This thesis investigates the development of ultrasonic Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems, based on guided waves propagation, for the localization of low-velocity impacts and the detection of damage mechanisms in isotropic and anisotropic structures. For the identi- cation of the impact point, two main passive techniques were developed, an algorithm-based and an imaging-based method. The former approach is based on the dierences of the stress waves measured by a network of piezoelectric transducers surface bonded on plate-like structures. In particular, four piezoelectric sensors were used to measure the antisymmetrical A0 Lamb mode in isotropic materials, whilst six acoustic emission sensors were employed to record the wave packets in composite laminates. A joint time-frequency analysis based on the magnitude of the Continuous Wavelet Transform was used to determine the time of arrivals of the wave packets. Then, a combination of unconstrained optimization technique associated to a local Newton's iterative method was employed to solve a system of non linear equations, in order to assess the impact location coordinates and the wave group speeds. The main advantages of the proposed algorithms are that they do not require an a-priori estimation of the group velocity and the mechanical properties of the isotropic and anisotropic structures. Moreover, these algorithms proved to be very robust since they were able to converge from almost any guess point and required little computational time. In addition, this research provided a comparison between the theoretical and experimental results, showing that the impact source location and the wave velocity were predicted with reasonable accuracy. The passive imaging-based method was developed to detect in realtime the impact source in reverberant complex composite structures using only one passive sensor. This technique is based on the re- ciprocal time reversal approach, applied to a number of waveforms stored in a database containing the impulse responses of the structure. The proposed method allows achieving the optimal focalization of the acoustic emission source (impact event) as it overcomes the limitations of other ultrasonic impact localization techniques. Compared to a simple time reversal process, the robustness of this approach is experimentally demonstrated on a stiened composite plate. This thesis also extended active ultrasonic guided wave methods to the specic case of dissipative structures showing non-classical nonlinear behaviour. Indeed, an imaging method of the nonlinear signature due to impact damage in a reverberant complex anisotropic medium was developed. A novel technique called phase symmetry analysis, together with frequency modulated excitation signals, was used to characterize the third order nonlinearity of the structure by exploiting its invariant properties with the phase angle of the input waveforms. Then, a \virtual" reciprocal time reversal imaging process was employed to focus the elastic waves on the defect, by taking advantage of multiple linear scattering. Finally, the main characteristics of this technique were experimentally validated.


Abstract:Though much recent research has focused on the Septuagint of Isa 8, the majority of these studies have analyzed the text in individual units, which creates numerous problems of interpretation. This article reexamines the broader text and context of Isa 8 LXX and argues that the translator transformed this pericope into an extended dialogue between the righteous Israelites and the gentiles. The translator did so to bring out his larger concern that gentiles should not only worship YHWH but should also observe the entirety of Mosaic law. The translator's interpretation of the need for gentile law observance gives us a secondcentury BCE view into a debate that continues through Judaism and Christianity beyond the end of the Second Temple period.


s Hydroxyapatite (HA) is successfully used as a bio implant material because it resembles the bone apatite up to a great extent and possesses good biocompatibility. In the present study, HA powder has been synthesized by solgel technique. The as prepared powder was sintered at two different temperatures 400°C and 750°C to increase its crystallinity. A HA-CNT composite sample was also prepared to compare the results. The final sintered powder was characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to know about its phase content and morphology. Thermal Analysis (TGA-DTA) was carried out to study the stability of the powder with respect to temperature. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) was carried out to get the information about the elements present in the final powder and their respective weight percentage. The XRD pattern indicated the formation of Ca5HO13P3 and Ca2H8O11P2 phases. The higher temperature sintering of the as prepared samples leads to the good crystallinity. On the other hand, the powder sintered at 400°C could not show any crystalline phase formation. Moreover, the addition of CNTs increased the crystallinity and crystallite size of the powder.


The theme of this thesis is the reaction to fire performanceof wood and other building products, andparticularly thematerial fire properties time to ignition, rate of heat releaseand smoke production. These properties have been measured by asmall-scale fire test method, the Cone Calorimeter, andpresented for different types of building products.Uncertainty analysis, included instrument and assumptionuncertainty, has been performed for the case that both O2 andCO2 are measured for calculation of the rate of heat release inthe Cone Calorimeter. The partial derivatives for theuncertainty analysis are given. The relative uncertainty forthe rate of heat release measurements in the Cone Calorimeteris between ±5% to ±10% for rate of heat releasevalues larger than about 50 kW/m2.The time to ignition in the Cone Calorimeter is compatiblewith the time to ignition in the ISO Ignitability test, whichis the main test method for measuring time to ignition. Thetime to ignition is an increasing linear function of density.The rate of heat release in the Cone Calorimeter is dependentof material thickness and of use of retainer frame. Thematerial thickness gives the heat release curve duration andshape. Thin materials have short burning time and two maximumvalues. Thick materials have long burning time and when thematerial is thicker than about 35 mm no second maximum appears.When the retainer frame is used the actual exposed surface isreduced from 0.01 m2 to 0.0088 m2, the rate of heat release isreduced and the burning time is increased. A comparison ofresults with and without use of the retainer frame gives thenequal results when the exposed area is set to 0.0088 m2 in thecase of using the retainer frame.The time to flashover in the full-scale room corner test waspredicted on the basis of Cone Calorimeter data at 50 kW/m2 bya power law of ignition time, the total heat release calculatedover 300 s after ignition and the density of the product. Therelation gives a simple relation to evaluate if a productreaches flashover in the room corner test.The smoke production has also been measured in the ConeCalorimeter. The white light and the laser smoke measurementsystems have shown similar results. There is a correlationbetween Cone Calorimeter and room corner test smoke productionwhen the products are divided into groups: those that reachflashover in the room corner test in less than 10 min and thosethat have more than 10 min to flashover. Temperature profilesin wood have been measured in the Cone Calorimeter by a simpletechnique. The effect of fire protective gypsum plasterboardson the charring of wood frame members has been determined andcompared with fullscale furnace wall tests. The protectiveeffects of twenty different boards have been presented. ConeCalorimeter and furnace tests show similar charring of wooduntil the boards fall down in furnace tests. After that, thecharring of wood is higher in the furnace, because the wood isexposed directly to the fire.Keywords:building products, charring of wood, ConeCalorimeter, fire retardant treated wood, fire tests,ignitability, mass loss, rate of heat release, reaction tofire, smoke production, wood products


In Experiment 1, subjects were presented with either the odors or the names of 15 common objects. In Experiment 2, subjects were presented with either the odors, photographs, or names of 16 common objects. All subjects were asked to describe an autobiographical memory evoked by each cue, to date each memory, and to rate each memory on vividness, pleasantness, and the number of times that the memory had been thought of and talked about prior to the experiment. Compared with memories evoked by photographs or names, memories evoked by odors were reported to be thought of and talked about less often prior to the experiment and were more likely to be reported as never having been thought of or talked about prior to the experiment. No other effects were consistently found, though there was a suggestion that odors might evoke more pleasant and emotional memories than other types of cues. The relation of these results to the folklore concerning olfactory cuing is discussed.


The development of green and renewable energy is becoming increasingly more important in reducing environmental pollution and controlling CO2 discharge. Photocatalysis can be utilized to directly convert solar energy into chemical energy to achieve both the conversion and storage of solar energy. On this basis, photocatalysis is considered to be a prospective technology to resolve the current issues of energy supply and environmental pollution. Recently, several significant achievements in semiconductor-based photocatalytic renewable energy production have been reported. This review presents the recent advances in photocatalytic renewable energy production over the last three years by summarizing the typical and significant semiconductorbased and semiconductor-like photocatalysts for H2 production, CO2 conversion and H2O2 production. These reactions demonstrate how the basic principles of photocatalysis can be exploited for renewable energy production. Finally, we conclude our review of photocatalytic renewable energy production and provide an outlook for future related research. Page 2 of Chen et al. Energy Mater 2022;2:200001 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/energymater.2021.24 36


Abstract A laterally extensive Danian (early Paleogene) bryozoan mound complex is well exposed in 14 km of nearly continuous outcrop in the coastal cliff Stevns Klint in eastern Denmark. A NW–SE oriented seaway covered the Danish Basin in Danian time. It widened towards the NW, where it passed into the deeper North Sea Basin and narrowed towards the SE, where it was connected with the Polish Trough. The exposed mound succession is up to 20 m thick. Individual mounds are oval in plan view, internally asymmetrical, 5–11 m high, 45–110 m long in NNE–SSW oriented dip sections parallel to the direction of mound migration, and 50–300 m in strike sections. The southern flanks are steep and dip 15–30° mainly towards the SSW, whereas northern flanks have gentle dips of 0–15° towards the NNE. Four facies associations are distinguished: (1) the initial mound association, consisting mainly of bryozoan packstone–rudstone; (2) the steep flank-mound crest association, consisting of bryozoan rudstone with subsidiary octocoral and encrusting bryozoan rudstone and bryozoan grainstone; (3) the gentle-flank association, characterized by bryozoan packstone, and incipient to fully developed hardgrounds; and (4) the intermound association, consisting of echinoid rudstone, packstone, and minor occurrences of bioclastic grainstone and argillaceous wackestone–packstone beds and laminae. Facies analysis and mesoscale mapping indicate that the bryozoan mound complexes were formed in relatively deep, cool water below the photic zone and swell wave base. Deposition was influenced by along-slope currents, with prominent seasonal and long-term variations. Mound growth was governed by primarily in-place benthic carbonate production of mainly delicate branching bryozoans which baffled and trapped pelagic and detrital benthic carbonate mud. Gentle currents rich in particulate nutrients flowing towards the WNW deflected by the Coriolis force, and possibly a tidally or wind-induced upslope component towards the NNE, resulted in mound growth mainly towards the SSW. High production in the surface waters combined with an effective tidally induced mixing of the water column was important for transporting particulate nutrients to the bottom waters. Periodic intensification of the mean WNW-ward flowing bottom current system combined with a storm-associated downslope component towards the SSW resulted in winnowing and erosion of the northern mound flanks. Long-term periodic waning or cessation of bottom currents and possibly stratification of the water column resulted in very limited benthic carbonate production and mound growth associated with formation of extensive Thalassinoides burrow galleries mirrored by the rhythmic occurrences of flint nodule bands. Mound development thus reflects the delicate balance between biogenic growth towards particulate nutrient carrying currents, current winnowing, and erosion. The lack of framework buildup and the poorly cemented nature of the mounds is remarkable. In this respect they deviate from most other mound types known from the geological record, and may—possibly together with the sub-recent analogues on the Great Australian Bight—represent a new class of noncemented skeletal mounds.


