Oct-2-ene-2-carboxylic acid, is a cephalosporin β-lactam antibiotic used in the treatment of bacterial infections caused by susceptible usually gram-positive organisms (Figure 1 ). Bactericidal activity of CFTX is mostly by inhibition of mucopeptide synthesis in the bacterial cell wall and by binding to one or more of the penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) which in turn inhibits the final transpeptidation step of peptidoglycan synthesis in bacterial cell walls, thus hindering cell wall biosynthesis. Bacteria eventually lyse due to ongoing activity of cell wall autolytic enzymes (autolysins and murein hydrolases) while cell wall assembly is arrested [9] [10] [11] . Literature surveys have shown that the UV and HPLC methods developed estimates CFTX mostly in combined formulations [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] . However the current research aims to develop a validated UV and RP-HPLC method for routine estimations of CFTX alone in bulk and unit dosage formulations.

Bacteria eventually lyse due to ongoing activity of cell wall autolytic enzymes (autolysins and murein hydrolases) while cell wall assembly is arrested.

Literature surveys have shown that the UV and HPLC methods developed estimates CFTX mostly in combined formulations.


Operating helicopters, fighters, and light aircraft on ground or at low altitudes means, especially during hot summer weather, heavy thermal loads on the occupants and on the aircraft systems. These are caused by high outside air temperature (OAT) and solar radiation through the large window. The risk of thermal fatigue thereby rises significantly with time both for humans and for electric components [1] , [2] , [3] .

The risk of thermal fatigue thereby rises significantly with time both for humans and for electric components.


Despite the fact that quality control is a major cause of project failure, it is still often overlooked by project teams. Eighty-three percent of organizations' software developers don't like to test code [2] . One of the reasons is simply a lack of time to perform diligent and proper testing, which is frequently the result of inadequate planning and time overruns in other activities. When testing is performed, often it is done at the level of unit tests by the development and/or testing team. However, the goals and mentality of testers may not entirely correspond with those of the customer. Acceptance tests are needed to ensure customer satisfaction with the final product. Acceptance tests also serve as regression tests, to ensure that previously working functionality continues to behave as expected. These tests are often created based on a requirements specification, and serve to verify that contractual obligations are met. This creates a dependency between the requirements specification and acceptance test suite, a dependency that may involve a great deal of overhead. Changes to one side necessitate changes to the other, and effort is needed to ensure that the written requirements correspond precisely to the expected test results (and vice versa). Moreover, this dependency means that problems in the requirements specification will directly impact quality control.

Eighty-three percent of organizations' software developers don't like to test code.


The global freshwater shortage, particularly in remote areas, presents an international problem. The problem is more severe in desert countries, such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and, in particular, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), where freshwater shortages are a serious problem (Radhwan, 2004) . Many of these countries, however, enjoy abundant and free high-intensity solar energy, so solar desalination might be an ideal technology that could provide some freshwater for both domestic and agricultural use. Solar distillation is one of the many processes that can be used for water purification. Among all the alternative energy resources, solar energy is one of the most promising of all the sources because of its potential to provide for our future energy needs. Many developing countries that normally could not afford to use desalinated water are likely to have much greater water needs due to population growth. These countries, in general, also receive a greater amount of solar radiation. For example, the daily average solar radiation flux incident on Saudi Arabia is 5-8 kWh/m 2 (Al-Ansari, 2013) .

The problem is more severe in desert countries, such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and, in particular, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), where freshwater shortages are a serious problem.

For example, the daily average solar radiation flux incident on Saudi Arabia is 5-8 kWh/m 2.


The coagulation process is independently capable of removing soluble organic and inorganic constituents or colloidal phase impurities, including microorganisms; coagulation is thus of great importance in water treatment. Natural plant coagulants are promising materials for drinking water and wastewater treatment because they offer similar functions to inorganic coagulants and are also able to satisfy the guidelines for drinking water standards (Yin, 2010) . Plant coagulants are also biodegradable and thus seen as more environmentally friendly than inorganic coagulants.

Natural plant coagulants are promising materials for drinking water and wastewater treatment because they offer similar functions to inorganic coagulants and are also able to satisfy the guidelines for drinking water standards.


The colony of the ABC algorithm contains three groups of bees: employed bees, onlookers, and scouts [3] . In the employed bees phase of ABC algorithm, the algorithm focuses on the explorative search indicated by the solution updating scheme, which uses the current solution and a randomly chosen solution. A fitness-based probabilistic selection scheme is used in the onlooker phase, which indicates the exploitation tendency of the algorithm. In the original ABC algorithm, it is assumed that half of the colony consists of the employed bees, and the rest half consists of the onlookers [3] . In other words, the ratio of the employed and onlooker bees is the same, 1 : 1.

The colony of the ABC algorithm contains three groups of bees: employed bees, onlookers, and scouts.

In the original ABC algorithm, it is assumed that half of the colony consists of the employed bees, and the rest half consists of the onlookers.


Third, the expansion of owner occupation has meant that even households on low incomes, have accessed homeownership, reducing the pool of poorer households seeking to access social housing. Research has found that around half of those living in poverty are homeowners (Burrows & Wilcox, 2000) . Private rented housing has shown a fairly stable Index figure of 0.15, indicating a slight preponderance of lower income households, but not a significant one. This reflects the fact that the private rented sector is very diverse, with landlords operating at both the very top and bottom of the housing market. Given the expansion of the sector since the late 1980s, it is interesting that the composition of the sector has not been affected: growth has come from across the income spectrum.

Research has found that around half of those living in poverty are homeowners.


Open EFT methods have been proposed as useful tools when exploring late-time quantum physics in gravitational backgrounds [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] . We here use these tools for the toy model of a quantum mechanical two-level system coupled to a real scalar field and find its late-time evolution that is inaccessible using ordinary perturbative methods. Although a wealth of physics can be gleaned by studying perturbative excitation probabilities and rates (like (2.18) and (2.23)), we argue that perturbative approaches generically miss out on the physics of late times.

Open EFT methods have been proposed as useful tools when exploring late-time quantum physics in gravitational backgrounds.


Several less well-appreciated side-effects come along with such an open-system perspective, including phenomena potentially of relevance to predictions in both cosmology and within black-hole spacetimes. The one of most interest in this paper is the phenomenon of secular growth, and the related inevitability of the breakdown of perturbation theory at very late times. Strictly speaking secular growth is the phenomenon where the coefficients, c n (t), of a perturbative evaluation of some observable, O(t) = n c n (t) g n , (1.1) in powers of some small coupling |g| 1, are time-dependent and grow without bound at late times (i.e. |c n (t)| remains unbounded as t → ∞) [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] . Secular growth such as this is disturbing because it represents a breakdown of the ability to predict late-time behaviour using perturbative methods. It is also generic to open systems, for which g is typically a measure of the strength of the coupling between sectors A and B.

Strictly speaking secular growth is the phenomenon where the coefficients, c n (t), of a perturbative evaluation of some observable, O(t) = n c n (t) g n , (1.1) in powers of some small coupling |g| 1, are time-dependent and grow without bound at late times (i.e. |c n (t)| remains unbounded as t → ∞).


The 2 flavor SU(3) sextet model has received considerable attention lately as candidate to describe the Standard Model Higgs boson as a composite particle [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] . Lattice simulations show that the model has a light 0 ++ scalar state that is well separated from the rest of the spectrum [9] . Quantum corrections could lower the scalar mass to match the Higgs boson, while the vector meson is predicted in the 2TeV range [10, 11] . If the model is chirally broken, it has 3 Goldstone bosons as needed for electroweak symmetry breaking. If it is conformal, an additional 4-fermion interaction might drive it into the chirally broken regime [12] . In either case the 2-flavor sextet model is a promising strongly coupled system that deserves detailed non-perturbative investigations.

The 2 flavor SU(3) sextet model has received considerable attention lately as candidate to describe the Standard Model Higgs boson as a composite particle.

Lattice simulations show that the model has a light 0 ++ scalar state that is well separated from the rest of the spectrum.

Quantum corrections could lower the scalar mass to match the Higgs boson, while the vector meson is predicted in the 2TeV range.

If it is conformal, an additional 4-fermion interaction might drive it into the chirally broken regime.


We examined CAM use and devotional and spiritual practices and patient-reported symptoms and functioning outcomes over time in a diverse sample of Latina breast cancer survivors. Results indicate a modest to high use of CAM in this sample, with about one-third reporting use of CAM activities such as yoga, meditation, massage, or herbal/dietary supplements. The majority of Latina breast cancer survivors endorsed use of devotional and spiritual practices; this high rate of devotional and spiritual practices among Latino cancer survivors is similar to high rates reported in prior research [20, [38] [39] [40] . Recent systematic and meta-analytic reviews highlight the contributions of spiritual and religious practices to well-being among cancer survivors, with particular emphasis on finding meaning/peace and ability to make sense of illness (e.g., sense of coherence) [41, 42] . In the present study, Latina breast cancer survivors who reported use of devotional and spiritual practices had lower anxiety, fatigue, and depression over time. Perhaps for some of these survivors, the ability to connect with a higher power provides comfort by fostering a perceived closer connection with God [39] . Results support the need for future research to explore the psychological and social mechanisms by which devotional and spirituality practices reduce anxiety over time among Latina breast cancer survivors. We did not explore how use of these practices related to finding meaning or a survivor's ability to make sense of the illness experience. As prior evidence suggests, these meaning-finding elements may have an important role in adjustment to cancer [42] . Future work can examine how patients' reports of using devotional and spiritual practices relate to greater sense of meaning and patient-reported outcomes.

