An average tilt angle (φ) of the monolayers can be estimated based on the monolayer thickness as determined from the analysis of ARXPS measurements. The molecular chain length of each aliphatic alcohol was estimated from their molecular models projected in ChemDraw 3D (see Supplementary Data). The Cartesian coordinates were determined for the oxygen atom and carbon atom at either end of these linear molecules. The distance between these terminal atoms was calculated using the Pythagorean Theorem (see Supplementary Data). The measured thickness of the monolayers were slightly less than the molecular lengths calculated from this model. This observation was anticipated because the monolayers were expected to adopt a tilted position at the silicon oxide surfaces [13] . The molecular tilt angle, φ, was an estimate of the angle at which the molecules within the monolayers tilted away from the surface normal (Fig.   1B) . The calculated values for φ ranged from 18° to 35°, with an average φ of ~24°. Tilt angles reported for n-alkanethiol SAMs on gold surfaces range from 20 to 35.3°, which were determined using various techniques including ARXPS, ellipsometry, and infrared spectroscopy [13, [41] [42] [43] [44] . The tilt angles of molecules within organosilane based monolayers on silicon oxide surfaces are reported to be ~35°. The tilt angles for the species in the alcohol based monolayers are within the ranges of tilt angles reported for these other types of monolayers. This result suggests that the physical properties and the uniformity of the alcohol based monolayers are consistent with organic monolayers derived from other organic precursors, such as alkanethiols or alkylsilanes. The discrepancy in the tilt angles calculated for the series of monolayers derived from the alcohol based reagents could be attributed to experimental errors resulting from ARXPS analyses and/or variations in the structure of the bond between the silicon oxide and the anchoring groups of the monolayers at this interface [13, 43] . The trends observed in the previous studies also indicated that the average increase in thickness of the monolayers per each addition of a methylene (CH2) group to the molecular chain was approximately 1.0 to 1.5 Å [45, 46] . The average increase in film thickness of alcohol based monolayers associated with the same addition of a CH2 group was determined to be ~1.0 Å. Thickness of the alcohol based monolayers derived from microwave-assisted reactions agreed with the measurements from previously studied monolayers, such as thiolates on gold or silane based monolayers on silicon oxide surfaces. The relationship between the chain lengths of organic based monolayers and their overall film thickness is consistent between different types of monolayers.

This observation was anticipated because the monolayers were expected to adopt a tilted position at the silicon oxide surfaces.

Tilt angles reported for n-alkanethiol SAMs on gold surfaces range from 20 to 35.3°, which were determined using various techniques including ARXPS, ellipsometry, and infrared spectroscopy.

The discrepancy in the tilt angles calculated for the series of monolayers derived from the alcohol based reagents could be attributed to experimental errors resulting from ARXPS analyses and/or variations in the structure of the bond between the silicon oxide and the anchoring groups of the monolayers at this interface.

The trends observed in the previous studies also indicated that the average increase in thickness of the monolayers per each addition of a methylene (CH2) group to the molecular chain was approximately 1.0 to 1.5 Å.


In the field of building physics, heat and moisture transports are often studied [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] . These transports represent a core problem in building performances. The heat transport is often investigated as a heat conduction through building envelopes but the heat transfer inside buildings usually remains overlooked. The heat transfer in closed spaces may consist of conduction, convection and radiation. In thermal equilibrium, these transports compensate not only heat losses going through building envelopes but they may influence the temperatures of interior surfaces that occasionally suffer from the condensation of water vapours.

In the field of building physics, heat and moisture transports are often studied.


The present paper continues the previous contribution entitled General model of radiative and convective heat transfer in buildings: Part I: Algebraic model of radiative heat transfer [1] . The first part of the serial contribution explained the basics of the radiosity method for quantifying radiative heat transfer in buildings. This method will also be used in the present paper in combination with convective methods so that the heat losses of buildings may be assessed more rigorously.

The present paper continues the previous contribution entitled General model of radiative and convective heat transfer in buildings: Part I: Algebraic model of radiative heat transfer.


PS and BP values of dihydroxy bile salts decreased with the rise in sodium ion concentration (Tables 1, 2 and 3) . For trihydroxy bile salts, PS values were also lowered but BP values remained almost constant. These observations are in good agreement with the frequently reported tendency for the aggregation process of dihydroxy bile salts to be favoured by high Na + concentrations [11, 35] .

These observations are in good agreement with the frequently reported tendency for the aggregation process of dihydroxy bile salts to be favoured by high Na + concentrations.


Keeping in mind the significance of both PS and BP, it is now interesting to compare their respective values, i.e., to compare columns 2 and 3 of Tables 1, 2 and 3. PS was generally slightly larger than BP for the dihydroxy bile salts (NaCDC, NaDC, NaGDC and NaTDC) but PS was clearly smaller than BP for the trihydroxy bile salts (NaC, NaGC and NaTC) and their zwitterionic analogue (CHAPS). Therefore, for the dihydroxy bile salts, until BP was reached, the formation of aggregates seemed not to be detectable. Any increase in total bile salt concentration led to a corresponding increase in monomer concentration. For the trihydroxy bile salts and CHAPS, aggregates were detected at concentrations much lower than BP. Hence, before the majority of monomers participated in the formation of aggregates, some of them seemed to build, probably small, but detectable aggregates. It should be remembered at this stage that a PS lower than BP is not contradictory. As mentioned above, less than 10% of aggregated bile salt molecules would not affect significantly the linearity of the Δk versus bile salt concentration plots. At a bile salt concentration of about 1 mmol dm -3 , 10% of the total concentration represented about 0.1 It is generally agreed that the aggregation of NaDHC is very limited below 100 mmol dm -3 [9, 14, 30, 31] . BP could not be observed with this bile salt and the estimated lower limit for BP (5-10 mmol dm -3 depending on NaCl concentration) did not contradict this general agreement.

At a bile salt concentration of about 1 mmol dm -3 , 10% of the total concentration represented about 0.1 It is generally agreed that the aggregation of NaDHC is very limited below 100 mmol dm -3.


In addition, radiative parton energy loss calculations illustrated explicitly that by scattering on several spatially separated partons, the distribution of emitted gluons is modified by destructive interference effects. In the eikonal limit, these interference patterns are understood in terms of the non-Abelian Landau-Pomeranchuk-Migdal (LPM) effect. This effect can be implemented in a probabilistic formulation based on formation time constraints, and lead to the first simulations taking this effect consistently into account [47] .

This effect can be implemented in a probabilistic formulation based on formation time constraints, and lead to the first simulations taking this effect consistently into account.


However, the homogeneous culture condition in the spinner flask is at the expense of hydrodynamic force introduced in the system caused by the rotating impeller. Mechanical force, such as shear stress, could alter the behavior of cell growth; a high shear environment could be damaging to the cells and the microcarriers [28] . Although spinner flasks are widely used in biological applications, the flow characteristics within the system are not well understood. Studies that analyze the underlying flow mechanics in biological applications are limited, especially in the spinner flask. Additionally, hydrodynamic force is often ignored in cell culture protocol and bioreactor design aspects, thus limiting the understanding of how mechanical force affects the cell culture.

Mechanical force, such as shear stress, could alter the behavior of cell growth; a high shear environment could be damaging to the cells and the microcarriers.


Stem cells have great potential in regenerative medicine due to their ability to differentiate to multiple lineages. The self-renewal ability possessed by these cells is highly suitable to replenish damaged cells, which could be caused by injury or degeneration due to age. When the cells divide, they could produce either a similar cell type or differentiated cells [1] .

When the cells divide, they could produce either a similar cell type or differentiated cells.


The most widely used suspension bioreactor is the magnetic-or motor-driven impeller spinner flask. Microbial and mammalian cells have been extensively grown in stirred culture systems. The agitation or mixing rate can be easily controlled by changing the speed of the driving motor or the magnetic stirrer. The culture medium is partially replenished after a number of days to maintain nutrient supply and keep the waste concentration at an acceptable margin. Furthermore, spinner flasks are available in various sizes and impeller shapes depending on the culture size. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficiency of suspension bioreactors for undifferentiated mammalian stem cell expansion [8, 9, 14, 15] .

Previous studies have demonstrated the efficiency of suspension bioreactors for undifferentiated mammalian stem cell expansion.


Analytical expressions are in principle available for the SA at all orders in slope. In practice, however, only the first two orders are tractable. The first-order SSA (SSA1) implies the same single integral as appears in KA with a different geometrical prefactor. The secondorder approximation, however, is a double oscillating integral, that we found very difficult to compute accurately, especially in the three-dimensional case where convergence problems and computational time demands become prohibitive. Some promising numerical studies have been performed in the literature, but in a restrictive framework (essentially the 1D Dirichlet case [2] [3] [4] 8] ). In the limit of large wavenumbers, however, a high-frequency approximation for the SSA2 (henceforth referred to as SSA2-hf) reduces the latter to a single integral and makes it computationally worthwhile. We show that SSA2-hf completely coincides with KA in the 3D perfectly conducting case. In the dielectric case, we obtain different analytical expressions but we observe numerically that the discrepancy between the two methods is very small.

Some promising numerical studies have been performed in the literature, but in a restrictive framework (essentially the 1D Dirichlet case).


