Background: Benign Epileptiform Variant EEG (BEV), are suspicious but innocuous EEG that are not predictive of epilepsy. The confident detection of BEV in routine EEG is vital so as not to misinterpret them as pathological, with its attendant clinical and sundry consequences. Objective: To profile BEV in routine EEG. Materials and Methods: Two hundred seventeen consecutive routine EEG done in 2013–2014 were reviewed for demographics of age and sex of the subjects, indications for EEG or clinical diagnosis, mental state of subjects during EEG procedure, EEG diagnosis and BEV. Operationally, EEG was done with an 18 channel machine without video recording and mental state of subjects was either awake and relaxed with eyes closed or asleep in uncooperative patients. Sleep was induced with parenteral or oral diazepam or chlorpheniramine. Procedure was done by EEG technologists and all records were interpreted by Consultant Neurologists. Results: The prevalence of BEV was 13.8%, mean age of subjects with BEV was significantly higher than that of subjects with essentially normal and abnormal EEG, sex distribution and handedness were however not significantly different. The distribution of BEV was wickets (5.5%), SREDA (4.1 %), FIRDA (1.4 %), RTTD (0.5%), Phantom spikes or 6-Hz spikes (1.0%) and POSTS (1.4%). Conclusion: BEV may be relatively infrequent in routine EEG, however their detection prevents the untoward consequences and the attendant clinical and other effects that a misinterpretation of EEG engenders. A second or third opinion is advised where there is equivocation in routine EEG or when BEV is suspected.


Glutamate transporters are involved in the maintenance of synaptic glutamate concentrations. Because of its potential neurotoxicity, clearance of glutamate from the synaptic cleft may be critical for neuronal survival. Inhibition of glutamate uptake from the synapse has been implicated in several neurodegenerative disorders. In particular, glutamate uptake is inhibited in Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, the mechanism of decreased transporter activity is unknown. Oxidative damage in brain is implicated in models of neurodegeneration, as well as in AD. Glutamate transporters are inhibited by oxidative damage from reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation products such as 4‐hydroxy‐2‐nonenal (HNE). Therefore, we have investigated a possible connection between the oxidative damage and the decreased glutamate uptake known to occur in AD brain. Western blots of immunoprecipitated HNE‐immunoreactive proteins from the inferior parietal lobule of AD and control brains suggest that HNE is conjugated to GLT‐1 to a greater extent in the AD brain. A similar analysis of beta amyloid (Aβ)‐treated synaptosomes shows for the first time that Aβ1–42 also increases HNE conjugation to the glutamate transporter. Together, our data provide a possible link between the oxidative damage and neurodegeneration in AD, and supports the role of excitotoxicity in the pathogenesis of this disorder. Furthermore, our data suggests that Aβ may be a possible causative agent in this cascade.


The professional recognition and sanitary reforms that physicians sought from the political powers throughout the constitutional era of the reign of Alfonso XIII were a continuation of those from the XIXth century. One of the most important demands was that rural physicians should answer directly to the State, especially with reference to salaries, rather than to municipal authorities generally held by caciques. There were constant problems between them. This work presents the case of the physician from El Pobo, Alfredo Alegre, whose conviction put health professionals, students and most of society on the warpath, joining their demands to a petition for pardon. This tragic story, apart from showing the importance of the daily press as a source, highlights the difficulties offered by professional practice in rural areas submerged in the past and the inability of politicians to resolve problems during one of the most hectic periods of our history.


s The 6th Asia-Pacific Conference on Disaster Medicine S29 makers. Deficiencies in the educational process primarily are in the area of management and organizational requirements, especially in disasters that demand non-traditional approaches to emergency medical services, and as effective decision-makers and representatives in the governmental process. Future disaster medicine leaders will require a broader base of knowledge and experience.


Ellipsometry/antibody techniques were used to study the adsorption of heparinized human blood plasma and serum onto spontaneously oxidized zirconium, and a colorimetric assay measured the formation of kallikrein by the surface in citrated plasma. After 10 min incubation in the blood plasma the protein film thickness was approximately 4.2 nm, and the film bound polyclonal antibodies mainly against high molecular weight kininogen (HMWK), immunoglobulin G (IgG) and fibrinogen. After 5 or 60 min of incubations in whole normal or EGTA sera, antibodies against complement factor 3 (C3) and complement factor 3d (C3d) deposited to the surface. Factor H and complement factor 1q (C1q) were detected similarly after 1 and 5 min of incubation in 1-10% normal serum in veronal buffer, respectively. The indications are that upon contact with blood plasma, zirconium activates the intrinsic pathway of coagulation and is opsonized with C3. The failure to detect properdin and transient presence of factor H at the surface suggest that complement binds to zirconium although the activation becomes quickly down-regulated.


Due to the target ship in the traditional ship handling simulator have not the ability to give way to other ships automatically to avoid collision, this paper put forward a new idea that bringing the hydraulic servo platform, six degrees of freedom ship mathematical model, the actual traffic flow, researching achievement of automatic anti-collision in research of the new pattern ship handling simulator, and successfully develop the Intelligent Ship Handling Simulator(ISHS for short). The paper focuse on the research on the network communication model of ISHS. We took the entire simulator system as three relatively independent networks, proposed a framework of communication network that combined IOCP model based on TCP with blocking model based on UDP, and gave the communication process and protocols of system. Test results indicate that this is an effective way to improve the ownship capacity of ship handling simulator and meet the need of multi-ownship configuration of desktop system of ship handling simulator.


Failure occurred by fatigue cracking of links from chains which were used to replace the ropes on grabs of the multirope type. In the first example, the links were made from high tensile steel rod. The fracture in the side of the link was duplex in appearance one half of the surface being discolored, indicative of a preexisting crack of the fatigue type, whilst the remaining portion was brightly crystalline, resulting from brittle fracture at the time of the mishap. In the second example, the fracture took place at a similar location adjacent to one of the butt welds situated at the mid-length of the sides. Brinell hardness values confirmed that the link was made from the higher tensile grade of material. The cracks were due to fatigue, there being no indications that the weld was initially defective.


China has long been embroiled in a wide array of territorial disputes and has occasionally flexed its military muscle in the process. Its conduct in such situations has been of great theoretical and practical relevance and has attracted considerable attention from scholars across the socio-legal spectrum. Researchers in the field of international law have carefully surveyed official and semi-official Chinese pronouncements and practices, while their social science counterparts have rigorously dissected key behavioral patterns. This is an inherently complex subject that this two-pronged approach has not yet been able to comprehensively address, however, because scholars engaged in the enterprise have only completed a partial exploration of a multifaceted phenomenon and insufficient interdisciplinary alignment. A potentially richer investigative platform, and more effective conceptual bridge building, may help narrow the gaps in the explanatory architecture.


Abstract It has been demonstrated previously that the rigid-domino model of extensional faulting can account well for the uplift/subsidence patterns observed within particular areas of the North Sea rift. This model, however, provides an unsatisfactory solution to deformation occurring at the basin margins. It is suggested here that the domino model is an elegant, geometric simplification of the more complete flexural-isostatic solution to fault displacements. Application of a flexural model allows a unified treatment of the basin and its margins. The basin-margins to the North Sea/Mid-Norway rift are all shown to have responded to extensional faulting by experiencing isostatic uplift in the footwalls to the marginal faults. Uplift magnitude varies from a few hundred metres adjacent to small faults to perhaps 5 km adjacent to the largest faults. Uplift patterns can be modelled or predicted by use of the flexural-cantilever basin model. Recognition of marginal uplift throughout the rift means that geometric section balancing techniques, all of which require the footwall to be rigid during extension, are inapplicable as a method for analysis of large, basement faults within the North Sea. Marginal, fault-related uplift is considered to have been a primary source of syn-rift clastic detritus. The precise locus of deposition for material eroded from emergent basin margins will depend on local drainage patterns, but deposition in the hangingwall basin and on the footwall platform may both be anticipated.


Supply chain management (SCM) has been undervalued subject in the construction process. Effectiveness of the supply chain and information interaction, are fundamental requirements of the industrialised construction having immediate influence on construction productivity. Information management methodologies in the construction are not at the same level as in some other industries mainly due the fragmented project based business models. In the last 10 years, the building information model (BIM) technologies have become common in design phase and gained critical mass for credible usage as a platform for construction planning and management, and for product data management in supply chains. However, the participants in the process interpret the project information from design documents differently. Interpretation actualises in several phases of project without systematic data management. The use of intellectual information on virtual model is unsystematic and users of models exploit the data manually. The current construction process sets also restrictions to the implementation of BIM technologies, but the BIM based building design itself will improve the construction process and reduce the errors with real 3D design work, and better compatibility of design disciplines. Now the accomplishment of all these benefits is not necessarily possible. The main objective in on-going research is to develop a comprehensive BIM based product data management procedure for the supply chains in industrialised construction process. This requires the definition of the process and needed methodologies that the stakeholders in networked construction branch can apply to get product and production information in an electronically interpretable format, and update their subset of this information. In this paper, we will define the key challenges and possibilities for BIM based supply chain management between main contractor and product suppliers. This paper rests on the observations made in product group specific workshops, interviews and meetings related to three different kinds of product groups.


