Cervical extensor muscle (CEM) fatigue alters upper limb proprioception and impairs the learning of an upper limb-tracking task (Zabihhosseinian et al., 2015). Somatosensory evoked potentials show that cerebellum disinhibition (CBI) is a characteristic response of motor skill learning, which is a process more recently shown to be altered by neck pain (Baarbe et al., 2015). While previous studies demonstrated these responses as changes in sensory processing, the impact on motor cortex output remains unknown. This study aimed to determine whether CEM fatigue alters the CBI response to motor skill acquisition. Sixteen healthy individuals were randomly assigned to either a CEM fatigue or control intervention. Double cone coil transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was applied over the ipsilateral cerebellum 5 ms prior to contralateral stimulation of the primary motor cortex (M1) area supplying the first dorsal interosseous muscle. Cerebellar stimulation levels were delivered to create approximately 50% motor evoked potential inhibition (CBI50), as well as at 5 (CBI50+5) and 10% (CBI50+10) above CBI50. Both groups completed a novel motor tracing task using their right index finger before, immediately after, and 24-hours after experiencing five minutes of neck fatigue or rest. A significant effect of training showed greater disinhibition at CBI50 versus CBI50+10% (P < 0.008), and at CBI50+5% versus CBI50+10% (P < 0.009). Motor training lead to significant cerebellar disinhibition with no impact of CEM fatigue, indicating that the sensory changes reported previously (Zabihhosseinian, 2018) did not lead to the same changes in the cerebellar-M1 pathway.Acknowledgments: Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Ontario Graduate Scholarships, and University of Ontario Institute of Technology


Highly porous N-doped carbon materials with apparent surface areas in the 1300–2400 m2 g−1 range and pore volumes up to 1.2 cm3 g−1 have been synthesized from hydrothermal carbons obtained from mixtures of algae and glucose. The porosity of these materials is made up of uniform micropores, most of them having sizes <1 nm. Moreover, they have N contents in the 1.1–4.7 wt% range, and the heteroatom is mainly a pyridone-type structure. These microporous carbons present unprecedented large CO2 capture capacities, up to 7.4 mmol g−1 (1 bar, 0 °C). The importance of the pore size on the CO2 capture capacity of microporous carbon materials is clearly demonstrated. Indeed, a good correlation between the CO2 capture capacity at sub-atmospheric pressure and the volume of narrow micropores is observed. The results suggest that pyridinic-N, pyridonic/pyrrolic-N and quaternary-N do not contribute significantly to the CO2 adsorption capacity, owing probably to their low basicity in comparison with amines. These findings will help the design of high-performance CO2 capture sorbents.


Recent changes in the provision of health care have contributed to the growing importance of nursing law and ethics. The role of nurses has transgressed into many litigated areas concerning issues in negligence, informed consent, confidentiality and euthanasia. The nursing legislations do not cater for many legal and ethical issues, which require a comprehensive set of law with considerable convergence between legal and ethical judgments. Technological advances in health care have also created challenges for the nursing profession. These challenges would require them to redress the imbalance by becoming more active in ethical decision-making and become a generalist and specialist, a communicator, a team collaborator, a caring presence as well as a vigilant professional. Educating nurses on the demands of law and high ethical standards would ensure greater accountability, knowledge and personal commitment in providing health care to individuals at every stage of their life. There is also an increased interest amongst the nursing profession to know about the legal principles applicable to their practice. In order to be responsible, the nursing profession should be made aware of the legal principles governing their profession. Ignorance of the law is by no means a defence for anyone. The increase in litigation as well as judicial and legislative intervention in most profession has made it essential for the nursing profession to be more knowledgeable in legal matters and anxious as to the extent of their accountability to their patients. Knowledge of and adherence to the law is an imperative professional responsibility.


This paper proposes a model selection framework for analysing the failure data of multiple repairable units when they are working in different operational and environmental conditions. The paper provides an approach for splitting the non‐homogeneous failure data set into homogeneous groups, based on their failure patterns and statistical trend tests. In addition, when the population includes units with an inadequate amount of failure data, the analysts tend to exclude those units from the analysis. A procedure is presented for modelling the reliability of a multiple repairable units under the influence of such a group to prevent parameter estimation error. We illustrate the implementation of the proposed model by applying it on 12 frequency converters in the Swedish railway system. The results of the case study show that the reliability model of multiple repairable units within a large fleet may consist of a mixture of different stochastic models, that is, the homogeneous Poisson process/renewal process, trend renewal process, non‐homogeneous Poisson process and branching Poisson processes. Therefore, relying only on a single model to represent the behaviour of the whole fleet may not be valid and may lead to wrong parameter estimation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in camelids is still a challenge mainly due to the lack of standardised diagnostic assays and the limitations regarding sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of the current diagnostic techniques (Alvarez and others 2012). Accurate diagnosis of the disease in camelids is of increasing importance, especially in Europe, where New World camelid (NWC) populations are growing (Barlow and others 1999, D'Alterio and others 2006, Twomey and others 2012). Furthermore, camelids can be reservoirs of TB infection for other domestic and wild animals and human beings and, therefore, control of disease in these species is crucial for animal and public health (Zanolari and others 2009, Twomey and others 2010). Although there are no official data on the prevalence of TB in NWCs, several outbreaks have been reported in recent years in different European countries (Connolly and others 2008, Zanolari and others 2009, Garcia-Bocanegra and others 2010, Twomey and others 2010, Twomey and others 2012, Bezos and others 2013). Likewise, no information on the prevalence of TB in camelids in South American countries is available since no previous studies describing outbreaks in these countries have been published. Still, the import of infected animals from Peru was suggested as the most probable cause in an outbreak detected in Europe (Veen and others 1991). In this context, the control of TB in countries with a high population of camelids and from which NWCs are exported such as Bolivia, Chile or Peru is essential.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the Sp of the intradermal tuberculin test and a novel serological assay for diagnosis of TB in two different TB-free herds of alpacas and llamas, respectively, located in different regions in Peru.

Two farmers from Peru voluntarily accepted to test their animals for …


Abstract As many chemicals, also agricultural pesticides (APs) can be hazardous if not used safely. Under typical working conditions, the majority of exposure to the APs is through the hand-skin. Wearing appropriate gloves should be a standard practice when handling the APs. Unlike professionals, amateurs applying the APs in their gardens or vineyards are not trained for the workplace hygiene. In this survey conducted in the spring 2015 across the Slovak Republic, practices regarding the use of protective gloves were obtained. 520 copies of the "paper-and-pencil" questionnaire were distributed to amateur users and specialized stores selling the APs (return rate of 59 %). A set of ten questions a "closed-ended" or "multiple-choice" type was offered. 75 % of respondents wear gloves when handling the APs. Regrettably, among users wearing gloves, 58 % use the same disposable gloves repeatedly, 67 % wear the reusable gloves from last season, and 53 % do not wash outside of the reusable gloves with detergent before removing them. 30 % of glove users wear all available gloves including absolutely inappropriate materials like fabric and leather, 28 % do not recognize the glove material which they use, 20 % use disposable Latex and 3 % Vinyl and Polyethylene gloves. Only 19 % of glove users wear a material that is generally considered a good choice for handling the APs (7 % Neoprene & Latex, 5 % Neoprene, 5 % Nitrile, and 2 % Butyl rubber). The survey showed the need for better education about adequate protective gloves not only for amateur users but also for retailers selling the APs and protective equipment.


ABSTRACT The unprecedented genesis of a novel non-O1 Vibrio cholerae strain belonging to serogroup O139, which caused an epidemic in late 1992 in the Indian subcontinent, and its subsequent displacement by El Tor O1 vibrios after 18 months initiated a renewed investigation of the aspects of the organism that are related to pathogenesis. The reappearance of V. cholerae O139 with altered antibiotic sensitivity compared to O139 Bengal (O139B) in late 1996 has complicated the epidemiological scenario of V. cholerae and has necessitated an examination of possible rearrangements in the genome underlying such rapid changes in the phenotypic traits. With a view to investigating whether the phenotypic changes that have occurred are associated with alteration in the genome, the genome of the resurgent V. cholerae O139 (O139R) strains were examined. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis of NotI- and SfiI-digested genomic DNA of O139R isolates showed restriction fragment length polymorphism including in the cholera toxin (CTX) genetic element locus and with O139B isolates. Analyses of the organization of the CTX genetic elements in O139R strains showed that in contrast to two copies of the elements connected by two direct-repeat sequences (RS) in most of the genomes of O139B isolates, the genomes of all O139R strains examined, except strain AS192, have three such elements connected by a single RS. While the RS present in the upstream of the CTX genetic elements in the genome of O139R is of O139B origin, the RS connecting the cores of the elements has several new restriction sites and has lost theBglII site which is supposed to be conserved in all O1 strains and O139B. The endonuclease I-CeuI, which has sites only in the rrn operons in the genomes of all organisms examined so far, has 10 sites in the genomes of O139R strains, compared to 9 in the genomes of O139B strains. The recent isolates of V. cholerae O139 have thus gained one rrn operon. This variation in the number of rrn operons within a serogroup has not been reported for any other organism. The results presented in this report suggest that like the pathogenic El Tor O1 strains, the genomes of O139 strains are undergoing rapid alterations.


