Hyperspectral remote sensing is used in precision agriculture to remotely and quickly acquire crop phenotype information. This paper describes the generation of a digital orthophoto map (DOM) and radiometric calibration for images taken by a miniaturized snapshot hyperspectral camera mounted on a lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The snapshot camera is a relatively new type of hyperspectral sensor that can acquire an image cube with one spectral and two spatial dimensions at one exposure. The images acquired by the hyperspectral snapshot camera need to be mosaicked together to produce a DOM and radiometrically calibrated before analysis. However, the spatial resolution of hyperspectral cubes is too low to mosaic the images together. Furthermore, there are no systematic radiometric calibration methods or procedures for snapshot hyperspectral images acquired from low-altitude carrier platforms. In this study, we obtained hyperspectral imagery using a snapshot hyperspectral sensor mounted on a UAV. We quantitatively evaluated the radiometric response linearity (RRL) and radiometric response variation (RRV) and proposed a method to correct the RRV effect. We then introduced a method to interpolate position and orientation system (POS) information and generate a DOM with low spatial resolution and a digital elevation model (DEM) using a 3D mesh model built from panchromatic images with high spatial resolution. The relative horizontal geometric precision of the DOM was validated by comparison with a DOM generated from a digital RGB camera. A surface crop model (CSM) was produced from the DEM, and crop height for 48 sampling plots was extracted and compared with the corresponding field-measured crop height to verify the relative precision of the DEM. Finally, we applied two absolute radiometric calibration methods to the generated DOM and verified their accuracy via comparison with spectra measured with an ASD Field Spec Pro spectrometer (Analytical Spectral Devices, Boulder, CO, USA). The DOM had high relative horizontal accuracy, and compared with the digital camera-derived DOM, spatial differences were below 0.05 m (RMSE = 0.035). The determination coefficient for a regression between DEM-derived and field-measured crop height was 0.680. The radiometric precision was 5% for bands between 500 and 945 nm, and the reflectance curve in the infrared spectral region did not decrease as in previous research. The pixel and data sizes for the DOM corresponding to a field area of approximately 85 m × 34 m were small (0.67 m and approximately 13.1 megabytes, respectively), which is convenient for data transmission, preprocessing and analysis. The proposed method for radiometric calibration and DOM generation from hyperspectral cubes can be used to yield hyperspectral imagery products for various applications, particularly precision agriculture.


The motif of the former, coming, latter and new things is not only the dominant theme of Is 40-48, but can be regarded as a key to the message of Deutero-Isaiah and his understanding of history. The present thesis consists of two parts. After a concise introduction to some problems related to the subject, part I. ('Historical') continues with a survey of the discussion of the research, which focuses on various interpretations that the former (A.) and the new things (B.) have received in the last two centuries. It depends largely upon the standpoint of the speaker (before of after the fall of Babylon), as to whether Cyrus belongs to the new or the former. The multiplicity of divergent positions leads some critics to investigate further into the functions of these expressions (C). They draw the conclusion that often the terms appear in a forensic setting in order to prove Yahwe's power. Part I. closes with a summary of the dominant leads, which also reveals that scholars have jumped too quickly to the conclusion that the new, the latter and the coming have the same meaning. This, however, is not adequate. Nothing indicates that these terms can be identified. An independent examination has therefore to be expanded to the entire wordfield, also including the adverbs of time. In order to trace the differences between the former, latter, coming and new, a critical analysis of the literary units, in which these expressions are embedded, is offered in part II. ('Exegetical'). Two introductory paragraphs are devoted to preliminary notes. Remarks on methodology (1.) are followed by the description of the account of the expressions of time and the selection of the units to be discussed (2.). This overview is based upon the two appendices added towards the end of the study. While appendix 1 lists the occurences of the relevant expressions, appendix 2 illustrates the complicated net work of their etymological and contextual relations. The main section of part II is concerned with the systematic treatment of the selected texts. These are arranged in three context specific groups. In each subdivision, the analysis which follows a fixed pattern acts as the basis for the interpretation of the expressions of time. Each section concludes with a summary of the main results with reference to the texts, as well as to the expressions of time. Main results of this investigation are: the opposition former - coming occurs exclusively in trial speeches against the nations and their gods (A: 41, 21-29; 43, 8-13; 44, 6-8; 45, 18-25; cf. excursus 1), where it functions as an attempt to understand history in conceptual terms. In contrast, the juxtaposition of the former and the latter proves Yahwe's uniqueness by the convergence of past promise and present experience in the 'Weissagungsbe- weis' (excursus 2). The 'aḥ(^a)rit(^h) can also be replaced by a demonstrative pronoun that points to the fall of Babylon. The adverbs of time (excursus 3) indicate that the ri'sōnot(^h) have to be understood as ancient events pregnant with a future promise. The statements about Yahwe's creative acts, however, do not refer to a past creation, but to God's present acts in history (excursus 4).The analysis of two units in which Yahwe's 'Selbsterweis' is addressed to Israel (B: 46, 9-11; 48, 12-16), confirms and corroborates the earlier findings about the relation between the former and the latter. In this context, the self-predication ri'son - 'aḥ(^a)ron designates Yahwe as the only reliable God who is able to execute his promises. Both units concentrate on the event- part of the proof. Cyrus is not the new, but rather the result and end of the former (excursus 5).Three texts with salutary overtones, all of them addressed to Israel, are centered on the opposition former - new (C: 42, 5-9; 43, 16-21; 48, 1-11), which is unusual in the rest of the OT. Here the former consists of the whole history of salvation, from the early beginnings (qadmōniyyot(^h)) up to its result in Cyrus, i.e. it includes the 'aḥ(^a)rit(^h)). While the former was valid up to now, the new will start from now on (m). Somehow, the new is already present (n(^e)șȗrot(^h)) and must be perceived by the people. It is something extraordinary, genuinely new, that has no precedent in the former. Although it comes as quickly and suddenly as the 'aḥ(^a)rit(^h), the new will supersede the former. Yahwe creates it for his own sake, so as not to forfeit his honour to the idols. His servant Isreiel (excursus 6) is to mediate justice that brings salvation and the torah to the nations. In order to take up this future task, obstinate Israel has to undergo an inner change, a refinement, which will enable her to respond adequately to this new election and to Yahwe's claim which is affirmed in the trial speeches. The people will renounce idolatry, acknowledge Yahwe as the only God and give him the praise he deserves. A final summary resumes the results of part II. After the appendices, the bibliography and a list of abbreviations are to be found at the end of the thesis.


Why does the impact factor continue to play such a consequential role in academia? Alex Rushforth and Sarah de Rijcke look at how considerations of the metric enter in from early stages of research planning to the later stages of publication. Even with initiatives against the use of impact factors, scientists themselves will likely err on the side of caution and continue to provide their scores on applications for funding and promotion.


Cultural conformity in psychological constructs has been shown to play a critical role in people's health and well-being. The more people's individual beliefs about a construct aligns with the cultural norms, their cultural identity is more cultivated, leading to higher levels of well-being. Considering feeling loved in everyday contexts as a social construct that people indicate shared beliefs and cultural consensus for, in the current study, we explored congruency in cultural beliefs on love and its association with well-being in the United States. 495 participants in the United States evaluated everyday life scenarios in terms of whether they elicit loving feelings or not. We examined the correspondence between people's beliefs about what makes themselves (i.e., self) feel loved compared to what they think makes others feel loved and the cultural consensus on indicators of love. We then explored how individual differences in these correspondence measures are associated with people's well-being. We reported evidence for the lack as well as for the existence of these associations using Bayes Factors in the Bayesian statistical framework. Results indicated that both self-other and self-consensus agreements are meaningfully associated with individuals' well-being. Furthermore, when examining disagreements in self vs. other ratings of love, we found that one type of disagreement (believing other people feel loved in scenarios that I don't), is associated with lower levels of well-being. This meaningful relationship to well-being was not visible in the case where a person would report feeling loved in a scenario while believing that others would not. Implications for well-being interventions are further discussed.


In this article, we explore how classical organization theory can contribute to better comprehend the phenomenon "organizational networks." We will demonstrate that this juxtaposition can produce new and interesting insights. First, we argue that an organizational network can be understood as an organization following the classical definition by March and Simon. Second, we assume that organizational networks, as any other form of organizing, need to find solutions to four universal problems as suggested by Puranam and colleagues to be effective: task division, task allocation, reward provision, and information provision. Third, introducing and analyzing an existing organizational network for the management of housing expenses in a Dutch municipality helps us to reflect on how organizational networks in general and this network in particular have found solutions to the four problems of organizing. Finally, we present a number of interesting observations and implications resulting from the confrontation between organizational networks and organization theory and formulate a number of propositions to inspire and guide further research.


As businesses adopt electronic commerce, information exchange between business partners within a supply chain becomes more essential. Information exchange is often considered when companies implement the Extranet. This study aims to analyze the impact of various levels of information sharing including order, inventory, and demand information, which is based on transaction costs. This study further examines the effects on supply chain performance in electronic commerce. Specifically, the multiagent simulation system Swarm is employed to simulate and analyze the buyer-seller correlation in sharing information among business partners in supply chains. Our findings indicate that the more detailed information shared between firms, the lower the total cost, the higher the order fulfillment rate, and the shorter the order cycle time. In other words, information sharing may reduce the demand uncertainty that firms normally encounter. Firms that share information between trading partners tend to transact with a reduced number of suppliers. In sum, this work illustrates the effects of various levels of information sharing on supply chain performance in electronic commerce.


