Much research efforts have been devoted to develop protocols based on one criterion, majority of the routing protocols consider energy conservation or minimum bandwidth. But only one factor could not guarantee the requirements for quality of the service (Qos) in ad hoc networks. In this paper, a route protocol called Qos-AOMDV is proposed which considers two criteria. Both the balance of the route and power conservation is considered. Qos-AOMDV is based on cross-layer design, which could cooperate in sharing network-status information in different layers while maintaining the layers' separation to optimize overall network performance. Both the information in network layer and data link layer are combined to make a general criterion, so that it could satisfy the dynamics of ad hoc network. In the path selection phase, the destination nodes do not reply route request (RREQ) immediately. Route reply (RREP) is carried out based on the general cost criterion. In transmission phase, data is transmitted in multiple paths one by one to balance the energy and the traffic loads in multiple paths. It is shown by simulation that QoS-AOMDV could achieve remarkable improvements in terms of end to end delay, throughput and lifetime as compared to AOMDV.


Introduction:  Evaluating the reasons of emergency patient dissatisfaction and trying to eliminate them is a step towards increasing the quality of care and profitability. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the reasons of patient dissatisfaction in the emergency department of Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital, Tehran, Iran.  Methods:  The present cross-sectional study was done in the time interval between March 2012 and October 2014. All the patients who had declared their dissatisfaction, whether written, verbal, or by phone, were included. Using a pre-designed checklist, data were gathered regarding characteristics of dissatisfaction including: type, reference, presentation, subject, and outcome and analyzed using SPSS version 21. Significance level was considered as p<0.05.  Results:  123 cases of dissatisfaction were detected. In 31 (25.2%) cases the patient was right, in 41 (33.3%) the hospital was right and 51 (41.5%) cases had no outcome. The dissatisfactions were written in 23 (18.7%) cases, by phone in 17 (13.8%), and verbal in 83 (67.5%), which showed no significant correlation with the outcome (p=0.277). Only 31 (25.2%) cases were declared by the patients themselves which had no correlation with the outcome (p=0.747). However, there was a significant correlation between the type (p=0.025) and subject (p<0.001) of dissatisfaction with the outcome.  Conclusion:  The results of this study showed that most cases of dissatisfaction were assigned to the surgery group and nursing service. Low quality care and bad behavior of the staff were among the most common causes of patients' dissatisfaction. In all cases of dissatisfaction regarding the neurosurgery service, internal medicine service, and admission unit, the patients have been right. In contrast, in all cases of triage and laboratory unit, the hospital has been right.


Recently obtained results for two and three point functions for quasi-primary operators in conformally invariant theories in arbitrary dimensions {\absit d} are described. As a consequence the three point function for the energy momentum tensor has three linearly independent forms for general {\absit d} compatible with conformal invariance. The corresponding coefficients may be regarded as possible generalisations of the Virasoro central charge to {\absit d} larger than 2. Ward identities which link two linear combinations of the coefficients to terms appearing in the energy momentum tensor trace anomaly on curved space are discussed. The requirement of positivity for expectation values of the energy density is also shown to lead to positivity conditions which are simple for a particular choice of the three coefficients. Renormalisation group like equations which express the constraints of broken conformal invariance for quantum field theories away from critical points are postulated and applied to two point functions.\hfill\break Talk presented at the XXVII Ahrenshoop International Symposium.


The purpose of this study was to test the accuracy of the 20-m multi-stage shuttle run (SR) test to predict VO2max in young adults. VO2max was measured during a graded treadmill test in 60 men and 62 women (mean age 25.3 and 25.1 years, respectively). Each subject was familiarized with the SR procedure and the completed the SR test to predict VO2max on a separate day. The mean terminal SR stage was 9.5 for men and 7.8 for women. The regression equations of Léger et al. (1988) and Léger and Gadoury (1989) systematically underpredicted VO2max for both males and females (p < 0.05). New regression equations were developed from present data to predict VO2max for males: Y = 2.75X + 28.8 (r2 = 0.77, SEE = 4.07 ml.kg-1.min-1); and for females: Y = 2.85X + 25.1 (r2 = 0.66, SEE = 3.64 ml.kg-1.min-1), where X equals the last half-stage of the SR completed. We suggest that these gender-distinct equations provide more accurate predictions of VO2max from the SR.


Microgravity influences cell differentiation by modifying the morphogenetic field in which stem cells are embedded. Preliminary data showed indeed that stem cells are committed to selective differentiation when exposed to real or simulated microgravity. Our study provides evidence that a similar event occurs when cancer stem cells (CSCs) are cultured in microgravity. In the same time, a significant increase in apoptosis was recorded: those data point out that microgravity rescues CSCs from their relative quiescent state, inducing CSCs to lose their stemness features, as documented by the decrease in ALDH and the downregulation of both Nanog and Oct-4 genes. Those traits were stably acquired and preserved by CSCs when cells were placed again on a 1 g field. Studies conducted in microgravity on CSCs may improve our understanding of the fundamental role exerted by biophysical forces in cancer cell growth and function.


An ethnobotanical survey was carried out among the ethnic groups (Irular) in Nilgiri District, Tamil Nadu. The tribal communities of Irular have rich knowledge about medicinal plants and its traditional uses. Therefore, we have done an exhaustive ethnobotanical survey in this area. In this present investigation, it is observed that the tribes being used 43 wild valuable plant species belonging to 28 families were identified with relevant information and documented in this paper with regard to their botanical name, family, vernacular name, parts used and utilization by the local tribal people for different human ailments. The common diseases treated by the herbal practitioner were asthma, cold, cough, indigestion, aphrodisiacs, paralyzes, skin diseases and diabetes.


Countering past analyses that read the depiction of alchemy in Book IV of the CA as banal, Fletcher argues for that passage's centrality to the Confessio. Physically at the middle of the poem, Gower's discussion of alchemy is also in her view thematically essential, as it develops the role of human labor as a driving metaphor within the world of the poem. She sees the passage's treatment of the movement "from base to perfection, from ignoble to noble" (119) in metals as symbolic of the larger moral movement of the poem itself. Seeing vice or sin as parallel to the impurities to be purged from base metals, alchemy then becomes a model for Gower's conceptualization of the individual's moral development. Fletcher then goes on to outline critical reaction to Gower's approach to alchemy, noting the parallels to Chaucer's "Canon's Yeoman's Tale," and the apparent error of identifying Jupiter with brass, rather than with tin as in Chaucer. Gower's choice of words, using the term "vice" among other moral terms for the imperfections to be purged, then cements the idea that the passage is at least as philosophical and moralizing as it is alchemical. The term "clergie" to represent the learning required (120) further reinforces her vision of the scene's centrality to Gower's moral approach. Gower's explanation that certain purifications are no longer possible in a less-than-perfect world such as Gower's own, expresses in Fletcher's view the "senectus mundi" theory that James Dean has identified in late medieval culture. She is able to relate this sense of universal decay to Gower's analysis of human moral decay both in the Prologue to the CA and also in a passage in the MO that depicts a similar deterioration in the world. Returning to the dream of Nebuchadnezzar in the Prologue, Fletcher then uses the "error" of brass in the alchemy passage to link that passage to the body metaphor of the "ages of man" in the dream, which she sees as "alchemy in reverse" (125). The brass in the alchemy passage then becomes not an error, but a reference back to the dream image of the Prologue. This linkage of alchemy and a larger view of the world then leads to a more linguistic analysis, as Fletcher moves from the alchemy passage's observation that old alchemical texts are no longer legible to a sense that signification itself is decayed, as are the materials of alchemy and the world itself. The purging of vice in alchemy, even if imperfect, then becomes Gower's solution to this problem of moral decay, when Genius' analysis of sloth overlaps the alchemy passage's use of terms "vice" and "vertu." Ultimately for Fletcher, it is this link between alchemy and moral development that underlines Gower's sense of "the powerful elemental intertwining of mankind, earth, and the heavens" (129). [RAL. Copyright. The John Gower Society. eJGN 35.1.]


Abstract Recent criminal justice reforms highlight the contested nature of crime problems and solutions. We draw on 45 months of participant observation in Philadelphia to examine how interpretive frames of crime and justice are co-constructed between citizens and public officials at community meetings, and how these drive meaningful enactment of local policy. We find that residents frame crime problems and solutions differently for drug sellers versus public order offenders, and attempt to protect the latter from the criminal justice system. Local officials make claims to insider status to convince community members to form partnerships. They often engage in responsibilization discourses, exhorting citizens to help themselves. Residents use community meetings to extract accountability from public agents and share resources for engaging non-justice agencies to address crime problems. The role of neighborhood associations deserves further study, particularly how to achieve sustained engagement of residents committed to addressing crime in their communities.


We introduce a new comparative response format, suitable for assessing personality and similar constructs. In this "graded-block" format, items measuring different constructs are first organized in blocks of 2 or more; then, pairs are formed from items within blocks. The pairs are presented 1 at a time to enable respondents expressing the extent of preference for 1 item or the other using several graded categories. We model such data using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for ordinal outcomes. We derive Fisher information matrices for the graded pairs, and supply R code to enable computation of standard errors of trait scores. An empirical example illustrates the approach in low-stakes personality assessments and shows that similar results are obtained when using graded blocks of size 3 and a standard Likert format. However, graded-block designs might be superior when insufficient differentiation between items is expected (due to acquiescence, halo, or social desirability).


