This paper explores a radically different way of facilitating energy and environmental initiatives in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In terms of energy policy, smaller firms in Europe are exempted from most of the major fiscal and regulatory mechanisms that are applied to larger organisations. Policies to reduce energy demand and associated carbon emissions in SMEs are largely based on providing incentives, such as face-to-face support and grants for energy efficiency in buildings. Energy advisors are therefore key intermediaries, providing advice and encouraging the uptake of low carbon technologies and practices by SMEs. Previous studies have found that advisors often find it difficult to engage effectively with SME owners and managers, and that traditional 'win-win' messaging can have limited impact, resulting in implementation problems such as under-investment in energy-saving technologies, reluctance to adopt new environmental practices, and a tendency to revert to previous ways of operating once the incentive is removed. Recent research also suggests that SME owners' and managers' personal values play an important mediating role in their response to environmental issues, acting in combination with more established factors such as educational background, access to resources and the views of customers and suppliers. The implication is that policy interventions in this area could be delivered in more cost-effective ways if accompanied by a more nuanced, values-based approach to engagement. This paper reports findings from 'Growing Greener' a UK multi-disciplinary project that aims to equip advisors and other types of intermediary with the skills, knowledge and understanding they need in order to incorporate a values-based approach into their existing interactions with SMEs. It opens with an overview of the policy context and a brief overview of the relevant research literature. The main section explains how the research team co-produced a values-based engagement toolkit in conjunction with a group of energy advisors and external specialists. The design process included a series of facilitated 'narrative workshops', where advisors shared their experiences and experimented with early versions of the engagement tools. This is followed by an outline of the completed engagement 'toolkit', which includes free-to-access online course, a communication guide and an interactive engagement tool. These three inter-related components are designed to help advisors to engage SMEs beyond a narrow, cost-benefit framework, and in turn help SME owners and managers to connect low carbon choices with the personal and business values that are important to them as individuals. Our findings indicate the potential for more effective, longer-lasting interventions beyond the low hanging fruit of building efficiency measures.


: The effect of lidocaine on the conduction of extrasystoles was studied in 8 open-chest dogs after atrioventricular nodal block. Simultaneous recording of endocardial and epicardial activation provided separate measures of endocardial (Purkinje) conduction as well as myocardial (muscle) conduction. Lidocaine (1.25--10.0 mg/kg) caused a dose-dependent slowing of conduction of midrange extrasystoles (250--400 ms) in both the Purkinje system and the myocardium, which became statistically significant at doses larger than 1.25 mg/kg. On the other hand, low doses of lidocaine caused speeding of early extrasystoles, i.e., coupling intervals (less than 250 ms) in the Purkinje system but not in the myocardium. Measurement of transmural conduction time as a function of coupling interval revealed a period of "apparent" supernormal conduction through ventricular muscle that was eliminated at high doses of lidocaine.


In this paper we present a simple experimental set-up to study the fall of a rigid rod, which can freely rotate around an articulated joint at the lowest point. The experimental set-up permits preparation of a laboratory session for physics or engineering students. The analysis of the data is oriented at several degrees of difficulty, in such a way that the same experimental set-up can be used with students on different courses. The experimental data obtained with an electro-optical sensor are fitted to the theoretical equation of motion, obtaining a very good agreement between experiment and theory. In addition, direct measurement of the parameters involved in the equations was carried out, showing a very good agreement with the calculated parameters.


BACKGROUND
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major cause of mortality and morbidity globally. The quest continues to identify viral factors that influence disease progression and severity as well as responses to treatment of HBV infection. Based on variations in HBV, the virus has been divided into a number of genotypes.

DATA SOURCES
Review of published literature on HBV genotypes.

RESULTS
HBV genotypes are likely to be important in determining the severity and progression of HBV-induced liver disease as well as responses to different anti-viral agents.

CONCLUSION
Although HBV genotyping is not yet recommended for routine use in treating HBV infection, available data suggest that, as in hepatitis C virus infection, HBV genotyping is also likely to become a routine investigation for HBV treatment, perhaps in the not too distant future.


The aim of this project was to develop a novel diagnostic system based on compact discs as a platform for biological analyses - in effect a diagnostic disc. This would allow a blood or serum sample to be tested against a panel of clinically relevant analytes or diseases thus aiding diagnosis and saving time. It would also allow such tests to be decentralised from a large testing laboratory and performed at the point of care such as in field hospitals, clinics and health centres. This has been developed initially for immunoassays with a view to moving away from the standard 96-well plates, where only one analyte can be tested per sample, to multianalyte testing on the same sample. This would then be read using compact disc technology in a specially adapted laser reader, producing optical density (O.D.) values. The initial aim of the project was to show that a panel of immunoassays could be performed in parallel without cross-reaction or cross-contamination. This would then be extended to a more clinically relevant panel for example, parasitic diseases. The system was originally based on the use of sectors, which resembled miniaturised microplates. These contained 44 wells of approximately 3.5mul in volume. The sectors are held within a "spider" structure based on a compact disc. Each spider holds eight sectors giving a total of 352 wells. The ELISAs performed were initially as on a 96-well plate, the main difference being that due to the spinning of the disc while being read, a substrate had to be found that would produce an insoluble end-product. A basic ELISA was developed that could be used while the sectors and spider were being developed. Once the final structure had been determined the sectors were moulded from medical grade polystyrene. Work was then carried out on plain plastic discs while the sectors were being moulded; primarily to determine the sensitivity of insoluble 3,3', 5,5'-Tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) - a substrate not usually used in ELISAs. A novel washing procedure, called "flood and fill" was developed which allowed the wells to be washed simultaneously while the sectors were held in the spider. A multianalyte test was constructed using seven different ELISAs which involved detecting the complementary antibody to the following commercially available antigens. Human Serum Albumin, alpha-1-Antitrypsin, alpha-8-Macroglobulin, Antithrombin III, Catalase, alpha-1-Antichymotrypsin and Plasminogen. There was no cross-reaction or cross-contamination between wells except for a low-level cross-reaction between anti-Antithrombin III and alpha-2-Macroglobulin. There was very low non-specific binding. The incubation times were greatly reduced with a total assay time of one hour, excluding washing. There was inter-sector and inter-disc variation in colour, which was reduced by pre-coating the sector with a silicone spray. Evaluation of colour was mainly by visual examination with the sectors due to problems with the development of the reader There were two main problems associated with the sectors. The first was how to keep them in the spider while the disc was being read and the second was how to prevent the liquid left in the wells at the end of the assay from escaping the disc. There was a requirement for a "snap-up" mechanism to be added to the sector that, at the end of the assay, would both hold the sector in the spider and also create a seal to prevent the leakage of any liquid. This would have been prohibitively expensive and therefore a second prototype platform was developed. Earlier work had shown that the multianalyte assay could be performed on a compact disc without separate wells. A compact disc had a black label applied such that the pattern of wells was the same as the sector. The antigen and blocking agent had to be dried on to the wells to prevent "streaming", an effect whereby there was cross-contamination between wells and the blue colour produced at the end of the assay was not localised in the appropriate wells. It was found that the multianalyte ELISA could be performed in this way and at the end of the assay, the disc was simply allowed to air-dry and then inserted in the reader. The O.D. values were significantly higher with the black disc as compared to the sectors and it was used as the platform for the remainder of the project. There was significant variation in O.D. values between wells and discs and this made it difficult to draw conclusions about assay sensitivity and the effect of changing assay conditions such as incubation times and temperatures. This was primarily due to the antigens being coated on to the disc by hand-pipette (1mul per wells), thus introducing a large degree of error. In addition the insoluble TMB did not produce quantitative results as shown by with poor gradation in colour when the antigen and antibody concentrations were varied. Alternatives under consideration include blue bead conjugated second antibody or changing the signal entirely from colorimetric to fluorescence. Future work will involve comparing results from the disc with those from microtitre plates using clinically defined sera and from there to constructing logical panels of immunoassays for example parasitic immunoassays that can be used in the field.


BACKGROUND
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare, underdiagnosed, fatal and devastating hyperinflammatory syndrome that has gained increasing recognition over the past decade. Patients with HLH present with clinical and laboratory evidence of uncontrolled inflammation. Delay in diagnosis and management inevitably leads to a rapidly progressive and fatal course. In this case series, we present 7 cases of secondary HLH (sHLH) in adults with their presentation, course, and outcomes.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
We retrospectively looked at the 7 cases of secondary HLH who were diagnosed and managed in our institute between January 2013 and august 2015. Medical records were retrieved from medical records department and data analyzed and tabulated. The median age at diagnosis was 35 years (age range 26-72 years). Diagnosis was based on HLH 2004 diagnostic criteria.

RESULTS
We report profile of 7 adult patients with sHLH. All patients had a short history of illness (<2 weeks) and presented uniformly with prolonged fever, bi or trilineage cytopenia and multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS) at admission or developed MODS during the course of their illness. None of them had prediagnosed HLH. All patients fulfilled 5 to 6 of 8 criteria as per HLH 2014 diagnostic criteria. The median length of hospital stay was 12 days (range 7-50 days) and the median time to diagnosis was 5 days (range 3 to 21 days). Mortality was 57%.

CONCLUSIONS
HLH is a rare and under-diagnosed clinical syndrome and is rapidly fatal if not diagnosed and managed timely. The cases reported in literature probably represent a tip of an iceberg of large number of undiagnosed cases mostly labeled as sepsis with MODS in critical care units. sHLH should be suspected in any patient who present with persistent and prolonged fever, transaminitis, cytopenia, and high serum Ferritin or dramatically rising serial serum Ferritin. Early diagnosis and prompt aggressive treatment are vital for patients' survival and favorable outcome.