The majority of Latina breast cancer survivors endorsed use of devotional and spiritual practices; this high rate of devotional and spiritual practices among Latino cancer survivors is similar to high rates reported in prior research.

Recent systematic and meta-analytic reviews highlight the contributions of spiritual and religious practices to well-being among cancer survivors, with particular emphasis on finding meaning/peace and ability to make sense of illness (e.g., sense of coherence).

Perhaps for some of these survivors, the ability to connect with a higher power provides comfort by fostering a perceived closer connection with God.

As prior evidence suggests, these meaning-finding elements may have an important role in adjustment to cancer.


Another standard method for assessing normality of the random effects is simple visual inspection of the predictions of the random effects. However, non-normality may not always be apparent from this informal check since these estimates inherently shrink the estimates back towards the assumed distribution (Shen & Louis 1998) . Moreover, any observed deviations from normality may be attributable to sampling variability. Thus, as demonstrated by the amenorrhea example, the proposed test can often serve as a useful complement to less formal methods.

However, non-normality may not always be apparent from this informal check since these estimates inherently shrink the estimates back towards the assumed distribution.


During the welding process, the elements are affected with heat-effect and mechanical loads, which result in inhomogeneous welded joint [7] . The inhomogeneity of the welded joints appears both in microstructural and in geometrical aspects. In case of structural relation, zones with different microstructure and dissimilar behaviour come into being, in case of geometrical relation, it shows up in form as material discontinuities and locations for stress concentration. The changes in microstructure and geometry materialize in deflections (acceptable), or rather in failures (unacceptable); and these influence the behaviour of welded joints and their loadability. Discontinuities in materials have especially high danger in case of cyclic loading conditions, which are typical for vehicle structural elements.

During the welding process, the elements are affected with heat-effect and mechanical loads, which result in inhomogeneous welded joint.


In the literature, there is a wide range of related concepts, such as the sharing cities. This includes knowledge-exchange platforms and exchange of resources among citizens, assumed like social agents between themselves and/or with the institutions; circular economies that promote a social and economic model based on the recycling and the optimization of the efficient use of resources or products throughout its life cycle, increasing its value and reducing the environmental impact and the generation of waste; and the concept of WeGovernment, which evolves from the understanding of citizens like customers or consumers to consider them partners, empowering them so as to have a more active role in management of the city. All these concepts pretend to increase the capacity of participation of the citizenship to influence, decide and contribute to the development and management of the city [4] .

All these concepts pretend to increase the capacity of participation of the citizenship to influence, decide and contribute to the development and management of the city.


Another argument for a negative moderator effect of maternal smiling imitation in this population might indicate that infants in Münster sample exhibit the first signs of coyness already at this age, which is linked up with smiling gaze aversion (Reddy, Hay, Murray, & Trevarthen, 1997) . Such smiling gaze aversion has been found from about 10 weeks of age and has a function of a briefly controlling the strong positive affect aroused in the infant by the familiar others during face-to-face interactions, mutual gazing, and positive emotionality of others toward the infants (Reddy, 2000; Reddy et al., 1997) . It could also mean that the development of the early perceptual awareness of the other's attentiveness to the self emerges at this age (Reddy et al., 1997) .

Another argument for a negative moderator effect of maternal smiling imitation in this population might indicate that infants in Münster sample exhibit the first signs of coyness already at this age, which is linked up with smiling gaze aversion.

Such smiling gaze aversion has been found from about 10 weeks of age and has a function of a briefly controlling the strong positive affect aroused in the infant by the familiar others during face-to-face interactions, mutual gazing, and positive emotionality of others toward the infants.

It could also mean that the development of the early perceptual awareness of the other's attentiveness to the self emerges at this age.


The growing amount of multimedia content has imposed the need for development of systems which are able to summarize videos of different genres automatically. Consequently, a considerable research effort has been allocated to this topic and various abstraction techniques have been developed. Broadly, two basic types of video summaries exist, static key-frames abstracts and dynamic video skims [1] . As a result of advanced audio-visual capturing tools, developing effective techniques to generate dynamic video skimming is becoming increasingly popular [2] . Generally, video summarization techniques comprise two phases: firstly, video segmentation in which a system aims to detect video shot boundaries; secondly, selection of the most important segments using their representative keyframes [3] . However, applying the regular video summarization methods will result in generation of identical video summaries for all viewers. It is important, though, to capture the user's interests and modify the video summary in a way that meets the user's requirements -in other words, to generate personalized video summaries. A personalized video summarization system then is designed to generate a shorter version of a video based on the user's preferences and interests while it retains the significant semantic content of the original video stream [4] .

Broadly, two basic types of video summaries exist, static key-frames abstracts and dynamic video skims.

As a result of advanced audio-visual capturing tools, developing effective techniques to generate dynamic video skimming is becoming increasingly popular.

Generally, video summarization techniques comprise two phases: firstly, video segmentation in which a system aims to detect video shot boundaries; secondly, selection of the most important segments using their representative keyframes.

A personalized video summarization system then is designed to generate a shorter version of a video based on the user's preferences and interests while it retains the significant semantic content of the original video stream.


First, the hazard rates for attrition was highest in the initial time periods (especially in the first few days/ months) indicating that perhaps children are coming late into the IHC programme or that the initial counselling/care offered is inadequate. To address this, the national AIDS Program and other services providers need to find children living with HIV who did not yet know their status or who cannot access ART services and strengthen the structure of the initial period counselling with the involvement of the peer network. Currently, in Myanmar, an estimated 2000 children are not reaching ART services indicating the need of urgent action to reach the global 90-90-90 targets for diagnosis, ART enrolment and ART retention at the end of 2020 [24] . The reasons for secondary increase in attrition rates at~1500 days (at about 4 years) in the pre-ART period and~2500 days (at about 7 years) during the ART period is unknown. We are unable to speculate any reasons for it at this point in time. This is an area for future research. Second, of the 651 children who experienced pre-ART or ART attrition, 380 children were 'lost to follow-up' suggesting that the loss to follow-up tracing system has to be improved. Anecdotal evidence indicates that children lost to follow-up may have actually died and studies from Africa showed that about or more than half of the patients recorded as lost to follow-up were actually died. Therefore, they may have been benefited if they were traced as soon as they missed the clinic appointment and brought back to the program [25] . Hence, the IHC programme needs to improve the existing lost to follow-up tracing system for children both in pre-ART and ART care preferably on the first day of missing to IHC clinic appointed date.

Currently, in Myanmar, an estimated 2000 children are not reaching ART services indicating the need of urgent action to reach the global 90-90-90 targets for diagnosis, ART enrolment and ART retention at the end of 2020.

This is an area for future research.

Therefore, they may have been benefited if they were traced as soon as they missed the clinic appointment and brought back to the program.


We were drawn to this research by a desire to investigate a clear message which we heard being repeated by applicants to the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) within the provider in which we were working as university tutors: they were choosing an employment-based route into teaching in preference to a university led PGCE route of initial teacher education. When pressed on this at interview, they began to frame their responses in terms of being drawn to learning 'from experience' preferring to be 'hands on' and rejecting 'going back' to university, where they would be expected to learn from theory and at distance. This seemed to run counter to claims by some GTP trainees in an earlier study that more 'theory' was needed (Smith and McLay, 2007) .

This seemed to run counter to claims by some GTP trainees in an earlier study that more 'theory' was needed.


ALM manufacturing technologies allow for the creation of models and products that are intricate in nature and made of composite materials which can be customised. ALM can be defined as the processes in which physical objects are made through layer by layer selective fusion, polymerisation or sintering of materials. For every ALM process, the designers begin with 3D computer software and follow a number of general steps that are required to be undertaken for manufacturing a part (Fig. 1) ; these steps may vary with the technology used. Designers can take advantage of the processes capabilities in order to design complex designs by using unexplored regions of the design space. ALM is stated to enhance design optimisation because of the designer's freedom and the fact that the design process is aided by a computer program, which allows layer by layer build-up of the model prototype [1] . Material complexity is another advantage, as ALM allows a wide range of materials to be used in the development of the product, which is not the case with traditional manufacturing.

ALM is stated to enhance design optimisation because of the designer's freedom and the fact that the design process is aided by a computer program, which allows layer by layer build-up of the model prototype.


In the adS/CFT correspondence, it is natural to place the CFT at the adS boundary because this hypersurface is a fixed surface under the action of the conformal group on the adS spacetime. The only other hypersurface with this property is the horizon. However, one can define a Minkowski space QFT with non-linearly realized conformal invariance on any horosphere [16] . The adS p+2 metric in horospherical coordinates is one-parameter class of Minkowski hypersurfaces interpolating between the Killing hori-zon and the adS boundary, the parameter being the radial adS coordinate. A scale transformation shifts the value of this radius, i.e. it takes a QFT in one vacuum to a QFT in another vacuum. In the IR or UV limit one is driven to the adS horizon or its boundary, respectively, these being the two fixed points in the space of vacua. Almost the same picture carries over to the domain-wall/QFT correspondence with the difference that the choice of horosphere for the Minkowski vacuum now corresponds not to a choice of the vacuum of a QFT with non-linearly realized conformal symmetry but rather to a choice of coupling constant of a non-conformal QFT. Thus, in the non-conformal case the interpolation between the adS Killing horizon and its boundary corresponds to an interpolation between strong and weak coupling (or vice-versa, depending on the case).

However, one can define a Minkowski space QFT with non-linearly realized conformal invariance on any horosphere.