In my study I analyze how the role of natural capital has changed in particular trends, how it has emerged from time to time and how it has been brought into prominence again nowadays. I think that this is quite an interesting topic, since while for instance in the case of Marshall (whose work can be described as the textbook of the given era), or Nordhaus-Samuelson, today's textbooks do not really involve natural capital, the state of natural capital is rather changing, which arises interesting questions within economics as well. First I define natural capital and briefly outline its functions, and then I present the role of natural capital from the physiocrats through the neo-classics with some Schumpeterian detour. Finally, I present ecological footprint which based on importance of natural capital. The concept of natural capital today is almost inseparable from the concept of (the environmental aspects of) sustainability, which can be interpreted in different ways depending on which approach of economics it is based on. Thus we get different definitions of sustainability if we start out from the neoclassical welfare-based environmental economics or from the understanding of ecological economics. While the former is an economic growth-oriented techno-optimist, the latter is a steady state-oriented techno-pessimist approach [MALOVICS – BAJMOCY 2009]. Both sustainability paradigms emphasize the importance of ecosystems, which are generally grasped by economics through the concept of natural capital [EKINS et al. 2003, GUTES 1996]


Communicative evaluation is a type of community-engaged scholarship that encourages collaboration between stakeholders and evaluators as they develop an action plan about a social problem. However, extant research has failed to adequately explore issues of power and identity encountered by communication evaluators in the field. Doing so could enrich assessment processes and outcomes to develop more nuanced theory and practice. Thus, we reflexively develop and integrate our personal stories and experiences of conducting communication evaluation research to highlight four dialectic identity tensions: (a) insider/outsider; (b) expert/novice; (c) program sustainer/impeder; and (d) researcher/friend. By displaying these tensions, we reveal potential opportunities for new insights that could offer pragmatic applications more attuned to the people and contexts of evaluation research. These tensions highlight the need for critical reflection in the pursuit of program sustainability and offer points for transformation. We conclude with pragmatic recommendations for engaging reflexivity in communication evaluation research.


Effects of diazepam (0.1, 0.5 and 1 microg/kg, i. p.) on communicative, anxious behaviors, exploratory activities and sexual motivation of C57BL/6J male mice with alternative psychoemotional statuses (intact and anxious) were studied. Increased level on anxiety was formed by sensory contacts technique. Behavioral effects of diazepam depend on initial psycho-emotional status of animals. The compound has an anxiolytic effect in new situation on anxious males but does not have it in situation of social contacts. Diazepam reinforces initial sexual interest in anxious mice; however, it does not enable correct exhaustion of sexual motivation. Furthermore, the compound provokes development of the exhaustion in intact male mice.


Alkaliphilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were isolated from an alkaliphilic microbial consortium used to treat H2S at pH>9 in a laboratory scale biofilter. Nineteen isolates were obtained. These isolates could be grouped based on their colonial morphology on a solid medium containing thiosulfate as sole energy source. Half of the isolates presented yellow colonies (group I). This yellowish colonial morphology is typically found in the genus Thioalkalivibrio. For the rest of the isolates, the colonies were white (group II) or transparent (group III). The isolates of each group were characterized by ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis and restriction analysis of their 16S rRNA genes. One of the yellow isolates presented 85% of homology with Thioalkalivibrio jannaschii by partial sequencing of its 16S rRNA gene. The genus Thioalkalivibrio comprises extremely haloalkaliphilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria that have been proposed as suitable biocatalysts for natural gas desulfurization.


A novel few-mode multi-core (FMMC) optical fiber transmission system based on probabilistic shaping (PS) with low complexity multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) equalization method is proposed and demonstrated in this paper. Compared with the traditional FMMC counterpart, the total bit error rate (BER) is reduced by 3 times after 50km fiber transmission with the optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) in the range of 12 to 20 dB. At a bit error rate of forward error correction (FEC) limit, the optical transmission system proposed in this paper outperforms the traditional one by at least 3dB OSNR improvement. When the OSNR is 20 dB and the BER is lower than the FEC limit, the transmission distance is doubled.


Abstract INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to determine the role of genes encoding aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes (AMEs) and 16S rRNA methylase (ArmA) in Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates. METHODS: We collected 100 clinical isolates of A. baumannii and identified and confirmed them using microbiological tests and assessment of the OXA-51 gene. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was carried out using disk agar diffusion and micro-broth dilution methods. The presence of AME genes and ArmA was detected by PCR and multiplex PCR. RESULTS: The most and least effective antibiotics in this study were netilmicin and ciprofloxacin with 68% and 100% resistance rates, respectively. According to the minimum inhibitory concentration test, 94% of the isolates were resistant to gentamicin, tobramycin, and streptomycin, while the highest susceptibility (20%) was observed against netilmicin. The proportion of strains harboring the aminoglycoside resistance genes was as follows: APH(3′)-VIa (aphA6) (77%), ANT(2")-Ia (aadB) (73%), ANT(3")-Ia (aadA1) (33%), AAC(6′)-Ib (aacA4) (33%), ArmA (22%), and AAC(3)-IIa (aacC2) (19%). Among the 22 gene profiles detected in this study, the most prevalent profiles included APH(3′)-VIa + ANT(2")-Ia (39 isolates, 100% of which were kanamycin-resistant), and AAC(3)-IIa + AAC(6′)-Ib + ANT(3")-Ia + APH(3′)-VIa + ANT(2")-Ia (14 isolates, all of which were resistant to gentamicin, kanamycin, and streptomycin). CONCLUSIONS: High minimum inhibitory concentration of aminoglycosides in isolates with the simultaneous presence of AME- and ArmA-encoding genes indicated the importance of these genes in resistance to aminoglycosides. However, control of their spread could be effective in the treatment of infections caused by A. baumannii.


Purpose: Lung cancer is the most common malignancy with poor 5-year survival among men and women. Previous studies have shown that CPNE1 is up-regulated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, whether and how CPNE1 expression varies between different subtypes of NSCLC remains less understood. Methods: Bioinformatical analysis and GSE19188 were selected to confirm CPNE1 expression in different subtypes of NSCLC. Four microRNA prediction websites and GSE53883, GSE43000 were used to evaluate the possible targeting microRNAs. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were drawn based on Tumor Lung Bild -114 dataset using R2, UCSC Xena browser or linkedomics platform. Furthermore, we verified our prediction via qRT-PCR, and western blot and luciferase reporter assays. Results: we demonstrated that higher CPNE1 expression was associated with poorer survival in NSCLC patients. Moreover, among the different subtypes, patients with squamous cell lung cancer (SCC) exhibited higher level of CPNE1 expression, as well as substantially poorer survival. MiR-195-5p was down-regulated in NSCLC tissues. Interestingly, SCC patients showed lower miR-195-5p expression compared to patients with lung adenocarcinoma (ADC). In addition, functional assays proved that miR-195-5p overexpression inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC-derived cells by directly targeting CPNE1. Pathway analysis showed decreased expression of p-AKT, p-Erk, and Snail after transfection with miR-195-5p mimics in both lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell lines. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that miR-195-5p regulation contributed to the differential expression of CPNE1 in NSCLC subtypes.


Four longitudinal studies were conducted. The first study investigated the
longitudinal pattern of udder half somatic cell count (HSCC) and intramammary
infection (IMI) in 48 UK suckler ewes over the first 10 weeks of lactation. This was
the first study to demonstrate that HSCC of suckler ewes followed a quadratic and
cubic relationship with days in lactation over the first 10 weeks of lactation. Udder
half somatic cell count was also explained by presence of bacteria. Ewes older than 6
years of age had significantly higher HSCC than younger ewes.
The second study investigated the relationships between udder conformation, SCC
and lamb weight. Whilst accounting for lamb age and birth weight, significantly
lower lamb weight was associated with a ewe SCC of >400,000 cells/ml (-1.7 kg), a
traumatic teat lesion (bite, tear or chapping) 2 weeks previously (-1.1 kg), and a ewe
body condition score (BCS) of <2.5 before lambing (-1.3kg). Higher HSCCs were
observed in ewes with a lower suspended udder, and older ewes in poorer body
condition. The findings from this study make an important contribution to the
knowledge of the impact of udder health of suckler ewes by demonstrating that udder
conformation is associated with IMI and that IMI and teat damage are negatively
associated with lamb weight.
The third study investigated the effect of dry cow therapy (DCT) on subclinical
mastitis in a lowland flock with a low incidence of clinical mastitis by recording
HSCC and lamb weights in the following lactation. To the author's knowledge, there
are no published reports of the effect of broad spectrum DCT on subclinical mastitis
in suckler ewes in the literature. No significant effect was found between the use of
DCT and HSCC or lamb weight in the subsequent lactation.
The fourth study was a randomised controlled trial to assess the effect of DCT on
clinical mastitis in a suckler flock with a high level of clinical mastitis. Dry cow
treatment significantly reduced the incidence of clinical mastitis over one year, with
a 70% reduction of clinical mastitis in ewes that received treatment from 6.2% to
1.8%. This was the first field trial to investigate and demonstrate the clinical benefit
of the use of a broad spectrum DCT in suckler ewes.
These studies have enhanced our knowledge of longitudinal patterns of infection and
demonstrated the importance of udder health for optimising production of suckler
ewes. Factors to control for when using SCC as a tool to measure intramammary
infection were described.


: Vascular permeability and microcirculation (MC) were studied in 25 patients with hemorrhagic fever associated with the renal syndrome (HFRS). A considerable increase in vascular permeability for liquid and protein was recorded during oligoanuria and polyuria. These parameters slowly returned to normal with recovery. Investigation of MC identified the presence of changes mainly occurring in the intra- and extravascular parts of MC: turbidity of the angioscopic background, hemorrhages, spread sludge, atonia of the venules, winding of all groups of the vessels, aneurysms of the venules, and so forth. The increased vascular permeability and MC impairment are important components of the pathogenesis of HFRS which should be taken into consideration during institution of the pathogenetic treatment.