Early identification of infant hearing impairment is imperative to prevent developmental language difficulties. The current diagnostic method is Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA) in which infant response to sound is observed to establish hearing thresholds. Together with the Karolinska Institute, we are developing an observer-independent contingent anticipatory infant hearing test using eye-tracking to increase reliability and significance levels of the current clinical practice. The present pilot study addresses in particular the first phase of the test in which the eye response is conditioned to occur at sound detection. The aim is to establish how well 6.5-month-olds associate the presence of sound to a certain location via a visual reward.


Children vary in their susceptibility to environmental exposures such as maternal depression, but little is known about how children shape those same environments. When raising an infant with low arousal, mothers at risk of depression may experience decreased parenting self-efficacy and increased depressive symptoms. We evaluated a longitudinal mediated moderation model that hypothesized interactive effects of infant vagal tone (indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) and maternal postpartum depressive (PPD) symptoms on maternal depressive symptoms in early childhood via parenting self-efficacy. Among a sample of 322 very low-income Mexican American mother–infant dyads (46% male infants), infant RSA was assessed at 6 weeks of age; mothers (M age = 27.8, SD = 6.5) reported PPD symptoms every 3 weeks from 6 weeks to 6 months, parenting self-efficacy at 18 and 24 months, and depressive symptoms at 18 and 36 months. Higher PPD symptoms predicted higher maternal depressive symptoms at 36 months, especially among mothers whose infants had lower resting RSA. The interactive effect of PPD symptoms and infant RSA on 36-month depressive symptoms was partially mediated by lower parenting self-efficacy. Lower infant RSA may exacerbate the detrimental effects of PPD symptoms on subsequent maternal well-being via damage to mothers' beliefs in their ability to parent effectively.


Background—The ground squirrel on a high cholesterol diet exhibits prolonged intestinal transit, a pathogenetic factor in cholesterol gallstone formation. Aims—To examine the effect of a high cholesterol diet on the characteristics of the migrating myoelectrical complex (MMC) and the potential benefit of erythromycin. Methods—Twenty four animals received either a trace (controls) or a 1% (high) cholesterol diet. After four weeks, five bipolar jejunal and terminal ileal electrodes were implanted. Seven days later, myoelectric activity was measured in conscious, fasted animals before and after treatment with erythromycin. Biliary lipid composition was assessed. Results—Compared with controls, animals fed the high cholesterol diet exhibited a prolonged MMC cycle period (70 (6) versus 83 (3) minutes; p<0.05), whereas MMC migration velocity and the proportions of the MMC represented by phases I, II, and III were unchanged. Oral erythromycin significantly shortened the MMC cycle period in animals on the control and high cholesterol diet by 59% and 54% respectively, and increased the proportion of the cycle period occupied by phase III of the MMC in both dietary groups. Gall bladder bile became saturated with cholesterol and crystals developed in nine of 12 animals on the high cholesterol diet; controls had none. Conclusion—Animals fed a high cholesterol diet had a prolonged MMC cycle period. This, along with diminished gall bladder motility, impairs the enterohepatic cycling of bile salts and reduces their hepatic secretion, contributing to the formation of abnormal bile. Erythromycin initiated more frequent cycling of the MMC. Its therapeutic value in cholesterol gallstone formation warrants further evaluation.


Monitoring observations of Jupiter's sodium nebula and [SII] 673.1 nm emission from the Io plasma torus were made for 20 days in 2003. During these observations, the brightness of the sodium nebula showed a small enhancement which seemed to be caused by Io's volcanic outburst. During this enhancement, [SII] 673.1 nm brightness and the ion temperature (scale height) along Jupiter's magnetic fields did not show any significant change, but magnetic flux tube content of S+ ion was calculated from the [SII] 673.1 nm brightness and the scale height, and an increase of the ion flux tube content was clearly identified. Thus, increase of supplied plasma from Io seems to be reflected in both plasma density and ion temperature. We conclude that Io's volcanic enhancement with a duration time of a few days can change Jupiter's inner magnetospheric environment in aspects of both ion density and temperature.


Privacy and security has become major issues in today's communication. In respect to the last ten years the nature and utilization of the communication technology is changed much frequently. Due to this a significant amount of data is communicated in a fraction of seconds. Therefore the traditional computational techniques have moved towards the big data processing and analytics. In this environment the entire client module and administration is directly connected with the same data sources. Due to this the communication becomes easy but security and privacy concern in communicated data has appeared. Sometimes these issues are arising due to data leakage. In this presented work the main aim is to investigate the privacy and security concerns due to data leakage in big data environment. The main reason to utilize the big data is to demonstrate the real time system using twitter accounts to fetch and improve the sensitivity of data. During the investigation the promising approach is appeared where the sliding window and fuzzy logic based system is provided to analyze and reform the data. But this approach is found slow processing capability by which the system performance is affected. Due to this a new approach using the random walk technique is prepared by modification of existing system to enhance the resource consumption of the system. Index: Privacy preserving, DLD, Sensitive Data, Security, Data Exposure.


Effective defense of deep neural networks against adversarial attacks remains a challenging problem, especially under powerful white-box attacks. In this paper, we develop a new method called ensemble generative cleaning with feedback loops (EGC-FL) for effective defense of deep neural networks. The proposed EGC-FL method is based on two central ideas. First, we introduce a transformed deadzone layer into the defense network, which consists of an orthonormal transform and a deadzone-based activation function, to destroy the sophisticated noise pattern of adversarial attacks. Second, by constructing a generative cleaning network with a feedback loop, we are able to generate an ensemble of diverse estimations of the original clean image. We then learn a network to fuse this set of diverse estimations together to restore the original image. Our extensive experimental results demonstrate that our approach improves the state-of-art by large margins in both white-box and black-box attacks. It significantly improves the classification accuracy for white-box PGD attacks upon the second best method by more than 29% on the SVHN dataset and more than 39% on the challenging CIFAR-10 dataset.


The apparent temperature (APT), or human-perceived temperature, is commonly defined as a function of the surface air temperature (SAT), vapour pressure (or humidity) and wind speed. This paper demonstrates that the APT over China, as revealed by daily station-observed data, has generally increased faster than the SAT during summertime in the past 50 years (1968−2017). The rate of increase in APT was significantly faster than that of SAT in 60.1% of stations, and the difference between the average Chinawide APT and SAT was 0.11°C decade. This phenomenon is occurring nationwide, but it is more intense over western, north-eastern and eastern coastal China. The more rapid increasing trend in APT indicates that human beings actually experience surplus heat stress under a certain change in SAT, and the increased SAT explains 67.0% of the average APT warming for the country, contributing to the change in the base APT. Apart from the increasing SAT, a decrease in surface wind speed and an increase in surface vapour pressure have also been observed, contributing to 21.6% of the increase in APT and explaining the remaining 11.4%, respectively. (Citation: Li, W., S. Hu, Z. Pan, X. Su, X. Luo, and Y. Wang, 2019: Observed increases in summer apparent temperature over China in the past 50 years. SOLA, 15, 47−51, doi:10.2151/sola. 2019-010.)


I , DUVALL JO, GRIFFITH DP. Epidural anesthesia for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. Anesthesia und Analgesia 1985: 64: 544-6. high frequency positive pressure ventilation is borne out by its adoption subsequent to the series of patients described in our paper, these being the first treated in this country. We quite agree that an induced diuresis encourages clot and fragment removal. Diuretics were routinely administered at the end of the procedure. However, if this manoeuvre is not accompanied by a waterload, the initial increase in urine flow will be followed by a period of oliguria. It is therefore more important to maintain an increased urine output throughout the first 24, and preferably the first 48, hours by a high oral intake plus intravenous supplements if clinical conditions indicate.


Model-based prognostics approaches rely on physics-based models that describe the behavior of systems and their components. These models must account for the several different damage processes occurring simultaneously within a component. Each of these damage and wear processes contributes to the overall component degradation. We develop a model-based prognostics methodology that consists of a joint state-parameter estimation problem, in which the state of a system along with parameters describing the damage progression are estimated, followed by a prediction problem, in which the joint state-parameter estimate is propagated forward in time to predict end of life and remaining useful life. The state-parameter estimate is computed using a particle filter and is represented as a probability distribution, allowing the prediction of end of life and remaining useful life within a probabilistic framework that supports uncertainty management. We also develop a novel variance control algorithm that maintains an uncertainty bound around the unknown parameters to limit the amount of estimation uncertainty and, consequently, reduce prediction uncertainty. We construct a detailed physics-based model of a centrifugal pump that includes damage progression models, to which we apply our model-based prognostics algorithm. We illustrate the operation of the prognostic solution with a number of simulation-based experiments and demonstrate the performance of the approach when multiple damage mechanisms are active.


Agricultural methods may affect the nutritional composition of plants and cause complex changes in the food matrix. Whether this affects the dietary absorption of minerals that are important for maintaining health thorough life remains unclear. We compared the effects of organic and conventional diets on intake and absorption of zinc and copper in men. Two double-blinded, cross-over, intervention trials (3 dietary periods of 12 days with 2-week-long wash-out) were performed in 2008 (n = 17) and 2009 (n = 16) in young men. The diets were based on 9 crops grown in rigidly controlled organic and conventional systems in 2 replications over 2 years. The primary outcomes were intake and absorption of zinc and copper. The absorption was determined by faecal excretion of stable enriched isotopes extrinsically added to the entire menu. Within each year, the intake and absorption of zinc (overall mean ± SD; 12.35 ± 0.47 mg per 10 MJ and 44.6% ± 12.1, respectively) and copper (overall mean ± SD; 2.12 ± 0.28 mg per 10 MJ and 41.2% ± 13.2, respectively) were not different between the organic and conventional diets. The growing season had no effect on zinc intake and absorption, but the copper intake was higher (P = 0.01) and absorption lower (P < 0.005) in 2008 compared with 2009 (overall mean absorption ± SD; 35.3% ± 13.5 in 2008 and 54.0% ± 10.7 in 2009). In conclusion, organic agriculture does not affect the intake and absorption of copper and zinc in men. Consequently, it does not seem to promote the health beneficial role of these minerals in vivo.


