Cytotactin is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein with a restricted distribution during development. In electron microscopic images, it appears as a hexabrachion with six arms extending from a central core. Cytotactin binds to other extracellular matrix proteins including a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CTB proteoglycan) and fibronectin. Although cytotactin binds to a variety of cells including fibroblasts and neurons, in some cases it causes cells in culture to round up and it inhibits their migration. To relate these various effects of cytotactin on cell behavior to its binding regions, we have examined its ability to support cell-substrate adhesion and have mapped its cell- binding function onto its structure. In a cell-substrate adhesion assay, fibroblasts bound to cytotactin but remained round. In contrast, they both attached and spread on fibronectin. Neither neurons nor glia bound to cytotactin in this assay. In an assay in which cell-substrate contact was initiated by centrifugation, however, neurons and glia bound well to cytotactin; this binding was blocked by specific anti- cytotactin antibodies. The results suggest that neurons and glia can bind to cytotactin-coated substrates and that these cells, like fibroblasts, possess cell surface ligands for cytotactin. After applying methods of limited proteolysis and fractionation, these assays were used to map the binding functions of cytotactin onto its structure. Fragments produced by limited proteolysis were fractionated into two major pools: one (fraction I) contained disulfide-linked oligomers of a 100-kD fragment and two minor related fragments, and the second (fraction II) contained monomeric 90- and 65-kD fragments. The 90- and 65-kD fragments in fraction II were closely related to each other and were structurally and immunologically distinct from the fragments in fraction I. Only components in fraction I were recognized by mAb M1, which binds to an epitope located in the proximal portion of the arms of the hexabrachion and by a polyclonal antibody prepared against a 75-kD CNBr fragment of intact cytotactin. A mAb (1D8) and a polyclonal antibody prepared against a 35-kD CNBr fragment of cytotactin only recognized components present in fraction II. In cell- binding experiments, fibroblasts, neurons, and glia each adhered to substrates coated with fraction II, but did not adhere to substrates coated with fraction I. Fab fragments of the antibody to the 35-kD CNBr fragment strongly inhibited the binding of cells to cytotactin, supporting the conclusion that fraction II contains a cell-binding region. In addition, Fab fragments of this antibody inhibited the binding of cytotactin to CTB pr


Laser-assisted machining (LAM) is a promising technology for improving the machinability of hard-to-cut materials. In this study, based on the finite element method (FEM), a cutting model of thermally coupled non-uniform temperature field is established. The chip formation mechanism of fused silica during the laser-assisted machining process is explored from the aspects of laser power and laser incident angle. The results show that as the laser incident angle increases, the continuity of the chip increases gradually. An annular tool holder that can adjust the angle between the laser beam and the tool was designed. And the similar chip morphology obtained by variable-angle cutting experiments verified the effectiveness of the cutting model. Moreover, fracture chips and continuous banded chips are found in both simulation and experiment, which implies that the cutting mechanism works under a hybrid mode of brittle fracture and plastic deformation in the LAM process.


Abstract The authors had the opportunity, during their fieldwork, to attend spring rituals in Varkled-Böd'ya village. The week before the Great Day (Bydjynnal, coinciding with Orthodox Easter) is a dense ritual week: there are young people to be initiated, boys first and girls at the concluding ritual, who thus become adults; there are evil spirits to be chased away from the space of the living; there are kin relations to be reinforced through reciprocal visits, prayers and ritual deeds. These four rituals are the focus of this article, which provides an ethnographic account as well as a general analysis of the critical dimensions observed.


Despite more than 60 years of history, numerous studies and large population samples, in recent years, several patients have returned to the plastic surgeons office. They have doubts about the silicone, some due to the recent reports of BIAALCL, but the vast majority due to the possibility of systemic symptoms related to the implants and which arouse the desire for its removal. Procedure known as explant. This phenomenon, whose doubts are numerous and the responses are minimal, is known in the world literature as Breast Implant Illness (BII). On the Internet and social networks, hundreds of signs and symptoms have been related to silicone implants, usually nonspecific. The most common symptoms reported by patients are chronic fatigue, arthralgia, mental confusion, myalgia, memory loss, difficulty concentrating and dry eyes. So far, there are no diagnostic tests for BII, no method based on scientific evidence to differentiate it from other conditions, and there is very little knowledge about its onset, course, risk factors, causes and proper management. The option for removing the implants has been growing dramatically in recent years, being one of the ten most performed surgeries in the United States last year. The literature shows variable improvement rates after the explantation and the patients are, as a rule, satisfied with their aesthetic result and have lower levels of anxiety and stress after the procedure. Prospective, well-designed randomized studies correlating different periods are necessary, from the preoperative period of the implant until after the explantation. ■ ABSTRACT


The lottery ticket hypothesis has sparked the rapid development of pruning algorithms that aim to reduce the computational costs associated with deep learning during training and model deployment. Currently, such algorithms are primarily evaluated on imaging data, for which we lack ground truth information and thus the understanding of how sparse lottery tickets could be. To fill this gap, we develop a framework that allows us to plant and hide winning tickets with desirable properties in randomly initialized neural networks. To analyze the ability of state-of-the-art pruning to identify tickets of extreme sparsity, we design and hide such tickets solving four challenging tasks. In extensive experiments, we observe similar trends as in imaging studies, indicating that our framework can provide transferable insights into realistic problems. Additionally, we can now see beyond such relative trends and highlight limitations of current pruning methods. Based on our results, we conclude that the current limitations in ticket sparsity are likely of algorithmic rather than fundamental nature. We anticipate that comparisons to planted tickets will facilitate future developments of efficient pruning algorithms.


The magnetic fusion reactor using the advanced D-3He fuels has the advantage of much less-neutron productions so that the consequent damages to the first wall are less serious. If the establishment of this kind of reactor becomes realistic, the exploration of 3He on the moon will be largely motivated. Based on recent progresses in the spherical torus (ST) research, we have physically designed a D-3He fusion reactor using the extrapolated results from the ST experiments and also the present-day tokamak scaling. It is found that the reactor size significantly depends on the wall reflection coefficient of the synchrotron radiation and of the impurity contaminations. The secondary reaction between D-D that promptly leads to the D-T reaction producing 14 MeV neutrons is also estimated. Comparison of this D-3He ST reactor with the D-T reactor is made.


Environmental pollution is considered one of the greatest problems that the world is facing nowadays. Amongst others, some metals and metalloids are chemicals able to cause serious problems to the environment. The anthropogenic inputs of metals and metalloids to the environment have grown constantly since the industrial revolution. Metals and metalloids are no degradable substances and consequently highly durable in the environment. Their toxicity highly depends on their concentration and speciation in each specific environment. In this dissertation, the occurrence, geographical distribution and evolution in time of metals and metalloids was investigated in selected environments. On the one hand, atmospheric metal contamination was studied in different Pyrenean ecosystems, namely lakes and forests. Surface sediments and sediment cores of several high altitude remote lakes were collected and analysed to, respectively, describe the geographical distribution and track the historical records of metallic pollution in the Pyrenees. In addition, the efficiency of bioindicators such as beech leaves, lichens and mosses to monitor atmospheric metal pollution in the Irati Forest was checked. On the other hand, some characteristic estuaries located in different parts of the world were also investigated. The estuaries selected were those of the Tubar�o River (Santa Catarina Region, Brazil), the C�vado River (Esposende, Portugal), the Nerbioi-Ibaizabal and the Oka Rivers (both in the Basque Country) and finally the Hugli River, one of the main tributaries of Ganges River (West Bengal, India). Sediments from those estuaries were analysed to describe the geographical distribution and evolution in time of metallic contamination in each studied area. In some cases, water samples and autochthonous oysters were also analysed in order to carry out a more complete assessment of the toxicity associated to the presence of toxic elements. In the case of the estuary of the Hugli River, in addition, a new analytical strategy for the analysis of emerging contaminants like silver nanoparticles in sediments was developed.


T echnology, Humans, and Society: Toward a Sustainable World, Richard C. Dorf. The author suggests a framework for organizing the foundations of science, technology, and economics to provide a global framework for economic vitality, environmental quality, and social justice and offers insights into the need to incorporate sustainability into all aspects of daily life. Dorf explores methods for developing technologies and building business and engineering models and asserts that the success of these models depends on sound decision making, responsible actions, appropriate technologies, and thoughtful governments. The wide range of topics covered includes designing sustainable transportation systems, the impact of architectural designs on the environment, and performance indicators for tracking the quality of life and measures of progress. D ebugging Perl: Troubleshooting for Programmers, Martin Brown. Brown presents troubleshooting techniques for building robust, error-free code from concept to production. He proposes debugging tools for Perl scripts and applications such as error-checking routines and directives to address software obstacles before they become costly. This guide demonstrates how to optimize code with the Perl debugger, pro-filer, and compiler; evaluate scripts using test harnesses, code breaking, and system stress calculations; and implement subroutines, modules, and expressions to automatically detect potential problems. Brown shows readers error traps and time-saving design tips to fix buggy code. He also provides a cross-referenced appendix of error messages. T he Logic of Knowledge Bases, Hec-tor J. Levesque and Gerhard Lake-meyer. The authors provide an expressive mathematical knowledge model that describes the relationship between symbolic and abstract knowledge. Using theorems and proofs, the authors analyze the logical properties of knowledge, validity, reasoning, logic, epistemic logical language, and action. This book could serve as a resource for those who are interested in the foundations of knowledge representation or for graduate students and researchers in artificial intelligence, database management, logic, or philosophy who are familiar with first-order predicate logic. Instructive bib-liographic material and exercises that present research suggestions are included at the end of each chapter. B ecoming Designers: Education and Influence, Esther Dudley and Stuart Mealing, eds. The editors investigate the key factors that influence designers as they evolve from students into practitioners. They evaluate the contributions of leaders in design education, practice, research, and theory; they describe the importance of design history and the influence of new technology, interna-tionalism, new design agendas, and theoretical approaches. Which traits do artists and scientists share? A common trait is a willingness to …


The authors describe the challenging case of a 46-year-old patient who presented with a 2-week history of exertional dyspnea, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, and orthopnea. He was found to have left ventricular failure and atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular rate. Initial work-up revealed dilated cardiomyopathy with marked left ventricular dysfunction, without any obvious cause. He received standard medical therapy for left ventricular dysfunction and his symptoms improved. Electrical cardioversion to sinus rhythm and maintenance resulted in complete recovery of left ventricular function within 6 months. (c)2001 CHF, Inc.


