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The term ‘deindustrialization’ stands for an element of structural change, indicating some form of decline within the secondary sector of a national economy. Sociologists use relative decline of manufacturing as their standard definition while economists often consider reductions in sectoral output as equally or even more important. There is a variety of other current descriptions. Rigid definitions were constituted and utilized in a model of industrialization and deindustrialization based on compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) of macro-economic indicators. For this article, the scenario model was applied on twelve mature countries (i.e. fully industrialized states beyond their maximum relative employment in manufacturing). The analysis covers the years 1973-2008 with successive 15 + 5 +15-year sub-periods. On the basis of the model-based findings and additional socio-economic analyses, different paths of industrial development (patterns of deindustrialization) were distinguished for mature economies with regard to their final outcome, i.e. the sectoral parameters and the resulting GDP per capita, employment rate and trade indicators.

Purpose Advanced radiotherapy delivery systems designed for high‐dose, high‐precision treatments often come equipped with high‐definition multi‐leaf collimators (HD‐MLC) aimed at more finely shaping radiation dose to the target. In this work, we study the effect of a high definition MLC on spine stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) treatment plan quality and plan deliverability. Methods and Materials Seventeen spine SBRT cases were planned with VMAT using a standard definition MLC (M120), HD‐MLC, and HD‐MLC with an added objective to reduce monitor units (MU). M120 plans were converted into plans deliverable on an HD‐MLC using in‐house software. Plan quality and plan deliverability as measured by portal dosimetry were compared among the three types of plans. Results Only minor differences were noted in plan quality between the M120 and HD‐MLC plans. Plans generated with the HD‐MLC tended to have better spinal cord sparing (3% reduction in maximum cord dose). HD‐MLC plans on average had 12% more MU and 55% greater modulation complexity as defined by an in‐house metric. HD‐MLC plans also had significantly degraded deliverability. Of the VMAT arcs measured, 94% had lower gamma passing metrics when using the HD‐MLC. Conclusion Modest improvements in plan quality were noted when switching from M120 to HD‐MLC at the expense of significantly less accurate deliverability in some cases.

In this paper, we point out several problems in the different definitions (and related results) of penalty functions found in the literature. Then, we propose a new standard definition of penalty functions that overcomes such problems. Some results related to averaging aggregation functions, in terms of penalty functions, are presented, as the characterization of averaging aggregation functions based on penalty functions. Some examples are shown, as the penalty functions based on spread measures, which happen to be continuous. We also discuss the definition of quasi-penalty functions, in order to deal with non-monotonic (or weakly/directionally monotonic) averaging functions.

Research objective. During identification and the analysis of clinical and epidemiological features of streptococcal tonsillitis in organized collectives to develop definition of a standard case of streptococcal tonsillitis. Materials and methods. In the course of work with use of clinical and epidemiological and statistical methods of a research on the basis of274 cases of acute streptococcal tonsillitis at adults from organized collectives features of clinic, diagnostics and assistance at this disease are analysed. Results. Clinical laboratory and epidemiological features of streptococcal tonsillitis at the military personnel are established and standard definition of a case of the specified disease is developed. Conclusion. The standard definition of a case of streptococcal tonsillitis based on set of epidemiological and clinical laboratory data will allow to establish the diagnosis with a larger share of probability and will promote the fastest localization and elimination of the epidemic center, especially at seasonal raising of a case rate flu and other acute respiratory infections in the conditions of the intensive entering flow of infectious patients. Characteristic of a course of streptococcal tonsillitis at patients was insignificant aberrations of indicators of a peripheric blood.

Although the term lacks a standard definition, learning commons represent academic library spaces that provide computer and library resources as well as a range of academic services that support learners and learning. Learning commons have been equated to a laboratory for creating knowledge and staffed with librarians that serve as facilitators of learning. Many of these spaces evolved over time with the addition of campus partners and services. In this article, the authors examined the literature on academic library learning commons to identify common themes. A qualitiative analysis of 103 articles identified five themes including: planning the learning commons, assessing the learning commons, benefiting from the learning commons, collaborating in the learning commons, and staffing the learning commons. Foremost, the review pointed to the increasing popularity of learning commons in academic institutions. To that end, it remains critical that librarians possess the capabilities necessary to suppo...

Many multiple sclerosis (MS) patients are affected by urinary retention. Common causes include neurogenic underactive bladder and/or bladder outlet obstruction from detrusor sphincter dyssynergia. Systemic review of contemporary MS urodynamic studies demonstrates that 53% of MS patients have detrusor overactivity, 43% have detrusor sphincter dyssynergia, and 12% have atonic bladder (12 studies, 1524 patients). There is no standard definition of MS-related urinary retention, but greater than 300 mL is a proposed threshold value for the condition based on literature review. Treatment should be based on stratifying patients by risk from morbidity from retention and by symptoms caused by retention.

Background Residue-residue contacts are key features for accurate de novo protein structure prediction. For the optimal utilization of these predicted contacts in folding proteins accurately, it is important to study the challenges of reconstructing protein structures using true contacts. Because contact-guided protein modeling approach is valuable for predicting the folds of proteins that do not have structural templates, it is necessary for reconstruction studies to focus on hard-to-predict protein structures. Results Using a data set consisting of 496 structural domains released in recent CASP experiments and a dataset of 150 representative protein structures, in this work, we discuss three techniques to improve the reconstruction accuracy using true contacts – adding secondary structures, increasing contact distance thresholds, and adding non-contacts. We find that reconstruction using secondary structures and contacts can deliver accuracy higher than using full contact maps. Similarly, we demonstrate that non-contacts can improve reconstruction accuracy not only when the used non-contacts are true but also when they are predicted. On the dataset consisting of 150 proteins, we find that by simply using low ranked predicted contacts as non-contacts and adding them as additional restraints, can increase the reconstruction accuracy by 5% when the reconstructed models are evaluated using TM-score. Conclusions Our findings suggest that secondary structures are invaluable companions of contacts for accurate reconstruction. Confirming some earlier findings, we also find that larger distance thresholds are useful for folding many protein structures which cannot be folded using the standard definition of contacts. Our findings also suggest that for more accurate reconstruction using predicted contacts it is useful to predict contacts at higher distance thresholds (beyond 8 Å) and predict non-contacts. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12859-017-1807-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

This paper demonstrates that rejecting the standard definition of full-time and part-time workers, the estimated number of hours that an individual is likely to work as a full-time worker is a func...

