The topic of this paper is to control and synchronize sphere-shaped spacecrafts in a leader-follower synchronization scheme. In order to achieve this objective, a nonlinear mathematical model of the vehicles has been developed. The design is based on rigid body dynamics where the vessel is actuated by means of three orthogonally mounted reaction wheels. The attitude dynamics is derived using Euler parameters. In the pursuit of reaching the main goal of controlling and synchronizing the satellites, it is natural to rst develop control algorithms for single vehicle control. A sliding mode controller and a backstepping controller have been derived for this matter, and are compared for optimality. Both controllers are based on nonlinear control theory and are designed to control the angular velocity of the satellite. The system in combination with both the controllers is proven to be asymptotically stable. Due to cases where the spacecraft does not have angular velocity measurements, an estimator for the angular velocity is derived. Using LaSalle's theorem, asymptotic stability is proven for the observer in the time-invariant case, while Matrosov's theorem is utilized for system explicitly dependent on time. For operational assignments where it is not sufficient with only one satellite, a synchronizing scheme for several satellites has been proposed. The scheme is based on a leader-follower synchronization design, and is derived assuming that none of the satellites are equipped with angular velocity measurements. It is therefore possible to implement and utilize the nonlinear observer for angular velocity estimation in each vehicle. The controllers are designed in a similar manner for both the leader and the follower using backstepping control. The leader is set to follow an arbitrarily smooth trajectory, while the follower's objective is to track the leader's attitude, given by measurements and estimations. The various systems are tested in a lab setup with the AUVSAT. The AUVSAT is a sphere shaped, autonomous underwater satellite actuated by means of three orthogonally reaction wheels. The experiments are performed when the AUVSAT is submerged in a water tank, making it possible to emulate a gravity free environment equal to what a satellite traveling in space is experiencing. The AUVSAT build up is presented where hardware and software components are chosen with respect to simplicity, cost and space restrictions. Several experiments are carried out using the AUVSAT to evaluate the performance of the controllers, observer and the synchronization scheme. For all cases, the system tracks a time-varying sinusoidal reference signal in addition to a squareshaped sequence. In this way, one can truly validate transient responses, steady-state and tracking maneuvers to determine the performance of the various systems. The experiments show that the sliding mode controller and backstepping controller works quite similar and with a satisfactorily behavior throughout the experiments. However, there are some lack of performance of the combined observer and controller system when tracking the sinusoidal time-varying reference. In the synchronization scheme, the leader follows the desired trajectory and the follower tracks the leader's attitude to some extent. Comments on the results are presented in addition to proposed strategies and thoughts on how to improve the overall performance of the various systems.


The article examines the factors associated with HIV status among adolescents aged 15–19 years in 13 African countries: Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Malawi, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The data were derived from demographic and health surveys or AIDS indicator surveys conducted between 2004 and 2009. The levels of HIV prevalence among adolescents varied considerably across the countries. There was significantly higher HIV prevalence among female adolescents as compared with their male counterparts. For male adolescents, circumcision was the only variable significantly associated with HIV status. Nonetheless, the data suggest that the association between male circumcision and HIV status may be exaggerated. Indeed, regional-level random effects became insignificant once male circumcision was introduced into the estimated models, indicating a strong correlation between unmeasured regional-level factors and male circumcision. For female adolescents, multiple sexual partnerships, time elapsed since sexual debut, marital status, household wealth, and the regional prevalence of male circumcision were strongly and positively associated with HIV status. Moreover, for female adolescents there appear to be significant unmeasured variables operating at the regional level which influence the levels of HIV infection. The implications of the findings for HIV-prevention programming, policy and research are discussed.


This article investigates the contribution of the prohibition against inhuman punishment within Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, for the abolition of the death penalty. It analyses the evolution and orientation of the Council of Europe's anti-death penalty discourse from the early post-Convention discussions to the most recent enactments of the Parliamentary Assembly and the Committee of Ministers. Then the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, which interprets this position, is detailed to determine whether Article 3 provides a per se prohibition against the death penalty, or whether it can only be used to isolate specific aspects of the capital judicial system. It is clear that Article 3 has provided a hegemonic platform from which abolition can be achieved. However, the different Council organs are not yet in complete agreement on the reach of Article 3 for the technical penological processes. Hence to clarify the abolitionist discourse, and establish a uniform position, it may be of benefit for the Council of Europe to adopt a new policy statement on how Article 3 is to be used to unequivocally denounce the punishment.


Examination of speech datasets for detecting dementia, collected via various speech tasks, has revealed links between speech and cognitive abilities. However, the speech dataset available for this research is extremely limited because the collection process of speech and baseline data from patients with dementia in clinical settings is expensive. In this paper, we study the spontaneous speech dataset from a recent ADReSS challenge, a Cookie Theft Picture (CTP) dataset with balanced groups of participants in age, gender, and cognitive status. We explore state-of-the-art deep transfer learning techniques from image, audio, speech, and language domains. We envision that one advantage of transfer learning is to eliminate the design of handcrafted features based on the tasks and datasets. Transfer learning further mitigates the limited dementia-relevant speech data problem by inheriting knowledge from similar but much larger datasets. Specifically, we built a variety of transfer learning models using commonly employed MobileNet (image), YAMNet (audio), Mockingjay (speech), and BERT (text) models. Results indicated that the transfer learning models of text data showed significantly better performance than those of audio data. Performance gains of the text models may be due to the high similarity between the pre-training text dataset and the CTP text dataset. Our multi-modal transfer learning introduced a slight improvement in accuracy, demonstrating that audio and text data provide limited complementary information. Multi-task transfer learning resulted in limited improvements in classification and a negative impact in regression. By analyzing the meaning behind the Alzheimer's disease (AD)/non-AD labels and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, we observed that the inconsistency between labels and scores could limit the performance of the multi-task learning, especially when the outputs of the single-task models are highly consistent with the corresponding labels/scores. In sum, we conducted a large comparative analysis of varying transfer learning models focusing less on model customization but more on pre-trained models and pre-training datasets. We revealed insightful relations among models, data types, and data labels in this research area.


In this paper, a integrated control system based on the LonWorks fieldbus to the application of LED public lighting has developed. Advanced control strategy of lighting energy saving has realized in this integrated control system, in order to improve the effect of lighting energy saving and management level. The control network of LED lighting and the specific techniques of integrated control system are mainly focused, including data acquisition, development of lighting control node based on LonWorks, design of lighting control network, implementation of energy saving and management strategy, monitoring and data management of the lighting system. Finally, to verify energy saving effect of the control integrated system and its high efficiency, three campus's roadway lighting of GuiLin university of electronic technology is taken as the simulated object.


Two gram-positive, strictly anoxic, coccoid- to rod-shaped strains of bacteria, Clostridium coccoides 1410 and C. coccoides 3110, were isolated from human feces on the typical homoacetogenic substrates formate plus H2 plus CO2 (strain 1410) and vanillate plus H2 plus CO2 (strain 3110) in the presence of 2-bromoethanesulfonate to inhibit methanogenesis. On the basis of 16S rRNA sequencing, DNA-DNA hybridization, and physiological and morphological parameters, both isolates are closely related to C. coccoides DSM 935T. The G+C contents of the DNA were 46.1 and 46.2 mol% for C. coccoides 1410 and C. coccoides 3110, respectively. Cytochromes could not be detected. Formate was degraded exclusively to acetate, whereas vanillate was O-demethylated, resulting in acetate and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate, the latter being further decarboxylated to catechol. In the presence of organic substrates, H2 was cometabolized to acetate, but both strains failed to grow autotrophically. Lactose, lactulose, sorbitol, glucose, and various other carbohydrates supported growth as well. Untypical of homoacetogens, glucose and sorbitol were fermented not exclusively to acetate; instead, considerable amounts of succinate and D-lactate were produced. H2 was evolved from carbohydrates only in negligible traces. Acetogenesis from formate plus H2 plus CO2 or vanillate plus H2 plus CO2 was constitutive, whereas utilization of carbohydrates was inducible. Hydrogenase, CO dehydrogenase, formate dehydrogenase, and all of the tetrahydrofolic acid-dependent, C1 compound-converting enzymes of the acetyl-coenzyme A pathway of homoacetogenesis were present in cell extracts.


PART 1: FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS 1. Introduction to Reference and Information Services 2. Determining the Question: In-Person, Telephone, and Virtual Reference Interviews 3. Finding the Answer: Basic Search Techniques. PART 2: INTRODUCTION TO MAJOR REFERENCE SOURCES 4. Answering Questions about Books, Magazines, Newspapers, Libraries and Publishing, and Bibliographic Networks: Bibliographic Resources 5. Answering Questions about Anything and Everything: Encyclopedias 6. Answering Questions That Require Handy Facts: Ready Reference Sources 7. Answering Questions about Words: Dictionaries, Concordances, and Manuals 8. Answering Questions about Events and Issues, Past and Present: Databases (and Indexes) 9. Answering Questions about Health, Law, and Business: Special Guidelines and Sources 10. Answering Questions about Geography, Countries, and Travel: Atlases, Gazetteers, Maps, Geographic Information Systems, and Travel Guides 11. Answering Questions about the Lives of People: Biographical Information Sources 12. Answering Questions about Government and Related Issues: Government Information Sources PART 3: SPECIAL TOPICS IN REFERENCE AND INFORMATION WORK 13. When and How to Use the Internet as a Reference Tool 14. Readers' Advisory Services - Cindy Orr 15. Reference Sources and Services for Children and Young Adults - Meghan Harper 16. Information Literacy in the Reference Department PART 4: DEVELOPING AND MANAGING REFERENCE COLLECTIONS AND SERVICES 17. Selecting and Evaluating Reference Materials 18. Ethics in Reference - Angela Ecklund 19. Managing Reference Departments 20. Assessing and Improving Reference Services 21. Reference 2.0 22. The Future of Information Service.


