Co-operatively owned renewable energy projects in the UK have been praised for their potential to allow communities to take control and benefit directly from clean energy production. The model for energy co-ops has been developing for over twenty years, and some organisations in the sector are questioning where they can go next. This thesis assesses how far there is scope for energy co-ops to develop further, by benefitting communities more widely and doing more to tackle environmental issues. The thesis draws on case study research undertaken at three energy co-op sites, in addition to an online questionnaire sent to 24 energy co-operatives associated with the intermediary Energy4All. By assessing the activity and visions held in these co-operatives it draws out promising areas of innovation. It also highlights the complexity of these groups, and the challenges that they face in retaining engagement and navigating relationships with other public and private organisations. The thesis identifies several key areas where further consideration, or support from intermediary groups, would be helpful to maximise their potential.


Boundary conditions for Majorana fermions in d=1+1 dimensions fall into one of two SPT phases, associated to a mod 2 anomaly. Here we consider boundary conditions for 2N Majorana fermions that preserve a $U(1)^N$ symmetry. In general, the left-moving and right-moving fermions carry different charges under this symmetry, and implementation of the boundary condition requires new degrees of freedom, which manifest themselves in a boundary central charge, $g$.
We follow the boundary RG flow induced by turning on relevant boundary operators. We identify the infra-red boundary state. In many cases, the boundary state flips SPT class, resulting in an emergent Majorana mode needed to cancel the anomaly. We show that the ratio of UV and IR boundary central charges is given by $g^2_{IR} / g^2_{UV} = {\rm dim}\,({\cal O})$, the dimension of the perturbing boundary operator. Any relevant operator necessarily has ${\rm dim}({\cal O}) < 1$, ensuring that the central charge decreases in accord with the g-theorem.


Introduction: Consideration of the role of new therapeutic agents has taken new dimensions in light of emerging cardiovascular and renal data in addition to consideration of total cost of care. Simulated decision made through Artificial Intelligence systems such as GlucosePATH can be used to determine the fit of new compounds to treating type 2 diabetes. Glucokinase activators are not available as therapeutic agents in the U.S.A. Phase 3 data of dorzagliatin was used to model projected retail cost in the current environment. Methods: A data set of 366 patients with HbA1c > 7 was drawn from a distribution of patients from the GlucosePATH database. Total monthly cost of care was computed based on the mean retail cost drawn from the GoodRX API. Using scores drawn from GlucosePATH, drugs were redistributed to find the lowest total cost at which the population9s score was > 70 out of 100. Total retail cost of care averaged $371.39 per month per patient for the 366 patients. Redistributed medication at this price generated a mean composite score of 80.36 at a projected mean HbA1c of 7.5. Two price points were established for dorzagliatin. The "maximal price" (MP) is the highest price at which use of the agent in the population does not exceed the control group's retail cost of care and the composite score threshold is met. (That is, introducing the new agent does not increase cost or worsen results for the population.) The "maximal revenue" (MR) is the price at which the agent's manufacturer maximizes their gross revenue for the agent in the population. Results: Price optimization for dorzagliatin showed a MP of approximately $145. At its MP, dorzagliatin would be prescribed to approximately 5% of the population with mean composite score of 80.17 and mean HbA1c 7.5. At dorzagliatin's MR of approximately $75 per month, it would be prescribed to approximately 23% of the population and generate a mean composite score of 80.54 with a mean HbA1c of 7.5. Disclosure B. Bennett: None. S. Allen: None. B. Eilerman: Advisory Panel; Self; Dexcom, Inc., Medtronic. Speaker's Bureau; Self; AbbVie Inc., AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Corcept Therapeutics, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Lilly Diabetes, Novo Nordisk Inc. Stock/Shareholder; Self; PATH Decision Support Software LLC. L.J. Testa: Stock/Shareholder; Self; PATH Decision Support Software LLC.


While the distribution and status of shallow-water reefs in many parts of the world has been well documented in the last 40 years, benthic characterization studies and large-scale mapping of deep reef habitats, are very rare. Recent studies on mesophotic coral ecosystems (30 - 100 m) in the eastern Puerto Rico Shelf describe abundant and structurally complex coral reefs on lowgradient platforms at depths of 35 - 45 m. Information on deep coral communities (> 200 m depth) in the US Caribbean is even more scarce and largely limited to taxonomic listings from incidental collections by coral entanglement devices. In recent years, the Seabed autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), which was designed for high-resolution underwater optical and acoustic imaging, has provided unprecedented information on the distribution, community structure, and status of mesophotic reefs throughout the U.S. Caribbean. Preliminary surveys of two deep coral communities off western Puerto Rico show diverse azooxanthellate coral and invertebrate fauna at depths of over 200 m. For both mesophotic and deep coral communities, the AUV benthic assessments can provide the required information for selecting unique areas of high biodiversity and structural complexity for habitat protection and ecosystem based management.


Abstract. Because of the advantages of low-cost, lightweight and photography under the cloud, UAVs have been widely used in the field of seismic geomorphology research in recent years. Earthquake surface rupture is a typical seismic tectonic geomorphology that reflects the dynamic and kinematic characteristics of crustal movement. The quick identification of earthquake surface rupture is of great significance for understanding the mechanism of earthquake occurrence, disasters distribution and scale. Using integrated differential UAV platform, series images were acquired with accuracy POS around the former urban area (Qushan town) of Beichuan County as the area stricken seriously by the 2008 Wenchuan Ms8.0 earthquake. Based on the multi-view 3D reconstruction technique, the high resolution DSM and DOM are obtained from differential UAV images. Through the shade-relief map and aspect map derived from DSM, the earthquake surface rupture is extracted and analyzed. The results show that the surface rupture can still be identified by using the UAV images although the time of earthquake elapse is longer, whose middle segment is characterized by vertical movement caused by compression deformation from fault planes.


Smart viscoelastic materials that respond to specific stimuli are one of the most attractive classes of materials important to future technologies, such as on-demand switchable adhesion technologies, actuators, molecular clutches, and nano-/microscopic mass transporters. Recently it was found that through a special solid-liquid transition, rheological properties can exhibit significant changes, thus providing suitable smart viscoelastic materials. However, designing materials with such a property is complex, and forward and backward switching times are usually long. Therefore, it is important to explore new working mechanisms to realize solid-liquid transitions, shorten the switching time, and enhance the contrast of rheological properties during switching. Here, a light-induced crystal-liquid phase transition is observed, which is characterized by means of polarizing light microscopy (POM), photorheometry, photo-differential scanning calorimetry (photo-DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The light-induced crystal-liquid phase transition presents key features such as (1) fast switching of crystal-liquid phases for both forward and backward reactions and (2) a high contrast ratio of viscoelasticity. In the characterization, POM is advantageous in offering information on the spatial distribution of LC molecule orientations, determining the type of liquid crystalline phases appearing in the material, and studying the orientation of LCs. Photorheometry allows measurement of a material's rheological properties under light stimuli and can reveal the photorheological switching properties of materials. Photo-DSC is a technique to investigate thermodynamic information of materials in darkness and under light irradiation. Lastly, XRD allows studying of microscopic structures of materials. The goal of this article is to clearly present how to prepare and measure the discussed properties of a photorheological material.


Combining sensors from smartphones and Internet of Things (IoT) (e.g., light, sound, UV radiation) enables a new kind of context aware applications in areas like smart cities or smart buildings. Such applications would require continuous evaluation of frequently changing data (smartphone sensors and IoT sensors), and continuous polling of IoT sensor data to the phone. Offloading both the evaluation and the polling of IoT sensor data to the cloud would improve energy efficiency and data transfer costs for the phone. To this end, we built Cowbird, an energy efficient framework to help developers easily build applications that evaluate sensor data both on the phone and in the cloud. To show that Cowbird is flexible and easy to use, we built a prototype app called "Quiet Route" that helps the user to avoid walking through noisy areas. We also compare the performance of Cowbird and the existing Cuckoo framework in terms of energy efficiency, data transfer cost and CPU load and show that Cowbird performs much better in the best case and equally good in the worst case.


Medicinal plants are the most important bio resource of Nepal. The production and consumption of medicinal plants are growing nowadays. The main objective of this study is to investigate the therapeutic potential of Mentha piperita . Information regarding Mentha piperita (peppermint) was collected from a secondary source. Data related to chemical composition, medicinal value were collected from online portals where a total of 45 articles were reviewed and presented in a tabular and descriptive manner. The aim of this study is to investigate the result showed that peppermint can grow i n a tropical, subtropical and warm climate, mostly grows in a wet environment and moist soils. It was mostly used as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiseptic and carminative agent. It is also used to cure several infectious diseases like intestinal peristalsis, indigestion, bronchitis, asthma and dyspepsia. So further exploration should be done regarding the medicinal uses of this traditional herb to cure a variety of illnesses.