In the paper, a novel stochastic Multi-Objective Self-Organizing Migrating Algorithm (MOSOMA) is introduced. For the search of optima, MOSOMA employs a migration technique used in a single-objective Self Organizing Migrating Algorithm (SOMA). In order to obtain a uniform distribution of Pareto optimal solutions, a novel technique considering Euclidian distances among solutions is introduced. MOSOMA performance was tested on benchmark problems and selected electromagnetic structures. MOSOMA performance was compared with the performance of the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) and the Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm 2 (SPEA2). MOSOMA excels in the uniform distribution of solutions and their completeness.


Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI) is a rare, clinically and genetically heterogeneous genodermatosis. One gene (transglutaminase 1, on 14q11) and one additional locus (on 2q33-35, with an unidentified gene) have been shown to be associated with a lamellar, nonerythrodermic type of ARCI. We performed a genomewide scan, with 370 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers, on five affected individuals from one large Finnish family with nonerythrodermic, nonlamellar ARCI. The only evidence for linkage emerged from markers in a 6.0-cM region on chromosome 19p13.1-2. The maximum two-point LOD score of 7.33 was obtained with the locus D19S252, and multipoint likelihood calculations gave a maximum location score of 5.2. The affected individuals share two common core haplotypes, which makes compound heterozygosity possible. The novel disease locus is the third locus linked to ARCI, supporting previous evidence for genetic heterogeneity of ARCI. This is also the first locus for a nonlamellar, nonerythrodermic phenotype of ARCI.


Several years after the bestowal of a National Book Award, William Gaddis's JR (1975) remains surprisingly neglected. The neglect may be more understandable when the narrative form of Gaddis's satire on capitalism is considered. JR consists of 725 pages of dialogues, which take place between often unnamed speakers and are interrupted, confused, or intermittently disconnected. In fact, the communications system within the world ofyi? malfunctions so grieviously that an avaricious sixth-grader, J.R. Vasant, becomes the head of the gigantic, disorganized J R Corporation through a series of misunderstandings and miscommunications. The collapse of the J R Corporation ends Gaddis's work, but in narrating his entropie vision, Gaddis approaches the boundaries of the novel, for JR is very close to a novel without narration.


This paper presents a proposed standardized protocol for the efficient and economical large scale cleaning and disinfection of both soft and rigid contact lenses. In recent years, there has been an increased concern about the possibility of transmitting pathogenic agents via contact lenses. This protocol is primarily concerned with the risks associated with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) virus in the general population. The AIDS virus represents a significant risk that must be addressed because of the consequences of contracting the virus and its isolation from the tears of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive individuals.


As digital images play a vital role in multimedia content, the automatic classification of images is an open research problem. The Bag of Visual Words (BoVW) model is used for image classification, retrieval and object recognition problems. In the BoVW model, a histogram of visual words is computed without considering the spatial layout of the 2-D image space. The performance of BoVW suffers due to a lack of information about spatial details of an image. Spatial Pyramid Matching (SPM) is a popular technique that computes the spatial layout of the 2-D image space. However, SPM is not rotation-invariant and does not allow a change in pose and view point, and it represents the image in a very high dimensional space. In this paper, the spatial contents of an image are added and the rotations are dealt with efficiently, as compared to approaches that incorporate spatial contents. The spatial information is added by constructing the histogram of circles, while rotations are dealt with by using concentric circles. A weighed scheme is applied to represent the image in the form of a histogram of visual words. Extensive evaluation of benchmark datasets and the comparison with recent classification models demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The proposed representation outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in terms of classification accuracy.


In the process of drug development, there has been an exceptionally high attrition rate in oncological compounds entering late phases of testing. This has seen a concurrent reduction in approved NCEs (new chemical entities) reaching patients. Network pharmacology has become a valuable tool in understanding the fine details of drug-target interactions as well as painting a more practical picture of phenotype relationships to patients and drugs. By utilizing all the tools achieved through molecular medicine and combining it with high throughput data analysis, interactions and mechanisms can be elucidated and treatments reasonably tailored to patients expressing specific phenotypes (or genotypes) of disease, essentially reigning in the phenomenon of drug attrition.


This research report describes methods for the preparation of hemolysate and the isolation and purification of hemoglobins Bart's, A, A2, E, F and H. Procedures for the preparation of anti-Hb Bart's by injecting purified Hb Bart's into rabbits is indicated in the time schedule. The rabbit antisera were evaluated by antigen-antibody reaction in agar gel. Although the antiserum reacted with Hb Bart's but not with Hb A, A2,E and H, it also cross-reacted with Hb F. After the rabbit antisera were absorbed with Hb F, the antisera were highly specific because it only reacted with Hb Bart's. The purified specific anti-Hb Bart's was labelled with radioactive 125I by chloramine-T method. After passing through Sephadex G-100 column, the 125I labelled specific anti-Hb Bart's was obtained in the first peak. This radioactive labelled anti-Hb Bart's was ready to use in the two-site immunoradiometric assay.


Conventional vapor–liquid–solid mechanism of nanowire growth opens up new opportunities of fabricating nanowires with controllable morphologies and aspect ratios. However, gaseous precursors have disadvantages of high material and processing cost, high toxicity, and limited scalability. By contrast, synthesizing nanowires via solid–liquid–solid mechanism could be a facile alternative since the low cost and nontoxic solid precursor is adopted in the process. In this study, the cooling control is found to be very critical for the solid–liquid–solid nanowire growth. Without a sufficient negative vertical temperature gradient, the nucleation and continuous growth of silicon nanowires could not occur. High volume gas flow cooling, fluctuating the heating temperature, decreasing the cooling rate, and applying a heat sink are all efficacious to promote silicon nanowire formation. In addition to the nanowires formed under high gas flow cooling on the silicon wafer sputtered with a nickel thin film, the solid–liquid–solid mechanism‐derived silicon nanowire growth can also be economically achieved by adopting a solution‐based coating of a nickel precursor onto the silicon substrate paired with a programmed slow cooling condition without using any gas, which could be transferred to other eutectic systems for cost‐effective nanomaterial fabrication.


The Dubliners is a famous novel by the eminent Irish novelist James Joyce.This book collection begins with new-born life and ends with death.The unity of form and content symbolizes the life process of a human being-from birth to death,there fore we can say that Dubliners is the image of a human being.In this collection,Joyce employs several kinds of symbolic method and symbols play a very important role in the implied meanings of these short stories.


This research evaluates a specifically-written, calibrated and validated Android app installed on an inexpensive smartphone with bandpass and neutral density filters attached for measuring and quantifying direct solar UVA irradiances and aerosol optical depth. Currently, the equipment normally used to perform these observations is specialised, expensive and is available at a relatively small number of sites. The continuing proliferation of and the increasing number and type of sensors included in smartphones makes feasible the use of specifically designed apps as a cost effective supplementary means of monitoring direct ultraviolet A solar irradiance and air quality for research, education and community outreach purposes.

Most aerosols from both human and natural sources attenuate the UV wavebands; this has far reaching implications for UV irradiance studies and by extension, important public awareness metrics such as the UV index (UVI). Combined, closer observations and subsequent studies of aerosol optical depth and UVA irradiance are critical given that in recent studies, UVA irradiances have been found to be a major agent in skin cancer, photoaging and eye conditions. Therefore, this research involved the development, calibration and validation of a specifically written Android app on a smartphone in separate environments and across different seasons.

The smartphone camera image sensor's response to UVA was first tested in the laboratory using a monochromator. Once it was shown that the response could be characterised, calibration and validation tests of the response to solar UVA and aerosol optical depth (AOD) were performed, with correlations of over 99% and a maximum discrepancy of 10% observed respectively. Android automation was then developed, calibrated and validated with similar results.

The results obtained in this research show that a consumer smartphone image sensor, fitted with narrow bandpass and neutral density filters, automated using a specifically written app that uses the camera input produces direct UVA irradiances and aerosol optical depth data with comparable accuracy to that obtained from more expensive and specialised equipment, with correlations of over 0.98 and discrepancies only up to 4%. Such an outcome can promote a greater spatial resolution in monitoring UVA irradiance and air quality, allowing a greater awareness of individual UVA exposure and local air quality.


Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), the leading bacterial pathogen of travelers' diarrhea, is routinely detected by an established DNA hybridization protocol that is neither sensitive nor quantitative. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays that detect the ETEC toxin genes eltA, sta1, and sta2 in clinical stool samples were developed and tested using donor stool inoculated with known quantities of ETEC bacteria. The sensitivity of the qPCR assays is 89%, compared with 22% for the DNA hybridization assay, and the limits of detection are 10,000-fold lower than the DNA hybridization assays performed in parallel. Ninety-three clinical stool samples, previously characterized by DNA hybridization, were tested using the new ETEC qPCR assays. Discordant toxin profiles were observed for 22 samples, notably, four samples originally typed as ETEC negative were ETEC positive. The qPCR assays are unique in their sensitivity and ability to quantify the three toxin genes in clinical stool samples.


Exact sequences connecting the equivariant cohomology groups of a real algebraic surface are constructed, and sufficient conditions for the convergence of the second spectral sequence are established. The results obtained are applied to the study of the topology of a surface and to the determination of the Brauer group.


In this paper it is propose a routing algorithm using PSO (Particle Swarm Optimization). The PSO outperforms the classical Dijkstra algorithm in that PSO could handle multi-objective routing problems while the Dijkstra cannot. A simulation model was build where PSO is distributed implemented and the optimum route is calculated on each node until destination is reached. This distributed approach gives the proposed algorithm extra avails in that no centralized arbiter is needed. The optimization also considers supporting Quality-of-Service (QoS) to routing in CRNs. It has been shown that algorithm would adapt multi-hop routing according to different QoS requirements, which makes it achievable in future CRNs.


