A model of a noncompetitive speculative market is analyzed in which privately informed traders and market makers are risk averse. Market liquidity is found to be nonmonotonic in the number of informed traders, their degree of risk aversion, and the precision of their information. It is also shown that increased liquidity trading leads to reduced price efficiency, and that, under endogenous information acquisition, market liquidity may also be nonmonotonic in the variance of liquidity trades. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.


Predictive control was first developed to control linear time invariant plants described by ARIMAX models. The extension of this control strategy to the case when the behavior of the plant is nonlinear and modeled by a Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy model is considered. This kind of nonlinear model is locally linear and the GPC technique can be extended as a parallel distributed controller.


Tumour angiogenesis refers to neovascular development on a microvascular scale and is an early indicator of cancer. Prototype high frequency pulsed Doppler systems using 50 MHz transducers have been reported to detect microvascular flow in vessels 0.02 mm to 0.5 mm in diameter at superficial depths of 0.5 mm. Detecting flow in microvasculature at deeper depths requires lower frequency transducers with a resulting tradeoff in spatial resolution. Using a 22 MHz transducer, we demonstrate a speckle decorrelation technique to detect in vitro flow in soft tubing of 0.5 mm diameter at a depth of 2 cm. This image-based decorrelation technique is capable of detecting flow in significantly narrower diameters down to 0.125 mm by decreasing the region of interest.


Microcirculation of the gastric wall in the albino rat was studied by the method of vital microscopy in passing light. The conditions of the experiment permitted watching the microcirculation state during 5-6 hours. Intravital morphometry of the microcirculation bed vessels was made. The obtained data concerning the intravital angioarchitectonics of the gastric wall vascular bed were in good agreement with a conventional scheme of its blood supply. The role of arteriolevenular anastomoses in redistribution of blood within the bloodflow pathways was noted.


Internet addiction IA and cyberbullying CB represent two examples of dysfunctional Internet use DIU which are accompanied by negative consequences. In terms of prevention, the training of technical and reflective skills Internet literacy will be discussed with regard to these patterns. This study investigates the role of age, conscientiousness, and Internet literacy on IA symptoms and the participation in CB. Analyses reveal that positive attitudes towards online production and interaction and lower self-regulative skills can be associated with severe IA symptoms. Cyberbullies display less skills in reflecting on Internet content and also prove to have less self-regulative skills. Younger and less conscientious individuals are more likely to use the Internet dysfunctionally. Furthermore, significant correlations between experiences as a cyberbully and IA symptoms were found. In conclusion, the authors suggest that current media/Internet literacy curricula should be complemented by teaching reflective and regulative skills to prevent Internet users from negative consequences.


textabstractIn this paper we argue for an alternative way of designing cooperative constraint solver systems using a control-oriented coordination language. The idea is to take advantage of the coordination features of MANIFOLD for improving the constraint solver collaboration language of BALI. We demonstrate the validity of our ideas by presenting the advantages of such a realization and its (practical as well as conceptual) improvements of constraint solving. We are convinced that cooperative constraint solving is intrinsically linked to coordination, and that coordination languages, and MANIFOLD in particular, open new horizons for systems like BALI.


ABSTRACT This paper develops the Daykin et al (1994) asset/liability model to examine specifically the effects of different reinsurance programmes on the capital of a direct insurance company. By modelling the gross premiums and claims separately from the impact of reinsurance on them, it is possible to examine directly the effects of different reinsurance programmes on a company's expected performance just as easily as changes in asset mix or business volumes. The paper goes on to discuss the necessary assumptions to be built into such a model, and then gives a worked example. The emphasis of the paper is on management reporting rather than on mathematical detail.


Importance and Limitations of the Leicester Group Theory towards the Comprehension of Delinquent Behaviour of Ultra Groups of Oporto With this paper and the communication that will be presented, I will produce the results of an investigation about four Ultra groups that support the top three football clubs of Oporto, known in Portugal as claques. I intend to state the main reasons that allow me to consider the Leicester Group theory the best in order to understand the hooliganism and delinquent behaviour of some members of Ultra groups in Oporto. The main points of the theory will be compared with the corresponding empirical data that confirms it. There are 47 neighbourhoods in Oporto, which makes it the Portuguese city with the greatest number of these neighbourhoods. More than 20,000 people - 20% of the population of Oporto - live in this type of well-identified territory in urban space. Quantitative and qualitative data, obtained through participant observation, interviews, life stories and inquiry by questionnaire, reveal the presence of a social configuration that the Leicester Group proposes in order to explain football hooliganism. This data also allows me to confirm that delinquent behaviour and some violence that could be observed in a football context can be seen as a social reproduction of a delinquent course already present in everyday life. The limitations of the Leicester Group theory will also be considered. This investigation has found that these supporters have a strong sense of belonging to their community and to their city, which is also symbolically reproduced in football stadiums. Finally, I will propose the concept of social experience as an adequate concept to study this kind of social phenomenon.


The underlying need and trends in the wellness movement are briefly reviewed. The critical omission of safety as an integrated component of wellness programs is addressed with supporting rationale. The typical wellness program aims at improving health habits. Such emphasis is appropriate but is not accountable for developing safety habits. Safety oriented principles and procedures are provided to guide professionals in integrating safety concepts and practices into wellness programs and their own professional safety lifestyle.


Quaternary reef complexes are primarily Darwinian oceanic or shelf reefs on slowly subsiding foundations. "Glacial control" of reef morphology has been important, but not in the sense that Daly visualized. Corals dated by the uranium-series method prove that many, perhaps most, reefs were not truncated at the low sea levels of the last glacial age. Dates from such scattered and classic reef localities as Western Australia, the Tuamotu Archipelago, Eniwetok Atoll, the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and Barbados demonstrate that reef limestones and eolianites can be emerged for 100,000 years or more, several hundred feet above the glacially lowered sea, without being dissolved away. The permeability of reef frameworks is the major reason for their durability under subaerial tro ical weathering. Although Pleistocene and older reefs were not eroded to sea level during glacial ages, the extensive drowned karst topography on them, as identified from Florida, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the Marshall Islands, probably has been a primary control in the post-glacial evolution of modern reef complexes. Reef growth probably was not suppressed, in the tropical Pacific at least, during glacial low sea levels. Recent calculations of the change in O18 isotopic composition of seawater by continental ice sheets minimize the effect attributable to cooling of the sea surface. The central Pacific was neither too cold nor too turbid for coral-reef development even during a full glacial age. Pelagic carbonate productivity in the equatorial Pacific actually increased during glacial ages, and it is likely that reefs flourished on the exposed flanks of emerged atolls. The steep flanks of reef-rimmed Pacific islands and atolls may provide evidence by which we can measure the true Pleistocene fluctuations of sea level, and thereby infer the amount of Quaternary warping of continental shel es. The concept that postglacial sea level higher than the present is necessary to cause modern reef morphology needs to be rigorously reexamined. Rather than being relict from a "10-ft stand of the sea" a few thousand years ago, modern reefs show every indication of being in dynamic equilibrium with the forces that now act on them. Modern reef-building organisms have reoccupied the weathered surfaces of reef limestones that have been exposed for nearly 100,000 years and have veneered the tops of ancient atolls or eolianite dune fields. As the postglacial rise of sea level has approached its present level, upward growth has slowed and reefs have expanded laterally to resharpen the precipitous upper slopes of eroded ancient platforms. Primary productivity by reef builders is generally adeq ate to keep pace with rising sea level but, at several localities, atolls were "drowned" and have not reached present sea level and may be in the process of being preserved. End_of_Article - Last_Page 836------------


The local specificity determinants for a T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TC-PTP) have been inspected with the aid of a series of synthetic peptides, either enzymically or chemically phosphorylated, derived from the phosphoacceptor sites of phosphotyrosyl proteins. The truncated form of T-cell PTP, deprived of its C-terminal down-regulatory domain, readily dephosphorylates submicromolar concentrations of eptapeptides to eicosapeptides, reproducing the C-terminal down-regulatory site of pp60c-src (Tyr527), the phosphorylated loop IV of calmodulin and the main autophosphorylation site of two protein tyrosine kinases of the src family (Tyr416 of pp60c-src and Tyr412 of p51fgr). However, phosphopeptides of similar size, derived from phosphoacceptor tyrosyl sites of the abl and epidermal-growth-factor receptor protein tyrosine kinases, the phosphorylated loop III of calmodulin, and phosphoangiotensin II undergo either very slow or undetectable dephosphorylation, even if tested up to 1 microM concentration. The replacement of either Ser-P or O-methylated phosphotyrosine for phosphotyrosine within suitable peptide substrates gives rise to totally inert derivatives. Moreover, amino acid substitutions around phosphotyrosine in the peptides src(412-418), src(414-418) and abl-(390-397) deeply influence the dephosphorylation efficiency. From these data and from a comparative analysis of efficient versus poor phosphopeptide substrates, it can be concluded that acidic residues located on the N-terminal side of phosphotyrosine, with special reference to position -3, play a crucial role in substrate recognition, while basic residues in the same positions act as negative determinants. In any event, the presence of at least two aminoacyl residues upstream of phosphotyrosine represents a necessary, albeit not sufficient, condition for detectable dephosphorylation to occur. By replacing the truncated form of TC-PTP with the full length TC-PTP, the dephosphorylation efficiencies of all peptides tested are dramatically impaired. Such an effect is invariably accounted for by a substantial increase in Km values, accompanied by a more or less pronounced decrease in Vmax values. These data support the concept that the C-terminal regulatory domain of TC-PTP exerts its function primarily by altering the affinity of the enzyme toward its phosphotyrosyl targets.


