Open skin wounds are colonized with bacteria, and optimal wound care is required to prevent progression to infection. Intact skin normally provides protection from external environmental assaults. Disruption of the skin or tissue creating an open skin wound can result in infection, dehydration, hypothermia, scarring, compromised immunity, and changes in body image. Biofilms and bacterial genomics are areas of intense scientific investigation in the face of the emerging threat of bacterial resistance. Optimal wound care to prevent progression from colonization to infection remains the foundation of good clinical practice. On the basis of wound conditions, cleansing, debridement, measures to increase oxygenation and perfusion, adequate nutrition, and appropriate use of topical agents and antibiotics, when indicated, are the keys to managing open skin wounds. This article provides a targeted review of normal skin flora, wound healing, prevention of skin infection, colonization versus infection, biofilms, genomics and infectious disease, and management of open skin wounds.


Purpose of review Orbital fractures are usually associated with ocular and intracranial injuries. The recent literature on orbital fractures is analyzed with emphasis on epidemiology, assessment, and surgical management. Recent findings In most countries, traffic accidents are the leading cause of orbital fractures. Orbitozygomatic fractures are extremely frequent but rarely addressed in the ophthalmic literature. CT scanning remains the gold standard for assessing orbital fractures, especially with the new CT technology (multislice CT), which has improved the acquisition of coronal images of the orbit without the need for hyperextension of the neck. Several different surgical strategies are used to repair orbital fractures. Porous polyethylene implants continue to be approved by most surgeons. Summary Orbital fractures are usually part of more complex midfacial trauma. Depending on the main characteristics of the trauma, orbital fractures are managed by different specialists who adopt distinct surgical approaches. Taking into consideration that most complications of these fractures are related to the globe, oculoplastic surgeons in collaboration with other medical specialists are in a prime position to assess and manage these cases.


ABSTRACT The techniques of forensic anthropology and pathology can provide new information to increase student interest in studying the structural details of the human skeleton. We present a simplified methodology for assessing skeletal ethnicity, sex, age, and stature. An inexpensive method has been devised for constructing an Osteometric board to allow students to measure long bones accurately. The effects of aging and the influence of lifestyle alterations on skeletal elements are presented along with the prediction of their effects on the living individual, This laboratory is intended to acquaint students with the process of collecting and analyzing data, interpreting scientific results, and assessing the accuracy of their conclusions. Gathering and analyzing their own data sets gives students a better understanding of the scientific method and an increased ability to translate this understanding to other scientific disciplines.


We fabricated and characterized a micromotor driven by a piezoelectric PZT (PbZrxTi1-xO3) thin films. Sputter and sol-gel techniques have been applied for the deposition of the PZT films onto a silicon stator membrane, which was 20 to 30 µm thick and had a diameter of 4 mm. The amplitudes of the membrane deflections are as large as 800 nm/V at the first resonance (26 kHz), and 60 nm/V at 1 Hz. The operation of the motor was obtained at 1 to 3 Vrms, with speeds of up to 200 rpm at 1.1 Vrms and torques of 35 nNm at 2.5 Vrms and 1mN force between rotor and stator. A long time test of 150 h showed no degradation of the motor performance.


BACKGROUND
The V617F mutation, which causes the substitution of phenylalanine for valine at position 617 of the Janus kinase (JAK) 2 gene (JAK2), is often present in patients with polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, and idiopathic myelofibrosis. However, the molecular basis of these myeloproliferative disorders in patients without the V617F mutation is unclear.

METHODS
We searched for new mutations in members of the JAK and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) gene families in patients with V617F-negative polycythemia vera or idiopathic erythrocytosis. The mutations were characterized biochemically and in a murine model of bone marrow transplantation.

RESULTS
We identified four somatic gain-of-function mutations affecting JAK2 exon 12 in 10 V617F-negative patients. Those with a JAK2 exon 12 mutation presented with an isolated erythrocytosis and distinctive bone marrow morphology, and several also had reduced serum erythropoietin levels. Erythroid colonies could be grown from their blood samples in the absence of exogenous erythropoietin. All such erythroid colonies were heterozygous for the mutation, whereas colonies homozygous for the mutation occur in most patients with V617F-positive polycythemia vera. BaF3 cells expressing the murine erythropoietin receptor and also carrying exon 12 mutations could proliferate without added interleukin-3. They also exhibited increased phosphorylation of JAK2 and extracellular regulated kinase 1 and 2, as compared with cells transduced by wild-type JAK2 or V617F JAK2. Three of the exon 12 mutations included a substitution of leucine for lysine at position 539 of JAK2. This mutation resulted in a myeloproliferative phenotype, including erythrocytosis, in a murine model of retroviral bone marrow transplantation.

CONCLUSIONS
JAK2 exon 12 mutations define a distinctive myeloproliferative syndrome that affects patients who currently receive a diagnosis of polycythemia vera or idiopathic erythrocytosis.


Background and study aims: The purpose of this study was to describe the real-life conditions of use, efficacy, safety, and acceptability of sodium phosphate (NaP) tablets for colon cleansing in routine medical practice in France. Patients and methods: A total of 996 patients undergoing bowel preparation were enrolled by 108 gastroenterologists in this observational, longitudinal, prospective, multicenter study. The conditions of use of NaP tablets were assessed with a composite endpoint, which included six criteria for patient compliance with the recommended administration scheme and a criterion for the absence of contraindications to NaP use. Results: Adequate use of NaP was reported for 75.1 % of the patients. The main reasons for misuse were a smaller fluid intake than expected with a dose of 4 tablets and noncompliance with age-related contraindications. The quality of cleansing was satisfactory: the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) total score was 7 or higher in 75.4 % of the patients. Gastroscopy associated with colonoscopy in 38.9 % of the patients revealed gastric lesions, which were considered as possibly related to the use of NaP tablets in 10.3 % of them. Vomiting occurred in 9.8 % of the patients, and 0.6 % discontinued bowel preparation after an adverse event. No electrolyte disorders or renal impairment was reported, even if not systematically sought. The acceptability of the NaP tablets was high, particularly among patients who previously had undergone other methods of bowel preparation. Conclusions: Despite being defined according to strict criteria, adequate use of NaP tablets was observed in a high percentage of patients. The quality of colon cleansing and the safety and acceptability of NaP tablets were satisfactory and consistent with data from randomized clinical studies.


Eating disorders are characterized by the deterioration of eating behavior in various ways due to biological, psychological, familial, and socio-cultural factors. The prevalence of eating disorders is reported around 1% for anorexia nervosa (AN), 2-4% for bulimia nervosa (BN), and 3-4% for binge eating disorder (BED) in Western societies. The increasing of frequency in eating disorders is thought to be associated with cultural changes, increasing assimilation of Western culture and industrialization, weakening of family relations, and diminishing of social support. This increase in prevalence appeals more academic interest to this topic. BN is a life-threatening disorder that is characterized by recurrent binge eating episodes followed by self-induced vomiting or other compensatory methods (e.g., abuse of laxatives, diuretics, or excessive exercise) to prevent weight gain. The disorder is more common in women and average age of onset of BN in women is reported to be earlier than men (15-18 years). In this case report, we discuss a 46-year-old woman with the recurrent binge eating episodes followed by self- induced vomiting for 27 years, in the framework of her background and medical history, and dynamic theories of psychiatry.


Abstract. Continuous observations of fluctuations of the geomagnetic field at Sodankyla Geophysical Observatory (L = 5.2) were used for a comprehensive morphological study of the spectral resonance structure (SRS) seen in the background electromagnetic noise in the frequency range of 0.1–4.0 Hz. It is shown that the occurrence rate of SRS is higher in the nighttime than in the daytime. The occurrence rate is higher in winter than in summer. The SRS frequencies and the difference between neighbouring eigenfrequencies (the frequency scale) increase towards nighttime and decrease towards daytime. Both frequency scale and occurrence rate exhibit a clear tendency to decrease from minimum to maximum of the solar activity cycle. It is found that the occurrence rate of SRS decreases when geomagnetic activity increases. The SRS is believed to be a consequence of a resonator for Alfven waves, which is suggested to exist in the upper ionosphere. According to the theory of the ionospheric Alfven resonator (IAR), characteristics of SRS crucially depend on electron density in the F-layer maximum, as well as on the altitudinal scale of the density decay above the maximum.We compared the SRS morphological properties with predictions of the IAR theory. The ionospheric parameters needed for calculation were obtained from the ionosphere model (IRI-95), as well as from measurements made with the ionosonde in Sodankyla. We conclude that, indeed, the main morphological properties of SRS are explained on the basis of the IAR theory. The measured parameters of SRS can be used for improving the ionospheric models. Key words. Ionosphere (auroral ionosphere; wave propagation) – Radio Science (electromagnetic noise and interference)


Violence against women is a major public health concern. This paper describes an educational strategy to increase nursing students' understanding of the experience of violence and to foster recognition and intervention with victims of violence. Students in an elective course were asked to critically reflect on the personal stories of victims/survivors of violence. The assignment provided four learning opportunities that include examination of societal myths on sexual victimization, understanding the lived experience of the victim, exploration of personal beliefs and values, and the relationship of the individual's experience to theoretical content of the course. Students gave permission for the use of quotes from papers to illustrate the learning opportunities.


Charge separation at the dye/titania interface in dye sensitized solar cells is strongly influenced by the thickness and homogeneity of the sensitizing dye layer, as this controls the potential drop across the interface, and the probability of an excited electron being transferred from the dye to the titania. In this study we use atomic force microscopy and the depth profiling method neutral impact collision ion scattering spectroscopy (NICISS) to investigate the thickness and homogeneity of N719 dye adsorbed to titania before and after rinsing with pure acetonitrile. Both experimental methods show that the dye layers are closed but inhomogeneous. Inhomogeneity is more pronounced for unrinsed samples.


