During major disasters or other emergencies, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams are responsible for extricating casualties safely from collapsed urban structures. The rescue work is dangerous due to possible further collapse, fire, dust or electricity hazards. Sometimes the necessary precautions and checks can last several hours before rescuers are safe to start the search for survivors. Remote controlled rescue robots provide the opportunity to support human rescuers to search the site for trapped casualties while they remain in a safe place.
The research reported in this thesis aimed to understand how robot behaviour and interface design can be applied to utilise the benefits of robot autonomy and how to inform future human-robot collaborative systems. The data was analysed in the context of USAR missions when using semi-autonomous remote controlled robot systems. The research focussed on the influence of robot feedback, robot reliability, task complexity, and transparency. The influence of these factors on trust, workload, and performance was examined. The overall goal of the research was to make the life of rescuers safer and enhance their performance to help others in distress.
Data obtained from the studies conducted for this thesis showed that semi-autonomous robot reliability is still the most dominant factor influencing trust, workload, and team performance. A robot with explanatory feedback was perceived as more competent, more efficient and less malfunctioning. The explanatory feedback was perceived as a clearer type of communication compared to concise robot feedback. Higher levels of robot transparency were perceived as more trustworthy. However, single items on the trust questionnaire were manipulated and further investigation is necessary. However, neither explanatory feedback from the robot nor robot transparency, increased team performance or mediated workload levels.
Task complexity mainly influenced human-robot team performance and the participants' control allocation strategy. Participants allowed the robot to find more targets and missed more robot errors in the high complexity conditions compared to the low task complexity conditions. Participants found more targets manually in the low complexity tasks.
In addition, the research showed that recording the observed robot performance (the performance of the robot that was witnessed by the participant) can help to identify the cause of contradicting results: participants might not have noticed some of the robots mistakes and therefore they were not able to distinguish between the robot reliability levels.
Furthermore, the research provided a foundation of knowledge regarding the real world application of USAR in the United Kingdom. This included collecting knowledge via an autoethnographic approach about working processes, command structures, currently used technical equipment, and attitudes of rescuers towards robots. Also, recommendations about robot behaviour and interface design were collected throughout the research.
However, recommendations made in the thesis include consideration of the overall outcome (mission performance) and the perceived usefulness of the system in order to support the uptake of the technology in real world applications. In addition, autonomous features might not be appropriate in all USAR applications. When semi-autonomous robot trials were compared to entirely manual operation, only the robot with an average of 97% reliability significantly increased the team performance and reduced the time needed to complete the USAR scenario compared to the manually operated robot. Unfortunately, such high robot success levels do not exist to date.
This research has contributed to our understanding of the factors influencing human-robot collaboration in USAR operations, and provided guidance for the next generation of autonomous robots.


Abstract Conventional wisdom holds that potential offenders are more responsive to increases in the certainty than increases in the severity of punishment. In standard law enforcement models, this assumption implies that criminals are risk seeking. We add to the existing literature by showing that offenders who discount future monetary benefits can be more responsive to the certainty rather than the severity of punishment, even when they are risk averse, and even when their disutility from imprisonment rises proportionally (or more than proportionally) with the length of the sentence.


The ultimate goal of cloud providers by providing resources is increasing their revenues. This goal leads to a selfish behavior that negatively affects the users of a commercial multicloud environment. In this paper, we introduce a pricing model and a truthful mechanism for scheduling single tasks considering two objectives: monetary cost and completion time. With respect to the social cost of the mechanism, i.e., minimizing the completion time and monetary cost, we extend the mechanism for dynamic scheduling of scientific workflows. We theoretically analyze the truthfulness and the efficiency of the mechanism and present extensive experimental results showing significant impact of the selfish behavior of the cloud providers on the efficiency of the whole system. The experiments conducted using real-world and synthetic workflow applications demonstrate that our solutions dominate in most cases the Pareto-optimal solutions estimated by two classical multiobjective evolutionary algorithms.


The article describes the new psychophysiological test, as well as the evaluation formulas and application methods. This test makes it possible to obtain information in the conditions of long cruise about the performance capabilities of seamen who went through infectious diseases in order to study their readaptation and rehabilitation process. Traditional tests of Landolt's rings or Anfimov's letters don't dispose these possibilities. The new test provide information not only about visual analyser, but also concerning different psychophysiological characteristics of a patient.


Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell density-dependent mechanism that affects microbial metabolism and gene expression. In fungi, the QS phenomenon has first been described for the opportunistic pathogen C. albicans, which produces farnesol as a QS molecule to regulate virulence determinants. Aside from controlling morphogenesis, the impact of farnesol throughout the infection process has been only partially elucidated. The aim of this study was to unravel the impact of farnesol on innate immune cells important for fungal clearance and protective immune response. Therefore, neutrophils, monocytes and dendritic cells (DC) were investigated concerning phenotype and effector mechanisms. Farnesol activated neutrophils and monocytes, reflected in an enhanced expression of activation markers on the surface of both immune cells and in an increased release of proteolytic enzymes by neutrophils and pro-inflammatory cytokines by monocytes. This low-grade activation was not sufficient to influence fungicidal activity of neutrophils and monocytes towards C. albicans. The greatest impact of farnesol was found on the differentiation process of human monocytes into mature DC. Substantial changes were observed to the differentiation phenotype characterized by reduced expression of markers important for maturation and antigen presentation. Furthermore, farnesol influenced the release of a variety of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, wherein the secretion of Th1-inducing cytokines such as IL 12 were markedly reduced. Limitations in mobility and a reduced T cell stimulatory capacity of DC generated in the presence of farnesol were ascertained and suggest an immunomodulatory function of farnesol. Altogether, this study promotes the ability of farnesol to act as a virulence factor of C. albicans by influencing innate immune cells to promote inflammation and dampening the Th1 response which is essential for fungal clearance.


Herein is described the synthesis of (+)-camphor derivatives containing sulfonamide groups, ferrocenylmethylidene or arylidene moieties. The obtained derivatives were tested against seven human cancer cells lines, namely BV-173, K-256a, NB-4, A549, H1299, MCF-7, and MDA-MB231, and two normal human cell lines, HEK293 and HUVEC, in order to determine their activity against malignant cells. Some of them exhibit IC50 values below 10 μM in at least one of the cancer cell lines. Ferrocenylmethylidene ketone 16 can be outlined as the most potent and selective in the current study (IC50 for cancer cells – up to 4.0 μM; IC50 for HEK293 and HUVEC – 68 and 69 μM, respectively). There is a clear trend showing that the presence of a conjugated ferrocenylmethylidene group is essential for the cytotoxicity, however different sulfonamide substituents and derivatization of the carbonyl group can modify the activity. Thus, this class of compounds could have good prospects for further structural optimisation.


This article synthesizes recent and ongoing finance and economics research on pandemic and disaster risk related to COVID-19. Characterized by pronounced market movements and extreme volatility, the unprecedented disruption to the economy in early 2020 has inspired a rich, burgeoning literature on the financial and economic ramifications of pandemic risk. Financial economists have cultivated fresh perspectives regarding the transmission of pandemic-induced uncertainty to financial markets via channels related to the beliefs and behaviors of investors as well as corporate strategies and outcomes. These findings also highlight the imperative role of government policy responses in regulating the market volatility triggered by large-scale disasters such as the pandemic. In this article, the authors take stock of this emerging literature, focusing on the implications for volatility and risk management. In doing so, they discuss the unique nature of the uncertainty induced by COVID-19 relative to that of past crises. They also review cutting-edge studies that use innovative analytical approaches and novel sources of data, offering fruitful avenues for future research. TOPICS: Tail risks, financial crises and financial market history, big data/machine learning Key Findings ▪ We synthesize recent and ongoing research in the finance and economics literature on pandemic and disaster risk related to COVID-19 and discuss the implications for asset pricing, volatility, and risk management. ▪ Pandemic-induced uncertainty led to extreme market movements in early 2020. We explore possible channels, such as investor beliefs and behaviors and corporate strategies, through which this risk was transmitted to the financial markets. ▪ Lessons learned from the recent pandemic will continue to have implications for volatility and risk management, even after the pandemic ends.


This article examines the relationship between oil prices and economic growth. From both economic theory and empirical analysis, the relationship between oil prices and economic growth is unclear. Existing studies have shown that oil-exporting countries have enjoyed economic growth in general; however, the effects on the economies are different for oil-importing countries. Using empirical methods, oil price increases cause positive economic growth in the United States, European Union, and Japan. The empirical analysis also shows that appreciation of each domestic currency brings economic growth. However, VAR results show that these effects at best last long only one year or so.


This study aimed to investigate the changes in maxillary sinus volume, pharyngeal airway volume, and hyoid bone position in patients treated with Rapid Maxillary Expansion (RME) and Alternate Rapid Maxillary Expansion and Constriction (AltRaMEC) – Facemask therapy and compare between the groups.

 The records of 15 patients between the age group of 8-14 years with Class I and Class III malocclusion were collected, and the patients were assigned into two groups. The first group comprised of 8patients (4 girls and 4 boys) who were treated with Rapid Maxillary Expansion. The second group comprised 7 patients (5 boys and 2 girls) treated with expansion devices using Alt-RaMEC protocol followed by maxillary protraction using a facemask. Pre and post-treatment CBCT scans were obtained and analyzed for changes in the pharyngeal airway, maxillary sinus volume, and hyoid bone position. The maxillary sinus volume was calculated in 3 dimensions by measuring the craniocaudal height, anteroposterior depth, and mediolateral width. Measurements were taken before and after the procedure to compare the groups and between the groups. The data were analyzed using Paired t-test and an Independent t-test.

