ABSTRACT Evidence suggests that HIV-infected adolescents experience elevated levels of fatigue that impacts their functioning at school and other important aspects of their lives. Yet, fatigue has not been measured amongst this population group. In this cross-sectional, mixed-methods study, we explored the psychometric properties of the 11-item Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire (CFQ) amongst 134 South African adolescents (11–18 years old) receiving antiretroviral therapy in the Western Cape. Using the Likert scoring method for the CFQ, the mean total score was 14.89 (SD = 3.83) and about a quarter (n = 33, 24.63%) of adolescents scored ≥18, indicating problematic levels of fatigue. The CFQ demonstrated good internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.83 (0.84, with item 11 deleted), which is comparable to other validation studies. On the first iteration of the principal component analysis (PCA) with a Varimax rotation, three factors accounted for 59.15% of the variance. However, the third factor consisted of one item only which we chose to remove from the analysis. On the second iteration of the PCA, a two-factor solution was retained that accounted for 54.24% of the variance. The first factor, 'Physical fatigue', represented the first eight items on the scale. The second factor, 'Mental fatigue', represented items 9 and 10. The CFQ also demonstrated modest content and construct validity. The CFQ is a short, easy-to-use and cost-effective measure of fatigue, and demonstrates reliability and validity amongst a South African sample of adolescents. Given the high rate of fatigue amongst our participants, we recommend that future interventions be developed to reduce fatigue among HIV-infected adolescents, which may ultimately lead to improvements in school performance and social functioning. Future research may include test–retest reliability of the CFQ in order to show stability over time.


Event-by-event fluctuations caused by quantum mechanical fluctuations in the wave function of colliding nuclei in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions were recently shown to be necessary for the simultaneous description of $R_{AA}$ as well as the elliptic and triangular flow harmonics at high $p_T$ in PbPb collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. In fact, the presence of a finite triangular flow as well as cumulants of the flow harmonic distribution that differ from the mean are only possible when these event-by-event fluctuations are considered. In this paper we combine event-by-event viscous hydrodynamics and jet quenching to make predictions for high $p_T$ $R_{AA}$, $v_2\{2\}$, $v_3\{2\}$, and $v_2\{4\}$ in PbPb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}=5.02$ TeV. With an order of magnitude larger statistics we find that high $p_T$ elliptic flow does not scale linearly with the soft elliptical flow, as originally thought, but has deviations from perfectly linear scaling. A new experimental observable, which involves the difference between the ratio of harmonic flow cumulants at high and low $p_T$, is proposed to investigate the fluctuations of high $p_T$ flow harmonics and measure this nonlinear response. By varying the path length dependence of the energy loss and the viscosity of the evolving medium we find that $R_{AA}(p_T)$ and $v_2\{2\}(p_T)$ strongly depend on the choice for the path length dependence of the energy loss, which can be constrained using the new LHC run 2 data.


The purpose of this document is to describe the National Ignition Facility (NIF) Project Organization and the top level roles and responsibilities of the managers charged with executing the Project.


The study of symbolic communication is a key research area in both the social and natural sciences. However, little has been done in order to bridge these scientific domains, so an unfortunate gulf between them still persists. Even less has been done in the field of computational sociology, in which most research using agent-based models has disregarded the importance of symbolic communication. It is this lacuna that the thesis addresses. In the thesis, it is claimed that the type of emergent properties that are inherent to social phenomena are likely to result from the unique fact that the participating entities are symbolic agents. It is proposed that symbolic communication is a threshold phenomenon that emerges in the intersections among human cognition, social interactions and human biology. A theoretical framework with which to clarify this connection is also presented. In order to test in silico some hypotheses derived from this theoretical framework, the analysis relies upon two agent-based models. Different simulation methods and techniques were used, such as reinforcement learning algorithms, genetic algorithms, graph theory, and evolutionary game theory. To investigate the simulation results, multivariate analysis techniques, social network analysis and differential equations were used. The first agent-based model was developed to study the properties of an emergent communication system, in which groups of 'speechless' agents create local lexicons and compete with each other to spread them throughout the whole population. The model results indicate that a common lexicon can emerge on the condition that a group of agents develops a communicative strategy that favours their mutual understanding and allows them to reach more recipients for their utterances. An analysis of the agents' social networks reveals that strong mutual relations among agents from the same group, high 'immunity' to external influence and high capability of speaking to agents from different groups play a fundamental role in the process of spreading lexicons. The second agent-based model was built to study the pre-linguistic stage of cooperation among individuals required for the emergence of symbolic communication. In this model, agents reproduce sexually, males and females differ in their reproductive costs and they play the iterated prisoner's dilemma. The model results show that, when male reproductive costs are less than female reproductive costs, males cooperate with females even when females do not reciprocate. This non-reciprocal cooperation, in turn, produces a sustained population growth, because females can reproduce faster despite their high reproductive costs. Finally, a mathematical model of cumulative cultural evolution is used to investigate different patterns of population dynamics, and it is demonstrated that the artificial societies in which non-reciprocal cooperation emerges are able to sustain more complex cultural artefacts, such as communicative symbols. Linking computational sociology to appropriate theories of language evolution, communication, evolutionary biology and cognitive research, the thesis provides concept- ually grounded mechanisms to explain the emergence and evolution of symbolic communication. In so doing, the thesis contributes both substantively and methodologically to academic work on computational sociology, as well as agent-based models of symbolic communication.


A new algorithm, Neighborhood MinMax Projections (NMMP), is proposed for supervised dimensionality reduction in this paper. The algorithm aims at learning a linear transformation, and focuses only on the pairwise points where the two points are neighbors of each other. After the transformation, the considered pairwise points within the same class are as close as possible, while those between different classes are as far as possible. We formulate this problem as a constrained optimization problem, in which the global optimum can be effectively and efficiently obtained. Compared with the popular supervised method, Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), our method has three significant advantages. First, it is able to extract more discriminative features. Second, it can deal with the case where the class distributions aremore complex than Gaussian. Third, the singularity problem existing in LDA does not occur naturally. The performance on several data sets demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method.


Scientific theories that explain how physical systems behave are described by mathematical models which provide the basis for computer simulations of events that occur in the physical universe. These models, being only mathematical characterizations of actual phenomena, are obviously subject to error because of the inherent limitations of all mathematical abstractions. In this work, new theory and methodologies are developed to quantify such modeling error in a special way that resolves a fundamental and standing issue: multiscale modeling, the development of models of events that transcend many spatial and temporal scales. Specifically, we devise the machinery for a posteriori estimates of relative modeling error between a model of fine scale and another of coarser scale, and we use this methodology as a general approach to multiscale problems. The target application is one of critical importance to nanomanufacturing: imprint lithography of semiconductor devices.
The development of numerical methods for multiscale modeling has become one of the most important areas of computational science. Technological developments in the manufacturing of semiconductors hinge upon the ability to understand physical phenomena from the nanoscale to the microscale and beyond. Predictive simulation tools are critical to the advancement of nanomanufacturing semiconductor devices. In principle, they can displace expensive experiments and testing and optimize the design of the manufacturing process. The development of such tools rest on the edge of contemporary methods and high-performance computing capabilities and is a major open problem in computational science.
In this dissertation, a molecular model is used to simulate the deformation of polymeric materials used in the fabrication of semiconductor devices. Algorithms are described which lead to a complex molecular model of polymer materials designed to produce an etch barrier, a critical component in imprint lithography approaches to semiconductor manufacturing. Each application of this so-called polymerization process leads to one realization of a lattice-type model of the polymer, a molecular statics model of enormous size and complexity. This is referred to as the base model for analyzing the deformation of the etch barrier, a critical feature of the manufacturing process. To reduce the size and complexity of this model, a sequence of coarser surrogate models is generated. These surrogates are the multiscale models critical to the successful computer simulation of the entire manufacturing process. The surrogate involves a combination of particle models, the molecular model of the polymer, and a coarse-scale model of the polymer as a nonlinear hyperelastic material. Coefficients for the nonlinear elastic continuum model are determined using numerical experiments on representative volume elements of the polymer model. Furthermore, a simple model of initial strain is incorporated in the continuum equations to model the inherit shrinking of the material.
A coupled particle and continuum model is constructed using a special algorithm designed to provide constraints on a region of overlap between the continuum and particle models. This coupled model is based on the so-called Arlequin method that was introduced in the context of coupling two continuum models with differing levels of discretization. It is shown that the Arlequin problem for the particle-to-continuum model is well posed in a one-dimensional setting involving linear harmonic springs coupled with a linearly elastic continuum. Several numerical examples are presented. Numerical experiments in three dimensions are also discussed in which the polymer model is coupled to a nonlinear elastic continuum.
Error estimates in local quantities of interest are constructed in order to estimate the modeling error due to the approximation of the particle model by the coupled multiscale surrogate model. The estimates of the error are computed by solving an auxiliary adjoint, or dual, problem that incorporates as data the quantity of interest or its derivatives. The solution of the adjoint problem indicates how the error in the approximation of the polymer model influences the error in the quantity of interest. The error in the quantity of interest represents the relative error between the value of the quantity evaluated for the base model, a quantity typically unavailable or intractable, and the value of the quantity of interest provided by the multiscale surrogate model. To estimate the error in the quantity of interest, a theorem is employed that establishes that the error coincides with the value of the residual functional acting on the adjoint solution plus a higher-order remainder. For each surrogate in a sequence of surrogates generated, the residual functional acting on various approximations of the adjoint is computed.
These error estimates are used to construct an adaptive algorithm whereby the model is adapted by supplying additional fine-scale data in certain subdomains in order to reduce the error in the quantity of interest. The adaptation algorithm involves partitioning the domain and selecting which subdomains are to use the particle model, the continuum model, and where the two overlap. When the algorithm identifies that a region contributes a relatively large amount to the error in the quantity of interest, it is scheduled for refinement by switching the model for that region to the particle model. Numerical experiments on several configurations representative of nano-features in semiconductor device fabrication demonstrate the effectiveness of the error estimate in controlling the modeling error as well as the ability of the adaptive algorithm to reduce the error in the quantity of interest.
There are two major conclusions of this study: (1) an effective and well posed multiscale model that couples particle and continuum models can be constructed as a surrogate to molecular statics models of polymer networks and (2) an error estimate of the modeling error for such systems can be estimated with sufficient accuracy to provide the basis for very effective multiscale modeling procedures. The methodology developed in this study provides a general approach to multiscale modeling. The computational procedures, computer codes, and results could provide a powerful tool in understanding, designing, and optimizing an important class of semiconductor-manufacturing processes.
The study in this dissertation involves all three components of the CAM graduate program requirements: Area A, Applicable Mathematics; Area B, Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computation; and Area C, Mathematical Modeling and Applications. The multiscale modeling approach developed here is based on the construction of continuum surrogates and coupling them to molecular statics models of polymer as well as a posteriori estimates of error and their adaptive control. A detailed mathematical analysis is provided for the Arlequin method in the context of coupling particle and continuum models for a class of one-dimensional model problems. Algorithms are described and implemented that solve the adaptive, nonlinear problem proposed in the multiscale surrogate problem. Large scale, parallel computations for the base model are also shown. Finally, detailed studies of models relevant to applications to semiconductor manufacturing are presented.