BACKGROUND
Aggressive glycemic control has been hypothesized to prevent renal disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A systematic review was conducted to summarize the benefits of intensive vs conventional glucose control on kidney-related outcomes for adults with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS
Three databases were systematically searched (January 1, 1950, to December 31, 2010) with no language restrictions to identify randomized trials that compared surrogate renal end points (microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria) and clinical renal end points (doubling of the serum creatinine level, end-stage renal disease [ESRD], and death from renal disease) in patients with type 2 diabetes receiving intensive glucose control vs those receiving conventional glucose control.

RESULTS
We evaluated 7 trials involving 28 065 adults who were monitored for 2 to 15 years. Compared with conventional control, intensive glucose control reduced the risk for microalbuminuria (risk ratio, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.76-0.96]) and macroalbuminuria (0.74 [0.65-0.85]), but not doubling of the serum creatinine level (1.06 [0.92-1.22]), ESRD (0.69 [0.46-1.05]), or death from renal disease (0.99 [0.55-1.79]). Meta-regression revealed that larger differences in hemoglobin A1c between intensive and conventional therapy at the study level were associated with greater benefit for both microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria. The pooled cumulative incidence of doubling of the serum creatinine level, ESRD, and death from renal disease was low (<4%, <1.5%, and <0.5%, respectively) compared with the surrogate renal end points of microalbuminuria (23%) and macroalbuminuria (5%).

CONCLUSIONS
Intensive glucose control reduces the risk for microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria, but evidence is lacking that intensive glycemic control reduces the risk for significant clinical renal outcomes, such as doubling of the serum creatinine level, ESRD, or death from renal disease during the years of follow-up of the trials.


There are 180 1.6 Gbps optical links from 60 Muon Port Cards (MPC) to the Cathode Strip Chamber Track Finder (CSCTF) in the original system. Before the upgrade each MPC was able to provide up to three trigger primitives from a cluster of nine CSC chambers to the Level 1 CSCTF. With an LHC luminosity increase to 1035 cm−2s−1 at full energy of 7 TeV/beam, the simulation studies suggest that we can expect two or three times more trigger primitives per bunch crossing from the front-end electronics. To comply with this requirement, the MPC, CSCTF, and optical cables need to be upgraded. The upgraded MPC allows transmission of up to 18 trigger primitives from the peripheral crate. This feature would allow searches for physics signatures of muon jets that require more trigger primitives per trigger sector. At the same time, it is very desirable to preserve all the old optical links for compatibility with the older Track Finder during transition period at the beginning of Run 2. Installation of the upgraded MPC boards and the new optical cables has been completed at the CMS detector in the summer of 2014. We describe the final design of the new MPC mezzanine FPGA, its firmware, and results of tests in laboratory and in situ with the old and new CSCTF boards.


Methods: This prospective observational study enrolled 110 consecutive multiparous women with singleton gestations scheduled for labor induction at term. Transvaginal ultrasound for measurement of cervical length was performed and the Bishop score was assessed by digital examination. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Results: Labor induction failed in 15 women (14%). In terms of previous obstetric history, women with only previous mid-trimester loss or preterm delivery had a significantly higher risk of failed labor induction than those with at least one previous term delivery. Logistic regression demonstrated that both previous obstetric history and the Bishop score were found to be significant and independent contributing factors for failed labor induction. Further examination of the different components of the Bishop score showed that only previous obstetric history provided a significant contribution to the prediction of failed labor induction. To predict the failure of labor induction, the best cut-off value of Bishop score was 3, with a sensitivity of 73% and a specificity of 44%. Conclusions: The previous obstetric history and the Bishop score independently predicted the failure of labor induction in multiparous women. However, sonographic measurement of cervical length appeared to have poor predictive value for the risk of failed induction.


Typical reconfigurable machines exhibit shortcomings that make them less than ideal for general-purpose computing. The Garp Architecture combines reconfigurable hardware with a standard MIPS processor on the same die to retain the better features of both. Novel aspects of the architecture are presented, as well as a prototype software environment and preliminary performance results. Compared to an UltraSPARC, a Garp of similar technology could achieve speedups ranging from a factor of 2 to as high as a factor of 24 for some useful applications.


Open Education is on the agenda of half of the surveyed Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom. For the other half of HEIs, Open Education does not seem to be an issue, at least at the time of the data collection of the survey (spring 2015). This report presents results of a representative a survey of Higher Education institutions in five European countries (France, Germany, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom) to enquire about their Open Education (OE) practices, beliefs and strategies (e.g MOOCs). It aims to provide evidence for the further development of OE to support the supports the Opening Up Communication (European Commission, 2013) and the renewed priority on Open Education, enabled by digital technologies, of ET2020


To clearly delimit the members of the Bacillus subtilis group (BSG), is difficult using common phenotypic and genotypic methods. This study described the use of pheS and tuf gene as targets for interspecies discrimination within the BSG, and also to develop specific PCR and SNP primers for species and subspecies identification and differentiation. The average sequence similarity values of the pheS and tuf gene among type strains were 85.1 and 94.7%, respectively, and all members of the BSG could be clearly distinguished based on phylogenetic analyses of pheS gene sequence. In addition, the specific primers were designed according to pheS and tuf gene sequence. The primers were shown to specifically identify B. subtilis subsp. subtilis, B. amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus licheniformis, and clearly differentiate the subspecies of B. amyloliquefaciens using specific-PCR, combined with two-plex minisequencing method. In conclusion, we have successfully established a comparative sequence analysis and rapid molecular diagnosis techniques for determination of interspecies within the BSG.

 Key words: Bacillus subtilis group (BSG), species and subspecies discrimination, comparative sequence analysis, specific Pcr, two-plex minisequencing.


The phonon transport property of pillared silicon film is systematically investigated by molecular dynamics simulation and lattice dynamics calculation. It is found that the thermal conductivity can be reduced to as low as 28.6% of the conductivity of plain ones. Although the reduced thermal conductivity can be explained qualitatively by increased surface roughness, our calculations show that the pillars modify the phonon dispersion relation and reduce the phonon group velocity due to the local resonance effects. Furthermore, by analyzing the participation ratio spectra, it is shown that the pillars reduce the mode participation ratio over the whole range of frequency. We found that the mode localization around the pillars is another important factor to reduce the thermal conductivity of pillared film. The present investigations indicate that the pillared film may have potential application in thermoelectric energy conversion.


Vocal fold paralysis is among the most severe complications in neck and chest surgery, being most commonly associated with thyroid and parathyroid procedures; nevertheless, it may also be an effect of cardiac or thoracic surgery. It should be remembered that the scale of the problem is much greater than it might be thought. The phenomenon most assuredly results from lack of true data to be provided by all the centers involved in surgical procedures performed in this region. The improvement of surgical techniques and the strife to limit injuries have become the symbol of progress in surgery, and quality of life after thyroid and parathyroid procedures—a sign of striving for the least number of complications. Side by side with development of new technologies there have emerged possibilities of monitoring the electrophysiological function of the nerves that help in identification of these life-important structures and allow for prognosticating their postoperative function. It should be emphasized that understanding anatomy, laws that govern neural conductivity and the ability to use new technologies have become the determinants of quality in thyroid and parathyroid surgery. The paper discusses the most important problems pertaining to injuries of the recurrent laryngeal nerves (RLNs), the mechanisms of injury infliction, intraoperative identification and prevention, as well as prognosticating the postoperative voice quality.


On May 11-12, 2011, SUERF, the Belgian Financial Forum, the Brussels Finance Institute and the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) jointly organised the 29th SUERF Colloquium New paradigms in money and finance? The papers included in this SUERF Study are based on contributions to the Colloquium. The 2008-11 financial crisis has demonstrated unsatisfactory performance in financial institutions and in financial regulation and supervision all over the world. The contributors to the present volume look with critical eyes on financial theories, supervisory structures, (mis)pricing of risk and distorted incentives, risk management models and procedures, conflicts of interest and bank strategies. Their perspectives are quite different, but they share the ambition of finding improved analytical, organizational or managerial approaches so that decisionmakers have a better chance of showing good performance in the future. In essence, they are looking for new paradigms in banking, financial markets and regulation.


