Meshless methods are a promising field of numerical methods recently introduced to computational electromagnetics. The potential of conformal and multi-scale modeling and the possibility of dynamic grid refinements are very attractive features that appear more naturally in meshless methods than in classical methods. The radial point interpolation method (RPIM) uses radial basis functions for the approximation of spatial derivatives. In this publication an eigenvalue solver is introduced for RPIM in electromagnetics. Eigenmodes are calculated on the example of a cylindrical resonant cavity. It is demonstrated that the computed resonance frequencies converge to the analytical values for increasingly fine spatial discretization. The computation of eigenmodes is an important tool to support research on a time-domain implementation of RPIM. It allows a characterization of the method's accuracy and to investigate stability issues caused by the possible occurrence of non-physical solutions.


This article deals with model comparison as an essential part of generalized linear modelling in the presence of covariates missing not at random (MNAR). We provide an evaluation of the performances of some of the popular model selection criteria, particularly of deviance information criterion (DIC) and weighted L (WL) measure, for comparison among a set of candidate MNAR models. In addition, we seek to provide deviance and quadratic loss-based model selection criteria with alternative penalty terms targeting directly the MNAR models. This work is motivated by the need in the literature to understand the performances of these important model selection criteria for comparison among a set of MNAR models. A Monte Carlo simulation experiment is designed to assess the finite sample performances of these model selection criteria in the context of interest under different scenarios for missingness amounts. Some naturally driven DIC and WL extensions are also discussed and evaluated.


Teaching medicine means teaching the knowledge and abilities and requires academics to have not only wide competence but also specific personality traits that enable the teacher to become an authority for his students. Between 2006 and 2007 we studied these problems on the population of students of the Faculty of Medicine at the Medical Academy of Gdansk. A survey, conducted on third year students, was repeated three years later on the same group, then sixth year students. The aim of the study was to find if three years of studying medicine had any impact on assessment of ethical attitudes of academic teachers. In the academic year of 2009/2010 a survey was conducted on 157 students of the Faculty of Medicine of the Medical University of Gdansk. A survey evaluated students' opinions about the presence of important ethical values in the activity of academic teachers of the Medical University of Gdansk and included 12 positive statements related to ethical attitudes presented by academic teachers. In the sixth year of studies, average evaluation of 2 out of 12 of these ethical attitudes increased, while evaluation of 10 others diminished. Further analysis of the results shows a spectacular change for the worse in traits such as P10-punctuality (in 1-5 graduation M from 2.98 to 1.97) and preservation of low results for P1-fair assessment of knowledge and abilities of students, having the lowest score in third year students. Only two ethical traits had a higher score in more experienced students. These were trustworthiness and a positive attitude towards students who are eager to ask questions and provoke discussion.


BACKGROUND
Cataract surgery is practiced widely, and substantial resources are committed to an increasing cataract surgical rate in low- and middle-income countries. With the current volume of cataract surgery and future increases, it is critical to optimize the safety and cost-effectiveness of this procedure. Most cataracts are performed on older individuals with correspondingly high systemic and ocular comorbidities. It is likely that routine preoperative medical testing will detect medical conditions, but it is questionable whether these conditions should preclude individuals from cataract surgery or change their perioperative management.

OBJECTIVES
1. To investigate the evidence for reductions in adverse events through preoperative medical testing2. To estimate the average cost of performing routine medical testing SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Trials Register) (2018, Issue 6); Ovid MEDLINE; Embase.com; PubMed; LILACS BIREME, the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (last searched 5 January 2012); ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO ICTRP. The date of the search was 29 June 2018, with the exception of mRCT which is no longer in service. We searched the references of reports from included studies for additional relevant studies without restrictions regarding language or date of publication.

SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomized clinical trials in which routine preoperative medical testing was compared to no preoperative or selective preoperative testing prior to age-related cataract surgery.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently assessed abstracts to identify possible trials for inclusion. For each included study, two review authors independently documented study characteristics, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias.

MAIN RESULTS
We identified three randomized clinical trials that compared routine preoperative medical testing versus selective or no preoperative testing for 21,531 cataract surgeries. The largest trial, in which 19,557 surgeries were randomized, was conducted in Canada and the USA. Another study was conducted in Brazil and the third in Italy. Although the studies had some issues with respect to performance and detection bias due to lack of masking (high risk for one study, unclear for two studies), we assessed the studies as at overall low risk of bias.The three randomized clinical trials included in this review reported results for 21,531 total cataract surgeries with 707 total surgery-associated medical adverse events, including 61 hospitalizations and three deaths. Of the 707 medical adverse events reported, 353 occurred in the pre-testing group and 354 occurred in the no-testing group (odds ratio (OR) 1.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.86 to 1.16; high-certainty evidence). Most events were cardiovascular and occurred during the intraoperative period. Routine preoperative medical testing did not reduce the risk of intraoperative (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.38) or postoperative ocular adverse events (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.67) when compared to selective or no testing (2 studies; 2281 cataract surgeries; moderate-certainty evidence). One study evaluated cost savings, estimating the costs to be 2.55 times higher in those with preoperative medical testing compared to those without preoperative medical testing (1 study; 1005 cataract surgeries; moderate-certainty evidence). There was no difference in cancellation of surgery between those with preoperative medical testing and those with selective or no preoperative testing, reported by two studies with 20,582 cataract surgeries (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.21; high-certainty evidence). No study reported outcomes related to clinical management changes (other than cancellation) or quality of life scores.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
This review has shown that routine preoperative testing does not increase the safety of cataract surgery. Alternatives to routine preoperative medical testing have been proposed, including self administered health questionnaires, which could substitute for health provider histories and physical examinations. Such avenues may lead to cost-effective means of identifying those at increased risk of medical adverse events due to cataract surgery. However, despite the rare occurrence, adverse medical events precipitated by cataract surgery remain a concern because of the large number of elderly patients with multiple medical comorbidities who have cataract surgery in various settings. The studies summarized in this review should assist recommendations for the standard of care of cataract surgery, at least in low- and middle-income settings. Unfortunately, in these settings, medical history questionnaires may be useless to screen for risk because few people have ever been to a physician, let alone been diagnosed with any chronic disease.


In this chapter we describe and discuss the International AIDS
Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) as a case study for understanding the
emerging role of health product development partnerships (PDPs) in providing new solutions to health problems in low-resource settings. Based on a broader analysis of the emergence and impact of global health partnerships, this chapter highlights the need for multidisciplinary and multi-institutional approaches, which are exemplified by IAVI and similar PDPs, and considers the extent to which these translational approaches are leading the way in terms of developing new vaccines for HIV/AIDS and other neglected
diseases. The contextual historical, organisational, and scientific issues surrounding these efforts are presented and discussed in this chapter, leading to our conclusion that PDPs such as the IAVI are playing increasingly crucial roles in translational medicine (TM) within developing countries.


Constituting hypolipidemic and pleiotropic effects, statins stabilize coronary artery plaque and may prevent STEMI events. This study investigated the association between contemporary statin pretreatment intensity, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, and the type of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) presentation: STEMI vs. NSTE-ACS. Data were drawn from the ACS Israeli Survey (ACSIS), a biennial prospective national survey that took place in 2008–2018. The rate of STEMI vs. NSTE-ACS was calculated by statin use, including statin intensity (high-intensity statin therapy (HIST) and low-intensity statin therapy (LIST) prior to the index ACS event. Among 5103 patients, 2839 (56%) were statin-naive, 1389 (27%) used LIST and 875 (17%) used HIST. Statin pretreated patients were older and had a higher rates of co-morbidities, cardiovascular disease history and pretreatment with evidence-based medications. STEMI vs. NSTE-ACS was lower among HIST vs. LIST vs. statin-naive patients (31.0%, 37.8%, and 54.0%, respectively, p for trend < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that HIST was independently associated with lower STEMI presentation (ORadj 0.70; 95% CI 0.57–0.86), while LIST (ORadj 0.92; 95% CI 0.77–1.10) and LDL-C < 70 mg/dL (ORadj 0.96; 95% CI 0.82–1.14) were not. In conclusion, among patients admitted with ACS, pretreatment with HIST was independently associated with a lower probability of STEMI presentation, while LIST and LDL-C < 70 mg/dL were not.


The sources and nature of business corporations' legal personhood and purpose are intensely debated issues in today's academic and political discourse. As the dominant "shareholder primacy" model comes under an increasing pressure, scholars and practitioners of corporate law are searching for alternative formulations of what a "good" corporation is. This essay (a chapter contribution to an edited volume) broadens the scope of the debate by taking a macro-systemic perspective on the nature and purpose of the corporation. It argues that the modern business corporation is an inherently hybrid public-private entity, an institutional device for conditional outsourcing to private parties of certain essentially public powers and functions. The corporate form is best described as a "franchise" arrangement in which the sovereign public (as franchisor) grants private firms (as franchisees) extraordinary organizational privileges, with the ultimate goal of promoting economic development and publicly beneficial growth.

The proposed franchise view of the corporation has potentially significant normative implications. It pivots the discussion of corporate purpose and personality away from its current preoccupation with the micro-level balancing of competing—and frequently incommensurable—interests of multiple "stakeholder" groups. Taking the inquiry to a macro-level, it emphasizes public policy as the key factor that should determine the scope and substance of corporate powers and social responsibilities. To illustrate these dynamics, the essay (1) examines the "special" case of U.S. banks as classic franchisees of the sovereign public; and (2) explores potential ways of reintroducing robust "corporate purpose" requirements into the general incorporation process.


