This study compares the performance of a field bioretention cell with and without an internal water storage (IWS) layer for treating highway runoff. Both synthetic and natural runoff tests were conducted. Hydraulic performances on peak discharge reduction and detention time extension were measured. Pollutant removal efficiencies were evaluated for total suspended solids (TSS), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), total nitrogen, nitrate, ammonia, total phosphorus, and orthophosphate phosphorus. Pollutants in soil media were measured. Results reveal that both IWS and non‐IWS designs reduced peak discharge and extended detention time, while the IWS design performed better. For water quality performance, the non‐IWS design removed TSS, Cu, Pb, Zn, and total phosphorus to varying degrees of efficiency, but total nitrogen removal was minimal. The IWS layer significantly improved removal efficiencies for TSS, Cu, Zn, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Soil media accumulated some metals over time.


Aspects of the structure and ultrastructure of the membranous ligule of mature leaves of Lolium temulentum L. are described. In transverse section the ligule was lens-shaped and wedge-shaped in longitudinal section, 6 or 7 cells wide near the base and 1 or 2 cells wide at the edges. Two uniseriate epidermes enclosed a chlorenchymatous mesophyll tissue of varying thicknesses; both epidermes were continuous with the leaf adaxial epidermis. The cells comprising these three issues all appeared like typical grass epidermal long cells; elongate papillate cells were present at the edges. No stomata, trichomes, intercellular spaces or vascular tissue were found in the ligule. A marked polarization of ultrastructural complexity existed from the large-vacuolate abaxial epidermis to the 'densely cytoplasmic' small-vacuolate adaxial epidermis. Cells of the latter tissue contained numerous mitochondria, hypersecretory dictyosomes and abundant strands of rough endoplasmic reticulum. Fluorescence microscopy provided evidence for the accumulation of a polysaccharide-containing material within the periplasmic space next to the outer tangential wall of adaxial epidermal cells. The ligule is considered to be a highly organized and differentiated leaf organ with a pholosynthetic mesophyll and an adaxial epidermis active in the synthesis of protein and polysaccharide.


Over the last two years the world has witnessed a financial tsunami that rocked the global financial systems. This paper presents the fundamental principle of conservation of physical money of the global financial system that guarantees its equilibrium and stability. Similar to the principle of conservation of mass-energy systems and based on the commodity money concept, then the physical money cannot be created from nullity nor can be destroyed. As a result, violation of such a system will lead to a deficit in the financial system which cannot be paid off. Additionally, violation of gold standard and the breakage of the Bretton Woods system are the reason behind the current world financial crisis. Paying non-zero interest on money loans will violate this principle as well. The international banking system is volatile and over-valued since it is based on the fractional banking technique that banks do not actually need to have the money to back up the deposits their clients have made into their accounts. Instead, the banks are required only to keep a small fraction of such deposits on hand. The world Today's reserves wealth of Gold, Silver and Copper is estimated by 8.63 Trillion US$ compared to 4.3 Trillion US$ in Currencies. Moreover The Bank of International Settlements (BIS) in Switzerland has recently reported that global outstanding derivatives have reached 1.14 quadrillion dollars: $548 Trillion in listed credit derivatives plus $596 trillion in notional OTC derivatives. Furthermore, by 2007 credit default swap total value has dramatically increased to an estimated $45 trillion to $62 trillion. Subprime mortgage crisis, credit crisis and banking closure all have resulted from the violation of conservation money. Taking into the account that the World's GDPs for all nations is approximately $50 trillion and all of the asset value of the world is only $190 Trillion, it can be seen easily that the over-valued $1140 trillion financial derivatives will lead in the near future to the collapse of the international financial system similar to Iceland, Greece, Ireland crises and potentially in Spain, Portugal, and Italy.


This document describes the functioning of the automated history matching and optimization workflow implemented with the ResFrac hydraulic fracturing and reservoir simulator. The purpose of the automated history matching and optimization workflow is enable automated calibration of simulator models to observed data and application to forward optimization. The automated workflow works by solving a formal mathematical optimization problem to minimize misfit with observations from any point in the lifecycle of a hydraulically fractured reservoir, or to maximize a quantity of interest associated such a reservoir, such as net present value. Objective function evaluations in the optimization problem consist of runs of the ResFrac simulator, which is a physics-based model of hydraulic fracturing and reservoir phenomena. The workflow employs a proxy model to improve computational speed and applies experimental design and Bayesian sampling techniques to generate points with which to train the proxy model. This document also provides an overview of the software infrastructure developed to support the automated workflow.


The unit in question, at Liverpool Royal Hospital, recognises impending postmaturity as an indication for induction no earlier than 10 days past term and would not strive unduly to achieve an early induction in patients with mild or moderate hypertension, given satisfactory placental function. These two conditions constitute the majority of indications for ripening procedures. In these situations, the discovery of an unripe cervix would surely best be interpreted as an abnormal finding rather than one at the lower limit of physiological normal. If the unripe cervix is an early manifestation of poor uterine activity-and in the light of current theories on the initiation of physiological labour this would seem reasonable-then the ensuing induced labour might well be expected to have the characteristics of the cephalopelvic disproportion and incoordinate uterine activity syndrome. Perhaps, then, it is more realistic to find encouragement in a 750 vaginal delivery rate in such circumstances and to conclude that the underlying conditions, rather than the ripening procedures, are responsible for the high section rate.


Abstract. Significance Cancer therapy treatments produce extensive changes in the physiological and morphological properties of tissues, which are also individual dependent. Currently, a key challenge involves developing more tailored cancer therapy, and consequently, individual biological response measurement during therapy, such as tumor hypoxia, is of high interest. This is the first time human cerebral haemodynamics and cerebral tissue oxygenation index (TOI) changes were measured during the irradiation in clinical radiotherapy and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technique was demonstrated as a feasible technique for clinical use in radiotherapy, based on 34 online patient measurements. Aim Our aim is to develop predictive biomarkers and noninvasive real-time methods to establish the effect of radiotherapy during treatment as well as to optimize radiotherapy dose planning for individual patients. In particular, fNIRS-based technique could offer an effective and clinically feasible online technique for continuous monitoring of brain tissue hypoxia and responses to chemo- and radiotherapy, which involves modulating tumor oxygenation to increase or decrease tumor hypoxia. We aim to show that fNIRS is feasible for repeatability measuring in patient radiotherapy, the temporal alterations of tissue oxygenation induced by radiation. Approach Fiber optics setup using multiwavelength fNIRS was built and combined with a medical linear accelerator to measure cerebral tissue oxygenation changes during the whole-brain radiotherapy treatment, where the radiation dose is given in whole brain area only preventing dosage to eyes. Correlation of temporal alterations in cerebral haemodynamics and TOI response to brain irradiation was quantified. Results Online fNIRS patient measurement of cerebral haemodynamics during clinical brain radiotherapy is feasible in clinical environment, and results based on 34 patient measurements show strong temporal alterations in cerebral haemodynamics and decrease in TOI during brain irradiation and confirmed the repeatability. Our proof-of-concept study shows evidently that irradiation causes characteristic immediate changes in brain tissue oxygenation. Conclusions In particular, TOI seems to be a sensitive parameter to observe the tissue effects of radiotherapy. Monitoring the real-time interactions between the subjected radiation dose and corresponding haemodynamic effects may provide important tool for the researchers and clinicians in the field of radiotherapy. Eventually, presented fNIRS technique could be used for improving dose planning and safety control for individual patients.


Objectives: To describe the diagnostic pathway for 175 consecutive cases of trisomy 21, 18 or 13. Methods: Prenatal and postnatal data were examined from 118 consecutive cases of trisomy 21 and 57 cases of trisomy 18 or trisomy 13 with an estimated date of delivery was between 1-6-2008 and 1-6-2010. Results: In 73 (42%) of 175 trisomic pregnancies a first trimester (FTS) scan was performed and in 62 (85%) of these cases an anomaly was diagnosed or the risk of the combined test was increased. In 61 (35%) trisomic pregnancies FTS was declined but a second trimester scan (STS) was performed which revealed anomalies in 38% of cases with trisomy 21 and a 83% with trisomy 18 or 13. In 18 (10%) of the affected pregnancies neither invasive testing nor FTS or STS were performed. Conclusions: The first trimester scan (FTS) and the combined test (CT) are effective in detecting fetal trisomy. If screening is postponed to the second trimester the detection of trisomy 21 is less than 50%; fetuses with trisomy 18 or 13 are almost always identified but not always before the legal limit for abortion.


Profit forecasts are rarely disclosed in the UK except in prospectuses, circulars and during takeover bids. There are few regulations governing the content of profit forecasts. Under stock exchange rules these forecasts must be reported on by both reporting accountants and the merchant bankers advising on the deal. The format of the forecasts is at the discretion of individual companies. This paper summarises the regulations, including professional pronouncements, governing accountants' reports on profit forecasts. Practical examples of such accountants' reports extracted from 250 profit forecasts published during 701 UK takeover bids in the period 1988 to 1992 are reproduced and discussed. These examples provide useful precedent material for practitioners involved in reporting on a profit forecast. The paper concludes with a discussion of policy issues and suggestions for policy makers.


