This is the reporting of the master graduation assignment of Hester de Bliek, Design for Interaction, Industrial Design Engineering, TU Delft. The main goal of the assignment was to make visual art accessible to people with a visual impairment. This assignment arose from the PhD research of W.S. Elkhuizen about 3D printing and Fine Art Reproduction, in association with the Rijksmuseum, who are looking for ways to make the museum more accessible. This report is constructed in three phases: Analysis of the user and the context, Ideation from the design brief towards the concept and Demonstration, where the concept is detailed and tested. Analysis The first part of the analysis covers the basic characteristics of the usergroup. Besides, the museum context is explored in order to understand why people visit museums in general, what is important for such visits and which experiences take place. Then, the relation between the visually impaired visitor and the museum is researched through literature and in practice. Accessibility of art for visually impaired is covered based on the five different senses, from which audio and touch seem most relevant. This lead to the design goal of making the image, story and expression of paintings intuitively accessible for both blind and ill sighted visitors during an independent museum visit. The scope is defined, just as the requirements that the final concept should meet and the intended interactions in the interaction vision of unpackaging gifts. Ideation From this design goal, the ideation process is started, with help from several visitor scenarios. By doing a creative session with visually impaired and individual brainstorm sessions with multiple input sources, ideas are generated. These ideas are evaluated and downsized in number, then assessed through PMI (Plus Minus Interesting) and clustered to create a morphological chart. By taking ideas from the different layers in this chart and merging them together, three concepts arose: 'Take your Technique', 'Exploration Table' and 'Splitting the Art'. These are worked out into a design sketches and storyboards. The three concepts are assessed by two experts from the field of visually impaired and two experts of the Rijksmuseum. This resulted into valuable feedback with strong and weak points per concept. On the basis of this feedback, the three concepts are revised and a fourth concept, 'Portable Exploration Table' is created. All of them are assessed through a Harris profile based on the requirements and through the Interaction Vision. Eventually, a decision was made and the 'Portable Exploration Table' was chosen which contains a relief of the artwork, an audio guide and several layers with specific information. This concept is iterated upon to find the best way to guide someone through an artwork without human interference. Eventually this is done with use of vibration. Demonstration This last chapter explains the final concept in detail. Generally, the concept exists out of two main aspects: a basic relief to understand form and composition and layers on top of this to clarify other aspects of the work like materiality or lighting. The worked out prototype focusses on the first part. The prototype guides people through the artwork in an independent way. It exists out of a relief of the artwork from which several parts can vibrate in order to guide and give feedback. It is accompanied auditory by narration. The vibration mechanism is explored both theoretically and practically through research and prototyping simultaneously. The relief is created through a heightmap. Last, the (background of) the guidelines for the accompanying story are outlined and the story is created . In between the story, complementary sounds are added, like bread and milk. The prototype was tested by six participants with a visual impairment within the Rijksmuseum. The overall feedback was positive, participants expressed their with to extend this concept to other artwork as well. The possibility of touching is desired although the relief can be strengthened. The vibration was received well and it's intended use understood. The narration was clear for most participants. It could use a rewind option. The intermediate sounds were received positive as well, for they added to the atmosphere. Scent was mentioned here as well. In conclusion, the design goal was met fairly well, which is explained thoroughly, and the concept definitely has potential. The recommendations outline further detailing and testing upon the current prototype and the possibility of adding layers on top of the relief. Also the placement and accessibility within museums should be considered well.


Smart TV broadcasting system is an extensively deployed application which
charges users based on their subscription. In Smart TV broadcasting service
environments, services providers charge subscription fee by scrambling the
programs in CAS. This technique...


This paper shows an original method for aluminum' making optimization. This method is based on the analysis of the functional and technological performances of specific furnaces, using mathematic modeling of respective processes. The papers have as a starting point main principles of mathematical modeling of aluminum technological processes on the basis of these modeling principles the optimization possibilities of aluminum elaboration in the specific furnaces are analyzed. The main results presented in the papers are based on the modeling flow chart of the aluminum technological processes, which is thoroughly described in the paper. © 2015 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.uk


HARRIS R. I. D. (1987) The role of manufacturing in regional growth, Reg. Studies 21, 301–312. Since a shift in regional policy away from manufacturing to aiding services is being advocated, this paper re-examines the role of manufacturing in regional growth from both an empirical and theoretical viewpoint. First of all, it discusses the importance of manufacturing's share of output, concluding that in output terms, and prior to 1979, manufacturing has not been displaced by services in shares of total output. Secondly, the paper focuses on the theoretical importance of manufacturing to the growth of regional output, showing that for most theories (demand-side, growth-pole, cumulative causation) manufacturing is the natural base for growth potential. HARRIS R. I. D. (1987) Le role des industries de fabrication dans la croissance regionale, Reg. Studies 21, 301–312. Vu que l'on propose une reorientation de la politique regionale au depens des industries de fabrication et en faveur du tertiaire, cet article ...


In this article Judith Watson suggests that social constructivist approaches to learning hold special promise for the education of pupils with learning difficulties. Investigations of effective teaching and learning support the application of social constructivist theoretical frameworks. Following a description of the roots and principles of these, some practical examples conclude the discussion.


BACKGROUND
In a recent study, patients with glioblastoma (GBM) who administered Levetiracetam (LEV) during chemoradiotherapy were reported to have survival benefit. However, the effect of LEV on survival of glioblastoma patients is not well known.


Aerobic granular sludge/Nereda technology has proven to be more beneficial compared to activated sludge systems. Until now not much research has been spend on treatment of Nereda excess sludge (NES). In this study the biodegradability of NES is investigated, combined with thermal pressure hydrolysis (TPH) as pre-treatment method and the application of an up-flow digester concept. The maximal biodegradability is estimated at 50% volatile solids (VS) (VS content of raw sludge is 80%). In a conventional CSTR digester 42% VS is converted, whereas TPH increased this to 48% (HRT=20 days). The up-flow digester performed slightly better than the conventional system: 43% VS is converted. Modelling of the CSTR systems showed to yield well fitting results; modelling of up-flow digesters yielded results which deviated a lot from the measured values. Besides anaerobic digestion, the extraction procedure of alginate-like-exopolysaccharides (ALE) is optimized and the mutual influence of digestion and ALE extraction is researched. Extraction of ALE can be done with a lower amount of chemicals as the initial procedure. ALE seems to be slowly biodegraded during anaerobic digestion, although the amount of ALE recovered from digested sludge did not differ from undigested sludge. ALE extraction applied prior to digestion could be a synergistic hybrid, as the extraction procedure can act as a pre-treatment method to reduce sludge volume and increase biodegradability rate. The optimal combination is however not yet found. Finally the influence of ALE-extraction method and protein content is investigated. ALE seems to contain a significant fraction of protein (20-40%), although large differences were observed between protein detection methods and ALE extraction methods.


The flow in the annular film around individual Taylor bubbles rising trough stagnant and co-current vertical columns of liquid was studied employing simultaneously particle image velocimetry (PIV) and pulsed shadowgraphy (PST). This combined allows the simultaneous determination of the bubble interface position and the velocity profiles in the liquid film. Experiments were performed with aqueous glycerol solutions in a wide range of viscosities (2x10 Pa.s < μ < 0.22 Pa.s), in an acrylic column of 32 mm I.D. The results show that from the nose, the liquid film accelerates and below a certain distance stabilises in velocity and in thickness, becoming a free falling film. Values for the developing length and for the film thickness are reported for the experimental studied conditions. Average velocity profiles in the fully developed region are also presented. A critical Reynolds number (based on the mean absolute velocity in the liquid film) around 400 is reported for the transition from laminar to turbulent regime. so that different flow regimes in the film can be quantitatively analysed. EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP AND TECHNIQUE


This book is a very complex analysis of the labour market in Romania and Bulgaria which appeared as a result of the neighboring cooperation between the two countries and the need to exchange labour experiences among its citizens. The labour market is influenced by the economic-social system, the political system but also by the environment, which is why demand and supply on the labour market often have different tendencies. The desired labour force must be highly satisfying and skilled, be flexible and efficient, be stable and loyal. The problem regarding the insertion of new graduates in the labour market is not present only in Romania and Bulgaria, but also across Europe. The society must support the modernization of higher education, so that it can respond to the demands of a knowledge society, in the conditions of a competitive European economic market. The quality of higher education is an indicator of the quality of culture, of social intelligence and contributes to improve the quality of life in general. The mission of the education system is to ensure compatibility of its graduates with those graduates trained within the European higher education.


Teenage girls are an important component part of a nation's population structure.The international community has since the 1990s gradually strengthened the protection of teenage girls.Chinese teenage girls' status has improved countrywide since the founding of the People's Republic of China.Nevertheless,due to unbalanced economic and cultural development,there still exist many serious problems as regards their subsistence and development,which cry out for attention and resolution by society at large.


The slow-light effect, which implies reduction of the group velocity of light by many orders of magnitude, is considered to be one of the most exciting discoveries in quantum optics of the last decade. The physics underlying the effect is related to an extremely steep dispersion of the medium in a very narrow region of its transparency, while all the manifestations of the effect are usually reduced just to a small pulse delay. Perhaps this is the reason why, after the discovery of the slow-light effect, some of the simplest nonlinear phenomena associated with a retarded optical response have been implicitly revised and assigned to reduction of the light group velocity. In this lecture, a few examples of common inconsistencies in the area of the slow-light physics will be presented.


