Mississippian carbonate reservoirs have produced in excess of 1 billion barrels of oil in Kansas accounting for over 16% of the state's production. With declining production from other age reservoirs, the contribution of Mississippian reservoirs to Kansas's oil production has risen to 43% as of 2004. However, solution-enhanced features such as vertical shale intervals extending from the karst erosional surface at the top introduce complexities/compartmentalizations in Mississippian carbonate reservoirs. Coupled with this, strong water drives charge many of these reservoirs resulting in limited drainage from vertical wells due to high water cuts after an initial period of low water production. Moreover, most of these fields are operated by small independent operators without access to the knowledge bank of modern research in field characterization and exploitation/development practices. Thus, despite increasing importance of Mississippian fields to Kansas production, these fields are beset with low recovery factors and high abandonment rates leaving significant resources in the ground. Worldwide, horizontal infill wells have been successful in draining compartmentalized reservoirs with limited pressure depletion. The intent of this project was to demonstrate the application of horizontal wells to successfully exploit the remaining potential in mature Mississippian fields of the mid-continent. However, it is of critical importance that for horizontal wells to be economically successful, they must be selectively targeted. This project demonstrated the application of initial and secondary screening methods, based on publicly available data, to quickly shortlist fields in a target area for detailed studies to evaluate their potential to infill horizontal well applications. Advanced decline curve analyses were used to estimate missing well-level production data and to verify if the well produced under unchanging bottom-hole conditions--two commonly occurring data constraints afflicting mature Mississippian fields. A publicly accessible databank of representative petrophysical properties and relationships was developed to overcome the paucity of such data that is critical to modeling the storage and flow in these reservoirs. Studies in 3 Mississippian fields demonstrated that traditional reservoir models built by integrating log, core, DST, and production data from existing wells on 40-acre spacings are unable to delineate karst-induced compartments, thus making 3D-seismic data critical to characterize these fields. Special attribute analyses on 3D data were shown to delineate reservoir compartments and predict those with pay porosities. Further testing of these techniques is required to validate their applicability in other Mississippian reservoirs. This study shows that detailed reservoir characterization and simulation on geomodels developed by integrating wireline log, core, petrophysical, production and pressure, and 3D-seismic data enables better evaluation of a candidate field for horizontal infill applications. In addition to reservoir compartmentalization, two factors were found to control the economic viability of a horizontal infill well in a mature Mississippian field: (a) adequate reservoir pressure support, and (b) an average well spacing greater than 40-acres.


Knowledge of the behaviour of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin during wood and pulp processing is essential for understanding and controlling the processes. Determination of monosaccharide composition gives information about the structural polysaccharide composition of wood material and helps when determining the quality of fibrous products. In addition, monitoring of the acidic degradation products gives information of the extent of degradation of lignin and polysaccharides. This work describes two capillary electrophoretic methods developed for the analysis of monosaccharides and for the determination of aliphatic carboxylic acids from alkaline oxidation solutions of lignin and wood. Capillary electrophoresis (CE), in its many variants is an alternative separation technique to chromatographic methods. In capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) the fused silica capillary is filled with an electrolyte solution. An applied voltage generates a field across the capillary. The movement of the ions under electric field is based on the charge and hydrodynamic radius of ions. Carbohydrates contain hydroxyl groups that are ionised only in strongly alkaline conditions. After ionisation, the structures are suitable for electrophoretic analysis and identification through either indirect UV detection or electrochemical detection. The current work presents a new capillary zone electrophoretic method, relying on in-capillary reaction and direct UV detection at the wavelength of 270 nm. The method has been used for the simultaneous separation of neutral carbohydrates, including monoand disaccharides and sugar alcohols. The in-capillary reaction produces negatively charged and UV-absorbing compounds. The optimised method was applied to real samples. The methodology is fast since no other sample preparation, except dilution, is required. A new method for aliphatic carboxylic acids in highly alkaline process liquids was developed. The goal was to develop a method for the simultaneous analysis of the dicarboxylic acids, hydroxy acids and volatile acids that are oxidation and degradation products of lignin and wood polysaccharides. The CZE method was applied to three process cases. First, the fate of lignin under alkaline oxidation conditions was monitored by determining the level of carboxylic acids from process solutions. In the second application, the degradation of spruce wood using alkaline and catalysed alkaline oxidation were compared by determining carboxylic acids from the process solutions. In addition, the effectiveness of membrane filtration and preparative liquid chromatography in the enrichment of hydroxy acids from black liquor was evaluated, by analysing the effluents with capillary electrophoresis.


Media critics argue that mentally ill offenders are uniquely sensationalised in the press and portrayed within dominant frames of violence. The implications are the ensuing social disadvantages because the mentally ill are publicly feared as being prone to violence. What led to the motivation and scope of this thesis was a lack of analysis about the significance of a major news source regarding these offenders: the courts. A qualitative content analysis of three court cases of violent mentally ill offenders and the media representation of those cases was used as the methodological approach. Interviews with media and court representatives were conducted to obtain contextual insight to the documentary analysis. The methodological approach illustrates that media depictions of mentally ill offenders reflect and draw upon what is argued in court and how their illness is used to mitigate or reject their violent behaviour, once the case goes to court. In court, criminal responsibility for violent crimes is mitigated if an offender suffers from a psychotic-type mental illness rather than non-psychotic because the courts more commonly accept the former type of illness as mitigating violent behaviour. Consequently, media coverage of non-psychotic offenders contains more negative themes because of the way these offenders are portrayed in the courts: as 'bad', cold-blooded and fabricating claims of mental impairment. This thesis aims to emphasise the significance of the courts in the press coverage of violent crime and mental illness once the matter is before the courts. The author argues for a more co-operative approach between the courts and the media on issues such as court procedures, laws and decisions regarding mentally ill offenders because how such procedures are understood will influence how the media portrays these offenders. Given the media uses court proceedings as a significant news source when reporting on mentally ill offenders and the issue of 'crime and mental illness', it would be advantageous if the courts took a more collaborative approach with journalists to achieve a more accurate and non-stigmatising representation of this issue. The findings in this thesis will contribute to criminological and legal scholarship through detailed analysis of an under-researched and incompletely theorised area, and stimulate broader debates on the legal approach of 'crime and mental illness' and the significance of legal concepts on media coverage of the issue.


If you have been inside one Starbucks then you have been to them all. The reason franchise businesses work is because customers receive the same sales experience from start to finish, no matter if they are in London, England or Los Angeles, USA. Franchises are a specific set of guidelines which small business owners purchase in-order to maximise profit for minimal investment. Staff turnover, training, daily operations and record keeping are standardised procedures with exact detail. What can we learn from this business model which will carry over the same benefits of increased performance outcomes for our simulation programs? In this session a former simulation program director and current entrepreneur will share why you should run your simulation program like a business - and exactly how to do it. Systemization, standardisation, "sales funnels", administrative restructuring, and marketing for external business development will all be covered through battle-tested policy and procedure examples. Those starting a new program, restructuring an established program, or expanding to include new internal or external educational programs should take this course. Session will provide program administrators with ways to: Maximise ROI Reduce scheduled downtime Track and increase performance outcomes Increase staff morale Increase staff without increased budgets Demonstrate business development opportunities References HealthySimulation.com Clinical Simulation Center of Las Vegas


BACKGROUND
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) development is linked to insulin resistance and influenced by environmental factors, but it also underlined a genetic predisposition. The aim of this research was to build a predictive model based on genetic and hepatic health information, deeming insulin resistance markers in order to personalize dietary treatment in overweight/obese subjects with NAFLD.

METHODS
A 6-months nutritional intervention was conducted in 86 overweight/obese volunteers with NAFLD randomly assigned to 2 energy-restricted diets: the American Heart Association (AHA) diet and the Fatty Liver in Obesity (FLiO) diet. Individuals were genotyped using a pre-designed panel of 95 genetic variants. A genetic Risk Score (GRS) for each diet was computed using statistically relevant SNPs for the change on Fatty Liver Index (FLI) after 6-months of nutritional intervention. Body composition, liver injury and insulin resistance markers, as well as physical activity and dietary intake were also assessed.

RESULTS
Under energy restriction, both the AHA and FLiO diets induced similar significant improvements on body composition, insulin resistance markers, hepatic health and dietary and lifestyle outcomes. The calculated score included in the linear mixed regression model was able to predict the change of FLI adjusted by diet, age and sex. This model allowed to personalize the most suitable diet for 72% of the volunteers. Similar models were also able to predict the changes on Triglycerides and Glucose (TyG) index and Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) levels depending on diet.

CONCLUSIONS
Models integrating genetic screening and insulin resistance markers can be useful for the personalization of weight loss NAFLD treatments.


Inverse-vulcanized polymeric sulfur has been prepared and utilized for solid-state dye sensitized solar cells. A power conversion efficiency of 1.5% was recorded with a short-circuit current of 4.1 mA cm(-2) and an open-circuit voltage of 0.75 V under standard AM 1.5G illumination (1000 W m(-2)). The results in the present study qualify the new polymeric sulfur material as a future candidate as low-cost, hole-transport material for solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells.