This paper presents a new approach for spare-capacity assignment in mesh-type self-healing networks which use reconfigurable network elements as transmission hubs. Under this approach the process of reducing total weighted cost of spare capacity is obtained by taking into account all network's eligible restoration routes which do not violate a predetermined hop-limit value. The process derived considers a given set of possible failure scenarios, which include single-link, multi-link and node failures, and is adaptive to accommodate several practical considerations such as integrality of spare channels and modularity of transmission systems. This process is generally composed of two parts: part 1 relies on a linear-programming formulation (min-max) from which a lower bound solution of spare cost is found; part 2 rounds-up the solution of part 1 to a feasible solution and uses a series of max-flow tests aimed at tightening the rounded-up assignment to a practical optimum. For small and moderate size networks a mixed-integer-programming formulation of part 1 can be used to obtain optimal results. A network, which has already been studied in the literature, is analyzed to illustrate the approach developed and to demonstrate, for cases where hop limits can feasibly be kept low, its superiority over other algorithms published in this area.


Abstract Sphalerite is the main source of In – a 'critical' metal widely used in high-tech electronics. In this mineral the concentration of In is commonly correlated directly with Cu content. Here we use X-ray absorption spectroscopy of synthetic compounds and natural crystals in order to investigate the substitution mechanisms in sphalerites where In is present, together with the group 11 metals. All the admixtures (Au, Cu, In) are distributed homogeneously within the sphalerite matrix, but their structural and chemical states are different. In all the samples investigated In3+ replaces Zn in the structure of sphalerite. The In ligand distance increases by 0.12 Å and 0.09–0.10 Å for the 1st and 2nd coordination shells, respectively, in comparison with pure sphalerite. The In–S distance in the 3rd coordination shell is close to the one of pure sphalerite. Gold in synthetic sphalerites is coordinated with sulfur (NS = 2.4–2.5, RAu–S = 2.35 ± 0.01 Å). Our data suggest that at high Au concentrations (0.03–0.5 wt.%) the Au2S clusters predominate, with a small admixture of the Au+ solid solution with an Au–S distance of 2.5 Å. Therefore, the homogeneous character of a trace-element distribution, which is commonly observed in natural sulfides, does not confirm formation of a solid solution. In contrast to Au, the presence of Cu+ with In exists only in the solid-solution state, where it is tetrahedrally coordinated with S atoms at a distance of 2.30 ± 0.03 Å. The distant coordination shells of Cu are disordered. These results demonstrate that the group 11 metals (Cu, Ag and Au) can exist in sphalerite in the metastable solid-solution state. The solid solution forms at high temperature via the charge compensation scheme 2Zn2+↔Me++Me3+. The final state of the trace elements at ambient temperature is governed by the difference in ionic radii with the main component (Zn), and concentration of admixtures.


Disorders of cartilage and tendon account for a high incidence of disability and are highly prevalent co-morbidities within the ageing population; therefore, musculoskeletal disorders represent a major public health policy issue. Despite considerable efforts to characterise biochemical and biomechanical cues that promote a stable differentiated cartilage or tendon phenotype in vitro the benchmarks by which progress is measured are limited. Common regenerative interventions, such as autologous cartilage implantation, have a required period of monolayer expansion that induces a loss of the functional phenotype, termed dedifferentiation. Dedifferentiation has no definitive mechanism yet is widely described in both regenerative and degenerative contexts; in addition to stem cell transplantation and cell-seeding in three-dimensional scaffolds, dedifferentiation represents the third approach to the development of regenerative mechanisms for mammalian tissue repair.
Cartilage and tendon show a number of common features in structure, develop, disease, and repair. The extracellular matrix is a dynamic and complex structure that confers the functional mechanical properties of cartilage and tendon. Dysregulation of production and degradation are critical to the pathophysiology of musculoskeletal disorders, therefore, reparative interventions require a stable, functional phenotype from the outset. Cartilage and tendon demonstrate a commonality in terms of function defining structure both being sparsely cellular with a preponderance of collagenous matrix. Parity of functionality with the pre- injury state after healing is rarely achieved for cartilage and tendon. Cartilage and

tendon also share common embryological origins. Common mesenchymal progenitor cells differentiate into many musculoskeletal tissues with diverse functions. Specialist sub-populations of tendon and cartilage progenitors enable formation of transitional zones between these developing tissues. The development of musculoskeletal structures does not occur in isolation, however, cartilage and tendon have not previously been considered together in a systems context. An integrated understanding of the differentiation of these tissues should inform regenerative therapies and tissue engineering strategies.
Systems biology is paradigm shift in scientific thinking where traditional reductionist strategies to complex biological problems have been superseded by a holistic philosophy seeking to understand the emergent behavior of a system by the integrative and predictive modeling of all elements of that system. Whole transcriptome and proteome profiling studies are used to collect quantitative data about a system, which may then be exploited by systems biology methodologies including the analysis of gene and protein networks. Gene-gene co-expression relationships, which are core regulatory mechanisms in biology, are often not part of a comprehensive gene expression analysis. Many biological networks are sparse and have a scale-free topology, which generally indicates that the majority of genes have very few connections, whilst certain key regulators, or 'hubs', are highly interconnected. Co-expression networks may be used to define regulatory sub- networks and 'hubs' that have phenotypic associations. This approach allows all quantitative data to be used and makes no a priori assumptions about relationships in the system and, therefore, can facilitate the exploration of emergent behavior in the system and the generation of novel hypotheses.
The ultimate goal of tissue engineering is the replacement of lost or damaged cells, and in vitro, to develop biomimetic (organotypic) structures to serve as experimental models. Tissues, and the strategies to functionally replicate them ex vivo, are complex and require an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach. Systems biology approaches, using data arising from multiple-levels of the biological hierarchy, can facilitate the development of predictive models for bioengineered tissue. The iterative refinement, quantification, and perturbation of these models may expedite the translation of well-validated organotypic systems, through legal regulatory frameworks, into regenerative strategies for musculoskeletal disorders in humans.
In this thesis the systems under consideration are the major cell populations of cartilage and tendon (chondrocytes and tenocytes, respectively). They are described in three environmental conditions: native tissue, monolayer (two- dimensional), or three-dimensional models. There has been no systematic investigate of the global gene and protein profiles of cartilage and tendon in their native state relative to monolayer or three-dimensional cultures. There is no clear mechanistic description of the impact of in vitro environmental perturbations on the system or indeed the adequacy of these models as proxies for cartilage and tendon.
A discovery approach using transcriptomic and proteomic profiling is undertaken to define a robust and consistent gene and protein profile for each condition. Differentially expressed elements are functionally annotated and pathway topology approaches employed to predict major signalling pathways associated with the observed phenotype. This study defines dedifferentiated chondrocytes and tenocytes in monolayer culture as expressing markers of musculoskeletal
development, including scleraxis (Scx) and Mohawk (Mkx). Furthermore, there is reproducible synthetic profile convergence in monolayer culture between cartilage and tendon cells. Standard three-dimensional culture systems for chondrocyte and tenocytes fail to replicate the gene expression profile of cartilage and tendon. The PI-3K/Akt signaling pathway is predicted to be the predominant canonical pathway associated with de- and re-differentiation in vitro.
Using novel, and publically available, transcriptomic data sets a meta-analysis of microarray gene expression profiles is performed using weighted gene co- expression network analysis. This is employed for transcriptome network decomposition to isolate highly correlated and interconnected gene-sets (modules) from gene expression profiles of cartilage and tendon cells in different environmental conditions. Sub-networks strongly associated with de- and re- differentiation phenotypes are defined. Comparison of global transcriptome network architecture was performed to define the conservation of network modules between a model species (rat) and human data. In addition to the annotation of an osteoarthritis-associated module in the rat a class-prediction analysis defined a minimal gene signature for the prediction of three-dimensional cultures from standard monolayer culture. Finally, proteomic and transcriptomic data sets are integrated by defining common upstream regulators (TGFB and PDGF BB) and unified mechanistic networks are generated for de- and re- differentiation.
The studies collected in this thesis contribute to a wider understanding of cartilage and tendon tissue engineering and organotypic culture development. A clear mechanistic understanding of the regulatory networks controlling differentiation of cartilage and tendon progenitor cells is required in order to develop improved in
vitro models and bio-engineered tissue that are physiologically relevant. The findings presented here provide practical outputs and testable hypotheses to drive future evidence-based research in organotypic culture development for musculoskeletal tissues.


BACKGROUND
EUS requires a significant capital outlay. The ability to perform high-resolution phased array scanning and Doppler interrogation by using a catheter that interfaces with a standard US console could increase the accessibility of EUS. Recently, an electronic phased-array US catheter was developed for intracardiac use. To date, this technology has not been applied to the GI tract. The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility and imaging characteristics of a new phased array scanning US catheter in the GI tract.

METHODS
Swine were placed under general anesthesia. This study used a 100 cm, 10F, torquable catheter with 4-way tip deflection to greater than 90 degrees. The catheter tip houses a phased vector array transducer with variable frequency (5.5-10 MHz) and variable focal distance. It has pulsed/color and power Doppler capability. The probe was passed through a therapeutic flexible sigmoidoscope into the upper GI tract. Acoustic coupling was achieved via a condom filled with water or by gastric water infusion. Needle visualization experiments were performed with a second endoscope (also passed per oral) with a standard EUS-guided fine needle aspiration needle.