This qualitative research project endeavoured to open up the conversation around RJ and IPV and highlight gaps in policy in order to give voice to an area in the RJ process that has, up to this point, been virtually silent. There were two overarching aims. The first was to identify the underlying practice assumptions and values evident in the New Zealand Ministry of Justice (MOJ) restorative justice (RJ) standards for family violence (FV) cases (MOJ, 2013). These would be viewed from the perspective of working with intimate partner violence (IPV) cases in particular. The intention was to compare these assumptions and values with RJ and IPV international theory and New Zealand practice. The second aim was to clarify the processes and criteria used to determine/assess IPV offender suitability and readiness for RJ, ascertain the ways in which these practices were theoretically justified, and to compare the implementation of practice to the explicit and implicit guidelines present in New Zealand policy. To these ends, a collection of 30 criminal justice professionals (judges, lawyers, police officers) and restorative justice facilitators involved in the referral and assessment process of IPV offenders participated in interviews in person, over the phone, or via Skype, which were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and then subject to analysis in order to create a conceptual framework. The analysis identified 18 main themes that were grouped into four main categories: RJ IPV conceptualization, effective RJ IPV assessor qualities, IPV offender assessment for RJ suitability/readiness, and RJ IPV practice issues. These results were compared with policy and with the international literature in order to identify consistencies and inconsistencies and to discover where gaps in policy may become clarified. Results showed that a great deal of the policy was supported by the international literature, however there were several gaps and inconsistencies. Several issues were of interest – namely the lack of clarity in the framework of RJ for IPV (i.e. where does it sit in relation to the traditional criminal justice system, intervention vs. pathway vs. overarching framework), the timing of RJ assessment in terms of treatment and interventions, siloing of agencies, and funding/resourcing issues. A final question that arose for me during analysis was regarding the purpose and value of assessment in these cases. Rather than making a decision regarding suitability in order to exclude an IPV case from the RJ process, if the process was truly restorative, perhaps the outcome of an assessment of IPV offender/case suitability should, instead, be to determine what resources are necessary in order to support any IPV case through the RJ process.


The volume of nasal secretion is so small that it is difficult to measure. We placed a thread on the anterior surface of the inferior turbinate to measure the volume of nasal secretion in normal subjects and patients with nasal allergy. In 24 normal subjects, the average nasal secretion amounted to 1.09 microliter/min. In 48 patients with nasal allergy, the volume of nasal secretion (1.94 microliter/min) decreased significantly after nasal spraying: the subjective symptoms of sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, inconvenience in daily life and the objective signs such as watery rhinorrhea abated. The thread test results showed a good correlation with the above items in a quantitative analysis. The thread test is a simple way to measure a small volume of nasal secretion, and a useful indicator of the severity of watery rhinorrhea in patients with nasal allergy.


Background Weight gain early after transplant is a risk factor for posttransplant metabolic syndrome (PTMS), cardiovascular events, and renal insufficiency. The impact of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibition on posttransplant weight gain and the development of PTMS components postliver transplantation were examined in a randomized, controlled study. Methods After a run-in period, patients (N = 719) were randomized at 30 ± 5 days posttransplant in a 1:1:1 ratio to 3 treatment groups: (i) everolimus (EVR) + reduced tacrolimus (TAC) (n = 245); (ii) TAC control (n = 243) or (iii) TAC elimination (n = 231). In this post hoc analysis, weight change at 12 and 24 months was compared between groups. Vital signs, lipids, and laboratory parameters at 12 and 24 months and rates of PTMS were assessed. Results Mean increase in weight from baseline was higher at month 12 in the TAC control arm (8.15 ± 9.27 kg) than in the EVR + reduced TAC (5.88 ± 12.60 kg, P = 0.056) and the TAC elimination arms (4.76 ± 9.94 kg, P = 0.007). At month 24, the TAC control arm displayed a significantly greater weight increase (9.54 ± 10.21 kg) than either the EVR + reduced TAC (6.69 ± 8.37 kg, P = 0.011) or the TAC elimination groups (6.01 ± 9.98 kg, P = 0.024). Rates of PTMS were similar for the EVR + reduced TAC (71.8%), TAC elimination (70.3%) and TAC control (67.4%) arms (P = NS). Conclusions EVR with reduced-exposure TAC attenuated weight gain at 1 and 2 years posttransplant compared with a standard TAC immunosuppression regimen. Rates of PTMS were comparable between EVR-containing and TAC control regimens.


Improving family and community practices is one of the components of the strategy Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI). Considering that In Brazil, IMCI is being implemented in the context of Family Health Program (PSF), the objective of this study was to identify maternal knowledge in relation to care provided to child with respiratory disease or diarrhea in two health units with different assistance models, with PSF and without PSF. The results showed that the level of maternal/familiar knowledge were similar in both assistance models. Under a scientific point of view, the mothers/families showed overshot knowledge in relation to care provided to child with diarrhea. The finding show that mother and caretaker communication need to improve, even health units with PSF.


We identified a naturally occurring hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) variant, whose predicted sequence extends only through the second kringle domain of this plasminogen-related molecule. This smaller molecule, derived from an alternative HGF transcript, lacked mitogenic activity but specifically inhibited HGF-induced mitogenesis. Cross-linking studies demonstrated that the truncated molecule competes with HGF for binding to the HGF receptor, which has been identified as the c-met protooncogene product. Thus, the same gene encodes both a growth factor and its direct antagonist.


This dissertation analyses the influence and impact of the discourse on Physiognomy on European theatrical culture at the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth centuries. The debate about the scientific nature of Physiognomy prompted by the work of Johann Caspar Lavater, is discussed in the theoretical and philosophical introduction. Starting from the concept that Physiognomy refers to particular signs on the face, which can be read and interpreted through a well-defined system, this dissertation looks for evidence of a knowledge and awareness of this pseudo-scientific theory among various authors of theatrical works. The methodology applied in the two analytical parts refers to the semiotics of theatre and the subdivision of its material into "performance text" and "dramatic text". The first part discusses the influence of Physiognomy on theatrical performance. Theatre is seen as a public space and the actor stands at the centre of the performance. The acting manuals published between 1740 and 1840, offer a large amount of physiognomic and pathognomic elements, among them, the theory related to the passions and emotions comes to be of crucial importance in this analysis. In the second part, the influence of Physiognomy on the plays is analysed. This part is dedicated to a text analysis of a selected dramatic corpus of plays in French, English, Italian and German. The analyses begin by summarizing some newly developed genres, such as Melodrama, Comedie Larmoyante, Drame bourgeois, Ruhrstuck, and Burgerliches Trauerspiel. Physiognomy makes an appearance in many different guises: in the so-called "physiognomical portraits", for instance, where we find animated discussions on the passions to be displayed, and also direct references to Johann Caspar Lavater and his science. The text analysis ends with a contextualization of the dramatic corpus seen within a wider artistic production of the time (portraits, caricatures, silhouettes).


UWB over fiber (UWBoF) technique has been proposed to increase the area of coverage for UWB communication systems. In this paper, the transmission performance of impulse UWB signals over optical fiber is analyzed. Three types of UWB signals generated based on three different techniques are considered. Since optical signals with different optical spectra would have different tolerances to fiber dispersion, the transmission performance of the three types of UWB signals is studied. First, the impact of fiber chromatic dispersion on UWB waveforms and their spectra is evaluated. Then, the transmission performance of data-modulated UWB signals in an optical fiber is investigated, with a general model to analyze the signal power spectral density (PSD) being developed. The PSD of an UWB signal with on-off keying (OOK), bi-phase modulation (BPM) and pulse position modulation (PPM) schemes is calculated. Evolution of the PSD as a function of transmission distance is then performed. The suitability of the three types of UWB signals for UWBoF applications is also evaluated. The study provides a guideline for the design and development of a practical UWBoF system.


Forty-five leprosy patients were electively subjected to extraneural decompression and medial longitudinal epineurotomy in anticipation that relief from compression may favorably alter the course of the disease by retrieving reversibly damaged nerve bundles and preventing further progression of disease. Neurolysis was performed in 69 nerves, including the ulnar, median, lateral popliteal and posterior tibial. The period of follow-up was up to three years. Excellent sensory recovery was seen in most patients while motor recovery was less predictable. The recovery seen was better in those patients taking treatment early and also at the age the surgery was carried out. Motor damage appeared more severe in the 10-20 year age group. Most of the beneficial effects can be explained on the basis of increased vascularity due to relief from extraneural and intraneural compression.


The consensus of empirical evidence on the wage and price relationship reveals that causal relationships are difficult to identify. Moreover, elements other than wages, prices and productivity have significant impact in determining the wage-price setting equilibrium. Application of VECM analysis in the wage-price relationship for EU28 and EMU over the period 2000:Q1–2014:Q4 implies that there is statistically robust evidence of long-run cointegration relationship between wages and prices. Additionally, the estimated values of cointegration coefficients provide strong evidence in favor of hypothesis that assumption of near-rational behavior in the wage-price relationship is valid in case of EU28, whereas that of rational expectations is valid in case of EMU. Specifically, the evidence suggests that wage setters have under-adjusted for inflation as probably in their view the costs of such behavior were low. This can serve as an argument that wage and price setters have unconditionally accepted the strict rigor of monetary policy authorities. Such behavior can also be attributed to labor market flexibility which is a central element in determining the overall economic performance. In principle, wage moderations induced by a flexible labor market should improve and/or restore the international competitiveness and result in more output and employment in EU28 and EMU.


This study tried to identify the level of perceptions of teachers towards challenges in employing child-centered approach in their schools and to compare the differences in their perceptions according to their demographics. This research was conducted on a total population of 51 teachers in eight state primary schools in Kengtung area, Eastern Shan State, Myanmar. The research was designed as quantitative research by using a set of questionnaire which covers teachers' demographic profiles including teachers' age, educational background, years of teaching experience and grade level. Ten challenges of teachers based on previous research and related literatures were provided in questionnaire to identify the level of teachers' perceptions towards challenges. The collected data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, frequency and percentage, mean and standard deviation, One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). In addition to survey questionnaire, the researcher did observation and informal interview to some teachers. The study found out that most of the given challenges were perceived not challenging by the teachers in selected state primary schools in Kengtung area of Myanmar. Nevertheless, the findings of the research revealed new challenges for teachers such as language barrier, parents' involvements, time insufficiency and learning ability of students. There were no significant differences in teachers' perceptions of challenges in employing child-centered approach according to their age, educational background, years of teaching experience and grade level.


