Use of social media in offering customer service in mobile network service provider companies is of value to customers and business owners. It helps to improve the service offered to customers. Improved service leads to improved revenues because customers are willing to spend more. In Kenya, Safaricom Limited uses social media to contact some section of its customers. This study sought to evaluate the use of social media in mobile network service provider companies using Safaricom Limited as a case study. The study had three objectives. It sough! to find the benefits of using social media in customer care; the problems that use of social media in customers care encountered and various ways in which customer care was used in the call center. The research employed a case study method. Stratified random sampling was used to obtain the study subjects. A questionnaire was used to obtain data from the study subjects. Document analysis was used to obtain relevant data about customer care service. The data analyzed was from April 2012, when social media services were launched, to April 2013. Document analysis established that use of social media in Safaricom call center had helped in improvement of customer delight index, average handling time and number of customers served every month. From the questionnaires, it was established that there was no significant effect of use of social media to the reduction of number of repeat calls. Use of social media improved accessibility of customers to the call center. The major problem that the use of social media encounters is that few people have access to internet. It was similarly verified that language barrier was a problem with using social media. The languages were limited to Kiswahili and English yet some customers are not well acquainted with the written form of the two languages. Results from the questionnaires verified that social . media was used to educate customers, inform them about new products and help them in troubleshooting problems related to use of Safaricom products and services. The study concluded that use of social media has had a major impact on customer service in Safari com. It recommended that more studies needed to be done to understand the discrepancy between increased customer delight index and the non reducing repeat calls. The research also recommended inclusion of interviews as data collection tools in future. This would help to get more insights about other contributing factors that may have led to improvement of customer delight index.


We propose an algorithm for localizing multiple failures in an IP/WDM network. They can be either hard failures (unexpected events that interrupt suddenly the established channels) or soft failures (events that progressively degrade the quality of transmission). Hard failures are detected at the WDM layer, whereas soft failures can be detected at the optical layer if proper testing equipment is deployed, and/or by performance monitoring at a higher layer, which is here IP. The algorithm also tolerates missing and false alarms. Even without missing and false alarms, multiple fault localization is NP-hard. The diagnosis phase (i.e., the localization of the faulty components upon reception of the alarms) can however remain very fast, but at the expense of a very complex precomputation phase, carried out whenever the optical channels are set up or cleared down. We show how the algorithm performs on an example of an IP/WDM network.


20% of U.S. households are "wealthy hand-to-mouth" who hold only illiquid assets. But why should they do so, since higher-yielding liquid assets are available? To rationalize this behavior, we build a life-cycle model with non-standard preferences: households are tempted to consume their liquid assets, and therefore purchase housing as a savings commitment device. As a result, households choose to be "wealthy hand-to-mouth" to obtain the "commitment benefit" from housing. The model matches the fraction of hand-to-mouth households, rationalizes the heterogeneity in the marginal propensity to consume, and is consistent with micro evidence that households achieve higher savings through homeownership, none of which traditional models can explain.


Carbon films was grown on Si substrates using the method of electrolysis for methanol liquid. Deposition parameters for the growth of the carbon films were current density for the electrolysis, methanol liquid temperature and electrode spacing between anode and cathode. We examined electrical resistance and the surface morphology of carbon films formed under various conditions specified by deposition parameters. It was clarified that the high electrical resistance carbon films with smooth surface morphology are grown when a distance between the electrodes was relatively wider. We found that the electrical resistance in the films was independent of both current density and methanol liquid temperature for electrolysis. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistance in the low resistance carbon films was different from one obtained in graphite.


A fast and easy approach to synthesise carbon dots (C-dots) by simply mixing acetic acid, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), water, and diphosphorus pentoxide has been developed. The synthesised C-dots sample has been found to be a relatively complex mixture, and its complexity can be reduced significantly by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The separated C-dots fractions are collected and characterised by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), and transmission electron microscopy. The C-dots fractions display unique absorption bands and specific emission wavelengths which are fully anatomised by MALDI-TOF MS, displaying their fragmentation mass ion features. The core sizes of some selected C-dots are 2.51, 2.83, 2.90, 3.17, 3.39, and 3.44 nm, consistent with their HPLC elution order. The fractionated C-dots show profound differences in emission quantum yield, allowing the brighter C-dots to be isolated from an apparent low quantum yield mixture. These brighter C-dots fractions can be used as fluorescent probes for sensitive detection of Fe3+ and Hg2+.


The gene cluster in Thermococcus litoralis encoding a multicomponent and binding protein-dependent ABC transporter for trehalose and maltose contains an open reading frame of unknown function. We cloned this gene (now called treT), expressed it in E. coli, purified the encoded protein and identified it as an enzyme forming trehalose and ADP from ADP-glucose and glucose. The enzyme can also use UDP-and GDP-glucose but with less efficiency. The reaction is reversible and ADP-glucose plus glucose can also be formed from trehalose and ADP. The rate of reaction and the equilibrium are favoring the formation of trehalose. At 90°C, the optimal temperature for the enzymatic reaction, the half-maximal concentration of ADP-glucose at saturating glucose concentrations is 1.14 mM and the Vmax is 160 units/mg protein. In the reverse reaction, the half-maximal concentration of trehalose at saturating ADP concentrations is 11.5 mM and the Vmax was estimated to be 17 units/mg protein. Under non-denaturating in vitro conditions the enzyme behaves as a dimer of identical subunits of 48 kDa. As the transporter encoded in the same gene cluster, TreT is induced by trehalose and maltose in the growth medium. ABBREVIATIONS: EIIBC enzyme II BC; PTS, phosphotransferase system.


Anti-VEGF therapy enhances mechanical barriers to therapy in colorectal cancer liver metastases by increasing hyaluronan deposition. Stiff resistance to cancer therapy Antiangiogenic therapy with drugs that block vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling to inhibit formation of new blood vessels in tumors is commonly used in colorectal cancer. Unfortunately, the effects of this therapy usually do not last for long, and a study by Rahbari et al. shows why this might be the case. The authors found that VEGF inhibition increased the stiffness of colorectal cancer liver metastases, making them more difficult to treat with chemotherapy. In a mouse model, the researchers were able to overcome this difficulty by using an enzyme to degrade a component of the extracellular matrix in liver metastases, suggesting that the matrix may be a target for future cancer therapies. The survival benefit of anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients is limited to a few months because of acquired resistance. We show that anti-VEGF therapy induced remodeling of the extracellular matrix with subsequent alteration of the physical properties of colorectal liver metastases. Preoperative treatment with bevacizumab in patients with colorectal liver metastases increased hyaluronic acid (HA) deposition within the tumors. Moreover, in two syngeneic mouse models of CRC metastasis in the liver, we show that anti-VEGF therapy markedly increased the expression of HA and sulfated glycosaminoglycans (sGAGs), without significantly changing collagen deposition. The density of these matrix components correlated with increased tumor stiffness after anti-VEGF therapy. Treatment-induced tumor hypoxia appeared to be the driving force for the remodeling of the extracellular matrix. In preclinical models, we show that enzymatic depletion of HA partially rescued the compromised perfusion in liver mCRCs after anti-VEGF therapy and prolonged survival in combination with anti-VEGF therapy and chemotherapy. These findings suggest that extracellular matrix components such as HA could be a potential therapeutic target for reducing physical barriers to systemic treatments in patients with mCRC who receive anti-VEGF therapy.


While science self-concepts of secondary school students have received considerable attention, several important aspects of chemistry self-concepts have not yet been understood: gender relations, the impact of students' cultural backgrounds, and the impact of chemistry self-concept on learning processes. In the present study, (i) we could confirm our hypothesis that chemistry self-concept is strongly related to learning goal orientations. This part of the study built upon knowledge from educational psychology. Our results open the field for practical interventions designed to influence chemistry self-concepts. (ii) We investigated the gender relations in chemistry self-concept with a special focus on students' cultural backgrounds. The results show that chemistry self-concept differs from science self-concept: the gender gap traditionally described in the literature could not be found. Instead, the study suggests that an interaction of gender and cultural background might influence chemistry self-concepts. (iii) We were interested in the influence of the context of chemistry classroom and language on self-concept. In line with the literature, we found that a good relationship with the chemistry teacher seems to have a positive impact on chemistry self-concept. Also, the perception of chemistry language and chemistry self-concepts were strongly correlated. Suggestions are made for practical interventions based on these findings.


Introduction: There is evidence that low vitamin levels may be associated with cognitive functions, results from studies on this issue have been incoherent. This study aimed to evaluate whether there is any relationship between the levels of Vitamin D, Folate and B12 and Standardized Mini-Mental Test (SMMT) and subgroups in patients with cognitive dysfunction.
Methods: This retrospective study included 184 women and 89 men with cognitive problems and who had SMMSE scores of 24/30 or less. SMMSE scores were prospectively recorded in the patient's file for each patient by an experienced neuropsychologist. SMMSE scores were prospectively recorded in the patient's file for each patient by an experienced neuropsychologist. Vitamin B12, vitamin D and Folate levels were studied from 10:00 am fasting blood samples of each patient and prospectively recorded in patient file. Patient files were retrospectively reviewed and data were recorded.
Results: No correlation was found between vitamin D and vitamin B12 levels and SMMSE (total and sub scores) in both sexes. Folate levels were significantly correlated with the SMMSE total (p=0.005, r=0.288), orientation (p=0.004, r=0.290) and registration (p=0.04, r=0.215) scores in females. A positive correlation was found between the folate levels and the SMMSE recall sub score in both sexes (p=0.002, r=0.227).
Conclusions: Folate deficiency is an easily treatable condition. Thus it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cognitive impairment especially in female patients.