In this paper, we test the models of inter-regional migration flows in the Czech Republic in time series since 1993 to 2011. Aim of this paper is to find up how economic factors explain migration flows between Czech regions. For testing, we used two types of models: i) the "economic" one, which omits distance and restrains the influence of population size, and ii), the "gravity" one, where distance and population are included. In both models, we use as the regressors economic factors that are frequently mentioned in migration literature – i.e. average wage differences, registered unemployment rate differences, job vacancy differences. The dependent variable is the inter-regional migration flow, which is in the "economic" model divided by average population of involved regions (in thousands). Both models are tested on complete dataset for the whole Czech Republic and also for each particular region. The results show that the economic factors play some – but not very important – role in migration flows in the Czech Republic as a whole. In the case of emigration from each particular region, economic factors are statistically significant in most cases, but in case of immigration, the results are mostly not significant or not in line with our hypotheses.


These conversion kits are designed for a EF3000iS Yamaha Generator to enable the engine to run on gasoline, natural gas or propane.


Ever since the discovery of the edge-on circumstellar (CS) disk around β Pictoris, a standing question has been why the gas observed against the star in absorption is not rapidly expelled by the strong radiation pressure from the star. A solution to the puzzle has been suggested to be that the neutral elements that experience the radiation force also are rapidly ionized, and so are only able to accelerate to an average limiting velocity vion. Once ionized, the elements are rapidly braked by C ii, which is observed to be at least 20× overabundant in the disk with respect to other species. A prediction from this scenario is that different neutral elements should reach different vion, depending on the ionization thresholds and strengths of driving line transitions. In particular, neutral Fe and Na are predicted to reach the radial velocities 0.5 and 3.3 km s−1, respectively, before being ionized. In this paper, we study the absorption profiles of Fe and Na from the CS gas disk around β Pic, as obtained by HARPS at the ESO 3.6 m telescope. We find that the Fe and Na velocity profiles are indeed shifted with respect to each other, confirming the model. The absence of an extended blue wing in the profile of Na, however, indicates that there must be some additional braking on the neutrals. We explore the possibility that the ion gas (dominated by C ii) can brake the neutrals and conclude that about 2–5× more C than previously estimated is needed for the predicted line profile to be consistent with the observed one.


Two kinds of two-colour Penrose quasi-lattices are proposed, which are constructed by stacking the two-colour Penrose tiling (P) in the sequence of PPPPBAR... (PBAR is P with inversion colour) and in the sequence of PPP..., respectively. They are new three-dimensional quasi-lattices which are quasi-periodic in two dimensions and periodic in the third, perpendicular direction. The space groups of the two-colour Penrose quasi-lattices are P10(5)/mmc in the first case and P10m2 (= P5/mm2) in the second case. The application of the idea of two-colour lattice to other quasi-periodic lattices is discussed.


A single-channel asynchronous successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter with a dual-trial instantaneous switching scheme is presented in this brief. The proposed architecture uses two capacitive digital-to-analog converter (DAC) arrays to generate two possible outputs while the comparator is in the regeneration process. Two comparators are assigned to each DAC to alternately switch between the compare phase and the reset phase. Such an approach allows the overlapping of the DAC settling, the comparator reset, and the comparator regeneration, which significantly improves the conversion speed. Furthermore, the random nature of the internal channel selection converts the mismatches between both channels into wideband noise, which improves the spurious-free dynamic range.


Microdosimetry is an extremely useful technique, used for dosimetry in unknown mixed radiation fields typical of space and aviation, as well as in hadron therapy. A new silicon microdosimeter with 3D sensitive volumes has been proposed to overcome the shortcomings of the conventional Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter. In this article, the charge collection characteristics of a new 3D mesa microdosimeter were investigated using the ANSTO heavy ion microprobe utilizing 5.5 MeV He2+ and 2 MeV H+ ions. Measurement of the microdosimetric characteristics allowed for the determination of the Relative Biological Effectiveness of the 12C heavy ion therapy beam at the Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba (HIMAC), Japan. Well-defined sensitive volumes of the 3D mesa microdosimeter have been observed and the microdosimetric RBE obtained showed good agreement with the TEPC. The new 3D mesa "bridge" microdosimeter is a step forward towards a microdosimeter with fully free-standing 3D sensitive volumes.


The quality of Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) radio observations predominantly relies on precise and ultra-stable time and frequency (T&F) standards, usually hydrogen masers (HM), maintained locally at each VLBI station. Here, we present an operational solution in which the VLBI observations are routinely carried out without use of a local HM, but using remote synchronization via a stabilized, long-distance fibre-optic link. The T&F reference signals, traceable to international atomic timescale (TAI), are delivered to the VLBI station from a dedicated timekeeping laboratory. Moreover, we describe a proof-of-concept experiment where the VLBI station is synchronized to a remote strontium optical lattice clock during the observation.


Importance Visual acuity results in publications typically are reported in Snellen or non-Snellen formats or both. A study in 2011 suggested that many ophthalmologists do not understand non-Snellen formats, such as logarithm of the Minimum Angle of Resolution (logMAR) or Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letter scores. As a result, some journals, since at least 2013, have instructed authors to provide approximate Snellen equivalents next to non-Snellen visual acuity values. Objective To evaluate how authors currently report visual acuity and whether they provide Snellen equivalents when their reports include non-Snellen formats. Design From November 21, 2016, through December 14, 2016, one reviewer evaluated visual acuity reporting among all articles published in 4 ophthalmology clinical journals from November 2015 through October 2016, including 3 of 4 journals that instructed authors to provide Snellen equivalents for visual acuity reported in non-Snellen formats. Main Outcomes and Measures Frequency of formats of visual acuity reporting and frequency of providing Snellen equivalents when non-Snellen formats are given. Results The 4 journals reviewed had the second, fourth, fifth, and ninth highest impact factors for ophthalmology journals in 2015. Of 1881 articles reviewed, 807 (42.9%) provided a visual acuity measurement. Of these, 396 (49.1%) used only a Snellen format; 411 (50.9%) used a non-Snellen format. Among those using a non-Snellen format, 145 (35.3%) provided a Snellen equivalent while 266 (64.7%) provided only a non-Snellen format. Conclusions and Relevance More than half of all articles in 4 ophthalmology clinical journals fail to provide a Snellen equivalent when visual acuity is not in a Snellen format. Since many US ophthalmologists may not comprehend non-Snellen formats easily, these data suggest that editors and publishing staff should encourage authors to provide Snellen equivalents whenever visual acuity data are reported in a non-Snellen format to improve ease of understanding visual acuity measurements.


This paper ascertained how valuers generate anchor data based on past valuations experiences and how adjustments were made on the anchors to obtain capital values of residential properties. From a Total population of 260 registered firms, 164 were located. Yamane's (1967) formula with 0.05 sampling error was adopted in determining sample size. It was found that sources of anchor and what valuers have been adjusting for varies . Additionally, generating anchor data from local experts was more common than from firms' records; while general adjustment of anchor for differences in identified attributes has highest adoption rate (92.3%). Previous value experience of subject property is the most common of considered anchor sources. Externally generated anchor ranked higher in use than internally generated anchor; but ranked lower in terms of adjustment. Adjusting without identification of differences in attributes should be avoided to prevent misrepresentation of comparable and loss of clients' confidence. Keywords : Adjustment, anchor, data, valuation, residential property.


The San Juan Raya Formation is world-wide recognized because of the high diversity and abundance of fossils. In this study nine biofacies, three ichnofacies and ten lithofacies were recognized and interpreted on the basis of the influence of several environmental factors such as water depth change, sedimentation rate, water salinity and substrate consistency. Among these factors, salinity variations were apparently crucial for developing and replacement of the different biofacies. Most of biofacies and ichnofacies inhabited in subtidal, shoreface and inner shelf zones. The aim of this investigation is to provide a comprehensive reconstruction of the different faunal benthonic assemblages and paleoenvironments in a sector of the San Juan Raya Formation during Early Cretaceous time. The results indicate that the paleoenvironmental model for the study area corresponds to a shallow marine, open-coast, storm-dominated clastic system, characterized by several variations in subenvironments, from foreshore to offshore. Along a measured composite column of about 765.5 m in length, nine cycles of transgression-regression were identified, with the shallowest stage at the 200 and 500 m levels and the deepest conditions at 300, 400 and 765.5 m in the column.


ABSTRACT Salmonella accounts for approximately 50% of produce-associated outbreaks in the United States, several of which have been traced back to contamination in the produce production environment. To quantify Salmonella diversity and aid in identification of Salmonella contamination sources, we characterized Salmonella isolates from two geographically diverse produce-growing regions in the United States. Initially, we characterized the Salmonella serotype and subtype diversity associated with 1,677 samples collected from 33 produce farms in New York State (NYS). Among these 1,677 samples, 74 were Salmonella positive, yielding 80 unique isolates (from 147 total isolates), which represented 14 serovars and 23 different pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) types. To explore regional Salmonella diversity associated with production environments, we collected a smaller set of samples (n = 65) from South Florida (SFL) production environments and compared the Salmonella diversity associated with these samples with the diversity found among NYS production environments. Among these 65 samples, 23 were Salmonella positive, yielding 32 unique isolates (from 81 total isolates), which represented 11 serovars and 17 different PFGE types. The most common serovars isolated in NYS were Salmonella enterica serovars Newport, Cerro, and Thompson, while common serovars isolated in SFL were Salmonella serovars Saphra and Newport and S. enterica subsp. diarizonae serovar 50:r:z. High PFGE type diversity (Simpson's diversity index, 0.90 ± 0.02) was observed among Salmonella isolates across both regions; only three PFGE types were shared between the two regions. The probability of three or fewer shared PFGE types was <0.000001; therefore, Salmonella isolates were considerably different between the two sampled regions. These findings suggest the potential for PFGE-based source tracking of Salmonella in production environments.