OBJECTIVE: To assess the determining factors for Mycobacterium tuberculosis multidrug resistance at a referral center for infectious diseases in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted using data collected from September of 2000 to January of 2004. During this period, 473 cultures presenting growth of M. tuberculosis, corresponding to 313 patients, were submitted to susceptibility tests at the Central Laboratory of Minas Gerais. Cases presenting resistance to at least rifampin and isoniazid were classified as cases of multidrug resistance and were selected for study. These cases were paired to control group cases of drug-susceptible tuberculosis at a ratio of 1:3. Clinical and demographic data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: During the study period, 12 (3.83%) cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis were identified. In the univariate analysis, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis was found to be more common among male patients, as well as among those testing positive in the sputum smear microscopy, those with cavitations larger than 4 cm in diameter and those having been previously treated for tuberculosis (p = 0.10 for all). After the multivariate analysis, only previous treatment for tuberculosis remained statistically significant (p = 0.0374), with an odds ratio of 14.36 (1.96-176.46). CONCLUSION: In the present study, previous treatment for tuberculosis was found to be an independent risk factor for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.


The purpose of this study is to evaluate the real‐world dose utilization of Dysport and BOTOX for cervical dystonia and blepharospasm. Six investigational sites (five countries) were identified. Investigators abstracted utilization data for patients who received Dysport before switching to BOTOX or BOTOX before switching to Dysport. Patients were identified during scheduled clinic visits and selected if they met study criteria, which included treatment for at least 2 consecutive years (at least 1 year with Dysport or BOTOX, then switched and maintained on BOTOX or Dysport for at least another year). A total of 114 patients were included in the assessment. Ratios of mean dose for Dysport to BOTOX ranged from a low of 2:1 to a high of 11:1. Thirty‐one percent of patients fell into the Dysport‐to‐BOTOX ratio grouping of 5:1 to less than 6:1; 30% of patients had a mean ratio of Dysport to BOTOX of 4:1 to less than 5:1; and only 21% of all patients evaluated fell into the Dysport‐to‐BOTOX ratio grouping of 3:1 to less than 4:1. Results are consistent with United Kingdom labeling for botulinum toxins stating that units of different serotype A toxins are not interchangeable and simple dose‐conversion factors are not applicable. © 2005 Movement Disorder Society


BACKGROUND
Nuclear Hormone Receptors (NHR) are, as the name implies, receptors located in the cell nucleus that have transcription modulating characteristics. Activated non-steroidal lipophilic ligands bind these receptors resulting in dimerisation of the ligands, DNA-binding and transcriptional regulation of target proteins that influence especially cell differentiation, metabolic homeostasis and embryogenesis.

METHODS
This review is based on publications derived from PubMed based pursuit of scientific literature in conjunction with the authors' experience.

RESULTS
Here, a summary of NHR family members (RXR, PPAR, VDR, TR) first in respect to known general aspects such as ligands, binding domains, signalling mechanism and second focussing especially their influence on female reproduction is offered. Furthermore, crosstalk with other prominent signalling proteins important to trophoblast function [signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nuclear factor 'kappa-light-chain-enhancer' of activated B-cells (NFκB), Akt/ phosphaidyl-3-kinase (PI3K), and Wnt, are described.

CONCLUSION
Considering their attributes, it is not surprising that NHR family members play a central role in female reproduction by targeting cell differentiation, metabolic homeostasis and embryogenesis. However, it seems that crosstalk depends on stage of trophoblast differentiation.


: Thrombocytopenia is a life-threatening condition, the severity of which is exacerbated further if the patient requires anticoagulation and is refractory to platelet transfusion. This is the fi rst report of an infant undergoing extracorporeal support with immune-mediated platelet refractoriness. A 19-month-old girl, with a complex cardiac history, required extracorporeal support because of deterioration 8 days post-cardiac surgery. The child suffered from ongoing thrombocytopenia, unresponsive to multiple platelet transfusions. An incremental rise in the platelet count was achieved following transfusion of human leukocyte antigen – matched platelets, although this was unsuccessful with subsequent transfusions of matched platelets. Following 7 days on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), without cardiac improvement and likely poor prognosis, treatment was withdrawn and the patient died. The management of immune-mediated platelet refractoriness, in an anticoagulated patient on ECMO, requires early diagnosis and timely intervention to achieve a good outcome for the child. An understanding of the condition and a multidisciplinary approach to its treatment will assist in effective direction of


Most programs to prevent and counter violent extremism (CVE) now include support programs for families of violent extremists. However, like many other CVE interventions and programs, the evidence base is still very limited. This article presents a literature review and a multi-method data assessment (including interviews with parents and family members of jihadist foreign fighters, with experts, focus groups with families of foreign fighters and policy makers) regarding the evidence base for family support programs in the CVE field. This fits within a recent trend to develop and apply evaluation to the CVE field. This article differs from other CVE evaluation studies, because it applies realist review and realistic evaluation ex ante rather than ex post. This article demonstrates that such an ex ante approach can contribute to the legitimacy, feasibility and effectiveness of CVE policy and prepare the ground for more thorough evaluation research.


Abstract This study adopted the scaling approach to examine the impacts of inventories on tuna auction prices in Japan using the Rotterdam inverse demand system. The inclusion of two inventory variables in the model only increases the number of parameters by two. Results indicate that frozen tunas are more likely to be close substitutes, fresh and frozen tunas of the same species are also likely to be substitutes, and inventory had significant impacts on auction prices.


The adjusted average per capita cost (AAPCC) formula is used to determine payment to health maintenance organizations (HMOs) by Medicare. The four original underwriting factors (i.e., age, sex, institutional status, and welfare status) for the AAPCC were calibrated from the Current Medicare Surveys for 1974-76. Those factors have been updated by various actuarial adjustments. Revised calculations of the AAPCC underwriting factors are presented using survey data from the 1984 National Long-Term Care Survey and expenditure data from the Medicare Part A and Part B bill files. Also examined is the effect on the underwriting factors of chronic functional disability, defined as having one or more chronic limitations in activities of daily living. Comparison of alternative underwriting factors is conducted by simulating the dollar impact on payment to HMOs for select enrollee populations.


More than 15% of global terrestrial area is under some form of protection and there is a growing impetus to increase this coverage to 30% by 2030. But not all protection is effective and the reasons some countries' protected areas (PAs) are more effective than others' are poorly understood. We evaluate the effectiveness of national PA networks established between 2000 and 2012 globally in avoiding forest loss, taking into account underlying deforestation threats using a combination of matching methods and cross-sectional regressions. We then assess which demographic, agricultural, economic, and governance factors are most strongly associated with national PA effectiveness using machine learning methods. We estimate that national PAs established between 2000 and 2012 reduced deforestation in those areas by 72%, avoiding 86 062 km2 of forest loss. The effectiveness of national PAs varied by strictness of protection based on International Union for Conservation of Nature category. Strictly PAs reduced forest loss by 81% compared to what would have occurred without protection, while less strictly PAs reduced forest loss by 67%. Thus, the 26% of new PAs that were strictly protected contributed 39% of the total forest loss avoided within PAs between 2000 and 2012. If every country's PAs were as effective as the country with the most effective PAs within the same region, they would have increased the area of deforestation avoided by 38%, saving a further 119 082 km2 of forest. Part of the variation in PA effectiveness across countries is explained by the placement of PA in areas facing higher deforestation threat. Countries with lower agricultural activity, higher economic growth and better governance are most strongly associated with greater country-level PA effectiveness.


It is well-established that many iterative sparse reconstruction algorithms can be unrolled to yield a learnable neural network for improved empirical performance. A prime example is learned ISTA (LISTA) where weights, step sizes and thresholds are learned from training data. Recently, Analytic LISTA (ALISTA) has been introduced, combining the strong empirical performance of a fully learned approach like LISTA, while retaining theoretical guarantees of classical compressed sensing algorithms and significantly reducing the number of parameters to learn. However, these parameters are trained to work in expectation, often leading to suboptimal reconstruction of individual targets. In this work we therefore introduce Neurally Augmented ALISTA, in which an LSTM network is used to compute step sizes and thresholds individually for each target vector during reconstruction. This adaptive approach is theoretically motivated by revisiting the recovery guarantees of ALISTA. We show that our approach further improves empirical performance in sparse reconstruction, in particular outperforming existing algorithms by an increasing margin as the compression ratio becomes more challenging.