How do you know which stock is the right stock to invest in and have no risk of losing their money [1]? Even though there are analysis specialists out there to collect data to calculate which stock is good to be invested in, ultimately people could not afford the cost of specialists and specialists are not able to be there every minute that you want to find them. Therefore, the app Stock Recommendation is created to solve this problem where stock investment suggestions are available in touch anywhere and anytime [2]. This application helps us with what we want to invest in and gather information from recent news to show us about the public opinions towards the stock that we are looking for. Investors will no longer struggle with the problem that is the stock that they want to invest in, a good stock or a bad stock, so no money will be lost from the investor's pocket and rather, they will gain my money [4].


According to Pareto, the distribution of income depends on "the nature of the people comprising a society, on the organization of the latter, and, also, in part, on chance." An overlapping generations model of marriage, fertility and income distribution is developed here. The "nature of the people" is captured by attitudes toward marriage, divorce,fertility, and children. Singles search for mates in a marriage market. They are free to accept or reject marriage proposals. Married agents make their decisions through bargaining about work, and the quantity and quality of children. They can divorce. Social policies, such as child tax credits or child support requirements, reflect the "organization of the (society)." Finally, "chance" is modeled by randomness in income, opportunities for marriage, and marital bliss.

https://www.clevelandfed.org/~/media/content/newsroom and events/publications/working papers/1999/wp 9904 more on marriage fertility and the distribution of income pdf.pdf


Aluminum metal matrix composites, which exhibit significantly high compressive strength, were produced through the squeeze casting process using aluminum 7075 alloy as the matrix material and 2.5 wt% alumina as reinforcement. The process parameters of squeeze casting were prudently selected based on the literature in order to obtain better mechanical properties such as compressive strength and hardness. Samples were examined using an optical microscope, energy dispersive spectroscopy, a scanning electron microscope, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The optical micrograph showed low porosity in the produced composite, which matched the porosity measured using the Archimedes principle. The scanning electron microscope showed uniform distribution of reinforcement in the grain boundaries of the matrix. An X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the presence of Al2O3 particles in the composite. The hardness of the composite improved from 44 to 59 HRB. The compressive strength of the composite improved significantly with the addition of alumina reinforcement to 587 MPa when compared to Al 7075 alloy as well as other aluminum metal matrix composites reported in the literature.


This work developed and evaluated an acousto-ultrasonic system that measures battery state of charge and, in particular, its state of health using a built-in, low-profile piezoelectric transducer system. A diagnostic method was proposed that relates changes in the guided wave signals to the charge, discharge, and aging processes, via electrochemically-induced changes in mechanical properties. A matching-pursuit-based feature extraction scheme was developed to allow an efficient, in-operando decomposition of signals into a set of predictors correlated with battery states. A particle filter framework was established which provides state estimation and remaining life prognostics to allow ultrasonic features to be used as measurements. It was shown on off-the-shelf Li-ion batteries and battery-integrated structures that the ultrasonic technique significantly improved the prediction performance and contained uncertainties.


Increasing amounts of variable renewable generation are likely to enter the UK's energy systems in the near future. To accommodate this generation onto electricity networks, the concept of active network management (ANM) has become a significant area of research interest. Network connected energy storage systems (ESS) are considered here as a means to actively control the network in order to increase the amount of generation that is possible to connect to a network. ESS is one of several potential methods of ANM, but has not been widely researched in this context. In this study, the ability of the ESS to increase the amount of wind energy accepted onto a network is assessed over a range of roundtrip storage efficiencies. An analysis is then conducted to determine the cost of energy produced through the ESS for a number of scenarios. The results show that the ESS is able to increase the energy accepted onto a distribution network, with the efficiency of the ESS, energy storage capacity, windfarm size, network losses and network characteristics being important in determining the relative effectiveness of the ESS and the cost at which electricity is produced.


ABSTRACT Bacillus thuringiensis is an insect pathogen that is widely used as a biopesticide (E. Schnepf, N. Crickmore, J. Van Rie, D. Lereclus, J. Baum, J. Feitelson, D. R. Zeigler, and D. H. Dean, Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 62:775-806, 1998). Here we report the finished, annotated genome sequence of B. thuringiensis Al Hakam, which was collected in Iraq by the United Nations Special Commission (L. Radnedge, P. Agron, K. Hill, P. Jackson, L. Ticknor, P. Keim, and G. Andersen, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69:2755-2764, 2003).


INTRODUCTION
Seroma development after mastectomy is a common complication. Continued seroma causes increased outpatient visits, repeated aspirations, infection, delayed healing, delayed adjuvant therapy, and increased cost. Various treatments are being attempted to prevent and reduce seroma development. We examined the effects of flap fixation on seroma using absorbable sutures after modified radical mastectomy (MRM).

METHODS
The prospectively recorded data of patients who underwent surgery for breast cancer were analyzed retrospectively. 72 consecutive patients who underwent MRM were included in the study. Patients who underwent MRM in the same way by the same surgeon were divided into two groups: the group whose wound was closed by fixing the flap to the chest wall with an absorbable suture (group A), and the group whose wound was closed with the classical method (group B). The groups were compared in terms of seroma development, clinicopathological data, and early complications.

RESULTS
Drain removal time and the total amount of drained fluid in group A patients were significantly lower than drain removal time and the total amount of drained fluid in group B patients (P < .001). Similarly, the amount of aspirated seroma in the control examinations of group A patients was significantly lower than that in group B (P < .05). Group B needed re-aspiration significantly more than group A (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS
Flap fixation with suture after MRM is a method that reduces seroma formation and the amount of drained fluid, enables early removal of the drain, prevents delay in starting adjuvant treatment, is more comfortable for the patient and physician, and is also inexpensive.


The emergence of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) during the past three decades as major contaminant of eggs and other poultry products caused a surge in human infections. This could have been mediated in part by emerging S. Enteritidis strains with enhanced virulence. The overall pathogenicity of Salmonella is controlled by numerous genes. To assess the role of a few specific genes thought to contribute to the pathogenicity of S. Enteritidis in egg laying hens, we conducted an experimental infection of egg-laying hens, with a wild type (WT) S. Enteritidis phage type 4 strain and three mutants (M1, M2, M3). These mutants were produced from the wild type by the inactivation of the prgH, SEN4287, and tyrR genes, respectively. We observed that the WT and the M1 mutant had shorter durations of fecal shedding and faster clearance from internal organs of the infected hens than the M2 and M3 mutants. The isolation rates of the wild type S. Enteritidis and the mutants were highest from the ceca, moderately high from the liver and spleen, and lowest from the ovaries of the infected hens. Hep-2 cells attachment assay revealed attenuated attachment for the M1 mutant while the M3 mutant seemed to have enhanced attachment. Colonization of tissues of the infected hens by M1 mutant appears to have been attenuated.


The impressive improvement in biomolecular detection has gone from simple chemical methods to sophisticated high throughput laboratory machines capable of accurately measuring the complex biological components and interactions. In the following chap‐ ter, we focus our attention on transistor‐based devices as an emerging platform for easy‐to‐use, portable amplified biodetection for preventive personalized medical appli‐ cations and point‐of‐care testing. Electronic sensing devices comprise biosensors based on field‐effect transistors (bio‐FETs) and organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs). Transistor sensing devices can transduce electronic and ionic signals thereby creat‐ ing an effective human‐machine communication channel. In this chapter, we survey the progress done on the development of transistor innovative concepts to examine biological processes, i.e., biosensors integrated with textiles, flexible substrates, and biocompatible materials. Electrochemical and field‐effect transistors can operate at low voltages possibly serving for highly sensitive, selective, and real‐time sensing devices. The exploration of biosensors integrates different disciplines such as organic electronics, biology, electrochemistry, and materials science.


Geopolymer concrete (GPC) has significant potential as a more sustainable alternative for ordinary Portland cement concrete. GPC had been introduced to reduce carbon footprints and thereby safeguarding environment. This emerging eco friendly construction product finds majority of its application in precast and prefabricated structures due to the special curing conditions required. Sustained research efforts are being taken to make the product suitable for in situ applications. The developed technology will certainly address the issues of huge energy consumption as well reduce water use which is becoming scarce nowadays. Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS) a by-product of iron industries in combination with fly ash has proved to give enhanced strength, durability as well reduced setting time. This study investigates the effect of GGBS as partial replacement of fly ash in the manufacture of GPC. Cube and cylindrical specimens were cast and subjected to ambient curing as well to alternate wetting-drying cycles. The 28 day compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength and density of GPC specimens were found. The study revealed increase in compressive strength, split tensile strength, density as well flexural strength up to 40 percent replacement of fly ash by GGBS.


