A new model for malicious file propagation and transmission in a computer network is formulated. This model introduced a cure rate ξ (
 E
-cure rate) which is calculated after the regular running of anti-virus in the systems of the computer network. This will result in monitoring the anti-virus efficiency in fighting not only a local malicious file but also the global spreading of such a file. The file has to go through different scenarios including many other states. Therefore, a vertical transmission concept is introduced in the proposed model. The threshold conditions for the stability of the proposed model are determined. Numerous methods are used to prove that the viral equilibrium points of our model are globally and locally stable. The behaviour of the compartment nodes in the computer network has been analysed. In addition, the optimal control theory is used to study immunisation strategies against Malware in order to control the economic losses of security investments and keep infection loss at the lowest possible level. The existence and uniqueness of results related to the system are confirmed. Finally, the simulation shows that the spread of malware can be effectively controlled by choosing the appropriate control strategy of specific parameters.


increase chances of survival of the second twin. We report the case of a 27-year old primigravida presenting at 19 + 5 weeks of gestation with bulging membranes of the first dichoric twin. Due to the large prolapse an emergency cerclage proposed by the couple, was denied and conservative treatment with combined antibiotics and bed rest was proposed. The couple was informed about the poor prognosis. Two days after admission, rupture of membranes led to abortion of the first twin. Immediately after birth of the fetus, contractions ceased spontaneously. Within an interval of 12 hours, vaginal ultrasound revealed a cervical length of 40 mm with the umbilical cord passing through it. Within a few days paraclinical signs of infection normalised. At 20 + 6 gestational weeks abdominal ultrasound revealed opening of the cervical os to 1 cm. A cerclage and resection of the umbilical cord was performed. At 22 + 4 weeks of gestation the patient developed severe chorioamnionitis with increase of c-reactive protein and uterine contractions. Antibiotics could not control symptoms which led to abortion of the second twin at 22 + 5 gestational weeks. Conclusion: Due to universal accesibility of information via the internet, patients are aware of most, even experimental or anecdotal, therapeutical options. Extensive discussion of external evidence and individual examination results are necessary to meet the patients need for information. To accomplish this, clinical experience and knowledge of psychosomatic counselling are essential. Close monitoring by ultrasound is needed to detect complications.


Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) content is crucial for soil quality and climate change mitigation. SOC monitoring is indispensable to the corresponding policies and should provide results at farm scale to allow for incentives. In Switzerland, farmers perform mandatory analyses of the SOC content of the 0–20 cm topsoil of every field, based on a composite sample, at least every 10 years. The corresponding results are stored in a database in canton of Geneva. These data may be relevant for topsoil SOC monitoring, in particular for carbon sequestration policies, provided that they show appropriate quality, which is analyzed in this study. The minimum detectable change (MDC) of past results calculated based on the observed SOC changes was 0.013% g g–1 at canton scale (2,700 fields). Based on extended sampling of three representative fields, different sampling strategies were simulated to determine the best future sampling guidelines for farmers. Collecting 20 aliquots with a gouge on the field diagonals was considered the best sampling compromise with field MDC of ∼0.1% g g–1 and a sampling duration of 20 min. Compared to this procedure, former farmers' sampling was not biased in average but showed a variance of 0.22% g g–1 due to smaller number of aliquots and varying sampling depths. Based on the best sampling results and assumptions on farm-scale SOC variance or SOC differences, the MDCs at farm scale ranged from 0.21 to 0.12% g g–1 (5 fields) and 0.09 to 0.05% g g–1 (30 fields), respectively. These MDCs are small compared to published monitoring networks MDCs and allow determining SOC change rates at farm scale, thus offering perspectives for inexpensive and efficient monitoring in the frame of soil quality or climate mitigation incentives. For the latter, however, additional information with equivalent soil mass and deeper-layer carbon content would be necessary.


Ancient Greek mathematics developed the original feature of being deductive mathematics. This article attempts to give a (partial) explanation f or this achievement. The focus is on the use of a fixed system of linguistic formulae (expressions used repetitively) in Greek mathematical texts. It is shown that (a) the structure of this system was especially adapted for the easy computation of operations of substitution on such formulae, that is, of replacing one element in a fixed formula by another, and it is further argued that (b) such operations of substitution were the main logical tool required by Greek mathematical deduction. The conclusion explains why, assuming the validity of the description above, this historical level (as against the universal cognitive level) is the best explanatory level for the phenomenon of Greek mathematical deduction.


Purpose: The principal aim of the article is to identify the main factors that influence the creation of a branded tourism product. Its implementation and operation is to be long-term and integrated with the tourist development of the locality or tourist region. Design/Methodology/Approach: Promotion of a branded tourism product is primarily the totality of activities and decisions connected with advertising and shaping a positive image of the brand in the closer and further environment of the place of tourist reception. This is particularly important when such products are offered to consumers from European Union countries, who attach great importance to branded products. The research hypothesis was defined as follows: creating a branded tourism product must involve investing in local tourism, i.e. in the development of tourist facilities. Findings: Local authorities, within the framework of the local tourism policy, should influence appropriate development of the components of their local tourism product, i.e., natural, cultural and social attractions, general and tourist infrastructure, services and transport accessibility, promotion of the tourism product. Practical Implications: Experience and conclusions of this study indicate that it is an important activity on the part of local authorities to foster the development of appropriate tourist and quasi-tourist infrastructure and to initiate pro-development activities, such as public-private partnership, obtaining resources from European funds, supporting private initiatives in the field of tourism development. Originality/value: The paper is of practical use. The results can be used in particular by local decision makers in the development of local tourism products and in the creation of local tourism-based development strategies.


Introduction: Chikungunya is an incipient disease, caused by Chikungunya virus (CHKV) that belongs to genus alphavirus of the family Togaviridae. Materials and Methods: In this study, during an outbreak of CHKV in Dec 2016 in Karachi, Pakistan, samples were collected from patients presenting with fever, tiredness and pain in muscles and joints. Total 126 sera were tested for the presence of Chikungunya infection through ELISA and Real-time Reverse Transcriptase PCR assay. Results and Discussion: This study showed that approx 79.4% samples were positive for CHKV. To our knowledge, this is the first reported outbreak from last decades in which the presence of CHKV is confirmed in Karachi while affecting such large no. of individuals.. Conclusion: CHKV diagnosis should be considered by the scientists and clinicians as a differential diagnosis in febrile patients, and appropriate control strategies must be adopted for its surveillance.


INTRODUCTION AND AIMS
Take-home naloxone (THN) programs targeting people who inject drugs (PWID) have been running in some Australian states and territories since 2012. In this study, we aimed to determine the extent to which PWID in the capital cities of all Australian states and territories are aware of naloxone and THN programs, whether awareness of these programs has changed over time.

DESIGN AND METHODS
Data were obtained from cross-sectional surveys of a total of 2088 PWID conducted annually as part of the Illicit Drug Reporting System from 2013 to 2015. Specific questions about THN added to the survey in 2013 allowed assessment of the extent to which sampled PWID were aware of naloxone and its function and THN programs in Australia and whether they had participated in a THN program. These main outcomes were examined over time and across states and territories using a mix of descriptive statistics and logistic regression.

RESULTS
Over 80% of the sample reported having heard of naloxone across survey years. Less than half of the participants reported having heard of THN programs in 2013 (35%), but this increased to just over (52%) half in 2015 (P < 0.01). Changes over time differed across cities with increases in reports of having heard of THN occurring over time most clearly in those cities with operational THN programs.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
Around half of the PWID sampled for this study are aware of THN programs. Further work is needed to ensure widespread awareness of THN programs which should include implementing THN in all Australian states and territories.


Abstract : Three stratospheric soundings over India with a balloon-borne frost-point hygrometer in April 1961 provided data for the vertical distribution of water vapor at low latitudes. The composite distribution shows a mixing ratio minimum of 0.003 g/kg, a condition of near saturation in a 5000-ft interval which includes the tropopause. Above this level, the mixing ratio increases with altitude and at the 20-mb level becomes six times greater than the minimum value. The Hyderabad potential temperature vs mixing ratio distributions for levels above 100-mb is in substantial agreement with mid-latitude distributions for April and June of the previous year. At levels between 200 and 100 mb, the Hyderabad distribution (April) agrees closely with the mid-latitude distribution for June; however, the April midlatitude distribution showed substantially lower potential temperatures than the Hyderabad distribution for corresponding values of mixing ratio. Monthly mean potential temperature-mixing ratio distributions show a seasonal shift to lower potential temperatures in winter, and daily distributions for spring and fall show a monthly range of potential temperature shift for corresponding values of mixing ratio which is comparable to the annual range of the monthly means. Day-to-day shifts of the potential temperature for the potential temperature-mixing ratio distributions are evidence of mixing ratio gradients along potential temperature surfaces. (Author)


Although WSDL and UDDI are widely accepted as standards for web service discovery, they can not guarantee scalable, flexible and automatic service discovery. Therefore, Semantic Web Services (SWS) is proposed to ensure high-quality service discovery. However, an effective and dedicated semantic registry for SWS discovery is still desired. Accordingly, in the paper we propose an approach and implement it for SWS publication and discovery. First, we discuss the basic idea of the approach. Next, present the architecture and operation principle of a SWS registry based on the approach. Then, we simply discuss its implementation and testing work. Finally, point out the highlighted merits of the approach. In fact, through analysis and a large number of experiments, the approach proves to be a simple and effective method to publish and discover SWS.