Allergic asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease associated with increased cytokine secretion. Aspects of airway inflammation are also linked to a common genetic variant that corresponds to the small GTPase, Rab27, a protein involved in vesicular trafficking in immune cells. However, the mechanisms by which Rab27 contributes to airway inflammation and cytokine release remain ambiguous. In this issue of the JCI, Okunishi et al. explored the role that the Rab27 effector, exophilin-5, has in allergic inflammation. Exophilin-5-deficient mice and asthma mouse models revealed that exophilin-5 regulates IL-33 production and the Th2 response. Notably, exophilin-5 deletion enhanced IL-33 release and pathogenic Th2 responsiveness through the mTOR pathway and altered intracellular IL-33 trafficking. This work provides insights into the molecular mechanisms that underlie inflammatory lung disease.


Recently, a new data-driven method for robust control with $\mathcal {H}_{\infty }$ performance has been proposed. This method is based on convex optimization and converges to the optimal performance when the controller order increases. However, for low-order controllers, the performance depends heavily on the choice of some fixed parameters that are used for convexifying the optimization problem. In this paper, several data-driven optimization algorithms are proposed to improve the solution for low-order controllers. A non-convex problem is solved (in a data-driven sense) where the parameters of a fixedstructure low-order controller are optimized; the solution to the problem guarantees the stability of the closed-loop system whilst ensuring robust performance. It is shown that by optimizing all of the controller parameters, the $\mathcal {H}_{\infty }$ performance for loworder controllers can be significantly improved. The simulation examples illustrate how the proposed method can be used to eliminate the sensitivity associated with the fixed parameters and optimize the system performance.


As pancreatitis with fat necrosis is not a very common disease I give in the first place an outline of our knowledge concerning it. The patients are almost exclusively adults. A history of gastro-intestinal disorder dating back for a considerable period is frequently given. Fitz describes the symptoms of acute pancreatitis as follows: "Sudden, severe, often intense epigastric pain, without obvious cause, in most cases followed by nausea, vomiting, sensitiveness and tympanitic swelling of the epigastrium. There is prostration, often extreme, frequent collapse, low fever, with a feeble pulse. Obstinate constipation for several days is the rule, but diarrhea sometimes occurs." The affection is usually fatal. The symptoms therefore are vague and not very characteristic. The disease has been mistaken for intestinal obstruction, and has been confused with appendicitis. However, a correct antemortem diagnosis has been made more than once. The nature of the affection is not generally revealed until


In this paper we present important correlations between immigration and labor market outcomes of native workers in the US. We use data on local labor markets, states and regions from the Census and American Community Survey over the period 1970-2010. We first look at simple correlations and then we use regression analysis with an increasing number of controls for observed and unobserved factors. We review the potential methods to separate the part of this correlation that captures the causal link from immigrants to native labor outcomes and we show estimates obtained with 2SLS method using the popular shift-share instrument. One fact emerging from all the specifications is that the net growth of immigrant labor has a zero to positive correlation with changes in native wages and native employment, in aggregate and by skill group. We briefly review the literature on the channels and the mechanisms that allow local economies to absorb immigrants with no negative (and possibly positive) impact on the labor demand for natives.


Tunisia occupies a strategic biogeographic position in the Mediterranean Sea and the Strait of Sicily is considered a biogeographical boundary that separates the eastern and western basins. Despite the importance of marine biodiversity in Tunisia, the few studies of Echinodermata fauna in this region data from long ago. In order to update and produce a validated checklist of the echinoderms that occur in northern Tunisia, a study of this phylum was carried out between 2012 and 2016. Forty-five species were inventoried and distributed into the five living Echinodermata classes (Crinoidea, Asteroidea, Ophiuroidea, Echinoidea and Holothuroidea). New occurrences of four species from Tunisian marine waters [Asterina pancerii (Gasco, 1876), Luidia atlantidea (Madsen, 1950), Ophiactis virens (Sars, 1859) and Leptopentacta tergestina (Sars, 1857)], are cited and discussed here for the first time.


In this article, we develop a novel adaptive spectrum sensing scheme to improve the throughput of cognitive radio (CR) users. The new scheme takes the variation of wireless channels into consideration and requires no priori knowledge of primary user activity statistics. At the beginning of each time frame, this adaptive sensing scheme adjusts the spectrum sensing parameters according to the latest sensing results and channel state information (CSI) of the time-varying channels. Numerical results show that the proposed adaptive spectrum sensing scheme can significantly outperform the traditional spectrum sensing scheme.


Singapore has a sophisticated healthcare system and is an important referral centre for Asia. Like much of the world, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is now endemic across its health system. MRSA infection has been associated with considerable attributable mortality, morbidity plus personal and public cost. Nosocomial infections are potentially preventable and need to be considered an unacceptable complication rather than a tolerable byproduct of healthcare. Failure to introduce long-term sustainable infection control initiatives is not an option for responsible clinical leaders and managers. Control of MRSA transmission in Singapore is achievable but we need to accept the challenge and acknowledge that it will take perhaps a decade. It requires implementation of many varied infection control measures to be rolled out sequentially and across all health services. Our ambition, in Singapore, should be for hospitals to achieve an inpatient prevalence of <1% MRSA colonised patients. Identified transmission of MRSA should be regarded as a serious breech. Successful control will require extraordinary collaboration, support, resources, accountability and consistency of effort. Currently, efforts are evolving significantly and today, we have a good opportunity to embark on this difficult journey. Implementing infection control initiatives successfully over the next few years will save lives in the future.


We demonstrate a record-low EOT (equivalent oxide thickness) of 0.8 nm for a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) decoupling capacitor, which is compatible with back-end-of-line (BEOL) processing. This results in 2-plate MIM capacitance density of 43 fF/um2, and leakage current density (Jg) of 5 fA/um2 at 1V, 125 oC. Moreover, we identify that symmetry of CV/IV/TDDB characteristics for both positive and negative bias polarities is a key consideration for stacking more than one MIM capacitor for further capacitance density increase. We develop a novel tri-layer high-k stack with buffer layers between HfO2 and metal electrodes, which substantially improves the electrical bias symmetry, and achieve Vuse = 1.32 V (10 yr/1 ppm/1 cm2/125 oC) at EOT = 0.8 nm. These results should support record stacked-MIM (> 2-plate) capacitance densities, with sub-nm EOT, for the 7 nm node and beyond.


This paper introduces Quasi-Maximum Likelihood Estimation for Long Memory Stock Transaction Data of unknown underlying distribution. The moments with conditional heteroscedasticity have been discussed. In a Monte Carlo experiment, it was found that the QML estimator performs as well as CLS and FGLS in terms of eliminating serial correlations, but the estimator can be sensitive to start value. Hence, two-stage QML has been suggested. In empirical estimation on two stock transaction data for Ericsson and AstraZeneca, the 2SQML turns out relatively more efficient than CLS and FGLS. The empirical results suggest that both of the series have long memory properties that imply that the impact of macroeconomic news or rumors in one point of time has a persistence impact on future transactions.


We have evaluated eight different integrated crop management (ICM) modules for five years in a maize-wheat rotation (MWR); wherein, ICM1&2- ˈbusiness-as-usualˈ (conventional flatbed maize and wheat, ICM3&4- conventional raised bed (CTRB) maize and wheat without residues, ICM5&6- conservation agriculture (CA)-based zero till (ZT) flatbed maize and wheat with the residues, and ICM7&8- CA-based ZT raised bed maize and wheat with the residues. Results indicated that the ICM7&8 produced significantly (p<0.05) the highest maize grain yield (5 years av.) which was 7.8-21.3% greater than the ICM1-6. However, across years, the ICM5-8 gave statistically similar wheat grain yield, and was 8.4-11.5% greater than the ICM1-4. Similarly, the CA-based residue retained ICM5-8 modules had given 9.5-14.3% (5 years av.) greater system yields in terms of maize grain equivalents (MGEY) over the residue removed CT-based ICM1&4. System water productivity (SWP) was the highest with ICM5-8, being 10.3-17.8% higher than the ICM1-4. Nevertheless, the highest water use (TWU) was recorded in the CT flatbed (ICM1&2), ~7% more than the raised bed and ZT planted crops with or without the residues (ICM4-8). Furthermore, the ICM1-4 had produced 9.54% greater variable production costs compared to the ICM5-8, whereas, the ICM5-8 gave 24.3-27.4% additional returns than the ICM1-4. Also, different ICM modules caused significant (p<0.05) impacts on the soil properties, such as, organic carbon (SOC), microbial biomass carbon (SMBC), dehydrogenase (SDH), alkaline phosphatase (SAP) and urease (URE) activities. In 0.0-0.15 m soil profile, residue retained CA-based (ICM5-8) modules registered a 7.1-14.3% greater SOC and 10.2-17.3% SMBC than the ICM1-4. The sustainable yield index (SYI) of MWR was 13.4-18.6% greater under the ICM7&8 compared to the ICM1-4. Hence, this study conclude that the adoption of the CA-based residue retained ICMs in the MWR could sustain the crop yields, enhance farm profits, save water and improve soil properties of the north-western plan zones of India.


We report an unusual case of carpal coalition between trapezium and trapezoid in a 54-year-old man who was diagnosed after a pain in left wrist following a night's sleep. The patient was otherwise asymptomatic.


