Playing sports not only imparts physical skills but it also contributes an abundance of life skills such as team building, leadership, challenge, triumph, failure, humanity, sportsmanship, fragility, belonging, and comradeship (Kahle and Riley, 2004) . The unique relationship that we have with sports is one of the reasons that teams are able to attract huge sponsorship deals and has led to keen competition for the sports consumer dollar. In the USA alone, sports is the 11th largest industry estimated at US$30 billion and growing at 9% annually (Bathgate, 2005) .

Playing sports not only imparts physical skills but it also contributes an abundance of life skills such as team building, leadership, challenge, triumph, failure, humanity, sportsmanship, fragility, belonging, and comradeship.

In the USA alone, sports is the 11th largest industry estimated at US$30 billion and growing at 9% annually.


Constructing a co-branding association or relationship between a sports team and a company begins by identifying a common ground between participant brands (Lebar et al., 2005; Motion et al., 2003) . The articulation of the anticipated new merged outcome needs to be planned and needs to occur simultaneously for both partners at ideological, strategic, tactical and emotional levels (StrategicDirection, 2002; ) across a range of media. It is important that possible previous associations be disarticulated and that the new association is clearly articulated to the consuming public. Shared value is the critical aspect of a co-branding association (Motion et al., 2003) . The greater the core values that partners share, the bigger is the potential increase in equity of any co-branded product or service (Jones, 2004) .

Constructing a co-branding association or relationship between a sports team and a company begins by identifying a common ground between participant brands.

Shared value is the critical aspect of a co-branding association.

The greater the core values that partners share, the bigger is the potential increase in equity of any co-branded product or service.


Sports marketing is about "buying and selling audiences" (McDaniel, 2002; Trail et al., 2003) . Sports marketers create, develop and articulate targeted advertising themes and promotional campaigns in order to persuade consumers to increase their consumption of sports products and services. Sports market researchers have had to develop sophisticated market segmentation techniques for two reasons: Sports fans have consumption profiles that are different from the general public; and different sports also have different fan profiles (James and Ross, 2004; Kwon and Trail, 2001) .

Sports marketing is about "buying and selling audiences".

Sports market researchers have had to develop sophisticated market segmentation techniques for two reasons: Sports fans have consumption profiles that are different from the general public; and different sports also have different fan profiles.


Our study population had a higher preponderance of women compared with men (45:4) than is observed in the general population with MS or in previous fatigue studies. Although MS-related fatigue may behave differently between sexes, other fatigue studies have not demonstrated a significant difference [13] . Furthermore, both FSS and MFIS have been validated for use in men and women with MS, and RDFS correlates well with both. Even though our data overrepresent women, we anticipate the RDFS to remain applicable to the general population with MS. Most likely, differences in sex would not alter this novel approach to studying fatigue in men and women with MS. The data presented currently represent an exploratory analysis of this new fatigue outcome measure. Future studies may need to be designed to explore any potential differences between the application of the RDFS in men and women.

Although MS-related fatigue may behave differently between sexes, other fatigue studies have not demonstrated a significant difference.


On the other hand, solid waste is offered in giant quantities or bound waste merchandise from agricultural operations. Other than that, industrial activities additionally leave behind an enormous quantity of solid waste within the variety of ash. Within the close future, additional increase within the quantity of those waste materials is anticipated to occur, particularly in Malaysia, where rising economies are expected to provide the biggest increase in energy consumption [11] .

Within the close future, additional increase within the quantity of those waste materials is anticipated to occur, particularly in Malaysia, where rising economies are expected to provide the biggest increase in energy consumption.


We compare the higher-order homotopy approximation results and the [k, k] homotopy Padé approximant results with the numerical results of Matthews and Hill [4] . It is found that the present approximation agrees well with the numerical one. The effects of both and n on the velocity profile and the tangential stress are discussed. For the flow past a wedge, when approaches zero, f (0) increases as the wedge angle increases; however, when is near or above one, f (0) decreases. For the flow in a convergent channel, as increases, the rate of change of the tangential velocity decreases. For the flow driven by an exponentially-varying outer flow, for fixed m, the tangential velocity increases as increases, and for fixed , the tangential velocity increases as m increases.

We compare the higher-order homotopy approximation results and the [k, k] homotopy Padé approximant results with the numerical results of Matthews and Hill.


We represent the human body through its standing point and reach of arms, which leads to a sphere of possible movement trajectories around the human body [12] . Tasks that include navigation towards several objects in a certain sequence can thus be represented as trajectories of movement between spatially distributed objects in relationship to the human body. In our experimental setup, we choose an angular distribution of objects around the participant's standing point to match this sphere of performative body movement, thus enabling to integrate the representation of body movement and the representation of the spatial environment in which the experiment is performed. This allows an analysis of the influence of movement, perception and cognition on object relationships within an environmental representation.

We represent the human body through its standing point and reach of arms, which leads to a sphere of possible movement trajectories around the human body.


Commonly used commercial antiscalants are represented by three chemical families: polyphosphates (hexametaphosphate (HMP), tripolyphosphate (TPP), etc.), organophosphonates (aminotris(methylenephosphonic acid), ATMP; 1-hydroxyethane-1,1-bis(phosphonic acid), HEDP; 2-phosphonobutane 1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTC), etc.), and organic polyelectrolytes (polyacrylates (PA); polycarboxysulfonates). Among these, the organophosphonates are dominating recently at the World market [5] . At the same time, phosphorus-based inhibitors are hardly biodegradable and persist for many years after their disposal, which leads to eutrophication problems [4, 6] . Phosphorus discharges are therefore regulated in many countries worldwide, and permissible limits are constantly decreasing [4] .

Among these, the organophosphonates are dominating recently at the World market.

At the same time, phosphorus-based inhibitors are hardly biodegradable and persist for many years after their disposal, which leads to eutrophication problems.

Phosphorus discharges are therefore regulated in many countries worldwide, and permissible limits are constantly decreasing.


Increasing environmental concerns and discharge limitations have forced the scale-inhibitor chemistry to move toward "green antiscalants" that are readily biodegradable and have minimal environmental impact. Intensive efforts are applied recently to develop the "green" alternatives to organophosphonates and nonbiodegradable polyacrylates [2, 4, [7] [8] [9] . Among these novel inhibitors, such chemicals as polymaleates (PMA), polyaspartates (PASP), and polyepoxysuccinates (PESA), as well as their various derivatives including copolymers with PA, are the most promising.

Intensive efforts are applied recently to develop the "green" alternatives to organophosphonates and nonbiodegradable polyacrylates.


The excellent performance of the clear coatings on PF modified radiata pine panels is encouraging and supports the approach of trying to improve the performance of clear coatings by optimising different elements of the coating system that contribute to coating longevity. Each element of the coating system appeared to contribute to the longevity of the coatings, and will be discussed in turn. The failure of coatings on oak invariably occurred as a result of the development of pin holes or cracks in the coatings followed by moisture ingress and colonization of the underlying wood by mould fungi. The cracks in the coating developed over large earlywood pores (arrowed top centre-right in Figure 12b ), possibly because the coating was thinner in these areas. A similar mode of failure of a thin acrylic coating over the resin canals in radiata pine panels exposed to the weather for 28 months was noted by Evans and coworkers [3] . The failure of coatings on oak invariably occurred as a result of the development of pin holes or cracks in the coatings followed by moisture ingress and colonization of the underlying wood by mould fungi. The cracks in the coating developed over large earlywood pores (arrowed top centreright in Figure 12b ), possibly because the coating was thinner in these areas. A similar mode of failure of a thin acrylic coating over the resin canals in radiata pine panels exposed to the weather for 28 months was noted by Evans and coworkers [3] .

A similar mode of failure of a thin acrylic coating over the resin canals in radiata pine panels exposed to the weather for 28 months was noted by Evans and coworkers.


Clear finishes perform badly in comparison to opaque coatings because the clear-coat transmits light, which leads to photodegradation of the underlying wood and failure of the coating by the loss of adhesion [21] . Hence, the most obvious way to improve the performance of clear coatings on wood is to photostabilize the wood surface before applying clear coats. Numerous studies using a variety of photostabilizers have confirmed the veracity of such an approach [11, 12, 15, [17] [18] [19] . Indeed, the best photoprotective systems can easily double the lifetime of clear coatings on wood, but such an increase falls short of what is needed. Hence, it is clear that alternative approaches will be needed if the large market demand for durable clear coatings for wood is ever going to be met. One possible approach is to improve each feature of the wood-clear coating system that influences performance to develop a system with far greater longevity. This approach, known as the aggregation of marginal gains "seeks to translate the additive impact of multiple small improvements into a significant overall gain in performance" [22] . It is producing remarkable increases in the performance of complex systems, for example, the performance of athletes or outcomes for patients undergoing medical therapies [23, 24] . Perhaps it could produce similar beneficial effects on the performance of clear coatings on wood? In this paper, we test this hypothesis by focusing on five factors that our review of the literature identified as having significant effects on the durability of clear coatings exposed to the weather [3] . These factors are wood's photostability and dimensional stability, moisture ingress via end-grain, coating flexibility and photostability, and coating thickness. Preliminary research was performed to select effective wood pre-treatments and durable clear-coatings. We then tested the performance of the coating systems with good solutions to each of the aforementioned issues. The best coating systems on radiata pine are still performing well after 4 years of outdoor exposure. We conclude that our approach shows promise. Future research will build on the current work by developing solutions to additional factors that influence the performance of exterior clear coatings.

Clear finishes perform badly in comparison to opaque coatings because the clear-coat transmits light, which leads to photodegradation of the underlying wood and failure of the coating by the loss of adhesion.