We describe a method for the determination of the heating power of magnetic nanoparticle colloids which have potential for application in the remedial treatment of malignant and non-malignant tumours. The method is based upon a comparison between the heating power observed when the colloid is exposed to a radio frequency magnetic field and that which is observed using a resistive electrical heater. A new design of the measurement cell has been made which has the advantages of reducing or eliminating the effects of convection, ensuring the measurement is made in a magnetic field of known uniformity and that the heat losses in the system are constant and minimized under both magnetic and Joule heating.


A series of experiments with rotating, electromagnetically forced, turbulent flows were carried out at the Sapienza University of Rome to investigate the eddy–wave duality in flows with a β-effect and the electromagnetic force acting in the westward direction. When the β-effect is significant, i.e., as in planetary atmospheric and oceanic circulations, nonlinear eddy/wave interactions facilitate flow self-organization into zonal patterns in which Rossby waves and westward propagating cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies coexist. Upon time averaging, eddies disappear and the flow pattern transforms into a system of alternating zonal jets. What is the relationship between eddies, jets, and Rossby waves? To address this issue, we designed a laboratory experiment in which a westward zonal flow is produced by applying an electromagnetic small-scale forcing to a thin layer of a rotating fluid. In order to investigate different levels of flow zonality and a wider range of zonal modes, we varied the forcing intensity and the area of the forced sector. The zonal flow evolves as a system of westward propagating, large scale, cyclonic, and anticyclonic eddies. The propagation speed of the traveling structures was calculated from the Hovmoller diagrams of both the streamfunction and the centroids of clusters of different types (cyclonic and anticyclonic eddy cores and saddle point neighborhoods) obtained via an Okubo–Weiss analysis. The results were compared with the theoretical phase speed of a Rossby wave. The correspondence between these two characteristics at the radius of maximum shear corresponding to the epicenter of the barotropic instability is quite good, particularly after including the radial variation of the zonal velocity in the β-term. It is concluded that the Rossby waves and eddies are inseparable as the former maintain the instability that sustains the latter. This symbiosis visually resembles the Rossby soliton.


Abstract Is knowledge definable as justified true belief ("JTB")? We argue that one can legitimately answer positively or negatively, depending on whether or not one's true belief is justified by what we call adequate reasons. To facilitate our argument we introduce a simple propositional logic of reason-based belief, and give an axiomatic characterization of the notion of adequacy for reasons. We show that this logic is sufficiently flexible to accommodate various useful features, including quantification over reasons. We use our framework to contrast two notions of JTB: one internalist, the other externalist. We argue that Gettier cases essentially challenge the internalist notion but not the externalist one. Our approach commits us to a form of infallibilism about knowledge, but it also leaves us with a puzzle, namely whether knowledge involves the possession of only adequate reasons, or leaves room for some inadequate reasons. We favor the latter position, which reflects a milder and more realistic version of infallibilism.


In the common approach to the design of microstrip antennas, the designers rely on data provided in the manufacturers' specifications, even though such specifications are confined to standard environmental conditions. In practice, the electrical parameters of the substrates may deviate from the manufacturers' data, thus making the antenna designer adopt a deficient design strategy. In the study reported, microstrip substrates were exposed to large temperature variations and their temperature dependent properties were measured in a specialized laboratory for dielectric materials. The results include plots of the dielectric constant and dissipation factor for wide temperature ranges equivalent to those in airborne applications. On the basis of this experimental data, the substrates were divided into four categories according to their dielectric constant value and its temperature dependence. Using both manufacturers' data and the measured values, a series of microstrip dual-feed aperture-coupled patch antennas were designed for the four categories of substrates and the sensitivity of their electrical performance due to temperature variations was fully investigated.


SUMMARY: After the capture of Fortress Louisbourg by the New England Irregulars, Louis XV of France commissioned Jean Baptiste Louis Frédéric de la Rochefoucauld, due d'Anville, to command a massive offensive flotilla to retake Louisbourg, and ravage the eastern seaboard of North America south to Florida. After arriving in Chibouctou (Halifax Harbour) following thirteen weeks at sea. due d'Anville collapsed. His doctor treated him with enemas and emetics, but he suddenly turned blue, convulsed, and died. The report of his autopsy, which included the cranium, (and which is Canada's only Royal autopsy) had been lost for two centuries. It is now analysed, showing that although he had significant intracranial pathology, he died from medical therapy.


Life extension of Nuclear Power Plants above 40 years of operation is an important issue in many countries. The Kyoto limits for CO 2 emissions, the security of supply, the costs and predictability of renewable energy, etc., are putting nuclear energy in the agenda of many countries all around the world. The delay, due to the economic crisis, of the new nuclear projects in many countries, pushes governments to continue operation of nuclear plants above the 40 years design life. This is the case in the USA, where 59 units have obtained the extension of operation license from 40 to 60 years, and currently 19 units are in the reviewing process. The life extension of these plants permits savings in CO 2 emissions and in the consumption of additional amounts of fossil fuels. In this paper, the position of the different nuclear countries about the Extension of Life will be reviewed, with a special emphasis on the situation in the USA. In this last case, the NRC approach for operation licenses above 40 years will be explained, and actions taken by nuclear companies in the country will be reviewed. In this country, the debate about life extension over 40 years has been surpassed, and the new technical discussion focuses on the operation of nuclear power plants above 60 years.


The study aims to gain primary evidences on the mental health condition of Bangladesh. A quantitative survey instrument was applied on 982 respondents from Dhaka, Chittagong, and Rajshahi divisions in Bangladesh. It included adult sample, aged above 18 years from different hospitals, universities and organizations. 51.7% of the respondents were male and rest 48.9% female. The survey focused on knowledge, attitude and behavior related to mental health. This paper presents the behavioral manifestation of mental health condition. From the description of different psychological problems the responders encounter in their life, depression (69.5%) was identified as the highest manifested mental health issue followed by anxiety (66.8%) and study-related issues (64.5%). Notable percentage had experience of trauma (28.0%), and abuse (19.2% physical abuse and 10.1% sexual abuse). Suicidal ideation was found to be present in 19.8% of the respondents. Significant gender differences towards male were found for problem with study, anger, romantic relation, eating, and substance abuse. Females had significantly higher experience of sexual abuse. Similar significant regional difference were noted for several behavioral indicators of mental health; Dhaka being the highest prevailing region. It was found to be true specifically for suicidal thoughts and attempts. This study reestablished the alarming situation of mental health existing among the people in Bangladesh which call forth urgent action to address the most vital aspect of health through psychological assistance.
Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 30(3 CSI): 405-416, 2022 (June)


Laser materials processing is currently dominated by CO2, Nd-YAG and Excimer lasers. Continuous advances in semiconductor laser technology over the last decade have increased the average power output of the devices annualy by two fold, resulting in the commercial availability of the diode lasers today with delivery output powers in excess of 60W in CW mode and 5kW in qasi-CW mode. The advantages of compactness, high reliability, high efficiency and potential low cost, due to the mass production capability of the diode laser, will inextricably shape its future in the field of materials processing. This papers reports on work exploring the feasibility of a range of materials processing applications using a Diomed 60W diode laser, transmitted through a 600μm diameter optical fibre and coupled to a 3 axis CNC workstation. The applications studied include; marking and engraving natural stones (marble and granite), marking ceramic tiles, glazing and sealing tile grouts, marking and cutting glass, marking wood, welding metal wire and transformation hardening of tool steels. The study shows that even at the present limited power level of diode laser, many materials processing applications can be accomplished with satisfactory results. Through the study an initial understanding of interaction of diode laser beam with various materials has been gained. Also, within the paper basic beam characteristics, the state of the art of high power diode laser technology and current materials processing applications are also reviewed.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the pattern of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) in the population of 2 large tertiary centers in the western province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

METHODS
This retrospective study used cases diagnosed as GIST at the histopathology laboratories of King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital between January 2000 and October 2009, and King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah, KSA, between January 2002 and December 2008. Additionally, cases diagnosed as gastrointestinal spindle cell tumors, sarcomas, schwannomas, leiomyomas, and leiomyosarcomas at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital between January 1995 and December 1999 prior to the introduction of CD117 immunostain testing in the lab were tested for it. Positive cases were included in the study. Age and gender of the patients, as well as tumor location, maximum diameter, and mitotic count were analyzed.

RESULTS
Thirty-seven cases were found in which the mean age was 55.6 years. Nineteen tumors were located in the stomach (51.4%), 7 in the small bowel (18.9%), 2 in the colorectum (5.4%), 4 in the mesentery (10.8%), and 5 in the abdomen (13.5%). Fifteen cases (40.5%) were high risk, 13 (35.2%) were intermediate risk, 3 (8.1%) were low risk, and one case (2.7%) was very low risk for aggressive behavior.

CONCLUSION
The GISTs are more prevalent in Saudi Arabia than is generally thought. Most cases occurred in male adults over 40 years of age. The stomach is the most frequent location of occurrence. Most tumors are of the high-risk group.