Lipomas are common, usually slow-growing, benign tumours of mesenchymal origin that most commonly occur on the proximal limb and trunk of middle-aged to older dogs. They are rarely associated with either local invasion or malignancy, unlike infiltrative lipomas and liposarcomas, respectively. Three dogs, a 10-year-old mixed-breed female of 35 kg body weight, a 10-yearold mixed-breed male of 30 kg body weight, and an 11-year old female German shepherd of 38 kg body weight, were presented with a 3–6 month (median, 5 months) history of progressive left pelvic limb lameness and thigh swelling. A lesion affecting the soft tissue of the thigh and the left sciatic nerve was suspected in all dogs. A left thigh magnetic resonance (MR) revealed a homogenous, well circumscribed tumour in the mixed-breed dogs and two similar tumours in the German shepherd. The tumours were interposed between the semimembranosus and semitendinosus muscles. The treatment involved surgical extirpation of the tumours. A follow-up examination 12 months post operation showed mild lameness and proprioceptive deficits in the operated limb in all the dogs. The withdrawal reflex and the cranial tibial reflex were normal. Neither mass nor thickening were palpable in the thigh region. Although intermuscular lipoma is rare, it should be suspected in dogs with progressive monoparesis. Magnetic resonance is a valuable imaging method for diagnostic precision and pre-operative planning. Quick diagnosis and decompressive surgery are required to allow recovery. Canine, benign tumour, sciatic nerve


Estimation of the viability of ischemic tissue is important for appropriate revascularization. In the present study, microdialysis combined with HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography), a new, simple less invasive method, was used to estimate the viability of anterior tibial muscle of rat hind limb (n= 18). Purines, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) degradation products, were continuously measured by this method during the ischemic period. Purines were measured by analyzing the dialysate from a needle-type microdialysis probe inserted into the muscle. The purine concentration of the dialysate reflected that of the interstitial fluid of the muscle. Hypoxanthine and inosine in the muscle increased to 2.34 ± 1.16 and 1.79 ± 0.62 times the preischemic levels, respectively, after five hours of ischemia. Thereafter hypoxanthine continued to increase to 6.53 +2.28 times the preischemic level at ten hours of ischemia, but the inosine level decreased gradually. As a result of the depletion of inosine and the continuous increase of hypoxanthine, the inosine/hypoxanthine ratio decreased significantly after five hours of ischemia, and went down to one eighth of the preischemic level at nine hours of ischemia. A depletion of inosine means a depletion of ATP, the source of inosine in purine metabolism and an essential factor for maintaining cell function. These results showed a good correlation with the TTC (triphenyl tetrazolium chloride) assay, an established method. Microdialysis, a new, simple, and less invasive method, is useful for the estimation of ischemic damage and viability of ischemic skeletal muscle.


ABSTRACT Prior studies have shown that social media discussions can be helpful in predicting price movements in financial markets. With the increasingly large amount of social media data, how to effectively distinguish value-relevant information from noise remains an important question. We study this question by investigating the role of network cohesion in the relationship between social media sentiment and price changes in the Bitcoin market. As network cohesion is associated with information correlation within the discussion network, we hypothesize that less cohesive social media discussion networks are better at predicting the next-day returns than more cohesive networks. Both regression analyses and trading simulations based on data collected from Bitcointalk.org confirm our hypothesis. Our findings enrich the literature on the role of social media in financial markets and provide actionable insights for investors to trade based on social media signals.


This article investigates the ways new forms of addiction are encountered by professionals working in the area of alcohol and other drugs. Combining interviews with policymakers, service providers, and peer advocates in three countries (Australia, Canada, and Sweden), and Mike Michael's utilization of the notion of prehension for science communication, we track the notions of addiction, drugs, and subjectivity that emerge when alcohol and other drug professionals encounter what Fraser, Moore and Keane call the addicting of nonsubstance-related practices. The analysis has three parts: constituting addiction unity, questioning addiction unity, and conflicting logics of addicting processes. We argue that specific articulations of drugs and health and specific health professional and addiction subjects are made anew in these encounters. These notions of drugs, health, and subjectivity shape how alcohol and other drug professionals engage with substance-related addictions. In concluding, we consider the implications of new addictions for professional practice.


Abstract:This article examines Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves (2000), a gothic novel that augments its postmodernist credentials by preemptively imagining and representing the theoretical gaze that would otherwise have been directed on itself. The article suggests that despite the novel's intense performance of self-reflexivity, it demonstrates a traumatic suppression of its own immediate historical conditions, particularly its temporal proximity to the events of the First Gulf War. This article thus reads the text's telling silences and its thematization of uncanny spatial violations as indexing a minimally acknowledged guilt over the war in Iraq. The novel's slippages in self-awareness not only point to an avoidance of its own scotomized history but also foreground the shifting boundaries and dispersed locations of textual self-consciousness.


Adjuvant therapy in postmenopausal women with breast cancer may contribute to the expression of underlying cardiovascular disease or expose the heart to additional toxicities. Tamoxifen remains an important component of endocrine therapy for breast cancer, although major clinical trials of the aromatase inhibitors (AIs) anastrozole, letrozole, and exemestane suggest that these agents are more effective and better tolerated alternatives to tamoxifen. The AIs inhibit the conversion of androgens to estrogen in postmenopausal women; consequently, their mechanism of action differs from that of tamoxifen. Accordingly, although it has been observed that tamoxifen has some favorable effects on cardiovascular risk, such as reducing total cholesterol levels, because of its partial estrogen-agonist properties, no such effects exist for the AIs. Some studies, particularly those that compare the AIs with tamoxifen, have suggested a less favorable impact of adjuvant AI therapy on cardiovascular risk. Comorbid conditions, including cardiovascular disease, emerge as competing causes of death as women with breast cancer continue to live longer, and the potential impact of adjuvant therapies on cardiovascular risk becomes an increasingly important consideration for clinicians. Cancer 2009;115:1813–26. V C 2009 American Cancer Society.


PURPOSE
We hypothesized that bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), will potentiate the activity of pemetrexed, a multitargeted antifolate, in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients with previously untreated, recurrent, or metastatic SCCHN were treated with pemetrexed 500 mg/m(2) and bevacizumab 15 mg/kg given intravenously every 21 days with folic acid and B(12) supplementation until disease progression. Primary end point was time-to-progression (TTP). DNA was isolated from whole blood samples for the detection of polymorphisms in thymidylate synthase, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), and VEGF.

RESULTS
Forty patients were enrolled. The median TTP was 5 months, and the median overall survival (OS) was 11.3 months. In 37 evaluable patients, the overall response rate was 30%, including a complete response rate of 5%, and the disease control rate was 86%. Grade 3 to 5 bleeding events occurred in six patients (15%): four were grade 3, and two were fatal. Other serious toxicities in 10% or more of patients included neutropenia (10%) and infection (12.5%). One patient died of sepsis after receiving eight cycles of therapy. For the MTHFR A1298C (rs1801131) single nucleotide polymorphisms, homozygote patients with AA had worse OS (P = .034).

CONCLUSION
The addition of bevacizumab to pemetrexed resulted in promising efficacy outcomes in SCCHN. Bleeding events were frequent but some may have been due to natural history of disease. Polymorphisms in MTHFR may offer potential for treatment individualization.


Nowadays, there is interest in developing gamma-ray measuring devices based on the room temperature operated medium resolution detectors such as semiconductor detectors of the CdZnTe type and scintillators of the LaBr 3 type. This is true also for safeguards applications and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has launched a project devoted to the assessment of medium resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy for the verification of the isotopic composition of U and Pu bearing samples. This project is carried out within the Non-Destructive Assay Working Group of the European Safeguards Research and Development Association (ESARDA). In this study we analyze medium resolution spectra of U and Pu standards with the aim to develop an isotopic composition determination algorithm, particularly suited for these types of detectors. We show how the peak shape of a CdZnTe detector is influenced by the instrumentation parameters. The experimental setup consisted of a 500 mm 3 CdZnTe detector, a 2×2 inch LaBr 3 detector, two types of measurement instrumentation – an analogue one and a digital one, and a set of certified samples – a 207 Bi point source and U and Pu CBNM standards. The results of our measurements indicate that the lowest contribution to the peak asymmetry and thus the smallest impact on the resolution of the 500 mm3 CdZnTe detector was achieved with the digital MCA. Analysis of acquired spectra allowed to reject poor quality measurement runs and produce summed spectra files with the least impact of instrumentation instabilities. This work is preliminary to further studies concerning the development of an isotopic composition determination algorithm particularly suited for CZT and LaBr3 detectors for safeguards applications.


Tibet has vast area and has large population who has extensive demands for a mobile phone that can be used in Tibetan. The Development of Tibetan mobile phone has great meaning to the mobile communication of Tibetan areas. For this reason we developed RW858 and RW808 Tibetan mobile phone based on CDMA system. This thesis expatiate on implementation procedure of a Tibetan mobile phone based on CDMA system and related products. On the basis of analyzing the basic structure of Tibetan characters and the specific demands of mobile phones, we design the character index technique for the Tibetan encoding, keyboard layout and fonts for Tibetan characters, method of encoding and decoding for Tibetan SMS, and developed software to implement above design. These mobile phones have complete Tibetan interface, effective Tibetan input method, and functions of sending and receiving of SMS in Tibetan.


For the first time we investigated in a kinematically complete experiment the ionization of helium in collisions with H2+-molecular ions at 1 MeV. Using two separate detectors, the orientation of the projectile H2+-molecular ions was determined at the instance of the collision. The electron angular distribution was measured by a "Reaction Microscope". The observed structures are found in agreement with theoretical calculations, indicating that the ionized electron of He shows a slight preferential emission direction parallel to the molecular axis.


Summary

1
Numbers of European hares Lepus europaeus have declined throughout Europe as a result of agricultural intensification. Ecological research to inform agricultural management policy is needed. We aimed to identify agricultural land management practices that may benefit this species, which is of conservation concern and of value as a game animal.

2
A postal survey of farmers was used to investigate relationships between the abundance of hares on farmland and current land management, the abundance of a possible competitor (rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus) and the abundance of two predators (buzzard Buteo buteo and fox Vulpes vulpes).

3
Questionnaires were sent to 3000 farms in England and Wales selected from the annual agricultural census database held by the UK government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the National Assembly for Wales. One-thousand and fifty farmers (35%) responded. Non-respondents were statistically similar to respondents, so the questionnaire data were considered representative of the opinions of farmers in England and Wales.

4
Hares were relatively common on arable farms, especially on those with wheat Triticum aestivum, beet Beta vulgaris or fallow land. They were less common on pastural farms, where the likelihood of seeing hares was increased if improved grass, woodland or, in some cases, arable land was present. The association of relatively frequent sightings of hares with arable land was consistent at four spatial scales (farm, parish group, county and region).

