Generalized obesity, regional adiposity, hyperinsulinemia and hypertriglyceridemia are all potential indicators of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). This study aimed to assess the relationship between morphometric measurements of body condition and metabolic hormone concentrations in ponies, with and without a neck crest or generalised obesity. Twenty-six ponies were assigned a body condition score (BCS) and cresty neck score (CNS). Height, girth, and neck measurements were taken. An oral glucose test (OGT; 0.75g dextrose/kg BW) was performed and blood samples collected prior to and 2 hours post dosing. Basal blood samples were analysed for blood glucose, serum insulin, triglyceride and leptin, and plasma HMW adiponectin concentrations. Post-prandial samples were analysed for serum insulin concentration. The ponies were grouped as having a) a normal to fleshy body status (BCS ≤7 and CNS ≤2; n = 10); b) having a high CNS, but without generalised obesity (BCS ≤7 and CNS ≥3; n = 11), or c) being obese (BCS ≥8 and CNS ≥1; n = 5). Responses to the OGT indicated that both normal and insulin-dysregulated ponies were included in the cohort. Post-prandial serum insulin was positively associated with CNS (P<0.035) and ponies with a CNS ≥ 3 had 5 times greater odds of being insulin-dysregulated. The high CNS group had a greater insulin response to the OGT than those in the normal/fleshy group (P = 0.006), whereas obese ponies did not differ from the other two groups. Basal HMW adiponectin was negatively correlated with post-prandial insulin concentrations (r = -0.5, P = 0.009), as well as being decreased in the group with a high CNS, compared to the obese group (P = 0.05). Cresty neck score was more predictive of insulin dysregulation than BCS, and this may be relevant to the diagnosis of EMS. Adiponectin may also be a measure of insulin dysregulation that is independent of body condition.


This paper presents a novel dual-band concurrent fully integrated low noise amplifier (LNA) with current reuse topology for W-LAN IEEE 802.11b/g/a standards. A general methodology for the design of concurrent LNAs is provided that makes it possible to achieve simultaneous narrowband gain and matching at multiple frequencies. Furthermore, the use of a concurrent topology enables saving important die area and power consumption compared to the parallel solution that employs two separated LNAs. A fully integrated dual band LNA was designed using 0.18µm CMOS process. The LNA provides narrow-band gain and matching at 2.4GHz and 5.2GHz bands, simultaneously. At 2.4GHz, the LNA exhibits a noise figure of 2.5dB, a voltage gain of 21 dB and input matching of −12.7dB. However, the LNA at 5.2GHz features a noise figure of 2.4dB, a voltage gain of 12.5dB and a and input matching of −17.4dB. The power consumption is 10mW under a power supply voltage of 1.8V. The designed system demonstrates relatively suitable response in Variation 10% supply voltage.


Recent studies have shown that the cell proliferation antigen Ki-67 is not required for cell proliferation. Here, we demonstrate that Ki-67 enables implementation of transcriptional programmes conferring cellular plasticity, and is required for each step of tumour initiation, growth and metastasis. Ki-67 knockout causes global transcriptome remodelling, which, in mammary carcinoma cells, inhibits the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in a polycomb-repressive complex 2-dependent manner. This results in suppression of stem cell characteristics and sensitisation to various drug classes. Cancer cells lacking Ki-67 proliferate normally in vivo, but tumour growth is inhibited due to disrupted angiogenesis, and metastasis is abrogated. Finally, mice lacking Ki-67 are resistant to chemical or genetic induction of intestinal tumourigenesis. Thus, Ki-67, which is expressed in all proliferating cancer cells, confers the plasticity required for different steps of carcinogenesis.


Background & objectives: Air particulate matters which have natural and human made origins have significant effects on the climate, the environment and human health. Several epidemiological studies have shown a direct relationship among the concentrations of suspended particles with different adverse health effects. The general purpose of this research was to determine the most important parameters affecting on the concentration of PM10 in Tajrish station (Tehran) and develop an estimator model for PM10. Materials & methods: In this study, a model is constructed using principal component regression (PCR) for the relationship between the hourly concentration of particulate matter smaller than 10 microns with meteorological parameters (WD, WS, T, P, H) and air pollution parameters (CO, NO2, SO2, NOx, NMHC, THC) in Tajrish station (Tehran). The results of the performance evaluation of PCR model were measured in training and testing stages using RMSE, MAE, R and IA as statistical indicators. Results: The results of principal components import into multiple regression model showed that the most important variable affecting on the concentrations of PM10, are air temperature and the wind speed. Also, CO and SO2 emissions were known as synergic factors for PM10 concentration. The results showed that PCR model is able to estimate 41 of PM10 concentrations in the testing. Conclusion: The principal components regression analysis showed that meteorological parameters are one of most important factors affecting on the reduction of PM10 concentration in Tajrish station (Tehran).


Hollow gold nanoparticles (HGNs) are unique materials having properties which can be beneficial in controlled and traceable drug delivery and molecular imaging. In the recent past various methods have been developed for the synthesis of these HGNs, the most widely used method employed the galvanic replacement reaction of silver for gold. In this manuscript we have developed a simple approach for the formation of hollow gold nanoparticles (HGNs) using an aqueous solution of a zwitterionic surfactant, N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethylammonio-1-propanesulfonate SB-16, as a soft template and different ILs, N,N-dimethylethanolammonium formate/hexanoate (DAF/DAH), as reducing agents. The size distribution and morphology of these HGNs were determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurement, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV-vis spectroscopy was used to assess their optical properties. This soft template approach requires less than 1 min at 338 K for the production of HGNs of size less than 20 nm.


This article examines the main tendencies of international Jewish migration during the last century. An [effort has been made] to reconstruct the global volume of these migrations from all departure places to all destinations. The intensity of the major trends [has] been evaluated...[to] distinguish the variable weight of migrations towards the major Western countries and towards the State of Israel (and before its creation of Palestine). The migratory waves towards Israel are subject to a more detailed analysis through which we attempt to understand better the various levels of emigration from the different countries the context of these migrations and their main causes. (EXCERPT) (SUMMARY IN ENG AND SPA)


In summer 2003, we went to Scotland, to our favourite place, but I didn't tell you where it was. Now, I'm prepared to, because I want to tell you about a triumph: we climbed Beinn Dearg.

There are 284 Munros — mountains over 3000 feet in Scotland. Sir Hugh Munro originally listed 277, but there's been inflation. The list still doesn't include Torridon's Beinn Dearg which, at 2999 feet, is officially the highest non-Munro. Munro-baggers are a focused bunch. With 284 mountains to tick off, they can't afford to waste time climbing anything less than 3000 feet. Never mind that some Munros are extremely boring slogs up tedious slopes in the middle of nowhere, and that some sub-3000 foot mountains are real challenges with spectacular views. To the dedicated Munroist, 3000 feet is all.

So the Munro-bagger doesn't care about Beinn Dearg (pronounced Jerrag). But we do. We first saw it 33 years ago, lurking behind Torridon's more well-known hills. It's very steep on all sides, except round the back. There it's merely steep, but a long way to get to.

We took it on direct: up between the gullies on the south-west corner. It was an hour and half to the foot of the gullies, first on a good path, then over firm moorland. We drank coffee and peered up, picking what looked a safe route. Was it on? Yes. It was, simply, the most exhilarating climb we've ever done. There's no rock; it's mostly grass and heather, with some scree. But it is very steep, 409 metres of climbing in 570 metres: an average gradient of 36 degrees. Our walking poles, shortened to dig into the ground ahead, were invaluable. As we tackled a stream crossing half way up, where the gradient was especially steep, we became aware of a stag above us on a crag. He edged forward to watch us, wondering what we were doing in his domain. A fighter jet screeched through the glen, hundreds of feet below us, and frightened him away.

Eventually, the gradient slackened slightly. A few more steps and we'd made it: an easy stroll now to the summit.

OK, there are plenty of you out there who have climbed vertical rockfaces, and struggled through Himalayan snowdrifts. But we're just ordinary walkers. We each have our triumphs, and Beinn Dearg is one of ours. And you Munroists, if Napoleon had won, there would have been fewer Munros anyway: there's nothing magic about 915 metres.


This project looks at American employment policy development between the 1930s and the 1990s and asks why government policies did not do more to ensure that there was enough employment for all would-be workers. I start with two key premises: first, that sufficient employment is essential to America's economic goals, both at a national level and at an individual level; second, that in America, paid, private employment has long been a marker of social inclusion, which makes access to stable and secure work even more important. This means that the limited scope of employment policy -- particularly the general lack of intervention to guarantee sufficient jobs -- is puzzling. I follow a case study approach, analyzing employment policy in three periods: the New Deal, the Great Society, and the Reagan Revolution. Using extensive archival material I demonstrate that America's liberal tradition has created an enduring constraint on employment policy: enshrining the responsibility to obtain work as individual rather than governmental and mandating that the government minimize its labor market intervention. I break this liberal constraint down into two ``currents'' that pertain to employment. The first current -- work-as-citizenship -- establishes a tie between paid private employment and social citizenship, and further instructs that individuals must obtain such work for themselves. The second current -- labor-market anti-statism -- restricts federal intervention in the labor market, particularly restraining governmental efforts to create employment outside the private sector and imposing additional conditions on the employment interventions the government can take.Between the 1930s and 1990s there were periodic challenges to the currents' boundary condition on employment policy. The elite level policy debates within the executive branch that embodied these challenges serve as my dissertation's empirical sites of investigation. These challenges, resulting from both economic and political circumstances, resulted in a variety of policy adaptations that stretched the liberal currents' limits, though the boundary condition itself remained intact. However, employment policy debates and outcomes in the 1980s-1990s also show that there is potential for work-as-citizenship to be leveraged as a basis for employment policies that ensure greater economic stability for all Americans.


