The SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus which originated in the province Wuhan, China, in December 2019. It is the causative agent of COVID-19, an infection mainly presenting as mild upper respiratory tract infection, with patients presenting with fever, cough, breathlessness and fatigue. The virus predominantly spreads by a person to person contact, which is why it has spread very rapidly in a short span of time, so much so, that multiple countries are affected at present. The number of casualties is ever increasing. Even though our understanding of the novel coronavirus is improving, many countries, including India, are facing a situation which is not getting better with respect to controlling the pandemic. The number of new cases and deaths are ever increasing. There is a general state of panic among all the sections of the society and almost all are affected. With the number of tests being carried out every day, also increasing, a general idea about the signs and symptoms of the disease as well as the diagnostic criterion aids will further help us control the pandemic. This narrative review focuses on the clinical symptoms, diagnostic aids, risk factors, common clinical symptoms, laboratory findings and complications of COVID-19 and also on post COVID 19 Complications.


With the increase in the use of secondary data in epidemiological studies, the inquiry of how to manage missing data has become more relevant. Our study applied imputation techniques on traumatic spinal cord injuries data; a medical problem where data is generally sporadic. Traumatic spinal cord injuries due to blunt force cause widespread physiological impairments, medical and non-medical problems. The effects of spinal cord injuries are a burden not only to the victims but to their families and to the entire health system of a country. This study also evaluated the causes of traumatic spinal cord injuries in patients admitted to the University Teaching Hospital and factors associated with clinical complications in these patients.

 The study used data from medical records of patients who were admitted to the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia. Patients presenting with traumatic spinal cord injuries between 1st January 2013 and 31st December 2017 were part of the study. The data was first analysed using complete case analysis, then multiple imputation techniques were applied, to account for the missing data. Thereafter, both descriptive and inferential analyses were performed on the imputed data.

 During the study period of interest, a total of 176 patients were identified as having suffered from spinal cord injuries. Road traffic accidents accounted for 56% (101) of the injuries. Clinical complications suffered by these patients included paralysis, death, bowel and bladder dysfunction and pressure sores among other things. Eighty-eight (50%) patients had paralysis. Patients with cervical spine injuries compared to patients with thoracic spine injuries had 87% reduced odds of suffering from clinical complications (OR=0.13, 95% CI{0.08, 0.22}p<.0001). Being paraplegic at discharge increased the odds of developing a clinical complication by 8.1 times (OR=8.01, 95% CI{2.74, 23.99}, p<.001). Under-going an operation increased the odds of having a clinical complication (OR=3.71, 95% CI{=1.99, 6.88}, p<.0001). A patient who presented with Frankel Grade C or E had a 96% reduction in the odds of having a clinical complication (OR=.04, 95% CI{0.02, 0.09} and {0.02, 0.12} respectively, p<.0001) compared to a patient who presented with Frankel Grade A.

 A comparison of estimates obtained from complete case analysis and from multiple imputations revealed that when there are a lot of missing values, estimates obtained from complete case analysis are unreliable and lack power. Efforts should be made to use ideas to deal with missing values such as multiple imputation techniques.
 The most common cause of traumatic spinal cord injuries was road traffic accidents. Findings suggest that paralysis had the greatest negative effect on clinical complications. When the category of Frankel Grade increased from A-E, the less likely a patient was likely to succumb to clinical complications. No evidence of an association was found between age, sex and developing a clinical complication.


Co-administration of CpG-containing immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides and parasite antigen protects susceptible BALB/c mice from otherwise progressive infection with Leishmania major. Although the protective effect of CpG-containing immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides is clearly dependent on endogenous interleukin-12 and interferon-gamma production, the source of these Th1-promoting cytokines in infected mice is unknown. In contrast to macrophages from Leishmania-resistant C57BL/6 mice, macrophages from susceptible BALB/c mice are hyporesponsive to stimulation with lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma. While studying interactions of various antigen-presenting cells with Leishmania, we found that BALB/c inflammatory skin macrophages, whether Leishmania-infected or uninfected, produced large amounts of interleukin-12 when treated with CpG-containing immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides. Like lipopolysaccharide, CpG-containing immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides induced production of interferon-gamma and release of nitric oxide by skin macrophages. Studies using skin macrophages from interleukin-12- and interferon-gamma-deficient BALB/c mice demonstrated that nitric oxide release was not dependent on interleukin-12 and interferon-gamma production. Approximately 44% and 27% of intracellular Leishmania major amastigotes were killed by infected skin macrophages within 72 h upon stimulation with CpG-containing immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides and lipopolysaccharide, respectively. Parasite killing by macrophages was independent of endogenous interferon-gamma production, but was strongly enhanced by exogenous interferon-gamma. Parasite elimination was dependent on the induction of nitric oxide, however. In vivo, injection of CpG-containing immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides into lesional skin reduced the parasite burden approximately 50-fold within the first 5 d of infection prior to full generation of a Th response. These results suggest that skin macrophages, constituting the principal reservoir of parasites in infected susceptible mice, produce Th1-promoting cytokines in response to CpG-containing immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides. In addition, CpG-containing immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides may also act locally on skin macrophages to facilitate Leishmania clearance by inducing nitric oxide production.


In this paper, the flow stress model has been established based on the isothermal compression data at deformation temperature of 800~1050oC, strain rate of 0.001~0.1 s-1 with the help of the Zener-Hollomon parameter and the Arrehnius' equation. For the forging of Ti-6.0Al-2.0Zr-1.0Mo-1.0V alloy with 3.0 mm in thickness and 66.0 mm in height, the equivalent stress, strain, strain rate distribution and temperature rise in the superplastic extrusion process have been simulated through FEM. The simulated results show that the punch velocity has significant effect on the equivalent stress, temperature rise and extrusion load.


ABSTRACT Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxxythiophene) (PEDOT), polyaniline (PANI) and polythiophene (PTh) based multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites were successfully prepared using RF-rotating plasma grafting method. Morphological characterizations of composites were determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which showed that conducting polymers (CPs) of PEDOT, PANI and PTh were coated on the surface of CNTs. The surface properties of the Carbon Nanotube (CNT) composites were also determined by using Infrared Spectra (FT-IR), X-ray Photon Spectra (XPS), and Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectra (SEM-EDX) analysis. X-ray photon spectra results confirmed the formation of the composites. Composites of MWCNT were used in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) as counter electrodes and exhibited short-circuit photocurrent densities of 11.19, 10.70 and 8.54 mA/cm2 for PANI/MWCNT, PTh/MWCNT and PEDOT/CNT, respectively. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


In this paper, we propose a distributed key management framework based on group signature to provision privacy in vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). Distributed key management is expected to facilitate the revocation of malicious vehicles, maintenance of the system, and heterogeneous security policies, compared with the centralized key management assumed by the existing group signature schemes. In our framework, each road side unit (RSU) acts as the key distributor for the group, where a new issue incurred is that the semi-trust RSUs may be compromised. Thus, we develop security protocols for the scheme which are able to detect compromised RSUs and their colluding malicious vehicles. Moreover, we address the issue of large computation overhead due to the group signature implementation. A practical cooperative message authentication protocol is thus proposed to alleviate the verification burden, where each vehicle just needs to verify a small amount of messages. Details of possible attacks and the corresponding solutions are discussed. We further develop a medium access control (MAC) layer analytical model and carry out NS2 simulations to examine the key distribution delay and missed detection ratio of malicious messages, with the proposed key management framework being implemented over 802.11 based VANETs.


This study investigates the potential of fire to manipulate the balance of C3 (cool-season) and C4 (warm-season) herbage in 2 northern Mixed Prairie communities. The xeric high prairie community and mesic low prairie community were chosen to represent regional moisture extremes. Treatments included dormant spring burn, mid-summer burn, dormant fall burn, and untreated. The high prairie community appears to be a C3-dominant type. All 3 burn treatments increased the C3 herbage fraction relative to untreated sites. Total production, however, was unaffected by treatment. The C3/C4 ratio of high prairie communities appears to be the result of long-term adaptation rather than short-term adjustments to fire or weather effects. Spring burning shifted low prairie communities towards C4 herbage relative to other treatments. This was due to an increase in C4 herbage (and total) rather than to a decrease in C3 herbage. The C3/C4 ratio of low prairie communities did appear to respond to short-term adjustments in moisture, temperature, and light caused by the spring burn. The response of low prairie C3/ C4 ratios to mid-summer and dormant fall burns appeared to be related to phenological and indirect weather effects rather than to changes in site microclimate caused by the fires.