The epidemiology of trophoblastic disease in Nepal remains unknown. In this study, the first data regarding patients with trophoblastic disease were collected from two hospitals in Kathmandu, Nepal. We found 68 molar pregnancies during 1986 to 1987 at the Maternity Hospital, there. The incidence of molar pregnancies during two years ranged 2.84 per 1000 pregnancies and 3.24 per 1000 deliveries, while the total number of trophoblastic diseases from 1985 to 1988 at Teaching Hospital, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, numbered 26. The incidence of trophoblastic disease ranged from 7.07 per 1000 pregnancies to 8.04 per 1000 deliveries. As a result, the rate of trophoblastic disease in Nepal seems to be higher than expected, and it indicates a incidence similar to that other Asian countries at sea level.


Background/Aims: The fatty acid profile in plasma lipids contributes to the increase of plasma high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), a marker of inflammation and predictor of cardiovascular risk. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between specific fatty acids (FA) of serum lipids and serum hsCRP in morbidly obese woman. Methods: The study included 16 morbidly obese (mean BMI= 43 ± 2.2 kg/m2) non-diabetic woman awaiting bariatric surgery. FA extracted from serum lipids were methylated and analyzed on GC-MS. Commercially available ELISA kits were used to determine the serum inflammatory markers. Results: We demonstrated that total saturated FA (SFA) and total monounsaturated FA (MUFA) of serum lipids were positively correlated with serum hsCRP, whereas both n-3 and n-6 total polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) were negatively correlated with serum hsCRP. Serum interleukin-6 correlated positively with some SFA and MUFA, whereas negatively with some of PUFA. Positive correlation between serum hsCRP and specific SFA and MUFA or negative correlation with PUFA decreased with the increased FA chain length. The number and localization of double bonds also had impact on these correlations. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that individual serum lipid FA levels, depending on the length of FA chain, number and the localization of double bonds are distinctly associated with hsCRP in morbidly obese subjects.


Objectives Long-term safety and efficacy of adalimumab among patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) was evaluated through 6 years of treatment. Methods Children aged 4–17 years with polyarticular JIA were enrolled in a phase III, randomised-withdrawal, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial consisting of a 16-week open-label lead-in period, 32-week randomised double-blind period and 360-week long-term extension. Patients were stratified by baseline methotrexate use. Adverse events (AEs) were monitored, and efficacy assessments included JIA American College of Rheumatology (JIA ACR) 30%, 50%, 70% or 90% responses and the proportions of patients achieving 27-joint Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score (JADAS27) low disease activity (LDA, ≤3.8) and inactive disease (ID, ≤1). Results Of 171 patients enrolled, 62 (36%) completed the long-term extension. Twelve serious infections in 11 patients were reported through 592.8 patient-years of exposure. No cases of congestive heart failure-related AEs, demyelinating disease, lupus-like syndrome, malignancies, tuberculosis or deaths were reported. JIA ACR 30/50/70/90 responses and JADAS27 LDA were achieved in 66% to 96% of patients at week 104, and 63 (37%) patients achieved clinical remission (JADAS27 ID sustained for ≥6 continuous months) during the study. Attainment of JIA ACR 50 or higher and JADAS27 LDA or ID in the initial weeks were the best predictors of clinical remission. Mean JADAS27 decreased from baseline, 22.5 (n=170), to 2.5 (n=30) at week 312 (observed analysis). Conclusions Through 6 years of exposure, adalimumab was well tolerated with significant clinical response (up to clinical remission) and a relatively low retention rate.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the correlation between glucose concentrations in serum, plasma, and whole blood measured by a point-of-care glucometer (POCG) and serum glucose concentration measured by a biochemical analyzer.

DESIGN
Prospective clinical study.

SAMPLES
96 blood samples from 80 dogs and 90 blood samples from 65 cats.

PROCEDURES
Serum, plasma, and whole blood were obtained from each blood sample. The glucose concentrations in serum, plasma, and whole blood measured by a POCG were compared with the serum glucose concentration measured by a biochemical analyzer by use of the Lin concordance correlation coefficient (ρc) and Bland-Altman plots.

RESULTS
For both canine and feline samples, glucose concentrations in serum and plasma measured by the POCG were more strongly correlated with the serum glucose concentration measured by the biochemical analyzer (ρc, 0.98 for both canine serum and plasma; ρc, 0.99 for both feline serum and plasma) than was that in whole blood (ρc, 0.62 for canine samples; ρc, 0.90 for feline samples). The mean difference between the glucose concentrations determined by the biochemical analyzer and the POCG in serum, plasma, and whole blood was 0.4, 0.3, and 31 mg/dL, respectively, for canine samples and 7, 6, and 32 mg/dL, respectively, for feline samples.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Results indicated that use of a POCG to measure glucose concentrations in serum or plasma may increase the accuracy and reliability of diagnostic and treatment decisions associated with glucose homeostasis disorders in dogs and cats.


The everyday availability and use of technology has changed education as much as it has changed everything else. For 8 years now, we have used technological interventions to change a setting where we teach up to 800 participants per semester in a class, in order to make it more interactive, engaging, and interesting for the students. We document a snapshot from this ongoing process. Aurora is an online system that has been developed from simple experiments with existing tools and software to bring interaction to the crowd of learners. Over the years, it has turned into a solid and extensive collection of tools for online teaching, learning, and communication. This article traces the development of Aurora over two consecutive years. We document the structure of the system we developed, the insights from an academic year of using it, changes designed and implemented, and first evaluations of the use of the revised version.


Revenue derived from the sales of diamonds contributes significantly towards economic growth, with a GDP share of about 10 per cent. A significant decline in diamond revenue will therefore affect economic growth and contributes negatively to the socio-economic upliftment of the Namibian nation. A case in point was the effects of the global financial crisis on the diamond industry. This study aims to analyse the impact of the global financial crisis on the diamond industry supply chain in the Namibian context. The supply chain analysis involves the studying of the whole chain from the mining of the ore into the chain to the delivering of the rough diamond to the cutting and polishing factories. The main sectors involved in the supply chain are the supply sector which is involved in the extracting of the ore from open-cast, underground, alluvial and sea-bed mines, processing the ore into rough diamonds ready for sorting. The processing sector is involved with maximising the value by undertaking valuations and sorting, which determine the price that is paid for the stones and the presentation sorting which is the process whereby diamonds are prepared for sale in line with clients' polished requirements. The demand sector is involved in the sales and marketing of the rough diamonds. The following areas have been focused on to analyse the sectors: 1. The market competitiveness, using Porter's 5-force analysis. 2. A SWOT analysis to determine internal and external environments of the respective sectors. 3. Trend reviews of the activity in each sector for the years 2000–2009. 4. The causes and the responses to the impact of the global financial crisis on each of the sectors. The aim of the analysis is to create a deeper insight into the forces and the impact these forces are having on the rough diamond supply chain. The research revealed that the 2007–2009 global financial crisis had a negative impact on the levels of diamond production in Namibia and also on the economic growth and the living standards of a number of retrenched workers. The study further reveals that despite the negative effects of the global financial crisis, there are positive signs of economic recovery and employment creation.


This work reports on the potentials of intensifying the industrially applied side-chain photochlorinations of toluene. The application of microstructured reactors enabled an acceleration of the overall reaction up to 10 times compared to batch reactors and up to 100 times compared to the literature. Unexpectedly, this acceleration is accompanied by a decreased selectivity with respect to the desired side-chain chlorinated products. In contradiction to the in general well established theory of photochlorinations, significant amounts of ring chlorinated species were detected. By applying dynamic irradiation conditions, not only the formation of ring-chlorinated products was suppressed but also the energy consumption could be reduced significantly.


Abstract Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) is a typical small cold water fish, which is distributed widely and mainly inhabits in East Asia. Here, we sequenced and determined the complete mitochondrial genome of R. oxycephalus and studied its phylogenetic implication. R. oxycephalus mitogenome is 16,609 bp in length (GenBank accession no.: MH885043), and it contains 13 protein‐coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and two noncoding regions (the control region and the putative origin of light‐strand replication). 12 PCGs started with ATG, while COI used GTG as the start codon. The secondary structure of tRNA‐Ser (AGN) lacks the dihydrouracil (DHU) arm. The control region is 943bp in length, with a termination‐associated sequence, six conserved sequence blocks (CSB‐1, CSB‐2, CSB‐3, CSB‐D, CSB‐E, CSB‐F), and a repetitive sequence. Phylogenetic analysis was performed with maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods based on the concatenated nucleotide sequence of 13 PCGs and the complete sequence without control region, and the result revealed that the relationship between R. oxycephalus and R. percnurus is closest, while the relationship with R. kumgangensis is farthest. The genus Rhynchocypris is revealed as a polyphyletic group, and R. kumgangensis had distant relationship with other Rhynchocypris species. In addition, COI and ND2 genes are considered as the fittest DNA barcoding gene in genus Rhynchocypris. This work provides additional molecular information for studying R. oxycephalus conservation genetics and evolutionary relationships.


Lattice conditional independence models [Andersson and Perlman, Lattice models for conditional independence in a multivariate normal distribution, Ann. Statist. 21 (1993), 1318–1358] are a class of models developed first for the Gaussian case in which a distributive lattice classifies all the conditional independence statements. The main result is that these models can equivalently be described via a transitive directed acyclic graph (TDAG) in which, as is normal for causal models, the conditional independence is in terms of conditioning on ancestors in the graph. We demonstrate that a parallel stream of research in algebra, the theory of Hibi ideals, not only maps directly to the lattice conditional independence models but gives a vehicle to generalise the theory from the linear Gaussian case. Given a distributive lattice (i) each conditional independence statement is associated with a Hibi relation defined on the lattice, (ii) the directed graph is given by chains in the lattice which correspond to chains of conditional independence, (iii) the elimination ideal of product terms in the chains gives the Hibi ideal and (iv) the TDAG can be recovered from a special bipartite graph constructed via the Alexander dual of the Hibi ideal. It is briefly demonstrated that there are natural applications to statistical log‐linear models, time series and Shannon information flow.