The improved mixing extruding machine is made up of mixer and unconventional double-cone screw extruder, which has both the excellent mixing capabilities and the continuous extruding characters. Its extruding part is an unconventional double-cone screw extruder, which are integrated double merits about double cone screw and single screw with strong feeding ability, stable extrusion pressure, supplementary mixing and more excellent quality of products. The pair of rotors and screws can be stepless speed regulating, which ensures match between the feeding capacity of the internal mixer and the extrusion output as well as the perfect mixing property. The mathematical model of the continuous mixing extruding can provide guidance for the actual production. The limitation of the batch-type production is overcome, and fulfilling the manufacture from the raw materials of polyblends to finished product in one machine.


The article focuses on the differences between Chinese and EU investment policies towards African countries and how that policies are influencing land investments. The Chinese investment policy is primarily driven by economical needs and is based on the 2001 Going global policy. The article takes into consideration the BITs between China and African countries and the Chinese Special Economic Zones in Africa. Concerning of the EU policies in Africa, the paper analyses the Economic Partnership Agreements, the envisaged new trade pillar of Africa-EU cooperation, and the EU energy policy that is promoting investments in African lands for biofuels' production. Finally, the article points out possible solutions for fostering sustainable investments in African lands, starting from the promotion of a trilateral cooperation involving not only China and European Union, but also African countries and African Union.


Spontaneus pneumomediastinum (SP) is an infrequent but usually benign pathology. Its main clinical manifestations are thoracic pain, dyspnea and subcutaneous emphysema. We describe the clinical findings of 4 SP patients, identified in the context of an A H1N1 influenza virus epidemic. All the patients were young and all of them required initial medical attention for asthma exacerbation. The most frequent symptoms and signs to detect SP were cervical pain and subcutaneous emphysema; chest radiography helped to confirm the diagnosis. Concomitant A H1N1 influenza virus infection was documented in two patients. The treatment was focused in the basic pathology; two patients were placed on oseltamivir, whereas the two others just had expectant management.


Conventional wisdom suggests to the fact that poor countries are unlikely to be host to a "high-technology" sector and doing so within the organization of small and medium enterprises. This paper examines an unusual phenomenon of industrial organization in an African setting; the emergence of a cluster of an information technology hardware cluster in a very late industrializing country, Nigeria. The evolution of the Otigba Computer Hardware Village (OCV) in Lagos, Nigeria has proceeded largely without direct support from the state and indeed within a decidedly hostile institutional and arid infrastructural environment. Yet the cluster has thrived, thus far, with institutional support of a local trade and manufacturing association. The study holds important lessons for late industrializing countries entering into a knowledge intensive sector.


The action pattern of sugarcane leaf amylase was investigated by paper chromatographic techniques. The enzyme was extracted with water from lyophilized leaf tissues, and precipitated by ammonium sulfate between 48- and 60-percent saturation. Aliquots were removed from enzyme-starch digests and inactivated in boiling water at intervals ranging from 5 minutes to 72 hours. Samples were spotted on Whatman No. 1 filter paper, irrigated with butanol-pyridine-water (6:4:3, v/v), and products identified by the silver nitrate technique. The initial and only major product was glucose. No maltose was detected, and oligosaccharides appeared only under conditions of excessively high enzyme concentration or prolonged reaction period. Preparations which appeared to contain distinct amylases on the basis of solubility and pH optima produced only glucose. Substrates hydrolyzed included soluble potato starch, cornstarch, amylose, amylopectin, and glycogen. Glucose was the lone product in each instance. Inulin was not attacked. Maltose was not affected by the enzyme preparation. Glucose produced by enzyme action on starch remained stable. A secondary sugar was formed after invertase preparation was introduced into the digest. This possibly represents an epimerase action upon the newly liberated glucose, but evidence also supports maltose and possibly oligosaccharide synthesis from the glucose product. It was concluded that cane amylase is a glucosidase with very general substrate specificity. The action pattern is explained by random encounter of enzyme with substrate, specificity of action at polymer termini, and a nonspecific internal action dependant upon enzyme concentration and time.


Prior research has not examined the acceptability of commercially available fitness tracking devices in men with prostate cancer, many of whom are at risk for conditions that physical activity could alleviate. We conducted an exploratory 3-week field study to examine acceptability of the Fitbit Zip and attitudes towards integrating fitness tracking into clinical care among men with prostate cancer. Twenty-six men used the Fitbit Zip for a one-week baseline phase followed by a 2-week optional use phase and then completed in-depth interviews. Interview data was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Participants found the device comfortable and easy to wear. Barriers to use included health and technology difficulties. Participants expressed value in sharing Fitbit data with their health care team. Findings support the use of easy to use and simple fitness trackers among men with prostate cancer and there could be opportunities to integrate fitness tracker data into clinical care.


Buck-Converters belong to DC/DC converters group. One of the main problems during the design stage of DC/DC converter is the proper component selection. The aim of this article is to describe selection of the opti-mal inductor for the Buck-Converter, enabling to minimize the device output overvoltage, while getting possibly high device efficiency. In order to verify the quality parameters, author made an efficiency comparison of the buck converter, depending on used inductor. Conclusions from this paper allow for optimal selection of coils for the Buck-Converter depending on given criteria.


Experimental investigations of the DC electric field effect on thermal decomposition of biomass, formation of the axial flow of volatiles (CO, H2, CxHy), mixing of volatiles with swirling airflow at low swirl intensity (S ≈ 0.2-0.35), their ignition and on formation of combustion dynamics are carried out with the aim to understand the mechanism of electric field influence on biomass gasification, combustion of volatiles and heat energy production. The DC electric field effect on combustion dynamics was studied by varying the positive bias voltage of the central electrode from 0.6 kV to 3 kV, whereas the ion current was limited to 2 mA. The results of experimental investigations confirm the field-enhanced biomass gasification with enhanced release of volatiles and the development of endothermic processes at the primary stage of thermochemical conversion of biomass determining the field-enhanced heat energy consumption with the correlating decrease of the flame temperature and heat energy production at this stage of flame formation. Further, the field-enhanced radial expansion of the flame reaction zone correlates with a more complete combustion of volatiles increasing the combustion efficiency by 3% and decreasing the mass fraction of CO, H2 and CxHy in the products, whereas by 10% increases the average volume fraction of CO2 and the heat energy production downstream the combustor increases by 5-10% Keywords—Biomass, combustion, electrodynamic control, gasification.


SAIC and the US Army have created a new approach to diagnostic testing that is both economical to develop and capable of tackling real world trouble shooting problems. This technology resulted in the development of a set of Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETMs) for a new breed of heavy trucks also developed by the Army. The original concept was first presented in the 1993 proceedings of AutoTestCon when the IETMs were still under development and the architecture was fluid. This paper is a follow up on the completion of the project. It analyzes the effectiveness of the various multimedia techniques used in the IETM such as sound, video clips, text to speech translation, hyper-text and hyper-procedures. It also presents a series of metrics collected on the IETMs such as mass storage space requirements, authoring problems encountered and other lessons learned about developing IETMs.<<ETX>>


The aim of this study is to evaluate the ability of the electro-coagulation (EC) process with aluminum electrodes for removing boron from process and ground waters prior to the reverse osmosis (RO) system. The effect of the operating parameters, such as pH, applied current density, inter-electrode distance (IED), and reaction time, were investigated to achieve a higher removal of boron from water. The obtained results showed that pH was an important parameter affecting removal efficiency. Boron removal efficiency increased with increasing pH from 4 to 10 for process waters (PW) while maximum boron removal has been obtained at pH 7 for groundwater (GW). The highest boron removal efficiency (48%) was achieved at a pH value of 10 within 60 min of treatment time for PW. On the other hand, the maximum boron removal efficiency (30%) was obtained at pH 7 within 90 min of treatment time for GW. In order to evaluate the current density effects on the removal of boron, four different currents (1.5–3.0 A) were applied in experiments. These experiments were conducted at a constant voltage (10 V), a constant IED (1 cm) and an optimized pH value. The maximum boron removal efficiency was obtained at 2 A current density and 1 cm IED for both types of water. The IED was experimented in order to investigate the effect of this parameter on boron removal. The highest boron removal efficiency was obtained at 1 cm IED for both waters. Boron removal efficiency was higher at GW depending on the effluent boron concentration. Boron removal efficiency decreases with increasing boron concentration as, consistent with the literature. It can be concluded that the EC application as pre-treatment prior to RO is effective in reducing the boron concentration.


Though there has been a lot of interest in Visible Light Communication (VLC) in recent years, a reference platform based on commercial off-the-shelf components is still missing. We believe that an open-source platform would lower the barriers of entry to VLC research and help the VLC community gain momentum. In this paper we take an initial step toward the goal of a VLC reference platform - OpenVLC, and present our design and implementation. Built around a credit-card-sized embedded Linux platform with an LED front-end, OpenVLC offers a basic physical layer, a set of essential medium access primitives, as well as interaction with Internet protocols. We investigate the performance of OpenVLC and show how it can be used along with standard networking diagnostics tools.


