A central object in optimal stopping theory is the single-choice prophet inequality for independent, identically distributed random variables: Given a sequence of random variables $X_1,\dots,X_n$ drawn independently from a distribution $F$, the goal is to choose a stopping time $\tau$ so as to maximize $\alpha$ such that for all distributions $F$ we have $\mathbb{E}[X_\tau] \geq \alpha \cdot \mathbb{E}[\max_tX_t]$. What makes this problem challenging is that the decision whether $\tau=t$ may only depend on the values of the random variables $X_1,\dots,X_t$ and on the distribution $F$. For quite some time the best known bound for the problem was $\alpha\geq1-1/e\approx0.632$ [Hill and Kertz, 1982]. Only recently this bound was improved by Abolhassani et al. [2017], and a tight bound of $\alpha\approx0.745$ was obtained by Correa et al. [2017].
The case where $F$ is unknown, such that the decision whether $\tau=t$ may depend only on the values of the first $t$ random variables but not on $F$, is equally well motivated (e.g., [Azar et al., 2014]) but has received much less attention. A straightforward guarantee for this case of $\alpha\geq1/e\approx0.368$ can be derived from the solution to the secretary problem. Our main result is that this bound is tight. Motivated by this impossibility result we investigate the case where the stopping time may additionally depend on a limited number of samples from~$F$. An extension of our main result shows that even with $o(n)$ samples $\alpha\leq 1/e$, so that the interesting case is the one with $\Omega(n)$ samples. Here we show that $n$ samples allow for a significant improvement over the secretary problem, while $O(n^2)$ samples are equivalent to knowledge of the distribution: specifically, with $n$ samples $\alpha\geq1-1/e\approx0.632$ and $\alpha\leq\ln(2)\approx0.693$, and with $O(n^2)$ samples $\alpha\geq0.745-\epsilon$ for any $\epsilon>0$.


Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are phase II enzymes that are involved in the detoxification of a wide range of carcinogens. The novel GSTA1*A and GSTA1*B genetic polymorphism results in differential expression, with lower transcriptional activation of GSTA1*B (variant) than that of GSTA1*A (common) allele. Considering that cruciferous vegetables induce GSTs, which metabolize tobacco smoke carcinogens, we hypothesized that the variant GSTA1*B genotype may predispose women to breast cancer, particularly among low cruciferous vegetable consumers and among smokers. Thus, we evaluated potential relationships between GSTA1 polymorphisms and breast cancer risk, in relation to vegetable consumption and smoking status in the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project (1996-1997), a population-based case-control study. Genotyping (1036 cases and 1089 controls) was performed, and putative breast cancer risk factors and usual dietary intakes were assessed. Having GSTA1*A/*B or *B/*B genotypes was not associated with increased breast cancer risk, compared to having the common *A/*A genotype. However, among women in the lowest two tertiles of cruciferous vegetable consumption, *B/*B genotypes were associated with increased risk (OR (95% CI)=1.73 (1.10-2.72) for 0-1 servings/week), compared to women with *A/*A genotypes. Among women with *B/*B genotypes, a significant inverse trend between cruciferous vegetable consumption and breast cancer risk was observed (P for trend=0.05), and higher consumption (4+ servings/week) ameliorated the increased risk associated with the genotype. Current smokers with *B/*B genotypes had a 1.89-fold increase in risk (OR (95% CI)=1.89 (1.09-3.25)), compared with never smokers with *A/*A genotypes. These data indicate that GSTA1 genotypes related to reduced GSTA1 expression are associated with increased breast cancer primarily among women with lower consumption of cruciferous vegetables and among current smokers.


Invasive species, which recently expanded, may help understand how climatic niche can shift at the time scale of the current global change. Here, we address the climatic niche shift of an invasive shrub (common gorse, Ulex europaeus) at the world and regional scales to assess how it could contribute to increasing invasibility.

 Based on a 28 187 occurrences database, we used a combination of 9 species distribution models (SDM) to assess regional climatic niche from both the native range (Western Europe) and the introduced range in different parts of the world (North-West America, South America, North Europe, Australia and New Zealand).

 Despite being restricted to annual mean temperature between 4°C and 22°C, as well as annual precipitation higher than 300 mm/year, the range of bioclimatic conditions suitable for gorse was very large. Based on a native versus introduced SDM comparison, we highlighted a niche expansion in North-West America, South America and to a lesser degree in Australia, while a niche displacement was assessed in North Europe. These niche changes induced an increase in potential occupied areas by gorse by 49, 111, 202 and 283% in Australia, North Europe, North-West America and South America, respectively. On the contrary, we found no evidence of niche change in New Zealand, which presents similar climatic condition to the native environment (Western Europe). This study highlights how niche expansion and displacement of gorse might increase invasibility at regional scale. The change in gorse niche toward new climatic conditions may result from adaptive plasticity or genetic evolution and may explain why it has such a high level of invasibility. Taking into account the possibility of a niche shift is crucial to improve invasive plants management and control.


Beta thalassemia major is one of the common diseases in the world; it is one of health problems among children in Iraq. The disease leads to hemolytic anemia due to reduction of beta globin chains. Zinc and copper are important trace elements for synthesis of metalloproteins of hemoglobin enzymes. As zinc and copper are essential trace for synthesis of DNA; it is important to show their effect on severity of the disease among thalassemic patients. This study was performed during the period from November 2014 to June 2015. A total of 100 β-thalassemia major patients were enrolled in the current study; and patients were from the Thalassemia center in Azadi Teaching Hospital and 30 healthy children were taken as a control group. The blood samples were collected from 46 males and 54 females of different ages, ranging from (1-18) years. The level of serum zinc and copper were measured using spectrophotometer method. Comparison between thalassemic patients with control group; the results shown that there was high significant increased (p>0.01) in serum level of copper (148.69±28.90) while in serum level of zinc was decreased in thalassemic patients (60.52±10.63). Statistically there was no significant difference between different age groups and gender. The copper and zinc values decreased in splenctomized patients in comparison with non-splenctomized patients. The present study concluded that the level of serum copper increased while the level of serum zinc decreased in β-thalassemia major patients, this is also confirmed by other studies.


Electromagnetic wave emissions generated from PWM inverter and motor drive systems are rapidly increasing as switching characteristics of power switching devices used in PWM inverters are increased, and as operating frequencies of microcomputers in the motor drive controllers are also increased This paper discusses emission characteristics generated due to common mode noises which are produced by circuits having with stray capacitances between the PWM inverter frame and the motor frame. It is difficult to cope with reduction of common mode noises emissions in comparison with other differential mode noises. The emissions are analyzed by computer simulations using the method of moments, especially, for the case of emissions connected to the PWM inverter frame and motor frame by a conducting plate. The effects of cable length between the PWM inverter and motor on emissions is also examined In low frequency regions where the structure length of the drive system compromised of the PWM inverter and the motor is less than one-fourth of the electromagnetic wavelength, emissions are remarkably reduced by using a conducting plate between the PWM inverter and the motor. In high frequency regions there is hardly any reduction in emissions. Finally, the resonance phenomenon is shown to occur when cable length between the PWM inverter and the motor is equal to one half of the electromagnetic wavelength.


The Mediterranean region is an extremely complex hotspot where, since the Miocene, extensive geological, habitat and climate changes have taken place, alternating between warm and cold periods. These phenomena have taken a toll on the genetic composition of species, and surviving lineages have often adapted locally and diverged to the point of (complete) speciation. To study these phenomena, in this study we used one of the most enigmatic butterflies, the Portuguese dappled white, Euchloe tagis, a west Mediterranean endemic with fragmented, morphologically differentiated populations whose status have long been disputed. Even its affiliations with other Anthocharidini are largely unresolved. We used mitochondrial and nuclear markers under a phylogenetic and phylogeographical framework to evaluate its placement among relatives and population differentiation, reconstructing its evolutionary history. We found that this species had a Miocene origin ~15 Mya and was nearest to Euchloe s.s. and Elphinstonia. Its populations showed high genetic diversity but all coalesced to 5.3 Mya, when European and all but one African population diverged. Our multiple findings concerning the evolution of E. tagis through a changing, narrow habitable area might provide a more general perspective on how species survive within this hotspot of paramount importance.


In this paper we describe the Senseval 2 Basque lexical-sample task. The task comprised 40 words (15 nouns, 15 verbs and 10 adjectives) selected from Euskal Hiztegia, the main Basque dictionary. Most examples were taken from the Egunkaria newspaper. The method used to hand-tag the examples produced low inter-tagger agreement (75%) before arbitration. The four competing systems attained results well above the most frequent baseline and the best system scored 75% precision at 100% coverage. The paper includes an analysis of the tagging procedure used, as well as the performance of the competing systems. In particular, we argue that inter-tagger agreement is not a real upperbound for the Basque WSD task.


ABSTRACT We present the results of a dendrochronological study carried out on timbers from the monastic abbey Grancìa of Brindisi di Montagna in Southern Italy. Our objective was to date cross-sections of oak (Quercus spp.) taken from structural timbers to determine the felling dates, the time span covered by the series and to evaluate whether the retrieved tree-ring data could be used to extend an existing living trees chronology of oak from Southern Italy. Dendrochronological analyses were performed on samples collected from eight oak timbers in 2006 during the restoration of the abbey. Raw tree-ring series were crossdated and grouped into a floating chronology that was compared with an absolute reference chronology, specifically constructed from living Quercus pubescens (Willd.) trees, from the nearby Pollino National Park. Seven of eight samples could be absolutely dated in the early 19th, late 18th and mid late 17th Centuries, providing a chronology that reaches back to AD 1545.


Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is the second most common neurodegenerative cause of dementia. However, the aetiology of DLB remains poorly understood in comparison with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Current evidence supports that neuroinflammation, with involvement of the peripheral immune system, occurs in both AD and PD. Genetic studies in particular support an aetiological role for inflammation in AD rather than it being merely a consequence of neurodegeneration. Despite extensive research into the role of inflammation in AD and PD, there have been a paucity of studies in DLB. I hypothesised that DLB would show a specific cerebral and systemic inflammatory profile. In order to investigate this hypothesis, two studies were performed. A cross-sectional clinical study investigated peripheral inflammation in DLB, AD and controls using flow cytometry and multiplex immunoassay, and post-mortem human brain tissue work examined microglial immunophenotype in DLB, AD and controls using immunohistochemistry. The clinical study revealed increased serum concentrations of two proinflammatory cytokines (IL1β and IL6) in DLB compared with controls. In addition, flow cytometry showed a decline in cell populations associated with adaptive immunity (helper T cells and activated B cells) in DLB compared to AD. These data demonstrate senescence of the adaptive immune system in DLB compared with AD, possibly driving a chronic inflammatory state. The post-mortem work confirmed increased cerebral protein deposition in DLB and AD, but the two diseases showed markedly different microglial phenotypes. AD was characterised by a strong phagocytic microglial phenotype, but in DLB there was no evidence of increased activation of any phenotype. These findings may be associated with the different profiles of the peripheral adaptive immune system, with AD characterised by increased antibody-mediated microglial activation compared with DLB. The two studies undertaken as part of this project appear to show that the immunophenotype of DLB is distinct from that of AD, with cerebral inflammation not a primary feature of DLB as it is in AD. This has therapeutic implications in that the use of anti-inflammatory therapy may not indicated in DLB. Furthermore, identification of a unique peripheral immune profile in DLB warrants further exploration in order to develop a blood-based immune biomarker that could differentiate these two diseases.


Background: Sputum smear conversion is a key indicator of treatment response and reduced infectivity among smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis (SPPTB). This study aimed at estimating sputum smear conversion time and identifying factors hindering sputum smear conversion among SPPTB patients in East Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: A total of 282 SPPTB patients were followed for 22 weeks through weekly sputum smear evaluation. Due to the absence of sputum culture and rapid diagnostic services, sputum smear conversion evaluation was conducted microscopically using acid-fast-bacilli staining technique of sediments from a 5% sodium hypochlorite concentration technique. Data on socio-demographic, clinical profile, and personal behavior variables were collected using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire. Various descriptive statistics including mean, median with interquartile range (IQR), proportions, and cross-tabulations were computed. Factors affecting sputum smear conversion were identified by multivariable logistic regression analysis. The statistical significance of variables was determined at a p-value < 0.05. Results: Over half, 166(59%) of SPPTB cases were males and 147(52%) were rural dwellers. The mean age of respondents was 35±5SD years. About 88(31.2%) of SPPTB patients had comorbidities, 102(36.2%) faced stigma, and 54(19%) smoked a cigarette. The median sputum smear conversion time at the end of the intensive phase was 35 days (IQR: 21 -56 days). The majority, 85% (95%CI: 76% -93%) and 95% (95% CI: 85% -99%) of SPPTB patients underwent sputum smear conversion at the end of 2nd and 5th months of treatment, respectively. Poor knowledge on TB, being HIV positive, higher smear grading, having diabetes mellitus, undernutrition, cigarette smoking, facing societal stigma, and TB service delay were positively associated with the length of sputum smear conversion. Conclusion: Although the treatment success rate was 95%, the median sputum smear conversion time was higher compared to the TB program expectations and some former studies. Factors of sputum smear conversion were related to nutritional status, smear grading, comorbidity status, knowledge on TB, personal behavior, stigma, and TB service delay. Improving the health literacy of the community by revising the existing community awareness strategies is essential to enhance treatment adherence and lower infectiousness after treatment initiation.


Anonymization—the process of removing or otherwise transforming information so as to reduce the ability to associate it with an identifiable individual— has been much criticized of late, yet interest in it remains high in many quarters. Potential use cases, including those found in the homeland security domain, vary much more widely than those represented by the incidents that have cast doubt on anonymization's utility. Dealing with this variety effectively and efficiently, though, poses challenges. This paper will present a generic anonymization methodology for tabular textual data being developed by the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security. This methodology views anonymization as a single, non-exclusive privacy risk control to be considered along with other potential controls. The anonymization process it describes is as much a programmatic risk management process as a technical one. It aims to make anonymization more of a systems engineering activity.


Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is a highly polluting wastewater that pollutes the environment if discharged directly Owing to its high Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) concentration. This study utilizes Elaeis guineensis leaves in POME treatment to reduce the COD, BOD, and to remove colour and comply with the Department of Environment (DOE) discharge standard limit. Batch biosorption experiments were carried out for the removal of Azo dye, (AO52) using E. guineensis leaves as a potential biosorbent. The effects of various parameters, such as pH, mass of biosorbent, initial concentration, and contact time were studied to evaluate and optimize the biosorption process condition. The optimum conditions were fixed at pH 2, 90 minutes of contact time, 80ppm of initial concentration, and 1.0g amount of biosorbent. This optimum condition was then applied for COD, BOD and colour removal in POME. Under the optimum condition, maximum percentage reduction of COD, and BOD was found to be 82% and 44% respectively, and percentage of colour removal stood at 91.6%. While no standard discharge limit is stipulated for COD, the result shows that the final concentration of BOD does not comply with the standard discharge limit, specified by Environment Quality (Prescribed Premises) (Crude Palm Oil) regulations, 1977. Langmuir and Freundlich models were applied to describe the experimental data. Experimental data fitted very well with the Langmuir isotherm model. It indicates that the biosorption mechanism of E. guineensis occurs on a homogenous surface through monolayer biosorption. Further, this study reveals that E. guineensis can effectively, be used as biosorbent as the the alternative treatment of COD, BOD and color removal in POME.


Summary 1. We investigated whether plants adapted to thermally contrasting environments (e.g. tropical-temperate habitats) exhibit inherent differences in leaf trait scaling relationships. 2. Thirteen tropical and 12 temperate species (all characteristic of wet forests) were grown in a glasshouse (25/20 °C day/night). A range of leaf traits were quantified, including mass-based leaf nitrogen [N], mass per unit area (LMA), light-saturated photosynthesis (A) and respiration (Rdark). 3. Average area- and mass-based rates of net CO2 exchange were higher in the temperate species, compared to their tropical counterparts. Average leaf [N] and LMA values were also higher in temperate species than in their tropical counterparts. 4. The higher LMA in the metabolically more active temperate species was the most striking contrast to the patterns and predictions of the GLOPNET leaf trait data base, and was associated with different elevations (i.e. y-axis intercepts) but not slopes of bivariate trait scaling relationships. As expected, mass-based rates of A and Rdark scaled positively with increasing [N] and negatively with increasing LMA in both tropical and temperate species. No differences were found between temperate and tropical species groups in terms of log-log scaling relationships linking A and Rdark to N. However, at any given LMA, mass-based values of [N], A and Rdark were all higher in the temperate species than in their tropical counterparts. 5. Underpinning higher A in temperate species was a higher capacity for carboxylation (Vcmax) and RuBP regeneration (Jmax), with Jmax:Vcmax being greater in temperate species. 6. In conclusion, our results suggest that as a consequence of greater overall N investment as well as greater proportional N investment in metabolic capacity, cool-adapted temperate wet forest species exhibit higher photosynthetic and respiration rates than their warm-adapted tropical counterparts when compared in a common environment.


The nature of peer feedback and its impacts on writing in English has attracted much attention of researchers and educators. Recent studies have indicated various types of peer feedback and its positive effects on writing development. This paper presents the results of an investigation into the nature of peer feedback and its effects on learners' writing argumentative essays in a Vietnamese context. The study aimed to explore the types of feedback which competent and less competent learners employed when they reviewed their peers' argumentative paragraphs. The study also aimed to measure the effects of one's giving feedback on their ability to write argumentative paragraphs. The study followed a two-group experimental research design with the participation of twenty-four English learners at preintermediate level of English. Four instruments were used in the study: the worksheet for peer feedback to elicit learners' comments to peers' argumentative paragraphs, the writing tests to examine learners' ability to write argumentative paragraphs before and after the treatment, the feedback coding scheme to code learners' comments and the assessment scale to evaluate learners' argumentative paragraphs. The results showed that both competent and less competent learners generated different types of peer feedback when commenting on their peers' argumentative paragraphs. In addition, the extent to which competent and less competent learners used the types of feedback was the same. Remarkably, giving feedback enhanced the mechanics component of learners' argumentative paragraphs.


The clinical case and the discussion that follows illustrate the need for early detection and treatment of acute stroke. With the recent evidence that rapid poststroke treatment can considerably improve outcomes, immediate and accurate diagnosis is key. This article discusses the importance of both established and innovative imaging techniques to quickly identify and characterize stroke. These techniques, combined with novel therapeutic interventions, will likely lead to new treatment protocols for stroke.


In this paper, we prove the effects of the BN operation on the back-propagation of the first and second derivatives of the loss. When we do the Taylor series expansion of the loss function, we prove that the BN operation will block the influence of the first-order term and most influence of the second-order term of the loss. We also find that such a problem is caused by the standardization phase of the BN operation. Experimental results have verified our theoretical conclusions, and we have found that the BN operation significantly affects feature representations in specific tasks, where losses of different samples share similar analytic formulas.


Culture Industry invades school: This article deals with the culture industry, which nowadays is a most effective influence on the school system and on several social areas. Coined by Adorno and Horkheimer in the Dialectic of Enlightenment in 1947, this term denounces that in the relations of exchanging merchandise into which all social relations are reduced the cultural work loses its luminosity, its uniqueness, its especific qualities as value of use. By becoming a value of exchange it consumes the real art and culture.


