Background: Gastroschisis patients' morbidity is still high, underlining the importance of identifying factors associated with adverse outcomes. Objective: To determine factors influencing gastroschisis patients' morbimortality during the first 3 years of life in "Centro Hospitalar Sao Joao" (CHSJ). Methodology: Records of infants born with gastroschisis between January 2002 and December 2011 admitted to CHSJ were reviewed. The relation between demographic and clinical data and morbimortality during the first 3 years of life, specifically anthropometric evolution and digestive outcome, was evaluated. The factors that were compared were simple versus complex gastroschisis and primary versus secondary closure. Results: Forty records were analysed. The survival rate was 92.3%. Patients with complex gastroschisis had worse outcomes: hospital stay (median 59 versus 23.5 days), total parenteral nutrition (50 versus 19 days), total oral intake reached (47 versus 22.5 days), morphine analgesia (9 versus 3 days), intestinal occlusion (60% versus 11.8%), perforation (60% versus 0%) and ischaemia (40% versus 0%), sepsis (100% versus 32.4%), short bowel syndrome (40% versus 3.1%), laxative need during 1-year follow-up (40% versus 0%), weight percentile < 5 at 6 months (75% versus 13.6%) and gastrointestinal symptoms after the first year of life (OR: 42; 95% CI: 2.01-877.5). Secondary closure patients had worse outcomes: start of oral intake (25 versus 11.5 days), total oral intake reached (48 versus 23 days), necrotizing enterocolitis (40% versus 2.9%) and mortality (40% versus 2.9%). Conclusion: Complex gastroschisis and secondary closure were both associated with higher morbidity. Secondary closure was also associated with higher mortality. Complex gastroschisis revealed to be a predictive factor for higher incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms after the first year of life. Therefore, follow-up at least until 3 years of life of patients with complex gastroschisis is recommended. Further research is needed to determine management strategies that improve prognosis.


This paper develops a geographic understanding of urban energy transitions in sub-Saharan African towns and cities. In doing so this paper seeks to critically reflect on the value and limits of urban transitions analysis as a framework for understanding energy networks beyond the largely integrated systems across the Global North. We explore how these potentials and deficits can be addressed by examining promising developments across a series of debates in urban studies that can help sensitise this approach to energyscapes in the African context. By reviewing urban transitions analysis through these debates the paper offers four important contributions to expand existing ways of understanding energy transition. These include the particular urbanisation dynamics of African towns ands cities, the need to locate the urban across energy regimes, the agencies of various intermediaries and urban actors and the contested politics inherent in the governing of energy networks. In the conclusion we reflect on the specific directions that have emerged from the paper in relation to our contributions, offering a geographically informed framework that allows us to better examine the challenges and specificities of transition across these rapidly growing urban regions.


The content of individual forms of sialic acids and total sialic acids in the lymphocytes of tick-borne encephalitis patients has been studied. The level of sialic acids has been found to depend on the clinical form of the disease and on the content of specific IgM and IgG to tick-borne encephalitis virus. Similar dependence has been established with respect to total sialic acids in lymphocytes.


Diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY) is a powerful method for the analysis of mixtures. Classic DOSY methods require several minutes of acquisition, and we show here that DOSY experiments can be recorded in less than one second for the challenging case of solution mixtures in low-viscosity solvents. The proposed method relies on a spatial encoding of the diffusion dimension, for which convection-compensation and spectral-selection strategies are introduced. The method is illustrated with the analysis of a reaction mixture, and more accurate estimates of the diffusion coefficients are obtained.


Introduction: Breast cancer is a major cause of mortality among women in Brazil. Locally advanced breast tumors are classified as stage III because they compromise the breast tissue in all or almost all of its extensions and regional lymph nodes, without distant metastases. Surgical treatment of these advanced tumors includes modified radical mastectomy, which involves axillary dissection and large skin resection, leading to major defects in the chest cavity that require complex reconstruction. Method: A retrospective clinical study including a series of 11 cases diagnosed with locally advanced breast tumors was performed from January 2006 to March 2014. Results: The chest cavity reconstruction methods performed after resection of advanced breast tumors included three fasciocutaneous flaps, two skin grafts, and six reconstructions with muscle flaps. These procedures resulted in effective coverage of extensive chest defects. Conclusion: Aggressive surgical treatment is feasible in these tumors; although numerous reconstruction options are available, individual case assessment is necessary to determine the optimal technique to reduce surgical trauma and lower morbidity in order to avoid delays in adjuvant treatment in these patients. The reconstructions were safe, with satisfactory results similar to those reported in the literature.


The mechanical properties of laminated window profiles manufactured using two types of adhesives were determined. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of heat treatment on some mechanical properties of laminated window profiles that manufactured from Kosipo (Entandrophragma candollei Harms.) using differenet type adhesives. Commercially produced polyurethane based Macroplast UR 7221 and polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) adhesive were used for experiments. The overall test results were found to be comparable to those obtained in the previous studies. Both types of adhesives resulted in significant differences in their strength characteristics at 95% confidence level. Adhesive UR 7221 improved the overall properties of the samples in contrast to PVAc.


The citrus fruit production has rapidly increased both in the world and in Turkey. The EU holds a big place in Turkey's citrus fruit export. The relations between the EU and Turkey also play a considerably significant role for the citrus trade. It is crucial to examine the factors affecting Turkey's citrus export, together with determining how the structure of Turkey's citrus export towards the EU will form. Three main problems of Turkey's citrus export can be described. These are the lack of product quality demanded by standards and consumers, the absence of product variety demanded in the EUmarkets, and the existence of competing countries. However, having a good taste in citrus fruit and short distance between the EU and Turkey can be considered as the advantages from the point of Turkey's export. It is clear that changes in the EU necessitate a well-directed production. From this viewpoint, the most important issue is the perspective of how to construct a successful exportation, by starting with a directed production according to changes in the EU. So, the main objective of this research is to examine Turkey's citrus export towards the EU and to determine advantages and disadvantages that Turkey may face regarding its adaptation process and its probable membership in the EU.


IP networks for live TV production have unique requirements such as the ultra high bandwidth and the high sensitivity to packet loss that causes video impairments. Existing multicast protocols are not bandwidth-aware and could cause links to over-subscribe leading to packet loss and negative user quality of experience. Existing video quality error detection tools are reactive by design with no insights into the video domain. In this paper, we introduce MediaFlow, a system for bandwidth aware multicast routing, active in-network detection of video errors, and proactive recovery. MediaFlow utilizes a novel greedy online multicast routing algorithm for efficient routing and admission control. It also introduces novel per-flow video quality metric utilizing unique switch ASIC capabilities for scalable in-network video quality monitoring and rerouting. We implement MediaFlow using data center switches and our testing results confirm that MediaFlow algorithm increases fabric capacity up to 60% compared to state of art multicast routing. MediaFlow can detect errors in video flow integrity at a granularity of 100 mSec at line rate for thousands of flows. The system can proactively recover impacted flows within 1 sec. MediaFlow increases video detection and recovery scale by a thousandfold compared to network edge solutions.


INTRODUCTION
Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) is an immune thrombophylia of unknown etiology which leads to vascular thrombosis and gestational complications.

CLINICAL REPORT
A 27-year old woman who had been diagnosed APS four years before was admitted in the Emergency Room five days after a spontaneous delivery due to [corrected] pain in the upper right abdominal quadrant. Blood analysis revealed AST and ALT rise and thrombocytopenia. CT scan was suggestive of liver infarction due to venous ischemia. Abdominal eco-doppler diagnosed vena porta left branch thrombosis and compensatory arterial circulation. Treatment included low molecular weight heparin and corticosteroids which led to progressive clinical, laboratory and imagiological recovery.

DISCUSSION
Portal venous system thrombosis is extremely rare in the absence of local risk factors and the most common and catastrophic complication is intestinal necrosis.


Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells are relatively resistant to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-mediated apoptosis during culture. We investigated the role of a proteaosome inhibitor in the survival and apoptosis of these cells. We found that the proteasome inhibitor MG132 markedly accelerated TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in OSCC cell lines HSC-2 and HSC-3. Addition of TRAIL to MG132-treated cells resulted in Bid cleavage. Furthermore, the inhibitors of caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9 reduced the accelerative effect of MG132 on TRAIL-mediated apoptosis. These results suggest that the pro-apoptotic effect of a proteasome inhibitor on TRAIL-mediated apoptosis may contribute to both extrinsic and intrinsic pathways. MG132 enhanced the expression of the TRAIL receptors DR4 and DR5, and neutralization of DR5 receptors showed a marked reduction of TRAIL-mediated apoptosis, whereas that of DR4 was a partial reduction. MG132 also markedly reduced cellular FLICE-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP), cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein-1 (cIAP-1), X-linked IAP (XIAP) and survivin. Therefore, MG132 provides partial regulation of TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in OSCC cells via modulation of DR5, c-FLIP, cIAP-1, XIAP and survivin. The proteasome inhibitor MG132 may therefore represent a novel strategy for overcoming resistance to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in OSCC cells.


Interobserver agreement (also referred to here as "reliability") is influenced by diverse sources of artifact, bias, and complexity of the assessment procedures. The literature on reliability assessment frequently has focused on the different methods of computing reliability and the circumstances under which these methods are appropriate. Yet, the credence accorded estimates of interobserver agreement, computed by any method, presupposes eliminating sources of bias that can spuriously affect agreement. The present paper reviews evidence pertaining to various sources of artifact and bias, as well as characteristics of assessment that influence interpretation of interobserver agreement. These include reactivity of reliability assessment, observer drift, complexity of response codes and behavioral observations, observer expectancies and feedback, and others. Recommendations are provided for eliminating or minimizing the influence of these factors from interobserver agreement.