An analysis of feed circuits for a double-layered self-diplexing antenna for mobile satellite communications is presented. It is possible to reduce the weight of the diplexer for a self-diplexing antenna by getting large internal isolation between transmitting and receiving. The internal isolation is shown to be heavily dependent on the configuration and errors of the feed circuits of the antenna. The feed circuits of two- and four-point feeds for the antenna are discussed, using the cavity model of microstrip elements, and an error analysis of the feed circuit is carried out. >


Over the past half century scientific data support the strong relationship between the way a person or population lives and their risk for developing or dying from cardiovascular disease (CVD). While heredity can be a major factor for some people, their personal health habits and environmental/cultural exposure are more important factors. CVD is a multifactor process that is contributed to by a variety of biological and behavioral characteristics of the person including a number of well-established and emerging risk factors. Not smoking, being physically active, eating a heart healthy diet, staying reasonably lean, and avoiding major stress and depression are the major components of an effective CVD prevention program. For people at high risk of CVD, medications frequently need to be added to a healthy lifestyle to minimize their risk of a heart attack or stroke, particularly in persons with conditions such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or hyperglycemia. Maintaining an effective CVD prevention program in technologically advanced societies cannot be achieved by many high-risk persons without effective and sustained support from a well-organized health care system. Nurse-provided or nurse-coordinated care management programs using an integrated or multifactor approach have been highly effective in reducing CVD morbidity and mortality of high-risk persons.


For comparing distal and proximal techniques. To obtain saphenous nerve sensory response, 102 healthy subjects with mean age 43.1 years and mean Body Mass Index (BMI) 25.3 were studied. Both techniques performed by using surface electrodes. In distal technique recording site was anterior to medial malleolus and stimulator 14 cm proximal to it. In proximal technique stimulation performed on the medial aspect of the knee and response recorded from the leg, 14 cm distal to the cathode. In 204 studied nerves, response obtained in 145 nerves (71%) by distal technique, in 125 nerves (61%) by proximal technique and in 94 nerves (46%) by both techniques. In 176 nerves (86%) response obtained at least by one of two techniques. In men, response obtaining rate by proximal technique (90.5%) was higher than distal one (57%) (P < 0.0001) but in women this rate was 81% by distal technique and 41% by proximal technique (P < 0.0001). Distal technique was more successful than proximal in subjects with higher age (P < 0.05) and higher BMI (P < 0.001). In conclusion, for saphenous nerve conduction study in men, it is better to perform proximal technique primarily but in women distal technique is preferred. Performing the second technique when the first one is failed is suggested.


Background and Objective: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of metabolic factors. The prevalence of MetS are increasing worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of MetS in obese Saudi population. Methods: We analyzed 1526 obese participants who are equal to or older than 18 years old. All cases were from the population of the primary health at King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital. All data were collected by personal interview and on the basis of a review of electronic medical records. Physician and nurse interviewers measured and recorded weight (kg) and height (cm). Metabolic risk factors were defined using the 2006 International Diabetes Federation criteria that define elevated triglyceride (TG) as ≥150mg/dL (≥1.7mmol/L) and reduced high density lipoprotein (HDL) as <40mg/ dL (<1.03mmol/L) for male and as <50mg/dL (<1.29mmol/L) for female. Hypertension (HTN) was defined when the systolic blood pressure was ≥130 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure was ≥85mm Hg in addition to receiving any medication for hypertension. Abnormal glucose metabolism was considered when HbA1c (≥5.7) or when patients were known to have type 2 diabetes (T2DM). A combination of two or more of these risk factors was used to assess cut off values for BMI. Body mass index (BMI) values classified into groups as obese Grade I (BMI=30-34.9kg/m 2 ), obese Grade II (BMI=35.0-39.9kg/m 2 ) and morbidly obese (obese Grade III) (BMI ≥40kg/m 2 ). The total number of cohort were separated on basis of age values into 6 groups: <30 years, 30-39 years, 40-49 years, 50-59 years, 60-69 years and ≥70 years. Main results: Of the 1526 participants analyzed, 476 (30.6%) were male and 1059 (69.4%) were female. Age was 51.2±12.8 (minimum 18 years and maximum 105 years). MetS was present in 1060 cases (69.5%) where 328 (30.9%) were male and 732 (69.1%) were female with female to male ratio 2.2:1, P=0.7. Males were significantly older than females in MetS patients (55.0±12.4 vs. 53.0±12.3 respectively, p=0.01). BMI was significantly higher in females than males with MetS patients (36.5±6.0 vs. 34.3±3.7 respectively, p<0.0001). Female patients with MetS were significantly higher HDL and HbA1c>5.6 or T2DM. Patients with HTN were 18-fold to possess MetS (OR=18.5; 95% confidence interval [CI]=13.0, 26.5, or had been diagnosed with T2DM or having HbA1c>5.6 (OR=15.3; 95% CI=11.6, 20.1), (p<0.0001), have elevated plasma TG levels (OR=13.8; 95% CI=9.2, 20.7) and were also more likely to have low levels of HDL (OR=9.3; 95% CI=7.1, 12.1). HbA1c>5.6 or T2DM has the highest frequency among the MetS phenotypes 89.2%, p<0.0001. MetS prevalence is consistently statistically significant with increasing age until the sixth decade then starts to decline (p<0.0001). Moreover, higher prevalence is among age group 50-59 years of age in females. MetS prevalence was higher among BMI=30-34 group in all patients and both genders. Thus, the mean of BMI among MetS is statistically significant decreased with advanced age in total population and both gender. The mean of BMI among MetS is statistically significant negatively correlated with increasing with advanced age (r=-0.1, p<0.0001). Conclusion: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome among obese Saudis is relatively high. Old age and obesity can be regarded as related factors.


While distributed or collaborative design studios have a long pedigree (Donath 1999), there seldom arises the chance to test the limits of the concepts implied by the idea of the physically separated design team. The indigenous differences of culture, schedules and language accentuate this. The authors entered into an experimental design exercise that would seek to explore the range of dualities, which are often encumbered by such studios owing to their very nature. As an additional catalyst in the experiment, a design topic was chosen which reflected the nature of the studio thereby creating a Godelian knot of self-referentiality.


This paper deals with the problem of determining optimal control locations for large interconnected dynamic systems where a limited number of control inputs are available. Particular applications presented include the stabilization of power systems during a stability crisis and the translation of large flexible space structures. A problem formulation is introduced that defines optimal control locations for large interconnected dynamic systems. Optimality is based on the concept of minimizing the maximum stretching of all connecting members over a defined class of inputs. Several types of large interconnected dynamic systems having structures that reveal optimal control locations are introduced. For these types of systems, optimality of control locations is proven analytically. A procedure, based on these analytic insights, for determining optimal control locations for any interconnected system is proposed. The procedure determines optimal control locations immediately from the structure of the dynamic equations (i.e. it does not require the computation needed to solve differential equations).


The results of a study on the loss and recovery of hydrophobicity of RTV (room-temperature vulcanizing) silicone-rubber insulator coatings in a salt-fog chamber are reported. The results complement those previously reported on the ability of the coatings to suppress leakage current and insulator flashover. The temporary loss of hydrophobicity caused by dry-band arcing and the subsequent recovery are studied in depth. The gradual loss of hydrophobicity as determined from the leakage current and the contact-angle measurements is shown to be related to the physical changes to the coating brought about by dry-band arcing. >


The social welfare effects of legislatures in presidential systems, such as the U.S. Congress, are frequently lamented. In response, there are proposals to reform the separation of powers system by giving presidents control of the legislative agenda and weakening rules such as the filibuster. We provide a game-theoretic analysis of the policy and social welfare consequences of a more executive-centric system. Integrating standard assumptions about legislative and executive incentives into a dynamic model of decision-making with private investment, we show there are a variety of conditions under which stronger executives do not produce better outcomes. Moreover, we characterize how these conditions depend on factors such as the stability of the policymaking environment or investment fundamentals. Our findings are robust and consistent with empirical observations that U.S. policy outputs are not necessarily worse than those of nations with stronger executives, which more closely approximate prominent proposals by populist-oriented reformers.


Owing to the vast heterogeneity of the studies focused on the correlation between the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant and COVID-19, accurate comparisons of the specificity and sensitivity of samples and associated outcomes are still inconclusive. Moreover, limited information is available on the leading causes of infection and the factors that are associated with the conditions that underlie the spread of infection. ABSTRACT Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants continue to emerge during the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Contrasting studies on the omicron variant have demonstrated higher viral loads in different clinical specimens, which is consistent with its high transmissibility. We investigated the viral load in clinical specimens that were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 wild-type, delta, and omicron variants, and we analyzed the diagnostic accuracy of upper and lower respiratory specimens for these variants. We performed nested reverse transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), targeting the spike gene and sequencing for variant classification. RT-PCR was performed using upper and lower respiratory specimens, including saliva from 78 COVID-19 patients (wild-type, delta, and omicron variants). A comparison of the sensitivity and specificity, using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values from the N gene, showed that the omicron variant saliva samples had a higher sensitivity (AUC = 1.000) than did the delta (AUC = 0.875) and the wild-type (AUC = 0.878) variant samples. The sensitivity of the omicron saliva samples was greater than that of the wild-type nasopharynx and sputum samples (P < 0.001). The viral loads of the saliva samples containing the wild-type, delta, and omicron variants were 8.18 × 105, 2.77 × 106, and 5.69 × 105, respectively, which did not differ significantly (P = 0.610). Statistically significant differences were not observed in the saliva viral loads between vaccinated and nonvaccinated patients who were infected with the omicron variant (P = 0.120). In conclusion, omicron saliva samples had higher sensitivity than did wild-type and delta samples, and the viral load did not significantly differ between vaccinated and nonvaccinated patients. Further research is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the sensitivity differences. IMPORTANCE Owing to the vast heterogeneity of the studies focused on the correlation between the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant and COVID-19, accurate comparisons of the specificity and sensitivity of samples and associated outcomes are still inconclusive. Moreover, limited information is available on the leading causes of infection and the factors that are associated with the conditions that underlie the spread of infection. Although several studies have contributed important knowledge regarding infectious specimens, the impact of saliva samples remains unknown. This study showed that the sensitivity of the omicron variant saliva samples was higher than that of the wild-type nasopharyngeal and sputum samples. Moreover, neither vaccinated nor nonvaccinated patients who were infected with the omicron variant showed any significant differences in SARS-CoV-2 viral loads. Hence, this study is an important step toward understanding how saliva sample results are correlated with other specimen results, regardless of the vaccination status of patients who are infected with the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant.