This paper describes a tool to assess building sustainability on micro and small building firms. In recent years occurred great transformations in design and management phases of buildings. Sustainability is very important because the environmental impact of AEC sector. The application of innovations generally occurs only in mid or large building companies, however the micro and small building companies represent the majority of the companies. We proposed a tool adjusted to smaller context. Using a sample of buildings, the tool demonstrated be adequate, because it is comprehensible and useful to users with different level of education and knowledge about sustainability. Rev. ing. constr. [online]. 2014, vol.29, n.2, pp. 151-158. ISSN 0718-5073.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0718-50732014000200002


Significance Microscale batteries can deliver energy at the actual point of energy usage, providing capabilities for miniaturizing electronic devices and enhancing their performance. Here, we demonstrate a high-performance microbattery suitable for large-scale on-chip integration with both microelectromechanical and complementary metal-oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) devices. Enabled by a 3D holographic patterning technique, the battery possesses well-defined, periodically mesostructured porous electrodes. Such battery architectures offer both high energy and high power, and the 3D holographic patterning technique offers exceptional control of the electrode's structural parameters, enabling customized energy and power for specific applications. As sensors, wireless communication devices, personal health monitoring systems, and autonomous microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) become distributed and smaller, there is an increasing demand for miniaturized integrated power sources. Although thin-film batteries are well-suited for on-chip integration, their energy and power per unit area are limited. Three-dimensional electrode designs have potential to offer much greater power and energy per unit area; however, efforts to date to realize 3D microbatteries have led to prototypes with solid electrodes (and therefore low power) or mesostructured electrodes not compatible with manufacturing or on-chip integration. Here, we demonstrate an on-chip compatible method to fabricate high energy density (6.5 μWh cm−2⋅μm−1) 3D mesostructured Li-ion microbatteries based on LiMnO2 cathodes, and NiSn anodes that possess supercapacitor-like power (3,600 μW cm−2⋅μm−1 peak). The mesostructured electrodes are fabricated by combining 3D holographic lithography with conventional photolithography, enabling deterministic control of both the internal electrode mesostructure and the spatial distribution of the electrodes on the substrate. The resultant full cells exhibit impressive performances, for example a conventional light-emitting diode (LED) is driven with a 500-μA peak current (600-C discharge) from a 10-μm-thick microbattery with an area of 4 mm2 for 200 cycles with only 12% capacity fade. A combined experimental and modeling study where the structural parameters of the battery are modulated illustrates the unique design flexibility enabled by 3D holographic lithography and provides guidance for optimization for a given application.


The new Joint Video Team (JVT) video coding standard has garnered increased attention recently. Generally, motion estimation computing array (MECA) performs up to 50% of computations in the entire video coding system, and is typically considered the computationally most important part of video coding systems. For a commercial chip, a video coding system must introduce design for testability (DFT), especially in an MECA. The objective of DFT is to increase the ease with which a device can be tested to guarantee high system reliability. Among these techniques, BIST has an obvious advantage in that expensive test equipment is not needed and tests are low cost. Moreover, BIST can generate test simulations and analyze test responses without outside support, making tests and diagnoses of digital systems quick and effective. However, as the circuit complexity and density increases, the BIST approach must detect the presence of faults and specify their locations for subsequent repair. The extended techniques of BIST are built-in self-diagnosis and built-in self-re- pair (BISR). This work develops a built-in self-detection/correction (BISDC) architecture for motion estimation computing arrays (MECAs). Based on the error detection/correction concepts of biresidue codes, any single error in each processing element in an MECA can be effectively detected and corrected online using the proposed BISD and built-in self-correction circuits. Performance analysis and evaluation demonstrate that the proposed BISDC architecture performs well in error detection and correction with minor area overhead. Keywords: Data recovery, error detection, motion estimation, reliability, residue-and-quotient (RQ) code


This study analyzed the prevalence of functional disability in the elderly and its association with socioeconomic and demographic factors. This was a population-based cross-sectional study with a sample of 631 elders (≥ 60 years). The Katz index and Lawton scale, respectively, were used to evaluate basic and instrumental activities of daily living. Demographic and socioeconomic variables were analyzed. Numerical variables were tested with the Student t test and non-numerical ones with the chi-square test. The odds of functional disability were measured by logistic regression. Prevalence rates of functional disability for basic and instrumental activities of daily living were 15.5% and 26.1%, respectively. Instrumental activities presented more variables significantly associated with the outcome in the final logistic regression model. Prevalence of functional disability was not higher than described in the Brazilian literature. An important association was found between the outcome and independent variables.


The use of laser processing for the creation of diverse morphological patterns onto the surface of polymer scaffolds represents a method for overcoming bacterial biofilm formation and inducing enhanced cellular dynamics. We have investigated the influence of ultra-short laser parameters on 3D-printed poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) and poly-ε-caprolactone/hydroxyapatite (PCL/HA) scaffolds with the aim of creating submicron geometrical features to improve the matrix biocompatibility properties. Specifically, the present research was focused on monitoring the effect of the laser fluence (F) and the number of applied pulses (N) on the morphological, chemical and mechanical properties of the scaffolds. SEM analysis revealed that the femtosecond laser treatment of the scaffolds led to the formation of two distinct surface geometrical patterns, microchannels and single microprotrusions, without triggering collateral damage to the surrounding zones. We found that the microchannel structures favor the hydrophilicity properties. As demonstrated by the computer tomography results, surface roughness of the modified zones increases compared to the non-modified surface, without influencing the mechanical stability of the 3D matrices. The X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the laser structuring of the matrices did not lead to a change in the semi-crystalline phase of the PCL. The combinations of two types of geometrical designs—wood pile and snowflake—with laser-induced morphologies in the form of channels and columns are considered for optimizing the conditions for establishing an ideal scaffold, namely, precise dimensional form, mechanical stability, improved cytocompatibility and antibacterial behavior.


Allium cepa (A. cepa) is consumed for its health benefits. This study investigated the therapeutic potentials of ethanolic extract of A. cepa bulbs against paraquat-induced testicular toxicity in animal model. Thirty Wistar rats were split into control and five test groups (n=5). Group A (Control) received feed and water; test groups (B-F) were treated orally as follows: group B (20 mg/kg b.w. of paraquat for 4weeks); group C (1000 mg/kg b.w. of A. cepa extract for 4weeks); group D (a co-administration of 20 mg/kg b.w. of paraquat and 100 mg/kg b.w. of A. cepa extract for 4weeks); group E (a co-administration of 20 mg/kg b.w. of paraquat and 1000 mg/kg b.w. of A. cepa extract for 4weeks); and group F (1000 mg/kg b.w. of A. cepa extract for 2weeks before co-administration with 20 mg/kg b.w. of paraquat for 2weeks). In the end, sperm count, morphology, motility, sera testosterone levels, malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels as well as histology of the testes were assessed. Paraquat administration caused significantly (P<0.05) reduced sperm count, motility, alteration in sperm morphology and induced cell death. Oral gavage of paraquat also caused significant (P<0.05) decrease in serum testosterone and SOD levels with concomitantly elevated MDA levels. However, following the co-administration with ethanolic extract of A. cepa to experimental rats, there was an improvement in sperm parameters (count, motility and morphology) as well as in sera testosterone and SOD levels. It can be concluded that A. cepa exerts strong antioxidant effects in a dose-dependent manner in ameliorating testicular toxicity induced by paraquat in


The studies conducted on plants grown in Kashan have showed the presence of abundant valuable industrial - medicinal plants. Unforlunately, a lot of these plants are removed as weed or grazed by livestock because of Lack of inhabitants' ignorance of their using and mismanagement. - Perovskia abrotanoides is of Lamiaceae family. The natural habitat of this plant is mostly near waterways, the beds and borders of seasonal rivers and mountainous ravines, namely the watersheds of south and southeast of Kashan .It is also seen in the borders of gardens and farms in these areas. This plant is mostly seen at the elevations 1500 - 2700 m. Its flowers, leaves and stems contain a lot of essence that can be used in medicine industry. In order to study this plant phytochemically, 6 areas (points) were selected. The average amount of plants' essence obtained from these 6 investigated areas was 4/5 cc(1/44%) in Ferizhend , 3/8 cc(1/1%)in Abyaneh, 2/8 cc(1/12%) in Chimeh, 219 cc(0/93%) in Ghohroud, 1/9 cc(0/61%) in Totmaj and 2/3 cc(O/74%) in Jahagh. Moreover determining the amount of existent essence in plant, we proceeded to find four plant materials: Saponin, Alkaloid, Tannin, Flavanoid. The amount of each material in plant was defined qualitatively in which the amount of saponin was considerable.


Postmortem examination of a free-range white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) revealed severe emaciation, bilateral firm proliferation of the metatarsal diaphyses, and a large intrathoracic mass associated with the accessory lung lobe. Smaller masses were evident in the abomasum, duodenum, omentum, and the capsular surface of the liver. Microscopically, the masses were similar and were diagnosed as eosinophilic granulomas with intralesional fungal hyphae characteristic of Zygomycetes spp. Fungal hyphae were identified as Conidiobolus incongruus by 18S ribosomal RNA sequencing on fresh lung tissue. Furthermore, the proliferative lesions of the metatarsal bones along with the intrathoracic mass were compatible with hypertrophic osteopathy.


The Turks of Bulgaria have a particular place in displacement scholarship. As the largest minority group in the country, they were subjected to ethnic cleansing in the 1980s. Anti-Turkish sentiments culminated in state-led systematic exclusion and more than 340,000 Turks were forcefully migrated to Turkey in 1989. After the collapse of Communism and the transition to democracy, almost 40 per cent of them voluntarily returned to Bulgaria, making it an outlier case in displacement literature. Drawing on 46 semi-structured interviews, this study contributes to the literature by offering a grounded conceptual framework which explains the macro-dynamics of voluntary and sustainable return through an in-depth study of the Bulgarian case. The findings suggest that three-factors account for the voluntary return: (i) the peaceful transition to inclusive democracy and power-sharing; (ii) the dual moderation between majority and minority representatives; and (iii) the enabling role of international actors, primarily the EU-anchor.


The immunocytochemical expression of laminin and fibronectin by non-transformed liver epithelial cells and by transformed cells derived from the same cell line, TRL1215, was examined in ethionine-transformed cells (ETC), untreated control cells at the same high passage level (HPC), and untreated, low passage cells (LPC). At confluence, a divergent expression of laminin and fibronectin was observed in the three sublines. In flat areas of polygonal cells, LPC showed abundant laminin staining and sparse fibronectin staining; HPC had intermediate expression of both; and ETC had sparse laminin staining and abundant fibronectin. Specifically, the laminin network was often found at intercellular junctions, outlining individual LPC, outlining groups of HPC, and having a focal expression in ETC. A fine reticulum of laminin was seen in large areas of LPC, in relatively small areas of HPC, and in multilayered areas of ETC. Fibronectin was visible as thick, matted fibrils, which were sparse in LPC, loosely arranged in HPC and dense in ETC. Prior studies had shown that the increased fibronectin expression in the transformed cells was associated with increased expression of actin stress fibres, increased cell spreading and increased numbers of focal contacts between cell and substrate. The divergent expression of laminin and fibronectin shown here indicates that these two matrix proteins need not be expressed in a parallel manner during transformation, and that increased fibronectin, but not laminin, is associated with maximal cell spreading and adhesion.


