Temperatures of multi-shock compressed gaseous hydrogen−helium mixtures with a mole component H2:He = 1:1.21 up to 7100 K are measured at pressures up to 10 GPa by means of an instantaneous optical pyrometer. The gas mixtures are shocked from environmental temperature at the initial pressure 20 MPa. The measured second-shock temperature differs from the predictions of the non-dissociation model by up to 40% and is in good agreement with that of the dissociation model, indicating that a considerable amount of molecular dissociation occurs.


The construction of ready to use templates for gravitational waves from spinning binaries is an important challenge in the investigation of detectable gravitational wave signals. Here we present a method to evaluate the gravitational wave polarization states for inspiralling compact binaries in the extreme mass ratio limit. We discuss the effects caused by the rotation of the central massive object for eccentric orbits in the Lense-Thirring approximation and give the formal expressions of the polarization states including higher order corrections. Our results are in agreement with existing calculations for the spinless and circular orbit limits.


Binary nanoparticle inks comprising Ag2Se, In2Se3, and Ga2Se3 were fabricated via a wet ball-milling method and were further used to fabricate AgInGaSe2 (AIGS) precursors by sequentially spraying the inks onto a Mo-coated substrate. AIGS precursors were annealed under a Se atmosphere for 1 h at 570 °C. Na2Se thin layers of varying thicknesses (0, 5, 10, and 20 nm) were vacuum-evaporated onto the Mo layer prior to the AIGS precursors being fabricated to investigate the influence on AIGS solar cells. Sodium plays a critical role in improving the material properties and performance of AIGS thin-film solar cells. The grain size of the AIGS films was significantly improved by sodium doping. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy illustrated slight surficial sodium segregation and heavy sodium segregation at the AIGS/Mo interface. Double-graded band profiles were observed in the AIGS films. With the increase in Na2Se thickness, the basic photovoltaic characteristics of the AIGS solar cells were significantly improved. The highest solar cell conversion efficiency of 6.6% (open-circuit voltage: 775.6 mV, short-circuit current: 15.5 mA/cm2, fill factor: 54.9%, area: 0.2 cm2) was obtained when the Na2Se thickness was 20 nm.


Bismuth adsorbs on the surface in the form of rows of dimers. Missing-dimer lines (MDLs) are created perpendicularly every n units, leading to periodicity. Depending on the coverage, n can vary from 12 to 5. We investigated by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction the structure, with n = 6.45. The disorder in the MDL periodicity, as well as the defects along the MDL, reduce considerably the correlation length of the reconstructed domains. As a consequence, the integrated intensity of each reflection must be corrected, evaluating the trace of the resolution function across the diffraction node. The structural refinement, based on the as-derived intensities, provides the Bi dimer bond length (3.11 Å), the Si atom positions (bulklike), and the height of the Bi plane with respect to Si (1.88 Å). In addition, we give evidence that the dimers are displaced along the row from ideal positions towards the MDL (from 0.15 to 0.50 Å). Last, the diffraction profiles are calculated, on the basis of a probability distribution of cells (n = 6, 7, 1), using the phase-matrix method. The average positions of the fractional peaks are related to the concentration of each type of cell. The width and the intensity of the second order peaks, compared to those of the first order peaks, allow us to account for the aggregation tendency.


Exploration in North Mafla focuses on general categories of prospects, potential reservoirs and their associated facies, and seismic modeling of available well control. Jurassic prospects in North Mafla can be classified into four general categories: (1) basement-related structures: (2) closures associated with the Pensacola-Destin peripheral fault trend, (3) salt anticlines, and (4) prospects associated with the interregional structural highs. Each of these categories can be related to documented, predictable, and repeated patterns of hydrocarbon accumulations in east Texas, north Louisiana, Mississippian, Alabama, and Florida. The primary objectives in North Mafla are the Jurassic Smackover carbonates and Norphlet sands at depths ranging rom 15,000 to 25,000 ft. Major gas accumulations in the Norphlet around Mobile Bay are separated from thicker sequences of Norphlet sands in the De Soto Salt basin by the offshore extension of the Pensacola arch. Seismic geometries suggest that Smackover high-energy carbonates may have been deposited on the crest of some of these thick Norphlet sands. Seismic modeling indicates that a high-amplitude, laterally continuous event associated with a Norphlet-Louann Salt contact is dependent on the presence of Pine Hill anhydrite member of the Louann Salt. In addition, seismic reflection geometries indicate that the Norphlet sandstone thickens from +/-more » 300 ft on the eastern flank of the Destin Dome to nearly 1000 ft nearby. Although drilling in the lightly explored Norch Mafla area has yielded few substantive results to date, the elements necessary for significant hydrocarbon accumulations are known to exist.« less


This paper proposes the polynomial fuzzy modeling and tracking control methods for wheeled mobile robots by using sum of squares (SOS) approach, which is developed as SOSTOOL under the Matlab environment. Due to the polynomial fuzzy modeling, we can obtain the linearized tracking error dynamics such that both LMI (Linear Matrix Inequality) and SOS approaches can be applied. Since SOS approach handles more nonlinear system characteristics than LMI, we can obtain the better tracking performance, which is demonstrated in the numerical simulations. The proposed method has advantages in that the control structure can be simplified and it can be further extended to accommodate the input saturation, disturbance compensation, etc., which is well developed for LMI control methods.


302 (2010) doi:10.1017/S0714980810000334 301 Driven by the aging of the baby boom generation, greater life expectancies, and historically low fertility levels, Canada's population is growing older, a reality refl ected in the increasing proportion and number of old in Canada along with the growing median age of Canada's population. Beginning in 2011, when the fi rst of Canada's baby boomers reaches retirement age, the number and proportion of old will grow signifi cantly: from approximately 4.7 million seniors aged 65 and over (13.9 % ) in 2009, Canada's seniors population is projected to increase to 9.8 million by 2036, representing approximately 25 per cent of the total population. Canada's oldest old (aged 85 and over) is projected to grow dramatically as well, reaching 5.8 per cent of the total population by 2056 (Statistics Canada, 2006 ).


SUMMARY: This paper describes how auditors conduct brainstorming sessions to comply with the requirements of SAS No. 99. We gather evidence by interviewing 22 auditors at all personnel levels across seven audit firms (including all of the Big 4 firms) and by observing actual brainstorming sessions. The results reveal how auditors prepare for brainstorming sessions and allow us to describe a typical four-step brainstorming session process. We describe brainstorming group interactions and provide evidence on brainstorming session outcomes in terms of fraud risk assessments, audit plan modifications, and budget modifications. Finally, we report how audit firms encourage professional skepticism during brainstorming.


ISSUES AND PURPOSE. To examine the predictive value of selected pediatric characteristics of the referral of children to pediatric home health services (PHHS). No empirical studies to date have evaluated the criteria used to determine the need for PHHS or if disparities in the referral of children to PHHS occur.

DESIGN AND METHODS. Randomly selected hospital records of 557 children discharged from one pediatric hospital between October 1999 and September 2000 were examined. Sequential logistic regression was used to calculate the odds of being referred to PHHS based on age, race or ethnicity, number of legal guardians in the household, and the number of technological devices at discharge. Insurance was excluded as a predictor because 97% of the study sample was insured.

RESULTS. Only the number of technological devices at discharge added predictive value (χ2[DF = 3, N= 557]= 42.023, P<0.001) to the SLR model. There was no evidence of disparities in referral.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE. To ensure availability and equitable access to PHHS, nurses must actively participate in the discharge planning process for all children.


Abstract Biofiltration is an economical air pollution control (APC) technology, particularly suitable for the treatment of air-streams having high flow rates and low concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This technology utilizes enzymatic catalysis at ambient conditions to mineralize such pollutants to CO2, H2O, and salts. A pilot-scale study conducted for more than 4 years investigated the development of a new biofiltration technology employing trickle bed air biofilters (TBABs). Following the completion of this experimental study, additional data analysis was performed to develop a simple lumped-parameter biofilter model, assuming first-order kinetics. This model related the observed biofilter performance to the principle independent physical, thermodynamic, and biochemical parameters. The initial model has subsequently been expanded to incorporate Monod kinetics. In this paper, the development and use of the final explicit lumped-parameter biofilter model and design equation, incorporating Monod kinetics, are presented. To facilitate the application of this model, practical procedures are also presented for the determination of VOC solubility, VOC biokinetic Monod parameters, and the maximum practical biofilter inlet VOC concentration.


Abstract The adsorption of 1-propanethiol from ethanolic solution onto copper substrate has been investigated by infrared spectroscopy. A stable multilayer film, composed of copper 1-propanethiolate, is found to form on the copper surface. Although the detailed mechanism of film formation is uncertain, it seems to be greatly facilitated by the presence of surface oxide layers. More interestingly, the orientation of copper 1-propanethiolate does not appear to be completely random on the surface.


