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This paper introduces the first completely unsupervised methodology for non-intrusive load monitoring that does not rely on any additional data, making it suitable for real-life applications. The methodology includes an algorithm to efficiently decompose the aggregated energy load from households in events and algorithms based on expert knowledge to assign each of these events to four types of appliances: fridge, dishwasher, microwave, and washer/dryer. The methodology was developed to work with smart meters that have a granularity of 1 min and was evaluated using the Reference Energy Disaggregation Dataset. The results show that the algorithm can disaggregate the refrigerator with high accuracy and the usefulness of the proposed methodology to extract relevant features from other appliances, such as the power use and duration from the heating cycles of a dishwasher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of coagulant dosage in a chemically enhanced primary treatment (CEPT) on the performance of a conventional wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) has been investigated. Lab-scale experiments simulations were carried out in order to evaluate the effect of coagulant addition on the primary settling performance. In these experiments, FeCl3 was used as coagulant. Later, the WWTP was theoretically simulated using a commercial software (WEST®) to evaluate the effect of coagulation/flocculation on the global system, based on the results obtained at lab-scale. According to these results, the CEPT modifies the organic matter balance in the WWTP, decreasing the contribution of readily (SS) and slowly (XS) biodegradable fractions of COD to the aerobic biological process up to 27.3% and 80.8%, respectively, for a dosage of FeCl3 of 24 mg L−1. Consequently, total suspended solids in the aerobic reactor and the secondary purged sludge decreased up to 33% and 13%, respectively. However, the influence on effluent quality was negligible. On the contrary, suspended solids concentration in the sludge to be treated by anaerobic digestion increased, mainly regarding the Ss and Xs fractions, which caused an 8.1% increase in biogas production potential, with approximately 60% of CH4 concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tick bites, associated with the secretion of tick saliva containing the xenoglycan galactose-alpha-1, 3-galactose (alpha-gal or aGal), are recognized as the causal factors of alpha-Gal syndrome (AGS; or red meat allergy) in humans. AGS occurs after the increased production of IgE antibodies against aGal, which is found in most mammalian cells, except for the Old World monkey and humans. The aGal sensitization event has been linked to an initial tick bite, followed by consumption of red meat containing the aGal glycan, which triggers the onset of the allergic response resulting in urticaria, anaphylaxis, or even death. In North America, the lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, has been identified as the main culprit for AGS. However, only a subset of the human population exposed to lone star tick bites develops AGS. This suggests the presence of unidentified variables associated with the sensitization event. To evaluate the quantitative variations of the aGal in ticks, we evaluated the differences in aGal levels in different strains of A. americanum ticks partially fed on different blood sources using an artificial feeding system and animal hosts. We found significantly higher aGal levels in the female ticks fed on human blood than those fed on the blood of other mammals with large variations among different tick populations and individuals. We propose that host-specific genetic components in the A. americanum ticks are involved in the production of high aGal epitope in the tick saliva, which provides a part of the explanation for the variables associated with the AGS sensitization event of the tick bite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colour is a property widely used in many fields to extract information in several ways. In soil science, colour provides information regarding the chemical and physical characteristics of soil, such as genesis, composition, and fertility, amongst others. Thus, accurate estimation of soil colour is essential for many disciplines. To achieve this, experts traditionally rely on comparing Munsell colour charts with soil samples, which is a laborious process. In this study, we proposed using artificial neural networks to catalogue soil colour with a two-step classification. Firstly, the hue variable is estimated, and then the remaining two coordinates, value and chroma. Our experiments were conducted using three different, common cameras (one digital camera and two mobile phones). The results of our tests showed a 20% improvement in classification accuracy using the lowest-quality camera and an average accuracy of over 90%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic solar energy is booming due to the continuous improvement in photovoltaic panel efficiency along with a downward trend in production costs. In addition, the European Union is committed to easing the implementation of renewable energy in many companies in order to obtain funding to install their own panels. Nonetheless, the nature of solar energy is intermittent and uncontrollable. This leads us to an uncertain scenario which may cause instability in photovoltaic systems. This research addresses this problem by implementing intelligent models to predict the production of solar energy. Real data from a solar farm in Scotland was utilized in this study. Finally, the models were able to accurately predict the energy to be produced in the next hour using historical information as predictor variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The breeding of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) for resistance to downy mildew (caused by the oomycete Plasmopara halstedii Farl. Berl. & de Toni) is reviewed in this work under the scope of its sustainability and efficiency. When sunflower turned into an oilseed crop, resistance to the disease was included in its initial breeding strategies. Subsequent development of genomic tools allowed a significant expansion of the knowledge on the diversity of its genetic resistance and its application to the genetic control of the disease. Simultaneously to genetic improvements, and as a consequence of the close interaction between the pathogen and its host plant, an enormous variety of pathotypes has been described in all the sunflower-growing areas worldwide. Thus, the genetic control of sunflower downy mildew is an active research field subjected to continuous evolution and challenge. In practice, genetic resistance constitutes the base tier of Integrated Pest Management against sunflower downy mildew. The second tier is composed of elements related to crop management: rotation, removal of volunteer plants, sowing date, tillage. Biological control alternatives and resistance inducers could also provide additional restraint. Finally, the top tier includes chemical treatments that should only be used when necessary and if the more basal Integrated Pest Management elements fail to keep pathogen populations under the economic threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, certain types of machine learning methods, namely artificial neural networks, are growing in popularity in terms of dealing with energy-related data for energy modelling and decision-making processes. Some of the relevant topics of this Special Issue were as follows: Artificial neural networks; Deep learning; Energy consumption modelling; Artificial neural networks model optimisation applied to energy consumption; Energy monitoring; Energy modelling; Machine learning; Energy optimisation; Energy systems. Author Affiliations The affiliations of those authors who contributed to this Special Issue are listed in Table 2. 4. [Extracted from the article]

