For the acceleration and brake systems of an autonomous vehicle, the dynamic models from acceleration (brake) pedal input to driving(braking) torque at the vehicle wheel are represented by a set of linear transfer functions in this paper. We present an experimental method that can identify these models using a single rectangular pulse response data. Various magnitude of inputs with different running speeds are applied to experimental tests. All the identified models are demonstrated by the measured data. Both acceleration and brake models have been also validated by comparing the velocity of a full vehicle model associated with the proposed models with the measured vehicle velocity.


At the present stage of the European Union development, energy policy is a strategy aimed at achieving the energy independence of the region and ensuring the energy security of all EU members. In this regard, it should be considered reasonable to transfer the issues of energy strategy development to the supranational bodies of the Union. At the same time, energy policy should be considered in close connection with the environmental policy of the European Union, as environmental protection is a topical issue in the European region. The result of cooperation between the countries of Europe is the implementation of such initiatives as the development of renewable energy sources, the production of alternative fuels, the introduction of «green taxes», the operation of a common system of environmental management and environmental audit, the action of a kind of system of environmental certification of products («eco-label»). Similar problems are faced by such an integration association as the Eurasian Economic Union. In this regard, the experience of the European Union should be taken into account when addressing energy and environmental issues in the framework of the common policy of the EAEU Member States. In particular, the paper justifies the necessity of concluding a multilateral agreement on the protection of the environment in the EAEU framework. Currently, the basis of scientific and technical cooperation of the EAEU Member States is the priority technological platforms, which are understood as objects of innovative infrastructure network, making it possible to ensure the integration of states, science and business to combine and concentrate the necessary resources in the most important areas of scientific and technological development of the Eurasian Economic Union, including in the fields of energy and environment.


The possibility of occlusion in melts of useful components of some of the most economically advantageous materials, obtained during zeolitization of fly ash – Na-X, sodalite and cancrinite, was investigated. A very high degree of occlusion of ZnCl2 in zeolite Na-X was achieved along with complete exchange of Na extra framework cations with Zn2+. By elution, it was proved that, in the interaction of zeolite Na-X with ZnCl2 melt, occlusion takes place without destroying the zeolite aluminum-silicate framework. In a KNO3 melt, in the narrowest pore structure – the sodalite structure, occlusion does not proceed, only ion exchange occurs. Through computer modeling, the ion exchange of both the charge-balancing cations and the synthetically incorporated cation-anion pairs has been proven. The interaction of cancrinite-SO4 with a KNO3 melt results in the formation of a material with an altered cationic composition and occluded KNO3, which gradually comes out of the structure upon elution. The results obtained in the work can be a basis for the development of future applications of the modified minerals as materials with antibacterial properties (occluded ZnCl2 in the structure of zeolite Na-X) and as slow-acting fertilizers or micro-fertilizers (occluded with KNО3 cancrinite and sodalite forms).


INTRODUCTION
A high rate of infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been documented, in both hospital- (HA-MRSA) and community-acquired (CA-MRSA) diseases in Jordan. Erythromycin and clindamycin are considered treatments of choice. However, resistance to erythromycin with false susceptibility to clindamycin in vitro may lead to therapeutic failure. Hence, it is mandatory to study the prevalence of inducible resistance to macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (iMLSB) antibiotics conferred by erm genes in those bacteria.

METHODOLOGY
S. aureus isolates were identified morphologically and biochemically, and MRSA were appraised using standard procedures. Induction in resistance to MLSB antibiotics among MRSA isolates was detected phenotypically using the D-test, and the presence of erm genes was revealed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTS
Of 126 collected Staphylococcus isolates, 71 (56.3%) isolates were S. aureus, of which 55 (77.5%) were MRSA. A total of 43 (78.2%) MRSA-discordant isolates were resistant to erythromycin, of which 33 (76.7%) exhibited the iMLSB (D-test positive), 2 (4.7%) the MSB (D-test negative), and 8 (18.6%) the constitutive resistant (cMLSB) phenotypes. Induction of clindamycin resistance was 1.6 times greater in CA-MRSA than in HA-MRSA. Furthermore, ermA and ermC were significantly prevalent in HA-MRSA and CA-MRSA, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
Continuous surveillance of the MLSB resistance is important and required before the prescription of clindamycin to treat MRSA infections.


The authors have employed LiF and CaF2 thermoluminescent dosimeters in tandem to estimate the radiation energy and to measure the radiation exposure to the superficial tissues of patients during dental panographic roentgenology. Radiation exposures ranged from an average of 0.46 R to the posterior tissues to 0.038 R to the orbit. Other anterior superficial tissues received an exposure of approximately 0.050 R. The CaF2/LiF value varied from a high of approximately 200 at the posterior positions to a low of approximately 30 at the orbit position. These ratios corresponded to average photon energies of approximately 40 keV and 15 keV. On the basis of previous hazards analysis of roentgenographic procedures, these radiation exposures would seem to be excessive for application as a mass screening tool.


In the first decade of the XXI century, the Montenegrin educational system has undergone an extensive reform at all levels. This paper is aimed at identifying the most important reform processes in primary education, initiated by the 2004 practical implementation of the reformed curricula. That year the first generation of students was enrolled in the nine-year primary school program. The general objective of the primary education reform was a fundamental transformation of the ordered core of the educational context, which required significant structural changes such as the introduction of compulsory nine-year education, openness of school or increased availability of and access to education. On the other hand, the reform of primary education, which entails a curricular reform, was aimed at improving the quality of education (significant changes in the content and methods of teaching and learning, introduction of elective courses, etc.). In the end, the whole series of reforms initiated the continuous professional development of teachers in the field of application of modern methods and teaching techniques that allow adjustment and adaptation to the real situation of the reform process in the education system. The aim of this paper is to highlight the importance of the reform processes in primary education. Therefore, we have tried to present the fundamental values of the existing reformed educational context, supporting it by research results of the reform evaluation conducted in the period from 2011-2012 in the wider territory of Montenegro. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n4p80


Let GK denote a graph G whose edges can fail and with a set K ¿ V specified. Edge failures are independent and have known probabilities. The K-terminal reliability of GK, R(GK), is the probability that all vertices in K are connected by working edges. A factoring algorithm for computing network reliability recursively applies the formula R(GK) = piR(GK * ei) + qiR(GK - ei) where GK * ei is GK, with edge ei contracted, GK - ei is GK with ei deleted and pi ¿ 1 - qi is the reliability of edge ei. Various reliability-preserving reductions can be performed after each factoring operation in order to reduce computation. A unified framework is provided for complexity analysis and for determining optimal factoring strategies. Recent results are reviewed and extended within this framework.


Abstract Introduction: In physical and sports education, the effort dosing is essential for achieving the goals and is managed by altering the effort parameters and correlating these with a certain type of rest, respecting the physical norms of the body. According to a study, analyzing and comparison of "The Gauss curve" during a physical education and sport lesson, the expected rising of the effort curve was denied during its first 3 stages. Especially between stage 2 (Preparation of the body for effort) and stage 3 (Selective influence of the locomotive apparatus) there is a decrease of the heart rate. During the sports lessons, we recorded for 10 hours the heart rate of 10 children from 2 different classes of the same grade, 5-A and 5-B, creating one control group (of 5 boys) and one experimental group (5 boys). For the experimental group we recorded for 10 different classes, interchanging stages 2 with 3, more exactly, the stage "Selective influence of the locomotive apparatus" was done before the stage "Preparation of the body for effort", and for the control group we also recorded for 10 different classes, but they performed the normal sports lesson, following the stages in chronological order. Objective of the study: The objective of this research was to discover/identify if the effort curve follows an ascendant trajectory during the first 3 stages and a descendant curve during the last 3, by analyzing the heart rate for each stage during the physical education and sports lesson. Material and methods: The data was collected using 5 - Polar M400 watches and 5 - H7 chest bands, during sport lessons inside the School "Aghiresu Fabricii" from Cluj-Napoca. After the recorded data of the heart rates were analyzed, we observed the differences between the classic sport lesson and the one with the stages 2 and 3 reversed, for the 5th grade subjects. Results: By comparing the data obtained from the recordings, it was found that there are some differences between the classical physical education lesson and that in which interventions were made in the second and third stages, as a result of the change in heart rate values in the investigated subjects. Conclusion: Analyzing the two groups in which we had different approaches in the physical education and sports lesson, it is denied that in the classical lesson we have a curve of ascending effort in the first stages. As a result of the reversal of the two-to-three stages, an ascending curve – the Gaussian Curve – is achieved through which an optimal adaptation to effort is made in the fundamental part of the physical education and sports lesson.


We report on the characterisation of an x-ray source, generated by a laser-driven plasma wakefield accelerator. The spectrum of the optimised source was consistent with an on-axis synchrotron spectrum with a critical energy of 13.8−1.9+2.2 keV and the number of photons per pulse generated above 1 keV was calculated to be 6−0.9+1.2×109 . The x-ray beam was used to image a resolution grid placed 37 cm from the source, which gave a measured spatial resolution of 4 µm ×  5 µm. The inferred emission region had a radius and length of 0.5 ± 0.2 µm and 3.2 ± 0.9 mm respectively. It was also observed that laser damage to the exit aperture of the gas cell led to a reduction in the accelerated electron beam charge and a corresponding reduction in x-ray flux due to the change in the plasma density profile.