Introduced and Translated by Jens Hanssen and Hicham Safieddine Foreword by Ussama Makdisi When Nafir Suriyya—"The Clarion of Syria"—was penned between September 1860 and April 1861, its author Butrus al-Bustani, a major figure in the modern Arabic Renaissance, had witnessed his homeland undergo unprecedented violence in what many today consider Lebanon's first civil war. Written during Ottoman and European investigations into the causes and culprits of the atrocities, The Clarion of Syria is both a commentary on the politics of state intervention and social upheaval and a set of visions for the future of Syrian society in the wake of conflict. This translation makes a key historical document accessible for the first time to an English audience. Rereading this work in the context of today's political violence in war-torn Syria and elsewhere in the Arab world helps us gain a critical and historical perspective on sectarianism, class rebellion, foreign invasions, conflict resolution, Western interventionism, and nationalist tropes of reconciliation. "The first English translation of this foundational text offered alongside a fantastic historical introduction, this is an excellent and much-needed contribution from uniquely qualified scholars." STEPHEN SHEEHI, author of The Arab Imago BUTRUS AL-BUSTANI was a nineteenth century Ottoman Arab educator and public intellectual regarded by many as the first Syrian nationalist owing to the publication of his Nafir Suriyya following the 1860 communal disturbances in Mt. Lebanon and Damascus. JENS HANSSEN is Associate Professor of Arab Civilization, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean History at the University of Toronto. He is author of Fin de Siecle Beirut and coeditor of Arabic Thought beyond the Liberal Age and Arabic Thought against the Authoritarian Age. HICHAM SAFIEDDINE is Assistant Professor of History of the Modern Middle East at King's College, London. He is author of Banking on the State: The Financial Foundations of Lebanon, cofounder of Al-Akhbar English, and editor of The Legal Agenda English Edition.


Introduction:
 Transcranial Doppler(TCD) can be used to detect emboli in cerebral circulation. To classify the measured TCD as an embolic signal (ES) or artifact is usually done by a well-trained physician. However, inter-rater reliability among those physicians is variable. Also,in countries where skilled physicians are scarce, an automatic ES detection system can be useful as a medical support system.

 Method:
 We propose a two-step algorithm based on adaptive Wavelet Packet Transform (WPT) and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) described as follows. First, the TCD signal is windowed using a 256-sample Gaussian window with 80% overlap. A 3-level WPT is used to transform each windowed TCD signal. The best basis algorithm is applied to find the best binary tree from which the entropy and normalized energy are calculated. The entropy and normalized energy are used as features to classify each windowed TCD signal as normal or abnormal. Second, the abnormal TCD windows are classified further as ES or artifact. Specifically, standard deviation of level 3 WPT coefficients from frequency index 1 to 6 are calculated and used as inputs of ANFIS where each standard deviation can be combined with others resulting in 64 rules. After training the ANFIS, ES and artifact can be differentiated.

 Results:
 Six hundred and sixty abnormal signals in vivo are used to evaluate the algorithm, i.e., 176 ESs collected during emboli monitoring from patients undergoing carotid angioplasty with stenting and from patients with patent foramen ovale, 106 artifacts from normal subjects, and 378 artifacts from stroke patients with carotid stenosis. The signals are divided into training and validation sets. The training set is used to train the algorithm and the validation set is used to evaluate the validity of the algorithm. Experimental results show that the algorithm can differentiate abnormal from normal signals efficiently with 100% accuracy. A sensitivity of 96.6% and specificity of 96.5% can be achieved from the validation set.

 Conclusions:
 The automatic embolic signal detection algorithm has been developed. The experimental results suggested that the algorithm could detect emboli and differentiate artifacts efficiently and could be used as a medical support system.


The study was carried out since 25th March, 2020. The major objective of the study was climate impact on the cororan virus in the world. Total 18 articles were downloaded from the net and read many times and analyzed the situation and draw the conclusion. The result indicates that Warm and humid season have negative relationship with corona virus increasing in the world. The temperature affects its transmission from one person to another. Sometime more temperature kill to this virus while few one claimed the warm and humid season has no relationship with this virus multiplication in the world. It is the new virus and its immunity power is more for survival of life and very easily it kill to human. The study further explores that there are also other variables which play great role in corona virus controlling. Majority scientists attach to this virus with SARS and told that it was controlled in June July and Insha Allah this virus will be also controlled in the month of June July. Similarly this theory was also presented by Trump while latter on this theory was failed and in some warm countries more people have been infected by corona virus recently. Different theories by different scientists have been presented while China has controlled to this corona virus by locked down and no social contacts by no gathering and now there no case has been registered, so it is the great success of China. China claim was also like Trump that it will be controlled in the month of June July because the people mostly in the open air absorb the vitamin-D and melatonin from the sun which play great role in immunity strengthen of the human being. Few scientists also claimed that in cold season the people mostly live indoor room, so there the contact is more which play great role in virus multiplication in the world. It was also reviewed in the literature that SARS speed was very slow while this virus speed is very high but the SARS was announced very early while this virus was very lately announced by China. During 20 days many people go here and there which have transferred the virus to the whole world every coroner. China has worked day and night for controlling to this virus while the other countries were slept and they have no care of this virus which latter on abruptly spread in the South Korea, Italy, Pakistan, Spain, Saudi Arab, Iran etc. Now it is pandemic in the whole world and has killed to many people while China has controlled to this epidemic disease in their country very easily in the start. Every country in the world after appearing Corona Virus in Wuhan have not followed best quarantine and because of this it spread to the whole world and now everyone in the world is in the tension for its controlling while on the other side this epidemic has destroyed the world economy. Majority commodities price were raised while the price of the oil decreased due to less import of the oil in the world. Every sector of the economy has been destroyed by this virus and there is no one to escape the economy from this epidemic disease. World is in a bad position. There are so many problems in the world which have spread this epidemic disease in the world. WHO is trying for its solution and UNO funding to those who are very poor and they have no fund for epidemic disease control. The study further also explain that Passive techniques which was discovered by China Doctors also play great role in coronal virus control while few one claimed that the medicine Vitamin-C, Pandal tablets and most lemons juice and fruit eating play great role in corona virus control in the World. Someone say Chlooriqeen Tablet play great role in reducing of corona virus disease but in some area of the world miss happening report has been also received that it increase the speed of the corona in the world On the basis of problems the study recommend that to obey the order of the government for corona virus control; Help of one another in the time of trouble and give money to poor community in the time of lock down for purchasing daily commodities are requested; Not increase the price of the medicine and normal goods in their countries; Stay at your home; Keep away from social gathering; Mask should be worn during visit to Hospital; Avoid social contacts with one another; Follow the Quarantine of the country and corona virus test should be done; Always inform the government health department about the corona cases where you observed in the country; Always help with army personal and Doctors; Always wash your hands with soap and sanitizer; Shake hand methodology should be not applied during visit in the world; Avoid from fake social propaganda on Face book and YouTube; Listen News on TV and inform from the surrounding of the world. Use more lemon for Vitamin-C and keep the room hot and always use hot water for drinking; Blood pressure , Diabetes, Heart disease able person and old age people should used good quarantine for their safety; In the last run the authors told that this panic will be finished till June July because this virus has close negative relationship with warm and humid season, So I advise to everyone to stay at warm and humid season countries because it play great role in this virus control.


ABSTRACT The Cutler Formation (Pennsylvanian-Permian) of the northwestern Colorado Plateau was deposited as an alluvial fan complex along the western margin of the ancestral Uncompahgre Uplift. Near Gateway, Colorado, and Fisher Towers, Utah, the Cutler comprises rapidly-deposited, poorly-sorted, conglomeratic sandstone and siltstone. During deposition, the climate was arid to semi-arid. The red color of the Cutler rocks resulted from the formation of hematite by intrastratal solution of iron-bearing minerals. The detritus at the Gateway section differs in mineral composition and texture from the Fisher Towers section. The Gateway section is characterized by an overall coarse grain size, a high potassium feldspar to total feldspar ratio, and a non-micaceous, non-opaque heavy-mineral assemblage rich in epidote, sphene, and garnet. The Fisher Towers section is finer grained, contains more quartz, and has a heavy-mineral assemblage dominated by garnet, sillimanite, and tourmaline, with rare epidote and sphene. These differences in mineralogy reflect regional difference in provenance. The source rocks for the Gateway section were largely Precambrian Vernal Mesa-type quartz monzonite and gneisses. At Fisher Towers, gneiss was the main source rock.


Purpose of review Prostate cancer is the most common noncutaneous malignancy among men in the USA and is most frequently diagnosed through prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening. Nevertheless, PSA testing has become increasingly controversial. In this review, we will present the evidence supporting the role of PSA in prostate cancer screening. Recent findings Numerous studies have shown that the risk of current and future prostate cancer is directly related to the serum PSA level. Moreover, increasing PSA levels predict a greater risk of adverse pathologic features and worse disease-specific survival. Substantial epidemiologic evidence has suggested a reduction in advanced disease and improvements in prostate cancer survival rates since the introduction of PSA-based screening. Recently, evidence from a randomized trial further validated that PSA testing reduces both metastatic disease and prostate cancer-specific mortality. Summary PSA is a valid marker for prostate cancer and its aggressiveness. Level 1 evidence is now available that PSA-based screening reduces both the rate of metastatic disease and prostate cancer-specific mortality.


A key component of a technological aid for the partially sighted (TAPS) is a system to detect kerbs and steps. In this paper, a vision-based kerb detection system is described which uses the Hough Transform to find clusters of parallel lines in the image as evidence for a kerb. This is combined with a stereo vision-based obstacle detection algorithm. Experiments show that kerb regions are identified correctly from the images. An error analysis of the obstacle detection algorithm enables the kerb height, and its uncertainty, to be determined.


