Introduction
The objective of this research is to study the strategies of Swiss first division clubs in the transfer market. In a context where the revenues of the big 5 clubs (before Covid-19) keep increasing (especially TV rights), the weak financial capacities of the non-big 5 clubs, especially in terms of their low revenues from media rights, push them to devise different strategies. Given the profiles of the clubs, how do they organise their strategy on the transfer market - T - (purchase-sale)? We seek to answer the following questions: What is the importance of transfers on the economic model of Swiss first division clubs? What share of their budget do they represent?
Methods
Market purchases/sales (from 2015 to 2020) define our T (Transfers). We therefore seek to understand the strategy of Swiss clubs in the transfer market from a purely economic point of view (we do not take into account the sporting aspect) and to see what profits Swiss clubs make thanks to T. We then compare, season by season and club by club, the results obtained on the transfer market in relation to the clubs' budget. We supplement this quantitative data with qualitative interviews with scouting managers from 8 Super League clubs in order to understand the professionalization of Swiss clubs in this area. We carried out an empirical data processing - k-means - to propose a typology of the 12 Super League clubs according to their role in the transfer market and the importance of the T compared to their budget.
Results

Cluster 1 - The low importance of T: The T represents a very small part of the clubs' budget in this cluster. Transfers have a very low importance here.
Cluster 2 - Singularity of FC Basel: FC Basel is alone in this cluster with sales and purchases well above the other clubs.
Cluster 3 - Confirmed importance of the T on sales: Clubs in this cluster are close to the cluster number 2. Sales are here very important for clubs.
Cluster 4 - A balance of the T between purchases and sales: The purchases and sales are balanced. Clubs in this cluster sell and spend just as much to strengthen themselves.

Discussion - Conclusion
We can see that when a team succeeds in establishing itself in the Super League with stable revenues, it can hope to make purchases on the transfer market thanks to sponsorship or ticketing, which allow it to increase its budget. And when a team manages to qualify for European competitions, its strategy can be diversified and we can see teams making more substantial purchases. Moreover a club can move from one cluster to another quickly. The professionalisation of the scouting of young players also plays a very big role and the resources and professional skills of each club in this area can be very important.


The dynamic response of a magnetic electron lens of an ultrahigh voltage electron microscope was measured and analysed. The causes of delay in lens response are classified as the lens inductance, the eddy current induced in the cooling plate and the eddy current induced in the magnetic yoke. The first factor is negligible and the second factor affects the initial build-up stage of the magnetic flux density at the lens gap centre. By cutting the circular eddy current path, the time constant of the initial stage was improved from 1.4 s to 0.08 s. The third factor influences the asymptotic characteristics near the steady state because the magnetic flux creepingly penetrates into the yoke if it has high permeability and conductivity. The characteristics of time response can be analytically expressed with a simplified model of the magnetic circuit. It is seen that it takes about 1000 s to stabilize the magnetic flux density of the lens completely.


We present a quantitative genetic model for the evolution of growth trajectories that makes no assumptions about the shapes of growth trajectories that are possible. Evolution of a population's mean growth trajectory is governed by the selection gradient function and the additive genetic covariance function. The selection gradient function is determined by the impact of changes in size on the birth and death rates at different ages, and can be estimated for natural populations. The additive genetic covariance function can also be estimated empirically, as we demonstrate with four vertebrate populations. Using the genetic data from mice, a computer simulation shows that evolution of a growth trajectory can be constrained by the absence of genetic variation for certain changes in the trajectory's shape. These constraints can be visualized with an analysis of the covariance function. Results from four vertebrate populations show that while each has substantial genetic variation for some evolutionary changes in its growth trajectory, most types of changes have little or no variation available. This suggests that constraints may often play an important role in the evolution of growth.


Metamaterials:Theory, Design, and Applications goes beyond left-handed materials (LHM) or negative index materials (NIM) and focuses on recent research activity. Included here is an introduction to optical transformation theory, revealing invisible cloaks, EM concentrators, beam splitters, and new-type antennas, a presentation of general theory on artificial metamaterials composed of periodic structures, coverage of a new rapid design method for inhomogeneous metamaterials, which makes it easier to design a cloak, and new developments including but not limited to experimental verification of invisible cloaks, FDTD simulations of invisible cloaks, the microwave and RF applications of metamaterials, sub-wavelength imaging using anisotropic metamaterials, dynamical metamaterial systems, photonic metamaterials, and magnetic plasmon effects of metamaterials.


We are becoming increasingly aware that the effectiveness of mobile crowdsourcing systems critically depends on the whims of their human participants, impacting everything from participant engagement to their compliance with the crowdsourced tasks. In response, a number of such systems have started to incorporate different incentive features aimed at a wide range of goals that span from improving participation levels, to extending the systems' coverage, and enhancing the quality of the collected data. Despite the many related efforts, the inclusion of incentives in crowdsourced systems has so far been mostly ad-hoc, treating incentives as a wild-card response fitted for any occasion and goal. Using data from a large, 2-day experiment with 96 participants at a corporate conference, we present an analysis of the impact of two incentive structures on the recruitment, compliance and user effort of a basic mobile crowdsourced service. We build on these preliminary results to argue for a principled approach for selecting incentive and incentive structures to match the variety of requirements of mobile crowdsourcing applications and discuss key issues in working toward that goal.


Wireless neural recording systems are subject to stringent power consumption constraints to support long-term recordings and to allow for implantation inside the brain. In this paper, we propose using a combination of on-chip detection of action potentials ("spikes") and compressive sensing (CS) techniques to reduce the power consumption of the neural recording system by reducing the power required for wireless transmission. We empirically verify that spikes are compressible in the wavelet domain and show that spikes from different neurons acquired from the same electrode have subtly different sparsity patterns or supports. We exploit the latter fact to further enhance the sparsity by incorporating a union of these supports learned over time into the spike recovery procedure. We show, using extra cellular recordings from human subjects, that this mechanism improves the SNDR of the recovered spikes over conventional basis pursuit recovery by up to 9.5 dB (6 dB mean) for the same number of CS measurements. Though the compression ratio in our system is contingent on the spike rate at the electrode, for the datasets considered here, the mean ratio achieved for 20-dB SNDR recovery is improved from 26:1 to 43:1 using the learned union of supports.


Let y be a vector endogenous variables and let w be a vector of covariates, parameters and errors or unobservables that together are assumed to determine y. A structural model y = H(y, w) is complete and coherent if it has a well defined reduced form, meaning that for any value of w there exists a unique value for y. Coherence and completeness simplifies identification, and is required for many estimators and many model applications. Incoherency or incompleteness can arise in models with multiple decision makers such as games, or when the decision making of individuals is either incorrectly or incompletely specified. This paper provides necessary and sufficient conditions for the coherence and completeness of simultaneous equation systems where one equation is a binomial response. Examples are dummy endogenous regressor models, regime switching regressions, treatment response models, sample selection models, endogenous choice systems, and determining if a pair of binary choices are substitutes or complements.


Table spreads are one of the fundamental ingredients of human diets. Generally, butter and margarine are the most preferred spread products among others. Moreover, these products have some disadvantages such as high saturated fatty acids contents and the presence of trans fatty acids. In this study, virgin olive oil and hazelnut oil oleogels were prepared with beeswax and sunflower wax, while the hazelnut oil oleogels were aromatized with diacetyl. For the reason stated above, the first purpose of this study was to test the sensory properties and consumer acceptance of virgin olive oil when prepared as a spreadable fat in oleogel form. The second purpose was to determine how the hazelnut oil oleogels would be received as a butter alternative by the sensory and consumer tests as well. The results revealed that both types of oleogels are structurally and thermally suitable as alternative products. For the first time in the literature, these oleogels were described by a panel with thirteen sensory definition terms (hardness, spreadability, liquefaction, grassy, milky, rancid, fatty, sweet, salty, waxy, grittiness, cooling and mouth coating). Hedonic attributes (appearance, odor, flavor, spreadability) tested by the consumers proved that these oleogel products have potential as spread and/or butter alternatives. In the consumer survey study, one of the striking results indicated that more than 50% of the consumers would buy or try once, then decide to buy the oleogel products. In conclusion, these oleogels can be used as spreads or butter alternatives.


Background COVID-19 is the novel coronavirus responsible for the ongoing global outbreak of acute respiratory disease and viral pneumonia. In order to tackle the devastating condition of the virus, countries need to attack the virus with aggressive and targeted tactics. Thus, to strengthen the COVID-19 mitigation measures and to give rapid response, there is an urgent need to understand the public's knowledge and attitude about of the pandemic at this critical moment. Objective This study was aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of communities about COVID-19 and associated factors among Gondar City residents. Methods A community based cross-sectional study was done among 623 respondents in Gondar city from April 20-27/2020. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire adapted from different literatures. The data were entered using Epi data version 3.1 and then exported into STATA version 14 for analysis. Bi-variable and multivariable binary logistic regression were performed. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI was used to declare statistically significant variables on the basis of p value less than 0.05 in the multivariable binary logistic regression model. Results The overall knowledge and attitude of the community towards COVID19 was 51.85% [95% CI (47.91%-55.78%)] and 53.13% [95% CI (49.20, 57.06%)], respectively. In this study, being married [AOR = 0.60 at 95% CI: (0.42, 0.86)], educational level; primary [AOR = 3.14 at 95% CI: (1.78,5.54)], secondary [AOR = 2.81 at 95% CI: (1.70,4.63)], college and above [AOR = 4.49 at 95% CI: 7.92, 13.98)], and family size [AOR = 1.80, at 95% CI: (1.05, 3.08)] were emerged as statistically significant factors impacting the knowledge of the community about COVID-19. Besides, educational level; primary [AOR = 1.76 at 95% CI: (1.03, 3.01)], secondary [AOR = 1.69 at 95% CI: (1.07, 2.68)], and college & above [AOR = 2.38 at 95% CI: (1.50, 3.79)], and family size; four to six members [AOR = 1.84 at 95% CI (1.27, 2.67)], above seven members [AOR = 1.79 at 95% CI (1.08, 2.96)] were factors identified as significantly attribute for positive attitude of the communities towards COVID-19. Conclusion More than half of the respondents had better knowledge and attitude regarding COVID-19. Higher educational level and larger family size were significant factors predominantly affecting the knowledge and attitude of the communities towards COVID-19.