The aim of this research is to develop an interactive learning multimedia of reading for grade VII students of SMP N 1 Piyungan, Yogyakarta. This research is a research and development (R&D) study. The development of the interactive learning multimedia of reading was carried out through several steps, namely needs analysis, course grid design, product development, product validation, product revision, try-out, and final product development. There were some respondents involved in the study, i.e. one content expert and one media expert, 75 students or needs analysis, and 48 students for try-out. The data were collected through classroom observation, interview, and questionnaire. The instruments of data collection were observation guides, interview guides, expert validation sheets, and questionnaires for the students. The data were analyzed descriptively. The needs analysis data show that the students have various needs in learning reading through the interactive learning multimedia. For the learning needs, the students chose various reading topics, such as hobbies (73.81%), stories (54.76%), things around us (42.86%), life in school (27.38%), and teenage life (26.19%). Some of them (40.48%) preferred reading text with 100-200 words of length. Meanwhile, for the target needs, the students preferred learning reading to improve their vocabulary (71.43%), find the main idea (58.33%), find the moral (47.62%), find the general information (48.81%), and find the meaning of words in the reading text. Some of them preferred the pictured-cued item (46.43%), the multiple-choice (44.05%), matching (40.47%), the comprehension questions (40.47%), the short-answer (40.48%), and the ordering tasks (29.76%) for the reading learning activities. Besides, the appropriate interactive learning multimedia of reading for grade VII students in junior high schools consisted of four reading units, namely Things around Us (descriptive text), Professions (descriptive text), Foods and Drinks (procedure text), and Hobbies (procedure text). Every unit made up of the five components: Playing with Words, Let's Read , Did You Know, Upgrade Your Reading, and Mini Dictionary. The experts' validation data show that the developed interactive learning multimedia of reading was "good" based on a total mean of 4.17 on a 5-1 Likert scale. The content aspect data analysis results show a mean of 4 and the media aspect shows a mean of 4.35. In addition, the results of the try-out indicate that the content aspect is in the "good" category with the mean of 4.01, the presentation aspect is in the "good" category with the mean of 3.83, and the media aspect is in the "good" category with the mean of 4.01. Keywords— Developing; interactive multimedia; reading


Repetitive Markov processes form a class of processes where the generator matrix has a particular repeating form. Many queueing models fall in this category such as M/M/1 queues, quasi-birth-and-death processes, and processes with M/G/1 or GI/M/1 generator matrices. In this paper, a new iterative scheme is proposed for computing the stationary probabilities of such processes. An infinite state process is approximated by a finite state process by lumping an infinite number of states into a super-state. What we call the feedback rate, the conditional expected rate of flow from the super-state to the remaining states, given the process is in the super-state, is approximated simultaneously with the steady state probabilities. The method is theoretically developed and numerically tested for quasi-birth-and-death processes. It turns out that the new concept of the feedback rate can be effectively used in computing the stationary probabilities.


In conservation biology, it is a central problem to measure, predict, and preserve biodiversity as species face extinction. In 1992, Faith proposed measuring the diversity of a collection of species in terms of their relationships on a phylogenetic tree and using this information to identify collections of species with high diversity. Here, we are interested in some variants of the resulting optimization problem that arise when considering species whose evolution is better represented by a network rather than a tree. More specifically, we consider the problem of computing phylogenetic diversity relative to a split system on a collection of species of size n. We show that, for general split systems, this problem is NP-hard. In addition, we provide some efficient algorithms for some special classes of split systems, in particular presenting an optimal O(n) time algorithm for phylogenetic trees and an O(n log n + nk) time algorithm for choosing an optimal subset of size k relative to a circular split system.


STUDY QUESTION : Does progesterone in human follicular fl uid (hFF) activate CatSper and do other components of hFF modulate this effect and/or contribute separately to hFF-induced Ca 2 + signaling? SUMMARY ANSWER : hFF potently stimulates CatSper and increases 2 + ] i , primarily due to high concentrations of progesterone, however, other components of hFF contribute to [Ca 2 + ] i signaling, including modulation of CatSper channel activity and inhibition of [Ca 2 + ] i oscillations. Ca 2 + channel in spermatozoa, progesterone-sensitive and essential for fertility. Both hFF and progesterone, which is present in hFF, in fl uence sperm function and increase their 2 + ] i WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS : This study directly demonstrates that hFF activates CatSper and establishes that the bio-logically important effects of hFF re fl ect, at least in part, action on this channel, primarily via progesterone. However, these experiments also demonstrate that other components of hFF both contribute to the [Ca 2 + ] i signal and modulate the activation of CatSper. Simple in vitro experiments performed out of the context of the complex in vivo environment need to be interpreted with caution. STUDY FUNDING / COMPETING INTEREST ( ): Funding was provided by MRC (MR/K013343/1, MR/012492/1) (S.G.B., S.J.P., C.L.R.B.) and University of Abertay (sabbatical for S.G.B.). Additional funding was provided by TENOVUS SCOTLAND (S.M.D.S.), Chief Scientist Of fi ce/NHS Research Scotland (S.M.D.S). C.L.R.B. is EIC of MHR and Chair of the WHO ESG on Diagnosis of Male infertility. The remaining authors have no conlicts of interest.


Title of dissertation: ASSIMILATING SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS WITH A LOCAL ENSEMBLE KALMAN FILTER Elana Judith Fertig Doctor of Philosophy, 2007 Dissertation directed by: Professor Brian R. Hunt Department of Mathematics Numerical weather prediction relies on data assimilation to estimate the current state of the atmosphere. Generally speaking, data assimilation methods combine information from observations and from a prior forecast state, taking into account their respective uncertainties. Ensemble-based data assimilation schemes estimate the forecast uncertainty with the sample covariance from an ensemble of forecasts. While these schemes have been shown to successfully assimilate conventional observations of model state variables, they have only recently begun to assimilate satellite observations. This dissertation explores some of the complications that arise when ensemble-based schemes assimilate satellite observations. Although ensemble data assimilation schemes often assume that observations are taken at the time of assimilation, satellite observations are available almost continuously between consecutive assimilation times. In Chapter 2, we formulate a "four-dimensional" extension to ensemble-based schemes that is analogous to the operationally used scheme 4D-VAR. Using perfect model experiments with the Lorenz-96 model, we find that the four-dimensional ensemble scheme can perform comparably to 4D-VAR. Many ensemble data assimilation schemes utilize spatial localization so that a small ensemble can capture the unstable degrees of freedom in the model state. These local ensemble-based schemes typically allow the analysis at a given location to depend only on observations near that location. Meanwhile, the location of satellite observations cannot be pinpointed in the same manner as conventional observations. In Chapter 3, we propose a technique to update the state at a given location by assimilating satellite radiance observations that are strongly correlated to the model state there. For satellite retrievals, we propose incorporating the observation error covariance matrix and selecting the retrievals that have errors correlated to observations near the location to be updated. Our selection techniques improve the analysis obtained when assimilating simulated satellite observations with a seven-layer primitive equation model, the SPEEDY model. Finally, satellite radiance observations are subject to state-dependent, systematic errors due to errors in the radiative transfer model used as the observation operator. In Chapter 4 we propose applying state-space augmentation to ensemble based assimilation schemes to estimate satellite radiance biases during the data assimilation procedure. Our approach successfully corrects such systematic errors in simulated biased satellite observations with the SPEEDY model. ASSIMILATING SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS WITH A LOCAL ENSEMBLE KALMAN FILTER


ECOLOGY/EVOLUTION
The European beech is one of the predominant trees of the natural forests in Europe. Over the past several centuries, foresters have replaced many of the beech-dominated forests with plantations of Norway spruce. Spruce needles and beech leaves produce litter with different structures and patterns of decay. Under spruce, soils are more acidic, and inorganic nutrients become locked up in organic matter, with ultimately deleterious consequences on food webs of soil organisms. In order to assess whether these consequences could be mitigated by planting mixed stands of beech and spruce, Scheu et al. have compared the soil communities of pure and mixed forests. Although microbial biomass was similar in the two types, that of most soil animal groups decreased under pure spruce and under mixed stands as compared to pure beech. However, the structures of food webs, in terms of the ratio of predators to prey, were more similar in the pure beech and mixed stands, suggesting that mixed stands might enhance the preservation of ecological interactions.— AMS

Oikos 101 , 225 (2003).


We introduce a meta-representation that represents the essence of a family of shapes. The meta-representation learns the configurations of shape parts that are common across the family, and encapsulates this knowledge with a system of geometric distributions that encode relative arrangements of parts. Thus, instead of predefined priors, what characterizes a shape family is directly learned from the set of input shapes. The meta-representation is constructed from a set of co-segmented shapes with known correspondence. It can then be used in several applications where we seek to preserve the identity of the shapes as members of the family. We demonstrate applications of the meta-representation in exploration of shape repositories, where interesting shape configurations can be examined in the set; guided editing, where models can be edited while maintaining their familial traits; and coupled editing, where several shapes can be collectively deformed by directly manipulating the distributions in the meta-representation. We evaluate the efficacy of the proposed representation on a variety of shape collections.


The security of communication networks and databases has become a main element of national security and economic competitiveness. Constant growth in information systems, financial technology and e-commerce has improved efficiency and pushed economic growth. This growth has also made our society dependent on networked digital technologies and digital structures and devices, which facilitate, enhance and scale most modern human endeavors. Consequently, the biggest digital service providers, such as Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft, have become omnipotent, critical players in our economy that operate essential services and control how and where data is collected, stored and handled. Recent attacks on information infrastructures such as the U.S. election system, which was designated a Critical Infrastructure in need of protection in 2017, as well as security breaches at institutions including key digital service providers, have caused concerns about these institutions' stability and standing. The breaches showed that in addition to a technical solution, a system-wide approach is needed to address these issues.