The authors describes a 17 years old woman with a small occipital intradiploic epidermoid cyst simulating a benign intracranial hypertension on an initial CT scanner. Digital angiography showed torcular compression by the tumor. Intracranial pressure and sagittal sinus pressure were analysed and implicated the epidermoid cyst as the cause of the intracranial hypertension.


Additive manufacturing (AM) is a new paradigm in design-driven build of customized products. Nonetheless, mass customization and low volume production make the AM quality assurance extremely challenging. Advanced imaging provides an unprecedented opportunity to increase information visibility, cope with the product complexity, and enable on-the-fly quality control in AM. However, in-situ images of a customized AM build show a high level of layer-to-layer geometry variation, which hampers the use of powerful image-based learning methods such as deep neural networks (DNNs) for flaw detection. Few, if any, previous works investigated how to tackle the impact of AM customization on image-guided process monitoring and control. The proposed research is aimed at filling this gap by developing a novel real-time and multi-scale process monitoring methodology for quality control of customized AM builds. Specifically, we leverage the computer-aided design (CAD) file to perform shape-to-image registration and delineate the regions of interests in lay-erwise images. Next, a hierarchical dyadic partitioning methodology is developed to split layer-to-layer regions of interest into subregions with the same number of pixels to provide freeform geometry analysis. Then, we propose a semiparametric model to characterize the complex spatial patterns in each customized subregion and boost the computational speed. Finally, a DNN model is designed to learn and detect fine-grained information of flaws. Experimental results show that the proposed process monitoring and control methodology detects flaws in each layer with an accuracy of 92.50±1.03%. This provides an opportunity to reduce inter-layer variation in AM prior to completion of the build. The proposed methodology can also be generally applicable in a variety of engineering and medical domains that entail image-based process monitoring and control with customized designs.


This study focuses on Malay Muslim academic women in dual-career families in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia. I conducted semi-structured, in-depth face-to-face interviews with ten married academic women, five single female academics and three single male academics, while ten husbands of the married women were interviewed via email. The context in which modern Malay Muslim women operate is a complex one. On the one hand, Islam and
the Malayadat (customary law), constructed as central to the ethnic identity of Malay Muslims, prescribe specific gendered expectations for women and men in both the private and public spheres. On the other hand, the state and global competition demand that women participate in the economy as well as in broader societal contexts. I explored how my respondents strategised in both employment and family life within the boundaries of their
identity as Malay Muslim women. My study emphasised central aspects of Malaysian modernisation in relation to women, namely: education, employment, marriage and family, as well as family and working responsibilities and coping strategies. I found that access to education and the acceptance of women in employment had led my participants to pursue careers. With a recognised educational and career background, they had a degree of
independence within marriage and in the formation of a family. After marriage, all these women had to abide by the accepted norms of gender, accepting their secondary position within and outside the family. At the same time, they revealed the importance of support networks in terms of family members, spouses and government policies, as well as being dependent on other women's reproductive labour (e.g. childcare centres or domestic helpers),
in helping them to balance their family and career commitments. I argue that the women had some autonomy based on their education and employment, but this remained a subordinated category. Complications arose because the women still needed to manage and negotiate their position within their identity as Malay Muslim women and the patriarchal system ingrained in their culture. While Malaysia's drive for modernisation has improved women's lives, it has not radically transformed the patriarchal order.


All cropping systems require fertilizer inputs in order to maintain crop yields. However, excess fertilizer, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, can increase problems with water quality. Starter fertilizer applied with the corn planter has been shown to sometimes increase corn yields. It is important for farmers to use the appropriate rates and methods of fertilizer application to optimize corn yields and minimize the impact on the environment.


Background.  IL 6  level is increased in stage V CKD patients on CAPD. N-Acetyl Cysteine is a compound containing thiol with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Objective.  To examine the effect of oral NAC on IL 6 level in stage V CKD patients on CAPD. Method.  An experimental research with Randomized Double Blind Control Trial,  involving 30 CKD patients on CAPD in Dr Moewardi Hospital. They were divided into control group/placebo (15 patients) and oral NAS treatment group (15 patients). IL 6 level was measured before and after 8 weeks of treatment. Result.  Level of IL 6  before and after treatment in control group were (8.13  + 7.62  vs 11.16  +  8.32 , p= 0,001), significantly (p<0,001). Level of IL 6 before and after treatment in treatment group were (9.72  +  7.29 vs 6.09  +  3.82, p = 0,002); lowered significantly (p<0,05). Conclusion.  Oral NAC lowered the level of IL 6 in stage V CKD patients on CAPD.


Recently, there has been a surge of interest in nonequilibrium collective quantum models, where particle dispersion and spin are examples of effects taken into account. Here, we derive a kinetic plasma model containing fermion exchange effects. Exchange interactions are of great importance in many systems and have no classical analogy. Our model therefore constitutes a possible probe of collective quantum phenomena in other regimes. As an example, we consider the influence of the exchange effect on low-frequency dynamics, in particular ion-acoustic waves. Comparisons to related computational techniques are given and the differences are highlighted. Furthermore, we discuss the applicability of our model, its limitations, and possible extensions.


The Sivers transverse single spin asymmetry (TSSA) is calculated and compared at different scales using the TMD evolution equations applied to previously existing extractions. We apply the Collins-Soper-Sterman (CSS) formalism, using the version recently developed by Collins. Our calculations rely on the universality properties of TMD-functions that follow from the TMD-factorization theorem. Accordingly, the non-perturbative input is fixed by earlier experimental measurements, including both polarized semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) and unpolarized Drell-Yan (DY) scattering. It is shown that recent preliminary COMPASS measurements are consistent with the suppression prescribed by TMD evolution.


A sample of 535 entrants to opioid dependence treatments across three treatment modalities were administered a structured interview to ascertain the prevalence of non-injecting heroin use. Ten per cent of participants had used heroin primarily by smoking/inhaling in the month preceding interview, and 9% had used heroin and other drugs exclusively by non-injecting routes. Non-injectors were younger (25.3 vs. 29.5 years), had higher levels of education (10.6 vs. 10.0 years), were more likely to be employed (33 vs. 18%) and had lower levels of recent crime (31 vs. 56%). They also had shorter heroin using careers (5.1 vs. 9.9 years), fewer symptoms of dependence (5.1 vs. 5.6), had been enrolled in fewer previous treatment episodes (3.3 vs. 11.5) and had less extensive lifetime (8.0 vs. 9.1 drug classes) and recent (3.6 vs. 4.9) polydrug use. Non-injectors were substantially less likely to report lifetime (13% vs. 58%) or recent (2% vs. 29%) heroin overdoses. There were no differences between the general physical and psychological health of the two groups. While non-injectors had a lower level of post-traumatic stress disorder (29% vs. 34%), there were no differences in levels of major depression, attempted suicide, antisocial personality disorder, or borderline personality disorder. A substantial minority of Australian treatment entrants are now using heroin exclusively by non-injecting routes. While this group is younger, and has substantially reduced risk of overdose and blood borne virus transmission, the physical and psychological health of non-injectors mirrors that of injectors.


Lion prey selection was studied on the Greater Makalali Conservancy (140 km2), Limpopo Province, South Africa, in order to assist with management strategies. Monitoring was carried out between February 1998 and December 2001. Lion killed 15 species, with warthog, blue wildebeest, Burchell's zebra, kudu and waterbuck constituting approximately 75% of their diet. Between 2.2% and 3.1% of the available prey biomass was killed yearly, while each female equivalent unit (FEQ) killed between 3 kg and 3.2 kg daily. Lion predation was greater for warthog, wildebeest and waterbuck and less for impala than expected. When male lion were present, a greater number of warthog and giraffe were killed, while number of females had a significant effect on medium sized prey species and total prey species killed. Significantly more warthog, wildebeest and kudu were killed in winter than summer. More prey than expected was killed in open habitats and less than expected in thickets. Managers of small, enclosed reserves need to constantly monitor prey populations, especially medium sized prey and may be able to reduce predation on large prey species by manipulating male lion numbers. Reserves also need to contain adequate open habitats for lion to make use of these areas for hunting.


A new volume in our Classic Reprint SeriesThe first issue of the legendary architecture journal Pencil Points appeared in 1920 as "a journal for the drafting room." Born out of The Architectural Review, and merged with Progressive Architecture in 1943, Pencil Points became the leading voice in architectural and graphic design when modernism flourished, introducing key players from America and Europe. It also established the agenda in architectural theory: multivolume pieces by John Harbeson, Talbot Hamlin, Hugh Ferris, and others dealt with major issues that are still relevant today-architectural education and practice, small-house design and portable housing, city planning, and the influence (or not) of modernism. Items like George Nelson's series of reports from Europe in the early 1930s, H. Van Buren Magonigle's diatribes against modernism, and a glossary of Ecole des Beaux-Arts terms sit side-by-side with the best architectural drawings and photographs of the 20th century.Pencil Points Reader re-publishes the most important essays from the journal's 23 years, arranged chronologically, and offers an insider's introduction by John Dixon, the former executive editor of Progressive Architecture.Pencil Points Reader is a prized collector's edition and an essential addition to any architectural library.


