Background Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) mainly affects the working-age subject and can have a moderate (short-term sick leave) or significant (long-term sick leave, disability status, unemployment) work impact. Objectives To evaluate the value of a simple and short (2 minutes) questionnaire, the AS-Work instability scale (AS-WIS) to predict the work impact of axSpA after 1–2 years. Methods Longitudinal study in 3 centers in Paris, France. Patients with axSpA according to the rheumatologist and the ASAS criteria were included. Patients were asked twice (1 to 2 year interval) to answer questionnaires evaluating: disease activity, demographic characteristics, impact on work (short-term and long-term sick leave, disability, unemployment), and the ASWIS questionnaire (1): a 20 item, simple screening tool for Work Instability (the consequences of a mis-match between an individual's functional ability and their work tasks). The risk of disability is assessed as low if the score is <11, medium between 11–18 and high>18. Only patients who answered both questionnaires were included for analyses. Statistical analyses included descriptive analyses and univariate/ multivariate analyses to search for baseline factors of work impact at 1–2 years (including a medium/high ASWIS score, gender, age, schooling level, BASDAI, BASFI). Results Among the 188 patients who answered the first questionnaire, 144 were currently working and were asked to answer the second questionnaire. A total of 101 patients answered both questionnaires. Mean age at inclusion was 45 (SD 9) years, 52% were male, disease duration was 14 (SD 8) years and 62% had an education level equivalent to more than high school. The BASDAI and the BASFI were respectively 34 (SD 21) and 23 (SD 23). At baseline, median ASWIS was 10, a low-risk score was found in 55 patients (54%), and a medium/high risk score in 46 (46%). 1 -2 years later, 37 patients (36%) had work impact: 25 patients (25%) a short-term sick leave, and 12 patients (12%) a significant work impact (long-term disability or unemployment due to Ax-SpA). Among patients with a low ASWIS score at baseline (n=55), only 13 (24%) had a work impact (including only 2 with a significant impact). Among patients with a medium/high ASWIS score (n=46), 24 (52%) had a work impact (including 10 patients of a significant impact). In univariate analysis, baseline factors associated with work impact (moderate or significant) were a medium/high ASWIS score, a high BASFI and a shorter disease duration. In multivariate analysis, medium/high ASWIS (odds ratio, OR 2.71 (1.04–7.22)) and a lower disease duration (0.94 (0.89–0.99)) were independent predictive factors of work impact. Conclusions In patients with axSpA, a medium/high ASWIS score was followed by a work impact in 50% of cases within 2 years in this well-controlled population. This short questionnaire can be helpful to screen for future difficulties at work, whatever the stage of disease. References Gilworth G, et al. Reducing work disability in ankylosing spondylitis: development of a work instability scale for AS. BMC Muskuloskelet Disorders 2009 Jun 16;10:68. Disclosure of Interest None declared


It is a pleasure to continue working with the QJEGH as the new Chief Editor (Fig. 1), taking over from Jane Dottridge (Fig. 2), and I would like to thank Jane for her assistance in ensuring a smooth transition – not least in sharing thewriting of this first editorial. Over the last four years Jane has ensured that the journal continues to act as a showcase for issues, best practice and innovation across our professions while opening it up to a greater global market of both authors and readers. Having served on the Editorial Board since 2015 and as an Assistant Editor from 2018 to present, I also benefited from working alongside Eddie Bromhead, the previous Chief Editor. In line with the journal's development plan, I have seen the Editorial Board diversify, grow in size and international reach, and the impact factor (IF) improve. I look forward to working with the Assistant Editors, Editorial Board Members and Geological Society Publishing House to continue to grow the reputation of the journal as a key outlet for industry−academia knowledge exchange, addressing global challenges through world leading research and practice in engineering geology and hydrogeology. We welcome Colin Serridge to the role of Assistant Editor (engineering geology). Colin is a Chartered Geologist with over 30 years' experience in design, project management, training, mentoring and technical managerial roles, within the specialist ground improvement and geotechnical contracting industry, both within the UK and overseas, and has served on the Editorial Board since 2015. Despite the impact of the global pandemic over the last year, the journal Editorial Board has continued to meet online and 2021 has seen the publication of a series of high-quality thematic collections as well as research papers, case studies, review articles, technical notes, photographic features, discussion papers, editorial opinion and book reviews. This first issue of 2022 highlights the use of new digital technologies, data analyses and numerical modelling approaches alongside more traditional engineering geology and hydrogeology research, technical and case studies. The photographic feature throws new light on the origin and characteristics of the spectacular toppling failure, Southwell Topple, on the southeastern coastline of the Isle of Portland, on the south coast of England (Dykes and Bromhead 2021). I am particularly pleased, having worked alongside him inmy first academic post almost thirty years ago, to see Rory Mortimore's article 'Chalk: all we need is a fracture log!' appear in this issue. This review of Chalk fracture logging, in the context of the broader geology needed to build conceptual ground models, provides guidance on the use of fracture log reports to highlight and illustrate special features and issues requiring discussion (Mortimore 2021). In November 2021 the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow highlighted the important role of geologists and hydrogeologists in helping to deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement – not only in decarbonization but also in adaption to andmitigation of the impacts of climate change.QJEGH supports these important agendas: through the publication of thematic collections of papers focusing, for example, on energy transition and informing adaptation such as the recently completed Thermal Hydrogeology and Impact of Climate Change on Engineered Slopes for Infrastructure; and more broadly through the publication of a range of types of papers that highlight important current research and practice. The current call for the Sustainability in Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology thematic collection supports the Geological Society's Year of Sustainability, 2022. The QJEGH addresses the Geological Society's new scientific theme, Geohazards, Geoengineering and Georesilience, as reflected in the journal's 50th anniversary review papers e.g. Bromhead and Winter (2019) and Glossop Lecture collection e.g. Privett (2019). Current and future thematic collections focus on a variety of key aspects including the Role of Water in Destabilizing Slopes, Hydrogeology of Sandstone, Climate Change and Resilience in Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology in the Anthropocene. Whilst engineering geology and hydrogeology research and practice focuses predominantly on terrestrial and subterranean environments, there is a growing interest in the submarine environment. Increasing use of the seabed for transport and communications infrastructure as well as offshore renewable energy, together with technological advancements in marine survey, has focused work on submarine terrain analysis for engineering projects (Griffiths 2002, 2017, 2019) and


Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) are well known for their ability to produce antifungal agents. However, the majority of past studies have screened only a limited number of isolates, which were not taxonomically well characterized. In addition, while the activity of Bcc bacteria against plant pathogenic fungal species has been characterized, very few studies have examined the interaction between Bcc and saprotrophic wood decay basidiomycete species. The overall aim of this study was to begin to the characterization of the interactions of Bcc and other Burkholderia with the model ascomycete Candida albicans and woodland basidiomycete fungi.

Methods. The study made use of a large collection (397 isolates) of taxonomically well identified Burkholderia species. A systematic screening of the antifungal activity of this collection was made against C. albicans and various wood decay basidiomycetes: Bjerkandera adusta, Trametes versicolor, Hypholoma fasciculare, Resinicium bicolor and Phanerochaete velutina. A wide range of media were evaluated for Burkholderia growth, antifungal metabolite production and the ability to support the mycelial growth of basidiomycetes. An agar overlay assay was used to examine the anti-candidal activity of Burkholderia isolates, while a novel overlay assay was developed using homogenised mycelial material for the basidiomycete species. Novel and existing extraction techniques were evaluated for their ability to partially purify active Burkholderia metabolites. The purification and identification of the active Burkholderia antibiotics were performed using both preparative thin layer chromatography (TLC) and liquid chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (LC-MS). A novel TLC-bioautography assay was also developed to reveal the presence of active Burkholderia metabolites in the antimicrobial extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the semi-purified Burkholderia antifungals was also determined. The natural diversity of Burkholderia and other bacteria associated with different rhizosphere environments was evaluated by cultivating isolates from local maize crops and examining a collection of Burkholderia isolates obtained from the rainforest in Sabah, Malaysia. The genetic basis for the secretion of antifungal agents by B. ambifaria was examined using transposon mutagenesis and screening for the mutants which had lost their anti-candidal activity. Additional transposon mutants that had lost their anti-bacterial activity and had been obtained in a previous screen were also examined for alterations in antifungal activity. Finally, the Burkholderia genome database and bioinformatic techniques were used to genetically characterize these mutants and other genetic loci that had been previously implicated in antibiotic production.

Results. The majority of Burkholderia isolates possessed the same antagonistic activity towards C. albicans as they did towards B. adusta. Of the 397 isolates examined, antifungal activity was the greatest in the following Burkholderia species: B. ambifaria, B. cepacia, B. cenocepacia and B. contaminans. Interestingly, no antifungal activity was observed for B. multivorans (27 isolates) and B. stabilis (18 isolates) under the experimental conditions tested. The type of medium used to study the interaction between Burkholderia and the fungi considerably effected antifungal activity, with the most suitable media for studying antagonistic activity being Sabouraud agar and an acidic minimal salts medium (BSM; pH 6) supplemented with 0.4% glycerol. Of the 397 isolates screened, 47.85% were anticandidal (190 isolates; 89.47% of these were Bcc species and 10.53% were other Burkholderia species), while 48.10% were active against B. adusta (191 isolates; 93.19% of these were Bcc species and 6.81% were other Burkholderia). Extraction using Amberlite XAD16 resin binding followed by elution with methanol was an excellent means to isolate active Burkholderia antifungals. Fractionation of these extracts using silica gel TLC and ethyl-acetate:methanol:water (20:1:0.5) as the elution solvent was optimal for the separation of the majority of the active metabolites. A TLC-bioautography assay was developed in this current study as a preliminary screening technique to detect anti-microbial components of novel Burkholderia extracts. The assay was very useful for detecting anti-candidal and anti-bacterial compounds and was adapted for use for the first time with basidiomycetes. Antifungal Burkholderia isolates produced between 1 and 10 antifungal metabolites. Several antifungal agents were identified as enacyloxin, pyrrolnitrin, bactobolin and quinolines. Novel compounds and novel bactobolin derivatives were also present. For B. ambifaria strain AMMD a number of chromosomal loci were found to be involved in the production of antifungal metabolites. Quorum sensing was essential for the expression of antifungal activity as transposon mutations in the CepI synthase-encoding gene prevented the biosynthesis of all B. ambifaria anti-candidal compounds. B. ambifaria AMMD extracts containing enacyloxin IIa also produced an inhibitory effect at low concentration against E. coli, B. multivorans and A. baumannii.

