Simple shear of a constrained strip is analyzed using discrete dislocation plasticity and strain gradient crystal plasticity theory. Both single slip and symmetric double slip are considered. The loading is such that for a local continuum description of plastic 'ow the deformation state is one of homogeneous shear. In the discrete dislocation formulation the dislocations are all of edge character and are modeled as line singularities in an elastic material. Dislocation nucleation, the lattice resistance to dislocation motion and dislocation annihilation are incorporated into the formulation through a set of constitutive rules. A complementary solution that enforces the boundary conditions is obtained via the <nite element method. The discrete dislocation solutions give rise to boundary layers in the deformation <eld and in the dislocation distributions. The back-extrapolated 'ow strength for symmetric double slip increases with decreasing strip thickness, so that a size e>ect is observed. The strain gradient plasticity theory used here is also found to predict a boundary layer and a size e>ect. Nonlocal material parameters can be chosen to <t some, but not all, of the features of the discrete dislocation results. Additional physical insight into the slip distribution across the strip is provided by simple models for an array of mode II cracks. c © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.


By use of multiple logistic regression
analysis of the questionnaire data of 465 knowledge-based staff in the culture
industry of a province in the Western China, the author has found that the
three main factors related to job satisfaction and the turnover intention are
not simply negatively correlative, which differs from the former classical
studies of relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention. This
research has discovered that 1) the factor of career development satisfaction
is not predictable on the turnover intention probability; 2) the turnover
intention of the knowledge-based staff who have low satisfaction with the job
itself is not higher than those who have high satisfaction with their jobs; 3)
the turnover intention of the staff with low pay satisfaction is lower than
those with high pay satisfaction, that is, the knowledge-based employees with
higher pay satisfaction have correspondingly higher probability of turnover
intention, compared with those with lower pay satisfaction; 4) such
covariates as gender, age, educational background, professional title, income
level, position, working years, the number of previous work units being
considered, all mentioned demographic characteristics above but the
income level have no significant influence on turnover intention; the employees
with low income levels are more unwilling to leave than those with higher
monthly income level.


The white light reflects seven colors through prism. All of these colors of light are used in light emitting diode bulbs to produce light that appears white. However out of these colored lights, the orange and blue light may be well utilized for purification of contaminated household water. Purification of household contaminated drinking water by reverse osmosis gives clean water but with low T.D.S. Since household water is already chlorinated therefore this do not necessarily needs reverse osmosis which may cause osteoporosis and arthritis problem in the long run. Therefore a zero cost new technique of household drinking water was designed wherein light of different wavelengths is subjected through LED bulb into a copper vessel having water. The orange component of the light is absorbed by cupric ions to form hexa aqua copper (II) ion which kills the bacteria and the blue component of light kills the viruses. The ceramic filter candles fitted in the upper part of the copper vessel is able to maintain the T.D.S. between the ranges of 100 to 250. The noble features of this Zero cost Copper purifier over other known alternatives are mainly ; pH of the water is found to be 7.03 which is neutral but pH of the R.O. water was 6.54(slightly acidic); no plastic; no motor; nominal consumption of electricity; nominal price; optimum T.D.S.; portable and bactericidal. This purifier can now be afforded by every middle class household and poor. The system cut emissions according to conference of parties at Paris (2015) to tackle global warming because of less consumption of coal which is required to produce electricity.


In order to analyze beam structures more accurately and effectively, a two-node orthotropic beam element is proposed. This beam element is formulated using a consistent higher order deformation theory of orthotropic beams of which the transverse normal deformation can be effectively estimated. The stiffness matrix and the vector of equivalent nodal forces of the beam element are derived explicitly by the Galerkin method. In order to examine the reliability and the characteristics of the beam element, the analytical and the finite element solutions of a simple cantilevered beam are compared with each other. As a result, the following conclusions are obtained; (1) the accuracy of the suggested orthotropic beam element is very excellent and so the transverse normal deformation and shear stress of an orthotropic beam can be effectively estimated. (2) It can be used for accurately analyzing the general beam structures regardless of the Euler's or the Timoshenko's beam.


HARI, VIJAYA, M.S., March 2009, Industrial and Systems Engineering Empirical Investigation of CART and Decision Tree Extraction from Neural Networks (142 pp.) Director of Thesis: Gary R. Weckman Accuracy is a critical factor in predictive modeling. A predictive model such as a decision tree must be accurate to draw conclusions about a prediction. This research aims at analyzing and improving the performance of classification and regression trees (CART), a decision tree algorithm by evaluating the performance of the algorithm on a set of databases extracted from real world problems. Various methods and parameters of the algorithm were used to develop decision trees. The predictive accuracy of the trees developed by all the methods was examined and a best method that develops a tree with better accuracy was identified. However, a new approach was introduced to further improve the efficiency of the CART algorithm by combining the functionality of CART with neural networks. Neural networks contribute by generating new data necessary to improve the accuracy of the decision trees. Finally, the decision trees developed by both the new method and existing CART were compared for accuracy. This research thus provides insight into improved performance of the CART algorithm, comprehending the behavior of the algorithm and determining methods and parameters for better accuracy. Approved: ____________________________________________________________ Gary R. Weckman Associate Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering


CONTEXT
The common cold is one of the most frequently occurring illnesses and is responsible for substantial morbidity and economic loss. Biochemical evidence suggests that zinc may be an effective treatment, and zinc gluconate glycine (ZGG) lozenges have been shown to reduce the duration of cold symptoms in adults.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the efficacy of ZGG treatment of colds in children and adolescents.

DESIGN
A randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled study.

SETTING
Two suburban school districts in Cleveland, Ohio.

PATIENTS
A total of 249 students in grades 1 through 12 were enrolled within the first 24 hours of experiencing at least 2 of 9 symptoms of the common cold.

INTERVENTION
Zinc lozenges, 10 mg, orally dissolved, 5 times a day (in grades 1-6) or 6 times a day (in grades 7-12).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Time to resolution of cold symptoms based on subjective daily symptom scores for cough, headache, hoarseness, muscle ache, nasal congestion, nasal drainage, scratchy throat, sore throat, and sneezing.

RESULTS
Time to resolution of all cold symptoms did not differ significantly between students receiving zinc (n = 124) and those receiving placebo (n = 125) (median, 9 days; 95% confidence interval [CI], 8-9 days; median, 9 days, 95% CI, 7-10 days, respectively; P=.71). There were no significant differences in the time to resolution of any of the 9 symptoms studied. Compared with controls, more students in the zinc group reported adverse effects (88.6% vs 79.8%; P=.06); bad taste (60.2% vs 37.9%; P=.001); nausea (29.3% vs 16.1%; P=.01); mouth, tongue, or throat discomfort (36.6% vs 24.2%; P=.03); and diarrhea (10.6% vs 4.0%; P=.05).

CONCLUSIONS
In this community-based, randomized controlled trial, ZGG lozenges were not effective in treating cold symptoms in children and adolescents. Further studies with virologic testing are needed to clarify what role, if any, zinc may play in treating cold symptoms.


This article explores the operation of homeless encampments as a part of governance by highlighting the role of affective atmospheres. The COVID-19 pandemic and the imposition of lockdowns have seen the introduction of unprecedented measures into homelessness governance in Czech cities. Some have set up temporary homeless encampments as a response to the declaration of the state of emergency. Relying on interviews and observations, this article reveals that such measures in cities differed significantly in both character and outcomes. Based on a repeated instances comparison of the socio-material and affective entanglements of operating two emergency encampments – one in the regional city of Pilsen and the other in the capital city of Prague – the article argues that affective atmospheres play a vital role in their practical operations and perceived outcomes. While no simple dichotomy is implied, in Pilsen, order was implemented through a surveillance logic that instigated conflicts and created an atmosphere of frustration, while in Prague, the benevolence and mutuality of people in the camp led to a relaxed atmosphere. The article introduces the notion of 'governed by atmospheres' and argues that it opens space for a more complex and nuanced examination of the unintended outcomes of particular policies and politics in homelessness governance.


Low copy repeats (LCRs) are recognized as a significant source of genomic instability, driving genome variability and evolution. The chromosome 22 LCRs (LCR22s) are amongst the most complex regions in the genome and their structure remains unresolved. These LCR22s mediate non-allelic homologous recombination (NAHR) leading to the 22q11 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), causing the most frequent genomic disorder. Using fiber FISH optical mapping, we have de novo assembled the LCR22s in 33 cell lines. We observed a high level of variation in LCR22 structures, including 26 different haplotypes of LCR22A with alleles ranging from 250 Kb to over 2,000 Kb. An additional four haplotypes were detected using Bionano mapping. Further, Bionano maps generated from 154 individuals from different populations suggested significantly different LCR22 haplotype frequencies between populations. Furthermore, haplotype analysis in nine 22q11DS patients resulted in the localization of the NAHR site to a 160 Kb paralog between LCR22A and –D in seven patients and to a 31 Kb region in two individuals with a rearrangement between LCR22A and –B.. This 31 Kb region contains a palindromic AT-rich repeat known to be a driver of chromosomal rearrangements. Our study highlights an unprecedented level of polymorphism in the structure of LCR22s, which are likely still evolving. We present the most comprehensive map of LCR22 variation to date, paving the way towards investigating the role of LCR variation as a driver of 22q11 rearrangements and the phenotypic variability in 22q11DS patients as well as in the general population.