Background The standard definition for protocol adherence is the proportion of all scheduled doses that are delivered. In clinical research, this definition has several limitations when evaluating protocol adherence in trials that study interventions requiring continuous titration. Discussion Building upon a specific case study, we analyzed a recent trial of a continuously titrated intervention to assess the impact of different definitions of protocol deviations on the interpretation of protocol adherence. The OVATION pilot trial was an open-label randomized controlled trial of higher (75–80 mmHg) versus lower (60–65 mmHg) mean arterial pressure (MAP) targets for vasopressor therapy in shock. In this trial, potential protocol deviations were defined as MAP values outside the targeted range for >4 consecutive hours during vasopressor therapy without synchronous and consistent adjustments of vasopressor doses. An adjudication committee reviewed each potential deviation to determine if it was clinically-justified or not. There are four reasons for this contextual measurement and reporting of protocol adherence. First, between-arm separation is a robust measure of adherence to complex protocols. Second, adherence assessed by protocol deviations varies in function of the definition of deviations and the frequency of measurements. Third, distinguishing clinically-justified vs. not clinically-justified protocol deviations acknowledges clinically sensible bedside decision-making and offers a clear terminology before the trial begins. Finally, multiple metrics exist to report protocol deviations, which provides different information but complementary information on protocol adherence. Conclusions In trials of interventions requiring continuous titration, metrics used for defining protocol deviations have a considerable impact on the interpretation of protocol adherence. Definitions for protocol deviations should be prespecified and correlated with between-arm separation, if it can be measured. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12874-017-0388-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

In many parts of the world, groundwater users regularly face serious resource-depletion threat. At the same time, "groundwater overexploitation" is massively cited when discussing groundwater management problems. A kind of standard definition tends to relegate groundwater overexploitation only as a matter of inputs and outputs. However, a thorough state-of-the-art analysis shows that groundwater overexploitation is not only a matter of hydrogeology but also a qualification of exploitation based on political, social, technical, economic or environmental criteria. Thus, an aquifer with no threat to groundwater storage can rightly be considered as overexploited because of many other prejudicial aspects. So, why is groundwater overexploitation so frequently only associated with resource-depletion threat and so rarely related to other prejudicial aspects? In that case, what really lies behind the use of the overexploitation concept? The case of the Kairouan plain aquifer in central Tunisia was used to analyze the way that the overexploitation message emerges in a given context, how groundwater-use stakeholders (farmers, management agencies and scientists) each qualify the problem in their own way, and how they see themselves with regard to the concept of overexploitation. The analysis shows that focusing messages on overexploitation conceals the problems encountered by the various stakeholders: difficulties accessing water, problems for the authorities in controlling the territory and individual practices, and complications for scientists when qualifying hydrological situations. The solutions put forward to manage overexploitation are at odds with the problems that arise locally, triggering tensions and leading to misunderstandings between the parties involved.