A model for the diffusion of implanted interstitials during implantation is introduced and shown to be able to account for the tails observed in ion profiles. It is argued that mechanisms of ionization-enhanced diffusion can explain some of the anomalous diffusion mechanisms observed in semiconductors. Indications for the existence of such mechanisms in the field of ion implantation in semiconductors are discussed.


This contribution focuses on utilizing blended biofuels of rapeseed oil and methanol with diesel. Rapeseed is one of the most cultivated energy crops in Europe, and its purpose in the blends is to increase the bio-content in test fuels. The purpose of methanol in the blends is to increase bio-content and compensate for the higher viscosity of the rapeseed oil. As methanol is almost insoluble in diesel and rapeseed oil, iso-butanol is used as a co-solvent. The fuel blends were tested in volumetric concentrations of diesel/rapeseed oil/methanol/iso-butanol 60/30/5/5, 50/30/10/10, and 50/10/20/20. Diesel was used as a reference. The measurements were performed on a turbocharged diesel engine Zetor 1204, loaded using the power-takeoff shaft of the Zetor Forterra 8641 tractor. In this paper, the effect of the blended fuels on performance parameters, engine efficiency, production of soot particles, and regulated and unregulated emissions are monitored and analyzed. It was found that engine power decreased by up to 27%, efficiency decreased by up to 5.5% at full engine load, emissions of NOX increased by up to 21.9% at 50% engine load, and production of soot particles decreased; however, the mean size of the particles was smaller.


We propose a robust version of Cox‐type test statistics for the choice between two non‐nested hypotheses. We first show that the influence of small amounts of contamination in the data on the test decision can be very large. Secondly, we build a robust test statistic by using the results on robust parametric tests that are available in the literature and show that the level of the robust test is stable. Finally, we show numerically not only the robustness of this new test statistic but also that its asymptotic distribution is a good approximation of its sample distribution, unlike for the classical test statistic. We apply our results to the choice between a Pareto and an exponential distribution as well as between two competing regressors in the simple linear regression model without intercept.


The Ishiguro archive in the Harry Ransom Center in Austin houses Ishiguro's extensive research on Japanese ghost stories and films from his early film writing, revealing his fascination with Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu Monogatari and Sansho Dayu. This article explores Kazuo Ishiguro's references to Ugetsu in The Buried Giant to reflect on the realistic portrayal of ghosts as a way to reveal a suppressed pagan narrative. Using materials from the Ishiguro archive, I argue that Ishiguro borrows tactics from Ugetsu and then incorporates the Japanese Buddhist myth and folklore underlying Sansho Dayu to build a hidden discourse of the dead that subverts the dominant discourse of God, creating an implicit supernatural plot that parallels the novel's explicit realistic plot and that decentres Britain's national beliefs.


The thin walled box beam is the most economical form of construction for medium and long span bridge structures, primarily because of its efficiency in carrying eccentric loads. This together with a number of other advantages, has led to it being adopted for almost all new major bridges. The research described in this thesis, is mainly concerned with the behaviour of single cell rectangular box beams, curved in plan. The behaviour of straight box beams under twisting loads has also been investigated in the first two chapters as an introduction to the main part of this work. Longitudinal restraint against warping displacements and distortion of the cross sections usually occur in actual structures, invalidating Saint Venant's theory of torsion. The resistance to distortion could be provided by the frame action of the walls (continuous diaphragm medium) or by concentrated diaphragms. New theories have been developed in order to take account of these conditions and mention should be made of the early work of Vlasov, Ebner and more recently Argyris, in the analysis of straight box beams. Further developments of Vlasov and Ebner's theories for the analysis of single symmetrical rectangular box beams have been made, among them the methods of analysis developed primarily for bridge structures by Dabrowski for box beams with continuous diaphragm medium and Resinger and Richmond for box beams with concentrated diaphragms. A comparative investigation of these methods and Benscoter's theory for box beams with rigid cross sections have been carried out. Dabrowski extended his work to the analysis of box beams curved in plan. He produced a general theory for circular box beams with rigid cross sections and derived solutions for several loading systems. The writer has considered a different support condition for which similar solutions have been derived. Dabrowski suggested an approximate method of analysis when distortion of the cross section is taken into account, and produced some series solutions for the governing differential equation for single span beams. The writer has produced a more detailed analysis of single span beams and has derived exact solutions for loads at the supports which were used to extend Dabrowski methods to continuous beams. Two model tests were carried out, both using perspex models. The first was on a straight beam, 66 in. long and 6 in. square, with a constant wall thickness of in. The second was on a two span continuous circular box beam, each span of 84 in. and a radius of 140 in., the cross section was 8.025 in. square with a varying thickness of 5/32 in. at the top wall and 1/8 in. at the other walls. Both models were tested under vertically acting distributed twisting loads of uniform intensity. The stiff-Jointed rectangular frame formed by the walls was assumed to provide a continuous diaphragm medium. The comparison of the theoretical and experimental deflexions for the first test showed a good agreement between them. For the second test, reasonable agreement was obtained, and it is probable that the discrepancies were mainly, due to experimental errors.


The purpose of this research is to find out whether how much the effect of corporate social responsibility disclosure to company financial performance that was measured by sales growth and return on asset. High and low profile were added to test whether it can moderate the results. The method that were used in this research is a verification analysis. The sample company consisted of 21 companies where 12 of those companies were belong to high profile category and 9 of those were belong to low profile category and also listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) within period of 2013-2015. The statistical testing that is used in this research was double linear regression with a significance value of 5%. The result from this research found that the corporate social responsibility disclosure doesn't have positive and significant effect on sales growth. On the other hand, corporate social responsibility disclosure has a positive and significant effect on return on asset. After industry classification as a moderating variable were taken into account, corporate social responsibility disclosure become non-significant to both sales growth and return on asset. It can be said that high and low profile industry in Indonesia didn't differ significantly in terms of their corporate social responsibility actions.


The structure of the acousto-optic spectrum analyzer was investigated including the RF amplifying circuit, the optical structures and the postprocessing circuit, and the design idea of the module was applied to design the spectrum analyzer. The modularization spectrum analyzer takes on the performance stabilization and higher reliability, and according to different demands, the different modules can be used. The spectrum analyzer had such performances as the detecting frequency error of 0.58MHz,detecting responsivity of 90 dBm and bandwidth of 50 Mhz.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between genetic variations in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and the risk of colorectal cancer in a Chinese population.

METHODS
One hundred and ninety-eight cases of colorectal cancer and 420 controls were genotyped for detecting MTHFR C677T and A1298C polymorphisms by PCR-RFLP methods. The adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated by using unconditional logistic regression model.

RESULTS
The frequency of the MTHFR C677T allele found among cases was significantly more frequent than that among controls (51.3% to 44.4%, P = 0.02). As compared with the 677CC genotype, the 677TT genotypes had a 67% (95% CI, 1.05 - 2.66) increased risk of colorectal cancers. However, there appeared no any correlations between the genetic variations of MTHFR and the cancer metastasis.

CONCLUSION
These findings demonstrated that the genetic variation of MTHFR C677T should be a genetic susceptibility factor for colorectal cancer in a Chinese population.


The physical and electrical characteristics of a 0.995-in-diameter oversize circular waveguide and its associated transitions operating in the 92- to 96-GHz band are described. Both linear and nonlinear taper transitions were employed in converting from the WR-10 dominant-mode rectangular waveguide (0.100 by 0.050 in ID) to a 0.995-in-diameter circular waveguide. The results of the present investigations indicate that the nonlinear taper transitions yield considerably less multimoding effects. The measured attenuation for a 0.995-in-diameter oversize copper circular waveguide is 0.028 dB/ft as compared to a theoretical value of 0.02 dB/ft.


Recent legal scholarship demonstrates increased attention to empirical research in the design and evaluation of law and the policies and practices of legal authorities. The growth of evidence informed law is an exciting development and one that promises to improve the legal system. In this paper I argue for the particular value of drawing not just upon empirical research methods when evaluating existing policies and practices but upon social science theories. Theory based research provides a basis for imagining and testing different models about how the legal system might operate. I support this argument by presenting research on social science frameworks for legal authority which are alternatives to the currently prevalent instrumental model.


An immense amount of research and development work, by many talented scientists and engineers, has led to a variety of new Bayard-Alpert Gauge (BAG) product designs. In fact, a high vacuum user looking for a new BAG might be surprised, and possibly overwhelmed, by the large number of new commercial options that have become available. Standardization of the BAG design has made it possible for generic ion gauge controllers, such as the IGC100, to control gauges from many different manufacturers.


Grid Resource Discovery Service is currently a very important focus of research. We propose a scheme that presents essential characteristics for efficient, self-configuring and fault-tolerant resource discovery and is able to handle dynamic attributes, such as memory capacity. Our approach consists of an overlay network with a hypercube topology connecting the grid nodes and a scalable, fault-tolerant, self-configuring search algorithm. By design, the algorithm improves the probability of reaching all working nodes in the system even in the presence of failures (inaccessible, crashed or heavy loaded nodes). We analyze the static resilience of the presented approach, that is to say, how well the algorithm is able to find resources without having to update the routing tables. The results show that the presented approach has a high static resilience.