We report measurements of resonant processes in electron collisions with very highly charged heavy ions made using an electron beam ion trap. By measuring the ion abundance ratio in the trap at the equilibrium condition as a function of electron energy, we have observed resonant processes such as dielectronic recombination and resonant excitation double autoionization very clearly. Remarkable relativistic effects due to the generalized Breit interaction have been clearly shown in dielectronic recombination for highly charged heavy ions.


The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term treatment outcomes of definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) of locally advanced cervical cancer and beside this to identify prognostic factors and related toxicities. Between February 2001 and September 2013, 327 patients were retrospectively evaluated. The median age was 56 years (range, 24-82 years). Ninety-five percent of patients had ≥Stage IIB disease. External pelvic radiotherapy (RT) (45-50.4 Gy) and concomitant chemotherapy followed by 28 Gy in 4 fractions high dose rate brachytherapy was administered. Boost doses of 10-15 Gy were administered to <2 cm lymph nodes (LNs) or distal parametrial involved sites. The median follow-up time was 68 months (range, 45-90 months). Two-, 5and 10-year cancer specific survival (CSS) rates were 80%, 68%, and 65%; disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 73%, 66%, and 64%; local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) rates were 94%, 92%, and 91%; loco-regional recurrence-free survival (LRRFS) were 92%, 89%, and 86%; distant metastases-free survival (DMFS) were 81%, 76%, 75%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, age, clinical stage and LN metastasis at diagnosis were independent prognostic factors for both CSS and DFS. Third month response to treatment was the most important prognostic factor for all end points in univariate and multivariate analysis. With the aggressive radiotherapeutic approach, it seems that distant metastases rather than locoregional recurrence determines the survival rates. Consolidation chemotherapy may be a good option after definitive CRT which needs to be supported with future phase III studies.


Author(s): Dillon, Robert | Advisor(s): Bardeen, Christopher J. | Abstract: The successful function of photovoltaic (PV) and photocatalytic (PC) systems centers primarily on the creation and photophysics of charge separated electron-hole pairs. The pathway leading to separate carriers varies by material; organic materials typically require multiple events to charge separate, whereas inorganic semiconductors can directly produce free carriers. In this study, time-resolved spectroscopy is used to provide insight into two such systems: 1) organic charge-transfer (CT) complexes, where electrons and holes are tightly bound to each other, and 2) Au-TiO2 core-shell nanostructures, where free carriers are directly generated. 1) CT complexes are structurally well defined systems consisting of donor molecules, characterized by having low ionization potentials, and acceptor molecules, characterized by having high electron affinities. Charge-transfer is the excitation of an electron from the HOMO of a donor material directly into the LUMO of the acceptor material, leading to an electron and hole separated across the donor:acceptor interface. The energy of the CT transition is often less than that of the bandgaps of donor and acceptor materials individually, sparking much interest if PV systems can utilize the CT band to generate free carriers from low energy photons. In this work we examine the complexes formed between acceptors tetracyanobenzene (TCNB) and tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) with several aromatic donors. We find excitation of the charge-transfer band of these systems leads to strongly bound electron-hole pairs that exclusively undergo recombination to the ground state. In the case of the TCNB complexes, our initial studies were flummoxed by the samples' generally low threshold for photo and mechanical damage. As our results conflicted with previous literature, a significant portion of this study was spent quantifying the photodegradation process. 2) Unlike the previous system, free carriers are directly photogenerated in TiO2, and the prime consideration is avoiding loss due to recombination of the electron and hole. In this study, four samples of core-shell Au-TiO2 nanostructures are analyzed for their photocatalytic activity and spectroscopic properties. The samples were made with increasingly crystalline TiO2 shells. The more crystalline samples had higher photocatalytic activities, attributed to longer carrier lifetimes. The observed photophysics of these samples vary with excitation wavelength and detection method used. We find the time-resolved photoluminescence correlates with the samples' photocatalytic activities only when high energy, excitation wavelength less than or equal to 300 nm is used, while transient absorption experiments show no correlation regardless of excitation source. The results imply that photoexcitation with high energy photons can generate both reactive surface sites and photoluminescent surface sites in parallel. Both types of sites then undergo similar electron-hole recombination processes that depend on the crystallinity of the TiO2 shell. Surface sites created by low energy photons, as well as bulk TiO2 carrier dynamics that are probed by transient absorption, do not appear to be sensitive to the same dynamics that determine chemical reactivity.


Congress is considering revised definitions of "terrorism" and related terms in the context of the proposed "Anti-Terrorism Act of 2001." While the proposed definitions relate to criminal law and immigration law, hundreds of other federal statutes and regulations already define "terrorism" and related terms in a variety of other contexts.
However, these statutes and regulations ultimately refer to an extremely small set of statutory definitions, current criminal law and immigration definitions being among them. This report provides the current text of these fundamental definitions. The report will be updated as action on new antiterrorism law proceeds.


Secondary-treated municipal wastewater (MWW) is the alternative water source in recirculating cooling water systems. Municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent was collected and four fractions including hydrophobic acidic (HPOA), hydrophobic alkaline (HPOB), weakly hydrophobic (WHPO) and hydrophilic (HPI) organics were isolated from the effluent by using DAX-8/XAD-4 resin. We used potentiodynamic polarization (PDP) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to investigate corrosion characteristics of N80 carbon steel in the different water samples and control samples. In contrast with control samples, the corrosion rate of N80 carbon steel decreased 41%, 23%, 18% and 4% in the presence of HPOA, HPOB, WHPO and HPI, respectively. The results were further confirmed by the EIS test. In the presence of the four fractions (especially HPOA), the radius of the semicircle in the Nyquist plot was much larger than that for the control samples, which indicated that the impedance in the EIS test of the HPOA sample was much higher than that of the control sample. The dissolved organic matter (DOM) could adsorb onto the surface of the electrode and form a protective film, which could inhibit electron transfer and increase the electrochemical impedance of the electrochemical test system.


Leukotrienes are potent oxygenated metabolites derived from the 5-lipoxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid metabolism. They comprise the cysteinyl leukotrienes (LTC4, LTD4, LTE4) and LTB4. The rate limiting step in the formation of cysteinyl leukotrienes is the conversion of LTA4 to LTC4 catalyzed by the enzyme LTC4 synthase. Recently, the first inborn error of leukotriene synthesis, LTC4-synthesis deficiency, has been identified in a patient with a fatal developmental syndrome. We report on an additional infant presenting with severe muscular hypotonia, symmetrical extension in the lower extremities and psychomotor retardation who died at the age of 6 months. Despite intensive investigations no specific diagnosis could be made. Leukotrienes were subsequently analyzed in the cerebrospinal fluid. Concentrations of LTC4, LTD4 and LTE4 were below the detection limit (< 5 pg/ml) whereas LTB4 was found to be in the upper normal range. The absence of cysteinyl leukotrienes with normal LTB4 concentration in cerebrospinal fluid is unique and seems to be pathognomonic for LTC4-synthesis deficiency. Our patient most likely represents the second case described so far with this condition. This report provides further evidence that LTC4-synthesis deficiency represents a new neurometabolic disorder.


A significant advancement regarding the electrification of transportation has occurred in recent years due to technological developments, environmental concerns, and geopolitical issues in the energy areas all over the world. In this study, a new concept for the integration of rail-based public transportation systems with electric vehicle (EV) parking lots operated by a "park and ride" strategy is propounded, including also renewable resources based energy production. In the proposed structure, the charging power demand of the EV parking lot is supplied by different charging strategies considering the existing unused energy infrastructure capacity and the regenerative braking energy of the railway system, altogether. Here, the design of a photovoltaic (PV) based carport type renewable energy production unit is also realized in the existing local parking area. The development of an optimal energy management system to effectively manage these inputs is realized and the uncertainties pertaining to EVs' demand are also taken into account. To demonstrate its efficacy, the concept is tested considering a bench of case studies and comprehensive results are obtained.


Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the cervix is a rare and aggressive tumor with fatal outcome. In this paper we report two cases of primary adenoid cystic carcinoma and a review of literature. A 80 years old woman, admitted to our hospital with postmenopausal bleeding and hydrorrhea. Gynealogical examination showed a cervical stenotic with the presence of a tumor processus. Biopsy of cervical growth was done. 80-year-old woman presented with vaginal bleeding with pelvic pain. Physical examination revealed a friable mass in the cervix. Incisional biopsy was performed. In the both cases the diagnosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the cercix was confirmed. Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the cervix is clinically and radiologically similar to other tumors of the cervix but the diagnosis can only be made by histological examination.