A detailed thermal analysis involving both measurements and calculations has been carried out in order to determine the wall heal load and to optimize the amount of cooling air for an annular combustor. In calculations, the convective wall heat flux has been detemined by application of a 3D Navier-Stokes Code. Furthermore, the radiation exchange between the hot combustion gases and the liner has been calculated using a multidimensional spectral approach.Although a quite high thermal power density is found within the combustion chamber the wall heat load is at a low level. Values are well below 80 kW/m2, due to the application of ceramic tiles which have a low thermal conductivity. The wall heat load is dominated by radiation emitted in the lower gas radiation bands (λ < 2.9 μm). The convective wall heat flux is nearly balanced out by the sealing air which is discharged through gaps between the ceramic tiles. The cooling effect of the sealing air, however, is strongly influenced by the 3D near wall flow field in the combustion chamber.© 1999 ASME


The existence of companies earning profits through extracting of natural resources from community's/inhabitant's environment has contributed to the growing awareness about the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Aspects of CSR related to employee participation require support from human resource management (HRM). Although research linking the role of HRM and CSR has seen a significant increase, but there is still no comprehensive approach that examines these two concepts jointly. This study aims to consider the structure of CSR-HRM at PT Kutai Timber Indonesia (PT KTI), the role of HRM in the development and implementation of CSR, and the contribution of HRM in corporate sustainability through CSR at PT KTI. The study used a qualitative approach to the type of case study research. Data collection techniques included in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation. Data analysis in this study was carried out in three stages, namely data reduction, data presentation, and final conclusion. The validity test of data is used the method of source triangulation and technical triangulation. The research findings conclude that the understanding of CSR adopted by PT KTI was still focused on the external dimension, so the structure of PT KTI's CSR-HRM was limited to administrative relations. HRM in the HRD Department of PT KTI does not have a strategic role related to the development of CSR, but has an administrative role related to employee licensing in implementing CSR. PT KTI's HRD department contributes to corporate sustainability through HRM core tasks. The limitation of this study is its limitation to be generalized to other sites/objects. The sound generalization could be applied only to objects/sites that have similar or similar characteristics.
Keywords: CSR, the role of HRM, corporate sustainability, PT KTI.


The PEPFAR Special Initiative on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence aims to strengthen care for survivors of sexual violence (SV) in 18 pilot sites in Uganda and Rwanda. Within these public facilities implementing partners will support providers to undertake three sets of core interventions: 1) strengthening health services; 2) strengthening referrals from the health facility to other support services; 3) strengthening linkages between clinical services and other stakeholder groups to facilitate access to health services. The Initiative is expected to provide an evidence base for scaling up such efforts in the future and will be rigorously evaluated. This report contains results of the baseline assessment conducted between September and November 2009 in eight facilities in Rwanda and nine facilities in Uganda. It includes data from two sources: quantitative data from a Facility Inventory completed in 17 of the 18 intervention sites (data could not be collected from a military hospital for security reasons) and qualitative data from a series of focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted with health care providers from 13 of the intervention sites. Services in both countries were generally weak with facilities and providers in Uganda slightly better prepared to provide services than those in Rwanda. Activities to strengthen SV services in both countries are recommended.


Every day, millions of people make decisions about menstruation. They make decisions about what sanitary products to use, about pain relief, about with whom they will discuss their experience of menstruation. They make decisions about contraception to induce amenorrhea. These decisions may be influenced by family, poverty, society, and culture, but they remain, for the most part, up to the individual. However, this right to autonomy is not extended to all people equally. Some disabled people, for example, have these decisions made by substituted decision makers, including the courts. This is in violation of their rights; nevertheless, this practice continues in various jurisdictions, including through guardianship and conservatorship laws.


Objective: To assess the effectiveness of an oral health care workshop in enhancing the knowledge of primary school teachers
Study design: Quasi-experimental study.
Place and Duration of Study: Primary schools of Barakahu, from Feb to Jun 2019.
Methodology: This pilot study was carried out among who attended a training workshop on oral health at various primary schools of Barakahu. Training methods included didactic lectures, demonstrations and audio-visual aids. Scores were graded pre and post workshop as poor, fair and good knowledge. Evaluation was done to assess the effectiveness of the training.
Results: Out of 40 participants, 78% had good pre-training knowledge as compared to 83% after the training. As our data was not normally distributed therefore, we applied, Wilcoxon signed ranks test to check the change in the questionnaire scores (pre- and post-workshop). Among the 40 participants, 30 had a higher score post-workshop, while 7 had the same score and 3 participants had the lower score (p-value <0.001).
Conclusion: The study concluded that a training workshop was an effective tool for improving the knowledge of primary school teachers regarding oral health.


Thin-walled parts with complex configurations are extensively used in aerospace and precise instrument industry. However, because of low stiffness, cutting forces, clamping forces and residual stresses in cutting have been the main factors influenced on machining accuracy of thin-walled parts. Furthermore, biggish deviation exists between practical finished surface and theoretical value as a result of machining deformation caused by cutting force namely "cutter relieving" phenomenon; besides, direct relation exists between determination of clamping force and generation of machining residual stress and cutting force, so it is necessary to build up accurate cutting force prediction model to improve the machining accuracy of thin-walled parts. Therefore, cutting force prediction model based on Johnson-Cook's flow stress model and Oxley's shear angle model has been developed, which takes the property of high strain, high strain ratio in area of cut and high cutting temperature into account fully and determines shear angle more accurately on the basis of force balance principle; with different cutting and tool geometric parameters existing, perform simulation and experiment studies on cutting force prediction model, verify the validity of prediction model and obtain the response rules resulted from cutting force prediction model acting on cutting and tool geometric parameters.


Habitat alterations and introduction of nonnative fishes reduced the distributions of the Flannelmouth Sucker Catostomus latipinnis, Bluehead Sucker C. discobolus, and Roundtail Chub Gila robusta to less than 50% of their historical ranges. Climate change models generally predict decreased streamflows and increased water temperatures that may further affect these species. Understanding the effects of flow and water temperature on their life histories should lead to better assessments of climate change impacts on extant populations and more informed management for species conservation. Basinwide larval fish sampling and hatch dates derived from otolith daily increment counts showed that water temperature was the dominant environmental factor cueing reproduction in the upper White River basin, Colorado. Reproduction for all three species began in spring, occurring first at warmer, lower-elevation, downstream locations and progressing upriver to higher elevations as water temperatures increased. Warmer water temperatures in tributaries initiated earlier reproductive activity compared to adjacent cooler main-stem habitat. Presence of larvae in samples and estimated hatch dates demonstrated a distinct, predictable upstream progression of reproduction associated with warming water and clear upstream limits to reproduction for all three species. Larval presence and hatching dates revealed earlier reproductive activity in 2012 than in 2013, driven by lower flow and earlier stream warming. A regression model predicted stream temperature during fish spawning seasons under different climate change scenarios and showed expanded upstream limits of thermally suitable reproductive habitat and earlier reproduction for our study species. The long-term implications of climate change are unknown, but managers should strive to perpetuate the valuable and relatively pristine native fish community in the upper White River drainage as a vestige of those that formerly existed throughout the Colorado River basin. *Corresponding author: email@example.com Present address: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mid-Columbia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, 7501 Icicle Drive, Leavenworth, Washington 98826, USA. Received August 3, 2018; accepted January 10, 2019 Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 148:509–527, 2019 © 2019 American Fisheries Society ISSN: 0002-8487 print / 1548-8659 online DOI: 10.1002/tafs.10151


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline a case where people's intuitions regarding the ethical status of an action performed in a massively multiplayer online role‐playing game are divided, and provide an argument to resolve this division.Design/methodology/approach – This paper takes a philosophical approach, from the analytical tradition. It details the main arguments for each side and provides counter‐arguments in order to indicate the salient points.Findings – The paper argues that, of the three arguments for the morality of particular virtual action outlined in this paper, none are satisfactory. An argument for the immorality of the action in questions based upon the fairness/sportsmanship distinction is offered.Originality/value – The development of case‐based ethical studies, which draw upon current and controversial events within popular virtual environments, are useful in the construction of a deeper understanding of moral action within such spaces.


Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), an epithelial cell-derived cytokine produced in response to pro-inflammatory stimuli, drives allergic inflammatory responses mostly through its effect on dendritic and mast cells. TSLP reportedly is increased in the airways of asthmatic subjects. AMG 157 is a human anti-TSLP monoclonal antibody that blocks interaction between TSLP and its receptor. The goal of this study was to evaluate AMG 157 effects on asthma biomarkers in mild atopic asthmatic subjects after an inhaled allergen challenge. The study consisted of 31 subjects who received three doses, at monthly intervals, of 700mg AMG 157 (n=16) or placebo (n=15). Allergen challenges were performed pre-dose, and 6 and 12 weeks after initiation of dosing. Sputum eosinophil counts, blood mRNA and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) were collected before and after allergen challenge and blood eosinophil counts and Th2/Th1 ratio were followed prior to allergen challenge through the treatment period. AMG 157 attenuated allergen-induced airway responses. Pre-allergen FeNO and blood and sputum eosinophil counts decreased significantly with AMG 157. In whole blood transcript analysis, genes highly expressed in eosinophils were elevated after allergen challenge. Pre-dose gene expression and eosinophil count were well-correlated. However, no AMG 157 effects on blood transcript profiles were detected. Treatment with AMG 157 was associated with a decreased Th2/Th1 cell ratio, driven mostly by a decrease in Th2 cells. The reduction in these markers of airway and systemic inflammation in AMG 157-treated subjects supports a role of TSLP in allergen-induced responses in patients with allergic asthma.


