Virtually all combustion chambers are subject to instabilities. Consequently there is a need to better understand them so as to control them. A possibility is to simulate the reactive flow within a combustor with the Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) method. However LES results come at a tremendous computational cost. Another route is to reduce the complexity of the problem to a simple thermoacoustic Helmholtz wave equation, which can be solved in the frequency domain as an eigenvalue problem. The coupling between the flame and the acoustics is then taken into account via proper models. The main drawback of this latter methodology is that it relies on the zero-Mach number assumption. Hence all phenomena inherent to mean flow effects are neglected. The present thesis aims to provide a novel strategy to introduce back some mean flow effects within the zero-Mach number framework. In a first part, the proper way to impose high-speed elements such as a turbine is investigated. The second part focuses on the coupling between acoustics and temperature heterogeneities that are naturally generated at the flame and convected downstream by the flow. Such phenomenon is important because it is responsible for indirect combustion noise that may drive a thermoacoustic instability. A Delayed Entropy Coupled Boundary Condition (DECBC) is then derived in order to account for this latter mechanism in the framework of a Helmholtz solver where the baseline flow is assumed at rest. In the last part, a realistic aero-engine combustor that features a mixed acoustic/entropy instability is studied. The methodology developed in the present thesis is tested and compared to LES computations. It is shown that computations with the Helmholtz solver can reproduce a complex combustion instability, and that this latter methodology is a potential tool to design new combustors so as to predict and avoid combustion instabilities.


In training a learning machine (LM) with unlimited data samples available in the training set, it is important to be able to determine when the LM has attained an adequate level of generalization in order to stop the training process. While this is a problem that has not yet achieved a satisfactory solution, aiding the determination of the generalization level is the observation that as the LM becomes consistent and reaches an acceptable generalization threshold, finding samples from the training set that would make the system fail and trigger a new cycle of the training algorithm to be implemented becomes more infrequent. In a statistical sense, the number of samples that can be tested as having no new information (i.e. information not already learnt from training cycles already completed) between two successive triggers of training events asymptotically displays a faster than exponential growth behavior, which in turn provides a telltale sign of a LM reaching consistency and thus attaining a desired generalization level. This work employs some ideas taken from statistical learning theory to conjecture the existence of such exponential behavior and designs a new approach to implementing the training steps that can exploit this behavior in order to systematically test the generalization level during the training process. Examples of nonlinear regression problems are included to illustrate the ideas and to validate the methods. The obtained results are general and are independent of the configuration of the LM, its architecture, and the specific training algorithm used; hence, they are applicable to a broad class of supervised learning problems.


The strike of stevedores and dock labourers in the Port of London in 1889 has come to symbolise that ferment and upsurge of labour activity, in favour of combined action, which found expression in the "new unionism". Indeed the great spread of union organisation in the London area at this period has usually been regarded as the main phase of new unionism. It is true that labour historians have long been aware that widespread agitation and union recruitment were also afoot among both provincial dockers and other groups who had been either unorganised, or whose previous attempts at unionism had proved sporadic and abortive. The Liverpool dockers, in particular, became engaged in 1890 in a protracted struggle involving almost as great a number of strikers as on the London docks in the previous year. This Liverpool strike had all the makings of a "labour war", and it resulted in a profound impact upon industrial relations on the Mersey waterfront. However, the events and consequences of this dispute together with the activities of the National Union of Dock Labourers which organised it have so far received less detailed attention than either the dock strike in the metropolis or the London dockers union.


Any technique that uses living organisms or substances from these organisms to
make or modify a product or to improve plant or animal or to develop microorganism for
specific uses, can be termed biotechnology. Biotechnology involves microbes or cells
derived from plants and animals for efficient production of useful products for mankind.
The use of microbes for production of alcohol and penicillin, to name a few, is well
known. However, in the last 10-15 years, several novel organisms, yielding useful
products have been created by genetic engineering techniques. Today, there is a wide
application of biotechnology in human medicine and animal husbandry in the area of
diagnosis, prophylaxis and therapy.


Supernovae (SNe) are the most brilliant optical stellar-class explosions. Over the past two decades, several optical transient survey projects discovered more than ∼ 100 so-called superluminous supernovae (SLSNe) whose peak luminosities and radiated energy are ≳ 7 × 1043 erg s−1 and ≳ 1051 erg respectively, at least an order of magnitude larger than those of normal SNe. According to their optical spectra features, SLSNe have been split into two broad categories of type I that are hydrogen-deficient and type II that are hydrogen-rich. Investigating and determining the energy sources of SLSNe would be of outstanding importance for understanding their stellar evolution and explosion mechanisms. The energy sources of SLSNe can be determined by analyzing their light curves (LCs) and spectra. The most prevailing models accounting for the SLSN LCs are the 56Ni cascade decay model, the magnetar spin-down model, the ejecta-circumstellar medium interaction model and the jet-ejecta interaction model. In this review, we present several energy-source models and their different combinations.


Women and Children Hospital is an useful healthcare facility to improve the health of Indonesian people especially for women, mothers and children. The lack of adequate health facilities in Indonesia for mothers and children, especially in the city of Solo, makes the number of health cases concerning them are still poorly handled and thorough. Therefore, it needs a special health facility that handles the problem, namely Women and Children Hospital with concept that can solve the problem. The appropriate theory for solving the problem is the Physical Outcome Theory (derived from the concept of Healing Environment).That theory serves to help patients in the hospital, to feel comfortable and safe to be treated in it. The research method used is applied research, through the exploration of initial ideas and data collection which then concluded to be a guide in the design analysis. The results of Physical Outcome Theory implementation in buildings, realized through the processing siteplan design, building facade, interiors, and exteriors.


: Soman, an organophosphorous irreversible inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase, was studied for its effect on the rat blood-brain barrier (BBB) during the first 24 h of intoxication. Young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, injected with Evans blue-dye and surviving a subsequent single convulsive dose of soman (114 micrograms/kg, 0.9LD50), presented focal and diffuse penetration of dye in areas of brain normally considered protected by the BBB. Invasion was widest during the first hour when signs of excitation, respiratory distress and convulsions peaked and was absent at 24 h. During this time period, cholinesterase inhibition, as measured by enzyme assay, persisted in brain and blood at 10% and 6% of control values respectively. Brains of nonconvulsing animals and animals pretreated with nembutal (45 mg/kg, I.P.) or with diazepam (10 mg/kg, I.P.) were free of extravasated dye. A ranking of dye-breached brain areas suggested that cerebellar and cerebral cortex were most frequently involved while brain stem was rarely stained. Ultrastructural analysis of breached areas with horseradish peroxidase as a tracer molecule, revealed that the probable subcellular mechanism of the induced breach was enhanced vesicular transport, a mechanism similarly described for seizure. Consequences of the breach were emphasized with the detection of significantly elevated levels of an exogenously administered quaternary compound, 3H-hexamethonium. These findings present additional evidence that an anticholinesterase-induced breach of the rat blood-brain barrier is convulsive dependent, demonstrates BBB mechanisms similar to that of seizure, and can allow CNS penetration of blood-borne drugs and circulatory proteins that normally would be slowed or excluded by an intact BBB.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The summary review of this research study it is as follows here, the main purpose of this work paper is to analysis the factor that affect the Integrated of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in the purpose of perception to use ERP for decision making in higher education institutions in Nigeria. There are some factors that examined in this research work, which are: ERP Life Cycle development, Characterizing achievement, Enterprise system experience, ERP Implementation in HEIs, Organizational Theory Applications, ERP system in higher education, etc. Quantitative data was ensured for this study, and Nigeria higher education workers bark home was used as respondent in this work, a structured questionnaire survey was used to collect data from the respondents which are Masters and Phd final year student of UUM, USM and UNIMAP are using as the respondent for this study, which they're workers of various higher education institutions in Nigeria. Eleven different departments were selected and the population sampling focus is 200, which 85 Questionnaires were distributed and collected bark after respondent answered is 73 except 12 on-collected. SPSS and PLS were used for data analysis, Also Reliability and Validity instrument were tested. Tam model were using to test the believed of staffs of HEIs in Nigeria based on this seven components, Quality of internet connection, Ease of used, ERP Feeling enjoyment, Security and Privacy, Usefulness, Amount of information and perception to use ERP. Also Regression and Correlation were analysis and lastly, relevant hypotheses was derived and tested by using PLS software, where three variables are rejected and three are supported. The contribution of this study to HEIs in Nigeria is to reduce the operational cost, save time, to provide student ease accessing online group discussion and improvement in term of learning quality.


Moving to a new home is a major step for anyone. People with autistic spectrum disorders face many difficulties with this transition, but help and information are limited. The Shirley Foundation funded a project by Housing Options, an advisory service for learning disability, to promote the development of housing and support options for people with autism. It looked at existing services, what people say is needed and how to improve them. The challenge for the next five years appeared to be a better understanding of the range of existing need and provision, improvement in the choice available, information and help for people and their families seeking to plan for the future and strategies for services (in the light of Valuing People) to include autism. This article outlines the finding of a recent report, Tomorrow's Big Problem, and in particular looks at information available on the need for services.


Employing ab initio electronic structure calculations, we investigate the conditions for spin-gapless semiconducting (SGS) behavior in the inverse Mn2CoAl Heusler compound. We show that tetragonalization of the lattice, which can occur during films growth, keeps the SGS character of the perfect cubic compound. On the contrary, atomic swaps even between sites with different local symmetry destroy the SGS character giving rise to a half-metallic state. Furthermore, the occurrence of Co-surplus leads also to half-metallicity. Thus, we propose that in order to achieve SGS behavior during the growth of Mn2CoAl (and similar SGS Heusler compounds) thin films, one should minimize the occurrence of defects, while small deformations of the lattice, due to the lattice mismatch with the substrate, do not play a crucial role.


