Australia has experienced pronounced climate change since 1950, especially in forested areas where a reducing trend in annual precipitation has occurred. However, the interaction between forests and water at multiple scales, in different geographical locations, under different management regimes and in different forest types with diverse species is not fully understood. Therefore, some interactions between forests and hydrological variables, and in particular whether the changes are mediated by management or climate, remain controversial. This thesis investigates the responses of Australia's terrestrial ecosystems to both historical and projected climate change using remote sensing data and ecohydrological models. The thesis is structured in seven chapters, and contains five research chapters.

Vegetation dynamics and sensitivity to precipitation change on the Australian continent for the past long drought period (2002-2010) are explored in Chapter 2 using multi-resource vegetation indices (VIs; normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and leaf area index (LAI)) and gridded climate data. During drought, precipitation and VIs declined across 90% and 80% of the whole continent, respectively, compared to the baseline period of 2000-2001. The most dramatic declines in VIs occurred in open shrublands near the centre of Australia and in southwestern Australia coinciding with significant reductions in precipitation and soil moisture. Overall, a strong relationship between water (precipitation and soil moisture) and VIs was detected in places where the decline in precipitation was severe. For five major vegetation types, cropland showed the highest sensitivity to water change, followed by grassland and woody savanna. Open shrublands showed moderate sensitivity to water change, while evergreen broadleaf forests only showed a slight sensitivity to soil moisture change. Although there was no consistent significant relationship between precipitation and VIs of evergreen broadleaf forests, forests in southeastern Australia, where precipitation had declined since 1997, appear to have become more sensitive to precipitation change than in southwestern Australia.

The attribution of impacts from climate change and vegetation on streamflow change at the catchment scale for southwestern Australia are described in Chapter 3. This region is characterized by intensive warming and drying since 1970. Along with these significant climate changes, dramatic declines in streamflow have occurred across the region. Here, 79 catchments were analyzed using the Mann-Kendall trend test, Pettitt's change point test, and the theoretical framework of the Budyko curve to study changes in the rainfall-runoff relationship, and effects of climate and vegetation change on streamflow. A declining trend and relatively consistent change point (2000) of streamflow were found in most catchments, with over 40 catchments showing significant declines (p < 0.05, -20% to -80%) between the two periods of 1982-2000 and 2001-2011. Most of the catchments have been shifting towards a more water-limited climate condition since 2000. Although streamflow is strongly related to precipitation for the period of 1982 to 2011, change of vegetation (land cover/use change and growth of vegetation) dominated the decrease in streamflow in about two-thirds of catchments. The contributions of precipitation, temperature and vegetation to streamflow change for each catchment varied with different catchment characters and climate conditions.

In Chapter 4, the magnitude and trend of water use efficiency (WUE) of forest ecosystems in Australia, and their response to drought from 1982 to 2014, were analyzed using a modified version of the Community Atmosphere Biosphere Land Exchange (CABLE) land surface model in the BIOS2 modelling environment. Instead of solely relying on the ratio of gross primary productivity (GPP) to evapotranspiration (ET) as WUE (GPP/ET), the ratio of net primary productivity (NPP) to Transpiration (ETr) (NPP/ETr) was also adopted to more comprehensively understand the response of vegetation to drought. For the study period, national average annual forest WUE was 1.39 ± 0.80 g C kg−1 H2O for GPP/ET and 1.48 ± 0.28 g C kg−1 H2O for NPP/ETr. The WUE increased in the entire study area during this period (with a rate of 0.003 g C kg−1 H2O yr-1 for GPP/ET; p < 0.005 and a rate of 0.0035 g C kg−1 H2O yr-1 for NPP/ETr; p < 0.01), whereas different trends were detected in different biomes. A significantly increasing trend of annual WUE was only found in woodland areas due to higher magnitudes of increases in GPP and NPP than ET and ETr. The exception was in eucalyptus open forest area where ET and ETr decreased more than reductions in GPP and NPP. The response of WUE to drought was further analyzed using 1-48 month scales standardised precipitation-evapotranspiration index (SPEI). More severe (SPEI < -1) and frequent droughts (over ca. 8 years) occurred in the north than in the southwest and southeast of Australia since 1982. The response of WUE to drought varied significantly regionally and across forest types. The response of WUE to drought varied significantly regionally and across forest types, due to the different responses of carbon sequestration and water consumption to drought. The cumulative lagged effect of drought on monthly WUE derived from NPP/ETr was consistent and relatively short and stable between biomes (< 4 months), but notably varied for WUE based on GPP/ET, with a long time lag (mean of 16 months).

As Chapters 2-4 confirmed that climate change has been playing an important role in the water yield and vegetation dynamics in Australia, the response of water yield and carbon sequestration to projected future climate change scenarios were integrated using the Water Supply Stress Index and Carbon model (WaSSI-C) ecohydrology model in Chapter 5. This model was calibrated with the latest water and carbon observations from the OzFlux network. The performance of the WaSSI-C model was assessed with measures of Q from 222 Hydrologic Reference Stations (HRSs) in Australia. Across the 222 HRSs, the WaSSI-C model generally captured the spatial variability of mean annual and monthly Q as evaluated by the Correlation Coefficient (R2 = 0.1-1.0), Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE = -0.4-0.97), and normalized Root Mean Squared Error by Q (RMSE/Q = 0.01-2.2). Then 19 Global Climate Models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5), across all Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0 and RCP8.5), were used to investigate the potential impacts of climate change on water and carbon fluxes. Compared with the baseline period of 1995-2015 across the 222 HRSs, the temperature was projected to rise by an average of 0.56 to 2.49 ˚C by 2080, while annual precipitation was projected to vary significantly. All RCPs demonstrated a similar spatial pattern of change of projected Q and GPP by 2080, however, the magnitude varied widely among the 19 GCMs. Overall, future climate change may result in a significant reduction in Q but may be accompanied by an increase in ecosystem productivity. Mean annual Q was projected to decrease by 5 - 211 mm yr-1 (34% - 99%) by 2080, with over 90% of the watersheds declining. On the contrary, GPP was projected to increase by 17 - 255 g C m-2 yr-1 (2% - 17%) by 2080 in comparison with 1995-2015 in southeastern Australia. A significant limitation of WaSSI-C model is that it only runs serially. High resolution simulations at the continental scale are therefore not only computationally expensive but also present a run-time memory burden.

In Chapter 6, using distributed (Message Passing Interface, MPI) and shared (Open Multi-Processing, OpenMP) memory parallelism techniques, the model was parallelized (and renamed as dWaSSI-C), and this approach was very effective in reducing the computing run-time and memory use. By using the parallelized model, several experiments were carried out to simulate water and carbon fluxes over the Australian continent to test the sensitivity of the model to input data-sets of different resolutions, as well as the sensitivity of the model to its WUE parameter for different vegetation types. These simulations were completed within minutes using dWaSSI-C, and this would not have been possible with the serial version. Results show that the model is able to simulate the seasonal cycle of GPP reasonably well when compared to observations at 4 eddy flux sites in Australia. The sensitivity analysis showed that simulated GPP was more sensitive to WUE during the Australian summer as compared to winter, and woody savannas and grasslands showed higher sensitivity than evergreen broadleaf forests and shrublands. With the parallelized dWaSSI-C model, it will now be much easier and faster to conduct continental scale analyses of the impacts of climate change and land cover change on water and carbon.

Overall, vegetation and water of Australian ecosystems have become very sensitive to climate change after a considerable decline in streamflow. Australian ecosystems, especially in temperate Australia, are projected to experience warmer and drier climate conditions with increasing drought risk. However, the prediction from different models varied significantly due to the uncertainty of each climate model. The impacts of different forest management scenarios should be studied to find the best land use pattern under the changing climate. Forest management methods, such as thinning and reforestation, may be conducted to mitigate the impacts of drought on water yield and carbon sequestration in the future.


Sequential analysis of simulation output is generally accepted as the most efficient way for securing representativeness of samples of collected observations. In this scenario a simulation experiment is stopped when the relative precision of estimates, defined as the relative width of confidence intervals at an assumed confidence level, reaches the required level. This paper deals with the statistical correctness of the methods proposed for estimating confidence intervals for mean values in sequential steady-state stochastic simulation. We formulate basic rules that should be followed in proper experimental analysis of coverage of different steady state interval estimators. Our main argument is that such analysis should be done sequentially. The numerical results of our preliminary coverage analysis of the method of Spectral Analysis (SA/HW) and Non overlapping Batch Means are presented, and compared with those obtained by traditional, non-sequential approaches.


The year 2017 saw the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of Lithuania and the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. This article presents the common constitutional heritage of these two countries primary as commonwealth est. in 1385 year and next as Polish–Lithuanian Union from 1569 to the end of the 18th century when we lost our independence. It sets out the main assumptions of the theory of the norms of basic law. The author also sums up the importance of legal culture and the social acceptance of the legal order set by a constitution as a fundament of democratic states. The author presents his reflections using metaphors from nautical terminology.


