LIFE for the veterinarian working in companion animal practice would be easier if canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) was a single, readily diagnosed disorder. It is not. First briefly mentioned as a specific disorder in 1953, it was then said that 'atopic allergy may be produced in animals by plants, parasites, drugs and other agents' (Kral and Novak 1953). In 1969, the first edition of what was to become the veterinary dermatologist's 'bible' gave the subject only a few pages (Muller and Kirk 1969). Even today the prevalence of the disorder is not known clearly; estimates put it at about 10 per cent of all dogs (Hillier and Griffin 2001). There is general agreement that, in terms of the causes of pruritus in dogs, atopic dermatitis is second only to flea bite hypersensitivity.

In a paper summarised on p 537 of this issue, Kovalik and others (2011) discuss the use of a human generic form of ciclosporin for the 'treatment' of CAD. In it, they give a definition of the disorder which states that CAD is 'currently defined as a genetically predisposed inflammatory and pruritic allergic skin disease with characteristic clinical features associated with IgE antibodies most commonly directed at environmental allergens'. However, this reflects only a part of a wider definition, which separates 'atopic disease', in which IgE hypersensitivity to allergens is increased, from 'atopic-like dermatitis', a disorder in which IgE hypersensitivity cannot be demonstrated (Halliwell 2006).

Canine atopy has in the past been …


This article investigates (1) the extent to which the differences in the standard of living between regions in Thailand are due to differences in the returns to characteristics or differences in the characteristics themselves; and (2) whether the current allocation of fiscal expenditures by the central authorities is related to the main determinants of spatial disparities in welfare among the provinces. The analysis reveals that the lower level of welfare in the rural areas within any given region is primarily because of differences in characteristics of the population in rural vs. urban areas. Differences in returns generally account for the most part of the welfare differences between urban areas of different regions and Bangkok or rural areas of other regions compared with the rural northeast. The analysis of fiscal expenditures and their relation to welfare disparities suggests that there are many opportunities to improve the role of fiscal expenditure allocation by the central government as an instrument of addressing the needs of the provinces in terms of low returns.


Abstract During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a new phenomenon manifesting as a multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) which has a similar clinical presentation to Kawasaki disease, toxic shock syndrome and severe sepsis has emerged. Although the number of MIS-C reports is increasing, rare reports in Asia is still available. To our knowledge, this study is the largest series of published MIS-C cases in Iran. We performed a retrospective study of all patients with case definition for MIS-C admitted to the three paediatric hospitals in Iran. All of these hospitals are located within the most active COVID-19 pandemic areas (Tehran, Qom and Mazandaran) in Iran. Demographic characteristics, clinical data, laboratory findings, imaging and echocardiographic findings, treatment and outcomes were collected. Between 7 March and 23 June 2020, 45 children were included in the study. The median age of children was 7 years (range between 10 months and 17 years). Common presenting symptoms include fever (91%), abdominal pain (58%), nausea/vomiting (51%), mucocutaneous rash (53%), conjunctivitis (51%) and hands and feet oedema (40%) with median duration of symptoms prior to presentation of 5 (interquartile range (IQR) 3, 7) days. Fifty-three percent of children showed lymphopaenia. Overall, the majority of cases at admission had markedly elevated inflammatory markers erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (95.5%) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (97%). Ferritin was abnormal in 11 out of 14 tested patients (73%), and it was highly elevated (>500 ng/ml) in 47% of cases. Median fibrinogen level was 210 (IQR 165, 291) mg/dl, D-dimer was 3909 (IQR 848, 4528) ng/ml and troponin was 0.6 (IQR 0.1, 26) ng/ml, respectively. Twenty out of 31 patients (64.5%) had hypoalbuminaemia. In addition, hyponatraemia was found in 64% of cases. Twenty-five patients (56%) presented with cardiac involvement and acute renal failure was observed in 13 cases (29%). Pleural, ascitic, ileitis and pericardial effusions were found in 18%, 11%, 4% and 2% of cases, respectively. In conclusion, this is a first large case series of hospitalised children who met criteria for MIS-C in Iran. There was a wide spectrum of presenting signs and symptoms; evidence of inflammation with abnormal values of CRP, ESR, D-dimer, ferritin and albumin; and multi-organ involvement.


Sport is a widely used as a vehicle for promoting business. Global brands invest tens of millions of euros in high performance athletes, top teams, and popular sporting events. Studies have also shown the potentiality of sport in the business context. However, relatively few studies have focused on the interaction of business and sport from a value-creation perspective. Knowledge focusing on value creation within and through sport is scattered throughout literature and a systematic understanding of how value creation manifests itself in a business context is lacking. Using a systematic literature review and inductive analysis of 44 empirical studies, the article presents six identified topics that represent the various angles to value creation in the nexus between sport and business. The topics are 1) the many shades of value, 2) brands and sponsorship as value-creators, 3) the value of CSR in and through sport, 4) sport as a network and platform, 5) sport for developing organisations internally, and 6) value congruence and identification. The article contributes to both business management and sports management. The article proposes theoretical and managerial implications and identifies avenues for further research.


Simultaneous with the struggle for Southern Africa was the Cold War battle for the Horn. Bordering on the critical Red Sea and Indian Ocean sea-lanes and in close proximity to Middle Eastern oil, Ethiopia and Somalia were both regional rivals and objects of competition between the United States and the Soviet Union. While the dynamics of decolonization established the framework for Cold War battles in North Africa, the Congo, the Portuguese colonies, and the white-ruled regimes of Southern Africa, superpower involvement in the Horn of Africa was primarily linked to postcolonial regional competition. Like African actors elsewhere on the continent, contenders for power in the Horn sought support from Cold War antagonists in order to promote their own national and regional endeavors. Although the effects of American and Soviet intervention were at times decisive, Washington and Moscow responded to African internal dynamics; they did not cause them. African-superpower alliances in the Horn were complex and fluid. In the early 1970s, the United States helped sustain Emperor Haile Selassie's feudal order in Ethiopia while the nominally socialist military regime of Mohamed Siad Barre in Somalia was supported by the Soviet Union. However, by 1978, after a military coup in Ethiopia had brought a self-proclaimed Marxist regime to power and Somalia had attempted to annex Somali-inhabited territory in Ethiopia, Moscow and Washington had switched sides. Each had done so with reluctance, having initially hoped to maintain relations with both countries. Meanwhile, the collapse of Haile Selassie's regime had resulted in a surge of separatist movements among peoples subjugated by the Ethiopian empire. Most significantly, the nationalist movement in the former Italian colony of Eritrea, which had been annexed by Ethiopia in 1962, escalated its war for independence. Although the Soviet Union had long promoted the Eritrean cause, it withdrew its support after shifting its allegiance from Somalia to Ethiopia. Cuba, in contrast, supported Ethiopia in many capacities but refused to support its war against Eritrea.


Critical development management (CDM) is an emerging field of study that is 'questioning development management' by connecting scholars in critical management studies to those identifying with post-development theory. Development management is an object of criticism for CDM, where this critical analysis derives from the perniciousness and pervasiveness of managerialism in aid interventions. This paper provides an overview of CDM and takes issue with this exclusively managerialist understanding of development management. I offer a more positive vision for the future, one where the aid industry can believe in the ability of generating improved livelihoods without the wholehearted import of managerialism as well as the desirability of radical reform. A theoretical argument is sketched out to support a future for development that is neither defined nor destined for failure.


Algebraic properties such as associativity or distributivity allow the manipulation of a set of mathematically equivalent expressions. However, the cost of evaluating such expressions on a computer is not constant within this domain. We suggest the use of algebraic transformations to improve the performances of computationally intensive applications on modern architecture computers. We claim that taking into account instruction level parallelism and new capabilities of processors when applying these transformations leads to large run-time improvements. Due to a combinatorial explosion, associative-commutative pattern-matching techniques cannot systematically be used in that context. Thus, we introduce two performance enhancing algorithms providing factorization and multiply-add extraction heuristic and choice criteria. This paper describes our approach and a rst implementation. Experiments on real codes, including a SPEC FP95 excerpt, are very promising as we automatically obtain the same results than hand made transformations, with up to 70% performance improvements.


Abstract Unionid bivalves or freshwater pearly-mussels (Unionoidea: Unionidae) serve as an exemplary system for examining many of the problems facing systematists and conservation biologists today. Most of the species and genera were described in the late 1800s and early 1900s, but few phylogenetic studies have been conducted to test conventional views of species and classification. Pearly-mussels of Gulf Coastal drainages of the southeastern United States from the Escambia (southern Alabama to Florida) to the Suwannee Rivers (Florida) are a unique fauna comprised of approximately 100 species, with about 30 endemic to the region. In this study, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and 16S rRNA gene sequences were used to test the monophyly and to estimate evolutionary relationships of five unionid species representing three different genera. The molecular phylogenies depict all three genera as polyphyletic. The prodigious polyphyly exhibited within unionids is due to incorrect notions of homology and false assumptions about missing anatomical data. In contrast, the molecular phylogeny provides evidence to support the recognition of all five unionid species as distinct evolutionary entities. Furthermore, molecular genealogical evidence supports the elevation of Quincuncina infucata (Conrad) of the Suwannee River to species level, for which Q. kleiniana (Lea) is available.