Over the years, there has been a well-documented decline in the success rate of founder-led nonprofit startups. However, is is still unclear how to help founder-led non-profit startups continue to grow. The primary reasons most startup founder-led nonprofit organizations cease to exist are the result of their merging with other organizations, the inadequacy of resources, and poor management. The objective of this study was to provide a clear road map for practices that founder-led nonprofit startups could adopt in order to ensure that their organizations operate successfully. In the light of the literatures, the result of this study also indicated that it is crucial to evolve employees in decision making process, recruit and retent of members and volunteers, create a strong brand identity, build good realtionship between the board and the managers, and develop and manage the employees' accountabilities. Continuous efforts on these factors will influence the organisation's sustainable growth and generate personal considerations.


Any interaction with a patient typically follows a structured approach of careful history taking, detailed and focused clinical examination and the performance, if needed, of laboratory tests. Complacency is the enemy here, turning an interaction with a patient into a tedious melodrama instead of an exciting mix of diplomacy, psychology and challenging medical detective work.


The network vehicle is Delphi Automotive Systems' vision for the future convergence of computers, the communications infrastructure, and the automobile. It features many advanced functions such as: satellite video, Internet access, virtual navigation, remote vehicle diagnostics and control, games, mobile office, automotive web site, and customized real-time stock quotes and sports scores. These features are enabled by an integrated planar antenna that is capable of multiple satellite reception, a client-server network architecture, and unique human-vehicle-interfaces such as color reconfigurable head up and head down displays, steering wheel controls, voice recognition, text-to-speech, and large touch screen active matrix liquid crystal displays (LCD's). The software applications are written in Java, using application programming interfaces (API's) to reduce the complexity and cost of the source code.


We present the first optical images of scattered light from large, detached gas/dust shells around two carbon stars, R Scl and U Ant, obtained in narrow band filters centred on the resonance lines of neutral K and Na, and in a Stromgren b filter (only U Ant). They confirm results obtained in CO radio line observations, but also reveal new and interesting structures. Towards R Scl the scattering appears optically thick in both the K and Na filters, and both images outline almost perfectly circular disks with essentially uniform intensity out to a sharp outer radius of ≈ 21″. These disks are larger -by about a factor of two -than the radius of the detached shell which has been marginally resolved in CO radio line data. In U Ant the scattering in the K filter appears to be, at least partially, optically thin, and the image is consistent with scattering in a geometrically thin ( ≈ 3″) shell (radius ≈ 43″) with an overall spherical symmetry. The size of this shell agrees very well with that of the detached shell seen in CO radio line emission. The scattering in the Na filter appears more optically thick, and the image suggests the presence of at least one, possibly two, shells inside the 43″ shell. There is no evidence for such a multiple-shell structure in the CO data, but this can be due to considerably lower masses for these inner shells. Weak scattering appears also in a shell which is located outside the 43″ shell. The present data do not allow us to conclusively identify the scattering agent, but we argue that most of the emission in the K and Na filter images is to due to resonance line scattering, and that there is also a weaker contribution from dust scattering in the U Ant data. Awaiting new observational data, our interpretation must be regarded as tentative.


The selective transfer of task knowledge is studied within the context of multiple task learning (MTL) neural networks. Given a consolidated MTL network of previously learned tasks and a new primary task, T0, a measure of task relatedness is derived. The existing consolidated MTL network representation is fixed and an output for task T0 is connected to the hidden nodes of the network and trained. The cosine similarity between the hidden to output weight vectors for T0 and the weight vectors for each of the previously learned tasks is used as measure of task relatedness. The most related tasks are then used to learn T0 within a new MTL network using the task rehearsal method. Results of an empirical study on two synthetic domains of invariant concept tasks demonstrate the method's ability to selectively transfer knowledge from the most related tasks so as to develop hypotheses with superior generalization.


In humans, sex steroid-binding protein (SBP) is a protein from the liver which binds with high affinity sex steroid hormones. The plasma concentration of SBP is regulated in part by hormonal factors. It has been shown that estrogens and/or thyroid hormones increase the production of SBP by hepatoma cell lines. It is therefore assumed that the increase in SBP levels in patients given oral estrogens or thyroid hormones is the consequence of a direct stimulation of the liver production of SBP by these hormones. The effects of androgen, progestagen and glucocorticoid hormones are unclear or still a matter of controversy. Moreover, the regulation of the metabolic clearance rate of SBP and the influence of nonhormonal factors on the production of SBP are still speculative. Changes in SBP have been described in a few nonendocrine diseases. A slight hormonal dysfunction may be either the primary or the sole cause of the changes in SBP occurring in these diseases. As an example, elevated SBP levels have been reported in men with liver cirrhosis together with testicular hypofunction and increased estrogen levels. It is therefore difficult to demonstrate that the increase in SBP is due to the liver dysfunction rather than to the endocrinological side effects of cirrhosis. The aim of this review is to present some aspects of the nonhormonal regulation of SBP. There is accumulating evidence in the literature for a relation between SBP levels and body weight and fat distribution, energy balance, diet and physical activity, and lipid metabolism. Therefore, it is tempting to propose that SBP is an index which reflects the status of endocrine, metabolic and nutritional functions. Measurement of SBP may be considered of interest in the light of previous epidemiological studies and the preventive approach to diseases such as hormone dependent tumors, cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis.


Consultants call it "coming out of the silo," a down-home metaphor describing what awaits the health care job market in the years ahead. For example, start with a computer nerd, add MBA and MD degrees, and you're toting one of tomorrow's hottest tickets. In fact, from the executive suite to health care's front lines, the job race will be to the swift--and the multiskilled.


Abstract A numerical model is presented that describes the microstructure evolution in liquid immiscible alloys under the common action of nucleation, diffusional growth and drop motion during continuous cooling through the miscibility gap. The model is satisfactorily verified by comparison with an analytically solvable case. The numerical results for an Al-5 wt.% Pb alloy cooled with 10,20 and 50 K/s from a temperature above the binodal show that the simultaneous action of Marangoni migration and Stokes settlement governs the macrosegregation of Pb. At low cooling rates a Pb film establishes by Stokes motion at bottom, at high cooling rates the Pb droplets accumulate in the middle part of a cylindrical sample due to the strong Marangoni motion opposing gravity induced sedimentation. The average drop radius does not vary with position in the sample at high cooling rates. At small cooling rates a slight variation with position is predicted.


This review examines the recent progress in the field of angiotensin receptors. Multiplicity of these receptors was demonstrated initially on the basis of pharmacologic differences and then confirmed by expression cloning. AT1 receptors are predominant in the adult. They are widely distributed and mediate all of the known biologic effects of angiotensin II (AngII) through a variety of signal transduction systems, including activation of phospholipases C and A2, inhibition of adenylate cyclase, opening of calcium channels, and activation of tyrosine kinases. AT2 receptors are predominant in the fetus, but also present in adult tissues such as the adrenals, ovaries, uterus, and brain. AngII via these receptors exerts effects often opposed to those mediated by the AT1 receptors. Signal transduction implicates protein tyrosine phosphatase stimulation. AT1 and AT2 receptor expressions are regulated differently, and regulation is also tissue-specific. AT1 and AT2 receptors have been demonstrated in endothelial cells. Activation of AT1 receptors results in production of vasodilatory agents, nitric oxide, and prostacyclin (PGI2), which counteract the direct vasoconstrictor effects of Ang II on the adjacent smooth muscle cells. AT1 receptors on mesangial cells, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts are involved in cell growth and fibrosis, the latter being due both to an increase in the synthesis and a decrease in the degradation of the main components of the extracellular matrix. These AT1 receptor-dependent effects are for the most part indirect and mediated by growth factors, cytokines, and other peptides, including endothelin, transforming growth factor-beta1, and platelet-derived growth factor. AngII is metabolized into active fragments by deletion of the terminal amino acids on both ends. AngIII and AngIV are formed by successive deletions of aspartic acid and arginine at the N terminus. AngII (1-7) is obtained by deletion of phenylalanine at the C terminus. AngIII shares the same receptors and exerts the same effects as AngII. AngIV and AngII (1-7) recognize the AT1 and AT2 receptors with a lesser affinity than AngII and, in addition, possess their own receptors that mediate effects often opposed to those of AngII.


Saffron petals, which are the main by-products of Crocus sativus L. (Iridaceae family), are produced in large quantities and are known for their many beneficial properties. In this regard, this study aims to investigate the phenolic composition and antibacterial properties of hydroethanolic extracts from Crocus sativus L. petals collected from Serghina (province of Boulmane) in Morocco. The phenolic profiles were characterized using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a photodiode array and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC-PDA-ESI/MS). The antibacterial potential was evaluated against four bacterial strains potentially causing food-borne disease (Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes) using disc diffusion and broth micro-dilution assays. Results showed that a total of 27 phenolic compounds was detected in the Crocus sativus L. petal extracts, which were assigned to flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin, isorhamnetin, and myricetin derivatives). The most abundant compound was represented by kaempferol-sophoroside isomer (20.82 mg/g ± 0.152), followed by kaempferol-sophoroside-hexoside (2.63 mg/g ± 0.001). The hydroethanolic extracts of Crocus sativus L. petals demonstrated bactericidal effects against Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocetogenes and bacteriostatic effects against Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium. Therefore, the by-product Crocus sativus L. petal extracts might be considered as valuable sources of natural antibacterial agents with potential applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.