Particulate emissions from compression ignition engines are a major health concern, especially in underground mine environments where limited ventilation during the operation of diesel powered equipment can exacerbate the problem. Clearly strategies are required to address the diesel particulate matter problem, with alternative fuels, such as biodiesel, having been recently considered to ameliorate the problem. This study considers a physico-chemical characterisation of particulate emissions from an underground coal mine compression ignition engine to determine the effect of using 3 biodiesel feedstocks at 4 different blend percentages. Particle physical properties measured included particle number size distributions and the lung deposited surface area, and particle chemical properties measured included particle and vapour phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and also the measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are believed to play an important role in the human body's inflammatory response after exposure to diesel emissions. The particle number size distributions showed strong dependency on both feedstock and the blend percentage employed, with the canola feedstock yielding higher particle number emissions than diesel (followed by tallow), whereas the soy feedstock showed significant particle number reductions. Both particle and vapour phase PAHs were generally reduced with biodiesel, although the results did not exhibit dependence on blend percentage. The ROS concentrations increased monotonically with biodiesel blend percentage but the data did not suggest strong feedstock dependency. It was also shown that ROS emissions correlate quite well with the organic volume percentage of particles which was calculated using unheated and heated particle volume distributions. Whilst biodiesel fuels might be effective at reducing particle mass emissions, some feedstocks increase the number of particles emitted, and all feedstocks increase the oxidative capacity of particles and also emit particles that have a much smaller median diameter than ultra-low sulphur diesel.


We introduce Goldilocks Selection, a technique for faster model training which selects a sequence of training points that are"just right". We propose an information-theoretic acquisition function -- the reducible validation loss -- and compute it with a small proxy model -- GoldiProx -- to efficiently choose training points that maximize information about a validation set. We show that the"hard"(e.g. high loss) points usually selected in the optimization literature are typically noisy, while the"easy"(e.g. low noise) samples often prioritized for curriculum learning confer less information. Further, points with uncertain labels, typically targeted by active learning, tend to be less relevant to the task. In contrast, Goldilocks Selection chooses points that are"just right"and empirically outperforms the above approaches. Moreover, the selected sequence can transfer to other architectures; practitioners can share and reuse it without the need to recreate it.


The design and implementation of a social siences core curriculum implies an approach across disciplines and provides a didactical challenge. A blended learning model adapted to the specific requirements is designed to improve the learning situation in mass lectures, encourage self-study processes, and to build up generic competences. The model consists of a hypermedia content pool and virtually assisted exercises. Requirements and challenges of the e-learning project will be discussed in this paper.


By means of the EOS of QCD at zero temperature and finite quark chemical potential we proposed [Phys. Rev. D 78(2008)054001] in the framework of rainbow-ladder approximation of Dyson-Schwinger approach, we investigate the structure of quark star and its property. It is found that the mass-radius relation in our model is very different from that of usual quark star models, but similar to neutron star models. The obtained mass of quark star is about 1.75M⊙ ~ 2.2M⊙. The obtained radius of quark star is 22 ~ 26 km, which is obviously larger than the results in other models. The reason for this discrepancy is analyzed.


One of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals is climate action (SDG-13), and wildfire is among the catastrophic events that both impact climate change and are aggravated by it. In Australia and other countries, large-scale wildfires have dramatically grown in frequency and size in recent years. These fires threaten the world's forests and urban woods, cause enormous environmental and property damage, and quite often result in fatalities. As a result of their increasing frequency, there is an ongoing debate over how to handle catastrophic wildfires and mitigate their social, economic, and environmental repercussions. Effective prevention, early warning, and response strategies must be well-planned and carefully coordinated to minimise harmful consequences to people and the environment. Rapid advancements in remote sensing technologies such as ground-based, aerial surveillance vehicle-based, and satellite-based systems have been used for efficient wildfire surveillance. This study focuses on the application of space-borne technology for very accurate fire detection under challenging conditions. Due to the significant advances in artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in recent years, numerous studies have previously been conducted to examine how AI might be applied in various situations. As a result of its special physical and operational requirements, spaceflight has emerged as one of the most challenging application fields. This work contains a feasibility study as well as a model and scenario prototype for a satellite AI system. With the intention of swiftly generating alerts and enabling immediate actions, the detection of wildfires has been studied with reference to the Australian events that occurred in December 2019. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) were developed, trained, and used from the ground up to detect wildfires while also adjusting their complexity to meet onboard implementation requirements for trusted autonomous satellite operations (TASO). The capability of a 1-dimensional convolution neural network (1-DCNN) to classify wildfires is demonstrated in this research and the results are assessed against those reported in the literature. In order to enable autonomous onboard data processing, various hardware accelerators were considered and evaluated for onboard implementation. The trained model was then implemented in the following: Intel Movidius NCS-2 and Nvidia Jetson Nano and Nvidia Jetson TX2. Using the selected onboard hardware, the developed model was then put into practice and analysis was carried out. The results were positive and in favour of using the technology that has been proposed for onboard data processing to enable TASO on future missions. The findings indicate that data processing onboard can be very beneficial in disaster management and climate change mitigation by facilitating the generation of timely alerts for users and by enabling rapid and appropriate responses.


With the help of next-generation sequencing, a team of evolutionary biologists is shining a scientific spotlight on little-studied organisms called micrognathozoans. During a recent field trip to Greenland, they collected specimens of the tiny invertebrate and have stored them in a freezer. In a project that would have been unthinkably expensive for a single lab just a few years ago, they will now decipher much of the creature9s genome and identify its genes. And that9s just the beginning. The researchers and their colleagues have freezers full of other unusual organisms whose genomes they plan to sequence so that they can refine the much-debated animal tree of life. This story and the ones accompanying it are part of a collection this month reflecting on the 10th anniversary of the publication of the human genome, which is gathered here.


The unconventional Shale and Tight play concept has grown to dominate the North American energy landscape, now accounting for the vast majority of onshore activity levels. However, not all Shale or Tight reservoir plays are created equal and what works for one play/Formation may not work for another. How should you design your stimulation, where to begin, what parameters are most impactful and what are some of the large economic leavers that can either make your project successful, or potentially cause it to fail.
 The Duvernay is an Upper Devonian mudrock, with significant quartz, carbonate and total organic carbon content, making it an attractive Shale gas target. Total Organic Carbon (TOC) varies from 2-17 wt.% and porosity ranges from 3-8% (averaging approximately 5%). The Formation is approximately 2,800 – 3,800 meters deep in the project area and is approximately 35-60m thick. Importantly, the target is significantly overpressured, with nearly double normal hydrostatic reservoir pressure (15-21 Kpa/m gradient). The native permeability of the Duvernay Formation is extremely tight, measuring in the 70-150 nano Darcy range, thus the formation requires horizontal wells with multi stage hydraulic fracturing, to be economically productive. The natural fracture density of the formation partially explains how a rock with such low matrix permeability can be so prolific, background tectonic fracturing is significantly greater than most other low permeability reservoirs being exploited in North America. Fracture densities have been measured in core and image logs at up to 8 fractures per meter, with average open fracture density's approximating 1-2 per meter. These fractures are steeply dipping (75-85 degrees) and created during tectonic events, both open and healed/calcite filled fractures are present. While the presence of natural fractures aid in the productive stage of the well's life, it can complicate the stimulation design and challenge the placement of a wellbore treatment.
 During the initial planning stages of an unconventional hydraulic stimulation program, the first step is to examine what other operators in the play are already utilizing. Early due diligence into what design elements are successful and almost as important, not successful, can save significant amounts of capital early in the evolution of a project. An example of this within the Duvernay project were uncemented ball drop liner completion systems. Due to the high-pressure pumping requirements of the Duvernay (up to 90 Mpa), these systems were not able to adequately stimulate the reservoir and were prone to install and isolation challenges. Limited entry Plug and Perf design dominates the Canadian unconventional energy landscape, this is where Chevron Canada Limited and KUFPEC Canada ("The JV") began its journey. The next critical stimulation parameters to decide on are proppant and water intensities, these will govern the duration of the stimulation and are key economic drivers (proppant intensity is typically the most significant variable in terms of cost and well productivity). Other major inputs into the frac program center around cluster design; number of clusters to be treated as part of a single frac stage, the spacing between the clusters and the number and orientation of perforations within a cluster/stage are key parameters. The treatment pressure is usually dictated by the breakdown and fracture extension pressure inherent to the reservoir, where the target treatment rate is a selection made by the operator (typically 10-15 m3/min for most unconventional reservoirs). Stimulation fluid design also varies by play type, Slickwater designs are some of the most popular in use today with hybrids, reverse hybrids and high viscosity friction reducer (VFR), also used in various quantities across play types. Connected to the stimulation design, is the interwell spacing distance, usually the wider wells are spaced from one another, the higher the proppant intensity. The key premise of limited entry design assumes that all the clusters within a fracture stage are taking fluid and sand equally and thus, have equal fracture half lengths, this is not the case (concept known as cluster efficiency), more discussion on that topic to follow later in the manuscript.


Production of deuterons in 24 GeV/c proton and 50 GeV/c pion interactions with emulsion nuclei has been investigated. Some characteristics of stars in which deuterons have been observed have been compared with the average characteristics of stars. It has been found that (i) for any given value of ng the average excitation of deuteron producing stars is higher than the total sample and (ii) the average shower multiplicity in stars with less energetic deuterons is higher than of the events with energetic deuterons or of the ordinary sample. None of the existing models for deuteron production seems to be capable of explaining the observed features.