The late Cenozoic structural and stratigraphic history of the northwestern San Bernardino Mountains supports two distinct episodes of uplift, in late Miocene to earliest Pliocene and Quaternary time, that we hypothesize are related to movements on low-angle structures beneath the range. In this paper, we document the nature, distribution, and timing of late Cenozoic deformation and deposition in the northwestern San Bernardino Mountains, and we illustrate the neotectonic evolution of the area in a series of interpretive paleotectonic block diagrams. In the first episode of deformation, late Miocene to earliest Pliocene motion on the south-southwest-directed Squaw Peak thrust system disrupted drainage in pre-existing Miocene nonmarine basins and uplifted the western third of the present range to form the ancestral San Bernardino Mountains. Crystalline rocks of the San Bernardino Mountains were thrust southward across the present site of the San Andreas fault between 9.5 and 4.1 Ma, at a time when the San Gabriel fault was the active strand of the San Andreas transform system. We speculate that the Liebre Mountain crystalline block at the northern margin of the Ridge Basin may be the missing upper plate of the Squaw Peak thrust, now offset along the San Andreas fault. The second episode of deformation began with uplift of the northern plateau of the modern San Bernardino Mountains on north-directed, range-front thrusts in early Pleistocene time, between 2.0 and 1.5 Ma. Synchronous uplift of the northern plateau, recorded in early Pleistocene fanglomerates on the northwestern margin of the range, is interpreted to be the result of movement of a relatively coherent crustal block northward up a south-dipping detachment ramp beneath the central range. In middle Pleistocene time, activity on the northern range front began to wane, and the locus of uplift shifted to a narrow zone of arching and northward tilting adjacent to the San Andreas fault, which subsequently migrated rapidly northwestward along the San Andreas fault from the western San Bernardino Mountains into the northeastern San Gabriel Mountains. We attribute this pattern of deformation to the passage of a bulge or strike-slip ramp attached to the southwest side of the San Andreas fault at depth.


Abstract. We have developed a new digital elevation model (DEM) of Antarctica from a combination of satellite radar and laser altimeter data. Here, we assess the accuracy of the DEM by comparison with airborne altimeter data from four campaigns covering a wide range of surface slopes and ice sheet regions. Root mean squared (RMS) differences varied from 4.75 m, when compared to a densely gridded airborne dataset over the Siple Coast region of West Antarctica to 33.78 m when compared to a more limited dataset over the Antarctic Peninsula where surface slopes are high and the across track spacing of the satellite data is relatively large. The airborne data sets were employed to produce an error map for the DEM by developing a multiple linear regression model based on the variables known to influence errors in the DEM. Errors were found to correlate highly with surface slope, roughness and density of satellite data points. Errors ranged from typically ~1 m over the ice shelves to between about 2 and 6 m for the majority of the grounded ice sheet. In the steeply sloping margins, along the Peninsula and mountain ranges the estimated error is several tens of metres. Less than 2% of the area covered by the satellite data had an estimated random error greater than 20 m.


Although the subject of many studies, detailed structural information on aspects of the catalytic cycle of serine proteases is lacking. Crystallographic analyses were performed in which an acyl-enzyme complex, formed from elastase and a peptide, was reacted with a series of nucleophilic dipeptides. Multiple analyses led to electron density maps consistent with the formation of a tetrahedral species. In certain cases, apparent peptide bond formation at the active site was observed, and the electron density maps suggested production of a cis-amide rather than a trans-amide. Evidence for a cis-amide configuration was also observed in the noncovalent complex between elastase and an α1-antitrypsin-derived tetrapeptide. Although there are caveats on the relevance of the crystallographic data to solution catalysis, the results enable detailed proposals for the pathway of the acylation step to be made. At least in some cases, it is proposed that the alcohol of Ser-195 may preferentially attack the carbonyl of the cis-amide form of the substrate, in a stereoelectronically favored manner, to give a tetrahedral oxyanion intermediate, which undergoes N-inversion and/or C-N bond rotation to enable protonation of the leaving group nitrogen. The mechanistic proposals may have consequences for protease inhibition, in particular for the design of high energy intermediate analogues.


The Caribou gold-mining areas in Nova Scotia, Canada were in full production from 1869 to 1927. Abandoned waste rocks and fine-grained tailings from Hg-amalgamation processes have weathered into Long Lake, part of the Moose River system. Metal burdens in tailings and lake sediments, as well as the biological community structure above and below the processing site, were investigated. Surface tailings were found to contain (in μ g g−1): As (5000–28 000), Cd (0.1–0.6), Cu (6–37), Mn (50–600), Ni (600–2000), Hg (0.3–0.7), Pb (70–120), Tl (0.03–0.06), V (3–10) and Zn (20–100). Lake sediments below the tailing field were found to be highly enriched with As, Ni, Pb and, to a lesser extent, Hg, Cu and Mn. Air–surface exchange from tailings (preliminary results, 48 h cycle) exhibit Hg-flux rates from 20 to >100 times greater than those of natural soils in Nova Scotia. Stream water and sediments below the mine were toxic to the benthic community.


The polynomial parameterized method of direction estimation (MODE) is a popular algorithm for the direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation of narrowband incident signals with a uniform linear array. It is desirable to apply the MODE method in beamspace so as to take advantage of the benefits of beamspace operations in terms of reduced computational complexity and improved resolution thresholds. The difficulty with beamspace MODE is that the Vandermonde structure of the array manifold may not preserve during the beamspace transformation. It is crucial to derive a parameterized polynomial in the beamspace dimension. We develop a beamspace MODE algorithm using discrete Fourier transform (DFT) beams. Our analytic study indicates that the beamspace MODE offers asymptotically statistically efficient DOA estimates. Comparative simulations are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed beamspace MODE.


Cretaceous inliers in north-central Oregon represent isolated exposures of potential source rocks in the region. Interpreted neritic to upper bathyal mudstones of the Hudspeth Formation represent late deposition within the Mesozoic fore-arc terrane. Accretionary terranes that are represented by the Blue Mountain province are in part inundated by voluminous Tertiary volcanic sequences, most notably the Columbia River Group. Both pyrolysis and solvent-extraction source rock data from the Hudspeth Formation present in local Cretaceous inliers support a mature, oil-prone, mixed-marine source rock environment. A trend reflected in these data indicates that the western part of the study area is more mature. If these same strata and conditions prevail beneath the volcanic cover, the potential for the presence of paraffinic oil accumulations exists. Near-surface soil-gas investigations have shown the occurrence of light hydrocarbon microseep gases, which cluster in the vicinity of the Mitchell inlier. The soil-gas signal received in the near-surface, far removed from the inliers, is identical to the soil-gas signature measured on the Cretaceous sediments. It is suggested that the application of reconnaissance surface geochemical methods may offer additional insight in defining potentially favorable source rocks peripheral to the Columbia River Plateau, as well as projecting their presence into the interior of the plateau.


The long term viability and profitability of agriculture in Western Canada is dependent on our ability to maintain or enhance the production potential of the soil. The current problems associated with wind and water erosion and the widespread use of soil degradative cultural practices threaten the long term sustainability of dryland crop production. The adoption of new soil conserving production systems requires that they be profitable in the short and long term. This paper discusses the economic performance of zero, minimum and conventional tillage management using three different crop rotations in the thin Black soil zone of east central Saskatchewan. All inputs were costed according to local prices quoted at the time of use. The same procedure was used for prices of commodities. The production costs for flax, spring wheat, and field peas grown on stubble were similar for all three tillage systems. The production costs for spring wheat grown on fallow was higher under zero till than either minimum or conventional tillage. Given similar production costs and higher yields for crops grown on stubble under zero and minimum tillage management, these production systems were more profitable than the traditional conventional tillage production system.


Much has been said of the importance of port and terminal integration in the supply chain. Authors have stressed the importance of agility to the port environment, which involves being proactive along supply chains, facilitation of intermodal integration, as well as organizational integration and partnership between ports and users. Despite the well articulated importance of the issues, little has been offered in terms of conceptualisations and empirical evidence of what really is meant by port/terminal integration in the supply chain, how such integration can be measured and quantified as well as the extent to which different ports/terminals in the world are integrated in the supply chain and competitive performance implications arising thereof. This paper aims to make a contribution in this respect by (ⅰ) reviewing the relevant literature on supply chain integration and port integration in the supply chain, (ⅱ) conceptualising measures for port/terminal integration in the supply chain, (ⅲ) empirically testing the influence of port/terminal integration in the supply chain on port competitiveness and (ⅳ) outlining the significance and value of the study for port operators, shipping lines, transport providers and for further research.


To form the basis of a respiratory disease model in rats by investigating the microbial distribution and composition in the lower respiratory tracts of normal rats. Methods: DNA was extracted from the intestine, trachea, bronchus and lung samples collected from healthy rats under sterile conditions. The 16S rDNA V4-V5 region was sequenced using Illumina high-throughput technology. Results: The sequencing results showed that there was no significant difference in abundance and species diversity of microbiota between the lower respiratory and the intestine. The microbiota structure analysis showed samples from lungs and intestinal shared similarity. However, the dominant species at the levels of phylum, family, and genus diverged. The similarity analysis showed that the lung microbiota were different from the intestines. The linear discriminant analysis showed significantly different species in different tissues; function prediction also showed different microbiota function in different tissues. Conclusions: These results suggest that bacterial colonization depends on the sample's anatomical location. The human pathogen Acinetobacter lwoffii was also detected in the rat lower respiratory tract samples.