One particularly important aspect of such an approach relates to the elevated probability of some kind of failure, or disastrous malfunctioning, of key digital service providers, their services or their products, as a result of using cyber tools. This Article focuses on such potential failures or malfunctionings of non-financial institutions and of omnipotent, global digital service providers in particular, a scenario referred to here as Too-Big-to-Fail 2.0, by way of an analogy to financial failures that can cause massive damage to society. The Article sheds light on this relatively unappreciated risk by comparing it to the (i) attempts of the Dodd-Frank Act to stop financial institutions from shifting the risks of "too-big-to-fail" externalities to society, and (ii) laws protecting Critical Infrastructures. The Article is also greatly inspired by a recent EU directive that deals with digital service providers. The Article serves as a call for action, arguing that, based on these comparisons and recent regulation, as well as other factors, key digital service providers should be defined as Critical Service Providers given their importance to our economy and society, and need to improve their risk management.

The Article explains why addressing Too-Big-to-Fail 2.0 has not yet become a political and societal priority. First, digital service providers are technology companies, which, many believe, are shaped by market forces such that they fail and succeed in equal measure without producing negative ripple effects on the economy or society. Second, technology giants are not as carefully regulated as banks because differently from banks, they do not take insured deposits backed by the government. Third, even heavily regulated financial institutions have not been required until recently to focus on cybersecurity. Finally, some believe that there is no point in worrying about Too-Big-to-Fail 2.0 as it is difficult to prepare for theoretical unknowns. Despite these arguments, however, the Article contends that given the factors outlined in the Critical Service Provider list of criteria, such as size, business involvement in multiple industry sectors, and impact on technology, the economy, and cyber-social systems, Too-Big-to-Fail 2.0 is a valid concern.

Recognizing this problem, the Article then calls for the design of a new systematic approach, resembling to a limited extent that of the Dodd-Frank Act, to understand which entities qualify as Critical Service Providers and why they should have enhanced risk management procedures. The Article proposes certain criteria to ground such an approach. Finally, the Article suggests that the companies designated as Critical Service Providers should be subject to some type of supervisory scrutiny, which would be the product of a collaborative private-public initiative and result in better risk management and internalizing.


Recent political initiatives in the UK have sought to increase the role of supporters in the governance of football clubs. The Labour Party included in their 2015 general election manifesto proposals to give supporters a statutory right to representation on the board of directors of their club. In Scotland, amendments to the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act (2015) have provided Scottish Ministers with a framework to develop legislation relating to supporter involvement in governance. To date, however, there has been limited research on supporter representation, and the practicability of legislation giving fans the right to a seat in the boardroom has not been investigated. The purpose of this paper is to address that gap in the literature. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 directors of Scottish football clubs. Findings show that such legislation would be imprudent given the inherent difficulty of the role and the potential disruption to board dynamics.


A surface plasmon polariton (SPP) is an electromagnetic wave propagating at the interface between a metal and a dielectric material. The two-dimensional confinement of SPPs and the tunability of their dispersion enable optical functionality that cannot be achieved with regular dielectrics. Several novel concepts for sensing and opto-electronic integration based on SPPs have been proposed. In nearly all applications, as well as experiments based on SPPs, far-field excitation of SPPs is used, leading to bulky device designs. This thesis presents an electrically excitable source for SPPs that can be integrated in small, chip-size devices to enable the full application potential of SPPs. The device is based on a dielectric/metal geometry in which silicon quantum dots are placed in the near-field of the SPP mode. The quantum dots are electrically excited and decay by the generation of SPPs. Silicon quantum dots in silica are made by a magnetron sputtering technique, followed by annealing. From photoluminescence spectra as well as lifetime measurements we conclude that well-passivated Si quantum dots with quantum confined luminescence around 800 nm can be made. An electrical injection geometry is presented and electroluminescence is observed around 650 nm under a bias of 15-30 V. Strong bleaching of the quantum dot luminescence is observed under 0.5-20 keV electron beam irradiation, which has a potential consequence for the use of electron beam lithography in nanofabrication of structures with Si quantum dots. We describe the design and the fabrication of an electrically excitable plasmon source based on an insulator-metal-insulator (IMI) geometry. The coupling of quantum dots to the SPP mode was studied theoretically. For quantum dots spaced 20-200 nm away from the metal surface, more than 50% of the decay is into SPPs. An IMI SPP geometry for electrical excitation was fabricated using gold and silica doped with Si quantum dots as dielectric material. An IMI SPP source in the infrared region was fabricated by incorporating erbium in the dielectric material. Using an SPP waveguide coupled to the source, with suitable engineered outcoupling gratings, we observed the propagation and outcoupling of electrically excited SPPs. The optical properties of Si quantum dots in alumina are studied. This material is deposited by using CMOS compatible, low-temperature techniques of atomic layer deposition (ALD) and low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). Quantum-confined photo- and electroluminescence is observed at 700-900 nm. This material is used in a novel metal-insulator-metal (MIM) geometry. SPPs are electrically excited and propagate inside the MIM geometry and are radiated into the far-field by an outcoupling structure. The radiated intensity decays for outcoupling structures further away from the excitation source. The obtained propagation length is = 4.4 0.6 micron, which is in good agreement with the expected propagation length based on measured values of the dielectric constants. The last chapter of this thesis reports on several application ideas for the electrical SPP sources presented in this thesis. Integrated lab-on-a-chip devices, plasmonic (bio)sensors, nanoscale photonic integrated circuits, and a novel quantum dot solar cell geometry are proposed.


In America, local, state, and federal interventions have played a critical role in public education reform since the late 18th century. The reform efforts of the late 20th century and early 21st century have involved legislative acts to improve accountability for student performance. Illinois state law mandated a teacher observation and evaluation protocol for public school administrators. Principals participated in a rigorous, online, professional development training program. The focus of the training program was to build principal self-efficacy and to indirectly impact the learning environment. This study assesses the effectiveness of the online training program as a professional development vehicle for principals. Employing a qualitative case study methodology, this study assesses principal selfefficacy and the transfer of the professional development learning objectives into the learning environment. To that end, this study employs a researcher-constructed interview process soliciting a principal's perceptions, beliefs, and barriers of the online professional development program as a course for statewide change.


Meaning in life and searching for meaning are central in how people organize their lives and deal with various challenges during them. Studies on meaning and the search for meaning among prisoners are virtually nonexistent. Based on the presence of meaning in their lives and on their search for meaning, we discovered four different profiles in a sample of 365 prisoners: High Presence High Search, High Presence Low Search, Low Presence High Search, and Low Presence Low Search. Compared to prisoners with low meaning profiles, those whose profiles were marked by higher levels of meaning displayed less distress, more positive world assumptions, and higher levels of self-worth. They also show more empathy for others. Older prisoners and prisoners who were sexually abused during childhood were more represented in the profile that was marked by extremely low levels of meaning and low levels of search for meaning.


Let $n$ be an integer$\geqq0$. Let $S^{n+2}_1$ (respectively, $S^{n+2}_2$) be the $(n+2)$-sphere embedded in the $(n+4)$-sphere $S^{n+4}$. Let $S^{n+2}_1$ and $S^{n+2}_2$ intersect transversely. Suppose that the smooth submanifold, $S^{n+2}_1 \cap S^{n+2}_2$ in $S^{n+2}_i$ is PL homeomophic to the $n$-sphere. Then $S^{n+2}_1$ and $S^{n+2}_2$ in $S^{n+2}_i$ is an $n$-knot $K_i$. We say that the pair $(K_1,K_2)$ of n-knots is realizable.
We consider the following problem in this paper. Let $A_1$ and $A_2$ be n-knots. Is the pair $(A_1,A_2)$ of $n$-knots realizable?
We give a complete characterization.


While the Reformation has, from the very beginning, been seen as a drama which drew its cast from every sphere of society, the Counter-Reformation was until recently considered the project of elites. Even those who sought to write the social history of the Catholic reform movement allocated to "the people" the role of resisting the course of change rather than contributing to the transformation of early modern Catholicism. Swimming against this tide, a succession of local case studies, focusing in particular on rituals and objects, has demonstrated the manifold ways in which men and women of all social backgrounds participated in the reinvention of Roman Catholicism. This paper considers new emphases in the social and cultural history of the Counter-Reformation, and asks whether there remains a place for thinking about the age of reform in terms of discipline and confessionalization.


Metabolism is precisely controlled to ensure organismal development and homeostasis. Several mechanisms regulate metabolism, including allosteric control and transcriptional regulation of metabolic enzymes and transporters. So far, metabolism regulation has mostly been described for individual genes and pathways, and the extent of transcriptional regulation of the entire metabolic network remains largely unknown. Here, we find that more than three-quarters of all metabolic genes are transcriptionally regulated in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We find that many annotated metabolic pathways are coexpressed, and we use gene expression data and the iCEL1314 metabolic network model to define coregulated sub-pathways in an unbiased manner. Using a large gene expression compendium, we determine the conditions where sub-pathways exhibit strong coexpression. Finally, we develop 'WormClust', a web application that enables a gene-by-gene query of genes to view their association with metabolic (sub)-pathways. Overall, this study sheds light on the ubiquity of transcriptional regulation of metabolism and provides a blueprint for similar studies in other organisms, including humans.


NbxSiyNz thin film nanostructure was grown using the unbalanced magnetron sputtering (UBM) technique with varying Si content. Corrosion resistance was evaluated by potentiodynamic polarisation technique in a 3% NaCl solution. Microstructure was analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser scanning microscopy. Chemical composition was ascertained by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technique. The results showed that deposition rates increased with higher Si content. A microstructural change was observed for greater than 5% Si content through the transition from a crystalline to an amorphous structure in the thin films. Corrosion test results demonstrated that the thin films having the highest silicon content had better corrosion resistance.


