Abstract. The Ombla Spring represents a typical abundant coastal karst spring located in the vicinity of the town of Dubrovnik (Croatia). Its outlet is at an altitude of 2.5 m above sea level (m a.s.l.) and the water from it immediately flows into the Adriatic Sea. The minimum and maximum measured discharges are 3.96 m3 s−1 and 117 m3 s−1, respectively. The Trebisnjica River traverses through its catchment. The mean annual discharge, after the canalization of over 60 km of its watercourse with spray concrete (in the time span 1981–2011), is 24.05 m3 s−1. Before massive civil engineering work which took place during 1968–1980, the mean annual discharge was 28.35 m3 s−1. There is a project for construction of the hydro-electric power plant (HEPP) Ombla, which will exclusively use groundwater from the Ombla Spring karst aquifer. The underground dam will be constructed about 200 m behind the existing karst spring outflow in the karst massif, by injecting a grout curtain. The top of the grout curtain is planned to be at an altitude of 130 m a.s.l. This karst system is complex, sensitive, vulnerable and ecologically extremely valuable. The grout curtain, as well as the HEPP Ombla development, could lead to extremely dangerous technical and environmental consequences. In this paper some probable, negative consequences of the HEPP Ombla construction and development are explained. The HEPP Ombla could result in many large and hard-to-predict negative consequences which are specific for this particular HEPP, for example (1) severe spring discharge change; (2) unpredictable regional groundwater redistribution; (3) threatening of endemic fauna; (4) induced seismicity; (5) induced sinkholes; (6) occurrence of landslides; (7) conflict regarding internationally shared karst aquifers; (8) intensification of karst flash floods; (9) sea water intrusion in coastal karst aquifer; etc.


In this paper, a new software tool developed by the authors for ac winding design, optimization, and complete analysis is presented. In particular, this software can be used as a valid aid in design and analysis for a wide variety of motor and generator windings with generic number of phases (including the case of those machines in which some slots are left empty), pole pairs, slot number, and so on. The calculation of winding factors and the evaluation of their harmonic distribution is also accomplished. The software is implemented in the MATLAB programming environment. By means of some examples, covering the most relevant winding types, the capabilities of this software will be shown. In particular, integer and fractional slot, single- and double-layer winding, concentrated windings, imbrication, belt widening, and belt shifting techniques can be treated to reduce particular harmonics in the electromotive force (EMF) or in the magnetomotive force (MMF). Finally, the connections, the winding factor harmonic distribution, the total harmonic distortion (THD) of EMF and spatial distribution of both the MMF, the Görges polygon, and the flux density are shown together with an estimate of the differential leakage and the air-gap flux density spatial distribution. The software presented in this paper is very modular, highly structured, and flexible due to the conspicuous number of operations that it can fulfill. Clearly, for the sake of brevity and clarity, the authors limit to represent the main features of the software, without going into specific details of programming and coding. All the main mathematical relationships that are useful to solve the problem of design and optimization of the windings of rotating machines are hereafter presented.


The death domain (DD), death effector domain (DED), caspase-recruitment domain (CARD) and pyrin domain (PYD) are subfamilies of the DD superfamily. By mediating homotypic interactions, these proteins play important roles in the assembly and activation of apoptotic signalling complexes. They are responsible for caspase recruitment and for formation of oligomeric platforms for signalling. DD superfamily proteins have a common six-helical bundle fold and show different surface features for each of the subfamilies. Most interestingly, the homotypic interactions within each subfamily are mostly mediated by asymmetric contacts, in which different surfaces of the interaction partners are adjacent to each other. The DD superfamily proteins appear to use three common types of asymmetric interactions to assemble into large oligomeric complexes.

Key concepts

Death domains (DDs), death effector domains (DEDs), caspase-recruitment domains (CARDs) and pyrin domains (PYDs) are protein:protein interaction modules for formation of caspase-activating complexes.

DDs, DEDs, CARDs and PYDs share a common six-helical bundle fold.

Interactions within these domains are mostly asymmetric and conserved.

Keywords:

death domain (DD);
death effector domain (DED);
tandem DED;
caspase recruitment domain (CARD);
pyrin domain (PYD);
structure


The introduction of a new SESAR scenario in the European Airspace will impact the functioning and the performances of the current Air Traffic Management (ATM) System. The understanding of the features and the limits of the current system could be crucial in order to improve and design the structure of the future ATM. In this paper we present some results of the "Assessment of Critical Delay Patterns and Avalanche Dynamics" PhD project from the ComplexWorld Network. During this project we developed a model of Air Traffic Control (ATC) based on Complex Network theory capable of reproducing the features of the real ATC in three European National Airspaces. We then developed an optimization algorithm based on "Extremal Optimization" in order to build efficient and globally optimized planned trajectories. The ATC model is applied in order to study the efficiency of this new planned trajectories when subject to external perturbations and to compare them to the current situation.


Two important sequence elements, designated insulin enhancer binding site 1 (IEB1) or NIR and IEB2 or FAR, are involved in regulating expression of the rat insulin I gene. These elements bind a helix-loop-helix transcription factor, insulin enhancer factor 1 (IEF1). The IEB1 site is highly conserved among insulin genes but the IEB2 site is not conserved. To investigate the factors binding at the equivalent IEB1 and IEB2 sites in the human insulin gene enhancer, electrophoretic mobility shift assays were performed using a variety of cell extracts and probes specific for the homologous IEB1 and IEB2 sites. The results indicate that a factor with similar tissue distribution and binding characteristics to those of IEF1 binds to the IEB1 site in the human insulin gene, but that a separate factor, identified as the adenovirus major late transcription factor [MLTF, or upstream stimulating factor (USF)] binds to the IEB2 site.


Cotton-top tamarins were inoculated with sufficient Epstein-Barr virus to induce multiple tumors in each animal within 14 to 21 days. The tumors consisted of large-cell lymphomas that contained multiple copies of the Epstein-Barr virus genome and generated Epstein-Barr virus-carrying cell lines showing no detectable consistent chromosomal abnormality. Hybridization of tumor DNA with immunoglobulin gene probes revealed that each lymphoma was oligo- or monoclonal in origin and that individual tumors from the same animal arose from different B-cell clones. Thus the virus induced multiple transformation events in tamarins in vivo to cause malignant tumors resembling the Epstein-Barr virus-associated lymphomas of patients with organ transplants.


Abstract Internationally, numerous seminal studies (e.g., Becker, 1994; Cuban, 2001; Cuban, Kirkpatrick, & Peck, 2001; Dwyer, Ringstaff, & Sandholtz, 1990; Sheingold & Hadley, 1990; Zhao, Pugh, Sheldon, & Byers, 2002) have largely left the general issue of access to technology and specifically classroom technology maintenance unexplored despite significant evidence in their findings. This article is a call for researchers, administrators and others involved in the implementation of technology to place more focus upon the important local causes and effects of inadequate maintenance policies and procedures in order to overcome one of the most prevalent barriers to teachers' classroom use. To this end, a step by step process for Korean administrators is outlined, including the establishment of reliability teams based on production plant management techniques developed by Carroll, Sterman, and Marcus (1998). It is proposed that the shift to a more proactive maintenance policy at Korean universities will enable more reliable technology in the classroom and thereby facilitate greater potential for use by teachers. The change will also lower the costs associated with large repairs and premature replacement of equipment leading to lower overall long-term budgets. Importantly, the largest beneficiaries of the change will be the students who will receive instruction that regularly employs the classroom technology that their tuitions have paid and continue to pay for at Korean universities.


Further information on the Development Management service of Scottish Borders Council which processes all planning and related applications, such as advertisements and listed building consents.


Discussing the particularly long gravitational microlensing event OGLE-2014-BLG-1186 with a time-scale t_E ∼ 300 d, we present a methodology for identifying the nature of localised deviations from single-lens point-source light curves, which ensures that (1) the claimed signal is substantially above the noise floor, (2) the inferred properties are robustly determined and their estimation is not subject to confusion with systematic noise in the photometry, (3) alternative viable solutions within the model framework are not missed. Annual parallax and binarity could be separated and robustly measured from the wing and the peak data, respectively. We find matching model light curves that involve either a binary lens or a binary source, and discover hitherto unknown model ambiguities. Our binary-lens models indicate a planet of mass M_2 = (45 ± 9) M⊕, orbiting a star of mass M_1 = (0.35 ± 0.06) M⊙, located at a distance D_L = (1.7 ± 0.3) kpc from Earth, whereas our binary-source models suggest a brown-dwarf lens of M = (0.046 ± 0.007) M⊙, located at a distance D_L = (5.7 ± 0.9) kpc, with the source potentially being a (partially) eclipsing binary involving stars predicted to be of similar colour given the ratios between the luminosities and radii. Further observations might resolve the ambiguity in the interpretation in favour of either a lens or a source binary. We experienced that close binary source stars pose a challenge for claiming the detection of planets by microlensing in events where the source passes very close to the lens star hosting the planet.


At present, smartphones are widely used for both business and personal purposes. As we all know that android is the popular mobile operating system. Like Windows operating system vulnerability the android has also vulnerability. And on the basis of these vulnerabilities, an attacker can obtain a user's privacy data. But one possible way to avoid accessing of system and network i.e. penetration testing
This paper describes penetration testing, Kali Linux tools such as Metasploit and TheFatRat. These tools have proved to be effective in Android exploitation. For example, by using TheFatRat, create a payload using msfvenom. Furthermore, the Payload creates a backdoor to access the system, using Metasploit, which exploits the android device and finds the vulnerability and, according to vulnerability, access the victim's system.