 In the RME group, a significant increase in the total maxillary sinus volume (mean difference = 520±576.57mm3), especially in the craniocaudal height, was seen, but no changes were noted in the pharyngeal airway and hyoid position. The AltRAMEC group showed a statistically significant increase in the maxillary sinus volume (anteroposteriorly) and nasopharyngeal volume with a p-value <0.005. Comparing the maxillary sinus volume changes in RME and AltRAMEC groups showed a statistically significant increase in the volume of the maxillary sinuses in both groups, significantly higher in the RME group.

 RME and AltRAMEC protocol followed by facemask therapy caused a significant increase in the maxillary sinus volume, while no changes were noted in the nasopharynx, oropharynx, hypopharynx, and hyoid bone position. While comparing the treatment effects between the groups, RME showed a greater increase in maxillary sinus volume (p < 0.05), specifically in the anteroposterior dimension. Since there are no changes in airway volume and hyoid position with the skeletal expansion protocols, there will be no difference in nasal resistance to airflow.


Scour around pile groups is rather complicated and not yet fully understood due to the fact that it arises from the triple interaction of fluid‐structure‐seabed. In this study, two data mining approaches, i.e. Support Vector Machines (SVM) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), were applied to estimate the wave-induced scour depth around pile groups. To consider various arrangements of pile groups in the development of the models, datasets collected in the field and laboratory studies were used and arrangement parameters were considered in the models. Several non-dimensional controlling parameters, including the Keulegan‐Carpenter number, pile Reynolds number, Shield's parameter, sediment number, gap to diameter ratio and number of piles were used as the inputs. Performances of the developed SVM and ANN models were compared with those of existing empirical methods. Results indicate that the data mining approaches used outperform empirical methods in terms of accuracy. They also indicate that SVM will provide a better estimation of scour depth than ANN (back-propagation/multi-layer perceptron). Sensitivity analysis was also carried out to investigate the relative importance of non-dimensional parameters. It was found that the Keulegan‐Carpenter number and gap to diameter ratio have the greatest effect on the equilibrium scour depth around pile groups.


Three groups of seedlings of snap bean cultivars Contender and Conquest were planted in Coto clay, Fraternidad silty clay, and San Anton silt loam; inoculated with 10,000 eggs and second stage juveniles of Meloidogyne incognita  and placed in growth chambers at 15, 20 and 25° C for 45 days. Multinucleate giant cells with thick cell walls and dense cytoplasm surrounded by proliferation of small cells, breakdown of cell walls, and malformation of vascular bundles were observed. No giant cells were observed in bacterial nodules, even though several of them were invaded by nematodes. Cytoplasmic content of the giant cells decreased as temperature increased. Nematode numbers within roots increased as the temperature increased. There was a tendency for the formation of oval or rectangular giant cells around the vascular bundles and round giant cells in the cortex. Giant cells with the largest number of nuclei were observed at 20° C, and fewer at 25° C. Giant cell was largest at 20 and 25° C, especially in cv Contender. Necrosis or mechanic injury due to migration of juveniles was not observed. The nematodes appeared to develop best in Fraternidad soil.


Background: Apical dissection and control of the dorsal vein complex (DVC) affects blood loss, apical positive margins, and urinary control during robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP). Objective: To describe technique and outcomes for athermal DVC division followed by selective suture ligation (DVC-SSL) compared with DVC suture ligation followed by athermal division (SL-DVC). Design, settings, and participants: Retrospective study of prospectively collected data from February 2008 to July 2010 for 303 SL-DVC and 240 DVC-SSL procedures. Surgical procedure: RALP with comparison of DVC-SSL prior to anastomosis versus early SL-DVC prior to bladder-neck dissection. Measurements: Blood loss, transfusions, operative time, apical and overall positive margins, urine leaks, catheterization duration, and urinary control at 5 and 12 mo evaluated using 1) the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index (EPIC) urinary function scale and 2) continence defined as zero pads per day. Results and limitations: Menwho underwent DVC-SSL versus SL-DVCwere older (mean: 59.9 vs 57.8 yr, p < 0.001), and relatively fewer white men underwent DVC-SSL versus SL-DVC (87.5% vs 96.7%, p < 0.001). Operative times were also shorter for DVC-SSL versus SL-DVC (mean: 132 vs 147 min, p < 0.001). Men undergoing DVC-SSL versus SL-DVC experienced greater blood loss (mean: 184.3 vs 175.6 ml, p = 0.033), and one DVC-SSL versus zero SL-DVC were transfused (p = 0.442). Overall (12.2% vs 12.0%, p = 1.0) and apical (1.3% vs 2.7%, p = 0.361) positive surgical margins were similar for DVC-SSL versus SL-DVC. Although 5-mo postoperative urinary function (mean: 72.9 vs 55.4, p < 0.001) and continence (61.4% vs 39.6%, p < 0.001) were better for DVC-SSL versus SL-DVC, 12-mo urinary outcomes were similar. In adjusted analyses, DVC-SSL versus SL-DVC was associated with shorter operative times (parameter estimate [PE] ! standard error [SE]: 16.84 ! 2.56, p < 0.001), and better 5-mo urinary function (PE ! SE: 19.93 ! 3.09, p < 0.001) and continence (odds ratio 3.39, 95% confidence interval 2.07–5.57, p < 0.001). Conclusions: DVC-SSL versus SL-DVC improves early urinary control and shortens operative times due to fewer instrument changes with late versus early DVC control. # 2010 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


Summary
1There is often a perceived conflict between recreational access and wildlife conservation. Although many studies have investigated the potential effects on birds, this is the first study to demonstrate an impact of recreational disturbance on population size.
2We studied the impact of disturbance on a woodlark Lullula arborea population on 16 heathland sites in southern England. These sites all had historical records of breeding woodlarks and together encompassed a range of visitor-access levels.
3A logistic regression model of patch use was used to quantify the area of habitat suitable for woodlarks. Woodlarks favoured patches with substantial proportions of bare ground and short vegetation. Across heaths, woodlark density (per hectare of suitable habitat) was lower on sites with higher levels of disturbance. Within heaths with recreational access, the probability of suitable habitat being colonized was lower in those areas with greater disturbance and was reduced to below 50% at around eight disturbance events per hour. There was no relationship between disturbance and daily nest survival rates. Birds on heaths with higher levels of disturbance fledged more chicks (per pair) because of a strong density-dependent increase in reproductive output.
4A model is presented that predicts the consequences for the woodlark population of a range of access scenarios. The impact on the population depends on both the numbers of people and their spatial distribution. Under current access arrangements, a doubling of visitor numbers has little effect, while the same number of people distributed evenly across all sites leads to a major negative impact on the population. Density-dependent breeding success partially balances the negative effects of disturbance; however, we calculated that there is currently a 17% reduction in productivity compared with that predicted in the absence of disturbance.
5Synthesis and applications. Many previous studies have stressed the negative effects of recreational disturbance on birds' behaviour, distribution and breeding success. However, from a conservation viewpoint, the impact at the population level is of paramount importance. Modelling the population-scale consequences of alternative access scenarios will help policymakers develop appropriate mitigation measures.


A process for a poly(butyl methacrylate) optical fibers production by reactive extrusion was developed. The reactive system was adapted to the reduced reaction time in the extruder combining concepts based on the free volume theory and a kinetic model for mass polymerization a butyl methacrylate. A kinetic model was proposed and the reaction evolution was simulated at different temperature and initiator concentration. This allowed the choice of reaction conditions in adequation with reactive extrusion technical limitations. Reactive extrusion experiments were carried out in a twin-screw extruder and the effect of the different kinetic and process conditions on the reaction were analyzed in relation with the


Earthquake source parameters such as seismic stress drop and corner frequency are observed to vary widely, leading to persistent discussion on potential scaling of stress drop and event size. Physical mechanisms that govern stress drop variations are difficult to evaluate in nature and are more readily studied in controlled laboratory experiments. We perform two stick-slip experiments on fractured (rough) and cut (smooth) Westerly granite samples to explore fault roughness effects on acoustic emission (AE) source parameters. We separate large stick-slip events that generally saturate the seismic recording system from populations of smaller AE events which are sensitive to fault stresses prior to slip. AE event populations show many similarities to natural seismicity and may be interpreted as laboratory equivalent of natural microseismic events. We then compare the temporal evolution of mechanical data such as measured stress release during slip to temporal changes in stress drops derived from AEs using the spectral ratio technique. We report on two primary observations: (1) In contrast to most case studies for natural earthquakes, we observe a strong increase in seismic stress drop with AE size. (2) The scaling of stress drop with magnitude is governed by fault roughness, whereby the rough fault shows a more rapid increase of the stress drop–magnitude relation with progressing large stick-slip events than the smooth fault. The overall range of AE sizes on the rough surface is influenced by both the average grain size and the width of the fault core. The magnitudes of the smallest AE events on smooth faults may also be governed by grain size. However, AEs significantly grow beyond peak roughness and the width of the fault core. Our laboratory tests highlight that source parameters vary substantially in the presence of fault zone heterogeneity (i.e. roughness and narrow grain size distribution), which may affect seismic energy partitioning and static stress drops of small and large AE events.


INTRODUCTION
Our goal was to compare operative vs. conservative therapeutic strategies after injuries following ERCP.

METHODS
Eight patients with ERCP-induced injuries were surveyed retrospectively. Four of them were treated operatively, four conservatively. Criteria for an operative therapy were clinical and radiological findings and laboratory data.