We introduce Guava, a dialect of Java whose rules statically guarantee that parallel threads access shared data only through synchronized methods. Our dialect distinguishes three categories of classes: (1) monitors, which may be referenced from multiple threads, but whose methods are accessed serially; (2) values, which cannot be referenced and therefore are never shared; and (3) objects, which can have multiple references but only from within one thread, and therefore do not need to be synchronized. Guava circumvents the problems associated with today's Java memory model, which must define behavior when concurrent threads access shared memory without synchronization.We present an overview of the syntax and the semantic rules of Guava. We discuss how implementations of Guava can exploit these rules to re-enable compiler optimizations inhibited by standard Java. We discuss how compilers for certain multiprocessor architectures can automatically generate certain programming idioms, such as double-check reads, as optimizations of serialized monitors.


The essentials of nonlife insurance pricing are based on the same fundamental principles as applied in pricing life insurance. However, distinct characteristics of nonlife risks (e.g., shorter contract duration, more complicated claim structure, and the possibility of multiple occurrences of an event within the contract period) have inspired development of actuarial/financial pricing techniques specific to nonlife risk area, where insurers cope with a more regulated yet highly competitive market. This article serves as a brief introduction to various aspects of nonlife insurance pricing. Manual rates, individual risk rating, and classification are first introduced. Credibility theory and its use in determining rates for individual risks are discussed. Important premium principles and properties of these premium principles are also presented. In addition to traditional actuarial approaches, we ultimately discuss financial models that are widely employed in this area, including insurance capital asset pricing models (CAPMs), discounted cash flow models, and option pricing models. We conclude with a remark on the integration of insurance and financial pricing.

Keywords:

nonlife insurance pricing;
premium principles;
credibility theory;
distortion function;
financial pricing;
manual rates;
insurance CAPM


Hard sphere systems in two dimensions are examined for arbitrary density. Simulation results are compared to the theoretical predictions for both the low- and the high-density limit, where the system is either disordered or ordered, respectively. The pressure in the system increases with the density, except for an intermediate range of volume fractions 0.65< or =nu< or =0.75, where a disorder-order phase transition occurs. The proposed global equation of state (which describes the pressure for all densities) is applied to the situation of an extremely dense hard sphere gas in a gravitational field and shows reasonable agreement with both experimental and numerical data.


This article develops a model of air traffic flow using an Eulerian description with hyperbolic partial differential equations. Existence and uniqueness (well-posedness) of a solution to the system of partial differential equations on a network is established. Subsequently, an optimal control problem is studied with the junction coefficients as control variables. We use a continuous adjoint approach and we implement it on a network with 16 links and 5 junctions, demonstrating the computational efficiency of this method


Many applications benefit from using converters which can operate at high temperatures among them; down-hole drilling, hybrid vehicles and space craft. The theoretical performance of transistors made of Silicon Carbide (SiC) is investigated in this work. It is shown that their properties at high temperatures are superior compared to Silicon (Si) devices. Two half-bridge converters, using SiC normally-off Junction Field Effect Transistors (JFET) and SiC Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJT), are designed and tested to verify the performance of SiC devices. The challenges which arise when replacing slow switching Si devices with extremely fast SiC transistors are thoroughly discussed. To fully utilize the properties of SiC transistors, the converter designer must pay extra attention to the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) layout and component selection. For best device performance, all parasitics should be kept at a minimum. A high value of the Schottky diode capacitance results in voltage and current ringings, thus more ElectroMagnetic Interference (EMI) and switching energy loss. It is recommended selecting a Schottky diode with low junction capacitance as the freewheeling diode of the converter. Simulations and measurements show that the SiC transistors require special gate driving circuits to perform at their best. It is recommended to use a two-stage driver with high capability of charging and sinking gate/base currents. The JFET driver should also have a bipolar output to provide high noise immunity. The JFET is classified as a unipolar device; however the nature of the gate-source structure, which is a pn-junction, gives the device some bipolar characteristics. The gate structure is similar to BJT. To obtain a low on-state resistance some continuous gate current has to be provided. This is more pronounced at high temperatures. An analog control board, for operating the half-bridge as a step down converter, is designed and implemented. The controller uses current mode control to obtain a constant output voltage. Slope compensation is included to ensure stable operation at high duty-cycles. This makes the converter able to operate stably for a wide range of input voltages. The step down converter shows excellent performance during stationary operations and the ripple voltage is within its limit. When operating at high ambient temperatures it is important to have small transistor losses to minimize the self-heating of devices. The losses of a three phase inverter are calculated based on the measured conduction and switching losses of the SiC transistors. The calculations show that both inverters, based on BJTs and JFETs, are able to operate with very high efficiency even at high temperatures. High temperature characterization of the devices shows that their dynamic behavior, i.e. switching losses and switching times, are almost unaffected by temperature changes. The transistors, tested in this work, are suited to operate at ambient temperatures up to 150 ˚C. This is imposed by the conventional device packaging. Higher operating temperatures are achievable by using different packaging technologies, i.e. metal packaging advanced soldering methods.


ABSTRACT Intense classical strain improvement has yielded industrial Penicillium chrysogenum strains that produce high titers of penicillin. These strains contain multiple copies of the penicillin biosynthesis cluster encoding the three key enzymes: δ-(l-α-aminoadipyl)-l-cysteinyl-d-valine synthetase (ACVS), isopenicillin N synthase (IPNS), and isopenicillin N acyltransferase (IAT). The phenylacetic acid coenzyme A (CoA) ligase (PCL) gene encoding the enzyme responsible for the activation of the side chain precursor phenylacetic acid is localized elsewhere in the genome in a single copy. Since the protein level of IAT already saturates at low cluster copy numbers, IAT might catalyze a limiting step in high-yielding strains. Here, we show that penicillin production in high-yielding strains can be further improved by the overexpression of IAT while at very high levels of IAT the precursor 6-aminopenicillic acid (6-APA) accumulates. Overproduction of PCL only marginally stimulates penicillin production. These data demonstrate that in high-yielding strains IAT is the limiting factor and that this limitation can be alleviated by a balanced overproduction of this enzyme.


Mobile users spend an extensive amount of time on typing. A more efficient text input instrument brings a significant enhancement of user experience. Deep learning techniques have been recently applied to suggesting the next words of input, but to achieve more accurate predictions, these models should be customized for individual users. Personalization is often at the expense of privacy concerns. Existing solutions require users to upload the historical logs of their input text to the cloud so that a deep learning predictor can be trained. In this work, we propose a novel approach, called DeepType, to personalize text input with better privacy. The basic idea is intuitive: training deep learning predictors on the device instead of on the cloud, so that the model makes personalized and private data never leaves the device to externals. With DeepType, a global model is first trained on the cloud using massive public corpora, and our personalization is done by incrementally customizing the global model with data on individual devices. We further propose a set of techniques that effectively reduce the computation cost of training deep learning models on mobile devices at the cost of negligible accuracy loss. Experiments using real-world text input from millions of users demonstrate that DeepType significantly improves the input efficiency for individual users, and its incurred computation and energy costs are within the performance and battery restrictions of typical COTS mobile devices.


Objective: Cationic antiseptics, such as polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) and chlorhexidine digluconate (CHG), are widely used for the topical treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis. The aim of this study was to investigate the corneal penetration of PHMB and CHG topically administered as eye drops and to study the effect of PHMB and CHG on the epithelial barrier function. Methods: The penetration was evaluated in vitro in rabbit corneas clamped in artificial perfusion chambers. Two different preparations of PHMB 0.02% (Cosmocil and Lavasept) and CHG 0.02% eye drops were administered twice each hour for up to 8 hours to the rabbit corneas with and without epithelium. The amount of drug penetrating into the anterior chamber was measured using capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection. The integrity of the epithelial barrier function was evaluated by adding fluorescein to the PHMB or CHG eye drops. The fluorescence of the anterior chamber perfusate was measured continuously throughout the experiment. Corneas treated with fluorescein alone (in either NaCl 0.9% or benzalkoniumchloride (BAC) eye drops) served as controls. Results: Neither PHMB nor CHG were detectable at any time in the anterior chamber perfusate of either the corneas with or without epithelium. PHMB and CHG treatment resulted in a minimal increase of fluorescein penetration as compared to the controls treated with 0.9% NaCl/0.05% fluorescein eye drops indicating a slight disruption of the epithelial barrier function caused by the biguanides. In contrast fluorescein penetration was much further enhanced when BAC 0.01% control eye drops were administered. Conclusion: This study showed that neither PHMB nor CHG readily penetrated through the cornea to the anterior chamber, which may explain why treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis requires many months of sustained topical drug administration. PHMB and CHG had little effect on the epithelial barrier function compared to BAC, which is widely used as a preservative in eye drops.


A reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee has been devised on the anatomical principle of an intra-articular flap taken from the middle third of the patellar tendon and based on the sub-patellar fat pad. Fifty knees have been treated and assessed after a follow-up of two to four years to provide a critical analysis of the method. The technique of the operation is described in detail in relation to the isometric reconstruction of the course of the anterior cruciate ligament. With a mean follow-up of 33 months (minimum 24 and maximum 48 months), 98 per cent of the patients had a good result as regards stability together with a good anatomical result, with complete or almost complete elimination of the anterior drawer sign and the jerk test in 96 per cent. The subjective result described by the patient was good in 92 per cent but only 54 per cent returned to the same sporting activity. The main problem encountered with this method was loss of 10 degrees of extension in 40 per cent of patients and loss of more than 10 degrees in 22 per cent. This loss of extension arose on the one hand from an impingement of the fatty pedicle in a narrow intercondylar notch and on the other from an associated postero-lateral laxity which resulted in an intra-articular transplant which was too short despite its anatomical attachments. The pedicled transplant has not given better results than free transplants and has given rise to additional iatrogenic problems even with a meticulous operative technique.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The study focused on the effect of pre-contracting procurement practices on the supply chain performance of road authorities in Kakamega County, Kenya. Implementing and adopting the procurement Contracting practices in public institutions have continuously faced challenges due to their complexity and lack of resources, which directly impact supply chain performance. Institutions are operating in a competitive business environment with many players, and massive changes are taking place daily to improve their performance. The key to optimal performance is understanding the contributions of pre-contracting procurement practices. The study covered three road authorities with regional offices in Kakamega County: Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA), Kenya Urban Road Authority (KURA), and Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA). The study adopted system theory. The study employed the causal research method to explain the causes and effects of the variables. The target population was 48 respondents, comprised of supply chain officers, road officers, and account officers on the road authorities. A census method was employed in the study. Structured questionnaires were used as data collection instruments. Pilot testing was conducted in Vihiga County. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The data was presented using tables and figures. A Likert scale was used to determine how strongly variables agreed or disagreed with statements on a five-point scale. Regression analysis shows that pre-contracting procurement practice had no significant effect on supply chain performance in the road authorities of Kakamega County, Kenya (t = 0.605, P > 0.05). This means that road authorities in Kakamega County that effectively implement pre-contracting procurement practices are more likely to have high-performance supply chains. The findings of this objective indicated that pre-contracting had P 0.05 and contributed to 0.8% of the changes in supply chain performance. Therefore, according to the study, the institutions need to re-examine their procurement practices so as to capitalize on areas that improve supply chain performance.


Food-borne diseases remain one of the most widespread public health problems in the contemporary world and an important cause of reduced economic productivity despite progress in food science and technology. Throughout the world, hundred of millions of people suffer from communicable diseases caused by contaminated food and water. The problem is more acute in developing countries, where there are an increased number of vulnerable people such as immunocompromised and/or undernourished individuals. Salmonella infections in humans are the primary cause of food-borne disease, resulting in considerable morbidity and occasionally death (1). Serotyping is a useful epidemiological tool to detect outbreaks and emergence of a new serotype (3). Between 29 March and 9 May 2000, the Senegalese National Salmonella and Shigella Reference Laboratory at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar received five Salmonella strains for serotyping and determination of antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. The first strain was isolated from poultry on 29 March 2000, and the remaining four strains were isolated from human samples. The first human strain was isolated on 30 March 2000 from a blood sample, and the other strains were isolated from stool samples from three patients admitted to the hospital during April and May 2000. All patients were from the same ward.

Determination of somatic and flagellar antigens was performed by the agglutination method with commercial antiserum (Bio-Rad-Pasteur, Paris, France). The strains belonged to group C of the Kauffmann-White scheme, and the definite antigenic formula was established by the French National Salmonella and Shigella Reference Laboratory at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. The antigenic formula of all five of these strains was 35:c:1,2; this serotype has never before been described (11). Confirmation of this new antigenic formula was done later by the Hamburg National Reference Center in Germany and the National Salmonella Reference Laboratory at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done by a disk diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar prepared according to the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards guidelines (9). Based on the disk diffusion method, the strains were resistant to the penicillin and cephalosporin classes of antibiotics. Additionally, these isolates were resistant to gentamicin, tobramycin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline and remained susceptible to quinolones (pefloxacin, norfloxacin, and nalidixic acid) and amikacin. The MIC of cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and aztreonam was determined by the agar dilution method (10) to be >128 μg/ml. Based on the double-disk synergy test (6) performed with cefotaxime, ceftazidime, aztreonam, and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, all strains showed synergy between amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and expanded-spectrum cephalosporins.

Analytical isoelectric focusing (IEP) of crude extracts (8) demonstrated the production of SHV-12 (IEP = 8.2), an extended-spectrum lactamase responsible for high-level expanded-spectrum cephalosporin-hydrolyzing activity. SHV-specific PCR followed by sequencing (7) confirmed this result. This is the first report of SHV-12 in Salmonella.

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are rarely associated with the genus Salmonella. Multiresistant Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium of definitive phage type (DT) 104 with chromosomal integration of the genes coding for resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfonamides, and tetracycline has been previously described (12). In Africa, the first Salmonella strains with ESBLs were identified in 1988 in Tunisia and belonged to serotype Wien (4). In Senegal, the first multiresistant Salmonella strains with ESBL activity belonged to serotype Kentucky and were identified only in a human sample (5).

All the strains seem to be epidemiologically related; however, an investigation has failed to prove any relationship between the animal and human isolates. Nosocomial transmission is not probable since isolation of the strains from each patient was done within the 48 h following admission to the hospital.

How has this multiresistant strain emerged? The extensive use of antimicrobial agents as feed additives for farm animals and in the control and treatment of Salmonella infection has been suggested as a predisposing factor in the evolution of multiresistant strains (2). In Senegal, antibiotics are used extensively in the poultry industry to reduce mortality and to increase the body weight of the animals. In most of these artisan or familial farms, there is a drastic absence of adherence to measures of good farming practice and good manufacturing practice during production and processing. Contrary to practices in developed countries, a decontamination step for eliminating pathogenic microorganisms from meat has not been considered in Senegal. Additionally, poultry products are served at street food stalls or in fast-food restaurants where food processors are not always aware of food safety rules. This is the first isolation of this Salmonella serotype from animals in Senegal. There is a potential threat for the transmission of this multiresistant, ESBL-producing strain via the food chain to humans.


ABSTRACT In recent years, the development of online health-consultation platforms has drawn significant research attention to online patient–doctor relationship development, particularly in developing countries, where there are limited health care resources for each patient. However, online interactional unfairness in patient–doctor relationship development has been largely overlooked in the context of information and communication technology (ICT). This study proposes and tests a model that examines how online interactional unfairness (ie, interpersonal unfairness and informational unfairness) influences online patient–doctor relationship quality and the contingent roles of a doctor's professional seniority and a patient's disease severity. Using archival data with 83,553 observations from a leading online health-consultation platform in China, this study employed rare-event logistic regression to test the model. The results show that online interpersonal unfairness and online informational unfairness have negative and positive effects on relationship-quality incentive, respectively, in the Chinese health care context and that a doctor's professional seniority and a patient's disease severity strengthen the link between unfairness perceptions and relationship-quality incentive. This study advances the knowledge of online patient–doctor relationship development in ICT-based health care in China and provides practical insights for online health care stakeholders for managing unfairness in the health care context.


Background Isolated CHB is a rare condition (1 case in every 15,000 to 20,000 live births) affecting otherwise structurally normal fetal heart. Most of the mothers of affected children are asymptomatic during the pregnancy, but it has been confirmed that there is a firm association with rheumatic diseases (e.g. SLE or Sjögren's syndrome), and especially anti-SSA/Ro or anti-SSB/La antibodies which are necessary for making a neonatal lupus syndrome diagnosis. These cross the placenta and affect fetal tissues producing rash, cytopenias or liver disorders. The complete heart block is the only irreversible complication. Methods We evaluated data from population based Croatian congenital heart disease registry. Data were collected from four major tertiary centers in a five year period Results There were 205,051 live births in Croatia, 1,480 of which were patients diagnosed with congenital heart disease, accounting for 0.72% of the live-born children. An overall incidence of 1% of isolated heart blocks among all of the CHDs (overall 3-4 cases per year). Out of these, 30% (5 patients) are born to mothers that suffer from some kind of an autoimmune rheumatic disease. Mothers had been mostly asymptomatic or suffered occasionaly from photosensitive rashes, arthralgias or elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rates. Four of them were diagnosed with a rheumatic disease within a short period of time following the pregnancy (two SLE,one with mixed connective tissue disease and one with leucocytoclastic vascultis). Only one of them had elevated SSA/Ro or anti-SSB/La antibodies. In children initial symptom was bradycardia with subsequent ecohcardiography showing no structural anomalies. The patients (oldest 6 years old) still don't require PM implantation. One of them developed subsequent restrictive cardiomyopathy (whose mother was treated with dexamethasone at 32 wk of gestation) at the age of 4 months. Conclusions Complete isolated congenital heart block is an extremely rare entity. Still, it is of great importance due to a high mortality rate (up to 30%). Therefore, it is mandatory to elucidate its pathogensis and link to maternal rheumatic diseases. The term, neonatal lupus syndrome is commonly used, but there are still no clear-cut criteria pertaining to it. The name of the syndrome itself doesn't reflect the true nature of the disorder either. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


Plants have been used by people from prehistoric times to get rid of suffering and curing ailments. Plants are of the important sources of medicine and a large numbers of drugs in use are derived from plants. Yarrow, a member of the aster family, is closely related to chrysanthemums and chamomile. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) was named after Achilles, the Greek mythical figure who used it to stop the bleeding wounds of his soldiers. Decoctions have been used to treat inflammations, such as hemorrhoids, and headaches. Yarrow contains flavonoids (plant-based chemicals) that increase saliva and stomach acid, helping to improve digestion. Phenolic acids such as caffeic acid and salicylic acid are components of the bioactive compounds present in Achillea millefolium that have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. This study was designed to assess the fertility and anti-bacterial activity of Yarrow methanolic extract through in vivo (albino male mice) and in vitro (antibacterial activity) studies. Results indicated that higher doses of plant increased sperm head abnormality and this lead to decrease fertility in addition to that antibacterial activity was dose dependant manner. Conclusions: Yarrow contains flavonoids and other chemical constituents which have these effects.


