Soviet schools of higher education have already paid a great deal of attention to the work of graduate students and have consequently made notable strides in this field. Today a good many of the country's scientists have completed courses at higher schools.


543 Background: Several reports suggest an inter-observer variability in Ki67 assessment. Nevertheless, there is no large study that evaluates the rate of discrepancies, together with their impact. Methods: Ki67 expression was assessed on 663 samples from patients with ER-positive breast cancers included in the PACS01 trial (Roche, J Clin Oncol, 2006). Ki67 staining was done using MiB1 antibody (Dako, Copenhagen, Denmark, Dilution 1:250). Prognostic and predictive values have been reported previously (Penault-Llorca, J Clin Oncol, 2009). A second central review was done by a senior breast pathologist from a French Cancer center. A discrepancy was defined as either a false positive or false negative result. Cut-off for positivity was defined at 15% according to data from Cheang et al (JNCI, 2009). Results: The rate of discrepancy was correlated with the percentage of stained tumor cells. A 10% discrepancy rate between the 2 pathologists was observed when the first pathologist reported <10% tumor cells stai...


This chapter continues the literature review aimed at completing the exploratory study that forms the basis of the final model prepared for empirical testing. The first section of this chapter defines the entrepreneurship process and discusses why acquiring skills is a key requirement of the entrepreneurial process. The chapter then proceeds to investigate the importance of the skills identified in chapter 2 in terms of their importance in each of the four main stages of the entrepreneurship process. This review further highlights other key skills that are likely to influence (positively or negatively) each stage of the entrepreneurship process. Thus this chapter presents the final model of skills that SMEs must acquire to succeed in each of the 4 stages of the entrepreneurship process.


This document corrects the final rule published August 8, 1997 (62 FR 42859), that established a methodology to update the wage index used to adjust Medicare payment rates for hospice care included in the new wage index, to be effective October 1, 1997. This notice corrects the wage index entry for Cherokee, GA.


Electrochemical techniques have been used to study the reversible insertion of sodium into hard‐carbon host structures at room temperature. In this paper we compare these results with those for lithium insertion in the same materials and demonstrate the presence of similar alkali metal insertion mechanisms in both cases. Despite the gravimetric capacities being lower for sodium than lithium insertion, we have achieved a reversible sodium capacity of 300 mAh/g, close to that for lithium insertion in graphitic carbon anode materials. Such materials may therefore be useful as anodes in rechargeable sodium‐ion batteries. © 2000 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.


TCP is the predominant technology used on the Internet to support upper layer applications with reliable data transfer and congestion control services. Furthermore, it is expected that traditional TCP applications (e.g., Internet access) will continue to constitute the major traffic component during the initial deployment of wireless mesh networks. However, TCP is known for its poor throughput performance in wireless multihop transmission environments. For this article, we conducted simulations to examine the impact of two channel interference problems, the hidden terminal and exposed terminal, on TCP transmissions over wireless mesh networks. We also propose a multichannel assignment algorithm for constructing a wireless mesh network that satisfies the spatial channel reuse property and eliminates the hidden terminal problem. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in improving the performance of TCP in wireless multihop networks.


In accordance with the performed analyses of the found situation, it can be concluded that the specific area of the Nature Park Kopacki rit and the local community presently do not benefit from this protected area in the sense of the possible development of tourism, but that the situation could be changed significantly through the development of complementary ecological and rural tourism. This requires a good strategy, investment and advertising, for which the local community has neither the staff, nor the organizational and financial capacity. It must therefore rely on the help and on the plans for the development of tourist offer proposed by the Unified Detailed Plan (JUPP) and on the regional tourist offer, both of which find their own interests in the development of tourism: improvement of programs, more accommodation facilities and numerous non-material benefits arising from cooperation with the local population (arrangement of the environment, friendly relations with the visitors, preservation of the natural wealth and its protection from damage, etc.).


Results of experimental investigations of the thermotechnical efficiency factor of solar air heaters with thermal receivers from roofing steel sheets and asbestos slates are reported. Regularities of the change in the quantity of the obtained useful heat, air heating temperature, efficiency and heat removal coefficients and efficiency factor of solar air heaters are found depending on the change in the air flow rate. Limiting values for the air velocity are determined.


background Growth without GH has been reported in patients with organic combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD) after resection of craniopharyngiomas and hypothalamic tumours or in septo‐optic dysplasia.


Electron-beam-induced conductivity (EBIC) studies were carried out on fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP) and its acrylonitrile graft copolymer (FEP-g-AN). The current transport parallel to the surface under the influence of an electron beam of medium energy (6–30 keV) is reported. The gain in EBIC is calculated and its characteristic variation as a function of beam energy is studied. Minima in the gain versus energy curves have been obtained around 21 keV for FEP, 12 and 18 keV for FEP-g-AN, and 12 keV for polyacrylonitrile (PAN). This behavior is explained by assuming the existence of electron trapping bands close to the surface, at characteristic distances below the surface of the polymeric film corresponding to the range of incident electrons. Gains of the order of 5, 12, and 30 have been obtained respectively for FEP, FEP-g-AN, and PAN for the maximum energy of incident electrons used.


ABSTRACT A cefoxitin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus strain was identified by the Cepheid GeneXpert as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). This strain was highly unstable and rapidly lost SCCmec upon subculturing in vitro, indicating that unstable MRSA is best detected by gene amplification-based methods.


This paper aims to evaluate the efficiency of Brazilian air carriers. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach is used to determine the efficiency of each airline company, comparing its outputs with available inputs. Scale of operation is taken into account. The aim is to measure each company's performance, comparing its relative efficiency to all others included in the group under investigation. It is possible to evaluate each carrier efficiency over the years (1998, 1999 and 2000), assuming that the same company is a different one in different years. Both efficiency index and targets choice are performed. The proposed approach, that uses a Multiobjective-DEA problem, allows choosing targets belonging to the feasible set of efficient companies.