The optimization of many realistic large-scale engineering systems can be computationally expensive. The evaluation of a single design configuration can take minutes or hours, and although computing power is steadily increasing, the complexity of the analysis codes continues to keep pace. In this paper a novel hybrid optimization method is introduced to efficiently find the global optimal of complex, highly multimodal systems. The motivation lies in the fact that to optimize many realistic engineering systems often requires numerous computationally expensive analyses to be performed. Heuristic optimization algorithms such as Simulated Annealing or Genetic Algorithms often can locate near optimal solutions but can require many function evaluations. Local search algorithms, including both gradient and non-gradient based methods, are quite efficient at finding the optimal within convex areas of the design space but often fail to find the global optimal in multimodal design spaces. The hybrid optimization approach presented in this work switches between global and local search methods based on the local topography of the design space. The global and local optimizers work in concert to efficiently locate quality design points better that either could alone. To demonstrate the usefulness of the approach presented in this paper, two case studies of differing complexity are considered.


Leukoencephalopathy syndrome is a rare disorder that results from structural alterations of cerebral white matter, is characterized by cerebral edema, and can occur in patients of any age. Cranial irradiation and certain chemotherapy agents, especially those used in high-dose protocols, are causal agents. The prevalence of toxic leukoencephalopathy is unknown; however, this syndrome has been reported increasingly in the literature in patients who develop neurobehavioral changes following exposure to various toxins. Diagnosis must confirm exposure to a toxin and the presence of neurobehavioral deficits and neuroradiologic abnormalities. In most reported cases, clinical symptoms are reversible after the offending toxin is withdrawn. This article describes two cases of chemotherapy-related leukoencephalopathy and reviews the nursing care of patients experiencing this syndrome.


While Pakistan has legally binding mechanisms to promote gender equality in employment, labour markets are shaped by the highly gender-segregated society they are embedded in. Based on the conceptualisation of labour markets as gendered institutions, I explore how gender generates unequal access to the labour market for social organisers—a term referring to a type of development practitioner—in the Hazara region, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan, making it difficult for women to participate in an occupational field where they are urgently needed to work with village women. Drawing on a comparison of job announcements and employees' profiles, I argue that social norms generate gendered inequalities of access to jobs as social organisers by regulating access to information, ability to travel, and eligibility for employment. In this article, I contribute to a better understanding of the gendered nature of this specific labour market, the impediments to gender equality in employment, and the need for an improvement in the work contexts of the female labour force in rural Pakistan in order to make it possible for women to do the job.


Perception is the result of interactions between the sensory periphery, thalamus, and cerebral cortex. Inputs from the retina project to the first‐order dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), which projects to the primary visual cortex (V1). In return, the cortex innervates the thalamus. While layer 6 projections innervate all thalamic nuclei, cortical layer 5 neurons selectively project to the higher order lateral posterior nucleus (LP) and not to dLGN. It has been demonstrated that a subpopulation of layer 5 (Rbp4‐Cre+) projections rewires to dLGN after monocular or binocular enucleation in young postnatal mice. However, the exact cortical regional origin of these projections was not fully determined, and it remained unclear whether these changes persisted into adulthood. In this study, we report gene expression changes observed in the dLGN after monocular enucleation at birth using microarray, qPCR at P6, and in situ hybridization at P8. We report that genes that are normally enriched in dLGN, but not LP during development are preferentially downregulated in dLGN following monocular enucleation. Comparisons with developmental gene expression patters in dLGN suggest more immature and delayed gene expression in enucleated dLGN. Combined tracing and immuno‐histochemical analysis revealed that the induced layer 5 fibers that innervate enucleated dLGN originate from putative primary visual cortex and they retain increased VGluT1+ synapse formation into adulthood. Our results indicate a new form of plasticity when layer 5 driver input takes over the innervation of an originally first‐order thalamic nucleus after early sensory deficit.


I Introduction OVER TWENTY YEARS OF RESEARCH on job matching and organizational behavior in external labor markets has produced valuable information about how workers search for jobs. We know much less, however, about why organizations recruit the way that they do (see Granovetter 1995, "Afterword" for a comprehensive review). As Granovetter (1995: 155) points out, "while people are finding jobs, employers are finding people to fill them, and their behaviors, strategies, and purposes play a central but often neglected role in the process of matching people to jobs." The way employers rate and choose recruiting techniques has important theoretical and empirical implications for understanding labor markets and inequality. The choice of recruiting techniques affects the visibility of job information (Fevre 1989; Haulman et al. 1987; Windolf 1986). The visibility of job information, in turn, contributes to structured social inequality. Access to jobs is not always equal (Braddock and McPartland 1987; Neckerman and Kirschenman 1991; Reskin and Roos 1990; Windolf 1986). This paper explores a topic of much speculation but relatively little empirical investigation or theoretical conceptualization: How those in charge of recruiting and hiring new employees assess the advantages and disadvantages of various recruiting techniques. We also examine how organizational characteristics shape hiring managers' perceptions of the primary advantages and disadvantages of recruiting techniques. II Advantages and Disadvantages of Recruiting Techniques Organizations can use two broad types of recruiting techniques. Formal techniques employ a formal market intermediary between the firm and the prospective employee. That intermediary may be an advertisement, public or private employment agency, or even a "help wanted" sign in front of the business (Marsden and Campbell 1990). To search for new employees, informal techniques use individuals who may include current employees, colleagues/associates at other firms, or colleagues in professional associations. Advantages of Informal Recruiting: Cost and Quality Studies in sociology and economics often assume that low financial cost (relative to recruiting through formal techniques) is the primary reason that organizations use informal recruiting (Corcoran et al. 1980; Granovetter 1995; Maim 1974; Marsden and Campbell 1990; Pissarides 1984; Rees 1966; Rees and Schultz 1970). Informal recruiting techniques do not cost companies advertising expenses, finders fees, and other search-related expenses. The cost of recruiting, however, also includes the cost of the time it takes to recruit. New forms of business organization, such as joint ventures and strategic alliances, which Acs and Gerlowski (1996:22) refer to as "virtual corporations," and the shift to "lean and mean" (Harrison 1994) structures and processes, reflect the realities of a new environment driven by global competition, technological innovation, and a faster pace. At the heart of the matter is the duration cost of recruiting (i.e., the speed with which a vacancy is filled). As one of the reviewers of this article aptly stated, "I could put a notice up on the www.monster.com board and probably get results in three days. How long would it take for my employees to network with their friends?"(1) This raises two empirical questions: First, do hiring managers cite recruiting cost as an advantage or a disadvantage of informal recruiting? Second, are hiring managers in the private competitive sector of the economy most likely to cite cost as a disadvantage of informal recruiting? The quality of information acquired by organizations and job searchers is another advantage of informal recruiting (Granovetter 1995). Informal recruiting provides job seekers with access to details about a position and prospective employer that an agency would not know, such as information about the fairness and attitudes of supervisors, the informal working environment, or the direction the organization is heading. …


Purpose: The article sets the following objectives: considering the economic nature of the current crisis, its differences from the economic crises observed in the past few decades, the measures taken by the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union to fight coronavirus infection and the directions for improving financial, budgetary, tax , customs regulation in crisis conditions. Design/Methodology/Approach: Right after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, most countries of the world have implemented a similar set of measures to minimize its negative consequences. The article examines the financial and credit instruments used in world practice to stabilize the socio-economic situation and eliminate the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the possibilities and limitations of their use by the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states. Findings: Overcoming the consequences of the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic and ensuring the economic growth of the EAEU member states is possible through the deepening of integration processes within the EAEU and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the creation of the necessary conditions for the digitalization of foreign and mutual trade of the EAEU member states, changes in the current monetary policy its close coordination within the framework of resolving the issue of developing the internal financial market of the EAEU. Practical Implications: The practical implementation of the proposed approaches will minimize the negative consequences of the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic for the EEU member states. Originality/Value: The rapidly changing macroeconomic and financial situation has a negative impact on the state of public finances around the world, which requires taking newly emerging fiscal risks into account and developing economic and financial measures to eliminate the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Coronavirus infection has led to a disruption in the activity of certain sectors of the economy, a decrease in the final demand for manufactured products and / or services, a disruption of inter-industry relationships and production chains.


PURPOSE
To examine the views of individuals with neurodegenerative diseases about ethical issues related to incorporating personalized language models into brain-computer interface (BCI) communication technologies.

METHODS
Fifteen semi-structured interviews and 51 online free response surveys were completed with individuals diagnosed with neurodegenerative disease that could lead to loss of speech and motor skills. Each participant responded to questions after six hypothetical ethics vignettes were presented that address the possibility of building language models with personal words and phrases in BCI communication technologies. Data were analyzed with consensus coding, using modified grounded theory.

RESULTS
Four themes were identified. (1) The experience of a neurodegenerative disease shapes preferences for personalized language models. (2) An individual's identity will be affected by the ability to personalize the language model. (3) The motivation for personalization is tied to how relationships can be helped or harmed. (4) Privacy is important to people who may need BCI communication technologies. Responses suggest that the inclusion of personal lexica raises ethical issues. Stakeholders want their values to be considered during development of BCI communication technologies.

CONCLUSIONS
With the rapid development of BCI communication technologies, it is critical to incorporate feedback from individuals regarding their ethical concerns about the storage and use of personalized language models. Stakeholder values and preferences about disability, privacy, identity and relationships should drive design, innovation and implementation.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONIndividuals with neurodegenerative diseases are important stakeholders to consider in development of natural language processing within brain-computer interface (BCI) communication technologies.The incorporation of personalized language models raises issues related to disability, identity, relationships, and privacy.People who may one day rely on BCI communication technologies care not just about usability of communication technology but about technology that supports their values and priorities.Qualitative ethics-focused research is a valuable tool for exploring stakeholder perspectives on new capabilities of BCI communication technologies, such as the storage and use of personalized language models.