This study examined how to effectively and efficiently deal with juvenile delinquency through klithih. This research was conducted normatively, and the results showed that several measures must be undertaken to handle juvenile delinquency, including the use of criminal law in a way that does not involve criminal sanctions but by using the mass media instead to punish the juveniles who commit the illegal actions in a way that it would implant fear when they intend to perform the crime. The conclusion was that there are various ways to overcome juvenile delinquency, among others, by strengthening the mentality of adolescents, and understanding adolescents and those who are approaching them so that they can minimize the difficulties that would otherwise be their means to vent the inability to commit juvenile delinquency
Keywords: Adolescence, Juvenile Crimes, Preventive


In this work we demonstrate that carbon nanotube junctions with an optional number, type (zigzag and/or armchair) and diameter of tubes can exist. We show a method for geometric construction of their models.


Mars has always captured humankind imagination. The desire for discovery has led scientists and engineers to develop new technologies to reach the Red Planet in order to understand its geology and its habitability potential. The means by which this desire for exploration becomes reality is to send vehicles to Mars that can explore the planetary surface, take samples of the environment and analyze them. ExoMars 2020 is the mission managed by the European Space Agency (ESA) intended to send a Rover on the martian surface to search for signs of life. The mission will deliver the European ExoMars Rover and the Russian Surface Platform to the surface of Mars with the aim of carrying out scientific research looking for organic molecules and surface characterization. Rover's design is achieved thanks to multibody software, fundamental tools to support engineering activities. Multibody simulation is a numerical simulation method for studying the motion of mechanical systems caused by external forces acting on it. One challenging activity of the Mechanical Design group of Domain Exploration and Science Italy of Thales Alenia Space Italia S.p.A. in Turin, where this thesis has been developed, focuses on the construction of a dynamic model of the six wheeled planetary Rover belonging to ExoMars Mission in order to study the Rover egress from the Surface Platform, evaluating different configurations and scenarios. Moreover, the Mechanical Design group requires to build a flexible model of the Rover's wheels that will give to the whole multibody model, made by rigid bodies, the right physical properties in terms of flexibility. The main objective of this thesis is to develop the multibody model of the ExoMars Rover's wheel using nonlinear finite element (NLFE) bodies, a particular kind of elements present in the multibody code that allows to create flexible bodies. The model is built in MotionView environment, the pre-processor for multibody simulation and simulated through MotionSolve, its solver. These tools guarantee optimal performances when dealing with multibody simulation. As preliminary analysis, it is necessary to find the stiffness curves of this component because the experimental data are not yet available. This is done through static nonlinear analyses, run into FE environment with HyperMesh (pre-processor) and OptiStruct (solver), in order to obtain a relationship between forces and displacements when the point of force application varies. The flexible wheel is then created with a hierarchical structure in the multibody environment and its stiffness is tuned, varying the thickness of the elements of which it is composed, with the average force-displacement curve extrapolated from the various trends obtained from nonlinear static analyses. A simplified version of the Rover is created in order to easily perform some configurations and the results obtained are compared with those obtained with rigid ones. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages deriving from the use of this methodology for the creation of flexible bodies in a multibody environment are presented in order to evaluate their use in more complex systems, such as the real model of the Rover. All the software used in this thesis activity are part of the HyperWorks package of the Altair software house.


In conventional applications of time division duplex (TDD) in cellular systems, the time resource split between uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) is fixed across all base stations (BSs) in the network. This leads to under utilization of BS resources when there is a mismatch between the expected and experienced UL/DL traffic in a given cell. A dynamic split that varies in each cell is desirable, but is challenging due to the high interference experienced by UL receivers in one cell from DL transmissions in adjacent cells. This paper analyzes the performance of UL users in dynamic TDD enabled next generation cellular networks using a stochastic geometry framework. The analysis highlights the trade-off between spectral efficiency and resource utilization for dynamic TDD. With appropriate interference mitigation, dynamic TDD offers a significant gain in data rates as compared to static TDD, which is higher when the BSs are lightly loaded and/or the fraction of UL users is low.


It is demonstrated that a traveling electromagnetic or acoustic wave drags a phase soliton in a nearly commensurated CDW conductor at a velocity proportional to the square of the wave's amplitude. The traveling-wave-induced drift of the charged soliton gives rise to specific photoelectric (actually, radioelectric) and acoustoelectric effects in the conductor containing "frozen" unipolar solitons. These effects can be used to indirectly detect the CDW solitons, and to estimate their size (the cutoff wavelength of the driving wave coincides with a characteristic size of the soliton).


This paper describes the development and evaluation of enhancements to the specialized information retrieval capabilities of a multimodal reporting system. The system enables collection and dissemination of information through a distributed data architecture by allowing users to input free text documents, which are indexed for subsequent search and retrieval by other users. This unstructured data entry method is essential for users of this system, but it requires an intelligent support system for processing queries against the data. The system, known as TIGR (Tactical Ground Reporting), allows keyword searching and geospatial filtering of results, but lacked the ability to efficiently index and search person names and perform approximate name matching. To improve TIGR's ability to provide accurate, comprehensive results for queries on person names we iteratively updated existing entity extraction and name matching technologies to better align with the TIGR use case. We evaluated each version of the entity extraction and name matching components to find the optimal configuration for the TIGR context, and combined those pieces into a named entity extraction, indexing, and search module that integrates with the current TIGR system. By comparing system-level evaluations of the original and updated TIGR search processes, we show that our enhancements to personal name search significantly improved the performance of the overall information retrieval capabilities of the TIGR system.


The hazard perception skill of a driver refers to their ability to identify potentially dangerous events on the road, and is one of the only driving-specific skills that has been consistently linked to accident rates. Hazard perception tests are used in several developed countries as part of the driver licensing curriculum, however little research has been done in developing countries where road safety is a primary concern. The extent to which hazard perception skill transfers to different driving environments is also unclear. This thesis therefore has two major aims: to examine hazard perception in a cross-cultural context, and to validate a hazard perception test for potential use in driver licensing in lower-income, developing countries.

Most of the experiments in this thesis compare hazard perception skill in drivers from the UK – where hazard perception testing is well established – and drivers from Malaysia – a developing country with a high accident rate where hazards frequently occur. Typically, hazard perception skill is assessed by showing participants clips filmed on the road and asking them to respond as soon as they detect a developing hazard, with shorter response times reflecting greater levels of skill. Chapter 2 presents evidence that Malaysian drivers may be desensitized to hazardous road situations and thus have increased response times to hazards, creating validity issues with the typical paradigm. Subsequent chapters therefore use a predictive paradigm called the "What Happens Next?" test that requires drivers to predict hazards, leaving performance unaffected by hazard desensitization. Malaysian drivers predicted hazards less accurately than UK drivers in all cross-cultural experiments, indicating that exposure to a greater number of hazards on Malaysian roads did not have a positive effect on participants' predictive hazard perception skill. Further experiments indicated that explicit knowledge plays a minor role in the "What Happens Next?" test, and that experienced drivers appear to compensate for reduced visual information more effectively than novices. Experienced drivers from both Malaysia and the UK also outscored novices in all experiments using the predictive paradigm, suggesting the "What Happens Next?" test provides a valid measure of hazard perception skill and may offer a practical alternative for hazard perception testing in developing and even developed countries.


One of the key performance indicators and a major concern for any type of organization in any industry is profitability; this paper seeks to investigate the effects of a firm's micro and macroeconomic factors on performance of Jordanian insurance companies measured by return on assets (ROA) which is considered as proxy of profitability. The study utilizes a panel data of 24 listed insurance companies during the time period of 2008-2014. Finding include that liquidity, leverage and under writing risks have a negative and a significant effect whereas size of the company, market share and GDP have statically a positive and a significant effect on the profitability of the Jordanian insurance industry. Findings also include that inflation has no significant effect on the profitability of the insurance industry in Jordan.


Traditional theory holds that hedgers use futures markets to reduce the amount of price risk they bear. In doing so, they trade price risk for basis risk, that is, unexpected movements in the difference between the spot and futures prices. Theoretical work has shown that the presence of basis risk reduces the position in the cash market as well as the relative use of futures as a hedging instrument. This paper empirically measures the effect of basis risk on the cash market position, using data on the storage of corn. Results show that basis risk statistically and economically significantly reduces the level of storage. The implications of basis risk on cash market positions extend beyond commodity storage to any hedging situation, including the use of currency futures to insure against exchange rate risk.


In 1994, the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber has started to build an interactive portal on the internet (wko.at). This portal is at the moment one of the greatest information and know-how plattforms in Europe and a combination between eGovernment and eBusiness. More than 300.000 companies have access to an extranet which includes more than 700.000 pages online. More than 1.000 organisations within the Chamber Network and their employees have access to an intranet and upload worldwide their information daily. Around 12.000.000 visitors per month download information in the field of law, business news, statistics and other content like WebTV, or use an eMarketplace. On the international side WKO.at has business information about austrian products in 19 languages online. Online legislative projects as well as administrative procedures and other interactive possibilities are also implemented. The content of WKO.at appears in many other Austrian ePlattforms and is a best practice example of eAustria in eEurope.


In this thesis project we have focused on a kind of graph partitioning problem com-
monly called bi-categorical clustering, however, we also show that all results are easily
extended to general graph partitioning. In this problem we get a graph
asked to output a partitioning and such that the partitions are of equal (or
fixed given) size and so as to minimize the number of edges running between them.

 The problem is analyzed under an input model called the planted partitioning model
since it has been shown that under a uniform distribution all feasible solution are likely
to be equally good or very close. Under the planted partitioning model we find that it is
natural to formulate the problem a bit differently and we therefore propose a new prob-
lem, namely the Maximum Likelihood partitioning problem which given the observed
graph from the known distribution, aims to find a ML solution.