A suite of deep‐sea cores were collected along transects up to 100 km across the fore‐arc and back‐arc regions of the predominantly submarine Kermadec arc near Raoul and Macauley islands, southwest Pacific. The cores reveal a macroscopic tephra record extending back >50 ka. This is a significant addition to the dated record of volcanism, previously restricted to fragmented late Holocene records exposed on the two islands. The 27 macroscopic tephra layers display a wide compositional diversity in glass (∼50–78 wt% SiO2). Many tephra layers comprise silicic shards with a subordinate mafic shard population. This could arise from magma mingling and may reflect mafic triggering of the silicic eruptions. Broadly, the glass compositions can be distinguished on diverging high‐K and low‐K trends, most likely arising from different source volcanoes. This distinction is also reflected in the tephra records exposed on Raoul (low‐K) and Macauley (high‐K) islands, the likely source areas. Heterogeneous tephra comprising shards of both high‐ and low‐K affinity, silicic and mafic compositions, and more homogeneous tephra with subordinate outlier shard compositions, are best explained by post‐depositional mixing of separate eruption deposits or contemporaneous eruptions. Evidently, the slow sedimentation rates of the calcareous oozes (∼101–102 mm ka−1) were insufficient to adequately separate and preserve closely spaced eruption deposits. This exemplifies the difficulty in assessing eruption frequencies and magmatic trends, and erecting a tephrostratigraphy, using geochemical fingerprinting in such environments. Despite these difficulties, the ca. 5.7 ka Sandy Bay Tephra erupted from Macauley Island can be correlated over a distance of >100 km, extending east and west of the island, showing that the mostly submerged volcanoes are capable of wide tephra dispersal. Hence there is potential for developing chronostratigraphies for the southwest Pacific beyond the region covered by the extensive rhyolite marker beds from the Taupo Volcanic Zone. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Aerial parts of Daphne pontica were collected from Ilgaz-Cankiri, and D. oleoides subsp. oleoides was collected from 2 different localities (Ayranci-Karaman and Ilgaz-Cankiri) in Turkey. The samples were subjected to hydrodistillation and microdistillation. The resulting volatile samples were analyzed both by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. The main components for D. pontica were identified as hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (8.6%), carvacrol (8.5%), dihydroedulane II (4.7%), (E)-geranyl acetone (4.6%), and thymol (4.5%), while nonacosane (42.5% and 27.2%), hexadecanoic acid (24.4% and 20.0%), phytol (12.3%), and carvacrol (5.0%) were identified as the main components of D. oleoides subsp. oleoides obtained by hydrodistillation. Carvacrol (12.0%), thymol (7.7%), dihydroactinidiolide (7.2%), bicyclosesquiphellandrene (5.5%), and (Z)-3-hexenal (4.1%) were the major components in D. pontica, while carvacrol (27.2% and 25.4%), nonacosane (24.6%), (Z)-3-hexenal (18.5% and 2.5%), decane (7.4%), hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (7.4% and 2.2%), hexanal (6.6% and 1.5%), heptacosane (6.1%), nonanal (5.6% and 1.9%), thymol (5.1% and 2.3%), and phytol (5.0%) were identified in the D. oleoides subsp. oleoides isolated by microdistillation, respectively. In addition, the volatile components were evaluated for their ability to scavenge 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals using a bioautographic thin layer chromatography (TLC) method, and the samples showed activity comparable with that of the tested standards, vitamins C and E.


This document records the address to the U.N. economic and social council made by Robert S. McNamara to the President of Bank at the 1970 annual meetings. In his speech, in the 1970 fiscal year, the bank groups new loans, credits, and investment totaled $2.3 billion. The comparable figure of 1969 was $1.9 billion; and for 1968 $1.0 billion. Although the expand operations, particularly under the impact of price inflation have entailed rising administrative cost within the bank. Approximately half of this net income has been retained in the bank to support future concessionary lending, and $100 million has been transferred to International Development Association (IDA).


The paper reviews and evaluates the basic steps in designing activated sludge systems based on process stoichiometry and mass balance. Appropriate system design requires the use of biodegradable COD as the main parameter, which sets a balance between substrate utilized, biomass generated and oxygen consumed. In practice, this balance is easily translated into excess sludge production and oxygen requirement. The evaluation first covers the necessary database for a rational design approach, with emphasis on relevant domestic wastewater characterization. Then it defines the excess sludge production, together with the daily oxygen demand. Principles outlined are illustrated in a numerical design example where the proposed rational approach is compared with the German Design Guidelines, A-131 for organic carbon removal.


In this work, we present an empirical support of an analytical approach which employs a frequency domain analysis for estimating end-to-end delay in multi-hop networks. The proposed analytical results of the end-to-end delay distribution are validated through simulation and compared with queueing based analysis by defining two concrete scenarios. Our results demonstrate that an analytical prediction schema is insufficient to provide an adequate estimation of the end-to-end delay distribution function, but it requires to be combined with a simulation method for detailed links and nodes latencies distribution.


As the subsea well intervention sector ascends from a double-dip downturn, operators are motivated to execute projects with increased agility. By adopting new rationale and supported by strategic partnerships, an enhanced focus on operating efficiency is targeted.
 This paper discusses how operators can –deliver predictable operational expenditure (opex) results, safeguarding life-of-field economics through routine interventions and robust risk mitigation–align objectives with service providers through technology, strategy, and process–realize value of integrated alliances in the subsea intervention sector.
 Reliability is the cornerstone on which operational integrity is established. Repeatability is the foundation on which partnerships are formed, forging a synchronized philosophy; pledging operational efficiency as commanded in a dynamic environment; bringing to market a holistic, multileveled, multiskilled solution to subsea interventions; and uniting product and operational experts to evaluate the range of scope requirements selecting fit-for-purpose solutions, delivered with synchronized processes.
 Here we describe how this approach, coupled with repeatable field-proven product and service reliability and driven by true customer-centric thinking, minimizes operating risk to deliver predictable outcomes.
 This ethos is demonstrated in action via three case studies that discuss the benefits of combining customer expertise with product and operational specialists during the initiation and planning phases of subsea well intervention projects.
 The shared examples demonstrate how inculcating a continuous improvement mindset and applying lessons learned to product design, process, and procedures can drive operating efficiency to new levels.
 Campaigns executed in 2020 by the supplier delivered best-in-class results, exceeding customer expectations. The campaign represented the first fully synchronized service operation on the Q5000 intervention vessel at 90% operating efficiency. In addition, they demonstrated outstanding versatility by outperforming budget on the first deployment of the 15,000 psi intervention riser system (IRS) from the Q4000 intervention vessel. Less than 1% operating nonproductive time (NPT) was attributed to the well access package for the campaign.
 Sustaining this level of success via collaborative performance management is the next step on the roadmap to ensure this becomes the new normal. Conclusions drawn from customer feedback indicated expectations were surpassed, and that synchronicity is the key that unlocks the door to sustainability in the subsea deepwater intervention sector.


The beneficial human gut microbe Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is a 'probiotic of the future' since it produces high amounts of butyrate and anti-inflammatory compounds. However, this bacterium is highly oxygen-senstive, making it notoriously difficult to cultivate and preserve. This has so far precluded its clinical application in the treatment of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. The present studies were therefore aimed at developing a strategy to keep F. prausnitzii alive at ambient air. Our previous research showed that F. prausnitzii can survive in moderately oxygenized environments like the gut mucosa by transfer of electrons to oxygen. For this purpose, the bacterium exploits extracellular antioxidants, such as riboflavin and cysteine, that are abundantly present in the gut. We therefore tested to what extent these antioxidants can sustain the viability of F. prausnitzii at ambient air. The present results show that cysteine can facilitate the survival of F. prausnitzii upon exposure to air, and that this effect is significantly enhanced the by addition of riboflavin and the cryoprotectant inulin. The highly oxygen-sensitive gut bacterium F. prausnitzii can be kept alive at ambient air for 24 h when formulated with the antioxidants cysteine and riboflavin plus the cryoprotectant inulin. Improved formulations were obtained by addition of the bulking agents corn starch and wheat bran. Our present findings pave the way towards the biomedical exploitation of F. prausnitzii in redox-based therapeutics for treatment of dysbiosis-related inflammatory disorders of the human gut.


This paper presents an overview of the British Sign Language Corpus Project – the first endeavor ever to create a machine-readable digital corpus of British Sign Language (BSL) collected from deaf signers across the United Kingdom. In the field of sign language studies, it represents a unique combination of methodology from variationist sociolinguistics and corpus linguistics. Unlike previous large-scale sign language sociolinguistic projects, the dataset is being annotated and tagged using ELAN software, given metadata descriptions, and the video data has been made accessible, with long-term efforts to make the dataset searchable on-line. This means, however, that participants must consent to having the video data of their sign language use made public. This puts at risk the authenticity of the linguistic data collected, as signers may monitor their production more carefully than usual. We discuss our attempt to minimise this problem by creating a dual-access archive.


Long-term creep rupture life is usually evaluated from short-term data by a time-temperature parameter (TTP) method. The allowable stress of Gr. 122 steel listed in the ASME code has been evaluated by this method and is recognized to be overestimated. The objective of the present study is to understand the causes of the overestimation and propose appropriate methodology for avoiding the overestimation. The apparent activation energy Qfor rupture life of the steel changes from a high value of short-term creep to a low value of long-term creep. However, the decrease in Q is ignored in the conventional TTP analyses, resulting in the overestimation of rupture life. A multiregion analysis of creep rupture data is employed to avoid the overestimation; in the analysis creep rupture data are divided into a couple of regions so that the Q value is unique in each divided region. The multiregion analysis provides a good fit to the data and the lowest value of 10 5 h creep rupture strength among the three ways of data analysis examined. A half of 0.2% proof stress cannot provide an appropriate boundary for dividing data to be used in the multiregion analysis. In the 2001 edition of the ASME code an F average concept has been proposed as a substitution for the safety factor of 2/3 for average rupture stress. The allowable stress of Gr.122 steel changes significantly depending on the allowable stress criteria as well as the methods of rupture data analysis: i.e., from 74 MPa to 48 MPa.


Due to the large eddy currents at the ends of the quadrupole magnets for CSNS/RCS, the magnetic field properties and the heat generation are of great concern. In this paper, we take transient electromagnetic simulation and make use of the eddy current loss from the transient electromagnetic results to perform thermal analysis. Through analysis of the simulated results, the magnetic field dynamic properties of these magnets and a temperature rise are achieved. Finally, the accuracy of the thermal analysis is confirmed by a test of the prototype quadrupole magnet of the RCS.