Background:Colchicine is the standard treatment for Familiar Mediterranean Fever (FMF), however about 5% of patients experience colchicine resistance. There is no standard definition of colchicine resistance. Recently a panel of experts elaborated a new definition based on a Delphi consensus approach.Objectives:We aim to describe main features of the disease and clinical outcome of a cohort of FMF patients with particular interest on the colchicine resistance and tolerability according to the definitions proposed by the recent consensus.Methods:Since November 2009, 425 Italian pediatric and adult FMF patients (pts) from 13 centers were enrolled in a national longitudinal cohort study, using the international EUROFEVER registry. Demographic, genetic and clinical data, including response to treatment, were analyzed. Supplementary information on health related quality of life and treatment adherence was also collected by a specific questionnaire.Results:Complete information were available in 341 pts (189 M and 152 F, 211 children and 120 adults). The median age at disease onset was 5.0 years (1 m-59 y); the mean diagnostic delay was 8.7 y (range 0-61 y). The median age at enrollment was 12.1 y (range 3 m - 82 y). The MEFV genotype was the following: 103 (30.2%) pts carried biallelic pathogenic variants; 59 (17.3%) one pathogenic variants and one VOUS /LB variant; 27 (7.9%) had biallelic VOUS/LB variants; 97 (28.45%) were heterozygous for pathogenic variants; 30 (8.8%) were heterozygous for VOUS/LB, 25 (7.33%) were genetically negative.Colchicine treatment was used in 280 pts; during treatment, biologic treatment (anti-IL1) in 22 pts. 61 pts received NSAID or steroid on demand.We analyzed the behavior of the pts treated with colchicine according to the statements on colchicine resistance/intolerance defined by Ozen et al (1) (Table 1).Table 1.Adherence62% displayed a total adherence (> 90% of prescription); 10.8% a good adherence (50-89% of prescriptions); 1.9% poor adherence (< 50% of prescriptions); 0.9% no adherenceDose adjustment criteria/ Recommended maximum colchicine doseMean colchicine dose:Pts 5-10 year: 0.77mg/die (std. dev. 0.23)10-18 years: 1.1mg/die (std. dev. 0.39)Adults: 1.16 mg/die (std. dev. 0.37)Pts with a dose inferior to the minimum recommended dose5-10 years: 2.5%10-18 years: 15%Adults: 4%Resistance to ColchicineResistance was be defined as persistence of fever attacks, despite optimal treatment. 41.6% pts had a complete disease control32.8% Pts had < 1 episode/month for 3 months25.5% had ≥1 episode/month for 3 monthsInclusion of secondary amyloidosis in the definition of colchicine resistance5 adult pts (1.5%) displayed amyloidosisColchicine intolerance11 pts (3.2%) withdraw colchicine because of drug intolerancePatient quality of life and patient-reported outcomes20.7% of pts experience fatigue or chronic pain, 16.9% limitations in daily activities, and 16.9% have lost school/work days.Conclusion:Almost 58% of FMF pts display disease activity despite colchicine treatment. The treatment is generally under-dosed, especially in children. The adherence and the compliance to the treatment is generally good.References:[1]Ozen S et all. Recommendation on colchicine dosing and definition of colchicine resistance/intolerance in the management of FMF. Pediatric Rheumatology, 2019.Acknowledgments:This research was financial supported by Novartis AGDisclosure of Interests:Romina Gallizzi: None declared, Marta Bustaffa: None declared, Francesca Mazza: None declared, Diana Sutera: None declared, Giovanna Fabio: None declared, Laura Obici: None declared, Maria Alessio: None declared, Donato Rigante: None declared, Luca Cantarini: None declared, Antonella Insalaco: None declared, Marco Cattalini: None declared, Maria Cristina Maggio: None declared, Gabriele Simonini: None declared, Alma Nunzia Olivieri: None declared, Serena Pastore: None declared, Maddalena Lancieri: None declared, Nicolino Ruperto Grant/research support from: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lily, F Hoffmann-La Roche, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Novartis, Pfizer, Sobi (paid to institution), Consultant of: Ablynx, AbbVie, AstraZeneca-Medimmune, Biogen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lily, EMD Serono, GlaxoSmithKline, Hoffmann-La Roche, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, R-Pharma, Sanofi, Servier, Sinergie, Sobi, Takeda, Speakers bureau: Ablynx, AbbVie, AstraZeneca-Medimmune, Biogen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lily, EMD Serono, GlaxoSmithKline, Hoffmann-La Roche, Janssen, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, R-Pharma, Sanofi, Servier, Sinergie, Sobi, Takeda, Marco Gattorno Consultant of: Sobi, Novartis, Speakers bureau: Sobi, Novartis

Objectives: 1. Describe the possible variables that may be related to a psychiatric complex patient at the Acute Psychiatric Unit of Santa Creu i Sant Pau Hospital. 2. Determine the usefulness of the standard concept of chronic complex patient in a psychiatric patient. Methods: Cross sectional, observational, and quantitative study were conducted in Hospital Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona. 46 patients admitted at the Acute Psychiatric Ward from March to May 2018 were included in the study. The scales used were: PANSS, HDRS, YMRS, EEAG, FAST, CGI, EQ-VAS and Zarit Burden. The number of extended stays in health institutions, need for social assistance, previous admissions and duration of hospital stay were also evaluated. Results: There is no difference in the need for social assistance between chronic complex patient (11%) and non-chronic complex patient (18.9%). Also, no difference was noted among the scales FAST, CGI, EEAG, EQ-VAS and Zarit Burden. Upon analysis of the variables, the result of the quality of life is correlated with: 1. PANSS_N (p

We propose a working definition of creative experience that involves principled engagement with the unfamiliar and a willingness to approach the familiar in unfamiliar ways. In other words, a creat...

This chapter looks at Hungary, a postcommunist country with a religiously mixed society. The authors argue that the term “faith-based organization” cannot be used in Hungary according to the internationally accepted and standard definition; they instead propose an acceptable definition that accounts for the special characteristics of Hungarian legislation. The chapter argues that faith-based organizations (FBOs) are an inherent part of the civil society in Hungary and continue to play an important role in Hungarian society that complements the work of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This chapter also suggests that the question of how faith-based organizations can work as an independent and integrated part of the spectrum of Hungarian civil society remains open.

Human fatigue is a major risk factor in transportation that contributes, directly or indirectly, to a large number of traffic accidents. Though many studies have investigated fatigue-inducing factors in transportation to manage human fatigue more efficiently, there are limited studies related to vessel traffic service (VTS). To fill this gap, this work aims to determine the key causal factors and symptoms of human fatigue with a focus on VTS operations. Achieving this aim is hindered by the problems of no standard definition of task-related fatigue and limited data sources. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a novel definition of task-related human fatigue, a task-driven approach for identifying causal factors and a causal network-based approach for selecting key causal factors. Twelve key causal factors of human fatigue in VTS were identified and analysed. In addition, it was found that VTS operators suffered from multidimensional fatigue, especially physical fatigue. The results provide a foundation and future directions for designing interventions to manage human fatigue. Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) This work was supported by Singapore Maritime Institute Research Project (SMI-2014-MA-06). The authors would like to thank all VTSOs who participated in this study.

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the international standard for treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma and neuroendocrine tumor liver metastases. The standard definition of TACE comprises injection of chemotherapeutic drug(s) emulsified in a lipoid emulsion, followed by a solid embolic material. The mechanism of action and physiological effects of TACE have been thoroughly studied since the 1980s and underlie our current understanding of optimal technique. Recent investigations into the cellular mechanisms of TACE resistance will lead to future evolutions in TACE technique.