There is increasing evidence that chemical cues play a pivotal role in host selection by the natural enemies of aphids. We use Vinson's (1976) division of the host selection process into habitat location, host location and host acceptance for both parasitoids and predators and review what is known about the role of semiochemicals in aphid selection by natural enemies. For habitat location (i.e. detection of the host plant), volatiles emitted by plants after aphid attack have been described for a number of plant-aphid inter- actions. These synomones indicate not only the presence of an aphid host plant to the predator or parasitoid, but also the presence of aphids. Volatiles emitted from undamaged host plants are often attractive to aphid parasitoids, but less so for predators. Host location by the natural enemy on the food plant is guided by semiochemicals that mostly originate from the aphids, in particular aphid alarm pheromone, honeydew, or the smell of the aphid itself. Host acceptance is guided by contact chemicals for both predators and parasi- toids. In parasitoids, host recognition may be based on visual cues or on contact chemicals on the aphid's cuticle, whereas host acceptance is ultimately based on as yet unknown substances within the aphid's hemolymph. While it appears that many predators and parasitoids are attracted to the same semiochemicals, synergistic and antagonistic interactions among chemical substances have only rarely been investigated. More research into model systems is needed, not only to identify important semiochemicals, but also to determine their range of attraction. Recent progress in the development of analytical techniques has created new opportunities to improve our understanding of the chemical ecology of aphid-natural enemy interactions in the coming years.


This study was designed to assess the relative importance of conflicting interests and ideologies as determinants of conflict resolution. The conflict was defined in the context of a simulation of political decision-making. Decision-makers had different preferences for the allocation of resources to alternative programs. Six male and six female dyads were run in each cell of a design that made size of conflicting interests orthogonal to amount of ideological dissensus. A significant main effect for conflict of interest was attained on each measure of negotiating behavior. High conflict of interest dyads took longer to negotiate, allocated less funds, produced more asymmetrical outcomes, and had more unresolved conflicts than low conflict of interest dyads. Perceptions of the situation corresponded to negotiating behavior. High conflict dyads viewed the negotiation more like a "win-lose" competition, were less willing to compromise, regarded compromise as being more like defeat, and so on. The amount of variance accounted for by the ideology and sex variables was negligible on most of the behavioral and perceptual indices. The implications of these results were discussed in terms of a weighting that is affected by aspects of the conflict situation.


A cross-sectional study explored the presence and power of developmental assets in a sample of youth from rural South African townships. Learners (female = 58%; Mage  = 17.1; N = 505) attending three township high schools completed self-report measures of developmental assets and thriving outcomes. Participants reported contextual assets (e.g., family, school, community) in the vulnerable ranges, with gender, family structure, and school type accounting for some differences. Correlation and regression analyses revealed that five asset contexts (family, school, community, personal, social) were uniquely predictive of thriving outcomes. Discussion focuses on contextual expressions of positive youth development among Zulu township youth in challenging environments.


OBJECTIVES
Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a serious condition characterized by debilitating but unexplained fatigue. Treatment alternatives are few, and especially so for young people. The aetiology of CFS/ME is still unclear and controversial, but rehabilitative interventions seem so far most promising. The Lightning Process is a 3-day training programme that has recently become available, but no outcome studies have yet been published. It is a non-medical training programme that combines concepts from Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Life Coaching and Osteopathy. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of young people with CFS/ME after they had undergone the Lightning Process.

DESIGN
Qualitative research study.

METHODS
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with an opportunistic sample recruited through open advertisements of nine young people, aged 14-26, who had undergone the treatment, and three of their parents. Inductive thematic analysis was used to evaluate the content of the interviews.

RESULTS
Mostly positive experiences were reported of the Lightning Process. Two reported dissatisfaction and no improvement, while seven were satisfied and were much improved. Particular helpful aspects were the theoretical rationale, practical exercises, and the technique they learned. Less helpful aspects were the intensity and short duration of the treatment with little follow-up, the secrecy surrounding it, and feelings of being blamed if the treatment did not work.

CONCLUSIONS
As this is the first report of young people's experiences with the Lightning Process, it will be important to consider the helpful and unhelpful treatment components for future refinement of interventions for CFS/ME.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate how functional finishes and different levels of laundering affect a fabric's ability to prevent or inhibit pesticide penetration. In this study, three fabrics (cotton, cotton/polyester, and polyester) treated with selected functional finishes (durable press, soil release, and water repellent) and laundered at predetermined levels (0, 10, 30, and 50 times) were exposed to methyl parathion spray. The amount of pesticide that moved through the fabric was then measured. The amount measured was compared for different finishes and between launderings to determine the effect of these variables. The application of the pesticide was completed using an enclosed spray chamber that simulated actual field conditions encountered during air blast spraying. Water-repellent and soil-release finishes were found to increase the amount of protection provided by fabrics. Fabrics treated with the durable-press finish permitted more pesticide penetration than untreated fabrics, resulting in decreased protection. Methyl parathion penetration increased with the number of launderings of the water-repellent-treated polyester fabrics; however, laundering did not significantly affect the cotton and cotton/polyester fabrics' protective characteristics.


A model for physically based synthesis of collision sounds is proposed. Attention is focused on the non-linear contact force, for which both analytical and experimental results are presented. Numerical implementation of the model is discussed, with regard to accuracy and efficiency issues. As an application, a physically based audio effect is presented.


The Zika virus infection outbreak in Brazil in 2014 to 2015 resulted in the identification of previously unknown consequences of the disease, including the notorious microcephaly among many defects in fetuses born to women infected during pregnancy. A number of individuals were involved in this remarkable discovery, from the detection of viral circulation in the country to the studies on the causal link with congenital abnormalities and the provision of awareness and social support to families affected by the disease. In this article, we review the background to this experience, describing aspects of the epidemiology, medical research, and scientific response to the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil.


The development and implementation of an observational video-based risk assessment is described. Occupational risk assessment is one of the most important yet also challenging tasks for employers. Most assessment tools to date use questionnaires, expert interviews, and similar tools. Video analysis is a promising tool for risk assessment, but it needs an objective basis. A video of a plastering worker was recorded using a 360° camera. The recording was then analyzed using the developed observational matrix concerning Work Characteristics, Work Activities as well as potential risks. Risk factors present during the video of the work included lifting, fall from ladder, hazardous substances as well as occasionally bad posture. The worker had no or just one risk factor present during most of the time of the video recording, while only 16 s with more than one risk factor present according to the observational matrix. The paper presents a promising practical method to assess occupational risks on a case-by-case basis. It can help with the risk assessment process in companies which is required by law in some industrialized countries. The matrix in combination with video analysis is a first step toward digital observational risk assessment. It can also be the basis of an automated risk assessment process.


We present the largest-ever sample of 79 Lyα emitters (LAEs) at z ∼ 7.0 selected in the COSMOS and CDFS fields of the LAGER project (the Lyman Alpha Galaxies in the Epoch of Reionization). Our newly amassed ultradeep narrowband exposure and deeper/wider broadband images have more than doubled the number of LAEs in COSMOS, and we have selected 30 LAEs in the second field CDFS. We detect two large-scale LAE-overdense regions in the COSMOS that are likely protoclusters at the highest redshift to date. We perform injection and recovery simulations to derive the sample incompleteness. We show that significant incompleteness comes from blending with foreground sources, which, however, has not been corrected in LAE luminosity functions (LFs) in the literature. The bright-end bump in the Lyα LF in COSMOS is confirmed with six (two newly selected) luminous LAEs (LLyα > 1043.3 erg s−1). Interestingly, the bump is absent in CDFS, in which only one luminous LAE is detected. Meanwhile, the faint-end LFs from the two fields agree well with each other. The six luminous LAEs in COSMOS coincide with two LAE-overdense regions, while such regions are not seen in CDFS. The bright-end LF bump could be attributed to ionized bubbles in a patchy reionization. It appears associated with cosmic overdensities and thus supports an inside-out reionization topology at z ∼ 7.0, i.e., the high-density peaks were ionized earlier compared to the voids. An average neutral hydrogen fraction of xH i ∼ 0.2–0.4 is derived at z ∼ 7.0 based on the cosmic evolution of the Lyα LF.


A 41-year-old patient with hepatolenticular degeneration (Wilson disease), who had been treated for 15 years with penicillamine, developed small white papules at sites of venipuncture in the antecubital fossae and at surgical suture sites. Histologically, these papules showed focal areas of connective tissue degeneration in the dermis, but there was no evidence of inclusion cysts. The changes most likely resulted from the effect of penicillamine on new connective tissue formation at the sites of injury. The patient also developed crinkling of the skin of her face and neck while on the penicillamine regimen, and these changes were attributed, at least in part, to the effects of this drug on connective tissue.


The robust Russian economic recovery after the 1998 financial crisis raised the economic standing of the population, especially for low-paid workers, most of whom are women. In this paper I use the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey from 1996 through 2002 to ask whether this helped to reduce the gender wage gap. The wage measurement has been affected by the wage arrears, an integral feature of the Russian labor market in this period. The raw malefemale wage gap for those not affected by wage arrears exhibits a stable pattern save a 10 percentage point increase in 2000. However, this temporal widening of the gap is due to lowwage women becoming more likely to receive their wages in full than low-wage men in 2000. Furthermore, the wage gap is stable for those who consistently receive full wages.