Modern species assemblages comprise populations of species drawn from the regional source pool (i.e. from the entire complement of species in a region). The identity and relatedness of species in a local assemblage are determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to abiotic filtering, dispersal, and competition (Webb et al., 2002; Kraft et al., 2007; Emerson & Gillespie, 2008) . Abiotic filtering is a process where species with different environmental tolerances are filtered out of terrestrial communities along environmental gradients (Swenson et al., 2012) . Assuming niche conservatism (closely-related species share similar niches), low rates of dispersal and abiotic filtering are associated with high phylogenetic relatedness among species or phylogenetic clustering. Conversely, competitive exclusion and high rates of dispersal can lead to phylogenetic evenness or species being less phylogenetically related than expected by chance (Cavender-Bares et al., 2004; Losos, 2008) . Thus, local species assemblages occupy a point on a spectrum between phylogenetically clustered and even. Note that myriad conditions such as low rates of phylogenetic niche conservatism and trait convergence can result in communities that show every condition from phylogenetic evenness to phylogenetic clustering (Cavender-Bares et al., 2004; Kraft et al., 2007) . However, the theoretical framework outlined above generally excludes the fossil record and thus excludes the contribution of historical factors such as extinction events.

The identity and relatedness of species in a local assemblage are determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to abiotic filtering, dispersal, and competition.

Abiotic filtering is a process where species with different environmental tolerances are filtered out of terrestrial communities along environmental gradients.

Conversely, competitive exclusion and high rates of dispersal can lead to phylogenetic evenness or species being less phylogenetically related than expected by chance.

Note that myriad conditions such as low rates of phylogenetic niche conservatism and trait convergence can result in communities that show every condition from phylogenetic evenness to phylogenetic clustering.


Fig. 6 presents distributions of the average speech and noise levels for 118 cases (4 points x 28 rooms). Mean speech and noise levels were 59.5dBA and 49.1dBA respectively. The corresponding free field speech level at 1m from talker was estimated to be 68.8dBA employing a 2.73dBA average direct-to-reflected sound ratio from impulse responses and an average distance of 3.75m between sound source and listening points. For the distribution of speech levels 1m from the talker, 16% were between "Normal" and "Raised", 52% between "Raised" and "Loud", and 29% between "Loud" and "Shout" for Pearson's descriptions [4] .

For the distribution of speech levels 1m from the talker, 16% were between "Normal" and "Raised", 52% between "Raised" and "Loud", and 29% between "Loud" and "Shout" for Pearson's descriptions.


Partial discharge (PD) online monitoring is an effective approach to inspect insulation defects and identify potential faults in power transformer [1] . Hence, it is important for monitoring PD signals online for power transformer. Compared with traditional detection methods, the ultra-highfrequency (UHF) technology has advantages such as high sensitivity and strong anti-interference, which make it more suitable for PD online monitoring [2] . By receiving the UHF electromagnetic waves of PD occurred in a power transformer, the UHF detection technology can measure the PD magnitudes and locate the PD source [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] .

Partial discharge (PD) online monitoring is an effective approach to inspect insulation defects and identify potential faults in power transformer.

Compared with traditional detection methods, the ultra-highfrequency (UHF) technology has advantages such as high sensitivity and strong anti-interference, which make it more suitable for PD online monitoring.

By receiving the UHF electromagnetic waves of PD occurred in a power transformer, the UHF detection technology can measure the PD magnitudes and locate the PD source.


However, being equipped with strong prior knowledge can sometimes lead to constrained exploration that might not be optimal in all environments (Bonawitz et al., 2011; Lucas et al., 2014) . For instance, consider the game shown in Figure 9 consisting of a robot and a princess object. The game environment also includes rewards in hidden locations (shown as dashed yellow boxes only for illustration). When tasked to play this game, human participants (n=30) immediately assume that princess is the goal and do not explore the free space containing hidden rewards. They directly reach the princess and thereby terminate the game with sub-optimal rewards. In contrast, a random agent (30 seeds) ends up obtaining almost four times more reward than human players as shown in Figure 9 . Thus, while incorporating prior knowledge in RL agents has many potential benefits, future work should also consider challenges regarding under-constrained exploration in certain kinds of settings. While our paper primarily investigated object priors (and physics priors to some extent), humans also possess rich prior knowledge about the world in the form of intuitive psychology and also bring in various priors about general video game playing such as that moving up and to the right in games is generally correlated with progress, games have goals, etc. Studying the importance of such priors will be an interesting future direction of research.

However, being equipped with strong prior knowledge can sometimes lead to constrained exploration that might not be optimal in all environments.


The main difference in performance occurs at the accept stage, resulting from a delay between the alarm and action in the speech condition. This delay can be said to parallel a phenomenon termed 'cognitive lock-up' (Moray and Rotenberg, 1989) . Operators might observe abnormal values, but fail to act because they are already busy dealing with another fault and may wish to finish dealing with one problem before tackling a new one. If the speech display placed an attentional demand on the operator, then dealing with the alarm display itself becomes a problem. This would result not only in a time delay pertaining to the length of the speech message, but also an additional time delay resulting from processing and handling the message.

This delay can be said to parallel a phenomenon termed 'cognitive lock-up'.


Alarms are an essential part of the control interface in a wide range of domains. Their function is to inform operators when certain system parameters exceed tolerance limits, e.g., in industrial process control, or when changes in system state are approaching critical levels, e.g., the approach of enemy aircraft in military surveillance. The information in an alarm is triggered by a discrete event which is to be communicated to the operator, whereas in other displays (such as engine temperature, reactor pressure, radar detection) information is continuously available (or can be made available on demand) and is constantly being updated. In order for alarms to fulfil their role effectively, certain criteria need to be met. The 'trigger' parameters for the alarm need to be defined and tolerance limits set (Usher, 1994) . More importantly, the alarm media need to be designed to communicate the information effectively to the operator.

The 'trigger' parameters for the alarm need to be defined and tolerance limits set.


Clearly, holding appropriate reserve of cash can help firms to maintain a healthy financial position and reduce the chance of bankruptcy during financial crisis. Moreover, for any firm, it is essential to hold an appropriate level of cash and cash equivalent to smooth daily operations in the firm. Many previous research found that the appropriate level of cash can be determined by a list of variables such as cash flow management, investment management, dividend and capital requirements (Opler et al., 1999; Afza & Adnan, 2007) .

Many previous research found that the appropriate level of cash can be determined by a list of variables such as cash flow management, investment management, dividend and capital requirements.


The idea of combining read requests, or read combining in CHoPP was extended in the NYU Ultracomputer to allow several types of requests to combine [6] . The Ultracomputer uses the Fetch&Φ primitive, where Φ is any associative and commutative operator. An enhanced interconnection network with the topology of an Omega network is proposed to perform combining on the Fetch&Φ primitive.

The idea of combining read requests, or read combining in CHoPP was extended in the NYU Ultracomputer to allow several types of requests to combine.


Several alternative proposals for request combining have appeared in the literature [8, 11, 19, 21, 29, 32] . The primary focus of these efforts is on reducing the cost of the combining network. This is accomplished either by altering the topology of the combining network or by requiring the system software to reduce the amount of contention for shared data.

Several alternative proposals for request combining have appeared in the literature.


Although several previous studies have examined the effects of mobile user interface attributes on target search performance while walking, the focus of the previous studies was physical target selection performance [14, 21, 24] . Few studies have investigated the effects of mobile user interface attributes in the perception process during mobile interface use. The current study aimed to examine the perceptual processes that facilitate visual search tasks during mobile use while excluding physical target selection aspects. The visual search process is required in many activities on the mobile user interface. The current study revealed that walking, object size, and target location had significant effects on the visual search reaction time.

Although several previous studies have examined the effects of mobile user interface attributes on target search performance while walking, the focus of the previous studies was physical target selection performance.


Successfully defying a tumor today mostly counts on surgical eradication. As we better understand the molecular basis of the transformation process, pharmacological treatments will certainly become more effective. One of the greatest expectations is to be able to minimize side effects by focusing on cancer-associated signal transduction rather than on general processes like DNA synthesis [118] .

One of the greatest expectations is to be able to minimize side effects by focusing on cancer-associated signal transduction rather than on general processes like DNA synthesis.


Two other GPCRs ligands are prescribed for cancer treatment, octreotide and pegvisomant. Octreotide is a synthetic somatostatin (SST) agonist. SST inhibits the pituitary gland to secrete growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) [5] . GH antagonists and SST agonists are highly effective antiproliferative drugs. Octreotide prevents over-production of GH by pituitary somatotroph adenomas associated with acromegaly. In addition, octreotide is utilized to counteract the effects of SST secreting malignant gastroenteropatic neuroendocrine tumors. More recently, a cyclohexapeptide analogue of octreotide was developed (pasireotide) that binds to a larger number of SST receptor isotypes, hence more closely mimicking the action of the natural ligands. Pegvisomant, is a pegylated peptide acting as GH antagonist licensed as a third or fourth line option when other treatments have failed to normalize IGF-1 levels.

SST inhibits the pituitary gland to secrete growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).


In this paper, we have used an NMOS only crosscoupled structure which is biased in the subthreshold regime. The 10 GHz oscillator presented here can be used for the multi-standard wireless LAN communication protocols 802.11a/b/g as detailed in Table 1 [6] . The desired local oscillators for the WLAN standards may be obtained easily by a frequency division of 2 or 4 respectively.

The 10 GHz oscillator presented here can be used for the multi-standard wireless LAN communication protocols 802.11a/b/g as detailed in Table 1.