SUMMARY
In contrast to the accumulated data on nuclear transport mechanisms of macromolecules, little is known concerning the regulated release of nuclear-exported complexes and their subsequent trans-cytoplasmic movement. The bipartite begomovirus nuclear shuttle protein (NSP) facilitates the nuclear export of viral DNA and cooperates with the movement protein (MP) to transport viral DNA across the plant cell wall. Here, we identified a cellular NSP-interacting GTPase (NIG) with biochemical properties consistent with a nucleocytoplasmic transport role. We show that NIG is a cytosolic GTP-binding protein that accumulates around the nuclear envelope and possesses intrinsic GTPase activity. NIG interacts with NSP in vitro and in vivo (under transient expression), and redirects the viral protein from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. We propose that NIG acts as a positive contributor to geminivirus infection by modulating NSP nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and hence facilitating MP-NSP interaction in the cortical cytoplasm. In support of this, overexpression of NIG in Arabidopsis enhances susceptibility to geminivirus infection. In addition to highlighting the relevance of NIG as a cellular co-factor for NSP function, our findings also have implications for general nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of cellular macromolecules.


Preserve knowledge, retain knowledge, these are the objectives of a scalable enterprise. Knowledge mapping is graphical techniques which allows of preserving and visualizing the patrimony strategic and trades of the domains of knowledge acquired over the years. The approach presented in this paper draws, firstly, on the exploitation of different data sources for improving the process of acquisition of explicit knowledge on an organization. In this sense, our contribution is to produce, from one hand inductive Boolean rules that will feed knowledge base CASI, and from other hand, refinement of Boolean model of the knowledge mapping already achieved by the MASKII method (Critical Knowledge Mapping).


It has been suggested that the ability to drive a car is impaired in patients with cirrhosis of the liver and minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE). However, the only study using an on‐road driving test did not reveal such an impairment. In a prospective controlled study, we evaluated patients with cirrhosis of the liver for MHE and the ability to drive a car. MHE was diagnosed using three psychometric tests: Number Connection Test Part A, Digit Symbol Test, and a Complex Choice Reaction Test. In a standardized on‐road driving test (22 miles, 90 minutes), designed for patients with brain impairment, a professional driving instructor blind to the subjects' diagnosis and test results assessed the driving performance. Four global driving categories (car handling, adaptation to traffic situation, cautiousness, maneuvering), 17 specific driving actions (e.g., changing lanes, overtaking, etc.), and a total score of driving performance were rated using a 6‐point scale. Of 274 consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis, 48 fulfilled the medical and driving inclusion criteria, 14 of them with and 34 without MHE. Forty‐nine subjects in a stable phase of chronic gastroenterological diseases and with normal liver findings served as controls. The total driving score of patients with MHE was significantly reduced in comparison to either cirrhotic patients without MHE or to controls (P < .05). Significant differences in ratings were found in the following driving categories: car handling, adaptation, and cautiousness. Significant differences were also found in specific driving actions. The instructor had to intervene in the driving of 5 of the 14 MHE patients to avoid an accident, significantly more than in cirrhotic patients without MHE and in controls. There was no significant difference in any driving category or specific driving action in cirrhotic patients without MHE compared to controls. In conclusion, fitness to drive a car can be impaired in patients with MHE. Therefore, patients with liver cirrhosis should be tested for MHE and informed in the case of abnormal test results. Therapy known to improve psychometric test results should be initiated. (HEPATOLOGY 2004;39:739 –745.)


It is presented a review of the guidelines implementation of the National Food and Nutrition Policy (PNAN) contextualizing the actions in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) scenario. At ten years of its publication, PNAN faces challenges both to expand and qualify the shares of food and nutrition on health. It is challenging to stand as interlocutor and legitimate representative of the area of health, political and institutional context of food security and nutrition. Issues related to the articulation of PNAN and future National Policy on Food and Nutrition Security will be analyzed to demonstrate the convergence of agendas among the priorities for the guarantee of the SAN. The authors identify the potential of this field of action, from the current institutional setting, and the need for comprehensive solutions that address the complexity of food and nutrition in health.


A soft bending sensor based on the inverse pyramid structure is demonstrated, revealing that it can effectively suppress microcrack formation in designated regions, thus allowing the cracks to open gradually with bending in a controlled manner. Such a feature enabled the bending sensor to simultaneously have a wide dynamic range of bending strain (0.025-5.4%), high gauge factor (∼74), and high linearity (R2 ∼ 0.99). Furthermore, the bending sensor can capture repeated instantaneous changes in strain and various types of vibrations, owing to its fast response time. Moreover, the bending direction can be differentiated with a single layer of the sensor, and using an array of sensors integrated on a glove, object recognition was demonstrated via machine learning. Finally, a self-monitoring proprioceptive ionic electroactive polymer (IEAP) actuator capable of operating in liquid was demonstrated. Such features of our bending sensor will enable a simple and effective way of detecting sophisticated motion, thus potentially advancing wearable healthcare monitoring electronics and enabling proprioceptive soft robotics.


The new e-learning technologies offer the rich promise and potential of learning delivery at any time, anywhere, on any topic. Without careful management of the learning process, application of best principles and practices in e-learning design strategies, effective attention to staff development, provision of extensive learner support services, and careful focus on a range of socio-educational issues, the promise may lead to a widening gap in access between rich and poor, young and old, employed and unemployed, and computer literate and illiterate persons. Access to e-learning may actually be made more difficult by the wider use of technology claimed to be able to improve it. Some aspects of this access-related agenda worth considering further are awareness, situation/location, user cost and perceptions, e-learning design strategies, and personal competence and skilling. Other access issues are: an organization's level of readiness for e-learning; faculty participation; convenience of access as an important factor influencing learner satisfaction with the system; and the extent of congruity/compatibility among adults' learning styles and e-learning. (Contains 39 references.) (YLB)


The study aimed to examine several assumptions of dual process theories of reasoning by employing individual difference approach. A set of categorical syllogisms was administered to a relatively large sample of participants (N = 247) along with attached confidence rating scales, and
measures of intelligence and cognitive reflection. As expected, response accuracy on syllogistic reasoning tasks highly depended on task
complexity and the status of belief-logic conflict, thus demonstrating beliefbias on the group level. Individual difference analyses showed that more biased subject also performed poorer on Raven's Matrices (r = .25) and Cognitive Reflection Test (r = .27), which is in line with assumptions that willingness to engage and capacities to carry out type 2
processes both contribute to understanding of rational thinking. Moreover, measures of cognitive decoupling were significantly correlated
with the performance on conflict syllogisms (r = .20). Individual differences in sensitivity to conflict detection, on the other side, were not related to reasoning accuracy in general (r = .02). Yet, additional analyses showed that noteworthy correlation between these two
can be observed for easier syllogistic reasoning tasks (r = .26). Such results indicate that boundary conditions of conflict detection should be viewed as a function of both tasks' and participants' characteristics.


Transitional justice concepts have hitherto paid little to no attention to gender as an important consideration in addressing sexual and gender-based violence after traumatic conflicts and wars. In this article, which was given at a Pan-African conference on Transitional Justice and Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Nairobi, Kenya, in July 2008, I explore the reasons for the invisibility of women and gender in transitional justice vehicles such as truth commissions and judicial and other adjudicatory processes. I argue that legal, political, cultural, and moral regimes must demarginalize women and gender at the national and international levels, including in the home to raise gender-sensitive progeny and to combat misogyny. I call for a concerted legal and political approaches and commitments on the part of families, states, civil society, intergovernmental organizations, and the market in both the public and private squares to put gender and women at the center of law and policy in general, and in transitional justice arrangements, in particular.


