For the last sixty years, scholars and practitioners of international human rights have paid insufficient attention to the ground level social contexts in which human rights norms are imbued with or deprived of social meaning. During the same time period, social science insights have shown that social conditions can have a significant impact on human behavior. This Article is the first to investigate the far ranging implications of behavioralism, especially behavioral insights about social influence, for the international human rights regime. It explores design implications for three broad components of the regime: the content, adjudication, and implementation of human rights. In addition, the Article addresses some of the advantages and limitations of the behavioral approach and identifies the rich but unexplored nexus of behavioralism, norms, and international law.


The thesis is a summary and discussion of eight papers. During the last decades, precipitation has become increasingly acidic due to the extensive use of fossil fuels. In areas of poorly buffered bedrocks, e.g. Scandinavia, northeastern United States, this phenomenon has resulted in elevated amounts of Al(III) being leached into streams and lakes. Recent findings reveal that these elevated Al-concentrations could cause fish death and decreasing forest production.In the present thesis, the importance of taking naturally occurring substances into consideration when discussing Al(III) in natural waters, is emphasized. On the basis of a chemical characterization of relevant ligand classes in a natural water, the complex formation between Al^+, hydroxide ions and the inorganic ligand carbonic acid, the low-molecular weight organic ligand citric acid and the high-molecular weight model substances gallic acid, 1,2-dihydroxynaphtha-lene-4-sulfonate, 1,2-naphthoquinone-4-sulfonate, pyrocatechol and salicylic acid were investigated. The investigations were performed as series of Potentiometrie titrations and data were processed by means of the least-squares computer program LETAGROPVRID using a technique called pqr-analysis, permitting an unbiased search for complex model (and corresponding equilibrium constants) to be made. In most systems studied, the complexation at high ligand excesses can be described by a series of mononuclear complexes AIL-AIL^. Tentatively, the whole series consists of octahedrally coordinated (water and ligand oxygens) AI(III). At lower ligand excesses, the significance and in some cases even predominance of ternary mono- and polynuclear hydroxo complexes is demonstrated. In two of the systems, binary aluminium hydroxo species are evaluated.The potential importance of the substances with respect to Al-com-plexation in natural waters are indicated in a number of model calculations. The solubility of the clay mineral kaolinite is calculated as a function of -lg[H+] and ligand concentration. It is shown that citric acid, gallic acid, 1,2-dihydroxynaphthalene-4-sulfonate, pyrocatechol and salicylic acid contribute quite significant to the total solubilities, even at very low concentrations.As a complement and background to the equilibrium studies, the corrosion rate for one of the naturally occurring Al-bearing minerals, corundum, is reported. In this investigation, performed with a leach-ant solution of ground-water composition, an experimental technique was employed which made it possible to divide the corrosion into chemical and mechanical losses.


The specific pulmonary-renal syndrome term (PRS) denotes simultaneous and continuously pulmonary hemorrhage (PH) and glomerulonephritis (GN). Therefore, the specific PRS implies a much more restrictive range of etiological possibilities and the most frequent is the small vessel vasculitides (SVVsVPV). As a consequence, it is known at present that the coexistence of the two affections, it means GN and PH, results from a series of illnesses with different underlying pathogenic mechanisms. The diagnosis of PRS is established by a combination of clinical presentation, serologic results and histological findings evaluated in an adequate clinical context. In the majority of patients with PH and GN, it is necessary to make a renal biopsy and final diagnostic test in the majority of cases; and with great value for the prognosis and treatment. The objectives of the treatment in PRS include: To remove the circulating antibodies, to stop the autoantibodies production; and to remove any antigen that stimulates the antibodies production. We reported six PRS cases by vasculitic disorder in adult patients. (Acta Med Colomb 2006; 31: 31-39)


Metamaterials with multiple resonators have been widely investigated for the purpose of generating multiple stop bands or broadening the attenuation bandwidth. The multiple resonators could be connected end to end in a line, namely, in-series connection, or connected individually to the host structures, namely, in-parallel connection. This paper investigates the influence of the resonator connection methodology on the frequency response functions of metamaterial beams with multiple resonators and exhibits an approach for optimizing their resonator distribution over the structure. The receptance functions of metamaterial beams with various resonator connection architectures are calculated by a transfer matrix model, which is verified through finite element model results. It is demonstrated that resonator interconnection architectures have a great impact on the global dynamic properties of metamaterials. An optimization strategy is subsequently proposed to find out the optimal resonator connection architectures and mass distributions that could minimize the maximal receptance functions in targeted single and multiple frequency ranges. The objective functions within single targeted frequency ranges are solved by the adoption of the genetic algorithm method. The weighted sum method is used to gain an optimal solution for multi-frequency range optimization. The metamaterial beams with optimal resonator connection methods and mass distributions demonstrate greatly enhanced vibration attenuation at frequencies of interest compared with other beams. The work is expected to provide the necessary theoretical basis and incentive for future researchers working on the design of metamaterials with extended, tuned, and optimized stop bands.


Cloud computing offers reduced capital expenditure, operational risks, complexity and maintenance, and increased scalability while providing services at different abstraction levels, namely Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). A new approach called cloud networking adds networking functionalities to cloud computing and enables dynamic and flexible placement of virtual resources crossing provider borders. This allows various kinds of optimization, e.g., reducing latency or network load. However, this approach introduces new security challenges. This paper presents a security architecture that enables a user of cloud networking to define security requirements and enforce them in the cloud networking infrastructure.


We assume that alertness should be highest at the end of a sleep episode: it is not. There is always sleep inertia upon awakening, which can last minutes to hours, and whose underlying physiological mechanisms are largely unknown. Previously, we had found a functional relationship between the degree of distal vasodilatation (as measured by the distal‐proximal skin temperature gradient (DPG) and sleepiness (as measured by subjective ratings), promoting rapid sleep onset. This led us to hypothesize that the dissipation of sleep inertia (sleepiness) would be associated with reverse thermoregulatory mechanisms, i.e. distal vasoconstriction. In two sets of experiments with either a nocturnal sleep episode (study 1) or an afternoon nap (study 2) we could show that vasodilatation of hands and feet increased after lights off and that this was reversed after lights on. The time course of the DPG was significantly and positively correlated with subjective sleepiness (KSS), reflecting similar temporal relationships in both studies 1 and 2. The extremities cooled at a rate very closely parallel to the decay of sleepiness [time constants for the exponential decline calculated for study 2: DPG, 0.286 ± 0.048 h versus KSS, 0.332 ± 0.050 h; NS], indicating redistribution of heat from the shell to the core during dissipation of sleepiness. There was no statistical evidence that the time course of sleep inertia and its thermophysiological correlates depend on sleep structure prior to awakening. The symmetry between the thermoregulatory processes initiating sleepiness and those dissipating it is striking. In order to directly test our hypothesis, further studies with thermophysiological interventions (e.g. cooling the extremities) are needed.


Dissimilar joining of Ti-22Al-25Nb alloy and an α+β titanium alloy TC11 were carried out using electron beam process and linear friction process, respectively. The microstructure and tensile properties of the joints were investigated. The results show that both EBW and LFW could be adopted to the dissimilar joining of Ti-22Al-25Nb/TC11. The EB welded joint exhibits higher strength than that of the LF welded joint, due to the precipitation of O phase in the fusion zone of the former one. These results can be expected to be of great technical interest as basic data for the use of EBW or LFW in aerospace industry.


The dissertation seeks to discern the political and administrative factors that determine the results of international environment and development policies. On the one hand, it makes a contribution to the broader theoretical debate on international regimes by combining regime theory and theories on domestic policy results into an integrated framework for the analysis of international policy results (theoretical objective). The resulting framework applies a process-oriented and multi-theoretical perspective emphasising that factors in the formation and implementation of policies impinge on policy results. More often these factors also tend to interact. Moreover, the framework is also applied and partly tested in an empirical case study intended to explain why the implementation process of the so called Amazon Cooperation Treaty needed more man 15 years to take off and materialize (empirical objective). This particular treaty was signed in 1978 by Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela with the broader ambition to jointly preserve and develop Amazonia. However, it remained essentially inactive until 1989 when it was given a renewed diplomatic impulse. From that moment it has also witnessed increasing and sustained activity. This part of the discussion is carried out as a historical analysis considering both specific and contextual factors. The empirical case study concludes that the overall development of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty results from formative moments where major contextual changes have interacted with more specific factors, such as individual leadership. These findings support thereby the stage-oriented and multi-theoretical approach suggested by the integrated analytical framework. In addition, the study also provides an additional overview of the emergence of Latin American development and environment policies.


The chemical and physical properties of the high-molecular-weight glycoprotein (SO20, w = 8S; Ve=Vo on Sephadex G-200) with gastric antisecretory activity extracted from the urine of pregnant women were studied. Gel filtration in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate and sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-disc-gel electrophoresis indicated subunit mol.wts. of 16 000 +/- 1500 and 13 000 +/- 1000 respectively. Reaggregation of the subunits and partial recovery of the biological activity were observed on removal of the detergent. The partial C-terminal sequence was found to be Phe-Tyr-Leu-Val-OH, whereas glycine appears to be the N-terminal amino acid. The carbohydrate composition was examined; all galactosamine was found to be O-glycosidically linked to the polypeptide chain.


In an increasingly global world, societies are being provisioned from a bewildering array of sources as new countries and new food commodities are drawn into international markets. Globalising Food provides an innovative contribution to the area of political economy of agriculture, food and consumption through a revealing investigation of the globalisation and restructuring of localised agricultural sectors and food systems. The book draws on new theoretical perspectives and wide-ranging case studies from Britain, the USA, India, South Africa, New Zealand and Latin America. The key themes addresses range from giant multinational food corporations, rural industrialisation and World Bank policies, to the regulation of pollution, labour relations, urban food politics and environmental sustainability. Globalising Food offers important insights into the problems, consequences and limits of the industrialisation of agriculture and the provisioning of food in a global world as we approach the new millenium.