Phytohormones play crucial roles in regulating many aspects of plant development. Although much has been learned about the effects of individual hormones, cross-talk between and integration of different hormonal signals are still not well understood. We present a study of MINI ZINC FINGER 1 (MIF1), a putative zinc finger protein from Arabidopsis, and suggest that it may be involved in integrating signals from multiple hormones. MIF1 homologs are highly conserved among seed plants, each characterized by a very short sequence containing a central putative zinc finger domain. Constitutive overexpression of MIF1 caused dramatic developmental defects, including dwarfism, reduced apical dominance, extreme longevity, dark-green leaves, altered flower morphology, poor fertility, reduced hypocotyl length, spoon-like cotyledons, reduced root growth, and ectopic root hairs on hypocotyls and cotyledons. In addition, 35S::MIF1 seedlings underwent constitutive photomorphogenesis in the dark, with root growth similar to that in the light. Furthermore, 35S::MIF1 seedlings were demonstrated to be non-responsive to gibberellin (GA) for cell elongation, hypersensitive to the GA synthesis inhibitor paclobutrazol (PAC) and abscisic acid (ABA), and hyposensitive to auxin, brassinosteroid and cytokinin, but normally responsive to ethylene. The de-etiolation defect could not be rescued by the hormones tested. Consistent with these observations, genome-scale expression profiling revealed that 35S::MIF1 seedlings exhibited decreased expression of genes involved in GA, auxin and brassinosteroid signaling as well as cell elongation/expansion, and increased expression of ABA-responsive genes. We propose that MIF1, or the protein(s) with which MIF1 interacts, is involved in mediating the control of plant development by multiple hormones.


A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the Degree of Master of
Science in Food Science and Nutrition in the Jomo Kenyatta University
of Agriculture and Technology 2015


From the available evidence it is clear that mastectomy is associated with a substantial psychological and psychiatric morbidity. To date there is no convincing evidence that counseling can prevent this morbidity, but monitoring of women's psychological adjustment can lead to early detection and effective treatment of their problem. The use of immediate or delayed implantation or reconstruction appears to reduce the psychiatric morbidity in those women who are particularly concerned about their appearance at the time of surgery. Psychiatric morbidity is further increased when adjuvant chemotherapy is used and when treatment results in persistent arm pain and swelling. A shorter course of adjuvant chemotherapy and reduction of surgery within the axilla could reduce psychiatric morbidity. The role of radiotherapy is still unclear, but in some studies a link has been found between the amount of radiotherapy given, adverse effects, and psychiatric morbidity. In women undergoing breast conservation the reduction in body image problems is offset by greater anxiety about recurrence and depression caused by radiotherapy. Exploring and allowing choice when a patient has a strong preference for breast conservation or mastectomy appears to reduce morbidity. But attention still needs to be paid to the early recognition and treatment of psychological problems in patients with breast cancer, and guidelines are provided.


Current therapies for the treatment of pancreatic cancer are limited. The limitations of this type of treatment are abundant. The majority of chemotherapeutic agents used in clinics are highly toxic to both tumor cells and normal tissues due to the lack of specificity. Resistance can develop due to overexposure of these agents. To address these issues, these agents must be made more exclusive toward the tumor site. We have developed a macromolecular carrier based on the sequence of the biopolymer elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) that is able to aggregate upon reaching the externally heated tumor environment. This carrier is specific to the tumor as it only aggregates at the heated tumor site. ELP is soluble below its transition temperature but will aggregate when the temperature is raised above its transition temperature. ELP was modified by p21, a cell cycle inhibitory peptide, and the addition of Bac, a cell-penetrating peptide with nuclear localization capabilities. In this study, p21-ELP-Bac and its control, ELP-p21, were used in cell proliferation studies using the pancreatic cancer cell lines Panc-1, MiaPaca-2, and S2013. ELP-p21 had little effect on proliferation, while the half maximal inhibitory concentration of p21-ELP-Bac was ∼30 μM. As translocation across the plasma membrane is a limiting step for delivery of macromolecules, these polypeptides were utilized in a pancreatic xenograft model to study the plasma clearance, biodistribution, tumor accumulation, and tumor reduction capabilities of the polypeptide with and without a cell-penetrating peptide.


The open and constantly evolving BHSA database text of the Hebrew Bible (Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia Amstelodamensis) from the Eep Talstra Centre for Bible and Computer has amazing potential for past, present and future projects in Biblical Hebrew linguistics, language learning and interpretation. The BHSA was used 2004-2009 in the Role Lexical Module http://lex.qwirx.com/lex/clause.jsp in order to provide an interface for bidirectional mapping between morpho-syntax and semantics for linguists working within the Role and Reference Grammar model. Since then the BHSA har been used for educational purposes in the corpusdriven learning environment Bible Online Learner offering a persuasive interface for enquiry and practice in and with the BHSA text. Based on these applications for linguistic research and persuasive language learning, we now have a better idea of how the next generation of interfaces for the Hebrew Bible should be designed. We may even envision the direction to take for the next 5 years from now. For translation and education, we will need glosses for many languages, scaffolding with interactive archaeological, textual, grammatical and interpretive data, aural reading and much more.


One of the obstacles to AIDS vaccine development is the variability of HIV-1 within individuals and within infected populations, enabling viral escape from highly specific vaccine induced immune responses. An understanding of the different immune mechanisms capable of inhibiting HIV infection may be of benefit in the eventual design of vaccines effective against HIV-1 variants. To study this we first compared the immune responses induced in Rhesus monkeys by using two different immunization strategies based on the same vaccine strain of HIV-1. We then utilized a chimeric simian/HIV that expressed the envelope of a dual tropic HIV-1 escape variant isolated from a later time point from the same patient from which the vaccine strain was isolated. Upon challenge, one vaccine group was completely protected from infection, whereas all of the other vaccinees and controls became infected. Protected macaques developed highest titers of heterologous neutralizing antibodies, and consistently elevated HIV-1-specific T helper responses. Furthermore, only protected animals had markedly increased concentrations of RANTES, macrophage inflammatory proteins 1alpha and 1beta produced by circulating CD8(+) T cells. These results suggest that vaccine strategies that induce multiple effector mechanisms in concert with beta-chemokines may be desired in the generation of protective immune responses by HIV-1 vaccines.


E-mobility is a fast-developing field of electrical industry not only in in Hungary but in Europe and worldwide as well. Besides their environmental, social and economic benefits, electric cars offer further significant possibilities for distribution system operators, for example through the exploitation of controlled charging. This is a hot research topic, but uniform and well-tried solutions are still not available. Actors in electromobility are still forming, thus it is still not known which customer groups might be partners in controlled charging.Present paper enlists solutions offering more than traditional optimization processes based on solely one objective function. The five business solutions proposed here aim at matching electric cars with the present and future operation of DSOs. Two methods (Vehicle2Home and Night Rider) target individual customers, while the other three proposals (E-pump, plug&WORK, ENTERPRISeFLEET) are for fleets. A common framework is used to describe these methods here, and both potential customers and the advantages for DSOs are given. Out of the five solutions above, a detailed business model was developed for three concepts, specifying costs and expected incomes. Avoided costs were identified separately, which include all expenses that might be qualitatively or quantitatively influenced by charging of electric cars or controlled charging.


In order for speech-language pathologists to improve therapy for acquired reading impairments, it is necessary to gain a better understanding of how sentences are processed during reading. Neural mechanisms underlying reading processes can be examined by using event-related potentials (ERPs). More specifically, the N400 response is an ERP component that is typically observed in response to semantically anomalous words in a sentence, and appears to be an index of semantic integration and reprocessing . The N400 response is modulated by semantic context, such that the response is smaller when the anomalous word is semantically related to the expected exemplar. Researchers have shown that individuals with alexia display different sentence processing patterns than controls. The purpose of this research project was to develop and norm stimuli for a future study that will examine the N400 response in individuals with and without alexia when reading sentences containing semantic anomalies. Eighty pairs of sentence sets were created to elicit a specific target word (the expected exemplar). An online survey was administered to 89 participants, who were asked to fill in the final word of the sentence in order to examine how well the sentence context facilitated the target word. Eighty sentences were selected based on the mean cloze probability for the expected exemplar (>0.5). The range of cloze probabilities for expected exemplars was 0.5 – 1.0, with an average of 0.86. The sentences developed in this study will be used to gain valuable information about sentence processing in both controls and those with alexia.


The pochette or kit of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries survives in surprisingly large numbers in both specialist and general collections, and displays a variety of forms and designs, ranging from the plain and simple, to the rather exotic and unusual. Despite this large number of instruments, little has been discussed about its role or reason for its apparent popularity, nor the purpose of the more exotic pochettes, such as those with integral fans or sympathetic strings. As the principal element of the dancing-master's toolkit, the pochette contributed to the rise of European polite society through its use for dance lessons in a domestic setting. This article seeks to explore the pochette of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, observing the society for which it played a pivotal role, elements of design, and ultimately its importance to the dancing-master and his prosperity.


Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) RNA, isolated as virion RNA from purified virus particles or as total RNA from infected cells, has been microinjected into nuclei and cytoplasms of BHK cells. When injected directly into the nucleus FMDV RNA was not infectious, whereas cytoplasmic injection resulted in a high proportion of productive infections. Infectivity microinjection assays on dilution series of various FMDV RNAs showed that both single-stranded positive sense 35S RNA and double-stranded replicative form (Rf) RNA have an infectivity close to 1 p.f.u. per molecule, although only a minor fraction of BHK cells appeared able to support plaque formation following microinjection of Rf FMDV RNA. The infectivity of Rf FMDV RNA was not sensitive to inhibition by actinomycin D. The results are discussed in relation to the high virus particle to p.f.u. ratios observed for FMDV.