Introduction Stress in the workplace has emerged as a significant and universal problem in terms of negative health, loss in productivity and socio-economic turbulence. Latest research concludes that integrated stress management (systems approach) showed benefits both to individuals and organisations. It will help to identify the scope of primary, secondary and tertiary interventions in a given organisation in handling stress to gain overall organisational effectiveness. Against this backdrop, Stress Safety Net, a comprehensive model was conceptualised and tested for its efficacy. Methods An experimental study was conducted on 1000 employees in two different workplace settings in two major companies and in each workplace 500 employees participated in the study. Pre and post test was conducted to verify the efficacy of Stress Safety Net Model. Physiological, Bio-chemical, Psychological and Organisational parameters of stress were tested. Data were analysed using SPSS. Results Employees perceived distress was significantly reduced. Bio-chemical parameters i.e. Total Cholesterol and LDL have dropped very significantly (p<0.001). Other parameters such as Serum Cortisol, Orthostatic Tolerance Test (OTT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) which are indirect measures of stress showed a significant decrease with (p<0.01), (p<0.05) and (p<0.05) respectively. Overall Role Stress reduced significantly (p<0.05). Organisational level variables i.e. Management competencies and psychosocial safety climate were improved significantly. Conclusion Stress Safety Net (a set of well-defined practices, policies, and competencies) implemented by the organisations that helped to identify and overcome stress triggers, promote stress resilience thus enabled employees to execute their task/deliveries efficiently. The findings demonstrated the efficacy stress safety net model enabled the systems approach in stress management at the workplace.


Human development and competitiveness have a causal relation. However, the literature is not clear on which one affects the other. This study investigates the bilateral relation between human development and competitiveness. For this purpose, initially, Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (FANP) is utilized to develop a composite index based on the relative importance weights of respective human development and competitiveness drivers. By FANP, the effects of key dimensions of human development and indexes of competitiveness on each other are taken into account. Subsequently, countries' efficiencies on converting their human development to competitiveness and inversely, competitiveness to human development is measured by Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Two different DEA models are developed to consider the bilateral relations. 45 countries are evaluated using both FANP and DEA models. Finally, the results are synthesized to reveal the direction of the relationship. It is found that the effect of competitiveness on human development is more significant than the effect of human development on competitiveness.


This study is to examine China's financial market and its current risk management status and to aid various financial institutions' efforts in strengthening the nation's credit scoring and asset management disciplines by exploring the potentials of implementing advanced corporate credit risk evaluation systems. Chinese banks, which constitute over 78% of the total Chinese financial market, are still dependent on deposit-loan margin structures. Thus there are elements that call for improvements in the overall credit risk management operation. Their credit evaluation system including corporate failure prediction, which is axial in the credit rating and post management process, should be designed as a part of a comprehensive evaluation system, taking consideration of each institution's evaluation purpose, usage and the current management system. To foster and strengthen its financial industry, China should focus on implementing a modern financial system that shifts from quantitative expansion to qualitative improvements. It is also urgent that the financial system and practices meet global standards for the structuring and modernization of a corporate credit evaluation system that is specific to China.


Response surface methodology was applied in this study to optimize the operating
parameters of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) extraction of wheat bran oil
(WBO) and rice bran oil (RBO). The effect of operating temperature, pressure and
carbon dioxide (CO2) mass on the oil yield were studied. First, the design was carried
out following a Box-Behnken design of experiment for the WBO, the independent
variables were the temperature (40, 50 and 60 oC), pressure (10, 20 and 30 MPa) and
CO2 mass (400, 1825 and 3250 g). Second, 3-level factorial design for RBO, the
independent variables were the temperature (45, 65 and 85 oC) and pressure (20, 27.5
and 35 MPa). The study showed that the second-order polynomial model was
sufficient to be used and best fit of the data. The optimal conditions predicted within
these experimental ranges were at 29.4 oC, 60 MPa and 3250 g, the maximum oil
yield was 2.97 g/12g of wheat bran for the WBO. The operating temperature,
pressure and CO2 mass proved significant effect in increasing the yield of WBO
while these parameters increased. For the RBO, optimal conditions were at 45 oC and
35 MPa, the maximum oil yield predicted was 0.23 kg/kg of rice bran for RBO. The
operating temperature increase effect in decreasing the yield of RBO while the
pressure has the significant effect in increasing the RBO yield.
From the result, the extraction process has not been optimized yet because the
optimal operating conditions were predicted at the maximum value of each
parameter. However, the suggestion is to further conduct the additional experiments
in a wider range of parameters in order to get the best result and more accurate
optimum value of parameters. Lastly the economic feasibility study was conducted
for the supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of RBO plant and it is economically
justified.


Distortion of the sense of reality, actualized in delusions and hallucinations, is the key feature of psychosis but the underlying neuronal correlates remain largely unknown. We studied 11 highly functioning subjects with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder while they rated the reality of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The subjective reality of AVH correlated strongly and specifically with the hallucination-related activation strength of the inferior frontal gyri (IFG), including the Broca's language region. Furthermore, how real the hallucination that subjects experienced was depended on the hallucination-related coupling between the IFG, the ventral striatum, the auditory cortex, the right posterior temporal lobe, and the cingulate cortex. Our findings suggest that the subjective reality of AVH is related to motor mechanisms of speech comprehension, with contributions from sensory and salience-detection-related brain regions as well as circuitries related to self-monitoring and the experience of agency.


Community activity is a key contributor to quality of life for many older people. It also plays a role in the well-being of the communities they live in. Mobility, though, is central to such activity, and thus a conceptual link is proposed between 'mobility capital' and wider community sustainability. In developed nations older people comprise a growing share of rural populations and thus are of increasing importance to rural community sustainability, yet their mobility can be problematic. The paper contends that mobility is further compromised by an increasing focus on the car as the rural transport solution. To explore this hypothesis, the community interactions of a sample of rural elders living in Southwest England and Wales is examined, drawing on a survey and semi-structured interviews. Key findings were the localised nature of most journeys and the wide range of transport modes used. Although car availability was important, it was not a panacea. Given the importance of community activities to individuals and their communities it is concluded that more emphasis should be placed in rural transport policy on facilitating short-range travel for social purposes, including walking, cycling and the use of mobility scooters.


Addressing the issues challenging the sensor community, this book presents innovative solutions in offline data mining and real-time analysis of sensor or geographically distributed data. Illustrated with case studies, it discusses the challenges and requirements for sensor data-based knowledge discovery solutions in high-priority application. The book then explores the fusion between heterogeneous data streams from multiple sensor types and applications in science, engineering, and security. Bringing together researchers from academia, government, and the private sector, this book delineates the application of knowledge modeling in data intensive operations. Multi/Card Deck Copy


Bundle promotions—the practice of granting consumers a discount when they buy a certain number of units from a designated range of stockkeeping units—have gained popularity among manufacturers and retailers. In this research, the authors investigate the purchase effects of bundle promotions for a category of packaged goods. Contrary to intuition, they find that promotional bundles are far more effective at inducing switching than at boosting category sales. The strong switching effects result from two mechanisms: (1) Stockkeeping units that are part of a bundle promotion appear to reinforce each other's choice probability, and (2) the bundle discount tends to attract consumers even if they do not buy enough to qualify for the price reduction. The weak category effects follow from the notion that the purchase quantity requirement is often too stringent to make consumers buy earlier and/or more in the category. The authors develop incidence, quantity, and choice models that incorporate the intricate bundle mechanisms, and they use simulations to contrast the sales impact of bundle and traditional per-unit promotions. On the basis of the model estimates, they present managerial implications and tentative guidelines for optimal bundle design.


Background Parenteral nutrition (PN) solutions are complex unlicensed medicines that cover essential needs in preterm infants. PN safety must be guaranteed by a proper quality control system. Purpose To evaluate the feasibility of adapting a routine analytical technique for measuring glucose and electrolytes in plasma and urine for use as a quality control method for preterm PN solutions. Materials and methods The emergency laboratory uses an automatic chemistry system (DimensionEXL) with spectrometry and indirect potentiometry for the analysis of glucose and electrolytes in plasma and urine. The technique was validated using standard solutions to study glucose, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium in a fat-free PN substrate. Simultaneously, we studied the systematic error due to volumetric devices used in the compounding process. Once we knew the accuracy limits of the technique, we discussed with clinicians the clinical significance of differences between theoretical and measured values in order to establish acceptability ranges. Results Glucose, potassium and calcium values measured in the PN solution correlated well, with readings within 10% of the theoretical. So, we assumed that values out of this range were due to preparation errors. Readings for sodium and magnesium differed by >15% from the calculated values, probably due to a matrix interference. Systematic error due to volumetric devices was considered irrelevant (<5%). The technique was implemented in clinical practice in May 2013. From then, 260 PN solutions have been analysed corresponding to 61 patients, with a mean time response of 55 min. Two preparation mistakes have been detected so far, related to glucose and calcium concentration respectively. Mean cost per unit analysed is 0.25 €. Conclusions The implementation of an analytical control for preterm PN solutions into the routine practice of the Emergency laboratory has provided a reliable quality control method. They check 100% of samples and know the results before the PN is administered at a very low cost. No conflict of interest.