The objective of this study was to assess the influence of three different starter culture combinations and two scalding temperatures on the organic and fatty acid compositions of pasteurized Mihalic cheeses. For this purpose, starter culture combinations consisting of Propionibacterium freudenreichii, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus helveticus, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris were used. Two scalding temperatures, 40 °C or 45 °C, were used for cheeses with the same culture combination. Samples were evaluated in terms of organic and fatty acid compositions during 90 days of ripening. Eye formation, which is a characteristic feature of Mihalic cheese, was seen in all cheese samples. Propionic and lactic acids were the most abundant organic acids detected in the cheeses. The most abundant saturated fatty acid was palmitic acid, followed by myristic and stearic acids. Oleic acid content was the highest among total unsaturated fatty acids. The control cheese had lower levels of short-ch...


The adaptive landscape is one of the most widely used metaphors in evolutionary biology. It is created by plotting fitness against phenotypes or genotypes in a given environment. The shape of the landscape is crucial in predicting the outcome of evolution: whether evolution will result in populations reaching predictable end points, or whether multiple evolutionary outcomes are more likely. In a more applied sense, the landscape will determine whether organisms will evolve to lose 'costly' resistance to antibiotics, herbicides or pesticides when the use of the control agent is stopped. Laboratory populations of microbes allow evolution to be observed in real time and, as such, provide key insights into the topology of adaptive landscapes.


Analyzing the spectra from Wolf‐Rayet stars requires adequate non‐LTE modeling of their expanding atmosphere. The numerical schemes for solving the radiative transfer in the co‐moving frame of reference have been developed by Mihalas and co‐workers 30 years ago. The most elaborate codes can cope today with many hundred explicit non‐LTE levels or super‐levels and account for metal‐line blanketing.The limited agreement with observed spectra indicates that the model simplifications are still severe. One approximation that has to be blamed is homogeneity. Stellar‐wind clumping on small scales was easily implemented, while "macro‐clumping" is still a big challenge. First studies showed that macro‐clumping can reduce the strength of predicted P‐Cygni line profiles in O‐star spectra, and largely affects the X‐ray line spectra from stellar winds.The classical model for radiation‐driven winds by Castor, Abbot and Klein fails to explain the very dense winds from Wolf‐Rayet stars. Only when we solved the detailed no...


Ethanol disturbs astroglial growth and differentiation and causes functional alterations. Furthermore, many signalling molecules produced by astrocytes contribute to these processes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of ethanol and its primary metabolite, acetaldehyde, on TNF-alpha and IL-6 production in a rat cortical astrocyte primary culture. We are the first to report that both ethanol and acetaldehyde can modulate TNF-alpha and IL-6 secretion from cultured astrocytes. Long-term exposure (7 days) to ethanol and acetaldehyde was more toxic than an acute (24 hours) exposure. However, both compounds showed a biphasic, hormestic effect on the IL-6 secretion after the acute as well as the long-term exposure, and the maximum stimulation was reached for 50-mM ethanol and 1-mM acetaldehyde after 7-day exposure. In contrast, both compounds reduced the TNF-alpha secretion, where the effect was concentration-dependent. The catalase inhibitor 2-amino-1,2,4 triazole significantly reduced the ethanol toxicity in the cultured astrocytes after the acute as well as the long-term exposure. In conclusion, both ethanol and acetaldehyde affect the production of IL-6 and TNF-alpha in cultured astrocytes. The effect depends on the concentration of the compounds and the duration of the exposure. Acetaldehyde is a more potent toxin than ethanol, and ethanol's toxicity in the brain is at least partially due to its primary metabolite, acetaldehyde.


Background Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common malignant tumor in china. T63 is one of novel curcumin analogues, which reduces the tumorigenic potential effectively. Methods We investigated the mechanism of anti-cancer activity on NPC cells treatment with T63 for the first time. Cell viability was monitored using the method of MTT and colony formation assay. Morphological changes observed by fluorescence microscope with Hoechst33342 staining. The cell cycle, the rates of cell apoptotic and mitochondrial membrane potential were identified by flow cytometry, and apoptotic proteins were identified by western blot analysis. Results In our study, we found a significant decrease in the number of viable cells and in colony formation abilities of NPC cells (CNE2 and CNE2R) after 24, 48 and 72 h treatment with T63. T63 promoted morphologic changes of apoptosis and increased apoptotic rate. T63 promoted also cell cycle arrest of G2/M phases followed by decreased cell viability in CNE2 and CNE2R after 48 h. Then the loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential and release of cytochrome-c were demonstrated. Western blotting analysis found a decrease in Bcl-2/Bax ratio and activation of caspase-8, -9, -3 and PARP. And the changes of PTEN and p-Aktp473 suggested PTEN/PI3K/Akt might be an important signaling pathway in the anticancer role of T63. Conclusions T63 definitely induced apoptosis in radiosensitive and radioresistant NPC cell lines. But the apoptotic effect was stronger on radioresistant cells than that on radiosensitive cells through activation of mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathway.


Background Telavancin is a lipoglycopeptide with multiple mechanisms of action that include membrane-destabilizing effects towards bacterial cells. It shows bactericidal activity against forms of Staphylococcus aureus (phagolysosomal infection) with different resistance phenotypes [methicillin-resistant S. aureus, vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus or vancomycin-resistant S. aureus]. We examine here the uptake, efflux and intracellular distribution of telavancin in eukaryotic cells as well as its potential to induce lysosomal changes (in comparison with vancomycin and oritavancin). Methods J774 macrophages and rat embryo fibroblasts were exposed for up to 24 and 72 h to telavancin (5–90 mg/L). The following studies were performed: measurement of 14C-labelled telavancin cellular uptake and subcellular distribution (cell fractionation), determination of pericellular membrane integrity (lactate dehydrogenase release), electron microscopy with morphometric analysis of changes in lysosome size and determination of total phospholipid and cholesterol content. Results The uptake of telavancin proceeded linearly as a function of time and concentration in both cell types (clearance rate of ∼10 mL/g of protein/h). Efflux (macrophages) was ∼5.7-fold slower. Telavancin subcellular distribution was superimposable on that of a lysosomal marker (N-acetyl-β-hexosaminidase). It did not cause an increase in the release of lactate dehydrogenase and did not induce significant increases in total phospholipid or cholesterol content. It caused only mild morphological lysosomal alterations (similar to vancomycin and much less than oritavancin by morphometric analysis). Conclusions Telavancin is taken up by eukaryotic cells and localizes in lysosomes, causing mild morphological alterations without evidence of lipid metabolism alterations. These data support our observations that telavancin is active against intracellular S. aureus.


Pacific Northwest National Laboratory performed a demonstration to determine the acceptable location in which to place an air sampling probe for emissions monitoring for radionuclides in the exhaust air discharge from the new 3430 Building Filtered Pathway Stack . The method was to adopt the results of a previously performed test series for a system of similar configuration, followed by a partial test on the actual system to verify the applicability of previously performed tests. The qualification criteria included 1) a uniform air velocity, 2) an average flow angle that does not deviate from the axis of the duct by more than 20°, 3) a uniform concentration of tracer gases, and 4) a uniform concentration of tracer particles. Section 1 provides background information for the demonstration, and Section 2 describes the test strategy, including the criteria for the applicability of model results and the test matrix. Section 3 describes the flow angle test and the velocity uniformity test, Section 4 provides the test results, and Section 5 provides the conclusions. Appendix A includes the test data sheets, and Appendix B gives applicable qualification results from the previously tested model stack. The data from the previously tested and similarly designed stackmore » was demonstrated to be applicable to the current design for the 3430 Building Filtered Pathway stack. Therefore, this new system also meets the qualification criteria given in the ANSI/HPS N13.1 standard. Changes to the system configuration or operations outside of the bounds of this report (e.g., exhaust velocity increases, relocation of sample probe) will require retesting/reevaluation to determine compliance to the requirements.« less


CLINICAL, RADIOGRAPHIC AND ARTHROSCOPIC EVALUATION OF JOINT AFFECTIONS IN HORSES Name of the Student : SAMAR HALDER Degree for which submitted : Ph.D. in Veterinary Surgery and Radiology Chairman : Dr. R. Suresh Kumar, Ph.D. Professor and Head, Department of Veterinary Surgery and Radiology Madras Veterinary College Department : Veterinary Surgery and Radiology Place : Madras Veterinary College University : Tamilnadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Year : 2006 The research work was carried out to evaluate the joint affections by clinical, radiographic and arthroscopic examination and to find out correlation between them. Incidence of joint affections revealed more frequent involvement of right forelimb in young male horses 'up to 6 years of age'. Carpal (42.55%) and fetlock (29.79%) joints were most frequently affected. Ligament injuries and articular fractures were more commonly encountered in racehorses whereas DJD, OCD and synovitis were observed both in race and non -race horses. Of the 12 cases of DJD, characteristic degenerative changes were observed only in 50 percent of the joints on survey radiography. Whereas arthroscopy facilitated accurate assessment of articular cartilage damage in all the horses. Osteochondral lesions were observed only in 27.27 percent joints on radiographic examination. But all the cases were diagnosed arthroscopically. Evaluation of intraarticular ligament was made possible only by arthroscopy. Arthroscopy revealed that radial carpal-third carpal branch (lateral) was more frequently injured than the medial branch. A gelding with partial rupture of cranial cruciate ligament, arthroscopy revealed partial rupture of cranial cruciate ligament with avulsion of tibial eminence. Synovitis was usually accompanied by various grades of lameness, synovial effusion, heat and periarticular swelling. Inflammed and clubbed villi, hyperaemic synovial membrane, fibrin deposit, free floating cellular debris were the common arthroscopic findings. Of the four articular fractures in the present study, only three were diagnosed radiographically. Crush chip fracture of the radial carpal was radiographically silent but was evident on arthroscopic examination. Radiographic examination revealed excess callus at the fracture site of proximal medial sesamoid bone, whereas arthroscopy revealed nearly normal articular surface except a thin healed fracture line. Gross pathology confirmed the arthroscopic interpretation. Radiographic examination in horses with cystic lesion was usually diagnostic and appeared as circumscribed radiolucent area. Improvement of lameness was observed after low-four point nerve block and intrasynovial analgesia. Radiography revealed bone remodelling with slight concavity of the distodorsal aspect of third metacarpal above.


