From the perspectives of parking location, car sharing services can be divided into free-floating and station-based types. The free-floating type allows vehicles to be picked up and left anywhere within a designated operating area, while station-based type requires users to return vehicles to the next available station [1] . In North America, the station-based car sharing has resulted in the reduction of emissions, because of the fewer number of cars on the roads, and a 27 percent reduction in the average distance of observed vehicle travel per year [2] . Importantly, a worldwide increase occurred in the number of car sharing memberships, total number of vehicles, and member-vehicle ratios from 2006 to 2010. As car sharing services increasingly become a mainstream transportation mode, it is expected to be further integrated into metropolitan transportation, land use strategies, and multimodal nodes [3] . In addition, the research has reported that free-floating car sharing services have similar results compared to traditional car-sharing systems based on fixed stations which also reduce car ownership in cities [4] .

The free-floating type allows vehicles to be picked up and left anywhere within a designated operating area, while station-based type requires users to return vehicles to the next available station.

In North America, the station-based car sharing has resulted in the reduction of emissions, because of the fewer number of cars on the roads, and a 27 percent reduction in the average distance of observed vehicle travel per year.

As car sharing services increasingly become a mainstream transportation mode, it is expected to be further integrated into metropolitan transportation, land use strategies, and multimodal nodes.

In addition, the research has reported that free-floating car sharing services have similar results compared to traditional car-sharing systems based on fixed stations which also reduce car ownership in cities.


Most concepts of mechanical power generation from solar energy, even the 'unconventional' ones, focus on the generation of rotational motion [4] . Solar pumps which produce single stroke motion using a variety of different principles were reported, but the potential of pumping action was apparently not explored further [4] . The requirement for rotary motion, which implies a continuous cycle, does however restrict the possibilities of solar power generation. Stepping away from the idea of continuous movement onto discrete motion machines, which generate power with strokes occurring at 'long' intervals, other concepts become possible and problems connected e.g. with time required for mass movement and heat transfer reduces.

Most concepts of mechanical power generation from solar energy, even the 'unconventional' ones, focus on the generation of rotational motion.

Solar pumps which produce single stroke motion using a variety of different principles were reported, but the potential of pumping action was apparently not explored further.


The effective operation of hot-air engines requires temperature differences exceeding 600 K and, in case of the Stirling engine, a heat sink (or cold end) [5] . These engines offer good efficiencies, but the required temperatures can realistically only be reached with focusing arrangements. Low Temperature Differential (LTD) engines which operate with working temperatures of 307 K only achieved efficiencies of 0.44% [6] . The solar updraft concept comprises of a transparent roof under which air is heated, a chimney which draws the hot air upwards, and a turbine inside of the chimney. The concept has the advantage of being simple with comparatively small temperature increases of the air in the range of 20-50 K. A prototype was built and operated effectively at Manzanares/Spain. The main disadvantage of the solar updraft concept is the low efficiency. Larger towers are more effective, so that their economy depends on the size of the plant. Fig. 1a shows the principle, Fig. 1b , the efficiency as a function of tower height [7] . It can be seen that even for tower heights of 1000 m, theoretical efficiencies only reach 3.8%.

The effective operation of hot-air engines requires temperature differences exceeding 600 K and, in case of the Stirling engine, a heat sink (or cold end).

Low Temperature Differential (LTD) engines which operate with working temperatures of 307 K only achieved efficiencies of 0.44%.

Fig. 1a shows the principle, Fig. 1b , the efficiency as a function of tower height.


The continuing interest in the solution of the problem of power generation from solar energy without complex technology is reflected in many suggestions for power converters made in the literature, which even include the power generation by a tethered hot-air balloon [8] . The principle of exploiting the pressure buildup of a heated fluid in a closed container has however attracted little attention; the main reason probably being the perceived low efficiencies. Such converters however potentially have the advantage of simplicity and resulting low costs. This note aims to investigate the theory of the ideal low pressure solar thermal converter in order to determine whether performance/development potential exists. At this stage, only passing attention is paid to the questions connected with the actual construction of such a converter.

The continuing interest in the solution of the problem of power generation from solar energy without complex technology is reflected in many suggestions for power converters made in the literature, which even include the power generation by a tethered hot-air balloon.


Much of the aforementioned discussion of behaviourally informed approaches has emphasised 'nudges'; that is, interventions that steer people in a particular direction while preserving freedom of choice (Thaler & Sunstein, 2008) . Automatic enrolment in a pension plan or in green energy, for example, count as nudges (Eberling & Lotz, 2015) . Freedom of choice is preserved because the ultimate decision as to whether or not to accept the default of automatic enrolment and its consequences remains with the individual.

Much of the aforementioned discussion of behaviourally informed approaches has emphasised 'nudges'; that is, interventions that steer people in a particular direction while preserving freedom of choice.

Automatic enrolment in a pension plan or in green energy, for example, count as nudges.


Studies and experiments reveal that the success of decomposing a program into effective mental models depends on one's general and program-specific domain knowledge [26] . While a number of different models for the cognition process have been identified, most models fall into one of three categories: (1) top-down comprehension, (2) bottomup comprehension or (3) a hybrid model combining the previous two [20] . The top-down model is traditionally employed by programmers with code domain familiarity. By drawing on their existing domain knowledge, programmers are able to efficiently reconcile application source code with system goals. The bottom-up model is often applied by programmers working on unfamiliar code [5] . To comprehend the application, they build mental models by evaluating program code against their general programming knowledge [19] .

Studies and experiments reveal that the success of decomposing a program into effective mental models depends on one's general and program-specific domain knowledge.

While a number of different models for the cognition process have been identified, most models fall into one of three categories: (1) top-down comprehension, (2) bottomup comprehension or (3) a hybrid model combining the previous two.

The bottom-up model is often applied by programmers working on unfamiliar code.

To comprehend the application, they build mental models by evaluating program code against their general programming knowledge.


A novel solution has been formulated by Hamou-Lhadj and Lethbridge [11] . They represent the event trace as a tree Table 3 . Correlation between hubiness, static coupling, and expert opinion for Jakarta JMeter.

A novel solution has been formulated by Hamou-Lhadj and Lethbridge.


We consider data that can be organized as a k-dimensional grid, where each grid tile represents a data block that is to be placed on one of the disks. One such example is remote-sensing data collected by earth-orbiting satellites [1] . Remote-sensing data are inherently multi-dimensional and may include dimensions in longitude, latitude, spectral bands, time of observation, etc. More details of remotesensing data are provided in Section 6.

One such example is remote-sensing data collected by earth-orbiting satellites.


Lipids have important roles in pathological conditions. Elevation in serum lipid levels, namely hyperlipidemia, can occur due to increased biosynthesis and/or decreased elimination of lipids. Hyperlipidemia is a traditional risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in almost all countries [1] . Deposition of cholesterol, triglyceride, calcium, and other substances within the vascular system is the hallmark of atherosclerosis [2] .

Hyperlipidemia is a traditional risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death in almost all countries.

Deposition of cholesterol, triglyceride, calcium, and other substances within the vascular system is the hallmark of atherosclerosis.


Combined PM 10 coal dust exposure and HCD restored HDL-c to normal level. There was also decreased LDLc level and TC/HDL-c ratio. HDL-c has antiatherosclerotic effects due to its ability to reverse cholesterol transport [28, 29] . The transfer of cholesteryl esters (CE) from HDL-c to apoB-containing lipoproteins is facilitated by cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), and then it is cleared from the circulation by the liver [30] . This indicates that coal dust may increase the activity of cholesteryl esters transfer due to increased HDL-c level. However, in CVR, reduced level of TC/HDL-c ratio is a marker of decreased morbidity and mortality [31] .

HDL-c has antiatherosclerotic effects due to its ability to reverse cholesterol transport.

The transfer of cholesteryl esters (CE) from HDL-c to apoB-containing lipoproteins is facilitated by cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), and then it is cleared from the circulation by the liver.

However, in CVR, reduced level of TC/HDL-c ratio is a marker of decreased morbidity and mortality.


In arteries, endothelial cells are the first line of defense against damaging effect of hyperlipidemia [10] . Hyperlipidemia can induce abnormal endothelial cells function and increase circulating (detached) endothelial cells (CECs) [11] . To decrease endothelial cells damage, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) differentiate into endothelial cells [12] . The transplantation of allogeneic HSCs significantly decreased CECs numbers [13] . There is no study investigating the involvement of CECs and HSCs on hyperlipidemic rats exposed to coal dust.

In arteries, endothelial cells are the first line of defense against damaging effect of hyperlipidemia.

Hyperlipidemia can induce abnormal endothelial cells function and increase circulating (detached) endothelial cells (CECs).

To decrease endothelial cells damage, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) differentiate into endothelial cells.

The transplantation of allogeneic HSCs significantly decreased CECs numbers.


Athero-protective properties of HDL-c may be related with its role in maintaining endothelial function [31] . This study showed that, although not statistically significant, HCD increased endothelial cells damage. Coal dust exposure also tended to decrease endothelial cells damage, except in 6-week treatment. Subsequently, the endothelial cells viability determines the release and mobilization of HSCs from bone marrow. In the niches, HSCs are in a quiescent state to maintain HSCs pool and to be alert to response the signals of blood cells or HSCs pool imbalance caused by either intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli [12] . This study indicated that concomitant coal dust exposure and HCD in rats did not damage the HSCs pool.

Athero-protective properties of HDL-c may be related with its role in maintaining endothelial function.

In the niches, HSCs are in a quiescent state to maintain HSCs pool and to be alert to response the signals of blood cells or HSCs pool imbalance caused by either intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli.