The prevailing neuroscientific paradigm considers information processing within the central nervous system as occurring through hierarchically organized and interconnected neural networks. The hierarchy of neural networks doesn't end at the neuroaxonal level; it incorporates subcellular mechanisms as well. When the size of the hierarchical components reaches the nanometer range and the number of elements exceeds that of the neuroaxonal system, an interface emerges for a possible transition between neurochemical and quantum physical events. "Signal nonlocality", accessed by means of quantum entanglement is an essential feature of the quantum physical domain. The presented interface may imply that some manifestations of altered states of consciousness, unconscious/conscious shifts have quantum origin with significant psychosomatic implications. Healing methods based on altered states of consciousness and common in spiritual or shamanic traditions escape neuroscientific explanations based on classical cognition denoted here as "perceptual-cognitive-symbolic" (characteristic of ordinary states of consciousness). Another channel of information processing, called "direct-intuitive-nonlocal" (characteristic of non-ordinary states of consciousness) is required to be introduced for interpretation. The first one is capable of modeling via symbolism and is more culturally bound due to its psycholinguistic features. The second channel lacks the symbolic mediation, therefore it has more transcultural similarity and practically ineffable for the first one, though culture specific transliteration may occur. Different traditional healing rituals pursue the same end: to destroy "profane" sensibility. The ritual use of hallucinogens, the monotonous drumming, the repeated refrains, the fatigue, the fasting, the dancing and so forth, create a sensory condition which is wide open to the so-called "supernatural". According to contemporary anthropological views, the breakdown of ordinary sensibility/cognition is not the ultimate goal, but the way to accomplish healing, that is psychointegration in the widest sense. From the perspective of system theory, integration needs information to be brought into the system. According to the presented model, when the coping capability of the "perceptual-cognitive-symbolic" processing is exhausted in a stressful, unmanageable situation, or its influence is eliminated by the use of hallucinogens or in case of transcendental meditation, a frame shift occurs, and the "spiritual universe" opens up through the "direct-intuitive-nonlocal" channel. There is little chance either for a psychointegrative effect, or for a meaningful "opening" without ritual context, and with the recreational use of mind altering strategies. .


PURPOSE
This study examined the relation of dual and single sensory impairments, within the context of cognitive function, by using the framework of everyday competence in terms of the probability of difficulty with specific personal and instrumental activities of daily living (ADLs and IADLs, respectively).

DESIGN AND METHODS
The Longitudinal Study on Aging, composed of individuals aged 70 and older in 1984 (N = 5,151), provided data for the present analyses. In each IADL and ADL domain, binary logistic regressions assessed the probability of difficulty associated with sensory impairment and cognitive status after sociodemographic and physical health covariates were controlled for.

RESULTS
One fifth of older adults reported dual sensory impairment, which was associated with greater IADL than ADL task difficulty compared with single sensory loss. Further, high levels of dual impairment were shown to increase the risk of difficulty in three of six IADL tasks (preparing meals, shopping, and using the telephone) over vision impairment alone. Overall, cognitive status was a significant predictor of both ADL and IADL difficulties, which was not expected from the everyday competence framework.

IMPLICATIONS
Findings highlight the importance of sensory resources for everyday competence and suggest the need for effective vision and hearing rehabilitation to assist older adults in improving or maintaining their functional independence.


Abstract The possibility of copper reacting with O2-free water has been investigated by analysis of primary corrosion products, as well as by monitoring gas pressure change by time, in long term experiments for up to 6 months in a glove box environment. We establish hydrogen production, but being of the same magnitude irrespective whether copper is present or not. Although low, the hydrogen production rate is considerably larger than what would directly correspond to the amount of analysed copper oxidation products. Our analyses encompass the changes to the surface cleaned copper (99·9999%), the water phase and the Duran glass in contact with the water (ppt quality). We have used very sensitive methods (XPS, AES, ICP-MS, XRF) while keeping contamination risks to a minimum. We conclude that the oxidation rate of copper is very low, yielding only parts of a monolayer of Cu2O after 6 months of exposure at 50°C together with an accompanying very low concentration of copper species (4–5 μg L−1) in the water phase.


Permeable asphalt pavement should be selected according to the rainfall characteristics of the project site, so as to improve the permeable performance and ensure the bearing capacity of the pavement structure. Therefore, taking a city in the central plains urban agglomeration of China as an example, the characteristics of the rainstorm intensity distribution and cumulative rainfall are analyzed, and a combination scheme of drainage surface layer asphalt pavement suitable for rainfall characteristics in this area is proposed. Then, the pavement structure design is systematically carried out based on the permeable capacity and bearing capacity. The results show that under the rainfall conditions in this area, there is no surface runoff on the permeable asphalt pavement with 120 mm drainage surface layer, which is suitable for the medium traffic grade of urban roads with cumulative equivalent axle loads of 10 million to 12 million times.


Deposition of excessive amount of fine powder in the lower part of blast furnace deteriorates permeability of packed bed for reacting gas and liquid products, and causes operation instability. Powder behavior in the lower part of blast furnace has been attracting technical and scientific interests with increase in injection rate of pulverized coal into blast furnace. This study performed numerical experiments on effects of deadman structure and properties of generated powder on gas and powder flow behavior in the lower part of blast furnace by using two-dimensional axisymmetric mathematical model for flow and heat transfer in blast furnace based on multi-fluid theory. Among the packed bed properties, voidage has greater effect than coke diameter on penetration of high temperature gas and powder into the deadman zone and pressure drop in the furnace. The deadman having extremely low voidage is possibly to cause formation of low temperature zone in the deadman. Thus it is preferable to repress powder accumulation within deadman packed bed to keep its permeability. Increase in powder diameter raises the maximum value of volume fraction of powder within the deadman, and heavier particles tend to leave from the gas stream. Such particles are considered easy to accumulate in the deadman. Therefore decrease in generation of larger and heavier particles and increase in their consumption are effective to realize permeable deadman.


ABSTRACT Bloom's syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by increased incidence of cancer and an immunodeficiency of unknown origin. The BLM gene mutated in Bloom's syndrome encodes a DNA helicase involved in the maintenance of genomic integrity. To explore the role of BLM in the immune system, we ablated murine Blm in the T-cell lineage. In the absence of Blm, thymocytes were severely reduced in numbers and displayed a developmental block at the β-selection checkpoint that was partially p53 dependent. Blm-deficient thymocytes rearranged their T-cell receptor (TCR) β genes normally yet failed to survive and proliferate in response to pre-TCR signaling. Furthermore, peripheral T cells were reduced in numbers, manifested defective homeostatic and TCR-induced proliferation, and produced extensive chromosomal damage. Finally, CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses were impaired upon antigen challenge. Thus, by ensuring genomic stability, Blm serves a vital role for development, maintenance, and function of T lymphocytes, suggesting a basis for the immune deficiency in Bloom's syndrome.


Field and theoretical investigations of strain localization: Effects of mineralogy, shear heating and grain size evolution on deformation in the Earth Janelle Marie Homburg Viscous and viscoelastic deformation strongly affects the mechanical behavior of the Earth. This style of deformation has consequences for a wide range of geodynamic processes from large scale processes like the formation and maintenance of plate boundaries, to smaller scale processes like postseismic deformation on and near faults. One of the key features of viscous and viscoelastic deformation in the Earth is that it is observed to be self localizing under some circumstances. This is in spite of the tendency for viscous deformation to be pervasive in a deforming system. Many processes are thought to contribute to strain localization in the Earth: (1) viscous dissipation or shear heating (e.g., Braeck and Podladchikov, 2007; Braeck et al., 2009; Kameyama et al., 1999; Kelemen and Hirth, 2007; Ogawa, 1987), (2) grain size reduction (e.g., Braun et al., 1999; Montési and Hirth, 2003; Précigout and Gueydan, 2009), (3) lattice preferred orientation development (LPO) (e.g., Poirier, 1980; Tomassi et al., 2009), mixing of phases (e.g., Skemer et al., 2010a; Toy et al., 2010; Warren and Hirth, 2006) and geometrical interconnection of weak phases and materials (e.g., Handy, 1994). Utilizing both natural samples from Oman (Chapter 2) and theoretical work based on numerical modeling (Chapters 3 and 4) each chapter of this thesis evaluates the effect of a different one of these processes on strain localization, and in the case of Chapter 4 evaluates the additional feedback between two of these processes. In Chapter 2 we examine strain localization in a natural system in which two very rheologically different materials, gabbronorite (predominantly plagioclase) and harzburgite (predominantly olivine), were juxtaposed due to volcanic intrusion and subsequently deformed. We utilized field relationships, pyroxene and amphibole/plagioclase thermometry, metamorphic phase equilibrium, grain size piezometry and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) in order to constrain the deformation conditions for the field area. The viscosity of gabbronorite was found to be: (1) consistent with the predicted viscosities based on the extrapolation of experimental flow laws and (2) at least two orders of magnitude lower than the harzburgite while deformation was occurring. This suggests both that a significant viscosity contrast exists at the crust-mantle boundary where the crustal lithology is dominated by plagioclase and the mantle by olivine, and wherever deformation is geometrically allowed to localize within plagioclase rich layers. In Chapter 3 we examine the theoretical effect of shear heating as well as the feedback between viscous dissipation and temperature dependant viscosity on strain localization in a one-dimensional model of a viscoelastic shear zone. This model builds on the work of Kelemen and Hirth (2007) by utilizing a complex dry olivine viscoelastic rheology that includes dislocation creep, diffusion creep, dislocation accommodated grain boundary sliding (disGBS) and low temperature plasticity (LTP). We have found that increasing either the applied strain rate or the grain size, system behavior is modified in three significant ways: (1) it causes the maximum stress the system can achieve to increase, (2) it results in more unstable system behavior and (3) it causes the system to accommodate more deformation in the background. One consequence of enhanced background deformation is that the system exhibits distinct periods of accelerated stress relaxation accompanied by increased strain rates, that do not necessarily go unstable. Consequently, we have shown that shear heating may play an important role both in viscous deformation in the Earth and potentially in the occurrence of intermediate depth earthquakes and slow slip events. In Chapter 4, we extend Chapter 3 and examine the feedbacks between grain size evolution, viscous dissipation and a complex temperature and grain size dependant viscosity in a one-dimensional model of a viscoelastic shear zone. We evaluated both the grain size evolution models of Austin and Evans (2007) and a modified version of Hall and Parmentier (2003). We find that Austin and Evans predicts unrealistically fine background grain sizes while the predictions based on Hall and Parmentier (2003) are more reasonable. We also find that, based on this model and the experimental work of Mei et al. (2010), low-temperature plasticity (LTP) may not contribute to grain size reduction in viscously deforming materials. Based on this model, grain size evolution does not appear to strongly affect the peak stress or stability of a system for fine initial grain sizes as grain size reduction does not significantly alter the initial viscosity structure. However, in systems with coarser initial grain sizes, grain size evolution does appear to contribute to system instability. Additionally, for both initially coarse and fine systems, grains size evolution results in the emergence of stress evolutions displaying two distinct episodes of stress reduction. Much like Chapter 3, our observations in Chapter 4 suggest that grain size evolution may play an important role in viscous deformation in the Earth and may potentially be a mechanism for some intermediate depth earthquakes and slow slip events. Taken together the chapters in this thesis explore several of the potentially important processes that affect strain localization in the Earth. Thus providing significant insight into this important phenomenon.