Numerous studies using a variety of photostabilizers have confirmed the veracity of such an approach.

This approach, known as the aggregation of marginal gains "seeks to translate the additive impact of multiple small improvements into a significant overall gain in performance".

It is producing remarkable increases in the performance of complex systems, for example, the performance of athletes or outcomes for patients undergoing medical therapies.

In this paper, we test this hypothesis by focusing on five factors that our review of the literature identified as having significant effects on the durability of clear coatings exposed to the weather.


The selection of coatings, in addition to the wood substrate, pre-treatment, and edge seal was an important consideration in our attempt to create a high-performance clear coating system. There is evidence from the performance of the coatings on oak that the type of coating and film thickness influenced the performance of the coating systems, but there was no difference in the performance of the different coatings on PF modified radiata pine. Differences in coating performance on pine may emerge with further exposure of PF modified panels to the weather. However, the coatings behaved differently on untreated radiata pine. The spar varnishes and the alkyd clear coating cracked on untreated pine panels exposed to the weather, possibly because the coatings lacked the flexibility to accommodate moisture-related shrinkage and swelling of the wood. In contrast, cracking was far less apparent in panels coated with the acrylic finish, suggesting that the weathered acrylic finish was still flexible enough to accommodate the shrinkage and swelling of the untreated wood substrate. Coating flexibility is a key consideration when formulating durable clear finishes for unmodified wood [51] . It may, however, be less important for substrates such as PF modified wood that are dimensionally stable. For such substrates, other coating properties may be more important; for example, the ability to prevent water from reaching the wood substrate [52] .

Coating flexibility is a key consideration when formulating durable clear finishes for unmodified wood.

For such substrates, other coating properties may be more important; for example, the ability to prevent water from reaching the wood substrate.


In the last decade, due to the energy crisis, the Distributed Generation (DG) power electronic interfaced systems using clean renewable energy such as solar energy, wind energy, etc., have become an important issue in technical research. A low-pass passive power filter, typically LCL, is often inserted between a voltage source inverter (VSI) and the grid to attenuate the high-frequency PWM harmonics to a desirable limit. In order to further reduce the total inductance even more, an LLCLfilter was proposed [1] . Comparing with the conventional LCL-filter topology, the LLCL-filter topology provides successful harmonic attenuation capability, reducing the overall size cost of the passive components as well as faster dynamic response may be obtained [2] - [4] .

In order to further reduce the total inductance even more, an LLCLfilter was proposed.

Comparing with the conventional LCL-filter topology, the LLCL-filter topology provides successful harmonic attenuation capability, reducing the overall size cost of the passive components as well as faster dynamic response may be obtained.


As the photosynthetic machinery is easily oversaturated, the key to optimization is to reduce the amount of light energy absorbed per photosynthetic unit. This can be achieved by proper reactor design using the light dilution principle [7] [8] [9] . However, high material costs limit its application. Considering efficient light utilization is a bottleneck of biological nature, modifications to the light harvesting complex of microalgae would possibly be more effective [10] .

This can be achieved by proper reactor design using the light dilution principle.

Considering efficient light utilization is a bottleneck of biological nature, modifications to the light harvesting complex of microalgae would possibly be more effective.


It remains ambiguous whether yellow light suffices for optimal growth. To our knowledge, blue light supplementation to yellow or green light has not been studied previously. Yellow light could possibly be more difficult for cultivation than green light as the green emission spectrum of some light sources partly overlaps with the blue region. In our experiments, cultures that were supplemented with a moderate amount of blue light gave a higher productivity, had more stable cultivation (i.e. less day-to-day variation in productivity), and had enhanced cell fitness as indicated by a higher F v /F m value. The improvement in performance cannot be attributed to the energy content of the additional 50 μmol photons m −2 s −1 of blue light, as this is only a 3.5 % increase in total light intensity. This finding posits the following tentative hypothesis: blue light acts as a trigger for metabolic regulatory mechanisms that are essential for stable cultivation under the described mass culture conditions. Higher plants were ascertained to exhibit photoprotection mechanisms that are solely activated by blue light [47] . Authors of the same paper also observed that blue light is exploited by plants as an indicator of over-excitation and the need to switch to a state enhancing thermal energy dissipation.

Higher plants were ascertained to exhibit photoprotection mechanisms that are solely activated by blue light.


The potential limitations of our IPD meta-analysis should be acknowledged. First, researcher reluctance for sharing raw data is the main obstacle to performing IPD meta-analysis [43] . The potential reasons explaining the lack of data sharing include concerns about patient confidentiality, lack of time, data ownership, the cost for deidentifying and formatting the data, or the availability of the data many years after the completion of the study [43] . Principal investigators for several primary studies have already expressed interest to collaborate in this meta-analysis project and to provide IPD.

First, researcher reluctance for sharing raw data is the main obstacle to performing IPD meta-analysis.

The potential reasons explaining the lack of data sharing include concerns about patient confidentiality, lack of time, data ownership, the cost for deidentifying and formatting the data, or the availability of the data many years after the completion of the study.


Viral fusion proteins, intermediates in the proteolytic cascade, may also play a role in efficiency of substrate recognition and cleavage. Fusion proteins such as 3CD may be responsible for some of the cleavage events in the SVV-001 polypeptide [34, 35] . We have not ruled out the possibility that some of the proposed 3C pro substrates in SVV-001 are better substrates for fusion proteins like 3CD than for mature isolated 3C pro . A final caveat is that the purified SVV-001 3C pro used in these studies is a fusion protein with MBP. Although it is possible that the presence of MBP may affect the cleavage specificity or kinetics of the protease, this is likely to be a minor effect, as other viral proteases have been purified as fusion proteins and substituted for their normal counterparts in a similar fashion showing no significant change in specificity or activity [36] . The use of this construct was required for these investigations, as the fusion protein, but not isolated SVV-001 3C pro , could be maintained in solution after proteolytic removal of MBP with TEV protease [22, 24] . Recognition of the L/VP4.1 FP substrate and FQ peptide by the native SVV-001 3C pro during a lytic viral infection confirms the feasibility of using the recombinant SVV-001 3C pro in initial substrate optimization.

Fusion proteins such as 3CD may be responsible for some of the cleavage events in the SVV-001 polypeptide.

Although it is possible that the presence of MBP may affect the cleavage specificity or kinetics of the protease, this is likely to be a minor effect, as other viral proteases have been purified as fusion proteins and substituted for their normal counterparts in a similar fashion showing no significant change in specificity or activity.

The use of this construct was required for these investigations, as the fusion protein, but not isolated SVV-001 3C pro , could be maintained in solution after proteolytic removal of MBP with TEV protease.


SCBA mainly contains reactive silica and can be used as pozzolanic material in concrete. The main components of raw bagasse are silica (60-75%), K 2 O,CaO and other minor oxides including Al 2 O 3 , Fe 2 O 3 , and SO 3 [3, 5, 8] . Low specific gravity (1.8-2.1) of raw bagasse ash may be due to of large amount of lightweight unburnt particles [4, 8] . The pozzolanic activity of SCBA mainly depends on its particle size and fineness [2, 4] . This paper investigates the impact of SCBA in concrete by partially replacing SCBA with cement in the ratio of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% by weight for M25 grade of concrete. The experimental study examines the slump of the fresh concrete, compaction factor, compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity.

The main components of raw bagasse are silica (60-75%), K 2 O,CaO and other minor oxides including Al 2 O 3 , Fe 2 O 3 , and SO 3.

Low specific gravity (1.8-2.1) of raw bagasse ash may be due to of large amount of lightweight unburnt particles.

The pozzolanic activity of SCBA mainly depends on its particle size and fineness.


Agricultural wastes like wheat straw ash, rice husk ash, hazel nutshell and Sugar Cane Bagasse Ash (SCBA) contribute for the development of concrete by acting as pozzolanic materials [4] . Presently, the study is to utilize SCBA, the waste from sugar industry. When this waste is burned at around 600-800 0 C, it produces ash containing large amount of amorphous silica having pozzolanic properties. So, it is conceivable to use SCBA as cement replacement material to improve concrete properties like workability and strength. Utilization of different cementitious materials along with SCBA for the production of SCBA blended cements confers to get sustainable concrete. Tremendous quantities of SCBA are obtained as by-product from combustion in sugar industries; Therefore, SCBA is suitable supplementary cementitious material for use in concrete. Ontogeny of population, growing urbanization, and the mounting standard of living due to technological inventions are the reason for an increase in the quantity and variety of solid wastes generated by mining, domestic industrial and agricultural activities [7] . Annually, Asia alone produces 4.4 billion tonnes of solid waste [9] . The second largest producer of SCBA is India (44,000 tonnes/day) [1] .

Agricultural wastes like wheat straw ash, rice husk ash, hazel nutshell and Sugar Cane Bagasse Ash (SCBA) contribute for the development of concrete by acting as pozzolanic materials.

Ontogeny of population, growing urbanization, and the mounting standard of living due to technological inventions are the reason for an increase in the quantity and variety of solid wastes generated by mining, domestic industrial and agricultural activities.

Annually, Asia alone produces 4.4 billion tonnes of solid waste.

The second largest producer of SCBA is India (44,000 tonnes/day).