In (2), k 0 , f c , and f are, respectively, the free-space wave number and cut-off and operating frequencies. It is assumed that the length between the calibration planes is known (transmission measurements are not dependent on the position inside the calibration planes for a uniform and non-dispersive sample holder). The presence of exponential terms in (1) simply produces multiple ε r solutions for a measured S 21 at one frequency [26, 27, 32] . In this paper, our aim is to first determine the thickness of the sample and then obtain an initial guess for the ε r using two measurements at two frequencies corresponding to extreme values of |S 21 |, and finally extract the ε r of the sample using complex S 21 measurements.

The presence of exponential terms in (1) simply produces multiple ε r solutions for a measured S 21 at one frequency.


The weldability of all these heats was evaluated using the Gleeble@ hot ductility test. This test simulates the thermal cycle which the material in the heat-affected zone undergoes during welding [3] . Small tensile samples are fractured rapidly at specific temperatures during either the on-heating or the on-cooling portion of a duplicated weld thermal cycle. The ductility of the material during the thermal cycle is measured in terms of transverse 722 reduction in area and plotted versus temperature to represent the hot ductility "signature" of the material (Figure 1 ). When testing on-heating, the material will first exhibit a sharp reduction in ductility until reaching the nil ductility temperature (NDT). With continued increase in temperature the sample will eventually exhibit effectively no strength at the nil strength temperature (NST). Samples are then tested on cooling from the NST at progressively lower temperatures until ductility is recovered at the ductility recovery temperature (DRT).

This test simulates the thermal cycle which the material in the heat-affected zone undergoes during welding.


All the &phase in the cast material was located at or near grain boundaries, particularly in the low and medium niobium heats. This is due primarily to the segregation which occurs during the casting process. These boundaries will be enriched in niobium, thus promoting the precipitation of &phase. In the medium and high niobium heats, some intragranular precipitation occurred after 20 or 40 heat treatment cycles. Small patches of Laves phase were found along the grain boundaries, with the amount increasing as the number of heat treatment cycles increased. As in the wrought material, there were some carbides present, primarily NbC and some TIC. Hot Ductility Samples. The results of the hot ductility tests can be explained by microstructural analysis of samples which have been heated through the peak temperature (nominally 1260°C). For the wrought material, the b-phase begins to dissolve in the temperature range from 925-1010°C [4] . As shown in Figure 4 , for the medium niobium and boron wrought material (W995) subjected to 5 heat treatment cycles, the &phase has completely dissolved. Most of the &phase dissolves during the on-heating portion of the thermal cycle. At temperatures above the NDT, liquid "pockets" will begin to form. Some of these pockets form as a result of constitutional liquation of NbC, but their number is limited [5] . Figure 4 Medium niobium and boron wrought hot ductility specimen (W995) subjected to 5 heat treatment cycles, after heating through a peak temperature of 1260 "C, 400X.

Hot Ductility Samples.

For the wrought material, the b-phase begins to dissolve in the temperature range from 925-1010°C.

Some of these pockets form as a result of constitutional liquation of NbC, but their number is limited.


Our analysis tried to encompass a systematic analysis of mortality trends, discounting for independent epidemics such as HIV/AIDS or malaria, and a systematic analysis of various determinants: economic, social, public health and nutrition. This is probably why our conclusions differ from some of the other authors. Of course, much remains to be done to analyze in details the precise mechanisms, in particular morbidity and mortality by cause, use and access to health services, efficacy of prevention and treatments etc. Similarly, the economic analysis could be much improved by analyzing private consumption of health services and medicines (Berman et al. 1995) . Furthermore, more research could be conducted to analyze mortality determinants according to socioeconomic status and urban or rural residence. In particular, much work remains to be done on the situation of the urban poor, who seem to be the only ones to not have benefited from the overall improvements in the 1990's (Muuka and Kalyalya, 1997) .

Similarly, the economic analysis could be much improved by analyzing private consumption of health services and medicines.

In particular, much work remains to be done on the situation of the urban poor, who seem to be the only ones to not have benefited from the overall improvements in the 1990's.


Africa since 1950 appears as contrasted as elsewhere (Gwatkin, 1983) . For instance, countries such as Kenya underwent slow but sustained economic growth, low level of urbanization, a large mortality decline until 1990, and major improvements in education, whereas Senegal underwent a major mortality decline without any significant change in income and minor improvements in level of education. In contrast, a country such as Botswana witnessed fast and sustained economic growth, rapid urbanization, a strong increase in level of education and fast mortality decline, until HIV/AIDS stroke the country in the late 1980's.

Africa since 1950 appears as contrasted as elsewhere.


The analysis is facilitated by the recently proposed D3H2 (aDaptive Dependable Design for systems with Homogeneous and Heterogeneous redundancies) methodology [3] . The aim of D3H2 is to identify heterogeneous redundancies; create architectures to use redundancies; and evaluate the influence of design decisions on dependability and cost. The approach provides the designer with decision support in the choice among different types of redundancy and reconfiguration strategies. For the dependability assessment, we use Component Dynamic Fault Trees (CDFTs)-a modular variation of Dynamic Fault Trees which improves the readability of complex models [4] . In this paper, we extend CDFTs with capabilities for criticality and uncertainty assessment to enable the improved evaluation of the impact of components faults on the system and deal with non-exact failure data respectively.

The analysis is facilitated by the recently proposed D3H2 (aDaptive Dependable Design for systems with Homogeneous and Heterogeneous redundancies) methodology.

For the dependability assessment, we use Component Dynamic Fault Trees (CDFTs)-a modular variation of Dynamic Fault Trees which improves the readability of complex models.


Surface plasmons (SPs) and EOT have been recently employed in a myriad of applications including biomedical sensing, efficient solar cells, fluorescence microscopy, photothermal therapy, and fabrication of nanoantennas [10] [11] [12] . In this paper, we use the 3D finite difference time domain (FDTD) method to investigate the optical transmission spectrum of gold films patterned with imperfect circular nanoholes. We study the impact of changing the shape of imperfection on transmission spectra as a function of the nanohole depth, sidewalls tapering coefficient, and the imperfection ratio of asymmetric openings, showing that large modification can be achieved with realistic parameters. The impacts of independently varying these parameters are separately considered in our simulations, and the results are summarized in the following subsections. This paper is organized as follows: the reported structure and FDTD simulation parameters are described in Section 2. Section 3 represents the optical transmission spectral responses of the designed plasmonic arrays and discussions for the effect of varying different key parameters. Finally, Section 4 provides conclusions of the obtained results.

Surface plasmons (SPs) and EOT have been recently employed in a myriad of applications including biomedical sensing, efficient solar cells, fluorescence microscopy, photothermal therapy, and fabrication of nanoantennas.


The EOT can be tuned through many physical and geometrical parameters including the hole shape, size, and depth as well as film material, substrate refractive index, and array period. Arrays with simple aperture shapes can be tuned to resonate at much shorter wavelengths than those of complex hole shapes, such as annular, cross-shaped, and X-shaped apertures. However, more tunability had been achieved by applying a magnetic field [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] .

However, more tunability had been achieved by applying a magnetic field.


This experimentation has been imagined by P. Hall in 1984 to assess the shear stress and strain in Sn60Pb40 solder interconnects from an 84 I/O Leadless Ceramic Chip Carrier assembly subjected to temperature cycling [6] . P. Hall made the assumption of an axisymmetric model to describe his test vehicle and assess the force and displacement exerted on the critical solder joints (for a peripheral package with no die, the critical solder joints under thermal cycling are localized at the corners of the component: maximum distance between solder joint and neutral axis). Using strain gages adequately placed, P. Hall was able to assess the shear strain and stress in the critical solder joints as functions of the deformations measured with the strain gages. By cross-plotting the temporal evolutions of shear stress and strain, the corresponding Sn60Pb40 hysteresis loop could be plotted. The obtained thermomechanical response was later used by J-P. Clech to derive Sn60Pb40 solder constitutive laws [7] . Based on an energy-based fatigue model, the same author developed an algorithm to predict the durability of a given electronic assembly from the calculation of the corresponding strain energy density dissipated during thermal cycling [8] . The power of the methodology relies on its double interest: the hysteresis loop construction is 1) a characterization test allowing the determination of solder material behavior laws and it is also 2) a mean to assess thermomechanical damage in solder interconnects during thermal cycling. With the large variety of lead-free compositions coming up on the market and the long-time accelerated testing usually required to qualify a product, this experimentation can be very interesting for companies wishing to reduce time-consuming tests and costs.

This experimentation has been imagined by P. Hall in 1984 to assess the shear stress and strain in Sn60Pb40 solder interconnects from an 84 I/O Leadless Ceramic Chip Carrier assembly subjected to temperature cycling.

The obtained thermomechanical response was later used by J-P. Clech to derive Sn60Pb40 solder constitutive laws.

Based on an energy-based fatigue model, the same author developed an algorithm to predict the durability of a given electronic assembly from the calculation of the corresponding strain energy density dissipated during thermal cycling.


Solder joint fatigue is a main reliability concern for aerospace and military industries whose electronic equipment used in the field is required to remain functional under harsh loadings. Electronic assemblies can indeed encounter a wide range of environmental stresses mainly due to thermomechanical loadings eventually leading to temperature-induced solder joints cracking [1] . Due to the RoHS directive which eventually will prevent lead from being utilized in electronic systems, there is a need for a better understanding of lead-free thermomechanical behavior when subjected to temperature variations.