Though some teachers are growing impatient with oral work in the Russian language, serious students are not. They want to speak and understand. But at the high school and junior college age they are not intrigued by patter or any semblance thereof; they seek a usable hold on the language which they can consciously expand. This desire, it has always seemed to me, is at once our challenge and our despair. It seems to us that we have not the time to satisfy academic requirements and student desire, and it is certain that we haven't the necessary materials. We better take the time, just the same, realizing that when there are no more students there will no longer be any worry about meeting academic requirements. Each individual teacher has to handle this part. But in the matter of materials, we had better collaborate. Let me hasten to remark the amplitude-'indeed the surfeit-of materials in general, and they include good texts, readers, and teaching aids. Any teacher now has a bewilderingly wide choice. There are, nevertheless, two urgent needs that have been increasingly on my mind in thirteen years of teaching Russian, and they are not filled yet. First, more easily available materials are needed for the listening practice that is all too easily slighted. Second, more voluminous materials must be offered students for tackling situations beyond the entirely superficial first dialogues. Why do we not have these things? It is partly because the needs have been overshadowed and mislaid in the storm of getting Russian started in the schools while the new language teaching techniques were coming into use. Even more, it is because the needed items exist, but in widely dispersed sources, and no one teacher can spend the time to do the required culling. During a two-year leave from classrooms, I had an opportunity to do some of the culling. The first-mentioned need received my first attention. I tried to act on it by assembling 100 stories (to which I continue to add new items). Each story was chosen for potential interest of content and near accessibility from the standpoint of vocabulary. By spotting the difficult words in each one as I reproduced the first 25 for my own use and for the


The challenges the author faced in researching into and attempting to publish a biography on her great-aunt Lisa Fitch are discussed. It is suggested that the publication of the book, which is devoid of details of the sex life of the subject, is severely constrained by the demands of the market.


The article examines the phenomenon of 'multi-vector' foreign policies that have been adopted by a variety of states in Russia and the EU common neighbourhood. It traces the origins of 'multi-vector' foreign policy to a series of asymmetric bargaining 'games' between smaller states and two competing regional powers over the terms of cooperation. During these bargaining games, they either accommodate the demands of more powerful actors to relieve external pressure, or manoeuvre between two external actors to extract concessions from and negotiate more favourable agreements with one or both. The model illustrating how 'multi-vector' states behave is tested in the case of Ukraine's energy policy in the period from 1999 to 2009.


PL systems offer many potential benefits to GPS receiver
operation. These range from extending GPS navigation
capability into extreme electronic counter measure
environments to enabling rapid acquisitions by providing
accurate timing and frequency information. PLs counter
interference by supplying signals of higher power at the
receiver antenna. This is achieved by placing PLs
relatively close to the receivers as compared to the longer
distances with satellites. The potential relative ease of
deployment and low cost make PLs a compelling solution
to address GPS receiver vulnerabilities. These additional
capabilities extend to legacy user equipment with only a
software upgrade.
There are, however, a number of fundamental challenges
that must be overcome to provide a robust PL navigation
system. These issues range from the effects of high
power PL signals (e.g. near-far problem, interference with
non-participating receivers, and co-site interference) to
the effects of short geometric ranges to the PLs (e.g. extended Kalman filter instabilities, dual navigation
solutions, and poor Dilution of Precision (DOP)
problems). Underscoring these issues are the severe GPS
system time synchronization requirements needed to
obtain an accurate navigation solution.
The tests performed during the CECOM demonstration
address these issues to the extent possible with the
prototype PL systems previously developed by Rockwell
Collins. There were two series of tests: outdoor testing
with radiated RF and laboratory testing. Table 1
describes each test performed. Testing was performed in
the Autumn and Winter of 1998. For the demonstration,
Rockwell-Collins was a subcontractor of CSC under the
C3TE&I contract with the US Army CECOM.


This case explores how the presentation of a perforated duodenal ulcer is masked by a preceding anterior spinal artery infarction.


The main goal of this paper is to present cognitive behavioral therapy as one of the treatment choices for working with children who experience disturbances in the developmental, social and emotional sphere, as well as with children who want to improve the quality of life without symptomology. The first part of the paper will present the concept of cognitive behavioral therapy, its emergence and development path in order to familiarize readers with the principles and method of work on which it rests. Further, there will be presented areas of application of cognitive behavioral therapy with children, disorders in which KBT gave the best results, as well as a description of the process of the therapy itself, by focusing on the most important steps and problems that can arise during the work. Also, we will look at some of the techniques in cognitive behavioral therapy that are most commonly used in work with children, but also on contraindicated disorders and conditions for therapeutic work. Given the fact that the paper deals with the therapeutic process with children, data will be provided on whether, how and in which way, the participation of parents or persons taking care of the child in the therapeutic process is important. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a relatively young therapeutic modality that still experiences its expansion, and we will eventually turn to the current areas as well as to the future directions of this therapy in work with children.


As physical expression of culture, clothing and ways it is dressed have multiple meanings. The matching of the cross-stitch clothing of Hua Yao women with their bodies through their physical image, the making and exchange of the clothing, and the decoration on their bodies and acceptance provides women the ethnic identity and meaningful realization of their memory. This shows how valuable the cross-stitch clothing is to Hua Yao people. It also shows the significance of protecting and preserving such customary handicraft in the listed system.


The paper describes as part of an overall flood mitigation study for the City of Fairfield, New South Wales, the investigation and use of two retarding basins on one of the creeks draining the area. Details are given of the controls in discharge and flood levels which could be achieved using the basins.