This paper analyses the variability of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) formation on ITO depending on the substrate surface features. In particular, we report on the formation of carboxylic acid- and thiol-based SAMs on two lots of commercially prepared indium–tin oxide (ITO) thin films. Contact angle measurements, electrochemical experiments, and near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy showed that the quality of monolayers formed differed substantially between the two ITO batches. Only one of the two ITO substrates was capable of forming well-organized thiol- and carboxylic acid-based SAMs. In order to rationalize these observations, atomic force microscopy and x-ray diffraction analyses were carried out, and SAMs were prepared on ITO substrates fabricated by sputtering in our laboratories. An attempt was made to influence the film microstructure and surface morphology by varying substrate temperatures during ITO deposition. Good-quality thiol and carboxylic acid SAMs were obtained on one of the ITO substrates prepared in-house. While our characterization could not single out conclusively one specific parameter in ITO surface structure that could be responsible for good SAMs formation, we could point out homogeneous surface morphology as a relevant factor for the quality of the SAMs. Evidence was also found for ITO crystallographic orientation to be a parameter influencing SAMs organization.


Description Ocean manipulation to mitigate climate change may harm deep-sea ecosystems Scientists, industry, and policy-makers have turned increasing attention toward the ocean as a source of climate change mitigation solutions. Efforts to develop ocean-based climate interventions (OBCIs) to remove and sequester carbon dioxide (CO2), manage solar radiation, or produce renewable energy have accelerated. Questions have been raised about OBCI costs, governance, impacts, and effectiveness at scale, but limited attention has been given to ocean biogeochemistry and ecosystems (1) and particularly to impacts on deepsea ecosystems (>200-m water depth), an ocean region that is understudied but fundamental for Earth's healthy function. The deep sea, with low energy supply; typically cold, stable conditions; and a low density of organisms with reduced metabolism, requires specific attention. Here we discuss OBCIs that could affect deep-ocean ecosystems and their services, identify governance challenges, and highlight the need for an integrated research framework to help centralize consideration of deep-sea impacts in mitigation planning.


Magnetospirillum sp. AMB-1 is a freshwater magnetic bacterium which synthesizes intracellular particles of magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ). A genomic DNA fragment required for synthesis of magnetic particles was previously isolated from a non-magnetic transposon Tn5 mutant. We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of this fragment. The 2975 bp region contains two putative open reading frames (ORFs). One ORF, designated magA, encodes a polypeptide which is homologous to the cation efflux proteins, the Escherichia coli potassium ion translocating protein, KefC, and the putative Na + /H + -antiporter, NapA, from Enterococcus hirae. Intracellular localization of the MagA protein was studied using magA - luc fusion proteins. The luc gene was cloned downstream of the magA hydrophilic C-terminal domain. The fusion protein was also detected on the surface of the lipid bilayer covering the magnetic particles. These results suggest that MagA is a membrane-bound protein. Vesicles which contained MagA protein exhibited iron accumulation ability. We consider that the MagA protein is an iron transporter involved in the synthesis of magnetic particles in AMB-1.


Roger Blin–Stoyle was primarily a theoretical physicist who worked in the borderland between theories of the structure of atomicnuclei and theories of the interactions and relationships between the elementary particles from which nuclei are built. He made world–class contributions. But he was also driven by a desire to improve the communication of science in general and physics in particular, at all levels.This led him to accept an offer to become the founding Dean of Science at Sussex, the first of the 'new' universities, and later tochair a number of national bodies including a committee responsible for reviewing the science curriculum in schools. Less well known was his accomplishment as a pianist and organist.


Streams and rivers emit large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere. The sources of this CO2 are in‐stream mineralization of organic carbon (OC) and CO2 input via groundwater inflow, but their relative importance is largely unknown. In this study, we quantified the role of in‐stream OC mineralization as a source of CO2 in a number of nested boreal headwater streams. The results showed that mineralization of stream OC contributed 3% of CO2 supersaturation at time scales comparable to the estimated water travel times in the streams (<24 h). Mass balances showed that downstream losses of OC were ≤3% in low‐order streams, whereas up to 16% of the OC was lost in the largest (fourth order) streams. In contrast, 85% of the CO2 was lost along the stream network (longest total stream length = 17 km). Under the assumption that in‐stream OC mineralization was the main source of stream CO2, higher rates of OC mineralization (6% of OC) than those reported across the literature (≤0.7% of OC) would be required to sustain observed CO2 supersaturation. Further, model results indicated that groundwater inflows were sufficient to sustain observed stream CO2 concentrations. We hence conclude that in‐stream OC mineralization was a minor source of CO2 in these boreal headwater systems and that the main source of stream CO2 was inflowing groundwater transporting CO2 originating from soil respiration.


A 1-year-old female mongrel dog was evaluated for house-soiling behavior. The dog had a diagnosis of cerebellar hypoplasia, pachygyria and hydrocephalus. In addition, she had been suffering from epileptic seizures for which she was being treated pharmacologically. Blood tests and abdominal ultrasound examination ruled out portosystemic shunt or other possible organic causes of seizure, lethargy and dullness. The patient's behavioral history revealed an extremely high daily frequency of urination (20-30/day) and defecation (6-8/day), most of which occurred inside the house and far from the potty-pads. Behavioral observation revealed increased locomotor activity and agitation right before the elimination events. Urinalysis were within normal range. Water intake was normal. A behavioral diagnosis of lack of housetraining was made. A housetraining program based on positive reinforcement was implemented alongside with an environmental enrichment program involving the use of feeding balls, social interactions and adequate environmental exploration. Despite the owner's compliance, the high frequency of elimination episodes rendered the therapeutic intervention very difficult. Surprisingly, after neutering urination frequency dropped to 3-5 times a day. However, after 3 months from the beginning of the treatment, while clinical improvements were evident, no improvement could be observed in housetraining. At this point, a decision was made to introduce a soft carpet beneath the potty-pad in order to facilitate the patient's associative learning processes. After 3 months, episodes of house-soiling decreased from 60% to 30%. After 3 more months the owner reported that the dog would only eliminate on the potty-pad except when left alone. Implications of this behavior were explained to the owner, but she decided to avoid further behavioral evaluation.


Background: Nasal bone fractures are the most typical kind of facial injuries. In recent years, ultrasonography has been suggested as an alternative method for detecting maxillofacial fractures. It can eliminate the risk of radiation exposure, especially in children and pregnant women. The objective of present study was to compare the diagnostic competency of conventional radiography with ultrasonography in the diagnosis of nasal injuries specially, fractures. Method: In prospective research, 331 patients with a history of midfacial trauma were enrolled. Following clinical examination, radiographs were obtained in lateral and occipitomental views. Ultrasonography was performed by an experienced sonologist, blinded to clinical findings in right and left lateral sides in addition to nasal dorsum. Images were analyzed by an experienced radiologist. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of radiology and US were determined by comparing their results with findings of the clinical examination as the gold standard. Results: In assessment of nasal fractures the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography were 97.79% and 97.66%, respectively; while for radiography these two factors were 81.21% and 86.66%, respectively. Based on the Chi-square test, ultrasonography was notably greater to radiography in diagnosing nasal fractures (P<0.001). Conclusion: Compared with radiography, ultrasonography had a higher sensitivity and specifity in detecting nasal fractures and seems to be an adequate method for the diagnosis of nasal fractures.


X-ray scattering data measured on femtosecond timescales at the SACLA X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL) facility on a suspension of HfO2 nanoparticles in a liquid jet were used for Pair Distribution Function (PDF) analysis. Despite a non-optimal experimental setup, resulting in a modest Qmax of ~8 Å-1, a promising PDF was obtained. The main structural features were reproduced when comparing the XFEL PDF to a PDF obtained from data measured at the PETRA III synchrotron source. Refining structural parameters such as unit cell dimension and particle size from the XFEL PDF provided reliable values. Although the reachable Qmax limits the obtainable information, the present results indicate that good quality PDFs can be obtained on femtosecond timescales if the experimental conditions are further optimized. The study therefore encourages a new direction in ultrafast structural science where structural features of amorphous and disordered systems can be studied.


In this paper, we proposed a sequential policy network-based passive equalizer (PEQ) design method for an arbitrary channel of high bandwidth memory (HBM) using advantage actor critic (A2C) algorithm, considering signal integrity (SI) for the first time. PEQ design must consider the circuit parameters and placement for improving the performance. However, optimizing PEQ is complicated because various design parameters are coupled. Conventional optimization methods such as genetic algorithm (GA) repeat the optimization process for the changed conditions. In contrast, the proposed method suggests the improved solution based on the trained sequential policy network with flexibility for unseen conditions. For verification, we conducted electromagnetic (EM) simulation with optimized PEQs by GA, random search (RS) and the proposed method. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperformed the GA and RS by 4.4 % and 6.4 % respectively in terms of the eye-height.


This paper illustrates both analytically and empirically that stochastic long-memory in economic growth arises due to the presence of a long-memory in population growth. Specifically, we show that the long-run conditional mean and variances of economic growth are functions of stochastic long-memory in demographic system. This is well-supported by an empirical example.