INTRODUCTION Oahu, comprising 598 square miles, and Maui, comprising 728 square miles, are two of the major islands of the Hawaiian group, about 58 miles apart, with Molokai lying between them. Both are volcanic doublets. Oahu is noted for its port of Honolulu, and Maui for its dormant eroded crater of Haleakala. Surrounding Oahu is a narrow coastal plain which emerged from the sea in Pleistocene time, and which, in places, reaches 6 miles in width. It consists of reef limestone and terrigenous deposits. Surrounding all but the east and west ends of Oahu is a fringing reef. Notably different from Oahu is Maui, which has only a few narrow strips of coastal plain, and these contain no reef limestone. The absence of emerged reefs on Maui is, however, not surprising in view of the relative paucity of living reef at the present time. The shore lines described below were . . .


This Note examines how the Myanmar government can create an appropriate legal and regulatory framework to promote contract farming. While the viability of contract farming in Myanmar has attracted some academic interest, this Note contributes to existing literature in two ways. First, it utilizes the pre- and post-establishment framework in foreign investment literature, in order to analyze the government's role at different stages of the contract farming relationship. Second, it draws from the experiences of Myanmar's closest comparator — Laos — with adopting contract farming as a mode of agricultural foreign investment. This Note finds that while Myanmar's weak legal system poses challenges, its ongoing reform of the investment, land, and tax laws also presents opportunities for a successful adoption of contract farming.


AIMS
Daily low-dose aspirin is recommended for prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are recommended to prevent or treat aspirin-associated gastrointestinal injury. Previous studies have reported contradictory findings regarding the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients who use PPI with aspirin therapy. We sought to examine associations between PPI use and MACE and all-cause mortality in aspirin-treated CAD patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS
Using electronic medical record and healthcare claims data, we conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study to examine patients 40 years or older with a diagnosis of CAD and documented aspirin use. Patients taking clopidogrel or other antiplatelet or anticoagulant agents were excluded. Risk of MACE and all-cause mortality associated with PPI use vs. no PPI use was analysed by Cox proportional hazards regression with standard covariate adjustment. Of the 2011 patients included in the study, 295 (14.7%) used a PPI. During a mean follow-up of 3.1 years, 294 patients [63 PPI users (21.4%) and 231 PPI non-users (13.5%)] experienced an MACE. In the adjusted model, the risk of MACE with PPI treatment was no different than without PPI treatment [hazard ratio (HR) 1.32 (95% confidence interval 0.8-2.4)]. Likewise, there was no difference between groups for risk of all-cause mortality; 201 patients [47 PPI users (15.9%) and 154 PPI non-users (9.0%)] died of any cause [HR 1.33 (0.9-1.9)]. Results were validated by robust propensity score-matching methods (n = 574).

CONCLUSIONS
No evidence was found that PPI use is associated with increased risk of MACE or all-cause mortality in aspirin-treated CAD patients.


This paper focuses on pre-enactment review of legislation as a constitutional tool for the protection of recognised rights. The paper first makes the distinction between strong- and weak-form judicial review, in order to analyse how pre-enactment review can be practiced within each constitutional model. Two countries are first looked at to illustrate the two models: the United States for strong-form review, and New Zealand for weak-form review. The absence of any formal pre-enactment review in the United States is noted, and evaluated through a more in-depth assessment of congressional practice. This observation leads to the main proposal of the paper: that pre-enactment review should be made mandatory in the United States. A comparative assessment is then made in order to discuss the proposal. The relevant constitutional practices in Australia, Canada and Japan are outlined. These comparative assessments are used to further delineate the appropriate form that mandatory pre-enactment review of legislation could take in the United States.


Scholars have implied that affirmative action is associated with deteriorating conditions for the poor. However, few have attempted to demonstrate any association between affirmative action and poverty empirically. The author relied upon data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) 1975-1999 and a generalized least squares model to test the relationship between the percent of Blacks who qualify as poor in a given year and several measures of affirmative action. The author finds a mixed but largely null relationship between Black poverty and affirmative action and concludes that affirmative action programs have little impact on Black poverty levels.


In the VR content, one of the main reasons for damaging immersive experience is VR sickness. It is well known that exercising user's arms or legs is effective to control symptoms of VR sickness. In this paper, we propose a new method that wraps the sensor around the wrists and allows natural arm swinging. We also evaluate how to swing users' arms and walk around virtual space from its walking speed, routes and different types of sensors.


We report on a unique electrocorticography (ECoG) experiment in which Steady-State Visual Evoked Potentials (SSVEPs) to frequency- and phase-tagged stimuli were recorded from a large subdural grid covering the entire right occipital cortex of a human subject. The paradigm is popular in EEG-based Brain Computer Interfacing where selectable targets are encoded by different frequency- and/or phase-tagged stimuli. We compare the performance of two state-of-the-art SSVEP decoders on both ECoG- and scalp-recorded EEG signals, and show that ECoG-based decoding is more accurate for very short stimulation lengths (i.e., less than 1 s). Furthermore, whereas the accuracy of scalp-EEG decoding benefits from a multi-electrode approach, to address interfering EEG responses and noise, ECoG decoding enjoys only a marginal improvement as even a single electrode, placed over the posterior part of the primary visual cortex, seems to suffice. This study shows, for the first time, that EEG-based SSVEP decoders can in principle be applied to ECoG, and can be expected to yield faster decoding speeds using less electrodes.


In this paper, we investigate the algebraic properties of intuitionistic fuzzy matrices under the new multiplicative operations and . The properties of intuitionistic fuzzy matrices are also obtained in the case where these new operations are combined with the well known operations of intuitionistic fuzzy matrices.


Today more than 45 % of all energy-related CO2 emissions come from burning coal. Thus, reducing CO2 emissions from coal use is a necessity for reaching the targets of the Paris Agreement. This will not only pose challenges for coal consumers (restructuring of the energy system), but also for countries whose economy is strongly depending on the production of coal. This paper examines the role of coal in three countries, which are or were in recent years among the top coal exporters: Indonesia, Colombia and Vietnam. Understanding challenges and possible transition pathways in these countries will help to develop global strategies to reduce CO2 emissions from coal in the short to mid-term.


Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are becoming an important medium for the distribution of consumer information goods. However, there is little academic research into the behavior of these networks. We analyze the impact of positive and negative network externalities on the optimal size of P2P networks. Using data collected from the six most popular OpenNap P2P music-sharing networks between December 19, 2000 and April 22, 2001 we find that additional users contribute value in terms of additional network content at a diminishing rate, while they impose costs in terms of congestion on shared resources at an increasing rate. Using an analytic model, we explore technical solutions to the congestion problem, for example by increasing network capacity. This model suggests that although increasing capacity will allow more users to participate on the network, there may be little incentive for network operators to do so. This is because diminishing positive network externalities imply decreasing content benefits to adding more users. Together these results suggest that the optimal size of a P2P network may be bounded in many common implementations. We conclude by discussing various options to improve network performance including network membership rules and usage-based pricing.


In the present review a generalized view of sintering mechanism on the basis of the electronic nature of the chemical species involved has been highlighted. The stable electronic configuration model proposed by G.V.Samsonov is one of the models. In spite of the fact that the model is qualitative, its far reaching impact in explaining liquid phase sintering and activated sintering of real systems can not be minimized. In a way the model holds a premium in its predictive nature , which is so crucial not only in sintering processing, but also in alloy design based on metallic or ceramic systems or composites constituted out of these.


Science education as a part of STEM education is becoming important not only for the future success of the individual but also for the economic development of the nation. This study explores the global pattern of extended education and its impact on learning outcomes in the area of science. First, the study found substantial national differences in access to afterschool science programs. Children and youth in developing countries generally lack opportunities to learn science after school, which was found to predict PISA 2015 science achievement in this study. The study suggests that inequality in extended education among countries requires urgent attention, as does inequality within countries. Second, the study found a negative relationship between additional study time for science and PISA science performance at the national level. Regarding this finding, it is speculated that the content of learning during additional study time differs from that of higher-order learning experiences measured by the PISA science test. The result may also be explained by the argument that the purpose of additional afterschool study is usually remedial lessons and/or test preparation. This cross-national research will provide insights to policy makers who intend to find global patterns in extended education, develop policy direction at the global level, and offer advice to national governments.


This study investigates how context-specific institutional factors affect innovative capabilities of the agricultural crop biotechnology sector in Hungary. Answering this question has involved three areas of research, into: the network of actors and its accommodation of technological characteristics; the sustained use of institutional arrangements which characterised the pre-transition science and innovation system; and, the difficulty of adapting to the regulatory environment in the post accession phase.

The significance of this work results from the lack of current knowledge on the extent and survival of capabilities in this sector in Hungary. The study timing is also significant: This is a phase that demonstrates how the sector is surviving the economic crisis that accompanied transition and enduring the current political uncertainty surrounding national GM crop policy.

The study uses qualitative methods, comprising a series of in-depth investigations. Data collection via interview and observation began in 2006. Data collection and analysis were guided by a theoretical framework emanating from national innovation systems and triple-helix perspectives.

This thesis explores the challenges that are faced by an innovation system during economic transition. The thesis also contributes to the knowledge of science systems and how core science capabilities have contributed to the endurance of a sectoral innovation system. In conclusion the work finds that innovative capabilities in the Hungarian agri-biotech sector currently reside in the core competencies and activities of the science community in this sector and the networks they have created over time within and outside the country. Their future survival depends on the ability of the sector to adapt to the changing context. The institutions between actors and organisations are key to survival of capabilities and their ability to adapt. Institutions hold both the adaptive mechanisms for change and the legacies of the past which can help or hinder that change.