During the past 50 years, CO2 emissions have increased by 90 %. Combustion
of fossil fuel for energy and transportation and emissions from industrial
processes are the two major contributors to these increased CO2 emissions
[14]. Because of increasing energy demand and the desire to reduce the CO2
emissions, research to decrease our dependence on fossil-based products has
grown during recent years. A way to decrease CO2 emissions is to substitute
fossil-based products with biomass-based products [18].
One of the products that can be produced from biomass is bioethanol. The
process of converting biomass to bioethanol require multiple procedures due
to the complex structure of the raw material [18]. These procedures can be
classi ed into the following sections; pre-treatment section, bioreactor section
and downstream section. In this thesis economic evaluation of a fed-batch
bioreactor system, comprising of a yeast propagation procedures and a procedure
for sacchari cation and fermentation (SSF), has been the focus.
To make an economical comparison between dierent scheduling cases a batch
operating model in SuperPro Designer (SPD) was developed. A batch model
has the advantage compared to a continuous model to give a more detailed
analysis of the bioreactor section that accounts for the fed-batch behaviour
and to account for time-dependency and sequencing of events.
The results from the model created indicates that there are economic advantages,
decreased annual operating cost and equipment cost, to be gained
from optimized scheduling of the process. Results from variation in reaction
time for SSF and reactor volume shows that both these impacts the scheduling.
Optimizing the scheduling of a industrial-scaled process based on data
from lab-scale tests may be problematic since the time required for a certain
process, such as SSF, may be dierent depending on the size of the process.
If the time required to get high enough conversion in a SSF process increases
for a a larger process the scheduling may be unfeasible, which gives that more
reactors has to be purchased and included in the layout of the plant. The
conclusion is therefore that scheduling using data from small-scale should
allow for some
exibility.


Objective:The current study compares outcome after resection of papillary hilar cholangiocarcinoma to that of the more common nodular-sclerosing subtype. Methods:Clinical, radiologic, histopathologic, and survival data on all patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma were analyzed. Resected tumors were reexamined and classified as nodular-sclerosing (no component of papillary carcinoma) or papillary (any component of papillary carcinoma); for papillary tumors, the proportion of invasive carcinoma present was determined. Differences in the clinical behavior and histopathologic features of nodular-sclerosing and papillary tumors were assessed. Results:From January 1991 to November 2003, 279 patients were evaluated, 154 men (55.2%) and 125 women (44.8%), with a mean age of 65.4 ± 0.7 years (median = 68, range 23–87 years). Of the 215 patients explored, 106 (49.5%) underwent a complete gross resection. An en bloc partial hepatectomy (n = 87) and an R0 resection (n = 82) were independent predictors of favorable outcome. Operative mortality was 7.5% but was 2.8% over the last 4 years of the study, and there were no operative deaths in the last 33 consecutive resections. Twenty-five resected tumors (23.6%) contained a papillary component: 12 were minimally or noninvasive (<10% invasive cancer) and 13 had an invasive component ranging from 10% to 95% (≥10%). Patients with papillary and nodular-sclerosing tumors had similar demographics, operative procedures, and proportion of R0 resections. By contrast, papillary tumors were significantly larger, more often well-differentiated, and earlier stage. Disease-specific survival after resection of papillary tumors (55.7 months) was greater than after resection of nodular-sclerosing lesions (33.5 months, P = 0.013). The papillary phenotype was an independent predictor of survival, although the benefit was more pronounced for less invasive tumors. Conclusions:The presence of a component of papillary carcinoma is more common than previous reports have suggested and is an important determinant of survival after resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma.


Studies of realized niche shifts in alien species typically ignore the potential effects of intraspecific niche variation and different invaded-range environments on niche lability. We incorporate our detailed knowledge of the native-range source populations and global introduction history of the delicate skink ( Lampropholis delicata ) to examine intraspecific variation in realized niche expansion and unfilling, and investigate how alternative niche modelling approaches are affected by that variation. We analyzed the realized niche dynamics of L . delicata using an ordination method, ecological niche models (ENMs), and occurrence records from (i) Australia (native range), (ii) New Zealand, (iii) Hawaii, (iv) the two distinct native-range clades that were the sources for the New Zealand and Hawaii introductions, and (v) the species' global range (including Lord Howe Island, Australia). We found a gradient of realized niche change across the invaded ranges of L . delicata : niche stasis on Lord Howe Island, niche unfilling in New Zealand (16%), and niche unfilling (87%) and expansion (14%) in Hawaii. ENMs fitted to native-range data generally identified suitable climatic conditions at sites where the species has established non-native populations, whereas ENMs based on native-range source clades and non-native populations showed lower spatial transferability. Our results suggest that the extent to which realized niches are maintained during invasion does not depend on species-level traits. When realized niche shifts are predominately due to niche unfilling, fully capturing species' responses along climatic gradients by basing ENMs on native distributions may be more important for invasion forecasts than incorporating phylogenetic differentiation, or integrating niche changes in the invaded range.


Chalcogenides-based thin film solar cells are great competitors to beat high efficiencies as silicone solar cells. The chalcogenides that have been commonly used as absorber materials are CIS, CIGS, and CZTS. They present some advantages of having a direct and tunable band gap, high absorption coefficient and respectable efficiency to cost ratio. Solution processable deposition approaches for the fabrication of solar cells attracts a great deal attention due to its lower capital cost of the manufacturing than the vacuum-based techniques. In this chapter, we detail the use of a low-cost method of deposition for the chalcogenide thin films by spin-coating and spray-coating, which is already widely employed in several fields of industries.


When the Egyptian people forced their leader from power on February 11, 2011, hopes for an 'Arab Spring' ran high. The ouster of Ben Ali in Tunisia just 11 days earlier was earth-shattering in itself, but regime collapse in the Arab world's most populous country after just 18 days of protest was an event of far greater magnitude. Memories of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, whose ripples would define regional politics for more than a decade, were fresh enough to give even the most 'stable' of Arab monarchies and republics pause for thought. The impact of this latest Egyptian 'revolution' is, however, conditioned by the extent to which genuine regime change and democratic transformation are achieved. More than a year later, neither prospect is assured.


Much of the work on tidal inlets carried out to date has been devoted to the determination of time-independent equilibrium criteria for the inlet dimensions. The relationships have generally been defined in terms of tidal prism, inlet velocity, littoral transport and mouth area. In the case of the River Murray Mouth it has been found that river flows play a major role in maintaining the inlet, and that the inlet dimensions are directly affected by the magnitude of those flows. The emphasis of the present study has been to utilise Time Series Analysis techniques to analyse and quantify the dynamic aspects of the inlet behaviour. The work presented includes results of the analysis leading to the identification of a linear system between the river flows and the mouth restriction. It is proposed that the use of Time Series Analysis has enabled a clear understanding of the role of river flow in maintaining the inlet to be gained and has provided a tool which is proving useful in managing the mouth.


Background The purpose of this systematic review was to accurately assess the procedural success of ridge preservation technique through the application of strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data Sources A methodical search of PubMed of the US National Library of Medicine and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was conducted for applicable articles. Only randomized controlled trials comparing ridge preservation treatment with a nongrafting control, ten-subject minimum sample size, and three or more months of follow-up were included in our study. Types of Studies Reviewed In a screening between January 1980 and September 2017, articles meeting predetermined criteria were further examined in a qualitative data analysis. A thorough search of the databases provided 1876 articles. Of these records, 174 were assessed for eligibility through the systematic employment of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results Two records were appropriate for further data analysis. One study used a mixture of a deproteinized cancellous bovine bone and porcine collagen fibers in a block form (DBB/CF), while the other study used leukocyte-platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF). The use of DBB/CF reduced the magnitude of vertical bone resorption, yet the study showed high risk of bias. The use of L-PRF reduced the magnitude of both the horizontal and vertical crestal bone resorption; however, the low sample size created wide standard deviations between the test and control groups. Inherent weaknesses were present in both studies. Through methodical analysis of both records, the dissimilarities prevented the conduction of a meta-analysis. Implications of Key Findings Within the limitations of this systematic review, L-PRF reduced the magnitude of vertical and horizontal bone resorption, which places L-PRF as a potential material of choice for ridge preservation procedures. Conclusions Within the limitations and weaknesses of both studies, the use of DBB/CF prevented the vertical crestal bone resorption while the L-PRF prevented both the horizontal and vertical crestal bone resorption. More randomized controlled clinical trials are needed to eliminate all the confounding factors, which bias the outcome of ridge preservation techniques.


Inspired by recent work of Meduna on deep pushdown automata, we consider the computational power of a class of basic program schemes, NPSDSs, based around assignments, while-loops and non-deterministic guessing but with access to a deep pushdown stack which, apart from having the usual push and pop instructions, also has deep-push instructions which allow elements to be pushed to stack locations deep within the stack. We syntactically define sub-classes of NPSDSs by restricting the occurrences of pops, pushes and deep-pushes and capture the complexity classes NP and PSPACE. Furthermore, we show that all problems accepted by program schemes of NPSDSs are in EXPTIME.