The proliferation of the blue economy in political discourse has gained traction in recent years, however, there remains no standardized definition. The triple bottom line goals of economic development, social equity, and environmental conservation are at the center of the blue economy vision. Yet the ambiguities surrounding the term have resulted in considerable variation in how the blue economy is implemented and what is prioritized. This paper takes a global snapshot of current approaches to national level blue economy governance. In doing so this paper provides the first global assessment of blue economy implementation approaches, through the development of a global blue economy database. Using the best available information from policy documents, media releases and other publicly available online information, we comparatively analyzed each country's governance strategy to assess the level of blue economy development in coastal states around the world. Throughout this paper we outline the novel methodological approach we took in order to develop a tool for analyzing national level blue economy implementation on the global scale. This approach will allow for ongoing and continued analysis of blue economy operationalization as the concept continues to evolve.


BACKGROUND
Acute bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency condition that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment and otherwise associated with serious morbidity and mortality.

AIM
The aim of this study was to assess types, risk factors, clinical symptoms and diagnostic tests of meningitis in hospitalized patients of Mazandaran University of medical sciences hospitals during 2006-2012.

MATHERIALS AND METHODS
This is a retrospective descriptive study. Following approval of the ethics committee of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, records of adult patients diagnosed with acute meningitis from 2006 to 2012 were extracted from Mazandaran Provincial Health Center and patients attending hospitals affiliated to Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
Data were analyzed with SPSS-16 using descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, standard deviation, and median).

RESULTS
In this study, of the 137 patients with meningitis, 73 (53.9%) were viral, 61 (46%) bacterial, 1 (0.7%) fungal, and 2 (1.4%) unknown. The majority of risk factors in patients were head trauma, upper respiratory infection, and drug addiction. The most common clinical signs were headache, fever, nausea and vomiting, and stiff neck.

CONCLUSION
In this study, the incidence of meningitis was much lower than any other country. It could be due to geographic variation or incomplete recording of patient's data. It is recommended to perform a longitudinal study during the coming years on patients with meningitis.


Abstract This paper focuses on the analysis of the characteristics of corporate governance in banks in Poland and Slovenia between 2005 and 2013. It studies the impact of corporate governance in these banks on their performance. The results of our research show that Slovenia achieved lower average scores for the variables and indicators related to the transparency of corporate governance than Poland. The density of banks with the highest corporate governance index scores was higher in Poland than in Slovenia. When examining the impact of corporate governance on bank performance as measured with net interest income, the regression analysis showed that its impact is positive in both countries and that it is statistically significant in Slovenia.


Tourist motivation, as a core of travel behavior, significantly influences consumer intentions and has attracted academic attention for decades. A plethora of studies analyse sets of internal and external motivators, while methodologies that exclusively focus on a single factor, such as age, that can sometimes have a determining influence in multi-attraction destinations, are less prevalent. This study introduces a fuzzy logic approach to develop a new model for analysing the internal motivations of different-aged consumers in multi-attraction urban destinations. Fuzzy models, as a mathematical means of representing vagueness and imprecise information, have the capability of recognizing, representing, manipulating, interpreting, and utilizing data and information, which typically for urban tourist motivations, are vague and lack certainty. This research tests the model in a real-life setting, using the example of Novi Sad, a mid-sized European city, which is typical of many similar cities who are attempting to develop sustainable tourism by attracting older tourists. The new model shows how tourist motivations for multi-attraction destinations are affected by age, through a specially developed m-file for MATLAB, so that it can be applied and tested in other tourism contexts. Theoretical and practical implications for sustainable destination management and marketing are described.


Since October 3, 2001, CDC and state and local public health authorities have been investigating cases of bioterrorism-related anthrax. This report updates previous findings, provides new information on case investigations in two additional areas, presents the susceptibility patterns of Bacillus anthracis isolates, and provides interim recommendations for managing potential threats and exposures and for treating anthrax.


Multi-pole permanent magnetic synchronous generator (PMSG) applied in the direct driven wind energy conversion system (WECS) usually has a relative "soft" drive train. Because of no internal damping winding, torsional vibrations are easily excited in the PMSG based WECS. For the maximum power extraction requirement, the vibrations can be automatically damped with optimal torque (OT) or power signal feedback (PSF) scheme implemented in the generator side. However, if the WECS is required to output a smoothed or constant power for the power regulation, the vibrations will not be damped with the control strategy. Thus additional active damping control is necessary. Active damping can be achieved with power control in both grid and generator sides or just dc link voltage control. With additional compensator in the power or dc voltage control loop, the damping torque is introduced to suppress the vibrations in the generator torque. Different active damping strategies for different output power requirements are designed and verified with simulation results in the paper.


Since the 1990s the sustainability concept, i.e. addressing social, economic, environmental and inter-generational issues, is widely acknowledged as guiding principle of natural resource management and governance. In the water sector this is reflected in Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), which aims at integrated, economically, socially and environmentally sustainable use of water resources. Faced with climate change, governance of natural resources is confronted with unprecedented situations and past experience may no longer provide reliable guidance for the future. This has been termed the adaptation deficit of water resource management. The question arises in how far IWRM is able to deal with challenges such as decreasing water availability and uncertainty in water supply. To maintain the long-term sustainability of the water sector, its ability to adapt to unforeseen events needs to increase, i.e. (as part of disaster risk management) adaptation needs to become integral part of the governance of water resources. Governance structures need to be developed which enable stakeholders to cope with the challenges and uncertainties of climate change. Increasing both the sustainability and the adaptive capacity will thus be one of the major future challenges for the water sector and serve as contributions to disaster risk management. This paper addresses the question in how far IWRM besides supporting the sustainable management of water resources is prepared for increasing the adaptive capacity of the water sector. This is achieved by examining the features of IWRM regarding their contribution towards increasing the adaptive capacity of water governance regimes. The paper also identifies additional features which would be required for further increasing the adaptive capacity of water governance and management.


Much work has been done in the study of two-phase gas-liquid flows. Although it has been recognized superficially that such flows are not homogeneous in general, little attention has been paid to the inherent discreteness of the two-phase systems. Only relatively recently have fluctuating characteristics of two-phase flows been studied in detail. As a result, new experimental devices and techniques have been developed for use in measuring quantities previously ignored. This report reviews and summarizes most of these methods in an effort to emphasize the importance of the fluctuating nature of these flows and as a guide to further research in this field.


PurposeTheoretical generalisation provides the basis for tackling problems of service complexity, fragmentation and disrupted care pathways.Design/methodology/approachRecent mental health service transformation in Wales, United Kingdom, has been stimulated by a policy programme underpinned by person-centred recovery values. This paper offers analysis informed by the perspectives of Niklas Luhmann and other noted theorists to examine escalating service system complexity related to this transformation. Analysis builds upon the findings of a qualitative study employing thematic discourse analysis of talk of people with mental illness and associated workers.FindingsIn total, three themes were constructed in participants' talk: "Competing versions of recovery", "Misaligned service expectations" and "Disrupted care pathways." Recovery may be understood as a form of moral communication and autopoietic meaning-making activity, according to Luhmann's radical constructionist epistemology. This has the potential to generate competing versions of recovery, a key contributor to escalating complexity.Research limitations/implicationsFindings could be developed further by continued investigation of the relationship between recovery implementation and service fragmentation.Social implicationsA more judicious, balanced policy-implementation may cultivate optimal conditions for recovery pluralism by avoiding polarisation towards either top-down, policy-based recovery implementation or a proliferation of approaches at the grassroots level. Findings have implications for healthcare settings beyond the scope of mental healthcare, given the prevalence of person-centred care internationally.Originality/valueA simplistic view of recovery implementation should be challenged. Recovery should not be considered a "magic bullet" for mental healthcare delivery. Haphazard recovery-implementation may have detrimental effects of escalating complexity, service fragmentation and disrupted care pathways.


Theory predicts that committees of experts may take decisions that look good but are bad and that they show a united front to impress evaluators. Although evaluators see through this behavior, committees persist in it only to avoid worse assessments. We investigate this theory in the lab, using treatments with and without reputation concerns and with and without cheap-talk communication with evaluators. We use the chat among committee members to learn about, e.g., their beliefs about the determinants of evaluators' assessments. We find that a committee's desire to come across as well-informed causes it to garble the information on which evaluators can base their assessments. Evaluators see through this behavior, making their assessments less dependent on actual decisions and statements. With or without reputation concerns, for the majority of committees, words speak louder than costly decisions. Evaluators pick this up. Orthogonality tests show that evaluators use observable clues about ability quite efficiently but struggle to infer ability from infrequent statements. The absence of cheap talk as a means to influence assessments hurts decision making and reduces the overall accuracy of assessments. Evidence that united fronts are consciously formed is limited.


My aim in this paper is to propose a reflection on the position and the importance that the constitutional judge has in the legal systems of contemporary constitutionalism. The figure of the judge responsible of protecting the Constitution is a key institution, without which we cannot understand the laws of constitutional democracies, their current lines of development, and the guarantee of rights and freedoms that constitute the normative core of these systems. Moreover, the reflection on the exercise of the powers of the judge, its scope and its justification is an important part of contemporary legal discussion, still relevant, albeit not exclusively - in the field of legal philosophy. The object of attention of my reflection is the judge who has the power of judicial review, in a scheme of defense of the Constitution, regardless the specific ways of this defense.