Electronic assemblies can indeed encounter a wide range of environmental stresses mainly due to thermomechanical loadings eventually leading to temperature-induced solder joints cracking.


Characterizing solder joints properties remains a challenge as viscoplastic behavior during thermal cycling is complex and since their small dimensions prevent direct measurements from being performed. Energy-based fatigue models, such as Morrow's law, are nowadays widely considered to describe lead-free solder fatigue [2, 3] . The use of strain energy density as the fatigue criterion has indeed the advantage to take into account strain and stress amplitudes generated during thermomechanical loading. Most studies consider an approach based on accelerated testing and finite element modeling (FEM) to calculate the strain energy density [4, 5] . However, this approach requires prior knowledge of the solder material constitutive laws. Tensile, creep and/or stress relaxation tests are therefore usually conducted in order to determine the elastic, plastic and viscoplastic models associated with the solder material behavior. These constitutive laws are then implemented in FEM software to allow the calculation of stress and strain in solder joints. This methodology nevertheless lacks accuracy as monotonous testing decouples viscoplastic phenomena from each other while they occur simultaneously during thermal cycling. Another way to assess the strain energy density and capture continuous viscoplastic effects during thermal cycles is the construction of the experimental solder joints shear stress-strain hysteresis curve (since this curve is closed, the term "hysteresis loop" will also be used in the rest of the text). This method consists in measuring strains on a strain gages-instrumented test vehicle (four strain gages placed at the center of top and bottom faces of the component and the PCB) during temperature cycles. Based on relevant mechanical hypothesis, the shear strain-stress response of critical solder joints can be determined from the strain measurements. The area of the hysteresis loop gives a measure of the strain energy density dissipated during thermal cycling.

Energy-based fatigue models, such as Morrow's law, are nowadays widely considered to describe lead-free solder fatigue.

Most studies consider an approach based on accelerated testing and finite element modeling (FEM) to calculate the strain energy density.


Whether fewer parasites in the diet of juveniles is due to lower cleaning rates is unclear. Although the cleaning intensity of a juvenile cleaner in Aldabra (Indian Ocean) was lower than that of adults, this observation was based on only 1 individual (Potts 1973) . More likely, the number of gnathiids per gut is limited by the size of the gut.

Although the cleaning intensity of a juvenile cleaner in Aldabra (Indian Ocean) was lower than that of adults, this observation was based on only 1 individual.


Having set the stage, the uniqueness results follow readily, the main difficulty being that of deciding just what needs to be proven. Some ancillary results are also described that show that harmonic coordinates are in some sense the best possible. Section 5 emphasises this as we give an alternate interpretation of the mass in terms of harmonic maps and a quick proof of a weak version of the positive mass theorem (see [28] , [31] , (331). This proof also shows that the mass estimates some quantities of partial differential equations interest. In the final section we show that Witten's proof of the positive mass theorem can be generalised to higher-dimensional spin manifolds. This result has also been announced by R. Schoen.

Section 5 emphasises this as we give an alternate interpretation of the mass in terms of harmonic maps and a quick proof of a weak version of the positive mass theorem (see,, (331).


The performance of the developed optimal load tracker strategy in terms of different control objectives is evaluated by carrying out a test scenario. In order to solve the resulting OCP with a general purpose NLP solver, it is assumed that the battery bank only switches between the charging and discharging modes of operation at the edge of the discretized time slots. Table 3 summarizes the design parameters and performance indicators of the developed NMPC controller. The computational times are calculated on an Intel CORE 2 DOU machine with 3GB of RAM. The microgrids' states are evaluated every sampling time h= 12 seconds. The developed solver computes optimal pitch angle and switching duty cycles in average within 5.97 seconds which is very close to the 5 seconds evaluation time criterion specified by the hierarchical architecture specifications [32] . The optimal pitch angle,β, is applied as a set point to an inner closed-loop controller. Moreover, the optimal values of the switching duty cycles are applied to the pulse width modulators (PWMs) of the dc-dc converters.

The developed solver computes optimal pitch angle and switching duty cycles in average within 5.97 seconds which is very close to the 5 seconds evaluation time criterion specified by the hierarchical architecture specifications.


It is therefore essential that once it has entered, moisture leaves masonry by evaporation to help it dry, if only partially [10, 11] . Most of the moisture movement occurs through mortar joints in a solid ashlar masonry wall. This is especially true for stone units of low permeability and low-porosity, such as granite, where rain water mainly enters and leaves through mortar joints [12] [13] [14] . During drying and evaporation, liquid water travels to the surface of building materials and can carry soluble salts that are present [10, 15] . Mortar in joints should absorb moisture from the surrounding masonry units, by having a stronger capillary force than the stones with coarser pores [16] . If most of the evaporation occurs at the surface of the joints, then so will any salt crystallisation and efflorescence. This will minimise damage to the individual stones, such as disintegration. Climate change is expected to cause more driving rain and therefore which will increase the threats to masonry structure, mainly due to salt crystallisation [17, 18] . The role and performance of mortar in absorbing moisture is becoming even more important.

It is therefore essential that once it has entered, moisture leaves masonry by evaporation to help it dry, if only partially.

This is especially true for stone units of low permeability and low-porosity, such as granite, where rain water mainly enters and leaves through mortar joints.

During drying and evaporation, liquid water travels to the surface of building materials and can carry soluble salts that are present.

Mortar in joints should absorb moisture from the surrounding masonry units, by having a stronger capillary force than the stones with coarser pores.

Climate change is expected to cause more driving rain and therefore which will increase the threats to masonry structure, mainly due to salt crystallisation.


Image-to-image translation aims to learn a mapping between different visual domains [20] . Here, domain implies a set of images that can be grouped as a visually distinctive category, and each image has a unique appearance, which we call style. For example, we can set image domains based on the gender of a person, in which case the style include makeup, beard, and hairstyle (top half of Figure 1 ). An ideal image-to-image translation method should be able to synthesize images considering the diverse styles in each domain. However, designing and learning such models become complicated as there can be arbitrarily large number of styles and domains in the dataset.

Image-to-image translation aims to learn a mapping between different visual domains.


In recent years there has been much development of smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) [1] . Implementation of boundary conditions is not so clear with SPH method compared with mesh based methods. In SPH, the problem that we must first locate the points that are regarded as boundary.

In recent years there has been much development of smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH).


The design of the laboratory studies had two different types of moral behavior: cheating as an act of commission (changing answers on an exam to improve one's score) and cheating as an act of omission (failing to report being overscored on an exam). As we discuss in the following, committing a bad act may introduce moral meanings into the situation more than failing to commit a good act because doing something bad in the situation likely draws more attention than failing to do a good act, which involves no action (Stets 2011) . Before outlining these two conditions, we review the protocol that was common to both.

As we discuss in the following, committing a bad act may introduce moral meanings into the situation more than failing to commit a good act because doing something bad in the situation likely draws more attention than failing to do a good act, which involves no action.


In the current study, we examine individuals' emotional reactions to feedback that is more positive than how they see themselves using data from a series of studies that had both a survey and laboratory component. Our purpose is not to test which theory works best, but rather to discover the underlying processes that influence the effects that we find. We begin with a review of previous research on two general processes that explain individuals' emotional reactions to evaluations from others: a self-enhancement process (people seek positive evaluations and avoid negative evaluations) and a cognitive consistency process (people seek evaluations that match their self-views and avoid evaluations that do not match their self-views) (Stets and Asencio 2008) .

We begin with a review of previous research on two general processes that explain individuals' emotional reactions to evaluations from others: a self-enhancement process (people seek positive evaluations and avoid negative evaluations) and a cognitive consistency process (people seek evaluations that match their self-views and avoid evaluations that do not match their self-views).


The dominant augur of fiscal competency in the control, mild AD, and MCI groups was written numeracy skills, specifically the WRAT-3 Arithmetic test [24] . Thus, it appears that numeric operations, numeracy and calculation abilities are intellectual skills highly correlated with financial competency in patients with dementia. All three groups (control, mild AD, and MCI) shared the secondary model predictors of declining financial competency with diminishing verbal memory and visuomotor sequencing. More specifically, delayed verbal episodic memory was the secondary predictor, which is essentially story recall and is elemental to both the transmission and retention of multiple forms of monetary data, such as investment and checkbook information, medical deductibles or for instructional forms such as taxes and social security [25] . Such cognitive abilities would also be integral to shopping, making change, as well as more complex financial tasks such as analyzing a bank statement.

The dominant augur of fiscal competency in the control, mild AD, and MCI groups was written numeracy skills, specifically the WRAT-3 Arithmetic test.

More specifically, delayed verbal episodic memory was the secondary predictor, which is essentially story recall and is elemental to both the transmission and retention of multiple forms of monetary data, such as investment and checkbook information, medical deductibles or for instructional forms such as taxes and social security.


Ultimately, a critical enquiry confronts financial planners in discerning whether a client is can still manage their own finances or whether a guardian should be appointed. However, currently there is not an accepted gold standard for evaluating financial competence [4] . In fact, because traditional test measures in determining financial capacity have been inadequate, several States now require the courts, prior to competency hearings, to first order an assessment of common living skills, which is a functional evaluation that includes financial competence [5] .

However, currently there is not an accepted gold standard for evaluating financial competence.

In fact, because traditional test measures in determining financial capacity have been inadequate, several States now require the courts, prior to competency hearings, to first order an assessment of common living skills, which is a functional evaluation that includes financial competence.