This paper reports on a student project performed at the University of Southampton jointly by 4th year MEng students within the course "Advanced Radio Communications". The aim was to design a software modem capable of transmitting 16kb/s of data, whereby random number generation, advanced modulation, pulse shaping, synchronisation, and error counting techniques had to be applied. The ultimate aim was the implementation on a Texas Instruments TMS320-C6201 EVM board, which dictated some of the specifications of the design.


The aim in information filtering is to provide users with a personalised selection of information, based on a description of their interest profile. These can be automatically generated or set by users. We can expect that users sometimes will want to be able to review their profiles even if they are system generated.
We present a study of the effects of combining automatic profiling with explicit user involvement. Firstly, we wanted to explore if a machine-learned profile would benefit from being based on an initial explicit user profile. Secondly, we tested if profiles that provided better filtering also were better liked by users. Finally, we tested if users could make improvements to machine-learned profiles. We found that the initial set-up of a personal profile was effective, and yielded performance improvements even after feedback training. However, the study showed no correlation between users ratings of profiles and their filtering performance. Neither were there any conclusive evidence that users could improve on the system-generated profiles.


Recently, separation science in the presence of cyclodextrins (CDs) has been paid more and more attention. Two important technologies based on CDs, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and ionic liquid (IL) cooperating approach, have been studied extensively and not been reviewed. MIPs are significant and important in separation processes. MIPs based on cyclodextrins (CD-MIPs) take advantage of unique properties of cyclodextrins and are applied in the separation of various molecules. Different methods for preparation CD-MIPs and supramolecular interactions in the systems are reviewed. Furthermore, ILs have been also widely used in separation science. Cooperative effect of CDs and ILs together for separation usage is discussed in this paper. The related separation techniques are mainly capillary electrophoresis (CE) and gas chromatography (GC). CD-MIPs and cooperative effect of ILs in separation methods, which are two important aspects in cyclodextrins separation science, are summarized here. It is hoped that the discussion on the above two topics will stimulate further research.


Gray mold, caused by Botrytis cinerea, severely affects the base of the stems of lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) plants as well as the cut stems left after flowers are harvested. This study examined infection of lisianthus plants by B. cinerea under laboratory and commercial greenhouse production conditions typical for Israel and evaluated cultural methods for manipulating disease development in commercial greenhouses. Although the lower nodes of lisianthus stems are typically infected, in this study, the inherent susceptibility of these nodes was less than that of nodes midway up the stem. Greater light intensity (4,860 lux) was associated with significantly more severe stem wounds than lower light intensities of 140 to 1,020 lux. Lower light intensity (140 lux) was associated with significantly more severe leaf infection. The development of gray mold along leaves toward the stem was slower at 26 degrees C than at 18 to 20 degrees C and was fastest at relative humidity (RH) levels close to saturation (>99%). B. cinerea infection developed in all stem wounds exposed to 65 to 99% RH and at temperatures of 12 to 29 degrees C. Infection severity in stem wounds (measured as lesion length) on whole plants was significantly less at 26 degrees C than at 18 or 22 degrees C, and was significantly higher at 99% RH compared with 70 to 85 and 85 to 95% RH. Severity of gray mold was the greatest at 15 to 22 degrees C and 85 to 99% RH. Under commercial greenhouse conditions, supplemental calcium (Ca(NO3)2) applied in fertigation or as a spray led to moderate yet significant reduction in disease severity. In addition, polyethylene soil cover and the use of buried drip irrigation instead of surface drip irrigation suppressed gray mold significantly on cut stems following harvest. Covering the soil with polyethylene also suppressed gray mold significantly as compared with the common practice of growing lisianthus in bare soil.


There is no doubt that current lifestyle trends are leading to the epidemic of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. It follows that physicians, nutritionists, and professionals concerned with health need to be adept at nutrition and lifestyle counseling as the only feasible and acceptable approach. Clearly any manual that provides effective guidance in achieving the needed behavior changes will be exceedingly useful. This book is based on the author's experience and has been written to provide strategies for taking into account the individual's current situation and making changes that ensure improved health over time. Various sections of the book present ways to effect lasting behavioral changes in different age groups, including suggestions for motivational interviews and strategies for dietary change. Ways of using social cognitive theory and stages of change theory are presented. This is a text for practitioners who strive to help patients change in desirable ways that they can maintain, as well as an instructional text for students.


In the present study, glucose, maltose, and glycerol inhibition effects for alpha-amylase hydrolyzing rice starch were investigated. For the enzymatic hydrolyzsis of rice starch, α-amylase enzyme produced from Bacillus licheniformis was used. During the starch hydrolysis experiments, the temperature and pH were kept constant at 60°C and 6.5 respectively. The reactions were carried out in 0.5 L of aqueous solutions containing 1, 2, 4, and 8% (w/v) rice starch. The amount of α-amylase enzyme added to this solution was 5 mL per liter (approximately 130500 units/L). The amounts of glucose, maltose, and glycerol added to the reaction solution were 4 and 8% (w/v), 4 and 8% (w/v), and 5 and 10% (v/v), respectively. An emprical model effectively simulated the data of residual starch concentration as a function of processing time for each condition. The Lineweaver-Burk plots showed that the inhibition effects of these added materials were uncompetitive.


Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) appeared as outbreak in 2019 in Wuhan, China. It has been classified as pandemic disease and more severe than predicted; with infections already recorded in a variety of countries. This study aims to confirm the COVID-19 infection through the following tests: hematological, C-reactive protein (CRP). Samples were collected from the infected patients and sent to the National Flu Center (Central Public Health Laboratory) for COVID-19 (positive or negative) diagnosis by the RT-PCR technique. In this study, sixty five of COVID-19 patients and twenty five of healthy control samples male and female were collected in Iraq. There are significant differences in the parameters of the hematological markers for patients in comparing with the control group and no significant differences were observed in Hb when RBC and GRAN percent rise in patients relative to the control group with P=0.0395 and P=0.0354 respectively comparing with the control group. White blood cells (WBC), Lymphocyte (LYM%), Platelets (PIT), monocyte (Mid%), hematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean platelet volume (MPV), plateletcrit (PCT) was drop dramatically in patients compared to control group. Fifty-one of patients for whom the test was given exhibited a positive (CRP) result. Likewise, the results showed that few patients were negative to CRP test. The Hematological parameters levels (HCT, MCV, MCH, Pelt, WBC, LYM, Mid, MPV, PCT) decreased, but Hb, RBC, GRAN% increased. C-reactive protein test showed a positive result in 85% of patients which can be considered an indicator for predicting severity infection with COVID-19.


This paper reports substantially enhanced fatigue and corrosion-fatigue lifetimes of propulsion shaft materials, 23284A steel and 23284A steel with In625 weld overlay cladding, as a result of shot or laser peening. Glass reinforced plastic (GRP) coatings and Inconel claddings are used to protect shafts against general corrosion and corrosion pitting. However salt water leakage penetrating under a GRP can actually enhance pitting leading to crack initiation and growth. Fatigue coupons, untreated and with shot or laser peening were tested, including with simultaneous salt water immersion. Controlled corrosion of the surfaces was simulated with electric discharge machining (EDM) of deep pits enabling evaluation of fatigue and corrosion-fatigue lifetimes. Results specifically show high energy laser peening (HELP) to be a superior solution, improving corrosion-fatigue resistance of shaft and cladding metal, reducing the potential for corrosion pits to initiate fatigue cracks and dramatically slowing crack growth rates. At a heavy loading of 110% of the 23284A steel yield stress and with 0.020 inch deep pits, laser peening increased fatigue life of the steel by 1370% and by 350% in the corrosion-fatigue testing.


Novel fixed-length decimal encoding mechanism is proposed, which is for techniques of path planning of mobile robot based on an improved genetic algorithm. Effective path grids are adopted to identify the robot's motion surrounding. The obstacles can be described as polygons based on the given grids. The only vertexes of every obstacles polygon have corresponding unique decimal series value by the intersection of the grids. Then the planning paths of the mobile robot are encoded into decimal encode string, which equals to the sum of the numbers of all effective vertexes of polygons in path grids. In the chromosome, the decimal value of each nonzero bit is the code of vertex about corresponding obstacle for the path planning. The sequence of vertexes in a chromosome is that in the planning path. Such an encoding manner has the excellent adaptation for fixed-length decimal encoding mechanism; it also easily overcomes the trap of obstacles in path planning algorithm. The algorithm makes the path planning more simple and effective, and speeds up convergent speed of the algorithm. Numerical simulation to the problem shows the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.


Abstract. Carbon budgets for the polar oceans require better constraint on air–sea gas exchange in the sea ice zone (SIZ). Here, we utilize advances in the theory of turbulence, mixing and air–sea flux in the ice–ocean boundary layer (IOBL) to formulate a simple model for gas exchange when the surface ocean is partially covered by sea ice. The gas transfer velocity (k) is related to shear-driven and convection-driven turbulence in the aqueous mass boundary layer, and to the mean-squared wave slope at the air–sea interface. We use the model to estimate k along the drift track of ice-tethered profilers (ITPs) in the Arctic. Individual estimates of daily-averaged k from ITP drifts ranged between 1.1 and 22 m d−1, and the fraction of open water (f) ranged from 0 to 0.83. Converted to area-weighted effective transfer velocities (keff), the minimum value of keff was 10−55 m d−1 near f = 0 with values exceeding keff = 5 m d−1 at f = 0.4. The model indicates that effects from shear and convection in the sea ice zone contribute an additional 40% to the magnitude of keff, beyond what would be predicted from an estimate of keff based solely upon a wind speed parameterization. Although the ultimate scaling relationship for gas exchange in the sea ice zone will require validation in laboratory and field studies, the basic parameter model described here demonstrates that it is feasible to formulate estimates of k based upon properties of the IOBL using data sources that presently exist.