The accumulation of divergent histone H4 amino acid sequences within and between ciliate lineages challenges traditional views of the evolution of this essential eukaryotic protein. We analyzed histone H4 sequences from 13 species of ciliates and compared these data with sequences from well-sampled eukaryotic clades. Ciliate histone H4s differ from one another at as many as 46% of their amino acids, in contrast with the highly conserved character of this protein in most other eukaryotes. Equally striking, we find paralogs of histone H4 within ciliate genomes that differ by up to 25% of their amino acids, whereas paralogs in other eukaryotes share identical or nearly identical amino acid sequences. Moreover, the most divergent H4 proteins within ciliates are found in the lineages with highly processed macronuclear genomes. Our analyses demonstrate that the dual nature of ciliate genomes-the presence of a "germline" micronucleus and a "somatic" macronucleus within each cell-allowed the dramatic variation in ciliate histone genes by altering functional constraints or enabling adaptive evolution of the histone H4 protein, or both.


Residence time is defined as the time taken for a material in a system to leave the system. The residence time characteristics in shellfish aquaculture determine the dispersion of excretion from aquaculture farms, along with the supply of food by seawater exchange. In this study, we estimated the spatial distribution of average residence time in the shellfish farming area using a particle tracking model. As a result, a relatively short average residence time of about 20 days or less was calculated in most areas, but an average residence time of more than 40 days was calculated in the inner areas. Relatively long average residence times were calculated along the west coast compared to the east coast, with the longest average residence time of more than 50 days in the northwestern areas. It can be inferred that the disturbance of the benthic ecosystem caused by shellfish farms is likely to be large because of the relatively weak dispersion of excrement from shellfish farms located on the west coast, especially in the northwest region. This distribution of average residence time is important for understanding the potential effects of seawater exchange on the environmental sustainability of shellfish farms, along with the seawater circulation characteristics of Jaran Bay.


Adenomatoid odontogenic tumour (AOT) is a benign non-invasive odontogenic tumour, having mostly a slow and sustained growth pattern. AOT is an uncommon lesion of odontogenic origin, which affects young individuals, with a female predilection and mostly occurring in the second decade. In the literature, it has been considered as a hamartoma rather than a true neoplasm because of its limited size, minimal growth potential and the lack of recurrence. We present an extrafollicular central variant of AOT with a occurrence rate of 30%, adjacent to the incisors.


The aim of this study is to analyse the results of the intrahepatic cholangiojejunostomy in the duct of segment III for malignant hilar obstruction performed in a group of 17 consecutive patients. An index for life quality, named comfort index, allowing the numeric comparison of the results was evaluated. An important reduction of the jaundice in 100% of the cases that were discharged from the hospital was observed. The hospital mortality was 11.8% with a comfort index of 81.9%. These results allow the following conclusions: 1) the employed technique represent an effective method for the solution of the cholestasis caused by unresectable tumors of the hepatic hilus; 2) the comfort index of 81.9% showed that the method is suitable as a palliative treatment of malignant hilar biliary obstruction.


A 3-year-old female Pinscher dog was presented with a history of lameness and pain in hind limbs for one week which acutely progressed to non-ambulatory paraparesis. The dog had been apathetic and anorexic during the six days prior to presentation. The neurological findings were compatible with upper motor neuron signs to the left hind limb due to a spinal cord compressive mass on the twelfth thoracic vertebral body. On the other hand, signs of lower motor neurons to the right hind limb were due to a mass with a pathological fracture in the right proximal femur, compressing the sciatic nerve. A histopathological analysis of all organs revealed the proliferation of endothelial cells showing infiltrative growth and organization into vascular structures with a solid pattern. In addition, immunohistochemycal analysis revealed low proliferation index and citoplasmatic positivity for CD-31, confirming the vascular nature of the neoplasm. Clinical, histopathological and immunophenotipical findings were consistent with hemangiosarcoma.


A protracted period of low interest rate threatens the
stability of the life insurance industry, especially in the
countries, where life insurance with comparatively high
guaranteed returns disposed in the past represents a major
portion of the total portfolio. The aim of this paper is to
provide an introduction to evaluation of the effects of the
actual low interest rate period on the balance sheet of a
representative life insurance company. Firstly the balance
sheet of insurance companies is introduced. We show the
valuation of the assets and liabilities. Then the Solvency
Capital Requirement and risk margin is defined. Finally the
solvency situation of insurers is valuated.


Micro RNA-21 (miR-21), an evolutionary conserved micro RNA has been implicated in the pathogenesis of restenosis, myocardial infarction and heart failure. However, little is known about the role of miR-21 in atherosclerosis. Our data show that in vitro, LDL, oxidized LDL, acetylated LDL and LPS induced miR-21 by 2-3-fold (P<0.05) and down regulated its target protein PDCD4 in bone marrow derived macrophages (BMDM). Feeding the LDL receptor-knockout (LDLR-KO) mice with western diet (WD, 8-20 weeks) increased the abundance of miR-21 in BMDM by 1.5-fold (P<0.05). Basally, BMDM isolated from miR-21-KO mice showed induction of TNF alpha, interferon gamma, M-CSF, RANTES, IP10 and LIF by (1.5-3.0-fold); increased early and late apoptosis (2-3-fold, P<0.05); and induced PDCD4 and PTEN. We also observed 40% decrease in the survival of F4/80+ cells during differentiation of bone marrow derived cells isolated from miR-21-KO mice. Stimulation of miR-21-KO BMDM with interferon gamma+LPS polarized the macrophages to pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype (increased expression of CD11c and CD86) and decreased IL-10 formation as compared with WT BMDM. Staurosporin and oxidized lipids derived aldehyde 4-hydroxynonenal significantly increased both early and late apoptosis of miR-21-KO BMDM (2-4-fold, P<0.05). This was accompanied by increased cleavage of caspase 3. Characterization of miR-21-KO mice showed 30% decrease in white blood cells and neutrophils in KO mice. However, levels of circulating immune cells and common progenitor cells in bone marrow of miR-21-KO mice were comparable with wild type mice. Transplantation of bone marrow cells from miR-21-KO into LDLR-KO mice, followed by 12 weeks of WD increased the lesion formation (1.7-fold, P<0.05), apoptosis (3-fold, P<0.05) and necrosis (1.6-fold, P<0.05) in the aortic valve of the chimeric mice. This was accompanied by increased accumulation of macrophages in the non-necrotic areas of the lesion and decrease in lesional smooth muscle cells. Plasma cholesterol levels, and lesional collagen and T-cell levels in the miR-21 chimeric mice were comparable with wild type chimeric mice. Collectively, these data suggest that miR-21 prevents atherosclerosis by inhibiting macrophage apoptosis, necrosis and inflammation.


Background: Adolescence may be accompanied by abnormalities in menstrual cycles that result in a higher incidence of sleep problems and related psychological disorders. Dietary factors can intensify or improve sleep problems. This study aimed to evaluate the association between sleep problems and habitual dietary patterns among Iranian adolescent girls. Methods: This study was conducted in cities of Mashhad and Sabzevar, northeastern Iran. A total of 752 adolescent girls aged 12-18 years were recruited from several schools by using a random cluster sampling method. A valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to obtain the dietary intakes of the girls. Validated Iranian versions of the questionnaires were used to assess insomnia and daytime sleepiness prevalences. Results: Three major dietary patterns were identified based on the principal component analysis (PCA), including healthy, western, and traditional dietary patterns. No significant associations were found between the quartiles of healthy (OR: 1; 95% CI 0.62-1.59, P trend = 0.75), western (OR: 1.3; 95% CI 0.8-2.10, Ptrend = 0.16) or traditional (OR: 0.62; 95% CI 0.69-1.82, Ptrend = 0.64) dietary patterns and sleep insomnia. In addition, there were no significant relationships between the quartiles of  healthy (OR: 0.85; 95% CI 0.54-1.69, P trend = 0.84), western (OR: 0.81; 95% CI 0.49-1.32, Ptrend = 0.55) or traditional (OR: 1.07; 95% CI 0.66-1.74, Ptrend = 0.9) dietary patterns and daytime sleepiness. Conclusions: No significant association was observed between dietary patterns and insomnia or daytime sleepiness among adolescent girl participants.


A cascadable arithmetic and logic unit (ALU) which is con figurable in function and interconnection. No decoding of commands is needed during execution of the algorithm. The ALU can be reconfigured at run time without any effect on Surrounding ALUs, processing units or data streams. The Volume of configuration data is very Small, which has positive effects on the space required and the configuration speed. Broadcasting is Supported through the internal bus systems in order to distribute large volumes of data rapidly and effi ciently. The ALU is equipped with a power-saving mode to shut down power consumption completely. There is also a clock rate divider which makes it possible to operate the ALU at a slower clock rate. Special mechanisms are available for feedback on the internal states to the external controllers.