Molecular dynamics simulations of an embedded atom copper system in the isobaric-isenthalpic ensemble are used to study the effective solid-liquid interfacial free energy of quasi-spherical solid crystals within a liquid. This is within the larger context of molecular dynamics simulations of this system undergoing solidification, where single individually prepared crystallites of different sizes grow until they reach a thermodynamically stable final state. The resulting equilibrium shapes possess the full structural details expected for solids with weakly anisotropic surface free energies (in these cases, ~5% radial flattening and rounded [111] octahedral faces). The simplifying assumption of sphericity and perfect isotropy leads to an effective interfacial free energy as appearing in the Gibbs-Thomson equation, which we determine to be ~177 erg/cm², roughly independent of crystal size for radii in the 50-250 Å range. This quantity may be used in atomistically informed models of solidification kinetics for this system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), an important vector of a wide range of human and animal pathogens, is very common throughout the East and Midwest of the USA. Ticks are known to carry non-pathogenic bacteria that may play a role in their vector competence for pathogens. Several previous studies using the high throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies reported the commensal bacteria in a tick midgut as abundant and diverse. In contrast, in our preliminary survey of the field collected adult lone star ticks, we found the number of culturable/viable bacteria very low. Methods: We aimed to analyze the bacterial community of A. americanum by a parallel culture-dependent and a culture-independent approach applied to individual ticks. Results: We analyzed 94 adult females collected in eastern Kansas and found that 60.8% of ticks had no culturable bacteria and the remaining ticks carried only 67.7 ± 42.8 colony-forming units (CFUs)/tick representing 26 genera. HTS of the 16S rRNA gene resulted in a total of 32 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with the dominant endosymbiotic genera Coxiella and Rickettsia (> 95%). Remaining OTUs with very low abundance were typical soil bacterial taxa indicating their environmental origin. Conclusions: No correlation was found between the CFU abundance and the relative abundance from the culture-independent approach. This suggests that many culturable taxa detected by HTS but not by culture-dependent method were not viable or were not in their culturable state. Overall, our HTS results show that the midgut bacterial community of A. americanum is very poor without a core microbiome and the majority of bacteria are endosymbiotic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the scarcity of energy resources is promoting the search for alternative energy sources, boosting interest in the use of forest lignocellulosic residue in the energy sector. In this study, the focus is on the energy recovery from two lignocellulosic residues originated during the pruning of ornamental trees (Horse Chestnut, CI, and False Acacia, FA). Both conventional and flash pyrolysis techniques were applied. The experimental pyrolysis variables were obtained from the study of the thermal behaviour of the pruning residues in thermogravimetric analysis. It was carried out under 5 heating rates and kinetic parameters were estimated using Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method. Results denoted higher maximum mass loss rate values for the same release temperature regions under FA experiments. Also, FA samples had lower final residues for the processes. However, activation energy values were so close for both species. FA was also linked to the faster reactions according frequency factor outcomes. Conventional pyrolysis of pruning residues was carried out in a horizontal oven of original design at a heating rate of 25 °C/min, at 750 °C and 60 min of permanence at that temperature; flash pyrolysis was tested in that oven at 750 and 850 °C. In these pyrolysis processes, three fractions were obtained: bio-char, bio-oil and gas. The physicochemical attributes of the bio-chars suggested their potential utility as biofuels (28.4–29.8 MJ/kg), adsorbent precursors or soil additives. Conventional pyrolysis bio-oils had a dominant monoaromatic hydrocarbons nature, with phenols being the most abundant (≥60%), while flash bio-oils contain mainly polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Conventional pyrolysis gases contained up to 60 vol% of CO 2 ; flash pyrolysis gases had high combustible gas content (CO, CH 4 , H 2) and a low CO 2 content (<25 vol%). As a result, their calorific value (18.06 MJ/kg) exhibited a threefold increase compared to the gas produced through conventional pyrolysis (6.04 MJ/kg). [Display omitted] • Bio-chars can be used as fuels, as adsorbent precursor or as a soil additive. • In conventional bio-oils, phenols (≥60%) and the absence of PAHs stand out. • Flash bio-oils contain up to 95% PAHs (anthracene, phenanthrene, fluorene, etc). • Flash gases have high concentrations of CO, CH 4 and H 2 and low concentrations of CO 2. • Flash pyrolysis gases had higher HHV than conventional pyrolysis results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Venezuela, due to its geographical location, richness in sources and natural resources, has a valuable potential for the use of renewable energies, especially solar. A large part of its territory is characterized by an average insolation above 3 Kwh/m², considered suitable for photovoltaic generation. CdTe is a well-known II-VI semiconductor, which has established itself as a leader in the photovoltaic industry, has optimal properties for solar cells. This research focused on designing, manufacturing and characterizing p-CdTe/n-CdS solar cells. The design was carried out looking for the simplest and lowest cost model. The manufacturing was carried out in an Ortus-700 equipment, using the thermal evaporation technique. For the characterization of the cells, the techniques of X-ray diffraction, optical absorption and current-voltage characteristic analysis were applied. Evidence of a typical preferential orientation of a cubic structure of Zinc Blenda, direct energy gap values between 2.15 to 2.85 eV and similar performance among prepared solar cells. The manufacture and characterization of nine p-CdTe/n-CdS cells was achieved, through the formation of a p-n junction; with efficiencies of ~ 3 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), an important vector of a wide range of human and animal pathogens, is very common throughout the East and Midwest of the USA. Ticks are known to carry non-pathogenic bacteria that may play a role in their vector competence for pathogens. Several previous studies using the high throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies reported the commensal bacteria in a tick midgut as abundant and diverse. In contrast, in our preliminary survey of the field collected adult lone star ticks, we found the number of culturable/viable bacteria very low. Methods: We aimed to analyze the bacterial community of A. americanum by a parallel culture-dependent and a culture-independent approach applied to individual ticks. Results: We analyzed 94 adult females collected in eastern Kansas and