A study investigated three propositions concerning parent-child relationships: (1) that parent-child relationships influence/build children's relational models; (2) that subsequent relationships may alter those models; and (3) that communication is a means through which children can reconcile these differences. About 90 elementary-aged children participated. First, they wrote letters to their parents in school. Second, a packet was sent home to be filled out by the parents. Third, children were interviewed by an interviewer unaware of the study's hypotheses. Results showed that the difference between a child's model and his/her reports of the actual parent-child relationship will be negatively related to the quality of everyday communication reported in the parent-child relationship. Also, the difference between a child's model and his/her reports of the actual parent-child relationship will be negatively related to the level of conversation orientation. This study calls for speculation and exploration of the possible links between famil communication processes and the reasoning processes of children, especially about social events such as relationships. The finding that a strong conversation orientation is linked to less difference between children's expectations and experience of parent-child relationships should reassure parents who are trying to let children do their own thinking. (Contains two tables of data and 22 references.) (TB) Reproductjous supplied by EMS arc the best ttml can be made from the original document. ******************************.A****************************.:. Communication and children's relationship models The role of communication in mediating the difference between children's expectations about and experiences parent-child relationships: Children's models of


Background and purpose The possibility of comparing results and of pooling the data has been limited for the Nordic arthroplasty registries, because of different registration systems and questionnaires. We have established a common Nordic database, in order to compare demographics and the results of total hip replacement surgery between countries. In addition, we plan to study results in patient groups in which the numbers are too small to be studied in the individual countries. Material and methods Primary total hip replacements (THRs) from 1995–2006 were selected for the study. Denmark, Sweden, and Norway contributed data. A common code set was made and Cox multiple regression, with adjustment for age, sex, and diagnosis was used to calculate prosthesis survival with any revision as endpoint. Results 280,201 operations were included (69,242 from Denmark, 140,821 from Sweden, and 70,138 from Norway). Females accounted for 60% of the patients in Denmark and Sweden, and 70% in Norway. Childhood disease was the cause of 3.1%, 1.8%, and 8.7% of the operations in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, respectively. Resurfacing of hips accounted for 0.5% or less in all countries. The posterior approach was used in 91% of cases in Denmark, 60% in Sweden, and 24% in Norway. Cemented THRs were used in 46% of patients in Denmark, in 89% of patients in Sweden, and in 79% of patients in Norway. Of the 280,201 primary THRs, 9,596 (3.4%) had been revised. 10-year survival was 92% (95% CI: 91.6–92.4) in Denmark, 94% (95% CI: 93.6–94.1) in Sweden, and 93% (95% CI: 92.3–93.0) in Norway. In Denmark, 34% of the revisions were due to dislocation, as compared to 23% in Sweden and Norway. Replacement of only cup or liner constituted 44% of the revisions in Denmark, 29% in Sweden, and 33% in Norway. Interpretation This unique common Nordic collaboration has shown differences between the countries concerning demographics, prosthesis fixation, and survival. The large number of patients in this database significantly widens our horizons for future research.


We examine the effect of large cash transfers on the consumption of food by poor households in rural Mexico. The transfers represent 20% of household income on average, and yet, the budget share of food is unchanged following receipt of this money. This is an important puzzle to solve, particularly so in the context of a social welfare programme designed in part to improve nutrition of individuals in the poorest households. We estimate an Engel curve for food. We rule out price increases, changes in the quality of food consumed and homotheticity of preferences as explanations for this puzzle. We also show that food is a necessity, with a strong negative effect of income on the food budget share. The decrease in food budget share caused by the large increase in income is cancelled by some other relevant aspect of the programme so that the net effect is nil. We argue that the program has not changed preferences and that there is no labelling of money. We propose that the key to the puzzle resides in the fact that the transfer is put in the hands of women and that the change in control over household resources is what leads to the observed changes in behaviour.


The stems and roots of most dicot plants increase in diameter by radial growth, due to the activity of secondary meristems. Two types of meristems function in secondary plant body formation: the vascular cambium, which gives rise to secondary xylem and phloem, and the cork cambium, which produces a bark layer that replaces the epidermis and protects the plant stem from mechanical damage and pathogens. Cambial development, the initiation and activity of the vascular cambium, leads to an accumulation of wood, the secondary xylem tissue. The thick, cellulose-rich cell walls of wood provide a source of cellulose and have the potential to be used as a raw material for sustainable and renewable energy production. In this review, we will discuss what is known about the mechanisms regulating the cambium and secondary tissue development.


Intraperitoneal injections of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) induced or enhanced the expression of Ia antigen by selected murine ocular tissues. In contrast, topical application of this lymphokine had no effect. Ia antigen expression was noted in most cellular components of the conjunctiva, iris, ciliary body, choroid and sclera of treated mice. Intense staining was also found in stromal cells of the cornea, but no Ia reactivity was detected in the corneal epithelium. The lack of staining in the corneal epithelium is in contrast to the strong reactivity in the adjacent conjunctival epithelium, as well as in the skin epithelium. There was no increase in the number of Langerhans cells in the peripheral cornea and limbus, or in their intensity of staining with the anti Ia antibodies. The pattern of Ia expression in ocular tissues of mice treated with IFN-gamma is similar to that of rats with experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU) except that Ia is expressed more regularly and with higher intensity by the retinal vascular endothelium of rats with EAU than by that of IFN-gamma-treated mice. The findings in the current study thus support the notion that IFN-gamma may be involved in immune-mediated inflammation in the eye.


There are increasingly calls for competition regulators to incorporate the possession of personal data into their analyses of anticompetitive practices and behaviour. The point is that the control of large amounts of both commercial and personal data will give companies an unfair advantage over competitors. It is well settled that in the past commercial data has been used to create anticompetitive practices, which has allowed companies to capture a dominant position. However, it has only recently emerged that personal data is also being used as a tradable commodity that is placing entities in a position whereby they can use the data to bargain for a stronger position in the market, because they have exclusive access to personal data.
At issue is the competing forces between competition and personal data protection law. Competition law specifically looks at the behavior of individuals and organizations with regard to products, choice and price. On the other hand, data protection laws focus on protecting the privacy of the individual person's – personal data that has been defined under national or supranational law. This protection has become necessary because more importantly, large amounts of personal data are being used in anticompetitive behavior and because organizations use their market power to take advantage of consumers and competitors. However, it is argued that competition and data protection laws do converge at a conceptual level, because these laws, to varying degrees, provide a level of consumer protection.
Moreover, anti-competitive behavior, from the collection, use and application of personal data can be traced to predominantly two different forms. Hence, two issues emerge the first is the personal data defined by law that is stolen or used without the consent of the data subject to enhance market power by corporations. The second corresponds to situations in which personal data, which is defined by law, and also captured by Internet systems and platforms, is used in a way that establishes a harm, resulting in economic inefficiency. For the purposes of this paper, anti-competitive behavior can be defined as personal data being harvested or mined, whether illegally or legally, to gain a dominant position in the market.


Static and inflating branes residing at the centre of a hyper-spherical symmetric defect are considered in 4 + n-dimensions with a nonzero bulk cosmological constant. Several vacuum solutions can be constructed explicitly when the bulk cosmological constant and cosmological constant on the brane are nonzero. We consider as hyper-spherical symmetric defect a global monopole for generic values of n and a local monopole for n = 3. We construct new solutions which are regular or periodic in the bulk radial coordinate.


Despite representing the bulk of Afghanistan's post-2001 policing, the paramilitary dimension of the Afghan police has received little attention among analysts. In AAN's latest report, 'Paramilitary Policing in Context. The Risks of Expediency', Antonio Giustozzi and Mohammad Isaqzadeh describe the origin and development of paramilitary policing in Afghanistan, and explore what this means for the prospects of a smooth transition and future stability.


NMR feasibility was established for a coaxial hydrophobic‐membrane bioreactor containing isolated rat hepatocytes with features designed to mimic the human liver. A novel triple‐tuned NMR probe and a perfusion system controlling temperature, gas concentrations, flow‐rate, and pH were used. We determined the optimum coaxial interfiber distance (i.e. diffusion distance) for maintaining hepatocyte viability in two bioreactor prototypes. Prototype no. 1 and no. 2 had diffusion distances of 500 μm and 200 μm, respectively. Cell viability was established by 31P NMR and trypan blue exclusion. Only prototype no. 2 maintained cell viability for more than 6 h, indicating the importance of diffusion distance. 31P spectra obtained over this 6 h time period were similar to in vivo spectra of rat liver. The 31P spectra were found to be more sensitive to subacute cell viability than trypan blue exclusion. In the 1H and 31P spectra, 1H2O and inorganic phosphate signals were split in two at all flow‐rates, probably due to bulk magnetic susceptibility effects originating from the three bioreactor compartments. MRI was useful for quality control and determining flow dynamics, fiber integrity, and cell inoculate distribution. MRI revealed that the inner fibers were not centered in either prototype. Although an increased flow‐rate did not influence spectral resolution or chemical shifts, significant degradation of MRI quality occurred above 50 mL/min. NMR spectroscopy and imaging provide valuable, real‐time information on cell biochemistry and flow dynamics which can be used in development and monitoring of bioreactors designed as artificial livers. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Cloud computing is one of the most increasing one with the increase number of cloud users. In today's environment every user wants to access their data at any time and at anywhere. In an organization they store their data only on their computers, if they want their data during roaming situation means it is not possible one to carry the data at every time, this is a difficult factors for an organization. Cloud computing can address this problem by providing data storage mechanism to access the data at anywhere. This is one of the storage device used to access their data at anywhere through networks which is called cloud provider. For this service user worry about the security and privacy issue under this cloud computing for their personal data. For this issue this survey shows various techniques for the security and privacy mechanism for the user data. There are many data storage techniques available, but we are trying to combine cloud database service along with data security and also can perform independent and concurrent operations on encrypted data.