Environmental education is defined as "the study of nature, earth systems, sustainability, and individual roles in making decisions and critical thinking related to environmental literacy and actions" (Heimlich and Horr, 2010) . The objectives of EE go beyond learning content, and extend to changes in attitude, life-style and behaviour. Environmental education opportunities in prisons are growing in popularity, but they are still a stepchild to the other educational foci. The most common types of EE in prisons are in the form of dog training and rehabilitation, and gardening programs. But one program expands on these to also include: science lectures, sustainable operations such as composting and recycling, green job training, and endangered species conservation programs (LeRoy et al., 2012) . The Sustainability in Prisons Project (SPP) leads a national movement of sustainability and science in prisons. The SPP, which began as a partnership between the Washington Department of Corrections and The Evergreen State College, has grown to encompass a vast network of corrections institutions with academic and community partners across the US and beyond. This novel program was recently awarded a National Science Foundation grant funding their proposal to host a conference focused upon creating a national and international SPP Network. This has allowed for collaboration, sharing of ideas, and further evaluation of the impacts the EE and science projects within the prisons are having upon incarcerated individuals and communities.

Environmental education is defined as "the study of nature, earth systems, sustainability, and individual roles in making decisions and critical thinking related to environmental literacy and actions".

But one program expands on these to also include: science lectures, sustainable operations such as composting and recycling, green job training, and endangered species conservation programs.


Many methods have been developed for the separation of polysaccharides, such as maceration extraction and heat reflux extraction. However, these separation methods are inefficient which result in a low recovery of the product, time-consuming, solvent-consuming, energy-consuming, and even bad environment conditions. Thus, an alternative extraction technique that is simple, rapid, highly efficient, environmentally friendly, and inexpensive is urgently needed. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) is one way to solve this problem [21] [22] [23] . It offers high reproducibility, short extraction times, simple manipulation, low solvent consumption, low temperatures, and low energy input [24] [25] [26] .

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) is one way to solve this problem.

It offers high reproducibility, short extraction times, simple manipulation, low solvent consumption, low temperatures, and low energy input.


Cushing syndrome has an annual incidence of two to five cases per million, of which children make up 10 % [15] . Ectopic ACTH-producing tumors account for 1 % of Cushing syndrome causes in adolescents [15] . Given the low incidence of primary hepatic ACTH-producing tumors, liver locations of ACTH-producing tumors are more likely to represent metastases from neuroendocrine tumors originating in other abdominal organs than primary tumors, rendering primary liver tumors causing Cushing syndrome as reported here extremely rare.

Cushing syndrome has an annual incidence of two to five cases per million, of which children make up 10 %.

Ectopic ACTH-producing tumors account for 1 % of Cushing syndrome causes in adolescents.


Many generalizations of Voronoi diagrams have occurred in the literature. One way of generalizing is to allow sites to be other objects than pointseg disks, line segments etc. A natural generalization is to base the construction on other distance functions than the Euclidean one. Time O(n log n) methods for general Voronoi diagrams for L p norm 1 ≤ p ≤ ∞ and more general distance functions also exist [2, 8, 9] .

Time O(n log n) methods for general Voronoi diagrams for L p norm 1 ≤ p ≤ ∞ and more general distance functions also exist.


Rice is considered to be the most important staple food for millions of people in the Philippines (Rogel, 2004) . The Philippines was considered as one of the largest rice producer in the world, accounting for 2.8% of global rice production. However, the country was also considered as the world's largest rice importer in 2010. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines has concentrated much of its research efforts toward developing management methods conducive to high yields of rice in the tropics. One of the major problems affecting rice yields and is receiving attention has been insect control. Rice stem borers are one of the insect pests considered to be the most serious insect pests of rice in the Asia (Chandler, 1967) .

Rice is considered to be the most important staple food for millions of people in the Philippines.

Rice stem borers are one of the insect pests considered to be the most serious insect pests of rice in the Asia.


The computer technologies not only allow developing the pupils with the LPH, but also prepare them for the independent and fulfilling life in the information society, creating a kind of link in the integration process, which connects that category of children with the surrounding world (Bryant, 2008; Rogers, 2013) . The implementation of capabilities of modern information technologies extends the range of training activities types, allows improving the existing and gives rise to the new organizational forms and methods of pedagogical accompaniment. The use of modern information technologies contributes to solve one of the main tasks of correctional education-the development of pupil's individuality, his abilities to navigate and adapt in the modern society (Watson, 2001; Wegerif & Dawes, 2004) . This proves once again the necessity of overcoming all the difficulties in the use of ICT in the special education, relating to, among other things, the insufficient level of proficiency in computer technologies.

The computer technologies not only allow developing the pupils with the LPH, but also prepare them for the independent and fulfilling life in the information society, creating a kind of link in the integration process, which connects that category of children with the surrounding world.

The use of modern information technologies contributes to solve one of the main tasks of correctional education-the development of pupil's individuality, his abilities to navigate and adapt in the modern society.


Zinc phosphate cement exhibits good compression and tensile strengths when in a 25-mm film thickness. A cooled glass slab allows the incorporation of more powder in the mix, which increases the compressive strength and reduces solubility after setting, i.e., the cooler the slab, the longer the working time. In general, most cement types do not reach their final strengths for 24 h [15] .

In general, most cement types do not reach their final strengths for 24 h.


Cement-retained, implant-supported prostheses have gained popularity because they allow completion of clinical procedures using conventional fixed prosthodontic techniques. In the absence of occlusal screw access openings, cemented implant-supported restorations offer enhanced esthetics and an increased number of occlusal contacts. Cemented restorations compensate for minor fit discrepancies through use of a luting agent [32] .

Cemented restorations compensate for minor fit discrepancies through use of a luting agent.


In addition, the cement-retained design permitting the development of the desired occlusal interdigitation, and correct loading characteristics. Abutment preparation designs and cementation techniques now mimic conventional fixed prosthodontic procedures for natural teeth. Moreover, the cement space that exists between the crown and abutment can help compensate for minor discrepancies in the fit of the prosthesis [12] . However, cementation of a superstructure makes removal of cemented restorations more difficult. But Retrievability may no longer be an essential requirement because of substantial increases in the success, predictability, and survival rates of dental implants [13] .

Moreover, the cement space that exists between the crown and abutment can help compensate for minor discrepancies in the fit of the prosthesis.

But Retrievability may no longer be an essential requirement because of substantial increases in the success, predictability, and survival rates of dental implants.


Mostly, all cements are soluble in oral fluids. The precision of the crown margin not only minimizes plaque retention and enhances soft tissue health but also minimizes the effects of cement solubility. Marginal gaps greater than 75 mm may lead to accelerated cement wash out and retention failure. In order to reduce the cement margin thickness, several approaches have been suggested. A groove may be placed in the preparation or the casting to act as an additional spacer or vent for the cement. In implant prostheses the casting is often thicker than on natural teeth. As a result, a groove may be placed inside the casting, from the occlusal (incisal) to a few millimeters above the margin. The cement seal may be reduced to almost one half of its thickness with this technique. Another method to reduce film thickness is the timing of the prosthesis insertion. Film thickness can be increased by 10 mm (or more) for every additional 30 s once the cement was properly mixed [21, 22] .

Film thickness can be increased by 10 mm (or more) for every additional 30 s once the cement was properly mixed.


Crown was not affected by changing the cement layer thickness. Increasing cement layer thickness, from 20 to 60 mm, slightly affected the crown volume and rigidity. Such minor effect did not change the stresses and deformation distributions on cement layer. Thus, cement thickness had minimal effect on crown maximum principal stresses, as was shown in previous studies [28, 33] .

Thus, cement thickness had minimal effect on crown maximum principal stresses, as was shown in previous studies.


It was not surprising to find the stress values under oblique stressing conditions to be much higher than axial stressing conditions. This was true for all combinations of models, regardless of the type of cement, cement thickness. Higher stresses are expected under oblique loading as the load generates bending moments, that, Zinc phosphate cement layer deforms under oblique loading about 500% more than the vertical one, regardless the layer thickness and loading position. That indicates cement failure under such level of oblique loading because it has low value of ultimate tensile strength [28] .

That indicates cement failure under such level of oblique loading because it has low value of ultimate tensile strength.


From Figures 7-10 , it appears clear how linearity benefits from insulation, for both bending and recovery phases. The transition 0-1 of the normalized alignment plots in Figures 7 and 9 corresponds to the bending region, while the transition 1-0 corresponds to the recovery region. As the folds bend, the self-intersecting yarns of the stitch come closer together, creating more shorts between fibers of the yarn and within parts of the stitch, which results in a decrease in the resistance of the sensor [12] . The un-insulated simple inner bend of Figure 7 on the left shows how the short of the stitch with itself at the maximum bend results in a drop in resistance that does not happen for the insulated case, where the more linear response of the stitch to bending becomes more visible. This also applies for the hysteresis plots of Figure 8 , where the resistance decreases with bending for eight consecutive cycles (the first cycle was used to get the right alignment between DMM and Instron data: since there is incomplete data for the cycle, it was discarded from the analysis). In the same way, Figures 9 and 10 show alignment and hysteresis plots for simple outer folds, where now, we do not have the shorting of the stitch at the maximum bend, since the stitch faces the concave surface of the fold. It can be seen from the hysteresis plots that the resistance values of the insulated case are shifted upward. This is because the resistance of the insulated sensor can only be measured from the two extremes of the sensor, since the remaining sensor is completely insulated. The additional sensor length connected between the DMM probes added a constant bias to the simple bend tested between Instron clamps.

As the folds bend, the self-intersecting yarns of the stitch come closer together, creating more shorts between fibers of the yarn and within parts of the stitch, which results in a decrease in the resistance of the sensor.