If the financial planner is meeting the client for the first time, the client interview takes on greater importance and would possibly also involve speaking with the client's friends and family. With new, unfamiliar clients, not only must the financial planner must be alert in discerning the client's financial capacity but also in the assessing the quality of person or persons who brought the elderly client to the financial planner. If someone other than the client is paying, the financial planner must obtain, prior to accepting payment; the client's informed written consent [27] .

If someone other than the client is paying, the financial planner must obtain, prior to accepting payment; the client's informed written consent.


Accurately assessing diminished financial capacity and outright incapacity is critical in preventing elderly financial exploitation. Intuitively, financial planners have long grappled with the issue of financial capacity as to a client's ability to execute a retirement plan, purchase an annuity, disability insurance or a long-term care policy. But cognitive impairment from dementia is particularly dangerous for a financial planner, or anyone working in the financial services industry since neurocognitive research has recently discovered that individuals with dementia are debilitated in core consent abilities of reasoning and understanding while the simple consent ability to express a choice often remains intact well into more advanced dementia [7] . Practically speaking, this means that a client with dementia may express a choice for a particular product or plan, without adequately understanding, appreciating, or being able to reason about the risks and perks of a product or the relevant alternatives within a retirement plan.

But cognitive impairment from dementia is particularly dangerous for a financial planner, or anyone working in the financial services industry since neurocognitive research has recently discovered that individuals with dementia are debilitated in core consent abilities of reasoning and understanding while the simple consent ability to express a choice often remains intact well into more advanced dementia.


As stated, this secondary predictor was associated with complex visual scanning and cognitive flexibility which would be critical to identifying or reviewing on a monthly bank statement the different monetary transactions [26] . And so, the key predicators are numeracy and written arithmetic, and to a lesser degree, visual scanning/ sequencing, and story recall. The initial client intake sheet and interview should incorporate these findings to evince clues as to any diminished financial capacity.

As stated, this secondary predictor was associated with complex visual scanning and cognitive flexibility which would be critical to identifying or reviewing on a monthly bank statement the different monetary transactions.


A credible civil evaluation of financial capacity is desperately needed to insulate clients at risk from being exploited financially due to lack of financial capacity. Today's elderly clients represent a massive transfer of wealth from the World War II generation to the baby boomer generation [6] . The incentive for financial elder exploitation is pervasive, and too often committed by caregivers, friends, and also family members who seek to take financial advantage. This Article endeavors to create an improved client interview/intake to more quickly and effectively assess financial competence in elderly clients suffering from cognitive impairment from within the dementia spectrum. Once financial incapacity is spotted, the financial planner can refer the elderly person to the proper professional groups and/or government agencies for advance-care.

Today's elderly clients represent a massive transfer of wealth from the World War II generation to the baby boomer generation.


Research often adopts different approaches to explore the issues related to sustainability. For instance, the operational process view (Input/process/output) is widely used to understand causes for environmental degradation. This stream of research focuses on processes such as lean practices, eco-efficiency improvement, carbon foot print reduction, certification and outputs such as metrics development, triple bottom line indices development, performance reporting and monitoring. Another stream of research explores challenges that arise from overproduction, urbanization and demographic changes (Xiang, Stuber and Meng 2011; Vadiati and Kashkooli 2011; Wang, Qian, and Yu 2013) . These studies generally use sustainability indices such as socioeconomic development, environmental impact, institutional capacity, ecological and environmental potential indices as popular tools for both monitoring progress toward sustainable development and formulation of efficient policies.

Another stream of research explores challenges that arise from overproduction, urbanization and demographic changes.


The above findings suggest that acquired competencies are better contributors to individual effective green competencies as supported by literature which refers to natural competencies such as EC as a general tendency, rather than a specific attitude, towards green behavior (Milfont and Duckitt, 2004; Tan and Lau, 2011; Mainieri et al. 1997) . These studies conclude that acquired competencies, being a highly specific attitude, is a stronger predictor of behavior towards green behavior. The findings suggest firms that intend to do well in environmental aspects have to concentrate more on the individual employee selection process.

The above findings suggest that acquired competencies are better contributors to individual effective green competencies as supported by literature which refers to natural competencies such as EC as a general tendency, rather than a specific attitude, towards green behavior.


Studies suggest that major enablers of professional competencies include individual characteristics, behaviours, skills, knowledge, attitudes, self-reflection, beliefs, and employee satisfaction, amongst other factors (Birdir and Pearson 2000; Horng, et al. 2011; Zhao et al., 2014; Wagner, 2014) . These individual characteristics are critical to the successful implementation of any green practice and/or policy in a firm. It is not surprising therefore that the critical role of environmental training in achieving success in environmental management, conservation and recycling of resources has been highlighted (Jabbour, 2013) . Therefore, to effectively align its practices of recruitment, selection, training and performance evaluation with environmental protection practices, HRM needs to understand as well as to reasonably be able to predict employee's green involvement and green competencies. This would enable effective integration of green issues with HRM practices and to achieve effective Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) (Renwick, Redman and Maguire 2008) .

Studies suggest that major enablers of professional competencies include individual characteristics, behaviours, skills, knowledge, attitudes, self-reflection, beliefs, and employee satisfaction, amongst other factors.

It is not surprising therefore that the critical role of environmental training in achieving success in environmental management, conservation and recycling of resources has been highlighted.

This would enable effective integration of green issues with HRM practices and to achieve effective Green Human Resource Management (GHRM).


The findings of this study corroborate HRM literature, which suggests that individual characteristics, behaviors, skills, knowledge, attitudes, and self-reflection, amongst other personal factors, influence their competencies and professional performances (Brownell, 2008; Zopiatis, 2010; Horng, et al. 2011) . Furthermore, our findings reveal that influences of individuals' natural and acquired green competencies on their overall effective green competencies are quite different. Acquired green competencies contribute significantly more (i.e., β=0.89) than a natural green competencies contribution (β=0.43) to the individual's effective green competencies (see figure 2) . All the measurement constructs (GPI, EK and GPA) of acquired green competencies construct contribution are significant.

The findings of this study corroborate HRM literature, which suggests that individual characteristics, behaviors, skills, knowledge, attitudes, and self-reflection, amongst other personal factors, influence their competencies and professional performances.


Silicon carbide is among the most widely used ceramics for both structural and functional applications. The worldwide yearly consumption of silicon carbide is expected to reach 2.4x 10 6 tons by 2019 [1] . The main applications for SiC, in terms of volume, are for the steelmaking, refractories and abrasives. A small portion (i.e. a few thousand tonnes) of its production is used for advanced ceramic applications.

The worldwide yearly consumption of silicon carbide is expected to reach 2.4x 10 6 tons by 2019.


To add to the generalisability of the findings, two sets of data were used for this study. Set 1 is the debate that emerged in response to an article published online in The New York Times (NYT) on December 31, 2013 entitled BHow Do E-Books Change the Reading Experience^ [3] . Within a week, 305 comments had been posted. Set 2 contains comments that were made by readers of a Scientific American article which was published on April 11 2013 [49] . The article explores the question: How exactly does the technology we use to read change the way we read? The article explores this question by considering the scientific evidence regarding retention and reading thoroughly. A total of 42 comments for the period of April 20, 2013 to June 11, 2015 were contributed. The comments from these two datasets provide a unique opportunity to investigate data from an online discussion about users' perceptions of e-reading that involved a substantial population. Table 1 summarises the empirical data included.

Set 1 is the debate that emerged in response to an article published online in The New York Times (NYT) on December 31, 2013 entitled BHow Do E-Books Change the Reading Experience^.

Set 2 contains comments that were made by readers of a Scientific American article which was published on April 11 2013.


Employers may be concerned with whether a B2E benefit system improves organizational performance. Conventional theories of organizational behavior suggest that benefits should not influence the performance of workers (Lambert, 2000) . However, recent research has pointed to the relationship between benefits and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and this relationship may be mediated by perceived organizational support (POS) (Lambert, 2000; Moorman et al., 1998) . Many studies have shown that OCB enactment positively impacts on various individual work outcomes, such as performance evaluations, and group work outcomes (Podsakoff and MacKenzie, 1994; Podsakoff et al., 2000) . Consequently, if a B2E benefit system can promote OCB, such a system would be valuable to the firm.

Conventional theories of organizational behavior suggest that benefits should not influence the performance of workers.

However, recent research has pointed to the relationship between benefits and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and this relationship may be mediated by perceived organizational support (POS).

Many studies have shown that OCB enactment positively impacts on various individual work outcomes, such as performance evaluations, and group work outcomes.


Next, I have calculated the rate of WIMP annihilation in the Earth in the effective theory of dark matter-nucleon interactions. I have compared this prediction with the 90% CL upper limits on the same rate from a WIMP analysis of IceCube in the 86-string configuration [55] . Through this comparison, I have set 90% CL upper limits on all isoscalar and isovector coupling constants in Eq. (2.1). For comparison, I have also derived limits on the same coupling constants by demanding that the predicted neutrino flux from WIMP annihi-lation in the Sun is not larger than the corresponding 90% CL upper limit from observations performed at Super-Kamiokande [10] . For WIMPs with a mass of about 50 GeV, I find that present Earth WIMP searches at IceCube in the 86-string configuration place comparable or even stronger constraints on the strength of theÔ 1 ,Ô 3 ,Ô 11 ,Ô 12 andÔ 15 interactions than current searches for solar WIMPs at neutrino telescopes in general. This is in particular true for interaction operators that can generate a large nuclear response for WIMP-Iron scattering.

I have compared this prediction with the 90% CL upper limits on the same rate from a WIMP analysis of IceCube in the 86-string configuration.

For comparison, I have also derived limits on the same coupling constants by demanding that the predicted neutrino flux from WIMP annihi-lation in the Sun is not larger than the corresponding 90% CL upper limit from observations performed at Super-Kamiokande.