Population genetic structures illustrate evolutionary trajectories of organisms adapting to differential environmental conditions. Pathogen populations are typically shaped by co-evolution with their hosts through genetic co-structuring. Verticillium stem striping was mainly observed in continental Europe, but has recently emerged in other countries including the United Kingdom. The disease is caused by the hybrid fungal species Verticilliumlongisporum that originates from at least three separate hybridization events, yet strains from the hybridization event between Verticillium progenitor species A1 and D1 are mainly responsible for Verticillium stem striping. By using multi-locus genotype analysis, we reveal a hitherto un-described dichotomy within V. longisporum lineage A1/D1 that correlates with the geographic distribution of the isolates with an "A1/D1 West" and an "A1/D1 East" cluster according to their relative location in Europe. Genome comparison between representatives of the A1/D1 West and East clusters confirmed mutual common origin, excluding distinctiveness through separate hybridization events. The A1/D1 West population is responsible for the sudden emergence of Verticillium stem striping in the UK. Remarkably, this emergence is caused by a British V. longisporum population that is genetically more diverse than the entire A1/D1 East cluster. Conceivably, V. longisporum has previously established in the UK, but remained latent or undiagnosed as an oilseed rape pathogen until recently. This finding illustrates that a recent introduction is not a prerequisite for a pathogen to emerge, as environmental factors and cultural practices can also play a pivotal role in outbreaks of novel diseases.


Laser shock processing (LSP) employs high-energy laser pulses from a solid-state laser to create intense shock waves into a material, which can induce compressive residual stresses in the target surface and improve its mechanical property efficiency. Three different ablative, sacrificial coating were chosen to protect the 6061-T651 alloys from surface melting by laser pulse. This paper analyzes the effect of the paint and foil coatings on the shock wave propagation into the 6061-T651 alloys and the resulting change in mechanical properties. The depths of hardening by laser processing of 6061-T651 alloys up to 1 mm, and the surface hardness reach to 138HV. When the laser pulse energy density increase from 2.8 GW/cm2 to 3.6 GW/cm2, the surface hardness of the black paint, aluminum foil and silica acid black paint samples increase to 19, 27, 36 respectively.


BACKGROUND
This study aimed to index the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after injury requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission to investigate whether an ICU admission after injury increases risk for PTSD and to identify predictors of PTSD after ICU admission.

METHODS
A two-group (those admitted to the ICU vs. those not admitted to ICU), prospective, cohort study of 829 randomly selected injury patients from five major trauma hospitals across Australia. We collected information on factors that may increase risk for PTSD including demographic variables (gender, age, income, education, and marital status), preinjury mental health status (prior trauma, psychiatric history, and prior social support), and injury characteristics (mild traumatic brain injury, injury severity, length of hospital admission, discharge destination, pain, and perceived threat). PTSD was measured at 12 months by structured clinical interview.

RESULTS
ICU patients were significantly more likely to have PTSD at 12 months than trauma controls (17% vs. 7%). Stepwise logistic regressions showed that an ICU admission significantly contributed to the development of PTSD after controlling for demographic, preinjury mental health status, and injury characteristic variables.

CONCLUSIONS
Injury patients are three times more likely to develop later PTSD if they have an ICU admission. Given we controlled for many risk variables, it seems that an ICU admission itself may contribute to the development of PTSD. Mental health services such as screening and early intervention may be particularly useful for this population.


This volume is intended to provide an up-to-date overview of the approaches, methodologies and techniques devoted to better understanding of the weathering conditions of rock masses on slopes. According to the local conditions, a variety of slope movements may take place and involve weathered rock masses. Shallow and rapid soil slips evolving to debris flows are probably the most common type of slope movement. At the same time, deep-seated, intermittent landslides can also affect large volumes of weathered rocks and soils. Despite the high frequency of landslides in weathered materials, and the damage and casualties they repeatedly cause, little is known about the relationship between weathering and slope movements. This book presents worldwide case studies, where a variety of geological and geomorphological settings are discussed. The content is divided into three sections: the first is devoted to broad aspects of the weathering/landslide processes; the second and third sections include papers dealing with igneous/metamorphic and sedimentary weathered rocks, respectively.


All-solid microstructured optical fibers (MOF) allow the realization of very flexible optical waveguide designs. They are prepared by stacking of doped silica rods or canes in complex arrangements. Typical dopants in silica matrices are germanium and phosphorus to increase the refractive index (RI), or boron and fluorine to decrease the RI. However, the direct interface contact of stacking elements often causes interrelated chemical reactions or evaporation during thermal processing. The obtained fiber structures after the final drawing step thus tend to deviate from the targeted structure risking degrading their favored optical functionality. Dopant profiles and design parameters (e.g., the RI homogeneity of the cladding) are controlled by the combination of diffusion and equilibrium conditions of evaporation reactions. We show simulation results of diffusion and thermal dissociation in germanium and fluorine doped silica rod arrangements according to the monitored geometrical disturbances in stretched canes or drawn fibers. The paper indicates geometrical limits of dopant structures in sub-µm-level depending on the dopant concentration and the thermal conditions during the drawing process. The presented results thus enable an optimized planning of the preform parameters avoiding unwanted alterations in dopant concentration profiles or in design parameters encountered during the drawing process.


This paper considers extensions of 2-dimensional factor models to higher-dimension data that can be represented as tensors. I describe decompositions of tensors that generalize the standard matrix singular value decomposition and principal component analysis to higher dimensions. I estimate the model using a 3-dimensional data set consisting of 25 characteristics of 1,342 mutual funds observed over 34 quarters. The tensor factor models reduce the data dimensionality by 97% while capturing 93% of the variation of the data. I relate higher-dimensional tensor models to standard 2-dimensional model and show that the components of the model have clear economic interpretations.


Andalusite occurs as an accessory mineral in many types of peraluminous felsic igneous rocks, including rhyolites, aplites, granites, pegmatites, and anatectic migmatites. Some published stability curves for And ¼ Sil and the water-saturated granite solidus permit a small stability field for andalusite in equilibrium with felsic melts. We examine 108 samples of andalusite-bearing felsic rocks from more than 40 localities world-wide. Our purpose is to determine the origin of andalusite, including the T–P–X controls on andalusite formation, using eight textural and chemical criteria: size— compatibility with grain sizes of igneous minerals in the same rock; shape—ranging from euhedral to anhedral, with no simple correlation with origin; state of aggregation—single grains or clusters of grains; association with muscovite—with or without rims of monocrystalline or polycrystalline muscovite; inclusions—rare mineral inclusions and melt inclusions; chemical composition—andalusite with little significant chemical variation, except in iron content (008–171 wt % FeO); compositional zoning—concentric, sector, patchy, oscillatory zoning cryptically reflect growth conditions;
compositions of coexisting phases—biotites with high siderophyllite–eastonite contents (Aliv 268 007 atoms per formula unit), muscovites with 057–401 wt % FeO and 002–
285 wt % TiO2, and apatites with 353 018 wt % F.
Coexisting muscovite–biotite pairs have a wide range of F contents, and FBt ¼ 1612FMs þ 0015. Most coexisting minerals have compositions consistent with equilibration at magmatic conditions. The three principal genetic types of andalusite in felsic igneous rocks are: Type 1 Metamorphic—(a) prograde metamorphic (in thermally
metamorphosed peraluminous granites), (b) retrograde
metamorphic (inversion from sillimanite of unspecified origin), (c) xenocrystic (derivation from local country rocks), and (d) restitic (derivation from source regions); Type 2 Magmatic—(a) peritectic (water-undersaturated, T") associated with leucosomes in migmatites, (b) peritectic (water-undersaturated, T#), as reaction rims on garnet or cordierite, (c) cotectic (water-undersaturated, T#) direct
crystallization from a silicate melt, and (d) pegmatitic (watersaturated, T#), associated with aplite–pegmatite contacts or pegmatitic portion alone; Type 3 Metasomatic—(water-saturated, magma-absent), spatially related to structural discontinuities in host, replacement of feldspar and/or biotite, intergrowths with quartz. The great majority of our andalusite samples show one or more textural or chemical criteria suggesting a magmatic origin. Of the many possible controls on the formation of andalusite (excess Al2O3, water concentration and fluid evolution, high Be–B–Li–P, high F, high Fe–Mn–Ti, and kinetic considerations), the two most important factors appear to be excess Al2O3 and the effect of releasing water (either to strip alkalis from the melt or to reduce alumina solubility in the melt). Of particular importance is the
evidence for magmatic andalusite in granites showing no significant depression of the solidus, suggesting that the And ¼ Sil equilibrium must cross the granite solidus rather than lie below it. Magmatic andalusite, however formed, is susceptible to supra- or sub-solidus reaction to produce muscovite. In many cases, textural evidence of this reaction remains, but in other cases muscovite may
completely replace andalusite leaving little or no evidence of its former existence.


The aim with this essay is to map down how the language plays a part in the persuasion carried out by ICA-Stig – one of the most beloved characters from ICA's commercial soap opera. Through a discourse analysis with a linguistic focus this study can provide one explanation to why the audience trust ICA-Stig and how he persuades them to do their grocery shopping at ICA. The study takes off from the rhetorical means of persuasion, ethos, logos and pathos, along with how ICA-Stig commits a linguistic intimisation and exploits intertextual strategies in order to approach the audience and their reality. The result shows that Stig uses personal pronouns in a way that enables him to commence intimisation in the sense of addressing his co-workers and the audience in a family-like manner. Regarding intertextuality, Stig uses a composition of different discourses in favour of his character since he is able to reach a large audience whilst nourishing the personal touch, combined with proving himself credible. Through his language, ICA-Stig reduces the gap between non-fiction and fiction, and in his transcendent role he becomes a factive character – neither real nor fictive. This role allows him to become self-aware, which gives him an outside perspective on commercials in general. From a rhetorical perspective, the intimisation and intertextuality function as to have ICA-Stig relate to the reality, habits, and experiences of the audience. This creates the situation that Daddy-ICA has something to say to his ICA-family, which becomes the premise on which the commercial is founded. The intimisation enhances ICA-Stig's ethos since he can prove to be a caring father and a knowledgeable shop manager. The appeals to pathos lie within his caring language. Appeals to logos can be found in the product placement of the groceries in an environment very much reminiscent of reality and everyday-life. Finally, the essay problematises the role commercial has and plays in today's society due to the fact that this discourse is approaching the discourse of private life and communication, which, in turn, paves the way for new ways of persuading the costumers.


