Reduction of Peroxodisulfate at Porous and Crystalline Silicon Electrodes: An Anomaly\ud

Electroluminescence from n-type porous silicon can be generated in solution by reduction of peroxodisulfate. It has been assumed that the SO4•- radical ion, formed in the first reduction step, injects a hole into the valence band of the porous semiconductor. The hole should subsequently undergo radiative recombination with a conduction band electron. Using two techniques, viz., photocurrent quantum efficiency measurements with p-type porous and crystalline silicon electrodes and minority carrier injection studies with the “transistor technique”, we found that the reduction of peroxodisulfate is, however, not always accompanied by hole injection. The silicon results are compared with results obtained on GaAs electrodes. \u

Using Water-Sensitive Urban Design to improve drainage capacity

Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) integrates water cycle management into urban planning and design. When applying the WSUD practices to urban areas, environmental degradation can be minimized, while improving aesthetic and recreational appeal at the same time. However, the effects of WSUD measures on water flow regimes are not fully known. The objective of the research was to determine suitable WSUD measures for a catchment in Adelaide, Australia by producing an updated and more reliable rainfall-runoff model using historical flow data. After this, the use of several suitable WSUD measures were simulated on the catchment to gain insight into their effect on drainage capacity

Municipal benchmarking:organisational learning and network performance in the public sector

The main purpose of this dissertation is to assess the relation between municipal benchmarking and organisational learning with a specific emphasis on benchlearning and performance within municipalities and between groups of municipalities in the building and housing sector in the Netherlands. The first and main conclusion is that this relation exists, but that the relative success of different approaches to dimensions of change and organisational learning are a key explanatory factor for differences in the success of benchlearning. Seven other important conclusions could be derived from the empirical research. First, a combination of interpretative approaches at the group level with a mixture of hierarchical and network strategies, positively influences benchlearning. Second, interaction among professionals at the inter-organisational level strengthens benchlearning. Third, stimulating supporting factors can be seen as a more important strategy to strengthen benchlearning than pulling down barriers. Fourth, in order to facilitate benchlearning, intrinsic motivation and communication skills matter, and are supported by a high level of cooperation (i.e., team work), a flat organisational structure and interactions between individuals. Fifth, benchlearning is facilitated by a strategy that is based on a balanced use of episodic (emergent) and systemic (deliberate) forms of power. Sixth, high levels of benchlearning will be facilitated by an analyser or prospector strategic stance. Prospectors and analysers reach a different learning outcome than defenders and reactors. Whereas analysers and prospectors are willing to change policies when it is perceived as necessary, the strategic stances of defenders and reactors result in narrow process improvements (i.e., single-loop learning). Seventh, performance improvement is influenced by functional perceptions towards performance, and these perceptions ultimately influence the elements adopted. This research shows that efforts aimed at benchlearning and ultimately improved service delivery, should be directed to a multi-level and multi-dimensional approach addressing the context, content and process of dimensions of change and organisational learning

Entorno Institucional de la Desentralización Estatal en los Países Bajos el papel de las organizaciones de apoyo

A partir de 1998, el IHS se vinculó al SINPA (Programa de apoyo para la implementación de planes nacionales de acción – Support for Implementation of National Plans of Action) financiado por la Dirección general de cooperación al desarrollo de los Países Bajos, junto con la ciudades de Tangail, Santa Cruz y Kitwe y los gobiernos correspondientes de Bangladesh, Bolivia y Zambia. La meta general del Programa SINPA es ayudar a implementar los planes de acción nacionales y la Agenda Hábitat, fortaleciendo la construcción de capacidad local sustentable para la planeación y gestión efectivas del desarrollo urbano. En términos más concretos, el programa busca ayudar al gobierno local y a sus contrapartes a construir capacidad de acción en las áreas más amplias relacionadas con la buena gobernabilidad, la planificación participativa, el alivio de la pobreza, la vivienda y los servicios básicos, y la gestión local ambiental. SINPA se concentra principalmente en la relación entre las organizaciones dedicadas a construir capacidad local (universidades, organizaciones profesionales, organizaciones no gubernamentales u ONG), por una parte, y entre el gobierno local y las organizaciones de la sociedad civil, por otra, con el fin de mejorar sus capacidades de tal forma que sus esfuerzos sean sustentables localmente