Background The overcrowding of hospital outpatient and emergency departments (OEDs) due to chronic respiratory diseases in certain weather or under certain environmental pollution conditions results in the degradation in quality of medical care, and even limits its availability. Objective To help OED managers to schedule medical resource allocation during times of excessive health care demands after short-term fluctuations in air pollution and weather, we employed machine learning (ML) methods to predict the peak OED arrivals of patients with chronic respiratory diseases. Methods In this paper, we first identified 13,218 visits from patients with chronic respiratory diseases to OEDs in hospitals from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2017. Then, we divided the data into three datasets: weather-based visits, air quality-based visits, and weather air quality-based visits. Finally, we developed ML methods to predict the peak event (peak demand days) of patients with chronic respiratory diseases (eg, asthma, respiratory infection, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) visiting OEDs on the three weather data and environmental pollution datasets in Guangzhou, China. Results The adaptive boosting-based neural networks, tree bag, and random forest achieved the biggest receiver operating characteristic area under the curve, 0.698, 0.714, and 0.809, on the air quality dataset, the weather dataset, and weather air quality dataset, respectively. Overall, random forests reached the best classification prediction performance. Conclusions The proposed ML methods may act as a useful tool to adapt medical services in advance by predicting the peak of OED arrivals. Further, the developed ML methods are generic enough to cope with similar medical scenarios, provided that the data is available.


How do risk attitudes change after experiencing gains or losses? For the case of losses, Imas (Am Econ Rev 106:2086–2109, 2016) shows that subsequent risk-taking behavior depends on whether these losses have been realized or not. After a realized loss, individuals' risk-taking decreases, whereas it increases after an unrealized (paper) loss. He refers to this asymmetry as the realization effect. In this study, we derive theoretical predictions for risk-taking after paper and realized gains, and for investment opportunities with different skewness. We experimentally test these predictions and, at the same time, replicate Imas' original study. Independent of a prior gain or loss, we show that subsequent risk-taking is higher when outcomes remain unrealized. However, we find no evidence of a realization effect for non-positively skewed lotteries. While the first result suggests that the effect is more general, the second result reveals its boundary conditions.


Abstract. Measurements from the SWERUS-C3 and ISSS-08 Arctic expeditions were used to calibrate and validate a new physical-biogeochemical model developed to quantify key carbon cycling processes on the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS). The model was used in a series of experimental simulations with the specific aim to investigate the pathways of terrestrial dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOCter and POCter) supplied to the shelf. Rivers supply on average 8.5 Tg C yr−1 dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and further 8.5 and 1.1 Tg C yr−1 DOCter and POCter respectively. Based on observed and simulated DOC concentrations and stable isotope values (δ13CDOC) in shelf waters, we estimate that only some 20 % of the riverine DOCter is labile. According to our model results, an additional supply of approximately 14 Tg C yr−1 eroded labile POCter is however required to describe the observed stable isotope values of DIC (δ13CDIC). Degradation of riverine DOCter and POCter results in a 1.8 Tg C yr−1 reduction in the uptake of atmospheric CO2, while degradation of eroded POCter results in an additional 10 Tg C yr−1 reduction. Our calculations indicate nevertheless that the ESAS is an overall small net sink for atmospheric CO2 (1.7 Tg C yr−1). The external carbon sources are largely compensated by a net export from the shelf to the Arctic Ocean (31 Tg C yr−1), and to a smaller degree by a permanent burial in the sediments (2.7 Tg C yr−1).


Practitioners of life cycle assessment (LCA) have recently turned their attention to social issues in the supply chain. The United Nations life cycle initiative's social LCA task force has completed its guidelines for social life cycle assessment of products, and awareness of managing upstream corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues has risen due to the growing popularity of LCA. This article explores one approach to assessing social issues in the supply chain—life cycle attribute assessment (LCAA). The approach was originally proposed by Gregory Norris in 2006, and we present here a case study. LCAA builds on the theoretical structure of environmental LCA to construct a supply chain model. Instead of calculating quantitative impacts, however, it asks the question "What percentage of my supply chain has attribute X?" X may represent a certification from a CSR body or a self-defined attribute, such as "is locally produced." We believe LCAA may serve as an aid to discussions of how current and popular CSR indicators may be integrated into a supply chain model. The case study demonstrates the structure of LCAA, which is very similar to that of traditional environmental LCA. A labor hours data set was developed as a satellite matrix to determine number of worker hours in a greenhouse tomato supply. Data from the Quebec tomato producer were used to analyze how the company performed on eight sample LCAA indicators, and conclusions were drawn about where the company should focus CSR efforts.


This paper presents the experimental investigation of the stall inception of a state-of-the-art transonic compressor that resembles a typical front stage of a commercial jet engine. The compressor was designed and manufactured in cooperation with Rolls-Royce Deutschland and assembled in the Darmstadt Transonic Compressor test facility at Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany. Utilising the 1.5-stage design it is possible to investigate stall inception for different rotor inflow conditions. The aerodynamic features prior and during stall inception are investigated by means of unsteady pressure probes in the casing above the rotor. All stall inception events have a spike-type stall character. However, in some cases the spikes are preceded by modal-type activities. In addition to the unsteady wall pressure, speed lines are presented. The combination of the data shows a clear effect of measurement position and averaging process on the shapes of the speed lines but did not allow to predict the type of stall inception.


This paper analyzes unilateral auditors' liability assuming that the auditor has preferences according to Prospect Theory, thus, it considers loss aversion, risk-seeking behaviour with losses and weighting of probabilities. Compared to an Expected Utility maximizer the auditor has less incentives to take care under Prospect Theory when there is strict liability or negligence with a precise standard of due care. With a vague standard of due care results are mixed. With Prospect Theory, a negligence rule induces less distortions than a strict liability regime. JEL-Classification: M 42, K 13


We thank Dr McKinney and colleagues for their interest in our article. The authors generally agree with our findings and raise several interesting issues. We are grateful to the Editor-in-Chief for the opportunity to respond to some of the main issues raised. Dr McKinney writes that we described only lesions in the cingulate and insular cortex. This is not the case. Throughout our article, we stated that all our cases had additional findings such as more variable additional cortical involvement or basal ganglia changes. The point we were rather hoping to put across was that while such changes were not specific (eg, diffuse cortical involvement could be seen in a range of conditions including diffuse hypoxic injury), symmetric involvement of the cingulate and insular cortex was seen in all 4 cases and could therefore represent a more specific finding for hyperammonemic encephalopathy. Such symmetric findings are not commonly seen in other conditions, as far as we are aware. Dr McKinney and colleagues also argue that the terms "acute hyperammonemic encephalopathy" and "acute hepatic encephalopathy" could be interchangeable. They then suggest that their proposed terminology would be more accurate, given that in acute hepatic failure, hyperammonemia is only 1 of the precursors of encephalopathy. Respectfully, we have to disagree. The use of this terminology would have to assume that all cases of hyperammonemic encephalopathy are caused by hepatic failure; this is also not the case. In our small series, 3 patients had hepatic failure, but 1 patient was post– orthoptic lung transplant without evidence of hepatic failure. Moreover, in the pediatric literature, there are many described cases of hyperammonemic encephalopathy, without any link to liver failure. Many of these cases, (eg, due to urea cycle disorders) had radiologic findings similar to ours with cingulate and insular cortex involvement. 4 We argue that this provides compelling evidence that the changes we describe are related to hyperammonemic encephalopathy rather than hepatic encephalopathy per se. We believe that these findings can be seen in hyperammonemic encephalopathy due to various causes, such as hepatic failure, urea cycle disorders, post–lung transplantation, and so forth. It is unclear from our data whether cortical involvement lies at the severe end of the spectrum, as Dr Mc Kinney suggests because 2 of our patients survived despite having cortical involvement. This survival suggests that these changes could potentially be reversible. Data from other series hopefully could shed more light on prognosis. Only 1 of our patients had brain stem and thalamic involvement, and we are unable to comment further on the basis of our small series. In summary, we suggest that the pattern of symmetric cingulate and insular cortical involvement, with additional and more variable cortical involvement, should alert the radiologist to the possibility of hyperammonemic encephalopathy. The cause of the hyperammonemia is nonspecific and could include hepatic failure, lung transplantation, urea cycle disorders, and so forth. Despite the differences in viewpoints, both Dr Mc Kinney's and our articles should increase the radiologic recognition of this potentially reversible condition. 1,2


The behavior of concrete structures is strongly influenced by the loading rate. Compared to quasi-static loading concrete loaded by impact loading acts in a different way. First, there is a strain-rate influence on strength, stiffness, and ductility, and, second, there are inertia forces activated. Both influences are clearly demonstrated in experiments. For concrete structures, which exhibit damage and fracture phenomena, the failure mode and cracking pattern depend on loading rate. Moreover, theoretical and experimental investigations indicate that after the crack reaches critical speed of propagation there is crack branching. The present paper focuses on 3D finite-element study of the crack propagation of the concrete compact tension specimen. The rate sensitive microplane model is used as a constitutive law for concrete. The strain-rate influence is captured by the activation energy theory. Inertia forces are implicitly accounted for through dynamic finite element analysis. The results of the study show that the fracture of the specimen strongly depends on the loading rate. For relatively low loading rates there is a single crack due to the mode-I fracture. However, with the increase of loading rate crack branching is observed. Up to certain threshold (critical) loading rate the maximal crack velocity increases with increase of loading rate, however, for higher loading rates maximal velocity of the crack propagation becomes independent of the loading rate. The critical crack velocity at the onset of crack branching is found to be approximately 500 to 600 m/s.


