, participatory workshops, key note speeches by thought leaders, special sessions on specific topics, and presentations of papers submitted in response to this call. An emphasis will be on sharing ideas and knowledge among researchers, practitioners and students. Details about registration, lodging, and accommodations will be available on the conference website at http://www. business.illinois.edu/subsistence/events/conferences.html. Continuing the practices of past conferences, arrangements including lodging will emphasize affordability for a diverse range of participants. Beginning with preconference workshops and a reception on July 27, the conference will continue on the 28th and conclude by mid-afternoon on the 29th.


Emerging solid state memory devices based on different materials and volatility has been widely acknowledged like NVRAMs (or Memristor).Evolution of new solid state ionic conductors and in particular (Memristor) brought impetus to the creation of new domain of larger storage capabilities for the future electronic systems. The achievements of these emerging technologies are kind of encouraging when compared with the existing memory types. Accordingly, a new memory architecture called Resistive Random Access Memory (ReRAM) memory faces challenges like sneak path current flowing through neighbouring cells which limits array size. To deal with such issue is to enforce a crossbar array using complementary resistive switch (CRS). CRS has recently been proclaimed as a great beneficiary to conventional charge based memories. But, the nanoscale advantage of these devices poses new challenges in designing such memories as well. In this paper, our purpose is to familiarize Memristor principle and a preliminary note on various understanding of Memristor is also described and a novel nonlinear memristive based complementary resistive switch memory model for effective simulation and analysis. The CRS has two memristor connected in antiserially. Four different state of CRS which significantly reduces sneak path current as compared to memristor based architecture. Here, CRSs can be viewed as primary logic building block in array and two modes of resistance states of CRS stores the information. Thus, our aim is to elucidate as to how CRS is beneficial for reducing sneak path current. KeywordsElectroforming, Memristor, Complementary resistive switch (CRS), RRAM, Solid State memories, non-volatile memory.


The osmotic fragility test is used to determine the extent of red blood cell haemolysis produced by osmotic stress. Since the quality of this test may easily be influenced by environmental and technical factors we have determined osmotic fragility reference values in our own conditions. The results show significantly increased osmotic resistance of erythrocytes in our conditions vs the published values for blood samples anticoagulated with heparin. Furthermore, the use of EDTA as an anticoagulant increased the osmotic fragility of red blood cells as compared with heparin. We conclude that EDTA can be used as an anticoagulant for the osmotic fragility test in order to simplify routine procedures. However, every laboratory should determine its own reference values which would reflect the local environmental and technical factors.


Ubi-Interact is a framework designed to facilitate interactive applications consisting of a variety of individual systems and devices that are distributed over a (local) network. It is designed to allow easy integration of devices and exchange of data based on extendable common data formats. It features edge computing capabilities, allowing to analyze and transform device data. The same computing modules can also be used to manage an arbitrary number of devices in an abstract fashion, allowing ad-hoc handling of (dis-)connecting devices and making devices with similar components/capabilities interchangeable while lowering the necessity to re-implement parts of the overall system behaviour. Specification and implementation of these applications should be modular, extendable and re-usable so users can share and improve on the work of others. Performance, re-usability of once established capabilities and easy integration of devices are the main points of interest for developing this framework.


Assessment of the visual field (VF) using perimetry provides valuable information for the diagnosis and management of ophthalmic and neurological disorders. It is estimated that over 3500 children under 16 years of age undergo formal perimetry in the UK per year, without any consensus on approaches to testing in children. There is also a paucity of robust data on the correct interpretation of test reliability, which is necessary to inform understanding of the usefulness of perimetry in monitoring children. Interpretation of findings relies on an understanding of the normal VF (i.e. reference values), its natural development/progression throughout the life-course and the variability of responses in normal subjects. However there is limited literature in all these areas with respect to children. To address this, a prospective, clinico-epidemiological, observational study was undertaken, collecting perimetric data on 249 children aged 5-15 years; 154 without an ophthalmic condition affecting the visual field (controls), 65 with glaucoma and 30 with neurological disease. Common adult perimetric tests were used and data on fixation, concentration, behaviour, response to auditory stimuli and fatigue were also collected, to report test reliability. In a 'normal' population, feasibility and reliability of perimetry improved with age, and by 9 years of age, there were no differences in reliability between tests. 'Good quality' assessments were reproducible on repeat testing. Visual field size/sensitivity increased with age, and reference values were defined for each perimetric test used. Comparisons between perimeters and test groups highlight differences in test feasibility, reliability and output. Thus, guidance for perimetric testing has been suggested here, including methods for assessing test reliability and appropriate test protocols, dependent on the clinical condition and age of subject. Follow-up studies are needed to generate the evidence required to understand the role of perimetry in the long-term management of ophthalmic diseases in childhood.