The challenge is that distinct HRM practices may encourage conflicting aims, or that they tend to promote one issue at a time -that is, they stimulate those features that they focus on -thus failing/forgetting the need to serve multiple, and not always consistent, organizational goals. For example, on one hand personnel compensation and appraisal are likely to facilitate productivity in the focus areas (that is, employees' search for rewards and recognition makes them act in a manner that fits the existing [production] systems), but one the other hand it cannot be taken for granted that they would ensure knowledge exchange or trial and error type of activities. Also, it has sometimes been questioned if such HR practices help employees to protect knowledge assets (Bulgurcu et al., 2010) . In the same vein, knowledge sharing may become limited: it may be that rivalry over appreciation and compensation makes individuals guard their knowledge. Similarly, training personnel on knowledge protection and introducing information security policies, is likely to promote protection-related aspects, but such practices may not be helpful in terms of promoting knowledge sharing that would facilitate creative behaviour and innovative climate. In fact, those practices that support knowledge protection may even collide with practices supporting knowledge sharing (see Hannah & Robertson, 2016 , on challenges faced by employees with regard to following the rules set on handling confidential knowledge). Dealing with these aspects is therefore a multidimensional and a highly relevant managerial issue; managing HRM for innovation and efficiency is managing complex paradoxes and calls for balancing both at individual and organizational levels.

Also, it has sometimes been questioned if such HR practices help employees to protect knowledge assets.


Teachers' using technology effectively and purposefully will facilitate raising technologically literate individuals. Therefore, it is inevitable for qualifications that teachers and pre-service teachers will have to change. According to studies conducted on TPACK with teachers and pre-service teachers, TPACK is important for the education of teachers and their professional development (Koehler & Mishra, 2005) . Teachers and pre-service teachers, the designers of learning environments, are expected to have technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). Therefore, the determination of pre-service teachers' perceptions about their TPACK levels is very important .

According to studies conducted on TPACK with teachers and pre-service teachers, TPACK is important for the education of teachers and their professional development.


It is inevitable that educational systems will enable future generations to earn qualifications and prepare them for the conditions of the contemporary world (Simsek et al., 2013) . Schools are fundamental building blocks that enable the objectives of education to be achieved, and planned changes and innovations should take place in schools first (Cuhadar et al., 2013) . Although the need for technology in schools has been met, and individuals use technologies such as the internet more frequently, there are still a number of problems with the integration of technology and education (Kaya & Dag, 2013) .

It is inevitable that educational systems will enable future generations to earn qualifications and prepare them for the conditions of the contemporary world.

Schools are fundamental building blocks that enable the objectives of education to be achieved, and planned changes and innovations should take place in schools first.

Although the need for technology in schools has been met, and individuals use technologies such as the internet more frequently, there are still a number of problems with the integration of technology and education.


The TPACK model was constituted by extending Shulman's pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and adding technology to it (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) . Given the fact that the knowledge of teachers is special knowledge in the intersection of content and pedagogy, technology should not be considered as separate, but one of the inputs that shape this knowledge. This new term, which was derived from PCK, and defined as technological pedagogical content knowledge, is regarded as the foundation of effective teaching that benefits from technology (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) . TPACK includes the presentation of concepts using technology: knowledge about using technology constructively to teach content, knowledge about what complicates or facilitates learning concepts, knowledge about the ways technology can help students comprehend difficult subjects, knowledge about the ways knowledge and technologies are used to add new information to current information, to develop new epistemology or to foster existing information about students' present knowledge and epistemology (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) . As indicated in Figure 1 , the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge approach has three main components including content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and technological knowledge, and their intersection constitutes three sub-components: pedagogical content knowledge, technological pedagogical knowledge, and technological content knowledge. The intersection of all three components is the Technological Pedagogical Education approach ).

The TPACK model was constituted by extending Shulman's pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and adding technology to it.

This new term, which was derived from PCK, and defined as technological pedagogical content knowledge, is regarded as the foundation of effective teaching that benefits from technology.

TPACK includes the presentation of concepts using technology: knowledge about using technology constructively to teach content, knowledge about what complicates or facilitates learning concepts, knowledge about the ways technology can help students comprehend difficult subjects, knowledge about the ways knowledge and technologies are used to add new information to current information, to develop new epistemology or to foster existing information about students' present knowledge and epistemology.


Partial differential equations are prevalently used as models to identify numerous physical occurrences and have a very crucial role in many sciences. Burgers equation, which is one type of partial differential equations, was first presented by Burgers in 1948 as a model for turbulent phenomena of viscous fluids [1] . The Burgers equation defines the far field of wave propagation in nonlinear dissipative systems. It is well known that this equation is linearizable to the heat equation by using the Cole-Hopf transform. This equation has been considered in a number of fields of implementation such as traffic flows and formation of large clusters in the universe.

Burgers equation, which is one type of partial differential equations, was first presented by Burgers in 1948 as a model for turbulent phenomena of viscous fluids.


Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation, which is one type of partial differential equations, has been utilized to define a wide range of physical phenomena as a model for the evolution and interaction of nonlinear waves. It was derived as an evolution equation that conducting one-dimensional, small amplitude, long surface gravity waves propagating in a shallow channel of water [4] . Subsequently, the KdV equation has occurred in a lot of other physical sciences such as collisionfree hydromagnetic waves, stratified internal waves, ionacoustic waves, plasma physics, and lattice dynamics. Some theoretical physical occurrences in the quantum mechanics domain are expressed by means of a KdV model. It is utilized in fluid dynamics, aerodynamics, and continuum mechanics as a model for shock wave formation, solitons, turbulence, boundary layer behaviour, and mass transport [5] .

It was derived as an evolution equation that conducting one-dimensional, small amplitude, long surface gravity waves propagating in a shallow channel of water.

It is utilized in fluid dynamics, aerodynamics, and continuum mechanics as a model for shock wave formation, solitons, turbulence, boundary layer behaviour, and mass transport.


The Cahn-Hilliard equation, which is one type of partial differential equations, was first introduced in 1958 as a model for process of phase seperation of a binary alloy under the critical temperature [2] . This equation has also arisen as the modelling equation in numerous other contexts with very disparate length scales. For example, models have been improved in which the Cahn-Hilliard equation is used to represent the evolution of two components of intergalactic material or in ecology in the modeling of the dynamics of two populations or in biomathematics in modeling the dynamics of the biomass and the solvent components of a bacterial film [3] .

The Cahn-Hilliard equation, which is one type of partial differential equations, was first introduced in 1958 as a model for process of phase seperation of a binary alloy under the critical temperature.

For example, models have been improved in which the Cahn-Hilliard equation is used to represent the evolution of two components of intergalactic material or in ecology in the modeling of the dynamics of two populations or in biomathematics in modeling the dynamics of the biomass and the solvent components of a bacterial film.


Third and last, although not anticipated, our results show that when a relatively large share of older workers is employed in sectors, organizations report less microlevel diagnostic frames. Thus, a relatively high number of incumbent older workers within organizations' sectors decreased the salience of stereotypes about older workers' skills, health, competences, and job immobility. This is in line with the Contact Hypothesis, which argues that, under optimal conditions, stereotypes about social groups, such as older workers, decreases when their familiarity increases (Pettigrew & Tropp, 2008) . Contact with older workers, thus, seems to be an important factor to improve older workers' (perceived) employability, which points to the importance of intergenerational communication (Henkens, 2005) . Given that in the coming years the number of older workers in all sectors will increase, these findings are hopeful.

This is in line with the Contact Hypothesis, which argues that, under optimal conditions, stereotypes about social groups, such as older workers, decreases when their familiarity increases.

Contact with older workers, thus, seems to be an important factor to improve older workers' (perceived) employability, which points to the importance of intergenerational communication.


Second, we found variation across sectors in the manner that the issue of older workers' employability is presented. We found that public organizations are more likely to emphasize obstacles related to older workers' skills, capacities, and health situated on the microlevel. This finding indicates that stereotypical beliefs are more pronounced in communication by public sector organizations. In line with this, previous research indicated that attitudes towards older workers are less positive in Dutch governmental organizations compared to other sectors (Henkens, 2005) .

In line with this, previous research indicated that attitudes towards older workers are less positive in Dutch governmental organizations compared to other sectors.


WBANs require small-sized wireless sensors that can be conveniently placed in the user's body, as well as low power consumption hardware and energy efficient protocols, in order to provide adequate battery lifetime [2] . Sensor nodes in a WBAN normally send the collected data to a central station, such as a personal computer, with capacity to process and store the data. With the technological advancement, smaller personal devices, such as smartphones, also started to become suitable for these tasks, with the advantage of greater portability.

WBANs require small-sized wireless sensors that can be conveniently placed in the user's body, as well as low power consumption hardware and energy efficient protocols, in order to provide adequate battery lifetime.


Sandwich materials are layered structural components composed of thin strong face layers separated and bonded to light-weight (typically foam) core materials. Different core materials are often selected depending on the structural loading and level of integrity required. Due to the layered composition of sandwich structures, face-core interface delamination is a commonly observed failure mode, often referred to as peeling failure, which drastically diminishes the structural integrity of the structure. In recent years there has been a desire by the designer to 'blend' different core materials within the sandwich to minimize weight and maximize structural integrity in selective zones. This methodology has resulted in the formation of highly stressed tri-material regions with inherently different elastic material properties. In an effort to diminish the local failure at these junctions, the concept of 'functionally graded' cores, where the mechanical properties of the functionally graded cores vary gradually with the location within the material, have been investigated [11] , [12] . In these investigations it was observed structurally graded core junction fatigue life was up to 30% higher sandwich beams with the conventional junction design [12] . An alternative method for crack deflection is the inclusion of a sub-structural component embedded into the sandwich panel [11] , [12] . The key purpose of this feature (see Figure 2 ) is to arrest face-core interface crack propagation by rerouting the crack path into a closed/restricted area of the sandwich panel, thus preventing the catastrophic failure of the sandwich structure. This approach, which utilises the available space in the through-thickness direction between the two skins, has been shown experimentally to retain at least 10% of their initial beam bending stiffness, while the conventional beams retained none [13] .