To investigate the effect of omeprazole on the acute atrial electrical remodelling and oxidative stress status in rabbit atrial fi brillation (AF) model


High-stake, end-of-course assignment tasks are not only experienced as stressful by students. It can also be questioned whether a single assignment task, however complex and many-sided, can address all relevant learning outcomes for a course and catch the multi-faceted character of historical knowledge.This paper discusses continuous assessment as an alternative to traditional end-of-course assessment. Previous studies as well as experiences from using continuous assessment in History courses at Halmstad University has been used in order to illustrate opportunities and drawbacks. A tentative conclusion is that continuous assessment does provide for more varied assignment tasks, thus giving teachers a broader view of students' achievements. Using continuous assessment, the assignment tasks can also more easily be experienced as part of the learning process and not only a checkpoint. Continuous assessment can therefore help students to develop a meta-understanding of their own learning.


A one-dimensional model of a dispersive medium with intrinsic loss, compensated by a parametric drive, is proposed. It is a combination of the wellknown parametrically driven nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) and complex cubic Ginzburg-Landau equations, and has various physical applications (in particular, to optical systems). For the case when the zero background is stable, we elaborate an analytical approximation for solitary-pulse (SP) states. The analytical results are found to be in good agreement with numerical findings. Unlike the driven NLS equation, in the present model SPs feature a nontrivial phase structure. Combining the analytical and numerical methods, we identify a stability region for the SP solutions in the model's parameter space. Generally, the increase of the diffusion and nonlinear-loss parameters, which differ the present model from its driven-NLS counterpart, lead to shrinkage of the stability domain. At one border of the stability region, the SP is destabilized by the Hopf bifurcation, which converts it into a localized breather. Subsequent period doublings make internal vibrations of the breather chaotic. In the case when the zero background is unstable, hence SPs are irrelevant, we construct stationary periodic solutions, for which a very accurate analytical approximation is developed too. Stability of the periodic waves is tested by direct simulations.


Leaf extracts of 14-d-old pea (Pisum sativum L. cv Homesteader) seedlings were examined for folate derivatives and for 10-formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase (SYN), 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase (CYC), and 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (DHY) activities. Microbiological and enzyme assays showed that leaf folates SYN, CYC, and DHY were predominantly cytosolic. Extracts of Percoll gradient-purified mitochondria contained less than 1% of total leaf folate and less that 1% of each enzyme activity. Fractionation of whole-leaf homogenates resulted in the copurification of DHY and CYC (subunit 38 kD) and the isolation of a SYN protein (subunit 66 kD). Polyclonal antibodies were raised against purified cytosolic DHY-CYC (DHY-CYC-Ab) and cytosolic SYN (SYN-Ab), respectively. Immunoblots showed that DHY-CYC-Ab cross-reacted with a mitochondrial protein band (38 kD). Two mitochondrial protein bands (subunit Mr = 40,000 and 44,000) cross-reacted with SYN-Ab. Immunoaffinity chromatography (DHY-CYC-Ab as the immobile ligand) indicated that the bulk of mitochondrial SYN activity was not associated with mitochondrial DHY or CYC. When 9-d-old etiolated pea seedlings were exposed to light for up to 3 d, the specific enzyme activities of DHY-CYC in whole-leaf extracts rose 2-fold and more DHY-CYC-Ab cross-reacting protein was detected. In contrast, the specific activity of SYN fell from 5 to 1 [mu]mol min-1 mg-1 protein and less SYN-Ab cross-reacting protein was detected. The data suggest that in pea leaves, the bulk of one-carbon-substituted tetrahydrofolates and enzymes for the generation of 10-formyltetrahydrofolate are extra-mitochondrial.


A new method is put forward to positioning solder joints on fully-automatic LED wire bonder. In the method, the image of a LED micro-chip is first processed with GPU by median filtering based on average and adaptive window size. Then the potential areas of the micro-chip are determined by the algorithm of adaptive threshold for image. These potential areas are stored in groups according to distances. The best potential area of each group is screened out in terms of symmetrical features of grey scale after that it is a weighted process. Finally, the LED micro-chip solder joint is precisely located by calculating the center of mass. The results show that the proposed method is fast, accurate, effective, suitable for automation, and has no requirement to the consistency of the shape of LED micro-chips.


Void detection is a difficult task for geophysical methods. The main disadvantage is the uncertainty of the final interpretation and the need for verification of the results with direct methods of underground investigation. A good way to reduce this uncertainty, apart from drilling, is through the implementation of more than one geophysical method in the same area. An integrated approach of geophysical methods can be achieved by using multiparameter statistical techniques, such as cluster analysis. Firstly, the effectiveness of multiparameter analysis on synthetic data is studied and then on real data from a controlled test site. In addition, a new approach for the creation of a unified geophysical model (UGM) is suggested to optimize target detection. Finally, the UGM approach is implemented and is evaluated in a real case study for void detection in an urban environment. The UGM offers the integrated information of the geophysical methods that are used without the need for predefined relationships. It is a model resulting from a specific statistical procedure, free of subjective precautions, and easily understood even by nonexperts in geophysics. Finally, it offers an additional tool for the better understanding of the subsurface as far as the difficult task of void detection is concerned.


Can labor emigration form part of a state's foreign policy goals? The relevant literature links emigration to states' developmental needs, which does not explain why some states choose to economically subsidize their citizens' emigration. This article explores for the first time the soft power importance of high-skilled emigration from authoritarian emigration states. It finds that the Egyptian state under Gamal Abdel Nasser employed labor emigration for two distinct purposes linked to broader soft power interests: first, as an instrument of cultural diplomacy to spread revolutionary ideals of Arab unity and anti-imperialism across the Middle East; second, as a tool for disseminating development aid, particularly in Yemen and sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on Arabic and non-Arabic primary sources, the article identifies the interplay between foreign policy and cross-border mobility, while also sketching an evolving research agenda on authoritarian emigration states' policy-making.


Social entrepreneurship is an important component of the European social market economy that is based on the principles of solidarity and responsibility and the priorities regarding the individual and social goals; it promotes social responsibility and social inclusion. However, in practice, social enterprises face various problems that negatively affect their competitiveness. The present research has set an aim to examine the competitiveness of social entrepreneurship in Latvia. To achieve the aim, a case study was carried out to identify the factors affecting the competitiveness of social entrepreneurship and its competitive advantages and disadvantages in comparison with conventional enterprises. The research found that the key competitive advantages of social entrepreneurship were the story told by social enterprises and their employee motivation, while the negative effects regarding competitiveness were as follows: the lack of government support for social entrepreneurship, insufficient information in society about social entrepreneurship and the social value created by it, as well as various other factors in the internal environment of an enterprise.


Background Community-based participatory research (CBPR) involves researchers, practitioners and community members working together to increase knowledge, foster social capital, and improve health and wellbeing. This study utilised a CPBR approach to develop, pilot and conduct a community wellbeing survey in a town characterised by a number of health and social issues. The intention was that the results could be used by the partners to design services and activities to better meet local needs. Methods An initial survey was developed with input from a steering group comprised of local authority, NHS and third sector partners. A group of residents then pre-tested the questions, as well as providing suggestions on ways to maximise the response rate. Eleven volunteers were trained to pilot and deliver the final survey, which could be completed in person or online. A link to the online survey was distributed to a mailing list of around 400 residents, via social media sites and flyers in GP practices. Responses to closed questions were analysed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS v.20, while responses to open-ended questions were analysed using a combination of thematic and framework analysis. Results 233 surveys were completed. Respondents were aged between 17 and 87 (mean = 47 years) and 65.7% were female. 46.2% identified themselves as having a longstanding illness, disability or infirmity and 30.7% reported feeling isolated from others at times. Those with lower levels of self-reported health – assessed using the EQ-5D health thermometer – were more likely to report feeling socially isolated (p = 0.002) and less likely to report feeling that things in their lives were worthwhile (p = 0.001). On average, respondents reported lower levels of personal wellbeing – assessed using the ONS4 questions – in comparison with averages for the UK as a whole. However, the majority indicated that they enjoyed living in the town (83.3%) and that they had friends or acquaintances in the area that they saw regularly (90.4%). Analysis of the free-text responses highlighted a strong sense of community spirit and pride, but that this could be under threat due to issues relating to housing, employment and crime. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that personal wellbeing was strongly associated with both self-reported health and social isolation. They also suggest that CBPR may be an acceptable approach in generating estimates of these population characteristics. This work constitutes part of a global trend to measure personal and societal wellbeing.


Operations on the cutaneous surfaces are mainly performed under local anesthesia. Local infiltrative anesthesia is the most frequently used form in cutaneous surgery. Nerve or field block anesthesia can be used in areas like the external ear, nose, digits or penis. Local anesthesia is easy to administer, rapidly effective and relatively free of side effects. In contrast to general anesthesia it can be used in risk patients e.g. with ischemic heart disease or respiratory illnesses. Adverse reactions must be taken into account, especially toxic effects, allergy, drug interactions or traumatic lesions of nerves or blood vessels.


A powerful dystopian imaginary dominates political and cultural representations of Britain's postwar tower blocks, which continue to be linked to social dysfunction and alienation despite extensive empirical research that challenges such claims. This article asks what contested declarations of failure "do" by examining how "tower block failure" is discursively deployed by placemaking professionals—planners, architects, housing managers, regeneration practitioners—engaged in the construction of a "model" mixed-tenure neighborhood in London's Olympic Park. Examining how the aesthetic figure of the "failed" high-rise housing estate is configured in relation to the normative models of citizenship and community that infuse social and spatial policy, I argue "failure" is entangled with a speculative, future-oriented economy of risk management, which refracts wider questions about the nonobvious forms that power takes in the neoliberal city.