This paper studies the structure of downlink sum-rate maximizing selective decentralized feedback policies for opportunistic beamforming under finite feedback constraints on the average number of mobile users feeding back. First, it is shown that any sum-rate maximizing selective decentralized feedback policy must be a threshold feedback policy. This result holds for all fading channel models with continuous distribution functions. Second, the resulting optimum threshold selection problem is analyzed in detail. This is a nonconvex optimization problem over finite-dimensional Euclidean spaces. By utilizing the theory of majorization, an underlying Schur-concave structure in the sum-rate function is identified, and the sufficient conditions for the optimality of homogenous threshold feedback policies are obtained. Applications of these results are illustrated for well-known fading channel models such as Rayleigh, Nakagami, and Rician fading channels. Rather surprisingly, it is shown that using the same threshold value at all mobile users is not always a rate-wise optimal feedback strategy, even for a network in which mobile users experience statistically the same channel conditions. For the Rayleigh fading channel model, on the other hand, homogenous threshold feedback policies are proven to be rate-wise optimal if multiple orthonormal data carrying beams are used to communicate with multiple mobile users simultaneously.


ABSTRACT In order to provide physical support for chitosan and increase the accessibility of the binding sites for sorption process applications, chitosan was coated on the surface of montmorillonite. For the optimization of the sorption of phenol on chitosan coated montmorillonite (CCM), effects of pH, initial concentration and temperature on the sorption of phenol by CCM were investigated. In order to find the sorption characteristics, the isothermal data were applied to Langmuir and Freundlich linear isotherm equation, and the thermodynamic parameters (ΔH, ΔG and ΔS) were also calculated according to the values of binding Langmuir constant K L . The L type sorption isotherm between phenol and CCM suggests a relatively high affinity between the adsorbate and adsorbent, and the mechanism involved in the association of phenol with CCM were proton transfer, hydrogen bonding, London-Van der Waals forces because of lots of the OH and NH 2 groups in the chitosan chain. The negative ΔH constant confirmed that the more phenol was adsorbed by CCM at lower temperature and the driving force for sorption process is an enthalpy effect. The kinetics of the sorption process of phenol on CCM were also investigated using the pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order kinetics, results showed that the second order equation model provided the best correlation with the experimental results. It was reached that modification of chitosan with montmorillonite increased the possibility of utilization of chitosan for phenol remove from aqueous solution.


Bimonthly sampling was carried out from the river Godavari, the largest in peninsular India, over a period of two years to measure the major ion and heavy metal composition to elucidate the effect of paper mill effluents on the river water chemistry. Six sampling stations are spaced at a stretch of 6 km. Major ions and silica variations in the river convey their dominant sources from rock assemblages comprising of Ca and Mg rich basalts and sodic plagioclase rich granite gneiss. The magnification of major ion and heavy metal (As, Zn, Cd, Co, Ni, Cu, Mn and Pb) composition in two stations near the paper mill (station PM) and VIP ghat (station VIP) compared to the rest of the stations, clearly indicates the influence of paper mill effluents and anthropogenic activities on the river chemistry close to paper mills. Though the chemical composition is magnified in station PM, it is getting diminished downstream, because of the self-purification ability of the river. It could be due to fractionation of elements from dissolved to particulates involving processes like complexation and adsorption of metals on to the inorganic ferro-magnesium oxides.


Despite a growing interest in atmospheric phenomena within management and organization studies, a distinct line of research on atmospheres can hardly be identified. The present article reviews existing concepts of atmosphere in management and organization studies to promote a common understanding of how to conceptualize atmospheres. On the uppermost level, dualistic and non-dualistic concepts of atmosphere are distinguished. This article shows that non-dualistic conceptions are more appropriate for researching atmospheres than dualistic conceptions, but still need further development. In case of this paper, it is shown that considering the socialites of atmospheres is especially important to foster such a development. Furthermore, it is suggested that a full-range consideration of atmospheres needs to take both aesthetic and anaesthetic elements into account. In sum, the article pleads for a more systematic discussion of non-dualistic conceptions of atmosphere and seeks to mark a starting point for a distinct and coherent area of research on atmospheres within management and organization studies.


This article examines interspecies cooperation in camel herding in Somaliland. It presents the case of a particular joint activity in this task-scape: moving a camel herd, by leading and driving it, from the night-camp to the daytime grazing area and back. The analytical aim is to clarify the role that skills and nonhuman agency play in the constitution of cooperative human-camel relationships. On the basis of empirical data, collected in a multispecies ethnographic project by following and observing one herd and herder closely, this article demonstrates how nonhuman agency, as an individual capacity to engage in an activity and an epistemological potential, manifests in this human-camel cooperative task. Cooperation is made possible through human-camel sociality and intersubjectivity, through the ability to interpret and respond to each other, and it depends on the empathetic acknowledgement of the enabling or disabling powers of each counterpart, her or his agency. Leading and driving camels is a skilled practice requiring the responding and enabling capacities of the cooperation partner. Hence, it is a case of distributed skills – distributed in the sense that skills of humans and nonhumans are intertwined in this practice, that they complement each other.


Karnosky, David F. and T.R. Myers. 1982. Pollution: new factor in doagnosis of tree damage. Weeds, Trees & Turf 21(2): 38, 42, 46. Air pollution is one of the many unnatural stress factors affecting the growth and survival of shade trees in and around urban areas. Concentrations of ozone, sulfur dioxide, and suspended particulates fre-quently exceed federal air quality standards throughout much of the United States. This article is aimed at providing practicing arborists with a better understanding of the air pollution problems they may encounter. In the second article in this series, we will examine differences in responses of trees to air pollution and describe which shade trees can best tolerate pollution problems. While there are many different types of air pollutants, arborists are unlikely to encounter tree problems for most of them. Some pollutants which commonly cause tree injury are ozone, sulfur dioxide, herbicide drift, and deicing salt spray.


Two related problems of front projection displays, which occur when users obscure a projector, are: (i) undesirable shadows cast on the display by the users, and (ii) projected light falling on and distracting the users. This paper provides a computational framework for solving these two problems based on multiple overlapping projectors and cameras. The overlapping projectors are automatically aligned to display the same dekeystoned image. The system detects when and where shadows are cast by occluders and is able to determine the pixels, which are occluded in different projectors. Through a feedback control loop, the contributions of unoccluded pixels from other projectors are boosted in the shadowed regions, thereby eliminating the shadows. In addition, pixels, which are being occluded, are blanked, thereby preventing the projected light from falling on a user when they occlude the display. This can be accomplished even when the occluders are not visible to the camera. The paper presents results from a number of experiments demonstrating that the system converges rapidly with low steady-state errors.


In methylotrophic bacteria, formaldehyde is an important but potentially toxic metabolic intermediate that can be assimilated into biomass or oxidized to yield energy. Previously reported was the purification of an NAD(P)(+)-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase (FDH) from the obligate methane-oxidizing methylotroph Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath), presumably important in formaldehyde oxidation, which required a heat-stable factor (known as the modifin) for FDH activity. Here, the major protein component of this FDH preparation was shown by biophysical techniques to comprise subunits of 64 and 8 kDa in an alpha(2)beta(2) arrangement. N-terminal sequencing of the subunits of FDH, together with enzymological characterization, showed that the alpha(2)beta(2) tetramer was a quinoprotein methanol dehydrogenase of the type found in other methylotrophs. The FDH preparations were shown to contain a highly active NAD(P)(+)-dependent methylene tetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase that was the probable source of the NAD(P)(+)-dependent formaldehyde oxidation activity. These results support previous findings that methylotrophs possess multiple pathways for formaldehyde dissimilation.


Background All cells accumulate mitochondrial DNA (MtDNA) damage as they age. However, the tolerance of cells to these mutations remains unknown and has recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Similarly, while both cellular senescence and DNA damage response (DDR) markers (pATM and pH2AX) increase in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) with increasing disease severity, the effects of cellular ageing on DDR markers are unknown. Methods We quantified the common MtDNA deletion (4977 bp), previously documented as a sign of plaque instability, using quantitative PCR (qPCR) in human carotid plaques (n=10) or normal carotids (n = 7). DNA damage and DDR were examined in primary VSMCs of young (mean age 23 years) and older (mean age 60 years) patients using the COMET assay and immunocytochemistry for pATM/pH2AX, respectively. Results The common mitochondrial deletion increased 1.25-fold in the plaques compared with the normal vessels (p=0.04). In addition, sequencing identified a novel 5031 bp deletion variant, also 1.25-fold higher in the plaques. VSMCs from older patients had increased DNA damage on COMET assay (p=<0.0001) and greater abundance of DDR foci (p=<0.0001) than young patients, both basally and after treatment with the hydrogen peroxide analogue t-BHP. Conclusions MtDNA damage, manifested as both increased levels of the common and a novel MtDNA deletion, increase in atherosclerosis. VSMC ageing is associated with increased nuclear DNA damage and DDR markers, implying that ageing compromises their ability to repair both nuclear and that MtDNA damage may promote premature senescence and atherosclerosis.


BACKGROUND
Evidence shows that there is a rapid increase in the production of markers of oxidative damage immediately after acute ischemic stroke and that endogenous antioxidant defenses are rapidly depleted, thus permitting further tissue damage. Several studies point to an antioxidant effect of B-group vitamins and a pro-oxidant effect of elevated total plasma homocysteine (tHcy).