Objective: To find out the relation between Pro 12 Ala polymorphism of peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptor gamma2 (PPAR-g2) gene with type 2 diabetes mellitus and the possible role of this gene polymorphism as a link between obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Subjects and Methods: Subjects of this study were classified into 3 groups: (15) Apparently healthy lean individuals (Group I), (15) obese non diabetic individuals (group II) and (24) patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (group III). This group divided into: Diabetic non obese patients (12 patients) (Group IIIa) and: Diabetic obese patients (12 patients) (Group IIIb). The subjects were subjected to clinical examination, serum insulin level and estimation of PPAR-g2 gene polymorphism by Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: Frequency of Pro allele was significant increase in diabetic non obese patients& diabetic non obese patients when compared to control group (P= 0.048 and 0.003, respectively). However, there was no difference between obese non diabetic group and control group as regard the allelic frequencies (p= 0.462). While diabetic non obese patients had higher Pro allele frequency (p= 0.003) than in diabetic obese patients (p= 0.048). Insulin resistance by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) was significantly increased in Pro/Pro carriers in group II and group III when compared to that of Pro/Ala plus Ala/Ala carriers (p= 0.004 and 0.023; respectively). Conclusion: Pro12 allele of PPAR-g2 gene could be a genetic risk factor for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus.


This project has demonstrated the implementation of adaptive control systems at commercial cotton cropping sites. The control simulation framework VARIwise has been used for the simulation and development of irrigation control strategies. The framework potentially provides site-specific irrigation volumes and timing to be determined in autonomous irrigation, either for uniform or variable-rate irrigation application.

Field evaluations of the control strategies were conducted on siphon and centre pivot irrigation systems in Jondaryan, QLD utilising a weather, soil and plant sensors, control strategies and irrigation control hardware. The siphon and centre pivot irrigation trials produced yield improvements of 11% and 7% respectively, and water use reductions of 12% and 4% respectively. Higher water reductions were achieved in surface irrigation systems than overhead irrigation systems because of the larger volumes of irrigation water applied. Adoption of these irrigation control systems would provide improved and automated irrigation management and labour savings to the industry.

An on-the-go plant sensing system was developed to estimate plant density, plant height (for leaf area index calculation), flower count (for square count calculation) and boll count, as required to calibrate the industry crop production model OZCOT for the control strategy operation. This sensing system was standalone and platforms were developed that enabled mounting to on-farm vehicles (e.g. moped) and irrigation machines. The centre pivot irrigation trial indicated that plant data input was preferable to soil data input for model-based irrigation control strategies.

There is limited control hardware currently commercially available for surface irrigation, and commercial variable-rate solenoid-based irrigation adjustment hardware is available for centre pivots and lateral moves. For the purposes of the field evaluations in this project, an irrigation control hardware system was developed that was independent of the irrigation system. This was based on adjusting the flow rate using a remotely controllable ball valve and servomechanism and could be installed in-line with siphons and droppers on irrigation machines.

Over 90% of the Australian irrigated cotton industry uses surface irrigation. Further enhancements to the system would entail investigating the spatial resolution of irrigation application adjustment for both surface and overhead irrigation systems. This would potentially determine the data requirements of surface irrigation control systems, reduce the sensors requirement (leading to reduced cost of the system) and increase the practicality and uptake of the final system. In addition, the control strategies could be extended to consider fertiliser application in surface irrigation systems, as the efficiency of the fertiliser application is expected to be related to the efficiency of the irrigation application.


An interdisciplinary workshop was convened by the George Washington University in June 2001 to discuss how to incorporate new knowledge about susceptibility to microbial pathogens into risk assessment and management strategies. Experts from government, academic, and private sector organizations discussed definitions, methods, data needs, and issues related to susceptibility in microbial risk assessment. The participants agreed that modeling approaches need to account for the highly specific nature of host‐pathogen relationships, and the wide variability of infectivity, immunity, disease transmission, and outcome rates within microbial species and strains. Concerns were raised about distinguishing between exposure and dose more clearly, interpreting experimental and outbreak data correctly, and using thresholds and possibly linearity at low doses. Recommendations were made to advance microbial risk assessment by defining specific terms and concepts more precisely, designing explicit conceptual frameworks to guide development of more complex models and data collection, addressing susceptibility in all steps of the model, measuring components of immunity to characterize susceptibility, reexamining underlying assumptions, applying default methods appropriately, obtaining more mechanistic data to improve default methods, and developing more biologically relevant and continuous risk estimators. The interrelated impacts of selecting specific subpopulations and health outcomes, and of increasing model complexity and data demands, were considered in the contexts of public policy goals and resources required. The participants stated that zero risk is unattainable, so targeted and effective risk reduction and communication strategies are essential not only to raise pubic awareness about water quality but also to protect the most susceptible members of the population.


A Markov-chain Monte Carlo based algorithm is provided to solve the Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) problem with general dynamics and observation model under open-loop control and provided that the map-representation is finite dimensional. To our knowledge this is the first provably consistent yet (close-to) practical solution to this problem. The superiority of our algorithm over alternative SLAM algorithms is demonstrated in a difficult loop closing situation.


Increased competition has been the impetus for many of the modifications taking place within American companies. The quality initiative is a major competitive challenge that requires many companies to reevaluate not only their basic operations, but their overall corporate strategies as well. Based upon information developed by Motorola, this article discusses how total quality enables a company to successfully compete with a variety of competitors even though the competitors may be employing quite different strategies. While quality is often perceived in terms of statistical methods, the importance of the total quality perspective lies far beyond just changing the operations of a firm. Perhaps more significantly, the total quality perspective transforms how companies think about their customers, competition, and the business environment itself.


AIM
This study aimed to report a well-succeeded use of equine enzyme-deantigenic cortical membrane and bone granules for guided bone regeneration (GBR) in the esthetic zone concomitant with implant placement.

BACKGROUND
In the anterior maxilla, where patients typically have the highest expectations for implant-supported restorations, bone resorption in the wake of tooth loss often leads to a lack of soft tissue support and ultimately to unsatisfactory esthetic results. Buccal bone augmentation at the time of implant placement has thus become common. This is usually accomplished following GBR principles and employing membranes made from various materials to serve as a barrier between the soft tissue and graft material. One of the more recently introduced membrane materials is made from thin, flexible equine cortical bone, i.e., rendered nonantigenic in an enzymatic process that preserves native bone collagen.

CASE REPORT
This report describes the treatment of a patient who received an equine enzyme-deantigenic graft and membrane in conjunction with placement of an implant in the right maxillary lateral incisor site.

CONCLUSION
After 5 years of follow-up, the patient was very satisfied with her appearance. A cone-beam computed tomography scan showed that the peri-implant bone levels and ridge thickness had been maintained, and the cortical layer in the pristine ridge had also undergone remodeling.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Guided bone regeneration with the concomitant use of enzyme-deantigenic membrane and graft is a valuable and suitable option for effective implant-supported prosthetic rehabilitation in the esthetic zone.


This paper discusses the duties of a fiduciary with respect to underperforming assets held in a client's account. A trustee, investment adviser, and investment manager each is a fiduciary. Because trust law most clearly articulates fiduciary rules, this paper focuses on trust law as the principal foundation of fiduciary law. Although investment advisers are not strictly subject to trust law, the fiduciary investment principles applicable to advisers are very similar to those governing trustees. Accordingly, this paper discusses the legal framework and principles applicable under trust law generally with respect to the investment and management of trust assets, focusing specifically on the treatment of assets that underperform based on relevant measures of investment performance. These general principles may apply differently to investment advisers depending on the facts and circumstances.


In recent years, genomics has increased the understanding of many diseases. Proteomics is a rapidly growing research area that encompasses both genetic and environmental factors. The protein composition represents the functional status of a biological compartment. The five approaches presented here resulted in the detection of disease‐associated proteins. Calgranulin B was upregulated in colorectal cancer, and hepatoma‐derived aldose reductase‐like protein was reexpressed in a rat model during hepatocarcinogenesis. In these two investigations, attention was focused on one protein, obviously differing in amount, directly after two‐dimensional electrophoresis (2‐DE). Additional methods, such as enzyme activity measurements and immunohistochemistry, confirmed the disease association of the two candidates resulting from 2‐DE subtractive analysis. The following three investigations take advantage of the holistic potential of the 2‐DE approach. The comparison of 2‐DE patterns from dilated cardiomyopathy patients with those of controls revealed 25 statistically significant intensity differences, from which 12 were identified by amino acid analysis, Edman degradation or matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization‐mass spectrometry (MALDI‐MS). A human myocardial 2‐DE database was constructed, containing 3300 protein spots and 150 identified protein species. The number of identified proteins was limited by the capacity of our group, rather than by the principle of feasibility. Another field where proteomics proves to be a valuable tool in identifying proteins of importance for diagnosis is proteome analysis of pathogenic microorganisms such as Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) and Toxoplasma gondii (toxoplasmosis). Sera from patients with early or late symptoms of Lyme borreliosis contained antibodies of various classes against about 80 antigens each, containing the already described antigens OspA, B and C, flagellin, p83/100, and p39. Similarly, antibody reactivity to seven different marker antigens of T. gondii allowed differentiation between acute and latent toxoplasmosis, an important diagnostic tool in both pregnancy and immunosuppressed patients.