found that 60.8% of ticks had no culturable bacteria and the remaining ticks carried only 67.7 ± 42.8 colony-forming units (CFUs)/tick representing 26 genera. HTS of the 16S rRNA gene resulted in a total of 32 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with the dominant endosymbiotic genera Coxiella and Rickettsia (> 95%). Remaining OTUs with very low abundance were typical soil bacterial taxa indicating their environmental origin. Conclusions: No correlation was found between the CFU abundance and the relative abundance from the culture-independent approach. This suggests that many culturable taxa detected by HTS but not by culture-dependent method were not viable or were not in their culturable state. Overall, our HTS results show that the midgut bacterial community of A. americanum is very poor without a core microbiome and the majority of bacteria are endosymbiotic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ixodid ticks are ectoparasites that feed exclusively on blood as their source of nutrients. Although ticks spend most of their life off the host, until now it has been assumed that the blood and the water vapor are the only sources of water to maintain water balance and prevent desiccation. Here we report for the first time that adult lone star ticks, Amblyomma americanum, also actively drink nutrient-free water, which greatly increases their survival. The volume of ingested water is greater in females than males (0.55 ± 0.06 vs 0.44 ± 0.07 µl) and most likely due to differences in tick size. Water uptake occurs through mouthparts and it can be later observed in the salivary glands and the midgut. We also exploited this behavior by adding a variety of inorganic compounds and microorganisms to water. Addition of inorganic salts to drinking water such as KH2PO4 + NaCl+KNO3 resulted in 100% tick mortality within 3 days. As a proof of concept for using the water drinking as a delivery route of toxic reagents for ticks, we also show that adding Pseudomonas aeruginosa to drinking water quickly leads to tick death. This tick behavior can be exploited to target important physiological systems, which would make ticks vulnerable to dehydration and microbial dysbiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber from alpacas represents a substantial component of economic output for South American countries. In this study it determined the textile characteristics of fibers obtained from Huacaya alpacas raised at the South American Camelids Research and Development Center-Lachocc (CRDC-Lachocc) located at The National University of Huancavelica (UNH). Fleece samples were obtained from the midside rib area of 74 white alpacas (42 females and 32 males) of varying ages. The Average Fiber Diameter (AFD), Standard Deviation of the Average Fiber Diameter (SDAFD), Fiber Diameter Coefficient of Variation (FDCV), Comfort Factor (CF) and Staple Length (SL) were measured as textile characteristics and related to sex and age group. Most of the fleece samples could be classified as baby alpaca fleece according to the Peruvian Technical Standard classification (231.301.2014). Sex had no influence on any textile characteristic (p > 0.05). Meanwhile, age affected only AFD and CF (p < 0.05). Together the results indicated that alpacas farmed at CRDC-Lachocc had good potential to produce high quality fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrition structures ecology and evolution across all scales of biological organization. It is well known that nutrition can have direct effects on performance and fitness, but indirect effects on physiological systems thatmediate biotic interactions have been studied less frequently. Here, we focus on the interaction between nutrition, performance, and the immune system in a specialist herbivorous insect, Manduca sexta. We used a conceptual framework in nutritional ecology (the geometric framework) to examine how changes in diet quality affect aspects of the immune system used for defense against parasitoids.Weraised caterpillars throughout their entire larval development on five different experimental diets that varied in protein and carbohydrate content and measured five aspects of the immune system: encapsulation, phenoloxidase activity, prophenoloxidase activity, total hemolymph protein, and hemocyte density. Overall, different parts of the immune function varied in response to interactions between carbohydrates, protein, and intake, but protein reductions had the largest impacts— mostly detrimental. In addition, our data suggest that diet quality mediates the relationship between performance (growth and survival) and immune function, as well as trade-offs among different components of immune function. Our work is the first to examine the interplay between nutrition, performance, and immunefunction with the geometric framework in a specialist insect herbivore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Synthetic protocols are developed to prepare diesters and hydroxyesters from heptanal. • Amphiphilic diblock copolymers were obtained by lipase polycondensation using mPEG. • Micelles of increasing size with increasing hydrophobic block content were obtained. Abstract Branched polyesters with acid degradable and oxidation responsive β-thiopropionate groups have been obtained by lipase catalyzed polycondensation of diester and hydroxyester monomers from heptanal, a castor oil derivative. Their polymerization behavior has been investigated and poly(ethylene glycol)- b -poly(β-thioether ester) amphiphilic block copolymers have been obtained. SEC, NMR and FTIR have been employed to confirm the structure of the polymers and copolymers and DSC and TGA have been used to characterize their thermal properties. The block copolymers containing aliphatic pendant moieties self-assemble into micelles in aqueous solution, showing potential application as dual responsive systems in drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residual biomass is a valuable and growing by-product, but often underutilized. This research aims to investigate the possible strategies for the energetic valorisation of agri-food industry wastes: grape seed and chestnut shell. Pyrolysis thermal process was the selected for this work. Applied to biomass, pyrolysis is a promising method for the simultaneous production of biochar, bio-oil, and gas. Two different pyrolysis processes were conducted: conventional pyrolysis at 750 °C and flash pyrolysis at 750 °C and 850 °C. Flash pyrolysis yielded superior product properties compared to conventional pyrolysis. The gas obtained through flash pyrolysis presented a four-fold higher high heating value due to increased CH 4 and H 2 content. Bio-oil contains over 90% of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and calorific value reached up to 32 MJ kg−1 for grape seed, which is 7% more than bioethanol HHV. Biochar can be used both as fuel or as activated carbon precursor due to its high carbon content (91%). Calorific value of chestnut shell biochar (32.7 MJ kg−1), comparable to mineral coals, increased by 72% with respect to the value of this untreated raw material. This work approved the potential of flash pyrolysis as a method to process biomass wastes in a renewable energy scenario. [Display omitted] • Pyrolysis flash process favours the production of gas fraction. • Conventional pyrolysis presents higher bio-oil fractions, especially for GS. • Gas from flash pyrolysis has 4 times higher calorific value due to CH₄ and H₂. • Bio-oil from flash pyrolysis have up to 90% of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. • Bio-char obtained from chestnut shell with high carbon content up to 