: The differentiation of DMBA-induced rhabdomyoblastomas was studied during the early stages of tumour growth. Two cell populations were found to constitute the tumour tissue: small cells (SC) and long spindle-shaped cells (LSSC). The SC were the only tumor cells at the earliest detectable stage of tumour growth 10 weeks after intramuscular injection of DMBA. They had small heterochromatic nuclei with a compact nucleolus containing only fibrillar components. The cytoplasm was very rich in SER of tubular type, dense bodies and Golgi apparatus. Centrioles at all stages of the replicative cycle were very frequently observed. The cells did not fuse and showed no tendency to differentiate. The LSSC had large euchromatic nuclei with multiple irregular nucleoli containing both fibrillar and granular components. The cytoplasm had an abundant GER and well-developed Golgi apparatus. These cells formed 100 Angstrom thick cytofilaments the increase of which paralleled reduction of GER. The cells tended to fuse but did not form myofibrils. A rare variant of these cells neither possessed Golgi apparatus nor formed cytofilaments but accumulated dense protein substance in the cisternae of the GER. Myotubes with cross-striated myofibrils were but occasionally observed. The ultrastructural characteristics of both cell types revealed essential differences in the biosynthetic activity and the degree of differentiation. The SC were considered to belong to the myogenic cell line and to be most probably the malignant counterpart of proliferating satellite cells (presumptive myoblasts) and precursors of the LSSC. Morphologically and developmentally the LSSC bore close resemblance to normal myoblasts but the proliferative capacity of some of them seemed to be lost. The differentiation of the malignant myoblasts in the DMBA-induced rhabdomyoblastomas was similar to the early differentiation of the normal muscle tissue.


Teachers' knowledge for effective pedagogies can be enhanced by drawing on a range of specific expertise held by those working in other disciplines or professions. In this article, we explore this potential through a focus on enhancing research-informed communication rich pedagogies in primary and early years' settings. The specific example is that of speech and language therapists using video-based coaching with teachers. Our research provides case study evidence and demonstrates that this professional development approach brings speech and language therapy research and expertise into the practice domain of teachers. This is a dynamic, reciprocal and co-constructive relationship between the participants. The focus on this paper is on how it can enable teachers to extend their understanding and develop a more nuanced understanding of specialist evidence of speech, language and communication for, and in, practice.


In this review, we present an overview of the recent advances of genomic technologies applied to studies of fish species belonging to the superclass of Osteichthyes (bony fish) with a major emphasis on the infraclass of Teleostei, also called teleosts. This superclass that represents more than 50% of all known vertebrate species has gained considerable attention from genome researchers in the last decade.We discuss many examples that demonstrate that this highly deserved attention is currently leading to new opportunities for answering important biological questions on gene function and evolutionary processes. In addition to giving an overview of the technologies that have been applied for studying various fish species we put the recent advances in genome research on the model species zebrafish and medaka in the context of its impact for studies of all fish of the superclass of Osteichthyes. We thereby want to illustrate how the combined value of research on model species together with a broad angle perspective on all bony fish species will have a huge impact on research in all fields of fundamental science and will speed up applications in many societally important areas such as the development of new medicines, toxicology test systems, environmental sensing systems and sustainable aquaculture strategies.


Pickering emulsions are increasingly applied in drug delivery, oil–water separation, composite materials preparation, and other fields. However, systematic studies on the stabilization of Pickering emulsions to satisfy the growing application demands in multiple fields with long-term conservation are rare. Compared to conventional solid nanoparticles, polyanion-modified hairy nanoparticles are more stable in practical environments and are investigated in this study. Poly (sodium p-styrenesulfonate) was grafted to a polystyrene (PS) core via a photoemulsion polymerization. A hairy nanoparticle bearing polyanions called poly (sodium p-styrenesulfonate) brush (PS@PSS) was synthesized. The size and uniformity of the Pickering emulsions stabilized by PS@PSS were investigated via a polarizing microscope. The stability of Pickering emulsions were optimized by adjusting critical factors like ultrasonic power and time, standing time, oil phases, salt concentration, and water:oil ratio. Results indicated that the Pickering emulsions could be stabilized by PS@PSS nanoparticles, which showed remarkable and adjustable partial wetting properties. It was found that the optimized conditions were ultrasonic power of 150 W, ultrasonic time of 3 min, salt concentration of 0.1 mM, oil phase of hexadecane, and water:oil ratio of 1:1. The formation and stability of Pickering emulsion are closely related to the hairy poly (sodium p-styrenesulfonate) brush layer on the nanoparticle surface.


The paper deals with the European dimension of the competition and contention between Czech political parties and argues that domestic party interests undermine the formal oversight of EU politics by the Czech national parliament. Within the current institutional arrangements, national political parties assume stances – which are expressed through voting – towards the European Union (and European integration as such) as they act in the arena of national parliaments that are supposed to make the EU more accountable in its activities. Based on an analysis of roll-calls, the paper focuses on the ways the political parties assume their stances towards the EU and how the parties check this act by voting on EU affairs. The paper examines factors that should shape parties' behaviour (programmes, positions in the party system, and public importance of EU/European integration issues). It also focuses on party expertise in EU/European issues and asserts that EU/European integration issues are of greater importance in extra-parliamentary party competition than inside the parliament, suggesting a democratic disconnect between voters and parliamentary behaviour. The study's empirical analysis of the voting behaviour of Czech MPs also shows that the parliamentary scrutiny introduced by the Lisbon Treaty is undermined by party interests within the system.


Platelet-activating factor (PAF) concentrations were low in the non-pregnant, oestrous uterus (mean +/- s.e.m.: 2.2 +/- 1.2 pmol/g, n = 3). However, uterine PAF increased dramatically during pregnancy to a maximum of 37.8 +/- 4.90 pmol/g (n = 7) on Day 5. By Day 7, PAF concentrations in the uteri of pregnant rabbits had returned to levels similar to those found at oestrus. In contrast, uterine PAF in pseudopregnant rabbits peaked at 30.6 +/- 2.8 pmol/g (n = 8) on Day 4, declined to 20.5 +/- 2.4 pmol/g (n = 8) on Day 5 and then remained at that concentration through Day 7. Uterine PAF co-migrated with synthetic PAF (1-O-hexadecyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-phosphocholine) in both thin-layer and normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. PAF activity in the uterus during pregnancy and pseudopregnancy was found almost exclusively in the endometrium; little or no PAF was found in myometrium, uterine flushings or blastocysts. While no PAF was detected in blastocysts on Days 5 and 6 of pregnancy, the presence of the embryo appears to modulate biosynthesis and/or degradation of PAF by the uterus, since PAF decreased significantly in uterine tissue apposed to the implanting embryo (but not in similar areas between such attachment sites). Increased concentrations of PAF in the preimplantation rabbit uterus followed by a dramatic decrease on the day of blastocyst attachment suggest that this potent inflammatory autacoid may play a vital role in implantation.


Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) is an important measure of ventricular performance and may identify patients at increased risk for developing late clinical symptoms of heart failure (HF). The primary outcome in this analysis of 744 patients from the Survival and Ventricular Enlargement (SAVE) trial was the development of death or HF over a mean time of 36 months. The mean LVEDP for all patients was 23+/-9 mm Hg, and 75% of participants (n=558) had an LVEDP >15 mm Hg. Patients with an LVEDP >30 mm Hg (n=187) had the highest risk of death or HF (unadjusted hazard ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.97) when compared with the other 2 cohorts combined (n=603). After adjustment for other known predictors of cardiac risk, LVEDP no longer remained significant (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.77-1.65). Elevated LVEDP is common following myocardial infarction; however, it is not an independent predictor of subsequent HF risk. The variability in LVEDP is not fully explained by infarct size and atherosclerotic burden.


In many parts of the Global South, climate change will have substantial (negative) impacts on overall national development including country's efforts to reduce poverty (Olsson et al., 2014). However, current climate adaptation efforts can be criticized for their limited incorporation of or focus on the "poverty reduction" aspect. These two concepts – poverty reduction and climate change adaptation – are often treated as two different issues among many scholars, policy makers, and practitioners, even though issues like poverty and inequality are the "most salient of the conditions that shape climate-related vulnerability" (Ribot, 2010:50). Therefore, climate adaptation efforts in developing countries can be criticized for not making meaningful and lasting impacts among the poor and marginalized citizens. Since poor and marginalized citizens are most vulnerable to climate impacts, it is critical for the developing nations in the Global South to have means to reduce their poverty along with meaningful climate adaptation efforts.


High efficiency Class-E Power Amplifiers (PA) are difficult to analytically design using the original design equations. We present a high frequency (HF) Class-E PA design methodology that simplifies design in this thesis. A high-efficiency Class-E PA was designed using a low-cost power FET by following this design-flow.

Due to their small size, it's difficult to design efficient MCR-WPT resonators for portable electronics. We propose a novel multi-layer MCR-WPT Printed Spiral Coil (PSC) design and design methodology. Two MCR-WPT PSC resonators were designed for smartphones and tablets to meet the Rezence Self-Resonant Frequency and efficiency specifications using this novel design and design methodology.

The MCR-WPT resonators power transfer efficiency is reduced when their separation distance is below the optimal Critical Coupling Distance (CCD) due to frequency splitting. We present a novel maximum-peak detection and auto-tuning circuit that automatically improves efficiency using capacitive tuning when the separation distance is below the CCD.