A growing consensus suggests that incarcerating offenders tends to have either null or criminogenic effects at both the individual and neighborhood levels. There is also further evidence that there are unintended consequences of incarcerating juvenile offenders such as delayed psychosocial development and school dropout. The current study considers a much less examined hypothesis — that correctional environments can facilitate the accumulation of "criminal capital" and might actually encourage offending by serving as a school of crime. Using unique panel data from a sample of serious juvenile offenders, we are able to identify the criminal capital effect by considering illegal earnings and information regarding institutional stays over a seven year period. We have two separate measures that tap into the different mechanisms by which offenders can acquire criminal capital within institutions: the prevalence of friends in the facility who have committed income generating crimes and the length of institutional stays as a cumulative dosage. We find that both facility measures have independent positive effects on an individual's daily illegal wage rate, even after controlling for important time varying covariates. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.


Originating from the north eastern Asia, Crassostrea gigas has been introduced and translocated, mainly for aquaculture purpose, into several European countries (from Norway to Portugal and in the Mediterranean Sea) (1). Although highly variable, the invasiveness pattern of C. gigas has been demonstrated in several countries and therefore considered as a pest or a noxious species in those areas (2 and 3).Our project aims at identifying the characteristics of such a flourishing species: can its success be explained by chance and/or global warming only or does it exhibit a more important potential of adaptation than other species? Therefore we developed a population genomics approach, known as genome scan . It corresponds to the study of numerous loci spread through the genome, in order to quantify the part of the genome affected by a molecular signature that takes the form of a valley of diversity centred on the selected mutation (selective sweep) (see example in Figure 1a) and/or the form of an unexpected level of population differentiation (see example in Figure 1b). The genome scan is performed with AFLPs (Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms) as this technique allows obtaining a considerable number of loci over a large number of genomic regions which is a pre-requisite for studying the genetic basis of adaptation using genome scan method. We are genotyping different colonizing populations (Charente Maritime, Brittany and Herault – France, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden), and a native population (Japan). Equilibrium models are then used to evaluate outliers to help focus research on genomic regions of interest. In addition, we are mapping on a reference population the candidate outliers and quantifying the part of the genome affected by a loss of diversity. We present and discuss here the first results.


Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are a very diverse group of tumors with a worldwide rise in incidence. Systemic therapy remains the mainstay treatment for unresectable and/or metastatic NENs. 177Lu-DOTATATE, a radiopharmaceutical which emits beta particles, has emerged as a promising therapy for metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs). However, limited treatment options are available particularly after the failure of 177Lu-DOTATATE therapy. This review aims to identify and summarize the available evidence for, and potential adverse events of, targeted alpha-particle therapy (TAT) in the treatment of metastatic NENs, specifically GEP-NENs. The MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane Library databases were searched. Two articles which met the inclusion criteria were identified and included in the review. Putative radiopharmaceuticals that can be considered for metastatic NEN treatment include 225Actinium (225Ac)-DOTATATE and 213Bismuth (213Bi)-DOTATOC. There was evidence of partial response using both radiopharmaceutical agents without significant hematological, renal, or hepatotoxicity. Future studies should consider longer term, randomized controlled trials investigating the role of TAT, in particular, 225Ac-DOTATATE, in the treatment of metastatic NENs.


When the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1987 introduced the educational policy that required study of one of the three national languages, i.e., Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, at the West African School Certificate / General Certificate in Education [WASC / GCE] level, Nigerians and especially advocates for the survival of the indigenous languages embraced the idea with great enthusiasm. The primary aim was to make more Nigerians speak indigenous languages in addition to the language of their immediate environment. However, this purpose was frustrated when students opted for, and indeed registered for, their mother tongues rather than a non-familiar indigenous language. If the policy had been actually followed, the country would have generated citizens, who not only speak their own indigenous languages, but also citizens who have a practical knowledge of all of their country's traditional languages. But this did not happen. In this paper, we look at the attitudes of private school teachers to the teaching of the indigenous languages vis-a-vis the competence and performance of students in these indigenous languages. The study is not only comparative but also correlative. The methodological instruments included a questionnaire, interview, a quasi-test and examination of junior / senior secondary school leaving certificates. Our findings revealed that students' performances, as reflected in their results, do not demonstrate their competence in the indigenous languages in question. Similarly, we observed that both the teachers and the learners are instrumentally and not integratively motivated


This guide will help students to understand what information is useful for their research papers, as well as provide a step-by-step guide for the use of that information.


The design, synthesis, structural and physical characterization and engineering, and the study of the electrical conductivity and the nonlinear optical properties of phthalocyanines and molecular substances related to them, such as subphthalocyanines, hemiporphyrazines and triazolephthalocyanines were reviewed.


Maize/soybean strip intercropping is a commonly used system throughout China with high crop yields at reduced nutrient input compared to sole maize. Maize is the taller crop, and due to its dominance in light capture over soybean in the intercrop, maize is expected to outperform maize in sole cropping. Conversely, soybean is the subordinate crop and intercropped soybean plants are expected to perform worse than sole soybean. Crop plants show plastic responses in plant architecture to their growing conditions to forage for light and avoid shading. There is little knowledge on plant architectural responses to growing conditions in simultaneous (non-relay) intercropping and their relationship to species yields. A two-year field experiment with two simultaneous maize/soybean intercropping systems with narrow and wide strips was conducted to characterise architectural traits of maize and soybean plants grown as intercrop and sole crops. Intercropped maize plants, especially those in border rows, had substantially greater leaf area, biomass and yield than maize plants in sole crops. Intercropped soybean plants, especially those in border rows, had lower leaf area, biomass and yield than sole soybean plants. Overall intercrop performance was similar to that of sole crops, with the land equivalent ratio (LER) being only slightly greater than one (1.03–1.08). Soybean displayed typical shade avoidance responses in the intercrop, such as greater internode elongation and changes in specific leaf area, but these responses could not overcome the consequences of the competition with the taller maize plants. Therefore, in contrast to relay intercrop systems, in the studied simultaneous maize/soybean system, plastic responses did not contribute to practically relevant increases in resource capture and yield at whole system (i.e., intercrop) level.


The existing sowing systems (SS) of machines for application of fertilizers not fully provide quality of introduction of mineral fertilizers. Unevenness and instability of application of fertilizers reach 20-40% at demanded to 15%. It, first of all, is connected with hygro-scopicity of fertilizers and imperfection of SS. For ensuring necessary quality of distribution of mineral fertilizers across the field at their intra soil differentiated introduction SS, equipped with glow coil of original design. is offered. Pins of the coil are executed in the form of the tetrahedral truncated pyramids located on crossing right and left of screw lines on a coil surface. Flow rate of SS was regulated with the help of the executive mechanism with the linear actuator and a reducer modified for work with the block of control and management accord-ing to the prescription map. Researches were conducted on purpose: estimating of operability of new SS, with the new drive for change of frequency of rotation of the coil; establishments of functional dependences between flow rate of SS, i.e. ability to provide its necessary range of change of doses at the differentiated introduction of fertilizers; estimates of quality of work of experimental SS for the differentiated intro-duction of mineral fertilizers. Researches were carried out as in laboratory, and field conditions. Functional dependence of flow rate of SS on number of turns of coils is received. It is established also that flow rate of SS directly depends on percent of opening of the actuator and frequency of rotation of the sowing coil. It is established that at SS with the three experimental coil devices – unevenness of seeding between devices makes 4.5%. Instability of seeding doesn't exceed 3%. The maximum values of unevenness of seeding between 3 sowing devices and instability of seeding between replications are received when opening of the actuator was 40%, and frequency of rotation - 22 rpm, which nevertheless, also meet requirements for the sowing systems.


6s. net. 1912. (Spon.) What is hydrodynamics ? According to the classification in the 9th edition of the Encyclopaedia it is a purely mathematical investigation of the equations of motion (and their integrals) of a purely hypothetical medium called a perfect fluid (sometimes also a viscous fluid), sometimes enclosed in or bounded by surfaces of various forms, such as infinitely long elliptic cylinders or confocal ellipsoids, sometimes containing sources or doublets such as could not possibly be produced experimentally. It really consists, to all intents and purposes, in a study of certain partial differential equations, and it fails to take account of the conditions prevailing in the practical engineering problems associated witli town water supply, resistance of ships, screw propellers and aeroplanes. Still the subject is studied by engineering students, probably to their advantage. According to this definition, Col. De Villamil's book has nothing whatever to do with hydrodynamics, and its title would perhaps have been correct if the author had described it as the A B C of Hydraulics. I t deals with such questions as the inapplicability of properties of an infinite liquid to liquids of finite extent, the various forms of fluid resistance, such as those due to viscosity, discontinuous motion, vortex motion and eddy formation, and their dependence on the assumed properties of the liquid. The author examines the general conclusions of such writers as Lord Kelvin, Lord Rayleigh, Stokes, Lamb and other theorists in the light of such experiments as those of Osborne Reynolds, Hele Shaw, Poiseuille, Lanchester and others. His book contains no long abstract equations, but rather statements of experimental evidence. While the author evidently holds strong views on the subject, he is very careful to make the book largely a critical discussion of the views of others. A summary of conclusions is given at the end of each chapter. Some of these conclusions will be readily admitted by most people, for example the statement on page 128 that the resistance experienced by moving bodies is chiefly caused by eddy formation. On the other hand, no useful purpose would be served in this review in entering upon a controversy as to whether the mathematician's ideal, "continuous incompressible inviscid infinite liquid," involves contradictions of terms, thus resembling the irresistible body meeting the impenetrable obstacle. There are not very many inducements to a mathematician to try and adapt his work to the requirements of engineers, and if he really wishes to do so he will generally find it better to become an engineer and give up most of his mathematics, relying on the introduction of constants or coefficients to save him from running his head against insoluble differential equations. On the other hand, the hypothetical conditions assumed by the mathematician have pretty well done their duty when they have been made use of to write down differential equations, and it may be argued that the inconsistencies of which Col. De Villamil complains do not apply to the equations themselves.