In man, the retina is known to establish important connections with the diencephalon and mesencephalon. A study of the emergence of these connections in lower forms should provide valuable information on the development and evolution of these brain stem regions. Towards this end studies on the visual system of lower vertebrates are presently a concern of this laboratory. A study on the optic system of a urodele has already been presented (Riss et al. 1963) and work on a reptile is in progress. The present paper describes the optic system of an anuran, Rana pipiens. Two different versions of the optic connections of Anura have been reported in the literature. One version (Bellonci 1888 and Wlassak 1893) described optic fibers traversing the diencephalon but terminating almost exclusively in the midbrain. The othcr viewpoint, favored by Gaupp (1899) and Herrick (1925), described the optic pathways of Anura as terminating profusely in the thalamus as well as the midbrain. Bellonci ( 1888) published one of the earliest comparative investigations on the visual system of vertebrates using normal material. His study included many different species of tailed and tailless amphibians. In the thalamus of Anura (in addition to the corporis geniculati thalami of earlier authors), he reported two hitherto undescribed areas of neuropil which are now prominently associated with optic fibers. One area of neuropil found in the anterior thalamus, dorsal to the corporis geniculati thalami, was named the anterior superior nucleus of the corporis geniculati thalami. This area was later renamed by Herrick (1925, p. 454), the nucleus of Bellonci, and still later (Herrick 1933), the neuropil of the nucleus of Bellonci. The second area of neuropil was situated in the caudal thalamus and was called, by Bellonci, the posterior


Since the reform and opening up,China's economy has developed rapidly,but the development of zhangjiakou poverty but didn't get effective thoroughly solve.Through to the Zhangjiakou field visiting survey,from the subjective factors and objective factors two categories to analyze restricting the core factor of Zhangjiakou backward economy.Objective factors include:Beijing's military defense,ecological poverty,the Beijing-Tianjin polarization effect than diffusion effect,the bad natural environment of production factors an adverse effect and restricted the development of regional agriculture.Subjective factors include:institutional poverty,intellectual poverty,market consciousness.In Zhangjiakou formulated economic development strategy should be "suit the remedy to the case" put forward reasonable suggestions,like this can promote its economy fast and continuous healthy development.


The failure detection rate (FDR) is the most common testability index used to evaluate the equipment testability level. According to the testability test theory of FDR, a widespread supposition is that the FDR value of a system is an unknown constant. However, there have been a few attempts to research the sample property of failure detection and the statistical characteristics of FDR to prove this fundamental premise. Considering the real maintenance effects on the failure occurrence process, the value of FDR catches time-varying characteristics, which can be depicted as a special statistical process. A failure occurrence model based on the non-homogeneous Poisson process (NHPP) is proposed to depict failure occurrence samples under the assumption of minimal maintenance policy. The binominal cumulative probability function (CDF) is used to depict the each failure detection action. Combining the NHPP based failure occurrence model and the failure detection model based on a binominal distribution, we can simulate the failure detection samples and statistical characteristics of FDR based on the Monte Carlo method. This paper mainly focuses on the expectation and variance of FDR, which are two key statistical characteristics. To validate the FDR time-varying characteristics, we perform a simulation using two Shop Replaceable Units in a level flight indicator of a helicopter to evaluate the FDR value. Based on theoretic and simulative methods, the FDR expectation of the level flight indicator has an increasing or decreasing tendency in the early stages and tends to be a constant in later stages, while the variation of FDR keeps monotonously decreasing. Under the assumptions made in this paper, the supposition that the FDR value of a system is a certain value is not suitable in all stages of the failure occurrence process.


The lionfish, Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758), a venomous scorpionfish, has gained popularity among aquarium owners and has recently become established along the Southeast US, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico. The primary clinical effect due to envenomation is local pain, with systemic symptoms being a rare finding. Herein is reported a rare envenomation case of a 24 year old male who presented to the Emergency Department two hours following a lionfish sting to his right hand. Within three hours of envenomation he developed paralysis of all extremities. Additional symptoms included hypertension, tachycardia, and numbness of both hands. Respiratory function and range of motion of his head and neck remained intact. Hot water immersion of the affected extremity was initiated and continued throughout most of his Intensive Care Unit stay. By eight hours post-envenomation resolution of all paralysis occurred. Lionfish envenomations are typically a pain control issue and usually respond well to hot water immersion. In vitro, lionfish venom has been demonstrated to increase intracellular calcium with resulting sustained muscle contraction. Additionally, muscle fibrillation has been shown to be induced by the release of acetylcholine followed by acetylcholine depletion and loss of muscle responsiveness. These effects may explain the observed neuromuscular weakness in this patient. Lionfish envenomation has the potential to cause profound neuromuscular weakness. Treatment with hot water immersion, wound care, and good supportive measures are generally all that is required to ensure a favorable outcome. Divers and fishers should exercise caution when handling or interacting with lionfish given the potential for systematic effects from envenomation.


Light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) is one of the leading technique for high resolution imaging. To image mouse lungs, optical sectioning and high-speed image acquisition are required. In addition, light scattering, reflection, and attenuation limit the application of light sheet microscopy in the visible region to imaging small and transparent animals and organisms. In this work, we present a light sheet microscope that works in the NIR-II wavelength range and demonstrate deep mouse lung imaging. We utilized light with excitation at 532 nm and detection in the NIR-II range of approximately 1450 nm. Our method is expected to find important applications for deep tissue imaging.


This paper provides the design and development of an Android Application for touristic content, along with a Supportive Website, focused on Western Macedonia. This application and website were created to facilitate the search of touristic information, as also the navigation at various points of interest. More specifically, through a user-friendly graphical environment and with the help of the Google Maps API platform, the user can easily, quickly and directly store a place or a tour on the website. By saving it, it is immediately available in the Mobile Application. When the user starts the application, the current location is located and the user can be easily navigated in one of the saved areas or tours. System administrators have the same capabilities as simple users but additionally, they can process or delete users, view, edit and delete all of the saved areas and tours, and make another user an admin.


This paper studied treatment of air microorganism pollution in exhibition halls of the World Exposition.If the visitor current were 400 people per hour,the production rate of microorganism aerosol would be 44000 cfu/ h·m3.If medium effect air filters was adopted in centralized air conditioning system,the content of air microorganism would be 4406 cfu/m3.It was still higher than the "Quality Standard of Room Air"(2500 cfu/m3),so air disinfection technology must be utilized.The research indicated that increase of medium effect air filter could reduce the content of microorganism in room air.