Re‐introduction is an important tool for recovering endangered species; however, the magnitude of genetic consequences for re‐introduced populations remains largely unknown, in particular the relative impacts of historical population bottlenecks compared to those induced by conservation management. We characterize 14 microsatellite loci developed for the Seychelles paradise flycatcher and use them to quantify temporal and spatial measures of genetic variation across a 134‐year time frame encompassing a historical bottleneck that reduced the species to ~28 individuals in the 1960s, through the initial stages of recovery and across a second contemporary conservation‐introduction‐induced bottleneck. We then evaluate the relative impacts of the two bottlenecks, and finally apply our findings to inform broader re‐introduction strategy. We find a temporal trend of significant decrease in standard measures of genetic diversity across the historical bottleneck, but only a nonsignificant downward trend in number of alleles across the contemporary bottleneck. However, accounting for the different timescales of the two bottlenecks (~40 historical generations versus <1 contemporary generation), the loss of genetic diversity per generation is greater across the contemporary bottleneck. Historically, the flycatcher population was genetically structured; however, extinction on four of five islands has resulted in a homogeneous contemporary population. We conclude that severe historical bottlenecks can leave a large footprint in terms of sheer quantity of genetic diversity lost. However, severely depleted genetic diversity does not render a species immune to further genetic erosion upon re‐introduction. In some cases, the loss of genetic diversity per generation can, initially at least, be greater across re‐introduction‐induced bottlenecks.


To understand the nature of the transmission process of excitation- contraction (EC) coupling, the effects of the anion perchlorate were investigated on the voltage sensor (dihydropyridine receptor, DHPR) and the Ca release channel (ryanodine receptor, RyR) of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The molecules, from rabbit skeletal muscle, were either separated in membrane vesicular fractions or biochemically purified so that the normal EC coupling interaction was prevented. Additionally, the effect of ClO4- was investigated on L-type Ca2+ channel gating currents of guinea pig ventricular myocytes, as a native DHPR not in the physiological interaction of skeletal muscle. At 20 mM, ClO4- had minor effects on the activation of ionic currents through Ca channels from skeletal muscle transverse tubular (T) membranes fused with planar bilayers: a +7-mV shift in the midpoint voltage, V, with no change in kinetics of activation or deactivation. This is in contrast with the larger, negative shift that ClO4- causes on the distribution of intramembrane charge movement of skeletal muscle. At up to 100 mM it did not affect the binding of the DHP [3H]PN200-110 to triad-enriched membrane fractions (TR). At 8 mM it did not affect the kinetics or the voltage distribution of gating currents of Ca channels in heart myocytes. These negative results were in contrast to the effects of ClO4- on the release channel. At 20 mM it increased several-fold the open probability of channels from purified RyR incorporated in planar bilayers and conducting Ba2+, an effect seen on channels first closed by chelation of Ca2+ or by the presence of Mg2+. It significantly increased the initial rate of efflux of 45Ca2+ from TR vesicles (by a factor of 1.75 at 20 mM and 4.5 at 100 mM). ClO4- also increased the binding of [3H]ryanodine to TR fractions. The relative increase in binding was 50-fold at the lowest [Ca2+] used (1 microM) and then decayed to much lower values as [Ca2+] was increased. The increase was due entirely to an increase in the association rate constant of ryanodine binding. The chaotropic ions SCN- and I- increased the association rate constant to a similar extent. The binding of ryanodine to purified RyR protein reconstituted into liposomes had a greater affinity than to TR fractions but was similarly enhanced by ClO4-. The reducing agent dithiothreitol (5 mM) did not reduce the effect of ClO4- , and 5% polyethylene glycol, with an osmolarity equivalent to 20 mM ClO4-, did not change ryanodine binding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


Semicustom IC design methodologies often assume a wide range of operating conditions. This requirement makes designing output drivers very difficult, as output ringing due to overdriving cannot be avoided. This problem becomes more tricky when power noise due to simultaneous switching of many output drivers at very high speed is also considered. A new output driver is proposed that adopts an innovative feedback mechanism to achieve an adaptive characteristic so that its performance will not vary under different loading conditions. The driver is also low in power noise as it works with a principle similar to a controlled slew rate output driver. Measurement from a test chip substantiates all those claims.


Synopsis: The European Energy Market is currently under construction. In this complex process Member States have traditionally retained the power to secure each State's energy supply as a matter of national security. However, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has recently issued several judgments in which national policies are declared to be in breach of core European Union (EU) principles: free movement of capital and freedom of establishment. The article explores the risks of adopting this approach (negative integration) without a clear European regulatory framework (positive integration). Dismantling national regulatory controls without providing a true European alternative can result in a critical precedence of free market over national administrative law. I. ENERGY POLICY, FREE MARKETS, AND SECURITY OF SUPPLY: A COMPLEX INTERRELATIONSHIP This article focuses on the transformation of public intervention mechanisms (i.e., the administrative/regulatory framework) in companies operating in energy sectors, particularly in regards to legal tools designed to meet "security of energy supply" requirements. The energy sector is strategically important because energy products and services are absolutely essential for society to function. In general terms, strategic sectors involve "public infrastructure and services of great individual or collective importance. . . . All of these sectors provide for vital individual needs, formally recognised as such, or vital collective needs which must be met through the establishment of business enterprises."1 In more concrete terms, the energy sector's strategic importance derives from its role as a provider of inputs that are essential to the overall productive system and to final demand. It is all the more strategic in an economy such as that of Spain, which largely lacks energy resources, particularly in the area of foreign trade, which is conducted in very sensitive and unstable markets. It is also strategic because sector companies are part of the essential framework of the economic system.2 The energy sector is subject to pervasive and extensive administrative regulation for the following reasons: a) Energy is a service of general economic interest. Public intervention is designed on the one hand to ensure the existence of a real market and, on the other, to ensure that public service obligations are met.3 b) Energy is a network-based service requiring extensive regulation.4 Energy products are impossible or very expensive to store, making them very vulnerable to market abuse. Therefore, monitoring by national regulatory authorities is crucial. c) Certain functions of the energy industry (e.g., distribution, transportation and network management) are "natural monopolies" and are thus viewed as regulated activities, while others (e.g., generation and supply) are open to competition. d) Electricity supply is viewed as a universal service.5 e) The electricity sector is investment-intensive, thus hampering the entry of new competitors. There are a number of additional considerations that underscore even more clearly the strategic nature of energy and the energy industry: a) The issue of energy dependence. Foreign energy sources currently account for fifty percent of Europe's total consumption; that figure is forecast to reach seventy percent over the next twenty years. Spain's prospects are even worse since oil and natural gas - almost all of which must be imported - account for seventy percent of the primary energy consumed in the country.6 b) The powerful geopolitical interests of certain countries, which are reflected in technical issues, are closely interwoven with the issue of energy dependence. Europe largely depends on Russia, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Norway, Niger, Libya, Qatar, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq, which have the largest energy stocks. Many of those countries pose considerable risks (e. …


I examine the effects of education on health in Indonesia using an exogenous variation in education induced by an extension of Indonesia's school term length in 1978-1979, a natural experiment that fits a regression discontinuity design. I find the longer school year increases educational attainment and wages, but I do not find evidence that education improves health. I explore some mechanisms through which education may affect health, but education does not seem to promote healthy lifestyles, increase the use of modern healthcare services, or improve access to health insurance; if anything, education improves only cognitive capacity.


Chronic infection from the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide. It is estimated that more than 170 million people worldwide are infected by HCV. HCV is responsible for the 70% of cases of chronic hepatitis, the 60% of cases of hepatocellular cancer and the 30% of liver transplantations. Therapy of chronic infection from the HCV aims to the: a) eradication of the virus from liver and blood and sustenance of undetectable serum HCV-RNA after the end of the treatment and b) stabilization or improvement of liver histological status. In 80' physicians treated chronic hepatitis C by using interferon alpha (IFN-α), whereas few years later they added ribavirin to the treatment. The combination therapy of IFN-α and ribavirin had had better results, but many patients left untreated. In 90' IFN-α was replaced by pegylated interferon alpha (PEG-IFN-α), with or without the use of ribavirin. In this study the following questions are answered: a) which patients should be treated? b) what are the appropriate clinical and laboratory tests before treatment? c) which is the most effective therapeutic scheme and which is its duration? and d) which is the appropriate surveillance of the patients, especially after the end of the treatment? Additionally, there are mentioned the most common adverse effects of interferon and ribavirin treatment, which are in many cases the cause of altering the treatment. Key-words: Chronic hepatitis C, Interferon, Ribavirin Corresponding author


This paper examines the challenges of deploying broadband policies at the local level. It is a topic that has received significant attention in urban and rural areas, with uneven access to broadband identified as an important issue by policy makers and researchers alike. While the broadband and regional development literature has highlighted the complexity of regional deployment, with reference to geographical metaphors such as the last mile, it has tended to downplay the underlying policy processes as actors seek to manage the deployment process over time and space. Drawing on the concept of the policy mix, the paper examines how actors seek to manage complexity between policy objectives. It does so by drawing on an in-depth case-study of broadband policy in Wales – 2012 to 2017, and shows deployment to be a contested process in the last mile, characterised by interaction between policy objectives in a range of policy areas including planning and highways. It is argued that coordination of these tensions represents a complex socio-spatial process in which local actors (government, households, businesses and broadband providers) engage in a negotiated process to find place-based, bespoke solutions to deployment problems.