History and Objectives : Due to discrepancies on the role of cholecystokinin receptors in pain and on the role of surgical processes and nerve ligation as a pain inducer and hyperalgesic agent, the present experimental study was carried. Materials and Methods: An experimental study was performed on groups of mine mice. The unilateral nerve ligation was made on the right hind limb, according to the Seltzer's method. The pain sensitivity was measured by the hot-plate test based on Eddy and Leimbach's method. Antinociception was measured in a 60 min period of time (15, 30, 45, 60 min) after injection. Control group in all of the experiments were received vehicle or saline solution. Experimental group were compared with the control group. Results: Different doses of morphine (3, 6 and 9 mg/kg) induced a dose dependent antinociception in the intact and nerve ligated animals but nerve ligation did not decrease caerulein response. In another experiment, carulein, proglumide and the combination of two drugs induced antinociception but there was no interaction between the two drugs. Conclusion: CCK agonists or their combination with morphine can be used for the treatment of neuropathic pain. The mechanism of action of CCK agonist has not been elucidated and further research is needed to unravel its action.


A generalised n-level flying capacitor (FC)-based active-neutral-point-clamped (ANPC) voltage source converter is discussed in this study. The converter is based on the arrangement of a three-level ANPC cell and a number of two-level cells creating an n-level line-to-neutral voltage waveform. The converter is operated under a phase-shifted carrier (PSC) pulse-width modulation (PWM) technique. The mathematical model for the DC-link capacitors' voltage behaviour of the three-phase converter is also presented. It is shown through simulations that the voltage of the FCs can naturally balance to the required level to generate the required waveforms. Selected results are included in the study to support the analysis. Moreover, experimental results taken from a single-phase seven-level FC-based ANPC converter prototype are also presented to verify the theoretical considerations.


Ibn H{anbal was a great mujaddid Islam with the final work hadith titled al-Musnad. Musnad is a hadith which contains a range of devices beyond the author himself, namely: (1) the teacher as transmitter of the tradition, (2) management through the involvement of his family, and (3) generation of editing afterwards, (4) the reclassification composition for service development literature, and (5) i'râb against him. The latter two devices make the referensif Musnad rises higher. Musnad strategies are (1) the involvement of the gate-keeper as the key to unlocking the information, (2) checking the validity of data through cross-check and overtime, and (3) the transformation of information to open criticism. Musnad role in the science of hadith are (1) collection of hadith which are highest among the narrators, (2) the methodology of the strategies used; and (3) contribution to the tradition of jurisprudence. In that role there contributive involvement in the preparation of Musnad second line in an orderly manner, the addition of hadith from other sources, and updates the edition.


This study, using a virus-free mouse model, explores the pathogenic roles of certain antibodies specific to the spike proteins of highly pathogenic coronaviruses such as the COVID-19 and the SARS-CoV viruses. Our data showed that these pathogenic antibodies, through a mechanism of Antibody Dependent Auto-Attack (ADAA), target and bind to host vulnerable cells or tissues such as damaged lung epithelium cells, initiate a self-attack immune response, and lead to serious conditions including ARDS, cytokine release, and death. Moreover, the pathogenic antibodies also induced inflammation and hemorrhage of the kidneys, brain, and heart. Furthermore, the pathogenic antibodies can bind to unmatured fetal tissues and cause abortions, postpartum labors, still births, and neonatal deaths of pregnant mice. Novel clinical interventions, through disrupting the host-binding of these pathogenic antibodies, can be developed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the new concept of ADAA explored by this study may be applicable to other infectious diseases, such as the highly pathogenic influenza infections. It should be noted that the majority of anti-spike antibodies are non-pathogenic, as only 2 of 7 monoclonal antibodies tested showed significant pathogenic effects.


Reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is one of the most important factors in the hydrologic cycle and water balance studies. In this study, the performance of three simple and three wavelet hybrid models were compared to estimate ETo in three different climates in Iran, based on different combinations of input variables. It was found that the wavelet-artificial neural network was the best model, and multiple linear regression (MLR) was the worst model in most cases, although the performance of the models was related to the climate and the input variables used for modeling. Overall, it was found that all models had good accuracy in terms of estimating daily ETo. Also, it was found in this study that large numbers of decomposition levels via the wavelet transform had noticeable negative effects on the performance of the wavelet-based models, especially for the wavelet-adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system and wavelet-MLR, but in contrast, the type of db wavelet function did not have a detectable effect on the performance of the wavelet-based models.


In this thesis, the effect of organic solvents and cosolvents on enzymatic transesterification of canola oil by Candida antarctica lipase was investigated. Twenty-eight organic solvents were assessed and hydrophobic isooctane was found to be the ideal solvent. Relatively high product yields were also obtained with several hydrophilic solvents possessing high miscibility with methanol. Various solvent-cosolvent mixtures were established to enhance both enzyme activity and mass transfer of substrates. Each mixture comprised a hydrophobic solvent and a hydrophilic cosolvent. At low cosolvent concentrations, biodiesel yield may be enhanced due to improvement in the dispersion of methanol in the cosolvent media. However, at higher cosolvent concentrations, biodiesel yield was reduced due to inactivation of lipase. Solvent parameters such as log P, dielectric constant, and Hildebrand solubility parameter, were correlated with biodiesel yields to explore their potential relationship to enzyme activity. The effect of water content on lipase activity was also ascertained.


Qualitative study that aimed at investigating present and decisive gender subjects of health and elder people's life quality. The subjects were 20 (twenty) seniors of the Programa Terceira Idade em Acao-PTIA. The semi-structured interview was used as data collection technique. From the speeches, information that answered the investigation inquietudes emerged and they made possible the formulation of three analysis categories. In the first, it stood out the low self-esteem lived by the men when they age, otherwise in the second one it was evidenced the autonomy and the freedom conquered by the senior women, and in the third category the learning happened among the old ladies who participated of PTIA. Concluding that there is influence of the gender subjects in health and life quality in aging.


The mechanical responses of field-stimulated preparations of the longitudinal and circular myometrium, and of the costo-uterine muscle of the guinea pig to adrenoceptor agonists have been examined on Days 1, 4, 10 and 15-16 of the estrous cycle. The alpha-adrenoceptor agonist, phenylephrine, was exclusively excitatory in all three preparations taken from animals at each of the cycle days studied. Concentration-response curves for phenylephrine in all three tissues were unaffected by the fluctuations in ovarian hormones occurring during the estrous cycle. Isoproterenol (1 nmol/1-5 mumol/1) usually inhibited field-stimulation-induced contractions of the longitudinal uterine layer and the costo-uterine muscle; higher doses usually caused enhancement of contractions. In neither tissue did the potency or maximum effect of this inhibitory agonist differ at differing cycle stages. In the circular myometrium, the inhibitory effects of isoproterenol were less consistently observed, particularly in preparations taken at proestrus (Days 15-16). It is concluded that, except perhaps in the circular myometrium at proestrus, the fluctuations in ovarian hormones occurring during the estrous cycle in this species are insufficient to modify uterine responses mediated via alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors. It remains to be established whether the steroid hormones are capable of modulating responses mediated by adrenoceptors in the costo-uterine muscle.


The design experience of 3rd year undergraduates in Mechanical Engineering at Ryerson University, and the assessment of student design work, was found to be disjointed and highly variable across the program. To
attempt to address this, the authors are constructing courseware to help instructors of non-design engineering
courses embed rich and consistent design projects into their courses. A "lightweight" Fast-Design process was
developed. Course-specific design project examples of the process are being developed for five 3rd year courses using this design process. Current versions of all courseware are freely available. This paper details the nature of the courseware and how it was designed, developed, and deployed for the project. To date, one case has been deployed, two developed, and two more are under development. While results are so far only anecdotal, there is reason to believe that our approach can noticeably improve the design experience of students in non-design engineering courses.


1. M. Phil. Scholar, Department of Political Science & International Relations, Government College University Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan 2. Ex-Chairperson/Visiting Faculty, Department of Pakistan Studies, Government College Women University Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan 3. Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science & International Relations, Government College University Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan PAPER INFO ABSTRACT Received: February 09, 2021 Accepted: March 01, 2021 Online: March 15, 2021 This research paper highlights the prospects and challenges in the ongoing peace efforts. America has taken the most important step to end the longest war in the history of America. America and the Taliban have signed the historic Peace Accord on 29 February 2020 in the capital city of Qatar. This time America decided to talk with the Taliban leaders directly without the presence of the Afghan government. All the world and regional actors welcomed the American move to talk with the Taliban and called this agreement a historic milestone in the history of Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan are hopeful that peace in Afghanistan is not far away. Neighboring states Pakistan, India, Iran, China and Russia welcomed this Peace Process and determined to support the people of Afghanistan. These efforts for peace are encouraged and supported from everywhere but spoilers are also working to implement their agenda.