Samples from the North American, Australasian, and Ivory Coast microtektite layers were examined for unmelted impact ejecta (>125 οm size). Coesite and shocked quartz, identified by X-ray diffraction, were found at all the sites where a well-defined North American microtektite layer had previously been documented. Coesite and shocked quartz were also foundin seven out of 33 cores from the Australasian strewn field; however, no coesite or shocked quartz was found associated with the Ivory Coast microtektite layer. Stishovite was also found at three of the Australasian sites. All of the Australasian cores containing coesite and shocked quartz were taken from within 2000 km of Indochina, which is believed by most to be the source area for the Australasian tektites and microtektites. Six of the seven cores have the highest concentrations of microtektites ever determined for Australasian microtektite- bearing cores. The seventh core did not contain any microtektites, which may be consistent with the hypothesis that the microtektites were deposited in a raylike pattern. The discovery of coesite and impact ejecta associated with both the North American and Australasian microtektite layers provides further support for the hypothesis of terrestrial impact origin of tektites.


Cellulose nano-whiskers were used to enhance the performance of soybean meal-based adhesive. Soybean meal flour, cellulose nano-whiskers (CNW), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were used to develop different adhesive formulations. The effect of adhesive components on water resistance of the adhesive was measured on the three-ply plywood (three cycle soak test). The viscosity and solid content of the adhesive were measured. The cross section of the cured adhesives was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effect of the hot press parameters on the water resistance of the plywood bonded by soybean meal/CNW/NaOH/PEG adhesive was investigated. The results showed that using the CNW in the adhesive formulation improved the water resistance of the plywood by 20%. The plywood bonded by the soybean meal/CNW/NaOH/PEG adhesive met the interior plywood requirement (2000 (ANSI/HPVA HP-1)). Fewer holes and cracks, as well as a smooth surface were observed on the cross section of the cured adhesive after the incorporation of CNW. In the hot press process, the water resistance of the plywood bonded by the soybean meal/CNW/NaOH/PEG adhesive increased as the hot press temperature and time increased.


The harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena is currently common in the Belgian part of the North Sea (BPNS), after decades of virtual absence. This article describes the results of aerial surveys to assess its distribution and density in Belgian waters, in concert with the first results of tests with passive acoustic monitoring devices (Porpoise Detectors - PoDs), and a basic analysis of strandings. The strandings data over four decades clearly demonstrate an increase of harbour porpoises in the BPNS, with only few stranded animals between 1970 and 1997 (0 to 6 per year), increasing numbers between 1998 and 2004 (8 to 40 per year), and even higher numbers between 2005 and 2009 (62 to 94 per year). The combined results of aerial surveys, strandings monitoring and tests with passive acoustic monitoring reveal a seasonal pattern, with harbour porpoises being abundant from February to April, and more scarce from May to January. Average densities in 2008 and 2009, as estimated by aerial monitoring covering most of the BPNS (with the exclusion of the nearshore 5 km strip), ranged from 0.05 animals per km², or in total less than 200 animals in an area equivalent to the BPNS in August 2009, to 1.01 animals per km², or in total almost 3,700 animals in an area equivalent to the BPNS during April 2008. In the first quarter of the year porpoises occur throughout the BPNS, including territorial waters (12 mile zone), whereas they are restricted to more offshore and northerly waters later in the year. Erratic invasions in the BPNS however blur general seasonal spatio-temporal patterns, which complicates our understanding of spatial distribution and migration.


This study compared B lymphocytes isolated from different tissues with regard to their proliferation, apoptosis and the effects of Cortisol on these processes. B lymphocytes, isolated from the head kidney and spleen, were characterised by higher proliferation and lower intracellular calcium (Caj) response to Ig-crosslinking compared with peripheral blood B lymphocytes. Cortisol induced high levels of apoptosis (160% of control levels) in peripheral blood B lymphocytes, in combination with a stimulatory (LPS) signal. Head kidney and to a lesser extent spleen B lymphocytes, although less sensitive than their equivalent in peripheral blood, underwent cortisol-induced apoptosis irrespective of extra stimulation up to 150% of control levels. Also proliferation with and without LPS stimulation was suppressed by Cortisol. In view of to the relatively modest concentration of Cortisol (compared to plasma values measured during stress conditions) that is effective in inducing a significant increase in apoptosis in all three populations of B lymphocytes, it is suggested that Cortisol may be important for immunoregulation in both stressed and non-stress conditions. This implies possible severe impact of stress on lymphocyte development and activity. Different sensitivity of B lymphocytes to the corticosteroid, with respect to developmental stage and activity, may prevent excessive and long lasting depletion of B lymphocytes.


In this paper, by using NI LabVIEW graphical programming, wave propagation in two-dimensional space is modelled with FDTD (Finite Difference Time Domain) method. FDTD method is applied to an infinitely long parallel plate waveguide for TM mode by using NI LABVIEW to compare its efficiency with text-based programming languages like MATLAB. It is found that although NI LABVIEW has complexity because of controlling nested loops (case structures) and data flow in arrays between loops to implement it takes less time than MATLAB to obtain simulation results.


Endometriosis is a common disorder in young women of childbearing age and it leads to sterility in 25 to 30 percent of cases. This disorder, which is characterized by the heterotopical presence of endometrial tissue, has a complex physiopathology, which involves the tubal reflux of blood during the menses as well as immune theories involving the formation of autoantibodies to the endometrial cells. Treatment is based on producing a lower level of estrogen production, by administering LHRH analogs or danazol. LHRH analogs, such as nafareline, have no secondary metabolic effects and achieve a successful therapeutic response, with an 87 percent improvement rate as detected by celioscopy.


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Recent leak investigations and laboratory work on Boron Trifluoride (BF3) detection has brought attention to new challenges faced both with the preparation of traceable standards for BF3 monitoring and the repeatability of data from controlled testing due to instability of this gas upon release in ambient air. This paper discusses recent laboratory and field testing on BF3 samples using four commonly used gas monitoring technologies, namely, (1) Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometry, (2) electrochemical, (3) chemically impregnated paper tape, and (4) quartz crystal microbalance (QMB). BF3 concentrations between 1 to 6 times of Threshold Limit Value (TLV) were used as test samples. A testing protocol was developed to (1) prevent unwanted dilution of gas sample due to absorption of gas molecules within the sample bag, (2) prepare representative gas sample to simulate a real leak scenario, and (3) minimize hydrolysis of BF3.


We explore grip and motion sensing to afford new techniques that leverage how users naturally manipulate tablet and stylus devices during pen + touch interaction. We can detect whether the user holds the pen in a writing grip or tucked between his fingers. We can distinguish bare-handed inputs, such as drag and pinch gestures produced by the nonpreferred hand, from touch gestures produced by the hand holding the pen, which necessarily impart a detectable motion signal to the stylus. We can sense which hand grips the tablet, and determine the screen's relative orientation to the pen. By selectively combining these signals and using them to complement one another, we can tailor interaction to the context, such as by ignoring unintentional touch inputs while writing, or supporting contextually-appropriate tools such as a magnifier for detailed stroke work that appears when the user pinches with the pen tucked between his fingers. These and other techniques can be used to impart new, previously unanticipated subtleties to pen + touch interaction on tablets.


The objective was to develop spatially based (type-specific) methods to assess the ecological status of European rivers according to the EU Water Framework Directive. Some 15 000 samples from about 8000 sites were pre-classified within a five-tiered classification system based on hydromorphological and physico-chemical pressures. The pre-classification was used to identify reference conditions and to calibrate the assessment methods. Clustering reference sites based on relative species composition resulted in 60 fish assemblage types within 11 of the ecoregions under study. Discriminant function analyses (DFAs) were employed to identify environmental parameters characterising fish assemblage types; altitude, river slope, wetted width, mean air temperature and distance from source were the principal predictors. These environmental parameters were used to assign impacted sites with altered fish assemblage composition to the reference fish assemblage type. Metrics (fish assemblage descriptors) responding to human pressures were selected based on correlation and DFAs. Assessment methods were developed for 43 fish assemblage types. Metrics based on individual sentinel species were more often used in type-specific methods than metrics related to reproduction, habitat and feeding. Metrics based on long-distance migrants and potamodromous species were more sensitive to human pressures than overall composition metrics, e.g. total number of species. Only some of the tested metrics showed pressure-specific responses, i.e. reacted to one type of pressure but not to others. Insectivorous, intolerant and lithophilic species exclusively responded (decreased) to chemical and hydromorphological pressures in 14?19%. Omnivorous species was the only metric type that showed a consistent reaction (increase) to continuum disruptions in 25% of the cases. Accuracy of methods based on cross-validation with pre-classification varied between 47% and 98% (mean 81%) when contrasting calibration data set (class 1 and 2) with degraded sites (class 3, 4 and 5).