Creating healthy workplaces considering ergonomic risks is becoming a necessary part of preventive approach in design of workplaces. Preventive approach has positive impact including economical, health and safety measures. Corrective approach can be used when e.g. health issues must be improved. Performance analysis is important for employers in competitive domestic or global market. If the analysis is made on the basis of faulty or incomplete information, such analysis may not be reliable and consequently the decision made might yield an unexpected result. Thus, proper usage of performance indicators is vital to avoid mistakes and minimise such risk. Our study is focused on workplace in automotive industry, where worker removes product from the line and place the product in crates located next to the line. Worker prepares crates continuously after he fills them with product for full capacity. Quantitative analysis of ergonomic risk was performed with wireless multisensory measurement system Captiv, based on complaints from workers related to upper limbs and neck pain. Improvements in workplace design were suggested, also process changes were analysed by working posture analysis based on results measured with Captiv system.


This article will cover the Gorean games – online role-playing games designed by and for the players in a participatory logic (Jenkins, 2006) - in the Second Life virtual multi-user environment. This is the gaming adaptation of the science fiction novels "The Chronicles of Gor", which depict a religion whose consequences are both diegetic and ludic. The inhabitants of the planet Gor are artificially maintained in a pre-modern state of civilization through religious prohibition preventing technological development, decreed by the Priest-Kings, their gods. The result is a society in which the mechanisms of evolution are unrestrained. The law of natural order underlying these mechanisms is inspired by a Darwinian doctrinal intertext (Suleiman, 1983). It promotes the emergence of a race of warriors and widespread slavery. This law also structures the gaming community into two antagonistic subcultures, one of which is the defender and the other, the detractor. Their clashes take place both at the diegetic level as well as at the level of designing the game mechanics.


Participatory Budgeting (PB) is an innovation in participatory democracy. Inspired by social and political movements for citizen participation in Brazil in the 1980s which aimed to tackle democratic deficits and target public funds at the most marginalised communities (Abers et al. 2018; Novy & Leubolt, 2005). It has since evolved, with over 3000 reported experiences globally (Shah, 2007). PB is now expanding rapidly in Europe and the USA. With that shift it can be argued that it has moved away from primarily promoting equity and re-distribution of resources towards a focus on public participation in public service delivery (Sintomer et al., 2012), with the legitimacy that brings for government. We explored the extent to which PB can and does support the development of the local social economy, in particular the development of social enterprises and cooperatives. Through reflecting on the longitudinal qualitative learning of some key actors in the development of Participatory Budgeting in the UK, viewed through a social economy lens, we found that Participatory Budgeting, in and of itself, stimulates the development of new cooperatives and sustained social action, but mostly in instances where this was the specific intent. There are clear indications that Participatory Grant Making, and neighbourhood based Participatory Budgeting does stimulate civic action, build new social capital and develop agency within participating individuals, particularly in the unique form of Participatory Grant Making most common in the UK. Participatory Budgeting may generate socially entrepreneurial behaviours, and express values commonly held within social economy organisations. If a specific intention behind Participatory Budgeting was to promote a vibrant autonomous social economy it may become a useful addition to existing models to stimulate social entrepreneurship, and thus create the right conditions for the social economy to flourish.


This study investigated the diagnostic and clinical utility of the parent-rated Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED-P) for detecting youth anxiety disorders. Youth ages 6 to 12 years, 11 months were recruited from 9 outpatient mental health clinics (N = 707). Consensus diagnoses were based on semistructured interviews (Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children) with youth and caregivers; 31% were diagnosed with at least one anxiety disorder. Caregivers completed the SCARED-P to describe youth anxiety levels. SCARED-P scores were not considered during the consensus diagnoses. Areas under the curve (AUCs) from receiver operating characteristic analyses and diagnostic likelihood ratios (DLRs) quantified performance of the SCARED-P total score and subscale scores (generalized anxiety disorder and separation anxiety disorder). SCARED-P total scores had variable efficiency (AUCs = .69–.88), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Separation Anxiety subscale scores were excellent (AUCs = .86–.89) for identifying specific anxiety disorders. Optimal subscale cutoff scores were computed to help rule in (DLRs = 2.7–5.4) or rule out (DLRs < 1.0) anxiety disorders among youth. Results suggest that the Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Separation Anxiety SCARED-P subscales accurately identify their respective matched diagnoses. DLRs may aid clinicians in screening for youth anxiety disorders and improve accuracy of diagnosis.


As an alternative to HgCdTe, InAsxSb1−x is an important alloy providing bandgaps suitable for infrared detection in both 3–5 and 8–12 μm atmospheric windows. There has been interest in high-quality growth of this material on GaAs and Si substrates. This paper reports the fabrication and characteristics of mid-infrared InAs0.8Sb0.2 photodetectors grown on GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. Peak detectivities of 1.4 × 1010 and 7.5 × 108 cm Hz1/2 W−1 were measured at 77 K and 240 K, respectively, showing that the alloy is promising as an alternative to thermal detectors for near room temperature operation. A detailed analysis of the dark current showed that the reverse-bias differential resistance was limited by trap-assisted tunneling in a wide temperature range up to 150 K under low and moderately large reverse bias voltages. Noise measurements have shown that trap assisted tunneling is the source of 1/f noise which is increased with the addition of band to band tunneling under large reverse bias. Our observations on InAs0.8Sb0.2 photodiodes show resemblance to those reported for HgCdTe detectors. The results are encouraging for the development of mid-infrared large area focal plane arrays on GaAs substrates.


This article examines whether and under which conditions a rising participation of women in higher education management contributes to cultural and structural change in science and research. In Austria, the introduction of a statutory quota regulation for university decision-making bodies like the rectorate, the senate, or the university council brought about a rapid and substantial increase in the share of female rectors and vice rectors. However, there are also gender-specific differences among rectorate members: women are significantly younger than men when they take up a rectorate position and switch less frequently from a professorship to such a position. This situation and the gender expertise of the rectors and vice rectors themselves contribute to the potential for change. Explicit gender equality goals and the establishment of gender competence as a qualification criterion for all rectors and vice rectors would be needed to make use of the potential of women in the rectorate to be agents for cultural and structural change.


Phase-change memory takes advantage of the fast phase transition between amorphous and crystalline phases of phase-change materials (e.g., Ge2Sb2Te5 or GST). To date, while the "SET" process (crystallization of GST glass) has been intensively studied, studies on the "RESET" process (melt-quenching amorphization of GST) are still limited. In this work, we explored the structural changes of GST upon rapid cooling by ab initio molecular dynamics simulations and atomistic cluster alignment (ACA) analysis. Different from other methods which only focus on the nearest bonding atoms, the ACA method can study both the short- and medium-range order clusters containing atoms beyond the first-neighboring shell and enables us to explore the changes of cluster structures in a larger scale. The results reveal that low-coordinated octahedral clusters tend to become high-coordinated ones, and Ge-centered octahedral structures change to tetrahedrons whereas Sb-centered tetrahedrons transform to octahedral structures during the amorphization process. Interestingly, tetrahedrons show aggregation in liquid and supercooled liquid in contrast to 6-fold octahedrons which present notable aggregation in amorphous GST. Moreover, our study showed that wrong bonds (Ge–Ge, Sb–Sb, Ge–Sb and Te–Te bonds) can promote the formation of large rings, and irreducible rings tend to separate into smaller and larger rings as the temperature is decreased. Our findings provide useful insights into the formation process and the structure of amorphous GST, which is valuable for facilitating the application of phase change materials.


Despite acknowledgement of the right to health in existing human rights instruments, understanding of the scope and significance of the right is limited. This book addresses issues of the individual entitlements created by the right to health, the resulting obligations on the part of the States and the susceptibility of the right to judicial review. The extensive evaluation of reporting practices illuminates the implementation practices of treaty monitoring bodies. An elaborate description of international and national case law is used to tackle the question of justifiability. This study is based on material from a wide range of sources: the United Nations (including the World Health Organisation); non-governmental organizations, national and international jurisprudence; and human rights doctrine. It contributes to the international discussion about the character and significance of economic, social and cultural human rights, and substantiates their independence and their equality with civil and political rights. The School of Human Rights Research series explores the nature and meaning of international standards in the field of human rights, their application and promotion in the national legal order, their interplay with national standards and the international supervision of such application.


This qualitative study focused on the significance of motherhood on the post-incarceration experiences of women with stigmatized social identities, as they relate to their socially prescribed gender roles as women, mothers, and partners or wives. It builds on existing research that demonstrates the disproportionate effects of mass incarceration on Black women, which, while important, has not adequately addressed the consequences of incarceration on them, in relation to their role as mother. The methodology involved a combination of semi-structured interviews and participant-observation with formerly incarcerated Black women to explore how motherhood as a social identity and mothering as a set of actualized practices becomes obscured by their involvement in illegal activities and subsequent incarceration. The findings indicate that the organization of motherhood and mothering for this group of women involved managing the tension between their lived experiences and normative ideals of the maternal role; managing the effects of a criminalized identity that overshadows the performance of tasks associated with the role of mother; and navigating an arduous reintegration process while attempting to remaining in compliance with systems of oversight that tended to exacerbate the long reach of punishment and disconnect them from the maternal role and mothering process. In sum, the findings illuminated the interactions between structures of oversight by the criminal justice system, drug treatment facilities, the child welfare system, and prisoner reentry programs with micro-level practices in the women's daily lives, which include maintaining sobriety, securing employment and housing, and child-rearing as female offenders, Black women, and mothers, especially while engaged in the reintegration process following a period of incarceration.