This paper describes an online off-policy data-driven reinforcement learning based-algorithm to regulate and control the relative position of a deputy satellite in an autonomous satellite docking problem. The optimal control policy is learned under the framework of output regulation problem and adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) by considering the continuous-time linearized model of the satellite. The linearized model of relative motion is used to describe the motion between satellites, and the satellite docking problem is formulated as a linear optimal output regulation problem, in which the feedback-forward optimal controller is used to track a class of references and rejecting a class of disturbances while maintaining the overall system's closed-loop stability. The optimal control problem is presented using a data-driven reinforcement learning based method to regulate the relative position and velocity of the deputy to safely dock with the chief. Using the adaptive optimal output regulation framework, the learned optimal feedback-feedforward gains guarantee optimal transient and steady state performances without any prior knowledge of the dynamics of the studied system. {The states/input information of the underlying dynamical system are instead used to compute the approximated optimal feedback-feedforward control gain matrices.} Reference tracking and disturbance rejection are achieved in an optimal sense without using any modelling information of the physics of the satellites. {Simulation results are presented and demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method.


A 10-month-old girl presented in another centre with a 4 day history of fever and sore throat. Examination revealed thick whitish plaques over the anterior part of tongue which progressed to both tonsillar fossae in 2 days (Fig. 1). There was no history of diarrhoea. She developed pneumoperitoneum on the fourth day of admission. Laparotomy at that centre revealed patchy areas of bowel necrosis, extending from the duodenojejunal flexure to the terminal ileum with multiple ileal perforations and mesenteric lymphadenopathy. The stomach, duodenum and colon did not show any necrosis. Multiple segmental bowel resections were performed, and a drain was left in situ. The child was then transferred to us. Past history did not reveal any recurrent infections in the child or the family. The family had been residing in Malaysia and there was no history of recent foreign travel. The white blood cell (WBC) count on admission in our centre was 2 × 10/L (6–15 × 10/L) with neutrophil count of 0.84 × 10/L (1–7 × 10/L) and thrombocytopenia 87 × 10/L (200–550 × 10/L) (Normal values in brackets). The C-reactive protein (CRP) was markedly increased. IgG, IgM levels were normal, IgE was 274 mg/dL (<165 mg/dL) and IgA level slightly lower at 57 mg/L (70–400 mg/L). Lymphocyte subset estimation and neutrophilic function tests were not done. Urine examination and chest radiograph were normal. Liver enzymes and renal function tests were normal. Prothrombin time and activated thromboplastin time were normal with slight increase of D-dimer on admission. Cerebrospinal fluid examination was not done as there was no clinical suggestion of meningitis. The patient's blood group was B. On re-laparotomy, due to increasing bilious output from the abdominal drain, two perforations, 4 cm apart were seen in the distal ileum. The rest of the bowel was densely adherent and hence not explored. A T-tube was left within the lumen in the perforated bowel to serve as a controlled fistula and peritoneal drains were inserted. The abdomen was closed as a laparostomy with a Bogota bag and total parenteral nutrition started. She developed a high output enterocutaneous fistula from the T-tube site. The total WBC, neutrophil and platelet counts started rising 3 days after the second laparotomy, which is consistent with the leucopenia on admission being transient, secondary to overwhelming sepsis. Cultures from the peritoneum from the first and second laparotomies and from the plaques over the tongue and nasopharynx, all grew Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The isolates were sensitive to gentamicin, amikacin, ceftazidime, tobramycin and piperacillin-tazobactam suggesting a community acquired infection. The patient had received intravenous ceftriaxone in the previous hospital which was changed in our centre to intravenous gentamicin. Histopathology of the resected small bowel showed multiple areas of whole thickness necrosis with suppurative inflammation at the edges of perforation. Octreotide infusions for a week, intravenous gentamicin for 3 weeks and metronidazole for the first 2 weeks were given. The fistula output reduced over 6 weeks with improvement in the general condition. Inflammatory markers (CRP and WBC) normalised. Trophic feeds were initiated in the 6th week. Surgical wounds healed by secondary intention. The enterocutaneous fistula was closed after excluding distal bowel stricture with preoperative and intraoperative contrast studies, following which she recovered uneventfully. The patient, when last seen 10 months later, was well on normal enteral feeds with no major infective episodes.


Conventional Knowledge Graph Completion (KGC) assumes that all test entities appear during training. However, in real-world scenarios, Knowledge Graphs (KG) evolve fast with out-of-knowledge-graph (OOKG) entities added frequently, and we need to efficiently represent these entities. Most existing Knowledge Graph Embedding (KGE) methods cannot represent OOKG entities without costly retraining on the whole KG. To enhance efficiency, we propose a simple and effective method that inductively represents OOKG entities by their optimal estimation under translational assumptions. Moreover, given pretrained embeddings of the in-knowledge-graph (IKG) entities, our method even needs no additional learning. Experimental results on two KGC tasks with OOKG entities show that our method outperforms the previous methods by a large margin with higher efficiency.


The circuit performance of the Phase-shift (PS) and PWM plus phase-shift (PPS) control schemes is compared in this paper to optimize the bidirectional conversion efficiency. The comparison is implemented with the isolated winding-coupled zero voltage switching (ZVS) bidirectional DC-DC converter (BDC). The theoretical analysis, simulation and experimental results show that the PPS control strategy is an optimal case of the PS control when the low-side voltage and high-side voltage is matched. Furthermore, the PPS control can enhance the capability of the power transmission and reduce the current stress of the power switches compared with PS control. Moreover, ZVS operation can be realized from no load to full load with PPS control scheme. However, there is one case in PS control, where ZVS operation is not reached. Finally, the experimental results prove that the efficiency with PPS scheme is higher than that with PS scheme. The conclusions can be extended to other PS and PPS controlled BDCs.


The sand bar in middle of river or beach plays role in shaping the river channel and restricting water flow.Under different discharge conditions,the impact of interaction between sand bar in middle of river and rubber dam(the whole dam and the opening dam)on the water level and flow velocity of the upstream dam site is simulated with experiment.And then during the flood period,the influence of different dam types in sand bar in middle of river on discharge is analyzed.The results show that the influence on hydraulic characteristics between the whole dam and sand bar in middle of river is more obvious than that between the opening dam and sand bar in middle of river;furthermore,the discharge of the former is less than that of the latter in the flood period.So,the interaction between sand bar in middle of river and rubber dam can be applied to regulate the river channel and achieve the effect of flood control and ecological protection.


Fuyu oil reservoirin the north of Honggang is a lithologic reservoir,which is a typical ultra-low porosity and low permeability reservoir with the complex geological features,large variable lithology,and very poor reservoir properties,and the remaining unused reservoir is hard to further implement.Petrophysical facies can better reflect the genetic characteristics of reservoir properties,especially the capacity differences of different petrophysical facies,the research results of petrophysical facies can guide the reservoir evaluation and provide scientific basis of the measures for oil field development and scientific management of reservoir.Using sequential indicator simulation method stimulates lithofacies,and builds property model controlled by lithofacies.It can calculate reserves by using the volume model in Petrel.Because of taking full account of the reservoir heterogeneity, it greatly increases the computational accuracy.


This work investigates three different solar cell stacks for their use in TMDC-based solar windows; doped silicon-based transport layers + TCOs, Schottky junction contacts, and doping free contacts. Transmission spectra of all three configurations are simulated in order to discern which configuration is most transparent, calculate expected maximum quantum efficiencies and current densities.


Thin-walled biodegradable starch-based articles, particularly sheets of film including at least one first layer of polymeric material including starch and at least one second layer of hydrophobic material, are characterized in that the second layer includes a natural or synthetic wax or mixture of waxes.


Adnexal torsion is the fifth most common gynaecologic emergency. Though it is a disease process of reproductive aged women, it is also seen in the extremes of age. Early diagnosis and surgery are essential to protect ovarian and tubal function in young patients as delay in treatment can lead to impaired or lost fertility. Early diagnosis poses a difficult challenge because the clinical presentation is variable and often misleading. Adnexal torsion can also mimic malignancy as it presents not only acutely but can take a subacute, intermittent, or chronic course. Delayed or missed diagnosis is common especially in women in the post-menopausal age group. The torsion may occur in the normal ovary but is usually secondary to a pre-existing adnexal mass. The mechanism of torsion is likely related to the increased size and weight of the involved ovary. Historically, the treatment for adnexal torsion was oophorectomy due to belief that leaving a nonviable ischemic ovary may lead on to infection and reoperation, missing a malignancy and potential risk of thromboembolism from untwisting ovarian vessels. The treatment is changing to favour adnexal detorsion with ovarian conservation to preserve ABSTRACT


The inventory of housing near rail transit stations is rapidly expanding along urban railway corridors after a decade of its first operation in Bangkok, Thailand. This research examines whether residents those live and work as well near the transit stations are regular railway users. The relationship between location behavior and travel patterns should be investigated. The main objective of this paper is to scrutinize which factors are noted to have potential influence on travel choice behavior of the station-area residents at dis-aggregate level. A discrete logit model is employed to jointly estimate the probability individuals having both origin and destination point within the station catchment area will commute by the rail, using an interview data of the transit-based residents, focusing on self-selection question. The basic statistics reveal the residents select residential locational choice that complies with their travel preference at high degree. The residents with a preference for traveling by the train move to live closer to the stations and become the regular passengers. Also, the results from discrete logit model explain that a positive attitude toward the rail transit can strongly influences rail commuting decision of the residents. This illustrates that the so-called self-selection has taken place. The station-area residents with high level of rail preference have a higher probability of commuting by transit than people without this preference. In addition, less out-of-vehicle time will give greater effect to at-tract more transit ridership. However, ability to use a car and parking space availability at destination have negative effect to the tendency to use the transit.