Objective: The shift from conventional to online learning activities may impact students' performance and entrepreneurial involvement. This research investigates the role of e-learning in determining entrepreneur-ship education and entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and students' intention on entrepreneurship. Research Design & Methods: A quantitative method with structural equation modelling using the partial least squared was implemented to understand the phenomenon. The study involved students who enrolled in online entrepreneurship education in several universities in Malang of Indonesia. Findings: The findings indicate that students' entrepreneurship education and self-efficacy can be performed using e-learning, and it is closely linked with lecturer competence, performance expectancy, and facilitating condition. The results also show a linkage between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention. This research confirms a crucial role of self-efficacy and entrepreneurship education in mediating teachers' competence and intention for entrepreneurship. This is the first step for further investigation regarding the effect of online learning on college students' entrepreneurial intentions. Implications & Recommendations: This study implies that lecturers need to improve their competency on how to teach entrepreneurship more meaningful and involve all of students' psychological aspects. Further-more, in cooperation with the government, the campus can provide adequate facilities and infrastructure to support online learning. Additionally, the government can consider improving the quality of the internet network so that geographical conditions do not constrain it. Contribution & Value Added: This research provides an appropriate strategy to promote entrepreneurship education with e-learning that can be adopted during the global Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, in a regular situation, the strategy may still enhance entrepreneurship promotion as it fosters familiarity with the use of educational technology. © 2022, Cracow University of Economics. All rights reserved.


Background : Still births contribute more than half 39(65%) to perinatal deaths but can be minimized if pregnancy is adequately monitored during antenatal care and adequate intrapartum care is given. Perinatal mortality is a key outcome indicator for obstetric care, preventable through EMOC and routine antenatal care of a pregnant woman that allows early detection, prompt diagnosis and early treatment of any pregnancy related conditions that improve perinatal outcome. Thus the objective of this study was to determine factors associated with still births among women at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital in Mbarara District. Methods: An unmatched case control study was adopted. A total of 300 mothers who delivered at or above 28 weeks between august and December 2013 were interviewed using administered questionnaires. Data was analyzed using STATA. Results : We found that 102(34%) mothers had stillbirths and 198(66%) had live births. The mean age (in complete years) of mothers that had live births (25.1±5.45) and those that experienced a stillbirth (25.8±5.89). Mothers in the 30-45 age bracket experienced high 32(31.7%) stillbirth frequency, contrary to younger mothers in the 25-29 age bracket that had the lowest 19(18.8%) stillbirth frequency Therefore, the key determinants of stillbirths at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital were: obstetric and health systems factors that include (cOR, 95%) inadequate antenatal care: ≤ 3 visits (2.10, 1.12-4.0, P= 0.0312) cord prolapsed (5.8, 1.50-4.28, P=0.012), referral status (3.4, 1.74-6.74, P=0.000), lack of partogram use (6.44, 2.3-7.90, P=0.000) and antenatal booking health facility II (3.9, 1.36-11.26 P=0.000) and anemia (2.75 1.60-6.50 P=0.0213 was the medical factor found to be associated with stillbirth. Conclusions: To significantly lower stillbirth rates at MRRH, there is need to strengthen goal oriented antenatal care so as to identify and address the aforementioned factors during antenatal visits and delivery. Key words : Stillbirth, Case, Control, Fresh stillbirth (intrapartum stillbirth), Macerated stillbirth (ante partum stillbirth) and Perinatal


In this article we examine the transformation over the past two decades of public health as a policy arena in France from a backwater of little interest to politicians, bureaucrats, the media, and the public into a central preoccupation of the state. Recent dramatic health crises (the scandal over HIV-contaminated blood, mad cow disease, etc.) have substantially raised the political profile of (and corresponding state investment in) public health in France, offering opportunities and incentives for political actors not traditionally associated with public health to enter the field and challenging more traditional actors to galvanize themselves and compete for this newly attractive policy terrain. We use the occasion of the passage of a public health law in 2004, labeled by its proponents as the "first" public health law in one hundred years, to show how, in a context of national struggle to contain both risks and costs, "public health" -- chameleonlike -- has taken on various meanings and forms to serve highly conflicting political interests.


Natural ventilation was provided by tall vertical shafts such as solar chimney while designing some green buildings. For buildings with a tall vertical shaft located in very cold countries, measured pressure difference due to stack effect was up to 300 Pa. Air motion induced by stack effect would give adequate ventilation flow rate. However, stack effect would also give adverse effect if not utilized properly in this green design. Smoke would spread faster to other parts of the building in an accidental fire. Therefore, estimations of stack pressure by simple hydrostatic equation used to be criticized in performance-based design. Further studies are required and will be justified by scale model experiments in this article. Stack effect in a vertical shaft was studied experimentally by a model shaft of size 0.05 × 0.05 m2 and height 2.0 m. Air temperature inside the model was kept at constant values above outdoor by wounding hot electric wires. Vertical air temperature profiles inside and outside of the model at different heights were measured. Measured air pressure difference profiles between indoor and outdoor were then compared with those estimated from the air temperature difference. Results were then applied to justify stack pressure estimations by the hydrostatic models. From this study, hydrostatic equations are confirmed to be acceptable for studying stack pressure in tall vertical shafts.


Despite many common features in agricultural sector, Korea and Japan have passed through quite different paths of structural adjustment. An important consequence of the different structural adjustment paths is full-time vs. part-time based farming system. As far as policy reforms are concerned, full-time based Korean agriculture has much more barriers to smooth policy reform mainly due to the income-related problems. With high level of off-farm income, farm household income problem is not a great concern to Japan. In addition to the income problem, other barriers to smooth policy reform in Korea are pointed out and discussed.


In order to solve the drawback of SNM algorithm, which leads to inefficiency in detecting precision on approximately duplicate records when multiple sources need to be integrated, the improved SNM algorithm based on the variety of edit distance and the variable window is proposed in this paper. According to the record pattern of edit distance and the size of edit distance, the approximately duplicate records of data are deleted to reduce the number of comparisons. Then we put forward the mechanism of variable window to solve the problem.
Empirical results show that this algorithm can effectively solve the problem that the window is too big or too small to leak. The experiment shows that the improved SNM algorithm can solve many problems in the integration of multi-source, and it has obvious advantages in ensuring precision and boosting efficiency.


The work of Paul Ricoeur can be regarded as a faithful expression of the philosophy of the 20th century and as the paradigmatic exponent of a new philosophical character for the 21st century. Without belonging to any particular school, Ricoeur discussed a wide range of philosophical topics, with many of his insights being prophetic indeed. This book demonstrates that there is no single interpretation of Ricoeur's philosophy, describing his way of thinking. Rather, the book provides an opportunity to see Ricoeur's thoughts as a guide for a human enveloped in the experience of life and being. By exploring Paul Ricoeur in his life circumstances - through war, the academy, and his relationships, as well as through his works and his own words - this book offers a more complete picture of the many aspects of one man and the legacy he left behind. (Series: International Studies in Hermeneutics and Phenomenology - Vol. 5)


Anti-proliferative effects are described for newly synthesised copper (II) complexes of two triazolo-pyrimidine derivatives (1,2,4-triazolo-[1,5-a]pyrimidine, tp, and 5,7-dimethyl 1,2,4-triazolo-[1,5-a]pyrimidine, dmtp) against to Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania (Viannia) peruviana. Of the compounds assayed, those that presented the ligand tp and auxiliary ligand 1,10-phenanthroline (C24b, C49) were most highly active against to T. cruzi with IC(50) within the range of the reference drug benznidazole. These compounds, together with C35 were the most effective against L. (V.) peruviana with an IC(50) greater than that presented by reference drugs (Pentostam and Glucantim). These compounds were not toxic to the host cell. IC(25) diminished the infection capacity and severely reduced the multiplication of intracellular forms of T. cruzi, and L. (V.) peruviana. In the case of T. Cruzi, the transformation to trypomastigote was seriously depressed. Copper (II) complexes C24b, C49 and C35, acted on the energy metabolism of the parasites at the level of the NAD(+)/NADH balance and at the level of the organelle membranes, causing degradation and cell death.


Viral retinitis is a group of sight-threatening conditions mainly caused by herpes viruses. They may occur as an isolated ocular disease or in association with systemic illness or comorbidities. Early diagnosis of viral retinitis is of utmost importance for prompt initiation of appropriate treatment to prevent ocular and systemic morbidity. Diagnosis of viral retinitis is primarily based on history and a careful and comprehensive clinical examination. Anterior uveitis with fine or granulomatous keratic precipitates and elevated or normal intraocular pressure is common. A dilated fundus examination is mandatory not to miss posterior segment involvement including vitritis, macular edema, optic disc edema, and typical peripheral retinal lesions and retinal vascular changes. Although the diagnosis of viral retinitis is primarily clinical, PCR applied to aqueous humor or vitreous sample is recommended to confirm the definitive diagnosis, exclude other entities, and identify the causative virus.