Musical robots provide artists and musicians with the ability to realise complex new musical ideas in real acoustic space. However, most musical robots are created with openloop control systems, many of which require time consuming calibration and do not reach the level of reliability of other electronic musical instruments such as synthesizers. This paper outlines the construction of a new robotic musical instrument, the Closed-Loop Robotic Glockenspiel, and discusses the improved robustness, usability and expressive capabilities that closed-loop control systems and embedded musical information retrieval processes can afford robotic musical instruments. The hardware design of the instrument is described along with the firmware of the embedded MIR system. The result is a new desktop robotic musical instrument that is capable of continuous unaided recalibration and latency compensation, is as simple to use as more traditional hardware electronic sound-sources and provides musicians with new expressive capabilities.


A case of hepatic adenoma associated with oral contraceptive (OC) use in a 34-year old housewife is described. The patient presented with transient headaches which were experienced primarily on waking in the morning and were not alleviated with common analgesics. Hypertension was observed. Arteriographs of the kidneys were normal, but a hypervascularized zone in the liver was discovered. The patient, an emotional woman who habitually took sedatives for sleep, had used Neogynon OCs for 8 years. Most other findings were normal. The patient was treated with 20 mg Apresoline and 30 drops of Hydergina/day. After the suppression of the OCs, the patient's condition was favorable, with normal blood pressure of 120/80. The tumor was removed. Radiographic films and microscopic findings are reproduced. The tumor was clinically asymptomatic and was discovered by chance during an evaluation of hypertension. Until the intervention there was no hemoperitoneum. Because of the surgical intervention it was not possible to determine whether the tumor would have regressed after discontinuation of the OCs, as sometimes reported.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between patients diagnosed with nodal generalized osteoarthritis (NGOA) and tissue antigens HLA-A and HLA-B in the Western Black Sea Region of Turkey.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Forty-six patients with NGOA (64.74±8.46) and 60 controls (62.32±6.8) were included in the study. Inclusion criteria were: (i) stage 2 and higher OA of the hand and knee based on the Kellgren-Lawrence classification, and (ii) stage 2 and higher lumbar disc degeneration according to Lawrence classification. Family histories were taken from patients. HLA-A and HLA-B were typed by PCR using sequence specific primer.

RESULTS
The frequencies of HLA-A(*)02 and HLA-B(*)38 were 58.7% and 15.2%, respectively, in patients with NGOA, and there was a statistically significant relationship between the disease and HLA-A(*)02 and HLA-B(*)38. The relationship between positive family history and HLA-B(*)44 allele was also statistically significant. In the control group, the frequency of HLA-A(*)29 was 11.7% and it was statistically significant.

CONCLUSION
To our knowledge this is the first study to demonstrate the epidemiologic association between HLA-A(*)02 and HLA-B(*)38 with NGOA in our population. We conclude that, HLA-B(*)44 positivity may be associated with familial NGOA and HLA-A(*)29 may be a preventive factor against NGOA.


At least 60 academic health centers throughout the USA are engaged in increasing the efficiency and quality of translating basic discovery into clinical trials and studies and into the community. Such efforts require teams of investigators from different disciplines who can address the complexities of translation. These institutions, which have received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through an initiative known as Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs), are allocating some of their resources to issue grants for pilot projects as a means of stimulating interdisciplinary research and supporting junior investigators in their career development. We discuss the ways in which pilot funding programs have been deployed at two different CTSA institutions: the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Both programs have found that pilot funds can be used not only to engage investigators, but also to influence their research interests, approaches, and collaboration choices. With a few years of continued implementation, sufficient faculty are engaged in the process to reach what may be a 'tipping point' for change in the institutional culture and environment. There are similarities and differences between the programs discussed in this chapter, yet each has experienced success in terms of dollars invested, investigators trained, and initiation of new research opportunities.


Wireless networking technologies permit a great deal of convenience for mobile users. However, as is often the case, increased levels of technological freedom means there is more potential for abuse and misuse of these services. In this work we find the uptake of wireless networking technology has risen rapidly in recent years and the perceived awareness of security issues has also been heightened. We undertake a number of practical investigations in various communities to determine exactly how many and how accessible Access Points (APs) are in the metropolitan environment. This paper presents comparisons between previous and new independent studies carried out by two research teams in different areas of England and Wales, in the United Kingdom (UK).


Using the spatial modulation approach, where only one transmit antenna is active at a time, we propose two transmission schemes for two-way relay channel using physical layer network coding with space time coding using coordinate interleaved orthogonal designs (CIODs). It is shown that using two uncorrelated transmit antennas at the nodes, but using only one RF transmit chain and space-time coding across these antennas can give a better performance without using any extra resources and without increasing the hardware implementation cost and complexity. In the first transmission scheme, two antennas are used only at the relay, adaptive network coding (ANC) is employed at the relay and the relay transmits a CIOD space time block code (STBC). This gives a better performance compared to an existing ANC scheme for two-way relay channel which uses one antenna each at all the three nodes. It is shown that for this scheme at high SNR the average end-to-end symbol error probability (SEP) is upper bounded by twice the SEP of a point-to-point fading channel. In the second transmission scheme, two transmit antennas are used at all the three nodes, CIOD STBCs are transmitted in multiple access and broadcast phases. This scheme provides a diversity order of two for the average end-to-end SEP with an increased decoding complexity of O(M3) for an arbitrary signal set and O(M2√M) for square QAM signal set. Simulation results show that the proposed schemes performs better than the existing ANC schemes under perfect and imperfect channel state information.


Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-polypropylene (PP) composite materials for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding applications were fabricated as 1 mm thick panels and their properties were studied. Structural and morphologic characterization indicated that the obtained composite materials are not simple physical mixtures of these components but new materials with particular properties, the filler concentration and nature affecting the nanomaterials' structure and their conductivity. In the case of GNPs, their characteristics have a dramatic effect of their functionality, since they can lead to composites with lower conductivity and less effective EMI shielding. Regarding CNTs-PP composite panels, these were found to exhibit excellent EMI attenuation of more than 40 dB, for 10% CNTs concentration. The development of PP-based composite materials with added value and particular functionality (i.e., electrical conductivity and EMI shielding) is highly significant since PP is one of the most used polymers, the best for injection molding, and virtually infinitely recyclable.


The main features of the instantaneous reactive power (IRP) p-q theory, considered as a power theory of three-phase systems, are analyzed in this paper using the theory of the currents' physical components (CPC). This analysis shows that the p and q powers are not associated with separate power phenomena, but with multiple phenomena. Moreover, the results of the IRP p-q theory contradict some common interpretations of power phenomena in three-phase circuits. Namely, according to the IRP p-q Theory the instantaneous reactive current can occur even if a load has zero reactive power, Q. Similarly, the instantaneous active current can occur even if a load has zero active power, P. Moreover, these two currents in circuits with a sinusoidal supply voltage can be nonsinusoidal even if there is no source of current distortion in the load. The analysis shows that a pair of values of instantaneous active and reactive p and q powers does not enable us to draw any conclusion with respect to the power properties of three-phase unbalanced loads even in a sinusoidal situation. Thus, the instantaneous reactive power p-q theory does not identify power properties of such loads instantaneously. This conclusion may have an importance for control algorithms of active power filters. The paper reveals the relationship between the p and q powers and the active, reactive and unbalanced powers, P, Q, and D and specifies the required energy storage capability of active power filters operated under sinusoidal unbalanced conditions.


It is unavoidable to prevent serious damage to the structure and to reduce the casualties and damage caused to it. For this purpose, structural control systems can be used. The study used a viscous damper. The Endurance Time method (ET) is a simple method of analyzing history when the structure is exposed to a gradual accelerating function. The advantage of this method is that with only one analysis of the structure under the acceleration function of endurance time, the performance of the structure can be evaluated at different functional levels. In this study, the application of endurance time method in nonlinear seismic analysis of steel structures equipped with viscous dampers has been investigated. The parameter of engineering demand is the maximum drift of the floors, which is calculated in structures with and without viscose damper. Finally, using curves of endurance time, it was found that the use of viscous dampers reduced the maximum drift of the floors. Non-linear time history analysis (NTH) has also been used to validate the results of the (ET), which showed that the (ET) results are well matched to the nonlinear time history analysis. Finally, the results demonstrated that utilizing of ET method can be replaced in structural building which the viscous damper was utilized.


In the present report drill cores from sixteen road sections in the Netherlands with single layer porous pavements of different age, performance and traffic has been investigated. Microstructure parameters have been defined and measured using CT-scanning and visual assessment of thin sections. It is found that the main overall deterioration mechanism is related to the adhesion and cohesion between mastic and aggregate. It is observed that clogging correlates with adhesion. This is probably due to one deterioration mechanism visually observed on thin sections; the bituminous mastic deteriorates in pavements with poor adhesion and leaves clogging in the voids. The present report only presents the analysis of the thin sections prepared, and no relations to the performance of porous pavements on the roads and the mix design are studied. Hence, it should be noted that this is a phenomenological study on cores.