Conclusions. Burkholderia are potentially a very large reservoir of known and novel antimicrobial agents, especially with nearly 50% of isolates screened exhibiting antifungal activity. Antimicrobial compounds such as enacyloxin IIa were discovered for the first time to be produced by Burkholderi and novel extraction and bioassay methods for anti-fungals were developed in this study. Overall, we now have the tools to considerably advance the isolation and characterization of antifungal Burkholderia metabolites.


Security mechanisms require flexibility to accommodate the frailties of the imperfect people that use them. For example, password systems typically allow users who forget their passwords to reset their password after passing some other test. More generally, many human decisions of trust are based on weighing a preponderance of evidence in an ad hoc fashion. We present Medina, an authentication system based on combining various forms of evidence in a computational framework. Medina assumes that all authorization decisions are based on weighing a variety of evidence and brings elements of security (such as what happens when someone forgets their password) into a computational framework. Medina also allows for a range of access control policies that are less strict and/or more flexible than traditional security mechanisms.


The Rocky Mountain orogenic plateau has the highest mean elevation and topographic relief in the contiguous United States. The mean altitude exceeds 2 km above sea level and relief increases from 30 m in the river valleys of the Great Plains to more than 1.6 km deep in the canyons and basins of the Rocky Mountains and Colorado Plateau. Despite over a century of study, the timing and causes of elevation gain and incision in the region are unclear. Post-Laramide development of relief is thought to either result from tectonic activity or climatic change. Interpretation of which of these causes dominated is based upon reconstruction of datums developed from, and supported by, paleoelevation proxies and interpretations of landscape incision. Here we reconstruct a datum surface against which regional incision can be measured in order to evaluate late Cenozoic tectonic and climatic infl uences. The distribution, magnitude, and timing of post-Laramide basin fi lling and subsequent erosion are constrained by depositional remnants, topographic markers, and other indicators across the region. We suggest that post-Laramide basin fi lling resulted from slow subsidence during Oligocene to Miocene time. Incision into this basin fi ll surface began in late Miocene time and continues today. The pattern of incision is consistent with control by localized extensional tectonism superimposed upon regional domal surface uplift. Localized extension is associated with the projection of the Rio Grande Rift into the central Rockies, and the domal uplift generally coincides with the position of buoyant mantle anomalies interpreted at depth. If the magnitudes of incision directly refl ect magnitudes of surface elevation gain, they are less than can be resolved by existing paleoelevation proxy methods. In addition, the combination of post-Laramide subsidence followed by regional surface uplift reduces the net magnitude of surface elevation change since Laramide time.


Background The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is a three-step licensing exam that includes a series of computerized multiple-choice questions (MCQs) [1]. In order for a student to receive a license to practice medicine in the USA, that student must pass all three steps of the USMLE. Student performance in this exam - and in particular, Step 1 - is widely employed to compare medical schools both inside and outside North America. However, until now medical school curricula in Ireland are not focused on preparation for this exam - a disconnect that may negatively impact on Irish medical schools, and on those students who plan to continue to train in North America. SUMMARY OF WORK The University of Limerick Graduate Entry Medical School (GEMS) working together with leading e-learning provider Kaplan has developed a structured Step 1 USMLE preparation programme involving four supports. These include (i) course books and e-learning materials, (iii) an online diagnostic self-test , (ii) a live webinar workshop on MCQ exam taking skills and a mock day-long exam and (iv) a series of twenty four interactive weekly three-hour MCQ evening exam workshops hosted by experienced tutors. SUMMARY OF RESULTS Exam performance in the Step 1 USMLE over a seventeen month period was compared in two groups - enrolled or not enrolled in the preparation programme. A pass rate of 83% was observed in those GEMS students not enrolled (18) compared to a pass rate of 90% in those enrolled in the preparation programme (42) including one score of 252 out of a possible 300 marks - the highest score yet achieved in the School. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Incorporating a structured USMLE preparation programme into an Irish fouryear graduate entry curriculum represents a significant logistical and resource challenge. However, these data suggest that such a programme is worthwhile in that it improves the pass rate possibly by ensuring that the student is adequately prepared for this exam.


After his conversion, Ignatius of Loyola displayed Manichaeic hostility towards issues connected with the body. It led him to severe penance and rash fasting. Fortunately, he realized that this kind of reluctance towards the body is not the essence of following Christ. Grace does not destroy the nature, but it establishes and improves one. The body, though from the earth's dust, was formed by God. It serves man in order for him to express himself and act in the world creating his own history in a free and responsible way. However, after the original sin, the image of God – initially expressed in the body – was distorted. It was the incarnation of the Son of God and the work of salvation done by Him that led to the radical healing of this reality. Ignatian Spiritual Exercises constitute an example of enhancing the status of the bodily element in the spiritual life. It is to be apostolic, pervaded with the dynamism of the idea: "everything for the greater glory of God". "Everything" encompasses the whole world visible and invisible, the body and the soul, spiritual and material reality. Nothing should be excluded form the process of bringing glory to God and serving the man


Accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides in the brain has been suggested to be the primary event in sequential progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we use Drosophila to examine whether expression of either the human Aβ40 or Aβ42 peptide in the Drosophila brain can induce pathological phenotypes resembling AD. The expression of Aβ42 led to the formation of diffused amyloid deposits, age-dependent learning defects, and extensive neurodegeneration. In contrast, expression of Aβ40 caused only age-dependent learning defects but did not lead to the formation of amyloid deposits or neurodegeneration. These results strongly suggest that accumulation of Aβ42 in the brain is sufficient to cause behavioral deficits and neurodegeneration. Moreover, Drosophila may serve as a model for facilitating the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying Aβ toxicity and the discovery of novel therapeutic targets for AD.


In this paper we discuss the new demands put on university faculty for involvement in delivery of Continuing Engineering Education. CEE programmes are often composed in the same way as on-campus programmes – which means straight forward for teachers to conduct. However, the needs for new knowledge and new competencies in small and medium sized enterprises and for teams in larger enterprises are very often not covered by such academic defined courses. The need for tailor-made programmes is increasing. This is a new situation for university faculty, and we conclude in this paper, that faculty training needs to be prepared for the future involvement in research based knowledge transfer.


Agricultural educators, leaders, communicators, and extension professionals are faced with the increasingly difficult task of sharing science-based information to a public that is exposed to an array of media options, which are not always factual. Additionally, issues related to agriculture and natural resources (ANR) have become increasingly complex, and people can elect to only read information or communication that supports their pre-existing views on a topic. The complexity of disseminating information in today's society has led to the proposal of a new theoretical model: The Decision-Making Model for ANR Science and Technology. This is a multi-facetted model utilizing the theoretical foundations from the Theory of Diffusion of Innovations, Theory of the Spiral of Silence, and the Elaboration Likelihood Model. In a world of echo chambers, this theory has the potential to break the cycle of decisions made with incomplete information and equip practitioners with the foundation needed to efficiently and effectively disseminate information through educational practice and informed communication efforts. An informed and aware public could make decisions about ANR science and technology with a more complete understanding of the issue, which would solve some of the wicked problems facing society today.


In addition to the well-known link between smoking and lung cancer, large epidemiological studies have shown a relationship between smoking and cancers of the nose, oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, esophagus, pancreas, bladder, kidney, stomach, liver, colon and cervix, as well as myeloid leukemia. Epidemiological evidence has reported a direct link between exposure of non-smokers to environmental tobacco smoke and disease, most notably, lung cancer. Much evidence demonstrates that carcinogenic-DNA adducts are useful markers of tobacco smoke exposure, providing an integrated measurement of carcinogen intake, metabolic activation, and delivery to the DNA in target tissues. Monitoring accessible surrogate tissues, such as white blood cells or bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells, also provides a means of investigating passive and active tobacco exposure in healthy individuals and cancer patients. Levels of DNA adducts measured in many tissues of smokers are significantly higher than in non-smokers. While some studies have demonstrated an association between carcinogenic DNA adducts and cancer in current smokers, no association has been observed in ex or never smokers. The role of genetic susceptibility in the development of smoking related-cancer is essential. In order to establish whether smoking-related DNA adducts are biomarkers of tobacco smoke exposure and/or its carcinogenic activity we summarized all data that associated tobacco smoke exposure and smoking-related DNA adducts both in controls and/or in cancer cases and studies where the effect of genetic polymorphisms involved in the activation and deactivation of carcinogens were also evaluated. In the future we hope we will be able to screen for lung cancer susceptibility by using specific biomarkers and that subjects of compared groups can be stratified for multiple potential modulators of biomarkers, taking into account various confounding factors.