RESULTS
The four patients that were treated conservatively had an uncomplicated course whereas three of four patients treated operatively had long and complicated stays. In these patients the operation was performed more than 24 hours after injury. All of them showed advanced biliary peritonitis. One patient was operated on within 24 hours. He was discharged after a short stay without complications. All injuries were located in the retroperitoneum. Five patients showed anatomical abnormality of either duodenum, papilla or common bile duct. In five cases the duodenum was involved in the injury.

CONCLUSIONS
The course of disease of the operated patients was longer and more complicated compared to those treated conservatively. According to our data the timing of the operation seems to be an important criterion with respect to the prognosis. Due to the small number of patients, whether conservative therapy should be preferred cannot be determined. The role of the location of injury is also not clarified.


Abstract Among the thousands of people killed or reported missing in Thailand during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami were villagers in small communities on the Andaman Coast. A combination of factors contributed to loss of life, including the lack of defined evacuation routes. This vulnerability to tsunami attacks has recently been addressed with the demarcation of evacuation routes, along both well-maintained arteries and native surface (unpaved) roads. However, poor location design and irregular maintenance will reduce the lifetime that the latter can provide safe egress from remote coastlines. In this work we identified 10 major gullies and 18 landslides along a critical 0.5 km section of a tsunami evacuation road accessing a remote beach of the Andaman Coast in southern Thailand. Erosion rates from landslides and gullies approached 9500 Mg ha−1 in less than a year following widening of the road. Importantly, the degradation features, landslides in particular, reduced the effectiveness of the road to serve as a safe passageway to escape future tsunamis or large storm surges. This study demonstrates that greater attention should be given to appropriate road location, design and maintenance in integrated programmes aimed at reducing tsunami vulnerability in remote coastal areas, not only on the Andaman Coast, but worldwide.


Introduction: The National Health and Morbidity Survey Malaysia (NHMS 2011) finding showed that female adults (including housewives) are one of the high risk groups that require specific obesity intervention. This paper describes the development and methodology of the My Body is Fit and Fabulous at home (MyBFF@ home), an intervention study to combat obesity among housewives.
Methods: The MyBFF@home was conducted in 2 phases and involved mixed quantitative and qualitative methods. Phase I (development of the intervention package) included scoping review, construction and development of initial package, in-depth interviews and, consultations with experts and stakeholders. Phase II (intervention) was a quasi-experimental study which involved pre-post intervention (6 months of weight loss intervention and 6 months of weight sustainability) among 18-59 year old housewives in Klang Valley, Malaysia.
Results: Four components were identified for the Intervention Group: individual diet and physical activity (PA) counselling, selfmonitoring tools (food diary and PA diary), group exercise (brisk walking and pillow dumbbell) and a reduced calorie diet. Weight loss was targeted at 5% from the initial weight, and implemented for 6 months of intervention, and another 6 months of weight sustainability. Monitoring of anthropometric, cardiometabolic parameters, body composition, dietary intake, PA, body pain, quality of life, symptoms related to weight loss and health literacy were included. The Control Group was involved in series of women's seminar and the self-monitoring tools. A total of 328 housewives were recruited from 14 low cost flats.
Conclusion: MyBFF@home weight loss intervention for housewives was developed in a systematic manner. The methodology utilised local and international guidelines on the obesity management and it provides evidence on the community-based weight loss intervention among adult females in Malaysia. The package can be modified and adapted to the current weight loss programme to combat obesity among the Malaysian population.


The aetiology of rapidly destructive arthropathy is still being debated. We report a 48-year-old male haemophiliac who exhibited hip arthropathy that was similar to rapidly destructive arthropathy. The hip joint was destroyed 6 months after the onset of symptoms. Results of clinical and laboratory examinations did not show any features of neuropathic, inflammatory or septic arthropathy, except for coagulopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an expansive joint capsule with synovial proliferation in the affected hip joint. Total hip arthroplasty was carried out successfully with total resection of the synovial tissue and joint capsule. A histological examination revealed bone necrosis, nonspecific inflammation, haemosiderosis and synovial hypertrophy. The recurrent bleeding into the hip joint induced pronounced inflammation with synovial proliferation and acute destruction of bony tissue.


This article intends to be constituted as a reflection about weblogs, while a space - in the screen territory - for the production of educators' speech and scenario of the representations constructed by them. Weblogs are understood not only as cyber diaries, but as an extension of the individual identity of the subjects in the cyberspace and publicizing the representations of self and the world they have. That subjectivity is constituted in a social practice that, in turn, establishes ideology as meanings of reality materialized in discursive practices. Social representation is then a form of socially constructed and shared knowledge, that weaves the construction of a common reality in the social group. So, taking a scenario of weblogs of four literacy teachers, this study aims to identify in the speech – deterritorialized of the school space for the digital world – of these teachers, the characteristics of the subject-teacher there constituted and the representations that reflect and / or refract social features in the voice of these educators in their virtual diaries. Also, during the research I have seeked to understand if to the teachers' speeches is undertaken a practice of meaningful learning or a teaching proposal that aims at the mere transmission of knowledge.


The increase in bacterial drug resistance causes major difficulties in the clinical treatment of a growing number of bacterial infections worldwide. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop novel anti-bacterial agents to control these resistant pathogens and to complement the currently used antibiotics. Mastitis is the most prevalent disease impacting dairy cattle, and therefore one of the costliest diseases in the global dairy industry. The excessive use of curative as well as preventive antibiotics in this sector entails a real risk for the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Moreover, these traditional antimicrobial agents are often ineffective and lead to residues in the milk, which can affect dairy product consumers. As an alternative therapeutic approach, bacteriophages and phage-encoded endolysins have been proposed and are currently (re)investigated as potential antibacterial agents against mastitis.


Data warehouses are used in many domains. Their purpose is to store historical data and to assist in the decision making process. Multimedia data warehouses are used for storing files which contain texts, graphics, videos and sound. These kinds of files are produced in large quantities, in fields such as medicine or space research. We propose a framework for building such a data warehouse, structuring the data in a familiar way, for a warehouse user. We present a hierarchical way of structuring the data and the information extracted. We also propose a method of semantically enhancing the data and the information extraction process with the use of hierarchical metadata.


A critical issue in transfection or cotransfection experiments is to define the appropriate controls. In most cases, a corresponding empty vector is used as one control. We report a paradoxical effect of empty mammalian expression vectors on different reporters. We have found that different empty vectors can inhibit or stimulate the same reporter. In addition, the same vector can have different effects on different reporters. This situation is further complicated by the observation that the effects of a vector on a reporter can vary depending on


Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) gag-specific major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-restricted cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity was elicited in four out of six cynomolgus macaques after two immunizations with SIV gag recombinant vaccinia virus (rVV). No activity could be seen in three out of three non-immunized control animals. Low levels of anti-gag antibody were also seen in the same four responding animals. Virus-specific, MHC-restricted CTL are thought to give some protection and to assist in recovery in viral infection, and the induction of such CTL following vaccination with a single viral protein should act as an encouragement to those proposing similar vaccination studies in man.


The roles of inhibitory neurons in synchronous firing are examined in a network of excitatory and inhibitory neurons with Watts and Strogatz's rewiring. By examining the persistence of the synchronous firing that exists in the random network, it was found that there is a probability of rewiring at which a transition between the synchronous state and the asynchronous state takes place, and the dynamics of the inhibitory neurons play an important role in determining this probability.


Recent efforts dedicated to the further development of tourism have significantly increased awareness and boasted the economic growth of Iran. Accordingly, Eslami Island project aimed at advancing the regional and national tourism. Regional identity was the key factor in the design process for Eslami island tourism developments, meeting its obligation as a sustainable system. This article explores the importance of 'regional identity', and its' use to regenerates the project, thus portraying other principles of sustainable tourism.
Keywords: Identity, sustainable design, tourism development, Iran
eISSN 2514-7528 © 2018. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.


Abstract The growing number of health-data breaches, the use of genomic databases for law enforcement purposes and the lack of transparency of personal-genomics companies are raising unprecedented privacy concerns. To enable a secure exploration of genomic datasets with controlled and transparent data access, we propose a novel approach that combines cryptographic privacy-preserving technologies, such as homomorphic encryption and secure multi-party computation, with the auditability of blockchains. This approach provides strong security guarantees against realistic threat models by empowering individual citizens to decide who can query and access their genomic data and by ensuring end-to-end data confidentiality. Our open-source implementation supports queries on the encrypted genomic data of hundreds of thousands of individuals, with minimal overhead. Our work opens a path towards multi-functional, privacy-preserving genomic-data analysis. One Sentence Summary A citizen-centered open-source response to the privacy concerns that hinder population genomics, based on modern cryptography.


The relationship between the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU) has at times been characterized by considerable conflict, mistrust, and tension, often hindering the predictability and conduct of effective peace operations. This article analyses the challenges facing UN–AU cooperation on peace and security issues and examines their partnerships in various peace operations. Specific attention is paid to the crucial cases of Somalia and Mali, which exemplify some of the positive and negative aspects of this relationship. We argue that while great power politics and the international normative context have played important roles in structuring debates about peace operations in contemporary Africa, so too have two more bottom-up factors: the specific operational and financial challenges generated by the AU's big missions in Darfur, Somalia, and Mali, and the organizational cultures and bureaucratic constraints within which both institutions have had to work. Greater focus on these bottom-up factors could bring significant improvements to the decision-making processes in Addis Ababa and New York, to operational responses, and to the conduct of peace operations.