91%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work investigates the quality and the chemical effects of dehydration, using a novel dehydration system based on an electromagnetic induction and low pressures technique, comparing it with the thermo-solar drying system. High oleic sunflower seeds, which are an important oil seed crop, were used due to the fact that they have a special place in the food industry. The seed samples were exposed to electromagnetic induction and low pressures by 0.5 and 1 h, then several chemical characterizations were carried out, in the electrophoresis study, it was found that most proteins in the hull were degraded or denatured, some of them were lost during the time in the thermosolar dryer while in kernel keeps 94.9% of the concentration in control proteins. Otherwise, the electromagnetic induction dryer did not lose the most of proteins in the kernel keeping 99.1% in 0.5 h and 98.4% in 1 h, just degrading its concentration. Germination viability results did not show changes after 0.5 h in the electromagnetic fields, but they decreased in 1 h from 66 to 40% until the thermosolar method fell to 24% in 4 h, both analysis results change proportionally with the treatment time and moisture content and the amount of the oxygen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Functional disorders have been recognized over time in a segmental way, and therefore, incompletely, from diagnosis to treatment. Examples of such disorders are: migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, biliary dyskinesia, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bladder, mitral valve prolapse syndrome, orthostatic intolerance, orthostatic postural tachycardia, vasovagal syncope or, in conclusion, the so-called dysautonomia. PROPOSALS: Functional disorders, such as the syndrome called dysautonomia, could have its origin in the rapid and inappropriate responses that the amygdala makes before certain stimuli in relation to emotional memory. It is proposed to name such disorders as "dysfunctional response syndrome (REDIS)", in order to avoid diagnostic errors in cases of secondary dysautonomia. In addition, it is proposed to establish a clinical diagnosis of these conditions and to select only those for the tilt test in case of poor response to the initial treatment, where the serotonin reuptake inhibitors seem to perform an adequate control of the symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive research has recently been carried out to synthesize non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs) from five-membered cyclic carbonates and amines as a sustainable route to industrial relevant polyurethanes. Herein, an activated disubstituted cyclic carbonate and methyl ester containing monomer CE was prepared using castor oil based heptanal and CO 2 . Good results for the catalytic cycloaddition have been obtained using renewable sugar cane bagasse in combination with TBAB, and this system has been shown to be recyclable. A novel poly(amide-hydroxyurethane) ( PAHU ) was obtained by bulk ring-opening and amidation polymerization of high reactive CE with 1,6-diaminohexane at low temperature and in absence of catalyst. PAHU contains aliphatic pendant moieties allowing its self-assembling into nanoparticles in aqueous solution, showing potential application in catalysis or drug delivery among other applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contains equations for the motion of linear viscoelastic bodies interacting under gravity. The equations are fully three dimensional and allow for the integration of the spin, the orbit, and the deformation of each body. The goal is to present good models for the tidal forces that take into account the possibly different rheology of each body. The equations are obtained within a finite dimension Lagrangian framework with dissipation function. The main contribution is a procedure to associate to each spring-dashpot model, which defines the rheology of a body, a potential and a dissipation function for the body deformation variables. The theory is applied to the Earth (solid part plus oceans) and a comparison between model and observation of the following quantities is made: norm of the Love numbers, rate of tidal energy dissipation, Chandler period, and Earth-Moon distance increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sjögren's syndrome is the second most common rheumatic disease in which autoimmune response targets exocrine glands (salivary and lacrimal glands) result in clinical symptoms of dry mouth and dry eye. Inflammation of the lacrimal gland induces tear abnormalities that contribute to the inflammation of the ocular surface, which includes ocular mucosa. Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) plays a critical regulatory role in the ocular mucosa and as such TSP-1-/- mice develop spontaneously chronic ocular surface inflammation associated with Sjögren's syndrome. The autoimmune pathology is also accompanied by a peripheral imbalance in regulatory (Treg) and inflammatory Th17 effectors. In this study, we demonstrate an in-vitro effect of a CD47-binding TSP-derived peptide in the induction of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1-secreting forkhead box protein 2 (Foxp3+) Tregs from activated CD4+CD25- T cells and the inhibition of pathogenic T helper type 17 (Th17)-promoting interleukin (IL)-23 derived from antigen-presenting cells. The in-vivo administration of this peptide promotes Foxp3+ Treg induction and inhibition of Th17 development. Consistent with these results, topical administration of CD47-binding TSP peptide, both before and after the onset of the disease, attenuates clinical symptoms of SS-associated dry eye in TSP-1-/- mice. Augmented expression of Foxp3 detected in the draining lymph nodes of TSP peptide -treated mice compared to those treated with control peptide suggests the ability of TSP peptide to restore peripheral immune imbalance. Thus, our results suggest that TSP-derived peptide attenuates Sjögren's syndrome-associated dry eye and autoimmune inflammation by preventing Th17 development while promoting the induction of Tregs. Collectively, our data identify TSP-derived peptide as a novel therapeutic option to treat autoimmune diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus (To LCNDV; family Geminiviridae, genus Begomovirus) is an emerging virus in horticulture crops in Asia, and has recently been introduced in Spain, Tunisia and Italy. No betasatellite DNA was detected in infected tomato and zucchini squash samples from Spain, and agroinoculated viral DNA-A and DNA-B were sufficient to reproduce symptoms in plants of both crop species. Infected tomato and zucchini squash plants also served as inoculum sources for efficient transmission either mechanically or using Bemisia tabaci whiteflies. Cucumber, melon, watermelon, zucchini squash, tomato, eggplant and pepper, but not common bean, were readily infected using viruliferous whiteflies and expressed symptoms 8-15 days post-inoculation. New full-length sequences from zucchini squash and tomato indicated a high genetic homogeneity (>99% sequence identity) in the To LCNDV populations in Spain, pointing to a single recent introduction event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasonic irradiation is one of the most promising membrane cleaning techniques for membrane bioreactors (MBRs) because of several advantages such as high flux-recovery capacity and in situ application without interrupting the filtration process. However, significant contradictions may be found and, consequently, this method has not yet been widely developed. In this paper, four MBRs equipped with hollow-fibre