A Computational Method for Solving DEA Problems with Infinitely Many DMUs

Semi-infinite programs as related to DEA with infinitely many DMUs will be solved by bisections within the framework of LPs. No gradient Information Is needed, contrary to the usual Newton-Raphson type methods for solving semi-Infinite programs.The rate of convergence is linear. The method has a stable convergency feature derived from the bisection rule.Reprinted from Research Report CCS 561, Center for Cybernetic Studies, The University of Texas, at Austin

North Sea reserve appreciation, production, and depletion

Oil field "growth" has become a well-recognized phenomenon in mature, well-explored provinces such as the United States leading to the continual under-estimation in oil production forecasts. This working paper explores the role of field growth, what is here called reserve appreciation, in newer oil-producing provinces, such as the North Sea, which have also generally exceeded earlier forecasts of production levels. The analysis seeks to determine the regularities in North Sea reserve appreciation as a function of the years produced, the size of the field, the time period, and whether location in the Norwegian or UK sector matters, using standard panel regression techniques. The analysis finds that the reserves in North Sea oil producing fields have appreciated at rates varying between 2% and 3% pr annum, with the notable exception of mid-sized oil reserves. In the end, about one-quarter of 1996 production from the North Sea can be attributed to reserve appreciation. This result indicates that, although reserve appreciation is important in the North Sea, new discoveries are the primary source of the greater than expected production from this oil producing province

Analisa Kerja Access Point Jaringan Wireles pada Universitas Al Asyariah Mandar

  Perkembangan  teknologi  wireless  saat  ini  berkembang  sangat  cepat  seiring  dengan kebutuhan  informasi  yang  semakin  tinggi.  Hal  ini  disebabkan  oleh  beberapa  faktor diantaranya  adalah kemampuan komunikasi secara bergerak, keandalan  sistem semakin meningkat,   kerahasiaan   informasi   terjamin,   biaya   pembangunan   relatif   lebih   murah dibanding wireline dan ketersediaan pelayanan yang semakin tinggi, tidak terbatas waktu dan tempat sehingga konsumen dapat berkomunikasi kapanpun  dan dimanapun berada. WI-FI ( Wireless Fidelity) merupakan teknologi WLAN yang sedang berkembang pesat  yang  mengunakan  standar  pengembangan  dari  IEEE  802.11  yaitu  :  802.11b, 802.11a, dan 802.11g. WLAN sendiri merupakan sistem komunikasi data yang mampu menggantikan  atau  memperluas  jaringan  wired  LAN  untuk  memperoleh  fungsi  nilai tambah, menggunakan teknologi Radio Frekuensi (RF), transmit dan receive data melalui gelombang  udara,  melewati  dinding,  langit-langit  dan  bahkan  struktur  semen,  tanpa menggunakan jaringan kabel. WLAN mampu menyediakan semua fitur dan manfaat dari teknologi  tradisional  LAN  seperti  Ethernet  atau  Token  Ring  tetapi  dengan  kelebihan tanpa menggunakan kabel, sehingga mobile dan fleksibel. Radio Access  Point  atau  sering  disebut  dengan  AP,  sebenarnya  mempunyai  kesamaan fungsi  dengan  hub  dan  switch.  Atau biasa juga disebut  dengan  station pemancar daripada penerus sinyal. Access point merupakan tipe spesial dari wireless station yang menerima transmisi radio dari station radio lainnya di jaringan wireless dan   meneruskan   sinyal-sinyal   tersebut   ke   jaringan   terakhir.   Kata Kunci: Access Point, Jaringan Wirele

Distribution of Non-uniform Demagnetization Fields in Paramagnetic Bulk Solids

A general calculation for the distribution of non-uniform demagnetization fields in paramagnetic bulk solids is described and the fields for various sample geometries are calculated. Cones, ellipsoids, paraboloids and hyperboloids with similar sample aspect ratios are considered. Significant differences in their demagnetization fields are observed. The calculation shows that the demagnetization field magnitudes decrease along the axis of symmetry (along $z$) where an externally applied magnetic field is aligned, and increase in the vicinity of the lateral surfaces with the largest field values found in the cone and the narrowest field distributions found in the hyperboloid. Application is made to the theoretical modeling of the $^{1}$H-NMR spectra of a single crystal of field-induced superconductor $\lambda$-(BETS)$_{2}$FeCl$_{4}$ with a rectangular sample geometry, providing a good fit to the measured NMR spectra. This calculation is also applicable to diamagnetic or ferromagnetic materials in general.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Physical Review B (Corresponding author: [email protected]

The Problem of Mission Creep: Argumentation Theory meets Military History

At the outset ‘mission creep’ is a military phenomenon, denoting uncontrolled and unintended mission development. Even the best-laid plans may become obsolete if they run against the facts on the ground, and mission creep may result. Mission creep also plagues arguments, as when arguments end up in unrelated topics, larger targets, or clusters of topics. Our paper explores possible mutual benefits of applying the resources of argumentation theory and military theory to one another

C-type lectin receptors of the Dectin-1 cluster : Physiological roles and involvement in disease