This study presents the effects of serum lipids and blood glucose on retort Samgyetang intake in rats. For this purpose, we measured the ingredients and contents of Samgyetang, and produced a diet for experimental rats. The animal experiment was done in three different diet groups: control, Samgyetang(I) and Samgyetang(II). The results were as follows; 1) There was no sign of difference between the three groups in the body weight gain and food intake due to the effect of dietary component. 2) The density of serum triglyceride in the Samgyetang(II) group was decreased, but there was no sign of difference between the control group and Samgyetang(II). 3) There were no statistically significant differences of serum cholesterol and phospholipid among my of the diet groups. 4) The free fatty acid density and blood glucose level in the Samgyetang(I) and (II) groups were higher than in the control group. In the author's opinion, it is necessary to reexamine them for a long period through the animal experiment.


In a high-gain free-electron laser (FEL) employing a planar undulator, strong bunching at the fundamental wavelength can drive substantial bunching and power levels at the harmonic frequencies. In this paper we investigate the three-dimensional evolution of harmonic radiation based on the coupled Maxwell-Klimontovich equations that take into account nonlinear harmonic interactions. Each harmonic field is a sum of a linear amplification term and a term driven by nonlinear harmonic interactions. After a certain stage of exponential growth, the dominant nonlinear term is determined by interactions of the lower nonlinear harmonics and the fundamental radiation. As a result, the gain length, transverse profile, and temporal structure of the first few harmonics are eventually governed by those of the fundamental. Transversely coherent third-harmonic radiation power is found to approach 1% of the fundamental power level for current high-gain FEL projects.


Objectives: This narrative review aimed to show the approaches recommended for the prevention of dental caries in Nigeria by epidemiological surveys (P), primary preventive methods and strategies,( I) comparison preferred by experts (C) in the prevention of dental caries (O). Methods: An electronic literature search of some databases such as Pubmed, Pubmed Central, Google Scholar, African Journal Online (AJOL) and Medline was conducted using these keywords delimited by Boolean operators AND, OR and NOT: "dental caries" "prevention" "Nigeria. Epidemiological studies using WHO criteria published in English between 1999 and 2019 were included in this study. Results: All studies that met the inclusion criteria were epidemiological cross-sectional studies, non-clinic –based. The approaches recommended include need for continuous caries surveillance, preventive and restorative programmes, primary prevention, use fluorides, oral health education and atraumatic restorative treatment. Conclusions: The recommended approaches should include continuous caries monitoring, comprehensive preventive and restorative programmes, primary prevention, use fluorides, oral health education and atraumatic restorative treatments in public schools and primary health care (PHC) centres. It is necessary to augment these approaches with undergraduate cariology curriculum review of dental schools, public-private partnership and oral health policy implementation with emphasis on prevention.


Nowadays, the sufficient quality-of-service (QoS) provision for mobile applications remains a major challenge in any wireless network. Conventional sufficient QoS provision techniques using resource allocation, data scheduling, and cross-layer optimization have been proposed to tackle this problem. Nevertheless, due to the unpredictable nature of wireless channel conditions, the QoS improvements resulting from the aforementioned approaches are often unsatisfactory. In this paper, we would like to follow our previous concept, namely user-placement ushering (UPU), by use of the user's mobility. A mobile user can be relocated to an optimal, or at least a better place to boost the QoS for a particular application. Novel fast algorithms are devised here to usher (guide) the mobile user to an appropriate spot with sufficient QoS, which is nearby. We address the UPU problem to accommodate realistic complex indoor environments, where obstacles are present. Our simulation results have demonstrated that our new fast UPU algorithms are capable of finding new appropriate locations satisfying the required QoSs for different wireless network applications.


abstract:What a survey of contemporary British drama reveals is a plethora of plays concerned not only with psychological and medical issues, but with precarious individuals, whose symptomatic condition is presented in terms of schizophrenia or schizoid states. Duncan Macmillan's People, Places and Things (2015) can be considered as a distinctive play in this trend, where not only a rehabilitation center features as its setting, but its main character is afflicted with a complex cluster of symptoms: a schizoid personality, addiction, melancholic loss, and Oedipal tension with parents. Taking People, Places and Things as its focal point, and situating its arguments in the context of "Therapy Culture" (Furedi), this article demonstrates that what distinguishes Macmillan's approach is his deconstructive understanding of the aporias besetting three chief spheres of human action, cognition, and affection: the epistemological, ontological and moral position of (1) his own art/ work and its methods/techniques, (2) the (psycho-)therapeutic disciplines and institutes, (3) contemporary social-cultural discourse and political hegemony. Scrutinizing Macmillan's treatment of the foregoing triad, it will be argued how his method can be characterized in two terms: symptomatic-symptomatological and critical-clinical.


This paper proposes a functional carriage design and an evaluation index system to improve the operational efficiency of high-speed medical trains. Hierarchical task analysis and human-machine-environment analysis were applied to model the transfer task and the functional modules of the medical train. The functional module configuration was obtained by performing a correlation analysis between the task and function. The relationship between carriages was elucidated by analysing material, personnel and information flow, and an optimal grouping diagram was obtained. Based on this design method, an innovative 6-carriage grouping design scheme was proposed. A functional evaluation index system for the carriage design was constructed, and the 6-carriage design was compared with the conventional 8-carriage design to verify the usability of the design method. The results showed that the 6-carriage high-speed trains can be flexibly configured to suit the changing task environment and are generally better than the 8-carriage design. This study provides theoretical and methodological support for constructing efficient and rational functional carriages for high-speed medical trains.


Every product has a life cycle. Just as living beings, it is born, it grows/changes, matures, loses ground and completes its life. The stages that define the product life in this way were put forth in The Product Life Cycle Theory. One or generally more projects and various operational works accompany the product throughout the product life. The expectations from the projects also vary with respect to the stage of the product. In this study, project, operational work and product are related as Product Life Cycle Based Project Management Model. In order to receive effective results from the projects that accompany the product, propositions are made on how to handle them. The propositions are tested with the outcomes of projects implemented in the software development sector.


Each chapter concludes with "Summary," "Vocabulary Quiz," and "Public Speaking Exercises." The last exercise in each chapter presents a complete speech to analyze. Specialized Contents. Welcome to Public Speaking. 1. Introducing Public Speaking. Studying Public Speaking. Managing Your Apprehension. Preparing and Presenting a Public Speech: In Brief. 2. Listening and Criticism. Listening to Speeches. Criticizing Speeches. 3. Selecting Your Topic, Purpose, and Thesis. Your Topic. Your Purpose. Your Thesis. 4. Using Supporting Materials and Visual Aids. Examples. Narration. Testimony. Statistics. Presentation Aids. 5. Analyzing and Adapting to Your Audience. Approaching Audience Analysis and Adaptation. Analyzing Audience Sociology. Analyzing Audience Psychology. Analysis and Adaptation During the Speech. 6. Organizing Your Speech. The Body of the Speech. Introductions, Conclusions, and Transitions. Outlining the Speech. 7. Wording Your Speech. How Language Works. Choosing Words. 8. Delivering Your Speech. Methods of Delivery Effective Vocal Delivery. Effective Bodily Action. Rehearsal: Practicing and Improving Delivery. 9. Informing Your Audience. Guidelines for Informative Speaking. The Speech of Description. The Speech of Definition. The Speech of Demonstration. 10. Persuading Your Audience. Guidelines for Persuasive Speaking. Persuasive Speeches on Questions of Fact, Value, and Policy. Persuasive Speeches to Strengthen or Change Attitudes, Beliefs, and Values. Persuasive Speeches to Stimulate Action. 11. Developing Special Occasion Speeches. Special Occasion Speeches. The Special Occasion Speech in Cultural Perspective. 12. Speaking in Small Groups. Small Groups. Problem Solving in Groups. Members and Leaders in Small Groups. Presenting the Group's Thinking. Bibliography. Index.


Phantom limb pain appears where an amputated limb used to be and is often excruciating and almost impossible to treat. Recently, two experiments on hand amputees in the neuroscience area have shown that if a patient has the visual illusion of his phantom hand in a way that he is able to move it, the phantom pain can decrease. We propose a new augmented reality system aiming to experiment this idea to arm amputees. Our interactive system provides to single arm amputee the image of himself augmented by a virtual arm. Our system is based on the valid arm detection on frame coming from a single camera, in order to use it to create on the image the virtual arm on the amputated side. By giving a immersive sensation and a realistic image of his complete body to the subject, we anticipate that this could lead to a sense of re-embodiment in the virtual limb as with previous system dedicated to the hand. And then, lead to a reduction of the pain. Moreover, by allowing more freedom we could also expect a better impact rate.


This paper proposes a novel approach for improving channel zapping delay on IPTV broadcasting services. Channel zapping delay is a crucial issue for digital TV broadcasting, which entails audio/video data buffering before reproduction. Such delay could be mitigated in an IP environment if a receiver accelerated this buffering using additional burst transmissions from dedicated servers when a channel zap occurs. However, most conventional solutions are based on the unicast burst, which may cause an impulsive server/network load because channel zaps tend to happen simultaneously when programs are finished or suspended by commercial messages. To reduce this load, we propose a new multicast-based solution that takes into consideration the timing variation in channel zap on each receiver. We have confirmed a maximum 1-second reduction in the zapping delay using commercial multicast streams.


To increase the output efficiency of a photovoltaic (PV) energy system, the real-time maximum power point (MPP) of the PV array must be tracked closely. Herein a recurrent fuzzy neural network controller (RFNNC) was proposed to track the MPP. A radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) was developed to provide the reference information to the RFNNC. With a derived learning algorithm, the parameters of the RFNNC were updated adaptively. The mean square error of the estimated tracking error is 0.4×10-2 which guarantees a good predicting performance of the RBFNN. The RFNNC only needs about 4 ms to reach steady state with small fluctuation. Compared with the fuzzy logic control algorithm, simulation results show that the proposed control algorithm yields much better tracking performance.