5
Hares were seen rarely where foxes were seen frequently. Hares were generally only hunted on farms where they were common. Hence, records of numbers of hares shot may be used as indices of hare abundance but only in areas where hares are common.

6
Forty-two per cent of farmers believed that hares were declining. Hare numbers were most likely to be increasing on arable farms.

7
Synthesis and applications. Changes in land management that provide year-round cover and forage may make farms more attractive to hares. To benefit hares, pastural farms should have some woodland, improved grass and arable crops; arable farms should have wheat, beet and fallow land.


This study examines the effects of climatic conditions on interactions among pea and lentil yields, pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) infestations, and outbreaks of PEMV (Pea enation mosaic) and BLRV (Bean leaf roll) viruses in the Palouse region of easternWashington. The study analytically and empirically evaluates the effects of aphid outbreaks on per acre yields, implicitly including the effects of adopted pest management activities and explicitly taking into account possible effects of climatic conditions on the severity of pea aphid outbreaks. The results show that aphid outbreaks have historically decreased pea and lentil yields by approximately 5% and 7% on average respectively.


In spectrum sharing systems, a secondary user (SU) is allowed to share the spectrum with a primary (licensed) network under the condition that the interference observed at the receivers of the primary users (PU-Rxs) is below a predetermined level. In this paper, we consider a secondary network comprised of a secondary transmitter (SU-Tx) equipped with multiple antennas and a single-antenna secondary receiver (SU-Rx) sharing the same spectrum with multiple primary users (PUs), each with a distinct spectrum. We develop transmit antenna diversity schemes at the SU-Tx that exploit the multi-spectrum diversity provided by the existence of multiple PUs so as to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the SU-Rx. In particular, assuming bounded transmit power at the SU-Tx, we develop switched selection schemes that select the primary spectrum and the SU-Tx transmit antenna that maintain the SNR at the SU-Rx above a specific threshold. Assuming Rayleigh fading channels and binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) transmission, we derive the average bit-error-rate (BER) and average feedback load expressions for the proposed schemes. For the sake of comparison, we also derive a BER expression for the optimal selection scheme that selects the best antenna/spectrum pair that maximizes the SNR at the SU-Rx, in exchange of high feedback load and switching complexity. Finally, we show that our analytical results are in perfect agreement with the simulation results.


The plant ability to orient their growth with respect to environmental stimuli such as gravity, is a key factor for survival and acclimation to their environment. In heterogeneous soils, plant roots modulate their growth towards gravity, allowing soil exploration and uptake of water and nutrients. Gravity sensing in roots occurs in specialized cells called statocytes, located in the central root cap, and which contain starch-filled plastids called statoliths. Being denser than the cytoplasm, statolith position depends on the inclination of roots. Root growth reorientation, triggered by statoliths displacement, is based on auxin redistribution in the root apex, inducing differential growth between the root upward and downward sides. At the cell scale, signaling events starting from statoliths displacement and leading to auxin redistribution remain poorly documented. Some signaling molecules such as calcium, reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide and inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate are serious candidates previously shown to be involved within minutes before modification of the expression of auxin-related genes. In order to investigate the effects of statoliths location on the triggering of signaling pathways, a space experiment called GRAVI-2 was set up aboard the ISS in 2014. During the experiment, lentil roots were grown in microgravity conditions in the European modular cultivation system (EMCS) and were then submitted to a period of gravity (9h at 0.01 g or 15 min at 2 g). The analysis of statolith location showed that statoliths are clustered in microgravity. This clusterization is not affected by 0.01g. On the contrary, a period of 5 min at 2g induces a change in statolith location. Thanks to these changes in statolith positioning, cytological analysis were coupled with RNA sequencing of root apex. Transcriptomic analyses clearly show a regulation in gene expression. Our data are among the first involving global transcriptomic analyses of root material grown in microgravity and of root submitted to a gravity-short period after a growth in microgravity. The effects of the statolith location on signaling mechanisms will be discussed.


SG-365 steel is an important material and used for manufacturing a pressure vessel which the gas piping. In this investigation, the elastic plastic fracture toughness of this material is evaluated by the unloading compliance method according to the ASTM E813-97 and E1152-97 method on the smooth and side groove 1CT specimens. The effect of smooth and side groove is studied on the elastic plastic fracture toughness. The side grooved specimen is very useful in estimation of the JIC. It is much easier than the smooth specimen to the onset of the ductile tearing by the R curve method. Besides, it improves the accuracy of toughness values, decreases a phenomenon of the tunneling and shear lip by the side groove.


This book presents a systematic model-based approach for software architecture according to three complementary viewpoints: structure, behavior, and execution. It covers a unified modeling approach and consolidates theory and practice with well-established learning outcomes. The authors cover the fundamentals of software architecture description and presents SysADL, a specialization of the OMG Standard Systems Modeling Language (SysML) with the aim of bringing together the expressive power of an Architecture Description Language (ADL) with a standard notation, widely accepted by industry and compliant with the ISO/IEC/IEEE 42010 Standard on Architecture Description in Systems and Software Engineering. The book is clearly structured in four parts: The first part focuses on the fundamentals of software architecture, exploring the concepts and constructs for modeling software architecture from differing viewpoints. Each chapter covers a specific viewpoint illustrated with examples of a real system. The second part focuses on how to design software architecture for achieving quality attributes. Each chapter covers a specific quality attribute and presents well-defined approaches to achieve it. Each architectural case study is illustrated with different examples drawn from a real-life system. The third part shows readers how to apply software architecture style to design architectures that meet the quality attributes. Each chapter covers a specific architectural style and gives insights on how to describe substyles. Each style is illustrated by variants and examples of a real-life system. The fourth part presents how to textually represent software architecture models to complement visual notation, including different examples. Software Architecture in Action is designed for teaching the required modeling techniques to both undergraduate and graduate students, giving them the practical techniques and tools needed to design the architecture of software-intensive systems. Similarly, this book will appeal to software development architects, designers, programmers and project managers too.


The saga which led to the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland offers some important lessons about the processes of law-making for that jurisdiction, together with broader lessons about how the European Convention on Human Rights could be applied in strategic litigation elsewhere. This commentary analyses four episodes in that saga. It begins by evaluating several failed attempts to achieve legalisation at the Northern Ireland Assembly, before considering two legal challenges which also failed in the High Court of Northern Ireland. The developments which eventually led to legal change through the Parliament of the UK are assessed thereafter, followed by an appraisal of the most significant legal features in a set of judgments handed down by the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland shortly afterwards. It is concluded, in particular, that lessons in connection with how petitions of concern are deployed in the devolved legislature, as well as lessons about how the prohibition on discrimination contained in Article 14 of the Convention has been interpreted, are deserving of wider circulation and appreciation among LGBT rights campaigners in Northern Ireland and beyond.


Abstract Crosswell seismic (CS) technology provides a high-resolution image of the subsurface between two nearby wells. Crosswell seismic data can reach frequencies greater than 1000 Hz, which makes the technology applicable to many reservoir-development challenges in hydrocarbon exploration and production studies that require high resolution. Applications of crosswell seismic data range from structural and stratigraphic interpretation to reservoir monitoring and enhanced oil recovery (EOR). When integrated with rock physics, crosswell seismic data can be used in reservoir-characterization studies, which potentially could be used for enhancing the resolution of rock properties derived from 3D surface-seismic data to that of crosswell resolution. In addition, velocity models obtained from crosswell seismic data can be used to better predict event locations in microseismic data processing.


SIR,The recent editorial by DrCaroline Bradbeer was a useful addition to the complex HIV jigsaw puzzle. ' Her penultimate paragraph, however, was understandably written from the perspective of an expert in genitourinary medicine. In fact, breast milk in less technically developed countries is virtually necessary for survival, but not only because "maternal antibodies are important in preventing neonatal infection." Breast milk is also needed to satisfy biological nutritional needs, to avoid the tremendous dangers of alternatives (contaminated, highly diluted, and completely unaffordable bottlefeeds), and to avoid the decline in lactation amenorrhoea with its effects on spacing of children and negative impact on over rapid population growth. Minuscule potential risks are outweighed by definite, proved, positive benefits.


Joseph August Lux (1871-1947), who wrote numerous books and articles on Peter Behrens, Bruno Paul, Otto Wagner, and others, saw himself as the first "spokesman for the German movement." Yet, for various reasons, his work has fallen into oblivion. Lux needs to be reassigned his proper niche in the development of modern architectural theory, if only to show that the thrust of modernism was by no means as direct and unimpeded as is often supposed. Lux9s historiographic argument emerges piecemeal from a vast array of writings. In this article, I clarify his concept of modernism, pointing in particular to his interest in historical fiction and amateur photography. Lux was among the first modern theorists to champion the notion of genius loci as a way to unify traditional and modern sensibilities. But it was this insistence on a teleological-and, for Lux, a "Catholic inspired"-dimension to architecture that led to a rift with Friedrich Naumann, one of the founders of the Werkbund. An investigation into Lux9s work not only sheds light on the early theorizing of modernity within the Werkbund circle, but also begins to add a historical dimension to various strands of conservative-modernist thinking, including what is now called phenomenology.


Cotton is an important fibre crop of India which plays a dominant role in the country's economy by meeting the domestic and export demands. It contributes significantly to both agriculture and industry in terms of farm income, employment and export earnings. India, despite being the third largest producer of cotton in the world, has not exploited its potential to emerge as a major player in the world raw cotton exports. The present level of exports is not consistent and exhibits high variations in volume and revenue earnings. In this paper, the dynamics of changes have been measured in the export of raw cotton from India to different export markets employing the Markov-Chain model. The results have shown China as the sole stable destination for our cotton exports. The other traditional importing countries such as Bangladesh, Germany, Indonesia, the UK, Japan and Korea have recorded low retention probabilities during pre- and post-economic reform periods, indicating unstable export share to these markets.