The article presents a statistical analysis of the Russia championship on mini-football among people with hearing disabilities. The championship was attended by 18 comande, Russian champion was the team of the Astrakhan region. Identifies the problems and their solutions in the organization and conduct of such competitions for persons considered nosological groups. Named the team that will leave the big leagues.


Millions of people are bitten by dogs each year in Brazil and worldwide. Dog and cat bites have been studied in many countries, both from the standpoint of rabies control and animal behavior, but not always assesses risk factors. This survey aimed to evaluate the characteristics of biting dogs that would allow establishing risk factors for aggression by this specie in the municipality of Araçatuba, SP, Brasil, by using a logarithmic equation. This case-control study was conducted with an analysis involving 85 questionnaires regarding non-biting dogs and 99 related to biting dogs. Statistical analysis included the chi-square test for categorical variables and t test for numerical variables, followed by Binary Logistic Regression, settling then the odds ratio (OR) for certain variables. The chances of bites by male dogs were three times more likely than for females, and intact dogs were 4.28 times more likely to have bitten than neutered dogs. Logistic regression analysis confirmed that each child present in a household increased by 1.70 times the chance of dog bites. The presence of adults, in contrast, was considered a protective factor, since each adult present in the household decreased by 35% the chances of attacks by dogs. Results and examples presented in this paper could contribute to the integration of prevention programs and responsible ownership, with the aim to guide and illustrate parents and children on the consequences of ownership and living with a dog.


Women who have undergone augmentation mammoplasty with silicone gel implants may present for routine breast cancer screening or with palpable breast lumps. Conventional mammography supplemented by additional displaced or Eklund view is usually sufficient to detect most abnormalities. Ultrasonographic evaluation may be performed as an ancillary technique to characterize palpable lumps or nonpalpable lesions detected on mammography. In patients suspected of having implant rupture, conventional mammography and displaced views are performed. If clinical findings warrant, magnetic resonance imaging may be performed to detect intracapsular and extracapsular rupture and migration of silicone globules to the axilla, branchial plexus and adjacent structures.


In germanium, phosphorous and antimony diffuse quickly and as such their transport must be controlled in order to design efficient n-typed doped regions. Here, density functional theory based calculations are used to predict the influence of double donor co-doping on the migration activation energies of vacancy-mediated diffusion processes. The migration energy barriers for phosphorous and antimony were found to be increased significantly when larger clusters involving two donor atoms and a vacancy were formed. These clusters are energetically stable and can lead to the formation of even larger clusters involving a number of donor atoms around a vacancy, thereby affecting the properties of devices.


The underlying theoretical argument of Privatization, as a crucial component of the neoliberal policies, is that state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are inherently inefficient, and therefore bad for social equity, besides hindering economic growth. However, the existing literature falls short of providing a solid theoretical basis for this argument. This study improves upon the existing literature through utilization of a panel data set of more than 40 mixed economies for the period 1960s to the 1990s. By applying the fixed effects techniques, this study empirically explores the impact of SOEs on income equality. The conclusion arrived at, is that SOEs contribute significantly and positively to income equality. The results of this study raise serious doubts about the desirability of indiscriminate privatization from the equity perspective. JEL Classification L320; L330; D630


We report in situ LA‐ICP‐MS trace element analyses of silicate phases in olivine‐bearing chondrules in the Sahara 97096 (EH3) enstatite chondrite. Most olivine and enstatite present rare earth element (REE) patterns comparable to their counterparts in type I chondrules in ordinary chondrites. They thus likely share a similar igneous origin, likely under similar redox conditions. The mesostasis however frequently shows negative Eu and/or Yb (and more rarely Sm) anomalies, evidently out of equilibrium with olivine and enstatite. We suggest that this reflects crystallization of oldhamite during a sulfidation event, already inferred by others, during which the mesostasis was molten, where the complementary positive Eu and Yb anomalies exhibited by oldhamite would have possibly arisen due to a divalent state of these elements. Much of this igneous oldhamite would have been expelled from the chondrules, presumably by inertial acceleration or surface tension effects, and would have contributed to the high abundance of opaque nodules found outside them in EH chondrites. In two chondrules, olivine and enstatite exhibit negatively sloped REE patterns, which may be an extreme manifestation of a general phenomenon (possibly linked to near‐liquidus partitioning) underlying the overabundance of light REE observed in most chondrule silicates relative to equilibrium predictions. The silicate phases in one of these two chondrules show complementary Eu, Yb, and Sm anomalies providing direct evidence for the postulated occurrence of the divalent state for these elements at some stage in the formation reservoir of enstatite chondrites. Our work supports the idea that the peculiarities of enstatite chondrites may not require a condensation sequence at high C/O ratios as has long been believed.


The article studies public sanitation services - in as much as solid domestic waste is concerned - within the municipality of Sao Paulo and employs as base year, that of 2010. Highlights include issues related to the current waste management model in the region and solutions are proposed to those deemed most critical, utilizing as benchmarks, adequate treatments conducted at other globalized cities. The bibliographical review seeks to elucidate concepts that are most aligned with the theme under study. Information concerning the management of solid domestic waste and reverse logistics in the private sector was gathered, whilst findings as to impairments observed in the municipality are listed. Local and international success cases concerning waste disposal were studied with views to encountering sources of potential improvements. It is understood that the adequate destination of residues, by means of recycling, composting or generation of fuels, calls for the population´s commitment in terms of developing separation and waste disposal habits, municipal administration involvement - in as much as supplying the required resources is concerned to ensure progress of alternatives - and finally, cannot do without reverse logistics actions undertaken by producing companies, in full compliance with existing federal rulings. In the quest to expand discussions concerning solid waste, the article attempts to include this matter - in a more effective manner - within strategic and investment decisions taken by both the public and private sectors.


ABSTRACT Many initiatives aim to ensure students can access inquiry-based learning that positions them to address global problems such as climate change and economic inequality. However, in the U.S., curriculum that centers students' positions as activists is rare, particularly in schools that serve marginalized students. In this study, inquiry and advocacy, two activist teaching frameworks, were employed in preservice elementary teacher education through the use of mentoring experiences. A longitudinal multiple case study, which relied on Cultural Historical Activity Theory, examined the appropriations of inquiry and advocacy made by teachers in their first two in-service years. Findings suggest that across activity settings, teachers adapted inquiry and advocacy by using key tools such as informational texts, by aligning their work with accepted initiatives and addressing state standards, and by cautiously choosing mentors. Findings suggests that researchers must increase their attention to preservice teacher typology and the different features of activity settings in studies evaluating the value of preservice learning. Implications for teacher education programs are discussed.


AIMS To determine the effects of premedication with thiopental on heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation during semi-elective nasotracheal intubation in neonates. METHODS A randomised, placebo controlled, non-blinded study design was used to study 30 neonates (mean birthweight 3.27 kg) requiring semi-elective nasotracheal intubation. The babies were randomly allocated to receive either 6 mg/kg of thiopental (study group) or an equivalent volume of physiological saline (control group) one minute before the start of the procedure. Six infants were intubated primarily and 24 were changed from orotracheal to a nasotracheal tube. The electrocardiogram, arterial pressure wave, and transcutaneous oxygen saturation were recorded continuously 10 minutes before, during, and 20 minutes after intubation. Minute by minute measurements of heart rate, heart rate variability, mean blood pressure (MBP) and transcutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO2) were computed. The differences for all of these between the baseline measurements and those made during and after intubation were determined. Differences in the measurements made in the study and the control groups were compared using Student's t test. RESULTS During intubation, heart rate increased to a greater degree (12.0vs −0.5 beats per minute, p < 0.03) and MBP increased to a lesser degree (−2.9 vs4.4 mm Hg; p < 0.002) in the infants who were premedicated with thiopental. After intubation only the changes in MBP differed significantly between the two groups (−3.8vs 4.6 mm Hg; p < 0.001). There were no significant changes in the oxygen saturation between the two groups during or after intubation. The time taken for intubation was significantly shorter in the study group (p < 0.04). CONCLUSIONS The heart rate and blood pressure of infants who are premedicated with thiopental are maintained nearer to baseline values than those of similar infants who receive no premedication. Whether this lessening of the acute drop in the heart rate and increase in blood pressure typically seen during intubation of unmedicated infants is associated with long term advantages to the infants remains to be determined.


Despite the well-known influence of environmental context on episodic memory, little has been done to enhance contextual richness within the lab. This leaves a blind spot lingering over the neuronal correlates of episodic memory formation in the real world. To address this, we presented participants with series of words to memorise along a pre-designated route across campus. Meanwhile, a mobile EEG system acquired the associated neural activity. Replicating lab-based subsequent memory effects (SMEs), we identified significant low-frequency power decreases, including beta power decreases over the left inferior frontal gyrus. Additionally, the paradigm enabled us to dissociate the oscillatory correlates of temporal and spatial clustering. Specifically, we found spatially clustered items exhibited significantly greater theta power decreases within the left medial temporal lobe than temporally clustered items. These findings go beyond lab-based studies, which are limited in their capabilities to investigate environmental contextual factors that guide memory formation.


A simulation of the loss of residual heat removal (RHR) system during midloop operations was performed using the RELAP5/MOD3 thermal-hydraulic code. The experiment was conducted at the Rig of Safety Assessment (ROSA)-4/Large-Scale Test Facility. The experiment involved a 5% cold-leg break along with the loss of the RHR system. The transient was simulated for 3,040 s. Core boiling and subsequent primary system pressurization occurred after the initiation of the transient. There was a good agreement between the measured and the calculated data until the loop seal clearing (LSC). It was found that the steam condensation was underpredicted in the calculations. This caused the calculated data after the LSC to differ from that of the measured data. The core rod surface temperature excursion around the occurrence of the LSC was not calculated. Overall, there was good qualitative agreement between the measured and the calculated data. The calculations, performed on the CRAY-YMP supercomputer, took over 60 h of CPU time for a transient of 51 min.


