Determination of the Maximum Rate of Eccrine Sweat Glands’ Ion Reabsorption Using the Galvanic Skin Conductance to Local Sweat Rate Relationship

Purpose The purpose of the present study was to develop and describe a simple method to evaluate the rate of ion reabsorption of eccrine sweat glands in human using the measurement of galvanic skin conductance (GSC) and local sweating rate (SR). This purpose was investigated by comparing the SR threshold for increasing GSC with following two criteria of sweat ion reabsorption in earlier studies such as 1) the SR threshold for increasing sweat ion was at approximately 0.2 to 0.5 mg/cm2/min and 2) exercise-heat acclimation improved the sweat ion reabsorption ability and would increase the criteria 1. Methods Seven healthy non-heat-acclimated male subjects received passive heat treatment both before and after 7 days of cycling in hot conditions (50% maximum oxygen uptake, 60 min/day, ambient temperature 32°C, and 50% relative humidity). Results Subjects became partially heat-acclimated, as evidenced by the decreased end-exercise heart rate (p<0.01), rate of perceived exhaustion (p<0.01), and oesophageal temperature (p=0.07), without alterations in whole-body sweat loss, from the first to the last day of training. As hypothesised, we confirmed that the SR threshold for increasing GSC was near the predicted SR during passive heating before exercise heat acclimation, and increased significantly after training (0.19 ± 0.09 to 0.32 ± 0.10 mg/cm2/min, p<0.05). Conclusions The reproducibility of sweat ion reabsorption by the eccrine glands in the present study suggests that the relationship between GSC and SR can serve as a new index for assessing the maximum rate of sweat ion reabsorption of eccrine sweat glands in humans.

Acredita Portugal: How to improve the implementation rate of entrepreneurial projects?

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Treatment of genital mycoplasma in colonized pregnant women in late pregnancy is associated with a lower rate of premature labour and neonatal complications.

Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma spp. may colonize the human genital tract and have been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm labour and preterm premature rupture of membranes. However, as these bacteria can reside in the normal vaginal flora, there are controversies regarding their true role during pregnancy and so the need to treat these organisms. We therefore conducted a retrospective analysis to evaluate the treatment of genital mycoplasma in 5377 pregnant patients showing symptoms of potential obstetric complications at 25-37 weeks of gestation. Women presenting with symptoms were routinely screened by culture for the presence of these bacteria and treated with clindamycin when positive. Compared with uninfected untreated patients, women treated for genital mycoplasma demonstrated lower rates of premature labour. Indeed preterm birth rates were, respectively, 40.9% and 37.7% in women colonized with Ureaplasma spp. and M. hominis, compared with 44.1% in uncolonized women (Ureaplasma spp., p 0.024; M. hominis, p 0.001). Moreover, a reduction of neonatal complications rates was observed, with 10.9% of newborns developing respiratory diseases in case of Ureaplasma spp. colonization and 5.9% in the presence of M. hominis, compared with 12.8% in the absence of those bacteria (Ureaplasma spp., p 0.050; M. hominis, p <0.001). Microbiological screening of Ureaplasma spp. and/or M. hominis and pre-emptive antibiotic therapy of symptomatic pregnant women in late pregnancy might represent a beneficial strategy to reduce premature labour and neonatal complications.

Rate of recession of Niagara Falls /

Includes bibliographical references.

Orientation of Non-Native 2-Monosubstituted and 2,3-Disubstituted 1,4-Naphthoquinones in the A1 binding site of PSI and the effect on the rate of electron transfer : an electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy study

The proce-ss ofoxygenic photosynthesis is vital to life on Earth. the central event in photosynthesis is light induced electron transfer that converts light into energy for growth. Ofparticular significance is the membrane bound multisubunit protein known as Photosystem I (PSI). PSI is a reaction centre that is responsible for the transfer of electrons across the membrane to reduce NADP+ to NADPH. The recent publication ofa high resolution X-ray structure of PSI has shown new information about the structure, in particular the electron transfer cofactors, which allows us to study it in more detail. In PSI, the secondary acceptor is crucial for forward electron transfer. In this thesis, the effect of removing the native acceptor phylloquinone and replacing it with a series of structurally related quinones was investigated via transient electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments. The orientation of non native quinones in the binding site and their ability to function in the electron transfer process was determined. It was found that PSI will readily accept alkyl naphthoquinones and anthraquinone. Q band EPR experiments revealed that the non-native quinones are incorporated into the binding site with the same orientation of the headgroup as in the native system. X band EPR spectra and deuteration experiments indicate that monosubstituted naphthoquinones are bound to the Al site with their side group in the position occupied by the methyl group in native PSI (meta to the hydrogen bonded carbonyl oxygen). X band EPR experiments show that 2, 3- disubstituted methyl naphthoquinones are also incorporated into the Al site in the same orientation as phylloquinone, even with the presence of a halogen- or sulfur-containing side chain in the position normally occupied by the phytyl tail ofphylloquinone. The exception to this is 2-bromo-3-methyl --.- _. -. - -- - - 4 _._ _ _ - _ _ naphthoquinone which has a poorly resolved spectrum, making determination of the orientation difficuh. All of the non-native quinones studied act as efficient electron acceptors. However, forward electron transfer past the quinone could only be demonstrated for anthraquinone, which has a more negative midpoint potential than phylloquinone. In the case of anthraquinone, an increased rate of forward electron transfer compared to native PSI was found. From these results we can conclude that the rate ofelectron transfer from Al to Fx in native PSI lies in the normal region ofthe Marcus Curve.