The study shows a significant net precipitation and surficial runoff decrease in the Province of Pesaro-Urbino during the 1950-2010 period, especially affecting mountain areas and the water-surplus winter season. Runoff variation is also related to a significant land use change, due to a progressive natural reafforestation process that has taken place in the mountain area. Candigliano river's base-flow, fed by carbonate aquifers' groundwater discharge, was found more stable over time, due to an aquifers' capacity largely exceeding that of existing surface reservoirs. The latter have been affected by a significant silting process, which is still active, as suggested by specific erosion rates of watersheds, particularly in the Foglia basin. Important implications both on sediment mobility, surface water-supply reliability, minimum flow constraints and effectiveness of volume-recovery projects of reservoirs were preliminarly evaluated. In the perspective of a necessary adaptation process to the climate change, the study suggests a gradual transition from the present prevailing use of surface water, to an integrated management of the carbonate aquifers' dynamic resources, on a seasonal base, as a sustainable strategy for the next future.


The coordination chemistry of scorpionate ligands based on borates containing the 7-azaindole heterocycle is relatively unexplored. Thus, there is a requirement to further understand their coordination chemistry. This article outlines the synthesis and characterization of a family of complexes containing anionic flexible scorpionate ligands of the type [(R)(bis-7-azaindolyl)borohydride]− ([RBai]−), where R = Me, Ph or naphthyl. The three ligands were coordinated to a series of copper(I) complexes containing a phosphine co-ligand to form the complexes, [Cu(MeBai)(PPh3)] (1), [Cu(PhBai)(PPh3)] (2), [Cu(NaphthBai)(PPh3)] (3), [Cu(MeBai)(PCy3)] (4), [Cu(PhBai)(PCy3)] (5) and [Cu(NaphthBai)(PCy3)] (6). Additional copper(II) complexes, namely, [Cu(MeBai)2] (7) and [Cu(PhBai)2] (8), were obtained during attempts to obtain single crystals from complexes 4 and 2, respectively. Complexes 7 and 8 were also prepared independently from CuCl2 and two equivalents of the corresponding Li[RBai] salt alongside an additional complex, namely, [Cu(NaphthBai)2] (9). The copper(I) and copper(II) complexes were characterized using spectroscopic and analytical methods. Furthermore, a crystal structure was obtained for eight of the nine complexes. In all cases, the boron-based ligand was found to bind to the metal centers via a κ3-N,N,H coordination mode.


Cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA), defined by the HECA‐452 antibody, is a cell surface glycoprotein found on a subset of T cells in peripheral blood that binds specifically to E‐selectin. This marker is present on the majority of T cells at sites of cutaneous inflammation and immune responses. Based upon such evidence, an association between T cell CLA expression and skin homing has been proposed. To understand better this relationship, we asked whether putative disease‐related, antigen‐specific T cells expressed CLA. In this study, we employed T helper type 2 (TH2) T cell clones specific for house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) antigens. These cells were derived from challenged skin of an individual known to react positively to epicutaneous challenge with this agent. In this study, we show that these cloned T cells showed very high homogeneous expression of CLA (nearly 500‐fold higher than T cell clones derived from peripheral blood) and bound specifically to recombinant E‐selectin. The CLA molecule on these cells was identified not only by HECA‐452, but also by CSLEX‐1, indicating that it contained sialyl‐Lex (S‐Lex) determinants. T cells cloned under similar conditions from peripheral blood were CLA negative or low and bound poorly to E‐selectin. Surprisingly, both skin and blood clones bound comparably to P‐selectin. This binding was independent of S‐Lex or CLA expression. We conclude that in sensitized individuals, antigen‐specific T cells expressing high levels of CLA localize in skin promptly after epicutaneous challenge. This localization is likely to involve the interaction of S‐Lex determinants on the CLA molecule with E‐selectin on the dermal microvasculature. We further conclude that T cells can interact with P‐selectin on endothelium and that S‐Lex does not appear to be necessary for this interaction.


The sol-gel technique was used because it is simple, economic and less equipment. The films deposited by dip coating method on glass substrate. The effect of pH value and annealing temperatures on structural, morphological and optical properties of Co 3 O 4 were studied by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and UV-visible Spectroscopy (UV-VIS). XRD measurements show that all the films are nanocrystallized in the cubic spinel structure and the films quality improved with increase the pH value and annealing temperatures. SEM images shows that the films was discontinuous surface with spherically grains increase from (65 to 83 nm) with increase the pH from 10.5 to 11.5. the annealing temperature improved the surface morphology. The optical band gap Eg was decrease from 2.7 to 2.4 eV when the pH alter from 9.5 to 11.5 while decrease from 2.5 to 2 eV with increase the annealing temperature from 300 to 600 °C .


A proven recovery plan for the over 8 million sufferers of repetitive strain injury, and a guide for the prevention of future injuries. Repetitive strain injury (RSI) is a painful, potentially disabling condition that most commonly stems from damage to the upper torso. Long-term misuse or overuse of everyday tools like computers and cash registers results in the painful hands, arms, and neck that are symptomatic of RSI, a condition whose incidence has increased 80 percent in this country since 1990. The Repetitive Strain Injury Handbook is a unique, user-friendly guide that is broken into two parts: (1) the 8-step recovery plan and (2) an RSI prevention guide. The 8-step plan moves RSI sufferers beyond the common denial of this ailment and into a diagnosis and treatment plan with a doctor. It provides: o Nutrition advice o An exercise program o Breathing tips o Traditional and alternative pain management suggestions o A holistic maintenance plan for long-term health The second section is filled with suggestions, stories, and tips for RSI sufferers that will help them live pain-free at home, at work, and in their social and intimate lives. There is also a special section of information on women and RSI, since pregnancy, PMS, osteoporosis, mastectomy, and menopause can all aggravate this condition.


Using an ab initio method we analyze the mechanisms of the boron diffusion with emphasis on the role of the intrinsic interstitials. It is shown that the boron diffusion is dominated by a kick-out mechanism. The different effect of silicon and carbon interstitials gives rise to kinetic effects. A preference for a kick-in of the boron interstitial into the carbon lattice sites is found. Kinetic effects reported in co-implantation experiments and in-diffusion experiments are explained by our findings.


The research reported in this thesis investigates the self-efficacy construct in the context of (real world) diabetes self-management programmes. Self-efficacy interventions,
although widely implemented in diabetes care, lack basic information on what exactly was delivered. More importantly, there has been no assessment tool which would enable
researchers to externally evaluate the use of self-efficacy-based techniques in interventions and provide accurate report information about the process of intervention delivery. To address this gap, the present PhD aimed to develop a reliable and valid coding tool to assess the use of self-efficacy-based techniques among nurses delivering education
for people with diabetes and test its clinical utility by delivering a self-efficacy-based intervention to diabetes nurses. The four sources of self-efficacy: mastery experience, role modelling, verbal persuasion and physiological and affective states formed the conceptual basis of the coding tool. The findings of the literature review and observation of three educational programmes provided an operationalisation of the four sources of self-efficacy and resulted in 11 verbal behavioural techniques. Four coders rated diabetes programmes to establish reliability of the coding tool. Cross-sectional and longitudinal data from 52 patients, based on self-report and objective measures, as well as demographic information about five nurses were related to nurse-led self-efficacy based techniques to establish the validity of ASSET. In a single pre-post design, the feasibility and effectiveness of
ASSET-based interventions delivered to five nurses were evaluated. The key findings were that ASSET could be a useful tool to identify the use of self-efficacy in interventions. The use of self-efficacy-based techniques reflected nurses' work-related experience gained prior to the study, and to some extent predicted patientrelated outcomes including intention and behaviour regarding diabetes management. The use of self-efficacy based techniques by nurses, however, did not predict patients' selfefficacy beliefs. ASSET-based training guided nurses in reflecting on their practice. As a result of that, nurses started using more self-efficacy-based techniques when delivering group-based education. The effect was, however, not maintained over time. Nurses who were less experienced prior to the intervention increased their use of self-efficacy-based
techniques to a greater extent than those with prior experience. One of the major limitations of the thesis was that only the author of the thesis coded all nurse-led speech utterances. The other three coders rated a selection of utterances. Therefore, there is no sufficient evidence to conclude on the reliability or validity of ASSET.


Normal human foreskin fibroblasts treated in vitro with a chemical carcinogen or irradiated with ultraviolet light subsequently acquired anchorage independent growth and an extended but finite capacity for exponential growth. All cell lines were derived from cells recovered from colonies that had grown in semisolid medium; cell lines originally treated with a chemical carcinogen produced nodules after s.c. inoculation into nude mice. G-banding analysis of 10 cell lines (including one ultraviolet light line) revealed that seven were chromosomally abnormal with structural and numerical chromosome alterations, one was characterized by a consistent trisomy, and the other two were normal diploid. Structural alterations consisted of chromosome deletions, translocations, and partial chromosome duplications. Although no common structural or numerical abnormality was detected, several structural alterations were observed involving chromosomes 1, 7, 11, and 22, where fgr, erb-B, H-ras-1, and sis protooncogenes, respectively, are located. In one cell line trisomy 17 was a unique chromosome alteration. The induction of chromosome changes may have influenced the proliferative capacity of the treated cells relative to nontreated cells. However, the two cell lines without detectable chromosome changes also had an increased proliferative life span, suggesting that other submicroscopic genetic alterations may have affected cell multiplication. Although carcinogen induced chromosome abnormalities may represent a step in the process of neoplastic development, additional genetic and/or epigenetic changes, are required for indefinite growth and the expression of malignancy.


This paper provides a review for policy makers of what is known about the economic structure of illicit drug markets and the business operations of high level dealers operating within it. It is based on interviews with imprisoned drug traffickers and dealers in UK prisons carried out by Matrix Knowledge Group, and also owes a substantial debt to the valuable work done in this field by Peter Reuter, Jonathan Caulkins and Frederick Desroches, amongst others. The paper does not review the harms caused by law enforcement, some of which have been looked at in previous reports. It assumes that the structure of drug markets influences the primary harms arising from drug use (e.g. excess mortality and disease), the violence that is related to drug markets and the opportunity costs of people spending time and money on illicit substances. Some of these harms might be reduced by introducing alternative arrangements for the international regulation of psychoactive substances. These alternative arrangements are not reviewed here. Rather, the aim is to provide policy makers with information on drug markets as a basis for focussing enforcement resources, and devising more effective policies, to reduce the damage done by the trade in illicit drugs.