Introduction: A pedometer is an economically accessible movement sensor, capable of quantifying the number of steps taken by an individual. They are useful not only for evaluation but also as an incentive to the usual practice of physical activity. There are several available publications about pedometers nevertheless, there are still aspects not fully defined, e.g., the influence factors such as the user's body mass index (BMI) and the kind of  trajectory in which the subject walks (flat ground, stairs, inclined ramp, curves). Objectives: To study the influence of different trajectories and body mass index (BMI) on the accuracy of step detection by a pedometer. Methods: One-hundred healthy subjects from both genders, 18 to 59 years, were divided in three groups according to their BMI: eutrophic (EU; n=40); overweight (OW; n=30) and obese (OB; n=30). While wearing one pedometer Yamax Digiwalker SW-701 placed at the right side of the waist, the subject walked 50 steps at usual speed in six different trajectories: straight line and walking in curves (or "zigzag") on the level, ascending and descending ramps, upstairs and downstairs. Results: As for the BMI, OB showed significant underestimation compared to EU and OW (p<0.05 for both). Accuracy was similar and acceptable (error <5%) in the different trajectories except for the "zigzag", which showed lower number of steps detected in comparison to the others (p<0.05). Although modestly, the factor which showed higher correlation with the accuracy in all trajectories was the BMI (r = -0.41; p<0.0001). Conclusions:  The accuracy of the Yamax Digiwalker SW-701 pedometer in obese subjects walking at their usual speed is low and negatively related to the BMI. Furthermore, walking in curvilinear trajectory decreases the pedometer accuracy in all subjects, regardless of the BMI.


The communication section of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority's (MARTA's) existing Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET) system was failing. The SONET system utilized a Plain Old Telephone Service (Modem/POTS/T1) to communicate Train Control, and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) indications, and controls from the related field equipment to the Rail Service Control Center (RSCC). When the SONET failed RSCC would lose indications, and controls for large sections of the system, which caused large areas of the RSCC's graphic display to "go dark". MARTA Systems Engineering received two directives from Management to (1) stabilize the existing system and (2) provide a back-up system at a remote location. First, a theory was developed to tunnel serial protocols over Ethernet utilizing two Serial-to-Ethernet Ethernet devices (Terminal Server) that would replace existing communications (Modem/POTS/T1). Next, a Serial-to-Ethernet device had to be selected, and tested. The device had to be reliable, economical, and easily configured. In conclusion, two different terminal servers were utilized; Train Control used a Lantronix UDS1100, and SCADA a Perle IOLAN DS1. Because the Train Control and SCADA communication is now on an Ethernet network, MARTA was able to build a Back-Up Control Center.


Aim: To elucidate whether extracurricular sports activity during rapid growth correlates with improved bone properties in late adolescence, a longitudinal observation was performed among 96 high‐school enrolments (46 boys and 50 girls, born in 1981–1982) in metropolitan Tokyo. Methods: In each year of high school, tibial cortical speed of sound (TCSOS) was measured by quantitative ultrasonometry, and participation in extracurricular sports activity (ECSA) since primary school was examined by structured questionnaire. We calculated the number of years since peak height velocity (ysPHV) based on annual records of height from 6 to 18 y of age to indicate progression of puberty. Results: The increase in TCSOS during high school in boys (32.5 m/s) was significantly greater than that in girls (5.4 m/s). The magnitude of positive association between ysPHV and TCSOS attenuated gradually over time. ECSA in grades 7–9 in boys and in grades 4–6 in girls were significant predictors of TCSOS throughout high school, independent of potential confounders.


This study addresses the problem of stability analysis of two-dimensional (2-D) switched non-linear continuous-time systems based on the Roesser model. First, two sufficient conditions for asymptotic stability of 2-D switched non-linear systems are established via the methods of common Lyapunov function and multiple Lyapunov functions, respectively. Then, the definitions of dwell time and average dwell time in one-dimensional switched systems are extended to the 2-D case, a stability criterion is proposed for the 2-D switched non-linear system with average dwell time switching. Finally, three numerical examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed results.


A long‐standing debate in evo–devo research concerns the relative role of protein‐coding and cis‐regulatory regions in adaptation. Recent studies of genetic adaptation have revealed that the number of substitutions contributing to phenotypic variation is lower in cis‐regulatory than in structural regions, which has led to the idea that cis‐regulatory regions are less important in phenotypic adaptation. However, the number of substitutions is not the only important factor, the "size" of the adaptive contribution of these substitutions is important too. A geometrical reasoning predicts that, given their lesser pleiotropic effects, cis‐regulatory substitutions should have a larger average adaptive contribution than protein‐coding substitutions. Thus it is possible that even with a lower number of adaptive mutations, cis‐regulatory regions may contribute at the same level or even more than protein‐coding regions.


Most specimens of carnivorous sponges (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida, Cladorhizidae) collected in the deep Pacific are usually found to be undescribed taxa. New Zealand's EEZ, containing Kermadec Trench and Volcanic Arc to the north, Chatham Rise to the southeast, and parts of Macquarie Ridge to the southwest of New Zealand, as well as parts of Australia's EEZ surrounding Macquarie Island, on Macquarie Ridge, have produced high numbers of new species and possibly new genera, and these are presently being described. In this work, we describe three new species of Cladorhizidae, each remarkable for the 'exceptions to the rule' that they represent. Abyssocladia carcharias sp. nov., from Monowai Seamount on the Kermadec Volcanic Arc, has the shape of a pedunculate disc with radiating filaments, and is characterized by three types of unique multidentate isochelae. Asbestopluma (Asbestopluma) anisoplacochela sp. nov., from the southern most end of the Three Kings Ridge, is erect and cylindrical with lateral expansions. In addition to the usual Asbestopluma microscleres, this species displays a new form of microsclere, termed 'anisoplacochelae'. These unprecedented microscleres bear a plate-like central tooth similar to that of the placochelae of Guitarridae, but the ends are dissimilar in shape and dimensions. Asbestopluma (Asbestopluma) desmophora sp. nov., from Cavalli Seamounts off the north east coast of New Zealand, Hikurangi Plateau to the east of the North Island, and the Chatham Rise extending east from the South Island (all New Zealand EEZ), and on Macquarie Ridge (Australia EEZ), is an erect dichotomously branching sponge, that has desma megascleres densely packed into the enlarged base of attachment. Implications for the phylogeny of these three unusual species are considered.


As the task dimension scaling up, it becomes impossible for humans to iterate through the entire state space, especially in planning, resource allocation, and time scheduling tasks subject to multi-dimensional constraints. Robots could seamlessly collaborate with humans to enhance their optimality. A mutual understanding between humans and robots in the team is necessary for a robot to offer support timely and even compensate for the sub-optimality in human decision-making processes effectively. We develop a way of enabling a robot swarm to model human players in a pursuit-evasion game and adapt its strategy to humans to win the game in a collaborative and efficient way. Keywords—collaboration, human, modeling, swarm, pursuitevasion.


ANALYSIS OF OHIO DRUNK DRIVING LAW WITH .10 PER SE PROVISION, ESTIMATING REDUCTION IN AMOUNT OF DRINKING AND DRIVING BUT INCREASED NUMBER OF HIT-RUN ACCIDENTS AND ATTEMPTS TO BRIBE OTHER PARTY OR WITNESSES


English Abstract: Sexual harassment at the workplace refers to a harassment of an applicant or employee involving coercion of a sexual nature or unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In the early 1990s in Korea, the term, sexual harassment was translated as sunghirong (성희롱), which means off-color jokes. Now sunghirong has been legislated upon in three regulations; the Framework Act on Women's Development, Equal Employment Opportunity and Work-Family Balance Assistance Act, and National Human Rights Commission Act. The term of sunghirong is inadequate in describing the elements of sexual harassment, particularly, the involved violence and violation of human rights and the right to work. This study examines Korean academic journals to analyze diverse concepts of concerning sunghirong. We found that while legal journals display a tendency to interpret the meanings of sexual harassment on the basis of Acts, journals in other academic fields show narrow and distorted perspectives or restrictive interpretations of concepts of sunghirong. Researchers as well as lay people do not have a clear understanding of concepts of sunghirong, Therefore, we need to re-name sunghirong in Korea on the basis of the original meaning of sexual harassment.Korean Abstract: 본 연구는 '섹슈얼 허래스먼트' 현상이 국내에서 '성희롱'으로 명명(naming)되는 과정에서 나타나는 개념의 한계를 구명하기 위해 6년간(2010년∼2015년) 국내에서 발행된 주요 성희롱 소재 논문을 분석했다. 연구 결과 법학 분야와 법학 이외의 학문 분야는 연구주제와 분석 대상, 접근 시각 그리고 개념의 내용 등에서 상이한 특징을 보였다. 먼저 연구 주제의 경우 법학 분야는 주로 성희롱의 개념 연구, 법률 검토, 성희롱 사건 처리 및 판례 분석, 성희롱 예방을 위한 정책 제언 등인 반면에 기타 분야는 성희롱 의식, 실태 및 영향 연구가 주를 이루었다. 성희롱 개념과 관련해 법학 분야는 성희롱이 명시된 법률인 여성발전기본법, 남녀고용평등과 일·가정 양립 지원에 관한 법, 국가인권위원회법 등을 기반으로 규정한 반면에 기타 분야는 대체로 현재의 법적 개념을 오해 또는 축소하여 다분히 법적 용어와 다른 의미를 내포했다. 이러한 연구 결과에 의거해서 볼 때, 향후 성희롱이란 법적 표현을 섹슈얼 허래스먼트 현상을 보다 잘 표현할 수 있는 '성적 괴롭힘'으로 재정비할 것을 제안한다.


This article discusses the philosophical ideology advocated and promoted by the academic, anthropologist and politician, Dr WWM Eiselen, during different periods of history in South Africa. The central focus is on the ideology that influenced his academic writings and the consequent influence of this academic knowledge on government theory and practice. The need to preserve Bantu institutions and the emphasis of language to promote ethnic culture were central aspects of his political project has been demonstrated. Further it is pointed out that these recurring themes had a significant influence on the crafting of education for Bantu people. In conclusion Eiselen's pronouncements and writings, which were underpinned by his philosophical and political theories, should be understood in terms of what was happening at that particular period in South Africa's history.