: A case of salicylate intoxication from repeated therapeutic doses of aspirin is reported in an adult with impairment of salicylate elimination. Evolution of acid-base disturbance from respiratory alkalosis to metablic acidosis is documented. Serum salicylate levels during several years of therapy demonstrate the acquisition of impaired elimination of the drug. This case illustrates the practical importance of special features of salicylate accumulation kinetics emphasized in a recent review.


Odontobutis potamophilus is a popular food fish in China, distributed mainly in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, where it is a famous delicacy and a newly focused species for aquaculture. The wild populations of O. potamophilus are facing the problem of overfishing and habitat degradation. Therefore, it is very necessary to investigate and protect the wild populations of O. potamophilus. In this study, 72 fish were sampled from 18 different sites over its distribution range. Nuclear sequence data of 4,267 loci were collected using a gene-capture method. Phylogenetic reconstruction revealed that there were three major clades: Oujiang clade (OJ), Qiantang and lower Yangtze clade (QY), and middle Yangtze clade (MY). The discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) and a STRUCTURE analysis confirmed that there are three major groups within O. potamophilus. A fastsimcoal2 analysis corroborated the population history and suggested that there was discernible gene flow among these three groups, especially between QY and MY. Estimated pairwise F ST suggested that Linhai (LH) and Shexian (SX) populations were the most divergent pair (F ST = 0.7077). Taking the nucleotide diversity, population divergence, and admixture status altogether into consideration, we recommend that the LH, Gaoyou (GY) and Chaohu (CH) populations could be protected as the preferred resource for breeding projects. According to the results of genetic analyses, all populations of O. potamophilus should be protected due to low genetic diversity.


Retrofitting microhabitat features is a common ecological engineering technique for enhancing biodiversity and abundance of small, epilithic organisms on artificial shorelines by providing refuge spaces and/or ameliorating abiotic conditions. These features are typically too small to be utilised as refugia by larger, highly motile consumers such as fish, but they may affect these organisms through other mechanisms. This study sought to determine whether microhabitat en hancement units alter the fish abundance, richness and assemblage composition on tropical seawalls and explores possible underlying trophic mechanisms. We created 12 experimental plots consisting of 6 enhanced plots, each with 20 microhabitat enhancement tiles, and 6 control plots without tiles on intertidal seawalls at Pulau Hantu, an offshore island south of mainland Singapore. Benthic cover and fish assemblage were surveyed within each plot using photoquadrats and underwater video cameras, respectively, from April 2018 to February 2019. We found greater abundance and species richness and distinct assemblages of fish in the enhanced plots compared to the control plots. These differences were driven largely by an increase in both abundance and richness of fish species with epibenthic-feeding strategies and were significantly associated with higher biotic cover in the enhanced plots, especially epilithic algal matrix (EAM). Our results indicate that, in addition to facilitating epilithic organisms, microhabitat enhancement can provide food resources for epibenthic-feeding fishes, increase fish biodiversity, and alter fish assemblages in tropical urbanised shorelines.


ABSTRACT Introduction: Post transplant cyclophosphamide (PT/Cy) in association to other immunosuppressive agents or alone has emerged as a promising pharmacological strategy in the setting of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (allo-HCT). Its safety profile and effectiveness in reducing GvHD (acute GvHD incidence comprised between 15 and 30%, chronic GvHD 20–30% in the haploidentical setting) contributed to the spreading of this technique all over the world. Areas covered: This review summarizes the use of PT/Cy in the setting of allo-HCT, both for oncological and non-malignant hematological diseases. Recent studies showed the feasibility of more intense conditioning regimens instead of the original NMAC. The use of peripheral blood stem cells instead of bone marrow as graft source (slightly increase of acute GvHD grade 2 but no differences in survival outcomes) was another significant variation to the original protocol. Later on, PT/Cy alone or in combination with other immunosuppressive agents (ATG, sirolimus, cyclosporine) were tested in the HLA-matched donor setting where lower GvHD rates are reported (acute GvHD grade 3 of 5–10% and chronic GvHD of 10–20%) Expert commentary: The best graft source and type of donor is still ongoing. Moreover, the research of the best pharmacological partner of PT/Cy remains an open question.


Connecting theory with real-life applications, this is the first ever textbook to equip students with a comprehensive knowledge of all the key concepts in bionanotechnology. By bridging the interdisciplinary gap from which bionanotechnology emerged, it provides a systematic introduction to the subject, accessible to students from a wide variety of backgrounds. Topics range from nanomaterial preparation, properties and biofunctionalisation, and analytical methods used in bionanotechnology, to bioinspired and DNA nanotechnology, and applications in biosensing, medicine and tissue engineering. Throughout the book, features such as 'Back to basics' and 'Research report' boxes enable students to build a strong theoretical knowledge and to link this to practical applications and up-to-date research. With over 200 detailed, full-colour illustrations and more than 100 end-of-chapter problems, this is an essential guide to bionanotechnology for any student studying this exciting, fast-developing and interdisciplinary field.


Telemedicine projects are aimed at offering medical services to people who do not have access to direct diagnosis and treatment services. As a powerful tool for analyzing the performance of complex systems and taking probable events into consideration, systemic simulation can facilitate the analysis of implementation processes of telemedicine projects in real-life–like situations. The aim of the present study was to propose a model for planning resource capacities and allocating human and operational resources to promote the efficiency of telemedicine project by investigating the process of teleradiology. In this article, after verification of the conceptual model by the experts of this field, the computerized simulation model is developed using simulation software Arena. After specifying the required data, different improvement scenarios are run using the computerized model by feeding the data into the software and validation and verification of the model. Fixing input data of the system such as the number of patients, their waiting time, and process time of each function, for example, magnetic resonance imaging or scan, has been compared with the current radiology process. Implementing the teleradiology model resulted in reduction of time of patients in the system (current: 1.84 ± 0.00, tele: 0.81 ± 0.00). Furthermore, through this process, they can allocate the lower resources to perform better functions of staff. The use of computerized simulation is essential for designing processes, optimal allocation of resources, planning, and making appropriate decisions for providing timely services to patients.


The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the abiding tension between surveillance and privacy. Public health epidemiology has long utilized a variety of surveillance methods—such as contact tracing, quarantines, and mandatory reporting laws—to control the spread of disease during past epidemics and pandemics. Officials have typically justified the resulting intrusions on privacy as necessary for the greater public good by helping to stave off larger health crisis. The nature and scope of public health surveillance in the battle against COVID-19, however, has significantly changed with the advent of new technologies. Digital surveillance tools, often embedded in wearable technology, have greatly increased the ability of governments and private corporations to monitor large sections of society while collecting massive amounts of personally identifiable data from millions of persons around the world—often with little to no regulatory oversight (or legal limits) on how that information may be later used. Surveillance responses to public health crises have also historically, disproportionately, targeted racialized communities, leading to a normalization of both racial discrimination and inequality. The world certainly must use all means to end the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. We also need to be careful, however, to not undermine individual privacy rights or engage in racialized responses to the current crisis. This Essay examines the discord between public health surveillance and privacy rights and argues that the bio-surveillance technologies being used to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic—such as contact tracing apps, GPS ankle monitors and other wearables, the collection of cell phone location data, genomic testing, and targeted quarantines—can potentially exacerbate discrimination against racial minorities and immigrants. The Essay concludes with legal and policy solutions on how to utilize public health surveillance tools to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while guarding against privacy violations and racial bias.


The cold glacier saddle Colle Gnifetti (CG) is the unique drilling site in the European Alps offering ice core records
substantially exceeding the instrumental period. However, the full exploitation of the unique potential of this site is hampered
by depositional noise and, combined with a complex flow regime, upstream-effects. Here we present results from an
ongoing new sophisticated flow modeling attempt, i.e. 3D full stokes with consideration of firn rheology, fully thermomechanically
coupled, utilizing the finite element software Elmer/Ice. In view of our latest ice core drilled to bedrock in 2013,
a major objective is to map source trajectories of existing ice core sites in order to evaluate potential upstream effects. An
additional focus is to assist in finding a reliable age scale, especially targeting depths where annual layers can no more be
counted. This includes the calculation of isochronous surfaces for intercomparison of different drilling sites within the CG
multi core array.
Previous numerical ice flow models of CG have been developed by W. Haeberli, S. Wagner, M. Luthi (Luthi & Funk 2000,
2001) and H. Konrad (Konrad et al. 2013). The level of accuracy of these previous works was mainly limited by the not well
known bedrock topography and englacial temperatures. However, since the work of M. Luthi several new temperature
profiles are available (Hoelzle et al. 2011) and additional GPR measurements have been performed extensively (Bohleber
2011). Ongoing measurements will provide more precise information about the surface flow velocity, surface topography
and their stationarity. In addition, two new ice cores have been drilled on CG, in 2005 and 2013. The 2013 drilling project
employs a unique approach of combining multiple state-of-the-art methods in ice core analysis, for example new ultra-high
resolution impurity analysis for detecting highly thinned annual layers as well as analysis of ice microstructure. All these
new data sets together with the nowadays higher available computing power motivated a new model attempt at CG, the
only way to evaluate potential upstream effects.
Model input quantities comprise density profiles measured at the ice core sites, surface topography and GPR based
bedrock topography. The model accuracy is limited especially by the latter, due to an uncertainty of typically 15%. Additional
limitations arise from other model parameters, that are not directly constrained by measurement, for example the
mechanical stress on the glacier boundaries. To achieve better constraints, the model input quantities are iteratively
adjusted to provide the best fit between model derived and directly measured quantities.
Here we present first results regarding the model validation based on comparison with empirical data, using for this purpose
the measured surface velocities and borehole temperatures.
Finally we discuss the next steps in building our model approach, which include comparing model results with ice core
derived depth-dependent information like e.g. the observed layer thinning or the measured vertical age distribution as well
as to use a flow law taking into account ice anisotropy, as observational evidence suggests.
REFERENCES
Bohleber, P. 2011: Ground-penetrating radar assisted ice core research: The challenge of Alpine glaciers and dielectric ice
properties. Dissertation, Universitat Heidelberg.
Hoelzle, M., Darms, G., Luthi, M. & Suter, S. 2011. Evidence of accelerated englacial warming in the Monte Rosa area,
Switzerland/Italy. Cryosphere, 5(1), 231–243 (doi: 10.5194/tc-5-231-2011).
Konrad, H., Bohleber, P., Wagenbach, D., Vincent, C. & Eisen, O. 2013: Determining the age distribution of Colle Gnifetti,
Monte Rosa, Swiss Alps, by combining ice cores, ground-penetrating radar and a simple flow model. Journal of
Glaciology, 59(213).
Luthi, M., & Funk, M. 2000: Dating of ice cores from a high Alpine glacier with a flow model for cold firn.
Ann. Glaciol., 31:69–79.
Luthi, M., & Funk, M. 2001: Modelling heat flow in a cold, high altitude glacier: interpretation of measurements from Colle
Gnifetti, Swiss Alps. J. Glaciol., 47:314–324.