One hundred isolates of Phytophthora infestans collected from 10 provinces in China between 1998 and 2004 were analyzed for mating type, metalaxyl resistance, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype, allozyme genotype, and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) with the RG-57 probe. In addition, herbarium samples collected in China, Russia, Australia, and other Asian countries were also typed for mtDNA haplotype. The Ia haplotype was found during the first outbreaks of the disease in China (1938 and 1940), Japan (1901, 1930, and 1931), India (1913), Peninsular Malaysia (1950), Nepal (1954), The Philippines (1910), Australia (1917), Russia (1917), and Latvia (1935). In contrast, the Ib haplotype was found after 1950 in China on both potato and tomato (1952, 1954, 1956, and 1982) and in India (1968 and 1974). Another migration of a genotype found in Siberia called SIB-1 (Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase [Gpi] 100/100, Peptidase [Pep] 100/100, IIa mtDNA haplotype) was identified using RFLP fingerprints among 72% of the isolates and was widely distributed in the north and south of China and has also been reported in Japan. A new genotype named CN-11 (Gpi 100/111, Pep 100/100, IIb mtDNA haplotype), found only in the south of China, and two additional genotypes (Gpi 100/100, Pep 100/100, Ia mtDNA haplotype) named CN-9 and CN-10 were identified. There were more diverse genotypes among isolates from Yunnan province than elsewhere. The SIB-1 (IIa) genotype is identical to those from Siberia, suggesting later migration of this genotype from either Russia or Japan into China. The widespread predominance of SIB-1 suggests that this genotype has enhanced fitness compared with other genotypes found. Movement of the pathogen into China via infected seed from several sources most likely accounts for the distribution of pathogen genotypes observed. MtDNA haplotype evidence and RFLP data suggest multiple migrations of the pathogen into China after the initial introduction of the Ia haplotype in the 1930s.


This Article examines the implications of the Eli Lilly case—and international investment law (IIL) more generally—for the operation of an international intellectual property (IP) regime that functions along the lines of the "neo-federalist" model developed by Professors Dinwoodie and Dreyfuss. The neo-federalist model involves a world in which the international IP regime grants national political communities substantial discretion to pursue their own visions of the normatively proper balance between the rights of IP creators and of those who seek to use it. Importantly, that discretion involves the ability to alter the existing normative balance in either the direction of more or fewer rights for IP creators. Under this view, the international IP regime is not, and should not be construed, either as a universal and comprehensive IP "code," nor as a one-way ratchet that only permits member-state experimentation in favor of IP creators. Yet, that sort of systemic rigidity is precisely what the claimant in Eli Lilly sought to impose through the IIL regime. While it is true that the claimant, Eli Lilly, lost its case, a close reading of the award, along with an appreciation of the dynamics of IIL, suggests that substantial danger remains. Using Eli Lilly as a case study, this Article explores the challenges that the IIL system poses for the realization of the neo-federalist vision.


For any company, it is important to have satisfied employees. For KPMG, it is no different. Humans are their most valuable asset. However, results of a satisfaction survey in 2010 at KPMG were rather critical and showed that employees are unsatisfied with or cannot recognize the human resource intentions of KPMG. This prompt the question at KPMG whether first-line managers (performance managers) are able to implement KPMG's intended HR practices. This thesis aims (1) to explore whether first-line managers experience limitations in implementing HR practices, (2) to investigate how employees judge the effectiveness of HR implementation by their first-line manager, (3) to examine whether the hindering factors influence the perceived effectiveness of HR implementation and (4) to explore to what extent the relationship between supervisor and subordinate influence the perceived effectiveness of HR implementation. The main question in this study is "to what extent do first-line managers implement HRM practices effectively?" The study is conducted in the accountable unit Public sector. There are nine performance managers and sixty-one employees working for this unit.
Data is gathered by quantitative and qualitative research. Interviews were held with performance managers and employees to gather general information. Performance managers filled in a questionnaire (100% response rate) to measure five constraining factors (independent variable): desire, capacity, competences, support and policies & procedures. Employees filled in a questionnaire (61% response rate) to evaluate the quality of the relationship with their performance manager (independent variable) and the perceived effectiveness of the HR implementation by their performance manager (dependent variable). Data is analysed by using reliability analyses, correlation analyses and a regression analysis.
The results show that performance managers implement HR practices effectively. This study provide no evidence that performance managers are hindered by the five constraining factors in the implementation of HR practices. Although, individual perceptions about the support of the HR department vary. The study shows that employees evaluate the effectiveness of HR implementation by their performance managers as reasonably high. The five hindering factors have no effect on the perceived HR implementation by employees. There is evidence that the quality of the relationship between performance managers and employees influence the perceived effectiveness by employees. It is found that almost 40% of the perceived effectiveness of HR implementation can be explained by the quality of the relationship between performance manager and employee.
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Practical recommendations for KPMG are (1) to be clear about roles & responsibilities by providing clear policies & procedures, (2) to provide sufficient support for performance managers, (3) to pay attention to the relationship between performance managers and employees and (4) to conduct a study to the content of the HR practices.
This study empirically supports that the quality of the relationship between supervisor and subordinate (measured by LMX) should be included in scientific research to perceived effectiveness. Furthermore, in further research it is recommended to evaluate the effectiveness of HR practices by both measuring the content (quality of the HR practices) and the process (quality of implementation). Another suggestion for further research is to study the (in)effectiveness of HR devolution.


Abstract For [approximately equal to]15 yr Dominion Generation's Surry Nuclear Station 15 × 15 Westinghouse pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel was stored in a dry inert-atmosphere Castor V/21 cask at the Idaho National Environmental and Engineering Laboratory at peak cladding temperatures that decreased from ~350 to 150°C. Before storage, the loaded cask was subjected to thermal-benchmark tests, during which time the peak temperatures were greater than 400°C. The cask was opened to examine the fuel rods for degradation and to determine if they were suitable for extended storage. No fuel rod breaches and no visible degradation or crud/oxide spallation from the fuel rod surface were observed. The results from profilometry, gas release measurements, metallographic examinations, microhardness determination, and cladding hydrogen behavior are reported in this paper. It appears that little or no fission gas was released from the fuel pellets during either the thermal-benchmark tests or the long-term storage. In the central region of the fuel column, where the axial temperature gradient in storage is small, the measured hydrogen content in the cladding is consistent with the thickness of the oxide layer. At ~1 m above the fuel midplane, where a steep temperature gradient existed in the cask, less hydrogen is present than would be expected from the oxide thickness that developed in-reactor. Migration of hydrogen during dry storage probably occurred and may signal a higher-than-expected concentration at the cooler ends of the rod. The volume of hydrides varies azimuthally around the cladding, and at some elevations, the hydrides appear to have segregated somewhat to the inner and outer cladding surfaces. It is, however, impossible to determine if this segregation occurred in-reactor or during transportation, thermal-benchmark tests, or the dry storage period. The hydrides retained the circumferential orientation typical of prestorage PWR fuel rods. Little or no cladding creep occurred during thermal-benchmark testing and dry storage. It is anticipated that the creep would not increase significantly during additional storage because of the lower temperature after 15 yr, continual decrease in temperature from the reduction in decay heat, and concurrent reductions in internal rod pressure and stress. This paper describes the results of the characterization of the fuel and intact cladding, as well as the implications of these results for long-term (i.e., beyond 20 yr) dry-cask storage.


How Does Bilingualism Matter? A Meta-Analytic Tale of Two Hemispheres. (May 2003) Rachel Gayle Hull, B.S., Texas A&M University; M.S., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Jyotsna Vaid The present investigation evaluates the effects of multiple language acquisition history on brain functional organization for language. To address a range of findings concerning the functional cerebral lateralization of the native (L1) and second languages (L2) of bilinguals, a meta-analysis was conducted on 71 studies that used behavioral paradigms to assess bilingual laterality. The predictive value of a number of theoretically identified moderators of cerebral asymmetry for language was assessed, namely, the age of second language (L2) acquisition, fluency in theL2, participant sex, experimental paradigm, linguistic task demands, relatedness of L1 and L2 structures, and context of language use. The results revealed no differences in the laterality of first and second languages within L2 acquisition age groups. Of the moderators tested, age of L2 acquisition was identified as the most reliable predictor of the direction of laterality. The conditions under which systematic similarities and differences in language lateralization among bilingual subgroups emerge are discussed in terms of implications for current models and theories concerning the functional organization of language in the bilingual brain.


The ability to selectively and controllably interact with light is useful to a wide range of devices. With the advent of nanotechnology, we now have the ability to create optical materials, which are designed from the bottom up, with dimensions of the order of the wavelength of light. While it has been known for some time that nanoparticles exhibit such exciting properties, recent (widespread) research in nanoparticles has significantly increased our understanding of how to fabricate and use nanoparticles for a myriad of enduring and emerging optical applications. Drastic modifications to the "bulk" optical properties of standard materials in these applications are possible, enabling "nano-engineered" optical properties with several degrees of design freedom, including material, size, morphology, surrounding media, and nearby structures. Understanding these sensitivities has led to optical control from the ultraviolet through the infrared spectrum. To highlight this, the following review provides a comprehensive snapshot of how these effects have been captured in models and experimentally demonstrated in terms of spectral selectivity in absorption, scattering, and emission. In addition, we discuss recent progress toward using nanoparticles in real applications, most commonly in fluid suspensions or solid thin films as a means to create the next generation of highly scalable and (potentially) low-cost spectrally selective optical materials.