The electrical conductivity of non-ferrous metals with conductivities in the range 2.2 MS/m to 35.8 MS/m, provided by NPL in the form of bars (600 mm by 80 mm by 10 mm) and square blocks (80 mm side by 10 mm), was measured using an AC method at NPL and a DC method at PTB and VSL. The purpose of the comparison was to establish if there is a difference in the electrical conductivity measured for AC and DC conditions. Conductivity standards are used by industries involved with non-destructive testing (NDT) and evaluation (NDE) to calibrate the instruments used. These instruments operate at frequencies of at least 60 kHz and it was therefore necessary to establish agreement between AC and DC methods. For all cases the uncertainty for AC conductivity measurements is considerably larger than that for DC measurements due to the increased complexity of the unique NPL bridge method. For DC measurements on blocks the PTB and VSL values agreed within the measurement uncertainties provided. A small difference between the values for a bar made from Nordic gold was removed when the CMC uncertainty for PTB was used. A better agreement between the DC measurement for blocks is believed to be due to a reduced sensitivity to material homogeneity as well as fewer dimensional measurements for the Van der Pauw technique used. A significant difference between the measured AC and DC conductivities for the titanium bar was found. This is believed to be due to a variation in the properties of the material through the thickness. The AC method is surface sensitive and so such a change in properties will influence the value compared to DC methods that are a volume average. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by EUROMET, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA).


Abstract: The enhanced electric field at plasmonic resonances in nanoscale antennas can lead to efficient harmonic generation, especially when the plasmonic geometry is asymmetric on either inter-particle or intra-particle levels. The planar Archimedean nanospiral offers a unique geometrical asymmetry for second-harmonic generation (SHG) because the SHG results neither from arranging centrosymmetric nanoparticles in asymmetric groupings, nor from non-centrosymmetric nanoparticles that retain a local axis of symmetry. Here, we report forward SHG from planar arrays of Archimedean nanospirals using 15 fs pulses from a Ti:sapphire oscillator tuned to 800 nm wavelength. The measured harmonic-generation efficiencies are 2.6·10−9, 8·10−9 and 1.3·10−8 for left-handed circular, linear, and right-handed circular polarizations, respectively. The uncoated nanospirals are stable under average power loading of as much as 300 μWper nanoparticle. The nanospirals also exhibit selective conversion between polarization states. These experiments show that the intrinsic asymmetry of the nanospirals results in a highly efficient, two-dimensional harmonic generator that can be incorporated into metasurface optics.


A system that includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna and associated apparatus for keeping the antenna aimed upward has been developed for use aboard a remote-sensing-survey airplane. The purpose served by the system is to enable minimum- cycle-slip reception of GPS signals used in precise computation of the trajectory of the airplane, without having to restrict the airplane to maneuvers that increase the flight time needed to perform a survey. Cycle slip signifies loss of continuous track of the phase of a signal. Minimum-cycle-slip reception is desirable because maintaining constant track of the phase of the carrier signal from each available GPS satellite is necessary for surveying to centimeter or subcentimeter precision. Even a loss of signal for as short a time as a nanosecond can cause cycle slip. Cycle slips degrade the quality and precision of survey data acquired during a flight. The two principal causes of cycle slip are weakness of signals and multipath propagation. Heretofore, it has been standard practice to mount a GPS antenna rigidly on top of an airplane, and the radiation pattern of the antenna is typically hemispherical, so that all GPS satellites above the horizon are viewed by the antenna during level flight. When the airplane must be banked for a turn or other maneuver, the reception hemisphere becomes correspondingly tilted; hence, the antenna no longer views satellites that may still be above the Earth horizon but are now below the equatorial plane of the tilted reception hemisphere. Moreover, part of the reception hemisphere (typically, on the inside of a turn) becomes pointed toward ground, with a consequent increase in received noise and, therefore, degradation of GPS measurements. To minimize the likelihood of loss of signal and cycle slip, bank angles of remote-sensing survey airplanes have generally been limited to 10 or less, resulting in skidding or slipping uncoordinated turns. An airplane must be banked in order to make a coordinated turn. For small-radius, short-time coordinated turns, it is necessary to employ banks as steep as 45 , and turns involving such banks are times and for confining airplanes as closely as possible to areas to be surveyed. The idea underlying the design is that if the antenna can be kept properly aimed, then the incidence of cycle slips caused by loss or weakness of signals can be minimized. The system includes an articulating GPS antenna and associated electronic circuitry mounted under a radome atop an airplane. The electronic circuitry includes a microprocessor-based interface-circuit-and-data-translation module. The system receives data on the current attitude of the airplane from the inertial navigation system of the airplane. The microprocessor decodes the attitude data and uses them to compute commands for the GPS-antenna-articulating mechanism to tilt the antenna, relative to the airplane, in opposition to the roll or bank of the airplane to keep the antenna pointed toward the zenith. The system was tested aboard the hurricane- hunting airplane of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) [see figure] during an 11-hour flight to observe the landfall of Hurricane Bret in late summer of 1999. No bank-angle restrictions were imposed during the flight. Post-flight analysis of the GPS trajectory data revealed that no cycle slip had occurred.considered normal maneuvers. These steep banks are highly desirable for minimizing flight


Many practical problems are modeled with networks and graphs. Their exploration is of significant importance, and several graph-exploration algorithms already exist. In this paper, we focus on a type of vertex equivalence, called exploratory equivalence, which has a great potential to speed up such algorithms. It is an equivalence based on graph automorphisms and can, for example, help us in solving the subgraph isomorphism problem, which is a well-known NP-hard problem. In particular, if a given pattern graph has nontrivial automorphisms, then each of its nontrivial exploratory equivalent classes gives rise to a set of constraints to prune the search space of solutions. In the paper, we define the maximum exploratory equivalence problem. We show that the defined problem is at least as hard the graph isomorphism problem. Additionally, we present a polynomial-time algorithm for solving the problem when the input is restricted to tree graphs. Furthermore, we show that for trees, a maximum exploratory equivalent partition leads to a globally optimal set of subgraph isomorphism constraints, whereas this is not necessarily the case for general graphs.


Objective: This double-blind, placebo controlled study examined whether menthol inhaled from an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) would change subjective and withdrawal alleviating effects of intravenous nicotine in young adult smokers. Methods: A total of 32 menthol-preferring smokers and 25 non-menthol-preferring smokers participated in the study that consisted of a random sequence of three different inhaled menthol conditions (0.0%, 0.5%, and 3.2%) across three test sessions (a single menthol condition per session). In each test session (performed at least 24 hours apart), a random order of saline, and two different nicotine infusions of 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg/70 kg of bodyweight were administered, one hour apart, concurrent with menthol inhalation. Results: While menthol did not alter the positive subjective effects of nicotine, menthol significantly enhanced aversive effects of nicotine in non-menthol-preferring smokers and reduced smoking urges in menthol-preferring smokers. In addition, menthol-preferring smokers reported blunted positive subjective responses to nicotine and less severe nicotine withdrawal after overnight nicotine deprivation. Finally, compared to non-menthol-preferring smokers, menthol-preferring smokers had a significantly lower baseline nicotine metabolite ratio indicating slower nicotine metabolism within our sample of menthol-preferring smokers. Conclusions: Our findings did not support an enhancement of nicotine's positive subjective effects from inhaled menthol. However, as compared to non-menthol-preferring smokers, menthol-preferring smokers had blunted positive subjective responses to nicotine and reduced overnight withdrawal severity that may be partly due to inhibition of nicotine metabolism from chronic exposure to inhaled menthol. Collectively, these results reveal a more complex and nuanced role of inhaled menthol in smokers than previously recognized.


ABSTRACT Previous studies of children with in-utero drug exposure (IUDE) raise concerns that decreased head circumference (HC) at birth increases the child's risk for later compromised cognitive functioning. The purpose of this study was to determine if HC at birth and HC growth change are associated with cognitive functioning (IQ) at 36 months of age in children with IUDE. In-utero drug exposed infants (N = 204) identified following delivery at two urban hospitals were compared with a group of non-exposed children (N = 34) matched for maternal age, gestational age and socioeconomic status. The IUDE infants had significantly smaller HC at birth than the non-exposed infants, however, by age 36 months the HC was comparable between the two groups. At age 36 months, there was no difference detected in the IQ between the IUDE and non-exposed groups, yet both groups scored almost one standard deviation below the mean for IQ and both groups were below but approached the US standard HC mean at the same age. Further studies of the more subtle effects of prenatal drug exposure such as attention, impulse control and state regulation on developmental outcomes are recommended as these children mature.


Three-dimensional computer modeling of reservoirs and ore bodies aids in understanding and exploiting these resources. This modeling tool enables the geologist and engineer to correlate in 3 dimensions, experiment with various geologic interpretations, combine variables to enhance certain geologic attributes, test for reservoir heterogeneities and continuity, select drill sites or perforation zones, determine volumes, plan production, generate geologic parameters for input to flow simulators, calculate tonnages and ore-waste ratios, and test sensitivity of reserves to various ore-grade cutoffs and economic parameters. All applications benefit from the ability to update rapidly the 3-dimensional computer models when new data are collected. Two 3-dimensional computer modeling projects demonstrate these capabilities. The first project involves modeling porosity, permeability, and water saturation in a Malaysian reservoir. The models were used to analyze the relationship between water saturation and porosity and to generate geologic parameters for input to a flow simulator. The second project involves modeling copper, zinc, silver, gold, and specific gravity in a massive sulfide ore body in British Columbia. The 4 metal models were combined into one copper-equivalence model and evaluated for tonnage, stripping ratio, and sensitivity to variations of ore-grade cutoff. End_of_Article - Last_Page 262------------


Abstract The labor share may be declining in the data, but it is often assumed constant in neoclassical growth models (NGM). We assess the quantitative importance of this discrepancy by comparing alternative calibration approaches featuring constant and declining labor shares. We find little difference in model performance. Our results derive from strong general equilibrium effects: while a declining labor share mechanically lowers wage growth, the investment response pushes wages back up. Hence, different models deliver nearly identical paths of macro aggregates. Numerous robustness checks (including a CES production function, different time periods, and calculations of the labor share) reinforce the similarity of performance across model specifications. We conclude that the NGM with a constant labor share is still an appropriate choice to study many standard macro aggregates.