BackgroundPeople Who Use Drugs (PWID) play a crucial role in the goal of eradicating hepatitis C and, despite the high efficacy and tolerability of Direct Acting Antivirals, many PWID still have to be treated and there are many barriers that slow down the process. An exploratory pilot survey was conducted to determine service providers' current condition and the barriers experienced by PWID in accessing HCV treatment.  MethodsSeven selected clinical centres completed a 27-item online survey addressing the current treatment situation in PWID hepatitis C treatment, related barriers and linkage to care.  ResultThe survey mainly involved central-northern Italian clinical centres (71.4%), with less than 4 prescribers (71.4%) despite they are currently treating around 500-1000 patients for Hepatitis C (>50% current or former PWID). In most cases, they carried out the necessary checks (100% blood sample, 85.7% fibroscan and 43% ultrasound) in few visits (85.7%) to deliver drugs in about one month (71.4%). They all agree on the need for fast-track for PWID and therefore they are all engaged in dedicated projects. The commitment to eradication is, in most cases, based on personal efforts, which despite the few prescribers, the lack of institutional support (85.7%) and the impossibility to use simplification scores since prescription and drug delivery portals (AIFA and regional) still require a lot of information. Although the centres questioned express the need for a simplification of the bureaucratic processes, however, they scrupulously follow PWID. For 57.4% of the centres, Linkage to Care remains the most problematic moment, to follow equally the lack of a correct epidemiological estimate and the implementation of the harm reduction policies. Finally, most of the centres don't find particular barriers related to PWID's features, but analysing them individually the main ones are: the difficult social background, the reinfection risk and the patient's poor motivation. ConclusionsThe needs emerged from this survey are: to work on PWID de-stigmatization, to simplify the prescription/drug delivery portals in order, to increase PWID social assistance network and institutions support in HCV eradication programs.


Liberalization of electric power systems (EPS) considerably changes and sophisticates solution of the expansion problems and their contents. Akey problem here is to coordinate interests of the subjects involved in the EPS expansion planning. The interests may or may not be directly opposite. Very often, the subjects can benefit by cooperation, which affects the decisions on EPS expansion. The theory of cooperative games can be used to solve the problem of coordinating the interests most efficiently. The approach is exemplified by one and two interacting power supply companies, with several subjects each with their interests and different conditions for system expansion


Monitoring is a very important aspect to consider when developing real-time systems. However, it is also important to consider the impact of the monitoring mechanisms in the actual application. The use of Reflection can provide a clear separation between the real-time application and the implemented monitoring mechanisms, which can be introduced (reflected) into the underlying system without changing the actual application part of the code. Nevertheless, controlling the monitoring system itself is still a topic of research. The monitoring mechanisms must contain knowledge about "how to get the information out". Therefore, this paper presents the ongoing work to define a suitable strategy for monitoring real-time systems through the use of Reflection. Mechanisms for Reflection-based Monitoring of Real-Time Systems Ricardo Barbosa, Luis M. Pinho Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Porto, Portugal {rbarbosa, email@example.com


A 15 year-old North-African female showed typical symptoms and evolution of Progressive Myoclonus Epilepsy of the Unverricht type. Pathological examination failed to show either inclusion bodies or any other storage material. The only relevant findings included degenerative changes in the inferior olives and, to a lesser extent, in the cerebellar cortex. The site of lesions was remarkable: in the inferior olives, lesions were bilaterally and symmetrically restricted to the external angles (lateral lamellae); in the cerebellum, loss of Purkinje cells and ascending fibres of the molecular layer was prominent in the lateralmost part of the hemispheres (semilunar lobules). Such a topography implies a system disorder involving the olivo-cerebellar pathway, particularly in that part which projects to the neocerebellum. Twelve other clinico-pathological cases of progressive myoclonus epilepsy of the degenerative group are reviewed. It is suggested that, here again, lesions--although more diffuse--may be related to a primarily olivo-cerebellar involvement.


—Drone swarms are becoming increasingly prevalent in important missions, including military operations, rescue tasks, environmental monitoring, and disaster recovery. Member drones coordinate with each other to efficiently and effectively accomplish a given mission. To automatically coordinate a swarm, member drones exchange critical messages (e.g., their positions, locations of identified obstacles, and detected search targets) about their observed environment and missions over wireless communication channels. Therefore, swarms need a pairing system to establish secure communication channels that protect the confidentiality and integrity of the messages. However, swarm properties and the open physical environment in which they operate bring unique challenges in establishing cryptographic keys between drones. In this paper, we first outline an adversarial model and the ideal design requirements for secure pairing in drone swarms. We then survey existing human-in-the-loop-based, context-based, and public key cryptography (PKC) based pairing methods to explore their feasibility in drone swarms. Our exploration, unfortunately, shows that existing techniques fail to fully meet the unique requirements of drone swarms. Thus, we propose research directions that can meet these requirements for secure, energy-efficient, and scalable swarm pairing systems.


The present research investigations in power management fraternity are focused towards the realization of smart microgrid (MG) technologies. Due to intrinsic advantages of Direct Current (DC) system in terms of compatibility with power generation sources, modern loads and storage devices, DC MG has becoming popular over Alternate Current (AC) system. A secondary voltage and current control schemes of DC MG system are mainly based on the distributed consensus control of Multi-agent system (MAS) to balance generation and the demand. The basic concern of the cooperative control of MAS is consensus, which is to design a suitable control law such that the output of all agents can achieve synchronization. The distributed consensus algorithm requires much less computational power and information exchange in between the neighbor's agent. Meanwhile the other controllers such as model predictive control (MPC) requires accurate dynamic models with high computational cost and it suffers from lack of flexibility. The hierarchical consensus control technique is classified into three levels according to their features, namely primary, secondary, and tertiary. MAS is a popular distributed platform to efficiently manage the secondary control level for synchronization and communication among the power converters in autonomous MGs. In this article, various primary control techniques for local voltage control, voltage restoration in the secondary control level and tertiary control for energy management techniques are discussed. With this, the key emphasis to reduce the voltage deviation and disturbances in a heterogeneous DC MG network solutions are discussed. Furthermore, to analyze the system response and the charging and discharging characteristics of the battery unit, the developed second order heterogeneous consensus controller is compared with the traditional homogeneous consensus control and droop control methods. Finally a detailed discussion on simulation case study using heterogeneous consensus control method over the traditional methods are provided using MATLAB/Simulink platform.


Abstract. Let H denote the class of functions f which are harmonic and univalent in the open unit disc D = {z : |z| < 1}. This paper defines and investigates a family of complex-valued harmonic functions that are orientation preserving and univalent in D and are related to the functions convex of order β(0 ≤ β < 1), with respect to symmetric points. We obtain coefficient conditions, growth result, extreme points, convolution and convex combinations for the above harmonic functions.


A mathematical model of closely packed parallel muscle fibres with side by side junctions was studied. High coupling coefficient for both heart and smooth muscle fibres was shown to be available at rather low junction permeability. The coupling coefficient for heart fibers is equal to 0.5 at specific junction membrane resistance as high as 100 omega cm2. For the same coupling ratio in smooth muscle the specific junction membrane resistance should be even greater (1000 omega cm2). The role of nexuses and tight junctions in conduction of excitation is discussed.


Despite the potential of service-orientation and the efforts devoted so far, we are still to witness a significant uptake of service technologies outside of enterprise environments. A core reason for this limited uptake is the lack of appropriate publishing platforms able to deal with the existing heterogeneity in the service technologies landscape and able to provide expressive yet simple and efficient discovery mechanisms. In this paper we describe iServe, a novel and open platform for publishing services which aims to better support their discovery and use. It exposes service descriptions as linked data expressed in terms of a simple vocabulary for describing services of different kinds with annotations in diverse formalisms. In addition to describing iServe, this paper also highlights the set of principles behind iServe, which we believe are essential for other generic repositories of semantic information notably ontology repositories.


The mechanism of interaction of five phenothiazine derivatives with serum albumin was investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy. It was found that phenothiazine ring common to all drugs makes major contribution to interaction. However, the nature of alkyl amino group at position 10 influences the protein binding significantly. Binding affinities could be related to parachor values of drugs. Fluorescence intensity data in the presence of additives showed that hydrophobic Interactions play a significant role. Stern-Volmer plots indicated the presence of a static component in the quenching mechanism. Results also showed that both tryptophan residues of protein are accessible to drug molecules. The high magnitude of the rate constant of quenching Indicated that the process of energy transfer occurs by intermolecular interaction forces and thus drug binding site is in close proximity to tryptophan residues of BSA.


Assemblage thinking offers a new conceptual toolkit for analysing the relationship between society and space. However, major questions remain regarding both its ontological propositions and how it might be applied to the analysis of specific socio-spatial objects. This article contributes to these debates by using assemblage thinking to trace the long-term development of Rio de Janeiro's favelas. These territories have undergone a range of seemingly contradictory changes over recent decades. On one hand, expanded infrastructure and service provision and improved social outcomes have meant favelas have moved closer to, and in some cases surpassed, areas officially designated as "formal". On the other, they continue to be heavily stigmatised, targeted by exceptional forms of governance, and subject to militarisation and abuse by police and non-state armed groups. Tracing these developments over time, I argue that the favela is best understood as an assemblage of heterogeneous, interacting elements that operate according to diverse logics. Despite continual pressures to deterritorialise, or break apart, a density of components and relations has ensured the continual reterritorialisation of the "favela" as a distinct object of perception and action over more than a century, with far reaching consequences for residents and the wider city.