Institutional setting of decentralised government in The Netherlands: The role of support organisations

The aim of this research is to facilitate the country programmes (Zambia, Bolivia and Bangladesh) of SINPA in the process of improving urban management capacity in a manner that will be sustainable locally. The three countries initiated this process by bringing together existing local development partners and capacity building institutions so as to improve capacity. With this research new ideas and lessons learned can be taken into consideration for lightening the heavy tasks put on municipal shoulders, by providing ideas in creating new institutions in SINPA countries helpful in assisting local government with urban management issues. This specific research will be a case study on the role of capacity building and advisory organisations for urban management in The Netherlands. The emphasis will be on policy formulation and planning related issues rather than on implementation of policies

A Patient with Four-Year Survival after Nonsmall Cell Lung Carcinoma with a Solitary Metachronous Small Bowel Metastasis

Solitary small bowel metastasis secondary to lung cancer is very uncommon. In this report, we present a patient with NSCLC and a metachronous solitary metastasis of the jejunum. She is alive without evidence of disease and doing well four years after palliative surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report describing a prolonged survival in a patient with a symptomatic solitary small bowel metastasis treated with palliative surgery, chemo- and radiotherapy instead of complete surgical resection

Efeito da música e de exercícios físicos num grupo de pessoas reumáticas: estudo piloto

The association of therapies with music and physical exercises was studied in a group of rheumatic patients (n = 17). During each of the combined therapeutic sessions, the participant was interviewed about his physical (feeling of pain and capacity to move freely) and emotional conditions. In general, after 8 sessions, the participants improved the evaluated aspects. It was considered that the interaction of these therapeutic areas is not only possible, but particularly positive. Consequently, new perspectives were opened in the therapeutic field, mainly due to the existential dimension attained by the process, as it simultaneously interacts with the emotional, physical and social aspects of the rheumatic patients.A associação de terapias com música e exercícios físicos foi estudada com um grupo de indivíduos reumáticos (n = 17). Em cada sessão das terapias conjugadas, o participante era entrevistado quanto ao seu estado físico (sensação de dor e facilidade de se movimentar) e emocional. De modo geral, após 8 sessões, os participantes melhoraram nos aspectos avaliados. Considerou-se que a interação dessas áreas terapêuticas não só é possível, mas sobretudo, positiva. Desta forma, foram abertas perspectivas no campo terapêutico, principalmente, pela dimensão existencial que o processo alcança, uma vez que interfere, ao mesmo tempo, nos aspectos emocional, físico e social das pessoas reumáticas

Lentigo maligna - anatomic location as a potential risk factor for recurrences after non-surgical treatment

BACKGROUND: A higher incidence of lentigo maligna (LM) recurrences on the nose was previously observed in our cohort after non‐surgical treatment. OBJECTIVES: To determine histological parameters that might be related to the previously observed higher incidence of LM recurrences on the nose after non‐surgical treatment. METHODS: We randomly selected 22 surgical specimens of LM on the nose and 22 on the cheek. Histopathological analysis was performed on haematoxylin and eosin stained and microphthalmia transcription factor immunohistochemically stained slides. The number of pilosebaceous units (PSU) per mm, maximum depth of atypical melanocytes along the skin appendages and maximum depth of the PSU itself were determined. RESULTS: The nose had a significantly higher density of PSU than the cheek. The atypical melanocytes extended deeper along the PSU on the nose with a mean (SD) depth of 1.29 mm (0.48) vs. a mean depth of 0.72 mm (0.30) on the cheek (P < 0.001). The maximum depth of the PSU on the nose was greater than on the cheek, mean (SD) depth of 2.28 mm (0.41) vs. 1.65 mm (0.82) (P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The higher recurrence risk of LM on the nose after non‐surgical treatment that we previously observed in our cohort is most likely based on a higher density of atypical melanocytes and also their deeper extension into the follicles. These results shed more light on our previous findings and learn that anatomical location is relevant for the risk of recurrence of LM after non‐surgical treatment