In an effort to diminish the local failure at these junctions, the concept of 'functionally graded' cores, where the mechanical properties of the functionally graded cores vary gradually with the location within the material, have been investigated.

In these investigations it was observed structurally graded core junction fatigue life was up to 30% higher sandwich beams with the conventional junction design.

An alternative method for crack deflection is the inclusion of a sub-structural component embedded into the sandwich panel.

This approach, which utilises the available space in the through-thickness direction between the two skins, has been shown experimentally to retain at least 10% of their initial beam bending stiffness, while the conventional beams retained none.


To determine which visual-word a HOG descriptor corresponds to, many researchers compute its distance to an exemplar for each bin and assign the vector to the nearest bin. However, this is computationally expensive, so we use a fast approximate method to determine bin assignment. In particular, we use a random projection based locality sensitive hash [7] . This is accomplished using 11 random planes. A HOG vector is hashed by recording the bit pattern describing which side of each plane it falls on. This 11-bit number then indicates the visual-word's bin.

In particular, we use a random projection based locality sensitive hash.


The evolution of computing and communication systems to IP-based platforms and the merging of heterogeneous systems and technologies introduce a new era in service provision to end-users. The success of next generation mobile networks is highly dependent on the availability of a plethora of functionality-rich applications, accessible via a variety of network infrastructures and terminals. This vision can be realised only through the co-operation of various business players (e.g. application developers, content providers), in addition to the network operators (mobile or fixed) and the infrastructure providers [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] .

This vision can be realised only through the co-operation of various business players (e.g. application developers, content providers), in addition to the network operators (mobile or fixed) and the infrastructure providers.


As stated in Section 1, the degree of restraint at the beam ends is crucial for the redistribution of forces that takes place throughout the fire. It is thus useful to establish a non-dimensional measure of the restraint provided by the columns to the beam. The axial and rotational stiffnesses of the column at the beam level are given by: Mechanical load factor In the following section, the implemented numerical model will be described in detail. The numerical model was modelled and calculated using the finite element code LUSAS [15] .

The numerical model was modelled and calculated using the finite element code LUSAS.


In order to explore the behaviour of a sub-frame steel system under fire loading, the structure of Fig. 1 was chosen. It consists of two HEA300 cross-section columns welded to an IPE300 cross-section beam with 5.7 m free span, supporting a 150 mm thick steel-concrete composite slab. The beam was assumed unprotected and the top flange unexposed to the fire load, while the column is thermally protected and unexposed to the fire load. This structural model corresponds to an experimental fire test programme carried out at the University of Coimbra in Portugal [12] . It also corresponds to a representative substructure of the 7th Cardington fire compartment test [11, 13] . The specification of the thermal loading (time-temperature-space variation) on the sub-structure was the measured transient temperatures.

This structural model corresponds to an experimental fire test programme carried out at the University of Coimbra in Portugal.

It also corresponds to a representative substructure of the 7th Cardington fire compartment test.


In the case of LUSAS, all calculations were carried out using shell elements, as it was already described in Section 2.3, while for SAFIR two alternative analyses were performed using beam and shell elements. Fig. 6 illustrates the variation of the mid-span deflections of the beam throughout the fire, for the three FE models. For all cases, this variation is markedly different during the analysis. It starts gradually but, as the lower beam flange temperature rises above 550°C (t = 25 min), the rate of deformation increases significantly. At the maximum temperature, the mid-span deflection was about 0.34 m, corresponding to L/8, L/20 being the usual maximum deflection at the fire limit state, BS 476 [21] . During the cooling phase, since the material has been stressed beyond the elastic limit, the corresponding strain does not follow the same stress-strain path as during the heating phase and a plastic deflection is observed: 0.27 m.

At the maximum temperature, the mid-span deflection was about 0.34 m, corresponding to L/8, L/20 being the usual maximum deflection at the fire limit state, BS 476.


While user-adaptive systems appear to be a good idea, it still is an open issue how the benefits from adaptations can be evaluated [17] . We conducted a user study in which participants were asked to carry out several predefined everyday tasks. In one condition, the participants were provided with predefined link suggestions. Various indicators of user's behavior and perception were measured. We found evidence that link suggestions based on the user's goals have a positive impact: they cause the users to navigate in a more structured way, which makes them less vulnerable to disorientation [4] .

While user-adaptive systems appear to be a good idea, it still is an open issue how the benefits from adaptations can be evaluated.

We found evidence that link suggestions based on the user's goals have a positive impact: they cause the users to navigate in a more structured way, which makes them less vulnerable to disorientation.


Silica aerogels are translucent and thermal insulating materials consisting of nanosized pores, networked together to form an open, highly porous structure. As a result, they possess a large surface area (500-1500 m 2 /g), high porosity (80-99%), and low bulk density (0.03-0.35 g/cm 3 ). In addition, they demonstrate small pore sizes ranging between 1 and 100 nm. Low index of refraction (∼1.05) and high optical transmission (∼93%) impart transparent characteristics into silica aerogel materials [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] . In superhydrophobic applications, silica aerogel is generally modified with a suitable long-chain alkyl groups.

Low index of refraction (∼1.05) and high optical transmission (∼93%) impart transparent characteristics into silica aerogel materials.


Nanotechnology has recently gained the industrial attention as a sustainable way to solve many of the problems associated with the current society. It has been effectively implemented in many fields such as agriculture, water purification, energy, and medical and polymer industry [1] . Amongst these applications many functional nanomaterials have been utilized in polymer industry in order to impart various properties to the products.

It has been effectively implemented in many fields such as agriculture, water purification, energy, and medical and polymer industry.


The concept of superhydrophobicity has been widely exploited during the past decade due to the potential applications in impermeable textiles, self-cleaning coatings, labon-a-chip devices, microfluidic devices, and glasses [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] . A surface is defined as superhydrophobic when its contact angle is more than 150 ∘ and the sliding angle is less than 10 ∘ [8] . This phenomenon is naturally observed in numerous biological surfaces such as the lotus leaf, the namib, the desert beetle, and the water strider [9] [10] [11] . Thus, many methods in creating superhydrophobicity on different material surfaces have been achieved through the biomimetic approach [12, 13] .

The concept of superhydrophobicity has been widely exploited during the past decade due to the potential applications in impermeable textiles, self-cleaning coatings, labon-a-chip devices, microfluidic devices, and glasses.

A surface is defined as superhydrophobic when its contact angle is more than 150 ∘ and the sliding angle is less than 10 ∘.

This phenomenon is naturally observed in numerous biological surfaces such as the lotus leaf, the namib, the desert beetle, and the water strider.

Thus, many methods in creating superhydrophobicity on different material surfaces have been achieved through the biomimetic approach.


Graphite has a layered structure composed of a large number of graphene sheets held together by weak van der Waals interactions. Single crystalline graphite is one of the stiffest materials in nature with an elastic modulus of over 1 TPa. It also has a low density and a high aspect ratio. Graphite has good electrical conductivity as well as good thermal conductivity. Graphite nanoplatelets can be obtained from expandable graphite, which is composed of natural graphite flake intercalated with acids, by appropriate thermal or microwave processing. During the processing, expandable graphite can be expanded up to hundreds of times over its pristine graphene sheets at the nano-scale level along the c axis of graphene layers [1] [2] [3] . Recently, graphite or graphene nanoplatelets have attracted considerable attention in academia and a large number of papers have dealt with this material [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] .

During the processing, expandable graphite can be expanded up to hundreds of times over its pristine graphene sheets at the nano-scale level along the c axis of graphene layers.

Recently, graphite or graphene nanoplatelets have attracted considerable attention in academia and a large number of papers have dealt with this material.


In Sec. 2, we start with the general formulas for the probability of radiation of twisted photons produced by a bunch of identical particles that is axially symmetric with respect to the detector axis at some instant of time and all the trajectories of particles in the bunch are obtained from one trajectory by a parallel transport. For brevity, we call such a bunch as axially symmetric. Such round bunches possess a high bunchby-bunch luminosity and are created, for example, in the electron-positron collider VEPP-2000, Novosibirsk [31] . The assumption that the bunch is axially symmetric allows us to obtain simple formulas relating the radiation probability for a bunch to the radiation probability for one point particle. These formulas involve the interference factors depending on the radial distribution of particles in the bunch. Several exact sum rules for the probability distributions and interference factors are found. In particular, it is shown that the radiation produced by an axially symmetric bunch and the radiation produced by one particle possess the same projections of the total angular momentum onto the detector axis per photon. This property holds for both coherent and incoherent radiations of a bunch. As for incoherent radiation, this sum rule is valid for bunches with zero dipole moment with respect to the center of the bunch and not only for axially symmetric bunches, provided the particles move along parallel trajectories. Then we derive a simple general condition when the one-particle answer for radiation probability can be used to describe radiation produced by a bunch.

Such round bunches possess a high bunchby-bunch luminosity and are created, for example, in the electron-positron collider VEPP-2000, Novosibirsk.