In this paper, the excited state dynamics properties of hemicynine were investigated by using time-resolved fluorescence and 3D fluorescence spectra techniques. The interaction of hemicyanine molecules caused formation of H-aggregates and a blue shift of the 3D fluorescence spectra in interleaving hemicyanine/arachidic acid multilayers. The peak of fluorescence was a red shift along with the time decay. The lifetime of the LB fluorescence was much shorter and the difference of beginning luminescence was less than that of the hemicyanine solution due to the stronger intermolecule interactions in the aggregates.


The study sample comprised 180 adolescents aged 15 to 17 years, being 90 males and 90 females, attending high school and with different socioeconomic backgrounds. Genders and socioeconomic backgrounds were compared as to the values of beauty and intelligence assigned by adolescents to themselves. In a hypothetical and mutually exclusive manner, these characteristics were assessed to check which were the most valued for themselves and possible partners. The results demonstrated that boys with high socioeconomic background assigned higher intelligence scores for themselves. Adolescents of both genders from low socioeconomic background would like to have a higher level of intelligence instead of beauty, whereas adolescents from high socioeconomic background prefer a balance between beauty and intelligence. The girls assigned more value to intelligence in their partners than the boys, which assigned more value to beauty in their partners.


Recent changes in financial markets have altered the structure of liquidity provision and thus undercut the relative importance of the banking sector. Our analysis suggests a significant contraction of banks' role as liquidity transformers and hence a reduction in their susceptibility to the specific risks of liquidity transformation, including systemic runs due to contagious spillovers. This contraction is confirmed by an analysis of liquidity at the individual bank level using a liquidity measure that we develop. We use this measure to quantify the marginal contribution of deposit insurance to liquidity enhancement. We conclude that neither insurance against liquidity risk, nor other rationales relating to equity, legitimacy and stability withstands closer scrutiny as a valid explanation for the provision of deposit insurance by the government.


The temperature of a laser diode array chip must be maintained under a safe level during operation in order to achieve satisfactory performance and lifetime. In this paper, 3-D thermal analysis on diode heatsink is presented. The boundary condition at the bottom of heatsink is constant convective heat transfer coefficient. In addition, heat transfer in thermal-entry region of tubes is accounted for to calculate the convective heat transfer coefficient. Moreover, a 12 mm times 37 mm times 7 mm passively cooled laser diode array cooled by a base heatsink is demonstrated. Up to 62 W output power with an electrical-to-optical conversion efficiency of 49.2% are achieved. System thermal resistance of 0.77 K/W is obtained when the flow rate through the base heatsink with 0.8-mm-wide, 2-mm-high and 20-mm-long channels is 25 cm3/s.


The microtubule-associated protein tau gene (MAPT) codes for a protein that plays an integral role in stabilisation of microtubules and axonal transport in neurons. As well as its role in susceptibility to neurodegeneration, previous studies have found an association between the MAPT haplotype and intracranial volume and regional grey matter volumes in healthy adults. The glycogen synthase kinase-3β gene (GSK3B) codes for a serine/threonine kinase that phosphorylates various proteins, including tau, and has also been associated with risk for neurodegenerative disorders and schizophrenia. We examined the effects of MAPT and two functional promoter polymorphisms in GSK3B (rs3755557 and rs334558) on total grey matter and intracranial volume in three independent cohorts totaling 776 neurologically healthy individuals. In vitro analyses revealed a significant effect of rs3755557 on gene expression, and altered binding of at least two transcription factors, Octamer transcription factor 1 (Oct-1) and Pre-B-cell leukemia transcription factor 1 (Pbx-1), to the GSK3B promoter. Meta-analysis across the three cohorts revealed a significant effect of rs3755557 on total grey matter volume (summary B = 0.082, 95% confidence interval = 0.037–0.128) and intracranial volume (summary B = 0.113, 95% confidence interval = 0.082–0.144). No significant effect was observed for MAPT H1/H2 diplotype or GSK3B rs334558 on total grey matter or intracranial volume. Our genetic and biochemical analyses have identified a role for GSK3B in brain development, which could have important aetiological implications for neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders.