This study attempts to measure relationship between service quality and value towards customers' satisfaction on hospitality service in Malaysian Armed Forces using a modified version of the LODGSERV and SERVQUAL instrument (Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry, 1988). All five dimensions of service quality, being tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy, will be used. The questionnaire survey will be conducted on a two-week period during check-out time at banquet hall and dinnertime at dining hall Wisma Transit Kuala Lumpur. All customers who check-out before departure to Sabah & Sarawak will assemble at banquet hall. The Cronboch Coefficient Alpha will be used to test the construct reliability. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) will be used to determine the relationship between service quality and value towards customers' perceived service quality for five dimensions on hospitality service at Wisma Transit and different groups of loyalty. In addition, correlation analysis will be used to determine the relationship between customers' perceived service quality and customers' characteristics such as gender, marital status, age, and reasons for staying. The results of this study will asssist Wisma Transit management to assess the service quality provided to its patrons. Results of this study will also help Wisma Transit management establish a total quality management (TQM) program to improve overall service quality to its patrons.


Abstract Real-time processing emerged as an important component in the digital image processing area. The fast and convenient processing opens news possibilities, for example, configurable image processing modules in order to massive processing of images. With this purpose, this paper describes a colored digital image processing system. This system can configure a set of filters according to the prescriptions of a user, in order to adapt the system to the images to be treated. Six filters that perform the tasks of smoothing, edge detection, histogram equalization, color normalization and brightness normalization compose such a set. The system was described using System Verilog hardware description language, and implemented in an Altera FPGA. Due to its configurable characteristic, this system is capable of processing colored images for several applications such as agricultural and medical.


The virtual source method has been applied successfully to retrieve the impulse response between pairs of receivers in the subsurface. This method is further improved by an updown separation prior to the crosscorrelation to suppress the reflections from the overburden and the free surface. In a reversed situation where the sources are in the subsurface and receivers are on the surface, in principle, one can apply the same logic to retrieve the virtual response between pairs of sources by source-receiver reciprocity, turning the physical borehole sources into virtual receivers. However, since the up-down separation is not applicable on the source side, the simple crosscorrelation of the total fields results in spurious events due to the incomplete receiver coverage around the sources. We show with a numerical example that for this configuration of borehole sources and surface receivers, one can replace such an updown separation at the source side by that of the direct and reflected waves as a first order approximation. This procedure produces the virtual receiver data that is adequate for local imaging below the source depth and is completely independent of the accuracy of the overburden velocity model. We implement this inter-source type of interferometry by multidimensional deconvolution (MDD). Further, if the conventional surface survey data is available, we test the methodology from source-receiver interferometry (SRI) for this reverse configuration with borehole sources to retrieve the virtual receiver data with reflections coming from above, using also only the separation of the direct and reflected waves. By migrating the two sets of virtual receiver data, one can create a local image around the borehole sources in a deep area with better focusing and localization without a sophisticated velocity model.


An original account of contemporary US-Latin American relations, this book utilises neo-Gramscian and historical materialist approaches to build a novel conceptual framework for analysing US hegemony, extending critical theory in new and exciting directions. It disaggregates US power into distinct forms (structural, coercive, institutional and ideological) to convincingly argue that the United States is remaking its hegemony in the Western hemisphere.

The first decade of the new century saw the ascendancy of leftist and centre-left forces in Latin America. The emergence and consolidation of the 'New Latin Left' signalled a profound challenge to the long-standing hegemony of the United States in the region. This book details the ways in which US foreign policy responded: defining hegemony as a dialectical relationship patterned by multiple and overlapping forms of power, it situates US policy in the context of the Post-Washington Consensus. Making considerable use of confidential diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks, it examines the interplay of different facets of US hegemony, which are inextricably bound up in the neoliberalisation of the region's political economy.

This book brings clarity to what remains an open and contested process of hegemonic reconstitution, and promises to be of interest to scholars working in a number of overlapping subject areas, including International Relations (IR), US foreign policy and Latin American studies.


Gene category testing problems involve testing hundreds of null hypotheses that correspond to nodes in a directed acyclic graph. The logical relationships among the nodes in the graph imply that only some configurations of true and false null hypotheses are possible and that a test for a given node should depend on data from neighboring nodes. We developed a method based on a hidden Markov model that takes the whole graph into account and provides coherent decisions in this structured multiple hypothesis testing problem. The method is illustrated by testing Gene Ontology terms for evidence of differential expression.


This study aims to measure the validity and reliability of the Islamic Religious-Personality and Social Environmental (IRPS) model. Religiosity and spirituality mediated by social environment variables were measured by SEM-PLS. Cognitive development by Piaget and the spiritual development theory by Fawler were applied in this study. The quantitative approach as a data analysis tool for the five hypotheses developed in the model. To ensure the validity and reliability of the converger validity instrument, Deverger validity and Construct Reliability test were involved with 32 items, and indicators that were valid and reliable were used to measure the Religiosity and Spirituality mediated by the social environment towards the personality of the adolescent. A total of 381 samples had been taken with systematic random sampling. The sample consisted of high school students, vocational schools, and Islamic senior high schools. The age of the respondents consisted of 16-19 years consists of 112 males and 169 females. The IRPS model that was developed has gone through a predictive relevance test and it turns out that it can be used to measure Islamic Religion-Personality through a Social Environment. The study found that there was an influence of Islamic religiosity on adolescent personality and adolescent personality not influenced by Islamic spirituality. Islamic religiosity and spirituality correlated with the social environment and positively influencing the personality of adolescents.


The present investigation describes the evolution of nano iron oxide/oxyhydroxide phases synthesized under identical conditions of precipitation using different starting reagents. Depending on the Fe(III) source and the neutralizing agent, single-phased nanogoethite, single-phased ferrihydrite and a combination of goethite, hematite and ferrihydrite phases were evolved in the synthesized samples. The prepared precursors were annealed at 400, 600 and 800 °C to study the changes in the morphology, optical and magnetic properties of single phase α-Fe2O3. Detailed characterization studies of the precursors and hematite obtained by annealing the samples were carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Raman spectra of α-Fe2O3 obtained upon annealing the precursors showed changes in peaks' positions and intensities. These changes have been attributed to surface defects, the phonon confinement effect, the particle shape, and surface morphology. TEM images of the as-synthesized and annealed samples clearly showed differences in the shape, size and crystallinity. The direct and indirect band gap energies of annealed samples estimated from UV-vis absorption spectra showed these values to be smaller as compared to the bulk value for α-Fe2O3. The band gaps were not much affected by the nature of the precursor for the formation of α-Fe2O3 but did depend on annealing temperature. Very interesting trends were observed for the magnetic behaviour of α-Fe2O3. The coercivity values varied in the range of 28.7 to 2966 Oe. Probable mechanisms of formation of different phases have been outlined.


Defining tax avoidance has been always a nearly impossible quest for tax lawyers. In Continental Europe, however, it could be said that the notion of avoidance is strongly embedded to the concept of abuse of a right, being an abuse, according to the Roman law tradition, the exercise of a right inconsistently with the general principles of correctness, good faith or even with the basic rules of ethics. Therefore the definition of avoidance is not purely legal, but it depends also on other disciplines which influence it. In EU law qualifying avoidance is even more complex as the law of the Union is nearly deprived of any influence by other systems of values, the only general principles to rely on are the fundamental freedoms and the nondiscrimination principle both enshrined in the Treaty. That is why when in recent cases the Court had to rule on the abuse of law it did its best to find principles or values to build the concept on. The results were different in direct tax and in VAT cases: the notion of abuse can be wider in some of them and narrower in some others as far as it depends on the background to the specific provisions discussed. In case of the VAT the system is more complex and the court has to strike a balance between the need for neutrality of the tax and the coherence. In direct tax cases only the Treaty is applicable, and together with it the freedoms bestowed upon the taxpayer who can make the most of them in any case, unless the purpose of the scheme implemented is only to save taxes.


Background: Postoperative C5 palsy is a common complication following cervical decompression, occurring more frequently after posterior-based procedures. It has been theorized that this is the result of C5 nerve stretch resulting from spinal cord drift with these procedures. As such, it is thought to be less common after anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF). However, no consensus has been reached on its true etiology. The purpose of this study is to assess the rate of C5 palsy following ACDF and to determine whether any radiographic or demographic parameters were predictive of its development. Methods: Two hundred and twenty-six patients who received ACDF between September 2015 and September 2016 were reviewed, and 122 were included in the final analysis. Patient demographic, surgical, and radiographic data were analyzed, including preoperative and postoperative radiographic and motor examination results. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare continuous variables between independent groups, and Fisher's exact test was used to compare categorical variables between groups. Results: Seven patients developed a C5 palsy in the postoperative period, an incidence rate of 5.7%. Among the radiographic parameters evaluated, there were no statistically significant differences between the C5 palsy and nonpalsy groups. Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences in age, patient sex, or numbers of vertebral levels fused between groups. Conclusions: Ultimately, we did not identify any statistically significant demographic or radiographic predictive factors for the development of C5 palsy following ACDF surgery. Level of Evidence: 3.