The attention towards the quality of power supplied is increasing due to many factors. The deteriorated power supply results into large economic loss and loss of data. This has made the identification and solution of Power Quality (PQ) disturbances the stringent requirement of the day. Precise identification of such PQ disturbances helps us to plan the appropriate mitigation techniques. This article proposes an efficient technique for identification of various PQ disturbances using a statistical parameter Average Deviation and M-band Wavelet Packet Transform (M-band WPT). PQ disturbances as per IEEE 11592009 standard definition are simulated using MATLAB script files. Aforementioned statistical parameter is computed for each Mband WPT decomposition coefficient. Similar results are obtained using conventional Wavelet Packet Transform (WPT). At the end comparative study of the results of M-band WPT and WPT is done.

We initiate a study of super-perfect zero-knowledge proof systems. Loosely speaking, these are proof systems for which the interaction can be perfectly simulated in strict probabilistic polynomial-time. In contrast, the standard definition of perfect zero-knowledge only requires that the interaction can be perfectly simulated by a strict probabilistic polynomial-time that is allowed to fail with probability at most one half.

Bacterial infections are among the major causes of mortality in the world. Despite the social and economical burden produced by bacteria, the number of new drugs to combat them increases very slowly due to the cost and time to develop them. Thus, innovative approaches to identify efficiently drug targets are required. In the absence of genetic information, chokepoint reactions represent appealing drug targets since their inhibition might involve an important metabolic damage. In contrast to the standard definition of chokepoints, which is purely structural, this paper makes use of the dynamical information of the model to compute chokepoints. This novel approach can provide a more realistic set of chokepoints. The dependence of the number of chokepoints on the growth rate is assessed on a number of metabolic networks. A software tool has been implemented to facilitate the computation of growth dependent chokepoints by the practitioners.

in the year 2015, the newly elected Political-party of India started the smart-cities project. The main purpose of enlightening the governance is corporal and governmental structures and facilities (e.g. constructions of buildings, roads, and power supplies, etc.) dearth that outbreak Indian cities. The Operation emphatically, conditions that there is no standard definition of a ‘smart city’ and indicates immeasurable freedom for cities to self-define their thoughtful of ‘smart-ness’. It is also the innovative footstep by the Indian Government to construct smart-cities in India to permit monetary development and eminence people’s life by permitting confined expansion and using smart technologies to make it’s resident’s life healthier. For this purpose, the government of India firstly covering five years plan for hundreds of cities in India. After five years the evaluation process takes care by the MoUD and fascinating the existence of smart cities criteria and also will apply outside of the cities. This paper presented the challenges on the operation, implementation strategy and achieving objectives of smart cities in India.

Estimates of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) burden are difficult to compare between studies because of inconsistent definitions describing this illness. AGE definitions used in prospective, community-based childhood cohort studies were identified by searching databases for studies that collected daily observations of AGE symptoms. Disease definitions and refractory periods were extracted. Data from the Australian community-based Observational Research in Childhood Infectious Diseases birth cohort were used to calculate AGE incidence and duration using identified AGE definitions, and the World Health Organization definition for diarrhoea. Eight distinct AGE definitions were identified. All included loose stools and 7 included vomiting as symptoms. The refractory period separating episodes ranged from 1 to 21 days. When applied to the Observational Research in Childhood Infectious Diseases dataset, AGE incidence ranged from 0.8 to 2.6 episodes per child-year-at-risk, a 3-fold relative difference. Direct comparisons of rates from different cohorts can only be undertaken if a standard definition for AGE is adopted.

The definition of mucinous cysts was first raised by Compagno and Oertel [1] in 1978, identifying it as a mucin-producing cysts with malignant potential that occur in the body or tail of pancreas and usually in the perimenopausal women [2]. In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed the standard definition of MCNs by their well-demarcated cystic lesions, lined by a mucin-producing columnar epithelium and ovarian stroma, which can distinguish MCNs from mucinous intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) [3].

The Precision Agriculture (PA) concept is becoming more and more important in the modern world. Although it faces numerous hardships with technology the biggest problem is the lack of pure standard definition. Solution may be to get inspired from Vehicle to Everything (V2X) model. It is a widely spoken conception of the road system, where vehicle, infrastructure and other traffic elements would be able to communicate with others. However, it is not in the common use, it is a developed technology with tested and established assumptions for various of aspects like transmitting medium. Because such work has been done in that field, it should be considered to implement solutions from V2X to PA, due to the similarities between them.

The history of ARDS is long, complex, and very interesting. The definition has been complicated by the usage of a multitude of descriptive terms (e.g., wet lung, shock lung, Da Nang lung) that were synonymous with conditions now grouped under the modern definition of ARDS. Formally described in 1967, the definition of ARDS has evolved over the past 5 decades. In the absence of a standard definition, ARDS diagnosis is established when certain criteria are met in the framework of the prevailing ARDS definition. The American-European Consensus Conference definition (1995) and the Berlin definition (2012) have refined our ability to diagnose, study, and treat ARDS, but these adult-centric definitions were not developed for children with ARDS and had their shortcomings. To address this issue, the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference (PALICC) was convened to develop, among other recommendations, a specific definition for pediatric ARDS (PARDS). This new definition establishes a common language for those caring for children with PARDS and opens the door for meaningful and sustained international collaboration and rapid scientific progress.