High‐quality and tunable structural color printing with feasible fabrication is a key goal in recent decades, holding the possibility for full‐color microdisplay and impeccable cryptographic nanoprints. Plasmonic approach suffers from the inevitable material absorption restricting the color spectrum with suppressed lightness. Recent progress in dielectric nanophotonics offers low‐loss solution for color rendering, but dynamic functionality is still in infancy of changing colors with unchanged portraits, where more sophisticated physical mechanisms are in demand. Here, a strategy using full Kerker's conditions is reported to design low‐loss silicon metasurfaces which can generate broad spectrum of colors beyond the standard Red Green Blue (sRGB) gamut. The combination of the two Kerker's conditions enables dynamic and bright color palettes and full‐color microdisplay. Meanwhile, the asymmetric unit‐cell can guarantee polarization‐angle‐controlled reflective response with greatly sharpened spectra by complete control of the Kerker's effects. As a proof‐of‐concept, polarization‐encrypted images are demonstrated where completely distinguished pieces of information can be decoded exclusively only in predetermined polarization angle. They serve as highly‐secured cryptographic nanoprints that can be integrated with conventional smartphone technology. The complementary‐metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS)‐compatible metasurfaces can provide a new roadmap of anti‐counterfeiting tagging, advanced optical data storage, and tunable high‐contrast microprinting for real‐life applications.


Conflicting results addressing reduced levels of two essential fatty acids in the erythrocyte membrane of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have been reported. The utilised diagnostic criteria for CFS may account for the observed discrepancies among investigators. Decreased levels of essential fatty acids in the erythrocyte membrane of CFS patients fit our current understanding of CFS pathophysiology. Activation of the protein kinase R enzyme leads to nuclear factor-kB activation, which in turn generates increased production of nitric oxide (NO). A wide variety of infectious agents are typically seen in CFS patients, and are able to increase NO production. It is hypothesized that oxidative stress accounts for the observed reduction in the levels of essential fatty acids in the erythrocyte membrane of CFS patients.


In recent years, there has been increased interest in the terahertz waveband for application to ultra-high-speed wireless communications and remote sensing systems. However, atmospheric propagation at these wavelengths has a significant effect on the operational stability of systems using the terahertz waveband, so elucidating the effects of rain on propagation is a topic of high interest. We demonstrate various methods for calculating attenuation due to rain and evaluate these methods through comparison with calculated and experimental values. We find that in the 90 - 225 GHz microwave band, values calculated according to Mie scattering theory using the Best and P-S sleet raindrop size distributions best agree with experimental values. At 313 and 355 GHz terahertz-waveband frequencies, values calculated according to Mie scattering theory using the Weibull distribution and a prediction model following ITU-R recommendations best agree with experimental values. We furthermore find that attenuation due to rain increases in proportion to frequency for microwave-band frequencies below approximately 50 GHz, but that there is a peak at around 100 GHz, above which the degree of attenuation remains steady or decreases. Rain-induced attenuation increases in proportion to the rainfall intensity.


OBJECTIVE
The immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of topoisomerase II alpha and collagen IV was studied in cervical cancer. The results of IHC expression for both markers were compared to the clinical and histological factors predicting the course of disease.

METHODS
In 114 patients with cervical cancer, treated at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Medical Centre Ljubljana between 1995 and 1999, the tumor tissue was analyzed using standard IHC staining (IHS) procedures for topoisomerase II alpha and collagen IV. The obtained results were compared to those obtained by clinical, pathomorphological and morphometric prognostic factors, and the impact of the analyzed factors on the outcome of disease was assessed.

RESULTS
A high percentage of IHC expression of topoisomerase II alpha was present in 55.3%, and to collagen IV in 28.1% of cervical cancer patients. In the multivariate analysis the IHS intensity to collagen IV was significantly associated with lymphovascular invasion (OR = 5.906; 95% CI 2.18-15.96). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a statistically significantly better survival in initial cervical cancer stages (p = 0.001), in tumors with a higher degree of differentiation (p = 0.049), more shallow depth of invasion (p = 0.004), smaller horizontal tumor spread (p = 0.001), in cases with no lymph node metastases (p = 0.001) and no lymphovascular space invasion (p = 0.001), in younger age groups (p = 0.001) and in women with regular menstrual cycles (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION
IHC expression of topoisomerase II alpha and collagen IV was significantly correlated with defense reaction. A negative and weak IHC to collagen IV was a statistically significant independent predictive variable for lymphovascular invasion, related to metastatic spread in the lymph nodes. The two analyzed IHC markers indicate the existence of factors at the molecular level that might complement the assessment of cervical cancer prognosis, resulting in the appropriate choice of type and extent of treatment.


The H.E.S.S. Collaboration has firmly detected gamma-ray emission from HESS J1846−029, which is spatially coincident with Kes 75 (G29.7−0.3), one of the youngest composite supernova remnants in the Galaxy. This remnant contains the nebula of PSR J1846−0258, a glitching young pulsar with a particularly high spin-down luminosity, that has manifested magnetar-like bursts in 2006. However, H.E.S.S. was not able to distinguish between shell and nebular emission. This source may also plausibly be associated with the HAWC-detected source 2HWC J1844−032. Recent Chandra observations revealed a relatively rapid expansion of the embedded pulsar wind nebula over the past two decades and an X-ray flux decrease of 10% in 7 years. We apply a multizone spatio-temporal pulsar wind nebula model to the morphological and spectral data over several epochs, and find reasonable fits to the broadband radiation spectrum, X-ray surface brightness profile, photon spectral index in the X-ray energy range and expansion rate. Such spectral and morphological fitting constrains the model parameters, and may aid in clarifying the nature of the gamma-ray emission.


The implementation of bioassays in pin-constrained biochips may involve pin-actuation conflicts if the concurrently implemented fluidic operations are not carefully synchronized. We propose a two-phase optimization method to identify and synchronize the fluidic operations that can be executed in parallel. The goal is to implement these fluidic operations without pin-actuation conflict, and minimize the duration of implementing the outcome sequence after the synchronization. The effectiveness of the proposed two-phase optimization method is demonstrated for a representative 3-plex assay performed on a fabricated pin-constrained biochip.


It is a crucial mechanism of access control to determine that data can only be accessed for allowed purposes. To achieve this mechanism, we propose purpose-based access policies in this paper. Different from provenance-based policies that determine if a piece of data can be accessed or not, purpose-based access policies determines for what purposes can data be accessed. Particularly, the purposes can be classified as different sensitivity levels. For the first time, We tailor policy algebras to include internal and external policy operators for hierarchical purposes, in order to merge purpose sets generated by individual policies. We also created external policy algebras to merge policies from multi-parties. With different types' testing experiments, our model is proved to be feasible and practical.


Background: The implications of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, including the newly introduced esaxerenone, on cardiac reverse remodeling in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remain uncertain. Methods and Results: We included patients with HFpEF who received esaxerenone for hypertension between November 2019 and July 2021 in this retrospective study. Changes in left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were compared between the 6-month pretreatment period (without esaxerenone) and the 6-month treatment period (on esaxerenone). Thirty-three patients (median age 74 years [interquartile range {IQR} 70–81 years]; 33% male, median systolic blood pressure [SBP] 135 mmHg [IQR 123–148 mmHg]) were included in the study and completed 6-month esaxerenone therapy without any adverse events. During the pretreatment period, SBP decreased significantly (P=0.009), whereas LVMI remained unchanged (P=0.30). During the esaxerenone treatment period, both SBP and LVMI decreased significantly (P=0.003 and P=0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Esaxerenone may have beneficial effects of reverse remodeling in patients with HFpEF when used to treat hypertension. Further studies are needed to understand which patient populations may see greater benefits with esaxerenone.


Angiotensin II (Ang II) plays an important role in stromal fibrosis and tumor progression in cancer tissues. Now we investigated the role of Ang II in the cross-interaction between intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) cells and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). The concentrations of Ang II in ICC tissues were significantly higher than those of hepatocellular carcinoma and normal liver. The expression of Ang II type 1 receptor (AT-1) in ICC specimens, two ICC cell lines, and HSC cell line, LI-90 was demonstrated by immunostain and Western blot. The proliferative activity of ICC cells and HSCs added Ang II dose-dependently increased and telmisartan inhibited the proliferative effects in MTT assay. HSCs added Ang II showed a higher expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) compared with control cells. Telmisartan also inhibited the activation of HSCs added Ang II. Ang II in ICC tissues may play a pivotal role in tumor growth and stromal fibrosis and Ang II receptor blocker will be a potential therapy in cancer tissue expressing AT-1.


In a first part, we study Voronov's "Swiss-Cheese" operad SC2, which governs the action of a D2-algebra on a D1-algebra. We build a model in groupoids of this operad and we describe algebras over this model in a manner similar to the classical description of algebras over H*(SC). We extend our model into a rational model which depends on a Drinfeld associator, and we compare this new model to the one that we would get if the operad SC were formal. In a second part, we study configuration spaces of closed smooth simply connected manifolds. We prove over R a conjecture of Lambrechts–Stanley which describes a mode of such configuration spaces, and we obtain as corollary their real homotopy invariance. Moreover, using Kontsevich's proof of the formality of the operads Dn, we obtain that this model is compatible with the action of the Fulton–MacPherson operad when the manifold is framed. This allows us to explicitly compute the factorization homology of such a manifold. Finally, in a third part, we expand this result to a large class of manifolds with boundary. We first use a chain-level Poincare–Lefschetz duality result to compute the homology of the configuration spaces of these manifolds, then we reuse the methods of the second chapter to obtain our model, which is compatible with the action of the Swiss-Cheese operad SCn.


some detail the very unsatisfactory and undemocratic conditions that exist in many parts of Africa, or how in some instances they are being heightened, quite unnecessarily, by the present war. This book is both scholarly and.authoritative ; in it, historical record and literary accomplishment are pleasantly blended. The bibliography is adequate; the documentation clear. Students of African affairs should keep this book close at hand. All who are interested in justice toward colonial peoples after the war should be-


This paper discusses some problems possibly arising when approximating via Monte-Carlo simulations the distributions of goodness-of-fit test statistics based on the empirical distribution function. We argue that failing to re-estimate unknown parameters on each simulated Monte-Carlo sample — and thus avoiding to employ this information to build the test statistic — may lead to wrong, overly-conservative. Furthermore, we present some simple examples suggesting that the impact of this possible mistake may turn out to be dramatic and does not vanish as the sample size increases.


