IMPORTANCE
Controversy exists regarding which of the 2 major strategies currently used to prevent chronic lung disease (CLD) in preterm infants is optimal: noninvasive continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) or intubate-surfactant-extubate (INSURE). Preterm infants often require surfactant administration because of respiratory distress syndrome.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether early INSURE or NCPAP alone is more effective in preventing CLD, death, or both.

DATA SOURCES
We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases from their inception to January 2, 2015, along with conference proceedings and trial registrations.

STUDY SELECTION
Randomized clinical trials that compared early INSURE with NCPAP alone in preterm infants who had never been intubated before the study entry were selected. Among 1761 initially identified articles, 9 trials (1551 infants) were included.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
Duplicate study selection and data extraction were performed. Meta-analysis was conducted using random-effects models with quality-of-evidence assessment according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Seven main outcomes were selected a priori to be assessed according to GRADE, including a composite outcome of CLD and/or death, CLD alone, death alone, air leakage, severe intraventricular hemorrhage, neurodevelopmental impairment, and a composite outcome of death and/or neurodevelopmental impairment.

RESULTS
There were no statistically significant differences between early INSURE and NCPAP alone for all outcomes assessed. However, the relative risk (RR) estimates appeared to favor early INSURE over NCPAP alone, with a 12% RR reduction in CLD and/or death (RR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.76-1.02; risk difference [RD], -0.04; 95% CI, -0.08 to 0.01; moderate quality of evidence), a 14% decrease in CLD (RR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.71-1.03; RD, -0.03; 95% CI, -0.06 to 0.01; moderate quality of evidence), and a 50% decrease in air leakage (RR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.24-1.07; RD, -0.03; 95% CI, -0.06 to 0.00; very low quality of evidence). The sample size was less than the optimal information size.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Currently, no evidence suggests that either early INSURE or NCPAP alone is superior to the other. INSURE does not appear to increase CLD and/or death, CLD alone, and air leakage and may reduce these adverse outcomes compared with NCPAP alone. Further adequately powered trials are required.


There is an increasing interest in the HCI research community to design richer user interactions with the Internet of Things (IoT). This studio will allow exploring the design of tangible interaction with the IoT, what we call Internet of Tangibles. In particular, we aim at investigating the full interaction-attention continuum, with the purpose of designing IoT tangible interfaces that can switch between peripheral interactions that do not disrupt everyday routines, and focused interactions that support user's reflections. This investigation will be conducted through hands-on activities where participants will prototype tangible IoT objects, starting by a paper prototyping phase, supported by design cards, and followed by an Arduino prototype phase. The purpose of the studio is also establishing a community of researchers and practitioners, from both academy and industry, interested in the field of tangible interaction with the Internet of Things.


Abstract : The rectangular heliocentric equatorial coordinates in this circular are intended chiefly for use in the numerical integration of orbits of celestial bodies, natural or artificial, which approach closely to Mercury. They are referred to the mean equinox and equator of 1950.0. They have been calculated from Newcomb's general theory of the motion of Mercury (Astronomical Papers prepared for the use of the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac, volume VI, 1898), and are tabulated for every second day from J. D. 237 8492.5 to J. D. 245 2048.5. (Author)


This research guide has been designed to help students, faculty and researchers in Anthropology access and utilize relevant resources available through UBC Library.


In this paper, we propose that knowledge can be reduced to its elementary (elemental) size consisting of quantized noun objects, their quantized verb functions, and the incremental type the convolutions that bind such noun objects and verb functions. Though knowledge may not be quantized as matter can be quantized in quantum sciences, it is possible to fragment knowledge finely enough to ask three basic elements; who does what, what is being done, and how is what being done. Such a bundle that answers these three questions makes up one knowledge element. These elements of knowledge (kels) exhibit statistical properties and their dynamics are be based on the properties of a large variety of kels, their origin, their environment, the media, and their recipients. Further, we define the elementary particles as a kuantum of knowledge, even though a kuantum is not a quantum in the traditional sense. In maintaining a working relation with other sciences, we explore the flow of these kels. A quantum of knowledge (kel) is like a particle of matter or a pulse of energy. We present this concept to investigate if such kels will explain all the intricacies in the flow of knowledge in societies, cultures and groups. Even though a kel is not as defined precisely as quantum (an electron) in physics, but in the framework of theory presented here, the statistical properties of kels explains a statistical differences in the way in which noun objects communicate i.e., transmit and receive such kuanta and kels. This approach holds the maximum promise but the quantization of a kel to a workable size becomes unique and depends on the direction in which knowledge is being explored and/or constituted. The generic quantum of knowledge or kel still appears as a mystic entity, even though specific kuanta are feasible that the modern computers can tackle, build, process, constitute, reconstitute, reprocess to generate "artificial knowledge". Such artificial knowledge is then verified, validated and accepted or challenged, disputed and rejected by AI routines and by natural intelligence of human beings to build large and realistic bodies of knowledge (bok's) or knowledge centric objects (kco's) of any size, shape or form .


There is growing concern in the world with regard to pollution and climate change. The relation between air pollution and climate change in particular is strong and complex. There is thus a shift towards greener technologies and a large amount of resources have been allocated for the research and development of such technologies. As emission regulations are becoming stricter, there is a concerted effort from all fronts in the EU to design and develop an optimal exhaust after-treatment system which would concur with current emission regulations imposed by Euro V and Euro VI (0.005 g/km of particulate matter (PM) and particulate number (PN) 6.0×1011) for both gasoline and diesel powered drives). Open channel substrates (described in this work) are used for the removal of particulate matter from exhaust. Such substrates are made of channels (arranged in a honeycomb structure) which permit the flow of exhaust through them. The PM is ultimately trapped on the wall of these channels.
Over the past decade there has been a substantial increase in the computational power available to researchers. This increase of available computational resources has shifted the prime focus of research from time-consuming and expensive construction of pilot-scale prototypes towards simulation-driven development of new after treatment solutions. The current work aims to describe such a feedback between experiments and simulations in order to describe the capture of an inert particle (sodium chloride - NaCl) in an open substrate (monolith channel). The experiments and simulations are done in conjunction and such a systematic approach improves the quality of the experimental evaluation. This congruence is evident throughout this work, with the simulations generally, corresponding to the experimental results (simulations results are within the error limit of the experimental results). Both temperature and residence time have a significant impact on the capture efficiency due to Brownian deposition along an open channel. In addition the general trends with variation in residence time (flow conditions) and temperature are noticeably similar in both experiments and simulations. This indicates that the theory behind the description of capture efficiency in open channels (Brownian deposition in open substrates) is able to explain the capture phenomena of inert particulates accurately.


Introduction: Tendon transfer restores balance to the hand which has lost its power due to tendon or muscle destruction. There are various factors which are taken into account while selecting a graft for reconstructive surgeries such as availability, length, expendability of graft tendon. The purpose of this study is to correlate the surface measurement of upper limb and lower limb using anatomical landmarks and underlying tendon lengths used for grafting. This will provide an idea for estimation of underlying donor tendon lengths by easily measured surface measurements of upper and lower limbs.
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 30 cadaveric upper and lower limbs collected in the department of anatomy, AIMS&RC, Devanahalli, Bengaluru. Lengths of commonly harvested tendons used for grafting were measured. In upper limb, tendons of palmaris longus, extensor digiti minimi and extensor indices were selected. In lower limb, tendons of plantaris and extensor digitorum longus of 2nd toe were selected. Surface measurement of upper limb and lower limbs were measured using bony land marks. Correlation between surface measurement of limbs and lengths of underlying tendons used for grafting were analyzed. By using, the univariate least square regression model, tendon multiplier is generated for each tendon, which gives the tendon length in donors by using the surface measurements of upper and lower limbs.
Results: Mean tendon lengths of palmaris longus is 15.53±4.7 cm, extensor digiti minimi is 19.7±1.9 cm, extensor indices is 19.1±1.2 cm, plantaris is 35.97±2.7 cm and extensor digitorum longus of second toe is 27.93±2.9 cm. Tendon multiplier for the tendon of palmaris longus is 0.66, for extensor digiti minimi is 0.53, for extensor indices is 0.31, for plantaris is 0.91 and extensor digitorum longus is 0.51. Mean surface measurement of upper limb is 27.5±2.31 cm and lower limb is 37.43± 2.6 cm.
Conclusion: While selecting tendons for graft, length of donor tendon is a limiting variable. Using the easily available surface measurements, surgeons may be able to better estimate the underlying tendon lengths available for grafting.

Keywords: Tendon, Plantaris, Palmaris longus, Graft, Reconstruction.


Internal communication has not been properly present among public relations activities. However, it plays an essential role in communication strategies aimed at employees and constitutes a fundamental tool in relations between the organization and publics. This article investigates the strategy and the techniques of internal communication and argues for its inclusion among the functions of public relations.


The increasing generation and unhealthy disposal of organic waste in Nigeria necessitate this experiment. The anaerobic composting process of sawdust, wood shavings and poultry manure was conducted at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, and their associated fungi were identified and isolated. The fungi identification was achieved by observing the morphological characteristics of the individual compost materials alongside the use of electric photo microscope. The isolation of fungi colony was carried out by serially diluting a sample of each compost material that were cultured in a Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). From the analysis, the compost sample was high in organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium and other mineral elements. The nine pure potential cellulose degrading fungi identified were; Aspergillus candidus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium species, Penicillium aethiopicum, Penicillium funculosumwere, Penicillium oxalicum, Penicillium polonicum, and Penicillium variable.  In conclusion, the above named fungi were responsible for the decomposition of lignified materials such as sawdust and wood shavings. In conclusion, the above named fungi were responsible for the decomposition of lignified materials such as sawdust and wood shavings. It is important to note that these compost were found to be rich in organic matter and mineral nutrients which make them ideal supplement to inorganic fertilizer, and could be useful for sustainable crop production.