This paper gives both general linear model (GLM) and support vector machine (SVM) analyses of an experiment concerned with tonality in music. The two forms of analysis are both contrasted and used to complement each other, and a new technique employing the GLM as a pre-processing step for the SVM is presented. The SVM is given the task of classifying the stimulus conditions (tonal or atonal) on the basis of the blood oxygen level-dependent signal of novel data, and the prediction performance is evaluated. In addition, a more detailed assessment of the SVM performance is given in a comparison of the similarity in the identification of voxels relevant to the classification of the SVM and a GLM. A high level of similarity between SVM weight and GLM t-maps demonstrate that the SVM is successfully identifying relevant voxels, and it is this that allows it to perform well in the classification task in spite of very noisy data and stimuli that involve higher-order cognitive functions and considerably inter-subject variation in neural response.


This paper examines the role of poverty in Nigeria's fertility transition using household survey data from Nigeria - Kaduna and Lagos states - of which 2425 respondents were sampled. In Nigeria, much attention has not been paid to the link between poverty and fertility preferences. This paper is aimed at filling this research gap. It uses univariate and bivariate analyses in examining the proximate determinants of fertility dynamics with particular emphasis on the role of income poverty. One of the variants of fertility preferences used is the number of children respondents desired after their experiences with economic hardship- declining standard of living. Evidence from the study shows that majority of the respondents from the northern part desired more children than their southern counterparts, which partly conforms to spatial distribution of poverty. Due to higher incidence of poverty among rural dwellers, they now prefer lower fertility formation. In the absence of poverty, however, fertility rate is lower in urban areas due to education and exposure to family planning services. Generally, respondents who agreed that poverty had affected their economic expectations and attitude about large family size and now desire lower fertility rate compared to those that were indifferent or held opposing views. Other proximate determinants of fertility dynamics are women education, religion, spousal communication and spousal approval of contraceptive usage, male dominance, spousal age difference, polygyny and early marriages. In addition to investing in basic education and health care delivery that offer substantial synergies for empowerment and economic opportunities thereby promoting lasting growth and reducing poverty, the following also deserves attention. Special family planning programmes should be targeted at men, particularly in the northern part of the country. Promotion of high level female education because of its synergy with better living conditions contraceptive usage, spousal communication, and low fertility preference. Promotion of peer-wise marital union, monogamy, and late marriages is also important. The need for committed and pro-active promotion of a culture of low fertility preference using the above methods, among others, is fundamental to maintaining this transition to low fertility. Otherwise, the emergence of better economic conditions in the future would reverse the fertility trend.


Studies of IgG, IgA, IgM and IgE in serum and of IgG, IgA and IgM in saliva were performed in 52 children undergoing tonsillectomy. The results revealed that levels of IgA in serum and saliva in the patients were significantly reduced as compared with levels in age- and sex-related healthy controls (p less than 0.001 and less than 0.025 respectively). Recovery of beta-haemolytic streptococci and Haemophilus influenzae from the removed tonsils was also well correlated with low IgA in serum (p less than 0.01). A considerable lack of IgA fluorescing plasma cells in tonsillar tissue demonstrated in an earlier study of the same patients was consistent with carriage of beta-haemolytic streptococci and Haemophilus influenzae (p less than 0.01). The significant decrease in serum- and saliva IgA was only found among the youngest patients in this study. The hypothesis is raised that the decreased level of saliva IgA influences the increased tendency at pathogenic bacteria to adhere to and colonize on the tonsil mucosa, and furthermore, the lack of IgA plasma cells in the tonsils supports the view that IgA prevents penetration of microorganisms through the epithelial surface, secondarily establishing an acute inflammation of the tonsils.


The simple phenomenon of a water drop falling onto a glass plate may seem like a trivial fluid mechanics problem. However, detailed imaging has shown that this process is highly complex and a small air-bubble is always entrapped under the drop when it makes contact with the solid. This bubble can interfere with the uniformity of spray coatings and degrade inkjet fabrication of displays etc. We will describe how we use high-speed interferometry at 5 million frames per second to understand the details of this process. As the impacting drop approaches the solid, the dynamics are characterized by a balance between the lubrication pressure in the thin air layer and the inertia of the bot-tom of the drop. This deforms the drop, forming a dimple at its bottom and making the drop touch the surface along a ring, thereby entrapping the air-layer, which is typically 1-3 μm thick. This air-layer can be highly compressed and the deceleration of the bottom of the drop can be as large as 300,000 g. We describe how the thickness evolution of the lubricating air-layer is extracted from following the interference fringes between frames. Two-color interferometry is also used to extract absolute layer thicknesses. Finally, we identify the effects of nanometric surface roughness on the first contact of the drop with the substrate. Here we need to resolve the 100 nm thickness changes occurring during 200 ns intervals, requiring these state of the art high-speed cameras. Surprisingly, we see a ring of micro-bubbles marking the first contact of the drop with the glass, only for microscope slides, which have a typical roughness of 20 nm, while such rings are absent for drop impacts onto molecularly smooth mica surfaces.


Pregnancy is a common decompensation factor for women with post-rheumatic mitral disease. However, valvular heart diseases causing severe acute respiratory distress are rare. Use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) early in the event of cardiorespiratory failure after cardiac surgery may be of benefit. Indeed, ECMO cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) support could help pulmonary recovery if the mitral pathology is involved. A 31-year-old female patient at 30 weeks of amenorrhea was admitted to the obstetrics department with 40 degrees C hyperthermia and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class 4 dyspnea. The patient's medical history included a post-rheumatic mitral stenosis. Blood gases showed severe hypoxemia associated with hypocapnia. The patient needed to be rapidly intubated and was placed on ventilatory support because of acute respiratory failure. Transesophageal echocardiography showed a severe mitral stenosis, mild mitral insufficiency, and diminished left ventricular function, hypokinetic, dilated right ventricle, and a severe tricuspid regurgitation. An urgent cesarean section was performed. Because of the persistent hemodynamic instability, a mitral valvular replacement and tricuspid valve annuloplasty were performed. In view of the preoperative acute respiratory distress, we decided, at the beginning of the operation, to carry on circulatory support with oxygenation through an ECMO-type CPB at the end of the operation. This decision was totally justified by the unfeasible CPB weaning off. ECMO use led to an efficient hemodynamic state without inotropic drug support. The surgical post-operative course was uneventful. Early use of cardiorespiratory support with veno-arterial ECMO allows pulmonary and right heart recovery after cardiac surgery, thus avoiding the use of inotropic drugs and complex ventilatory support.


The capture/removal of a range of metals was estimated for a number of pulp and paper wastewater treatment systems. Both long-term wastewater data and accumulated sludge data were examined. Only copper and lead were effectively captured (greater than 50%) by all sites and estimate methods. Zinc capture exceeded 50% in all but one case. Qualitatively, iron, aluminium, cadmium, and cobalt were usually captured to a significant extent. The sludge inventory-based approach and the wastewater system inlet-outlet approach gave reasonably similar capture estimates.


This paper provides design and implementation of silicon-validated Back-Bias Generator (BBGEN) for Forward Back-Bias (FBB) operation of transistor devices in 22FDX Fully Depleted Silicon-On-Insulator (FD-SOI) process. The design has been used to drive multiple Ring Oscillators (RO) and silicon measurement shows signficant enhancement in maximum frequency (fmax) with the application of FBB. BBGEN consists of two independently controlled back-bias sections to provide FBB to both NMOS and PMOS devices. This architecture has also been implemented for device trimming applications to enhance the performance of slow devices towards typical performance by the application of Threshold Voltage (VT) tuning using FBB.


This paper argues that decadent writers were highly self-conscious about their relationship to their readers, and that they regarded this relationship as a form of anti-nationalist political critique. Drawing upon Michael Warner's notion of a "counterpublic," the paper demonstrates the way two writers from the period—Charles Baudelaire and Aubrey Beardsely—depict and encourage the formation of cosmopolitan communities of taste in and through their accounts of the Tannhauser legend.


The level set method can implement a wide variety of shape modeling operations (e.g. offsetting, skeletonization, morphing, blending, smoothing, sharpening, embossing, denoising, sculpting, growing, texturing and fitting) simply by specifying a corresponding speed function that controls the growth of an evolving voxel isosurface. The problem is that the basic level set method is implemented on a fixed resolution grid, which limits the utility of these shape modeling operations. We instead represent surfaces with a collection of radial basis function dipole pairs, and derive the motion of these dipoles to implement a surface propagation similar to the level set method but on a smooth, arbitrary resoluton model. We demonstrate the utility of this approach with new level set methods for surface fitting, blending and center redistribution for RBF dipole models.


Product label is a printed product information displayed on the product packaging. The product label designs are the combination of text and image elements. The process of designing a product label is complicated as there are various types of text and images involved. Product label designs that are less attractive wouldl affect purchasing choices. The purpose of this study is to identify the design criterias of texts and images to help consumer in their purchase selection. The study focuses on the visual assessment through eye tracking method on food and beverage product label. The eye movement observation method conducted using eye tracker device to track 6 parameters of eye movements on the product label during purchasing selection and determine 7 main text and image design criterias for food and beverage product label. The consumers were selected among university students. The study has found that the purchase selection of bread and mineral water product from the food and beverage product category are the most difficult. There are similarities in eye tracking parameters on product label visual assessment during purchasing choices. The similarities of text and image design criteria on food and beverage products label include i) shape text: uppercase and lowercase, ii) type family text: sanserif, iii) width text: condensed, iv) slope text: roman, v) weight text: bold and vi) nature image: illustration.