Tidal Current Turbine (TCT) blades are highly flexible and undergo considerable deflection due to fluid interactions. Unlike Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) models Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) models are able to model this hydroelastic behavior. In this work a coupled modular FSI approach was adopted to develop an FSI model for the performance evaluation and structural load characterization of a TCT under uniform and profiled flow. Results indicate that for a uniform flow case the FSI model predicted the turbine power coefficient CP with an error of 4.8% when compared with experimental data. For the rigid blade Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) CFD model this error was 9.8%. The turbine blades were subjected to uniform stress and deformation during the rotation of the turbine in a uniform flow. However, for a profiled flow the stress and deformation at the turbine blades varied with the angular position of turbine blade, resulting in a 22.1% variation in stress during a rotation cycle. This variation in stress is quite significant and can have serious implications for the fatigue life of turbine blades.


There is increasing interest in migrant children's contribution to family processes of integration. Less explored are the role of affective bonds and the significance of children's care worlds in managing the transition of the migrant family, especially between home and school. Drawing on a deep ethnographic study of 10 diverse migrant families (parent and child), this article highlights how inter-generational practices of love, care and solidarity – the creation of a 'family feeling' (Bourdieu, 1998) – are central to the negotiation of belonging in the settlement country. However, affective practices, it is argued, are interconnected with access to economic, social and cultural resources giving rise to substantive differences in how migrant children negotiate the transition between home and school.


Multilayer hyperbolic metamaterials (HMMs) are highly anisotropic media consisting of alternating metal and dielectric layers with their electromagnetic properties defined by the effective medium approximation (EMA). EMA is generally applied for a large number of subwavelength unit cells or periods of a multilayer HMM. However, in practice, the number of periods is limited. To the best of our knowledge, a comparison between rigorous theory, EMA and experiments to investigate the minimum number of layers that allow for the low error of EMA results has not yet been investigated. In this article, we compared the reflectance response of the effective anisotropic HMMs predicted by the scattering matrix method (SMM) and EMA with optical characterization data, having the unit cell twenty times smaller than the vacuum wavelength in the visible range. The fabricated HMM structures consist of up to ten periods of alternating 10 nm thick Au and Al2O3 layers deposited by sputtering and atomic layer deposition, respectively. The two deposition techniques enable us to achieve a high quality HMM with low roughness: the root mean square (RMS) is less than 1 nm. We showed that the multilayer structure behaves like an effective medium from the fourth period onwards as the EMA calculation and experimental results agree well having below 4% mean square standard deviation of reflectance (MSDR) for the wavelength range from 500 to 1750 nm with a wide incident angle range. These results could have an impact on the design and development of active metamaterials and their applications ranging from imaging to nonlinear optics and sensing.


What is it like being a boy or a girl?
How do boys and girls learn to be men and women?
How do families, schools and children's peer groups influence the ways in which children think of themselves as male and female?
Being Boys, Being Girls explores how boys and girls learn what it is to be male and female. Drawing on a wide range of studies from around the world, the book examines how masculinities and femininities are developed and understood by children and young people in families, in schools, and through interaction with their peers.
One of the key concepts underlying this book is that our identities are constructed and performed in particular ways which help us to understand who we are and how we fit in with the world. This means that these identities are constantly changing according to where we are, what we are doing, and whom we are with. Who we are, and what we think about ourselves, only makes sense in relation to what is going on around us.

The author provides a clear explanation of the underpinning idea that children's understandings of gender are developed and constructed in local communities of masculinity and femininity practice. She brings together research on children and their construction and understanding of gender across the 0-18 age range and includes explicit suggestions for strategies and interventions.

This book is essential reading for students and academics in childhood, education and gender studies and for those with an interest in gender development and the construction of masculinities and femininities.


To make some MF.MS devices such as sensors and actuators be useful in the medical application, it is required to integrate this devices with power or sensor lines and to keep the hole devices biocompatible. Integrating micro machined sensors and actuators with conventional copper lines is incompatible because the thin copper lines are not easy to handle in the mass production. To achieve the compatibility of wiring method between MEMS devices, we developed the thin metal film deposition process that coats micropattered thin copper films on the non silicon-wafer substrate. The process was developed with the custom-made three-dimensional thin film sputter/evaporation system. The system consists of process chamber, two branch chambers, substrate holder unit and linear/rotary motion feedthrough. Thin metal film was deposited on the biocompatible polymer, polyurethane (PellethaneR) and silicone, catheter that is 2 mm in diameter and 1,000 mm in length. We deposited Cr/Cu and Ti/Cu layer and made a comparative study of the deposition processes, sputtering and evaporation. The temperature of both the processes were maintained below 100°C, for the catheter not melting during the processes. To use the films as signal lines connect the signal source to the actuator on the catheter tip, we machined the films into desired patterns with the eximer laser. In this paper, we developed the thin metal film deposition system and processes for the biopolymeric substrate used in the medical MEMS devices.


Abstract : Indium arsenide-antimonide (InAsSb) semiconductors have been determined to emit in the 3-5 micrometer range, the window of interest for countermeasures against infrared electro-optical threats. This experiment set out to cross the bulk to quantum well characterization barrier by optically characterizing two sets of compositionally matched type I quantum well and bulk well material samples. Absorption measurements determined the band gap energy of the bulk samples and the first allowed subband transition for the quantum wells. By collecting absorption spectra at different temperatures, the trend of the energy transitions was described by fitting a Varshni equation to them. The expected result of the quantum well always having slightly higher energy than its bulk counterpart was observed. An etalon effect also was observed in the quantum wells, caused by the cladding layers in those samples. Photoluminescence spectra also were collected to characterize the change in electron temperature (Te) as the excitation power was varied. As expected, electron temperature increased with increasing power and increasing temperature. The start of the longitudinal optical phonon-dominated cooling range due to excitation intensity also was determined for the samples from 1/Te. It was found that the quantum well required higher excitation intensities to achieve this effect. Lastly, the energy transitions found for the quantum well samples were compared to those found by a finite element method model. The predicted energies all had a constant value above what was found experimentally, indicating the program had a translation error within it. (10 tables, 47 figures, 18 refs.)


We give a geometric interpretation of the maximal Satake compactification of symmetric spaces $X=G/K$ of noncompact type, showing that it arises by attaching the horofunction boundary for a suitable $G$-invariant Finsler metric on $X$. As an application, we establish the existence of natural bordifications, as orbifolds-with-corners, of locally symmetric spaces $X/\Gamma$ for arbitrary discrete subgroups $\Gamma< G$. These bordifications result from attaching $\Gamma$-quotients of suitable domains of proper discontinuity at infinity. We further prove that such bordifications are compactifications in the case of Anosov subgroups. We show, conversely, that Anosov subgroups are characterized by the existence of such compactifications among uniformly regular subgroups. Along the way, we give a positive answer, in the torsion free case, to a question of Ha\"issinsky and Tukia on convergence groups regarding the cocompactness of their actions on the domains of discontinuity.


Formation of the sugar-amino acid linkage is a crucial event in the biosynthesis of the carbohydrate units of glycoproteins. It sets into motion a complex series of posttranslational enzymatic steps that lead to the formation of a host of protein-bound oligosaccharides with diverse biological functions. These reactions occur throughout the entire phylogenetic spectrum, ranging from archaea and eubacteria to eukaryotes. It is the aim of this review to describe the glycopeptide linkages that have been found to date and specify their presence on well-characterized glycoproteins. A survey is also made of the enzymes involved in the formation of the various glycopeptide bonds as well as the site of their intracellular action and their affinity for particular peptide domains is evaluated. This examination indicates that 13 different monosaccharides and 8 amino acids are involved in glycoprotein linkages leading to a total of at least 41 bonds, if the anomeric configurations, the phosphoglycosyl linkages, as well as the GPI (glycophosphatidylinositol) phosphoethanolamine bridge are also considered. These bonds represent the products of N- and O-glycosylation, C-mannosylation, phosphoglycation, and glypiation. Currently at least 16 enzymes involved in their formation have been identified and in many cases cloned. Their intracellular site of action varies and includes the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, cytosol, and nucleus. With the exception of the Asn-linked carbohydrate and the GPI anchor, which are transferred to the polypeptide en bloc, the sugar-amino acid linkages are formed by the enzymatic transfer of an activated monosaccharide directly to the protein. This review also deals briefly with glycosidases, which are involved in physiologically important cleavages of glycopeptide bonds in higher organisms, and with a number of human disease states in which defects in enzymatic transfer of saccharides to protein have been implicated.


In recent years, users spend more time on surfing the social networking than ever before. How to make the information spread rapidlywhen facing vast amounts of information?Scholars have conducted information dissemination in social networking. On the basis of previous research, the authors divide posts into popular posts and ordinary posts and then use the linear regression model to predict the replies at specified time. After comparing the difference between two types of posts, the authors concludethat ordinary posts could become popular posts if the posts could maintain a large number of replies within former five hours and increase replies by making use of community mechanism. This conclusion provides a reasonable proposal for enterprises and administrators to identify andrecommendpopular posts.


The paper describes a rank-based fitness assignment method for Multiple Objective Genetic Algorithms (MOGAs). Conventional niche formation methods are extended to this class of multimodal problems and theory for setting the niche size is presented. The fitness assignment method is then modified to allow direct intervention of an external decision maker (DM). Finally, the MOGA is generalised further: the genetic algorithm is seen as the optimizing element of a multiobjective optimization loop, which also comprises the DM. It is the interaction between the two that leads to the determination of a satisfactory solution to the problem. Illustrative results of how the DM can interact with the genetic algorithm are presented. They also show the ability of the MOGA to uniformly sample regions of the trade-off surface.