Papal Diplomacy in the face of conflicts in the Middle East – a personal contribution of John Paul II The traditional diplomacy of peace is characteristic for the Holy See, which for centuries has been sending envoys wherever a threat of military conflict was present. Many times in the history, the Holy See offered and undertook mediatory missions in disputes between states. Many times, Popes were personally engaged in the work of preserving peace but this engagement has never had such a special character as in the recent times. The activity of the Holy See in the field of international relations continuous to grow, embracing not only European issues but more and more global ones. The activities of predecessors of John Paul II, to mention only John XXIII and Paul VI, are clear examples. Never before has the Pope's personal engagement was so great as in the case of diplomatic efforts of John Paul II. This study presents the most important diplomatic activities of John Paul II undertaken in order to save and maintain peace. The presented cases relate to events taking place in the Middle East region, considered as one of the most unstable area in which the long-standing and awaiting solution conflicts, make it a proverbial powder keg threatening to burst at any moment. The article discusses the activities undertaken by the Holy See under the papacy of John Paul II with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ended with military intervention of the United States the Iraqi conflict and leading to civil war the Lebanon conflict.


The present study selects the mei-yu frontal case of 12–13 June 1990 over southeastern China, and performs potential vorticity (PV) diagnostic analysis to discuss the mechanism responsible for the intensification and maintenance of frontal vorticity. The mei-yu front had typical characteristics at the western section, and was shallow with weak baroclinity but strong horizontal shear vorticity. For this particular case, results of piecewise PV inversion indicate that latent heat release associated with both deep convections and stratiform clouds was responsible for the frontal vorticity, and the apparent frontogenesis near 0000 UTC 13 June was driven almost entirely by an outbreak of deep convections along the front, through the conditional instability of the second kind (CISK) mechanism proposed by Cho and Chen. The positive feedback between the mei-yu frontogenesis and cumulus latent heating, in which the front provided low-level convergence and helped organize the convection while latent heating by cumuli generated low-level PV and further enhanced the frontogenetic process, led to rapid growth in shear vorticity along the front. A low-level jet (LLJ) subsequently developed to the immediate south of the front through Coriolis acceleration of isallobaric winds. It is also found that the heating efficiency during this process depended upon the initial lowlevel PV value when deep convections started, and thus convections south of the front were ineffective in producing a similar response in either PV or wind field. Finally, an upper-level jet streak appeared to provide additional lifting at the outbreak of deep convection in the present case, but its role is secondary compared to the presence of the front itself in providing PV values sufficiently large in the background.


Abstract Purpose: To synthesise therapist experiences of using feedback-based technology for physical rehabilitation through a systematic review of qualitative studies. Methods: Ten electronic databases were searched up to March 2017. Peer reviewed studies that provided qualitative data that met the inclusion criteria were selected. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Relevant text from each study was extracted including quotes and the author's interpretations. Data were imported into NVivo for analysis. Text was coded for content, then categorised using a thematic synthesis approach. Results: The search yielded 50,379 records. Of 340 full text articles assessed for eligibility, 12 publications (10 studies) were included. Themes that emerged relating to therapists' experience of using feedback-based technology in practice were: (1) the benefits of using technology; (2) practicalities of using technology in practice; (3) the need for support; and (4) design to support the use of technology in rehabilitation. Conclusions: Therapists perceive many benefits to using feedback-based technologies in rehabilitation but view it as an addition rather than an alternative to usual therapy. Input from therapists was perceived to be needed for technology to achieve therapeutic benefit. Technology use in practice may be influenced by design limitations or the available support to access and use the technology. Implications for Rehabilitation Therapists perceive technology can be used for benefit as an adjunct to usual therapy with the skilled input of a therapist to assess and monitor patient performance to ensure the "right" quality and quantity of movements for recovery. Technology prescription requires an investment of time and a tailored approach so that its use meets the needs of the individual patient. Support for training, evidence of effectiveness and access to technology is imperative for implementation in practice. Therapists need to work collaboratively with technology developers to improve the design and usability of technologies to better support the rehabilitation process.


In recently years, lattice-reduction (LR) has been proposed to improve the performance of linear and successive interference cancellation (SIC) detectors in MIMO systems. It is proved that LR-aided linear detectors collect the same diversity order as that exploited by the ML detector but with much lower complexity when perfect channel state information (CSI) is available at receiver side. However, in practice, CSI is always contaminated by channel estimation error. In this paper, we proposed MMSE based LR-aided robust linear and SIC detection schemes which are capable of improving the BER performance in the context of channel estimation error. Additionally, we derived the approximate value of error floor as a function of channel estimation error and proved the BER improvements of robust LR-aided MMSE(-SIC) detector on traditional LR-aided MMSE(-SIC) detector increase with the growing number of transmit and receive antennas. Simulation results validate the conclusion.


Previous studies have discussed how speakers select a frame (e.g., "half full," or "half empty"), and have proposed a hypothesis such as reference point hypothesis (e.g., Sher & McKenzie, 2006, 2008). In this paper, we propose a new hypothesis, frame choice based on information about rarity. This hypothesis predicts that speakers tend to select a frame denoting a rare event. Four studies provide evidence that speakers' choice of frame is consistent with the prediction from our hypothesis. Furthermore, our hypothesis is reconciled with the positive bias in frame choice, which cannot be accounted for by the reference point hypothesis. We discuss the possibility that linguistic behaviors are widely explained from people's sensitivity to rarity information.


Scan conversion is required in order to display conventional B-mode ultrasonic signals, which are acquired along radii at varying angles, on standard Cartesian-coordinate video monitors. For real-time implementations, either nearest-neighbor or bilinear interpolation is usually used in scan conversion. If the sampling rate along each radius is high enough, however, the gray-scale value of a given pixel can be interpolated accurately using the nearest samples on two adjacent vectors. The required interpolation then reduces to linear interpolation. Oversampling by a factor of 2 along with linear interpolation was superior to bilinear interpolation of vectors sampled to match pixel-to-pixel spacing in 6 representative B-mode images. A novel 8-bit linear interpolation algorithm was implemented as a CMOS VLSI circuit using a readily available, high-level synthesis tool. The circuit performed 30 million interpolations per second. Arithmetic results produced by the 8-bit interpolator on 7-bit samples were virtually identical to IEEE-format, single-precision, floating-point results.


Abstract The dehydroxylation of Ca-, K-, Mg- and Na-saturated Wyoming montmorillonite has been studied by thermogravimetry (TG), infrared (IR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Samples saturated with either Ca2+ or Mg2+ show a predominantly diffusion-controlled reaction step, whereas Wyoming montmorillonite with Na+ and K+ in the interlayer exhibit control closer to first order. The activation energy of dehydroxylation is not significantly correlated to the type of interlayer cation present, in turn demonstrating that the role of vacancy location in the octahedral sheet is more significant a control on dehydroxylation.


- This paper describes the design of a smart, motorized, voice controlled wheelchair using embedded system. Proposed design supports voice activation system for physically differently abled persons incorporating manual operation. This paper represents the "Voice-controlled Wheel chair" for the physically differently abled person where the voice command controls the movements of the wheelchair. The voice command is given through a cellular device having Bluetooth and the command is transferred and converted to string by the BT Voice Control for Arduino and is transferred to the Bluetooth Module SR-04connected to the Arduino board for the control of the Wheelchair. For example, when the user says "Go" then chair will move in forward direction and when he says "Back" then the chair will move in backward direction and similarly "Left", "Right" for rotating it in left and right directions respectively and "Stop" for making it stop. This system was designed and developed to save cost, time and energy of the patient. Ultrasonic sensor is also made a part of the design and it helps to detect obstacles lying ahead in the way of the wheelchair that can hinder the passage of the wheelchair.


Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate customer-centric corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Islamic banks of Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Arabian Gulf Region. The new framework is found from the incomplete link between managerial motivation and their actual involvement with CSR activities. Design/methodology/approach - The study uses annual reports of 16 Islamic banks from three regions. Using content analysis method, the study produces an ethical identity index on eight dimensions. The average index scores are ranked to get a view of the importance given by Islamic banks to the path of social responsibility. Findings - In this study, the customer-centric CSR framework assumes that there are two layers of CSR involvement in Islamic banks. The upper layer assures the commitment towards Allah (SWT) by operating under Islamic Shari'ah. The bottom layer ensures the commitment towards customers, employees and society. The reports of Islamic banks show that the selected banks are too customer centric and efficiency driven. However, that efficiency is targeted at the cost of sacrificing Shari'ah norms. Their commitments to basic Islamic rules fall far behind the average. Research limitations/implications - The study uses content analysis of the annual report to identify CSR involvement of the Islamic banks. There are various issues related to CSR and corporate management that are not reported in annual reports. Moreover, disclosure norms and regulation also have an influence on reporting standards. Thus, this study is limited to what is found in the reports only. Originality/value - The study contributes to the existing literature on customer-centric CSR and customer-centric marketing. There is evidence that the findings from this study are consistent with other studies. Islamic banks are becoming customer centric because of the competition from conventional banks. However, they must not forget the very essence of the establishment of these banks which is the spiritual freedom based upon sole submission to Allah (SWT).