METHODS
To test whether supplementary antioxidants with or without B-group vitamins during this critical period enhance antioxidant capacity or mitigate oxidative damage, ninety-six acute ischemic stroke patients within 12 hours of symptom onset were randomly assigned to receive either daily oral 800 IU (727 mg) vitamin E and 500 mg vitamin C (n = 24), or B-group vitamins (5 mg folic acid, 5 mg vitamin B(2), 50 mg vitamin B(6), and 0.4 mg of vitamin B(12); n = 24), both vitamins together (n = 24), or no supplementation (n = 24) for 14 days. Treatment groups and controls were matched for stroke subtype and age. Blood was obtained before treatment, at day 7, and day 14 for measurements of plasma or blood vitamin status, plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), malondialdehyde (MDA), tHcy and C-reactive protein (CRP).

RESULTS
Supplementation with antioxidant vitamins and B-group vitamins separately or together significantly increased the plasma concentration of vitamin C, E, pyridoxal phosphate (B(6) status), red blood cell folate, and improved a measure of B(2) status (red cell glutathione reductase activation coefficient [EGRAC]), compared with the control group. Plasma TAOC increased significantly in the antioxidant treatment groups compared with the nonsignificant decline seen in the control group. tHcy concentrations decreased in subjects who received B-group vitamins and the control group compared with the rise seen in those who received antioxidants alone. There was a significant reduction in plasma MDA concentration in the 3 treatment groups, in contrast to the increase seen in the control group; however, the changes were most evident in antioxidant groups. CRP concentrations (a marker of tissue inflammation) were significantly lower in the 3 treatment groups compared with the control group. There were no additive or synergistic effects of antioxidants and B-group vitamins together on any outcome measure.

CONCLUSIONS
Antioxidants supplementation with or without B-group vitamins enhances antioxidant capacity, mitigates oxidative damage, and may have an anti-inflammatory effect immediately postinfarct in stroke disease.


This study investigated the static and dynamic function of trunk muscles in sitting after stroke. A new apparatus using a novel force-transducing system was developed that enables to study the time-course of development of trunk force magnitude and direction in sitting with or without the pelvis stabilised. In addition, reaction forces between the buttocks and the seat and between each foot and the ground are measured with three independent force plates. 24 healthy subjects were required to exert maximal forces in eight directions, with and without pelvis fixation. Accuracy of the trunk force measurement system was assessed without pelvis fixation by comparing trunk forces with reaction forces from the force plates. The agreement analysis showed a mean bias of the new system of only –3.0 N for force magnitude and 0.72 degree for force direction. The trunk force measurement system was sensitive enough to detect effects of movement direction and pelvis fixation on maximum force magnitude. When subjects repeated the test at a later date there were no significant differences between the two sessions. Trunk muscle strength in voluntary movements was then investigated in 9 stroke patients and 23 controls. Reaction forces were simultaneously recorded at the points of contact of the lower body. This is the first study that demonstrated the relationship between trunk and lower body movements affected by stroke. This was achieved by studying how the forces are transferred from trunk to pelvis and legs during trunk movements. This approach has shown that stroke impairs both prime mover and spine stabilizer trunk muscle function which is further compounded by weakness of pelvis muscles resulting in impairment of co-ordination between trunk and pelvis and deficient stabilization of the whole axis. These results contribute to our understanding of the physiological mechanisms that affect trunk movement and control after stroke.


The cross section for total scattering by clusters of spheres is derived from an integration, over a closed spherical surface, of the scattered Poynting flux associated with the different pairs of spheres in the ensemble. With the use of the addition theorem for vector spherical harmonics the integral can be evaluated analytically. The pairwise cross sections can be rearranged into an expression for the scattering cross section of sphere aggregates that is analogous to that obtained from Lorenz–Mie theory for a single sphere. The latter formulation, however, is more difficult to treat numerically than is the summation over pairwise cross sections.


Abstract Quinoa is known in the EU as superfood due to the high level of protein, fibre, micronutrients, and amino acids. It is come from South America; however, quinoa is currently grown in various parts of the world. Nevertheless, the domestic continent, especially countries such as Peru and Bolivia, is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of quinoa. One third of Peru's quinoa production is imported to European Union. Despite the conclusion of an agreement with Peru and Bolivia that eliminated quinoa tariffs, there are many legal regulations of the EU that affects import of quinoa into the EU countries including the food safety and quality, food labelling, organic labels and nutrition and health claims, food packaging and shipment. The article deals with the most important EU legal norms of quinoa imports that must be complied with when importing quinoa.


A European group has paired a new high-speed technique for analyzing proteins with a database of partial gene sequences to identify 44 components of the human spliceosome. Researchers had previously identified only about half of the proteins in the spliceosome, a multiprotein machine that splices the noncoding sequences out of newly minted RNAs to produce messenger RNAs, the cell9s templates for protein production. The feat also provided additional proof of the worth of the database of human gene fragments called "expressed sequence tags," which some genome experts once dismissed as a poor substitute for the complete gene sequences to come from the Human Genome Project.


This work presents the first fully-automated computer-aided analysis approach to the quantification of the expression of receptors for the non-small cell lung carcinoma. This immunohistochemical analysis is usually performed by pathologists via visual inspection of tissue samples images. Our techniques streamlines this error-prone and time-consuming process, thereby facilitating analysis and diagnosis. Experimental results on several real-life datasets demonstrate the high quantitative precision of our approach


In this article we look at the question of whether the relationships between church and state should be arranged in such a manner that manifestations of religion are only allowed in the private sphere. Or should the state be more tolerant of religion in a more generous manner? In answering this question we first highlight a number of recent developments regarding the relationship between church and state in Belgium. These developments sketch the atmosphere in which this relation exists at present. They seem to indicate a changed attitude of at least the Belgian government towards religion. Next we look at two classic models in Church-State relations: i.e., the one framed by Thomas Hobbes on the one hand and the one initiated by John Locke on the other hand. We round up with an evaluation of these models in light of the present-day situation and the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.We conclude that in order to recognise citizens in regard to their full identity, it is more than ever necessary to look for the contribution religions can make towards the norms and values that keep our society alive and in good health. In this respect government has, in our opinion, a role as facilitator, as guarantor of the basic conditions for pluralism, but not as the party that first and foremost exercises control. As soon as government inclines towards the second (the taking of control), the first (guaranteeing religious liberty) is open to a possible threat. A government that, as was indicated above in a number of examples from the contemporary Belgian policy context, seems to involve itself more and more in the domain of religion should therefore be careful about the actions it takes. It is appropriate to exercise circumspection in the domain of the relationship between religion and politics because whoever oppresses or denies the existence of religious identity humiliates the other. This, in turn, gives rise to a lack of respect for and from the other. Such a society harbours an enormous potential for violence.


Objective The aims of this study were to assess the renal expression of angiotensin type 1 (AT1) and type 2 (AT2) receptors in diabetic spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and the effect of AT1 receptor blockade on the expression of these receptors. Design Diabetes was induced by injection of streptozotocin in SHRs. Irbesartan, an AT1 receptor antagonist, was given to diabetic SHRs for 32 weeks (15 mg/kg per day, n = 10). Diabetic (n = 10) and non-diabetic SHRs (n = 10) were studied concurrently. A separate group of control and diabetic Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) rats were also evaluated. Methods Gene and protein expressions of the AT1 and AT2 receptor were assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry with specific antibodies and in vitro autoradiography with [125I]Sar(1), Ile(8) angiotensin II or [125I]CGP42112B. Results Both AT1 and AT2 receptor mRNA levels in the kidney were reduced in diabetic SHRs compared to non-diabetic SHRs. Immunohistochemistry staining with specific antibodies showed a similar reduction in glomerular and tubulo-interstitial staining for both AT1 and AT2 receptors. Reduced binding for the AT1 and AT2 receptor was found in the kidney of diabetic SHRs. Diabetic SHRs developed albuminuria and had glomerular and tubulo-interstitial injury, which were prevented by treatment with irbesartan. Reduced expression of the AT1 receptor, but not the AT2 receptor, in diabetic SHRs was prevented by treatment with irbesartan. In diabetic WKY rats no such reduction in AT1 expression was observed, although there was a trend for reduced AT2 receptor expression. Conclusions These findings demonstrated that renal expression of both AT1 and AT2 receptor was reduced in long-term diabetic SHRs and that blockade of the AT1 receptor had disparate effects on expression of angiotensin II receptor subtypes.


We performed the current study to investigate the influence of 2 different hydroxyethyl starch (HES) solutions, the novel medium molecular weight HES 130/0.4 (6%) and HES 200/0.5 (6%), on plasma and whole blood viscosity in vitro and ex vivo in patients with severe head injury. For the in vitro experiments, blood was incubated with increasing concentrations (0%–50% vol/vol plasma) of either 6% HES 130/0.4 or 6% HES 200/0.5 solution. Plasma viscosity and whole blood viscosity (hematocrit [Hct] 45%) at high (94.5 s−1) and low (0.1 s−1) shear rates were determined. Both HES solutions increased plasma viscosity, but HES 130/0.4 to a lesser extent than HES 200/0.5. Whole blood viscosity was significantly less with HES 130/0.4 than with HES 200/0.5 at concentrations of 37.5% and larger. In the ex vivo study on 31 patients with severe cranio-cerebral trauma treated randomly with either HES 130/0.4 or HES 200/0.5 over several days, frozen plasma samples were thawed and plasma viscosity was determined. Blood was reconstituted with normal erythrocytes (0, Rh neg, Hct 45%) for whole blood viscosity measurements. In both groups plasma and blood viscosity tended to increase over time without statistical significance. Although the prominent effects found in vitro are not in keeping with the ex vivo data, they are likely to reflect the true clinical situation during repetitive, large-dose HES administration. We therefore conclude that HES 130/0.4 may have hemorheological advantages over conventional HES 200/0.5 when used in large quantities.