Multi-representation databases (MRDBs) are used in several geographical information system applications for different purposes. MRDBs are mainly obtained through model and cartographic generalizations. Simplification is the essential operator of cartographic generalization, and streams and lakes are essential features in hydrography. In this study, a new algorithm was developed for the simplification of streams and lakes. In this algorithm, deviation angles and error bands are used to determine the characteristic vertices and the planimetric accuracy of the features, respectively. The algorithm was tested using a high-resolution national hydrography dataset of Pomme de Terre, a sub-basin in the USA. To assess the performance of the new algorithm, the Bend Simplify and Douglas-Peucker algorithms, the medium-resolution hydrography dataset of the sub-basin, and Topfer's radical law were used. For quantitative analysis, the vertex numbers, the lengths, and the sinuosity values were computed. Consequently, it was shown that the new algorithm was able to meet the main requirements (i.e., accuracy, legibility and aesthetics, and storage).


Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is said to become an important cornerstone of the Internet of Services. However, while some market research and IT provider firms fervently support this point-of-view, others already conjure up the failure of this on-demand sourcing option due to considerable risks associated with SaaS. Although there is a substantial body of research at the intersection of traditional and on-demand IT outsourcing and risk management, existing research is virtually silent on analyzing the risks of SaaS. This study thus seeks to deepen the understanding of a comprehensive set of risk factors affecting the adoption of SaaS and discriminates between SaaS adopters and non-adopters. Grounded in perceived risk theory, we developed a research model that was analyzed with survey data of 379 firms in Germany. Our analysis revealed that security risk was the dominant factor influencing companies' overall risk perceptions on SaaS-based sourcing. Moreover, we found significant differences between adopters' and non-adopters' perceptions of performance and financial risks. Overall, this study provides relevant findings that potential and actual SaaS clients may use to better assess SaaS-based offerings. For SaaS providers, our study gives important factors to emphasize when offering SaaS services to companies in different stages of the technology adoption lifecycle.


A nickel(II)–borohydride complex bearing a macrocyclic tridentate N-donor ligand, [Ni(Me3-TACN)(BH4)(CH3CN)]+ (Me3-TACN = 1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane), was prepared, isolated, and characterized by various physicochemical methods, including UV-vis, ESI-MS, IR and X-ray analyses. The structural and spectroscopic characterization clearly shows that the borohydride ligand is bound to the high-spin nickel(II) center in an η2-manner. Density functional theory calculations provided geometric information of 2, showing that the η2-binding of borohydride to the nickel center is more favorable than the η3-binding mode in CH3CN. The complex is paramagnetic with an effective magnetic moment of 2.9μB consistent with a d8 high-spin system. The reactivity of the high-spin nickel(II)–borohydride complex was examined in dehalogenation with numerous halocarbons. A kinetic isotope effect value of 1.7 was observed in the dehalogenation of CHCl3 by the nickel(II)–borohydride complex. Kinetic studies and isotopic labeling experiments implicate that hydride ion or hydrogen atom transfer from the borohydride group is the rate determining step. The positive Hammett ρ value of 1.2, obtained in the reactions of [Ni(Me3-TACN)(BH4)(CH3CN)]+ and para-substituted benzoyl chloride, indicates that the dehalogenation by the nickel(II)–borohydride species occurs via a nucleophilic reaction.


This paper deals with the design of a high power-density, high efficiency and low torque ripple propulsion motor for electric aircraft. The proposed design procedure resulted in a high-performance propulsion motor intended for a direct-drive solution on an 8–12 passenger commercial aircraft with a range up to 1000 miles. The electromagnetic design is firstly addressed and then the thermal management is discussed. A set of design development steps are investigated and validated through finite-element software, involving studies for the optimal selection of the of air gap diameter and the slot/pole combination, followed by improving the efficiency by suitable material selection and methods for losses mitigation. Finally, in order to prove the enhancement of power density and efficiency through this feasibility design study, the designed propulsion motor performance is compared to the state-of-the-art motors of similar direct-drive aircraft propulsion systems.


Antimicrobial silver nanoparticles used in consumer products may be released during fabrication, during product use, or after disposal and may reach terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, prompting concern about their potential to adversely impact the environment (Benn and Westerhoff, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2008, 42, 4133, DOI: 10.1021/es7032718). Although the toxicity of pristine silver nanoparticles is well studied and understood, silver nanoparticles can undergo transformation during release and in engineered and natural environments. The speciation of silver after release must therefore be explored to deepen understanding of the potential impact of these nanoparticles on the environment. Herein, we highlight three articles which use highly sensitive analytical techniques to define, and in some cases map, silver speciation in situ after exposure to organisms of varying size and complexity. First, we highlight research by Leonardo et al. which explores the transformations of silver acted upon by a microalgae species that is a candidate for heavy metal remediation in water. Next, we highlight research by Stegemeier et al. quantifying and mapping the speciation of silver in alfalfa after exposure to several silver sources, including two silver-based nanoparticles. Finally, we discuss work by Wang et al. on silver speciation in human monocyte cells as observed by synchrotron radiation techniques which leads to mechanistic insights on cytotoxicity.


Facial mimicry in response to emotional and neutral singing was tested in the context of an emotion judgment task. Participants were tested in two conditions, Perception (n=16) and Imagery (n=21). Participants were presented with video clips showing a singer expressing happy, neutral and sad emotions, and were asked to identify the expressed emotions, as well as rate their intensity. Participants in the Perception group were asked to simply watch the video clips, while participants in the Imagery group were also asked to imagine imitating the song fragment after watching the model singer. Facial electromyography was used to monitor acitivity in the corrugator supercilii and zygomaticus major muscles.

Results showed more corrugator muscle activity for sad than happy trials, and more zygomaticus activity for happy than sad trials. No differences were found between conditions, suggesting that mimicry is an automatic process, not requiring encouragement prompted by imagery.


This article examines the effectiveness of the treatment of rickets in young camels bred in the Republic of Kalmykia with tricalcium phosphate and tricalcium phosphate with granuvite E. To determine the biogeochemical features of the Justinsky and Yashkulsky districts of the Republic of Kalmykia, we carried out an analysis of diets for nutritional value and balance, and a study of the soil, water, feed, and macronutrient content of camels' blood. The article presents data from the clinical examination, and the clinical, hematological and biochemical blood tests carried out before, during and after therapy. To enrich the body of experimental camels with missing macrocells (calcium, phosphorus) and vitamins (tocopherol), an experiment was carried out using tricalcium phosphate and tricalcium phosphate with granuvite E. From an economic point of view, it is more appropriate to use tricalcium phosphate (17.82 rubles) than tricalcium phosphate with granuvite E (15.54 rubles). However, as confirmed by laboratory studies (hematological and biochemical parameters), from a therapeutic point of view, the use of tricalcium phosphate for one month does not completely restore calcium-phosphorus imbalance, unlike when tricalcium phosphate is used with granuvite E. The use of tricalcium phosphate and granuvite E for therapeutic purposes once a month for young camels of 120 g and 2 g, respectively, has high therapeutic efficacy in treating osteodystrophy and normalizes the calcium-phosphorus ratio.


 e research objective of this paper is to investigate when the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) is benefi cial to capital market participants. In particular, I specify the conditions in which IFRS is superior to domestic accounting standards from cost of capital and disclosure viewpoint.  is paper presents a competitive equilibrium model to demonstrate who would prefer IFRS to domestic accounting standards, and when. It shows that in certain conditions, there is a confl ict between fi rms' managers and investors, with regard to the adoption of IFRS. It also demonstrates that although the quality of accounting standards is an important condition, it does not necessitate IFRS preference by managers and investors.  is sheds light on the fact that the ratio of foreign investors aff ects the decision. JEL Classifi cation: G14; M40; M41


A new series of 1-alkyl-8-(piperazine-1-sulfonyl)phenylxanthines was designed, synthesized, and characterized in radioligand binding and functional assays at A(2B) adenosine receptors. A(2B) antagonists with subnanomolar affinity and high selectivity were discovered. The most potent compounds were 1-ethyl-8-(4-(4-(4-trifluoromethylbenzyl)piperazine-1-sulfonyl)phenyl)xanthine (24, PSB-09120, K(i) (human A(2B)) = 0.157 nM) and 8-(4-(4-(4-chlorobenzyl)piperazine-1-sulfonyl)phenyl)-1-propylxanthine (17, PSB-0788, K(i) (human A(2B)) = 0.393 nM). Moreover, 8-(4-(4-(4-chlorophenyl)piperazine-1-sulfonyl)phenyl)-1-propylxanthine (35, PSB-603) was developed as an A(2B)-specific antagonist exhibiting a K(i) value of 0.553 nM at the human A(2B) receptor and virtually no affinity for the human and rat A(1) and A(2A) and the human A(3) receptors up to a concentration of 10 microM. A tritiated form of the compound was prepared as a new radioligand and characterized in kinetic, saturation, and competition studies. It was shown to be a useful pharmacological tool for the selective labeling of human as well as rodent A(2B) receptors (K(D) human A(2B) 0.403 nM, mouse A(2B) 0.351 nM).