Introduction. Periodontitis-associated microbiotas differ in regions around the world and vary with a variety of factors. This suggests that each country must establish its own dental microbiobiotic profile in order to formulate adequate prevention measures and more specific treatments. Objective. The prevalence and proportions of the following microorganisms were investigated: Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella intermedia/Prevotella nigrescens, Eikenella corrodens, Campylobacter rectus, Micromonas micros, Fusobacterium spp, Dialister pneumosintes and enteric rods. The patients selected had been diagnosed with chronic periodontitis and aggressive periodontitis from clinical populations in Bogota, Colombia. The variables of age, gender and socioeconomic level were included in the comparisons. Materials and methods. 183 patients were classified in two groups, chronic periodontitis (n=84) and aggressive periodontitis (n=59); 40 healthy subjects were selected for comparison. A pooled subgingival plaque sample was obtained from the 6 deepest periodontal pockets in every patient and processed by culture for the isolation and identification of bacteria. Results. In chronic periodontitis and aggressive periodontitis, P. gingivalis, T. forsythia, P. intermedia/P. nigrescens, C. rectus, Fusobacterium spp and E. corrodens showed high and similar prevalence, whereas M. micros, A. actinomycetemcomitans, D. pneumosintes and enteric rods (commonly from the tribe Klebsielleae) showed less and similar prevalence. In the healthy group, P. intermedia/P. nigrescens, C. rectus and Fusobacterium spp showed high frequency whereas M. micros and E. corrodens showed moderate frequency. Conclusions. Porphyromonas gingivalis, T. forsythia, P. intermedia/P. nigrescens, C. rectus, Fusobacterium spp. and E. corrodens are important constituents of the microbiologic profile of the periodontitis in Colombian populations. Porphyromonas gingivalis was found more frequently than A. actinomycetemcomitans in aggressive periodontitis.


A theoretical study (DFT and MP2) of the self-association of homochiral (RR or SS) and heterochiral (RS or SR) dimers of three series of cyclic alpha-hydroxy-carbonyl derivatives has been carried out. The solvation effect on the parent derivative dimers has been explored, showing nonsignificant changes in the configurations preferred but altering in some cases the homo/heterochiral preference of the dimers. The results in the gas phase of the systems with different substituents show a preference for the heterochiral dimers. The energetic results have been analyzed with the NBO and AIM methodologies. Optical rotatory power calculations of the monomers and homochiral dimers show large variations of this parameter depending on the substituents and the complexation.


In this thesis, we propose a series of cross-layer aided routing algorithms for ad hoc networks by jointly exploiting the characteristics of the physical layer, of the data link layer and of the network layer, for the sake of improving the network's throughput, while reducing the normalized energy consumption. Since the node mobility in dynamic self organizing ad hoc networks may render the routing information gathered during the route discovery process invalid and hence may disrupt the current data transmission, a fuzzy logic aided technique is incorporated into the routing algorithm for mitigating the influence of imprecise routing information. Both the expected route life time and the number of hops are used as the input parameters of the Fuzzy Logic System (FLS), which outputs the 'stability' of a route. Hence, the specific route having the highest route 'stability' is finally selected for data transmission. The proposed fuzzy logic based routing outperforms the conventional Dynamic Source Routing (DSR) in terms of the attainable network throughput. Moreover, since near-capacity channel coding aided Multiple Input Multiple- Output (MIMO) schemes allow a single link to communicate using the lowest possible transmit power at a given Frame Error Rate (FER), multi antenna aided routing was proposed for reducing the system's total energy consumption, which relied on a three-stage concatenated transceiver constituted by an Irregular Convolutional Code, Unity-Rate Code and Space-Time Trellis Code (IrCC-URC-STTC) equipped with two antennas. It is demonstrated that in a high-node-density scenario the average energy consumption per information bit and per node becomes about a factor two lower than that in the equivalent Single-Antenna Relay Node (SA-RNs) aided networks. Finally, we further exploit the benefits of cross-layer information exchange, including the knowledge of the FER in the physical layer, the maximum number of retransmissions in the data link layer and the number of RNs in the network layer. Energy-consumption-based Objective Functions (OF) are invoked for calculating the end-to-end energy consumption of each potentially available route for both Traditional Routing (TR) and for Opportunistic Routing (OR), respectively. We also improve the TR and the OR with the aid of efficient Power Allocation (PA) for further reducing the energy consumption. Moreover, two energy-efficient routing algorithms are designed based on Dijkstra's algorithm. The algorithms based on the energy-consumption OF provide the theoretical bounds, which are shown to be close to the bound found by exhaustive search, despite the significantly reduced complexity of the former. Finally,the end-to-end throughput and the end-to-end delay of this system are analyzed theoretically. The simulation results show that our energy-efficient OR outperforms the TR and that their theoretical analysis accurately matches the simulation results.


: This paper will discuss data obtained on the growth promoting effects of metabolically active agents for avian species generally used for food production. The compounds to be considered are those with estrogenic, androgenic, or thyroid hormone activity. Estrogens have been studied most extensively with poultry. At physiologically active levels, estrogens markedly stimulate food intake and at times, weight gain. There is a marked increase in fattening in chickens fed estrogenic compounds and generally a decrease in nitrogen retention. There seems to be a particular stimulation of lipogenesis of estrogenic compounds to the extent that protein synthesis is depressed. Generally high levels of estrogenic compounds are required for metabolic effects. Estrogens have marked effects on circulating nutrient levels and also decrease the choline requirement of growing chicks. Thyroid active substances have been extensively studied. Iodinated casein has been shown to stimulate early growth especially in growing ducks. Efficiency of feed utilization is depressed by feeding iodinated casein and body fat content is reduced. Feathering may be improved by thyroid hormone and in species where feathers are economically imported, it is sometimes advantageous to use these compounds. Methyltestosterone has been shown to be growth stimulating for female chickens and turkeys but relatively ineffective for males. In general, androgens seem to be somewhat less effective in stimulating growth rate and nitrogen retention in domestic birds compared to effects observed in mammals. The role of growth hormone as an anabolic agent in birds is somewhat obscure. Mammalian growth hormone preparations seem ineffective in poultry. The anabolic agents that will be considered in this paper are the hormone active substances with estrogenic, androgenic, or thyroid activity. These will be considered primarily as they affect growth and carcass composition of various species of poultry and not in their normal physiological roles. When considering the role of these compounds in production of human food through their effects on animals, the effects on growth rate, feed efficiency, and carcass composition are primary traits of concern and many other interesting aspects of the physiological effects of these compounds cannot be considered. The paper will not be an exhaustive review of the literature but will attempt to document the effects of these agents on the productive characteristics of poultry.


The Kozak pluton is located in central western Anatolia, where it crops out in the core of an antiformal culmination. The pluton was emplaced into regionally deformed and metamorphosed basement rocks, during the Late Oligocene–Early Miocene period. The pluton consists mainly of a homogeneous granodiorite with fine-grained margins. A suite of hypabyssal intrusives of the same composition formed a fringe around the pluton, during the late phases of emplacement. The hypabyssal rocks are intimately mixed with cogenetic volcanic rocks of Early Miocene age. Field evidence suggests that the pluton is a very high level intrusion, although it has features typical of more deep-seated granites. The pluton exhibits different effects on the host rocks along different contacts, which suggests that during its long history of ascent a variety of emplacement mechanisms operated at different depths. These emplacement mechanisms range from diapiric intrusion at deeper levels through cauldron subsidence to passive emplacement. During the latter phase, faults and fractures allowed the pluton to be finally emplaced at sub-volcanic levels. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Cell walls of E. coli strains B and Cullen contain specific receptors for colicin K and for the T2, T6, and C16 phages. The receptors for the bacteriocin and the T6 virus are located in the outer layers of the cell wall of these microorganisms and are absent in their cytoplasmic membrane. The receptors for colicin K, phage T2, and the T6 and C16 viruses differ in their stability toward enzymes and chemical reagents. Their specificity must therefore be determined by different chemical groupings. The colicin K receptor is inactivated by certain proteolytic enzymes and by reagents which combine with tryptophan. It is concluded therefore that proteins or peptides containing this amino acid are essential for biological activity of the receptor.


Treatment of toxoplasmosis usually causes secondary effects. It is important to find active substances extracted from natural organisms. In this work we studied some arthropod extracts that have effect against Toxoplasma multiplication inside mouse macrophages. After studying 382 extracts, 23 were selected on the basis of the activity and we found that 13 extracts from orders Polydesmida, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera and Hymenoptera exerted an important inhibition of Toxoplasma multiplication.


This paper studies the effective thermal conductivity of multiphase composite in which a thermal boundary resistance exists at constituent interfaces. Based on the theoretical framework of conductivity for binary system composites in the presence of a thermal contact resistance between matrix and inclusion given by Y. Benveniste and T. Miloh (1986), the fundamental concept is generalized for the case of multiphase composites with imperfect contact which permits a temperature discontinuity between matrix and inclusions of different phases. A micromechanics model, the "generalized self-consistent scheme (GSCS)" based on a particle-matrix embedding in the effective medium, is generalized to evaluate the effective conductivity of multiphase medium with imperfect thermal contact at constituent interfaces. Numerical results are given for three-phase particulate composites with spherical particles to illustrate the effect of imperfect interfaces on the effective thermal conductivity of multiphase composites.


This is designed to help students enrolled in The Governance & Management of Sport locate information for research projects and papers.


