This paper evaluates the risk disclosure made by GCC banks based on the belief that the information they release is meaningful to investors, regulators, and market participants. We researchers assess how well their disclosure captures variation in risk exposure, across banks and over time. We find that both the Core Capital and Market Risk Capital Ratios are key indicators. Specifically, these ratios contain information not reflected in at least fivetraditional risk metrics about the size of a bank (1) trading account, (2) derivatives positions (3) Value-at-Risk, (4) individual risk components (credit, market and operational), and (5) volume of risk-weighted assets. These observations lead us to conclude that disclosing these ratios adds transparency to GCC banks because their level is both informative and meaningful to evaluate risk across banks and over time.This paper complements and reinforces current supervisory efforts in the GCC to foster safe and sound institutions and a stable banking system.


On-line measurement of the energy content of natural gas is of interest for both industry and customers, since the energy content determines its monetary value. Experiments with pulsed ultrasound show that, in addition to changes in speed of sound and acoustic attenuation, there is also a change in the shape of the sound waveform. In this paper, we investigate the feasibility of using principal component analysis (PCA) to quantify this change in pulse shape. The principle is evaluated for pure oxygen, pure ethane, and mixtures of the two, for different pressures. The results show that by using PCA, it is possible to distinguish between pulses that have propagated through oxygen from pulses in ethane and mixtures of the two.


BACKGROUND
Printed educational materials (PEMs) are widely used passive dissemination strategies to improve knowledge, awareness, attitudes, skills, professional practice and patient outcomes. Traditionally they are presented in paper formats such as monographs, publication in peer-reviewed journals and clinical guidelines and appear to be the most frequently adopted method for disseminating information.

OBJECTIVES
To determine the effectiveness of PEMs in improving process outcomes (including the behaviour of healthcare professionals) and patient outcomes. To explore whether the effect of characteristics of PEMs (e.g., source, content, format, mode of delivery, timing/frequency, complexity of targeted behaviour change) can influence process outcomes (including the behaviour of healthcare professionals and patient outcomes).

SEARCH STRATEGY
The following electronic databases were searched up to July 2006: (a) The EPOC Group Specialised Register (including the database of studies awaiting assessment (see 'Specialised Register'under 'Group Details'); (b) The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness; (c) MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and CAB Health. An updated search of MEDLINE was done in March 2007.

SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) , controlled clinical trials (CCT), controlled before and after studies (CBAs) and interrupted time series analyses (ITS) that evaluated the impact of printed educational materials on healthcare professionals' practice and/or patient outcomes. There was no language restriction. Any objective measure of professional performance (sch as number of tests ordered, prescriptions for a particular drug), or patient health outcomes (e.g., blood pressure, number of caesarean sections) were included.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Four reviewers undertook data abstraction independently using a modified version of the EPOC data collection checklist. Any disagreement was resolved by discussion among the reviewers and arbitrators. Statistical analysis was based upon consideration of dichotomous process outcomes, continuous process outcomes, patient outcome dichotomous measures and patient outcome continuous measures. We presented the results for all comparisons using a standard method of presentation where possible. We reported separately for each study the median effect size for each type of outcome, and the median of these effect sizes across studies.

MAIN RESULTS
Twenty-three studies were included for this review. Evidence from this review showed that PEMs appear to have small beneficial effects on professional practice. RCTs comparing PEMs to no intervention observed an absolute risk difference median: +4.3% on categorical process outcomes (e.g., x-ray requests, prescribing and smoking cessation activities) (range -8.0% to +9.6%, 6 studies), and a relative risk difference +13.6% on continuous process outcomes (e.g., medication change, x-rays requests per practice) (range -5.0% to +26.6%, 4 studies). These findings are similar to those reported for the ITS studies, although significantly larger effect sizes were observed (relative risk difference range from 0.07% to 31%). In contrast, the median effect size was -4.3% for patient outcome categorical measures (e.g., screening, return to work, quit smoking) (range -0.4% to -4.6%, 3 studies)). Two studies reported deteriorations in continuous patient outcome data (e.g., depression score, smoking cessation attempts) of -10.0% and -20.5%. One study comparing PEMs with educational workshops observed minimal differences. Two studies comparing PEMs and education outreach did not have statistically significant differences between the groups. It was not possible to explore potential effect modifiers across studies.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
The results of this review suggest that when compared to no intervention, PEMs when used alone may have a beneficial effect on process outcomes but not on patient outcomes. Despite this wide of range of effects reported for PEMs, clinical significance of the observed effect sizes is not known. There is insufficient information about how to optimise educational materials. The effectiveness of educational materials compared to other interventions is uncertain.


Youth homelessness research is primarily focused on the risks that contribute to young people experiencing homelessness and the consequences they experience as a result of being homeless. Little research explores their strengths. In addition there is little research regarding the effectiveness of youth homelessness services. Some research shows that transitional living programs incorporate recreational activities in their programming, but little is known regarding their effectiveness. Research indicates that social work and related fields use recreational, art, and music-based activities to engage young people's strengths, yet little is known about how music-based activities are used with young people experiencing homelessness and whether or not these activities would engage their strengths.
 This study responds to these gaps in the literature by exploring whether and the extent to which involvement in a music studio in a transitional living program engages and promotes young people experiencing homelessness strengths. Using an ethnographic approach, data were collected to: (1) explore the processes involved in promoting and developing a music studio in a transitional living program for young people experiencing homelessness, (2) young people and staff experiences while engaging in the music studio, and (3) the meanings young people and staff attach to their experiences in the music studio. In addition, I worked with a team of young people to develop a co-constructed audio documentary that explores their experiences in the music studio and the meaning they attach to their experiences.
 Findings demonstrate that the agency's organizational commitment to a strengths-based, positive youth development informed approach to working with young people, the development of in-house holistic supportive services, the inclusion of young people's voice in recreational program development, and the role of a studio advocate play a vital role in the development of the studio and its ongoing maintenance. In addition, young people experience the music studio as space to engage in music production, education, and appreciation. Young people describe their experiences in the studio as opportunities for connection, engagement, and expression. They also describe experiencing challenges and frustrations in the studio, but ultimately frame their challenges and frustrations as additional opportunities for growth and development.


Repeated angiographies in male medical patients with peripheral arterial disease who did not undergo surgery disclosed radiological progression in 52% of 1,196 extremities followed up for one half to 8 years (2½) years on the average) Progression was more frequent in (1) extremities of patients 50 years of age and older than in those younger ones, (2) extremities of manifest diabetics, and (3) in superficial femoral arteries than in others. The most discriminating predictor of further progression, however, was the appearance of the initial angiogram, as evidenced by the following: Progression was (4) more frequent in arterial segments immediately proximal to occlusions than in those immediately distal, (5) more frequent in arteries or extremities with initial stenoses than in those without, and (6) was not primarily dependent on the presence or absence of occlusions.


Acute pancreatitis usually subsides spontaneously or is complicated by pseudocysts, pancreatic necrosis, or abscesses. We describe an uncommon variant of acute pancreatitis in which signs of inflammation persist over a number of months, waxing and waning but never disappearing. Neither identifiable collections nor other targets for surgical drainage develop in these patients, nor does their condition ever remit enough to allow them to leave the hospital. Eating provokes a flareup of inflammation. We have treated five such patients with a pancreatoduodenectomy (four patients) or total pancreatectomy (one patient). Each patient had been continuously hospitalized for six to 12 weeks before operation. All survived the operation and left the hospital eating solid food within 16 days. In addition to acute inflammation and fat necrosis, the resected specimens showed main pancreatic duct stenosis or occlusion in three patients, a pancreaticoduodenal fistula in one, and a congenital duplication cyst. Pancreatography or cholangiography showed the lesion in three of four cases and helped in planning therapy. Thus, acute pancreatitis may fall to remit because of proximal pancreatic duct obstruction, for which pancreatoduodenectomy is a reasonable and effective treatment.


What happened to disruptive transformation of education? When massive open online courses (MOOCs) first captured global attention in 2012, advocates imagined a disruptive transformation in postsecondary education. Video lectures from the world's best professors could be broadcast to the farthest reaches of the networked world, and students could demonstrate proficiency using innovative computer-graded assessments, even in places with limited access to traditional education. But after promising a reordering of higher education, we see the field instead coalescing around a different, much older business model: helping universities outsource their online master's degrees for professionals (1). To better understand the reasons for this shift, we highlight three patterns emerging from data on MOOCs provided by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) via the edX platform: The vast majority of MOOC learners never return after their first year, the growth in MOOC participation has been concentrated almost entirely in the world's most affluent countries, and the bane of MOOCs—low completion rates (2)—has not improved over 6 years.


We explore the contribution of intracluster stars (ICS) to the chemical enrichment history of the intracluster medium (ICM). In contrast to scenarios in which all the metals originate in cluster galaxies and are then transported into the ICM, ICS enrich the ICM in situ, thereby contributing 100% of their supernovae ejecta directly into the ICM. Modeling the ICS as an ancient single-burst stellar population with a normal initial mass function, we generate ICM iron abundances in the range of the observed values of several tenths solar. Large observational and theoretical uncertainties preclude us from concluding that the ICS are the primary contributor of metals to the ICM in general. However, for the two clusters in our sample and one from the literature, for which all of the required observational constraints exist, we are able to reproduce between half and all of the ICM iron with this simple model. Because of the ubiquity of ICS in clusters and their direct connection with the ICM, we conclude that all models of the chemical enrichment history and energy budget of the ICM should account for the impact of the ICS.