A method for identification of polyenic antibiotics at early stages of their screening was developed using the known fact of high affinity of polygens and steroids. It was found that addition of cholesterol or ergosterol to the nutrient medium in a concentration of 100 gamma/ml eliminated the inhibitory effect of the polyenic antibiotics. Screening of the antibiotic-producing actinomycetes simultaneously on 2 media, i.e. with and without cholesterol using the yeast test-organisms provided identification of actinomycetes producing polyenic antibiotics. The selective capacity of 3 yeast cultures, i.e. Sacch. cerevisiae, Cand. albicans and Tor. globosa 11-3 as test-organisms for screening polyenic antibiotics was compared. It was shown that mitochondrial mutant 11-3 of Tor. globosa was a highly sensitive model for identification of actinomycetes producing polyenic antibiotic, since 23% of the actinomycetes possessing an activity against that organism produced substances of the polyenic nature. All the strains of the actinomycetes screened with the help of Cand. albicans and Sacch. cerevisia were the same as those detected with the help of mutant 11-3 of Tor. globosa.


The paper reviews the authors' work in using a genetic algorithm (GA) to optimise the board evaluation function of a game playing program. The test bed used for this study has been the game of draughts (checkers). A pool of draughts programs are played against each other in a round robin (all-play-all) tournament to evaluate the fitness of each 'player' and a GA is used to preserve and improve the best performers. Some solutions to the problems of attempting to compare the absolute performance of possible solutions in this area which is mainly about relative abilities are presented. Comparisons with classical methods and results are also briefly discussed.


Temperature results from multi‐decadal simulations of coupled chemistry climate models for the recent past are analyzed using multi‐linear regression including a trend, solar cycle, lower stratospheric tropical wind, and volcanic aerosol terms. The climatology of the models for recent years is in good agreement with observations for the troposphere but the model results diverge from each other and from observations in the stratosphere. Overall, the models agree better with observations than in previous assessments, primarily because of corrections in the observed temperatures. The annually averaged global and polar temperature trends simulated by the models are generally in agreement with revised satellite observations and radiosonde data over much of their altitude range. In the global average, the model trends underpredict the radiosonde data slightly at the top of the observed range. Over the Antarctic some models underpredict the temperature trend in the lower stratosphere, while others overpredict the trends.


This paper reflects on women's presence in politics in Kerala where neoliberalised welfare now targets a very large number of women and inducts them into local governance. Offering a brief sketch of the shifts in the region in women's roles and responsibilities from the pre-liberalisation period to the 1990s and after, the paper draws upon two spells of field- work to probe the unintended consequences that neoliberalised welfare has generated, the possibilities thrown up by institutional change in women's self-help groups. This paper also attempts to view the commonalities and departures between the figure of the 'Kerala Model Woman', shaped in the laudatory literature on the 'Kerala Model' of development, and the emerging, apparently more troublesome, figure of the 'Kudumbashree woman'.


In settings where Machine Learning (ML) algorithms automate or inform consequential decisions about people, individual decision subjects are often incentivized to strategically modify their observable attributes to receive more favorable predictions. As a result, the distribution the assessment rule is trained on may differ from the one it operates on in deployment. While such distribution shifts, in general, can hinder accurate predictions, our work identifies a unique opportunity associated with shifts due to strategic responses: We show that we can use strategic responses effectively to recover causal relationships between the observable features and outcomes we wish to predict, even under the presence of unobserved confounding variables. Specifically, our work establishes a novel connection between strategic responses to ML models and instrumental variable (IV) regression by observing that the sequence of deployed models can be viewed as an instrument that affects agents' observable features but does not directly influence their outcomes. We show that our causal recovery method can be utilized to improve decision-making across several important criteria: individual fairness, agent outcomes, and predictive risk. In particular, we show that if decision subjects differ in their ability to modify non-causal attributes, any decision rule deviating from the causal coefficients can lead to (potentially unbounded) individual-level unfairness.


This article briefs a survey on software security techniques. Software security testing is not the identical as testing the correctness and competence of security functions implemented by software, which are most frequently verified through requirements-based testing. These tests are important; they expose only a small piece of the depiction needed to verify the security of the software. Security testing is necessary because it has a distinct relationship with software quality. Software meets quality requirements related to functionality and performance, it does not necessary mean that the software is


Abstract. Mercury is a contaminant of global concern. It is transported in the atmosphere primarily as gaseous elemental mercury, but its reactivity and deposition to the surface environment, through which it enters the aquatic food chain, is greatly enhanced following oxidation. Measurements and modelling studies of oxidised mercury in the polar to sub-tropical marine boundary layer (MBL) have suggested that photolytically produced bromine atoms are the primary oxidant of mercury. We report year-round measurements of elemental and oxidised mercury, along with ozone, halogen oxides (IO and BrO) and nitrogen oxides (NO2), in the MBL over the Galapagos Islands in the equatorial Pacific. Elemental mercury concentration remained low throughout the year, while higher than expected levels of oxidised mercury occurred around midday. Our results show that the production of oxidised mercury in the tropical MBL cannot be accounted for by bromine oxidation only, or by the inclusion of ozone and hydroxyl. As a two-step oxidation mechanism, where the HgBr intermediate is further oxidised to Hg(II), depends critically on the stability of HgBr, an additional oxidant is needed to react with HgBr to explain more than 50% of the observed oxidised mercury. Based on best available thermodynamic data, we show that atomic iodine, NO2, or HO2 could all play the potential role of the missing oxidant, though their relative importance cannot be determined explicitly at this time due to the uncertainties associated with mercury oxidation kinetics. We conclude that the key pathway that significantly enhances atmospheric mercury oxidation and deposition to the tropical oceans is missing from the current understanding of atmospheric mercury oxidation.


Dihydroxyouabain (ouabain) , 1.0-10 pg, per rat, injected intracerebroventricularly, produced dose-related vasopressor responses accompanied by corresponding increases in abdominal sympathetic n erve activity in 16 weeks old Wistar (NT) rats anesthetized with urethane. The heart rate then also increased, dose-dependently, to ouabain injected in doses up to 10 pg. However , 100 pg produced arrhythmia resulting in bradycardia. Pressor effects were appreciable within one minute after the ouabain injection, but did not become maximal until between 7-10 min later. Either the removal of sympathetic vasomotor tone by surgical s ection of the s pinal cord or intravenous pretreatment with a vasopressin antagonist significantly reduced the vasopressor r esponses in the NT rat. Ouabain, 10 pg, injected intraventricular ly in 16 weeks old Kyoto Wistar rats produced similar cardiovascular responses to those in the NT rat, but the magnitude of the blood pressure responses, along with the h eart rate and sympathetic r esponses, was larger in SHR than in WKY. These results suggest that dihydroxyouabain acts centrally to elevate the blood pressure by increasing n ot only the sympathetic discharge but also, perhaps, the secretion of vasopressin. In light of previous studies showing that SHRs exhibit both sympathetic hyperactivity and hypersecretion of vasopressin, the present results suggest that their enhanced responsiveness to ouabain could result from both the sympathetic hyperactivity and an enhanced vasopressin release as a result of the c entrally injected ouabain. 1499


Throughout the history of rural society has evolved from the primitive village community to the modern, highly developed, rural society. Sustainable rural development is one of the economic, social and environmental priorities in modern society. In this respect, the European Union gives a strong impetus to social and territorial cohesion of rural areas and aims to provide a more efficient evaluation of local development potential, in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. The aim of this paper is to show the theoretical approaches to defining rural area, and the necessity of modernization policy of sustainable rural development of Montenegro in the integration process into the European Union. In the Member States of the European Union in 2011, lived 23% of the population in rural areas. Most of the population in the countries of the European Union residing in the rural areas was recorded in Ireland (73%), Slovakia (50%), Estonia (48%), Hungary (47%) and Romania (46%). Condition in which there is a rural area of Montenegro and explore possibilities for his overcoming represents a sufficient motive for making this work.