A new particle swarm optimization characterized by sensation is presented to improve the limited capability of regular particle swarm optimization in exploiting history experience (iwPSO). It guides individuals to behave reasonably with the capability of self-adaptation in activities of self-cognition according to the sensation model. Considering the complexity of a swarm intelligent system at the level of sensation brings about optimization of the comprehensive capability of global, local searching and cooperating with each other. It is compared with the regular particle swarm optimizer (PSO) invented by Kennedy and Eberhart in 1995 based on three different benchmark functions. In the iwPSO proposed here, each particle adjusting the inertia weight omega value when its position changes, it enhances the search capability of single particle. The strategy here is to avoid the local minimum problems of PSO algorithm. Under all test cases, simulation shows that the iwPSO always finds better solutions than PSO.


This paper introduces the 3D Risk Management (3DRM) concept for hydrogen installations (Hy3DRM). The 3DRM framework entails an integrated solution for risk management that combines a detailed sitespecific 3D geometry model for a system, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool for simulating accident scenarios involving dispersion, fire and explosions, and a methodology for frequency analysis and quantitative risk assessment (QRA). In order to reduce calculation time, and to cover escalating accident scenarios such as structural collapse and projectiles, the CFD-based consequence analysis can be complemented with reduced order models or finite element analysis (FEA). The paper outlines the background for 3DRM and presents a proof-of-concept risk assessment for a hypothetical hydrogen filling station. This first prototype focuses on dispersion, fire and explosion scenarios resulting from loss of containment of gaseous hydrogen. The approach adopted here combines consequence assessments obtained with the CFD tool FLACS-Hydrogen from Gexcon, and event frequencies estimated with the Hydrogen Risk Assessment Models (HyRAM) tool from Sandia, to generate 3D risk contours for explosion pressure and radiation loads. For a given population density and set of harm criteria it is straightforward to extend the analysis to include personnel risk, as well as risk-based design such as detector optimization. The discussion outlines main challenges and inherent limitations of the 3DRM concept, as well as possibilities and prospects for future development.


In this paper, we present a simplified steady state analysis and design for a DC-to-AC inverter with zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) and output isolation. It is a current-fed converter having variable frequency control to obtain a symmetrical regulated AC output. Two switches operating in complementary fashion to control the operation of the converter and provide transformer core resetting. The resonance between the parasitic capacitances, transformer magnetizing inductance, and output side inductor allows ZVS for both switches reducing switching losses. The output has an LCC resonant tank circuit that controls the output power flow, and sets frequency of the output AC voltage. Using simplified steady state analysis, input and output characteristic curves are derived for different transformer ratios. Based on these curves, a design procedure with a specific example supported by simulation results is presented.


We study the two coupling two-level single molecules driven by an external field as a photon pair source. The probability of emitting two photons, P2, is employed to describe the photon pair source quality in a short time, and the correlation coefficient RAB is employed to describe the photon pair source quality in a long time limit. The results demonstrate that the coupling single quantum emitters can be considered as a stable photon pair source.


Worldwide, malaria infects 270 million persons each year and has a mortality rate of 1%. In the United States, fewer than 1,000 cases of malaria are diagnosed in those who have a history of travel. The diagnosis is typically delayed, with an ensuing higher morbidity and mortality associated with hospitalization. The delayed diagnosis might be a result of the low incidence of malaria in nonendemic areas and the nonspecificity of the signs and symptoms. The case reported in this article is unusual in that no recent travel occurred, diagnosis was made expeditiously in the emergency department, and Plasmodium falciparum malaria might have recurred after an unusually long delay of more than 1 year.


One of the indicators of economic progress is the successful development of higher education and the strength of human capital. In the present status of the world economies, employability of engineering graduates is of paramount importance in nation building. Employability means that graduates should possess the holistic attributes demanded by industries. Engineers should have qualities such as problem solvers, able to lead and be lead, creative, innovative, good communicator, both oral and written forms, and with ethical and professionally responsible. In the job recruitment process, the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) system is still being used as the common selection criteria and sometimes lead to mis-hiring due to the fact that CGPA does not indicate the skill level of the applicant. More often than not, applicants with good CGPA get hired easily than those with lower CGPA. However, it does not necessarily mean that all those hired have good CGPA. This paper presents an assessment of the fresh graduate employment to determine if those hired within the first six (6) months, have a good CGPA and better programme outcomes (PO) attainment compared to those hired after six months from graduation. An alumni survey was conducted to determine who were those hired within the first six months. Their respective integrated cumulative grade point average (iCGPA) and integrated cumulative grade point outcomes (iCGPO) scores were then generated through the end of semester assessment tool (ESAT). Benchmark iCGPA of 3.00 was used as an indicator of good performance. Two groups were formed based on iCGPA results and statistical tests were performed to determine their correlation.


. In this paper the authors apply the principles of the HOS method developed at the Faculty of Business and Management at the Brno University of Technology for evaluating the efficiency of information systems including environmental information system (EIS). Selected results of the authors´ research based on monitoring more than four hundred organizations are presented in a case study. The authors also take into account some aspects of the formulation of environmental information of the Czech Republic (supported by, e.g., the Czech Statistical Office). The primary principle of the research is to determine the level of balance of the organization's information system, this being the key prerequisite of its effectiveness. The effectiveness is understood as maximizing the output with respect to minimizing the total cost. It is a way of implementing information and communication technologies and respecting their characteristics as properties of the information system generally and within the limits of sustainability of their development and implementation throughout their life cycle. Organizations respecting these rules support the use of the tools and state-of-the-art environmental informatics, and thus significantly contribute to their sustainable development.


Abstract : The Annual Progress Report gives the CY99 personnel and funding strength of the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory. This report includes an overview of the Laboratory activities, current areas of research, and a brief description of the research being conducted.


On a property on the Marquette Iron Range, Michigan, the iron formation overlying the ore was so much fractured that exploration had to be undertaken by means of angle holes from either side in more solid ground. All of the holes showed considerable curvature, one of them curving so much it was actually rising when completed. The curvature was initiated by increasing the pressure on the bit at the desired depth. Two of the holes were deflected at a considerable distance above the bottom, in order to explore new ground at depth without re-drilling the entire hole.


Online communities (OCs) have become an increasingly prevalent way for organizations to bring people together to collaborate and create value. However, despite the abundance of extant literature, many studies still point to the lack of long-term sustainability of OCs. We contend that communities become dormant or obsolete over time because of manifestations of ineffectiveness a state of the community that hinders the attainment of individual and collective desired outcomes. While ineffectiveness in OCs is common, it is less apparent why such ineffectiveness persists. Two knowledge gaps are particularly significant here. First, while the multilevel nature of OCs is acknowledged, corresponding difficulties in aligning individual and collective interests and behaviors have often been neglected in past studies. Second, rare longitudinal studies have revealed that community members respond to ineffectiveness with various coping behaviors. However, the impact of these coping behaviors may not turn out as desired. Consequently, we investigate the persistence of ineffectiveness from the perspective of multilevel and coping effects, addressing the following research question: How and why does ineffectiveness persist in online communities? Our critical realist case study offers a three-step explanatory framework: (1) underlying multilevel tensions in the community contribute to usage ineffectiveness (i.e., members are unable to use the OC effectively); (2) misguided coping behaviors contribute to ineffective adaptation (i.e., members are unable to cope with not being able to use the OC effectively); and (3) ineffectiveness persists due to the interaction between usage and adaptation ineffectiveness.


