Search results for "cycle"
showing 10 items of 3119 documents
Tick-borne pathogens in Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from migratory birds in southern Norway
2020
Birds are important hosts for the first life stages of the Ixodes ricinus tick and they can transport their parasites over long distances. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Neoehrlichia mikurensis and Rickettsia helvetica in ticks collected from migratory birds in Norway. A total of 815 Ixodes ricinus ticks from 216 birds trapped at Lista Bird Observatory in southern Norway during spring and autumn migration in 2008 were analysed by real-time PCR. B. burgdorferi s. l. was the most prevalent pathogen, detected in 6.1% of the ticks. The prevalence of N. mikurensis, A. phagocytophilum and R. helvetica was 1.2%…
Performance of QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus for detection of latent tuberculosis infection in pregnant women living in a tuberculosis- and HIV-endemic se…
2017
We evaluated the performance of QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus), which includes two Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen formulations (TB1 and TB2), for detection of latent tuberculosis infection during pregnancy. Eight-hundred-twenty-nine Ethiopian pregnant women (5.9% HIV-positive) were tested with QFT-Plus, with bacteriological sputum analysis performed for women with clinically suspected tuberculosis and HIV-positive women irrespective of clinical presentation. QFT-Plus read-out was categorized according to the conventional cut-off (0.35 IU/ml) for both antigen formulations. In addition, we analysed the distribution of QFT-Plus results within a borderline zone (0.20–0.70 IU/ml), and i…
The Other J.M.: John Maurice Clark and the Keynesian Revolution
2009
This paper suggests that Clark's views regarding the Keynesian Revolution illuminate some of the limitations of the Keynesian orthodoxy that developed after the war, bringing more institutional detail and a greater preoccupation with dynamic analysis. Clark developed the multiplier in dynamic terms and coupled it with the accelerator to provide the framework for business cycle theory. His analysis was not formalized and emphasized time lags and non-linearities, similar to Harrod. In addition, Clark was concerned with the inflationary consequences of Keynesian policies and he was dissatisfied with those mechanical interpretations of the income flow analysis, which came to be known as hydraul…
Novel performance-based technique for predicting maintenance strategy of bitumen stabilised ballast
2018
Abstract Despite being the most used worldwide, railway ballasted tracks presents high maintenance cost related to ballast settlement and particle degradation. With the aim of reducing life cycle costs, bitumen stabilised ballast (BSB) has been recently proposed as a relatively cheap alternative maintenance solution to be applied to existing tracks. This study aims at assessing the potential advantages of this technology, defining a novel maintenance strategy of traditional ballasted track-beds. A protocol for the application of the BSB technology and its associated maintenance strategy is defined. To estimate minor and major maintenance operations of BSB scenario in comparison to tradition…
Dynamics of particulate major and trace elements in the lower reaches of the Daugava River and adjacent area of the Gulf of Riga (Baltic Sea).
2004
Suspended particulate matter (SPM) was collected in the freshwater-seawater mixing zone in the lower reaches of the Daugava River (Latvia) and adjacent marine area, during five cruises in 1998-2001. The study focused on biogeochemical phase exchange processes. SPM in the freshwater was found to be mainly allochthonous with a high content of organic matter, Mn and sorbed phosphate. Property-salinity plots suggested flocculation of humic-Fe complexes across the salinity gradient. The variability of sorbed phosphate was related to particulate Fe, although no dependence on pH and ionic strength was observed. The Mn contents of SPM mainly follow conservative mixing, but there are also indication…
Macroeconomic fluctuations and educational inequalities in suicide mortality among working-age men in the Baltic countries and Finland in 2000–2015: …
2020
Abstract Introduction In the 2000s, the Baltic countries experienced unprecedented economic growth followed by a deep recession. This study aimed to examine changes and educational inequalities in suicide mortality among working-age men in the Baltic countries and Finland in relation to macroeconomic fluctuations. Methods We analysed changes in overall suicide mortality and by educational level between the 2000–2003, 2004–2007, 2008–2011 and 2012–2015 periods among men aged 30–64 years using census-linked longitudinal mortality data. We estimated age-standardised mortality rates, mortality rate ratios (Poisson regression), the relative index of inequality and slope index of inequality. Resu…
Spectral Structures in Econometrics: Modern Techniques in Wavelet Analysis and Band Limited Estimation
2007
This thesis presents a number of innovative techniques that can be used in the analysis of econometric data sequences in which the underlying components can be identified by their spectral signatures. To present these techniques intelligibly requires the preparatory expositions of Fourier analysis and of the theory of linear filtering that are presented in Chapters 2 and 3. Amongst the techniques for extracting components from short non stationary sequences that are described in Chapter 3 is a variant of the Hodrick--Prescott filter with a smoothing parameter that varies locally. This enables us to extract from the data trends that incorporate a number of structural breaks. The inadequacy o…
The pricing capability lifecycle of digital innovations
2021
The pricing capability provides a basis for firms’ competitive advantage. However, to date, the literature has not investigated how this capability forms, develops, and matures. In this study, we define the pricing capability as a dynamic capability consisting of three operational building blocks (tools and data, human and relational resources, and processes, routines, and mechanisms) as well as two dynamic capability building blocks (alertness and responsiveness, and value-based strategic thinking). Furthermore, we propose the pricing capability lifecycle of digital innovations that incorporates insights of the dynamic capabilities view (DCV). Based on a longitudinal multi-case study of fi…
Design, implementation and experimental results of a wireless charger for E-bikes
2019
Based on the Inductive Power Transfer (IPT), the wireless energy transmission is increasingly representing an attractive solution for vehicle battery charging. Due to its high smartness, the wireless solution may be considered an interesting battery charging method for electric bicycles, as they represent light-weight and flexible means of transportation. According to the Vehicle-To-Grid (V2G) concept, the wireless power flow can occur in both the alternative directions: from the grid to the battery or in the opposite way. A Bi-Directional Inductive Power Transfer (BDIPT) system is therefore particularly convenient in the scenario of a multi-parking area. For the E-bike application, a bicyc…
Life Cycle Assessment for Supporting Eco-Design: The Case Study of Sodium–Nickel Chloride Cells
2021
The European Union is moving towards a sustainable, decarbonized, and circular economy. It has identified seven key value chains in which to intervene, with the battery and vehicle value chain being one of them. Thus, actions and strategies for the sustainability of batteries need to be developed. Since Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a strategic tool for evaluating environmental sustainability, this paper investigates its application to two configurations of a sodium–nickel chloride cell (planar and tubular), focusing on the active material and the anode, with the purpose of identifying the configuration characterized by the lowest environmental impacts. The results, based on a “from cradle…