The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of applying 5R (Concise, Neat, Clean, Care, Diligent) on the results of women's fashion stitches. This research is an ex-post facto type. The population amounted to 117, the sampling technique using the Issac and Michael formula at a significant level of 5% obtained a sample of 90 students. The method of data collection uses the questionnaire and documentation method. The data analysis technique is descriptive and hypothesis testing uses the Product Moment correlation test. The results of the study showed that there was a positive and significant effect of the application of 5R on the results of the stitches with a contribution of 31.1%. The 5R when learning sewing practices is mostly classified as sufficient with a relative frequency of 74.44%. Most stitches are in the good category with a relative frequency of 62.22%.


Laboratory evolution is an important approach to improve the performance of microorganisms. In the past decades, the methods for laboratory evolution have developed rapidly and applied widely. However, the commonly used evolution strategies for strains or specific proteins cannot achieve continuous mutation, and require multiple rounds of operation, therefore they are considered as a labor intensive process. The development of mutation and screening technologies have facilitated the development of continuous evolution in vivo and greatly improved the efficiency of laboratory evolution. The continuous in vivo evolution achieves in vivo mutation, perfectly combining mutation with screening to evolve a specific phenotype with minimal human intervention. This review summarizes the recent advances of in vivo continuous evolution technologies for either genome-scale mutation or evolution of specific proteins. The principles of these technologies and their applications are introduced. On this basis, the advantages and limitations of these technologies are discussed. We also give a perspective of future development of continuous in vivo evolution.


This study critically reviewed the spatial distributions of helminth infections in Nigeria within the last decade (2005-2015) and the need for urgent interventions in order to protect the susceptible populations against its morbidity and mortality. This study revealed that prevalence of intestinal helminth in the country has not declined since the1970s. Ascaris lumbricoides was the most prevalent helminth in the  Southwestern (21%) and South-southern (13%) parts of Nigeria. Hookworm was the most prevalent helminth infection in the Southeastern (19%) while multiple  infections were highly prevalent in Northern Nigeria (25% in North-central and 19% in the Northeast and Northwest, respectively). Cases of Taenia sp and Schistosoma mansoni infections were high in the Northeast and Northwest of Nigeria (8% and 6%, respectively). Nigeria has benefited from the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme for over thirty years in the aspects of enhanced capacity building for applying personal hygiene and sanitation, improved water sources and provision of sanitation facilities and the National Emergency Group for coordination of emergency preparedness and response for WASH-related diseases. Despite the WASH interventions, prevalence of helminth infections in Nigeria is still very high and alarming. The factors identified for the high prevalence include socio-economic status, culture and ignorance; attitudes and behaviours toward hygiene and sanitation are also critical. Keywords : spatial, prevalence, helminthes, water, hygiene, sanitation, Nigeria.


The Utility of Stock hypothesis, which assumes that an in-use stock of constructional material is a function of GDP, was formulated and a clear correlation between the world steel stock and the world GDP led to the estimation that the world demand for iron ore (primary iron) depends not on the volume of GDP but on the variation of GDP, as already reported. In this study, the world steel stock in use is computed. Sensitivity analyses are conducted to show the effect of lower reliable data such as the usage period (lifetime) of iron-containing final products. Clear correlation is found between the in-use steel stock and the steel stock. Hence, the Utility of Stock hypothesis is verified.


High pressure measurements of the ferroelastic phase transition of SrTiO3 (Guennou et al 2010 Phys. Rev. B 81 054115) showed a linear pressure dependence of the transition temperature between the cubic and tetragonal phase. Furthermore, the pressure induced transition becomes second order while the temperature dependent transition is near a tricritical point. The phase transition mechanism is characterized by the elongation and tilt of the TiO6 octahedra in the tetragonal phase, which leads to strongly nonlinear couplings between the structural order parameter, the volume strain and the applied pressure. The phase diagram is derived from the Clausius–Clapeyron relationship and is directly related to a pressure dependent Landau potential. The nonlinearities of the pressure dependent strains lead to an increase of the fourth order Landau coefficient with increasing pressure and, hence, to a tricritical–second order crossover. This behaviour is reminiscent of the doping related crossover in isostructural KMnF3.


A multimodel short‐range ensemble forecasting system created as part of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration program on improved high temperature forecasting during the summer of 2003 is evaluated. Results from this short‐range ensemble system indicate that using the past complete 12 days of forecasts to bias correct today's forecast yields ensemble mean forecasts of 2‐m temperature, 2‐m dewpoint temperature, and 10‐m wind speed that are competitive with or better than those available from any of the model output statistics presently generated operationally in the United States. However, the bias‐corrected ensemble system provides more than just the ensemble mean forecast. Probabilities produced by this system are skilful and reliable, and have been found to be valuable when evaluated in a cost‐loss model. The ensemble appears to provide better guidance for more unlikely events, such as very warm temperatures, that likely have the greatest economic significance. Industries that are sensitive to the weather, such as power companies, transportation and agriculture, may benefit from the probability information provided. Thus, it is possible to develop post‐processing for short‐range ensemble forecasting systems that is competitive with or better than traditional post‐processing techniques, thereby allowing the rapid production of useful and accurate guidance forecasts of many near surface variables. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society


The paper presents the results of numerical calculations of temperature and thermal stress distribution in thermal barrier coatings deposited by thermal spraying process on the nickel based superalloy. An assumption was made to apply conventional zirconium oxide modified with yttrium oxide (8YSZ) and apply pyrochlore type material with formula La 2 Zr 2 O 7 . The bond coat was made of NiCoCrAlY. Analysis of the distribution of temperature and stresses in ceramic coatings of different thicknesses was performed in the function of bond-coat thickness and the type of ceramic insulation layer. It was revealed that the thickness of NiCrAlY bond-coat has not significant influence on the stress distribution, but there is relatively strong effect on temperature level. The most important factor influenced on stress distribution in TBC system is related with type and properties of ceramic insulation layer.


To the Editor:— In Italy in the sixteenth century there was a rough, tough soldier by the name of Camillus. He was a roisterer and had been in and out of jail several times. He reformed and joined a religious order. He worked in one of the hospitals of Rome. There was an outbreak of dysentery among the babies of that city, and the death rate was appalling. The former soldier, later canonized St. Camillus, gathered up the sick in the highways and byways and brought them to his hospital. There they were bathed, given plenty of fresh air and fed goat's milk. The epidemic was stopped, and the mothers of Rome forever afterward sang songs of praise to St. Camillus. It was he who founded, in 1584, the first nursing order devoted exclusively to the care of the sick. It was during this period that he wrote, "If you


A Nationwide health care utilization survey was conducted from March 11 to September 19, 1985 to assess the level of illness and the magnitude of medical care utilization. A probability sample of 15,427 persons was taken from 180 Enumerated Districts designated by the Economic Planning Board. Of those 4,500 housewives were proxy respondents. A interview was conducted with pre-tested questionnaire schedule which was recorded by well trained interviewers. Age and sex compositions of the study population were similar to those of general population structure in 1985. The major findings of this survey are as follows : 1) A total of 64.5% of the study population lived in city area and 35.5% lived in county area. 2) While no difference was observed in interview rate between city and county area, it showed statistically significant difference in the medical security program coverage rate between the two areas(44.7% and 37.1%, respectively) 3) Morbidity rate was 79 per 1,000 persons during the two week periods. There was difference in age and sex adjusted morbidity rates between city and county area. Furthermore morbidity rates by the status of the program were significantly difference between the two areas. 4) Average ambulatory care utilization rate was 7.2 visits per person per year and average admission rate was 1.8 per 100 persons per year. There was significant difference in average ambulatory care utilization rate by the program. but no significant difference in medical utilization rate between city and country area. 5) The major symptoms of the perceived illness was the respiratory system(44.1%). 6) A total of 50.4% of the perceived illness among the covered group by the program were treated at the hospital and clinics, but those who are not covered used primarily drug stores(61.3%).


The presence of retained austenite in the hardening process of tool steel often causes the lower hardness compared to the hardness requirements and poor dimensional stability in the tool steel. The purpose of the present research is to determine the relationships between the tempering process with and without cryogenic treatment to the hardness and retained austenite amount of as-hardened D2 tool steel. The austenitizing temperature was 1020 °C, the tempering temperatures have variations of 180 °C, 280 °C, 380 °C, 480 °C, and 580 °C, and the subzero treatment has a temperature of −172 °C, followed by tempering at 180 °C, 380 °C, and 580 °C. This study aims to determine the appropriate treatment to obtain a minimum retained austenite percentage to prevent and mitigate the failure of AISI D2 tool steel in the industrial application process. An optical microscope with image processing software (Image-J analysis), as well as Brinell and Vickers hardness testing, is the characterization method used in this work. In general, plate martensite, bainite, retained austenite, and primary and secondary carbides are the phases contained in the microstructure. Tempering temperatures have the effect of increasing the secondary carbide precipitation and decreasing the retained austenite content (γr 3,671%–2,769%). However, the cryogenic treatment can provide a more efficient martensitic phase transformation process and minimal retained austenite content (γr 2,257%–1,199%). The increase in tempering temperature causes a decrease in hardness at a temperature of 180 °C–380 °C. On the other hand, the secondary hardening and phase transformation phenomena cause an increase in the hardness of the as-tempered sample at a temperature of 480 °C, before the sample reexperiences a significant decrease in hardness at a temperature of 580 °C due to diffusion that decreases the carbon content.