The present study aims to determine the influence of increasing vitamin premix levels on zoo technical and some biochemical parameters in broilers of ISA15strain. The tested vitamin premix is a commercial product administered in drinking water by many poultry farmers of Constantine region (East Algeria), as part of routine vitamin supplementation. A total of one hundred seventy chicks were randomly assigned to three experimental groups. Chicktonic® was administered as fellow: control group (CH), treated with chicktonic® with dosages and duration of treatment as applied by many farmers of the region; group (CH+41 ) treated with an increased dose of chicktonic® starting from day 41st; group (CH+13 ) treated with an increased dose of chicktonic® starting from day13th. In animals consuming increased dosages of chicktonic®, mortality rates were lower (0.1% and 0.14%) than the control group (0,33%). No significant differences were recorded between the three groups concerning: feed intake (FI); average daily weight gain (ADWG); performance index (PI); and carcass yield (CY). A significant decrease in body weight at slaughter (BWs) was recorded in birds consuming higher levels of vitamin premix before the grower period. While a significant increase in abdominal fat (AF) was recorded in animals consuming higher levels of vitamin premix during the finisher period. In both groups receiving a high dose of chicktonic®, cholesterol and triglyceride values were higher than in the control group. * Corresponding Author: Choudar Nedjma  email@example.com International Journal of Biosciences | IJB | ISSN: 2220-6655 (Print) 2222-5234 (Online) http://www.innspub.net Vol. 10, No. 2, p. 138-146, 2017


Early and efficient induction of type I IFN and other interferon-stimulated genes following virus infection is essential for the control of the viral infection, and this induction is mostly controlled by the innate immune system via pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs), including the endosomal Toll-like receptors and the retinoic acid inducible gene-I like RNA helicases RIG-I and MDA5. The prototypic arenavirus, Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), is an excellent system to study the impact of virus-host interactions on viral pathogenesis. Although most aspects of LCMV model have been extensively studied and the findings obtained from this model have been used to interpret the pathogenesis of human viral diseases, the molecular mechanisms by which LCMV modulates type I IFN responses are not clear. Better understanding of these mechanisms is critical for the development of novel vaccines and effective antiviral therapeutic strategies against arenavirus infection. In the present study, we demonstrate that LCMV genomic RNA activates the RIG-I/MDA5-MAVS-dependent signaling pathway to induce type I IFN responses. We further demonstrate that LCMV nucleoprotein inhibits LCMV RNA induced type I IFN responses by physically interacting with both RIG-I and MDA5 signaling molecules. These results indicate that interactions between LCMV viral proteins and viral genomic RNA and the host signaling molecules are critical to regulate the virus induced innate immune response.


Purpose

Mortality is a salient factor during capital sentencing. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role death plays in jurors' decisions when sentencing a severely mentally ill defendant who is subject to possible discrimination in a capital trial because of that status.

Design/methodology/approach

The current experiment measured venire jurors' (n=133) mental illness dangerousness beliefs, and then experimentally manipulated type of mortality salience (dual-focused: participants who contemplated their own mortality and were exposed to trial-related death references vs trial focused: only exposed to death references) and the type of defendant (severely mentally ill vs neutral) accused of a capital offense.

Findings

Mock jurors perceived mental illness to be an important mitigating factor when dual (i.e. self) focused mortality (DFM) salience was induced, whereas participants only exposed to trial-related death references considered mental illness to be an aggravating factor in sentencing and were more likely to evidence stereotype adherence toward the defendant.

Practical implications

The implications of the authors' findings are problematic for the current legal system. During the majority of capital sentencing, jurors will only be exposed to trial-related death references, as individuals in the trial-focused mortality condition were. The findings suggest that these jurors are likely to engage in discriminatory stereotypes that do not consider fair process when making sentencing decisions. This research also suggests that mortality salience may be able to increase jurors' attention to such concerns in a trial scenario even when negative mental illness stereotypes are present.

Originality/value

Research builds on existing terror management theory and offers a more nuanced perspective of how focusing on one's own death can affect jurors' reliance on stereotypes and lead to inappropriate decisions. Mortality salience can lead to decisions based upon procedural fairness when stereotypes and mortality salience are both present.


The areas where the supply of grid power is very difficult cross flow turbines (CFT) are used for low head power production. Results are presented for optimum profile of the leading edges of blade. Four different profiles (flat tip blade profile, round tip blade profile, pointed tip blade profile and oval tip blade profile) are modelled and simulated with ANSYS CFX and then compared their performance in terms of their efficiencies. The complete turbine is analysed for the determination of the leading edge of the blade in the first stage and the trailing edge in the second stage. The design and simulation conditions are based on the installed CFT at Chitral City of Pakistan. The results show that efficiency of the round tip blade profile is better than the other three profiles of the blade.


Abstract Smartphone technology is continuously being updated through software and hardware changes. At present, a limited number of studies have been undertaken to assess the impact of these changes on data collection for linguistic research. This paper discusses the potential of smartphones to gather reliable recordings, along with ethical considerations for storing additional personal information when working in other contexts (i.e. healthcare settings). A pilot study was undertaken using the FitvoiceTM account-based application to analyse articulatory proficiency in depressed and healthy participants. Results suggest that phonetic differences exist between these groups in terms of plosive production, and that smartphones are capable of adequately recording these minute aspects of the speech signal for analysis.


The idea of a research project about the role of Higher Education Institutions' (HEIs) in favoring local economic development started from a recognition of the changing roles of tertiary education institutions, as expressed both by academic literature and policy-makers' documents. International policymakers, such as OECD and the European Union, put forward the necessity for universities to connect with their regions and help the knowledge flow. Networks between universities, businesses, and governments seem to be the way for regions to grow and deal with globalization. The importance of HEIs in the development of the territory where they are embedded is becoming a fundamental issue of growing importance in the knowledge economy. If it is true that universities have been founded principally on the activities of teaching and research (first mission and second mission, respectively), on the other hand, universities have always made contributions, both directly and indirectly, to decision-making in the wider society; this aspect has been called third mission.
Globalization does not dis-embed economic activities from territory; rather, the sub-national level becomes essential in building economic competitiveness and in the development of the knowledge economy. This aspect provides a territorial focus for universities' new role in the knowledge economy and network-building between universities and regional stakeholders becomes essential, particularly in rural regions, where the economy is driven by myriad of SMEs with low levels of knowledge. Universities are called to play a greater role as stimulators and facilitators of knowledge transfer within business and society.
The University of Macerata is the scientific partner for "Marche d'Eccellenza," a project aimed at constituting a territorial umbrella-brand. The goal is to create a unique brand for the Marche region, by recollecting all its unique aspects (destinations, agro-food products, and manufacture products). This research aims at understanding what roles the University of Macerata could assume in the "Marche d'Eccellenza" project.
The OECD report "Entrepreneurship, SMEs and local development in the Marche region, Italy" analyses reasons why it is considered worthwhile to enhance connections between HEIs and the stakeholders of the territory are explored, especially in a context of place branding. Place branding is not about using the qualities of the place to promote local products in the markets, but about using the qualities of local products to ascribe meanings and associations to the place (Kavaratzis & Ashworth, 2005). Place branding is a complex operation because it implies different actors, with often competing interests. These actors must work together to create a coherent identity for the place to be promoted, within the context of global competition.
The main goal of this research is to understand how the involvement of the University of Macerata can help the setup of a stakeholder-inclusive network aimed at building a territorial umbrella-brand, through the analysis of the "Marche d'Eccellenza" case study. In order to achieve this overarching objective, this work will try to answer the following questions:
 What are the main values and working hypothesis emerging from local stakeholders' discussion and interaction? What is the knowledge gap connected with some of them and what constitutes the brand essence?
 How is the image of a place perceived by foreigners?
 Which factors can determine place branding success?
In order to answer these questions, this work investigates the network-building process in reference to an umbrella-brand, and the issues connected to it. It will also strive to make explicit the functions that should be ascribed to the University of Macerata, for this particular case and in this specific context.
The case study as methodology has been chosen in this thesis because it allows us to understand complex social phenomena "in depth and within its real-life context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident" (Yin, 2009: 18).
The first chapter of this thesis deals with the content analysis of three different workshops, structured as brainstorming sessions, held during the First "Marche d'Eccellenza" Forum, organized by the University of Macerata, on November 10, 2010. The analysis of the brainstorming sessions showed that there are many common themes, each of which arose independently from the workshop's specific activity. This research demonstrated that there are transversal issues, as well as values common to all stakeholders, which need to be made explicit. Another fundamental issue coming out from the analysis is that many concepts, essential for the success of a place branding initiative, are often confused or unclear to stakeholders; that is, there is a knowledge gap. Issues concerning the institution of a territorial umbrella-brand, the implications of a globalized market, and the difference between the image people have of certain place (brand image) and the image marketers want to promote (brand identity) are often misunderstood concepts, making it hard for the development of an umbrella-brand to take place.
The second chapter of this thesis tries to analyze the perception of the Marche region by non-residents, by using a questionnaire that investigates the perception of brand image, that is, the image held by consumers towards a certain product or place. Research on the image of a place allows us to understand how a certain place is perceived by outsiders and allows marketers to work on a strategy for brand identity that represents the image they desire to promote. The study of image formation is essential because it represents the first step, prior to any branding effort. Once there is awareness of the perceived image people have of a place, then it is possible to aim at seeking the right strategies to setup an efficient brand identity campaign. The need for such an operation is consistent with the findings that emerged from the brainstorming sessions, where stakeholders lamented the lack of coherent and consistent outward-facing communication for the Marche brand. The lack of a before and after analysis of the branding effort made it impossible to measure if communication and advertising did work. Moreover, the questionnaire can show whether the values attributed to the Marche region by non-residents coincide with the ones emerging from the brainstorming sessions, offering several indications on the assets that contribute to local economic development.
The third chapter analyzes the "Tourism Victoria Jigsaw Campaign" case study. An opportunity for the author of this thesis to spend three months at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, allowed this case study to be carried out. The subsequent results can be considered as an example of best practice in place branding. In fact, the study represents an example of practical success in place branding that has received little academic attention. A literature review on success factors in place branding has allowed the emergence of a theoretical model, which was subsequently tested during the case study. The opportunity of testing place branding theories in a practical success case showed that the theoretical model has a practical application. The place branding success factors scheme offers a great help in understanding the support that a university can offer to stakeholders, making them aware of a lot of determinant issues that need to be taken into account when dealing with a place branding operation.
The final chapter analyzes the implications resulting from the "Marche d'Eccellenza" case study: in the first half of the chapter, the roles of the University of Macerata in this network will be discussed, and in the second half of the chapter suggestions for local policy-makers will be put forward.