The enzymatic oxidation of urate leads to the sequential formation of optically active intermediates with unknown stereochemistry: (-)-5-hydroxyisourate (HIU) and (-)-2-oxo-4-hydroxy-4-carboxy-5-ureidoimidazoline (OHCU). In accordance with the observation that a defect in HIU hydrolase causes hepatocarcinoma in mouse, a detoxification role has been proposed for the enzymes accelerating the conversion of HIU and OHCU into optically active (+)-allantoin. The enzymatic products of urate oxidation are normally not present in humans, but are formed in patients treated with urate oxidase. We used time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) to compute the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra of the chiral compounds of urate degradation (HIU, OHCU, allantoin) and we compared the results with experimentally measured ECD spectra. The calculated ECD spectra for (S)-HIU and (S)-OHCU reproduced well the experimental spectra obtained through the enzymatic degradation of urate. Less conclusive results were obtained with allantoin, although the computed optical rotations in the transparent region supported the original assignment of the (+)-S configuration. These absolute configuration assignments can facilitate the study of the enzymes involved in urate metabolism and help us to understand the mechanism leading to the toxicity of urate oxidation products.


The formation of CH(3) in the 248 or 266 nm photolysis of acetone (CH(3)C(O)CH(3)), 2-butanone (methylethylketone, MEK, CH(3)C(O)C(2)H(5)) and acetyl bromide (CH(3)C(O)Br) was examined using the pulsed photolytic generation of the radical and its detection by transient absorption spectroscopy at 216.4 nm. Experiments were carried out at room temperature (298 +/- 3 K) and at pressures between approximately 5 and 1500 Torr N(2). Quantum yields for CH(3) formation were derived relative to CH(3)I photolysis at the same wavelength in back-to-back experiments. For acetone at 248 nm, the yield of CH(3) was greater than unity at low pressures (1.42 +/- 0.15 extrapolated to zero pressure) confirming that a substantial fraction of the CH(3)CO co-product can dissociate to CH(3) + CO under these conditions. At pressures close to atmospheric the quantum yield approached unity, indicative of almost complete collisional relaxation of the CH(3)CO radical. Measurements of increasing CH(3)CO yield with pressure confirmed this. Contrasting results were obtained at 266 nm, where the yields of CH(3) (and CH(3)CO) were close to unity (0.93 +/- 0.1) and independent of pressure, strongly suggesting that nascent CH(3)CO is insufficiently activated to decompose on the time scales of these experiments at 298 K. In the 248 nm photolysis of CH(3)C(O)Br, CH(3) was observed with a pressure independent quantum yield of 0.92 +/- 0.1 and CH(3)CO remained below the detection limit, suggesting that CH(3)CO generated from CH(3)COBr photolysis at 248 nm is too highly activated to be quenched by collision. Similar to CH(3)C(O)CH(3), the photolysis of CH(3)C(O)C(2)H(5) at 248 nm revealed pressure dependent yields of CH(3), decreasing from 0.45 at zero pressure to 0.19 at pressures greater than 1000 Torr with a concomitant increase in the CH(3)CO yield. As part of this study, the absorption cross section of CH(3) at 216.4 nm (instrumental resolution of 0.5 nm) was measured to be (4.27 +/- 0.2) x 10(-17) cm(2) molecule(-1) and that of C(2)H(5) at 222 nm was (2.5 +/- 0.6) x 10(-18) cm(2) molecule(-1). An absorption spectrum of gas-phase CH(3)C(O)Br (210-305 nm) is also reported for the first time.


High distribution system losses are mainly due to inadequate investments in R&D for system improvement and improper planning during installation, which has resulted in unplanned extensions of the distribution lines, overloading of the system elements like transformers and OH lines/conductors and lack of adequate reactive power support leading to voltage drop in a system. Capacitors affect the line power flow and voltage conditions on the system equipment by injecting reactive power. These impacts of capacitor may be improve system efficiency or reduce it depending on the distribution system operating conditions and allocation Capacitor. The improper allocation of capacitor units in few circumstances can lower efficiency level. For this purpose, the optimal allocation of shunt capacitors for a given radial distribution system can be useful for the system outlining and improve efficiency. In this paper a new method is used for optimal allocation of shunt capacitor units in radial distribution network to curtail distribution system losses and improve voltage profile. The advantage of Artificial Bee Colony algorithm is that its calculation time is less as it does not need exterior specifications such as cross over rate and mutation rate as in case of genetic algorithm and differential evolution. To demonstrate the validity of the proposed algorithm, computer simulations are carried out on IEEE 33 bus system and practical 116 bus system, the simulation results are presented and discussed.


The crop-weed interference relationship is a critical component of bioeconomic weed management models. Multi-year field experiments were conducted at five locations to determine the stability of corn-velvetleaf interference relationships across years and locations. Two coefficients (I and A) of a hyperbolic equation were estimated for each data set using nonlinear regression procedures. The I and A coefficients represent percent corn yield loss as velvetleaf density approaches zero, and maximum percent corn yield loss, respectively. The coefficient I was stable across years at two locations, but varied across years at one location. The coefficient A did not vary across years within locations. Both coefficients, however, varied among locations. Results do not support the use of common coefficient estimates for all locations within a region.


While the understanding of customer satisfaction is a key success factor for service enterprises, existing elicitation approaches suffer from several drawbacks such as high manual effort or delayed availability. However, the rise of analytical methods allows for the automatic and instant analysis of encounter data captured during service delivery in order to identify unsatisfied customers.
Based on encounter data of 1,584 IT incidents in a real-world service use case, supervised machine learning models to predict unsatisfied customers are trained and evaluated.
We show that the identification of unsatisfied customers from encounter data is well feasible: Via a logistic regression approach, we predict dissatisfied customers already with decent accuracy—a substantial improvement to the current situation of "flying blind". In addition, we are able to quantify the impacts of key service elements on customer satisfaction.
The possibility to understand the relationship between encounter data and customer satisfaction will offer ample opportunities to evaluate and expand existing service management theories.
Identifying dissatisfied customers from encounter data adds a valuable methodology to customer service management. Detecting unsatisfied customers already during the service encounter enables service providers to immediately address service failures, start recovery actions early and, thus, reduce customer attrition. In addition, providers will gain a deeper understanding of the relevant drivers of customer satisfaction informing future new service development.
This article proposes an extendable data-based approach to predict customer satisfaction in an automated, timely, and cost-effective way. With increasing data availability, such AI-based approaches will spread quickly and unlock potential to gain important insights for service management.


AIM AND OBJECTIVES
Virtual Reality (VR) can be used during painful procedures in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two different VR methods on procedure-related pain, fear and anxiety of children aged 5-12 years old during blood draw.

METHODS
This randomized controlled study used parallel trial design guided by the CONSORT checklist, see Supplementary File 1. The sample of children (n = 136) was allocated to the VR-Rollercoaster (n = 45), VR-Ocean rift (n = 45) and control group (n = 46) using blocked randomization. The primary outcome was pain scores after the blood draw and fear and anxiety scores before and after the blood draw. Before the blood draw, fear and anxiety scores were assessed using self-report and reports from the parents and the researcher using the Child Fear Scale and Children's Anxiety Meter. After the blood draw, level of pain experienced was assessed using the Wong-Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale and the fear and anxiety levels experienced by the children during the blood draw were re-evaluated.

RESULTS
Pain scores were found to be lower in the VR-Rollercoaster Group and the VR-Ocean Rift Group. A statistical difference was found between groups according to self, parent, and researcher-reported fear and anxiety scores after blood draw. While being in VR-Rollercoaster and VR-Ocean rift group reduced children's fear and anxiety, being in the control group increased fear levels by 20% and anxiety levels by 34.1%.

CONCLUSIONS
VR is an effective method in reducing procedure-related pain, fear and anxiety in children aged 5-12 years old during blood draw.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
Evidence-based guidelines and protocols should be created for nonpharmacological methods such as VR for procedural pain and anxiety in children.


Objectives: To investigate and compare the views of undergraduate pharmacy students in two Malaysian pharmacy schools (one private and one public) regarding the organization, quality, and objectivity of OSCE. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken among penultimate and final year students in two Malaysian pharmacy schools between October and December 2019. A questionnaire was developed, tested, and validated and then distributed to study participants through online Google forms. Results: A total of 221 undergraduate pharmacy students participated in the study. Regarding the adequacy of the time allocated per OSCE station, students of the public university expressed a relatively higher level of disagreement (IIUM 63.9% & 48.7% vs. UoC 11.6% & 14.3%). Relatively few students agreed that OSCE is a less stressful type of assessment compared to other traditional methods (IIUM 7.2% & 10.3% vs. UoC 39.5% & 23.8%). Regarding the OSCE scores as valid indicators of student's skills, private university students had more agreement than their counterparts in a public university (UoC 79% & 64.3% vs. IIUM 39.2% 30.8%). In addition, both student groups disagreed that OSCE marks were likely to be affected by the student's gender (IIUM 73.2% & 66.7% vs. UoC 67.4% & 78.6%). Conclusion: Overall, most of the participants had overall good views regarding the organization, quality, and objectivity of OSCE, with several differences between students in public and private universities. There are few areas to be further considered to ensure more positive students' OSCE experience such as revision on the time allocation for every station and on the provision of timely constructive feedback.