Coastal structures are functioning in complex natural phenomena such as wave, tide, seawater penetration and abrasion. So the behavior of the coastal structures material is important, because coastal structure material is directly linked to stability of the coastal structures. For this reason, to determine the behaviour characteristics, material design standard is required on the coastal structure under sea wave load. Especially, identification on the behavior of the coastal structure has not been investigated yet properly considering interaction structure and sea wave load. In this study, to identify the behaviour characteristics of the coastal structure caused by waves, the behavior of the coastal structure depending on the magnitude of the wave loads was intensively analyzed.


A one-chip transceiver was developed for optical backplanes by integrating an analog FE with data format conversion in 65-nm CMOS. 10×6.25Gb/s electrical signals were converted to 4×25Gb/s optical signals with 25% redundancy to improve resilience against possible LD failure. To alleviate degradation of the optical link due to power-supply variations, a TIA with a noise canceller and a fully differential LDD are proposed. The noise canceller decreases power-supply variations by 98%. Total power consumption was only 2.2W.


Introduction: Decompensated diabetes mellitus with impaired renal function, acid-base disorders are often associated with electrolyte imbalance. Analysis of electrolytes is often advised without a true indication in Diabetes Mellitus. So our objective was to analyze serum electrolyte profile in diabetes mellitus to determine whether routine measurement of electrolytes can be safely avoided in diabetes.
Study Design: This was a retrospective study of hospital records of all Diabetes Mellitus cases who were advised kidney function test during the period January 2014 - August 2015. Medical records and laboratory results of 190 Diabetes Mellitus cases could be retrieved and retrospectively viewed for clinical diagnosis, result of Laboratory investigation i.e. Fasting blood sugar, serum urea, creatinine, Na+, K+, Cl-, Ca2+, PO4-.One hundred ninety Diabetes Mellitus cases were divided into 3 groups based on their serum creatinine levels i.e. Group-I (n=98) serum creatinine 3 mg/dl.
Results: Out of 190 patients 114 had electrolyte disorder. Serum sodium levels were altered in 45% of Group-I patients, more evident in Group-II (64%) and Group III (89%). Approximately 51% Diabetes Mellitus cases had deranged Serum K+ levels in Group I. Hyperkalemia and hypochloremia were common electrolyte disorders both in Group-II and Group III. Group- I had hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia whereas hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia were more commonly registered in Group-II (40%, 37% respectively) and Group-III (68%, 61% respectively).
Conclusion: So it is concluded that in diabetes mellitus electrolyte derangements occur even with normal renal function. So routine measurement of serum electrolyte could not be avoided in Diabetes Mellitus. However, the frequency of electrolyte derangement is more with deterioration of the renal function in Diabetes Mellitus.

Keywords: Retrospective study, Decompensated Diabetes Mellitus, Electrolyte disorders


OBJECTIVE
To purify MAb183B2 corresponding antigen of ovarian carcinomas and study its physical and chemical characteristics.

METHODS
The strongest positive samples reacted with MAb183B2 were screened from ovarian cancer ascites with indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Then the antigen was purified from ascitic fluid by affinity chromatography with MAb183B2. Nature of the purified antigen was examined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and western blot and its reactivity was determined after treatment with NaIO4, trypsin, pronase, neuraminidase, deglycolipid mixture and heating. Two dimensional electrophoresis combined with western blot was then used to isolate and identify the antigen from ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3.

RESULTS
The reactivity of the antigen after treated by NaIO4, neuraminidase and deglycolipid mixture was still positive, while it was negative after treated by trypsin, pronase and heating. The antigen proved to be composed of two different subunits of 56,000 and 25,000 by SDS-PAGE, and MAb183B2 could blot the 56,000 band by western blot. The antigen from the SKOV3 cell line displayed microheterogeneity appearing as three spots over a pI range 5.3 approximately 5.8 at 56,000.

CONCLUSIONS
The epitope of 183B2-antigen is at its peptide core. The antigen belongs to the Ig super family and might be a new ovarian carcinoma associated antigen.


Poor reproductive efficiency is considered one of the main causes of declining sheep production in sheep raised under traditional farm conditions. Many factors contribute to declining reproductive performance in ewes. The objective of the present study was to investigate factors that affect reproductive efficiency in Karadi and Awassi sheep raised under farm conditions. Four hundred Karadi and Awassi sheep (200 Karadi and 200 Awassi) were used in this study. Of each breed 100 ewes were allowed to come into oestrus spontaneously and another 100 ewes were synchronized using intravaginal sponges. Ewes were injected with intramuscular injection of 500 IU of PMSG when sponges were removed at 14 days. This study revealed that the breed had a significant effect on twinning rate and lamb mortality rate in spontaneous ewes. Breed also had a significant effect on the rate of lambing, lamb mortality, abortion, and dystocia in synchronized ewes. In addition, parity had a significant effect on the rate of lambing, lamb mortality and dystocia in spontaneous Karadi and Awassi ewes. Furthermore, parity also had significant effect on the rate of lambing, lamb mortality, dystocia and barrenness in synchronized Karadi and Awassi ewes. Different ram to ewe ratio during the oestrus period had a significant effect on conception rate and barrenness rate in synchronized Karadi and Awassi ewes. In conclusion, breed had effect on some reproductive parameters in synchronized and spontaneous ewes. Parity 2 had higher reproductive performance than parity 1 and parity ≥3 ewes. Conception rate were higher in 1:8 ram to ewe ratio group, while 1:≥16 ram to ewe ratio group had higher barrenness rate.


In core eudicots, euAP3-type MADS-box genes encode a PISTILLATA (PI)-derived motif, as well as a C-terminal euAP3 motif that originated from a paleoAP3 motif of an ancestral APETALA3 (AP3)-like protein through a translational frameshift mutation. To determine the functional and evolutionary relevance of these motifs, a series of point mutation and domain-swap constructs were generated, involving CsAP3, a paleoAP3-type gene from the basal angiosperm Chloranthus spicatus encoding a truncated paleoAP3 motif, and AtAP3, a euAP3-type gene from the core eudicot Arabidopsis thaliana. The chimeric constructs were expressed in A. thaliana under the control of the AP3 promoter or the CaMV 35S promoter in an ap3 mutant or wild-type background, respectively. Significant recovery of AP3 function was obtained in both complementation and ectopic expression experiments whenever the region upstream of the C-terminal motifs (MIK region) from A. thaliana was taken, even when the PI-derived motif and the truncated paleoAP3 motif of CsAP3 substituted for the corresponding sequences from AtAP3. However, no or very weak complementation or gain-of-function was seen when the MIK region was from CsAP3. Our data suggest that changes in the MIK region rather than mutations in the C-terminal domain were of crucial importance for the evolution of the functional specificity of euAP3-type proteins in stamen and petal development.


The fungal revolution taking place in otorhinology inspired us to study the frequency of occurrence of fungi in the nasal mucus of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients in order to evaluate the incidence of eosinophilic fungal sinusitis in CRS patients. 96 samples were examined from patients with CRS. In 74 cases mucus was collected non-invasively, and in 22 cases during operation. Bacteria and fungi colonising in the mucus were detected by culturing method. The control group consisted of 50 healthy volunteers. %pica1 aerobic pathogenic bacteria could be isolated from 34 patients. Fiftyseven aerobic bacteria were isolated, i.e. 1.6 bacteria/ positive patient with a maximum of 3 different bacteriahample. Yeasts and moulds could be detected from 79 patients (83%): Candida albicniu, Candida spp., Aspergillus spp., Cladosporiunz spp, and Penicilliuin spp. were isolated most frequently. In the control group aerobic pathogens were not isolated, only apathogenic species. Fungi were isolated from 22 healthy patients (44%). These data indicate that fungi are frequently involved in the aetiology of CRS.


The article shows achievements of I. Buyalsky in scientific and professional activity, and also his passion in art. I. Buyalsky was one of the most famous anatomists and surgeons of the Russian Empire and Europe in his days. While teaching in the Academy of Arts, T. Shevchenko was listening to the lectures of Professor I. Buyalsky. Taras Shevchenko remembered this respected professor kindly, what was reflected in his pictures and the story "A Painter".


Purpose Survivors of childhood leukemia are at risk of growth impairment due to intensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments. This study investigated the auxological and biochemical characteristics of childhood leukemia survivors diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and the changes in these parameters after 1 year of growth hormone (GH) treatment. Methods A total of 24 children diagnosed with GHD after leukemia treatment was analyzed. Clinical and biochemical data were collected retrospectively at leukemia diagnosis, GHD diagnosis, and 1 year after GH treatment. Standard deviation score (SDS) was calculated based on the age- and gender-adjusted population. Results Of the 24 children included in this study, 19 received GH treatment. The median age at GHD diagnosis was 12.3 years, and the median delay in bone age was 1.46 years. Height SDS decreased from -0.69 at leukemia diagnosis to -2.58 at GHD diagnosis (P<0.001). The change in height SDS with and without GH for 1 year was 0.35 and -0.21, respectively (P=0.044). In regression analyses, higher height SDS at GHD diagnosis and a smaller decrease of the height SDS between leukemia and GHD diagnoses were positively correlated with height SDS after GH treatment. Conclusions GH treatment could be beneficial and safe for improving height in childhood leukemia survivors with GHD. Height SDS at GHD diagnosis and reduction of height SDS between leukemia and GHD diagnosis could be potential factors in predicting the therapeutic effects. Close auxological monitoring is recommended for any childhood leukemia survivors who experience posttreatment height decline.