Located in the northern part of the Ardenne massif, the Ninglinspo catchment shows morphologic features (valley floor benches, slope dissymmetry, river superimposition, etc) which constitute the likely heritage of periglacial processes. Here, we consider chiefly the geomorphic meaning of the valley floor benches. Assuming that bench deposits resulted at least partially from periglacial processes during the last glacial means that, during the Holocene warming, the river was unable to evacuate them totally. Reasoning in the same way for previous glacial and interglacial episodes (e.g. with a river unable to transport during warm periods the entirety of the materials provided by periglacial slope processes), implies that a polygenic genesis of these benches should be considered. In this study, we try to bring to the fore this polygenic origin using different various techniques, including geophysical surveying and tephrochronology. Finally, catchment denudation rates by periglacial slope processes ranging from 0.45 to 2 mm/ka have been inferred since the last glacial.


A gene essential for light-induced pigment production was isolated from the photochromogen Mycobacterium marinum by heterologous complementation of an M. marinum cosmid library in the nonchromogen Mycobacterium smegmatis. This gene is part of an operon and homologous to the Streptomyces griseus and Myxococcus xanthus crtB genes encoding phytoene synthase. Gene replacement at this locus was achieved via homologous recombination, demonstrating that its expression is essential for photochromogenicity. The ease of targeted gene disruption in this pathogenic Mycobacterium allows for the dissection of the molecular basis of mycobacterial pathogenesis.


With improvements in a computer hardware and CFD software, the problems treated in industry are becoming more complex, both physically and geometrically. Turbulent flow with strong unsteadiness is one such physically complex example. Since Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is still too time-consuming, a great number of unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) computations have been employed in such engineering applications. However, the applicability of RANS to unsteady flows remains unclear. In the present study, RANS computations for two-dimensional turbulent flow with periodic perturbation over a backward-facing step are performed in order to verify the performance of a low-Reynolds-number type e − k turbulence model. Visualization and investigation of the temporal change of the flow pattern and the instantaneous term-by-term budget of the governing equations reveals that the RANS computation can reproduce the unsteady nature satisfactorily, and clarifies why the RANS model captures the unsteady turbulent flow reasonably.


The study examines Income Disparity and Health Outcome in Nigeria and the Implication for Economic Growth, with the Case study of the FCT. It further analyses the determinants of health outcomes between the high and the low income families in Nigeria society and the impact on Economic growth. With the use of panel data, the study engaged the one-way error component panel modelling technique as its methodology, with the outcome showing the existence of a correlation between income inequality and mortality rates across income quintiles while child mortality was found to impact negatively on growth through a decline in the level of individual income. Thus, infant and under-five mortality rates are about 2.5 times higher among the poorest 20 per cent of the population than among the richest 20 per cent, The implication is that poverty and income inequality have contributed to, as well as reinforced, the poor health conditions of most Nigerians and further curtailed their capacity to access health services.


We conduct firm and industry level examinations of key market risk exposures deemed material by managers over the period 2002–2016. We find that risk exposures have expanded in line with firms' growth and globalization and that managers strategically select disclosure formats in recognition of firms' demand for capital market access and need to protect proprietary information. Currency derivatives use has surpassed that of interest rate derivatives and, conditioned on a firm having the associated risk exposure, commodity derivatives use is the highest. Finally, we find large increases in risk exposures concurrent with the initiation of derivatives use.


Previous research on crossmodal attentional orienting has reported speeded reaction times (RT) when the stimuli from the different modalities are in the same spatial location and slowed RTs when the stimuli are presented in very different locations (e.g., opposite sides of the body). However, little is known about what occurs for spatial interactions between these two extremes. We systematically varied the separation between cues and targets to quantify the spatial distribution of crossmodal attention. The orthogonal cueing paradigm [Spence et al. 1998] was used. Visual targets presented above or below the forearm were preceded by either vibrotactile cues presented on the forearm, auditory cues presented below the forearm, or visual cues presented on the forearm. The presentation of both unimodal and crossmodal cues led to a roughly monotonic increase in RT as a function of the cue-target separation. Unimodal visual cueing resulted in an attentional focus that was significantly narrower than that produced by crossmodal cues: the distribution of visual attention for visual cues had roughly half of the lateral extent of that produced by tactile cueing and roughly one fourth of the lateral extent as that produced by auditory cueing. This occurred when both seven (Experiment 1) and three (Experiment 2) cue locations were used suggesting that the effects are not primarily due to differences in the ability to localize the cues. These findings suggest that the location of tactile and auditory warning signals does not have to be controlled as precisely as the location of visual warning signals to facilitate a response to the critical visual event.


Sleep disturbance is one of the more common risk factors, numerous other negative physical health outcomes, and it is defined as self-reported poor quality of sleep, short sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, and insomnia symptoms. It is a common risk factor for depression and anxiety. Here, a case of sleep disturbance that received 72 sessions of acupuncture treatment delivered is reported. After acupuncture treatment, the patient's PSQI, HDRS, and SAS score decreased, as well as the plasma TNF-α, and IL-6 being reduced. No adverse effects were observed. The clinical studies findings provide evidence supporting the acupuncture aimed at the cause of sleep disturbance symptoms can also be useful.


The 9-anthracenylmethyl (C15H11) and 1-pyrenylmethyl (C17H11) radicals were identified by a combination of mass-resolved laser spectroscopy of a jet-cooled electrical discharge and quantum chemical methods. The 9-anthracenylmethyl radical was found to exhibit an origin band at 13757 cm(-1), with vibrational structure observed in a1 modes, and even quanta of b1 and a2 modes. The 1-pyrenylmethyl radical was found to exhibit an origin band at 13,417 cm(-1), with a more complex vibrational structure as compared to 9-anthracenylmethyl, on account of its lower symmetry and larger size. The origin bands of these species were predicted to within 250 cm(-1) by fitting a linear relationship between observed origin wavelengths of similar chromophores and the calculated TD-B3LYP transition energies. A refined fit including the title radicals provides estimated absorption energies for the larger 2-perylenylmethyl and 6-anthanthrenylmethyl species of 1.44 and 1.41 eV, respectively, with an estimated error of 30 meV.


Southern Africa contains a diverse and endemic scorpion fauna, but with biological aspects remaining largely unexplored for this group. In order to gain biological insights into an understudied scorpion species, the current study investigates fine-scale spatial distributions and sexual dimorphism in the South African endemic Drab Thick-tail Scorpion (Parabuthus planicauda). The species closely track rocky areas, with the sexes homogenously distributed across habitats. Varying adult sex ratios are evident at each sampling area, likely influenced by differing vegetation cover and predation pressures. When considering size-corrected measurements, several characters are significantly sexually dimorphic in P. planicauda; this sexual dimorphism is not readily observable (<10% difference in size) based on uncorrected measurements, thereby rendering the identification of males and females in the field difficult. Even so, sexually dimorphic characters in females appear to be shaped mainly by natural selection (e.g. carapace width, pedipalp patella and metasoma), likely for enhanced feeding ability, fecundity, parental care and juvenile survival. In contrast, the male morphology may be primarily subject to sexual selection pressures on features used during courtship and mating (e.g. pectines, chela movable finger, pedipalp femur, 2nd and 4th legs). Taken together, the results reported on here add novel preliminary information on the understudied biological aspects of a South African endemic scorpion species.


Introduction: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is one of the complications of bariatric operations that might affect the quality of life. We aim to perform a retrospective cohort study to determine the incidence of symptomatic GERD following different types of bariatric surgery and which operations are considered a contraindication of GERD. Besides, we are attempting to identify the risk factors of GERD after bariatric surgery. Methods: Medical records of 729 patients who had undergone bariatric operations between January 2010 and June 2019 at the Shamir (Assaf Harofeh) Medical Center were reviewed. Results: There was a significant difference between the type of bariatric procedure and the incidence of GERD symptoms after the operation. The incidence of symptomatic GERD in patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy (SG) was 39.9% (p = 0.0131). This was significantly higher compared to 16.4% following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, 23.4% following laparoscopic adjustable gastric band, and 11% following one anastomosis gastric bypass. 113 patients out of 718 had a positive swallow test, and of these patients, 71 developed GERD symptoms postoperatively without correlation to the degree of reflux at the swallow test but with statistically significant correlation to the type of operation especially for SG (p value < 0.001), and to our knowledge, this was never reported in the literature. Conclusion: SG is a good bariatric procedure option but should be considered carefully in asymptomatic patients with reflux at contrast swallow study and symptomatic GERD patients preoperatively because of high levels of symptomatic GERD postoperatively. Asymptomatic reflux at contrast swallow study preoperatively could be considered a risk factor for GERD after the operation. More studies are needed to be performed on this subject with the addition of postoperative contrast swallow test and pH monitoring preoperatively and postoperatively.


Engine wear, particularly that of the valve train, was examined in motored 2.2L and 2.3L engines. Procedures were developed which involved addition of synthetic hydroperoxide to the crankcase oil to simulate fired engine conditions. Cam lobe and follower wear occurred, apparently as a result of direct attack by the hydroperoxide on rubbing surfaces. This type of hydroperoxide-induced wear was identified in a fired bench engine test and in a field test. Similar hydroperoxide-induced wear was also observed in the lesser loaded engine contact areas such as bearings. Phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has proven to be a useful tool to the understanding of the structure and antioxidant antiwear properties of ZnDDP and its interactions with dispersant/detergent combinations.