Nursing doctoral programs prepare students for research-focused careers within academic settings. The purpose of this Editorial Board Special Article is to provide PhD students and advisors with suggestions for making the most of their doctoral experience. Editorial Board members provide their individual insights on the skills and attributes students must acquire during the course of their doctoral education in order to succeed. The authors provide practical tips and advice on how to excel in a PhD program, including how to select an advisor and a dissertation committee, the importance of attending conferences to increase visibility and develop a network of colleagues, presenting and publishing research while still a student, and balancing work and personal life. Students who take full advantage of the opportunities available to them during the course of their doctoral programs will graduate well prepared to take on the multiple responsibilities of research, teaching, and leadership.


India is endowed with vast floodplain wetland resources (0.5 million ha), which provide both livelihood and nutritional security to much of the rural populace. These biologically sensitive ecosystems are threatened by a range of anthropogenic and climatic factors. Assessment of their ecological vulnerability, and of the environmental threats that they face, is essential both in evaluating the health of these ecosystems and in developing sustainable management strategies for conservation and fisheries enhancement. In this context, eight wetlands in the Ganga basin were studied for two consecutive years across the seasons and were characterized ecologically based on chlorophyll a, primary productivity, and trophic state index. A warming temperature (+0.20 – +0.47 °C) and a decreasing total annual rainfall (257–580 mm) have been observed along the Ganga basin in the last three decades. The chlorophyll a (mean ± S.E.) content of the water varied from 4.08±1.04 to 38.0±14.11 µg l-1. The high primary productivity, gross primary productivity/plankton respiration ratio and trophic state index correlated positively with the high fish yield in the wetlands. Analysis of data based on Carlson's method revealed five wetlands in the eutrophic category, whereas based on Lamparelli's method, two wetlands fall into the eutrophic category. The Lamparelli TSI value ranged from 54.1 in Majharia to 65.8 in Kararia among the wetlands. The Bishnupur wetland in West Bengal and Kararia wetland in Bihar were found to be eutrophic due to cascading sewage incursion from nearby towns. These altered ecosystems with high TSI values were prudently exploited by selecting suitable fish species for high fish production, and a fish yield of 1200 kg ha-1 yr-1 was achieved in Bishnupur. The study revealed that eutrophic wetlands can be strategically managed for maintaining both ecosystem services and fish production. Careful selection of suitable fish species and stocking rate is crucial. The planned disposal and treatment of sewage is recommended to maintain the ecological health of floodplain wetlands for sustainable fisheries management in the context of a changing climate.


Since the first application of fuzzy logic in the field of control engineering, it has been extensively employed in controlling a wide range of applications. The human knowledge on controlling complex and non-linear processes can be incorporated into a controller in the form of linguistic terms. However, with the lack of analytical design study it is becoming more difficult to auto-tune controller parameters. Fuzzy logic controller has several parameters that can be adjusted, such as: membership functions, rule-base and scaling gains. Furthermore, it is not always easy to find the relation between the type of membership functions or rule-base and the controller performance. This study proposes a new systematic auto-tuning algorithm to fine tune fuzzy logic controller gains. A fuzzy PID controller is proposed and applied to several second order systems. The relationship between the closed-loop response and the controller parameters is analysed to devise an auto-tuning method. The results show that the proposed method is highly effective and produces zero overshoot with enhanced transient response. In addition, the robustness of the controller is investigated in the case of parameter changes and the results show a satisfactory performance.


This essay considers the claims to historical or social truths made by four contemporary Italian films: The One Hundred Steps (Marco Tullio Giordana, 2000), Romanzo Criminale (Michele Placido, 2005), Il divo (Paolo Sorrentino, 2008) and Gomorrah (Matteo Garrone, 2008). Posing them first as historical texts, it then identifies two techniques of engaging with or rejecting a claim to historical accuracy, based on notions of performativity and of historiographic metafiction. By locating these models in a period of postmodernity, it seeks ultimately to offer some insight into contemporary Italian cinema more widely, in particular on the constant recourse made to realism.


Significant advances in the development of a Froude scaled helicopter rotor model featuring a trailing-edge flap driven by piezoceramic bimorph actuators for active vibration suppression are discussed. A quasisteady aerodynamic analysis used to determine flap size and actuator requirements is presented. The block force and stroke of the current actuators are evaluated using two theories and compared with experimental results. The dynamic performance of the actuator as well as the actuator - flap assembly is examined. Earlier hover tests showed severe degradation in flap deflections with increasing rotor speed, and flap deflections were too small to be effectively utilized for significant vibration control. To investigate the causes of the performance degradation, new blades are constructed and tested in vacuo to isolate the effects of centrifugal loading on the actuator - flap system. A beam model of the piezo bimorph including propeller moment effects is formulated to better illustrate the physical mechanisms affecting the system in a rotating environment. The cause of the reduced deflections is traced to frictional forces created at the junction where the flap is supported during rotation of the blades. The use of a thrust bearing was found to alleviate this problem and subsequent hover tests showed a dramatic increase in flap deflection at high excitation frequencies.


This empirical paper studies rocket attacks and defenses in Israel during operations Protective Edge, Pillar of Defense, and Cast Lead, plus the Second Lebanon War. It analyzes publicly available counts of rockets, fatalities, casualties, and property damage. The estimates suggest that interceptor deployment and civil defense improvements both reduced Israel's losses slightly during Pillar of Defense and substantially during Protective Edge. They also imply that interceptor performance during Pillar of Defense may have been overstated. Ground offensives were the most expensive way to prevent rocket casualties. Interceptors were at least as costeffective as military offensives, and improved over time. Without its countermeasures, Israel's rocket casualties could have been over fifty times higher during Protective Edge. These results imply that Israel's rocket concerns were more justified than critics admit, but its military operations were less worthwhile than intended.


The frictional force in point-contact between a Si3N4 probe and a polished SUS304 steel surface was investigated by lateral force microscope under different press forces and relative humidity (RH). Variations in the coef cient of friction due to adsorbed water and meniscus necking between the probe and the steel surface were analyzed. At 65% RH, the coef cient of friction between the probe and the hydrophilic surface sharply decreased from 4.0 to 1.0 as vertical nominal load increased from 6 nN to 35 nN, slowly decreasing to 0.7 when the load was increased to 66 nN. At a vertical load of 14 nN, the coef cient of friction for a hydrophilic surface increased with humidity, peaking at 3.5 at an RH of 65%, but decreasing when RH increased to 80%. The change was analyzed to be due to the amount of adhered water on the surface and the formation of meniscus necking. The coef cient of friction on a hydrophobic surface with 1H,1H,2H,2H-per uorodecyltriethoxysilane (PFDS) was much lower and independent of humidity, despite the much large adhesion force occurred between probe and PFDS molecular. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.M2016371]


This paper addresses the problem of heterogeneous deformable model accuracy using the finite element methods (FEM). Classic FEM uses predefined shape functions for interpolation and does not account easily for regions of discontinuities. Extended finite element methods (XFEM) use enrichment functions to compensate for the change in an element degrees of freedom (DoFs) in deformable objects. The XFEM is an accurate and fast method as no remeshing is required. In this study we investigate the performance of XFEM and demonstrate how it may be applied to discontinuities of materials that exist in heterogeneous (piece-wise homogeneous) models. The results show realistic stress prediction compared to modeling the same objects with classic FEM.


When environmental processes cut across socioeconomic boundaries, traditional top-down government approaches struggle to effectively manage and conserve ecosystems. In such cases, governance arrangements that foster multiactor collaboration are needed. The effectiveness of such arrangements, however, depends on how well any ecological interdependencies across governed ecosystems are aligned with patterns of collaboration. This inherent interdisciplinary and complex problem has impeded progress in developing a better understanding of how to govern ecosystems for conservation in an increasingly interconnected world. We argue for the development of empirically informed theories, which are not only able to transcend disciplinary boundaries, but are also explicit in taking these complex social-ecological interdependences into account. We show how this emerging research frontier can be significantly improved by incorporating recent advances in stochastic modeling of multilevel social networks. An empirical case study from an agricultural landscape in Madagascar is reanalyzed to demonstrate these improvements.


The paper gives the bounds on the solutions to a Stein equation for the negative binomial distribution that are needed for approximation in terms of the Wasserstein metric. The proofs are probabilistic, and follow the approach introduced in Barbour and Xia (Bernoulli 12 (2006) 943-954). The bounds are used to quantify the accuracy of negative binomial approximation to parasite counts in hosts. Since the infectivity of a population can be expected to be proportional to its total parasite burden, the Wasserstein metric is the appropriate choice.