Despite a separate evolutionary lineage, 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) and hydroxymandelate synthase (HMS) are appropriately grouped with the 2-oxo acid-dependent oxygenase (2OADO) family of enzymes. HPPD and HMS accomplish highly similar overall chemistry to that observed in the majority of 2OADOs but require only two substrates rather than three. 2OADOs typically use the 2-oxo acid of 2-oxoglutarate (2OG) as a source of electrons to reduce and activate dioxygen in order to oxidize a third specific substrate. HPPD and HMS use instead the pyruvate substituent of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate to activate dioxygen and then proceed to also hydroxylate this substrate, each yielding a distinctly different aromatic product. HPPD catalyses the second and committed step of tyrosine catabolism, a pathway common to nearly all aerobes. Plants require the HPPD reaction to biosynthesize plastoquinones and therefore HPPD inhibitors can have potent herbicidal activity. The ubiquity of the HPPD reaction, however, has meant that HPPD-specific molecules developed as herbicides have other uses in different forms of life. In humans herbicidal HPPD inhibitors can be used therapeutically to alleviate specific inborn defects and also to retard the progress of certain bacterial and fungal infections. This review is intended as a concise overview of the contextual and catalytic chemistries of HPPD and HMS.


Few empirical studies have examined the effect of personal values on the importance attached by individuals to training and development in organizations. We argue that personal values play an important role in decision-making processes (i.e. commitment to training and development) and that such values are the product of socialization processes operating at an organizational and societal level. Questionnaire data were collected from 340 Irish and Canadian line managers to test the hypothesis that personal values affect the importance attached by respondents to training and development. Capability values were found to be a significant positive predictor of the perceived importance of training and development. The findings emphasize the need for simultaneously examining both personal values and organizational factors as predictors of training and development activity.


Cancerous tumors comprise cells showing metabolic heterogeneity. Among numerous efforts to understand this property, little attention has been paid to the possibility that cancer cells take up and utilize otherwise unusable substrates as fuel. Here we discuss this issue by focusing on l-glucose, the mirror image isomer of naturally occurring d-glucose; l-glucose is an unmetabolizable sugar except in some bacteria. By combining relatively small fluorophores with l-glucose, we generated fluorescence-emitting l-glucose tracers (fLGs). To our surprise, 2-NBDLG, one of these fLGs, which we thought to be merely a control substrate for the fluorescent d-glucose tracer 2-NBDG, was specifically taken up into tumor cell aggregates (spheroids) that exhibited nuclear heterogeneity, a major cytological feature of malignancy in cancer diagnosis. Changes in mitochondrial activity were also associated with the spheroids taking up fLG. To better understand these phenomena, we review here the Warburg effect as well as key studies regarding glucose uptake. We also discuss tumor heterogeneity involving aberrant uptake of glucose and mitochondrial changes based on the data obtained by fLG. We then consider the use of fLGs as novel markers for visualization and characterization of malignant tumor cells.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an extensive analysis of contributions to scholarly research on decision tools.

Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review was used to collect data from 47 articles published in peer-reviewed academic journals between 1980 and 2017. Co-citation analysis was adopted to analyse recent trends in research on decision tools and recommend a framework that places such research into three categories: mature, intermediate and nascent.

Findings
The research revealed that a majority of the studies on decision tools describe decision tool implementation in a single company or setting. It also provided a clear presentation of recent trends in the decision tools literature by categorising and comparing papers according to various salient features. The study of decision tools is classified into four macro clusters: conceptualising and defining decision tools; exploring the implementation of decision tools; understanding the relationship between decision tools and other disciplines/approaches/initiatives; and discovering the outcomes of decision tools. Furthermore, the framework proposed in this paper will help scholars identify issues that merit additional theory-building and/or theory-testing research.

Originality/value
To the authors' awareness, this is the first paper to have adopted both a systematic literature review and co-citation analysis to identify the dominant trends and significant gaps in the field of decision tools research.


Surface runoff is the fastest route from field to stream and the main transport route for sediment and adsorbed contaminants, and as such an important cause of surface water contamination in agricultural areas. The goals of the study were to explain differences in measured surface runoff volumes and nutrient loads of surface runoff between fields on the basis of characteristics of their meso- and microtopography, and to investigate the representativeness of plot scale measurements for the surface runoff behaviour of the whole field. The surface runoff measurements were performed at grassland, an arable field and a horticultural field. We combined these measurements with detailed topographic data at meso- and microscale. The nutrient concentrations measured in the surface runoff were high, especially on the grassland. The differences in nutrient loads were caused both by differences in surface runoff volume and in nutrient concentrations in the soils of the fields. However, the overall estimated yearly nutrient load from surface runoff was lower than expected from similar studies. The effect that microtopography has on flow route shapes in flat fields can be quantified with metrics from surface runoff curves. We performed simulations with the FAST-Runoff model for coupled instantaneous redistribution of water over a heterogeneous surface and infiltration and 2D groundwater flow. The simulations showed that ponding evolved unevenly throughout the fields, suggesting different times of activation of the flow routes within the fields. Unfortunately, this spatial variability could not be linked to the full meso- and microtopographies of the fields, because the non-linearities introduced by the dynamic specific yield, could only be treated at very small timesteps resulting in very long computation times


Colon cancer is one of the leading malignancies with poor prognosis worldwide. Immune cell infiltration has a potential prognostic value for colon cancer. This study aimed to establish an immune-related prognostic risk model for colon cancer by bioinformatics analysis. A total of 1670 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 177 immune-related genes, were identified from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. A prognostic risk model was constructed based on six critical immune-related genes (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1), epiregulin (EREG), C-C motif chemokine ligand 24 (CCL24), fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4), tropomyosin 2 (TPM2), and semaphorin 3G (SEMA3G)). This model was validated using the microarray dataset GSE35982. In addition, Cox regression analysis showed that age and clinical stage were correlated with prognostic risk scores. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that high risk scores correlated with low survival probabilities in patients with colon cancer. Downregulated TPM2, FABP4, and SEMA3G levels were positively associated with the activated mast cells, monocytes, and macrophages M2. Upregulated CXCL1 and EREG were positively correlated with macrophages M1 and activated T cells CD4 memory, respectively. Based on these results, we can conclude that the proposed prognostic risk model presents promising novel signatures for the diagnosis and prognosis prediction of colon cancer. This model may provide therapeutic benefits for the development of immunotherapy for colon cancer.


INTRODUCTION
Synchronous behaviors between individuals are nonverbal signs of closeness and common purpose. In the flow from initial attraction to intimate sexual interaction, attention and synchrony move from distal to proximal to interactive and are mediated by sensitized activation of neural systems for sexual motivation, arousal, and desire and those that recognize and mimic common facial and body movements between individuals. When reinforced by sexual pleasure and other relationship rewards, this results in the strengthening of attraction and bonding and the display of more common motor patterns. As relationships falter, nonverbal behaviors likely become asynchronous.

OBJECTIVES
To define behavioral, romantic, and sexual synchrony during phases of attraction and how their disruption can be observed and utilized by clinicians to assess individual relationship styles and quality.

METHODS
We review the literature on behavioral and attentional synchrony in humans and animals in an effort to understand experiential and innate mechanisms of synchrony and asynchrony and how they develop, as well as implications for attraction, relationship initiation, maintenance of romantic and sexual closeness, and relationship disintegration.

RESULTS
Evidence is presented that behavioral synchrony and the neural mechanisms that underlie it are vital to relationship formation and satisfaction.

CONCLUSION
Behavioral synchrony helps to create feelings of sexual and romantic synergy, cohesion, and arousal among individuals. Asynchrony is aversive and can spark feelings of discontent, aversion, and jealousy. Thus, observing patterns of nonverbal sexual and romantic synchrony between individuals offers insights into the potential quality of their relationships.


Governance plays a key role in determining industrial investment. In addition, it has a dynamic impact on multiple business decisions. Given that, this study measures the role of country-level governance in protecting industrial investment. Using the 10-year (2007–2016) panel data from 12 Asian economies, we employ panel estimated generalized least square (EGLS), fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) and two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) models to establish the relationship between defined variables. The empirical findings suggest that the countries with good governance situations subsequently enjoy a positive industrial investment. Following investors and property rights protection, a country with a good governance situation may have a voluminous industrial investment stemming from minimum default risk. The empirical findings of the current analysis highlight the significance of a good governance system in boosting industrial investment. A piece of important policy advice for corporate managers is to consider the governance condition while making an industrial investment. In addition, government officials should focus more on shaping better governance to ensure industrial growth. This study provides innovative insights into how country governance shapes corporate investment decisions specifically in Asian economies.


Abstract. The integration of high-resolution, non-invasive geophysical techniques (such as ground-penetrating radar or GPR) with emerging sensing techniques (acoustics, thermography) can complement limited destructive tests to provide a suitable methodology for a multi-scale assessment of the state of preservation, material and construction components of monuments. This paper presents the results of the application of GPR, infrared thermography (IRT) and ultrasonic tests to the 13th century rose window of Troia Cathedral (Apulia, Italy), affected by widespread decay and instability problems caused by the 1731 earthquake and reactivated by recent seismic activity. This integrated approach provided a wide amount of complementary information at different scales, ranging from the sub-centimetre size of the metallic joints between the various architectural elements, narrow fractures and thin mortar fillings, up to the sub-metre scale of the internal masonry structure of the circular ashlar curb linking the rose window to the facade, which was essential to understand the original building technique and to design an effective restoration strategy.