Abstract This chapter summarizes the available stratigraphic, petrographical and mineralogical evidence from sediments and sedimentary rocks on the evolution of the Himalayan belt and its associated foreland basin. The use of compositional signatures of modern sediments to unravel provenance changes and palaeodrainage evolution through time is hampered by a poor match with detrital modes of ancient strata markedly affected by selective chemical dissolution of unstable minerals during diagenesis. Only semi-quantitative diagnoses can thus be attempted. Volcanic detritus derived from Transhimalayan arcs since India–Asia collision onset at c. 60 Ma was deposited onto the Indian lower plate throughout the Protohimalayan stage, with the exception of the Tansen region of Nepal that is characterized by quartz-arenites yielding orogen-derived zircon grains. During the Eohimalayan stage, begun in the late Eocene when most sedimentation ceased in the Tethys Himalayan domain, low-rank metasedimentary detritus was overwhelming in the central foreland basin, where a widespread unconformity developed spanning locally as much as 20 myr. Volcanic detritus from Transhimalayan arcs remained significant in northern Pakistan. Arrival of higher-rank metamorphic detritus since the earliest Miocene, and the successive occurrence of garnet, staurolite, kyanite and finally sillimanite, characterized the Neohimalayan stage, when repeated compositional changes in the foreland-basin succession document the stepwise propagation of crustal deformation across the Indian Plate margin and widening of the thrust belt with exhumation of progressively more external tectonic units. The correspondence in time between the activity of major thrusts and petrofacies changes indicates a promising approach to accurately reconstruct the geological evolution of the coupled orogen–basin system. Conversely, a poor conceptual framework and the general reliance on ad hoc mechanisms to explain phenomena unpredicted by simplified models represent major factors limiting the robustness of palaeotectonic interpretations. Improved knowledge requires taking into full account the dynamic role played by still poorly understood subduction processes – rather than exclusively the effect of passive loading – as well as the role played by the presence of inherited structures on the downgoing Indian Plate, which control both lateral variability of orogenic deformation and the location of depocentres in the foreland basin.


During the past decade, the international community has witnessed several attacks on forms of mass transportation such as train stations and subways. The Department of Homeland Security requested that we develop methods to assess the security of mass transit in order to mitigate the vulnerability of the nation's public transportation systems. We present a methodology to quantify the impact of imposing screening on mass transit, which considers both security and delays incurred on the traveling public. We demonstrate the approach through a case study, the Fairfield Metro Station in Fairfield, Connecticut. Our results indicate that rigorous aviation-style screening will slow the flow of passengers drastically. We also show how to use the approach to identify where faster screening technologies can improve passenger throughput while ensuring security. The approach can thus be used to identify areas where investments in technology improvement would most effectively enhance security and convenience.


Resources and ideas to apply the skills and experiences you gain with your Fine Arts degree toward a successful career.


optimization technique has been applied for large-scale linear dynamic multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) system. The method is based on error minimization technique where the integral square error between the transient responses of original and reduced order models has been minimized by RCGA. The reduction procedure is simple computer oriented and the approach is comparable in quality with the other well-known reduction techniques. Also, the proposed method guarantees stability of the reduced model if the original high-order MIMO system is stable. The proposed approach of MIMO system order reduction is illustrated with the help of an example and the results are compared with the recently published other well-known reduction techniques to show its superiority.


This work presents results on the influence of fluoride ions on the behavior of layers whose main component is the phase TiAl0.3Si1.7 (called t2 phase), formed on TiAl6V4 substrate. Layers were prepared in AlSi20 melt at 650 ° C for 60 min. Potentiodynamic curves were measured in a chloride solution with 0 and 5000 ppm fluoride. Layer were shifted corrosion potential to more negative values and at the some time reduce the corrosion current density (Im). Values of Im are in the potential range of 300 – 1500 mV (SCE) for TiAl6V4 with Ti-Al-Si layers significantly lower in comparison with Im values found for TiAl6V4 in chloride solution containing 5000 F-. The electrochemical tests showed that Ti-Al-Si layer had marked positive effect on corrosion resistance of TiAl6V4 alloys in aggressive environment with high content of F-.


Total hip replacement (THR) is a successful procedure that demonstrates excellent long term survival rates in the elderly patient population. Resurfacing and large diameter bearing total hip components were introduced to improve survivorship in younger patients but problems associated with high levels of wear and component loosening has limited their acceptance in regular clinical practice. Aurora Medical Ltd (Southampton, UK) identified a need for a large diameter bearing hip replacement which offered high postoperative quality of life in the younger patient cohort through the development of a more biomechanically compliant acetabular component. Carbon fibre reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFRPEEK) has been identified as a potential bearing material for orthopaedic applications due to its proven mechanical and chemical properties, and its biocompatibility. This thesis outlines a preliminary design evaluation of a large diameter bearing CFRPEEK acetabular component, and focusses on four areas: First, a novel cup design was investigated; the intention of the design was to provide more natural load transfer across the joint. The anatomic geometry of the acetabular load bearing surface was characterised, and incorporated into the design of a varying thickness acetabular cup. Second, the relationship between the manufacturing processing parameters and the internal structure of CFRPEEK was investigated, assessing fibre orientation, distribution and defect population. It was found that the material injection location influenced fibre orientation and although a homogeneous fibre distribution was identified, the presence of porosity suggested that the injection holding pressure and/or the holding time were not adequate for successful moulding. Third, implant fixation was considered; a primary fixation method was developed which involved creating a unique arrowhead structure onto the cup's backing surface through two-stage moulding. The initial fixation provided by the moulded arrowheads was successfully verified through implantation and extraction investigations. However, further research needs to be conducted on the moulding procedure to ensure a consistent arrowhead shaped structure free from defects is formed. Two osseointegrative coating options to enhance secondary fixation of the cup were assessed. A hydroxyapatite on titanium coating exhibited the highest adhesion strength and did not compromise fatigue or tensile properties of the material. Finally, studies were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of the digital volume correlation (DVC) technique to assess the change in the peri-prosthetic bone strain distribution as a result of implantation. It was found that bone was an ideal material candidate for DVC when imaged alone; however, the introduction of an acetabular component generated artefacts which compromised image quality and restricted the outcomes. A set of alterations to the image acquisition process were recommended to reduce these artefacts enabling the feasibility of the technique in calculating strains in the peri-prosthetic bone to be realised.


: Using micro-data from household expenditure surveys, we document the evolution of consumption poverty in the United States over the last four decades. Employing a price index that appears appropriate for low income households, we show that poverty has not declined materially since the 1980s and even increased for the young. We then analyze which social and economic factors help explain the extent of poverty in the U.S. using probit, tobit, and machine learning techniques. Our results are threefold. First, we identify the poor as more likely to be minorities, without a college education, never married, and living in the Midwest. Second, the importance of some factors, such as race and ethnicity, for determining poverty has declined over the last decades but they remain significant. Third, we find that social and economic factors can only partially capture the likelihood of being poor, pointing to the possibility that random factors ("bad luck") could play a significant role.


Microbiological biofilms on rocks are ubiquitous in nature and their influence on soil formation through rock weathering has been shown (Gorbushina 2007). However, most previous studies on rock weathering are limited to understanding the physical and chemical aspects overlooking the impact of biota. Due to the enormous amounts of variables that come with a biological process, the quantification of its influence is only possible by using well-controlled and simplified laboratory models. Thereby gaining more insight on the impact of rock inhabiting biofilms on mineral weathering. This presentation will show the impact of biotic weathering in terms of olivine dissolution rates

Natural forsterite was incubated in batch reactor flasks with and without a model consortium consisting of the phototrophic cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme and the rock-inhabiting ascomycete Knufia petricola, and submerged in a growth solution (pH 6). The flasks were incubated for 30 days under 25°C, 90 µmol photons/m2s and were shaken at 150 rpm. qPCR was performed to quantify the cell number of both organisms, BET to gather the specific surface of the used olivine and ICP-OES to follow up the change of concentration of the leached out metals.

Our results show that our model consortium, especially K. petricola does increase the dissolution rate of olivine. The pH increased from the initial 6 to around 7.2 for all setups. Initially Mg was preferentially released over Si (Mg/Si of 3.5), until after two days the ratio starts equilibrating around stoichiometric dissolution. During this timeframe the dissolution rate drops by nearly two orders of magnitude, just as observed by Daval et al., (2011). The difference in dissolution rates between the different setups is initially non-existent, but increases over time. After 30 days the setup with K. petricola gives a dissolution rate of 1.08 10-13 moles/cm2s, compared to 9.23 10-14 moles/cm2s for the abiotic setup.

We expect this study to cause awareness on the impact of microbiology on mineral weathering. Additionally it is a starting point for other, more complicated experiments using for instance flow through or drip flow reactors or other minerals.


Abstract The mechanism responsible for the induction of the 2-5A synthetase gene by interferon-γ, (IFN-γ) (type II) was studied in Friend leukemia cells. It was previously shown that activation of 2-5A synthetase gene expression by IFN-γ in the 3CI8 cell, a clone resistant to IFN-α,β (type I), correlates with the formation of two major complexes, designated Fg and Fc, that bind to the interferon-stimulated responsive element of the gene. Conversely, in a clone resistant to both types of IFNs (3γ,R8), no induction of DNA-protein complexes or of 2-5A synthetase gene expression was detected. In the present report the Fg complex has been characterized as including the interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF-1), whereas the Fc factor, present also in control cells, has been characterized as composed of IRF-2. Incubation of cell extracts with antibodies to IRF-1 abolishes the formation of the Fg complex, and antibodies to IRF-2 abolish the formation of the Fc complex. Moreover, in the 3018 cell, IFN-γ is able to induce in few minutes the formation of a complex between a DNA element identified as the IFN-γ, activation site (GAS), present on the IRF-1 gene promoter, and the STAT1 protein. These findings suggest that in cells resistant to type I IFN, IFN-γ is able, through the activation of the STAT1 protein, to induce the expression of the IRF-1 factor which in turn seems to be sufficient to transactivate the 2-5A synthetase gene.