Expectancy violations can have damaging effects in social relationships, but their comparative effects on relationships with media figures has not been explored. A questionnaire was given to 125 undergraduates, measuring anticipated reductions in closeness to friends and media figures as a result of three expectancy violations: moral, trust, and social. For both relationships, trust and social violations resulted in greater reductions in closeness than moral violations. Compared to violations committed by other types of media figures, respondents expected greater reductions in closeness for major violations committed by athletes and social violations committed by TV hosts. Women anticipated greater reductions in closeness than men. These findings shed light on how mediated relationships evolve and how they intersect with interpersonal relationships.


Thin film sensor has the advantages of small size and low cost, which has become a research hotspot in recent years. A measurement system of passive optical fiber DC current sensor based on the thin film sensors is designed in this article. Designs of electric-heating converter, heating-light converter and low-voltage measurement display system are introduced in detail. Experimental results indicate that the general linear correlation between the time constant of fluorescent lifetime and the voltage across the thin film resistor. The feasibility of measurement system is verified via the results of the experiment.


This thesis examines public relations (PR) communications that use English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) from leading Finnish companies. It analyses a corpus of 90 press releases from 15 export-active companies for linguistic usage, drawing on elements of linguistic theory. In addition, a limited narrative is based on personal interviews to determine typical procedures that are involved in PR content creation. It should have relevance to all who use ELF in a business context, but be of special interest to those involved with PR and marketing. It may also have some relevance to internal international business communications and linguistics. The study was motivated by three factors: how English is a dominant global language that is being used by companies in other countries as an intermediary language, prior research of how Finnish companies use PR and communications within their export activities, and extensive observation obtained whilst working as a journalist, dealing with companies from all around the world. It is believed that many companies may not be communicating efficiently and effectively when using ELF. Even when they do communicate and content may appear to be grammatically correct, its efficacy may be muted, inhibiting audience comprehension and other consequential actions. The research noted that certain linguistic elements were over-represented, which could potentially inhibit communication and comprehension. The resolution is not necessarily drastic and could only deliver wider benefits where implemented. Recommendations include closer attention is made concerning linguistic construction, broader additional research is conducted into the global phenomena and the possible creation of an operational framework to assist deployment of ELF-friendly textual communications, especially within the PR/marketing field.


Molecular force fields, which were developed before 1973 to deal with calculations on alkanes and/or non-conjugated alkenes, were each known to have certain defects in that they could not adequately reproduce all the experimental data. The parametrization of a new and improved force field for calculations on alkanes and non-conjugated alkenes was therefore undertaken. The force field, which was subsequently-developed (referred to as the White-Bovill force field or WBFF, for short), incorporated into its parametrization large amounts of recently published experimental data concerning the thermodynamic and structural properties of a carefully selected group of 75 compounds and was found to be more general and reliable than the previously developed force fields. The final form of the WBFF consisted of 22 parameters for aliphatic functions and 18 parameters for double bonds and its surroundings. The mean deviation between the calculated and experimental enthalpies of 60 compounds was 0.55 kcal./mole and. the corresponding figures for geometric properties were 0.009, 0.6, and 0.9 in bond lengths, bond angles and torsion angles. Molecular mechanics(MM) calculations, utilising the WBFF, were then undertaken on a series of cyclenes which had. one double bond in the ring, ranging from C6 - C10 and with two double bonds in the ring, ranging from C8 - C10, so that detailed knowledge of the relationship between conformational structure and energy would be obtained. The WBFF produced extremely reliable results for geometries, heats of formation and heats of hydrogenation of a number of medium ring compounds so that it was possible to place a certain degree of confidence in the results from this investigation of the plethora of conformations and transannular interactions exhibited by medium rings. In addition, the minimum energy conformation (MEC) of cis,cis,cis-1,5,9-cyclododecatriene was assigned on the basis of MM calculations and an NMR analysis. A series of KM calculations was performed on a carefully selected group of sixteen bicyclic bridgehead olefins with the aim of assessing the limits of the application of the rules, proposed by Bredt, Fawcett and. Wiseman, regarding the stability of bridgehead olefins and providing guidelines or rules for situations not covered by the previous rules. The experimental data, which were mostly of a qualitative nature, were satisfactorily reproduced by the WBFF and it was found that, within a given skeleton, systems with a double bond placed in the second largest bridge will be less strained than those with a double bond located in the largest bridge, which in turn are less strained than those with a double bond situated in the smallest bridge. The recent publication of results of a series of hydroboration/oxidation experiments on hindered 1,3,5-tri- and tetra-substituted alkylcyclohexenes provided reference data for testing the application of summed atom centred congestion ratios (based on the Wipke and Gund congestion algorithm) in the prediction of the outcome of stereoselective additions to hindered double bonds since hydroboration is known to be sensitive to the balance of steric hindrance to the two faces of the double bond. The agreement between the predicted and experimentally observed stereoselectivity was favourable (within 15% of each other) when steric control dominates the reaction. It has been suggested that Raman optical activity in methyl torsion modes of vibration in chiral molecules can be correlated with the chiral part of the electronic potential barrier hindering the rotation of the methyl group. In a perturbed harmonic oscillator approximation, the chiral part is proportional to the displacement of the equilibrium position of the methyl group from the symmetric position. MM calculations of this displacement in (+)-3-methylcyclohexanone, (+)-3-methyl-cyclopentanone, (-)-limonene, (+)-carvone and (-)-menthol was found to correlate in sign, and approximately in magnitude, with the observed Raman optical activity in bands assigned to methyl torsion modes. A structure analysis of 1,8-dimethyl-2-naphthyl acetate was carried out as part of a series of investigations, by Dr. J. Carnduff, into the autoxidation of 2-naphthols. On the basis of the rates of autoxidation reactions, the 1,8-dimethyl derivative was expected to be more strained than the 1-isopropyl derivative, which,in turn, should be more strained than the 1-methyl derivative. This hypothesis was supported by the correspondind structure analyses and, from a comparison of structural data for eight Cl and/or C8 substituted naphthalenes, the only consistent indicators of steric crowding are the C1-C9-C8 valence angle and C1...C8 nonbonded distance.


In 42 patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus of average and grave forms with preserved glomerular renal function without signs of dehydration and hypovolemia renal function was investigated by maximum osmotic urine concentration (on dry food for 36 h) which was assessed on the basis of maximum osmolarity of urine and renal capacity for osmotic dilution of urine (on the 2nd hour after water load per os, 20 ml per 1 kg of body mass) assessed on the basis of the clearance of osmotically free water from 100 ml of the glomerular filtrate. Disorder of function of osmotic urine concentration revealed in 1/4 th of the patients, was moderate; it was most frequent in complication of disease with diabetic glomerulosclerosis, less frequent in diabetic angiopathies and was absent in patients without vascular lesion. Disorder of the capacity of the kidneys for osmotic urine dilution was revealed in 50% of the patients, it was probably of functional nature and was mainly associated with raised permeability of nephron distal segments for water.


This paper studies how information control affects incentives for collusion and optimal organizational structures in principal–supervisor–agent relationships. I consider a model in which the principal designs the supervisor's signal on the productive agent's private information, and the supervisor and agent may collude. I show that the principal optimally delegates the interaction with the agent to the supervisor if either the supervisor's budget is large or the value of production is small. The principal prefers direct communication with the supervisor and agent if the supervisor's budget is sufficiently small and the value of production is high.


Background and objective: It has recently been suggested that recruitment proceeds far above the lower inflection point of the elastic pressure-volume (Pel/V) curve of the respiratory system. Accordingly, the value of the lower inflection point as a guide to set the positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) has been challenged. Our aim was to evaluate the derecruitment induced by stepwise decreasing PEEP levels. Methods: Seven consecutive sedated and paralysed patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome were studied. Multiple Pel/V curves of the respiratory system were recorded at PEEP levels progressively decreasing in steps of 3.75 cmH2O from +15 to zero according to the principles of the low flow inflation method. Results: Multiple Pel/V curves shifted towards lower volumes at decreasing PEEP. Dynamic compliance was higher for Pel/V curves recorded from lower PEEP levels. A high correlation (r = 0.99) was found between dynamic compliance and PEEP. The lower inflection point was on average 9.2 cmH2O. However, the transition between the lower segment and the linear part of the Pel/V curve was in general smooth to the eye. The upper inflection point was on average 23.8 cmH2O. A high correlation (r = 0.98) between the upper inflection point and PEEP was found. Conclusions: The lower inflection point is a poor indicator of alveolar closure. The evaluation of derecruitment induced by a stepwise reduction in PEEP seems to be more useful than individual titration of PEEP and tidal volume in patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome.


A biodegradable positron-emitting dendritic nanoprobe targeted at αvβ3 integrin, a biological marker known to modulate angiogenesis, was developed for the noninvasive imaging of angiogenesis. The nanoprobe has a modular multivalent core-shell architecture consisting of a biodegradable heterobifunctional dendritic core chemoselectively functionalized with heterobifunctional polyethylene oxide (PEO) chains that form a protective shell, which imparts biological stealth and dictates the pharmacokinetics. Each of the 8 branches of the dendritic core was functionalized for labeling with radiohalogens. Placement of radioactive moieties at the core was designed to prevent in vivo dehalogenation, a potential problem for radiohalogens in imaging and therapy. Targeting peptides of cyclic arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD) motifs were installed at the terminal ends of the PEO chains to enhance their accessibility to αvβ3 integrin receptors. This nanoscale design enabled a 50-fold enhancement of the binding affinity to αvβ3 integrin receptors with respect to the monovalent RGD peptide alone, from 10.40 nM to 0.18 nM IC50. Cell-based assays of the 125I-labeled dendritic nanoprobes using αvβ3-positive cells showed a 6-fold increase in αvβ3 receptor-mediated endocytosis of the targeted nanoprobe compared with the nontargeted nanoprobe, whereas αvβ3-negative cells showed no enhancement of cell uptake over time. In vivo biodistribution studies of 76Br-labeled dendritic nanoprobes showed excellent bioavailability for the targeted and nontargeted nanoprobes. In vivo studies in a murine hindlimb ischemia model for angiogenesis revealed high specific accumulation of 76Br-labeled dendritic nanoprobes targeted at αvβ3 integrins in angiogenic muscles, allowing highly selective imaging of this critically important process.