Twenty-four young volunteers were exposed to 30-56-hour head-down tilting (at -6 degrees and -15 degrees) in 5 experimental runs. The purpose of the study was to measure volumes of plasma and extracellular fluid, as well as concentrations of plasma proteins and hemoglobin. The results varied but in most cases the plasma volume decreased by 0.46-0.55 1, extracellular fluid volume by 0.75-2.15 1, and plasma proteins by 13.4-30.4 g. The hemoglobin concentration increased by 8-12% and that of plasma proteins in some cases grew and in others diminished. Water loading prevented the plasma volume decrease. The paper discusses with reference to the data in the literature the fate and role of plasma proteins in the regulation of the intravascular volume and fluid redistribution.


Objective: Gauge the sound pressure and temperature levels emitted by the equipment of the drying and sterilization rooms of the Material and Sterilization Center and compare them with the current legislation.
Method: It is an experimental study with a quantitative approach, implemented in a school hospital in Joao Pessoa-PB. The data were obtained by a sound pressure meter and a thermal stress meter in September 2016.
Results and Discussion: The data evidenced high sound pressure levels, reaching a mean of 71.25 and 76.25 dB (A), in the drying and sterilization rooms respectively. The levels found do not exceed that recommended by NR15 (Regulatory Norm 15) which is 85dB(A), but NBR 10152/87 (Brazilian Norm 10152/87) indicates levels between 45 and 55 dB(A) for acoustic well-being. As for the temperature the measured mean ranged between 24.91 and 25.87 °C.
Conclusion: The levels of sound pressure and temperatures found in the environment can cause physiopsychological changes in the professionals that works in this services.
Keywords: Sound pressure; Temperature; Material and Sterilization Center


Abstract The dietary composition of the semiferal cattle population in the Alberes Natural Park in northeastern Spain was determined four times per year, from June 2002 to February 2004, by microhistological analysis of a total of 120 fecal samples. Woody species, mainly the Quercus and Erica genera, formed the bulk of the diet, reaching 89% of it in winter. However, in spring and summer, the proportion of woody and herbaceous species varied between samples, depending on the habitat where they were collected. The forest samples contained 67% woody species in summer, whereas grassland samples only contained 44%. The results showed that the Alberes cattle population grazed actively in Mediterranean forests and consumed a high proportion of the most combustible species, such as the Erica genus (39% of the epidermal fragments in winter samples). Even when grassland habitat was utilized, in spring and summer, one-third of the diet was from woody species. Some bovines, such as the Alberes cattle breed, can therefore survive year-round in a forest habitat with little forage supplementation, and the consumption of a predominantly woody diet would be expected to reduce forest fire hazards.


Coccolithophores are biogeochemically important components of marine phytoplankton communities through the intracellular production and subsequent export of calcium carbonate scales, termed coccoliths. The species Emiliania huxleyi is considered the most cosmopolitan and dominant coccolithophore in the modern ocean, having the ability to form extensive blooms. A hypothesis for the evolution and function of coccoliths, as well as for how E. huxleyi can form large-scale blooms, is that the presence of coccoliths provides protection against microzooplankton grazers. This thesis sets out to directly test this hypothesis using several lines of evidence. In this thesis, I show how gradients in nutrients and irradiance control coccolithophore biogeography on spatial and seasonal scales, provide evidence that microzooplankton grazers exert strong controls over coccolithophore populations. I also show that the possession of calcium carbonate coccoliths does not provide a protective function against microzooplankton ingestion of E. huxleyi, when grazing rates are compared with other similarly sized, but non-calcified, phytoplankton groups. I also observed no negative impact on community grazing rates by microzooplankton when E. huxleyi was dominant within the phytoplankton community. Although coccoliths do not appear to prevent ingestion of coccolithophores by microzooplankton, evidence is presented that rather the coccoliths may protect the organic cell from dissolution within the vacuole of microzooplankton grazers. Overall, this thesis provides a greater understanding of the role of microzooplankton in coccolithophore growth and mortality. Microzooplankton grazing could also reduce the export of calcite to depth, particularly if dissolution occurs within vacuoles, leading to enhanced CO2 recycling within the upper ocean.


Purpose
People around the world are not sufficiently capable or willing to engage in retirement planning. New technological tools have been proposed as a promising solution to foster involvement and consequently encourage retirement planning. This paper aims to test whether an interactive online pension planner can improve participants' behaviour, behavioural intentions, attitude, knowledge and perceived ease of use, usefulness and enjoyment.

Design/methodology/approach
In collaboration with a company specialised in technologically advanced pension planners, three different versions of an online pension planner were created. The control condition only allowed participants to check their pension situation and the composition of future retirement income. In the medium interactivity level, participants could choose to modify certain variables affecting their pension income, on top of the features from the control. The highly interactive planner additionally included an interactive budget tool and showed whether the accumulated pension income was sufficient to cover the desired spending. Data were collected with the help of an online panel (N = 285).

Findings
This paper finds a positive effect of interactivity on behaviour within the planner, that is, the number of clicked options, as well as on participants' intention to check their personal pension situation in the upcoming three to six months. Moreover, this paper finds gender differences: male participants prefer a high level of interactivity, while women prefer a medium level.

Research limitations/implications
An interesting modification to the current research design would be to use personal, self-relevant data in the online pension planner. Moreover, conducting the study in a computer laboratory could increase concentration on the task, and hence involvement. Next to gender, there might be other factors that possibly influence the results. It would be interesting to investigate other measures of behaviour such as the time spent on the pension planner. Further research should also study the effects of other features that shape user's perception of interactivity, which include human-to-human interactivity.

Practical implications
The results show that technological services, such as advanced online pension planners, can positively affect engagement with retirement planning. Thus, pension providers are encouraged to use interactive online pension planners. The results with respect to gender suggest tailoring pension planners to match specific preferences of recipients. New service technologies provide novel opportunities to cater to individual differences by, for example, integrating less interactive features for women than for men in a pension planner. Moreover, cognitive involvement should be stimulated by integrating relevant, interesting and valuable information.

Social implications
Lack of engagement with retirement planning is an important challenge to Western societies. People who do not sufficiently search for information about their expected pension benefits may encounter significant pension gaps resulting in detrimental welfare effects at retirement. This problem is enhanced by the fact that increasingly, the risks and responsibility for retirement planning are being shifted towards pension plan participants themselves. Thus, finding ways to increase engagement with retirement planning by making use of advances in service technologies brings benefits to society.

Originality/value
First, this paper contributes to the customer engagement literature by studying how new technological interfaces improve user experiences, knowledge and engagement within the low involvement context of retirement planning. Second, this paper advances service research by zooming in on customer heterogeneity in using the technology-based online pension planner and studying the moderating effect of involvement and gender more closely. Third, this paper contributes to the financial services literature by studying how new service technologies can help to increase attitudes, knowledge and engagement with retirement planning.


: The effect of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) on the activity of the I- and D-forms of rabbit skeletal muscle glycogen synthase has been studied for the first time. FMN has been shown to inhibit in a noncompetitive fashion the both forms of the enzyme, the D-form being more sensitive to the effect of the inhibitor. It has been shown also that glycogen synthase has three different sites involved in the interaction with inhibitors, namely, and active site, an adenyl nucleotide binding site and a FMN binding site. FMN binding has been shown to occur mostly via the isoalloxasine ring.


Landing a fixed-wing aircraft on a moving aircraft carrier is a risky and inefficient process. Having an accurate prediction of ship deck motion decreases the risk posed to both the pilot and the aircraft and increases the efficiency of landing maneuvers. The present work proposes the use of a sine-summation algorithm to predict future ship motion. The algorithm decomposes recorded ship acceleration data into its characteristic harmonic parameters using a fast Fourier transform. The harmonic parameters are then used in a summation of sine waves to create a fit for the acceleration data, which is projected into future time intervals to predict ship motion. An aircraft carrier can supply the prediction made by the algorithm to an autopilot, which then decides to land or make another attempt. Included in this work is a brief overview of ship motion with six degrees of freedom and a description of the method. The results generated by the algorithm are presented for a specific ship motion dataset to provide a point of comparison between the proposed method and other common methods used. The proposed method appears to be accurate in comparison to similar prediction methods, while reducing the computational cost required to make a prediction.


We report the discovery of an excess of main-sequence turnoff stars in the direction of the constellations of Eridanus and Phoenix from the first-year data of the Dark Energy Survey (DES). The Eridanus–Phoenix (EriPhe) overdensity is centered around l ∼ 285 ° ?> and b ∼ − 60 ° ?> and spans at least 30° in longitude and 10° in latitude. The Poisson significance of the detection is at least 9 &sgr; ?> . The stellar population in the overdense region is similar in brightness and color to that of the nearby globular cluster NGC 1261, indicating that the heliocentric distance of EriPhe is about d ∼ 16 kpc ?> . The extent of EriPhe in projection is therefore at least ∼4 kpc by ∼3 kpc. On the sky, this overdensity is located between NGC 1261 and a new stellar stream discovered by DES at a similar heliocentric distance, the so-called Phoenix Stream. Given their similar distance and proximity to each other, it is possible that these three structures may be kinematically associated. Alternatively, the EriPhe overdensity is morphologically similar to the Virgo overdensity and the Hercules–Aquila cloud, which also lie at a similar Galactocentric distance. These three overdensities lie along a polar plane separated by ∼120° and may share a common origin. Spectroscopic follow-up observations of the stars in EriPhe are required to fully understand the nature of this overdensity.