In this activity, each student is provided with a worksheet and three index cards. Each card
indicates a different cell part (e.g., lipopolysaccharide, capsule, DNA). Students are placed in
small groups and given a written scenario regarding a bacterium with a certain goal it must carry
out. They must work together to decide what cell parts are needed to form the basic structure of any
cell as well as to carry out the specific functions required by their scenario. To "build" their
bacterium, they must negotiate and trade index cards with other groups to acquire their desired cell
parts.


In recent years, pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs) have aggravated increasing anxiety, particularly as no legitimate requirements have been set for discharge into surface water bodies of these ubiquitous, persistent and biologically active substances. Massive quantities of antibiotics are used in human and veterinary medicines in all parts of the globe to treat diseases with bacterial origins. After administration, antibiotics are excreted by the patient and transmitted in due course to the aquatic environment. These are also largely used in animal operations for growth promotion and for disease prophylaxis. These are often partially metabolized after administration and a significant fraction of the antibiotic can be excreted as the parent compound or in conjugated forms that can be converted back to the parent antibiotic. The residual antibiotics from human and animal use can enter the environment via various pathways, including wastewater effluent discharge, runoff from land to which agricultural or human waste has been applied, and leaching which deteriorate the whole ecosystem besides its deleterious impact on human health and aquatic organisms. Antibiotic resistance is a global phenomenon that has severe epidemiological ramifications worldwide and a major peril to public health. This article may give an idea about the sources and fate of commonly used antibiotics detected. More research is needed to quantify the risk of antibiotics in urban wastewater and effluents or surface water so that appropriate action can be taken prior to final discharge into surface water bodies to mitigate the harmful effects on aquatic environment and community health.

 Key words: Antibiotics, antibiotics resistance, antibiotics resistance bacteria, health hazards, microbial activity, wastewater.


We have determined the 5-methylcytosine (5mC) content in high molecular weight DNA, from two dicot (tobacco and pea) and two monocot (wheat and maize) plant species, fractionated according to base composition. The results show that the proportion of 5mC in the genomic fractions increases linearly with their guanine + cytosine (G + C) content while the proportion of non-methylated cytosine remains almost constant. This can be interpreted as a consequence of a difference in mutation pressure related to spontaneous deamination of 5mC to thymine between the different compartments of plant genomes.


Lead halide two-dimensional (2D) nanoplatelets (NPLs) have attracted intense interest due to their unique optoelectronic properties. However, environmental friendly lead-free 2D perovskite NPLs are highly desirable in terms of application. Herein, all-inorganic Cs3Bi2Br9 perovskite NPLs are synthesized for the first time via the hot injection method. The Cs3Bi2Br9 NPLs are parallelogram-shaped and exhibit an extremely sharp first exciton peak which blue-shifts substantially with respect to their bulk bandgap. The formation of Cs3Bi2Br9 NPLs is determined by the layered feature of Cs3Bi2Br9 crystalline structure and the shape of parallelogram is the reflection of the trigonal nature of Cs3Bi2Br9 crystal. The large blue-shift and extremely sharp first exciton peak are due to large exciton binding energy and quantum confinement in the Cs3Bi2Br9 NPLs and large exciton binding energy in Cs3Bi2Br9 crystal. The Cs3Bi2Br9 NPLs grow anisotropically from monodispersed parallelogram-shaped nuclei via Ostwald ripening, demonstrated by ex situ TEM investigation. Anion-exchange was used to effectively adjust the composition of the Cs3Bi2Br9 NPLs. Additionally, the Cs3Bi2Br9 NPLs exhibit excellent stability to air and illumination due to the robust crystal, BiOBr passivation and oleylamine and oleic acid co-passivation.


Objective: Mini-screws have widely been used as a temporary anchorage device. We previously reported the importance of insertion torque for primary implant stability. However, it remains unclear whether or not the destruction of cortical bone surrounding the mini-screw depends on the magnitude of the insertion torque, and whether or not the destroyed bone can be repaired around titanium alloy miniscrews.
Materials and Methods: Self-drilling type titanium alloy mini-screws were placed into the rat maxillary bone. Insertion torque and screw diameter were varied and their effect on primary stability of miniscrew was evaluated. Bone remodeling around the mini-screw and the ratio of osteoid and calcified bones was examined using Villanueva bone staining on each section. Moreover, during the experimental period, the tensile strength of the implanted screw was measured.
Results: Irrespective of the diameter of micro-implants which were implanted with 5-10 N.cm insertion torque were in close contact with the cortical bone, whereas the cortical bone was broken when implants were inserted with 15-20 N.cm insertion torque. While using the 15-20 N.cm insertion torque, the screw surface did not exhibit close contact with the cortical bone and osteoid was increased at 56 d after implantation. Furthermore, tensile strength of the bone in the 15-20 N.cm insertion torque group remained lower than in the 5-10 N.cm group through an experiment period.
Conclusions: Our findings emphasized that we should use an optimal insertion torque at 5-10 N.cm for mini-screw implantation to establish primary stability.


Pollution flashover on high voltage insulators is a major problem for power transmission lines. It is a very complex issue due to many factors i.e. modelling and design difficulties, unknown environmental stress, non-uniform distribution of pollution on insulator surface and different pollution levels in different regions. The deposition of pollution layers on high-voltage (HV) insulator surface is the first stage of pollution flashover. The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of dry band formation and its characteristics on HV insulators with different salt mixtures and variable pollution layer thickness. The non-uniformity of the contaminant distribution, wetting and drying process leads to the development and formation of multiple dry bands on the insulator surface. From the test results it is clear that the dry band formation is not uniform with different salt mixtures. COMSOL Multiphysics™ has been used to simulate an insulator surface to find the variation of dry band formation with applied voltage. In particular, this paper aims to obtain a better reproduction method of pollution layers deposited on insulators which is very important to improve the reliability of HV insulators installed near coastal regions.


Various approaches have been proposed to adjust for differences in enrollee risk in health plans. Because risk-selection strategies may have different effects on enrollment, we simulated three types of selection—dumping, skimming, and stinting. Concurrent diagnosis-based risk adjustment, and a hybrid using concurrent adjustment for about 8% of the cases and prospective adjustment for the rest, perform markedly better than prospective or demographic adjustments, both in terms of R2 and the extent to which plans experience unwarranted gains or losses. The simulation approach offers a valuable tool for analysts in assessing various risk-adjustment strategies under different selection situations.


Purpose: Different missense mutations in the TGFBI gene cause granular (Groenouw CDGG1, Avellino CDA, Reis-Bucklers CDB1) and lattice (Type I; Biber-Haab-Dimmer; CDL1) corneal dystrophies and, in some reports, corneal dystrophy Thiel-Behnke (CDB2). We report on the mutation spectrum and the genotype-phenotype correlations on the basis of clinical and histopathological examinations of 13 German families with TGFBI-linked corneal dystrophies. Methods: In 31 patients with different corneal dystrophies, DNA was extracted from leukocytes of the peripheral blood and mutation analysis was performed by direct sequencing of the TGFBI gene. Clinical and histopathological findings were compared with the molecular genetic findings for genotype-phenotype correlations. Results: In 6 patients (2 families/one single person) with clinical and histopathological CDL1 we found a Missense mutation Arg124Cys and in 7 patients (3 families/one single person) with clinical and histopathological CDA we found a Missense mutation Arg124His in the exon 4 of the TGFBI gene. In 12 patients (4 families/2 single persons) with clinical and histopathological CDGG1 we found a Missense mutation Arg555-Trypt in the codon 12 of the TGFBI gene. In all five patients (1 family/4 single persons) with clinical and histopathological CDB2 we could not find any mutation in the TGFBI gene. In one patient with exceptional clinical and histopathological findings we found a Missense mutation Ala546Asp, which was reported before only twice in connection with polymorphous corneal amyloidosis. Conclusions: In comparison of our clinical and histopathological findings and the molecular genetic results we found a strong genotype-phenotype correlation in patients with TGFBI-linked corneal dystrophies. Rare mutations can lead to exceptional clinical and histopathological findings which cannot be classified into the different groups of corneal dystrophies. In our patients with CDB2 we could not find any molecular genetic correlation to the TGFBI gene.


Recommender systems are often based on collaborative ltering. Previous researches on collaborative ltering mainly focus on one single recommender or formulating hybrid with dierent approaches. In consideration of the problems of sparsity, recommender error rate, sample weight update, and potential, we adapt AdaBoost and propose two novel boosting frameworks for collaborative ltering. Each of the frameworks combines multiple homogeneous recommenders, which are based on the same collaborative ltering algorithm with dierent sample weights. We use seven popular collaborative ltering algorithms to evaluate the two frameworks with two MovieLens datasets of dierent scale. Experimental result shows the proposed frameworks improve the performance of collaborative ltering.


The study presents an analysis of Canadian French literature in general and in particular that of the literary work of Antonine Maillet. We become acquainted with several particulars of the history of the Acadiens, which will constitute an interpretation of History, and which is put into parallelism with the Ancient Testament's events, Rabelais, Homer and Virgil. At the same time, the examination of Maillet's registers of styles highlight the metaphors of a local-global human history.


Optic pathway gliomas represent 2 to 5% of all brain tumours in children,1 and are the most common central nervous system tumours in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1).2 3 They can involve the nerve proper, chiasm, hypothalamus and optic tracts, and are classified as grade I pilocytic astrocytomas.