Localization, vital for LBS, can be achieved in several ways. Time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA) and received signal strength (RSS) are the popular methods but narrow band signals such as Bluetooth and Zigbee cannot efficiently utilize TDOA or TOA and using received signal strength indicator (RSSI) to measure RSS is much more reliable in which measurement estimations depend heavily on the environmental interference and are also nonlinear [16] [17] . Moreover, triangulation, trilateration and multilateration are well-studied and well applicable positioning methods. Triangulation finds the position of the desired point using angles, trilateration finds the same result using distances, whereas, multilateration employs TDOA. Moreover, the location of a node in a sensor network is very important and advances in technology have made it possible to employ low cost multiple nodes, thus enabling them to measure distance using RSSI effectively, which is a direct gauge of distance [18] .

Time of arrival (TOA), time difference of arrival (TDOA) and received signal strength (RSS) are the popular methods but narrow band signals such as Bluetooth and Zigbee cannot efficiently utilize TDOA or TOA and using received signal strength indicator (RSSI) to measure RSS is much more reliable in which measurement estimations depend heavily on the environmental interference and are also nonlinear.

Moreover, the location of a node in a sensor network is very important and advances in technology have made it possible to employ low cost multiple nodes, thus enabling them to measure distance using RSSI effectively, which is a direct gauge of distance.


Hence, they provide information about users' current position and nearby points of interests [20] . Devices capable of the Bluetooth function can connect several other devices to Personal Area Networks (PANs) and positioning error can be reduced by constructing an accurate and proper position algorithm, and by improving the RSSI reading accuracy [21] . Further, compared to Ethernet based WiFi networks, the available services of Bluetooth and their discovery are relatively simple, allowing the communication to go more smoothly.

Hence, they provide information about users' current position and nearby points of interests.

Devices capable of the Bluetooth function can connect several other devices to Personal Area Networks (PANs) and positioning error can be reduced by constructing an accurate and proper position algorithm, and by improving the RSSI reading accuracy.


The incidence of AKI in pediatrics is significant, and despite alarming data, therapeutic interventions have failed to effect a meaningful difference in outcomes [3] . At 3-5 years follow up, 40%-50% of pediatric patients who suffered AKI show signs of chronic renal insufficiency, indicating that sublethal injury permanently alters the renal bed [4] . Timely identification of children with AKI may be critical to management, though current laboratory and clinical markers may be unreliable for acute injury [3] . Several-fold changes in serum creatinine or creatinine clearance are the main criteria that have been used to diagnose AKI. However, changes in serum creatinine values lag behind the degree of injury to the renal tubular epithelial cells [3] . The search is on for realtime markers of AKI, which would allow for rapid and reliable diagnosis. A good AKI biomarker should be noninvasive, easily obtainable, and measurable using standardized assays with fast results and reasonable cost to perform [5] . Also, it is important to state that they change only because of kidney damage and not due to infection, inflammation, and other causes. Recently, several biomarkers have been explored for the early diagnosis of AKI, including cystatin C, interleukin-18 (IL-18), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) [6] .

The incidence of AKI in pediatrics is significant, and despite alarming data, therapeutic interventions have failed to effect a meaningful difference in outcomes.

At 3-5 years follow up, 40%-50% of pediatric patients who suffered AKI show signs of chronic renal insufficiency, indicating that sublethal injury permanently alters the renal bed.

Timely identification of children with AKI may be critical to management, though current laboratory and clinical markers may be unreliable for acute injury.

However, changes in serum creatinine values lag behind the degree of injury to the renal tubular epithelial cells.

A good AKI biomarker should be noninvasive, easily obtainable, and measurable using standardized assays with fast results and reasonable cost to perform.

Recently, several biomarkers have been explored for the early diagnosis of AKI, including cystatin C, interleukin-18 (IL-18), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1).


The study presented in this article was driven by its aim to identify behaviours of preschool children that would indicate a transformation between concrete and abstract thinking in order to allow early years practitioners to better understand importance of effective scaffolds. The main focus was on Athey's functional dependency relationship, and it was crucial not to guide children in this study other than to support their intentions through effective communication. For this reason, the data collection stage was underpinned by the act of "close listening", which allowed children to express their ideas in various forms of representations. It was important to establish such methodology, since this was a study of young children's thinking and learning in their natural context (Angelillo, Rogoff and Chavajay 2007; Schoenfeld 2002; Ginsburg 1997) . The research has also identified the importance of a pause for reflection in young children, as a feature that may suggest the development of abstract thinking. After the young children paused to think about their action, their block construction became more complex and more refined, suggesting that their spontaneous reflection is connected with the development of abstract thinking (Aubrey, Ghent and Kanira 2012; Chatzipanteli, Grammatikopoulos and Gregoriadis 2013; Taggart and Ridley 2005) . As in the case of these young children, they require time and space to complete their play, and to feel that they have been in control of their own play. To support development of abstract thinking, the practitioners need to plan adequate space and time for such activities, and understand what reflective questions or props to use to support such development. For this, the practitioners should be prepared to be with the children during the play to understand their intentions, and understand what reflective questions or props to use if required. It important to reiterate that playing together with young children is not about guiding them with a curriculum, but it is about organising various environments in which their exposure to various concepts is maximised for them to experience and discover.

It was important to establish such methodology, since this was a study of young children's thinking and learning in their natural context.

After the young children paused to think about their action, their block construction became more complex and more refined, suggesting that their spontaneous reflection is connected with the development of abstract thinking.


This paper is an extension of some of our previous work [7] . More precisely, we additionally provide a complete description of the chaotic dynamics used, as well as a detailed analysis of the methodology applied to build a mobility model from first return maps. We extended our study with two additional chaotic mobility models, detailing the properties of the periodic orbits and their impact on the efficiency of the coverage. We also analyze in detail the influence of the periodic orbits on the exploring patterns they can generate. Finally the performance of the new mobility models is also studied via the metrics and compared to the models from literature.

This paper is an extension of some of our previous work.


The most popular among the online social networking sites (SNSs) catering to a broad range of undergraduate users is "facebook.com". This website claims to have hundreds of millions of registered users. Research undertaken by the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research (ECAR) showed that of the 90.4% of students in their sample population who interacted with social networking websites daily, 96.6% indicated that they used Facebook (Smith & Caruso, 2010) . Currently, Thailand with over ten million Facebook users is ranked 16 th in the world in terms of users by country recorded by Facebook Statistics by country .

Research undertaken by the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research (ECAR) showed that of the 90.4% of students in their sample population who interacted with social networking websites daily, 96.6% indicated that they used Facebook.


What is more important is the ability to observe the time-dependence of product rates in response to the reactant pulse. Conventionally, dynamic experiments such as TAP, TPD (temperature programmed desorption) and SSITKA (steady-state isotopic transient kinetic analysis) have used integral analysis for interpretation of transient data which, unfortunately, averages-out the rich kinetic information. By implementing the Y-Procedure tool in the TAP methodology to preserve the time dependence, the amount of data available from one pulse is increased at least 100-fold; 1000-fold or more for examining a series of pulses [39] . Moreover, the time resolution of TAP is 1000-fold greater than most advecting devices and enables the observation of fast kinetic processes.

By implementing the Y-Procedure tool in the TAP methodology to preserve the time dependence, the amount of data available from one pulse is increased at least 100-fold; 1000-fold or more for examining a series of pulses.


In this paper, phased microphone arrays were applied to the experimental study of surface roughness noise. The radiated sound from two rough plates and one smooth plate in an open jet was measured by both high-and lowfrequency arrays. The source locations and source strengths of possible dipoles due to roughness elements on a rigid plate were identified and discussed. Acoustic measurements were performed at three streamwise locations to explore the directivity features of possible dipole sources. Theoretical predictions for the source distributions on the two rough plates were also obtained using Liu and Dowling's model [7] .

Theoretical predictions for the source distributions on the two rough plates were also obtained using Liu and Dowling's model.


Bricks, produced by burning the moulded soil, contain an adequate percentage of clay. Approximately 13% of bricks, produced by the process of burning, are overburnt due to uncontrolled distribution of temperature in the kiln during manufacture. These over-burnt bricks have no use in cement concrete preparations and, therefore, are considered as wastage. In addition, the manufacturers of brick often face problem regarding the disposal of this enormous waste overburnt bricks. Over-burnt bricks have 7-10% less abrasion loss and 6-9% less water absorption than the first class bricks. Over-burnt bricks have a maximum Los-Angeles Abrasion value of 30% which is within limit and can be used in base course as aggregate [1] . The inordinate scarcity of natural stones and the exorbitant cost of the imported natural stones have accelerated the necessity of finding out locally available materials for using as a coarse aggregate, in some remote places of the North-Eastern region of India. A Marshall stability of 14.0 kN, 12.5 kN, and 12.3 kN, respectively, for fresh stone, fresh brick, and waste brick is observed. These are greater in stability than the minimum value in regard to the point of Marshall stability according to standards [2] . Bricks are highly porous ceramic material and have high water absorption capacity. The effort of compaction influences the resistance to permanent deformation characteristics of those materials prepared with brick aggregate. There is a decrease in 2 Advances in Materials Science and Engineering strength varying from 20% to 30% in case of both coarse and fine crushed bricks depending on the degree of substitution [3, 4] . Dense graded picked brick aggregate bituminous mixes with higher percentage of bitumen content are also good as compared to crushed stone aggregate bituminous mixes for use in the base course of bituminous concrete pavement [5] .