We discuss a new packet service paradigm, called "Less Impact Better Servicerdquo (LIBS), which is realized through a novel queuing discipline, called "noncongestive queuingrdquo (NCQ). NCQ prioritizes small packets when conditions permit and utilizes service thresholds to confine the delay impact of prioritization on congestive applications. We show that LIBS and NCQ satisfy more users with diverse demands on delay and throughput. We obtained both analytical and simulation results, which are very promising. Diversity is simulated by using FTP, sensor, and VoIP traffic.


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Lightweight yet stiff and strong lattice structures are attractive for various engineering applications, such as cores of sandwich shells and components designed for impact mitigation. Recent breakthroughs in manufacturing enable efficient fabrication of hierarchically architected microlattices, with dimensional control spanning seven orders of magnitude in length scale. These materials have the potential to exploit desirable nanoscale-size effects in a macroscopic structure, as long as their mechanical behavior at each appropriate scale - nano, micro, and macro levels - is properly understood. In this letter, we report the nanomechanical response of individual microlattice members. We show that hollow nanocrystalline Ni cylinders differing only in wall thicknesses, 500 and 150 nm, exhibit strikingly different collapse modes: the 500 nm sample collapses in a brittle manner, via a single strain burst, while the 150 nm sample shows a gradual collapse, via a series of small and discrete strain bursts. Further, compressive strength in 150 nm sample is 99.2% lower than predicted by shell buckling theory, likely due to localized buckling and fracture events observed during in situ compression experiments. We attribute this difference to the size-induced transition in deformation behavior, unique to nanoscale, and discuss it in the framework of "size effects" in crystalline strength.


This article analyzes the mathematical connections between two kinds of inequality: inequality between persons (e.g., income inequality) and inequality between subgroups (e.g., racial inequality). The authors define a general inequality parameter in two-parameter continuous distributions. This parameter governs all measures of personal inequality (e.g., the Gini coefficient) and governs as well the gap (difference or ratio) between the means of subdistributions. It is thus established that in the distributions analyzed here, as personal inequality increases, so does inequality between subgroups. This general inequality parameter also governs Lorenz dominance and all quantities in the decomposition of Theil's mean logarithmic deviation into between-subgroup and within-subgroup components in the Pareto case. Thus, the general inequality parameter captures the ``deep structure'' of inequality. Finally, a whole-distribution graphical tool is introduced for assessing personal and subgroup inequality. Substantively, this work suggests that in societies characterized by special income distributions, whenever inequality disrupts social cohesion, it attacks on two fronts, via subgroup inequality as well as personal inequality.


Two particular approaches to the imagination as a recreative capacity have recently gained prominence: neo-Humeanism and simulationatism. According to neoHumeanism, imaginings have cognitions as a constitutive part of their representational contents; while simulationalists maintain that, in imagining, we essentially simulate the occurrence of certain cognitive states. Two other kinds of constitutive dependence, that figure regularly in the debate, concern the necessity of cognitions for, respectively, the causation and the semantic power of imaginings. In what follows, I discuss each of these kinds of dependence and assess how useful they are for spelling out the conception of imaginings as recreations of cognitions. A particular focus will thereby be on the details of Hume's original conception of imaginings as causal reproductions (or "copies") of cognitions, as well as on the influence of his view on contemporary approaches to the topic which replace Hume's causal understanding of the representational link between imaginings and cognitions with either an intentional or a relational understanding. My conclusion will be that, if imaginings should be taken to be recreations at all, then they should be taken to be representational recreations. That is, neo-Humeanism turns out to be the most plausible way of understanding imaginings as recreations of cognitions.


This book is an exploration of the part played by Islamic prophetic legends, Ancient Egyptian myths and stories, and the Middle Eastern Alexander Romance in an Egyptian popular epic.


ABSTRACT The extent of how mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, are seamlessly incorporated into the personal day-to-day life is not often considered by University instructors. Unfocused incorporation of mobile technologies into the classroom can de-emphasize intended learning objectives if students struggle to use the technology itself or by acting as a distraction. The effective inclusion of mobile technology is not a simple process as the intervention needs to be purposeful and have the potential to improve the student learning environment while working alongside more traditional face-to-face learning. This paper presents a pathway to help instructors address both pedagogical and technological considerations of incorporating mobile learning into the curriculum. The pathway developed through the adaptation of the iPAC framework, feedback from international practitioners and tested with worked examples. In all cases, the instructors' reflective responses to the eight pathway questions indicate a clear structured activity, engaged students and considers equal access, prior experience and contingency planning. This pathway indicates an effective methodology for instructors to assess whether the mobile learning intervention is appropriate and adds value to their teaching. Further external evaluation of the pathway with additional teaching examples will enhance the effectiveness of the methodology.


Purpose: The study goal was to assess the concordance of ictal surface-EEG and seizure semiology data in lateralizing intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and to examine the benefits of the combined use of these two methods. Methods: We independently analyzed the ictal recordings and clinical symptoms associated with 262 seizures recorded in 59 TLE patients. Each seizure was lateralized on the basis of (i) its associated ictal surface-EEG pattern according to a predefined lateralization protocol and (ii) its associated ictal and postictal seizure semiology according to strictly defined clinical criteria. Individual patients were also lateralized based on these data. Results: Ictal surface-EEG findings lateralized 62.6% of seizures and 64.4% of patients. Seizure semiology findings lateralized 46.2% of seizures and 78.0% of patients. There was a high degree of concordance between lateralizations based on these two methods, for both individual seizures and individual patients. Combination of the information from the two methods allowed for lateralization in a greater proportion of both seizures (79.8%) and patients (94.9%). Combined EEG-seizure lateralization was concordant with the side of operation in 33 of 34 patients who underwent successful surgery (Engel's surgical outcome class I/II). Conclusions: In TLE, there is a high agreement between the lateralization of individual seizures and patients, which is based on ictal surface-EEG findings and seizure semiology. Furthermore, combination of these two methods improves the lateralization of individual seizures and patients. Thus, standardized combined EEG-seizure analysis is a valuable noninvasive tool in the presurgical evaluation of TLE.


endangered sounds is a project that focuses on the exploration of sound marks (trade-marked sounds). the initial stage of this project was funded by arts victoria, and comprised legal searches that resulted in the listings of sound marks registered in australasia and the united states of america. this list was published on the internet with a call for volunteers to collect samples of the listed sounds internationally. the volunteer was sent a specimen tube with label and cap, and asked to collect the sound by placing the specimen tube close to the source (thereby capturing the air through which the sound travelled), securing the cap and then completing the label, documenting the time, place and nature of the sound (sound mark reg. no., sound mark description, time of capture, date of capture, location, etc.). these specimen tubes were collected and displayed in chemistry racks in the exhibition in the biennale of electronic arts, perth in 2004, illustrating the frequency and diversity of the environment into which these 'private', protected sounds have been released. the exhibition project consisted of: (1) a web portal listing all the sound marks listed in australasia and the usa, and negotiations are underway to expand that to include the eu. (2) a collection of sound marks in specimen tubes with caps and labels gathered internationally by people who volunteered to collect samples of sound marks in their environment. (3) a number of glass vacuum desiccator vessels containing a small loudspeaker and sound reproduction chip suspended in a vacuum, reproducing sound marks in the vacuum, notionally breaking the law, but as sound does not travel in a vacuum the gallery visitor hears no sound – what then is the jurisdiction of the sound mark? (4) a card index register of lost and deceased sounds. this project questions the legitimacy of privatising and protecting sounds that are released at random in public spaces. if i own a multi-million dollar penthouse in a city, and work night shifts, i have no recourse against the loud harley davidson or australian football league (afl) siren that wakes me from my precious sleep – both sounds are privately protected, making their recording, reproduction and broadcast illegal. while there are legal mechanisms for protection against repeat offenders, and many of us are committed to a culturally conditioned moral obligation re sound dispersion, there are no legal limits – i can call the police, but the football siren is already within legal standards and still permeates the private domain of city dwellings. the noise abatement legislation is only applicable to regular breaches of the law, and takes some time to sort out, but it does not apply to singular occurrences which, although within legislated limits, still disturb. additionally, the laws are based on amplitude and do not really address the issue of propagation. the ownership of the sound is not addressed in these legislative mechanisms – it should be; if the sound is an emblem of corporate identity, we should be able to choose not to be exposed to it, in the same way that we can place a 'no junk mail' sign on our letter boxes. acknowledgement of the private domain is sacrosanct in other areas of legislation, in fact heavily policed, but not addressed in discussions of the acoustic environment beyond amplitude limitations.


A simple model for a saxophone or a clarinet reed—one pure spring with stiffness k—is acceptable for frequencies beneath the resonance frequency of the reed. When the instrument sustains a harmonic tone, Eq. (1) of the previous paper holds and the right‐hand side quantities can be experimentally determined in order to evaluate k or k/S2. Experiments were driven on a saxophone so as not to encounter large uncertainties due to the weakness of even harmonics and corresponding minima of the input impedance of a cylindrical pipe. The reed stiffness is derived from separate measurements of the input impedance (TMTC method) and of the internal pressure spectrum when the saxophone is played by a musician or blown by an artificial system. Combined with an evaluation of the reed area, results on reed stiffness under playing conditions are in good agreement with compliance values measured on isolated reeds by other authors. The reactive power balance between the reed and the pipe also sheds a new light on the playin...