In this study we measured the levels of neuron‐specific enolase mRNA as a possible marker of diabetic neuropathy. Blood samples were collected from healthy controls (n= 26), diabetic controls (no known neuropathy or retinopathy) (n= 22), and diabetics with clinically diagnosed neuropathy (n= 24) into PAXgene blood RNA tubes. mRNA was extracted, reverse‐transcribed to cDNA, and measured by real‐time quantitative PCR. Enolase mRNA levels were normalized by the simultaneous measurement of β‐actin mRNA. The results showed that the enolase mRNA was significantly (P= 0.002) higher in the diabetic control (median = 0.018; range = 0.006–0.037) group compared to healthy subjects (median = 0.0086; range = 0.0016–0.039). However, the diabetic neuropathy group showed lower enolase levels (median = 0.0067; range = 0.0025–0.017) compared to both healthy subjects (P= 0.06) and diabetic controls (P < 0.001). In the diabetic neuropathy group patients with preproliferative (median = 0.01; range = 0.008–0.017) or proliferative retinopathy (median = 0.011; range = 0.007–0.015) had significantly (P= 0.001) higher enolase mRNA compared to patients with background retinopathy (media = 0.004; range = 0.0025–0.0092). It is concluded that levels of enolase mRNA are decreased in diabetic neuropathy and this molecular marker may also be useful in differentiating early from advanced eye disease in those diabetics diagnosed with neuropathy.


Building Resilience brings together contributions from the 2011 Conference of the International
Institute for Infrastructure Renewal and Reconstruction, held at Kandalama, Sri Lanka, 19th – 21st
July 2011. It includes 109 abstracts by scholars and practioners around the world. The full papers are
available on an accompanying USB drive.
With growing population and infrastructures, the world's exposure to hazards – of natural and
man-made origin – is inevitably increasing. This reality reinforces the need to proactively consider
disaster risk as a part of the sustainable development agenda. The International Conference on
Building Resilience will encourage debate on individual, institutional and societal coping strategies
to address the challenges associated with disaster risk. Central to these strategies is the concept of
resilience, which is becoming a core concept in the social and physical sciences, and also in matters
of public policy. Resilience refers to the capability and capacity of systems to withstand change. By
encouraging participation from researchers in the social and physical sciences, the conference will
explore inter-disciplinary strategies that develop the capacity of a system, community or society
potentially exposed to disaster related hazards, to adapt, by resisting or changing, in order to reach
and maintain an acceptable level of functioning and structure.
The conference outcomes will be used to support the 2010-2011 World Disaster Reduction
Campaign 'Making Cities Resilient', which addresses issues of local governance and urban risk while
drawing upon previous ISDR Campaigns on safer schools and hospitals, as well as on the sustainable
urbanizations principles developed in the UN-Habitat World Urban Campaign 2009-2013. Mayors
and their local governments are both the key targets and drivers of the campaign. The overall target of
the Campaign is to get as many local governments ready as possible, to span a global network of fully
engaged cities of different sizes, characteristics, risk profiles and locations. The campaign is focusing
on raising political commitment to disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation among
local governments and mayors; including through high profile media and public awareness activities,


Aim In the present study, beginning teachers joined identity workshops to support their development of a positive, realistic professional identity. For constructing such an identity entails reconciling processes of the personal and contextual side of becoming and being a teacher (Beijaard & Meijer, 2017; Day et al., 2007). Beginning teachers should find a satisfying balance between what they personally find important for their teaching and the professional demands set by their schools. Much research is already done on teacher's professional identity, yet more insight is needed into what configurations of personal and contextual factors make a teacher identity, the aim of this study. Methodology During four professional development meetings, 46 beginning teachers from 13 secondary schools received several exercises to discuss their professional identity. Afterwards they noted their answers to reflective questions in a personal notebook. Their notes resulted in diverse data. To get grip on these data, per teacher one overall description of personal and contextual factors was constructed. Further analysis of these descriptions resulted in overarching themes. Within some descriptions more themes were found, whereas in other descriptions one theme was deduced. Finally, the themes were visualised in terms of configuration of personal and contextual factors underlying the themes. Although the configurations are a comprehensive image of more teachers, the individual teacher can still be located. Findings Five overarching themes were formulated: 1) Classroom management, 2) Students learning, 3) Workload, 4) Collaboration 5), and Standing up for oneself. The number and type of personal and contextual factors discerned within each configuration differed, although there was overlap. For example, the personal factor 'being a perfectionist' was found within four configurations, except for Student learning. The contextual factor 'impact of team/organization' was present in the configurations of Student learning, Workload, and Standing up for oneself. Although each configuration included a number of factors, not all factors were present in the individual teacher's descriptions used to construct the configuration. Consequently, a specific combination of personal and contextual factors is related to each teacher's theme, indicating that reconciling personal and contextual factors is an idiosyncratic process. In the SIG presentation, examples of specific combinations will be presented.


Abstract In this paper, we introduce a new extended generalized Burr III family of distributions in the so- called T-Burr III {Y} family by using the quantile functions of a few popular distributions. We derive the general mathematical properties of this extended family including explicit expressions for the quantile function, Shannon entropy, moments and mean deviations. Three new Burr III sub-families are then investigated, and four new extended Burr III models are discussed. The density of Burr III extended distributions can be symmetric, left-skewed, right-skewed or reversed-J shaped, and the hazard rate shapes can be increasing, decreasing, bathtub and upside-down bathtub. The potentiality of the newly generated distributions is demonstrated through applications to censored and complete data sets.


Gunungpati is one of subdistrict in Semarang city that is rich in natural sources, one of them is jackfruit which is produced up to 1.481,25 ton per years. Usually, the jackfruit is sold to the consumer directly without any processes. Hence, it is often rotten before sold. Proceed the jackfruit into syrup, jam and juice could increase its selling value. In other sides, most of people in Gunungpati work as labor with low income. It is expected that training may increase their skill and income. Survey showed that 77,7% of the people are eager to join the training and create a unit group as a media to empower the community in jackfruit production. The P-IRT (Home Industry License) was obtained to ensure the consumer on product safety hence, it supports continuity of the activity. The training not only result in skilled community but also increase their income up to 81,36% by selling the training product outcome.


This paper is concerned with the application of modern nonlinear control techniques to the thickness control in rolling mills. It turns out that the performance of the closed loop can be significantly improved by taking into account the essential nonlinearities of the to-be-controlled plant already in the controller design. These nonlinear control strategies totally differ from the common approach of linearizing the nonlinear system around a nominal operating point because they are not limited to a more or less small neighborhood of the operating point, but are valid all over the operating range. Practically, these nonlinear control concepts are a possible answer to the trend of modern rolling mills towards tighter thickness tolerances, thinner final strip thicknesses, faster production rates and shorter off-gauge lengths. However, a straightforward application of the well established nonlinear control theory does not always lead to a control concept that is practically feasible. It is rather unavoidable to consider all the special features and properties of the plant. By means of the gap control of a mill stand with a hydraulic positioning system, the authors show in detail the advantages of a nonlinear control approach. Finally, simulation and measurement results demonstrate the feasibility and the excellent performance of the proposed design.


The bugs, Riptortus dentipes and Anoplocnemis curvipes were reared on two cowpea varieties namely Sokoto white and TVx 3236. The bugs were observed for their growth, oviposition, progeny (neanide) development, and damage on the pods on the field. These bugs showed high levels of oviposition and neanide development on Sokoto white variety than on TVx 3236 variety. Five R. dentipes female bugs reared on Sokoto white pods laid 386±2.10 eggs within 4 weeks while 290±1.01 eggs were laid within the same period on TVx 3236 pods. Five A. curvipes female bugs reared on Sokoto white and TVx 3236 pods laid 491±2.25 eggs and 394±2.00 eggs respectively within the same period of 4 weeks. Faster growth of neanide and adults were observed on Sokoto white pods than on TVx 3236 pods for both bugs. It took R. dentipes bugs reared on Sokoto white pods shorter days (25±0.3 days) than on TVx 3236 (29±1.1) to develop from egg stage to adult stage. A. curvipes took 31.5±0.5 days and 36±1.5 days to reach adult stage on Sokoto white pods and TVx 3236 pods respectively. Both adult and neanides preferred younger pods which they sucked thereby causing the pods to abort and dry prematurely. Keywords : Riptortus dentipes, Anoplocnemis curvipes, oviposition, neanide and Sokoto white variety AJAZEB Vol. 7 2005: pp. 106-115