A membrane reactor with the capability of simultaneous high-pressure, high-temperature hydrogen permeation testing has been fabricated at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh and Parsons Project Services Incorporated. The design of the hydrogen membrane testing (HMT) unit allows for hydrogen membrane evaluation at pressures and temperatures up to 3100kPa and 1173K, respectively. The permeability experiments conducted with the NETL's HMT unit include membrane materials, such as palladium, tantalum, Inconel 600 and a cermet membrane fabricated by Argonne National Laboratories (ANL).The hydrogen permeability of palladium was found to be proportional to the following range of the partial pressure drop of hydrogen across the membrane, Delta-P^0.57-0.74. The exponent range of 0.57 to 0.74 is indicative of the mass transport of hydrogen being influenced more so by bulk diffusion (n=0.5) rather than surface dissociation (n=1). This exponential range is in good agreement with the only prior study of palladium permeability at elevated pressures, n=0.68 (Hurlbert and Konecny, 1961). The permeability data collected for the palladium membrane can be described by an Arrhenius-type expression where 9.29x10-7 mol H2 m-1s-1Pa-n and 37.5 kJ mol-1, representing the pre-exponential factor and the activation energy of permeation, respectively.The palladium permeability was also determined by assuming the partial pressure of hydrogen across the membrane to the power of 0.5, Delta-P^0.5. The permeability results appear to be in excellent agreement with the previously published correlations which assumed an exponent of 0.5 and were developed over lower temperature and/or pressure ranges than this study. The permeability of palladium obtained using this assumption can be described by an Arrhenius-type expression where 3.40x10-7 mol H2 m-1s-1Pa-0.5 and 17.29 kJ mol-1, for the pre-exponential factor and the activation energy of permeation, respectively.Preliminary tests have also been carried out with an ion-transport cermet membrane. The cermet membrane studied (ANL-1), composed of 60vol% BaCe0.8Y0.2O3 and 40vol% nickel powder was fabricated by Argonne National Laboratory, and was tested under conditions similar to those used for the palladium membranes. The cermet membrane experiments permeability was approximately one order of magnitude lower than of the palladium results with partial pressure exponent values close to 0.5. Assuming the membrane's rate limiting step being diffusion, the ANL-1 can be described by an Arrhenius type expression where 1.57x10-6 mol H2 m-1s-1Pa-0.5 and 44.06 kJ mol-1 for the pre-exponential factor and the activation energy of permeation, respectively.The first known permeability experiment of tantalum can be described by an Arrhenius type expression where 1.10x10-7 mol H2 m-1s-1Pa-0.5 and 16.63 kJ mol-1 represent the pre-exponential factor and the activation energy of permeation, respectively assuming a partial pressure exponent of 0.5. It should be noted however, that the partial exponential results varied from 0.44 to 0.68, which indicates that diffusion may not be the rate-limiting step in the hydrogen transport mechanism of tantalum. The tantalum membranes of this studied were chemically etched to reduce the surface oxides prior to testing. Surface analysis via x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the chemically etched tantalum membrane resulted in a negligible oxygen concentration after about 25 angstroms into the membrane, to a maximum concentration of 35% at the surface.Inconel 600 was also studied to determine the influence of the material of construction on the permeation results of the other tested materials. The permeability associated with the Inconel 600 sample was estimated to be negligible because of its permeability results being two orders of magnitude lower than that of palladium. The Arrhenius pre-exponential factor and the activation energy of permeation of the Inconel 600 membrane were 1.57x10-7 mol H2 m-1s-1Pa-0.5 and 58.70 kJ mol-1, respectivley.


Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have recently been adopted by researchers in the field of adsorption/biosorption for separation of pollutants from aqueous solutions. In this paper, chitosan was impregnated with magnetite nanoparticles through a chemical co-precipitation method to fabricate hybrid adsorbents of Fe3O4–chitosan. The physicochemical and structural properties of the adsorbent were characterized, and then the performance of the adsorbent was evaluated for fluoride removal from water. The operational factors affecting the adsorption process, including pH, contact time, adsorbent dosage, initial fluoride concentration, and temperature, were studied. Various isotherm and kinetic models were also used to evaluate the fit of the experimental data with the modeled results. The equilibrium data were well described by the Freundlich model. The kinetics of the adsorption process followed the pseudo-second-order model. Recycling results suggested that the Fe3O4–chitosan particles maintain a great reusability potential for five consecutive cycles. Findings also showed that the Fe3O4–chitosan can be easily regenerated via acid treatment. The results of the present work highlighted the potential of using the Fe3O4–chitosan magnetic composite for the removal of fluoride from water. In conclusion, Fe3O4–chitosan can be considered as an appropriate adsorbent for fluoride removal from water, because it can be separated both quickly and easily, it has high efficiency, and it does not lead to secondary pollution.


Objective Cardiogenic syncope can present as a seizure. The distinction between seizure disorder and cardiogenic syncope can only be made if one considers the diagnosis. Our main objective was to identify whether patients presenting with a chief complaint (reason for visit) as seizure or syncope received an electrocardiogram in the emergency department across all age groups. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected in the 2010 to 2014 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey comparing patients presenting with a chief complaint of syncope versus seizure to determine likelihood of getting an evaluation for possible life threatening cardiovascular disease. The primary endpoint was receiving an electrocardiogram in the emergency department; secondary endpoint was receiving cardiac biomarkers. Results There was a total of 144,094 patient encounters. Of these visits, 1,553 had syncope and 1,470 had seizure (60.3% vs. 44.2% female, 19.9% vs. 29.0% non-white). After adjusting for age, sex, mode of arrival and insurance, patients with syncope were more likely to receive an electrocardiogram compared to patients with seizure (odds ratio, 10.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8.52 to 13.84). This was true across all age groups (0 to 18 years, 56% vs. 7.5%; 18 to 44 years, 60% vs. 27%; 45 to 64 years, 82% vs. 41%; ≥65 years, 85% vs. 68%; P<0.01 for all). Car- diac biomarkers were also obtained more frequently in adult patients with syncope patients (18 to 44 years, 17.5% vs. 10.5%; 45 to 64 years, 33.8% vs. 21.4%; ≥65 years, 47.1% vs. 32.3%; P<0.01 for all). Conclusion Patients evaluated in the emergency department for syncope received an electrocar- diogram and cardiac biomarkers more frequently than those that had seizure.


One line of investigation in attempting to better understand the gender imbalance in the information technology (IT) field is to examine gender stereotypes about the skills and knowledge in the IT profession. A survey of 4046 university students in the United States was conducted to examine gender stereotypes held by contemporary university students (White, Black and Latino men and women) about the skills and knowledge in the IT profession. The Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT was used as the motivating theory for this study because it enabled the incorporation of gender-ethnic intersectionality in the research design. The results revealed that while gender stereotypes about the skills and knowledge involved in the IT profession do exist, they are not uniform across all members of a gender group. The men tended to rate all of the skills as more masculine than did the women respondents. Technical skills were more consistently stereotyped by both men and women in each of the gender-ethnic groups than were nontechnical skills. However, gender stereotypes about nontechnical skills were more contested and revealed both within-gender and within-ethnicity variation. The women students' rating of nontechnical skills as less masculine than the men suggests that these nontechnical skills are being incorporated into the women's sense of gender identity. These results show that gender-ethnic intersectionality provides one important explanation for within-gender variation in gender stereotypes that are held by contemporary university students. These findings suggest promising avenues for interventions to address not only the masculine gender stereotyping of skills in the IT profession, but also differential gender stereotyping of technical vs. nontechnical skills and variation in gender stereotyping by the intersectionality of gender-ethnic groups.


This report gives the findings of a major UK study of the environmental impacts of four different methods of providing higher education (HE) courses: Conventional campus-based full-time courses; Conventional campus-based part-time courses; Print-based distance taught courses; Part electronically-delivered distance taught courses.
This is an environmental assessment of these different HE systems and does not assess their educational effectiveness or socio-economic costs and benefits.
KEY FINDINGS
• On average, the production and provision of the distance learning courses consumed nearly 90% less energy and produced 85% fewer CO2 emissions (per student per 10 CAT points) than the conventional campus-based university courses. (1 CAT point is equivalent to 10 hours total study and 360 CAT points are required for an UK undergraduate degree.)
• Part-time campus-based courses also cut energy and CO2 emissions, though by a lesser extent (energy by 63% and CO2 emissions by 62%).
• The much lower impacts of distance learning compared to campus-based courses is mainly due to a major reduction in the amount of student travel, economies of scale in utilisation of the campus site, and the elimination of much of the energy consumption of students' housing. These are also key factors for the reduction in the environmental impacts of part-time course delivery. (The purchase and use of computers and consumption of paper and printed matter accounts for a relatively small difference between the distance and campus systems.)
• E-learning courses appear to offer only a small reduction in energy consumption and CO2 emissions (20% and 12% respectively) when compared to mainly print-based distance learning courses. This is due to high student use of computing, consumption of paper for printing off Web-based material, and additional home heating (probably for night time Internet access).
• Different campus courses involve a wide range of environmental impacts. Courses with low energy and emissions (per student per 10 CAT points) tend to have a high proportion of students who live at home while studying. The courses may also be taught at a compact, self-contained campus, perhaps containing energy efficient buildings.
• Existing programmes aimed at reducing the environmental impacts of higher education should be broadened beyond considering campus site environmental management and 'greening the curriculum' to include the impacts of student travel (especially travel between 'home' and university) and student housing.
• Nevertheless, there is evidence that HE courses with student-relevant environmental content can have a highly positive effect on student attitudes and behaviour towards the environment.
• Generally, this study challenges claims about the 'de-materialisation' effects and environmental benefits of using ICT to provide services such as HE. The environmental impacts of a service depend mainly on its requirements for travel and a dedicated infrastructure of buildings and equipment. The use of ICT or other methods will only benefit the environment if they reduce the service's requirements for energy-intensive transport, dedicated equipment and heating and lighting of buildings.