The information content of Canadian implied volatility indexes

For predicting future volatility, empirical studies find mixed results regarding two issues: (1) whether model free implied volatility has more information content than Black-Scholes model-based implied volatility; (2) whether implied volatility outperforms historical volatilities. In this thesis, we address these two issues using the Canadian financial data. First, we examine the information content and forecasting power between VIXC - a model free implied volatility, and MVX - a model-based implied volatility. The GARCH in-sample test indicates that VIXC subsumes all information that is reflected in MVX. The out-of-sample examination indicates that VIXC is superior to MVX for predicting the next 1-, 5-, 10-, and 22-trading days' realized volatility. Second, we investigate the predictive power between VIXC and alternative volatility forecasts derived from historical index prices. We find that for time horizons lesser than 10-trading days, VIXC provides more accurate forecasts. However, for longer time horizons, the historical volatilities, particularly the random walk, provide better forecasts. We conclude that VIXC cannot incorporate all information contained in historical index prices for predicting future volatility.

The Inflation Bias When the Central Bank Targets, the Natural Rate of Unemployment

This paper studies the proposition that an inflation bias can arise in a setup where a central banker with asymmetric preferences targets the natural unemployment rate. Preferences are asymmetric in the sense that positive unemployment deviations from the natural rate are weighted more (or less) severely than negative deviations in the central banker's loss function. The bias is proportional to the conditional variance of unemployment. The time-series predictions of the model are evaluated using data from G7 countries. Econometric estimates support the prediction that the conditional variance of unemployment and the rate of inflation are positively related.

A fibre optic evanescent wave sensor for monitoring the rate of pulsed laser deposition of metal thin films

A novel sensing technique for the in situ monitoring of the rate of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of metal thin films has been developed. This optical fibre based sensor works on the principle of the evanescent wave penetration of waveguide modes into the uncladded portion of a multimode fibre. The utility of this optical fibre sensor is demonstrated in the case of PLD of silver thin films obtained by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser which is used to irradiate a silver target at the required conditions for the preparation of thin films. This paper describes the performance and characteristics of the sensor and shows how the device can be used as an effective tool for the monitoring of the deposition rate of silver thin films. The fibre optic sensor is very simple, inexpensive and highly sensitive compared with existing techniques for thin film deposition rate measurements

A fibre optic evanescent wave sensor for monitoring the rate of pulsed laser deposition of metal thin films

A novel sensing technique for the in situ monitoring of the rate of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of metal thin films has been developed. This optical fibre based sensor works on the principle of the evanescent wave penetration of waveguide modes into the uncladded portion of a multimode fibre. The utility of this optical fibre sensor is demonstrated in the case of PLD of silver thin films obtained by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser which is used to irradiate a silver target at the required conditions for the preparation of thin films. This paper describes the performance and characteristics of the sensor and shows how the device can be used as an effective tool for the monitoring of the deposition rate of silver thin films. The fibre optic sensor is very simple, inexpensive and highly sensitive compared with existing techniques for thin film deposition rate measurements.

An optical fibre based evanescent wave sensor to monitor the deposition rate of thin films

A novel fibre optic sensor for the in situ measurement of the rate of deposition of thin films has been developed. Evanescent wave in the uncladded portion of a multimode fibre is utilised for this sensor development. In the present paper we demonstrate how this sensor is useful for the monitoring of the deposition rate of polypyrrole thin films, deposited by an AC plasma polymerisation method. This technique is simple, accurate and highly sensitive compared with existing techniques.

Evanescent wave sensor to monitor the etching rate of an optical fibre

The design and development of an evanescent wave sensor to determine the etching rate of the core of an optical fibre is discussed in this paper. The working of the device is based on the principle of propagation and loss of the evanescent wave in the cladding region of the fibre. The fraction of light intensity creeping out of the core of an uncladded fibre is a function of the core radius. As this radius decreases, the evanescent wave coupling to the medium surrounding the core enhances. This results in a decrease of the transmitted light intensity through the fibre. This technique is useful to design and fabricate optical fibres with different core geometries.