Report of the William Smith meeting of the Geological Society, London held at Burlington House on 1-2 May 1985, and introduction to published papers and abstracts. Oceanic fracture zones are one of the most conspicuous features of the ocean basins. They are formed where offsets occur in the oceanic spreading centres, and they leave scars that stretch thousands of kilometres across entire ocean basins. Through the 1960s and 7Os, oceanic fracture zones were mapped extensively by magnetic and bathymetric surveys and were used frequently in global reconstructions Only in the past 5 years or so have they been studied intensively in their own right using more and more sophisticated geophysical and geological techniques. This conference brought together 25 speakers from around the world to present some of the huge amount of recent work on oceanic fracture zones. Perhaps the most striking feature of the meeting was that with modem high resolution geophysical tools it is at last becoming possible to narrow the gap between observations from remote measurements and those of field geologists. That does not necessarily mean that interpretations are becoming easier;rather the converse, because the closer you look the more complicated things become. But there is hope at last that soon we may be able to make geological maps of the ocean floor just as we can on land. A great deal can be learnt about the tectonics of young oceanic features simply by looking at the bathymetry and the 'grain' of the seafloor. During the meeting a


The COVID-19 crisis has had significant impacts on public health, on the lives of millions of people, and on economic development prospects at all levels, international, national, and local. All over the world, cities have been at the forefront of the crisis, as first responders to the needs of the population, as managers of the exceptional regulations needed to overcome the situation, and as promoters of the reopening and relaunching of economic and social life. The effects of the crisis will be felt for a long time, and this will require innovative responses that will see cities as protagonists.

To initiate a reflection on these trends, an International Survey has been proposed, to discuss the short-term and medium-term impacts of COVID-19 (2-3 years) in large cities/metropolitan areas. The proponents of the Survey are: Francesco Bandarin, Former UNESCO ADG Culture; Enrico Ciciotti, Former Dean, Faculty of Economics, Catholic University of Piacenza; Marco Cremaschi, Centre d'etudes europeennes et de politique comparee, Sciences Po, Paris; Paolo Perulli, University of Eastern Piedmont.

Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei has offered valuable staff support, including Diana Shendrikova and Giovanna Madera.


Analysis of the EU non-discrimination acquis tends to be limited to the gender equality and non-discrimination directives, showing a gaping difference in the level of protection accorded to certain groups over others. Broadening the perspective to procedural and soft law measures pertaining to criminal forms of discrimination can, however, yield more nuanced insights. The working paper documents the emergence of a 'continuum of equality' in the criminal branch of EU anti-discrimination law, particularly in the Victims' Rights Directive. It shows that the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU can play an important role in approximating EU norms to international human rights standards and offer strategies for addressing legislative deadlock to equalize protection across discriminated groups. Rather than the prohibition of discrimination, Charter provisions governing the relationship between EU and international norms become significant in this process.


Production units located in the Brazilian marine environment are responsible for the production of 95.7% of oil and 78.8% of natural gas of Brazil causing economic, environmental, and social impacts motivating us to construct a system of indicators as a tool aimed to improve the sustainable management practice of these production units. To date, one of the tools most used by the oil industry is the sustainability report, oriented by guidelines from international organizations. However, these reports have a corporate character being unable to help the sustainability management of production units' activities. The indicators were selected based on a systemic approach, using current knowledge on sustainability indicators, together with the survey of aspects relevant to the operation and management of offshore oil and gas production units. This paper describes the proposed indicators and presents the hierarchical structure of the system, built on the economic, environmental, social, and operational dimensions. The application of the proposed system of indicators, based on multicriterial and multiple decision-making analyses, validates a complex decision process, providing improved sustainable management of offshore production units by identifying points for which the necessary measures and actions can be implemented. Keywords: offshore oil and gas production; sustainability indicators; multicriteria and multiple decision-making analyses.


It is highly desirable to develop new semiconductors for the photocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CH4 and CO to solve greenhouse effect and energy issues. Defect pyrochlore oxides have a flexible composition and the electron/hole mobility can be manipulated by introducing foreign cations into the structure. Through Sn doping into the defect pyrochlore oxide KNbWO6·H2O, we successfully obtained a 2-times higher photocatalytic activity for converting CO2 to CO, CH4 and O2 compared to the original KNbWO6·H2O. According to the data from UV-vis, photoluminescence, and hydroxyl radical amount-related fluorescence spectra, and CO2 adsorption, the improved photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the extended visible light response, the enhanced charge separation and the improved CO2 adsorption due to Sn doping. Our results provide a new strategy for developing high-performance photocatalysts.


The demand for functional foods has increased notably in recent years due to growing consumer interest in diet and health issues. Currently, the food industry is introducing many types of new food products with functional attributes. Consequently, cannibalization is a critical issue for firms that offer multiple products within a certain product category. The identification and assessment of cannibalization are integral factors when making strategic decisions about new product introductions. Using scanner data from Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), pertaining to a particular functional food, namely a phytosterol-enriched product for orange juice, we find that no cannibalization effects exist with respect to its introduction. We also provide estimates of own-price and cross-price elasticities of the orange juice category using a synthetic demand system.


This paper proposes an applicable and scalable approach which allows deploying the fingerprint Wi-Fi localization algorithm for different mobile devices. The original fingerprint localization algorithm performs accurately when the mobile device used in the deployment phase is the same as the mobile device used in the training phase. However, when a different mobile device is used in the deployment phase, a time-consuming re-training step (in the order of hours or days) is required to achieve the equivalent degree of accuracy. Our proposed approach replaces this re-training step by a short period of calibration (in the order of a few minutes), which can be done transparently to the user. To validate our approach, we did an analysis on collected data from a large scale experiment (14 laptops and 2 smartphones with 224-hour of collected data) and evaluated the performance on the real devices.


This paper presents practice and application of Design of Experiment techniques and Genetic Algorithm in single and multi-objective optimization with low cost, robustness, and high effectiveness through 3D printing case studies. 3D printing brings many benefits for engineering design, product development, and production process. However, it faces many challenges related to parameters control. The wrong parameter setup can result in excessive time, high production cost, waste material, and low-quality printing. This study is conducted to optimize the parameter sets for 3D Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) products. The parameter sets, i.e., layer height, infill percentage, printing temperature, printing speed with different levels are experimented and analyzed to build mathematic models. The objectives are to describe the relationship between the inputs (parameter values) and the outputs (printing quality in term of weight, printing time and tensile strength of products). Single-objective and multi-objective models according to user's desire are constructed and studied to identify the optimal set, optimal trade-off set of parameters. Besides, an integrated method of response surface methodology and Genetic algorithm to deal with multi-objective optimization is discussed in the paper. 3D printer, testing machines, and quality tools are used for doing experiments, measurement and collecting data. Minitab and Matlab software aid for analysis and decision-making. Proposed solutions for handling multi-objective optimization through 3D Fused Deposition Modelling product printing case study are practical and can extend for other case studies.


Conjunctive modelling of free/porous flows provides a powerful and cost‐effective tool for designing industrial filters used in the process industry and also for quantifying surface–subsurface flow interactions, which play a significant role in urban flooding mechanisms resulting from sea‐level rise and climate changes. A number of well‐established schemes are available in the literature for simulation of such regimes; however, three‐dimensional (3D) modelling of such flow systems still presents numerical and practical challenges. This paper presents the development of a fully 3D, transient finite element model for the prediction and quantitative analyses of the hydrodynamic behaviour encountered in industrial filtrations and environmental flows represented by coupled flows. The weak‐variational formulation in this model is based on the use of C0 continuous equal‐order Lagrange polynomial functions for velocity and pressure fields represented by 3D hexahedral finite elements. A mixed UVWP finite element scheme based on the standard Galerkin technique satisfying the Ladyzhenskaya–Babuska–Brezzi stability criterion through incorporation of an artificial compressibility term in the continuity equation has been employed for the solution of coupled partial differential equations. We prove that the discretization generates unified stabilization for both the Navier–Stokes and Darcy equations and preserves the geometrical flexibility of the computational grids. A direct node‐linking procedure involving the rearrangement of the global stiffness matrix for the interface elements has been developed by the authors, which is utilized to couple the governing equations in a single model. A variety of numerical tests are conducted, indicating that the model is capable of yielding theoretically expected and accurate results for free, porous and coupled free/porous problems encountered in industrial and environmental engineering problems representing complex filtration (dead‐end and cross‐flow) and interacting surface–subsurface flows. The model is computationally cost‐effective, robust, reliable and easily implementable for practical design of filtration equipments, investigation of land use for water resource availability and assessment of the impacts of climatic variations on environmental catastrophes (i.e. coastal and urban floods). The model developed in this work results from the extension of a multi‐disciplinary project (AEROFIL) primarily sponsored by the European aerospace industries for development of a computer simulation package (Aircraft Cartridge Filter Analysis Modelling Program), which was successfully utilized and deployed for designing hydraulic dead‐end filters used in Airbus A380.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Antarctic coastal polynyas are persistent open water areas in the sea ice zone, and regions of high biological productivity thought to be important foraging habitat for marine predators. This study quantified southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) habitat use within and around the polynyas of the Prydz Bay region (63°E– 88°E) in East Antarctica, and examined the bio-physical characteristics structuring polynyas as foraging habitat. Output from a climatological regional ocean model was used to provide context for in situ temperature-salinity vertical profiles collected by tagged elephant seals and to characterise the physical properties structuring polynyas. Biological properties were explored using remotely-sensed surface chlorophyll (Chl-a) and, qualitatively, historical fish assemblage data. Spatially gridded residence time of seals was examined in relation to habitat characteristics using generalized additive mixed models. The results showed clear polynya usage during early autumn and increasingly concentrated usage during early winter. Bathymetry, Chl-a, surface net heat flux (representing polynya location), and bottom temperature were identified as significant bio-physical predictors of the spatio-temporal habitat usage. The findings from this study confirm that the most important marine habitats for juvenile male southern elephant seals within Prydz Bay region are polynyas. A hypothesis exists regarding the seasonal evolution of primary productivity, coupling from surface to subsurface productivity and supporting elevated rates of secondary production in the upper water column during summer-autumn. An advancement to this hypothesis is proposed here, whereby this bio-physical coupling is likely to extend throughout the water column as it becomes fully convected during autumn-winter, to also promote pelagic-benthic linkages important for benthic foraging within polynyas.