RESULTS
Acoustic coupling was easily achieved. Resolution of the GI wall into characteristic layers (esophagus 5, stomach 7) was demonstrated. At 5.5 MHz, tissue resolution and Doppler imaging were excellent to greater than 10 cm from the transducer. A 22-gauge EUS-guided fine needle aspiration needle was easily visualized at depth greater than 4 cm. Flow in gastric, hepatic, and pancreatic parenchymal vessels approximately 1 mm diameter was visualized by using power and color Doppler.

CONCLUSIONS
This 10F array US catheter is capable of high-resolution two-dimensional imaging of the gut wall as well as high-quality Doppler imaging. The Doppler capabilities of this equipment may have new GI applications.


If buyers do not observe the quality of a product and production of quality is costly, market allocations can be very inefficient. Certification intermediaries are institutions that provide information about quality to buyers. The amount of information in the market determines the incentives that producers have to provide high quality goods. In this paper, we model informa- tion revelation as a strategic variable of intermediaries. The amount of disclosed information is shown to deeply influence both the intermediary's profits and the distribution of quality produced in equilibrium. We show that a monopoly intermediary will provide noisy signals of quality and that the quality produced in equilibrium is the same as the one that would be chosen by a monopsonistic buyer who optimally designs a mechanism. Efficiency is increased by the intermediary but less quality is produced in equilibrium than under complete information.


Climate projections indicate that temperatures will increase by up to 4.5 ◦C in Europe by the end of this century, and that more extreme rainfall events and longer intervening dry periods will take place. Climate change will likely affect all phases of the life cycle of plants, but plant reproduction has been suggested to be especially sensitive. Here, using a combination of approaches (soil heaters and different provenances along a latitudinal gradient), we analyzed the regeneration from seeds of Acer platanoides and A. pseudoplatanus, two tree species considered, from a management point of view, of secondary relevance. We studied germination, seedling survival and growth in a full-factorial experiment including warming and changes in watering frequency. Both species responded to warming, watering frequency and seed provenance, with stronger (negative) effects of warming and provenance than of watering frequency. In general, the central provenances performed better than the northernmost and southernmost provenances. We also detected interactive effects between warming, watering frequency and/or seed provenance. Based on these results, both species are expected to show dissimilar responses to the changes in the studied climatic factors, but also the impacts of climate change on the different phases of plant regeneration may differ in direction and magnitude. In general increases in the precipitation, frequency will stimulate germination while warming will reduce survival and growth. Moreover, the frequent divergent responses of seedlings along the latitudinal gradient suggest that climate change will likely have heterogeneous impacts across Europe, with stronger impacts in the northern and southern parts of the species' distribution ranges. © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.


Abstract

The need to achieve greater opening of international markets in more areas of
economic activity has prompted the EU since the mid-2000s, specifically from 2006
onwards, to launch a process of negotiating new bilateral economic agreements. The
purpose was not to conclude agreements that would be limited to regulating the
traditional aspects of trade with its economic partners, but agreements whose scope
would include all economic relations between the contracting parties. The key
element of these new generation agreements is their global content given that,
regardless of their title, their object is to regulate both trade in goods and services
and trade-related areas such as investment status, public procurement, competition
issues, protection of intellectual property rights. Their basic aim is to liberalize and
facilitate trade in goods and services between the parties. The present study seeks
to examine the objectives as well as the fundamental rules set out in these EU
agreements.

JEL classification numbers: K33, F02, F21.
Keywords: European Union, International Agreements, Free Trade.


Background: Eruca is a native plant genus of the South Europe and central Asia where it has been cultivated since centuries. As the genus name implies, the oil is high in erucic acid. Materials and Methods: In this study, our aim was to investigate the effect of sowing periods (autumn and spring) and three forms of the nitrogen-containing fertilizers (manure, calcium nitrate [Ca(NO3)2, 15.5% N], and ammonium sulphate [(NH4)2SO4, 21% N]) on fatty acid compositions of the oils obtained from Eruca sativa Mill. seeds cultivated. All oils were obtained by maceration of the seeds with n-hexane at room temperature and converted to their methyl ester derivatives by trans-methylesterification reaction using boron-trifluorur (BF3). The fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) in the oils were detected by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: All the samples analyzed were found to contain quite high amounts of erucic acid ranging between 46.64-54.79%, followed by oleic (17.86-19.95%), palmitic (7.25-10.97%), linoleic (4.23-9.72%), and linolenic (1.98-3.01%) acids. Conclusion: Our data pointed out that there is a statistically important alteration caused by these applications on the contents of only C12:0 and C14:0 found as the minor fatty acids, whereas no other fatty acids in the samples seemed to be affected by those criteria.


The Holocene is probably the most intensively studied series/epoch within the geological record, and embodies a wide array of geomorphological, climatic, biotic and archaeological evidence; yet little attention has hitherto been paid to a formal subdivision of this series/epoch. Here we report a tripartite division of the Holocene into the Greenlandian, Northgrippian and Meghalayan stages/ages and their corresponding Lower/Early, Middle, Upper/Late subseries/subepochs, each supported by a Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP). The GSSP for the lowermost stage, the Greenlandian, is that of the Holocene as previously defined in the NGRIP2 Greenland ice core, and dated at 11,700 yr b2k (before 2000 CE). The GSSP for the Northgrippian is in the NGRIP1 Greenland ice core, and dated at 8236 yr b2k, whereas that for the Meghalayan is located in a speleothem from Mawmluh Cave, Meghalaya, northeast India with a date of 4250 yr b2k. The proposal on which this subdivision is based was submitted by the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy, approved by the International Commission on Stratigraphy, and formally ratified by the Executive Committee of the International Union of Geological Sciences on 14th June 2018.


A closed cycle solid absorption intermittent refrigerator, using CaC1 2 absorbent and NH 3 refrigerant, was constructed and tested to obtain the instantaneous and cumulative available overall COP. The combined collector/absorber/generator unit had double glazing of 1.14 m 2 exposed areas. The system was fitted with a stagnant passive evaporative condenser with porous sandcrete wall, which produced condenser water temperatures varying from 3 – 10 deg C below ambient, during NH 3 generation and condensation. The instantaneous available overall COP rose to a peak which depended on the solar fluxes and starting pressure, as well as on the condenser and ambient temperatures. The peak varied from 0.07 to 0.08. It fell as solar flux decreased towards late afternoon, but rose again slightly due to the combined effect of decreasing collector plate temperature and solar flux. The cumulative overall COP rose steadily to peak values in the range of 0.07 to 0.08, by the end of the generation period. The COP was a strong function of starting generator pressure or evaporating temperature, and fell as the pressure decreased. The cumulative overall COP is much lower than the peak instantaneous COP as a result of system inertia, caused by high collector plate and tube mass, and large system free volume. The refrigerator is capable of maintaining evaporator temperature of -10 O C during the cooling phase, and is well suited for vaccine and food storage applications.


Insulin-dependent mortals are attributed by blemished metabolism of glycogen that leads to long lasting dysfunction and damage of an organ. The most prosaic obstacle of diabetes is Diabetic Retinopathy, which is one of the predominant roots of visual death and visual impairment in middle aged patient. The expeditious mutation of diabetes patient thrust the limitations of the present Diabetic Retinopathy Screening potential for which the digital visualize of eye ball fundus can provide a potential solution by an automated image analysis algorithm. The present learning focus is developing the extraction of normal and isolated characteristics or marks in color retinal images. The adaptive filters are tuned to match the lump of vessel to be extracted in green channel images. To classify the pixels into vessels and non-vessels the Biogeography Based Optimization Algorithm is applied.


This document defines the changes that need to be made to the Domain Name System (DNS) to support hosts running IP version 6 (IPv6). The changes include a resource record type to store an IPv6 address, a domain to support lookups based on an IPv6 address, and updated definitions of existing query types that return Internet addresses as part of additional section processing. The extensions are designed to be compatible with existing applications and, in particular, DNS implementations themselves.


Title: Improving the Competitive Position in a Growing High Tech Industry Differentiation and Cost Leadership Strategies in Solar Photovoltaics – Author: Dmytro Hrab and Oxana Yamkina Supervisor: Peter Gustavsson Background: The purpose of this master thesis was to investigate what generic strategies are utilized by big players in the solar photovoltaic industry to improve their competitive positions. The continuous expansion of the solar market indicated the significance of this research, since the correctly chosen strategy has a direct influence on the success and prosperity of the growing and developing high tech companies. Aim: The first aim of the study was to examine the applicability of Michael Porter"s theory of generic strategies to the high tech industry, to be more precise the solar photovoltaic industry. The second aim of the study was to explore the cases, if any, when the simultaneous pursuit of more than one generic strategy was possible. The last but not the least aim was to deeply investigate the potential of the differentiation strategy and the effect it has on the companies. Definitions: The continuous utilization of the following concepts is present in the research:  Generic strategies – the three different strategic approaches – cost leadership, differentiation, and focus – the companies can undertake to build a strong competitive advantage and outperform their competitors  Differentiation – a case when a firm"s offering is preferred, on some buying occasions (or by some customers all of the time) over rival firm"s offerings  Solar energy – alternative solutions of receiving energy directly from the sun – using solar modules which convert sunrays into electricity Methodology: Qualitative research methodology was used in this study. The in depth analyses of three case companies were done mainly by means of collecting the secondary data. In addition to that two out of three companies were contacted in order to conduct personal interviews via phone and email. Their answers were used as a supportive tool for the developed propositions. Results: The collected and analyzed secondary data together with the outcomes of the interviews revealed the flaws and limitations of Porter"s theory. The simultaneous pursuit of two strategies was proven not only to be taking place, furthermore, to be leading to prosperity in some situations. The new model was developed which showed that the pursuit of two strategies is more of a necessity under certain circumstances. A thorough examination of the differentiation concept resulted in discovering the ways and methods which could be used by companies to strengthen their market positions.