Bluetongue virus (BTV) can infect most species of domestic and wild ruminants causing substantial morbidity and mortality and, consequently, high economic losses. In 2006, an epizootic of BTV serotype 8 (BTV-8) started in northern Europe that caused significant disease in cattle and sheep before comprehensive vaccination was introduced two years later. Here, we evaluate the potential of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), an alphaherpesvirus, as a novel vectored DIVA (differentiating infected from vaccinated animals) vaccine expressing VP2 of BTV-8 alone or in combination with VP5. The EHV-1 recombinant viruses stably expressed the transgenes and grew with kinetics that were identical to those of parental virus in vitro. After immunization of mice, a BTV-8-specific neutralizing antibody response was elicited. In a challenge experiment using a lethal dose of BTV-8, 100% of interferon-receptor-deficient (IFNAR−/−) mice vaccinated with the recombinant EHV-1 carrying both VP2 and VP5, but not VP2 alone, survived. VP7 was not included in the vectored vaccines and was successfully used as a DIVA marker. In summary, we show that EHV-1 expressing BTV-8 VP2 and VP5 is capable of eliciting a protective immune response that is distinguishable from that after infection and as such may be an alternative for BTV vaccination strategies in which DIVA compatibility is of importance.


Community-acquired bloodstream infections are the infections detected within 48 hours of hospitalization, showing positive blood culture and develop spontaneously without an association with any prior medical interventions. Aims of the study are to identify the clinical profile of patients, detect the pathogens causing community-acquired bloodstream infections (CA-BSI) and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern and to perform the molecular characterization of resistant pathogens. Under strict aseptic precautions, blood samples were collected and processed as per standard protocol and isolates identified. Their antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method under CLSI guidelines. Vancomycin sensitivity tested using Vancomycin Screen agar and confirmed by E-strip test. Resistant strains were characterized by PCR. Blood culture in 150 patients, detected 12 patients (8%) with CA-BSI. Gram-positive organisms 58% (MSSA 85.7% and 14.3% MRSA) isolated, were highly sensitive to Erythromycin, Vancomycin, Linezolid and 42% Gram-negative organisms (Escherichia coli 60% which were ESBL producers, 20% Acinetobacter baumannii and 20% Pseudomonas aeruginosa) isolated, were highly sensitive to Amikacin, Tetracycline each 100% respectively. bla TEM and bla CTX-M genes among ESBL producers and mecA gene in MRSA isolate were positive by PCR. CA-BSI are rising as a major health problem in the upcoming years due to the emergence of antimicrobial resistant strains in the community as well, like ESBL producers, MRSA, etc. Hence, proper surveillance, the framing of appropriate antibiotic policy and preventive strategies curtails the spread of these resistant strains in the community. K e y w o r d s


This is a study of the foraging behaviour of Carcinus maenas on Mytilus edulis and of
Thalamita danae on Perna viridis. Particular attention is given to differences arising
in foraging behaviour as a result of intraspecific prey heterogeneity and experimental
protocol.
Intersite and temporal differences in the population density, shell morphology, biomass
and byssal attachment strength of Mytilus edulis were found. Byssal attachment
strength and shell strength were highly variable amongst individuals of a similar size.
Carcinus maenas is strongly heterochelous. Intraspecific differences in the chelal
mechanics, but not in the chelal geometry, were recorded; major chelae of large male
crabs were significantly stronger than the major chelae of females and small males.
Stomach content analyses showed that Carcinus maenas has a broad diet in which
Mytilus edulis forms an important component.
Intersite differences inMytilus edulis shell morphology altered the foraging behaviour
of Carcinus maenas, and intersite and temporal variations in mussel flesh weight
altered the prey value curves. Both C. maenas and Thalamita danae were highly prey
size-selective when foraging on groups of different sized mussels, the size of prey most
vulnerable to predation altering with the size composition of the group.
The handling times of mussels for both species of crab were reduced when mussels
were presented as part of a group as compared to when mussels were presented singly. For Carcinus maenas the reduced handling times resulted from the less extensive
gleaning of mussel shells whilst for Thalamita danae reduced handling times appeared
to result from the greater use of a more time efficient opening technique.
When Carcinus maenas were presented with mussels of differing attachment strengths,
crabs selected more weakly attached mussels over those with a more firm and rigid
attachment. This selection did not appear to be based on prey value or prey length but
rather on the resulting slight movement of weakly attached mussels whenever these
were touched by a foraging crab.


This paper is designed to change the relative backwardness of China in terms of the low-carbon transition. By analyzing the specific situation of China and the features of Carbon Fund, we propose a new development mode that can be applied to China——the Carbon-Fund-Mode which can significantly facilitate the development of low-carbon economy by exerting Carbon Fund as the key species, giving full play to the capital platform, technology platform and information platform and forming the symbiosis network of low-carbon economy. At the end of the paper, suggestions have been made on how to develop a Carbon-Fund-Mode in China.


The EU's Rule of Law Initiative is intended, on the part of the EU and member states, "to support on-going modernisation of the legal sector, as part of a more comprehensive strategy to foster and consolidate stability, prosperity and respect for human rights in Central Asian countries". Rule of Law is now being viewed as a key policy goal amongst international development actors. Economic growth, political modernisation and the ability to attract foreign investment hinges, in part, on strengthening rule of law in transitional states. This Policy Brief analyses the development and implementation of the EU's Rule of Law Initiative in Central Asia, paying attention to the process and problems of political dialogue, the coordination of specific long-term projects through various agencies and the normative limitations of the approach.


In the last decade, a focus on memory in the human sciences has encouraged new approaches to the study of the past. As the humanities and social sciences have put into question their own claims to objectivity, authority, and universality, memory has appeared to offer a way of engaging with knowledge of the past as inevitably partial, subjective, and local. At the same time, memory and memorial practices have become sites of contestation, and the politics of memory are increasingly prominent. This interdisciplinary volume demonstrates, from a range of perspectives, the complex cultural work and struggles over meaning that lie at the heart of what we call memory. The chapters in this volume offer a complex awareness of the workings of memory, and the ways in which different or changing histories may be explained. They explore the relation between individual and social memory, between real and imaginary, event and fantasy, history and myth. Contradictory accounts, or memories in direct contradiction to the historical record, are not always the sign of a repressive authority attempting to cover something up. The tension between memory as a safeguard against attempts to silence dissenting voices, and memory's own implication in that silencing, runs throughout the book. Topics covered range from the Basque country to Cambodia, from Hungary to South Africa, from the Finnish Civil War to the cult Jim Jarmusch movie Dead Man, from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to Australia. Part I, "Transforming Memory," is concerned primarily with the social and personal transmission of memory across time and generations. Part II, "Remembering Suffering: Trauma and History," brings the after-effects of catastrophe to the fore. In Part III, "Patterning the National Past," the relation between nation and memory is the central issue. Part IV, "And Then Silence...," reflects on the complex and multiple meanings of silence and oblivion, wherein amnesia is often used as a figure for the denial of shameful pasts.


The activity of two iminomethoxy aminothiazoly cephalosporins, Ro 15-8074 and Ro 19-5247, was compared with that of other beta-lactams against a total of 491 bacterial strains. Both were highly active (MIC for 90% of the strains tested [MIC 90], less than or equal to 2 micrograms/ml) against the majority of the members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria spp., and Streptococcus pneumoniae, being at least 16-fold more active than cephalexin and 8-fold more active than cefuroxime. There was no activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and poor activity against Morganella morganii (in the case of Ro 15-8074), Enterobacter sp., and Citrobacter sp. Staphylococcus aureus was moderately susceptible to Ro 19-5247 (MIC90, 8 micrograms/ml), but Ro 15-8074 was eightfold less active. The protein binding of the two compounds at 5 micrograms/ml was 9.1% for Ro 15-8074 and 69.9% for Ro 19-5247. The major target site for the two cephalosporins was PBP 3.


Objectives Actively recruit and intensively follow pregnant women receiving a dose of acellular pertussis vaccine for 4 weeks after vaccination. Design and settings A prospective observational study conducted in 2 New Zealand regions. Participants Women in their 28th–38th week of pregnancy, recruited from primary care and antenatal clinics at the time of Tdap administration. Telephone interviews were conducted at 48 h and 4 weeks postvaccination. Main outcomes measures Outcomes were injection site reactions, systemic symptoms and serious adverse events (SAEs). Where available, data have been classified and reported according to Brighton Collaboration definitions. Results 793 women participated with 27.9% receiving trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine concomitantly. 79% of participants reported mild or moderate pain and 2.6% severe pain. Any swelling was reported by 7.6%, induration by 12.0% (collected from 1 site only, n=326), and erythema by 5.8% of participants. Fever was reported by 17 (2.1%) participants, 14 of these occurred within 24 h. Headache, dizziness, nausea, myalgia or arthralgia was reported by <4% of participants, respectively, and fatigue by 8.4%. During the study period, there were 115 adverse events in 113 participants, most of which were minor. At the end of the reporting period, 31 events were classified as serious (eg, obstetric bleeding, hypertension, infection, tachycardia, preterm labour, exacerbation of pre-existing condition and pre-eclampsia). All had variable onset time from vaccination. There were two perinatal deaths. Clinician assessment of all SAEs found none likely to be vaccine related. Conclusions Vaccination with Tdap in pregnant women was well tolerated with no SAE likely to be caused by the vaccine. Trial registration number ACTRN12613001045707.