We study a retail benchmarking approach to determine access prices for interconnected networks. Instead of considering fixed access charges as in the existing literature, we study access pricing rules that determine the access price that network i pays to network j as a linear function of the marginal costs and the retail prices set by both networks. In the case of competition in linear prices, we show that there is a unique linear rule that implements the Ramsey outcome as the unique equilibrium, independently of the underlying demand conditions. In the case of competition in two-part tariffs, we consider a class of access pricing rules, similar to the optimal one under linear prices but based on average retail prices. We show that firms choose the variable price equal to the marginal cost under this class of rules. Therefore, the regulator (or the competition authority) can choose one among the rules to pursue additional objectives such as consumer surplus, network coverage or investment: for instance, we show that both static and dynamic efficiency can be achieved at the same time.


This thesis aims to explain the process of porous bead synthesis. The porous beads were prepared from a multiple emulsion water-in-oil-in-water (W/OW) system. The W/O/W multiple emulsion was made up of a High Internal Phase Emulsion (HIPE (primary emulsion)) and a suspension phase. The HIPE consisted of pentaerythritol tetrakis (3 mercaptopropionate) (TT) in combination with either divinyl adipate (DVA) or trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) and an internal phase volume fraction of 80 %. The suspension phase consisted of an aqueous phase with dissolved surfactants which stabilised the secondary emulsion. The surfactants which stabilised the secondary emulsion were polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 (PVP K30) and polyvinylpyrrolidone K90 (PVP K90).
The polymerisation was carried out thermally at first for 24 hours and later under UV light and daylight, as the thermally initiated polymerisation was unsuccessful due to coalesence. The beads that were obtained using the photoinitiated polymerisation were porous with a mostly bicontinuous structure and varying diameters. The viscosity of the primary emulsion (HIPE) had the greatest influence on the stability of the entire W/O/W emulsion. By adding more than 5 wt. % of toluene to the primary emulsion, the emulsion broke down and did not successfully polymerise. Another important factor was the ratio of the functional groups in the case of TT-co-TMPTA, which greatly affected the yield and structure of the obtained beads.
The diameters of the spherical particles were dependent on the viscosity, monomer ratio and surfactant used in the suspension phase. The inner structure of the beads was mostly bicontinuous with occasional pores that resembled a polyHIPE structure.
The obtained beads had a yield of up to 80 % in the case of TT-co-DVA and a yield of up to 90 % in the case of TMPTA-co-DVA


: While standard demand factors perform well in predicting historical trade patterns, they fail conspicuously in 2020, when pandemic-specific factors played a key role above and beyond demand. Prediction errors from a multilateral import demand model in 2020 vary systematically with the health preparedness of trade partners, suggesting that pandemic-response policies have international spillovers. Bilateral product-level data covering about 95 percent of global goods trade reveals sizable negative international spillovers to trade from supply disruptions due to domestic lockdowns. These international spillovers accounted for up to 60 percent of the observed decline in trade in the early phase of the pandemic, but their effect was shortlived, concentrated among goods produced in key global value chains, and mitigated by the availability of remote working and the size of the fiscal response to the pandemic.


A 2-dimensional numerical simulation was applied to evaluate the thermal and solutal influences of fibers on the dendrite growth of matrix alloy reinforced with continuous fibers. The Cellular Automaton model and direct finite difference method with a rectangular grid are used for calculation. The results of temperature and solute distribution, and dendrite tip undercooling and tip radius were compared with experimental data for fiber reinforced succinonitrile-acetone alloy. In the experimental results, the gap of dendrite tips between the composite and bulk regions increased as the fiber interstices became smaller, indicating the tip undercooling was increased in the fiber spacing. Furthermore, the dendrite tip radius decreased with decreasing the fiber interstices. In addition to the changes of these parameters, the growth of the secondary dendrite arms was constrained and almost stopped by the presence of the fibers. Numerical analysis revealed that the presence of fibers can cause an increase of solute pile up and a change of dendrite morphology, when the fiber interstice becomes smaller than the primary dendrite arm spacing.


Homosexuality in many African countries is considered a Western import and an aberrant behavior. As a result of the homophobic climate in some of these countries, sexual minorities, especially men who have sex with men (MSM), migrate to countries such as Canada to live freely. However, some of them encounter difficulties in assimilating in diasporic communities as queer men and in queer communities as black men. Feminist ethnographic research that examined the way in which the men adapt, negotiate, and resist the limitations of their marginalization was conducted in Ottawa and Toronto.
Interviews with ten African MSM suggest that the men choose to compartmentalize their identities in order to exist in oppressive spaces. For some of the men, the ability to do so was productive. For others, it was oppressive.


This paper is one of a series reviewing various forms of traditional agricultural production and related aspects. Preliminary work on this review was carried out within the scope of activities of the Food and Agriculture Program's Task 2 ("Technological Transformations in Agriculture: Resource Limitations and Environmental Consequences"). One of the goals of this task's activities is the review of various alternative technologies available in the world for the production of major crops and animal products.

In this task, the problem of achieving sufficient protein production for animal feed and the human diet is an important one. A review of nontraditional technologies for the production of protein was started after a task force meeting was held at IIASA in September 1980 (see Proceedings of a Task Force Meeting on New (Non-traditional) Technologies for the Utilization of Agricultural Wastes and By-products, CP-81-18). An overview of the possible ways of increasing the output of feed protein was carried out as a part of these activities and this is the subject matter of this paper. The information presented here is by no means complete; further details will be needed. However, the paper's value lies in the fact that it is one more step in the direction of an assessment of possible means of coping with the overall problem of producing sufficient protein.

Research work on the topics presented has been carried out partly at IIASA and partly at the All-Union Research Institute of Information and Technical-Economic Research in Agriculture.


RTE Act, 2009 of Government of India has been put into implementation with effect from 1st April, 2010. It came into force in Odisha, one of the states of India from 27th September, 2010. The Govt. of Odisha has taken various earnest steps towards implementation of RTE Act 2009. There are 62 tribes in Odisha with 22.21 % of the total population of the State (Sahu, 2014). The rate of literacy among the Scheduled Tribes is 52.24% against the overall literacy rate of 72.87% of the State as per 2011 census. In tribal areas, the development with respect to economic, political and educational is lagging as compared to rest of the country. There is dearth of studies particularly, related to awareness of teachers about RTE Act in tribal areas of Odisha. Hence, the investigator was keen to undertake a study about the extent of awareness of elementary school teachers about RTE Act. survey method is used for the present study. Population of the present study is all the elementary schools of tribal areas of Odisha. Target population is restricted to all the elementary schools of four tribal districts of Odisha. Cluster sampling method was used. Six blocks were selected from these four districts- two blocks from Nabarangpur, two blocks from Koraput, one block each from Kalahandi and Mayurbhanj purposively. These blocks come under scheduled area. Ten elementary schools were selected randomly from each district. All the available teachers were selected from these schools. There were a total of 127 teachers. An awareness test for teachers was developed and used by the investigator. It was found that elementary school teachers in tribal areas of Odisha are aware about Right to Education Act. However, no significant difference was found in awareness about RTE Act among teachers on the bases of their gender, educational and professional qualification, teaching experience, mother and age. Keywords: Awareness, Elementary school teachers, tribal areas of Odisha, RTE Act, 2009. DOI : 10.7176/JEP/10-1-02


It was with great interest that I read the study by Zakaria et al. published in the January 2019 issue of the Oman Medical Journal.1 The authors studied the gender differences in pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters and examined the relationship between the body mass index (BMI) and PFT parameters in a Malaysian cohort.1 Using spirometry, they found that female patients exhibited lower mean values for all PFT parameters compared to male patients. The forced vital capacity (FVC) predicted was less than 80% for all patients, while the ratio of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1)/FVC was higher with increased BMI. BMI was positively correlated with peak expiratory flow in all patients, and with FEV1/ FVC ratio in males but not in females.1 The authors ultimately concluded that males had higher mean values of PFT parameters than females, and the higher BMI seemed to be associated with a restrictive pattern on spirometry.1 I presume that these results ought to be taken cautiously due to the presence of the following methodological limitation. It is worthy of mentioning that the evaluation of PFT in a given population is usually accomplished by examining the absolute values of various PFT parameters, comparing them with the predicted values, and examining the shape of the curves. Such a precise interpretation of PFT necessitates the employment of population-specific reference values (RV). It is explicit that the normal lung function tends to be controlled by genetic, physiological, nutritional, environmental, psychological, socioeconomic, and ethnic determinants.2 Accordingly, many population-specific RV of PFT have been constructed to be employed in the clinical settings and researches.3,4 The authors mentioned in the study methodology that "spirometry was performed to measure pulmonary function by experienced laboratory technicians using automated testing equipment (Cosmed Pony FX Desktop Spirometer, USA) according to recommended standards by the American Thoracic Society".1 However, they did not mention exactly which RV they employed in their study. To the best of my knowledge, Malaysian population-specific prediction equations for RV of PFT have been already constructed.5 I presume that if the national RV of PFT were employed in the study1 more precise results might be yielded.


The payment of fees entitles a student to a student identification (ID) card. This card entitles the student to attend most University activities and to make use of University facilities (see Your Right to Know handbook (http://www.uwec.edu/ DOS/policies/yrtk) and Blugold Card Services section). Undergraduate students receive most of their required textbooks on a rental basis (see Textbook Rentals).


When a speaker of English and a speaker of Chinese think about the same object, their brains are representing a shared concept. However, we don't know how similarity in the concepts evoked by words is manifested in the brains of speakers of different languages. We have previously shown that neural similarity relations are strongly conserved across subjects, allowing across-subject decoding (Raizada & Connolly, 2012). Here we extend that result to translating word-elicited activations across groups of speakers of Chinese and English. Specifically, by matching the neural similarity relations elicited by a set of seven Chinese words, presented to Chinese speakers, with the neural similarities elicited by the equivalent English words presented to English speakers, we are able to translate between the English and Chinese words with 100% accuracy, based only on the patterns of functional activity that they elicit. This demonstration provides evidence for the conservation of semantic relations between concepts across different languages.