The first cases of COVID-19 infection were reported as pneumonia of unknown cause in China in December 2019. While respiratory complications remain the hallmark of the disease, multisystem involvement has been well documented. Cardiovascular involvement with potentially lethal myocarditis has been extensively reported in the literature. Reports of conduction system disturbances are much rarer, especially in patients without other signs of cardiac involvement. We present a case of an 88-year-old male with no prior cardiac history who presented to the hospital with obstipation. He was diagnosed with a small bowel obstruction and underwent a lysis of adhesions. During the hospitalization, he developed intermittent bradycardia with a high-degree atrioventricular (AV) block. A decision was made to implant a permanent pacemaker. During a pre-procedure COVID-19 screen, he was found to be positive for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. He had no signs of myocardial injury, a transthoracic echocardiogram showed no abnormalities, and he remained free of any respiratory symptoms. While the involvement of the cardiac conduction system has been documented in patients with symptomatic COVID-19 infection, our patient only exhibited conduction abnormalities and remained free of other COVID-19 symptoms. The sole involvement of the conduction system by COVID-19 is rare, especially in patients with otherwise asymptomatic infections. There is no long-term data to suggest whether such conduction abnormalities are temporary or permanent. As such, patients might benefit from the implantation of a permanent pacemaker.


Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis is one of the most widely used methods in evaluating the accuracy of a classification method. It is used in many areas of decision making such as radiology, cardiology, machine learning as well as many other areas of medical sciences. The dissertation proposes a novel nonparametric estimation method of the ROC surface for the three-class classification problem via Bernstein polynomials. The proposed ROC surface estimator is shown to be uniformly consistent for estimating the true ROC surface. In addition, it is shown that the map from which the proposed estimator is constructed is Hadamard differentiable. The proposed ROC surface estimator is also demonstrated to lead to the explicit expression for the estimated volume under the ROC surface . Moreover, the exact mean squared error of the volume estimator is derived and some related results for the mean integrated squared error are also obtained. To assess the performance and accuracy of the proposed ROC and volume estimators, Monte-Carlo simulations are conducted. Finally, the method is applied to the analysis of two real data sets.


To investigate the modulatory roles of central gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A and GABAB receptors in the regulation of basal and stress-induced plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, we examined the effects of i.c.v. injection of GABA receptor agonists and antagonists on basal and restraint stress-induced plasma IL-6 levels in mice. Muscimol (20-200 ng), a GABAA receptor agonist, and baclofen (5-20 ng), a GABAB receptor agonist, injected i.c.v. did not affect the basal levels of plasma IL-6. In the restraint-stressed animals, muscimol and baclofen inhibited the stress-induced plasma IL-6 levels from the dose of 50 and 15 ng, respectively. 2-(3-Carboxyl)-3-amino-6-(4-methoxyphenyl)-pyridazinium bromide (SR-95,531; 0.3-10 ng), a GABAA receptor antagonist, and 2-hydroxysaclofen (1-10 microgram), a GABAB receptor antagonist, injected i.c.v. increased both the basal and the restraint stress-induced plasma IL-6 levels. The i.p. pretreatment of animals with 6-hydroxydopamine (100 mg/kg) for 3 days significantly inhibited SR-95,531 (3 ng i.c.v.)- but not 2-hydroxysaclofen (10 microg i.c.v.)-induced increase in the basal plasma IL-6 levels. These data suggest that central GABAA and GABAB receptors are involved in the suppressive modulation of basal and restraint stress-induced plasma IL-6 levels in mice.


The study examines the perceptions formed through the media texts, in the English print media in Pakistan. Highlighting attitudes towards women, developed in part due to the language content in the newspapers, the relationship between portrayal of women by the print media and existence of gender bias in the language content, in an effort to understand and explain the need to create a foundation for change in the print media language content. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaire, content analysis of selected English language daily Newspapers and face-to-face journalistic interviews. Articles related to women issues published in leading English newspapers were also analyzed. The statistical tools of the Independent Samples Test and Paired Samples Test were used to determine differences in perceptions of males and female readers formed by the language content of the English Newspapers. The data revealed that the issues related to women in Pakistani society remain generally ignored or downplayed. The overwhelming emphasis on Pakistan's patriarchal identity continues to overshadow women. The study is an attempt to trigger a debate and to encourage further research on studies aimed at the critique and revision of gender stereotypes and gender prejudices in the print media.


It is proved that when the retarded effect (or multiple moment effect) of radiation fields is taken into account, the light's high order stimulated radiation and stimulated absorption probabilities are not the same so that time reversal symmetry would be violated, though the total Hamiltonian of electromagnetic interaction is still unchanged under time reversal. The reason to cause time reversal symmetry violation is that certain filial or partial transitive processes of bounding state atoms are forbidden or can't be achieved actually due to the law of energy conservation, the asymmetric actions of effective transition operators before and after time reversal, as well as the special states of atoms themselves. These restrictions would cause the symmetry violation of time reversal of other filial or partial transition processes which can be actualized really. The symmetry violation is also relative to the initial state's asymmetries of bounding atoms before and after time reversal. For the electromagnetic interaction between non-bounding state's atoms and radiation field, there is no this kind of symmetry violation of time reversal. In this way, the current formula of light's stimulated radiation and absorption parameters with time reversal symmetry should be revised. The influence of time reversal symmetry violation on the foundational theory of laser is also discussed and the phenomena of non-population inversion and non-radiation transition can also be explained well. In this way, a more reliable foundation can be established for the theories of laser and nonlinear optics in which non-equilibrium processes are involved.


The 'social relations of science' movement grew to prominence in the 1930s. Its story has been told by McGucken (1984), MacLeod and MacLeod (1976), and Werskey (1978) among others. The movement consisted of predominantly left-wing scientists who held that science could and should be applied to the alleviation of social problems, and that a rationally planned society was more just, and more efficient, than one operating on laissez-faire principles. In their view, the potential of science for social improvement was being frustrated by reactionary and vested interests. Part of their mission was to educate the public in science and rational thought. Mass media such as radio were attractive for this function.
This paper looks at the social relations of science movement in relation to science broadcasting on the BBC during the 1930s. During the first half of the 1930s, several 'science and society' broadcasts were given on BBC radio, often by scientists associated with the social relations of science movement, such as physicist Patrick Blackett and mathematician Hyman Levy. These talks will be outlined, as will the BBC's 'Changing World' series of broadcasts which were a direct consequence of the economic crisis of 1930/31.
The paper argues that despite the known liberal sympathies of many of the BBC Talks staff during the early 1930s, 'science and society' talks were regarded by them, and especially by science producer Mary Adams, with suspicion. This was not so much because these talks presented controversial politics (although there was an element of that), but because they were regarded as 'poor radio'. The paper argues that BBC production staff used criteria for assessing broadcasts based on their own developing sense of the professionalism of public service broadcasting. The profession of broadcasting embodied, in the view of BBC staff, the distinct skill of knowing what the audience could cope with and how best to present it. This skill was the exclusive preserve of the professional broadcaster.


This study examines the expected interference of artificial intelligence (AI), which challenges the fundamental legal standards used in two principal aspects to protect the patent law: first, if any modification is required to promote the AI innovation under the current patent subject eligibility standard; and, second, if the inventions created by the AI must be patentable are crucial in order to patent issues of imminent disorder and merit discussion. The research also reviews the legal question of whether AI inventions can be properly protected without human intervention under the current patent scheme. To explore the discussion, the research starts with the methodology of "doctrinal" or "black letter law". The study is also based on a comparative method to examine, where appropriate, the patentability and the problems of inventorship on the invention generated by the AI. The feasible recommendation is therefore that the patent system must find ways to help achieve its primary goals. This means that the definition of the individual, inventor and individual specified in patent law needs to be reviewed to ensure a valued identification of patentability and of an inventorship in the rapid development of the technology.


CARIBELATE, the Caribbean Environmental Laboratory for the Advancement of Technological Entrepreneurship is an evolving institutional concept, as well as a physical complex, that provides a dynamic environment for public, academic and private sector organizations to conduct proof of concept technology demonstrations in a landfill environment. This article traces the successful networking of demonstrations at a landfill in New Jersey and the subsequent design of the CARIBELA TE project in the Municipality of Carolina, Puerto Rico. The institutional model developed for the Puerto Rico facility has brought together an unlikely combination of stakeholders. Those from the private sector, here called industrial partners, are paired with academic researchers to optimize products for local markets. The basic technology system demonstrated in New Jersey and to be replicated in Puerto Rico removes harmful contaminants from landfill gas and in so doing produces a variety of useful products. A portion of the landfill gas is utilized for micro-turbine electricity generation and for heating a demonstration greenhouse that houses aquaculture coupled with hydroponic crop production, where aquaculture effluents are recycled as plant nutrients. A strict protocol to verify emission reduction is imposed on all the demonstrations at the CARIBELATE project. Although greenhouse gas credit verification is not the prime mission, it is suggested that the credits verified from these demonstrations are of high quality, and can serve as an excellent training platform. CARIBELATE is conceived to be operated at the municipal level and contribute to income generation and economic development. The continuing networking of stakeholders from the public and private sectors offers some potential guidance for replicating this design in the developing world.