Communicating the story of the cross in Western culture should consider modern rationalism, the ideal of authenticity, secular eschatology, and the pressures to privatize faith. Western culture offers a positive challenge to the penal-substitutionary view of the atonement, which is in danger of responding poorly to these challenges. But even when our view of the atonement takes these positive challenges into account, there is still an urgent need to expose illusions in the thinking of people influenced by Western culture. Only in this way can the beautiful and strange story of the cross truly be heard.


Despite his accidental death in June 1942 at the age of 38, Alan Dower Blumlein was unquestionably one of the century s most creative engineers and filed some 140 patents. He was the driving force and inspiration behind a vast number of fundamental innovations in the fields of radar, electronics and sound recording, amongst which he held perhaps the landmark patent enabling stereo sound. Surprisingly, until 1999 there had been no biographies of this remarkable man. The IEE is proud to rectify this by publication of this scholarly treatment of Blumlein's life, which includes a foreword by his eldest son.


ABSTRACT Today, agriculture and agri-food are at the heart of the changes affecting contemporary economies with the tension between globalization and return to the territories. Consequently the food industry provides a good illustration of the opposition and the coexistence of two current models of development, with intensive agriculture on the one hand, and the production of quality and specificity based on the labels of origin on the other. In North America and Quebec, the interest for geographical indications is recent. Also, in recent years there has been in Quebec a growing interest in food products focusing on differentiation through quality. In 2009 the Québec Winegrowers Association (QWA) set up the certification 'Québec Certified Wines' to structure the wine sector. In 2013, the same association has begun a process of recognition of a protected geographical indication (PGI) for Quebec's ice wine. Thus, the aim of this paper is to analyze the relationship between the development of these labels and the territory, in particular through the concept of terroir and the stakeholders' collective action.


This study examines a piece of smith's work preserved in the permanent exhibition of the Budapest Liszt Memorial Museum, which portrays scenes from the Paradise of Dante's Divina Commedia. Formerly owned by Liszt, this object is a galvanoplastic replica of a sketched drawing by Peter Cornelius for his Dante ceiling in the Villa Massima in Rome. Even so, the work preserved in the Liszt Museum is nowhere mentioned in the literature on Cornelius. The name of the donor (cardinal Hohenlohe) and the year of its donation (1867) are already known to us. These circumstances allow us to conclude that its presentation as a gift may have been in connection with the successful performances of Liszt's Dante Symphony in Rome. The work was performed at the inauguration of the Dante Galeria (February 26th 1866). The patron of the exhibition was Johannes, the King of Saxony, in whose possession the drawing was at the time. The opening ceremony provided the occasion for Hohenlohe to come into contact with the ruler of Saxon...


Austempered ductile iron is frequently employed in the fabrication of automobile parts due to its good mechanical properties, and its simplicity and low cost of the manufacturing process. The heat treatment design is an im-portant stage, in which parameters such as temperatures and durations are chosen according to the required microstructure, part dimension, and initial characteristics of ductile iron. A coupled thermo-mechanical-metallurgical model is employed in this work to facilitate the heat treatment design of a ductile iron differential case. The thermal-mechanical model is solved by using a general-purpose software, and the metallurgical model is implemented into it by means of user-defined subroutines. To perform the austempering heat treatment simulation of the part, experimental results were required to complete some basic parameters of the model. In order to select appropriated values of thermal cycle parameters, the numerical model was employed to analyze the influence of austenitizing temperature, and austempering time and temperature in the microstructure, dimensional change of the part, cooling rate, and minimum required time of the heat treatment to obtain a full ausferritic matrix. A good performance of the computational tool was found by comparison of numerical and experimental results.


An important task for identifying the regularities of the literary process is to study the issues of continuity. L.N. Andreev implemented philosophical and aesthetic concepts in his plays, creating new forms of drama. At the same time, he relied on the experience of his predecessors. Andreev considered himself a follower of A.P. Chekhov, one of the main reformers of drama at the turn of the 19th - 20th centuries. This article is devoted to the study of the influence of A.P. Chekhov's dramaturgy on the work of L.N. Andreev. The analysis is carried out on the material of the plays "Three Sisters" and "Tsar Hunger". The features of dramatic action, as well as the place and role of remarks in the introduction of "external action" are considered. The study correlated the functional and semantic differences in the use of the ring composition and provides an analysis and comparison of the chronotope. The plays have similar elements of figurative structure and elements of a parody of the romantic tradition. Both texts also use a specific technique for constructing dialogues. This work allows us to trace the trends of Andreev's reinterpretation of Chekhov's innovations in the theater. The same techniques in the analyzed plays perform different functions and create different effects.


How, in 20 short years, did we go from the promise of the internet to democratize access to knowledge and make the world more understanding and enlightened, to the litany of daily horrors that is today's internet? We are awash in disinformation consisting of lies, conspiracies, and general nonsense, all with real-world implications ranging from horrific humans rights violations to threats to our democracy and global public health. Although the internet is vast, the peddlers of disinformation appear to be more localized. To this end, we describe a domain-level analysis for predicting if a domain is complicit in distributing or amplifying disinformation. This process analyzes the underlying domain content and the hyperlinking connectivity between domains to predict if a domain is peddling in disinformation. These basic insights extend to an analysis of disinformation on Telegram and Twitter. From these insights, we propose that search engines and social-media recommendation algorithms can systematically discover and demote the worst disinformation offenders, returning some trust and sanity to our online communities.


The acute phase response (APR) induced by immune complexes or turpentine and modulated by dexamethasone as well as adrenaline was investigated in intact, sham-adrenalectomized and adrenalectomized rats. The serum level of alpha 2-acute phase globulin was examined by means of electroimmunodiffusion, and the complex serum protein profile was studied using the crossed-IE. Dexamethasone administration increased the alpha 2-acute phase globulin concentration weakly over a wide dose range whereas rats dosed with adrenaline responded strongly over a small dose range. Turpentine but not immune complex challenge provoked an almost complete acute phase protein profile as well as a moderate alpha 2-acute phase globulin elevation in adrenalectomized rats. After combined administration of the prophlogistic agents and dexamethasone or adrenaline a remarkably high alpha 2-acute phase globulin level was found (up to 14 mg/ml with about 0.05 mg/ml as base level). From these results a synergistic mode of action can be suggested. With crossed-IE some of the proteins could by divided in proteins responding in a glucocorticoid-dependent (e.g. alpha 2-acute phase globulin, haptoglobin) and -independent fashion (alpha 1-acute phase globulin), respectively. It can be concluded that glucocorticoids, catecholamines as well as cytokines are the main candidates for triggering the acute phase response; however, additional factors may also be of importance.


We retrospectively analyzed data from the clinical charts of 126 patients with bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) referred to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Center. The patient group consisted of 49 men (39%) and 77 women (61%). The mean age at diagnosis was 64 years. Most patients were smokers (85%). At diagnosis, 53% were stage Ia-IIIa and 47% were stage IIIb and IV. Forty-one percent of the patients with advanced and metastatic stages (IIIb, IV) underwent surgery. Multifocal disease was present at diagnosis in 41% of the patients, including 6% who had stage IIIb multifocal disease confined to a single lobe. Surgery was associated with prolonged survival in patients with multifocal unilobar or multilobar disease (P = 0.0001). While this apparent benefit of surgery may have been due to selection bias, it supports further exploration of surgery as therapy for multifocal disease. While patients receiving chemotherapy for advanced disease did not survive longer than patients not receiving chemotherapy, chemotherapy was used primarily in patients with more aggressive disease, suggesting that selection bias may have contributed to its apparent lack of benefit. Of the 30 patients treated with chemotherapy, only 3 (10%) achieved an objective response. One third of the patients (34%) developed distant metastases, with a predilection for the brain and bone.


We address the existence of stationary solutions of the Vlasov-Poisson system on a domain $\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^3$ describing a high-temperature plasma which due to the influence of an external magnetic field is spatially confined to a subregion of $\Omega$. In a first part we provide such an existence result for a generalized system of Vlasov-Poisson type and investigate the relation between the strength of the external magnetic field, the sharpness of the confinement and the amount of plasma that is confined measured in terms of the total charges. The key tools here are the method of sub-/supersolutions and the use of first integrals in combination with cutoff functions. In a second part we apply these general results to the usual Vlasov-Poisson equation in three different settings: the infinite and finite cylinder, as well as domains with toroidal symmetry. This way we prove the existence of stationary solutions corresponding to a two-component plasma confined in a Mirror trap, as well as a Tokamak.


Introduction: This study aims to analyze the influence of particles size of sol-gel derived calcium silicate particles in the setting reaction of bioactive endodontic cements. Materials and Methods: Sol-gel derived calcium silicate particles were synthesized and sieved to separate the particles in different sizes: CS400, CS200, and CS100. A commercial MTA (Control) was used as control. The particle size and the specific surface area were assessed by laser diffraction and nitrogen adsorption. The cements were prepared with water as the liquid for the reaction. The setting time was conducted according to ISO 6876, and the setting kinetics was analyzed by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) at different time points between 120s to 72h. Results: The particle size varied from 9.45µm (CS400 ) to 31.01 (Control). The higher specific surface area valuer reached 15.14g/cm2 in the CS400. The smallest particle sizes, the higher specific surface area, and the lowest setting time were found for CS400 (p < 0.05). Control presented the highest setting time (p < 0.05). The FTIR analyses showed the differences in materials structure over time, with faster hydration and crystallization for CS400. The setting kinetics was slower for Control even when compared to a sol-gel derived group with similar particle size. Conclusion: The route of synthesis and the particle size influences the setting reaction of calcium silicate-based cements. The reduction of particle size for sol-gel derived calcium silicates lead to the acceleration of the setting reaction of the produced bioactive endodontic cement.