Previous reports have suggested perineural gliomatosis, defined as extraneural growth of glioma into the surrounding subarachnoid space, as a characteristic of NF1-associated optic nerve gliomas, whereas isolated optic nerve gliomas typically display intraneural growth.4–8 We report three patients with non-NF optic nerve gliomas with perineural gliomatosis, which has not previously been reported in the context of combined MRI and clinicopathological evaluation.

A 2½-year-old girl was referred to the Orbit Service with gradual right proptosis over 3 months. Visual acuity in the right eye was light perception and 6/6 in the left eye. A right 1.9 afferent pupillary defect was noted, with 3 mm of proptosis and 3 mm of downward displacement. Ocular movements were normal. There was a congested right disc with venous dilatation. Cycloplegic refraction was +3.00 in the right …


Learning from the past is how we understand the complexities or growth of a subject. For women, advertisements play a significant role in our interpretation of the world and ourselves. In this study, I examine specific advertisements targeted towards women by using the theoretical model known as 'Antidote Advertising', as defined by Stuart Ewen in 1976. The central thesis of this paper is associated with identifying the visual characteristics of "Antidote Advertising" through a qualitative analysis of various print ads from 1920s to the present, in order to understand the persistent pressures experienced by women in American culture. In this thesis a framework is created by finding patterns in visual characteristics (headline, image, and body copy) of ads. The framework led to sub-categories that were created and then grouped into larger categories with names that defined the overarching themes of the visual characteristics. Being able to identify the visual characteristics of this type of advertising can lead to better practices within design that helps avoid the creation of ads that reflect and imply the exploitation, humiliation and lack of diverse portrayals amongst women, while still being able to sell products.


We propose a method - based on the discrete evolutionary transform (DET) - to estimate the instantaneous frequency of a signal embedded in noise or noise-like signals. The DET provides a representation for non-stationary signals and a time-frequency kernel that permit us to obtain the time-dependent spectrum of the signal. We show the instantaneous phase and the corresponding instantaneous frequency (IF) can also be computed from the evolutionary kernel. Estimation of instantaneous frequency is of general interest in time-frequency analysis, and of special interest in the excision of jammers in the direct sequence spread spectrum. Implementation of the IF estimation is done by masking and a recursive nonlinear correction procedure. The proposed estimation is valid for monocomponent as well as multicomponent signals in the noiseless and noisy situations. Its application to jammer excision in direct sequence spread spectrum communication is considered as an important application. The estimation procedure is illustrated with several examples.


The idea that games impact learning is not new to pedagogy. Within the last decade, there has been an increased use of games for higher education, social engagement, marketing, and business training. When used within a higher education setting, a gamification system does not operate within a vacuum, but rather is imbued with and embedded in the learning content of the course. So, to thoroughly understand the system's impact on learning outcomes, we must consider how the learning content within the system and the instructor's behaviors might impact student motivation to use the system and thus the outcomes of use. A gap in knowledge exists regarding how to include these aspects in the examination of the phenomenon. This gap is addressed through the presentation of a Theoretical Model of Student-Centric Edu-Gamification Systems. Additionally, references are provided for established empirical instruments that can be adapted to operationalize the proposed model. Taken together, these contributions set the stage for both practitioners and academics to engage in research toward the development of student-centric educational gamification systems.


Abstract In the discontinuous permafrost zone of boreal western continental Canada, permafrost is limited almost exclusively to ombrotrophic peatlands. Permafrost in peatlands recently has been degrading and continues to degrade at its southern limit across western Canada, with no evidence of regeneration. The melting of permafrost could have dramatic effects on organic matter accumulation, organochemical properties, and nutrient status in peatlands. Our objectives are to quantify differences in peat chemistry (i.e., concentrations of organic fractions, N, P, and S) and rates of organic matter accumulation over the past 200 years between a site with permafrost, a site with degraded permafrost (internal lawn), and three sites with no evidence of permafrost since the last glaciation (continental peatlands: two bogs and one poor fen). Results indicate that peat chemistry may differ according to the presence, absence, or degradation of permafrost. Recent rates of organic matter accumulation follow similar trends over the past 100-200 years in the permafrost and continental bogs; however, net rates of organic matter accumulation are accelerated by 60% in the internal lawn. As decomposition in peatlands is influenced by nutrient limitations and organic matter quality, peat chemistry is likely to be a critical factor in the carbon balance response of boreal peatlands to climate change.


BACKGROUND
GPs working in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation face particular challenges, and are at increased risk of professional burnout. Understanding how GPs working in such areas perceive professional resilience is important in order to recruit and retain a GP workforce in these areas.

AIM
To understand how GPs working in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation consider professional resilience.

DESIGN AND SETTING
A qualitative study of GPs practising in deprived areas within one primary care region of England.

METHOD
In total, 14 individual interviews and one focus group of eight participants were undertaken, with sampling to data saturation. A framework approach was used for data analysis.

RESULTS
Participants described three key themes relating to resilience. First, resilience was seen as involving flexibility and adaptability. This involved making trade-offs in order to keep going, even if this was imperfect. Second, resilience was enacted through teams rather than through individual strength. Third, resilience required the integration of personal and professional values rather than keeping the two separate. This dynamic adaptive view, with an emphasis on the importance of individuals within teams rather than in isolation, contrasts with the discourse of resilience as a personal characteristic, which should be strengthened at the individual level.

CONCLUSION
Professional resilience is about more than individual strength. Policies to promote professional resilience, particularly in settings such as areas of high socioeconomic deprivation, must recognise the importance of flexibility, adaptability, working as teams, and successful integration between work and personal values.


Bonneau or cardio-ducto-polysyndactyly syndrome is an extremely rare, life-threatening developmental defect, which has only been reported in eight patients previously. Here, we describe one such case of Bonneau syndrome in a newborn with additional novel manifestations. This late preterm (35 weeks of gestation) neonate born to parents of consanguineous marriage following a pregnancy complicated by polyhydramnios was symmetrically small for date at birth (<3rd centile for weight, length, and occipitofrontal circumference). She had the typical Bonneau syndrome features such as facial dysmorphism and polysyndactyly in addition to novel eye manifestations (microphthalmia, cataract, and vitreous hemorrhage) and cardiac defects such as D-transposition of the great arteries and pulmonary valve stenosis. The chromosomal study was normal (46, XX). The multiple congenital anomalies made the cardiac defects inoperable, and the patient died at the age of 16 days due to uncontrolled cardiac failure. A very high index of suspicion is required by pediatricians/neonatologists to identify this very rare syndrome based on presentation with known features.


DSC test is carried out to determine the phase transformation temperatures of a NiTi SMA, which include martensitic starting temperature, martensitic finishing temperature, austenitic starting temperature and austenitic finishing temperature. The mechanical behaviors of shape memory alloy (SMA) torsion rod are investigated by using Zhou's shear constitutive equation of SMA and the theorem of circular shaft in mechanics of materials. A critical torque equation is developed to describe the relationship between the martensitic phase transformation critical torque of SMA torsion rod and temperature.


ESA's space debris database DISCOS-2 contains a wealth of information on the trackable Space Object Population between LEO and GEO altitudes, together with additional data on launches, launch sites, launchers, etc. These data has been recently made available through a Web Interface. But even with this new interface, two problems arise for potential users. First, users need to be familiarised with the tools provided by the DISCOS-2 Web Interface, in particular some knowledge of SQL is required in order to access the database contents. This problem is particularly important for occasional users of the database. Second, remote access using the Internet can be a boring, repetitive work, depending on the error frequency and workload of the net. Those two problems can make users to minimise the use of the database. To solve these problems, a DISCOS Space Data Publication and Documentation System (DISPAD) was created, aimed at easing the access to database data. The generation of periodical publications based on reports on the information in DISCOS-2 facilitates the distribution of such data to a wider range of users and represents a helpful complement to the interactive access to the database provided by the DISCOS-2 Web Interface. The DISPAD system produces regular situation reports on the DISCOS data contents and its implications with respect to orbit population evolution, development and launch policies, and spatial distribution of objects, onorbit fragmentation, and effects of mitigation measures, such as GEO reorbiting. The DISPAD system is being implemented using the tools provided by the Oracle RDBMS, PV-Wave for graphical charts, Perl language for processing of the information extracted from the database, and LaTeX-2ε text processing system for production of the final form of the reports. Currently, GMV is updating the DISPAD system to adapt it to the new DISCOS-2 System, which includes a number of new tables and new data sources. As part of this update, new tables and graphical charts are being included in the reports, and a critical review of the already existing information is being performed. The newly created tables and charts follow the basic outline of the first release, but adapted to the new database scheme.


Objective:This study was designed to determine if a rising intraoperative parathyroid hormone (ioPTH) level following parathyroid resection indicates multiple hyperfunctioning glands and to determine the appropriate intraoperative management. Summary Background Data:IoPTH monitoring is commonly used to guide parathyroid surgery. A significant rise in the ioPTH immediately after resection of a single parathyroid is often perceived to be indicative of the presence of additional hyperfunctioning glands. Methods:A total of 797 consecutive patients underwent parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism with ioPTH monitoring. Patients with an elevated 5 minute ioPTH were extensively studied. Operative success was defined as normocalcemia 6 months after surgery. Results:Of the 797 patients, 108 (14%) had a rising ioPTH 5 minutes after resection of a single parathyroid. Of these 108 patients, 36 (33%) continued to have elevated ioPTH levels and further exploration revealed additional hyperfunctioning glands. Importantly, in the majority of patients (n = 72 or 67%), the ioPTH started to fall after an additional 5 minutes (10 minutes after resection). The ioPTH declined by more than 50% from the 5 minute elevated value in 30%, 89%, and 99% of patients at 10, 15, and 20 minutes after resection, respectively. Importantly, this fall correctly predicted operative success in 100% of patients after removal of a single abnormal gland. Conclusions:A rising ioPTH level immediately after parathyroidectomy is observed in 14% of patients. The majority of these patients do not have additional hyperfunctioning glands. Most of patients fell below 50% of the 5 minute elevated value within 20 minutes of gland resection and in all cases this fall correctly predicted operative success.