A miniaturised combined counter and reference electrode is introduced which can be used as a part of a scanning droplet cell for detecting DNA immobilisation on the surface of a gold working electrode by means of a potentiostat. The stability of the reference part of the combined electrode was investigated compared to a saturated calomel electrode. The reference electrode was found stable enough in the first 30 h. The combined electrode was tested in cyclic voltammetric measurements and found suitable for detecting DNA immobilisation on gold surface.


The dynamics of the excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) in a cluster of 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole (HBT) and hydrogen-bonded water molecules was investigated by means of quantum chemical simulations. Two different enol ground-state structures of HBT interacting with the water cluster were chosen as initial structures for the excited-state dynamics: (i) an intramolecular hydrogen-bonded structure of HBT and (ii) a cluster where the intramolecular hydrogen bond in HBT is broken by intermolecular interactions with water molecules. On-the-fly dynamics simulations using time-dependent density functional theory show that after photoexcitation to the S(1) state the ESPT pathway leading to the keto form strongly depends on the initial ground state structure of the HBT-water cluster. In the intramolecular hydrogen-bonded structures direct excited-state proton transfer is observed within 18 fs, which is a factor two faster than proton transfer in HBT computed for the gas phase. Intermolecular bonded HBT complexes show a complex pattern of excited-state proton transfer involving several distinct mechanisms. In the main process the tautomerization proceeds via a triple proton transfer through the water network with an average proton transfer time of approximately 120 fs. Due to the lack of the stabilizing hydrogen bond, intermolecular hydrogen-bonded structures have a significant degree of interring twisting already in the ground state. During the excited state dynamics, the twist tends to quickly increase indicating that internal conversion to the electronic ground state should take place at the sub-picosecond scale.


We describe a simple and rapid procedure for cloning and sequencing of DNA fragments separated by gel electrophoresis, using novel hydrophilic gels, Clearose BG, Spreadex, and Poly(NAT), that do not melt at 95 degrees C. For cloning, a band of interest is excised precisely and incubated in an extraction buffer containing 5-10 mM MgCl2 at 70 degrees C for 15-45 min. The eluted DNA is added directly to the plasmid solution. Using a topoisomerase-based ligation system, we were able to transform bacteria with a few picograms of DNA and isolate recombinant clones. For in situ sequencing, the DNA in the gel serves as the template. No treatment before cycle sequencing is necessary for fragments up to 500 bp.


In experiments on rats administration of apomorphine (0.5 mg/kg twice a day for 14 days) caused the intensification of aggressiveness. This exerted no substantial effect on stereotyped behavior. Haloperidol produced inhibitory effect both on aggressiveness and stereotypy. The GABA derivative phenybut did not change the effects of apomorphine. Administration of morphine and diazepam produced a selective inhibition of aggressiveness. In doses exerting antiaggressive effect these substances produced no substantial effect on stereotypy. This antiaggressive effect of morphine and diazepam was suppressed by nalorphine. It is suggested that the endogenous opiate system of the CNS participates in the development of the apomorphine-induced aggressiveness.


The globalization of the business community has intensified the competitive business environment. Corporations now face not only national but also international competition. As corporations strive to both survive and grow, they continuously seek new avenues for both top line revenue growth and expense control. Corporate Real Estate (CRE) is a significant component of corporate costs, often cited as being the second largest cost after payrolls. As a result of these competitive pressures and the desire to control real estate costs, Corporate Real Estate Management (CREM) emerged as a recognized management discipline in the 1980s and 1990s. With the relatively recent advent of CRE as a separate management discipline, a wide variety of theories and models have been advanced that seek to explain the practice of CREM leadership, strategy, and performance management (PM). The purpose of this study was to further the development of the CREM discipline by identifying contemporary challenges that CRE leaders face. The study also examined the leadership practices and strategies they use to respond to these challenges, and the methods they use to measure the overall success of their strategies and leadership practices. Recommendations they would make to other CRE leaders to help them achieve success in their organizations conclude the study. The study was conducted as a qualitative phenomenological study. Data was collected from 14 senior CRE leaders by means of semi-structured telephone interviews. Subsequent analysis of the interview data resulted in 49 themes being identified of which 24 were considered major themes. The findings of the study are intended to guide the further development of the practice of CREM.


Objectives To establish the prevalence and correlates of continuum beliefs for five mental illnesses in a multiethnic population and to explore its association with stigma. Design A community-based, cross-sectional study. Setting A national study in a multiethnic Asian country. Participants A comprehensive study of 3006 Singapore residents (Singapore citizens and permanent residents) aged 18–65 years who were living in Singapore at the time of the survey. Outcome measures Parameters assessed included belief in a continuum of symptom experience, stigma dimensions and causal beliefs in mental illness. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression (MLR). Results About half of the population indicated agreement with a continuum of symptoms for depression (57.9%) and dementia (46.8%), whereas only about one in three respondents agreed with it for alcohol abuse (35.6%), schizophrenia (32.7%) and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) (36.8%). MLR analyses revealed that students (β=0.28; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.50; p=0.018) and those who were unemployed (β=0.60; 95% CI 0.26 to 0.95; p=0.001) (vs employed) as well as those who had previous contact with people with mental illness (β = 0.31; 95% CI 0.18 to 0.45; p<0.001) and believed stress, family arguments, difficulties at work or financial difficulties to be a cause for mental illness (β=0.43; 95% CI 0.13 to 0.73; p=0.005) were associated with a higher belief in a continuum of symptom experience. Continuum beliefs were related to lower desire for social distance in alcohol abuse, OCD and schizophrenia; however, they were associated with higher scores on 'weak-not-sick' stigma dimension in dementia and schizophrenia. Conclusions Perceiving that a person with a mental illness is similar to themselves may reduce social distancing by the public. Thus, the approach may lend itself well to public education aimed at reducing stigma.


Rehabilitative Services announces a final priority under the Training of Interpreters for Individuals Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Individuals Who Are Deaf-Blind program. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year 2016 and later years. We take this action to provide training and technical assistance to better prepare novice interpreters to become highly qualified nationally certified sign language interpreters.


This work describes the experience with implementation of Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 nuclease, expressed in C. elegans germline. The described work utilizes guide RNA-unc-22-1000 (GGAGAAGGAGGCGGTGCTGG) designed to target the polyglycine encoding stretch within the unc-22gene embedding the impure trinucleotide (NGG)n PAM repeat region. We describe the allelic spectrum of mutational events identified at position specified by gRNA-unc-22-1000. Of above experiments we conclude: i. the trinucleotide (NGG)n PAM repeat is a receptive target for the CRISPR/Cas9 experiments in C. elegans ii. we conclude the allelic spectrum indicates the gRNA-unc-22-1000 induces fairly frequent NHEJ joining events involving deletions and indels but also, a phenotypically distinct class of small in-frame deletions indicative for microhomology-mediated end-joining (MMEJ) as a result of S. pyogenes Cas9 activity at the trinucleotide (NGG)n PAM repeat region. We demonstrate guide RNA-unc-22-1000 could be used to modify complex transgenic C. elegans line expressing human beta-amyloid protein. We provide the evidence for bi-allelic transaction resulting from Cas9 action recovered in experiment in CB1138 him-6 background. We contrast the expected performance of gRNA-unc-22-1000 with guide targeting another type of C. elegans repeat embedding S. pyogenes PAM, the telomeric repeat (TTAGGC)n. We propose that preferential frame restoring MMEJ repair of the Cas9 cut at the 'modules' encoding for poly-glycine in +2(NGG)n position could be useful mode of genome engineering at the naturally occurring (NGG)n PAM embedding repeats dispersed across animal genomes.


"Underwater super-hydrophobic" surface applied in the corrosion protection was prepared by melting myristic acid (CH3(CH2)12COOH) adsorbed onto the anodized aluminum. The static contact angle for seawater on the surface was measured to be 154°. The surface structure and composition were then characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDX) and atomic force microscope (AFM). The electrochemical measurements showed that the super-hydrophobic surface significantly improved the corrosion resistance of aluminum in sterile seawater.


A cross-sectional study on Chagas disease that examined the populations of four localities (n masculine = 541 inhabitants) in the municipality of Jaguaruana, State of Ceará, showed seroprevalence of Chagas infection of 3.1%, as assessed by indirect immunofluorescence, indirect hemagglutination and ELISA tests. The rate was higher among adults over 50 years old, without any difference in relation to sex. Positive parasitemia was found in 11.8% (2/17) of the seropositive individuals by means of indirect xenodiagnosis and in 75% (9/12) by means of the polymerase chain reaction (p < 0.05). Cardiopathy was found by means of anamnesis, physical examination and resting electrocardiogram in 41% (7/17) of the seropositive individuals and in 11.8% (2/17) of the seronegative controls (p < 0.05). Analysis of these results showed that the prevalences of positive parasitemia and chronic Chagas cardiopathy were similar to those in the Caatinga area of Piauí and greater than in the Sertão area of Paraíba, although all these areas historically presented Triatoma brasiliensis and Triatoma pseudomaculata as the primary vectors responsible for Chagas infection transmission.