The effective string coupling constant e φ is also large in this region, so the horizon limit is the strong string coupling limit. This means that to resolve the singularity in e φ at the horizon one must pass to the strong coupling dual theory. For p = 0, 2 this is M-theory while for p = 1 it is the dual IIB theory. In the latter case, after S-duality the D-string supergravity solution becomes the fundamental string solution. The dilaton is then small near u = 0 but there is now a curvature singularity there which is resolved in the DVV matrix string theory [20] . In the p = 4 case the region close to the boundary again corresponds to the UV of the SYM theory but this theory is now strongly coupled there.

The dilaton is then small near u = 0 but there is now a curvature singularity there which is resolved in the DVV matrix string theory.


In this study, we present a systematic study of singular vortex solutions of the critical and supercritical NLS (2) . In particular, we ask to what extent the available theory for singular NLS solutions remains valid for the subset of singular vortex solutions. Of course, all the rigorous results that were previously derived for singular NLS solutions remain valid for the special case of vortex solutions. As we shall see, however, in some cases stronger results can be obtained for collapsing vortices (e.g., the critical power for collapse). In addition, we find that some of the non-rigorous results for singular non-vortex solutions that were derived using asymptotic analysis and numerical simulations (e.g., stability of blowup profiles) do change for vortex solutions. Intuitively, the main reason for this qualitative difference is that vortex solutions must vanish at the origin, where the phase is undefined. Therefore, singular vortex solutions that collapse at the origin are identically zero there and must have a ring profile. This is very different from non-vortex singular solutions, whose amplitude at the collapse point increases to infinity as they collapse, regardless of whether their peak value is at the collapse point (i.e., peak-type solution) or not (i.e., ring-type solution).

In this study, we present a systematic study of singular vortex solutions of the critical and supercritical NLS.


The paper is organized as follows. In Section 2, we recall the conservation laws of the NLS (2) . In Section 3, we consider stationary vortex solutions of the form ψ stationary m,k = R m,k (r )e iλt+imθ . In Section 4, we systematically study vortex solutions of the critical (σ = 1) two-dimensional NLS iψ t (t, r, θ ) + ψ rr + 1 r ψ r + 1 r 2 ψ θθ + |ψ| 2 ψ = 0, ψ(0, r, θ ) = ψ 0 (r, θ ).

The paper is organized as follows.

In Section 2, we recall the conservation laws of the NLS.


The problem of reducing ranges of variables to find zeros of functions is the realm of interval analysis [16, 13] . One of the primary features of interval analysis is the ability to rigorously prove with finite arithmetic various mathematical statements such as the existence of a zero of a function within some box of variable values. Here, however, we are not concerned with rigorous reductions of the parameter ranges for several reasons. The observed data are assumed to have intrinsic error that cannot be precisely quantified, it is likely that the model is not a completely accurate description of the observed phenomenon, and the goal is simply to obtain sufficiently small ranges to allow for a reasonable selection of initial parameter values for a more sophisticated optimization scheme. In Section 5 we discuss how our algorithm could be made more rigorous and how it might be extended to reduce the parameter ranges to within the error introduced by the discretization.

The problem of reducing ranges of variables to find zeros of functions is the realm of interval analysis.


Combined gas-electric models weigh the costs and benefits of all players simultaneously within each individual network when determining the optimal set of natural gas and power flows as well as prices. When studying the interdependency between gas-electric networks, energy security and reliability of the grid has been a focus; in New England, there are two significant supply-related factors that have contributed to shortages and high regional gas (and therefore electricity) prices; first, deliveries of regasified liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Northeast terminals dropped more than 30% in 2014 compared to the same time period in 2013 [16] . Second, the major interstate and intrastate pipelines that transport natural gas into and Neha NANDAKUMAR, Anuradha M. ANNASWAMY within New England have been congested, especially during the winter months and polar vortex. An expansion of the pipeline system could alleviate pipeline constraints, but the cost-effectiveness of these pipeline expansion projects (which are passed on to consumers) remains difficult for GFGs and other parties involved [16] . It should be noted however that most of these efforts have been directed towards physical and operational interdependencies and the modeling of the material flow and effects of pipeline congestion rather than the economic flow and its impact on the gas-electricity interdependence. The latter is the focus of this paper, and seeks to examine the impact of the changing grid on natural gas market factors such as gas spot prices, as well as the impact on the GFG-gas marketer transactions.

When studying the interdependency between gas-electric networks, energy security and reliability of the grid has been a focus; in New England, there are two significant supply-related factors that have contributed to shortages and high regional gas (and therefore electricity) prices; first, deliveries of regasified liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Northeast terminals dropped more than 30% in 2014 compared to the same time period in 2013.

An expansion of the pipeline system could alleviate pipeline constraints, but the cost-effectiveness of these pipeline expansion projects (which are passed on to consumers) remains difficult for GFGs and other parties involved.


The electricity infrastructure consists of generators from which power is transferred via long distance, high-voltage transmission lines, with the voltage gradually stepped down through distribution systems to the end-user. With demand largely treated as an uncontrolled, exogenous input, electric utilities have an assumed 'obligation to serve' in which generation needs to be operated to meet this exogenous load demand at all times [1] . This balance between supply and demand is typically carried out by independent system operators. The NG network is quite similar to the electricity network, in terms of the network topology-it consists of transmission (pipelines), producers (wells), storage, and consumers. Pipelines use compressors along the line to create the flow of NG from the injection point on the line to the consumer of the NG. NG marketers, facilitate movement of NG by coordinating the sale of gas quantity and pipeline capacity contracts.

With demand largely treated as an uncontrolled, exogenous input, electric utilities have an assumed 'obligation to serve' in which generation needs to be operated to meet this exogenous load demand at all times.


The managerial function of controlling is the result of taking over the tasks of managers and emergence of coordination mechanisms. Planning and monitoring coordination plays an important role. Thanks to this coordination, controlling should allow the company to adjust to the changes occurring in the environment and to innovations, examined not only as a response to the environment, but also as a pre-emptive action. The process of institutionalisation of controlling arises along with the growth in complexity of tasks within the unit. As a consequence of such events, separate position of a controller is created. The tools used in controlling originate from managerial accounting; they may include indicator systems, budgeting or transfer pricing [14] .

The tools used in controlling originate from managerial accounting; they may include indicator systems, budgeting or transfer pricing.


Force in the shaper is determined by radial return. An initial force is calculated assuming the increment of deformation in a given time step is elastic. If this trial stress exceeds the current flow condition, given by Eq. (18), the stress is assigned the current flow force, and the plastic deformation is updated. Nodal forces are finally determined from the bar-element stresses and the wave-shaper force, depending on which elements act on a particular node. These are then used as input to the next time step, starting at Eq. (23) .

These are then used as input to the next time step, starting at Eq..


In the last 3 decades, the problem was intensified as an extensive debate on sustainable development, especially including the agricultural sector. In this context, more recently, the media and the international forum highlighted a special disturbing issue: will the production of biomass energy compete with the food supply [6] [7] [8] ? This is happening because, among several alternatives of energy supply to meet the current requirement of our society, biomass energy has been one of the elected solutions, for several reasons, among which it recycles carbon and thus helps to mitigate the rising greenhouse gas effects [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] .

In this context, more recently, the media and the international forum highlighted a special disturbing issue: will the production of biomass energy compete with the food supply?

This is happening because, among several alternatives of energy supply to meet the current requirement of our society, biomass energy has been one of the elected solutions, for several reasons, among which it recycles carbon and thus helps to mitigate the rising greenhouse gas effects.


In many, if not all, natural languages, there are parts of the lexicon whose sound-meaning associations appear to fall short of full arbitrariness. For example, as a form of nonarbitrariness of the sign, English phonaesthemes display diagrammatic iconicity (Peirce, 1955, p. 104) by associating the shared form sw-with the shared meaning 'swaying movement' in a set of phonaesthemic words : swirl, swivel, swift, swig, sweep, swallow, swarm, swim, swing, swipe, switch, swoosh, swoop, swill , and swoon (Parault, 2006, p. 231) . On a conceptual level, diagrammatic iconicity displays a less transparent mapping than imagistic iconicity, which uses acoustic signals of speech sound only to mimic acoustic phenomena, as in onomatopoeia. The question that arises is, then, to what extent the diagrammatic iconicity of phonaesthemes could reveal primary iconicity (i.e., iconicity that involves a sufficient similarity between sign and referent to allow the understanding that the former stands for the latter) allowing speakers of different languages to understand their meaning (Sonesson, 1997) . This is a testable hypothesis.

The question that arises is, then, to what extent the diagrammatic iconicity of phonaesthemes could reveal primary iconicity (i.e., iconicity that involves a sufficient similarity between sign and referent to allow the understanding that the former stands for the latter) allowing speakers of different languages to understand their meaning.

This is a testable hypothesis.


The HIV epidemic has significantly altered the context within which women make decisions about how they will feed their infants. This is especially true for sub-Saharan Africa where the HIV/AIDS epidemic is most severe. Safe infant feeding is one of the most complex aspects of mother to child transmission (MTCT) prevention in most developing countries affected by HIV/AIDS [1] .

Safe infant feeding is one of the most complex aspects of mother to child transmission (MTCT) prevention in most developing countries affected by HIV/AIDS.


Although fasciculations are not a frequent observation in envenomed patients, a review of cases reported to the California state poison control system identified 47 cases of snakebite over a 4-year period in which fasciculations were reported [6] . In the series, fasciculations in the shoulder and chest area were associated with development of respiratory failure. Although the specific species responsible for fasciculations were not identified, other reports from California have associated the Southern Pacific rattlesnake (C. oreganus helleri) with development of severe fasciculations and respiratory failure [5, 10] . Such cases prompted an investigation, which lead to the discovery that Mojave toxin was present in the venom of Southern Pacific rattlesnakes sampled from one geographic region [11] .