Magnetic resonance imaging was used to establish the presence and nature of relationships between sulcal asymmetries and mid-sagittal callosal size in neurologically intact subjects, and to determine the influences of sex and handedness. Against a background of long-standing disputes, effects of gender and handedness on callosal size, shape, and variability were additionally examined. Both positive and negative correlations between sulcal asymmetry and callosal size were observed, with effects influenced by sex and handedness. The direction of relationships, however, were dependent on the regional asymmetry measured and on whether real or absolute values were used to quantify sulcal asymmetries. Callosal measurements showed no significant effects of sex or handedness, although subtle differences in callosal shape were observed in anterior and posterior regions between males and females and surface variability was increased in males. Individual variations in callosal size appear to outrange any detectable divergences in size between groups. Relationships between sulcal asymmetries and callosal size, however, are influenced by both sex and handedness. Whether magnitudes of asymmetry are related to increases or decreases in callosal size appears dependent on the chosen indicators of asymmetry. It is an oversimplification, therefore, to assume a single relationship exists between cerebral asymmetries and callosal connections.


In this study, friction stir method (FSP) was used for include walled (Al 2 O 3 ) Nano-sized particles into the matrix of Al 5083 alloy by electrophoretic deposition (EPD). The impact of these reinforcements on microstructural modification, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of FSP Al 5083 surface composites were studied. A rib cylindrical hardened steel tool was used with the rotation speeds of 800, 1000 and 1200 rpm and travel speeds 50 mm/min. Mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of FSP samples were evaluated and compared with the basis alloy. The corrosion behavior of the samples was investigated by potentiostatic polarization tests. Microstructural analysis accomplished by optical and SEM microscopes showed that reinforcements are well distributed within the stir zone, and grain refinement is gained. The reinforcement incremented the hardness from Hv80.083 metric weight unit for as castings to a most of Hv135.413 for friction stir. Although friction stir parameter has attenuated the corrosion current density (7.15μA/cm 2 ) compared to the results of the as-cast samples.


Background – Corporate identity has emerged as an interesting subject. Companies' care about how people perceive them and it is important for companies that people have a good impression about them. Catastrophes and other happenings can seriously harm a company. Corporate identity is concerned with the personality of the organization. It is designed to help the organization to achieve its goals. The term is rather complex and contains many different aspects. One of BP's oilrigs in the Gulf of Mexico sank due to an explosion. It became an environmental catastrophe with oil spread over gigantic areas. BP was accused of acting slowly and preventing media to reach the polluted beaches. Further, they have also influenced the search results on Google. BP has created a bad reputation in the market due to the way they have been handling the oil spill. The public has started to question the actions by BP and they have started to express opinions about the company. This study will cover the different expression the public opinion has been taken against BP. Further, it will cover how those impressions have been affected the corporate identity of BP. Purpose – The aim of this study is to measure if and to which extent BP's Corporate Identity has been affected by public opinion, due to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in spring 2010. Method – The study employs a qualitative method. The data is based on primary data collection from online newspapers journals and scientific books. The theoretical section is based on information gathered mostly from journals and scientific books while the information about the oil spill comes mostly from online newspapers. Findings/Conclusions– My research found that the public opinion has been affecting BP's corporate identity negatively. Further, BP's actions after the disaster have contributed to the negative opinion about the company. The Greenpeace and Facebook action has helped to spread the public opinion.


Abstract— Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been recognized as an angiogenic factor that induces endothelial proliferation and vascular permeability. Recent studies have also suggested that VEGF can promote macrophage migration, which is critical for atherosclerosis. We have reported that VEGF is remarkably expressed in activated macrophages, endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells within human coronary atherosclerotic lesions, and we have proposed the significance of VEGF in the progression of atherosclerosis. To clarify the mechanism of VEGF expression in atherosclerotic lesions, we examined the regulation of VEGF expression by oxidized low density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL), which is abundant in atherosclerotic arterial walls. A recent report has revealed that peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-&ggr; (PPAR&ggr;) is expressed not only in adipocytes but also in monocytes/macrophages and has suggested that PPAR&ggr; may have a role in the differentiation of monocytes/macrophages. Furthermore, 9- and 13-hydroxy-(S)-10,12-octadecadienoic acid (9- and 13-HODE, respectively), the components of Ox-LDL, may be PPAR&ggr; ligands. Therefore, we investigated the involvement of PPAR&ggr; in the regulation of VEGF by Ox-LDL. PPAR&ggr; expression was detected in human monocyte/macrophage cell lines, human acute monocytic leukemia (THP-1) cells, and human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs). Ox-LDL (10 to 50 &mgr;g/mL) upregulated VEGF secretion from THP-1 dose-dependently. VEGF mRNA expression in HCAECs was also upregulated by Ox-LDL. The mRNA expression of VEGF in THP-1 cells and HCAECs was also augmented by PPAR&ggr; activators, troglitazone (TRO), and 15-deoxy-&Dgr;12,14-prostaglandin J2 (PGJ2). In contrast, VEGF expression in another monocyte/macrophage cell line, human histiocytic lymphoma cells (U937), which lacks PPAR&ggr; expression, was not augmented by TRO or PGJ2. We established the U937 cell line, which permanently expresses PPAR&ggr; (U937T). TRO and Ox-LDL augmented VEGF expression in U937T. In addition, VEGF production by THP-1 cells was significantly increased by exposure to 9-HODE and 13-HODE. In conclusion, Ox-LDL upregulates VEGF expression in macrophages and endothelial cells, at least in part, through the activation of PPAR&ggr;.


The article provides study results of the existence peculiarities of adventitious lepidopteran species of leaf blotch miners (Gracillariidee Steinton, 1854) Pаrectopа robiniellа (Clemens, 1863) in the conditions of Dnipro city (Ukraine). In various ecosystems, the invasive leaf miner's invasion degree was estimated with the number of mines visually recorded on the leaves of Robinia pseudoacacia Linnaeus (1753) as a forage plant species. The research covered all major park ecosystems various in size within Dnipro city where the forage trees have been planted. Field surveys were conducted during three growing seasons (2018– 2020). The adaptive ability to survive in a new environment was evaluated by analyzing the intrapopulation and interpopulation polymorphism on the third stage of insect development (pupae). According to our study results on Robinia trees occupation by miner species, the highest density of mines was found in ecologically cleaner green areas like Oles Honchar Dnipro National University Botanical Garden and Dnieper-Orel Nature Reserve. Different living conditions may cause this; the miners that inhabit the green zones in Dnipro city may be affected by a complex of anthropogenic factors that suppress their populations' development. We can conclude that the most vulnerable Robinia specimens were those located outside the city boundary. Investigation of P. robiniella pupae morphometric characteristics showed that both linear characteristics and indices were stable relative to the average value since a significant variation coefficient was observed only in specimens collected in the Pridneprovsky Park. However, skewness and excess coefficients indicate that most studied P. robiniella populations showed a trend to displace Poisson distribution. Moreover, in this case, the sample selected in the Dnipro-Orel Nature Reserve also differed significantly: the high coefficient of excess was found for wing length and the ratio of body length to wing length, compared to other ecosystems. The population closest by this parameter was shown in the Peoples' Friendship Park, a pristine ecosystem compared to the city center. The intrapopulation polymorphism of two linear characteristics and three indices was higher than the interpopulation polymorphism. From this, we can conclude that pupae's diversity within a particular population or ecosystem is more significant than pupae's diversity from diverse ecosystems. That is, conditions of ecosystems within the city limits have little effect on pupae's diversity of the black locust miner. However, when comparing pupae samples collected within the city and outside its borders, morphometric characteristics can vary.


We describe a new species of Haemoproteus Kruse, 1890 from great frigatebirds (Fregata minor [Gmelin]) captured on Tern Island-French Frigate Shoals and Laysan Island in Hawaii. Parasite prevalence on Laysan Island (35%) was not significantly different than that of Tern Island (36%). On Laysan, prevalence was highest in juveniles (52%), followed by adult males (29%) and adult females (19%). Prevalence on Tern was 36% both for adult females and juveniles, and 28% for adult males. Parasitemia was low (mean < 2 parasites/10, 000 red blood cell). Parasitized red cells had significantly greater areas than unparasitized cells. We named this parasite Haemoproteus iwa after the Hawaiian name for frigatebirds (iwa). This is the first documentation of a hemoparasite from tropical pelagic seabirds in Hawaii and the first description of an endemic hemoparasite in the archipelago.


Machine learning on encrypted data can address the concerns related to privacy and legality of sharing sensitive data with untrustworthy service providers. Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) is a promising technique to enable machine learning and inferencing while providing strict guarantees against information leakage. Since deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have become the machine learning tool of choice in several applications, several attempts have been made to harness CNNs to extract insights from encrypted data. However, existing works focus only on ensuring data security and ignore security of model parameters. They also report high level implementations without providing rigorous analysis of the accuracy, security, and speed trade-offs involved in the FHE implementation of generic primitive operators of a CNN such as convolution, non-linear activation, and pooling. In this work, we consider a Machine Learning as a Service (MLaaS) scenario where both input data and model parameters are secured using FHE. Using the CKKS scheme available in the open-source HElib library, we show that operational parameters of the chosen FHE scheme such as the degree of the cyclotomic polynomial, depth limitations of the underlying leveled HE scheme, and the computational precision parameters have a major impact on the design of the machine learning model (especially, the choice of the activation function and pooling method). Our empirical study shows that choice of aforementioned design parameters result in significant trade-offs between accuracy, security level, and computational time. Encrypted inference experiments on the MNIST dataset indicate that other design choices such as ciphertext packing strategy and parallelization using multithreading are also critical in determining the throughput and latency of the inference process.