In Flanders (Belgium), approximately 1014 accident locations are currently considered as 'dangerous'. These 'dangerous' accident sites are selected by means of historic accident records for the period 1997-1999. More specifically, a combination of weighting values, respectively 1 for each light injury, 3 for each serious injury and 5 for each deadly injury, is used to calculate the priority score for each accident location. In this paper, a sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate how big the impact is on the current ranking of accident sites when alternative ranking criteria are used. More specifically, we only take into account the most serious injury per accident and use a valuation of casualties based on direct costs, indirect costs and validation for human suffering to give weight to the accidents. This valuation results in the weighting values 1_7_33 when the most severe injury respectively concerns a light, serious or deadly injury. Additionally, we generate probability plots, based on estimates from a hierarchical Bayes model, in order to visualize the estimated probability that a location will be ranked as dangerous. Results showed that combining these ranking criteria will have a big impact on the selection and ranking of dangerous accident locations. In particular, when selecting the 800 most dangerous accident sites of all accident locations, 82% of these locations will differ from the current selection. Considering this impact quantity, we want to sensitise government to carefully choose the criteria for ranking and selecting accident locations without stating that the criterion used in this paper should be preferred to the currently used ranking method. For the covering abstract see ITRD E129315.


A population of 231 roosters of the Nigerian indigenous chickens of normal feathered frizzle feathered and naked neck genotypes was evaluated for the effect of genotype and age on some morphometric body linear measurements and semen characteristics of three Nigerian chicken genotypes. 20 roosters from each genotype were evaluated for semen characteristics at 24, 28 and 32 weeks of age in relation to body weights and linear body measurements at those ages. Data were obtained and analyzed for body weights, body linear measurements and for the semen characteristics. The analyzed data showed that all the body parameters were significantly (P 0.05) affected at 24 and 28 weeks respectively with superiority in most of the trait in the normal feathered genotype. Correlation estimates showed most traits not significantly (P>0.05) correlated. It is concluded that some level of genetic variations exist in body weight, linear measurements and semen traits in roosters of three genotypes used in this study and they can be used for breeding and artificial insemination purposes for genetic improvement. Key words: Age, genotypes, indigenous chickens


Bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BM-DCs) retrovirally transduced with genes encoding murine interleukin (IL)-12 stably expressed bioactive IL-12 protein at high levels. Intratumoral injection with IL-12 gene-modified BM-DCs resulted in regression of day 7 established weakly immunogenic tumors (MCA205, B16, and D122). This antitumor effect was substantially better than that of IL-12-transduced syngeneic fibroblasts or nontransduced BM-DCs. Furthermore, intratumoral injection with IL-12-transduced dendritic cells (DCs) induced specific TH1-type responses to the tumor in regional lymph nodes and spleen at levels greater than those of IL-12-transduced fibroblasts or nontransduced BM-DCs. Trafficking studies confirmed that intratumorally injected IL-12-transduced DCs, but not fibroblasts, could migrate to the draining lymph node to the same extent as nontransduced BM-DCs. This strategy designed to deliver genetically modified DCs to tumor sites is associated with systemic and therapeutic antitumor immunity and is an alternative approach to those that use delivery of DCs loaded with tumor antigen. These results support the clinical application of IL-12 gene-modified DCs in patients with cancer.


Background:The interaction between interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) expression, IL28B genotypes and hepatitis C treatment outcomes has been mainly evaluated in the liver tissue from hepatitis C virus (HCV)-monoinfected patients but with controversial results. Herein, we examined whether more easily accessible peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) could be used for this purpose in HIV–HCV coinfected patients, a population in whom HCV-induced liver disease progression occurs more rapidly and treatment response is lower. Methods:Gene expression profiles were examined using the human whole genome Agilent microarray platform in PBMCs collected from HIV/HCV-coinfected patients who had completed a course of peginterferon/ribavirin therapy with validated outcomes. Patients were split out according to the achievement of sustained virological response (SVR) and IL28B rs12979860 genotypes. The GeneSpringGX software was used to select genes differentially expressed in the different groups. Results:Nineteen HIV/HCV-coinfected individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy and having undetectable plasma HIV-RNA were examined. Global gene expression profiles showed 42 genes differentially expressed according to treatment outcome and 56 according to IL28B genotype. Common genes were not found and functions differed for genes belonging to either group. Whereas at least 26 out of 37 repressed genes (70.3%) in SVR patients were ISGs, none of the 56 differentially expressed genes in carriers of distinct IL28B variants were ISGs (P < 0.0001). Conclusion:Baseline expression of ISGs in PBMCs from HCV/HIV-coinfected patients influence the response to peginterferon/ribavirin therapy, regardless of IL28B genotypes. PBMC specimens can reliably be used for evaluating ISGs expression in clinical practice.


The optimal femoral cancellous bone angle is estimated in order to design the femoral IM (Intra-Medullary) nail for patients with more precise method based on CT image of the femur by converting the CT image files into the JPEG files and analyzing the mathematical models with MATLAB (Ver. 6.0). The results show that the measured average ℓ(femur length between Lesser trochanter and greater trochanter) of the right femoral cancellous bones out of 40 Korean males is 356.6 mm whereas the measured average ℓof the Caucasians is 430 mm and the estimated lateral bowing angle( of Korean males is 4.53°±0.93° whereas the estimated lateral bowing angle of the Caucasians is 4.2°±2.3°. Moreover, we have found that the longer femur is bended more than the shorter one and the distribution of the femoral bone length is not the Gaussian profile. This suggested method has a potential to estimate each patient's femoral cancellous bowing angle more precisely. If the bowing angle of the lateral images of each patient can be estimated immediately through medical image data, it could be easier for surgeons to choose appropriate nails that are most suitable for each patient. More investigations can be achieved by collecting more data for patient's femoral curvature.


Background : Childhood mental illnesses most times are detected earlier in schools than at homes as the schools provide enabling environment for early identification of children with problems. Objectives : To evaluate the resources available for school-based mental health services in Enugu urban and to determine the head teachers' knowledge of childhood mental health problems. Methodology : A cross-sectional survey of 176 head teachers, who consented and were randomly selected. They were asked questions on how often they encountered children with mental health problems, facilities for the care of mentally ill children in their schools, the symptoms that could signify mental health problems in a school child and their first line of action in a situation where a child is found to have such problems. Results : Seventy-four (77.1%) primary schools did not have any personnel for the care of mentally ill children compared with 24 (30%) of secondary schools. School guidance and counsellors were the most likely personnel to handle mental health needs of children in both the primary and secondary schools. Overall, only 24 (13.6%) of the head teachers would send the mentally ill child to a guidance and counsellor. About 40% of them suggested prayer house/herbal homes as a place where children with mental health challenges could get help. Conclusions and Recommendations: This study exposed the paucity of facilities and personnel required to meet the mental health needs of children in schools and a need to increase the level of mental health awareness among the stakeholders that could facilitate the process of addressing these needs. Keywords : Early intervention, guidance and counselling, private and public schools


NOx formed in combustion processes is mainly constituted by nitrogen monoxide (NO) while nitrogen dioxide (NO2) accounts for marginal concentration only. However, being NO2 characterized by higher water solubility and equilibrium constant in the neutralization reaction operated with basic reactants, it is easily removed via dry or wet processes. On this basis an innovative process alternative to the conventional DeNOx SCR and SNCR can be envisaged, where the oxidation of NO to NO2 makes the successive abatement of the oxidized fraction relatively easier. The scope of the work is the study of the oxidation of NO to NO2, considered as the controlling step of the proposed process, operated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). A mathematical model of the oxidation has been developed in the Chemkin v. 3.7 environment, describing the gas phase kinetics in the energy recovery section of a generic combustion process through the Miller and Bowman (1989) kinetic mechanism. The base model has been improved with the introduction of the oxidation steps induced by the injection of hydrogen peroxide drawn from the literature. The NO oxidation reaction was investigated in a temperature range of 250-700°C, with a 20% excess of oxidizing agent with respect to the NO/oxidizer oxidation reaction stoichiometry. The experimental maximum conversion results are less than the calculated one of about 20%. The results of the model have been validated through experimental runs conducted in a bench scale pilot plant.


Multi-roll stretch forming process is a new flexible manufacturing technique that the general idea of discretizing is put in use in the design of stretch forming machine. In the new process, the metal sheet can be more easily formed, and the flexibility can be much higher, which the traditional process cannot compare with. In this paper, in through extensive numerical simulations of the MRSF stretching process of toroidal saddle parts, A series of finite element simulations have done for the process of forming toroidal saddle parts using different lubricant and two kinds of rollers named damped rollers and ordinary rollers. The results show that the smaller the friction coefficient is, the easier the center of toroidal saddle part is stretched. Damped rollers can increase the stretching force and the ordinary rollers can increase the mobility of sheet metal. Arranging the damped rollers and ordinary rollers at a reasonable position can make the workpiece a more uniform stretching.


A fast matching pursuit method (nGpFBMP) is introduced which performs Bayesian estimates of sparse signals even when the signal prior is non-Gaussian/unknown. It is agnostic on signal statistics and utilizes a greedy approach and order-recursive updates to determine the approximate MMSE estimate of the sparse signal. Simulation results demonstrate the power and robustness of the method.