Helicobacter pylori is often found under the mucosa (over the gastric mucosa) and between mucosal layer and apical surface of mucosal epithelium. It produces urease enzyme which produces ammonium and carbon dioxide to cause reduction in pH of stomach, which has some effects on bacterial colonization and chemotaxis of neutrophils, monocytes and platelet activator factors and it starts an inflammatory reaction. Secreted proteases and phospholipases of this bacillus cause endodermal ulcer without any evident reason. On the basis of hypothesis, there is a probable association between helicobacter pylori and epithelial lesions of gastrointestinal tract such as appendicitis and anal fissure which both have an inflammatory process. The present cross-sectional study, which aimed to assess this association, was conducted on 98 patients with anal fissure admitted to surgery ward of Rasoul-e-Akram Hospital during 2003. Patients' mean age was 38.14(SD=13.92) years. A blood sample was taken from patients before surgery for serology test and a biopsy sample from anal fissure for histopathologic assessment during surgery. Data were analyzed by SPSS 11.5 software. Results of serologic tests for anti helicobacter pylori antibody were negative in 42.9% while it was positive in 57.1%. All the biopsies were negative for the presence of helicobacter pylori. There was a significant difference(P=0.012) between recurrence rates in seropositive cases with (0.5 times SD=0.5) and seronegative cases(0.33 times with SD=0.75). In this study, helicobacter pylori was not detected in any of specimens; therefore, it is thought that helicobacter pylori does not have any direct role in the pathogenesis of anal fissure.


Domain inversion in was obtained by proton-exchange and heat treatment. The calculation of the internal electric field resulting from the proton concentration gradient was performed, the result of which can explain well our four-layered domain structure.


Abstract : United States military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrate that adversaries are likely to persist in seeking advantage through asymmetric warfare. Within this context, emerging doctrine on Network Centric Warfare (NCW) and Effects Based Operations (EBO) must realistically apply to the U.S. Army, and more specifically, to Combat Service Support (CSS) leaders on the battlefield. In light of emerging doctrine, this monograph proposes necessary adaptations to force protection for Distribution-Based Logistics (DBL) under conditions of asymmetric warfare. Building on experience from Vietnam and contemporary operations in Iraq, this study examines the anticipated impact of the Joint Operational Environment (JOE) on CSS operations, including the key issue of tactical distribution. Among its conclusions, this study argues that the Army must insure that CSS leaders in the field have the ability to gain the required situational awareness to support and sustain the tactical commander's force momentum. In addition, the author argues that a transforming Army must balance efficiency and effectiveness to assure CSS units the necessary resources for mission accomplishment on the future asymmetric battlefield.


The present study was undertaken to assess the impact of nutrition education on the dietary behaviour and the haemoglobin status of the rural adolescent girls. The study was conducted on the 60 (sixty) anaemic rural adolescent girls aged between 13-16 years studying in the rural government senior secondary schools of Moga district of Punjab state. A pre-tested interview schedule was used to collect the relevant information. Part I of the interview schedule comprised questions regarding general information on type of family, family size, occupation, age, educational level and income of the family. Part II of the interview schedule comprised questions regarding the dietary pattern and general health and hygiene practices followed by the adolescents. Nutritional status of the adolescent girls was assessed by anthropometric parameters (Height and weight), clinical examinations, hemoglobin status and dietary survey. After collecting the above said pre-requisite information, the sample (n = 60) was further divided into two groups namely intervention and control group (n = 30). For the experimental group, nutrition education intervention was given fortnightly for a period of three months. The nutrition education strategy was aimed at motivating adolescent girls to understand their nutritional vulnerability and to improve their diets to benefit their health and well being. The control group was not exposed to any formal nutrition education. After the three months intervention programme, part-II of the interview schedule was again administered to collect the relevant information. Nutritional status of the both intervention and control groups was also assessed. Data collected was analyzed by applying frequency, percentages, Chi-square and ttest. The results revealed that the nutrition education intervention proved to be successful in changing the attitude and dietary behaviour of the rural girls. Significant improvement was observed in the dietary pattern of the girls. Significant increase in weight gain (2.4 kg) was observed in the intervention group. A marked increase in the height and haemoglobin of the intervention group was also observed but was statistically non-significant. However, the change was towards the increasing trend. Hence, from the study it could be concluded that nutrition education is one of the appropriate effective and sustainable approach to combat iron deficiency anaemia.


My final aim in this paper is to show that Descartes is not guilty, as is so often maintained, of circular argumentation in the Meditations. But first it is important to uncover and remove certain tenacious misconceptions and confusions concerning what goes on in the Meditations which lend credence to the charge of circular argumentation. In this connection Mr. Harry Frankfurt's recent article, "Memory and the Cartesian Circle," is peculiarly instructive; for it presents not only a completely untenable defence of Descartes but one that, implicitly at least, rests on the very misconceptions that give substance to the notion of a Cartesian Circle. With the intention, then, of clearing the ground for the construction of my own defence of Descartes, I shall spend the first part of this paper examining Frankfurt's central thesis, the errors contained in it, and their sources. This thesis is contained in his statement, which I shall henceforth designate by the letter "J," "Descartes did not attempt to justify present clear and distinct perceptions."


A nitrogen starvation trial was performed using nitrogen-free Yamazaki Solution. A solution culture trial using 100, 95, 90, 85, and 80% full nitrogen strength Yamazaki Solution and a pot trial at nitrogen rates of 0.60 (N1), 0.55 (N2), 0.50 (N3), 0.45 (N4), and 0.40 (N5) g N kg −1 soil were performed to investigate the balance between low nitrate content and quality fresh yield of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). The results showed that vacuolar nitrate activity was much higher than cytoplasmic nitrate activity. As exposure increased from day 1 to day 5 in the nitrogen starvation trial, vacuolar nitrate activity decreased rapidly, in contrast to cytoplasmic nitrate activity, which remained stable and the ratios of root biomass and shoot biomass increased. With a decline in the nitrogen supply, the biomass and nitrate content decreased significantly. Therefore, a balance between low nitrate content and quality fresh yield can be achieved by reducing the normal level of nitrogen fertilizer by 10%. © 2018 Friends Science Publishers


This paper deals with the sources of total factor productivity (TFP), namely technical efficiency, scale efficiency, and technological change, considering the size of agricultural producers and using balanced panel data in the period 2014–2018 drawn from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) database for three sectors of Czech agriculture – cereals, milk, and beef. The investigation is based on the stochastic frontier (SF) modelling of an input distance function (IDF) with four error components (heterogeneity, statistical noise, persistent and transient inefficiency). The sector-specific models are estimated by a four-step estimating procedure with a system generalised method of moments (GMM) estimator to address the endogeneity problem. The results reveal inter- and intra-sectoral differences in productivity drivers. In particular, the smallest producers lag considerably behind the largest ones due to the scale effect (SEC). While large farms should focus on technological change, improvements in scale and technical efficiency have been identified as the main sources of coping with productivity losses for small farmers.


A continuous counterpart of the spatial images technique is proposed for the computation of the multilayered boxed Green's functions and their derivatives. The method employs a set of auxiliary linear distribution of sources to effectively impose the potential boundary conditions along the whole cavity contour. The imposition of these boundary conditions leads to a set of integral equations (IEs), on the unknown distributions of the auxiliary sources, which are solved by applying a method of moments approach. A convergence/efficiency study, related to the test and basis functions choice, is then presented and discussed. The technique is combined with the use of dynamic ground planes generating mirror basis functions, which completely remove any singular instability. Finally, the computed Green's functions are included into a mixed-potential IE formulation for the accurate and very fast analysis of practical multilayered shielded circuits. The proposed technique does not suffer from any convergence issue and it is extremely competitive in terms of accuracy and efficiency as compared to other methods known to the authors.


During coronary artery bypass graft surgery, various arterial and venous conduits have been used to carry blood flow from the aorta to the coronary vasculature. Arterial conduits provide certain advantages over the saphenous vein, including superior long-term patency, relative resistance to the development of atherosclerosis, and greater endothelium-dependent relaxation. However, the perioperative release of catecholamines and thromboxane A, mechanical manipulation, and underlying endothelial cell dysfunction may result in vasoconstriction or vasospasm of the arterial conduit and a compromise of myocardial perfusion. Given these issues, pharmacologic therapy is frequently initiated intraoperatively to prevent vasospasm. Clevidipine is a rapidly acting calcium channel antagonist. Like nicardipine, it is a member of the dihydropyridine subgroup. Its rapid metabolism by tissue and plasma esterases results in an effective half-life of 1 to 3 minutes. We report, for the first time, the perioperative use of clevidipine to prevent vasospasm after coronary artery bypass graft surgery with the use of internal mammary artery and bilateral radial artery conduits. Its potential application in this scenario and advantages when compared with other commonly used agents is discussed.


Summary: Labetalol: Bioavailability, drug plasma levels, plasma renin and catecholamines in acute and chronic treatment of resistant hypertension. W. J. Louis, N. Christophidis, M. Brignell, V. Vijayasekaran, J. McNeil and F. J. E. Vajda, Aust. N.Z. J. Med., 1978, 8, pp. 602–609.

The antihypertensive effects of labetalol have been studied in 30 patients with severe hypertension.

In seven of these patients acute administration was associated with falls in blood pressure which were maximal at two minutes, for intravenous injection and one hour for oral administration. The bioavailability of acute oral administration was studied and varied between 11 and 76%. There were no statistically significant changes in plasma renin and plasma catecholamines following acute administration.