Malassezia yeasts are commensal organisms on the skin of warm-blooded vertebrates. Th e lipid-dependent Malassezia species have recently been cultured from veterinary specimens. Th e present study investigated and compared diff erent Malassezia species in the skin and external ear canal of healthy and diseased dogs. Th e sampling in the study was carried out on 152 animals, comprising 90 samples from the diseased group and 62 samples from the healthy group. All of the samples were determined by cytological examination and fungal culture. Th e isolated yeasts were identifi ed by their morphological features as well as their physiological characteristics. Th e culture results were positive in only 32.2% samples, including 75.5% samples from the diseased group, and 24.5% samples from the healthy group. A total of 75 strains from 6 Malassezia species isolated from both groups were detected with a frequency rate as follows: M. pachydermatis (56%), M. sympodialis (28%), M. furfur (8%), M. obtusa (5.4%), M. globosa (1.3%), and M. restricta (1.3%). Th e present work confi rms both the presence of M. pachydermatis as the most prevalent species in both groups, and the presence of some lipid- dependent species of Malassezia .


Wildlife managers need current human dimensions information to develop outreach and management programs that address public concerns about predation and predator management. No human dimensions studies assessing public attitudes toward managing medium-sized predators have been conducted previously. We surveyed a random sample of United States households to assess public attitudes and beliefs about the management of medium-sized predators to enhance avian recruitment. Respondents expressed moderately knowledgeable, but somewhat idealized, beliefs about predator ecology. Although we found strong support for predators' right to exist, respondents did not support an outright ban on predator hunting or trapping. When given specific predator control scenarios, respondents supported control to enhance avian recruitment, except when controlling raptors to protect upland gamebirds. Support for control was greater when prey species were threatened and when the predator species were less charismatic. Respondent support for predator control to protect native versus introduced birds was similar. Our results suggest that the interested public may support predator control more readily when it is used "surgically" than when applied broadly. We discuss implications for political action regarding predator management.


ABSTRACT Two hundred alligator snapping turtles were trapped at an average rate of 0.057 turtles per trap-night in all but 1 of 33 sites in southeastern Louisiana. Trap rate varied between sites, by harvest pressure levels at sites, and by season, but not by hydrology. Perceived trap rate differences under different harvest regimes appeared to be a function of seasonal differences in trap rate. No differences in sex ratio or percentage of immature turtles were detected between sites, harvest regimes, seasons, or water-body types. Turtle weight varied between harvest regimes and hydrology. Weight–length relations for turtles was highly correlated and similar between sexes, except that males continued to grow to larger sizes than females (males averaged 150% female weight and 118% female carapace length). Sex ratio was 1:1, and immature turtles made up 48% of the total. Average sizes of turtles were very similar between Louisiana and turtles from surveys in several other states. Population structure differed between surveys, with Louisiana having a higher percentage of immature turtles and lower trap rate than elsewhere. Population differences could not entirely be explained by differences in harvest regimes between states. Large-scale turtle butchering operations in southern Louisiana have closed, as has commercial harvest. Anecdotal reports that alligator snappers were nearly extirpated from a heavily harvested site proved erroneous. Resurvey of sites to determine current population trends is recommended.


Flow induced corrosion due to the presence of turbulent flow often occurs which causes severe internal thinning and promotes premature leakage. In practice, the common method for controlling such internal high corrosion rate is chemical injection using corrosion inhibitor such as amine based which utilizing adsorption or film forming mechanism. Unfortunately, the protection performance of such inhibitor might be less effective due to turbulent flow induced. The aim of this work is to study the use of mixture of piper betle and green tea as an alternative of green corrosion inhibitor (eco-friendly) to reduce the corrosion rate of API X-52 steel in aerated 3.5 % NaCl solution in turbulent flow condition whether high inhibitor efficiency can be achieved. The method of corrosion rate measurements was conducted using electrochemical polarization equipped with CMS100-Gamry Instruments and DC105 software as well as Rotating Cylinder Electrode (RCE) simulation. The mechanism of inhibition was also investigated using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) method with EIS300 software. The results showed that the addition of mixture of 1000 ppm piper betle and 4000 ppm green tea extracts with Reynold number ranging from 0 up to 30000 reduced the corrosion rates significantly with its approximately 90 % inhibitor efficiencies achieved. In addition, EIS spectra showed that in the absence of corrosion inhibitor, the Warburg impedance (diffusion controlled) was significantly attributed to the overall impedance but in the presence of corrosion inhibitor, capacitive impedance (charge transfer controlled) was mainly attributed to the overall impedance.


During cell migration, cells become polarized, change their shape, and move in response to various internal and external cues. Cell polarization is defined through the spatio-temporal organization of molecules such as PI3K or small GTPases, and is determined by intracellular signaling networks. It results in directional forces through actin polymerization and myosin contractions. Many existing mathematical models of cell polarization are formulated in terms of reaction–diffusion systems of interacting molecules, and are often defined in one or two spatial dimensions. In this paper, we introduce a 3D reaction–diffusion model of interacting molecules in a single cell, and find that cell geometry has an important role affecting the capability of a cell to polarize, or change polarization when an external signal changes direction. Our results suggest a geometrical argument why more roundish cells can repolarize more effectively than cells which are elongated along the direction of the original stimulus, and thus enable roundish cells to turn faster, as has been observed in experiments. On the other hand, elongated cells preferentially polarize along their main axis even when a gradient stimulus appears from another direction. Furthermore, our 3D model can accurately capture the effect of binding and unbinding of important regulators of cell polarization to and from the cell membrane. This spatial separation of membrane and cytosol, not possible to capture in 1D or 2D models, leads to marked differences of our model from comparable lower-dimensional models.


Content-based image retrieval techniques have shown great value in computer-aided diagnosis of mammographic masses. Many existing approaches adopt several features to better characterize mammographic regions. However, most of them fuse features through feature concatenation or result-level combination, which cannot fully exert the discriminative power of different features and also sacrifices the overall computational efficiency. To address these drawbacks, we propose to utilize coupled multi-index for index-level feature fusion. Specifically, complementary local features are extracted from the same locations of mammographic regions. Then, they are separately quantized using the "bag of words" (BoW) approach. Finally, quantized features are inserted into a two-dimensional inverted index, with each feature corresponding to one dimension. Experiments are carried out on a large dataset constructed from the digital database for screening mammography (DDSM). Results demonstrate that our approach not only achieves better retrieval precision and diagnostic accuracy than individual features do, but also improves the overall efficiency and scalability.


Utilization of improved agricultural technology by the women farmers, to a large extent, depends upon the effective sources of information and channels to which they are generally exposed directly or indirectly. The problems in agricultural development in India, is not the availability of improved agricultural technologies, but converting them into production accomplishments. Among the various communication sources that play an important role in providing information support to the women farmers, interpersonal sources and channels are more important for every cultivation operations. Keeping this in view, the present investigation was carried out with following objectives viz. to study the sources of information used by the farm women about recommended package of practices ( by Agricultural Scientists of Haryana state during Agricultural Officers workshop for every season ) of wheat crop and to study usefulness of the information sources by the farm women about recommended package of practices. The present study was conducted in Haryana State. The study was undertaken in Kaithal and Jind districts of Haryana State. The pre tested structured interview schedule was used to collect data personally by the investigator. The study revealed that the respondents more frequently used neighbours, family members and friends as localite source of information for wheat cultivation. Most of the respondents used cosmopolite and mass media sources of information least frequently and only radio, television and cassette recorder were frequently used by the farm women for wheat cultivation. Whereas Neighbours, family members and friends were found very useful localite source. None of the cosmopolite sources were perceived as very useful and useful whereas radio, television and cassette recorder were found useful mass media sources of information for wheat cultivation.


Introduction: We sought to determine the epidemiological features and the headache burden of headache patients in the Singapore primary care setting. Particular attention was given to the adequacy of migraine diagnosis and management as well as the utilisation of prophylactic medication by primary care doctors. Methods: Consenting patients who consulted participating general practice clinics with the chief complaint of headache, were administered a questionnaire incorporating demographical data, headache characteristics and burden as well as treatment patterns. For each patient, the attending doctor independently completed a second questionnaire covering diagnosis and treatment of the patient. Results: A disproportionate number of non-Chinese and females presented for headache management in the primary care setting as compared to the Singapore population at large. Migraineurs had more headache-related disability (67.3 percent) than non-migraineurs (45.7 percent). In our study setting, the IHS diagnostic criteria (38.2 percent of respondents), ID migraine (61.1 percent) and physician's diagnosis (62.0 percent) correlated poorly with each other when employed for case definition of migraine. In the study population, 22.6 percent used acute pain medication excessively (more than four days a week), 39.3 percent were dissatisfied with their current treatment and 58.3 percent had frequent headaches (more than four attacks a month). Only a minority of those in whom prophylaxis was indicated were treated appropriately. Conclusion: Diagnosis of migraine is inconsistent in the primary care setting despite the condition being responsible for considerable disability. Prophylactic treatment is underutilised as a management strategy, and the risk of medication-overuse headaches is underestimated. Our results emphasise the continuing need for education of primary care physicians and the public about strategies for effective headache diagnosis and treatment.