Auditory displays can have a great potential in surgical simulators that aim at training skills associated to the correct interpretation of auditory information. Here, we present preliminary results in the analysis of the sound produced by the drilling procedure in a maxillo-facial surgery when performed by expert surgeons. The motivation of this work is to find relevant acoustic parameters that allow for an efficient synthesis method of auditory displays so that they can effectively convey information on expert surgical drilling.


Respiratory tract infections are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality accounting for millions of deaths worldwide. Treatment of these infections is usually based upon symptomatic relief through antibiotics. This study was designed to investigate bacterial RTI and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern determined by Kirby Bauer's disc diffusion method. Sputum samples (n=48) were analyzed to determine the bacterial infections and relationship with age, gender and social status of patients was determined. Results of the study revealed that higher number of samples (61%) were positive for Pseudomonas spp.14 (29.16%). Other contributing bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus (12.5%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (16.7%), Streptococcus spp. (12.5%), Acinetobacter spp. (14.58%), E. coli (6.25%) and some other coliforms (8.33%). Number of cases was more in adult males than females and the incidence was gradually increasing with age due to consistent habit of smoking. Socioeconomic analysis of data revealed that maximum number of patients visiting hospital for UTI belongs to rural areas followed by small cities and developed cities. It is concluded that adult males having low socioeconomic status with habit of smoking or tobacco consumption are at greater risk of UTI.


Vlasov–Maxwell equilibria are described by the self-consistent solutions of the time-independent Maxwell equations for the real-space dynamics of electromagnetic fields and the Vlasov equation for the phase-space dynamics of particle distribution functions (DFs) in a collisionless plasma. These two systems (macroscopic and microscopic) are coupled via the source terms in Maxwell's equations, which are sums of velocity-space 'moment' integrals of the particle DF. This paper considers a particular subset of solutions of the broad plasma physics problem: 'the inverse problem for collisionless equilibria' (IPCE), viz. 'given information regarding the macroscopic configuration of a collisionless plasma equilibrium, what self-consistent equilibrium DFs exist?' We introduce the constants of motion approach to IPCE using the assumptions of a 'modified Maxwellian' DF, and a strictly neutral and spatially one-dimensional plasma, and this is consistent with 'Channell's method' (Channell, 1976, Exact Vlasov-Maxwell equilibria with sheared magnetic fields. Phys. Fluids, 19, 1541–1545). In such circumstances, IPCE formally reduces to the inversion of Weierstrass transformations (Bilodeau, 1962, The Weierstrass transform and Hermite polynomials. Duke Math. J., 29, 293–308). These are the same transformations that feature in the initial value problem for the heat/diffusion equation. We discuss the various mathematical conditions that a candidate solution of IPCE must satisfy. One method that can be used to invert the Weierstrass transform is expansions in Hermite polynomials. Building on the results of Allanson et al. (2016, From one-dimensional fields to Vlasov equilibria: Theory and application of Hermite polynomials. Journal of Plasma Physics, 82, 905820306, http://doi:10.1017/S0022377816000519), we establish under what circumstances a solution obtained by these means converges and allows velocity moments of all orders. Ever since the seminal work by Bernstein et al. (1957, Exact nonlinear plasma oscillations. Phys. Rev., 108, 546–550) on 'stationary' electrostatic plasma waves, the necessary quality of non-negativity has been noted as a feature that any candidate solution of IPCE will not a priori satisfy. We discuss this problem in the context of Channell equilibria, for magnetized plasmas.


Bats are responsible for the zoonotic transmission of several major viral diseases including the 2003 SARS outbreak and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While bat genomic sequencing studies have revealed characteristic adaptations of the innate immune system, functional genomic studies are urgently needed to provide a foundation for the molecular dissection of the tolerance of viral infections in bats. Here we report the establishment and screening of genome-wide RNAi library and CRISPR library for the model megabat, Pteropus Alecto. We used the complementary RNAi and CRISPR libraries to interrogate Pteropus Alecto cells for infection with two different viruses, mumps virus and Influenza A virus, respectively. Screening results converged on the endocytosis pathway and the protein secretory pathway as required for both viral infections. Additionally, we revealed a general dependence of the C-1-tetrahydrofolate synthase gene, MTHFD1, for viral replication in bat cells as well as in human cells. MTHFD1 inhibitor carolacton potently blocked replication of several RNA viruses including SARS-CoV-2. Our studies provide a resource for systematic inquiry into the genetic underpinnings of bat biology and a potential target for developing broad spectrum antiviral therapy.


Major depressive disorder (MDD) is among the most incapacitating conditions in the world. The emergence of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) antidepressants has improved the treatment of MDD. Desvenlafaxine succinate (DVS) is the succinate salt of the isolated major active metabolite of venlafaxine, O-desmethylvenlafaxine: it is the third SNRI to become available in the United States, and was approved in 2008 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of MDD. Early investigations showed therapeutic efficacy for doses between 50 and 400 mg/day; however in doses above 100 mg/day there were incremental increases in side effects. Nausea was the most frequent adverse effect. Hence the recommended dosing for DVS is in the 50 to 100 mg range. Desvenlafaxine is excreted in urine, it is minimally metabolized via the CYP450 pathway, and is a weak inhibitor of CYP2D6. A reduced risk for pharmacokinetic drug interactions is a potential advantage over other SNRI. Further head-to-head trials involving comparisons of DVS in the 50 to 100 mg dose range with currently available SSRI and SNRI antidepressants are required. Evidence for relapse prevention is available in the 200 to 400 mg dose range, but this needs to be demonstrated in the 50 to 100 mg dose range, as well as health economic measures and quality of life evaluations.


We utilize new geological mapping, conventional isotope dilution–thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS) and sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U-Pb zircon analyses, and whole-rock radiogenic isotope characteristics to distinguish two contrasting Proterozoic basement complexes in the international border region southeast of Yuma, Arizona. Strategically located near the truncated southwest margin of Laurentia, these Proterozoic exposures are separated by a northwest-striking Late Cretaceous batholith. Although both complexes contain strongly deformed Paleoproterozoic granitoids (augen gneisses) intruded into fi ne-grained host rocks, our work demonstrates marked differences in age, host rock composition, and structure between the two areas. The Western Complex reveals a >5-km-thick tilted section of fi nely banded felsic, intermediate, and mafi c orthogneiss interspersed with tabular intrusive bodies of medium-grained leucocratic biotite granite (1696 ± 11 Ma; deepest level), mediumgrained hornblende-biotite granodiorite (1722 ± 12 Ma), and coarse-grained porphyritic biotite granite (1725 ± 19 Ma; shallowest level). Penetrative ductile deformation has converted the granites to augen gneisses and caused isoclinal folding and transposition of primary contacts. Exposed in a belt of northwest-trending folds, these rocks preserve southwest-vergent shear fabric annealed during amphibolite facies Nourse, J.A., Premo, W.R., Iriondo, A., and Stahl, E.R., 2005, Contrasting Proterozoic basement complexes near the truncated margin of Laurentia, northwestern Sonora–Arizona international border region, in Anderson, T.H., Nourse, J.A., McKee, J.W., and Steiner, M.B., eds., The Mojave-Sonora megashear hypothesis: Development, assessment, and alternatives: Geological Society of America Special Paper 393, p. 123–182, doi: 10.1130/2005.2393(04). For permission to copy, contact firstname.lastname@example.com. ©2005 Geological Society of America. *email@example.com. 124 J.A. Nourse et al. spe393-04 page 124 metamorphism, when crystalloblastic textures developed. Deformation and regional metamorphism occurred before emplacement of 1.1 Ga(?) mafi c dikes. Throughout the Eastern Complex, meta-arkose, quartzite, biotite schist, and possible felsic metavolcanic rocks comprise the country rocks of strongly foliated mediumand coarse-grained biotite granite augen gneisses that yield mean Pb/Pb ages of 1646 ± 10 Ma, 1642 ± 19 Ma, and 1639 ± 15 Ma. Detrital zircons from four samples of host sandstone are isotopically disturbed; nevertheless, the data indicate a restricted provenance (ca. 1665 Ma to 1650 Ma), with two older grains (1697 and 1681 Ma). The pervasively recrystallized Paleoproterozoic map units strike parallel to foliation and are repeated in south-trending folds that are locally refolded about easterly hinges. Southeasterly lineation developed in augen gneiss and host strata becomes penetrative in local domains of L-tectonite. Regional metamorphism associated with this tectonism persisted until ca. 1590 Ma, as recorded by metamorphic growths within some zircon grains. Mesoproterozoic intrusions that crosscut the Paleoproterozoic metasediments and augen gneisses include coarsely porphyritic biotite granite (1432 ± 6 Ma) and diabase dikes (1.1 Ga?). Emplacement of the granite was accompanied by secondary high-U overgrowths, dated at 1433 ± 8 Ma, on some of the Paleoproterozoic detrital zircons, and apparently was also responsible for resetting the whole-rock Pb isotopic systematics (1441 ± 39 Ma) within these Eastern Complex augen gneisses. Younger plutons emplaced into both Proterozoic basement complexes include medium-grained quartz diorite (73.4 ± 3.3 Ma and 72.8 ± 1.7 Ma), Late Cretaceous hornblende-biotite granodiorite, and Paleogene leucocratic biotite granite. Neogene sedimentary and volcanic strata overlie basement along unconformities that are tilted to the northeast, southeast, or southwest. A brittle normal fault, dipping gently northeast, juxtaposes Tertiary andesite with Paleoproterozoic metasandstone. These relationships suggest that the area shares a common history of mid-Tertiary extension with southwestern Arizona. Later infl uence of the southern San Andreas fault system is implied by multiple dextral offsets of pre-Tertiary units across northwest-trending valleys. Our structural, geochronologic, and isotopic data provide new information to constrain pre–750 Ma Rodinia reconstructions involving southwestern Laurentia. Whole-rock U-Th-Pb and Rb-Sr isotopic systematics in both Paleoproterozoic gneiss complexes are disturbed, however, well-behaved Sm-Nd analyses preserve depleted initial ε Nd values (+2 to +4) that are distinct from the Mojave crustal province, but overlapping with the Yavapai and Mazatzal Provinces of Arizona. The Eastern Complex has the appropriate age and Nd isotopic signature to be part of the Mazatzal Province, but records major tectonism and metamorphism at ca. 1.6 Ga that postdates the Mazatzal orogeny. Deformed granitoids of the Western Complex have "Yavapai-type" ages and ε Nd but display structures discordant to the southwesterly Yavapai trend in central Arizona. The Western Complex lies along-strike with similar-age rocks (1.77 Ga to 1.69 Ga) of the "Caborca block" that have only been studied in detail near Quitovac and south of Caborca. Collectively, these rocks form a northwest-trending strip of basement situated at the truncated edge of Laurentia. The present-day basement geography may refl ect an original oroclinal bend in the Yavapai orogenic belt. Alternatively, the western Proterozoic belt of Sonora may represent displaced fragments of basement juxtaposed against the Yavapai-Mazatzal Provinces along a younger sinistral transform fault (e.g., the Late Jurassic MojaveSonora megashear or the Permian Coahuila transform). Crustal blocks with these specifi c petrologic, geochronologic, and isotopic characteristics can be found in southcentral and northeastern portions of the Australian Proterozoic basement, further supporting a connection between the two continents prior to breakup of the Rodinian supercontinent.