Forest roads are the key infrastructures that provide access to forest areas for sustainable management, protection, and utilization of forest resources. In order to benefit from the important functions of forest roads, they should be built in with adequate technical road standards. The road network with low technical standards require more frequent major repairs to ensure continues access to forest resources. In addition, only small trucks with low load capacity can move on the low standard roads. Furthermore, the low road standards limit the truck speed that increases vehicle travel time. These negative effects increase the transportation costs which are an important part of the timber production costs in Turkey. Thus, improving the road standards and developing forest transportation planning should be evaluated together in the most appropriate way. Large logging trucks with high load capacity are generally preferred for efficient transportation of wood-based forest products. In Turkey, large logging trucks, however, cannot operate on the most of the forest roads because insufficient technical road standards (road width, curve radius, surface materials, road structures) limit the maneuverability of large logging trucks. In this study, the objective is to determine the effects of improving forest road standards on total net profit of forest products by using the NETWORK 2000 program, a heuristic approach for solving forest transportation problems. Three Forest Enterprise Chiefs (FECs) located in Mustafakemalpaşa Forest Enterprise Directorate (FED) in Bursa Forest Regional Directorate were selected as the study area. The digital data layers for forest road network was generated by using ArcGIS 10.4 software. In the solution process, firstly, the optimum routes that minimize the transportation cost and maximize the total net profit of forest products on existing forest road networks were investigated for a truck type (15 ton) currently used in the region. In the second case, forest transportation was planned for the high load capacity truck (29 ton) moving on the forest roads with improved standards. In the first case, the transportation costs and annual major repair costs were considered in the calculation of the net profit of forest products, while one time cost of road improvement activities (i.e. road improvement construction, road structure installation, road surface construction) and annual maintenance costs were considered along with transportation costs in the second case. In both cases, the costs of other forest operations (i.e. felling, logging, etc.) were not considered since it was assumed that they do not vary with the forest transportation alternatives. As a result of the transportation plan developed for high load capacity truck, the annual transportation cost decreased by 46.85% comparing to the local logging trucks with low load capacity. Using improved road standards, the total road costs computed for the time period of 30 years (i.e. the average expected life cycle of forest roads) were reduced by 4.64%. The total net profit of forest products transported by using a high load capacity truck was 473,340 Euro more than that of using low load capacity truck on the existing forest road network. Thus, improving road standards might result in some additional costs in the road construction stage, but total net profit of forest products increase since transportation costs along with maintenance and repair costs considerably decrease in the long term.


Voice interaction with mobile devices has been focused on hands-free interaction or situations where visual interfaces are not applicable. In this paper we explore a subtler means of interaction -- speech recognition from continual, in the background, audio recording of conversations. We call this the 'continuous speech stream' and explore how it could be repurposed as user input. We analyse ten days of recorded audio from our participants, alongside corresponding interviews, to explore how systems might make use of extracts from this stream. Rather than containing directly actionable items, our data suggests that the continuous speech stream is a rich resource for identifying users' next actions, along with the interests and dispositions of those being recorded. Through design workshops we explored new interactions using the speech stream, and describe concepts for individual, shared and distributed use.


The phylogenetic position of Proterosuchus fergusi (Lower Triassic of South Africa) as one of the most basal archosauriforms means that it is critically important for understanding the successful evolutionary radiation of archosaurs during the Mesozoic. The excellent sample of the species provides a unique opportunity to understand early archosauriform ontogeny. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of cranial ontogenetic variation were conducted on an ontogenetic sequence, in which the smallest individual is 37% of the size of the largest one and osteohistological evidence suggests that four of 11 collected specimens had not reached sexual maturity. Through ontogeny the skull of Proterosuchus became proportionally taller, the infratemporal fenestra larger, and the teeth more isodont and numerous but with smaller crowns. The sequence of somatic maturity supports relatively high growth rates during early ontogeny. The skull of juvenile specimens of Proterosuchus closely resembles adults of the basal archosauromorph Prolacerta, whereas adult specimens resemble adults of more derived archosauriforms. As a result, a plausible hypothesis is that ontogenetic modification events (e.g. heterochrony) may have been key drivers of the evolution of the general shape of the skull at the base of Archosauriformes. These changes may have contributed to the occupation of a new morphospace by the clade around the Permo‐Triassic boundary.


Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks have become increasingly popular and have become a very successful networking paradigm. Presently P2P network boost up by P2P file sharing programs such as Napster, KaZaA, TV broadcasting etc. As network address translators (NAT) [1] and firewall devices are becoming increasingly ubiquitous and are unavoidable, and they pose a significant problem for connection establishment for peer-to-peer protocols which still in its infancy. P2P applications need to connect to each other, but are increasingly obstructed by NAT boxes. Some popular P2P applications do not address NAT traversal or do so poorly. By taking this factor in consideration, this thesis work attempts to highlight NAT traversal problem in peer-to-peer architectures, analyze different techniques that can be applicable to P2P architectures and then by applying these concepts we have performed experiments and simulations for the viability of the possible solution that will be the most promising and universal which we have discussed in subsequent chapters and later we evaluate our results for the possible adaptation in P2P-IPTV.


This paper proposes a parallel simulation methodology to speed up network simulations on modern multicore systems. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of this approach and the performance speedups achieved under various network conditions. This methodology provides two unique and important advantages: 1) one can readily enjoy performance speedups without using an unfamiliar simulation language/library to rewrite his protocol module code for parallel simulations, and 2) one can conduct parallel simulations in the same way as when he conducts sequential simulations. We implemented this methodology and evaluated its performance speedups on the popular ns-2 network simulator. Our results show that this methodology is feasible and can provide satisfactory performance speedups under high event load conditions on wired networks.


Purpose : To develop specific single chain variable fragments (scFv) against infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) via phage display technology. Methods : Purified viruses were initially applied for iterative panning rounds of scFv phage display libraries. The binding ability of the selected scFv antibody fragments against the IBDV particles was analyzed by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) followed by blotting assays. Threedimensional (3D) structure of the selected scFv antibody fragment and VP3 protein were predicted through in silico analysis. Structural characterization of the antibody-antigen complexes was carried out by computational docking analysis. Results : The serological results obtained from the ELISA and blotting analysis showed that the selected clones produced specific scFv antibody fragments that were capable of effectively detecting infectious bursal disease (IBD) in the infected animal tissue. Biodiversity analysis by BstNI finger printing and nucleotide sequencing revealed that there was no major difference in nucleotide sequences of the selected clones. Further analysis demonstrated that this recombinant fragment of the antibody was able to bind to VP3 structural protein of IBDV with a molecular weight of ~30 kDa. Molecular docking results revealed that the binding energy of scFv to IBDV-VP3 was 545 kj/mol. Conclusion : The developed scFv antibody fragments possess great potentials for the diagnosis of IBD. The findings of the present study confirm the feasibility of using phage display technology for rapid production of antibodies against IBD diseases by applying naive scFv libraries.  Keywords : Antibody, Molecular docking, Phage display technology, Single chain variable fragments


The errors involved in measuring axial strains in the triaxial test are reviewed based on previously published results. A technique is described to allow more reliable external measurements to be obtained and used for strain calculations. The technique is simple, inexpensive, and can be implemented in any soils laboratory. Comparisons are made between the strains obtained by this method and those using local transducers (connected to the specimen); satisfactory results are obtained. Triaxial tests were made on specimens of an artificially bonded soil, Corinth marl, and remolded London clay. Errors involved in previous tests are explained, and the "bedding error" is defined in a more precise way. In some tests, this error was eliminated due to a combination of factors such as soil grading, the finishing quality of the specimen surfaces, and the ratio of confining pressure to soil strength.


In this article, we present a summary of the current status of the study of the transport of electrons confined to one dimension in very low disorder GaAs–AlGaAs heterostructures. By means of suitably located gates and application of a voltage to 'electrostatically squeeze' the electronic wave functions, it is possible to produce a controllable size quantization and a transition from two-dimensional transport. If the length of the electron channel is sufficiently short, then transport is ballistic and the quantized subbands each have a conductance equal to the fundamental quantum value 2e2/h, where the factor of 2 arises from the spin degeneracy. This mode of conduction is discussed, and it is shown that a number of many-body effects can be observed. These effects are discussed as in the spin-incoherent regime, which is entered when the separation of the electrons is increased and the exchange energy is less than kT. Finally, results are presented in the regime where the confinement potential is decreased and the electron configuration relaxes to minimize the electron–electron repulsion to move towards a two-dimensional array. It is shown that the ground state is no longer a line determined by the size quantization alone, but becomes two distinct rows arising from minimization of the electrostatic energy and is the precursor of a two-dimensional Wigner lattice.


TNF is a highly pleiotropic cytokine. The recent identification of two distinct cellular receptors for TNF may provide explanations for the many different TNF activities. We have investigated the expression of the two receptor types, TNFR alpha (75 kDa) and TNFR beta (55 kDa), in human PBMC. Both receptors were found simultaneously expressed by cytofluorimetric, radioligand binding and Northern analysis of naive as well as PHA-activated PBMC. The expression levels in the CD14+ and CD14- subsets were different. Both receptors were strongly expressed in the CD14+ subset. The expression of the receptors in the CD14-, CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ subsets was lower and similar among these subsets, but TNFR alpha was expressed at higher level than TNFR beta. To dissect the functional roles of the two receptors, we studied the growth factor activity of TNF in the late proliferative responses of PBMC to PHA. In the first approach, the activity of either receptor was blocked by neutralizing, receptor type specific antibodies. In a second approach, the ligand, TNF, was inhibited by a neutralizing antiserum, and the cells were restimulated using type-specific anti-TNFR antibodies with agonistic activity. It was found that both receptor types mediated signals required for proliferative responses of PBMC to PHA from day 4 to day 8 in culture. The cell responses to the activation of either receptor type appeared to be independent, because one receptor could not compensate for the reduction in cell activation caused by blocking the other receptor type.