Models of managerial short-termism rely on a number of assumption, such as limited availability of capital, fixed compensation schemes and an additive impact of managerial ability on revenue. We discuss the role of these assumption in generating short-termism. We show that when managerial ability ha a multiplicative impact on revenue then the first best investment policy may require the implementation of short-term projects with negative NPV in order to generate information on managerial ability that can be exploited in later periods. We also show that, when the firm is free to design the compensation scheme, the first best is attained even if only short-term contracts are allowed. Short-termism is therefore the result of an optimal experimentation policy rather than the consequence of managerial misbehavior.


This paper investigates nonlinear control methods for single-ended primary-inductor converters (SEPIC). The fast-switching and average models show the converter nonlinearity in terms of inductor currents, capacitor voltages, and the switching duty cycle. The control law intuitively should be nonlinear to drive and guarantee the system stability. Two different control laws based on the passivity and back-stepping technique are examined and designed to have asymptotically global stability in the system. Unlike the passivity method which regulates the duty cycle directly, the back-stepping method adjusts the switching duty by a driver integrator/low pass filter system. The simulation results have shown the benefits from the passivity control law over the back-stepping one. Moreover, an observer is introduced in order to reduce the number of voltage and current sensors for the control system. The nonlinear control law is thus a combination of the measured signal and the estimated ones. Simulation results are also presented to verify the effectiveness of the observer in the control system.


In this study, the effectiveness of spiral concentration to process a fine (−1 mm) stainless-steel slag was evaluated. Specifically, testing was conducted to determine the feasibility of producing a high metal content stainless steel product and a low metal content aggregate product. This involved investigating a key operating variable for both five-and seven-turn spiral concentrators. The raw slag and spiral products were characterized to determine their respective size and metal distributions. Separation testing was carried out using the two full-scale spiral concentrators to evaluate the effects of feed solids concentration on spiral performance at solids feed rates ranging from 15 to 30 kg/min. The results indicated that under certain conditions, a high-quality metal fraction could be produced. For example, using the five-turn spiral, a product containing 95% metal was obtained at a low metal recovery. Both spirals were ineffective at concentrating the aggregate fraction. Overall, the feed solids concentration did not significantly affect the quality or recoveries of the products, particularly for feed solids concentrations less than 35% by weight. In order to improve the metal recoveries and to produce a low-metal aggregate material, reprocessing of the product streams and/or additional liberation of the raw slag would be required.


Multiple documents describing the same or closely related sets of events are common and often easy to obtain: for example, consider document clusters on a news aggregator site or multiple reviews of the same product or service. Even though each such document discusses a similar set of topics, they provide alternative views or complimentary information on each of these topics. We argue that revealing hidden relations by jointly segmenting the documents, or, equivalently, predicting links between topically related segments in different documents would help to visualize documents of interest and construct friendlier user interfaces. In this paper, we refer to this problem as multi-document topic segmentation. We propose an unsupervised Bayesian model for the considered problem that models both shared and document-specific topics, and utilizes Dirichlet process priors to determine the effective number of topics. We show that topic segmentation can be inferred efficiently using a simple split-merge sampling algorithm. The resulting method outperforms baseline models on four datasets for multi-document topic segmentation.


Digitization and the release of public records on the Internet have expanded the reach and uses of criminal record data in the United States. This study analyzes the types and volume of personally identifiable data released on the Internet via two hundred public governmental websites for law enforcement, criminal courts, corrections, and criminal record repositories in each state. We find that public disclosures often include information valuable to the personal data economy, including the full name, birthdate, home address, and physical characteristics of arrestees, detainees, and defendants. Using administrative data, we also estimate the volume of data disclosed online. Our findings highlight the mass dissemination of pre-conviction data: every year, over ten million arrests, 4.5 million mug shots, and 14.7 million criminal court proceedings are digitally released at no cost. Post-conviction, approximately 6.5 million current and former prisoners and 12.5 million people with a felony conviction have a record on the Internet. While justified through public records laws, such broad disclosures reveal an imbalance between the "transparency" of data releases that facilitate monitoring of state action and those that facilitate monitoring individual people. The results show how the criminal legal system increasingly distributes Internet privacy violations and community surveillance as part of contemporary punishment.


Scientists have been unable to reach a consensus on why organisms age and why they live as long as they do. Here, a multidisciplinary approach was taken in an attempt to understand the root causes of aging. Nonequilibrium thermodynamics may play a previously unappreciated role in determining longevity by governing the dynamics of degradation and renewal within biomolecular ensembles and dictating the inevitability of fidelity loss. The proposed model offers explanations for species longevity trends that have been previously unexplained and for aging-related observations that are considered paradoxical within current paradigms—for example, the elevated damage levels found even in youth within many long-lived species, such as the naked mole-rat. This framework questions whether declining selective pressure is the primary driver of aging, and challenges major tenets of the disposable soma theory. Unifying pertinent principles from diverse disciplines leads to a theoretical framework of biological aging with fewer anomalies, and may be useful in predicting outcomes of experimental attempts to modulate the aging phenotype.


Abstract Coxiella burnetii is a common cause of blood culture–negative infective endocarditis (IE). Molecular detection of C burnetii DNA in clinical specimens is a promising method of diagnosing Q fever endocarditis. Here, we examined the diagnostic utility of Q fever polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of formalin-fixed heart valve tissue from patients with blood culture–negative IE who underwent heart valve surgery. Clinical and laboratory data of patients with blood culture–negative IE who underwent heart valve surgery during a 6-year period and for whom biopsy tissues were available were reviewed retrospectively. Blood culture–positive IE patients who underwent heart valve surgery within the last 3 years were used as controls. Heart valve samples were cultured and also subjected to histological examination and PCR for Q fever, brucellosis, and bartonellosis. Data from 20 patients with blood culture–negative IE and 20 with blood culture–positive IE were analyzed. Eight cases of blood culture–negative IE were PCR-positive for C burnetii (40%; 95% confidence interval, 19–64). No specimen was PCR-positive for brucellosis or bartonellosis. Histologically, 4 of 8 specimens with a positive Q fever PCR result were characterized by clusters of multinucleated giant cells without a fibrin ring. None of 20 patients with blood culture–negative IE received anti-Coxiella antibiotic therapy due to lack of clinical suspicion. Six-month mortality was higher in the Q fever PCR-positive group than in the Q fever PCR-negative group [38% (3/8) vs 0% (0/12), P = .049). Of the 20 patients with blood culture–positive IE, none yielded a positive Q fever PCR result for valve tissue. Approximately 40% of patients with culture-negative IE who received heart valve surgery were PCR-positive for Q fever; patients without clinical suspicion suffered high mortality. These data suggest that Q fever IE in patients with culture-negative IE is often missed in routine clinical practice.


Abstract The Bystander Intervention Model (BIM) is applied to explore how bystanders to workplace bullying assess situations and choose responses based on the (female) target's sexual orientation. We investigate how attitudes of homophobia and amnestic heterosexism (AH) affect these responses. Vignettes of workplace mistreatment against lesbian, female bisexuals, or female heterosexual targets were randomly presented to respondents, who were asked to assess the degree of "mistreatment" they perceive, their feelings of personal responsibility, and their anticipated responses. Analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data. Regardless of levels of homophobia or AH, respondents report less active intervention when the target is lesbian compared to bisexual or heterosexual females. Respondents do not distinguish between conditions in clarity or severity of bullying. However, those higher in homophobia and AH feel less personal responsibility and are less likely to intervene when the target is lesbian.


Coopetition is paradoxical in that the simultaneous cooperation and competition can give rise to important synergies as well as tensions. To circumvent these tensions, scholars primarily suggest structural, separation-centred strategies. Such strategies are helpful, but incomplete, as total separation would not allow exploitation of the synergies that coopetition may offer. Based on an in-depth case study of a pioneering multi-company, cross-sector partnership, we explore how employees cope with the remaining tensions. Illustrating employees' sense-making processes, we show how they build on the organisational and the boundary-spanning task contexts and develop paradoxical frames. Juxtaposing the competitive and collaborative logics, these frames shape the employees' understanding of who they are (i.e. a nested identity) and what they should do (i.e. contextual segmentation). This juxtaposition allows the employees to navigate emerging tensions by adopting both logics (i.e. integrating behaviour) and by contextually prioritising one logic without ignoring the other (i.e. demarcating behaviour). These insights complement structural strategies with integrative, employee-centred ones and highlight contextual factors that promote such an integrative approach.


An improvement on redundancy to achieve high compression ratio in video coding is developed. Block Matching Motion Estimation (BMME) techniques have been particularly used in various coding standards. In the BMME, search patterns with different shapes or sizes and the center-biased characteristics of motion vector (MV) have large impact on the search speed (search points) and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) as the quality of video images. These basic algorithms are Full Search and other two fast search methods. The Cross Diamond Search (CDS) algorithm was designed to fit the cross-center-biased (CCB) MV distribution characteristics of the real-world video sequences. CDS compares favorably with the other algorithms for low motion sequences in terms of speed, quality and computational complexity.