Volcano monitoring is commonly performed through acquisition and interpretation of real-time signals able to track changes in the magmatic system and the eventual migration of magma toward the surface. Petrological monitoring, in particular,  focus on magma history in terms of depth of storage zones, transport pathways, mechanisms of differentiation, and timescales of involved processes with aim to extrapolate information about the trigger of magma ascent and the eruptive behaviour, and its possible variation over the course of an eruption.

In the present study, conducted in the framework of the EUROVOLC project, we developed a questionnaire that aims to survey the most common petrological monitoring procedures performed by volcano monitoring institutions, in order to identify prevailing techniques and most critical issues, and to rate the suitability of specific investigations in terms of costs versus benefit. The final goal is to identify essential and mandatory petrologic techniques to accomplish for an efficient petrological monitoring during ongoing eruptions, so that can be assessed the minimum logistic requirements (e.g., facilities, infrastructures, operators) and can be defined operative best practices protocols to achieve petrologic results in a timeframe short enough to be well of use for monitoring purposes.

The surveyed information, which resulted from a sample of eighteen interviewed institutions that deal with monitoring of active volcanoes with a variety of eruptive behaviour, provide insights about the whole steps of petrologic monitoring including sampling, sample preparations and analyses, data interpretation and dissemination. The survey reveals that efforts have been made to organize petrological monitoring with standardized procedures similarly to the other monitoring disciplines. For example, some institutions suffer lack of dedicated staff that can be operative with short forewarning. The objects of petrological investigation include all the types of volcanic products from lava to pyroclastic and there are attempts to deal with fixed sampling schedule. Moreover, there is consciousness that the capability to acquire and to interpret the most valuable analytical results at in situ institutions provide a quick image of ongoing eruptive processes and improve the interaction with other disciplines. Therefore, concerning the analytical procedures, which is the core of petrological monitoring, an important results is the cross correlation between the analyses that are easy to acquire (in terms of resources, equipment and time availability) and their effective role for the petrological monitoring.

The expectations include an augmented perception of the benefits that petrologic monitoring brings in the comprehension of eruptive processes. Filling the gap of the primary needs required to accomplish the identified best practices within a short timeframe is a compelling need to lead advancement of the volcano monitoring science.


[full article, abstract in English; abstract in Lithuanian]
This paper outlines a new research project that aims to catalogue and investigate all booklength translations of Dante's Divine Comedy in 100 countries. This will be, in fact, the first project to map the circulation and translation of Dante's Commedia across the globe using statistics and analysis. Despite 700 years of Dante Studies, there still exists no comprehensive bibliography of translations; and critical studies still focus primarily on major languages, neglecting less-translated languages. The theoretical background of this project draws on Franco Moretti's 'distant reading', David Damrosch's theories of world literature, and Johan Heilbron's world system of translations. This project will include three strands, which it aims to carry out with a team of scholars. The first will examine the empirical data about the translations of the Commedia and their circulation abroad. The second strand will study the formal aspects of the translations, seeing where the Commedia was translated into terza rima, and discovering the predominant metrical forms of translations across the world. The third strand will investigate how the Commedia was translated under censorship, in fascist regimes, theocracies, military dictatorships, constitutional monarchies, the Eastern Bloc and Communist dictatorships. As the project is still in the early stages of research I will not be giving conclusions, but rather suggesting new pathways for future development.


Several distinct cell adhesion molecule families have recently been identified and found to be important in the inflammatory response and for epithelial and endothelial homeostasis. The integrin family of adhesion molecules functions in both cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions, whereas the cadherins serve as important cell-cell receptors for maintenance of epithelial integrity. The leukocyte integrins, selectins, members of the immunoglobulin supergene family, and specific carbohydrates mediate adhesive interactions between leukocytes and endothelial cells. The mechanisms of leukocyte-epithelial adhesion are less well understood, but integrins and members of the immunoglobulin supergene family are also involved. The role of these molecules in pulmonary structure and inflammation is currently being actively explored. Further knowledge of these interactions, and the interplay of adhesion molecules, cytokines, and chemoattractants is likely to lead to novel therapeutic modalities in inflammatory diseases of the airway and lung parenchyma. In this overview, the families of adhesion molecules will be summarized, and their relevance for pulmonary structure and inflammation will be discussed.


We explore the use of sparse representations for separation of a monaural mixture signal, where by a sparse representation we mean one where the number of non-zero elements is smaller than might be expected. This is a surprisingly powerful idea, as the ability to express a signal sparsely in some known, and potentially overcomplete, basis constitutes a strong model, while also lending itself to efficient algorithms. In the framework we explore, the representation of the signal is linear in a vector of coefficients. However, because many coefficient values could represent the same signal, the mapping from signal to coefficients is nonlinear, with the coefficients being chosen to simultaneously represent the signal and maximize a measure of sparsity. This conversion of the signal into the coefficients using L1-optimization is viewed not as a pre-processing step performed before the data reaches the heart of the algorithm, but rather as itself the heart of the algorithm: after the coefficients have been found, only trivial processing remains to be done. We show how, by suitable choice of overcomplete basis, this framework can use a variety of cues (e.g., speaker identity, differential filtering, differential attenuation) to accomplish monaural separation. We also discuss two radically different algorithms for finding the required overcomplete dictionaries: one based on non-negative matrix factorization of isolated sources, and the other based on end-to-end optimization using automatic differentiation.


While the merman has been a minor figure in modern popular culture — in marked contrast to his gender counterpart, the mermaid — the figure has begun to enjoy a resurgence in several cultural niches in recent decades. One of the most notable of these has occurred with regard to the branding and marketing of types of beer and, in particularly, with the burgeoning 'craft beer' movement that has taken off in North America, Europe and Australasia (in particular) since the early 2000s. After an introduction to the merman in popular culture, this article analyses the use of mermen and related fish-tailed mythological males in brewery names and symbols, on beer bottle labels and in related marketing material. The article considers the product image created by such symbolism and the manner in which it might be modifying the role and perception of the merman and related figures in contemporary popular culture. It furthermore aims to illustrate ways that contemporary abstract, naive, camp and kitsch depictions of mermen are embraced by breweries to situate themselves as culturally engaged, environmentally oriented, or anti-establishment agitators.


This paper is devoted to education of women as a key precondition for improving family health as well as the socio-economic status of the entire country. Education empowers women to participate in decision-making in the society and thus gives them the opportunity to make positive decision affecting their lives. Since the situation in the country is such that favours men as against women, efforts should be made by governments at all levels to educate and encourage the girl child through their parents on the need to go to school by introducing various policy measures. The authors suggested some of the measures that can be adopted to national education policy which should include free education for girls, lower grades for girls as against that of men, more hostels for girls to remove them from household chores, legislation against forced marriages as practiced in some parts of the Northern country, bursaries and scholarships should be given to girls especially those on science, technical and engineering programmes.


Purpose: To analyze the changes in anterior and posterior corneal surfaces and aberrations in patients who underwent intracorneal ring segment (ICRS) implantation for the treatment of keratoconus. Methods: Eighty-nine eyes of 59 patients with keratoconus who underwent ICRS implantation were analyzed. All eyes were evaluated using a tomography system combining a Placido disc and Scheimpflug photography before and at least 6 months after surgery. Total, anterior, and posterior corneal aberrations, anterior and posterior sagittal and tangential anterior and posterior curve analysis, keratometry (K), minimum corneal thickness, and anterior chamber depth were analyzed before and after surgery. Results: Flattening with a decrease in the cone shape on the anterior corneal surface and steepening in the paracentral area with persistence of cone appearance on the posterior corneal surface were noted in all cases after ICRS implantation. The total corneal higher-order aberrations (HOAs) significantly decreased from 1.09 ± 0.43 to 0.71 ± 0.32 &mgr;m, and anterior corneal HOAs significantly decreased from 0.98 ± 0.46 to 0.81 ± 0.37 &mgr;m, whereas the posterior corneal HOAs increased from 0.53 ± 0.29 to 0.66 ± 0.25 &mgr;m after ICRS implantation (P < 0.05). There was a significant decrease in anterior maximum keratometry, but there was a significant increase in posterior maximum keratometry after ICRS implantation (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The cone shape persists on the posterior corneal surface despite its correction on the anterior corneal surface, leading to a decrease in anterior corneal aberrations and an increase in posterior corneal aberrations after ICRS implantation in eyes with keratoconus.