Although fasciculations are not a frequent observation in envenomed patients, a review of cases reported to the California state poison control system identified 47 cases of snakebite over a 4-year period in which fasciculations were reported.

Although the specific species responsible for fasciculations were not identified, other reports from California have associated the Southern Pacific rattlesnake (C. oreganus helleri) with development of severe fasciculations and respiratory failure.

Such cases prompted an investigation, which lead to the discovery that Mojave toxin was present in the venom of Southern Pacific rattlesnakes sampled from one geographic region.


The flow of conducting fluids in non-uniform magnetic fields is of interest in many technological applications. For instance, blanket designs in Tokamak toroidal confinement fusion systems rely on knowledge of the flow dynamics and heat transfer of conducting liquids under strong non-uniform magnetic fields (Abdou et al. 2001) . Although steady models of fusion MHD flows grasp many important features, unsteady flow analysis is required to provide realistic simulations for design purposes. However, most of the studies devoted to the analysis of fusion MHD flows are based on stationary inertialess assumptions. The rationale of this approach lies in the hope that under fusion operation conditions, a suppression of time-dependent inertial flows by magnetic damping could occur. However, this might not be the case and, in fact, the promotion of non-steady inertial flows is even desirable for heat transfer enhancement purposes (Reed & Picologlou 1989; Bühler 1996; Burr et al. 2000; Mück et al. 2000) .

For instance, blanket designs in Tokamak toroidal confinement fusion systems rely on knowledge of the flow dynamics and heat transfer of conducting liquids under strong non-uniform magnetic fields.

However, this might not be the case and, in fact, the promotion of non-steady inertial flows is even desirable for heat transfer enhancement purposes.


Game theory is a mathematical theory of socio-economic phenomena exhibiting interaction among decision-makers, called players, whose actions affect each other. The fundamental assumptions that underlie the theory are that players pursue well-defined exogenous objectives and take into account their knowledge, or expectations, of other players' behavior [17] . The theory has been so far applied in the fields of economics, political science, evolutionary biology, computer science, statistics, accounting, social psychology, law, and branches of philosophy such as epistemology and ethics [1] .

The fundamental assumptions that underlie the theory are that players pursue well-defined exogenous objectives and take into account their knowledge, or expectations, of other players' behavior.

The theory has been so far applied in the fields of economics, political science, evolutionary biology, computer science, statistics, accounting, social psychology, law, and branches of philosophy such as epistemology and ethics.


A game is a model of strategic interaction among a number of players, which includes the constraints on the actions that players can take and the players' interests, but does not specify the actions that players do take. A solution is a systematic description of the outcomes that may emerge in a game [17] . In this paper we consider only the family of strategic, or normal form, games. The most commonly encountered solution concept in game theory is that of Nash equilibrium [15, 16] . This notion captures a steady state of the play of a strategic game, in which each player holds correct expectations concerning the other players' behavior and acts rationally.

A solution is a systematic description of the outcomes that may emerge in a game.

The most commonly encountered solution concept in game theory is that of Nash equilibrium.


The first comprehensive quadruped robot, KUMO-I, was developed in 1976 by Japan's Tokyo Institute of Technology, which subsequently also produced TITAN series quadruped robots based on this study [3] [4] [5] [6] . Currently quadruped robots are widely studied in many universities and laboratories around the world [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] . The most advanced quadruped robot so far is BigDog, jointly developed by Boston Dynamics and M.I.T. in 2005 for the US Army. BigDog is able to be operated in unstructured environment, with multiple capabilities such as independent walking, running, jumping, and climbing obstacles. An upgraded version, LS3, is currently in intense development [13] .

The first comprehensive quadruped robot, KUMO-I, was developed in 1976 by Japan's Tokyo Institute of Technology, which subsequently also produced TITAN series quadruped robots based on this study.

Currently quadruped robots are widely studied in many universities and laboratories around the world.

An upgraded version, LS3, is currently in intense development.


EC consists of passing the effluent through electrodes, which are arranged in parallel, in a horizontal or vertical flow fed by a continuous electrical current supplied by a self-regulated source. During treatment, the organic molecules are dissolved and inorganic salts undergo electrolytic dissociation, which perturbs the ionic balance of the medium. At the anode (positive), iron ions are generated, which form the coagulation agent, and at the cathode (negative), hydrogen microbubbles are formed, which carry the particles to the surface, constituting a flotation process (CRESPILHO; REZENDE, 2004) . This technique is of considerable interest due to its operational simplicity, in addition to its potential for treating a large variety of effluents (BORBA et al., 2010) .

At the anode (positive), iron ions are generated, which form the coagulation agent, and at the cathode (negative), hydrogen microbubbles are formed, which carry the particles to the surface, constituting a flotation process.

This technique is of considerable interest due to its operational simplicity, in addition to its potential for treating a large variety of effluents.


Engineers at NASA, as well as other design-intensive industries, use several supporting techniques including checklists, FMEA/FMECAs, and FTAs to anticipate potential failures [3] . Checklists are listings of relevant failure modes and mechanisms that are used as reminders to ensure designs have been adequately assessed. Checklists can be incomplete and lacking in all of the mechanisms leading to failure [3] .

Engineers at NASA, as well as other design-intensive industries, use several supporting techniques including checklists, FMEA/FMECAs, and FTAs to anticipate potential failures.

Checklists can be incomplete and lacking in all of the mechanisms leading to failure.


FMEA (failure modes and effects analysis) and FMECA (failure modes effects and criticality analysis) are bottom up approaches to failure analysis. These tools can be used to identify failure modes at a specific level, such as component or sub-assembly, before tracing the effect of the failure upward through the design hierarchy [4] . Ideally, the FMEA/FMECA would be performed when the electrical system is first designed and repeated whenever any change is made to the design, but considering the tediousness and time required to perform a FMEA/FMECA, repeating the FMEA/FMECA process can be cost prohibitive [5] . As a result, the FMEA/FMECA is often performed late in the design cycle at a time when the cost of design changes or modifications can be enormous. Besides the FMEA/FMECA process being both tedious and time consuming, it also requires detailed expert knowledge of the structure and function of the system under consideration [6] . In addition, a fundamental weaknesses of the FMEA is the lack of a natural language for failure modes [7] .

These tools can be used to identify failure modes at a specific level, such as component or sub-assembly, before tracing the effect of the failure upward through the design hierarchy.

Ideally, the FMEA/FMECA would be performed when the electrical system is first designed and repeated whenever any change is made to the design, but considering the tediousness and time required to perform a FMEA/FMECA, repeating the FMEA/FMECA process can be cost prohibitive.

Besides the FMEA/FMECA process being both tedious and time consuming, it also requires detailed expert knowledge of the structure and function of the system under consideration.

In addition, a fundamental weaknesses of the FMEA is the lack of a natural language for failure modes.


The FFD (function-failure design) method, developed by Tumer and Stone, utilizes both a standardized knowledge base (from which failure modes can be derived based on the functionality of the component) and a standardized functional vocabulary [3, [8] [9] [10] [11] . Like FMEA/FMECA and FTA, detailed knowledge and understanding of the systems being considered is required to build the FFD knowledge base, but the advantage is that once the information has been stored in this knowledge base, detailed information can then be retrieved and used by less experienced designers. To make use of the FFD method, a comprehensive failure mode taxonomy is needed. In its current state, this taxonomy is limited to mechanical failure modes.

The FFD (function-failure design) method, developed by Tumer and Stone, utilizes both a standardized knowledge base (from which failure modes can be derived based on the functionality of the component) and a standardized functional vocabulary.


In this paper we have presented a novel decentralized algorithm, the FDC algorithm, that solves the discrete consensus problem, a generalization of the quantized consensus problem. It has been shown that the proposed algorithm has improved convergence time with respect to other discrete and quantized consensus algorithms in the literature. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm can be implemented in any undirected connected network topology as opposed to other approaches which require Hamiltonian graphs [11] . A stochastic characterization of the algorithm in terms of different stochastic edge/node selection processes has been presented taking into account the inherent parallelism of local state updates in large networks. Simulations have been provided to compare the theoretical upper bound to the convergence time with the simulated convergence time for random graphs and line graphs with increasing number of nodes. An empirical comparison of convergence time between FDC and Discrete Consensus has been provided to highlight the increased performance with respect to the state of the art.

Furthermore, the proposed algorithm can be implemented in any undirected connected network topology as opposed to other approaches which require Hamiltonian graphs.


For each n > 1 in Theorem 1.1 an example of a foliated space with required properties is obtained by a suitable modification of the Schori solenoid [30] . The Schori solenoid is the inverse limit of an inverse sequence of non-regular 3-to-1 coverings of a genus 2 surface X 0 and, as any solenoid, is a foliated fibre bundle with the base X 0 . An important property is that every leaf L in a foliated bundle p : E → X 0 is a covering space of the base, and so by the result of Scott [31, Lemma 1.2] the number of ends of L is the same as the number of ends of the pair of groups (π 1 (X 0 , p(x)), p * π 1 (L, x)), or the number of ends of the Schreier diagram of the coset space π 1 (E, p(x))/p * π 1 (L, x). The Schreier space of E is then the set Λ ∞ of all Schreier diagrams of leaves, bound together in a suitable topology so that they preserve the essential dynamical properties of E. In the case when E = X ∞ is a weak solenoid, there are intermediate coverings E → pi X i → p i 0 X 0 which allow us to obtain a representation of Λ ∞ as the inverse limit of finite graphs, and make computations by studying the projections of path components of Λ ∞ onto these finite graphs.