ABSTRACT Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) artisanal mining sector is often linked to the violent conflicts that have beset Central Africa for over two decades. While many analyses emphasise its 'criminal' and 'illegal' nature, less attention has been paid to the ambiguity of this economy, most prominently incarnated by the intermediate mineral traders called négociants. Focusing on their entrepreneurship, networks and everyday activities, this essay offers a more nuanced understanding of local mineral trade in the context of a 'crisis economy' framed by competing governable orders. It investigates the uncertainty along eastern DRC's mineral supply chains, that are undergoing major regulatory changes to curb the trade of so-called 'conflict minerals'. Drawing from extensive fieldwork, this essay demonstrates how this uncertainty shapes the négociants' role as brokers of socio-economic life in the provinces of North and South Kivu.


Our aquatic heritage is a vital resource. Anthropogenic activities and industrialisation, however, have led to increased pressures on our natural waters, and consequently, careful management is required to ensure their sustainability and health for future generations. It is important to acknowledge that one can only manage what one can measure, and therefore, environmental sensing of riverine, estuarine and marine waters is becoming increasingly important to ensure that European directives such as the Water Framework Directive [1], the Bathing Water Directive [2] and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive [3] can be met. Traditional approaches have typically involved the intermittent collection of samples at the relevant monitoring location (grab sampling), the transportation of the samples to the laboratory, the analysis of samples using various lab-based analytical techniques and the evaluation of results. In relation to aquatic environmental monitoring, this approach is not always ideal due a number of factors, for example, (1) the possibility of missing events due to insufficient sampling frequencies, (2) the potential for sample contamination from the point of collection to the laboratory, and (3) the inherent lead time from sample collection to analytical results can be problematic with regards to delayed reaction protocols and cause traceability. This research seeks to resolve some of these outstanding issues through the development of a prototype, real-time, continuous turbidity and colorimetric sensing device for the marine environment. The new device seeks to improve upon our existing Multi-Channel Optical Device (MOD) [4], see Figure 1, in terms of robustness and data transmittance capabilities. Potential applications are the detection of harmful algal bloom (HABs), for example cyanobacteria, which are toxic to both humans and animal species. The sensing device uses an array of coloured LEDs to not only detect and quantify changes in turbidity but also to signal changes in colour intensity. Significant challenges exist to ensure the robustness of sensing systems in the aforementioned aquatic environments, and these issues vary in significance depending on the classification and remoteness of the monitoring location. Of these challenges, biofouling is one of the key limiting factors. One important aspect of this research is that it also incorporates the testing and assessment of recently developed biofouling mitigation techniques. This device is based on a generic platform, which will potentially result in a plug and play approach for various other sensor elements.

Figure 1: Multi-Channel Optical device (MOD).
Acknowledgements: This research is funded by a Beaufort Marine Research Award, which is carried out under the Sea Change Strategy and the Strategy for Science Technology and Innovation (2006-2013), with the support of the Marine Institute, funded under the Marine Research Sub-Programme of the National Development Plan 2007–2013.
[1] EU website, Water Framework Directive, [on-line], http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2000:327:0001:0072:EN:PDF, Accessed 2012(November).
[2] EU Website, Bathing Water Directive, [on-line], http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:064:0037:0051:EN:PDF, Accessed 2012(November).
[3] EU Website, Marine Strategy Framework Directive, [on-line], http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:164:0019:0040:EN:PDF, Accessed 2012(November).
[4] Lau, K. T., Kim, J., O'Sullivan, T. et al, "Sensing technologies for monitoring the marine environment", MARTECH Conference, Cadiz, Spain, (2011).


To ascertain whether sexual and/or gender minority (SGM) students at a Hispanic-serving institution who experience violence are more likely to experience interference with their academic lives when compared to heterosexual, cisgender students, and how this relationship differs by race/ethnicity. Data came from 736 undergraduate students at a university in the Southwestern United States responding to a 2017 Campus Climate Survey. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted on self-identified SGM students and reported interference with their academic lives. The model was also tested for effect modification by race/ethnicity. Two-thirds (67.65%) of SGM students reported four or more incidences of violence. Nearly one-fifth (18.83%) of SGM students reported being harassed, insulted, threatened, or intimidated, and 2.63% reported being physically hurt (including forced sex), because the perpetrator thought the individual might have been gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. SGM students had 2.44 (95% CI: 1.29, 4.61) increased odds of interference with academic life as a result of violence victimization compared with non-SGM students. When the model was evaluated for effect modification by race/ethnicity, large effect sizes were observed, although the results were not significant. SGM undergraduate students are at significantly increased risk of violence and interference with their academic lives. This research emphasizes the need for institutions of higher education to ensure that their policies and practices support equal access to education by SGM students. Additionally, this study contributes insights into a potential protective effect of Hispanic ethnicity that warrants further research.


Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are the technologies that generally use the hydroxyl radicals, the ultimate oxidant for the remediation of organic contaminants in wastewater. These are highly effective novel methods speeding up the oxidation process. AOP can combine with ozone (O3), catalyst, or ultraviolet (UV) irradiation to offer a powerful treatment of wastewater. Future research should be focused on enhancing the properties of heterogeneous catalysts in AOPs. This chapter reports general review of different AOPs utilized for the removal of various phenolic compounds and textile dyes in wastewater. The chapter also aimed at an investigation of efficiency for different photochemical AOPs. The authors have carried out the experimental runs at a laboratory scale for the removal of malachite green oxalate (MGO) dye with photochemical AOPs. The influence of ferrous ions and oxidant dosage on percentage decolorization of MGO in wastewater has been reported. The discussion extends to the utilization of different modified photocatalysts for the photocatalysis process. The future challenges, such as the adoption of strategies for the integration of processes and the decrement in operational cost of AOPs, are discussed. The discussion covers the utilization of different heterogeneous catalysts, the reduction of input demands of chemicals and energy for the processes.


OBJECTIVES
The Ege University Faculty of Medicine (EUMF) introduced a community-oriented undergraduate curriculum in 2001. In developing the epidemiology portion of the new curriculum, learning objectives were written for their relevance to different learner stages within the general curriculum and to Turkey's public health problems. Key learning objectives were that students should be able to comprehend the moral values of scientific research, principles of study design and evidence appraisal, and the role of epidemiology in clinical practice. The curriculum included didactic lectures and group activities. The aim of the present study was to explore third-year students' perceptions of the epidemiology curriculum.

METHODS
The program was evaluated at the end of our students' third year through written evaluations using quantitative and qualitative methods. Two hundred fifty-five students (92.7%) of all third-year medical students participated in the evaluation. Quantitative methods were based on student ratings, whereas qualitative method assessments involved content analysis of the students' open-ended statements.

FINDINGS
Based on responses to fixed response items, more than seven out of every 10 students appreciated the value of epidemiology to the work of physicians. More than six out of 10 students evaluated the curriculum favorably, but only a third indicated that they became more interested in epidemiology with time, and one-quarter found epidemiology challenging. In students' open-ended responses, the most frequent positive statements referred to students' heightened interest in research and appreciation of the curriculum's interactive teaching. Some students criticized the content as difficult and felt that there were too many didactic lectures.

CONCLUSION
Based on their evaluations, students found our new epidemiology curriculum acceptable, and regarded it as relevant and valuable to their future practice.