In this paper we review our data from in vivo and in vitro experiments with mutant, carbonic anhydrase II (CA II) deficient mice (Car2n/Car2n mutants) compared to their nonmutant littermates (Car2n/+ or +/+). In vivo, mutant mice were more resistant to flurothyl-, pentylenetetrazol, and loud sound-induced seizures than normal littermates. The increased resistance to flurothyl seizures was age dependent for clonic seizures, occurring after 19 days of age and disappearing after 90 postnatal days. In in vitro experiments, synaptic transmission in hippocampal slices from mutant mice were more resistant to hypoxia than synaptic transmission in slices from normal littermates. There was almost no difference in hippocampal CA1 long-term potentiation of synaptic transmission between mutants and nonmutants. However, studying in vitro epileptogenesis, we found hippocampal slices from mutants to be more prone to seizures in the low Mg2+ environment than slices from normal littermates. This striking difference between in vivo and in vitro seizures susceptibility in CA II-deficient mutants suggests and existence of an anticonvulsant factor present in conditions in vivo, but not in vitro. We suggest that extracellular proton concentrations (extracellular pH) acting as N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist may be such a factor. Mutant mice suffer from severe systemic acidosis that can decrease NMDA receptor function and thus be anticonvulsant in vivo. However in vitro, the steady pH of perfusing solution is relatively alkalinic for mutant mouse slices enhancing the thus NMDA receptor conductance and leading to proconvulsant effects. Thus, the anticonvulsant action of CA inhibition in vivo may be mediated by acidotic extracellular pH rather than an accumulation of CO2 as suggested previously.


Nested named entity recognition (nested NER) is a fundamental task in natural language processing. Various span-based methods have been proposed to detect nested entities with span representations. However, span-based methods do not consider the relationship between a span and other entities or phrases, which is helpful in the NER task. Besides, span-based methods have trouble predicting long entities due to limited span enumeration length. To mitigate these issues, we present the Propose-and-Refine Network (PnRNet), a two-stage set prediction network for nested NER. In the propose stage, we use a span-based predictor to generate some coarse entity predictions as entity proposals. In the refine stage, proposals interact with each other, and richer contextual information is incorporated into the proposal representations. The refined proposal representations are used to re-predict entity boundaries and classes. In this way, errors in coarse proposals can be eliminated, and the boundary prediction is no longer constrained by the span enumeration length limitation. Additionally, we build multi-scale sentence representations, which better model the hierarchical structure of sentences and provide richer contextual information than token-level representations. Experiments show that PnRNet achieves state-of-the-art performance on four nested NER datasets and one flat NER dataset.


Filter characteristics of a designed gold-filled high birefringence photonic crystal fiber are investigated based on the finite element method. The wavelength filter resonances in the high birefringence photonic crystal fiber occur at different points for different polarized directions, and the resonance strength in the x-polarized case is much weaker than that in the y-polarized case. The much more obvious splitting filter characteristics and different resonance strength imply the study and application values in splitting and single polarization fiber devices. The simulation results show that increasing the number of the gold wires only enhances the resonance strength when there is no surface plasmon supermode formed. With the diameters of the gold wires increasing, the response wavelength moves to a longer wavelength, and the strength becomes stronger. When the diameter is increased to 1.4 μm, the response wavelength in the x-polarized case can be tuned to 1.318 μm, which is the communication wavelength. The strongest resonance occurs at 1.2375 μm in the y-polarized case, and the peaking loss can reach 435.83 dB/cm.


The Personalised REsponses to DIetary Composition Trial (PREDICT) was a single-arm, single-blind intervention study that utilized both standardized "test" meals and captured "free-living" non-standardized food consumption, to predict an individual's metabolic response to foods based on the person's characteristics (including their metabolomic and gut microbiome profiles), meal composition (macronutrients and energy content) and meal context (including time of day, sleep and exercise). The initial study commenced in June 2018 and targeted 1,000 generally healthy participants between the ages of 18 and 65 years for enrollment in the United Kingdom, and recruited from the existing and ongoing TwinsUK research cohort and the general population. In December 2018, an independent trial mirroring the UK protocol was launched in parallel at Massachusetts General Hospital to serve as a US-based validation cohort including 100 healthy individuals in the general population. The overall objective of these trials was to predict glucose, insulin, lipid and other postprandial responses to foods based on the individual's characteristics, including molecular biomarkers and lifestyle factors as well as the nutritional composition of the food. The studies, collectively termed PREDICT 1, were completed in May 2019. The study has delivered highly-dimensional multi-omic data from which the predictors of individual postprandial responses have been determined. These findings will be used to design personalized dietary interventions focused on key health outcomes. This protocol is registered with the US National Institutes of Health trial registry, ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03479866.


Background Maternal morbidity refers to pregnancy related complications, ranging in severity from chronic to acute, which occurs during pregnancy, labour or birth. There are multiple causes and treatments for maternal morbidity which can be either physical or psychological. This study aimed to explore women's experiences of maternal morbidity. Methods A qualitative semi-structured interview format was utilised. Purposive sampling was used to recruit fourteen women who were diagnosed with a maternal morbidity; nine women experienced one event including hypertensive disorders, haemorrhage, placenta praevia and gestational diabetes, while five women experienced two events or more. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was employed as the analytic strategy. Results Findings revealed four superordinate themes; powerlessness, morbidity management, morbidity treatment and maternal behavioural responses. Women were accepting of the uncontrollable nature of the adverse outcome experienced. While being treated for trauma, women were satisfied to relinquish their autonomy to ensure the safety of themselves and their baby. However, these events can be debilitating. Women's inability to control their own bodies due to the morbidity, contributed to high levels of frustration and anxiety. Morbidities impacted greatly on women's quality of life and these effects can persist for a prolonged period after the event. Women felt that there was very little information provided to them on the practicalities of adjusting to the impairment. Conclusion Findings suggest that healthcare providers should ensure that women who experience a maternal morbidity are fully consulted and have sufficient information on the morbidity including ongoing care/expectations in the home setting prior to discharge.


By any measure, the Association of Southeast Asian Nation's (ASEAN) commemoration of its golden jubilee this year is missing its usual pomp and fanfare. The excitement and interest in celebrating this milestone is noticeably absent, and this is certainly a cause for concern. If ASEAN does not take itself seriously, why should the rest of the world? By the same token, if ASEAN does not see fit to make a "big deal" out of the 50th anniversary of its founding, why should those outside the region pay any attention to ASEAN? That the ASEAN leaders did not affirm the importance of the golden jubilee at the 30th ASEAN Summit held in April 2017 was certainly a missed opportunity. Specific mention of this important milestone was filed away on page four of the chairman's statement instead of being the lead item. The run-up to 8 August--the date of ASEAN's formation through the Bangkok Declaration on that date in 1967 (1)--has been lacklustre, although this might not necessarily be a bad thing as ASEAN is often criticized for form over substance. Less fireworks, singing and dancing might be a new and welcome sign of ASEAN's serious and workman-like side that has always existed but is a face that is rarely shown to the outside world. In any case, ASEAN finds itself in a very different world today than the one it faced in August 1967 when its five founding fathers met in Bang Saen, Thailand to discuss the formation of a new regional organization. The founding fathers--Adam Malik, Tun Abdul Razak, Narciso Ramos, S. Rajaratnam and Thanat Khoman--would, in the first instance, be pleasantly surprised and delighted that ASEAN had survived for five decades. Secondly, they would have a hard time in understanding the complex and comprehensive forms of regional cooperation that ASEAN has fostered and led since its establishment. The Bangkok Declaration was only three pages long, compared to the lengthy thirty-four-page ASEAN Charter that was signed in Singapore in 2007. These ASEAN luminaries would have certainly frowned on the 1,000 over meetings that ASEAN convenes annually despite efforts to streamline these official engagements. More importantly, with the Cold War threatening regional peace and stability, their foremost strategic priority was to secure Southeast Asia's independence, which meant keeping the major powers at bay. The declaration of the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN) in 1971 was a manifestation of this line of thought. (2) Fast forward to recent decades and ASEAN has reversed course. Instead of keeping Southeast Asia "free from any form or manner of interference by outside Powers", ASEAN's strategic imperative centres on keeping the major powers engaged in the region. For these leaders, the world has indeed turned on its head. Erstwhile enemies are now good friends, and, in the case of Vietnam, even joined the regional organization. Up until the 1990s, China was regarded as the "enemy" due to its support for communist insurgencies in parts of Southeast Asia but is today ASEAN's largest trading partner. The founding fathers practised their statecraft at the highest level with the single-minded tenacity to keep their respective countries free from communism. The ideology that used to cause much insecurity no longer divides Southeast Asia; indeed two ASEAN members are ruled by communist parties. ASEAN's founding raison d'etre of anti-communism has been replaced by an inclusive doctrine that was made possible by the firm application of the norm of non-interference in the domestic affairs of its member states. ASEAN's adoption of an inclusive doctrine has transformed the regional organization in two fundamental aspects. First, within the region, the drive towards inclusiveness meant opening ASEAN up to other Southeast Asian states. The enlargement process--which begun with Brunei (1984), followed by Vietnam (1995), Laos and Myanmar (1997) and ended with Cambodia (1999)--altered ASEAN's DNA. …


When Grandma dies, Grandpa is too sad to do anything. All day long, day after day, he sits by himself in his house. Then, one day, Grandpa wakes up and decides to try to make the soup his wife used to make for him. Though each batch he makes is bigger and better than the last, Grandpa hardly gets a taste of it. Unexpected visitors, hungry for soup, keep arriving at his door. Soon, Grandpa discovers that sharing with his new friends is the best cure for his loneliness.