We have considered a Bayesian approach for the nonlinear regression model by replacing the normal distribution on the error term by some skewed distributions, which account for both skewness and heavy tails or skewness alone. The type of data considered in this paper concerns repeated measurements taken in time on a set of individuals. Such multiple observations on the same individual generally produce serially correlated outcomes. Thus, additionally, our model does allow for a correlation between observations made from the same individual. We have illustrated the procedure using a data set to study the growth curves of a clinic measurement of a group of pregnant women from an obstetrics clinic in Santiago, Chile. Parameter estimation and prediction were carried out using appropriate posterior simulation schemes based in Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. Besides the deviance information criterion (DIC) and the conditional predictive ordinate (CPO), we suggest the use of proper scoring rules based on the posterior predictive distribution for comparing models. For our data set, all these criteria chose the skew‐t model as the best model for the errors. These DIC and CPO criteria are also validated, for the model proposed here, through a simulation study. As a conclusion of this study, the DIC criterion is not trustful for this kind of complex model.


Incarceration disproportionately impacts Black men in the United States, which can have compounding effects on mental health and substance use among this population. Cocaine use, in particular, carries higher severity of dependence and overdose risks among Black Americans, though research examining cocaine use correlates among Black incarcerated men is limited. The present study examines race-related and mental health correlates of powder cocaine use among a sample of incarcerated Black men (n = 208) using the General Strain Theory. Specifically, the present study was a secondary analysis examining race-related stress, psychological distress (i.e., anxiety and depression), and stigma about receiving psychological help as correlates of lifetime powder cocaine use. Results indicated that the likelihood of lifetime powder cocaine use was higher among those reporting lifetime psychological distress and greater race-related stress. Stigma about receiving psychological help was not significantly associated with lifetime powder cocaine use among this sample. Results of this study have important implications for substance use treatment interventions. Identifying adaptive coping strategies to manage anxiety and depression symptoms and race-related stress among incarcerated Black men may help reduce rates of cocaine use among this population and increase successful reintegration into the community post-incarceration.


There is a growing demand for timely, high quality and precise estimates of health care parameters at the national and sub-national levels, and associated readily accessible data resources to inform health care policy and practice. Existing sentinel health care databases that provide nationally representative population based data on measures of health care access, cost, use, health insurance coverage, health status and health care quality, provide the necessary foundation to support descriptive and behavioral analyses of the U.S. health care system. Such studies help inform assessments of the availability and costs of private health insurance in the employment-related and non-group markets; the population enrolled in public health insurance coverage and those without health care coverage; and the role of health status in health care use, expenditures, and household decision making, and in health insurance and employment choices. To complement these assessments of the "current state" of health care, policymakers also depend on model-based estimates of the "future state" under alternative demographic, economic and technological assumptions, which are subject to greater levels of uncertainty traditionally associated with sampling and nonsampling error. Such modeling efforts directed to predicting the "future state" include economic models projecting health care expenditures and utilization, estimating the impact of changes in financing, coverage, and reimbursement policy, and determining who benefits and who bears the cost of a change in policy. Government and non-governmental entities rely upon these data to evaluate health reform policies, the effect of tax code changes on health expenditures and tax revenue, and proposed changes in government health programs such as Medicare. Comparable standards of data quality and statistical integrity for these types of modeling and microsimulation efforts are needed to ensure policymakers have a sound understanding of the level of uncertainty associated with these model-based estimates. This presentation will focus on several of these ongoing health care modeling and microsimulation efforts to characterize sources of uncertainty in the resultant estimates and methodologies that can be employed to better quantify their error bounds. Steven B. Cohen Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends 540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850 firstname.lastname@example.com Julie Hudson Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends 540 Gaither Road Rockville, MD 20850 firstname.lastname@example.com


Errors in genotyping data have been shown to have a significant effect on the estimation of recombination fractions in high-resolution genetic maps. Previous estimates of errors in existing databases have been limited to the analysis of relatively few markers and have suggested rates in the range 0.5%-1.5%. The present study capitalizes on the fact that within the Centre d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain (CEPH) collection of reference families, 21 individuals are members of more than one family, with separate DNA samples provided by CEPH for each appearance of these individuals. By comparing the genotypes of these individuals in each of the families in which they occur, an estimated error rate of 1.4% was calculated for all loci in the version 4.0 CEPH database. Removing those individuals who were clearly identified by CEPH as appearing in more than one family resulted in a 3.0% error rate for the remaining samples, suggesting that some error checking of the identified repeated individuals may occur prior to data submission. An error rate of 3.0% for version 4.0 data was also obtained for four chromosome 5 markers that were retyped through the entire CEPH collection. The effects of these errors on a multipoint map were significant, with a total sex-averaged length of 36.09 cM with the errors, and 19.47 cM with the errors corrected. Several statistical approaches to detect and allow for errors during linkage analysis are presented. One method, which identified families containing possible errors on the basis of the impact on the maximum lod score, showed particular promise, especially when combined with the limited retyping of the identified families. The impact of the demonstrated error rate in an established genotype database on high-resolution mapping is significant, raising the question of the overall value of incorporating such existing data into new genetic maps.


A study on periphyton was carried out in Kenyir Reservoir in the tropical
environmental perspectives. It included species abundance, species composition,
diversity, standing crop, primary production and their vertico-temporal changes. The
physico-chemical features of the lake littoral environment were also characterised.
The lake physico-chemical features were influenced by monsoon and dry
seasons. The lake water shifted to alkaline in dry period and weak acidic in monsoon.
There occurred significant correlationship (at p<O.05) between water level and some
important water parameters like conductivity, alkalinity, ammonium-nitrogen and
nitrite-nitrogen.
A total of 392 periphytic algae species under 132 genera was identified from
the all sorts of substrates. Out of which the highest number of species belonged to
diatoms (183) followed by cyanophytes (123), chlorophytes (81) and dinoflagellates
(5). Although, diatoms possessed the highest number of species, cyanophytes
maintained dominance in terms of standing crop.The substrate based periphyton species composition showed that 329 species
were found on ,standing tree substrates. One hundred thirty-six epilithic species with
predominance of diatoms were collected on rocks. Forty-two epiphytic periphyton
species were encountered on macrophytes. One hundred twenty seven species were
collected on plywoods and one hundred species were collected on glass slides.
The cyanophytes and diatoms specIes exhibited groups of cluster in
dendrogram which showed good indication regarding the occurrence of the concerned
species, their environmental response and attachment between the species. Species
diversity as indicated by the index (H') manifested clear seasonal trend, the lowest
(H'= 2.87) in wet season and the highest (H'= 3.66) in dry season.
The periphytic floral species number and standing crop manifested seasonal
changes between monsoon and dry period (significant in Mann-Whitney U test at
p<O.05). The cluster analysis on monthly species abundance data also showed
conspicuous grouping between the two seasons. The dominance of species between
the seasons varied in response to ambient environmental changes. Moreover, the
periphytic floral monthly mean species number and cell counts (standing crop) data
demonstrated significant temporal differences between the months at p<O.05 in oneway
ANOV A. The spatial differences of the periphyton between the two stations
were not significant except diatoms (p<O.05 in one-way ANOVA).
The periphyton assemblage showed gradual decrease of species number and
standing crop with the depths. However, the chlorophyll a was higher at the lower
depths than that of the upper depth. The species composition was different with depths. The environmental factors influencing the vertical distribution were light,
temperature, pH. and conductivity.
The annual mean value of chlorophyll a was 283.32 mg/m2 substrate surface
The mean chlorophyll a values varied two folds in dry season compared to monsoon
(significant in t-test (p<O.05). The annual mean autotrophic index (AI) values were
153 and 110 at the Dam side and the Petang River stations respectively. The annual
mean primary production at the littoral ranged 67. 15g/m2 to 93.33g/m2 of the lake
surface at the aforementioned stations respectively. The correlation between
chlorophyll a and ambient environmental parameters like pH, temperature, dissolved
oxygen, temperature, solar radiation, alkalinity, water transparency, nitrate, silica,
sunshine hour and lake water level were significant (p<O.05).
It can be concluded that the reservoir supports a diverse and wide array of
periphytic autotrophs. The limnological features of the water body exhibited
differences between dry and monsoon seasons. The flora clearly demonstrated
seasonal as well as depth profile variations. The autotrophs contributed substantially
to the lake primary production which probably being utilised by higher trophic fauna.
All these ecological indications and insights will be of immensely beneficial and
contribute to the understanding of the tropical limnology as well as autotrophs
ecology


This qualitative research interviewed 22 C-level executives to explore the theoretical constituents of relatedness need satisfaction, suggested by literature as a predictor of individuals' motivation, behavior, and well-being, for the first time in a sample of senior executives. Joint activity, time, continuity, and common concern were identified as components of how senior executives conceptualized relatedness need satisfaction. This novel research investigated relative importance of the theoretical constituents and senior executive participants ranked common concern as the most important constituent indicator of their relatedness need satisfaction. The results are compared to Baumeister and Leary's (1995) seminal conceptualization of relatedness need satisfaction which was based on a meta-analytical approach of nonexecutive sample studies. This research has both applied and theoretical implications. Our new theory of the constituents of relatedness need satisfaction in senior executives further provides an evidence basis for the design of efficacious practical organizational applications, such as raising senior executives' effectiveness through executive development programs focusing on common concern, joint activity, time, and continuity experiences. Our findings also provide a theoretical framework offering direction for future research in the field of senior executive psychology focused on further improving optimal functioning.