Background Foul play has been considered as one of the most important known extrinsic risk factors for injuries in football. Aims To compare the incidence and characteristics of foul play injuries and non-foul injuries. Methods Team physicians' postmatch injury reports and official match statistics were obtained from all matches of the 2002, 2006 and 2010 Fédération Internationale de Football Association World Cups. Results The number of injuries was associated with the number of fouls in a match. The incidence of foul play injuries (20.6/1000 match-hours, 95% CI 17.3 to 24.4) was significantly lower than that of non-foul injuries (42.6, 37.7 to 47.9), which also applied to all playing positions. The causation of injury (foul/non-foul), match period and teams' drawing/losing/winning status were associated with the injury incidence. The interactions between the causation of injury (foul/non-foul) and match time, as well as the teams' drawing/losing/winning status or playing position were not statistically significant. The median (IQR) days of absence resulting from foul play injuries were significantly shorter than that of non-foul injuries. The lower leg and ankle were more common locations for foul play injuries than for non-foul injuries, whereas the opposite was observed for thigh injuries. Contusions were a more common type of foul play injuries than non-foul injuries, while the opposite was found for muscle strains/ruptures/tears. Conclusions The numbers of injuries and fouls in a match were significantly associated. No significant differences in the variation of foul play and non-foul injury incidences regarding match period, teams' current winning/drawing/losing status and playing position were observed, suggesting that foul play injuries and non-foul injuries may share similar underlying risk factors.


Superblocks are city blocks whose size is significantly larger than average. Despite their widespread use across countries such as China, few studies have investigated how these superblocks affect network traffic performance. This paper aims to narrow that gap in knowledge. To that end, we use a grid network emulating a dense city environment. Then, multiple scenarios corresponding to size, location, shape, and number of superblocks are designed by removing nodes and related links. We evaluate network traffic performance by considering the factors of travel distance, travel time, volume-to-capacity ratios on nodes and links, as well as the level of traffic heterogeneity. The results indicate that superblocks with relatively small size (i.e. less than 1/4 of the network size) do not affect traffic significantly. The importance and connectivity of nodes and links related to superblocks are crucial factors affecting the overall traffic performance. In general, the more central the superblock, the larger its influence on the network traffic, except for extremely large superblocks that can significantly affect traffic when located in the periphery, as they lead to high traffic heterogeneities. Rectangular superblocks are more detrimental than square ones. Furthermore, traffic performance can be significantly improved by dividing the superblock into several relatively smaller blocks. Our results should be of direct interest to city-planning decision-makers in dense urban centers.


Abstract
Malignant tumors of the small bowel are rare and accounts for the <2 % of total gastrointestinal (GI) malignancy. The age-adjusted incidence of small bowel
malignancy is 1 per 100,000 with prevalence of 0.6% . Management of these tumors is challenging because of their rarity, relative inaccessibility for diagnosis and diverse histologic types and nonspecific symptoms. Because of the heterogenous and aggressive nature many of them present with recurrence and visceral metastasis. They also have a poor prognosis because most patients present with advanced disease.
Here we present four cases of intestinal metastasis.


Finance is an inherently quantitative subject, and educators at both the undergraduate and graduate levels often struggle with finding the optimal approach that maximizes understanding and retention for their students, especially for students who are mathematically challenged. In this column, we offer and encourage an approach we label "Spreadsheet Modeling" that has been quite successful in our classes and is growing in popularity. Obviously, spreadsheet modeling is not new. Academics and practitioners have benefited from it since the early 80's. Nor is our recommended approach completely new or the definitive final word on the subject. Our primary conviction is simply that the optimal use of spreadsheets for teaching finance and investments has been only modestly explored, and the benefits of using them is strictly "positive NPV" for initial student learning and concept retention. In this column, we first summarize the pedagogical issues of why "Spreadsheet Modeling" as an overall approach works so well, and the value of differing sub-approaches. Then we offer several examples from our own classes and a survey of available resources (including textbook supplements) especially for investments-type courses.


Following the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 a major rebound in the Mid-Continent Sandhill Crane population began. States allowing hunting have seemingly profited from this segment of wildlife management, except for Nebraska. Being the only state in the Central Flyway not to allow hunting of Sandhill Cranes, Nebraska has been ignoring possible gains from this economic sector. Although the current economic gain from recreation and tourism of Sandhill Cranes is near $10.33 million, the predicted profits of hunting could add more inflow to the economy. Using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Status and Harvest Report on Sandhill Cranes from 2013 data on Sandhill Crane active hunters and estimated harvest will be used. This data along with data gathered from reviewed articles will lead to an estimated total economic profit. A discussion on 'hunting as a disturbance' will also be included.


Primary producers such as plants and macroalgae can vary in palatability to their her- bivorous grazers; this leads to variation in the intensity of herbivory, which can play an important role in setting the composition and diversity of producer assemblages. However, despite strong gradients in the composition and abundance of herbivores across intertidal gradients, little is known about how macroalgal palatability and associated herbivore defenses vary across strong vertical gradients in marine rocky intertidal zones. Plant defense theory predicts that decreasing intensity of herbivory with increasing tidal elevation should result in higher intertidal species being more palatable and less defended than their lower intertidal counterparts. In this study, we examined the relative palata- bility of 9 pairs of closely related macroalgal species that occupy different elevations across this ver- tical gradient, to 3 of the most common local herbivores. We conducted controlled paired-choice feed- ing assays for every herbivore-algal species combination. Although we found no evidence for a vertical gradient in palatability consistent across all 3 herbivores, there were many significant, spe- cies-specific herbivore preferences driven by morphological and/or chemical properties of the macroalgae. In general, herbivores consumed more of the algae that they did not co-occur with: the lower intertidal herbivores Strongylocentrotus purpuratus and Tegula brunnea preferred higher intertidal algae overall, and the higher intertidal herbivore Tegula funebralis preferred lower inter- tidal algae. Our results suggest that the intensity of herbivory may change with tidal elevation in more complex ways than previously suspected, and that studies of macroalgal palatability and anti- herbivore defenses in these systems will need to examine the relative impacts of a range of herbi- vores on algal community structure.


Abstract Worldwide comparison of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from free-range chickens (Gallus domesticus) has indicated that T. gondii isolates from Brazil are phenotypically and genetically different from isolates from other countries; most strains from Brazil are pathogenic to mice, there is great genetic variability, most isolates are nonclonal, and Type II is absent or rare. The prevalence of T. gondii in 50 free-range chickens from the island of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil (this island is 350 km from the mainland) was determined. Antibodies to T. gondii were assayed by the modified agglutination test (MAT); 42 (84%) chickens had titers of 1∶5 in 2, 1∶10 in 4, 1∶20 in 3, 1∶40 in 6, 1∶80 in 6, 1∶160 in 5, 1∶320 in 3, and 1∶640 or higher in 13 chickens. Hearts of 40 seropositive chickens were bioassayed individually in mice. Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from 24 chickens with MAT titers of 1∶5 or higher; the isolates were designated TgCKBr210-233. None of the isolates was pathogenic for mice. The restricted fragment length polymorphism using 10 markers revealed 6 genotypes, including the Type II, Type III, and 4 new chicken genotypes (#59–#62) that were different from genotypes so far reported in Brazil. All 24 isolates were successfully genotyped; 15 isolates were Brazil chicken type #59, 1 type #60, 1 type #61, 1 type #62; 5 were Type II (with Type I allele at the Apico locus); and 1 isolate was clonal Type III. Results in this study indicate that T. gondii on this island consists of unique genotypes as well as clonal genotypes that are dominant in Europe and North America.


The herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) capsid is an icosahedral shell approximately 15 nm thick and 125 nm in diameter. Three of its primary structural components are a major capsid protein (VP5; coded by the UL19 gene) and two minor proteins, VP19C (UL38 gene) and VP23 (UL18 gene). Assembly of the capsid involves the participation of two additional proteins, the scaffolding protein (UL26.5 gene) and the maturational protease (UL26 gene). With the goal of identifying morphological intermediates in the assembly process, we have examined capsid formation in a cell-free system containing the five HSV-1 proteins mentioned above. Capsids and capsid-related structures formed during progressively longer periods of incubation were examined by electron microscopy of thin-sectioned specimens. After one minute, 90 minutes and eight hours of incubation the structures observed, respectively, were partial capsids, closed spherical capsids and polyhedral capsids. Partial capsids were two-layered structures consisting of a segment of external shell partially surrounding a region of scaffold. They appeared as wedges or angular segments of closed spherical capsids, the angle ranging from less than 30 degrees to greater than 270 degrees. Partial capsids are suggested to be precursors of closed spherical capsids because, whereas partial capsids were the predominant assembly product observed after one minute of incubation, they were rare in reactions incubated for 45 minutes or longer. Closed spherical capsids were highly uniform in morphology, consisting of a closed external shell surrounding a thick scaffold similar in morphology to the same layers seen in partial capsids. In negatively stained specimens, closed spherical capsids appeared round in profile, suggesting that they are spherical rather than polyhedral in shape. A three-dimensional reconstruction computed from cryoelectron micrographs confirmed that closed spherical capsids are spherical with T = 16 icosahedral symmetry. The reconstruction showed further that, compared to mature HSV-1 capsids, closed spherical capsids are more open structures in which the capsid floor layer is less pronounced. In contrast to closed spherical capsids, polyhedral capsids exhibited distinct facets and vertices, indicating that they are icosahedral like the capsids in mature virions. Upon incubation in vitro, purified closed spherical capsids matured into polyhedral capsids, indicating that the latter arise by angularization of the former. Partial capsids, closed spherical capsids and polyhedral capsids were all found to contain VP5, VP19C, VP23, VP21 and the scaffolding protein; the scaffolding protein being predominantly in the immature, uncleaved form in all cases. Polyhedral capsids and closed spherical capsids were found to differ in their sensitivity to disruption at 2 degrees C. Closed spherical capsids were disassembled while polyhedral capsids were unaffected. Our results suggest that HSV-1 capsid assembly begins with the partial capsid and proceeds through a closed, spherical, unstable capsid intermediate to a closed, icosahedral form similar to that found in the mature virion. Structures resembling HSV-1 partial capsids have been described as capsid assembly intermediates in Salmonella typhimurium bacteriophage P22. HSV-1 capsid maturation from a fragile, spherical state to a robust polyhedral form resembles the prohead maturation events undergone by dsDNA bacteriophages including lambda, T4 and P22. Because of this similarity, we propose the name procapsid for the closed spherical capsid intermediate in HSV-1 capsid assembly.