In the last couple of years, scholars in the Humanities have started to explore the possibilities of the large-scale analysis of images. This development can be linked to the increasing availability of large visual datasets, the increase in computing power, and the development of new techniques, such as convolutional neural networks. However, there are no one-size-fits all researchers that are able to gather the right data, apply the new techniques, and analyze the results in meaningful ways. In this paper we present the collaboration of a Humanities researcher, a Research Software Engineer and Digital Scholarship Advisor to explore how new computer vision techniques can be used to automatically classify images extracted from a large collection of digitized historical newspapers. We will present the outcomes of our research and share the lessons we learned from our collaboration. First we will discuss the experiences of the Humanities researcher. Second we will discuss the lessons we learned from a technical perspective. Third, we will elaborate on the institutional perspective of the National Library of the Netherlands (KB) as a data provider but also as full partner of the research project. We will end with a reflection on the broader strategic role of heritage institutes as research partners to stimulate, collaborate and to preserve results of research projects in a sustainable manner.


Diatoms are vital primary producers in marine ecosystems, and their growth may be affected by harmful concentrations of zinc in the environment. However, limited information exists on the response of some important physiological parameters to zinc as contaminant. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of zinc exposure on growth, chlorophyll a and in vivo fluorescence of the diatom Conticribra weissflogii under laboratory conditions. Cell numbers were significantly reduced after 48 h exposure to 450 and 900 μg Zn L. Growth rates estimated after 96 h exposure (in div day) were 0.81, 0.85, 0.69 and 0.59 for cells exposed to control, 90, 450 and 900 μg Zn L, respectively, and it was significantly reduced at 900 μg Zn L . There was a tendency of increase in chlorophyll a per cell after 3 h exposure to zinc. However, the ratio of in vivo fluorescence to chlorophyll a strongly decreased after 3 h exposure to zinc, suggesting that the mechanism of toxicity would involve a zinc-induced damage to the photosystem II. Possible metabolic routes for this damage and its environmental implications are discussed.


: Annual forest maps at a high spatial resolution are necessary for forest management and conservation. Large uncertainties remain among the existing forest maps, because of different forest definitions, satellite datasets, in-situ training datasets, and mapping algorithms. In this study, we generated annual forest maps and evergreen forest 25 maps at a 30-m resolution in the Contiguous United States (CONUS) during 2015-2017 by integrating microwave data (Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR-2)) and optical data (Landsat) using Knowledge-based algorithms. The resultant PALSAR-2/Landsat-based forest maps (PL-Forest) were compared with five major forest datasets in the CONUS: (1) the Landsat tree canopy cover from Global Forest Watch datasets (GFW-Forest), (2) the Landsat Vegetation Continuous Field datasets (Landsat VCF-Forest), (3) the National Land Cover Database 30 2016 (NLCD-Forest), (4) the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) forest maps (JAXA-Forest), and (5) the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data from the USDA Forest Service (FIA-Forest). The forest structure data (tree canopy height and canopy coverage) derived from the lidar observations of the Geoscience Laser Altimetry System (GLAS) onboard of NASA's Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat-1) were used to assess the five forest datasets derived from satellite images. Using the forest definition by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) 35 of the United Nations, more forest pixels from the PL-Forest maps meet the FAO's forest definitions than the GFW-, Landsat VCF-, and JAXA-Forest datasets. Forest area estimates from the PL-Forest were close to those from the FIA-Forest statistics but higher than the GFW-Forest, NLCD-Forest and lower than the Landsat VCF-Forest, which highlights the potential of using both PL-Forest and FIA-Forest datasets to support the FAO's Global Forest Resources Assessment. Furthermore, the PL-based annual evergreen forest maps (PL-Evergreen Forest) showed reasonable 40 consistency with the NLCD product. Together with our previous work in South America and monsoon Asia, this study further demonstrates the potential of integrating PALSAR and Landsat images for developing annual forest maps and forest-type maps at high spatial resolution across the scales from region to the globe, which could be used to support FAO Global Forest Resources Assessments. The PL-Forest and PL-Evergreen Forest datasets are publicly available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.21270261


Introduction: Xpert MTB/RIF is a novel molecular diagnostic point of care test for rapid detection of MTB and its susceptibility to rifampicin (RIF).

Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the performance of Xpert MTB/RIF assay in detection of MTB and resistance to rifampicin from sputum specimens taking positive culture for MTB and phenotypic resistance to rifampicin as reference standards.

Materials and Methods: 126 consecutive patients of pulmonary tuberculosis presenting to the hospital from December 2010 to January 2012 were enrolled for the study. Their sputum samples were subjected to concentrated ZN microscopy, culture on solid (LJ) and liquid (MGIT) media. All positive cultures were identified as MTB complex using SD TB Ag MPT 64 Rapid immunochromatographic test and indirect drug susceptibility testing performed by MGIT SIRE.

Result: Of the 126 cases included in the study, 83 were smear-positive and 43 were smear-negative. Of patients with culture positive samples, 20 of 126 (15.9%) were found to have multidrug resistance on indirect drug susceptibility testing with MGIT SIRE. With positive culture as the reference standard, MTB/RIF assay when done detected 98.7% of smear positive cases and 72.1% of smear negative cases. The test correctly identified all 20 of rifampicin resistant culture isolates and 105 of 106 rifampicin susceptible isolates for a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 100%, 99%, 95.2% and 100% respectively.

Conclusion: Xpert MTB/RIF assay is a reliable technique for rapid detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Rifampicin resistance from pulmonary specimens.


Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is an illness, not an injury, and health factors such as obesity, smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, diabetes, and thyroid disease are much more likely to contribute substantially to the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome than workplace activities. CTS are considered as a clinical entity and diagnosis is still based upon symptoms of numbness, tingling and/or burning in the distribution of the median nerve in the hand. The present study has been conducted among personnel engaged in connecting rod manufacturing workers, to check the susceptibility to CTS symptoms by classifying the workers on the basis of drunkard and non-drunkard. The population included all the manufacturing unit workers irrespective of age, gender or ethnic group. All full-time workers with at least 6 months on the job were invited to participate in the study. Of the 113 eligible workers, 103 agreed to participate (91%) in the study. So a sample size of 103 workers was used (N = 103). In the statistical analysis of Chi-square and odds ratio test revealed that alcohol drunkard worker has 2.62 times greater risk of having CTS symptoms as compared to non-drunkard workers. Hence, there is a significant difference amongst the number of CTS sufferers in non-drunkard and drunkard group.


The ever-increasing requirement for high-performance and huge-capacity memories of emerging embedded applications has led to the widespread adoption of SDRAM and NAND flash memory as main and secondary memories, respectively. In particular, the use of energy consuming memory, SDRAM, has become burdensome in battery-powered embedded systems. Intuitively, though demand paging can be used to mitigate the increasing requirement of main memory size, its applicability should be deliberately elaborated since NAND flash memory has asymmetric operation characteristics in terms of performance and energy consumption. In this paper, we present an energy-aware demand paging technique to lower the energy consumption of embedded systems considering the characteristics of interactive embedded applications with large memory footprints. We also propose a flash memory-aware page replacement policy that can reduce the number of write and erase operations in NAND flash memory. With real-life workloads, we show the system-wide energy-delay product can be reduced by 15/spl sim/30% compared to the traditional shadowing architecture.


A hot particle jet is induced as a laser pulse from a free oscillated Nd:YAG laser focused on a coal target. The particle jet successfully initiates combustion in a premixed combustible gas consisting of hydrogen, oxygen, and air. The experiment reveals that the ionization of the particle jet is enhanced during the laser pulse. This characteristic is attributed to the electron cascade process and the ionization of the particles or molecules of the target. The initial free electrons, which are ablated from the coal target, are accelerated by the laser pulse through the inverse Bremsstrahlung process and then collide with the neutrals in the jet, causing the latter to be ionized.


This article contains the first systematic analysis of the undergraduate sociology methods course syllabuses collected by John Peel in the late 1960s and John Wakeford in the late 1970s. It outlines the major trends in methods teaching in the late 1960s and 1970s, highlighting the teaching of quantitative methods in this period. But the broader aim of the analysis is to explain how the debates surrounding the rise of feminist sociology and the critiques of 'positivism' in the 1960s and 1970s affected methods teaching in British sociology. The article argues that despite their limited influence on the contents of the methods curriculum, these debates had another, more subtle but pervasive, impact on how methods were perceived in the sociology community and which methods could be justifiably seen as important and which as irrelevant.


This report address considerations in the 1995 farm bill debate for oilseeds, including market conditions, policy proposals, trade agreements, and the interactions between policy and markets for selected commodities. International trade agreements and greater acreage flexibility have improved the outlook for U.S. oilseed production and trade. Issues for 1995 farm legislation that will affect oilseeds will include: setting marketing loans and loan rates; determining payment acres for program crops; extension of acreage-idling policies; resumption of the Export Enhancement Program for vegetable oils; continued funding for the Conservation Reserve Program and other land use policies; and revenue assurance.


Variations in evaporative fluxes from heterogeneous wet terrestrial surfaces may induce a distinct and spatially variable thermal signature detectable by modern infrared thermography (IRT) methods. Combining measured temperature distribution for an evaporative surface with surface energy balance offers a means for extraction of spatial and temporal distributions of evaporative flux as a function of surface temperature. Recent advances in IRT technology offer spatially resolved thermal images at unprecedented sensitivity for in situ estimation of surface evaporation flux distribution currently unobservable by other methods. We studied evaporation patterns from surfaces of initially saturated sand columns containing sharp vertical textural contrasts (fine‐sand inclusion in coarse‐sand background) to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. We examined several algorithms for model validation. Spatial and temporal IRT data are numerically inverted to obtain evaporation flux values that are compared with rates of mass loss from direct weighing of the samples. Analytical solutions of some special cases are also compared with the experimental data. We introduce a convenient approximation based on mean surface temperatures of similar textural regions to resolve spatial evaporative fluxes. Estimates are in good agreement with experimental results. Our results also confirm the occurrence of lateral capillary flows from coarse to fine sand in the presence of sharp heterogeneity during evaporation. The proposed method could under certain conditions be used to convert highly resolved temperature fields to deduce drying patterns of interest in various fields from hydrology to food processing and other engineering applications.