For each n > 1 in Theorem 1.1 an example of a foliated space with required properties is obtained by a suitable modification of the Schori solenoid.


As China joined World Trade Organization (WTO) and the local construction market has reached the saturation point, many well-known Chinese construction enterprises (CCEs) began to carry out construction works in overseas projects [1] . According to the data of Engineering News-Record (ENR), the revenues of Chinese contractors increased from $8.8 billion in 2004 to $98.7 billion in 2016, with the first ranking in the world, and 65 Chinese contractors were included in the ENR's top 250. With the proposition of Silk Road Economic Belt strategy, more and more CCEs will step abroad to expand their market worldwide [2] .

As China joined World Trade Organization (WTO) and the local construction market has reached the saturation point, many well-known Chinese construction enterprises (CCEs) began to carry out construction works in overseas projects.

With the proposition of Silk Road Economic Belt strategy, more and more CCEs will step abroad to expand their market worldwide.


However, despite the tremendous opportunities, CCEs have also witnessed a dramatic increase in political risks around the world, particularly in developing countries [3] . In 2015, three executives of the China Railway Construction Corporation were killed in the Mali terrorist attack. In 2014, the Mexican government annulled a business deal with a Chinese-led consortium over its first high-speed railway project due to public concerns about the bidding process. In 2012, in the armed conflict between Sudanese rebels and the local government, 29 Sinohydro staff members in a highway project were kidnapped by Sudanese rebels. Political risks have brought huge losses to CCEs and will be a persistent obstacle to the development of the Chinese overseas construction business.

However, despite the tremendous opportunities, CCEs have also witnessed a dramatic increase in political risks around the world, particularly in developing countries.


The first case selection criterion was to have enough contrasting cases regarding features of succession to ensure the validity and reliability of the research. After consulting a local family business association, we identified potential cases. We studied three Spanish FOBs that have successfully completed their CEO succession process from first to second generation. The second case selection criterion was to have access to different family and non-family respondents who were directly involved in the succession process. Triangulating data from different sources is crucial to counterbalance the bias of individuals' perceptions and valuations [40, 45, 61] .

Triangulating data from different sources is crucial to counterbalance the bias of individuals' perceptions and valuations.


To the authors' knowledge, no independent work has considered the degree of accuracy and applicability of the PeakForce™ QNM™ technique in a systematic way. The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate PeakForce™ QNM™ as a nanomechanical mapping technique to obtain valid modulus measurements for a range of polymers. The modulus values obtained from PeakForce™ QNM™ using different probes were compared with values measured using conventional IIT and with the suppliers' data. Table 1 shows the materials used in this study together with the suppliers' values for Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio (where Poisson's ratio data were not available, a value of 0.35 was used). Polymer surfaces were prepared by ultramicrotomy using a Leica EM UC7 ultramicrotome (Leica Microsystems GmbH Wetzlar, Germany). The temperature was controlled (between -40 ºC and -140 ºC) to ensure that the ultramicrotomy resulted in a brittle fracture to minimise the surface roughness. The polymeric surfaces for investigation were cut from bulk materials (as opposed to using thin films) in order to eliminate any error arising from the interaction between a thin film and the underlying substrate during indentation by either AFM nanomechanical mapping or IIT [12] .

The polymeric surfaces for investigation were cut from bulk materials (as opposed to using thin films) in order to eliminate any error arising from the interaction between a thin film and the underlying substrate during indentation by either AFM nanomechanical mapping or IIT.


Accurate modulus measurements are complicated by the multiple and complex force interactions that usually occur in a tip-surface contact. The most commonly used models for the calculation of Young's modulus by AFM techniques (where the predominant contact is between a spherical tip of defined radius and a flat surface) are Hertzian, DerjaguinMuller-Toporov (DMT) and Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR) [10] . In practice, the surface is rarely flat, and the tip apex may differ from an ideal sphere, leading to errors in the calculated modulus values. An additional complication is rotation (the lateral and buckling movement) of the AFM tip during cantilever deflection which produces tip-surface shear forces that are not accounted for in these models [11] .

The most commonly used models for the calculation of Young's modulus by AFM techniques (where the predominant contact is between a spherical tip of defined radius and a flat surface) are Hertzian, DerjaguinMuller-Toporov (DMT) and Johnson-Kendall-Roberts (JKR).

An additional complication is rotation (the lateral and buckling movement) of the AFM tip during cantilever deflection which produces tip-surface shear forces that are not accounted for in these models.


In this work we consider a discrete-state neural model introduced recently by DeVille and Peskin [6] . The key result and important insight of this work is that they show experimentally and by some estimates for the expected behavior of the model that the network can exhibit both synchronous and asynchronous behavior, a property which is omnipresent in the human brain [3] . Here, synchrony is achieved if there are massive interactions between the neurons. In particular, when a neuron accumulates a sufficiently high internal potential, it fires, which increases the potential of neighboring neurons. Some of those could now fire as well, which might start an immense chain reaction, a so-called "big burst". Alternatively, the network is in an asynchronous state when there are only few interactions between the neurons, and only small bursts occur. DeVille and Peskin also exhibit ranges for the parameters of the model for which the network switches spontaneously between synchrony and asynchrony.

In this work we consider a discrete-state neural model introduced recently by DeVille and Peskin.

The key result and important insight of this work is that they show experimentally and by some estimates for the expected behavior of the model that the network can exhibit both synchronous and asynchronous behavior, a property which is omnipresent in the human brain.


In recent years, microencapsulation has also been found to be useful for the stabilization of probiotic cells in functional food applications. Microencapsulation can enhance the viability of probiotic cells during processing, storage, and subsequent consumption (Krasaekoops et al. 2003) . The above results showed that microencapsulation using alginic acid and pectin materials is a feasible approach for microencapsulating probiotics. The functional properties of probiotic microorganisms, such as gastrointestinal tolerance and the adhesion to intestinal epithelium, are critical factors in probiotic efficacy (Ranadheera et al. 2014) . Probiotics are defined as microbial cell preparations or components of microbes that have a beneficial effect on the health and well-being of a host. Probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus produce organic acids such as lactic acid and acetic acid, which can lower the pH of the colon, enhancing peristalsis and reducing colonic transit times (Jayasimhan et al. 2013) . Bacillus spores are commonly used as probiotics for human and animal consumption due to their immunostimulatory properties on the gastrointestinal immune system (Salinas et al. 2005) . SD-microencapsulated samples exhibited a significantly higher capability of adhesion to HT-29 cells than did the FD sample. Considering these results, SD-P2A2 was selected as a diet supplement for in vivo experiments.

Microencapsulation can enhance the viability of probiotic cells during processing, storage, and subsequent consumption.

The functional properties of probiotic microorganisms, such as gastrointestinal tolerance and the adhesion to intestinal epithelium, are critical factors in probiotic efficacy.

Probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus produce organic acids such as lactic acid and acetic acid, which can lower the pH of the colon, enhancing peristalsis and reducing colonic transit times.

Bacillus spores are commonly used as probiotics for human and animal consumption due to their immunostimulatory properties on the gastrointestinal immune system.


Constipation is characterized by a constellation of symptoms and complaints: the most common of which are low defecation frequency, irregular fecal expulsion, painful and strained defecation, hard and dry fecal pellets, a feeling of incomplete rectal defecation, and the passing of abnormally small fecal pellets (Bosaeus 2004) . Loperamide acts on the mu-receptors in the intestinal mucosa, which leads to decreased gastrointestinal motility by reducing circular and longitudinal smooth muscle activity of the intestinal wall. Loperamide is approved for the control of diarrhea symptoms and is available without a prescription (Arafat et al. 2014) . The major mechanism underlying constipation is the failure of peristalsis to move the luminal content through the colon, resulting in increased time required for bacterial feces degradation and more time for salt and water absorption, which manifests in reduced defecation frequencies and fecal weights (Schiller 2001) . Various laxative drugs that contain magnesium oxide, senna, senokot, or gaviscon are commonly used to treat constipation, but these drugs are expensive and induce side effects, such as severe diarrhea. In addition, the repeated use of some drugs can induce colic melanosis, a risk factor for developing colorectal neoplasms (Siegers et al. 1993; Wintola et al. 2010) . Thus, substantial efforts have been made to develop new laxative drugs with reduced side effects and increased beneficial effects.

Constipation is characterized by a constellation of symptoms and complaints: the most common of which are low defecation frequency, irregular fecal expulsion, painful and strained defecation, hard and dry fecal pellets, a feeling of incomplete rectal defecation, and the passing of abnormally small fecal pellets.

Loperamide is approved for the control of diarrhea symptoms and is available without a prescription.

The major mechanism underlying constipation is the failure of peristalsis to move the luminal content through the colon, resulting in increased time required for bacterial feces degradation and more time for salt and water absorption, which manifests in reduced defecation frequencies and fecal weights.

In addition, the repeated use of some drugs can induce colic melanosis, a risk factor for developing colorectal neoplasms.