The application of biocatalysts in organic synthesis offers several advantages compared with traditional chemo-catalysts such as milder reaction conditions with regards to temperature (usually T < 100°C), pressure and pH (normally [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] . Such conditions often lead to remarkable energy efficiency, high enantio-, regio-and chemo-selectivities as well as controlled stereochemistry. These features allow the development of new functional compounds for pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and polymers using nontoxic natural catalysts with a significant "green" appeal having commercial benefits and satisfying ecological requirements [1] .

The application of biocatalysts in organic synthesis offers several advantages compared with traditional chemo-catalysts such as milder reaction conditions with regards to temperature (usually T < 100°C), pressure and pH (normally.

These features allow the development of new functional compounds for pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and polymers using nontoxic natural catalysts with a significant "green" appeal having commercial benefits and satisfying ecological requirements.


The evaluation was conducted by using a Google Nexus One smartphone. The duration of the experiment was set to 1, 000 seconds. We measured the energy consumed by the mobile device for uploading messages in each experiment through the PowerTutor energy profiler application [19] . The obtained results are shown in Figure 3 . Each data point represents the average energy consumption over 10 iterations of each experiment, while the error bars represent the related confidence interval with a 95% confidence level. Figure 3 shows that the energy consumption of the mobile devices increase with the number of applications. Even though different applications require the same data, such as GPS coordinates or images, the device separately samples the data for each of them. Hence, as a result, it leads to same data being separately sent to each application. Thus, the mobile device experiences higher energy consumption with the increase in the number of applications. In contrast, the same data required by multiple applications are captured and sent to the UAM only once in our framework. The MCE collects and processes the data from each UAM and forwards it to the relevant application. Thus, this results in a lower energy consumption for the device, as it is not interacting with each application individually. Furthermore, we carried out additional experiments to evaluate the scalability and availability of the implemented prototype as a function of the number of users. To emulate users, we deployed 20 virtual machines sending an aggregate message rate ranging from 400 messages/sec to 4 × 10 5 messages/sec. We found that no messages were delayed at the message queues, thus we can conclude that the prototype is capable of handling a large number of users.

We measured the energy consumed by the mobile device for uploading messages in each experiment through the PowerTutor energy profiler application.


In recent years, multiple non-destructive and efficient non-fluid injection technologies have been applied to characterize pores and fractures in coalbed. SAXS/SANS technology is applicable to fragile samples whose core is hard to drill. By using this method, coal samples are not damaged during measurement. Compared with CO 2 /N 2 adsorption methods, SAXS/SANS technology can be used for testing under different temperatures and pressures and the acquired pore information is not restricted by the interactive effect between fluids and surfaces, shielding effects, and pore connectivity. It is feasible to analyze information about closed pores in coalbed and various parameters including porosity, pore size distribution, and SSA [34] [35] [36] . FIB-SEM and µ-CT technologies can reveal the three-dimensional (3D) continuous change and anisotropic characteristics of pores and fractures [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] . FIB-SEM technology is widely used to quantify nano-sized pores in coal of different ranks [42] [43] [44] [45] .

It is feasible to analyze information about closed pores in coalbed and various parameters including porosity, pore size distribution, and SSA.

FIB-SEM and µ-CT technologies can reveal the three-dimensional (3D) continuous change and anisotropic characteristics of pores and fractures.

FIB-SEM technology is widely used to quantify nano-sized pores in coal of different ranks.


Image analysis technology can be adopted to observe the pores in coalbed by using micro-observation technology under a microscope to further acquire images and qualify various characteristics such as size, shape, connectivity, and surface morphology of pores. The results are intuitively visible and qualitative and quantitative analyses can be combined with statistical analysis: data on pores obtained by using SEM image analysis technology has become a research hot-spot [46] [47] [48] [49] . By using TEM and AFM technologies, one not only can explore the molecular structure and surface characteristics of coal but also can characterize the pore structure [47] .

The results are intuitively visible and qualitative and quantitative analyses can be combined with statistical analysis: data on pores obtained by using SEM image analysis technology has become a research hot-spot.

By using TEM and AFM technologies, one not only can explore the molecular structure and surface characteristics of coal but also can characterize the pore structure.


Due to being restricted by experimental method limitations, fluid injection methods are only able to test open pores in coal masses while failing to characterize closed pores: however, fluid injection methods are widely used in coal masses. Generally, when investigating the characteristics of pores and fractures in a coalbed, the pore and fracture structures thereof are quantitatively characterized by combining CO 2 (or low-temperature N 2 ) adsorption methods with mercury intrusion porosimetry. On this basis, the specific area of pores, pore volume, and pore size distribution characteristics are discussed. Additionally, the fractal characteristics of pores and fractures with different sizes are investigated based on different mathematical models [28] [29] [30] [31] [32] . The mercury intrusion experiment is also widely applied, based on which the relationship between pore volume and pressure can be established [33] .

Additionally, the fractal characteristics of pores and fractures with different sizes are investigated based on different mathematical models.

The mercury intrusion experiment is also widely applied, based on which the relationship between pore volume and pressure can be established.


The surrounding elastic medium can be described by Winkler and Pasternak modulus that are determined by the material properties of the elastic medium (Yoon et al. 2003; Lanir & Fung 1972) . The DP is very responsive to the stiffness of the model, due to foundation and boundary conditions. As the Winkler modulus K W and Pasternak modulus K G of the surrounding elastic medium increase, the shift of the DP is significant (Figures 3 and 4) . Therefore, in a soft elastic medium, the effects of the curvature on the vibration of SWCNT increase. In addition, stiffness of boundaries has a similar behavior as the stiffness of the medium. As mentioned previously, to show the effects of boundary condition, this model solved for P-P, C-P and P-P boundary conditions. Figure 5 indicates that the boundary conditions have considerable effects on the DP. The illustration demonstrates that with decreasing the stiffness of the SWCNT from C-C to P-P, the effects of waviness on vibrational frequency increase. Figure 6 is presented in order to see the role of the SWCNT dimension. It shows the importance of the SWCNT length in the natural frequency and associated difference percent. Results show that an increase in the slenderness ratio causes the DP to considerably decrease. According to this figure, the rise of frequency with curvature amplitude is found to be significantly dependent on the aspect ratio. It means for a long nanotube, the difference of frequency between the straight SWCNT and curved SWCNT is reduced.

The surrounding elastic medium can be described by Winkler and Pasternak modulus that are determined by the material properties of the elastic medium.


In Southeast Asia including Taiwan, a great majority of HCC patients were causatively associated with hepatitis B virus infection [2] . Chronic viral hepatitis leads to perpetuated necroinflammation of the liver and thus continuous regeneration of hepatocytes. Consequently, liver cirrhosis occurred and HCC emerged. Presumably, liver stem cells played a pivotal role in hepatocyte regeneration and were prone to accumulating mutations on the target genes, which resulted in malignant transformation. To the contrary, in the present data, CD133 expression was negatively associated with the presence of serum HBsAg in both univariate and multivariate analysis. In contrast, p53 Western blot analysis of p53 in paired cancerous (T) and adjacent non-cancerous (N) liver tissues One of the most frequently reported genetic alterations in human cancers was p53 gene mutation. Wild-type p53 is believed to be a tumor suppressor, which inhibits tumor growth when expressed. Its mutated forms however, exert a dominant negative function and acts like an oncogene. As a result, cancers expressing high level of mutated p53 tend to be more aggressive and associated with poor prognosis [37, 38] . Although we did not sequence the p53 gene in this study, a previous report indicated that p53 mutations in HCC were commonly seen in Taiwanese patients [41] . Consistent with previous studies, the present results also indicated that p53 over-expression was associated with shorter disease-free survival. Importantly, in Cox Prediction of disease-free survival using p53 over-expression alone (left panel) or using both p53 and CD133 expression (right panel) in HCC Figure 6 Prediction of disease-free survival using p53 over-expression alone (left panel) or using both p53 and CD133 expression (right panel) in HCC.

In Southeast Asia including Taiwan, a great majority of HCC patients were causatively associated with hepatitis B virus infection.

As a result, cancers expressing high level of mutated p53 tend to be more aggressive and associated with poor prognosis.

Although we did not sequence the p53 gene in this study, a previous report indicated that p53 mutations in HCC were commonly seen in Taiwanese patients.


As tutors, we are encouraged to incorporate interactivity as part of the teaching and the learning process to enable students to better engage (Mutch 2003) . The use of 'action learning' helps students to gain a better understanding of the processes through which they learn, resulting in them becoming more engaged with the learning process (Johnson 1998) . As stated by White (2000, p153) , "the highest form of interactivity is achieved by incorporating 'dialogue' into the learning process". The simulation exercise offered both interactivity between students and staff and, to a limited extent, between students and students. The preliminary analysis of the results from student feedback highlighted that they engaged well with the simulation exercise.

As tutors, we are encouraged to incorporate interactivity as part of the teaching and the learning process to enable students to better engage.

The use of 'action learning' helps students to gain a better understanding of the processes through which they learn, resulting in them becoming more engaged with the learning process.


The most important free radicals in many disease states are oxygen derivatives, particularly superoxide and the hydroxyl radical. Superoxide is formed from several molecules by oxidation including adrenaline, flavine nucleotides, thiol compounds and glucose. Superoxide is also produce during important biological reactions including electron transport chain in mitochondria [2] .

Superoxide is also produce during important biological reactions including electron transport chain in mitochondria.