The complex behaviour of concrete depends on the properties and response of the main cement hydration products; calcium silicate hydrates (C-S-H), calcium silicate aluminates and calcium hydroxide. C-S-H is nanosized; therefore, the addition of nanoparticles can induce modifications affecting larger scale phenomena. In this research the addition of silica nanoparticles (nS) to blended cement formulations was investigated with the aim of enhancing durability and lowering environmental impact. The hydration products, microstructure and compressive strength of the early and later ages hardened cement paste were compared in two series of cement pastes. The first one contained Portland limestone cement, limestone and nanosilica at 0.1%, 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% by mass of solids and the second series, Portland limestone cement, limestone, fly ash and silica nanoparticles at 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5% and 1% by mass of solids. The water to binder ratio was kept constant at 0.3 and specimens were tested up to 90 days of age. The size of nanosilica was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. Investigating the performance of the first series of pastes, it was concluded that nS exhibits a pozzolanic behaviour. In the second series of pastes, the results presented do not suggest depletion of the Ca(OH)2 in the cement paste. The delayed pozzolanic reaction of the fly ash particles was attributed to the addition of silica nanoparticles, which created denser hydration products, acting as ion penetration barriers around fly ash particles. Thermogravimetric analyses and scanning electron microscopy provided a further justification of the hypothesis. Transmission electron microscopy was also used to determine the size of the nanoparticles. The research reported was part of a much broader research project supported by the EU, and involving industrial and academic partners throughout Europe, to investigate nanotechnology enhanced cements.


Aqueous batteries constructed using non-flammable water-based electrolytes have the potential to improve the safety and reduce the cost of energy storage to enable mass adoption of electric vehicles. The use of low-cost and lightweight aluminium foil as a current collector in aqueous batteries is tempting but also challenging due to corrosion reactions. Here we report chromate conversion coated (CCC) aluminium foil as a corrosion-resistant current collector in aqueous lithium-ion battery cathodes. CCC aluminium-based electrodes show better cycling stability and higher coulombic efficiency than those fabricated on stainless steel and titanium foils. Furthermore, CCC aluminium foil suppresses oxygen evolution at high potentials. The plausibility of using such lightweight corrosion-resistant current collectors for aqueous batteries marks an important step toward low-cost, high-energy, and safe energy storage.


The Oolithe Blanche formation is present in the Paris Basin at more than 1500 m depth in the middle of the basin and on outcrops at the basin edges. This Bathonian formation (Middle Jurassic) is composed of very shallow marine oolithic and bioclastic limestones, located within a shoreface depositional environmental (Casteleyn et al., 2010). Calcium, strontium, carbon and oxygen isotopes have been analysed both in ooids and interparticular cement directly extracted from the limestone in order to study sedimentary and diagenetic environment. The 44Ca/40Ca ratios (expressed as 44/40CaSW) were measured by TIMS using a 42Ca-48Ca double-spike. Carbon and oxygen isotopic ratios were measured by IRMS. Preliminary results show a range of 44/40CaSW from -0.74‰ to -1.09‰ in the cement and from -0.85‰ to -1.05‰ in ooids. Carbon isotopic signature show a range of 13Cvs PDB range from 1.5‰ to 2.7‰ in the cement and from 1.5‰ to 2.4‰ in ooids while 18Ovs SMOW vary from 21.5‰ to 23.9‰ in the cement and from 21.2‰ to 24.9‰ in ooids. This first multi-isotopic approach on Oolithe Blanche formation seems to be consistent with the diagenetic evolution of Paris Basin. Effects of diagenesis on the isotopic signatures will be discussed. Reference: Casteleyn, L., Robion, P., Collin, P.Y., Menendez, B., David, C., Desaubliaux, G., Fernandes, N., Dreux, R., Badiner, G., Brosse, E., Rigollet, C., 2010. Sedimentary Geology 230, 123-138.


This is a continuation of the bibliography published by the journal for its readers since
1978.** It is compiled from the bibliographies published in Acadiensis, BC Studies, Canadian
Historical Review, Canadian Ethnic Studies, the Canadian Slavonic Papers, the Revue
d'histoire de l'Amerique francaise, and with the help of the Anthropological Index, the
Population Index, the International Bibliography of Historical Demography and the Annotated
Bibliography of Canadian Demography. In addition, over seventy periodicals, a list of which
may be obtained from us, were consulted. As previously, only books and articles in hand have
been enumerated. Please bring to our attention those we may have overlooked for inclusion in
the next bibliography.


LANDSAT imagery indicates that El'gygytgyn in northern Siberia is probably a giant meteorite crater, the largest Quaternary impact structure on Earth, and not a tectonic depression. This probability is supported by the remarkable circularity of the crater, as outlined by the ring-mountain rim, remoteness from modern volcanic sites, and lack of collapse scalloping of the margin.


n this thesis we investigate the effect of Carrier Frequency Offset (CFO) on the performance of downlink Variable Spreading Factor (VSF) OFCDM systems when subcarrier grouping is used. An analytic expression of the SINR is derived for downlink VSF-OFCDM with CFO for the case of maximal ratio combining receiver. Numerical results show that, when the total spreading factor is fixed, the VSF-OFCDM system with higher frequency domain spreading factor is more sensitive to CFO than that with lower frequency domain spreading factor. Due to the adverse impact of the CFO on VSF-OFCDM systems, we propose a correction scheme based on the maximum likelihood principle.

We derive the likelihood function for VSF-OFCDM system with CFO and use a gradient algorithm to estimate and minimize the effect of CFO in a tracking mode. Our results show that the BER performance in the low SNR environment can be improved significantly with few number of iterations for different spreading factors. We also propose a threshold-based group-adaptive modulation algorithm used with an adaptive subcarrier allocation technique for downlink VSF-OFCDM to increase the spectral efficiency for a given target BER. The proposed algorithm provides an increase in spectral efficiency without increasing the total transmit power for different spreading factors with and without coding.


Background Trade in ornamental fishes represents, by far, the largest route for the importation of exotic vertebrates. There is growing pressure to regulate this trade with the goal of ensuring that species are sustainably harvested and that their point of origin is accurately reported. One important element of such regulation involves easy access to specimen identifications, a task that is currently difficult for all but specialists because of the large number of species involved. The present study represents an important first step in making identifications more accessible by assembling a DNA barcode reference sequence library for nearly half of the ornamental fish species imported into North America. Methodology/Principal Findings Analysis of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene from 391 species from 8 coral reef locations revealed that 98% of these species exhibit distinct barcode clusters, allowing their unambiguous identification. Most species showed little intra-specific variation (adjusted mean = 0.21%), but nine species included two or three lineages showing much more divergence (2.19–6.52%) and likely represent overlooked species complexes. By contrast, three genera contained a species pair or triad that lacked barcode divergence, cases that may reflect hybridization, young taxa or taxonomic over-splitting. Conclusions/Significance Although incomplete, this barcode library already provides a new species identification tool for the ornamental fish industry, opening a realm of applications linked to collection practices, regulatory control and conservation.


Since it was realized that the Curry-Howard isomorphism can be extended to the case of classical logic as well, several calculi have appeared as candidates for the encodings of proofs in classical logic. One of the most extensively studied among them is the $\lambda\mu$-calculus of Parigot. In this paper, based on the result of Xi presented for the $\lambda$-calculus Xi, we give an upper bound for the lengths of the reduction sequences in the $\lambda\mu$-calculus extended with the $\rho$- and $\theta$-rules. Surprisingly, our results show that the new terms and the new rules do not add to the computational complexity of the calculus despite the fact that $\mu$-abstraction is able to consume an unbounded number of arguments by virtue of the $\mu$-rule.


1D nanostructures of Zn1−xCoxO (x = 0, 0.03 and 0.05) and Co and Li codoped ZnO (Zn0.85Li0.10Co0.05O) were prepared by a soft chemical method. We report a very interesting observation of morphological control and transformation of ZnO nanorods to spherical particles induced by Co substitution. It is also remarkable to note that the morphology completely reverts back to rod shape by Li incorporation. In addition to this unusual observation, the Li incorporation enhances the room-temperature ferromagnetic (RTFM) properties. These experimental observations are well-supported by theory work as well. These results are significant, as the 1D RTFM will have implications in spintronic devices.


sky, therefore ideally located for ground-based observations with the imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope array H.E.S.S. We present a search for very-high-energy ( E ≳ 100 GeV) gamma-ray emission using H.E.S.S. observations carried out recently towards Reticulum II, Tucana II, Tucana III, Tucana IV, and Grus II satellites. No significant very-high-energy gamma-ray excess is found from the observations on any individual object nor in the combined analysis of all the datasets. Using the most recent modeling of the dark matter distribution in the dwarf galaxy halo, we compute for the first time on DES satellites individual and combined constraints from Cherenkov telescope observations on the annihilation cross section of dark matter particles in the form of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles. The combined 95% C.L. observed upper limits reach h σ v i ≃ 1 × 10 − 23 cm 3 s − 1 in the W þ W − channel and 4 × 10 − 26 cm 3 s − 1 in the γγ channels for a dark matter mass of 1.5 TeV. The H.E.S.S. constraints well complement the results from Fermi-LAT, HAWC, MAGIC, and VERITAS and are currently the most stringent in the γγ channels in the multi-GeV/multi-TeV mass range. DOI:


The sphalerite-pyrite oxidation by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans was studied to analyze how the formation of the elemental sulfur layers occurs around sphalerite grains. Two possible mechanisms of formation have been raised. One mechanism corresponds to the formation of sulfur pseudomorphs where, both, iron and zinc have been leached of the sphalerite, whereas compound sulfur is oxidized, in situ, to elemental sulfur, leaving an unreacted core of sphalerite that remains in the center. Another mechanism consists in the dissolution of iron, zinc and sulfur presents. When the attack by Fe3+ as by H+ broken the S-metal bonds, sulfur is then oxidized to a series of sulfur intermediate compounds. These compounds in solution then are oxidized to elemental sulfur, which precipitates on sphalerite grains.


International, co-operative links between dental schools are an increasingly common occurrence, especially in relation to elective visits for under-graduates. However, in this feature for FDI World Norman Whitehouse and Gillian Jones from the Cardiff Dental School in Wales, UK, describe how they came to meet and assist Teresa Rios Caro in Peru, in rather different circumstances, and how language need not be a barrier when goodwill prevails.