Janus tyrosine kinase 2 (JAK2) mediates downstream signaling of cytokine receptors in all hematological lineages, yet constitutively active JAK2 mutants are able to drive selective expansion of particular lineage(s) in myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). The molecular basis of lineage specificity is unclear. Here, we show that three activating JAK2 mutants with similar kinase activities in vitro elicit distinctive MPN phenotypes in mice by differentially expanding erythroid vs granulocytic precursors. Molecularly, this reflects the differential binding of JAK2 mutants to cytokine receptors EpoR and GCSFR in the erythroid vs granulocytic lineage and the creation of unique receptor/JAK2 complexes that generate qualitatively distinct downstream signals. Our results demonstrate that activating JAK2 mutants can differentially couple to selective cytokine receptors and change the signaling repertoire, revealing the molecular basis for phenotypic differences elicited by JAK2 (V617F) or mutations in exon 12. On the basis of these findings, receptor-JAK2 interactions could represent new targets of lineage-specific therapeutic approaches against MPN, which may be applicable to other cancers with aberrant JAK-STAT signaling.


In this paper the interface behavior between an infinite strip of a granular mate- rial and a rough boundary under plane shearing is numerically investigated using a micro-polar continuum approach. Particular attention is paid to the influence of a fluctuation of micro-polar boundary conditions along the interface on the evolution of shear strain localization within the granular material. The mechanical behavior of the cohesionless granular material is described with a micro-polar hypoplastic model. The evolution equations for the stress and the couple stress are non-linear tensor valued functions which model inelastic behavior. The investigations show that the micro-polar boundary conditions have a strong influence on the location and thickness of the zone of strain localization when relative displacements within the interface are excluded.


Compassion is an essential skill in whole person care. But, can it be cultivated through training? Current research in neuroscience elucidates the mechanisms of empathy and compassion and provides a new framework for professional education. It suggests that clinical detachment is neither effective for ensuring good care, nor a realistic strategy to prevent burnout. Cultivating compassion on the other hand, increases non-judgmental awareness, builds resilience, and enables us to respond more effectively to others' needs with greater empathy (Frickson, 2008, Klimecki, 2102, Lutz, 2004). Moreover, it is a skill we can learn (Wasner et al, 2005, Lutz 2009). Despite these findings, however, training in compassion is largely absent in current professional curricula. Presenters will review current findings on compassion and its benefits, and demonstrate how we can train in it using examples from two unique compassion skills-training curricula: (1) a training for pediatric residents working in an inner-city hospital and (2) a certificate program in contemplative end-of-life care for hospice/palliative care workers.  These models are inspired by the contemplative tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, with its long-standing and effective methodologies for deepening the human capacity for compassion. This approach has formed the basis of many scientific studies on compassion and the emerging field of contemplative-based, secular training models (Lutz, 2009). Participants engage in contemplations on compassion as well as mindfulness and meditation. The aim is to support clinicians to generate self-compassion - the foundation for building resilience and extending compassionate care – thereby improving communication and the overall quality of care. The workshop will introduce key principles, feature hands-on experience of selected methods, and include a discussion of the potential impact on the greater healthcare system. A wider implementation of compassion training promises to be the missing link for building a fulfilling clinical practice and strengthening our capacity to provide effective whole-person care.


Countercyclical capital buffers (CCyBs) are an old idea recently resurrected. CCyBs compel banks at the core of financial systems to accumulate capital during expansions so that they are better able to sustain operations during downturns. To gauge the potential impact of modern CCyBs, we compare the behavior of large and highly-connected commercial banks during booms before the Great Depression and Great Recession. Before the former, core banks did not expect bailouts and were subject to regulations that incentivized capital accumulation during booms. Before the later, core banks expected bailouts and kept capital levels close to regulatory minima. Our analysis indicates that the pre-Depression regulatory regime induced money-center banks to build capital buffers between 3% and 5% of total assets during economic expansions, which is up to double the maximum modern CCyB. These buffers enabled those banks to continue operations without government assistance during severe crises. This historical analogy indicates that modern countercyclical buffers may achieve their immediate goals of protecting core banks during crises but raises questions about whether they will contribute to overall financial stability.


Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) refers to cognitive decline from a previous level of functioning, both subjectively and by objective evidence. MCI is an intermediate stage of cognitive impairment between the normal cognitive aging and dementia. The concept of mild cognitive impairment originally evolved with an intention to characterize the pre-dementia phase of cognitive impairment. MCI is a known risk factor for dementia. Patients with MCI may represent an optimal target population for pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions. The following chapter provides an overview of the concept of mild cognitive impairment, epidemiological data, current diagnostic criteria, clinical approach and management of MCI.


Modelica is an object-oriented acausal modeling language that is well positioned to become a de-facto standard for expressing models of complex physical systems. To simulate a model expressed in Modelica, it needs to be translated into executable code. For generating run-time efficient code, such a translation needs to employ algebraic formula manipulations. As the SPARK solver has been shown to be competitive for generating such code but currently cannot be used with the Modelica language, we report in this paper how SPARK's symbolic and numerical algorithms can be implemented in OpenModelica, an open-source implementation of a Modelica modeling and simulation environment. We also report benchmark results that show that for our air flow network simulation benchmark, the SPARK solver is competitive with Dymola, which is believed to provide the best solver for Modelica.


only able to apply a single session in the present case owing to the appearance of side effects, and this may explain the incomplete response obtained. However, it is also possible that the immunomodulatory effect of PDT and the inflammation already present in the lesion (visible in the clinical and histological images) may have favored a good therapeutic response with just 1 session. Ulceration is a rare adverse event, and its appearance was probably due in some measure to the fact that the patient was an elderly woman and the leg was exposed to sunlight after treatment, contrary to express instructions. In conclusion, we report a case of porokeratosis of Mibelli in which treatment with PDT obtained a partial response. Nevertheless, because the results achieved with photodynamic therapy in the treatment of porokeratosis are highly varied, we believe that further studies with larger series of cases are needed if we are to reach clear conclusions regarding its utility in this setting.


Although the Bauschinger effect was investigated for many materials, there are only few results concerning hardened or low annealed steels. Since those materials often are plastically deformed, e.g. due to straightening processes, there is a great concern to know about the effect of the material on the Bauschinger effect and its relation to changes in microstructure. Hereby uncertainties in daily application of work pieces can be avoided and straightening processes may be improved. The Bauschinger effect is examined in the steel 42CrMo4 in common heat treatment conditions in tension-compression as well as in bending tests with load reversal. In addition X-ray examination is carried out to measure the development of residual stresses in the material. In particular it is shown that there is no direct correlation between the strength of the material and the magnitude of the occurring Bauschinger effect.


The prevalence of obesity among pregnant women is increasing. Evidence from human cohort studies and experimental animals suggests that offspring cardiovascular and metabolic function is compromised through early life exposure to maternal obesity. Previously, we reported that juvenile offspring of obese rats develop sympathetically mediated hypertension associated with neonatal hyperleptinemia. We have now addressed the hypothesis that neonatal exposure to raised leptin in the immediate postnatal period plays a causal role. Pups from lean Sprague-Dawley rats were treated either with leptin (3 mg/kg IP) or with saline twice daily from postnatal day 9 to 15 to mimic the exaggerated postnatal leptin surge observed in offspring of obese dams. Cardiovascular function was assessed by radiotelemetry at 30 days, and 2 and 12 months. In juvenile (30 days) leptin-treated rats, hearts were heavier and night-time (active period) systolic blood pressure was raised (mm Hg; mean±SEM: male leptin-treated, 132±1 versus saline-treated, 119±1, n=6, P<0.05; female leptin-treated, 132±2 versus saline-treated, 119±1, n=6, P<0.01), and the pressor response to restraint stress and leptin challenge increased compared with saline-treated rats. Heart rate variability demonstrated an increased low:high frequency ratio in 30-day leptin-treated animals, indicative of heightened sympathetic efferent tone. Echocardiography showed altered left ventricular structure and systolic function in 30-day female leptin versus saline-treated rats. These disorders persisted to adulthood. In isolated hearts, contractile function was impaired at 5 months in male leptin-treated rats. Exogenously imposed hyperleptinemia in neonatal rats permanently influences blood pressure and cardiac structure and function.


ALMA observations of z > 6 galaxies hav e rev ealed abnormally high [O III ] 88 μm /[C II ] 158 μm ratios and [C II ] 158 μm deficits compared to local galaxies. The origin of this behaviour is unknown. Numerous solutions have been proposed including differences in C and O abundance ratios, observational bias, and differences in ISM properties, including ionization parameter, gas density, or photodissociation region (PDR) covering fraction. In order to elucidate the underlying physics that drives this highredshift phenomenon, we employ SPHINX 20 , a state-of-the-art, cosmological radiation–hydrodynamics simulation, that resolves detailed ISM properties of thousands of galaxies in the epoch of reionization which has been post-processed with CLOUDY to predict emission lines. We find that the observed z > 6 [O III ] 88 μm –SFR and [C II ] 158 μm –SFR relations can only be reproduced when the C/O abundance ratio is ∼8 × lower than Solar and the total metal production is ∼4 × higher than that of a Kroupa IMF. This implies that high-redshift galaxies are potentially primarily enriched by low-metallicity core–collapse supernovae with a more top-heavy IMF. As AGB stars and type-Ia supernova begin to contribute to the galaxy metallicity, both the [C II ] 158 μm –SFR and [C II ] 158 μm luminosity functions are predicted to converge to observed values at z ∼ 4.5. While we demonstrate that ionization parameter, LyC escape fraction, ISM gas density, and CMB attenuation all drive galaxies towards higher [O III ] 88 μm /[C II ] 158 μm , observed values at z > 6 can only be reproduced with substantially lower C/O abundances compared to Solar. The combination of [C II ] 158 μm and [O III ] 88 μm can be used to predict the values of ionization parameter, ISM gas density, and LyC escape fraction and we provide estimates of these quantities for nine observed z > 6 galaxies. Finally, we demonstrate that [O I ] 63 μm can be used as a replacement for [C II ] 158 μm in high-redshift galaxies where [C II ] 158 μm is unobserved and argue that more observation time should be used to target [O I ] 63 μm at z > 6. Future simulations will be needed to self-consistently address the numerous uncertainties surrounding a varying IMF at high redshift and the associated metal returns.