FIBROMUSCULAR hyperplasia of the renal artery has emerged as a lesion of major importance in causation of renal vascular hypertension.1-4It has received attention, primarily in the surgical literature,1,3,4as a potentially curable lesion, occurring predominantly in young women.3 Pathologically, fibromuscular hyperplasia is unassociated with primary atheromatous disease and has been described as characteristically excluding the proximal third of the renal artery.2The lesion is marked by proliferation of fibrous tissue and smooth muscle fibers, frequently associated with degeneration of elastic fibers, the end result being narrowing of the renal arterial lumen. Although it may present as a single area of stenosis, it frequently involves a considerable length of renal artery with alternate areas of atrophy and proliferation which give the artery a "beaded" appearance radiographically. Poststenotic dilatation may be marked. Diagnosis is suggested by the typical angiographic appearance5(Fig 1, 2) and confirmed by


Resource-selection and step-selection analyses allow researchers to link animals to their environment and are commonly used to address questions related to wildlife management and conservation efforts. Step-selection analyses that incorporate movement characteristics, referred to as integrated step-selection analyses, are particularly appealing because they allow modeling of both movement and habitat-selection processes. Despite their popularity, many users struggle with interpreting parameters in resource-selection and step-selection functions. Integrated step-selection analyses also require several additional steps to translate model parameters into a full-fledged movement model, and the mathematics supporting this approach can be challenging for biologists to understand. Using simple examples, we demonstrate how weighted distribution theory and the inhomogeneous Poisson point-process model can facilitate parameter interpretation in resource-selection and step-selection analyses. Further, we provide a "how to" guide illustrating the steps required to implement integrated step-selection analyses using the amt package. By providing clear examples with open-source code, we hope to make resource-selection and integrated step-selection analyses more understandable and accessible to end users.


Exploring the origin of Lyα nebulae ("blobs") at high redshift requires measurements of their gas kinematics that are impossible with only the resonant, optically thick Lyα line. To define gas motions relative to the systemic velocity of the blob, the Lyα line must be compared with an optically thin line like Hα λ6563, which is not much altered by radiative transfer effects and is more concentrated about the galaxies embedded in the nebula's core. We obtain optical and near-IR (NIR) spectra of the two brightest Lyα blobs (CDFS-LAB01 and CDFS-LAB02) from the Yang et al. sample using the Magellan/Magellan Echellette Spectrograph optical and Very Large Telescope/SINFONI NIR spectrographs. Both the Lyα and Hα lines confirm that these blobs lie at the survey redshift, z ∼ 2.3. Within each blob, we detect several Hα sources, which roughly correspond to galaxies seen in Hubble Space Telescope rest-frame UV images. The Hα detections show that these galaxies have large internal velocity dispersions (σv = 130–190 km s−1) and that, in the one system (LAB01), where we can reliably extract profiles for two Hα sources, their velocity difference is Δv ∼ 440 km s−1. The presence of multiple galaxies within the blobs, and those galaxies' large velocity dispersions and large relative motion, is consistent with our previous finding that Lyα blobs inhabit massive dark matter halos that will evolve into those typical of present-day rich clusters and that the embedded galaxies may eventually become brightest cluster galaxies. To determine whether the gas near the embedded galaxies is predominantly infalling or outflowing, we compare the Lyα and Hα line centers, finding that Lyα is not offset (ΔvLyα = +0 km s−1) in LAB01 and redshifted by only +230 km s−1 in LAB02. These offsets are small compared to those of Lyman break galaxies, which average +450 km s−1 and extend to about +700 km s−1. In LAB02, we detect C ii λ1334 and Si ii λ1526 absorption lines, whose blueward shifts of ∼200 km s−1 are consistent with the small outflow implied by the redward shift of Lyα. We test and rule out the simplest infall models and those outflow models with super/hyperwinds, which require large outflow velocities. Because of the unknown geometry of the gas distribution and the possibility of multiple sources of Lyα emission embedded in the blobs, a larger sample and more sophisticated models are required to test more complex or a wider range of infall and outflow scenarios.


The first Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) appeared in the 70's in the context of care rationing. These organizations have rapidly become responsible for delivering care to the general population. Cost/effectiveness studies and other quality control programs rapidly appeared, followed by other sophisticated cost-control devices. The following article gives information on the current difficulties encountered by HMOs. Other aspects of the care given by the HMOs are also addressed. The economical and legal difficulties to which these companies were confronted have prompted them to withdraw from some market segments. Patients have become more vulnerable, despite limited attempts of reforms.


The magnitude of energy costs imposed on the general public by irrigation development in Washington is very large. These costs come about through two separate phenomena. As water is withdrawn from the Snake and Columbia Rivers for irrigation, use of this water for creating hydropower is lost. Also, pumping of water for irrigation requires significant quantities of electricity which is currently sold to irrigators at very low average costs. However, both the lost and used energy must be replaced or added to the supply at the opportunity cost of current thermal power generation. These phenomena result in a cost of about $150 per acre per year that is paid through the general public through increased utility rates. This article describes the magnitude of such costs in terms of large and small family farms, and in terms of employment created by irrigation development.


We have followed for 13 years a consecutive series of 31 patients who had open repair of a torn meniscus. They were between 13 and 43 years of age at the time of operation and all had intact stabilising ligaments. Comparison was made with a matched group of normal subjects of similar age and level of activity. The total rate of failure after meniscal repair was 29%; three of the repaired menisci did not heal and six reruptured during the follow-up period. At follow-up 80% of the patients had normal knee function for daily activities. Radiological changes were found in seven. Two had reduction of the joint space (Ahlbäck grade 1), one with successful and one with failed repair. In the control group of uninjured subjects one knee showed Fairbank changes but none had changes according to Ahlbäck. The incidence of radiological changes did not differ between the group with meniscal repair and the control group but knee function was reduced after meniscal repair (p < 0.001). We conclude that the long-term results of meniscal repair in stable knees are good with nearly normal function and a low incidence of low-grade radiological changes.


Sowing acorns from Mediterranean oaks is an age-old practice around the Mediterranean Rim that has been largely replaced by planting seedlings. In this article, we assess the method overall and reconsider it in the light of recent experimentation carried out notably in South-East France and in the north of Spain. First we describe the advantages and drawbacks of sowing compared to planting, followed by the basic principles for collecting, sorting and conserving the acorns. The requirements for effective sowing are then reviewed prior to considering the conditions for success in relation to damage from wildlife (rodents, herbivores, wild boar) and methods for preventing it. Finally, we define the impact of habitat on the success of sowing and the role played by vegetation and "nursing" devices. We conclude by stressing the advantages of the technique for the restoration of habitats and the improvement of their resilience.


This study aims to determine the effect of learning model SAVI (Somatic Audiotori, Visual, Intellectual Property) to the learning outcomes of students class VII SMP Parulian 2 Medan.This study is based on a theoretical foundation to explain the learning model SAVI, learning outcomes, and Song local area, along with the hypothesis. The research method in this study using an experimental research. This type of research is True Experimental Design with pretest design -Posttest Control Group Design. The population in the study were all students of class VII SMP Parulian 2 field consisting of 4 classes. Sampling was done by random sampling by taking two classes, namely the class VII4 as an experimental class that numbered 30 people and VII2 class as the control class that numbered 30 people. The instrument used to determine student learning outcomes is the achievement test in the form of multiple choice numbered 30 and 20 items that have been declared valid for the experimental class and control class that has been tested on VII1 class in junior Parulian 2 Medan.The second class are given a pretest to determine the ability of the student before the beginning of the treatment given in each grade, with an average value of 38.83 experimental class and control class 35.83. then given a different treatment, the experimental class learning model SAVI, and grade control with conventional learning (direct). After learning is completed given postes, obtained postes with an average value of 76.83 experimental class and control class 66.87. Hypothesis test results using a different test (t-test) obtained t> t table so Ha is received, so that the results showed that there was a 15.67% influence learning model SAVI the learning outcomes of students of class VII in Learning Locally in the Junior songs Parulian 2 Medan


Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) are typically designed to offer one-on-one tutoring on a subject to students in an adaptive way so that students can learn the subject at their own pace. The ability to predict student performance enables an ITS to make informed decisions towards meeting the individual needs of students. It is also useful for ITS designers to validate if students are actually able to succeed in learning the subject. Predicting student performance is a function of two complex and dynamic factors: (f1) student learning behavior and (f2) their current knowledge in the subject. Learning behavior is captured from student interaction with the ITS (e.g. time spent on an assigned task) and is stored in the form of web logs. Student knowledge in the subject is represented by the marks they score in assigned tasks and is stored in a specific component of the ITS called student model. In order to build an accurate prediction model, this raw data from student model and web logs must be engineered carefully and transformed into meaningful features. Existing systems such as LON-CAPA predict students performance using their learning behavior alone, without considering their (current) knowledge on the subject. Lack of proper feature engineering is evident from the low values of accuracy of their prediction models. This research proposes a highly accurate model that predicts student success in assigned tasks with a 96% accuracy by using features that are better informed not only about students in terms of the two factors f1 and f2 mentioned above, but also on the assigned task itself (e.g. task's difficulty level). In order to accomplish this, an Example Recommendation System (ERS) is designed with a fine-grained student model (to represent student data) and a fine-grained domain model (to represent domain resources such as tasks).