Block-matching algorithms, such as TSS and DSWA/IS, are widely used for motion estimation in low-bit-rate video coding. The assumption behind these algorithms is that when the matching block moves away from the optimal block, the difference between them increases monotonically. Unfortunately, this assumption is often invalid, and therefore leads to a high possibility for the result to be trapped to local minima. In this research, we propose a new multiple-candidate search scheme, Hilbert scanning search algorithm (HSSA), in which the assumption of global monotonicity is not necessary and the local monotonicity can be effectively explored with binary search around each candidate. In HSSA, the number of initial candidates and a threshold to control the selection of candidates from one stage to the next can be adjusted to meet the required search accuracy and/or speed. With properly chosen parameters, the HSSA converges to their optimal results faster and with better accuracy than the conventional block-matching algorithms.


This paper is part of an on-going research on the development of intelligent optimal replacement model for Hostel facility maintenance in Malaysia where the case study is conducted at Kolej Universiti Islam Melaka (KUIM). The model is developed to analyze the total cost and downtime for various values of the uncertain parameter by using Artificial Intelligence (AI) method, namely, Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), noting the effect of this variation on the optimal solution. The decision areas addressed is based on the replacement action. The study is aimed to assist maintenance engineers in deciding an appropriate replacement policy. This is usually useful to plot the total cost and downtime per unit time curve. The advantage of the curve is that, along with giving the optimal value, it shows the total cost and downtime around the optimum. If the curve is fairly flat around the optimum, it is not really very important that the maintenance engineers should plan for the replacements exactly at the optimum. However, if the curve rapidly decreased, then the maintenance decision should be made to find the optimal solutions. The result shows that the weeks to decide a replacement is during the semester break, which is suitable because students are not in the hostel.


This article studies the catalytic activity of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in the oxidation reactions of aliphatic and polycyclic hydrocarbons is studied. In order to determine the catalytic activity, MWCNTs catalysts containing 22.8% Fe each were used. Catalyst samples were synthesized from propane gas under optimal conditions determined by CVD method. The experiments were performed at 5 different temperatures (60, 80, 100, 120, 140 0 C) for 2 hours. No significant change in the oxidation reaction of both hydrocarbons was observed at relatively low temperatures. In the oxidation of decalin, when the reaction temperature rises to 120 0 C and 140 0 C, oxidation has already taken place, and the rate of the reaction is directly proportional to the increase in temperature. The same trend can be seen in the oxidation reaction of tetradecane at MWCNTs with temperatures of 120 and 140 0 C. However, unlike decalin, the MWCNTs sample in tetradecane oxidation showed optimal catalytic performance at 120 0 C. However, at these temperatures, where oxidation occurs, the oxidation of decalin and tetradecane in an environment without a catalyst is almost non-existent.


This study aims to experimentally investigate the feasibility of discriminating human motions with the help of micro Doppler features by using radar. In the first phase of the work, the synthetic data is generated through the human walking simulator by V. Chen and different time-frequency transformations are applied on the data and the results of the simulator are compared with field experiments. In the following phase, several field experiments which are in the scope of the simulator are conducted and the experimental data for running, crawling, creeping and walking with the aspect angles of 0°, 30°, 60° are collected. Signal processing steps and micro Doppler processing steps are applied to the collected data and spectrograms are obtained. Lastly, six features, which are torso frequency, bandwidth of the signal, offset of the signal, bandwidth without micro Dopplers, the standard deviation of the signal strength, the period of the arms or legs motions are extracted from the spectrograms and the efficiency of the features in motion classification is compared.


Choroid plexus neoplasms are uncommon brain tumors in dogs. Choroid plexus carcinomas often spread diffusely throughout the ventricular system and subarachnoid space and, in aggressive forms, can mimic histologic patterns of other carcinomas, including being embedded in a desmoplastic reaction. Although choroid plexus tumors (CPTs) heterogeneously express pan-cytokeratin, little is known about other markers to identify choroid plexus and their associated tumors. Kir7.1, an inward-rectifier potassium channel, is reported to have high diagnostic utility in human neuropathology to distinguish CPTs from other primary brain tumors and cerebral metastases. To determine Kir7.1 expression in the dog brain, we analyzed the immunoreactivity of Kir7.1 in normal brain, gliomas, ependymomas, CPTs, meningiomas, and carcinomas. In normal brain tissue, the immunostaining was restricted to the choroid plexus where there was robust membrane immunoreactivity along the apical border of the cells with less intense cytoplasmic staining. Similar strong immunoreactivity was detected in 12 of 12 CPTs, whereas 5 of 5 gliomas, 4 of 5 ependymomas, 5 of 5 meningiomas, and 5 of 6 carcinomas had no immunoreactivity. One ependymoma and 1 nasal carcinoma with squamous metaplasia were up to 75% immunopositive, with moderate cytoplasmic and membranous immunoreactivity, but lacking the robust apical immunoreactivity pattern. Analysis for immunoreactivity in a tissue microarray failed to yield any other locations in which immunoreactivity was detected. These results, including the distinctive pattern of immunostaining in CPTs, suggest that Kir7.1 is an excellent marker for CPTs in the dog.


Open Source Medical Devices may be part of the solution towards the democratization of medical technologies pursuing Universal Health Coverage as part of the Sustainable Development Goals for United Nations. Recent technological advances, especially in information and communication technologies, combined with innovative collaborative design methodologies and manufacturing techniques allow for the mass-personalization of biodevices and help to optimize the related development times and costs, while keeping safety in the foreground through the whole life cycle of medical products. These advantages can be further promoted by adequately fostering collaboration, communication, high value information exchange, and sustainable partnerships and by extending the employment of open source strategies. To this end, within the UBORA project, we are developing a framework for training the biomedical engineers of the future in open-source collaborative design strategies and for supporting the sharing of information and the assessment of safety and efficacy in novel biodevices. An essential part of this open-source collaborative framework is the UBORA e-infrastructure, which is presented in this study, together with some initial success cases. Main future challenges, connected with regulatory harmonization, with educational issues and with accessible and open design and manufacturing resources, among others, are also presented and discussed.


This paper describes an analysis of system detected software errors on the MVS operating system at the Center for Information Technology (CIT), Stanford University. The analysis procedure demonstrates a methodology by which systems with automatic recovery features can be evaluated. Most common error categories are determined and related to the program in execution at the time of the error. The severity of the error is measured by evaluating the criticality of the program for continued system operation. The system recovery and error correction features are then analyzed and an estimate of the system fault tolerance to errors of different levels of severity is made.


The existing static ABAC(Attribute-Based Access Control) model cannot fully meet the increasingly complex, dynamic and scalable demands of the power grid. At the same time, its versatility and flexibility bring high costs. Additionally, the increasing complexity of organizational systems and the need for federated access to their resources make implementing and managing access control more challenging. This paper proposes a fine-grained dynamic access control method based on Kformer to automate authorization management tasks. We use Kformer, which filters and integrates external knowledge through feed-forward layers in Transformer. Then, we use BERT(Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformer) to perform feature extraction on the input fused text, extract the implied attribute-authority relationship from the log records and external documents, and finally, perform sequence modeling on the extracted attribute features and input the obtained results. The final authorization result is obtained by classification through the softmax function in the final fully connected layer. The authorization management of the user's request to the object is dynamically completed. Finally, using the access data of the grid information system to evaluate the method proposed by us, the experimental results show that the model can continuously monitor the access behavior of users inside the grid information system, change the access rights of entities and adjust the policy in real-time, and carry out dynamic access authorization. At the same time, the accuracy of the generated access control policy can reach 87.73%.


The required parameter values of a permanent magnet synchronous motor designed for very large power-speed range are determined based on a linear dq model. It is shown that unconventional motor constructions with the d-axis inductance equal to, or bigger than, the q-axis inductance can provide superior torque, power factor and control characteristics. The initial sizing state of a design procedure is described. Analytical equations are developed and used to illustrate the influence of the rotor configuration, electromagnetic loading and air-gap length on the performance of a relatively large range of medium-sized motors. Suggestions regarding the improvement of efficiency, power factor, overload performance and PM protection against permanent demagnetisation are also given. The results of the analytical design procedure have been checked against finite element computations and experimental data.


This paper examines the recent changes in New Zealand to require fishing vessels operating in New Zealand waters to be exclusively New Zealand flagged ships, rather than foreign charter vessels as has been practiced to date. Drawing on scholarship regarding the increase in States using measures of port State jurisdiction to regulate foreign vessels throughout zones both in and outside their jurisdiction, the paper asks the question; can a State regulate foreign fishing vessels in its EEZ in a manner consistent with its ability to regulate its own vessels? After establishing the scope of jurisdiction a State holds over vessels in its respective maritime zones (including its ports), this paper goes on to examine the cases of abuse, substandard vessel conditions, and underpayment of workers highlighted on foreign fishing vessels in New Zealand and their possible regulation. The paper ultimately concludes that the application of port State jurisdiction is limited in its ability to regulate foreign EEZ fishing vessels. While some aspects of foreign vessel operation in the EEZ can be regulated to the same extent as domestic vessels, the nature of some offences on board foreign fishing vessels leaves them beyond the jurisdiction of the coastal State.


Presented is a human factor risk model when piloting an aircraft. This model is based on comparing representations of the evaluated crew actions with the comparable action representations of various types and performance quality, which form a representative sample and are contained in a pre-formed specialized database. The risk in question is represented by probabilistic estimates, which result from consistent applications of the Principal Component Analysis, Multidimensional Scaling, and Cluster Analysis to three types of characteristics, viz.: parameters of flights and states of aircraft systems, gaze movement trajectories and time series of oculomotor activity primary indexes. These steps form the clusters of flight fragments for various types and performance quality, including abnormal ones. The Discriminant Analysis provides calculating the probabilistic profile for belonging to certain target clusters, with a final conclusion being derived from this structure. Key elements of the approach presented are three new metrics used to compare crew actions and to ensure significant discrimination for flight fragments of various types and performance quality. Detailing flight parameters contributions in differences of the flight fragments in a given metric is carried out to provide meaningful analysis of the detected abnormality causes. With sufficient computational performance, the flight data analysis under consideration can be implemented in real time automatic mode.