The effect of strong scintillation conditions on GNSS transionospheric paths of propagation is further investigated employing the most recent update of the Hybrid Scintillation Propagation Model (HSPM). The variation of various parameters including spectral indices and other statistical moments of the field is studied as a function of the severity of the signal fluctuations. The correlation time of the complex amplitude of the field is found to rapidly decrease as the scintillation severity increases, but by contrast, the intensity correlation time stays almost constant over a wide range of S4 showing only slight decrease in the model's range of validity. The dependence of the spectral indices of both phase and amplitude on S4 is also determined, and the spectral index of the phase fluctuations tends to 2 for the most severe scintillation, as expected from both experiment and theory. The effect of "canonical fading" is also studied, when, in the conditions of strong scintillation, fast phase changes occur along with deep amplitude fades. The probability of the effect of the "canonical fading" is studied for the conditions of strong scintillation, and the mean time between cycle slips shows a significant decrease as S4 increases. A comparison is also presented between calculated results of S4, spectral indices, and the correlation radii of the complex field and field intensity, utilizing both the HPSM and equivalent phase screen model for both weak and strong scintillation conditions. These show the differences that can occur which can also depend on the equivalent phase screen height.


Several objective statistical techniques have been used to isolate zones of distinctive chemical characteristics within the saline facies of the Eocene Green River Formation. The data consist of measured concentrations of Al, Si, Na, K, Ca, Sr, Fe, and S in 374 composite samples collected at 0.61-m intervals in a 232-m section of the saline facies from a core of the Green River Formation, Piceance Creek basin, Colorado. The techniques were also applied to the oil-yield (Fischer assay) data for the entire core. The first statistical technique used was analysis-of-variance zonation. Zone boundaries determined by this technique separate portions of the core that have maximum between-zone variance and minimum within-zone variance. The second technique involves computation of oving correlation coefficients between two variables over successive 31-sample intervals. This technique isolates zones of strong positive and negative associations among geochemical variables. On the basis of these two statistical techniques, the saline facies and underlying Garden Gulch Member of the Green River Formation have been divided into six geochemical zones. The most useful variables for zoning are Si, Al, Fe, S, Na, and oil yield. Concentrations of silicon and aluminum exhibit considerable variation and are positively correlated throughout the saline facies, expressing a strong correlation between quartz and dawsonite. The minerals most characteristic of the saline facies of the Green River Formation are dawsonite and nahcolite. Concentrations of iron and sulfur (present mainly as pyrite and marcasite) are positively correlated with oil yield in zones of higher salinity (as indicated by zones containing highest concentrations of nahcolite) and negatively correlat d with oil yield in zones of lower salinity. This suggests that the effect of organic content on iron diagenesis, probably through controls on pH and Eh, was optimum during periods of higher salinity. End_of_Article - Last_Page 439------------


: Local culture, including Javanese, has a treasure of values and principles that have deep roots in society. These values and principles are able to manifest in behavior, including in terms of self-control when working in a bureaucratic environment. In an atmosphere of formal and rational bureaucracy, various noble values that are characteristic of Javanese culture are sometimes not easily integrated into bureaucratic modernity. The research conducted at a government agency in the Special Region of Yogyakarta uses ethnomethodology, to get a critical understanding of the dialectics of local culture with bureaucratic rationality. Dialectics can both be traced through the process of external adaptation and internal integration. The research intends to provide a new perspective on the need to manage local culture in an effort to optimize internal control in the government bureaucracy. In addition, the research also aims to provide a picture as well as a clue about how the process of fusing local culture with culture in government organizations which has been dominated by modern values. The success of fusing is both influenced by many factors, videlicet the ability to get vertical and horizontal consensus, understanding the meaning of contestation, and the accuracy of understanding the alignment of the needs of the organization with its members. In the context of internal control in organizations, local cultural values are mostly able to survive and become reinforcement of internal control, but some other local cultural values are shifted by bureaucratic modernity due to several conditions.


In the present work, a data-driven fuzzy similarity approach is proposed to assist the operators in fault diagnosis tasks. The approach allows: i) prediction of the Recovery Time (RT), i.e., the time remaining until the system can no longer perform its function in an irreversible manner, ii) Fault Diagnosis (FD), i.e., the identification of the component faults and iii) estimation of the system Failure Mode (FM), i.e., the systemlevel outcome of the failure scenario. The approach is illustrated by way of the analysis of failure scenarios in the Lead Bismuth Eutectic eXperimental Accelerator Driven System (LBE-XADS).


Let R be a prime ring of characteristic different from 2 with involution '∗' of the second kind and n ≥ 1 be a fixed positive integer. In the present paper it is shown that if R admits nonzero left multipliers S and T, then the following conditions are equivalent: (i) R is commutative. (ii) Tn([x, x∗]) 2 Z(R) for all x 2 R; (iii) Tn(x ◦ x∗) 2 Z(R) for all x 2 R; (iv) [S(x), T(x∗)] 2 Z(R) for all x 2 R; (v) [S(x), T(x∗)] - (x ◦ x∗) 2 Z(R) for all x 2 R; (vi) S(x) ◦ T(x∗) 2 Z(R) for all x 2 R; (vii) S(x) ◦ T(x∗) - [x, x∗] 2 Z(R) for all x 2 R. The existence of hypotheses in various theorems have been justified by the examples.


In this study, the distribution of neruons containing the adrenaline‐synthesizing enzyme phenylethanolamine‐N‐methyltransferase (PNMT) was mapped in the medulla of the cat. Data from recent studies in the rat suggest that the anatomical structure responsible for cardiorespiratory changes that occur following application of neurotransmitters and drugs to Schlaefke's area on the ventral medullary surface is the nucleus reticularis rostroventrolateralis (RVL), which is distinguished from adjacent regions of the reticular formation, in part, by the presence of adrenaline‐synthesizing neurons. To determine whether an equivalent adrenergic population is present in the RVL of the cat, we used antibodies raised against bovine adrenal PNMT to map the distribution of adrenaline‐synthesizing neurons in the reticular formation. In the ventrolateral medulla, we found that labeled cells extended from the level of the retrofacial nucleus to the calamus scriptorius. The majority of labeled cells were seen in a nucleus designated RVL at the level of the rostral one‐third of the inferior olive. In the dorsomedial medulla, cells were labeled in the caudal aspect of the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and were especially dense in the subnucleus gelatinosus and commissural nucleus of the vagus. A few lightly labeled cells were also present in the rostral pole of the area postrema (AP). In contrast to the rat, few or no immunoreactive cells were found in the rostral NTS, medial longitudinal fasciculus, nucleus paragigantocellularis dorsalis, or periventricular gray. Our results are consistent with the notion that an area of the RVL containing adrenergic perikarya is the anatomical structure responsible for cardiovascular changes that occur when chemicals are applied to Schlafke's area.


Fire has long served as a tool in agriculture, but this practice's human capital consequences have proved difficult to study. Drawing on data from satellites, air monitors, and vital records, we study how smoke from sugarcane harvest fires affects infant health in the Brazilian state that produces one-fifth of the world's sugarcane. Because fires track economic activity, we exploit wind for identification, finding that late-pregnancy exposure to upwind fires decreases birth weight, gestational length, and in utero survival, but not early neonatal survival. Other fires positively predict health, highlighting the importance of disentangling pollution from economic activities that drive it.


:
The filler component is the main determinant of the mechanical and wear properties of a dental composite. The filler also significantly influences curing shrinkage, thermal properties, optical properties, water uptake, handling and other physical properties. In general, maximizing filler reinforcement, specifically by using a high concentration of relatively small particulate fillers that have been coated with a silane agent to enhance the interfacial adhesion between the filler and resin matrix, is desirable to maximize the mechanical properties. It is generally believed that the result of this filler optimization will be superior clinical performance. But the specific manner in which the filler characteristics affect clinical outcomes of composites is not well understood or well described in the literature. However, there have been numerous studies and investigations into the role of the filler formulation on the properties and performance of dental composites, many of which will be reviewed in this chapter.


Patterns of Internet access and use among disadvantaged subgroups of Americans reveal that not all disparities are the same, a distinction crucial for appropriate public policies and health promotion program planning. In their book, Digital Citizenship: The Internet, Society, and Participation, authors Karen Mossberger, Caroline Tolbert, and Ramona McNeal deconstructed national opinion surveys and used multivariate methods of data analysis to demonstrate the impact of exclusion from online society economically, socially, and politically among disadvantaged Americans.


Quantile hydrologic model selection and structure deficiency assessment is applied in three case studies. The performance of quantile model selection problem is rigorously evaluated using a model structure on the French Broad river basin data set. The case study shows that quantile model selection encompasses model selection strategies based on summary statistics and that it is equivalent to maximum likelihood estimation under certain likelihood functions. It also shows that quantile model predictions are fairly robust. The second case study is of a parsimonious hydrological model for dry land areas in Western India. The case study shows that an intuitive improvement in the model structure leads to reductions in asymmetric loss function values for all considered quantiles. The asymmetric loss function is a quantile specific metric that is minimized to obtain a quantile specific prediction model. The case study provides evidence that a quantile‐wise reduction in the asymmetric loss function is a robust indicator of model structure improvement. Finally a case study of modeling daily streamflow for the Guadalupe River basin is presented. A model structure that is least deficient for the study area is identified from nine different model structures based on quantile structural deficiency assessment. The nine model structures differ in interception, routing, overland flow and base flow conceptualizations. The three case studies suggest that quantile model selection and deficiency assessment provides a robust mechanism to compare deficiencies of different model structures and helps to identify better model structures. In addition to its novelty, quantile hydrologic model selection is a frequentist approach that seeks to complement existing Bayesian approaches to hydrological model uncertainty.