The turbulence of the current competitive environment emphasizes the importance of the role played by performance measurement systems in generating an improvement of business results. Starting from this consideration, the work pursues a twofold goal: firstly, it tries to verify the existence and the degree of a research interest about this topic; secondly, it seeks to identify, in measurement and evaluation systems, which factors are capable of producing an effect on performances of public organizations. In order to well respond to the research purposes, the work begins with a systematic literature review, which highlights a growing attention of scholars on all those variables considered critical in conducting and managing public organizations. The study, highlighting the existence of six variables to be advantageously taken into account in managing public organizations, especially in light of the potential influence that they seem to exert on different types of business performances, could be considered as a useful tool for both practitioners (managers of public organizations) and scholars (professors, researchers, students, etc.) aimed at helping to become aware about the advantages arising from an adequate management of performances measures. The main research limitation is the lack of an empirical analysis of public companies performance plans, which should be thoroughly examined to allow a possible further generalization of the theoretical findings achieved.


Samples of meiofauna were collected with a Multicorer during the Magellan `Victor Hensen´ Campaign of RV `Victor Hensen´ in 1994 at 62 stations along the Magellan Straits and the Beagle Channel. Seventeen samples were analysed in the framework of a larger project. Only 69 species of Harpacticoida are known from Chile so far, all of them inhabiting the littoral zone. The Magellan Campaign of RV `Victor Hensen´ provided the first opportunity to obtain sublittoral samples of meiobenthos of Chilean coasts. In these samples the Copepoda were represented by 4 of its orders: Calanoida, Cyclopoida, Poecilostomatoida and Harpacticoida, the latter exhibiting the highest abundances. Representatives of 19 harpacticoid families (6 of which are new for Chilean waters) were identified in the samples. The species found in 15 of these families belong to 28 genera of which 18 are new to the Chilean fauna. With respect to taxa composition and distribution, the following preliminary results can be presented: the number of new families and new genera for the southern tip of South America increased considerably; a relatively high similarity between the Magellan Straits/Beagle Channel and areas of corresponding northern latitudes can be observed; the Magellan Straits and Beagle Channel show considerable differences with respect to taxa composition and diversity of the harpacticoid fauna.


Introduction Heterosexual relations among bisexual MSM engender spectrum of vulnerabilities for MSM as well as their partners. Socio-cultural pressure to marry may drive MSM to have female partners, indicating the potential for bridging HIV transmission. However, these interactions are poorly understood, and measurement of potential risk to MSM and their female partners is inconsistent in most of the South Asian countries. The study aims to analyse the overlapping male and female partnerships of MSM-SW given the multiplicity of risk for HIV. Methods This paper uses data collected as a part of mapping and size estimation of MSM in Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh and for India, the IBBA has been used (2010–2016). Analytical methods range from cross-country comparisons of tangible indicators to application of regression. Results Bisexuality in the region is rampant as a substantial proportion of MSMs (42% in India to 74% in Bhutan) who have sex with a male in the last 6 months also reported to sleeping with a female partner during the same period. MSM age 20–29 years, who are never married and migrants are significantly more likely to have multiple female partners in each of the 4 countries. However, the considerably lower prevalence of condom use, among those having sex with multiple female partners in the last six months across the countries is a marker of the multiplicity of the STIs/HIV risk. Migration is playing an inverse role in determining the relationship with condom use in the last sex with female partner as those MSM who are non-migrants were more likely to use condom. Conclusion Role of MSM-SW in HIV transmission is a more complex issue than depictions of men as sexual predators and women as uninformed victims. MSM programs should envisage beyond homosexuality and address bisexuality regardless of their sexual identity as threat clouding prevention efforts by increasing the thrust of programs designed for MSMs.


Mary is fed up of being wrapped in cotton wool by her gran. Being blind doesn't mean that she can't look after herself. So Mary decides to go down to the sweetshop by herself for the first time but the trip is more eventful than she could ever have imagined and the shop is burgled whilst Mary is in there! How will she escape and get home safely?


It is demonstrated that cascaded (dilated) acousto-optic switches exhibit greatly reduced interport and interchannel cross talk. In our experiments, a pair of monolithic polarization-independent acousto-optic switches were joined to simulate the bar and cross states of a dilated switch consisting of a 2 × 2 matrix of subswitches. Reduction of bar- and cross-state extinctions and sidelobe levels confirmed the supposition that leakage of order ∊ in a one-stage device decreases to order ∊2 in dilated devices.


We are at the dawn of a huge data explosion therefore companies have fast growing amounts of data to process. For this purpose Google developed MapReduce, a parallel programming paradigm which is slowly becoming the de facto tool for Big Data analytics. Although to some extent its use is already wide-spread in the industry, ensuring performance constraints for such a complex system poses great challenges and its management requires a high level of expertise. This paper answers these challenges by providing the first autonomous controller that ensures service time constraints of a concurrent MapReduce workload. We develop the first dynamic model of a MapReduce cluster. Furthermore, PI feedback control is developed and implemented to ensure service time constraints. A feedforward controller is added to improve control response in the presence of disturbances, namely changes in the number of clients. The approach is validated online on a real 40 node MapReduce cluster, running a data intensive Business Intelligence workload. Our experiments demonstrate that the designed control is successful in assuring service time constraints.


We conducted a field study of diets of three sympatric large carnivores, the tiger Panthera tigris, the leopard Panthera pardus and the dhole Cuon alpinus in Bandipur Tiger Reserve, India, based on analyses of 381, 111 and 181 scats, respectively. The frequency of occurrence of prey items in scats was converted to relative biomass and number of prey consumed using regression equations based on earlier feeding trials. The results showed that although these predators kill ?11-15 species of vertebrate prey, relatively abundant ungulate species provide 88-97% of biomass consumed by them. Although the dietary niche overlap among the three species was high (Pianka's index of 0.75-0.93), some specialized predation was observed. The largest ungulates, gaur Bos gaurus and sambar Cervus unicolor, provided 73% of biomass consumed by tigers, whereas medium-sized chital Axis axis and wild pig Sus scrofa formed 65 and 83% of the biomass intake of leopards and dholes, respectively. In terms of the relative numbers of prey animals killed by the three predators, chital, which is the most abundant prey species, dominated their diets (tiger=33%, leopard=39% and dhole=73%). The results of the study, in conjunction with earlier work, support the prediction that abundance of ungulate prey species, as well as their availability in different size classes, are both critical factors that facilitate sympatry among the three predators.


Data have been collected on the breeding success of several characteristic coastal breeding birds in the Wadden Sea each year since 2005. Ten birds species considered representative of specific habitats and food groups are being monitored. The monitoring scheme on breeding success in coastal breeding birds is run as an 'early warning system' to follow the reproductive capacity of the bird populations in the Wadden Sea and understand the processes underlying fluctuations in populations. It is a valuable addition to the monitoring of population numbers and is carried out under a trilateral agreement with Germany and Denmark (TMAP). The results from 2015–2016 and an analysis of data series from the period 2005–2016 (sometimes longer) show that several species on average reared too few young to sustain stable population size in many of these years, especially the Eurasian Oystercatcher, Pied Avocet, Common Tern and Arctic Tern, and in recent years also the Black-headed Gull, whose breeding success has significantly declined since 1995. Other species showing a significant decline in breeding success are the Spoonbill and Common Tern. The only species to show any significant improvement in breeding success since 2005 is the Lesser Black-backed Gull


Experiments were carried out in swine to test the hypothesis that changes in the fluid dynamic environment of the arterial wall, with time constants of several minutes to perhaps a few hours, prompt adaptive responses that transiently increase endothelial permeability. After parenteral Evans Blue Dye (EBD) administration, the hemodynamics of the external iliac arteries of the experimental animals were altered using a reversible arteriovenous femoral shunt. For 3 h, the shunt was opened and closed with a period (tau) between 1-180 min. Subsequently, the animal was euthanized and the iliac vessels were photographed en face to obtain the distribution of EBD-bound albumin uptake by the tissue during its exposure to the dye. Albumin uptake increases with tau in a fashion that can be explained by an a priori model of the adaptive permeability response, with a time constant of about an hour.


The model of computation in which software is downloaded and/or run dynamically from the network is commonly referred to as cloud computing. Historically, cloud computing has implied the use of thin clients, i.e., an approach in which the majority of computation is performed on the server side. However, in recent years the landscape of cloud computing has become quite diverse. This is partly because client computers and devices in cloud-based systems have become richer and far more powerful, and partly because the capabilities of the web browser as an application platform have increased substantially. In fact, with the upcoming HTML5 and WebGL standards, we anticipate client computers and devices to take a much more encompassing role in cloud computing. Additionally, the rapidly increasing use of mobile devices will have a dramatic impact on the use of cloud-based systems. In this paper we analyze the different flavors of cloud computing, with an attempt to classify web-based computing systems and to facilitate discussion and reasoning about such systems in general.