Two new meroterpenoids, named chrodrimanins I and J (1 and 2), together with five known biosynthetically related chrodrimanins (3-7), were isolated from the culture of the Antarctic moss-derived fungus Penicillium funiculosum GWT2-24. Distinguished from all of the reported chrodrimanins, compounds 1 and 2 possess a unique cyclohexanone (E ring) instead of a δ-lactone ring. These structures including the absolute configurations were established on the basis of MS, NMR, and X-ray crystallographic analysis. Compounds 1-7 showed no cytotoxic or antibacterial activities, while the known compounds 3, 5, and 6 exhibited inhibitory activities against influenza virus A (H1N1), with IC50 values ranged from 21 to 57 μM.


A composite film of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/sol-gel-derived zinc oxide(ZnO)/Nafion has been utilized as an efficient immobilization matrix for the construction of a highly sensitive and stable tris(2,2'-bipyridyl) ruthenium(II) (Ru(bpy) 3 2+ ) electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor. The electrochemical and ECL behaviors of Ru(bpy) 3 2+ ion-exchanged into the composite film were strongly dependent upon the sol-gel preparation condition, the amount of MWCNT incorporated into the ZnO/Nafion composite film, and the buffer solution pH. The synergistic effect of MWCNTs and ZnO in the composite films increased not only the sensitivity but also the long-term stability of the ECL sensor. The present ECL sensor based on the MWCNT/ZnO/Nafion gave a linear response (R 2 = 0.999) for tripropylamine concentration from 500 nM to 1.0 mM with a remarkable detection limit (S/N = 3) of 15 nM. The present ECL sensor showed outstanding long-term stability (94% initial signal retained for 5 weeks). Since the present ECL sensor exhibits large response towards NADH, it could be applied as a transduction platform for the ECL biosensor in which the NADH is produced from the dehydrogenase-based enzymatic reaction in the presence of NAD + cofactor.


Find out what happens to the unfortunate Humpty Dumpty, ride with a fine lady to Banbury Cross, watch a cow jump over the moon, listen to Old King Cole's fiddlers, and march with the Duke of York in this wonderful collection of nursery rhymes. Brian Wildsmith has chosen over eighty best-loved rhymes that are full of charm and rhythm, and has illustrated them with great exuberance and imagination. Nursery rhymes are delight to share from one generation to the next and this beautiful book is sure to be enjoyed by young and old alike.


Landraces and wild relatives of crops from centers of diversity have been rich sources of resistance to new pathogens, insect pests, and other stresses as well as for traits to improve food and fiber quality, animal feed, and industrial products. Because very few crops grown in the U.S. are native, plant introductions are vital to our agriculture. The National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) was established to acquire, preserve, and distribute plant genetic resources from around the world so that scientists have immediate access to these source materials. The active collection is maintained and distributed by 19 national germplasm repositories. The base collection is preserved at -I8°C at the National Seed Storage Laboratory. The NPGS's genetic resources are made freely available to all bona fide users for the benefit of humankind. Recent international agreements such as the Biodiversity Convention will impact acquisition and exchange of germplasm, but the NPGS goal is to maintain the germplasm exchange critical to feeding the increasing world population in the future.


Under the influence of long-range attractive and short-range repulsive forces, thin liquid films rupture and form complex dewetting patterns. This paper studies this phenomenon in one space dimension within the framework of fourth-order degenerate parabolic equations of lubrication type. We derive the global structure of the bifurcation diagram for steady-state solutions. A stability analysis of the solution branches and numerical simulations suggest coarsening occurs. Furthermore, we study the behaviour of solutions in the limit that short-range repulsive forces are neglected. Both asymptotic analysis and numerical experiments show that this limit can concentrate mass in δ-distributions.


Acinetobacter calcoaceticus var anitratus caused meningitis in five patients between 1968 and 1978 at two hospitals affiliated with Boston University School of Medicine. All patients had had head trauma or neurosurgical procedures prior to the development of meningitis. The course of the disease was relatively indolent in that fulminant disease did not occur even when initial therapy was inappropriate and bacteria persisted in CSF. All five patients survived. On Gram's stain of CSF, A calcoaceticus may be confused with meningococci, pneumococci, or Haemophilus influenzae and thus cause delay in appropriate diagnosis and therapy.


This study generally aimed to document the existing practice of the "Parada ng Lechon" in Balayan, Batangas Philippines to honor St. John the Baptist and the implications of the findings in relation to the study of Philippine culture. This paper employed the ethnographic research method which involved the use of documentary materials, participant observation method, questionnaires, and interviews with 150 purposively selected respondents. The results of the study revealed the world-famous "Parada ng Lechon" which originated as an old thanksgiving custom of the working class in what-used-to-be the poor and depressed area of the western district of Balayan, Batangas, Philippines. It was noteworthy to mention that during the Spanish and American regimes, families who were fortunate enough to receive some significant blessings during the past year would parade a lechon in the town plaza every June 24 - the Feast of St. John the Baptist. For the Balayenos, the parading of lechon is the best expression of thanksgiving and veneration to their patron saint. Even during these times, the sight of people parading lechons in Balayan - coupled with centuries-old practice of water dousing - was quite a spectacle to behold. The "Parada ng Lechon" is considered an invaluable asset that encapsulates the Philippine culture which may be cherished for posterity.


This project develops the new model Harmonic Plus Noise applied for the concatenative speech synthesis. The software is composed of an analysis part (off-line process) applied on the first initial database and a synthesis part (real time process) applied on the HNM database and the prododic modifications from FESTIVAL. The future work consists of the integretion into the HMM-based speech synthesis.


This book focuses on private enforcement of investor protection rules in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France, the UK and the USA. It examines whether and to what extent investors can claim damages for losses incurred following breaches of specific investor protective rules contained in EU capital market law. The author concentrates on the difficulties and problems in assessing causation and loss. She particularly focuses on those protective rules aimed at empowering investors to assess the variety of investment products and strategies and enabling them to make well-informed investment decisions, with or without the professional assistance of financial service providers. Analysing the difficulties investors encounter to recover losses following misleading disclosures to the market, incomplete or inaccurate financial advice or improper asset management, it was established that the notions causation and recoverable loss lack consistency and coherence. Hence, this book formulates practical and useful solutions to the evidential and/or conceptual problems investors encounter in seeking remedies for their alleged losses.


Recently, a number of researchers have investigated a class of graph partitioning algorithms that reduce the size of the graph by collapsing vertices and edges, partition the smaller graph, and then uncoarsen it to construct a partition for the original graph [Bui and Jones, Proc. of the 6th SIAM Conference on Parallel Processing for Scientific Computing, 1993, 445--452; Hendrickson and Leland, A Multilevel Algorithm for Partitioning Graphs, Tech. report SAND 93-1301, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 1993]. From the early work it was clear that multilevel techniques held great promise; however, it was not known if they can be made to consistently produce high quality partitions for graphs arising in a wide range of application domains. We investigate the effectiveness of many different choices for all three phases: coarsening, partition of the coarsest graph, and refinement. In particular, we present a new coarsening heuristic (called heavy-edge heuristic) for which the size of the partition of the coarse graph is within a small factor of the size of the final partition obtained after multilevel refinement. We also present a much faster variation of the Kernighan--Lin (KL) algorithm for refining during uncoarsening. We test our scheme on a large number of graphs arising in various domains including finite element methods, linear programming, VLSI, and transportation. Our experiments show that our scheme produces partitions that are consistently better than those produced by spectral partitioning schemes in substantially smaller time. Also, when our scheme is used to compute fill-reducing orderings for sparse matrices, it produces orderings that have substantially smaller fill than the widely used multiple minimum degree algorithm.


An AC magnetic field (0.5Tesla) is applied with the field direction perpendicular to the rolling direction during annealing of a 76% cold-rolled IF steel sheet. Microstructure and texture evolution in the as-annealed specimens were determined using SEM based OIM technique. It is found that the recrystallization is noticeably retarded by AC magnetic field annealing. At the early stage of recrystallization (annealing at 650°C for 30min), the development of (111) <123> orientations was favored by the AC magnetic field. With progress of recrystallization (annealing at 700°C and 750°C for 30min), the applied AC magnetic field suppressed the development of γ-fiber recrystallization textures to some extent.


College students are increasingly reporting higher stress, which can negatively influence their personal and intellectual development. Greater academic challenges and new social experiences in college may be accompanied by stressors like mental health issues, family concerns, or financial pressures. To help students manage stress, institutions typically provide resources through health services, student life or student affairs, recreation departments, or other entities that operates primarily outside the academic program. Recently, some institutions have integrated wellness education into the academic curriculum, leveraging the power of the classroom to deliver important lessons about accessible, evidence-based wellness strategies. Here we investigate if a first-year interdisciplinary writing class designed to help students learn about physical and mental wellbeing actually improved students' awareness of their wellbeing and their confidence as first year learners. We share details of the course design, evidence of student learning, and advice for incorporating wellness content throughout the curriculum.


In the multiple linear regression analysis, the ridge regression estimator and the Liu estimator are often used to address multicollinearity. Besides multicollinearity, outliers are also a problem in the multiple linear regression analysis. We propose new biased estimators based on the least trimmed squares (LTS) ridge estimator and the LTS Liu estimator in the case of the presence of both outliers and multicollinearity. For this purpose, a simulation study is conducted in order to see the difference between the robust ridge estimator and the robust Liu estimator in terms of their effectiveness; the mean square error. In our simulations, the behavior of the new biased estimators is examined for types of outliers: X-space outlier, Y-space outlier, and X-and Y-space outlier. The results for a number of different illustrative cases are presented. This paper also provides the results for the robust ridge regression and robust Liu estimators based on a real-life data set combining the problem of multicollinearity and outliers.


Diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) are a patient classification system grouping related types of patients treated to the resources they consumed. In this analysis we compared the Italian and the German DRG systems regarding hand surgery with an emphasis on reimbursement of clinical cases. The 15 most common hand surgical diagnoses and their corresponding operative treatment in our clinic in 2009 were processed using a DRG grouper. The underlying data were transferred to the Italian system. Thus, the length of stay and the reimbursement of both countries could be obtained and compared. The latter was adjusted and corrected by the purchasing power of each country. The mean of the upper threshold of length of stay was 10 days in the German as well as the Italian system whereas the median was 2 times higher in Italy (6 vs. 12 days). Fifteen out of 19 cases showed higher reimbursement in Germany. The case mix index (CMI) of 0.917 in Germany represents a mean payment of 2,676 € per case. In Italy the hypothetical CMI of 0.635 resulted in a mean reimbursement of 1,853 € per case. The biggest difference in remuneration could be found for replantation of multiple fingers. For this service the German health-care system pays 12,320 € more than the Italian. Total proceeds of the top 15 diagnoses applying the number of cases treated in our clinic revealed 1.7 million € in the German and 1.2 million € in the Italian DRG system. Considering the purchasing power utilizing consumer prize parities, the difference of reimbursement between the countries decreased to 300,000 €. There is no mean length of stay per DRG in Italy, only the upper threshold of length of stay is determined. In most cases the latter is higher in Italy compared to Germany. The consumption of resources for finger replantation is not adequately represented in the Italian DRG system compared to finger amputation. Reimbursement of inpatient care is influenced by multiple factors not being subject to the free market economy. For this reason only descriptive comparison is feasible.


Engineering the molecular design of biomaterials by controlling recognition and specificity is the first step in coordinating and duplicating complex biological and physiological processes. Studies of protein binding domains reveal molecular architectures with specific chemical moieties that provide a framework for selective recognition of target biomolecules in aqueous environment. By matching functionality and positioning of chemical residues, we have been successful in designing biomimetic polymer networks that specifically bind biomolecules in aqueous environments. Our work addresses the preparation, behavior, and dynamics of the three-dimensional structure of biomimetic polymers for selective recognition via non-covalent complexation. In particular, the synthesis and characterization of recognitive gels for the macromolecular recognition of D-glucose is highlighted. Novel copolymer networks containing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and functional monomers such as acrylic acid, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and acrylamide were synthesized in dimethyl sulfoxide (polar, aprotic solvent) and water (polar, protic solvent) via UV-free radical polymerization. Polymers were characterized by single and competitive equilibrium and kinetic binding studies, single and competitive fluorescent and confocal microscopy studies, dynamic network swelling studies, and ATR-FTIR. Results qualitatively and quantitatively demonstrate effective glucose-binding polymers in aqueous solvent. Owing to the presence of template, the imprinting process resulted in a more macroporous structure as exhibited by dynamic swelling experiments and confocal microscopy. Polymerization kinetic studies suggest that the template molecule has more than a dilution effect on the polymerization, and the effect of the template is related strongly to the rate of propagation. In addition, PEG containing networks were micropatterned to fabricate microstructures, which would be the basis for micro-diagnostic and tissue engineering devices. Utilizing photolithography techniques, polymer micropatterns of a variety of shapes and dimensions have been created on polymer and silicon substrates using UV free-radical polymerizations with strict spatial control. Micropatterns were characterized using optical microscopy, SEM, and profilometry. The processes and analytical techniques presented are applicable to other stimuli-sensitive and recognitive networks for biomolecules, in which hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic, or ionic contributions will direct recognition. Further developments are expected to have direct impact on applications such as analyte controlled and modulated drug and protein delivery, drug and biological elimination, drug targeting, tissue engineering, and micro- or nano-devices. This work is supported by NSF Grant DGE-99-72770. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


We present the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) sea-level projections for four Danish cities (Aarhus, Copenhagen, Esbjerg and Hirtshals) under the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) family of climate scenarios. These sea-level changes projected over the next century are up to an order of magnitude larger than those observed over the previous century. At these cities, year 2150 sea-level changes of between 29 and 55 cm are projected under the very low emissions scenario (SSP1-1.9), while changes of between 99 and 123 cm are projected under the very high emissions scenario (SSP5-8.5). These differences highlight the potentially significant impact of remaining opportunities for climate change mitigation. Due to this increase in mean sea level, the mean recurrence time between historically extreme events is expected to decrease. Under the very high emissions scenario, the historical 100-year storm flood event will become a 1- to 5-year event at most Danish harbours by 2100. There is considerable uncertainty associated with these sea-level projections, primarily driven by uncertainty in the future evolution of the Antarctic ice sheet and future sterodynamic changes in ocean volume. The AR6 characterises collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet as a low-probability but high-impact event that could cause several metres of sea-level rise around Denmark by 2150. In climate adaptation policy, the scientific landscape is shifting fast. There has been a tremendous proliferation of diverse sea-level projections in recent years, with the most relevant planning target for Denmark increasing c. 50 cm in the past two decades. Translating sea-level rise projections into planning targets requires value judgments about acceptable sea-level risk that depend on local geography, planning timeline and climate pathway. This highlights the need for an overarching national sea-level adaptation plan to ensure municipal plans conform to risk and action standards.


In line with governance trends around the world, a growing number of expressways in the People's Republic of China are managed as Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). The tremendous growth in demand for mobility in newly emerging economies has led to a gap between investment needs and available public funding. Using private funds is potentially helpful in closing this gap and accommodating the social and economic needs of motorization. By some, it is also hoped that contracting-out and involvement of the private sector will lead to higher transparency and accountability. However, in line with what has been found in various transport infrastructure modes, during uncertain and hazy transition periods that arise after infrastructure reforms, many forms of potentially pernicious strategic behaviour can pop up. Strategic behaviour emerges from information a-symmetry between private and public players, where the former act as agents and the latter as principals. In this article, China's evidence on various types of strategic behaviour in the management of expressways is found. Several PPP projects for expressways in China are investigated empirically. And conclusions are drawn as to what possible cures are effective countermeasures of strategic behaviour, and what are the implications for Europe.


This thesis charts a course through an emerging landscape of online user participation in archives, focusing upon user involvement at the point of practice known to professional archivists as archival description. Recent years have seen significant growth in participatory initiatives in the archive sector, and the application of Web 2.0 technologies — augmenting traditions of user engagement and volunteering — has been widely heralded as a new opportunity to 'democratise' archival practice. The study considers a spectrum of online initiatives which have sought to benefit from the skills or knowledge of diverse user groups: from mass participation 'crowdsourcing' transcription projects, via tagging and commenting functionalities added to traditional archive catalogues, to community engagement programmes which have attempted to build up multiple layers of narrative interpretation. The research was designed around three principal stakeholder groups, professionals, participants, and users, seeking to address three main research questions: • Does online user participation constitute an evolution or a revolution in archival practice and professionalism? • What contexts and circumstances motivate and sustain participation? • Who benefits from user participation in archival description? Two new analytical frameworks are presented as navigation aids for this exploration of participatory archives, taken from the perspective of professional archivists and of participants respectively. The discussion on users is necessarily more speculative, but concludes that realisation of the claims made for the transformative impact of online user participation is dependent upon a redefinition of archival use which is inclusive of both participation and the communication of meaning, in addition to the routine processes of information seeking. Future research directions are identified therefore which lie at the points of intersection between engagement (participation and use combined) and professional theory and practice.


Abstract:The traditional philosophical aesthetic study established by Plato aimed to discover the "beauty" within "beautiful things." However, the underlying assumptions were not based on scientific evidence and, thus, were unlikely to be fruitful. In contrast to Plato, Kant established the aesthetic cognitive method in aesthetics, which explored aesthetic mechanism in human cognitive activities. This approach gained support from modern cognitive neuroscience. The cognitive module hypothesis proposed by Chinese cognitive neuroscientists suggests that everything is an integration of intrinsic value and extrinsic manifestation. When objects perceived as valuable for individuals arouse positive emotional responses, their appearances will trigger positive emotional responses at all times. In this way, by reinforcing an object's advantages, the neural structure that perceives the appearance of objects and the corresponding structure of an emotional response connect to become the cognitive module of particular objects and their appearances. Once cognitive modules are formed, individuals intuitively form a corresponding aesthetic pleasure when seeing the appearances of objects that match the cognitive modules. Therefore, the reason that certain objects arouse aesthetic pleasure is not that there is "beauty" within them but because their appearances match the cognitive modules that previously formed in the human brain.


Abstract. As a high efficiency, low consumption and clean energy, ground source heat pump technology has been pay more and more attention, the number of installation of system is growing rapidly. However, the use of geothermal resources is still extensive at this stage. Effective methods are pure in obtaining thermal physical parameters of geothermal wells around. In-situ thermal response testing is close to the real use of heat pumps, when injecting in or extracting heat from geothermal wells, the testing equipment will collect data, and then thermal physical parameters will be accurately calculate. This paper introduce a thermal response testing equipment, the equipment will add a constant cold or heat to geothermal well, circulating heat flow and pressure data is collected as well as temperature. And then thermal physical parameters of formation and heat exchanging performance are calculated.