The unique challenges of offshore drilling, unable to be overcome by conventional drilling approaches, have forced the industry to aggressively pursue alternative methods to the "pump and dump" top hole drilling, which simply spills the drilling fluid and cuttings onto the seabed. Drilling topholes using riser is banned on the Norwegian continental shelf due to the risky relation to shallow gas pockets. The most prevalent tophole drilling problem associated with the use of the "pump and dump" approach is the dispelling of drilling fluid and cuttings, which has obvious environmental implications. Heightened focus on the discharge to the marine environment has propelled the demand of a technology to mitigate the seabed disturbance, as authorities have begun to place restrictions on the amount of discharge emitted to sea. With new regulations, the demand for new technologies arises. The development of RMR was impelled by the vision of zero hazardous discharge, and offers environmental benefits by capturing drilling waste at wellhead and pumping it back to the rig for conditioning and reuse. By implementing RMR it is possible to bypass some destructive discharge, but new challenges related to the drilling process may arise. When drilling through potential hazardous zones, the mud cap on the SMO will be open to sea and allow for drilling fluid to breach out. The knowledge of the corals vulnerability of drilling fluid is insufficient. However, the corals in Norwegian waters are assumed to have some resistance to sedimentation due to high current intensity and high particle density in the water. Even though it assumed that the corals are able to re-colonize, inadequate documentation on coral settlement makes it important to limit destructive discharge. As mentioned, the Suction Module of the Riserless Mud Recovery System is open to sea and the different sub-activities of the drilling process will generate drilling fluid discharge. Pulling the drillstring out of the hole was deliberated to be the procedure causing the most mixing in the drilling fluid-sea water interphase and a model was developed for simulation purpose. Different rheology drilling fluids were mixed where the viscosity and density was altered in order to evolve rheology profiles. Baker Hughes provided drilling fluids commonly used during RMR projects. When experiments commenced it was evident that diffusion could be excluded as a mass transfer mechanism disturbing the interphase. Advection was superior and did cause, in some cases, complete contamination of the fluids. The acquired results indicate that density will have the least effect of impeding the advection. The only prerequisite was that there had to be a density difference between the two fluids. A density of 1,1 kg/l turned out to be sufficient as opposed to the first drilling muds tested with densities in the 1,02 kg/l-1,05 kg/l range. When the density requirement was fulfilled, viscosity was the property with most influence of the fluid contamination. The common denominator of the drilling fluid that managed to impede the advection and showed resistance towards mixing was a high plastic viscosity. If the drilling fluid in addition had a high yield point the mixing degree was lowered. The obtained results from the experiments indicate a marshalling sequence of: Plastic Viscosity Yield Point Density RMR is employed when drilling the top hole sections, hence a high yield point of the drilling fluid is not required to be able to lift the cuttings out of the annulus. However, when drilling in environmentally vulnerable areas the operator should consider raising the viscosity and yield point in order to strengthen the resistance towards mixing. The apparent results regarding duration of the tripping procedure, indicated that time have little effect on the fluid contamination. The mass transfer reached its peak and the mixing degree seemed to stay constant as time went on. The velocity of the tripping did have a greater influence on the mixing degree than duration. It was found that the high density mud with low viscosity and yield point, especially, will profit on the environmental account by slowing down the tripping velocity. However, reducing the speed increases the time consumption and increases the overall cost of the project. In most areas the drilling fluids will be allowed emitted to the sea, however RMR may be adapted in environmental vulnerable areas where the discharge regulations is more stringent.


Urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) and its receptor (uPAR) coordinate a plasmin-mediated proteolytic cascade that has been implicated in cell adhesion, cell motility, and matrix breakdown, for example, during inflammation. As part of their function during inflammatory responses, macrophages move through tissues and encounter both two-dimensional (2D) surfaces and more complex three-dimensional (3D) interstitial matrices. Based on approaches employing uPA gene–deficient macrophages, plasminogen supplementation, and neutralization with specific protease inhibitors, it is reported in this study that uPA activity is a central component of the invasion of macrophages through a 3D Matrigel barrier; it also has a nonredundant role in macrophage-mediated matrix degradation. For murine macrophages, matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity was found to be required for these uPA-mediated effects. Evidence for a unique role for uPA in the inverse relationship between macrophage adhesion and 2D migration was also noted: macrophage adhesion to vitronectin was enhanced by uPA and blocked by plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, the latter approach also able to enhance in turn the 2D migration on this matrix protein. It is therefore proposed that uPA can have a key role in the inflammatory response at several levels as a central regulator of macrophage 3D invasion, matrix remodeling, and adhesion. The Journal of Immunology , 2014, 192: 000–000.


This study presents a procedure for simultaneously addressing stochastic input demands and resource supplies for irrigated agriculture within a linear modeling framework. Specifically, the effect of stochastic crop net irrigation requirements and streamflow supplies on irrigation water management is examined. Irrigators pay a self-protection cost, in terms of water management decisions, to increase the probability that stochastic crop water demand is satisfied and anticipated water supply is available. Self-protection cost is lower when increasing the probability that anticipated water supplies are delivered, ceteris paribus, than when increasing the probability that the crop receives full net irrigation requirement in the study region.


We discuss our experience in applying automatic differentiation (AD) to calculations in nuclear reactor applications. The document is intended as a guideline on how to apply AD to Fortran codes with significant legacy components; it is also a part of a larger research effort in uncertainty quantification using sampling methods augmented with derivative information. We provide a brief theoretical description of the concept of AD, explain the necessary changes in the code structure, and remark on possible ways to deal with non-differentiability. Numerical experiments were carried out where the derivative of a functional subset of the SAS4A/SASSYS code was computed in forward mode with several AD tools. The results are in good agreement with both the real and complex finite-difference approximations of the derivative.


In this paper, we are interested in enhancing the expressivity and robustness of part-based models for object representation, in the common scenario where the training data are based on 2D images. To this end, we propose scene-domain active part models (SDAPM), which reconstruct and characterize the 3D geometric statistics between object's parts in 3D scene-domain by using 2D training data in the image-domain alone. And on top of this, we explicitly model and handle occlusions in SDAPM. Together with the developed learning and inference algorithms, such a model provides rich object descriptions, including 2D object and parts localization, 3D landmark shape and camera viewpoint, which offers an effective representation to various image understanding tasks, such as object and parts detection, 3D landmark shape and viewpoint estimation from images. Experiments on the above tasks show that SDAPM outperforms previous part-based models, and thus demonstrates the potential of the proposed technique.


The informal settlements in Butuan City, Philippines pose the intractable problem of housing and providing services for the urban poor. They exact tremendous costs to government infrastructure projects and the city as a whole. In this study, these costs are accounted for, particularly the costs the government will incur to compensate them for being displaced in the implementation of public infrastructure project. Primary data were collected through inventory of losses (IOL), socio-economic survey (SES) and the replacement cost surveys. Secondary data were obtained through key informant interviews with different stakeholders. The paper quantifies the costs of compensating them through replacement of their affected resources and providing resettlement. It also establishes different types of compensation to secure just terms for all parties. It presents a rich picture of how the informal settlers affect urban environment and the monetary and operational challenges they pose to the government and the society at large.


Designing broadband enhanced chirality is of strong interest to the emerging fields of chiral chemistry and sensing, or to control the spin orbital momentum of photons in recently introduced nanophotonic chiral quantum and classical optical applications. However, chiral light‐matter interactions have an extremely weak nature, are difficult to control and enhance, and cannot be made tunable or broadband. In addition, planar ultrathin nanophotonic structures to achieve strong, broadband, and tunable chirality at the technologically important visible to ultraviolet spectrum still remain elusive. Here, these important problems are tackled by experimentally demonstrating and theoretically verifying spectrally tunable, extremely large, and broadband chiroptical response by nanohelical metamaterials. The reported new designs of all‐dielectric and dielectric‐metallic (hybrid) plasmonic metamaterials permit the largest and broadest ever measured chiral Kuhn's dissymmetry factor achieved by a large‐scale nanophotonic structure. In addition, the strong circular dichroism of the presented bottom‐up fabricated optical metamaterials can be tuned by varying their dimensions and proportions between their dielectric and plasmonic helical subsections. The currently demonstrated ultrathin optical metamaterials are expected to provide a substantial boost to the developing field of chiroptics leading to significantly enhanced and broadband chiral light‐matter interactions at the nanoscale.