The fermentation characteristics of FG were investigated. After 72 h of fermentation, the viable count of B. subtilis CBD2 in a fermented sample was 6.32 CFU/mL. During the fermentation process, the pH decreased significantly. Amylase activity produced by B. subtilis CBD2 in FG supernatant was 194.00 ± 12.89 units/mL (data not shown). Thus, we confirmed changes on the stability of bacteria and amylase activities by microencapsulation of FG. The viable bacterial cell counts in FD powder and SD powders containing different agents (SD-P2, SD-P2A0.5, SD-P2A1, and SD-P2A2) are shown in Table 1 . Compared to the findings for FD, the viable bacterial cell counts in the SD powders were lower. An increase of the alginic acid concentrations in the SD powder significantly inhibited amylase activity. Significantly higher amylase activities were evident in SD-P2 (995.71 units/g). Our findings demonstrated that microencapsulation of the probiotic and the amylase enzyme using different microencapsulation agents by the SD technique is possible. The use of alginic acid is limited due to its low stability in the presence of chelating agents and in acidic conditions below pH 2.0 (María et al. 2010) . Adding pectins to alginic acid-based encapsulant formulations may confer multiple benefits, including the enhanced protection of core substances and increased dietary fiber consumption and product nutritional value (Fernandez 2001) .

The use of alginic acid is limited due to its low stability in the presence of chelating agents and in acidic conditions below pH 2.0.

Adding pectins to alginic acid-based encapsulant formulations may confer multiple benefits, including the enhanced protection of core substances and increased dietary fiber consumption and product nutritional value.


We previously described the potential of the Bacillus subtilis CBD2 strain probiotic isolated from Korean fermented food in treating mice with loperamide-induced constipation (Kim et al. 2013) . The probiotic potential of B. subtilis may be enhanced via modification, such as with fermentation and microencapsulation. Therefore, we investigated whether food products containing microencapsulated B. subtilis CBD2-fermented grain could exert probiotic effects in mice with loperamide-induced constipation. In the present study, changes in fecal parameters, the gastrointestinal transit (GIT) ratio, harmful enzyme activities, and mRNA expression levels of intestinal muscle contraction-related genes were observed in mice with loperamide-induced constipation to evaluate the probiotic effects of microencapsulated food products containing B. subtilis CBD2-fermented grain. Our results suggested that microencapsulated food product containing B. subtilis CBD2-fermented grain may be used as a functional material for ameliorating constipation.

We previously described the potential of the Bacillus subtilis CBD2 strain probiotic isolated from Korean fermented food in treating mice with loperamide-induced constipation.


This study had several limitations. First, there were differences in the conditions between the spring and summer camps (e.g., number of days and afternoon work-out times). Also, it is possible that the eating habits of our subjects changed during the experimental period and were different between the spring and summer trials. However, we randomly divided our subjects into (1) a spring camp with placebo and summer camp with chlorella group and (2) a spring camp with chlorella and summer camp with placebo group. In addition, we asked the subjects not to change their eating habits during the respective experimental periods (i.e., from the beginning of tablet intake to post-camp saliva sampling). Thus, we consider that the effects of the differences in the conditions between the spring and summer camps on our inter-group comparisons were not remarkable. Second, we calculated saliva flow rates based on mass rather than measuring the actual volume. Because the reported specific gravity of saliva in healthy young humans is approximately 1.003, the saliva flow rate and the salivary SIgA secretion rate would have been only slightly overestimated [31, 32] . However, the body masses of our subjects did not decrease during the camps compared with their baseline values. A previous study reported that an exercise-induced loss of body mass of 1.1% did not change saliva osmolality [33] . Thus, it was possible to compare these indices obtained before the camp with those during and after the camp. Finally, it is possible that the timing of saliva sampling (before breakfast or before lunch) affected salivary SIgA secretion. A previous study demonstrated that the salivary SIgA concentration was not stable and was higher during the 2 h after awaking, especially during the first 30 min, compared to 3 to 10 h later [34] . However, the tendencies for our samples collected only before and during the summer camp (i.e., samples obtained with the same timing schedule) were nearly identical to those for all samples.

This study had several limitations.

Because the reported specific gravity of saliva in healthy young humans is approximately 1.003, the saliva flow rate and the salivary SIgA secretion rate would have been only slightly overestimated.

A previous study reported that an exercise-induced loss of body mass of 1.1% did not change saliva osmolality.

A previous study demonstrated that the salivary SIgA concentration was not stable and was higher during the 2 h after awaking, especially during the first 30 min, compared to 3 to 10 h later.


Sylvester rank functions arise in many different fields. For a unital C * -algebra R, given a tracial state τ for R, one can extend τ to M n (R) for all n ∈ N by setting τ (A) = n j=1 τ (A jj ) for A ∈ M n (R), and then define rk τ (B) = lim k→∞ τ (|B| 1/k ) for all B ∈ M n,m (R). The function rk τ is a Sylvester rank function defined on rectangular matrices over R. This rank function is widely studied in Elliott's classification program for simple nuclear C * -algebras, and is fundamental in the definition of strict comparison property and hence in the formulation of the Toms-Winter conjecture [5, 6, 8, 30] .

The function rk τ is a Sylvester rank function defined on rectangular matrices over R. This rank function is widely studied in Elliott's classification program for simple nuclear C * -algebras, and is fundamental in the definition of strict comparison property and hence in the formulation of the Toms-Winter conjecture.


Lupus nephritis (LN) is a key determinant of the treatment outcome in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Patients with LN require aggressive immunosuppression and, in the absence of any better option, the use of existing drugs in a patient-tailored manner remains the only way to improve outcomes [1] . In this situation, biomarkers could help in diagnosis, treatment and assessment of response to the treatment. A number of serum and urinary biomarkers for LN have been pursued in the past with the hope of finding some which could reflect disease activity in a robust and reliable manner [2] . Of late, realizing that the hypothesis-driven approaches have not succeeded, researchers are trying hypothesis-free approaches such as proteome or metabolome analyses [2] . Kidney activity and damage is likely to be reflected more accurately by biomarkers present in the urine rather than serum. Being easier to obtain in a non-invasive manner, urine is also an ideal biological sample for diseases requiring repetitive sampling [3] .

Patients with LN require aggressive immunosuppression and, in the absence of any better option, the use of existing drugs in a patient-tailored manner remains the only way to improve outcomes.

A number of serum and urinary biomarkers for LN have been pursued in the past with the hope of finding some which could reflect disease activity in a robust and reliable manner.

Of late, realizing that the hypothesis-driven approaches have not succeeded, researchers are trying hypothesis-free approaches such as proteome or metabolome analyses.

Being easier to obtain in a non-invasive manner, urine is also an ideal biological sample for diseases requiring repetitive sampling.


To our knowledge, ACT has not been reported so far as a urinary biomarker for AR disease, even though its enhanced plasma levels have been reported in LN [28] . The source of uACT in our AR patients could be either the protein filtered from plasma or local synthesis within the kidney. The lack of correlation between serum and uACT levels, however, indicates towards its local synthesis. Indeed, expression of ACT has been seen in proximal tubular cells and monocyte/macrophage lineage cells within the glomerulus [29] . In a study of patients with various nephropathies, an intense ACT staining of glomeruli in renal biopsies was seen in certain types of nephropathies [30] . Enhanced synthesis of ACT by the kidney may be viewed as a protective mechanism against renal damage. In its absence, the defence mechanisms geared towards protection of glomerular structures from damage by proteolytic enzymes (in this case chymotrypsin) could suffer a setback.

To our knowledge, ACT has not been reported so far as a urinary biomarker for AR disease, even though its enhanced plasma levels have been reported in LN.

Indeed, expression of ACT has been seen in proximal tubular cells and monocyte/macrophage lineage cells within the glomerulus.

In a study of patients with various nephropathies, an intense ACT staining of glomeruli in renal biopsies was seen in certain types of nephropathies.


The design of an autonomous mobile robot requires establishing a close relation between the perceived environment and the commands sent to the low-level controller. This necessitates complex spatial reasoning relying on some kind of internal environment representation [1] . In the mainstream model-based approach, a monolithic environment-centred representation is used to store the landmarks and the descriptions of the corresponding image features. The considered features are usually geometric primitives, while their positions are expressed in coordinates of the common environment-wide frame [2, 3] . During the navigation, the detected features are associated with the elements of the model, in order to localize the robot, and to locate previously unobserved model elements. However, the success of such approach depends directly on the accuracy of the underlying model. This poses a strong assumption which impairs the scalability and, depending on the input, may not be attainable at all.

This necessitates complex spatial reasoning relying on some kind of internal environment representation.

The considered features are usually geometric primitives, while their positions are expressed in coordinates of the common environment-wide frame.


It is appropriate to note that the statistical mechanics of thermodynamic systems such as an ideal gas are also highly idealized and energy conserving. The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution of velocities is a universal output. This statistical mechanics approach has been extended to a wide variety of irreversible processes with energy dissipation. An example would be the laminar viscous flow of an ideal gas through a pipe. The energy input is the pressure gradient and the energy loss is the frictional heating of the gas. Nevertheless, despite the energy dissipation, the molecular velocities have a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution to a good approximation (Chapman & Cowling 1960) . We suggest that our simple model (as well as related simple models such as site percolation) is related to distributed seismicity in much the same way that viscous flows are related to ideal thermodynamic behaviour.

Nevertheless, despite the energy dissipation, the molecular velocities have a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution to a good approximation.


Further support for this statistical physics approach to seismicity comes from the frequency-magnitude distribution of earthquakes in southern California. The cumulative number of earthquakes N with magnitude greater than M L for each year between 1980 and 1994 is given as a function of M / in Fig. 6 (Newman, Turcotte & Gabrielov 1995) . An excellent correlation with the Guttenberg-Richter relation (1) is obtained taking a=4.3 and b= 1.06. It is seen that the intensity of seismicity, the a value, changes little from year to year. This suggests stationarity (Main 1996) . The major deviations in 1987, 1993 and 1994 can be attributed to the aftershocks of the Whittier Narrows, Landers and Northridge earthquakes, respectively. The constancy of the low-level seismicity in time is remarkable considering the extent of the spatial variability. Again this is suggestive of a system which is residing at or near a critical point or a point of marginal stability (Carlson & Langer 1989) .