The strong quasi-elastic scattering of light observed with a laser beam transmitting through an α-LiIO 3 single crystal under the action of a DC field in the c-direction was further investigated. we recognized that the phenomenon consists of the following: (1) A scattering band appears perpendicular to the c-axis and extends to very large scattering angles. The scattered beam is the ordinary light, if the incident beam is the extraordinary light; and vice versa. If the incident beam contains both the ordinary and extraordinary components, two bands may be observed slightly separated in the azimuthal direction. (2) A band extends in the same direction as (1), but the polarization state does not change after scattering. (3) The scattered beam produces a pattern with one or a number of stripes in tilted directions other than those of c-axis. Their spatial frequency spectra are rather limited and the polarization state does not change. For all the three types of scattering we recorded the fine structure of intensity distribution vs the scattering angle, the relaxation of light scattering after the DC potential having been removed and the variation of the scattered intensity with the change of the locality through which the incident beam passes. Because of the behavior of unidimensional ionic conduction in α-LilO 3 , it is possible to prepare a specimen such that in a certain part of its volume the field is strong but no current flows. We noticed that no scattering occurs when the light passes through only such a space in a specimen. The strength of scattering is apparently associated with the current density. The scattering (1)-(3) may be interpreted as a radiation process of second order, phenomenologically described by the time and space fluctuation of the diagonal and nondiagonal components of the dielectric tensor. They are originated from the distribution and redistribution of the space charge. The nondiagonal components are now not zero even referred to the principal axes of the crystal. The fine structure of scattered intensity and related features should be attributed to the decoration of quasiperiodical defects.


The re-expression of hindlimb locomotion after complete spinal cord injuries (SCIs) is caused by the presence of a spinal central pattern generator (CPG) for locomotion. After partial SCI, however, the role of this spinal CPG in the recovery of hindlimb locomotion in the cat remains mostly unknown. In the present work, we devised a dual-lesion paradigm to determine its possible contribution after partial SCI. After a partial section of the left thoracic segment T10 or T11, cats gradually recovered voluntary quadrupedal locomotion. Then, a complete transection was performed two to three segments more caudally (T13–L1) several weeks after the first partial lesion. Cats that received intensive treadmill training after the partial lesion expressed bilateral hindlimb locomotion within hours of the complete lesion. Untrained cats however showed asymmetrical hindlimb locomotion with the limb on the side of the partial lesion walking well before the other hindlimb. Thus, the complete spinalization revealed that the spinal CPG underwent plastic changes after the partial lesions, which were shaped by locomotor training. Over time, with further treadmill training, the asymmetry disappeared and a bilateral locomotion was reinstated. Therefore, although remnant intact descending pathways must contribute to voluntary goal-oriented locomotion after partial SCI, the recovery and re-expression of the hindlimb locomotor pattern mostly results from intrinsic changes below the lesion in the CPG and afferent inputs.


Using data from the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, we examine the cyclicality by sex of moonlighting and moonlighting hours. We find that, once we account for the sample selection into employment, both men and women exhibit procyclical moonlighting probabilities. Likewise, moonlighting hours for male multiple job holders are procyclical. These findings contradict the frequent claim that moonlighting increases during economic downturns due to economic hardship. Instead, moonlighting appears responsive to growing employment opportunities during economic expansions. At any rate, the systematic variation of moonlighting over the business cycle may have implications for the procyclical nature of real wages.


Males living in multi-male groups display a wide range of relationships with co-resident males, varying from high levels of competition, intolerance and avoidance to cooperation, affiliation and social bonds. Despite the wide diversity of male–male relationship dynamics, the existence of multi-male associations and male–male bonds is puzzling, as males compete over un-sharable fertilization. Multi-male associations can emerge as a result of increased between-group competition, which would necessitate communal defense of females. In groups characterized by stable male co-residence, social bonds are thought to develop in scenarios of medium to low within-group contest potential, which would make it feasible for males to invest in coalitionary support aimed at rank ascension. Accordingly, multi-male alliances and coalitions between strongly bonded males are linked to lower takeover likelihoods and/or enhanced male reproductive success in several mammalian species. Female choice can also play a role, with increased reproductive success for males that invest in heterosexual bonds and provide services like protection from harassment and infanticide, assistance in rearing young, and support in conflicts. In this context, male–male ritualized behaviors are crucial behavioral mechanisms that balance the trade-offs imposed by male co-residence and help regulate male–male relationships. These ritualized exchanges are hypothesized to function as a tension buffering mechanism during competitive contexts and/or as honest signals used to test relationship quality, maintain social bonds, and promote cooperation. Several findings suggest that greeting function varies from species to species and that, in some cases, this can be influenced by the level of male tolerance and cooperation.
In this thesis I investigate the dynamics and fitness benefits of male–male sociality in wild Guinea baboons by exploring the presence of strong male–male bonds along with their effect on male reproductive success and the function of ritualized greeting behavior between males. Guinea baboons live in nested multilevel societies, with several "units" forming a "party", which regularly aggregate into "gangs". Males engage in highly ritualized greetings with an intense repertoire involving potentially harmful behaviors like genital fondling, which may be crucial to regulating social dynamics in such large and fluid communities. The presence of male–male affiliation and cooperation, combined with the relatively high level of female leverage in intersexual relationships, make this species an intriguing model to assess how the advantages conferred by male–male sociality play out in a highly tolerant multilevel system. I examine whether number and strength of social bonds and number of associated secondary males are associated with higher average relatedness or enhanced reproductive success, using social behavior, genetic relatedness, and paternity of 24 adolescent and adult males. I also investigated the function of ritualized greetings and whether they are used to buffer tension and/ or assess relationship quality.
In chapter 3, I show Guinea baboon greetings are crucial in the regulation of male social dynamics by signaling social levels and party membership. I present evidence that within-party greetings are honest affiliative signals that test relationship quality with spatially tolerant partners, while accentuating relationship strength with strongly bonded partners. All my analyses show greetings are not used to buffer tension in this tolerant social system, and describe how they are characterized by high levels of reciprocity, physical contact, and intensity. Lastly, I discuss how these findings are in sharp contrast to reports from other members of the genus Papio, which present lower levels of male tolerance and cooperation, while parallel findings are reported for other more tolerant and cooperative species.
In chapter 4, I show that within-party male–male affiliative relationships are differentiated and stable over time, indicating male Guinea baboons form strong bonds. I demonstrate that strongly bonded males are more likely to support each other in coalitions and have higher average relatedness. This suggests kinship may have facilitated the development of bonds and cooperation. Interestingly though, bonds are neither restricted to kin nor does kinship guarantee stronger bonds, indicating that other mechanisms like familiarity may play a more central role in male–male sociality. I show that the distribution of reproduction at the party level is not different from chance, while primary males sire 89.5% of offspring at the unit level. Contrary to other species, all three measures of sociality are not positively linked with short-term reproductive success either through number of associated females or sired offspring. Instead, males with stronger bonds actually have significantly fewer associated females. A post-hoc analysis shows that preferred partners are stable over time, but that the proportion of time males invest in socializing with other males is negatively affected by the number of associated females. Thus, male Guinea baboons appear to face a trade-off between investing in same-sex bonds and heterosexual ones.
My thesis is the first systematic analysis to demonstrate how co-resident males regulate relationships through ritualized greetings and contribute to our understanding of the dynamics and fitness benefits of male–male sociality in this multilevel and tolerant system. I contribute to the theory that ritualized behaviors and rituals developed in parallel with a transition from more aggressive social styles to more tolerant and cooperative ones. Future systematic comparative studies will be key to understanding if these patterns hold across the order Primates. While strong bonds between male Guinea baboons share characteristics with those of other primates, contrary to evidence from several species my findings show sociality need not be directly linked to increased short-term reproductive success. Investigating if and how male–male sociality confers benefits to reproduction over the long-term and advantages beyond reproductive success represent crucial steps for future research.


This essay examined the issue of school shootings within the United States, to include a literature review and analysis of the current status of the issue on a national level. From the review and analysis, the essay provides the multidisciplines engaged in school safety issues with viable, workable, and quickly implementable solutions to address this serious national issue at the local school district and even school level of implementation. This analysis examined a multidiscipline and multiprofessional community approach using existing federal guidelines that address actionable intelligence (social media and human information/informants), school design and incorporation of safety and protective features, involvement of law enforcement on campuses, and engagement of law enforcement with administrators and educators. Most importantly, it provides awareness to educators, administrators, and law enforcement along with the general public that the attitude of "It can't happen here" can indeed and way too many times it has "happened here."