We report three athletes with symptomatic isolated ganglion of the anterior cruciate ligament. The symptoms consisted of anteromedial knee pain, worse when changing direction while running, and on squatting. All gave a history of repeated minor knee trauma without a single episode of serious injury. At day-case arthroscopy, a unilobulated cystic mass arising from a clinically and arthroscopically intact anterior cruciate ligament was noted and removed in each case. No further intra- or extra-articular knee lesion was seen. Histology revealed a cystic ganglion in each case. With early physiotherapy, the patients could start gentle training 3 wk after arthroscopy, and, at 6-month review, were fully asymptomatic. A review of the literature shows that an isolated ganglion arising from the anterior cruciate ligament is exceedingly rare, with only three such ganglia having been previously reported.


The value of using materials from the Supported Learning In Physics Project in class is explained here by a teacher and three of her pupils.


Introduction: Conventional non-vascularized bone grafts as well as vascularized bone grafts are used to treat scaphoid non-union (SN). Due to limited available studies, the field of application using both grafts for SN still remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate a treatment algorithm for the use of both vascularized versus non-vascularized bone grafts based on clinical outcomes and quality of life (QoL) to improve the level of evidence. Materials and Methods: Based on a retrospective cohort study, including 28 patients with vascularized and 45 patients with conventional bone grafts, functional parameters, radiological outcome, Mayo-wrist-score, and QoL by SF-36 were applied to statistically compare the outcome of these two techniques. Results: Time between last procedure or trauma and study group scaphoid reconstruction was almost double in the vascularized bone grafting group. Comparable union rates were achieved with vascularized as well as non-vascularized bone grafts. Significant differences were observed between both groups for grip strength and radial-ulnar active range of motion. Further functional outcomes, radiological outcomes as well as QoL were found similar for both techniques in patients with surgical union. Discussion and conclusions: In order to achieve comparable and appropriate treatment results, vascularized bone grafts are recommended for patients with delayed treatment, impaired scaphoid vascularity, and revision surgery. Even in preselected, complex cases, the results are comparable to conventional grafts, which are the basis for further patient education and approve the powerful role of surgical angiogenesis of vascularized bone grafts.


*Corresponding Author: John Mark R. Asio Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Abstract: Nature has its due course and disaster is always an aftermath of a catastrophic event. The purpose of this study is to assess the sources of information, training needs, preparation, and response of the community to disaster. To achieve this purpose, the study used a descriptive design with the survey as the instrument for data gathering. For the respondents, 136 individuals took part in the survey which took two months to accommodate. The researcher created a simple survey instrument and subjected it to reliability and validity tests. In analyzing the data, the researcher used weighted mean, standard deviation, t-test, and analysis of variance. Results showed that the radio is the most common source of information to disaster. Respondents emphasized the need for disaster training in the community and they also indicated that they partially observed the preparation and response in their communities. At the same time, there were significant differences observed in the sources of information, training needs, preparation, and response to the disaster of the respondents when grouped according to their communities. Furthermore, a significant difference emerged in the training needs when grouped according to the members of the family. Based on the results, the researcher recommends a community disaster preparation enhancement program for the involved communities in the study.


The wave profile measurements are made with two wall-sided, deep-drafted mathematical models (S-103, S-203) by applying the chemical film method, where the Benzoic Acid is effectively used for the first time, and found as pre-eminently suited to contrasting the flow phenomena on ship models such as wave profiles, initial still water lines, stream lines, and laminar flow area.Comparisons are also made between the calculated and the observed wave profiles.Coincidence is good along the models, but is unsatisfactory in the rear.The principal cause might be safely ascribed to the fact that the wake intesity is always extinguishedly strong just on the narrow band in the vertical symmetrical plane (y=0).Conclusions are then drawn that the present field of the mentioned comparisons between the theory and the observation must be extended from one dimension (on the line y=0, exclusively) to two dimensions, to which the photographic measurements by stereograph might be expected as essential.


A new operative technique for continent urinary diversion was designed as a continent vesicocutaneostomy and preliminary experiments were performed on 7 dogs. A U-shaped flap of anterior bladder wall (30 X 20 X 30 mm) was created, which was then rolled and sutured to an efferent duct. One-half to two-thirds in length of the efferent duct was placed between the muscular layer and mucosa of the bladder, and the distal end of the efferent duct was anastomosed to the cutaneous stoma made at the suprapubic area. In this urinary diversion, excretion of urine from the bladder was done by intermittent catheterization from the stoma through the efferent duct. The operation was successful on all of the experimented dogs, continence of the stoma was preserved and catheterization through the stoma was achieved easily. Urodynamic assessment of the efferent duct was performed, being focused on the mechanism of continence, at 3 and 6 months after the operation. The length of continence zone and maximum closing pressure through the entire efferent duct were 23.2 +/- 4.5 mm and 41.2 +/- 14.7 cmH2O respectively with empty bladder (intravesical pressure = 0). When the bladder was full (intravesical pressure = 20-40 cmH2O), these parameters were 21.4 +/- 4.7 mm and 36.0 +/- 7.0 cmH2O respectively. The length of continence zone and maximum closing pressure of only the submucosal part of the efferent duct were 12.8 +/- 4.3 mm and 18.5 +/- 5.2 cmH2O with empty bladder, 13.3 +/- 2.9 mm and 22.0 +/- 9.9 cmH2O with full bladder.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Decoction of Kampo medicines plays an important role in clinical practice, especially in individualized treatment, while the inconvenience and a long time requirement of the decocting process are impediments to its widespread use in Japan. In this study, we improved the decocting method by using a microwave oven such as those found in most kitchens. To validate the feasibility and safety of this new method, we decocted kakkonto, which is the most widely used formula in clinical treatment in Japan, and keishikabushito, which contains toxic components using a microwave oven. Regarding the contents of 8 characteristic components in the kakkonto decoction and the contents of 6 toxic components in the keishikabushito decoction as indices, and with the extraction and detoxification effects equal to those of the conventional decocting method as targets, we optimized the decocting conditions with Response Surface Methods. With this new method, it took 35 min to obtain almost the same extraction effect for kakkonto as with the conventional decocting method, which takes 40 min; meanwhile, it took only 45 min to detoxify keishikabushito, which takes 60 min using the conventional decocting method. Decocting Kampo medicines with a microwave oven is feasible and as safe as the conventional decocting method. It is a convenient, safe, time-saving method, and may be applied widely in clinical practice. This innovation should allow more patients to benefit from decoction and the individualized treatment it offers.


The article aims to contribute to (and deepen) the debates on participatory theory through the usage of the psychoanalytical concept of fantasy. Its starting point is that participation is defined as a process where power relations are equalized. As a society with totally balanced power relations is both a real and impossible desire – given society's diversity and complexity – there is a need to theorize how situations of 'full' (or maximalist) participation are unattainable and empty, but simultaneously play a key role as ultimate anchoring points and horizons. By reverting to the notion of fantasy, (maximalist) participation can be defined as a phantasmagoric discourse that incorporates, firstly, the impossible idea of reaching a full power equilibrium in society and, secondly, the ability to serves as a crucial driving force for the attempts to further deepen democracy. Moreover, this conceptualization also allows me to acknowledge the ways that this (maximalist) participatory fantasy is affected by a series of other fantasies, including the closely related (and reinforcing) fantasy of agency and freedom, and the more counteracting fantasies of homogeneity and unity, and of leadership and the societal centre. The complexity and interconnectedness of these fantasies is (in the second part of the article) illustrated by an analysis of a series of YouTube comments on a documentary. This documentary, entitled 'Cyprus Still Divided', deals with the Cyprus Problem and the 1974 invasion of the island by Turkey. The often heated debates show that the participatory fantasy (and the related fantasy of agency) play a key role in the legitimization of the posters' efforts to formulate and defend their perspectives on the Cyprus Problem. Through the case study, we can also see how other fantasies impose structural limits on these participatory practices (and fantasy), and how a series of drives threaten to reduce participation to its purely formal version.


Urogenital disorders (UD) are the common complication of the climacteric syndrome: itching, burning, soreness, vaginal dryness, painful coitus, frequent urinary urgency, urination past bed time, incontinence and poor capability to withhold the urine, worsen the quality of life for almost half of the women in post menopause. The key factor that leads to the urogenital disorders in post menopause is the low estrogen synthesis. An efficient and safe way to prevent and treat these disorders is to use the forms of the estriol for the local application. Key factor, that differentiates estriol from the other estrogens, is that estriol selectively binds with the receptor-cell of the urogenital tract for 2-4 hours, when used in local application and so does not have any systemic effect on target-organs, in particular does not affect endometrium and myometrium. In this article we have presented the survey of publications and the result from the personal UD (Urogenital disorders) treatment observation caused by the estrogen deficiency. For the treatment we used: Ovestin (Овестин®) in cream and suppository, containing estriol as the active component. We also described all the pharmacoeconomic properties of the Ovestin and the beneficial effect the local application of estriol has on a married couple.