Individual cells in a genetically identical population, exposed to the same environment, can show great variation in their protein expression levels. This is due to noise, which is inherent in many biological processes, due in part to the low molecule numbers and probabilistic interactions which lead to stochasticity. Much of the work in the field of noise and its propagation in gene expression networks, whether it is experimental, modelling or theoretical, has been conducted on networks/systems that occur within a single cell. However, cells do not exist solely in isolation and understanding how cells are able to coordinate their behaviour despite this noise is an interesting area of expansion for the field. In this study, a synthetic intercellular communication system was designed that allows the investigation of how noise is propagated in intercellular communication. The communication system consists of separate sender and receiver cells incorporating components of the Lux quorum sensing system of Vibrio fischeri. The sender cell was designed so that the production of the signalling molecule, 3-oxohexanoyl homoserine lactone, is able to be controlled by addition of isopropyl-?-D-thio-galactoside (IPTG) and monitored via a reporter gene. The receiver cell was designed with a dual reporter system to enable the response of the cell to the signalling molecule to be monitored and the intrinsic and extrinsic noise contributions to the total noise to be calculated. Sender and the receiver cells were engineered in Escherichia coli. The functionality of the receiver cells was tested in the presence of known concentrations of the signalling molecule. The population response and the noise characteristics of the receiver cells in the homogeneous environment were determined from single cell measurements. The functionality of the sender cells was tested in the presence of a range of IPTG concentrations and the induction of expression from the LacI-repressible promoter was monitored. Mathematical models of the system were developed. Stochastic simulations of the models were used to investigate any unexplained behaviour seen in the characterisation of the cells. The full functionality of the intercellular communication system was then tested by growing the receiver in the collected media of the induced sender cells. The response of the receiver cells to the signalling molecule in the media was again characterised using single cell measurements of the reporter expression levels. The analysis of mixed populations of the sender and receiver cells was hampered by the technical limitations of the instruments used for the single cell measurements. Difficulties were encountered in simultaneous and specific measurement of the three reporter genes. Two methods for overcoming this issue were proposed using microscopy, and one of these methods was shown to have potential in overcoming the issue.


Allah S.W.T said in the Holly Qur'an on surah Ar-Ruum verse 22nd that the constancy of the language difference is variation of social phenomena characterizing a society. Because language is social phenomena, obviously every human has own style in communication. Growing science and human's need the rule of language is not only as tool of simple communication but also it is used as tool to persuade and influence people to do something. Moreover, it is believed that a good speaker will get the success on their aim depend on how well people use word, how they talk to the other, and what they say to satisfied other. In other word, the language style in communication is extremely important to make our communication purpose run smoother. Furthermore, advertisement language becomes social phenomena in marketing level nowadays. The ability of persuading and impressing people desire in certain situation makes the researcher as linguistic students anxious about the kinds of language are used in advertisement. Even advertisement as tool of selling product has own style to make the message creative and effective in certain ways. By this reason, the researcher is encouraged to analyses language style in advertisement, for she wants to develop her ability in selecting the appropriate word in certain purpose, especially in advertisement level.

This research uses a descriptive qualitative research because the researcher effort to analyze and discuss the utterance which differentiate language style in Newsweek magazine advertisement. Analyzing language style in this study the researcher use Wells as main theory, and Mott as the second theory. The data are in the form of utterances selected from Newsweek magazine advertisement which is published on February 11st, 18th, 25th 2008. Furthermore, there are three kind of advertisement in Newsweek magazine, such as educational advertisement, business advertisement and advertisement. However, the researcher selects all of them as research subject.

The result of this study shows that language style in Newsweek magazine advertisement is classified into soft sell style, hard sell style, straightforward style, problem solution style, comparison style and newsy style. However, the most dominant of language style found in Newsweek magazine advertisement is hard sell style. It means advertisement of Newsweek magazine prefer rational information rather than emotional information, although in some case both of them come together. In addition, during analyzing language style based on well's theory, the researcher did not find the demonstration style, spokesperson and slice of life style. Nevertheless, it is possible for advertisement in Newsweek magazine uses demonstration style, and slice of life in further edition.


Social media platforms are increasingly being used by governments to foster user interaction. Particularly in cities with enhanced ICT infrastructures (i.e., Informational World Cities) and high internet penetration rates, social media platforms are valuable tools for reaching high numbers of citizens. This empirical investigation of 31 Informational World Cities will provide an overview of social media services used for governmental purposes, of their popularity among governments, and of their usage intensity in broadcasting information online.


This letter presents a novel computing paradigm for polygonal approximation of digital planar curves. While the existing heuristic algorithms, such as genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO), have achieved considerable success in solving the two types of polygonal approximation problems, more efficient optimization schemes are still desirable for practical applications. We propose to embed the split-and-merge local search in the Monte Carlo sampling framework, to combine strength of the local optimization and the global sampling. The proposed algorithm is essentially a well-designed basin hopping scheme that performs stochastic exploration in the reduced potential energy space. Experimental results on several benchmarks indicate that the proposed algorithm can achieve high approximation accuracy and is highly competitive to the state-of-the-art alternative algorithms with less computational cost.


This research examines cases of several 'smart cities' deploying
 camera technologies, particularly those augmented by AI and video data capture. Constituent
 groups including technology companies, city government employees, and a variety of citizen
 groups both directly and indirectly shape the policies for using these systems and the data
 they produce, presaging how society might deal with the escalating presence of the Internet
 of Things. The social shaping of technology approach contributes to the research's
 conceptual foundations while a political economy perspective frames a consideration of the
 ethical dynamics in play. The study investigates how seven urban communities frame and
 articulate the values and dangers of such systems operating in networked environments. Using
 archival data from official documents, the press, local and State ordinances, the study
 concludes that police interests have been significant drivers of these systems, alongside
 new environmental and management promises for improved cost savings. Public engagement
 practices vary, but in general are either nonexistent or anemic. Oversight practices
 likewise are under-developed. provides a descriptive picture of how cities view and
 experience this surveillance infrastructure and highlights of the policy problems associated
 with the city surveillance systems.


In traditional Indian medicine, the crude drug Hemidesmus indicus root—commonly known as Indian sarsaparilla—is used alone or in poly-herbal preparations for the treatment of a wide range of diseases. The present study focuses on the cancer chemopreventive and therapeutic potential of H. indicus extracts on an acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line (CCRF-CEM). With this aim in mind, we subjected H. indicus roots to two subsequent extractions (hydro-alcoholic extraction and soxhlet extraction). As DNA damage is an important prerequisite for the induction of mutations/cancer by genotoxic carcinogens, cancer chemoprevention may be achieved by preventing genotoxicity. Through an integrated experimental approach, we explored the genoprotective potential of the soxhlet H. indicus extract against different mutagenic compounds and its cytotoxic, proapoptotic, and cytostatic properties. In our experimental conditions, H. indicus induced a cytotoxic effect involving the activation of both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways and blocked the cell cycle in the S phase. Moreover, the antigenotoxicity results showed that the extract was able to mitigate DNA damage, an essential mechanism for its applicability as a chemopreventive agent, via either the modulation of extracellular and intracellular events involved in DNA damage. These data add to the growing body of evidence that H. indicus can represent a noteworthy strategy to target early and late stages of cancer.


The present paper comprises the descriptions of the male of Bloeteomedes borneensis Van Doesburg, and Bloeteomedes sarawakensis nova species. I am greatly indebted to Dr. W. J. Knight and Mr. W. R. Dolling for the loan of the specimens, and for their kind assistance during my stay in the British Museum (Natural History) to which the specimens belong. Bloeteomedes borneensis Van Doesburg (figs. 1, 5-8) One male specimen, very similar to the female but somewhat smaller. Antennal seta (on second segment) situated on 0.29 part from apex. In the holotype this is 0.27 and not 3/14 as was wrongly mentioned in the description. Ninth segment (genital capsule, figs. 6, 8) broad, rounded, slightly produced posteriorly; posterior margin of genital cavity turned-up, bisinuate and slightly excavated medially as seen from behind. Paramere (fig. 7) short, S-shaped, with a broad, flattened and finely punctated apical hook. Measurements (in mm): total length including wings 12.2; width 5.35; length of pronotum 2.56, width 4.12; width of head over eyes 1.56; width between eyes 0.83. Data on labels: Sarawak, foot of Mt. Dulit, Junction of rivers Tinjes & Lejok, 7.IX.1933 — old secondary forest — on bark of felled tree — Oxford Univ. Exp. B. M. Hobby & A. W. Moore. B.M. 1933-254. Bloeteomedes sarawakensis nova species (figs. 2-4, 9-11) This species of which two males are available, has a close resemblance to B. borneensis but differs in the following respects. Somewhat smaller and darker, the light patches on the costal margins of the fore wings much more conspicuous. Unpigmented apical part of second antennal segment occupying about 1/4 (0.23) part of its length. Antennal seta situated respectively on


A control framework and integrative design method for an adaptive wind turbine blade is presented. The blade is adapted by actively transforming the twist angle distribution (TAD) along the blade. This can alleviate fatigue loads and improve wind capture. In this paper, we focus on wind capture. The proposed design concept consists of a rigid spar that is surrounded by a series of flexible blade sections. Each section has two zones of stiffness. The sections are actuated at each end to deform the TAD. A quasi-static control technique is proposed for the TAD. The controller sets the position of the blade actuators that shape the TAD during steady-state operation. A design procedure is used to define the required TAD as a function of the wind speed. This is based on an optimization procedure that minimizes the deviation between the actual TAD and that found in the aerodynamic design. The design inputs for this optimization problem include the stiffness for each zone of the section, and the actuator locations along the blade. Given the optimal TAD at each wind speed, the free position of the blade is established using a dynamic programming technique. The position is selected based on minimal actuation energy according to wind conditions at any installation site. The proposed framework is demonstrated using a National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) certified wind turbine model with recorded wind data. An increase in efficiency of 3.8% with only a deviation of 0.34% from the aerodynamic TAD is observed.