People with a serious mental illness warranting possible compulsory care and treatment are vulnerable and disempowered. Mental health tribunal hearings must balance the rights to freedom, public protection and need for treatment when making decisions about mental health care and treatment. Therapeutic jurisprudence principles, and other precepts, suggest that participants should be treated with dignity and fairness, be fully engaged, and be helped to recover. Overseas research has found that these aspirations are often not realised. This paper reports findings from an ongoing Australian Research Council funded collaborative study (2005-2008) of the practice of Tribunals in Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. In particular it highlights the challenge of giving concrete meaning to concepts such as 'fairness' or 'the most therapeutic outcome' when assessing the variety of practices found in different jurisdictions. The article argues that information and data about the socio-legal context in which mental health tribunals operate is vital to answering these questions.


Assessing the Intrinsic Impacts of a Live Performance attempts to define and measure how audiences are transformed by a live performance. The study's research design consisted of a pair of questionnaires. One administered in-venue just prior to curtain, and the other sent home with the respondent and mailed back. The first questionnaire collected information about the audiences' mental and emotional preparedness for the performance. The second questionnaire, related to the first by a control number, investigated a range of reactions to the specific performance, including captivation, intellectual stimulation, emotional resonance, spiritual value, aesthetic growth and social bonding. Between January and May 2006, six presenters surveyed audiences at a total of 19 performances representing a cross-section of music, dance and theatre presentations. This report builds on recent literature to address several hypotheses: 1) that the intrinsic impacts derived from attending a live performance can be measured, 2) that different types of performances create different sets of impacts, and 3) that an audience members' 'readiness-to-receive' the art affects the impacts received. The study develops a simple measurement tool to assess impact, provides an analytical framework for considering the results, and suggests how performing arts presenters might begin to use this information to select programs that create specific benefits for their constituents.


The hole transport polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) derives many of its favorable properties from a PSS-rich interfacial layer that forms spontaneously during coating. Since PEDOT:PSS is only usable as a blend it is not possible to study PEDOT:PSS without this interfacial layer. Through the use of the self-doped polymer sulfonated poly(thiophene-3-[2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethoxy]-2,5-diyl) (S-P3MEET) and a polyfluorinated ionomer (PFI) it is possible to compare transparent conducting organic films with and without interfacial layers and to understand their function. Using neutron reflectometry, we show that PFI preferentially segregates at the top surface of the film during coating and forms a thermally-stable surface layer. Because of this distribution we find that even small amounts of PFI increase the electron work function of the hole transport layer. We also find that annealing at 150 °C and above reduces the work function compared to samples heated at lower temperatures. Using near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and gas chromatography we show that this reduction in work function is due to S-P3MEET being doped by PFI. Organic photovoltaic devices with S-P3MEET/PFI hole transport layers yield higher power conversion efficiency than devices with pure S-P3MEET or PEDOT:PSS hole transport layers. Additionally, devices with a doped interface layer of S-P3MEET/PFI show superior performance to those with un-doped S-P3MEET.


The I domains of the leukocyte β2 integrins have been shown to be essential for ligand recognition. Amino acid substitutions of Asp140 and Ser142, which reside in a conserved cluster of oxygenated residues, abrogate divalent cation ligand binding function of αMβ2. Presently, we evaluated the role of two I domain regions in αMβ2 ligand recognition: 1) the conserved cluster of oxygenated residues (Asp134, Asp140, Ser142, and Ser144) and 2) a 7-amino acid region (Phe246-Tyr252), conserved in αM and α but absent in αX of the β2 integrins. Recombinant αMβ2 was expressed on COS-7 cells, and function was assessed by iC3b recognition. Alanine substitution at position Asp140, Asp140/Ser142, Ser142, or Ser144 produced a complete loss in the capacity of αMβ2 to recognize iC3b and attenuated the binding of a divalent cation-dependent epitope recognized by monoclonal antibody 24. Moreover, alanine substitution at Asp248 or Tyr252 or deletion of Phe246-Tyr252 abolished iC3b ligand recognition as well as the binding of a blocking antibody. In contrast, these mutations did not affect the binding of the cation-dependent epitope. These data implicate a second region within the I domain important for αMβ2 ligand binding function and suggest that this region does not affect a divalent cation-dependent conformation of αMβ2.


A plasmid DNA cancer vaccine encoding the intracellular domain (ICD) of the HER-2/neu proto-oncogene. Upon administration and after cellular uptake by skin or muscle cells, the pNGVL3-hICD vaccine plasmid expresses the HER-2/neu protein, which, after intracellular processing, may elicit both antigen-specific cytotoxic T -lymphocyte (CT L) and humoral immune responses against tumor cells expressing HER-2. T he HER-2/neu ICD protein is highly immunogenic and, as a subdominant epitope, may be associated with decreased immune tolerance. Qeios · Definition, February 7, 2020


An improved thermodynamic open Dual cycle is proposed to simulate the working of internal combustion engines. It covers both spark ignition and Diesel types through a sequential heat release. This study proposes a procedure that includes (i) the composition change caused by internal combustion, (ii) the temperature excursions, (iii) the combustion efficiency, (iv) heat and pressure losses, and (v) the intake valve timing, following well-established methodologies. The result leads to simple analytical expressions, valid for portable models, optimization studies, engine transformations, and teaching. The proposed simplified model also provides the working gas properties and the amount of trapped mass in the cylinder resulting from the exhaust and intake processes. This allows us to yield explicit equations for cycle work and efficiency, as well as exhaust temperature for turbocharging. The model covers Atkinson and Miller cycles as particular cases and can include irreversibilities in compression, expansion, intake, and exhaust. Results are consistent with the real influence of the fuel-air ratio, overcoming limitations of standard air cycles without the complex calculation of fuel-air cycles. It includes Exhaust Gas Recirculation, EGR, external irreversibilities, and contemporary high-efficiency and low-polluting technologies. Correlations for heat ratio γ are given, including renewable fuels.


The interference alignment (IA) is a promising technique to effectively mitigate interferences in wireless communication systems. To show the potential benefits of such an IA scheme, this letter focuses on a two-cell multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) Gaussian interfering broadcast channels (MIMO-IFBC) with M transmit antennas and N receive antennas. It corresponds to a downlink scenario for cellular networks with two base stations (BSs) with M transmit antennas per BS, and two users with N receive antennas per user, on the cell-boundary of each BS. In this scenario, we propose a novel IA technique jointly designing transmit and receive beamforming vectors in a closed-form expression without iterative computation. It is also analytically shown that the proposed IA algorithm achieves the optimal degrees of freedom (DoF) of 2N in the case of [¾N] ≤ M <; 2N. The simulations demonstrate that not only the analytical results are valid, but the sum-rate of our proposed scheme also outperforms those of conventional techniques, especially in the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime.


Our experiments show that for two or more pieces of a wire, of different lengths in general, combined in parallel and connected to a dc source, the current ratio evolves towards unity as the combination is cooled to the superconducting transition temperature Tc, and remains pinned at that value below it. This redistribution of the total current towards equipartition without external fine-tuning is a surprise. It can be physically understood in terms of a mechanism that involves the flux-flow resistance associated with the transport current in a wire of type-II superconducting material. It is a fact that the flux-flow resistance increases with the current that drives the current division towards equipartition.


Electrostatic precipitators are high efficiency gas
cleaning devices widely used in industry for removing
particulates from process gases. A major factor affecting
their performance is particle migration, which is governed
by the complex interaction of electrical and hydrodynamic
phenomena. A fuller understanding of these fundamental
mechanisms is therefore essential to the development of
realistic mathematical models.
The work described in this thesis concentrates on the fluid-particle interactions in a wire-plate-system. A pilot-scale rig was built using actual components from an
industrial precipitator, allowing realistic conditions to be
simulated in the laboratory.
Hot-wire anemometry and laser-Doppler photon
correlation techniques were employed to study the time-averaged velocity field. Several designs of wall strengthener were considered, and in each case the effect on the surrounding flow field was investigated using helium bubble visualisation. The turbulent nature of the fluid was
characterised by local dispersion coefficient values and fluctuating velocity components.
Alumina test dust in the size range 1-10 pm was used in the precipitator under a variety of operating conditions, and a technique was established for extracting representative dust samples. The samples allowed simultaneous measurement of concentration and size
distribution, from which concentration profile development and collection efficiency information was obtained. Two alternative numerical models of the precipitator were developed, both incorporating the results from the fluid flow field experimentation. The first approach was
based on the finite difference solution of the convective-diffusion equation, using appropriate boundary conditions. In the second approach, the transport of dust down the precipitator duct was simulated by the step-wise progression
of a series of vertical line-sources, whose motion was governed by electrical migration and lateral diffusive spread. The validity of the models was tested by comparison of the predicted concentration profiles with corresponding
experimental results.


The effect of one year recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment on growth rate and bone age was studied in ten short prepubertal children with beta-thalassemia major (age range 7.10-12.03 yr) with normal GH response to provocative stimuli. rhGH was given subcutaneously every day in a dose of 28 IU/m2/week. In the 10 children who completed 12 months of treatment the growth velocity increased from 4.22+/-0.81 cm/yr (-1.38+/-0.80 SDS for CA) to 7.61+/-1.16 cm/yr (+2.27+/-1.64 SDS for CA). IGF-I was low before treatment, 138.3 +/-38.9 ng/ml, and rose significantly to 232.2+/-122.1, 243.2+/-98.4 and 227.5+/-86.2 at 3, 6 and 12 months post-treatment, respectively (p<0.01). Bone maturation was accelerated in proportion to the increase in chronological age. The mean pre-treatment bone age in the ten children was 8.20+/-1.97 and increased to 9.55+/-1.80 yr after one year of treatment. Our data demonstrate that GH treatment of thalassemic children with normal GH reserve and low serum IGF-I concentrations with supraphysiological doses of rhGH for one year can cause a significant increase in serum IGF-I levels and growth velocity, but it remains to be elucidated whether long-term administration will affect the final height.