We address the two dominant dilemmas encountered in attempting to demonstrate real-time hyperspectral imaging: how to record a three-dimensional spectral data cube with a conventional two-dimensional detector array and how to most efficiently transmit the spectral data cube through the information bottleneck constituted by the detector's limited space–bandwidth product. We have demonstrated a new, biologically inspired approach in which a compact hyperspectral fovea is embedded within a conventional panchromatic periphery. Combined with an intelligent scanning system this will enable hyperspectral imaging to be applied only to small regions of interest previously identified using the panchromatic periphery, thus improving the efficiency with which hyperspectral imaging can be used to recognize objects in a scene. The hyperspectral fovea is realized using a coherent optical fibre bundle that reformats a two-dimensional input image into a linear output image that acts as the input to a one-dimensional, dispersive hyperspectral imager.


The vertebrate immune system recognizes bacterial DNA based on the presence of unmethylated CpG-dinucleotides in particular base contexts ("CpG motifs"). In contrast to mice, knowledge about CpG-mediated effects on human B cells is poor. In the present study we identify and determine an optimal human CpG motif. A phosphodiester oligonucleotide containing this motif strongly stimulated CD86, CD40, CD54, and MHC class II expression, IL-6 synthesis, and proliferation of primary human B cells. These effects required internalization of the oligonucleotide and endosomal maturation. The molecular mechanism of action of this CpG motif was associated with the sustained induction of the NF-κB p50/p65 heterodimer and of the transcription-factor complex AP-1. Transcription-factor activation by CpG DNA was preceded by increased phosphorylation of the stress kinases c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38, and of activating transcription factor-2. In contrast to CpG, signaling through the B cell receptor led to activation of extracellular receptor kinase and to phosphorylation of a different isoform of c-Jun N-terminal kinase. These studies define the structure of a highly active human CpG motif and characterize its molecular mechanism of action in primary human B cells.


Anxiety and depression are highly prevalent comorbidities in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and related to a negative course of disease. We examined the impact of anxiety and depression on functional performance, dyspnea and quality of life in patients with COPD at start and end of an intensive 3-week outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation program (PR). Before and after PR, 238 patients with COPD (mean age = 62 years) underwent a 6-minute walking test (6MWT). In addition, anxiety, depression, quality of life and dyspnea at rest, after 6MWT and during activities were measured before and after PR. Except for dyspnea at rest, improvements were found for all outcome measures after PR. Multiple regression analyses showed that before and after PR, anxiety and depression were associated with greater dyspnea after 6MWT and during activities and with reduced quality of life, even after controlling for effects of age, sex, lung function and smoking status. Furthermore, before and after PR anxiety was related to greater dyspnea at rest, whereas depression was associated with reduced functional performance in the 6MWT. The results demonstrate that anxiety and depression are significantly associated with increased dyspnea and reduced functional performance and quality of life in patients with COPD. These negative associations remain stable over the course of PR, even when improvements in most of these outcomes are achieved during PR. The findings underline the clinical importance of diagnosing and treating anxiety and depression in patients with COPD.


The Paris Agreement goals require a rapid and deep reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions. Recent studies have shown the large potential of circular economy to reduce global emissions by improving resource and material efficiency practices. However, most large-scale energy system and Integrated Assessment Models used for mitigation analysis typically ignore or do not adequately represent circular economy measures. This study aims to fill in this research gap by enhancing a leading global energy system model with a representation of energy efficiency and circular economy considerations. The scenario-based analysis offers an improved understanding of the potentials, costs and impacts of circular economy in the decarbonisation context. The study shows that enhanced energy efficiency and increased material circularity can reduce energy consumption in all sectors, but most importantly in the industrial sector. They can also reduce the required carbon price to achieve Paris goals and the dependence on expensive, immature, and risky technologies, like Carbon Capture and Storage. Circular economy measures should be properly integrated with broad climate policies to provide a holistic and self-consistent framework to deeply reduce carbon emissions.


Administration of nonimmunogenic 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP) conjugates of copolymers of D or L-glutamic acid and lysine (GL) induces hapten-specific tolerance in nonimmune and DNP-ovalbumin-primed strain 13 guinea pigs. This tolerant state is evidenced by depressed anti-DNP antibody synthesis in response to challenge with DNP-ovalbumin and by a diminished frequency of DNP-specific antigen-binding cells and of anti-DNP antibody-secreting cells. Such a nonimmunogenic compound (DNP-D-GL) will nevertheless elicit a DNP-specific anamnestic antibody response when administered at an appropriate time to DNP-ovalbumin-primed guinea pigs undergoing a graft-versus-host reaction. These experiments are discussed in terms of a two-cell theory of stimulation of antibody responses.


BACKGROUND
Angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor therapy can significantly delay the progression of diabetic nephropathy to end-stage renal failure (ESRF). The main obstacle to successful compliance with this therapy is the cost to the patients. The authors performed a cost-utility analysis from the government's perspective to see whether the province or territory should pay for ACE inhibitors for type I diabetic nephropathy on the assumption that cost is a major barrier to compliance with this important therapy.

METHODS
A decision analysis tree was created to demonstrate the progression of type I diabetes with macroproteinuria from the point of prescription of ACE inhibitor therapy through to ESRF management, with a 21-year follow-up. Drug compliance, cost of ESRF treatment, utilities and survival data were taken from Canadian sources and used in the cost-utility analysis. One-way and two-way sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the findings.

RESULTS
Compared with a no-payment strategy, provincial payment of ACE inhibitor therapy was found to be highly cost-effective: it resulted in an increase of 0.147 in the number of quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and an annual cost savings of $849 per patient. The sensitivity analyses indicated that the cost-effectiveness depends on compliance, effect of benefit and the cost of drug therapy. Changes in the compliance rate from 67% to 51% could result in a swing in cost-effectiveness from a savings of $899 to an expenditure of more than $1 million per additional QALY. A 50% reduction in the cost of ACE inhibitors would result in a cost savings of $299 per additional QALY with compliance rates as low as 58% in the provincial payment strategy.

INTERPRETATION
Provincial coverage of ACE inhibitor therapy for type I diabetes with macroproteinuria improves patient outcomes, with a decrease in cost for ESRF services.


Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) often exhibits poor growth following periods of high ambient temperatures. Our objective was to investigate the influence of air and soil temperature on regrowth and persistence of sainfoin. At 99 d post planting, 'Renumex' sainfoin grown in 5- by 40-cm tubes were placed into growth chambers. Treatments were chamber air temperatures of 15, 25, or 35°C with soil temperatures of 10, 20, or 30°C. After a 21-d adjustment period, all plants were clipped to 2 cm (Harvest 1). Plants regrew for 35 d before the final harvest (Harvest 2). Measurements were number of leaves, leaf area, shoot mass, taproot mass, fine root mass, crown mass, taproot carbohydrates, starch degrading enzyme activity, whole plant metabolism, and plant survival. Leaves per plant decreased with increasing air temperature and this caused a decrease in sainfoin leaf area per plant and shoot yield per plant. Increasing air temperature from 15 to 35°C or soil temperature from 10 to 30°C decreased crown, taproot, and fine root mass by as much as 98%. Concentration of taproot carbohydrates showed a negative correlation (P < 0.05) with increasing air temperature. Metabolic rates of leaves and roots were two and five times higher, respectively, when the air or soil temperature increased by 20°C. Increasing air temperature showed a positive correlation (P < 0.05) with the number of dead plants per treatment (R 2 = 0.90). Few plants grown at 35°C survived. Severe defoliation during periods of high temperatures may cause plant death because high metabolic rates cannot be supported by existing leaf area or taproot carbohydrates.


Despite their ostensible differences, both randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and neoclassical economics, which undergirds neoliberalism, are characterized by unrealistic assumptions. This is not accidental but stems from a common desire for scientism, despite a substitution of "economic man" by what we call "behavioral man" in the former. However, the interactions between human behavior and context produce much greater diversity than allowed for in such approaches. As a result of these failings, RCTs do not challenge neoliberalism, but rather can be inserted into and help legitimize it. Consequently they do not alter the structural conditions producing poverty, but represent a form of "virtualism" that attempts to make the real conform to the ideal of neoclassical economics through "nudging." This is often associated with conditionality, representing a continuation of the historically Northern-centered coloniality of power, which sometimes leads to ethical breaches and perverse development outcomes. Some examples from RCTs conducted or published by the World Bank—which has become a lead agency in promoting RCTs to assess the effectiveness of aid—in Africa are presented to illustrate our argument.


As numerous scholars of visual culture have shown, photography plays a critical role in articulating black people's complex relationship to cultural identity and national belonging. This article questions the ability of photography to document and simultaneously pathologize the history, culture and struggle of African slave communities in Iran. It highlights the complex relationship between the ways African slaves are depicted and the ways slave-holders imagine them. How did African slaves imagine themselves? It also investigates the ways crucial forms of historical documentation of events, individuals and contexts were captured in these photographs. How should we read the histories recorded in such images and imaging practices? What kind of historical knowledge might they provide? Can they provide historians and other scholars of the field with historical 'traces' that bear witness to things not put into words?


A viscometer based on velocity attenuation of rotating cylinder is presented in the paper. A solid rotor motor drives the cylinder immersed in liquid in a cup to a scheduled velocity. The electricity supply of the motor is cut, the velocity of the cylinder with rotor of the motor attenuates with time because of viscous torque and other resistance torque. The velocity is measured by optical encoder. Viscosity of the fluid was calculated by a computer. Experiments are carried out and results show that deviation of viscosity beyond 1000 mPa•s are below 3%. The viscometer can be used in measurement of viscosity beyond 1000 mPa•s in industry.