The cumulative number of earthquakes N with magnitude greater than M L for each year between 1980 and 1994 is given as a function of M / in Fig. 6.

This suggests stationarity.

Again this is suggestive of a system which is residing at or near a critical point or a point of marginal stability.


Switched systems are a special class of hybrid systems, which consist of a collection of continuous or discrete-time subsystems together with a switching rule that orchestrates switching between these subsystems to achieve the control objectives [1] . Descriptor systems are also referred to as singular systems, implicit systems, or differential-algebraic systems, which are also a natural representation of dynamic systems and can describe physical systems better than the normal linear systems. Descriptor systems have been widely applied in many practical systems such as networks, power systems, electrical circuits, economics mathematical modeling, and many other fields [2, 3] . In actual control systems, switching phenomenon of descriptor systems is ubiquitous. Nevertheless, because of the switching between multiple descriptor subsystems and the algebraic constraints in descriptor model, it is inevitably difficult to analyze and synthesize for switched descriptor systems.

Switched systems are a special class of hybrid systems, which consist of a collection of continuous or discrete-time subsystems together with a switching rule that orchestrates switching between these subsystems to achieve the control objectives.

Descriptor systems have been widely applied in many practical systems such as networks, power systems, electrical circuits, economics mathematical modeling, and many other fields.


String theory predicts deviations from the Bekenstein-Hawking area law for the entropy of black holes. For large charges the microstate counting yields a statistical entropy which generically coincides with the area of the corresponding macroscopic black hole solutions [1] . In a number of cases, also subleading corrections can be determined. This is especially relevant for the heterotic string, where certain elementary string states can be identified with black holes. For 1/2-BPS states the charges are restricted and as a result the leading contributions to the entropy vanish [2] . Therefore, the dominant contribution to area and entropy will come from subleading terms, which do not obey the proportionality relation as implied by the area law. In all of this it is important that one is dealing with BPS states, corresponding to extremal black holes, so that the effects of string interactions remain under control.

For large charges the microstate counting yields a statistical entropy which generically coincides with the area of the corresponding macroscopic black hole solutions.

For 1/2-BPS states the charges are restricted and as a result the leading contributions to the entropy vanish.


Organic aerosol (OA) is a significant component (20-90 %) of atmospheric fine particulate matter and thus strongly affects the physicochemical properties of aerosols. Despite its importance, OA remains today the leastunderstood component of the atmospheric aerosol system. OA has hundreds of sources, both anthropogenic and natural, and it can undergo complex atmospheric chemical and physical processing (Hallquist et al., 2009) . The description of these emissions and processes in chemical transport models (CTMs) is not a trivial task.

OA has hundreds of sources, both anthropogenic and natural, and it can undergo complex atmospheric chemical and physical processing.


Rain gauges measure rainfall directly and rainfall depth accumulated over the period of interest is measured with a high degree of accuracy at the points where the gauges are located. However, rain-gauge networks are too sparse to capture the spatial variability of rainfall and with higher temporal scale the spatial variability of rainfall is averaged (Wilson and Brandes, 1979) . Radar, on the other hand, measures a volume-averaged returned signal power which is converted to rainfall in two steps: first to reflectivity factor (Z), and then to instantaneous rainfall rate (R). Although indirect, radar estimates of rainfall provide a detailed sampling pattern in space and provide valuable information on the spatial variability of rainfall. However, rainfall estimated using radar lacks the accuracy at a point which rain gauges provide (Wilson and Brandes, 1979; Todini 2001) .

However, rain-gauge networks are too sparse to capture the spatial variability of rainfall and with higher temporal scale the spatial variability of rainfall is averaged.

However, rainfall estimated using radar lacks the accuracy at a point which rain gauges provide.


A large number of scientists are searching for a relatively cheap, widely available, easily accepted, and effective contraceptive of plant origin that is equally noninvasive, nonhormonal in action, nontoxic, and relatively long acting. Medicinal plants are important elements of indigenous medical system in many countries. Nowadays, the use of traditional medicines has received considerable interest and a large number of plants have been screened for their antifertility activity [31] [32] [33] [34] . Thus the present study was designed to investigate the effect of the ethanolic extract of Salsola imbricata on the fertility of male rats and to investigate the phenolic constituents which may be responsible for this activity. The wide distribution of this desert plant and its common use in folk medicine and as animal fodder stimulated also the performance of this investigation. In addition, screening of the ethanolic extract indicated the presence of steroids, triterpenoids, and polyphenols which could exert an antifertility effect [5] [6] [7] [8] .

Nowadays, the use of traditional medicines has received considerable interest and a large number of plants have been screened for their antifertility activity.

In addition, screening of the ethanolic extract indicated the presence of steroids, triterpenoids, and polyphenols which could exert an antifertility effect.


The role of temperature in determining leaf appearance rate in sugarcane has been well studied [5, 8, 9, 11, 15, 16, 20, 24] . Thermal time has been found to correlate with the appearance of sugarcane leaves [9] . Consequently, a faster leaf appearance rate under a high temperature regime may seem intuitive [16] .

The role of temperature in determining leaf appearance rate in sugarcane has been well studied.

Thermal time has been found to correlate with the appearance of sugarcane leaves.

Consequently, a faster leaf appearance rate under a high temperature regime may seem intuitive.


Cue reactivity occurs when stimuli, such as environmental context or substance-related materials, become associated with the drug and due to this pairing become conditioned stimuli. Drug relevant stimuli become conditioned stimuli that elicit motivational states that can produce physiological and behavioural responses that are similar to that of the drug response [15] . This attentional bias can be tested using modifications of the Stroop task [16] . Modified Stroop tasks are especially useful for testing whether stimuli capture the attention of participants. In the original Stroop task participants were presented with lists of colour-words (e.g. RED), which were printed in different colours (e.g. blue). Participants were required to respond to the written word ("RED") whilst ignoring the colour in which the word was printed (blue) and name the colour ("blue") whilst ignoring the word (RED). Stroop found that to name the colour whilst ignoring the word produced longer response times [16] . The Stroop effect occurs because participants attention is directed partly toward the semantic properties of the stimuli (meaning of the word) and partly toward the perceptual properties (colour in which the word is printed). When the semantic and perceptual properties are inconsistent, interference occurs, thus producing longer response times.

Drug relevant stimuli become conditioned stimuli that elicit motivational states that can produce physiological and behavioural responses that are similar to that of the drug response.

This attentional bias can be tested using modifications of the Stroop task.

Stroop found that to name the colour whilst ignoring the word produced longer response times.


Recently there have been discussions concerning the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) VNTR polymorphism and its association with cue-reactivity in heavy drinkers [1] . The DRD4 VNTR polymorphism has also been examined in relation to cue-elicited craving in cigarette smokers [2] . However, this research has largely relied on self-report measures of attention to substance-related cues and has not considered cue-reactivity in abusers of illicit drugs, such as heroin, despite evidence of an association between the DRD4 gene polymorphism and heroin abuse [3] .

Recently there have been discussions concerning the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) VNTR polymorphism and its association with cue-reactivity in heavy drinkers.

The DRD4 VNTR polymorphism has also been examined in relation to cue-elicited craving in cigarette smokers.

However, this research has largely relied on self-report measures of attention to substance-related cues and has not considered cue-reactivity in abusers of illicit drugs, such as heroin, despite evidence of an association between the DRD4 gene polymorphism and heroin abuse.


There is currently a shortage of cue-reactivity research that has tested the attribution of incentive salience, although animal research suggests that the ability to induce sensitisation is modulated by learning and environmental cues [11] [12] [13] [14] . It appears that the interaction of neural sensitisation and associative learning is responsible for the focus that drug abusers have on drug-related stimuli. That is, the behaviours and objects associated with drug taking become powerful incentives themselves and the modulation of the expression of sensitisation via the drug-taking context may contribute to the crucial role that drug-related cues play in precipitating relapse.

There is currently a shortage of cue-reactivity research that has tested the attribution of incentive salience, although animal research suggests that the ability to induce sensitisation is modulated by learning and environmental cues.


Three hundred and twenty unrelated, Caucasian individuals consented to take part in this study. Participation was entirely voluntary and no incentive was offered. The study was approved by London Metropolitan University; Maudsley and Bethlem Royal Hospitals NHS Trust; Croydon Local Research Ethics Committee and East London and City Health Authority in London UK. The sample comprised 80 opiate abusers in treatment (15% female; mean age 36 years); 80 alcohol abusers in treatment (14% female; mean age 41 years); 80 cigarette smokers (46% female; mean age 33 years) and 80 controls from general practice services (41% female; mean age 35 years). Mood disorders were self reported by 25% of the heroin group, 42% of alcoholics, 6% of smokers and 4% of controls. No other psychiatric disorder was reported in this sample. Ethnicity was an important factor in this study for genetic reasons. Ethnic differences in genes for complex disorders are to be expected since the allele frequencies vary widely [25] . Due to these differences between ethnic groups and to minimise confounding of genetic test results, inclusion criteria were met if participants were western European. Participant self-reports confirmed that smokers and controls were not in treatment for a SUD and controls did not smoke cigarettes, abuse illicit drugs or alcohol. Genetic data from 93.8% of the entire sample could be used for analyses. The 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 7-and 8-repeat alleles accounted for 9%, 2.3%, 77.3%, 0.18%, 11% and 0.18% of alleles, respectively. For the Stroop task, all participants were asked and stated that they had normal or corrected to normal vision and that English was their first language.