We investigate the use of biased sampling according to the density of the data set to speed up the operation of general data mining tasks, such as clustering and outlier detection in large multidimensional data sets. In density-biased sampling, the probability that a given point will be included in the sample depends on the local density of the data set. We propose a general technique for density-biased sampling that can factor in user requirements to sample for properties of interest and can be tuned for specific data mining tasks. This allows great flexibility and improved accuracy of the results over simple random sampling. We describe our approach in detail, we analytically evaluate it, and show how it can be optimized for approximate clustering and outlier detection. Finally, we present a thorough experimental evaluation of the proposed method, applying density-biased sampling on real and synthetic data sets, and employing clustering and outlier detection algorithms, thus highlighting the utility of our approach.


Galileo's astronomical and mechanical theories, and his subsequent trial for heresy, profoundly impacted the development of European science, philosophy, and theology, especially in seventeenth-century France, where it shaped the thought of some of its most important writers. France's long tradition of Gallican independence from Rome allowed Copernican and Galilean ideas to be discussed and promoted more freely than elsewhere. Placing those ideas in a national context, this book's individual chapters are devoted to tracing their development in the writings of Mersenne, Gassendi, Peiresc, and Descartes; similarly, resistance to Galilean ideas is traced through the writings of Froidmont, Morin, and the work of Cassini at the recently established Observatoire de Paris.


Latin America faces common development and health problems and equity and overcoming poverty are crucial in the search for comprehensive and high impact solutions. The article analyzes the definition of social capital, its relationship with health, its limitations and potentialities from a perspective of community development and health promotion in Latin America. High-priority challenges are also identified as well as possible ways to better measure and to strengthen social capital. Particularly, it is discussed how and why social capital may be critical in a global health promotion strategy, where empowerment and community participation, interdisciplinary and intersectorial work would help to achieve Public Health aims and a sustainable positive change for the global development. Also, some potential limitations of the social capital concept in the context of health promotion in Latin America are identified.


The low mass X-ray binary 2A 1822-371 is an eclipsing system with an accretion disc corona and with an orbital period of 5.57 hr. The primary is an 0.59 s X-ray pulsar with a proposed strong magnetic field of 10^10-10^12 G. In this paper we study the spin evolution of the pulsar and constrain the geometry of the system. We find that, contrary to previous claims, a thick corona is not required, and that the system characteristics could be best explained by a thin accretion outflow due to a super-Eddington mass transfer rate and a geometrically thick inner accretion flow. The orbital, spectral and timing observations can be reconciled in this scenario under the assumption that the mass transfer proceeds on a thermal timescale which would make 2A 1822-371, a mildly super-Eddington source viewed at high inclination angles. The timing analysis on 13 years of RXTE data show a remarkably stable spin-up that implies that 2A 1822-371, might quickly turn into a millisecond pulsar in the next few thousand years.


For this JLAG retrospective on our article "Truncated Transnationalism" (Miyares, Wright, Mountz, Bailey, & Jonak, 2003), we focus on the current U.S. administration's posture toward immigrants, especially Salvadorans, and immigration, especially the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. Our original JLAG article described the transnational spaces that conjoined places and communities in Northern New Jersey and El Salvador. We linked the experiences of daily living in this social field to the TPS legal status that many Salvadorans held. Through our collaborative research, an understanding emerged of Salvadorans' social field as "truncated": that is, a "transnational social field largely void of circulating transmigrants… an imagined community" (Miyares et al., 2003, p. 75). As we write in late 2018, this transnational social field has become more tenuous, mirroring the direction the program itself has taken under the Trump administration. We begin our short retrospective by summarizing our earlier reading of how TPS truncated Salvadoran transnationalism and then think through what has changed and what has not, foregrounding the actions and rhetoric of the Trump administration.


images with a Nova Nano SEM 450 (FEI) microscope operated at 2–3 kV. Average crystal diameters were measured over the longitudinal hexagonal axis. The zeolite Si/Al ratios and Al amount per gram of catalysts were determined by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) with a Bruker-AXS spectrometer. Nitrogen physisorption measurements were performed with a Quantachrome Auto-sorb-iQ apparatus, at @ 195.79 8 C. Samples were evacuated prior to measurements at 250 8 C for 3 h under dynamic vacuum. The surface areas (SA BET ) were calculated by using the Brunauer– Emmett–Teller (BET) method. The external surface areas (SA external ) and the micropore volumes ( V micro ) were calculated by using the t-method. The pore diameter and distributions were calculated by using the Barret–Joyner–Halenda (BJH) method, applying the adsorption branch. The single point total pore volumes ( V total ) were determined at P / P 0 = 0.99. The amount and strengths of acid groups were determined by ammonia temperature-programmed desorption (NH 3 -TPD) by using a Micromeritics AutoChem 2920 an-alyzer. Each catalyst sample g) was heated to 550 8 C a for 3 h and then cooled to 80 8 C. NH 3 adsorption was performed under a flow of 10 vol% NH 3 /He mLmin @ 1 ) for 1 h. The NH 3 -TPD started at a heating rate of 10 8 Cmin @ 1 from 80 to 600 8 C. FTIR spectroscopy was performed by using a Nicolet FTIR 6700 spectrometer. Framework vibrational bands of the ZSM-5 zeolites were obtained with a KBr tablet at room temperature. pump. The reaction temperature was set at 320 8 C, and the weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) value was 2.4 h @ 1 . The catalyst samples (500 mg, 40–60 mesh sieve fraction) were packed in the central part of reactor between two plugs of quartz sand. Prior to reaction, the catalyst was activated with N 2 for 2 h at 320 8 C. The reaction products were condensed in a cold trap and collected hourly for analysis on a gas chromatograph (Thermo TRACE 1310) equipped with a flame ionization detector (FID) and a TR-Wax capillary column (30 mV0.25 mm). The conversion of glycerol and the product selectivity were calculated by their peak areas, and compared with known standards. http://suschem.uva.nl.


ABSTRACT Considering possible variable interaction effects, this study develops a maximum likelihood regression tree-based (MLRT) model using the proposed two-variable splitting method to describe subway incident delays. A MLRT comprising 13 leaf nodes is built with Hong Kong subway incident data from 2005 to 2012 and a log-logistic distributed accelerated failure time (AFT) model is developed separately for each leaf node. The comparison of model performance indicates that our developed model outperforms traditional AFT models and the tree-based model building based on the traditional single-variable splitting scheme. The probability of subway incident delay being unacceptable can be predicted using our developed model, which can be utilized as a basis for alerting commuters to the necessity of rescheduling their trips in the event of a subway incident.


Cloud computing is rapidly emerging as a technology trend almost every industry that provides or consumes software, hardware, and infrastructure can leverage. The technology and architecture that cloud service and deployment models offer are a key area of research in current for textile-order process management system(TPMS). The adoption of Cloud computing as a technology and a paradigm for the new era of TPMS has definitely become popular and appealing within the software vendors. In this paper, we discussed the architecture, implementation and deployment of textile-order service based on Aneka, and web services.


Designing English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses is a challenging task. The teacher often has to cope with time constraints, shortage of resources as well as his or her insufficient knowledge of a given field of study. Students enrolled in a course are often consulted about the source of materials for instruction. The process of developing ESP tasks can be made easier and less time-consuming by means of employing student-generated communication activities which draw on learner-based approaches to teaching. The paper contains a collection of student-generated tasks that can be successfully used at the preparatory, follow-up or main stage of an ESP class. In the author's teaching context on numerous occasions they have triggered lively exchanges between students: discussion, brainstorming, or negotiation. Student-generated activities naturally develop collaboration and autonomy, which are essential in the workplace environment. Just like communication skills, they have to be taught explicitly due to the fact that in the area of soft skills there exist considerable differences at the personal and culture-specific level. Finally, since students' specialist knowledge is usually much better than that of the teacher, student-generated activities tend to be to the point, up-to date, or more precise with respect to the course objectives.


Phenotypic screening provides compounds with very limited target cellular localization data. In order to select the most appropriate target identification methods, determining if a compound acts at the cell-surface or intracellularly can be very valuable. In addition, controlling cell-permeability of targeted therapeutics such as antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and targeted nanoparticle formulations can reduce toxicity from extracellular release of drug in undesired tissues or direct activity in bystander cells. By incorporating highly polar, anionic moieties via short polyethylene glycol linkers into compounds with known intracellular, and cell-surface targets, we have been able to correlate the cellular activity of compounds with their subcellular site of action. For compounds with nuclear (Brd, PARP) or cytosolic (dasatinib, NAMPT) targets, addition of the permeability modifying group (small sulfonic acid, polycarboxylic acid, or a polysulfonated fluorescent dye) results in near complete loss of biological activity in cell-based assays. For cell-surface targets (H3, 5HT1A, β2AR) significant activity was maintained for all conjugates, but the results were more nuanced in that the modifiers impacted binding/activity of the resulting conjugates. Taken together, these results demonstrate that small anionic compounds can be used to control cell-permeability independent of on-target activity and should find utility in guiding target deconvolution studies and controlling drug distribution of targeted therapeutics.