OF DISSERTATION FORMATION OF THE ETHER BRIDGE IN THE LOLINE ALKALOID BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAY Lolines are specialized metabolites produced by endophytic fungi, such as Neotyphodium and Epichloë species, that are in symbiotic relationships with cool-season grasses. Lolines are vital for the survival of the grasses because their insecticidal and antifeedant properties protect the plant from insect herbivory. Although lolines have various bioactivities, they do not have any concomitant antimammalian activities. Lolines have complex structures that are unique among naturally occurring pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Lolines have four contiguous stereocenters, and they contain an ether bridge connecting C(2) and C(7) of the pyrrolizidine ring. An ether bridge connecting bridgehead C atoms is unusual in natural products and leads to interesting questions about the biosynthesis of lolines in fungal endophytes. Dr. Pan, who was a graduate student in Dr. Schardl Lab at University of Kentucky, isolated a novel metabolite, 1-exo-acetamidopyrrolizidine (AcAP). She observed that AcAP was accumulating in naturally occurring and artificial lolO mutants. I synthesized an authentic sample of (±)-AcAP and compared it spectroscopically with AcAP isolated from a lolO mutant to determine the structure and stereochemistry of the natural product. I was also able to grow crystals of synthetic (±)-AcAP, X-ray analysis of which further supported our structure assignment. There were two possible explanations for the fact that a missing or nonfunctional LolO led to the accumulation of AcAP: that AcAP was the actual substrate of LolO, or that it was a shunt product derived from the real substrate of LolO, 1-exo-aminopyrrolizidine (AP), and that was produced only when LolO was not available to oxidize AP. To distinguish between the two hypotheses, I synthesized 2 ́,2 ́,2 ́,3-[H4]-AcAP. Dr. Pan used this material to confirm that AcAP was an intermediate in loline alkaloid biosynthesis, not a shunt product. To determine the product of LolO acting on AcAP, Dr. Pan expressed LolO in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). When Dr. Pan fed AcAP (synthesized by me) to the modified organism, it produced NANL, suggesting that LolO catalyzed two C–H activations of AcAP and the formation of both C–O bonds of the ether bridge in NANL, a highly unusual transformation. Dr. Chang then cloned, expressed, and purified LolO and incubated it with (±)-AcAP, 2-oxoglutarate, and O2. He observed the production of NANL, further confirming the function of LolO. Dr. Chang also observed an intermediate, which we tentatively identified as 2-hydroxy-AcAP. In order to determine whether the initial hydroxylation of AcAP catalyzed by LolO occurred at C(2) or C(7), I prepared (±)-7,7-[H2]and (±)-2,2,8-[ H3]-AcAP. When Dr. Pan measured the rate of LolO-catalyzed hydroxylation of these substrates under conditions under which only one C–H activation would occur, she observed a very large kinetic isotope effect when C(2) was deuterated, but not when C(7) was deuterated, establishing that the initial hydroxylation of AcAP occurred at the C(2) position. In order to determine the stereochemical course of C–H bond oxidation by LolO at C(2) and C(7) of AcAP, I synthesized transand cis-3-[2H]-Pro and (2S,3R)-3-[2H]and (2S,3S)-2,3-[H2]-Asp. Feeding experiments with these substrates carried out by both Dr. Pan (Pro) and me (Asp) showed that at both the C(2) and C(7) positions of AcAP, LolO abstracted the endo H atoms during ether bridge formation. In summary, feeding experiments with deuterated (±)-AcAP derivatives and its amino acid precursors have shown that AcAP is an intermediate in loline biosynthesis. We have shown that LolO catalyzes the four-electron oxidation of AcAP at the endo C(2) position first and then the endo C(7) position to give NANL.


Summary Profiling the transcriptomes of single cells without sacrificing spatial information is a major goal of the field of spatial transcriptomics, but current technologies require tradeoffs between single-cell resolution and whole-transcriptome coverage. In one animal species, the nematode worm C. elegans, a comprehensive spatial transcriptome with single-cell resolution is attainable using existing datasets, thanks to the worm's invariant cell lineage and a series of recently-generated single cell transcriptomes. Here we present VISTA, which leverages these datasets to provide a visualization of the worm spatial transcriptome, focusing specifically on the nervous system. VISTA allows users to input a query gene and visualize its expression across all neurons in the form of a "spatial heatmap" in which the color of a cell reports the expression level. Underlying gene expression values (in Transcripts Per Million) are displayed when an individual cell is selected. We provide examples of the utility of VISTA for identifying striking new gene expression patterns in specific neurons, and for resolving cellular identities of ambiguous expression patterns generated from in vivo reporter genes. The ability to easily obtain gene-level snapshots of the neuronal spatial transcriptome should facilitate studies on neuron-specific gene expression and regulation, and provide a template for the high-resolution spatial transcriptomes the field hopes to obtain for various animal species in the future. Availability and Implementation VISTA is freely available at the following URL: https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/smu.oit.data.insights/viz/VISTA_16814210566130/VISTA


Broadly speaking, vascular regeneration includes the restoration of normal vascular function and structure, the reversal of vascular senescence, and the growth of new blood vessels. Therapeutic applications of vascular regeneration for coronary or peripheral arterial diseases are directed to relieving symptoms of ischemia; preventing target-organ damage due to hypoxia, reperfusion, or capillary leak; and avoiding cardiovascular catastrophes due to acute thrombosis, embolism, plaque rupture, or dissection.

Clinicians have sought methods to harness the potential of therapeutic vascular regeneration, but studies focused on gene therapy or small molecular approaches have largely failed thus far. Recently, efforts have shifted to stem cell–based approaches given their theoretical capacity to replicate, differentiate, and form new blood vessels in a directed fashion. Initial preclinical studies evaluated the pluripotent embryonic stem cell (ESC) and the more lineage-committed "adult" stem cells, which include the endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) found within the bone marrow. Early clinical trials indicate some benefit of EPC therapy in patients with ischemic or cardiomyopathic disease. In the meantime, scientific interest has shifted to a newly described class of stem cell, the induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC). This fascinating cell is derived from terminally differentiated adult somatic cells that are "reprogrammed" to an embryonic-like state with transcription factors that govern cell differentiation. Interest in iPSCs is high because these cells are autologous (do not require immunosuppression when delivered), have pluripotential (can differentiate into tissue from each of the 3 germline lineages), are noncontroversial (are derived from adult tissue), and come from a plentiful source (are derived from any adult cell [eg, skin fibroblasts]).

The focus of this review is on the use of stem cell therapies for the growth of new blood vessels (ie, angiogenesis, vasculogenesis, and arteriogenesis). In particular, we will focus on the promise of iPSCs for cell-based vascular regeneration compared with …


The Vietnam War is arguably one of the most complex and significant conflicts in American history; the place it occupies in the American national story is particularly curious because it is one of the few wars that America did not win. It is also a benchmark of note because it allowed the comics form (which had been in decline since the advent of extreme censorship in the 1940s and 1950s) to be reborn; superheroes took hold of the comics mainstream again, prompted by their popularity with US troops in Asia. Since the 1970s rebirth of the mainstream, representations of Vietnam have branched off in two distinct directions: either bold, nationalistic stories of brave Americans 'saving' the Vietnamese or individualist stories, many of which are memoirs or follow a similar confessional structure. Contemporary renderings of Vietnam are more likely to subscribe to the second representational theme, and recent publications are now starting to tell the stories of those who were displaced and who experienced a very different war to the typical mainstream military narrative. This article will consider the trajectory of representations of the Vietnam War in American comics, concentrating specifically on the shift from gung-ho violence and patriotism to memoir. I will especially emphasise the turn from American military protagonists to Vietnamese civilians and their families. I will discuss two texts: Vietnamerica by GB Tran published in 2010 and Thi Bui's The Best We Could Do published in 2017. In my analysis of these comics, I will show how the form has embraced the memoir as a central genre and, furthermore, how comics is able to tell these stories in new, dynamic ways. I will show that Tran and Bui are part of a new age of comics storytelling, that can deftly bring together nuanced personal narratives and memories of internationally impactful conflict to create a text that is at once educational, entertaining and affective. In this article, I hope to make a bold intervention into the current conversation on comics as both history and memoir, using texts that (at present) have received little academic interest.


We report on the design, fabrication and characterization of magnetic nanostructures to create a lattice of magnetic traps with sub-micron period for trapping ultracold atoms. These magnetic nanostructures were fabricated by patterning a Co/Pd multilayered magnetic film grown on a silicon substrate using high precision e-beam lithography and reactive ion etching. The Co/Pd film was chosen for its small grain size and high remanent magnetization and coercivity. The fabricated structures are designed to magnetically trap 87Rb atoms above the surface of the magnetic film with one-dimensional and two-dimensional (triangular and square) lattice geometries and sub-micron period. Such magnetic lattices can be used for quantum tunneling and quantum simulation experiments, including using geometries and periods that may be inaccessible with optical lattices.


Project failure in the information technology area is a costly problem, and troubled projects are not uncommon. In many cases, these projects seem to take on a life of their own, continuing to absorb valuable resources, while failing to deliver any real business value. While prior research has shown that managers can easily become locked into a cycle of escalating commitment to a failing course of action, there has been comparatively little research on de-escalation, or the process of breaking such a cycle. Through de-escalation, troubled projects may be successfully turned around or sensibly abandoned. This study seeks to understand the process of de-escalation and to establish a model for turning around troubled projects that has both theoretical and practical significance. Through a longitudinal case study of the IT-based baggage handling system at Denver International Airport (DIA), we gathered qualitative data on the de-escalation of commitment to a failing course of action, allowing us to inductively develop a model of the de-escalation process as it unfolded at DIA. The model reveals de-escalation as a four-phase process: (1) problem recognition, (2) re-examination of prior course of action, (3) search for alternative course of action, and (4) implementing an exit strategy. For each phase of the model, we identified key activities that may enable de-escalation to move forward. Implications of this model for both research and practice are discussed.