. In this paper we consider the combinatorial optimization problem known as workflow scheduling. We compare three encoding schemes of varying density: one-hot, binary, and domain wall, and test their performance against two well-known hybrid quantum-classical algorithms: Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) and Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE). In an attempt to obtain the best results possible, we investigate various parameters of the algorithms and test out other state-of-the-art improvements, such as dedicated QAOA mixers. Ultimately, we prove that, despite its popularity, one-hot encoding is not always the best, and using a denser encoding scheme, such as binary or domain wall, can allow for solving larger instances of workflow scheduling. Additionally, combining the above-mentioned encodings with dedicated QAOA mixers reduces the number of infeasible solutions, leading to better results.


To delineate the geological formation at the surface, satellite image classification approaches are often preferred. This study aims to produce a super resolved map with better delineation of the litho-contacts from the medium resolution Landsat image. Conventionally used per-pixel classification provides an output map at the same resolution of the satellite image, while the super resolved map provides the high resolution output map using the medium resolution image. In this study, four test sites are considered for delineating different litho-contacts using super resolution mapping approach in Cuddalore district, southern India. The test sites consists of charnockite, fissile hornblende-biotite gneiss, marine sandstone and sandstone with clay, limestone with calcareous shale and clay, clay with limestone bands/lenses, mio-pliocene and quaternary argillaceous and calcareous sandstone, fluvial and fluviomarine formations. This work compares the per-pixel, super resolved output derived from linear spectral unmixing (LSU) based HNN and spectral angle mapper (SAM) based HNN approaches. The super resolution mapping approach was performed on the medium resolution (30 m) Landsat image to obtain the litho-contact maps and the results are compared with the existing maps and observations from field visits. The results showed improved accuracy (90.92%) of the map prepared by the SAM based super resolution approach compared to the LSU based super resolution approach (90.14%) and the maximum likelihood classification approach (83.74%). Such an improved accuracy of the super resolved map (6 m resolution) is due to the fact that the lithological mapping is done not merely at the resolution of the image, but at the sub-pixel level. Hence, it is inferred that super resolution mapping applied to multispectral images may be preferred for mapping lithounits and litho-contacts than the conventional per-pixel and sub-pixel image classification methods.


Motivation: The research area metabolomics achieved tremendous popularity and development in the last couple of years. Owing to its unique interdisciplinarity, it requires to combine knowledge from various scientific disciplines. Advances in the high-throughput technology and the consequently growing quality and quantity of data put new demands on applied analytical and computational methods. Exploration of finally generated and analyzed datasets furthermore relies on powerful tools for data mining and visualization. Results: To cover and keep up with these requirements, we have created MeltDB 2.0, a next-generation web application addressing storage, sharing, standardization, integration and analysis of metabolomics experiments. New features improve both efficiency and effectivity of the entire processing pipeline of chromatographic raw data from pre-processing to the derivation of new biological knowledge. First, the generation of high-quality metabolic datasets has been vastly simplified. Second, the new statistics tool box allows to investigate these datasets according to a wide spectrum of scientific and explorative questions. Availability: The system is publicly available at https://meltdb.cebitec.uni-bielefeld.de. A login is required but freely available. Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com


This article is a preliminary examination of how Southeast Asian media frame the regional integration of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a news topic. Without grassroots engagement, the ASEAN integration will inevitably fall short of its grand objectives, and crucial to building grassroots engagement is media coverage capable of building audience interest and appreciation. Based on articles published during the major ASEAN summit events in 2018, the authors identified resonant themes in the reportage and discussed these vis-a-vis the documented character of the different media environments in the region. It was found that the axis of the reportage is the declarations and actions of the heads of state, with very few human interest and context-building stories that would have built audience engagement in what is otherwise an affair revolving around 'men in suits'. Moreover, the journalistic emphasis on consensus and state initiatives reflects continuing adherence to the tenets of the development journalism framework, but this can also be interpreted as the dominance of 'prominence' as a news value (i.e. stories are framed according to the gestures of prominent individuals). These findings call attention to the need for re-thinking reportage on potentially high-stake phenomena such as the ASEAN integration.


Analytical centrifugation (AC) is a powerful technique for the characterisation of nanoparticles in colloidal systems. As a direct and absolute technique it requires no calibration or measurements of standards. Moreover, it offers simple experimental design and handling, high sample throughput as well as moderate investment costs. However, the full potential of AC for nanoparticle size analysis requires the development of powerful data analysis techniques. In this study we show how the application of direct boundary models to AC data opens up new possibilities in particle characterisation. An accurate analysis method, successfully applied to sedimentation data obtained by analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) in the past, was used for the first time in analysing AC data. Unlike traditional data evaluation routines for AC using a designated number of radial positions or scans, direct boundary models consider the complete sedimentation boundary, which results in significantly better statistics. We demonstrate that meniscus fitting, as well as the correction of radius and time invariant noise significantly improves the signal-to-noise ratio and prevents the occurrence of false positives due to optical artefacts. Moreover, hydrodynamic non-ideality can be assessed by the residuals obtained from the analysis. The sedimentation coefficient distributions obtained by AC are in excellent agreement with the results from AUC. Brownian dynamics simulations were used to generate numerical sedimentation data to study the influence of diffusion on the obtained distributions. Our approach is further validated using polystyrene and silica nanoparticles. In particular, we demonstrate the strength of AC for analysing multimodal distributions by means of gold nanoparticles.


Dynamic load balancing (DLB) plays a critical role in developing high performance cluster. It is an important system function to distribute workload among available processors to improve throughput. Existing load balancing techniques are mainly concerned about the use of two main resources namely CPU and Memory. But there are certain I/O data Intensive applications where load balancing becomes important issue. Due to the ignorance of I/O resources, the previous CPU or memory based load balancing techniques suffer a major performance drop. Hence in this paper we propose Mobile Agent Based Load Balancing (MALB) algorithm for these types of applications. In order to distribute the incoming load on participating nodes, we use mobile agent (MA). A value function which is sum of all three types of resources including CPU, Memory and I/O is considered. The MA choose this value function as a trademark for load transfer. Different metrics are used to compare load balancing mechanism with the existing technology. The experiment is carried out on cluster of PC's divided into multiple LAN's using PMADE (Platform for Mobile agent distribution and execution).


This paper proposes an alternative way to intensify the exploitation of Eucalyptus wood wastes before valorisation for energy production. An aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) based on PEG 2000 and sodium citrate was investigated for the recovery of phenolic compounds that could act as natural antioxidants for applications including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food additives and other industrial applications. The influence of the tie line length (TLL) (26,1-46,1%), extraction temperature (25-65oC), extraction time (90-390 min) and phase settlement time (1-8 h) were studied. Phenolic compounds were concentrated preferentially in the PEG-rich phase. A partition coefficient of 38 and a total phenols yield of 1,29 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 mg wood dry basis were obtained under the operational conditions selected: TLL, 46,1%, temperature 65oC, extraction time 90 min and settlement time 1 h. Analysis of the extracts by RP-HPLC-ESI-TOF confirmed the presence of various phenolic compounds with demonstrated antioxidant activity: monogalloyl glucose, (-)-gallic acid, ellagic acid and quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside.


Purpose. Streptococcus oralis and Streptococcus mitis belong to the Mitis group, which are mostly commensals in the human oral cavity. Even though S. oralis and S. mitis are oral commensals, they can be opportunistic pathogens causing infective endocarditis. A recent taxonomic re‐evaluation of the Mitis group has embedded the species Streptococcus tigurinus and Streptococcus dentisani into the species S. oralis as subspecies. In this study, the distribution of virulence factors that contribute to bacterial immune evasion, colonization and adhesion was assessed in clinical strains of S. oralis (subsp. oralis, subsp. tigurinus and subsp. dentisani) and S. mitis. Methodology. Forty clinical S. oralis (subsp. oralis, subsp. dentisani and subsp. tigurinus) and S. mitis genomes were annotated with the pipeline PanFunPro and aligned against the VFDB database for assessment of virulence factors. Results/Key findings. Three homologues of pavA, psaA and lmb, encoding adhesion proteins, were present in all strains. Seven homologues of nanA, nanB, ply, lytA, lytB, lytC and iga, of importance regarding survival in blood and modulation of the human immune system, were variously present in the genomes. Few S. oralis subspecies specific differences were observed. iga homologues were identified in S. oralis subsp. oralis, whereas lytA homologues were identified in S. oralis subsp. oralis and subsp. tigurinus. Conclusion. Differences in the presence of virulence factors among the three S. oralis subspecies were observed. The virulence gene profiles of the 40 S. mitis and S. oralis (subsp. oralis, subsp. dentisani and subsp. tigurinus) contribute with important new knowledge regarding these species and new subspecies.