SARS-CoV-2 corona virus causes a multi-faceted and poorly defined clinical and pathological phenotype involving hyperinflammation, cytokine release, and long-term cognitive deficits, with an undefined neuropathological mechanism. Inflammation increases the activity of the kynurenine pathway, which is linked to neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. We sought to determine whether the kynurenine pathway is impacted in patients with mild COVID-19, leading to elevated neurotoxic metabolites in blood, and whether such changes are associated with pro-inflammatory cytokines. Serum samples were taken from 150 patients and analyzed by ELISA and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC). The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression models adjusted for age and sex. We found increased levels of kynurenine, quinolinic acid and 3-hydroxykynurenine in serum from patients with mild COVID-19, together with increased levels of IL-6, ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and neopterin. The levels of neurotoxic metabolites were significantly associated with key inflammatory cytokines including IL-6 and TNFα. The COVID-19 risk-factor hypertension was associated with the highest levels of neurotoxic metabolites in plasma. These neuroactive metabolites could be part of the pathological mechanisms underlying cognitive impairment during and post-COVID and should be explored as potential biomarkers for long-COVID symptoms.


Author(s): Jones, C. Spencer | Advisor(s): Cessi, Paola | Abstract: This dissertation investigates the influence of ocean basin geometry on the stratification, circulation and salinity of the global ocean. This problem is studied using an idealized-geometry primitive-equation ocean-only model, in which two basins of different widths are connected by a re-entrant channel at the southern edge of the domain. In addition to the primitive-equation model, we develop a conceptual model of the meridional overturning circulation (MOC). The conceptual model shows that if there is no deep-water formed in the wide basin, the northward Ekman transport into that basin must be returned southward by a geostrophic current. This geostrophic current flows southwards from the wide basin into the channel, and northwards from the channel into the narrow basin, balanced by the difference in the depth of isopycnals at the eastern boundaries of each basin. The predictions of the conceptual model are confirmed in our primitive-equation model. Under zonally uniform wind stress, temperature relaxation and freshwater flux, the primitive-equation model shows a preference for sinking in the narrower basin (which represents the Atlantic). The velocity field above a mid-depth isopycnal is a superposition of the wind-driven gyres and the MOC's upper branch in a western boundary current. This velocity field transports salt northward more efficiently in a narrower basin, causing the preference for narrow-basin sinking. Characterizing the flow in the upper branch of the MOC using a pseudostreamfunction, we divide the salt transport into two components: transport by flow along open streamlines (which represents the warm-route transport) and transport by the gyres. We find that for larger interbasin flow, the northward salt transport along open streamlines in the sinking basin increases. We conclude that increasing the warm-route transport would bring more salt into the north of the Atlantic basin.In the same idealized geometry, we explore the connection between the mid-depth and abyssal cells of the MOC. A ROC budget is used to visualize the pathway of the residual circulation: 40% of deep water formed in the north of the narrow basin is recycled through the abyss before returning to the upper ocean of the narrow basin.


This work is part of a collaborative study between CEA-Saclay and LMT-Cachan on the numerical simulation of multi-pass GTA-Welding of thick specimens made of X10CrMoVNb9-1 (ASTM 387 or "T91") steel. The final objective of this paper is to exhibit the prediction capabilities of an improved version of the Thermo-Metallurgical-Mechanical "TMM" model for X10CrMoVNb9-1 martensitic steel (initially developed by G.-M. Roux). In this paper, focus is made on the modelling of the martensite tempering due to the complex thermal loadings induced by the multi-pass process. Herein, it has been chosen to study the tempering kinetics via the evolution of the free carbon content or, conversely, the carbides precipitation overall fraction, growth and dissolution. Thermo-Electric Power (TEP) measurements as well as hardening measurements have been used to investigate the tempering phenomenon. Measurements are fast to perform and are not very sensitive to the geometry of the material (in opposite to resistivity measurements). A phenomenological tempering model was developed and identified from several tests at constant tempering temperatures ranging from 550°C up to 750°C. The improved TMM model including this tempering model was used to perform the 2D finite element analysis of the 16-pass GTA welding process of a narrow groove butt-weld. The predictions are favourably compared with the "real" microstructure.


How do business leaders make decisions in the face of uncertainty? More important, how do business and economic historians write a narrative that links a business problem, its proposed solution, and the outcome of this action without allowing the success or failure of the decision to determine the trajectory of the story? Counterfactual hypotheses and contextual analysis provide two tools that can help historians minimize the distortions of hindsight and recover a sense of the contingency that surrounds all decisions.


For exploiting the novel multifunctional ecological cotton fibers, a new cotton fiber with the collagen protein cross-linking (CPCCF) was prepared by the limited selective oxidation of a cotton thread with sodium periodate solution and subsequent treatment with a solution of collagen protein at 40°C in aqueous acetic acid. FT-IR spectra of the CPCCF suggested that the imine covalent bond between the collagen protein and the oxidized cotton fiber was formed through a series of reaction. X-ray diffractograms analysis showed that the crystallinity of oxidized cotton fiber after collagen protein treatment increased slightly. Meanwhile, Scanning electron microscopy photographs illuminated that the modification with collagen protein occurred on the surface of cotton fiber. Kjeldahl nitrogen analysis of the CPCCF showed that the maximum percentage of collagen protein introduced into cotton fiber was 1.68% (w/w). However, the breaking strength of the cotton thread oxidized partially by sodium periodate at the concentration of less than 2.0 mg ml-1 did not decrease much. Furthermore, a model experiment for the controlled release drugs was performed using aloe anthraquinone, components of a Chinese medicine, suggested potential usefulness of the CPCCF as a carrier for the controlled release drugs.


Soil erosion on arable land in lowland Britain has been the subject of field‐based surveys, which have assessed the volumes or masses of soil transported in channels across farmers' fields. These surveys provide a unique database on the extent, frequency and rates of soil loss by water. This study synthesizes the key findings from those surveys and underscores the implications for soil erosion modelling. Rill erosion occurs in a small number of fields (consistently <10%). Over ~5 yr, a considerable proportion of the farmed landscape will suffer from rill erosion, but mostly in fields that erode only once. Mean erosion rates for lowland arable landscapes are much less than mean erosion rates for individual eroded fields within that landscape. These observations pose important challenges for modelling. Rainfall and cropping vary from year to year so that risk of wash or rill erosion in the same field also varies. Due to the infrequent occurrence of rill erosion, loss rates of eroding fields cannot be spatially extrapolated across the landscape, except in the case of wash erosion which takes place a number of times in almost all fields every year. A consistent pattern of increasing wash erosion, in terms of spatial extent, is emerging in lowland Britain. Resulting losses of fine silt and clay‐sized particles are small in amount and possibly insignificant in terms of loss of soil as a resource, but have significant implications for contaminant concentrations and pollution of water courses.


Respiratory infections are common causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. We sought to assess the multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index, fitness and virulence potential in Pseudomonas aeruginosa from patients with lower respiratory tract infections. Isolates were assessed for antimicrobial susceptibility, in vitro competitive fitness, and pigment, elastase and rhamnolipid production. Oxidative stress tolerance was determined on both planktonic and biofilm cells, and virulence potential was tested in a plant model. Mean MAR index for isolates was 0.34 (range 0.17-0.50). Whilst isolates exhibited good biofilm formation in the presence of ciprofloxacin, there was no significant difference in biofilm production over the concentration range assessed. Several drug-resistant strains were out-competed by a susceptible strain even in the presence of antibiotic. H2O2 exerted a greater oxidative stress than tert-butyl-hydroperoxide and, as expected, biofilms were more resistant than planktonic cells. Whilst most (81 %) isolates were pigmented there was no significant difference between pigmented and non-pigmented isolates when elastolytic activity was compared (P>0.05). More than half of the isolates produced the quorum sensing mediator rhamnolipid and infection of the plant model by bacteria occurred whether elastase or rhamnolipid was present or absent. These data suggest that non-pigmented strains of P. aeruginosa might pose an equally significant microbiological threat as pigmented strains even though pigment production appeared to be strongly associated with elastase expression. Whilst dual expression of elastase and rhamnolipid by these bacteria would cause severe tissue damage (as seen in the plant model), non-production of either does not prevent bacteria from causing serious infection.


Idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity accounts for many drug
failures in the clinic and is a leading cause for black-boxed and withdrawn
drugs. This toxicity has proven difficult to predict preclinically, but correlates
with oxidative stress/reactive metabolites (OS/RM). As noted previously for antiepileptic compounds, many
drugs causing idiosyncratic adverse drug effects are detected by OS/RM
gene expression responses in the rat. In the present study, two immune
activation models, low dose lipopolysaccharide (1 mg/kg IV) and 5% dextran
sulphate sodium (DSS) in drinking water, were examined to determine if either
would convert the non-toxic idiosyncratic toxicant carbamazepine (225 mg/kg)
into a rat hepatotoxicant at 24 hours. Using the low dose LPS model, about 1/3
of the carbamazepine-treated rats either showed robust ALT and AST elevations
with histopathological evidence of hepatotoxicity, or died. Rats in this
LPS/carbamazepine group were subdivided based on ALT values into
non-responders, responders or robust responders. Whereas most
carbamazepine-induced mRNAs were repressed by LPS across all rats in this
group, the OS/ RM genes aflatoxin aldehyde reductase (Afar) and glutathione
transferase Ya (Gstya) were repressed only in the robust responder subgroup; it
is unclear whether repression of these genes contributes to or results from
hepatotoxicity. The OS/RM gene microsomal epoxide hydrolase (mEphx) showed repression
across all rats. NAD(P)H: menadione oxidoreductase (Nmor) is an
OS/RM-responsive gene that is also induced by LPS, confounding interpretation
of its changes. After pretreatment with 5% DSS at 24 hours or for 5 days,
using a protocol that reportedly produces increased endotoxin absorption,
carbamazepine was not converted to a hepatototoxicant in any rats. Instead, DSS
produced a pronounced (2- to 6-fold) and selective potentiation of
carbamazepine induction of OS/RM-responsive mRNAs. The lack of repressive
effects of DSS on these mRNAs or in converting carbamazepine to a
hepatotoxicant was not due to desensitization of endotoxin responses since LPS
was at least as effective when administered to DSS-pretreated rats. OS/RM
gene repression may contribute to development of hepatotoxicity of
carbamazepine in immune activation models.