All orientable metric surfaces are Riemann surfaces and admit global conformal parameterizations. Riemann surface structure is a fundamental structure and governs many natural physical phenomena, such as heat diffusion, electric-magnetic fields on the surface. Good parameterization is crucial for simulation and visualization. This paper gives an explicit method for finding optimal global conformal parameterizations of arbitrary surfaces. It relies on certain holomorphic differential forms and conformal mappings from differential geometry and Riemann surface theories. Algorithms are developed to modify topology, locate zero points, and determine cohomology types of differential forms. The implementation is based on finite dimensional optimization method. The optimal pa- rameterization is intrinsic to the geometry, preserving angular structure, and can play an important role in various applications including texture mapping, remeshing, morphing and simulation. The method is demonstrated by visu- alizing the Riemann surface structure of real surfaces represented as triangle meshes.


Background: The sharing of practices that enable the flow and the distribution of tacit knowledge and other ways of proprietary knowledge are essential requisites for promoting an innovation system. Objectives: In this paper a diagnosis of the Spanish Science and Technology System is offered by using the normalized protocol for responsible partnering proposed by EIRMA. Methods/Approach: The triple helix model has been used to identify the agents that take part in the system. The grounded theory has also been applied to analyse interactions and interviews with seven key agents in the system. Results: The lack of common objectives among the main partners in the system is the most important weakness; the New Acts developed in the last three years is a strength that allows the different agents of the system to share objectives. The economic crisis is a threat for the performance of research within the university context and becomes at the same time an opportunity to establish closer relationships. Conclusions: Universities, firms and governments must synchronise their work to accomplish a common objective: produce high levels of innovation that aim to enhance the competitiveness of the system.


Fibrous tissue formation is often used as a screening method to determine the biocompatibility of orthopaedic and dental implanted material. In this investigation, porous implants of tricalcium phosphate-lysine delivery devices were implanted intraperitoneally (IP) using adult male rats as a model. The fibrous tissue surrounding the implant was studied histologically to determine the infiltration of inflammatory cells and other healing components. Fibrous capsular tissues were carefully dissected away from the capsule noting the tissue closest to the implanted material. Evaluation of the sections (5um, H&E) collected from various areas of the implants (n = 5 per group) revealed that: (1) The use of TCPL implants resulted in the formation of three distinct cell layers of fibrous tissue. (2) The fibrous tissue thickness was found to be directly proportional to the duration of the implant. (3) The infiltration of macrophages, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and fibroblasts were present in all phases studied. (4) Ordered collagen was observed only at the end of the 6, 9, and 12 month phases. (5) Remarkable progression of vascularity was present in the second and third layers of the fibrous tissue. In conclusion, these observations confirm our previous finding using different bioceramic material.


Orang Ulu is comprised of many ethnic groups; Kayan, Kenyah, Bhukat, and Penan. These groups were known for fine craft makers in the past. They took advantage for the diverse species of natural construction materials such as rattan, Pandanus, bamboo, and donax within their environment to produce a range of craft objects. Modern lifestyle and changing livelihood influence Orang Ulu's needs and the necessity for materials. Traditional objects are seemed impractical and redundant to their contemporary subsistence and socio-economic activities, religion practice and global trend and taste. On the other hand, the changing of the physical landscape due to development projects in the region has caused a scarcity of construction materials, both in quantity and diversity. All of these factors affect the traditional craft-making activities and have become the main challenge for the Orang Ulu craft makers to sustain their tradition and heritage. This paper discusses the roles and challenges faced by the Orang Ulu's craft makers in their effort to sustain the craft-making activities and traditional material objects among the Kayan, Kenyah Badeng, Bhukat and Penan communities in the Sg. Asap resettlement scheme of Belaga. Different approaches and strategies were adopted by the craft makers within the individual community to overcome the adversities.


We study a one-dimensional translation-invariant Floquet quantum circuit model constrained to conserve a U(1) charge and its dipole moment. We demonstrate that the Floquet spectrum contains quantum many-body scars, a small set of localized states in an otherwise thermalizing spectrum. These states are directly experimentally relevant due to their high overlap with easily-prepared product states. Moreover, the model is quite generic, since the Floquet operator is made out of random unitary matrices. We explain the origin of these scar states in terms of a newly discovered mechanism for localization, thereby providing a detailed conceptual understanding of how scars can robustly arise in systems with constrained quantum dynamics.