Low - Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) is the most important marker for the treatment of hyperlip-idemia in NCEP - ATP III(National Cholesterol Education Program - Adult Treatment Panel III) guideline. Therefore, LDL cholesterol is pathologically meaningful, accurate measurement should be a top priority. Currently, LDLC is directly measured in most cases, but, the estimate is still used in mass health ex-amination or screening test. This study is about the comparison of LDL - Cholesterol direct measurement with the estimate using various formula (Friedewald: [LDL - F=TC - HDL - TG/5], Nakajima: [LDL - N=TC HDL - TG/4], Hattori: [LDL - H =0.94TC - 0.94HDL - 0.19TG], Puavilai: [LDL - P=TC - HDL - TG/6], Carvalho: [LDL - C=3(TC - HDL)/4]) for calculating more accurate value. We analyzed total cholesterol (TC), try-glyceride (TG), high - density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), and LDLC levels of 210 subjects between June and November in 2011. Until now, the Friedewald formula is the most commonly used estimate for the LDLC. When Friedewald formula was applied, the correlation coefficient (r) was 0.940, showing high correlation. But, the result of the direct method was significantly different, compared with those of the Friedewald formula in triglyceride levels≥400 mg/dL(p<0.05). There was the highest correlation when we used LDL - P formula(r=0.947) in triglyceride levels <400 mg/dl. Also there was the lowest mean difference regardless of triglyceride level. Therefore, the study showed that TG/6 is more precise means of calculation than TG/5. On the other hand, the calculation of LDL - Cholesterol was underestimated, compared with direct measurement. It is necessary to have more data and modified Friedewald formula should be used for the accurate calculation.


Advancements in machine vision that enable detailed inferences to be made from images have the potential to transform many sectors including agriculture. Precision agriculture, where data analysis enables interventions to be precisely targeted, has many possible applications. Precision spraying, for example, can limit the application of herbicide only to weeds, or limit the application of fertiliser only to undernourished crops, instead of spraying the entire field. The approach promises to maximise yields, whilst minimising resource use and harms to the surrounding environment. To this end, we propose a hierarchical panoptic segmentation method to simultaneously identify indicators of plant growth and locate weeds within an image. We adapt Mask2Former, a state-of-the-art architecture for panoptic segmentation, to predict crop, weed and leaf masks. We achieve a PQ{\dag} of 75.99. Additionally, we explore approaches to make the architecture more compact and therefore more suitable for time and compute constrained applications. With our more compact architecture, inference is up to 60% faster and the reduction in PQ{\dag} is less than 1%.


Model predictive control has been applied to control of a combined heat and power plant. One of the main features of this plant is that it exhibits nonlinear process behavior due to large throughput swings. In this application, the operating window of the plant has been divided into a number of smaller windows in which the nonlinear process behavior has been approximated by linear behavior. For each operating window, linear step weight models were developed from a detailed nonlinear first principles model, and the model prediction is calculated based on interpolation between these linear models. The model output at each operating point can then subsequently be calculated from four basic linear models, and the required control action can subsequently be calculated with the standard model predicative control approach using quadratic programming.


No REFERENCE to molluscum contagiosum can be found in the Canadian medical literature of the past twenty years. Nevertheless, the disease is not unknown, since the pathologist1 of a large general hospital in Winnipeg has reported nine biopsy specimens as molluscum contagiosum in the past nine years. White and Robey,2 writing in 1902, give a very comprehensive review of the literature up to that date, and attribute the original description of the disease to Bateman; it is contained in a book written in 1817. Until 1910 the disease was believed to be limited to the British Isles. Walker3 states, "This disease appears to be entirely British, no case of it having as yet been recorded, insofar as we are at present acquainted, in the records of anv other country"; he was the first to attribute its spread to the use of public baths. However, by 1915 cases were being reported4 from the continent of Europe; and the disease is now known to be world-wide in distribution. Before the Second World War, Low5 diagnosed about two cases of molluscum contagiosum in every thousand patients he saw at the skin department of the Edinburgh Royal Infilmary; during the war, there were about half as many. It is not improbable that the incidence in Manitoba is of the same order of magnitude. The disease is mainly seen by dermatologists, pediatricians and ophthalmologists but a number of cases have been reported in which the condition seems to be venereal in origin.4' 6-9 The present case is of this nature and is recorded to help to establish molluscum contagiosum venereum as a definite clinical entity. The disease has numerous synonyms, and Ormsby and Montgomery6 list the following: molluscum sebaceum, epithelioma contagiosum, molluscum epithiale, and acne varioliforme (Bazin). An excellent description of the clinical appearance of the lesion is given by Pillsbury, Shelley and Kligman,'0 who state that the small typical lesion can hardly be mistaken for anything else. It is a slightly bulbous, sessile papule, the surface of which is umbilicated. The normal colour is yellow to pink. The usual diameter of the lesion is between 2 and 5 mm. but lesions of much larger size, up to 1.5 cm. or more, have been reported. Long-standing lesions sometimes become inflammatory at the base and may resemble furuncles, presumably because of


The main challenges in the gaze estimation task are the variations in head poses, eye shapes and inner eye structures amongst individuals. Conventional methods have proposed many techniques to reduce these variations. One of the most adopted techniques is the normalization method which realigns the head pose to remove the roll component of head pose. However, this global transformation, which forces the eye to move with the other part of the face together, violates the human anatomy as eyeballs are controlled separately by the surrounding muscles. These muscles restrain the eyeball to be horizontally stable even when the head is tilted in a natural pose. In this work, we propose a novel method to model this counter-rolling effect and use it to remove the error from the normalization step. Experiments validate our approach, which outperforms state-of-the-art eye-image-only gaze estimation methods.


A new type of "dual-contact" structure of vacuum interrupter is proposed in the paper. It consists of main contact and arc contact, which are used to carry rated current and break short circuit current, respectively. During the closing/opening of vacuum circuit breaker, arc contact is first closed and post breaking, however, main contact is post closed and first breaking. So there must be the current transfer process. In this paper, during the breaking process of vacuum circuit breaker, a model of current transfer is used in the investigation of current transfer, and the maximum possible current transfer time is obtained. This analysis is helpful to the research of large current vacuum interrupters with dual-contact.