Introduced grasses have been associated with the transformation of ecosystem structure and function in the tropical savanna woodlands of Australia and South America. Consequently, there has been considerable research on the process and impacts of exotic grass invasion. However, little attention has been paid to the management of these grasses and how it affects the successional trajectory of savanna systems. Management of invasive species can have unexpected outcomes due to invasion induced changes to the system and through the impacts of the management action itself. Removal of the invasive species can be a large biotic change that, if poorly considered, could be responsible for creating positive feedbacks that promote further degradation. Consequently, methods used to remove invasive species have the potential to cause biotic and abiotic degradation, even when the invasion process itself may not. In Australia s tropical savannas, Andropogon gayanus Kunth. (gamba grass) and Pennisetum polystachion L. Schult. (perennial mission grass) are increasingly the focus of intensive management programs. This is motivated by the rapid spread of both exotic grasses into a range of habitats in disturbed and undisturbed savanna and their potential to alter fire regimes and nutrient cycling. However, empirical information on the effects of widely accepted exotic grass management techniques on the tropical savannas of north Australia has not been documented. Therefore, this thesis focuses on an important aspect of invasive species management in the savannas the impact of exotic grasses and their management on the potential for restoration in the savanna woodland. ...


Bending the curve on biodiversity loss will require increased conservation funding and a wiser resource allocation. Local conservation practitioner  expertise will be vital in decision-making processes related to funding. Yet, the integration of their insights into funder priorities and strategies is often  insufficient, particularly in countries where international funding comprises the bulk of support for conservation. More generally, the role of funding  remains under-analyzed in conservation and opportunities for funder-practitioner dialogue at a broad strategic level are limited. We seek to address  these critical gaps by presenting results from a participatory workshop of conservation practitioners in Madagascar, one of the world's biodiversity  hotspots. Five major areas of need emerged, and these challenges need to be addressed if we are to see long-term solutions to the biodiversity crisis: (1)  strengthen law and policy implementation; (2) ensure sustainability of funding; (3) improve coherence and coordination within and beyond the  conservation sector; (4) support self-strengthening of local communities; and (5) invest in capacity development. This article elaborates on these thematic  areas and their implications for international donors in Madagascar and beyond. Our approach demonstrates a way for amplifying in-country  practitioner voices in a collaborative way and highlights the need for their inclusion at all stages of conservation program development so that funding  priorities better reflect local needs and aspirations while enhancing prospects for enduring conservation outcomes.


The temperature-dependent tensile strength is an important indicator used to evaluate combination property of short-fiber-reinforced elastomer matrix composite. Some short-fiber-reinforced elastomer matrix composites are manufactured in the molding preparation process, and the tensile tests of fiber, matrix and the composites are carried out at different temperatures. The fiber length and orientation distributions are statistically analyzed. The influence of temperature on the micromechanical stress distribution and transfer in the composite is investigated, and the thermal stresses in the fiber, matrix and fiber-matrix interface are obtained. Based on the theory of micromechanical stress distribution and transfer of the fibrous composite, the mixture law is modified, and a model for predicting the temperature-dependent tensile strength of this kind of composite is developed. Moreover, the mechanism of the tensile fracture of the composite at various temperatures is discussed. Research indicates that the tensile strength is largely related to the temperature, mechanical performances of the main components of the composite and some microstructural parameters, such as short fiber aspect ratio, volume fraction and orientation distribution. The tensile strength of SFRE decreases with increasing temperature. The tensile strength increases with the increase of fiber length when the fiber length is no larger than critical fiber length. There exists a critical fiber volume fraction where the tensile strength of SFRE reaches the maximum. The tensile fracture of the composite depends largely on the temperature, the bond strength of fiber-matrix interface and the average length of reinforcing short fibers. The temperature-dependent tensile strengths predicted by the presented model are in good agreement with experimental data.


The objective of this project is to develop an implementable effective QPSK modulator that uses less power for operation. The design of QPSK modulator has be done using Matlab/Simulink and Xilinx System Generator. The modulator algorithm has been implemented on FPGA(Spartan3) using the Verilog Hardware Description Language on Xilinx ISE Design suite 13.2. Then the final designed and simulated results are applied for real time such as Satellite Communication, Video Conferencing etc.


In this paper, the method of fault detection and isolation for microreactor units actuated by Peltier devices is proposed. Modeling and operator-based right coprime factorization of the nonlinear microreactor process are investigated. The effects of uncertainties and coupling effects of the process are controlled by the proposed design method, and the estimated output (sensorless part) is realized. Then using the proposed method of fault detection and isolation, desired output is obtained by comparing the sensor output and the estimated output. The effectiveness of the proposed design scheme is confirmed by the simulation results.


This study assesses the concurrence of adolescent- and parent-reported adherence to the medical regimen among youth with type 1 diabetes. Relationships between diabetes self-care and metabolic control were also examined. Adolescents' (n = 111) and their mothers' reports of adolescents' self-management of the diabetes regimen were examined for prediction to glycosylated hemoglobin (HgbA1c) levels obtained at concurrent and subsequent clinic visits. Adolescents' and parents' reports were correlated with each other, and correlations with HgbA1c were as high as .41. Self- and parent-reported adherence to more complex aspects of the regimen (i.e., keeping blood glucose at appropriate levels) was the strongest correlate of HgbA1c. In multivariate analyses, adolescent report predicted 30% and parent report explained 19% of the variance in concurrent HgbA1c. Self- and parent report of the adolescents' self-management may be show reliable indicators of the adolescents' self-care behaviors. As such they may be useful as indices for assessing the effectiveness of interventions to improve the management of the diabetic regimen among adolescents. In addition, aspects of diabetes management that involve higher level cognitive skills appear to be more effective in maintaining good HgbA1c than variables that involve simply complying with physician directives. These findings emphasize the importance of education and graded practice with complex tasks and decision making in relation to diabetes management.


Hexamethylenetetramine hexahydrate has a three-dimensional framework structure of hydrogen-bonded water molecules. Each hexamethylenetetramine molecule is located in a cavity within this framework but is linked to the water structure by hydrogen-bonds through three of its four nitrogen atoms.


This address nn Christian certitude has reached a second edition, and justly so. It is a dear, popular presentation of tho thought that Christian certainty comes by way of experienceof communion with God, helped by 8cripturp. It is also pointed out that many views that pass for scientific arc only Weltan· sl:ha:u!ungen, 'world-views, which arc determined by other than scientific eonsiderations, and hnve no claim to the tlitle of" scientific.


The main objectives of this study are to quantify the Total Factor Productivity (TFP) growth of the durum wheat sector in Tunisia and to identify its main determinants. The Malmquist index approach was applied for the calculation of TFP growth using one output (annual production) and four inputs (land, seeds, nitrogen, and phosphate fertilizers) for the period 1980-2012. Variables used to identify the main determinants of the TFP growth include expenditures on agricultural research and extension, share of irrigated durum wheat area with respect to its total cultivated area, drought index, and infrastructure development in rural areas. Almon distributed lag model is used to assess the impact of the research expenditures variable. Empirical results show that TFP grew with 1.9% per year, in average, during the study period 1980-2012. This average growth rate was highly variable: 5.9% for the period 1980-1991; -2.2% for the period 1992-2002; and 2.07% for the, period 2003-2012. TFP growth was mainly generated from technical change during the first period (1980-1991), and from technical efficiency change during the last period 2003-2012. Results also show that changes in the TFP growth have been mainly related to the R&D expenditure lags, and drought.


We present a novel optimization approach for the timetabling problem of a railway company, i.e., scheduling of a set of trains to obtain a profit maximizing timetable, while not violating track capacity constraints. The scheduling decisions are based on estimates of the value of running different types of service at specified times. We model the problem as a very large integer programming problem. The model is flexible in that it allows for general cost functions. We have used a Lagrangian relaxation solution approach, in which the track capacity constraints are relaxed and assigned prices, so that the problem separates into one dynamic program for each physical train. The number of dual variables is very large. However, it turns out that only a sm all fraction of these are nonzero, which one may take advantage of in the dual updating schemes. The approach has been tested on a realistic example suggested by the Swedish National Railway Administration. This example contains 18 passenger trains and 8 freight trains to be scheduled during a day on a stretch of single track, consisting of 17 stations. The computation times are rather modest and the obtained timetables are within a few percent of optimality.


This paper presents a comparison between cause-specific survival and relative survival calculated according to the Hakulinen method. The data are from the Tuscany Cancer Registry and we analysed the following cancer sites: stomach, colon, rectum, cervix and corpus uteri, female breast and skin melanoma. When cause-specific survival was calculated including among the deceased only those subjects whose death certificate reported strictly the same neoplasm as cause of death (three digits ICD-9), very good agreement between the two methods was found for stomach, lung, and skin melanoma and a good agreement was found for female breast. For cancer of the colon and rectum, in order to obtain similar estimates, deaths coded as caused by cancer in other sites of the large bowel and partially the not specified intestine had to be included. For cancer of the cervix and corpus uteri, in order to obtain similar estimates, but with cause-specific remaining higher than the relative estimates, deaths coded as not specified uteri cancer had to be included. In conclusion, cause-specific survival may be used also with overall mortality data, providing the death causes by cancers most susceptible to misclassification are to be included. However, using cause-specific survival creates some difficulties in comparative studies due to the different reliability of mortality data and to the different criteria used to identify the main cause of death.


Abstract Standard views of personal identity over time often hover uneasily between the subjective, first-person dimension (e. g. psychological continuity), and the objective, third-person dimension (e. g. biological continuity) of a person's life. Since both dimensions capture something integral to personal identity, we show that neither can successfully be discarded in favor of the other. The apparent need to reconcile subjectivity and objectivity, however, presents standard views with problems both in seeking an ontological footing of, as well as epistemic evidence for, personal identity. We contend that a fresh look at neutral monism offers a novel way to tackle these problems; counting on the most fundamental building blocks of reality to be ontologically neutral with regards to subjectivity and objectivity of personal identity. If the basic units of reality are, in fact, ontologically neutral – but can give rise to mental as well as physical events – these basic units of reality might account for both subjectivity and objectivity in personal identity. If this were true, it would turn out that subjectivity and objectivity are not conflictive dimensions of personal identity but rather two sides of the same coin.