In 30 patients labetalol was administered, usually together with a thiazide diuretic, on a chronic basis over a period of ten months. There was a significant relationship (r = 0–517, P & lt; 0001) between drug dosage and plasma levels and in four cases poor response could be attributed to low peak plasma levels of the drug. Improved blood pressure control was associated with a substantial reduction in the number and type of tablets patients were taking and an overall reduction in side effects. The commonest side effect was mild postural hypotension. In addition, one patient in the trial and another more recently have shown hyper-reactivity to the drug and developed profound postural hypotension with the initial dose.

We conclude that labetalol when combined with a thiazide diuretic is an important therapeutic advance in the treatment of the difficult hypertensive subject.


Maintaining the ratio of octane number and reducing the proportion of harmful substances in the heavy oil fluid catalytic cracking process meets both environmental and economic benefits. Through collecting tremendous processing data by digital hardware, gasoline refiners are still hard to do well data analytical work in production process control due to the large scale of ambiguous intermediate operating variables. This paper proposes a two-stage data mining framework integrates the strengths of Ridge regression and Person correlation analysis to extract a scale limited group of key features. Different with traditional recursive feature elimination methods, we pay more attention to the correlation analysis between every couple of features in the result. Two stop criterions guarantee to fulfil refining standards and limit the computational work in finite steps. A real word case study contains 325 samples, 13 quality indicators and 354 operating variables which testifies the validity and practicality of our algorithm. The result shows only 13 features (operating variables) are significant to the rationality of process design and the improvement of process control.


A small-scale system was developed in which balanced growth of Streptomyces hygroscopicus occurred. Although the balanced growth, verified by corresponding increase of ATP, DNA, RNA, protein and mycelial length, was restricted to a relatively short period of the life cycle, it lasted for at least two doublings. The conditions for balanced growth could be altered by various treatments to induce imbalance. This system could be applied to study regulation in the mycelium under well-defined conditions.


Yeast exopolyphosphatase (scPPX) processively splits off the terminal phosphate group from linear polyphosphates longer than pyrophosphate. scPPX belongs to the DHH phosphoesterase superfamily and is evolutionarily close to the well characterized family II pyrophosphatase (PPase). Here, we used steady-state kinetic and binding measurements to elucidate the metal cofactor requirement for scPPX catalysis over the pH range 4.2-9.5. A single tight binding site for Mg2+ (Kd of 24 μm) was detected by equilibrium dialysis. Steady-state kinetic analysis of tripolyphosphate hydrolysis revealed a second site that binds Mg2+ in the millimolar range and modulates substrate binding. This step requires two protonated and two deprotonated enzyme groups with pKa values of 5.0–5.3 and 7.6–8.2, respectively. The catalytic step requiring two deprotonated groups (pKa of 4.6 and 5.6) is modulated by ionization of a third group (pKa of 8.7). Conservative mutations of Asp127, His148, His149 (conserved in scPPX and PPase), and Asn35 (His in PPase) reduced activity by a factor of 600–5000. N35H and D127E substitutions reduced the Mg2+ affinity of the tight binding site by 25–60-fold. Contrary to expectations, the N35H variant was unable to hydrolyze pyrophosphate, but markedly altered metal cofactor specificity, displaying higher catalytic activity with Co2+ bound to the weak binding site versus the Mg2+- or Mn2+-bound enzyme. These results provide an initial step toward understanding the dynamics of scPPX catalysis and reveal significant functional differences between structurally similar scPPX and family II PPase.


Autoencoders have seen wide success in domains ranging from feature selection to information retrieval. Despite this success, designing an autoencoder for a given task remains a challenging undertaking due to the lack of firm intuition on how the backing neural network architectures of the encoder and decoder impact the overall performance of the autoencoder. In this work we present a distributed system that uses an efficient evolutionary algorithm to design a modular autoencoder. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this system on the tasks of manifold learning and image denoising. The system beats random search by nearly an order of magnitude on both tasks while achieving near linear horizontal scaling as additional worker nodes are added to the system.


The invention relates to a nano aluminum-platinum catalyst, a manufacturing method and applications thereof, and a preparation method of 2-pyridine methanol. The application number of divisional application is 201410149195.6. The application date is April 14th, 2014. The invention discloses a nano aluminum-platinum catalyst, a preparation method and applications thereof, and belongs to the field of catalysts for the preparation of pyridine derivatives. The provided nano aluminum-platinum catalyst is composed of platinum powder and aluminum powder according to a weight ratio of 1:8.5; wherein the size of platinum powder is 3.5 to 7 nm, and the size of aluminum powder is 3.0 to 4.5 nm. The preparation method of 2-pyridine methanol comprises two parts, has the advantages of simple materials, reasonable design, and little environment pollution, and is carried out in the presence of a special catalyst. The synthesis is very simple, and the second step in synthesis can be performed at a room temperature under a normal pressure.


Background Acute radiation proctitis (ARP) is a common complication of radiation therapy (RT). This adverse effect in severe cases ultimately results in interruption of RT and poor outcome. Aloe vera contains multiple antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds This study was aimed to evaluate the preventive effects of Aloe vera in ARP in colorectal cancer.Method: twenty eligible colorectal cancer patients, who received radiation, were randomized to receive Aloe vera 3% ointment or placebo for six weeks. At each weekly visit, ARP symptoms were evaluated by Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and clinical presentation criteria. The lifestyle impact of the symptoms, depression and anxiety for assessment of psychosocial status of patients, and quantitative CRP were evaluated as secondary endpoints.Results there was a significant improvement in the symptom index for diarrhea and total RTOG scores and quantitative CRP levels (between-subject differences or group effect) (p < 0.05) in Aloe group. The overall time trend (within-subject differences or time effect) was statistically significant for rectal bleeding, rectal pain, total clinical scores, proctitis, cystitis, and total RTOG (P < 0.05) in Aloe vera group. The median lifestyle score improved significantly with Aloe vera. Intervention patients had a lower probability of presenting anxiety in their overall HAD scale during RT.Conclusion The use of topical formulation of Aloe vera 3% diminished the severity of ARP in colorectal cancer patients. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials IRCT201606042027N6, registrations date: 2016-04-09.


Using molecular-dynamics simulation we simulate nanoindentation into the three principal surfaces—the (100), (110), and (111) surface—of Cu and Al. In the elastic regime, the simulation data agree fairly well with the linear elastic theory of indentation into an elastically anisotropic substrate. With increasing indentation depth, the effect of pressure hardening becomes visible. When the critical stress for dislocation nucleation is reached, even the elastically isotropic Al shows a strong dependence of the force-displacement curves on the surface orientation. After the load drop, when plasticity has set in, the influence of the surface orientation is lost, and the contact pressure (hardness) becomes independent of the surface orientation.


The effects of nicotine and cotinine on fetal adrenal 11 beta- and 21-hydroxylase were examined using enzymatic and spectral techniques. The addition of nicotine or cotinine to preparations of adrenal mitochondria yielded a type II cytochrome P-450 binding spectrum. The apparent spectral dissociation constants (Ks) for nicotine and cotinine binding to mitochondrial cytochrome P-450 were 20 and 19 microM, respectively. The addition of nicotine to preparations of adrenal microsomes yielded a type II cytochrome P-450 binding spectrum, with an apparent Ks of 70 microM. Adrenal mitochondrial 11 beta-hydroxylase was assayed by measuring the conversion of deoxycorticosterone to corticosterone. Nicotine and cotinine competitively inhibited 11 beta-hydroxylase, with apparent Michaelis-Menten inhibition constants (Ki) of 9.9 and 9.0 microM, respectively. Nicotine competitively inhibited microsomal 21-hydroxylase, with an apparent Ki of 110 microM. Cotinine, in concentrations as high as 1 mM, did not inhibit 21-hydroxylase. These results suggest that nicotine and cotinine inhibit 11 beta-hydroxylase by binding to the heme iron of the cytochrome P-450 component of this enzyme system. Inhibition of 11 beta-hydroxylase could contribute to the altered pattern of steroidogenesis observed in smokers.


The objectives of this study were: a) to determine the prevalence of inadequate body fat determined based on body mass index (BMI), abdominal perimeter (AP) and relative body fat (%F), and biochemical indicators of cardiovascular risk, and b) to examine which body fat indicators better reflect the biochemical factors. BMI, %F, AP, glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were measured in 125 men. More than half the sample (56.8%) had low HDL and high BMI (58.4%) and %F (53.6%). There was a lower percentage of subjects with elevated LDL (40.8%), AP (38.4%), triglycerides (34.8%), glucose (27.2%), and total cholesterol (15.2%). AP was associated with four biochemical markers, whereas %F was associated with three and BMI with only two. The prevalence of risk factors was high. An AP >92 cm proved to be the best fat indicator, demonstrating that men are exposed to high levels of LDL, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose.


Ultra-dense and Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) technology consist fundamental means for achieving the data rates and round-trip times promised by future mobile networks, because they promise to assure excellent indoor coverage and offer the potential to meet the target key performance indicators at a lower cost. In this paper, we study the techno-economic aspects of ultra-dense and DAS deployments. Apart from the presentation of their architectures and advantages, we present a techno-economic modeling of these deployment types. The defined models are used for the investigation of the upper technologies from an economic perspective and therefore, they provide an insight in the future financial and price aspects of these technologies by consisting a useful tool for the definition of financing and pricing policies towards an economically viable ultra-dense femtocell-based or DAS deployment. Finally, it is confirmed that the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is lower for the femtocells compared to the DAS.


This paper assesses whether additional schooling has lasting causal effects on cognitive function, and explores the role of occupation type in shaping these effects. Exploiting quasi-experimental variation from the 1972 raising of the school leaving age in England and Wales, an additional year of schooling improves working memory by one- to two-thirds of a standard deviation. Limited evidence was detected for causal effects on verbal fluency and numeric ability. Analyses of the underlying mechanisms show occupation can explain up to about one-fifth of schooling's effects on memory. However these figures are imprecisely estimated, and the role of occupation remains an area for further study.