A thermal volatility technique is used to provide indirect information about the chemical composition of the aerosol involved in cirrus cloud formation. The fraction of particles that disappears after being heated to 125°C is termed volatile and the fraction that disappears between 125 and 250°C is termed semi-volatile. Particles that still remain after being heated to 250°C make up the non-volatile fraction. The thermal composition of residual particles remaining from evaporated cirrus crystals is presented and compared to interstitial aerosol particles (non-activated particles in between the cirrus crystals) for two temperature regimes (cold: T T<250 K), based on in-situ observations. The observations were conducted in cirrus clouds in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) and Northern Hemisphere (NH) midlatitudes during the INCA project. In the cold temperature regime, the non-volatile fraction of the residual particles was typically in the range 10 to 30% in the NH and 30 to 40% in the SH. In the warm temperature regime, the non-volatile residual fraction was typically 10 to 30% (NH) and 20 to 40% (SH). At high crystal number densities the non-volatile fraction in both temperature regimes was even higher: in the range of 30 to 40% (NH) and 40 to 50% (SH). The semi-volatile fraction was typically less than 10% in both hemispheres, causing the volatile fraction to essentially be a complement to the non-volatile fraction. In terms of the fractioning into the three types of particles, the SH cold case is clearly different compared to the other three cases (the two warm cases and the cold NH case), which share many features. In the NH data the distribution of different particle types does not seem to be temperature dependent. In all the cases, the non-volatile fraction is enriched in the residual particles compared to the fractions observed for the interstitial particles. This enrichment corresponds to about 15 (NH) and 30 (SH) percent units in the two cold cases and to 15–25 (NH) and 25–35 (SH) percent units in the two warm cases. In the NH cold case, there is a clear relation between the fractions observed in the interstitial particles and what is observed in the residual particles. The observed large fractions of non-volatile particles show that particles forming ice crystals are not entirely made up of water-soluble sulfate particles.


A series of 11 agents was analyzed at both 5-hydroxytryptamine1A (5-HT1A) sites labeled by [3H]-8-hydroxy-2-(N,N-dipropylamino)tetralin and total 5-HT1 binding sites labeled by [3H]-5-HT in rat brain membranes. Three distinct patterns of relative inhibition were noted. First, drugs such as 8-hydroxy-2-(N,N-dipropylamino)tetralin n-(3-acetylaminophenyl)piperazine hydrochloride, 2-[4-[4-(2-pyrimidinyl)-1-piperazinyl]-1,2-benziso-thiazol-3 -(2H)one-1,1-dioxidehydrochloride] and buspirone display 1.0 to 15 nM potency for the 5-HT1A subpopulation of 5-HT1 binding sites but are more than two orders of magnitude less potent at total 5-HT1 sites. Secondly, 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine and methysergide are approximately one order of magnitude more potent at 5-HT1A than total 5-HT1 sites. In the third group, 5-HT, d-lysergic acid diethylamide, 1-(m-trifluoromethylphenyl)piperazine, 5-methoxy-3-(1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-4-pyrimidinyl) 1H indole, quipazine and pirenperone are essentially equipotent at both 5-HT1A and 5-HT1 sites. Thus, the 5-HT1A binding site has a pharmacological profile which, depending on the agents studied, could be significantly different from the pharmacological profile derived from total 5-HT1 binding. Drug interactions were also analyzed with canine basilar artery segments using 5-HT, 10 putative serotonergic agonists and a selective 5-HT2 antagonist, pirenperone. The maximal contraction was obtained using 5-HT (Cmax = 6.6 +/- 0.6 g). However, each of the 10 other putative 5-HT agonists elicited a less forceful contraction of the canine basilar artery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) is a well characterized bacterial genotoxin encoded by several Gram-negative bacteria, including Salmonella enterica (S. enterica). The CDT produced by Salmonella (S-CDT) differs from the CDT produced by other bacteria, as it utilizes subunits with homology to the pertussis and subtilase toxins, in place of the traditional CdtA and CdtC subunits. Previously, S-CDT was thought to be a unique virulence factor of S. enterica subspecies enterica serotype Typhi, lending to its classification as the "typhoid toxin." Recently, this important virulence factor has been identified and characterized in multiple nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) serotypes as well. The significance of S-CDT in salmonellosis with regards to the: (i) distribution of S-CDT encoding genes among NTS serotypes, (ii) contributions to pathogenicity, (iii) regulation of S-CDT expression, and (iv) the public health implication of S-CDT as it relates to disease severity, are reviewed here.


We present the results of our calculation of the effects of dynamical coupling of a charge carrier to the electronic polarization and the field-induced lattice displacements at the gate interface of an organic field-effect transistor (OFET). We find that these interactions reduce the effective bandwidth of the charge carrier in the quasi-two-dimensional channel of a pentacene transistor by a factor of 2 from its bulk value when the gate is a high-permittivity dielectric such as (Ta2O5), while this reduction essentially vanishes using a polymer gate insulator. These results point to carrier effective bandwidth as a possible trigger of the dielectric effects on the mobility reported recently in OFETs.


The automatic extraction of verb-particle constructions (VPCs) is of particular interest to the NLP community. Previous studies have shown that word alignment methods can be used with parallel corpora to successfully extract a range of multi-word expressions (MWEs). In this paper the technique is applied to a new type of corpus, made up of a collection of subtitles of movies and television series, which is parallel in English and Spanish. Building on previous research, it is shown that a precision level of 94±4.7% can be achieved in English VPC extraction. This high level of precision is achieved despite the difficulties of aligning and tagging subtitles data. Moreover, many of the extracted VPCs are not present in online lexical resources, highlighting the benefits of using this unique corpus type, which contains a large number of slang and other informal expressions. An added benefit of using the word alignment process is that translations are also automatically extracted for each VPC. A precision rate of 75±8.5% is found for the translations of English VPCs into Spanish. This study thus shows that VPCs are a particularly good subset of the MWE spectrum to attack using word alignment methods, and that subtitles data provide a range of interesting expressions that do not exist in other corpus types.


Mammatus clouds are an intriguing enigma of atmospheric fluid dynamics and cloud physics. Most commonly observed on the underside of cumulonimbus anvils, mammatus also occur on the underside of cirrus, cirrocumulus, altocumulus, altostratus, and stratocumulus, as well as in contrails from jet aircraft and pyrocumulus ash clouds from volcanic eruptions. Despite their aesthetic appearance, mammatus have been the subject of few quantitative research studies. Observations of mammatus have been obtained largely through serendipitous opportunities with a single observing system (e.g., aircraft penetrations, visual observations, lidar, radar) or tangential observations from field programs with other objectives. Theories describing mammatus remain untested, as adequate measurements for validation do not exist because of the small distance scales and short time scales of mammatus. Modeling studies of mammatus are virtually nonexistent. As a result, relatively little is known about the environment, formation mechanisms, properties, microphysics, and dynamics of mammatus. This paper presents a review of mammatus clouds that addresses these mysteries. Previous observations of mammatus and proposed formation mechanisms are discussed. These hypothesized mechanisms are anvil subsidence, subcloud evaporation/sublimation, melting, hydrometeor fallout, cloud-base detrainment instability, radiative effects, gravity waves, Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, Rayleigh–Taylor instability, and Rayleigh–Benard-like convection. Other issues addressed in this paper include whether mammatus are composed of ice or liquid water hydrometeors, why mammatus are smooth, what controls the temporal and spatial scales and organization of individual mammatus lobes, and what are the properties of volcanic ash clouds that produce mammatus? The similarities and differences between mammatus, virga, stalactites, and reticular clouds are also discussed. Finally, because much still remains to be learned, research opportunities are described for using mammatus as a window into the microphysical, turbulent, and dynamical processes occurring on the underside of clouds.


Three types of academic sources are crucial for understanding the Hindu tradition in our times: a) scriptures and the classical texts that are available mostly in Sanskrit b) works in the English language produced by orientalists, religious studies scholars, and some modern Hindu religious leaders themselves, and c) writings of colonial/post-colonial Hindu and Muslim scholars on Hinduism in Hindi/Urdu language that is understood by a vast majority of the population in South Asia. Many Hindu authors used to write on their religion in Urdu using the Perso-Arabic script in colonial India. Similarly, some Muslim authors also produced scholarly works on Hinduism in Urdu, which could open up better Hindu-Muslim understanding. However, Urdu ceased to be the medium of such writings when religion and language surfaced as two vital factors in national identity constructions in the changing sociopolitical milieu, a process through which the Urdu language became associated with Muslim culture and religion. As a result, the number of Urdu works on Hinduism decreased sharply after British India's partition along religious lines. Nevertheless, this body of Urdu literature is an essential part of the history of modern Hinduism. Keeping this in view, we have produced a comprehensive thematic bibliography of Urdu works on Hinduism, including books, dissertations, and journal articles, which would help preserve the history of the indigenous study of Hinduism in modern times.


Identifying factors affecting waterbird diversity is a major topic in avian ecology, as well as for conser- vation purposes. In this work, we investigated the relevance of habitat features and human presence in predicting the diversity of waterbirds wintering in the gulf of Gaban important but poorly known wintering area of palearctic waterbirds. This includes two major sources of bias in macroecological studies, namely species imperfect detection and spatial non-independence among sampled commu- nities. Our results showed that species richness overall varied among sites according to habitat quality and tidal area use by humans. In particular, large intertidal areas, characterized by high numbers of tidal channels, elevated amounts of mud and organic materials in the sediment and important coverage of seagrass, hosted a greater diversity of waterbirds with different ecological requirements than did the small and relatively homogeneous sandy beaches. Moreover, we found that intertidal area use by humans for clam harvesting was associated with high diversity of waterbirds, particularly shorebirds, suggesting positive effects of clam harvesting on shorebirds. Further investigations of habitat selection processes and foraging behaviors are however needed to more profoundly understand the role of traditional human activities in the intertidal areas of the gulf of Gab� es in shaping wintering waterbird communities.