Jurassic–Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of the Alberta foreland basin are a key record of the evolution of the Canadian Cordillera. We test a recent model for cyclical development of Cordilleran orogenic systems using detrital zircon analysis of the major sandstone units deposited between 145 and 80 Ma exposed in the Rocky Mountain Foothills near Grande Cache, Alberta. The basin history is well constrained by decades of study, and the stratigraphy has been previously subdivided into tectonostratigraphic wedges. U-Pb data from 14 detrital zircon samples are included in this study. All the major magmatic provinces of North America are represented in each sample, with the relative proportions varying between samples. The samples are assigned to five groups with the aid of multidimensional scaling. Groups 1–3 are interpreted to record recycling from specific passive-margin units of western North America with varying input from the Cordilleran magmatic arc. Group 4 is interpreted to record recycling from sedimentary strata in the United States and dispersal by basin-axial fluvial systems. Group 5 is dominated by Mesozoic zircon grains interpreted to have originated in the Cordilleran magmatic arc. Detrital zircon age spectra do not form groups based on the tectonostratigraphic wedges from which they were sampled; rather, within each tectonostratigraphic wedge, they exhibit evolution from diverse age spectra to a less-diverse distribution of detrital zircon ages.

We constructed a proxy for magmatic flux of the Cordilleran magmatic arc using detrital zircon ages younger than 200 Ma; it shows three modes at ca. 165, 115, and 74 Ma. These ages are considered high-flux episodes of magmatism that are linked to cyclical uplift and plateau formation in the orogen. This cyclical process is interpreted to: (1) control sedimentation rates in the foreland; (2) account for evolving provenance by altering catchments; and (3) be a plausible mechanism for the deposition of the tectonostratigraphic wedges in the Alberta foreland basin.


Introducing new products is a key factor for the success and survival of companies. Managers need to examine every possibility that can occur during the life span of their new product and focus on the right strategy. Even then, launching a new product is highly risky due to uncertainties of the market and competitors. This study presents a proposal of real option evaluation through fuzzy logic for a new product development project in a retail banking market with Type-2 fuzzy sets. A multi-stage new product development is used to have a better understanding of the long term success of the project. One of the real options evaluation technique is binomial lattice model. This technique is mostly suitable for managerial flexibility decisions. In this study different from the literature Binomial Lattice method and Type-2 fuzzy sets are combined to cope with uncertainties of the practice.


Drug-resistant hypertension is present in about one in eight patients with high BP. It can be a frustrating and expensive condition to pursue from an office-based perspective. In this review, utilizing the American Heart Association scientific statement on drug-resistant hypertension as a guide, a case of drug-resistant hypertension is presented and walked through exactly as encountered by the author. Woven into the discussion is a combination of insights from the literature on this topic, blended with the experience of the author. This is not intended as an exhaustive review of each step in the evaluation and management process but, rather, as an overview incorporating a few carefully chosen references and, hopefully, a logical and useful approach to a common clinical challenge.


This study presents an analysis of the nature and incidence of pulmonary complications in the first 110 patients to undergo renal transplantation in Nijmegen. The complications are divided into primary and secondary complications. An unmistakable relation to immunosuppressive medication was established in both groups. The radiological manifestations of the pulmonary lesions were atypical due to the use of large doses of immunosuppressive drugs. Pulmonary complications account for 45.1% of the total mortality after renal transplantation. Differential diagnosis from pulmonary oedema associated with rejection is exceedingly difficult, but of paramount importance.


The paper introduces modeling of human experience by linguistic if-then rules in terms of fuzzy logic controllers for tuning RF/Microwave filters. The approach could be used for any circuit or system tuning problem that involves human expert information provided that the expert information could be described in terms of linguistic if-then rules. The tuning approach is both theoretically and practically illustrated in this paper. The tuning is done in two stages both taking advantage of fuzzy controllers. The first stage uses the phase response of the filter, while the second stage uses the magnitude response of the filter for adjustment of the tuning screws. A fully automated experimental setup is implemented by high resolution motors with flexible leads to make the tuning possible. 3-pole and 7-pole Chebyshev waveguide filters are used to demonstrate the concept. The measured results prove the validity of the method.


The biochemical and chemotaxonomic properties of three previously undescribed strains from human dental root canal infections are presented. The strains were obligately anaerobic Gram-negative rods with fimbriae and a thick capsule-like structure. Carbohydrates were not fermented and agglutination tests were negative. The presence of alpha-galactosidase, alpha- and beta-glucosidase, beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase and beta-galactosidase was confirmed. The strains produced acetic and succinic acids as metabolic end products. They contained a peptidoglycan structure based upon meso-diaminopimelic acid (Al gamma) and lacked respiratory quinones. The cellular fatty acids were mainly straight-chain saturated and methyl-branched molecules. High interstrain DNA homology was observed and the DNA base compositions were between 56 and 59 mol % G + C. These three strains appear to comprise the nucleus of a new genus of anaerobic, Gram-negative rods from odontogenic infections.


Cloud computing (CC) is a fast-growing technology and one of the most important technological drivers of the digitalization of enterprises. The implementation and adoption of a suitable cloud service is challenging and knowledge-intensive and requires strong participation and ownership of business managers and IT units. However, even if the awareness of critical success factors (CSFs) for cloud implementation projects strongly supports avoiding failures within the projects, this field has rarely been researched, especially with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Therefore, our paper's contribution to research and practice is the identification of 26 CSFs through a rigorous literature review in combination with an interview study among German SMEs. As a result, we derive a comprehensive model as a starting point for cloud implementation projects in which we assign the CSFs to the respective parties involved in those projects.


A food security and nutrition survey was conducted in 2005 on 25 coconut-based households at Nvuma and its environs, a typical coconut growing community in the Nzema East District of the Western Region, Ghana. The objective was to understand the concepts, determinants and consequences of food insecurity and hunger, as core indicators of nutrition, for future programme planning and implementation. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire administered through face-to-face interview. The mother in the household was the main respondent. The survey indicated a mean family size of seven. Majority of the respondents affirmed that there is food insecurity and nutrition is under threat. The children too have no access to a balanced diet. Adults cope with their food insecure conditions by borrowing money to buy or credit food, ate less per meal, skipping meals, substitute commonly eaten food with cheaper ones and ate the same kind of food or
even going without food for a day or more. Some of them have taken up backyard gardening by planting cassava, plantain and vegetables to enhance their intake of coconut and oil palm products. Other food products such as milk and milk products, snacks, beef, etc are either eaten monthly or not at all. This reflects the poverty level in the community. Increased food production and availability in the market does not necessarily ensure food security or improved nutrition to the individuals or at the household level as it may not be accessed by hunger-affected individuals or households. Journal of the Ghana Science Association Vol. 10 (2) 2008: pp. 158-165


Abstract Objective To examine how factors related to the home food environment and individual characteristics are associated with healthy food purchasing among low-income African American (AA) youth. Subjects A total of 206 AA youth (ninety-one boys and 115 girls), aged 10–14 years, and their primary adult caregivers. Setting Fourteen Baltimore recreation centres in low-income neighbourhoods. Design Cross-sectional study. We collected information about food purchasing, the home food environment, sociodemographic and psychosocial factors drawn from social cognitive theory. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the factors associated with the frequency and proportion of healthy food purchases in all youth and stratified by gender. Low-fat or low-sugar foods were defined as healthy. Results Youth purchased an average of 1·5 healthy foods (range = 0–15) in the week before the interview, comprising an average of 11·6 % (range = 0–80 %) of total food purchases. The most commonly purchased healthy foods included water and sunflower seeds/nuts. Healthier food-related behavioural intentions were associated with a higher frequency of healthy foods purchased (OR = 1·4, P < 0·05), which was stronger in girls (OR = 1·9, P < 0·01). Greater caregiver self-efficacy for healthy food purchasing/preparation was associated with increased frequency of healthy purchasing among girls (OR = 1·3, P < 0·05). Among girls, more frequent food preparation by a family member (OR = 6·6, P < 0·01) was associated with purchasing a higher proportion of healthy foods. No significant associations were observed for boys. Conclusions Interventions focused on AA girls should emphasize increasing food-related behavioural intentions. For girls, associations between caregiver self-efficacy and home food preparation suggest the importance of the caregiver in healthy food purchasing.