Present objective was to study this phenomenon on the common seed-borne fungi of faba bean in soil amended with composted organic wastes and infested with the most commonly isolated fungi from Vicia faba seed. In vitro studies showed that the yeast was effective in reducing the linear growth of Cephalosporium sp., F. verticillioides, F. oxysporum,. F. solani, R. solani and V. dahliae. Pre- and post-emergence damping-off caused by Cephalosporium sp., F. verticillioides, F. oxysporum, F. solani, R. solani and V. dahliae was reduced significantly when seeds of faba bean were coated with a water suspension (10(9) cfu mL-1) of the yeast before sowing in soil supplemented with compost type (1) (prepared by Mansoura manufacturer with organic waste from city garbage) or type (2) (consisted of 1 ton of horticultural waste and 100 kg sheep manure). Soil was artificially infested with the fungi isolated from faba bean seeds. The above treatment significantly increased plant growth parameters including height, shoot and root length, number of branches/plant, number of pods/plant, pod weight/plant, fresh weight and dry weight. Photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll A, chlorophyll B and carotenoids) were also increased by the treatments. Total phenols content in the treated plant leaves was higher than in the control plants.


In this expert handbook both the topics and contributors are selected so as to provide an authoritative view of possible applications for this new technology. The result is an up-to-date survey of current challenges and opportunities in the design and operation of bioreactors for high-value products in the biomedical and chemical industries.Combining theory and practice, the authors explain such leading-edge technologies as single-use bioreactors, bioreactor simulators, and soft sensor monitoring, and discuss novel applications, such as stem cell production, process development, and multi-product reactors, using case studies from academia as well as from industry. A final section addresses the latest trends, including culture media design and systems biotechnology, which are expected to have an increasing impact on bioreactor design.With its focus on cutting-edge technologies and discussions of future developments, this handbook will remain an invaluable reference for many years to come.


Cyrenaica is the largest phytogeographical region in Libya. The region holds Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar (the Green Mountain) landscape with the richest vegetation and highest species diversity in the country. Field study of the vegetation was carried out in the different habitat types representing the mountainous landscape. Data were analyzed by Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) against the environmental variables. Vegetation and species richness varied with altitude from the sea level, through mid elevation slope vegetation in wadis, to herbaceous and lowshrub-vegetation towards the mountain top. Vegetation is classified into three major groups: (1) coastal and low altitude vegetation dominated by shrubs and trees which constitute about 60% of the plant life forms; (2) mid altitude and wadi vegetation with the highest species richness and dominated by shrubs and trees which constitute over 60% of the plant life forms; and (3) mountain top vegetation dominated by herbs and few low shrubs constituting up to 90% of the plant life forms. The altitude, aspect and soil parameters do not explain the majority of variance in the obtained data which reveal that other diverse local conditions and habitat types seem to be the main determinant of vegetation variation in Al-Jabal AlAkhdar landscape.


It has become well know over time that the performance of backtrack-style complete SAT solvers can vary dramatically depending on "little" details of the heuristics used, such as the way one selects the next variable to branch on and in what order the possible values are assigned to the variable. Extreme variations can result even from simple tie breaking mechanisms necessarily employed in all SAT solvers. The discovery of this extreme runtime variation has been both a stumbling block and an opportunity. This chapter focuses on providing an understanding of this intriguing phenomenon, particularly in terms of the so-called heavy tailed nature of the runtime distributions of systematic SAT solvers. It describes a simple formal model based on expensive mistakes to explain runtime distributions seen in practice, and discusses randomization and restart strategies that can be used to effectively overcome the negative impact of heavy tailed behavior. Finally, the chapter discusses the notion of backdoor variables, which explain the unexpectedly short runs one also often sees in practice.


I can clearly remember my first American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates meeting. It was in St Louis, way back in June 1978. On the night of the new president's inaugural, I was sitting in one of the last rows with Dr George Collins from New York—who went on to become the AMA's secretary-treasurer. The houselights were dimmed; the hall was dark. But the stage was bright with light and the colors from this same wall of flags. A band played with pomp and circumstance, and—just like tonight—the officers and trustees marched onto the stage. George directed my attention to one trustee walking proudly toward his seat. "Do you know his story?" George asked. I did not know, and this is what he told me. That man was Frank Jirka, a trustee, who later became president of the AMA. Courage, Responsibility, Privilege Frank won't mind my telling you that


The purpose of this paper is to present the preliminary findings from implementing and evaluating a project-based learning example (The Animation Project). The idea of the project is to involve the students in producing learning aids in project management in the form of video animations of real-life project cases. This was done to create an authentic project experience of actual projects that has solutions that potentially could be implemented. The preliminary findings suggest that the project adequately satisfied its intended objectives, in particular, the project provided students with an opportunity to understand and relate better to various project management concepts. Results also suggest that involving students in authentic project assignments may have positive impact on motivation and dedication in the project.


Using a Fascist monument in South Tyrol, Northern Italy as a case study, this paper investigates the role of monuments in managing and negotiating interpretations of the past in culturally heterogeneous societies. It explores approaches to overcoming the exclusionary potential of cultural heritage, reframing it in more inclusive, pluralist terms. It provides an in-depth analysis of a dialogical, pluralistic approach to heritage, which allows divergent, even contrary, interpretations of the past to coexist. Thus, the paper sheds light on how monuments (re)construct and contest memory and history. It provides insights into constructive ways of engaging with a controversial heritage in multiethnic societies. Keywords: cultural heritage; fascism; memory; monuments; reconciliation; South Tyrol; multiethnic societies DOI: 10.14712/23363231.2018.1


The environment is a dynamic system, subject to change resulting from a variety of physico- chemical factors, such as temperature, pressure, pH, redox potential and human activity. The quantity and variety of these determinants cause the inflow of substances into individual environmental elements to vary in both time and space, as well as in terms of substance types and quantities. The energy and matter flow in the environment determines its integrity, which means that the processes occurring in one element of the environment affect the others. A certain measure of the energy and matter flow is the migration of chemical substances in various forms from one place to another. In a particular geographical space, under natural conditions, a specific level of balance between individual processes appears; in areas subject to anthropopressure, the correlations are different. In small areas, varying deposition volumes and chemism of precipitation waters which reach the substratum directly can both be observed. The study area is similar in terms of geological origins as well as morphological, structural and physico-chemical properties, and is typical of European low mountain regions. A qualitative and quantitative study of wet atmospheric precipitation was conducted between February 2009 and May 2011 in the Bobrza river catchment in the Holy Cross (Świetokrzyskie) Mountains (Poland), at three sampling sites of varying land development and distance from sources of various acidic-alkaline emissions. Field and laboratory work was conducted over 29 months, from February 2009 to May 2011. Atmospheric precipitation measurements were carried out in a continuous manner by means of a Hellman rain gauge (200cm 2 ). The collecting surface was placed at ground level (0m AGL). The application of a collecting funnel and an adequately prepared polyethylene collecting can in the rain gauge enabled the measurement of precipitation volume and water sampling for chemical analyses. In order to prevent mineral soil particles and organic matter from entering the rain gauge, the device was placed in a pit, which was - for safety reasons - covered with a grid of appropriate single net-mesh diameter. The study covered metals of Fe, Cd, Cr, Al and Mn, ions of Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Na + , K + , NH4 + , Cl - , F - , NO3 - , SO4 2- and PO4 3- as well as the pH and conductivity. Basing on the conducted analyses, a characteristics of ion deposition on soil surface were developed. In order to interpret the obtained results, the neutralising potential (NP), the acidifying potential (AP) and the acid neutralising capacity (ANCaq) indices were used, together with molar or mass proportions of the ions. The study results show a clear boundary between the northern and southern parts of the study area. Both regularities and disorders in inter-ion relationships, originating from the introduction into the air of pollution due to human activity (acidification or alkalisation), were observed.


The present study is mainly motivated to investigate the vaporization, auto-ignition and combustion processes in high-pressure engine conditions. In order to realistically simulate the dimethyl ether (DME) spray dynamics and vaporization characteristics in high-pressure and high-temperature environment, the high-pressure vaporization model is utilized. The interaction between chemistry and turbulence is treated by employing the Representative Interaction Flamelet (RIF) model. The detailed chemistry of 336 elementary steps and 78 chemical species is used for the DME/air reaction. Numerical results indicate that the RIF approach, together with the high-pressure vaporization model, successfully predicts the essential feature of ignition and spray combustion processes.


The widespread use of phytocannabinoids or cannabis extracts as ingredients in numerous types of products, in combination with the legal restrictions on THC content, has created a need for the development of new, rapid, and universal analytical methods for their quantitation that ideally could be applied without separation and standards. Based on previously described qNMR studies, we developed an expanded 1H qNMR method and a novel 2D-COSY qNMR method for the rapid quantitation of ten major phytocannabinoids in cannabis plant extracts and cannabis-based products. The 1H qNMR method was successfully developed for the quantitation of cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabichromenic acid (CBCA), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (Δ9-THCA), Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC), cannabielsoin (CBE), and cannabidivarin (CBDV). Moreover, cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (Δ9-THCVA) can be distinguished from CBDA and Δ9-THCA respectively, while cannabigerovarin (CBGV) and Δ8-tetrahydrocannabivarin (Δ8-THCV) present the same 1H-spectra as CBG and Δ8-THC, respectively. The COSY qNMR method was applied for the quantitation of CBD, CBDA, CBN, CBG/CBGA, and THC/THCA. The two methods were applied for the analysis of hemp plants; cannabis extracts; edible cannabis medium-chain triglycerides (MCT); and hemp seed oils and cosmetic products with cannabinoids. The 1H-NMR method does not require the use of reference compounds, and it requires only a short time for analysis. However, complex extracts in 1H-NMR may have a lot of signals, and quantitation with this method is often hampered by peak overlap, with 2D NMR providing a solution to this obstacle. The most important advantage of the COSY NMR quantitation method was the determination of the legality of cannabis plants, extracts, and edible oils based on their THC/THCA content, particularly in the cases of some samples for which the determination of THC/THCA content by 1H qNMR was not feasible.