Heterogeneous cellular networks (HCNs) with millimeter wave (mm-wave) communications are considered as a promising technology for the fifth-generation mobile networks. Mm-wave has the potential to provide multiple gigabit data rate due to the broad spectrum. Unfortunately, additional free space path loss is also caused by the high carrier frequency. On the other hand, mm-wave signals are sensitive to obstacles and more vulnerable to blocking effects. To address this issue, highly directional narrow beams are utilized in mm-wave networks. Additionally, device-to-device (D2D) users make full use of their proximity and share uplink spectrum resources in HCNs to increase the spectrum efficiency and network capacity. Toward the caused complex interferences, the combination of D2D-enabled HCNs with small cells densely deployed and mm-wave communications poses a big challenge to the resource allocation problems. In this paper, we formulate the optimization problem of D2D communication spectrum resource allocation among multiple micro-wave bands and multiple mm-wave bands in HCNs. Then, considering the totally different propagation conditions on the two bands, a heuristic algorithm is proposed to maximize the system transmission rate and approximate the solutions with sufficient accuracies. Compared with other practical schemes, we carry out extensive simulations with different system parameters, and demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed scheme. In addition, the optimality and complexity are simulated to further verify effectiveness and efficiency.


This paper investigates the reduced attitude formation control problem for a group of rigid-body agents using only relative attitude information. Under both undirected and directed ring inter-agent graph, it is shown that when reversing the sign of a classic consensus control, different formations depending on the parity of the group size are achieved asymptotically. Specifically, the reduced attitudes converge to a pair of antipodal points with even number of agents, and distribute uniformly on a great circle with odd number of agents. To show the effectiveness of the proposed control law, illustrative examples are provided.


This paper presents the results of a series of experiments performed to examine the validity of a theoretical analysis for evaluation of machining error in ball end milling of spherical surface. In the analysis, the trochoidal paths of cutting edges are considered in the evaluation of chip geometry. The cutting forces are evaluated based on the theory of oblique cutting. The machining errors resulting from cutting force induced tool deflections are calculated at various parts of the machined surface. The experiments are carried out at various cutting conditions for convex spherical surface, and the influences of cutting mode and milling position angle on machining error are examined.


AS THE United States, the United Nations, and the Iraqi Governing Council struggle to determine what form Iraq's next government should take, there is one question that, more than any other, may prove critical to the country's future: how to handle its vast oil wealth. Oil riches are far from the blessing they are often assumed to be. In fact, countries often end up poor precisely because they are oil rich. Oil and mineral wealth can be bad for growth and bad for democracy, since they tend to impede the development of institutions and values critical to open, market-based economies and political freedom: civil liberties, the rule of law, protection of property rights, and political participation. Plenty of examples illustrate what has come to be known as the resource curse." Thanks to improvements in exploration technology, 34 less-developed countries now boast significant oil and natural gas resources that constitute at least 30 percent of their total export revenue.1 Despite their riches, however, 12 of these countries' annual per capita income remains below $1,500, and up to half of their population lives on less than $1 a day. Moreover, two-thirds of the 34 countries are not democratic, and of those that are, only three (Ecuador, S-ao Tome and Principe, and Trinidad and Tobago) score in the top half of Freedom House's world ranking of political free dom. And even these three states are fragile: Ecuador now teeters on


A detailed biomechanical, histologic, and histomorphometric analysis of autopsy specimens from patients who previously had cemented total hip arthroplasty has helped to elucidate the skeletal response to cemented components. Bone cement has the capacity to provide long-term implant stability. The biologic response to polyethylene wear debris has a more critical effect on destabilization of cemented sockets compared with the femoral side. In contrast, mechanical events tended to predominate the early mode of destabilization of cemented femoral components with debonding at the metal-cement interface and fracture in the cement. Fractures predominate in cement mantles less than 1 mm thick and are associated with mantle defects, debonded interfaces, and sharp corners of the implants. Correlation of the histologic findings at the cement-bone interface with radiolucencies seen on clinical radiographs show that on the acetabular side radiolucencies represent a soft tissue membrane that is the biologic response to polyethylene debris. In contrast, on the femoral side, most radiolucencies were as a result of skeletal remodeling. Femoral adaptive bone remodeling is a diffuse process that occurs over the entire fixation surface. The most profound disuse osteoporosis occurred proximally in the proximal medial quadrant; however, when one takes into account all four quadrants, anterior, posterior, medial, and lateral, the most severe osteoporosis occurred at the midpoint of the stem.


Growing
demand for health services provided by outpatient clinics and hospitals caused
health institutions flow and capacity challenges. Health organizations' poor
response to these challenges directly translate into negative patient outcomes
and intensified downstream costs. In this study, we investigate dynamics and
mechanisms that influence patient wait times and capacity strains and propose
strategies and policies that can improve these issues in both ambulatory and
inpatient care.

First,
we investigate the access issue in a multidisciplinary memory clinic, which
consists of three practices and six patient types. Considering patient flow and
interactions, we develop an empirical simulation model to evaluate the
effectiveness of access improvement strategies such as overbooking,
repatriation (i.e., referring the patient back to primary care), and increasing
provider hours. Our results suggest that despite the increasing wait times in
the multidisciplinary memory clinic, increasing provider slots is not always an
effective strategy. In fact, overbooking and reducing unnecessary follow-up
visits can result in more significant performance improvements.

Second,
we study the impact of long-stay patients (i.e., patients with discharge
barriers that stay in the hospital for non-medical reasons) on flow and
capacity. In particular, we focus on the patient flow between Intensive Care
Unit (ICU), Step-down Unit (SDU), and Medical Unit (MU) and quantify the impact
of long-stay patient volumes on wait time, length of stay (LOS), and 30-day
readmission probability of other patients transitioning among these units. We find that larger proportion of
long-stay patients in the MU results in shorter LOS for other patients in the
MU, and longer wait time for patients leaving the ICU to MU.

Third, we examine existing patient grouping system based
on the service lines at two hospitals within the same health system and propose a two-step clustering-classification approach
to identify new patient clusters. Unlike existing 8 patient clusters (i.e.,
service lines), our results identified 11 patient clusters in Wilmington
hospital and 15 patient clusters in Christiana hospital, indicating the need to
further splitting some of the existing service lines such as internal medicine,
general surgery, and neurological disorders.


The implementation of a charge-sensitive amplifier (CSA) based on the МН2ХА030 array chip (AC) with an adjustable conversion factor for processing signals of silicone photomultipliers (SPM) is considered. The developed CSA, named ADPreampl3, contains a fast and slow signal circuit (SC). The fast SC includes a transresistive amplifier-shaper with a base-level adjustment circuit, and a slow SC includes an CSA, a shaper, and a base-level restorer (BLR) circuit. The main advantage of ADPreampl3 amplifier when used in multichannel integrated circuits is the minimum number of elements used, due to the use of the same stages to perform different functions. To correctly simulate the operation of ADPreampl3, taking into account the features of the input signal source, a simplified electrical equivalent circuit of the SPM, applicable to both circuit simulation and measurements, is proposed. Circuit simulation of ADPreampl3 using the proposed equivalent circuit of SPM with a supply voltage of ± 3 V , made possible to establish that: fast SC is characterized by the bandwidth up to 60 MHz and allows adjusting the base level in the range from -0.1 V to 0.2 V . Thus, it is possible to compensate the technological variation of the output voltage of the fast SC or set the required switching threshold of the comparator connected to the output of the fast SC; slow SC allows you to adjust the base level in the range from -1 V to 1 V and smoothly change the amplitude of the output signal, including phase inversion, when the control voltage changes from -1 V to 1 V ; the BLR circuit provides a constant shape of the output voltage pulse with a DC input current of ADPreampl3, varying in the range of ± 190 μA, and a negligible change of the base level at ± 20% of the resistance variation of integrated resistors. ADPreampl3 amplifier enables the transition to the "sleep" mode with a decrease in current consumption up to 10 μA, maintains operability at an absorbed dose of gamma radiation up to 500 krad and the effect of the integral neutron fluence up to 10 n/cm and can be used in multi-channel signal processing chips of SPM.


Background In industrialized areas of the world, including Europe, Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) is considered an emerging pathogen. In fact, autochthonous cases caused by HEV genotype 3 (HEV-3) are increasingly reported. Several studies described the human HEV-3 subtypes and strains circulating in West Europe countries; in contrast, very little is known about the HEV strains responsible for acute hepatitis E in countries of East Europe/Balkans, such as Bulgaria. Methods and findings Anti-HEV IgM positive serum samples (n = 103) from acute hepatitis cases (2013–2015) from all over Bulgaria were analysed for HEV RNA by Real-Time PCR. Viremia was detected in 90/103 samples. A fragment of the viral genome (ORF-2 region) was amplified by nested PCR from 76/90 viremic samples, leading to a sequence in 64 of them. Genotyping by phylogenetic analysis with standard reference sequences showed HEV-1 in 1/64 cases, HEV-3 in 63/64. Subtyping of HEV-3 sequences showed 3e (39/63, 62%), 3f (n = 15/63, 24%) and 3c (n = 8/63, 13%) subtypes; in one case the sequence subtype was uncertain and classified as 3hi. In the phylogenetic tree, most 3e sequences grouped in two well distinct clusters (A and B), each one with very low intragroup genetic distances. In contrast, 3f and 3c were interspersed with reference sequences and showed lower tendency to cluster and/or higher intragroup distances. Geographically, while 3f and 3c were scattered throughout the country, 3e was restricted to the South-West area, with most cases in two towns about 40 kilometres apart from each other. Conclusions Most acute hepatitis E cases in Bulgaria are caused by HEV-3, subtypes 3e, 3f and 3c. Circulation of 3e appears quite different from 3f and 3c, with 3e restricted to the South-West area while 3f and 3c diffused over the country. The factors underlying the observed molecular and geographical differences remain to be investigated.


Inspired by the excellent device performance of triindole-based semiconductors in electronic and optoelectronic devices, the relationship between the solid-state organization and the charge-transporting properties of an easily accessible series of triindole derivatives is reported herein. The vacuum-evaporated organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) exhibited a non ideal behaviour with a double slope in the saturation curves. Moreover, the treatment of the gate insulator of the OTFT device with either a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) or a polymer controls the molecular growth and the film morphology of the semiconducting layer, as shown by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and theoretical calculations. N-Trihexyltriindole exhibited the best device performance with hole mobilities up to 0.1 cm2 V-1 s-1 at the low VG range and up to 0.01 cm2 V-1 s-1 at high VG, as well as enhanced Ion/Ioff ratios of around 106. The results suggest that the non-ideal behaviour of the here studied OTFT devices could be related to the higher interfacial disorder in comparison to that in the bulk.