Introduction Sexual activity is an essential human need and an important predictor of other aspects of human life. A literature review was conducted to investigate whether sexual abstinence in young and middle-aged men is generally considered a deliberate, healthy behavior and whether it has other causes and consequences. Aim To review the prevalence and factors associated with sexual abstinence in young (10–24 years) and middle-aged (25–59 years) men. Methods Studies were retrieved from Science Direct, PubMed, and EBSCOhost published from 2008 to 2019. The selection criteria were original population- or community-based articles, published in the English language, on sexual abstinence, and in young and middle-aged men. Main Outcome Measure This article reviewed the literature on the proportions of and factors associated with sexual abstinence in young and middle-aged men. Results A total of 13,154 studies were retrieved, from which data were extracted for 37 population- or community-based studies. The prevalence of sexual abstinence varied from 0% to 83.6% in men younger than 60 years. The prevalence of primary sexual abstinence was 3.4%–83.3% for young men and 12.5%–15.5% for middle-aged men. The prevalence of secondary abstinence for young men ranged from 1.3% to 83.6%, while for middle-aged men, it was from 1.2% to 67.7%. The prevalence of sexual abstinence decreased with increasing age in young men but increased with increasing age in middle-aged men. The significant factors reported were age, single status, poor relationships, low socioeconomic status, sex education, religious practices, caring and monitoring parents, and not using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs. Although the variations in findings from different studies can be explained by different regions and cultures, the information cannot be generalized worldwide because of a lack of studies in Asian and Australian populations. Clinical Implications The studies on sexual abstinence in the future should use a consistent and standard definition, cover all sexual behaviors, and investigate all related factors. Strength & Limitations The restricted timeframe (2008–2019), English language, availability of full text, and variability in definition and time duration may be the sources of bias. Conclusion Young men had higher proportions of sexual abstinence than middle-aged men, and age, unavailability of a partner, lower educational levels, low socioeconomic status, conservative and religious conditions, and no or less knowledge about sexually transmitted infections were common predictors of sexual abstinence in most of the men. Although determinants of sexual abstinence were identified, further investigation of biological factors in men younger than 60 years is needed.

In this paper, the economic impact of the active power droop gain in droop-based microgrids has been studied. To accomplish this, a theoretical analysis is presented first. This analysis is used to study a simple case in which the solution of the economic dispatch problem is compared with the dispatch obtained after applying the standard definition of the droop gains for the droop-controlled DGs, given by the Standard IEEE 1547.7. Then, the mathematical model for the optimal power flow of droop-based islanded microgrids is used to simulate and study a real unbalanced three-phase system. Results have shown that the standard definition guarantees a proper active power sharing among all the DG units, independent of the load level. However, as shown by the simulations, the standard definition does not necessarily correspond to the solution with minimum active power losses and can have a significant economic impact when compared with the optimal economic dispatch solution.

In NIP theories, generically stable Keisler measures can be characterized in several ways. We analyze these various forms of "generic stability" in arbitrary theories. Among other things, we show that the standard definition of generic stability for types coincides with the notion of a frequency interpretation measure. We also give combinatorial examples of types in NSOP theories that are finitely approximated but not generically stable, as well as $\phi$-types in simple theories that are definable and finitely satisfiable in a small model, but not finitely approximated. Our proofs demonstrate interesting connections to classical results from Ramsey theory for finite graphs and hypergraphs., Comment: 21 pages, final version incorporating referee comments

This paper addresses two questions. The first is whether the life of Deirdriu, as described in Longes mac n-Uislenn, can reasonably be said to correspond to the narrative pattern commonly referred to as the ‘heroic biography’. I argue that Deirdriu’s biography is, indeed, a heroic one, at least at the level of narrative structure, and can be shown to broadly follow the same progression as the biographies of more typical heroic biography subjects, and in particular that of Oedipus, who provides a model for many studies of the biography pattern. Moreover, this narrative kinship can be observed straightforwardly and without appealing to alternate versions of the pattern constructed to suit stories about women (i.e. those of Jezewski 1984 and Covington 1989). The second question is that of what Deirdriu’s biography tells us about the heroic biography itself. I argue that in recognising that Deirdriu not only has a heroic biography, but also that it is a conventional one, we gain insight into the use of the heroic biography as a narrative structuring device in stories about the lives of those who cannot be labeled ‘hero,’ according to any standard definition of the word.

The information-bottleneck (IB) principle is defined in terms of mutual information. This study defines mutual information between two random variables using the Jensen-Shannon (JS) divergence instead of the standard definition which is based on the Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence. We reformulate the information-bottleneck principle using the proposed mutual information and apply it to the problem of pairwise clustering. We show that applying IB to clustering tasks using JS divergences instead of KL yields improved results. This indicates that JS-based mutual information has an expressive power at least as the standard KL-based mutual information.

It is know that the Valdivia compact spaces can be characterized by a special family of retractions called r-skeleton (see [10] ). Also we know that there are compact spaces with r-skeletons which are not Valdivia. In this paper, we shall study r-skeletons and special families of closed subsets of compact spaces. We prove that if X is a zero-dimensional compact space and { r s : s ∈ Γ } is an r-skeleton on X such that | r s ( X ) | ≤ ω for all s ∈ Γ , then X has a dense subset consisting of isolated points. Also we give conditions to an r-skeleton in order that this r-skeleton can be extended to an r-skeleton on the Alexandroff Duplicate of the base space. The standard definition of a Valdivia compact spaces is via a Σ-product of a power of the unit interval. Following this fact we introduce the notion of π-skeleton on a compact space X by embedding X in a suitable power of the unit interval together with a pair ( F , φ ) , where F is family of metric separable subspaces of X and φ an ω-monotone function which satisfy certain properties. This new notion generalize the idea of a Σ-product. We prove that a compact space admits a r-skeleton iff it admits a π-skeleton. This equivalence allows to give a new proof of the fact that the product of compact spaces with r-skeletons admits an r-skeleton (see [9] ).