This paper presents the conceptual design and testing of a bio-inspired locomotion system activated through ionic-type conducting polymer actuators, which can operate both in dry and wet environments. The locomotion system is proposed for a mini autonomous crawling device for applications typified by pipe inspection, search, inspection and data gathering in confined spaces, which require mini-robotic systems. The locomotion system is based on the cilia, which has a simple planar bending motion. This type of motion can be provided by bending-type polymer actuators (one-end fixed and the other-end free cantilever beam). The actuators mounted on a printed circuit board and powered according to a gait design similar to the motion of biological cilia create the legged locomotion system. As the actuators require a low electric power and have a small foot-print (no sophisticated electronics and any transmission mechanisms), they are especially suitable to establish wireless autonomous mini-robotic systems. The design methodology presented in this paper is offered as a guide to establish functional devices based on bio-inspiration and conducting polymer actuators. The successful testing of the propulsion concept in the prototype demonstrates that conducting polymer actuators, when engineered properly, can be used to build functional devices.


Ecological environment is an important external condition for subsistence and development of human being, and urbanization is an important engine to promote regional economy and social development, and whether they can become an organic combination would be crucial for the western region to ensure sustainable development in economy and society. The paper presents the corresponding solution including change of idea about ecology, improvement of environment for urban development, planning in a scientific and reasonable way, upgrading urban evolution system, carrying on industrial transformation, enhancement of the momentum for urban development, building "Two Oriented" society so as to increase urban development quality after analysis of various restrictive factors in development of urbanization in western region under the ecological environment restriction.


The brachistochrone of an electric ball in the electromechanical coupling field was investigated according to variational method,and the corresponding governing equation(Euler-Lagrange equation) was derived.For the two-point value problem with strong nonlinearity,the shooting method was adopted,and the fastest dropping lines of the electric ball were obtained when the direction and intensity of the electric field were changed.At the same time,when the brachistochrone is a linear line,the relation between the direction and intensity of the electric field was discussed in detail.Furthermore,the total consuming time of the fast dropping in this case was calculated.The results indicate that the brachistochrone of an electric ball can be modulated quantitatively by the external field.


DT4 pure iron pipe was prepared by argon arc welding and cold rolling,and then annealing for several times.To achieve high corrosion resistance for DT4 pure iron pipe in service,electroless nickel phosphorous plating was performed on the surface,and cold rolling was carried out once more to improve the properties of the Ni-P coatings.The results indicat that annealing process reduces the weld defects and residual stress of DT4 pipes,and provides favorable substrate for the electroless plating.The additional cold rolling decreases the porosity of the coating and increases the adhesion of the coatings to the substrate plane,and hence improves the corrosion resistance.


This article adopts CCTV new site construction as the background,introduces deformation surveying and observation program of the turret 1 and the turret 2.Horizontal and vertical deformation observation control network and building inner control network are established based on current situation;Aaccording to location and characteristics of the monitoring point,horizontal-displacement monitoring adopts internal and external observation methods;vertical monitoring adopts geometry leveling and static leveling methods to measure.They are to ensure the precision and reliability of the monitoring results.This article also makes a useful exploration to deformation observation of the tilt skyscraper in theory and practice.


The unique properties of amorphous semiconductors and the advantages of producing them by means of thin-film processes, which do not limit their size and which make them adaptable to integration with other solid-state device technologies, have made these materials the basis for a new area of science and technology. Applications of amorphous semiconductors, either realized or anticipated, include a very wide spectrum, such as xerography (1) , i mage converters and intensifiers, switching and memory devices (2-4) , continuous dynode electron multipliers (channeltron) (5), optical mass memories (6) , phase contrast holograms (7, 8) , high -energy particle detectors (9) , infrared lenses, ultrasonic delay lines (10) , and microfiche transparencies ( 1 1) . This is an impressive list since the scientific understanding of amor phous semiconductors today compares with that of crystalline semiconduc tors in the early 1950s. The list of important applications, as well as the scientific interest in this field, is rapidly expanding. Yet the complexity of the problem of formulating a theory of solids without the mathematical simplicity introduced by long range order, symmetry, and periodicity has kept this field on the level of an empirical science until recently. What have amorphous semiconductors in common with crystalline semi conductors? Except that they are not metals or insulators, very little. Two important aspects of crystalline semiconductors are missing in their vitreous counterparts. The first is the possibility of changing the conductivity of crystalline semiconductors by many orders of magnitude by impurity doping. The second is the possibility of forming p-n junctions by choosing different doping elements. The reason for this is simply the following. In a crystalline semiconductor a donor or acceptor doping element acts as such because it is forced to take the place of a crystalline host atom and hence has either an excess or a defi ciency of a valence electron. In an amorphous semiconductor, on the other


As a controversial topic in developed and developing countries, migration has been a dynamic field explained on the basis of cause and effect by economists. Migration is the movement of people from one settlement to another. In all countries, migration occurs as the result of economic, social, and political causes. In Turkey, the migration from east to the west mostly results from regional and provincial disparities. The advancement and industrialization of western provinces in comparison to the eastern provinces is deemed a critical factor in the rise of Turkey's internal wave of migration. As a result, it became necessary to analyze the migration-triggering factors on a provincial basis. In this study, determinants of the net migration level in the NUTS 3 level of 81 provinces in Turkey for the year 2000 have been estimated by using a spatial probit model. Findings demonstrate the positive and significant effects of industrialization, welfare, and human capital on the level of net migration. Another finding of this research is that there is spatial dependence between provinces.


The biological and geological survey of Clipperton Island in 1958 resulted as an important by-product of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) expedition DOLDRUMS under John Knauss. Emphasis was placed upon descriptive biology and geology of the islands. Daily weather observations and sea conditions were, however, recorded.


Piezo-photocatalysis is a frontier technology for converting mechanical and solar energies into crucial chemical substances, and has emerged as a promising and sustainable strategy for N2 fixation. In this study, for the first time, we synergize defects and piezoelectric field to achieve unprecedented piezo-photocatalytic nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR) activity and unravel their collaborative catalytic mechanism over BaTiO3 with tunable oxygen vacancies (OVs). The introduced OVs change the local dipole state to strengthen the piezoelectric polarization of BaTiO3 , resulting in a more efficient separation of photogenerated carrier. Ti3+ sites adjacent to OVs promote N2 chemisorption and activation through d-π back-donation with the help of the unpaired d-orbital electron. Furthermore, a piezoelectric polarization field could modulate the electronic structure of Ti3+ to facilitate the activation and dissociation of N2 , thereby substantially reducing the reaction barrier of the rate-limiting step. Benefitting from the synergistic reinforcement mechanism and optimized surface dynamics processes, an exceptional piezo-photocatalytic NH3 evolution rate of 106.7 μmol g-1 h-1 is delivered by BaTiO3 with moderate OVs, far surpassing that of previously reported piezocatalysts/piezo-photocatalysts. This study provides new perspectives for the rational design of an efficient piezo-photocatalytic system for the NRR. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


Natural catalyts have ability to catalyze chemical reactions with high specificity, stereoand regio-selectivity under moderate conditions (i.e., lower temperature and pressure, near-neutral pH). However, they have some drawbacks such as high cost of enzyme isolation and purification, low operational stability due to denaturation under harsh reaction conditions. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) based biomimetic catalysts can overcome these drawbacks of the natural enzymes. Thus, creation of artificial catalysts that can provide catalytic properties of natural enzymes has attracted scientists' attention.