We propose a new air-gap profile for single-phase permanent-magnet brushless dc (SP PM BLDC) motor to improve starting torque and to reduce cogging torque. We calculate starting torque and cogging torque using finite-element (FE) analysis. We perform a parametric analysis to study the effect of variation of proposed profile dimensions on cogging torque and starting torque. More than 70% improvement in starting torque and considerable reduction in magnitude of cogging torque is achieved compared to existing tapered air-gap profiles.


A robust amount of research indicates that childhood adverse experiences can have a detrimental impact on later relational experiences and mental health as an adult. Adverse childhood experiences, such as childhood sexual abuse (CSA), or other interpersonal traumas can affect the formation of secure attachments to caregivers. These insecure attachment styles persist into adulthood, affecting all subsequent relationships including that between parent and child. This thesis firstly examines the relationship between CSA and later parenting stress in a systematic literature review. The results indicate there is no strong, consistent evidence of a direct association between CSA and later parenting stress. However, it is suggested that contact-only CSA may produce a significant association with parenting stress and that studies including both contact and non-contact CSA may need larger sample sizes to detect smaller effects. Additionally, an indirect relationship between CSA and parenting stress through current level of depression is proposed. The review highlighted that clearer definitions of CSA and use of properly validated questionnaires are essential to progress this field of research and enable generalisability of results. The aim of the second paper was to investigate associations between attachment, parenting and schizotypy in a non-clinical sample. Participants (N = 134) completed self-report measures online and hypotheses were tested using correlation and mediation analysis. Results found that parenting stress mediated the association between attachment anxiety/avoidance and schizotypy, though parenting competence was not significant as a mediator in a parallel model. Childhood trauma was associated with schizotypy and attachment but was not associated with parenting variables, preventing inclusion in mediation analysis. The study adds to the understanding of what may exacerbate schizotypal symptoms in the first 12 months postpartum as parental attachment insecurity and parental stress together predicted elevated self-reported experiences of schizotypal symptoms in this period.


Abstract: Trace-element, carbon, oxygen and lead-isotope analyses were carried out to determine the formation mode and crystallization age of magnesite from the Budd ultramafic complex of the Archaean Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa. Its significantly high Ti contents probably relate to a soluble Ti-rich accessory mineral, probably dissolved during magnesite precipitation. Primitive mantle-normalized REE patterns of the magnesite show negative Ce and Eu anomalies induced by two events: (1) the Eu anomaly indicates reducing conditions probably induced by the emplacement of the ultramafic source rock; (2) the Ce anomaly implies oxidizing conditions, probably during a hydrothermal event that favoured the precipitation of magnesite in veins of the rock. This Ce anomaly is among the oldest in Earth history. Negative δ13C (−2.9 to −3.3‰ PDB) and high δ18O (30.5–31.2‰ SMOW) suggest low-temperature precipitation in a near-surface Kraubath-type epithermal system. The magnesite contains considerable amounts of radiogenic lead (206Pb/204Pb is 125.5–153.7 and 207Pb/204Pb is 41.3–47.7). The resulting Pb–Pb age of 3043 ± 59 Ma is interpreted as dating a hydrothermal event related to the extensive plutonism episode that has been reported in the Barberton area at about 3.1 Ga. Previous models that proposed formation of the magnesite under recent climatic conditions can be discarded.


A new and interesting field-effect resistive hydrogen sensor, based on the current-voltage characteristics in the linear region of an AlGaAs-based pseudomorphic high-electron-mobility transistor structure and high hydrogen sensitivity of a palladium (Pd) metal, is studied and demonstrated. An oxide layer between Pd and AlGaAs is used to increase the number of hydrogen adsorption sites, and improve hydrogen detection sensitivity. A simple model is employed to interpret the hydrogen adsorption and sensing mechanism. The dissociation of H2, diffusion of H atoms and formation of a dipolar layer cause a significant decrease in channel resistance. In comparison with other resistor-type hydrogen sensors, the studied device demonstrates the considerable advantages of lower detection limit (< 4.3 ppm H2 /air) and higher sensitivity (24.7% in 9970 ppm H2/air) at room temperature. Also, the studied device exhibits a smaller resistance (several 10 Omega) and a smaller operating voltage (les 0.3 V) which are superior to other resistive sensors with typically larger resistances (ranged from kiloohms to megaohms) and larger voltages (ges 1 V). Consequentially, the studied resistive sensor provides the promise for low-power GaAs-based electronic and microelectromechanical-system applications


We analyze the delay performance of a multihop wireless network with a fixed route between each source-destination pair. We develop a new queue grouping technique to handle the complex correlations of the service process resulting from the multihop nature of the flows. A general set-based interference model is assumed that imposes constraints on links that can be served simultaneously at any given time. These interference constraints are used to obtain a fundamental lower bound on the delay performance of any scheduling policy for the system. We present a systematic methodology to derive such lower bounds. For a special wireless system, namely the clique, we design a policy that is sample-path delay-optimal. For the tandem queue network, where the delay-optimal policy is known, the expected delay of the optimal policy numerically coincides with the lower bound. We conduct extensive numerical studies to suggest that the average delay of the back-pressure scheduling policy can be made close to the lower bound by using appropriate functions of queue length.


Background: Laryngeal airway narrowing from subglottic stenosis (SGS) may be congenital or acquired, with many SGS cases acquired following intubation or laryngotracheal injury. Two main approaches to reconstructive surgical management exist: laryngotracheal reconstruction (LTR) and partial cricotracheal resection (CTR). LTR and CTR procedures have been undertaken in Glasgow since the early 1980s. A retrospective audit of parents' perspectives on quality of life for their children showed parental concerns related to breathing, respiratory tract infection and voice quality; in addition to concerns relating to independence and the ability to lead a normal life. This study evaluated in detail a range of vocal parameters in children over the age of 5 who have had LTR/CTR at the hospital in Glasgow. Methods: 21% of the existing cohort of children who had LTR or CTR at the hospital opted to take part in the study. Awake laryngoscopy and voice recordings using a standard protocol were taken for each participant and prepared for a range of acoustic and perceptual analyses and comparison to available normative data. Parent and child perspectives on voice related quality of life were also gathered. Results: For some children there were normal laryngoscopy ratings along with aspects of normally evaluated voice. For others voice quality remains impaired. These will be presented in relation to the laryngoscopy and voice data. Conclusion: For some children, normal voice is a potential outcome following LTR/CTR and this finding is of particular value for professionals supporting young children about to have LTR or CTR procedures.


Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effects of achievement goals (performance approach goal, mastery approach goal, performance avoidance goal) on the link between role stress and burnout and engagement. Methods: A total 224 non-commissioned officers agreed to the purpose of this study were participated. A correlation analysis was performed by using SPSS 21.0, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was performed by using AMOS 20.0. Results: This study were as follows. As a result of comparing the research model including the performance approach goal and the competition model except the performance approach goal, the competition model was excellent. In addition, performance avoidance goal was partially mediated in the relationship between role stress and burnout. In addition, the mastery approach goal was partially in the relationship between role stress and engagement. Conclusions: The results imply that improving mastery approach goal and decreasing performance avoidance goal is very important for non-commissioned officers. Therefore, the military authorities should develop various strategies to decrease performance avoidance goal and improve the mastery approach goal.


Catch Up Literacy is a program for children who have experienced years of reading instruction but still have acute reading difficulties. It is a book-based, structured, one-to-one literacy intervention, addressed to both word recognition and language comprehension. The program is administered by teachers or teacher aides, after training from Catch Up Approved Trainers. Originating in Britain, Catch Up Literacy was piloted successfully at schools in New South Wales and Tasmania in 2009. Since then it has been applied at a number of schools in both states, where it is continuing to assist students in need. The program providers are now considering ways to make it more widely available in Australia. Catch Up Ltd is a newly established Australian not-for-profit charity working to address the problem of underachievement that has its roots in literacy and numeracy difficulties.


In conventional areas of architectural design, heritage conservation, history and literature, architectural identity is often conceived and represented as a timeless and historically stable entity. This is reflected in particular practices of building design and heritage conservation that view and portray architectural identity in terms of aesthetics or built form, these representations and ideas of architecture portray identity as an immutable and historically continuous subject of knowledge. This paper first offers theoretical framework to maintain the identification of identity, architectural identity, and national identity. It also raises the issue of identity in general and in architecture as a multidisciplinary concept. This paper deals with the impact of local culture on shaping the architectural identity. Furthermore, investigate the transformative nature of architecture and the identity, drawing on cultural, historical concepts of meaning as a theoretical framework which discussed by theorists such as Bourdieu, Foucault and Barthesto. And also shed light on the architectural identity in the city of Amman reading and analyzing previous studies about Amman's identity to deduct the main features of architectural styles in Amman and the reason of difficult finding a unified architectural identity.


Purpose: To investigate the radiosensitivity of the normal human oral keratinocytes (NHOK), and the effect of irradiation on cell cycle and protein expression. Materials and Methods: To evaluate the radiosensitivity of NHOK, the number of colonies and cells were counted after irradiation and the SF2 (survival fraction at 2Gy) value, and the cell survival curve fitted on a linear-quadratic model were obtained. LDH analysis was carried out to evaluate the necrosis of NHOK at 1, 2, 3, and 4 days after 2, 10, and 20 Gy irradiation. Cell cycle arrest and the induction of apoptosis were analyzed using flow cytometry at 1, 2, 3, and 4 days after 2, 10, and 200y irradiation. Finally, proteins related cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were analysed by Western blot. Results: The number of survived cell was significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner. The cell survival curve showed SF2, α, and β values to be 0.568, 0.209, and 0.020 respectively. At 200y irradiated cells showed higher optical density than the control group. After irradiation, apoptosis was not observed but G2 arrest was observed in the NHOK cells. 1 day after 10 Gy irradiation, the expression of p53 remained unchanged, the p2l/sup WAF1/Cipl/ increased and the mdm2 decreased. The expression of bax, bcl-2, cyclin B1, and cyclin D remained unchanged. Conclusion: These results indicate that NHOK responds to irradiation by G2 arrest, which is possibly mediated by the expression of p21/sup WAFl/Cipl/, and that cell necrosis occurs by high dose irradiation.