While Maimonides reread his sources to reconcile biblical and rabbinic texts with the demands of reason, Hermann Cohen, in his construction of a "religion of reason," rereads Maimonides' rereadings of those very same texts. Maimonides' Judaism often bridges the sources toward Cohen's religion of reason by providing a philological anchor that nudges a term or verse now viewed through a more modern historical and evolutionary lens toward its ultimate reason-infused meaning. This paper will explore a hitherto neglected feature of their oeuvres that unites Maimonides and Cohen as much as it distinguishes them: the "Jewishness" shared by both, as evident in the most Jewish of all exercises that suffuses both their works, biblical and midrashic exegesis. Their exegetical nets are systematically cast widely throughout the breadth of the Hebrew Bible, but more often than not they offer highly discrepant readings of the same passage or prooftext. Cohen's referencing of many of the same sources appeals to their Maimonidean rationalist refurbishment, but at the same time often places them in combative discourse in order to subvert and reorient Maimonides' exegesis. The notions of divine names, the "image" (tselem) of God, "nearness" to God, and divine "glory" (kavod) are closely examined to demonstrate this intertextual relationship between these two seminal Jewish thinkers. While Cohen may be misreading Maimonides' rereading of scripture, he remains a true hermeneutical disciple in his exegetical restructuring and realignment of scripture. Cohen's programmatic exegetical idealization of Maimonidean prooftexts to reconstruct a new Kantianized God forms a common ground of discourse with Maimonides that traverses seven centuries of a quintessential Jewish enterprise.


1 ax-Adrenoceptor densities were studied in cardiac membrane preparations from several mammalian species including human failing hearts under identical experiment conditions; the al-adrenoceptor antagonist, [3H]-prazosin, was used as radioligand. End-stage heart failure (NYHA IV) in human hearts was due to idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. 2 The ventricular a1-adrenoceptor densities were not significantly different in guinea-pig, mouse, pig, calf, and man (11 to 18 fmol mg-' protein) but about 5 to 8 fold smaller than in rat (about 90 fmol mg-' protein). Right and left ventricular receptor densities were similar in these species. 3 A sufficient amount of right and left atrial tissue was obtained from rabbit, pig, calf, and man only. The a,-adrenoceptor densities in both atria of these species were found to be at the detection limit of the method used (less than 8 fmol mg- protein). 4 The equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) was similar in all species studied ranging from 0.047 + 0.006 to 0.063 ± 0.007 nmol 1'. 5 It is concluded that differences in z1-adrenoceptor density between atria and ventricles may exist in mammalian species. The exceptionally high density of these receptors in rat ventricles seem to be a particular feature in these animals.


Although vaccination has proven to be the best flu prevention method, misconceptions and myths regarding the vaccine and the disease, are factors that affects intentions to get the vaccine, and set Hispanics' health in disadvantage when compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Hispanics are more prone than Non-Hispanic Whites to develop chronic and respiratory diseases, which place this population in high risk to develop flu complications. Therefore, it is of pivotal public health significance, to develop strategies that can address flu misperceptions in Hispanics. This essay proposes a local strategy in Pittsburgh, PA called InFLUyentes, as a possible method to increase vaccination coverage among Hispanics. InFLUyentes, the Spanish word for influential, endeavors to prepare members, from all educational levels of the Hispanic community, to positively change other's flu misperceptions. With the support of a health promotion campaign, InFLUyentes will be ready to intervene with accurate information, whenever a misleading comment about flu is presented in their daily environment. The ultimate goal of the InFLUyentes strategy is to facilitate accurate information-based decisions regarding flu prevention, and to eventually aim to integrate yearly flu vaccinations into a new community norm within Hispanics in Pittsburgh. InFLUyentes strategy bases its educational information on previous health belief and focus groups studies, regarding flu perception in Hispanics, and utilizes the social contagion theory to integrate the information to the community. Community-based approaches are the best method to create community solutions, which take in consideration the actual needs, perception, motivations, and norms of a community. These are pivotal factors that will lead to the creation and implementation of an effective intervention. A limitation of this strategy is that it will not necessarily impact everyone, since some people may not accept the corrections to their flu misperceptions. Further investigations on the impact of the InFLUyentes strategy should be addressed. Throughout this project, competency of important Public Health concepts, such as strategic planning, health communication, cultural competency, and infectious disease management, were demonstrated.


For an efficient wave energy extraction, the evolution of some specific parameters must be known. These parameters, like significant wave height and period, are mainly determined by the wind speed and influenced by some sea environment characteristics. Their evolution in time is one of the basic information necessary for designing of an accurate energy conversion system. In many scientific works the benefits of artificial neural networks based modeling are presented. These models allow the prediction and optimization of the wave parameters starting from experimentally acquired data. Due to specific calculus method of the artificial neural networks, in order to obtain accurate results, a very important step is the appropriate neural model design. If the model is optimal correlated with the data processed, the results obtained can be more significant than those coming from the mathematical formulas. The main neural models parameters that must be taken into account for an optimal design are model structure, transfer function and training algorithm. This paper presents an investigation of the results obtained with different models, proving that for a specific dataset a specific neural model offers the best results. Several models are analyzed, for a dataset corresponding to specific point in Black Sea and a comparison of results is presented.


Using Bourdieusian approach, this article explores the reflexive strategies of young jazz musicians in order to develop their musical practices in a contemporary urban context of Yogyakarta, a city of culture and activism in Indonesia. In detail, the reflexive strategy (Sweetman 2003; Threadgold & Nilan 2009) will be explained as the manifestation of struggle in the field of cultural production (Bourdieu 1993). As an implication, young jazz musicians have to negotiate their musical practices with the reproduction of doxa and the representation of dominant agents in the jazz music field including the availability of public spaces in contemporary Yogyakarta. The resistance towards doxa will be explained based on the local narratives of the Yogyakarta jazz community as a mixture of the local and the trans-local scene (Bennett & Peterson 2004). Furthermore, the reflexive strategy will be analysed through the lens of the youth culture perspective specifically as a manifestation of a mixture between post-subculture (Bennett 1999) and subculture (Blackman 2005). In their everyday musical practices, young jazz musicians produce their musical practices fluidly and flexibly as a lifestyle distinction as well as a form of everyday life resistance. In summary, this article shows the complexity of the musical processes of young jazz musicians in contemporary urban space of Yogyakarta, Indonesia.


This article presents a longitudinal study of students in vocational education in Norway. Statistics show that one third of the students do not complete their vocational education. In our study, we have followed 32 students over six years from the time they started their vocational education. The method was annual semi structured interviews. The aim of the study was to develop insights into how students tend to change course choices, occupational aspirations, and dispositions to learning as well as approaches to studentship throughout this significant period of their life. The intention has been to bring out the students' own descriptions, understandings and experiences related to the main research question: What choices do young people make regarding education and occupation and what is the background for these choices? The study draws upon the concept «learning trajectories». We describe findings from the study by using the three metaphors "stayers, movers and leavers". These categories describe the students' different learning trajectories. The category stayers describes those who have completed their planned education at the appointed time. Movers describes those who have changed courses along the way, and the category leavers describes those who do not complete upper secondary education.  https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.17.11.11


The plan recognition task is to infer an actor's plan and goal given observations about its behavior. We submit that in some cases, for plan recognition to be effective and complete, it must appeal to a notion of epistemics to i) recognize epistemic goals, where the actor is trying to achieve some state of knowledge or belief; and ii) model the observer, and its knowledge of the actor, as first class elements of the plan recognition process. To this end, we formalize the notion of Epistemic Plan Recognition, which builds on two growing areas of research: epistemic planning and plan recognition. Our epistemic plan recognition specification appeals to an epistemic logic framework to represent agent beliefs. To realize our specification, we cast the epistemic plan recognition problem as an epistemic planning problem, whose solutions can be generated using existing epistemic planning tools. Finally, we evaluate our approach by utilizing and comparing existing epistemic planners on a diverse set of epistemic plan recognition problems.


Abstract
 Natural history collections offer unique physical and virtual opportunities for formal and informal progressive learning. Collections are unique data in that they each represent a biological record at a single place and time that cannot be obtained by any other method. Collections-based experiences lead to an increased understanding of and substantive interaction with the living world. Global biological diversity and changes in that diversity are directly tracked through specimens in collections, regardless of whether changes are ancient or recent. We discuss how collections, specimens, and the data associated with them, can be critical components linking nature and scientific inquiry. Specimens are the basic tools for educating students and interested citizens through direct or virtual contact with the diversity of collections. Such interactions include instruction in a formal classroom setting, volunteering to gather and curate collections, and informal presentations at coffee shops. We emphasize how the recent surge in specimen-based digitization initiatives has resulted in unprecedented access to a wealth of biodiversity information and how this availability vastly expands the reach of natural history collections. The emergence of online databases enables scientists and the public to utilize the specimens and associated data contained in natural history collections to address global, regional, and local issues related to biodiversity in a way that was unachievable a decade ago.