In this article we present new challenges about naval embedded networks, for those: to become both telecommunication networks and tactical networks, to support the evolution from the classical platform centric concept toward a new "naval force" centric concept where assets are linked together to acquire, distribute and process the data. To be able to provide a naval force all the information it needs, new integrated networks will have to deal with sensors and targets acquisition, weapon delivery and wide real-time data fusion. In this way, linked sensors will be used into distributed radar systems as well as into sonar systems. We introduce the new concept of an extended combat system (extended to a whole naval force and coast based sensors networks) and show that the future challenge will be to keep end-to-end QoS (from ship to shore-based decision centres) through heterogeneous interconnected networks including Internet.


This paper discusses good criteria for a supply chain performance measurement model and their level of importance. The criteria were obtained from results of previous research findings and recommendations from several researchers. The criteria are divided into two categories, namely efficient and effective. To examine which criteria can be used to assess a supply chain performance measurement model, a survey was conducted by distributing questionnaires to supply chain actors from different industry fields (both manufacturing and services) in Indonesia using random sampling techniques. Data analysis using pairwise comparisons with an analytical Hierarchy Process model showed that efficient criteria were more important than effective criteria. Efficient criteria consisted of three sub-criteria: the amount of data is not too much and low cost and output is presented in a simple form. Effective criteria consisted of the criteria in the order of importance as follows: clarity, validity, comprehensiveness, responsiveness and dynamics. Further research is needed for developing a model that meets these criteria


In [Aleman, A., Carlsson, M. and Persson A., Preduals of Qp -spaces. Complex Variables (To appear).], we have obtained a representation of the Cauchy-predual of the space Qp on the unit disc as a weak product of weighted Dirichlet and Bergman spaces. The present article is a continuation of Aleman et al. and contains several applications and further developments of those results. We investigate the relation between Qp and Carleson inequalities for functions in weighted Dirichlet spaces and, in particular, we prove a characterization of bounded Qp -functions in terms of pointwise multipliers between such spaces. Moreover, we use our approach based on imbeddings in vector-valued sequence spaces to obtain atomic decompositions of the predual of Qp . This last result is then extended to the real variable setting where we prove atomic decomposition theorems for the preduals of certain function spaces that generalize .


The present study ascertained farmers and seed dealers' impressions about the public and private sector seed companies in Karnataka.  Conjoint analysis was employed to examine farmers' seed preferences, using seed price, brand name, timing of seed availability and mode of payment as the seed attributes.  A large number of farmers felt that the public sector seeds were reasonably priced and possessed good quality.  However, they complained in general of poor services of the public sector.  The farmers assigned maximum importance to price, followed by the timing of seed availability and the brand name in their seed buying decisions.


The poly(A)-binding protein (PABP), a protein that contains four conserved RNA recognition motifs (RRM1–4) and a C-terminal domain, is expressed throughout the eukaryotic kingdom and promotes translation through physical and functional interactions with eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4G and eIF4B. Two highly divergent isoforms of eIF4G, known as eIF4G and eIFiso4G, are expressed in plants. As little is known about how PABP can interact with RNA and three distinct translation initiation factors in plants, the RNA binding specificity and organization of the protein interaction domains in wheat PABP was investigated. Wheat PABP differs from animal PABP in that its RRM1 does not bind RNA as an individual domain and that RRM 2, 3, and 4 exhibit different RNA binding specificities to non-poly(A) sequences. The PABP interaction domains for eIF4G and eIFiso4G were distinct despite the functional similarity between the eIF4G proteins. A single interaction domain for eIF4G is present in the RRM1 of PABP, whereas eIFiso4G interacts at two sites, i.e. one within RRM1–2 and the second within RRM3–4. The eIFiso4G binding site in RRM1–2 mapped to a 36-amino acid region encompassing the C-terminal end of RRM1, the linker region, and the N-terminal end of RRM2, whereas the second site in RRM3–4 was more complex. A single interaction domain for eIF4B is present within a 32-amino acid region representing the C-terminal end of RRM1 of PABP that overlaps with the N-proximal eIFiso4G interaction domain. eIF4B and eIFiso4G exhibited competitive binding to PABP, supporting the overlapping nature of their interaction domains. These results support the notion that eIF4G, eIFiso4G, and eIF4B interact with distinct molecules of PABP to increase the stability of the interaction between the termini of an mRNA.


Promotion of a healthy lifestyle is an important part of cancer prevention. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of young adults towards nutrition related to cancer prevention. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a convenience sample of 150 participants. Knowledge, attitude and practices towards diet and health were evaluated by a questionnaire with open- and closed-ended questions. Likert scale was used to analyse the questions related to attitude and practice and was classified as seldom eaten (0-1 days/week), often eaten (2–3 days/week) and always eaten (4–7 days/week). The study confined to non-medical background adults, so as they don't have medical knowledge related to the subject. The average age of the studied population was between 18-22 years from which 45% were male students and rest were females. Students belong to different religion and cultures. Nutrition knowledge of the studied population was good almost 68.34% students know that fruits and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals and it also help in boosting immunity.  The scoring on Likert scale indicate that students often eat diet which is rich in antioxidants and have less knowledge regarding the cancer prevention diet. Findings suggest that nutrition and health promoting programs need to be emphasised for promoting healthy lifestyle practices which help in combatting deadly diseases like Cancer. Adults need to have a better understanding so that a better and healthy future can lead to the development of the country.


Background: RFLP-IS6110 standard technique to genotyping M. tuberculosis.The aims of this study were to identify the genetic diversity of M. tuberculosis population in Markazi province and to recognize the mode of disease transmission in this region. Material and Methods: The RFLP results of 42 isolates of M. tuberculosis deposited in the Mycobacterial Centre from Markazi province were analyzed. DNAs isolated from these isolates were enzyme digested with Pvu II, and hybridized with a PCR amplified DIG-labeled IS6110 probe. Results: The isolates were classified into four groups, based on the copy numbers, as follows: (1) lacking IS6110 element; (2) low copy numbers (1-2); (3) intermediate copy numbers (3-5); and (4) high copy number (6-17). Copy numbers higher than 17 however were not observed in any of the isolates studied, 72 percent of the isolates showed high copy numbers of IS6110, 13 percent intermediate copy numbers, 10 percent low copy numbers, whereas 5 percent isolates lacked IS6110 element. Conclusion: IS6110 DNA fingerprinting assisted us to find epidemiological links between some TB cases, and this technique estimates from reactivation of latent infection transmission of the disease in Markazi province. The low rate of clustering indicates that tuberculosis among studied population is resulted mainly from reactivation of latent infection in this region.


Gastric carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells (OGCs) is an extremely rare tumor. So far, only six cases have been reported in the literature. Here we report an additional case of this tumor in a Chinese 78-year-old man presented with abdominal pain, vomiting, and hematemesis. Physical examination and gastroscopy revealed a tumor in the gastric antrum. The biopsy and pathological findings indicated a gastric adenocarcinoma with OGCs, which were present in both the tumor and the metastatic lymph nodes. Further immunohistochemical staining indicated that OGCs were reactive with CD68, CD45, and vimentin protein, but not with pancytokeratin, carcinoembryonic antigen, or epithelial membrane antigen, suggesting the monocytic/histiocytic derivation of these OGCs. In situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus showed no nuclear positivity in either adenocarcinoma or OGCs. Postoperative follow-up showed that the patient had survived for at least 6 months without recurrence. Further investigation is warranted to clearly define the prognostic significance of OGCs in gastric carcinoma.


The response of two maize (Zea mays L.) geno- types, named GR (salt-tolerant) and SK (salt-sensitive), to salt stress (150 mM NaCl) was investigated under controlled environmental growth conditions. Genotype SK experienced more oxidative damage than the GR genotype when subjected to salt stress, which corresponded to higher O2 - production rate and H2O2 content in the SK genotype than the GR geno- type. Induction of caspase-like activity in response to salt stress was stronger in the SK genotype than in the GR genotype. On the other hand, induction of antioxidant enzyme activity to scavenge O2 - and H2O2 in response to salt stress was weaker in the SK genotype than in the GR genotype. Consequently, the higher level of oxidative damage in the SK genotype in response to salt stress was manifested as more extensive cell death and biomass reduction in the SK genotype than it was in the GR genotype. Our results suggest that a direct relationship exists between salt stress-induced oxidative damage and cell death-inducing caspase-like activity, with tolerance to the salt stress being controlled by the efficiency of the plant antioxidant enzymes in limiting salt stress-induced oxidative damage and thus limiting cell death-inducing caspase-like activity.


This article argues that the current narcotics law regime is a factor to blame for the cause of prison overcrowding and unnecessary deprivation of liberty and dignity for its violator with the help of criminal justice tools. Multi-layer category of drug users introduced by the current narcotics law is leaving too much discretion for the law enforcement agency to criminalize marijuana user. Data shows that in Jakarta and Surabaya court alone, all marijuana users are charged with multiple articles and leaving no room for them to escape from a draconian sentence. This paper questions the repressive enforcement used by the Indonesian apparatus specifically on marijuana because it leads to other issues bigger than the personal use of marijuana itself. In the end, this article is proposing the change of legislation in marijuana law while at the same time taking the nature of political conservatism in Indonesia into account.