Low-temperature interband magnetoabsorption spectra have been obtained for a range of MBE-grown epitaxial InAs1-xSbx alloy layers. The field dependence of the spectral minima has been fitted within the Pidgeon and Brown model to determine a full set of band parameters. In particular a direct determination is made of the energy gap Eg, and the valence-conduction band interaction matrix element Ep. Good agreement is obtained with recent cyclotron resonance measurements of the conduction band mass. The alloy ordering effects result in a pronounced drop in mobility in the mid-alloy range together with a large bowing in the bandgap. The momentum matrix elements also show bowing across the alloy range. Fair agreement is obtained with alloy disorder models.


A disposable body fluids and body fluid suction filtration apparatus, a clogging for removing mucus and sputum and the like, excellent in operability and portability, and low cost. Disposable body fluid using filtration apparatus (10) and a fluid suction device (34) having a suction pipe (20) for the body fluid suction (100) connected to the suction port (14), together with the air intake of the fluid (100) separated from the air and retaining bodily fluid retention chamber (18), suction filter (12) through the air, and the suction source (24) connected to the suction port (16).


Purpose
The world order is changing, with the lead of the US waning, along with its reduced commitment to rule-based multilateralism during the past administration. China is on the way to becoming number one again, investing abroad with primarily egoistic motives and steered by an authoritarian domestic regime. Meanwhile, the EU is striving for a new geopolitical role, while becoming more heterogenous.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper measures performance and competitiveness not only according to conventional criteria but also based on broader welfare indicators. The ultimate aim of competitiveness is to deliver well-being. Decentralized local strategies are presented, but also the need for guidance by societal goals.

Findings
What we measure matters. The EU is underperforming in per capita GDP and failing to close the gap in labour productivity towards the frontier defined by the USA. But it is leading in environmental and social indicators, has an accessible health system and provides increasing longevity. This performance nevertheless has to be improved, if climate goals should be fulfilled and upcoming new inequalities addressed.

Originality/value
Localization and place-based strategies have advantages, but also harper the danger that negative spillovers may not be minimized and positive not used. Innovation is a search process but has to be directed by goals in Europe and globally. Otherwise, change incurs high costs and many losers, fostering nationalism and populistic calls to return to a past glory that never existed.


Regions of three-dimensional separations are an inherent flow feature of the suction surface-endwall corner in axial compressors. These corner separations can cause a significant total pressure loss and reduce the compressor's efficiency. This paper uses wall-resolved LES to investigate the loss sources in a corner separation, and examines the influence of the inflow turbulence on these sources. Different subgrid scale (SGS) models are tested and the choice of model is found to be important. The σ SGS model, which performed well, is then used to perform LES of a compressor endwall flow. The time-averaged data are in good agreement with measurements. The viscous and turbulent dissipation are used to highlight the sources of loss, with the latter being dominant. The key loss sources are seen to be the 2D laminar separation bubble and trailing edge wake, and the 3D flow region near the endwall. Increasing the freestream turbulence (FST) intensity changes the suction surface boundary layer transition mode from separation induced to bypass. However, it does not significantly alter the transition location and therefore the corner separation size. Additionally, the FST does not noticeably interact with the corner separation itself, meaning that in this case the corner separation is relatively insensitive to the FST. The endwall boundary layer state is found to be significant. A laminar endwall boundary layer separates much earlier leading to a larger passage vortex. This significantly alters the endwall flow and loss. Hence, the need for accurate boundary measurements is clear.


The effects of the shape of nozzle exit, the size of nozzle exit, the multiple nozzle (jetinterference) etc. on the generation of noise and the mechanism of noise reduction of the widely used noise suppressors are investigated. With the change of the shape or the size of nozzle exit, the noise intensity per unit frequency increases proportionally to the second power of the characteristic length of nozzle exit at the lower frequencies and to the fourth power of that length at the higher frequencies. The interference between jets causes a change in the turbulent velocity field and reduces the strength of acoustic sources in the mixing region to the degree of the strength in the turbulent region. This accounts for the mechanism of noise reduction of tubular or lobed nozzles. The rate of associated noise-attenuation is evaluated on the basis of experimental results of the turbulent velocity field. The closer the ratio of the width of nozzle to the space between nozzles to unity on average, the more improved are the characteristics of noise reduction.


A characterization setup for high voltage (HV) LD-MOSFET mismatch and variability determination is presented. Devices are aligned in rows and columns for gate and drain bias multiplexing and special HV-switches for voltages up to 50 V are controlled by externally generated digital signals. Automatic DC measurements can be performed on up to 4992 HV-NMOSFETs. The circuit designs of the HV-switches are described in detail and characterization data gained during functionality evaluation are presented. Variability data are provided for both short and long distance matching characterization.


Polyester and Poly trimethylene terephthalate chips were melt blended in the ratio of 90/10, 80/20 and 70/30 and melt spun to make filaments. The compatibility of the fibre blends was proved by Differential Scanning Calorimetry study. The blend fibre showed decrease in glass transition temperature as well as melting point and also crystallization temperature. The melt blended fibres dyed with high energy disperse dyes gave the optimum dyeing depth for at 1100C as against 1300C required for normal polyester fibres. Also the depth of dyeing in case of melt blend fibre was significantly higher as compared to that observed in case of dyeing of virgin Polyester. The wash and light fastness of the dyed samples was also found to be same as observed in case of dyed virgin Polyester fibre. There was only marginal decrease in tensile strength of melt blend fibres.


A study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of cellulose as a pore former in the manufacture of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) anodes using Electroless Co-Deposition (ECD). Previous work into the use of ECD to produce SOFC anodes has found that the lack of porosity restricted the maximum power density of the cell. Studies have also shown that an anode produced by ECD using rice starch as a pore former has nearly doubled the power density of a cell. Therefore by increasing the anode porosity, the cell's power density should also increase and lead to greater performance of SOFCs for the power generation market. As the choice of pore former is closely related to the size and shape of pores produced, a whisker pore former will produce a more cylindrical pore once removed. These cylindrical pores will increase the chances of producing an interconnected pore network compared with more spherical pores, and will improve the gas diffusion through the anode. Therefore cellulose whiskers were used to not only improve the porosity of the anode but improve the gas diffusion capabilities throughout the electrode. Coatings were produced using ECD with different types of cellulose added to act as a pore former using a constant bath loading. A range of 4 cellulose pore formers were selected to reflect different morphologies and sizes available. A fifth coating was also produced using the same methods but, without pore formers, to act as a comparison and determine any improvement produced by the addition of cellulose as a pore former. The coatings were characterized using and a Scanning Electron Microscope with Electron Dispersive Spectroscopy capabilities. This was used to determine the pore structure which had been produced via a cross sectional analysis. A mercury porosimeter was used to determine the pore content and size in the ECD coatings. 12 European SOFC & SOE Forum 2016 5 8 July 2016, Lucerne Switzerland


A key objective of this study was to compare and contrast the priorities and agendas of multiply excluded homeless people (MEHP) with those of a diverse range of agencies which support, or routinely come into contact with MEHP, in order to better understand the causes and potential solutions to multiple exclusion homelessness.

The dataset is divided into two parts, as determined by the different access arrangements for different data. Both datasets contain data collected from semi structured interviews that were conducted in the city of Nottingham (55) and the London Boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham (53) with a total of 108 single multiply excluded homeless people (74 men, 34 women). Homeless participants were recruited from a range of organisations. They included people who used, (or who had recently used), an assortment of services provided by Framework and Thames Reach and also users of various services offered by a number of other statutory and voluntary agencies. Additionally, the datasets feature transcripts from semi structured interviews with 44 key informants (24 Nottingham, 20 London) from 40 statutory and voluntary sector agencies which routinely come into contact with MEHP.


The objective of this paper is to introduce an alternative type of Cartesian plane - Multi-Dimensional Cartesian plane (MD Cartesian plane) - for both microeconomics and macroeconomics levels of analyses. Different from the traditional 2-Dimensional Cartesian plane (x,y) and 3-Dimensional Cartesian plane (x,y,z), MD Cartesian plane consists of five axes ([x1,x2,x3,x4],y), where each axis has positive and negative values. In this paper MD Cartesian plane will be applied to macroeconomics level analysis, specifically to observe the global dimension of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Prior to the detailed explication and application of MD Cartesian plane, this paper explores the different type graphs that have been applied in economics so far, for comparison purposes. MD Cartesian plane is highly flexible. It can be adapted not only to microeconomics and macroeconomics analyses, but also to research in other areas such as finance, accounting, management, business and public administration. MD Cartesian plane is essentially an alternative analytical tool for policy makers, researchers and academicians in all fields.


initially bred as experimental animals, miniature pigs are increasingly being kept as pets. If problems arise during parturition, minipig owners often turn to small animal practitioners, who usually have little experience in treating pigs. Knowledge of physiological and pathological birth processes is necessary to make the right decisions in an emergency. Dystocia that require a caesarean section are such an emergency. The following article explains the procedure for a caesarean section on the basis of a case report and describes anesthesia and surgical procedures.


Approximately 3 years ago, the first major (biochemical, molecular biologic, and biologic) insight into primary open-angle glaucoma was the finding that mutations in the myocilin (MYOC/TIGR) gene were related to certain forms of juvenile onset of this disease. Since then, a great deal of work has been done to determine the possible mechanisms by which MYOC/TIGR might cause not only juvenile but also adult-onset primary open-angle glaucoma. To assess the current knowledge and those areas in which more research is necessary, a meeting of scientists was held by the Glaucoma Research Foundation of San Francisco, California in the spring of 2000. This meeting attempted to concentrate on the MYOC/TIGR protein rather than the genetics of this gene. Possible functions and roles of this protein intracellularly and extracellularly were critically examined and discussed. Normal transcriptional and translational events and the effect of mutations on these events were explored. The discussions yielded insight not only in those areas in which important information is known but also in vital areas in which little is currently understood. This review attempts to summarize the current knowledge regarding MYOC/TIGR and to elucidate the points that the people attending the meeting thought needed further study.