Certain disease syndromes of the 18th and 19th centuries, such as sibbens (Scotland), radesyge (Scandinavia), and skerljevo (Bosnia), were called syphiloids because—while resembling syphilis in some respects—they were nonvenereal and rural, propagated endemically, chiefly among children, under the unhygienic conditions of primitive life in huts and villages. A review of the category "syphiloid" in the Surgeon General's Index Catalogue (first series, 1893) in the light of modern knowledge, shows how awkward the word was; for it was then assumed to comprise not only the forms of treponematosis listed above, but also "pseudosyphilis," button scurvy, condyloma, boubas, and framboesia. These did not exhaust the list, which went so far as to include such nontreponemal conditions as leprosy, scabies, and verruga! It is not surprising that as time passed the inexact word syphiloid was dropped; it did not appear at all in the second series of the Index Catalogue (1912). Although it


Introduction Analyses of gene expression and function, genetic networks, population polymorphisms, and genome organization at the whole genome level have enabled research on previously intractable questions (reviewed in Wolfe and Li, 2003). Among plant lineages, genomic approaches have been most widely applied in the angiosperms, where significant resources have been developed. Angiosperm studies utilizing genome scale analyses have made several important advances, including the identification of an extensive history of genome duplications (Blanc et al ., 2003; Schlueter et al ., 2004; Cui et al ., 2006), progress in understanding flower development and evolution (Doust et al ., 2005; Whibley et al ., 2006), characterization of the genetics underlying speciation and adaptation (Bradshaw and Schemske, 2003; Rieseberg et al ., 2003; Lai et al ., 2005; Eyre-Walker, 2006), the identification and mapping of recombination hot spots (Drouaud et al ., 2006), and the discovery and role of microRNAs (Bartel and Bartel, 2003; Bartel, 2004). Genomic analyses will undoubtedly continue to provide tests of longstanding questions and offer novel perspectives in biology. For example, modern genomic analyses are capable of explaining the origin of the exceptionally high chromosome numbers of homosporous ferns and lycophytes, a result that will shed light on eukaryotic genome organization and evolution. Although there are rich biological and taxonomic resources for ferns and lycophytes, the genomics of these seed-free plants is still in its infancy, and the tools necessary for genomic studies lag behind those available for seed plants. The first homosporous fern linkage map was published only recently (Nakazato et al ., 2006), whereas a large number of linkage maps for seed plants have accumulated since the 1980s


Accurate measurement of transpiration is needed to quantify the different components of evaporation losses during sprinkler irrigation. Among the different methods for direct measurement of transpiration rate, measurement of sap flow on the basis of heat flow has been widely used. To evaluate the applicability of this method for use in field experiments involving sprinkler irrigation, stem flow measurements on small pot plants were compared with transpiration values estimated from successive mass measurements using pre-calibrated mini-lysimeters. Experiments were conducted in the glass house at USQ during the period August to October 2010. From this study it was found that during steady conditions, the sap flow sensors were able to measure the transpiration rate of plants in reasonable agreement (11% overestimation) with the lysimeter measurements. During canopy wetting (sprinkler irrigation) the decline in sap flow rate was less than and lagged the decline in transpiration rate due to the storage and buffering capacity of the stem. Sap flow sensors at different heights on the plant responded at different rates for the same reason. The study showed that the sap flow sensors do not give an accurate measurement of transpiration during canopy wetting and drying but will still aid interpretation of measurements of total evaporation during sprinkler irrigation.


BLENDING AS A MULTI-HORIZON TIME SERIES FORECASTING TOOL Tian Gao, B.S. Marquette University, 2014 Every day, millions of cubic feet of natural gas is transported through interstate pipelines and consumed by customers all over the United States of America. Gas distributors, responsible for sending natural gas to individual customers, are eager for an estimate of how much natural gas will be used in the near future. GasHour software, a reliable forecasting tool from the Marquette University GasDay lab, has been providing highly accurate hourly forecasts over the past few years. Our goal is to improve current GasHour forecasts, and my thesis presents an approach to achieve that using a blending technique. This thesis includes detailed explanations of the multi-horizon forecasting technique employed by GasHour models. Several graphs are displayed to reveal the structure of hourly forecasts from GasHour. We present SMHF (Smoothing Multi-horizon Forecasts), a step-by-step method showing how a polynomial smoothing technique is applied to current GasHour predications. A slightly different approach of smoothing has also been introduced. We compare RMSEs of both GasHour forecasts and smoothed ones. Different comparisons resulting from different situations have been demonstrated as well. Several conclusions have been reached. Based on the results, blending techniques can improve current GasHour forecasts. We look forward to applying this blending technique to other fields of forecasting.


Abstract The causation of language change is a problem with a high profile in sociolinguistics. This paper presents two contrasting models of language change: one that is based on sociopsychological factors (Kristiansen & Jørgensen, 2005) and one that rejects them (the Napoleon Principle, Brink & Lund, 1979). In a longitudinal study of individuals' changing pronunciation of the Danish aj-diphthong over 20 years, we test predictions following from the sociopsychologically oriented model. By the mid-1980s, female speakers used more aj-pronunciations that are associated with high socioeconomic status than did male speakers. However, in guise tests, females revealed a more positive attitude toward speech associated with low socioeconomic status. Our prediction that female speakers would change their speech patterns to include more aj-pronunciations associated with low socioeconomic status is supported by an analysis of the same female speakers' pronunciations as recorded in the mid-2000s.


This Note presents original research on whether one of the few exceptions to Article III standing, the One Good Plaintiff Rule (the Rule), should be eliminated in the federal judiciary on practical grounds. Based on a comprehensive survey of parallel state court doctrines, this Note argues that the Rule should be retained.

The One Good Plaintiff Rule emerged in the U.S. Supreme Court in the mid-1960s. It was modified in 2017 by the Court's ruling in Town of Chester v. Laroe Estates, Inc., which held that parties without proper Article III standing can remain in federal lawsuits as long as they seek the same form of relief as other plaintiffs in the action that do have proper standing. This "One Good Plaintiff Rule," like several other Article III standing exceptions, enables parties without a redressable, cognizable injury to obtain enforceable judgments against a defendant.

Allowing judges to bypass individualized standing inquiries of multiple plaintiffs under the Rule saves the federal judiciary a great deal of time. But Laroe's Rule also pushes the outer boundaries of Article III judicial power and risks imposing wrongful costs—improper claim preclusion, erroneous awards of attorneys' fees and court costs, and misallocation of trial rights—on litigants and courts. Prompted by these considerations and the rise of the connected issue of nationwide injunctions, the Rule has faced burgeoning criticism over the last few years after dodging scrutiny for close to half a century. Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Solicitor General, trial judges, legal scholars, and practitioners have all raised concerns about the propriety of federal judges adjudicating the rights of parties other than those directly harmed in specific cases and controversies. The One Good Plaintiff Rule is central to this debate.

Virtually all of the emerging literature on the One Good Plaintiff Rule solely addresses its constitutional or normative bases. By contrast, few scholars and practitioners have confronted the Rule's practical or positive costs and benefits. With this literature gap in mind, this Note leverages the state court systems as a control group for determining whether the Rule's benefits to judicial economy outweigh its negative externalities.


This paper introduces Dynamic 3D Printing, a fast and reconstructable shape formation system. Dynamic 3D Printing can assemble an arbitrary three-dimensional shape from a large number of small physical elements. Also, it can disassemble the shape back to elements and reconstruct a new shape. Dynamic 3D Printing combines the capabilities of 3D printers and shape displays: Like conventional 3D printing, it can generate arbitrary and graspable three-dimensional shapes, while allowing shapes to be rapidly formed and reformed as in a shape display. To demonstrate the idea, we describe the design and implementation of Dynablock, a working prototype of a dynamic 3D printer. Dynablock can form a three-dimensional shape in seconds by assembling 3,000 9 mm blocks, leveraging a 24 x 16 pin-based shape display as a parallel assembler. Dynamic 3D printing is a step toward achieving our long-term vision in which 3D printing becomes an interactive medium, rather than the means for fabrication that it is today. In this paper, we explore possibilities for this vision by illustrating application scenarios that are difficult to achieve with conventional 3D printing or shape display systems.


The kth finite subset space of a topological space X is the space exp_k X of
 non-empty finite subsets of X of size at most k, topologised as a quotient of X^k. The
 construction is a homotopy functor and may be regarded as a union of configuration spaces
 of distinct unordered points in X. We show that the finite subset spaces of a connected
 2-complex admit "lexicographic cell structures" based on the lexicographic order on I^2 and
 use these to study the finite subset spaces of closed surfaces. We completely calculate the
 rational homology of the finite subset spaces of the two-sphere, and determine the top
 integral homology groups of exp_k Sigma for each k and closed surface Sigma. In addition,
 we use Mayer-Vietoris arguments and the ring structure of H^*(Sym^k Sigma) to calculate the
 integer cohomology groups of the third finite subset space of Sigma closed and orientable.


The intestinal mucosa, including the intestinal epithelium and underlying lamina propria (LP), contains a large number of effector/memory T cells that are thought to play a central role in the generation and maintenance of mucosal immune responses and in maintaining mucosal integrity. The work in this thesis investigates the mechanisms regulating effector T cell recruitment to the small intestinal mucosa focusing on the role of chemokine receptors in this process.

Firstly, we aimed at determining chemokine receptors involved in the localization of CD4+ T cells to the small intestinal LP. We show that endogenous CD4+ lamina propria lymphocytes (LPLs) express a heterogeneous array of chemokine receptors including CCR9, CCR6, CCR5, CXCR6 and CXCR3. Furthermore, since CCR9 was shown to be selectively induced on CD4+ T cell activated in mesenteric lymphnodes and expressed on the majority of CD4+ T cells entering into the small intestinal LP, CCR9 was suggested as a candidate receptors involved in migration to the intestinal LP. The importance of CCR9 was examined in competitive adoptive transfers with CCR9-/- and WT CD4+ T cells demonstrating both CCR9 dependent and independent CD4+ T cell entry in to the small intestinal LP.

Secondly, we demonstrate differences in the CCR9 dependent CD8??+ T cell localization both within and to the separate sites along the length of the small intestinal epithelium. The CCR9 dependent migration was shown to be more efficient to the proximal compared to the distal small intestinal mucosa, corresponding to higher epithelial expression levels of the CCR9 ligand CCL25 at this site. Migration of cells to the LP was less dependent on CCR9 than migration to the epithelium. Finally the CCR9 independent migration to the LP was found to be pertussis toxin sensitive, suggesting a role for additional G?i linked G protein-coupled receptors.