Ketamine given IV in a dose of 2 mg/kg caused a significant reduction in Pao2. in 7 patients spontaneously breathing with an unassisted airway. Under the same conditions, in 7 patients, ketamine (2 mg/kg IV) preceded by diazepam (0.2 mg/kg IV) also caused a reduction in Pao2 not significantly different from that caused by ketamine. In some patients, alarmingly low levels of Pao2 (≤ 40 torr) were seen following ketamine administration. Based on these findings, the authors recommend that O2 and ventilatory assistance accompany ketamine given IV for anesthesia.


Aim The emphasis on delivering personalised care tailored to meet the needs of patients has been at the forefront of UK government health policies for a number of years.1 However, before we can meet the needs of patients, their needs need to be identified and explored. For parents of children on oral chemotherapy, it is paramount that they fully comprehend what they are required to do in order to safely and effectively manage the oral chemotherapy at home. This study aims to identify, explore and analyse the information needs of parents regarding their child's oral chemotherapy to enable the future provision of high-quality individualised information. Method A qualitative methodology was used; semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents regarding their child's oral chemotherapy. A diverse sample of parents was purposively chosen to encompass children at different stages of treatment and with different diagnoses. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed alongside field notes made by the interviewer. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Thirteen parents (12 mothers; one father) were interviewed. Two overarching themes were identified; the need for information and the parental struggle. Parents were found to have a wide variety of information needs ranging from treatment related information to information on drug-food/drug-drug interactions. Despite differences in the type of medicines related information parents required, all parents expressed the need for reassurance on aspects of their child's treatment. Most of the parents preferred to receive verbal and written information on the oral chemotherapy, with two parents suggesting the internet as an additional source of information. Although all parents indicated they were satisfied with the information provided to them by the healthcare team, a number of unmet needs were identified. These included how to safely handle the oral chemotherapy and basic details about the drug, what it is and how it works. Parents encountered many difficulties at home such as dealing with the side effects of treatment and administering the medicines whilst trying to maintain normality for the family. Even though the majority of parents felt overloaded with information and struggled with the quantity of information provided, parents often sought further information from additional sources (eg, internet) for reassurance. Conclusions Information needs varied between parents but also at different stages of the disease pathway. Although the need for treatment related information was expressed by parents, the need for practical information, support and reassurance in connection with their coping strategies was fundamental to managing their child's cancer day to day. As a result of this study, the wording on the oral chemotherapy patient information leaflets has been changed to reflect issues highlighted. A medicines administration chart template and a bullet pointed do's and don'ts list regarding the oral chemotherapy are currently in development; these aim to further support parents in managing the oral chemotherapy at home.


Social camouflaging describes the use of strategies to compensate for and mask autistic characteristics during social interactions. A newly developed self-reported measure of camouflaging (Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire) was used in an online survey to measure gender differences in autistic (n = 306) and non-autistic adults (n = 472) without intellectual disability for the first time. Controlling for age and autistic-like traits, an interaction between gender and diagnostic status was found: autistic females demonstrated higher total camouflaging scores than autistic males (partial η2 = 0.08), but there was no camouflaging gender difference for non-autistic people. Autistic females scored higher than males on two of three Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire subscales: Masking (partial η2 = 0.05) and Assimilation (partial η2 = 0.06), but not on the Compensation subscale. No differences were found between non-autistic males and females on any subscale. No differences were found between non-binary individuals and other genders in either autistic or non-autistic groups, although samples were underpowered. These findings support previous observations of greater camouflaging in autistic females than males and demonstrate for the first time no self-reported gender difference in non-autistic adults.


This study was performed with the objective to describe the sociodemographic profile, functional capacity and morbidities of the elderly, and verify the association between quality of life and the number of functional incapacities and of morbidities. This analytical and cross-sectional study was performed with 2,142 elderly individuals. The data were collected at the subjects' homes using a structured instrument. The analysis consisted of frequency distribution, ANOVA-F and the Bonferroni test (p<0.05). Most subjects were female, between 60├70 years old, married, with 4├8 years of education, and income of one minimum salary. Most subjects had between 1├3 functional incapacities, related to mobility, and 4├7 associated morbidities, with the most prevalent being those affecting their sight and back, and hypertension. The highest quality of life scores were for social relationships and sensory functioning, and the lowest for the physical domain and autonomy. It was found that the higher numbers of functional incapacities and morbidities were associated with lower quality of life scores.


We construct estimates of the Levy Institute Measure of Economic Well-Being for Great Britain for the years 1995 and 2005. We also produce estimates of the official British measures HBAI (from the Department for Work and Pensions annual report titled "Households below Average Income") and ROI (from the Office of National Statistics Redistribution of Income analysis). We analyze overall trends in the level and distribution of household well-being using all three measures for Great Britain as a whole and for subgroups of the British population. Gains in household economic well-being between 1995 and 2005 vary by the measure used, from 23 percent (HBAI) to 32 percent (LIMEW) and 35 percent (ROI). LIMEW shows that much of the middle class's gain in well-being was as a result of increases in government expenditures. LIMEW also marks a greater increase in economic well-being among elderly households due to the increase in their net worth. The redistributive effect of net government expenditures decreased notably between 1995 and 2005 according to the official measures, primarily due to the change in the distributive impact of government expenditures.


There is a growing demand for secure identification systems in on-line relations. Electronic identification (eID) is a critical issue for individuals, firms, and governments and in most on-line relations. Some such systems are unique for the specific relation, like a unique log-in system, and others are used more broadly for several purposes. However, there are demands for a more coherent approach to identification in electronic contexts. The development of electronic identification is a combination of technical innovations and system design continuously hand in hand with regulative and policy considerations. Electronic identification is both a technical and political innovation. The aim of this paper is to analyse and critical discuss these two mutual process and thereby to elaborate on the meanings of identification in the digital era. The paper will contribute through its approach of a double meaning of innovations – the technical and political implications – in this case as well as by challenging the meanings and implications of identity and identification. A remarkable aspect is that there is almost a development of an identification of digital citizenship developed through the needs of safe and efficient public administration. This takes place before the political formation of the digital citizenship and rights and duties in cyber spaces. Thus there is a need for political action to clarify or at least take up a discussion of what aspects of citizenship that are given through the electronic identification.


Atmospheric moisture transport over southern Africa and surrounding oceans is consid- ered during wet and dry conditions over the South African summer rainfall region. Wet and dry syn- optic spells within wet and dry austral summers are examined. A link between synoptic and seasonal timescales is investigated using seasonal statistics of wet and dry spells. Dry synoptic spells exhibit divergent moisture flux over South Africa, with inflow from the mid-latitude ocean regions to the south. Cyclonic features off the east coast may exist and attract moisture away from South Africa. For wet synoptic spells, there tends to be increased moisture flux from the tropical or subtropical south- west Indian Ocean (SWIO), either associated with ridging along the east coast or a deep low over the interior. Seasonal modulations of the intensity of the heat low over Angola/Namibia appear important for influencing early (OND) and late (JFM) summer rainfall over South Africa. This low may act as the tropical source for tropical temperate troughs and their associated cloudbands that are major synop- tic rain-producing systems. Wet (dry) summers are often associated with a southward (northward) shift and strengthening (weakening) of the ITCZ over tropical southeastern Africa. Seasonal rainfall is found to be related to the distribution of wet and dry spells within the season, such that wetter sea- sons tend to have longer or more intense wet spells rather than a greater number of wet spells.


This study aims to determine the relationship between transformational leadership and service quality. The hypothesis proposed in this study is that there is a positive relationship between transformational leadership and service quality, assuming the higher the transformational leadership, the higher the service quality and vice versa. The research subjects used in this study were Darul Arafah Islamic Boarding School teachers in Lau Bakeri Deli Serdang, as many as 100 people. Data collection techniques using purposive sampling. The research data were obtained using transformational leadership scale and service quality. Analysis of the data used is to use product moment correlation through SPSS 17 for windows. The results of data analysis showed a correlation coefficient of r = 0.532 and a significance value of 0.000 (p <0.05). Based on the results of this study it can be concluded that the research hypothesis is accepted, namely there is a positive relationship between transformational leadership and service quality.


In this paper we consider a stochastic process that may experience random reset events which suddenly bring the system to the starting value and analyze the relevant statistical magnitudes. We focus our attention on monotonic continuous-time random walks with a constant drift: The process increases between the reset events, either by the effect of the random jumps, or by the action of the deterministic drift. As a result of all these combined factors interesting properties emerge, like the existence (for any drift strength) of a stationary transition probability density function, or the faculty of the model to reproduce power-law-like behavior. General formulas for two extreme statistics, the survival probability, and the mean exit time are also derived. To corroborate in an independent way the results of the paper, Monte Carlo methods were used. These numerical estimations are in full agreement with the analytical predictions.


Copolymerization of MAn and CHDDVE was conducted by using azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) or benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as the initiator, ethyl acetate (EA) or n-butyl acetate (BA) as the solvent, and n-hexane as the precipitator. Effects of several factors on monomer conversion were studied, such as reaction time, reaction temperature, composition of the monomer feed (MAn/CHDDVE) and initiator concentration. Molecular weight and its polydispersity and polymer material morphology were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) technologies, respectively. It was demonstrated that CTC was formed in MAn/CHDDVE system, based on ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) analysis. The product was alternating copolymer with high crosslinking degree, so it could not be dissolved in common solvents, e.g. water, chloroform, N, N-dimethyl formamide (DMF), tetrahydrofuran (THF) and acetone (Ac).