This report describes a rare case of benign superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) accompanying recalcitrant pleural effusion developed secondary to extrinsic compression by anthracotic calcified mediastinal lymphadenopathy which was corrected by surgical bypass graft. An 81-year-old female presented with recalcitrant pleural effusion for several months despite of medical treatments. SVCS developed progressively without any other radiological evidence of malignancy or active infection on initial chest computed tomography (CT). A follow-up chest CT scan taken one month later revealed a poorly-defined mass-like lesion encasing the SVC. Near total collapse of the SVC due to circumferential compression by massive anthracotic calcified lymph nodes was noted in the surgical fields. A bypass graft was performed using an artificial vessel instead of endovascular treatment because of severe adhesion. The abrupt SVCS and uncontrolled pleural effusions completely disappeared after surgical correction.


The home gateway integrates heterogeneous home network environments and interconnects the home network and the public access networks. It is natural that users want to see the visual contents on the home network from outside the home. However, there exist significant differences in network capability and computing power of users. Video transcoding technique is an efficient mechanism to deliver visual contents to a variety of users who have different network conditions or terminal devices with different display capabilities. In this paper, we propose an efficient video transcoding technique as the key component of the home gateway architecture. It consists of two types of transcoding methods for adapting the bitrate of streaming video to the bandwidth of the transmission channel; spatial resolution reduction transcoding and temporal resolution reduction transcoding. The two transcoding methods are alternatively or simultaneously operated according to the requirements of users. Experimental results show that the proposed transcoding methods can preserve image quality while transcoding to the low bitrate.


X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is a condition that affects the immune system and occurs almost exclusively in males. People with XLA have very few B cells, which are specialized white blood cells that help protect the body against infection. B cells can mature into the cells that produce special proteins called antibodies or immunoglobulins. Antibodies attach to specific foreign particles and germs, marking them for destruction. Individuals with XLA are more susceptible to infections because their body makes very few antibodies.


Reliable supply chains are crucial to the competitiveness, survival and profitability of businesses While various aspects of supply chain logistics have been studied, their impacts on corrupt activity have not been fully understood This paper examines the impact of the different stages of supply chain logistics on corruption Besides adding insights into channels of potential corruption or rent-seeking, the research identifies potential stages of bureaucratic holdups related to the supply chain and can prove useful in the formulation of a more effective corruption-control policy We use data for about 150 nations over the period 2000–2018 and the econometric methodology controls for potential reverse feedback from corruption to logistics Our results show that an improvement in overall logistics performance reduces cross-country corruption, with individual dimensions of logistics having a differential corruption-reducing impact The main policy implication is that governmental efforts to reduce supply chain bottlenecks will have positive spillovers in terms of reduced corruption © 2020 The Authors Australian Economic Papers published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd


Production markets have two sides: producers are a fully connected clique transacting with buyers as a separate but aggregated clique. Each producer is a distinctive firm with a distinctive product. Each side continually monitors reactions of the other through the medium of a joint social construction, the schedule of terms of trade. Each producer is guided in choice of volume by the tangible outcomes of other producers-not by speculation on hypothetical reactions of buyers to its actions. Each producer acts purely on self-interest based on observed actions of all others, summarized through a feedback process. The summary is the terms-of-trade schedule, which reduces to constant price only in limiting cases. The market emerges as a structure of roles with a differentiated niche for each firm. Explicit formulae-both for firms and for market aggregates are obtained by comparative-statics methods for one family of assumptions about cost structures and about buyers' evaluations of differentiated products. Not just any set of firms can sustain terms of trade with any set of buyers. There prove to be three main kinds of markets, and three sorts of market failure, within a parameter space that is specified in detail. One sort of market (PARADOX) has a Madison Avenue flavor, another is more conventional (GRIND), and a third (CROWDED) is a new form not included in any existing theory of markets. Current American industrial markets are drawn on for 20 illustrations, of which three are presented in some detail. Inequality in firms' market shares (measured by Gini coefficients) is discussed.


INTRODUCTION
Monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based products are highly specific for a particular antigen. This characteristic feature of the molecules makes them an ideal tool for many applications including cancer diagnosis and therapy.

SOURCES OF DATA
We performed comprehensive searches of PubMed, Medline and the Food and Drug Administration website using keywords such as 'therapeutic antibodies' and 'anti-cancer antibodies'.

AREAS OF AGREEMENT
Treatment of cancer patients with antibodies when used alone or in combination with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, or conjugated to drugs or radioisotopes, prolongs overall survival in cancer patients. Currently, there are 14 mAb-based drugs that have been approved for the treatment of cancer patients.

AREAS OF CONTROVERSY
The response of cancer patients to antibody therapy can be of short duration. Therapeutic antibodies are expensive and may have side effects. There are no reliable predictive biomarkers for sensitivity or resistance to certain therapeutic antibodies. FUTURE FOCUS: There should be additional studies to discover novel therapeutic targets, to develop more effective antibody-based drugs with fewer side effects, to identify more reliable predictive biomarker(s) for response to therapy with antibody-based drugs and to develop alternative strategies (e.g. transgenic plants, transgenic farm animals) for production of large quantities and more affordable batches of therapeutic antibodies.

AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH
A better understanding of cancer biology, the hallmarks of human cancers and the immune system would lead to identification of additional cell surface biomarkers. These in turn would facilitate the development of novel and biosimilar antibody-based drugs and their routine use as 'magic bullets' for the targeted therapy of human cancers.


Genetic inheritance underpins evolutionary theories of aging, but the role that nongenetic inheritance plays is unclear. Parental age reduces the life span of offspring in a diverse array of taxa but has not been explained from an evolutionary perspective. We quantified the effect that maternal age had on the growth and maturation decisions, life history, rates of senescence, and life span of offspring from three Daphnia pulex clones collected from different populations. We then used those data to test general hypotheses proposed to explain maternal age effects on offspring life span. Three generations of breeding from young or old mothers produced dramatic differences in the life histories of fourth-generation offspring, including significant reductions in life span. The magnitude of the effect differed between clones, which suggests that genetic and nongenetic factors ultimately underpin trait inheritance and shape patterns of aging. Older parents did not transmit a senescent state to their offspring. Instead, offspring from older ancestors had increased early-life reproductive effort, which resulted in an earlier onset of reproductive senescence, and an increased rate of actuarial senescence, which shortened their life span. Our results provide a clear example of the need to consider multiple inheritance mechanisms when studying trait evolution.


In our experience with 150 patients having Hirschsprung's disease, 2 patients have been encountered in whom the entire colon was deficient in ganglion cells. Diagnosis and treatment of this condition required variations from that followed in the usual cases of Hirschsprung's disease where the aganglionic segment is limited to the rectum and rectosigmoid. The two patients with deficient Auerbach's plexus ganglion cells throughout the colon presented so bizarre a clinical picture in comparison with that typically encountered in congenital megacolon, that they posed a considerable diagnostic problem. Both of these infants were admitted to the hospital because of abdominal distention and vomiting. Roentgenograms with barium revealed the colon to be essentially normal in size, the abdominal distention being due to small bowel dilatation. There was some attempt to empty the colon; however, a portion of the barium was retained in the colon and was still there in one patient several


The cell 'surfaceome' collectively describes proteins found on the plasma membrane (PM), which functions in fundamental cellular processes including growth and proliferation. The surfaceome undergoes dynamic remodeling via the addition/removal of surface proteins in response to changing environmental conditions. In mammalian cells, surfaceome remodeling is predominantly facilitated by clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) which involves the invagination and internalization of PM regions via clathrin-coated structures—removing proteins from the cell surface. As a major regulator of the surfaceome, it is important to understand the underlying mechanisms governing CME, given that its dysregulation has been implicated in human pathologies including neurologic and oncogenic disorders.

Cellular cues including mitogenic (e.g. growth factors) and metabolic signals (e.g. cellular energy levels) induce diverse cellular processes (e.g. growth and proliferation) requiring surfaceome/PM remodeling. Precisely how mitogenic and metabolic signals may induce surfaceome remodeling however, is under-examined. As a major regulator of the surfaceome, CME is a likely mechanism through which cellular cues may remodel the PM. Poorly understood, I thus sought to investigate how mitogenic and metabolic signals may regulate CME.

Mitogenic signaling by the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) triggers PLCγ1-calcium signals, which I found a requirement for CME of EGFR—likely via calcium control of the Sjn1 protein. Consistently, using TIRF-M imaging coupled to automated software analysis, I demonstrate that inhibition of PLCγ1-calcium signals impairs the formation/assembly of GFR-containing clathrin structures. In addition, I hypothesize that PLCγ1-calcium signals also regulates the CME of other surface proteins given its robust control of Sjn1—which localizes broadly amongst clathrin-coated structures.

AMPK is a cellular energy sensor activated by metabolic stress (e.g. starvation). Using TIRF-M imaging coupled to automated software analysis, I found that AMPK activation broadly reduces the formation/assembly of bona fide clathrin-coated pits, without impairing the internalization rates of CME cargoes (e.g. EGFR, TfR and β1-integrin). Furthermore, I found that AMPK may regulate CME throughcontrol of the Arf6 protein.