The perineuronal glial changes were studied by light and electron microscopy after avulsion or a crush lesion of the facial nerve in rats. The changes consisted of proliferation of microglia, ensheathment of neurons by thin astrocytic processes, and separation of the synaptic boutons from the neuronal surface. Quantitative estimates of the glial proliferation were made with the light microscope. In spite of marked differences in the acute nerve cell reaction, 4 days after the two types of lesion the glial and synaptic changes did not differ significantly. Ultimately, all changes were reversible after crush lesions, while neuronophagia occurred after nerve avulsion. It is concluded that the acute synaptic and glial reactions were not influenced by the type of nerve lesion or the severity of the nerve cell reaction, but the latter stages differed depending upon whether the neurons recovered or disintegrated.


Malnutrition increases the risks of morbidity and mortality in cancer patients. It is characterized by changes in cellular membrane integrity and alterations in fluid balance, both of which can be detected by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). We investigated whether BIA-mesured variables could detect malnutrition, as defined by body mass index (BMI) and anthropometric indices, in 83 Tunisian cancer patients (18 men and 65 women) hospitalized in surgery. The investigations occurred within the first 24 hours following hospital admission. Analysis revealed that 4.8 % of the patients were at risk for malnutrition according to body mass index. By impedancemetry, 26.5 % of all patients had free-fat mass index (FFMI) below the normal range and 15.6 % had a low fat mass index (FMI) despite a normal or relatively high BMI. While males lose their fatty reserves early, females tend to lose free-fat, muscular mass regardless of their BMI. The BMI can be misleading in an overweight or obese patient and conceal losses in muscular mass in patients exposed to latent malnutrition. The FFMI and FMI appear to be better indicators of the nutritional status than the BMI.


Introduction Flow-diverting stents (FDS), such as the Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) have drastically altered the therapeutic strategies for giant intracranial aneurysms. Gaining endovascular access with a microcatheter to the portion of the parent artery distal to the aneurysm neck is requisite for safe and effective stent deployment. Giant aneurysms are often associated with vascular tortuosity which necessitates significant catheter support systems to allow the manoeuvring of PEDs across the aneurysm neck. Methods We present a case of a giant supraclinoid internal carotid artery aneurysm (ICA) which was successfully treated with a FDS utilising a balloon anchor technique to facilitate direct microcatheter access across the aneurysm neck. Results A 59 year-old female presented with a giant (2.9 cm in maximal diameter) supraclinoid ICA aneurysm arising from the branch point of the superior hypophyseal artery (SHA) extending into the sella turcica. Given the size and location of the aneurysm, the decision was made to treat the patient by an endovascular approach using a PED. A ReFlex 058 guide catheter was navigated into the left ICA through a Flexor Shuttle 087 guiding sheath so that control angiograms could be performed throughout the stent procedure. Initially a Marksman microcatheter (ev3) was advanced past the aneurysm into the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) trunk. The PED was advanced through the Marksman microcatheter, but catheter herniation into the aneurysm, caused by the course of blood flow through the giant aneurysm sac, precluded effective stent placement and delivery of the stent past the aneurysm neck. Therefore the Marksman microcatheter and PED were removed and the decision was made to use a balloon anchor technique to improve endovascular access across the aneurysm neck. Next, a Sceptre C balloon, placed within a DAC 044 catheter, was advanced over a Transend 014 microguidewire to the left SHA aneurysm. Under continuous fluoroscopic guidance, the Sceptre C balloon was advanced into the left MCA and inflated. With the balloon serving as an anchor, the DAC 044 catheter was advanced through the aneurysm into the supraclinoid ICA. There was a significant amount of catheter redundancy within the aneurysm sac. By slowly pulling down the DAC 044 catheter, the length of redundant catheter within the aneurysm sac gradually decreased until the catheter was only traversing the aneurysm neck. The Sceptre C balloon was then deflated and removed from the patient. Next, an Excelsior XT-27 microcatheter was advanced through the DAC 044 into the supraclinoid ICA distal to the aneurysm neck. A 5.0 × 30 mm PED was then advanced through the XT-27 microcatheter and deployed across the aneurysm neck in a standard fashion. The patient was discharged home two days after the endovascular procedure without neurological deficits. Conclusions Direct microcatheter access across the neck of an aneurysm is a critical step prior to deployment of a FDS. A balloon anchor technique may be used to safely achieve a direct and effective microcatheter position across the neck of a giant aneurysm to allow FDS treatment of these lesions. Disclosures D. Ding: None. R. Starke: None. A. Evans: None. M. Jensen: None. K. Liu: None.


In recent years, the use of software engineering tools for the process industry has increased substantially, accelerating research and development work. However, such tools are essentially limited in their connectivity to other systems and applications. It's therefore challenging to integrate the diverse, components developed using these tools so that they can seamlessly communicate locally and remotely. Accomplishing this integration is nonetheless essential, particularly as process control applications grow larger and more complex. We propose an open, nonproprietary, plug-and-play system (ONPS) for real-time process monitoring and control. Based on the object linking and embedding for process control (OPC) standard, ONPS provides a standard method for individual process monitoring and process control software to interact and share data.


The construction of a church was undoubtedly one of the most demanding events to take place in the life of a medieval parish. It required a huge outlay of time, money and labour, and often a new organisational structure to oversee design and management. Who took control and who provided the financing was deeply shaped by local patterns in wealth, authority and institutional development - from small villages with little formal government to settlements with highly unequal populations. This all took place during a period of great economic and social change as communities managed the impact of the Black Death, the end of serfdom and the slump of the mid-fifteenth century. This original and authoritative study provides an account of how economic change, local politics and architecture combined in late-medieval England. It will be of interest to researchers of medieval, socio-economic and art history.


The paper describes the biomechanical behavior of a cervical implanted unit (CIU) in two conditions: during the physiological and extreme loading. In order to reveal these behaviors, the anatomical structure composed by the C2 and C3 cervical vertebras was implanted using a plate-screws metal structure. The implant was design to perform dynamical, by allowing longitudinal, transversal and rotational movements. The physiological conditions were simulated by the pulsatory negative loading, while the extreme loading was simulated by the alternant symmetrical loading. The tests reveal two behaviors: the durability of the CIU in the physiological loading conditions and the failure of the structure under extreme load.


We survey the recent literature on the role of information in mechanism design. First, we discuss an emerging literature on the role of endogenous payoff and strategic information for the design and the efficiency of the mechanism. We specifically consider information management in the form of acquisition of new information or disclosure of existing information. Second, we argue that in the presence of endogenous information, the robustness of the mechanism to the type space and higher order beliefs becomes a natural desideratum. We discuss recent approaches to robust mechanism design and robust implementation.


Studies have been undertaken to examine the influence of changes in pH on the electrical activity in mouse islet beta-cells. Extracellular acidification or the presence of the permeable weak acid glycodiazine was found to alter the cyclic nature of glucose-induced electrical activity leading to depolarization and constant spike activity. Conversely, the presence of the permeable weak base imidazole was found to transiently lead to hyperpolarization with concomitant inhibition of electrical activity. Monensin, an electroneutral Na:H antiporter, was found to inhibit glucose-induced electrical activity, even in the presence of glycodiazine. These results suggest that protons may play an important role in the regulation and/or generation of the oscillatory pattern of electrical activity in the beta-cell.