Integrated Algae Pond Systems (IAPS) are a derivation of the Oswald-designed Algal Integrated Wastewater Pond Systems (AIWPS®) and  combine the use of anaerobic and aerobic bioprocesses to effect sewage treatment. IAPS technology was introduced to South Africa in 1996 and a pilot plant designed and commissioned at the Belmont Valley WWTW in Grahamstown. The system has been in continual use since implementation, and affords secondarily treated water for reclamation according to its design specifications, which most closely resemble those of the AIWPS Advanced Secondary Process. In this paper IAPS as a municipal sewage treatment technology is re-examined in relation to design and operation, the underpinning biochemistry of nutrient removal by algae is described, and a retrospective is provided on the demonstration system at the Belmont Valley WWTW. In addition to presenting details of the process flow, several shortcomings and/or oversights are highlighted and, in particular, the need for an appropriate tertiary treatment component. However, despite the use of IAPS for sewage treatment in many countries, this technology is still viewed with some scepticism. Thus, a major purpose of this overview is to provide a synthesis of available information on IAPS and an appraisal of its use for municipal sewage treatment. Keywords : advanced integrated wastewater pond system, integrated algae pond systems, wastewater, algae, nutrient removal, sewage


This article is based on two key ideas. First, the family adds the dimension of time to immigration and citizenship law. It does so, for example, through jus soli citizenship for the children of immigrants and discretionary relief from removal, which combine to allow noncitizens over time to establish family-based ties to the United States that immigration law then recognizes. But establishing that the family matters in immigration and citizenship - and therefore that time matters - only begins the inquiry. The next question is how time matters. The prevailing sense of time in current law is largely retrospective, as a way of recognizing ties in the United States. It is important, I argue, also to think of time prospectively. Doing so would prompt a subtle but significant shift occurs in the role of the family, away from mere recognition and toward a more instrumental view of the family in immigration and citizenship. The family would become not only an object of integration, but a means of integration. This would mean making sure that immigration and citizenship law promotes the immigrant family, for example by allowing immigrant families to stay together. Only then can families realize their potential to foster the integration of immigrants.


Abstract Health expenditures as a share of GDP in the United States have more than tripled over the past half-century. A common conjecture is that this is a consequence of rising income. We investigate this hypothesis by instrumenting for local area income with time series variation in oil prices interacted with local oil reserves. This strategy enables us to capture both partial equilibrium and local general equilibrium effects of income on health expenditures. Our central income elasticity estimate is 0.7, with 1.1 as the upper end of the 95% confidence interval, which suggests that rising income is unlikely to be a major driver of the rising health expenditure share of GDP.


This thesis shows that the adult human brain has plastic properties. These plastic properties are at least in part heritable and have functional significance. Identifying genes and environmental factors implicated in brain plasticity is an important next step to optimize brain development in health and in psychiatric diseases, such as schizophrenia. These conclusions are based on 5 studies. Structural brain plasticity was based on a longitudinal design with magnetic resonance imaging. Heritability was measured using structural equation modeling in monozygotic and dizygotic twins discordant for schizophrenia and in healthy twins. Functional significance was based on the intelligence quotient. In a meta-analysis that included over 2000 individuals it was revealed that brain volume changes throughout life (Hedman et al, Human Brain Mapping, 2013). There is a wave of growth in adolescence and possibly another wave of growth in adulthood. In addition, there are periods of brain volume shrinkage. Structural brain plasticity is at least in part heritable, with estimates up to 50 percent heritability for volumes, based on a longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study in monozygotic and dizygotic twins (Hedman et al, in preparation). These brain volume changes have functional significance. Adults with a higher intelligence show attenuated brain loss and more pronounced brain growth. Genes involved in brain volume changes in healthy adults overlap in part with genes for intelligence. Thus, it appears that continued dynamic brain change in adulthood and intelligence act together in concert, and both are mediated in part by common genes. It is known that there is progressive brain tissue loss in schizophrenia, which is at least in part heritable (Brans et al, Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2008). Cortically, the progressive loss of thickness in schizophrenia was found to be particularly prominent in the left superior temporal cortex, which is at least partly attributable to genes involved in the disease (Hedman et al, under review). Cortical surface area and surface area change are heritable, but not associated with higher genetic (or environmental) liability for schizophrenia. Thus, in schizophrenia there is diminished structural brain plasticity. In this thesis no direct associations between brain plasticity and functional significance were investigated in schizophrenia. However, a meta-analysis focusing on intelligence quotient change, it was revealed that schizophrenia is characterized by a relative lack of gain in global cognitive abilities over time (Hedman et al, Schizophrenia Research, 2013). Moreover, patients with schizophrenia in the chronic phases of the disease, but not the discordant co-twins, show a lack of increase in intelligence quotient over time, thus reflecting that it is probably due to environmental (non-genetic) factors related to the disease (Hedman et al, Psychological Medicine, 2012).


Published in "IEEE Transactions on Emerging Topics in Computing, Volume: 9, Issue: 3, JulySeptember 2021" and orally presented at ARITH 2021.


Attack-tolerant distributed systems change their protocols on-the-fly in response to apparent attacks from the environment; they substitute functionally equivalent versions possibly more resistant to detected threats. Alternative protocols can be packaged together as a single adaptive protocol or variants from a formal protocol library can be sent to threatened groups of processes. We are experimenting with libraries of attacktolerant protocols that are correct-by-construction and testing them in environments that simulate specified threats, including constructive versions of the famous FLP imaginary adversary against fault-tolerant consensus. We expect that all variants of tolerant protocols are automatically generated and accompanied by machine checked proofs that the generated code satisfies formal properties.


Most businesses hold cash, often in the form of low-risk or riskless investments that can be converted into cash at short notice. The motivations for holding cash vary across firms. Some hold cash to meet operating needs whereas others keep cash on hand to weather financial crises or take advantage of investment opportunities. In the first part of this paper, we will begin by looking at the extent of cash holdings at publicly traded firms and some of the motives for the cash accumulation. We will also look at how best to value these cash holdings in both discounted cash flow and relative valuation models. In the second part of the paper, we will turn to a trickier component - cross holdings in other companies. We will begin by looking at the way accountants record these holdings and the implications for valuation. We will then consider how to incorporate the value of these cross holdings in a full information environment, followed by approximations that work when information about cross holdings is partial or missing.


We consider the problem of learning to simplify medical texts. This is important because most reliable, up-to-date information in biomedicine is dense with jargon and thus practically inaccessible to the lay audience. Furthermore, manual simplification does not scale to the rapidly growing body of biomedical literature, motivating the need for automated approaches. Unfortunately, there are no large-scale resources available for this task. In this work we introduce a new corpus of parallel texts in English comprising technical and lay summaries of all published evidence pertaining to different clinical topics. We then propose a new metric based on likelihood scores from a masked language model pretrained on scientific texts. We show that this automated measure better differentiates between technical and lay summaries than existing heuristics. We introduce and evaluate baseline encoder-decoder Transformer models for simplification and propose a novel augmentation to these in which we explicitly penalize the decoder for producing "jargon" terms; we find that this yields improvements over baselines in terms of readability.


Due to the high upfront cost of electric vehicles, many public transit agencies can afford only mixed fleets of internal combustion and electric vehicles. Optimizing the operation of such mixed fleets is challenging because it requires accurate trip-level predictions of electricity and fuel use as well as efficient algorithms for assigning vehicles to transit routes. We present a novel framework for the data-driven prediction of trip-level energy use for mixed-vehicle transit fleets and for the optimization of vehicle assignments, which we evaluate using data collected from the bus fleet of CARTA, the public transit agency of Chattanooga, TN. We first introduce a data collection, storage, and processing framework for system-level and high-frequency vehicle-level transit data, including domain-specific data cleansing methods. We train and evaluate machine learning models for energy prediction, demonstrating that deep neural networks attain the highest accuracy. Based on these predictions, we formulate the problem of minimizing energy use through assigning vehicles to fixed-route transit trips. We propose an optimal integer program as well as efficient heuristic and meta-heuristic algorithms, demonstrating the scalability and performance of these algorithms numerically using the transit network of CARTA.


A novel acoustic wave sensor capable of classification of chemical reactions has been designed, fabricated and tested. The principle of sensor operation is based on the acoustic emission phenomena. The proposed acoustic emission chemical sensor consists of four sections: the measurement cell with ultrasonic transducers operating in the frequency range from 90 kHz to 2 MHz, the frequency domain signal detection unit, the signal processing unit based on a neural network and a computer controlled data acquisition system. A Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN) has been implemented for classification of chemical systems. The centers of the Gaussian nodes which construct the PNN are the individual points of the training data. The Gaussian nodes are organized with respect to the class information. A test pattern is applied to the PNN, and the Gaussians are summed for each class. The class with the greatest probability, or largest sum, is the network output. The width of the Gaussians, sigma, is optimized to give the best classification on the training data. Preprocessing techniques have been designed to extract features of the data for use as an input of the neural network.