COVID-19 has affected the mobility of people significantly due to movement restrictions imposed by government authorities to control the spread of the pandemic. The staged movement restrictions that have been implemented by the government authorities to curb the spread of the disease included the closure of educational institutions and adopt online-based education, restrict commercial activities, and reducing the number of employees at the workplace. This paper presents the impact of these mitigation policies on the traffic volumes, the number of traffic violations, and the number of crashes in the State of Qatar. The hourly distribution of traffic volume showed similar trends before and after the implementation of these policies. Overall, the total traffic decreased by 30% compared to baseline conditions for all selected intersections as well as the Central Business District (CBD) screenline after the implementation of all measures. From the safety perspective, the total traffic violations decreased by 73% in April and May when the restrictions due to all three policies were imposed. During the same time, a decrease of 42% to 54%, 20% to 54%, and around 36% was observed for traffic crashes involving deaths, major loss, and minor damages respectively. Similarly, the total traffic crashes declined by 37% when complete restrictions were in place and COVID-19 was in peak stage. The results of this study will help policymakers and planners to plan/manage the traffic operations in the future during any emergencies. The results can be applied also while managing traffic during the post-Covid era, special and mega-events for temporary traffic management based on real-life data.


The aim of this revision is to explore the possible role of the prolactin in the immune response. The prolactin is a hormone secreted by the pituitary. However, it has a trophic function in the proliferation of the lymphocytes. The cell of the immune system show outer membrane receptor for the prolactin. Moreover, the lymphocytes are capable to produce and secret prolactin. In cell culture, different levels of prolactin show different immune responses- low levels of prolactin awake a weak immune response. In contrast, high levels of prolactin show a strong immune response. Alteration in the sera levels of prolactin has been describes in severe autoimmune disease like systemic lupus erythematosus. Reiter syndrome, adjuvant arthritis, uveitis etc. Until now many evidences has been reported about the roles of the prolactin in the immune response acting like an immunomodulator, but the relevance of this phenomena in the clinical practice is still unclear.


A Decade of Dark Humor analyzes ways in which popular and visual culture used humor-in a variety of forms-to confront the attacks of September 11, 2001 and, more specifically, the aftermath. This interdisciplinary volume brings together scholars from four countries to discuss the impact of humor and irony on both media discourse and tangible political reality. Furthermore, it demonstrates that laughter is simultaneously an avenue through which social issues are deferred or obfuscated, a way in which neoliberal or neoconservative rhetoric is challenged, and a means of forming alternative political ideologies. The volume's contributors cover a broad range of media productions, including news parodies (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, The Onion), TV roundtable shows (Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher), comic strips and cartoons (Aaron McGruder's The Boondocks, Jeff Danzinger's editorial cartoons), television drama (Rescue Me), animated satire (South Park), graphic novels (Art Spiegelman's In the Shadow of No Towers), documentary (Fahrenheit 9/11), and other productions. Along with examining the rhetorical methods and aesthetic techniques of these productions, the essays place each in specific political and journalistic contexts, showing how corporations, news outlets, and political institutions responded to-and sometimes co-opted-these forms of humor.


Energy utilization for power generation and industrial purposes is a key to the development of any nation. However, over dependence on fossil fuels as a major source of energy is a cause of concern due to its high emission of greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxides (CO2) emission is believed to be the greatest contributor to global warming. The best way to mitigate the release of CO2 into the atmosphere is to capture it from the point source. Amine solution that is used commercially to absorb CO2 from point source is energy intensive, easily degraded, corrosive and difficult to regenerate. Adsorption is considered to be an alternative technology due to the ease of adsorbent regeneration, high thermal stability, low energy consumption and cost. Activated carbons prepared from different biomass materials were reported to have good adsorption capacity. The activated carbons (ACs) were prepared via carbonization and activation. The synthesis and modification methods determine the quality and properties of the ACs produced. The effectiveness of the adsorbent is dependent on the textural characteristics, surface chemistry of the adsorbent and the adsorption/regeneration technique used. This review highlights the potentials and adsorption capacity of modified and un-modified activated carbon derived from biomass materials for CO2 capture.


Since 2008, I have developed a design process using Froebel Gift Sets three through six that encourages students to discover and interpret the underlying patterns and structures that comprise their world as a preamble to design. Recalling the nature of DNA, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions used in the growth, development, functioning, and reproduction of all known living organisms, the abstract compositional outcomes of the Froebel-based exercises reveal aspects of the essential nature of things. I have used this process with student populations ranging from secondary STEM populations to architecture undergraduate and graduate students.


This article examines the relationship between social networks as a job-finding channel and overqualification among recent EU migrants from Central Eastern to Western European countries. Social networks composed of relatives, friends or acquaintances can facilitate access to employers and thereby enhance labour market integration. However, when labour markets are segmented, (co-ethnic) social networks might also contribute to locking migrants into sectors and occupations characterised by high migrant shares, increasing the probability of a mismatch between skills and occupations. Drawing on data from the special module on migrants and their descendants in the 2014 European Labour Force Survey, this article considers subjective and objective overqualification. The analysis reveals that finding jobs through social networks bears a higher risk of overqualification in general, and especially for recent Central Eastern European migrants. The results point to a complex relationship between social-network job search, sectoral segmentation and destination-country language proficiency.


Wind power is an unstable power source, as its output fluctuates drastically according to the weather. Such instability can cause sudden large-scale changes in output, called ramp events; the frequency of such events is relatively low throughout the year but they could negatively affect the supply–demand balance in a power system. This study focuses on an alerting scheme of wind power ramp events for a transmission system operator to support operational decisions on cold reserve power plants. The ramp alerting scheme is implemented from the viewpoint of supervised learning by using the prediction results of wind power output. In particular, the authors address the class imbalance problem, as the accuracy of ramp event prediction tends to be low because of the infrequency of such ramp events in the database used for learning. In this study, several data sampling strategies are proposed and implemented to overcome the problem in the ramp alert task. The effectiveness of the proposed data sampling framework is evaluated experimentally by predicting real-world wind power ramps, based on a dataset collected in Japan. The experimental results show that the proposed framework effectively improves the ramp alert accuracy by addressing the class imbalance problem.


The project 'Religious Leaders for Healthy Families' aims to prevent intimate partner violence (IPV) and increase access to resources for immigrant victims by enhancing the capacity of religious leaders. Due to cultural and psychosocial barriers, immigrant women prefer to exhaust informal resources, including religious leaders, before seeking help from professional service providers. This study reports the development of a virtual case simulation in which Korean American (KA) religious leaders living in the USA practice how to prevent and address IPV in their congregation. Intervention mapping (IM) guided the development of the simulation. This process was informed by theory, research and expertise in prevention and virtual case simulation. We partnered with victim service organizations and received feedback from religious leaders. The simulation was pilot tested with nine KA religious leaders and three community leaders with IPV expertise in the KA community. The resulting intervention consists of 4 behavioral outcomes and 24 performance objectives. We identified the knowledge, attitudes, outcome expectations and self-efficacy needed to accomplish each objective. The most creative phase was the development of four modules, as interactive virtual case simulations, that address all performance objectives. IM and social cognitive theory provided a useful framework for developing this virtual case simulation. With culturally responsive modifications, the intervention has the potential to be adapted for religious leaders from other immigrant communities.


A TWELFTii etlHion of "Ilughes;s Practice of Medicine" hasheen puinisli.ed by Dr. It セ N ScOtt.i The author states that he has tried t8 keep the book within the limits of a small manual for the.busy medical practltiener. He says that the trietl methods of yesterday are better than the theories of tomorrow. He carries this idea right through his book and the readercannot faii to form the conclusion that, although the author aimed at the production of a practical manual of diagnosisand treatment,he has been unduiy conservative. This is not a text-book for students not' is it it sYnOpsis. In marty respects,however, it will be found useful by the busy practitioner. tn the chapter an fevers, there is a good time table of the exanthemataand the more common communicable diseases. This. should be. very useful. In regard to the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosts, the. author prefers generalmeasuresand.does notusetuberculin. Protein sensitization is mentionedas an retiological factor in the production of asthma,but nothing further is said about the moderntreatmenton thesetines. Many useful prescriptions for asthmaare included, but it is strangethat no mention is made of adrenaltnwhich is so commonly used in this condition. No mention is made of syphilis as a factor in the retiolOgy of aneurism. In the discussionon pernicious antemia, the author has not.referred to achlorhydriaand the important roie which it has been shown by. recent research to play in this disease. The description .of deficiency.diseasesis very sketchy and vitamins are spelt vitarnines! The section of the book devoted to skin diseases contains many good formulre. In the chapter 011 mental diseases. there is a good.classification table and practical accountsof the various forms of insanity and of their treatmentare added. The author has emphasizedthat the aim of the book is conservativeand it appearsto us that this has been somewhat overdone. At the sametime the busy medical practitioner will find in its chaptersmany good and practical points.