 Our algorithms are derived using the well known belief propagation method. This
method is very well suited for the scenario. Unfortunately, however, it is not yet well
understood and therefore we must present our own analysis. Contrary, our research
constitutes one of the first in-depth analysis' of a specialized use of belief propagation.

 We present linear and quadratic time algorithms for solving the problem and show
strong theoretical as well as experimental results. What we find is, in short, that when-
ever the planted partitioning model is appropriate, our algorithm succeeds to nearly
100%.


Cedecea species are recent members of the family Enterobacteriaceae and are rarely incriminated in human infections. A patient with protracted urinary tract infection, post-prostatectomy, was referred to Lahor Research Laboratories, Benin City, Nigeria for routine culture and susceptibility testing. Three consecutive mid-stream urine samples from him yielded pure, heavy, growths of an apparently same Gram negative, non-spore forming, non-capsulated, motile, rod-shaped bacterium, which was lipase, citrate, methyl red, KCN, ONPG, arginine and ornithine decarboxylase positive. It was oxidase, urease, H 2 S, indole, gelatinase, deoxyribonuclease and phenylalanine deaminase negative. It fermented glucose, xylose, sucrose, salicin, maltose mannitol, and lactose but was negative arabinose, inositol, dulcitol, raffinose, rhamnose and melibiose. It exhibited multiple antibiotic resistances to augmentin, gentamicin, ofloxacin, cefixime, ciprofloxacin, ceftazidime and cefuroxime but was very sensitive to imipenem and moderately susceptible to nitrofurantoin. The isolate was identified phylogenetically as Cedecea davisae . It possessed plasmid at 48.5 kb and harboured SHV, TEM, and gyrA antibiotic-resistance genes, which were either plasmid-mediated, chromosomal-mediated or both. To the best of knowledge, this is the first report on the incrimination of this organism with human infection in Nigeria. It was concluded that the paucity of reports on Cedecea species as aetiologic agents of human infections could be as a result of the difficulty in recognizing and characterizing this recently described pathogen, particularly in low resource laboratories, coupled with the fact that Laboratorians and Physicians are yet to be fully aware of the emerging clinical significance of this "relatively new" organism. Keywords : Cedecea davisae , Difficult-To-Treat, UTI, Nigeria.


Motivated by empirical evidence I document on local credit markets in France using data on more than 3.5 million bank-firm relationships, I propose a theory of bank-firm matching, subject to search frictions. Firms undergo a costly search process to locate and match with the right banking partner. Upon matching, agency frictions hinder bank's ability to optimally screen and monitor projects. I estimate structurally my model on French data using the staggered roll-out of Broadband Internet, from 1997 to 2007, as a shock to search frictions. I confirm the model predictions that a reduction in search frictions affects the allocation of credit and the dynamics of firm-bank matching. Finally, I use the structure of my model to quantify the impact of this technology-induced reduction in search frictions on loan prices. I find that broadband internet access reduced the cost of debt for small businesses by 4.9%. JEL classification: L22, L23, D83


Inflation expectation is acknowledged to be an important indicator for policy makers and financial investors. To capture a more accurate real-time estimate of inflation expectation on the basis of financial markets, we propose an arbitrage-free model across different countries in a multi-maturity term structure, where we first estimate inflation expectation by modelling the nominal and inflation-indexed bond yields jointly for each country. The Nelson-Siegel model is popular in fitting the term structure of government bond yields, the arbitrage-free model we proposed is the extension of the arbitrage-free dynamic Nelson-Siegel model proposed by Christensen, Diebold and Rudebusch (2011). We discover that the extracted common trend for inflation expectation is an important driver for each country of interest. Moreover, the model will lead to an improved forecast in a benchmark level of inflation and will provide good implications for financial markets. (This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)


ENGR 115: Introduction to Environmental Science and Engineering focuses on a resource approach to environmental management, with modules on air, land, water and energy resources. This paper describes one of four curriculum modules that was developed for and used in this introductory course taught at Humboldt State University. The energy resources curriculum is appropriate for those interested in open-ended problem solving assignments related to energy and power, renewable energy technologies or energy policy. The energy resources module is taught over a three-week period in a fifteen-week semester. The students complete readings on energy, power and work, sources of energy, and energy technologies. The Just-in-Time Teaching approach is used where students take online quizzes on assigned readings prior to coming to class. The lecture period is used to clarify misconceptions discovered in the students' responses to the online quizzes as well as present new material. Lab activities include a tour of the Schatz Energy Research Center and discussion with research engineers about fuel cell design. Students engage in an open-ended problem solving experience where they compare a power generation project with an energy conservation program. The curriculum is available for download at http://www.humboldt.edu/~eae1/CCLI02/


Introduction A growing number of studies link the increase in overweight/obesity worldwide to exposure to certain environmental chemical pollutants that display obesogenic activity (obesogens). Since exposure to obesogens during the first stages of life has been shown to have a more intense and pronounced effect at lower doses, it is imperative to study their possible effects in childhood. The objective here was to study the association of Bisphenol A (BPA) and 11 BPA analogs in children, using three biological matrices (nails, saliva and urine), and overweight and obesity (n = 160). Methods In this case–control study, 59 overweight/obese children and 101 controls were included. The measuring of Bisphenols in the matrices was carried out by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Logistic regression was used to study the association between overweight/obesity and Bisphenol exposure. Results The results suggested that BPF in nails is associated with overweight/ obesity in children (OR:4.87; p = 0.020). In saliva, however, the highest detected concentrations of BPAF presented an inverse association (OR: 0.06; p = 0.010) with overweight/obesity. No associations of statistical significance were detected between exposure to BPA or its other analogs and overweight/obesity in any of the biological matrices.


The oral cavity might well be thought of as the window of the human body due to the extent of the inflammatory burden caused by periodontal disease. This can influence systemic diseases with a similar inflammatory pathology and vice versa, raising the relevance regarding periodontal and systemic health affecting each other. The interrelationship between periodontal disease and systemic health has been a matter of debate since ancient times. A theory of focal infection states that the oral pathogens had the capability to either directly enter or release their toxic products into the systemic circulation. Recent evidence reveals that we need to change our thought about the etiology and pathogenesis of periodontal disease. Although bacteria are a necessary factor in the equation, the reaction of the host's immuno-inflammatory system is responsible for most of the destruction found in periodontal disease. Thus, it makes sense that a number of environmental and acquired factors may modify a patient's risk of developing periodontal disease. Since oral health has a significant influence on the final prognosis of a number of systemic disorders, it is essential that we understand the underlying pathophysiology linking oral health to systemic health. Review Article Saranyan et al.; AJMAH, 9(2): 1-10, 2017; Article no.AJMAH.38511 2


Cancer is a deadly disease that is characterized by the growth of abnormal cells, the growth is ongoing, forming a tumor. Tumors are divided into two parts, namely benign and malignant tumors. Malignant tumors are a general term for cancer. The disease of cancer has a mathematical model in the form of a system of differential equations, for it required a method to obtain the solution of the system of differential equations. The method used is the method of numerical methods Bashforth Adams Moulton (ABM) order one, two, three, and four. From the results of this study concluded that the method ABM order three better than the method ABM first order, second order and fourth order at issue models of cancer, It can be seen in the graphic simulation using ABM order three, it shows that increasing time population of immune effector cells (E) and a population of effector molecules (C) increased and then stabilized. The population of immune effector cells (E) stabilized at 33.3336, while the population of the effector molecule (C) is stable in the scope of the numbers 33,333, 33,333 are said to be in scope for changes in population effector molecule (C) can not be known with certainty. While the population of cancer cells (T) remains at 0 at each iteration (stable) remains in a state that is free of cancer


Woro Widiastuti. 2008. The Effectiveness of Games and Songs in Teaching
English Vocabulary to the Fourth Grade Students of SDN 1 Baturetno,
Wonogiri. English Diploma Program, Faculty of Letters and Fine Arts, Sebelas
Maret University.
This Final Project report was written based on the job training done at
SDN 1 Baturetno, Wonogiri for a month. The writer took the fourth grade
students as the objects to be observed and focused in the teaching of English
vocabulary.
The objectives of this Final Project report are 1.) to describe the process of
teaching vocabulary for students by using games and songs, and 2.) to describe
how effective, entertaining, and fun in teaching English vocabulary by using
games and songs.
To find out the conclusion of the objectives, the writer did an observation
and teaching activity. In the English teaching and learning activity, the writer used
some procedures in order to make the English teaching and learning activities run
well. The procedures are Greeting, BKOF, Modeling of Text, Join Construction
and Individual Construction, and Closing. Games itself was held in Join
Construction and Individual Construction. Meanwhile, songs applied in the last
step to end the lesson.
By playing games, the writer can attract the students' attention and
persuade them to love English and enjoy the learning process. The games also
help the students to memorize the vocabulary they have learned. Meanwhile, the
use of songs to end the lesson can refresh the students' mind after learning
process. Besides, songs help to create a fun and friendly situation and become a
fun and attractive way to learn vocabulary. Finally, both games and songs can be
an alternative way to make the learning process fun and effective.


Agencies seeking to disseminate public use microdata, i.e., data on individual records, can replace confidential values with multiple draws from statistical models estimated with the collected data. We present a famework for evaluating disclosure risks inherent in releasing multiply-imputed, synthetic data. The basic idea is to mimic an intruder who computes posterior distributions of confidential values given the released synthetic data and prior knowledge. We illustrate the methodology with artificial fully synthetic data and with partial synthesis of the Survey of Youth in Custody.