We investigate the problem of item recommendation during the first months of the collaborative tagging community Ci teULike. CiteULike is a so-called folksonomy where users have the possibility to organize publications through anno tations tags. Making reliable recommendations during the initial phase of a folksonomy is a difficult task, since infor mation about user preferences is meager. In order to im prove recommendation results during this cold start period, we present a probabilistic approach to item recommenda tion. Our model extends previously proposed models such as probabilistic latent semantic analysis (PLSA) by merging both user-item as well as item-tag observations into a unified representation. We find that bringing tags into play reduces the risk of overfitting and increases overall recommendation quality. Experiments show that our approach outperforms other types of recommenders.


Purpose – The objective of this paper is to explain the conceptual framework of paradox.Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts a theoretical approach. It outlines marketing's current and limited interest in the notion of paradox and highlights the difference between a classic paradox, the tension between transactional and relational marketing, and the Contemporary Marketing Practice (CMP) research program.Findings – A future research agenda for paradox and marketing is speculated on, addressing issues such as likely domains for exploration, methodology, as well as the type of organizational structures and marketing leadership required. Finally, there is reflection on how paradox engineers a strong bridge between theory and practice.Originality/value – The paper reveals useful information on paradox and marketing.


On the analogy of other hormones, serum insulin-like activity (J.L.A.) is likely to include several forms-possibly more than one secreted form, possibly a protein-bound fraction and possibly some metabolites with lesser biological action. Further, since an insulin antibody, which is often used for these assays, is produced in response to pancreatic extractable insulin, it is likely to be specific for insulin in its secreted form. On present information, we would suggest the following three forms of insulin-{i) typical or secreted form of insulin which is immunoassayable insulin, and whose biological activity is neutralisable by an antibody on bioassay in vitro, (ii) atypical I.L.A. or that fraction active on the fat-pad but not neutralisable by an antibody to insulin, which is probably a larger molecule formed from secreted insulin by the liver, and (iii) the syn-albumin antagonist about which Dr. Vallance-Owen will speak, which is probably a degraded insulin metabolite which antagonises insulin action on muscle but not on fat. The bound form of insulin described by Antoniades and his colleagues would, however, appear to be a different fraction based on a different separation using ion-exchange columns, whose basis is obscure, but it probably does not correspond to atypical insulin.


We compared two digital-image feature-extraction methods for the analysis of microsialograms of the mouse parotid gland following either overfilling, experimentally induced acute sialoadenitis or irradiation. Microsialograms were digitized using a drum-scanning microdensitometer. The grey levels were then partitioned into four bands representing soft tissue, peripheral minor, middle-sized and major ducts, and run-length and histogram analysis of the digital images performed. Serial analysis of microsialograms during progressive filling showed that both methods depicted the structural characteristics of the ducts at each grey level. However, in the experimental groups, run-length analysis showed slight changes in the peripheral duct system more clearly. This method was therefore considered more effective than histogram analysis.


The paradigm of animated pedagogical agent has been developed in recent years. These lifelike autonomous characters inhabit leaning environments and make rich, face-to-face learning interactions possible. Children seem to develop an immediate and deep affinity to such characters: the agents abilities open up new possibilities, e.g. agents can demonstrate complex tasks, employ locomotion and gestures, focus children's attention on the most important aspects of a task at hand, and convey emotional responses to the game. This create a comfortable environment with the ability to both engage and motivate children. The pedagogical agent uses emotion, intensity of emotion, and game states in order to create rules for adapting the system according to child behavior. Results showed that an affective gesture recognition model was able to recognize a child's emotion with a considerably high rate of over 82.5%, and the social agent (estimate intensity of emotion) had a strong relationship with observers' feedback, except in low intensity levels.