This thesis deals with the electrocatalytic properties of two-dimensional metal organic coordination networks (2D-MOCNs) self-assembled on electrode surfaces and catalytic activity of 2D-MOCNs is demonstrated for the first time. The low-coordinated metal centers within these supramolecular structures resemble the catalytically active sites of metallo-enzymes. The activity of the metal centers is determined by the type of the metal and the coordination environment; both parameters can be carefully adjusted in 2D-MOCNs. In order to study and correlate electrocatalytic properties with the atomic structure of 2D-MOCNs, a scanning tunnelling microscope operating in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) was combined with an electrochemical (EC) setup. Sample preparation and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) were conducted under UHV conditions. By STM the composition and structure of the networks were controlled and characterized prior to EC experiments. A transfer system between UHV and EC instrumentation was constructed to keep the sample at all times in a clean and controlled environment. It is demonstrated that the mechanism of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) can be influenced by the type of the metal center in the network. The networks formed by benzene-tricarboxylic acid (TMA) with either Fe or Mn atoms are structurally identical, but their electrochemical signal differs significantly. Both networks catalyze the reduction of O2 to H2O, but on different pathways. These results emphasize the key role of the unsaturated metal centers in the electrocatalytic reduction. The electrocatalytic response in the ORR can also altered by the distinct coordination environment; this is shown for Fe atoms nitrogen-coordinated by either tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), bis-pyridyl-bipyrimidine (PBP) or phythalocyanine (Pc). Depending on the specific coordination environment formed by the different ligands the the final product (H2O2 or H2O) and the mechanism of the ORR is changed. In the last part of this thesis the two metal binding sites of 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl)porphyrin (TPyP) are used to selectively incorporate different metal centers in a fixed organic environment and create homo- and hetero-bimetallic networks. The coupling of the two metals centers promoted by the organic environment modifies the electrocatalytic response. The correct combination of two metal centers in the right positioning makes an efficient catalyst. In the ORR the peak and onset potential is varied depending on the metal combination. In the case of the oxygen evolution reaction a non-linearly increased catalytic activity by the cooperative bimetallic effect is obtained. The results presented in this thesis demonstrate the high potential of 2D-MOCNs for heterogeneous catalytic chemical conversions. Engineering of the network structure and the distinct coordination environment of the metal centers offers the possibility to tune their catalytic activity. This opens up a new route for the design of a new class of nanocatalyst materials.


This paper theorises personal data more fundamentally and exposes the vulnerability of organisation-controlled personal data. It then reports on the micro-economic model design of a new personal data exchange by designing and creating PPD or person-controlled personal data through a new technological artefact called the Hub-of-all-Things (HAT) and report the build and implementation of the mechanisms, coordination and incentive structures for PPD exchanges.


Untreated asthma limits the ability to live an active life, still many asthmatics does not have the level of control over their asthma as they could have. In addition, about 50% of the asthmatics use their inhaler incorrectly, which affects the result of the medicine negative. The asthma inhaler is central in an asthmatics living and has great potential for de- velopment towards a modern asthma monitoring tool and could possibly improve the user's overall asthma knowledge.
This thesis was done as a collaboration with Zenit Design AB and Iconovo AB and the object of the project was a generic inhaler from Iconovo's inhaler platform. The mission for the thesis was to explore possibilities, solutions and designs for a connected inhaler in order to increase and improve the asthmatics use of asthma medicine.

The overall goal with the project was to localize user needs and discover ways to implement electronics into the inhaler in order to solve the needs and improve the user experience. In the initial phase, research was done through literature studies and interviews with asthmatics and asthma professionals, providing a broad understanding of asthma and how it is to live with asthma. By de ning user needs and problems with today's asthma inhalers the design process was initiated.
Thinking entrepreneurial and developing the product by the Minimal Viable Product (MVP) approach, the function of the inhaler was initially designed with just enough features to solve the main user needs. Added to the entrepreneurial approach was an own method - to advance the MVP with additional functions in order to ful l more user needs and improve the asthmatics inhalation technique.

When a superstructured MVP was set, the project evolved into a small system containing an inhaler with a detachable module and a belonging mobile application. The three components – the inhaler, the module and the app – was designed and developed in an iterative process.

In the end, through playing with light and sensors, a digital asthma/COPD inhaler was designed to aid the patient to use their inhaler correctly. When using the inhaler, the attached module registers and communicates data to the app. The app, in turn, processes the information and presents data and the numbers to users and caregivers to give them insights into the asthma conditions.


The multicomponent nonideal gas lattice Boltzmann model by Shan and Chen (S-C) is used to study the immiscible displacement in a sinusoidal tube. The movement of interface and the contact point (contact line in three-dimension) is studied. Due to the roughness of the boundary, the contact point shows "stick-slip" mechanics. The "stick-slip" effect decreases as the speed of the interface increases. For fluids that are non-wetting, the interface is almost perpendicular to the boundaries at most time, although its shapes at different position of the tube are rather different. When the tube becomes narrow, the interface turns a complex curves rather than remains simple menisci. The velocity is found to vary considerably between the neighbor nodes close to the contact point, consistent with the experimental observation that the velocity is multi-values on the contact line. Finally, the effect of three boundary conditions is discussed. The average speed is found different for different boundary conditions. The simple bounce-back rule makes the contact point move fastest. Both the simple bounce-back and the no-slip bounce-back rules are more sensitive to the roughness of the boundary in comparison with the half-way bounce-back rule. The simulation results suggest that the S-C model may be a promising tool in simulating the displacement behaviour of two immiscible fluids in complex geometry.


Despite increased awareness of the multifactorial nature of Hamstring Strain Injury (HSI), the role of running biomechanics remains unclear. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate whether an association exists between running biomechanics and HSI. Five databases were searched from inception to January 2021. Eligibility criteria included epidemiological studies that provide data on running biomechanics in athletes who have sustained a HSI (retrospectively or prospectively) and compared to control data. Searches yielded 4,798 articles. Twelve met the selection criteria. Biomechanical analysis differed considerably across studies, thus meta-analyses was not possible. Studies largely found either no differences or contradicting findings between running biomechanics of athletes who have sustained a HSI (retrospectively or prospectively) and controls, with the exception of lateral trunk kinematics and horizontal propulsive forces. It is important to note some concern regarding the quality of included studies, particularly sample size, increasing the risk of bias associated with results. Further research utilising validated methods of biomechanical analysis, is needed to determine if an association exists between running biomechanics and HSI. Until then, definitive conclusions cannot be drawn as to whether specific biomechanical interventions should be included in injury prevention and/or rehabilitation programmes.


We present a determination of the two-dimensional shape parameters of the blue and red globular cluster systems (GCSs) in a large number of elliptical galaxies and lenticular galaxies (early-type galaxies, called ETGs). We use a homogeneous data set of the globular clusters in 23 ETGs obtained from the HST/ACS Virgo Cluster Survey. The position angles of both blue and red GCSs show a correlation with those of the stellar light distribution, showing that the major axes of the GCSs are well aligned with those of their host galaxies. However, the shapes of the red GCSs show a tight correlation with the stellar light distribution as well as with the rotation property of their host galaxies, while the shapes of the blue GCSs do much less. These provide clear geometric evidence that the origins of the blue and red globular clusters are distinct and that ETGs may have dual halos: a blue (metal-poor) halo and a red (metal-rich) halo. These two halos show significant differences in metallicity, structure, and kinematics, indicating that they are formed in two distinguishable ways. The red halos might have formed via dissipational processes with rotation, while the blue halos are through accretion.


Introduction Duodenal atresia classically presents with a "double bubble" sign and polyhydramnios in the third trimester. The significance of an enlarged stomach detected on a second trimester scan is unclear. Methods A retrospective review of cases identified from the Wessex Fetal Medicine and Antenatally Detected Anomaly (WANDA) regional databases from 1995 to 2012. Scan reports were reviewed and correlated with outcome. Results 33 cases of an enlarged stomach in the second trimester were identified. In nine there were additional major anomalies: four with gastroschisis, three with cardiac anomalies (including two trisomies), one severe growth restriction with dilated bowel loops and one with renal cystic dysplasia. In the 24 fetuses without additional major anomalies, five had early signs of a "double bubble" with the first part of the duodenum visible. Three (60%) had confirmed duodenal atresia after delivery, one with VATER syndrome and one with trisomy 21. In the 19 cases without an early "double bubble" sign, stomach enlargement resolved in eight (42%) and persisted in 11 (58%), one with polyhydramnios. In these 19 babies there was one neonatal death following preterm labour at 26 weeks post amniocentesis. In the 18 cases with postnatal follow up, there were no gastro-intestinal anomalies or feeding problems detected. Conclusions The finding of an isolated enlarged stomach in the second trimester appears to have a good outcome with no associated feeding problems. However if an early "double bubble" sign is seen there is a significant risk of an underlying duodenal atresia.


Purpose: to investigate the adverse and favorable situations experienced by elderly people in chronic health conditions, and the coping strategies. Methodology: the sample included 18 elderly. The information was collected through interviews with open questions. The "Collective Subject Discourse" technique was used for analysis. Results: the findings demonstrated that death and separation from the family were perceived as the most significant adverse situations, while the favorable situations included the family, wisdom, experience, retirement, and life itself. The coping strategies focused on the problem and the emotion. Emotion-focused coping included: belief in God, maintaining the usual activities, family and significant other support, participation in elderly social groups and rejection of losses related to the aging process. The problem-focused coping consisted of the medical treatment and body care.


The microstructure and strain characteristics of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) were studied by using transmission electron microscopy. Compressive strain was induced to uncapped QDs from GaAs substrate and the misfit strain largely increased after the deposition of GaAs cap layer. Tensile strain outside QD was extended along the vertical growth direction; up to 15 nm above the wetting layer. Vertically nonaligned and aligned stacked QDs were grown by adjusting the thickness of GaAs spacer layers. The QDs with a lens-shaped morphology were formed in the early stage of growth, and their apex was flattened by the out-diffusion of In atoms upon GaAs capping. However, aligned QDs maintained their lens-shaped structure with round apex after capping. It is believed that their apex did not flatten because the chemical potential gradient of In was relatively low due to the adjacent InAs QD layers.