Enterprises have become increasingly dependent on online social network to carry out beneficial e-business model and achieve better performance. This paper aims to explain and demonstrate how an online social network environment where enterprise cooperative behaviors and interaction structures coevolve influence enterprise business model. By constructing components model of enterprise business model based on the customer relationship management, infrastructure management, financial model, and product/service and analyzing characteristics differences between online social network and traditional social network, the mechanism of the impact of online social network on enterprises' e-business model is shown. The results indicate that the effective enterprises relationship structure in the online social network can promote enterprises to improve their competitive advantage and enhance organizational performance.


 Ordinary and geogrid encased stone columns were used under different conditions.  Shaking table was manufactured to simulate earthquake loading.  Dynamic response of stone columns to lateral shaking.  The values of horizontal displacement increase by increasing the loading frequency.  The rate of horizontal displacement increases with soil undrained shear strength. The objective of the present study is to understand the behavior of soft soil strengthened by stone columns under dynamic seismic load. Ordinary and encased stone columns were used under different conditions. The present study converges around the dynamic response of stone columns of lateral shaking, the interaction of soil frame for understanding settlement mechanisms and the prediction of dynamic load limitations of foundations in soft soils subjected to seismic load (during vibrations). The results of this research will provide the basis for assessing measures to reduce the severity of seismic hazards and the seismic design of foundation structures in soft soils. As a result, soil models will be tested on the shaking table to make seismic ground vibration under several conditions (frequencies, undrianed shear strength of soft soil, for stone columns type both ordinary and encased stone columns). It was concluded that the values of horizontal displacement increase by increasing the loading frequency, as well as the horizontal displacement is faster and greater at 2 Hz of than 0.5 and 1 Hz in all cases. The rate of horizontal displacement increases in models on soil of undrianed shear strength cu= 15 kPa is greater than that in undrianed shear strength cu= 25 kPa because increasing the strength of the soft soil leads to greater resistance to deformation and a decrease in the level of horizontal displacement. A R T I C L E I N F O Handling editor: Wasan I. Khalil


We report on a patient in whom a cytomegalovirus infection occurred in connection with AIDS. Together with the alterations of the fundus typical for cytomegalovirus retinitis, reticular deposits were observed on the corneal endothelium. Specular microscopy showed occasional endothelial cells with edema, as well as small, dark, round, mobile structures (probably lymphocytes) and large, bright, spindle-shaped, immobile structures (probably macrophages) located behind the endothelium. Despite treatment with corticosteroids and acyclovir, an increase in the extent of the findings was observed. The deposits are interpreted as a reaction of the endothelium to the cytomegalovirus infection.


1. The clear zone between the cones and the receptors of dark-adapted nocturnal insects and crustaceans is considered as a region across which light entering the eye by many facets can sum upon the receptors beyond the clear zone. 2. In the model, light is admitted through each facet as a normal distribution. This amount of light spreads out from the cone tip as another normal distribution unrelated to the first except in total energy. The direction of arrival of a ray on the receptor is therefore minimally related to its direction of origin. 3. At the expense of acuity the geometry of summation across the clear zone increases the sensitivity of the eye in the ratio R21/R22 where R1 and R2 are the radii from the centre of the eye to the cone tips and to the receptor layer. 4. The existence of a clear zone permits a further increase in sensitivity in the dark-adapted state by allowing an increase in the acceptance angle of the facets and in cross-sectional area of the receptors, without prejudice to the acuity of the light-adapted eye. 5. In this model of the clear zone eye, a minimum of parameters and optical properties are assumed. An intensity at the receptor greater than that given by this 'null hypothesis' would then point to additional optical mechanisms.


2848 Background and Purpose: Melanoma has had a rising incidence in the United States over the past years. The aim of this study is to develop a novel protocol of stimulating immune response of melanoma carrying mice by irradiating and then surgical remove tumor to reduce melanoma metastatic disease.Methods:B16F0, mouse melanoma, in cell culture were irradiated with 25 Gy and incubated for 0, 6, and 24 hours, and then the cells growth on histological slides were fixed for CRT (calreculin), a potential immunogenicity of tumor cells, immunofluorescence staining. According to CRT expression following radiation from experiment 1, 1x 106 irradiated B16F0 cells were injected subcutaneously into the back neck of C57 mouse at 6 hours after 25 Gy. Control group were only received medium injection. 12 days after irradiated B16F0 vaccine injection, 0.8 x10 untreated B16F0 cells were implanted subcutaneously into the right hind limb on control and vaccine injection C57BL6/J mice. Tumor growth delay study were performed, and meanwhile B16F0 tumor tissues from control and vaccine injection mice were sampled for tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) assay with whole mount histology technique for CD8+ T cell (cytotoxic T lymphocyte) detection. 0.5 x 106 B16F0 cells in 50 μl of medium were injected into the small previous made skin pouch on the right lateral abdomen of C57 mice. B16 F0 tumors (about 5-6 mm in diameter) of the irradiation + surgical remove group (6 mice) at 6 days after implantation were irradiated with 25 Gy. 300 ng of interleukin 2 was injected subcutaneously near tumor for the irradiation + surgical remove group at day 3 and 4 after irradiation. The tumor surgical remove group (5 mice) received shamed irradiation. The tumors were removed by surgery at day 5 after irradiation or shamed irradiation. 0.25 x 106 untreated B16F0 were injected each mouse through tail vein. The mice were sacrificed at day 12 after tail vein injection and the lungs were sampled for surface B16F0 nodes count. Results: CRT strongly expressed on the cell membrane surface of B16F0 after 25 Gy, 6 hours point had maximum expression. Irradiated B16F0 vaccine caused 5-7 days tumor growth delay comparing with the control group. The CD8+ T cell IHF staining showed that tumor infiltrating lymphocytes significantly appeared in B16F0 tumor tissues after irradiated B16F0 vaccine injection but control B16F0 tumor tissues had very few of CD8 + T cells positive staining. The counting of B16F0 nodes on lung surface resulted respectively the irradiation + surgical remove group: 4.2 ± 2.7, surgical remove group: 53.2 ± 9.5, and control group: 93.2 ± 17.1. Conclusion:Irradiated B16F0 vaccine can induce immune response that diminishes melanoma lung metastasis in mouse model.


An offset-fed ISM/Ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna with a slotted ground plane designed for on-body communications is presented in this paper. The antenna consists of a radiator very close to a square shape, a feed line slightly offset from the middle along the radiator side and three rectangular slots at the top edge of the ground plane. The offset feed line is used to improve the radiation pattern for on-body communications and the slots on the ground plane are used to improve impedance matching of the antenna. The antenna is studied using computer simulation. For verification of simulation results, the antenna is fabricated and measured. Simulated and measured results show good agreements in terms of reflection coefficient, gain, efficiency and radiation pattern. Measured results show that the antenna can achieve a wide bandwidth from 2.38 to 14.5 GHz with more omnidirectional radiation patterns in the E-plane than conventional monopole, making it a potential candidate for on-body communications using UWB.


The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of two different rest intervals between sets of isokinetic knee extension exercise on peak torque (PT), and Total Work (TW) in children. 18 boys (11.1 ± 0.52 yrs, 32.9 ± 3.32 kg and 142.6 ± 4.78 cm, Tanner stage 1 and 2) performed 3 sets of 10 unilateral isokinetic knee extension repetitions at 60°/s and 180°/s. The rest intervals between sets were 1 and 2 minutes. There was no significant decline in PT and TW when 1 and 2 min rest intervals were used at 60°/s and 180°/s. The present study indicated that children need only 1min to recover muscle performance, indicating high resistance to muscle fatigue during high intensity resistance exercise and different movement velocities.


Abstract—Three prime tools of time series processing are convolution, recursive filtering, and the Cooley-Tukey spectral analysis algorithm. These three algorithms can be performed in a single special-purpose device. This device can be a high-speed digital convolver with some additional features which allow it to perform recursive filtering and the Cooley-Tukey algorithm. Recursive filtering requires that the convolver be able to store computed values back into its input. The Cooley-Tukey algorithm can be performed if the convolver has sufficient indexing flexibility. These additional features should not impair significantly the efficiency of the convolver, since its primary function is to calculate dot products, an operation common to all three algorithms.


The versatility of the template-assisted electrodeposition technique to fabricate complex three-dimensional networks made of interconnected nanowires allows one to easily stack ferromagnetic and non-magnetic metallic layers along the nanowire axis. This leads to the fabrication of unique multilayered nanowire network films showing giant magnetoresistance effect in the current-perpendicular-to-plane configuration that can be reliably measured along the macroscopic in-plane direction of the films. Moreover, the system also enables reliable measurements of the analogous magneto-thermoelectric properties of the multilayered nanowire networks. Here, three-dimensional interconnected NixFe1−x/Cu multilayered nanowire networks (with 0.60≤x≤0.97) are fabricated and characterized, leading to large magnetoresistance and magneto-thermopower ratios up to 17% and −25% in Ni80Fe20/Cu, respectively. A strong contrast is observed between the amplitudes of magnetoresistance and magneto-thermoelectric effects depending on the Ni content of the NiFe alloys. In particular, for the highest Ni concentrations, a strong increase in the magneto-thermoelectric effect is observed, more than a factor of 7 larger than the magnetoresistive effect for Ni97Fe3/Cu multilayers. This sharp increase is mainly due to an increase in the spin-dependent Seebeck coefficient from −7 µV/K for the Ni60Fe40/Cu and Ni70Fe30/Cu nanowire arrays to −21 µV/K for the Ni97Fe3/Cu nanowire array. The enhancement of the magneto-thermoelectric effect for multilayered nanowire networks based on dilute Ni alloys is promising for obtaining a flexible magnetic switch for thermoelectric generation for potential applications in heat management or logic devices using thermal energy.