Abstract. Every winter the Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP) of northern India are severely impacted both socially and economically by fog. For night time fog detection, visible imagery cannot be used. Also, as emissions from ground and fog is almost similar in thermal infrared (TIR, 10.8 μm) channel, TIR channel cannot help in identifying fog. However, emission in middle infrared (MIR, 3.9 μm) channel is less than emission in TIR channel over foggy area. Therefore, brightness temperature difference (BTD) between TIR and MIR is positive during night time over fog area. This BTD technique cannot be directly used during day time as MIR channel is contaminated by solar radiations. In the present work, a spectral sensitivity analysis study has been done for these two spectral channels using radiative transfer model (RTM) simulations to determine a threshold BTD for night time fog detection. SBDART (Santa Barbara DISORT Radiative Transfer) model was used for this study to simulate brightness temperatures (BT). The RTM simulations of BT of the two spectral channels was carried out for different fog microphysical characteristics like fog optical depth (FOD) and fog droplet size (Re). The fog episode of January 2018 over IGP was studied by applying threshold BTD obtained from simulation results for INSAT-3D data. A threshold BTD value > 5 K detected night time fog over IGP with good accuracy. The threshold BTD obtained from satellite image is compared with different cases established from simulation result which gave idea about microphysical properties of fog over IGP during winter seasons.


For Service-oriented Architectures, Web Services are claimed as state of the art to connect business execution layers as well as networking devices. Additionally, the deployment of Wireless Sensor Networks became applicable over the last years. The usage of application layer gateways and proxy concepts allow the integration of these sensor networks into real world scenarios and existing networks that make use of Web Services. This paper presents a new approach to adapt and enhance the Devices Profile for Web Services to be applied in Wireless Sensor Networks directly. Thus, seamless connectivity between business layers, device level networks, and Wireless Sensor Networks are possible.


Ryan Fortson Alaska Exception to Violence Against Women Act. In 2013, Congress reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). As part of this reauthorization, Congress expanded the jurisdiction of tribal courts over criminal domestic violence prosecutions to include cases in which the perpetrator is nonNative. A previous U.S. Supreme Court case held that tribal courts cannot bring criminal charges against non-Natives unless Congress specifi cally authorized it. The 2013 VAWA reauthorization accomplished this for crimes of domestic violence. However, the 2013 VAWA reauthorization bill also contained a provision (introduced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski) that explicitly excluded Alaska from this expanded jurisdiction. Later in 2013, Sen. Mark Begich (cosponsored by Sen. Murkowski) introduced the Alaska Safe Families and Villages Act of 2013 that, among other things, removes the Alaska exception to VAWA. The proposed Act additionally encourages and provides grants for intergovernmental agreements between the State of Alaska and tribal governments for the enforcement of certain state laws. The Act is currently pending before Congress. Indian Law and Order Commission Report. In November 2013, the Indian Law and Order Commission, pursuant to the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010, issued a report (A Roadmap for Making Native America Safer) to the President and Congress. The report analyzed law enforcement and criminal justice issues on reservations and other areas governed by tribal courts. An entire chapter of the report was devoted to Alaska ("Reforming Justice for Alaska Natives: The Time is Now"), the only state singled out for its own chapter. The report justifi ed this attention based on the endemic sexual assault, domestic violence, and other public safety issues experienced by Alaska Natives and tribes, many of which are in areas inaccessible by roads with no local law enforcement. Also noted was the very limited role that tribes and tribal courts in Alaska are allowed to play in resolving criminal offenses resulting in punishment. The report placed much of the blame for the lack of tribal criminal jurisdiction on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), which is described as "the last gasp of Federal 'Termination Policy'" (referring to the occasional policy of the federal government to terminate Indian tribes) and which eliminated much of the Indian country in Alaska. The concept of Indian country serves as a foundation for land-based jurisdiction for tribes in the Lower 48. To address this issue, the report recommended a variety of potential remedies, including: amending ANCSA to allow the creation of Indian country; clarifying that land transferred from the federal government to individuals or tribes constitutes Indian country; allowing ANCSA lands to be transferred to tribal governments or otherwise be put into trust by the federal government for the purpose of creation of Indian country (to some extent, this is already happening—see below); repealing the Alaska exception to VAWA (see above); and affi rming the inherent criminal jurisdiction of tribes over their members. State of Alaska v. Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (CCTHITA). This case, which is currently pending before the Alaska Supreme Court, addresses whether tribal courts can issue child support orders that the State could then be required to enforce. The State interprets the phrase "internal domestic relations" in John v. Baker, which established member-based jurisdiction for Alaska tribes, to preclude tribal courts from hearing child support cases because tribal support orders may require state enforcement and may involve a parent who is not a tribal citizen. The tribe responds that because it has jurisdiction to make child custody decisions, the tribe should also be allowed to set the corresponding amount of child support so long as the child is a member of the tribe. The tribe further notes that under the applicable federal program for Alaska, the State is required to follow the same administrative procedures to enforce orders for children subject to tribal orders as for children subject to child support orders from other states. The tribe prevailed on its arguments before the Alaska Superior Court, and the State of Alaska has appealed this decision. Land into Trust Regulations. Prior to a court decision in 2013, a federal regulation prevented the Secretary of the Interior from accepting Alaska land into trust status, meaning that title to the land would be held by the federal government for the benefi t of the Native Americans or Alaska Natives living on the land. That changed with the 2013 U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia decision in Akiachak Native Community v. Salazar, which found the regulation in question to be illegal. In May 2014 the Department of the Interior issued a proposed rule change that would permit the Secretary to take land into trust in Alaska. This land would likely be land owned by the tribes, though potentially other land, including individually owned land and ANCSA land, could be taken into trust if title to the land was given to the Department of the Interior. Taking land into trust could potentially lead to the expansion of Indian country in Alaska, which might resolve some of the issues raised above. The exact status of what would happen to land taken into trust in Alaska is at this point unclear. Civil Diversion Agreement between the State of Alaska and [Indian Tribe]. The State of Alaska has proposed a "Civil Diversion Agreement" with Alaska tribes to divert certain misdemeanor criminal cases to tribal courts (as opposed to retaining jurisdiction in state courts but using tribal court sentencing processes). The proposed Civil Diversion Agreement recognizes the remoteness of many villages, the high rates of alcohol abuse and domestic violence in rural Alaska, the frequent diffi culties in obtaining a quick response by law enforcement personnel to these areas, and the benefi ts of tribal and community involvement in the judicial process. Under the agreement, if an individual in a village with a tribal court that has entered into a referral agreement is charged by the State with one of a number of specifi ed misdemeanor criminal offenses, the case could with the consent of the offender be diverted to the tribal court for the imposition of a civil remedy using tribal cultural standards. The offenses covered by the proposed agreement include most Class B misdemeanor offenses, fourth degree assault (including domestic violence assault), as well as many alcohol infractions, including minor consuming alcohol offenses. There are restrictions, however, on an offender's eligibility for referral if the offense involves domestic violence. For all offenses, tribes are not allowed to sentence the offender to incarceration or issue a fi ne exceeding $250. If the offender fails to abide by the terms of the tribal court sentence, he or she would then be subject to prosecution by the State. The agreement is subject to negotiation between the State of Alaska and individual tribes. As of this writing (October 11, 2014 ), no civil diversion agreements have been fi nalized. (For questions regarding the agreement or to obtain a copy, email attorney. firstname.lastname@example.com.)


Graphene—ZnO nanocomposites were synthesized successfully through a one-step solvothermal approach. The morphology, structure, and composition of the prepared nanocomposites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), laser micro Raman spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR). The outcomes confirmed that this approach is comparatively steady, practicable, and operable compared with other reported methods. The electrochemical performance of the graphene-ZnO electrodes was analyzed through cyclic voltammetry, altering-current (AC) impedance, and chronopotentiometry tests. The graphene—ZnO electrodes exhibited an improved electrode performance with higher specific capacitance (115 F·g−1), higher electrochemical stability, and higher energy density than the graphene electrodes and most reported graphene—ZnO electrodes. Graphene—ZnO nanocomposites have a steady reversible charge/discharge behavior, which makes them promising candidates for electrochemical capacitors (ECs).


Summary The Holderness tills are described, and grouped into two series: the Basement Series below, and the Drab-Purple-Hessle Series above. The Basement Till is shown to underlie (and not overlie as was formerly supposed) the Sewerby raised beach, which is considered to belong to the Last Interglacial. The Basement Till was therefore deposited during the Saale Glaciation or earlier, and the Bridlington Crag (which has been rediscovered after being hidden for sixty years) may thus be of Holstein (Great Interglacial) age or earlier. The Drab-Purple-Hessle Series is considered to have been deposited from one composite ice sheet of Wurm age, probably Main Wurm, and the "moss silts" which underlie it at Dimlington are placed in a Wurm interstadial. The Early Wurm may be represented by the solifluction bed at Sewerby. The Kelsey Hill Gravels, the Kirmington silts and the Speeton Shell Bed are reassessed, and their position in the chronology is discussed.


A topical gel containing a proprietary mixture of over 110 growth factors, cytokines, and soluble matrix proteins secreted by human dermal fibroblasts was evaluated for safety and efficacy in the treatment of mild to severe facial photodamage. In a double-blind study, 60 subjects were randomly assigned to receive either active gel or the vehicle and applied twice daily for 6 months along with a moisturizing cleanser and sunscreen. Efficacy (profilometry, photography, and clinical assessment) and safety (adverse event reporting) measures were evaluated at 0, 3, and 6 months. Treatment with the active gel for 3 months produced greater reduction in fine lines and wrinkles than the vehicle treatment as measured by objective and subjective assessment techniques. The results were either statistically significant (P < or = .05) or trending towards statistical significance (P < or = .1). This study demonstrates that addition of a topical formulation of growth factors and cytokines to a basic skin care regimen reduces the signs of photoaging.


