20th Anniversary of the United Nations Decisions to Establish the State of Israel Commemorative Medal

Obverse: Portraits of A.H. Silver and Harry S. Truman. Reverse: Statue of Liberty to the right, emblem of the United Nations, menorah.

Israel State Lottery Commemorative Medal

Obverse: The Lottery emblem, the Hebrew letter "P" entwined with the Star of David and surrounding it. In the left side of the medal symbols for medicine and education, a test tube, a serpent and a book. Reverse: Around the rim twelve signs of the zodiac, in the center a schematic design of a lottery selling kiosk.

Gas-Solid Reactions: Photochemical Oxidation of Thioketones in the Crystalline State

Photochemical oxidation of 11 diaryl thioketones (1-11) was conducted in the solid state. Quite interestingly, of these only six were oxidized to the corresponding carbonyl compound whereas the rest were photostable. However, in solution all were readily oxidized. The difference in behavior between the thioketones in the solid state has been rationalized on the basis of molecular arrangement in the crystal. X-ray crystal structure analyses of four thioketones were carried out in this connection.

On the valence state of molybdenum in Ce2MoO6

he valence state of molybdenum in cubic Ce2MoO6 was investigated using magnetic susceptibility measurements, electron spin resonance spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The results are consistent with the formulation Ce3+Ce4+Mo5+O6.

Stabilization of Phospholipid Coatings in Capillary Electrophoresis

The development of a simple method of coating a semi-permanent phospholipid layer onto a capillary for electrochromatography use was the focus of this study. The work involved finding good coating conditions, stabilizing the phospholipid coating, and examining the effect of adding divalent cations, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-lipids on the stability of the coating. Since a further purpose was to move toward more biological membrane coatings, the capillaries were also coated with cholesterol-containing liposomes and liposomes of red blood cell ghost lipids. Liposomes were prepared by extrusion, and large unilamellar vesicles with a diameter of about 100 nm were obtained. Zwitterionic phosphatidylcholine (PC) was used as a basic component, mainly 1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) but also eggPC and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC). Different amounts of sphingomyelin, bovine brain phosphatidylserine, and cholesterol were added to the PC. The stability of the coating in 40 mM N-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-N’-(2-ethanesulfonic acid) (HEPES) solution at pH 7.4 was studied by measuring the electroosmotic flow and by separating neutral steroids, basic proteins, and low-molar-mass drugs. The presence of PC in the coating solution was found to be essential to achieving a coating. The stability of the coating was improved by the addition of negative phosphatidylserine, cholesterol, divalent cations, or PEGylated lipids, and by working in the gel-state region of the phospholipid. Study of the effect on the PC coating of divalent metal ions calcium, magnesium, and zinc showed a molar ratio of 1:3 PC/Ca2+ or PC/Mg2+ to give increased rigidity to the membrane and the best coating stability. The PEGylated lipids used in the study were sterically stabilized commercial lipids with covalently attached PEG chains. The vesicle size generally decreased when PEGylated lipids of higher molar mass were present in the vesicle. The predominance of discoidal micelles over liposomes increased PEG chain length and the average size of the vesicles thus decreased. In the capillary electrophoresis (CE) measurements a highly stable electroosmotic flow was achieved with 20% PEGylated lipid in the POPC coating dispersion, the best results being obtained for disteroyl PEG (3000) conjugates. The results suggest that smaller particles (discoidal micelles) result in tighter packing and better shielding of silanol groups on the silica wall. The effect of temperature on the coating stability was investigated by using DPPC liposomes at temperatures above (45 C) and below (25 C) the main phase transition temperature. Better results were obtained with DPPC in the more rigid gel state than in the fluid state: the electroosmotic flow was heavily suppressed and the PC coating was stabilized. Also dispersions of DPPC with 0−30 mol% of cholesterol and sphingomyelin in different ratios, which more closely resemble natural membranes, resulted in stable coatings. Finally, the CE measurements revealed that a stable coating is formed when capillaries are coated with liposomes of red blood cell ghost lipids.

Recommendations from analyzing the state-of-the-art of business process management research

Business Process Management (BPM) as a research field integrates different perspectives from the disciplines computer science, management science and information systems research. Its evolution has by been shaped by the corresponding conferences series, the International Conference on Business Process Management (BPM conference). As much as in other academic discipline, there is an ongoing debate that discusses the identity, the quality and maturity of the BPM field. In this paper, we review and summarize the major findings a larger study that will be published in the Business & Information Systems Engineering journal in 2016. In the study, we investigate the identity and progress of the BPM conference research community through an analysis of the BPM conference proceedings. Based on our findings from this analysis, we formulate recommendations to further develop the conference community in terms of methodological advance, quality, impact and progression.

f-Gravity and the masses of elementary particles

Abstract is not available.