Near-infrared (NIR) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy was used to analyze the impact of multi-class particle size of Chinese material medica (CMM) based on the spectral characteristics in overtone and combination region. Several types of CMM (60, 80, 100,120 mesh) were subjected to NIR spectra analysis. Spectral reproducibility was examined after sample repackage. The result showed that the effects of particle size on the NIR spectra were different according to different bands, in the combination region and first combination-overtone region. Spectroscopy intensity was proportional to the particle size and influence of particle size was greater as the wavelength increased. While in the second combination-overtone region, it was inversely proportional to particle size. To the sampling loading error, the result indicated that when the mesh number was larger than 60 mesh, the error was small. The appropriate particle size was clarified to guarantee the accuracy and reliability of NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in CMM.


0.001) and ischaemic colitis (p ¼ 0.0016). Conclusion There has been an increase in numbers of patients admitted with GI bleeding and this population is signi fi cantly older over time. There has been a decline in peptic ulcer bleeding but a rise in variceal cases. Admissions overall for GI bleeding have increased mainly due to a signi fi cant rise in LGIB mainly accounted for by IBD, haemorrhoids and ischaemic colitis. Competing interests None declared.


We analyze the combined effects of the spatial variability of soil hydraulic properties and the water uptake by plant roots on unsaturated water flow. For this analysis, we use a simplified macroscopic root water uptake model which is usually applied only for homogeneous or layered soil and therefore we also determine whether it is applicable for multidimensional heterogeneous media. Analytical solutions for mean and variance of pressure head (first‐order second‐moment approximations) in layered media and numerical solutions of two‐dimensional (2‐D) autocorrelated multi‐Gaussian and non multi‐Gaussian parameter fields are analyzed for steady state and transient flow conditions. For non‐Gaussian topological features, that have little influence on the mean and the variance of the pressure field if root water uptake is ignored, we test whether the influence is significant if root water uptake is accounted for. The results reveal that, in field structures with large patches of coarse material, local regions with pressure head values at the wilting point develop; these are surrounded by wet material. Without a compensation mechanism for local stress, the global transpiration demand is not met if local wilting occurs. Various compensation mechanisms are tested that depend, respectively, on the saturation, the relative conductivity or a strategy where the deficit in the global uptake rate is equally distributed to unstressed locations. The strategies lead to a global actual transpiration rate at the potential value and attenuate the formation of locally wilted areas. Wilted regions can, however, still occur, and may be an artifact of the simplified model concept as root‐soil interactions are neglected. Therefore simplified macroscopic models for root water uptake should be used with caution in heterogeneous media.


Since the restoration of traditional leaders in Uganda in 1993, the Kingdom of Buganda has developed unusually effective institutions, financing mechanisms and policy tools, re-building itself as a quasi-state. The reinforcement of Buganda's empirical statehood provides one of the farthest-reaching examples of the current trend of traditional resurgence in African politics and to some extent supports claims for the participation of traditional structures in contemporary political systems. Yet, the Buganda experiment also highlights the limits of traditional resurgence as a mode of reconfiguration of politics in Africa. First, it is unclear how the kingdom can maintain the momentum of its revival and the allegiance of its subjects in view of its fiscal pressure on the latter and the limited material benefits it provides to them. Already the monarchists are finding it difficult to translate the king's symbolic appeal into actual mobilisation for development, shedding doubts on one of the main justifications for the kingdom's rebirth. Second, Buganda's claims to political participation clash with the competing notion of sovereignty of the post-colonial state. These limits are likely to confront other similar experiments across the continent.


During his stay in the Catalonian Benedictine abbey of Montserrat, Inigo of Loyola encountered a community of monks under a spiritual renewal directed by the abbot Garcia de Cisneros. In 1500 Cisneros had written his Exercitatorio de la vida espiritual, inspired on Gerard Zerbolt van Zutphen's treatise De spiritualibus ascensionibus, and the Rosetum of Jan Mombaer. From the Exercitatorio came later an abridged version Compendio de exercicios espirituales, which was used as a handbook for pilgrims. With a convincing argumentation, Steggink demonstrates that this second abridged treatise would inspire the renowned Spiritual Exercises of the future Saint Ignatius of Loyola. He presents plausible arguments about the relationship between Dutch Modem Devotion and Ignatian Spanish spiritualities.


Cue exposure therapy is founded on the principle thatclassically conditioned responses can be extinguished by repeated exposure to a cue in a situationin which the conditionedresponsecannot be elicited. It has beensuggested thatthe highratesof relapse in addictive diseases maybe secondary to the presenceof classicallyconditioned responses. Consequently,cue exposurehas been theorized to offer an explanation of the underlying processes involved in relapseto an addictive substance, and cueexposure therapy hasbeenusedin theprevention of addictive relapses in a numberof addictive diseases. To date,although cue exposure research hasdemonstrated bothpositive and negative conditioned responses to drug cues and has demonstrated that cue exposure therapy can dampentheseresponses, routine clinical useof cue exposure therapy has notbeenadopted in the prevention of addictive relapse. This book represents the firstcomprehensive reviewof cue exposure in the addictive behaviorfieldand attempts to establish connections between theory, basicandclinical research, and practice. It provides a critical analysisof the cue exposuredata, offers a blueprintfor the rational development of the new treatment approaches in addictive diseases, and appropriately identifies theneedfor further research. The editors of the book are noted experts in the field of addictions, and the contributing authors are recognized experts on cue exposure from the US, the UK, and Australia. The book is wellorganizedand is surprisingly easy to read and understand, given the diverseareas of researchthatarecombined. After an excellentintroductory chapter,whichdefinescue exposure and reviews the history of itsevidence in relation to drugsand otherdisordersin whichits application has becomea mainstay of treatment (i.e., phobic and obsessional disorders), the text is. divid~ into three section.s. Section I reviews in twochapters the theoretical basisof cueexposure III addictivebehaviors, and focuseson the role of classicalconditioning in drugaddiction. Section 2 addresses in fourchaptersmethodologic issues in studyinghumandrug cue reactivity. Researchers, as ~ell as students, interestedin studyingthis area will find thesechapters invaluable, The strengths and weaknesses of various studydesigns and theirabilityto answer theoretical andclinicalquestions aredescribed and evaluated. Section 3 discusses in three separate chapters the clinical applications of cue exposure in the treatment of alcohol dependence, opiateand cocainedependence, and nicotine dependence. In each of these thre~ chapters methodologic issues relevant to the design of research studies are reviewed, as arethe necessary elements foreffectiveclinical interventions. The research design issuesaddress our abilityto draw conclusions from the studies that are available; the clinical issues relateto the nature of the clinicalinterventions thathave beenstudiedand describethe variability of their impacton outcome. In addition to reviewing our currentstateof knowledge, eachof the finalthreechapters offersdirection for future research. Theeditorshaveproduced a coherent seriesof reviews thateffectively summarize relevant issues regardingcue exposure, and have laid the groundwork for future researchand applications.This book is not intended, however, as a primerfor practitioners. Ratherit is targeted at basic and clinicalscientistsin the addiction field. Perhapsthe secondedition will offer more practical information that can be applied to constructing treatment recommendations. For nowthe bookis best suitedto departments of psychologyand psychiatryas a teachingand reference text.


In this paper I investigate to what extent firm-specific uncertainty affects the gain from indexation. Earlier studies have tried to explain wage rigidity by arguing that insiders face little layoff risk due to employment fluctuations caused by aggregate shocks. However, this analysis abstracts from idiosyncratic risk and this seems hard to reconcile with recent microeconomic evidence which shows that firm-specific uncertainty explains a large part of establishments' employment changes. By numerically solving an insider-outsider model I show that the introduction of firm-specific uncertainty increases the gain from indexation considerably (from 0 to 1.5 percent of the wage). It is not evident that the gain from indexation is small enough to support an equilibrium with a constant nominal wage. According to the model, nominal wage contracts should be more prevalent, when layoff is not so costly for the worker, due to high unemployment benefits or short duration of unemployment spells.


The vertical electric field component in the frequency range of Schumann resonances has regularly been measured at the Nagycenk Observatory in Hungary, in Central Europe since May 1993. The actual peak frequencies and the amplitudes belonging to them are determined for the first three modes. Each mode has its own character and they show distinct daily and seasonal variations. The recurrence tendency of these variations from year to year is also presented. The significant annual and semiannual variations of the amplitudes support the suggestion that the Schumann resonance as a global phenomenon is sensitive to small temperature variations in the tropical atmosphere.


An aero-thermo-chemical model is developed to simulate the flowfield, including ionization, around atmospheric re-entry configurations, and its interactions with radio-frequency communication signals (e.g. GPS). The model is successfully validated against literature in-flight measurements of the electron number density, and then applied to the re-entry of recently proposed concepts of slender configurations. The advantages of using sharp and slender geometries for re-entry applications, with respect to radio communication problems, are analyzed and discussed. In addition, an experimental test-bed in an arc-jet plasma wind-tunnel has been setup to reproduce on ground the plasma- radiofrequency interaction. The capability to duplicate on-ground the ionization levels encountered during re-entry has been successfully demonstrated. A numerical model of an Argon plasma jet in chemical and thermal non-equilibrium has also been developed, for numerical rebuilding of the experiments. Both electron number densities and electron temperatures have been successfully correlated, demonstrating the ability of arc-jet facilities, integrated with proper numerical tools, to correctly deal with problems of communication attenuation/black-out.