Over-burnt bricks have a maximum Los-Angeles Abrasion value of 30% which is within limit and can be used in base course as aggregate.

These are greater in stability than the minimum value in regard to the point of Marshall stability according to standards.

There is a decrease in 2 Advances in Materials Science and Engineering strength varying from 20% to 30% in case of both coarse and fine crushed bricks depending on the degree of substitution.

Dense graded picked brick aggregate bituminous mixes with higher percentage of bitumen content are also good as compared to crushed stone aggregate bituminous mixes for use in the base course of bituminous concrete pavement.


As an alternative to numerical methods to solve directly the diffraction integral, it has been shown that the Extended Nijboer-Zernike (ENZ) theory can be used to compute the through-focus behavior of the optical image [17, 18] . The ENZ method is based on first constructing the Zernike expansion of the wave field in the entrance pupil. This expansion is then multiplied by the complex lens transmission function to include the amplitude and phase changes of the optical field accumulated during the transition through the imaging system. Using the resulting Zernike field expansion in the exit pupil, ENZ theory provides the through-focus electric and magnetic field in image space. The advantages of using the ENZ method as compared to direct numerical computations of the diffraction integral is that it is semi-analytical, arbitrarily accurate and that it can deal with aberrations in a straightforward way. The separation in the ENZ-analysis of the aberrational effects and the diffraction effects in the focal region allows for an important reduction of the computational effort. The computation beforehand and the subsequent storage in lookup tables of basic spread-functions greatly enhances the numerical speed once a real aberrated system needs to be analyzed with respect to its imaging properties in the focal volume. In previous papers, we have shown how the ENZ diffraction theory can also be used to obtain an efficient and accurate imaging algorithm for extended objects with general shape and for arbitrary illumination conditions in the case of a homogeneous medium between the exit pupil and the focal region [19, 20] . In the present paper, we extend the ENZ diffraction theory to obtain the three-dimensional field distribution in media that are often encountered in practice, in particular in an image space that is built up of various thin parallel layers (stratified image space). These structures are commonly found in optical microscopy, optical data storage systems and in optical lithography for semiconductor manufacturing. Applying our Zernike-based method for multilayer imaging implies that we automatically obtain accurate Zernike coefficients for the forward and backward propagating fields in a particular layer in image space. This allows us, for instance, to extract the aberrational state of the imaging in the particular sublayer and to design the optical imaging system in such a way that this aberration is corrected in advance.

As an alternative to numerical methods to solve directly the diffraction integral, it has been shown that the Extended Nijboer-Zernike (ENZ) theory can be used to compute the through-focus behavior of the optical image.

In previous papers, we have shown how the ENZ diffraction theory can also be used to obtain an efficient and accurate imaging algorithm for extended objects with general shape and for arbitrary illumination conditions in the case of a homogeneous medium between the exit pupil and the focal region.


This approach may appear suited to analyse previously structured inequalities or to study changes in inequalities among different cohorts; however, the method does not consider individual trajectories to a given occupational outcome (Abbott, 2001) . Such trajectories reflect specific configurations of time-related constraints and opportunities allowing or prohibiting access to certain types of education and transitions into the labour market. From this perspective, a consideration of the chronological sequences of statuses at an individual level may represent a promising complementary approach to the standard framework.

This approach may appear suited to analyse previously structured inequalities or to study changes in inequalities among different cohorts; however, the method does not consider individual trajectories to a given occupational outcome.


The case of Switzerland is relevant for three reasons. First, Switzerland has one of the greatest shares of second-generation immigrants in Europe (Marks, 2005) . Second, Switzerland is a privileged site to study the effect of a highly stratified and selective educational system 1 on the structure of social inequalities. Lastly, Switzerland is characterized by the presence of a highly diversified immigrant population in terms of geographical origin and socio-economic position.

First, Switzerland has one of the greatest shares of second-generation immigrants in Europe.


Adipose tissue with a thickness of 0.25 and 0.5 mm blocked over 94.7% and 99.7% of Vis and over 88.4, 98.6% of NIR, respectively. The blocking ability of adipose tissue was much higher than those of oil, even though both contain fatty acids. However, adipose tissue also contains blood vessels, which may play an important role in enhancing the blocking ability of this tissue. Long-term exposure to NIR induces subcutaneous adipocytes located above superficial muscles which can effectivelyscatter and block NIR [9] .

Long-term exposure to NIR induces subcutaneous adipocytes located above superficial muscles which can effectivelyscatter and block NIR.


While Vis was only slightly attenuated by saline and oil, it was almost completely blocked (>90%) by human skin, blood, adipose tissue, and muscle. Wavelengths below 650 nm are absorbed by hemoglobin in the skin, while wavelengths below 1100 nm are absorbed by melanin [23] . Blood with a thickness of 0.05 mm and skin with a thickness of 0.25 mm blocked over 94% of Vis, while blood and skin with a thickness of 0.5 mm blocked 99.7% -100% of Vis. These data suggest that even the thinnest areas of human blood and skin are enough to block Vis.

Wavelengths below 650 nm are absorbed by hemoglobin in the skin, while wavelengths below 1100 nm are absorbed by melanin.


In the dermis, NIR induces accumulation of collagen, elastin and water-binding proteins, which possess alpha helical structures rich in hydrogen bonds [2] . Not only do humans artificially protect themselves from NIR deep tissue damage by wearing protective materials (e.g., cotton or wool clothing) rich in hydrogen bonds and alpha helices, the water in their perspiration and blisters, sebum secretions, keratin in hair, the stratum corneum, hemoglobin, water, and water-binding proteins in their blood and dermis, and underlying adipose tissue all serve to reflect/absorb NIR. Hence, treatments which remove hair and the stratum corneum, such as laser hair removal, and chemical and laser peeling, decrease the endogenous solar-protective ability of these structures.

In the dermis, NIR induces accumulation of collagen, elastin and water-binding proteins, which possess alpha helical structures rich in hydrogen bonds.


The fibrous structural proteins rich in hydrogen bonds and alpha helices are particularly useful for blocking NIR because they efficiently absorb these wavelengths [2] . For instance, insects can remain in sunny environments without much perspiration because they consist of fibrous chitin and alpha helical proteins that efficiently block and absorb NIR, thereby preventing their body temperature from becoming elevated. Likewise, sheep prefer the sun to the shade, and even though these animals remain in sunny environments without much perspiration, their body temperature does not become elevated as sheep wool consists of alpha helical structures [2] . Humans possess endogenous protective mechanisms against UV, Vis, and NIR exposure on multiple levels, including perspiration, blisters, sebum, hair, melanin, vasodilation, skin, and adipose tissue, in addition to protective materials such as cotton or wool clothing [2] . Although many studies have shown the defensive capabilities of human tissues against UV exposure, their ability to protect against Vis and NIR exposure has not been thoroughly investigated.

The fibrous structural proteins rich in hydrogen bonds and alpha helices are particularly useful for blocking NIR because they efficiently absorb these wavelengths.

Likewise, sheep prefer the sun to the shade, and even though these animals remain in sunny environments without much perspiration, their body temperature does not become elevated as sheep wool consists of alpha helical structures.

Humans possess endogenous protective mechanisms against UV, Vis, and NIR exposure on multiple levels, including perspiration, blisters, sebum, hair, melanin, vasodilation, skin, and adipose tissue, in addition to protective materials such as cotton or wool clothing.


Incident solar energy is composed of 6.8% ultra-violet (UV), 38.9% visible light (Vis), and 54.3% near-infrared (NIR) [1] . Chronic light and electromagnetic wave exposure may induce various kinds of tissue damage and disease. When life first originated on Earth, the first life forms appeared in water and thus they did not need to adapt to dehydration, gravity, or sunlight including UV, Vis, and NIR as the surrounding water served as a barrier against these obstacles [2] . The necessity to overcome these obstacles first arose when primitive life developed on land [2] . All species of terrestrial life have acquired fibrous structural proteins rich in hydrogen bonds and alpha helices: cellulose for plants, fibrous chitin and proteins for insects, and keratin for reptiles, birds, amphibians, and mammals [2] .

Incident solar energy is composed of 6.8% ultra-violet (UV), 38.9% visible light (Vis), and 54.3% near-infrared (NIR).

When life first originated on Earth, the first life forms appeared in water and thus they did not need to adapt to dehydration, gravity, or sunlight including UV, Vis, and NIR as the surrounding water served as a barrier against these obstacles.

The necessity to overcome these obstacles first arose when primitive life developed on land.

All species of terrestrial life have acquired fibrous structural proteins rich in hydrogen bonds and alpha helices: cellulose for plants, fibrous chitin and proteins for insects, and keratin for reptiles, birds, amphibians, and mammals.


NIR is thought to mainly resonate with hydrogen bonds, and alpha helices [26] . Both hemoglobin and myoglobin are oxygen-carrying proteins comprised many alpha helices. It is possible that NIR induces resonance of helical structures in these and other proteins resulting in their degeneration, which would damage important oxygen storage and transport mechanisms in the body, lead to cellular apoptosis and eventually persistent vasodilation [2] [12] .

NIR is thought to mainly resonate with hydrogen bonds, and alpha helices.

It is possible that NIR induces resonance of helical structures in these and other proteins resulting in their degeneration, which would damage important oxygen storage and transport mechanisms in the body, lead to cellular apoptosis and eventually persistent vasodilation.