Anti-non gal antibodies are produced in xenograft recipients against multiple xenogeneic antigens. Studies in monkeys transplanted with pig organs lacking &agr;-gal epitopes have suggested that anti-non gal antibodies mediate acute and chronic rejection of xenografts. This overview describes studies of these antibodies in patients who received xenografts and includes (1) an ovarian carcinoma patient receiving three intraperitoneal infusions of mouse fibroblasts in a gene therapy study, (2) orthopedic patients with torn anterior cruciate ligament replaced by a ligament made of pig patellar tendon, and (3) diabetic patients receiving fetal pig islet cell clusters xenograft together with a kidney allograft. Anti-non gal antibodies were found to be continuously produced as long as the xenograft was present in the recipient and were directed against a large number of pig proteins. Monitoring the immune response in the recipient of mouse fibroblasts indicated that the production of anti-non gal antibodies is much slower than that of the anti-Gal antibody, suggesting that they are generated by multiple B-cell clones, each initially comprising relatively few cells. Potent immunosuppression to prevent allograft rejection does not fully inhibit the production of anti-non gal antibodies. Much of this antibody response seems to be due to the differences in amino acid sequences between pig and human orthologous proteins as a result of evolutionary mutations. Overcoming the anti-non gal antibody barrier will require immunosuppressive agents that preferentially inhibit this immune response while maintaining protection against pathogens, or alternatively development of methods for induction of immune tolerance to xenogeneic pig antigens.


With increasing concerns about global warming, and the cement plants emitting huge CO2, it is necessary to know how the CO2 emits and how much the CO2 emits due to cement manufacture in both direct and indirect ways. A precise method to calculate CO2 emissions including three processes was established in this paper and a case study was provided. From the case of LQDX plant, we can see the amount of CO2 emissions at the right level. The summary of CO2 emissions is consisted by emissions from raw materials, fuels and electricity. The direct CO2 emissions are 0.822 ton CO2 per ton clinker, and the total CO2 emissions are 0.657 ton CO2 per ton cement in this study. Therefore, the way that CO2 emissions due to cement manufacture was pictured and then measured. An approach provides a basic framework to identify various situations in different cement plants in China and other in the rest of the world. The framework would be useful in quantitatively evaluating CO2 emissions for government to know precisely CO2 emissions in cement plants.


L ive scanning of human subjects should be permitted only when risk is minimized and there is a medical or public health benefit. The education of health care specialists in the latest ultrasound technologies, their capabilities, and how they are best used by these individuals is a critical exercise for skill development. At the present time, this benefit is very difficult to obtain in any other way, and ultimately benefits future patients. Access resource packet. Approved: 03/29/2017; Reapproved 09/26/22.


At fixed stellar mass, satellite galaxies show higher passive fractions than centrals, suggesting that environment is directly quenching their star formation. Here, we investigate whether satellite quenching is accompanied by changes in stellar spin (quantified by the ratio of the rotational to dispersion velocity V/sigma for a sample of massive (M* > 10(10) M-circle dot) satellite galaxies extracted from the Sydney-AAO Multi-object Integral field spectrograph (SAMI) Galaxy Survey. These systems are carefully matched to a control sample of main sequence, high V/s central galaxies. As expected, at fixed stellar mass and ellipticity, satellites have lower star formation rate (SFR) and spin than the control centrals. However, most of the difference is in SFR, whereas the spin decreases significantly only for satellites that have already reached the red sequence. We perform a similar analysis for galaxies in the Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments (EAGLE) hydrodynamical simulation and recover differences in both SFR and spin similar to those observed in SAMI. However, when EAGLE satellites are matched to their true central progenitors, the change in spin is further reduced and galaxies mainly show a decrease in SFR during their satellite phase. The difference in spin observed between satellites and centrals at z similar to 0 is primarily due to the fact that satellites do not grow their angular momentum as fast as centrals after accreting into bigger haloes, not to a reduction of V/s due to environmental effects. Our findings highlight the effect of progenitor bias in our understanding of galaxy transformation and they suggest that satellites undergo little structural change before and during their quenching phase.


This contribution presents the theoretical analysis and design guidelines to increase the average efficiency of a Doherty power amplifier (DPA), accounting for the device on-resistance. Starting from a simplified device model, closed-form equations for the estimation of both design parameters and obtainable performances are reported. Moreover, advantages and disadvantages of the approach are deeply investigated through a comparison with the standard implementation of a DPA, i.e., based on constant knee voltage behavior. Finally, as experimental support for the developed theoretical analysis, two X-band monolithic microwave integrated circuit DPAs, based on the same GaAs technology, have been designed, realized, and tested. The first one was based on the standard methodology, while the other one has been optimized exploiting the device knee voltage behavior. Measurement results validated the developed analysis, confirming what is theoretically expected for the main DPA features. In particular, both DPAs have 29 dBm of output power with 7.2 dB of power gain in 6 dB of output power back-off (OBO). The efficiency is larger than 35% for the standard DPA and 42% for the one designed exploiting the device on-resistance, in the same OBO region.


The 'hierarchical mixture of experts' (HME) is a tree-structured statistical model that is an alternative to multilayer perceptrons. Its training algorithm consists of a number of forward and backward passes through the tree. These are computationally expensive, especially when the trees are large. To reduce the computation, we may either allow the network to find its own structure in a constructive manner (tree growing) or consider only the most likely paths through the tree (path pruning). Pruning keeps the number of parameters constant but considers only the most likely paths through the tree at any time; this leads to significant speedups in training and evaluation. In the growing algorithm, we start with a small tree and apply a splitting criterion based on maximum likelihood to each terminal node. After splitting the best node according to this criterion, we retrain the tree for a set number of iterations, or until there is no further increase in likelihood, at which point the tree is grown again. This results in a flexible architecture which is both faster to train and more efficient in terms of its parameters. To aid the convergence of these algorithms, it is beneficial to introduce regularization into the HME, which stops the evolution of large weights which would otherwise cause branches of the tree to be pinched off. This also aids generalization, as we demonstrate on a toy regression problem. Results for the growing and pruning algorithms show significant speedups over conventional algorithms in discriminating between two interlocking spirals and classifying 8-bit parity patterns.


Quantifying the response of atmospheric rivers (ARs) to radiative forcing is challenging due to uncertainties caused by internal climate variability, differences in shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs), and methods used in AR detection algorithms. In addition, the requirement of medium‐to‐high model resolution and ensemble sizes to explicitly simulate ARs and their statistics can be computationally expensive. In this study, we leverage the unique 50‐km large ensembles generated by a Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory next‐generation global climate model, Seamless system for Prediction and EArth system Research, to explore the warming response in ARs. Under both moderate and high emissions scenarios, increases in AR‐day frequency emerge from the noise of internal variability by 2060. This signal is robust across different SSPs and time‐independent detection criteria. We further examine an alternative approach proposed by Thompson et al. (2015), showing that unforced AR variability can be approximated by a first‐order autoregressive process. The confidence intervals of the projected response can be analytically derived with a single ensemble member.


Summary
The Compton Road overpass in southern Brisbane is known to be allowing passage by numerous birds, reptiles and amphibians; but what type of vegetation is providing habitat suitable for these movements? An evaluation of the reconstructed vegetation on the overpass shows that 45 species of plants were present after 4 years of growth. Most of these were in the original planting list but over 40% have almost certainly come from salvaged native topsoil used in the bypass construction. The resulting habitat, 4 years later, now appears similar to a typical coastal eucalypt forest secondary succession, although not yet identical to nearby forest. The current presence of a dense mid-layer of small trees and shrubs may be an important factor in allowing even the edge-avoiding species to cross the road. On-going investigation of successional changes and the changing responses of the birds and other taxa will contribute to understanding the functionality of such crossing structures.


The article is devoted to the last days of life and illness of one of commanders of the White movement, lieutenant-general Vladimir Oskarovich Kappel (1883-1920). Professional soldier, Nicholas Military Academy graduate, participant of the World War 1, Kappel was one of the staunch opponents of Soviet power. It is difficult to overemphasize Kappel's role in the armed struggle against Bolshevism in Volga region and Siberia in 1918-1919. He deserved reputation of the most talented and respected generals in the army of Admiral Kolchak. Kappel died January 26, 1920, his death was recorded on the death certificate, signed by temporarily seconded to the staff of East-precision front by the Russian doctor and the doctor Ryabov Romanian AK-tier Danets. The cause of the death of General called bilateral lung fever.


OBJECTIVES
The Lombardy Region, Italy, was the most severely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. In absence of effective treatments and with basic hygiene measures made mandatory, Lombardy response to COVID-19 relied on its healthcare system characteristics, the administered competition or "quasi-market" model. The aim of the study was to review the strengths and weaknesses of Lombardy's response during the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic, to explore whether the healthcare model influenced crisis management and describe which policies could help to contain future outbreaks. The results are expected to provide similar healthcare systems with lessons to avoid mistakes and learn from best practice.

METHODS
Data for quantitative analyses on the performance of the Lombardy and Veneto Regions healthcare systems were derived from existing government sources including the Italian Civil Protection Agency and the Ministry of Health.

RESULTS
Lombardian quasi-market model, traditionally characterized by a strong hospital network, was held responsible for many suboptimal outcomes. According to critics, years of disinvestments in community care resulted in a hospital overload. However, the same model was responsible for other positive outcomes which have been substantially neglected, such as the opportunity to test for effective containment treatments in a safe environment and rapidly extend the number of beds.