This paper investigates corporate taxation under separate accounting (SA) and formula apportionment (FA) in a model with union wage bargaining and multinational firms. Under SA, we find that increases in the corporate tax rate raise the wage level of domestic workers, while they lower the remuneration of foreign workers. The main insight emerging from a tax competition game is that the endogeneous wage level gives rise to an ambiguous fiscal externality, which may dampen the race-to-the-bottom in corporate tax rates. A switch to a tax system with FA principles reverses the impact of corporate taxes on negotiated wages. While increases in the corporate tax rate reduce domestic wages, they raise the wage level of foreign workers. In a tax competition game, the endogeneous wage level gives rise to a positive fiscal externality that enforces the race-to-the-bottom in corporate tax rates.


Abstract This article aims to reinvigorate the utopian imagination as a vital and necessary component in IR theory. Since the First Great Debate between the Realists and the Utopianists (or more accurately, the Liberal-Internationalists) the utopian tradition has been viewed as being both subjective and arbitrary, leading to its dismissal as vain idealism in world politics. This article re-interrogates the arguments of Carr and Morgenthau and finds that they have relevance today only as against closed systems of utopia and have little bearing against the open-dialectical utopianism which is advocated here as a viable alternative to the sterility of realism. The article also examines the historical nexus between realism's dismissal of utopianism and the wider movements in political philosophy via a critical engagement with the works of Popper, Berlin and Arendt. Finally, after exploring the limitations of Booth's idea of 'Utopian Realism', the article argues that utopianism should no longer be assumed to be a blueprint for a future, perfect society, a tradition fraught with the danger of proto-totalisation, but as a critical imaginary that acts as a heuristic device to reveal the fissures in existing reality and as an ideational motivating force for progressive change in world politics.


Five anaerobic fungal isolates from the bovine rumen were grown on Coastal Bermuda grass (CBG) leaf blades and monitored over a 9-day period for substrate utilization, fermentation products, cellulase, and xylanase activities. Two of the fungal isolates showed monocentric growth patterns; one (isolate MC-1) had monoflagellated zoospores and morphologically resembled members of the genus Piromyces; the other (isolate MC-2) had multiflagellated zoospores and resembled members of the genus Neocallimastix. Three other isolates (PC-1, PC-2, and PC-3) exhibited polycentric growth and have not yet been described in the literature; these isolates were characterized by differences in morphology. All of the isolates degraded CBG to approximately the same extent (70% [dry weight]) in 9 days. Fermentation product accumulation was concurrent with substrate utilization. The major fermentation products for all isolates were formate, acetate, D-(-)-lactate, L-(+)-lactate, ethanol, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen. Succinate was produced by all cultures, with the exception of MC-1. Fermentation balances revealed different profiles for each isolate. As a group, monocentric isolates produced a greater ratio of oxidized to reduced products when grown on glucose or CBG than did the polycentric isolates, which produced a nearly equal ratio of these products. All isolates exhibited cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities, including endoglucanase, exoglucanase, beta-glucosidase, xylanase, and beta-xylosidase activities. Increasing enzyme activity correlated with the accumulation of fermentation products and substrate utilization. The optimum pH for the enzymatic activity of polycentric isolates was within a more narrow range (pH 6.4 to 7.0) than that of the monocentric isolates (pH 5.5 to 7.5). Activity toward cellulosic substrates was not detected until after the disappearance of reducing sugars. Xylanase activity was found to be five to seven times that of carboxymethyl cellulase activity for all cultures grown on CBG.


: Everything we know today about the functional defects underlying clinical diabetes mellitus was known before insulin receptors came along. Growth-onset (type I) diabetes stems from primary beta-cell failure; in these patients insulin sensitivity is normal, and the number of insulin receptors on target cells is normal. Adult-onset (type II) diabetes represents a combination of relative insulin deficiency (impaired early response to glycemic stimulus with subsequent hyperinsulinemia, at first) and peripheral insulin resistance, both of which engender 24 hr hyperinsulinemia that secondarily reduces insulin receptor concentrations. Concomitant obesity increases circulating hyperinsulinemia in moderately severe diabetes; however, excessive insulin levels wane as diabetes gets worse, and round-the-clock hypoinsulinemia supervenes. We still have to learn what fails to happen beyond the receptor concerning both glucose transport into the cell and insulin-mediated intracellular processes, but these postreceptor defects are undoubtedly related to deficient insulin secretion. In short, the hormone is more important than the receptor.


The efficiency of different regimens of electromagnetic irradiation therapy (MEIT) was analyzed in cases of 87 patients with primary sarcoidosis of the respiratory apparatus. The study resulted in choosing the optimal MEIT regimens with regard for a form of thoracal sarcoidosis. A high efficiency and safety of MEIT, when applied in patients with sarcoidosis of the respiratory apparatus, as well as its advantages versus systemic corticosteroids were demonstrated.


This paper analyzes the usage data from a live deployment of an enterprise client management system based on virtual machine (VM) technology. Over a period of seven months, twenty-three volunteers used VM-based computing environments hosted by the system and created over 800 checkpoints of VM state, where each checkpoint included the virtual memory and disk states. Using this data, we study the design tradeoffs in applying content addressable storage (CAS) to such VM-based systems. In particular, we explore the impact on storage requirements and network load of different privacy properties and data granularities in the design of the underlying CAS system. The study clearly demonstrates that relaxing privacy can reduce the resource requirements of the system, and identifies designs that provide reasonable compromises between privacy and resource demands.


This study deals with the data exchange issues based on object linking and embedding for process control (OPC) server in industrial automation systems. OPC server is a software developed to solve the driver device problem, where the first-tier visualization and supervisory control and data acquisition (scada) applications needed to have a standard way for reading and writing data from devices on the factory floor in process control. In this paper, the aim of the study was to control the water tank filling system through the programmable logic controller (PLC) and to observe the procedure by the help of SCADA The connection between the PLC and SCADA is maintained by the OPC server. With OPC server, the exchange of digital and analogue data obtained from sensors in the system can be realized with low cost and maximum performance. This paper illustrates the use of OPC server in industrial automation systems and the necessary PLC algorithms. A practical application of the design of the system is described.

 Key words: OPC server, SCADA, PLC, fluid level control.


In this study the laboratory and clinical performance of a chromogenic endotoxin assay for equine plasma was evaluated. The assay was sensitive (detection limit 3 ng LPS/L plasma), reproducible (within and between-assay CV at 50 ng LPS/L E. coli O111:B4 LPS standard addition was 5% and 7.5%, respectively), and not substantially affected by enhancement or inhibition phenomena (recovery of an in vitro spike was 75-125% in 80% of the samples). LPS added to whole blood was rapidly inactivated upon incubation at 37 degrees C but not at 0 degrees C. A recently developed blood collection tube for LPS testing was found suitable, i.e. LPS-free and providing non-contaminated samples. In 48 horses suffering from acute abdominal diseases requiring surgical treatment, LPS levels were significantly higher in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) than in platelet-poor plasma (PPP), and the proportional difference was related to the PRP platelet count (r = 0.52, p < 0.001, mean difference 48%, range 8-77%). LPS levels were also significantly higher in horses that died or were euthanized than in surviving horses (mean 16.5 and 7.1 ng/L PRP, respectively, p < 0.05). We conclude that LPS can be measured in equine plasma with picogram sensitivity and recommend the use of PRP instead of PPP for clinical LPS testing. For clinical use a decision limit for endotoxaemia of 5 ng LPS/L PRP appeared to be inadequate. Analysis at a higher cut-off level for endotoxaemia and the evaluation of clinical, pathological, and laboratory parameters would be more meaningful.


This study measures child-gender preference in Thailand by examining the probability of having an additional child given genders of the previous children using the generalized maximum entropy (GME) approach. The GME method is robust to multicollinearity problem, which allows us to examine different child-gender preference pattern among families with different characteristics. The results show that girls are preferred in the families where the mothers have no high school degree. However, boys are preferred in the families where the mothers have a high school degree.  Moreover, regardless of mothers' levels of education, the results show the evidence of mixed gender preference. Thai parents are less likely to have an additional child once they already have at least one boy and one girl.


This thesis examines the concept of Agencification against the backdrop of Public Sector Reforms in Nigeria in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. These reforms had components and elements of New Public Management (NPM). New Public Management ideas of public sector management and governance have been influential in reform strategies across the world since the 1980s. Notwithstanding its popularity, New Public management approaches and methods have attracted controversies in areas of practical applications and 'context' domain. Evaluation of New Public Management reforms in Developing and Developed Countries have produced mixed results, somewhat a hazy picture which cannot be categorised as either a success or failure (Overman et al. 2015). NPM, as a policy development tool and management initiative, raises more questions than answers. An assessment of NPM and public governance models by academics and public policy analysts have generated phrases expressions such as 'implementation habitats', 'cultural homogeneity', 'unstructured complexity', 'matrix of governance', choreographies of governance 'appropriateness milieu' etc. (Lieberthal, 1995; Swyngedouw, 2001; Jessop, 2004), to describe the rather complex nature of public sector reforms.

The main aim of this thesis is to understand the behaviour of an agency whose original design is inspired by the New Public Management (NPM) doctrines. The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Nigeria is the selected case study in this research. The objectives of the research are tied to the various narratives on NPM reforms and Agencification deliberations like the drivers, accountability, transparency, doctrines of autonomy, structural disaggregation, contractualisation, ministerial relationship, cross functionality, independence and governance (e.g. state- society relationship).