PURPOSE: To evaluate the healing process of gastric suture in rats using hydroalcoholic aroeira (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi) extract. METHODS: Forty adult male rats, divided into two groups of 20 animals were operated and named as follows: aroeira group (Ga), and the control group (Gc). Each group was divided into two subgroups (SG) of 10 animals (SGa and SGc) according to the time of provoked death (three and seven days). The same surgical procedure was performed in all animals consisting in incision and simple suture of the stomach (Prolene® 6-0). The only difference was on the type of medical treatment. The aroeira group received a single 100mg/kg of aroira extract in an intraperitoneal dose and the animals from the control group received the same quantity in milliliters (ml) of the isotonic saline solution. The evaluated parameters were: macroscopic alterations, microscopic healing process and toleration to atmospheric air insufflation. RESULTS: All animals had good healing process of abdominal wall with no clinical evidence of infection, dehiscence, abscesses and peritonitis. Both groups presented adherences to gastric suture line area with surrounding organs, mainly the liver, lower intestines and the abdominal wall. Microscopic analysis showed only chronic inflammation significant difference between the aroeira and control groups on the third day of observation. Resistance tests did not present significant statistical differences in the studied groups. CONCLUSION: The use of aroeira (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi) hydro-alcoholic extract did not alter the stomach healing process, considered on macroscopic, tensiometric and microscopic assessment.


While there has been wide uptake of the Nintendo Wii Fit as a therapy tool in hospital and aged care settings there is a lack of evidence regarding the effectiveness and safety of this approach when used with older people. This pilot study compared the effect of a physiotherapist providing activities from the Wii Fit with conventional therapy on mobility, activities of daily living and safety. The study used a randomized controlled design with masked outcome assessment. A total of 44 participants were recruited from a Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM) Unit and randomized to either therapy using the Wii Fit (n=22) or conventional physiotherapy (n=22). Therapy sessions were 25 minutes per workday for the duration of the participant's stay on the unit. Assessment measures were taken at baseline, post intervention (on discharge from the unit) and one month after discharge. The primary outcome used was the Timed Up and Go Test and additional measures included balance and activities of daily living function. Adverse events were recorded. Preliminary analyses of results showed that both groups improved however there was a small significant difference between groups on balance and the Timed Up and Go Test with the Wii Fit appearing to be a more effective approach to balance and mobility training in hospitalized older people.


Two unusual cases of severe erythroblastosis due to A and B sensitization have been presented. When injections of A and B group substances failed to arrest the disease, exchange transfusions were carried out, using 900 to 1,000 cc. of fresh group O blood. In each case the response was prompt and dramatic, although the convalescence in one was prolonged by an intercurrent diarrhea. Both infants have made complete recoveries and have developed normally both physically and mentally.

Observations have been presented regarding the pathogenesis of erythroblastosis and icterus precox due to A-B sensitization. The following conclusions seem to be warranted on the basis of the evidence presented:

1. The greatest majority of cases of jaundice and anemia of the newborn that cannot be explained on the basis of Rh incompatibility are caused by incompatibility of the major blood groups.

2. High maternal alpha and beta antibody titers per se are not necessarily correlated with disease in the infant.

3. Univalent alpha and beta antibodies present in the maternal serum traverse the placenta and are the cause of the disease in the infant. Bivalent antibodies are held back by the intact placenta and play no or hardly any role in the causation of the disease. Univalent alpha and beta antibodies are demonstrable in the sera of a large proportion of "normal" individuals.

4. A-B sensitization in pregnancy occurs mainly when the infant belongs to the secretor type.

5. A theory is suggested that the quality of the alpha and beta antibodies, namely, whether they are homospecific or heterospecific, may affect the severity of the manifestations in the infant.

Technics of titrating alpha and beta and Rh antibodies are described and discussed. A table has been prepared which converts antibody titers into concentrations of immune globulin in the serum, and demonstrates the impossibility of certain extravagantly high titers claimed in the literature.


Corporate governance has increasingly gained predominance globally following the enormous failure and consequent collapse of companies such as 'Enron'; 'WorldCom'; and most recently those that collapsed as a result of the 2007 – 08 financial crises and the 'credit crunch'. Poor corporate governance has been attributed to the spread of corruption and fraud that resulted in the dramatic failures witnessed in the United States and Western Europe. As a result, significant interest has been expressed worldwide in efforts to establish and develop corporate governance principles and enforcement mechanisms that bolster investor confidence and protection. Enforcement mechanisms are dependent on a combination of factors and striking the right balance between public and private enforcement mechanisms is challenging. Specific interest was also expressed in determining whether corporate governance frameworks have evolved uniformly or 'converged' or if they have persisted against changing forces and retained their characteristics. In the context of Saudi Arabia, there is a dearth of research investigating the adequacy of corporate governance enforcement and its impact on investment and there is no research published that examines the possibility of arbitrating corporate governance disputes in the Shari'ah-ruled Kingdom in general and, particularly, those that came before its current legal system. The present study addresses this matter. Through an integrated framework using theoretical and doctrinal methods in combination with empirical methods, the first stage of the study set out to examine the enforcement of corporate governance practices and standards in Saudi Arabia, assess their adequacy and identify problems, if any. In achieving this end the study considered the sustainability of the Saudi business environment and the role of Islamic Shari'ah law on enforcement in light of Saudi Arabia being a Shari'ah-based jurisdiction. On the basis of the findings of the first stage, the second stage sought to investigate, through a comparative analysis, whether arbitration could be used effectively in determining corporate governance disputes, and if so what are the requirements for introducing such a mechanism of dispute resolution? Thus, the central aim of the research was to propose and recommend a new practical mechanism by which the enforcement of corporate governance standards and provisions in Saudi Arabia could be improved, that would facilitate access to legal compensation and that would strengthen the reputation of the enforcement regime. The study concludes with recommendations for reform and suggests possible areas for future research.


The use of zero hours contract (ZHC) amongst employers in the UK continue to grow with little or no job security. There has been growing concern on how this type of employment contract is affecting workers socially, economically, health and otherwise. Existing research on ZHC focuses on low paid jobs, hence the importance of this study. The aim of this paper is to investigate how ZHC affect the worker with a focus on establishing the difference in experience between workers from across different sectors. Data for the study is obtained from conducting thirty-six semi-structured interviews with people working on ZHC. Participants for the study worked in health, education, hospitality, security, construction, and retail sectors, to understand if worker's experience might differ based on the sector in which they work. The result demonstrated that the use of ZHC contract has spread to sectors such as education (lecturing jobs) which are generally considered as high skilled jobs as opposed to prevalence of ZHC in low skilled jobs as documented by previous research. Flexibility remained the key element of ZHC that all the workers enjoyed and would like to retain. However, the uncertainty and insecurity of the contract affects workers financial stability, social and family life, job quality and satisfaction; career progression and health. The negative impact of ZHC is largely the same with workers in lecturing job driven by insecurity and uncertainty. Although workers in the education sector (teaching staff) reported knowing their schedule for a semester or academic year, issues such as the lack of opportunities for career progression, no/limited training provided where required, stress and anxiety relating to the insecurity and uncertainties remain a growing concern. The use of ZHC contract in sectors such as education (lecturing jobs) which are generally considered as high skilled jobs is concerning and demonstrate how precarious the United Kingdom's labour market is increasing becoming insecure.


This paper considers consensus-based distributed Kalman filtering subject to data-falsification attack, where Byzantine agents share manipulated data with their neighboring agents. The attack is assumed to be coordinated among the Byzantine agents and follows a linear model. The goal of the Byzantine agents is to maximize the network-wide estimation error while evading false-data detectors at honest agents. To that end, we propose a joint selection of Byzantine agents and covariance matrices of attack sequences to maximize the network-wide estimation error subject to constraints on stealthiness and the number of Byzantine agents. The attack strategy is then obtained by employing block-coordinate descent method via Boolean relaxation and backward stepwise based subset selection method. Numerical results show the efficiency of the proposed attack strategy in comparison with other naive and uncoordinated attacks.


This paper mainly studies the mechanical properties and microstructure of polyurea coatings (SPUA) through the experiment of dry-wet circulation. The influence of different curing time of SPUA coating before and after the dry cycle of the mechanical properties and surface morphology changes were researched. Use the alternating temperature and low bending tests to research,the variation of temperature changes to the SPUA of different curing time. The result of the dry-wet circulation experiment shows that the tensile strength of cured 1d, 3d and 7d SPUA coating after 30d dry-wet circulation increased 9.6%、19.2% and 44.7% respectively, the tear strength increased 3.2%、5.6% and 47.3% respectively. The microstructure research shows the 7d cured SPUA coating after 30 times dry-wet circulation will reduce the holes and narrow the hole diameter in a certain degree. The temperature change experimental results show that during -20 ~50 alternating temperature process, the tensile strength of the coating appears to increase, 3d and 7d cured SPUA coating after 40d temperature alternating tensile strength changing rate is -14.2% and 9.8% respectively. Low-temperature bending test shows that the SPUA coating will not appear any cracks cracking phenomena after placed the coating in (-20+2 )for 168h.


The boundaries of life now occupy a place of central concern among biological anthropologists. Because of the centrality of the modern biological definition of life to Euro-American medicine and anthropology, the definition of life itself and its contestation exemplify competing uses of knowledge. On the one hand, "life" and "death" may be redefined as partial or contingent ("brain death"), or reconstituted altogether ("virtual" or "artificial life"). On the other hand, the finality and "reality" of death resists such classifications. This volume reflects a growing international concern about issues such as organ transplantation, new reproductive and genetic technologies and embryo research, and the necessity of cross-cultural comparison. The political economy of body parts, organ and tissue "harvesting," bio-prospecting, and the patenting of life-forms are explored herein, as well as governance and regulation in cloning, organ transplantation, tissue engineering, and artificial life systems procedures.