polyvinylidene fluoride ultrafiltration membranes were operated continuously. The cleaning method applied consisted of sonication at low power (15 W) with different frequencies (20, 25, 30, and 40 kHz) for each module and aerated backwashing. The different MBRs were analysed comparatively between them and with a conventional MBR in order to check the effects of the irradiated waves on membrane integrity, effluent quality and process performance. Effluent turbidity and chemical oxygen demand, total and volatile suspended solid concentration and activated sludge viscosity were affected by biomass fragmentation or membrane cake removal, mainly at lower frequencies. The best transmembrane pressure control was achieved at the frequency of 20 kHz without a significant effect on membrane integrity. The results showed that under these operational conditions, no negative effects on effluent quality or membrane integrity were found, suggesting that this method was suitable for this type of membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Micturating cystourethrography is a study used since 1903 for diagnosing urinary tract disorders; it remains in use despite the existence of much more advanced diagnostic techniques due to its ease of access, low cost, and high effectiveness. Proper testing technique, combined with knowledge of the most common disorders, will allow the radiologist to offer an accurate diagnosis avoiding more complex studies. OBJECTIVE: review of diagnostic method, its indications, technique, and characterization of the most common diseases diagnosed by that technique, in patients studied at a private radiology center in Mexico City. MATERIAL AND METHODS: a descriptive, retrospective and review study, which reviewed reports from cystourethrograms stored in the Research Information Systems (RIS), taken at CT Scanner del Sur from January 2013 through March 2016. RESULTS: we analyzed 84 cystourethrograms from 21 men, 54 women, and 9 minors; we found that the most prevalent diagnoses were urethral stenosis in men and effort or stress incontinence in women. In minors, vesicoureteral reflux and cystitis were the most common. DISCUSSION: the results are consistent with the findings reported in the specialized literature, where obstructive urethral pathology and stress incontinence are the diagnoses most commonly found by this method in men and women, respectively. In children, congenital and inflammatory pathologies are the most common, as they were in our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sexual performance of Anastrepha ludens males of the Tapachula-7 genetic sexing strain, produced via selection based on mating success, was compared with that of males produced without selection in competition with wild males. Mating competition, development time, survival, mass-rearing quality parameters and pheromone production were compared. The results showed that selection based on mating competitiveness significantly improved the sexual performance of offspring. Development time, survival of larvae, pupae and adults, and weights of larvae and pupae increased with each selection cycle. Differences in the relative quantity of the pheromone compounds (Z)-3-nonenol and anastrephin were observed when comparing the parental males with the F4 and wild males. The implications of this colony management method on the sterile insect technique are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The always worrisome balance between thrombosis and bleeding in the patient under the effect of an anticoagulant increases by the need of an invasive procedure, resulting in complex algorithms analyzed in this written in order to propose practical protocols that facilitate us to acquire reasoned knowledge of the perioperative management of the patient receiving anticoagulant therapy. If surgery is needed on a patient under anticoagulant therapy the following steps are suggested: establishing a real risk of thrombosis based on the procedure to be performed and hypercoagulable patient characteristics, establishing the risk of bleeding in relation to the procedure and the anticoagulant given to the patient, knowing the pharmacokinetics of anticoagulant in relation to the degree of renal function, establishing the need for a "bridge therapy" and its exact start and retreat in relation to certain variables and postoperative resumption of oral anticoagulant. Every one of the above steps is discussed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: For some time now, regarding to the disautonomic syndrome, the variety of clinical manifestations have become less mere observations, the knowledge we currently have is based on some large studies conducted in many countries including ours. This have generated that we can now diagnose the type of disautonomic response and thus, choose the appropriate treatment for our patients. The REDIS study analyzed 1,647 tilt tests in which 71.5% were women. Of the analyzed tests 43% were vasovagal reaction, 38% were orthostatic intolerance (OI), and 4% were postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). OBJECTIVE: To analyze the behavior of the vital signs during tilt test according to the subtype of disautonomic response (VV, OI, POTS) in concordance to the REDIS study. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A retrospective, observational study done at Hospital Ángeles Pedregal, Mexico City, for which 1,660 reports of tilt test were reviewed by measuring vital signs at the beggining of the test, at 70° and then each 5 and 10 minuts during the same. RESULTS: The difference between vital signs in the four groups during tilt test was statistically significant (p=0.0001), and also between the symptoms and diagnosis. CONCLUSION: In those patients with suggestive symptoms of disautonomy such as fatigue, dizziness, nausea, diaphoresis and cephalea we must conduct a tilt test to prove such dysfunction and establish the type of diagnosis, because there are evident hemodynamic differences among the variety of types which demands different and more specific treatments for the adequate control of the patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thrombus as a phenomenon of vascular disease should always be a differential diagnosis in addressing study of patients whatever the affected organ, which is a diagnostic challenge for the clinician. In this article it is summarized the main clinical manifestations and how to establish the diagnosis in the various places where the thrombus is located. Some practical steps in the study and treatment of patients are suggested, as well as how to choose today among different antithrombotic drugs commercially available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have performed a computational study to determine how the wetting of liquid deuterium to the walls of the material influences nucleation. We present the development of a pair-wise interatomic potential that includes zero-point motion of molecular deuterium. Deuterium is used in this study because of its importance to inertial confinement fusion and the potential to generate a superfluid state if the solidification can be suppressed. Our simulations show that wetting dominates undercooling compared to the pore geometries. We observe a transition from heterogeneous nucleation at the confining wall to homogeneous nucleation at the bulk of the liquid (and intermediate cases) as the interaction with the confining wall changes from perfect wetting to non-wetting. When nucleation is heterogeneous, the temperature needed for solidification changes by 4 K with decreasing deuterium-wall interaction, but it remains independent (and equal to the one from bulk samples) when homogeneous nucleation dominates. We find that growth and quality of the resulting microstructure also depends on the magnitude of liquid deuterium–wall interaction strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to an alternative model for a rotating, isolated, self-gravitating, viscoelastic body. The initial approach is quite similar to the classical one, present in the works of Dirichlet, Riemann, Chandrasekhar, among others. Our main contribution is to present a simplified model for the motion of an almost spherical body. The Lagrangian function $${\fancyscript{L}}$$ and the dissipation function $${\fancyscript{D}}$$ of the simplified model are: and where $$\omega $$ is the angular velocity vector, $$Q$$ is the quadrupole moment tensor, $$\mathrm{I}=\mathrm{I}_\circ \mathrm{\!