In the context of Nigeria, the implementation of NPM inspired reforms elicits several distinct analyses given the volatile politico-administrative structures and the oscillation between political regimes and systems, e.g. parliamentary (1963-1966) to Military (First Junta,1966-1979, Second Junta 1983-1999) and to Presidential (1979-1983, Interim Presidential administration 23rd June1993-17th Nov. 1993, 1999-Present).

This research adopts a single case study research design and qualitative data collection methods. The research findings offer a unique insight into New Public Management Reforms in Nigeria and this enables us to draw some tentative generalisations about the organisational behaviour of public agencies in the context of a developing country such as Nigeria.

The research unveils an interesting finding that the TETFund does, to a large extent, display some form of autonomy. In contrast to what existing literature emphasis on problems and obstacles to NPM implementation in developing countries, e.g. corruption and political decay; the TETFund operates as a semi-autonomous organisation- in a political context which provides formidable challenges to an NPM agency.


Dialogue policy optimisation via reinforcement learning requires a large number of training interactions, which makes learning with real users time consuming and expensive. Many set-ups therefore rely on a user simulator instead of humans. These user simulators have their own problems. While hand-coded, rule-based user simulators have been shown to be sufficient in small, simple domains, for complex domains the number of rules quickly becomes intractable. State-of-the-art data-driven user simulators, on the other hand, are still domain-dependent. This means that adaptation to each new domain requires redesigning and retraining. In this work, we propose a domain-independent transformer-based user simulator (TUS). The structure of TUS is not tied to a specific domain, enabling domain generalization and the learning of cross-domain user behaviour from data. We compare TUS with the state-of-the-art using automatic as well as human evaluations. TUS can compete with rule-based user simulators on pre-defined domains and is able to generalize to unseen domains in a zero-shot fashion.


A new control algorithm with improved regulation is presented for a switching dc buck converter. The controller is realized with hardware description language (HDL) and can be implemented in any process. The controller uses four decision levels, combines pulse frequency modulation (PFM), pulse width modulation (PWM), and uses dithering for improved regulation. The controller is prototyped on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and experimental results show good performance over input and load disturbances. Importantly, the controller does not require high resolution analog-to-digital conversion for signal processing, and also does not require fast digital clocking. This controller has significant potential to be widely used in industrial applications where cost and design time are of great concern.


Theories about helping behavior have branched into two basic areas: egoistic and altruistic. Egoistic theories describe helping as being induced by sadness or distress; the Empathy-Altruism hypothesis contends that people help when they feel empathy for another in need. Fultz, Schaller, and Cialdini (1988) looked at the possibility that three emotions--sadness, distress, and empathy--may increase helping. The intent of this study was to demonstrate the occurrence of helping in a situation in which only empathy is evoked and therefore can be the only emotion to affect the helping response. College students (N=60) were randomly divided by an instruction set into either high or low empathy groups. These subjects were asked to listen to two radio programs and to evaluate them as part of a media evaluation task. After each tape, the student completed a media evaluation and an emotional response questionnaire. The first tape was used to obtain a emotional response baseline. The second tape presented a helping situation free of sadness and distress. The situation described a student, of the same gender az the participant who was raising money for an educational trip abroad by stuffing 25,000 envelopes for a fee of $1,500. Later each student was given an opportunity to stuff envelopes for the interviewee. There was no difference between high and low empathy instruction groups on self-reported empathic listening. However, female participants who reported listening empathically helped significantly more than those who did not. Their emotional response questionnaire scores showed no change in sadness or distress but a significant increase in empathy. Findings suggest that a situation free of sadness and distress can evoke empathy which is associated with greater helping among female subjects, offering partial support for the Empathy-Altruism hypothesis. (Author/ABL) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made 7C * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** Empathy Without Distress 1 Empathy and Helping in a Non-Distress Situation Lori Gano Hope College


Recently, there has been an increasing interest in formalisms for representing uncertain information on the Semantic Web. This interest is triggered by the observation that knowledge on the web is not always crisp and we have to be able to deal with incomplete, inconsistent and vague information. The treatment of this kind of information requires new approaches for knowledge representation and reasoning on the web as existing Semantic Web languages are based on classical logic which is known to be inadequate for representing uncertainty in many cases. While different general approaches for extending Semantic Web languages with the ability to represent uncertainty are explored, we focus our attention on probabilistic approaches. We survey existing proposals for extending semantic web languages or formalisms underlying Semantic Web languages in terms of their expressive power, reasoning capabilities as well as their suitability for supporting typical tasks associated with the Semantic Web.


In the generalized phase shift plus interpolation (GPSPI) method, the phase shift extrapolation is used to produce a reference wavefield for each output point using its velocity, and the process is repeated for all output points. This assumes a locally homogenous medium for each extrapolation, and that velocity differences between input and output points are small. Applying residual phase shifts that account for differences in velocities between input and output points in wavefield extrapolation methods can be helpful in areas that have complicated subsurface structures. In this report, we show how this type of correction can be applied to wavefield extrapolation methods in the space-frequency domain. We use the Marmousi dataset to show the effect of adding this correction. Although no dramatic changes resulted from applying these shifts, some faults and dipping events are better focused and delineated because of them.


Plasma ultrafiltration of patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) in terminal stage and of apparently healthy human donors were studied. It has been shown that additional chromatographic peaks observable in fractionating plasma ultrafiltrate of uremic patients are formed predominantly by substances of nonprotein nature. Aminoacid composition of middle molecular peptides' pool in qualitative respect was identical in normal humans and CRF patients. Quantitative contents of the peptides showing considerable individual fluctuations were reported.


The present work was aimed to study the anterior cranial nerves which innervate the olfactory apparatus of Uromastyx aegyptius. The olfactory apparatus of Uromastyx aegyptius includes the main olfactory organ and the vomeronasal organ or organ of Jacobson. The main olfactory organ is innervated by the olfactory nerve which arises from the sensory olfactory epithelium and leaves the capsular cavity through a separate foramen, i.e., there is no foramen olfactorium advehens. The vomeronasal organ is innervated by two nerves: the terminal and the vomeronasal nerves. They arise from the sensory epithelium in combination. The terminal nerve carries a terminal ganglion. The nervi terminalis and vomeronasalis combined together as one separate nerve which leaves the cavity of the nasal capsule together with few bundles of the olfactory nerves through a special foramen. The nervi terminalis, vomeronasalis and olfactorius enter the cranial cavity through a large foramen olfactorium evehens and they connect separately the anterior part of the brain. The vomeronasal nerve enters the accessory olfactory bulb (vomeronasal formation) of the fore brain. The nervus olfactorius enters the main olfactory bulb whereas the terminal nerve connects the anterior end of the olfactory lobe. The olfactory bulb has a long olfactory peduncle. The three nerves carry pure special somatic sensory fibres. [Dakrory, A.I.; Issa, A.Z. and Ali, R.S Nervi Terminalis, Vomeronasalis and Olfactorius of Uromastyx aegyptius (Squamata – Lacertilia Agamidae) Life Science Journal,. 2011; 8(4):900-907] (ISSN: 1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com.


The paper highlights the need for, and the benefits of using, simulation during the development and implementation of modern healthcare systems. Whilst healthcare establishments already utilise information systems in a wide variety of disciplines, the majority of systems are currently isolated, with patient records largely based upon manual methods. As such, it is envisaged that the establishment of composite, multimedia-based patient records would considerably aid care delivery. After a brief discussion of the advantages that this would bring, the paper proceeds to highlight how simulation can be employed to aid system design and development in a number of areas (including the user interface, records structure, security, networking requirements and the profiling of future application demands). The discussion is based upon work currently being conducted by the authors within a practical research project.


Generally, orthodontic stainless steel wires are made with 18-8 stainless steel, but because of the low localized corrosion resistance of this steel, the probability of corrosion is high. The desired properties for wires to be used in the oral cavity include high corrosion resistance and optimal mechanical properties. The metallurgical properties, corrosion resistance, and ion release properties of rectangular wire produced experimentally with super stainless steel (S32050) by a drawing process were evaluated, these properties compared with Remanium, Permachrome, G&Hwire, and Orthos, and the consequent capability of this steel to satisfy the optimal property levels required for orthodontic wire are discussed. Except for S32050, the wires formed twinned martensite in severely deformed grains. S32050 exhibited a low current density of about 1.6 μA/cm 2 and a stable passive region in artificial saliva, but the comparative wires displayed high current density because of pitting that occurred above the breakdown potential. S32050 released only a small amount of nickel into the solution in spite of its high nickel content. The high corrosion resistance of S32050 wire inhibits the release of metallic ions in the oral cavity and therefore satisfies the requirements of orthodontic wire.