Collectively, my findings uncover and provide novel mechanisms by which mitogenic (via EGFR-induced calcium signals) and metabolic signals (via AMPK control of Arf6) may induce regulation of CME—in eliciting global reorganization of the plasma membrane. 1,2,11–13,3–10


Demands placed on dissimilar metals joints have increased from various
viewpoints, such as, environmental concerns, energy saving, high performance, cost
saving and so on. The aim of this research is to predict and optimize laser welding of
some economically important dissimilar materials in industry through applying a
Taguchi orthogonal array design as a DOE approach to design the experiments,
develop mathematical models and optimize the welding operation. This was achieved
by controlling selected welding parameters; laser power, welding speed and focus
position, to relate the mechanical properties, weld bead geometry, principal residual
stress and unit operating cost to the selected input welding parameters. The dissimilar
materials studied in this work are low carbon steel, 316 stainless steel, titanium G2,
different types of aluminium alloys such as (6082, 5251H22 and 1050H24) with
different thicknesses and different joint designs.
For each dissimilar welded material, mathematical models were developed to
predict the required responses. Moreover, the main effects and the interaction effects
of the process parameters on the responses were discussed and presented graphically
for all dissimilar materials and joint designs. Furthermore, the developed models
were optimized by determining the best combinations of input process parameters in
order to produce an excellent weld quality.


Abstract During sea-level highstand in late Mid-Devonian time, a carbonate ramp was established on the vast shelf of the Northwest African Craton, in the Ahnet and Mouydir Basins of southern Algeria. The ramp was at least 400 km wide and 700 km long and sloped, in front of a local shoal of rugose-tabulate-stromatoporoid dominated biostromes, towards the west into the Reggane Basin and towards the north into the Béchar Basin. Mid- and inner ramp zones were presumably situated in the area of the present Hoggar Massif and have been removed by erosion. Subsidence rates during Mid-Devonian time were considerably lower than during the preceding and subsequent periods of clastic sedimentation in Early and Late Devonian time. Spectacular mud buildups formed in an outer ramp setting and developed from small, lens-shaped, to steep, conical mounds, which eventually amalgamated into mud ridges and mud 'atolls'. Orientation of mound rows and ridges matches older NW-SE and N-S tectonic lineaments, which were probably rejuvenated during Mid-Devonian time. Stable isotope values of early marine cements, composition of the buildup fauna, and the emplacement and orientation of neptunian dykes do not indicate, however, that buildup growth was triggered by hydrothermal activity or cold seeps.


Since the study of microplastics has only emerged in the last few years, there is a gap in research in terms of the analysis and quantification of microplastics in cosmetic pastes. Consequently, the main aim of this project was to develop an optimal analytical method for the separation and quantification of microbeads from cosmetic pastes in order to address this emerging global issue. Liquid solid extraction of microplastics from cosmetic paste through filtration under vacuum was implemented. And quantification with standard addition and characterisation via infrared spectroscopy and light microscopy were used. Optimal extraction conditions were established which consists of boiled distilled water and vacuum filtration using Büchner funnel of 125 mm diameter. Recovery from different pastes had 94.64 %, 85.09 % and 92.30 % microbead recovery which indicated that the extraction method proved to be efficient. Repeatability was found to be supportive of findings. The microbeads were analysed under light microscopy where it was established that the microplastics extracted from the cosmetic pastes were smaller than 1 mm in size. An ideal method was developed for the extraction and quantification of microbeads from pastes. From this research project it was also deduced that paste matrix affects the recovery of microbeads from the product. Thus, standard addition approach must be carried out for each paste for quantification with high trueness.


Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) of color are at particularly increased risk for HIV infection compared to white MSM. National data highlight the need to link YMSM of color to care to improve their overall health and stem further infections, yet, there is limited data on interventions and clinical outcomes focused on engaging and retaining youth, specifically HIV-infected YMSM of color in care. To address the medical care needs of this underserved population, in 2005, the Health Research and Services Administration (HRSA) created the YMSM of Color Initiative. Utilizing a social marketing campaign targeting youth and members of their sexual and social networks, testing and outreach on college campuses and within the broader community, and a tightly linked medical-social support network, we created STYLE (Strength Through Youth Livin' Empowered), a novel intervention that sought to diagnose, engage, and retain HIV-positive black and Latino YMSM in HIV primary care services. Over a 3-year period, 81 men were either newly diagnosed or reengaged in care. Overall, 63% of the cohort was retained in clinical care; defined as attending at least one medical visit every 4 months. Compared to the 3 years prior to STYLE, the odds ratio for whether or not someone attended a clinic visit was 2.58 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.34-4.98) if enrolled in STYLE. We conclude that compared to a pre-STYLE cohort, STYLE was an effective intervention that increased HIV diagnoses, provided efficient and timely engagement in care for both those newly diagnosed and those who had fallen out of care and improved overall retention.


UNLABELLED
We performed respiratory-gated magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate airway dynamics during tidal breathing in 10 children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS; age, 4.3 +/- 2.3 years) and 10 matched control subjects (age, 5.0 +/- 2.0 years). We hypothesized that respiratory cycle fluctuations in upper airway cross-sectional area would be larger in children with OSAS.

METHODS
Studies were performed under sedation. Respiratory gating was performed automatically at 10, 30, 50, 70, and 90% of inspiratory and expiratory volume. Airway cross-sectional area was measured at four ascending oropharyngeal levels at each increment of the respiratory cycle.

RESULTS
We noted the following in subjects with OSAS compared with control subjects: (1) a smaller upper airway cross-sectional area, particularly during inspiration; (2) airway narrowing occurred during inspiration without evidence of complete airway collapse; (3) airway dilatation occurred during expiration, particularly early in the phase; and (4) magnitude of cross-sectional areas fluctuations during tidal breathing noted in OSAS at levels 1 through 4 were 317, 422, 785, and 922%, compared with 19, 15 17, and 24% in control subjects (p < 0.001, p < 0.005, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS
Fluctuations in airway area during tidal breathing are significantly greater in subjects with OSAS compared with control subjects. Resistive pressure loading is a probable explanation, although increased airway compliance may be a contributing factor.


BACKGROUND/AIMS
The role of surgical procedures in the treatment of acute pancreatitis is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to analyze the mortality in acute pancreatitis in Turku University Central Hospital during the last quarter century with special reference to the prevailing surgical treatment trends.

METHODOLOGY
A total of 3921 patients with acute pancreatitis were treated 1971-1995. We analyzed the mortality in acute pancreatitis and the number of patients treated in the intensive care unit as well as the number of various surgical procedures used in the treatment of acute pancreatitis in each year 1971-1995.

RESULTS
The most conspicuous finding was that the mortality in acute pancreatitis has not decreased any more during the last 15 years. Neither pancreatic resections nor peritoneal lavages seem to decrease the mortality.

CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that despite various surgical procedures used in the treatment of acute pancreatitis the mortality in acute pancreatitis has not decreased any more during the last 15 years. Because of the retrospective nature of the current study the present results do not justify drawing any strict conclusions concerning the treatment of acute pancreatitis. However, the present results support the view that conservative treatment in the intensive care unit is justified as an initial therapy even in the fulminant attacks of acute pancreatitis.


The publication of The Selected Journals of L. M. Montgomery, the first volume of which appeared in 1985, has inspired a surge of critical interest in the life and works of L. M. Montgomery. Although one of the most interesting areas of study resulting from the publication of the journals is the relationship between Montgomery's journals and her fiction, little has been actually written on this subject. Realizing that her journals might be published after her death, Montgomery herself prepared them for publication. She recopied and revised her journals and gave directives to her descendants regarding their eventual publication, The journals, therefore, cannot be studied only within the genre of the private diary. The literary value of Montgomery's journals must also be considered. During the 1920s, L. M. Montgomery wrote a trilogy dealing with a young orphan named Emily. These three novels are considered by Montgomery and her critics to be the most autobiographical of Montgomery's fiction. Because of the autobiographical nature of these novels, it is important to study them side by side with Montgomery's journals. This thesis examines the relationship between Montgomery's journals and the Emily trilogy as well as the relationship between the Emily trilogy and The Blue Castle, a novel written between Emily Climbs and Emily's Quest. In this way, Montgomery's conflicting identities, as revealed in her private and public work, are examined


Background: Obesity is a leading health indicator with larger body size associated with increased all-cause mortality. Sexual minority women (SMW) are reported to have higher body mass index (BMI) than heterosexual women.

Aims: The three aims of our research were to: 1) identify if, and what, differences exist in dietary intake of women by sexual orientation (SO); 2) investigate dietary consumption as a potential mediator between SO and BMI; and 3) explore current depression as a mediator with the sample stratified by lifetime history of depression.

Methods: This secondary analysis utilized Epidemiologic STudy of HEalth Risk in Women (ESTHER) Project data. Group comparisons were made between the SO groups for dietary intake from three-day food diary data. With SO as the predictor and BMI as the outcome, three models were tested: 1) total caloric intake as a mediator; 2) macronutrients (mean daily grams of: fat, carbohydrates, protein, and alcohol) as parallel mediators; and 3) current depression as a mediator with the ESTHER sample stratified by lifetime history of depression.

Results: SMW had significantly higher BMI than heterosexual women. Even after adjusting for education level and parity, SMW had higher daily consumption than heterosexual women of: caloric intake; total fat; total monounsaturated fatty acid; and total polyunsaturated fatty acid. Alcohol intake was significantly higher for SMW than heterosexual women but not after adjusting for education and parity. Total caloric intake and fat intake partially mediate the association between SO and BMI even when covariates are held constant (age, education, smoking status, physical activity). SMW had significantly higher rates of lifetime history of depression than heterosexual women. We did not find evidence that current depression mediates the relationship between the SO of women and BMI. We found that women with no lifetime history of depression did not have a significant association between the sexual orientation of women and BMI.