Abstract. We have derived ozone and temperature trends from years 2002 through 2012, from 20 to 100 km altitude, and 48° S to 48° N latitude, based on measurements from the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument on the Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite. For the first time, trends of ozone and temperature measured at the same times and locations are obtained, and their correlations should provide useful information about the relative importance of photochemistry versus dynamics over the longer term. We are not aware of comparable results covering this time period and spatial extent. For stratospheric ozone, until the late 1990s, previous studies found negative trends (decreasing amounts). In recent years, some empirical and modeling studies have shown the occurrence of a turnaround in the decreasing ozone, possibly beginning in the late 1990s, suggesting that the stratospheric ozone trend is leveling off or even turning positive. Our global results add more definitive evidence, expand the coverage, and show that at mid-latitudes (north and south) in the stratosphere, the ozone trends are indeed positive, with ozone having increased by a few percent from 2002 through 2012. However, in the tropics, we find negative ozone trends between 25 and 50 km. For stratospheric temperatures, the trends are mostly negatively correlated to the ozone trends. The temperature trends are positive in the tropics between 30 and 40 km, and between 20 and 25 km, at approximately 24° N and at 24° S latitude. The stratospheric temperature trends are otherwise mostly negative. In the mesosphere, the ozone trends are mostly flat, with suggestions of small positive trends at lower latitudes. The temperature trends in this region are mostly negative, showing decreases of up to ~ −3 K decade−1. In the lower thermosphere (between ~ 85 and 100 km), ozone and temperature trends are both negative. The ozone trend can approach ~ −10% decade−1, and the temperature trend can approach ~ −3 K decade−1. Aside from trends, these patterns of ozone–temperature correlations are consistent with previous studies of ozone and temperature perturbations such as the quasi-biennial (QBO) and semiannual (SAO) oscillations, and add confidence to the results.


One of the objectives of the Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs is to contribute to raising the level
of digital skills in the workforce and in particular in SMEs, in order to prepare them for the
transformation of their businesses into the digital era.
The main drivers for SMEs wanting to embrace the digital economy are internal efficiencies,
cost reductions, better collaboration and new product and service offerings. Investing in the
digitalisation of their business is vital for SMEs; this ultimately generates higher returns than
any other forms of capital investment. Europe therefore needs to ensure that SMEs are
equipped with the necessary digital skills to enable them to transform.
This booklet aims to serve as a source of inspiration for SMEs that want to embrace
digitalisation and acquire new skills. It contains a collection of case studies of SMEs that were
able to transform their business with digital technologies as a result of gaining experience from
a variety of development programmes and other external interventions. In order to present a
sample that is representative of thousands of similar cases across Europe, several sectors and
countries are covered.
SMEs share their stories and experience of their digital transformation journeys. Each story
focuses not only on the benefits and the results achieved but also on the characteristics of the
intervention that made the digitalisation possible. Such interventions typically involved
participation in development programmes available to SMEs in the EU, such as training
courses offered by universities and public agencies.
The authors looked at programmes managed by educational institutions and at market driven
interventions. A key finding explained is the role played by small and medium sized digital
technology providers in enabling the digital transformation of other SMEs. This typically occurs
through a direct SME to SME interaction taking place, and without public support.
The main take away from this analysis is that European SME digital enablers are key enablers
and assets to be exploited for the digitalisation of the larger community of SMEs in Europe.


Microdamage in bone tissue results from repetitive mechanical loading, and the accumulation of microdamage has been implicated with increased fracture susceptibility, including stress fractures in active individuals and fragility fractures in the elderly [1–3]. Conventional methods used to detect microdamage in bone are limited to thin histological sections, which are inherently invasive, destructive, tedious and two-dimensional [3]. A non-destructive, three-dimensional (3-D) method would enable correlation of the spatial location and accumulation of microdamage with variations in the mechanical loading and morphology of whole bones.Copyright © 2010 by ASME


This paper explores the implications for current lifelong learning research and practice of the historically privileged relationship claimed for radical adult education and movements for social change rooted in class, gender, anti-racist and community politics. The trajectory this relationship follows, in research, policy and practice, is complex, with phases of expansion and retrenchment, in the social movements and adult education, which do not always map straightforwardly against each other. The traditions, for they are importantly distinct within themselves, are also always found in relation to other traditions and purposes for adult education. "Complex and contested", as Richard Taylor describes them (Taylor 2000, p.69), but there is nevertheless a clearly identifiable, if historically varied, set of values, sites and practices which share a commitment to an educational pedagogy and purpose rooted in social and transformative, rather than individual and conformist, aspirations. This tradition, like the social movements and political cultures with which it has been aligned, has foundered in the last decade under the combined impact and discontents of the radical right, de-industrialisation and globalisation. In Britain, especially in Scotland, in recent years there are signs of a revived interest in questions of social purpose, popular social movements and their relation to lifelong learning. Some commentators have explored and debated the extent of the tradition's radicalism, less in the spirit of revisionism and more as a warning against the backward construction of a golden age against which to measure the shortcomings of the present (Chase 1995; Thompson 1996; Andrews, Keane and Thompson 1999). Others have engaged with and developed critiques of the shift from adult education to lifelong learning in terms of the opportunities and obstacles this presents radical adult educators (Foley 2001; Thompson 1997, 2000; Crowther, Martin and Shaw 1999; Field and Leicester 2000; Johnson 1999) while others have considered the debate in terms of changes within higher education as a whole (Scott 1995, 2000; Schuller 1995; Coffield and Williamson 1997; Watson and Taylor 1998).

We explore the legacy of social purpose in lifelong learning from our shared positioning as researchers, teachers and providers who were formed in the older, radical tradition of adult education and are now seeking ways to integrate its first principles in a very different social, political and educational order. The paper has four sections. We begin with an overview of how the sites and preoccupations of an earlier generation of radical adult educators fared in the new times of post thatcherism and new labour. As part of this section we track the response and implications of the "call to arms" Jane Thompson extended through her 1993 article 'Learning, liberation and maturity: an open letter to whoever's left' in Adults Learning (Thompson 1993). Next, through a comparative analysis of proceedings from the Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research in Education and its sister organisations in North America, Canada, Australasia and Europe, we consider the extent to which these concerns have shaped and informed the research agenda for adult education. We then discuss the nature of a range of contemporary social movements, of the right as well as the left, and discuss the extent to which they engage with and utilise forms of lifelong learning. Finally, in considering the implications for teaching and research into lifelong learning, we argue for the importance of constructing and inhabiting positions within lifelong learning which are both critical and active, that is they are for, as well as against, things.


Anthropogenic climate change poses a grave threat to societies around the world. The greenhouse gases that generate climate change are produced by virtually every sector of every economy. The predominant response of governments around the world is to mitigate climate change through the capping and trading of emissions. This book explores the establishment of emissions trading as a form of environmental, market-based governance in the United States, Europe, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and China. The book conceptualizes markets as institutions, and analyzes them as a system of climate governance. To this end, it argues that international efforts to promulgate markets run up against local cultures of markets that shape economic practices and knowledge to different degrees. While the global agenda under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has sought to develop similar systems to enable interconnected and synchronized emissions reductions, each of the cases analyzed here has produced different results. The markets and climate policies established reflect the syncretic impact of socio-political and cultural context on the institutional transfer of markets. Each country expresses a varying degree of ease or unease with the establishment of markets as systems of climate governance. Exploration of market adaptation adds new insights to theories of varieties of capitalism. The book also examines the material implications of emissions markets on the environment and climatic systems. In sum, the study finds that cultures of markets present a substantial challenge to a universalist prescription for resolving climate change and highlights issues at the interface of political and economic governance in different political economies. This includes issues of citizen, state, and industry participation, and the materiality of economic and financial productivity.


This paper describes an 11 FO4 streaming data processor in the IBM 90-nm SOI-low-k process. The dual-issue, four-way SIMD processor emphasizes achievable performance per area and power. Software controls most aspects of data movement and instruction flow to improve memory system performance and core performance density. The design minimizes instruction latency while providing for fine grain clock control to reduce power.


The understanding of hydrogeological characteristics and groundwater flow processes in aquifers is crucial for the determination of sustainable groundwater resource development as well as hydrological management and planning. In the past, information on hydrogeological characteristics was mainly acquired through point field measurement such as borehole geophysical techniques and field aquifer hydraulic testing. However, in view of the cost limitations and scale applicability of these methods, low-flow recession analysis techniques that utilize streamflow data can be used as alternative low-cost methods to reversely back-calculate hydrogeological parameters based on the hydrological processes by which groundwater from aquifers is naturally discharged to rivers. We chose Southern Taiwan as the study area for the estimation of the recession index (K), which is representative of catchment discharge behavior during both the dry and wet seasons, to determine seasonal differences in the aquifer flow regime and to estimate the following three hydrogeological parameters: hydraulic conductivity (k), specific yield (Sy), and transmissivity (T). Based on the field test reports of the locations of groundwater observational wells on the Chianan and Pingtung plains, the study area was divided into the Chianan sub-area (Zengwun, Yanshui, and Erren river basins) and the Kaoping sub-area (Kaoping, Donggang, and Linbian river basins). The estimation results of the present study were compared to the field test results. The results showed significant differences in the recession index K between the dry and wet seasons. Slight differences between the estimated hydrogeological parameters and the field test results were also observed for the two sub-areas because of differences in scale. Furthermore, regional differences in the estimation results were found to be consistent with the distribution of geological structures, which indicates a high degree of feasibility in the application of flow recession methods for catchment-scale hydrogeological parameter determination.