This experimental investigation was performed to improve heat transfer in the   heat exchanger (tube of shell and helically coiled (using nanoparticles for turbulent parallel flow and counter flow of distilled water (Dw) and ethylene glycol (EG) fluids. Six types of nanofluids have been used namely: copper – distilled water, copper – distilled water and ethylene glycol, copper – ethylene glycol, titanium oxide – distilled water, titanium oxide – distilled water and ethylene glycol, titanium oxide – ethylene glycol with 0.5%,1%,2%,3% and 5% volume concentration as well as the range of Reynolds number are 4000 – 15000. The experimental results revel that an increase in coefficient of heat transfer of 50.2 % to Cu – Dw, 41.5% to Cu – ( EG + Dw ), 32.12 % for Cu – EG , 36.5% for TiO 2 – Dw, 30.2 % to TiO 2 – ( EG  + Dw) and 25.5%, to TiO 2 – EG . The strong nanoconvection currents and good mixing caused by the presence of Cu and TiO2 nanoparticles. The metal nanofluids give more improvement than oxide nanofluids. The shear stress of nanofluids increases with concentration of nanoparticles in case parallel and counter flow. The effect of flow direction insignificant on coefficient of overall heat transfer and the nanofluids behaves as the Newtonian fluid for 0.5%,1%,2%,3% and 5%. Good assent between the practical data and analytical prediction to nanofluids friction factor which means the nanofluid endure pump power no penalty.  This study reveal that the thermal performance from nanofluid Cu – Dw is higher than Cu – (EG + Dw) and Cu – EG due to higher thermal conductivity for the copper and distilled water compared with ethylene glycol. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.25130/tjes.24.2017.33


Skeletotopically, cervical thickening of the spinal cord in semiwater mammals (Callorhinus ursinus, Eumetopias jubatus, Phoca larga, Phoca kurilensis, Enhydra lutris) corresponds to 4--5, and in terrestrial mammals (Ursus arctos, Vulpes vulpes)--to 3--6 cervical vertebrae. Lumbar thickening in terrestrial spicies and in Enhydra lutris is situated more caudally from the thoracic portion than in Phocidae. In a typically water animal (Phocaenoides dalli) the cervical thickening is expressed feebly, the lumbar one is absent, the epidural space is developed better than in terrestrial and semiwater animals. In Phocidae, comparing terrestrial species, bringing together of the nerve fasciculi taking their origin from the spinal cord is observed, a powerful development of a "horse tail", elongation of nerve bands, going from the spinal cord to spinal ganglia. The relative length of the spinal cord in semiwater and water animals is less than in terrestrial ones. It is stated that differences in spinal cord construction and topography of the animals in question are closely connected with their environmental conditions, functional loading and locomotor peculiarities.


In today's affective databases speech turns are often labelled on a continuous scale for emotional dimensions such as valence or arousal to better express the diversity of human affect. However, applications like virtual agents usually map the detected emotional user state to rough classes in order to reduce the multiplicity of emotion dependent system responses. Since these classes often do not optimally reflect emotions that typically occur in a given application, this paper investigates data-driven clustering of emotional space to find class divisions that better match the training data and the area of application. Thereby we consider the Belfast Sensitive Artificial Listener database and TV talkshow data from the VAM corpus. We show that a discriminatively trained Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) recurrent neural net that explicitly learns clusters in emotional space and additionally models context information outperforms both, Support Vector Machines and a Regression-LSTM net. Index Terms: emotion recognition, affective databases, long short-term memory


Phytochemical and antimicrobial activity of methanol extract of Albizia ferruginea (Guill and Perr) which belongs to the family of Fabaceae were studied. Phytochemical studies on the plant leaves showed that they contained alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, steroids, saponins, cardiac glycoside and carbohydrate. Methanol extract of Albizia ferruginea showed growth inhibitory effects of varying degrees on S. feacalis, S. typhi, S. paratyphi, Shigella dysentriae and Klebsiella pneumonia but was not active on Streptococcus pyogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extract was determined for the organisms whose growths were inhibited. The extract had MIC of 3.25mg/ml for S. feacalis, S. paratyphi, S. dysentriae and K. pneumoniae respectively. The antimicrobial studies of the extracts really justify the numerous folkloric uses of the plant parts in the treatment of some common ailments such as diarrhea, dysentery, fever, cough, pain and skin infections.


In Eastern Canada, black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) has recently been introduced to finger-joined wood products. While there is a growing economic importance of the species in such applications, little information is available on the manufacturing parameters that influence the finger-jointing process for this species. The purpose of this work was to optimize the finger-jointing process of black spruce wood. Various parameters associated with the finger-jointing process were evaluated. Those included the following: finger-joint configurations, curing time and end-pressure, wood temperature and moisture content and wood machining parameters. Isocyanate adhesive was used for all types of evaluations. Results from configurations evaluation indicated that the feather configuration performs better than male-female and reverse profiles, especially for horizontal structural joints. The effect of moisture content on the mechanical performance of joined black spruce wood was not very conclusive. However, the experiment on wood temperature showed the lowest tensile strength at -5°C. Results on the effect of pressure and curing time showed that curing time and end-pressure have a statistically significant influence on the performance of structural finger-joints. Analysis indicated that finger-joined black spruce has the best performance at an end-pressure of 3.43 MPa (498 psi). For wood machining parameters, results indicated that suitable finger-jointing in black spruce could be achieved within a range of 1676 m/min (5498 feet/min) and 2932 m/min (9621 feet/min) of cutting speed and between 0.86 mm and 1.14 mm of chip-load. The microscopical analysis of damaged cells confirmed the effect of cutting speed on the finger-jointing process. In general, depth of damage was more severe as cutting speed increased. Results obtained in this research could help mills to optimize the process and improve the mechanical performance of finger-joined black spruce product.


Aims: Adopting effective injury prevention practices continues to be problematic within snowboarding and the participation of older individuals is associated with an appreciable injury burden. The Haddon Matrix provides an important framework for developing injury prevention interventions. Since prevention behaviour must `fit' within individual aspirations, our study investigated the meanings and behaviours associated with snowboarding and injury prevention and then applied the findings to the established Haddon Matrix approach. Methods: Nine, older adult recreational participants living in south-west England each contributed two interviews. These progressively focused on experiences and reflections. Verbatim transcripts were analysed and interpreted using the hermeneutic phenomenological themes of time, space, body and human relations. A further wave of analysis reinterpreted the findings in relation to the Haddon Matrix. Findings: Snowboarding was conducted within a holiday when participants were seeking happiness by positively re-evaluating their lives. In a frame of connection-and-disconnection , beginners (time) were concerned with being-on the slopes (body and space), while more experienced (body and time) participants blended this with being-in the mountains (space). Snowboarding is a bumps-and-bruises activity and this guided the limited prevention practices. Importantly, all prevention practices were time-limited, due to a concern for learning-by-doing within a holiday. At home, more experienced boarders paid careful attention to fitness, whereas in the resorts they actively selected the soft, off-piste areas and wore protective clothing to cushion their inevitable falls. Group experiences were associated with heightened injury risks. Being seen and judged by others helped to determine the quality of the snowboarding experience. Treatment was avoided for all but the most severe injuries. Conclusion: The findings confirm the exploratory value of mixing van Manen's four-dimensional approach with Haddon's well-established injury prevention framework. The diverse subjective meanings associated with snowboarding limit the potential for prevention approaches and suggest that resort-based `injury control' may be more appropriate for addressing the spectrum of prevention in older snowboarders.


Online service provision is becoming increasingly decentralized as system designers pursue the benefits gained from utilizing nodes at the periphery of the network. However, distributing control means relying on the cooperation of participating agents, and it is a significant challenge to design mechanisms that incentivise optimal global behavior in a population of selfish, rational agents. This is particularly evident in peer-to-peer file-sharing, where a high incidence of selfish behavior in the form of downloading without uploading, leads to the network losing the benefits of a decentralized network. In this paper a notion of reputation based on simple social network analysis is used to significantly improve cooperation rates in the one-shot game of prisoner's dilemma, where without such a technique the dominant strategy would be for all agents to defect.


Iontophoresis for transdermal drug delivery or for non-invasive monitoring of patients could allow a new generation of medical devices to be developed for low-cost healthcare. The existing iontophoresis systems today are bulky, expensive or non-programmable. Therefore, a miniature, low-cost and programmable device was developed and evaluated. A circuit is described herein which provides a variety of waveforms (DC, pulsed DC, bipolar DC and pulsed bipolar DC) of current for iontophoresis. Evaluation showed that this device provides for precise regulation of the magnitude and waveform of a current over a wide range of impedance, important for in vivo use. A digital meter is included which allows continuous monitoring of current


Emotional intelligence is important feature of Primary health care providers (behvarz) to organize their emotions in interaction with others is an important role and social life, and especially job performance. Job satisfaction in health system employees are important factors in advancing the goals of health system that seems to be influenced by emotional intelligence. This study investigated the relationship between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction of Primary health care providers (behvarz) who were employed in sisten region in Iran. Method of this was Crosssectional survey research analysis. The population consisted of all of Primary health care providers (behvarz) who have been employed and 94 people were selected by convenience sampling method. Sybryashryng's emotional intelligence questionnaire and Herzberg's job satisfaction questionnaire were used. To analyze data, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Pearson correlation was used. The results showed direct correlation between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction of Primary health care providers (behvarz) in sisten region in Iran. So that employees with a higher emotional intelligence are more job satisfaction and job performance naturally better. It was also found that emotional intelligence of male Primary health care providers (behvarz) is more than female Primary health care providers (behvarz).