Although endophytic bacteria seem to have a close association with their host plant, little is known about the influence of seed endophytic bacteria on initial plant development and on their interactions with plants under conditions of metal toxicity. In order to further elucidate this close relationship, we isolated endophytic bacteria from surface sterilized Nicotiana tabacum seeds that were collected from plants cultivated on a cadmium-(Cd) and zinc-enriched soil. Many of the isolated strains showed Cd tolerance. Sterilely grown tobacco plants were inoculated with either the endogenous microbial consortium, composed of cultivable and noncultivable strains; single strains; or defined consortia of the most representative cultivable strains. Subsequently, the effects of inoculation of endophytic bacteria on plant development and on metal and nutrient uptake were explored under conditions with and without exposure to Cd. In general, seed endophytes were found to have a positive effect on plant growth, as was illustrated by an increase in biomass production under conditions without Cd. In several cases, inoculation with endophytes resulted in improved biomass production under conditions of Cd stress, as well as in a higher plant Cd concentration and total plant Cd content compared to noninoculated plants. These results demonstrate the beneficial effects of seed endophytes on metal toxicity and accumulation, and suggest practical applications using inoculated seeds as a vector for plant beneficial bacteria.


As a high-voltage and earth-abundant element, in recent years, alluaudite, Na2+2xFe2−x(SO4)3, has been regarded as a highly promising cathode material of sodium ion batteries with higher energy density. However, the critical environmental sensitivity and limited conductivity of this kind of sulfate-based (SO42−) polyanionic material has led to its poor crystal stability and inferior intercalation ability. Herein, we report the design of nitrogen-doped graphene under low temperature conditions as an evolutionary modification approach to prepare the Na2+2xFe2−x(SO4)3; namely, an alluaudite sulfate Na2+2xFe2−x(SO4)3@N-rGO composite was prepared by a facile co-precipitation method assisted by the nitrogen-doped graphene. It is therefore surprising that the three-dimensional graphene-based network provides continuous electron pathways; thus, the Na2+2xFe2−x(SO4)3@N-rGO composite exhibits improved electronic conductivity and excellent sodium insertion capability, as well as the electrochemical performance. As a result, it delivers a reversible capacity of 93.2 mA h g−1 with average redox potential of 3.8 V (vs. Na+/Na) at 0.05C; when the discharge rate increased to 10C, it delivers 56.3 mA h g−1 and an amazing capacity retention of 83% is achieved after 400 cycles. On the other hand, the doped nitrogen species plays a huge role on improving the electron-donating ability of the graphene layer, which effectively protects the easily oxidized host material from deterioration, giving the material longer stability in a normal oxygen-containing atmosphere. We believe that this work may lead to a promising, low cost, suitable sodium ion battery material for next-generation large-scale energy storage devices.


A half-occluded region in a stereo pair is a set of pixels in one image representing points in space visible to that camera or eye only, and not to the other. These occur typically as parts of the background immediately to the left and right sides of nearby occluding objects, and are present in most natural scenes. Previous approaches to stereo either ignored these unmatchable points or attempted to weed them out in a second pass. An algorithm that incorporates them from the start as a strong clue to depth discontinuities is presented. The authors first derive a measure for goodness of fit and a prior based on a simplified model of objects in space, which leads to an energy functional depending both on the depth as measured from a central cyclopean eye and on the regions of points occluded from the left and right eye perspectives. They minimize this using dynamic programming along epipolar lines followed by annealing in both dimensions. Experiments indicate that this method is very effective even in difficult scenes.<<ETX>>


The detailed preparation process of Eu2+ and Dy3+ ion co-doped phosphor powders in Sr4Al14O25:Eu2+/Dy3+ phosphor system with bluish-green long afterglow produced by solid state reaction method under reducing atmosphere is here reported. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and particle size analysis were made to assign the effects of Eu and Dy ions on the luminescent properties of the synthesized phosphors, which were determined by measuring the photoluminescence spectra. The maximum emission intensity of these phosphors under excitation was investigated. As a result, the relevant values were obtained from the phosphorescent pigment with 0.21% and 0.05% molar percent of Eu2+ and Dy3+.


This paper examines the stability of Hg in a six-step sequential extraction scheme, focusing in particular on the first leach designed to extract 'soluble' Hg in sediment and soil samples. The recovery of Hg as a spike (Hg2+, equivalent to 15 ng g−1 in a sample), alone and mixed with a background granite 'GG', was found to be low and dependent on the time of extraction (15–60 min) in the following reagents: Ca(NO3)2, NaNO3, KNO3, CaCl2 and MgCl2. While the complexing action of thiourea stabilized Hg in solution (0.1M Ca(NO3)2), it also acted as an extractant itself and therefore could not be used to minimize resorption of Hg onto the sample during leaching. The minerals Hg2Cl2, HgCl2, HgO (red and yellow), HgS (synthetic and cinnabar) and Hg (0) were used alone and mixed with GG to evaluate the selectivity of the scheme. The reagents used in sequence are as follows: 0.01M Ca(NO3)2 (categorized as 'easily soluble', F1); 0.1M Na4P2O7 (labile organic component, F2); 0.25M NH2OH.HCl/0.25M HCl (amorphous Fe and Al oxides, F3); 1M NH2OH.HCl/25% CH3COOH (crystalline Fe and Al, F4); 40% HNO3 (non-labile organic component and elemental Hg, F5); and aqua regia (residual phase, containing sulphides (HgS), oxides, some silicates, refractory organics etc., F6). Alone, each mineral dissolved fully in the appropriate reagent, for example: HgCl2 in F1 (soluble), HgO in F3 (with amorphous Fe/Al oxide phase), Hg (0) in F5, and HgS in the final aqua regia digestion. However, when mixed with GG, these minerals (except HgS) also dissolved in subsequent stronger leaches. For example, Hg in the sample HgCl2 mixed with GG (total Hg concentration of 513 ng g−1) dissolved in F1, F2, F4 and F5. Thus, resorption in the initial leaches of a sequential extraction can confound the results for Hg and lead to incorrect results and interpretation of leaches purported to define the bioavailable component of Hg in environmental materials. New methods should be designed to minimize this phenomenon, using, for example, a flow-through system to achieve short contact times.


Abstract The regulation of the small GTPases leading to their membrane localization has long been attributed to processing of their C-terminal CAAX box. As deregulation of many of these GTPases have been implicated in cancer and other disorders, prenylation and methylation of this CAAX box has been studied in depth as a possibility for drug targeting, but unfortunately, to date no drug has proved clinically beneficial. However, these GTPases also undergo other modifications that may be important for their regulation. Ubiquitination has long been demonstrated to regulate the fate of numerous cellular proteins and recently it has become apparent that many GTPases, along with their GAPs, GEFs and GDIs, undergo ubiquitination leading to a variety of fates such as re-localization or degradation. In this review we focus on the recent literature demonstrating that the regulation of small GTPases by ubiquitination, either directly or indirectly, plays a considerable role in controlling their function and that targeting these modifications could be important for disease treatment.


The period between the wars was a watershed for the Labour Party as it transformed from a failed alternative to the Conservatives to a majority party of government. After a slow build-up, it went on to win a landslide victory that brought in the Attlee government of 1945. "Labour Inside the Gate" is the first study dedicated to this period in Labour's development. In this comprehensive history, Worley examines the parliamentary Labour Party and the growing network of constituency parties. He explores Labour's shifting identity at a national and local level and the evolution of a party policy that would drive the historic Attlee government into office.


Highly recurrent somatic mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) 1 and 2 enzymes have been identified in a variety of tumor types including GBM and glioma subtypes, acute myelogenous leukemia, chondrosarcoma, and cholangiocarcinoma, among others. Mutant IDH proteins gain a novel function: the production of the "oncometabolite" 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG), which accumulates in the tumors of affected patients. The similarity of 2-HG to a-ketoglutarate, a cofactor required for the function of a large number of cellular enzymes, has led to the hypothesis that 2-HG may alter the function of one or more of these enzymes. Current literature has shown that 2-HG is able to inhibit a number of epigenetic factors (i.e. Jmj-domain histone demethylases, and the TET family of methylcytosine oxidases) though most of these studies have been carried out using over-expression systems that can potentially force non-relevant phenotypes. To this end, we explored histone methylation changes in a variety of cells that harbor endogenous heterozygous IDH1/2 mutations. Using an LC-MS based method to detect histone modifications, we profiled IDH MUT vs. WT cells to evaluate which global histone methylation changes correlated with mutant IDH status and whether these changes were widespread or discrete. This unbiased search highlighted IDH-dependent modifications of Histone 3 on Lysine 9 (H3K9) as the histone mark of highest interest for further study. We followed up by assessing the sufficiency and necessity of IDH mutation and 2-HG to alter H3K9 methylation using immunoblotting techniques. Our results suggest that H3K9 methylation is particularly sensitive to mutant IDH and 2-HG, which may give us further insight into the mechanism of how mutant IDH drives tumorgenicity.

Citation Format: Fallon Lin, Veronica Saenz-Vash, Huili Zhai, Joy Fletcher, Mike Acker, David Jiang, John Gounarides, Julian Levell, Raymond Pagliarini. IDH mutations and 2-HG selectively affect histone methylation in the endogenous setting. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Chromatin and Epigenetics in Cancer; Jun 19-22, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(13 Suppl):Abstract nr A20.


European Union ( EU ) action in the pharmaceutical sector has always had the dual objective of safeguarding public health by providing Europe with safe and effective medicines, while stimulating research, boosting innovation, and supporting the competitiveness of industry. To face major health, economic and scientific challenges, a series of measures have been adopted. Specific legal frameworks have been set up to improve patient safety by reducing the infiltration of counterfeit medicines into the supply chain, to increase the safety of medicines by modernising the pharmacovigilance system, as well as improving patient access by requiring high-quality health and medicine information. This article provides an overview of the new EU strategy aimed at increasing the safety and involvement of European patients, as well as the competitiveness of pharmaceutical industry in accordance with the principle of transparency. The analysis is carried out from a patients' perspective addressing some paediatric specifications.