The purpose of this thesis was to investigate consolidation performed robotically of stacked epoxy pre-impregnated carbon ber. Consolidation is when the composite is compacted by applying pressure. This removes voids in the composite which increases mechanical properties. The process of consolidation is generally assumed to be viscoelastic. Two tests were made to investigate the viscoelastic properties of the uncured composite material: One relaxation test to investigate how temperature, stacking sequence, strain level and sample size a ects timedependent viscoelastic properties. The second experiment was to study the level of compaction achieved from local consolidation of the composite material, the latter obtained when using an industrial robot. The relaxation test showed that the compression response was decreased with higher temperatures and increased with higher strain levels. Samples with a reduced area showed larger relaxation e ects than unreduced samples. Unidirectionally stacked samples had larger relaxation e ects than samples stacked cross-directionally. The experiment with robotically applied consolidation did not show any measurable compaction at the pressure levels investigated. The lack of compaction is assumed to be caused by shearing of the upper layers due to high tool friction and that the applied pressures were not high enough to noticeably deform the composite material.


Dynamic crack growth in a plane strain strip is analysed using a cohesive surface fracture framework where the continuum is characterized by two constitutive relations: a material constitutive law that relates stress and strain, and a relation between the tractions and displacement jumps across a specified set of cohesive surfaces. The material constitutive relation is that of an isotropic hyperelastic solid. The cohesive surface constitutive relation introduces a characteristic length into the formulation. The resistance to crack initiation and the crack speed history are predicted without invoking any additional failure criterion. Finite-strain transient analyses are carried out, with a focus on the relation between the increase in fracture energy with crack speed and the increase in surface area due to crack branching. The numerical results show that, even with a fixed work of separation per unit area, there is a substantial increase in fracture energy with increasing crack speed. This arises from an increase in fracture surface area due to crack branching. The computational results are in good agreement with experimental observations in Sharon et al (1996).


Abstract In the western High Atlas basin, the evolution of the clay assemblage of the Upper Jurassic-Cretaceous sedimentary series is controlled by palaeogeographic changes of the basin and by burial diagenesis. The effects of burial are expressed by an increase in the proportions of illite and chlorite with depth, a decrease of expandability of smectite minerals and by a decrease in the Kübler Index. Kaolinite is preserved at greater depths than smectite, but also tends to diminish in abundance. TEM observations show that idiomorphic pseudo-hexagonal crystals of illite increase in size and abundance downwards, especially in the sandy levels. In the Agadir section, the main change in the clay mineral evolution related to late diagenesis occurs at the Mid-Albian, corresponding to a burial depth of about 1800 m; in the Essaouira section it occurs at the Lower Tithonian at a burial depth of about 2100 m. Considering the different geothermal gradient between Agadir (36ºC km-1) and Essaouira (27ºC km-1), the disappearance of smectite occurs at the same temperature in these two sites (60 to 65ºC).


GRID directs alternating regions of high- and low-dose radiation at tumors. A large animal model mimicking the geometries of human treatments is needed to complement existing rodent systems (eg, microbeam) and clarify the physical and biological attributes of GRID. A pilot study was undertaken in pet dogs with spontaneous soft tissue sarcomas to characterize responses to GRID. Subjects were treated with either 20 Gy (3 dogs) or 25 Gy (3 dogs), delivered using 6 MV X-rays and a commercial GRID collimator. Acute toxicity and tumor responses were assessed 2, 4, and 6 weeks later. Acute Radiation Therapy Oncology Group grade I skin toxicity was observed in 3 of the 6 dogs; none experienced a measurable response, per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Serum vascular endothelial growth factor, tumor necrosis factor α, and secretory sphingomyelinase were assayed at baseline, 1, 4, 24, and 48 hours after treatment. There was a trend toward platelet-corrected serum vascular endothelial growth factor concentration being lower 1 and 48 hours after GRID than at baseline. There was a significant decrease in secretory sphingomyelinase activity 48 hours after 25 Gy GRID (P = .03). Serum tumor necrosis factor α was quantified measurable at baseline in 4 of the 6 dogs and decreased in each of those subjects at all post-GRID time points. The new information generated by this study includes the observation that high-dose, single fraction application of GRID does not induce measurable reduction in volume of canine soft tissue sarcomas. In contrast to previously published data, these data suggest that GRID may be associated with at least short-term reduction in serum concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor and serum activity of secretory sphingomyelinase. Because GRID can be applied safely, and these tumors can be subsequently surgically resected as part of routine veterinary care, pet dogs with sarcomas are an appealing model for studying the radiobiologic responses to spatially fractionated radiotherapy.


: Endoscopic removal of pedunculated submucosal lipomas of the colon has been considered safe and effective. I have reported a case of large submucosal lipoma of the descending colon, in which serosal invagination resulted in the formation of a "pseudopedicle." Endoscopic polypectomy in such a case would have resulted in colonic perforation. Caution should be exercised in endoscopic removal of large lipomas, even when a pedicle is present.


Fungal keratitis is a sight threatening condition which is widespread in tropical and subtropical countries. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a combination of topical and intracameral injections of amphotericin B in the treatment of severe fungal keratitis. Patients and methods. This prospective, comparative study included 40 patients of culture proved fungal keratitis recruited from outpatient clinic of Mansoura ophthalmic center, faculty of medicine Mansoura University, Egypt, in the period from January 2017 to December 2018. Pregnant and lactating women, Children < 12 years of age, One-eyed patients, Patients with concurrent sclera involvement and Patients with impending perforations, elevated intraocular pressure were excluded from the study. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups: Group A: underwent only topical amphotericin B. Group B: underwent combined topical & intracameral injection of antimicrobials. Patients were followed up at 1 day, 1 week, weekly till the end of the first month after injection then every 2 weeks for another month after then monthly till the 6th month. Results. Both groups were sex and age matched. Trauma was the most common risk factor recorded. Aspergillus was the commonest causative agent (85%) in group A, the size of corneal ulcer improved from 32.44 ± 19.37 to 29.71 ± 17.16 at 1st week to 18.81 ± 10.04 in the 1st month, in group B the ulcer size decreased from 30.24 ± 16.09 to 21.81 ± 11.04 (p<0.001) in the 1st week the ulcer achieved complete healing within 3 months. In group A the hypopyon level was 2.46 ± 1.23 mm which was fixed at the same value at 2nd day then decreased to 1.36 ± 0.43 ml at 1st month then to 0.90 ± 0.31 mm and 0.37 ± 0.17 mm at 2nd and 3rd months. In group B, the base line of hypopyon level was 3.22 ± 2.09 mm decreased to 1.45 ± 0.62 mm (at 1st week) decreased from 1.02 ± 0.61 mm at 2nd weeks to 0.33 ± 0.19 mm at 6th weeks. In group A, the reported complications were staphyloma (2 cases), thinning (6 cases), hyphema (2 cases) and Atrophia Bulbi (1 case). In group B the complications showed mild variations in distribution as follows; staphyloma (1 case), thinning (3 cases), hyphema (3 cases) and Atrophia Bulbi (1 case). The mean duration for the complete healing in group A, was 48.82 ± 5.31 days while the mean duration in group B, that was 29.59 ± 3.24 days (p< 0.001). Conclusions. Intracameral Amphotericin B injection is safe and effective technique in treatment of fungal keratitis.


This paper underscores the scope and nature of needed responses to the rapidly changing food systems in Africa. The paper identifies key drivers of this change and estimates their magnitudes. The drivers identified are urbanization, per capita income growth, globalization and climate change. Emphasis is laid on the former two largely because these are drivers of predictable change.


Electric pulse fragmentation (EPF) is a novel comminution process where 'lightning bolts', or highly energetic electrical discharges, are applied to materials immersed in water. These discharges exploit the variability in electrical and acoustic properties of a composite material and selectively fragment it along internal compositional boundaries. EPF's applications in mineral processing are well documented [1], however its use in the recovery of critical raw materials from industrial waste is a relatively new field: Materials such as municipal waste incinerator bottom ash (IBA), e-wastes, and ultra-high-performance fibre reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) are metal rich, but pose a challenge to mechanical comminution (MC) circuits due to factors such as high compressive strength, abrasivity, or presence of fibres and wires that can block MC apparatus. For IBA much of the metal remains locked in the product after MC and is not recycled. E-waste is often complex requiring tailored processes to recover raw materials, while UHPFRC is a modern, relatively small waste stream, currently with no recycling process in place [2]. Initial results of EPF treatment of these wastes are presented and shown to be effective in liberating metal components allowing enhanced performance of subsequent traditional screening and metal recovery processes.