Schizophrenia is a severe and chronic psychiatric disorder with heritability estimates of 80-85%. Knowledge of the genetic factors that contribute to the risk to develop schizophrenia may provide insight into the etiology of the disorder, and, more important, may lead to new ways for treatment and prevention. This thesis encompasses various genetic studies on schizophrenia. Over 300 clinically well-defined patients with schizophrenia and over 800 comparison subjects, all of Dutch descent, participated in the studies. We carried out an association study of 12 genes involved in dopamine neurotransmission and schizophrenia. Dopamine dysregulation has long been implicated in schizophrenia since different kinds of antipsychotic medications block dopamine receptors in the brain. In this study we found no evidence for association with any of the studied genes, which suggests that these genes are not directly involved in the development of schizophrenia in our sample of Dutch patients. Three studies in this thesis are on positional candidate genes for schizophrenia, genes located in regions that previously have shown linkage to the disorder. As schizophrenia is a clinically heterogeneous disorder, we hypothesized clinical distinct subtypes of schizophrenia may have different biological origins. To investigate this hypothesis, we collected schizophrenia patients with and without the Deficit syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by prominent, enduring negative symptoms. As such, we investigated whether the positional candidate genes neuregulin 1, dysbindin (DTNBP1), G72/G30, PIP5K2A and RGS4 are differentially associated with deficit and non-deficit schizophrenia. Whereas dysbindin and G72/G30 were not inferred in the risk to develop schizophrenia (subtypes) in our Dutch population, neuregulin 1 and RGS4 were associated only with the non-deficit form of schizophrenia. PIP5K2A was associated with both the deficit and the non-deficit type of schizophrenia. This finding provides support for the assumption that different biological entities underlie the expression of different schizophrenia subtypes. Another interesting finding was that a combination of risk variants in the genes neuregulin 1, PIP5K2A and RGS4 was a highly significant predictor of the risk on schizophrenia, especially of the risk on the non-deficit subtype. Since several lines of evidence suggest that the integrity of myelin is disturbed in schizophrenia, we also investigated the association between 771 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 138 myelin-related genes and the disorder. Most compelling evidence for association with the disorder was found for PIK4CA, a gene involved in the phosphatidyl-inositol pathway (like PIP5K2A). Other significantly associated genes were PIK3C2G, PSAP, ARHGEF10, FGF1 and FGFR1. We also examined the relationship between SNPs in myelin-related genes and measures of brain structure volumes. Remarkably, a highly significant proportion of the SNPs that were associated with brain volume measures were SNPs in Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) related genes (like the above mentioned FGF1 and FGFR1 genes). This is consistent with earlier reports on FGF system genes showing an important influence on brain volume as well as the risk for developing schizophrenia. Finally, we studied the prevalence of the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) in our sample of schizophrenia patients. This syndrome is associated with a very high risk (20-30%) of schizophrenia. As often quoted in literature, the prevalence of 22q11DS among schizophrenia patients is assumed to be 2% or more. We hypothesized that this prevalence is higher among patients with the Deficit syndrome, since these patients show overlap with symptoms that are found in 22q11DS patients, like social withdrawal, flat affect and lack of mental energy. However, we found no 22q11.2 deletions in a sample of 311 patients with schizophrenia, which was enriched for patients with the Deficit syndrome. Moreover, a literature review combining all available studies on the prevalence of 22q11DS among schizophrenia patients revealed that this prevalence is about 0.75%.


Neighbourhood characteristics pose challenge in labour market participation for immigrants and their children in many immigrants receiving countries, including Canada. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods on labour market participation amongst the second generation youth. Grounded in focus groups and in-depth interviews, our analysis underscores the importance of understanding neighbourhood characteristics and implication on labour market participation amongst the second generation Ghanaian-Canadians in the Greater Toronto Area, specifically, Jane-Finch and Brampton. Our findings reveal several areas where neighbourhood characteristics impact on labour market participation of the second generation youth: neighbourhood's reputation, inefficient transit system and inadequate jobs in neigbourhoods. Based on our findings, we offer recommendations that may be of interest to decision-makers in government, social services and health agencies in urban centres.


The synthesis of adaptive time-modulated linear arrays is dealt with by means of an innovative strategy, in which a particle swarm optimiser is used to reconfigure the pulse sequence controlling the static element excitations, as well as the least significant bits of digital phase shifters to maximise the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio at the receiver. The reduction of the power content of sideband radiation generated by the periodic on-off commutation of switches is addressed by customising to non-isotropic sources a very effective analytic relationship. A set of selected results is reported and discussed to show the advantages and limitations of the proposed approach. Comparisons with previously published results are also presented. "This paper is a postprint of a paper submitted to and accepted for publication in IET Microwaves, Antennas & Propagation and is subject to Institution of Engineering and Technology Copyright. The copy of record is available at IET Digital Library: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?arnumber=5697293"


The purpose of this study is to emphasize the main aspects regarding project quality management. This study tries to present in the comparative manner, different approaches of the main guidelines, international standards and methodologies regarding project quality management (the PMBOK ® Guide elaborated by the Project Management Institute, the PRINCE method elaborated by the British Office of Government Commerce etc.). The PMBOK® Guide describes three elements (processes) of quality management: quality planning (plan quality management), quality assurance (perform quality assurance) and quality control (control quality). The PMBOK approach regarding project quality management is that quality management must lead to achieving and validating project requirements. According the PRINCE method the quality is one of the six variables involved in any project. The PRINCE approach regarding project quality management considers that strategy in this field must lead to achieving just the level of quality needed to achieve in the project and not to ensuring the best quality.


The authors analysed the patterns of recurrence of osteosarcoma of the extremities treated between 1959 and 1989 either with surgery alone (1959-71) or with combined surgery and adjuvant (1972-82) or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (1983-89). In a total of 452 patients with recurrent osteosarcoma, the initial site of metastasis was the lung in 88% of cases independently of the type of treatment received. The mean period of onset of pulmonary metastasis differed according to the type of treatment performed: 8 months for patients treated with surgery alone; 15.9 months for those treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and 20.3 months for patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The incidence of metastases appearing within 12 months of FU was 87%, 56% and 21% respectively. In a most recent and effective neoadjuvant protocol (66% DFS), the incidence of recurrence owing to pulmonary metastasis during the first year of FU was 2% and as much as 75% of all recurrences were concentrated in the following 18 months. Surgery for pulmonary metastasis in patients undergoing chemotherapy was performed in 54 cases with secondary healing in 14 (26%). On the basis of these results the authors suggest a scheme of radiological follow-up for patients with osteosarcoma of the extremities treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy with intensified controls (every 2 months) during the period with the highest risk of recurrence (13-20 months) and four-monthly controls during the first year and after 31 months of FU. In order to increase the efficacy of FU controls during the high-risk period, the a. propose using CT controls instead of chest X-rays at months 14, 20 and 26.


In order to better understand the role of the fluid behavior in chemical mechanical planarization, we measured slurry transport beneath a glass wafer. We quantified the slurry transport using residence time distribution techniques and two measures of slurry transport efficiency, defined as the percentage of new slurry beneath a wafer, Slurry transport efficiency depended on platen speed flow rate and the conditioning method. We found that the average fluid residence times under the wafer decreased roughly linearly with platen speed. A threefold increase in platen speed decreased slurry mean residence time by a factor of 3.5. Changing the flow rate from 20 to 50 mL/min decreased the slurry mean residence times by 80%. In situ conditioning generally increased the slurry mean residence times and the amount of slurry mixing. In situ conditioning also decreased gradients in the slurry composition across the wafer, Pad topography had a large effect on the slurry gradients that developed across the wafer. Finally, we found that the slurry mixing history can be accurately modeled using a simple continuous function.


Key-words: Palaeontology, Algarve, Carboniferous, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Miocene, toponym.

Since the XIX century, Portuguese and foreign geologists have defined 47 new invertebrate taxa (foraminifera, ostracods, coelenterates, brachiopods, gastropods, ammonoids, echinoids), 2 new fossil plant taxa (charophyte and pteridophyte) and 1 ichnofossil, using toponymy from the Algarve; these taxa refer to 1 genera, 47 species and 2 varieties.
Besides the Algarve toponym, the most used as specific name, twenty others have been used, mostly from western Algarve; these toponyms are associated to:
– Miocene units, particularly from Ribeira de Cacela and Ferragudo;
– Cretaceous units between Zavial and Marim;
– Upper Jurassic units from Sagres, Carrapateira and Loule and Middle Jurassic units from Sagres and Guilhim;
– Triassic units from Vila do Bispo to Tavira;
– Carboniferous units, particularly from the Aljezur-Bordeira-Carrapateira region.
The earliest of these designations were attributed to seven gastropods from the Upper Miocene of Cacela (COSTA, 1866-1867).
The majority of the named species are typical of the Algarve, but some have been collected, as well, in the Lusitanian Basin.
Although extensively cited in the geological literature, some of these taxa either do not fulfill the ICZN rules, or fall into synonymy with previously established taxa, or should be formally considered as non valid names (nomem nudum and nomen oblitum). Only widespread bibliographical review, associated with the palaeontological revision of some of these groups and the correct interpretation of the ICZN articles, will allow confirming, or not, the doubts that have now arisen.


We describe a technique to generate motion segments, for a Luxo hopping robot by solving an optimal control problem using exact analytic gradients of the cost function. Analytic gradients are required to solve the optimal control problem reliably; obtaining them is made possible by a hybrid recursive algorithm that calculates the system dynamics and its exact derivatives. Each motion segment, or primitive, is determined by a unique cost function, so that a complete movement is created from the robot model, the customized optimal control problem, and the objective function, without need for detailed path planning by a person. Once the primitives are generated, they are used to control an experimental robot as it performs the motion in the primitive. The problem formulation takes into account limitations such as torque and velocity limits of the motors on the experimental robot.


Migration is a complex phenomenon that affects not only people who move from one country to another, but also the communities of departure and destination. "Migrant" and "refugee", two distinct concepts in international bibliography and practice, constitute crucial points of reference in integration policies. The EC/EU has been dealing with policies relating to the mobility of persons since its inception. But the recent refugee crisis made many European countries to consider the integration of refugees, through their social mechanisms, a huge challenge. The sociology of education helps us explore the ways in which education and social mechanisms interact and influence the position of individuals within groups. Given the dimension of multiculturalism that characterizes today's EU, the concept of interculturality, that is to say a dynamic relationship of cultures, is a focal point for Education and the design of educational programs that are related with integration policies and aim at the integration of refugee children. This postgraduate thesis focuses on educational programs developed in the EU and Greece, operating within the framework of refugee structures and contributing to the educational integration of refugee students.