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The location and timing of spawning of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica was studied during two research cruises of the R/V Hakuho Maru and R/V Suruga Maru in the North Equatorial Current of the western North Pacific Ocean during June–September 1998. There were 38 A. japonica leptocephali (10.0–43.2 mm in total length (TL)) collected in three areas: 24 specimens around the Arakane and Pathfinder Seamounts in June (approx. 16°N and 143°E) and five specimens at the southernmost station (13°N) and nine specimens at the northernmost station (17°N) of a transect along 137°E in September. The average total lengths of the leptocephali were significantly different among the three areas, with those around the seamount being smallest, those at the northern station being largest, and none being collected along the easternmost 144°E transect. This and the currents in the region suggested that spawning of A. japonica occurred near some of the seamounts in the West Mariana Ridge. Back calculated spawning dates indicated that most leptocephali were born during the new moon, supporting the hypothesis that A. japonica spawns around the new moon. Analysis of otolith daily rings found a strong correlation between total length and age (r = 0.97), and the average daily growth rate was about 0.5 mm/day.


This book presents the country development diagnostics post-2015 framework, developed by the World Bank Group to assess the country-level implications of the post-2015 global agenda, as well as brief, 'at-a-glance' applications of the framework to ten countries: Ethiopia, Jamaica, the Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Senegal, and Uganda. The country briefs also illustrate differences in SDG progress via provision of more and higher-quality public services. For example, given current levels of taxes and other revenue sources, some countries may find it difficult to raise resources for SDG-targeted policies without the additional government resources that growth acceleration would make available. In addition, for most SDGs, accelerated inclusive growth will also promote the SDGs by improving the living conditions of disadvantaged groups and others. In contrast, other countries may find it very difficult to foster growth beyond what is already projected; however, it may be easier to increase resources through other means, such as higher taxes or improvements in government efficiency. Each country brief provides a starting point for an in-depth analysis of the SDG agenda that could draw more fully on the framework and cover additional indicators. In general, the framework and available cross-country data offer analysts in developing countries and the broader international community a useful starting point for analyses that translate the global ambitions of the agenda into country-specific targets and policies that help accelerating progress. In outline, the contents of this book are organized as follows: chapter one presents the country development diagnostics post-2015 framework in detail, including examples from Uganda. Chapters two-eleven present the ten country briefs, country by country.


In carbonaceous chondrites, Mg‐spinel (MgAl2O4) grains are ubiquitous in refractory inclusions but rarely reported in chondrules, where they may correspond to minerals either (i) inherited from chondrule precursors or (ii) crystallized from chondrule melts. Here, we report high‐current quantitative electron microprobe measurements and secondary ion mass spectrometry oxygen isotopic analyses of Mg‐spinel‐bearing chondrules in the CV3 carbonaceous chondrites Northwest Africa 10235 and Allende. Compared to spinels in refractory inclusions, chondrule spinels are characterized by higher Cr contents and 16O‐poorer oxygen isotopic signatures (∆17O ≡ δ17O−0.52 × δ18O, from −2 to −6‰). Because the similar Δ17O values of chondrule olivine and spinel crystals imply their comagmatic origin, we applied a geothermometer based on the Al‐Cr distribution between these minerals to determine their crystallization temperatures. The calculated temperatures range from 1200 to 1640 °C (mean = 1470 °C), most being lower than the estimated liquidus temperature of porphyritic chondrules (~1600 °C). Our results suggest that chondrules experienced relatively slow cooling rates (slower than a few hundreds of °C h−1), which is in good agreement with models of chondrule formation invoking nonlinear or two‐stage cooling rates.


In this paper we discuss the origins and development of the brutalist architecture in Taiwan during the 1960s. It provides a detailed survey of an important yet little known chapter in the development of post-war modernist architecture in Taiwan. Based on the architectonic analysis, the buildings built in the brutalist style in Taiwan during the 1960s can be divided into two categories: concrete expressionism and concrete structuralism. In addition, it was found that there were two main sources for the introduction of brutalist architecture into Taiwan: the public works projects of the Japanese colonial government; American economic assistance and Western missionary activity during the post-war period.


Cure-induced strain is produced inevitably during the fabrication of the composite. To measure the strain, undamaged methods such as using fiber Bragg grating(FBG) sensor are employed. In this paper, nine unidirectional carbon fiber-reinforced polymer(CFRP) laminates are autoclaved produced, with FBGs embedded in different layers through the thickness (0-layer, 5-layer, 10-layer and 13-layer). The experiment measures the difference of the FBGs' Bragg wavelengths before and after the cure which is linearly relevant to the cure-induced strain, to explore the distribution of strains through the thickness. The experimental results indicate a certain strain in neural plane of approximately 370με under the designed size of the laminates. The results also show that the cure-induced strains in different layers through the thickness are less than 1000με even including all errors, however they do not display distinct regular in thickness direction. Moreover, through the FBG sensors and the thermocouples, the cure process with the strain and temperature variations is understood well. The result verifies that the cure-induced strain is mainly generated at the end of the cure when the temperature cools down.


Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) has, for a considerable length of time, been considered promising for subsurface characterization activities at sites contaminated with dense, nonaqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs). The relatively few field studies available exhibit mixed results, and the technique has not yet become a common tool for mapping such contaminants or tracking mass reduction during their remediation. To help address this, a novel, coupled DNAPL-ERT numerical model was developed that can provide a platform for the systematic evaluation of ERT under a wide range of realistic, field-scale subsurface environments. The coupled model integrated a 3D multiphase flow model, which generates realistic DNAPL scenarios, with a 3D ERT forward model to calculate the corresponding resistivity response. Central to the coupling, and a key contribution, was a new linkage between the main hydrogeologic parameters (including hydraulic permeability, porosity, clay content, groundwater salinity and temperature, and air, water, and DNAPL contents evolving with time) and the resulting bulk electrical resistivity by integration of a variety of published relationships. Sensitivity studies conducted for a single node compared well to published correlations and for a fieldscale domain demonstrated that the model is robust and sensitive to heterogeneity in DNAPL distribution and soil structure. A field-scale simulation of a DNAPL release and its subsequent remediation, monitored by ERT surface surveys, demonstrated that ERT is promising for mapping DNAPL mass reduction. The developed model provides a cost-effective avenue to test optimum ERT data acquisition, inversion, and interpretative tools, which should assist in deploying ERT strategically at contaminated sites.


Videos can be a powerful medium for acquiring soft skills, where learning requires contextualisation in personal experience and ability to see different perspectives. However, to learn effectively while watching videos, students need to actively engage with video content. We implemented interactive notetaking during video watching in an active video watching system (AVW) as a means to encourage engagement. This paper proposes a systematic approach to utilise learning analytics for the introduction of adaptive intervention - a choice architecture for personalised nudges in the AVW to extend learning. A user study was conducted and used as an illustration. By characterising clusters derived from user profiles, we identify different styles of engagement, such as parochial learning, habitual video watching, and self-regulated learning (which is the target ideal behaviour). To find opportunities for interventions, interaction traces in the AVW were used to identify video intervals with high user interest and relevant behaviour patterns that indicate when nudges may be triggered. A prediction model was developed to identify comments that are likely to have high social value, and can be used as examples in nudges. A framework for interactive personalised nudges was then conceptualised for the case study.


The task of ensuring the democratic legitimacy of the euro has been placed high on the agenda. A eurozone subcommittee in the European Parliament is one of the rare concrete proposals to secure this, creating high hopes. Due to legal and political hurdles the idea might nonetheless have minimal results, which might result in suboptimal parliamentary scrutiny of the eurozone. This Policy Brief argues that if a eurozone subcommittee is to be both meaningful and politically feasible, it should combine substantial competences with innovative decision-making.


The world energy consumption is projected to increase by 60 percent over a 21-year forecast horizon. Using the full potential of the world' s uranium and thorium resources, nuclear power can supply a large share of the world's energy needs for many thousands of years. Although nuclear power provides a compelling option, it must overcome the problems that gave it a negative reputation in order to gain public and political support. To overcome these problems new fourth generation nuclear reactors are being developed that are cheaper to run, are safer and have a longer lifetime. High Temperarure Gas Reactors (HTGR) are fourth generation reactors that are currently being researched around the world. Two examples of HTGRs are the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) developed by the South Afiican utility ESKOM and the High Temperature Test Reactor (HTTR) developed by JAERI. HTGRs are complex systems and various groups around the world are in the process of developing simulation codes for these types of reactors. The purposes of these codes are to aid with the design of HTGRs. The purpose of this study was to develop a computer simulation model of Japan's High Temperature Test Reactor as part of an international effort to validate different simulation codes. The model developed in this study will specifically be used for the validation of Flownet, the code used by Eskom for the design of the PBMR. The model was built by using Xnet, an explicit thermal-fluid network analysis code. The Xnet model was then compared to the HTTR model in the implicit thermal fluid nerwork code, Flownet. The behaviour of the HTTR models was' thoroughly investigated for steady-state, as well as transient flows. The results of the Xnet model compared very well with the Flownet results, which is an important first step in the verification of both Xnet and Flownet.


Higher education, and its links with research and innovation, plays a crucial role in individual and societal advancement. Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) provides the highly skilled human capital that contemporary Europe needs to create jobs, economic growth and prosperity. However, in meeting the in-creased demand for industrial workers and cross-cutting researchers, higher edu-cation training methodology must be better aligned with the needs of the knowledge-intensive labour market and in particular with the requirements of small and medium-sized enterprises. GIENAHS Alliance intends to contribute to the strengthening of the "knowledge triangle", linking education, research and innovation, improving at the same time, the quality of teaching and learning, the future mobility of students and staff and cross-border cooperation. Based on our experiences from the GIENAHS project we present the current key aspects emerged in Greece that can help Greek SMEs to develop their internal skills to face innovation in a more structured and systematic way and, on other side, the Greek HEIs to understand industrial practice for improving their interaction with SMEs.