This paper describes a numerical study of the behavior of exposed base plates of columns under the action of axial and bending loads. The aim of this research is to evaluate numerically the failure mechanisms on stiffened and non-stiffened base plates and propose a new design method. The effects of base plate thickness, location of anchor rods, location of stiffeners and tensile strength of anchor rods were considered in the analysis. Sixteen finite elements simulations were performed considering different combinations of the above mentioned parameters. The results show a fragile response in the base plates when high resistance anchor rods are used. The anchor rods worked as fuse elements in base plates with a large thickness or many stiffeners. Additionally, the models with anchor bars located outside of the column flanges showed lower flexural strength and rotational stiffness compared to the models with anchor rods located between column flanges. The simulations showed that the base plate strength was determined by the simultaneous failure mechanisms of two or more components, different to what is stated in current design guides. Finally, the new method is suitable to design base plates with stiffened and not stiffened configurations, which unlike traditional design methods, show a good adjustment with numerical models.


Description COVID-19 is a new coronavirus that can cause severe respiratory distress. Interestingly, patients can present with COVID-19 and appear relatively well but with significant hypoxia, even with minimal movement. The authors present the case of a well-appearing gentleman who became acutely short of breath while undergoing chest imaging, stating he could not breathe. He tested positive for COVID-19 and recovered. His presentation, clinical course and imaging findings are discussed.


PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the various forms of organizational and team-level actions that were perceived to be helpful or not helpful by employees as they navigate the hybrid work arrangements and how these had an impact on their work behaviors and experiences. This research utilized Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory as framework.Design/methodology/approachThe exploratory study used a qualitative approach in gathering data via online survey from a total of 45 Filipino employees working in a hybrid work arrangement for at least three months. The analysis utilized both inductive and deductive methodologies in examining the data. Inductive thematic analysis was used in coding the data based on the participants' responses, while the deductive approach ensured that the themes are aligned with the research questions and reflect the different systems within Bronfenbrenner's EST (1986).FindingsResults surfaced helpful organizational (e.g. provision of work tools, financial assistance, supportive policies and engagement and wellness initiatives) and team level actions (i.e. use of technology-based communication tools, open virtual door policy, effective performance management system, employee care practices and team engagement activities). Actions that were perceived as not helpful include inadequate technological infrastructure, poor communication, insufficient training, punitive policies/practices and leadership issues at the organizational level as well as unresponsive colleagues and ineffective implementation of policies/processes at the level of teams. Employees reported being able to build on savings, becoming more productive and having greater work–life balance amid hybrid work. However, they continue to be challenged by blurred boundaries and inability to disconnect from work similar to when work was done remotely and now with sustaining momentum given the shifts on where they do their work.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study may guide programs and initiatives of human resource management practitioners and organizational leaders as they support employees in navigating through hybrid work.Originality/valueThe research expands extant knowledge on practices and experiences in hybrid work (Gifford, 2022). It also contributes to studies on human resource management that are nuanced based on where work is performed (Ng and Stanton, 2023) or with emerging work arrangements.


Brassica vegetables such as cabbage or pak choi contain alkenyl glucosinolates which can release epithionitriles and to a lesser degree isothiocyanates upon enzymatic hydrolysis. Here, for the first time, the metabolism of an epithionitrile was investigated in humans, namely 1-cyano-2,3-epithiopropane (CETP). After consumption of Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. alba and Brassica carinata sprouts, the main urinary metabolite of CETP was identified as N-acetyl-S-(3-cyano-2-(methylsulfanyl)propyl-cysteine using an UHPLC-ESI-QToF-MS approach and synthesis of the metabolite. This urinary epithionitrile metabolite is an S-methylated mercapturic acid. No other metabolites were detected. Then, in a preliminary pilot experiment the excretion kinetics of CETP were investigated in three volunteers. After consumption of a B. carinata sprout preparation containing 50.8 µmol of CETP, urinary N-acetyl-S-(3-cyano-2-(methylsulfanyl)propyl-cysteine concentrations were the highest three hours after consumption, ranging from 23.9 to 37.2 µM, and declined thereafter. Thus, epithionitriles are bioavailable compounds that are metabolized similarly to isothiocyanates by the mercapturic acid pathway. In the future, more epithionitrile metabolites should be identified and the pharmacokinetics of these important class of dietary compounds should be assessed in more detail.


A general concept on the definition of the second law efficiencies of thermodynamic cycles is introduced. The efficiency is defined to be proportional to the entropy generation divided by the maximum possible entropy generation. This way of definition of the cycle efficiency is clear and concise and, moreover, follows faithfully the concept of the second law of thermodynamics. This definition is applied to heat engine, refrigerator and heat pump. The second law efficiencies of heat engine and refrigeration cycles are derived, which are the same as the existing ones, respectively. The second law efficiency of heat pump, however, finds to be different from the existing one. Discussion is given about the difference and its cause.


The increasing role of computation in today's society requires us to go beyond computer science courses to integrating computational tools and practices within disciplinary contexts. However, we know little about what integration looks like in primary, secondary, and university classrooms. In this panel, we share perspectives on the importance of developing knowledge of computation in a digitized world and how it could be integrated within disciplinary context. In particular, we will discuss what embedding computation looks like at the elementary, secondary, and university level and how it can support disciplinary learning.


Combining strong coupling and hopping expansion one can derive a dimensionally reduced effective theory of lattice QCD. This theory has a reduced sign problem, is amenable to analytic evaluation and was successfully used to study the cold and dense regime of QCD for sufficiently heavy quarks. We show results from the evaluation of the effective theory for arbitrary $N_c$ up to $\kappa^4$. The inclusion of gauge corrections is also investigated. We find that the onset transition to finite baryon number density steepens with growing $N_c$ even for $T \neq 0$. This suggests that in the large $N_c$ limit the onset transition is first order up to the deconfinement transition. Beyond the onset, the pressure is shown to scale as $p \sim N_c$ through three orders in the hopping expansion, which is characteristic for a phase termed quarkyonic matter in the literature.


【Objectives : The aim of this study is to propose the treatment of Peripheral Facial paralysis using Korean medical treatment methods as acupuncture, Phmacopuncture, medicine and etc.Methods : Papers were searched in internet sites such as Nation Digital Science Library, Koreanstudies Information Service System, Research Information Sharing Service and The National Assembly Library with title and abstract ʻBell's palsy' or ʻFacial paralysis' and ʻphamacopuncture' or ʻbee venom' orʻhominis placenta'etc.Results : 18 papers using phamacopuncture were selected. Most of all is used Bee Vemon Phamcopuncure and all of them used Acupuncture and Medicine therapies. And Groups used Phamacopuncture such as ʻBee Venom',ʻHominis Placenta', ʻSoyeom', ʻBUM',ʻJungsongoulhyul'etc are statistically improved compared to unused Groups.Conclusions : Acupuncture and Phamacopuncture are useful methods to improve the Peripheral Facial Paralysis, but further researchs are needed.】


Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE 2), during the Cenomanian‐Turonian transition (∼94 Ma), was the largest perturbation of the global carbon cycle in the mid‐Cretaceous and can be recognized by a positive carbon‐isotope excursion in sedimentary strata. Although OAE 2 has been linked to large‐scale volcanism, several large igneous provinces (LIPs) were active at this time (e.g., Caribbean, High Arctic, Madagascan, Ontong‐Java) and little clear evidence links OAE 2 to a specific LIP. The Mid‐Cenomanian Event (MCE, ∼96 Ma), identified by a small, 1‰ positive carbon‐isotope excursion, is often referred to as a prelude to OAE 2. However, no underlying cause has yet been demonstrated and its relationship to OAE 2 is poorly constrained. Here we report sedimentary mercury (Hg) concentration data from four sites, three from the southern margin of the Western Interior Seaway and one from Demerara Rise, in the equatorial proto‐North Atlantic Ocean. We find that, in both areas, increases in mercury concentrations and Hg/TOC ratios coincide with the MCE and the OAE 2. However, the increases found in these sites are of a lower magnitude than those found in records of many other Mesozoic events, possibly characteristic of a marine rather than atmospheric dispersal of mercury for both events. Combined, the new mercury data presented here are consistent with an initial magmatic pulse at the time of the MCE, with a second, greater pulse at the onset of OAE 2, possibly related to the emplacement of LIPs in the Pacific Ocean and/or the High Arctic.


A simple model to explain the distribution of ice-rafted debris in deep-sea sediments of the Southern Ocean proposes that ice-rafted debris maxima in the high latitudes are associated with interglacial periods and in the lower latitudes with glacial periods. Initial testing of this model is now extended using nine Eltanin piston cores from the southeast Indian Ocean. Frequency variation in the Antarctic radiolarian Antarctissa strelkovi is used as a paleotemperature index, and the ice-rafted debris is measured for the 62- to 250-µm fraction. The merit in using ice-rafted debris–temperature relationships (rather than magnitudes of debris) is demonstrated by the presence of high concentrations of ice-rafted debris in cores of low sedimentation rate, showing that the debris can be a residual coarse fraction rather than an index of higher deposition rates from icebergs. Departures from the predicted ice-rafted debris-paleotemperature correlations during the Brunhes epoch suggest complexities that could be due to such factors as anomalous ice-shelf development, ice surges, variations of preferred iceberg tracks, periods during which conditions are transitional between extreme glacial and interglacial, or between differential sea-floor dynamic processes. To evaluate such possibilities, the model is now developed to include stages intermediate between extreme glacial and interglacial conditions. Complex ice-rafted debris variations are predicted to result across north to south traverses as climatic fronts sweep between extreme climatic conditions, resulting in difficulty in determining between-core correlations. Attempts have been made to isolate periods of departure from the predicted ice-rafted debris–paleotemperature correlations by computation of down-core–running correlation coefficients between the two variables. A lack of fine stratigraphic control, at present, makes it impossible to test definitively the implications of the more complex model, and thus it stands as a proposed, yet un-proven, source of departures from the simple model predictions.