Introduction Environmental enteropathy (EE) is associated with growth failure in children in low income countries, malabsorption, and impaired responses to oral vaccines. EE is characterised by morphological changes (villous blunting), increased permeation of macromolecules, microbial translocation, and impaired absorption. We set out to image the leakiness of the enteropathic small intestine using confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) of the duodenum following fluorescein injection, and correlate this with other markers of structure, absorption and microbial translocation. Method Fifty adults were recruited from a poor community in Lusaka where we have previously established that EE is ubiquitous, and then underwent CLE on the day after permeability (lactulose 5g, rhamnose 1g) and net zinc absorption from a 25mg test dose were measured. Between 35 and 225 CLE images per procedure were quantified for a range of cellular abnormalities and fluorescein leakage. Duodenal biopsies were assessed morphometrically and claudin-4 expression quantified. Of the 50 participants, one had pyloric stenosis and in 8 the image quality was sub-standard, so full data are available from 41 (14 men, mean age 32 y, 11 HIV seropositive). Watson scores were 1 in 4 people, 2 in 6, and 3 in 31, which contrasts markedly with published control data in healthy German adults in which nearly all were grade 1 (P < 0.0001). Results Leakage of fluorescein into the duodenal lumen was inevitably present when visible cell defects or microerosions were present, and was inversely associated with net absorption of zinc (r = -0.39; P = 0.04). Direct markers of microbial translocation (LPS and LPS binding protein) were correlated (in HIV seropositives only) with gastric pH (r = 0.72; P = 0.01) and with a serum marker of epithelial damage, fatty acid binding protein (FABP, r = −0.62; P = 0.04). FABP was strongly correlated with leakage, especially in HIV infection (r = −0.69; P = 0.007). Leakage was also inversely correlated with the intensity of expression of claudin-4 along the basolateral surface of the enterocyte (r = −0.49; P = 0.01). In multiple linear regression, LPS was strongly correlated with cell shedding and GLP-2 in serum. Conclusion These data indicate that the damaged epithelium of EE leads to leakage of circulating molecules into the gut, and may explain at least one measure of absorptive defect. Pathways of translocation maybe more complex, with some translocation that cannot be explained by cell disruption. Translocation pathways are not well reflected by lactulose permeation. A clearer understanding of mechanisms will be important to reducing translocation in the enteropathic gut. Disclosure of interest None Declared.


In Australia 61% of elective surgery takes place in private hospitals where current opportunities for surgical education and training (SET) are limited. The situation will shortly be compounded because of the large increase in local medical graduates, many of whom will aspire to be surgeons. How and where to train these extra surgeons to meet the expanding needs of the community must be addressed. Two models of private sector training are reviewed both of which involved combined training in both private and public sectors. Two second‐year (SET 2) positions were created from one public hospital SET position by using the private sector for 3.5 days per week for 3 months of a 6‐month rotation. The second model was applicable to post‐fellowship training with a fairly even split between public and private sector responsibilities. In the first year, four registrars shared the two 6‐month rotations for the SET 2 position. Trainees did the required minimum procedures (range 109–139) with primary operating targets of 20–25% (range 21–32%). The post‐fellowship position in colorectal surgery was greatly enhanced by the private sector involvement with regard to operating experience as well as meeting part of the remuneration of the trainee. Successful models for training within the private sector in Australia can be found. To expand training in the private sector there will need to be a cultural shift in the perceptions of surgeons, patients, administrators, and trainees. Funding for posts may be available to those private hospitals that can meet the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons' accreditation standards for posts and hospitals.


Smoking among youths and young adults has been rising throughout the 1990's. Numerous policies have been enacted to try to reverse this trend. However, little is known about the impact that these policies have on the smoking behavior of young adults. This study uses a dichotomous indicator of daily smoking participation in the past thirty days, an ordered measure representing the frequency of cigarette consumption and a quasi-continuous measure of the number of cigarettes smoked per day on average to examine the impact of cigarette prices, clean indoor air laws and campus level smoking policies on the smoking behaviors of a 1997 cross section of college students. The results of the analysis indicate that higher cigarette prices are associated with lower smoking participation and lower levels of use among college student smokers. Local and state level clean indoor air restrictions have a cumulative impact on the level of smoking by current smokers. Complete smoking bans on college campuses are associated with lower levels of smoking among current smokers but have no significant impact on smoking participation. Bans on cigarette advertising on campus as well as bans on the sale of cigarettes on campus have no significant effect on the smoking behavior of college student smoking behavior.


Importance Acute zonal occult outer retinopathy (AZOOR) remains a challenging diagnosis. Early recognition of the disease depends on advances in imaging modalities that can improve phenotyping and contribute to the understanding of the underlying pathogenesis. Objectives To expand the range of approaches available to assist in the identification of AZOOR by multimodal imaging and to analyze the fundus lesions by quantifying short-wavelength fundus autofluorescence (quantitative fundus autofluorescence [qAF]) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Design, Setting, and Participants In this observational study, patients underwent imaging at Columbia University Medical Center between November 2010 and March 2016 and were analyzed between September 2015 and August 2016. Six patients diagnosed as having AZOOR were studied by qAF and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and were compared with 30 age and race/ethnicity–matched controls from a database of 277 healthy control eyes. Main Outcomes and Measures In unaffected regions of the macula, qAF was calculated within predetermined circularly arranged segments (qAF8). In addition, qAF was measured within specified regions of interest positioned at the autofluorescent lesion border (AZOOR line). Electroretinograms and electro-oculograms were recorded in 5 of 6 patients. Results Among 6 patients (age range, 26-61 years; 4 female; 4 of white race/ethnicity, 1 Asian, and 1 Hispanic), 5 exhibited an autofluorescent AZOOR line in short-wavelength fundus autofluorescence images, delineating the peripapillary lesion. The mean (SD) region-of-interest qAF measured on the AZOOR line was 60 (26) times higher than in healthy control eyes (P = .03) at equivalent fundus locations. The qAF8 within nondiseased macular regions were within the normal range. At the lesion border, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography revealed a loss of outer retinal integrity in all patients. Single-flash cone b-wave latency and 30-Hz flicker latency responses were significantly delayed bilaterally. Lesions with smooth, homogeneous borders exhibited only minimal expansion in size over time, while the lesion in a patient with a heterogeneous border progressed more rapidly. Conclusions and Relevance The finding that qAF is elevated at the border between diseased and nondiseased retina in patients with AZOOR contributes to the understanding of the natural history of the disease.


1 Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China, Department of Medical Psychology, Shandong University Medical School, Jinan, China, Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States, Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, TX, United States, Department of Surgery, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, Temple, TX, United States


The dynamics of a system incorporating a conical intersection, in the presence of a dissipative environment, is studied with the purpose of identifying observable ultrafast spectroscopic signatures. A model system consisting of two vibronically coupled electronic states with two nuclear degrees of freedom is constructed. Dissipation is treated by two different methods, Lindblad semigroup formalism and the surrogate Hamiltonian approach. Pump-probe experimental expectation values such as transient emission and transient absorption are calculated and compared to the adiabatic and diabatic population transfer. The ultrafast population transfer reflecting the conical intersection is not mirrored in transient absorption measurements such as the recovery of the bleach. Emission from the excited state can be suppressed on the ultrafast time scale, but the existence of a conical intersection is only one of the possible mechanisms that can provide ultrafast damping of emission.


The incidence and genome electropherotypes of human rotavirus detected in a hospital and in a community within Ibadan, Nigeria were compared by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. On the whole, 13% (31/239) rotavirus was detected; 14.7% (15/102) from the community and 11.7% (16/137) from the hospital. The incidence was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in the community than in the hospital. There were 11 (80.0%) long and 3 (20.0%) short forms observed in the community, whereas 14 (87.5%) long and 2 (12.5%) short froms were detected in the hospital. On co-electrophoresis, however, only 4 and 6 distinct electropherotypes were demonstrated in the hospital and the community respectively. Three of these were common to both places with 1 and 3 electropherotypes being unique to the hospital and the community, respectively.


In AA amyloidosis, cross-species oral transmission has been demonstrated in several animal models. While it is known that the transmission efficiency of AA amyloidosis between different species is lower than that among the same species, the mechanism of this species-barrier is unclear. In this study, we found at first that mice orally given a large amount of bovine AA simultaneously with inflammatory stimulation did not develop AA amyloidosis. Therefore, we hypothesized that the low efficiency of the cross-species oral transmission of AA amyloidosis might be due to the low absorption rate in Peyer's patches. To evaluate the hypothesis, we next investigated whether bovine AA was taken up by Peyer's patches and translocated to other organs in vivo and ex vivo models. The direct absorption of bovine AA by Peyer's patches was not observed. Besides, translocation of bovine AA to the mesenteric lymph nodes, spleen, liver, or kidney was not observed except the mesenteric lymph node of a single mouse. Thus, absorption of bovine AA by Peyer's patches occurred much less efficiently in mouse models of cross-species oral transmission of AA amyloidosis. The present study suggests that the less efficient amyloid uptake by Peyer's patches may be involved in the species-barrier of oral transmission of AA amyloidosis.


Determining the fraction of nearby dwarf galaxies hosting massive black holes (BHs) can inform our understanding of the origin of "seed" BHs at high redshift. Here we search for signatures of accreting massive BHs in a sample of dwarf galaxies (M ⋆ ≤ 3 × 109 M ⊙, z ≤ 0.15) selected from the NASA-Sloan Atlas (NSA) using X-ray observations from the eROSITA Final Equatorial Depth Survey (eFEDS). On average, our search is sensitive to active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in dwarf galaxies that are accreting at ≳1% of their Eddington luminosity. Of the ∼28,000 X-ray sources in eFEDS and the 495 dwarf galaxies in the NSA within the eFEDS footprint, we find six galaxies hosting possible active massive BHs. If the X-ray sources are indeed associated with the dwarf galaxies, the X-ray emission is above that expected from star formation, with X-ray source luminosities of L 0.5–8 keV ∼ 1039–40 erg s−1. Additionally, after accounting for chance alignments of background AGNs with dwarf galaxies, we estimate there are between zero and nine real associations between dwarf galaxies and X-ray sources in the eFEDS field at the 95% confidence level. From this we find an upper limit on the eFEDS-detected dwarf galaxy AGN fraction of ≤1.8%, which is broadly consistent with similar studies at other wavelengths. We extrapolate these findings from the eFEDS sky coverage to the planned eROSITA All-Sky Survey and estimate that upon completion, the all-sky survey could yield as many as ∼1350 AGN candidates in dwarf galaxies at low redshift.