Introduction Over 1.5M patients are diagnosed annually with cancer in the United States. (Noone) The spine is the most common site of bone metastasis. Over 60% of spinal metastases are symptomatic (Maccauro) and often limit a patient's ability to cooperate for radiation or chemotherapy. Although radiofrequency (RF) ablation has proven effective in providing palliative relief, the unique anatomy of the spine has resulted in limited adoption of RF ablation of such lesions. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed of 39 procedures in 27 patients with a wide variety of spinal neoplasms and secondary painful compression fractures which limited their ability to undergo conventional chemotherapy and radiation. Targeted RF ablation (t-RFA) followed by cement augmentation was performed via a minimally invasive coaxial system. An innovative RF ablation system (STAR) consisting of a robust articulating, navigational bipolar electrode containing two active thermocouples (TCs) permitted real time monitoring to determine the size of the ablations. Access and number of ablations were based on lesion size and location, and ability to articulate the bipolar electrode. Cement augmentation via the same guiding cannula was performed once physiologic temperature was confirmed. Results 39 levels from T4 to S3 were treated successfully with RF ablation and vertebral augmentation without complication. Articulation of the ablation device enabled access to lesions throughout the vertebral bodies. Ablation zones were successfully controlled by monitoring TC temperature in-situ and, when necessary, adjusting power. No thermal injury occurred. Cement augmentation following t-RFA was efficient and resulted in a predictable filling. Pain control was rapidly achieved in all patients allowing them to restart chemotherapy or radiation therapy. One patient required addition RF ablation and vertebral augmentation at adjacent levels as his disease progressed and pain recurred. Conclusion Our initial clinical experience shows that targeted RF ablation using a novel articulating ablation technology, combined with vertebral augmentation, provides a safe method of stabilisation and pain control allowing patients who otherwise would be unable, to continue with conventional cancer therapy. Disclosures J. Rutledge: None. K. Conrad: None. M. Parker: None.


This paper is a study of the place of luminosity in the films of Michael Mann and the way in which luminosity is not a tool of illumination but a radiance that signals the bodying forth of appearances. The event of luminosity in Mann's films is an attempt to re-imagine the conventional value structures that create a link between film and indexicality, as if his admiration for the photoreal effects of film belies an insistence that the advenience of an appearance (a central conceptual category I elaborate) is what eventuates when objects ingress between reference and expression, between realism and dream. By using the most advanced high definition digital cameras to film his nightscapes - and his movies more generally - Mann defeats the illuminatory and transcriptual demands of a filmic iconography that rely on the power of light to tether a representation to a thing in the world. In doing so, however, he neither refuses nor rejects the power of representation as such. His picturing of luminous nightscapes in cities, for instance, transubstantiates the objecthood of urban spaces so that the iridescence of the lights makes the city feel at once vivid and unlike any object that might exist in the world. I conclude that Mann's commitment to filming luminosity presents a problem to the dominant methodologies for the analysis of aesthetics and politics that offer a moral theory of the image. Michael Mann's films, finally, offer an alternative to the moral theory of the image: a politics of appearances rooted in the experience of advenience.


Around the world, endemic species with restricted ranges seem to be at particular risk of extinction. When range size is controlled, lowland continental species may be especially at risk, more so than island or montane species. Our study aimed to investigate reasons behind the high vulnerability of endemic species. In Sri Lanka, large-scale national surveys and intensive localized fieldwork established that endemic plant and animal species are mostly associated with undisturbed rainforest habitats. On the other hand, non-endemic species used both forest and non-forest habitats almost equally, suggesting they are less likely to suffer from deleterious edge effects. To understand the different distribution of endemic and non-endemic species, our study focused on rats. Compared to the widespread species, the endemic rat species had a larger home range and fed on fewer species of forest fruit, possibly indicating greater specialization. The abundance of the endemic species was also negatively correlated with the abundance of the non-endemic species, to which it was behaviourally subordinate. Greater specialization and competitive inferiority could both contribute to the vulnerability of endemic species.


Pervasive computing (also referred to as ubiquitous computing or ambient intelligence) aims to create environments where computers are invisibly and seamlessly integrated and connected into our everyday environment. Pervasive computing applications are often interaction transparent, context aware, and experience capture and reuse capable. Interaction transparency means that the human user is not aware that there is a computer embedded in the tool or device that he or she is using. Context awareness means that applications and services should be aware of their contexts and automatically adapt to their changing contexts-known as context-awareness. An experience capture and reuse capable application can remember when, where, and why something was done and can use that information as input to solve new tasks. Context, as defined by Anind K. Dey in 2001, is any information that can be used to characterize the situation of an entity. An entity is a person, place, or object that is considered relevant to the interaction between a user and an application, including location, time, activities, and the preferences of each entity. A system is context-aware if it can extract, interpret and use context information and adapt its functionalities to the current context of use. In a pervasive environment, several middleware have been proposed to manage context information such as the Context Toolkit, Aura, Amigo, etc…. In these environments, Context-aware applications adapt their behaviour using Event-Condition-Action (ECA) rules, also referred to as adaptation rules. An ECA rule defines an action to be performed as a reaction to some event under a certain condition. The event part refers to context changes, the condition part to the current context and the action part to an adaptive behaviour. After studying several adaptation works in a pervasive environment we can conclude that the adaptation conducted until now is only supported by static rules in a way that they were specified by developers during the implementation phase and the applications behavior was restricted to the actions specified in that rules. However, in such an environment, some of the adaptation rules change naturally over time, particularly those related to the preferences of a human user. Indeed, the later can decide to perform a particular action in a specific context at a given time and act differently against the same context at a later time. Consequently, the predefined static adaptation rules can't support this frequent change of users' preferences and thus, it is difficult to provide the users with the automatic personalized services. Hence, our work aims to propose an approach for adaptation to the dynamic changing context in pervasive environments. The principle of our approach is to distinguish static and dynamic adaptation rules based on the user preferences. We use the history of users interactions to predict their future behavior and thus to define new adaptation rules or update the existing ones. Our solution combines machine learning techniques, specifically the Case Based Reasoning method (CBR) and data mining techniques to extract and update rules. We are actually at the stage of implementing our approach which we consider to be giving a new impetus to research in the field of adaptation and personalization in pervasive environments.


: Fiberoptic endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract was performed on 53 patients without incident, ranging in age between two months and 18 years, of whom 35 were out patients at the time of examination. Of 27 patients with recurrent abdominal pain and normal upper gastrointestinal series, eight had abnormal findings at endoscopy: a duodenal ulcer in four, a gastric ulcer in two and duodenitis in two. Of 18 patients with hematemesis and/or melena, esophageal varices were demonstrated both by endoscopy and x-ray in two, gastric ulcer by endoscopy in three and x-ray in one, duodenal ulcer by endoscopy in three and by x-ray in two, esophagitis by endoscopy only in one patient, erosive gastritis by endoscopy in five and by x-ray in two and duodenitis by endoscopy in three and by x-ray in two. Of the remaining eight patients with abnormal x-rays findings and other symptomatology, endoscopy demonstrated foreign bodies in two (coins, esophagus and stomach), duodenitis in two, a gastric ulcer in one, a duodenal ulcer in one and normal examination in two. The data indicate that fiberoptic endoscopy significantly improves diagnostic accuracy in the evaluation of disorders of the upper gastrointestinal tract in children and is a safe and effective procedure in ambulatory pediatric patients.


The ever-increasing pace of change in today's organizations requires that executives understand and then quickly respond to constant shifts in how their businesses operate and how work must get done. That means you must resist your innate biases against doing new things in new ways, scan the horizon for growth opportunities, and push yourself to acquire drastically different capabilities—while still doing your existing job. To succeed, you must be willing to experiment and become a novice over and over again, which for most of us is an extremely discomforting proposition. Over decades of work with managers, the author has found that people who do succeed at this kind of learning have four well-developed attributes: aspiration, self-awareness, curiosity, and vulnerability. They have a deep desire to understand and master new skills; they see themselves very clearly; they're constantly thinking of and asking good questions; and they tolerate their own mistakes as they move up the curve. Andersen has identified some fairly simple mental strategies that anyone can use to boost these attributes


The human immunodeficiency virus has been shown to be the causative agent for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The human immunodeficiency virus encodes for unique aspartyl protease that is essential for the production of enzymes and proteins in the final stages of maturation. Protease inhibitors act by preventing the formation of functional proteins from precursor proteins, which are vital for production of mature infectious viral particles. This review summarizes the data documenting the pharmacology and chemistry of non-peptide protease inhibitors that may be used as therapeutic agents against the human immunodeficiency virus infection. These agents are structural mimics of peptides with little or no peptidic character, thus overcoming various pharmacological problems of peptidic protease inhibitors. Structure-based drug designs of potent protease inhibitors, discovered through broad screening, have been developed into various clinical candidates for the treatment of AIDS. Non peptide protease inhibitors could provide a useful model in the further search for novel compounds with even more pertinent pharmacological and pharmacokinetic profiles.


Definitive treatment of achalasia usually involves disruption of the muscle fibers of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Over the past few decades the most common procedure to achieve this has been laparoscopic Heller myotomy (LHM) with partial fundoplication. Recently, peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) has been increasingly utilized. This manuscript reviews the current state of the POEM procedure in the treatment of achalasia. Safety and efficacy of the procedure have been demonstrated. Unanswered questions remain regarding the long-term incidence and implication of gastroesophageal reflux, as well as any possible benefits of the omission of an antireflux fundoplication when compared to Heller myotomy (HM).