Gill Nets of Kerala

The fishing industry the world over is passing through a critical situation.The landings of marine fishes seemed to have reached saturation in major fishing areas of the world.As a general rule fisheries employing fishing gear and techniques used by small scale and artisanal fishermen either from shore or from onboard small fishing craft come under small-scale fisheries.This study on gill nets of Kerala, the fishing method depended upon by maximum fishermen of the state focuses on the importance of this selective and low energy fishing method in the marine fishing sector of the state.The study opens with the conceptual framework by briefly reviewing the crisis in the marine fisheries sector. Maximum fishermen depend upon gill net, which is, an important selective and low energy fishing gear. A review of relevant literature on aspects such as material, selectivity and techno-economic efficiency together with scope and main objectives of the study form the major part of the compass of the introductory chapter.This survey provided the inputs for selection of centres. The chapter presents the basis for selection of sample centres, sample units and methodology for field and experimental study.The subject matter of the fourth chapter is a basic study on gear aterials. The weathering resistance, which is an important criterion to assess the material performance, was studied for polyamide monofilament in comparison to polyamide multifilament and polyethylene twisted monofilament.The study provides supporting evidence of oxidation and characteristic C-O stretching in polyethylene and cyclic lactam .formation and presence of OH in polyamide.The study indicates that small mesh gill netting can be encouraged as a selective fishing method in the inshore waters with restrained use of 30 and 32 mm mesh sizes. The economic efficiency was assessed using standard indices such as rate of return, internal rate of return, pay back period, fishery income, energy efficiency and factor productivity. The effect of size and cost of capital and cost of production on the economics of operation is also discussed in this chapter. It was observed that level of technology did not have direct effect on economic performance.

Pattern of Executive Remuneration in the Manufacturing Public Enterprises in Kerala

The study is undertaken by the researcher with the object of examining the remuneration pattern of executive personnel in the manufacturing public enterprises in Kerala so as to find out whether there is any rationale or criteria involved in remunerating executives. It is also envisaged to find out the pattern of executive remuneration in the various categories of industries and inter—industry disparities among the public sector enterprises. This is considered to be a very fruitful area for investigation, particularly in view of the generally prevailing notion that public sector executives in Kerala are not remunerated properly and glaring inequalities and disparities are existing among the various categories of industries and within the same industry. Therefore the study is to explore the criteria used for the determination of executive remuneration and the relative weightage of various factors such as size of the firm, rate of return sales volume etc of the organisation and various other factors such as qualification, experience, level of job and functions of executives. Further the study is extended to find out the role of 'pay' towards motivation and efficiency of the executive personnel

Performance of Supply Chain when using selected Coordination Mechanisms

Coordination among supply chain members is essential for better supply chain performance. An effective method to improve supply chain coordination is to implement proper coordination mechanisms. The primary objective of this research is to study the performance of a multi-level supply chain while using selected coordination mechanisms separately, and in combination, under lost sale and back order cases. The coordination mechanisms used in this study are price discount, delay in payment and different types of information sharing. Mathematical modelling and simulation modelling are used in this study to analyse the performance of the supply chain using these mechanisms. Initially, a three level supply chain consisting of a supplier, a manufacturer and a retailer has been used to study the combined effect of price discount and delay in payment on the performance (profit) of supply chain using mathematical modelling. This study showed that implementation of individual mechanisms improves the performance of the supply chain compared to ‘no coordination’. When more than one mechanism is used in combination, performance in most cases further improved. The three level supply chain considered in mathematical modelling was then extended to a three level network supply chain consisting of a four retailers, two wholesalers, and a manufacturer with an infinite part supplier. The performance of this network supply chain was analysed under both lost sale and backorder cases using simulation modelling with the same mechanisms: ‘price discount and delay in payment’ used in mathematical modelling. This study also showed that the performance of the supply chain is significantly improved while using combination of mechanisms as obtained earlier. In this study, it is found that the effect (increase in profit) of ‘delay in payment’ and combination of ‘price discount’ & ‘delay in payment’ on SC profit is relatively high in the case of lost sale. Sensitivity analysis showed that order cost of the retailer plays a major role in the performance of the supply chain as it decides the order quantity of the other players in the supply chain in this study. Sensitivity analysis also showed that there is a proportional change in supply chain profit with change in rate of return of any player. In the case of price discount, elasticity of demand is an important factor to improve the performance of the supply chain. It is also found that the change in permissible delay in payment given by the seller to the buyer affects the SC profit more than the delay in payment availed by the buyer from the seller. In continuation of the above, a study on the performance of a four level supply chain consisting of a manufacturer, a wholesaler, a distributor and a retailer with ‘information sharing’ as coordination mechanism, under lost sale and backorder cases, using a simulation game with live players has been conducted. In this study, best performance is obtained in the case of sharing ‘demand and supply chain performance’ compared to other seven types of information sharing including traditional method. This study also revealed that effect of information sharing on supply chain performance is relatively high in the case of lost sale than backorder. The in depth analysis in this part of the study showed that lack of information sharing need not always be resulting in bullwhip effect. Instead of bullwhip effect, lack of information sharing produced a huge hike in lost sales cost or backorder cost in this study which is also not favorable for the supply chain. Overall analysis provided the extent of improvement in supply chain performance under different cases. Sensitivity analysis revealed useful insights about the decision variables of supply chain and it will be useful for the supply chain management practitioners to take appropriate decisions.