Introduction, Tunc Aybak the politics of oil in the Black Sea area - Turkey and regional power rivalries, Bulent Gokay Black Sea economic cooperation (BSEC) and Turkey - extending European integration to the east?, Tunc Aybak the Black Sea world as a unit of analysis, Eyup Ozveren Ukraine and the Black Sea region, Tor Bukkvoll security cooperation in the Black Sea basin, Plamen Pantev can the marine and coastal environment of the Black Sea be protected?, Laurence David Mee Russia and the Black Sea realities, Nicolai A. Kovalsky cooperation and conflict in the North Caucasus, Svante E. Cornell appendices.


Nonbearing Myrobalan 3-J (Prunus cerasifera Ehrh.) plum trees were maintained at 35 klx, 25°C, and 70% relative humidity in aerated nutrient solutions. Net nitrate uptake (NU) was not reduced during 10 hours of darkness. With defoliation, NU declined within 20 hours, reaching about 50% in 50 hours. The metabolism required for nutrient uptake was presumably supported during darkness by substrate reserves. The lower NU following defoliation is consistent with the view that leaves are important reservoirs of substrate and/or hormones.


Traditional fish farming carried out in wetland is declining in many countries of Mediterranean Europe. This decline can lead to a lack of management of the reeds that tend to age progressively. In this work we compared, through a wide temporal range (2001-2019), the densities of four habitat-specialized birds (warblers), strictly linked to Phragmites australis reed-beds in a coastal wetland on the Tyrrhenian central Italy. In this wetland, following the abandonment of fish farming, the average density of reeds significantly decreased, and both the average reed diameter and habitat heterogeneity showed a significant increase. Comparing 2001 to 2019, we observed an increase in the total density of breeding warblers. The two species of Acrocephalus (scirpaceus and arundinaceus), and Cettia cetti showed a marked increase in density, while Cisticola juncidis showed a clear decrease. More particularly, a significant increase in Cettia cetti (p < 0.001) and a decrease in Cisticola juncidis (p < 0.05) emerged when comparing bird biomasses. Species diversity and evenness were more high in 2019 than in 2001. Our data suggest that: (i) these species could be considered indicators of long-term reed-bed changes and (ii) their biomass may be used as a more effective metric when compared to abundance.


From the arising of the stone materials,the paper takes the three basic functions of the stone materials as the main line,that is,structural function,the maintenance function and the decoration function,explores the function of the stone materials will change along the development of the times,and points out the typical performance of the materials can be exerted by utilizing their advantages reasonably,so as to make it be the model for the design.


Background and purpose: The concept of temperament (Mizaj) is one of the most important concepts in traditional Persian medicine. Many prescriptions for maintaining health, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases are based on the specified temperament (Mizaj) of each person that varies from one person to another. Achieving standard methods for determining the temperament (Mizaj) is one of the main priorities of research in traditional Persian medicine. The fuzzy decision tree is one of the intelligent algorithms for data classification. The conclusion tree is the process of using specific examples and reaching a general model whose purpose is to learn how to classify the samples. Methods and Materials: In this paper, the data related to temperament (Mizaj) was used for data mining and modeling of the temperament (Mizaj) diagnosis. To this end, the fuzzy decision tree was trained with fuzzy ID3 algorithm. Results: Two trees were made for warmness/coldness and wetness/dryness. The produced rules were evaluated by traditional Persian medicine practitioners regarding their clinical application and accuracy. Conclusion: This was the first research in the field of diagnostic intelligence in traditional Persian medicine which can be used at the operational level by the experts of the field. Moreover, it can accept other research fields using optimization and other intelligent algorithms and even manipulative diagnostics.


Computed Tomography (CT scan) is a medical imaging procedure that utilizes computer-processed X-rays to produce tomography images or 'slices' of specific areas of the body. These cross-sectional images are used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in various medical disciplines. Image processing uses for detecting for objects of CT images. Edge detection; which is a method of determining the discontinuities gray level images, is a very important initial step in Image processing. Many classical edge detectors have been developed over time. Some of the well-known edge detection operators based on the first derivative of the image are Roberts, Prewitt, Sobel which are traditionally implemented by convolving the image with masks. Also Gaussian distribution has been used to build masks for the first and second derivative. However, this distribution has a limit to only symmetric shape. This paper will use to construct the masks. The Weibull distribution which was more general than Gaussian because it has symmetric and asymmetric shape. The constructed masks are applied to images and we obtained good results.


The physical simulative experiment and core analysis of contrast wells in different development stage were used to illustrate different type of reservoirs in continental faulted basin.The variable features of parameters in the different development stage of microcosmic reservoir were investigated,and the evolvement mechanism of microcosmic reservoir was revealed.The parameters in flow field of microcosmic reservoirs with different origin developed in continental faulted basin changed regularly with increment of water cut in oil field.The propping manner of granule in microcosmic skeleton field turned from close type into the unconsolidated one.The content of clay mineral and small particle in strata was reduced gradually and enriched in local area.The heterogeneity of microcosmic pore throat network field was enhanced.The parameters for controlling the ability of fluid flowing in seepage field were better.The lipophilicity of reservoir rock was weakened.The changing mechanism of lipophilicity of reservoir rock was unchangeable.