Background Inhibition of breast cancer stem cells has been shown to be an effective therapeutic strategy for cancer prevention. The aims of this work were to evaluate the efficacy of koenimbin, isolated from Murraya koenigii (L) Spreng, in the inhibition of MCF7 breast cancer cells and to target MCF7 breast cancer stem cells through apoptosis in vitro. Methods Koenimbin-induced cell viability was evaluated using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. Nuclear condensation, cell permeability, mitochondrial membrane potential, and cytochrome c release were observed using high-content screening. Cell cycle arrest was examined using flow cytometry, while human apoptosis proteome profiler assays were used to investigate the mechanism of apoptosis. Protein expression levels of Bax, Bcl2, and heat shock protein 70 were confirmed using Western blotting. Caspase-7, caspase-8, and caspase-9 levels were measured, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activity was assessed using a high-content screening assay. Aldefluor™ and mammosphere formation assays were used to evaluate the effect of koenimbin on MCF7 breast cancer stem cells in vitro. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was investigated using Western blotting. Results Koenimbin-induced apoptosis in MCF7 cells was mediated by cell death-transducing signals regulating the mitochondrial membrane potential by downregulating Bcl2 and upregulating Bax, due to cytochrome c release from the mitochondria to the cytosol. Koenimbin induced significant (P<0.05) sub-G0 phase arrest in breast cancer cells. Cytochrome c release triggered caspase-9 activation, which then activated caspase-7, leading to apoptotic changes. This form of apoptosis is closely associated with the intrinsic pathway and inhibition of NF-κB translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Koenimbin significantly (P<0.05) decreased the aldehyde dehydrogenase-positive cell population in MCF7 cancer stem cells and significantly (P<0.01) decreased the size and number of MCF7 cancer stem cells in primary, secondary, and tertiary mammospheres in vitro. Koenimbin also significantly (P<0.05) downregulated the Wnt/β-catenin self-renewal pathway. Conclusion Koenimbin has potential for future chemoprevention studies, and may lead to the discovery of further cancer management strategies by reducing cancer resistance and recurrence and improving patient survival.


Microcapsules with high mechanical stability and elasticity are desirable in a variety of contexts. We report a single-step method to fabricate such microcapsules by microfluidic interfacial complexation between high stiffness cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and an oil-soluble cationic random copolymer. Single-capsule compression measurements reveal an elastic modulus of 53 MPa for the CNF-based capsule shell with complete recovery of deformation from strains as large as 19%. We demonstrate the ability to manipulate the shell modulus by the use of polyacrylic acid (PAA) as a binder material, and observe a direct relationship between the shell modulus and the PAA concentration, with moduli as large as 0.5 GPa attained. These results demonstrate that CNF incorporation provides a facile route for producing strong yet flexible microcapsule shells.


Equivalent widths of the total emission-line Hbeta in Seyfert 1, Seyfert 2, and intermediate-type Seyfert galaxies, expressed in terms of the featureless continuum, all have approximately the same frequency distribution. This suggests that the energy-input mechanism to both the narrow-line, low-density gas and the broad-line, high-density gas is photoionization by the featureless continuum. The reason for the weakness of the narrow emission lines in extreme Seyfert 1 galaxies is then the absorption of most of the ionizing photons in the dense gas near the central source. The statistics of line widths can be fitted by a model in which the dense gas has typical rotational velocity 5000 km/sec and typical turbulent velocity 2000 km/sec. A model is proposed in which the dense gas forms a rotating, turbulent disk with dimension approximately 0.1 pc and height/diameter approximately 2/5. Seyfert 2 galaxies are objects with little dense gas, and intermediate-type Seyfert galaxies are objects in which the dense gas is optically thin to ionizing radiation at least along the poles. Most radio galaxies have strong narrow emission lines, suggesting that escape of radio plasma can only occur where some ionizing photons can also escape from the dense gas. Other predictions, implications, and tests of this model are discussed.


Using electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate thiamine pyrophosphokinase (EC 22.214.171.124) was found to possess quaternary structure and consist of two polypeptide chains. It was shown that besides active centres, the oligomer has allosteric centres for binding of Mg2+ ions, since treatment by HgCl2 and heating of the enzyme lead to complete "desensibilisation". This results in a disappearance of the S-shaped curve of the dependence of reaction rate on Mg2+ concentration, the Hill coefficient coming down to 1. It is assumed that thiamine pyrophosphokinase belongs to the class dissociating regulatory enzymes.


Since their rapid introduction into the workplace visual display terminals (VDT's) have been the source of a number of studies aimed at detecting effects on office workers. The published studies have been either short-term or cross-sectional, with one exception. The results have shown varying degrees of relation but by not having a comparable control group all have been limited in their value. We set out to monitor at regular intervals over a 2-year period specific visual functions that have been reported to be affected by VDT usage, and to compare VDT and non-VDT users in the same office environment. By assessing the VDT operators from the time the systems were introduced we have an accurate baseline to work from when assessing change due to the introduction of the VDT.


The most common account based password used for authentication is Textual passwords. But Textual passwords are in risk to phishing attack, burette force attack, social engineering and shoulder surfing. Biometrics is used for human recognition which consists of authentication, verification and recognition. Biometric passwords are introduced as alternative techniques to textual passwords. Many biometric systems exist today by using fingerprint, face, iris, etc but risk to duplicating a fake (For e.g.:"fingerprintgummy finger"). Palm vein authentication is one of the modern biometric techniques, which employs the vein pattern in the human palm to verify the person. The merits of palm vein on classical biometric (e.g. fingerprint, iris, face) are a low risk of falsification, difficulty of duplicated and stability. In this propose method, detecting a hand vein by using Near Infrared (NIR) Light method for web based account. A CCD camera will capture the image of person's palm vein region. The captured image will process through Mat lab software and emphasize to get vein structure. The detected palm vein structure which acts as a password for web based account for password security.


The paper will start off with an introduction of the idea of media literacy. Why is media literacy of importance? This question can by simply answered by pointing out the importance of media in modern societies. Our society is saturated with all sorts of media, old and new. On a more theoretical level the importance lies in the connection between media and citizenship.

Citizenship is usually interpreted in the political sense of electorate. Citizenship here means being informed and participating in debate. Within this traditional discourse of citizenship, media is predominately appreciated for its information function. By providing us with 'reality in the raw' - for instance television - can inform us, and we as citizens can use this information to shape our worldview and opinions. Broadcasting examplifies this idea well: by providing as many people as possible with a broad spectrum of media content, everybody will be included in the public media domain and will be able to establish a well-informed opinion. However, in recent years this rational and instrumental form of citizenship seems to be hard to uphold. Old boundaries - like those between private and public, and high and low culture - have become less sharp. More attention has been given to the personal, daily life, smaller values, and identity. This shift, together with technological changes, changed the role of media in society.
This changing role – in which the media user becomes a producer as well as a consumer – has implications for the position of the government in creating an open public sphere through their media policy. The Dutch government used to focus on providing and guaranteeing a pluriform and free media landscape. Nowadays they also develop policies to stimulate citizens to develop skills, knowledge and (critical) attitude which they need to participate in a mediated society. Since 2005 conferences have been held, a new expertise center and a website have been launced. We will discuss the new policy and address the implications for the library. Is the library fit for implementing these policies? How can the library position itself in this field? Their traditional role in teaching information skills has to be expanded. The library can also function as a platform and playground for producing media content. Through a series of interviews with librarians we will examine the chances of succesful adaptation of the new ideas and policy on media literacy in libraries.


The physical activity levels of children in Australia are critically low and correlate with reduced academic achievement and poor health outcomes. Schools provide an ideal setting for physical activity interventions to help children move more. Instead of targeting in-service teachers, this study embedded an evidence-based active pedagogy program called Transform-Ed! into pre-service teacher education. Pre/post surveys and post-program interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with key stakeholders (n = 5), lecturers (n = 6), and pre-service teachers (n = 274) involved with the 12-week program. The design, implementation, and evaluation of the study were systematically guided by all five dimensions of Glasgow and colleagues' RE-AIM (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance) framework. Linear mixed models, descriptive analysis and a framework approach were used to analyse the data. Significant improvements were observed in pre-service teachers' willingness, confidence, and competence to implement physically active pedagogic strategies following the intervention. Pre-service teacher perceived effectiveness of such strategies on student outcomes also significantly increased and perceived barriers decreased. High adherence was consistently reported and the program was maintained after completion of the implementation trial by all lecturers. Four key themes spanning multiple dimensions and participant levels informed recommendations for program scalability: an "inter-systemic approach", a "co-design" approach, "embedded in professional practice", and "evidence of impact" on teacher practice. Anchored in real-world settings and tethered by implementation science, Transform-Ed! could have the potential to advance the teaching capability of teachers, and transform the learning experience and physical and academic outcomes of primary school students.


Over the last decades, food waste has generated an immense amounts across the food life cycle, determining serious environmental, social and economic issues. Reducing the amount of food waste is a key element in developing a sustainable food system.The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between food waste and belief, attitudes and behaviours at the household level so exploring its possible drivers among Italian consumers: how people could reduce or avoid the amount of food waste is the main step for addressing the consumer behaviour and for planning shopping routines. In effect avoidable food waste represents the majority of food waste generated at the household level. The disposal of food is the final step in the food provisioning process (Munro, 1995) entailing a series of food-related behaviours from purchasing food to preparing and eating it (Jensen et al., 2012). The Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen,1991) helps to understanding how the people actions can be modified linking beliefs and behaviour; this theory is our starting point to predict household decisions in order to avoid, to minimize or to recycle waste (Biswa et al., 2000; Knussen et al., 2004) as well as to improve food-related behaviours (Conner & Armitage, 2002). To this end, an on-line survey was carried out via social networks and e-mail. A focus group and a pilot test with 12 Italian consumers were conducted to support the questionnaire design. 256 were respondents. Results are in line with the studies on this research topics. The current study focuses on Italian consumers, but the basic concepts in our framework should be replicable and so applicable to any society. The policy implications are related to the crucial importance that new models to address behaviour consumer have to be identified in order to change eating habits and attitudes.