Background: Psychological contracts, and particularly the honouring of these contracts – are central to employee behaviour and organisational success. The interest of academics and practitioners in this construct is therefore understandable. However, due to the immense amount of information on the topic, a comprehensive review of the literature is necessary. Aim: The aim of this article is to present a critical review on the conceptualisation of the psychological contract, distilling and operationalising the concept, to ensure that debate and future research are linked to a dominant body of knowledge. Setting: Present literature on psychological contracts is fragmented as no conceptual standardisation exists. Method: A comprehensive literature review was conducted to obtain a large quantum of conceptualisations of the construct and evaluate these for breadth of adoption, consensus, and operationalisation. Results: After reviewing reputable sources published between 1960 and 2020, a standard definition proposed, the most recognised typologies specified, and sound measures identified. It was found that Rousseau’s (1995) definition and typologies (transactional and relational contracts) are still widely used, and that the measuring scale for transactional and relational contracts by Millward and Hopkins (1998) demonstrates good psychometric properties and broadly utilised. Conclusion: Since its inception, several amended definitions, typologies, and measurement of the psychological contract have been presented. Nonetheless, the original conceptualisations still seem to prevail. Managerial implications: Researchers and practitioners are now aware of the most widely adopted definitions, typologies and measuring instruments relating to psychological contract and these should guide them in future discussions and research in the field.

While postoperative opioid consumption is commonly reported in pain studies, there is no standard definition of the intervals over which it is reported. In the article by Lam et al ,[1][1] the authors found that 43.8% of reported opioid consumption would be missed if postoperative day 1 begins at

One-sun power ratings for bifacial modules are currently undefined. This is partly because there is no standard definition of rear irradiance given 1000 Wcm−2 on the front. Using field measurements and simulations, we evaluate multiple deployment scenarios for bifacial modules and provide details on the amount of irradiance that could be expected. A simplified case that represents a single module deployed under conditions consistent with existing one-sun irradiance standards lead to a bifacial reference condition of 1000 Wcm −2 G front and 130–140 Wcm−2 G rear. For fielded systems of bifacial modules, G rear magnitude and spatial uniformity will be affected by self-shade from adjacent modules, varied ground cover, and ground-clearance height. A standard measurement procedure for bifacial modules is also currently undefined. A proposed international standard is under development, which provides the motivation for this paper. Here, we compare field measurements of bifacial modules under natural illumination with proposed indoor test methods, where irradiance is only applied to one side at a time. The indoor method has multiple advantages, including controlled and repeatable irradiance and thermal environment, along with allowing the use of conventional single-sided flash test equipment. The comparison results are promising, showing that indoor and outdoor methods agree within 1%–2% for multiple rear-irradiance conditions and bifacial module construction. A comparison with single-diode theory also shows good agreement to indoor measurements, within 1%–2% for power and other current–voltage curve parameters.

Aim To report an analysis of the concept of exposure in environmental health for nursing. Background The importance of the environment has long been recognized in nursing, although the nature and scope of the concept and how it influences health has varied over time. Exposure is the sufficient and necessary link between environment and health. In nursing practice, the word ‘exposure’ has been used frequently with no clear standard definition. Design Concept analysis using Kim's first level analytics. Data sources Chronological review (1980-2015) of the nursing science literature was conducted through ProQuest Dissertations and Theses and CINAHL, followed by a multi-disciplinary search through PubMed (1980-2015), texts and the Internet to compare definitions and measurements of exposure and related concepts. Methods Explicit and implicit conceptual definitions and measurements of exposure were identified, categorized and analyzed. Results The newly defined concept of exposure is a process involves three phases: 1. contact is made between a target and one or more agents in the same environment; 2. the agent accesses the target by one or more routes of entry; and 3. the agent enters the target by crossing a barrier or boundary. Existing measurements related to each phase are identified and discussed. Definitions of target and agent were refined for congruency. Conclusion Consistent use of terms as defined is critical to development of nursing knowledge. These concepts should be incorporated into nursing-related research to evaluate their usefulness to nursing. Alignment of this concept with relevant theories should be critically examined. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Background: The concept of independence is common in occupational therapy theory and practice but has rarely been clearly defined or conceptualized within in occupational therapy literature and there seems to be no standard definition. This can result in ambiguity, which potentially jeopardizes client-centred practice.\ud \ud Aim: This paper proposes an occupational therapy independence framework (OTIF) that synthesizes the range of characterizations of independence in a practically useful and occupation-centred manner.\ud \ud Methods: A review of literature, clinical experience, doctoral research and conversations with occupational therapists and disabled people, in particular those involved in a disability activism group and people with physical disabilities, has led to the development of the OTIF.\ud \ud Results: Independence and interdependence, as characterized in the OTIF, occur when an individual exerts choice over occupational performance and can engage in occupations in a manner acceptable to the individual. Interdependence results when occupations are performed with another person whereas independence involves solitary occupational performance. Dependence typically results from inability to choose occupations or a mismatch between performance capacity and environmental factors.\ud \ud Significance: The OTIF has the potential to clarify the conceptualization of independence within occupational therapy theory and practice. This initial proposal is presented to stimulate debate and discussion.

Sepsis is a complex, multi-organ disorder that may have catastrophic effects on the woman and fetus, resulting in the rapid deterioration of the woman's health and subsequent serious morbidity and mortality. Guidelines specifically for pregnant women are derived from research on the non-pregnant population, and a lack of hospital guidelines for the management of sepsis in pregnancy has been identified. Considerations of physiological changes that occur in pregnant women make diagnostic thresholds difficult, thus identifying the need for a standard definition of sepsis in the obstetric population. This article will discuss the diagnosis and the midwife's role in the management of sepsis in pregnancy.