Tissue equivalent proportional counters (TEPCs) are commonly used for radiation monitoring in areas where a mixture of neutron and photon radiations may be present, such as those commonly encountered in nuclear power plants. In such radiation fields, the dose rate of each component can vary drastically from extremely low to very high. Among these possible combinations of radiation fields with very different dose rates, a mixed field of an intense photon and a weak neutron dose component is the more commonly encountered.
This study describes the measurement of lineal energy spectra carried out with a 5.1 cm (2 inch) diameter spherical TEPC simulating a 2 ??m diameter tissue site in low energy (33 ??? 330 keV neutrons) mixed photon-neutron fields with varying dose rates generated by the McMaster University 1.25 MV double stage Tandetron accelerator. The Tandetron accelerator facility was employed to produce neutrons using thick 7Li targets via the 7Li(p, n)7Be reaction. A continuous spectrum of neutrons is generated at any selected proton beam energy which is very narrow at beam energies very close to the threshold of the reaction 1.88 MeV and becomes wider as the proton beam energy moves further away from the threshold energy of the reaction. Dose rates which resulted in dead times as high as 75% for the data acquisition system were employed to study the effect of dose rate on the measured quality factors, microdosimetric averages (y ??_f and y ??_D)absorbed dose and dose equivalent. The dose rate at a given beam energy was varied by changing the accelerator beam current. A variety of mixed neutron gamma fields was generated using neutron beams with mean energies extending approximately from 33 keV to 330 keV with the 7Li target using proton beam energies ranging from 1.89 to 2.5 MeV. In direct beams, 478 keV photons which are produced in the 7Li target via inelastic scattering interaction 7Li(p, p'??)7Li dominate the low LET component of the mixed field of radiation. When a 2 cm thick polyethylene moderator was inserted between the neutron producing target and the counter, the low LET component of the mixed radiation field also contained 2.20 MeV gamma rays originating from 1H(n, ??)2H capture interactions in the moderator.
We have observed that high dose rates due to both photons and neutrons in a mixed field of radiation result in pile up of pulses and distort the lineal energy spectrum measured under these conditions. The pile up effect and hence the distortion in the lineal energy spectrum becomes prominent with dose rates which result in dead times larger than 25% for the high LET radiation component. In intense neutron fields, which may amount to 75% dead time, a 50% or even larger increase in values for the measured microsdosimetric averages and the neutron quality factor was observed. This study demonstrates that moderate dose rates which do not result in dead times of more than 20-25% due to either of the component radiations or due to both components of mixed field radiation generate results which are…


Biafra secessionist agitations in Nigeria continue to generate varied conversations online and offline. This study applies critical discourse analysis and the appraisal framework in examining social actor representations in the ongoing Biafra agitations in Nigeria. It analyses posts produced by interlocutors, as they express variegated stances towards the agitations and its actors, within two vibrant Nigerian digital communities, Nairaland and Nigeria Village Square. This study identifies binary social actor positioning, revealing both negative valence and positive self-representation strategies towards the agitations and principal social actors in the agitations. Expressed within the appraisal resources of attitude, engagement and graduation, these valuations result in the distribution of socially and emotionally constructed identities for the principal social actors in the agitations. Such distribution is socio-cognitive, as there is the likelihood that the representations might evolve into the creation of new ideological orientations or the reinforcement of existing ideological leanings, whose consequences are potentially double-edged for tranquillity in the Nigerian polity.


Acute telogen effluvium (ATE) is often associated with female androgenetic alopecia (FAA), but predictive factors of ATE–FAA association and clinical factors or therapies that may influence the progression of ATE to chronic telogen effluvium (CTE) have not been reported. We have identified predictive factors of ATE–FAA association and retrospectively evaluated the impact of therapies on the progression to CTE. Conclusions are as follows: (i) Triggering cause is a significant independent factor that predicts association of ATE with FAA. (ii) Triggering causes with higher risk of concurrent FAA are severe diet, iron deficiency, and thyroid dysfunction. (iii) Patients suffering ATE may benefit from different therapeutic approaches (depending on which is the triggering cause) to prevent or treat the association with FAA. (iv) Minoxidil use shows a trend to lower the percentage of progression to CTE. (v) Apart from treating the precipitating cause, the different additional oral treatments used have not shown any correlation with progression to CTE.


Today Iran is once again in the headlines. Part of President George W. Bush's "Axis of Evil" and next-door neighbor to tumultuous Iraq, Iran's future is a matter of grave concern both for the stability of the region and for the safety of the global community. In this book, Ali Gheissari and Vali Nasr look at the political history of Iran in the modern era, and offer an optimistic assessment of the prospects for democracy to flourish there. After having produced the only successful Islamist challenge to the state, a revolution and an Islamic Republic, Iran is now poised to produce the first genuine indigenous democracy in the Muslim world. Democracy in Iran is neither a sudden development nor a western import, Gheissari and Nasr argue. The concept of democracy in Iran today may appear to be a reaction to totalitarianism, but it is an old idea with a complex history, one that is tightly interwoven with the main forces that have shaped Iranian society and politics, institutions, identities, and interests. Indeed, the demand for democracy first surfaced in Iran a century ago at the end of the Qajar period, and helped produce Iran's surprisingly liberal first constitution in 1906. Gheissari and Nasr seek to understand why democracy failed to grow roots and lost ground to an autocratic Iranian state. Why was democracy absent from the ideological debates of the 1960s and 1970s? Most important, why has it now become a powerful social, political, and intellectual force? How have modernization, social change, economic growth, and the experience of the revolution converged to make this possible? Gheissari and Nasr trace the fortunes of the democratic ideal from the inchoate demands for rule of law and constitutionalism of a century ago to today's calls for individual rights and civil liberties. In the process they provide not just a fresh look at Iran's politics but a new understanding of the way in which democracy as an idea can develop in a Muslim country.


The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether variance due to computer-based presentation was associated with performance on a new constructed-response type — Mathematical Expression — that requires examinees to build mathematical expressions using a mouse and an on-screen tool palette. Participants took parallel computer-based and paper-based tests consisting of Mathematical Expression items, plus a test of their skill in entering and editing data using the computer interface. Comparisons of mean performance, reliability, speededness, and relations with external indicators were conducted across the paper-based and computer-based tests; also, computer-based math score was regressed on edit/entry score after controlling for paper-and-pencil math score and background information. Although no statistical evidence of construct-irrelevant variance was detected, some examinees reported mechanical difficulties in responding and indicated a preference for the paper-and-pencil test.


ABSTRACT Agonistic behavior in woodpeckers has been described for a wide range of species, although previous studies have not reported aggressive encounters resulting in the death of adults. In this study, we provide the first evidence of lethal agonistic behavior between two male Magellanic Woodpeckers (Campephilus magellanicus) inhabiting Patagonia. This species is commonly regarded as the largest extant Campephilus woodpecker. The agonistic encounter was video recorded within the core territory of the dead individual and his mate, a previously banded and monitored pair, as part of a monitoring research on this species carried out during the last 2 years. A week after the fight, we recorded a non-banded young male Magellanic Woodpecker accompanying the dead individual's mate. This young male Magellanic Woodpecker is potentially the offspring of the former pair or perhaps a new mate replacing the dead individual. From this observation, we deduced that the previously occupied territory of the dead individual, as well as its breeding role, was subjected to reallocation by competing adjacent woodpecker families. This mortality event offers novel insight into the behavior of Magellanic Woodpeckers and suggests that lethal agonistic behavior likely could contribute to territory plasticity and family structure in this species.


For legged robots to be useful in the real world, they must be able to balance and walk reliably. Both of these abilities improve when a system is more effective at moving itself around relative to its contacts (i.e., its feet). Achieving this type of movement depends both on the controller used to perform the motion and the physical properties of the system. Although much work has been done on the development of dynamic controllers for balance and gait, only limited research exists on how to quantify a system's physical balance capabilities or how to modify the system to improve those capabilities. From the control perspective, there are three strategies for maintaining balance in bipeds: flexing, leaning, and stepping. Both stepping and leaning strategies typically depend on balance points (critical points used for maintaining or regaining balance) to determine whether or not a step is needed, and if so, where to step. Although several balance point estimators exist, the majority of these methods make undesirable assumptions (e.g., ignoring the impact dynamics, assuming massless legs, planar motion, etc.). From the physical design perspective, one promising approach for analyzing system performance is a set of dynamic ratios called velocity and momentum gains, which are dependent only on the (scale-invariant) dynamic parameters and instantaneous configuration of a system, enabling entire classes of mechanisms to be analyzed at the same time. This thesis makes four key contributions towards improving biped balancing capabilities. First, a dynamic bipedal controller is proposed which uses a 3D balance point estimator both to respond to disturbances and produce reliable stepping. Second, a novel balance point estimator is proposed that facilitates stepping while combining and expanding the features of existing 2D and 3D estimators to produce a generalized 3D formulation. Third, the momentum gain formulation is extended to general 2D and 3D systems, then both gains are compared to centroidal momentum via a spatial formulation and incorporated into a generalized gain definition. Finally, the gains are used as a metric in an optimization framework to design parameterized balancing mechanisms within a given configuration space. Effectively, this enables an optimization of how well a system could balance without the need to pre-specify or co-generate controllers and/or trajectories. To validate the control contributions, simulated bipeds are subjected to external disturbances while standing still and walking. For the gain contributions, the framework is used to compare gain-optimized mechanisms to those based on the cost of transport metric. Through the combination of gain-based physical design optimization and the use of predictive, real-time balance point estimators within dynamic controllers, bipeds and other legged systems will soon be able to achieve reliable balance and gait in the real world.


OBJECTIVES
to understand how the empowerment of family caregivers of people with stroke occurs in the hospital environment.

METHODS
a qualitative research, participatory action research, articulated with Paulo Freire's Research Itinerary, developed in April 2018 with family caregivers, in a Stroke Unit.

RESULTS
three predominant codes were coded: the need for empowerment and autonomy to experience the care situation; the challenges experienced in becoming a caregiver; and family support. Participants presented a lack of information inherent to the care process, with distancing from empowerment to perform the function in dehospitalization. Dialogue revealed empowerment as a possibility for critical awareness and skill development.

CONCLUSIONS
it highlights the importance of directing health promotion for caregivers, inserting them in the care process, recognizing their needs and intensifying practices that promote empowerment for care, bypassing curative actions.