Ad dress for Cor res pon den ce/Ya z›fl ma Ad re si: Aslan Tekataş MD, Trakya Üniversity Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Edirne, Turkey Phone: +90 284 235 76 41 E-mail: email@example.com Re cei ved/Ge lifl Ta ri hi: 09.09.2013 Ac cep ted/Ka bul Ta ri hi: 09.10.2013 Primary leptomeningeal melanomatosis is a rare central nervous system neoplasm originating from leptomeningeal melanocytes. The cases can be presented with focal neurologic deficit, seizure, neuropsychiatric symptoms or increased intracranial pressure symptoms along with encephalitis or meningitis. Diagnosis can be made upon imaging studies, cytopathologic examination of cerebrospinal fluid and biopsy. Biopsy can return false negative since the leptomeningeal involvement is not diffuse. In this study, a case is presented who admitted to hospital with leptomenengitis symptoms such as headache, fever and altered state of consciousness and developed additional neurologic signs after months. First biopsy came out as normal while the second one did as positive. This case has been found worth presenting since this is a tumor of rare existence and the diagnosis was made upon the second biopsy. (Turkish Journal of Neurology 2014; 20:138-140)


1. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra at 8-60 K of NADH-reduced membrane particles prepared from Paracoccus denitrificans grown anaerobically with nitrate as terminal electron acceptor show the presence of iron-sulfur centers 1-4 in the NADH-ubiquinone segment of the respiratory chain. In addition resonance lines at g = 2.058, g = 1.953 and g = 1.88 are detectable in the spectra of succinate-reduced membranes at 15 K, which are attributed to the iron-sulfur-containing nitrate reductase. 2. Sulphate-limited growth under anaerobic conditions does not affect the iron-sulfur pattern of NADH dehydrogenase or nitrate reductase. Furthermore respiratory chain-linked electron transport and its inhibition by rotenone are not influenced. These results contrast those observed for sulphate-limited growth of P. denitrificans under aerobic conditions [Eur. J. Biochem. (1977) 81, 267-275]. 3. Proton translocation studies of whole cells indicate that nitrite increases the proton conductance of the cytoplasmic membrane, resulting in a collapse of the proton gradient across the membrane. Nitrite accumulates under anaerobic growth conditions with nitrate as terminal electron acceptor; the extent of accumulation depends on the specific growth conditions. Thus the low efficiencies of respiratory chain-linked energy conservation observed during nitrate respiration [Arch. Microbiol. (1977) 112, 17-23] can be explained by the uncoupling action of nitrite.


Asian foreign exchange markets are under pressure. Since 2007, good macroeconomic fundamentals, favourable growth prospects and high interest rates have made the emerging countries a favourite destination for capital. Though the crisis interrupted these flows at the end of 2008, the American monetary policy of "Quantitative Easing" accelerated the inflows of capital because it forced the emerging countries to raise their interest rates to combat inflation. Now, due to its increasingly integrated trade, price competitiveness and stable bilateral exchange rates are important factors in Asia's economic good health. The countries in the area intervene on the foreign exchange markets to prevent their currencies from appreciating. It is not just China that is resorting to this strategy; other countries have been much more active in bearing down on the exchange rate. How can the countries in the area maintain the stability of their exchange rates? As China is obviously the magnet for trade flows within the area, what role does the renminbi play in the exchange rate policies of the other Asian emerging countries? When we look empirically at these questions, we have to ask ourselves whether a de facto monetary area is forming and therefore whether there now exists a process of decoupling from the dollar. Can a loose monetary area form implicitly, without the coordination of regional monetary rules?


This article explores how Giriama elders represent their 'traditional religion' (dini ya jadi) through 'interfaith' cooperation with Christians and Muslims in the coastal Kenyan town of Malindi. Based on extensive ethnographic research, the article analyses how Giriama Traditionalism relates, in complex and ambivalent ways, to normative assumptions and ideals with regard to what religion entails, and in turn how Giriama elders seek recognition as representatives of a religion in this setting. Such claims are made in a context where Christians, Muslims, and state actors sometimes doubt whether Giriama Traditionalism is worthy of being called a 'religion' at all. The article demonstrates that although in the context of interfaith cooperation Christianity, Islam, and 'Traditionalism' are formally recognized as equal religions, this does not necessarily create a level playing field. Instead, it requires Giriama elders to appropriate terms, norms, and ideals that are not necessarily of their own making in order for Giriama Traditionalism to be recognized as a religion. Through this analysis, the article aims to contribute to theoretical debates about religious diversity in African contexts by demonstrating how negotiations about what properly counts as (good) religion in coastal Kenya are deeply informed by the copresence of Christianity, Islam, and indigenous African religiosity in one religious field.


Carbon quantum dots (CQDs, C-dots or CDs), which are generally small carbon nanoparticles (less than 10 nm in size) with various unique properties, have found wide use in more and more fields during the last few years. In this feature article, we describe the recent progress in the field of CQDs, focusing on their synthetic methods, size control, modification strategies, photoelectric properties, luminescent mechanism, and applications in biomedicine, optronics, catalysis and sensor issues.


Decays of the Ξ − b and Ω − b baryons to the charmless final states ph − h 0 − , where h ð0Þ denotes a kaon or pion, are searched for with the LHCb detector. The analysis is based on a sample of proton-proton collision data collected at center-of-mass energies ffiffiffi s p ¼ 7 and 8 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb − 1 . The decay Ξ − b → pK − K − is observed with a significance of 8.7 standard deviations, and evidence at the level of 3.4 standard deviations is found for the Ξ − b → pK − π − decay. Results are reported, relative to the B − → K þ K − K − normalization channel, for the products of branching fractions and b -hadron production fractions. The branching fractions of Ξ − b → pK − π − and Ξ − b → p π − π − relative to Ξ − b → pK − K − decays are also measured.


Efficient regulation of the energy transfer between generating, storage and load subsystems is a topic of current practical interest. A new strategy to achieve this objective, together with its corresponding power electronics implementation, was recently proposed by the authors. The device is called dynamic energy router (DER) because, in contrast with current practice, the regulation of the direction and rate of change of the power flow is done without relying on steady-state considerations. A key assumption for the correct operation of the DER is that dissipation in the system is negligible. Unfortunately, in the presence of dissipation the original DER ceases to be operational. In this paper a new DER that takes into account the presence of losses is proposed. Simulation and experimental evidence of the performance improvement with the new DER are presented.


Abstract. Open biomass burning (OBB) emits significant amounts of non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), and the mixing of OBB with urban plumes could exacerbate regional ozone (O3) pollution. In the present study, an observational field campaign was performed in a rural area at the northern edge of the Yangtze River Delta region (YRDR) from 15 May to 24 June 2010, during intensive open burning of wheat residues. The net photochemical production rate of oxidant (Ox = O3 + NO2) at the site was evaluated based on a box model (Regional Atmospheric Chemical Mechanism, Version 2) constrained by real-time ambient measurements (e.g., O3, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), NOx (NO2 + NO), J values). Our results showed that both in situ photochemistry and direct transport from urban areas in the YRDR were responsible for the high Ox concentration at the site. During an OBB-impact case, net photochemical production of Ox in the daytime was pronounced, with a 6 h averaged Ox production rate of 13 ± 4 ppbv h−1 (maximum value of 21 ppbv h−1 at 12:00 CST). Photochemical Oxproduction changed from VOC-limited in the morning to NOx-limited in the afternoon due to the rapid photochemical consumption of NOx during the day. A combined analysis with positive matrix factorization demonstrated that O3 pollution in the rural area of the YRDR was largely affected by urban emission, and OBB-related emissions also contributed to in situ photochemical production, particularly in the afternoon. Our study suggested that a joint effort in reducing both NMHCs (e.g., aromatics) and NOx emissions in the urban area, as well as local OBB activities, may be effective in eliminating high-O3 pollution risk in the rural areas of the YRDR.


We consider a motion planning method based on cooperative biological swarming models with virtual attractive and repulsive potentials (VARP). We derive a map between the model and fan speeds for the Kelly, a second order vehicle on the Caltech multi vehicle wireless testbed. The motion planning map results leads to the development and implementation of a point to point controller which is subsequently used as part of a cooperative searching algorithm. The VARP control method is scalable and can be used to organize a swarm of robotic vehicles.


In Italy, the amount of thermoplastic materials is 5 million tons. The recovery is necessary through simple processes with high efficiency. The aim of this paper is to study the use of plastic material particles in the ceramic industry for the production of light bricks, since this waste burns during firing at high temperature. The clay is extracted by disused quarry of South Italy and the PVC is a by-product of polymeric bars production (San Giovanni in Fiore- Calabria). The clay and the PVC waste were characterised by thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction to identify the crystalline phases of raw material and EDS analyses to determine the chemical composition. Mixtures containing waste and clay materials were formed by extrusion and fired in a furnace using range temperatures of 900°C-1100°C. The obtained final products are bricks of 15 cm of length, 2 cm of thickness and 1.2 cm of height. The physical and mechanical properties were studied. These properties are used to define process firing temperature. Water absorption and linear shrinkage tests carried out as a function of the firing temperature.


In belief revision, the result of a contraction should be a logically closed set (closure) such that the input is not inferred (success). Traditionally, these two postulates depend on the same consequence operator.

The present work investigates the consequences of using two different consequence operators for each of these desiderata: the classic Cn to compute success and a second weaker operator to compute the closure. We prove a representation theorem and some other properties for the new contraction.


This paper reports on the design and optimization of different types of piezoelectric actuators for aeroacoustic control applications. This study was carried out within the context of the European project CleanSky 2/InnoSTAT. The aim of our work is to reduce the aeroacoustic noises that appear in an airplane turbofan by adding an area of piezoelectric actuators on the Outlet Guide Vanes (OGV). These piezoelectric structures will subsequently be controlled with an active approach and tested in the open-jet anechoic wind tunnel at LMFE. The noise source which has to be reduce/control comes from vortices located in the turbulent flow (which can for example be created by the fan module) interacting with the stator blades. The predominant frequencies and the pressure fluctuations levels related to these vortices rely on the airflow speed and are fixed between 1000Hz and 2000Hz in our case. To reach the target, we plan to manufacture an area of piezoelectric actuators on the intrados and the extrados of the stator blades in order to control the response of the blade to the turbulence of the airflow responsible for the aeroacoustic noise. Several adjacent blades will be equipped with this type of transducers. This study outline the design and the optimization of each piezoelectric cell in order to achieve good results in the frequency range previously defined as well as an acceptable mechanical strength of the blade. A most detailed study on the active shunt will be investigate later on.