Kidney dysfunction during congestive heart failure, although frequent, is often neglected. Yet, it represents a life-threatening condition, oven when the kidney dysfunction is moderate. The initial approach involvus strict application of recommendations, cardiologic and nephrologic joined management and close follow-up involving patient's general practitioner. Cases of true diuretics resistance are infrequent and late. Yet, it represents a significant turning point. Mortality is high, with a major individual unpredictability. A multidisciplinary approach is needed, which has to take into account patient's preferences. Several treatments may be discussed and are sometimes joined: cardiac transplantation, water and salt extraction (using ultrafiltration, hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis), vasoconstrictive drugs, ventricular assistance devices and palliative care. Water and salt extraction techniques seem to space out hospitalizations and to provide symptomatic relief even though no benefit on patient survival has been demonstrated to date. The need for randomized clinical trials is mandatory.


The Ganga and Yamuna rivers emerge from the Himalayas along two major faults known as the Ganga and Yamuna Tear Faults respectively. The two major strike-slip faults transverse to the Siwalik range are clearly seen in satellite imagery of the Dehradun area. Earthquake records, landslide and recent changes in geomorphological features indicate that the area between the Main Boundary Thrust and the Main Frontal Thrust is tectonically active. An effort has been made to study the tectonic evolution and neotectonism of the Ganga and Yamuna tear faults. Spectral and spatial enhancement techniques have been employed to the digital data of IRS-1B LISS-I to delineate the lineaments and major faults of the area. Based on Mohr's theory, failure criteria and statistical analysis of remotely sensed lineament data, horizontal compressive stress values (SHmax) have been estimated at various sites of the study area. These data are found to be consistent with the published SHmax orientation determined from earthquake focal mechanism solutions. Active faults and lineaments have been extracted from the remotely sensed lineament data. Past earthquake data and depth to basement contour data have been used in an integrated approach with available Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques to reconstruct a present-day regional geodynamic model. Attempts have been made to investigate the genesis of Ganga and Yamuna Tear Faults and possible causes of recent tectonic activities of the area with the help of the proposed geodynamic model.


A facile approach for the syntheses of spirocyclic butenolides through cascade cyclization/oxidative cleavage reactions of (Z)-enynols bearing cyclic substituents at the C-1 position catalyzed by gold under dioxygen atmosphere has been developed. A variety of substituted butenolides was constructed in a regioselective manner from suitably substituted (Z)-2-en-4-yn-1-ols. (Z)-Enynols substituted both at C2 and C3-position afforded the spirocyclic butenolides in moderate to good yields, C-2 unsubstituted (Z)-enynols afforded the products in moderate yields, and the C-3 unsubstituted (Z)-enynols afforded the desired products in low yields.


This paper explains how to operate a networked hybrid system. A Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) and a hybrid photovoltaic (PV) array system are taken into account. The hybrid system can run in Feeder Flow Control (FFC) or Unit Capacity Control (UPC) mode. Changes in load demand are adjusted by the main grid because the hybrid source's output is controlled by reference power in UPC mode. Renewable energy is widely used. When light and temperature fluctuate, a PV battery uses Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) to give maximum power to a load. Photovoltaic electricity is uncontrollable because its output varies with the outside and cell temperature. PEMFC should be added to the hybrid system to overcome its limitations. The output of the hybrid source can be controlled by adjusting the output power of the frequency converter. As a result, it is necessary to set a reference value for the output of the hybrid source. In Feeder-Flow Control (FFC) mode, the feeder flow is controlled to remain constant, the hybrid source takes on additional load, and as a result, the feeder reference power needs to be understood. This method reduces load shedding and boosts electricity under high loads. Under light load, the hybrid power supply switches to UPC mode. When the load requirement is near the border of the mode change, UPC or FFC mode is used. Hysteresis eliminates power reference fluctuations. The proposed operation strategy increases system performance, system stability, and mode transitions by consistently operating the PV array at maximum output power and the Photovoltaic–Fuel Cell (PVFC) within its highefficiency range.


OBJECTIVE
As part of a study to determine population-based frequencies of CFTR mutations in an ethnically diverse, midwestern cystic fibrosis (CF) population, clinical histories were studied in 119 CF patients.

METHODOLOGY
We sought to examine the association between genotype as characterized by the delta F508 and 11 other commonly occurring mutations and clinical parameters including age at diagnosis, clinical presentation, sweat chloride level, chest roentgenogram score, clinical scores, pulmonary function test results, percent weight for height, and presence of associated CF complications.

RESULTS
Age at diagnosis of CF was significantly associated with homozygosity for delta F508 (mean age at diagnosis +/- SE: 1.7 +/- 0.3 years for delta F508/delta F508 vs 3.9 +/- 0.9 years for delta F508/other and other/other; P = .03). No other age-adjusted clinical parameter was significantly associated with delta F508 or any other genotype.

CONCLUSION
These data suggest that in this sample of CF patients, delta F508 genotype is not predictive of disease severity. The lack of association between disease severity and genotype in this ethnically diverse sample may reflect the presence of more severe undetected mutations in our sample, or the effects of modifying genes at other, non-CF loci.


The growing complexity of challenges involved in scientific progress demands ever more frequent application of competencies and knowledge from different scientific fields. The present work analyzes the degree of collaboration among scientists from different disciplines to identify the most frequent "combinations of knowledge" in research activity. The methodology adopts an innovative bibliometric approach based on the disciplinary affiliation of publication coauthors. The field of observation includes all publications (167,179) indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded for the years 2004–2008, authored by all scientists in the hard sciences (43,223) at Italian universities (68). The analysis examines 205 research fields grouped in 9 disciplines. Identifying the fields with the highest potential of interdisciplinary collaboration is useful to inform research polices at the national and regional levels, as well as management strategies at the institutional level. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Analysis of fusulinids from the Bug Scuffle Limestone Member of the Gobbler Formation along the western escarpment of the Sacramento Mountains in south-central New Mexico demonstrates that all four Desmoinesian regional fusulinid zones documented in Midcontinent and Southwest North America are present in the stratigraphic unit. Earliest Desmoinesian (Df1 Zone) fusulinids from the basal Bug Scuffle limestone beds suggest that the carbonate unit transgressed northward on the Sacramento Shelf, with Beedeina insolita in basal beds of the southernmost canyon exposures, and the slightly more advanced B. hayensis and B. curta in basal limestone beds of more northern outcrops. Late early Desmoinesian (Df2 Zone) fusulinids are common and widespread throughout the escarpment outcrop belt indicating that it was the time period with the most widespread normal marine shelf paleoenvironmental conditions. The diverse assemblage of the Df2 Zone is characterized by Beedeina novamexicana, B. euryteines, B. leei, B. socorroensis, B. joyitaensis, Wedekindellina euthysepta, and W. excentrica. The microprobematical branching fossil Komia is also common in this zone. Wedekindellina and Komia do not range above the mid-Desmoinesian CSB1 composite sequence boundary. Above that sequence boundary, the early late Desmoinesian Df3 Zone is characterized by sparse Beedeina haworthi, and the closely related B. illinoisensis and B. tumida. The late late Desmoinesian Df4 Zone is represented by a diverse assemblage of fusulinids in the uppermost part of the Bug Scuffle Limestone Member in the southern canyon exposures, including Beedeina acme, B. megista, B. mysticensis, B. lonsdalenesis, B. bellatula, B. gordonensis, and B. vintonensis. No Beedeina identifiable to species were found in upper part of the Bug Scuffle Limestone Member in the northernmost canyon exposures, demonstrating that late Desmoinesian paleoenvironments became more restricted marine northward along the Sacramento Shelf. Above the CSB2 composite sequence boundary in the uppermost Bug Scuffle Limestone Member, the lower part of the uppermost depositional sequence continues to contain latest Desmoinesian Df4 Zone fusulinids in the southern canyon sections. Early Missourian conodonts have been reported in a limestone unit near the top of the Gobbler clastic detrital member in the north-central part of the outcrop belt(Wahlman and Barrick 2018; Lucas et al. 2021), but no early Missourian conodonts or fusulinids have been reported yet from the uppermost Bug Scuffle Limestone Member in the southern canyons.


He assessment of the level of the health of the bank in this case was the Perkreditan Rakyat Bank that used the CAMEL method, by means of measuring the component from respectively the factor that is the Capitalisation factor, Kualitas of the Asset, Manajemen, Rentabilitas and the Liquidity. This analysis method was the Bank's Indonesian output as being applied in the Bank's Indonesian Circular No.30/3/UPPB and the Instruction on the Management of the Indonesian Bank, The date 30 30April 1997 and still current now. This research was the case study to BPR Shinta Daya Kalasan Periode in 2003 up to 2005 with the aim of the research of being to receive the picture that was sharp about the measurement of the level of the health of the BPR Shinta Daya Kalasan bank. The analysis of the data was during 2004 received by results of the Capital assessment with Capital Adequacy Ratio 15.69 %, thought factor credit 100, Quality assets with the ratio of the quality of the productive asset 2.49 %, thought factor credit 100, and the Penyisigan Peghapusan Aktiva Produktif ratio 94.32 %, thought factor credit 94.32, the management with the value of the public of management credit 13,33dan the management of the risk 19, Earning with the ratio Return ounce Asset 5.28 %, thought factor credit 100, and the cost oprasional towards the income operational 87.63 %, thought factor credit 100, Liquidity with Cash Ratio 7.19 %, thought factor credit 100, and Loan to Deposit Ratio 95.05 %, thought factor credit 79.80. Keywords : Acquisition Profit


We consider a model of Internet congestion control that represents the randomly varying number of flows present in a network where bandwidth is shared fairly between document transfers. We study critical fluid models obtained as formal limits under law of large numbers scalings when the average load on at least one resource is equal to its capacity. We establish convergence to equilibria for fluid models and identify the invariant manifold. The form of the invariant manifold gives insight into the phenomenon of entrainment whereby congestion at some resources may prevent other resources from working at their full capacity.