This paper discusses emotions as mediators in business-to-business relationships, an area that is understudied. Within consumer marketing, emotions have been widely studied, and calls have been made for business relationship research to take account of managers' emotions. This study addresses the gap by firstly establishing the relevance of emotions in troubled business relationships and secondly showing how emotions are a major component in determining the outcomes of the troubled relationships. The aim is achieved by analysing interview data in the form of narratives describing problematic relationships, to acknowledge both the emotions experienced by participants and their role in the course of the business


Pliny the Elder, a high ranking state official and a Roman scholar, the author of Naturalis Historia (NH), in the geographical books (III-VI) entitled situs, gentes, maria, oppida, portus, montes, flumina, mensurae, populi qui sunt aut fuerunt , presented the orbis terrarum universus - orbis Romanus , in other words pars nostra terrarum . The basis of the description of the world is provided by the locorum nuda nomina . Within this framework, the Encyclopaedist included the description of the Iberian Peninsula ( Hispania ); in more precise terms, it was made a part of the European periplus (books III-IV). The description of Spain is interspersed with remarks of etymological, ethnographic or geographical nature. In 197 BC, Spain underwent its first division into two provinces – the Nearer Hispania ( provincia Hispania Citerior ) and the Further Hispania ( provincia Hispania Ulterior ). The division persisted until the times of Augustus, when the conquest was completed and Roman administration in Hispania reorganised. Ultimately, the Iberian Peninsula was split into three provinces:  Hispania Citerior Tarraconensis, Hispania Ulterior Baetica and Hispania Ulterior Lusitania . At present, there is some debate concerning the course of reorganisation of the Roman administration in Hispania under the first emperor. The matter concerns the stages – phases in which the three Roman provinces on the peninsula came into existence. The issue has been additionally complicated by Augustus' edict of 15 BC, discovered in Spain in 1999, which mentions a provincia Transduriana . In the Indices of the geographical books, Pliny presented the units he would use as reference when describing orbis terrarum universus . With regard to Spain, he indicated that he would rely on  the administrative division of Hispania which was valid in the latter half of the 1 st century AD - Baetica, Nearer Hispania ( Hispania Citerior ) and Lusitania. At the same time he remarked that he would present the Atlantic coast of Nearer Spain and Lusitania according to the European periplus, i.e. in the final part of book IV.  It has to be observed that first Pliny the Elder presented the current administrative division of the Iberian Peninsula for the latter half of the 1 st century AD.  The principal political-administrative narrative was skilfully supplemented with historical facts (which resulted from the previous assumptions -  locorum nuda nomina and res, historiae et observationes ). In doing so, he resorted to the sources at his disposal. To begin with, he based his narration of the up-to-date administrative sources, which allowed him to present the current administrative division of the peninsula. At the same time he did not fail to refer to earlier sources, for instance Agrippa's work, as well as an inscription commemorating the successes of Pompey Magnus.  Pliny's account is characterised by a historical point of view. The Encyclopaedist subjected the above sources to a historical analysis. He attempted to enhance the description of the present state with information from the past. The facts extracted from those were provided with remarks of historical nature.


Experiments were performed on rabbits and SD rats, both anesthetized with urethane (1. 0 g/kg, iv or ip). Discharges of phrenic nerve and the diaphragmatic muscle electric activities were monitored. Discharge patterns of the respiration-related neurons (RRNs) in the medial area of nucleus retrofacialis (mNRF) were recorded and analyzed. Among the 249 RRNs recorded in the mNRF of the rabbits, 118 were inspiratory(I, 47. 4%), 91 expiratory (E, 36. 5% ), and 40 phase-spanning (PS, 16. 1 %).Both I and E neurons could be further subdivided into 4 subtypes, the PS neurons intoE-I and I-E type. In the 153 RRNs recorded in rats, 68 were I (44. 5%), 55 E(35. 9 % ), 30 PS (19. 6 % ). It was found that a group of E-I PS neurons that fire preceding phrenic nerve respiratory activity are located in the mNRF, which was believedto be important in the generation of the basic respiratory rhythm.


Photovoltaics based on organic–inorganic as well as all inorganic semiconducting perovskites have emerged as a high performing technology at a lower cost. Intense research carried out in this regard over the last decade has resulted in single junction power conversion efficiencies that now exceed 25%. Furthermore, combining wide-bandgap perovskites with other narrow-bandgap absorbers such as silicon has enabled efficiencies exceeding 24%. Such tandem architectures provide the possibility of increasing the power conversion efficiency with either a little increase in cost or even at a lower cost. In this review, we discuss the emerging tandem concepts that incorporate perovskites in at least one sub-cell and can also be printed on roll-to-roll manufacturing lines. Initially, we discuss the progress in the field of perovskite/silicon tandem architectures followed by a discussion on perovskite/copper indium gallium selenide tandem devices. Then, recent progress in all-perovskite tandem devices is discussed. This is then followed by developments combining perovskites and organic bulk heterojunction absorbers. Subsequently, we discuss roll-to-roll and sheet-to-sheet printing techniques that can be used for scaled-up manufacturing of the above tandem architectures, which is then followed by reported work on perovskites that have utilised these printing techniques. Finally, we discuss prospects and future directions focusing on material stability and elimination of toxic solvents that are typically used in lab-scale perovskite solar cell fabrication processes and on less well investigated applications such as energy harvesting in space.


The Moa-Baracoa and Mayarı́-Cristal massifs (eastern Cuba) are two ophiolitic complexes mainly constituted by harzburgite tectonites and minor dunites, cut by gabbroic dykes. The Moa-Baracoa massif exhibits a well developed Moho transition zone and an incomplete crustal section made up of layered gabbros and tectonically emplaced pillow basalts. A plutonic crustal section is absent in the Mayarı́-Cristal massif and mantle tectonites are in tectonic contact with arc-related volcanic rocks. Mantle peridotites are very refractory in terms of modal composition, whole rock major element and HREE contents implying that Moa-Baracoa and Mayarı́-Cristal harzburgites are residues after high degrees (20–30%) of partial melting. The relative enrichment of Th, Nb, Ta and LREE in peridotites is due to re-equilibration of melting residues with percolating melts. Peridotites lost on average 6 wt% of relative MgO by intense seafloor weathering. REE contents and Mg# of melts in equilibrium with cumulate gabbros from the Moho transition zone and crustal section of the Moa-Baracoa massif coincide with those of the spatiallyrelated pillow basalts. On the other hand, no geochemical relation has been inferred between melt in equilibrium with Mayarı́-Cristal segregate and the spatially-related arc volcanics. Our results indicate that the Mayarı́Baracoa Ophiolitic Belt formed at an original back-arc spreading centre. The Moa-Baracoa massif represents a portion of MORB-like lithosphere located nearby a back-arc mid-ocean spreading ridge, and the Mayarı́Cristal massif represents a piece of transitional (MORB to IAT) mantle located closer to the paleo-volcanic arc than Moa-Baracoa.


OBJECTIVE
To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review to evaluate the available literature on the effects of perioperative serum glucose (SG) on outcomes for patients undergoing spine surgery. This review will add insight into how the perioperative management of SG affects the outcomes of patients undergoing spine surgery.

METHODS
Three databases were used in this review including Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library. The searches were from 2012 to 2022 and included the terms "spine surgery" and "glucose level" to identify studies that demonstrated a correlation between glucose level and postoperative outcomes. Pediatric studies, those that did not specify spine surgical outcomes related to glucose levels, and non-English studies were excluded. The methodological items for nonrandomized studies score was used to assess risk of bias in the included studies.

RESULTS
This review included a total of 9 cohort studies, both prospective and retrospective, encompassing a total of 431,156 subjects. Seven of the 9 studies reported an increased overall complication rate among patients with diabetes or with higher SG levels, and 4 studies demonstrated an increased infection rate among this population. Two studies reported an association between decreased SG levels and improved neurological recovery when a deficit was present preoperatively, and 1 of the studies found that this association was statistically significant.

LIMITATIONS
Limitations of this review include lack of standardization regarding type of surgery, location of the spine, and level of evidence.

CONCLUSION
Most of the current literature suggests that elevated SG levels in patients undergoing spine surgery likely leads to higher complication rates and may lead to increased infection rates, and this review reinforced the current evidence. Additionally, perioperative SG levels may be associated with the extent of neurological recovery after surgery, but further investigation may be warranted.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
This review adds to the current body of evidence regarding perioperative SG levels and its association with complications.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2


Economic contributions of honey production as a means of livelihood strategy in Oyo state was examined with a view to describing the socio-demographic characteristics of honey producers; to determine the economic contribution and level of honey production in IseyinOgbomoso Local Government Areas of Oyo State. Six (6) Local Government Areas were purposively selected for this study. Seventy three (73) questionnaires were administered to honey producers. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools such as frequency distribution and percentage, while inferential statistics such as Gross Margin and Linear Regression were implored. The result revealed that 26% of honey farmers were females while 74% were male, this showed that honey production is male dominated and the people involved are in their active working age. R 2 value (0.5948) explaining almost 60% of the dependent variable, the overall P – value(0.0000) indicates the level of significance of explanatory variables at 1%. Positive co-efficient of educational level revealed that the higher the educational status, the higher the productivity and better management. The economic efficiency was 2.31 which implied that for every N1 spent to produce honey, in the study area 15.5 kobo was realized as profit. Honey business is however found to be lucrative.