In this paper, we have proposed a machine learning based global crop identification method using limited microwave/radar data for the corn belt in the US. An attempt has been made to identify the features/crop signatures which are unique for a particular crop but common across geographies. Identified features were used to develop a robust, reliable and scalable crop identification model for corn and soy. The pre-trained model has been tested at multiple locations "as is" without any retraining, yielding best accuracy of 93% (within corn/soy belt) and 84% (at the periphery) at 20m pixel-level spatial resolution.


The distal segments of the crush-injured and permanently transected sciatic nerve provide models to study Schwann cell activity in the presence and absence of Schwann cell-axonal contact, respectively. We examined the quantity and quality of transcript coding for the myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) over a 3-week period following crush injury and at 35 days after transection to investigate possible regulation of this gene during nerve injury and subsequent repair. Northern blot and slot blot analysis indicated a sharp decrease in levels of MAG mRNA 2 days after crush injury which was followed by a progressive increase in levels of message between 7 and 21 days after injury. Western blot analysis showed that levels of MAG protein decreased substantially 7 days after crush injury, which returned to 70% of the adult value by 21 days after injury. MAG mRNA and protein were undetectable by Northern and Western analysis, respectively, in the distal segment of the sciatic nerve 35 days after permanent transection. This infers distinct down-regulation of MAG gene expression after permanent transection of a peripheral nerve. These comparative studies of MAG transcripts and encoded protein may indicate regulation of MAG gene expression at the level of transcription, and possibly at the level of post-transcription in these experimental models of peripheral neuropathies.


This paper describes the full-scale turbine section validation of the GT36 heavy duty gas turbine, which was conducted in a test Power Plant in Birr, Switzerland.
 The GT36 Test Power Plant is extensively instrumented with both standard and specialised instrumentation. In the turbine section, specialised instrumentation includes metal and gas thermocouples, thermal paint, pressure sensors, hot gas rakes, strain gauges, five-hole probes, pyrometers and tip timing sensors. Similar specialised instrumentation also exists for the compressor, combustor and the rotor sections. Three major test campaigns were conducted over an extended period, which consisted of both long and short duration tests, including a range of off-design tests.
 Within the turbine section, detailed transient and steady-state measurements were obtained of the stage inlet pressures and temperatures, airfoil surface pressures and metal temperatures. These measurements indicated that both the aerodynamic and cooling performances of the turbine blades and vanes are highly consistent and repeatable over a range of operating conditions. Detailed comparisons of the measured engine pressures and temperatures with predictions also indicated that there was generally a very good match in the Mach numbers and metal temperatures for all the turbine blades and vanes.


Neuraxial anaesthesia is increasingly performed in thrombocytopenic patients at the time of delivery of pregnancy. There is a lack of data regarding the optimum platelet count at which spinal procedures can be safely performed. Reports are often confounded by the presence of other risk factors for spinal haematomata, such as anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents and other acquired or congenital coagulopathies/platelet function defects or rapidly falling platelet counts. In the absence of these additional risk factors, a platelet count of 80 × 109/l is a 'safe' count for placing an epidural or spinal anaesthetic and 40 × 109/l is a 'safe' count for lumbar puncture. It is likely that lower platelet counts may also be safe but there is insufficient published evidence to make recommendations for lower levels at this stage. For patients with platelet counts of 50–80 × 109/l requiring epidural or spinal anaesthesia and patients with a platelet count 20–40 × 109/l requiring a lumbar puncture, an individual decision based on assessment of risks and benefits should be made.


For the past 40 years, Landsat satellites been circling Earth. They orbit at around 700 km from the Earth's surface, completing a full orbit every 90 minutes and returning to the same location every 16 days. Equipped with sensors that record reflected electromagnetic radiation in the visible light and infrared wavelengths, they are used by scientists to track environmental change over time. Since July 2017 I have been working with Landsat 8 satellite data from Geoscience Australia in Canberra and with their Digital Earth Australia platform [1]. In that time I have produced a series of still images that form montages of different environmental and atmospheric conditions in a single location over the span of a year [2]. I have also produced the feature film Open Air, which features time-lapse satellite images of Australia set against aerial macrophotography of the paintings and processes of Australian painter Emma Walker, accompanied by the music of Australian cult band The Necks [3]. This project uses the aesthetic frame of visual music and the combination of intimate and remote views to develop an artistic rendering of the forces that shape Earth. I am interested in what it is possible to think and feel when we release remote sensing from an instrumental purpose. For example, one of the great joys of the project was using "false color" mappings for cloud cover, which involves mapping the near and shortwave infrared bands of a satellite image to red, green and blue in an output image; the result is splashes of pink, red and orange clouds across a turquoise land. Ironically, this is one of the key factors that differentiates my approach from the more instrumental approach taken by geoscientists, who must use complex algorithms to filter clouds out of the data, because clouds block a clear view of Earth. I am inspired here by Evelyn Fox Keller's notion of "dynamic objectivity," a rethinking of scientific objectivity that gives space to a sense of empathy and connectedness to the planet that gives rise to the phenomena we examine [4]. Empathy involves understanding between beings that are alike, and it requires closeness and intimacy to develop. The idea of bringing intimacy to remote sensing has a corollary in the Earth sciences, where "ground truthing" and "proximal sensing" modulate and validate remotely sensed data [5]. This is precisely what Open Air does in its crossbreeding of images sourced at two divergent scales: the macrophotographic view of Emma Walker's paintings and satellite images gathered at low Earth orbit. Mustering multiple pathways into thinking about and feeling the Earth is crucial today, as the force we exert on this planet becomes more and more evident. A dynamic objectivity does not discard the empirical framework of scientific imaging—rather, it builds upon this framework, inflecting it with extradisciplinary orientations, folding multiple perspectives, close and remote views, and emotional, sensual and conceptual apprehension into the imaging and understanding of Earth and our place upon it.


The paper presents the results of an experimental study of the dose-dependent nature of functional changes in the body systems under chronic administration of uranyl acetate dihydrate in doses of 0.5 and 5.0 mg/kg per element for 18 weeks. The study was performed on 45 male outbred rats. It has been shown that uranyl acetate dihydrate in a dose of 0.5 mg/kg had no significant effect on hematological parameters. At the same time, activation of bactericidal activity of neutrophils, a decrease in the immunoregulatory index, and an increase in the blood concentration of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) have been revealed. The toxicant administered to rats in a dose of 5 mg/kg led to a decrease in the absolute number of erythrocytes, hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelets, the release of myelocytes into the blood, basophilia, monocytosis, the appearance of leukolysis cells and plasmatization of lymphocytes. On the part of the immune system, an increase in the biocidal capacity of neutrophilic granulocytes, TNF-α production, an increase in the number of CD8+ cells, and a reduction in the CD4+/CD8+ ratio have been found. Uranyl acetate dihydrate had a dose-dependent effect only on the number of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, T-cells with the CD4+CD8+ phenotype, on the immunoregulatory index, and on the level of TNF-α. Hyperglycemia and glucosuria were also dose-dependent. An increase in glucose in the blood and urine indicated a violation of carbohydrate metabolism and kidney function. There was a decrease in the concentration of thyroxine, testosterone and an increase in the level of insulin. Uranyl acetate dihydrate led to the development of insulin resistance. The level of hormones did not depend on the dose of the toxicant administered to the animals.


Flexible polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) templates with nano-sized patterns were fabricated by spin coating of PVA resin on silicon master wafer. Since PVA template has enough UV transparency, mechanical strength and thermal durability, it can be used as the template for UV-based and thermal nanoimprint lithography. The replicated patterns on the PVA template were transferred faithfully to the imprinted resin by imprinting lithography. As PVA template was dissolved in water, it was not necessary to deposit a releasing layer on the PVA template surface.


Abstract:This article confronts the widespread assumption that disability, in any broad and undefined sense, constituted valid grounds for infanticide in ancient Greece. When situated within their appropriate contexts, the oft-cited passages from Plutarch, Aristotle, and Plato contribute little to our understanding of the reality of ancient Greek practice in this regard. Other literary, material, and bioarchaeological evidence, however, demonstrates that ancient Greek parents, midwives, and physicians often took active and extraordinary measures to assist and accommodate infants born with a variety of congenital physical impairments. It was neither legally mandated nor typical in ancient Greece to kill or expose disabled infants, and uncritical (and unfounded) statements to the contrary are both dangerous and harmful.


Hydrologic, geologic, geomorphic, and mass-balance data suggest that most of the ∼30,000 playa lake basins on the Southern High Plains have developed by a combination of dissolution of caliche and piping of surface material into the unsaturated zone rather than by eolian processes as has generally been stated. A conceptual model suggests that particulate organic material, much of which is sorbed on smectite clays, is carried downward from the surface into the unsaturated zone by recharging water. The organic material is oxidized to CO 2 , which dissolves in the water, forms carbonic acid, and dissolves lithologic carbonates. Because organic material is transported and oxidized deep in the unsaturated zone, CO 2 concentrations are much higher at depth than in the soil zone, and recharging water remains thermodynamically subsaturated with respect to carbonates and thus able to dissolve them throughout the unsaturated zone. Dissolution promotes lithologic instability, leading to piping and eluviation of material within the unsaturated zone. Playa basins expand laterally as recharge is concentrated at the edge of the playa floor because of lowered permeability in the center that results from accumulation of clays and other fine sediment. Mass-balance calculations of gas, liquid, and solid fluxes beneath a playa basin suggest that sufficient mass is transported to account for the volume of the depression. Particulate flux is estimated by relating it to the CO 2 flux out of the unsaturated zone. Solute flux is estimated from the difference between input values from the playa lake water and that observed in ground water. Gas flux is measured directly from gas samples at specific depths below the: surface.