Automatic edge detection of an image is considered a
type of crucial information that can be extracted by applying detectors with
different techniques. It is a main tool in pattern recognition, image
segmentation, and scene analysis. This paper introduces an edge-detection algorithm, which generates multi-threshold values. It is based on non-Shannon
measures such as Havrda &
Charvat's entropy, which is commonly used in gray level image analysis in many
types of images such as satellite grayscale images. The proposed edge detection
performance is compared to the previous classic methods, such as Roberts,
Prewitt, and Sobel methods. Numerical results underline the robustness of the
presented approach and different applications are shown.


This classic reference text contains 40,000 entries and 5,000 new definitions. It is illustrated in full colour withmore than 2,000 photographs and diagrams.


Sampling is a standard approach in big-graph analytics; the goal is to efficiently estimate the graph properties by consulting a sample of the whole population. A perfect sample is assumed to mirror every property of the whole population. Unfortunately, such a perfect sample is hard to collect in complex populations such as graphs (e.g. web graphs, social networks), where an underlying network connects the units of the population. Therefore, a good sample will be representative in the sense that graph properties of interest can be estimated with a known degree of accuracy. While previous work focused particularly on sampling schemes to estimate certain graph properties (e.g. triangle count), much less is known for the case when we need to estimate various graph properties with the same sampling scheme. In this paper, we pro- pose a generic stream sampling framework for big-graph analytics, called Graph Sample and Hold (gSH), which samples from massive graphs sequentially in a single pass, one edge at a time, while maintaining a small state in memory. We use a Horvitz-Thompson construction in conjunction with a scheme that samples arriving edges without adjacencies to previously sampled edges with probability p and holds edges with adjacencies with probability q. Our sample and hold framework facilitates the accurate estimation of subgraph patterns by enabling the dependence of the sampling process to vary based on previous history. Within our framework, we show how to produce statistically unbiased estimators for various graph properties from the sample. Given that the graph analytics will run on a sample instead of the whole population, the runtime complexity is kept under control. Moreover, given that the estimators are unbiased, the approximation error is also kept under control. Finally, we test the performance of the proposed framework (gSH) on various types of graphs, showing that from a sample with -- 40K edges, it produces estimates with relative errors < 1%.


Introduction : Lung cancer is one of the most frequently occurring neoplasms and usually has a poor prognosis because most of the patients present with advanced or metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. Numerous prognostic factors (PF) have been studied. Aim: Study the prognostic factors in non small-cell lung cancer. Methods : A retrospective study had enrolled 269 cases of non small-lung cancer between January 2008 and December 2012. Results : The average age of ourpatients was61 years [44-80 years]. Lungcancer wasmore frequently observedin men (94,5%). Smoking wasnoted in 96% of patients. Histological types were adenocarcinoma (61%), squamous cell cancer (28%), non-smallcell carcinomacellsuntyped (11%) and large cell carcinoma (1%). TNM classification revealed stage IA (1,5%), IB (2%), IIA(3%), IIB (5%), IIIA (12%), IIIB (16%) and IV (60,5%). Median survival wasestimated at 575±70 days.Women , patients aged under 45 years and non-smoking patients have a better survival (p=0,005 ; 0,05 and 0,017 respectively). The other prognostic factors were the average intoxication tobacco, the stage of cancer, performance status, the number of metastases, the introduction of aspecific treatment, consultation delay and therapeutic delay (p=0,024; 0,031; 0,006; 0,001; 0,006; 0,46 and 0,001 respectively). Conclusion : Prognostic factors (PF) have a pivotal role in Clinical Oncology. They are helpful in the selection of treatment, provide insights into the disease process and the therapeutic response, and are fundamental in the design of clinical trials or in the interpretation of data from the literature.


We describe a methodology for explanation generation in financial knowledge-based systems. This offers the possibility to generate explanations and diagnostics automatically to support business decision tasks. The central goal is the identification of specific knowledge structures and reasoning methods required to construct computerized explanations from financial data and models. A multistep look-ahead algorithm is proposed that deals with so-called cancelling-out effects, which are a common phenomenon in financial data sets. Our method is an extension of the traditional variance decomposition in accounting. The method was tested on a case-study conducted for Statistics Netherlands involving the comparison of financial figures of firms in the Dutch retail branch. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


Platelets and erythrocytes are major components of wound provisional scaffolding. In this study, we hypothesized that the concentration of platelets and erythrocytes would significantly affect fibroblast‐mediated contraction of three‐dimensional scaffolds or the release of cytokines from the scaffold. To test this hypothesis, human anterior cruciate ligament fibroblasts were cultured in one of four scaffolds: a collagen matrix, a collagen‐fibrin matrix containing the same concentration of platelets as whole blood, a collagen‐fibrin matrix containing a high platelet concentration, and a collagen–fibrin matrix containing a high platelet concentration and red blood cells. Cytokine release from the four groups of gels and gel contraction were measured over a 10‐day period. The results of these assays supported greater cytokine release, fibroblast proliferation, and gel contraction in scaffolds with higher platelet concentration. In contrast, the addition of erythrocytes did not significantly stimulate or suppress scaffold contraction or growth factor release from the provisional scaffolds. We concluded that while platelet concentration can significantly impact cytokine release and scaffold retraction in a provisional scaffold, the inclusion of erythrocytes does not have a significant effect on these same behaviors. Therefore, while platelets may be an important regulator of repair processes after injury, it is less likely that erythrocytes have a similar function.


Crustal deformation is the study of active geophysical processes that occur within the earth's lithosphere. Geodesy provides facilities to investigate the earth's crust movements and shares these data with the other disciplines. The various sources of geodetic data can be used to observe crustal deformation. Especially, GPS has gained wider acceptance worldwide for monitoring crustal dynamics for earthquake studies. GPS velocities help to improve the estimation of long-term strain rate tensor field. Seismic strain rates are also essential for determining seismic hazard of a region. Current studies show agreement between seismic strain rates inferred from earthquakes and regional tectonic strain patterns. In this study, a strain rate model was presented for the Eastern Turkey based on GPS velocities and earthquake focal mechanisms. The dense data coverage in this region allows a comparison of the seismic strain rate field with tectonic strain rate field observed geodetically. The principal strain rates were derived from the 16 GPS velocities (2003 - 2006) relative to Eurasia, which are in the range of 16 - 24 mm/year, and moment tensors of moderate-sized earthquakes with 30 years time span. The results are consistent with the current studies and strain rates confirm the active state of the secondary faults in the region.

 Key words: Crustal deformation, GPS, seismicity, NAFZ, EAFZ, focal mechanisms.


In the early 1970's AIChE established the concept of Design Institutes. These are cooperative, industrially sponsored research efforts based on getting work done in an area of general interest at low cost to supporters.

There are now four active AIChE groups. These are, with date of organization: Design Institute for Physical Property Data (DIPPR), 1978; Research Institute for Food Engineering (RIFE), 1984; Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), 1985; and Center for Waste Reduction Technologies (CWRT), 1989. A fifth, Design Institute for Emergency Relief Systems (DIERS) has completed its work and established a user's group. The subject of this paper, DIPPR, is now in its eleventh year of funded project work. A symposium honoring the completion of DIPPR's tenth year was held in San Francisco in November, 1989. There were 11 papers presented, along with an historical overview. Copies of the 11 papers are available from the Engineering Societies Library in New York City, as Session 40. The papers were published as an AIChE Symposium Series in 1990 [1].

The DIPPR project results that can be used in reactive chemical hazard assessment are highlighted.


This study was performed to investigate the characteristics of granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption and membrane filtration (MF) processes for an advanced water treatment. Influent concentration were on average UV254 0.237cm-1, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 9.3mg/L, dissolved total nitrogen (DTN) 0.558mg/L and dissolved total phosphorus (DTP) 0.014mg/L, respectively. As a result, MF process compared to GAC adsorption process was slightly effective in removing UV254 and DOC, whereas in removing DTN and DTP, GAC adsorption process was much more effective than that of MF process. Coulped GAC adsorption with MF process achieved good efficiencies more than 50% in removing dissolved organic and nutrients. These results indicate that the introduction of GAC adsorption process prior to membrane filtration process is necessary for an cost-effective advanced water treatment due to efficient reduction of substrate and transmembrane pressure (TMP).


Core principle of Conservation Agriculture is to maintain soil cover by crop residue mulching or cover crops. Mulching practice affects many agroecosystem services, through water dynamics and C and N transformations (Coppens et al., 2007) and their impact on climate change, water and nutrient cycling and soil biological activity. The objectives of this work were (i) to quantify the effects of biotic (diversity of mulches and soil types) and abiotic (climatic conditions) factors on soil functions such as C stabilization, C and N mineralization and transport, GHG emission, microbial dynamics and diversity; (ii) to assess by modeling how these factors affect agroecosystem services in a range of agricultural conditions met in conservation agriculture of France, Brazil and Madagascar. An experiment was performed in controlled conditions with soil columns. The treatments varied either by the type of residue mulch (Zea mais + Doliquos lablab or Triticum aestivum + Medicago sativa), or by the type of soil (sandy or loamy soil ) and by the water regime (manipulated through the intensity and frequency of rain applied to the soil columns). The Pastis_Mulch model (Findeling et al., 2007) tested on the measured data, was then used to simulate different scenarii, particularly different crop rotations and associations representative of the CA agrosystems (amount and quality of crop mulches), amount and distribution of rainfall (dry and wet years) and types of soil. The results allowed to rank the factors according to their positive and negative effects on the different ecosystem services involved. (Texte integral)