: The most important symptom in acute pancreatitis is pain. This pain often is so severe that treatment is started with opioid analgesics. In daily practice meperidine is often the analgesic of first choice because it is supposed to cause less spasm of the M. sphincter ampullae hepatopancreaticae (sphincter of Oddi). Drawbacks of the use of meperidine compared with other opiods are myoclonias, tremors and convulsions due to accumulation of the metabolite norpethidine, and hypotension, tachycardia and erythema due to release of more histamine from mast cells. From literature study it appeared that all opioids have a spasmogenic effect on the sphincter of Oddi, that there are no good arguments to assume that this effect is less when meperidine is used, and that there is no good evidence that this spasmogenic effect of opioid analgesics influences the course of acute pancreatitis in an unfavourable way. Since the profile of effects and side effects of meperidine is unfavourable, we prefer the use of opioids with a larger therapeutic width.


This study investigated the efficacy of hydroxocobalamin in reducing cyanide toxicity arising from amygdalin administration in rats. Amygdalin at its therapeutic dose (20 mg/kg body weight) was co-administered with hydroxocobalamin to rats at two different levels (25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg body weight) for 14 days. Symptoms of cyanide toxicity in the blood and liver were monitored in the animals and compared with the control. One of the rats who received amygdalin without the antidote died of cyanide poisoning before the end of the experimental period while no mortality was recorded in rats who received the antidote. There was significant reduction (P < 0.05) in blood cyanide and serum lactate concentration in a dose-dependent manner in rats who received the antidote compared with the control. Blood of rats fed amygdalin showed significant elevation in packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin concentration accompanied with significant reduction in blood pH while these abnormalities were reversed by hydroxocobalamin. Histological studies of the liver of amygdalin-fed rats revealed marked alteration in cellular architecture which was not noticeable in rats who received the antidote. We conclude that rats can be protected from the deleterious effects of cyanide poisoning due to amygdalin ingestion by the concomitant administration of hydroxocobalamin.

 Key words: Amygdalin, antidote, hydroxocobalamin, cyanide toxicity.


Previous studies investigating deep decarbonization of bulk electric power systems and wholesale electricity markets have not sufficiently explored how future grid pathways could affect the grid's vulnerability to hydrometeorological uncertainty on multiple timescales. Here, we employ a grid operations model and a large synthetic weather ensemble to "stress test" a range of future grid pathways for the U.S. West Coast developed by ReEDS, a well‐known capacity planning model. Our results show that gradual changes in the underlying capacity mix from 2020 to 2050 can cause significant "re‐ranking" of weather years in terms of annual wholesale electricity prices (with "good" years becoming bad, and vice versa). Nonetheless, we find the highest and lowest ranking price years in terms of average electricity price remain mostly tied to extremes in hydropower availability (streamflow) and load (summer temperatures), with the strongest sensitivities related to drought. Seasonal dynamics seen today involving spring snowmelt and hot, dry summers remain well‐defined out to 2050. In California, future supply shortfalls in our model are concentrated in the evening and occur mostly during periods of high temperature anomalies in late summer months and in late winter; in the Pacific Northwest, supply shortfalls are much more strongly tied to negative streamflow anomalies. Under our more robust sampling of stationary hydrometeorological uncertainty, we also find that the ratio of dis‐patchable thermal (i.e., natural gas) capacity to wind and solar required to ensure grid reliability can differ significantly from values reported by ReEDS.


For a sustainable development, the resources circulation system should be established and an environment-conscious activities are required at the same time. These activities should be also implemented in logistics area. Especially, green procurement activities in inbound logistics is recognized as a very important factors in the early phase of an environment-conscious activities. In this paper, we are to suggest the direction through statistical analysis of effects, and cause of influences of environmental procurement logistics activities on logistics performance by environmental logistics strategy and by the size of enterprises, and by Environmental Management System. This study was conducted with the subjects of manufacturing enterprises with concurrent reviews of literature and statistical analysis, and the meaning of this study would be the analysis of the influencers of environment-conscious procurement logistics activities on logistics performance different from existing logistics studies.


We developed a novel boradiazaindacene derivative to detect cyanide ions in solution at micromolar concentrations. This structurally simple chemosensor displays a large decrease in emission intensity and a reversible color change from red to blue on contact with cyanide ions. Highly fluorescent polymeric films can be obtained by doping with the chemosensor. Such polymeric materials can be used for the sensing of the cyanide ions in polymer matrices.


The study focuses on the public participation during the decision-making process of the High Speed Rail Project (popularly known as TGV) in Portugal. The study analyzes the media references on the topic and its actors in a quantitative and qualitative way from September 2008 to November 2009 anchored in the 2009 Legislatives and Local elections. The work concludes that despite the political polarization around the High Speed Rail Project, contributing to bring it to public debate, it didn't allow for an improvement in qualitative information that could allow the emergence of an active and informed citizen participation in the debate.


Upload utilization is one of the most significant performance metrics in BitTorrent system, whereas there has been no accurate model which is suitable for it yet. For this reason, the delicate relation between some key parameters (maximum concurrent uploads, upload bandwidth, TFT round etc.) in BitTorrent is investigated, furthermore the piece diffusion model and the upload utilization model are proposed. Based on these models, we explore the effect of TFT round for the first time and find that the magnitude of TFT round has a significant influence on the transient stage as well as the end stage. Additionally, we show that when the seed's upload bandwidth is fully utilized, to achieve optimal performance, each peer's upload bandwidth should be proportional to its maximum concurrent uploads, and the file size should be large enough compared with the swarm size.


This report presents the development and effectiveness of an Arduino-based sleep tracking device that can accurately measure various parameters of sleep, including movement, temperature, sound, light intensity, and humidity. The device was designed to be low-cost and easy to use, while not compromising on its ability to accurately measure sleep activity. The effectiveness of the device was evaluated by collecting data from test subjects and comparing it to the data collected by other sleep tracking devices. The collected data was then processed and used to train Artificial Intelligence (AI) models such as Backward Propagation Neural Network, Linear Regression Model, and Grey Relation Analysis, to predict the sleep quality rating from 0% to 100% and to identify the main cause of poor sleep. The results of the study demonstrated that the Arduino-based sleep tracking device is an effective and cost-efficient tool for measuring various parameters of sleep. However, the pressure sensor may sometimes result in inaccurate readings, which can be addressed through data cleaning and filtering. Furthermore, the use of AI models was able to predict the sleep quality rating and identify the main causes of poor sleep with high accuracy. Further research is needed to evaluate the device's performance over a longer period of time and in a larger sample of participants.


A multi-peaked analytically extended function (AEF), previously applied by the authors to modeling of lightning discharge currents, is used in this paper for representation of the electrostatic discharge (ESD) currents. In order to estimate its non-linear parameters, the Marquardt least-squares method (MLSM) is used. ESD currents' modelling is illustrated through an essential example corresponding to approximation of the IEC Standard 61000-4-2 waveshape.


Background: To report a case of a peripheral exudative haemorrhagic retinopathy (PEHR) associated with treatment response to Aflibercept (Eylea®) and not Ranibizumab (Lucentis®). Methods: The authors report 79-year-old women with PEHR who had persistent treatment resistance to Ranibizumab, with rapid improvements once switched to Aflibercept. Baseline visual acuity, subjective vision and measurements of anatomical disease were taken using macular optical coherence tomography, wide-field colour, fluorescein and indocyanine-green angiography images. Post-intravitreal injection response was measured using visual acuity, subjective vision and anatomical macular optical coherence tomography findings. Results: Improvements in visual acuity, subjective vision and anatomical resolution of intra-retinal fluid, cysts and retinal thickness were observed by the first Aflibercept injection. Disease remission was maintained with treat-andextend regimen over a 27-month treatment period. Conclusion: This case report highlights the utility of Aflibercept and a treat-and-extend regimen in the management of PEHR, refractive to Ranibizumab. Further larger studies are required to provide evidence to the efficacy and treatment regimens of anti-VEGFs, including Aflibercept, in PEHR.


The taxonomic position of nitrogen-fixing strains that were isolated from rhizosphere macerates of rice cultivated in the Binh Thanh region of Vietnam was determined by using polyphasic taxonomy. We determined the phylogenetic relationships of these organisms by performing DNA-rRNA hybridization experiments with a labeled rRNA probe from the type strain of Burkholderia cepacia, and we found that they belong to a single rRNA complex. Other members of this rRNA complex were also studied, and the N2-fixing strains were found to be closely related to B. cepacia. In addition, all members of the rRNA complex containing B. cepacia were studied by performing auxanographic and DNA-DNA hybridization experiments. Phenotypically and genotypically, the N2-fixing isolates constitute a single cluster together with two strains of clinical origin. These organisms constitute a new Burkholderia species, for which the name Burkholderia vietnamiensis is proposed; the type strain of this species is TVV75 (= LMG 10929). All members of this species can fix nitrogen. On the basis of our polyphasic taxonomy results and previously published data we concluded that the genus Burkholderia should be restricted to the following species: B. cepacia (the type species), Burkholderia mallei, Burkholderia pseudomallei, B. vietnamiensis, Burkholderia gladioli, Burkholderia caryophylli, Burkholderia plantarii, Burkholderia glumae, Burkholderia vandii, Burkholderia cocovenenans comb. nov., and Burkholderia andropogonis comb. nov. On the basis of genotypic and phenotypic results [Alcaligenes] eutrophus, [Burkholderia] solanacearum, and [Burkholderia] pickettii belong to two other clusters whose internal structures must be studied further.