Energy storage systems can be considered today as new means to adapt the variations of the power demand to the given level of power generation. In the context of the use of Renewable Energies or other distributed power generation, they can be used also as additional sources, or as energy buffers in the case of non-schedulable or stochastic generation, like wind- or photovoltaic power. This paper will describe different means of electrical energy storage, including systems where other energy transformations are needed, from electrical energy to mechanical, involving potential or kinetic forms, as well as chemical transformations. One dominant aspect will be studied, and concerns the conversion of electrical power, from the point of view of power-electronics. When direct electrical energy carriers like magnets, capacitors or batteries are used, DC-to-DC converters are needed as controlled voltage and current sources. More complex converters will be considered like torque controlled drives in the case of electromechanical energy conversion. In this case, variable speed drives play an important role, as in flywheels, but also for modern pumped-hydro power.


Mean-square dipole moment values of styrene/4-vinylpyridine (S4VP) copolymers determined at 25–60°C in 1,4-dioxane solutions were related to the microstructure of the chains. Data on the synthesis and dipole moments of S4VP copolymers were used to calculate the distribution of triad fractions and effective dipole moments of styrene, S-centred, and 4-vinylpyridine, V-centred, fractions in the copolymer chains. The relative magnitudes of the effective dipole moment values calculated for each type of triad reflect the effect of dipole–dipole interactions on these values.


EQUINE multinodular pulmonary fibrosis (EMPF) is a relatively recently described condition in horses, characterised by a loss of functional pulmonary parenchyma due to extensive nodular to coalescing interstitial fibrosis; the remaining alveoli are lined by cuboidal epithelium and are filled with inflammatory cells (Williams and others 2007). EMPF was described first in the USA (Williams and others 2007, Hart and others 2008, Wong and others 2008), but more recently has been reported in Europe, in Germany and Austria (Poth and others 2009, Niedermaier and others 2010). A strong association between EMPF and equine herpesvirus type 5 (EHV-5) has been established, although the pathogenesis of the condition is still unclear (Williams and others 2007). EHV-5 is a DNA gammaherpesvirus, which has been detected in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Europe in nasal swabs and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) from both healthy horses and those with respiratory signs, at highly variable rates (Agius and Studdert 1994, Reubel and others 1995, Franchini and others 1997, Borchers and others 1999, Dunowska and others 1999, Nordengrahn and others 2002, Bell and others 2006, Wang and others 2007, Torfason and others 2008, Fortier and others 2009). EHV-5 has also been identified in horses in the UK, where PCR yielded a positive result in PBLs from five of 21 healthy adult horses (Nordengrahn and others 2002).

This short communication describes two cases of EMPF in the UK, and their association with EHV-5.

The first case, an 11-year-old thoroughbred gelding, was presented in February 2010 with a two-week history of lethargy, listlessness and an increased respiratory rate. Radiographic and ultrasonographic examinations (Fig 1a, b) revealed nodular lesions throughout both lungs. The animal was euthanased. At postmortem examination, gross findings in the lungs were consistent …


Kebabs, is an Arabic food restaurant, which claims to have a new concept, because this restaurant will not sell alcohol or pipe Arabic. It is characterized by a fast and healthy meal. The restaurant will be located in front of the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, which will be open Monday through Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm. Kebabs, born from the idea of giving a new fresh, healthy and it can serve as a quick way.


While many speech errors can be generated at either a linguistic or motoric level of production, phonetically well formed sound-level serial order errors are generally assumed to result from disruption of phonologic encoding (PE) processes. An influential model of PE (Dell, 1986; Dell, Burger & Svec, 1997) predicts that speaking rate should affect the relative proportion of these serial order sound errors (anticipations, perseverations, exchanges). These predictions have been extended to, and have special relevance for persons with aphasia (PWA) because of the increased frequency with which speech errors occur and because their localization within the functional linguistic architecture may help in treatment management. Supporting evidence regarding the effect of speaking rate on phonological encoding has been provided by studies using young normal language (NL) speakers and computer simulations. Limited data exist at present for older NL users and no group data exist for PWA. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of speech rate on the ratio of phonological sequencing errors (anticipation/exchange (AE), anticipation/perseveration) (AP)) and other error types (vocal reaction time and distortion) in non-brain-damaged individuals and in persons with aphasia who were without concomitant motor speech disorders. Sixteen NL users and 16 PWA performed a phonologically challenging (tongue twister) speech production task at their typical and two faster speaking rates. A significant effect of rate was obtained for the AP ratio but not for the other comparisons. Contrary to the predictions of the model, the AP ratio increased with faster speaking rates. There was also a significant effect of rate and group for the VRT measure. The results for the serial order error ratios did not provide support for the model derived predictions regarding the direction of change for error type proportions. However, the significant effect of rate for the AP ratio provided support that changes in speaking rate did affect phonological encoding. Additionally, the results suggest that the relationships among slow post-selection inhibition and normal residual activation functions postulated to create an increase in perseverations relative to anticipation serial order errors, needs to be reconsidered within the Dell, et al. (1997) model.


Few matters seem to arouse greater feeling than local politics and sport. Each reflects and reinforces common qualities of robust partisanship and vigorous exercise. When the two combine, tempers are guaranteed to run very high. This unpropitious state of affairs occurred in Leicester in the spring of 1984. The city of Leicester has a significant and established black community; about twenty-five per cent of the population are of Asian or Afro-Caribbean origins. Leicester City Council was firmly committed to racial equality. In particular, it supported the Gleneagles Agreement made in 1977 between Commonwealth countries which encouraged "taking every practical step to discourage contact with sporting organisations from South Africa". When the English rugby team organised a tour to South Africa and selected three Leicester: players, the council considered the gauntlet to be thrown firmly at its feet. The council allowed the Leicester Rugby Football Club to use a recreation ground for Second XV matches and general training; the First XV played elsewhere.


Abstract. The aim of this article is to introduce the operation principles of conductometric solid-state dosimeter-type gas sensors, which have found increased attention in the past few years, and to give a literature overview on promising materials for this purpose. Contrary to common gas sensors, gas dosimeters are suitable for directly detecting the dose (also called amount or cumulated or integrated exposure of analyte gases) rather than the actual analyte concentration. Therefore, gas dosimeters are especially suited for low level applications with the main interest on mean values. The applied materials are able to change their electrical properties by selective accumulation of analyte molecules in the sensitive layer. The accumulating or dosimeter-type sensing principle is a promising method for reliable, fast, and long-term detection of low analyte levels. In contrast to common gas sensors, few devices relying on the accumulation principle are described in the literature. Most of the dosimeter-type devices are optical, mass sensitive (quartz microbalance/QMB, surface acoustic wave/SAW), or field-effect transistors. The prevalent focus of this article is, however, on solid-state gas dosimeters that allow a direct readout by measuring the conductance or the impedance, which are both based on materials that change (selectively in ideal materials) their conductivity or dielectric properties with gas loading. This overview also includes different operation modes for the accumulative sensing principle and its unique features.


Three iron-base alloys with different chemical compositions were developed and sprayed in these investigations. The effect of different process parameters (primarily a reactive APS and VPS process) on the attainable nitrogen concentrations and on the resulting coating structure is demonstrated. Furthermore, the metallurgical interaction between the selected alloys as a result of the spraying process is described and the properties (such as hardness, porosity and bond strength) are discussed. The objective of this development is to form nanostructured deposits of the vanadium-nitride type with a crystal structure similar to that of the austenitic lattice. The formation, appearance and type of deposits are described as functions of the process parameters. Paper text in German.


Background Circular RNA (circRNA) has emerged as an important regulator in the progression of human diseases. However, the role of circRNAs in ovarian cancer remains largely unknown. Materials and Methods DNA sequencing and PCR were used to identify the existence and expression of circKRT7. The targeting relationship between circKRT7/miR-29a-3p and miR-29a-3p/COL1A1 was verified by fluorescence reporter assay. In vitro, colony formation, transwell and wound healing assay were used to detect the effects of circKRT7 and miR-29a-3p on the proliferation, migration and invasion ability of ovarian cancer cells. In vivo, xenograft tumor model was performed to validate the role of circKRT7 and miR-29a-3p in tumor growth. Results We found that circKRT7 can promote the proliferation and metastasis of ovarian cancer cells by absorbing miR-29a-3p, which leads to the up-regulation of COL1A1. In vitro, knock-down of circKRT7 can inhibit the migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. This effect of circKRT7 is achieved by adsorbing miR-29a-3p and subsequently COL1A1 release. In vivo experiments, the reduction of circKRT7 expression can also slow tumor growth, and this inhibition was partly counteracted after miR-29a-3p repression. Conclusion Overall, circKRT7 promotes EMT-related cell progression by absorbing miR-29a-3p in ovarian cancer. This suggests the crucial role of circular RNA in the malignant evolution in cancer.


CAP reform affects employment in the agricultural sector as well as in other sectors of the regional economy through changes in regional and sectoral competitiveness and resulting re-allocation of fixed resources. However, analysis of the relationship between CAP reform and total regional employment for the EU as a whole are scarce. In this paper a rather ad-hoc method is proposed to fill this gap. Both the CAPRI model and the LEITAP model is used. Both models are linked through an econometrically estimated and scenario specific relationship between agricultural income and employment in LEITAP. LEITAP is also used to analyse the employment changes at regional level in the rest of the economy. LEITAP results are regionalized using sectoral employment shares per region in 2020 in the reference scenario. This paper presents and discusses the strengths and the weaknesses of the proposed ad-hoc downscaling approach.


In situ high-resolution transmission electron microscopy experiments were applied to examine the nano-scale solidification process of boron-doped silicon from the liquid state. Fine particles of the specimen were first heated up to the melting temperature using a TEM heating-holder, and then gradually cooled across the melting temperature. The specimen was observed nearly along [001] direction. The lattice fringe of (220) plane was observed during solidification, and this part combined with the other liquid part to make a twist boundary. The angle between the (220) planes of these two crystal grains was close to the rotation angle of the (001) Σ5 twist boundary.