The twisted photons are the states of the electromagnetic field that possess definite the energy, the projections of the momentum and the total angular momentum onto the detector axis, and the helicity [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] . These states constitute a complete set, and any free electromagnetic field can be represented as a collection of twisted photons. It is important that such decomposition is not only a mathematical property, but it can be performed by suitably designed detectors and observed experimentally [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] . The wave packets of twisted photons sufficiently narrow in quantum numbers are widely used now in science and technology (see for reviews [12] [13] [14] [15] ).

The twisted photons are the states of the electromagnetic field that possess definite the energy, the projections of the momentum and the total angular momentum onto the detector axis, and the helicity.

It is important that such decomposition is not only a mathematical property, but it can be performed by suitably designed detectors and observed experimentally.

The wave packets of twisted photons sufficiently narrow in quantum numbers are widely used now in science and technology (see for reviews).


Thus, this study explores two contextual organizational conditions that may strengthen and hinder the associations between i-deals and positive outcomes relevant to i-deal recipients and employers. Its main contribution lies in providing an overall model to guide exploration of how and when flexibility i-deals are associated with non-work and work domains. We use one mechanism (family performance) and two contextual conditions (POS and perceived hindering work demands) from the work environment to provide an overall picture of the consequences of flexibility i-deals. This is crucial, since i-deals are increasingly being used as strategic individualized HRM tools to enhance employees' performance in work and non-work domains (Bal et al., 2012; Ng & Feldman, 2012) . First, we introduce the theoretical background and develop our hypotheses.

This is crucial, since i-deals are increasingly being used as strategic individualized HRM tools to enhance employees' performance in work and non-work domains.


We develop an analytical framework that elucidates how key determinants of the knowledge base of science-based firms, and their combinations through M&As, interact and affect post-acquisition investment in the target's R&D projects. Earlier studies have explored the role of knowledge relatedness between acquiring and target firm as an important determinant of innovation outcomes (Ahuja and Katila, 2001; Makri et al., 2010) . Our research draws on, but also extends, these studies. In particular, our work builds on the insight that similarity and complementarity of technology have an effect on innovation outcomes following acquisition, but goes beyond this by incorporating into the framework the important role played by similarity and complementarity of capabilities between firms in affecting innovation outcomes. We argue that these two constructs d the complementarity/similarity of technology, and the complementarity/similarity of discovery and development capabilities of the target and acquiring firm d interact to produce different outcomes in terms of investment in the acquired firm's R&D projects and for the local science and technology system. This framework can encompass the different motives, processes and outcomes in technology-motivated M&As, and is therefore able to cast light on mechanisms ignored by earlier studies. We show that a knowledge-based view can potentially illuminate the rationale and effects of M&As on target innovation.

Earlier studies have explored the role of knowledge relatedness between acquiring and target firm as an important determinant of innovation outcomes.


In technology-and capabilities-enhancing combinations d involving complementary technology and complementary discovery and development capabilities d the acquisition emphasizes both "exploration" and "exploitation". Further investment in the R&D projects of the target is necessary for the further development of promising target projects. Such acquisitions may be part of a platform or buy-and-build strategy, where an initial acquisition provides the acquirer with a foothold in a new domain and the option to build on that platform with further internal investment or a series of follow-on acquisitions (Haspelagh and Jemison, 1991; Smit, 2001) . As such, these acquisitions are knowledge-seeking, and designed to "augment" the technology and capability base of the acquirer (Kuemmerle, 1999) .

Such acquisitions may be part of a platform or buy-and-build strategy, where an initial acquisition provides the acquirer with a foothold in a new domain and the option to build on that platform with further internal investment or a series of follow-on acquisitions.

As such, these acquisitions are knowledge-seeking, and designed to "augment" the technology and capability base of the acquirer.


There is much evidence that multinationals tend to concentrate their more strategic activities, such as the higher valueadded R&D, at home, due to their embeddedness in their national systems of innovation and need for internal cohesion (Blanc and Sierra, 1999; Patel and Pavitt, 1997; Zanfei, 2000) . Nevertheless, there is also evidence of a shift in the role of R&D abroad, from just supporting local business units and adapting products or processes to foreign markets, to improving home country technological assets or acquiring new technological assets (Dunning, 1994; Kuemmerle, 1999; Pearce, 1999) . Foreign locations can provide access to complementary location-specific advantages from, for example, centers of excellence in research or suppliers, offering the potential for technological developments (Cantwell, 1995) . For firms, access to tacit knowledge from other locations, and the combination of this knowledge d much of which is firm-specific and affected by path dependent conditions in the host country or region d with its own knowledge is important to facilitate the exploration of new technologies and development of their capabilities.

There is much evidence that multinationals tend to concentrate their more strategic activities, such as the higher valueadded R&D, at home, due to their embeddedness in their national systems of innovation and need for internal cohesion.

Nevertheless, there is also evidence of a shift in the role of R&D abroad, from just supporting local business units and adapting products or processes to foreign markets, to improving home country technological assets or acquiring new technological assets.

Foreign locations can provide access to complementary location-specific advantages from, for example, centers of excellence in research or suppliers, offering the potential for technological developments.


Implications for the local science and technology system Our analytical framework allows us to distinguish between the different outcomes in terms of implications for the local science and technology system, and therefore also has significant policy implications. Technology-and capabilities-enhancing and technology-enhancing knowledge base combinations have positive effects on the local science and technology system as buyers are keen to access the product-and firm-specific assets, and further investment is directed towards R&D of the acquired firms' technology in the host country. The tacit nature of knowledge in science-based firms requires the buyer to retain this knowledge, which is embedded and location-bound in scientists and their personal relationships, and constrains buyers from shifting R&D activities away from the host country of the target firm or centralizing it in the buyer's home country (Carayannopoulos and Auster, 2010; Kogut and Zander, 1992; Pisano, 1991) . Proximity to qualified universities or other research organizations that deliver this kind of tacit, cognitive knowledge, and to clusters of firms operating in the same and in complementary sectors (including the availability of experts in intellectual property or regulatory issues), is crucial to accessing this knowledge (Balconi et al., 2007; Casper, 2007; Liebeskind et al., 1996; Owen-Smith and Powell, 2004) . Therefore, for acquisitions involving access to complementary technology, the combined entity will have the imperative to remain and continue R&D activities in the host country.

The tacit nature of knowledge in science-based firms requires the buyer to retain this knowledge, which is embedded and location-bound in scientists and their personal relationships, and constrains buyers from shifting R&D activities away from the host country of the target firm or centralizing it in the buyer's home country.

Proximity to qualified universities or other research organizations that deliver this kind of tacit, cognitive knowledge, and to clusters of firms operating in the same and in complementary sectors (including the availability of experts in intellectual property or regulatory issues), is crucial to accessing this knowledge.


Our research draws on and also questions some of the findings of existing research on the effect of knowledge relatedness on innovation in M&As (Makri et al., 2010) . In particular, it builds on the insight that similarity and complementarity of technology have an effect on innovation outcomes following acquisition, but goes beyond this by incorporating into the framework the important role played by similarity and complementarity of capabilities between firms in innovation outcomes. This added focus contributes to the development of an analytical framework that elucidates how key determinants of science-based firms interact and affect investment in the target firm's R&D post-acquisition. This framework can encompass the different motives, processes and outcomes in technology-motivated M&As, and is therefore able to cast light on mechanisms ignored by earlier studies. For example, it casts light on the difference in motives and processes between what we call technology-and capabilities-enhancing knowledge-base combinations (in which acquirers seek to "augment" their knowledge) and technology-enhancing knowledge-base combinations (in which acquirers seek to "renew" or "replace" their knowledge), with implications for the nature of the R&D reorganization process. Our framework also explains the reasons for the continuation of only the development operations (as opposed to further research) of target firms in the host country in the case of capabilities-enhancing knowledge base combinations, in contrast to the cases with complementary technology. Finally, it explains the motives for and processes of termination or shift of R&D from the host country in the case of similarity of technology and of discovery and development capabilities. These issues have not been explored by earlier studies of knowledge-relatedness in M&As.

Our research draws on and also questions some of the findings of existing research on the effect of knowledge relatedness on innovation in M&As.


It is observed in Figure 2 that, under a constant feed pressure of 30 psi, the overall performance of the PVDF membrane as well as its initial permeate flux are better and higher than those of the CA membrane, respectively. As the feed flow rate increases from 40 to 120 LPH under a constant pressure of 30 psi, the initial flux also increases from 61.44 to 119.64 kg.h -1 m -2 for the PVDF membrane and from 49.44 to 66.84 kg.h -1 m -2 for the CA membrane, respectively. Whenever the feed pressure and the flow rate of 30 psi and 40 LPH are used, after almost 10 minutes, both the PVDF and CA membranes show the same performance and flux decline. However, increasing the feed flow rate, a further flux decline is observed for the CA membrane. A higher permeate flux with an increase in the feed flow rate can be explained by the fact that, under constant feed pressure, the higher feed can pose a higher shear velocity to the deposited cake layer on the membrane surface (Zulaikha et al., 2014; Shirazi et al., 2014b) . As a result, more open pores are made available for the transport phase, which can achieve a higher flux, as is observed in Figure 2 -c.

A higher permeate flux with an increase in the feed flow rate can be explained by the fact that, under constant feed pressure, the higher feed can pose a higher shear velocity to the deposited cake layer on the membrane surface.