Lateral spine images are captured using bone densitometers for vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) in older women. Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) is commonly seen on these images; however, the long‐term prognosis in women with AAC remains uncertain. In a prospective study of 1052 community‐dwelling ambulant white women over 70 years old abdominal aortic calcification 24 scale (AAC24) scores were calculated from digital lateral spine images captured during bone density testing in 1998 or 1999. Cardiovascular risk factors were assessed in 1998, whereas 14.5‐year atherosclerotic vascular disease (ASVD)‐related hospitalizations and deaths (events) were available through linked health records. Using established cut points for AAC 471 women (45%) had low AAC (AAC24 score 0 or 1), 387 (37%) moderate AAC (AAC24 score 2–5), and 197 (19%) had high AAC (AAC24 score ≥6). Over 14.5 years, 420 women experienced an ASVD event. Increasing severity of AAC was associated with increased absolute risk of ASVD events (37%, 39%, and 49%, respectively, p = 0.008 for trend), ASVD deaths (15%, 21%, and 27%, respectively, p < 0.001 for trend), and all‐cause mortality (30%, 38%, and 44%, respectively, p < 0.001 for trend). After adjusting for Framingham risk scores, women with high AAC had increased relative hazard for ASVD events, HR 1.37 (95% CI, 1.07 to 1.77; p = 0.013) compared to women with low AAC. Similarly, women with moderate AAC and high AAC had increased relative hazards for ASVD deaths HR 1.41 (95% CI, 1.03 to 1.94; p = 0.034) and HR 1.80 (95% CI, 1.26 to 2.57; p = 0.001), or any deaths HR 1.30 (95% CI, 1.03 to 1.64; p = 0.026) and HR 1.53 (95% CI, 1.17 to 2.00; p = 0.002), compared to women with low AAC. In conclusion, more advanced AAC on images captured for VFA is associated with long‐term ASVD hospitalizations and deaths before and after adjusting for Framingham risk scores. AAC assessment could be considered in addition to VFA to identify individuals who may benefit for more aggressive cardiovascular primary prevention strategies. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research


OBJECTIVES
To compare nasal-air conditioning in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis with healthy control subjects without nasal pathologic conditions, to investigate nasal-air conditioning after endoscopic sinus surgery with and without septoplasty and turbinoplasty 4 to 6 weeks after surgery, to examine the parameters of nasal patency and nasal geometry that possibly influence nasal-air conditioning before and after endonasal surgery, and to determine their relationship to nasal-air conditioning parameters.

DESIGN
Prospective cohort study.

SETTING
Tertiary referral center.

PARTICIPANTS
Twenty-five patients (median age, 51 years; age range, 20-74 years) having a diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis refractory to medical treatment and 22 healthy control subjects (median age, 25 years; age range, 18-52 years).

INTERVENTION
Patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery with or without septoplasty and turbinoplasty during 6 months and were followed up 4 to 6 weeks after surgery.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Nasal-air conditioning was measured and acoustic rhinometry and active anterior rhinomanometry were performed before and after nasal surgery.

RESULTS
Nasal airflow and nasal volume were significantly higher postoperatively than preoperatively. The preoperative heat increase and water gradient were lower in the patients compared with the controls. The postoperative heat increase was significantly higher than the preoperative values. The water gradient did not change after endonasal surgery. Nasal patency and volume were positively correlated with nasal heating, whereas nasal humidification showed a significant negative correlation with nasal volume.

CONCLUSIONS
Patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis seem to benefit from endoscopic sinus surgery with or without septoplasty and turbinoplasty because nasal heating is improved postoperatively. Four to 6 weeks after endonasal surgery, nasal humidification is neither improved nor worsened compared with preoperative values.


In the present issue of the Journal, Patrick and his colleagues (pages 330-336) describe an episode in the summer of 2003, immediately following the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic, when an outbreak of respiratory illness occurred in a long-term care facility in Vancouver, and was initially reported by the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) to be SARS. The local laboratories did not support the diagnosis and, subsequently, the NML diagnosis was acknowledged to be incorrect. The misdiagnosis, however, had an immediate negative impact by suggesting that SARS continued to be transmitted in Canada, raising the spectre of social and economic impacts recently experienced by Toronto. The episode also had a longer term negative impact on national and international perceptions of the reliability of the Canadian laboratory. Thus, a critical review of this episode to understand what happened and to avoid future errors is appropriate. Dr Patrick and his coauthors, including those from the NML, are to be congratulated for presenting this information to the Canadian infectious diseases and public health communities.


: The authors describe the theoretical aspects of iatrogeny which are due to drugs, patient reactions, and failure in the application of drugs by nursing personnel. They discuss nursing intervention on primary, secondary and tertiary level of prevention and they alert the nurses of the importance of introducing the topic in nursing education programs.


Abstract. The treatment of malaria in Africa is becoming increasingly difficult due to rising prevalence of plasmodium falciparum resistant to antimalarial drugs. This study was undertaken to investigate the in vivo antiplasmodial effect of the aqueous stem bark extract of Bombax buonopozense in mice infected with chloroquine-sensitive plasmodium berghei NK65. The in vivo antiplasmodial effect against early infection and curative effect against established infection were studied. The extract at all doses (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg, p.o .) used, exhibited significant (P<0.05), dose-dependent activity against the parasite in suppressive and curative tests. These results show that the stem bark extract of Bombax buonopozense plant has significant antiplasmodial effect. The reduction in parasitemia levels in the two employed models suggest that a part of its antimalarial activity is mediated by direct plasmocidal effect on the parasite. Key words: Antimalaria, bombax buonopozense, medicinal plant, mice, plasmodium berghei


To maintain competitive advantage, a firm's investment decisions related to knowledge creation are likely to be strategic in nature. However, strategic investments usually have an element of risk linked to uncertain and deferred investment benefits. To date, such investment decisions relating to knowledge workers have not been extensively researched. In this paper, we explore the following research question: How do we strategically assess knowledge creation over time giving consideration to complex decision criteria in order to improve organizational value? We develop a model based on economic and organization theory for assessing organizational value with regard to knowledge creation investments. Our model prototype provides managers with a learning tool relating to the timing and selection of knowledge creation investments. Our own use of the tool in simulation experiments yielded several insights which suggest that the decisions typically made by managers may dilute knowledge creation investments. Our results demonstrate that the organizational benefit of knowledge creation processes should be well aligned with near-term tasks. Under instances of high knowledge depreciation, however, it is unlikely that individual workers can optimize knowledge creation process decisions without organizational involvement in matching skills to task complexities. The organizational benefits of consistent and frequent knowledge creation process participation increase over time as the match of skills and task complexities improve.


The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) recently revised its interpretation of its maximum employment mandate. In this paper, we analyze the possible effects of this policy change using a theoretical model with frictional labor markets and nominal rigidities. A monetary policy which stabilizes "shortfalls" rather than "deviations" of employment from its maximum level leads to higher inflation and more hiring at all times due to expectations of more accommodative future policy. Thus, offsetting only shortfalls of employment results in higher nominal policy rates on average which provide more policy space and better outcomes during a zero lower bound episode. Our model suggests that the FOMC's reinterpretation of its employment mandate could alter the business-cycle and longer-run properties of the economy and result in a steeper reduced-form Phillips curve.


Antidumping laws were designed to protect domestic industry from foreign competition. They protect producers at the expense of consumers, which results in higher prices, lower quality products, less consumer choice and a general lowering of the standard of living for the vast majority of people. Antidumping laws also destroy more jobs than they create.
Part II reviews the theory and practice of antidumping laws in the United States. It looks at the economic and legal background of the area, the administration of the antidumping laws, and computational problems involved in arriving at an antidumping decision. It also provides examples of antidumping investigations in the areas of autos, steel, textiles, agricultural products, and televisions and discusses the harmful effects of antidumping policy. It also explores the predatory pricing argument as applied to antidumping.
Part III discusses some philosophical issues relating to antidumping law and policy. It views the antidumping laws as a club that can be used to batter the competition at the expense of consumers and questions the ethics of using government for this purpose. It also points out the silliness of antidumping policy, since it in effect protects consumers from low prices, and develops a rights-based argument against antidumping laws.
Part IV concludes that antidumping laws are harmful, serve no useful purpose and should be repealed, the sooner the better.


Anthracycline-based chemotherapy (ABC) is the most effective therapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The addition of rituximab to ABC in controlled trials has demonstrated superior survival, yet ABC is inconsistently utilized in elderly patients, and little is known about the penetrance or impact of rituximab with other treatments. We analyzed the treatment and survival patterns of 7559 patients with DLBCL over age 66 diagnosed from 1992 to 2002 using a linked Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)–Medicare database. Rituximab use was first detected in 1999 and by 2002 was incorporated in 79% of ABC-treated patients and 71% of patients treated with non-anthracycline chemotherapy, but only 12% of patients not receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy. ABC rates remained constant across time as did rates of no therapy, which were highest among the very old. Rituximab-associated survival improvements were seen among elderly treated with or without anthracyclines. Patients treated with rituximab but not anthracyclines had comparable survival to those treated with anthracycline but not rituximab.


STUDY QUESTION
Does 15 min of immobilization after IUI improve pregnancy rates?