Purpose: To examine the short- and long-term consequences of verteporfin photodynamic therapy (PDT) on inflammation with regard to infiltration of macrophages and leukocytes and expression of thy-1 in human choroidal neovascularization membranes (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: Retrospective review of an interventional case series of 43 patients who underwent removal of CNV. Twenty patients were treated with PDT 3 to 246 days preoperatively. Twenty-three CNV without previous treatment were used as control. CNV were stained for CD34, CD105, cytokeratin18, Ki-67, thy-1, an endothelial cell glycoprotein known to be upregulated only by inflammatory cytokines, CD68 (macrophages), and CD45 (common leukocyte antigen). Results: Specimens treated by PDT 3 days previously showed significantly reduced endothelial thy-1 expression (P = 0.008), leukocyte (P = 0.04) and macrophage (P = 0.0063) infiltration, and proliferative activity (P = 0.02) compared to control CNV. Specimens at longer intervals after PDT, in contrast, disclosed a significantly increased expression of thy-1 (P = 0.004), infiltration with leukocytes (P = 0.044) and macrophages (P = 0.01), and proliferative activity (P = 0.03) compared to CNV excised 3 days after PDT. Conclusions: The rebound effect after PDT seems to be based on an inflammatory response that contributes to enhanced proliferation. These data support the need for an anti-inflammatory therapy as adjuvant to PDT.


A reclassification of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) into a new diagnostic category spectrum of "obsessive–compulsive spectrum disorders" (OCSDs) has recently been proposed, with considerable debate, for the forthcoming Diagnostic and Statistical Manual—Fifth Edition (DSM‐V). This paper provides a critical analysis of the available empirical data regarding this conceptual and nosological shift. Specifically, we review research on shared commonalities and differences between OCD and the putative OCSDs in relation to their clinical presentation, phenotype, neurobiology, and treatment response. We conclude that a reclassification of OCD into a separate OCSD spectrum is premature and not supported by the currently available data. Depression and Anxiety 25:336–347, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Electrocatalytic water splitting has great research prospects in the production of green hydrogen energy, and electrocatalysts are the prerequisite. As widely employed efficient electrocatalysts, hollow nanostructures have attracted a lot of research attention due to their excellent catalytic activity and structural stability. Moreover, the abundant catalytically active sites and tunable morphology also make hollow nanomaterials promising electrocatalysts for water splitting. Despite these advantages, the industrial applications of these hollow nanocatalysts are impeded by limitations like the lack of effective synthesis methods and unclear formation mechanisms. Therefore, extensive efforts have been devoted to the development of efficient synthesis strategies to boost the development of more efficient hollow electrocatalysts, and great progress has been achieved in recent years. To gain a better understanding of the rapid development of hollow nanocatalysts for water splitting, we herein organize a review to summarize the recent synthetic methods and advantages of hollow materials with different dimensions. The specific advantages of hollow nanomaterials in electrocatalytic water splitting, such as abundant active sites, a stable structure, high mass transfer efficiency, and reduced aggregation of catalytic particles, are also summarized. Finally, the challenges and prospects of hollow nanostructures with multiple dimensions in electrocatalytic water splitting are further explored.


Most RNA-cleaving DNAzymes require a metal ion to interact with the scissile phosphate for activity. Therefore, few unmodified DNAzymes work with thiophilic metals because of their low affinity for phosphate. Recently, an Ag+-specific Ag10c DNAzyme was reported via in vitro selection. Herein, Ag10c is characterized to rationalize the role of the strongly thiophilic Ag+. Systematic mutation studies indicate that Ag10c is a highly conserved DNAzyme and its Ag+ binding is unrelated to C-Ag+-C interaction. Its activity is enhanced by increasing Na+ concentrations in buffer. At the same metal concentration, activity decreases in the following order: Li+ > Na+ > K+. Ag10c binds one Na+ ion and two Ag+ ions for catalysis. The pH-rate profile has a slope of ∼1, indicating a single deprotonation step. Phosphorothioate substitution at the scissile phosphate suggests that Na+ interacts with the pro-Rp oxygen of the phosphate, and dimethyl sulfate footprinting indicates that the DNAzyme loop is a silver aptamer binding two Ag+ ions. Therefore, Ag+ exerts its function allosterically, while the scissile phosphate interacts with Na+, Li+, Na+, or Mg2+. This work suggests the possibility of isolating thiophilic metal aptamers based on DNAzyme selection, and it also demonstrates a new Ag+ aptamer.


In this paper we describe a straight forward technique for tracking a human hand based on images acquired by an active stereo camera system. We demonstrate the implementation of this method on an anthropomorphic assistance robot as part of a multi-modal man-machine interaction system: detecting the hand-position, the robot can interprete a human pointing gesture as the specification of a target object to grasp.


Placing a strip of rubber dam or similar insulator between the contacting dissimilar restorations is a diagnostic technique for relieving and evaluating painful galvanic currents. Treatment modalities vary according to severity of pain. In cases of little or no pain, nothing is done, and corrosion products are allowed to form an insulating cover over the offending restoration. For patients with severe pain that does not improve, treatment may consist of placing a composite restoration in the amalgam restoration to break the interproximal dissimilar-metal contact. For painful currents caused by occluding restorations, a coating of unfilled light-cured resin over the offending amalgam breaks the metal contact and allows corrosion product buildup. Galvanic currents can occur and cause pain, but this is generally shortlived and should not influence the dentist's choice of an appropriate restorative material.


Artificial Intelligence is a field which has been in a continuous process of advancement since its inception over half a century ago. The recent developments in Deep Learning and Neural Networks have brought forth a larger scope of AI applications, with the largest impact arguably being in the healthcare sector. By 2030, when AI is predicted to make up a significant chunk of the world economy, healthcare will be the sector to benefit the most from the adoption of Artificial Intelligence. Many of the present problems which plague the healthcare ecosystem, not only in India but in the rest of the world too, can be tackled to varying extents with the help of AI. For example, using automated screening and diagnosing technology to scan through thousands of MRI scans, time as well as money can be saved. The beauty of most of these algorithms is that their accuracy keeps increasing through self-training as they process more and more data – effectively reducing the need for human intervention. The Indian healthcare ecosystem has suffered from significant under-investment, with only about 3.6 % of total GDP spent on healthcare, much lower as compared to OECD or even BRICS nations. Under India's plan to become an Upper Middle-Income Country by 2030, healthcare is now becoming a priority sector for the Indian government. This paper provides a summary of the complex and multi-layered Indian healthcare system, followed by the scope of AI applications in Indian healthcare in four broad areas, from administration to drug discovery and management. The key challenges and risks associated with AI adoption are also highlighted, along with relevant case studies which have shown promising results. All in all, Artificial Intelligence is ideally suited to enhance the Indian healthcare sector, which is in a dire need of cost-effective, high quality, and scalable solutions.


Bayesian statistics involve substantial changes in the methods and philosophy of science. Before adopting Bayesian approaches, ecologists should consider carefully whether or not scientific understanding will be enhanced. Frequentist statistical methods, while imperfect, have made an unquestioned contribution to scientific progress and are a workhorse of day-to-day research. Bayesian statistics, by contrast, have a largely untested track record. The papers in this special section on Bayesian statistics exemplify the difficulties inherent in making convincing scientific arguments with Bayesian reasoning.


Based on Cr(Ⅲ)-urea system, a new formic acid-methanol-urea Cr(Ⅲ) plating system is established through choosing proper additives. The comparison and analysis show that with the new system, electroplating performance has been remarkably improved and burning problems have been greatly overcome.


Autonomous surveillance systems based on wireless sensor networks have brought many benefits for understanding, protecting, and preserving biodiversity thanks to the latest sensor and telecommunication technologies. For example, in archipelagoes with many rocks of various shapes and elevations interleaved with water, it is hard to deploy wireless sensing systems for covering all these given areas. In these sensing systems, coverages are defined as where information is accessible. In this article, a new approach is proposed, adopting cellular automata and massively parallel processing on GPUs. This work relates to the development of parallel algorithms and CAD tools to optimize coverage oriented to efficient deployment of wide-range wireless networks for various purposes such as environmental surveillance, early warning systems for natural hazards and risks, taking into account turbulence in topology. Some experiments on radio coverage were done in different complex terrain areas given positive results in terms of performance and functional requirements.


What is the role of copyright in the everyday social context of new, emerging and "˜born digital' artistic activities? Is copyright able to govern the practical behaviour of artists and creative practitioners? If not, then what or who impacts on their behaviour? This paper focuses on the interaction of copyright with the everyday life of creators working in the digital environment and discusses their "˜schizophrenic' position. It draws upon a qualitative empirical study with digital artists aimed at exploring their perceptions of copyright law: how they understand and manage copyright and how copyright interacts with the local circumstances of their day to day creative practice. A finding of this study was that some of the artists faced moral dilemmas and were pulled in different directions with respect to their perspectives and decisions regarding copyright. The consequence of this was a seemingly "˜schizophrenic' position, one that manifested in various ways – such as emphasize that "˜copying' cannot and should not be controlled in the digital medium but equally feeling compelled to have some control. Other artists rejected the prevention of copying in the digital domain while relying on exclusivity of copies in the analogue domain and / or denied the applicability of traditional notions of authorship to their practice while asserting the importance of attribution.