A total of eight welded joints were designed, of which two were not repaired as control specimens. The detailed test program and results are listed in Table 1 . The specimen nomenclature is as follows: U, control specimen; NS, specimen retrofitted using normal modulus CFRP laminates on a single side; ND, specimen retrofitted using normal modulus CFRP laminates on both sides, and HD, specimen retrofitted using ultra-high modulus CFRP laminates on both sides. The numbers after the hyphen indicate different stress ranges. The measured bond thickness varied from 0.42 mm to 0.60 mm. The fatigue cycle numbers reported here were counted till final fracture happened. The cycle numbers corresponding to the low stress range for the "beach marking" technique were transferred to equivalent cycle numbers corresponding to the original stress range by Equation (1) . The fatigue life extension ratio is defined as the fatigue life of a strengthened specimen divided by that of the corresponding plain welded joint.

The cycle numbers corresponding to the low stress range for the "beach marking" technique were transferred to equivalent cycle numbers corresponding to the original stress range by Equation.


The characteristic features of the boride layers formed on the surface are high hardness, low coefficient of friction and high wear resistance (even at high temperature). Many studies in the literature have stated that borided materials can show much better wear resistance when compared with the nitrided, carbonitrided, carburized or hard chrome plated materials [8] . Moreover boride layers exhibit abrasion and wear resistance comparable to sintered carbides [11] .

Many studies in the literature have stated that borided materials can show much better wear resistance when compared with the nitrided, carbonitrided, carburized or hard chrome plated materials.

Moreover boride layers exhibit abrasion and wear resistance comparable to sintered carbides.


Ni-based superalloys have gained attention for a wide range of industrial applications due to their high temperature strength, microstructural stability, fatigue strength, tensile properties and creep performance compared to their Co-based and Fe-Ni-based counterparts [1, 3] . Ni-based Inconel 625 has especially found widespread use in aerospace, marine, chemical and petrochemical industries at service temperatures ranging from cryogenic to 982 °C due to its superior mechanical and corrosion resistance properties. However, due to the low surface hardness If it is to be used in abrasive or adhesive wear conditions it does require proper surface protection against wear [4] .

Ni-based superalloys have gained attention for a wide range of industrial applications due to their high temperature strength, microstructural stability, fatigue strength, tensile properties and creep performance compared to their Co-based and Fe-Ni-based counterparts.

However, due to the low surface hardness If it is to be used in abrasive or adhesive wear conditions it does require proper surface protection against wear.


Previous studies have shown that the hardness of the Ni-based superalloys can be increased up to 1500 HV [7, 8, 10] . Moreover, the friction coefficient decreases and wear resistant improves by the process [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] . However, there are only very few studies exist on the micro-abrasion wear behavior of Ni-based superalloys. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to investigate the micro-abrasion wear behavior of Ni-based Inconel 625 superalloys, borided at different temperature and durations, under different loads in a 25 wt.% SiC slurry..Then effect of boriding parameters on wear resistance and wear mechanisms of Ni-based superalloy are evaluated.

Previous studies have shown that the hardness of the Ni-based superalloys can be increased up to 1500 HV.

Moreover, the friction coefficient decreases and wear resistant improves by the process.


For this reason, many processes were developed in order to improve the tribological properties of Nibased Inconel 625 by applying protective coatings with methods such as plasma spray coating, selective laser melting, CVD aluminide coating, nitridig, etc. However, there are some disadvantages such as poor adhesion bond between the coating layer and the substrate in thermal spray, longer processing periods in CVD coating process, formation of pores and cracks in laser melting process and relatively thin layers in nitriding even after very ong durations (6 to 40 h) indicates the necessity for new, alternative coating methods [2, 3] . On the other hand, it has been found that only a few studies related to the boriding of Ni-based superalloys [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] . This has triggered the current study which focuses on the boriding of the Ni-based Inconel 625 superalloy.

However, there are some disadvantages such as poor adhesion bond between the coating layer and the substrate in thermal spray, longer processing periods in CVD coating process, formation of pores and cracks in laser melting process and relatively thin layers in nitriding even after very ong durations (6 to 40 h) indicates the necessity for new, alternative coating methods.

On the other hand, it has been found that only a few studies related to the boriding of Ni-based superalloys.


Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be defined in various ways, for example, within the EU the term refers to organic substances with boiling points of less than or equal to 250°C at atmospheric pressure (European Parliament, 2004) . In this review, this definition is somewhat extended to incorporate any organic compounds that can be detected either by the human olfactory system, or by gas chromatographicmass spectrometric (GC-MS)-based techniques, including those with boiling points above 250°C. This includes the products of polymer degradation reactions and additives such as phthalate plasticizers, as both chemical processes, such as hydrolysis and oxidation, and physical processes, such as the migration of additives from the bulk to the surface of an object, are of interest within conservation.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be defined in various ways, for example, within the EU the term refers to organic substances with boiling points of less than or equal to 250°C at atmospheric pressure.


Calculating the penetration depth of one object into another is important to calculate the force of collisions and respond accordingly in virtual reality applications (Tzafestas and Coiffet, 1996) . It is also important for visualization purposes, to differently highlight objects reaching into a safety margin with an indication of how much they violate the constraint. This application was shown in prior work on this topic by the authors of this paper (Elseberg et al., 2014) . KDTreeImpl is templated by KDtreeIndexed with the parameters listed in the comment. The node and leaf structure are a C++ union. The params member of KDTreeImpl is static. UML packages are used to indicate file membership and to group for readability. Only the fixedRangeSearch search function and its recursive counterpart FixedRangeSearch are listed for brevity.

Calculating the penetration depth of one object into another is important to calculate the force of collisions and respond accordingly in virtual reality applications.

This application was shown in prior work on this topic by the authors of this paper.


Beside this, the use of predictive microbiology tools is increasing due to their adequacy (readily available and reliable) to assess microorganisms' kinetics such us growth, survival, inactivation, or cross-contamination [23] . Growth predictive models describe a growth parameter, for example, growth rate, as a function of intrinsic and/or environmental factors [18, 24, 25] . The development of predictive models requires a large amount of microbial growth data, which is tedious and time-consuming to produce through traditional microbial culture techniques [26] . One alternative widely reported by the literature is based on absorbance measurements, resulting in the collection of a huge set of data in a cost-effective manner. This technique is automatic, nondestructive, quick, inexpensive, accurate, and effort-balanced [27] [28] [29] .

Beside this, the use of predictive microbiology tools is increasing due to their adequacy (readily available and reliable) to assess microorganisms' kinetics such us growth, survival, inactivation, or cross-contamination.

Growth predictive models describe a growth parameter, for example, growth rate, as a function of intrinsic and/or environmental factors.

The development of predictive models requires a large amount of microbial growth data, which is tedious and time-consuming to produce through traditional microbial culture techniques.

This technique is automatic, nondestructive, quick, inexpensive, accurate, and effort-balanced.


There is little doubt that black-hole formation represents one of the most intriguing and fascinating predictions of classical general relativity. There is abundant astronomical evidence that black holes exist, and a number of considerations supporting the idea that under suitable conditions gravitational collapse is inevitable [1] . In addition, there is overwhelming numerical evidence that black-hole formation does take place in a variety of environments [2] . Yet, a rigorous definition of the sufficient conditions for black-hole formation is still lacking. Hence, it is not possible to predict whether the collision of two compact objects, either stars or elementary particles, will lead to the formation of a black hole.

There is abundant astronomical evidence that black holes exist, and a number of considerations supporting the idea that under suitable conditions gravitational collapse is inevitable.

In addition, there is overwhelming numerical evidence that black-hole formation does take place in a variety of environments.


If climate change further continues, these tippingpoints can be reached, at which the climate abruptly and irreversibly reacts [7] . However, when these points will exactly be reached, it is still uncertain. The tipping point for an ice-free Arctic in the summer could already be very close. Global warming in connection with cutting rain forest could also lead to a tipping point, where the ecological system rain forest drains and completely breaks down finally. This would have substantial effects for the global climate, since less and less carbon dioxide can be absorbed and escapes into the atmosphere. Other tipping points exist approximately with the acidification of the oceans or to begin of the monsoon in India [8] .

If climate change further continues, these tippingpoints can be reached, at which the climate abruptly and irreversibly reacts.

Other tipping points exist approximately with the acidification of the oceans or to begin of the monsoon in India.


As for the individual utilization of fossil fuels and re-lated costs of climate change it is quite similar. The single economic entity gets the full utility from using fossil fuels, e.g. by driving a new fossil fuelled car, but the costs of climate change are shared globally. This effect is the stronger -the smaller the perceived individual contribution to climate change and -the larger the absorption capacity of the atmosphere and thus the smaller the probability and costs of climate change are perceived by the individual economic entity. This phenomenon could be described my by the term "diffusion of environmental responsibility", inspired by the socio-psychological phenomenon of "diffusion of responsibility" whereby a person is less likely to take responsibility for action or inaction in emergencies the more others are present [4] . In fact, the costs of climate change are increasing, maybe even per capita with a growing world population, as greenhouse gases are continuously piling up in the atmosphere. But the marginal cost of climate change impact still does not outweigh the marginal utility from contributing to climate change [5] . This may be only the case, if one or more of so-called tipping points are reached and climate change costs increase tremendously, literally from one day to the other. But then, it may be too late.

This phenomenon could be described my by the term "diffusion of environmental responsibility", inspired by the socio-psychological phenomenon of "diffusion of responsibility" whereby a person is less likely to take responsibility for action or inaction in emergencies the more others are present.

But the marginal cost of climate change impact still does not outweigh the marginal utility from contributing to climate change.

But then, it may be too late.