Abstract The melanopsin positive, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) of the inner retina have been shown to send wide-ranging projections throughout the brain. To investigate the response of this important cell type during retinal dystrophy, we use the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) dystrophic rat, a major model of retinal degeneration. We find that ipRGCs exhibit a distinctive molecular profile that remains unaltered during early stages of outer retinal pathology (15 weeks of age). In particular, these cells express βIII tubulin, α-acetylated tubulin, and microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs), while remaining negative for other RGC markers such as neurofilaments, calretinin, and parvalbumin. By 14 months of age, melanopsin positive fibers invade ectopic locations in the dystrophic retina and ipRGC axons/dendrites become distorted (a process that may involve vascular remodeling). The morphological abnormalities in melanopsin processes are associated with elevated immunoreactivity for MAP1b and a reduction in α-acetylated tubulin. Quantification of ipRGCs in whole mounts reveals reduced melanopsin cell number with increasing age. Focusing on the retinal periphery, we find a significant decline in melanopsin cell density contrasted by a stability of melanopsin positive processes. In addition to these findings, we describe for the first time, a distinct plexus of melanopsin processes in the far peripheral retina, a structure that is coincident with a short wavelength opsin cone-enriched rim. We conclude that some ipRGCs are lost in RCS dystrophic rats as the disease progresses and that this loss may involve vascular remodeling. However, a significant number of melanopsin positive cells survive into advanced stages of retinal degeneration and show indications of remodeling in response to pathology. Our findings underline the importance of early intervention in human retinal disease in order to preserve integrity of the inner retinal photoreceptive network.


In terms of effectiveness and efficiency, it is important to determine the views of prospective teachers related to taking advantage of the facilities of contemporary educational technology. This study which aims to identify prospective teachers' attitudes towards computer-assisted learning was conducted with 140 prospective teachers (86 female, 54 male) who have been attending pedagogical formation education at Suleyman Demirel University in the 2013 academic year. In this study, in eight different fields of prospective teachers' attitudes towards computer assisted education were examined with different variables such as gender, major and graduation year. As a data collection tool, the "Computer Assisted Education Attitude Scale" was used in order to determine the tendencies of prospective teachers towards the use of computer-assisted learning in different fields such as physical sciences, social sciences, health sciences, fine arts, theology, mathematics and Turkish language. In the statistical analysis, frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, nonparametric statistical technics were used. As a result of the analysis it was identified that teachers participating our study exhibited substandard attitudes towards computer-assisted education. In computer-assisted education, female prospective teachers had higher attitude level than men prospective teachers. In addition, attitude scores of participants of mathematics, health sciences, fine arts and science was higher than the participants of the Turkish language, foreign languages, social sciences and theology departments. There were statistically significant difference between attitude scores of participants of different disciplines. Results of the research findings are expected to contribute to the widespread use of instructional technology, and are expected to lead to applications in other fields.Keywords: Teaching Profession, Education, Technology, Computer-Assisted Education, Attitude


1. Two possible modes of action of the electric receptors of Gymnarchus niloticus are described. In one, received pulses are 'smoothed' and a sensory discharge occurs dependent only on the smoothed level ('pulse-frequency-modulation'). According to the other mechanism, sensory nerve impulses are produced at the same frequency as the received pulses, but after a delay dependent on their amplitude ('pulse-phase-modulation'). 2. An experiment has been devised to distinguish between the two mechanisms, and, if the pulse-frequency-modulation mechanism is the operative one, to measure the smoothing time-constant. 3. The results favour the pulse-frequency-modulation mechanism, and indicate a smoothing time-constant of 25 msec. It appears also that adaptation takes place in the electric receptors. 4. The origin of the smoothing action is discussed. 5. The sensitivity of electric receptors is compared with that of other sense organs.


The article presents a new approach to understanding and evaluating effectiveness of the public service, with it being considered as a reflexive system which can adequately respond to external and internal signals and change its conduct accordingly. As for effectiveness, it is the system's ability to carry out its predestination. The conclusion is that the system can't work effectively without sufficient reflexivity (it is very low in Russia), so it is necessary to increase reflexivity of the public service. This can be done by taking such measures that will cause the apparatus resistance which in its turn will stimulate internal reflection, or by cultivating self-reflection practices. Public service makes technological (not political) decisions and unlike political powers cannot make rules which they will have to comply with in their activity. This means that the only available expression of reflection on it is due to the reflective affect of a system selection of certain practices. Consequently, stimulating the system to select the most effective practices for it means the growth of its reflexivity, which in its turn will start the mechanisms of effectiveness working from inside. Along with that the incentives should be such that authorities could implement them by themselves without the active involvement of political leadership. It also means that the authorities should be aware of the current political course for increasing effectiveness of the public service.


In this letter we propose a complementary approach to extend the cutoff in high-order harmonic generation (HHG) spectra beyond the well established limits. Inspired by techniques normally used in the compression of ultrashort pulses and supercontinuum generation, we show this extension can be achieved by means of a nonlinear phenomenon known as self-phase-modulation (SPM). We demonstrated that relatively long optical pulses, around 100 fs full-width half maximum (FWHM), non linearly chirped by SPM, are able to produce a considerable extension in the HHG cutoff. We have also shown it is possible control this extension by setting the length of the nonlinear medium. Our study was supported by the numerical integration of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation joint with a complete classical analysis of the electron dynamic. Our approach can be considered as an alternative to the utilization of optical parametric amplification (OPA) and it can be easily implemented in usual facilities with femtosecond laser systems. This technique also preserves the harmonic yield in the zone of the plateau delimited by Ip  +  3.17Up law, even when the driven pulses contain larger wavelength components.


This paper presents an experimental performance evaluation of different control strategies for providing virtual inertia from power electronic converters. The evaluation is based on a laboratory-scale prototype of a point-to-point HVDC transmission system with Modular Multilevel Converters (MMCs). Operation with a grid emulator connected to a realtime simulator reproduces the behavior of a power system and allows Power-Hardware-in-the-Loop (P-HiL) experiments. Control of the inverter terminal for providing virtual inertia to the simulated power system is evaluated with four different control system implementations. The four cases include a conventional control system enhanced with df/dt-based inertia emulation functionality and three different Virtual Synchronous Machine (VSM) implementations based on emulation of a synchronous machine swing equation. The dynamic response in the power flow and the frequency transients are evaluated for all cases, and the inertial energy exchanged with the isolated power system is assessed in comparison to a conventional power controller without inertia emulation. The results demonstrate that all the evaluated implementations can provide similar inertial response when operated in a small isolated grid, while clear differences in dynamic response and stability properties are revealed during operation under strong grid conditions.


A hybrid stress determination around circular and elliptical holes utilizing photoelastic phase-shifting and nonlinear least-squares methods is presented. The method was demonstrated by calculating fringe orders of distant points along straight lines using 8-step phase-shifting method. The data was used to evaluate the coefficients in the complex stress functions for hybrid analysis. Tangential stresses around the boundary of the holes were obtained using conformal mapping technique. Different number of terms in a power-series representation of the complex type stress function was tested to qualitatively observe the effects of varying stress field. Actual fringes were related with the reconstructed and sharpened fringes along with the change in the number of terms, m. Good agreement was obtained when m in stress functions was equal to nine. At high stress concentration, the result obtained from the hybrid method agrees with FEM by two and five percent for circular and elliptical hole, respectively. The results show that the established numericalexperimental method for stress analysis is considerably reliable.


It has been suggested that for success with immediate loaded dental implants it is necessary that, prior to their placement, bone quality and quantity as well as the biomechanical environment in which the implants are to function be evaluated.However, conventional techniques currently used for immediate implant placement lack sufficient precision and are usually accomplished by opening flap procedures. Nowadays computer-guided flapless surgery for implant placement using stereolithographic templates is gaining popularity among clinicians and patients. The advantages of this surgical protocol are its minimally invasive nature, accuracy of implant placement, predictability, less post-surgical disconfort and reduced time required for definitive rehabilitation. The introduction of digital planning programs has made it possible to place dental implants in preplanned positions and being immediately functionally loaded by using prefabricated prostheses. The surgical guide is used, infact, to develop a master model and fabricate the provisional bridge that will be secured to the implants immediately after their placement using the guided surgery template. In this way patients are able to achieve, in the same day of the surgery, a comfortable fixed rehabilitation needing only minor occlusal adjustments. Job S. et al during the three-month period, have demonstrated that the average reduction of crestal bone height around the implants placed with flapless surgery (0.06 mm) is not statistically significant, while the average reduction of crestal bone height around the implants placed using flap surgery (0.4 mm) is statistically significant, concluding that the use of stereolithographic appliances in accordance with flapless surgery makes immediate placement of the implants more predictable. However, the documentation of this technique in partial rehabilitations is limited. PURPOSE of this paper is to report the benefit of sophisticated pre-operative diagnostic implant planning and a flapless surgical approach with immediate loading in the rehabilitation of partial edentulies.