The tumor suppressor P53 pathway plays a crucial role in preventing carcinogenesis and genetic variations of this pathway may be associated with cancer susceptibility. We tested this hypothesis by examining the contribution of functional polymorphisms in P53 and MDM2 to risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). DNA from 758 ESCC patients and 1,420 controls were genotyped for P53 codon 72Arg>Pro and MDM2 309T>G polymorphisms. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of ESCC were estimated by logistic regression. We observed an increased risk of ESCC associated with the P53 Pro/Pro (OR, 1.83; 95% CI, 1.43-2.35; P < 0.001) or MDM2 GG (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.161.91; P = 0.002) genotype, compared with the P53 Arg/Arg or MDM2 TT genotype, respectively. Interaction between these P53 and MDM2 polymorphisms increased risk of ESCC in a multiplicative manner, with the OR being 3.10 (95% CI, 2.074.69) for subjects carrying both P53 Pro/Pro and MDM2 GG genotypes. Significant interactions were observed between these polymorphisms and smoking, with risk being the highest (OR, 5.29; 95% CI, 2.91-9.61) in smokers having both P53 Pro/ Pro and MDM2 GG genotypes. The MDM2 GG genotype was also associated with risk of developing poorly differentiated and advanced ESCC compared with the GT or TT genotype (OR for high-grade and stages III-IV versus low-grade and stages I-II = 1.60; 95% CI, 1.00-2.64; P = 0.049). The P53 and MDM2 polymorphisms may be genetic determinants for the development of ESCC. (Cancer Res 2005; 65(20): 9582-7)


All combination hormone replacement regimens contain estrogen and a progestational agent. The Women's Health Initiative trial demonstrated that taking the combination of conjugated estrogen and medroxyprogesterone resulted in a higher risk of myocardial infarction and stroke in the study population. However, not all progestational agents are alike in their cardiovascular properties. This article reviews what is known about the most commonly prescribed agents: progesterone, medroxyprogesterone, norethindrone, and norethindrone acetate. We compare data on markers of lipid metabolism, inflammation, and clotting function, and review studies that measure their direct effects on cardiac vessels.


Selected extracts of a translation of Homer's Iliad, employing the Brummie vernacular and a version of Matthew Arnold's English synthetic dactylic hexameter. The text is accompanied by an explanatory note. Some of the extracts were first read at the conference: The meanings of dialects in English poetry - from late 19th century to early 21st century, May 2017, Lille, France. 2017.


We sought to identify theoretical advantages and applications of the centerline method for quantitative assessment of regional ventricular function. Motion was measured along 100 chords constructed perpendicular to a centerline drawn midway between the end-diastolic and end-systolic contours, and normalized for heart size. Abnormality was expressed in units of standard deviations from the mean motion in a normal reference population to indicate both the severity and significance of the wall motion abnormality. The mean abnormality averaged over 100 chords correlated highly with the area ejection fraction (r = .97). The centerline method uses a "sliding window" to measure motion where it is abnormal, because assessment of wall motion in predefined regions of the ventricular contour underestimates abnormality. From the 100 data points, the extent (% of contour) of regional abnormalities can also be determined. The severity of hypokinesis at the site of acute myocardial infarction correlated better with infarct size estimated from creatine kinase release (r = -.78) than did the ejection fraction or the circumferential extent of hypokinesis. Because the centerline method measures motion along locally determined vectors, and requires no apex, origin, coordinate system, or geometric reference figure, it can be applied to contours as dissimilar as the 60 degree left anterior oblique projection of the left ventricle and the 75 degree left anterior oblique projection of the right ventricle.


We report a case of struma ovarii with hyperthyroidism and elevated serum concentrations of type IV collagen and laminin. Circulating levels of type IV collagen and laminin were measured using specific radioimmunoassays (RIAs) for 7S collagen and the P-1 fragment of laminin, and the basement membrane components in the tumor were investigated by immunohistochemical analysis. Strong immunohistochemical staining specific for type IV collagen and for laminin was observed to be localized in the follicular walls. The serum levels of these antigens, as determined by RIA, were very high before removal of the tumor but decreased rapidly postoperatively. The present findings suggest that struma ovarii produces large amounts of type IV collagen and laminin. In addition, elevated levels of thyroid hormones might enhance the turnover of the basement membrane in various tissues.


To the Editor:-"Do not leave home" orders are an interesting innovation, the ethical dimensions of which must be considered very carefully before such a clinical strategy is implemented. First, physicians' orders are customarily written for other health care professionals or medical technicians to implement. A "do not resuscitate" order, for example, instructs other physicians and nurses about what should not be done in the event of cardiopulmonary arrest. The hospital is structured hierarchically as a place where such orders are given and executed. The home is not such a place and physicians would do well to keep this crucial distinction in mind, for a "do not leave home" order is an order to family members, who do not stand in a hierarchical relation of subordination to the physician, as do residents and nurses in a hospital. Indeed, family members are best seen as partners in the care of elderly patients and thus on an equal footing with the physician. To introduce the language and concept of physicians' orders into the domestic environment may well do psychological violence to and


Such processing variables as temperature and superposition of electromagnetic field can vary the molecular dynamics as reflected by the change in relaxation time. Thesematerial intrinsic propertieswere correlated with the extrudate swell ratio by one quantitative model, which was used to predict the variation in die swell due to temperature for phenophthalein poly (ether ether ketone), organobentonite-filled polypropylene nanocomposite and the variation in die swell due to superposed magnetic field for polystyrene melt. The good agreement of calculated values with experimental data illustrated this idea fitful for polymer melts and their composites.


In the past decade, there has been a continuous increase of educational activities using technology to support the active process of learning. Either in form of social media, communication groups or elearning platforms, the technology and internet helps learning processes by making virtual space a meeting point for interactive activities connected with learning: communication, project development, implementation and dissemination, reflection and post-project/follow up innitiatives. The de-monopolisation of virtual space with the 2.0 era and use the current 3.0 generation allows more and more users to become contributors to the content available online, with a double facet issue: increase of quantity of content and number of contributors vs problematic quality of content, sources of documentation and validity of information provided. Still, the learning triggered by the means of internet is a valuable way to keep learners interested and active in the process. The last Ericsson ConsumerLab report - Learning and Education in the Networked Society announces the end of education era and start of the true learning era in a networked society - more individualized learning process, more personal-oriented and self-managed. The present study presents how an interactive platform to support the project of learning active citizenship and participation though the pupils' council within schools at national level can be the tool for the process and the result of technology mediated learning. The interactivity part is also very much connected with the content of the NPC activity - e-magazine (for reporting and dissemination, for discussing representation issues), blogs - issues in the filed of education affecting pupils, reflections on own experience in NPC, sharing of learning to new NPC generation, groups - to allow representatives and pupils from a county or a region to interact more focalized and combine projects and innitiatives.


RADIAL FLOW EFFECTS ON A RETREATING ROTOR BLADE Report Title This work studies the effects of radial flow on the aerodynamic phenomena occurring on a retreating blade with a focus on dynamic stall and reverse flow as applied to a helicopter rotor in forward flight and a wind turbine operating at a yaw angle. While great progress has been made in understanding the phenomenon of two-dimensional dynamic stall, the effect of rotation on the dynamic stall event is not well understood. Experiments were conducted on a rigid two bladed teetering rotor at high advance ratios in a low speed wind tunnel. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements were used to quantify the flow field at several azimuthal angles on the rotating blade during the dynamic stall event. The effect of predominant centrifugal forces induced radial velocity on the dynamic stall event was studied in detail. Further investigation of the radial flow field suggested that the mean radial velocity attenuated on moving outboard due to an apparent shear layer instability and it was demonstrated to be of first order importance in the flow field. These radial flow results prompted an exploration of the flow over a rotating disk to establish similarities of the radial flow over rotating blade in separated flow to that over a rotating disk in separated flow. While a greater part of this work focused on aspects of dynamic stall on the retreating blade, the final parts focus on the exotic flow regime of reverse flow (characterized by flow from the trailing edge to the leading edge of the blade). Aerodynamic loads measurement and surface flow visualization via tufts are used to first quantify the behavior of a static yawed blade in reverse flow. PIV measurements are then used on a static yawed blade and a rotating blade in reverse flow conditions to ascertain the effects of rotation on reverse flow. RADIAL FLOW EFFECTS ON A RETREATING ROTOR BLADE A Thesis Presented to The Academic Faculty


Ectoaminopeptidase activities of pelagic marine microbial communities were investigated on several research cruises in the western Antarctic Peninsula region from 1992 to 1994, using the fluorigenic substrate analogue L-leucyl-P-naphthylamine. K,,, values at in situ temperature were comparable to those observed by other investigators for a variety of aquatic environments. Competitive inhibition by dipeptides of a variety of amino acids showed that the aminopeptidases present were broadly specific; no strong tendency toward greater affinity for hydrophobic or hydrophilic amino acids was observed. Seawater cultures (1.0 pm filtrate) were inoculated with a variety of monomeric organic compounds and incubated for 24 to 72 h prior to activity determination; histidine and phenylalanine were found to consistently inhibit aminopeptidase expression. It is hypothesized that auxotrophy for hstidine and phenylalanine may be widespread in these assemblages, giving rise to high levels of constitutive, nonspecific aminopeptidase activity which results in significant respiration of the more common amino acids. Whatever the exact mechanism, aminopeptidase activity is strongly affected by the specific compounds present and not simply by the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio.


In the context of network protocols, interoperability testing is used to verify that two (or more) implementations communicate correctly while providing the services described in their re- spective specifications. This study is aimed at providing a method for interoperability test generation based on formal definitions. Contrary to previous works, this study takes into account quiescence of implementations that may occur during interoperability testing. This is done through the notion of interoperability criteria that give formal definitions of the different existing pragmatic interoperability notions. It is first proved that quiescence management improves non-interoperability detection. Two of these interoperability criteria are proved equivalent leading to a new method for interoperability test generation. This method avoids the well-known state explosion problem that may occur when using existing classical approaches.