Examining the Factors Affecting Foreign Direct Investment Inflows in PakistanFactors Affecting Foreign Direct Investment Mineral Mining SectorFactors affecting the flow of foreign direct investment into the manufacturing sector in South AfricaPolicy Competition for Foreign Direct InvestmentFactors Affecting Foreign Direct Investment in the USAn Assessment of Factors Affecting Foreign Direct Investment in Kenya [MBA Thesis]Factors Affecting Regional Location and Inequality of Inward Foreign Direct Investment DistributionWhat China Actually Wants from Africa: an Analysis of the Major Factors Affecting Foreign Direct Investment from China to Sub-saharan AfricaThe Changing Trends and Patterns of Foreign Direct Investment in ChinaDeterminants of Foreign Direct Investment in GhanaAssessing Factors Affecting M & As Versus Greenfield FDI in Emerging CountriesMaking Foreign Direct Investment Work for Sub-Saharan AfricaForeign Direct InvestmentAn Investigation of Factors Affecting the Decline in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in BotswanaFactors Affecting Foreign Direct Investment in AfricaForeign Direct Investment in Developing CountriesFactors Affecting Foreign Direct Investment in the Malaysian Manufacturing Sector, 1966-1991Factors Affecting Foreign Direct Investment in the Brazilian Manufacturing SectorFACTORS AFFECTING FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN THE REAL ESTATE SECTOR OF MALAYSIADeterminants of Foreign Direct Investment in the Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaForeign Direct InvestmentsFDI in ThailandTwo Essays in International Trade and Foreign Direct InvestmentTrade Openess and Its Impact on Foreign Direct InvestimentFactors Affecting the International Transfer of Technology Among Developing CountriesMeasuring the Effects of Foreign Direct Investment as a Conduit for the Creation of a New Entrepreneurial Class in MexicoCharacteristics of and Factors Affecting Foreign Direct Investment in the Malaysian Furniture IndustryComparative Political and Economic Perspectives on the MENA RegionForeign Direct Investment in Central Europe and Differences in Transition Between Post-communist Central European EconomiesSpatial Modeling of Dynamic Changes of Foreign Direct Investment in ChinaManufacturing and Investment Around the WorldForeign Direct Investment in the United States: The Effects of Multinational Firm Characteristics and Local Factors on the Location DecisionFactors Affecting Inter-industry Variation of Foreign Ownership of IndustryChinaNew Voices in InvestmentFACTORS AFFECTING FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT (FDI) IN ALBANIAInternational Friction and Cooperation in HighTechnology Development and TradeThe Factors Affecting U.S. Direct Investment in South KoreaForeign Direct Investment, Foreign Aid, and Socioeconomic Infrastructure in Developing CountriesIndustrialized Countries' Policies Affecting Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Countries: Country studies


Background: Remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) of the heart (i.e. brief ischemia/reperfusion cycles, subjected to a remote organ or a remote area, reduce the consecutive damage of a sustained cardiac ischemia. Although, its mechanism has been investigated thoroughly, exact interorgan transfer mechanisms of cardioprotection by RIPC are required to be further investigated. Exosomes and microvesicles/microparticles are vesicles of 30-100 nm and 100-1000 nm in diameter, respectively (collectively termed extracellular vesicles [EVs]). As EVs are able to shuttle proteins, mRNAs and microRNAs, they are ideal candidates for inter-organ communication. However, whether EVs are involved in RIPC, is unknown.

Purpose: Here we investigated whether (1) IPC induces release of EVs from the heart, and (2) EVs are necessary for cardioprotection by RIPC.

Methods: Hearts of male Wistar rats were isolated and perfused as described by Langendorff. Hearts were exposed to 3 × 5 min global ischemia/reperfusion cycles (IPC) or 30 min aerobic perfusion, while coronary perfusates were collected. Coronary perfusates of these donor hearts were given to another set of recipient isolated hearts either unharmed or depleted of EVs by differential ultracentrifugation. Infarct size was determined by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride at the end of 30 min global ischemia and 120 min reperfusion period. The presence or absence of EVs in perfusates was confirmed by dynamic light scattering, the EV marker hsp60 Western blot, and electron microscopy.

Results: IPC markedly increased EV release from the heart as assessed by HSP60 immunoblot. Administration of coronary perfusate from IPC donor hearts attenuated infarct size in non-preconditioned recipient hearts (12.9 ± 1.6% vs. 25.0 ± 2.7%, respectively), similarly to cardioprotection afforded by IPC (7.3 ± 2.7% vs. 22.1 ± 2.9%, respectively) on the donor hearts. Furthermore, perfusates of IPC hearts depleted of EVs failed to exert cardioprotection in recipient hearts (22.0 ± 2.3%).

Conclusions: This is the first demonstration that EVs released from the heart after IPC are necessary for cardioprotection by RIPC, evidencing the importance of vesicular transfer mechanisms in remote cardioprotection.


The entailment between separation logic formulae with inductive predicates (also known as symbolic heaps) has been shown to be decidable for a large class of inductive definitions [4]. Recently, a 2EXPTIME algorithm has been proposed [7], however no precise lower bound is known (although a EXPTIME-hard bound for this problem has been established in [5]). In this paper, we show that deciding entailment between predicate atoms is 2EXPTIME-hard. The proof is based on a reduction from the membership problem for exponential-space bounded alternating Turing machines [3].