and thiol-copper biochemical sites denaturation.' Another potential source of error in the use of NBT as a superoxide colorimetric detector may be related to the presence in some cell systems of a NBT reductase activity capable of directly reducing the dye without any superoxide participation.' It is clear that a 'true' superoxide mediated NBT reduction must be inhibited by superoxide dismutase, this being a fundamental criterion for assignment of a function of superoxide.' In such a context, studies dealing with oxygen radical production in cerebral vascular injury resulting from acute hypertension have shown that NBT reduction in brain microvasculature was inhibited by superoxide dismutase, thus showing superoxide participation in this pathophysiological event. ' In Oshitani's study, superoxide dismutase failed to inhibit NBT reduction, though inhibition was seen with anaerobiosis and para-benzoquinone, which, however, are apparently not specific enough to discriminate superoxide as the species responsible for NBT reduction. Indeed, anaerobiosis may inhibit the mitochondria, and parabenzoquinone may react not only with superoxide but also with other reductants and radical species. The authors have hypothesised that superoxide dismutase could have been ineffective in their model as a result ofa lack ofenzyme tissue permeability. Some much smaller molecules with a potential cell permeability, however, such as the cimetidine-copper complex, display a significant superoxide dismutase activity." Moreover, superoxide dismutase conjugated to polyethylene glycol can enter cells, such as the endothelial, and maintain activity much longer than unconjugated superoxide dismutase.'2 We believe that these molecules should have been used by Oshitani et al to more precisely assign a role to superoxide in their investigation. Without similar experimental evidence, it does not seem correct to entitle the paper 'Location of superoxide anion generation in human colonic mucosa obtained by biopsy'. D LAPENNA F CUCCURULLO Cattedra di Patologia Speciale Medica, Universita' GD'Annunzio; Presidenza Facolta' di Medicina a Chirugia, Via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy


Against pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009, anti-influenza drugs were useful to save the disease aggravation and reduce the mortality. In addition to the existing anti-influenza drugs, novel drugs, including neuraminidase inhibitors (peramivir and laninamivir) and RNA polymerase inhibitors (favipiravir), also have clinical potentials to suppress pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus as well as seasonal influenza virus.


As part of the CHUVA campaign in and around Sao Paulo, Brazil, in January March 2012, Vaisala installed and operated a network of five of its new TLS-200 sensors. Each sensor includes both an LF component that measures the arrival times and angles and a VHF interferometer component that measures the arrival angles of VHF emissions primarily from cloud discharges. In this report, we present a preliminary analysis of the detection capability of the TLS-200 network, with a focus on cloud discharge detection and classification.


The completion of the bioliq® pilot plant on the northern campus of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is now a certainty. Following the commitment by the German and BadenWürttemberg governments to provide 11 million euros in financing, the KIT has now also signed contracts with companies that will work with KIT in the implementation of the two final processing stages. These two stages involve the production of second-generation environmentally friendly biofuel from biogenic synthesis gas.


Milk for School-children SIR,-Dr. Alison Glover's letter (July 29, p. 160) omits any reference to one important gap in the scheme. During the school holidays not only is the milk allowance reduced by one-half but it can only be obtained if the child actually consumes it on the school premises. Now the exactions on the time of mothers of young children are at present far too great for them to be able to accompany the children, as requested, to the school premises during the morning. The pcsition is aggravated by the fact that this year not only does the summer milk ration stand at the winter level but dried mrilk is unobtainable and tinned milk-on "points"-is very scarce. Nor can the last two be considered adequate substitutes for fresh milk. Again, it does not seem reasonab!e that this holiday milk supply should be limited to elementary schools under the Board of Education. Milk rationing for the whole community has made this distinction, once reasonable, quite ur>fair. On inquiry I am informed that the milk no longer consumed at the schools during the holidays is returned to the "pool." Surely a solution would be for the milk to be delivered at the homes on production of the school-child's ration book. It has, I understand, actually been urged against this that the parents might drink the children's milk! So far as my observation goes, exactly the opposite occurs; the parents give up their own milk supply for the children. A pamphlet entitled Better Health, published under the auspices of the Ministry of Health, bears on the cover: " Your Child must have that Extra Milk." Yet other Departments appear to obstruct this being effected.-I am, etc., Camb.-idge. W. LANGDON-BROWN.


Estimates of the form and magnitude of natural selection based on phenotypic relationships between traits and fitness measures can be biased when environmental factors influence both relative fitness and phenotypic trait values. I quantified genetic variances and covariances, and estimated linear and quadratic selection coefficients, for seven traits of an annual plant grown in the field. For replicates of 50 paternal half‐sib families, coefficients of selection were calculated both for individual phenotypic values of the traits and for half‐sib family mean values. The potential for evolutionary response was supported by significant heritability and phenotypic directional selection for several traits but contradicted by the absence of significant genetic variation for fitness estimates and evidence of bias in phenotypic selection coefficients due to environmental covariance for at least two of the traits analysed. Only studies of a much wider range of organisms and traits will reveal the frequency and extent of such bias.


The main objectives of this study is the separation of X from Y bearing epididymal spermatozoa of local buck by swim-up, and the use of this spermatozoa for in vitro fertilization to determine the percentage of produced male and female embryos. The sex of produced embryo was identified by polymerase chain reaction. Testis of the local buck were obtained from Al-Shu'alah abattoir and the epididymal spermatozoa were harvested from the cauda by and submitted to in vitro maturation prior to separation of X from Y bearing spermatozoa and prior to their use for in vitro fertilization. For the separation of epididymal spermatozoa, swim-up technique was used with centrifugation at 200×g or 300×g. The centrifugation at 200×g showed that 41.84±1.39 % of spermatozoa were detected in the supernatant while the precipitate contained 50.69±0.71 and the mean of the sperm lost was 7.65±0.93. After centrifugation, spermatozoa in the supernatant were used for in vitro fertilization of matured oocytes. The sex of in vitro produced goat embryos was determined by polymerase chain reaction using specific primers to detect of SRY gene. The percentage of total goat embryos obtained after in vitro fertilization by sperms selected using swim-up at centrifugation force of 200×g recorded 79.66 % male embryos while female embryos recorded only 20.33 %. At the end, the results showed the ability of selection male embryos in caprine by application of swim-up technique on epididymal spermatozoa with centrifugation at 200×g.


HIV-1 cardiomyopathy has become a major cause of death in AIDS patients, but its pathogenesis is unclear. We used an antigen retrieval technique and immunostaining to investigate the hearts of 15 AIDS patients, of whom 3 had dilated cardiomyopathy. Immunocytochemistry shows infiltration of the left ventricular myocardium with mononuclear cells, ranging from minimal to diagnostic of myocarditis. The infiltrates include macrophages and CD3(+) and CD8(+) T cells. The tight junction protein ZO-1 is disrupted at the site of monocyte-macrophage vascular penetration and the coronary vessels show fibrinogen leakage in the hearts of AIDS patients, but not in the normal heart. A subset of infiltrating macrophages is doubly positive for cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase. HIV-1 peptides gp120 and Nef are expressed in macrophages and T cells, but not in cardiomyocytes. COX-2 is expressed by both gp120-positive and gp120-negative macrophages. The hearts of AIDS patients separate into those showing minimal infiltrates with low COX-2 expression and those with dense infiltrates and high COX-2; all failing hearts are in the latter group. These data suggest that COX-2-activated and HIV-1-infected monocyte-macrophages and T cells play a crucial role in the progression of HIV-1 myocarditis to HIV-1 cardiomyopathy.


Nutrient deficiency is identified by use of visual symptoms. However, the application of the proposed deficient nutrient often does not result in the correction of the observed visual symptoms. This is because essential nutrients do not operate independently of each other or independently of the overall plant health and growing conditions. A study was initiated in 2016 at the Kansas State University Southwest ResearchExtension Center Finnup Farm near Garden City, KS, to use both soil and plant analyses to identify toxicities or hidden deficiencies that could be limiting corn yield at various irrigation capacities. Soil samples prior to planting and plant samples at tasseling were collected from corn grown under five irrigation capacities and dryland conditions. Irrigation capacities were 0.25, 0.17, 0.13, 0.10, and 0.08 in./d. Relationships among plant nutrients and corn yield were developed to identify possible nutrients that could be limiting corn yield. Soil analysis showed soil pH of around 8 and organic matter of around 2%. In general, as expected, soil pH did increase with reduction in irrigation capacity. Sulfur (S) was the only nutrient found to be of concern within the soil analysis. Sulfur was also found to be of concern in the plant analysis. The S concentration was right at the lower limit of the sufficiency level. All other nutrients were within the required sufficiency level. However, manganese (Mn) (110 ppm) concentration was found to be higher than that of iron (Fe) (94 ppm). Whenever Mn concentration in a plant is higher than that of Fe regardless of concentration, it is an indication of Fe deficiency. Moreover, a significant relationship (P = 0.05) was observed for plant Fe concentration and corn grain yield at the 10% significance level. Likewise, an even stronger significant relationship (P = 0.035) was observed for Fe/Mn ratio and corn grain yield at the 5% significance level. These results suggest that Fe deficiency could be the hidden deficiency limiting corn yield.


AIMS
The rare association of flupirtine with liver injury is most likely caused by reactive quinone diimines and their oxidative formation may be influenced by the activities of N-acetyltransferases (NAT) that conjugate the less toxic metabolite D13223, and by glucuronosyltransferases (UGT) and glutathione S-transferases (GST) that generate stable terminal glucuronides and mercapturic acid derivatives, respectively. The influence of genetic polymorphisms of NAT2, UGT1A1 and GSTP1 on generation of the terminal mercapturic acid derivatives and analgesic effects was evaluated to identify potential genetic risk factors for hepatotoxicity of flupirtine.