BACKGROUND
Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is a heritable cardiomyopathy characterized by hypertrabeculation, inter-trabecular recesses and thin compact myocardium, but the genetic basis and mechanisms remain unclear. This study identified novel LVNC-associated mutations inNOTCH-dependent genes and investigated their mutational effects.Methods and Results:High-resolution melting screening was performed in 230 individuals with LVNC, followed by whole exome and Sanger sequencing of available family members. Dimerization of bone morphogenetic protein 10 (BMP10) and its binding to BMP receptors (BMPRs) were evaluated. Cellular differentiation, proliferation and tolerance to mechanical stretch were assessed in H9C2 cardiomyoblasts, expressing wild-type (WT) or mutant BMP10 delivered by adenoviral vectors. Rare variants, p.W143*-NRG1and p.V407I-BMP10, were identified in 2 unrelated probands and their affected family members. Although dimerization of mutant V407I-BMP10 was preserved like WT-BMP10, V407I-BMP10 pulled BMPR1a and BMPR2 receptors more weakly compared with WT-BMP10. On comparative gene expression and siRNA analysis, expressed BMPR1a and BMPR2 receptors were responsive to BMP10 treatment in H9C2 cardiomyoblasts. Expression of V407I-BMP10 resulted in a significantly lower rate of proliferation in H9C2 cells compared with WT-BMP10. Cyclic stretch resulted in destruction and death of V407I-BMP10 cells.

CONCLUSIONS
The W143*-NRG1and V470I-BMP10variants are associated with LVNC. Impaired BMPR-binding ability, perturbed proliferation and differentiation processes and intolerance to stretch in V407I-BMP10 mutant cardiomyoblasts may underlie myocardial non-compaction.


Abstract The aim of this study was to explore how foot type affects plantar pressure distribution during standing. In this study, 32 healthy subjects voluntarily participated and the subject feet were classified as: normal feet (n = 23), flat feet (n = 14) and high arch feet (n = 27) according to arch index (AI) values obtained from foot pressure intensity image analysis. Foot pressure intensity images were acquired by a pedopowergraph system to obtain a foot pressure distribution parameter-power ratio (PR) during standing in eight different regions of the foot. Contact area and mean PR were analysed in hind foot, mid-foot and fore foot regions. One-way analysis of variance was used to determine statistical differences between groups. The contact area and mean PR value beneath the mid-foot was significantly increased in the low arch foot when compared to the normal arch foot and high arch foot (p < 0.001) in both feet. However, subjects with low-arch feet had significantly higher body mass index (BMI) compared to subjects with high-arch feet (p < 0.05) and subjects with normal arch feet (p < 0.05) in both feet. In addition, subjects with low-arch feet had significant differences in arch index (AI) value as compared to subjects with high-arch feet (p < 0.001) and subjects with normal arch feet (p < 0.05) in both feet. Mean mid-foot PR value were positively (r = 0.54) correlated with increased arch index (AI) value. A significant (p < 0.05) change was obtained in PR value beneath the mid-foot of low arch feet when compared with other groups in both feet. The findings suggest that there is an increased mid-foot PR value in the low arch foot as compared to the normal arch foot and high arch foot during standing. Therefore, individuals with low arch feet could be at high risk for mid-foot collapse and Charcot foot problems, indicating that foot type should be assessed when determining an individual's risk for foot injury.


This paper focuses on the validation of remotely sensed ocean surface currents from SeaSonde-type high-frequency (HF) radar systems. Hourly observations during the period July 22, 2003 through September 9, 2003 are used from four separate radar sites deployed around the shores of Monterey Bay, CA. Calibration of direction-finding techniques is addressed through the comparisons of results obtained using measured and ideal (i.e., perfect) antenna patterns. Radial currents are compared with observations from a moored current meter and from 16 surface drifter trajectories. In addition, four overwater baselines are used for radar-to-radar comparisons. Use of measured antenna patterns improves system performance in almost all cases. Antenna-pattern measurements repeated one year later at three of the four radar locations exhibit only minor changes indicating that pattern distortions are stable. Calibrated results show root-mean-square (rms) radial velocity differences in the range of 9.8-13.0 cm/s, which suggest radar observation error levels in the range of 6.9-9.2 cm/s. In most cases, clear evidence of bearing errors can be seen, which range up to 30deg for uncalibrated radar-derived radial currents and up to 15deg for currents obtained using measured antenna patterns. Bearing errors are not, however, constant with angle. The results recommend use of measured antenna patterns in all SeaSonde-type applications. They also recommend an expanded simulation effort to better describe the effects of antenna-pattern distortions on bearing determination under a variety of ocean conditions


Linear and nonlinear ultrasonic responses of contacting surfaces were studied based on the contact-pressure dependence of the interfacial stiffnesses. To this purpose, the reflection coefficients of longitudinal and transverse waves were measured for the contacting interface between polished aluminum blocks. The normal and tangential stiffnesses of the interface were then obtained as function of the contact pressure. The reflection coefficients were found to decrease, while the interfacial stiffnesses were found to increase, with the contact pressure. It was also found that the ratio of the tangential to normal stiffness as well as the nonlinearity parameters (ratio of the second harmonic to the squared fundamental amplitudes) could be used as a parameter to characterize the contact condition.


This critically acclaimed autobiography was an instant bestseller in Japan, where it has gone through more than forty printings since its first publication. Cultural critic, literary historian, novelist, poet, and physician, Kato Shuichi reconstructs his dramatic spiritual and intellectual journey from the militarist era of prewar Japan to the dynamic postwar landscapes of Japan and Europe. This fluid translation of "A Sheep's Song" captures Kato's unique voice and brings his insightful interpretation of modern Japan and its tumultuous relations with the outside world to English-speaking readers for the first time. Kato describes his youthful interest in the natural sciences as well as in Japanese and Western literatures - from the Man'yoshu to Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Baudelaire, Valery, and Proust. Turning to the rise of Japanese fascism in the late 1930s, he recalls his rebellion against the jingoistic political atmosphere of the time. The chapters on the war and its aftermath include experiences of Hiroshima shortly after the bombing and the often tragicomic encounters between the defeated Japanese nation and the American Occupation forces. Throughout, memories of his wide-ranging literary career and broad experiences in Europe as a student, traveler, and cultural observer are punctuated by his unique perspectives on the relation between imagination, art, and politics. A postscript written especially for the English-language edition discusses the Vietnam War, the subsequent transformation of Japan, the cultures and societies of Europe, the United States, and China, and the collapse of the Soviet Union.


Naturally durable species of timber are used as an alternative to preservative-treated timber for marine structures, but many species have not been evaluated for their potential for use in this environment. EN 275 evaluates marine borer resistance and specifies a 5-year test period: too long a period for screening tests to be economically viable. Furthermore, the test does not evaluate abrasion resistance. Novel fast-track screening methods were employed in this study to evaluate the marine borer and abrasion resistance of eighteen lesser used timber species. Comparative resistance was assessed by comparing the feeding rates of marine borers and abrasion resistance observed in candidate species against greenheart and ekki which were used as benchmark species. A number of lesser used species, originating from South America and West Africa, performed better than the benchmark species in laboratory tests and over an eighteen month exposure period in the sea. A number of species also performed comparatively well in abrasion trials although resistance to abrasion does not necessarily correlate with resistance to attack by marine borers.


Big business dominates the media. We are inundated with news of billion-dollar mergers and corporate takeovers, but that is not the American Dream. For many years, the United States has had a love affair with small business. Americans may shop in megamalls and Super Wal-Marts, but they admire and respect the entrepreneurial spirit embodied in the many small businesses that increasingly drive our economy.(1) The passion and concern the public has for small businesses, particularly entrepreneurs, is unparalleled.(2) One significant example of such passion and concern is the proposed Fair Access to Indemnity Act (FAIR Act), which seeks to award attorneys' fees to small businesses that prevail against the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in litigation. Significantly, the Act is not reciprocal in that the agencies are not entitled to attorneys' fees when they prevail against the guilty small business. Although proponents claim that the rationale behind the FAIR Act is to "even the playing field" between large government agencies and small businesses, this Note illustrates that the true rationale is the clandestine desire to give small businesses advantages that are perhaps unwarranted. If it seems equivocal that small businesses are well protected and cared for, one need only look at the legislation supporting small businesses within the last fifteen years. The first section of this Note focuses on the enactment and development of the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA)(3) as a way to "protect" small business employers from incurring legal costs in litigation against government agencies.(4) The second section analyzes the sentiment surrounding the EAJA's failure, and the more extreme bill that has been proposed to increase such "protection."(5) In particular, the FAIR Act takes a stronger stance than the EAJA because it awards attorneys' fees to prevailing small businesses, even when the government agencies may have been justified in bringing the claim. Assessing the language used in support of the bill reveals that many people in this country believe that small businesses are not well protected. Such a notion is completely ill founded, and, furthermore, the proponents of the FAIR Act are aware of the shaky foundation upon which their argument rests. The third and fourth sections explain the true rationale underlying legislation such as the FAIR Act: the political ideal that small businesses are evidence of the American Dream. The third section dispels the myth that small businesses are "victims" of governmental abuse in need of further protection.(6) Finally, the fourth section asserts that if the public wants further protection for small firms, an argument not without merit, it should honestly advocate such a policy without relying on the "victim" theory that corrupts bills such as the FAIR Act.(7) THE BEGINNING OF THE TREND The prevailing scheme regarding attorneys' fees in this country is the American rule, which states that each party is accountable for paying his own legal fees regardless of who is vindicated.(8) Despite the longevity of the rule, many judicially created and statutory exceptions exist.(9) These exceptions exemplify the various arguments against the American rule, and suggest why it is the minority rule among industrialized democracies.(10) In 1980, Congress passed the EAJA, a pivotal exception to the American rule, on behalf of small businesses.(11) When first enacted, the Act was experimental; it became permanent in August 1985.(12) The EAJA awards small businesses and individuals attorneys' fees when they prevail against government agencies, unless the government proves it is "substantially justified" in its position.(13) The EAJA qualifies as an "extreme" exception when one considers the pervasive doctrine of governmental immunity: "Traditionally, the United States [government] was even less vulnerable to an award of attorneys' fees than a private litigant. …