Phomopsis stem canker is an economically important disease of sunflower (Helianthus annuus), and Diaporthe helianthi is one of the primary causal agents of the disease in the United States. The objective of this study was to evaluate inoculation methods of D. helianthi isolates on sunflower in the greenhouse. Four isolates of D. helianthi were selected to test the effectiveness of four inoculation methods using mycelial plugs as the inoculum, including stem wound, wound inoculation, petiole wound, and straw test. Infection was established by the D. helianthi isolates at 14 days after inoculation for all inoculation methods used. However, recovery of the pathogen from the inoculated plants differed significantly (P < 0.0001) among inoculation methods. Given higher mean recovery of D. helianthi isolates from the inoculated plants and the size of the lesions caused by the pathogen, the stem-wound inoculation method was found to be the most user friendly of the four inoculation methods.


From March to December 2005 NMHCs were measured in an urban site in Guangzhou. Air samples were collected with canister and analyzed for HMHCs by GC-MSD/FID after cryogenic pre-concentration. Mixing ratios of Alkanes accounted for over 43% in total NMHCs in each month while the shares of aromatic hydrocarbons were 19-28%. In average ethyne was the most abundant compound (5.46 ppbv), followed by propane (4.49 ppbv) and toluene (4.19 ppbv). Seasonal variations of most anthropogenic hydrocarbons revealed higher mixing ratios in autumn-winter than in spring-summer. Isoprene, on the contrary, exhibited the the highest levels in summer and the lowest in spring. Anthropogenic NMHCs typically showed a first peak around 8:00 local time in morning and 20:00 local time in the evening, while isoprene revealed a different bimodal diurnal pattern.


Microthermophotovoltaic (micro-TPV) systems are generators currently being extensively developed to convert radiation heat energy from hydrocarbon fuel combustion into useful electricity by using low band-gap photovoltaic cell for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Micro-TPV systems consist of a heat source (microcombustor), a thermal emitter (microcombustor surfaces), a dielectric/optical filter, and photovoltaic cells. The architecture of a micro-TPV system and its components are currently the focus of research aiming to improve the overall system architecture, efficiency, and performance for practical implementation in the MEMS industry.


The beginning of the 21st century, the phenomenon of globalization, the IT revolution and the financialization of the economy have also changed the terms of the comparison among capitalist countries. At global level, the rapid expansion of the financial sector was also encouraged by an increase in innovative financial products. Regulators and supervisors have not been able to adequately identify and address the growing risks in the financial system. The beginning of the financial crisis has brought to light such weaknesses. And it is from this negative experience that the major world authorities have intervened, trying to set up plans and regulations to protect the financial system and consumers. The analysis of the framework that comes with the financial crisis of 2007-2013 is thus a starting point for this work to understand the new features of world capitalism. American and European capitalist systems seem to diverge above all on the policies and instruments for regulating the financial system. The aim of the work is to show the differences between the US and European financial and banking regulation. The former is geared towards reviving deregulation and financial innovation while the latter is more geared towards redesigning a more accentuated regulatory model with a governance of the economy that always sees the presence of a mixed welfare and market system.


In this paper a PI control strategy using neural network adaptive RASP1 wavelet for WECS's control is proposed. It is based on single layer feed forward neural networks with hidden nodes of adaptive RASPl (rational functions with second-order) wavelet functions controller and an infinite impulse response (IIR) recurrent structure. The IIR is combined by cascading to the network to provide double local structure resulting in improving speed of learning. This particular neuro PI controller assumes a certain model structure to approximately identify the system dynamics of the unknown plant (WECSs) and generate the control signal. The results are applied to a typical turbine/generator pair, showing the feasibility of the proposed solution


In this article, we introduce the EstiNet OpenFlow network simulator and emulator, and present its support for testing the functions and evaluating the performances of software-defined networks¿ OpenFlow controller¿s application programs. EstiNet uses an unique kernel reentering simulation methodology to enable unmodified real applications to run on nodes in its simulated network. As a result, without any modification, real NOX/POX or Floodlight OpenFlow controllers can readily run on a host in an EstiNet simulated network to control thousands of simulated OpenFlow switches. EstiNet has the characteristics of a simulator and an emulator at the same time. It combines the advantages of the simulation and emulation approaches without their respective shortcomings. EstiNet uses real OpenFlow controller programs, real network application programs, and the real TCP/IP protocol stack in the Linux kernel to generate correct, accurate, and repeatable SDN application performance results. In this article, we compare EstiNet with ns-3 and Mininet regarding their capabilities, performance, and scalability.


Capacities of societies, communities and individuals or a social-ecological system to deal with adverse consequences and the impacts of hazard events define the resilience. New and innovative Emergency Communications, Warning Systems (ECWS) technologies and solutions improve resilience of the nations. Research shows that different types of systems (e.g. decision support, resource management, early warning, communications, and inter-agency) are highly valued in emergency and disaster events reducing live losses. As many individuals have online access today and young women have increased their online communication and young men tend to explore technology resources, the potential of using user friendly third revolution digital technology such as semantic features and devices (e.g. SMART phones) have the potential to improve the access to early warning/risk in-formation supporting community decision making saving lives. These personal and social relations that reflect gender dimensions can certainly be examined improving resilience making communities more prepared for disasters with proactive decision making for early warning. Fostering awareness about gender equity which is the recognition of women and men as active participants in development can tailor made within the context of resilience and more specifically within early warning systems saving lives of the people at immediate risk including the dependence of mother's care (children and older people). In this context, this paper attempts to synthesis literature on the topic of gender equity within disaster early warning systems.


Distance relays must estimate accurately and quickly the distance to the fault even in presence of highly distorted input signals. Several digital filtering algorithms for distance relays have been proposed and some of them are used in practical applications. However nonlinear loads are becoming more and more common in electric power systems and that increases the corruption level of signals. For this reason, the study of digital filtering techniques for the extraction of fundamental components from highly corrupt voltage and current waveforms is of vital importance for the development of algorithms applied to the digital protection of transmission lines. The studied technique, proposed in this paper, is based on Walsh functions.


In view of the seven years of creation of the Program of Post graduation degree in Nursing of the Federal University of Parana (PPGENF-UFPR), this study has as main objective to describe the methodological lines used in the master's degree, in the period from 2002 to 2008. Through bibliographical research, the production of 64 dissertations was verified. The Qualitative Approach was used in 53 of them, in exploratory-descriptive and descriptive studies, in which the predominant philosophical line was the phenomenological. The instruments of data collection more used were semi structured interview and observation. Already the more applied techniques of data analysis were the content analyses and the phenomenological. The quantitative approach was used in seven dissertations, with prominence for descriptive traverse studies, with application of questionnaires and interviews with structured script, and the use of the program Epi-Info for analysis of data. Other four dissertations united the two approaches. The knowledge production generated in PPGENF-UFPR points an effective contribution of the university to the society, with the masters' formation whose dissertations focus several contexts of the nursing practice, from the promotion of the health, prevention of diseases, treatments, rehabilitation until the most complex care.


Herein, we determined if a multi-ingredient supplement (NAD3; 312 mg of combined Wasabia japonica extract, theacrine, and copper (I)niacin chelate) versus a placebo (CTL) affected peripheral blood mononuclear (PMBC) transcriptomic, DNA methylation, and sirtuin activity profiles in middle-aged adults after 12 weeks of supplementation. Several mRNAs demonstrated interactions (n = 148 at ±1.5-fold change, p < 0.01), and more stringent filtering indicated that 25 mRNAs were upregulated and 29 were downregulated in the NAD3 versus CTL group. Bioinformatics on these 64 mRNAs suggested that DNA conformational alterations may have been promoted with NAD3 supplementation, and this was corroborated with more CpG sites being hypermethylated (p < 0.001) in the CTL versus the NAD3 group when examining pre- to post-intervention changes (369 versus 35). PBMC SIRT activity decreased in CTL participants (p < 0.001), but not in NAD3 participants (p = 0.289), and values at 12 weeks trended higher in NAD3 participants (p = 0.057). Interestingly, the pre- to post- changes in SIRT activity values significantly correlated with changes in PBMC NAD+: NADH values obtained from a previous investigation in these participants (r = 0.534, p = 0.015). In conclusion, the current mRNA and DNA methylation data indirectly suggest that NAD3 supplementation may affect PBMC DNA conformation, while other direct assays suggest that NAD3 supplementation maintains SIRT activity through the potential maintenance of NAD+: NADH levels. However, these results are preliminary due to limited n-sizes and the study being performed in middle-aged adults.


This research explored the conceptual compatibility of Transformative Learning Theory (TLT) in accounts of spiritual renewal at Wheaton College in 1995. TLT was applied using quadrants of experience, critical reflection, rational dialogue, and action. The sample was drawn from the Billy Graham Center Archives at Wheaton College. These audio interviews involved 28 people. The findings confirmed compatibility between TLT and these Christian spiritual renewal accounts. Implications involved prioritizing prayer, expanding vision, and clarifying intentions personally and collectively.