Liberalizing trade has proven highly challenging for some low-income countries, as a large share of their tax extraction derives from trade taxation. After significant drops in tariff levels over the last 30 years, the recovery of lost revenues by other sources of taxation has been highly uneven among these countries. This study demonstrates that recovery has been significantly stronger in countries that have simultaneously initiated a process of democratization. An analysis of 35 low-income countries between 1975 and 2006 is presented. For each dollar lost in trade taxation, democratizing countries have been able to regain approximately 45 cents from other sources in the long run; however autocratic countries show no sign of recouping tax losses.


The belief that young women develop more aggressive forms of breast cancer than other women is controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine if women 40 years of age and under with breast cancer have more negative prognostic indicators and a higher 5-year mortality than those women over 40 years of age. From January 1998–December 2002, all women with breast cancer were identified from our tumor registry. Women with metastatic disease at presentation were excluded from our study. The women were divided into two groups, women under 40 (cases) and women 40 and over (controls). Seventy-eight cases were identified and matched to 228 controls. These cohorts were matched 3:1 (cases:controls) based on tumor staging. The data collected on each patient included prognostic factors such as tumor size, tumor type, estrogen and progesterone receptors, Her2/neu, and Ki-67. Information on surgical procedure, postoperative therapy, recurrence, and mortality was also gathered. The mean ages for cases and controls were 35 and 59 years, respectively. The rates of modified radical mastectomy were similar in the two groups, but young women were more likely to have breast reconstruction (33.7% vs 9.8%). The rates of breast conservation therapy were actually lower in the group under 40 (32.5% vs 37.6%). Tumors in the 40 and under group were more frequently estrogen receptor negative (33.8% vs 21.9%: P = 0.046) and progesterone receptor negative (50.0% vs 35.5%: P = 0.033). Younger women also experienced a greater prevalence of Ki-67 (P < 0.001) and higher levels of Her2/neu overexpression (P = 0.013). Women over 40 were more likely to receive hormonal therapy (39.7% vs 36.1%). Women over 40 had a lower overall rate of recurrence. A difference in overall survival does exist between these two groups of women, which trends toward significance. The women 40 and under had a lower overall 5-year survival. The reason for this difference remains unclear. Although we demonstrate a higher percentage of younger women with negative biochemical markers, the only factors independently and significantly related to higher mortality were estrogen receptor negativity and tumor stage at presentation.


Modeling hypernymy, such as poodle is-a dog, is an important generalization aid to many NLP tasks, such as entailment, relation extraction, and question answering. Supervised learning from labeled hypernym sources, such as WordNet, limits the coverage of these models, which can be addressed by learning hypernyms from unlabeled text. Existing unsupervised methods either do not scale to large vocabularies or yield unacceptably poor accuracy. This paper introduces distributional inclusion vector embedding (DIVE), a simple-to-implement unsupervised method of hypernym discovery via per-word non-negative vector embeddings which preserve the inclusion property of word contexts. In experimental evaluations more comprehensive than any previous literature of which we are aware—evaluating on 11 datasets using multiple existing as well as newly proposed scoring functions—we find that our method provides up to double the precision of previous unsupervised methods, and the highest average performance, using a much more compact word representation, and yielding many new state-of-the-art results.


Depression is a heterogeneous disorder that can manifest itself in multiple ways (self-critical or dependent style) and whose structural functioning differs among patients. This study aimed to assess the relationship between structural functioning and depressive styles, along with the effect of the latter on changes in outcomes during therapy. Based on a purposive sample, 145 patients were evaluated at 2 outpatient psychotherapeutic care centers in Santiago, Chile. Several elements were measured: self-critical and dependent aspects (DEQ), structural functioning (OPD-SQ) at the start of the therapy, and outcomes (OQ-45.2) at the beginning of the process and during the 3 rd and 6 th sessions. Correlational, path, and latent growth analyses revealed that higher dependency and self-criticism levels are related to less integration of overall structural functioning. Higher dependency levels correlate with lower integration in the perception of self and in the management of object relations. Also, analyses showed that more self-criticism is linked to less integration of internal bonds. High dependency or self-criticism levels are associated with lower initial overall well-being; however, only high dependency correlates with a positive change in outcomes.


Hypertension is associated with an increased risk of stroke and atherosclerosis. In addition to elevated blood pressure, hypertension is characterized by neuroendocrine and immune activation, including elevated levels of C-reactive protein, inflammatory cytokines, and soluble adhesion molecules, which are predictive of morbidity and mortality outcomes. Pharmacological treatment for hypertension reduces blood pressure, but has limited effectiveness in reducing the accompanying inflammation and its associated morbidity and mortality. Exercise and diet interventions regularly show reductions in blood pressure in hypertensive individuals. Similar interventions in other populations show reductions in many inflammatory markers, but these effects have not been routinely examined in hypertensive individuals. The mechanisms through which exercise might exert an anti-inflammatory action include the sympathetic nervous system, the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, as well as direct effects of blood pressure. Here, exercise is promoted as a potentially effective treatment for both the elevated blood pressure and chronic inflammation found in hypertension.


The rapid pace of technological development in electronics and computers, as well as the expanding requirements in research facilities, forces extensive upgrades in accelerator control systems from time to time. These upgrades are far more challenging to the staff than the initial control system implementation as it usually also requires that the upgrade be achieved as an additional task on top of maintaining normal operations. This paper will describe the experiences of using modern software analysis, design and implementation tools and techniques in the re-engineering of a core real-time database, Vaccess. This re-engineered version of Vaccess will be released shortly. The authors will compare the actual cost of this process to both the projected costs of expanding the previous version of Vaccess and to traditional software development methods. This paper will also review the techniques many of their customers have used to replace existing 16-bit, computer-based control systems with systems based on a complete Vsystem toolkit, while maintaining current operations.


This paper makes a case for that declines in population size must be counteracted via a well-substantiated anti-depopulation policy. Russia's current anti-depopulation policy has yet to live up to its potential. The linkage between depopulation and social/economic processes taking place across the Russian Federation may well be associated with the nation's rather inhomogeneous, polarized naturalterrain, territorial-economic, and settlement structure and marked differentiation in terms of major demographic and natural/economic determinants. By its subject matter, the issue of depopulation has long stopped being strictly scientific – it now also has a political, economic, and ethnocultural ring to it. In this context, 'The Concept on Demographic Policy in the Russian Federation for the Period through to 2025' expressly sets out the goals, principles, objectives, and key focus areas for Russia's demographic policy, as well as the mechanisms for implementing it and curbing depopulation. However, all these postulates have thus far failed to be a factor for rational activity and greater responsibility for implementing set objectives on the part of relevant public authorities, which is affecting the nation's geopolitical security.


Practical training is essential in engineering education. Various applied trainings are carried out in the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering in order to develop engineering skills and create an engineering culture. The servo-capable (position-controlled) training set, which represents the multi-axis (complex) manufacturing process, is intended to be used in hands-on training for this purpose. Instead of the training set, which basically shows the speed and position capability of the servo motor, how to operate the servo motor, and how to take measurements, it was paid attention to design a training set to represent production processes such as drilling and screwing, etc. The STM32F series microprocessor, which is based on ARM, is used to control the motors in the training set according to the algorithm's requirements. Thanks to the training set designed in this study, undergraduate students will gain knowledge about the position control of a complex production process and the equipment (stepper motor and driver, ball screw, DC source, optical sensor and limit switch, emergency stop button, wiring and terminals) in the set. The theoretical knowledge gained in the course will be transformed into practice. As a result, it will meaningfully contribute to the development of undergraduate students' engineering skills. In the future work, it is aimed to make the training set compatible with the IoT technology.


To investigate the association of hypertension and insulin resistance, we utilized 31P-NMR spectroscopy to noninvasively assess intracellular free magnesium levels (Mgif) in erythrocytes of normotensive (n = 20) and essential hypertensive (n = 20) subjects given an oral 100 g glucose load. In hypertensive compared with normotensive subjects, fasting glucose and insulin levels were similar, but the integrated insulinemic responses to glucose were 45% greater (312 +/- 13.4 v 215 +/- 7.5 microU/mL, P less than .001). In hypertension, Mgif levels were significantly reduced (183 +/- 9 v 251 +/- 9 mumol/L, P less than .001), and for all subjects were closely and inversely related to systolic (r = -0.77, P less than .001) and diastolic (r = -0.81, P less than .001) blood pressures, and to the integrated insulin response (r = -0.72, P less than .001). Furthermore, while insulin responses were also related to the underlying systolic (r = 0.69, P less than .001) and diastolic (r = .73, P less than .001) pressures, these relations were no longer significant when adjusted for Mgif levels. We hypothesize that hypertension and peripheral insulin resistance may be different clinical expressions of a common abnormal intracellular ionic environment, characterized at least in part by suppressed levels of intracellular free magnesium.


In a retrospective analysis the significance of internal fixation of unstable and symptomatic non-union of the odontoid was evaluated. In all but one cases a type II fracture of the odontoid was the underlying cause for the pseudarthrosis. The time interval between trauma and definitive diagnosis varied between 6 months and 30 years. All patients asked for medical advice because of acute neck pain; in three cases additional neurological deficits were notified. In all but one case the pseudarthrosis was classified as unstable on flexion-/extension views. The occurrence of neurological deficits showed a positive correlation with the amount of dislocation of the pseudarthrotic odontoid. Nine out of 10 patients underwent internal stabilisation of the non-union. Reoperation because of persistent instability/failure of stabilisation had to be performed in two cases (22.2%). At follow-up all 9 patients were pain-free. The neurological deficits in two patients had improved significantly. According to our experience internal stabilisation in unstable non-union of the odontoid is recommended to achieve significant reduction of the pain level. Also improvement of the neurological deficits can be expected depending on the duration of the symptoms.