Systems engineering is not a quiet backwater. It is an arena of political and economic realignment and foment. And like any revolution in-progress it is the harbinger of great and unpredictable change bringing with it huge opportunities hand-in-hand with equally impressive threats. Nothing less than corporate power and bureaucratic structure are being reordered by the new realities of engineering systems on silicon. The 30 years of hardware dominance in silicon electronic engineering is being torn apart by the recognition that the complexity of modern systems is determined by its multifunctionality, adaptability and flexibility – attributes that, in an economic sense, are best realized in software. The genesis of this revolution has been the stunning success of the silicon engineers, which ironically, as with the yin-yang cycle, has carried with it the seeds of its own diminishment, at least for the half-turn of the next cycle. As silicon technological progress marches through 0.18? minimum feature sizes to 0.15? to 0.13? in the next couple of years, and then to sub 0.10? , the number of transistors on a chip will approach, then exceed, one billion. The majority of these transistors will be consumed as on chip memory devices. Memory is most useful in programmed devices and with processors executing in excess of a billion instructions per second when implemented in 0.1? silicon technology, programmed devices will progressively phase out many special purpose hardware devices. The dismantling of the power base in the semiconductor divisions of the major electronics companies to accommodate software engineering and systems integration on an equal footing with hardware engineering is a battle in full flight. Like the Iliad, where Greek's fiercely and intermittently battled Trojans for ten long years, the outcome of the systems engineering battle is certain. Unlike the complete destruction of the city of Troy, the resulting realignment will be a triumvirate between – hardware, software and mechanical designers. The sooner the battle is won the sooner the potential of the three powerful potentates will yield novel systems and architectures to dazzle the technoenervated masses. Like all power-sharing structures, it is unstable but ultimately governable by the dour and pragmatic economics of survival. Already fleet-footed startup companies are demonstrating the fecundity of the new godhead – carpe diem! 1. ISSUES IN SYSTEMS ENGINEERING Systems engineering is a process [Hellestrand 1999c]. It takes requirements specifications and generates products and product families which are realized as


PURPOSE: The aim of this research was to analyze the technical difficulties and the possibility to see the structures into the joint on the arthroscopy of the shoulder on dogs cadavers. METHODS: The portals were lateral for the arthroscopy and craniolateral for the instrument on the 30 joints studied. RESULTS: On studying it the diagnosis showed osteocondrosis of the humeral head, strange material attached to the caudomedial gutter, tear of the glemoumeral medial ligament, and iatrogenic lesions of the cartilage. The complications concerning the technique consisted of the difficulty to do the portal arthroscopic, portal instrumental and triangulation. There was premature removal of both the arthroscopic and instrument as well as periarticular infiltration. CONCLUSION: The use of the arthroscopy in dogs is a difficult technique and requires an early cadaver training before doing it in clinical cases.


A rare flowering event in a stand of Acacia pendula (Weeping Myall) (family Fabaceae, Mimosoideae) from the Hunter Valley of New South Wales is documented. This species flowers poorly in the region and (with the exception of horticultural specimens) has not been observed to fruit and develop viable seed for over a decade. One stand of this threatened Hunter Valley population of Acacia pendula was monitored over a seven month period (January to July 2018) to investigate this poor reproductive output. Despite copious bud production in January and February, the extent and condition of these, and all subsequent flowers rapidly declined, and none progressed to fruit. Primary reasons for reproductive failure were postulated to be a combination of mass desiccation of capitula following extended dry conditions, infestation by native flowerand phyllode-galling midges and thrips (Asphondylia sp., Dasineura glomerata, Kladothrips rugosus), fungal galls (Uromycladium sp.), caterpillars (Ochrogaster lunifer), and mistletoe (Amyema quandang). Collectively, these stressors appear to be eliminating seed production from the study population; survival is maintained only by the copious root-suckering observed around most plants, particularly after the pressure from stock grazing (cattle, sheep) has been removed. The age of trees studied, based on measures of girth and comparison with growth rates reported for other semi-arid Acacia, was inferred to be between 50 and 150 years. The level of Amyema quandang (mistletoe) infestation on Acacia trees was independent of tree size, and there was no evidence to suggest that mistletoe density alone influenced flowering progress. Consequences of these observations on future management of Acacia pendula in the Hunter Valley are briefly discussed.


The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to determine whether peritoneal dialysis (PD) providers experience burnout. The questionnaire was completed by 55 physicians, 277 nurses and 4 other PD providers who attended the 9th Annual Conference on Peritoneal Dialysis. Our results show that burnout experienced by PD providers is comparable to that experienced by other providers in the medical field. Specific variables such as single martial status, full time employment and additional hemodialysis responsibilities were also identified as factors that may be associated with high degree of burnout.


The issue of abolishment of trade agreements preferences pose a great threat to the sugar industry in Swaziland. Several questions arise on the global comparative advantage of the sugar industry considering that it is the centre of the country`s economy. This study aimed at estimating the comparative advantage of Swaziland sugar industry in the global market, factors responsible for this comparative advantage, and the factors affecting the competitiveness of the Swaziland sugar industry. The Relative Trade Advantage, multiple linear regression model and Porter`s 1990 National Diamond concept were used to achieve the set objectives, respectively. The study found that the Swaziland sugar industry had a relatively highly comparative advantage in the global market in terms of producing sugar. Results from the regression model indicated that global sugar market prices, exchange rate and export values had a significant influence on Swaziland`s comparative advantage. The Porter`s (1990) National Diamond model analysis revealed factors that enhance competitiveness of the sugar industry including business approach to human resource, relationship and networking, availability of unskilled labour and production of high quality products. Some factors that have a major constraining effect on the competitiveness were the small local market size, cost of transport, and cost of supply of inputs. Government in consultation with the industry representatives should consider development and implementation of an industry policy strategy for the sugar industry intended to ensure its survival. In order to counteract the effects of global market prices and the exchange rate, exploring of new market opportunities is essential. Other strategies would be to improve efficiencies at both field and factory level.


In a thermal engine or a plasma apparatus, for example, a reciprocating engine, a rotary engine, a jet engine, or a gas turbine, even when the proportion of a fuel in a fuel-air mixture is reduced followed by a combustion reaction of a lean mixture, a stable and high-efficiency combustion reaction can be realized to realize stabilized ignition, improved flame propagation speed, improved output, cleaned exhaust gas, stabilized ignition of heterogeneous fuel-air mixture, improved fuel consumption and the like. Permittivity control means for introducing water and/or exhaust gas into a combustion reaction chamber (8) to control the permittivity of a fuel-air mixture within the combustion reaction chamber (8), a microwave radiation antenna (1) for radiating microwaves into the combustion reaction chamber (8), and discharge part (2) for igniting a fuel-air mixture in the combustion reaction chamber (8) are provided. The permittivity control means controls the permittivity of the fuel-air mixture before the combustion reaction of the fuel-air mixture to match the resonance frequency of the fuel-air mixture with the frequency of the microwave.


The strategies of competitive advantage are changing dramatically because of high technology development. The data size in the world is multiplying rapidly - the amount of information in the world doubles every 12 months. Therefore, the authors analyzed Big data in the food supply chain. The methodology used in the paper consists of a review of global competitiveness reports and secondary data analysis together with document-based literature synthesis; a competitiveness maximization methodology was modelled referring to a case of small markets. The supply of food industry is complicated, because of various regulations and a demand for high quality products just on time. Various companies are transporting partial freight; therefore, the visibility, lead-time and cost minimization is essential for them. However, they are unable to use all the gathered information and are not utilizing the potential that is possible. The problem of data analysis is a bigger concern to the smaller markets. Many of the small markets are less developed countries that still are not using Big data in their enterprises. In addition, new technologies are developing in the Big data industry. Therefore, the gap of technology will increase even more between large and small markets. The analysed innovation level and technology usage indicated a need for the food industry to change competitiveness strategies. Therefore, the authors developed a competitiveness strategy that is orientated to the food industry of small markets.


Search has become a hot topic in Internet computing, with rival search engines battling to become the de facto Web portal, harnessing search algorithms to wade through information on a scale undreamed of by early information retrieval (IR) pioneers. This article examines how search has matured from its roots in specialized IR systems to become a key foundation of the Web. The authors describe new challenges posed by the Web's scale, and show how search is changing the nature of the Web as much as the Web has changed the nature of search.


Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) with bilevel positive airway pressure is a non-invasive technique, which refers to the provision of ventilatory support through the patient's upper airway using a mask or similar device. This technique is successful in correcting hypoventilation. It has become widely accepted as the standard treatment for patients with hypercapnic respiratory failure (HRF). Since the 1980s, NIV has been used in intensive care units and, after initial anecdotal reports and larger series, a number of randomized trials have been conducted. Data from these trials have shown that NIV is a valuable treatment for HRF. This review aims to explore the principal areas in which NIV can be useful, focusing particularly on patients with acute HRF (AHRF). We will update the evidence base with the goal of supporting clinical practice. We provide a practical description of the main indications for NIV in AHRF and identify the group of patients with hypercapnic failure who will benefit most from the application of NIV.


In this paper, a new numerical method for solving the nonlinear constrained optimal control with quadratic performance index is presented. The method is based upon B-spline functions. The properties of B-spline functions are presented. The operational matrix of derivative ($\mathbf{D}_\phi$) and integration matrix ($\mathbf{P}$) are introduced. These matrices are utilized to reduce the solution of nonlinear constrained quadratic optimal control to the solution of nonlinear programming one to which existing well-developed algorithms may be applied. Illustrative examples are included to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the technique.


ABSTRACT Environmental certifications are considered an extremely useful tool to promote sustainable tourism; however, little is known about customer perceptions of these schemes and how these certifications might relate to customer behavior when there are customer segments with different levels of environmental consciousness. This study develops a model that investigates the relationship between green practices, green image, environmental consciousness and the behavioral intentions of customers in a certified hotel context. The study examines the direct and moderating role of environmental consciousness in the formation of behavioral intentions based on green initiatives. To test the proposed model empirically, 502 personal surveys of hotel customers were conducted in Spain using a structured questionnaire. The findings show that customer perceptions of green practices have a directly positive effect on a hotel's green image. At the same time, this green image has directly positive effects on customer behavioral intentions toward certified hotels. The authors also found that the higher the environmental consciousness of consumers, the greater their intention to stay, to spread positive word-of-mouth and pay a premium for environmentally certified hotels. Finally, consumer environmental consciousness also exerts a moderating effect on the causal relationship between green image and behavioral intentions.