Accurate timing information of circuits is essential for high quality designs. This paper presents a symbolic event propagation based method to determine the critical delay of digital circuits. The proposed approach considers the effect of glitches, multiple transitions and simultaneous switching on the critical delay. Our method identifies and eliminates both combinational and sequential false paths. We also consider triggering of traditional combinational false paths due to multiple transitions. The mathematical formulation makes no assumption about the start state of the finite state machine extracted from the sequential circuit. Few approximate methods have been proposed to determine the upper bound of the critical delay. A complete BDD based implementation has been made. Results on ISCAS89 benchmark circuits are presented


Housing Associations (HAs) contribute circa 20% of the UK's housing supply. HAs are however under increasing pressure as a result of funding cuts and rent reductions. Due to the increased pressure, a number of processes are currently being reviewed by HAs, especially how they manage and learn from defects. Learning from defects is considered a useful approach to achieving defect reduction within the UK housebuilding industry. This paper contributes to our understanding of how HAs learn from defects by undertaking an initial round table discussion with key HA stakeholders as part of an ongoing collaborative research project with the National House Building Council (NHBC) to better understand how house builders and HAs learn from defects to reduce their prevalence. The initial discussion shows that defect information runs through a number of groups, both internal and external of a HA during both the defects management process and organizational learning (OL) process. Furthermore, HAs are reliant on capturing and recording defect data as the foundation for the OL process. During the OL process defect data analysis is the primary enabler to recognizing a need for a change to organizational routines. When a need for change has been recognized, new options are typically pursued to design out defects via updates to a HAs Employer's Requirements. Proposed solutions are selected by a review board and committed to organizational routine. After implementing a change, both structured and unstructured feedback is sought to establish the change's success. The findings from the HA discussion demonstrates that OL can achieve defect reduction within the house building sector in the UK. The paper concludes by outlining a potential 'learning from defects model' for the housebuilding industry as well as describing future work.


The problem of signal detection using sparse, faint information is closely related to a variety of contemporary statistical problems, including the control of false-discovery rate, and classification using very high-dimensional data. Each problem can be solved by conducting a large number of simultaneous hypothesis tests, the properties of which are readily accessed under the assumption of independence. In this paper we address the case of dependent data, in the context of higher criticism methods for signal detection. Short-range dependence has no first-order impact on performance, but the situation changes dramatically under strong dependence. There, although higher criticism can continue to perform well, it can be bettered using methods based on differences of signal values or on the maximum of the data. The relatively inferior performance of higher criticism in such cases can be explained in terms of the fact that, under strong dependence, the higher criticism statistic behaves as though the data were partitioned into very large blocks, with all but a single representative of each block being eliminated from the dataset.


We examine optimal monetary policy in a New Keynesian model with unemployment and financial frictions where banks produce loans using equity as collateral. Firms and households demand loans to finance externally a fraction of their flows of expenditures. Our findings show amplifying business-cycle effects of a more rigid loan production technology. In the monetary policy analysis, the optimal rule clearly outperforms a Taylor-type rule. The optimized interest-rate response to the external finance premium turns significantly negative when either banking rigidities are high or when financial shocks are the only source of business cycle fluctuations.


Driven by applications in data-hiding, MIMO broadcast channel coding, precoding for interference cancellation, and transmitter cooperation in wireless networks, Costa coding has lately become a very active research area. In this paper, we first offer code design guidelines in terms of source- channel coding for algebraic binning. We then address practical code design based on nested lattice codes and propose nested turbo codes using turbo-like trellis-coded quantization (TCQ) for source coding and turbo trellis-coded modulation (TTCM) for channel coding. Compared to TCQ, turbo-like TCQ offers structural similarity between the source and channel coding components, leading to more efficient nesting with TTCM and better source coding performance. Due to the difference in effective dimensionality between turbo-like TCQ and TTCM, there is a performance tradeoff between these two components when they are nested together, meaning that the performance of turbo-like TCQ worsens as the TTCM code becomes stronger and vice versa. Optimization of this performance tradeoff leads to our code design that outperforms existing TCQ/TCM and TCQ/TTCM constructions and exhibits a gap of 0.94, 1.42 and 2.65 dB to the Costa capacity at 2.0, 1.0, and 0.5 bits/sample, respectively.


Abstract:Classic theory has long been interested in mobility, but with limited attention to the implications of intergenerational movement for inequality-specific beliefs. In this article, we introduce a dynamic conception and modeling of the impact of intergenerational occupational mobility on inequality orientations generally and distributive and redistributive beliefs in particular. The diagonal models we employ using 2008–2010 General Social Survey samples—modeling that considers intergenerational occupational origin and destination, and that is replicated on a larger sample across three waves of the GSS—reveal strong conservatizing effects of mobility overall. Those who occupationally fall relative to their parents, although somewhat more progressive by virtue of the downward mobility experience, tend to cling more so to the conservative beliefs characteristic of their higher status origins. Those experiencing mobility gains, in contrast, usually adopt the more conservative orientations of those who they are now surrounded by and in ways that legitimize individual efforts. These patterns are notably pronounced compared to other aspects of one's job, political affiliation, and status-related attributes; are somewhat stronger among men than women; and differ significantly for Blacks. We elaborate and conclude by highlighting the need for a mobility-centered corrective to sociological understandings of inequality beliefs and how workplace-related experiences in particular shape ideological leanings.


The overall three-dimensional parametric model of the crankshaft has been completed based on the ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL) from the software of ANSYS and by combing the structure analysis capability with the statistical analysis capability of its PDS module, the reliability analysis of Monte Carlo finite element method (FEM) will be achieved according to the finite element analysis technology and the reliability basic principles. The 4110 diesel engine crankshaft was taken as an example, the parametric design will be introduced into the finite element structure analysis to implement the rapid adjustment of the structure parameter, produce the anatomic model automatically and complete the process of the structural analysis and reliability analysis. The process that the reliability analysis of the crankshaft has been realized will be described in detail. According to the results of probability analysis, the sensitivity relation between the design variable and the object variable will be obtained and at the same time the maximum stress probability distribution function of these dangerous parts and the main affective factor for object variable will be given, which will offer the useful data for the structure reliability optimization design.


Silylated amines, also known as reversible ionic liquids (RevILs), have been designed and structurally modified by our group for potential use as solvents for CO₂ capture from flue gas. An ideal CO₂ capture ionic liquid should be able to selectively and reversibly capture CO₂ and have tolerance for other components in flue gas, including SO₂, NO₂, and O₂. In this project, we study the reactivity, selectivity, uptake capacity, and reversibility of RevILs in the presence of pure SO₂ and mixed gas streams tosimulate flue gas compositions. Tripropylsilylamine (TPSA), a candidate CO₂ capture RevIL, reacts with pure SO₂ to form an ionic liquid consisting of an ammonium group and a salfamate group, supported by IR and NMR results. The resulting IL with pure SO₂ partially reverses when heated to temperatures of upto 500 C in the TGA. TGA analysis of the ionic liquid formed from a 4 vol% SO₂ in CO₂ mixture indicates a possible reversal temperature in the 86-163 C range.


The hundreds of millions of deployed smartphones provide an unprecedented opportunity to collect data to monitor, debug, and continuously adapt wireless networks to improve performance. In contrast with previous mobile devices, such as laptops, smartphones are always on but mostly idle, making them available to perform measurements that help other nearby active devices make better use of available network resources. We present the design of PocketSniffer, a system delivering wireless measurements from smartphones both to network administrators for monitoring and debugging purposes and to algorithms performing realtime network adaptation. By collecting data from smartphones, PocketSniffer supports novel adaptation algorithms designed around common deployment scenarios involving both cooperative and self-interested clients and networks. We present preliminary results from a prototype and discuss challenges to realizing this vision.


The signaling and identification of phytotoxic substances in soil is a very difficult problem. The main cause of this difficulty is that many of these phytotoxic substances, especially the organic ones, are ephemeral, transform rapidly and this changes the character of their physiological action on plants. As germination is the main characteristic of sowing seeds, the phytotoxicity of extracts on the plant growth and development can be followed through the effects they produce on seed germination. A characteristic that can be followed is the way the radical system develops. The radicals in particular are especially sensitive to the action exerted by the phytotoxic substances. Thus, the region of the root apical meristem develops abnormally, exteriorizing by their discoloration and then their complete mortification. In most cases, the effect of the phytotoxic extracts on the apical meristem is very quick. The root necrosis is observed an hour after the exposure of the roots to the phytotoxic solution. The paper presents the possible phytotoxic effects on the seed germination that extracts from different indigenous plants and invertebrates could produce, as it is well known that these can be used to fight certain pests in the ecological agricultural crops. The experiment was done within the Phytotechny Laboratory of the Faculty for Natural and Agricultural Sciences - the Agriculture Department. Wheat seeds (Flamura 85 variety) were set to germinate, with aqueous extracts of celandine, wormwood, oily extract of Allium with 10 g sodium-free soap and extract of Coccinella diluted in ethanol. These extracts, used for the ecological fight against pests, were monitored to see if they have phytotoxic effect in the soil.


