Perception of Nuclear Energy and Coal in France and the Netherlands

This study focuses on the perception of large scale application of nuclear energy and coal in the Netherlands and France. The application of these energy-sources and the risks and benefits are judged differently by various group in society. In Europe, France has the highest density of nuclear power plants and the Netherlands has one of the lowest. In both countries scientists and social scientists completed a questionnaire assessing the perception of the large scale application of both energy sources. Furthermore, a number of variables relating to the socio cultural and political circumstances were measured. The results indicate that the French had a higher risk perception and a more negative attitude toward nuclear power than the Dutch. But they also assess the benefits of the use of nuclear power to be higher. Explanations for these differences are discussed

Neutral dinuclear copper(I)-NHC complexes : synthesis and application in the hydrosilylation of ketones

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Royal Society (University Research Fellowship to C.S.J.C.) for funding.The synthesis of a class of highly stable neutral dinuclear Cu(I)-NHC complexes using 1,2,4-triazole as a bridging ligand is described. Various NHCs were used to generate a library of [Cu(μ-trz)(NHC)]2, complexes. Interestingly, [Cu(μ-trz)(IPr)]2 was found to be highly active in the hydrosilylation of ketones, without the need for an external base or any other additive. A wide range of aryl and alkyl ketones, as well as sterically hindered ketones, was successfully reduced to alcohols using the lowest catalyst loading reported to date.PostprintPeer reviewe

Gender and Tahrir Square: contesting the state and imagining a new nation

This article argues that the concepts of ‘State’ and ‘Nation’ should be treated as separate from one another, hence, more than one image of the nation is possible at one given time. During the early days of the January 2011 Egyptian revolution, a contestation emerged between Mubarak’s state and the protesters in Tahrir Square over the image and notion of the Egyptian nation. Both the state and the protesters attempted to exclude one another from their respective discourse of the Egyptian nation. While reflecting back on a number of women’s voices who joined the early days of the Tahrir Square protests and using qualitative fieldwork interviews with Cairo-based feminist and political activists, this article points to the complexity of a newly forged image of Egyptian nationhood. In Tahrir Square, this image appeared to be largely framed within gendered criteria where notions of manhood and hyper visible gender equality were intrinsically linked to the broader objective of removing Mubarak and his regime. This raises the question of whether new gender paradigms of equality can continue to exist beyond Tahrir Square’s imagination of a ‘new’ nation

Marketing Practices For Dairy Products From Small-Scale Farms, Case: Region Of Tiziouzou – Algeria

The objective of our work is to identify the different marketing practices and to characterize the organizational constraints that hinder the productivity and profitability of small-scale livestock farms in the mountainous region of Fréha and Sidi-Naman, located in the region of Tizi-Ouzou, Algeria. Due to its high milk production potential, the targeted region was selected as a study area. The importance of our work lies in the determination of the key factors, which prevent small-scale milk producers from carrying out their livestock activities successfully. A quantitative questionnaire survey was conducted with 30 farmers

Use of ring-expanded diamino- and diamidocarbene ligands in copper catalyzed azide-alkyne "click" reactions

The two-coordinate ring-expanded N-heterocyclic carbene copper­(I) complexes [Cu­(RE-NHC)₂]⁺ (RE-NHC = 6-Mes, 7-<i>o</i>-Tol, 7-Mes) have been prepared and shown to be effective catalysts under neat conditions for the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of alkynes and azides. In contrast, the cationic diamidocarbene analogue [Cu­(6-MesDAC)₂]⁺ and the neutral species [(6-MesDAC)­CuCl]₂ and [(6-MesDAC)₂(CuCl)₃] show good activity when the catalysis is performed on water

Sensorless Speed Control of Double Star Induction Machine With Five Level DTC Exploiting Neural Network and Extended Kalman Filter