We make progress on understanding a lower bound technique that was recently used by the authors to prove the first superpolynomial constant-depth circuit lower bounds against algebraic circuits. More specifically, our previous work applied the well-known partial derivative method in a new setting, that of lopsided set-multilinear polynomials. A set-multilinear polynomial P ∈ F[X1, ..., Xd] (for disjoint sets of variables X1, ..., Xd) is a linear combination of monomials, each of which contains one variable from X1, ..., Xd. A lopsided space of set-multilinear polynomials is one where the sets X1, ..., Xd are allowed to have different sizes (we use the adjective "lopsided" to stress this feature). By choosing a suitable lopsided space of polynomials, and using a suitable version of the partial-derivative method for proving lower bounds, we were able to prove constant-depth superpolynomial set-multilinear formula lower bounds even for very low-degree polynomials (as long as d is a growing function of the number of variables N). This in turn implied lower bounds against general formulas of constant-depth. A priori, there is nothing stopping these techniques from giving us lower bounds against algebraic formulas of any depth. We investigate the extent to which this lower bound can extend to greater depths. We prove the following results. 1. We observe that our choice of the lopsided space and the kind of partial-derivative method used can be modeled as the choice of a multiset W ⊆ [−1, 1] of size d. Our first result completely characterizes, for any product-depth Δ, the best lower bound we can prove for set-multilinear formulas of product-depth Δ in terms of some combinatorial properties of W, that we call the depth-Δ tree bias of W. 2. We show that the maximum depth-3 tree bias, over multisets W of size d, is Θ(d1/4). This shows a stronger formula lower bound of Nω(d1/4) for set-multilinear formulas of product-depth 3, and also puts a non-trivial constraint on the best lower bounds we can hope to prove at this depth in this framework (a priori, we could have hoped to prove a lower bound of NΩ(Δd1/Δ) at product-depth Δ). 3. Finally, we show that for small Δ, our proof technique cannot hope to prove lower bounds of the form NΩ(Δd1/ poly(Δ)). This seems to strongly hint that new ideas will be required to prove lower bounds for formulas of unbounded depth.


Private sector organisations face increasing challenges of competing in a world market and rapid technological advancements. This in turn has necessitated fundamental changes in behaviour and orientation towards workforce and employability skills for current or future employment needs. This paper aims to investigate the most needed employability skills by the Saudi private sector and how successful are the higher educational establishments in delivering graduates with skills that match what the market is asking for? The study finds that 77.8% of the employers, surveyed in our sample, express their doubt about the ability of the higher education system in providing graduates with the appropriate employability skills. The study also concludes that there are certain skills highly in demand by the Saudi employers. Top of the list comes loyalty and hard working, excellent time keeping and commitment, ability to work in a team, English language competence, and computer literacy. Although, employers agreed on the importance of previous experience and writing skills but it comes at the bottom of their priority ladder for employability skills.


Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are present in both indoor and outdoor environments, and have the potential to adversely impact the health of all age groups of people that are exposed to them. This study examines and assesses the short-term effects of VOCs on nonspecific conjunctivitis. Data were collected from outpatient visits for nonspecific conjunctivitis in air-quality monitoring areas. Air quality data were collected from the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration's air quality monitoring stations. To find the immediate and lag effects of VOCs, an area-specific, casecrossover analysis was performed and a meta-analysis with random effects was used to combine the area-specific results. The results show that toluene, m,p-xylene, o-xylene, propylene, and benzene had higher maximum incremental reactivity (MIR) values and concentrations in air than any of the other studied VOCs. These 5 VOCs also had the strongest shortterm effects on outpatient visits for nonspecific conjunctivitis. The effect was strongest for toluene, and there was a 1.3% increase [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.4–2.2] for an interquartile range rise in concentration. The results showed no evident lag effects. This study, which combined and integrated VOC and ophthalmologic data to investigate associations between outpatient visits for nonspecific conjunctivitis and VOC levels, found that there was a correlation between these visits and the short-term effects of VOCs, suggesting possible causes for nonspecific conjunctivitis.


Markov state models (MSMs) have become one of the preferred methods for the analysis and interpretation of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of conformational transitions in biopolymers. While there is great variation in terms of implementation, a well-defined workflow involving multiple steps is often adopted. Typically, molecular coordinates are first subjected to dimensionality reduction and then clustered into small "microstates", which are subsequently lumped into "macrostates" using the information from the slowest eigenmodes. However, the microstate dynamics is often non-Markovian and long lag times are required to converge the MSM. Here we propose a variation on this typical workflow, taking advantage of hierarchical density-based clustering. When applied to simulation data, this type of clustering separates high population regions of conformational space from others that are rarely visited. In this way, density-based clustering naturally implements assignment of the data based on transitions between metastable states. As a result, the state definition becomes more consistent with the assumption of Markovianity and the timescales of the slow dynamics of the system are recovered more effectively. We present results of this simplified workflow for a model potential and MD simulations of the alanine dipeptide and the FiP35 WW domain.


Background: Asthma can be controlled through dose adjustment. Yet, there is not enough evidence available about the adjustment of asthma controllers in order for guidelines to strongly suggest stepping up or stepping for optimum control. Objectives: Gathering opinions from a large number of Spanish experts in asthma management in order to put together a series of practical recommendations about treatment adjustment. Method: After going over scientific evidence and assembling eleven groups, which would carry out simultaneous discussions aimed at topics previously agreed upon during start-up meetings, a modified Delphi survey was conducted in order to gather the opinion of seventy five healthcare experts on treatment adjustment in asthma. Results: After two discussion rounds, consensus was reached about 88.3% of the items previously selected for discussion. Such consensus included the following notions: Step-up therapy should be considered in severe asthma after 6-12 months, and in non-severe asthma after 3-6 months. Step-down therapy should be considered in controlled patients without exacerbations. Maintenance is important during pregnancy. Dose adjustment should be necessary in the treatment of seasonal allergy. Patients receiving immunotherapy or biologics may require treatment adjustment. Conclusions: Every asthma patient requires a personalized approach, depending on such factors as previous control of asthma, severity of exacerbations, lung function, seasonal allergy, pregnancy and concomitant treatments.


Several years ago I introduced what has now become our established pattern of signing book reviews with a blast at Ochsner's weird exhibit of contemporary witchcraft as it applies to tobacco smoking. Northrup's book, written in a breezy, informal style, is destined to give great solace to smokers and those who gain a livelihood in the tobacco industry. It provides a counterpoise to Ochsner's book by being immoderate in its moderation. It does present both sides of the picture, however, and emphasizes again and again the probability that many more sides of this problem exist somewhat out of reach and beyond present knowing. The future may look back on our times as remarkable for great naivete about science and research. Science has come to be deified by the man in the street as sign and symbol of this age. Like many past deifications the exploiters and devotees who have brought


Radish, cress and alfalfa seeds contaminated with Escherichia coli O157 and Salmonella Enteritidis were stored at 4°C for 8 months. As a result, at contamination levels of 104 colony forming units (cfu) /10g, populations of S. Enteritidis in all seeds and those of.E. coli O157 in cress seeds were maintained for up to 8 months. When the seeds were grown, the edible parts of sprouts were heavily contaminated with the microorganisms. Although the population of E.coli O157 in radish and alfalfa seeds had greatly decreased, the microorganism was detected in the edible parts of sprouts from the seeds. At contamination levels of 102 cfu/10g, S. Enteritidis survived in alfalfa seeds at low population levels for up to 8 months and were detected at high population levels in sprouts from the seeds. These results suggested that E. coli O157 and S. Enteritidis could survive in seeds refrigerated for a long time and contaminate the sprouts from the seeds. Furthermore, E. coli O157 and S. Enteritidis were able to grow in the soaking water of seeds. Under a scanning electron microscope, we observed that the surface substrates of seeds were removed after soaking for a short time. Infrared spectroscopy revealed that the substrates were mainly composed of saccharides. These findings suggested that the growth of bacterial pathogens during sprouting of seeds depends on the surface saccharides of the seeds.


This article studies the infinite-horizon adaptive optimal control of continuous-time linear periodic (CTLP) systems. A novel value iteration (VI) based off-policy adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) algorithm is proposed for a general class of CTLP systems, so that approximate optimal solutions can be obtained directly from the collected data, without the exact knowledge of system dynamics. Under mild conditions, the proofs on uniform convergence of the proposed algorithm to the optimal solutions are given for both the model-based and model-free cases. The VI-based ADP algorithm is able to find suboptimal controllers without assuming the knowledge of an initial stabilizing controller. Application to the optimal control of a triple inverted pendulum subjected to a periodically varying load demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.