In this work a Multi-Frame Neighbor Discovery Protocol in DTNs over a RFID devices is proposed. Our approach, which is based on a Sift-distribution (we named it s-Persistent) function, takes Single-Frame and Multi-Frame scenarios into consideration. Our s-Persistent approach is applied in a simulated test and in a real test-bed in order to see the effectiveness of the proposal in comparison with a well-known technique such as p-Persistent protocol. Therefore Performance Evaluation has been considered in terms of number of discovered neighbors under different numbers of nodes and frames, moreover we regarded an intra-frame time evaluation. Obtained results show that our solution performs better than p-Persistent, increasing the number of discovered neighbors with better results in intra-frame time evolution.


Abstract The cytotoxicity of various PAH was determined in V79 Chinese hamster fibroblasts in the absence and presence of a solar simulator, i.e. a light source emitting visible light, including UV-A and UV-B components. The range of cytotoxic concentrations of the different PAH in the absence of light varied by a factor of about 100. The cytotoxicity of some PAH was weakly, that of others was markedly increased in the presence of light, indicating a clear phototoxic effect. The range of the phototoxic concentrations in the presence of light was much wider (about 5000-fold) than in its absence. The greatest phototoxic potential was determined for larger, as opposed to smaller PAH. Methylation caused a decrease of the phototoxicity of PAH in comparison to their unmethylated parent compounds.


Methane is an important greenhouse gas whose concentration in the atmosphere is increasing. Although this increase in atmospheric methane is correlative with growth in human population and activities, the exact causes for the increase are not fully understood. Because of increasing energy demand, particularly in developing countries where population is increasing, coal production is likely to increase over the next few decades and this could further increase the flux of atmospheric methane. In addition, no data are currently available on methane flux from coalbeds as a result of natural processes such as leakage at outcrops, or along faults and fractures that could provide avenues for methane migration upward from coal at depth. To better understand the global methane cycle and the role of fossil fuels in methane emissions, field measurements of methane emissions are needed from coalbeds, from areas of active mining, from coalbed gas production, and from undisturbed coals. In this paper, we report results of field measurements of CH[sub 4] emissions from surface and underground mines, fault zones, and coreholes in the Black Warrior Basin, Alabama. Ventilation of underground mines in Mary Lee group coals (of economic usage) gave the highest methane emissions rates - about 71,480,000 m[supmore » 3]/yr (2.5 Bcf or billion cubic feet) from one ventilation shaft. In contrast, very low emissions occurred from active or abandoned coreholes and from Brookwood group coals (of economic usage) exposed by surface mining (about 81 m[sup 3]/yr (2.9 Mcf or thousand cubic feet)). Methane flux of as much as about 500 m[sup 3]/yr occurs from a small section of a normal fault and associated joints exposed at Bankhead Lock and Dam. The carbon isotopic composition of CH[sub 4] collected at the Bankhead Fault ([delta][sup 13]C -49.3 permil) indicates a coalbed origin. 50 refs., 15 figs., 4 tabs.« less


As a counter process of language acquisition,language attrition has great significance in language research.This paper is mainly to investigate the situation of L2-induced L1 attrition and introduce six related theoretical models,namely,the regression hypothesis,the threshold hypothesis,the interference hypothesis,the simplification hypothesis,the markedness hypothesis,and the dormant language hypothesis.It also advocates that we need to carry out our own language attrition research based on foreign research results and our present situation at home.


The principle of normal-mode-inaction (NMI) adaptation is utilized to derive an adaptive Smith predictor controller. This new adaptive system differs from a conventional adaptive Smith predictor in that the adaptation of its control parameters only occurs during the instances of an unambiguous abnormality. This abnormality is defined as a significant change in the magnitude or phase of certain points on the continuously tracked Nyquist plot. The ability of the NMI adaptive Smith predictor controller to overcome the effects of an unmeasurable load disturbance is superior to that of the conventional adaptive Smith predictor. The NMI adaptive Smith predictor controller uses a relay auto-tuner, and the adjustment of the controller parameters is based on the Ziegler-Nichols tuning formula. Simulation examples demonstrate the usefulness and the advantages of the new adaptive control scheme.<<ETX>>


In an undergraduate course or a course-sequence in thermodynamics mechanical engineering students are introduced to air-standard power cycles, refrigeration cycles, and the fundamentals of combustion processes. The analysis of air-standard thermodynamic cycles or solving problems involving combustion processes requires the evaluation of thermodynamic properties either from ideal gas tables or equations developed based on the assumption of constant specific heats. Many students have a difficult time to distinguish the differences between the two property evaluation methods. Also, solving problems involving power and refrigeration cycles or parametric studies of combustion processes involve several steps of property evaluation and some steps require interpolation of data listed in the thermodynamic property tables. Also solution to problems requiring trial and error iterative procedure makes the solution process tedious and time consuming, if it is done manually. This paper provides several examples to demonstrate the effectiveness of Excel in solving problems involving air-standard cycles and combustion processes.Copyright © 2009 by ASME


Acne Vulgaris is one of the skin complaint seen more prominently during adolescence age group. There are various treatments for it but considering the Homoeopathy been an effective treatment cures the patient.


Maintaining the high level of reliability of Instrument Air compressor is essential for safe operation of Oil and Gas facilities however challenges remains to maintain high level of reliability in integrally geared design instrument air compressor due to exceptionally high speed (50,000 rpm) and minimal clearance bearing..etc. This paper presents success story of such compressor`s Reliability and MTBF improvement from 30 days to more than 36 months.
 Integrally geared compressor was installed and commissioned in year 2002 as facility upgrade project and never run continuously more than 30 days due to frequent high vibration trip and lead to consequence Risk of plant operation and upset due to non-availability of compressorExtremely high maintenance cost > $120,000 per year due to repeated maintenance intervention
 Identifying the common vibration malfunction like unbalance, misalignment, rubs, cracks, shaft bows are relatively easy, as the behavior/characteristics of these problems are well understood, however challenge remains for identifying the rare uncommon problems with limited information so this paper details interesting achievement of, how we diagnose and eliminate vibration issues.
 Structured root cause analysis of high vibration revealed cause of high vibrations are Bearing Frosting /Pitting contributed by buildup of Electrostatic current and discharge through bearing High residual magnetism, and compounded by Yellow deposits /varnish formation due to thermal oxidation which is result of high operating temperature and Oil disintegration.
 To eliminate above uncommon problems, following solution were identified as. Installation of current diverter rings (CDR) in motor, which avoided development of high shaft voltage from either motor or compressor by discharging to the ground.Removal of residual magnetism from rotor by On Site degaussing process.Maintained the lube oil supply temperature less than 60°C by upgrading the temperature control elements.To identify varnish formation, Perform proactive varnish potential test like membrane patch colorimetric (MPC)
 Implementation of above recommendations enhanced the equipment uptime with reduced maintenance effort and cost, which permanently resolved the high vibration issues and made the compressor reliable for uninterrupted supply of instrument air to process plant without major overhauling for more than 7 years as of now.


In this article, the non central bivariate Kummer-beta Type IV distribution is introduced and derived via the Laplace transform of the non central bivariate beta distribution by Gupta et al. (2011). We focus on and discuss the central bivariate Kummer-beta Type IV distribution; this distribution is a special case of the non central bivariate Kummer-beta Type IV distribution and extends the popular Jones' bivariate beta distribution. The probability density functions of the product and the ratio of the components of the central bivariate Kummer-beta Type IV distribution are also derived and we provide tabulations of the associated lower percentage points as well as some upper percentage points that are useful in reliability.


The utility model provides a desulphurization and deodorization system. The desulphurization and deodorization system comprises a desulphurization tower, a gas inlet pipe, a sodium hydroxide solution storage tank, a storage cabinet and a sodium carbonate filtering plate. The gas inlet pipe is communicated with the desulphurization tower through the lower portion of the desulphurization tower, a pipe opening of the gas inlet pipe faces the top of the desulphurization tower, a valve and a pump are sequentially arranged in an outlet of the sodium hydroxide solution storage tank, the outlet is communicated with the top of the desulphurization tower through a pipeline, the storage cabinet is communicated with the bottom of the desulphurization tower through a pipeline, and the sodium carbonate filtering plate is transversely arranged in the portion, below the pipe opening of the gas inlet pipe, of the sodium carbonate filtering plate. Due to the adoption of the technical scheme, the desulphurization and deodorization system has the advantage of being simple in structure, and sulfur dioxide gas can be absorbed and reutilized, and then converted into industrial raw materials.


The extent of the territorial sea has been a matter of international controversy for a long time. From a personal perspective, I see little merit in the United States' proposal of a 12-mile breadth. This proposal will not attract the extremists but would, if accepted by the modest claimants of today, remove substantial areas from the status of high seas. I would have thought it a preferable approach to continue adherence to a narrow concept of territorial sea to preserve a maximum high seas area, and to identify and define other interests of states in the oceans and the seabeds below and to accommodate those on their individual merits. Mr. Chairman, perhaps I have gotten off my reservation and should return to it. Thus, in closing, I would like to re-emphasize in the strongest terms possible the tremendous importance of the United States continuing its exclusive jurisdiction over the petroleum resources of the continental margin off its shores. This is vitally important to our nation's objectives for decades to come. The fact is that there is no known feasible energy substitute in the foreseeable future. While these are strong words, it would in my opinion border on national catastrophe for the United States to cede to an international organization the power under any circumstances to order it to suspend mineral resource development in its continental margin.