DNAoffersexcellentprogrammingpropertiestonanomaterialssyntheses.Hostguestinteraction between DNA nanostructures and inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) is of particular interest because the resulting complexes would possess both programming properties intrinsic to DNA and physical properties associated with inorganic NPs, such as plasmonic and magnetic features. Here, we report a class of coreshell complexes (AuNP@DNA cages): hard gold NPs (AuNPs) are encapsulated in geometrically well-defined soft DNA nanocages. The AuNP guest can be further controllably released from the host (DNA nanocages), pointing to potential applications in surface engineering of inorganic NPs and cargo delivery of DNA nanocages.


Phonemic or phonetic sub-word units are the most commonly used atomic elements to represent speech signals in modern ASRs. However they are not the optimal choice due to several reasons such as: large amount of effort required to handcraft a pronunciation dictionary, pronunciation variations, human mistakes and under-resourced dialects and languages. Here, we propose a data-driven pronunciation estimation and acoustic modeling method which only takes the orthographic transcription to jointly estimate a set of sub-word units and a reliable dictionary. Experimental results show that the proposed method which is based on semi-supervised training of a deep neural network largely outperforms phoneme based continuous speech recognition on the TIMIT dataset.


Abstract. Underwater applications of photogrammetric measurement techniques usually need to deal with multimedia photogrammetry aspects, which are characterized by the necessity of handling optical rays that are broken at interfaces between optical media with different refrative indices according to Snell's Law. This so-called multimedia geometry has to be incorporated into geometric models in order to achieve correct measurement results. The paper shows a flexible yet strict geometric model for the handling of refraction effects on the optical path, which can be implemented as a module into photogrammetric standard tools such as spatial resection, spatial intersection, bundle adjustment or epipolar line computation. The module is especially well suited for applications, where an object in water is observed by cameras in air through one or more plane parallel glass interfaces, as it allows for some simplifications here.


Introduction Dendritic cells (DC) can determine whether the mucosal immune system mounts an inflammatory or regulatory response to antigen and may contribute to the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease. Vitamin D down-regulates DC inflammatory responses and could prove beneficial as a treatment adjunct in Crohn's. This study assessed the effect of high dose parenteral vitamin D treatment on circulating DC phenotype and function in patients with active luminal Crohn's receiving anti-TNFα therapy. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from 13 patients with active luminal Crohn's and suboptimal vitamin D levels prior to and 6 weeks after starting anti-TNFα (infliximab) therapy. Patients with low vitamin D (<50nmol/L) were also given a single high dose of parenteral vitamin D (300,000 international units 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3). Flow cytometry was used to identify total DC, (HLA-DR+ cells negative for markers of other cell lineages (CD3, CD14, CD16, CD19 & CD34)). DC were further subtyped as myeloid (mDC, CD11c+CD123−). Expression of phenotypic markers (including maturation and homing markers and pattern recognition receptors) and on-going DC cytokine production during 4 hours' culture were assessed. Results Production of TNFα by myeloid DC was significantly reduced (p = 0.016 Fig C) in those patients who received vitamin D alongside anti-TNFα therapy; without vitamin D treatment, TNFα production by myeloid DC did not decrease significantly after anti-TNFα therapy (p = 0.96 Fig B). There was a significant negative correlation between change in vitamin D level and change in TNFα production by myeloid DC (p = 0.025, correlation coefficient =0.68 Fig D). An increase of serum 25(OH)vitamin D greater than 20 nmol/m was associated with a decrease in myeloid DC TNFα production. Anti-TNFα therapy alone induced a significant upregulation of the skin homing marker cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA) on myeloid DC (p = 0.0055), an effect which was not seen in patients receiving adjunctive vitamin D.Abstract PWE-023 Figure 1 A&B TNFα production by mDC before and after treatment with anti-TNFα therapy in: patients who did not (A) and patients who did (B) receive vitamin D. (C) Correlation of change in vitamin D level and decrease in TNFα production by mDC Conclusion High doses of parenteral vitamin D in patients with Crohn's promotes anti-TNFα down-regulation of circulating myeloid DC production of TNFα which may influence the subsequent interaction of DC and T cells. TNFα promotes a TH-1/ TH-17 response characteristic of Crohn's inflammation; thus the ability of vitamin D to further block TNFα production may promote a more regulatory T cell response and improve outcomes when used as an adjunct to anti-TNFα therapy. The down-regulation of skin homing marker CLA by vitamin D may be clinically useful in those patients suffering cutaneous sequelae of anti-TNFα therapy. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


UNLABELLED
Medicinal treatment of liver fibrosis is still unsolved. According to literature data, plant extracts containing hydroxycinnamic acids inhibit experimentally induced liver fibrosis.

AIM
The aim of this study was to provide data on the hydroxycinnamic acid content of medicinal plants, which can be applied in the adjuvant therapy of liver fibrosis.

METHODS
Content and composition of hydroxycinnamic acids from houseleek and seven known herbs were evaluated using spectrophotometry and high-performance liquid chromatography.

RESULTS
Hydroxycinnamic acid content was found to be high in Lamiaceae herbs, but it was lower in houseleek. Rosmarinic acid as the main compound was detected in all herb samples.

CONCLUSIONS
Besides hydroxycinnamic acids, houseleek contains high amounts of antioxidant polyphenols, and its pharmacological effect is presumed to be attributed to synergism of all of these compounds. The hydroxycinnamic acid content of the herbs investigated was remarkable, therefore, the results support their dietary application in patients with chronic liver disease.


Synopsis A fragment of fossilized wood was found near the top of the conglomerate bed beneath An Sgurr, Isle of Eigg. The wood, which is described here, appears to belong to no recorded genus, fossil or modern. It has affinities with several families of flowering plants (angiosperms), notably the Rosaceae. The name Polyactinoxylon subansgurrensis, gen. et sp. nov. is proposed. It appears that this species was part of a mixed culture of woody plants, growing in a possibly temperate climate, during the early Paleocene.


Fabric development and block rotation related to flexural slip were examined in sedimentary strata draped over a basement normal fault at the western margin of the Dead Sea rift in southern Israel. In addition to documenting differences in deformation style as a function of lithology, this study focuses on the progressive development of flexural-slip horizons and fabric development in extensional settings. Deformation in the intercalated shale, siltstone, carbonate, and gypsum beds of the Turonian Ora Formation is dominated by extension, bedding-plane slip, and block rotation, which occur at different scales and magnitudes throughout the approximately 12 m section. Extension appears as boudinage in carbonate beds and fibrous sigmoidal gypsum veins in shale, whereas strong foliation, highly deformed gypsum veins, and asymmetric folds characterize slip and adjacent drag zones. Magnitude of extension in individual beds is directly related to relative magnitude of adjacent bedding-plane–slip horizons, implying a common origin. Initial flexural slip was lithologically controlled, with displacement occurring along numerous narrow zones throughout shale and siltstone horizons. Continued top-to-the-west bedding-plane slip, however, led to antithetic block rotation within competent beds, which in turn resulted in the termination of slip along zones abutting block-bounding faults. As block size increased during progressive development of flexural slip, so did the spacing between active slip zones. Therefore, rigid block rotation within subhorizontal simple shear zones provided the mechanism for concentrating flexural slip along several major detachments during extension of the Ora Formation above a basin-bounding normal fault.


Colloidal CdTe quantum dots (QD) were able to reduce both heme and iron–sulfur cluster containing proteins. Reduction was depended on quantum dots size. CdTe nanocrystals emitting light with maximum at 550 nm (QD-550, r ∼ 1.5 nm) reduced both ferredoxin (Fd) and cytochrome c (Cyt c). The process was followed by UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy and steady state fluorescence spectroscopy. For CdTe emitting longer wavelength (QD-610 and QD-670) reduction of Fd was less efficient. QD emitting light with maximum at 750 nm (QD-750, r ∼ 3.3 nm) reduced only Cyt c. Reduction of proteins by QDs was photo-dependent and did not demand oxygen presence. As shown by gel filtration and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, Fd formed complexes with QD while Cyt c did not bound steadily. The stable complex was not necessary for photoreduction, although might influence its kinetics. Time-resolved fluorescence studies showed than electron transfer rate depends on QD size and also is higher for QD–Cyt c when compared to QD–Fd. The mechanism of process was additionally explored by detailed analysis of QD–protein complex formation and by measurements of cyclic voltamperometry and zeta potential. These results open new possibilities in controlling of natural redox processes.


Pretreatment processes are essential for the preparation of biofuels from lignocellulosic feedstocks. Based on alkaline H2O2 pretreatment, photocatalytic alkaline H2O2 pretreatment (U-AHP) was investigated to examine the effects of reaction time, alkali concentration, and H2O2 concentration on the enzymatic digestion of corn stover. The optimum process conditions were determined by orthogonal tests: 1% NaOH, 2% H2O2, and reaction time of 8 h. Under these conditions, the lignin removal efficiency of UH-AHP was 90.2% and the saccharification yield was 94.7%. Furthermore, FT-IR, XRD, and SEM analyses showed that U-AHP pretreatment caused structural damage to the maize straw and increased the crystallinity of the cellulose, and it was speculated that the U-AHP pretreatment reaction was a complex mechanism, which might be a multiple synergistic reaction. This study shows that U-AHP pretreatment is a simple, green and effective method to promote lignin removal.