We have used the sonochemical approach to synthesize single crystals CaCO3 nanocrystals with various anisotropic shapes of such as, nanowires, nanosheets and unusually obtained nanoplates without using any template at room temperature. The complex interplay between crystallization processes and self-assembly resulting from spatial constrains has been investigated through studying the structural evolution of metastable intermediates synthesized. The impurity inducing crystallization has been proposed for a reasonable understanding of the novel crystallization pathway under the condition of sonication. Moreover, this approach is suitable to the anisotropic single crystals synthesis of other alkaline earth carbonates such as SrCO3 and BaCO3. It also gives a new demonstration of sonochemical effects on the crystallization and assembly of block building in the mesoscale.


Developments in sound technologies over the last 50 years have dramatically changed the way that music is produced and consumed. In the 19th century most music was experienced as live performance. Today most music is listened to individually through technologically mediated devices, such as a personal stereo or a personal computer that enables the downloading of MP3 files over the Internet, and in the past few decades music has been produced with new electronic instruments such as the Theremin, the Hammond Organ, the electric guitar, the synthesizer, and the digital sampler. Technologies such as the phonograph, tape-recorder, and compact disk have enabled 'sound' to be produced, controlled, and manipulated independently from musicians. In today's recording studios the sound engineers can be as important in the production of 'the sound' as are the musicians themselves. But how can such changes be understood and what do they mean for listeners and for science and technology studies (S&TS)?


This paper uses a probabilistic voting model to investigate voting for a free-trade agreement between a labor-abundant country and a capital-abundant country. Migration from the labor-abundant country to the capital-abundant country increases the probability of a free-trade agreement, with lower migration costs leading to more migration and a higher free-trade probability. On the other hand, if a lower probability of free trade is caused by an increased voter bias against free-trade candidates, then there is less migration. A dynamic extension of the model is also investigated.


This paper highlights the importance of societal culture to developing theory, policy and practice within an increasingly globalising educational context. It argues that tensions exist between globalisation and societal culture and that globalisation makes the recognition of societal culture and cross-cultural similarities and differences more, not less, important. Consequently, the inclusion of societal culture as a factor in investigations covering such themes as the curriculum, teaching and learning, leadership and school-based management is seen as an imperative for the future development of comparative education. Accordingly, the first part of the paper clarifies the concept of 'globalisation'. In the second part, globalisation and societal culture are juxtaposed and the interface between them is explored. The third part offers a set of dimensions by which to gauge the influence of, and to compare, cultures. Finally, we illustrate our argument for greater cultural sensitivity by raising some key issues concerning school reform and improvement.


The current state of the art of polymer synthesis in (microstructured) continuous-flow reactors is given, focusing on controlled/living polymerization methods that allow for precision polymer design. Emerging trends and the most notable developments are discussed. Especially, the field of multistep reactions and online monitoring are highlighted, which in combination may give access to fully automated high-throughput polymer synthesis reactors in the future.


This thesis comprises a study into whether the existing intellectual property regime, a sui generis system, or any adaptations or modifications of them have been successfully adopted for protecting both tangible and intangible cultural property and traditional knowledge of Thailand. How other developing countries have dealt with misappropriation issues and the limitations of the current intellectual property regime has also been studied. A number of concerns about and obstacles to traditional knowledge have been pointed out: the existing intellectual property system may have increased the risk of misappropriation or unauthorised use of traditional knowledge without consent; most developing countries have no comprehensive national policies or legal frameworks covering traditional knowledge; lack of effective legislation, authorities and mechanisms associated with intellectual property; the high cost of intellectual property procedures and management; the threat to the intellectual and cultural property rights of indigenous peoples; loss of cultural traditions/ articles and biodiversity; problems with maintaining and passing on cultural expression; as well as inequitable benefit-sharing and remedies.

Intellectual property rights and traditional knowledge have become increasingly controversial globally, and sometimes they overlap. Due to the presumption that traditional knowledge is in the public domain, the current intellectual property rights regime can not efficiently and appropriately protect traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions/folklore, or provide equitable sharing for indigenous and local communities. Sometimes domestic legislation is insufficient, incompatible or in conflict with international intellectual property norms and policies. The most feasible solutions need to be rigorous, but flexible enough to cover the various forms of traditional knowledge and access to the generic resources of individual communities. Policy-making, development of categorisation and management of biodiversity data and local knowledge systems, effective strategies and mechanisms, international co-operation and support all need to be taken into consideration.

It would be ideal to have a single legal system to protect all forms of intellectual property; unfortunately, in reality, this is impossible. However, depending on the capacity of governments and the readiness of their people, alternative or sui generis rights or a combination of any regimes of both preventive and positive protection could be developed and adapted and play a complementary role to balance the interests of all parties, while the general public can still access appropriate usage and benefits. Various ideas and alternative solutions from the different perspectives of international forums and other countries are gathered, analysed, proposed and recommended here for Thailand in particular.


Attribute information in a natural language query is one of the key features for converting a natural language query into a Structured Query Language 1 (SQL) in Natural Language Interface to Database systems. In this paper, we explore the task of classifying the attributes present in a natural language query into different SQL clauses in a SQL query. In particular, we investigate the effectiveness of various features and Conditional Random Fields for this task. Our system uses a statistical classifier trained on manually prepared data. We report our results on three different domains and also show how our system can be used for generating a complete SQL query.


A two-step controller synthesis method is proposed in this article for a class of uncertain non-linear systems described by piecewise affine differential inclusions. In the first step, a robust linear controller is designed for the linear differential inclusion that describes the dynamics of the non-linear system close to the equilibrium point. In the second step, a stabilising piecewise affine controller is designed that coincides with the linear controller in a region around the equilibrium point. The proposed method has two objectives: global stability and local performance. It thus enables us to use well-known techniques in linear control design for local stability and performance while delivering a global piecewise affine controller that is guaranteed to stabilise the non-linear system. To construct the required theoretical framework, a stability theorem for non-smooth Lyapunov functions is presented and proved. The new method will be applied to two examples.


Circular RNAs are a puzzling class of RNAs with covalently closed loop structure, lacking 5' and 3' ends. Present in all cells, no unifying theme has emerged regarding their function. Here, we use transcriptional data obtained by biotagging in zebrafish to uncover a high-resolution cohort of embryonic circRNAs expressed in nuclear and polysomal subcellular compartments in three developmental cell types. The ample presence of embryonic circRNAs on polysomes contradicts previous reports suggesting predominant nuclear localisation. We uncover a novel class of circRNAs, significantly enriched at tandem duplicated genes. Using newly-developed NGS-based approach, we simultaneously resolve the full sequence of putative "tandem-circRNAs" and their underlying mRNAs. These form by long-range cis-splicing events often between distant tandem duplicated genes, resulting in chimaeric mRNA transcripts and circRNAs containing their supernumerary excised exons, integrated from multiple tandem loci. Taken together, our results suggest that circularisation events rather than circRNAs themselves are functionally important.


BACKGROUND: Supervision of anesthesia residents and nurse anesthetists is a major responsibility of faculty anesthesiologists. The quality of their supervision can be assessed quantitatively by the anesthesia residents and nurse anesthetists. Supervision scores are an independent measure of the contribution of the anesthesiologist to patient care. We evaluated the association between quality of supervision and level of specialization of anesthesiologists. METHODS: We used two 6-month periods, one with no feedback to anesthesiologists of the residents' and nurse anesthetists' evaluations, and the other with feedback. Supervision scores provided by residents and nurse anesthetists were considered separately. Sample sizes among the 4 combinations ranged from n = 51 to n = 62 University of Iowa faculty. For each supervising anesthesiologist and 6-month period, we calculated the proportion of anesthetic cases attributable to each anesthesia Current Procedural Terminology code. The sum of the square of the proportions, a measurement of diversity, is known as the Herfindahl index. The inverse of this index represents the effective number of common procedures. The diversity (degree of specialization) of each faculty anesthesiologist was measured attributing each case to: (1) the anesthesiologist who supervised for the longest total period of time, (2) the anesthesiologist who started the case, or (3) the anesthesiologist who started the case, limited to cases started during "regular hours" (defined as nonholiday Monday to Friday, 07:00 AM to 02:59 PM). Inferential analysis was performed using bivariate-weighted least-squares regression. RESULTS: The point estimates of all 12 slopes were in the direction of greater specialization of practice of the evaluated faculty anesthesiologist being associated with significantly lower supervision scores. Among supervision scores provided by nurse anesthetists, the association was statistically significant for the third of the 6-month periods under the first and second ways of attributing the cases (uncorrected P < .0001). However, the slopes of the relationships were all small (eg, 0.109 ± 0.025 [SE] units on the 4-point supervision scale for a change of 10 common procedures). Among supervision scores provided by anesthesia residents, the association was statistically significant during the first period for all 3 ways of attributing the case (uncorrected P < .0001). However, again, the slopes were small (eg, 0.127 ± 0.027 units for a change of 10 common procedures). CONCLUSIONS: Greater clinical specialization of faculty anesthesiologists was not associated with meaningful improvements in quality of clinical supervision.