In this paper, we study the heat equation on a homogeneous graph, relative to the natural (nearest–neighbour) Laplacian. We find pointwise estimates for the heat and resolvent kernels, and the Lp-Lq mapping properties of the corresponding operators. In recent years, random walks on graphs have been studied as analogues of diffusions on manifolds (see, e.g., T. Coulhon [Cn], M. Kanai [K1], [K2], and N. Th. Varopoulos [V1], [V2]). More recently, I. Chavel and E. A. Feldman [CF] and M. M. H. Pang [P] considered the semigroup (e)t>0. In this paper, we consider the heat semigroup associated to the canonical Laplace operator on a homogeneous tree, which is perhaps the basic example of a graph where the cardinality of the "ball of radius r" grows exponentially in r. We study the properties of the heat and resolvent operators, and discover very close analogies with diffusions on hyperbolic spaces, in line with the philosophy of the above-mentioned authors. A homogeneous tree X of degree q + 1 is defined to be a connected graph with no loops, in which every vertex is adjacent to q + 1 other vertices. We denote by d the natural distance on X, d(x, y) being the number of edges between the vertices x and y, and by L(X) the Lebesgue space with respect to counting measure on X. On X the canonical "Laplace operator" L is defined thus: Lf(x) = f(x)− 1 q + 1 ∑ y∈X d(x,y)=1 f(y) ∀x ∈ X; it is easily seen to be bounded on L(X) for every p in [1,∞], and self–adjoint on L(X). Denote by σ2(L) the L(X) spectrum of L, and by Pλ the associated spectral resolution of the identity, such that Lf = ∫ σ2(L) λdPλf ∀f ∈ L(X), and denote inf σ2(L) by b2. For θ in [0, 1] and α with Re (α) > 0, the heat operator and the (θ, α)-resolvent of L are the operators defined by the formulae Htf = ∫ σ2(L) e−tλ dPλf ∀t ∈ R, Received by the editors October 4, 1996. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 43A85; Secondary 20E08, 43A90, 22E35.


Systemic sclerosis is associated to lymphocytic infiltration and fibrosis of multiple organs. The cause of systemic sclerosis is autoimmune disorder, so systemic sclerosis may be associated with other connective tissue disease or endocrine disease which may be induced by autoantibody. In this case, we experienced 44 year-old woman who presented with sclerosis on hand and upper arms. In serum, tri-iodothyronine (T3), and parathyroid hormone (PTH) are in high concentration, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and phosphate are in low concentration. She is diagnosed to hypothyroidism and hypoparathyroidism in systemic sclerosis. Hypothyroidism and hypoparathyroidism in systemic sclerosis may be rare. We report the case of hypothyroidism and hypoparathyroidism in systemic sclerosis with review of literature.


Abstract AIM: The aim of this paper was to present application of the first expert arthrodesis nail in our clinic to a patient with previous performed arthrodesis according to Ulrich Holz. CASE REPORT: Patients A.M. on the age of 22 (1992) have a motor vehicle injury, (fall from a motor bike) with diagnosis polytrauma, shock, supra and transcondyar open fracture of the right femur III degree, open fracture of the right tibia and fibula. We perform reposition and fixation of supra and transcondyar femoral fracture with "cobra" plate. Also we perform reposition and fixation of right cruris with external fixation. After the operation we found fistula in the place of operation of the right crural regia. During the time the infection goes worse and the patient develop osteomyelittis on the right crural regia. After 5 months with therapy the situation become calm. We remove the external fixation. The patient develops severe "pes equinus" on the right leg and he cannot walk. We try to reduce this equines situation with elongation of the Achilles tendonin the first step, and because we didn't solve the problem we continue with complete section of the Achilles tendon and after that we perform osteotomy of the right talocrural joint simultaneous to tibia plafond and talus and resection of fibula 2sm.above the syndesmosae tibiofibularis and we fixed the talocrural joint with two screws according the technique of Ulrich Holz. CONCLUSION: So we received fixed position on of the food on 110 degrees which was steel unacceptable for normal walking. At last we remove the screws, make once again osteotomy with positioning of the food in maximal dorsiflexion and perform the Experf Hindfood arthrodesis nail so with this method we achieve correction of dorsiflexion on 95 degrees, and the patient become satisfied because he can walk without support.


This paper deals with the dynamic analysis of the linear vibration response of a prestretched circular hyper elastic membrane with large deformation. Geometrical as well as material nonlinearity come together due to finite deformations and a hyper elastic constitutive relationship. The membrane material is assumed to be isotropic, homogeneous, and Neo-Hookean. A commercial finite element code ANSYS is used to perform the prestressed modal analysis as well as hyper elastic material curve fitting. The results are compared to the analytical solutions obtained from literature. The effect of stretching ratio and membrane thickness on the mode frequencies, shapes and order is studied. The increase in stretching ratio increases the concentration of in plane modes in the lower frequencies, and also decreases the frequency of the same. The out of plane modes are dominant in the lower frequencies at lower stretch ratios due to the predominance bending stiffness compared to membrane stiffness. Finally, the influence of the hyper elastic constitutive laws on linear vibrations is investigated. Results show that the selection of appropriate hyper elastic material model plays a crucial part in getting the correct results.


Purpose – Nanogap electrodes have important applications in power saving devices, electrochemical sensors and dielectric detections of biomolecules. The purpose of this paper is to report on the fabrication and characterization of polysilicon nanogap patterning using novelties technique.Design/methodology/approach – Polysilicon material is used to fabricate the nanogap structure and gold is used for the electrode and two chrome masks are used to complete this work; the first mask for the nanogap pattern and a second mask for the electrode. The method is based on the control of the coefficients (temperature and time) with an improved pattern size resolution thermal oxidation.Findings – Physical characterization by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrates such nanogap electrodes could be produced with high reproducibility and precision. Electrical characterization shows that nanogap enhanced the sensitivity of the device by increase the capacitance and the conductivity as well. They have also good ef...


In his five books during 1990-2009, starting with Portfolio Management Formulas, Ralph Vince made accessible to mechanical traders with limited background in mathematics various important concepts ...


When the Galaxy IV communication satellite in a geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) 36,000 km above the United States failed catastrophically in May 1998, an estimated 80 to 90 per cent of the 40million US pager customers were affected by the disruption, as was Internet access via the satellite. Television feeds and news wire service transmissions were also interrupted. If such disruptions could happen in the absence of man-made threats to satellites, what would be the implications for national security increasingly reliant on commercial space systems were such disruptions to be caused by hostile acts? Given US reliance on space systems for its national security, would it (as some have argued) face a future 'Space Pearl Harbor' if it did not first acquire the means to protect its space systems from deliberate harm? How should any space-reliant nation best protect its space systems? Does the nature of the outer space environment and the current threat environment favour non-offensive defences, such as space protection measures that include weapon effects hardening and


This brief paper presents an adaptive generalized predictive controller for the distributed collector field of a solar plant. The controller has been implemented using a method which avoids the heavy computation requirement of this type of controller. The method can he applied to processes that can be modeled by the reaction curve method, that is, a wide range of processes in industry. The results obtained in the plant are shown. >


The article analyzes examples of renovation of red-brick architectural monuments as a result of their adaptation and reconstruction for current functions. In many large cities, the red brick architecture of the XIX century has been preserved, but unfortunately, there is not always the opportunity and funding to maintain the preservation of monuments in its original historical form. In addition, it often happens that the original function of the building loses its relevance, or the building itself ceases to fit the planning standards, here the question arises which approach to use in the reconstruction and modernization of the building to preserve its integrity as much as possible. The Loft style, with its clean lines, simplicity and minimalism in decoration, open, solid glazing and restrained contrasting colors, is most suitable for the reconstruction of red brick architecture of the XIX century. The studied examples give a complete idea of the style in both exterior and interior decoration.


A phase transition was found in solid antimony pentachloride at 212°K by the nuclear quadrupole resonance and the differential thermal analysis. In the high temperature solid phase, five resonance lines were observed that were all assigned to antimony resonances and that were dependent on temperature only slightly. The quadrupole coupling constant of 121Sb was 84.54±0.01 MHz (asymmetry η=1.0±0.3%). Chlorine resonances were not detected above the transition point. In the low temperature phase, many resonance lines were observed due both to chlorine and antimony; the latter gave the coupling constant for 121Sb 186.43±0.03 MHz (η=79.54±0.02%) and 172.8±0.3 MHz (η=79.2±0.3%). There are two nonequivalent sites for antimony. The structure in the two solid phases was suggested as being trigonal bipyramidal above 212°K and a dimerized Sb2Cl10 bridged by two chlorine atoms with hexa-coordinated antimony atoms below 212°K.


Kinetics and equilitrium isotherm of Pb2+ biosorption by algae biomass of Phaeocystis globosa were investigated in this study.The experimental results showed that the process of Pb2+ biosorption onto the algae biomass of phaeocystis globosa took place in two stages.The first stage was a physical sorption and reached equilibrium within 10 minutes.The second stage was a slow migration of Pb2+ to the interior of the algae biomass.The biosorption kinetics could be described quite well by the pseudo second-order equation(R2=0.999).The kinetic parameters qe and k were 19.8 mg·g-1 and 0.0025 g·mg-1·min-1,respectively.The equilibrium isotherm could be fitted by the Langmuir model.The algae biomass of Phaeocystis globosa demonstrated a maximum Pb2+ biosorption capacity of 20.2 mg·g-1.