Spontaneous room-temperature crystallization of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2mim][OAc]) was observed upon removal of trace water. Sample purity was confirmed using analytical nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to ensure that trace water or other contaminants did not produce this observation. Raman spectroscopy and simultaneous quartz crystal microbalance/infrared spectroscopy measurements were used to study molecular reorganization during crystallization and decrystallization using trace water in the form of atmospheric moisture. These experimental results were supplemented with density functional theory calculations that indicate imidazolium cation ring stacking and side chain clustering with an exclusive arrangement of the acetate anion in the cation ring plane upon water removal. Crystal structure formation was confirmed using two-dimensional wide-angle X-ray scattering. This natural crystallization is attributed to the removal of trace water over extended periods of time and calls attention to the molecular-level role of water in the structure of hygroscopic ionic liquid systems.


The anterior part of the lateral hypothalamus was stimulated by injection of carbachol through a stereotaxically implanted cannula in the rat. Re-collection micropuncture experiments showed that this procedure, which leads to diuresis and natriuresis with only transient changes in glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow, reduced the TF/P inulin ratio along proximal and distal tubules without significant alteration of single nephron glomerular filtration rate in most experimental groups. Fractional proximal sodium reabsorption was significantly reduced from 0.54 +/- 0.02 to 0.34 +/- 0.05. Treatment with DOCA, vasopressin, and oxytocin caused natriuresis, but additional hypothalamic stimulation (HS) led to further reduction in TF/P inulin ratio and proximal fractional sodium reabsorption from 0.42 +/- 0.03 to 0.33 +/- 0.03. Fluid transport across proximal and distal epithelium was also studied by the split-droplet method. It was markedly reduced in both segments after HS. During hormone treatment only distal segments showed reduction of fluid transport by HS. These experiments indicate that HS caused inhibition of fluid transport in the proximal and distal tubule. This effect was only partly due to the liberation of neurohypophysial hormones, since during their administration an additional effect of HS was still observed.


We present the electronic band structure of the interfaces $YBa_2Cu_3O_7/GaAs$ (direct gap) and $YBa_2Cu_3O_7/AlAs$ (indirect gap) in different configurations calculated using the Density Functional Theory as in the Wien2k code within the local density approximation. We have projected the density of states at the atomic layers forming the interface. We concentrated in the semiconductor side. The two first atomic layers in the semiconductor side of the interface present a clear metallic behavior. We found for both semiconductors considered that it converges towards the bulk atomic-layer projected density of states at the fifth atomic layer from the interface. We considered an ideal non-reconstructed interface in the (001) direction in this work. This behavior is interesting and could be used in several technological applications.


The debate over the nature of informal employment and its implications for policy is still open and controversial. One of the main questions remains whether informality is a necessity or a choice. This paper looks at the Child Support Grant (CSG) in South Africa as a case study to test the importance of the "necessity channel" in a segmented labour market. I use cohort discontinuities in access to the grant to evaluate the impact of the CSG on workers' allocation across the formal and informal sectors. I show that mothers whose youngest child has been exposed to the grant are more likely to be formally employed than those who were not, with no impact on overall employment. Consistently with a fixed/search cost framework, these results are strongly non-linear in the number of children exposed. Lastly, I compare these results with the overall country level trend, where the informal sector has indeed been shrinking, but without a proportional increase in the size of the formal sector. I conclude that social assistance can prevent people from joining informal employment, however, this does not seem per se sufficient to increase the overall stock of formal jobs in the economy.


The purpose of this research was to examine involvement In study within the framework of the approach to learning literature. Although not discussed in detail, involvement has been related to a deep approach to learning (Ramsden, 1984). Specific interest focused on students' perceptions of the concept of involvement; the relation between involvement, approach to learning and educational orientation (Taylor et al., 1980); the relationship between Involvement in study and learning outcome and finally, the reasons why students become involved and factors affecting change over time. The research methodology used was consistent with the view originally developed by Marton and Saljo (1976a) - that learning can be effectively studied by focusing on student perception of the learning process. Consistent with Marton's methods of research, the data was drawn from interviews (with 58 university students). Additional data was supplied by open ended questions and Entwistle and Ramsden's approach to study inventory. Students produced a range of involvement definitions that emphasised activity but also incorporated feelings about what is studied. However, the experience of involvement is course-specific and it was demonstrated that students direct different levels of involvement to different courses. An investigation of factors that affect students' concept of involvement, revealed that approach to learning was important in determining the type of involvement activity students engage in ('basic' or 'more than required') and the level of involvement activity (full, limited, none). A vocational educational orientation was not incompatible with the development of involvement provided this was combined with interest in subject matter. Commerce students provided an interesting example of this point in that they typically possessed a strong vocational educational orientation towards their Commerce courses but directed their interest (and in many cases their full involvement) to courses outside the Commerce faculty. Analysis of the data indicated that female students were more likely to become fully involved in their study than did their male colleagues. However, the pattern of results was complicated by degree and approach to learning. It was suggested that the sex differences may be due to the fact that females were more likely to combine interest and vocational Interests in their choice of courses. The results indicated that a relationship did exist between the quality of the involvement activity and the quality of the learning outcome. The open ended responses indicated that students possess one of three involvement intentions (positive, neutral or negative). This finding was confirmed in the interviews and a number of relationships were proposed that combined intention and contextual factors to determine a particular involvement outcome (involvement or non-involvement). It was further demonstrated that context is particularly important in influencing involvement. In most cases students' intention was changed by their positive or negative perception of the course context. Thus involvement developed from a combination of personal (e.g. existing interest) and contextual factors (e.g. staff attitude and presentation skills, relevance of course content and form of assessment). These factors were also significant in affecting involvement change. Regardless of approach to learning, an involved student wants to learn. Through this commitment, persistence in study is more likely to occur. The involvement activities themselves will be largely determined by approach and thus the quality of the outcome is related to approach. The thesis concludes with discussion of the implications of these results for policy, teaching and course development.


Background: Many patients are currently cared for at the end-of-life stage at home, and the number is expected to increase. The patient's participation is a prerequisite for good care, which also relates to ethical principles and evidence-based action. Aim: To describe adult patients' experiences of their life situation and their participation in palliative home care. Method: A reflective lifeworld approach and a phenomenological meaning analysis were conducted. Six adult patients in palliative home care were interviewed in Sweden during 2018. Results: One essential meaning and five elements of that meaning describe adult patients' life situations and participation in their palliative home care. The essential meaning referred to needing and endeavouring to live as usual and taking responsibility for life. The five essential elements were: The home should be my home, where I know who is coming through the door; I should know when help is coming and be included when decisions are made; routines should be maintained, but without booking up tomorrow; accept death, feel hope, and plan for relatives after my death; and be aware that death is imminent, but not know when it will come. Conclusions: Participation in palliative home care can be maintained and improved by caregivers behaving as guests in the patient's home, building up the patient's trust, showing consideration for patients and their relatives, promoting patients living everyday life as they previously had, asking about the patient's habits, and giving patients time and continuity in the caregiving relationship. Education should focus on how to have supportive conversations with a patient who is dying and preparing for death. *Correspondence to: Lise-Lotte Jonasson, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Caring Science, Work Life and Social Welfare, University of Borås, SE 501 90 Borås, Sweden, Tel: 46703197078, E-mail: email@example.com


Purpose: This study aims at examining the development of the Malaysian Islamic venture capital industry including government and regulatory policy initiatives for escalating the growth of the industry. It also highlights constraints and way forward for the industry.
Methodology: The paper employs qualitative approach focusing on secondary resources, documents, and field interview with practitioners and academia who are directly involved in the operations of Islamic venture capital in Malaysia.
Findings: The study finds that policy-driven approach and liberalization facilitate the standardization of Shariah rulings of Shariah Advisory Council (SAC) and Shariah Committee (SC), which contribute to the effectiveness of regulatory framework and sustainable growth of the Islamic capital market in Malaysia. It also finds a number of constraints that dampen the progress of Islamic venture capital in Malaysia to be the following: i) apparent resistance of major Islamic banks to get involved in Islamic venture capital investment, ii) biasness against long-term investment; iii) underutilization of mushaarakah and mudaarabah mode of financing, iv) preference of expansion stage over seed capital by major venture capital institutions; v) lack of awareness on Islamic venture capital investment; vi) overreliance on government intervention.
Practical Implications: This paper holds significant implications for the venture capital industry players because it provides gap which needs to fill to make the industry a success.
Originality/Value of Paper: This paper sheds new light on the development of Islamic venture capital in Malaysia and constraints that stifle the progress of the industry. It also provides way forward for the industry.


The Druze, despite being a small minority faith group, have long survived in a challenging region, thanks in part to a doctrine of deference to whatever state they live in. In the past few years, however, the three largest Druze populations—in Israel, Lebanon, and Syria—have each faced some of their most difficult challenges yet, from a downgrading of their citizenship status to economic collapse and civil war. An increasingly active diaspora has emerged as an important advocate for Druze interests worldwide.