The anti-cancer drugs, particularly those used in reproductive period, may cause several complications such as ovarian insufficiency and infertility. The mechanism of action of cisplatin toxicity on the ovaries is not fully described. However, further production of free oxygen radicals and reduced production of antioxidants are thought to have an effect on the occurrence of cisplatin toxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of lycopene on cisplatin-induced ovary-damage, oxidative stres and histological changes in rats. Albino Wistar female rats were randomly divided into three groups. The control group (Group 1) received sunflower oil; animals in Group 2 received only cisplatin; one hour of lycopene pre-treatment was applied to the animals in Group 3 before administration of cisplatin. Cisplatin (5 mg/kg/day) was intraperitoneally injected as a single dose and lycopene (0.5 mg/kg/day) was administered by gavage. Biochemical and histopathological methods were utilised for evaluation of the oxidative ovary-damage. There was an increase in the levels of malondialdehyde, while total glutathione, glutathione reductase, and superoxide dismutase were decreased in Group 3, but it is observed that these ratios are reversed in the Group 1 and in the Group 2. Lycopene had protective effect against cisplatin-induced ovary-damaged.


The methotrexate serum concentrations of 15 patients were measured in capillary and veneous blood samples. All of the patients had received methotrexate infusions because of their underlying oncologic disorder. The drug levels of 42 pairs of capillary and veneous drawn serum samples were analysed with a homogeneous enzyme immunoassay technique on a semi-automatic instrument system. In 15 pairs of samples the drug levels were below the range of the assay, in 3 they were just above. Here the capillary samples were measurable, whereas the veneous ones were not. 24 pairs of samples which had drug levels within the range of the assay showed a good correlation of capillary and veneous serum levels. The correlation factor of 0.934 shows, that the methotrexate concentrations can also be measured in capillary blood samples.


Purpose of review Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a common health problem in the United States; yet, the only curative therapy, a bone marrow transplant (BMT), is seldom applied. The objective of this report is to review the most recent clinical trials involving blood and BMT for SCD and to discuss novel approaches to overcome the many barriers to successful use of BMT for SCD. Recent findings In select patients, disease-free and overall survival is greater than 80% following matched sibling BMT for SCD. Unfortunately, most patients with SCD do not have a suitable human lymphocyte antigen-matched sibling donor. In an attempt to expand the donor pool, several groups are beginning to explore the use of alternative sources of stem cells such as haploidentical donors and umbilical cord cell blood. Summary The curative potential of BMT in SCD is irrefutable, with outstanding results in children following a myeloablative conditioning regimen and a matched sibling donor transplant. Well tolerated and effective application of alternative sources of stem cells for BMT in SCD could greatly increase the cure rate for this devastating disease.


Phosphorus-enriched runoff from cropland can hasten eutrophication of surface waters. A soil P level exceeding crop needs due to long-term fertilizer and/or manure applications is one of several potential sources of increased P losses in runoff from agricultural systems. Field experiments were conducted at locations representative of three major soil regions in Wisconsin in corn (Zea mays L.) production systems to determine the effect of tillage, recent manure additions, soil P extraction method, and soil sampling depth (0-2, 0-5, and 0-15 cm) on the relationship between soil test P level and P concentrations in runoff. Runoff from simulated rainfall (75 mm h(-1)) was collected from 0.83-m2 areas for 1 h after rainfall initiation and analyzed for dissolved phosphorus (DP), total phosphorus (TP), and sediment. The DP fraction of the TP concentration in runoff ranged from 5 to 17% among sites with most of the variation in TP due to varying sediment concentration on the well-drained silt loam soils and to soil test P level on the poorly drained silty clay loam soil. In 213 observations across a range of soils and managements, good relationships occurred between soil test P level and DP concentration in runoff for most of the tests and sampling depths used. Recent manure additions and high levels of surface cover from corn residue sometimes masked this relationship. The slope of DP relative to soil test P level was markedly higher on the silty clay loam soil than on the silt loam soils possibly due to soil permeability-infiltration rate differences. Agronomic soil P tests were as effective as environmentally oriented soil P tests for predicting DP concentrations in runoff.


In this paper, through generally using basic priniciple of heat transfer and gear, established the transient conduction differential equation and its definite conditions. On the basis of tribology and engagement theory, established the periodical boundary condition. Using ANSYS Programm, we analyzed temperature distribution of a spur gear operating under transient friction heat, and its periodical change. Simultaneously, we get the flash temperature distribution on the engaged surface of spur gear and its change curves. The basis for precisely studying its thermal deformation and profile modification is also established.


Purpose
Forward-planned conformal arcs (termed dynamic arcs in the BrainLab iPlan system) have been routinely used in cranial stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for many yeras. This study compares dosimetric parameters of the newer, inversely-planned volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and VMAT-conformal hybrid plans with conformal arc plans. In the hybrid plans, various numbers of conformal arcs in a conformal plan are replaced with VMAT arcs.

Methods
Ten brain cancer cases previously treated on a Novalis accelerator for frameless cranial stereotactic radiosurgery using conformal arcs generated by BrainLab iPlan treatment planning system were retrospectively studied with various numbers of VMAT arcs replacing the conformal arcs. Pure VMAT plans of different numbers of arcs were also generated using the same angle and arc length setup for all or part of the conformal arcs and compared with both the original and hybrid plans. Pinnacle version 9.0 was used for treatment plan generation. SmartArc was used for the VMAT planning for a Novalis accelerator. The conformity index (CI), defined as the ratio of the isodose volume to the isodose covered target volume, gradient index (GI), defined as the ratio of the 50% isodose volume (V50) to the 100% isodose volume, volume covered by 12 Gy isodose (V12), mean dose and standard deviation of dose in target were studied.

Results
With one of the conformal arcs replaced with a VMAT arc of the same weighting and geometric setup, the average CI with one standard deviation was improved from 1.35 ± 0.18 to 1.29 ± 0.15 (p-value 0.03), while the average GI degraded from 3.8 ± 1.0 to 4.9 ± 1.5 (p-value < 0.01). The degraded GI in the VMAT plans is due to the absence of beam margin limit in SmartArc planning. Pure VMAT plans usually demonstrated better CI values than the hybrid and conformal arc plans when the number of arcs was greater than 2. The GI value was improved with increasing number of arcs in VMAT plans. For target volumes greater than 1 cc, VMAT plans demonstrated improved CI and smaller V50 and V12 than that in conformal arc plans. Better dose fall-off in normal tissue in VMAT plans is accompanied with higher dose heterogeneity in the target volume.

Conclusion
VMAT and conformal-VMAT hybrid plans usually offer better target conformity. The dose fall-off in normal tissue is also better in VMAT plans when the number of arcs is greater than 3 and target volume is greater than 1 cc, but compromise the dose homogeneity in target volumes. VMAT plans are the best option for targets that are greater than 1 cc for cranial radiosurgery treatments, while for very small targets, conformal arc technique may still be the better choice based on data of dose fall-off in normal tissues.


Alloys based on the titanium-niobium system are widely used in implant production. It is conditional, first of all, on the low modulus of elasticity and bio-inert properties of an alloy. These alloys are especially important for tooth replacement and orthopedic surgery. At present alloys based on the titanium-niobium system are produced mainly using conventional metallurgical methods. The further subtractive manufacturing an end product results in a lot of wastes, increasing, therefore, its cost. The alternative of these processes is additive manufacturing. Selective laser melting is a technology, which makes it possible to synthesize products of metal powders and their blends. The point of this technology is laser melting a layer of a powdered material; then a sintered layer is coated with the next layer of powder etc. Complex products and working prototypes are made on the base of this technology. The authors of this paper address to the issue of applying selective laser melting in order to synthesize a binary alloy of a composite powder based on the titanium-niobium system. A set of 10x10 mm samples is made in various process conditions. The samples are made by an experimental selective laser synthesis machine «VARISKAF-100MB». The machine provides adjustment of the following process variables: laser emission power, scanning rate and pitch, temperature of powder pre-heating, thickness of the layer to be sprinkled, and diameter of laser spot focusing. All samples are made in the preliminary vacuumized shielding atmosphere of argon. The porosity and thickness of the sintered layer related to the laser emission power are shown at various scanning rates. It is revealed that scanning rate and laser emission power are adjustable process variables, having the greatest effect on forming the sintered layer.


INTRODUCTION
High-dose chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation result in direct and indirect changes in cardiac function. the finding suggests a decreased left ventricular diastolic compliance after high-dose cyclophosphamide treatment, but the effects of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) on cardiac diastolic function are less studied. We aimed to evaluate changes before and after the procedure in cardiac diastolic function in patients undergoing BMT.

DESIGN AND METHODS
We designed this study to evaluate the effects of BMT on diastolic cardiac function. Patients with lymphoma (Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's), multiple myeloma, and solid tumors who were candidates for autologous BMT were selected for the study. The patients underwent a cardiac consultation and echocardiography before their admission for BMT. E-wave velocity and time to relaxation by tissue Doppler echocardiography in the septal, lateral, anterior, inferior, anteroseptal, and posterior wall; and the E-wave velocity of the right ventricle (RV) were measured before and after BMT.