Abscess rates have been reported to be as low as 1% and as high as 50% following perforated appendicitis (PA). This range may be because of lack of universal definition for PA. An evidence-based definition (EBD) is crucial for accurate wound classification, risk-stratification, and subsequent process optimization. ACS NSQIP-Pediatric guidelines do not specify a definition of PA. We hypothesize that reported postoperative abscess rates underrepresent true incidence, as they may include low-risk cases in final calculations.Local institutional records of PA patients were reviewed to calculate the postoperative abscess rate. The ACS NSQIP-Pediatric participant use file (PUF) was used to determine cross-institutional postoperative abscess rates. A PubMed literature review was performed to identify trials reporting PA abscess rates, and definitions and rates were recorded.20.9% of our patients with PA developed a postoperative abscess. The ACS NSQIP-Pediatric abscess rate was significantly lower (7.61%, p0.001). In the eighteen published studies analyzed, average abscess rate (14.49%) was significantly higher than ACS NSQIP-Pediatric (p0.001). There was significantly more variation in trials that do not employ an EBD of perforation (Levene's test F-value =6.980, p=0.018).A standard EBD of perforation leads to lower variability in reported postoperative abscess rates following PA. Nonstandard definitions may be significantly altering the aggregate rate of postoperative abscess formation. We advocate for adoption of a standard definition by all institutions participating in ACS NSQIP-Pediatric data submission.III.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to find out the accuracy of detecting new vessels (NVE) using standard field and widefield (SF and WF) angiographic imaging modality in eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Methods: This is a retrospective, cross-sectional study of 88 patients who underwent fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) for suspected PDR from March 2015 to August 2015. Angiography was performed on the SPECTRALIS (Heidelberg, Germany) using SF 55° lens at primary, up, down, right, and left gaze and Staurenghi WF 102° lens in primary gaze. NVE were diagnosed by standard definition on FFA and a number of NVE were counted. Comparison of NVE detected on WF versus SF in primary gaze and WF versus SF in peripheral gaze was made. Fisher's exact t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The mean age of the patients was 56.87 ± 12.42 years. PDR was bilateral in 73 eyes and unilateral in 15 eyes. On comparing WF versus SF in primary gaze, 117 and 99 eyes were correctly detected as having NVE, respectively. On comparison of WF with SF in peripheral gaze, NVE picked up was 117 and 114 eyes, respectively. The missed NVE count in both comparisons was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.02). The sensitivity of SF in primary gaze was calculated to be 84.6%, whereas in peripheral gazes, it improved to 97.4%. Conclusion: As evident by our study results, SF images in primary as well as all peripheral gazes tend to miss out on NVE, thereby incorrectly diagnosing PDR eyes as non-PDR, which were picked up on WF as having NVE. Hence, we propose that WF angiography can be considered as gold standard for accurately diagnosing the presence of NVE in eyes with PDR.

Background Determining the activity of localized scleroderma (LS) remains crucial for decision making, and reliable clinical indicators of activity are lacking. Our objective in this study was to analyze the utility of infrared thermography (IRT) in assessing the activity of LS according to existing clinical scales. A secondary objective was to study whether clinical characteristics of patients and/or IRT have any role in predicting the activity of LS. Methods In this cross-sectional study, the activity of LS was determined using a visual analog scale (VAS), a dyspigmentation-induration-erythema-telangiectasias (DIET) scale, and a localized scleroderma skin severity index (LoSSI). Local temperature was measured by IRT. Results We studied 56 patients with a median age of 14.2 years. The mean difference in temperature between the affected and unaffected skin was 0.29°C. The comparison of patients with active versus inactive LS (using a 50% composite score cutoff) according to differences in temperature was not significant. An exploratory regression analysis showed an insignificant association of difference in temperature and other clinical characteristics for activity of LS. Our relatively small sample size consisted primarily of patients with low to moderate activity, and the lack of a standard definition of activity of LS was another limitation. Conclusions There is a possible role for temperature and other clinical characteristics as predictors of activity of LS. More studies and better definitions of activity in LS are needed.

Definitions for whole grain (WG) have been published by governments, the food industry, and grain organizations and generally fall into 2 categories: WG and WG food. WG definitions focus on the principal components of the WGs and their proportions, whereas WG-food definitions describe the quantity of WGs present in food. In the United States, widespread agreement exists on the main parts of a definition for a WG, with a definition for a WG food still in its early stages; a standard definition that has been universally accepted does not exist. Furthermore, nutrition policy advises consumers to eat WGs for at least one-half of their total grain intake (2010 and 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans), but confusion exists over which foods are considered WGs and how much is needed to achieve health benefits. In December 2014, a workshop sponsored by the subcommittee on collaborative process of the US Government's Interagency Committee on Human Nutrition Research convened in Washington, DC, and recognized WG definitions as a key nutrition and public health-related issue that could benefit from further collaboration. As a follow-up to that meeting, an interdisciplinary roundtable meeting was organized at the Whole Grains Summit on 25 June 2015 in Portland, Oregon, to help resolve the issue. This article summarizes the main opportunities and challenges that were identified during the meeting for defining WGs and WG foods internationally. Definitions of WGs and WG foods that are uniformly adopted by research, food industry, consumer, and public health communities are needed to enable comparison of research results across populations.

In comparison with other Western industrialized nations, the rates of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among youth aged 15 to 19 in the United States is higher. Since the 1980s, the U.S. Federal Government has intervened to aid in lowering the rates of pregnancy and STIs among youth aged 15 to 19 by funding a variety of abstinence-only sex education programs. Despite almost $1.5 billion federal dollars spent on efforts to reduce pregnancy and STIs among this subpopulation, there have been overall unsustainable declines in pregnancy and STIs among youth aged 15 to 19. Significant concerns have been raised by health policy advocates, such as former Rep. Waxman (D-Calif.), and sexual health advocates about the lack of a definition for medically accurate curricula. Mixed interpretations of policies for sex education content have resulted in abstinence-only sex education programs targeting youth to reflect conservative ideology with information that is not medically accurate. To better understand the topic, a review of the historical time line and legislative actions of U.S. federal and state policies is presented. As an example, Mississippi’s state policy for sex education programs is analyzed and reviewed. Furthermore, the authors put forward the need for a standard definition of medically accurate information, offer a proposed definition, and discuss the limitations of a standard definition for sex education programs. Public health professionals and public health education specialists play a key role in ensuring that sex education programs be taught using medically accurate information to reduce the rate of STIs and prevent teen pregnancy consistently among youth aged 15 to 19.