This report presents a preliminary analysis of the security o ered by the RC6 TM block cipher. RC6 is an evolutionary improvement of RC5, designed to meet the requirements of the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Our analysis demonstrates that RC6 is highly resistant to di erential and linear cryptanalytic attack, which are currently the two most e ective analytical attacks on block ciphers. The data requirements to mount an attack using either of these two attacks exceeds the amount of available data with considerable margins for safety.


We aim to analyze the impact of capital regulation and market discipline on capital to risk-weighted assets ratio. We used the panel data of Asian developing-countries banks for the period from 2009 to 2018. We collected data from the financial statements of 73 banks of Pakistan, Jordan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand. We used the generalized method of moment (GMM) to analyze the results. We find that capital regulation and market disciplines significantly influence the capital ratio in Asian developing countries.


Cassini’s Grand Finale orbits brought us historical first in-situ measurements of Saturn’s ionosphere, showing that it contains dusty plasma in the equatorial region. We present the Pedersen and Hall conductivities of the top ionosphere (10:50 – 12:17 Saturn Local Time, 10N – 20S planetocentric latitude), derived from particle and magnetometer data. We constrain the Pedersen conductivities to be at least 10-5 – 10-4 S/m at ionospheric peak, a factor 10-100 higher than estimated previously by remote measurements, while the Hall conductivities are very close to 0 or in fact negative. We show that this is an effect of dusty plasma. Another effect is that ionospheric dynamo region thickness is increased to 300-800 km. Furthermore, our results suggest a temporal variation (decrease) of the plasma densities, mean ion masses and consequently the conductivities over the period of one month.


In this brief discourse allotted to us, we will endeavor to trace and analyze the application of uncommon words and phrases used in Masonry. The meaning, spelling, pronunciation and application of some of these words have varied considerably in the past and even up to the present. Some of the pronunciations and spellings are now obsolete except for their usage in Masonic phraseology. The study of these words and their Symbolic meaning will certainly enlighten and broaden the mind of the Masonic student and perhaps interest him in further study along these lines.


Maksim Strikhar, born in 1967 in Kyiv, is a priest of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the abbot of the parish of St. George the Victorious in Kiev. Strikhar was educated at the Collegium of Patriarch Mstyslav and was consecrated in 2007. As a military chaplain he worked with the soldiers of the Right Sector Ukrainian Volunteer Corps, the Dnipro-1, Lugansk, Aidar, and Donbas volunteer battalions, the Kyiv Regiment, the 128th Independent Mountain Assault Transcarpathian Brigade, the 93rd Cold Yar Independent Mechanized Brigade, and the 53rd Independent Mechanized Brigade.


Abstract The article examines the role played by photographs and other kinds of illustrations in accounts written by Italian travellers to Africa from the beginning of Italy's colonial experience till today. Using sample publications from Liberal Italy, the years of Fascism, and the post-colonial period, it analyses the way in which texts and images interact, constructing complex representations of people and places which cannot be reduced to any 'realist' and 'factual' interpretation. The insistence on particular images as well as the absence of others played a key role in producing representations which responded to the needs of propaganda, or occasionally managed to signal the author's self-distancing from the goals and practices of Italy's colonial politics.


Introduction.
The Safety use of
Disease-Modifying antirheumatic Drugs
(DMARDs) not biological antagonists
of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-
α
) in
patients with rheumatoid arthritis is not yet fully established. Evidence of the risk of
serious infections associated with these medications and described through case
reports or clinical trials have not
been extensively document
ed previously in a
review of longer term studies.
Objective.
Assess the risk of serious infections
associated with use of biological DMARDs, not anti-TNF-
α
(anakinra, rituximab,
abatacept and tocilizumab) in patients with RA using only observational studies.
Method.
Systematic review (SR) of observational studies using major bibliographic
databases to search for articles published
until July 2010 to assess the risk of
serious infections in RA patients who had used anakinra, rituximab, abatacept and
tocilizumab.
Results.
Four studies were reported in 12 to 36 months of follow up
related to anakinra 129 (5.1%) serious infections in 2896 patients of whom three
died. Compared to rituximab, two studies reported 72 serious infections (5.9%) in
1,224 patients (including diabetics and t
hose who used any synthetic DMARDS) of
whom two died. Abatacept was evaluated in only one study of six months duration
in which 25 serious infections were reported (2.4%) in 1046 patients. There was no
study concerning selected tocilizumab. The principal site of infection for all three
drugs was the respiratory tract.
Conclusions.
The frequencies greater than 5% of
serious infections detected in the context
of these drugs are classified as adverse
events "common". Caution in monitoring these patients, particularly diabetics,
should be taken considering that thes
e incidences were higher than those
announced in recent revisions
based on clinical trials.


The effect of harvesting treatment, fencing, and species on the stem quality of oak (Quercus spp.) was evaluated in mixed-hardwood stands on the Allegheny Plateau in central Pennsylvania. The regeneration harvests included commercial clearcut that removed most stems ≥ 15 cm dbh and a clearcut with timber stand improvement (TSI) that removed all stems ≥ 2.5 cm dbh. Half of each area was fenced with 2.4-m-tall woven wire to prevent browsing by deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on the regeneration. After 15 years, the number of stems ≥ 2.5 cm dbh ranged from 4,865 to 8,416/ha and basal area ranged from 11.2 to 16.8 m2/ha. Growth from age 10 to 15 ranged from 4.9 to 6.7 m2/ha or about 1 m2/ha/yr. The fenced portion of each treatment had more stems and basal area than the unfenced portion. The commercial clearcut had more stems and basal area ilian the clearcut with TSI. Oak composition before harvest was 70 to 80 percent of basal area. At age 15, oak composition ranged from 8 to 41 percent of basal area. Red maple (Acer rubrum) and black cherry (Prunus serotina) along with oaks were the dominant species in the new stands. Potential quality of oak stems was rated by use of a quality classification system that included crown class, crook and sweep, number of limbs, and presence of forks, rot, and seams. Other variables measured included dbh, total height, height to base of live crown, and live-crown ratio. Rot and seams occurred in only 2 percent of the stems and appeared to occur randomly. Forks in the first 2.4 m of the tree bole also were rare (occurrence of 5 to 13 percent), but were more common in the second 2.4 m (22 to 68 percent). Species had a greater effect on stem quality than other factors. Northern red oak (Q. rubra) had the best quality followed by chestnut oak (Q. prinus). White oak (Q. alba) and black oak (Q. velutina) were significantly lower in quality followed by scarlet oak (Q. coccinea). Northern red oak had significantly better stem quality than white, black, or scarlet oak. Scarlet oak's poor quality was related to its inherent limb retention. Both fencing and harvesting treatment influenced stem density. In general, the higher the stand density, the better the quality of the stems.