METHODS
Metabolic disposition of flupirtine was measured after intravenous administration (100 mg), after swallowing an immediate-release (IR) tablet (100 mg) and after repeated administration of modified release (MR) tablets (400 mg once daily 8 days) in 36 selected healthy subjects. Analgesic effects were measured using pain models (delayed onset of muscle soreness, electric pain).

RESULTS
Flupirtine IR was rapidly but incompletely absorbed (∼ 72%). Repeated administration of flupirtine MR showed lower bioavailability (∼ 60%). Approximately 12% of bioavailable flupirtine IR and 8% of bioavailable flupiritine MR was eliminated as mercapturic acid derivatives into the urine independent of the UGT1A1, NAT2 and GSTP1 genotype. Carriers of variant GSTP1 alleles showed lower bioavailability but increased intestinal secretion of flupirtine and increased efficiency in experimental pain. Flupirtine was not a substrate for ABCB1 and ABCC2.

CONCLUSIONS
Formation of mercapturic acid derivatives is a major elimination route for flupirtine in man. However, the theoretically toxic pathway is not influenced by the frequent polymorphisms of UGT1A1, NAT2 and GSTP1.


We summarize the main ideas behind TGFT condensate cosmology and sketch the technical steps that bring from the fundamental theory to the effective cosmological dynamics. This framework is presented as an explicit illustration of (and possibly a general template for) the emergence of spacetime from non-spatiotemporal quantum entities in quantum gravity, and the many aspects involved in it.


Stories about global and ecological change in Afghanistan are manifold but fact-based knowledge is still poor. At the same time, environmental changes like water shortages and warmer temperatures can already be felt. Fact-based decisions on adap-tation are urgently needed from the policy side. The AEDC is a multi-faceted initiative to support a fact-driven policy on adaptation. Initiated by the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) and UNEP, the Afghanistan Environmental Data Centre provides geospatial knowledge, technologies and infra- structure to all stakeholders engaged and interested in Afghan- istan's sustainable future. The AEDC is based on several pillars with different state-of -the-art approaches for capacity building, technological support and networking in the environmental context which help to face the challenges of Global Change.


Various properties of monoclonal antibody (MAB) and nucleic acid (NA) probes confer advantages over polyclonal antibodies in sera and permit the probes to be used to directly and rapidly detect small quantities of pathogens in body fluids, biopsy, or postmortem material. This makes it unnecessary to amplify the amount of pathogen by growth in vitro or to perform neutralization tests, procedures that are time-consuming. Even if pathogens are grown in vitro, highly specific MABs can be used in immunofluorescence tests to differentiate isolates to extents not possible using antisera. There has been much greater investment in the development of probes for the diagnosis of human disease than for veterinary disease, because of the greater commercial potential of the former. A number of factors work against the development and distribution of new probes, but most of these are only temporary impediments if demand is there. Even in human medicine, the application of new probes is in its infancy, and it is probable that it will be several years yet before probes achieve widespread use in avian diagnosis. However, the potential of some MAB and NA probes is too great to ignore.


Most instruments traditionally used to teach music in early education, like xylophones or flutes, encumber children with the additional difficulty of an unfamiliar and unnatural interface. The most simple expressive interaction, that even the smallest children use in order to make music, is pounding at surfaces. Through the design of an instrument with a simple interface, like a drum, but which produces a melodic sound, children can be provided with an easy and intuitive means to produce consonance. This should be further complemented with information from analysis and interpretation of childlike gestures and dance moves, reflecting their natural understanding of musical structure and motion. Based on these assumptions we propose a modular and reactive system for dynamic composition with accessible interfaces, divided into distinct plugins usable in a standard digital audio workstation. This paper describes our concept and how it can facilitate access to collaborative music making for small children. A first prototypical implementation has been designed and developed during the ongoing research project Drum-Dance-Music-Machine (DDMM), a cooperation with the local social welfare association AWO Hagen and the chair of musical education at the University of Applied Sciences Bielefeld.


Adsorption of hydrogen atoms on a single graphite sheet (graphene) has been investigated by first-principles electronic structure means, employing plane-wave based periodic density functional theory. A 5 x 5 surface unit cell has been adopted to study single and multiple adsorptions of H atoms. Binding and barrier energies for sequential sticking have been computed for a number of configurations involving adsorption on top of carbon atoms. We find that binding energies per atom range from approximately 0.8 to approximately 1.9 eV, with barriers to sticking in the range 0.0-0.15 eV. In addition, depending on the number and location of adsorbed hydrogen atoms, we find that magnetic structures may form in which spin density localizes on a square root(3) x square root(3)R30 degrees sublattice and that binding (barrier) energies for sequential adsorption increase (decrease) linearly with the site-integrated magnetization. These results can be rationalized with the help of the valence-bond resonance theory of planar pi conjugated systems and suggest that preferential sticking due to barrierless adsorption is limited to formation of hydrogen pairs.


BACKGROUND
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy are considered to be closely associated. However, the relationship has not yet been fully demonstrated and is hence still controversial. The purpose of this study was to assess in hypertensive male patients the relationship between OSA and cardiac structure using a new index, namely, integrated area of desaturation (IAD), in addition to the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) that is currently the most frequently used index of sleep-disordered breathing.

METHODS
In our cross-sectional study, 223 hypertensive men younger than 65 years with sleep apnea and normal cardiac function were enrolled. All subjects were evaluated by fully attended polysomnography. Cardiac structure and function were evaluated by echocardiography.

RESULTS
LV mass index significantly correlated with IAD (r = 0.203, P < 0.05), but not with AHI. Multivariate linear regression analyses showed that IAD, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and age are independent variables affecting the LV mass index (β = 0.262, 0.237, and 0.173, respectively, P < 0.05). IAD was the one and only determinant among the indices of sleep-disordered breathing.

CONCLUSIONS
Nocturnal intermittent hypoxia defined by IAD may be associated with LV hypertrophy in men with well-controlled hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea.


Background The purpose of this project was to investigate the use of tobacco with betel nut chewing in Saipan, CNMI (Micronesia). Betel nut is a carcinogenic palm nut chewed mainly in south Asia and the western and southern Pacific islands. It is a habitual practice that is considered by many to be an integral part of their culture. There are many different ways of preparing betel nut, and many include tobacco (mainly cigarettes on Saipan) in the mix. This greatly amplifies the addiction, as well as the risk of oral cancer, among other diseases. It appears that betel nut is being used more frequently and at a younger age on Saipan. Tobacco use by minors has escaped scrutiny because of the role that betel nut has in local culture. Study Design and Methods All subjects recruited were betel nut chewers between ages 18 and 40 years and were indigenous Micronesians (Chamorro, Carolinian, etc). Interview subjects were recruited during their visit to the Commonwealth Health Center on Saipan. Questions asked structured and open-ended questions aimed at eliciting usage patterns, attitudes, and beliefs about betel nut chewing with or without tobacco. Results Of the 41 subjects interviewed, 37 (90%) reported chewing betel nut with tobacco. Nearly all first experiences with betel nut occur without tobacco (mean age 12.2 years). After tobacco is introduced (mean age 14.5 years) the addiction habit tends to develop (mean age 15.6 years). Those who chew betel nut with tobacco appear to be about twice as likely not to smoke tobacco. Two out of 3 believe that chewing betel nut is part of their culture. However, nearly all do not believe that including tobacco in betel nut is a cultural practice. Eight out of 10 mentioned the risk of cancer with chewing betel nut. None of those who spoke of cancer identified betel nut itself as a cancer-causing agent. They believed that it was either the tobacco, lime paste, or both that caused cancer. Conclusion There is a possibility that attempts at reducing chewing betel nut with cigarettes or tobacco may lead to an unintended increase in smoking tobacco. There are no current data to support or refute this concern. To account for this possibility, educational interventions must be focused on reducing tobacco use overall. A holistic approach on educating the public on the harms of tobacco use and chewing betel nut is necessary.


We present the first sensor network architecture to monitor integrated circuits (IC) thermal and energy activity. The sensor network consists of a set of simple gates, which are superimposed over the actual design of any IC. The sensing network and the actual IC design are completely disjoint in order to enable their simultaneous operation. Since the delay of gates is proportional to their temperature, we can obtain temperature of the network gates, by measuring the delay of the gates in the self-sensing network. Once we measured the delay of the circuit, we use CMOS temperature-delay relation and linear programming formulation to calculate the temperature at any point on the chip. High resolution (spatial and temporal) temperature monitoring allows several run-time optimizations. Protecting shared processors from permanent localized damage through rapid creation of hot spots and efficient accounting of the available energy supply are among two main applications of our IC sensor network.


In a paper by Willems et al., it was shown that persistently exciting data can be used to represent the input–output behavior of a linear system. Based on this fundamental result, we derive a parametrization of linear feedback systems that paves the way to solve important control problems using data-dependent linear matrix inequalities only. The result is remarkable in that no explicit system's matrices identification is required. The examples of control problems we solve include the state and output feedback stabilization, and the linear quadratic regulation problem. We also discuss robustness to noise-corrupted measurements and show how the approach can be used to stabilize unstable equilibria of nonlinear systems.