How to get the proper combination of feature extraction and classification is still crucial in facial expression recognition, and it has been addressed conducted over two decades. Hence, if inadequate features are used, even the best classifier could fail to achieve the accurate recognition. Therefore, Local Binary Pattern (LBP) is used as a feature extraction technique for facial expressions recognition where it is evaluated based on statistical local features. LBP is proven successful technique by the recent study due to its speed and discrimination performance aside of robust to low-resolution images. For the classification, Support Vector Machine is chosen, and the algorithm is implemented in MATLAB and tested on JAFFE (Japanese Female Facial Expressions) database in order to achieve the objectives and the goal of this research which is to obtain high accuracy in facial expressions and identify the seven basic facial expressions. The performance of feature extraction and classification is evaluated based on the recognition accuracy. The observation on results obtained in facial expressions recognition rate indicated the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm based on SVM-LBP features.


This paper focuses on the amount of diesel consumption as one of the non-renewable energy sources consumed by the agricultural machinery and water pumps in wheat and corn farms in Dire County, Kermanshah Province, Iran. The population of the study was determined by Bartlett et al . (2001) 'stable. Stratified random sampling method and census was used for the selection of respondents. The sample was composed of 247 wheat growers, 235 corn growers, and 57 tractor drivers selected by Bartlett et al .(2001) 'stable. Combine drivers as well as farm irrigation diesel owners were selected by census (n=15, n=48, respectively). The data collection tool was a questionnaire and the data were analyzed by SPSS software package. The findings revealed that in wheat farms, soil preparation had the highest consumption of diesel by 49% and in corn farms inter culturing had the highest diesel consumption by 38%. Moreover, the amount of diesel consumed in 3600 ha wheat and a corn farm in Dire County was 403,852.6 lit/year equivalent to 15,346,399 MJ. Burning this amount of diesel produces about 1, 058,094 kg CO 2 /year. Overall, farm machinery, water pumping and irrigation for two major crops in the county are extremely reliant on nonrenewable fossil fuel resulting in large amount of CO 2 emission. Hence, an aggressive and innovative policy is required to restructure and redesign energy system in agriculture sector at national and local levels. Finally, it seems that paradigm shift to sustainable agriculture and development of clean and renewable energy in Iran's agricultural sector is unavoidable.


After implantation of the ureters into the colon, serious sequelae, such as hydronephrosis and pyelonephrosis, are possible. The pathologic physiology of the ureters is significant. At least six factors are interrelated. PERITONITIS After direct implantation the incidence of peritonitis is high. In animals this condition occurs rarely after submucous implantation. Coffey's 1 method of constructing a ureterointestinal valve aided in preventing peritonitis. Hyperperistalsis in the colon, especially after bilateral implantation, contributes to the tendency toward leakage, particularly if specialized instruments are used in the ureters or in the rectum. INFECTION OF THE URETER AND KIDNEY Bacterial invasion of the ureter occurs through the hiatus in the ureteral mucosa. David and Mattill 2 have shown that it is improbable that infection of the renal pelvis occurs through involvement of the periureteral lymphatics. Rather, extension of infection is via the lumen of the ureter. Vermooten 3 has shown that ureteral elasticity is


An innovative current collection architecture for micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) has been developed. A nickel wire is coiled around a thin carbon composite rod in order to fabricate cell supports. Different carbon composites such as pencil leads and carbon fibres were investigated. The cell support was then coated with ceramic slurries based NiO/YSZ and YSZ for anode and electrolyte, respectively, by successive dip coatings. Effect of thermal behaviour, porosity, amount of binder and dip coating parameters were conjunctly analysed to produce anode and electrolyte crack-free layers with the thickness desired. Pyrolisable materials were then eliminated under air atmosphere at 800oC followed by co-sintering of half-cells at 1380oC for 2 h in argon to avoid the oxidation of the nickel wire. In order to complete the cells, sintered half-cells were dipped into cathode inks consisted of LSM-YSZ composite for a functional layer and LSM pure to increase the electrical conductivity of the cathode. The cathode was also sintered at 1150oC for 2 h under argon atmosphere.
Complete cells with an outer diameter below 1.2 mm and length of 30 mm with an effective cathode length of 20 mm and whose active cathode area is 0.75 cm2 were produced.
The efficiency of the current collector method developed is evaluated by comparison with the performance of a micro-tubular cell produced and tested under similar conditions, but with a common current collection method. The results of I-V curves shown that the innovative current collection method enhances the performance of a typical micro-tubular cell in the order of 3-4 times. The improvement in performance is attributed to the reduction of current paths of the micro-tubular cells.
Suggestions for the production and characterization of current collector-supported micro-tubular cells are also given.


This paper considers the heating and ignition of small metallic particles in hot gases for a range of Knudsen numbers, for which the continuum description of heat transfer is not valid. Modified Fuchs'model for the transition heat transfer analysis was adapted to treat diatomic gas with properties changing as a function of temperature. The dimensionless heat transfer coefficient, Nusselt number, was calculated as a function of the particle diameter for the transition heat transfer regime. Heat transfer rates in the transition regime are somewhat different from one another for the cases of particle heating and cooling while the absolute values of the particle-gas temperature difference are the same. This effect does not exist for the continuum heat transfer model. It is observed that the applicability of the continuum heat transfer model for particles of different sizes depends on pressure and particle-air temperature difference. For example, for particles at 300 K heated in air at 2000 K, the continuum heat transfer model can be used for particle diameters greater than 10 μm and 1 μm at the pressures of 1 bar and 10 bars, respectively. Transition heat transfer model must be used for the analysis of heat transfer for nanosized particles. For calculating the ignition delay, the continuum model remains useful for particle diameters greater than 18 μm and 2 μm for 1 bar and 10 bars, respectively. The sensitivity of the transition heat transfer model to the accommodation coefficient is evaluated. It is found that for metallic particles, the accommodation coefficient has a relatively weak effect on the heat transfer rate.


The introductory article to this HSR Special Issue presents the emerging field of sociology of quantification, which can be regarded as a transdisciplinary approach to the analysis of processes of quantification. Processes of categorization and classification are included because they can result in processes of generating figures and numbers also. The contribution sketches the science-historical development of this field. It is argued that processes of quantification are related in many ways with other social and socio-economic processes. Therefore, one can speak of a comprehensive political economy of statistics, quantification and categorization. Especially the works of the French statistician and sociologist Alain Desrosieres are an innovative and far-reaching groundwork for the analysis of statistics, quantification and categorization. Also, Desrosieres has pointed to the fundamental role of conventions for processes of quantification (as for processes of categorization) and he has published important contributions to the French science movement of economics of convention (economie des conventions). At the end of the article, a set of positions for a sociology of quantification are presented.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the presence of women among owner-stakeholders affects firms' financial performance. Particularly, it extends the corporate governance literature by linking stakeholder theory and gender differences to explain why gender composition of ownership matters for firms' performance. As the management of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) revolves around owner-managers and their individual characteristics that are likely to affect their achievements, the study further investigates the relationship between the gender composition of ownership and the firm survival.

Design/methodology/approach

Using survey data on SMEs for 2007 and 2010, this study uses a panel-level heteroskedasticity technique and a probit methodology to assess the effect women's presence among owners may exert on SMEs performance and survival, respectively.

Findings

Results indicate that firms jointly owned by men and women appear to perform better than those owned by men although the presence of women among owners does not correlate with firm survival.

Research limitations/implications

While the findings of this study shed some light on the performance impact of gender composition of firm ownership, reports based on the presence of women among owners may not present the full picture. Whether the ownership is shared equally between different genders might provide further insides on the magnitude and/or robustness of such effect. Moreover, a small sample period (T = 2) was used to analyse a single industrial sector (manufacturing), and even though the Hausman test confirmed the use of random-effects specification, caution should be taken when generalizing the findings to other cases.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that the leadership in mixed-gender context propels a perspective of women as a valuable resource within SMEs, but relying on it to sustain the survival would be unwise.

Social implications

South Africa scores particularly high on positive actions towards women entrepreneurship, and this is compounded in the SMEs sector by managerial attitudes that could offer positive developments for women.

Originality/value

The positive and significant relationship between women's presence among owners and SMEs financial performance in South Africa complements the almost exclusively reported negative impact of gender diversity on firm performance. Consequently, mixed-gender owners' team can be used as a fulcrum to promote SMEs growth in South Africa.


ABSTRACTChiang Mai and several other provinces in northern Thailand have been annually facing air pollution problems during the dry season. Ten polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs); 19 nitropolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs); and levoglucosan (LG), a marker for biomass burning, were quantified in total suspended particulates (TSP) collected in Chiang Mai during the dry, transition, and wet seasons in 2010. The concentrations of PAHs and NPAHs in the dry season were significantly higher than in the wet season. The [Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)] – [benzo[ghi]perylene (BghiPe)] ratio, as an indicator of traffic, and the correlations of PAHs and NPAHs with LG showed that biomass burning significantly contributes to air pollution in the dry season. 9-Nitroanthracene (9-NA) was the most abundant NPAH which suggests that 9-NA is generated from biomass burning. We proposed the [9-NA] – [1-nitropyrene (1-NP)] ratio as a new indicator for assessing the contribution of biomass burning. Biomass burning was a major source of PAHs and NPAHs in the dry season, whereas vehicle exhaust was the main contribution in the wet season. The high carcinogenic risks in the dry season correlate with more harmful air conditions during this season. Thus, it is important to control biomass burning to reduce air-pollution-related health risks during the dry season in northern Thailand.