This thesis details the physical and electronic structure of several technologically important transition metal chalcogenides (TMCs) using a combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and surface science experimental techniques. The materials studied include CuxTe and CdTe, which find application in high efficiency, low weight photovoltaic devices. CuxTe alloys are frequently used as an electrical back contact in high efficiency CdTe photovoltaics. Here, we examine the alloying of Te on the Cu(111), polycrystalline Cu and Cu(643) surfaces. Chapter 3 of this thesis shows that the alloying of Te and Cu(111) is facile at room temperature, contrary to previous reports. Two distinct surface phases exist, depending on Te surface concentration. Below a coverage of 0.33 monolayers (MLs) of Te a surface substitutional alloy (SSA) is found to exist, where a Te adatom substituted for a surface Cu atom. For Te coverages greater than 0.66 ML, an unusual Cu3Te2 alloy continually grows on the surface, stabilised by a good lattice match to the Cu(111) substrate. The surface alloying of the Cu-Te system displays an intriguing dependence on the surface termination of the Cu substrate. Of the three Cu substrates studied here, Cu(111), Cu(643)R and polycrystalline Cu, a 1 ML film of Te gave ordered
alloy structures with stoichiometries of Cu3Te2, CuTe and Cu2Te, respectively. In chapter 4, the study of thin film photovoltaics is extended to the deposition of CdTe onto Cu and CuxTe substrates. CdTe is observed to grow three dimensionally on Cu(111), Cu3Te2 and Cu2Te. Cu+ diffusion, crucial for photovoltaic performance, is detected for CdTe
thicknesses greater than 2 ML and is assigned, predominately, to Cu2Te crystallites forming within the CdTe layer, with a minor amount of Cu residing in interstitial sites in the host CdTe structure. Chapter 5 describes the alloying of Te with a intrinsically chiral
surface, Cu(643)R, the first study of its kind. The results of this study reveal that step mediated alloying occurs between Cu and Te with significant faceting of the surface. Two ordered CuTe alloy phases were observed for sub-monolayer Te coverages. The low coverage alloy exists for Te coverages between 0.18 ML and 0.45 ML and has a chiral unit cell. The high coverage alloy exists for Te coverages between 0.45 ML and 1.5 ML and has an achiral unit cell. The atomic positions of these surface alloys are tentatively interpreted from the scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) images. In contrast to the thin film experiments in chapters 3-5, chapter 6 describes a study of TaS3 nanoribbons. These studies reveal that the nanoribbons have a distinct core-shell type structure. Characterisation with surface science techniques shows that the shell is nonstoichiometric and amorphous while TEM shows a crystalline core to the material. Interestingly, the TaS3 are observed to be unstable when interfaced on a Au substrate, with the shell persistently losing S to the substrate, which have potential implications in device integration.


It is well documented that hip replacement surgery is associated with a high rate of post-operative venous thromboembolism (VTE). A review of the literature performed by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) revealed that after elective hip replacement surgery the DVT incidence was found to be 44% and the PE incidence to be 3%. In addition, compared to no prophylaxis, 28 randomised controlled trials found LMWH to reduce the risk of DVT by 51% and that of PE by 64%. NICE recommended that patients undergoing total hip replacement (THR) surgery with one or more risk factors for VTE should receive four weeks of either low molecular weight heparin or fondaparinux therapy post-operatively. The British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) subsequently reported this guidance as generic and not context or operation specific. This has lead to confusion amongst Orthopaedic surgeons with regard to the duration of anticoagulation following a THR. We performed an audit to determine whether patients undergoing a THR at Central Middlesex (CMH) and Northwick Park Hospitals (NPH) receive the trust policy of low molecular weight heparin for 10 days post-operatively. We retrospectively analysed 94 patients over the age of 60 who had a THR (both electively and after a fractured neck of femur) between April 1 st 2007 and August 21 st 2008 at CMH and NPH. Only 43% of patients received prophylactic anticoagulation for 10 days or more after their THR. Four of the ninety-four patients suffered a VTE post-operatively. The rate of deep vein thrombosis was 2.1% and of pulmonary embolus was 3.2%. It is possible that the poor adherence to the trust guideline for post-THR thromboprophylaxis accounted for the high incidence of VTE noted in the study. It is important that VTE incidence is reduced to prevent significant mortality and morbidities. In addition, there can also be costly medico-legal implications if a patient develops a VTE and their caregivers have not complied with prophylactic guidelines. Better education of healthcare professionals regarding existing hospital policies may help to reduce the poor compliance rates found. Further guidance from the BOA may provide a gold standard policy for anticoagulation following THRs to ensure a lower incidence of VTE in the future. Abbreviations: VTE - Venous thromboembolism DVT - Deep Vein Thrombosis PE - Pulmonary Embolus NICE - National Institute of Clinical Excellence LMWH - Low Molecular Weight Heparin BOA - British Orthopaedic Association CMH - Central Middlesex Hospital NPH - Northwick Park Hospital THR - Total Hip Replacement KeyWords: Orthopaedic, Hip replacement, Thromboprophylaxis, Venous thromboembolism, Deep vein thrombosis, Pulmonary embolism


This is a qualitative case study about the feelings of mothers of prematurely born babies that were at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. The research's main question was: how do you feel about your child being hospitalized? Twenty mothers of premature babies with gestational ages from 31 to 36 weeks were investigated. Bardin's technique of content analysis was used. Two categories emerged from the mothers' reports: feelings and events. The results brought up feelings such as sadness, fear, guilt, confidence and hope. To complete the study the author provides a reflection about care procedures to the mother/baby binomial.


Objective: To investigate whether extreme of body mass index (BMI) is associated with pregnancy outcomes.
Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Place and Duration of Study: Hamdard University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, from Feb 2019 to Jan 2020.
Methodology: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 1000 women delivered in between February 2019 to January 2020. BMI is categorized into four groups according to the Asian-Pacific cutoff points as underweight ( 25 kg/m2). Maternal outcomes measured were pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, delivery by cesarean section, instrumental delivery, anemia, postpartum hemorrhage and fetal outcome included small for gestational age and large for gestational age. Logistic regression model was used to adjust the confounder. Maternal outcomes were evaluated with relative risks and 95% confidence intervals.
Results: In results, 13%, 54%, 22%, 9% and 2% were underweight, normal body mass index, overweight, obese and morbidly obese categories respectively. The gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, labour induction, frequency of cesarean section, postpartum hemorrhage increased linearly with increasing body mass index and expressed as adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) respectively: 10.0 (95% CI 3.5, 28.7), 5.3 (95% CI 2.0, 14.1), 2.7 (95% CI 1.1, 6.8), 4.9 (95% CI 2.8–8.8), 2.5 (95% CI 0.31– 20.6). The anemia and small for gestational age were found in underweight group with adjusted odd ratio2.47 (95% CI 1.6– 3.6), 4.6 (95% CI 2.6, 8.1) respectively........


A control system was designed using adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) for industrial-scale batch drying of baker's yeast. The temperature and flow rate of inlet air were considered as the manipulated variables to control the temperature and dry matter of the product, respectively, resulting in two adaptive fuzzy controllers. The membership functions for all inputs were adjusted by a hybrid learning algorithm. The database used in this work comprises large quantities of industrial-scale data (about 570 batches) obtained under different working conditions over one year. This database was used for learning and testing phases of the ANFIS controller. The performance of the proposed controller demonstrates the effectiveness and potential of the proposed ANFIS-based controller.


Characteristics of the reaction of bleomycin-A2 (BLM) and several of its metal complexes with Ehrlich cells in culture are described. Short incubation of BLM and Mill)-, Cu-, Zn-, and CdBLM with Ehrlich cells effectively inhibits cell proliferation. There is a sharp break at 30 min in the dependence of cytotoxicity upon time of exposure of cells to these forms of the drug. Qualitatively, the same curve can be generated by sequential additions of CoClj to cells during their first hour of incubation with BLM or I d 111)HIM. The cobalt salt has less effect on CuBLM. The kinetics of initiation of the effect are directly correlated with the rapid kinetics of uptake of | 'I I¡ HIM by cells. Measurements of the initial rate of association of drug with cells as a function of extracel lular BLM concentration suggest that a binding step is involved, for the rate of association approaches a maximal velocity at large concentrations of BLM. Uptake leads to both specific and nonspecific binding of tritium label; however, very little BLM gets into these cells. The internal concentration is estimated to be less than that in the external medium. BLM and its Mill) and copper complexes are taken up by Ehrlich cells to the same general extent after 60 min incubation; the cellular uptake of CoBLM is 25-50 times higher. Even the distributions of l-'d III)-. Cu-, and metal-free BLM within cytosol are comparable. A fraction binds to macromolecules; the rest appears unbound in low molecular weight fractions. The binding of | 'I I|BI ,M to cells cannot be reversed by incu bation of labeled cells in drug-free medium or in media containing large concentrations of cold BLM.


Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of making a correct prenatal diagnosis of the anomalies of the outflow tracts with early fetal echocardiography in an high-risk population. Methods: Early fetal echocardiography was performed in high-risk pregnancies (NT > 99th percentile, NT between 95th and 99th percentile with tricuspid regurgitation (TR) or abnormal flow of the ductus venosus (DV), TR and abnormal DV, previous child affected by congenital heart disease (CHD), suspected CHD or extra-cardiac anomaly during early fetal anomaly scan). In all cases a fetal echocardiographic evaluation was offered at 19-21, 32-34 weeks of gestation and postnatally. Results: On early fetal echocardiography we identified 43 cases of outflow tracts anomalies. Twenty-six cases were excluded from the study because parents opted for termination of pregnancy in the first trimester. In the 17 remaining cases, we diagnosed 5 transposition of great arteries (TGA) (3 TGA and 2 correct TGA), 2 double outlet right ventricle (DORV), 3 Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), 1 malalignment VSD, 4 pulmonary atresia with VSD (PAVSD), 1 critical stenosis of the aorta e 1 of the pulmonary artery. In 3 cases the diagnosis was slightly modified later in gestation. In addition we had 3 false negative cases (2 TOF, 1 critical stenosis of pulmonary artery). Conclusions: Our study confirmed the feasibility of making a correct prenatal diagnosis of outflow tracts anomalies based on early fetal echocardiography.


OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the applicability of the 50-g glucose challenge test as a screening test for gestational diabetes mellitus in relation to pregnancy outcomes.

METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on 818 Saudi pregnant females who were randomly recruited from the Antenatal Clinics at King Abdulaziz University Hospital and New Jeddah Clinic Hospital, Jeddah. All females underwent a 50-g glucose challenge test between 24-28 weeks gestation. A result for 50-g glucose challenge test was considered positive at > 7.2 mmol/L and the female was asked to undergo a 100-g oral glucose tolerance test. The diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus was carried out according to the National Diabetes Data Group criteria.

RESULTS: A total of 289 females exhibited plasma glucose level > 7.2 mmol/L following the 50-g glucose challenge test. Of the 289 females enrolled for the 100-g oral glucose tolerance test, 102 were diagnosed to have gestational diabetes mellitus (positive oral glucose tolerance test) and 187 were considered oral glucose tolerance test negative according to the National Diabetes Data Group diagnostic criteria. This gave a prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus of 12.5%. Gestational diabetes mellitus females were significantly older in age, heavier in weight, with higher gravidity, greater percentage of operative deliveries and still-births, and heavier fetal birth weight as compared with the non-gestational diabetes mellitus group (P<0.05 in each case). The maximum sensitivity and specificity of the 50-g glucose challenge test were found to be at plasma glucose value of 7.8 mmol/L post the 50g glucose load. The sensitivity and specificity of this value was 88% and 84%, with a positive predictive value of 82%. To determine whether the values of plasma glucose after a 50-g glucose load were detecting abnormalities similar to those detected according to that of oral glucose tolerance test; the values obtained one-hour post the 50-g glucose challenge test were compared with zero-, one-, 2- and 3-hour values and also the area under the curve in the 100-g oral glucose tolerance test. Plasma glucose post the 50-g glucose challenge test showed marked correlation with oral glucose tolerance test results. This was mostly occurring at the one- and 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test values and was stronger in the gestational diabetes mellitus group and in both the gestational diabetes mellitus plus negative oral glucose tolerance test combined, than in the negative oral glucose tolerance test group on its own.

CONCLUSION: It is concluded that plasma glucose level measured one-hour post a 50-g glucose challenge test at 24-28 weeks of gestation with a cut-off value of 7.8 mmol/L is a reliable screening test for gestational diabetes mellitus in the local population studied. This test offers the best combination of ease and economy of use and reproducibility in screening for gestational diabetes mellitus


An alternative wire joining method is explored that utilizes femtosecond laser pulses directed towards the contact point of two pieces of 25-μm diameter Au bonding wires typically used in microelectronics wire bonding. The two pieces are in the form of wire loops bonded onto four terminals in a crossing pattern. In-situ four-wire measurement is used to measure the contact resistance at the contact point of the crossed-wires before and after femtosecond laser irradiation. A greater decrease in contact resistance correlates to a stronger joint between the crossed-wires. Broad beam laser irradiation was initially investigated to understand the effect femtosecond laser pulses had on Au microwires. Focus beam laser irradiation was utilized later to construct a parameter space. Laser parameters of pulse energy and pulse number were varied between 20 to 40 μJ and 10 to 100 pulses respectively to develop an initial process window. With a repetition rate of 1 kHz, the corresponding average power that the crossed-wires received was between 20 to 40 mW. Over 90 % of all crossed-wires samples showed drops in contact resistance ranging from 39.8 % to 83.3 %, indicating that microwelding of fine Au wire is possible with femtosecond laser pulses. Joining mechanisms are proposed for broad beam and focus beam irradiation. SEM imaging of the weld morphologies for focus beam irradiation revealed two distinct structures on the crossedwires: a lip structure with veins resultant from molten material splash and a fringe structure resultant of an interference pattern. Cross-section analysis reveal two different modes of joining under focus beam irradiation depending on whether the laser pulses are precisely directly between the crossed-wires. A case study was done to investigate how the firing rate of the laser affects the crossed-wire joints. Focus beam laser irradiation using lower pulse numbers in high repetition showed a larger contact resistance drop than using higher pulse numbers in low repetition. The joint breaking strength of the laser welds on the crossed-wires is too low to be measured. Conclusions are drawn based on the experimental data and future work is discussed.


Abstract:
 Sciurus sanborni Osgood, 1944 is a rodent commonly called Sanborn's squirrel or ardilla de Sanborn. S. sanborni is a small squirrel with olive brown dorsum, buff eye rings, and usually, white underparts. S. sanborni is 1 of 28 species in the genus Sciurus, and a rare endemic of Peru that is found in lowland Amazonian forest between 300 and 580 m elevation. The Peruvian Ministry of the Environment classifies S. sanborni as "Vulnerable" and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources considers the species to be "Data Deficient;" habitat destruction is the main threat.


Sunset Policy is one of government regulation that give facility about tax to old tax payer and new tax payer.  The implementation of that regulation is abolish the tax administation punishment (in this context is interest). The basic concept of sunset policy is self assesment system, which is tax payer is trusted to count, to calculate, to pay, and to report the amount of the tax payable by themselves according to the act or law related about it. The purpose of this research is how to know about the influence of the sunset policy to the tax receive. The method whis is use in this research is analitycal descriptive, using simple least square method : Y = a + bX.  This research use data about tax period from 2003 until 2007, and the number of the tax payer is 56.104. This tax payer are divided into 2 groups, the first group is private tax payer and their number are 49.137. The second group is corporate tax payer and their number are 6.967. Keywords : Tax is from citizens and for citizens.


RapID onE System is a newly developed four-hour rapid diagnostic kit for the identification of enteric bacteria. To know the effectiveness of this system, we used 125 strains of oxidase-negative, gram-negative bacilli for this evaluation. Except for Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, all the bacilli belong to family Enterobacteriaceae. The bacterial strains of this assessment belong to 12 genera and 20 species. Among them, 84 strains were freshly isolated from clinical specimens and 41 strains were frozen (-70 degrees C) stock clinical isolates. The results show that 115 (92.0%) strains were correctly identifed to the species level. It yielded 92.9% and 90.2% of correct identification of fresh isolates and frozen stocks, respectively. In this paper, the reading criteria of RapID onE System would also be discussed.


Those with diabetes invariably develop complications including cardiovascular disease (CVD). To reduce their CVD risk, diabetics are generally prescribed cholesterol-lowering 3-hydroxy-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (i.e., statins). Statins inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis, but also reduce the synthesis of a number of mevalonate pathway intermediates, leading to several cholesterol-independent effects. One of the pleiotropic effects of statins is the reduction of the anti-fibrinolytic hormone plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). We have previously demonstrated that a PAI-1 specific inhibitor alleviated diabetes-induced delays in skin and muscle repair. Here we tested if statin administration, through its pleiotropic effects on PAI-1, could improve skin and muscle repair in a diabetic rodent model. Six weeks after diabetes onset, adult male streptozotocin-induced diabetic (STZ), and WT mice were assigned to receive control chow or a diet enriched with 600 mg/kg Fluvastatin. Tibialis anterior muscles were injured via Cardiotoxin injection to induce skeletal muscle injury. Punch biopsies were administered on the dorsal scapular region to induce injury of skin. Twenty-four days after the onset of statin therapy (10 days post-injury), tissues were harvested and analyzed. PAI-1 levels were attenuated in statin-treated diabetic tissue when compared to control-treated tissue, however no differences were observed in non-diabetic tissue as a result of treatment. Muscle and skin repair were significantly attenuated in Fluvastatin-treated STZ-diabetic mice as demonstrated by larger wound areas, less mature granulation tissue, and an increased presence of smaller regenerating muscle fibers. Despite attenuating PAI-1 levels in diabetic tissue, Fluvastatin treatment impaired cutaneous healing and skeletal muscle repair in STZ-diabetic mice.


The adaptation of individually administered psychological tests from paper to app-based administration formats can present unique threats to the construct and raw-score equivalence of the paper and digital formats. We discuss these potential threats and describe a study evaluating the equivalence of paper and digital versions of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, fifth edition (WISC–V), which has been adapted to an app-based testing platform called Q-interactive. The present study (N = 350) used an equivalent-groups design to assess the raw-score equivalence of 18 WISC–V subtests that were designed with the intent of minimizing format effect. Effect sizes in standard deviation units were small, ranging from −0.20 to 0.20 (mean absolute value = 0.09), and format effects were unrelated to ability level, age, sex, or parent education. These results suggest that when tests are designed or adapted with digital–paper equivalence as a goal, digital–paper raw-score equivalence can be achieved across a variety of construct domains.


Abstract : The phenomenon known as Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI) impacts the operational characteristics of Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) devices, and tends to have a stronger effect on p-channel devices. This instability is observed with an applied "on" biasing during normal operation and can be accelerated with thermal stress. A normal applied electrical bias on CMOS transistors can lead to the generation of interface states at the junction of the gate oxide and the transistor channel. The hydrogen that normally passivates the interface states can diffuse away from the interface. As a result, the threshold voltage and transconductance will change. These interface states can be measured to determine the susceptibility to NBTI of the devices. For this purpose, a charge pumping experiment and other On-the-Fly techniques at certain temperatures can provide the interface state density and other valuable data. NBTI can impact current technological fabrication processes, such as those provided to the government from IBM. This paper explains the testing of current submicron transistor technology that will be used for military applications.