\ \mathbb {I}d\!\ } -Q/3$$ is the usual moment of inertia tensor with $$\mathrm{I}_\circ $$ equal to the moment of inertia of the spherical body at rest, $$\gamma $$ is an elastic constant, and $$\nu $$ is a damping coefficient. The angular momentum $$\mathrm{I}\omega $$ transformed to an inertial reference frame is conserved. The constants $$\gamma $$ and $$\nu $$ must be determined experimentally. We believe this to be the simplest model one can get without loosing the symmetries and the conserved quantities of the original problem. This model can be used as a building block for the study of many-body planetary systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we introduce simple coalitional strategy profiles to avoid group deviations in repeated games. In the repeated Cournot supergame we prove that it is possible to sustain the symmetric monopoly outcome by means of a variety of strategies which satisfy the requirement that no coalition (other than the grand one) will deviate in any subgame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove a closed graph theorem for Baire locally convex spaces (for Baire linear topological spaces) in the domain and weakly C-Suslin locally convex spaces (respectively, for C-Suslin linear topological spaces) in the range which improves some classic closed graph theorems and other, more recent, related results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary The estimation of water and solute transit times in catchments is crucial for predicting the response of hydrosystems to external forcings (climatic or anthropogenic). The hydrogeochemical signatures of tracers (either natural or anthropogenic) in streams have been widely used to estimate transit times in catchments as they integrate the various processes at stake. However, most of these tracers are well suited for catchments with mean transit times lower than about 4–5 years. Since the second half of the 20th century, the intensification of agriculture led to a general increase of the nitrogen load in rivers. As nitrate is mainly transported by groundwater in agricultural catchments, this signal can be used to estimate transit times greater than several years, even if nitrate is not a conservative tracer. Conceptual hydrological models can be used to estimate catchment transit times provided their consistency is demonstrated, based on their ability to simulate the stream chemical signatures at various time scales and catchment internal processes such as N storage in groundwater. The objective of this study was to assess if a conceptual lumped model was able to simulate the observed patterns of nitrogen concentration, at various time scales, from seasonal to pluriannual and thus if it was relevant to estimate the nitrogen transit times in headwater catchments. A conceptual lumped model, representing shallow groundwater flow as two parallel linear stores with double porosity, and riparian processes by a constant nitrogen removal function, was applied on two paired agricultural catchments which belong to the Research Observatory ORE AgrHys. The Global Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) approach was used to estimate parameter values and uncertainties. The model performance was assessed on (i) its ability to simulate the contrasted patterns of stream flow and stream nitrate concentrations at seasonal and inter-annual time scales, (ii) its ability to simulate the patterns observed in groundwater at the same temporal scales, and (iii) the consistency of long-term simulations using the calibrated model and the general pattern of the nitrate concentration increase in the region since the beginning of the intensification of agriculture in the 1960s. The simulated nitrate transit times were found more sensitive to climate variability than to parameter uncertainty, and average values were found to be consistent with results from others studies in the same region involving modeling and groundwater dating. This study shows that a simple model can be used to simulate the main dynamics of nitrogen in an intensively polluted catchment and then be used to estimate the transit times of these pollutants in the system which is crucial to guide mitigation plans design and assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ASM3-based model was implemented in the numerical software MATHEMATICA where sensitivity analyses and simulations of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) system were carried out. These results were compared with those obtained using the commercial simulator WEST. Predicted values did not show significant variations between both software and simulations showed that the most influential operational conditions were influent flow rate and concentrations and bioreactor volumes. On the other hand, sensitivity analyses were carried out with both software programs for the same five outputs: COD, ammonium and nitrate concentrations in the effluent, total suspended solids concentration and oxygen uptake rate in the aerobic bioreactor. Similar results were in general obtained in both cases and according to these analyses, the most significant inputs over the model predictions were growth and storage heterotrophic biomass yields and decay coefficient. Other parameters related to the hydrolysis process or to the autotrophic biomass also significantly influenced model outputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes a new interior point method to solve linear programming problems. Known interior point methods are difficult to understand since the tools used in them are too technical, the method proposed here is easy to understand and didactic when presented. Within the feasible region, an orthonormal basis of vectors can be found, which will serve as directions to move an arbitrary initial interior point, giving way to the generation of a search path (sequence) of points within the feasible region that converges to the optimal solution to the problem. If the path converges to a vertex of the feasible region, the solution to the problem has been found, while if the path leads to one side of the feasible region, it means that one of the variables is found to be zero and the algorithm is restarted with a decrease in the number of variables. The tools used here for the construction of the new method are basic concepts of linear algebra, this allows a pedagogical facility when it comes to understanding the algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Evaluation of antifungal effect of asparagus extract enriched in flavonoids. [•] Asparagus extract inhibits growth of Fusarium oxysporum pathogenic to horticultural crops. [•] Asparagus extract inhibits sporulation of F. oxysporum pathogenic to horticultural crops. [•] Safety of asparagus extract enriched in flavonoids in asparagus plants growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parasitic