An empirical formula for the computation of daylight factor has been developed from formulae proposed by Pleijel, Dresler and Arndt. The formula, like those from which it was derived, assumes that light is inter-reflected in rooms in accordance with the theory of the integrating sphere. Light entering a room through a window is considered in two parts, (a) that received directly from the sky or by reflection from obstructions above the horizon, and (b) light received by reflection from the ground. In determining the first reflected flux in the room, the sky and obstruction flux referred to under (a) above is modified by the average reflection factor of the floor and certain lower parts of the walls. The ground flux referred to under (b) above is modified by the average reflection factor of the ceiling and by certain upper parts of the walls. These two components of first reflected flux are then added and the theory of the integrating sphere applied. This formula lends itself easily to simple forms of calculation such as a nomogram or slide-rule type of calculator. It is shown to give results approximating closely to measured values. It is therefore put forward as a tool for use by architects and lighting engineers for the calculation of daylight factor where great precision is not required.


A 22-year-old African-American woman who has been dialysis dependent for four months due to hypertensive kidney disease is referred for kidney transplantation evaluation. Due to the recent occlusion of her left forearm arteriovenous graft, she is currently being dialyzed via a right internal jugular tunneled catheter. Her medications include methyldopa 250 mg bid, Tums 1000 mg with each meal and erythropoietin with dialysis. The patient is single without children, unemployed and lives with her 38 year old mother. She does not smoke or drink. Her review of systems is unremarkable. On physical exam, her weight is 284 pounds, height is 5 feet 2 inches and her body mass index is 51.9 kg/m2. The blood pressure is 130/80 and the cardiac and pulmonary exams are unremarkable. The surgeon feels she is otherwise a good candidate for transplantation except she must lose weight before being listed. What advice should she be given regarding weight loss?


Background: Propolis as a natural remedy has maintained its popularity over long periods of time. The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition in terms of total phenolic compounds and flavonoids present in Chinese propolis and to carry out an in vitro evaluation of its antimicrobial activity and the minimal inhibitory concentrations for Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa). Materials and Methods: From the ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP), total phenol content was determined by the Folin–Ciocalteau method, flavones and flavonols by the modified aluminum chloride colorimetric method, and flavanones by the 2.4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (2,4-DNP) method. Agar well diffusion assay was used to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of propolis against Pg and Aa. The minimum inhibitory concentration of propolis against the two bacteria was determined using serial tube dilution technique. Results: The total concentration of phenol in the EEP was 19.44%, flavones and flavonols 2.616%, and flavanones 16.176%. The inhibitory zone depicting antimicrobial activity ranged from 18 to 25 mm for Pg and from 12 to 14 mm for Aa. The concentration range of Chinese propolis that is sensitive to inhibit the growth of Pg was 0.1–0.0125 μg/ml and for Aa it was 0.1–0.025 μg/ml. Conclusion: These data suggest that Chinese propolis has potent antimicrobial activity against the two periodontopathogens, suggesting its possible use as a natural alternative to the widely used synthetic antibiotics for periodontal therapy.


There are strong co-relations between material assignment, shape, and functionality of a part in overall product/assembly. However, these strong co-relations are rarely exploited for automated material assignment. We present a probabilistic graphical model-based approach to automatically assign materials to the parts (components) of a 3D object (assembly). The presented model performs material assignment by identifying the relations between shape, functionality, and materials of parts in the existing database objects. By learning the context dependent correlation without supervision from a set of objects and their segmented parts, the learned model can be used to assign proper real materials to the parts of a query object. Our primary contributions are: a) the real materials definition and assignment and b) assigning materials based on the functionality and form of the parts in the object. The performance of proposed computational approach is demonstrated by results of material assignment on various query objects without pre-specified material definitions.© 2014 ASME


The present invention discloses a kind of frozen tilapia mossambica fish fillets containing freezing protective agent trehalose and its processing method. Said processing method includes the following steps: making the tilapia mossambica fish undergo the processes of cleaning dressing, boning, skinning and filleting treatments, then adding protective agent to treat fish fillets, taking out said fish fillets, draining to remove excess solution and freezing below-18 deg.C so as to obtain the invented frozen tilapia mossambica fish fillets. The described protective agent is an aqueous solution containing trehalose, glycine and sodium chloride.


Body area networks (BANs) are networks of medical devices implanted within or worn on the human body. Analysis and verification of BAN designs require (i) early feedback on the BAN design and (ii) high-confidence evaluation of BANs without requiring any hazardous, intrusive, and costly deployment. Any design of BAN further has to ensure (i) the safety of the human body, that is, limiting any undesirable side-effects (e.g., heat dissipation) of BAN operations (involving sensing, computation, and communication among the devices) on the human body, and (ii) the sustainability of the BAN operations, that is, the continuation of the operations under constrained resources (e.g., limited battery power in the devices) without requiring any redeployments. This article uses the Model Based Engineering (MBE) approach to perform design and analysis of BANs. In this regard, first, an abstract cyber-physical model of BANs, called BAN-CPS, is proposed that captures the undesirable side-effects of the medical devices (cyber) on the human body (physical); second, a design and analysis tool, named BAND-AiDe, is developed that allows specification of BAN-CPS using industry standard Abstract Architecture Description Language (AADL) and enables safety and sustainability analysis of BANs; and third, the applicability of BAND-AiDe is shown through a case study using both single and a network of medical devices for health monitoring applications.


AbstractThe degradation of Reactive Red 3 dye (RR3) by Photocatalytic Wet Peroxidation (PCWPO) on Fe-RH-MCM-41 (Si/Fe = 10) catalyst, a mesoporous molecular sieve prepared by direct hydrothermal technique was studied. Rice husk silica was used as silica precursor. The catalyst was investigated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray Fluorescence spectrophotometer, BET and UV-DRs techniques. The catalyst activity was designed by Box–Behnken design (BBD). The effects of initial pH of the solutions, initial H2O2 concentrations and reaction temperature in PCWPO process were investigated by BBD. The characterized results indicate a surface area of about 801 m2/g and indicate that ferric was not detected on the surface of RH-MCM-41. Initial pH of dye solution and temperature of reaction were found to be significant on RR3 removal while initial concentration of H2O2 was found to be insignificant. The maximum condition was 48.375 mM for initial H2O2 concentration, 50°C for reaction temperature, and 3 for initial pH of the so...