Ethnic differences in genes for complex disorders are to be expected since the allele frequencies vary widely.


The emotional Stroop task goes further and is able to differentiate between groups of individuals with and without a psychopathology, providing a reliable instrument for assessing attentional bias [17] . The emotional Stroop task uses stimuli that are either neutral in emotional valence or stimuli that are emotionally evocative for participants. The logic underlying the original Stroop can be extended to interpret results from emotional Stroop tasks. When participants are preoccupied with say alcohol and they encounter a word like "Vodka", they take longer to respond to the colour of that word than a neutral word like "Sofa" because extra time is taken to process the semantic properties of the associated stimulus.

The emotional Stroop task goes further and is able to differentiate between groups of individuals with and without a psychopathology, providing a reliable instrument for assessing attentional bias.


The way in which individual differences in genes influence attentional bias to substance-related cues is far from clear and there is currently limited evidence of the risk factors associated with enhanced drug-cue associative learning and responding. The physiological basis of drug taking has been said to occur due to distinct neural pathways, making up the mesolimbic dopamine system, that differ in response to novel, appetitive and aversive stimuli [8] . These genetically determined neural pathways are thought to allow for enhanced associative learning of drug effects, in particular in the NAcc [9, 10] . An individual's susceptibility to conditioned responses to drug cues may develop powerful drugcue associations, therefore, producing greater cue reactivity.

The physiological basis of drug taking has been said to occur due to distinct neural pathways, making up the mesolimbic dopamine system, that differ in response to novel, appetitive and aversive stimuli.

These genetically determined neural pathways are thought to allow for enhanced associative learning of drug effects, in particular in the NAcc.


Further work, examining the relative importance of other genes on attentional bias, is necessary to clarify this issue. Nevertheless, the long allele at the DRD4 gene may represent a genetic mechanism that influences the expression of incentive salience of both heroin and nicotine. Theoretically, these findings can be explained from the view of the incentive sensitisation theory [24] . Craving is elicited by cues whereby related stimuli have the ability to direct behaviour toward drug seeking. This being the case, there are implications for the treatment of substance dependence. A fuller understanding of individual susceptibility to sensitisation and the mechanisms that underlie attentional bias could lead to some improvement in the effectiveness of treatment by focusing on the long-term urge to use drugs that arises from a sensitised brain system that mediates their motivation to use.

Theoretically, these findings can be explained from the view of the incentive sensitisation theory.


More recently, Horndeski models which can screen any vacuum energy to a spatial flat de Sitter vacuum fixed by the theory itself have been investigated [29] . Thus, the most general minisuperspace Lagrangian for a scalar field leading to an equation of motion without higher than second derivatives and a spatially flat de Sitter critical point has been presented [29] . These models have the advantage of allowing to understand the current epoch of accelerating expansion as the result of the approach to a stable critical point while avoiding the cosmological constant problem. In this paper we investigate the cosmology of a family of these models which have a minisuperspace Lagrangian linear on the field derivatives.

More recently, Horndeski models which can screen any vacuum energy to a spatial flat de Sitter vacuum fixed by the theory itself have been investigated.

Thus, the most general minisuperspace Lagrangian for a scalar field leading to an equation of motion without higher than second derivatives and a spatially flat de Sitter critical point has been presented.


Meniscus tears are the most common injury of the knee [1] . They can be classified by their location and type. They may occur in acute knee injuries in younger patients, or as part of a degenerative process in older individuals. Acute meniscus tears typically occur when a person changes direction in a manner that involves rotating or twisting of the knee while the knee is flexed and the corresponding foot is planted. This commonly occurs in sports such as football, basketball and American football [3] . Older individuals can develop a degenerative meniscus tear with minimal or no trauma as the menisci become stiffer and less compliant with age [4] .

Meniscus tears are the most common injury of the knee.

This commonly occurs in sports such as football, basketball and American football.

Older individuals can develop a degenerative meniscus tear with minimal or no trauma as the menisci become stiffer and less compliant with age.


In order to rapidly and easily detect successful CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis, we wanted to target a gene where knockout of only a single allele produces a visible phenotype. However, no dominant visible mutations for Anopheles have been previously reported. Thus, we chose to target the white gene, which codes a protein critical for eye pigment transport (Besansky et al., 1995) . Knockout of the white gene results in a change from wild type red eye color to white (unpigmented) eye color -a simple phenotype to score. Although the white gene is recessive, it is located on the X chromosome and thus hemizygous in male anophelines (XY sex determination system), meaning that successful knockout of a single allele in males will result in the white-eye phenotype.

Thus, we chose to target the white gene, which codes a protein critical for eye pigment transport.


In Gaussian linear regression models, MCMC sampling of θ j given the local and global shrinkage parameters can be efficiently implemented by taking advantage of the conjugacy. However, while the continuous shrinkage priors have computational advantages over pointmass priors, their posterior approximation is still difficult in high-dimensional settings. Also, the resulting posterior samples do not automatically provide sparse estimates of the coefficients, so that extra steps are required for variable selection (Hahn & Carvalho 2015) .

Also, the resulting posterior samples do not automatically provide sparse estimates of the coefficients, so that extra steps are required for variable selection.


In the future, we plan to compare our uplift-based ofine evaluations with online A/B experiments. Because our uplift-based optimizations are generic methods, they are applicable to various recommender models. Recently, recommender models using neural networks have outperformed conventional models [11, 43] . We expect that applying our uplift-based optimizations to neural network models would further enhance the uplift, which is also a subject of our future work.

Recently, recommender models using neural networks have outperformed conventional models.


Location references solely based on geographical coordinates (e.g., WGS84 coordinates) also have severe problems. Often there are significant offsets between different maps or topological differences due to varying accuracy of the digitalisation from analogue map data, different manufacturing methods, and changes of the road network over time [27] . Therefore, a geographical coordinate located on a road in one map might be situated off-road in another. Moreover, there may be roads which only exist in one of two different maps (this holds even for different releases of maps from the same vendor).

Often there are significant offsets between different maps or topological differences due to varying accuracy of the digitalisation from analogue map data, different manufacturing methods, and changes of the road network over time.


Nationally, Colombia has ranked in the top quartile on the World Economic Forum's global index of gender parity in economic participation and opportunity [17] . However, because participants in the present study were poor, 1 we bundled the savings accounts with health services and intervention-related support. Previous research has shown that, to improve their economic standing, poor women may require an economic intervention to be bundled with support in areas such as life skills and health [1] . In addition, the literature on IPV reduction sometimes finds that the effectiveness of interventions depends on characteristics of women and their partners, such as relative economic position and initial relationship quality [3] [4] [5] . Engaging a random sample of women, who varied in relationship quality, income sour ces, and other dimensions of vulnerability, enabled us to investigate these heterogeneous effects.

Nationally, Colombia has ranked in the top quartile on the World Economic Forum's global index of gender parity in economic participation and opportunity.

Previous research has shown that, to improve their economic standing, poor women may require an economic intervention to be bundled with support in areas such as life skills and health.

In addition, the literature on IPV reduction sometimes finds that the effectiveness of interventions depends on characteristics of women and their partners, such as relative economic position and initial relationship quality.


Translocation has been defined as 'the humanmediated movement of living organisms from one area, with release in another' (IUCN/SSC 2013, p. 2) . A variety of related terms including 'reintroduction', 'reinforcement/supplementation', and 'conservation/ benign introductions' are distinguished by the aims of the action and whether the destination habitat is part of the species' current or historic range (IUCN in press). Recently, in anticipation of climate change impacts, the traditional lexicon of translocation has expanded to include 'eco logical replacement', 'assisted colonization', and 'community construction' (Seddon 2010) .

Recently, in anticipation of climate change impacts, the traditional lexicon of translocation has expanded to include 'eco logical replacement', 'assisted colonization', and 'community construction'.


The Hawaiian monk seal is structured in a metapopulation consisting of 8 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) subpopulations, together comprising roughly 85% of total abundance; the remainder is distributed amongst the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) (Fig. 1) . Approximately 1100 seals occur in sub populations ranging from roughly 50 to 200 seals each. NWHI abundance has recently been declining by an estimated 4% per year, while the MHI subpopulation has been growing by about 7% annually (Baker et al. 2011b) .

NWHI abundance has recently been declining by an estimated 4% per year, while the MHI subpopulation has been growing by about 7% annually.


So far, the theoretical studies dealing with the combined effects of thermal radiation absorption and magnetic field on the transient flow of blood in a large artery with viscous dissipation have received very little attention. It was observed that the heart rate decreases by exposing biological systems to an external magnetic field. The electrocardiography (ECG) pattern taken in the presence of a magnetic field not only provides information on blood flow but also offers a new noninvasive method of studying the cardiac performance [23] . Moreover, the red blood cell (RBC) is a major biomagnetic substance, and the blood flow may be influenced by the magnetic field. The magnetic properties of RBCs play important roles in the increase in blood viscosity during exposure to a static magnetic field. Motivated by the above studies, our aim is to investigate the combined effects of thermal radiation and magnetic field on transient flow of blood in a large blood vessel. In Section 2 the mathematical formulation of the problem is established. The numerical solutions to the problem are obtained in Section 3. Qualitative and quantitative discussions of the solutions are given in Section 4.

The electrocardiography (ECG) pattern taken in the presence of a magnetic field not only provides information on blood flow but also offers a new noninvasive method of studying the cardiac performance.