Despite much deforestation in the past, the northwestern Argentinean province of Salta still has more than 6 million hectares of native forests. Land use conversion for agriculture is threatening these forests and the survival of indigenous populations and small-scale farmers. In November 2007, Argentina's National Congress passed a law to regulate the management and conservation of native forests. This "Forest Law" required provincial governments to implement comprehensive and participatory Land Use Planning Processes (LUPPs). In this article, we describe and analyze, within a political ecology framework, the LUPP carried out in Salta. We focus on the conflicts derived from the different visions of development held by the interest groups involved, and we highlight some contradictions between their discourses and practices. We argue that "development" or "progress," understood as a process of wealth and power accumulation linked to the possession of land and the production of agricultural commodities, was the leading ideology of political and economic elites in Salta during the LUPP. This ideology, and the established institutional power system behind it, was challenged when the National Supreme Court of Justice decided to suspend logging at MINCYT on September 6, 2012 jed.sagepub.com Downloaded from 252 Journal of Environment & Development 20(3) and deforestation activities on land claimed by marginalized ethnic and socioeconomic groups. We assess the implications of this ruling for the conservation of native forests and local livelihoods. As the final outcome of this case is still uncertain, a number of possible scenarios are presented and discussed.


: The use of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) is an important and promising tool for sustainable agriculture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morphophysiological responses and nutrient uptake of maize plants inoculated with A. brasilense under two water conditions. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse with ten treatments: five A. brasilense inoculants (Control, Az1, Az2, Az3 and Az4) inoculated in the seed and two water conditions - irrigated and water deficit. Treatments with water deficit were imposed at the V6 stage for a period of 15 days. The morphophysiological characteristics, gas exchange, root morphology, shoot, root and total dry matter, as well as nutrient analysis, were evaluated after water deficit. Azospirillum brasilense (Az1, Az2, Az3 and Az4) increased growth (height 10.5%, total dry weight 20%), gas exchange (Ci= 6%) and nutrient uptake (N= 19%, P= 20%, K= 24%) regarding control under irrigation conditions. Inoculation by Az1 and Az3 benefited the root architecture of maize plants, with a greater exploitation of the soil profile by these roots. Water deficit caused a reduction in the development of maize plants. Inoculation by Az1, Az2 and Az3 can improve plant growth, nutrient uptake and mitigate the effects of water deficit in the development of maize plants.


After increasing over more than a decade, recent studies based on household surveys data show that income inequality in Uruguay started to decline in 2008. In this study we assess whether this trend is robust to the use of novel micro-data from the recently restored Uruguayan personal income tax for the years 2009-2011. We analyze primary income and pensions and carry out to main comparative exercises. In the first part of the paper, we adjust household surveys to make them comparable to tax records. After that, we follow the methodology proposed by Atkinson et al (2011) and Alvaredo (2011) to compute top income shares and corrected inequality measures. We also investigate the redistributive effect of the personal income tax burden in the two data sets. Inequality indexes depict a similar trend in inequality reduction, even though the decrease is less sharp in tax records than in harmonized household surveys. According to our estimations from income tax data, the share of the top 1% did not decline in this period, and was situated around 14%. Household survey data underestimate the share of the top 1% in total income by approximately 3 p.p. and depict an opposite trend in the top shares evolution throughout the period compared to the one observed in income tax microdata. This result might be revealing an increasing difficulty of ECH for capturing very high incomes. Finally, personal income tax in Uruguay redistributes roughly 2 p.p. of the Gini index. Effective tax rates exhibit a progressive pattern in the case of total income, labour income and pensions, whereas they are slightly regressive when considering capital income.


Abstract The article deals with limitation of claims in Poland, Ukraine and Germany. The authors made a conclusion that the most liberal solution in the area of contractual regulation of limitation is provided in the German Civil Code, which allows shortening and prolonging the statutory limitation period, whereas the most severe is provided for in the Polish Civil Code, prohibiting it altogether. An indirect solution has been adopted by the Ukrainian Civil Code, which allows only the extension of the statutory limitation period. These different legislative solutions demonstrate that the national legislators are partially different in their view of the reasons justifying the statute of limitations. Newer prescription regulations, to which the German and Ukrainian ones belong, are largely similar to each other. The same can be said about the Polish academic project of the general section of the civil code. The Principles of European Contract Law have had a significant impact on teaching of civil law, as well as on national legislators.


This empirical study examines the impact of a staged approach to management of innovation projects. This approach incorporates the threat of termination at each stage of the product development process. Under these conditions, the present study identifies firms that have abandoned and/or still have ongoing projects using a unique firm-level dataset constructed from the 2015 Japanese National Innovation Survey (J-NIS2015). Combining J-NIS with a firm-level accounting and credit information dataset, the study explores the determinants and the effects of staging of innovation processes. The study results show that R&D-intensive firms with broad collaboration and a lower debt ratio are more likely to adopt a staged approach in the product development process. Success in innovation is measured by the propensity of a firm to produce innovative products (or processes) and the ratio of innovative product sales to the total sales. Additionally, the study compared firms that did not implement staging of projects to those that employed staged project management and found that staging significantly improved innovation performance and increased the degree of radicalness.


The motivation towards learning in a student's centric environment is well appreciated among the new generation students. A traditional and passive learning environment creates a monotonous and disinterested atmosphere in the class. The new generation students look so disoriented in classes or in any learning environment because of their many social activities. Student's involvement and participation is more when students centered methodology is adapted. Collaborative learning is an approach for creating a learning environment where students are encouraged to help each other and share knowledge with their peer group to complete given task under the guidance of the instructor. A collaborative learning environment could initiate a group discussion in the class or motivate to explore more on the resources available in online or offline apart from the delivered lecture content to solve the given task. This approach could help the students to meet the learning objective of the topic discussed by the instructor. The collaborative learning approach could be practiced in the traditional classes, computer supported learning environment, network based local learning environment, and Internet based remote learning environment or e-learning environment. This paper discusses about the various collaborative learning digital technologies, their advantages, and challenges in adapting the collaborative learning approach in the existing class or a remote learning environment.


The objective of this study was to learn how women with Aids cope with daily living after receiving their diagnosis. It is an exploratory, descriptive study with a qualitative approach based on thematic oral history for data collection and analysis. Ten women with Aids were interviewed at a reference hospital in Fortaleza, State of Ceará, from December 2004 to March 2005. A semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The results revealed different ways of coping, related to the fragility of the discovery of the diagnosis, to the need to hide the infection due to the discrimination and prejudice faced by the victims, and to the constant perception of death. In addition, the women expressed feelings such as shame, concern about family, abandonment, solitude, sadness, fear and anxiety. The authors conclude that, two decades after the epidemic broke out, women still face evident difficulties when they experience their infection.


Schools are a key
setting for promoting physical activity in children. There is little evidence
on the potential of widely implemented programs to improve the quality of
physical education (PE). The aim was to assess the effects of a short training
course for classroom teachers on the quality of PE, assessed as activity time
during PE. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 6 intervention (N = 86) and 13 control classes (N = 151). Schools
were selected in a random procedure (26.9% participation). Participation
in children was 86.2% (mean age 7.8 years, 48.9% girls). Physical activity
was assessed objectively using accelerometers. Effect on time spent in
sedentary, moderate, vigorous and moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) activities, steps
and counts/minute during PE were analysed using t-tests and mixed linear
models. Physical activity time increased significantly in the intervention but
not in the control group between baseline and follow-up (relative increase in
moderate-to-vigorous physical activity of 12% in intervention group). Increases
were strongest in girls and in children inactive at baseline. In the mixed
linear models adjusted for clustering, the effects were significant in girls
for vigorous activities, sedentary time and counts/minute, in inactive
children for steps. Results indicate that a short training course for classroom
teachers can have subtle positive effects on physical activity time during PE.
Girls and the most inactive children at baseline profited most from the
intervention.


ECN has developed modules with Metal Wrap Through (MWT) cells glued on a electrical conductive Back Contact (BC) foil. The properties of the MWT-BC modules and a standard H-pattern module were investigated by outdoor IV tracing measurements. For both modules, the short circuit current is linear with the irradiance. The power output of the MWT-BC module is also linear with the irradiance, while the H-pattern module deviates from linearity at increasing irradiance. The deviation from linearity is explained by the higher series resistance of the H-pattern module due to the ohmic resistance of the busbars. The gain in yield due to the lower resistance of the MWT-BC module is calculated from the power output of the out-door IV tracing measurements at ECN (Amsterdam area, The Netherlands). The gain in yield will be even higher for southern countries and future modules having higher efficiency and improved light incoupling.


We present a novel Locality-Sensitive Hashing scheme for the Approximate Nearest Neighbor Problem under lp norm, based on p-stable distributions.Our scheme improves the running time of the earlier algorithm for the case of the lp norm. It also yields the first known provably efficient approximate NN algorithm for the case p<1. We also show that the algorithm finds the exact near neigbhor in O(log n) time for data satisfying certain "bounded growth" condition.Unlike earlier schemes, our LSH scheme works directly on points in the Euclidean space without embeddings. Consequently, the resulting query time bound is free of large factors and is simple and easy to implement. Our experiments (on synthetic data sets) show that the our data structure is up to 40 times faster than kd-tree.