While ex situ conservation programs of juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas Linnaeus, 1758), before release to natural habitats, have been conducted in several countries, the optimal-stocking density for husbandry has not yet been reported. The optimization of stocking density was the main purpose of this study. The 15-day-old post-hatching turtles (29.30 ± 0.05 g body weight) were reared in round fiberglass tanks at various stocking densities including 20 turtles/m3 (20TM), 40 turtles/m3 (40TM), 60 turtles/m3 (60TM), and 80 turtles/m3 (80TM), over an 8-week trial. Water quality, survival, growth performance, feed utilization, aggressive behavior, fecal digestive enzymes, and hematological parameters were compared between the treatments, and were used as indicators of a successful captive rearing program. The water quality across the four treatments was in the standard range, but a high-stocking density reduced the quality significantly. No mortality was observed in any treatment group. Superior growth and feed utilization were only observed with the 40TM treatment, relative to the others (P < 0.05). The turtles in this group had no aggressive behavior, as indicated by observing hind limb biting. This treatment manipulated the level of proteolytic activity of pepsin and trypsin in response to density stressor, but not amylase, lipase, and chymotrypsin. The 40TM treatment also maintained the hematological characteristics, indicating no negative effects on health status. Overall, the findings indicate that the captivity program of post-hatching turtles at 40 turtles/m3 is the preferred option in their head-started propagation, as well as in public displays in zoos or aquaria. Zoo Biol. 35:454-461, 2016. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) were assayed in 98 consecutive patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Twenty-three patients had increased GGT activities and 45 an increased AP activity. Twelve patients showed an increase in both enzyme activities and AP isoenzyme studies were performed on seven of this group. In three subjects an increase in the bone isoenzyme was observed and in three others the increase in activity was attributed to the liver isoenzyme. The remaining patient, who probably suffered from coexistent primary biliary cirrhosis, showed an increase in both bone and liver isoenzymes. The liver involvement, suggested by the alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme results, was largely confirmed by the butanol extraction of GGT. The changes in these enzymes in this small series could not be related definitely to drug therapy. It is concluded that though increases in GGT and AP are common in rheumatoid arthritis, this does not necessarily indicate hepatic involvement. Further isoenzyme studies are needed to define the extent to which organs other than the liver bring about increases in these serum enzymes in rheumatoid disease.


Aims To investigate the association of ABCG1, GALNT2 and HMGCR genes promoter DNA methylation with coronary heart disease (CHD) and explore the interaction between their methylation status and the CHD patients' clinical characteristics in Han Chinese population. Methods and results Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) technology was used to examine the role of the aberrant gene promoter methylation in CHD in Han Chinese population. A total of 85 CHD patients and 54 participants without CHD confirmed by angiography were recruited. 82.8% of the participants with ABCG1 gene promoter hypermethylation have CHD, while only 17.4% of the participants without hypermethylation have it. The average age of the participants with GALNT2 gene promoter hypermethylation is 62.10±8.21, while that of the participants without hypermethylation is 57.28±9.87; in the former group, 75.4% of the participants have CHD, compared to only 50% in the latter group. As for the HMGCR gene, the average age of the participants with promoter hypermethylation is 63.24±8.10 and that of the participants without hypermethylation is 57.79±9.55; its promoter hypermethylation is likely to be related to smoking. Our results indicated a significant statistical association of promoter methylation of the ABCG1 gene with increased risk of CHD (OR = 19.966; 95% CI, 7.319–54.468; P *<0.001; P *: adjusted for age, gender, smoking, lipid level, hypertension, and diabetes). Similar results were obtained for that of the GALNT2 gene (OR = 2.978; 95% CI, 1.335–6.646; P * = 0.008), but not of HMGCR gene (OR = 1.388; 95% CI, 0.572–3.371; P * = 0.469). Conclusions The present work provides evidence to support the association of promoter DNA methylation status with the risk profile of CHD. Our data indicates that promoter DNA hypermethylation of the ABCG1 and GALNT2 genes, but not the HMGCR gene, is associated with an increased risk of CHD. CHD, smoking and aging are likely to be the important factors influencing DNA hypermethylation.


Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) secrete neurotrophic factors which may play an important therapeutic role in neural development, maintenance and repair. To test this hypothesis, DPSCs-conditioned medium (DPSCs-CM) was collected from 72 hours serum-free DPSCs cultures. The impact of DPSCs-derived factors on PC12 survival, growth, migration and differentiation was investigated. PC12 cells were treated with nerve growth factor (NGF), DPSCs-CM or co-cultured with DPSCs using Transwell inserts for 8 days. The number of surviving cells with neurite outgrowths and the length of neurites were measured by image analysis. Immunocytochemical staining was used to evaluate the expression of neuronal markers NeuN, microtubule associated protein 2 (MAP-2) and cytoskeletal marker βIII-tubulin. Gene expression levels of axonal growth-associated protein 43 and synaptic protein Synapsin-I, NeuN, MAP-2 and βIII-tubulin were analysed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). DPSCs-CM was analysed for the neurotrophic factors (NGF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF], neurotrophin-3, and glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor [GDNF]) by specific ELISAs. Specific neutralizing antibodies against the detected neurotrophic factors were used to study their exact role on PC12 neuronal survival and neurite outgrowth extension. DPSCs-CM significantly promoted cell survival and induced the neurite outgrowth confirmed by NeuN, MAP-2 and βIII-tubulin immunostaining. Furthermore, DPSCs-CM was significantly more effective in stimulating PC12 neurite outgrowths than live DPSCs/PC12 co-cultures over the time studied. The morphology of induced PC12 cells in DPSCs-CM was similar to NGF positive controls; however, DPSCs-CM stimulation of cell survival was significantly higher than what was seen in NGF-treated cultures. The number of surviving PC12 cells treated with DPSCs-CM was markedly reduced by the addition of anti-GDNF, whilst PC12 neurite outgrowth was significantly attenuated by anti-NGF, anti-GDNF and anti-BDNF antibodies. These findings demonstrated that DPSCs were able to promote PC12 survival and differentiation. DPSCs-derived NGF, BDNF and GDNF were involved in the stimulatory action on neurite outgrowth, whereas GDNF also had a significant role in promoting PC12 survival. DPSCs-derived factors may be harnessed as a cell-free therapy for peripheral nerve repair. All experiments were conducted on dead animals that were not sacrificed for the purpose of the study. All the methods were carried out in accordance with Birmingham University guidelines and regulations and the ethical approval is not needed.


Worldwide, tuberculosis (TB) causes 1.3 million deaths each year, and there are at least 9.27 million new cases annually.1 Global population mobility on a scale never seen before means that the UK, along with many other countries with a previously low incidence of the disease, has over the last two decades seen a sharp rise in TB. Indeed most doctors are probably more likely to see a case of TB in the next year than at any other time in their professional lives. In the UK, there are now in excess of 8400 new cases per annum, >70% of them occurring in individuals born outside the country,2 and the picture is similar in the USA, where over half of all cases occur in those born abroad.3 The annual UK rate of TB for those born abroad (87/100 000) is >20 times higher than that for the UK-born population (including UK-born members of ethnic minority groups). For the Black African population in the UK who were born outside this country the rate (at 309/100 000) is 75 times higher than in the UK-born population generally, reflecting the very high TB rates associated with HIV co-infection in sub-Saharan Africa.2

Clearly, current methods of TB screening for new entrants, largely for active TB only, are not working, and debate about how they might be improved has spread beyond health professionals to become the focus of media comment, often hostile, and the subject of political attention and debate.4 We discuss the limitations of current UK screening methods, suggest that the natural history of infection with the TB bacterium means that they cannot succeed and consider alternative approaches.

Since 1971 the UK has had a mechanism (the Port of Arrival Scheme) aimed at screening immigrants from countries with an annual TB incidence …


Buckwalter, John B., Jessica C. Taylor, Jason J. Hamann, and Philip S. Clifford. Role of nitric oxide in exercise sympatholysis. J Appl Physiol 97: 417–423, 2004. First published March 12, 2004; 10.1152/japplphysiol.01181.2003.—The production of nitric oxide is the putative mechanism for the attenuation of sympathetic vasoconstriction (sympatholysis) in working muscles during exercise. We hypothesized that nitric oxide synthase blockade would eliminate the reduction in -adrenergic-receptor responsiveness in exercising skeletal muscle. Ten mongrel dogs were instrumented chronically with flow probes on the external iliac arteries of both hindlimbs and a catheter in one femoral artery. The selective 1-adrenergic agonist (phenylephrine) or the selective 2-adrenergic agonist (clonidine) was infused as a bolus into the femoral artery catheter at rest and during mild and heavy exercise. Before nitric oxide synthase inhibition with N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), intra-arterial infusions of phenylephrine elicited reductions in vascular conductance of 91 3, 80 5, and 75 6% (means SE) at rest, 3 miles/h, and 6 miles/h and 10% grade, respectively. Intra-arterial clonidine reduced vascular conductance by 65 6, 39 4, and 30 3%. After L-NAME, intra-arterial infusions of phenylephrine elicited reductions in vascular conductance of 85 5, 85 5, and 84 5%, whereas clonidine reduced vascular conductance by 67 5, 45 3, and 35 3%, at rest, 3 miles/h, and 6 miles/h and 10% grade. 1-Adrenergic-receptor responsiveness was attenuated during heavy exercise. In contrast, 2-adrenergic-receptor responsiveness was attenuated even at a mild exercise intensity. Whereas the inhibition of nitric oxide production eliminated the exercise-induced attenuation of 1-adrenergic-receptor responsiveness, the attenuation of 2-adrenergic-receptor responsiveness was unaffected. These results suggest that the mechanism of exercise sympatholysis is not entirely mediated by the production of nitric oxide.


Network covert channels enable hidden communication and can be used to break security policies. Within the last years, new techniques for such covert channels arose, including protocol switching covert channels (PSCCs). PSCCs transfer hidden information by sending network packets with different selected network protocols. In this paper we present the first detection methods for PSCCs. We show that the number of packets between network protocol switches and the time between switches can be monitored to detect PSCCs with 98-99% accuracy for bit rates of 4 bits/second or higher.