This paper provides new direction for geographic scholarship on architecture by focusing upon architectural projects that go well beyond designing and producing material objects. Recent work on practising architectures by social and cultural geographers has examined the multiple processes of human and non-human actors that cohere and congeal to produce buildings. Responding to concerns that geographers are failing to work closely with architects, I introduce ideas of spatial agency to examine the practices of architects working beyond buildings. Arguing that the profession has always been under threat, I outline why socially progressive architects are rejecting claims as expert technical problem-solvers or artistic form-givers by instead initiating and contributing towards explicitly spatial projects prioritizing social and economic objectives. By calling for creative engagement with such projects, I set forth an agenda for a politically progressive geography of architecture.


PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To examine early symptom and diagnostic-seeking experiences of women newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

DESIGN
Longitudinal descriptive.

SETTING
Homes of families.

SAMPLE
Purposive; 19 families were obtained by referrals.

METHODS
Interviews and questionnaires; descriptive analysis.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES
Early symptoms and delays in diagnosis.

FINDINGS
Families were 88% Caucasian and 12% African American. Almost two-thirds had annual incomes of 25,000 dollars or more. The ages of the patients with cancer ranged from 28-73 years (mean = 56 years). Delay between initial symptoms and diagnosis was mean = 14 weeks. Early symptoms experienced by 95% of women were abdominal bloating, vague abdominal pain and "spots," indigestion problems, fatigue, and urinary problems.

CONCLUSIONS
Women usually experience a cluster of symptoms, unrecognized and discounted, which delays diagnosis.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING
Pelvic assessments should be reformulated to conceptualize early symptoms, risk factors, and family cancer history as a dynamic, interconnected whole to guide and interpret ovarian health.


The rocks of Olkiluoto can be divided into two major classes: 1) supracrustal high-grade metamorphic rocks including various migmatitic gneisses, tonalitic-granodioriticgranitic gneisses, mica gneisses, quartz gneisses and mafic gneisses, and 2) igneous rocks including pegmatitic granites and diabase dykes. The migmatitic gneisses can further be divided into three subgroups in terms of the type of migmatite structure: veined gneisses, stromatic gneisses and diatexitic gneisses. On the basis of refolding and crosscutting relationships, the metamorphic supracrustal rocks have been subjected to polyphased ductile deformation, consisting of five stages, the D2 being locally the most intensive phase, producing thrust-related folding, strong migmatisation and pervasive foliation. In 3D modelling of the lithological units, an assumption has been made, on the basis of measurements in the outcrops, investigation trenches and drill cores, that the pervasive, composite foliation produced as a result of polyphase ductile deformation has a rather constant attitude in the ONKALO area. Consequently, the strike and dip of the foliation has been used as a tool, through which the lithologies have been correlated between the drillholes and from the surface to the drillholes. In addition, the largest ductile deformation zones and tectonic units are described in 3D model. The bedrock at the Olkiluoto site has been subjected to extensive hydrothermal alteration, which has taken place at reasonably low temperature conditions, the estimated temperature interval being from slightly over 300°C to less than 100°C. Two types of alteration can be observed: firstly, pervasive alteration and secondly fracturecontrolled alteration. Clay mineralisation and sulphidisation are the most prominent alteration events in the site area. Sulphides are located in the uppermost part of the model volume following roughly the foliation and lithological trend. Kaolinite is also mainly located in the uppermost part, but is not controlled by lithological trend. Another member of the clay system, illitisation, consists of few distinct volumes, which are located deeper, and are spatially associated with site-scale thrust faults. The fault zones at Olkiluoto are mainly SE-dipping thrust faults formed during contraction in the last stages of the Fennian orogeny, approximately at 1800 Ma ago and were reactivated in several deformation phases, as indicated by fault-slip data and K-Ar age determinations. In addition, NE-SW striking strike-slip faults are also common. Fault zone intersections from drillholes, the ONKALO access tunnel and outcrops have been correlated by the application of slickensides orientations, mise-à-lamassemeasurements, eletctromagnetic soundings, 3D seismics and VSP-reflectors, resulting the model of 179 brittle fault zones.


We have achieved sharing a single-root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV) compliant PCI Express (PCIe) I/O device among multiple computers. A device share not only inside a single computer among virtual machines, but also among multiple computers attracts a great interest because it provides efficient utilization of computer resources. Because PCIe is originally a single-root system, realizing multi-root I/O virtualization is much more difficult than SR-IOV. We allocate virtual instances called VF of an SR-IOV-compliant I/O device to an individual computer by virtualizing IOV configuration and translating memory address of VF to that of the allocated computer. With the FPGA implementation, we have achieved sharing a commercially-available network interface card among three computers without modification in OS/driver and device itself. In addition, the performance reaches 99% of the device in the best case whereas the implementation is in the early stage, indicating this method provides not only MR sharing but high performance at the same time.


Domestic heating is the major demand of energy systems, which can bring significant uncertainties to system operation and shrink the security margin. From this aspect, the borehole system, as an interseasonal heating storage, can effectively utilize renewable energy to provide heating to ease the adverse impact from domestic heating. This paper proposes an optimal charging strategy for borehole thermal storage by harvesting energy from photovoltaic (PV) generation in a low-carbon space heating system. The system optimizes the heat injection generated by air source heat pump in the charging seasons to charge the borehole, which provides high inlet temperature for ground source heat pump to meet space heating demand in discharging seasons. The borehole is modeled by partial differential equations, solved by the finite-element method at both 2D and 3D for volume simulation. The pattern search optimization is used to resolve the model. The case study illustrates that with the optimal charging strategies, less heat flux injection can help the borehole to reach a higher temperature so that the heating system is more efficient compared with boilers. This paper can benefit communities with seasonable borehole storage to provide clean but low-cost heating and also maximize PV penetration.


Fuel cells, converting chemical energy from fuels into electricity directly without the need for combustion, are promising energy conversion devices for their potential applications as environmentally friendly, energy efficient power sources. However, to take fuel cell technology forward towards commercialization, we need to achieve further improvements in electrocatalyst technology, which can play an extremely important role in essentially determining cost-effectiveness, performance, and durability. In particular, platinum(Pt-) based electrocatalyst approaches have been extensively investigated and actively pursued to meet those demands as an ideal fuel cell catalyst due to their most outstanding activity for both cathode oxygen reduction reactions and anode fuel oxidation reactions. In this review, we will address important issues and recent progress in the development of Pt-based catalysts, their synthesis, and characterization. We will also review snapshots of research that are focused on essential dynamics aspects of electrocatalytic reactions, such as the shape effects on the catalytic activity of Pt-based nanostructures, the relationships between structural morphology of Pt-based nanostructures and electrochemical reactions on both cathode and anode electrodes, and the effects of composition and electronic structure of Pt-based catalysts on electrochemical reaction properties of fuel cells.


To shorten the ripening period of filter sand, iron–manganese co-oxide filter film (MeOx) was formed quickly on the virgin quartz sand surface by oxidizing Mn2+ and Fe2+ from groundwater using KMnO4 continuously. After the start-up period, we found that Mn2+ could be removed efficiently by MeOx, even if the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the influent was only about 1.0–1.5 mg/L. This means that the removal process of Mn2+ does not need to consume DO. The kinetic experiments for Mn2+ indicated that the adsorption and oxidation kinetics followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The film (MeOx) was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). All manganese adsorbed on the surface of the sand was the oxidized form, and the manganese oxide coated onto the sand effectively oxidized Mn2+ to Mn3+ or Mn4+. The binding energy of the observed photoelectron peaks of O(1s) showed the existence of [≡Mn-OH] on the surface of the film by XPS, which might be a key intermediate in the mechanism of Mn2+ oxidation. Finally, a chemical catalytic oxidation mechanism for Mn2+ removal was proposed by the analysis of the oxidation process.


Measurements of the absorption and emission spectra and the characteristics of the luminescent decay of the  4I11/2 and  4I13/2 energy levels of Er3+ are presented for Er3+ singly doped and Er3+,Pr3+-codoped PbO–Bi2O3–Ga2O3 (PBG) glasses. The absorption cross sections were determined after accurate measurement both of glass component concentrations by use of electron probe analysis and of glass density. The characteristics of the luminescent decays were determined after direct pumping of the  4I11/2 and  4I13/2 energy levels of singly doped Er3+ PBG glass with a tunable pulsed optical parametric oscillator for calculation of the macroscopic rate parameters (WETU) for energy transfer upconversion (ETU) for these energy levels. The values for WETU relevant to the  4I11/2 energy level were measured to be greater than the WETU values relevant to the  4I13/2 energy level within the range of Er3+ concentrations studied. The macroscopic rate parameter (WEr-Pr) for energy transfer to the Pr3+ deactivator ion from the  4I13/2 energy level was also determined for a range of Pr3+ concentrations and for two fixed Er3+ concentrations. From a measurement of the energy-level lifetimes it was established that the rate of energy transfer from the  4I13/2 energy level to Pr3+ is greater than the corresponding rate of energy transfer from the  4I11/2 level to both the Pr3+ ion and the OH impurity. The overall results suggest that, to maximize the population inversion on the  4I11/2→4I13/2∼3 µm transition, deactivation of the  4I13/2 level by way of small amounts of Pr3+ will be effective.


A novel Fuzzy Logic controller design methodology is presented. The method utilizes a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) binary search algorithm to generate the rules for the Fuzzy Logic controller rule-base stage without human experience intervention. The proposed technique is compared with the well established Lyapunov based Fuzzy Logic controller design in generating the rules. Finally, the controller's effectiveness and performance are tested, verified and validated using an elevator control application. The novel controller's results are to be compared with traditional Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controller and classical Fuzzy Logic (FL) controllers.