This book challenges the quasi-consensus that Latin American countries dominate global homicide rankings mainly due to the illegal nature of drug production and trafficking. Building on US scholarship that looks at the role of social exclusion and discriminatory policing in drug violence, the authors of this volume show that the association between illegality and violence cannot be divorced from the inequality that prevails in those countries. This book looks in detail at the functioning of drug markets in Recife, the largest metropolitan area in Brazil's North-East and, over the last 25 years, the heart of the country's most violent metropolitan area. Building on extensive interviews and field work, the authors map out the city's drug markets and explore the reasons why some of those markets are violent, and others are not. The analysis focuses on the micromechanics of each market, looking at consumption patterns and at the workings of retail sales and distribution. Such a systematic micro-level comparative analysis of the workings of Latin American drug markets is simply not available elsewhere in current literature. These findings point to significant gaps in current understandings of the link between illegal markets and violence, and they illuminate the need to factor in the way in which those markets are nested in exclusionary social contexts.


Three probabilistic models were developed for characterizing the risk of mortality and subacute coagulopathy to Poouli, an endangered nontarget avian species, in broadcast diphacinone‐baited areas on Hawaii, USA. For single‐day exposure, the risk of Poouli mortality approaches 0. For 5‐d exposure, the mean probability of mortality increased to 3% for adult and 8% for juvenile Poouli populations. For Poouli that consume snails containing diphacinone residues for 14 d, the model predicted increased levels of coagulopathy for 0.42 and 11% of adult and juvenile Poouli populations, respectively. Worst‐case deterministic risk characterizations predicted acceptable levels of risk for nonthreatened or endangered species such as northern bobwhite quail and mallards. Also, no acute toxicity was noted for snails and slugs that feed on diphacinone baits.


The study of examining the effects of sedentary behavior on stress level and suicidal ideation is crucial, but existing research on the topic is insufficient.

 This study aimed to identify the effect of sedentary behaviors, with respect to the occupation type on stress and suicidal ideation among Korean adults.

 This descriptive correlational study used raw data from the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI), conducted in 2015. The survey sampled 7,380 adults, of whom 3,714 were included in this analysis. Sedentary time, stress level, and suicidal ideation were measured. The data were analyzed using a homogeneity test, and logistic regression.

 As sedentary time increased, stress (OR=1.036; p=0.001) and suicidal ideation (OR= 1.065; p=0.006) also increased significantly, irrespective of the gender, age, household income, education level, job, and marital status. Regarding occupation, stress level increased significantly with an increase in sedentary time for managers; professionals and related workers; clerks; and craft, equipment, machine-operating, and assembly-line workers, while skilled agriculture, forestry, and fishery workers experienced less stress. A significant increase in suicidal ideation was observed in craft, equipment, machine-operating, and assembly-line workers as their time spent on sitting increased.

 This study found a significant association between average sedentary time, and stress and suicidal ideation. There is a need for interventional programs that can reduce sedentary behaviors for preventing mental health problems.


PURPOSE
The purpose of the study was to assess nursing students' knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, and social norms regarding use of alternative tobacco products (ATPs).

DESIGN AND METHODS
This anonymous online survey was conducted with all students enrolled in a college of nursing. The survey utilized measures from several national tobacco studies to assess knowledge and beliefs about ATPs (hookahs, cigars or cigarillos, bidis, kreteks, smokeless tobacco, electronic cigarettes) compared to cigarettes, health effects of ATPs, personal use of ATPs, and social norms. Data were analyzed in SPSS 22.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Descriptive statistics and frequencies were performed for basic sociodemographic data. Paired samples t tests were performed to determine differences for scaled measures.

FINDINGS
Nursing students demonstrated very low levels of knowledge about ATPs and their health consequences, despite high rates of ATP personal use. About 76% of participants reported use of one or more ATPs once or more in their lifetimes. A greater proportion of students had used hookahs or waterpipes (39.6%) compared to cigarettes (32.7%).

CONCLUSIONS
Nurses' lack of knowledge about the emerging use and health threats associated with ATPs may undermine their ability to provide appropriate tobacco cessation counseling. Research is needed to identify gaps in nurses' education regarding tobacco cessation counseling and to develop new counseling approaches specific to use of ATPs.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Nurses play critical roles in counseling their patients for tobacco cessation. Further research and education about the risks presented by ATPs are critical to reducing excess tobacco-related mortality.


In present-day quantum communications, one of the main problems is the lack of a quantum repeater design that can simultaneously secure high rates and long distances. Recent literature has established the end-to-end capacities that are achievable by the most general protocols for quantum and private communication within a quantum network, encompassing the case of a quantum repeater chain. However, whether or not a physical design exists to approach such capacities remains a challenging objective. Driven by this motivation, in this work, we put forward a design for continuous-variable quantum repeaters and show that it can actually achieve the feat. We also show that even in a noisy regime our rates surpass the Pirandola-Laurenza-Ottaviani-Banchi (PLOB) bound. Our repeater setup is developed upon using noiseless linear amplifiers, quantum memories, and continuous-variable Bell measurements. We, furthermore, propose a non-ideal model for continuous-variable quantum memories that we make use of in our design. We then show that potential quantum communications rates would deviate from the theoretical capacities, as one would expect, if the quantum link is too noisy and/or low-quality quantum memories and amplifiers are employed.


Service levels agreements are commonly used in supply chains to commit a supplier to a certain performance target. A popular measure of performance is the item fill rate. For finite review horizons, the distribution of the item fill rate is studied by Thomas (2005), whose results are replicated in this thesis. In the extension, a similar replenishment model is studied with i.i.d demand, a single customer, no lead time and negligible ordering costs. Under these assumptions, the performance of a simple, practical and realistic non-stationary stocking policy is evaluated by Monte Carlo simulation and compared to that of a stationary base-stock policy. This policy turns out to outperform a base-stock policy based on meeting fill rate targets in the long run. However, when a high target needs to be met with high probability over a finite period of time, the base-stock policy does better and the original non-stationary policy requires adjustment. The main contribution of this work is to show that adopting a non-stationary stocking policy may save costs incurred by the supplier.


Overactive dopamine transmission in psychosis is predicted to unbalance striatal output via D1- and D2-dopamine receptor-expressing spiny-projection neurons (SPNs). Antipsychotic drugs are thought to re-balance this output by blocking D2-receptor signaling. Here we imaged D1- and D2-SPN Ca2+ dynamics in mice to determine the neural signatures of antipsychotic effect. Initially we compared effective (clozapine and haloperidol) antipsychotics to a candidate drug that failed in clinical trials (MP-10). Clozapine and haloperidol normalized hyperdopaminergic D1-SPN dynamics, while MP-10 only normalized D2-SPN activity. Clozapine, haloperidol or chemogenetic manipulations of D1-SPNs also normalized sensorimotor gating. Given the surprising correlation between clinical efficacy and D1-SPN modulation, we evaluated compounds that selectively target D1-SPNs. D1R partial agonism, antagonism, or positive M4 cholinergic receptor modulation all normalized the levels of D1-SPN activity, locomotion, and sensorimotor gating. Our results suggest that D1-SPN activity is a more relevant therapeutic target than D2-SPN activity for the development of effective antipsychotics.


This soil survey contains information that can be applied in managing farms, ranches, and woodlands; in selecting sites for roads, ponds, buildings, and other structures; and in judging the suitability of tracts of land for farming, industry, and recreation.


In order to examine the role of Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) in the pathogenesis of chronic active EBV infection (CAEBV), we investigated whether or not EBV integration into the human genome is associated with any chromosonal abnormality. We therefore analyzed 4 cases of CAEBV: 2 cases showed a normal karyotype, while one had an oligo‐clonal 6th chromosomal abnormality and the fourth had a clonal 6th deletion (q15q23). In addition, the case with an oligo‐clonal abnormality also had oligo‐clonal EBV terminal repeat (TR) bands, while the case with a clonal abnormality showed a clonal TR band. In contrast, the 2 cases with a normal karyotype showed no clonal band. Two‐color fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to detect the integrated EBV and the 6th chromosomal site. The presence of integrated EBV into the 6th chromosome was not frequent in the 2 cases with a normal karyotype, but it was statistically frequent in the case with an oligo‐clonal 6th abnormality. In the case with a clonal 6th deletion, integration in the 6th chromosome was also slightly higher than that in the other chromosomes. In CAEBV, integrated EBV might thus be associated both with chromosomal abnormality and with pathogenesis. Int. J. Cancer 71: 943‐947, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss Inc.


Muscle fibres of the locust extensor tibiae (jumping muscle) were examined by interference microscopy and by electron microscopy. The electrical responses of single fibres and the mechanical responses of bundles or selected regions to the nerve fibres were examined. Four axons innervate the muscle: fast (FETi), slow (SETi), common inhibitor (CI) and dorsal unpaired median (DUMETi). Their distributions were examined by combined electrophysiological tracing and EM sectioning. The mean diameter of muscle fibres in different regions varies from 40 to 140 micrometer and is related to the local leg thickness rather than muscle fibre type. The fine structure of a fibre is related to its innervation. Fibres innervated by FETi but not SETi are of fast type ultrastructurally. Fibres innervated by SETi but not by FETi are of slow type ultrastructurally. Fibres innervated by both axons are generally intermediate between the extremes though more nearly of fast type than slow. Distal slow muscle fibres have much slower relaxation rates than do proximal ones. The most proximal bundles are of mixed muscle fibre type. There is an abrupt transition from a mixed population to homogeneous fast type, in the muscle units immediately distal to the most proximal bundles. This transition is associated with the presence of DUMETi terminals on some of the fibres distal to the transition point. There are no SETi endings on these same fibres. Fibres innervated by both SETi and FETi are scattered throughout the leg, but are commonest in the dorsal bundles. The percentage of these increases progressively passing distally. The most distal muscle fibres are innervated by SETi but not by FETi. It is concluded that different regions of the muscle will play different roles functionally since they are differentially sensitive to the pattern of SETi discharge.