Duqm is located in the Al Wasta Governorate in Oman and is currently fed by 10 diesel generators with a total capacity of around 76 MW and other rental power sources with a size of 18 MW. To make the electric power supply come completely from renewables, one novel solution is to replace the diesel with hydrogen. The extra energy coming from the PV-wind system can be utilized to produce green hydrogen that will be utilized by the fuel cell. Measured data of solar insolation, hourly wind speeds, and hourly load consumption are used in the proposed system. Finding an ideal configuration that can match the load demand and be suitable from an economic and environmental point of view was the main objective of this research. The Hybrid Optimization Model for Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER Pro) microgrid software was used to evaluate the technical and financial performance. The findings demonstrated that the suggested hybrid system (PV-wind-fuel cell) will remove CO2 emissions at a cost of energy (COE) of USD 0.436/kWh and will reduce noise. With a total CO2 emission of 205,676,830 kg/year, the levelized cost of energy for the current system is USD 0.196/kWh. The levelized cost for the diesel system will rise to USD 0.243/kWh when taking 100 US dollars per ton of CO2 into account. Due to system advantages, the results showed that using solar, wind, and fuel cells is the most practical and cost-effective technique. The results of this research illustrated the feasibility and effectiveness of utilizing wind and solar resources for both hydrogen and energy production and also suggested that hydrogen is a more cost-effective long-term energy storage option than batteries.


A zinc diphosphonate with protonated 2,4,6-tri(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine (H3TPT) as the template was hydrothermally prepared. The host layered framework was composed of 1-hydroxyethylidenediphosphonate and zinc ions. The guest H3TPT locates between the adjacent layers, acting as the charge balancer and template. The title compound features rapid photochromism upon irradiation with sunlight or UV light at ambient temperature.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the implementation and outcomes of evidence-based fall-risk-reduction processes when those processes are implemented using a multiteam system (MTS) structure.

DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING
Fall-risk-reduction process and outcome measures from 16 small rural hospitals participating in a research demonstration and dissemination study from August 2012 to July 2014. Previously, these hospitals lacked a fall-event reporting system to drive improvement.

STUDY DESIGN
A one-group pretest-posttest embedded in a participatory research framework. We required hospitals to implement MTSs, which we supported by conducting education, developing an online toolkit, and establishing a fall-event reporting system.

DATA COLLECTION
Hospitals used gap analyses to assess the presence of fall-risk-reduction processes at study beginning and their frequency and effectiveness at study end; they reported fall-event data throughout the study.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
The extent to which hospitals implemented 21 processes to coordinate the fall-risk-reduction program and trained staff specifically about the program predicted unassisted and injurious fall rates during the end-of-study period (January 2014-July 2014). Bedside fall-risk-reduction processes were not significant predictors of these outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS
Multiteam systems that effectively coordinate fall-risk-reduction processes may improve the capacity of hospitals to manage the complex patient, environmental, and system factors that result in falls.


Background Each year more than 1.3 million people worldwide die as a result of violence in all its forms (self-directed, interpersonal and collective), accounting for 2.5% of global mortality. Recent global prevalence figures indicate that 35% of women worldwide have experienced either intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. The first report of the "WHO Multi-country study on women's health and domestic violence against women" (2005) found that, among women aged 15–49, 30% in rural Bangladesh reported that their first sexual experience was forced. Our study aims at exploring the extent and associated factors of violence against women in a low-and middle-income country (LMIC) setting. Methods A community base active surveillance system around 6,56,115 population was established in three upazillas (Raiganj, Sherpur, Manohardi) of Bangladesh in 2009 July to 2010 June. Data on Injury and other health event are being collected by chain surveillance data collector. We have analysed the mentioned one year data. Results A total of 694 violence incidents were identified during the reporting period and 281 cases were violence against women. It is also revealed that >18 age group of women were mostly victimised. 93% of the cases were caused due to quarrel or fight. Most of the violence against women occurred by their husband (23%) and known non relatives (21%). Conclusions The findings of this study could be the knowledge based for the policy maker in addressing these inhuman acts as well as improving medical care for the victims.


The research described is concerned with establishing the aesthetic and functional evaluation of shape aspects within an evolutionary CAD modelling system. The approach uses genetic algorithms to evolve shapes by the successive 'mating' of objects through crossover and mutation of chromosomes describing geometric, aesthetic and functional aspects of objects. An evolutionary design system based on the genetic algorithm techniques generates shapes and the designer interacts with the system to identify shapes that should be used in the genetic creation of future generations. The current research is aimed at combining formal aesthetic and functional elements within the chromosome description of the objects and to provide computer-based fitness functions to work in conjunction with input from the designer to guide the optimisation of the evolutionary designs.


OF DISSERTATION PREFERENCES: OPTIMIZATION, IMPORTANCE LEARNING AND STRATEGIC BEHAVIORS Preferences are fundamental to decision making and play an important role in artificial intelligence. Our research focuses on three group of problems based on the preference formalism Answer Set Optimization (ASO) [27]: preference aggregation problems such as computing optimal (near optimal) solutions, strategic behaviors in preference representation, and learning ranks (weights) for preferences. In the first group of problems, of interest are optimal outcomes, that is, outcomes that are optimal with respect to the preorder defined by the preference rules. In this work, we consider computational problems concerning optimal outcomes. We propose, implement and study methods to compute an optimal outcome; to compute another optimal outcome once the first one is found; to compute an optimal outcome that is similar to (or, dissimilar from) a given candidate outcome; and to compute a set of optimal answer sets each significantly different from the others. For the decision version of several of these problems we establish their computational complexity. For the second topic, the strategic behaviors such as manipulation and bribery have received much attention from the social choice community. We study these concepts for preference formalisms that identify a set of optimal outcomes rather than a single winning outcome, the case common to social choice. Such preference formalisms are of interest in the context of combinatorial domains, where preference representations are only approximations to true preferences, and seeking a single optimal outcome runs a risk of missing the one which is optimal with respect to the actual preferences. In this work, we assume that preferences may be ranked (differ in importance), and we use the Pareto principle adjusted to the case of ranked preferences as the preference aggregation rule. For two important classes of preferences, representing the extreme ends of the spectrum, we provide characterizations of situations when manipulation and bribery is possible, and establish the complexity of the problem to decide that. Finally, we study the problem of learning the importance of individual preferences in preference profiles aggregated by the ranked Pareto rule or positional scoring rules. We provide a polynomial-time algorithm that finds a ranking of preferences such that the ranked profile correctly decided all the examples, whenever such a ranking exists. We also show that the problem to learn a ranking maximizing the number of correctly decided examples is NP-hard. We obtain similar results for the case of weighted profiles.


The Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development (United Nations, 2015) is a call for "[a] world with equitable and universal access to… health care and social protection, where physical, mental and social well- being are assured". While some challenges to the meeting of this goal are difficult to predict, and outwith the scope of modelling, a key potential driver of this is the changing age profile of populations. This paper summarises the likely challenges to the delivery of this goal arising from changes in the age structure of countries in Asia and the Pacific. It then seeks to model the extent to which future healthcare expenditures (HCEs) may vary according to changes in the observable determinants of HCEs. While modelling is subject to significant uncertainty, we provide scenario estimates of future healthcare expenditures according to variation in the age profile of populations, the extent to which future ageing may be healthier, future gross domestic product (GDP), changes in the age profile of per-capita spending, and population preferences for spending on healthcare. Our central estimates are that HCEs as a proportion of GDP are likely to increase from around 5.3% to 9.7% by 2060, rising to 13.2% if assumptions regarding future healthy ageing do not hold. For high income countries in the region, this is likely to peak and level off at around 11% of GDP, while for medium income countries this is projected to reach 9.6% by 2060.


3D petal-like NiCo2S4 nanostructures have been fabricated via a simple, mild and efficient hydrothermal strategy and the growth mechanism of NiCo2S4 nano-petals has been investigated. Such NiCo2S4 nano-petal electrodes can deliver an ultrahigh specific capacitance of 2036.5 F g−1 at a current density of 1 A g−1, superior rate capability and remarkable cycle stability (94.3% of capacitance retention after 5000 cycles). The as-fabricated asymmetric supercapacitors based on NiCo2S4 nano-petals//active carbon electrodes demonstrate a high energy density of 35.6 W h kg−1 at a power density of 819.5 W kg−1, with both long-term cycling and high rate stabilities. Such supercapacitors have been tested to power ten LEDs (2.03 V, 20 mA) in series for around 60 minutes, indicating their great potential for practical application.


Web services provided a new solution for reusing and assembling web software or components under the distributed service-oriented architecture and acrossplatform environment with a series of XML-based protocols. An architecture-based service composition model based on the architecture life-cycle is proposed, which provide a mechanism for dynamic service management and deployment. It also guarantees the version control of service components and a manageable evolvement process of application system. In addition, a kind of relationship-oriented service composition description language, i.e., RSCDL, for description the composition process is investigated, which can guarantee that the complex services can be composed of the reused atomic services by different structural types and can provide a value-added service to different users.


ABSTRACT A novel arsenate-reducing bacterium, designated strain PSR-1, was isolated from arsenic-contaminated soil. Strain PSR-1 was phylogenetically closely related to Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans 2CP-1T with 16S rRNA gene similarity of 99.7% and coupled the oxidation of acetate with the reduction of arsenate. Arsenate reduction was inhibited almost completely by respiratory inhibitors such as dicumarol and 2-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline N-oxide. Strain PSR-1 also utilized soluble Fe(III), ferrihydrite, nitrate, oxygen, and fumarate as electron acceptors. Strain PSR-1 catalyzed the release of arsenic from arsenate-adsorbed ferrihydrite. In addition, inoculation of washed cells of strain PSR-1 into sterilized soil successfully reproduced arsenic release. Arsenic K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) analysis revealed that the proportion of arsenite in the soil solid phase actually increased from 20% to 50% during incubation with washed cells of strain PSR-1. These results suggest that strain PSR-1 is capable of reducing not only dissolved arsenate but also arsenate adsorbed on the soil mineral phase. Arsenate reduction by strain PSR-1 expands the metabolic versatility of Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans. Considering its distribution throughout diverse soils and anoxic sediments, Anaeromyxobacter dehalogenans may play a role in arsenic release from these environments.