KYE28 (KYEITTIHNLFRKLTHRLFRRNFGYT-LR), the representative sequence of helix D of heparin co-factor II, was demonstrated to be potent against agronomically important Gram-negative plant pathogens Xanthomonas vesicatoria and Xanthomonas oryzae, capable of inhibiting disease symptoms in detached tomato leaves. NMR studies in the presence of lipopolysaccharide provided structural insights into the mechanisms underlying this, notably in relationship to outer membrane permeabilization. The three-dimensional solution structure of KYE28 in LPS is characterized by an N-terminal helical segment, an intermediate loop followed by another short helical stretch, and an extended C terminus. The two termini are in close proximity to each other via aromatic packing interactions, whereas the positively charged residues form an exterior polar shell. To further demonstrate the importance of the aromatic residues for this, a mutant peptide KYE28A, with Ala substitutions at Phe11, Phe19, Phe23, and Tyr25 was designed, which showed attenuated antimicrobial activity at high salt concentrations, as well as lower membrane disruption and LPS binding abilities compared with KYE28. In contrast to KYE28, KYE28A adopted an extended helical structure in LPS with extended N and C termini. Aromatic packing interactions were completely lost, although hydrophobic interaction between the side chains of hydrophobic residues were still partly retained, imparting an amphipathic character and explaining its residual antimicrobial activity and LPS binding as observed from ellipsometry and isothermal titration calorimetry. We thus present key structural aspects of KYE28, constituting an aromatic zipper, of potential importance for the development of novel plant protection agents and therapeutic agents.


A face-threatening act (FTA) is considered to be an act, including an utterance, that can damage a person's self-image (or face ). This study aims to identify FTAs unintentionally committed by tourism workers toward Japanese tourists. Drawing on a qualitative approach, this study involved 25 participants, although interviews were only conducted with five Japanese tourists and four tourism workers who were available during the research. Data were collected through observation and interviews. Records and field notes were also used to collect data. In addition, domain, taxonomy, componential, and cultural theme analyses were applied to analyze the data and consider the power, distance, range of imposition, and speech situation. The results show that tourism workers perform negative FTAs when addressing Japanese tourists and offering goods or services for sale. Specifically, tourism workers demonstrate a) speech that implies oppression, b) the absence of honorific keigo , c) the use of titles not commonly used in Japanese culture in the same context, d) a failure to understand that Japanese tourists may want to enjoy the beach privately, and 5) speech when making offers that invades the privacy of Japanese tourists. Linguistically, tourist workers are using correct local conventions, but this cultural context is improperly perceived. Fortunately, the harmonious Hindu teachings of Bali's local culture ( Tri Hita Karana ) help mitigate the disharmony.


Ferrihydrite is a common iron oxyhydroxide, produced both naturally and industrially. It is often found in association with silica; an example of this is its occurrence in the Paragoethite process applied in zinc hydrometallurgy for the removal of iron from acidic sulphate solutions. In this process, ferrihydrite is the primary constituent of the precipitation residue, but silica also features heavily and is believed to influence both dewatering and the adsorption of ions from solution. While some information is known regarding the physical interaction of ferrihydrite and silica when they are present as distinct phases, the process by which they simultaneously precipitate remains poorly understood. This thesis details investigations leading to a clearer understanding of this process and provides valuable insights into the factors influencing precipitate behaviour. Ferrihydrite precipitates containing varying proportions of silica were prepared via continuous crystallisation, with the aim of achieving a simplified laboratory-based simulation of the reactions that occur within plant liquors during the Paragoethite process. Multiple anionic environments including sulphate (predominant anion in the Paragoethite process), nitrate (common in natural systems) and chloride were used to monitor the influence of anions on the co-precipitation reaction. Accurate control of the slurry pH and temperature were critical to this simulation, as was maintaining steady-state solution concentrations for iron and silicate. The latter was achieved by continuous addition of iron and silicate, with the corresponding continuous removal of reaction product slurry. Analysis focused on the removed slurry using advanced structural and morphological characterisation of the solid phases formed and quantification of solution species depletion. Reaction conditions were selected to favour the formation of ferrihydrite ensuring it was the dominant phase produced. It was found that the presence of ferrihydrite increased both the rate and extent of silica removed by precipitation from solution. This phenomenon is based on surface adsorption and is hindered by the presence of ions that bind strongly with ferrihydrite. Ions such as sulphate compete with soluble silicate molecules for binding sites on the surface, whereas more weakly bound ions like nitrate do not hinder the process. The level of interference was found to be dependent on available surface area, the affinity for the ion's adsorption and the concentration of both silicate and the ion in question. Oligomeric and colloidal silica were shown to have a significantly different influence on ferrihydrite to that of monosilicic acid. While the crystallinity of ferrihydrite was seen to decrease when precipitated in the presence of monosilicic acid, no similar effect was observed in the presence of silica in a polymeric state. Although a greater proportion of silica was removed from solution when polymerisation had already progressed to a degree, it still imposed less influence on the product crystallinity. This observation underlines the importance of the adsorption-based process that combines the materials during co-precipitation. X-ray scattering pair distribution function (PDF) analysis of the residue solids was instrumental in displaying correlations between declining ferrihydrite crystallinity and particle size. The data indicated that silicon atoms were not incorporated into the ferrihydrite crystal structure, but by inhibiting the growth of primary particles through surface adsorption, co-precipitated silica produced an apparent decrease in ferrihydrite crystallinity. The analyses presented in this thesis were combined to derive proposed mechanisms of co-precipitate formation based on both the presence of monomeric silica and colloidal particles. When monomeric silica (silicic acid) is present ferrihydrite particles form initially followed closely by the adsorption of silicic acid monomers which restrict further growth. The adsorbed silicic acid molecules condense across the ferrihydrite surface and polymerise outward. Particles aggregate before much, if any, silica polymerisation has occurred, and the silica continues to polymerise of the surface of the aggregates. Where oligomeric or colloidal silica is present ferrihydrite particles are produced; there is little or no immediate silica adsorption and therefore the particles grow uninhibited. During aggregation the silica particles aggregate with the ferrihydrite, being incorporated both within and on the surface of the clusters. The results of this work provide the most detailed description of the reaction mechanism in ferrihydrite/silica co-precipitation, and the most thorough analysis of the structure of co-precipitates thus far reported.


Cryo-electron tomography (cryoET) allows 3D visualization of cellular structures at molecular resolution in a close-to-physiological state(1). However, direct visualization of individual viral complexes in their host cellular environment with cryoET is challenging(2), due to the infrequent and dynamic nature of viral entry, particularly in the case of HIV-1. While time-lapse live-cell imaging has yielded a great deal of information about many aspects of the life cycle of HIV-1(3-7), the resolution afforded by live-cell microscopy is limited (~200 nm). Our work was aimed at developing a correlation method that permits direct visualization of early events of HIV-1 infection by combining live-cell fluorescent light microscopy, cryo-fluorescent microscopy, and cryoET. In this manner, live-cell and cryo-fluorescent signals can be used to accurately guide the sampling in cryoET. Furthermore, structural information obtained from cryoET can be complemented with the dynamic functional data gained through live-cell imaging of fluorescent labeled target. In this video article, we provide detailed methods and protocols for structural investigation of HIV-1 and host-cell interactions using 3D correlative high-speed live-cell imaging and high-resolution cryoET structural analysis. HeLa cells infected with HIV-1 particles were characterized first by confocal live-cell microscopy, and the region containing the same viral particle was then analyzed by cryo-electron tomography for 3D structural details. The correlation between two sets of imaging data, optical imaging and electron imaging, was achieved using a home-built cryo-fluorescence light microscopy stage. The approach detailed here will be valuable, not only for study of virus-host cell interactions, but also for broader applications in cell biology, such as cell signaling, membrane receptor trafficking, and many other dynamic cellular processes.


Jagdish Bhagwati, an internationally renowned economist known for his insightful analyses and elegant writing, here shines a critical light on Preferential Trade Agreements, revealing how the rapid spread of PTAs endangers the world trading system. Preferential Trade Agreements, many taking the form of Free Trade Agreements, now number over 300 and are rapidly increasing. Bhagwati reveals how these agreements have recreated the unhappy situation of the protectionist 1930s, when world trade was undermined by discriminatory practices (today, ironically, as a result of a misdirected pursuit of free trade). The world trading system is definitely at risk again, the author argues, and the danger is palpable. Indeed, PTAs have created a chaotic system of preferences that has destroyed the principle of non-discrimination in trade. The trading system today is characterized by a blizzard of discriminatory barriers, each designed to favor some specific trading partner, so that we have what Bhagwati has called the "spaghetti bowl" problem. And while the big firms in the big countries can cope with the chaos, though at a cost, the author shows that small countries and small exporters are seriously handicapped. He also examines how FTAs are typically tied to extraneous issues such as openness to capital flows and inappropriate labor standards, so that the weaker nations, negotiating one-on-one with stronger nations, are forced to accept harmful demands unrelated to trade. Finally, the book warns that getting to multilateral free trade from the morass of PTAs will be almost an impossible task--like building a mansion from different-sized bricks. Preferential trade agreements, Bhagwati concludes, are not building blocks but stumbling blocks on the road of free trade. In Termites in the Trading System, he illuminates this growing threat to the world trading system. Acclaim for In Defense of Globalization: "If Mr. Bhagwati doesn't get a much deserved Nobel Prize for economics, he should get one for literature. His writing sparkles with anecdotes and delightful verbal pictures." --New York Sun "One of the world's leading international trade theorists.... Accessible and clearly argued. There is, one might say, a wealth of material on every page." --The Wall Street Journal "An outstandingly effective book.... Until further notice In Defense of Globalization becomes the standard general-interest reference, the intelligent layman's handbook, on global economic integration." --The Economist Available in OSO: http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/public/content/economicsfinance/9780195331653/toc.html