Furthermore, surface roughness can affect pore fouling and cake formation on the membrane surface (Bowen and Doneva, 2000; Vrijenhoek et al., 2001; Boussu et al., 2005; Mirtalebi et al., 2014) . Therefore, the applied membranes were characterized for their topographical features using AFM analysis (Figure 4) . It is indicated in the literature that higher surface roughness can lead to a severe fouling effect when the hydrostatic pressure difference is the driving force, as it is in the MF and UF processes (Hashino et al., 2011; Van Wagner et al., 2011; Shirazi et al., 2013a) . Table 4 presents the surface roughness of the applied MF membranes. A detailed description of these roughness parameters can be found in previous studies (Shirazi et al., 2013a and 2013c) .

Furthermore, surface roughness can affect pore fouling and cake formation on the membrane surface.

It is indicated in the literature that higher surface roughness can lead to a severe fouling effect when the hydrostatic pressure difference is the driving force, as it is in the MF and UF processes.

A detailed description of these roughness parameters can be found in previous studies.


The applied membranes were characterized for their topographical features using atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis, based on the method described recently (Shirazi et al., 2013a; Mirtalebi et al., 2014) . The AFM was performed with the non-contact mode using a DUALSCOPE 95-200E apparatus equipped with a DS95-200 E scanner and DUALSCOPE C-21 collector (DEM, Denmark). Table 2 presents the specifications of the cantilever and its tip. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (VEGA3, TESCAN) was used to observe the morphologies of the membranes and Bt, based on the standard techniques (Shirazi et al., 2015) .

The applied membranes were characterized for their topographical features using atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis, based on the method described recently.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (VEGA3, TESCAN) was used to observe the morphologies of the membranes and Bt, based on the standard techniques.


When the feed flow rate was kept constant at 120 LPH, using a lower feed pressure of 10 psi, it led to a different result. Under such conditions, a higher initial flux was observed for the PVDF membrane; however, after approximately 5 minutes of filtration, a higher permeate flux was observed for the CA membrane (Figure 2-d) . Similar results were observed in Figure 2 -f, when operating parameters with lower values, that is, P = 10 psi and Q = 40 LPH, were used, although the initial flux of the CA membrane was higher, ~44.52 kg.h -1 .m -2 . Table 3 shows the maximum and minimum values of the permeate flux for the MF membrane under various operating conditions. This behavior is in good agreement with previous studies, in which the authors used various operating conditions and polymeric membranes with various pore sizes (Chang et al., 2012; Marzban et al., 2014) .

This behavior is in good agreement with previous studies, in which the authors used various operating conditions and polymeric membranes with various pore sizes.


About three million tons of chemical pesticides worth 20 billion dollars are sold all over the world annually. Only half a billion dollars worth of the pesticide trade is biopesticides, and more than 60% of this amount is related to the commercial products of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). More than 50 species of pests sensitive to Bt, belonging to the three orders of Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera, have been reported. At present, various Bt-based biopesticides and transgenic plants form an important part of Integrated Pest Management (Marzban, 2012) .

At present, various Bt-based biopesticides and transgenic plants form an important part of Integrated Pest Management.


The Hunter Valley Coal Chain (HVCC) refers to the inland portion of the coal export supply chain in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia. Most of the coal mines in the Hunter Valley are open pit mines. The coal is mined and stored either at a railway siding located at the mine or at a coal loading facility used by several mines. The coal is then transported to one of the terminals at the Port of Newcastle, almost exclusively by rail. The coal is dumped and stacked at a terminal to form stockpiles. Coal from different mines with different characteristics is 'mixed' in a stockpile to form a coal blend that meets the specifications of a customer. Once a vessel arrives at a berth at the terminal, the stockpiles with coal for the vessel are reclaimed and loaded onto the vessel. The vessel then transports the coal to its destination. The coordination of the logistics in the Hunter Valley is challenging as it is a complex system involving 14 producers operating 35 coal mines, over 30 coal load points, 2 rail track owners, 4 above rail operators, 3 coal loading terminals with a total of 9 berths, and 9 vessel operators. Approximately 2000 vessels are loaded at the terminals in the Port of Newcastle each year. For more information on the HVCC see the overview presentation of the Hunter Valley Coal Chain Coordinator (HVCCC), the organization responsible for planning the coal logistics in the Hunter Valley [7] .

For more information on the HVCC see the overview presentation of the Hunter Valley Coal Chain Coordinator (HVCCC), the organization responsible for planning the coal logistics in the Hunter Valley.


Over 60% of all pregnancies globally are at risk of malaria and more than 32 million are in sub-Sahara Africa [1] . Malaria infection is associated with high maternal and perinatal mortality in tropical and subtropical regions [2] . Severe maternal anaemia, intrauterine growth retardation, intrauterine death, stillbirth, premature delivery and low birth-weight are some of the reported substantial direct risks of malaria in pregnancy [2, 3] . Although malaria in pregnancy is a serious public health problem, there is limited information available regarding safety profile of most of licensed anti-malarial in pregnancy because pregnant women are routinely not involved in clinical trials related to drug development for fear of harming the women and or developing foetus [4] .

Over 60% of all pregnancies globally are at risk of malaria and more than 32 million are in sub-Sahara Africa.

Malaria infection is associated with high maternal and perinatal mortality in tropical and subtropical regions.

Severe maternal anaemia, intrauterine growth retardation, intrauterine death, stillbirth, premature delivery and low birth-weight are some of the reported substantial direct risks of malaria in pregnancy.

Although malaria in pregnancy is a serious public health problem, there is limited information available regarding safety profile of most of licensed anti-malarial in pregnancy because pregnant women are routinely not involved in clinical trials related to drug development for fear of harming the women and or developing foetus.


The quantitative results of the present research demonstrate that there is a positive relationship between the amount of value placed on consumergenerated feedback and perceptions of quality improvement. Therefore, general managers who wish to improve service quality must make a commitment to monitoring, valuing, and taking action based on consumer feedback. This will also enable them to receive better consumer ratings as revealed in the second hypothesis. The present research also revealed that a greater emphasis placed on positive feedback could bring about better perceptions of service quality. This is consistent with research on customer delight (Torres & Kline, 2013) . Whereas negative feedback can aid in the process of service recovery, examining positive feedback can aid hoteliers in perpetuating the actions and continuing the amenities that truly delight the guest.

This is consistent with research on customer delight.


While the work of the aforementioned authors has helped advanced our knowledge of consumer-generated feedback, more research could illuminate the ways and means by which feedback is utilized by hoteliers. This study proposes that hotel general managers can potentially use such feedback to make operational changes resulting in service quality improvements. The literature on the topic of consumer-generated feedback reveals different streams. One such stream of research focuses on how consumer feedback affects a prospective customer's purchase decision process (Pavlou & Dimoka, 2006; Sparks & Browning, 2011; Vermeulen & Seegers, 2009; Williams, Van der Wiele, Van Iwaarden, & Eldridge, 2010) . Another stream focuses on how hoteliers can preserve or enhance their image online (O'Connor, 2010; Schmallegger & Carson, 2008) . In spite of this, more attention is warranted as to the effects of such feedback in hotel operations. Whereas previous research has addressed the use of online feedback for consumer decision making, and managing a hotel's image, the use of such feedback for quality management has been largely ignored. Therefore, this study has identified the following gap in the current literature: the use of consumer-generated feedback for operational purposes. Hotels can arguably gain information from consumer-generated feedback that will help them improve the quality of the services they provide.

One such stream of research focuses on how consumer feedback affects a prospective customer's purchase decision process.

Another stream focuses on how hoteliers can preserve or enhance their image online.


Despite the seemingly uneventful nature of positive consumer-generated feedback, general managers could learn from such comments. Whereas negative comments tell general managers what not to do wrong, they do not reveal what needs to go right. Positive comments, on the other hand, reveal what that pleases or potentially delights the guests. Furthermore, the present research revealed a positive association between spending time on positive consumer-generated feedback and improvement in quality variables. In fact, studies in academia have looked at patterns of positive comments online (Magnini, Crotts, & Zehrer, 2010) . Positive comments can help general managers identify patterns of praise and perpetuate the actions that caused them, thus improving quality in the long-term. The researchers propose that general managers ought to spend time monitoring both positive and negative consumer-generated feedback. However, the study demonstrates that not enough attention is placed on positive consumer feedback. By valuing positive comments, managers can identify what delights the guest and be better equipped to provide it.

In fact, studies in academia have looked at patterns of positive comments online.


In this paper, we demonstrate that machine learning techniques can accurately parse pathology reports reaching an F-score of 0.96, without daunting manual effort. We hypothesize that the success of our method can be attributed to the learning algorithm and the quality of the annotated data. The boosting learners are known to achieve top performance on the classification tasks, and can robustly handle the noise in the training data. The annotations used for our algorithm contain a large representative sample of diverse pathology reports from three different hospitals, and are carefully annotated by trained professionals. To make our system results usable in a clinical setting, we have compiled parsed pathology reports into a database with a user-friendly interface, as shown in Figure 1 . This interface can be used by researchers with appropriate IRB approval to identify cohorts of patients determined by specific combinations of categories. These cohorts can be identified as single records or as episodes of care, which is defined as a consolidated record that contains all pathology categories found within a six month period on the same side (left or right) [1] . For example, a researcher looking for pure DCIS cases would want to search by episode of care, not by specific report. Once a cohort is identified, all pathology reports in the database for each individual in the cohort can be retrieved. This provides a quick way to analyze prior diseases for each patient (which might exclude the patient from a study) or subsequent diagnoses (potentially an endpoint of a study). For example, a researcher can see the risk of subsequent cancer in patients with high risk lesions while excluding patients with prior cancers or can see the rate of in-breast or contralateral disease, giving a first pass at the long term clinical course. Obviously patients change health care systems regularly, so while this first pass will not give comprehensive follow up information, it will provide a valuable start in gathering the data for the research endeavor.

