We present a new method for real-time render- ing of multiple recursions of reflections and refractions. The method uses the strengths of real-time ray tracing for objects close to the camera, by storing them in a per-frame constructed bounding volume hierarchy (BVH). For objects further from the camera, rasterization is used to create G-buffers which store an image-based representation of the sce

This paper proposes an alternative perspective on service quality management (SQM) based on the ecosystem of complex and dynamic service environments. First, the ways in which systems thinking and core principles of Quality Management evolved are analysed in order to understand the past, present and the future. Then, by analysing the theories, models and applications of SQM systems and business ec

The joint distribution of X and N, where N has a geometric distribution and X is the sum of N IID exponential variables (independent of N), is infinitely divisible. This leads to a bivariate Levy process {(X(t), N(t)), t >= 0}, whose coordinates are correlated negative binomial and gamma processes. We derive basic properties of this process, including its covariance structure, representations, and

Hydrocarbon autoignition has long been an area of intense fundamental chemical interest, and is a key technological process for emerging clean and efficient combustion strategies. Carbon-centered radicals containing an -OOH group, commonly denoted (center dot)QOOH radicals, are produced by isomerization of the alkylperoxy radicals that are formed in the first stages of oxidation. These (center dot

The article departs from an overarching research question: How does young people's engagement in different Internet spaces affect the development of their public orientation during adolescence? It analyses longitudinal panel data in order to explore how young people's public orientation develops during a phase in life (13–20) which is critical for political socialization. Data are derived from thr

Terrestrial ecosystems currently sequester about one third of anthropogenic CO 2 emissions each year, an important ecosystem service that dampens climate change. The future fate of this net uptake of CO 2 by land based ecosystems is highly uncertain. Most ecosystem models used to predict the future terrestrial carbon cycle share a common architecture, whereby carbon that enters the system as net p

This article considers the challenges faced by digital evidence specialists when collaborating with other specialists and agencies in other jurisdictions when investigating cyber crime. The opportunities, operational environment and modus operandi of a cyber criminal are considered, with a view to developing the skills and procedural support that investigators might usefully consider in order to r

In the days before the term “high-grade undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma” came into use, one of the most common sarcoma diagnoses was “malignant fibrous histiocytoma,” and before that, in an era before immunohistochemistry, “fibrosarcoma” was used to describe most sarcomas. “Spindle cell” is a descriptive phrase that denotes the cellular shape of many of the sarcomas encountered in the adult p

Background. Sunlight exposure and fair skin are major determinants of human vitamin D production, but they are also risk factors for cutaneous malignant melanoma (MM). There is epidemiological evidence that all-cause mortality is related to low vitamin D levels. Methods. We assessed the avoidance of sun exposure as a risk factor for all-cause mortality for 29 518 Swedish women in a prospective 20-

Animal bones from the town and castle of Sölvesborg dating to the 13th-15th century have been analysed. The study indicates social differences in food and in animal husbandry between a household in quarter Uttern and the castle. Wild game is unusual frequent represented in the bone sample from the castle. The kill-off pattern of cattle from the town, with most juvenile animals, is typical of a sel

Popular Abstract in English Sugar is the main source of energy in our bodies. If your blood sugar drops below a certain level, it can cause serious damage to your brain. On the other hand, having a very high blood sugar level for a long time can cause diabetes. For this reason, blood sugar levels in our bodies are maintained within a certain range by a group of hormones that work together. These hIslet dysfunction is central to the development and progression of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Epigenetic modifications are essential for establishing and maintaining cell identity and function in normal circumstances. Exposure to adverse environmental factors may alter the epigenome, and result in changes of gene expression and the resulting phenotype. The aim of this thesis was to analyze DNA methyla

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the cost-utility of bariatric surgery in a lifetime horizon from a Swedish health care payer perspective. A decision analytic model using the Markov process was developed covering cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and surgical complications. Clinical effectiveness and safety were based on the literature and data from the Scandinavian Obesi

We apply a class of Markov switching models (independent spike models) to six European electricity markets and two European gas markets. This paper extends the current framework by introducing Gamma distributed spikes, which improves the fit for most energy markets. The models are quite complex. The robustness of the estimates is therefore evaluated using three different estimation strategies: dir

In the World Health Organization/United Nations Children's Fund document Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative: Revised, Updated and Expanded for Integrated Care, neonatal care is mentioned as 1 area that would benefit from expansion of the original Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. The different situations faced by preterm and sick infants and their mothers, compared to healthy infants and their

Most findings on the triple helix system derive from studies based on high-tech sectors, and seldom so on traditional industries. A foresight exercise aimed at renewal of the mature food industry in the Skåne region in southern Sweden was conducted in 2006-2007. The findings suggest that a multilevel triple helix policy ought to be used in a systemic way from a bottom up perspective, including com

The Nordic countries Sweden and Denmark have a long and intertwined history. The Second World War, though, formed different experiences in the two countries that led to diverging paths in the Cold War. Denmark became a member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization, while Sweden stayed non-aligned. Thus, it can be assumed that Denmark was more likely to adopt Western foreign policies and doctrines t

Den här studien undersöker effekter av kursvärderingar i system, d.v.s. när en fakultet eller ett lärosäte implementerat ett system för att samla in studenters synpunkter på kurser och undervisning. 14 erfarna lärare från olika ämnesområden vid en svensk teknisk högskola intervjuades om sina upplevelser av att få tillbaka resultaten från kursvärderingar. Studien visar att lärarna uppskattar att få