Aims This study reviews the use of a titanium mesh cage (TMC) as an adjunct to intramedullary nail or plate reconstruction of an extra‐articular segmental long bone defect. Patients and Methods A total of 17 patients (aged 17 to 61 years) treated for a segmental long bone defect by nail or plate fixation and an adjunctive TMC were included. The bone defects treated were in the tibia (nine), femur (six), radius (one), and humerus (one). The mean length of the segmental bone defect was 8.4 cm (2.2 to 13); the mean length of the titanium mesh cage was 8.3 cm (2.6 to 13). The clinical and radiological records of the patients were analyzed retrospectively. Results The mean time to follow‐up was 55 months (12 to 126). Overall, 16 (94%) of the patients achieved radiological filling of their bony defect and united to the native bone ends proximally and distally, resulting in a functioning limb. Complications included device failure in two patients (12%), infection in two (12%), and wound dehiscence in one (6%). Four patients (24%) required secondary surgery, four (24%) had a residual limb‐length discrepancy, and one (6%) had a residual angular limb deformity. Conclusion A titanium mesh cage is a useful adjunct in the treatment of an extra‐articular segmental defect in a long bone. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100‐B:646–51.


3728 Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) α leads to down-regulation of cyclin D1 and cell cycle withdrawal in intestinal crypt cells. Our previous studies demonstrated that PKC-mediated loss of cyclin D1 protein involves inhibition of cyclin D1 translation. Activation of PKC/PKCα signaling leads to hypophosphorylation/activation of the translational repressor 4E-BP1, association of 4E-BP1 with the mRNA cap-binding protein eIF4E, and sequestration of cyclin D1 message in 4E-BP1-associated complexes. The current study explored the mechanisms underlying PKC-induced activation of 4E-BP1 in IEC-18 non-transformed intestinal crypt cells. We demonstrate that PKC signaling transiently inhibits phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) and Akt activity in these cells, consistent with a likely role for the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in mediating such regulation of 4E-BP1. However, PKC-induced activation of 4E-BP1 was not prevented by constitutively active mutants of PI3K or Akt, suggesting that PI3K or Akt are not key mediators of this PKC response. Use of pharmacological inhibitors (i.e., calyculin A, okadaic acid, tautomycin) demonstrated that PP2A activity, but not PP1, is required for PKC-induced 4E-BP1 hypophosphorylation/activation in intestinal cells. PKC signaling stimulated an ~2-fold increase in PP2A activity in these cells and phosphatase inhibition blocked the effects of PKC agonists on 4E-BP1 phosphorylation and cyclin D1 expression. Together, these studies point to activation of PP2A, or a PP2A-like phosphatase, as an important mechanism underlying PKC/PKCα-induced inhibition of cap-dependent translation initiation and growth suppression in intestinal epithelial cells. Supported by NIH grants DK60632, DK54909, CA16056, and CA102074.


PURPOSE: To study which is the clinical and epidemiological profile of COPD exacerbations of hospitalized patient according to GOLD classification. According to risk factors, comorbidity, severe COPD, history of frequent exacerbations(>2) and risk factors for pseudomonas aeruginosa the exacerbations of COPD are determined as mild A, moderate B and severe C METHODS: Hospitalized patients with acute exacerbations of COPD were enrolled in university hospital "Sh.Ndroqi" Tirana Albania. Risk factors, clinical and epidemiological characteristics were estimated according to the gravity of COPD exacerbations. RESULTS: A total number of 166 patients with COPD exacerbations were enrolled of which 134 males and 32 females. Mean age was 66.44yrs(SD 9yrs).Forty-five cases constitute group A, 36 cases constitute group B and 83 cases group C. The mean age for group A,B and C was 65.21(SD12.5), 68.91(SD7.52)and 66.60(SD9.02) respectively. Mean of day length according of group A,B and C were 7.42, 9,06, 10.94 respectively. Total number of patients with respiratory failure was 121. According to the GOLD stages the cardiovascular comorbidity of COPD exacerbation in stage I,II,III,and IV was 15 cases, 14, 23 and 114 respectively CONCLUSIONS: The group C of COPD exacerbations made up 50% of hospitalized COPD exacerbations. The more important risk factor of hospitalization was respiratory failure. Cardiovascular disease were the more important risk factor of comorbidity. The length of stay was statistically important in group C comparing with group A


Objective: To estimate the prevalence and causes of hearing impairment in Fundong Health District, North West Cameroon. Methods: We selected 51 clusters of 80 people through probability proportionate to size sampling. Initial hearing screening was undertaken through an otoacoustic emission (OAE) test. Participants aged 4+ years who failed this test in both ears or for whom an OAE reading could not be taken underwent a manual pure-tone audiometry (PTA) screening. Cases of hearing impairment were defined as those with pure-tone average ≥41 dBHL in adults and ≥35 dBHL in children in the better ear, or children under age 4 who failed the OAE test in both ears. Each case with hearing loss was examined by an ear, nose and throat nurse who indicated the main likely cause. Results: We examined 3,567 (86.9%) of 4,104 eligible people. The overall prevalence of hearing impairment was 3.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.8–4.6). The prevalence was low in people aged 0–17 (1.1%, 0.7– 1.8%) and 18–49 (1.1%, 0.5–2.6%) and then rose sharply in people aged 50+ (14.8%, 11.7–19.1%). Among cases, the majority were classified as moderate (76%), followed by severe (15%) and profound (9%). More than one third of cases of hearing impairment were classified as unknown (37%) or conductive (37%) causes, while sensorineural causes were less common (26%). Conclusions: Prevalence of hearing impairment is in line with WHO estimate for Sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of cases with known causes are treatable, with impacted wax playing a major role.


The Semantic Web is becoming more and more a reality, as the required technologies have reached an appropriate level of maturity. However, at this stage, it is important to provide tools facilitating the use and deployment of these technologies by end-users. In this paper, we describe EdHibou, an automatically generated, ontology-based graphical user interface that integrates in a semantic portal. The particularity of EdHibou is that it makes use of OWL reasoning capabilities to provide intelligent features, such as decision support, upon the underlying ontology. We present an application of EdHibou to medical decision support based on a formalization of clinical guidelines in OWL and show how it can be customized thanks to an ontology of graphical components.


Daphnia is a freshwater crustacean (0.2-5 mm height) used for investigating the toxic effects of toxins (e.g. metals) on an ecosystem. Synchrotron radiation based micro X-ray fluorescence (SR micro-XRF) allows the investigation of the trace level metal distribution within these organisms in an essentially non-destructive manner. Several two-dimensional (2D), computed tomography (CT) and confocal micro-XRF experiments under conventional and cryogenic environments have been performed on Daphnia magna previously [1-4]. However, due to its larger size (3 mm height) full three-dimensional (3D) imaging of the metal distributions is not practically feasible. In this contribution, we therefore report on the full 3D elemental imaging on Ceriodaphnia which is a smaller variant (1 mm height) by means of 3D confocal micro-XRF.


Our experience over the last 4 years with HLA-identical, donor-specific transfusion (DST), and Imuran (IM)+DST living-donor transplants in 206 patients is presented. Transplants from 8 completely incompatible sibling donors, 4 distantly related donors, and 7 unrelated donors are included. Except for a slightly higher average serum creatinine, and a markedly reduced rate of donor-specific sensitization in the IM+DST group when compared with the DST group (14% vs. 31%, p < .005), the results of transplantation using these 3 protocols have been equivalent. Actuarial one-year survival was 97% for patients and 93% for grafts for the combined group of 206 patients. Of the 44 patients who entered the DST or IM+DST protocols but were not transplanted, 31 patients (70%) have subsequently been transplanted, and all 5 recipients of living-donor kidneys and 20 of 26 recipients of cadaveric kidneys (77%) have functioning grafts. Because it optimizes the availability of transplantable living-donor kidneys, gives results equivalent to those obtained with HLA-identical donors and the DST protocol, and is not associated with clinically apparent adverse effects, we now use the IM+DST protocol for all living-donor transplants except those between HLA-identical donor-recipient pairs.


The Popocatépetl Volcanic Complex (PVC) is an active arc volcano located in central Mexico, 70 km southeast of Mexico City. Current models of the PVC's plumbing system and magma petrogenesis are largely based on studies of isolated Plinian eruptions over the past 23.5 ka and present-day Vulcanian activity, while voluminous interplinian effusive summit and flank eruptions remain underrepresented. Here, we present a detailed petrological characterization focussed on ortho- and clinopyroxene in five effusive flank eruptions and two Plinian eruptions of the PVC during the last ∼14.1 ka. Texturally and compositionally defined pyroxene populations are used to constrain magmatic temperatures and deconvolve crystallization histories. At least two long-lived, inter-connected magmatic environments (ME) are identified in the mid- to upper crust beneath the PVC: (1) a mafic ME crystallizing high-Mg orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + Cr-spinel ± sulfide at 1000–1115°C, and (2) an evolved, shallower ME crystallizing plagioclase + low-Mg orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + Fe-Ti oxides + apatite ± sulfide at long-term storage temperatures of ∼970°C. The architecture of the PVC plumbing system has remained stable throughout the last ∼14.1 ka, and both MEs have sustained above-solidus magma storage temperatures fueled by recharge with hydrous, high-Mg basaltic mantle melts that crystallized fosteritic olivine + Cr-spinel + low-Ca clinopyroxene in the lower- to mid-crust at 1080–1220°C. Lavas and pumices show texturally and compositionally diverse crystal cargoes indicative of frequent magma mixing, with ≤67% of pyroxene crystals originating from the mid- to upper crustal mafic ME, of which ≤74% were stored and diffusively overprinted in the evolved ME for centuries to millenia. Pyroxene crystals of different origins, ages and thermal histories are stored in the evolved ME as a heterogeneous crystal mush that is frequently disrupted, reorganized and replenished by mafic injections. Magma recharge causes melt and crystal hybridization over timescales ranging from near-instantaneous to millenia, which produces the diverse crystal cargo and restricted whole-rock compositions typical for the PVC and many other arc volcanoes. We suggest that hot storage conditions and magma dynamics similar to the PVC may be characteristic for many other arc volcanoes of intermediate sizes and compositions.