Abstract This study was designed to expand the investigation of peer-rejected subgroup differences to adolescence. A sample of 501 eighth-grade adolescents (age 13–14 years) were assessed. These students and their classmates (1,082 15–16-year-olds) were assessed at 10th grade. Rejected-antisocial and rejected-nonantisocial subgroups were identified at both time periods using peer ratings of social status and antisocial behavior. They were compared with accepted, accepted-antisocial, and accepted-nonantisocial subgroups. Results are consistent with past research indicating significant heterogeneity within the rejected population. Rejected-antisocial adolescents exhibited elevated problem behavior (substance use and deviant peer involvement), depression, and school adjustment difficulties (low attendance, low achievement, and school discipline problems). Rejected-nonantisocial students in contrast exhibited little problem behavior, but were characterized by low physical attractiveness and lower involvement in athletics. Discussions of psychopathological risk associated with peer rejection must account for the heterogeneity and extreme differences between antisocial and nonantisocial-rejected adolescents. Comparison of antisocial and nonantisocial-rejected children with their respective antisocial and nonantisocial-accepted comparison groups revealed few differences. This calls into question the unique contribution of rejection in the development of psychopathology.


A numerical method is employed to obtain solutions
for laminar flow heat transfer with fully developed velocity
profiles and invariant fluid physical properties for rectangular
ducts of various aspect ratios with the thermal boundary
conditions of constant wall temperature and constant heat
input per unit length of the duct. Since an analytical solution
for the fully developed velocity profile in a rectangular duct is available, the varying temperature profile
remains to be solved numerically from the energy equation
which is transformed into a finite difference form by means
of two finite difference operators in two dimensions. Numerical
values of the initial and boundary temperatures are fixed
by choosing a suitable dimensionless temperature depending
upon the, thermal boundary condition. As computation involved
is very lengthy, a fast digital computer is required. Numerical
results obtained from an I.C.T. Atlas computer are
presented as the variation of the Nusselt number with the
Graetz number.
The numerical method is extended to analyse heat
transfer with simultaneously aeveloping velocity and temperature
profiles. To determine the development of the velocity
profile, some simplifications of the Navier-Stokes equation are made. Results are presented for various aspect ratios
with the Prandtl number of 0.72. The effect of Prandtl number
on heat transfer is also illustrated by numerical results.
The numerical method is also used to solve for heat
transfer in right-angled isosceles and equilateral triangular
ducts with the same hydraulic and thermal boundary conditions
as in the previous cases.
The predicted results are compared with experimental
data. For constant wall temperature, they agree well for
Graetz numbers under 70; for constant heat input per unit
length, closer agreement is shown over a much wider range of
the Graetz numbers. Accuracy of the numerical method is
confirmed by the facts that variations of the predicted
Nusselt numbers obtained here follow the same trends as
those for circular ducts and parallel plates and at the
Graetz number of zero, they approach values of the limiting
Nusselt numbers obtained by other methods.


The solid complexes of Cu(II), Co(II), Mn(II), La(III) and Ce(III) were prepared from bidentate Schiff base, N-benzylidene-2-hydroxybenzohydrazide. The Schiff base ligand was synthesized from 2-hyhdroxybenzohydrazide and benzaldehyde. These metal complexes were characterized by molar conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, FTIR, 1 H-NMR, UV-Vis and mass spectroscopy. The analytical data of these metal complexes showed metal:ligand ratio of 1:2. The physico-chemical study supports the presence of square planar geometry around Cu(II) and octahedral geometry around Mn(II), Co(II), La(III) and Ce(III) ions. The IR spectral data reveal that the ligand behaves as bidentate with ON donor atom sequence towards central metal ion. The molar conductance values of metal complexes suggest their non-electrolyte nature. The X-ray diffraction data suggest monoclinic crystal system for these complexes. Thermal behavior (TG/DTA) and kinetic parameters calculated by Coats-Redfern method are suggestive of more ordered activated state in complex formation. The ligand and their metal complexes were screened for antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and fungicidal activity against Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma . KEY WORDS : Bidentate Schiff base, Metal complexes, Thermal analysis, XRD, Antimicrobial study Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2011 , 25(3), 381-391.


Several software tools were used to perform on-line and of-line noise analysis as a support to commissioning activities, to monitor the rate of glitches, the occurrence of non stationary noise, the presence of environmental contamination, the behavior of narrow spectral features and the coherence with auxiliary channels. We report about the use of these tools to study the main sources of identified noise: broadband, spectral lines and glitches. Plans for the upgrade of the tools will be presented, for example for lines identification purpose to let the scientists in control room do noise characterization in an easier way.


Personal exposure to particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅) for ten children aged 9 - 11 years was measured between January and September 1997 in the London Borough of Barnet. Personal, home, garden and classroom micro environmental monitoring was successfully completed for all ten children. Each child was monitored for five consecutive days during winter, spring and summer, with the exception of one child who did not complete the summer session. All children completed daily time activity diaries to provide infonnationon any activities that could potentially influence their exposure patterns. Each evening parents completed a household activity questionnaire providing information on all particle generating activities such as cooking and cleaning. Personal Environmental Monitors were used for the personal sampling and Harvard Impactors for the microenvironmental
sampling.

The children's mean personal exposure concentrations for PM₁₀ during winter, spring and summer were 69, 69 and 32 ug/m³ respectively and for PM₂.₅ 21, 24 and 15 ug/m³ respectively. The strongest and most consistent associations were found between the personal and indoor exposure concentrations. The most significant correlations were
observed between personal and home PM₁₀ with a median rs = 0.66. Classroom concentrations were the highest of all the sampled environments which could be attributed to the number of children present and the resuspension of particles. Ambient contributions of PM₂.₅ to PM₁₀ during the day were estimated to be 56%, which is comparable to other UK research. Indoor/outdoor concentrations were influenced by heating in the homes, however no significant specific particle generating activities in the home were found during the day. At night, home concentrations of PM₂.₅ appeared to be influenced by the presence of smokers.

To determine potential sources of particulate matter, analysis of a sub sample of filters was undertaken using Scanning Electron Microscopy. Within the home particle composition
was influenced by human activities predominantly; resuspended soil dust, skin flakes and fibres. The outdoor particles were predominantly biological in origin; pollen and insect debris. The composition of the personal exposure filters was a mixture of both environments and was dependant upon how much time each child spent in each of these
environments. Smooth globular particles c.2um in diameter were found on all filters and could be combustion related, possible vehicle derived or from cooking activities.

Measured data, along with the reviewed literature, provides some insight into the source apportionment of particulate matter. Analysis of questionnaire and time activity diaries
also provides information on individual children's exposure patterns. Some estimation of potential health outcomes is discussed.


Intercropping with functionally diverse crops can reduce the availability of resources that could otherwise be used by weeds. An experiment was conducted across 6 site-years in New York and Maryland in 2013 and 2014 to examine the effects of functional diversity and crop species richness on weed suppression. We compared four annual crop species that differed in stature and nitrogen acquisition traits: (1) pearl millet, (2) sorghum sudangrass, (3) cowpea, and (4) sunn hemp. Crops were seeded in monoculture and in three- and four-species mixtures using a replacement design in which monoculture seeding rates were divided by the number of species in the intercrop. Crop and weed biomass were sampled at ∼45 and 90 d after planting. At the first sampling date, intercrops produced more crop biomass than monocultures in all but 1 site-year; however, weed biomass in intercrops was lower than monocultures in only 1 site-year. By the second sampling date, crop biomass was consistently greater in the intercrops than in the monocultures, and weed biomass was lower in the intercrops than in monocultures in 2 site-years. Although we observed several negative relationships between crop species richness and weed biomass, crop biomass was a more important factor than species richness for suppressing weeds. Despite the weak weed suppression from the two legumes compared with the two grasses, legume crops can provide other benefits, including increased forage quality, soil nitrogen for subsequent crops, and resources for pollinators if allowed to flower. On the other hand, if weed suppression is the top priority, our results suggest that monocultures of high biomass–producing grasses will provide more effective suppression at a lower seed cost than functionally diverse intercrops that include low biomass–producing legumes in warm-season intercrops. Nomenclature: Cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp; pearl millet, Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.; sorghum sudangrass, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench × S. sudanense (Piper) Stapf; sunn hemp Crotalaria juncea L.


Zearalenone (ZEN) is an oestrogenic mycotoxin commonly found in food and feed products and can affect reproduction and development in both humans and animals. This study aimed to determine the toxic effects of ZEN on maternal SD rats and the F1 female offspring. Sixty-four pregnant rats were divided into 4 groups and exposed to feed contaminated with ZEN (0, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg feed) on gestational days (GDs) 0–21. Compared with the controls, the groups exposed to 10 and 20 mg/kg ZEN showed significantly decreased feed intake and body weight of pregnant rats and/or female offspring. Meanwhile, 20 mg/kg ZEN significantly decreased the birth weight and viability of F1 newborn rats. Moreover, 10 and 20 mg/kg ZEN diets increased follicle-stimulating hormone concentrations but decreased oestradiol in both maternal and F1 adult rats. In the F1 generation, ZEN caused no pathological changes in ovaries and uterus in weaned rats, but significant follicular atresia and a thinning uterine layer were found in F1 female adult rats in the 20 mg/kg ZEN group. These impairments concurred with the inhibited mRNA and protein levels of oestrogen receptor-alpha (Esr1) and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) in the adult uterus and/or ovaries. Furthermore, 10 and/or 20 mg/kg ZEN exposure significantly reduced Esr1, gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHr), and ATP binding cassette transporters b1 and c1 (ABCb1 and ABCc1) in the placenta and foetal and weaned F1 brains, and also produced a dose-dependent increase in 3β-HSD in the placenta. Additionally, 20 mg/kg ZEN significantly upregulated ABCc5 expression in the placenta and ovaries of weaned rats. These results suggested that prenatal ZEN exposure in rats affected maternal and foetal development and may lead to long-term reproductive impairment in F1 adult females.