The energy storage technology is playing an important role in improving power grid stability. Aiming to the randomness and intermittent characteristics of wind power generation, the paper proposed a scheme of mechanical elastic storage energy and power generation system based on flat spiral spring. The flat spiral spring, which is the core component in the system, is selected as the research object, and the mechanical model and the finite element model is created. The geometric parameters of spring are determined. The maximum deformation and the stress distribution of spring are obtained. Moreover, the modal analysis of spring is carried out and the natural frequencies and modes of vibration of first 20 orders are obtained. The relationship between the natural frequency and deformation is also analyzed. All the results in this paper provide a strong basis for the optimization design of spring and the calculation of energy density.


Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disorder with symptoms of chronic cough and progressive dyspnea caused by chronic bronchitis or emphysema. Acute exacerbations of COPD contribute to the accelerated decline in lung function characteristic of this disease and are associated with significant cost, morbidity, and mortality for patients. Controversy exists as to whether exacerbations are caused primarily by inflammation, infection, or perhaps a combination of both conditions. Advances in the pathogenesis of COPD have shed light on the role of inflammation in this condition and highlighted the differences in the inflammatory response present in COPD compared with asthma. Infectious agents often are suspected as causing acute exacerbations of COPD, and antibiotics are frequently prescribed empirically to patients. We review the evidence for an inflammatory and infectious etiology for exacerbations of COPD and compare and contrast how each impacts on this disease.


The relationship between the objective assessment of analytical measures of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) fruit quality and the corresponding sensory panel rating was studied. The optimum size, based on average fruit weight, for sweet cherries was 11 to 12 g. A nine-row or 29- to 30-mm-diameter sweet cherry would be the equivalent industry standard. When two separate panels were conducted with overlapping samples, panelists had similar results for optimum fruit size. The optimum color is represented by the #6 color chip of the prototype of the Centre Technique Interprofessionnel des Fruits et Legumes (CTIFL) scale (#5 in new commercial CTIFL chart). A fruit firmness between 70 and 75 using a Shore Instrument durometer was considered optimum. Minimum soluble solids concentration (SSC) for sweet cherries was between 17% and 19% and optimum pH of the juice was 3.8. The optimum sweet-sour balance was between 1.5 and 2 (SSC/ml NaOH).


This paper proposes a new defense called $n$-ML against adversarial examples, i.e., inputs crafted by perturbing benign inputs by small amounts to induce misclassifications by classifiers. Inspired by $n$-version programming, $n$-ML trains an ensemble of $n$ classifiers, and inputs are classified by a vote of the classifiers in the ensemble. Unlike prior such approaches, however, the classifiers in the ensemble are trained specifically to classify adversarial examples differently, rendering it very difficult for an adversarial example to obtain enough votes to be misclassified. We show that $n$-ML roughly retains the benign classification accuracies of state-of-the-art models on the MNIST, CIFAR10, and GTSRB datasets, while simultaneously defending against adversarial examples with better resilience than the best defenses known to date and, in most cases, with lower classification-time overhead.


Purpose: The aim of this experiment was to investigate if a warm-up period prior to eccentric exercise has a preventive effect on the increased sensitivity to pain, and the loss of force, associated with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Methods: Twenty-four subjects were randomly assigned into a warm-up group (N=12) or a control group (N=12). The warm-up group completed 20 minutes of ergometer cycling, with an intensity of 60-70 % of estimated maximal heart rate, prior to eccentric exercise, while the control group did not perform warm-up prior to the eccentric exercise. DOMS was induced by completing 5 sets of 10 forward lunges (eccentric exercise). The outcome measures were: subjective evaluation of pain on a 100 mm. visual analogue scale (VAS), a pressure-pain threshold (PPT) on various locations of the m. rectus femoris, and isometric maximal voluntary contraction force (MVC), collected prior to exercise, 24-and 48 hours following exercise. Results: Both groups had significantly lower PPT in the distal region of the m. rectus femoris 24 hours following eccentric exercise. However, only the control group had a significant decrease in PPT in the proximal region of the m. rectus femoris. In addition, the warm-up group developed significantly less pain than the control group in the proximal region of the m. rectus femoris between baseline and 24 hours following exercise. Both groups had a significant decrease in MVC, and more pain (VAS) following exercise. Moreover, there were no significant differences between groups in MVC and VAS 24 and 48 hours following exercise. Conclusion: Our results suggest that warm-up prior to eccentric exercise might have a preventive effect on DOMS measured as the pressure pain threshold. The preventive effect seems to be most prominent in the proximal region of the muscle 24 hours following exercise. Key words: Warm-up, delayed onset muscle soreness, DOMS, eccentric exercise, pressure-pain threshold, PPT, visual analogue scale, VAS, maximal voluntary contraction force


One prerequisite in order for conversation to take place is cooperation between the participants. In other words, each person must adjust his or her behavior according to the actions of the other participants. One method that the speakers use in interaction is the co-construction of syntactic units. A speaker can complete or add on to a unit begun by another person. The subject of this dissertation is conversational sequences containing co-constructed units. The methods employed are drawn from the field known as interactional linguistics, which can be viewed as a subdiscipline of conversation analysis (CA) with influences from linguistics. The focus of interactional linguistics is the investigation of how linguistic forms interact with various social norms and structures and with the actions carried out during interaction. As a starting point for the analysis, a distinction between different categories of co-constructions is made. The various categories have quite different prototypical functions when they occur in an interactive situation. However, there are also certain functional qualities that cross the boundaries between categories. A very prominent pattern in the material is that speakers do not continue another person's utterance in order to interrupt them or manipulate their words. Instead, the producer of the syntactic continuation strengthens solidarity between herself and the other speaker by helping, showing sympathy, indicating understanding, or agreeing with that person. "Sponging off" another speaker's syntactic unit constitutes an excellent resource for initiating and maintaining various cooperative projects.


This study utilizes the river and stream water quality (QUAL2K) model as a tool to simulate and forecast the water quality and then to develop the management strategies for various flow rates above the Kaoping weir of Kaoping River in Taiwan. Model results based on the river assimilative capacity of four various flow rates including Q95, Q75, Q60, and Q25 were conducted to determine the corresponding amounts of pollution reduction. The average pollution reduction ratios of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) should at least reach to 42.0% and 28.3% respectively to meet the restoration goals of Class A water quality standards regulated by Taiwan. The modeling results demonstrate that an increase of water extraction rates in the upstream reaches will have significant adverse effects on the water quality of the Kaoping River. Higher water extraction rates will lower the assimilative capacity that reduces the buffering capacity of river. It also induces that the water quality is susceptible to the impacts of the influent pollutant loads from the tributaries or drainages.


Abstract Effective guidelines around disclosure of HIV status are lacking and limited data from India reveal low rates of HIV disclosure to perinatally infected children. This study, conducted in Pune, India, attempts to understand the experiences of caregivers of perinatally infected children around the HIV disclosure process. We interviewed 98 caregivers whose children were receiving care at the ART clinic of a large government hospital. Caregivers report that 23% of HIV+ children had been told of their HIV status. Older caregivers had higher odds of disclosure as well as those who were widowed, had limited formal education, and who worked as maids/servants. Older children (14 years+) had higher odds of being disclosed to. Major themes from qualitative data included uncertainty among caregivers about disclosure, concerns about the child's well-being after disclosure, and an overall lack of guidance around disclosure. Significant concerns related to perceived and experienced stigma and discrimination as well as the child's marital future contributed to caregivers' willingness to disclose. There is need for the development and testing of behavioural interventions in India to guide health care workers and caregivers in appropriate disclosure to HIV-infected children, with the ultimate goal of informing national guidelines for pediatric HIV disclosure in resource poor settings.


The paper present the results for the influence of investment costs into biogas station on the amount of emissions from the agricultural sector. For the evaluation is applied structural analysis of major factors affecting the level of CO2 emissions from agriculture. Among these factors are: the number of animals (converted to livestock units), cost of investment in biogas plants, the quantity of nitrogen fertilizers and the total amount of CO2 emissions from agriculture. The results show that the investment costs haven t significant influence despite the correct direction of effect. Significant impact on CO2 emissions from agriculture have the numbers of animals (respectively cattle units). In the case of applications reviewed model from the Czech Republic to selected countries of the EU shows that the highest investment costs and also decrease CO2 equivalent emissions from agricultural biogas plants is in Germany. The high number of agricultural biogas plants is also evident in Italy and the United Kingdom. Investment costs are in these two countries in the range of 115 to 144 mld. CZK. Furthermore, it is evident that the significant investment costs are incurred by the smaller countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belgium). Investment costs in this case are in the range 10-33 mld. CZK.