CONCLUSIONS
The performance of a quasi-market model against public health emergencies largely depends on integration between policy-makers and balance between healthcare providers, which require clear regulation. Reducing institutional fragmentation between levels of governance, improving the coordination of healthcare facilities and adopting telemedicine technologies are means by which healthcare networks could strengthen their resilience against future outbreaks.


Our paper studies the relationship between money growth and consumer price inflation in the euro area using wavelet analysis. Wavelet analysis allows to account for variations in the money growth-inflation relationship both across the frequency spectrum and across time. We find evidence of strong comovements between money growth and inflation at low frequencies with money growth as the leading variable. However, our analysis of time variation at medium-to-long-run frequencies indicates a weakening of the relationship after the mid 1990s which also reflects in a deterioration of the leading indicator property and a decline in the cross wavelet gain. In contrast, most of the literature, by failing to account for the effects of time variation, estimated stable long-run relationships between money growth and inflation well into the 2000s.


The authors examine a boundary management tactic for managing the work–family interface: putting family first (PFF). PFF is a boundary management tactic defined as the voluntary behavior of intentionally putting family obligations ahead of work obligations in a way that violates organizational norms,In Study 1, The authors develop a theoretically derived measure of PFF and distinguish it theoretically and empirically from similar existing constructs, examining convergent and discriminate validity to demonstrate its uniqueness. In Study 2, the authors demonstrate PFF's predictive validity beyond the job incumbent using a three-way matched sample of 226 individuals, including the job incumbent's coworker and spouse.,The authors established and validated a measure of PFF, developing and replicating the nomological network. PFF crossed over to positively relate to coworker role overload, job frustration and work–family conflict and to spousal stress transmission and relationship tension. Similarly, PFF related negatively to spousal family satisfaction and organizational commitment.,The authors extend the work–family and boundary management literatures by proposing a new form of boundary management, PFF, which is a tactic for managing the work–family interface, and explore how its use influences not only the job incumbent but also the coworker and the spouse.


Over the last several years, analytics and data mining have become new challenges for educational field and the idea of using the great benefits of automated methods for making sense of educational data received a significant boost. This paper gives an overview about learning analytics and educational data mining and also explains the way they are used in order to improve the support for educators and learners in their strive to achieve high quality learning outcomes (or results) and the way they improve decision making process in academic environment to maximize strategic outcomes. The amount of data being digitally collected and stored is vast and heterogeneous. As a result, the science of data management and analysis is also advancing to enable educational field to convert this vast resource into information and knowledge that helps teachers and educational organizations to achieve their objectives. Computer scientists have invented the term big data to describe this evolving technology. Big data has been successfully used in the many areas of activity, and the e-learning in particular. New educational technologies have allowed students, educators and managers to generate tremendous data via mobile devices, learning management systems, social networks, cognitive biometrics technologies and so on, resulting in what has been called as big data. Learning analytics and educational data mining techniques allow big data to be analysed from different perspectives, including monitoring students' activities, designing pedagogical interventions to support students, prediction of the learning success, failure, and potential dropouts, adaptation/personalization of learning content and learning tasks. Sometimes, in order to apply automated methods to analyse an educational context, it is required the use some type of personal data that should help university to build detailed student profile, and achieve competitive advantage. However, learning analytics and data mining do pose a threat to some important ethical values like privacy and individuality.


A novel type of miniature bandpass frequency selective surface (FSS) based on fractal antenna-filter-antenna (AFA) array is proposed. The AFA-based FSSs exhibit superior frequency selectivity and have lower profile than conventional FSSs. However, they commonly occupy considerably large unit sizes. Fractal geometries are utilized in this letter to reduce the unit cell of AFA-based FSSs. The iteration order and iteration factors of the utilized fractals including Minkowski island-shaped transmit/receive patches and fractal cross-shaped coupling aperture are analyzed. A prototype of the proposed FSS operated at C-band is fabricated and tested using waveguide measurement setup, and good agreement is obtained between measured and simulated results.


Population policy is a requirement and demand of the times we are living in. Serbia's response to the problems of demographic development is based on numerous adopted documents of strategic type regarding the policy towards population fertility, mortality and population ageing. Their adoption, however, represents only the first step. A good first step, it seems. All important resources of the population policy are recognized in the strategies. Numerous measures and activities have been stated, many worked out. A multi-sector approach has been accepted, defined and coordinated in their realization. However, the realization of expected results will greatly depend on the operationalization of proposed measures and activities and of course, their putting into effect. On the contrary, in the strategic document which the state adopted towards migrations, there has not even been an attempt to find solutions regarding a more complete political response towards internal and external migrations. What is the least necessary is carrying out measures and activities in order to mitigate problems which arise from a disturbed spatial population distribution and population drain. The time factor in population policy is especially important because, on the one hand, accomplishment of positive effects and mitigation of demographic disturbances requires time and, on the other hand, any delay of changes worsens the demographic basis and increases the strength of its inertness.


Heap-manipulating programs (HMP), which manipulate unbounded linked data structures via pointers, are a major frontier for software model checking. In recent work, we proposed a small logic and inference-rule-based decision procedure and demonstrated their potential by verifying, via predicate abstraction, some simple HMPs. In this work, we generalize and improve our previous results to be practically useful: we allow more than a single pointer field, we permit updating the data stored in heap nodes, we add new primitives and inference rules for cyclic structures, and we greatly improve the performance of our implementation. Experimentally, we are able to verify many more HMP examples, including three small container functions from the Linux kernel. On the theoretical front, we prove NP-hardness for a small fragment of our logic, completeness of our inference rules for a large fragment, and soundness for the full logic.


Micro-displacement manipulator consists of piezoelectric actuator and flexure hinge is being widely used in precision positioning technology for its high resolution of displacement, high stiffness and fast frequency response. However, the hysteresis nonlinearity of actuator and vibration limited its control accuracy. In order to improve the positioning precision, the relationship between input voltage and output displacement was studied, the hysteresis nonlinearity was described by mathematical method, and a closed-loop controller was proposed to control the hysteresis and vibration. Experiment results revealed the proposed closed-loop controller can enhance the control precision of micro-displacement manipulator.


The market value of a carcass in the whole should be represented by the sum of values of all Single cuts dissected from a carcass. These values of the single cuts are defined by their tissue composition and meat quality characteristics (pH, etc.)respectively. The ftxing of market value at the slaughter line requires very quick methods that base on instrumental measurements and electronic data management. Nowadays four technically different types of instruments are available for the determination of market value in Germany. Following instrumental devices are compared and valuated. Opto-electronic devices, Ultrasonic Scanners, Autoform (SFK Company, DK), The video imaging System VCS 2000. These four technical Systems presented in this study give equally good results in predicting the market value of pork carcass. It can State, that the fully automatic devices represent a new stage of development. They are calculating the market value on a great number of measurements and in most aspects with a high reliability.


1. A method was developed for extracting enzymes from micro-organisms closely associated with ammoniatreated straw (NH3-S) that had been incubated in nylon bags in the rumen. Incubation of washed straw with 125 ml carbon tetrachloride/l and 20 μg lysozyme/ml for 3 h at 37° gave carboxymethylcellulase (EC 3. 2. 1. 4; CMCase) and NAD-linked glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1. 4. 1.2; GDH) activities greater than those extracted by sonication. 2. GDH associated with NH3-S increased with incubation time and was highest in sheep receiving a high-barley diet. Particle-bound CMCase activity reached a peak between 16 and 24 h and declined thereafter. 3. Particle-bound GDH activity showed no correlation with dry matter (DM) degradation in the rumens of sheep fed on a range of diets. In contrast, CMCase activity after 24 h was highly correlated with DM degradability of the same samples at 24 h (r 0.98) and 48 h ( r 0.94). 4. It was concluded that GDH and CMCase can be used as indices of the total population of colonizing rumen micro-organisms and of the fibre-degrading population respectively, and that these enzymes can therefore be used to assess rapidly and with great sensitivity variations in the rumen environment that affect the rate of fibre breakdown.


Presence of vehicles on a bridge has been observed many times during past earthquakes. Although in practice, the engineers may or may not include the live load contribution to seismic weight in design, current bridge design codes do not specify a certain guideline. A very limited research has been conducted to address this issue from design point of view. The focus of this research is to experimentally assess the effect of a vehicle on the seismic response of a bridge through a large‐scale model. In this scope, a 12‐meter long bridge, having a one lane deck with concrete slab on steel girders, has been shaken under five different ground motions obtained from recent earthquakes that occurred in Turkey, in its transverse direction, both with and without a vehicle on top of the deck. The measured results have indicated that top slab transverse acceleration and bearing displacements can reduce up to 18.7% in presence of a vehicle during seismic tests, which is an indication of reduction in substructure forces. The main reason for the reduction in seismic response of the bridge in the presence of live load can be ascribed to the increase in damping of the system due to mass damper‐like action induced by the vehicle. This beneficial effect cannot be observed in vertical seismic response. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Questions: Livestock management in rangelands depends on the production of plant biomass. Biomass production is driven by the temporal and spatial variability in precipitation, but our understanding of how precipitation variability mediates grazing effects on biomass production is still fragmented. Along a 600- km precipitation gradient we extracted biomass data to ask the questions: (a) what are the effects of grazing intensity on biomass production; (b) does grazing intensity interact with plant species richness to affect biomass production; and (c) how do plant functional groups respond to grazing and precipitation? Methods: Biomass was sampled along 15 grazing intensity transects within the precipitation gradient over two consecutive years. We modeled spatial variability in above- ground plant biomass using mixed- effects models. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data were combined with field- sampled biomass data to correct for inter- annual precipitation variation. The effects of species richness were modeled with respect to possible interactions with grazing intensity, and the composition of plant functional groups was modeled with respect to possible interactions between grazing intensity and precipitation. Results: Biomass was negatively correlated with grazing intensity and this effect increased as precipitation increased. Biomass was positively correlated with species richness in both years, but the strength of this effect and the interaction between species richness and grazing intensity differed between 2014 and 2015 in line with highly variable precipitation between both years. The plant functional groups grasses, sedges, legumes, wormwood and forbs had contrasting responses to grazing and precipitation. Conclusion: Biomass production in drylands is more vulnerable to changes in precipitation variability and grazing intensities in relatively moist and productive rangelands than in dry and unproductive ones. Future rangeland management needs to address potentially increasing precipitation variability in order to promote desired forage plants, and to preserve the positive effects of biodiversity for biomass production.