This study presents a new support vector machine (SVM)-based fault zone identification scheme for busbar which correctly identifies faults occurring inside and outside the protection zone of busbar. The proposed scheme utilises one cycle post-fault current signals of all the lines as an input to SVM. In order to achieve the most optimised classifier, Gaussian radial basis function has been used for training of SVM. Feasibility of the proposed scheme has been tested by modelling an existing 400 kV Indian busbar system in PSCAD/EMTDC software package. More than 28 800 fault cases with varying fault resistances, fault inception angles, fault locations, types of faults and source impedances have been generated and used for validation of the proposed scheme. The proposed scheme effectively discriminates between in-zone and out-of-zone faults with very high fault classification accuracy for different fault and system conditions. Moreover, the proposed scheme remains stable during an early and severe current transformer (CT) saturation condition giving an accuracy of 99 for all the fault cases.


Before joining the Chamber, Smethurst managed agricultural chemicals and plant biotechnology intellectual property issues at CropLife International for four years. He was an active member of the industry groups in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (IT-PGRFA), and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Previously, Smethurst held positions in the Intellectual Property Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the international intellectual property division of Eli Lilly, and a boutique firm specializing in genetic resource IP issues. Smethurst also spent six years living outside the United States—four years in Germany, including working in the German Bundestag in Berlin, and two years in Japan. Along the way, he has acquired varying levels of proficiency in German, Japanese, and French. Smethurst holds a master's degree in business and government relations, with a specialization in intellectual property management, and an honors certificate in international business diplomacy from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. He earned a bachelor's degree in international studies with a focus on U.S. trade policy from American University.


Low budgetary implementation in Nigeria suggests a need for better understanding of the Nigerian Civil Service. This study aimed at determining the nature of the Nigerian Civil Service from an organisational culture perspective. Additionally, the study focused on exploring views and experiences of Nigerian civil servants in relation to budgeting and budget practices. Following the relevant ethics and governance approvals, a mixed methods approach was used to collect data from Nigerian civil servants. In the first phase, a questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from 144 randomly sampled respondents across 6 ministries. The Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) was used to identify the dominant culture in the Nigerian civil service while descriptive statistics, correlation matrix and multiple regression analysis were used to explore attitudes to various budget practices. In the second phase 5 participants that were selected using convenience sampling were interviewed.  A qualitative approach was used to analyse the data with a view to validate findings from the quantitative phase. The study revealed that the Nigerian civil service is underpinned by a model where the hierarchical culture is dominant but with undertones of the clan culture. Key factors that can improve budget processes in Nigeria include better communication, increased participation and the establishment of monitoring processes.  These new insights can help contribute to managing an improvement process as well as developing the service. Keywords: Budget; Civil Service; Nigeria; Organisational Culture; Policy


We prove the null controllability of a parabolic system. The
single control is common to both PDEs, distributed and subject to constraints.
The studied model can be applied in dynamics of biological
systems or in physics. First we study the problem associated to a similar
linearized system. Then appropriate Carleman inequalities and a fixed-point
argument are used to prove the null controllability resuts.


Some recent communication systems like DVB-T2 standard set up a PAPR reduction technique followed by a linearization's one. So in such a scenario, the performance of the linearization is influenced undoubtedly by the PAPR reduction method. In this paper, we revisit the EVM metric and evaluate a closed form regarding the performance of both the PAPR reduction technique and the linearization's one. We choose the predistortion as a linearization technique and define a predistortion error. Assuming that the baseband OFDM signal is characterized as a complex Gaussian process, we consider the three top categories of PAPR reduction methods presented in [2] and we first study the distribution of the resulted signal. Then, we derive some theoretical expressions of the first and second order moments of the predistortion error and show that the error depends mainly on the PAPR of the signal after PAPR reduction method and on the predistortion quality. Some simulations compared to our proposed model confirm our results.


Aluminium alloys are commonly utilised to reduce the weight of vehicles as structural components due to their good mechanical properties, lightweight characteristics, ease of fabrication, and high specific strength. During an accident, aluminium alloys are subjected to high velocity and varying loads. As a result, it is crucial to understand the impact properties of aluminium alloys. The side groove influence on the shear lip development of the aluminium alloy Al6061 was investigated in this study. The Charpy impact test under different side groove depth ratio was conducted through simulation using Abaqus. It was found that the shear lips ratio decreased when the side groove depth ratio increased. The energy absorption and force required to fracture the specimen decreased when the side groove depth ratio increased. As a result of the lower shear lips ratio, less absorb energy, and less force of impact, increasing the side groove depth ratio will tend to lower Al6061 ductility.


Future space-based optical interferometers such as the Space Interferometer Mission require fringe stabilization to the level of nanometers in order to produce astrometric data at the microarc-second level. Even the best attitude control system available to date will not be able to stabilize the attitude of a several thousand pound spacecraft to a few milli-arc-seconds. Active pathlength control is usually implemented to compensate for the attitude drift of the spacecraft. This issue has been addressed in previous experiments while tracking bright stars. In the case of dim stars, as the sensor bandwidth falls below one hertz, feedback control will not provide sufficient rejection. However, stabilization of the fringes from a dim-star down to the nanometer level can be done open loop using the information from additional interferometers looking at bright guide stars. The STB3 testbed developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory features three optical interferometers sharing a common baseline, dynamically representative to the SIM interferometer. An artificial star feeding the interferometers is installed on a separate optics bench. Voice coils are used to simulate the attitude motion of the spacecraft by moving the entire bench. Data measured on STB3 shows that the fringe motion of a dim star due to the spacecraft attitude change can be attenuated by more than 60dB at 0.1Hz without feedback control, using only information from the two guide stars. This paper will describe both the STB3 setup, the pathlength feed-fonvard architecture and the data collected with the system and how they relate to SIM.


The central objective of this study was to examine risks of e-banking and electronic money activities, such as credit card transactions from a financial institutions angle of view. My intention was to identify risks associated with Internet banking and electronic credit card transactions and analyze feasible risk management tools for electronic banking activities in open networks environment. In order to be able to do that, it was indispensable to first explore and generally analyze the structure of electronic banking and then examine elements of Internet banking and electronic money activities in a more profound manner. Firstly, I identified focal reason why banks have introduced electronic banking and money activities. The most important reasons discovered were enhanced cost-efficiency, considerable marketing advantages and added customer value. Then I examined the structure of electronic banking, primarily focusing on diverse distribution channels. It was acknowledged that the Internet is presently the fastest growing distribution channel of electronic banking and electronic money activities. After studying electronic and Internet banking, risks and risk management matters were examined. From financial institutions point of view the risk was defined as an unexpected, sudden incidence which may take place in the future, effecting usually in a negative way on the financial institutions business targets and can in a worst case even jeopardize the institutions existence. It was elucidated that the risk management process in enterprises consists of four phases, which are identifying, analyzing, controlling and estimating risks. Thereafter the risk management process was accomplished. Risks related with e-banking for the financial institution were identified. Due to the fast developments of technology, new risks are arising constantly. This study focused principally on identifying common risk categories and three risk categories were analyzed in more detail -operational risks, environment risks and system risks were the core of the study. Operational risks consist mainly of diverse security risks. Environment risk encompassed legal risks. System risks comprises of information system risks and risks of failure in banking system. Different risk management methods were also introduced. It was noticed that the most paramount risk management methods concerned the personnel of the financial institution. The empiric part of the study focused on analyzing risks associated with electronic credit card transactions. Risk management of operational, environment and system risks was examined more profoundly in the context of Diners Club Finland Oy. The structure of credit card payments and functioning principles of credit card issuers were analyzed in order to create necessary understanding of risks related to credit card payments in open networks environment. In my opinion the importance of constant risk management is amplifying, since the business environment is not as stable and predictable as it was before. Therefore banks and financial institutions are facing an altering environment of varying risks, and in order to continue to prevail and to better than the rivals, enterprises have to recognize the importance of continuous, active risk management process. The identified risks should be taken into consideration when designing information security cautions for financial institution. More detailed analysis of seriousness of risks is left for a further study. Behavioral finance would also be very interesting aspect when analyzing operational fraud risks of a credit card company. Behavioral finance would provide active and innovative operational risk managements solutions for a financial institution.


In this study, a lipase from the liver of Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus (1758) living in Todurge Lake (Sivas) was purified with purification parameters of 90.38 μmol/dk.mg protein specific activity and 75.50 fold purity. The purification procedure consisted of preparation of homogenate, precipitation with polyethylene glycol-6000 (PEG-6000) and chromatographic techniques including in Q sepharose, sephacryl S 200 HR and phenyl sepharose CL-4B, respectively. The purified lipase showed a single band with approximately a molecular weight of 74 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). pH and temperature optimums for the purified enzyme were determined as 8.0 and 37 °C using p-nitrophenyl butirate (p-NPB) as substrate. Km and Vmax values were found as 0.17 mM p-NPB and 2.6 μmol/mL.dk, respectively. It was observed that surface active agents, such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), Triton X-100 and Nataurocholate act as inhibitor on lipase activity.