Sanin-Restrepo's theory of encryption is taken here as an instance of a practice of critique by allegory; thus the productivity of the theory can be developed and demonstrated by working through the allegorical meanings of encryption, one interpretation of which can choose to focus on the crypt. This allegorical meaning is distinct from symbolic meaning, using Benjamin's distinction. We focus on the body and the structure, working through the instances of the visibility of the site and the presence or absence of the body. The question of visibility is significant since encryption deals with the hidden: is a crypt, then, a hiding place? We find four combinations: the concealed presence of a body, in a crypt; the publicised presence of a body, in a mausoleum; the publicised absence of a body, in a cenotaph; the concealed absence of a body, in a sepulchre. This four-way combination allows consideration of Agamben, Deleuze, Negri, and a critical Hegelianism that revisits Feuerbach, Stirner and Marx on alienation, mapping the four metaphors in turn onto these four theoretical positions. This study of the theoretical implications of studying different modes of commemorating the corpse thus exemplifies the re-thinking possible by way of critique by allegory.


Sentence function is a significant factor to achieve the purpose of the speaker, which, however, has not been touched in large-scale conversation generation so far. In this paper, we present a model to generate informative responses with controlled sentence function. Our model utilizes a continuous latent variable to capture various word patterns that realize the expected sentence function, and introduces a type controller to deal with the compatibility of controlling sentence function and generating informative content. Conditioned on the latent variable, the type controller determines the type (i.e., function-related, topic, and ordinary word) of a word to be generated at each decoding position. Experiments show that our model outperforms state-of-the-art baselines, and it has the ability to generate responses with both controlled sentence function and informative content.


Agriculture and its development is the foundation of development in Iran as a developing country. So, it can be regarded as the foundation for economical and social development. The capabilities of agriculture sector are limited and its efficiency is trivial because of neglecting agricultural development and keeping its support just as a slogan. The trans- formation of agriculture to a developed, dynamic, efficient environment depends not only on appropriate climate and natural resources but also on human resource development in the relevant sector. The main purpose of the present research was to study and recognize agricultural development indicators from agriculture experts' viewpoints (including researchers, trainers and extension experts) in six provinces in Iran on the basis of Adjacent Provinces Plan. The study was designed with three phases of theoretical foundations, field operations and data analysis. The statistical population was 863 experts, out of which 198 experts were selected by stratified sampling. The validity and reliability of measurement tool (questionnaire) was analyzed by SPSS software package. The study was a correlation-descriptive study in which factor analysis statistics was used in addition to descriptive statistics. Experts grouped indicators of future agricultural development in nine groups (access to inputs, application of technologies for the development of human resource and sustainability; reduction of losses; economical development; improvement of infrastructures; agricultural mechanization; social status; improvement of marketing; land reform; yield increase). Results about the difference in respondents' viewpoints revealed significant differences in experts' viewpoints in six studied province about relevant variables and in their viewpoints about the components of agricultural development (infrastructure improvement, marketing, optimum management and sustainability, human resource development and economical development).


The TLP technology has gained credibility with the offshore industry and the associated engineering community. The TLP concept covers a number of areas where there is a great need for research. The developments associated with the TLP technology are briefly reviewed in Chapter 1. For numerical demonstrations, a TLP model is selected which was originally chosen by the Derived Loads Committee 1.2 of the 1985 LSSC. The principal particulars of the ISSC TLP are discussed in detail. Some important design parameters that influence significantly the configuration of TLPs are outlined in Chapter 1. A complete global analysis of a TLP includes many analytical and empirical methods where some of them are fairly standard but some other may not be well defined. The problem areas involved in the analysis and the future trends in design are also discussed. Chapter 2 examines different components of the environmental loading. Second order effects are included. Drift forces are estimated from simplified analytical solutions. The calculation of external forces described in Chapter 2 are used in the next chapters. Some closed-form expressions are derived that are particularly important for transforming complicated external forces into equivalent nodal loads. A step-by-step procedure combining transformation matrices and results from standard load cases is proposed which deals with complex member loads on a 3-D beam, arbitrarily oriented in space. Chapter 3 describes the development of a rigid body motion analysis program, RBRA. The dynamic equation of motion which takes account of all six rigid body degrees of freedom and the associated coefficient matrices are discussed. A solution technique is proposed which is found quite effective to estimate the linearised rigid body responses. The results from RBRA are compared with the published results from 17 organisations who have used boundary element formulations and diffraction-radiation analysis for their calculations. Chapter 4 discusses the development of a computer program, DCATLP which can bring hydrodynamic and structural aspects together in the dynamic coupled analysis of a TLP. The TLP is modelled as a 3-D frame structure with internal hinges to account for the hull-tether connections. However, main particulars of a TLP are not enough for any structural analysis. For numerical demonstration, the ISSC TLP components are designed realistically with stiffeners to estimate their scantlings. In DCATLP, the global mass and stiffness matrices are stored in skyline arrays. The dynamic equilibrium equations are solved in the time domain. The non-linear time integration algorithm belongs to the Newmark-beta family but it is a modification and combination of a number of existing algorithms. DCATLP can calculate internal member forces in each beam element under the action of environmental loading. The structural displacements, velocities and accelerations at each and every FE node are calculated. The static, quasi-static and dynamic components of the environmental forces are applied simultaneously in DCATLP to include the inertia effects. A different type of model for the ISSC TLP is developed in LUSAS where tethers are replaced by linear springs at each corner. Responses of two different ISSC TLP models (one for DCATLP and the other for LUSAS) under sinusoidal loads are compared. The structural and hydrodynamic responses of the ISSC TLP in a peak storm event are also presented. Chapter 5 presents a step-by-step calculation procedure to find failure probabilities of TLP column structures after assigning appropriate coefficients of variation to the strength and load variables. The calculation of longitudinal and hoop stresses from maximum axial compression, torsion, shear forces, bending moments and hydrodynamic pressure is also shown. The uncertainty modelling is mainly based on the previous work carried out in the author's Department. The failure surfaces for TLP columns are formulated according to API Bulletin 2U and the Model Code of TLP RCC. The chapter also describes some improvements achieved in developing a program BCCNNV, based on the AFOSM method. The program is sufficiently accurate for non-normal correlated variables and it is validated by considering a few classic cases. The main objective in Chapter 6 is to carry out a detailed FE analysis of a part of a TLP structure with the help of the results obtained from a 3-D beam element based global analysis. One ring only stiffened and three orthogonally stiffened cylinders, similar to TLP columns are modelled in LUSAS to compare the numerical predictions with the experimental results available from other researchers' work. To get an initial "feel' for the structure, the buckling loads of the FE models are estimated by eigenvalue buckling analyses. The author also attempts to capture the post-buckling phase of the FE models through rigorous non-linear FE analyses. Chapter 7 contains the final discussion and conclusions and ends with some recommendations for future research work.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the proportion of deaths, characteristics of children and risk factors for mortality w ithin 24 hours of admission to a Paediatric hospital in Harare.

STUDY DESIGN
Prospective cohort study.

SETTINGS
Paediatric Unit, Harare Central Hospital.

SUBJECTS
All patients admitted to the medical wards who consented to participate were enrolled. Preadmission factors including duration of illness and health seeking behaviour prior to presentation, delays in A&E department assessed by lag time to assessment, administration of initial medications and admission to the ward were documented. The presenting clinical signs and admission diagnoses were also recorded

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Death within 24 hours of admission.

RESULTS
Of the 737 paediatric admissions during the study period, 54 children died within 24 hours giving a case fatality rate of 7.3%. These constituted 34.6% of total deaths in the study population (54/155). The median age of the children in this study was 16 months (Q1 = 4, Q3 = 36) and 53.2% were male. Having subcostal recessions on admission was significantly associated with mortality (within 24 hours of admission) with a RR 29.9 (95% CI 1.56.74) while socio-demographic factors, duration of illness, fever, diagnosis on admission and delays in A & E department were not.

CONCLUSION
The contribution of deaths within 24 hours of admission to the overall mortality in children remains unacceptably high. Sub-costal recessions on admission (a proxy for severe pneumonia) had the highest risk of mortality within 24 hours of admission. There is need for early identification and aggressive management of children with pneumonia.


As economies grow traffic using the infrastructure increases leading to congestion, hampering
economy and environment. This research focuses on using social navigation to reduce these negative
effects. Social navigation is an addition to the current navigation systems which use realtime/
dynamic traffic information. Whereas 'dynamic navigation' optimizes the route for individual
user only, social navigation allows the user to take into account his or her contribution to delay of
other drivers and his or her emission. This information gives drivers the opportunity to help others
and can make the road system into a team sport instead of an individual sport, i.e. shifting from
Wardrop's user equilibrium towards the system optimum.
In this research a framework for social navigation is presented. This framework can be used
to incorporate a wide variety of effects of traffic. To test this framework a micro-simulation model
based on the formula's described by Gipps is developed. This model is used to test the effects on
travel time, fuel cost and CO2 emission at different levels of congestion, market penetration and
altruism.
The research concludes that social navigation significantly benefits the road system, with
travel time reduction of up to 2.5% for the average driver. The effects start at low market
penetration levels and little altruistic behavior. The effects increases with: (i) higher market
penetration, (ii) more congested road networks and (iii) more altruistic behavior of drivers. This
decrease in combination with the low cost and ease of implementation in the field might just tip the
balance and keep economy going.