A low coupling impedance beam position monitor based on microwave spectroscopy is proposed. A coaxial cavity is coupled to a circular beam pipe through four small longitudinal slots. Displaced beams excite TE cavity modes that can be detected by two antennas. Applying the modified Bethe's theory, the TE/sub 111/ mode power has been derived as a function of the beam displacement. An aluminium prototype has been constructed with the support of numerical (HFSS) simulations. Bench measurements using a coaxial wire excitation show good agreement with both theoretical and numerical expectations.


The wide range of sizes and types of gas turbine offered today present the gas pipeline system designer with a formidable task in determining the best equipment for a particular gas pipeline application. It is suggested that an analytical approach to account for the statistical or expected availability of various considered compressor-driver units will not only assist in making these decisions but provide a more accurate overall economic comparison. This paper reviews some concepts of accounting for differences in equipment availability in terms of resulting overall system compression costs.Copyright © 1973 by ASME


Toll like receptors (TLRs) are a family of transmembrane proteins which play a key role in innate immunity. When TLRs come into contact with a potential threat, they initiate a signaling cascade leading to release of cytokines and chemokines, maturation of antigen presenting cells and immune activation. Molecules which can activate TLRs may be utilized for vaccine development and act as vaccine adjuvants. Adjuvants can facilitate production of more effective vaccines based on antigens produced by recombinant techniques or by DNA vaccines, which are often poorly immunogenic since they lack the endogenous innate immunostimulatory components of the pathogen. In this paper the structural properties of such prospective compounds are thoroughly discussed.


Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the causative agent of infectious enteritis called paratuberculosis that has a high economic impact on the worldwide livestock production. A central important question arises: Can wildlife animals serve as a reservoir for transmission of MAP to domestic ruminants? With this in mind, we devised a study to detect MAP in various Slovakian wildlife species found in the areas where paratuberculosis had been documented in domestic ruminants. The samples of parenchymatous organs (intestines, ileocecal valve and mesenteric lymphatic nodes) from 83 wildlife animals representing 13 species, inclu- ding 7 herbivorous, 5 carnivorous and 1 omnivorous species were collected during a four-year period. The clinical and pathological examinations failed to demonstrate any manifestations of paratuberculosis in any of the wildlife samples. The detection of MAP was done by widely used tests, i.e. cultivation and the PCR analysis. The bacterial cultures revealed the growth of Mycobacterium spp. colonies in 58 (70%) of all of the wild animals, but the PCR testing demonstrated paratuberculosis only in one (7.69%) of the roe deer population.


Project-based learning motivates students to learn actively, so it has been widely applied to many engineering subjects. However, the applications of this approach are limited in electric power courses because of the hazards associated with high voltage or mains voltage (240 V in Australia). This paper presents a project designed for a power electronics and drives course. In this project, students use a programmable intelligent computer (PIC) microcontroller and an H-bridge to design a control system for a real practical application, such as a washing machine, tram, or electric lift. Students gain hands-on experience, and also improve their skill in product development, self-directed learning, teamwork, and project management. Practical projects increase the challenge for students and, hence, their interest level. The project includes both hardware and software. Each part of the project and the student assessment are described here.


BACKGROUND
Gingival recession remains an important problem in dental esthetics. A new dermal matrix material has been introduced, but its effectiveness has not been studied and compared to current dermal matrix material. The aim of this study is to compare the healing associated with a coronally advanced flap for root coverage in areas of localized tissue recession when using Alloderm (ADM) and Puros Dermis (PDM).

METHODS
A split-mouth design was used for this study, with 52 contralateral sites in 14 patients with Miller Class I or III facial tissue recession. Twenty-six sites were treated with coronally advanced flap using PDM, and 26 sites were treated with coronally advanced flap using ADM, all followed for 6 months. Clinical measurements of vertical recession, keratinized tissue, probing depths, and attachment levels were made initially, at 3 months, and at 6 months.

RESULTS
Both groups had significant improvement in the amount of recession coverage with means of 2.83 mm for the PDM and 3.13 mm for the ADM. The percentage of root coverage was 81.4% for the PDM and 83.4% for the ADM; differences between the materials were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS
Based on the results of this study, there was no statistical or clinical difference in the amount of root coverage, probing depth, or keratinized tissue in coronally advanced flaps for root coverage with either of the two acellular dermal matrix materials. Both materials were successful in achieving root coverage.


Identifying events from texts is an information extraction task necessary for many NLP applications. Through the TimeML specifications and TempEval challenges, it has received some attention in the last years, yet, no reference result is available for French. In this paper, we try to fill this gap by proposing several event extraction systems, combining for instance Conditional Random Fields, language modeling and k-nearest-neighbors. These systems are evaluated on French corpora and compared with state-of-the-art methods on English. The very good results obtained on both languages validate our whole approach.


networks has been newly developed. The construction and the operating principles of the diplexer are described; the design method and the experimental results are also discussed. The branching characteristics for a dlplexer for dividing the frequency band 43.4-86.8 GHz into two equal parts have proved tolerably flat, with the resulting branching loss amounting to as small as 1.2-1.4 dB. The total length for the experimental model is 1.17 m, whkh is one-half to one-thkd shorter than the conventional Michelson i.nterferometer-type dlplexer. It is concluded that the semicircular waveguide-type diplexer can be effectively used for millimeter-wave waveguide transmission system.


Until relatively recently, single motherhood in Ireland, could result in stigmatisation, social exclusion and institutionalisation. This thesis examines the ways in which three generations of women in Irish families talked about single motherhood. Interviews were conducted with seven intergenerational families of women in family groups. Follow up interviews were carried out with each woman individually after the family interviews. At least one of the women in each family of three generations had, at some point in her life, been pregnant and unmarried under the age of 20 and had kept the child. The research was informed by social constructionism and critical discursive psychological methodologies. Despite protestations of change and openness to sexual freedoms in Irish society, the research identified discourses of progress and social change alongside discourses of chastity and sexual morality. Drawing on these discourses, single mothers and their families used complex strategies to construct respectability. Good mothering identities were taken up alongside neoliberal concerns and sexual stigmatisation was avoided by taking up positions of naivete and sexual innocence. Moreover, family identities were constructed collaboratively in the narratives of the women. These narratives reinforced gender roles, constructed family support during pregnancy and following the birth of a child, but also attributed blame and applied sanctions to single mothers. Fathers of single mothers were argued to be disappointed by their daughters' unsanctioned pregnancies, whilst fathers of children were argued as necessary, if sometimes unwilling, participants in the lives of children. The thesis contributes an understanding of how Irish women live and how they understand and are allowed to understand themselves as well as the ways in which family respectability is negotiated collaboratively. It also adds to our understanding of the ways in which family identities can be maintained and sustained in family interaction in the context of identity trouble.


Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) was grafted with dopamine to increase its adhesion force to metal surface. Nitinol plate surfaces were then modified by coating with PAA-g-dopamine. To synthesize PAA-g-dopamine, PAA was first activated by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) to form PAA–NHS. Dopamine was then copolymerized with PAA–NHS in an aqueous medium at pH 8.5. We propose to increase the adhesion of adhesive PAA-g-dopamine on nitinol to improve its durability. In this article, we studied wettability, surface elemental composition, and surface morphology. Biocompatibility was also assessed by L929 fibroblast cells in vitro. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013


This study aims to analyse resilience and relational dynamics (competitive, cooperative and co-opetitive) within a triadic buyer–supplier–supplier context. Our central goal is to show how a buyer's supplier–supplier relational behaviour leads to and shapes resilience of this triad. We utilised a multiple-design case approach and selected eight buyers and their suppliers from the textile industry in Turkey. By analysing a triadic context from another industry, we conducted validation analyses. Our findings showed a pattern of relationship between the resilience and the relational dynamics of a triad. Built on theory and insights from the cases, we proposed three propositions. We argued that when co-opetition prevails in a triadic context of relations, the triad resilience level is highest. In competitive relational settings the triad resilience level is lowest, and when the relational dynamics are cooperative, the triad resilience level is moderate. This study is the first to introduce and discuss organisational resilience at triadic level. Furthermore, to our knowledge, our insights from cases are among the first attempts to link three types of supplier–supplier relational dynamics to triad resilience via the use of a multiple-design case approach. Therefore, our contributions are likely to extend the organisational resilience and buyer–supplier–supplier relations research.


In this paper, we present a decision support tool to optimize two of the most critical activities in intermodal railroad container terminals, in an iterative and integrated framework devoted to the terminal profit improvement. First, the model allows optimizing the freight trains composition, maximizing the company profit, while respecting physical and economic constraints, and placing in the train head/tail containers prosecuting to subsequent destinations. Hence, based on the resulting train composition, the decision support system allows optimizing the containers allocation in the terminal storage yard, in order to maximize the filling level while respecting physical constraints. The model is successfully tested on a real case study, the inland railroad terminal of a leading Italian intermodal logistics company.


A stability theorem is proved for nonmonotone waves in a reaction-di usion system modeling three competing species, where few stability results currently exist for systems with more than two species. Asymptotic stability with respect to the nonlinear equations is established by showing that the spectrum of the linearized operator has no unstable eigenvalues and that the zero eigenvalue associated with translation invariance is simple. The result is obtained in a singular regime where strong pattern formation occurs and solutions to the linear equations can be separated into particular solutions related to the fast-slow structure of the underlying wave and its singular limit. In this system both the fast and slow waves can contribute an instability and the global characterization of these solutions must address certain di culties not present in lower dimensional systems. The topological index of Alexander, Gardner and Jones [1] is used to count the eigenvalues of the linear operator.