In this article, I argue for the notion of what I term 'uncanny water' as a conceptual tool for reading contemporary oceanic fictions. The uncanny's affective capacity to destabilise epistemological and ontological certainties makes it a particularly potent literary tool for challenging the nature/culture binary. I argue that fictions which actively defamiliarise the ocean can be used to redress the anthropocentric privilege found in hitherto narratives of the oceanic that were predicated upon mastery and control, and that uncanny moments of displacement and uncertainty can illuminate human/oceanic interconnections and foster a sense of responsibility and compassion towards the oceans. I identify resonances between the uncanny's continuing referentiality and the notion that feminist transcorporeality interrelates the subject into networks of materiality which extend across time and space in unknowable ways. Both transcorporeality and the uncanny work against the conceit of the individual through the dissolution of boundaries, and, crucially, both require a suspension of assumptions of the self as whole, discrete and impermeable. To demonstrate this, I read the uncanny waters of contemporary fictions from the Northern Atlantic Littoral (Atlantic Canada and the westernmost parts of the UK). The littoral position of these spaces makes them ideally placed to negotiate the borders between habitable and unhabitable spaces, and the limitations of knowledge that run alongside this. I assert that iterations of uncanny water offer a transoceanic dialogue which shifts constructions of subjectivity away from national and terrestrial boundaries to one more akin to the fluid and relational dialectics of transcorporeality.


This study aims to find out how budget participation and budget emphasis affect budget gaps in majene district government. The population in this study was all official offices in Majene Regency, which amounted to 20 offices. The sample selection method is purposive sampling. The sample of this research amounted to 60 samples. Data analysis using multiple linear regression test analysis tools, data validity and realibility test and classical assumption test consisting of normality test, multicholinearity test, heteroskedasticity test, . Hypothesis testing is carried out by partial testing (t), simultaneous testing (f), and determination (R2 ). The results of data analysis or multiple linear regressions show that partially (t) the variables of budget participation and budget emphasis affect budget lengths, Simultaneously (f) budget participation, and budget emphasis affects jointly on budget lengths. In the adjusted column R square is 0.470 or 47%, which means budget participation and budget emphasis in explaining the budget equivalent variable of 47% while 53% is explained by other variables not described in this study.


Last two decades have been marked by a significant evolution on the design of HP/HT subsea pipelines around the world. The HotPipe and SAFEBUCK JIPs can be seen as the first deepened developments in order to obtain safe design guidelines for subsea pipelines systems subjected to global buckling and walking behaviors. The adopted design approach have been to allow exposed pipeline buckles globally on seabed in a safe and controlled manner. Otherwise, the walking phenomenon has been in general mitigated constraining axial displacements by means of anchoring systems.
 After several design and installation challenges concerning lateral buckling and pipeline walking behaviors, nowadays there is a significant amount of deepwater pipelines operating with buckle initiators (triggers) as well as walking mitigation devices in offshore Brazil. Oil and gas pipelines, short gathering lines and long export lines, installed by reeling and J-lay methods, in other words different kinds of subsea pipelines have operated on very soft clayey soils and have formed planned lateral buckles as well as rogue buckles.
 This paper presents the main characteristics and design challenges of the deepwater pipelines subjected to the lateral buckling behavior, also highlighting mitigation measures to constrain the walking phenomenon of some pipelines. The relevant design results are highlighted as type and number of buckle triggers, buckle spacing, type and locations of walking mitigations. Envelopment of the main design parameters are mapped in order to identify some trends. Finally, survey images of operating pipelines are presented confirming behaviors predicted in the design phase.


INTRODUCTION
Claudin-4 (CLDN4) is a transmembrane protein, responsible for cellular contact and organization. A different expression of claudin 4 in the endometrium, depending on the menstrual cycle and with peak at the aim of the 'implantation window', has been observed. CLDN4 is believed to play an important role in embryo implantation.

THE AIM
The aim of the study was to compare the mRNA CLDN4 expression levels in two subgroups of infertile women (idiopathic infertility or minimal endometriosis) and compare them to fertile controls.

METHOD
The study included 36 women with idiopathic infertility and 24 with minimal endometriosis. The control group comprised 26 women. Eutopic endometrium samples were collected with a Pipelle device during the implantation window. Firstly mRNA was extracted from the endometrium and reverse transcribed into cDNA. Real time PCR was used for the assessment of relative expression levels.

RESULTS
The observed transcription level of CLDN4 did not differ statistically between the studied groups, but was significantly higher when compared to controls.

CONCLUSIONS
Exceedingly high levels of CLDN4 might negatively influence fertility rates.


Adaptive signaling schemes are derived that attempt to minimize the outage probability for wireless systems with strict delay constraints, under the assumption of perfect causal channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter and receiver. Using the channel characterization and delay constraint parameters imposed by the application, a recursive set of equations is derived for the outage probability in the case of constant-power adaptive modulation. This set of equations is used to derive an optimal constant-power adaptive uncoded quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) scheme, and its performance is compared against that of traditional adaptive uncoded techniques designed to maximize average rate subject to a bit error probability constraint. A suboptimal scheme is also presented. Numerical results indicate that the proposed uncoded adaptive schemes significantly outperform adaptive schemes designed to maximize average rate. We also overview results on adaptive coded modulation obtained by Kamath (see Thesis, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, September 2001), which suggest that long-term power adaptation is necessary to achieve gains in outage probability versus non-adaptive coded schemes.


The study aimed to determine the qualifications and competencies of guidance teachers in correlation with their performance for the school year 2018 – 2019. The status of the qualifications of the guidance teachers was determined in terms of educational attainment, level of seminars and trainings attended pertinent to guidance related work and length of service as a guidance teacher. The respondents of the study were 15 school heads, 37 guidance teachers and 1,001 teachers. The study utilized the descriptive evaluative method. Data were collected through the use of researcher – adapted questionnaire checklist. The results showed that there is no significant correlation between the qualifications of the guidance teachers and their competencies as perceived by the three groups of respondents. The results showed that there are no significant correlations between the qualifications of the guidance teachers and their performance. In consideration of the correlation that exists, the administrators and the teachers perceived that the guidance teachers' qualifications are positively correlated with the performance. The results showed that there is a low correlation between the competencies of guidance teachers and their performance but considered to be not significant. In consideration of the administrators and teachers, the correlation is positive while for the guidance teachers themselves, the correlation is negative.


A single leak in a duct can be detected, located and sized by measuring the input impedance of the duct and then analytically solving an inverse problem. However, previously applied analytical methods break down when it comes to predicting smaller hole sizes. Results are presented which show that, by treating smaller holes as capillaries and applying appropriate theoretical approximations, accurate predictions of smaller hole sizes are possible.

Extending the analytical methods to a duct containing multiple leaks is non-trivial as the resulting mathematical expressions are highly complex. In this thesis, an alternative approach which uses optimisation methodology to detect, locate and size multiple leaks in a duct is described. The optimisation algorithms are applied to a measurement of the duct's input impedance but they are able to cope with the presence of multiple leaks. Results are presented which illustrate the success of the optimisation approach in detecting, locating and sizing multiple leaks in a duct.

An objective function incorporating the theoretical input impedance of a model duct and experimental input impedance of the cylindrical pipe under investigation is designed. By studying the behaviour of the objective function and the application of different numerical optimisation methods, it is possible to determine those methods most suitable for investigating leaks. Results are presented showing that the Rosenbrock optimisation algorithm provides predictions of hole sizes and locations which are in good agreement with their actual values. The success of the Rosenbrock optimisation algorithm is attributed to function minimisation techniques incorporating non derivative based search directions and optimisation steps.


This paper introduces a novel scalable pipelined VLSI architecture for a 4 × 4 64-QAM hard-output multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) detector based on K-best lattice decoders. The key contribution is a means of expanding the intermediate nodes of the search tree on-demand, rather than exhaustively, along with three types of distributed sorters operating in a pipelined structure. The proposed architecture has a fixed critical path independent of the constellation size, on-demand expansion scheme, efficient distributed sorters, and is scalable to higher number of antennas. Fabricated in 0.13 μm CMOS, it occupies 0.95 mm2 core area. Operating at 282 MHz clock frequency, it dissipates 135 mW at 1.3 V supply with no BER performance loss. It achieves an SNR-independent throughput of 675 Mbps satisfying the requirements of IEEE 802.16m and long term evolution (LTE) systems. The measurements confirm that this design consumes 3.0 × less energy/bit and operates at a significantly higher throughput compared to the best previously published design.


In recent years, the foundry sector has been showing an increased interest in reclamation of used sands. Grain shape, sieve analysis, chemical and thermal characteristics must be uniform while molding the sand for better casting characteristics. The problem that tackled by every foundry industry is that of processing an adequate supply of sand which has the properties to meet many requirements imposed upon while molding and core making. Recently, fluidized bed combustors are becoming core of 'clean wastes technology' due to their efficient and clean burning of sand. For proven energy efficient sand reclamation processing, analysis of heating system in fluidized bed combustor (FBC) is required. The objective of current study is to design heating element and analysis of heating system by calculation of heat losses and thermal analysis offluidized bed combustorfor improving efficiency.


Emergency medicine is a recent discipline which relies much on emergency radiology. Emergency physicians are developing specific diagnostic work-ups and therapies for emergency conditions and exploring specific management of the department, attesting of a growing interest in emergency medicine radiology. In this article we give a survey of the history of emergency medicine radiology and we discuss this rather young subdiscipline of radiology.