Ensuring seamless coverage accounts for the lion's share of the energy consumed in a mobile network. Overlapping coverage of three to five mobile network operators (MNOs) results in enormous amount of energy waste which is avoidable. The traffic demands of the mobile networks vary significantly throughout the day. As the offered load for all networks are not same at a given time and the differences in energy consumption at different loads are significant, multi-MNO capacity/coverage sharing can dramatically reduce energy consumption of mobile networks and provide the MNOs a cost effective means to cope with the exponential growth of traffic. In this paper, we propose an energy saving market for a multi-MNO network scenario. As the competing MNOs are not comfortable with information sharing, we propose a double auction clearinghouse market mechanism where MNOs sell and buy capacity in order to minimize energy consumption. In our setting, each MNO proposes its bids and asks simultaneously for buying and selling multi-unit capacities respectively to an independent auctioneer, i.e., clearinghouse and ends up either as a buyer or as a seller in each round. We show that the mechanism allows the MNOs to save significant percentage of energy cost throughout a wide range of network load. Different than other energy saving features such as cell sleep or antenna muting which can not be enabled at heavy traffic load, dynamic capacity sharing allows MNOs to handle traffic bursts with energy saving opportunity.


Medical students should critically assess their contact with the pharmaceutical industry--so that their future practice and prescriptions are not influenced by the marketing strategies of drug companies, a recent US study has found ( Academic Medicine 2004;79:1041-5).

Claus Pierach, professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, and colleagues were concerned about the aggressive marketing strategies of drug companies. They observed the extent of influence of pharmaceutical enterprises on undergraduate medical students. "It had been bothering us for years that the pharmaceutical representatives went after students although these undergraduates could not even order any medicines," said Pierach.

The researchers interviewed on 165 preclinical and …


Triphenylamine-based metal complexes were designed and synthesized via coordination to Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) using their respective acetate salts as the starting materials. The resulting metal complexes exhibit more negative energy levels (vs vacuum) as compared to 2,2′,7,7′-tetrakis(N,N-di-p-methoxyphenylamine)-9,9′-spirobifluorene (Spiro-OMeTAD), high hole extraction efficiency, but low hole mobilities and conductivities. Application of dopants typically used for Spiro-OMeTAD was not successful, indicating a more complicated mechanism of partial oxidation besides the redox potential. However, utilization as hole-transport material was successful, giving a highest efficiency of 11.1% under AM 1.5G solar illumination.


Vitamin A is an essential micronutrient for growth, especially in highly proliferative and development stages as in pregnancy. When maternal vitamin A is deficient, fetal demands does not allow to maintain maternal reserves and subclinical deficiency appears. Due to the fact that pregnancy is a period of vulnerability to nutritional deficiencies, 75 pregnant adolescent (16.4 +/- 1.2 years old), were studied along prenatal control visits during pregnancy for vitamin A status. Data on serum retinol was obtained in each trimester through fasting blood collection, and determination by high pressure liquid chromatography. Two-24 hour recalls during each trimester were used to assess dietary intake. Statistical analysis (descriptive, frequency distribution, paired t-test and Fisher's exact test) were performed. Mean serum retinol values decreased significantly (p < 0.05) along trimesters. There was not vitamin A deficiency by serum retinol indicator at any trimester, but at third trimester, 30.3% of the women showed marginal serum retinol values (20-30 mg/gL). Dietary intake, adjusted for recommendations for each trimester, increased significantly as pregnancy continued. These findings indicate that even though serum retinol (vitamin A) deficiency was not present at any time during pregnancy in these adolescents, risk of deficiency increased toward the end; and that the increase of vitamin A intake at the end of pregnancy does not change the decline in serum retinol. Monitoring and nutritional intervention of this vulnerable group is recommended in order to promote a healthy mother and newborn.


ABSTRACT N-chlorotaurine (NCT) a long-lived oxidant generated by leukocytes, can be synthesized chemically and applied topically as an anti-infective to different body sites, including the lung via inhalation. Here, we demonstrate the activity of NCT against viruses causing acute respiratory tract infections, namely severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), influenza viruses, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Virucidal activity of NCT was tested in plaque assays, confirmed by RT-qPCR assays. Attack on virus proteins was investigated by mass spectrometry. NCT revealed broad virucidal activity against all viruses tested at 37°C and pH 7. A significant reduction in infectious particles of SARS-CoV-2 isolates from early 2020 by 1 log10 was detected after 15 min of incubation in 1% NCT. Proteinaceous material simulating body fluids enhanced this activity by transchlorination mechanisms (1 −2 log10 reduction within 1–10 min). Tested SARS-CoV-2 variants B.1.1.7 (Alpha) und B.1.351 (Beta) showed a similar susceptibility. Influenza virus infectious particles were reduced by 3 log10 (H3N2) to 5 log10 (H1N1pdm), RSV by 4 log10 within a few min. Mass spectrometry of NCT-treated SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and 3C-like protease, influenza virus haemagglutinin and neuraminidase, and RSV fusion glycoprotein disclosed multiple sites of chlorination and oxidation as the molecular mechanism of action. Application of 1.0% NCT as a prophylactic and therapeutic strategy against acute viral respiratory tract infections deserves comprehensive clinical investigation.


Abstract. In turbomachines, transitional flows are likely to occur over many components. In the case of a low-pressure turbine, the transition from laminar to turbulent boundary layer is often separation-induced. The overall blade losses depend among others physical effects on the size and the length of the separation bubble. The characteristics of the separation bubble are strongly linked with the Reynolds number and the turbulence intensity of the flow. So, turbomachinery designers require tools which could be used to achieve an accurate prediction of the laminar-turbulent transition. Many computational techniques are available to predict transitional behavior. However, only the computation of the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations seems to be able to be used in an industrial context, due to the relatively low computational ressource required.
The aim of this paper is to present and compare different approaches used to predict transition on practical test cases. Two models using experimental correlations to simulate transitional flows are described. The first uses boundary layer integral values, and the second uses only local values. The chosen test cases are two low-pressure turbine cascades with different aerodynamic loads and a multistage low-pressure turbine.


Using DEA model and cost-benefit analysis, this study analyzes resource efficiency and economic efficiency of 32 fish farms in the South-eastern Cote d'Ivoire. Results showed that the mean scores of technical and economic efficiency are respectively 0.575 and 0.553. There is a positive relationship between technical efficiency and economic efficiency, indicating that the farms that produce efficiently are likely to generate maximum revenue. Trained fish farmers using industrial food are the most technically and economically efficient, followed by untrained fish farmers with high level of experience who reformulate themselves their fish feed. The results of resource efficiency indicated that fish farms generate waste in the use of resources (feed, fingerling, water and land).On the other hand, the optimal management simultaneously to a minimization in the use of resources and maximization of production could help to increase production level of 16.18%. Finally, the cost-benefit analysis showed that, on average, fish farms achieve a positive gross and net margin. The results show the important role of governments in fish farmer's access to feed and fingerlings. Promote and support research in the formulation of local feed available at lower costs; strengthen cooperation with private sector partners to enable extension and support services, to appropriate new production techniques and disseminated to farmers, are the main recommendations of the study.


BACKGROUND
Th22 cells are a recently identified CD4+ T helper subset and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of certain diseases in humans, but the role of Th22 cells in liver cirrhosis (LC) remains unclear.

OBJECTIVES
The aim of the study was to investigate the expression and clinical significance of intrahepatic Th22 cells in LC tissues.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Samples of liver tissue of 20 LC patients and 12 normal controls (NC) were collected. Interleukin 22 (IL-22), IL-22R1 mRNA and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) expression were examined using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The protein expression of Th22 and CD4+ cells in liver tissue was measured with immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS
The number of intrahepatic Th22 and CD4+ cells increased markedly in LC patients and the number of Th22 cells positively correlated with the number of CD4+ cells (p < 0.05). Moreover, the number of Th22 cells positively correlated with the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), as well as the Child-Pugh score in LC patients (p < 0.05). The expression of IL-22, IL-22R1 and AHR in LC patients was significantly increased compared with the NC group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that the expression of intrahepatic Th22 cells increased in LC patients and was associated with the progression of LC.


Many studies suggest that the climate of the Mediterranean region is shifting toward a more tropical regime. In order to verify this supposed modification, an analysis is performed using the water vapour density at the sea surface. Previous experimental results in the region show that this parameter can evidence when the tropical features of the Mediterranean climate predominate. Compared to the other common indicators like the air temperature, it gives a more comprehensive picture of any possible variation by analysing the combined effect of two distinct parameters, the air temperature and the humidity, providing at the same time additional information on the surface marine thermal stratification. The work was performed using data from the European Centre for Medium‐range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) ERA‐40 project covering the period ranging from 1958 to 2001. Yearly averages and maxima of the water vapour density were obtained from the daily mean values. The number of days of the year in which these daily means were greater/equal to 15 gm−3, and the first and the last day of the year when they crossed this threshold were also evaluated. The investigation is carried out for the whole basin and its three main subbasins, namely, the western, the central and the eastern Mediterranean, separately. The results confirm that the occurrence of tropical features in the Mediterranean climate has been increasing in the last two decades, with a widening of the period affected by the condition and enhancement of the extreme values. This trend is detectable over the whole basin notwithstanding the very high interannual variability. The good agreement with the results obtained in other works where different variables or proxy data were used confirms that the surface water vapour density is a good indicator for detecting long term climate variability. Copyright © 2005 Royal Meteorological Society.