The commutator of enlarged vector fields was explicitly computed for integrable coupling systems associated with semidirect sums of Lie algebras. An algebraic structure of zero curvature representations is then established for such integrable coupling systems. As an application example of this algebraic structure, the commutation relations of Lax operators corresponding to the enlarged isospectral and nonisospectral AKNS flows are worked out, and thus a τ -symmetry algebra for the AKNS integrable couplings is engendered from this theory.


(3)J proton-proton coupling constants bear information on the intervening dihedral angles. Methods have been developed to derive this information from NMR spectra of proteins. Using series expansion of the time dependent density matrix, and exploiting the simple topology of amino acid spin-systems, formulae for estimation of (3)J(HN-Halpha) and (3)J(Halpha-Hbeta) from HSQC-TOCSY spectra are derived. The results obtained on a protein entailing both alpha-helix and beta-sheet secondary structure elements agree very well with J-coupling constants computed from the X-ray structure. The method compares well with existing methods and requires only 2D spectra which would be typically otherwise recorded for structural studies.


A pragmatic method has been developed to efficiently design the production-injection parameters to optimize the water-alternating-gas (WAG) performance in a field-scale CO 2 -miscible flooding project. The net present value (NPV) is selected as the objective function, while the controlling variables are chosen to be the injection rates, ratios of gas slug size to water slug size (WAG ratio) and cycle time (i.e., the injection time for each gas or water slug) for the injectors and bottomhole pressures (BHPs) for the producers. A hybrid technique, which integrates the orthogonal array (OA) and Tabu technique into the genetic algorithm (GA), is then developed and employed to determine the optimum WAG production-injection parameters. Sensitivity analysis of the WAG parameters on oil recovery is conducted and a field case is finally presented to demonstrate the successful application of the newly developed technique.


Rodents, collected in three zoogeographical regions across Slovenia, were tested for the presence of bartonellae using direct PCR-based amplification of 16S/23S rRNA gene intergenic spacer region (ITS) fragments from splenic DNA extracts. Bartonella DNA was detected in four species of rodents, Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus sylvaticus, Apodemus agrarius and Clethrionomys glareolus, in all three zoogeographic regions at an overall prevalence of 40.4%. The prevalence of infection varied significantly between rodent species and zoogeographical regions. Comparison of ITS sequences obtained from bartonellae revealed six sequence variants. Four of these matched the ITS sequences of the previously recognized species, Bartonella taylorii, Bartonella grahamii, Bartonella doshiae and Bartonella birtlesii, but one was new. The identity of the bartonellae from which the novel ITS sequences was obtained were further assessed by sequence analysis of cell division protein-encoding gene (ftsZ) fragments. This analysis demonstrated that the strain is most likely a representative of possible new species within the genus.


Researchers have established that prisons are violent spaces where prisoners use aggressive or passive strategies to manage the threat of victimization. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews, this study explores the coping strategies of 56 former Canadian federal prisoners. Most respondents used passive, aggressive, or passive/aggressive coping strategies. Differences emerged among respondents who used individual strategies (self-dependence) or alliance strategies (dependence on affiliates) to cope with prison living. Only alliance strategies appeared simultaneously passive and aggressive. Theoretical implications are discussed.


Observations on 24 focal nests revealed that, at the time when parental investment in feeding fledging chicks declined, chicks showed a marked increase in begging, particularly in larger broods, whilst parents became less responsive to begging. That chicks suffer a cost from early termination of investment is indicated by the fact that third-hatched chicks, who had attempted (unsuccessfully) to initiate more feeds, were absent from the territory first, rather than the more mature first- and second-hatched chicks. Taken together, these results and related inter- and intra-brood contrasts in behaviour are interpreted as offering support for Trivers' theory of parent-offspring conflict over the termination of investment.


The solution of the problem of unstable parameters of the output voltage of wind power plants because of the inconstancy of wind flow, limiting the scope of their application based on the transition to the development of pneumatic power plant, containing energy accumulators in the form of high-pressure compressed air tanks in its structure is considered in the paper. Concrete design of low-capacity pneumatic power plant is proposed. The issue of calculating and selecting the sizes of energy accumulators in the form of high-pressure tanks, taking into account certain intervals of the wind flow is studied. Duration of continuous operation of the electrical load with power of up to 1 kW at various energy accumulator capacities is determined. The choice of power of the load consumed from the condition of its uninterruptible power supply with the presence of constraints on the sizes of the energy accumulators, their charging rate, installed capacity of the power generator, type size of the wind wheel, as well as constancy of the wind flow strength and speed are shown.