One challenge for multicellular organisms is maintaining genome stability in the face of mutagens across long life spans. Imperfect genome maintenance leads to mutation accumulation in somatic cells, which is associated with tumors and senescence in vertebrates. Colonial reef-building corals are often large, can live for hundreds of years, rarely develop recognizable tumors, and are thought to convert somatic cells into gamete producers, so they are a pivotal group in which to understand long-term genome maintenance. To measure rates and patterns of somatic mutations, we analyzed transcriptomes from 17-22 branches from each of four Acropora hyacinthus colonies, determined putative single nucleotide variants, and verified them with Sanger resequencing. Unlike for human skin carcinomas, there is no signature of mutations caused by UV damage, indicating either higher efficiency of repair than in vertebrates, or strong sunscreen protection in these shallow water tropical animals. The somatic mutation frequency per nucleotide in A. hyacinthus is on the same order of magnitude (10−7) as noncancerous human somatic cells, and accumulation of mutations with age is similar. Unlike mammals, loss of heterozygosity variants outnumber gain of heterozygosity mutations about 2:1. Although the mutation frequency is similar in mammals and corals, the preponderance of loss of heterozygosity changes and potential selection may reduce the frequency of deleterious mutations in colonial animals like corals. This may limit the deleterious effects of somatic mutations on the coral organism as well as potential offspring.


Background and objective More than 20 years ago it was hypothesised that pre- and early postnatal environmental xenobiotics with the potential to disrupt endogenous hormone signalling might be on the causal path to cryptorchidism, hypospadias, low sperm count and testis cancer. Several narrative reviews and weight of the evidence reports past years conclude that evidence has been accumulating to support the hypothesis. In particular one of these reviews has been criticised for preconceived views and selective reporting which has elicited a heated debate. The question is whether data now are available which allow systematic and transparent reviews of the epidemiological evidence and how such reviews should be conducted. We set out to identify available epidemiological evidence addressing male reproductive disorders following pre- and perinatal exposure and suggest methods for meta-analysis. Methods We performed a systematic search in PubMed and Embase to identify published data on the risk of hypospadias, cryptorchidism, low sperm counts and testis cancer following pre- and early infant exposure to xenobiotic environmental chemicals that in at least one intact organism have shown adverse effects due to endocrine disruption. We only included peer reviewed papers providing data on exposure to specific chemicals in utero or early infancy documented by measurements in biological specimens (maternal blood or urine, placenta tissue, cord blood, breast milk) and studies extrapolating fetal or early life exposure by measurements in adult life. Results We identified 24 independent studies that through 36 papers reported 116 associations between measured levels of endocrine disruptors and male reproductive disorders. Most studies addressed persistent organochlorines such as DDE (18 associations), PCBs (12 associations), DDT and HCB (each 12 associations) while studies on rapidly metabolised compounds as phthalate ethers and Bisphenol were few. The studies included altogether 2446 cases and 324 men provided semen samples. The completeness of reporting assessed by 11 items were considered very high (≥80%) in 14 of the studies but only 5 studies were considered at low risk of bias and confounding. Conclusion Although the epidemiological literature database is limited when using highly strict criteria for evaluation it seems sufficient for quantitative meta-analysis addressing on the hypothesis on environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals and male reproductive disorders. Systematic reviews addressing other other outcomes are warranted


Titanium surface alloyed layer was fabricated on 316L stainless steel substrate at 1000°C by means of the plasma surface alloying technique. The content of element titanium in the surface alloyed layer shows gradually tapering from surface to the inside of the substrate and it means an excellent metallurgical binding between the surface modified layer and 316L stainless steel substrate. The hardness of the titanium surface alloyed Layer is 1305HK0.5, which is much larger than that of the 316L stainless steel substrate. The wear performance of the treated and untreated 316L stainless steel was studied using a ball-on-disc sliding wear machine. Although the titanium surface alloyed layer does not show a friction-reducing effect, it improves the wear resistance of 316L stainless steel significantly and its wear rate is only one-fifteenth of that for untreated 316L stainless steel.


the inking system is one of the important components of an offset printing machine and an inking system with good performances is the necessary condition for high quality printing. In this paper, the Reynolds equation for ink transfer was deducted on the basis of the elastohydrodynamic lubrication theory and the relation model between parameters of the roller, speed, pressure and ink thickness in gap of rollers was established by applying the Hertz contact theory, so as to obtain the minimum film thickness equation in gaps of rollers. The influences of roller speed, pressure and size on ink thickness in gaps of rollers were analyzed. In addition, the ink transfer model was modified under the condition of considering retention of ink in gaps of rollers by using Roland700 as the object and the influences of printing speed on inking characteristics were analyzed by applying the method of computer simulation. The results showed that the longer was the inking stabilization time of the system was, the higher the printing speed was.


Empathy has been identified as a professional nursing characteristic that is essential to the nurse-patient relationship. Professional empathy is considered a learned skill and has been successfully taught and cultivated in nursing school through the use of arts and humanities integration into nursing curricula. However, this integration is not standard in most programs of nursing. Foundational liberal education is required for the bachelor of science degree in nursing which includes courses in the liberal arts and sciences. Pre-professional education is where the majority of nurses receive most of their arts and humanities education. Nursing has long been recognized as an art and a science and the science of nursing is well represented and taught throughout nursing curricula. Nurses, as well as educators, have been able to draw direct links between foundational liberal science courses and nursing science. What is less well known is how the art of nursing is represented in nursing curricula and how liberal education content, specifically content rooted in the humanities plays a role in the development of professional nursing characteristics such as empathy and professional decision making. The specific aims of this study were to examine the associations between applied liberal education competencies and empathy and to explore the perceptions of liberal education and the use of empathy in professional decision making among baccalaureate prepared registered nurses. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was taken from a sample of recently graduate baccalaureate prepared registered nurses. The Applied Liberal Education Competencies Scale (ALECS) and the Jefferson Scale of Empathy for Healthcare Providers (JSE-HP©) were used to gather self-report information from practicing nurses about the use of liberal education concepts in nursing practice and the use of empathy in patient care. Open ended questions were also included to acquire information about the types of decisions that are made in nursing practice that require the use of empathy. The results of this study indicate that empathy is positively moderately correlated (p < .05) with critical thinking, as an applied liberal education competency in this group of practicing nurses. The results of this study also show that nurses use empathy to guide professional practice decisions. Empathy was specifically noted to be of use in situations where nurses were called upon to make patient care decisions where there was a moral or ethical situation that required more than the use of technical judgment.
 The results of this study add to the body of knowledge in nursing education that reflects the cultivation of empathy in nursing education, the growth of professional decision making skills, and the design of nursing curricula to support the development of professional nursing characteristics that reflect the real-world practice of nursing.


Objectives:Since thyroglobulin, no new blood tests for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) have been introduced into routine clinical practice. In initial studies, the detection of circulating DTC cells by thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) mRNA measurement distinguished benign from malignant thyroid diseases. This prospective validation study tests the ability of TSHR mRNA to diagnose DTC preoperatively and to detect cancer recurrence. Methods:TSHR mRNA was measured by quantitative RT-PCR from blood drawn perioperatively in patients undergoing thyroid surgery (n = 526), postoperatively in patients undergoing DTC follow-up (n = 418) and in patients monitored for known benign disease (n = 151). The reference range and applications for TSHR mRNA were previously defined from 663 samples from patients with normal, benign, and malignant thyroid disease. Results:In patients with follicular neoplasms or suspicious cytology, preoperative TSHR mRNA >1 ng/&mgr;g had 96% predictive value for DTC, whereas 95% of patients with undetectable mRNA and benign thyroid sonography had benign disease. In patients with DTC, elevated TSHR mRNA levels became undetectable in all patients (n = 64) on the first postoperative day, except in 5 who manifested persistent or recurrent cervical disease within the year. In long-term follow-up of DTC patients with thyroglobulin antibodies, 96% with undetectable TSHR mRNA also had no evidence of cancer recurrence. Conclusions:TSHR mRNA provides an additional clinical tool for the evaluation of patients with thyroid nodules. It is particularly useful in guiding appropriate initial surgery for follicular neoplasms. TSHR mRNA also represents a new blood test to aid assessment of disease status in thyroid cancer follow-up.


In this paper, Finite Element method and full-scale experiments have been used to study a hot forging method for fabrication of a spindle using reduced initial stock size. The forging sequence is carried out in two stages. In the first stage, the hot rolled cylindrical billet is pre-formed and pierced in a closed die using a spherical nosed punch to within 20 mm of its base. This process of piercing or impact extrusion leads to high strains within the work piece but requires high press loads. In the second stage, the resulting cylinder is placed in a die with a flange chamber and upset forged to form a flange. The stock mass is optimized for complete die filling. Process parameters such as effective strain distribution, material flow and forging load in different stages of the process are analyzed. It is concluded from the simulations that minor modifications of piercing punch geometry to reduce contact between the punch and emerging vertical walls of the cylinder appreciably reduces the piercing load. In the flange chamber, a die surfaces angle of 52° instead of 45° is proposed to ensure effective material flow and exert sufficient tool pressure to achieve complete cavity filling. In order to achieve better compression, it is also proposed to shorten both the length of the inserted punch and the die "tongues" by a few mm.


Purpose
Though several work-related mental health training initiatives have been implemented in Japan, the effectiveness of such approaches remains unclear. Consequently, some Japanese corporations prefer using interventions such as neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) to improve employee mental health and wellbeing. This language-based development methodology has been the subject of debate in terms of the quality of the underlying empirical evidence. However, a perspective missing from this debate is an evidence-based understanding of the first-hand experiences of employees that have undertaken NLP training. The purpose of this paper is to inform this debate by conducting a rigorous qualitative examination of the experiences of Japanese senior managers who had recently received training in NLP.

Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews attended by 11 Japanese NLP master practitioners were analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings
Four themes emerged from the data set: improving work-related mental health, NLP fosters a better understanding of the mind, NLP helps to reframe perspectives relating to work and mental health, and challenges of NLP training.

Originality/value
While managers found NLP training skills such as reframing and neuro-logical levels useful to their managerial practice and mental health more generally, they raised concerns about NLP's reputation as well as the utility of some of the techniques employed in NLP.


The purposes of this study were to determine the employment status of North Texas State University clothing and textiles majors who graduated between 1969 and 1978 and to provide a measurement of their job satisfaction. The data were gathered through two mailed questionnaires, a general one developed by the researcher, and the Job Descriptive Index, a standardized job satisfaction index. Graduates in clothing and textiles tended to seek and obtain employment related to their major field of study, and they are generally satisfied with their jobs. Factors tested statistically in this study included age, marital status, parental status, salary, tenure, and organization size. No significant differences in job satisfaction or employment tatus were evident relative to any of these factors.


In this paper, the preliminary study of intervention on puddle iron and cast iron Hydraulic crane, situated in the "Arsenale" of Venice is described. The crane was built by Armstrong, Mitchell & Co. in 1885. It is one of the most important and the last remaining example of XIX century innovation of English engineering, after the disposal of other Armstrong Company cranes. Thanks to the interest of the Superintendency of Venice and The Venice in Peril Fund UNESCO Committee, the crane is now undergoing restoration works. To design and execute the restoring interventions of the crane, a preliminary study was necessary. The first fundamental step consisted on performing a detailed historical research, focused in particular of the past interventions and on identifying the most important causes of damage.


Abstract. Satellite rainfall estimates (SREs) are prone to bias as they are indirect
derivatives of the visible, infrared, and/or microwave cloud properties,
and hence SREs need correction. We evaluate the influence of elevation and
distance from large-scale open water bodies on bias for Climate Prediction
Center-MORPHing (CMORPH) rainfall estimates in the Zambezi basin. The
effectiveness of five linear/non-linear and time–space-variant/-invariant
bias-correction schemes was evaluated for daily rainfall estimates and
climatic seasonality. The schemes used are spatio-temporal bias (STB),
elevation zone bias (EZ), power transform (PT), distribution transformation
(DT), and quantile mapping based on an empirical distribution (QME). We
used daily time series (1998–2013) from 60 gauge stations and CMORPH SREs
for the Zambezi basin. To evaluate the effectiveness of the bias-correction
schemes spatial and temporal cross-validation was applied based on eight
stations and on the 1998–1999 CMORPH time series, respectively. For
correction, STB and EZ schemes proved to be more effective in removing bias.
STB improved the correlation coefficient and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency by 50 % and 53 %, respectively, and reduced the root mean squared difference
and relative bias by 25 % and 33 %, respectively. Paired t tests showed
that there is no significant difference (p < 0.05) in the daily
means of CMORPH against gauge rainfall after bias correction. ANOVA post hoc
tests revealed that the STB and EZ bias-correction schemes are preferable.
Bias is highest for very light rainfall (< 2.5 mm d−1), for
which most effective bias reduction is shown, in particular for the wet
season. Similar findings are shown through quantile–quantile (q–q) plots.
The spatial cross-validation approach revealed that most bias-correction schemes removed bias by > 28 %. The temporal
cross-validation approach showed effectiveness of the bias-correction
schemes. Taylor diagrams show that station elevation has an influence on
CMORPH performance. Effects of distance > 10 km from large-scale
open water bodies are minimal, whereas effects at shorter distances are
indicated but are not conclusive for a lack of rain gauges. Findings of this study
show the importance of applying bias correction to SREs.


Prostate cancer (CaP) is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men. Chronic inflammation has been one of several factors associated with the development of CaP. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in cytokine genes have been associated with increased inflammation, increased cytokine production and possibly increased CaP risk. However, the effects of cytokine SNPs on CaP susceptibility have not been consistent. Using the genomic DNA collected in a CaP case-control study (557 cases and 547 controls), we pilot tested the interactions of nine functionally characterized SNPs of three cytokine genes in CaP risk using the multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS)-logit models. African-Americans with the IL10-819TT genotype had a lower CaP risk [odds ratio (OR) = 0.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.07-1.01], but subjects with the genotype combination of IL1B-511CT/TT and IL10-592CC had a higher CaP risk (OR = 2.56, 95% CI = 1.09-6.02). In Caucasians, higher CaP risk was associated with the IL10-1082AG/GG genotype (OR = 3.62, 95% CI = 1.42-9.28), the genotype combination of IL10-1082AA plus IL1B-31TT/TC (OR = 2.92, 95% CI = 1.13-7.55) and the genotype combination of TNF-238GG plus IL10-592AA (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.05-4.38). Our results highlight the importance of cytokine SNPs and their interactions in CaP risk.


Award-winning historian Michael Wallis has spent several years re-creating the rich, anecdotal saga of Billy the Kid (1859-1881), a deeply mythologized young man who became a legend in his own time and yet remains an enigma to this day. With the Gilded Age in full swing and the Industrial Revolution reshaping the American landscape, "the Kid," who was gunned down by Sheriff Pat Garrett in the New Mexico Territory at the age of twenty-one, became a new breed of celebrity outlaw. He arose amid the mystery and myth of the swiftly vanishing frontier and, sensationalized beyond recognition by the tabloids and dime-store romances of the day, emerged as one of the most enduring icons of the American West-not to mention one of Hollywood's most misrepresented characters. This new biography, filled with dozens of rare images and period photographs, separates myth from reality and presents an unforgettable portrait of this brief and violent life.


A critical examination of the trends, issues, and challenges in policy and practice of English language education in Pakistan is the main concern of this paper. This is done first by describing the practice of teaching English in varied instructional situations. Second, the paper historically reviews the language education policies since Pakistan's independence in 1947. Third, the consequences of using English as the medium of instruction are discussed. A longitudinal large scale study is done to highlight the fact that English as medium of instruction at primary school level can distort the teaching and learning activities for students and teachers in rural areas of Pakistan and student drop-out rate can even get higher in those areas. The data was collected from the interviews of twenty teachers working in government and semi government schools at primary level. Based on the information obtained from the target participants, teaching at the same level but in different schools, the author argues that mother tongue education at the primary level is the most appropriate method to enhance the educational performance of students and a positive approach to bilingual education must be taken to resolve the challenges associated with the medium of instruction policies in the education system of Pakistan. Moreover, the data also shows that adopting English as a medium of instruction in Public schools may lead to low motivation level among students and it can hinder the development of English as a second language among learners. Furthermore, a difference in home language and school language may also hamper development and concepts formation in students at school level. Therefore, it is recommended that before implementing any language as medium of instruction at school level, one must review the history of Pakistani education system and must keep in mind the linguistic differences of the society and unavailability of resources is also a major hindrance in implementation of any language policy.  The results of this study confirm that the pedagogical effectiveness could only be achieved through the mother tongue and provides clear evidence for the usage of native languages as a medium of education in schools.


Surface area to volume ratio" has been widely acknowledged as one of the "big ideas" of nanoscience, as it lays the foundation for understanding size-dependent properties that characterize nanoscale science and technology. Though seemingly an easy concept, students are reported to have difficulty grasping this concept, particularly its connection to property change. We report in this paper our effort in unpacking students' conceptions of this concept in the context of an undergraduate engineering course. Guided by the "Construct- Centered Design" (CCD) framework, we conducted detailed unpacking of student conceptions, and developed corresponding assessment items in an iterative process, which not only revealed an interesting range of conceptions, but also yielded several effective assessment items. The identified conceptions are summarized in a preliminary typology, which includes three major types of conceptions distinguished by seven aspects of variation. Practical implications of the typology and the use of the CCD process are discussed.


Although nitrogen (N) is generally recognized as the most important nutrient required for productive agriculture, its widespread and luxurious use over many years has impaired soil, water, and air quality at local, regional, and global scales (Galloway et al. 2008; Sutton et al. 2013). To understand and evaluate various economic and environmental aspects of agricultural N use, different terms and calculations are used to describe how much applied N is incorporated into agricultural products and how much N may be lost to the environment. The terms "N balance" and "N surplus," and different calculations of N use efficiency (NUE, the fractional amount of applied N incorporated into product N) are examined here to highlight how some of the conventional assumptions and calculations of N inputs and N outputs can lead to different conclusions about actual NUE (as obtained by the producers of crops and livestock), potential NUE (what is biologically feasible), and risks of environmental N loss. THE TERMS "NITROGEN BALANCE" AND "NITROGEN SURPLUS" The difference between N inputs (e.g., fertilizer N, kg ha−1) and N outputs (e.g., crop N, kg ha−1) is often referred to as either an N balance or an N surplus. While N balances of soil…


Abstract—This study is purposed to develop an efficient fault detection method for Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) applications based on adaptive noise covariance estimation. Due to the dependence on radio frequency signals, GNSS measurements are dominated by systematic errors in receiver's operating environment. In the proposed method, the pseudorange and carrier-phase measurement noise covariances are obtained at time propagations and measurement updates in process of Carrier-Smoothed Code (CSC) filtering, respectively. The test statistics for fault detection are generated by the estimated measurement noise covariances. To evaluate the fault detection capability, intentional faults were added to the filed-collected measurements. The experiment result shows that the proposed method is efficient in detecting unhealthy measurements and improves GNSS positioning accuracy against fault occurrences.