RESULT
Thirty patients fulfilled our inclusion criteria and entered the study. The mean diastolic function measures were calculated before and after BMT. E-wave velocity in the septal, lateral, anterior, inferior, anteroseptal and posterior walls after transplantation decreased by 19.2% (p=0.008), 14.5% (p=0.008), 22.19% (p=0.3), 18.9% (p<0.001), 21.9% (p=0.01), and 7.5% (p=0.01), respectively. The time to relaxation decreased by 13.5%, 13.7%, 12.4%, 11.4%, 11.1%, and 13.1%, respectively, after transplantation (p<0.001). E-wave velocity of RV decreased 15.6% after BMT (p=0.02).

CONCLUSION
Data regarding alterations in diastolic functioning after BMT are scarce. This study suggests that diastolic function alters after BMT.


Quasi-monochromatic photons of energies of 1.6-8.7 MeV have been generated by the Compton backscattering of laser light on relativistic electrons in the TERAS storage ring. The spectra of the backscattered photons have been measured with an anti-Compton spectrometer system. The present system has a 155-cm/sup 3/ a coaxial-type pure-Ge detector as the central detector and a well-type NaI(Tl) scintillator of 8-in phi *8-in as the outer one. With a usual anticoincidence technique, clear photopeak spectra were obtained with a Compton suppression ratio of 2-4. The maximum energy and the energy spread of photons show reasonable agreement with numerical calculations. The divergence and energy spread of the electron beam in the storage ring are estimated from the data. >


BACKGROUND
The stress of medical practice has been recurrently studied, but work- and family-related determinants of health by gender remain under researched.

PURPOSE
To test the hypothesis that cortisol excretion would be affected by the perceived severity of total workload imbalance.

METHOD
By hierarchical regression analysis, the associations between work-family balance and diurnal salivary cortisol levels by sex in academic physicians (n = 40) were investigated.

RESULTS
Men physicians reported more paid work hours per week than women physicians and women more time in childcare, but their total working hours were similar. Controlling for sex and age, the mean of the diurnal cortisol release was associated with a combined effect of sex and responsibility at home. When morning cortisol, sex, and children at home were held constant, cortisol levels in the evening were associated with responsibility at home without significant gender interaction.

CONCLUSION
With increasing responsibility at home, women and men reacted differently with regard to cortisol responses over the day. However, in the evening, controlling for the morning cortisol, these gender differences were not as obvious. These findings highlight traditional gender patterns among both women and men physicians in the challenge of finding a balance between work and family.


Tanh method is used in this paper to find hyperbolic solutions to ion sound and Langmuir wave systems describes ion sound wave and the Langmuir wave as part of the action of the ponder motive force caused by a high-frequency field. A power series in tanh method was used as an ansatz to obtain analytical solutions for certain nonlinear evolution equations of traveling wave type. The suggested method, is a powerful solution method and it based on wave transformation, converts the partial derivatives in the equation to ordinary derivatives and then generate new hyperbolic solutions to the system under consideration in this paper. Graphical simulations are introduced for some solutions. The method's main aspects will be discussed and the results showed the strength this using method through the new solutions obtained using tanh method. This method generates entirely new solutions for other types of nonlinear evolution equations observed in physics.


Orders of magnitude increases are predicted in the cross sections for electron-atom scattering accompanied by absorption or emission of n laser photons for incident electron energies at which the electron, by emitting μ laser photons, can be captured by the atom to form a negative ion. Resonance enhancements are most significant in the plateau region (n μ) of the scattered electron spectrum, whose shape is predicted to replicate that of the ion's (n + μ)-photon detachment spectrum.


Arthroscopic debridement is a valuable alternative procedure in the management of osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Although palliative in nature, in many instances it yields permanent relief in the low-demand knee of the elderly. It is especially valuable in young individuals who have not yet reached the ideal age for reconstruction. The procedure is a demanding one, requiring considerable arthroscopic skills. Sclerotic lesions, synovitis, loose bodies, osteophytes, chondromalacia, and degenerative tears of menisci are encountered often in various combinations and must be addressed judiciously and completely. The procedure simplifies rehabilitation, and the risk/benefit ratio is very favorable.


OBJECTIVES
Antipsychotics have been widely used in the treatment of bipolar mania. The purpose of this manuscript was to briefly review the evidence of typical and atypical antipsychotics for the treatment of bipolar mania.

METHODS
A detailed literature review was conducted on the use of typical and atypical antipsychotics in the treatment of bipolar mania using standard search engines. A summary of the published literature on each agent is described followed by a discussion on the overall comparison of the different agents.

RESULTS
For typical antipsychotics, up until recently, there was a paucity of published evidence on their strengths and limitations in the treatment of bipolar mania. Recent studies have demonstrated clear evidence on the efficacy of haloperidol on the treatment of acute mania. The literature suggests a faster onset of action of haloperidol as compared to either lithium or atypical antipsychotics. A limitation of typical antipsychotics however, is the risk of tardive dyskinesia, extrapyramidal side effects and a possible increased risk of non-adherence. Evidence on the efficacy for atypical antipsychotics has been demonstrated for aripiprazole, clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone and ziprasidone. Limitations as regards the use of atypical antipsychotics include the risk of weight gain and dyslipidemia. Comparison among different atypical antipsychotics agents are difficult to determine as there are no conclusive head to head studies. There is also a paucity of studies comparing atypical antipsychotics with lithium.

CONCLUSIONS
Evidence exists on the efficacy of both typical and atypical antipsychotics on the treatment of acute mania such that they are now clearly first-line along with lithium. An important limitation of the published literature is that most of the studies were designed to obtain regulatory approval for the different agents therefore the generalizability of the findings to clinical practice remains unclear.


The book is dedicated to the issues of information operations recognition based on analysis of information space, particularly, web-resources, social networks, and blogs. In this context, open source intelligence technology (OSINT) solves the problem of initial analysis of modern-time information flows. The book provides a detailed description of mathematical principles of information operations recognition, based on mathematical statistics, nonlinear dynamics, complex networks theory, information and mathematical modeling, sociology. A separate chapter covers the applications of approaches from expert estimation theory and decision-making support to information operation recognition. The book is addressed to a broad circle of specialists from information technology and security domains.


We propose a broadcast algorithm suitable for a wide range of vehicular scenarios, which only employs local information acquired via periodic beacon messages, containing acknowledgments of the circulated broadcast messages. Each vehicle decides whether it belongs to a connected dominating set (CDS). Vehicles in the CDS use a shorter waiting period before possible retransmission. At time-out expiration, a vehicle retransmits if it is aware of at least one neighbor in need of the message. To address intermittent connectivity and appearance of new neighbors, the evaluation timer can be restarted. Our algorithm resolves propagation at road intersections without any need to even recognize intersections. It is inherently adaptable to different mobility regimes, without the need to classify network or vehicle speeds. In a thorough simulation-based performance evaluation, our algorithm is shown to provide higher reliability and message efficiency than existing approaches for nonsafety applications.


The materials which are useless and unwanted is called waste product and this waste product is a burden and harmful to the environment. Sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA) is one kind of waste which can be termed as the residue left over from burning sugar cane bagasse. The utilization of this waste may be very economical and can also solve the environmental problem. Silica and alumina are the main element of SCBA which is used as a pozzolanic material. This recycling procedure of SCBA reduces environmental pollution and this is also considered the cost-effective material. In this paper, SCBA replaces the cement as a weight of 5%, 10% and 15% which is considered. After completing the compressive strength test, the result shows that the compressive strength increases when 5% cement is replaced by sugarcane bagasse ash and this is the correct replacement of cement.


Abstract We explore the potential for payments for ecosystem services (PES) to reconcile conservation and development goals, using a case study of an experimental PES intervention around the Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda. The scheme involves the purchase of biodiversity conservation services from local communities in four selected locations. Although a portion of the payment is awarded at the household level, it is the collective action of the community that determines the level of the payment. Contracts are negotiated annually and include performance indicators within each participating community. We examine the ability of PES to achieve conservation and development objectives, through three sub-questions: Is the PES scheme effective? Is it legitimate and fair? Is it equitable? Our findings indicate that the relationship between these evaluation criteria is complex, with both trade-offs and synergies. In this case study the effectiveness of PES is dependent on the equitable distribution of the payment, participants' belief and acceptance of the service being paid for, institutional histories that aid in the establishment of legitimacy and fairness, and the complementary nature of PES to more conventional enforcement methods.


Although the European Neighbourhood Policy contains a conflict prevention dimension, the outbreak of conflict in Georgia demonstrated the extent to which this dimension was underdeveloped at best, and completely ineffective, at worst. This article critically assesses the potential contribution that the Eastern Partnership initiative, and in particular its multilateral approach, can make to the EU's impact on creating a climate that is conducive to reconciliation and long-term stability. It is argued that the multilateral approach within the Eastern Partnership certainly offers 'new' potential for long-term transformation. However, it also asserts that to be effective it must address some fundamental weaknesses within its multilateral and bilateral governance mode.


The design of high-current high-voltage MOSFET inverters requires measures to reduce the switching losses of the flyback diodes. Saturable reactances have been used in the case of a 4.5-kVA MOSFET inverter to limit the di/dt during commutations. The switching overvoltages of the reactances are absorbed by one common clamping circuit per bridge leg. The drive control system and the space vector modulator for the generation of the PWM switching sequences are implemented in a single-chip microcomputer.