SUMMARY ANSWER
Immobilization for 15 min after IUI does not improve pregnancy rates.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
Prior RCTs report a beneficial effect of supine immobilization for 15 min following IUI compared to immediate mobilization, however, these studies can be criticized. Given the importance for the logistics in daily practice and the lack of biological plausibility we planned a replication study prior to potential implementation of this procedure.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
A single centre RCT, based in an academic setting in the Netherlands, was performed. Participants were randomly assigned for 15 min of supine immobilization following IUI for a maximum of six cycles compared to the standard procedure of immediate mobilization following IUI. Participants and caregivers were not blinded to group assignment. An independent researcher used computer-generated tables to allocate treatments. Stratification occurred to the indication of IUI (unexplained or mild male subfertility). Revelation of allocation took place just before the insemination by the caregiver. The primary outcome was ongoing pregnancy rate per couple.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS
A total of 498 couples diagnosed with unexplained or mild male subfertility and an indication for treatment with IUI were approached and randomized in the study, of which 244 participants were assigned to 15 min of supine immobilization and 254 participants to immediate mobilization.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
Participant characteristics were comparable between the groups, and 236 participants were analysed in the immobilization group, versus 245 in the mobilization group. The ongoing pregnancy rate per couple was not found to be superior in the immobilization group (one-sided P-value = 0.97) with 76/236 ongoing pregnancies (32.2%) being accomplished in the immobilization and 98/245 ongoing pregnancies (40.0%) in the immediate mobilization group (relative risk 0.81; 95% CI [0.63, 1.02], risk difference: -7.8%, 95% CI [-16.4%, 0.8%]). No difference was found in miscarriage rate, multiple gestation rate, live birth rate and time to pregnancy between the groups.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
Owing to discontinuation of the planned treatment not all participants reached six IUI cycles or an ongoing pregnancy. However, this is as expected in IUI treatment and mirrors clinical practice. These participants were equally distributed across the two groups. Women with tubal pathology and endocrine disorders were excluded for this trial, and this might narrow generalizability.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
This study shows no positive effect of 15 min of immobilization following IUI on pregnancy rates. Based on available evidence today, including our study, a possible beneficial effect of supine immobilization after IUI is at least doubtful and straightforward implementation does not seem to be justified.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)
No funding was received. All authors have nothing to disclose.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
Dutch Trial Register NTR 2418.

TRIAL REGISTRATION DATE
20 July 2010.

DATE OF FIRST PATIENT's ENROLMENT
11 August 2010.


In this paper, plasma nitridation of a germanium surface using NH3 and N2 gases is performed with a standard RF-PECVD method at a substrate temperature of 250 °C. The structural and optical properties of the Ge surface have been investigated using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometery (VASE). Study of the Ge (100) surface revealed that it is nitrated after plasma treatment while the GeO2 regrowth on the surface has been suppressed. Also, stability of the treated surface under air exposure is observed, where all the measurements were performed at room ambient. The electrical characteristics of fabricated Al/Ti/HfO2/GeON/p-Ge capacitors using the proposed surface treatment technique have been investigated. The C-V curves indicated a negligible hysteresis compared to ∼500 mV observed in untreated samples. Additionally, the C-V characteristic is used to extract the high-κ/Ge interface trap density using the most commonly used methods in determining the interface traps. The discussion includes the Dit calculation from the high-low frequency (Castagné–Vapaille) method and Terman (high-frequency) method. The high-low frequency method indicated a low interface trap density of ∼2.5 × 1011 eV−1.cm−2 compared to the Terman method. The J-V measurements revealed more than two orders of magnitude reduction of the gate leakage. This improved Ge interface quality is a promising low-temperature technique for fabricating high-performance Ge MOSFETs.


Visual tracking of a moving object has been an active research topic in the field of robotics and computer vision. In this paper, an experimental study is presented on a neural control design of a robotic manipulator to track a moving object using visual information. The proposed system integrates CCD visual data into an artificial neural network (ANN) for robot arm motion control. This design strategy features a fast and efficient control approach where the computation load is reduced to fit the real-time requirement. Integrated experiments have been carried out using a Mitsubishi RV-M2 industrial robot equipped with a CCD camera. After training the ANN controller with experimental data, the transformation from world coordinate to the robot coordinate can be eliminated. Robot motion control can be achieved without solving inverse kinematics of the manipulator. Furthermore, the proposed visual tracking system dose not require calibration data of the camera. The factors affecting tracking performance is analyzed and discussed.


Separation of HCl from the mixture of KCl and HCl using membrane distillation Membrane distillation (MD) was applied for the concentration of solutions containing hydrochloric acid and potassium chloride. The studies of the concentration and separation of HCl through the hydrophobic membrane were performed. In the investigations plate and frame or capillary modules, equipped with membranes from polytetrafluoroethylene and polypropylene were applied, respectively. The feed temperature amounted to 333 K or 343 K and permeate 293 K at the inlet of the module. Under the MD operation conditions the transfer of water vapour and hydrogen chloride from potassium chloride and hydrochloric acid solutions through the hydrophobic membranes took place, whereas the potassium chloride as a nonvolatile component underwent concentration in the feed. The influence of acid concentration and salt presence in the feed on the HCl molar flux through the membrane was systematically studied. The increase of the temperature and salt concentration in the feed caused higher partial pressure volatile of HCl and the resultant HCl Flux through a membrane was higher. During MD for the initial concentration in the feed equal 50 g KCl/dm3 and 40g HCl/dm3, at the feed temperature 343K, the permeate flux decreased from 353 dm3/m2d to 289 dm3/m2d, whereas the HCl flux increased to 6 mol/m2d for the capillary module. At higher KCl concentration in the feed, amounting to 100g KCl/dm3 and under the same operation conditions, the permeate flux decreased to 285 dm3/m2d, but the molar flux HCl increased to 18 mol/m2d. The results were compared with the data obtained for the plate and frame module.


Luminescent silica nanoparticles (LSNPs) are frequently employed for biotechnology applications mainly because of easy functionalization, photo-stability and biocompatibility. Bifunctional silica nanoparticles (BSNPs) are described here as new efficient tools for the understanding of a complex biological system such as biofilms. Photoluminescence is brought by the incorporation of a silylated ruthenium(II) complex, surface properties of the silica particles are designed by reaction with. BSNPs are fully characterized and Zeta potential and contact angle measurements exhibit various surface properties according to the functional groups. Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy measurements show that the spatial distribution of these nanoparticles inside PAO1 biofilm depends more on their hydrophilic/hydrophobic characteristics than on their size.


Plasmid R68.45 was transferred from Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO25 to the photosynthetic species Rhodopseudomonas gelatinosa and Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides by selection for resistance to antibiotics. R. sphaeroides strains carrying the plasmid could transfer the plasmid and also chromosomal genes to other strains of R. sphaeroides.


Modelling methods are nowadays at the heart of any geophysical interpretation approach. These are heavily relied upon by imaging techniques in elastodynamics and electromagnetism, where they are crucial for the extraction of subsurface characteristics from ever larger and denser datasets. While high‐frequency or one‐way approximations are very powerful and efficient, they reach their limits when complex geological settings and solutions of full equations are required at finite frequencies. A review of three important formulations is carried out here: the spectral method, which is very efficient and accurate but generally restricted to simple earth structures and often layered earth structures; the pseudo‐spectral, finite‐difference and finite‐volume methods based on strong formulation of the partial differential equations, which are easy to implement and currently represent a good compromise between accuracy, efficiency and flexibility and the continuous or discontinuous Galerkin finite‐element methods that are based on the weak formulation, which lead to more accurate earth representations and therefore to more accurate solutions, although with higher computational costs and more complex use. The choice between these different approaches is still difficult and depends on the applications. Guidelines are given here through discussion of the requirements for imaging/inversion.


Data on food supplement usage were collected from 2451 adults in seven Western states. No significant differences were determined among states. A majority (66.6%) of the sample used some form of food supplements, with 40.0% consuming one to three supplements per day. The archetype food supplement user was likely to be a young female with some college education, who believes that the nutritional quality of food has decreased in the last 10 yr and in the efficacy of supplements for disease prevention or cure, and primarily receives information concerning food and nutrition from books and health food stores. Correspondingly, one of the most frequently cited reasons for using food supplements, next to "to prevent colds and other illnesses" was "to make up for what is not in food." The three most frequently used food supplements, in rank order, were multiple vitamins, vitamin C, and multiple vitamins plus iron.


In a previous study (Yin et al. 2000. Annals of Botany 85: 579-585), a generic logarithmic equation for leaf area index (L) in relation to canopy nitrogen content (N) was developed: L=(1/ktn)1n(1+ktnN/nb). The equation has two parameters: the minimum leaf nitrogen required to support photosynthesis (nb), and the leaf nitrogen extinction coefficient (ktn). Relative to nb, there is less information in the literature regarding the variation of ktn. We therefore derived an equation to theoretically estimate the value of ktn. The predicted profile of leaf nitrogen in a canopy using this theoretically estimated value of ktn is slightly more uniform than the profile predicted by the optimum nitrogen distribution that maximizes canopy photosynthesis. Relative to the optimum profile, the predicted profile is somewhat closer to the observed one. Based on the L-N logarithmic equation and the theoretical ktn value, we further quantified early leaf area development of a canopy in relation to nitrogen using simulation analysis. In general, there are two types of relations between L and N, which hold for canopies at different developmental phases. For a fully developed canopy where the lowest leaves are senescing due to nitrogen shortage, the relationship between L and N is described well by the logarithmic model above. For a young, unclosed canopy (i.e. L < 1.0), the relation between L and N is nearly linear. This linearity is virtually the special case of the logarithmic model when applied to a young canopy where its total nitrogen content approaches zero and the amount of nitrogen in its lowest leaves is well above nb. The expected patterns of the L-N relationship are discussed for the phase of transition from young to fully developed canopies.