Adenovirus (Ad) have been used as vectors to deliver genes to a wide variety of tissues. Despite achieving high expression levels in vivo, Ad vectors display normal tissue toxicity, transient expression, and antivector immune responses that limit therapeutic potential. To circumvent these problems, several retargeting strategies to abrogate native tropism and redirect Ad uptake through defined receptors have been attempted. Despite success in cell culture, in vivo results have generally not shown sufficient selectivity for target tissues. We have previously identified (C. K. Goldman et al., Cancer Res., 57: 1447-1451, 1997) the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) ligand and receptor families as conferring sufficient specificity and binding affinity to be useful for targeting DNA in vivo. In the present studies, we retargeted Ad using basic FGF (FGF2) as a targeting ligand. Cellular uptake is redirected through high-affinity FGF receptors (FGFRs) and not the more ubiquitous lower-affinity Ad receptors. Initial in vitro experiments demonstrated a 10- to 100-fold increase in gene expression in numerous FGFR positive (FGFR+) cell lines using FGF2-Ad when compared with Ad. To determine whether increased selectivity could be detected in vivo, FGF2-Ad was administered i.v. to normal mice. FGF2-Ad demonstrates markedly decreased hepatic toxicity and liver transgene expression compared with Ad treatment. Importantly, FGF2-Ad encoding the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (TK) gene transduces Ad-resistant FGFR+ tumor cells both ex vivo and in vivo, which results in substantially enhanced survival (180-260%) when the prodrug ganciclovir is administered. Because FGFRs are up-regulated on many types of malignant or injured cells, this broadly useful method to redirect native Ad tropism and to increase the potency of gene expression may offer significant therapeutic advantages.


The Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas have made considerable progress since the beginning of peace talks in Havana, Cuba two years ago. However, many challenges still lie ahead related to both the remaining issues on the peace agenda and the implementation of an eventual peace accord. This report is based on two seminars organised by NOREF that took place in Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile in October 2014 with the purpose of bringing together Latin American diplomats, academics, multilateral organisations and civil society to discuss possible contributions to the peace process from the region. It addresses some of the challenges of the negotiations and points out ways in which Latin America could support the process, particularly during the implementation phase of a peace agreement. Among them are the sharing of experiences in transitional justice; the monitoring of disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programmes; the provision of political and financial support; and the protection of victims and others who face threats due to their participation in the peace process. Executive summary


Over the last three decades, the application of evolutionary theory to the human sciences has shown remarkable growth. This growth has also been characterised by a 'splitting' process, with the emergence of distinct sub-disciplines, most notably: Human Behavioural Ecology (HBE), Evolutionary Psychology (EP) and studies of Cultural Evolution (CE). Multiple applications of evolutionary ideas to the human sciences are undoubtedly a good thing, demonstrating the usefulness of this approach to human affairs. Nevertheless, this fracture has been associated with considerable tension, a lack of integration, and sometimes outright conflict between researchers. In recent years however, there have been clear signs of hope that a synthesis of the human evolutionary behavioural sciences is underway. Here, we briefly review the history of the debate, both its theoretical and practical causes; then provide evidence that the field is currently becoming more integrated, as the traditional boundaries between sub-disciplines become blurred. This article constitutes the first paper under the new editorship of the Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, which aims to further this integration by explicitly providing a forum for integrated work.


Adipose tissue (AT) senescence and mitochondrial dysfunction are associated with obesity. Studies in obese patients and animals demonstrate that the MR (mineralocorticoid receptor) contributes to obesity-associated cardiovascular complications through its specific role in AT. However, underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to elucidate whether MR regulates mitochondrial function in obesity, resulting in AT premature aging and vascular dysfunction. Obese (db/db) and lean (db/+) mice were treated with an MR antagonist or a specific mitochondria-targeted antioxidant. Mitochondrial and vascular functions were determined by respirometry and myography, respectively. Molecular mechanisms were probed by Western immunoblotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction in visceral AT and arteries and focused on senescence markers and redox-sensitive pathways. db/db mice displayed AT senescence with activation of the p53-p21 pathway and decreased SIRT (sirtuin) levels, as well as mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, the beneficial anticontractile effects of perivascular AT were lost in db/db via ROCK (Rho kinase) activation. MR blockade prevented these effects. Thus, MR activation in obesity induces mitochondrial dysfunction and AT senescence and dysfunction, which consequently increases vascular contractility. In conclusion, our study identifies novel mechanistic insights involving MR, adipose mitochondria, and vascular function that may be of importance to develop new therapeutic strategies to limit obesity-associated cardiovascular complications.


Anisotropy and attenuation are critical to the modeling and analysis of seismic amplitude, phase, and traveltime data. Neglect of either of these phenomena, which are often both operating simultaneously, diminishes the resolution and interpretability of migrated images. In order to obtain an accurate image of subsurface earth, it is necessary to include both anisotropy and attenuation in inversion procedures as subsurface materials are far from being isotropic or elastic. In this thesis, I address attenuation and anisotropy problems such as modeling of wave propagation and compensating for attenuation effects in seismic images. To develop such analysis, I derive a time domain viscoacoustic constant-Q wave equation in isotropic and anisotropic media using an un-split field PML's scheme that is practically efficient and accurately simulates the constant-Q attenuation behavior and developing an Q-compensated reverse-time migration approach to compensate for attenuation effects in seismic images during migration. First, I investigate the accuracy of the new approach of viscoacoustic wave equation based on constant-Q theory. Most importantly, this approach separates attenuation and dispersion operators that allow us to mitigate both amplitude attenuation and phase dispersion effects in seismic imaging. This equation is the key modeling engine for seismic migration. Second, I present a method to improve image resolution by mitigating attenuation effects. I develop a Q-compensated reverse-time migration imaging approach (Q-RTM) and demonstrate this approach using different synthetic models. In Q-RTM, amplitude compensation happens within the migration process through manipulation of attenuation and phase dispersion terms in the time domain differential equations. Particularly, the back-propagation operator is constructed by reversing the sign only of the amplitude loss operators, but not the dispersion-related operators, a step made possible by reformulating the absorptive equations such that the two appear separately. Numerical results further verify that this Q-RTM approach can effectively improve the resolution of seismic images, particularly beneath high-attenuation zones. Finally, I extend the viscoacoustic wave equations from isotropic media to transversely isotropic (TI) media. For imaging application, I discuss the stability condition and the artifacts of shear wave triplications. The results indicate that the stable anisotropic reverse time migration is accessible by taking off


At the 2006 General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a proposal was adopted to form the Working Group (WG) for Numerical Standards of Fundamental Astronomy (NSFA). The goal of the WG is to update the "IAU Current Best Estimates" conforming with IAU Resolutions, the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) Conventions, and the Système International d'Unités (SI). The need for changes to the numerical standards are due mainly to the adoption of a new precession model, the redefinition of Barycentric Dynamical Time (TDB), and the significant improvement of the accuracy of recent estimates for a number of constants. The work from the first triennium culminated in the acceptance at the 2009 IAU General Assembly of Resolution B2 which adopted the NSFA list of Current Best Estimates as the IAU (2009) System of Astronomical Constants.


Although the Stern Review presents aggregate climate damages and abatement costs in dollars, in many ways it is not an economic analysis. First, and most importantly, it does not seek to minimize the present value of the sum of abatement costs and climate damages. Rather it compares the abatement cost of a single aggressive program with the climate damages of doing nothing at all for two centuries. Second, it does not use the same assumptions in the two cases. Third, it makes very strong assumptions about abatement that may underestimate near-term costs by several-fold. Fourth, it makes even stronger assumptions about climate damages that may overestimate damages by an order of magnitude. All economic analyses recommend near-term abatement, but the Stern Review argues for very aggressive near-term abatement. This article argues that such a policy would be a mistake. The bulk of these mitigation dollars would be less costly and far more effective if spent in future periods.


This article examines how the increase in the incarceration of black men and the sex ratio imbalance it induces shape the behavior of young black women. Combining data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Current Population Survey to match male incarceration rates with individual observations over two decades, I show that black male incarceration lowers the odds of black nonmarital teenage fertility while increasing young black women's school attainment and early employment. These results can account for the sharp bridging of the racial gap over the 1990s for a range of socioeconomic outcomes among females.


Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are a complex family of cell-wall proteoglycans that are thought to play major roles in plant growth and development. Genetic approaches to studying AGP function have met limited success so far, presumably due to redundancy within the large gene families encoding AGP backbones. Here we used an alternative approach for genetic dissection of the role of AGPs in development by modifying their glycan side chains. We have identified an Arabidopsis glycosyltransferase of CAZY family GT31 (AtGALT31A) that galactosylates AGP side chains. A mutation in the AtGALT31A gene caused the arrest of embryo development at the globular stage. The presence of the transcript in the suspensor of globular-stage embryos is consistent with a role for AtGALT31A in progression of embryo development beyond the globular stage. The first observable defect in the mutant is perturbation of the formative asymmetric division of the hypophysis, indicating an essential role for AGP proteoglycans in either specification of the hypophysis or orientation of the asymmetric division plane.


BACKGROUND
Neuropathic pain is associated with disease or injury to the peripheral or central nervous system, which is considered particularly difficult to treat due to its diverse etiology and underlying physiopathological mechanisms. Recent experimental and clinical data support the potential of pharmacotherapy using a combination of drugs for neuropathic pain.