M. G. Norton, W. J. Wilks & S. J. Cuthbert write: In their recent paper Torsvik et al. 1988 presented the results of a survey of palaeomagnetic and magnetic fabric data from the Hornelen Devonian in western Norway. We wish to comment on the following aspects: (1) The nature of the eastern boundary of the Hornelen Devonian; (2) The evidence presented against the accepted interpretation of near coincidence of present tectonic boundaries with boundaries tectonically active during sedimentation. In addition there are a number of points of fact which we would like to challenge which are dealt with at the end of this discussion. (1) Torsvik et al. 1988 refer to the eastern boundary of the Hornelen Devonian as an unconformity complete with 'well-preserved weathering profiles'. They give no details and refer only to a published abstract (Ramsay et al. 1987) which itself does not mention the unconformity, although this observation overturns previous interpretations of the contact as a fault (Bryhni 1963, 1978; Steel et al. 1985). We have recently examined this boundary at a number of localities (Fig. 1). The structure of the boundary was found to be very similar at all localities (Fig. 2). The basal c. 800 m of the section below the Devonian consists of overall gently westward-dipping mylonitic gneisses. A strong west-plunging mineral elongation lineation is developed which, together with secondary shear structures and rotated feldspar porphyroclasts, indicate an overall 'top down to the west' sense of movement. Some 150 m beneath the boundary the


In coherent beam combining (phased arrays), control of the relative amplitudes (powers) of array elements is needed to maximize the beam combining efficiency. Here, expressions are derived for the efficiency in approaches that use interferometric combiners such as diffractive optical elements or fiber couplers. The beam combining efficiency is relatively insensitive to small power errors. In the case of dropped elements, the efficiency is equal to the fraction of operating elements. The beam combining efficiency is equivalent to the Strehl ratio for a tiled aperture.


Health and well-being of pigs may be markedly affected by management and environment in modern pork production units. All-in, all-out animal flow during the growing-finishing phase of swine production is well established as a means for reducing certain diseases and improving growth performance (Clark et al., 1991; and Cline et al., 1992). Environment is a complex composite of many factors and stressors interacting with one another. Exposure to stress increases the animal's chance of being challenged by respiratory diseases. Respiratory disease in pigs has its most serious effects in the finishing stages (Done, 1991). Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Pasteurella multocida type A are causative agents of chronic respiratory disease that result in decreased overall performance. Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae and A. suis can be causes of chronic pneumonia, but usually are present as acute pneumonia. The importance of these diseases during the finishing stages is associated with intensive systems of housing which change the relationship between the microorganisms and the pig and its environment (Done, 1991). The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of all-in, all-out management to continuous flow management, during the growing-finishing phase, on growth rate and severity of disease. In addition, the effect of chlortetracycline on overall health and lean growth in both environments was tested.


The study of microbial populations of biohydrometallurgic processes is generally more focused on the solutions involved than on the minerals. This is mainly due to complexity and costs associated with taking mineral samples during the leaching cycle. The present study compares the microorganisms in the solutions and the minerals in 1 m test columns and in samples taken from two strips of an industrial heap from the Escondida Copper Mine in Chile. The column test was carried out in six 1 m columns that were operated with similar parameters than the industrial heap. The industrial heap is divided into strips, and samples were collected from Strip 1 (after the end of the operation) and from Strip 9 (during the irrigation period). To analyze the bacterial population Real-Time PCR and CARD-FISH techniques were used. From the results of the column leaching tests a slightly greater cellular density was observed for the mineral than the solution, when the total bacterial count was considered. In both types of samples the predominant microorganisms were Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans D2 and Leptospirillum ferriphilum. In the samples from the industrial heap A. ferrooxidans predominated at the start of operation and A.thiooxidans at the end of the leach cycle.


SIR: I am saddened by the collation of misinterpretations and inaccuracies reflected in Dr McPherson's letter. It was particularly sad to note the enthusiasm with which Dr McPherson espoused the opinions of a very biased meeting which I attended. On accepting the invitation to attend the meeting, I was under the impression that a frank discussion with consideration of the viewpoints of various people was to take place. However, this was not the case. You will understand that it is the responsibility of a statutory health body, such as the New South Wales Health Commission, to hold very firmly the opinion that the good and welfare of its patients must have first consideration. Of course, the needs, wishes and, indeed, demands of those with vested interest must be considered, but always secondary to the needs of the patients using the health services.


Background and objectives: Farm-raised tilapia contains very low levels of the beneficial very long-chain omega-3 fatty acid and very high levels of omega-6 fatty acid. Excessive amounts of omega-6 fatty acids and a very high omega-6/omega-3 ratio, promote the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, whereas increased levels of omega-3 PUFA (a low omega-6/omega-3 ratio) exert suppressive effects. Hence, the study determined the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid content of farmed tilapia and the omega-6/omega-3 ratio. Methods: Samples of farmed tilapia were taken from four sites namely: Batangas, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Isabela. The omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid levels in farmed tilapia and the omega-6/ omega-3 ratio were analyzed using gas chromatography. Results: Tilapia from Isabela has the highest amount of fatty acids for both omega-6 (1.2 mg/100g) and omega-3 (EPA 1.5 mg/100 g; DHA 61.8 mg/100 g) respectively. On the other hand, tilapia from Batangas has the lowest amount of total fatty acids with omega-6 of 0.70 mg/100 g and omega-3 of EPA 4.2 mg/100 g and DHA 2.2 mg/100 g. For all the samples from each site, omega-3 has a higher amount of fatty acid compared to its omega-6 fatty acid while the omega-6 and omega-3 ratio in all the four sites was less than 1:1. Conclusion: The omega-3 (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) fatty acid concentration of farmed tilapia taken from Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Batangas has higher concentration than omega-6 and the ratio between the two fatty acids met the values for the recommended ratio.


Aims: The purpose of this paper was to develop a HPLC fingerprint analysis method, compare the chromatographic fingerprints characteristics of the ethyl acetate extract with anticancer activity from Sedi Linearis Herba (Sedum lineare Thumb.) collected in different seasons and environments, determine the contents of active ingredients hyperoside, isoquercetin and astragalin of each sample by HPLC, provide believable scientific foundations for quality control and evaluation of Sedi Linearis Herba. Methods: The analyte was analyzed using BDS Hypersil C18 as chromatographic column, acetonitrile -0.1% acetic acid solution as the mobile phase (gradient elution). Results: The results showed that the major active ingredient contents of the samples collected in different seasons but at the same environment all had obvious differences. These ingredient contents of the samples collected in the end of April were much more than those in mid-August in general. Moreover, the major active ingredient contents of the samples picked in the same season but different environments were different too. For instance, the major ingredient contents of the sample in damp environment in August were more than those in sunny environment. Conclusion: All of these indicated that the HPLC fingerprint analysis and contents determination method established were very useful for quality analysis and control of Sedi Linearis Herba.


BACKGROUND
 Effective contact tracing is labor intensive and time sensitive during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also essential in the absence of effective treatment and vaccines. Singapore launched the first Bluetooth-based contact tracing app—TraceTogether—in March 2020 to augment Singapore's contact tracing capabilities.

 OBJECTIVE
 This study aims to compare the performance of the contact tracing app—TraceTogether—with that of a wearable tag-based real-time locating system (RTLS) and to validate them against the electronic medical records at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), the national referral center for COVID-19 screening.

 METHODS
 All patients and physicians in the NCID screening center were issued RTLS tags (CADI Scientific) for contact tracing. In total, 18 physicians were deployed to the NCID screening center from May 10 to May 20, 2020. The physicians activated the TraceTogether app (version 1.6; GovTech) on their smartphones during shifts and urged their patients to use the app. We compared patient contacts identified by TraceTogether and those identified by RTLS tags within the NCID vicinity during physicians' 10-day posting. We also validated both digital contact tracing tools by verifying the physician-patient contacts with the electronic medical records of 156 patients who attended the NCID screening center over a 24-hour time frame within the study period.

 RESULTS
 RTLS tags had a high sensitivity of 95.3% for detecting patient contacts identified either by the system or TraceTogether while TraceTogether had an overall sensitivity of 6.5% and performed significantly better on Android phones than iPhones (Android: 9.7%, iPhone: 2.7%; P<.001). When validated against the electronic medical records, RTLS tags had a sensitivity of 96.9% and specificity of 83.1%, while TraceTogether only detected 2 patient contacts with physicians who did not attend to them.

 CONCLUSIONS
 TraceTogether had a much lower sensitivity than RTLS tags for identifying patient contacts in a clinical setting. Although the tag-based RTLS performed well for contact tracing in a clinical setting, its implementation in the community would be more challenging than TraceTogether. Given the uncertainty of the adoption and capabilities of contact tracing apps, policy makers should be cautioned against overreliance on such apps for contact tracing. Nonetheless, leveraging technology to augment conventional manual contact tracing is a necessary move for returning some normalcy to life during the long haul of the COVID-19 pandemic.


The chapter analyses the development in time of some physical system subject to random influences, by means of a discrete or continuously registering instrument. The behaviour of maxima in random sequences and stochastic processes having as a target to obtain, under convenient conditions, the same limiting distributions is discussed in this chapter. Extremes in stochastic sequences, global extremes of Gaussian stationary processes, global extremes in Wiener-Lévy processes and local extremes in Gaussian stationary processes are given with some results. Some scattered examples of extreme value properties for other kinds of stochastic processes are also discussed. Published Online 23 June 2017


The National Fusion Collaboratory focuses on enabling fusion scientists to explore grid capabilities in support of experimental science. Fusion experiments are structured as a series of plasma pulses initiated roughly every 20 minutes. In the between-pulse intervals scientists perform data analysis and discuss results to reach decisions affecting changes to the next plasma pulse. This interaction can be made more efficient by performing more analysis and engaging more expertise from a geographically distributed team of scientists and resources. In this paper, we describe a virtual control room experiment that unites collaborative, visualization, and grid technologies to provide such environment and shows how their combined effect can advance experimental science. We also report on FusionGrid services whose use during the fusion experimental cycle became possible for the first time thanks to this technology. We also describe the Access Grid, experimental data presentation tools, and agreement-based resource management and workflow systems enabling time-bounded end-to-end application execution. The first virtual control room experiment represented a mock-up of a remote interaction with the DIII-D control room and was presented at SC03 and later reviewed at an international ITER Grid Workshop.