Conclusion: Our findings are of public health significance to this minority population. Research has traditionally concluded that SMW are disproportionately more overweight and obese than heterosexual women. We explored the influence of dietary intake and depression to help explain BMI differences.


Documenting the processes that facilitate exhumation of ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) rocks at convergent margins is critical for understanding orogen dynamics. Here, we present structural and temperature data from the Himalayan UHP Tso Morari nappe (TMN) and overlying nappes, which we integrate with published pressure‐temperature‐time constraints to refine interpretations for their structural evolution and exhumation history. Our data indicate that the 5.5‐km‐thick TMN is the upper portion of a penetratively deformed ductile slab, which was extruded via distributed, pure shear‐dominated, top‐down‐to‐east shearing. Strain in the TMN is recorded by high‐strength quartz fabrics (density norms between 1.74 and 2.86) and finite strain data that define 63% transport‐parallel lengthening and 46% transport‐normal shortening. The TMN attained peak temperatures of ~500–600°C, which decrease in the overlying Tetraogal and Mata nappes to ~150–300°C, defining a field gradient as steep as 67°C/km. Within the overlying nappes, quartz fabric strength decreases (density norms between 1.14 and 1.21) and transport‐parallel lengthening and transport‐normal shortening decrease to 14% and 18%, respectively. When combined with published 40Ar/39Ar thermochronometry, quartz fabric deformation temperatures as low as ~330°C indicate that the top‐to‐east shearing that exhumed the TMN continued until ~30 Ma. Peak temperatures constrain the maximum depth of the overlying Mata nappe to 12.5–17.5 km; when combined with published fission‐track thermochronometry, this provides further support that the TMN was not underplated at upper crustal levels until ~30 Ma. The long‐duration, convergence‐subnormal shearing that exhumed the TMN outlasted rapid India‐Asia convergence by ~15 Myr and may be the consequence of strain partitioning during oblique convergence.


Interventions that improve childhood health directly improve the quality of life and, in addition, have multiplier effects, producing sustained population and economic gains in poor countries. We suggest how contemporary global institutions shaping the development, pricing and distribution of vaccines and drugs may be modified to deliver large improvements in health. To support a justice argument for such modification, we show how the current global economic order may contribute to perpetuating poverty and poor health in less-developed countries.


The article deals with three main challenges to labour law referring especially to the German experience. The world-wide market induced enterprises to relocate their production and to reduce labour costs at home. In Germany, a quite indirect way of exercising pressure on the workers was developed; counter-measures were rare and did not really change the situation. TTIP and CETA will worsen the situation because national sovereignty in social and environmental questions will fade away. The second challenge comes from inequality existing among workers as well as in society as a whole. There is a scission between very wealthy people on one side and people becoming poorer and poorer on the other side. Labour law has not yet developed the instruments to realize more equality among workers but some ideas are discussed. The third challenge is the digitalisation of many activities; they are no more bound to certain places or certain times of the day. The "freedom" to work at any moment and at any place entails very long working hours, work at night and work on Sundays. Legal rules on working time lose more and more there importance. A solution can be the right of workers´ representatives to discuss the tasks given to individual workers, but other means are examined in the article, too. The internet makes crowdworking possible – a new form of work which is currently not covered by labour law.


This work investigated the effect of steel substrate topography and roughness on cathodic disbonding resistance and wet adhesion of the polyvinyl butyral/oxide/steel interface. Laser structuring was employed to pattern steel surfaces with controlled, periodic peaks of different peak-to-valley height, Rz, and geometry. Grinded smooth samples were used for reference. The in-situ scanning Kelvin probe technique was used to follow the cathodic disbonding in humid air and wet adhesion loss in inert atmosphere (3 ppm O2). Both cathodic disbonding and wet adhesion loss depended on the ability of the surface for mechanical adhesion, even when compensating for the increased effective contact area. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy excluded the possibility for oxide chemistry effects on the delamination rate. Surfaces with features that enabled mechanical interlocking forces, had the best cathodic disbonding resistance and wet adhesion properties.


s for oral and poster presentations should be written in English and no more than 600 words long. If you want to run a workshop focused on developing zoo keeper skills please send a short description. These should be sent to: Paul Howse, ICZ Programme Committee at firstname.lastname@example.com Preferably in RTF or MS word format marked 'ICZ Programmme'. Deadline for submissions is 30 September 2005


Menstruation is an important event in life of adolescent girls and is often associated with menstrual problems such as irregular menstruation, excessive bleeding, dysmenorrhea, and many more. Present study was conducted to find menstrual problems among high school girls. The objectives were to enumerate menstrual problems among high school girls and to assess the awareness and practices on menstruation hygiene in them. Materials and methods: The study was conducted in the rural field practice area of RajaRajeswari Medical College and Hospital, Bengaluru, after taking institutional ethical clearance. That area has two high schools which had 120 girls in total. Permission was taken from the school authority to conduct the study and the complete enumeration of the schools was done. Menstrual problems, awareness, and practices on menstrual hygiene were assessed by semistructured questionnaire. Health education regarding menstrual health was given to them after data collection. The data collected were compiled and entered into a Microsoft Excel worksheet. Descriptive statistics and suitable tests of significance were used as required. The data were then analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS ) software v.21.0. Results: Nearly 112 high school girls participated in the study. Most of them mentioned that dysmenorrhea was the major menstrual problem (48%). The practices of menstrual hygiene among high school girls were found to be satisfactory (99%). Conclusion: In conclusion, dysmenorrhea was the most common menstrual problem among high school girls. Majority of them lack awareness that sanitary pads are to be disposed in dustbins.


Abstract Large clinical laboratories often rely on multiple chemistry analyzers. However, when a new analyzer is introduced, the laboratory must establish whether the old and new methods are comparable and can be used interchangeably. In this study, we compared the newly introduced Atellica CH930 chemistry analyzer with the already established Architect ci4100 and Cobas 6000 c501 from our laboratory. Patient samples were randomly selected from daily routine testing and a total of 22 analytes were investigated. Total error (TEobs) between test (Atellica) and comparative (Architect and Cobas) methods was calculated at relevant medical decision levels (MDL). For demonstrative purposes, the assessment of method comparability was based on three different criteria: allowable total error (TEa) derived from biological variation (BV), CLIA proficiency testing criteria for acceptable analytical performance, and CLIA-calculated Sigma metrics. These sets of analytical performance specifications were also compared, and their strengths and limitations are discussed in this paper. Performance of Atellica CH930 against Architect ci4100 was acceptable or nearly acceptable at 82%, 95%, and 64% of the 22 investigated MDLs across 9 analytes, according to BV-TEa, CLIA-TEa, and CLIA-calculated Sigma metrics, respectively. Similarly, performance of Atellica CH930 against Cobas 6000 c501 was acceptable or nearly acceptable at 61%, 93%, and 63% of the 54 investigated MDLs across 22 analytes, according to BV-TEa, CLIATEa, and CLIA-calculated Sigma metrics, respectively. However, method comparability should not be evaluated by a "one size fits all" approach as some analytes require different criteria of acceptability, ideally based on medically allowable error and clinical outcome.


Introduction: This study explores practices employed by a person with aphasia (PWA) and his wife to organize collaborative storytelling in a multiparty interaction. We identify practices that further the PWA's agency – his impact on action – while he is telling a story together with his wife.
Method: Using conversation analysis (CA), we carried out a case study of a successful storytelling sequence involving a 39-year-old man with anomic aphasia during a conversation with friends.
Analysis: The PWA contributed to the storytelling by initiating the story sequence and by producing short but significant utterances in which he provided essential information and displayed epistemic authority. The spouse aligned with the PWA's initiated actions and supported his agency by giving him room to speak, for example, by gaze retraction.
Discussion: The analysis offers insight into practices that allowed this PWA to achieve agency. Our findings show that communication partner training could benefit from implementing activities such as collaborative storytelling.