weed Orobanche cumana (sunflower broomrape) constrains sunflower production in eastern and southern Europe and in the Middle East. Although genetic resistance is the most effective control method, new parasite races evolve overcoming sunflower resistance. In this work, highly virulent populations of O. cumana were analysed for pathogenicity and genetic diversity. The virulence of 11 populations from Hungary, Romania, Spain and Turkey was assessed and compared after infection of sunflower inbred lines to differentiate races of the parasite under glasshouse conditions. Molecular diversity among and within 27 parasite populations was studied by RAPD- PCR, UPGMA and amova analyses. Highly virulent race F was identified in Hungary, Spain and Turkey. The most virulent race ( G) was also found in Turkey. The molecular analysis among highly virulent populations of O. cumana identified four molecular clusters, respectively, grouping populations from Central Spain, Hungary, South Spain and Turkey. The genetic homogeneity within parasite populations was confirmed, since no molecular divergences were found within them. This work constitutes the first geographical study of O. cumana together with pathogenicity and molecular traits inherent to each geographical group, and provides useful information for possible phylogenetic analyses of O. cumana. In addition, molecular markers associated with geographical origin could be developed and used as diagnostic tools to track new broomrape introductions into areas free of virulent races where they might represent a threat to sunflower production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dose distribution of a High Dose Rate Brachytherapy (BHDR) oncological treatment with 192 Ir was measured using a Gafchromic EBT2 film. The film calibration was performed with a 60 Co unit and a LINAC of 6 mV and 18 mV. Gafchromic behavior of a dosimeter varies in respect of energy. Experimental results of dose distribution match with those planned in the PLATO commercial system, they also show that there is a difference of 2.11% between the planning system and isodoses measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parasitic weed Orobanche cumana Wallr. (broomrape) constraints sunflower production in eastern and southern Europe and in the Middle East. Resistance of sunflower hybrids to O. cumana race F, which is widespread in the main sunflower growing countries including Spain, is not complete. The infection of six populations of O. cumana (races B and F) in four sunflower genotypes in greenhouse (10 to 32ºC) and in growth chamber (20 to 25ºC) was studied. Also the effect of four sowing dates (SD) on the intensity of the attack of sunflower genotypes by O. cumana race F at three inoculum densities was investigated in an irrigated field in 2000 and 2001. Greenhouse was more favorable than growth chamber for O. cumana infection, which was highest by race F populations. In the field experiment, the reduction of the attack in the moderately resistant hybrid was significant at all SD and higher at late SD as compared to early sowings in both growing seasons. Late sowings (from the end of March until the beginning of April) favor an enhanced expression of the resistance of sunflower to O. cumana race F irrespective of seedbank, and can be therefore recommended, under irrigation and together with the use of moderately resistant sunflower hybrids, as part of an efficient strategy on the control of this parasitic weed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Optical Vernier effect cascading tapered single-mode optical fibres. • The length between tapers increases the FSR of the envelope and the amplification factor. • A sensitive displacement sensor based on the optical Vernier effect. An experimental demonstration of the optical Vernier effect (OVE) achieved by cascading tapered single-mode optical fibres (SMF28) is presented. The tapered optical fibres conform to a pair of Mach–Zehnder fibre interferometers (MZFIs) with slightly different free spectral ranges. Three different experiments with MZFIs in tandem were carried out to evaluate the OVE characteristics such as the magnification and free spectral range of the envelope. The displacement/curvature sensor exhibited a sensitivity of 0.069 nm/µm (∼84.2 nm/m−1) in the displacement/curvature range of 250–500 µm (∼0.12–0.24 m−1) with a magnification of 8.84. A brief comparison to other OVE-based curvature sensors is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper evaluates the potential of mesophilic anaerobic digestion (AD) in the treatment of used oils and landfill leachates through co-digestion of the sludge produced in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Biomethane potential (BMP) tests were performed on two different co-substrates and on WWTP sludge. The biogas production per kg of fresh matter of the sludge generated in a WWTP was only 6.1Nl/kg due to its low volatile solids concentration. Biogas production of landfill leachates per kg of fresh matter was found to be low (12.4Nl/kg). The biogas production per kg of fresh matter for the used oil over a period of 47days (not completely degraded) was 970.6Nl/kg. Used oil was selected as co-substrate according to these results. Anaerobic co-digestion of sludge and used oil was conducted in a pilot plant fed in semi-continuous regime in the mesophilic range (38°C) to obtain their adequate mixture in order to ensure the correct function of the process. The optimum oil percentage in the mixture was 19% (volatile solids basis). Once the appropriate mixture was obtained the co-digestion process was carried out in the digester of the Pobla de Farnals WWTP. The co-digestion process improved the performance of volatile matter removal (showing an 11% increase over the period without co-digestion) as well as the biogas production (a 23.5% increase over the period without co-digestion) without disturbing the anaerobic digestion process. The total production of biogas per day in the WWTP increased over the period without co-digestion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cyclic peptide nanotubes (CPNs) exhibit impressive structural, mechanical and chemical properties in resemblance to beta-sheet proteins found in silks and amyloids, and show potential as supramolecular nanotubes that can be utilized to generate novel nanocomposites and nanoporous thin films. Quantifying the persistence length and thermomechanical fragmentation of CPNs is of great importance for establishing a theoretical basis of how to generate rectilinear nanostructures with controlled aspect ratio and rigidity. However, factors governing the elasticity and dynamical breaking of these supramolecular nanostructures remain to be fully understood. Here we present a statistical analysis of the Young's modulus and persistence length of CPNs using fully-atomistic molecular dynamic simulations in explicit solvent. We show that the measured properties exhibit a dependence on the magnitude of the shear force applied, and extrapolation to the quasi-static deformation case yields 0.46 μm for the persistence length and 7.8 GPa for the Young's modulus, in agreement with our experimental observations from TEM images. We establish a theoretical model for the spatial and temporal distribution of stochastic fracture, which we use to explain the simulation-based observations of spontaneous fragmentation under an applied shear force. Our methodology, blending theory, simulation and experiments provide a framework that can be utilized to investigate the mechanical behavior of self-assembling protein materials, paving the way for their design towards biological and industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MUC5AC is a glycoprotein with gel-forming properties, whose altered expression has been implicated in the pathogenesis of dry eye disease. The aim of our study was to achieve an efficient in vivo transfection of MUC5AC, restore its normal levels in an inflamed ocular surface and determine whether restored MUC5AC levels improve ocular surface inflammation. Cationized gelatin-based nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with a plasmid coding a modified MUC5AC protein (pMUC5AC) were instilled in healthy and experimental dry eye (EDE) mice. MUC5AC expression, clinical signs, corneal fluorescein staining and tear production were evaluated. Ocular specimens were processed for histopathologic evaluation, including goblet cell count and CD4 immunostaining. Neither ocular discomfort nor irritation was observed in vivo after NP treatment. Expression of modified MUC5AC was significantly higher in ocular surface tissue of pMUC5AC-NP-treated animals than that of controls. In healthy mice, pMUC5AC-NPs had no effect on fluorescein staining or tear production. In EDE mice, both parameters significantly improved after pMUC5AC-NP treatment. Anterior eye segment of treated mice showed normal architecture and morphology with lack of remarkable inflammatory changes, and a decrease in CD4+ T-cell infiltration. Thus, pMUC5AC-NPs were well tolerated and able to induce the expression of modified MUC5A in ocular surface tissue, leading to reduction of the inflammation and, consequently improving the associated clinical parameters, such as tear production and fluorescein staining. These results identify a potential application of pMUC5AC-NPs as a new therapeutic modality for the treatment of dry eye disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical Λcold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmological models predict a much larger number of low-mass dark matter haloes than has been observed in the Local Group of galaxies. One possible explanation is the increased difficulty of detecting these haloes if most of the visible matter is lost at early evolutionary phases through galactic winds. In this work we study the current models of triggering galactic winds in dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSph) from supernovae, and study, based on 3D hydrodynamic numerical simulations, the correlation of the mass-loss rates and important physical parameters as the dark matter halo mass and its radial profile, and the star formation rate. We find that the existence of winds is ubiquitous, independent of the gravitational potential. Our simulations revealed that the Rayleigh–Taylor Instability (RTI) may play a major role on pushing matter out of these systems, even for very massive haloes. The instability is responsible for 5–40 per cent of the mass loss during the early evolution of the galaxy, being less relevant at t > 200 Myr. There is no significant difference in the mass-loss rates obtained for the different dark matter profiles studied (NFW and logarithmic). We have also found a correlation between the mass-loss rate and both the halo mass and the rate of supernovae, as already reported in previous works. Besides, the epoch in which most of the baryon galactic matter is removed from the galaxy varies depending on the SN rate and gravitational potential. The later, combined to the importance of the RTI in each model, may change our understanding about the chemical evolution of dwarf galaxies, as well as in the heavy element contamination of the intergalactic medium at high redshifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocular surface inflammation associated with Sjögren's syndrome is characterized by a loss of secretory function and alteration in numbers of mucin secreting goblet cells. Such changes are a prominent feature of ocular surface inflammatory diseases and are attributed to inflammation; however, the exact effect of the inflammatory cytokines on conjunctival goblet cell function remains largely unknown. In this study, we developed a primary culture of mouse goblet cells from conjunctival tissue and evaluated the effects on their function by inflammatory cytokines detected in the conjunctiva of mouse model of Sjögren's syndrome (Thrombospondin-1 deficient mice). We found that apoptosis of goblet cells was primarily induced by TNF-α and IFN-γ.These two cytokines also inhibited mucin secretion by goblet cells in response to cholinergic stimulation, whereas IL-6 enhanced such secretion. No changes in secretory response were detected in the presence of IL-13 or IL-17. Goblet cells proliferated to varying degrees in response to all the tested cytokines with the greatest response to IL-13 followed by IL-6. Our results therefore reveal that inflammatory cytokines expressed in the conjunctiva during an ocular surface disease directly disrupt conjunctival goblet cell functions, compromising the protective function of tears, thereby contributing to ocular surface damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents the results of Environmental and Personnel Dosimetry made in a radiology area of a veterinary hospital. Dosimetry was realized using thermoluminescent (TL) materials. Environmental Dosimetry results show that areas closer to the X-ray equipment are safe. Personnel Dosimetry shows important measurements of daily workday in some persons near to the limit established by ICRP. TL results of radiation measurement suggest TLDs are good candidates as a dosimeter to radiation dosimetry in veterinary radiology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Among possible mitigation options to reduce agricultural-borne nitrate fluxes to water bodies, introduction of catch crop before spring crops is acknowledged as a cost-efficient solution at the plot scale, but it was rarely assessed at the catchment level. This study aims to evaluate a set of catch crop implantation scenarios and their consequences in a coastal catchment prone to eutrophication. The objectives are (i) to discuss the potential benefits of catch crop introduction taking into account the limitations due to the physiographic and agricultural context of the area (ii) to propose a multicriteria classification of these scenarios as a basis for discussion with stakeholders. We used the distributed agro-hydrological model TNT2 to simulate 25 scenarios of catch crop management, differing in length of catch crop growing period, place in the crop rotation and residue management. The scenarios were classified considering the variations in main crop yields and either nitrogen fluxes in stream or the global nitrogen mass balance at the catchment level. The simulations showed that in the catchment studied, little improvement can be expected from increasing the catch crop surface. Catch crop cultivation was always beneficial to reduce nitrogen losses, but led to adverse effects on main crop yields in some cases. Among the scenarios involving additional catch crop surface, introducing catch crop between two winter cereals appeared as the most promising. The classification of scenarios depended on the chosen criteria: when considering only the reduction of nitrogen fluxes in streams, exporting catch crop residues was the most efficient while when considering the global nitrogen mass balance, soil incorporation of catch crop residues was the most beneficial. This work highlights the interest, while using integrated models, of assessing simulated scenarios with multicriteria approach to provide stakeholder with a picture as complete as possible of the consequences of prospective policies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]