It has been suggested that in group C there was significant increase in the concentration of uric acid. This was in accordance with some studies done on human that high dietary intake of fructose contributes significantly to hyperuricemia [20] . In a large study in the United States, consumption of four or more sugar-sweetened soft drinks per day gave an odds ratio of 1.82 for hyperuricemia [21] . Increased production of uric acid is the result of interference, by a product of fructose metabolism, in purine metabolism. This interference has a dual action, both increasing the conversion of ATP to inosine and increasing the synthesis of purine [22] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Hyperuricemia-cite_note-pmid8213607-14. Fructose also inhibits the excretion of uric acid, apparently by competing with uric acid for access to the transport protein SLC2A9 [23] . The effect of fructose in reducing excretion of uric acid is increased in people with a hereditary (genetic) predisposition toward hyperuricemia and/or gout [22] .

This was in accordance with some studies done on human that high dietary intake of fructose contributes significantly to hyperuricemia.

In a large study in the United States, consumption of four or more sugar-sweetened soft drinks per day gave an odds ratio of 1.82 for hyperuricemia.

This interference has a dual action, both increasing the conversion of ATP to inosine and increasing the synthesis of purine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Hyperuricemia-cite_note-pmid8213607-14.

Fructose also inhibits the excretion of uric acid, apparently by competing with uric acid for access to the transport protein SLC2A9.

The effect of fructose in reducing excretion of uric acid is increased in people with a hereditary (genetic) predisposition toward hyperuricemia and/or gout.


The polyol method holds promise as a low-cost, highyield technique with a wide range of scientific and technological applications, which is ideal for potential industrial scale-up [27, 28] . In the case of oxide synthesis, the polyol method can be considered as a sol-gel process carried out at relatively elevated temperature with accurate control of particle growth. It has been studied and reported for the synthesis of a wide range of oxide sub-micrometre particles, including Y2O3, ZnO, Mn3O4, CoTiO3, VxOy, TiO2, PbO and SnO2 [29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] .

The polyol method holds promise as a low-cost, highyield technique with a wide range of scientific and technological applications, which is ideal for potential industrial scale-up.

It has been studied and reported for the synthesis of a wide range of oxide sub-micrometre particles, including Y2O3, ZnO, Mn3O4, CoTiO3, VxOy, TiO2, PbO and SnO2.


Firstly, we have compared the effect of the nature of the Pr6O11 precursor on the production of nanoparticles. In both cases, nanoparticles are obtained. However, whereas 2.5 g (5.75 mmol) of Pr(NO3)3 could be easily dissolved in 50 mL of DEG leading to samples A-OH/A-Ox, PrCl3 was poorly soluble in DEG and only 0.5 g (1.34 mmol) of PrCl3 could be dissolved in 50 mL of DEG). Within this context, the use of PrCl3 to produce the samples A'-Ox/A'-OH is disadvantageous. The as-synthesized suspension from Pr(NO3)3 can be used as-is for coating-based processes such as spray-/dip-or spin-coating, or to infiltrate inorganic templates such as ordered mesoporous powders or materials with hierarchical porosity such as those we prepared in our group [40] [41] [42] [43] [44] [45] [46] . In the present paper, we obtained precalcinated powders by centrifugation, precipitation isolation, washing several times with ethanol, acetone and distilled water and drying, then additional heating to 600°C to obtain the required oxide nanoparticles (Figure 1 ).

The as-synthesized suspension from Pr(NO3)3 can be used as-is for coating-based processes such as spray-/dip-or spin-coating, or to infiltrate inorganic templates such as ordered mesoporous powders or materials with hierarchical porosity such as those we prepared in our group.


Lang's aforementioned conjecture is a variant of a similar conjecture of Green-Griffiths [12] . Indeed, Green and Griffiths conjectured that, if X is a projective variety of general type over C, then there are no entire curves C → X an with Zariski dense image. Consequently, combining the conjectures of Lang and Green-Griffiths, we are led to the following conjecture (which we will refer to as the Green-Griffiths-Lang conjecture). Conjecture 1.3 (Green-Griffiths-Lang). Let X be a projective variety over C. Then the following are equivalent.

Lang's aforementioned conjecture is a variant of a similar conjecture of Green-Griffiths.

Conjecture 1.3 (Green-Griffiths-Lang).


Twitter, as a micro-blogging platform, has become an avenue for people to voice out their opinions online. This gives concerned entities, like policymakers or brand managers, the chance to hear people out in an unprecedented way. However, to effectively utilize this source of information, the massive amount of tweets must first be processed to be more easily understood (Kavanaugh et al., 2012) .

However, to effectively utilize this source of information, the massive amount of tweets must first be processed to be more easily understood.


Based on the review of related works, it can be seen that the desired community types largely dictate the edge construction scheme used in the input graphs. Furthermore, it has been shown that using sentiment analysis to modify edge weights when performing community detection can improve the detection of sentiment-based communities (Deitrick and Hu, 2013) . The idea is that users who feel the same about a particular topic should have a stronger connection.

Furthermore, it has been shown that using sentiment analysis to modify edge weights when performing community detection can improve the detection of sentiment-based communities.


As rural populations grow, people can come into greater contact with wildlife. Where wildlife adversely impacts people, tolerance may be lessened (Redpath et al., 2013) . Tolerance can be attitudinal, such as beliefs and values, and behavioral, such as killing or political lobbying (Bruskotter & Wilson, 2013) . Viewed on a continuum (Figure 1 ), intolerance and stewardship are expressed through actions including killing animals or political lobbying for/or against a species, while acceptance/tolerance is a passive concept requiring no action Behaviours that positively impact wildlife.

Where wildlife adversely impacts people, tolerance may be lessened.

Tolerance can be attitudinal, such as beliefs and values, and behavioral, such as killing or political lobbying.


An important aspect of the Web revealed by this study is that, at least within a collaborative tagging environment, there is a big difference between the perspective of Web authors and that of Web readers [2] . This can also be framed as a difference between the expectation of Web designers and the behaviour of Web surfers, or even a difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0. Hyperlinks are supposed to provide users with recommendations of related documents, but it turns out that users find out interesting documents very often without the help of hyperlinks. This suggests that it is very desirable to complement the existing link structure on the Web with information of user preferences. However, providing suggestions of hyperlinks to authors by using information of user preferences may only be a limited solution to the problem. In the course of our study, as we have mentioned in Section 4.2.2, we discover many induced links between Web sites that can be considered as rivals or competing for readership. Hence, it is not realistic to expect that authors of these Web sites would create such hyperlinks. In addition, it may as well be the authors' intention to limit the number of hyperlinks due to various reasons.

An important aspect of the Web revealed by this study is that, at least within a collaborative tagging environment, there is a big difference between the perspective of Web authors and that of Web readers.


The first characteristic, the rebirth capability, produces reflectarray layouts with no abrupt geometrical variations between nearby elements and as a consequence, reduces the undesired effects of mutual coupling. Indeed, abrupt geometrical variations are usually encountered when an abrupt phase transition is required and produce serious unaccounted coupling effects between a particular cell and its surrounding elements. This adds uncertainty on the reflected phase which is initially predicted by assuming periodic boundary conditions. Then, it may be responsible for severe radiation pattern degradation [2] .

Then, it may be responsible for severe radiation pattern degradation.


The visual or olfactory attractiveness of the flowers is a very important issue because it influences insect foraging behavior, but nectar accessibility is not always correlated with food sources attractiveness (Wäckers 2004) . The suitability of flowering plants to provide nectar to a parasitoid depends ultimately on both the parasitoid and the flower morphologies, as well as on the nectar quality and abundance (Vattala et al. 2006) . In addition to feeding on nectar, parasitoids may feed on honeydew, a sugar-rich secretion produced by Sternorrhyncha (Lee et al. 2004) . It is, therefore, essential to know how floral and honeydew resources affect the life cycle of this group of insects to understand their management requirements and to propose measures that could improve natural pest control by these parasitoids, at both landscape and farm level. The aim of this research was to determine if average survival time of P. concolor can be increased by feeding on floral nectar from six plant species commonly found in or near Portuguese olive orchards, as well as on honeydew excreted by Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae) and Euphyllura olivina Costa (Homoptera: Psyllidae).

The visual or olfactory attractiveness of the flowers is a very important issue because it influences insect foraging behavior, but nectar accessibility is not always correlated with food sources attractiveness.

The suitability of flowering plants to provide nectar to a parasitoid depends ultimately on both the parasitoid and the flower morphologies, as well as on the nectar quality and abundance.

In addition to feeding on nectar, parasitoids may feed on honeydew, a sugar-rich secretion produced by Sternorrhyncha.


Tinnitus is perception of sound like buzzing, ringing, roaring, clicking, pulsations, and other noises in the ear, ears, or in the head occurring without an outside acoustic stimulus. Tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease, and as such can arise as a result of inappropriate activity at any point in the auditory pathway. The neural plasticity, responsible for tinnitus, appears as an adaptation or compensation, at a central nervous system level, following peripheral damage. Tinnitus may be caused by a variety of pathologies, illnesses, medications, allergies, dietary changes, stresses, or traumatic events. It is often caused by pathologies related to the ear, head, and neck area like: head trauma or whiplash. One of the most common causes of tinnitus involves noise exposure. It can be both: long term and produced by brief loud sound. Long-term exposure to noise or acoustic trauma can produce substantial and often irreparable damage to the delicate structures of the inner ear-especially outer hair cells. In the majority of cases, tinnitus is clearly related to some changes in the inner ear. At the same time tinnitus is not necessarily associated with hearing loss. About 40% of tinnitus patients have also the symptoms of decreased loudness tolerance called hyperacusis [1] .

About 40% of tinnitus patients have also the symptoms of decreased loudness tolerance called hyperacusis.


Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of gynecologic cancer death in the United States. Since the mid-1990s, the standard treatment for ovarian cancer is surgical cytoreduction and systemic chemotherapy, usually Taxol and platinum [1] . However, the majority of patients eventually succumb to recurrent, progressive disease due to resistance to chemotherapy.

Since the mid-1990s, the standard treatment for ovarian cancer is surgical cytoreduction and systemic chemotherapy, usually Taxol and platinum.


Realizing an efficient Si-based light source on the mass-produced Si chips is one of the key challenges in the future microelectronic and communication technology. Among the approaches used to fabricate high-performance Si-based LEDs, silicon nanostructures embedded in silicon oxide matrix received attention because of its excellent photoluminescence (PL) and optical gain [1] - [8] . However, this system faces difficulty in efficient electrical injection, which results from high potential barrier of SiO 2 matrix (9 eV). By comparison, Si 3 N 4 features lower band gap (5 eV) than SiO 2 , this lower band gap can significantly improve carrier injection, resulting in effective electroluminescence (EL) at low driving voltage from SiN x -based LEDs [9] - [16] . In Si/SiNx-based LEDs, light-emitting efficiency is limited by nonradiative recombination originating from defects in SiNx and imbalanced carrier injection, which is caused by asymmetric band offset between SiN x and Si nanostructure. To achieve highly efficient Si/SiN x -based LEDs, various methods were devoted to overcome above mentioned problems. To balance injection of electron and hole, nc-Si layer is inserted between SiNx emitter and p-type Si anode to suppress the holes overflow in Si/SiN x -based LEDs [17] . In addition, light-extraction efficiency was doubly en-hanced by patterned SiNx-emitting layer grown on annealed Si film of dense nano cones [18] .

Among the approaches used to fabricate high-performance Si-based LEDs, silicon nanostructures embedded in silicon oxide matrix received attention because of its excellent photoluminescence (PL) and optical gain.

By comparison, Si 3 N 4 features lower band gap (5 eV) than SiO 2 , this lower band gap can significantly improve carrier injection, resulting in effective electroluminescence (EL) at low driving voltage from SiN x -based LEDs.

To balance injection of electron and hole, nc-Si layer is inserted between SiNx emitter and p-type Si anode to suppress the holes overflow in Si/SiN x -based LEDs.

In addition, light-extraction efficiency was doubly en-hanced by patterned SiNx-emitting layer grown on annealed Si film of dense nano cones.


The local bonding configurations of the nc-Si layers were further investigated by FTIR spectra, as shown in Fig. 6 . The as-deposited a-Si:H film has the following vibrational absorption modes: the predominant absorption bands at 642 cm −1 and 2097 cm −1 are connected to the Si-H n wagging mode and the H-Si-Si 2 O stretching mode, respectively [22] . The 862 cm −1 band is ascribed to the H-SiO 3 bending mode [23] . In addition, the band located at 1035 cm −1 corresponds to the Si-O-Si stretching mode [23] . A remarkable feature of the FTIR spectra is that the signals of the H-Si related absorption bands are diminished after the films were annealed at 1100°C. This indicates that the Si-H bonds break, which would undoubtedly produce Si-related defects. After H 2 plasma treatment for 20 min, a weak absorption band located at 663 cm −1 , which is assigned to the Si-H n wagging mode, can be observed. This absorption band significantly increases with increasing H 2 plasma treatment up to 60 min, as shown in Fig. 6 . This obviously demonstrates that H 2 plasma treatment can facilitate Si-H bonds and thus passivate the Si-related defects. Therefore, the improved EL efficiency can be attributed to the hydrogen passivation, which effectively reduces Si-related defect state density in nc-Si interlayer.

The as-deposited a-Si:H film has the following vibrational absorption modes: the predominant absorption bands at 642 cm −1 and 2097 cm −1 are connected to the Si-H n wagging mode and the H-Si-Si 2 O stretching mode, respectively.

The 862 cm −1 band is ascribed to the H-SiO 3 bending mode.

In addition, the band located at 1035 cm −1 corresponds to the Si-O-Si stretching mode.


Economists studying financial crises, however, disagree about the existence and nature of contagion, even for events that have been observed by experts and studied extensively, such as the financial crisis of 2008 and the banking turmoil of the Great Depression. The Depression's initial crisis occurred during the fall of 1930, when the United States economy appeared to be recovering from a short, sharp contraction following the stock market crash. The initial crisis marked the point when macroeconomic time series, such as the money stock, price level, industrial production, and retail sales, began plunging toward the nadir reached two years later (Friedman and Schwartz (1963) ).

The initial crisis marked the point when macroeconomic time series, such as the money stock, price level, industrial production, and retail sales, began plunging toward the nadir reached two years later).


Myiasis has become a common phenomenon in most parts of Nigeria especially in the rural areas of the Niger Delta wetlands and South-East where we carried out the study. Most reports available on the incidences of myiases favoured mainly adults and a few records are available on myiasis in children in Nigeria. Oral and cutaneous myiases in infants of the Niger Delta had been reported [2] . Reports from other workers on myiasis from travelers are also available [4] . In the early twenties and thirties people with skin maggots were dumped inside the evil forests as abominators; people viewed the presence of maggots in the skin as evil and disgrace to the community where the children were born.. Other predisposing factors for larval infestation in children include dirty habits like sucking of fingers and toes, kissing of pets [cats and dogs]. Contacts with infected domestic animals such as pets that harbor eggs of C. anthrophaga which are tucked on their hair are other sources of myiasis-causing agents.

Oral and cutaneous myiases in infants of the Niger Delta had been reported.

Reports from other workers on myiasis from travelers are also available.


In practical spray systems, the spray is not monodisperse and the diameter of the droplets varies. For simplicity, a polydisperse spray is often characterised by a single value, such as the SMD, based on which the propagation behaviour is described. However, the polydispersity of a spray has been shown to influence the flame location, flame temperature and combustion behaviour. In this analytical study of a polydisperse laminar opposed flow spray diffusion flame, a characteristic droplet size was shown to be insufficient to accurately describe flame propagation [11] . This was particularly significant at limiting conditions such as flame extinction where significant errors were shown to arise.

In this analytical study of a polydisperse laminar opposed flow spray diffusion flame, a characteristic droplet size was shown to be insufficient to accurately describe flame propagation.


As a rule, phase problems of the above described type are solved rather successfully in the concrete case when using a reference field (i.e. holography methods) [15] [16] [17] . Holographic techniques are among the more popular methods that have been proposed to measure the phase of the optical wave. While holographic techniques have been successfully applied in certain areas of optical imaging, they are generally difficult to implement in practice [18] . In our case, for remotely diagnosing, the possibility of using a concrete reference field is excluded.

As a rule, phase problems of the above described type are solved rather successfully in the concrete case when using a reference field (i.e. holography methods).

While holographic techniques have been successfully applied in certain areas of optical imaging, they are generally difficult to implement in practice.


Existing methods for phase retrieval rely on all kinds of a priori information about the signal, such as positivity, atomicity, support constraints, real-valuedness, and so on [19] [20] [21] . Direct methods are limited in their applicability to small-scale problems due to their large computational complexity. There is a number of mathematic and experimental approaches which bring us closer to tackling the problem of restoring the optical field distribution phase, including from fully coherent or practically coherent sources. But neither of the existing approaches allows to reproduce the phase distribution of the distant complex speckle-field.

Existing methods for phase retrieval rely on all kinds of a priori information about the signal, such as positivity, atomicity, support constraints, real-valuedness, and so on.


This study has some limitations. Due to its nature as a pilot study, we had a relatively small number of subjects, which may explain the nonsignificance of the intervention effect on the self-reported measures of salt intake. The short follow-up period is another limitation. The literature contains conflicting findings about the temporal stability of the effects of implementation intentions strategies. Authors argue that the effect remains even for some time after the end of intervention [24, 26, 27, 41] . There is, however, evidence that the effect of implementation intentions strategies is temporally limited for behaviors requiring significant effort to initiate and sustain and for which the benefits of behavioral change appear only on the medium or long term [35] . Thus, mediumand long-term follow-up studies are needed to assess if the reduction in salt intake should be maintained or even lowered further to attain intake values nearer to those recommended in the guidelines. This study recruited only women, due to the nature of the target behavior. Other strategies must permit the inclusion of male patients. The approach of dyads can be an alternative, so more complex designs would be needed to verify intervention effectiveness. Finally, in addition to patient recruitment from different health-care settings, the intervention was applied by a single nurse. This might have resulted in a bias in the intervention results related to personal delivery. Thus, further studies could consider a multicentric approach, with the intervention being applied by different well-trained nurses.

This study has some limitations.

Authors argue that the effect remains even for some time after the end of intervention.

There is, however, evidence that the effect of implementation intentions strategies is temporally limited for behaviors requiring significant effort to initiate and sustain and for which the benefits of behavioral change appear only on the medium or long term.


Equation 1 expresses the interest margin as a function of collateral and allows for concavity if the coefficient of the squared term differs from that of its linear counterpart. The standard residual µ captures unexplained covariance. Other covariates are needed in order to reduce µ and isolate the pure effect of C on r. The most important covariate is the value of the loan amount, amt. Although we can argue that this amount, amt, is expected to be collinear with the value of collateral, recent work on collateral suggests that the link is more tenuous than thitherto believed (Hanley, 2002) .

Although we can argue that this amount, amt, is expected to be collinear with the value of collateral, recent work on collateral suggests that the link is more tenuous than thitherto believed.


Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is one of the most popular fruits grown throughout the tropics and subtropics worldwide. Because of the high moisture and the nutrient reserve, mango fruits are highly susceptible to different pathogenic fungi during the period between harvest and consumption (Haggag, 2010) . Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, is recognized as the most postharvest disease limiting mango fruit production (Arauz, 2000) .

Because of the high moisture and the nutrient reserve, mango fruits are highly susceptible to different pathogenic fungi during the period between harvest and consumption.

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, is recognized as the most postharvest disease limiting mango fruit production.


IEEE 802.11 networks have gained attention as an alternative to wired networks to provide low cost backhaul infrastructure in both office and outdoor environments. However, these networks are not robust to large traffic volumes. Complete network breakdown due to excessive traffic has been observed in real deployments [1] . The lack of a framework that can effectively limit flows hinders the ability of these networks to support the QoS requirements of real time applications.

Complete network breakdown due to excessive traffic has been observed in real deployments.


Technical equipment used in thermal desorptions is relatively challenging in terms of both its construction and its operation. The demands on construction generally come from the legislative requirements of very high effectiveness in the removal of contaminants from the solid matrix, from the necessity of purifying the contaminated water, technological off-gas and the concentrated contaminants, and from the need to protect the working environment and the surroundings against dust and gas emissions. The demands on equipment operation are connected with the often erratic composition of the input material that must not affect the quality of the decontaminated product. The fluctuating composition of the input material sometimes leads to a change in the important operating parameters in the range of several orders and makes operating the thermal desorption equipment a difficult task. It is therefore advantageous to determine the composition of the contaminated material ahead of time to avoid possible operating complications (Kubal and Hendrych 2009) . The thermogravimetric analysis is one of the tools that can be used to this end.

It is therefore advantageous to determine the composition of the contaminated material ahead of time to avoid possible operating complications.


The majority of installed building and campus backbone links use 62.5/125 multimode fibre as recommended by ISOIIEC 11801. Cost effective high data rate sources suitable for these multimode fibre links are critical to the development of the new high speed lANs. Fibre Channel and the ATM Forum have already specified high coherence, short wavelength, CD lasers for use with multimode fibre. The Fibre Channel and the ATM Forum specifications include modal noise power penalties of 1 dB and 0.5 dB for 50/125 and 62.5/125 multimode fibre links respectively. These specified power penalties have been calculated using a new theoretical model for modal noise due to Fabry Perot lasers [1] . Here maximum mode selective loss (MSl) of 3 dB distributed throughout the link is assumed for the calculations.

These specified power penalties have been calculated using a new theoretical model for modal noise due to Fabry Perot lasers.


The tooth extraction is one of the most frequently performed dental procedures. After the tooth extraction, the residual ridge undergoes the process of the continual bone resorption due to the reduced mechanical loading of the tooth and the dental ligament [1] . With the increase of the life expectancy of the elderly population, edentulous patients are increasing as well. The results and satisfactions from complete denture treatments, commonly used for edentulous patients, are dependent upon the preservation of the residual ridge. During the denture use, the degree of the residual ridge resorption influences the masticatory and the nutrient intake ability. This greatly affects the quality of life and the life expectancy. Therefore, as a part of the research on the prosthodontic treatment, studies on the residual ridge resorption are necessary to give patients more functional satisfaction.

After the tooth extraction, the residual ridge undergoes the process of the continual bone resorption due to the reduced mechanical loading of the tooth and the dental ligament.


Structure properties X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of magnesium modified ZSM-5 (SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 = 38) samples are shown in Fig. 1 . It revealed that the modified samples still maintained the mobil five (MFI) structure. Parent H-ZSM-5 (SiO 2 / Al 2 O 3 = 38) zeolite was regarded as the base sample to determine the relative crystallinity of the modified zeolites. The relative crystallinity of modified sample was calculated and presented in Table 1 . In previous reports, impregnation might cause the framework dealumination, finally resulted in the reduction of crystallinity of zeolite [20, 21] . The XRD results exhibited that the parent H-ZSM-5 and magnesium modified H-ZSM-5 samples consisted exclusively of the diffraction peaks for intrinsic MFI structure. No extra peak related to MgO exhibited in the XRD patterns, which revealed uniform dispersion of modifier.

In previous reports, impregnation might cause the framework dealumination, finally resulted in the reduction of crystallinity of zeolite.


In recent years, synthetic erionite, offretite, mordenite, SAPO-34 and ZSM-n were applied in MTO process [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] . On the basis of previous research findings in the past few years, SAPO-34 and ZSM-5 zeolites standed out from zeolite molecular sieves and non-zeolite molecular sieves [4, [6] [7] [8] [9] . Among a variety of materials, H-ZSM-5 shows excellent performance in MTO process. H-ZSM-5 zeolite has the following three advantages: (I) good thermal and hydrothermal stability; (II) slow carbon deactivation rate; (III) mature synthetic process and lower cost [5] .

In recent years, synthetic erionite, offretite, mordenite, SAPO-34 and ZSM-n were applied in MTO process.

On the basis of previous research findings in the past few years, SAPO-34 and ZSM-5 zeolites standed out from zeolite molecular sieves and non-zeolite molecular sieves.

H-ZSM-5 zeolite has the following three advantages: (I) good thermal and hydrothermal stability; (II) slow carbon deactivation rate; (III) mature synthetic process and lower cost.


Propylene is one of the most important organic raw materials for the synthesis of a variety of important downstream chemical materials, such as polypropylene, acrylonitrile, epoxy propane, etc. From the data ranged from 2005 to 2013, the apparent consumption of raw petroleum increased year by year, the world's industrial production depended heavily on fossil fuels for energy, such as coal, petroleum and natural gas. Due to the increasing price of crude oil and the demand for light olefins, as well as the larger demand for propylene than ethylene, a growing number of researchers were dedicating to developing the non-oil route for producing low carbon olefins, in especial, propylene [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] . The development of methanol-to-olefins (MTO) process can effectively reduce the dependence on oil resources in the propylene industrial [1, 4, 5] .

Due to the increasing price of crude oil and the demand for light olefins, as well as the larger demand for propylene than ethylene, a growing number of researchers were dedicating to developing the non-oil route for producing low carbon olefins, in especial, propylene.

The development of methanol-to-olefins (MTO) process can effectively reduce the dependence on oil resources in the propylene industrial.


Background, rationale, aims and objectives Preterm birth (PTB) is defined by WHO as all births before 37 completed weeks of gestation [1] . Preterm neonates are at an increased risk for a wide range of short-and longterm respiratory, infectious, metabolic and neurological morbidities, with higher risks of adverse outcomes seen at lower gestational ages [2, 3] . Of the estimated 6.3 million children under 5 who died in 2013, 15.4 % (0 · 965 million, uncertainty range 0 · 615-1 · 537 million) were due to complications of preterm birth; it is the leading cause of death amongst neonates (death in the first 28 days of life) [4] .

Background, rationale, aims and objectives Preterm birth (PTB) is defined by WHO as all births before 37 completed weeks of gestation.

Preterm neonates are at an increased risk for a wide range of short-and longterm respiratory, infectious, metabolic and neurological morbidities, with higher risks of adverse outcomes seen at lower gestational ages.

Of the estimated 6.3 million children under 5 who died in 2013, 15.4 % (0 · 965 million, uncertainty range 0 · 615-1 · 537 million) were due to complications of preterm birth; it is the leading cause of death amongst neonates (death in the first 28 days of life).


The MTS is a suitable method for solving classification problems because it detects the severity of abnormal samples and uses orthogonal arrays and SN ratios to verify whether the selected variables are appropriate. The crucial screened characteristic variables can be used to construct reduced class prediction models with high total accuracy while maintaining the model's ability to identify each class [44, 45] . Therefore, the MTS is appropriate for class prediction applications in various fields. In addition, the robustness of the MTS regarding characteristic variable selection and class prediction will enable engineering staff to understand product characteristics and evaluate the suitability of tablet PC product test items. Through the removal of test items that offer little contribution, accurate and rapid product detection can be achieved. This reduces the number of testing stations and testers, thereby decreasing testing costs and enhancing industrial competitiveness.

The crucial screened characteristic variables can be used to construct reduced class prediction models with high total accuracy while maintaining the model's ability to identify each class.


The rapid development of cloud technology and changes in the computer usage habits of consumers and digital-oriented lifestyles have raised various discussions on the digital technology industry. In 2010, Apple Inc. (CA, USA) released its first tablet PC: the iPad. This began a global tablet boom that resulted in a gradual shrinking of the notebook market, which the tablet PC market is soon predicted to surpass in size. Manufacturers have increased their production capacity in response to this new market demand. An NPD (National Purchase Diary) DisplaySearch report stated that 256 million, 321 million and 350 million tablet PCs were shipped globally in 2014, 2015 and 2016, The desire to enter the competitive tablet PC market has motivated major technology companies, such as Apple, Samsung, ASUS, ACER, HP, Dell and Amazon, to launch products that can derive a competitive advantage. These international brands have established operations worldwide, through which they can reach customers and satisfy their needs. Manufacturing, design, global logistics management, purchasing and other low-margin processes have gradually shifted to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), with the brand companies instead focusing on marketing, which adds considerable value and is crucial for obtaining a competitive edge. This has substantially changed the methods with which OEMs conduct business. The demand of the global consumer market for tablet PCs is increasing daily, and the tablet PC industry is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Thus, this industry is becoming a perfectly competitive market. For the producers of standard PCs, the threshold to becoming a tablet PC OEM is low. Taiwan has advantages in this regard because of its PC production since the 1990s, and, consequently, most OEM work is performed locally [3] . Tablet PCs comprise aspects of traditional computers, notebooks, and mobile phones. They have distinct development processes and relatively short lifecycles with rapid product refresh rates [4] . Therefore, shortening product development times while maintaining quality standards is a critical concern in the technology industry.