Due to the complexity associated with developing parallel applications, scientists and engineers rely on high-level software libraries such as PETSc, ScaLAPACK and PESSL to ease this task. Such libraries assist developers by providing abstractions for mathematical operations, data representation and management of parallel layouts of the data, while internally using communication libraries such as MPI and PVM. With high-level libraries managing data layout and communication internally, it can be expected that they organize application data suitably for performing the library operations optimally. However, this places additional overhead on the underlying communication library by making the data layout noncontiguous in memory and communication volumes (data transferred by a process to each of the other processes) nonuniform. In this paper, we analyze the overheads associated with these two aspects (noncontiguous data layouts and nonuniform communication volumes) in the context of the PETSc software toolkit over the MPI communication library. We describe the issues with the current approaches used by MPICH2 (an implementation of MPI), propose different approaches to handle these issues and evaluate these approaches with micro-benchmarks as well as an application over the PETSc software library. Our experimental results demonstrate close to an order of magnitude improvement in the performance of a 3-D Laplacian multi-grid solver application when evaluated on a 128 processor cluster.


Geranium wallichianum D. Don ex sweet belongs to Family Geraniaceae, distributed in Himalaya region of Pakistan. It is highly medicinal. It is native to Pakistan due to its restricted geographic ranges, specific habitats and anthropogenic activities more than 75% population has been reduced. Major threats are grazing of pasture, forest encroachment, soil-slope erosion, poverty, forest fire, illegal trade, habitat loss, invasive species and the lack of adequate training. In this review efforts are made to document the conservation status of important medicinal plant G. wallichianum. It is most threatened species and deserves special attention. Due to insufficient information, there is no organization strategy for conservation of this plant. With great ethnomedicinal value of this plant species draw the attention of the researchers to conserve it. Several conservation studies and efforts are making to conserve it, but comprehensive and long lasting conservation policies are necessary to ensure its conservation.


UNLABELLED
[¹⁸F]Fluoromisonidazole positron emission tomography (FMISO-PET) is a non invasive imaging technique that can assist detecting intra tumour regions of hypoxia. FMISO-PET evinces comparatively low signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) and may be acquired dynamically or after different uptake times post injection (p.i.). The aim of this study was to identify, if static images acquired two hours (MISO2) or four hours (MISO4) p.i. reveal higher contrast.

PATIENTS, METHODS
As part of a prospective trial, 23 patients with cancers of the head and neck underwent [¹⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET before and during curative radiochemotherapy. Additionally, FMISO-PET studies 2 h and 4 h p.i. were done before treatment and after a mean dose of 11Gy, 23 Gy and 57 Gy during RCT. After coregistration, a dedicated software was used to define the gross tumour volume (GTV) by FDG PET for the primary tumour. This volume was overlaid to the FMISO images and hypoxia within the GTV was determined. The contrast between hypoxia determined by MISO2 and by MISO4 was investigated and analysed with the Wilcoxon-matched-pairs test.

RESULTS
Mean SUVmax in tumours of all examinations was 2.2 (stdev: 0.4, min: 1.3, max: 3.4) after 2 h and 2.4 (stdev: 0.7, min: 1.1, max: 4.4) after 4 h. In the neck musculature the mean SUVmax was 1.5 at both time points and the mean SUVmean decreased from 1.2 after 2 h to 1.1 after 4 h, respectively. These effects resulted in significantly rising contrast ratios from MISO2 to MISO4. The differently defined contrasts revealed significantly higher values for examinations 4 h p.i. (p < 0.002).

CONCLUSION
Data acquisition of [¹⁸F]FMISO should be done 4 h p.i. to gather the optimal contrast, preferably allowing further analysis, e. g. hypoxic sub volume definition for therapy planning.


Recently, Transformer architecture has been introduced into image restoration to replace convolution neural network (CNN) with surprising results. Considering the high computational complexity of Transformer with global attention, some methods use the local square window to limit the scope of self-attention. However, these methods lack direct interaction among different windows, which limits the establishment of long-range dependencies. To address the above issue, we propose a new image restoration model, Cross Aggregation Transformer (CAT). The core of our CAT is the Rectangle-Window Self-Attention (Rwin-SA), which utilizes horizontal and vertical rectangle window attention in different heads parallelly to expand the attention area and aggregate the features cross different windows. We also introduce the Axial-Shift operation for different window interactions. Furthermore, we propose the Locality Complementary Module to complement the self-attention mechanism, which incorporates the inductive bias of CNN (e.g., translation invariance and locality) into Transformer, enabling global-local coupling. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our CAT outperforms recent state-of-the-art methods on several image restoration applications. The code and models are available at https://github.com/zhengchen1999/CAT.


The goal of this work is to fabricate a new composite based on polyurethane (PU), grapefruit (GP) oil, and cobalt nitrate [Co(NO3)2] using an electrospinning technique. Morphology results revealed the reduction in the fiber diameter of the composites compared to pristine PU control. The interaction of PU with GP and Co(NO3)2 was confirmed by hydrogen bond formation evident in infrared analysis. The fabricated PU/GP composites depicted a more hydrophobic behavior, while PU/GP/Co(NO3)2 showed a hydrophilic behavior than the pristine PU. Atomic force micrographs (AFM) revealed that the developed composites showed a decrease in the surface roughness (R a) compared to PU. The addition of GP and Co(NO3)2 improved the mechanical strength of the pristine PU. The blood compatibility assays concluded not only the increase in blood clotting levels but also the less toxic nature of the fabricated composites compared to the pristine PU. Hence, the newly designed composites possessing outstanding physicochemical and biological properties may be used as a potential candidate for scaffolding in tissue engineering applications.


A diblock copolymer of Poly (Styrene-b- [ethylene-co-propylene]) has been used as a stabilizer in non-aqueous
dispersion polymerizations of methyl methacrylate and vinyl
acetate in n-heptane. The particles thus produced were
stabilized by well defined surface layers of ethylene-propylene
copolymer chains. The dependence of the particle
size on the stabilizer, monomer and initiator
concentrations was studied. Both seeded and one-shot
polymerization techniques were investigated. Polymer
particles were characterized by transmission electron
microscopy to determine particle shape and size. The long
term stability of both types of polymer particles suggests
that the anchoring efficiency in both systems was good.
Rheological studies confirmed the sphericity of the
particles and showed the particles to be non-flocculated
under shear. The thickness of the surface layer was
determined from viscosity studies of the dispersions at 298, 308
and 318K. Solution viscosities
dispersions at
of a narrow
distribution standard of ethylene-propylene copolymer in
n-heptane and in a binary liquid mixture of n-heptane and
n-propanol (79:21, v/v) at 298, 308 and 318K were obtained
in order to estimate the root-mean-square end-to-end
distance of free ethylene-propylene copolymer chains. The
thickness of the surface layer was observed to increase on
raising the temperature and to decrease on changing the
solvency of the dispersion medium from a good solvent to
almost a theta solvent for the ethylene-propylene copolymer
chains. The dimensions of the surface layer were slightly
larger than the dimensions of the free ethylene-propylene
copolymer chains in solution suggesting that long ethylene-propylene
chains terminally anchored at the interface are only slightly extended over random coil dimensions. Calculations of
the mean separation distance between
adjacent stabilizing ethylene-propylene copolymer chains
indicated close-packing of ethylene-propylene copolymer
chains at the particle-liquid interface which may
contribute to the slight extension of the ethylene-propylene
copolymer chain conformation.
The theta-conditions for ethylene-propylene copolymer
in a mixture of n-heptane and n-propanol were determined
using samples obtained by hydrogenating polyisoprene
standards. The solvency of the dispersion medium for the
stabilizing ethylene-propylene copolymer chain on the
polymer particles was reduced until flocculation occurred,
and this was achieved by cooling the dispersion system to
find the critical flocculation temperature or by adding a
non-solvent (n-propanol) for the ethylene-propylene
copolymer chains at constant temperature to find the
critical flocculation volume. The polymer dispersions just
retained stability at theta conditions and started to lose
stability when the dispersion medium was changed to
slightly worse than a theta system for the ethylene-propylene
chains. The close correspondence of the
flocculation conditions to the theta conditions for free
ethylene-propylene copolymer chains confirms that the
steric stabilization mechanism is operative for these
dispersions.


In the beginning, so our myths and stories tell us, the programmer created the program from the eternal nothingness of the void. In this essay, we recognise that programs these days are like any other assemblage, and suggest that in fact programming has always been about reuse. We also explore the nature of reuse, and claim that Components themselves are not the most important consideration for reuse; it is the end product, the composition. The issues still involve value, investment, and return. But pervasive reuse promotes a change in the method of construction of the program, and in the program itself.


What are the differences between production system design and work structuring? And between phase scheduling and work structuring? Which lean planning tool is better suited for each one of these design processes: line of balance, takt-time planning or flowline? This paper aims to answer these questions through a comparison and deeper understanding of production design processes, as well as the potential uses of location-based tools for production planning and control in each design effort. The method used is the literature review analyses on main lean terms and tools applied for production system design. With a better comprehension of the terms and tools, it is expected that academics and lean practitioners will be able to apply lean construction in a more aware and sensible manner. The results will also support researcher's decision about the most suitable lean tool to apply in the case studies in different production design processes.