The state-of-the-art named entity recognition (NER) systems are supervised machine learning models that require large amounts of manually annotated data to achieve high accuracy. However, annotating NER data by human is expensive and time-consuming, and can be quite difficult for a new language. In this paper, we present two weakly supervised approaches for cross-lingual NER with no human annotation in a target language. The first approach is to create automatically labeled NER data for a target language via annotation projection on comparable corpora, where we develop a heuristic scheme that effectively selects good-quality projection-labeled data from noisy data. The second approach is to project distributed representations of words (word embeddings) from a target language to a source language, so that the source-language NER system can be applied to the target language without re-training. We also design two co-decoding schemes that effectively combine the outputs of the two projection-based approaches. We evaluate the performance of the proposed approaches on both in-house and open NER data for several target languages. The results show that the combined systems outperform three other weakly supervised approaches on the CoNLL data.


Family physicians should see all infants between 2 and 4 weeks of age to exclude persistent jaundice. Early identification of infants with jaundice due to liver disease might lead to better outcomes not only for infants with extrahepatic biliary atresia but for all infants with neonatal liver diseases. The case illustrates the consequences of late identification.


In this article expands the method of finding the approximate price for a wide class of derivative financial instruments. Using the spectral theory of self-adjoint operators in Hilbert space and the wave theory of singular and regular perturbations, the analytical formula of the approximate asset price is established. Methods for calculating the approximate price of options using the tools of spectral analysis, singular and regular wave theory in the case of fast and slow factors are developed. Combining methods from the spectral theory of singular and regular perturbations, it is possible to estimate the price of derivative financial instruments as a schedule by eigenfunctions. The approximate value of securities and their rate of return are calculated. Applying the theory of Sturm-Liouville, Fredholm's alternative and analysis of singular and regular perturbations at different time scales have enabled us to obtain explicit formulas for the approximate value of securities and their yield on the basis of the development of their eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of self-adjoint operators using boundary value problems for singular and regular perturbations. The theorem of closeness estimates for bond prices approximation is proved. An algorithm for calculating the approximate price of derivatives and the accuracy of estimates has been developed, which allows to analyze and draw precautionary conclusions and suggestions to minimize the risks of pricing derivatives that arise in the stock market. A model for finding the value of derivatives corresponding to the dynamics of the stock market and the size of financial flows has been developed. This model allows you to find the prices of derivatives and their volatility, as well as minimize speculative changes in pricing, analyze the progress of stock market processes and take concrete steps to improve the situation to optimize financial strategies. The used methodology of European options pricing based on the study of volatility behavior and analysis of the yield of financial instruments allows to increase the accuracy of the forecast and make sound management strategic decisions by stock market participants.


In this article, we are interested in the mathematical modeling of singular electromagnetic fields, in a non-convex polyhedral domain. We first describe the local trace (i. e. defined on a face) of the normal derivative of an L2 function, with L2 Laplacian. Among other things, this allows us to describe dual singularities of the Laplace problem with homogeneous Neumann boundary condition. We then provide generalized integration by parts formulae for the Laplace, divergence and curl operators. With the help of these results, one can split electromagnetic fields into regular and singular parts, which are then characterized. We also study the particular case of divergence-free and curl-free fields, and provide non-orthogonal decompositions that are numerically computable. © 2008 Institute for Scientific Computing and Information.


Water temperature can be used as a tracer for the interaction between river water and groundwater, interpreting time shifts in temperature signals as retarded travel times. The water temperature fluctuates on different time scales, the most pronounced of which are the seasonal and diurnal ones. While seasonal fluctuations can be found in any type of shallow groundwater, high-frequency components are more typical for freshly infiltrated river water, or hyporheic groundwater, and are thus better suited for evaluating the travel time of the youngest groundwater component in alluvial aquifer systems. We present temperature time series collected at two sites in the alpine floodplain aquifers of the Brenno river in Southern Switzerland. At the first site, we determine apparent travel times of temperature for both the seasonal and high-frequency components of the temperature signals in several wells. The seasonal signal appears to travel more slowly, indicating a mixture of older and younger groundwater components, which is confirmed by sulphate measurements. The travel times of the high-frequency component qualitatively agree with the groundwater age derived from radon concentrations, which exclusively reflects young water components. Directly after minor floods, the amplitude of temperature fluctuations in an observation well nearby the river is the highest. Within a week, the riverbed is being clogged, leading to stronger attenuation of the temperature fluctuations in the observation well. At the second site, very fast infiltration to depths of 1.9 m under the riverbed could be inferred from the time shift of the diurnal temperature signal .


Research Framework : Socio-digital practices encourage in many ways various patterns of family ties, especially during events such as placement or changes in living areas (Pharabod, 2004). They stimulate a relationship distanced by the geographical remoteness by means of different digital devices. Therefore, we aim to explore the patterns of digital family correspondence under the light of placement cases and to observe the way the family links are built.

Methodology : The survey and the in-field work have been built on two complementary lines : 1/ identify the means of digital family correspondence through semi-directive interviews with 18 children aged from 14 to 18 and 6 parents, 2/ understand the logic of regulation within the strict frame of the protective measure through interviews with 75 professionals : family assistant, ASE referents, educators, ASE managers and judges specialised in children protection.

Objectives : Within the frame of placement (art. 375 of the French civil code), the child protection rules provide family links accommodations without considering socio-digital uses. The point is to observe how the family members are taking control of this under-ruled space to strengthen their relations or, on the opposite, to maintain a certain distance. From a socio-legal point of view, socio-digital uses will be put into perspective with the rights and duties of the family, from the child to his parents.

Results : Our research highlights the ways of negotiation taking place within the emotional and moral dealings with « polymedia » (Madianou, 2014), building or moving spaces of autonomy and family roles. It also reveals different kinds of relationships in the siblings and in the family, with regards to the experiences of the family members during the placement measure.

Conclusions : Without foreseeing the intensity of the established relationships socio-digital media contribute to maintaining family ties. The way of maintaining these distant relationships depend on shared experiences, placement experiments, and afferent stages. It is also the product of negotiated choices to maintain the links or, on the contrary, to loosen it.

Contribution : This paper is based on the data collected during two research programs : exploratory research supported by the GIS M@arsouin (2014-2015) and the Pl@cement research supported by the Observatoire National de la Protection de l'Enfance and by the Mission de recherche Droit et Justice (2016- 2018).


In this paper, a two-dimensional numerical investigation on a prototypal solar chimney system integrated with an absorbing capacity wall in a south facade of a building is presented. The capacity wall is composed of a high absorbing plate and an assigned thickness of phase change material. The chimney consists of a converging channel with one vertical absorbing wall and the glass plate inclined of 2°. The chimney is 5.0 m high, with the channel height equal to 4.0 m, whereas the channel gap is at the inlet equal to 0.34 m and at the outlet it is 0.20 m. The thermal energy storage system is 4.0 m high with a paraffin wax. The transient analysis on a two-dimensional model in airflow is carried out and the governing equations for natural convection in turbulent flow with Boussinesq assumption and thermophysical properties temperature independent are given in terms of k-ε turbulence model. The problem is solved by means of the commercial code Ansys-Fluent using the finite volume method. The numerical analysis was intended to evaluate the thermal and fluid dynamic behavior of the solar chimney integrated with a latent thermal energy storage system for different values of the PCM thickness. The analysis is accomplished at the 21 June by the sunrise to sunset with the chimney oriented towards south. The simulations are performed considering the solar chimney located in Aversa, Italy. Results are given in terms of wall temperature distributions, air velocity and temperature fields and transversal profiles in the channel whereas in terms of liquid fractions, temperature and stream function fields for the phase change material. Thermal and fluid dynamics behaviors are evaluated in order to have some indications to improve the energy conversion system.


: The applicability of the concept of an effective equivalent dose to medical irradiation was substantiated. Some specific problems for calculating this value were discussed. The problem of a correct choice of a group of "the rest of organs" was considered. Basing on the mean estimation of the mean tissue doses received by patients in different x-ray studies a maximum of 6 organs was proposed for this group: the liver, kidneys, adrenals, stomach, pancreas, and spleen. It was shown that the same organs could be used in the calculation of effective equivalent doses from other (nonmedical) ionizing radiation sources.


Biometrics means the identification of a person by using the physiological or behavioral characteristics of that person. It is an essential component in identification, and is being used in large-scale biometrics deployments. With the improvement in assessing power and image analysis techniques, biometric authentication systems are becoming popular. But now a day's these biometric systems are attacked by using several fake biometrics. Hence proposed software based fake detection method that can be used in fingerprint recognition system. The proposed system uses some general image quality measures extracted from the image to differentiate between the real and fake samples. It detects different types of fraudulent access attempts through the use of Full Reference Image Quality Assessment methods and finally SVM classifiers are used for the classification. Keywords— Image Quality Assessment (IQA), Biometrics, SVM .