Taiwan has advantages in this regard because of its PC production since the 1990s, and, consequently, most OEM work is performed locally.

They have distinct development processes and relatively short lifecycles with rapid product refresh rates.


Product testing is an extremely crucial step in the tablet PC manufacturing process, but the procurement of testing equipment and the number of on-site testing personnel increase the overall manufacturing cost. In this study, the Mahalanobis-Taguchi System (MTS) was employed to improve tablet PC product-testing processes. Data were collected and analyzed, and scientific verification methods were employed to elucidate the product characteristics and construct meaningful models [5] [6] [7] [8] . After the rationality of the tablet PC product testing items was evaluated, those that made small contributions were removed to facilitate accurate and rapid product testing. Thus, the number of test sites and testers was reduced, which decreased the testing costs, shortened the testing times, and enabled products to be release to the market more quickly. This strengthened company competitiveness within the industry as a whole. In addition, logistic regression and neural networks were used to improve the tablet PC product testing process. The differences among these three methods were subsequently compared and discussed.

Data were collected and analyzed, and scientific verification methods were employed to elucidate the product characteristics and construct meaningful models.


In this study, the effects of coating solution and the evaporation condition on the phase-inversion dynamics, the ultimate coating structure and subsequent in vitro drug release properties have been examined. Our results indicate that drug release from the asymmetric-membrane based system is primarily governed by the dynamics of the phase-inversion leading to the formation of a thin outer layer and a porous sublayer. As expected, the composition of the coating solution was found to have a significant effect on the morphology of the membrane, which in turn affects the release rate of the drug from the tablets. On the other hand, the evaporation condition also plays an important role on the phase-inversion dynamics and the morphology of the final coating. By changing the velocity of air blown across wet coated tablet surface, it is possible to produce structures ranging from dense to highly porous and asymmetric leading to manipulate the release rate of the drug. Not only the velocity of air but also the role of other external environmental conditions, such as evaporation temperature and relative humidity on the phase-inversion dynamics cannot be ignored [31] .

Not only the velocity of air but also the role of other external environmental conditions, such as evaporation temperature and relative humidity on the phase-inversion dynamics cannot be ignored.


Different controlled-release systems were developed for drug delivery applications to maintain a drug level in the body within a specificed therapeutic window. This usually implies achieving prolonged, zero-order release rate over the desired duration of drug delivery. Many controlled-release systems in pharmaceutical industry rely on membrane technology in which a drugcontaining core is surrounded by a membrane, and the release rate of the drug is controlled by its diffusion through the membrane [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] . In addition to diffusional release, osmotic pumping mechanisms contribute to the total drug release rate, if either the drug is highly soluble or an osmotic agent is added to the active core [6] [7] [8] . The membrane coating used in conventional devices usually has a dense structure with a hole drilled through the coating through which the drug is delivered. In some cases, drug delivery ports are formed by adding leachable materials to the coating [9, 10] . The release kinetics from dense membrane Asymmetric-membranes are usually made by a phaseinversion technique in which an initially homogenous polymer solution is transformed to a porous, solidified structure by different external effects, such as thermal quenching or exposure to a nonsolvent bath. The morphology of the resulting membrane structure that controls the rate of drug release is strongly influenced by the phase-inversion dynamics. Thus, the ability to formulate efficient drug delivery systems based on the asymmetric-membrane coatings requires a detailed study of the effect of phase-inversion dynamics on the morphology of the membrane and the drug release behavior.

Many controlled-release systems in pharmaceutical industry rely on membrane technology in which a drugcontaining core is surrounded by a membrane, and the release rate of the drug is controlled by its diffusion through the membrane.

In addition to diffusional release, osmotic pumping mechanisms contribute to the total drug release rate, if either the drug is highly soluble or an osmotic agent is added to the active core.

In some cases, drug delivery ports are formed by adding leachable materials to the coating.


From simple to complex techniques, including laser light, there are several methods to obtain experimental velocity measurements. Here, it was employed the anemometry technique. Anemometry is an indirect measuring technique, i.e., requires calibration in a known flow field before its appliance to measure the fluid flow velocity. The wire of a typical HWA has 5 µm diameter and temperature from 150 to 300 °C during operation. The correlation between the flow velocity and heat transfer rate has been approached mainly empirically, and the form of the calibration equations was derived from a large number of experiments (Lange et al. 1999) . Hot wire anemometer utilized in present work has uncertainty of 3% considering a 95 % confidence interval. The experimental set-up used to obtain the velocity field is presented in Fig. 2a . Primarily the studied configuration is utilized how burner more specific natural gas burner. Herein it was assessed an isothermal main jet of air with a primary air flow. This consists of a round fuel tube and an annulus for primary air supply. Primary air issues from a rather narrow annulus so this air flow also has the character of a jet and turbulent mixing of fuel (main jet) and air is enhanced. Schematic configuration is shown in Fig. 2b .

The correlation between the flow velocity and heat transfer rate has been approached mainly empirically, and the form of the calibration equations was derived from a large number of experiments.


CC frequently shows characteristic necrotic debris in glandular lumina, so-called "dirty necrosis". Tumor necrosis is seen in rapidly proliferating tumors outgrowing their blood supply, becoming hypoxic and finally necrotic. In turn, release of growth-, survival-and angiogenic factors support tumor progression and metastasis [11] . Tumor necrosis has been proposed as a marker of poor prognosis in carcinomas of various histogenetical origins [12] . In CC, first histological studies provided evidence of tumor necrosis as a parameter associated with progressive tumor behavior [13, 14] .

In turn, release of growth-, survival-and angiogenic factors support tumor progression and metastasis.

Tumor necrosis has been proposed as a marker of poor prognosis in carcinomas of various histogenetical origins.

In CC, first histological studies provided evidence of tumor necrosis as a parameter associated with progressive tumor behavior.


The focus of this paper is the analysis of a model describing the dynamics of an electrostatically actuated microelectromechanical system (MEMS) when the deformation of the devices are not assumed to be small. More precisely, consider an elastic plate held at potential V and suspended above a fixed ground plate held at zero potential. The potential difference between the two plates generates a Coulomb force and causes a deformation of the membrane, thereby converting electrostatic energy into mechanical energy, a feature used in the design of several MEMS-based devices such as micropumps or microswitches [26] . An ubiquitous phenomenon observed in such devices is the so called "pull-in" instability: a threshold value of the applied voltage V above which the elastic response of the membrane cannot balance the Coulomb force and the deformable membrane smashes into the fixed plate. Since this effect might either be useful or, in contrast, could damage the device, its understanding is of utmost practical importance and several mathematical models have been set up for its investigation [7, 21, 26] .

The potential difference between the two plates generates a Coulomb force and causes a deformation of the membrane, thereby converting electrostatic energy into mechanical energy, a feature used in the design of several MEMS-based devices such as micropumps or microswitches.

Since this effect might either be useful or, in contrast, could damage the device, its understanding is of utmost practical importance and several mathematical models have been set up for its investigation.


An anti-inflammatory effect of alcohol with meals might provide greater benefit than one occurring outside of meals. Nutrient overload produces oxidative stress [43] . A diet rich in corn oil and lard stimulates greater absorption of lipopolysaccharide, a major pro-inflammatory stimulant, from the gut [44] . In a small randomized trial, consumption of 4 drinks of wine with dinner for 4 weeks increased total plasma anti-oxidant capacity and suppressed nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells 1 hour after a meal [45] .

Nutrient overload produces oxidative stress.

A diet rich in corn oil and lard stimulates greater absorption of lipopolysaccharide, a major pro-inflammatory stimulant, from the gut.

In a small randomized trial, consumption of 4 drinks of wine with dinner for 4 weeks increased total plasma anti-oxidant capacity and suppressed nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells 1 hour after a meal.


Due to the complexity of image formation, it is extremely difficult to design a good data synthesizer in many image restoration applications. Even the seemingly minor details of a synthetic process, such as whether the noise values are rounded to integers, can have a significant impact on the performance of a deep learning technique [3] . Thus, instead of using data synthesis, many studies try to use extra images captured in non-ideal conditions as the input. For example, by using different camera exposure settings, one can obtain a series of images of the same scene with varied noise levels and then use the underexposed ones as the noisy input [13] . To train a deblurring DCNN, one can average all the frames of a high frame-rate video clip as the blurry input and pick one of the frames as the sharp ground truth image [12] . While employing extra images mitigates the problem of inaccurate synthesizer, it suffers from several serious drawbacks. First, due to the nature of using multiple images, the imaged subject must stay perfectly still, and complex image processing operators, such as lens correction, spatial alignment, intensity matching are required to couple the high-quality and degraded image. Second, as it is often prohibitively expensive to build a sufficiently large data set by taking images one by one, a network can overfit the available data and become sensitive to particular camera brands, exposure settings and captured scenes [15] .

Even the seemingly minor details of a synthetic process, such as whether the noise values are rounded to integers, can have a significant impact on the performance of a deep learning technique.

For example, by using different camera exposure settings, one can obtain a series of images of the same scene with varied noise levels and then use the underexposed ones as the noisy input.

To train a deblurring DCNN, one can average all the frames of a high frame-rate video clip as the blurry input and pick one of the frames as the sharp ground truth image.

Second, as it is often prohibitively expensive to build a sufficiently large data set by taking images one by one, a network can overfit the available data and become sensitive to particular camera brands, exposure settings and captured scenes.