This Bachelor Research project is conducted at Fondel Development in Rotterdam. Fondel Development focuses on investment opportunities in the field of both primary and secondary metal winning on a global scale. One of the projects of Fondel Development is Catalysis. Catalysis is a joint venture of Fondel Development and Catalysis-AG. Catalysis is a recycle company that is going to recycle catalyst waste from refineries in the petrochemical industry. The processing plant of Catalysis is under construction and is therefore currently not yet operational.
Goal of the Research
This research was conducted to achieve the following goals:
- To get insight in the current rules and regulations that apply to shipments of waste within or into the EU,
- To design processes for the inbound logistics at Catalysis,
- To get insight in the most important benefits and critical success factors for IT projects at Fondel Development


Some approaches have been proposed by literature to describe the traffic state for a network, such as kinematic wave theory (using concepts from Physics), cell transmission models or macroscopic traffic simulation models. However, many of them have severe limitations regarding traffic state change or require a lot of computation time. For this reason, researchers have been examining for last years the existence of a simple and fast way that can sufficiently describe the dynamics of a road network. As a result, the concept of the Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram (MFD) an object (empirical relation, theoretical model or both) that relates the average flow to the average density of a network, capturing so the essential network situation was developed. Once the MFD of the network is known, all that is needed to have a traffic state estimation is to locate where the system is on the MFD at any desired moment, so it serves as a fundamental object for macroscopic traffic flow models. These family of models allow describing the spatio-temporal evolution of traffic density, for instance, and lead to clever solutions that optimize the existing traffic system. Thus, the objective of this project is to present a method for obtaining a network MFD using bus GPS data and a data structure developed by Uber (Uber's H3 Hexagonal Hierarchical Spatial Index). We use a raw data collection of latitude and longitude data points of buses in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from January 2018 to December 2018. It is worth mentioning that the resulting MFD of the proposed method serves as a basis to support the development of public transportation management systems, which is able to make accurate traffic state predictions. The findings confirm the usefulness of bus GPS data and Uber H3 structure in finding a Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram, especially the Density-speed one, and future research directions are addressed. Key-words: Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram. Traffic Theory. Traffic State. Probe Vehicles. GPS bus data. Uber H3.


This longitudinal study determined the effects of vocal training (VT) on respiratory kinematics and muscle activity during singing tasks. Four voice students, 3 females and 1 male, were recorded during singing tasks once a semester for 3 consecutive semesters. Respiratory kinematic measures included lung volume, rib cage (RCE) and abdominal excursions (ABE). Surface electromyographic measures included burst duration (BD) and peak amplitude (PA) of the pectoralis major, rectus abdominis and external oblique muscles. Descriptive statistics revealed that RCE and ABE increased from the 1st to the 2nd semester, but decreased from the 2nd to the 3rd semester of VT. Overall, mean BD decreased from the 1st to the 2nd semester and increased from the 2nd to the 3rd semester. Mean PA increased from the 1st to the 2nd semester and decreased from the 2nd to the 3rd semester of VT. RCE and muscle force generation of the above muscles increased as the demand level and the length of the phonatory tasks increased. Interpretation of the results suggests that the respiratory system is highly responsive to VT, after only 3 semesters of training.


Impulse radio ultra wideband (UWB) signals are used in various applications which require joint localization and communication. Due to the large bandwidth of the UWB signal, the estimation of time of arrival (TOA) and data symbols requires high sampling rates. This letter describes a sub-Nyquist rate receiver, which can jointly estimate TOA and data symbols. We first represent the received UWB signal in a new domain in which it is sparse. Then, we design physical layer waveforms and estimation algorithms to exploit this sparsity for joint estimation of TOA and pulse position modulation data symbols. The performance of the receiver is compared against the maximum likelihood (ML)-based receiver using an IEEE 802.15.4a CM1 line of sight UWB channel model. The proposed algorithm yields performance similar to the ML-based algorithms with only a fraction of sampling rate at high SNRs (> 25 dB).


Objective: To observe and analyse the effect of percutaneous penetration of bone cement augmentation on the treatment of osteoporotic compressive fracture and bone non-union and explore its safety.
Methods: Subjects in the study were 60 cases of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures with bone non-union in our hospital. All of these patients received treatment from May 2014 to May 2017 and underwent targeted puncture under local anesthesia and imaging surveillance with the bone end of nonunion augmented with cemented bone. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) score were adopted to assess the patient's conditions in the day before surgery, the day after surgery, and the third, eighth and twelfth month after surgery and observe the effect of treatment.
Results: In this study, 40 patients, including 43 vertebral bodies, underwent successful operations and were observed intensively after surgery. Radiographic findings showed no leakage of cemented bone. Compared with patients' condition in the day before surgery, their VAS score comparatively decreased in the day after surgery, and the third, eighth and twelfth month after surgery of statistical significance. The VAS score of the twelfth month was much lower than that of the third month. For the ADL score, it turned out that the score in the third, eighth and twelfth month after surgery was apparently higher than that before surgery. In addition, after comparing the anterior and posterior vertebral height before and after surgery, we concluded that the results showed no statistical significance.
Conclusion: For the treatment of osteoporotic compression fracture and bone non-union, percutaneous targeted bone cement augmentation therapy can achieve relatively satisfactory results. Moreover, it is safe and reliable, and it is of great value to be popularized and applied.


The aim of this study was to examine: (1) the relationship between mental toughness (MT) and coping self-efficacy (CSE), (2) the relationship between MT and coping effectiveness (CE), and (3) the extent to which MT and CSE predicted CE. Participants were 206 athletes (M age = 17.75 years, SD = 3.36) who completed a measure of MT and CSE prior to competing and a measure of CE within 30 minutes of finishing their competitive event. The results of the present study revealed that the most mentally tough athletes have higher levels of CSE and cope more effectively during sport. Furthermore, higher levels CSE and total MT resulted in higher CE scores, with MT predicting an additional 3% of variance compared to the variance from CSE (5.6%). This finding highlights the importance of both CSE and MT in predicting how effectively an athlete will cope with stress.


Savanna rangelands are characterized by dynamic interactions between grass, shrubs, fire and livestock driven by highly variable rainfall. When the livestock are grazers (only or preferentially eating grass) the desirable state of the system is dominated by grass, with scattered trees and shrubs. However, the system can have multiple stable attractors and a perturbation such as a drought can cause it to move from such a desired configuration into one that is dominated by shrubs with very little grass. In this paper, using the rangelands of New South Wales in Australia as an example, we provide a methodology to find robust management strategies in the context of this complex ecological system driven by stochastic rainfall events. The control variables are sheep density and the degree of fire suppression. By comparing the optimal solution where it is assumed the manager has perfect knowledge and foresight of rainfall conditions with one where the rainfall variability is ignored, we found that rainfall variability and the related uncertainty lead to a reduction of the possible expected returns from grazing activity by 33%. Using a genetic algorithm, we develop robust management strategies for highly variable rainfall that more than doubles expected returns compared to those obtained under variable rainfall using an optimal solution based on average rainfall (i.e., where the manager ignores rainfall variability). Our analysis suggests some key features of a robust strategy. The robust strategy is precautionary and is forced by rainfall variability. It is less reactive with respect to grazing pressure changes and more reactive with respect to fire suppression than is an optimum strategy based on a deterministic system (no rainfall variability). Finally, the costs associated with implementing a robust strategy are far less than the expected economic losses when uncertainty is not taken into account.


A paper-based strip was developed by the authors for the detection and quantitative determination of paracetamol in bulk and pharmaceutical formulations for point-of-care testing prior to the assay prescribed in the respective pharmacopeia. In the present paper, lab-on-chip technology was used for the assay of a simple NSAID drug paracetamol. The qualitative analysis of the drug on the strip was performed by using three different reagents such as sodium Meta vanadate (1%), potassium dichromate (0.01M), N-bromosuccinamide (1%). This method employs dissolution of the powdered sample of drug in distilled water, followed by placing the sample solution of the drug on the strip of paper which was previously impregnated with the reagent. Drug concentrations were quantified from color intensity images using a scanner in conjunction with image processing software MATLAB. Linear calibration curves were generated for the drug with each of the reagent. The results obtained were compared with standard methods such HPLC and found to be in accordance with standards. This technology provides qualitative analysis and a prior easy step before assay of the drug at appreciably reduced costs.


This paper introduces a new method for the preliminary design of power controllers (PCs) in the electric power grid. The method, which is denoted the ideal phase-shifter (IPS) method, utilizes the concept of the power controller plane where the active power of the PC line is plotted versus the difference in voltage angle between the PC terminals. The power controller plane makes it possible to graphically visualize the working area of a PC in a power grid and thus determine the grid situations which are dimensioning for the PC. The IPS method offers the possibility of plotting the grid characteristics in the power controller plane which are unbiased with respect to the reactive properties of the PC. This makes the method suitable for comparison and preliminary design of PCs of different types and with different characteristics by simple geometrical considerations. In this process, the IPS method uses the power-flow control method for deriving the PC characteristics. This paper includes an application example of the method where it is used for dimensioning of two different PCs in a 26-bus test system.