Blood flow imaging becomes an emerging trend in cardiology with the recent progress in computer technology. It not only visualizes colorful flow velocity streamlines but also quantifies the mechanical stress on cardiovascular structures; thus, it can provide the detailed inspections of the pathophysiology of diseases and predict the prognosis of cardiovascular functions. Clinical applications include the comprehensive assessment of hemodynamics and cardiac functions in echocardiography vector flow mapping (VFM), 4D flow MRI, and surgical planning as a simulation medicine in computational fluid dynamics (CFD). For evaluation of the hemodynamics, novel mathematically derived parameters obtained using measured velocity distributions are essential. Among them, the traditional and typical parameters are wall shear stress (WSS) and its related parameters. These parameters indicate the mechanical damages to endothelial cells, resulting in degenerative intimal change in vascular diseases. Apart from WSS, there are abundant parameters that describe the strength of the vortical and/or helical flow patterns. For instance, vorticity, enstrophy, and circulation indicate the rotating flow strength or power of 2D vortical flows. In addition, helicity, which is defined as the cross-linking number of the vortex filaments, indicates the 3D helical flow strength and adequately describes the turbulent flow in the aortic root in cases with complicated anatomies. For the description of turbulence caused by the diseased flow, there exist two types of parameters based on completely different concepts, namely: energy loss (EL) and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). EL is the dissipated energy with blood viscosity and evaluates the cardiac workload related to the prognosis of heart failure. TKE describes the fluctuation in kinetic energy during turbulence, which describes the severity of the diseases that cause jet flow. These parameters are based on intuitive and clear physiological concepts, and are suitable for in vivo flow measurements using inner velocity profiles.


A recent epizootic of swine infertility and respiratory syndrome (SIRS) in a Minnesota swine herd was investigated. Examination of a sow, neonatal piglets, and stillborn fetuses obtained during the epizootic from the affected herd revealed interstitial pneumonitis, lymphomononuclear encephalitis, and lymphomononuclear myocarditis in the piglets and focal vasculitis in the brain of the sow. Fetuses did not have microscopic lesions. No cause for the infertility and respiratory syndrome was determined. Therefore, attempts were made to experimentally reproduce the disease. Eleven 3-day-old gnotobiotic piglets exposed intranasally to tissue homogenates of piglets from the epizootic became inappetent and febrile by 2–4 days postexposure and had interstitial pneumonitis and encephalitis similar to that seen in the field outbreak. After 2 blind passages in gnotobiotic piglets, tissue homogenates were cultured on continuous cell line CL2621, and a cytopathic virus (ATCC VR-2332), provisionally named SIRS virus, was isolated. Gnotobiotic piglets exposed intranasally to the SIRS virus developed clinical signs and microscopic lesions that were the same as those in piglets exposed to the tissue homogenates, and the virus was reisolated from their lungs. This is the first isolate of SIRS virus in the United States that fulfills Koch's postulates in producing the respiratory form of the disease in gnotobiotic piglets and the first report of isolation and propagation of the virus on a continuous cell line (CL2621). The virus is designated as American Type Culture Collection VR-2332.


Objective: To determine the correlation between leptin and CAC in scores subjects without cardiovasculardisease (CVD) risk.Study Design: Cross sectional study.Place and Duration of Study: Aga Khan University Hospital, from Mar 2014 to Jun 2015.Material and Methods: Total 128 subjects were included. The study was approved by ethical review committee.After informed consent a predesigned questionnaire was documented. Subjects without known cardiac diseasehistory, coming for non-contrast CT scan for abdominal indications were included. Leptin levels were measuredby Enzyme immunoassay. CAC scores were assessed on a 64 slice non-contrast CT scan. Data analyzed by SPSSversion 20.Results: Total 128 subjects were included with mean age 42.82 ± 13.1 years and 78.1% (n=100) were males. MeanBMI and waist circumference was 27.1 ± 5.4 kg/m2 and 94.8 ± 9.0cm respectively. High median leptin levels wereseen in 11.7% (n=15) of study subjects. Leptin levels were also significantly higher in female compared to male[12.5ng/ml (0.3-60.9) vs. 2.5ng/ml (0.1-50); p-value=0.001]. High CAC score was present in 15% (n=19) of studysubjects.Statistically significant correlation of leptin was found with waist circumference, (r 0.50; p=0.001), positivecorrelation with BMI (r 0.51, p<0.05) with higher levels noted in obese subjects compared to overweight andnormal BMI subjects [median 7.5ng/ml (0.3-60.9) vs. 3.3ng/ml (0.1-40) & 0.1 ng/ml (0.1-0.1)]; No correlation wasfound between CAC score and serum leptin levels (r 0.073; p=0.41).Conclusions: Leptin levels are not correlated with CAC scores in subjects with low CVD risk. However, leptinwas significantly higher in females and subjects with increased waist circumference.


Abstract The temperature variations of the ferric and ferrous hyperfine fields in natural samples of strunzite, ferristrunzite, and ferrostrunzite are examined by Mössbauer spectroscopy between 4.2 K and their respective magnetic transition temperatures. The spectra of all three strunzite species are composed of two dominant sextets with equal contribution and with hyperfine fields at 4.2 K of approximately 48.5 and 48.0 T, respectively. They are assigned to Fe3+ cations in the Fe(1) and Fe(2) sites in the crystallographic structure. A third magnetic component, with field of 54.8 ± 0.1 T, is well resolved in the 4.2 K spectrum of ferristrunzite and is attributed to Fe3+ in the Mn sites of the structure. This third ferric contribution also appears in spectra of strunzite and ferrostrunzite, however with smaller relative spectral areas as compared to ferristrunzite, i.e., ∼10% and ∼3% of total spectral area, respectively, where it is 30% for ferristrunzite. For ferrostrunzite, two additional magnetic components are recognized. They are both attributed to Fe2+ substituting in the Mn sites. Their hyperfine fields at 4.2 K are 21.8 ± 0.5 T and 28.6 ± 0.5 T, respectively, and their relative contributions 11% and 15%. With increasing temperature, enhanced asymmetric broadening of the absorption lines is observed for all three samples. This phenomenon is due to relaxation of the magnetic moments, thus causing gradually broader distribution ranges of the respective hyperfine fields. The spectra have been fitted with superpositions of model-independent hyperfine-field distributions. The temperature dependencies of the maximum-probability hyperfine fields of the two ferric subspectra associated with the Fe(1) and Fe(2) sites are interpreted in terms of the molecular field theory taking into account the occurrence of exchange magnetostriction. The variations with temperature of the magnetic hyperfine fields acting at the Mn sites indicate that the magnetization of the Mn sublattice shows re-entrant spin glass behavior. This feature is most prominent for the strunzite sample.


BACKGROUND
The accumulation of beta2-microglobulin (beta2-M) in long-term dialysis patients may lead to dialysis amyloidosis. In this respect, the removal with different modes of on-line haemodiafiltration (HDF) of beta2-M was studied. Long-term clinical observations in patients with more than 10 years of dialysis, treated mainly with biocompatible and highly permeable membranes and in the last years with on-line HDF are also reported.

METHODS
In the first part of this report, the reduction ratios and clearances of beta2-M, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and phosphorus (P) of on-line HDF with 40 to 120 ml/min replacement fluid are compared with bicarbonate haemodialysis (HD). In the second part, we investigated 16 patients with more than 10 years of dialysis treatment. The prevalence of dialysis amyloidosis and the mean values for serum albumin, serum total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol and parathyroid hormone are reported, as well as the mean dose of erythropoietin.

RESULTS
In the first part with on-line HDF, starting from HDF 60 ml/min a significantly higher beta2-M reduction ratio and clearance vs HD is noted. In HDF100 (i.e. with 241 replacement volume per 4-h treatment) vs HD, a beta2-M reduction ratio of 72.7% vs 49.7% (P= 0.0000) and a beta2-M clearance of 116.8 vs 63.8 ml/min (P=0.0000) was obtained. Comparing HDF120 with HDF100, there is a significantly higher beta2-M clearance with the former (P<0.005), although the beta2-M reduction ratio was not significantly better. In the HDF120 session the amount of beta2-M in the total dialysate was 292 mg per session. If one adds the known 17% adsorption on the polysulfone membrane, a total of 341.6 mg beta2-M per session is removed, which adds up to 1024.8 mg a week. Concerning the small molecules, our results with HDF100 also show a higher creatinine and especially P clearance vs HD. In the second part with 16 patients with more than 10 years of dialysis treatment (mean 14 years 1 month), the mean time on HDF amounted to 39.5% of the total treatment time. In four patients only biocompatible and highly permeable membranes were used, AN69 and mainly polysulfone, and in four other patients these membranes were used for more than 95% of the treatment time. Therefore, it is not surprising that the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome was only 12.5% in the patients after 10 years of dialysis. Twenty-five percent of these patients met the criteria for diagnosis of beta2-M bone-amyloidosis, proposed by van Ypersele de Strihou et al., but without a retrospective X-ray analysis. The mean predialysis beta2-M value was 29.6 mg/l. The mean values for serum albumin, serum total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol were within normal limits. For the parathyroid hormone a mean of 287.5 pg/ml was found. Subtotal parathyroidectomy was performed in five patients. The mean dose of 43 U erythropoietin/kg per session is comparable with those reported in the literature. Conclusions. Like Canaud, in our renal unit, treatment with on-line HDF with a highly permeable and biocompatible membrane has proven to be an efficient, well-tolerated and safe technique. Furthermore it leads to a low prevalence of dialysis amyloidosis and a superior P clearance. However, continuous attention must be paid to an on-line sterile and apyrogenic dialysate. Although on-line HDF is undoubtedly a more optimal approach of chronic dialytic treatment, it also carries a higher cost, which is currently evaluated to be nearly US$11 per session.