In sparse target detection problems, it has been shown that significant gains can be achieved by adaptive sensing. We generalize previous work on adaptive sensing to (a) include targets of multiple classes with different levels of mission importance and (b) account for multiple sensor models. New optimization policies are developed to simultaneously locate, classify and estimate a sparse number of targets with limited resource budget. More specifically, three sensor models are considered: global adaptive (GA) sensor that allocates different amounts of resource to each location in the space; global uniform (GU) sensor that allocates resources uniformly across the scene; and local adaptive (LA) sensor that allocates fixed amount of resources to a subset of locations. Based on the sensor model, we propose 3 policies: GA policy that uses a GA sensor; LA policy that uses only LA sensor; and GU/LA policy that uses a mixture of GU and LA sensors. The performances of proposed policies with these sensor models are compared numerically with a baseline policy that allocates resources uniformly and an oracle policy with known target locations. Results indicate that the GA policy performs closely to the oracle policy with sufficient resources, and the GU/LA policy performs similarly to that the GA policy but it is cheaper and more easily implementable.


The effect of tilt interfaces and layer thickness of Cu/Ni multilayer nanowires on the deformation mechanism are investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. The results indicate that the plasticity of the sample with a 45° tilt angle is much better than the others. The yield stress is found to decrease with increasing the tilt angle and it reaches its lowest value at 33°. Then as the tilt angle continues to increase, the yield strength increases. Furthermore, the studies show that with the decrease of layer thickness, the yield strength gradually decreases. The study also reveals that these different deformation behaviors are associated with the glide of dislocation.


The parametric behavior of the Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) intensity and its enhancement mechanisms were investigated using methylene blue (MB) as SERS probe and silver nanowires (AgNWs) as SERS substrate. The AgNWs were synthesized in ethanol solution via electroless deposition. The AgNWs were deposited on glass slides via the Doctor Blade method, while MB was drop-coated on the AgNW substrate. A 5x4 map was obtained by mapping the AgNW volume versus the MB concentration. Each sample was characterized by Raman microscopy. The Raman scattering was found to be enhanced by a magnitude of 10, while MB peaks were observed to have red-shifted which indicates the chemical enhancement. With constant AgNW volume, the SERS intensity increased linearly with the MB concentration. With constant MB concentration, the SERS intensity saturated at the 150 μL volume due to the frequent addition of the AgNWs. The response surface plot of the SERS intensity was obtained by interpolation, and it was found to peak at 425 μM MB and 156 μL AgNWs. These parameters were found to be the optimum SERS enhancement condition for molecule detection.


Urinary tract infection (UTI), of varying severity is one of the most commonly encountered ailments in nephrology outpatient department (OPD). The commonest pathogens causing community acquired UTI (CAUTI) are E. Coli, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumonia. There is a rapidly rising trend of antibiotic resistance among these uropathogens, may be due to indiscriminate antibiotic usage and poor patient compliance. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all culture proven UTI cases that attended the nephrology OPD of S. K. hospital, Trivandrum from August 2017 to July 2019 (24 months). 130 males and 121 females were included in the study. The mean age of the study group was 62.8 years with a male predominance in the age group above 50 years and a female predisposition in less than 50 years group. Commonest pathogen isolated in urine culture was E. coli (52.98%) followed by Klebsiella (39.09%), Citrobacter (8.76%), Pseudomonas (8.37%), Enterobacter (2.39%), Enterococci (1.99%), Candida (1.59%), Acinetobacter (1.2%), Proteus (1.2%), Streptococci (1.2%) and Serratia (0.4%).


Summary Wnt–&bgr;-catenin signaling participates in the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in a variety of cancers; however, its involvement in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and downstream molecular events is largely undefined. HNF4&agr; is the most prominent and specific factor maintaining the differentiation of hepatic lineage cells and a potential EMT regulator in HCC cells. However, the molecular mechanisms by which HNF4&agr; maintains the differentiated liver epithelium and inhibits EMT have not been completely defined. In this study, we systematically explored the relationship between Wnt–&bgr;-catenin signaling and HNF4&agr; in the EMT process of HCC cells. Our results indicated that HNF4&agr; expression was negatively regulated during Wnt–&bgr;-catenin signaling-induced EMT through Snail and Slug in HCC cells. In contrast, HNF4&agr; was found to directly associate with TCF4 to compete with &bgr;-catenin but facilitate transcription co-repressor activities, thus inhibiting expression of EMT-related Wnt–&bgr;-catenin targets. Moreover, HNF4&agr; may control the switch between the transcriptional and adhesion functions of &bgr;-catenin. Overexpression of HNF4&agr; was found to completely compromise the Wnt–&bgr;-catenin-signaling-induced EMT phenotype. Finally, we determined the regulation pattern between Wnt–&bgr;-catenin signaling and HNF4&agr; in rat tumor models. Our studies have identified a double-negative feedback mechanism controlling Wnt–&bgr;-catenin signaling and HNF4&agr; expression in vitro and in vivo, which sheds new light on the regulation of EMT in HCC. The modulation of these molecular processes may be a method of inhibiting HCC invasion by blocking Wnt–&bgr;-catenin signaling or restoring HNF4&agr; expression to prevent EMT.


Clinical efficiency of directed therapy was assessed for 312 patients with distal type of lower limb diabetic angiopathy. Methods of directed therapy included indirect electrochemical detoxication, hemosorption and their combination. It was shown that while successful rate of conventional conservative therapy does not exceed 50%, hemosorption and indirect electrochemical detoxication can increase this rate by 5-35%, depending on the initial severity of lower limb ischemia. Directed therapy improves peripheral circulation and attenuates regional toxemia. Optimal results were achieved for combination of hemosorption and indirect electrochemical detoxication: treatment was effective for 87% of patients with 2-grade disease and for 73% - with 3-grade. One can speculate that synergic clinical effect may be attributed to functional normalization of antioxidant system. In conclusion, advantages of directed therapy comparing with conventional conservative treatment lie in its higher efficiency and prolonged therapeutic effect.


The typical production route of powder materials is cold compaction of the powder, to a so called green body, followed by sintering which gives the component its full strength. It is of vital importance that the green body is crack-free as defects will remain as weak zones in the final component. For this reason, the mechanical properties of the green body have presently been studied mostly experimentally but also some aspects of numerical modeling will be discussed. The materials studied are two types of spray dried cemented carbide powders which has been uniaxially compacted to different green densities. The compacts have thereafter been crushed in two different directions and a microscope study of the fracture surfaces has been performed in order to investigate the micromechanics of the fracture process. The study shows that both breaking of inter-particle contacts and fracture of the individual particles is important in order to describe the fracture processes. Finally, modeling of the fracture process using the Discrete Element Method (DEM) is discussed.


Abstract This paper explores the implications of fairness and reciprocity for self-enforcing international environmental agreements on pollution abatement. Reciprocal countries reward fair behavior (positive reciprocity), but retaliate against countries behaving unfairly (negative reciprocity). We demonstrate that reciprocal countries that have moderate expectations from each other with respect to their national abatement strategies can support a greater degree of environmental cooperation than self-interested ones. However, when only very high abatement standards are deemed fair, then reciprocity could have a detrimental effect on international environmental cooperation. Our model therefore provides a novel perspective on the role of expectations in environmental negotiations.


In this work, two clay-based composites are prepared for the adsorptive removal of the chloride ions from aqueous solutions. These composites are characterized through Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The effects of different parameters such as the contact time, amount of adsorbent, chloride concentration, temperature, and pH are studied by batch experiments. Also the isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic of the adsorptive removal of the chloride ions from these two composites are investigated. According to the results obtained, the adsorptive removal of chloride ions is initially rapid, and the equilibrium time is reached after 30 min. The optimal pH value is 7.0 for a better adsorption, and the maximum capacity can be achieved, which is 60.2 mg/g with 1000 mg/L of the initial chloride concentration. The Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin-Radushkevich adsorption models are applied to describe the equilibrium isotherms at different chloride concentrations. According to the equilibrium isotherms and the correlation coefficients (R2CDC: 0.9424, R2LDC: 0.996), the process can be described by the Langmuir model, and exhibits the highest removal rate of 97.24% (24.31 mg/g) with 250 mg/L of the initial chloride concentration. The pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order, intra-particle diffusion, and mass transfer kinetics models are used to identify the mechanism of the adsorptive removal of the chloride ions. The pseudo-second order model due the correlation coefficients (R2CDC: 0.9217-0.9852, R2LDC: 0.9227-0.9926) can be fitted to the kinetic calculations, and it is applicable for the adsorptive removal of chloride ions by the adsorbents. The thermodynamic calculations show that in a low chloride concentration, the sorption is spontaneous, associative, and endothermic; and in a high concentration, it is unspontaneous, dissociative, and endothermic. The calculated value of free energy (E) for adsorption onto the adsorbents suggests that the reaction rate controls the adsorptive removal of the chloride process rather than diffusion. It can be concluded that these two composites can be used as effective and applicable adsorbents for the adsorptive removal of chloride ions.


Tensor completion has become an effective computational tool in many real-world data-driven applications. Beyond traditional static setting, with the increasing popularity of high velocity streaming data, it requires efficient online processing without reconstructing the whole model from scratch. Existing work on streaming tensor completion is usually built upon the assumption that tensors only grow in one mode. Unfortunately, the assumption does not hold in many real-world situations in which tensors may grow in multiple modes, i.e., multi-aspect streaming tensors. Efficiently modeling and completing these incremental tensors without sacrificing its effectiveness remains a challenging task due to the uncertainty of tensor mode changes and complex data structure of multi-aspect streaming tensors. To bridge this gap, we propose a Multi-Aspect Streaming Tensor completion framework (MAST) based on CANDECOMP/PARAFAC (CP) decomposition to track the subspace of general incremental tensors for completion. In addition, we investigate a special situation where time is one mode of the tensors, and leverage its extra structure information to improve the general framework towards higher effectiveness. Experimental results on four datasets collected from various real-world applications demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed framework.