These cohorts can be identified as single records or as episodes of care, which is defined as a consolidated record that contains all pathology categories found within a six month period on the same side (left or right).


Unlike stimulated emission in active media, parametric amplification is not a resonant process, and it does not involve any real energy levels, the non-linear materials acting exclusively as an intermediate during the three-wave interaction. As a consequence, OPA systems can potentially work at any wavelength, even in those spectral regions that are not supported by lasing media. Moreover, by properly varying the phase-matching conditions, different spectral components can be selected for amplification. OPAs thus provide highly tunable sources, the region of tunability being subjected to the above-mentioned energy conservation rule. The main restriction limiting this amplification band is set by the transparency range of the non-linear crystal. Indeed, the energy exchange process among the pump, signal and idler waves is boosted by their mutual interaction; consequently, for the non-linear interaction to occur efficiently, transparency is required at the three frequencies involved. Transparency at the working wavelengths prevents thermal effects, which are instead particularly critical in amplification systems based on stimulated emission, strongly limiting power scalability. As a major advantage, in OPAs, the gain bandwidth is dictated by the possibility to satisfy the phase-matching condition over a broad spectral range. First of all, restrictions due to the line width of electronic or vibrational lasing transitions are avoided. Moreover geometrical degrees of freedom are available in birefringent media for optimizing the parametric amplification gain bandwidth, involving the propagation direction and the polarization of the interacting waves. A number of OPA architectures have been introduced for achieving broadband phase-matching. In this sense, ultra-broadband OPAs have been experimentally demonstrated, delivering pulses with durations down to the single-cycle limit from the visible to the mid-IR spectral region [9] .

In this sense, ultra-broadband OPAs have been experimentally demonstrated, delivering pulses with durations down to the single-cycle limit from the visible to the mid-IR spectral region.


In Section 1 we review some standard approaches to solve fluid-structure interaction problems, in particular those based on domain decomposition arguments, that use the so-called Steklov-Poincaré operators. In Section 2 we recall the fluid and solid models and we set the main notations. The time scheme is presented in Section 3. In Section 4 the new algorithm is introduced. It is difficult to anticipate the advantages in terms of efficiency of the proposed approach. Nevertheless we propose in Section 4.2 a simplified complexity analysis whose conclusion may be sum up as follows: the more expensive the structure problem and nonlinear the fluid (let think of the Navier-Stokes equations but also of complex models for the fluid), the more competitive is expected this new formulation. Preliminary numerical results are reported on in Section 5. More extensive simulations and comparisons with existing methods will be proposed in a forthcoming work [14] .

More extensive simulations and comparisons with existing methods will be proposed in a forthcoming work.


We have proposed a Newton algorithm for fluid-structure problems. The starting point of the method is the same as for the so-called monolithic approaches since we consider the global fluid-structure equations, but the tangent problem is solved with domain decomposition techniques. The resulting method is therefore partitioned: it is based on two different solvers for the fluid and the structures and can be parallelized. A simplified complexity analysis shows in which cases the proposed method could be competitive. More extensive numerical simulations and comparison with existing methods will be presented in a forthcoming work [14] .

More extensive numerical simulations and comparison with existing methods will be presented in a forthcoming work.


In PBM, students are responsible of their own learning and are required not to depend too much on their teacher. PBM creates students who are independent and can continue to have a lifelong learning on their own. Teachers act more like a tutor or a facilitator to guide students through the learning process. As students progress, teachers' guidance will become less and less. PBM learning process is due to the complexity of the problems in the real world. This fact is used by teachers and learners alike as a motivation to use and integrate the information that they obtain, to remember and apply it so that they can solve the problems that they will face in the future. PBM was designed to challenge students to optimize their creative and critical thinking skill (CCTS) and effectively solve problems (Kiranawati, 2007) .

PBM was designed to challenge students to optimize their creative and critical thinking skill (CCTS) and effectively solve problems.


It is generally accepted that parents are the first socializing agents for their children's behaviour. It is common practice for parents to teach their children social rules and roles by explaining, rewarding and punishing them. However, sometimes parents unconsciously socialise the conducts they may not want their children to adapt. As such, parents are often blamed when children engage in antisocial behaviour. Some parents are warm, responsive and child centered in rearing their children. Other parents are rejecting, unresponsive, and essentially uninvolved with their children. On the other hand, some parents are demanding and restrictive on their children while others are permissive and undemanding. The permissive parents tend to allow their children to do as they wish. When a parent is warm and loving the child is likely to want to maintain the parents' approval. To secure the approval some children are likely to avoid any situations that would make them lose the parents' love (Grusec & Davidov, 2007) .

To secure the approval some children are likely to avoid any situations that would make them lose the parents' love.


The use of space satellites for communication, navigation, and defense is becoming more and more important. High costs for both construction and launch satellites are driving the need to extend the service life of these satellites from the current 5 to 8 years to 10 years and even for a longer period. According to NASA, many mechanical failures in spacecraft were caused by tribological problems [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] . Thus, the improvement of lubrication and antiwear performance for the mechanical systems is the key to extend the service life of satellites and spacecrafts. The synthetic liquid lubricants have been very commonly used in aerospace equipment for many years. And low vapor pressure, low pour point, good thermal stability, and good lubrication properties, particularly, good boundary lubrication performance and low wear formation rates, are crucial physicochemical and tribological properties which is to be ensured for aerospace devices [7, 8] . The majority of current aerospace applications use mineral oils, perfluoropolyalkylethers (PFPEs), or synthetic hydrocarbons, such as multialkylatedcyclopentanes (MACs) and polyalphaolefins (PAO) [9, 10] . PFPEs are the mostly used liquid lubricants for aerospace mechanisms but suffer from poor boundary lubrication capability, the incompatibility with conventional additives, the catalytic degradation, and so forth [11, 12] . MACs and PAO are of limited use at low temperature and in vacuum.

According to NASA, many mechanical failures in spacecraft were caused by tribological problems.

And low vapor pressure, low pour point, good thermal stability, and good lubrication properties, particularly, good boundary lubrication performance and low wear formation rates, are crucial physicochemical and tribological properties which is to be ensured for aerospace devices.

The majority of current aerospace applications use mineral oils, perfluoropolyalkylethers (PFPEs), or synthetic hydrocarbons, such as multialkylatedcyclopentanes (MACs) and polyalphaolefins (PAO).

PFPEs are the mostly used liquid lubricants for aerospace mechanisms but suffer from poor boundary lubrication capability, the incompatibility with conventional additives, the catalytic degradation, and so forth.


Among various air pollutants, sulfur dioxide SO 2 has received special attention from government agencies due to the severity of its negative effects, on human and animal health and even on vegetation. The analysis of the sulfur content in automotive fuels (petrol and diesel) is an important parameter due to its contribution to the formation of acid rain. This acidic precipitation is caused by the emissions of SO 2 /SO 3, material particulate, apart from poisoning the catalytic converter for exhaust emission treatment (Bhandari et al., 2006) .

This acidic precipitation is caused by the emissions of SO 2 /SO 3, material particulate, apart from poisoning the catalytic converter for exhaust emission treatment.


Nowadays, there is a worldwide trend to regulate the amount of sulfur in gasoline and diesel. The accepted levels of sulfur range between 10 and 50mgL -1 (Song, 2003) . The European legislation, enacted in 2009, restricts sulfur levels to less than 10mgL -1 for both fuels (Li et al., 2007) .

The accepted levels of sulfur range between 10 and 50mgL -1.

The European legislation, enacted in 2009, restricts sulfur levels to less than 10mgL -1 for both fuels.


Then in section 4 we find the minimal surfaces satisfying these boundary conditions, and determine the leading IR divergences in the amplitudes. We will find that these minimal surfaces have a peculiar "mushroom" shape, where the surface initially bends away to larger x before turning around. The leading divergence is controlled by the near-boundary behaviour of the surface. We find this divergence is stronger than in the corresponding timelike cusps for z = 1, with a universal (z-indepenent) dependence on the cutoff with a coefficient which vanishes as we take the limit. This result is reminiscent of the behaviour of the bulk singularity, where curvature diverges as 1/τ 2 along the worldline of geodesics which approach the singularity (where τ is the proper time), with a coefficient which vanishes as z → 1 [6] . It should be understood in the field theory as due to the presence of the higher density of soft modes implied by the modified dispersion relation ω ∼ k z .

This result is reminiscent of the behaviour of the bulk singularity, where curvature diverges as 1/τ 2 along the worldline of geodesics which approach the singularity (where τ is the proper time), with a coefficient which vanishes as z → 1.


Granular materials exhibit complex macroscopic response due to the various length scales and corresponding particle-continuum duality (Wood, 2004) . The evolution of the particle contact network is often considered to describe the complex mechanical response of granular materials. Numerous studies have presented extensive characterisation of micro-scale features of the contact network, including the presence of strong force chains aligned with the direction of major principal stress and supported against buckling by a network of weaker contacts, as well as evolving anisotropy of the contact network.

Granular materials exhibit complex macroscopic response due to the various length scales and corresponding particle-continuum duality.


