Search results for "arki"

Impact of external costs of unplanned supply interruptions on water company efficiency: Evidence from Chile

2020

Abstract Conventional performance assessments of water companies ignore the external costs due to water supply outages. To overcome this gap, we evaluate the impact of external costs of unplanned supply interruptions on the efficiency of water companies. Two efficiency metrics, internal technical efficiency (ITE), and total technical efficiency (TTE), were estimated based on data envelopment analysis (DEA). The results evidence that the external costs of unplanned water supply interruptions impact, on average, 7.9% of the efficiency of water companies. We also explored the impact of a set of environmental variables on water company efficiency.

Ergativity and Differential Case Marking

2017

Abstract The present chapter discusses patterns of differential case marking in ergative languages, focusing on differential subject marking, which is more prominent in ergative languages (in contrast to accusative languages, where differential object marking is more prominent). It is argued that patterns of (differential) case marking can be accounted two general constraints related to (role)-indexing, on the one hand, and distinguishability (or markedness) on the other hand. This approach correctly predicts asymmetries between differential object marking (DOM) and differential subject marking (DSM) with regard to animacy, definiteness, as well as discourse features. I also show how this a…

3,4-Dihydroxy- and 3,4-methylenedioxy- phenanthrene-type alkaloids with high selectivity for D2 dopamine receptor.

2013

Abstract Dopamine-mediated neurotransmission plays an important role in relevant psychiatric and neurological disorders. Nowadays, there is an enormous interest in the development of new drugs acting at the dopamine receptors (DR) as potential new targets for the treatment of schizophrenia or Parkinson’s disease. Previous studies have revealed that isoquinoline compounds such as tetrahydroisoquinolines (THIQs) can behave as selective D 2 dopaminergic alkaloids. In the present study we have synthesized five aporphine compounds and five phenanthrene alkaloids and evaluated their potential dopaminergic activity. Binding studies on rat striatal membranes were used to evaluate their affinity and…

STRATEGIC PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT IN GOVERNMENTAL AND PRIVATE SECTOR IN LATVIA: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT

2012

Management issues can be divided in two large groups: governmental, with its specific aims, methods and challenges, and private sector responsible for economical results, competitiveness and state revenues. Although these sectors have so much in common in sustaining the state, striving for excellence, fulfilment of European Union 2020 strategy and for the best results, they are at the same time very different. By theory and practice, one of the greatest methods how to improve performance, is benchmarking- both looking for the best in the concrete field and in different area. In the article authors compare strategic planning and management issues in governmental and private sector, thus iden…

"Towards a "fingerprint" of paper network; separating forgeries from genuine by the properties of fibre structure"

2014

A novel method is introduced for distinguishing counterfeit banknotes from genuine samples. The method is based on analyzing differences in the networks of paper fibers. The main tool is a curvelet-based algorithm for measuring the distribution of overall fiber orientation and quantifying its anisotropy. The use of a couple or more appropriate parameters makes it possible to distinguish forgeries from genuine samples as concentrated point clouds in a two- or three-dimensional parameter space. Furthermore, the techniques of making watermarks is investigated by comparing genuine and counterfeit €50 banknotes. In addition, the so-called wire markings are shown to differ significantly from each…

VoxelMages: a general-purpose graphical interface for designing geometries and processing DICOM images for PENELOPE

2016

The design and construction of geometries for Monte Carlo calculations is an error-prone, time-consuming, and complex step in simulations describing particle interactions and transport in the field of medical physics. The software VoxelMages has been developed to help the user in this task. It allows to design complex geometries and to process DICOM image files for simulations with the general-purpose Monte Carlo code PENELOPE in an easy and straightforward way. VoxelMages also allows to import DICOM-RT structure contour information as delivered by a treatment planning system. Its main characteristics, usage and performance benchmarking are described in detail.

Sustainable Development Model of EU Cities Compliant with UN Settings

2021

Nowadays, the globally accepted UN concept of sustainable development (SD) is gradu®ally transferred to the city level, including small and medium-sized cities. The implementation of SD settings requires regular measurement of developmental progress to monitor the level achieved in statics and dynamics, and to make strategic decisions for the next period. The existing urban SD indicator systems and indices are not well-suited for the monitoring of specific cities. Benchmarking algorithms and mathematical modelling procedures were applied to create a methodology and mathematical model for measuring the achieved urban SD level and to ensure the most objective selection and proportions of key …

Monarchists, Republicans, Revolutionaries : Criticism of Parliamentarism and the reception of Anti-Parliamentarism among the Finnish and Swedish left…

2018

MR-guided focused ultrasound application for moving target tumor ablation in abdominal area: Coil selection

2020

PubMed: 32276552

Vulnerability of peripheral catecholaminergic neurons to MPTP is not regulated by alpha-synuclein.

2010

Although generally considered a prototypical movement disorder, Parkinson's disease is commonly associated with a broad-spectrum of non-motor symptoms, including autonomic dysfunctions caused by significant alterations in catecholaminergic neurons of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system. Here we present evidence that alpha-synuclein is highly expressed by sympathetic ganglion neurons throughout embryonic and postnatal life and that it is found in tyrosine hydroxylase-positive sympathetic fibers innervating the heart of adult mice. However, mice deficient in alpha-synuclein do not exhibit any apparent alterations in sympathetic development. Sympathetic neurons isolated from mouse embryo…