Recent research has revealed positive effects of unsteady flow on the development of profile boundary layers in turbine cascades at conditions with a laminar suction side separation bubble. Compared to steady flow, a reduction of total pressure loss over a broad range of Reynolds-numbers has been shown. A new design of turbine blades with an increased blade loading (high lift) is possible if the effects of rotor-stator interaction are taken into account. With previous investigations at low speed cascade wind tunnels just one of the parameters Mach- or Reynolds-number could be adjusted during the tests. In order to verify the promising results gained at low speed cascade wind tunnels also at realistic Mach- and Reynolds-number combinations the present investigation has been carried out at the High Speed Cascade Wind Tunnel of the University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich. Being built inside a large pressure tank this high speed cascade wind tunnel offers the possibility to vary the Mach- and the Reynolds-number in the test section independently of each other in order to correctly simulate the flow conditions inside turbomachines. Thereby the experimental gap between investigations at low speed cascade wind tunnels and investigations at turbine-rig setups can be closed.In turbomachines, periodically unsteady flow is caused by the relative motion of rotor and stator rows. A wake generator has been designed and built in order to simulate a moving blade row upstream of a linear turbine cascade in the High Speed Cascade Wind Tunnel of the Universitat der Bundeswehr Munchen. The wakes are generated with cylindrical bars moving with a velocity of up to 40 m/s in the test section upstream of the cascade inlet plane.Measurements have been performed on two highly loaded low pressure turbine cascades (turbine cascade A and B) at varying Reynolds-numbers with steady and unsteady inlet flow conditions. For the unsteady inlet flow conditions, the frequency (Strouhal-number) of the wake passing has been altered by varying the speed of the bars. The turbulence intensity and the velocity deficit of the bar wakes have been measured with a 1D hot-wire probe. Wake-induced transition is qualitatively mapped out by employing a simultaneous surface hot-film anemometry system. Measurements of the surface pressure distribution and wake traverses have been performed.Due to an enlarged pitch to chord length ratio, turbine cascade B has a 15% larger lift than turbine cascade A, despite both having the same inlet and outlet conditions. Thereby the turbine cascades A and B have different airfoil shapes in order to take maximum advantage of the positive effects of rotor-stator interaction. Both cascades show a positive influence of unsteady inlet flow conditions to the boundary layer of the suction side, compared to steady inlet flow conditions, with respect of measured losses. With cascade A a maximum reduction of total pressure loss of 34% and with cascade B of 28% has been achieved, both compared to the appropriate steady inlet flow case. At design conditions of the turbine cascades (β1 = 135°, Ma2th = 0.7, Re2th = 100000) with unsteady inlet flow, both cascades have very similar low losses. Consequently, by taking into account the positive effects of wake-induced transition during the design process, new high lift blading with nearly the same low losses at unsteady inlet flow conditions could be achieved. This leads to a reduction of weight and cost of the whole turbine module for a constant stage loading.© 2000 ASME


A competent contractor can be regarded as a catalyst to deliver a truly sustainable building and thus help to mitigate detrimental impacts to the built environment. The prequalification phase provides confidence to the owner to achieve a project's sustainability requirements and reinforcing a mutual relationship with the selected contractor. This study proposes a decision framework for green building (GB) prequalification, which aims to improve the owner/contractor relationship. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify prequalification factors. To draw attention to GB projects and trust-based prequalification factors, a focus group discussion was performed with GB experts. A decision framework consisting of 12 relationship-based factors was then subjected to a fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (F-DEMATEL) method. The followed methodology aided the determination of the relationship-based prequalification factors, specification of the importance of factor degrees, illustration of the interrelationship among factors and consequently reveal the most causal factors that might contribute significantly to the improvement of the owner and contractor (O&C) relationship in GB projects. Results pointed out the importance of financial factors, while the same factors were found to be the driving force behind the improved relationship between O&C. Pertinent literature on prequalification in GB projects are limited, and no prior indepth study has investigated the prequalification phase based on trust and the mutual relationship between O&C. Highlighting the gap in the literature about trust-based contractor selection models, the proposed study can be useful to minimize conflicts and claims between the O&C, which could positively influence direct owners to consider GB projects.


Contact binary stars have an important role to understand how the binary stars evolve to a single star and explain to the physical processes of star merges. Hence, understanding of different type of contact binaries is valuable to explore some physical processes such as angular momentum loses, mass and heat transfers between components. In this study, we present the photometric analysis of two Kepler binary stars KIC 3221207 and KIC 6677225. As a result, it was found that both eclipsing binaries have large amount of common envelopes. The fill-out factors of stars were determined to be 79 and 89 percent for KIC 3221207 and KIC 6677225, respectively. Furthermore, both systems show parabolic orbital period variations, while the third light contribution was found for KIC 3221207. In the result, we compare the target systems with similar, well-known contact binaries.


So-called (cid:147)white beds(cid:148) (cid:150) a snowy white to rusty yellow, sandy to chalky weathered carbonate alteration horizons locally developed over the lower Paleozoic limestones (cid:150) are interpreted in terms of fossil carbonate soil (caliche, calcrete). A typical caliche sequence affects as much as 6(cid:150)8 meters of the limestone host and develops gradually from a transitional zone exhibiting largely dissolution phenomena. These altered limestones grade upwards into a chalky zone of completely disintegrated carbonate that, in turn, gives way to a zone of coalescing carbonate nodules commonly developed below the recent soil cover. Microscopic phenomena observed in the carbonates closely match those known from both recent and ancient caliche elsewhere, and include calcite nodules, circum-granular cracking, rhizoliths, Microcodium, alveolar septal structures, tangencial needle-fiber calcite cements and floating calcite rhombs. Following the paleosoil formation, some of the caliche deposits were subject to redeposition and/or collapse into the paleorelief depressions and introduction of alluvial gravels and fine siliciclastic material into the caliche matrix. The age of the caliche is not known. Assuming that the formation of caliche paleosoil requires the conditions of long-lasting geomorphologic stability and arid to semi-arid climatic setting with low annual rainfall, the alteration can be tentatively attributed to a protracted period of peneplenization and reduced deposition that occurred in the Bohemian Massif during the Mesozoic-Tertiary era. Alternatively, the caliche facies may have also developed in response to Pliocene-Pleistocene climatic fluctuations.


Computer-mediated collaboration, a dominant mode of organizational communication particularly in dispersed and multinational organizations, introduces unique opportunities but also new problems. One of these problems is the higher risk of misunderstandings, which is more likely to occur in computer-mediated teamwork than in face-to-face teams (Cramton, 2001). Moreover, it may be particularly acute when distributed workers come from different functional backgrounds, holding different perspectives (Dougherty, 1992; Powell et al., 2004). Dispersed collaborations are also likely to suffer problems of culture since collaborators are embedded in a different local work setting with its own rules, language, histories, and myths (Armstrong & Cole, 2002). Current theories of communication suggest that misunderstanding may be reduced by contextualization, i.e., providing contextual information to explain a core message. However, a central hypothesize in the current research, is that contextualization is beneficial in some situations but not in others. Treating contextualization as a form of adaptive behavior, the research model aims to understand its contingent impact on performance in collaborative tasks. The motivation for contextualization is explained, arguing that it can be predicted by the extent to which the perspectives of the collaborators are different or shared: a difference of perspectives between collaborators motivates them to contextualize in order to increase mutual understanding and thereby increase performance. Computer support should also motivate communicators to contextualize by making it easier for them to do so. A controlled experiment tested these relationships in a collaborative machine-assembly task performed by dyads. The collaborators' perspectives and the level of computer support were manipulated, and contextualization behavior, mutual understanding and performance were measured. Results show that contextualization is effective only for dyads with different perspectives and may be detrimental when perspectives are similar. When computer support is available, users may contextualize even if it is counterproductive. Therefore, computer-mediated collaboration should be designed to ensure only effective contextualization. Some potential practical implications for collaborative systems are offered.


This thesis deals with the surface modification of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with polymers with the aim to achieve a high level of dispersion in polymer matrices. Chapter I gives a comprehensive review of the state of the art of hybrids of ionic liquids with carbon nanomaterials, particularly, nanotubes and more recently, graphene. Chapter II starts with a general overview of the non-covalent adsorption of polymers onto the CNT surfaces followed by a detailed description of the study carried out on the non-covalent functionalization of CNTs with various imidazolium based polymerized ionic liquids (PIL). For this purpose, we further compare the two experimental methods: in situ polymerization and solution mixing. One of the most important applications of CNT is in polymer/CNT composites. Chapter III describes the formation of polyetherimide/CNT composites starting from PIL-CNT hybrids obtained in Chapter II. The preparation and characterization of composites using solvent casting methods have been detailed. Pristine, acid oxidized and PIL functionalized CNTs have been compared. Mechanical, thermal and electrical property measurements on these composites have also been described. The last chapter – Chapter IV, divided into two sections, discusses the covalent functionalization of CNTs with a variety of polymers using two main approaches: "grafting from" and "grafting to". Using the first approach we have grown polyamide (PA) chains from the surface of caprolactam grafted CNTs by anionic ring opening polymerization. The tensile properties of the PA based composites prepared therefrom containing pristine, amine- and PA-functionalized CNTs have been investigated. The radical polymerization of vinyl imidazolium based IL monomers attached to the activated CNT surface is also given in this section. In the second part of Chapter IV, we have reported several "grafting to" functionalization strategies including radical addition and "defect site" grafting used for the preparation of CNTs covalently attached with polymers intended to blend well with epoxy matrices.


Web measurement studies can shed light on not yet fully understood phenomena and thus are essential for analyzing how the modern Web works. This often requires building new and adjusting existing crawling setups, which has led to a wide variety of analysis tools for different (but related) aspects. If these efforts are not sufficiently documented, the reproducibility and replicability of the measurements may suffer—two properties that are crucial to sustainable research. In this paper, we survey 117 recent research papers to derive best practices for Web-based measurement studies and specify criteria that need to be met in practice. When applying these criteria to the surveyed papers, we find that the experimental setup and other aspects essential to reproducing and replicating results are often missing. We underline the criticality of this finding by performing a large-scale Web measurement study on 4.5 million pages with 24 different measurement setups to demonstrate the influence of the individual criteria. Our experiments show that slight differences in the experimental setup directly affect the overall results and must be documented accurately and carefully.