This study developed a computer-based program to teach HIV prevention behaviors and raise awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among individuals at risk for HIV. The program was divided into modules containing educational material and multiple-choice questions. Participants received immediate feedback for responses and incentives for correct responses to multiple-choice questions. Participants trained on each module until they met speed and accuracy criteria. The modules were divided into: Course 1 (HIV), Course 2 (PrEP), and Course 3 (HIV risk behaviors). Tests of content from all three courses were delivered before and after participants completed each course. Test scores on the content delivered in the courses improved only after participants completed training on each course. HIV and PrEP knowledge was initially low and increased following completion of each part of the program. Computer-based training offers a convenient and effective approach to promoting HIV prevention knowledge, including use of PrEP.


Introduction:Persistent Hyperparathyroidism after transplantation (HPT),bone disease and vertebral fractures are an important clinical problem in renal transplant patients. Several factors such as renal osteodystrophy, immunosuppressive therapy, deficit/insufficiency Vitamin D may contribute to that.In literature are described different percentages of HPT, vertebral fractures and Osteoporosis/Osteopenia that may be due to the different therapy and to the different employ of steroid. We analyzed 90 patients who received a renal graft between 2005 e 2010. Patients and Methods: 44 male and 46 female. Average age 52,2± 10,1 years, follow-up 31,3±16,6 months, time on dialysis 37±29,6 months. Patients who had creatinine level greater than 2,5 mg/dl were excluded. Immunosuppressive therapy was based on basiliximab, steroids (1.6 to 2 mg/kg/day progressively reduced to 5 mg/day after 45 days from the transplantation) in all patients + calcineurin inhibitor+ mycophenolate mophetil/mycophenolic acid in 88,8% of patients or Everolimus± calcineurin inhibitor in the others. Patients were studied with X-ray of the spine, dual-energy-X-ray, PTH, 25(OH)VitD. Results: 41,1% had HPT; 41,1% had osteopenia at femoral neck and 36,7% at vertebral column; 16,7% had osteoporosis at femoral neck and 15,6% at vertebral column. 10 patients (11%) had vertebral fractures. Patients with normal bone mineral density, compared to those with osteoporosis/osteopenia, are more younger (average age 46,4±11,7 years vs 54.3±8,6); they have spent less time on dialysis (26,5±14,8 months vs 40,7±32,6) and they have values of 25(OH)VitD higher (22,1±7,6 ng/ml vs 17,8±8,5). Patients with vertebral fractures have values of 25(OH)VitD lowest (14,1±6,4 ng/ml vs 19,7±8,5) and they had transplant since more time (29,1±16,2 vs 48,1±8,7 months).
There is a significant correlation between HPT and PTH pre transplantation; HPT and levels of VitD (p<0,05) Conclusion: Prevention of Bone disease and vertebral fractures after renal transplant includes: a)treatment before transplantation b)supplementation of vitamin D with cholecalciferol or calcidiol c)shorten the dialysis time.


This article botanizes in the history of lexicography trying to connect the dots and get a deeper understanding of what is happening to the discipline in the framework of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The objective is to suggest possible ways out of the present deadlock. History shows that a sudden change of the technological base, like the one we are now experiencing, suggests a total revolution of the discipline in all its major dimensions. In order to be successful, such a revolution requires a mental break with past traditions and habits. As a matter of example, the article focusses on a series of bilingual writing assistants developed by the Danish company Ordbogen A/S and the new challenges posed to lexicography by these and similar tools. It argues that these challenges cannot be solved by means of traditional user research which is retrospective as it unfolds in the framework of an old paradigm. As an alternative, and without excluding other types of user research, the article recommends disruptive thinking by means of brainstorm, immersion, and contemplation and provides some examples on how to proceed. Finally, it problematizes the incipient competition between human and artificial lexicographers and gives a brief account of a possible future redistribution of tasks.


Just before Christmas 1976, a report of the diagnosis and treatment of an illness appeared in a medical journal. There is, of course, nothing unusual about that, except that this report dealt with just one patient and was written by the patient himself— Norman Cousins, for more than 30 years an editor of Saturday Review magazine. As an intelligent, well-educated layman with a strong determination to overcome his illness, Cousins was disinclined to accept hospitalization and treatment unquestioningly. Some might consider him a "difficult" patient in that he refused to let technicians draw blood more frequently than once every three days and challenged the hospital diet as poorly balanced. But he also studied his own illness, speculated on its possible causes, and—in a kind of partnership with his physician—undertook some unusual approaches to overcoming it. Among these was the medicine of laughter, resulting from the reading of amusing books and


The objective was to assess antenatal care in health care units so as to obtain a baseline for future evaluation studies. A self-applied inquiry was conducted among municipal health managers within a probabilistic stratified random sample of 627 municipalities which through expansion technique extended the analysis to 5507 municipalities. Data was collected from October 2003 to April 2004. The survey appraised information about the priority granted by the managers to each modality of care as well as data concerning characteristics of the assistance provided and the declared estimate of the demand being covered. The Chi-square test and Student's t-test were performed in order to verify independence among the qualitative variables and mean differences respectively. Almost half (43.8%; n = 2317) of the municipalities did not attend gestational risk; 81% (n = 4277) and 30.1% (n = 1592) reported that they attend over 75% of the demand for low and high risk antenatal respectively; 30.1% (n = 1592) attend over 75% of the demand for high risk care. Care for low risk ( /2 = 282080; P < 0.001 n = 4277) and for high risk pregnancies ( /2 = 267.924; P < 0.001 n = 5280) were associated to geographic region municipality's size and management modality within the Unified Health System. The guarantee of vacancy for labour and birth was also associated to management modality. There were gaps related to the provision and the quality of antenatal care within the Unified Health System. Municipal based health care extends the provision of antenatal care but there are inequalities among regions and among municipalities according to demographic size. (authors)


Using buoy observations from 2004 to 2010 and newly released atmospheric reanalysis and satellite altimetry-derived geostrophic currents from 1993 to 2017, the quantitative contribution of daily mean surface currents to air–sea turbulent heat flux and wind stress uncertainties in the Gulf Stream (GS) region is investigated based on bulk formulas. At four buoy stations, the daily mean latent (sensible) heat flux difference between the estimates with and without surface currents range from −18 (−4) to 20 (4) W m−2, while the daily mean wind stress difference ranges from −0.04 to 0.02 N m−2. The positive values indicate higher estimates with opposite directions between surface currents and absolute winds. The transition between positive and negative differences is significantly associated with synoptic-scale weather variations. The uncertainties based on buoy observations are approximately 7% and 3% for wind stress and turbulent heat fluxes, respectively. The new reanalysis and satellite geostrophic currents confirm the uncertainties identified by buoy observations with acceptable discrepancies and provide a spatial view of the uncertainty fields. The mean geostrophic currents are aligned with the surface wind along the GS; therefore, the turbulent heat fluxes and wind stress will be "underestimated" with surface currents included. However, on both sides of the GS, the surface flow can be upwind due to possible mechanisms of eddy–mean flow interactions and recirculations, resulting in higher turbulent heat flux estimations. The wind stress and turbulent heat flux uncertainties experience significant seasonal variations and show long-term trends.


Preventive detention has been adopted as a measure of counter-terrorism law in many jurisdictions. It has been authorised under the Security Certificate regime in Canada and the Control Order regime in United Kingdoms. Since their adoption, the two regimes have become objects of much debate. The reason is that they both legalised the use of secret evidence and secret hearings in their prosecution. The issue arose whether the non-disclosure of such information in a judicial review to decide the reasonableness of a control order/a security certificate deprives terrorist suspects from a fair hearing. This paper explores that question by analysing two landmark cases in the United Kingdom and Canada: AF (No 3) and Charkaoui I. The paper's thesis is that the findings of the courts in these two cases are reasonable. However, the alternative to full disclosure as adopted by both the United Kingdom and Canada – the Special Advocate model – is currently too limited. This paper subsequently offers solution for this: the judges should have a more active role in investigating the relevant facts of the cases.


As one of the main configurations of the riser, top tensioned riser(TTR) encounters harsh environment in its whole service life. In order to ensure that the riser will fulfil its intended functions, a fatigue assessment should be carried out for each representative riser, which is subjected to dynamic fatigue loading. The fatigue life of TTR under the combination excitation of random waves, current and vessel motion is analyzed in this paper. The long-term stress histories of the riser are calculated and the mean stresses, the number of stress cycles and amplitudes are determined by rain flow counting method. The Palmgren-Miner rule for cumulative damage theory with a specified S–N curve is used to estimate the fatigue life of the riser. The corresponding numerical programs which can be used to calculate the response and fatigue life of the riser are compiled. The significant influences of internal flow velocities and low frequency motion of the vessel are analyzed in detail.


Often associated with marketing warfare, competitive intelligence has become an essential part of health-care organizations' strategic planning efforts. Without overstepping ethical boundaries, providers can gather a vast array of "intelligence" about their competition from public sources, from the marketplace and from competitors themselves.


The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical cantharidin–podophylotoxin–salicylic acid (CPS) treatment of recalcitrant plantar warts (RPW). This study was carried out in a health center in the city of A Coruña (Spain) between January and December 2013. A total of 75 patients completed all the stages of the research process. Information related to treatment with CPS and adverse effects was abstracted from medical records. Of 93 potential patients identified, 75 had at least one follow‐up visit or telephone call after treatment and were included in this study. Patients experienced an average of 5.4 visits until complete resolution of their plantar wart occurred, although CPS was not applied at every visit. Fifty‐four patients required one application to eliminate the wart and 21 patients required two applications/patient. Seventy‐seven percent of patients experienced blistering – an expected therapeutic side effect. All patients experienced some form of an adverse event, the most common being pain (81.3%) and significant blistering (15%). Other side effects were rare (18.7%) and included pruritus, possible mild infection, significant irritation, and bleeding. All patients reported treatment, supporting our results that CPS is a safe and efficacious treatment modality for RPW and should be considered when symptomatic infection necessitates treatment.