METHODS
In order to assess a possible synergistic anti-hyperalgesic interaction, the anti-hyperalgesic effects of morphine and gabapentin, single-dose administered either separately or in combination, were determined using the von Frey test in a rat model of neuropathic pain (Bennett model).

RESULTS
Time course analysis showed that morphine (3.2 mg/kg s.c.) and gabapentin (17.8 mg/kg s.c.) individually reached their maximum effect at 60 min after treatment, producing an anti-hyperalgesic effect of 51.7+/-10.5% and 55.0+/-11.7%, respectively, whereas the combination morphine + gabapentin (3.2+17.8 mg/kg s.c.) produced an almost total anti-hyperalgesic effect at 30 min (96.7+/-2.1%) and at 60 min showed 100% anti-hyperalgesia. This anti-hyperalgesic effect remained during 180 min of observation. Analysis of global effects as area under the curve of time course showed that the nature of the anti-hyperalgesic interaction of the analyzed dose had an additive effect. There was no significant difference observed in the theoretical sum of anti-hyperalgesic effect produced by each drug alone (225.4+/-29.1 area units, au) compared with the corresponding effects produced by the combination of drugs (263.33+/-3.3 au).

CONCLUSIONS
These findings are useful in determining the type of interaction that these drugs produce using this combination ratio in neuropathic pain.


Stress hyperglycemia is a common complication in critically ill patients and is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Tight glucose control (TGC) has shown promise in reducing mean glucose levels in critically ill patients and may mitigate the harmful repercussions of stress hyperglycemia. Despite the promise of TGC, care must be taken to avoid hypoglycemia, which has been implicated in the failure of some previous clinical attempts at TGC using intensive insulin therapies. In fact, a single hypoglycemic event has been shown to result in worsened patient outcomes.

The nature of tight glucose regulation lends itself to automatic monitoring and control, thereby reducing the burden on clinical staff. A blood glucose target range of 110-130 mg/dL has been identified in the High-Density Intensive Care (HIDENIC) database at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). A control framework comprised of a zone model predictive controller (zMPC) with moving horizon estimation (MHE) is proposed to maintain euglycemia in critically ill patients. Using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) the proposed control scheme calculates optimized insulin and glucose infusion to maintain blood glucose concentrations within the target zone.

Results from an observational study employing continuous glucose monitors at UPMC are used to reconstruct blood glucose from noisy CGM data, identify a model of CGM error in critically ill patients, and develop an in silico virtual patient cohort. The virtual patient cohort recapitulates expected physiologic trends with respect to insulin sensitivity and glycemic variability. Furthermore, a mechanism is introduced utilizing proportional-integral-derivative (PID) to modulate basal pancreatic insulin secretion rates in virtual patients. The result is virtual patients who behave realistically in simulated oral glucose tolerance tests and insulin tolerance tests and match clinically observed responses.

Finally, in silico trials are used to simulate clinical conditions and test the developed control system under realistic conditions. Under normal conditions the control system is able to tightly control glucose concentrations within the target zone while avoiding hypoglycemia. To safely counteract the effect of faulty CGMs a system to detect sensor error and request CGM recalibration is introduced. Simulated in silico tests of this system results in accurate detection of excessive error leading to higher quality control and hypoglycemia reduction.


This paper discusses an alternative to the ex post pricing model currently under development within ISO New England's (ISO NE) ancillary service market. Since ISO NE's real-time ancillary service market co-optimizes both energy and reserve products, ex post pricing is needed for both energy and reserve. A co-optimization approach for ex post pricing requires defining complex pricing rules and implementing heuristics to ensure consistent binding constraints with the ex ante dispatch. In order to avoid complexity and uncertainty of required heuristics, a new ex post pricing schema is proposed to calculate the ex post energy and reserve prices in a decoupled way while recognizing the coupling effect of energy and reserve. In the proposed approach, ex post energy prices are first computed by incorporating the ex ante marginal opportunity cost of reserve in the energy offer; the ex post reserve prices are then calculated by considering the ex post marginal opportunity cost of energy. This approach simplifies the implementation of ex post pricing rules in the ISO NE market. Numerical examples are presented to further demonstrate the validity of this approach


BACKGROUND
The Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) objectively assesses the lower extremity arterial perfusion. A low ABI suggests atherosclerosis and Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). PAD is more common in individuals with type2 Diabetes mellitus (Type2 DM). Inflammatory markers are found to be associated with Type2 DM. But the association of the inflammatory markers with the atherosclerotic burden remains poorly defined.

AIMS
To compare the ABI and the hsCRP in the Type 2 DM patients with those in the normal subjects and to study the association of serum hsCRP with ABI in the Type 2 DM patients and in normal subjects.

METHODS
The subjects were 40 Type2 DM and 40 age, sex and BMI matched normal subjects who were aged between 45-60 yrs. The subjects were assigned to two different groups, Group1- the Type2 DM patients and Group2- the healthy controls. The serum hsCRP levels were determined by the turbidimetry method (BIOSYSTEMS) and the ABI values were determined by using the traditional continuous wave (CW) Doppler of NICOLET VERSALAB.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
The data was analyzed by using the Student's t test (two tailed; independent) to find the significance of the study parameters between the two groups. Pearson's Correlation was used to find the correlation of serum hsCRP with the ABI in the two groups.

RESULTS
The ABI showed a significantly low value (P=0.035*) and the serum hsCRP showed a trend towards a significant increase (p = 0.069+) in the type2diabetics as compared to those in the normals. There was a significant negative correlation between ABI and hsCRP in the Type 2 DM patients (r=-0.560, p<0.001**). However, such correlation was not observed in the normal subjects.

CONCLUSION
As serum hsCRP is associated with ABI in the type2 DM patients, inflammation may play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis.


On many online platforms, users can engage with millions of pieces of content, which they discover either organically or through algorithmically-generated recommendations. While the short-term benefits of recommender systems are well-known, their long-term impacts are less well understood. In this work, we study the user experience on Spotify, a popular music streaming service, through the lens of diversity—the coherence of the set of songs a user listens to. We use a high-fidelity embedding of millions of songs based on listening behavior on Spotify to quantify how musically diverse every user is, and find that high consumption diversity is strongly associated with important long-term user metrics, such as conversion and retention. However, we also find that algorithmically-driven listening through recommendations is associated with reduced consumption diversity. Furthermore, we observe that when users become more diverse in their listening over time, they do so by shifting away from algorithmic consumption and increasing their organic consumption. Finally, we deploy a randomized experiment and show that algorithmic recommendations are more effective for users with lower diversity. Our work illuminates a central tension in online platforms: how do we recommend content that users are likely to enjoy in the short term while simultaneously ensuring they can remain diverse in their consumption in the long term?


History DUS, J., Israelitische Vorfahren: Vasallen palästinischer Stadtstaaten (Europäische Hochschulschriften Reihe, 23, Theologie Bd. 404; Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 1991). £16.00, ISBN 3-631-42974-6. This revision of Albrecht Alt's 1925 hypothesis of Israel's settlement is drawn essentially from Dus's publications of the 1960s. It is worth having easy access to Dus's perceptive social commentary on ancient history. But like so many sociological studies of the 60s and 70s much effort is expended in trying to dress mid-first millennium narrative in Late Bronze clothing, looking not for evidence on which to ground an hypothesis but merely adequacy of rhetoric to sell a 'model'. It reads well in contrast to the studies of Fritz and Gottwald. But ideologically based assertions about the past are fiction, not history. TLT


Due to high energy usage and power demand in industrial facilities, demand-side management (DSM) can simultaneously yield substantial energy cost savings for the facility and reduce the load on the power grid. There are many means of DSM, the most common being peak clipping, which is easily done with renewable energy systems and other power-generating devices. In this work, renewable energy systems (RESs) are critically reviewed and compared based on their application to industrial demand-side management (IDSM). Specifically, the RESs reviewed herein include photovoltaics, wind turbines, geothermal, and hybrid renewable energy systems. These devices are introduced, followed by a discussion of their advantages, disadvantages, and feasibility for use in IDSM. Most importantly, the reduction in the carbon footprint of power generation plants resulting from the use of RESs for IDSM is investigated. Comparisons are made based upon rated power, capital costs, O&M costs, levelized cost of energy, and the feasibility for use in industrial facilities. Using the values in the cost comparisons, the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) is derived for each device and used in a techno-economic analysis comparing the cost savings for the different RESs for a hypothetical plant.


Corrosion testing is a very important step in quality control for metal industrial processes. Especially for electroplated goods, corrosion resistance is a primary indicator of surface quality. International Standard Organization has established several standards that use Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), alone or combined with other electrochemical techniques, to determine corrosion resistance of metal surfaces such ISO 16773 for testing coated and uncoated metallic specimens and ISO 17463 specially designed for organic-coated metal surfaces. EIS is a versatile procedure for the accelerated evaluation of the anti-corrosion performance of coatings: unlike other standard procedures is generally a non-destructive method. EIS works applying an electrical sinusoidal perturbation with a fixed frequency and measuring electrical impedance Z of the sample. Measuring impedance at different frequencies and analysing the data it is possible to postulate the structure of an equivalent circuit and extract corrosion resistance data. This approach is commonly used for high-impedance coatings, in this study we will explore EIS as well as the OCP measurement, the corrosion current and other techniques to find the best option for low-impedance metallic coatings analysis. The objective of this study is to develop a method to determine corrosion resistance for electroplated goods that can give results as reliable as other more diffuse and traditional destructive corrosion testing techniques (such as corrosion tests in artificial atmosphere ISO 9227 and ISO 17228) with a non-destructive process and in a fair less amount of time.