Wales is a principality of 2.9 million people which is divided into 22 local authorities. Disability Sport Wales (DSW) has been part of the sporting landscape of Wales since 1995, and now combines provision and development of community, academy and performance level sport, underpinned by appropriate education and training support. In 2002, Wales offered 1200 community participation opportunities a year, rising to 600 000 by 2009; talented athletes are fed into the DSW Academy which launched in 2006 and has so far provided services to 80 emerging athletes; at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Wales contributed 31 of the 212 athletes to Team GB. Wales is proud of its successes, and reflects on areas where it can improve provision. This session will provide a overview of the DSW corporate plan (2009–2013), focusing on the developing participant/performer pathway and the pivotal role that education is playing through the process of up-skilling and training key mainstream partners, as the nation drives towards a more inclusive delivery system. The presenters will draw upon their experiences of building their disability sport development model, the critical decisions that have been taken and the tools that have been developed to support the process during the last 10 years.


The solvothermal reactions of MII (M = Mn, Zn, Cd) ions with naphthalene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid (H2L) and 2,4,5-tri(4-pyridyl)-imidazole (Htpim) gave rise to three MOFs, [Mn(L)0.5(L)0.5(Htpim)2]n (1), [Zn4(L)4(Htpim)2]n (2) and [Cd4(L)4(Htpim)2(DMF)2]n (3). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses indicate that compounds 1–3 display diverse topologies. 1 possesses a 2D 44 network constructed by linking Mn centers, compound 2 exhibits a 3D (3,4,6)-connected {4·62}2{42·64}2{42·68·82·103} net interlinked by [Zn2L4] units, while compound 3 presents a 3D (3,7)-connected {42·5}{46·55·68·72} framework assembled by dinuclear Cd nodes. 1 and 3 display high sensitivity in the detection of nitrobenzene (NB) as fluorescent sensors and Ca2+ or Co2+ ions as luminescent probes. Moreover, 3 exhibits a relatively good photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) in aqueous solution under UV irradiation.


Performance evaluation and analysis of different VoIP over WLAN mobility schemes is essential in order to meet adequate QoS levels in VoWLAN deployments. This paper presents a study of real time voice communication QoS in terms of delay, jitter, throughput and packet loss between three different Wireless Mesh Network mobility schemes in a crowded 802.11 environment. We also discuss the feasibility of implementing Wireless Mesh Networks for VoIP in the presence of other 802.11 data-only networks. Other researches can also use our QoS measurements as guidelines for other mobility schemes performance tests.


Total dissolved solids (TDS) is an important property in the characterization of natural waters for diversified applications, such as in geochemistry and the petroleum industry. Under appropriate circumstances, the determination of this parameter through correlations with the electrical  conductivity (EC) of aqueous systems yields considerable advantages over the gravimetric method. However, the development of empirical equations correlating TDS and EC is still required due to the physical-chemical complexity of charge transport in multicomponent natural waters. Most existing correlations were built considering systems in the lower or medium salinity range. In this context, this research aims to provide  experimental correlations between TDS and EC in a broad concentration range for high salinity formation brines characteristic of the pre-salt reservoirs. It contributes to filling a gap in the literature for geochemical systems of this nature. Moreover, correlations were also obtained for a concentrated desulphated seawater and an aqueous sodium chloride solution in the same salinity range. For all aqueous solutions, the polynomial fittings of degree greater than one fit the experimental data better compared to both linear and exponential equations. In addition, the solutions with higher concentration of divalent ions had lower EC than the solutions dominated by monovalent ions with the same ionic strength. This  evidences the effect of ion pairing on the EC, particularly in solutions of high ionic strength. Therefore, the use of a general correlation to represent  solutions with dramatic variations in chemical composition carries substantial error, particularly in the high salinity range. Thus, a specific  correlation must be developed to represent brines with similar composition.
Keywords: electrical conductivity total dissolved solids high salinity  brine pre-salt formation brine drill waters


AAs the popularity of social network services (SNS) grows, users' online behavior is increasingly being affected by SNS browsing. Now, mobile device serve as a tool for social connection, provides an increasingly important communication channel in facilitating social connections. SNSs that are adequate for mobile devices have been developed. To clarify web user social information behavior, this study used social network sites to analyze smartphone user online behavior by collecting user clickstream data over a period of 3 months. The influence of SNS browsing on types of external sites visited—namely news, shopping, searches, forums, videos, and blogs—is examined. This study used a site-centric approach, wherein user data was examined by using association rules and the Jaccard Index to explore the relationship between SNS and other online activities. We collaborates with InsightXplorer to recruit smart phone users, collected 580 samples from the consumers who use the smartphone. First, user-centric approach will be conducted for correlation analysis to quantify the association between SNSs and other categories, and then use the results as the standard to conduct fixed effect model by exploring the duration of gender, age and weekdays/weekend at 24hrs. Second, site-centric approach will conduct correspondence analysis and association rules by using users' session to gather all categories in the graph and explore the relationship between the SNSs and the other categories. The result shows that Taiwanese smartphone users use Facebook (both Web and App) as a news-seeking, topic-seeking, video-seeking and word-of-mouth–seeking platform. That means Facebook will become a portal. When people want to find something interesting, the first thing is to open Facebook and searching their timeline. Finally, based on the findings, this study to provide a stepping stone for marketers and researchers to understand web users' social information behavior.

Keywords: Smartphone, Social information behavior, Web usage mining, Clickstream data, Mobile commerce

To cite this document:

Chiang, I.-P., Lin, C.-Y., & Wu, Y.-J. (2019). Exploring smartphone users' social information behavior. Contemporary Management Research, 15(1), 53-67. https://doi.org/10.7903/cmr.18461


Half of the members of the nuclear receptors superfamily are so-called "orphan" receptors because the identity of their ligand, if any, is unknown. Because of their important biological roles, the study of orphan receptors has attracted much attention recently and has resulted in rapid advances that have helped in the discovery of novel signaling pathways. In this review we present the main features of orphan receptors, discuss the structure of their ligand-binding domains and their biological functions. The paradoxical existence of a pharmacology of orphan receptors, a rapidly growing and innovative field, is highlighted.


Deferred payment plans (DPPs) are quite common for high value items such as real property, cars, etc. Discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis has been the traditional technique for analysing DPPs. This usually involves computing the effective interest rate implicit in the arrangement.  This approach ignores the real options embedded in the arrangement.  An options analysis of DPPs may yield useful insights that may not be evident in DCF analysis.  As the paper will show, a DPP is equivalent to a call option with an extendible life and a declining exercise price.  This approach is particularly useful when the DPP is being used to acquire an asset for investment or speculative purposes.  The binomial option pricing model (BOPM) will be used to value the options in simple DPPs and to analyze how the option value reacts to changes in several variables. Overall, the results are consistent with option pricing theory.


A new synergistic interaction between tamarind seed xyloglucan and xanthan was found and investigated by rheology, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and NMR. The effect of the acetyl and pyruvate groups in the side chain in xanthan on the synergistic interaction was also examined. The shear moduli G' and G' ' of the mixture solution of xyloglucan and native (or acetate-free) xanthan increased steeply at around 22 °C upon cooling. An exothermic DSC peak appeared at the same temperature. A drastic decrease in the of the acetyl and pyruvate groups of the xanthan side chain was observed from 1H NMR spectra only in the mixture at low temperatures (<25 °C). It was found that the pyruvate group is more restricted in the mixture solution compared with the acetyl group. The mixture of xyloglucan and pyruvate-free xanthan showed no synergistic interaction. We concluded that this synergistic interaction is caused by the intermolecular binding between xyloglucan and xanthan, and, in the heterotypic junction zo...


Animal foods in general are considered to be foods with high protein qualities, although their qualities are not always similar because of differences in essential amino acids. The purpose of this study was to compare the protein quality of different animal foods and of their mixtures with vegetable foods, mainly cereals, at the 30:70 animal:vegetable protein proportion with experiments performed under the same conditions. The animal foods were eggs, beef, pork, barbecued lamb, chicken, ham, sausage and milk powder. The vegetable foods used in the mixtures were rice, lime-treated corn flour, wheat flour and cooked black beans. The protein concentrations in the raw and cooked materials were analyzed. The protein efficiency ratios (PER) and digestibilities were determined in Fisher 344 weanling rats. Based on the corrected PER, the foods with the best protein quality were egg (3.24), sirloin beef (3.16), lamb (3.11) and chicken breast (3.07), which were significantly different (P < 0.05) from milk powder (2.88) and beef liver and beef round (2.81 and 2.70, respectively). The ham (2.63) and the pork loin (2.57) had a similar protein quality to that of casein (2.50). The lowest protein quality was found in sausages (2.14). In most of the mixtures of animal and vegetable protein (30:70), the PER was similar to or higher than that of the animal food alone. Beans were the vegetable food that showed the lowest response to the addition of animal food. The conclusion of the study is that some 30:70 mixtures of animal:vegetable protein, such as chicken, beef round and pork with cereals could be utilized for regular meals because of their high PER and low cost.


In order to perform some specific testing, road laboratories apply a preliminary thermal treatment that impacts the asphalt mixture mechanical and intrinsic properties. The current standardisation in Switzerland and in Europe does not sufficiently describe the procedures of thermal ageing and this leads to great variability in different test results. The present study allowed analysing the impact of thermal ageing and to establish, verify and calibrate a new reheating methodology.