Hybrid materials based on graphene are becoming more common in the scientific literature about coatings. They influence thermal, mechanical, electrical, and functional properties of numerous coating systems [14] [15] [16] . In our recent study, it was shown that graphene oxide/layered double hydroxides (GO/LDHs) were able to encapsulate inhibitors MBT and vanadate by anion exchange reaction [17] . When incorporated into coatings, GO/LDHs showed good dispersion and controlled the release of inhibitors, which enhanced the corrosion protection properties of the coating. Hence, the GO/LDHs were chosen as nanocontainers to encapsulate the corrosion inhibitors MBT (GO/LDHs-MBT) and vanadate (GO/LDHs-VO x ) in this work. GO/LDHs-MBT and GO/LDHs-VO x were added in sol-gel coating or epoxy coating to construct six different coating systems with different inhibitor combination and inhibitor response order. The corrosion inhibition properties that were provided by inhibitor combination on AA2024 were investigated in solution and coating system through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurement and salt spray test. The effect of inhibitor response order on the protection performances was further studied and analyzed.

They influence thermal, mechanical, electrical, and functional properties of numerous coating systems.

In our recent study, it was shown that graphene oxide/layered double hydroxides (GO/LDHs) were able to encapsulate inhibitors MBT and vanadate by anion exchange reaction.


There are several methods of adding the fillers into the polymeric matrix including solvent mixing, in situ polymerization and direct melt-mixing. Solvent mixing occurs when the solid polymer is dissolved in a selected solvent, to which the filler is added and dispersed by sonication. This is followed by solvent evaporation and the re-solidification of the polymer now containing the dispersed filler. However, there is a concern that the solvents may influence the mechanical performance of the composite and that the sonication energy tends to break the filler into shorter lengths. Moreover the evaporation of large amounts of the solvent will not enhance the mass production [12] . Melt mixing on the other hand by using conventional polymer processing techniques such as extrusion and compression molding are used frequently due to the its high speed and simplicity [13] . After mixing the polymer matrix and the filler, there is an interfacial region between the matrix and filler that is formed. The interfacial region communicates between the polymer matrix and the filler and acquires different properties from the bulk matrix because of its proximity to the surface of the filler [14] .

Moreover the evaporation of large amounts of the solvent will not enhance the mass production.

Melt mixing on the other hand by using conventional polymer processing techniques such as extrusion and compression molding are used frequently due to the its high speed and simplicity.

The interfacial region communicates between the polymer matrix and the filler and acquires different properties from the bulk matrix because of its proximity to the surface of the filler.


Filler particles in the nanometer range have a large surface area-to-volume ratio leading to improved physical properties and chemical reactivity [4] . Among these promising fillers, graphene molecules have shown tremendous applications across a wide spectrum of disciplines ranging from biomolecular nanocomposites and up to molecular electronics. This is mainly due to its exceptional electron transport, mechanical properties, and high surface area [5] [6] .

Filler particles in the nanometer range have a large surface area-to-volume ratio leading to improved physical properties and chemical reactivity.

This is mainly due to its exceptional electron transport, mechanical properties, and high surface area.


Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is a synthetic polymer with outstanding properties. It is a linear segmented block copolymer having hard segments (HS) and soft segments (SS). The SS consist of the long flexible polyether or polyester chains, which interconnect two hard segments. The hard segments act as multifunctional tie points functioning both as physical cross links and reinforcing fillers, while the soft segments form an elastomeric matrix, which accounts for the elastic properties of this polymer. The presence of two soft segments can show different extents of phase separation, offering new possibilities on tuning polymeric matrix properties. Thus, TPU has been used for a variety of applications such as fibers, coatings, adhesives. However, despite good extensibility, abrasion resistance, good solvent resistance and high-temperature performance still low stiffness and tensile strength can be drawbacks in structural applications especially for TPU with low hard segment content. Water vapor and other gas permeability can be another drawback. These weak mechanical and gas barrier properties can be complemented by reinforcing with rigid layered nano-fillers [10] [11] . The addition of Graphene to TPU will enhance the properties of TPU polymer to be used in several applications including automobiles, aerospace, injection molded products, coatings, adhesives, fire-retardants, packaging materials, optical integrated circuits, drug delivery, sensors, water filtration systems, dental, medical devices and tissue engineering applications [8] .

These weak mechanical and gas barrier properties can be complemented by reinforcing with rigid layered nano-fillers.

The addition of Graphene to TPU will enhance the properties of TPU polymer to be used in several applications including automobiles, aerospace, injection molded products, coatings, adhesives, fire-retardants, packaging materials, optical integrated circuits, drug delivery, sensors, water filtration systems, dental, medical devices and tissue engineering applications.


The tradeoff between reliability and earliness is shown explicitly in Fig. 1 using the Synthetic Control dataset and early QDA with the Chebyshev constraint set (6) . A result of note in this figure is that, although the value of τ given by the Chebyshev inequality meets the desired reliability, we can achieve the target reliability with earlier classification by reducing τ . For instance, suppose that we want reliability of ≥ 95%. By setting τ = 0.95, we achieve reliability of 100% with average early classification time of 57.8. At τ = −15, we still achieve reliability of 95.6% and an average early classification time of 22.88. This indicates that in practice we can set τ by cross-validation given enough training data.

The tradeoff between reliability and earliness is shown explicitly in Fig. 1 using the Synthetic Control dataset and early QDA with the Chebyshev constraint set.


With the functional derivative at hand we can compute a correction to the QoI given the high-fidelity model using the functional UQ relationship in equation (5) . We do this by numerical integration using the 50 × 50 grid on which the functional derivative was calculated; the correction is −0.000 490 mN; this is identical to the actual value computed explicitly. As before this shows that when the QoI is a linear functional of the constitutive law the correction provided by functional UQ is exact.

With the functional derivative at hand we can compute a correction to the QoI given the high-fidelity model using the functional UQ relationship in equation.


The question-answer knowledge structure is intended to reflect human information-processing capabilities. Our cognitive maps of the world are not sets of possible states, each described in exquisite detail to account for all possible consequences of all possible decisions. Instead, people attend to a few relevant aspects of a situation and use limited information to make a broad judgment that can be refined later, if necessary. People tend to set goals and monitor their progress toward them in order to navigate a complex world (Miller et al., 1960; Locke and Latham, 1990; Loewenstein, 1999) . In this paper, we advance the idea that the acquisition of knowledge is also goal-oriented. We don't simply seek out information to maximize the data available to us or even to optimize future decisions, but instead tend to seek answers to questions that are either posed to us or that we pose to ourselves. Questions are, therefore, very much like informational goals or reference points. Indeed, focusing on a question that one cannot answer -e.g., a puzzle one cannot figure out -can torment a person and at the same time motivate the search for an answer, much as a high reference point can simultaneously detract from utility and motivate one to strive to reach it.

People tend to set goals and monitor their progress toward them in order to navigate a complex world.


In Figure 3 the variation of measured (EPm-in) and calculated (EPcS-in) average daily values of the EP during the investigated period is shown. Calculated values were affected by the geometry of the photovoltaic greenhouse and sun position deriving from the local weather file and were almost regular along the whole investigated period, high fluctuation of measured values depended on real weather conditions. The average value of calculated EP (1.54%) was lower than the measured one (1.79%). In field conditions, the correlation between EP and external PFD was negative (R=-0.86 P=0.029) as highlighted in Figure  4A . EP was higher when the PFD was lower when presumably the sky was cloudy and namely the diffuse component was predominant. Moreover, results depended on different weather conditions due to the different transmissivity of plastic transparent coverings with respect to direct (clear sky) and diffuse (cloudy) light (Schettini et al., 2011) .

Moreover, results depended on different weather conditions due to the different transmissivity of plastic transparent coverings with respect to direct (clear sky) and diffuse (cloudy) light.


Solar photovoltaic (PV) installations are quickly increasing in Europe and in Italy during the last ten years. The energetic production from PV panels increased in Europe from almost 1 GW in 2004 to 88 GW in 2013, in the same period in Italy it passed from almost 0.1 to 18.0 GW (EPIA, 2014) . The rapid expansion of the PV sector -and more in general of the renewable sources sector -is mainly due to the advantageous remuneration policies available in various Countries (Badcock & Lenzen, 2010; Sarasa-Maestro et al., 2013) .

The energetic production from PV panels increased in Europe from almost 1 GW in 2004 to 88 GW in 2013, in the same period in Italy it passed from almost 0.1 to 18.0 GW.

The rapid expansion of the PV sector -and more in general of the renewable sources sector -is mainly due to the advantageous remuneration policies available in various Countries.


To show the tunability of the proposed triangular waveform generator, we also generated triangular waveforms at other repetition rates. Fig. 6 shows the generated triangular waveforms at 8.5, 10.5, and 12.5 GHz. The RMSEs between simulated and the measured results are 0.0075, 0.0121, and 0.0148 for triangular waveforms at 8.5, 10.5, and 12.5 GHz, respectively. The RMSEs between the simulated and the ideal results can be found elsewhere [8] .

The RMSEs between the simulated and the ideal results can be found elsewhere.


One limitation of the present study is that only young adults (undergraduate students) were used. Future studies ought to examine whether the effects of highlighting are similar for a wider range of age groups. Previous research suggests that older adults do worse at comprehending safety pictorials and other research suggests that they are also at a greater risk of as they perform more poorly than younger adults in symbol comprehension tests (Hancock, Rogers, Fisk, 2001; Sojourner and Wogalter, 1998; Zwaga, & Boersema, 1983) .

Previous research suggests that older adults do worse at comprehending safety pictorials and other research suggests that they are also at a greater risk of as they perform more poorly than younger adults in symbol comprehension tests.