The unculturable nature of intracellular obligate symbionts presents a significant challenge for elucidating gene functionality, necessitating the development of gene manipulation techniques. One of the best-studied obligate symbioses is that between aphids and the bacterial endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola. Given the extensive genome reduction observed in Buchnera, the remaining genes are crucial for understanding the host-symbiont relationship, but a lack of tools for manipulating gene function in the endosymbiont has significantly impeded the exploration of the molecular mechanisms underlying this mutualism. In this study, we introduced a novel gene manipulation technique employing synthetic single-stranded peptide nucleic acids (PNAs). We targeted the critical Buchnera groEL using specially designed antisense PNAs conjugated to an arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptide (CPP). Within 24 h of PNA administration via microinjection, we observed a significant reduction in groEL expression and Buchnera cell count. Notably, the interference of groEL led to profound morphological malformations in Buchnera, indicative of impaired cellular integrity. The gene knockdown technique developed in this study, involving the microinjection of CPP-conjugated antisense PNAs, provides a potent approach for in vivo gene manipulation of unculturable intracellular symbionts, offering valuable insights into their biology and interactions with hosts.


This work presents one new approach for adaptive extraction of the contours of the sign language interpreter in video sequences. The aim of the processing is to obtain clear contour images, which retain the understandability of the interpreted signs and together with this, ensure very efficient compression of the processed video sequences. In the paper is presented the algorithm used in the consecutive stages of the image processing illustrated with some experimental results. The algorithm is based on two-stage filtration (noise filtration with local adaptive digital filtration, followed by uneven illumination correction with 2D linear digital filtration). The processing then continues with image segmentation. The presented approach is of great importance for video sign-language presentations, because in result of the usually used inter-frame compression their understandability is not so good, if they comprise quick movements of interpreter's hands. In order to avoid this, the new approach is based on the assumption that the color video sequences are substituted with similar ones, which contain the extracted contours only. The understandability of the represented signs is retained, because in this case instead of inter-frame lossy compression, is used intra-frame lossless compression. The obtained compression ratio is very high, which permits real-time implementations of the presented approach.


Six cases of proven cri du chat syndrome are compared clinically. The difficulties in distinguishing the characteristic facial appearance became greater with age. Since the characteristic cry also becomes less marked after the age of a year it is emphasised that the clinical diagnosis is most easily made in the first six months of life.


Alteration action of induction heat into distinguishable illustrations or image for the perception of traits in the scarcity ocular light is term as thermal imagery. To gain meaningful data, the images must undergo a series of preprocessing steps that include: edge detection. Usually, kernel-based methods like Sobel, Canny, Roberts etc. are used. The per phase of the current trends for edge detection has been presented in this work. The Canny methodology has indications like tremendous competence, commotion subduing, and extensive details of extremities or boundaries or edge. The incentives behind this assessment are to implement the state of art concerning exertive induction heat thermography for perception, and indication of various utilization.


........................................................................................................................................................ ii Dedication .................................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... v List of Figures .............................................................................................................................................. xi List of Tables .............................................................................................................................................. xii List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................. xiii Chapter


Crystallographic and topographical evolutions of a cylinder patterned sapphire substrate (PSS) under ordinary wet etching conditions (H2SO4 : H3PO4 = 5 : 1 volume ratio, 230 °C) were systematically studied using complementary SEM and AFM characterization techniques. The strongly time-dependent crystallographic and topographical evolutions of cylinder protrusions were revealed. Cylinders changed to triangular frustums with co-existing top c-planes, to triangular pyramids with multiple high Miller index planes, then to hexagonal pyramids, and finally to triangular pyramids with a single family of planes. The Miller indices of five major crystallographic planes were determined: CY2 {1 0 15}, CY3 {1 0 6}, CY4b { 1 0 5}, CY5 {4 1 38}, and CY6 {1 0 12}, with the first three being reported for the first time to the best of our knowledge. The etching rates of the crystallographic planes follow the order: CY3 > CY5 > CY6 > CY2 > c plane. It was clearly demonstrated that cylinder protrusions, featuring steep sidewalls, circular symmetry, and top c-planes, are suitable for studying the full spectrum of crystallographic and topographical evolution characteristics of the PSS, as well as for fabricating optimized PSSs with a specific slant angle for enhancing the performance of light emitting diodes in the future.


The convergence of existing wireless communications evolves to all Internet protocol (IP)-based networks with several services. We focus on integration of Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and wireless local area network (WLAN) environment. However, the transmission capacity difference of two networks causes the seamless mobility, secure connection, and the real-time charging difficulty. Moreover, there are still several problems such as vertical handoff (VHO), security, roaming, quality of service (QoS), accounting, billing and charging. In this paper, we describe service-oriented issues for mobility, security and billing in mobile next generation networks (NGNs). In additional, we propose mobility and charging solutions for integrated system management using a mobility manager (MobiM) and charging manager (CharM) in mobile NGNs. Thus, we solve the problems of seamless mobility and real-time charging in integration of UMTS and WLAN environment.


The paper describes the design and simulation of an antenna that will be used in an extremely difficult environment, inside jet engines. The antenna enables wireless sensor network application in an environment that has never been tested before. Due to the extreme limitations, the antenna has to be ultra-thin, but still working. In the paper, the antenna is simulated and then measured in both anechoic and reverberation chamber. Simulated results agree well with the measured values. The radiation efficiency of the antenna is -13 dB and is not much affected when placed in metallic environment.


The expression for the probability distribution of X-ray intensities is obtained for a non-centrosymmetric crystal possessing an approximate centre of symmetry and from this the acentric and centric distributions of Wilson are deduced as limiting cases. Theoretical expressions for the variance, test ratio q and moments of the normalized intensity z are also obtained in terms of the parameter 〈|Δr|〉 which is a measure of the degree of centrosymmetry. From the theoretical results it appears that the non-centrosymmetric nature of such a crystal could be detected by statistical tests, provided accurate z values are available and reflexions with high (sin θ/λ) values are used for the test.


Background: Obesity contributes to numerous and varied comorbid disease. Obesity is one of a constellation of markers for coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This meta-analysis study aimed to assess the effect of obesity on hypertension in elderly. Subjects and Method: Meta-analysis and systematic review were conducted by collecting articles from Google Scholar, PubMed, Springer Link, and Science Direct databases. Keywords used "obesity" AND "hypertension" OR "high blood pressure" AND "elderly" OR "older people" AND "cross sectional". The inclusion criteria were full text, using English or Indonesian language, using cross-sectional study design, and reporting adjusted odds ratio. The data were analyzed using Revman 5.3 program. Results: 6 studies from Netherland, Ethiopia, Singapura, Cina, Jerman, and Canada were selected for this study. Current meta-analysis study showed that obesity increased the risk of hypertension in elderly (aOR = 3.01; 95% CI= 2.44 to 3.72; p<0.01) with I2 = 61%. Conclusion: obesity increased the risk of hypertension in elderly. Keywords: obesity, hypertension, elderly Correspondence: Maria Imakulata Berek. Masters Program in Public Health, Universitas Sebelas Maret. Jl. Ir. Sutami 36A, Surakarta 57126, Central Java. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com. Mobile: 085311622368.


The appetite for ever increasing computing power and interconnection bandwidth could be sated by vertical-cavity, surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL) for optical data communication. Made inexpensively using IC processing techniques, they can be diced in planar or linear arrays, such as in the wavelength-division multiplexer. The author discusses the essentials of semiconductor light sources, epitaxial growth of the surface-emitting laser and its interior design. The characteristics and operation of the VCSEL are described.


The ability of macroscopic models to predict correctly multicomponent systems from pure component isotherms alone remains a major challenge in adsorption engineering. A new fundamental thermodynamic model for multicomponent adsorption of molecules of different size in nanoporous materials is derived from a modified lattice fluid model. Expressions for the fugacity coefficients are derived and the resulting equilibrium relationships are shown to be consistent with a type I adsorption isotherm. Expressions are obtained for the saturation capacity, the Henry law constant and the adsorption energy. The model is applied to silicalite and the parameters for the adsorbent are obtained from crystal properties, the adsorption energy of n-alkanes and Henry law constants for 6 gases. Model predictions for gas adsorption up to 20 bar are shown to be comparable to empirical adsorption isotherm equations. Extension to binary and quaternary systems shows good a priori predictive capability when compared to experimental data.


This thesis describes the investigation and testing of a prototype music therapy practice evaluation system: Music Therapy Logbook, Prototype 1. Such a system is intended to be used by music therapists as an aid to their existing evaluation techniques. The investigation of user needs, the multi-disciplinary team work, the pre-field and field recording tests, and the computational music analysis tests are each presented in turn, preceded by an in depth literature review on historical and existing music therapy evaluation methods. A final chapter presents investigative design work for proposed user interface software pages for the Music Therapy Logbook system. Four surveys are presented (n = 6, n = 10, n = 44, n =125). These gathered information on current music therapy evaluation methods, therapists' suggested functions for the system, and therapists' attitudes towards using the proposed automatic and semi-automatic music therapy evaluation functions, some of which were tested during the research period. The results indicate enthusiasm for using the system to; record individual music therapy sessions, create written notes linked to recordings and undertake automatic and/or semi-automatic computer aided music therapy analysis; the main purpose of which is to quantify changes in a therapist's and patient's use of music over time, (Streeter, 2010). Simulated music therapy improvisations were recorded and analysed. The system was then used by a music therapist working in a neuro-disability unit, to record individual therapy sessions with patients with acquired brain injuries. These recordings constitute the first music therapy audio recordings employing multi-track audio recording techniques, using existing radio microphone technology. The computational music analysis tests applied to the recordings are the first such tests to be applied to recordings of music therapy sessions in which an individual patient played acoustic, rather than MIDI, instruments. The findings prove it is possible to gather objective evidence of changes in a patient's and therapist's use of music over time, using the Music Therapy Logbook Prototype 1 system.