The typical software engineering education lacks a practical experience of the process of software engineering— students are presented with relevant process theory in lectures, but have limited opportunity to put these concepts into practice in an associated class project. SimSE is an educational, interactive, fully graphical computer game that simulates software engineering processes, and is designed specifically to train students in situations that require an understanding and handling of software process issues. In this paper we describe SimSE, including its educational goals, its design, and its implementation.


Li metal is an exciting anode for high-energy Li-ion batteries and other future battery technologies due to its high energy density and low redox potential. Despite their high promise, the commercialization of Li-metal-based batteries has been hampered due to the formation of dendrites that lead to mechanical instability, energy loss, and eventual internal short circuits. In recent years, the mechanism of dendrite formation and the strategies to suppress their growth have been studied intensely. However, the effect of applied overpotential and operating temperature on dendrite formation and their growth rate remains to be fully understood. Here, we elucidate the correlation between the applied overpotential and operating temperature to the dendrite height and tortuosity of the Li-metal surface during electrodeposition using phase-field model simulations. We identify an optimal operating temperature of a half-cell consisting of a Li metal anode and 1 M LiPF6 in EC/DMC (1/1), which increases gradually as the magnitude of the overpotential increases. The investigation reveals that the temperature dependence identified in the simulations and experiments often disagree because they are primarily conducted under galvanostatic and potentiostatic conditions, respectively. The temperature increase under potentiostatic conditions increases the induced current while it decreases the induced overpotential under galvanostatic conditions. Therefore, the analysis and comparison of temperature-dependent characteristics must be carried out with care.


There have thousands of crimes are happening daily all around. But people keep statistics only few of them, therefore crime rates are increasing day by day. The reason behind can be less concern or less statistics of previous crimes. It is much more important to observe the previous crime statistics for general people to make their outing decision and police for catching the criminals are taking steps to restrain the crimes and tourists to make their travelling decision. National institute of justice releases crime survey data for the country, but does not offer crime statistics up to Union or Thana level. Considering all of these cases we have come up with an approach which can give an approximation to people about the safety of a specific location with crime ranking of different areas locating the crimes on a map including a future crime occurrence prediction mechanism. Our approach relies on different online Bangla newspapers for crawling the crime data, stemming and keyword extraction, location finding algorithm, cosine similarity, naive Bayes classifier, and a custom crime prediction model


AIM
The aim of the study was to evaluate the progression of changes in the visual fields in patients with hypertensive glaucoma (HTG) and normotensive glaucoma (NTG) following administration of prostaglandins and beta blockers, as well as also in NTG without ophthalmological therapy.

METHODS
The HTG group included 12 patients (mean age 66 years) with approximately the same changes in the visual field and central corneal thickness (CCT-568 um) treated with prostaglandins, and 12 patients (mean age 60 years, CCT=544 um) treated with beta-blockers. The IOP ranged from 12 to 18 mmHg for the whole follow-up period. The NTG group consisted of three subgroups. The first subgroup consisted of 14 patients (mean age 58 years) who were treated with prostaglandins. The second subgroup consisted of 10 patients (mean age 57 years) who were treated with beta blockers. The third subgroup consisted of 18 patients (mean age 57 years) who underwent no ophthalmological therapy. IOP was within the range of 8-12 mmHg over the whole follow-up period. In all patients, we monitored the pattern defect (PD) and overall defect (OD) within a period of five years. The treatment was not modified during the treatment period. All patients were compensated for cardiovascular status and had no other internal or neurological disease. Visual acuity was 1.0 with a possible correction (less than 3 dioptres) in all patients.

RESULTS
There was no statistically significant difference in HTG during the treatment with prostaglandins in PD (P=0.35) and OD (P=0.09) or beta blockers (P=0.37 and 0.23, respectively). In NTG, the greatest changes occurred in PD (P=0.0001) in untreated patients. OD showed no statistically significant changes (P=0.25). Similarly, the patients on prostaglandins had a statistically significant difference in PD (P=0.04), while OD did not show statistically significant changes (P=0.4). We did not find statistically significant differences in progression in patients with NTG treated with beta blockers PD (P=0.7), OD (P=0.4).

CONCLUSION
Treatment of glaucoma with prostaglandins and beta blockers has a significant importance in HTG. However, beta blockers have a higher protective effect on the visual field. This is not true in NTG, where we demonstrated this effect only following the administration of beta blockers.


Abstraer. Temperar ure and vitamin-indur r in root elongation are closely associated with changes in non-reducing sugar content in particular. Thiamine enhanced the reducing sugar r of the shoot and reduc, ed that of the root at normal temperature. In r elevatecl temperature caused a significant reduction in the reclucing sugar content of the shoot and increased that of the root. Thiamine at elevated temperature showed a synergistic effect in decreasing the sugar content of the shoot and increasing it in the root. Although riboflavin r not enhance the reducing sugar r of the shoot at normal temperature, at elevated temperature its response was quite similar to that of thiamine. These differences were partly associated with amylase activity of the root and the shoot. Vitamin tieatment preceded by elevated temperature showed synergistic effect with respect to non-reclucing sugar r by inr it in the shoot and the root. The role of vitamins is discussecl.


The glucose replacement rate, plasma glucose concentration, glucose body mass, and amino acid gluconeogenesis were determined in vivo in fed and fasted kelp bass (Paralabrax clathratus) using [6-3H]glucose administered with [U-14C]glutamate, [U-14C]aspartate, or [U-14C]alanine. Fasting (14 days) and prolonged starvation (72 days) do not produce changes in the replacement rate, body mass, or plasma concentration of glucose. The removal of amino acids from the circulation is rapid in both fed and fasting states with nearly 50% of the administered 14Ctracer disappearing by 5 min. The incorporation of [14C]amino acid carbon into the body glucose mass is also rapid with significant amounts of tracer appearing within 15 min after administration. Gluconeogenesis from alanine and glutamate is increased by fasting whereas that from aspartate is diminished. The gluconeogenic rate is comparable to that previously observed in rats (Dunn, A., M. Chenoweth, and J. G. Hemington. The relationship of adrenal glucocorticoids to transaminase activity and gluconeogenesis in the intact rat. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 237: 192-202, 1971), although the glucose replacement rate is significantly lower. We propose that the paradoxically high rate of gluconeogenesis in fish may serve to provide carbohydrate precursors for mucus synthesis in these carnivorous animals with limited carbohydrate intake.


A three-dimensional finite-element heat-transfer model was established to predict temperature of hot copper plates in a slab continuous casting mold with high casting speed and the temperature distribution and effect of casting speed on thermal behavior were simulated in detail. The results show that the calculated temperature agree well with the measured ones and the temperature of hot copper surface is influenced by the flash welded chrome (Cr) layer to a certain extent. The temperature profile of hot copper surface is determined by heat flux, material properties, solidifying shell shrinkage and mold taper and presents a certain shape. Temperature distributions in different transverse sections along effective casting height of mold are all similar and depend on mold structure and contact state between mold wall and slab. The centre temperature of hot copper surface at casting speed 1.8 m·min−1 and 2.0 m·min−1 are higher than that of 1.6 m·min−1 casting speed 4.7–5.2°C and 11.2–12.2°C respectively and temperature is not increased linearly with casting speed. Temperature difference adjacent to meniscus between mold wall and shell surface is influenced obviously by casting speed and increased 4.0–6.0°C with increment of casting speed 0.2 m·min−1. Fluctuation of temperature difference in meniscus should be a main reason to deteriorate casting effectiveness as increasing casting speed.


Sandström's conjecture states that a closed steady circulation can only be maintained in a fluid body if the heating is applied at a lower level than the cooling. In the ocean this has been taken to mean that there can not be a purely buoyancy-driven circulation since the primary sources of heat and salt are applied at the surface. Using the one-dimensional fluid loop of Welander with boundary condition of temperature relaxing to warm and cold at the same geopotential, we find that Sandström's conjecture holds; circulation and horizontal heat transport all vanish as the Rayleigh number R −→ ∞ (the limit relevant for the ocean). However, if we specify fixed temperature flux boundary conditions, then contrary to Sandström's conjecture, circulation does not vanish as R −→ ∞. Thus Sandström's conjecture is sensitive to the particular choice of boundary conditions specified. In the case of the ocean, where salinity and sensible heat also play a role in forcing the system, it is not clear that fixed temperature rather than fixed flux boundary conditions at the surface are appropriate. This system of horizontal convection in a loop is stable, but becomes chaotic as the heat sources are rotated from horizontal to vertical positions (heating at the bottom and cooling at the top). We determine the orientation of the heating and cooling at which this transition to chaos occurs. We also show how the strength of the circulation responds to different positioning of heating and cooling.


A detailed understanding of graphene properties both in its neutral and doped states is an important prerequisite for applications of this new material in electronic devices. We used electrochemical doping to study the influence of charge on isotopically labeled two‐layer graphene. No change of the G mode intensity was observed at electrode potentials between −1.5 and 1 V. At high positive electrode potentials (>1 V) we observed enhancement of the G mode intensity due to partial removal of interfering resonant transitions. Hence, we confirmed that in case of absence of the enhancement due to a specific orientation between the two layers the Raman spectroelectrochemistry of non‐stacked two‐layer graphene mimics that of one‐layer graphene.