Abstract This article traces a genealogy of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) and examines the charter's overall implementation. While there has always been a struggle between competing views of how to ensure more or less continental accountability for norms related to democratic governance in Africa, enforcement by the African Union (AU) has definitively become more robust since the ACDEG's adoption. The article argues that this development is observable in three trends: continental legalization, technocratization and judicialization of politics. It evaluates the growth of normative commitments in the field of democracy, elections and governance and their increasing consolidation into binding legal treaties; explores the increasing reliance on AU technical assistance in the implementation and interpretation of these instruments; and assesses the expanding role of continental and regional judicial bodies in enforcing commitments to democracy. Building upon a better understanding of these trends, the article identifies key contextual factors that will shape the ACDEG's future implementation.


This study uses the open-source wave energy converter simulator (WEC-Sim) code to model the Columbia Power Technologies SeaRay 1:7 scale WEC. WEC-Sim is intended to run quickly on standard desktop equipment and provide a very gentle learning curve for WEC modeling. This paper focuses on the linear implementation of WEC-Sim as that requires the least simulation time and is often the starting point for basic system design. WEC-Sim results are compared against the SeaRay experimental data. Two studies were conducted: A comparison of WEC-Sim predications versus experimental data across 285 trials of varying sea states to determine the overall average power and energy production; and a determination of WEC-Sim's accuracy in predicting the experimental ranges of position, speed, torque, and power. The study of average power production across many sea states shows that the WEC-Sim predicts the average power of the aft float well, within 15%, but the error in the fore float is larger at 34%. The error in total predicted power is 24%. The detailed analysis of range of motion shows WEC-Sim predicted 95th percentile outliers (which dominate the design considerations) in position, speed, and torque by +15%, +14%, and +17%, respectively, for the fore float and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$-$ </tex-math></inline-formula>1%, <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$-$</tex-math></inline-formula> 9%, and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$-$</tex-math></inline-formula>6%, respectively, for the aft float.


Through Central Procurement Organizations (CPOs), large firms with multiple divisions have begun adopting a center‐led sourcing approach that allows firms to centralize strategic sourcing activities, while permitting decentralized execution by divisions, allowing the firm to leverage large purchase volumes with vendors. This new center‐led procurement environment has brought a new decision requirement: How should a CPO select vendors for each division's requirements to minimize the firm's total procurement cost and simultaneously develop a fair and alignment‐inducing mechanism to allocate the costs (and savings) of company‐wide procurement to the divisions? Past research and current practice have not addressed this linkage between vendor selection and cost allocation in multi‐division firms. This work models this sourcing and procurement cost allocation (SPC) problem facing CPOs of large firms as a mixed‐integer optimization problem. This model is flexible and can incorporate several commonly‐used cost allocation rules. We show that the SPC problem is NP‐hard. Therefore, to support practical decision‐making in this context, we develop a tailored solution approach for the SPC problem. Our approach enhances the base model by adding strong valid inequalities. We tested our model and its enhancements in an extensive numerical study, solving over 160 instances. Results reveal that (a) the CPO can ensure fair cost allocation at a modest cost (relative to the centralized solution) with our model, and (b) the proposed tailored approach is effective and necessary in solving a wide variety of instances.


Quality is a vague concept, it seems to be about a "gut feeling" but is used as if it were a concrete property. This paper examines the defenition of the concept of quality, the relation between quality and gender equality and also what the representation between the genders in exhibitions, purchases and donations looks like in this day. As method for this paper text analysis, with searchlight on the two parameters of quality and equality, have been used on documents that provide a historical and a cultural policy perspective. The main part of the paper is an analysis of the visual arts on Varmlands museum, Kristinehamns konstmuseum and Rackstadmuseet.In the discussion of the paper, chapter 5, the result of the research is presented. It is clear that there is no single answer as to what quality is. However, the term seems to be in close connection with a number of factors that are important in the selection processes of the museums. As for the relation between quality and equality the opinions of the museums are divided. According to gender theorist Vanja Hermele it is a common notion in the art world that there is a conflict between the two concepts but this opinion is not shared by all of the three museums. What has also been shown is that there is a higher representation of artists of female gender in the exhibitions of the museums in this day than in comparison to the 1900s. Finally a weakness in the connection between the cultural policy and the cultural institutions have been identified.


In addition to supplying food and fiber, agriculture is a source of public goods and externalities. This article addresses two questions. First, do price and income support policies promote a multifunctional agriculture in an effective manner? Second, would policies targeted more directly at multifunctional attributes be more efficient than price and income support policies? The answer to the first question is no, at least for policies targeted at outputs (price supports, export subsidies, etc.). Public goods are not directly linked to production, but rather to land use and agricultural structures. Evidence in response to the second question is sketchier with respect to policies targeted at land.


Protected areas throughout the world are key for conserving biodiversity, and land use is key for providing food, fiber, and other ecosystem services essential for human sustenance. As land use change isolates protected areas from their surrounding landscapes, the challenge is to identify management opportunities that maintain ecological function while minimizing restrictions on human land use. Building on the case studies in this Invited Feature and on ecological principles, we identify opportunities for regional land management that maintain both ecological function in protected areas and human land use options, including preserving crucial habitats and migration corridors, and reducing dependence of local human populations on protected area resources. Identification of appropriate and effective management opportunities depends on clear definitions of: (1) the biodiversity attributes of concern; (2) landscape connections to delineate particular locations with strong ecological interactions between the protected area and its surrounding landscape; and (3) socioeconomic dynamics that determine current and future use of land resources in and around the protected area.


Contemporary medical imaging is progressing towards quantification of tissue function in addition to merely providing anatomical information, as illustrated by the rising use of such modalities as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and positron emission tomography (PET). As far back as 1951, positron-emitting radiotracers have been used for localisation of brain tumours at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).


This work deals with the investigation of the complex phenomenon of boron (B) transient enhanced diffusion (TED) in strongly implanted silicon (Si) layers. It concerns the instantaneous influences of the strong B concentrations, the Si layers crystallization, the clustering and the B trapping/segregation during thermal post-implantation annealing. We have used Si thin layers obtained from disilane (Si2H6) by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) and then B implanted with a dose of 4×1015 atoms/cm2 at an energy of 15 keV. To avoid long redistributions, thermal annealing was carried out at relatively low-temperatures (700, 750 and 800 °C) for various short-times ranging between 1 and 30 minutes. To investigate the experimental secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) doping profiles, a redistribution model well adapted to the particular structure of Si-LPCVD layers and to the effects of strong-concentrations has been established. The good adjustment of the simulated profiles with the experimental SIMS profiles allowed a fundamental understanding about the instantaneous physical phenomena giving and disturbing the TED process in strongly doped Si-LPCVD layers. It was found that boron TED is strongly affected by the simultaneous complex kinetics of clustering, crystallization, trapping and segregation during annealing. The fast formation of small Si–B clusters enhances the B diffusivity whereas the evolution of the clusters and segregation reduce this enhancement.


If the entire U.S. population were to select one food pattern among those that meet the American Heart Association recommendations for a fat-controlled, low-cholesterol diet, calorie intake would decline about 13 percent compared with present consumption. The cost would be about a tenth higher, however, since beef, poultry, fish, and fruits and vegetables would partly replace lower priced foods such as pork, eggs, fats, and sugars. The farm value of the foods would be about the same as for current food consumption patterns. The total amount of agricultural resources required would change little but there would be shifts within the farm sector.


The recommended method for measuring respiratory rate (RR) is counting breaths for 60 s using a timer. This method is not efficient in a busy clinical setting. There is an urgent need for a robust, low-cost method that can help front-line health care workers to measure RR quickly and accurately. Our aim was to develop a more efficient RR assessment method. RR was estimated by measuring the median time interval between breaths obtained from tapping on the touch screen of a mobile device. The estimation was continuously validated by measuring consistency (% deviation from the median) of each interval. Data from 30 subjects estimating RR from 10 standard videos with a mobile phone application were collected. A sensitivity analysis and an optimization experiment were performed to verify that a RR could be obtained in less than 60 s; that the accuracy improves when more taps are included into the calculation; and that accuracy improves when inconsistent taps are excluded. The sensitivity analysis showed that excluding inconsistent tapping and increasing the number of tap intervals improved the RR estimation. Efficiency (time to complete measurement) was significantly improved compared to traditional methods that require counting for 60 s. There was a trade-off between accuracy and efficiency. The most balanced optimization result provided a mean efficiency of 9.9 s and a normalized root mean square error of 5.6%, corresponding to 2.2 breaths/min at a respiratory rate of 40 breaths/min. The obtained 6-fold increase in mean efficiency combined with a clinically acceptable error makes this approach a viable solution for further clinical testing. The sensitivity analysis illustrating the trade-off between accuracy and efficiency will be a useful tool to define a target product profile for any novel RR estimation device.