s and Insights From the 2011 European Meeting in MS: Update on New Treatments, Clinical Aspects of MS, and Biomarkers CME Howard Zwibel, MD; Stephen Krieger, MD; Robert Lisak, MD; Andrew Wilner, MD CME Released: 12/09/2011; Valid for credit through 12/09/2012 Introduction Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects 400,000 people in the United States and more than 2.5 million worldwide.[1] It is generally believed to be an autoimmune disease, and it is the most common cause of nontraumatic neurologic disability in young adults.[2,3] Nearly 2 decades ago, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of interferon beta-1b inaugurated the era of injectable disease-modifying therapies. Other injectable interferon-beta preparations and glatiramer acetate followed, and all offered reduced relapse rates with low potential for serious adverse events. In 2004, the introduction of natalizumab, a monoclonal antibody against alpha4-integrin that is administered by monthly infusion, dramatically decreased relapse rates in many patients. A potentially serious adverse event to consider with this treatment, however, is progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). In September 2010, the FDA approved fingolimod, the first oral immunomodulatory therapy. Fingolimod showed increased efficacy compared with interferon beta-1a intramuscularly. Potential adverse events with this agent include novel complications such as first-dose bradycardia, macular edema, and a low risk for severe infections. At present, several oral drugs are completing phase 3 clinical trials and appear headed for FDA approval based on their efficacy and safety data. These include BG-12 (dimethyl fumarate), laquinimod, and teriflunomide. A new set of injectable therapies, the monoclonal antibodies alemtuzumab, daclizumab, and ocrelizumab, are also demonstrating impressive results on annualized relapse rate and other efficacy measures and require only infrequent administration. Whether the benefits of these new drugs outweigh the adverse events should become apparent in the near future, with increased longitudinal observations and additional clinical trials. The development of biomarkers that predict response to a particular drug or likelihood of adverse reactions may aid in the s election and monitoring of therapy. The complexities involved in choosing initial therapy may be followed by the clinical dilemma of whether (or when) to switch from one interferon to another, from an interferon to glatiramer acetate (or vice versa), or to another class of therapy (oral, injectable). Published guidance for these critical clinical decisions remains limited. In addition to disease-modifying therapy, optimal treatment of MS involves the management of symptoms. Decreased walking speed can now be addressed with dalfampridine, a welcome addition to the treatment of MS. Pseudobulbar affect can also be reduced by a dextromethorphan/quinidine combination recently approved by the FDA. Research continues into the pathophysiology of MS, with an expanding appreciation of the importance of grey matter lesions in addition to the characteristic demyelinating white matter plaques. Highlights in the advancement of therapeutic and symptomatic therapies as well as advances in our understanding of MS pathophysiology from the recent 5th Joint Triennial Congress of the European and Americas Committees for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS/ACTRIMS), which was held October 19-22, 2011, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, are presented below. What is the greatest barrier to effectively managing symptoms of MS? l Treatment-related adverse events l Paucity of effective symptomatic treatments l Treatment adherence l Disease progression medscape.org/clinicalupdate/ms_ectrims_2011 Pg.7 How confident are you in your ability to optimize timing and selection of a new agent when switching therapy? l Not confident l Somewhat confident l Moderately confident l Confident l Extremely confident Update on MS Treatments Comorbidities and Symptomatic Treatment A group of 25 patients with MS and upper limb tremor entered a double blind, randomized study of 100 IU of onabotulinum toxin A or placebo with treatment crossover at 12 weeks.[4] Onabotulinum toxin A resulted in significant improvement compared with placebo on multiple measures, including Bain scores for tremor severity at 6 weeks (P = .005) and 12 weeks (P = .001), writing at 6 weeks (P = .001) and 12 weeks (P = .003), and drawing at 6 weeks (P = .006) and 12 weeks (P = .002). Postural, "bat-wing," and kinetic tremor also showed significant improvement at 6 and 12 weeks. Weakness after onabotulinum toxin A occurred in 42.2% compared with only 6.1% after placebo (P = .005), but it was not disabling and resolved within 2 weeks. Data from the Women's Health Initiative[5] that included 449 women with MS and 93,676 women overall revealed that women with MS were more than 4 times as likely to have osteoporosis than were controls (odds ratio [OR] 4.14, P < .001). Women with MS reporting osteoporosis were more likely to be younger and to have smoked cigarettes, and they consumed less calcium from supplements. The issue of osteoporosis is particularly important in people with MS because of the increased risk for falls and subsequent bone fractures. In a retrospective study of 533 patients,[6] pregabalin and gabapentin were the drugs most commonly used for symptoms such as paresthesia in addition to disease modifying therapies. Patients taking mitoxantrone or those with higher Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores were more likely to receive symptomatic therapy. Dalfampridine was approved in January 2010 to improve walking speed in those with MS. A potassium-channel blocker, it increases conduction of action potentials in demyelinated axons. The usual adult dose is 10 mg twice daily. Dalfampridine is the first drug for symptomatic therapy approved specifically for patients with MS. A post hoc analysis of 343 patients in 2 phase 3 double-blind trials (MS-F203/MS-F204) of extended-release dalfampridine demonstrated that 33% of patients in the dalfampridine group walked at least 20% faster on the timed 25-foot walk compared with 14% in the placebo group (P < .001). Those who walked at least 20% faster had a -8.4-point change in the MS Walking Scale. A change of -6 is an established estimate of clinically meaningful change.[7] When patients discontinued dalfampridine at the end of the clinical trials, improvement in walking speed was lost, demonstrating that the drug is a symptomatic rather than a disease-modifying agent. A long-term assessment of 132 patients in the MS-F203 extension study and 88 subjects in the MS-F204 extension study revealed that improvements in walking speed returned for up to 3.5 years when patients resumed open-label treatment. Over time, walking speed declined from its peak, possibly as a result of MS progression.[8] Switching Therapies Data from 155 patients in the international, noninterventional, longitudinal Coptimize study[9] who switched from any MS drug to glatiramer acetate and were followed for 12 months showed an annualized reduction in relapse rate of 65% (from 0.84 before the switch to 0.29 after the switch; P < .001) and a stable EDSS. To date, 144 clinics in 19 countries have enrolled 637 patients (70.9% women, median age 40) in the Coptimize study, and more data will be forthcoming. In a study of 10 patients who stopped natalizumab, 4 started treatment with fingolimod within 3-7 months and the other 6 patients stayed off all therapy. After a follow-up of 13 months, all 6 patients off therapy and 1 patient on fingolimod had clinical relapses. The annualized relapse rate of the patients off therapy was 2.7 compared with 0.9 for the patients taking fingolimod.[10] After treatment with natalizumab for at least 12 months, patients who entered the RESTORE study[11] were randomly assigned to


"Perilous times are coming," William Blackstone warned readers of Jesus Is Coming, "this wicked world, which is so radically opposed to God, and under the present control of His arch enemy, is not growing better. On the contrary, judgment, fire and perdition are before it." This sentiment, omnipresent but subdued in early American Christianity, gained ascendance and increasingly defined its expression in the years immediately surrounding the Civil War, achieving dominance by the early twentieth century. Apocalypticism comforts its believers that there is nobility in the suffering of injustice at the hands of an evil oppressor, and that endurance will bring vindication. The righteous shall triumph over the wicked and unholy in a war to end all wars, and the meek shall inherit a sweeping creation of a perfected new world that will be the recreation of that lost paradise.


Consider an M × N chess board with each space colored one of K colors. A chromatic rectangle is a rectangular collection of spaces with all four corner spaces colored the same. An M × N : K NCR board is an M × N board for which there exists a K coloring with no chromatic rectangles. If every K coloring includes a chromatic rectangle, then that board is called an M × N : K CR board. The classification as NCR versus CR has been settled for K ∈ {1, 2, 3} and all positive integers N and M. Note that transposition, or interchanging rows, columns, or colors, will preserve the existence of chromatic rectangles within a coloring. With this in mind, two colorings of a board are called equivalent if one can be produced from the other by such manipulations. This paper establishes that all 10 × 10 : 3 NCR colorings are equivalent. The results stem from characterizations of NCR colorings. These characterizations permit devising and implementing a backtracking algorithm for finding NCR colorings within a significantly restricted search space. In the 10 × 10 : 3 case, the restricted search space is small enough to complete an exhaustive search in about an hour. Several NCR colorings for larger boards, with K > 3, are also included.


This design uses the microcomputer as controller and Combines special-purpose SPWM integrated circuit designs SPWM frequency conversion power supply. The main circuit form of the system adopts AC-DC-AC structure, the inverter part consist of IG-BTS and a parallel buffer circuit. the system adopts three-phase the whole wave uncontrolled rectification input circuit, improves the quality of the electric which is supplied to inverter. The control circuit of the system consist of is 8051 single-chip microcomputer minimum system of MCS -51 series and three phases SPWM generate integrated circuit SA4828 and a small amount of peripheral chip of expansion, the system has realized total digitization controls on frequency conversion power supply.


The catalytic properties of extra-large pore aluminosilicate MCM-41, silicon containing VPI-5 and aluminium containing ETS-10 were investigated by MAT (Micro Activity Test) using n-hexadecane and 1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene as the model feeds and were then compared with the results obtained from Y zeolite in the H-form and a commercial FCC (Fluid Catalytic Cracking) catalyst. It could be demonstrated that not only the acidic properties of the investigated materials, but also the accessibility to the internal active sites of the investigated materials have a significant influence on activity and selectivity. It can be assumed that, by optimising structural and chemical properties, the mesoporously organised MCM-41 and related materials are suitable as active components in cracking catalysts for "deeper" cracking of high boiling hydrocarbons.


Abstract This study was conducted to assess the potential ecological and human health risk of toxic metals in agricultural soils near the industrial areas of Bangladesh. In this study, six toxic metals (chromium, nickel, copper, arsenic, cadmium, and lead) were assessed in 58 soil samples of five different sampling sites around the industrial areas of Jhenaidah and Kushtia districts in Bangladesh. Toxic metals were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Potential ecological and human health risk were assessed through enrichment factor (EF), contamination factor (C f i), geoaccumulation index (I geo), pollution load index (PLI), toxic unit analysis, chronic daily intake through exposure pathway, hazard quotient, and hazard index. The mean concentrations of Cr, Ni, Cu, As, Cd, and Pb were found to be 5.78, 21.0, 31.8, 8.05, 1.20, and 19.2 mg/kg, respectively. Metals concentrations were found below the recommended value set by Dutch standard, Canadian guidelines, and Australian guidelines except Cd. Principal component analysis indicates that most of the metals in agricultural soils are coming from industrial sector. The mean values of EF, I geo, C f i, PLI, and toxic units were found safe level for all metals except Cd. In the view of potential ecological risk (PER), soils from all sampling sites indicated moderate to very high PER. Total target hazard quotients for all the studied metals in total sampling sites were <1 and cancer risk values were <10−6 indicating low noncarcinogenic and cancer risk for adult and children.


This note is yet another opportunity to consider why it is so difficult to develop systems and networks with predictable behavior — and especially those that must satisfy stringent requirements for trustworthiness. We contrast these difficulties with somewhat similar situations in several other fields. In particular, we seek to discover some useful insights from consideration of analogous problems in energy, agriculture, and health care. In each of these areas, we contrast holistic approaches with nonholistic approaches. Holistic approaches are those that consider systems in their entirety rather than just focusing on specific properties or specific components. In each case, enormous culture shifts are required in education, training, business, government, and economic models.


OBJECTIVE
To compare targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) to "standard treatment" of neuroma excision and burying into muscle for postamputation pain.

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA
To date, no intervention is consistently effective for neuroma-related residual limb or phantom limb pain (PLP). TMR is a nerve transfer procedure developed for prosthesis control, incidentally found to improve postamputation pain.

METHODS
A prospective, randomized clinical trial was conducted. 28 amputees with chronic pain were assigned to standard treatment or TMR. Primary outcome was change between pre- and postoperative numerical rating scale (NRS, 0-10) pain scores for residual limb pain and PLP at 1 year. Secondary outcomes included NRS for all patients at final follow-up, PROMIS pain scales, neuroma size, and patient function.

RESULTS
In intention-to-treat analysis, changes in PLP scores at 1 year were 3.2 versus -0.2 (difference 3.4, adjusted confidence interval (aCI) -0.1 to 6.9, adjusted P = 0.06) for TMR and standard treatment, respectively. Changes in residual limb pain scores were 2.9 versus 0.9 (difference 1.9, aCI -0.5 to 4.4, P = 0.15). In longitudinal mixed model analysis, difference in change scores for PLP was significantly greater in the TMR group compared with standard treatment [mean (aCI) = 3.5 (0.6, 6.3), P = 0.03]. Reduction in residual limb pain was favorable for TMR (P = 0.10). At longest follow-up, including 3 crossover patients, results favored TMR over standard treatment.

CONCLUSIONS
In this first surgical RCT for the treatment of postamputation pain in major limb amputees, TMR improved PLP and trended toward improved residual limb pain compared with conventional neurectomy.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
NCT 02205385 at ClinicalTrials.gov.This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0.