Introduction: Drought stress is one of the most important abiotic stresses which significantly reduce yield and growth of most of plants. Plane tree is one of the important trees planted in the urban landscapes of Iran. One of the major limiting factors of landscapes development is providing water for plants. Deficit irrigation is a desirable method for saving water use in water deficit conditions and ultimately reducing necessary cost of water securement to landscape plants. Moreover, inoculation of plant root with mycorrhizal fungi can be considered as a method to reduce water demand of plants. In addition, mycorrhiza can increase plant resistance against environmental stress, such as salinity, temperature stress, drought stress and etc. Mycorrhiza can improve drought stress through enhancing water uptake as result of extra radical hyphae and stomatal regulation or transpiration. Increasing P concentration by mycorrhiza inoculation can be another mechansim for drought resistance in plants. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate two Glomus species in combination together on plane tree under water deficit for growth characteristics and nutrients uptake such as P, Fe and Zn concentration.
Materials and Methods: This outdoor experiment was conducted at - Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran, with average temperature 14.2 oC and 27.9 oC night/day, respectively and relative humidity 35-70% between Mar and Aug 2012 and repeated under the same condition in 2013. This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of inoculation with mycorrhizal fungus on plane saplings response to different applicable water levels (50 and 100% of water needs) based on a completely randomized design with 3 replications. The treatments were control (without fertilizer), Germans peat + fertilizer, Germans peat + fertilizer + mycorrhiza in 50% of field capacity and Germans peat + fertilizer + mycorrhizain 100% of field capacity. The Mycorrhiza fungi (mycorrhizal root, soil containing spore and extra radical mycelium) were obtained from Institute of Soil and Water Research (Tehran, Iran). There were inoculums treatments: two AM fungus inoculums (G. intraradices and G. mosseae) with combination of both. The inoculated dosage was approximately 80 spores g-1 for G. intraradices and 80 spores g-1 for G. mosseae, calculated by microscope before the experiment. Plants were irrigated daily base of 100% FC after the confidence of establishing plants about 2 months and then differential irrigations were applied. The amount of 100 and 50% ET was applied for full irrigation, moderate and serve deficit irrigation, respectively. To monitor the soil water content, tensiometry probe tubes were inserted into the soil in control pot around the root. Irrigation was performed whenever 40% of the available water was consumed. In order to calculate the amount of water necessary to bring each soil to FC, soil samples were collected and the water content determined by drying. Photosynthesis rate was measured with a LCI portable photosynthesis system. Soluble sugars measured according to Phenol–Sulfuric Acid method. Extraction of the Leaf chlorophyll pigments using with 100% acetone. The extraction of P, K, Fe, and Zn from the plant tissue material was performed by using dry ashing method. The mean data of two years were analyzed with SAS 9.1 software, the means were compared for significance by the least significant difference (LSD) test at P < 0.05.
Results and Discussion: Mycorrhiza inoculation significantly increased fresh and dry weight, chlorophyll content, total sugar, leaf area, photosynthesis rate and P and K concentration as compared to control. As compared to the 100 and 50% FC, total chlorophyll, fresh and dry weight and P concentration significantly was increased in 100% FC (Table 4 & 5). The results showed that inoculation of plants with mycorrhizal fungus significantly increased most growth parameters including leaf area, chlorophyll content and leaf fresh and dry weight of plane saplings. Phosphorus content significantly increased in inoculated plants as compared to non-inoculated plants. It is recommended that in dry regions and water shortage conditions, the deficit irrigation method accompanied with mycorrhizal fungus inoculation to save water.
Conclusion: Our data showed that mycorrhiza inoculations increased most growth parameters including leaf area, chlorophyll content and leaf fresh and dry weight of plane saplings. In conclusion, mycorrhiza inoculations can increase plant tolerance against drought stress by increasing phosphorus concentration, chlorophyll content, and photosynthesis rate. Generally, results of this study revealed that inoculation of plane tress with mycorrhizal fungi, improved plant growth under stress conditions through its positive influence on nutrients uptake, chlorophyll content and other growth parameters.


This paper aims to study the role of foreign capital in the economic development of developing countries, particularly South Asian and East Asian countries. Mainstream economists view that foreign investment would benefit developing countries by increasing the availability of capital, and through their positive impact over productivity and the general economic wellbeing of the host country. After the Second World War, the rapid economic growth first of Japan and later on of South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan has been widely cited in support of foreign capital. It is true when we look at the records in terms of the removal of poverty, job creation, educational achievements and improving the overall living conditions. I find however, that such discussions have ignored the experiences of developed countries in their early phase of industrialisation. In addition there is a lack of attention to the analysis of the issue of capital inflows in the context of neoliberal economic reforms and financial deregulation. After the global financial crisis in 2008, capital inflows to developing countries have witnessed a sharp decline.


Faster technological progress has long been considered a key potential benefit of agglomeration. Physical proximity to others may help inventors adopt new ideas in their work by increasing awareness about which new ideas exist and by enhancing understanding of the properties and usefulness of new ideas through a vigorous debate on the ideas' merits (Marshall, 1920). We test a key empirical prediction of this theory: that inventions in large cities build on newer ideas than inventions in smaller cities. We analyze the idea inputs of nearly every US patent granted during 1836–2010. We find that a larger city size provided a considerable advantage in inventive activities during most of the 20th century but that in recent decades this advantage has eroded.


Abstract. High-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer measurements were performed, for the first time, at the Mt. Cimone Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) station between June and July 2012, within the EU project PEGASOS and the ARPA–Emilia-Romagna project SUPERSITO. Submicron aerosol was dominated by organics (63 %), with sulfate, ammonium and nitrate contributing the remaining 20, 9 and 7 %, respectively. Organic aerosol (OA) was in general highly oxygenated, consistent with the remote character of the site; our observations suggest that oxidation and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation processes occurred during aerosol transport to high altitudes. All of the aerosol component concentrations as well as the OA elemental ratios showed a clear daily trend, driven by the evolution of the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and by the mountain wind regime. Higher loadings and lower OA oxidation levels were observed during the day, when the site was within the PBL, and therefore affected by relatively fresh aerosol transported from lower altitudes. Conversely, lower loadings and higher OA oxidation levels were observed at night, when the top of Mt. Cimone resided in the free troposphere although affected by the transport of residual layers on several days of the campaign. Analysis of the elemental ratios in a Van Krevelen space shows that OA oxidation follows a slope comprised between −0.5 and −1, consistent with addition of carboxylic groups, with or without fragmentation of the parent molecules. The increase of carboxylic groups during OA ageing is confirmed by the increased contribution of organic fragments containing more than one oxygen atom in the free troposphere night-time mass spectra. Finally, positive matrix factorization was able to deconvolve the contributions of relatively fresh OA (OOAa) originating from the PBL, more aged OA (OOAb) present at high altitudes during periods of atmospheric stagnation, and very aged aerosols (OOAc) transported over long distances in the free troposphere.


The article is devoted to the consideration of working situations that may arise with comparative samples of signatures provided for research during the relevant examinations. Possible changes in regulatory legal acts that will optimize the work of an expert during judicial handwriting examinations are highlighted.

The main goal of this article is to consider the practical situations that an expert has when studying and working with comparative samples received for research. An analysis of expert practice will help minimize expert errors, which in turn will affect the objectivity of an expert's opinion.

The article sets out the situations that arise at the stage of studying materials that can affect the objectivity and categorization of an expert's opinion: -providing free samples of signatures in documents issued to another person; -providing free samples of signatures in documents with amendments, supplements, incorrect indication of the name, and signature of the current user of the subscriber book or the owner of the document (passport). The situations discussed will help interns, novice experts in the study of materials received for research. It should be noted that a superficial approach at the stage of their research might lead to the need for additional examinations.

The article can be useful to judges, assistant judges, representatives of law enforcement agencies, lawyers when assigning a handwriting examination and can help to reduce the time for the examination.


Basaltic cinder cones in the Cima volcanic field record a detailed history of progressive erosion in the arid environment of the eastern Mojave Desert. These cones range in age from ∼0.015 m.y. to 1.09±0.08 m.y., as dated by radiocarbon or K-Ar analyses of the youngest lava flows from each cone. Cone heights range from 50 to 155 m, and basal widths range from 400 to 915 m; on younger cones, height/width ratios average 0.17, and crater-width/cone-width ratios average 0.42. The degradational morphology of these cones displays several trends that are closely related to cone age. (1) Crater-width/cone-width ratios decrease from 0.48 on the youngest cone to 0.21 on the oldest cone with a preserved crater. (2) Mean maximum side slopes (Tan Sc) decrease from 0.575 on the youngest cone to an average of 0.41 on the oldest cones studied. (3) Debris-apron–height/cone-height ratios increase from <0.10 on the youngest cone to an average of 0.34 on the oldest cones. (4) Cone drainage evolves from irregularly spaced rills and gullies on the youngest cone to regularly spaced gullies on 0.20- to 0.35-m.y.-old cones to valleys as much as 110 m wide and 10 m deep on cones 0.59 m.y. old and older.

These trends form the basis of an empirical model of cinder-cone degradation in arid environments. This model documents (1) an erosional loss of ∼15% of cone volume during the first million years; (2) progressive decline of cone slope (at an average rate of 0.006°/103 yr) and cone height (at an average rate of 2.25 cm/103 yr); (3) initial rapid stripping of the loose cinder mantle from upper-cone slopes accompanied by rapid debris-apron formation; and (4) a gradual transition, between 0.25 and 0.6 m.y., from relatively uniform stripping of upper slopes to localized fluvial dissection of both cone slopes and debris apron. This transition is apparently controlled by a concomitant change from diffuse subsurface drainage within the pervious cinder mantle to concentrated surface flow across the heterogeneous assemblage of agglutinate layers, dikes, and ponded flows of the cone interior.


This chapter examines recent developments in the South African electricity sector. The largely coal-fired sector accounts for 45 per cent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions and is dominated by the state-owned monopoly utility Eskom. Since the introduction of private power producers in 2011, investment in utility scale renewable energy projects has started to make a small but significant contribution to supply, providing competitive alternatives to Eskom generation. The chapter outlines how electricity policy is embedded within long-standing political and economic forces, and subject to diverse and often conflicting interests. The chapter develops an analytical framework that links the literature on socio-technical transitions with that of the political economy of electricity. The South African case highlights that energy transitions are not merely about technological choices, but are embedded in institutional arrangements that may have unintended consequences or may be borne of broader political struggles that go beyond climate change considerations and indeed may limit the potential for transformation of the sector.


Nowadays, the fault diagnosis of battery internal resistance and contact resistance in EV series batteries is based on experience and has no clear diagnostic criteria. To solve this problem, the grey wolf swarm optimization support vector machine (GWO-SVM) is proposed. Acquiring the data in the published papers about the changes of resistance under the internal resistance and contact resistance fault. The sample data of normal condition and battery internal resistance fault, contact resistance fault, battery internal resistance and contact resistance mixed fault are simulated in Simscape and imported into GWO-SVM and other artificial intelligence diagnosis models. The results show that the proposed GWO-SVM has higher diagnostic accuracy than other diagnostic models in fault diagnosis of tandem battery packs, maintaining a higher accuracy rate in the case of mixed faults. This method is capable of distinguishing various types of faults effectively.