The Politics of Surveillance and Response to Disease Outbreaks: The New Frontier for States and Non-state Actors

The capacity to conduct international disease outbreak surveillance and share information about outbreaks quickly has empowered both State and Non-State Actors to take an active role in stopping the spread of disease by generating new technical means to identify potential pandemics through the creation of shared reporting platforms. Despite all the rhetoric about the importance of infectious disease surveillance, the concept itself has received relatively little critical attention from academics, practitioners, and policymakers. This book asks leading contributors in the field to engage with five key issues attached to international disease outbreak surveillance - transparency, local engagement, practical needs, integration, and appeal - to illuminate the political effect of these technologies on those who use surveillance, those who respond to surveillance, and those being monitored.

On the valence state of molybdenum in Ce2MoO6

The valence state of molybdenum in cubic Ce2MoO6 was investigated using magnetic susceptibility measurements, electron spin resonance spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The results are consistent with the formulation Ce3+Ce4+Mo5+O6.

On a generalized dynamic model of bi-state social interaction processes

A non-linear model, construed as a generalized version of the models put forth earlier for the study of bi-state social interaction processes, is proposed in this study. The feasibility of deriving the dynamics of such processes is demonstrated by establishing equivalence between the non-linear model and a higher order linear model.

Reactive state selectivity in photodimerization through micellar counter-ion effects: photodimerization of acenaphthylenes

Photodimerization of acenaphthylene and 5,6-dichloroacenaphthylene solubilized in sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS), cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and Triton X-100 micelles gives a mixture of cis and trans dimers. The magnitude of the cis:trans ratio is sensitive to the type of micelle used. In CTAB micelles the heavy atom effect of the bromide counter-ions leads to an increased triplet-derived trans dimer yield, whereas in micelles with light atom counter-ions (CTAC, DTAC and SDS) the singlet-derived cis dimer predominates.

Study of switching characteristics and thermal noise in ferroelectric crystals both in the pure and radiation damaged state

The phase transition in gamma-irradiated triglycine sulphate (TGS) has been investigated by using a method based on the measurement of thermal noise. The results of a study of the polarization switching characteristics of gamma irradiated TGS and sodium nitrite (NaNO2) have also been presented. The effect of irradiation on the phase transition and the switching processes has been discussed.

Global Media and National Policies : The Return of the State

Conventional wisdom views globalization as a process that heralds the diminishing role or even 'death' of the state and the rise of transnational media and transnational consumption, that defy state control or regulation. This book questions these assumptions and shows that the nation-state never left and is still a force to be reckoned with.

Multi-state-choice automata model for expedient learning in random environment

A new automata model Mr,k, with a conceptually significant innovation in the form of multi-state alternatives at each instance, is proposed in this study. Computer simulations of the Mr,k, model in the context of feature selection in an unsupervised environment has demonstrated the superiority of the model over similar models without this multi-state-choice innovation.

From Francovich to Köbler and beyond : The evolution of a State liability regime for the EC

The aim of this paper is to present the evolution of the Francovich doctrine within the European legal order. The first part deals with the gradual development of the ECJ's case law on State liability in damages for breach of EC law. Starting from the seminal Francovich and Brasserie du Pêcheur, the clarification of the criteria set by the Court is attempted with reference to subsequent case law, whereas issues concerning the extent and form of the compensation owned are also mentioned. The second part concerns one of the more recent developments in the field, namely State liability for breaches of Community law attributed to national judiciary. The Court's ruling in Köbler is examined in connection with two other recent judgments, namely Commission v. Italy of 2003 and Kühne & Heitz, as an attempt of the ECJ to reframe its relationships with national supreme courts and appropriate for itself the position of the Supreme Court in the European legal order. The implications on State liability claims by the ruling in Commission v. France of 1997 constitute the theme of the third part, where it is submitted that Member States can also be held liable for disregard of Community law by private individuals within their respected territories. To this extent, Schmidberger is viewed as a manifestation of this opinion, with fundamental rights acquiring a new dimension, being invoked by the States, contra the individuals as a shield to liability claims. Finally, the third part examines the relationship between the Francovich doctrine and the principle of legal certainty and concludes that the solutions employed by the ECJ have been both predictable and acceptable by the national legal orders. Keywords: State liability, damages, Francovich, Köbler, Schmidberger