Human Computer Interaction studies of visual attention in dynamic 3D computer gameplay can be greatly facilitated by automated gaze object logging implemented by integration of eye gaze tracking systems with game engines. This verification study reports the spatial and temporal accuracy of such an integrated system.


The magnetic and electric properties of the vanadate PrVO3 with the GdFeO3 -type orthorhombic structure are reported. The temperature-dependent magnetization displays an obvious irreversibility under zero-field cooling (ZFC) and field cooling (FC), and two magnetic phase-transition temperatures 20 K and 90 K, which may correspond to the spin reorientation and the magnetic ordering, respectively. A canted antiferromagnetic configuration is derived from the low spontaneous magnetization at 5 K. In the sintered bulk, a high coercivity 2.4 T is due to the pinning of the domain wall. The resistance measurement shows that the compound is an insulator at low temperatures.


Oxygenic photosynthesis will have a key role in a sustainable future. It is therefore significant that this process can be engineered in organisms such as cyanobacteria to construct cell factories that catalyze the (sun)light-driven conversion of CO2 and water into products like ethanol, butanol, or other biofuels or lactic acid, a bioplastic precursor, and oxygen as a byproduct. It is of key importance to optimize such cell factories to maximal efficiency. This holds for their light-harvesting capabilities under, for example, circadian illumination in large-scale photobioreactors. However, this also holds for the "dark" reactions of photosynthesis, that is, the conversion of CO2, NADPH, and ATP into a product. Here, we present an analysis, based on metabolic control theory, to estimate the optimal capacity for product formation with which such cyanobacterial cell factories have to be equipped. Engineered l-lactic acid producing Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 strains are used to identify the relation between production rate and enzymatic capacity. The analysis shows that the engineered cell factories for l-lactic acid are fully limited by the metabolic capacity of the product-forming pathway. We attribute this to the fact that currently available promoter systems in cyanobacteria lack the genetic capacity to a provide sufficient expression in single-gene doses.


Objectives To report the 10-year outcome of lupus nephritis (LN) treated with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or tacrolimus (TAC) induction in a randomised controlled trial. Methods Patients with active LN were treated with MMF or TAC combined with high-dose prednisolone. Responders were switched to azathioprine (AZA) at month 6. Clinical outcomes at 10 years (renal flares, renal function decline and mortality) were assessed. Factors affecting prognosis were studied by Cox regression. Urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (uPCr) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at different time points were evaluated for their prediction of a poor prognosis by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results 150 patients were studied (age 35.5±12.8 years). Complete renal response rate was similar between MMF (59%) and TAC-treated patients (62%; p=0.71). AZA maintenance was given to 79% patients. After 118.2±42 months, proteinuric and nephritic renal flares occurred in 34% and 37% of the MMF, and 53% and 30% of the TAC groups of patients, respectively (p=0.49). The cumulative incidence of a composite outcome of ↓eGFR ≥30%, chronic kidney disease stage 4/5 or death at 10 years was 33% in both groups (p=0.90). Factors independently associated with a poor renal prognosis were first-time LN (HR 0.12 (0.031 to 0.39); p=0.01), eGFR (HR 0.98 (0.96 to 0.99); p=0.008) and no response at month 6 (HR 5.18 (1.40 to 19.1); p=0.01). ROC analysis revealed an uPCr >0.75 and eGFR of <80 mL/min at month 18 best predicted a poor renal prognosis. Conclusions Long-term data confirmed non-inferiority of TAC to MMF as induction therapy of LN. An uPCr≤0.75 and eGFR of ≥80 mL/min at month 18 best predicted a favourable 10-year outcome and may be suitable targets for induction/consolidation therapy. Trial registration number NCT00371319.


Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) may be of greater clinical importance in women with "unexplained" infertility, especially when the luteal phase is inadequate, and such patients should be investigated for thyroid dysfunction in detail. To date, studies investigating the association between SCH and infertility are still based on the high serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels while some older studies are based on the presence of an abnormal serum TSH after a thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test. The recommendation in the current guidelines to treat subclinical hypothyroidism is based on minimal evidence and it is thought that with treatment the potential benefits outweigh the potential risks. Thyroxine-replacement therapy should be started in patients with SCH caused by conditions which are at high risk of progression to overt hypothyroidism. Ibrahim Med. Coll. J. 2014; 8(1): 17-24


Celebrity endorsement aims to influence consumers to buy advertised products. In endorsing products, celebrities transfer their attributes to the objects, making them more desired by consumers. Celebrity endorsement is a promotional technique to better integrate brand, product and message, thus justifying the high investments by companies to engage celebrities. Although well established, the phenomenon lacks scientific studies that explain, based on the concept of celebrity congruence, the alignment between the celebrity's profile and the product, also considering brand strength. After an extensive literature review, we performed three experiments, involving 713 respondents, to verify the effect of celebrity endorsement with different levels of congruence with the product, while manipulating the brands. The results of analysis of variance indicated a significant positive effect of celebrity endorsement with high congruence for unrecognized brands, but not for recognized brands.


This book tries to connect the successful implementation and operation of the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) information systems with people and their characteristics. It examines the human factors that influence ERP user satisfaction. The key findings that were found when analysing the data were that none of the human socio-demographic characteristics do influence ERP user satisfaction. In the current survey was found that perceived usefulness and self-efficacy are the key directors of the ERP user satisfaction. Users that intent to use the ERP system and feel that they are able enough to correspond to whatever it will arise while using the ERP system, these users are the most satisfied. A discussion takes place about how the companies should handle this situation in order to develop the prerequisites for increasing the user satisfaction and the productivity accordingly. Such recommendations should be taking into account from top management in order for organizations to increase their human capital, increase the return on investment (that is made on ERP information systems) and gain competitive advantage.


Financial Inclusion has been conjectured as a driver of social development with benefits accruing both at micro and macro levels. Finance theory suggest that behavioral factors influence the utilization of financial services and adoption of emerging innovations and that financial has an effect on optimal usage of financial services. Studies that examines the combined effects of behavioral factors, financial innovations and financial literacy in determining the effect on utilization of financial services are scanty, yet the latter is deemed as a key driver in realization of a number of United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (2030). The study extended prior suppositions by integrating the three variables into a novel model of moderated mediation. Thus, the linkage between self-control, which is a behavioral factor, adoption of financial innovations and utilizations of diverse everyday financial services was examined. The relationship between the three variables was further tested for the moderating effects of various levels of financial literacy of the sampled users of the financial services. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire from the randomly sampled owners/or their representatives of microenterprises in Nairobi, Kenya. The hypotheses were tested using relevant models in Process Macro [52]. The conditional indirect effects were attested, thus the conclusion that financial innovations mediates the self-control and financial inclusion relations if entrepreneurs hold sufficient levels of financial literacy. The strength of the mediated effect varied with levels of financial literacy. Implications for theory growth and policy interventions are discussed.


With the popularization of cell phones, laptops, and tablets, Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) have become one of the main types of User Interface (UI) in the modern world. While LCDs are widely used for retrieving text information, the impact of text formatting on the legibility is often overlooked. With the goal of improving recognition efficiency (RE) on LCDs, this paper studies the impact of font-background colors on RE of texts being presented on LCD. For this purpose, difference between font/background color combinations, Primary Color Difference (PCD), is introduced that brings efficient RE assessment under wider spectrum. Accordingly, a testing platform is designed in C#. NET that captures participants response time to different font-background color combination stimuli. Based on the results, black background and green font color outperform other tested colors especially when the PCD is maximized. In correspond to results, Implications for using research outcome in prototype LCDs are suggested.


In 2021, The European General Court issued its judgment in Case T-612/17 Google and Alphabet v Commission (Google Shopping). The case concerned whether Google had abused its dominant market position by favouring its own comparison shopping service on its general results pages while demoting the results from competing comparison shopping services. The General Court stated that Google's conduct was not competition on the merits and thus it had breached Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
This article discusses firstly this judgment and its consequences for the interpretation of Article 102 TFEU in digital platform economy markets. Secondly, this article takes on the issue of abuse of dominant position in digital markets and tries to find out what kind of conduct of digital platform companies should be prohibited by Article 102 TFEU. The purpose is to identify what kind of conduct should be seen as an abuse of dominance and how to legally assess such conduct.
The ECJ judgment states that self-preferencing can constitute a breach of Article 102 TFEU and that this can be seen as a form of discrimination. Besides self-preferencing or discrimination there is also other conduct that can be abusive. These include personalised pricing, forced free riding and different forms of information based abusive conducts. It is not clear how this conduct relate to Article 102 TFEU, but it is clear that should this conduct be seen abusive, it will be difficult to determine the basis for this since well-established theories of harm are incompatible. In addition, when assessing the abusive nature of such conduct, an effects-based case-by-case approach is needed.


This chapter begins by discussing the origins and meaning of the term 'royal prerogative'. It identifies some examples of prerogative powers and considers how certain personal or reserve powers of the monarch might be exercised in practice. The chapter also explores the relationship between prerogative power and statutes, and focuses on how the courts have dealt with the prerogative. The chapter also discusses the adaptation of prerogative powers, the relationship between the prerogative and the courts, and the courts' recent willingness to review the exercise of certain prerogative powers. The chapter concludes by looking at several ways in which the prerogative could be reformed.