This clinical series demonstrated that a satisfactory result can be achieved in one surgical session for patients requesting cranial vault remodeling for gender reassignment using HAC. The HAC (BoneSource R) is gradually be reabsorbed and replaced by bone. It permits osseointegration, which makes it relatively resistant to infection. The substrate is available in amounts (volumes) that are easy to apply and shape to suit individual needs. Overall satisfaction is very high. Therefore, HAC is an alternative to autogenous bone grafts and other alloplastic materials. Forehead plasty for gender reassignment through cranioplasty is safe. It has a significant impact in determining the gender of the patient [41] .

Overall satisfaction is very high.

It has a significant impact in determining the gender of the patient.


There were 4 phases in the experiment (shown in Figure 1 ). Firstly, subjects were asked to try guessing the target logogriphs for 6 s. If they got an answer, they shall press the "1" key to enter the fourth phase; if not, they shall not press any key. After a 1 s interval, both the hint logogriph and the answer were presented in the center for 4.5 s, and subjects were asked to understand the relation between the hint logogriph and their answer. They shall press the "1" key if they understood the relation, and not press any key if they did not. The target logogriph was presented in the third phase for 6 s after a 1 s interval, if subjects guessed the logogriphs, they were asked to press the "1" key but to press no key if they did not. Finally, after 1 s interval, pairs of the target logogriph and the answer were presented for 4 s, and subjects were asked to judge whether what their guess was consistent with the correct answer or not, and to press the "1" key if they got the answer right, or the "2" key if they did not but understood the relation between the logogriphs and the answers. They shall not press any key if they neither guessed the logogriph nor understood the correct answer. During the last phase, the correctly guessed condition was regarded as the non-insight condition. The condition where subjects understood the answer was referred to as the insight condition according to early studies (Mai et al., 2004; Qiu et al., 2006) . In the non-insight condition, the feedback answer was consistent with what participants guessed, insight did not occur when they saw the answers, in contrast, in the insight condition, participants did not guess out the answers or had incorrect answers, once they understood the standard answers after their presentation where an "aha" experience occurred (Mai et al., 2004) .

The condition where subjects understood the answer was referred to as the insight condition according to early studies.

In the non-insight condition, the feedback answer was consistent with what participants guessed, insight did not occur when they saw the answers, in contrast, in the insight condition, participants did not guess out the answers or had incorrect answers, once they understood the standard answers after their presentation where an "aha" experience occurred.


Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) has been widely studied for many applications, such as paints, cloth fibers, cosmetics and microelectronics, optical cells, solar energy conversion, photocatalyst for environmental purification and production of hydrogen gas, and so on. This is because TiO 2 is a cheap material and shows nontoxicity, high activities and chemical stability. In particular, various anatase type TiO 2 powders and films have been fabricated for development of photocatalytic activities such as strong organic degradation and superhydrophilicity [1] - [6] . However, photocatalytic reactions by TiO 2 only proceed under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, but do not proceed under visible light irradiation. That is because the anatase type pure TiO 2 only absorbs UV light with wavelength shorter than 380 nm, based on its wide band gap (3.0 -3.2 eV). However, UV light accounts for only about several % of solar energy. In addition, UV light responsive photocatalysts had been limited for use in the room because there are not a lot of UV lights in the room.

In particular, various anatase type TiO 2 powders and films have been fabricated for development of photocatalytic activities such as strong organic degradation and superhydrophilicity.


The central nervous system and neurohormones regu late a large number of insect traits and are an inevitable component of the process of adaptation to a changing environment . Char acteristics of the response as well as the ability to respond to a changing environment are controlled by two inde pendent systems: the central nervous system (neuroendo crine factors) and target cells (receptor system). A "regulatory dialogue" between them leads to better matching with the environmental changes, i.e. adaptive plasticity (Nijhout, 1999) .

A "regulatory dialogue" between them leads to better matching with the environmental changes, i.e. adaptive plasticity.


L. dispar is very scarce in the locust-tree forests. The locality "Bagremara" (from which the egg masses used in our experiments originate) was planted with locust-trees after the gradual clearing of the oak forest. Therefore, it is presumed that this locust-tree gypsy moth population Table 1. gradually adapted to an unfavourable diet (Sidor & Jodal, 1983) .

Therefore, it is presumed that this locust-tree gypsy moth population Table 1. gradually adapted to an unfavourable diet.


Reinforcement of polymer with nanosized particles is a promising technique that affords to enhanced performance of the materials. Montmorillonite (MMT) is the most commonly used layered silicate because of its natural occurrence and beneficial properties. This filler has drawn a great deal of attention, when layered silicates were dispersed in the polymer matrix at the nanoscale level and the reinforcement ability was improved by replacing the inorganic exchange cations in the galleries of the clay by alkyl ammonium surfactants. It is composed of silicate layers with thicknesses 1 nm, interlayers spacing between the stacked layers of about 1 nm and very high aspect ratios [1] . Incorporation of very small fraction of the silicate nanofiller would give significant improvements in the stiffness and strength of the related materials. A lot of works have been done in clay nanocomposites for many thermoplastics and thermosetting polymers, but the studies on rubber-based nanocomposites constitute in lesser dimension [2] .

It is composed of silicate layers with thicknesses 1 nm, interlayers spacing between the stacked layers of about 1 nm and very high aspect ratios.

A lot of works have been done in clay nanocomposites for many thermoplastics and thermosetting polymers, but the studies on rubber-based nanocomposites constitute in lesser dimension.


Recently, we reported a new self-ordering electrolyte for anodic porous alumina fabrication, etidronic acid (1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid, CH 3 C(OH)[PO(OH) 2 ] 2 ) [43] . Etidronic acid anodizing at 210-270 V under the appropriate temperatures resulted in the formation of anodic porous alumina that exhibited self-ordering behavior, and periodic porous alumina with cell sizes of 530-670 nm was successfully fabricated. A periodic dimple array corresponding to the bottom shape of the ordered porous alumina was also fabricated on the aluminum substrate via selective dissolution of the anodic oxide. During the aluminum dimple formation on the aluminum substrate, we found that the nanostructured aluminum surface led to bright structural coloration with a rainbow spectrum including violet, blue, light blue, green, yellow, orange, and red hues. This structural coloration is not based on the thin film interference but rather the nanostructured aluminum surface with the periodic submicrometer-scale dimple array. Therefore, the ordered aluminum nanostructure, namely the structural coloration, may easily be transferred to other materials including polymers via nanoimprinting [44] [45] [46] .

Recently, we reported a new self-ordering electrolyte for anodic porous alumina fabrication, etidronic acid (1-hydroxyethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid, CH 3 C(OH)[PO(OH) 2 ] 2 ).

Therefore, the ordered aluminum nanostructure, namely the structural coloration, may easily be transferred to other materials including polymers via nanoimprinting.


Serum level of immunoglobulin isotypes, IgG subclasses and isohaemagglutinins was determined by immunoturbidimetry, ELISA or erythrocyte agglutination (Supplementary Table S1 , available at Rheumatology Online). Due to a possible influence of immunosuppressant therapy on immunoglobulin synthesis, we adopted a more stringent criterion for the classification of reduced immunoglobulin serum levels (3 standard deviations below mean levels for adults, as established in the literature; see Table 2 ) [26] . Immunoglobulin isotype serum levels above the reference range, established according to the manufacturers, were considered increased immunoglobulin serum levels.

Due to a possible influence of immunosuppressant therapy on immunoglobulin synthesis, we adopted a more stringent criterion for the classification of reduced immunoglobulin serum levels (3 standard deviations below mean levels for adults, as established in the literature; see Table 2 ).


In this paper the use of black-box techniques is proposed to take advantage of the power and versatility of these methods, while making some decisions about the design of the system that allows a richer interpretation. Specifically, the design and construction of a prediction model based on a Support Vector Machine (SVM) is used (Villagra-Arnedo et al., 2015) . The decisions about the input data set design, the number and distribution of the classes, the use of probabilistic classification and the exploitation of time factor, provide a richer output. Moreover, a set of graphical tools has been proposed to exploit the expressiveness of the output information and provide a meaningful guide to teachers and students.

Specifically, the design and construction of a prediction model based on a Support Vector Machine (SVM) is used.


Synchronization is a universal phenomenon associated with oscillations. The Moon revolves around the Earth with the same period as that of its rotation. The tide-producing force from the Earth to the Moon causes the synchronization of the revolution and rotation of the Moon. Moreover, the spontaneous synchronization of firefly lights is one of several extremely fascinating exhibitions that 1228 Applied Mathematics occur in nature. Some mathematical models have been proposed to simulate this phenomenon [1] . Each firefly is assumed to be a light-emitting oscillator that generates a limit cycle. Another example is the synchronization of a series of Josephson junctions, each element of which interacts only with its close neighbors [2] . Similarly, each pacemaker cell of the sinoatrial node (a group of pacemaker cells in the wall of the right atrium of the heart), which is regarded as an electrical oscillator generating a limit cycle, is loosely coupled with its neighboring pacemaker cells so that those cells synchronize. The electrical impulse current of a single pacemaker cell is not sufficient to travel through the impulse-conducting system, so the ventricles of the heart do not contract. In contrast, synchronized pacemaker cells generate an impulse with sufficiently high current to travel through the system so that the ventricles contract and pump out blood normally.

Some mathematical models have been proposed to simulate this phenomenon.

Another example is the synchronization of a series of Josephson junctions, each element of which interacts only with its close neighbors.