This article presents a sensorless five level DTC control based on neural networks using Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) applied to Double Star Induction Machine (DSIM). The application of the DTC control brings a very interesting solution to the problems of robustness and dynamics. However, this control has some drawbacks such as the uncontrolled of the switching frequency and the strong ripple torque. To improve the performance of the system to be controlled, robust techniques have been applied, namely artificial neural networks. In order to reduce the number of sensors used, and thus the cost of installation, Extended Kalman filter is used to estimate the rotor speed. By viewing the simulation results using the MATLAB language for the control. The results of simulations obtained showed a very satisfactory behaviour of the machine

Understanding torture: the strengths and the limits of social theory

This article explores the contribution that social theory can make to an understanding of the practice of torture. After a contextual introduction it addresses the idealist?realist divide, and the use made of Durkheim and Weber to respectively support two irreconcilable positions, thus displaying the limits of theory. The article then argues that social theory may be better suited to a more modest aim of analysing the social relations, social structures and discursive manoeuvres that underpin the practice of torture, while also considering the role of agency, constraint and individual responsibility. In this light the article revisits the use made of Durkheim and Weber in the opening debate and reconsiders the nature of their continuing relevance

Heteroleptic Bis(N-heterocyclic carbene)Copper(I) Complexes: Highly Efficient Systems for the [3+2] Cycloaddition of Azides and Alkynes

The first examples of heteroleptic bis-N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) copper(I) complexes and a mixed NHC-phosphine Cu complex are reported. These complexes are easily synthesized from the reaction of [Cu(OH)(NHC)] with various imidazol(idin)ium or phosphonium tetrafluoroborate salts. These cationic heteroleptic bis-NHC Cu complexes are highly active systems for the azide-alkyne cycloaddition leading to the formation of 1,2,3-triazoles. The mechanism of this transformation was investigated, and information gathered suggests that only one NHC remains coordinated to the metal center during catalysis.</p

Ocular Surface Changes in Patients with Thyroid Eye Disease: An Observational Clinical Study

Ibrahim Y Allam,1 Sihem Lazreg,2 Mohamed Shafik Shaheen,1 Mohamed Fahmy Doheim,1 Mai A Mohammed1 1Ophthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt; 2Cabinet Ophtalmologie, Alger Centre, Algiers, AlgeriaCorrespondence: Ibrahim Y AllamOphthalmology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, El Maram Building, 3 rd Mostafa Kamel St., Smouha, Alexandria, 21615, EgyptTel +201001233126Fax +2034210443Email [email protected]: This study aimed to compare ocular surface parameter changes in active and inactive thyroid eye disease (TED) patients and controls.Methods: This is an observational clinical study that included 60 eyes divided into three groups following clinical activity score (CAS) assessment. The first group (Group A) comprised 20 eyes with active TED (CAS score &ge; 3/7), while the second group (Group B) comprised 20 eyes with inactive TED (CAS score &lt; 3/7) and the third group (Group C) comprised 20 eyes of controls without dry eye manifestations. The palpebral fissure height, degree of proptosis, degree of lagophthalmos, ocular surface disease index (OSDI), Schirmer test without anesthesia, corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), non-invasive tear break-up time (NITBUT), tear meniscus height (TMH), lipid layer thickness (LLT), meiboscore, meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), and thyroid antibodies were assessed and data were compared between study participants.Results: The mean OSDI was 40.0 &plusmn; 5.80 in Group A, which significantly differed from Group B with a mean of 26.5 &plusmn; 5.10 (p=0.02). There were significant differences between the two groups regarding palpebral fissure height (p=0.02), amount of proptosis (p=0.008), and degree of lagophthalmos (p=0.001). Similarly, active TED patients had more decreased tear secretion than inactive TED patients (p=0.012). Moreover, active TED patients showed a significant increase in Meibomian gland loss areas in both upper and lower eyelids compared with inactive TED patients (p=0.001). Corneal fluorescein staining also revealed a statistically significant difference between the studied groups (p=0.0001).Conclusion: This study showed differences regarding ocular surface parameter changes between both active and inactive TED and compared to controls. Further studies are needed to confirm these results.Keywords: thyroid eye disease, dry eye disease, ocular surface, thyroid antibodie