The environmentally friendly manufacturing process, continuous casting process with small cross sections, is the near net-shaped manufacturing technology used to fabricate copper alloy wires and plates with the required final tolerance and sound quality. Furthermore, the process consumes less energy and discharges less environmental loads because the process can eliminate the need for hot extrusion, hot rolling and heat treatment for production copper alloy wires and plate. In the present study, the effects of a continuous casting speed on the mechanical properties and the microstructure of the nickel-silver (Cu-Ni-Zn) alloy were studied and energy requirements, atmospheric CO2 emission and yield for the production of the Cu-Ni-Zn alloy was investigated quantitatively with respect to continuous casting with small cross sections and conventional material processing including casting, extrusion and heat treatment. The yield for production of Cu-Ni-Zn alloy can be improved above 30% with the application of continuous casting with small cross sections when the productivity is similar. Twice the amount of energy required and CO2 were consumed and emitted in the conventional manufacturing process when the yield of the processes was considered.


The study described in this paper addressed two key objectives. Using structural equation modelling, the study examined first the dimensionality of the British Organizational Committment Scale (BOCS) and second, how employee perceptions of their company's prospects and their perceptions of their own career opportunities might affect each commitment dimension. Analysis of the data (from an oil company) suggests that the BOCS has three principal dimensions but that there is a fourth (measurement artefact) factor, consisting of the negatively phrased items. Analysis also reveals that improved company prospects are positively related to the 'loyalty' dimension of the BOCS but are inversely related to the 'involvement' dimension. The paper considers explanations for this phenomenon.


In March and October 2005, the Government of Indonesia reduced fuel subsidy and allocated part of the funds to the BOS (Bantuan Operasional Sekolah-School Operational Assistance) Program, which commenced in July 2005. This program is provided for schools at the primary and junior high school levels and is intended to reduce the burden on the community, especially the poor, of the costs of education after the BBM (fuel) price rose. Different from the previous PKPS-BBM that had been provided in the form of BKM scholarships for students from poor family background, BOS was provided for schools. BOS funds were allocated on the basis of the number of students, with an amount of Rp235,000 per student per annum at the primary school (SD) level and Rp324,500 per student per annum at the junior high school (SMP) level. The APBN allocation to BOS funds for the period of JulyDecember 2005 was Rp5.136 trillion, or an approximate eightfold increase over the BKM budget for primary and junior high schools in the period of January-June 2005. This report was written on the basis of a rapid appraisal by The SMERU Research Institute in an effort to understand the implementation of BOS Program. This initiative was carried out in order to provide the lessons learned for the planning and improvement of the programs implementation. The study was conducted between February and May 2006. The fieldwork was conducted over approximately three weeks between February and March 2006 in ten samples of kabupaten/kota distributed across five provinces, namely Kabupaten North Tapanuli and Kota Pematang Siantar in North Sumatra, Kabupaten Lebak and Kota Cilegon in Banten, Kabupaten Malang and Kota Pasuruan in East Java, Kabupaten North Minahasa and Kota Manado in North Sulawesi, and Kabupaten Central Lombok and Kota Mataram in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). This study adopts a qualitative approach. The collection of data and information was undertaken through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions (FGD). Interviews were conducted with various implementing institutions at the central, provincial, kabupaten/kota and school levels, including with school committees, teachers and students parents. FGDs were held in all 10 samples of kabupaten/kota and divided into two parts, namely FGDs with stakeholders in the field of education at the kabupaten/kota level, and FGDs with several school principals and school committees. Supporting information was also collected through interviews with other institutions that took part in monitoring the implementation of BOS Program.


Completely revised and updated edition. The book covers the entire field of satellite geodesy (status spring/\break summer 2002). Basic chapters on reference systems, time, signal propagation, and satellite orbits are updated. All currently important observation methods are included and also all newly launched satellites of interest to geodesy. Particular emphasis is given to the current status of the Global Positioning System (GPS), which covers now about one third of the book. A new chapter on Differential GPS and active GPS reference networks is included. The GPS modernization plans, GLONASS, the forthcoming European system GALILEO, modern developments in GPS data analysis, error modelling, precise real time methods and ambiguity resolution are dealt with in detail. New satellite laser ranging missions, new altimetry missions (e.g. TOPEX/Poseidon, ERS-1/2, GFO, JASON), and new and forthcoming gravity field missions (CHAMP, GRACE, GOCE) are also considered. The book serves as a textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, as well as a reference for professionals and scientists in the field of engineering and geosciences such as geodesy, surveying, geo-information, navigation, geophysics and oceanography.


The strengthening mechanisms of steels have been well studied widely, and are the same of the mechanisms in high strength stainless steel, e.g., grain refinement by the thermomechanical treatment, solid solution strengthening by lattice distortion through the addition of alloying element, transformation strengthening by martensite transformation, work hardening by the formation of strain induced martensite through rolling, strain aging hardening by the tempering or aging of martensite, and precipitation strengthening of intermetallic compounds which are coherent with the matrix. These strengthening mechanisms relate to the thermomechanical treatment of the steel as well as the chemical composition. Various high strength stainless steels are produced by a combination of these mechanisms, and have peculiar mechanical properties depending on the final microstructure.Recently, the need for various other properties than high strength, e.g., ductility, toughness and weldability has been recognized. Work-hardened stainless steel, for example, has greater strength than SUS301 and is used for ID blades (inner diameter blade for cutting Si single crystal), etc. The additional strength of the steel results from solid solution hardening and strain aged hardening. Martensite stainless steel and ultra microduplex stainless steel were also developed and are now in use fitting a variety of needs. The former steel has high toughness with more than 1700 N/mm2 tensile strength, and the latter has good strength and ductility but is not softened on welding.


We have made a comprehensive investigation of the chemistry associated with the Sodium Rhodizonate Test for particulate lead deposited on surfaces as a consequence of a firearm discharge. This has been directed at addressing some of the problems that have hitherto compromised the value of this test to forensic science. In particular, we have found that aqueous solutions of sodium rhodizonate are considerably more stable if stored below pH 3. The rhodizonate dianion is then diprotonated, forming rhodizonic acid, and the half-life of the solution increases from about one hour to about ten hours. By ensuring that the area to be examined is pretreated with tartrate buffer so that its pH is adjusted to 2.8 prior to treatment with rhodizonic acid, the formation of a nondiagnostic purple complex, instead of the desired scarlet complex, is avoided. Whereas the scarlet complex changes to a blue-violet complex, upon secondary treatment with 5% HCl, which is diagnostic of the presence of lead, the purple complex decolorises completely under these conditions and thus its formation represents wastage of lead from within the test area and is associated with the fading problem that has previously plagued the test. The fading of the blue-violet complex can be eliminated by removing excess HCl, by means of a hair drier once the color has fully developed.


Sustainable and safe energy sources combined with cost effectiveness are major goals for society when considering the current scenario of mass production of portable and Internet of Things (IoT) devices along with the huge amount of inevitable e‐waste. The conceptual design of a self‐powered "eco‐energy" smart card based on paper promotes green and clean energy, which will bring the zero e‐waste challenge one step closer to fruition. A commercial raw filter paper is modified through a fast in situ functionalization method, resulting in a conductive cellulose fiber/polyaniline composite, which is then applied as an energy harvester based on a mechano‐responsive charge transfer mechanism through a metal/conducting polymer interface. Different electrodes are studied to optimize charge transfer based on contact energy level differences. The highest power density and current density obtained from such a paper‐based "eco‐energy" smart card device are 1.75 W m−2 and 33.5 mA m−2 respectively. This self‐powered smart energy card is also able to light up several commercial light‐emitting diodes, power on electronic devices, and charge capacitors.


The community structure of complex networks reveals hidden relationships in the organization of their constituent nodes. Indeed, many practical problems stemming from different fields of knowledge such as Biology, Sociology, Chemistry and Computer Science can be modeled as a graph. Therefore, graph analysis and community detection have become a key component for understanding the inherent relational characteristics underlying different systems and processes. In this regard, distinct unsupervised quality metrics such as conductance, coverage and modularity, have upsurged in order to evaluate the clustering arrangements based on structural and topological characteristics of the cluster space. In this regard graph clustering can be formulated as an optimization problem based on the maximization of one of such metrics, for which a number of nature-inspired heuristic solvers has been proposed in the literature. This paper elaborates on a novel local search method that allows boosting the convergence of such heuristics by estimating and sampling the cluster arrangement distribution from the set of intermediate produced solutions of the algorithm at hand. Simulation results reveal a generalized better performance compared towards other community detection algorithms in synthetic and real datasets.


Heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) is a possible solution to further increase hard drive recording density. In a HAMR system, an external light source is employed to locally heat up magnetic media. To achieve a realistic HAMR system, a near-field transducer (NFT) is necessary to focus optical fields down to 10-20 nm in size. Different approaches to excite NFTs have been investigated, including focusing of external light sources and coupling from dielectric waveguides. Here we demonstrate evanescent coupling between a series of single mode dielectric waveguides and adjacent plasmonic waveguides with relatively large cross section (200 nm×300 nm). We envision for these large plasmonic guides could then be used, in turn, to efficiently drive NFT's with smaller cross sectional area. A series of samples with various overlap length of the dielectric c and plasmonic waveguides demonstrates that coupling in these waveguides can be designed and understood using mode indices calculated from the eigenmodes of the waveguide cross sections. Coupling strength which oscillates with the length of the overlap section of the waveguides is shown according to standard coupled mode theory.