An increase in moisture accelerates the deterioration of a pavement and this is especially so for unbound granular materials below the pavement surface. One of the possible reasons for this accelerated deterioration can be the mineralogical makeup of the aggregates, which can include clays. This research paper discusses the effect of the relative proportions of clay minerals on the performance of different base course materials in repeated load triaxial (RLT) tests considering moisture variation. The materials selected for this study were sourced from greywacke sedimentary rocks from both the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The mineralogical makeup of the clay content present in the base course materials was determined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The performance of these materials was further tested in RLT tests at different moisture and drainage conditions. The results of the XRD and RLT tests showed that aggregates with high relative proportions of smectite clay minerals can decrease the load-bearing capacity of the base course material when moisture is introduced into the pavement materials.


Growth and development traits of female Brown Swiss and Holstein Friesian cattle born in the Research Farm of the Agricultural College at Ataturk University were estimated by the Richards growth model by using weight-age data obtained between 1987 and 1998. A, B, k and m parameters of the Richards model were 501 ± 6.88 kg, 0.6666 ± 0.0262, 0.0581 ± 0.0019/month and 4.07 ± 0.44 for Brown Swiss, and 496 ± 7.40, 0.8041 ± 0.032, 0.0515 ± 0.0028/month and 2.64 ± 0.67 for Holstein Friesian cattle. Estimated birth weight and periodic weights taken between birth and 3 years of age for both breeds were close to each other. The highest daily weight gains of both breeds were obtained between birth and 6 months of age. Brown Swiss and Holstein Friesian cattle attained 65% and 95% of their mature live weights at 22.9 and 67.8 months, and 22.5 and 64.7 months, respectively. First calving age and live weight at first calving were 34.4 ± 0.4-months and 392 ± 3.2 kg for Brown Swiss, and 31.6 ± 0.5 months and 377 ± 5.2 kg for Holstein Friesian cattle. While the effects of the first calving age on B, m (P < 0.01) and A (P < 0.05) were statistically significant, its effect on the k parameter was not significant. Effects of calving at intermittent and consecutive years on the growth parameters were not significant.


This paper studies the effects of remittances on informal employment in the migrants' countries of origin, looking both at the remittance-receiving and non-migrant households. Using data from the Social Exclusion Survey, conducted in six transition economies in 2009, I find that receiving remittances increases the likelihood of working informally. At the regional level, high prevalence of remittances is associated with a higher likelihood of informal work among non-migrant households. Migration and remittances may thus be contributing to informal employment in migration-sending countries.


The economics literature generally considers products as points in some characteristics space. With more products being flexible or self-customizable to some degree, it makes sense to model products with positive measure. I develop a model of firms which can offer interval-long fat products in the spatial model of differentiation. Contrary to the standard results, profits of the firms can decrease with increased differentiation in the market there is a standard effect of lowering the incentive to cut prices, but there is also an incentive to provide more content, resulting in higher costs and possibly overall losses.


SUMMARY (1) A logistic model is presented which simulates population growth and concomitant environmental changes when the rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae, is reared on wheat. Parameters quantifying the influences of temperature and grain moisture content on rates of development, survivorship and oviposition were determined experimentally. Published data were used to describe the influence of population density on rates of oviposition while the model also described the distribution of eggs among grains and depletion of oviposition sites. Published data on age-specific rates of respiration and an energy budget for S. oryzae were used in metabolic modules simulating respiration, feeding and egestion. (2) The model was able to predict experimentally observed changes in numbers of live adults, moisture content of the grain and the weights of frass produced by populations of S. oryzae reared in small cells of wheat. (3) Afterwards the model was used in a series of computer experiments to predict the benefits associated with cooling and drying grain and the use of air-tight storage.


GABAergic interneurons regulate cortical neural networks by providing inhibitory inputs, and their malfunction, resulting in failure to intricately regulate neural circuit balance, is implicated in brain diseases such as Schizophrenia, Autism, and Epilepsy. During early development, GABAergic interneuron progenitors arise from the ventral telencephalic area such as medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) and caudal ganglionic eminence (CGE) by the actions of secreted signaling molecules from nearby organizers, and migrate to their target sites where they form local synaptic connections. In this study, using combinatorial and temporal modulation of developmentally relevant dorsoventral and rostrocaudal signaling pathways (SHH, Wnt, and FGF8), we efficiently generated MGE cells from multiple human pluripotent stem cells. Most importantly, modulation of FGF8/FGF19 signaling efficiently directed MGE versus CGE differentiation. Human MGE cells spontaneously differentiated into Lhx6-expressing GABAergic interneurons and showed migratory properties. These human MGE-derived neurons generated GABA, fired action potentials, and displayed robust GABAergic postsynaptic activity. Transplantation into rodent brains results in well-contained neural grafts enriched with GABAergic interneurons that migrate in the host and mature to express somatostatin or parvalbumin. Thus, we propose that signaling modulation recapitulating normal developmental patterns efficiently generate human GABAergic interneurons. This strategy represents a novel tool in regenerative medicine, developmental studies, disease modeling, bioassay, and drug screening. STEM CELLS 2014;32:1789–1804


Recent experimental results showed that the Tg of cured resin scarcely decreased and the impact strength of resins increased by over 50% when a tetrafunctional epoxy named N,N,N',N'-tetraglycidyl-4,4'-diaminodiphenyl ether (TGDDE) was introduced to an appropriate flexible chain from a dimer fatty acid (DFA). In order to understand the reason for this phenomenon, the modification and the chemical structure of the prepolymer together with the curing reaction and the viscoelasticity of the cured resins were studied in detail in the present work. The results indicated that the modification would help the prepolymer improve its molecular mobility. As a result, the resins could be further cured, resulting in the cross-linking density increasing. This is because the curing efficiency was increased, but the tetrafunctional epoxy was not cured completely due to its large steric hindrance. Moreover, the flexibility of some parts of the networks was improved, which was beneficial for the toughness of the cured resins. Therefore, the toughness of the tetrafunctional resin was improved with little influence on the thermal properties when the epoxies were modified with an appropriate content of DFA.


Glass fiber reinforced materials are particularly attractive for transportation industries because of their high strength/mass ratio and their low cost compared to other materials. Therefore, the composite material system used in this study consists of polyester resin layers reinforced with E-glass fabrics. In this paper, the effect of mixed-mode loading on fracture parameters of glass reinforced polyester composite specimens is investigated both experimentally and numerically. Geometric factors were calculated for modified Arcan specimen using finite element analysis. The finite element results indicated that for loading angles close to pure mode-II loading, a high ratio of mode-II to mode-I fracture is dominant and there is an opposite trend for loading angles close to pure mode-I loading. According to experimentally measured fracture toughness for glass/polyester, the opening-mode and shearing mode interlaminar critical strain energy release rates, were found. Results indicated that the interlaminar cracked specimen is tougher in shear loading condition and weaker in tensile loading conditions.


- An organisation produces its work by passing through several business processes and documentation. Today, all most every organisation uses to manage these business process and documentation by the help of Information Technology. Those software products which manages several business work flows and also manages documentation is called work flow management system. There are numerous products has been launched by several organisations. Though all these systems are efficient enough but also have some limitations like less flexibility with other work flow management systems, fault tolerance and no or less efficient escalations. In this paper, we discussed contemporaneous systems and their limitations. We also expatiate the direction of research for potential future for development of efficient work flow management system.


Feasible efforts have been made to mimic the human gustatory system through an "artificial tongue". This device comprises an array of sensing units that is able to differentiate tastes with a higher sensitivity than the biological system. Experimental results indicate that when the data generated by such sensing units are handled by artificial neural networks, this "artificial tongue" can successfully discriminate wines of different winemakers, vintage and grapes, as well as different brands of mineral water, distilled water and Milli-Q water. The accuracy achieved by the experiments suggests that the sensing units may be used to detect abnormal chemical substances in a production line or even set a new approach to control quality standards in food industry.


White blood cell (WBC) plays an important role insi de human body, because it is acting as the body defens e mechanism against infection and cellular injury. Segmentation in biomedical imaging often the starting point for other process. In this paper an Intelligent classifier has been used to classify th e normal and abnormal WBC, this model built using MATLAB 7 package. The output from active contour model (ACM) will be the input to the intelligent classifier . The accuracy of classific ation is about 90% according to American Heart Association (AHA) to evaluate procedures for diagnose in biomedical applications. The approach provide a robust and accurate results.


This paper builds on Wurts (2018a,b) in a variety of ways. It (1) introduces a Return-on-Equity variable g (ROEg) equation as an additional archetypal model, as an opinion-based analytical model, (2) introduces two additional bright-line tests (BLT) (to address Yule-Simpson Paradox (YSP) and ROEg as archetypes for empirical and opinion-based models, respectively, to complement the BLT for the Put-Call Parity (PCP) as an archetypal analytical model), (3) adds additional attention-direction tools (e.g., the Five Demonstrations (5D) and the Defining and Simplifying Story and Model (DSSM) frame, both to help resolve the broad validation issue) and a host of named analogies that can be applied more broadly to help identify biased persuasion within the rhetoric of models, (4) elaborates more on (4a) corporate governance (CG) issues regarding model validation (MV), (4b) requirements for theories of model validation (TMV), (4c) the archetypal CGMV story, and (4d) the NEP-WED frame. Specifically, (5) a DSSM frame is introduced to provide language to help understand how a model can fail in perhaps an abstract sense; namely, because it cannot answer the question of interest (QOI) provided by the Defining Story of the issue of concern (IOC), with perhaps (6) a cascade of deterioration with respect to the power of an argument as (6a) the Simplifying Story the model is intended to address has lost too much information (i.e., become too "degree negative"), (6b) leading to a Simplifying Model that cannot really answer the QOI (i.e., the Minimal Model Story is insufficient to even answer the IOC presented by the Simplifying Story), (6c) sometimes leading questionable modelers to add information that did not exist (i.e., hence, "degree positive") in either the Defining or Simplifying Story, creating an accompanying Maximal Model Story laden with unsupportable "degree positive" assumptions that influence conclusions beyond sensible inference. Together, (7) the 5D and DSSM tools provide frames to both (7a) proactively identify inference concerns to avoid having a model blow-up a company and (7b) reactively identify, as forensic analysis, specifically how a model blew-up a company. Together, they address two directions of a common question: what question does the model actually answer, regardless of what advocates claim it can answer and is answering? Key conclusions are justified: (1) the ROEg model helps illustrate how accounting reporting measurements may be inadequate for measuring economic risks of corporate interest, (2) the PCP model helps identify that arbitrage forces may not be strong enough to justify the use of arbitrage-free pricing models in a corporate finance context, and (3) the YSP model illustrates that regression equation coefficient estimates are often inadequate as isolated performance measures of factor sensitivities. And yet, such conclusions can be generalized toward more-complex models.