Objectives/Hypothesis Common endpoints in reporting the outcomes for early glottic cancer do not highlight the importance of organ preservation. We evaluated the treatment outcomes among patients with T1aN0 laryngeal cancer with laryngectomy-free disease-specific survival (LFS-DSS), which is defined as time to total laryngectomy or time to death from cancer cause, against all other endpoints. Study Design Outcome research on an institutional database. Methods A retrospective review covered all consecutive patients from 2003 to 2013. Patients with T1a laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were offered the options of either radiation treatment (RT) or transoral laser microsurgery (TLM). Tumor control, survival outcomes, standard definition laryngectomy-free survival (LFS), and LFS-DSS were calculated. Results There were 105 patients, of whom 53 were treated with TLM and 52 were treated with RT. There were 11 recurrences within the TLM group, of which four were successfully salvaged with repeated TLM and two were salvaged with RT. Among the four recurrences within the RT group, all four patients had salvage total laryngectomies. The 5-year overall survival for patients treated with TLM versus RT was 86% versus 85% (P = .887), disease-free survival was 69% versus 78% (P = .151), LFS was 65% versus 77% (P = .198), LFS-DSS was 100% versus 88% (P = .030), and ultimate locoregional control was 100% in both groups. Conclusions Patients with T1aN0 glottic SCC treated with RT or TLM have similar survival outcomes. Patients with T1a tumor treated with TLM have better organ preservation compared to RT, when measured with LFS-DSS. Level of Evidence 4. Laryngoscope, 127:1322–1327, 2017

Hypotension is frequently encountered in preterm infants. However, there is no standard definition for hypotension and the therapies for treating hypotension in neonates vary greatly, based on individual preferences. This article focuses on the pathophysiology of hypotension in preterm neonates, the role of the transition from fetal to perinatal circulation on neonatal blood pressure, the mechanisms of action of agents used in the treatment of hypotension, and the specific indications for the use of such agents.

We study the behavior of the $s$-wave partial cross section $\sigma(k)$, the Wigner-Smith time delay $\tau(k)$, and the trapping probability $P(k)$ as function of the wave number $k$. The $s$-wave central square well is used for concreteness, simplicity, and to elucidate the controversy whether it shows true resonances. It is shown that, except for very sharp structures, the resonance part of the cross section, the trapping probability, and the time delay, reach their local maxima at different values of $k$. We show numerically that $\tau(k)>0$ at its local maxima, occuring just before the resonant part of the cross section reaches its local maxima. These results are discussed in the light of the standard definition of resonance., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures

A standard definition of sustainability as development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” requires the ability to identify and quantify needs as well as quantify a compromised ability of future generations to meet their needs. In a new Engineering course in the “Appropriate and Sustainable Engineering” program, Seattle Pacific University is addressing how to analyze systems during the design activity to address such sustainability issues. These include the use of exergy and resource depletion as measurable effects of systems, the consideration of life-cycle phases of development, manufacturing, testing, operations, and disposal, decision-making considering sustainability trade-off criteria, and managing life-cycle and design resources. Specific system design and analysis techniques are also included, such as considerations for human-systems integration, safety and reliability in all life-cycle phases. Being able to quantify the sustainability measures yields an ability to quantitatively differentiate among competing alternative system designs based on specific life-cycle considerations and quantified sustainability impacts.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to find how those uncertainty factors influence transaction costs generated and to identify ways to minimize the transaction costs borne by the construction owner. Design/methodology/approach – The literature indicates that there is no consensus on a standard definition of transaction costs in the construction industry. A detailed literature review of research work on transaction costs in construction is conducted in order to identify the determinants of transaction costs in construction projects. A structural equation model is tested on data collected by means of a survey administered to construction owners. Findings – The findings indicate that the transaction costs borne by the owner can be minimized if the owner minimizes the uncertainties inherent in the construction project by making sure the engineering design is as complete as possible before bids are sought from contractors; harmonious relationships between project participants; fair risk allocation; have experience in similar type projects; and contractor selection practices that routinely detect irregular behavior. Research limitations/implications – The data used in this research are primarily based on the experiences of public owners and the markets in which they operate; a larger representation of private owners could make the conclusions more general. Another limitation of the study is that it relies on a survey of opinions rather than actual records of costs and other hard data. Practical implications – No empirical study has ever been conducted of transaction-related issues in the construction industry because of the lack of a common understanding of transaction cost. This paper provides the groundwork for such a study. Originality/value – This paper attempts to reconcile the many determinants of transaction costs in construction projects under uncertainty considered by different researchers in a multitude of research studies.

The trophic levels of nodes in directed networks can reveal their functional properties. Moreover, the trophic coherence of a network, defined in terms of trophic levels, is related to properties such as cycle structure, stability and percolation. The standard definition of trophic levels, however, borrowed from ecology, suffers from drawbacks such as requiring basal nodes, which limit its applicability. Here we propose simple improved definitions of trophic levels and coherence that can be computed on any directed network. We demonstrate how the method can identify node function in examples including ecosystems, supply chain networks, gene expression and global language networks. We also explore how trophic levels and coherence relate to other topological properties, such as non-normality and cycle structure, and show that our method reveals the extent to which the edges in a directed network are aligned in a global direction.