Abstract Carbon monoxide (CO) poses dangers to both human and environmental health, sickening thousands of people annually in the United States and decreasing the capacity of the atmosphere to oxidize greenhouse gases. Globally, soil ecosystems with their populations of bacteria, fungi, and algae are estimated to remove 9–36% of total CO emissions, which makes them the second largest CO sink after hydroxyl oxidation. Our aim was determine whether soil ecosystems could remove CO from an atmosphere mixed with gasoline-powered engine exhaust. Sealed microcosms containing no soil (NoSoil), nonvegetated soil (Soil), or vegetated soil (Soil+Veg), were exposed to 800, 100, and 50 ppm of CO for 1 hr. The uptake rate of CO was found to be higher at the 800 ppm level suggesting first-order rate kinetics. Soil+Veg exhibited a significantly higher CO uptake rate than either Soil or NoSoil (P<0.05), and Soil exhibited significantly higher uptake than NoSoil (P<0.05). As a free ecosystem service, the uptake of CO by soil ecosystems needs to be properly valued and ecologically engineered into the urban traffic network in a manner analogous to how wetlands, vegetated swales, and other ecologically based storm water treatment systems have improved urban runoff.


While Africa's recent decade of growth and poverty reduction performance has been lauded, concern has been expressed regarding the structure of this growth. In particular, questions have been raised about whether the growth is based on a commodities boom, or whether it is the beginning of a structural transformation that will lift workers from low-productivity jobs into higher-productivity ones. Macro evidence has suggested that the structural transformation has not started. But macro analysis misses the evidence that the process of transformation has started, because this process begins at the household level. Household livelihoods do not move from ones based on subsistence farming and household level economic activities into livelihoods based on individual wage and salary employment away from the household in one leap -- this process takes generations. The intermediate step is the productive informal sector. It is income gains at the household level in this sector that fuel productivity increases, savings, and investment in human capital in this sector. Ensuring that most households are able to diversify their livelihoods into the non-farm sector through productive informality not only increases growth, but also allows the majority of the population to share in the growth process. This paper illustrates this point with the case of Uganda which followed this path and experienced two decades of sustained growth and poverty reduction.


Window systems are the primary mediator of user input and output in modern computing systems. As a result, they play a key role in the enforcement of security policies and the protection of sensitive information. A user typing a password or passphrase must be assured that it is disclosed exclusively to the intended program. The interprocess communication functionality that underlies "cut and paste" must be guarded such that (a) messages transmitted are known to reflect user intentions and (b) global policies concerning information flow are honored. Most window systems today, including X11 and Microsoft Windows, have carried forward the presumptive trust assumptions of the Xerox Alto from which they were conceptually derived. These assumptions are inappropriate for modern computing environments. In this paper, we present the design of a new trusted window system for the EROS capabilitybased operating system. The EROS Window System (EWS) provides robust traceability of user volition and is capable (with extension) of enforcing mandatory access controls. To our knowledge it does not introduce new covert channels into the overall system architecture, and it is not subject to significant denial of service attacks. The entire implementation of EWS is less than 4,500 lines, which is a factor of ten smaller than previous trusted window systems such as Trusted X, and well within the range of what can feasibly be evaluated for high assurance.


This paper presents a comprehensive study revealing the influences of tire pressure variations and their distribution among four tires on vehicle dynamics performance and driver's steering workload for a four wheel independent drive electric vehicle (FWID EV). Then a direct yaw-moment control (DYC) strategy employing an unbiased adaptive model predictive control (MPC) algorithm is proposed to compensate for the influences. An unbiased estimation strategy is developed to update the time-variant prediction model for the adaptive MPC system. An extended magic formula (MF) tire model and a modified Unitire model involving tire inflation pressure are employed to describe the tire longitudinal and lateral forces, respectively. Various tire pressure variations are simulated in CarSim to exhibit the influences of tire inflation pressure, including all four tires at same and different pressures. The unbiased estimation results and compensation effects of the DYC strategy are also verified through simulations. A vehicle dynamics and lateral motion stability index, and driver's steering workload are proposed to quantify the influence of tire pressure variations and distributions. Analyses on the simulation results indicate that: pressure reduction on a front tire and rear tire induces a large steering angle and a large vehicle sideslip angle, respectively; all-tire inflation pressure decrease will increase driver's steering workload. The proposed DYC strategy can achieve satisfactory compensation effects through significantly decreasing the vehicle sideslip angle, steering wheel angle and reducing driver's steering workload by up to 90%.


The Picea orientalis in the Orumcek forests are the tallest with the largest-diameter found in Turkey, Europe, and Caucasica. In this study, the vegetation and the epiphytic bryophytes of the Spruce in the Orumcek forests were investigated. Bryophyte specimens collecting from the Spruce tree trunks were evaluated and 26 bryophtes taxa (6 liverworts, 20 mosses) belonging to 17 families and 19 genera were identified. As a result of the evaluation of the releves taken from the Spruce trunks with the Braun-Blanquet method, the Dicrano scoparii - Hypnetum cupressiformis association and -sanionietosum uncinatae subassociation belonging to the Dicrano scoparii - Hypnion cupressiformis alliance was determined as being new to Turkey. The life forms and life strategies of the syntaxa were examined and analyzed in terms of the ecological and floristic values. Mat (Ma) and Cushion (Cu) are dominant in the association, Weft (We) is dominant in the subassociation of the life forms while, perennial styers with a high sexual reproductive effort (Ag) was determined as being dominant in both the association and subassociation. The most taxa of the floristic list were are also determimed as mesophytic, sciophyt, and subneutrophyt as a character.


We have measured the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectrum of neon produced by electron impact excitation. The measurements were obtained under optically thin conditions, and at a spectral resolution of 0.5 nm full width at half maximum (FWHM). The most prominent features of the EUV spectrum between 45 - 80 nm are the resonance lines of Ne I at 73.6 and 74.4 nm and a multiplet of Ne II at 46.14 nm (the average value for the line centre of the two closely spaced ion lines at 46.07 and 46.22 nm). Absolute emission cross sections of these lines at 300 eV were measured and compared to other previous measurements. The measured emission cross section values at 300 eV for the Ne I lines at 73.6 and 74.4 nm are found to be and respectively, and for the Ne II multiplet at 46.14 nm is found to be (sum of the 46.07 and 46.22 nm line cross sections) with an uncertainty of 41%. In addition, excitation functions were measured for the Ne I resonance lines (0 - 400 eV) and Ne II ion line (0 - 1 keV). The excitation functions for the Ne I resonance lines were corrected for polarization because these are strongly polarized.


A new atomization nozzle based on ink jet technology is introduced for spray drying. Application areas are the food and dairy industry, in the first instance, because in these industries the quality demands on the final powders are high with respect to heat load, powder shape, and size distribution. The ink jet nozzles can atomize fluids with a higher viscosity than conventional spray-drying nozzles, leading to energy savings. The produced monodisperse droplets undergo less shear force in the nozzle and all droplets experience the same heat load during drying. The monodisperse droplets lead to monodisperse powder particles, a completely different product compared to conventional atomization nozzles that deliver particles with a wide spread in size and form. The ink jet technology, the state of the development, and the integration in existing spray dryers are elucidated in this article. Advantages with respect to energy savings, emission reduction, and increased possibilities for energy recovery are discussed. Attention will be given to the quality aspects of the resulting powders.


Background This study examined the efficacy and tolerability of duloxetine and venlafaxine extended-release (XR) treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), with a secondary focus on psychic and somatic symptoms within GAD. Method The design was a 10-week, multi-center, double-blind placebo-controlled study of duloxetine (20 mg or 60–120 mg once daily) and venlafaxine XR (75–225 mg once daily) treatment. Efficacy was measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), which includes psychic and somatic factor scores. Tolerability was measured by occurrence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and discontinuation rates. Results Adult out-patients (mean age 42.8 years; 57.1% women) with DSM-IV-defined GAD were randomly assigned to placebo (n=170), duloxetine 20 mg (n=84), duloxetine 60–120 mg (n=158) or venlafaxine XR 75–225 mg (n=169) treatment. Each of the three active treatment groups had significantly greater improvements on HAMA total score from baseline to endpoint compared with placebo (p=0.01–0.001). For the HAMA psychic factor score, both duloxetine treatment arms and venlafaxine XR demonstrated significantly greater improvement compared with placebo (p=0.01–0.001). For the HAMA somatic factor score, the mean improvement in the duloxetine 60–120 mg and venlafaxine XR groups was significantly greater than placebo (p⩽0.05 and p⩽0.01 respectively), whose mean improvement did not differ from the duloxetine 20 mg group (p=0.07). Groups did not differ in study discontinuation rate due to adverse events. Conclusions Duloxetine and venlafaxine treatment were each efficacious for improvement of core psychic anxiety symptoms and associated somatic symptoms for adults with GAD.