The estimation error accumulation in the conventional visual inertial odometry (VIO) generally forbids accurate long-term operations. Some advanced techniques such as global pose graph optimization and loop closure demand relatively high computation and processing time to execute the optimization procedure for the entire trajectory and may not be feasible to be implemented in a low-cost robotic platform. In an attempt to allow the VIO to operate for a longer duration without either using or generating a map, this paper develops iterated cubature Kalman filter for VIO application that performs multiple corrections on a single measurement to optimize the current filter state and covariance during the measurement update. The optimization process is terminated using the maximum likelihood estimate based criteria. For comparison, this paper also develops a second solution to integrate VIO estimation with ranging measurements. The wireless communications between the vehicle and multiple beacons produce the ranging measurements and help to bound the accumulative errors. Experiments utilize publicly available dataset for validation, and a rigorous comparison between the two solutions is presented to determine the application scenario of each solution.


As patients and their physicians become more demanding, the desire to make the procedures "minimally invasive" is growing constantly. In short, "minimally invasive" is a code phrase for life saving procedures which in same time disrupt our quality of life the least. Its goals include reducing incision size, decreasing surgical trauma and pain, and improving cosmesits, patient satisfaction, and recovery times. However, the most important goal of minimally invasive aortic valve surgery must be to maintain or improve the efficacy and safety of conventional aortic valve surgery. In this report we would like to present operative technique of minimally invasive aortic valve replacement (MIAVR) we use in our hospital.


A total of 59 people with chronic epilepsy recalled autobiographical episodes and personal facts (such as the names of friends or teachers) from various lifetime periods. Also tested was their verbal fluency and their fluency in generating items from semantic categories (animals, vegetables, US presidents, and British prime ministers). Results of a cluster analysis and a common factor analysis confirmed a dissociation between the retrieval of autobiographical information and that of nonpersonal semantic information. There was a similar dissociation between the recall of personal episodes and the recall of the personal information, but the corresponding factors were highly correlated with one another. Finally, verbal fluency performance was significantly correlated with the retrieval of personal information, personal episodes, and common objects, but not with that of public figures. The constituent structure of autobiographical fluency is extremely robust across different populations.


Objectives The aim of this work was to evaluate saliva and tongue coating pH in oral healthy patients with morning bad breath before and after use of different oral mouthrinses. Material and Methods aliva and tongue coating pH of 50 patients allocated in 5 groups were measured respectively by a digital pHmeter and color pH indicators, before, immediately after and 30 min after rinsing 5 different mouthrinses: cetilpiridine chloride associated with sodium chloride, triclosan, enzymatic solution, essential oil and distilled water. Results Only triclosan and essential oil increased salivary pH immediately after rising. The enzymatic solution decreased salivary and tongue coating pH immediately after rinsing. Conclusion Salivary pH tended to be acidic while tongue coating pH tended to be alkaline, even after rising. Triclosan and essential oil mouthrinses increased salivary pH immediately after rinsing. Enzymatic solution decreased saliva and tongue coating pH immediately after rising.


Introduction: There are many stressors in the nursing profession that have an adverse effect on nursing employees. One of these tensions is the moral distress associated with various aspects of ethical issues. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to Investigation of Moral Distress in Nurses of Jahrom Hospitals in 2018.

Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 145 nurses from educational and therapeutic hospitals in Jahrom in 2018. The instrument of the study included a demographic questionnaire and Corley's Moral Distress Scale (MDS). The data analysis was performed using SPSS version 21 through descriptive statistics (mean, percentage, and standard deviation, Frequency) and analytical tests (Independent t-test & one-way analysis of variance). Significant levels for all tests were considered as p<0.05).

Findings: The mean score of moral distress of nurses was 2.77 ± 0.68. Accordingly, the moral distress of 8.3% of nurses present in the research was very low, the moral distress of 31% of them was low, the moral distress of 44.8% of them was moderate, the moral distress of 13.1% was high and the moral distress of 2.8% was very high. There was a significant relationship between gender, work experience and moral distress of nurses (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the mean of moral distress of nurses was reported at a relatively desirable level. Therefore, more accurate planning and training workshops can Increase the moral distress of nurses.


Lamport timestamps are an elementary tool that can be used to maintain system-wide temporal consistency in a distributed system. By making all processes involved able to agree on the order of any two or more events (although not necessarily on their causal relation) they can be used as building block for many more complex algorithms intended for distributed systems. Without excluding other applications of such timestamps, we are interested in how these can be used for concurrency control in transactional databases through timestamp ordering algorithms, especially with less conservative algorithms that while being usually more efficient, are also prone to starvation. In this paper we propose an extension to Lamport timestamps that can work with any existing algorithm, by taking into account priority in order to prevent starvation: with priority we intend a dynamic property of a process that depends by its transaction failure rate, so that higher priority is symptom of more transaction rejections.


BACKGROUND
Body cavity-based lymphomas are rare malignancies in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, but because of their unusual clinical, morphologic and immunophenotypic features, they are recognized as a distinct subgroup of lymphomas connected to human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection.

CASE
A 39-year-old, HIV-positive, homosexual man was admitted to the hospital because of a left-sided pleural effusion that contained malignant lymphoid cells. He responded partially to a low-dose cyclophosphamide/doxorubycin/vincristine/prednisone regimen and died five months after the diagnosis of lymphoma. On cytology, the sediments contained exclusively large, round, neoplastic, lymphoid cells with abundant basophilic cytoplasm and large, round nuclei with prominent nucleoli. Many cells had immunoblastic features, and some had plasmocytoid differentiation. Mitotic figures were numerous. On flow cytometry, the homogeneous population of large cells expressed CD45, CD38, HLA-DR and CD7 positivity. Other specific T-, B- and NK-cell markers tested negative. Polymerase chain reaction demonstrated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and HHV-8 in the malignant effusion.

CONCLUSION
Primary effusion from lymphoma with molecular evidence of HHV-8 and EBV coinfection represents a distinct clinical and morphologic entity in AIDS patients. However, immunophenotypic markers of malignant clones can be diverse in different cases.


Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.)R.Br.] one of the common millets grown as a
nutrient-rich food source for human and as a fodder crop for livestock. Among the several
diseases, the blast caused by Pyricularia grisea (Cooke) Sacc. has emerged as a serious
disease affecting both forage and grain production in pearl millet resulting economic
loss.Survey was carried out in major pearl millet growing districts of Madhya Pradesh viz.,
Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Sheopur, Shivpuri, Datia, jhabua, Alirajpur presented in Table 7
to find out the incidence of Blast during July to nov. 2015-16 and 2016-17. None of the
surveyed fields were free from the blast disease in localities of blast severity. The severity
of Blast during 2015-16 and 2016-17 in the surveyed localities ranged from 1 to 5.48%
and 3.6 to 13.8% respectively. Across the state among all pearl millet growing districts, in
2015-16, the maximum blast severity was observed in Tehsil Morena (5.48%) in Morena
district, followed by 5.08% Morar (Gwalior), 4.92 % in Lahar (Bhind), 4.76% Seopur
(Seopur), 4.24% Vijaypur (Seopur), 4.12% Shivpuri (Shivpuri). In 2016-17, the maximum
blast severity was found 13.80% in Sabalgarh (Morena), followed by 12.92% Lahar
(Bhind), 12.32% Joura (Morena), 11.48% Ater, (Bhind), 11.28% Morena (Morena),
11.24% Ambha (Morena). In 2015-16 and 2016-17 none of the surveyed fields remained
free from the Blast disease.


Classical painting styles are remarkably different between Europe and East Asia. Classic, post-Renaissance European paintings are approaching photorealism with its rich expressions of shading and highlights whereas paintings from northeast Asia consist of motifs drawn in faint shades and dark contours. Given recent findings that artwork follows the statistical regularities of natural scenes, it is sensible to hypothesize that western and eastern painting styles reflect the visual environment of the respective province. Here, we propose that the different climates of Europe and Asia produced different natural light environments that changed the visual appearance of objects, which in turn influenced painting style. Analysis of meteorological data and optical simulations show that directional lightfields in Mediterranean climates produce object images with variegated shading and sharp highlights. Cloudy and diffused monsoon-like lightfields, in comparison, produce line-shaped shading only around the deepest concavities and remove highlights as well as cast shadows. Image statistics analysis suggests that western and eastern painting styles mimic such differences in visual appearance. The style of classical artworks that have been appreciated in a particular cultural realm could partially mirror the implicit structure of images as constrained by the natural light environment of the corresponding habitat.