: Five male subjects were exposed to a cooling environment equivalent to 1082 W/M2. The subjects wore a clothing assembly with insulation properties of 1.55 clo. A casualty bag in corporating metallised plastic sheeting was provided for additional insulation. Deep body temperature fell 1.2 degrees C. and mean skin temperature 2.6 degrees C. over the 2-h period. Metallised plastic sheeting did not prevent heat loss through the clothing assembly, as indicated by the falls in body and skin temperature and an increase in metabolic heat production. From measurements made during the exposure, the calculated insulation value of the complete assembly of 2.93 clo was close to the predicted value of 2.80 clo calculated from the thermal resistance of the assembly layers. It is concluded that the metallised plastic sheeting in this casualty bag did not provide significant additional thermal insulation.


Photovoltaic (PV) technology being the world's most utilised renewable source of energy copes with many challenges technically and socially. Cadmium Telluride (CdTe)-based thin-film PVs are the most commercially successful solar cells that hold potential to develop further. This work proposes a novel device structure for CdTe-based solar cells which is implementable using electrodeposition, an easy and affordable fabrication technique for the developing world. Inclusion of a wide band gap p-type semiconductor as a window layer of a graded band gap device and use of suitable back diffusion barrier layers to mitigate thermionic back diffusion, have been proposed to potentially improve the open circuit voltage (Voc) of the cells. This concept has been tested and verified with GaAs and Perovskite based solar cells, but this work aims to investigate the concept for CdTe-based devices grown with inexpensive electrodeposition technique for the first time. In the material selection phase of this work, firstly, CdTe:Mg, CdMnTe and ZnTe layers are electrodeposited on glass/FTO surface, characterised, optimised and compared to be the p-type wide band gap window layer. ZnTe layers have been grown both in n-type and p-type with reasonably good crystallinity and selected as the window material for the device. Secondly, CdTe layers have been electrodeposited from cheap, low purity cadmium precursors, characterised and growth conditions were optimised to be used as the absorber layer of the cell. Thirdly, CdS thin films have been electrochemically grown, characterised, optimised and compared with n-ZnTe layers to be used as the hole back-diffusion barrier (hbdb) layer at the back of the device. Considering the ease of production, n-ZnTe has been selected as the n-type hbdb layer for the device. Following the selection of materials and finding their optimal growth parameters, firstly, ZnTe/CdTe based devices are fabricated employing the conventional n-window approach having an architecture of glass/FTO/n-ZnTe/n-CdTe/i-CdTe/p-CdTe/p-ZnTe/Au. Growth parameters of the materials used in individual layers have been optimised in the material selection phase. These devices exhibited 3.63% of highest efficiency with Voc, Jsc and Fill-factor of 430 mV, 30.2 mAcm-2 and 0.28 respectively. Finally, according to the conceptualised novel device design, p-window based glass/FTO/p-ZnTe/p-CdTe/i-CdTe/n-CdTe/n-ZnTe/In architecture has been fabricated producing highest efficiency of 5.41% with Voc, Jsc and fill-factor of 560 mV, 33.3 mAcm-2 and 0.28 respectively. Despite having concerns about the material quality of the layers, experiments have shown that p-window based graded band gap CdTe solar cells exhibit greater Voc, hence better performance compared to their n-window counterpart.


COVID-19 causes health, economic and social problems throughout the world, including Indonesia and Malang City, in particular, therefore regional financial policies are needed as an effort to overcome them. This study aims to analyze and describe the acceleration of Malang City Budget adjustment in 2020 in the framework of handling COVID-19, as well as the driving and inhibiting factors, by referring to the theory of public policy implementation and the concept of regional finance. This research uses a descriptive qualitative approach. Data from observations, interviews, and documentation were analyzed through the condensation stage, presentation, and drawing conclusions or verification. The results showed that the first and second APBD (Regional Budget) adjustments were made before central government instructions. The third stage of adjustment is a continuation of the previous two stages. The first stage adjustment results in IDR. 2,150,000,000. The second stage generates IDR. 83,900,000.00, which is reallocated for social assistance in the amount of IDR.26,244,000,000, the provision of health equipment and facilities for IDR. 26,900,000, and a reserve fund of IDR.30,756,000,000. The third phase of APBD adjustments resulted in IDR.210,720,000,000. This figure also shows the Malang City APBD deficit. Policies have been implemented successfully and quickly according to the provisions because the implementers, namely TAPD (Local Government Budget Team), have adequate understanding, attitude, and speed in coordinating and managing budgets. The availability of a budget that is not prepared by the community to face the new standard era is challenging in adjusting the APBD.

Recommended that the Malang City Government form a special team to conduct studies and design concrete productive programs and encourage Malang City Budget in the pandemic and post-pandemic era to reduce dependency, as well as prepare human Resources.


According to Huntington's (1991) theory of "reverse democracy", countries undergoing (or having undergone) a transition to democracy during a wave are always subject to democratic backsliding in the subsequent wave. During the third wave democratization, the fall of the Soviet Union and other despotic regimes in Latin America led to the gradual "autocratization" of many of these countries in the late 1990s and early 2000s. More recently, in 2011, the collapse of several authoritarian regimes in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region underscored important aspects of democratization, a process in which both women and new media technologies played a key role. However, the direct aftermath of the Arab Spring also revealed a significant democratic backsliding with the outbreak of civil and tribal wars in the region, the rise of political Islam to power, and the resulting backlash against women's socio-political and legal rights. Drawing on Huntington's theory of "reverse democracy", I question whether, and to what extent, the Arab Spring could constitute a case of "fourth wave democracy"—especially considering that this most recent wave has been little, if not at all, explored and analysed. To do so, I adopt a feminist perspective that foregrounds the role of gender as the primary focus of my analysis to examine how the Arab Spring exemplified aspects of a "reverse democracy", namely in terms of its impact on women's rights and their resulting social status in the aftermath of the uprisings. I take three countries as case studies: Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco.


ABSTRACT Controlled environments were used to study the relationship between the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) and Thielaviopsis basicola on cotton. Temperature treatments were continuous 20, 24, and 28 degrees C or two cyclic linear regimes with ranges of 14 to 32 or 18 to 28 degrees C over 24 h. Cotton seeds were planted in fumigated soil infested with T. basicola, M. incognita, or both. After 42 days, pathogen effects on plant growth and pathogen development were evaluated. Histology was conducted on roots collected 14, 28, and 42 days after planting in the continuous 24 degrees C treatment. Reductions in plant height-to-node ratio and total fresh weight were observed for soils infested with both pathogens compared with the control or with soils infested with either pathogen, except for M. incognita-infested soil at 28 degrees C. T. basicola reduced root galling and reproduction of the nematode at all temperatures. Vascular discoloration caused by T. basicola was greater in the presence of M. incognita compared with that by T. basicola alone. At 2 and 4 weeks, histological studies showed that plants grown in all T. basicola-infested soils contained chlamydospore chains on the root surface and in cortical cells. The fungus was not observed inside the vascular cylinder. Roots from 4-week-old plants from soils infested with T. basicola and M. incognita showed fungal sporulation in vascular tissue and localized necrosis of vascular tissue adjacent to the nematodes. At 6 weeks, plants grown in soil infested with T. basicola alone exhibited no remaining cortical tissue and no evidence of vascular colonization by the fungus. Six-week-old plants grown in T. basicola + M. incognita-infested soils exhibited extensive vascular necrosis and sporulation within vascular tissue. These studies suggest that coinfection expands the temperature ranges at which the pathogens are able to cause plant damage. Further, M. incognita greatly increases the access of T. basicola to vascular tissue.


Currently, the outcomes of conventional chemotherapeutic approaches are unsatisfactory. Clinical application of nanoparticles seems promising. We aim to evaluate the possible antitumor activity of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) as a chemotherapeutic approach in in vitro and in vivo experimental models. An in vitro study was performed on three different cell lines, namely human hepatocellular carcinoma (HEPG2), human prostate cancer (PC3), and none‐small cell lung cancer (A549) cell lines. An in vivo study using diethylnitrosamine (DENA)‐induced HCC in adult male Wistar rats was conducted to investigate the potential antitumor activity of ZnONPs in HCC and the possible underlying mechanisms. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was induced by oral administration of DENA given in drinking water (100 mg/L) for 8 weeks. Rats were allocated into four groups, namely a control group, an HCC control group receiving DENA alone, a ZnONPs (10 μg/kg per week, intravenous (i.v.) for 1 month) control group, and a ZnONPs treatment group (receiving ZnONPs + DENA). ZnONPs significantly reduced the elevated serum levels of HCC‐related tumor markers alphafetoprotein and alpha‐l‐fucosidase and the apoptotic marker caspase‐3 compared with the untreated HCC rats. In addition, treatment with ZnONPs significantly decreased the elevated levels of hepatocyte integrity and oxidative stress markers as compared with the untreated HCC control group. Furthermore, the histopathological study revealed anaplasia and fibrous degenerations which were significantly corrected by ZnONPs treatment. In conclusion, administration of ZnONPs exhibited a promising preclinical anticancer efficacy in HCC and could be considered as a novel strategy for the treatment HCC in clinical practices.