Autonomous robot teams that simultaneously dispatch transportation tasks are playing more and more an important role in present logistic centers and manufacturing plants. In this paper we consider the problem of robot motion planning for large robot teams in the industrial domain. We present adaptive road map optimization (ARMO) that is capable of adapting the road map whenever the environment has changed. Based on linear programming, ARMO computes an optimal road map configuration according to environmental constraints (including human whereabouts) and the demand for transportation tasks from loading stations in the plant. For detecting dynamic changes, the environment is described by a grid map augmented with a hidden Markov model (HMM). We show experimentally that ARMO outperforms decoupled planning in terms of computation time and time needed for task completion.


This paper explores the concept of women's nutritional empowerment and develops a framework for operationalizing it. The paper specifically focuses on the nutritional outcomes of women themselves, rather than on their children. The emphasis on nutritional empowerment addresses an important gap in both literature and policy practice relating to gender equality, agriculture and food security. Interventions to enhance agricultural productivity and food production do not always translate into improved nutritional outcomes. Further, agricultural interventions claiming to promote the economic empowerment of women but focusing exclusively on income-generating opportunities may inadvertently increase their work burden (both paid and unpaid) and undermine their health and nutrition. The proposed framework includes the domains of food, health, and institutions and articulates their multiple linkages. Both paid and unpaid work are important mediating factors in these interactions. We aim to identify specific individual constraints as well as broader structural factors that may prevent rural women from achieving adequate nutritional outcomes and to develop tools to assess the relative weight of these factors in different contexts. The analysis draws on quantitative and qualitative data from Bangladesh and India but, with further validation, could have wider applicability. We hope this exercise could provide the basis for a first-cut of a gender and nutrition diagnostic tool to support efforts to promote well-targeted policies for nutritional security, specifically of rural women.


The trichothecenes are a group of structurally complex sesquiterpenoids of considerable environmental importance. It is difficult to obtain many of these compounds in significant amounts from natural sources, and much effort has been directed towards devising efficient, practicable syntheses of these molecules and their analogues. This research project has concentrated on the synthesis of T-2 tetraol, one of the most highly oxygenated trichothecenes. Diels-Alder reaction between isoprene and coumalyl chloride (260, R=Cl) followed by in situ conversion to methyl ester (266) established the cis-fused AB ring system of T-2 tetraol. Dimethyl lithium cuprate addition to (266) gave the 1,4-addition product (259) as a single methyl epimer. Stereoselective epoxidation produced (280) in good yield. Epoxide rearrangement using BF3. Et2O gave ketone (283) which was converted into ketal (258). Alternatively, a one pot epoxide-ketal conversion could be used to transform (280) into (258). Oxidation of (258) was accomplished using the MoOPH reagent of Vedejs. Corey oxidation of the epimeric mixture of a-hydroxy lactones gave enol lactone (288). Allylation of (288) furnished enol ether lactone (289), a two step reduction of which using the method of Kraus gave pyran (291). LiAlH4 reduction of (291) gave the unstable neopentyl alcohol (292), Claisen rearrangement of which produced allyl ketone (294) as a 3.2:1 mixture of alpha-allyl:beta-allyl epimers as determined by G. L. C. and n.o.e. experiments. Protection of the free alcohol (294) as the silyl ether (302) followed by catalytic osmylation gave diol (320), which was cleaved with ethereal periodic acid to yield noraldehyde (303). Aldol cyclisation then gave the tricyclic ketol (306) which was protected as its tetrahydropyranyl ether (333). Installation of the 12,13-alkene was achieved by means of a Wittig reaction. Selective removal of the THP ether gave olefinalcohol (332) and thence ketone (336). Alpha oxygenation, followed by hydride reduction,generated (346), possessing the required ring C trans-3alpha,4beta-diol system. Deketalisation, epoxidation, dehydrogenation, reduction and finally deprotection are the operations necessary to complete the synthesis of T-2 tetraol in racemic form.


In a peaks over threshold analysis of a series of river flows, a sufficiently high threshold is used to extract the peaks of independent flood events. This paper reviews existing, and proposes new, statistical models for both the annual counts of such events and the process of event peak times. The most common existing model for the process of event times is a homogeneous Poisson process. This model is motivated by asymptotic theory. However, empirical evidence suggests that it is not the most appropriate model, since it implies that the mean and variance of the annual counts are the same, whereas the counts appear to be overdispersed, i.e., have a larger variance than mean. This paper describes how the homogeneous Poisson process can be extended to incorporate time variation in the rate at which events occur and so help to account for overdispersion in annual counts through the use of regression and mixed models. The implications of these new models on the implied probability distribution of the annual maxima are also discussed. The models are illustrated using a historical flow series from the River Thames at Kingston.


Mycotic diseases are ubiquitous pathologies. Candidiasis frequently affects oral and pharyngeal mucosa (oropharyngeal candidiasis). The immunodeficiency conditions are the key factors responsible for the development of mycoses. Colonization of pharyngeal mucosa by yeast-like fungi is a frequent consequence of local and systemic antibacterial therapy. Clinical manifestations of ENT diseases caused by microscopic fungi depend on the localization of the pathological process. Mycotic lesions in the pharynx are especially often caused by fungi of the genus Candida. Mild cases are possible to manage by the local treatment. Severe infection refractory to local therapy and characterized by regular relapses require systemic antimycotic agents to be applied. The application of fluconazole is generally accepted to be the method of choice for the elimination of different strains of Candida.


The two big centers of the humanistic towns of Castiglione Olona (from 1421) and of Pienza (from 1462) clear the way for a phenomenon which in the middle of 16th century founds its coding in Sabbioneta (from 1554). There are many various ideal cities which travel along the century and often suggest methodological questions: ideal cities or simple high quality projects on an architectural and urban scale? Innovative districts or real urban inventions? The paper proposes both a chronological and typological seriation and an enounciation of methodological criteria for the identification and the highlighting of the peculiarities proper of this chronological phase, partially different from what achieved in the second half of the 16th century.


Background and aims To investigate the factors associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-related pericardial effusion/cardiac tamponade and its long-term outcome in Chinese patients. Methods Medical records of 690 SLE patients who admitted in Chang Gung Medical Centre from 2005 to 2012 were reviewed. Results The mean ages at onset and at admission were 36.3±16.4 years and 40.8±16.0 years, respectively. Of the 690 patients, 113 (16.4%) had SLE-related pericardial effusion. Cardiac tamponade developed in 9.7% (11 of 113) patients with pericardial effusion or in 1.5% (11 of 690) of SLE patients. Moreover, 4 of the 11 patients represented with cardiac tamponade as initial presentation of SLE. Cox regression analysis indicated that age at admission >50 years (HR 3.38, 95% CI 2.06–5.55, p<0.001), pericarditis (HR 1.70, 95% CI 1.00–2.90, p=0.049), pleuritis (HR 2.30, 95% CI 1.43–3.72, p=0.001), leukopenia (HR 1.90, 95% CI 1.11–3.24, p=0.019), thrombocytopenia (HR 3.28, 95% CI 1.82–5.89, p<0.001), and seizure (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.12–3.00, p=0.016) were associated with mortality in SLE. The mortality rate was higher in the pericardial effusion group (30.1%; 34/113) than in the non-pericardial effusion group (11.3%; 65/577; p<0.001)The cumulative survival rate of the non-pericardial effusion group was 96.9%, 95.8%, 93.6%, and 87.1% at 1 year, 2 years, 5 years and 10 years; which were 89.0%, 86.0%, 78.4%, and 69.6%, respectively, in the pericardial effusion group. Abstract 432 Figure 1 Conclusions This study underlines the prevalence and outcome of pericardial effusion/cardiac tamponade in SLE, which is significant related to patient survival.


O-aminophenol has extensive uses as a conducting material and in electrochemical devices. The objective of this research was to investigate the influence of biofield energy treatment on the physical thermal and spectral properties of o-aminophenol. The study was performed in two groups; the control group was remained as untreated, while the treated group was subjected to Mr. Trivedi's biofield energy treatment. Subsequently, the control and treated o-aminophenol samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), surface area analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and Ultra violet-visible spectroscopy analysis (UV-vis). The XRD analysis showed an increase in peak intensity of the treated o-aminophenol with respect to the control. Additionally, the crystallite size of the treated o-aminophenol was increased by 34.51% with respect to the control sample. DSC analysis showed a slight increase in the melting temperature of the treated sample as compared to the control. However, a significant increase in the latent heat of fusion was observed in the treated o-aminophenol by 162.24% with respect to the control. TGA analysis showed an increase in the maximum thermal decomposition temperature (Tmax) in treated o-aminophenol (178.17oC) with respect to the control (175oC). It may be inferred that the thermal stability of o-aminophenol increased after the biofield treatment. The surface area analysis using BET showed a substantial decrease in the surface area of the treated sample by 47.1% as compared to the control. The FT-IR analysis showed no changes in the absorption peaks of the treated sample with respect to the control. UV-visible analysis showed alteration in the absorption peaks i.e. 211→203 nm and 271→244 nm of the treated o-aminophenol as compared to the control. Overall, the results showed that the biofield treatment caused an alteration in the physical, thermal and spectral properties of the treated o-aminophenol.


Building the hardware for a high-performance distributed computer system is a lot easier than building its software. The authors describe a model for programming distributed systems based on abstract data types that can be replicated on all machines that need them. Read operations are done locally, without requiring network traffic. Writes can be done using a reliable broadcast algorithm if the hardware supports broadcasting; otherwise, a point-to-point protocol is used. The authors have built such a system based on the Amoeba microkernel, and implemented a language, Orca, on top of it. For Orca applications that have a high ratio of reads to writes, they measure good speedups on a system with 16 processors.<<ETX>>