The great number of methods for excision of the tongue gives abundant testimony of the unsatisfactory state in which the various procedures are held by the profession and justifies me in presenting the following plan, which has proved perfectly satisfactory in my hands. It enables the total removal to be made without preliminary tracheotomy, without any annoyance whatever from hemorrhage, without danger, and assures a rapid and an easy convalescence while giving the maximum protection against recurrence. In every case which can with certainty be diagnosed as carcinoma of the tongue accompanied by infiltration the lymph nodes in line with the lymph current are already involved. The removal of these glands is as important as the removal of the primary growth and should be done in all operable cases. The first step, therefore, should be the making of an incision under the lower jaw from behind one carotid bifurcation to


Abstract We aimed to find some specific pathways that can be used to predict the stage of lung adenocarcinoma. RNA-Seq expression profile data and clinical data of lung adenocarcinoma (stage I [37], stage II 161], stage III [75], and stage IV [45]) were obtained from the TCGA dataset. The differentially expressed genes were merged, correlation coefficient matrix between genes was constructed with correlation analysis, and unsupervised clustering was carried out with hierarchical clustering method. The specific coexpression network in every stage was constructed with cytoscape software. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis was performed with KOBAS database and Fisher exact test. Euclidean distance algorithm was used to calculate total deviation score. The diagnostic model was constructed with SVM algorithm. Eighteen specific genes were obtained by getting intersection of 4 group differentially expressed genes. Ten significantly enriched pathways were obtained. In the distribution map of 10 pathways score in different groups, degrees that sample groups deviated from the normal level were as follows: stage I < stage II < stage III < stage IV. The pathway score of 4 stages exhibited linear change in some pathways, and the score of 1 or 2 stages were significantly different from the rest stages in some pathways. There was significant difference between dead and alive for these pathways except thyroid hormone signaling pathway. Those 10 pathways are associated with the development of lung adenocarcinoma and may be able to predict different stages of it. Furthermore, these pathways except thyroid hormone signaling pathway may be able to predict the prognosis.


Meningeal melanocytomas are uncommon lesions. They are generally considered to be benign tumors that derive from leptomeningeal melanocytes. A rare case of a metastatic spinal meningeal melanocytoma is presented. All relevant cases reported in literature since 1972, when the term "meningeal melanocytoma" was first used, were reviewed. Rates of tumor recurrence from 1 to 5 years were calculated for this rare lesion, based on published data and on additional information obtained from personal contact with most of the authors. Recurrency rates of 47 patients suitable for evaluation were correlated with the different therapeutic approaches. Complete tumor resection alone and incomplete resection alone followed by irradiation appeared to be superior to incomplete resection alone in terms of disease-free survival. Statistical significance was achieved for complete tumor resection at follow up between I and 4 years (range p = 0.010-0.050) and for incomplete resection combined with radiotherapy after 2 years (p = 0.034). Complete tumor resection should be considered the best therapeutic option, followed by incomplete resection combined with postoperative radiotherapy.


The purpose of this paper is twofold. The first objective is to examine the core resources that make environmental management system (EMS) a potential basis of sustainable competitive advantage from the resource-based view of the firm. The second objective is to investigate the set of core resources from the contingency perspective. Particularly, experience in implementing other manufacturing systems and the stage of EMS implementation were tested as the contingency factors. The proposed model and its related hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling on a large-scale database consisting of 1453 respondents. The results showed that it is the tacit resources within an EMS, in the form of top management team's strategic perception, cross-functional cooperation, and environmentally responsible suppliers, which help explain firmspsila operational performance. The findings provided the general principles in investment decisions of EMS. However, the results also demonstrated that the pattern of the core resources varies across firms with different experience in other manufacturing systems and at different stages of EMS implementation. As a result, there is no standard bundle of critical resources for each firm. Rather, firms need to tailor their resource investment decisions in light of these factors beyond the general principles.


This paper primarily aims at applying Gerard Genette's narratological framework of time to the study of Bina Shah's The Optimist. This study focuses to highlight the time shift processes in the short story to know how the writer presents her characters' events of several years in a short space of the text with non-linear approach of time. Time is one of the several components of narratology like mood, voice, narration, focalization, etc. The present study comprises of three main sections. The first section deals with introduction of the study. The second section deals with the elaboration of the categories of time used as the theoretical framework, based on Genette's narratological model related to time (Tense). The third section deals with analysis of the short story understudy aspire to identify the elaborated categories. Genette divides time into order, duration and frequency. The order is further subdivided into analepses and prolepses. Duration is divided into summary, scene, pause and ellipses. Frequency is divided into singulative, repetitive and iterative. Hence, after the analysis, the present study shows that Bina Shah's The Optimist is employed with non-linear concept of time where writer has presented events of several years of Adnan's and Raheela's lives in a short space of the text.


Achievement of chemotherapeutic drugs to resistant cancers such as colorectal cancer has been a point of focus in research settings both in clinical and basic science. Identification of potential biomarkers which can help to counteract the effect of resistant drugs by enhance the activity of chemotherapeutic agents is the best option for controlling the treatment of this second leading morbidity metastatic tumour type. RPN II as an identified bio-marker has been showing a positive results as good biomarker for colorectal and other malignant tumours. This review focuses on describing role and mechanism through which RPN II are involved in colorectal cancers basing on its expression and interaction with proteins affecting cell proliferation, growth, tumorogenicity and treatment especially on resistant chemotherapeutic cancer cells and drugs.


In Finland the private sector borrowing started to rise rapidly in conjunction with the liberalization of capital movements and deregulation of the domestic financial sector during the second half of the 1980s. The financial deregulation coincided with and amplified an economic boom marked by favourable income expectations, loose fiscal policy associated with improved terms of trade and anticipated reduction in income tax rates. All these factors contributed to the overheating of the Finnish economy that finally turned into a severe recession in the beginning of 1990s. The reaction of households to financial deregulation in Finland was similar to that in the other Nordic countries. As in Norway and Sweden, household indebtedness started to rise in the mid-1980s, after the abolishment of lending rate regulations and prior savings requirements for housing loans. Measured by the ratio of household debt to annual disposable income, household indebtedness peaked in 1990 at more than 80 per cent of annual disposable income. Since then, it has fallen slightly. Debt financing in the corporate sector started to increase rapidly in conjunction with the liberalization of capital movements, which enabled firms also in the domestic sector to raise loans in foreign currencies. During the 1980s debt financing grew most in the real estate business, construction and services. Despite increased borrowing, the debt with respect to equity of Finnish firms did not rise significantly until 1990–91, because a large part of the debt growth was matched by increases in corporate earnings and equity values during the late 1980s. Recession turned the situation for the worse as corporate earnings and the market value of assets plummeted. High indebtedness and overcapacity especially in the domestic sector will require several years of adjusting.


Tracking sensors, e.g. radar or laser ranging systems, are used to refine orbits of catalogued objects. A special tracking request has to be submitted whenever a reduction of uncertainty is required. This is the case for objects with a close approach above a certain risk level or whenever an object state gets uncertain to a level where it might drop out of the catalogue. However, if a sensor continuously runs to support a surveillance network to maintain a catalogue, an efficient track scheduling algorithm becomes important. As multiple objects can be seen simultaneously on the sky, decisions have to be taken which objects are observed and which are reachable afterward considering a limited steering velocity. This work proposes to formulate the track schedule optimisation as a longest path problem for a directed acyclic graph (DAG). Each track is modelled as a node of the graph and each edge connecting the nodes is assigned with a weight, e.g. information gain. The overall goal of the algorithm is to maximise the sum of these weights. It is achieved by finding the path through the graph with the largest overall weight. This weighted longest path optimisation problem can be solved in linear time for the special case of a DAG. The formulation of the problem and the solution algorithm will be presented along with an example schedule optimisation.


The fixed bed atmospheric pressure pyrolysis and nitrogen swept pyrolysis of the rapeseed cake obtained from cold extraction press have been investigated. Experiments were performed in the Heinze retort at a 7°C min -1 heating rate, with a 500°C final temperature varying sweep gas velocity (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 cm 3 min -1 ) under nitrogen atmosphere. Liquid, gas, and char yields were determined, pyrolysis conversion was calculated, and liquid, char, and gas products were presented as an environmentally friendly fuel candidate.


: A multi-objective transmission reinforcement planning framework has been designed to evaluate the effect of applying a future energy scenario to the Great Britain transmission network. This is achieved by examining the identified non-dominated set of transmission reinforcement plans, which alleviate thermal capacity constraints, for the multi-criteria problem of five objectives: investment cost, annual constraint cost saving, annual incremental operation and maintenance cost, outage cost and annual line loss saving. The framework is flexible and utilises a systematic algorithm to generate reinforcement plans and alter the associated reinforcements should they exacerbate thermal constraints; hence a pre-determined set of reinforcements is not required to evaluate a scenario. The reinforcements considered are line addition (single circuit and double circuit) and line upgrading through reconductoring. The Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm 2 is utilised to explore varying locations, configurations and capacities of network reinforcement. The solutions produced achieve similar cost savings to solutions created by the transmission network owners, showing the suitability of the approach to provide a useful trade-off analysis of the objectives and to assess the network-related thermal and economic impact of future energy scenarios. Here, the framework is applied to the 2020 generation mix of the Gone Green scenario developed by National Grid.