Acknowledgements: We apologise to our many colleagues whose valuable work we could not cite due to space constraints. Funding was provided by the Wellcome Trust (102705, 097377), the Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology and the University of Aberdeen (MR/N006364/1). KT received a research fellowship from Jikei University School of Medicine.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Decreased progesterone receptor isoform expression in luteal phase fallopian tube epithelium and high-grade serous carcinoma

We previously reported that BRCA1/2-mutated fallopian tube epithelium (FTE) collected during the luteal phase exhibits gene expression profiles more closely resembling that of high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) specimens than FTE collected during the follicular phase or from control patients. Since the luteal phase is characterised by high levels of progesterone, we determined whether the expression of progesterone receptor (PR) and PR-responsive genes was altered in FTE obtained from BRCA mutation carriers during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. RT-qPCR confirmed a decreased expression of PR mRNA in FTE during the luteal phase relative to follicular phase, in both BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and control patients. Immunohistochemistry using isoform-specific antibodies confirmed a low level of both PR-A and PR-B in HGSC and a lower level of staining in FTE samples obtained during the luteal phase compared with the follicular phase. No significant difference in PR-A or PR-B staining was found based on patient BRCA mutation status. Analysis of our previously reported gene expression profiles based upon known PR-A- and PR-B-specific target genes did not partition samples by BRCA mutation status, indicating that overall FTE PR response is not altered in BRCA mutation carriers. HGSC samples grouped separately from other samples, consistent with the observed loss of PR expression. These findings indicate no overall difference in PR signalling in FTE as a function of BRCA mutation status. Thus, the molecular similarity of BRCA1/2-mutated luteal phase FTE and HGSC likely results from an altered response to luteal phase factors other than progesterone

Stress Perception and Measurement in Missionary Populations

Christian missionaries experience numerous stressors across multiple domains. To understand their unique experiences, a targeted assessment is required. There is no known psychometrically tested measure that captures the nuances of stress for this population. To that end, as part of a larger study, the quantitative CHOPS Stress Inventory, a new tool for measuring missionary stress was developed and showed good initial psychometric qualities when compared to an established stress measure. Furthermore, the Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) of survey findings on 267 cross-cultural evangelical missionaries noted that both age and sex demonstrated significant effects on perceived stress scores. Implications for missionary member care services and recommendations for future research are discussed

Characterization of the meningococcal DNA glycosylase Fpg involved in base excision repair

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Neisseria meningitidis</it>, the causative agent of meningococcal disease, is exposed to high levels of reactive oxygen species inside its exclusive human host. The DNA glycosylase Fpg of the base excision repair pathway (BER) is a central player in the correction of oxidative DNA damage. This study aimed at characterizing the meningococcal Fpg and its role in DNA repair.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The deduced <it>N. meningitidis </it>Fpg amino acid sequence was highly homologous to other Fpg orthologues, with particularly high conservation of functional domains. As for most <it>N. meningitidis </it>DNA repair genes, the <it>fpg </it>gene contained a DNA uptake sequence mediating efficient transformation of DNA. The recombinant <it>N. meningitidis </it>Fpg protein was over-expressed, purified to homogeneity and assessed for enzymatic activity. <it>N. meningitidis </it>Fpg was found to remove 2,6-diamino-4-hydroxy-5-formamidopyrimidine (faPy) lesions and 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2'-deoxyguanosine (8oxoG) opposite of C, T and G and to a lesser extent opposite of A. Moreover, the <it>N. meningitidis fpg </it>single mutant was only slightly affected in terms of an increase in the frequency of phase variation as compared to a mismatch repair mutant.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Collectively, these findings show that meningococcal Fpg functions are similar to those of prototype Fpg orthologues in other bacterial species.</p

Divergent responses of functional diversity to an elevational gradient for vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens

Question: Cold environments are stressful for vascular plants, and stress-tolerant non-vascular photoautotrophs, e.g. bryophytes and lichens, become relatively more important as competition from vascular plants decreases towards higher elevations. Under increasingly stressful climatic conditions, species assembly of vascular plants is commonly driven more by environmental filtering, and abiotic constraints may lead to increased similarity between species and thus low functional diversity. Because bryophytes and lichens are less constrained by harsh environments, environmental filtering may be less strong. Instead, reduced competition from vascular plants can potentially free up niche space for non-vascular vegetation. Therefore, we hypothesized that functional diversity of vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens are likely to show contrasting responses to elevation. Location: Finse Alpine Research Centre, Southern Norway. Methods: We utilized measurements of species abundance and functional traits of the three groups along a 500-m elevational gradient in alpine southern Norway and calculated multi-trait and single-trait functional dispersion. Results: Functional diversity of vascular plants declined with elevation, indicating increased environmental filtering. By contrast, functional diversity of lichens and bryophytes increased along the same gradient, suggesting they are less exposed to environmental filtering, in line with our hypothesis. Instead, they likely benefit from the lower abundance of vascular plants at higher elevation. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that different photoautotroph groups vary in how they respond to the same environmental gradient, which may contribute to contrasting community assembly processes across groups. These divergent responses likely occur because non-vascular vegetation differs from vascular plants in terms of nutrient acquisition and water economy strategies, meaning that they respond differently to the same factors. This highlights the need to explicitly consider bryophytes and lichens in community-level studies whenever these groups are abundant.acceptedVersio