The in situ brain-pancreas experimental model was used to investigate the influence of the vagus nerve during tonic direct central nervous system (CNS) inhibition of insulin secretion. Tonic CNS inhibition of insulin secretion was partially and transiently reversed following bilateral cervical vagotomy, suggesting that this inhibition includes a vagally mediated component. However, a substantial CNS inhibition of insulin secretion still occurred in the vagotomized preparations. This demonstrates that a major component producing tonic CNS inhibition of insulin secretion is independent of the vagus nerve and, furthermore, that it must be via direct sympathetic efferent pathways to the pancreas (because these preparations are functionally parasympathectomized via vagotomy). Further investigation into the vagus nerve involvement was carried out by stimulating either the afferent (central) or efferent (pancreatic) cut end of the vagus nerve of bilaterally vagotomized brain-pancreas preparations. Stimulation of the efferent vagus did not appreciably alter the effect of vagotomy on insulin secretion. However, when the central cut vagus was stimulated, the early transient reversal of tonic inhibition, which occurred in the vagotomized preparations, was totally reversed. This suggests that the vagally mediated early transient component of tonic CNS inhibition of insulin secretion is via afferent (central) neurons in the vagus nerve. These data demonstrate a reflex pathway for inhibition of insulin secretion that is comprised of vagal afferent neurons, the CNS, and sympathetic efferent neurons ending directly on the islets of Langerhans. It is tempting to speculate that gastrointestinal receptors exist that are capable of initiating this reflex inhibition of insulin secretion.


Objective To investigate the analgesic effect (measured with Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS)) of breastfeeding (BF) in addition to skin-to-skin contact (SSC) versus other methods of non-pharmacological analgesia during blood sampling through heel lance in healthy term neonates. Design Randomised controlled trial. Setting Tertiary level maternity ward. Patients One hundred thirty-six healthy term newborns. Inclusion criteria: healthy term neonates, wish to breastfeed and absence of feeding during the previous 60 min. Intervention Neonates were randomly assigned to four groups: Group breastfed with SSC (BF+SSC Group) (n=35); Group sucrose with SSC (Sucrose+SSC Group) (n=35); SSC Group (n=33); or Sucrose Group (n=33). Babies were recorded with a video camera. Outcome measures Three observers watched the videos and measured NIPS score at three time points (t0: 2 min before heel prick; t1: During heel prick; and t2: 2 min after the heel prick). The influences of non-pharmacological methods on crying time, percentage of crying while sampling, heart rate, number of attempts and duration of sampling were also studied. Results BF+SSC Group achieved a significant lower median NIPS score (value=1) compared with other groups (value=2, 4 and 4, respectively). The percentage of neonates with moderate-to-severe pain was also lower in the BF+SSC Group. Both groups BF+SSC and Sucrose+SSC achieved a significant lower percentage of crying compared with SSC Group. Conclusions This study suggests that BF in addition to SSC provides superior analgesia to other kinds of non-pharmacological analgesia in healthy term neonates during heel prick. Trial registration number (ClinicalTrials.gov): NCT01576432


This study discusses the problems of West Sumatra's local governments in the practice and implementation of Adat Basandi Syarak Syarak Basandi Kitabullah (ABS-SBK) tradition philosophy in the West Sumatra regional medium-term development plan in 2016-2021. The purpose is to organize the program and activities developed in the regional budget. This study analyzes the ABS-SBK tradition philosophy practice in West Sumatra government administration. This study uses a descriptive qualitative method; moreover, the data collection in this study uses semi-structured interviews related to the practice of ABS-SBK tradition philosophy. This study interviewed 14 informants consisting of customary stakeholders, religious leaders, bureaucrats, academics, women (bundokanduang) , and community leaders. In determining the informants, this study uses a purposive sampling method conducted in Agam Regency and Limapuluh Kota Regency in West Sumatra Province. This study found that four factors influence the implementation and practice of the ABS-SBK tradition philosophy in the government level: 1) the absence of apparent ABS-SBK tradition philosophy substance values, 2) the traditional transcendental and profane values of the traditional and sharia institution did not work very well in maintaining and preserving Minangkabau traditional values, 3) the absence of individual consensus and commitment toward ABS-SBK philosophy, and 4) the poor and minimum ABS-SBK tradition philosophy implementation at the government level. People interpret and translate this philosophy according to their understanding since no specific guidelines govern their interaction. This fact is understandable and reasonable since it is part of their life. The same goes for the government level, the absence of the guidelines causes a poor and minimum effort in their development program using ABS-SBK tradition philosophy as the basic. It also leads to a consensus between customary and religious institutions. The government finds it challenging to translate this philosophy into their programs and activities development so that they cannot directly refer their programs to this original philosophy from Minangkabau .


The COVID-19 "infodemic" has resulted in the widespread dissemination of counterfeit medical advice, hoaxes, fake products, and phoney information about the virus and responses. As a result, computational methods for determining any information's authenticity to improve trust in public health awareness and policy decisions are profoundly discussed in the scientific community. Even before the pandemic, mis- and disinformation, including fake news, have been observed in the online world in significant numbers for numerous business, political and personal reasons. Moreover, many of these fake news was published from sources believed to be reliable. In contrast, some other fake news was fabricated in a way that would be easily trusted and shared by the general people in social media. COVID-19 related fake news has enormous effects on both the offline and online community, and thus, it challenges government initiatives for proper health intervention. Therefore, interest in research in this area has risen to understand the problem both socially and technically. In this paper, we attempt to understand how we can help student Internet users of colleges from the lower-middle-income country, Bangladesh, in Southeast Asia, to distinguish COVID-19 misinformation. Our study reveals that providing related news as supplementary information to any online news helps students make better decision about news authenticity. Statistical analyses on the survey data show that male students were found to be more accurate than female students to detect mis- and disinformation; students from the urban areas could detect misleading news better than students from villages; and that students from Science background demonstrated overall best performance, while students from Madrasah background, who are all male, could not produce a significant improvement. We conclude that the female students in general and male students of Madrasah, who spend the least amount of time online among all the student Internet users, are the most vulnerable groups to fake news.


Cobalt based alloy with the addition of 5 and 10 wt% boron carbide have been deposited by PTA process on stainless substrates effectively. The dry sliding wear performances of the coated alloys have been studied at room as well as at elevated temperatures. Addition of boron carbide to satellite 6 resulted in refinement of grains and formation of complex carbides and borides, which has lead to increase in hardness and wear resistance of the hardfaced layers. Superior wear resistance has been found to be at the composition of Stellite 6 with 5 wt% addition of boron carbide.


As finite petroleum reserves run their course and combustion-related CO₂ emissions rise concerns about global warming, humanity is faced with the challenge of finding new sources of energy that are carbon-neutral, renewable and sustainable to meet the growing demand. Photosynthetic organisms convert solar energy and CO₂ directly into metabolic products that can serve as fungible biofuels. Microalgae are particularly attractive as a biodiesel feedstock, as they produce oil in high yields, grow at fast rates in habitats not suitable for conventional agriculture, and do not compete with the food supply. However, oil accumulation occurs under environmental stress, which compromises biomass productivity, and algal fatty acids are not ideal for biodiesel quality. The ability to manipulate algal fatty acid biosynthesis would thus be a significant stride towards developing algae as a biodiesel feedstock. In fatty acid biosynthesis within an algal chloroplast, an acyl carrier protein (ACP) tethers the growing fatty acid as it undergoes iterative cycles of elongation, and a thioesterase (TE) domain catalyzes the release of a mature fatty acid from the ACP. As plant TEs specific for certain chain length fatty acids have altered the fatty acid profile of transgenic plants and bacteria, this has emerged as a promising strategy to modify algal fatty acid content to fashion an optimized biodiesel feedstock. The work outlined in this thesis aims to investigate intermolecular interactions in algal fatty acid biosynthesis to facilitate engineering. A novel strategy was employed in which a chemical probe inspired by the enzymatic activity of the algal TE was synthesized, attached to the algal ACP chemoenzymatically, and used to trap algal ACP-TE interactions in vitro. No protein- protein interactions were detected between plant TEs and the algal ACP in vitro, and thus plant TEs did not elicit the desired phenotype when engineered into the algal chloroplast. Using protein-protein interactions as a means to control product identity may shift the paradigm towards rationally designed engineering approaches to optimize algae as a bioenergy source. Renewable energy outreach and education has been an indispensable facet of this work to generate awareness and instill passion for sustainable energy in our future scientists


Aim: Within the research project about the epidemiology of infection by papillomavirus (HPV), North Sardinia, we conducted a retrospective study in order to define the prevalence of infection, the genotypes with greater spread over vast areas and to describe some determinants of virulence.
Methods: were analyzed No 155 paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens taken from patients with cervical lesions classified as mild (CIN1), moderate (CIN2) and severe dysplasia (CIN3) and invasive carcinoma. Biological samples, after the histological classification performed at the Institute of Pathology, were sent to the Institute of Hygiene and MP for the research of viral DNA with commercial assay (INNO-LiPA).
Results: The results showed that 64.5% of the samples tested positive for HPV DNA research, in particular, the HPV16 genotype was found with a frequency of 67%, followed dall'HPV51 (24%), HPV52 ( 9%), HPV45 (6%), HPV 33 (5%) and HPV18 (4%). To report a 31% sustainable packaging, 18%, HPV 16 and 51.
Conclusion: the results revealed a prevalence of less than expected whereas 80,6% of biopsy specimens were from patients with degree of dysplasia, moderate / severe, as well as invasive carcinoma. The survey also revealed the presence of high-risk genotypes less common than in other areas, such as HPV51, something that could be an epidemiological peculiarity of our region.