ABSTRACT Scholars who have been writing on the problems of classifying the oral song genres of Africa have tended to be inflexible. The oral song has been approached using functionalist and other anthropological theories. While these theories have shed some light on the nature of African oral song, this has been at the expense of exploring the actual song texts in their own right. This paper samples and explores some selected songs from the iSiXhosa cultural traditions by means of textual analysis. The paper intends to show that song genres cross-pollinate each other and that the recurrent themes in the songs contextualize and underpin the social and philosophical lives of the Xhosa people. Since the Xhosa people are differentiated in terms of age, class and gender, it follows that the themes of the songs reflect and mediate this reality. Songs can suggest new themes or can be interpreted in new ways which, when accepted in the Xhosa community, can then become dominant and recurrent ways of interpreting reality.


Bernard Gert's The Moral Rules is an original and important book that radically alters our perspective in moral philosophy. Its impact, if it receives the attention it deserves, should be considerable, for it is unlikely that anyone, having given due consideration to Gert's arguments, could go on doing ethics in quite the same way as he had done before, whether or not he found the arguments all finally convincing.


This LibGuide is a collection of information about subject liaisons in academic libraries. What are the current models that work? What are the duties of these liaisons?
by Lori Harrison


IN order to evaluate alternative stabilization policies, it is necessary to-ascertain the properties of the system into which these policies are to be introduced. Since this is very difficult in economics, the usual practice is to postulate simple systems which are amenable to analysis by general methods, and then to consider the impact of various stabilization policies on these systems. Such an approach led Baumol, for example, to conclude that "policies automatic or not which appear to be properly designed may very well turn out to aggravate fluctuations" [2, p. 21]. This somewhat pessimistic conclusion was suggested by an analysis of the transient response of a deterministic linear system. The question naturally arises whether results similar to those derived by Baumol also hold for stochastic systems. The purpose of this paper is to extend the tools and results derived by Baumol to a linear stochastic system. Since attention will be focussed on the stochastic response of the system, this paper can be viewed as an elaboration of some of the problems discussed by Friedman [5] in connection with stabilization policy. In the next section, some of the properties of stochastic linear systems and linear stabilization policies are described. Methods which may be used to evaluate alternative stabilization policies are considered in section III. The paper concludes with several comments on the implications of minimum-variance stabilization policies.


Three studies are reported, which attempt operational and constructive replications of a report by Schuster (1999), supporting a scapegoating model of victimization. Peer nominations of victims, and bullies, were obtained from pupils aged 8 to 13 years in 67 classes. In only 27 classes (40%) were one or two victims identified by Schuster's original criterion, and fewer when using a criterion of approximately one standard deviation above the mean. The distribution of victims over classes approached that expected by a chance model of individual risk factors, possibly moderated (or exacerbated) by the number of bullies in a class, as well as the broader social context within which such risk factors operate. The findings do not support Schuster's scapegoating theory of victimization; the implications for school-based intervention are considered.


The main objective of this study is to narrate the findings of the anthropological field experiences of the authoraround the story of development of the Lodhas who were designated as a' criminal tribe' by the British colonialists. The second related aim of this research is to advance some recommendations about how a better implementation of the governmental schemes could be made to bring confidence among the community for the improvement in their living conditions.


Kagarlitsky comes from a neo-Marxist background and his work has a more political economic and societal slant. He makes no secret of the fact that he is trying to found a grounding for social democratic politics in Russia, and his normative enterprise lurks behind his analysis. Nevertheless, this is a rattling good read with an excellent recent history/narrative and some wonderful side-swipes at the 'pseudo' democratic intelligentsia and their mirror opposites, the 'false patriots'. The usual cast of 'baddies', in the shape of 'the family' and 'the oligarchs', prevail and Kagarlitsky's hope – that the people and the workers will wake up and initiate a new revolutionary cycle – looks like wishful thinking emanating from his normative dreams rather than his sharp and entertaining analysis, which places the main causes of Russia's problems squarely in the arena of a semi-peripheral state condemned to play out its assigned role in the global division of labour. However, there is no deus ex machina in the shape of a Lenin to rescue them, only the rather sad shape of Gennadi Zyuganov.


Beam blockage by local obstacles is frequently unavoidable in urban antenna sites. To efficiently minimize its effect analysis of the scattering problem is desirable. If the antenna pattern is omnidirectional and large in wavelengths a uniform geometrical theory of diffraction solution can be obtained which can be supplemented by slope diffraction for antennas of low directivity. For a directive antenna beam slope diffraction is usually inadequate but the omnidirectional source solution can be converted to a beam source solution by the complex source point method. Antenna patterns consisting of more than a single beam require a less simple approach. It has already been shown that antenna patterns with sidelobes can be synthesized from arrays of Gaussian beams (Einziger et al., 1986) and this representation applies to both near and far radiation patterns of the apertures. Here such arrays of complex sources of appropriate amplitude and phase are used to calculate the scattering patterns of a local obstacle such as a half plane. For each source in the array the exact solution for the far field, a line source in the presence of a half plane is used so the total scattered field, which is the superposition of these elementary scattering solutions, is as accurate as the representation of the true antenna pattern by the synthesized pattern.


Recent advances in distributed machine learning show theoretically and empirically that, for many models, provided workers would participate in the synchronizations eventually, i) the training still converges, even if only p workers take part in each round of synchronization, and ii) a larger p generally leads to a faster rate of convergence. These findings shed light on eliminating the bottleneck effects of parameter synchronization in large-scale data-parallel distributed training, having motivated several optimization designs.In this paper, we focus on optimizing the parameter synchronization for peer-to-peer distributed learning, in which workers generally broadcast or multicast their updated parameters to others for synchronization, and propose SELMCAST, an expressive and Pareto-optimal multicast receiver selection algorithm, to achieve the goal. Compared with the state-of-the-art design that randomly selects exactly p receivers for each worker's multicast in a bandwidth-agnostic way, SELMCAST chooses receivers based on the global view of their available bandwidth and loads, yielding two advantages. Firstly, it could optimize the bottleneck sending rate, thus cutting down the time cost of parameter synchronization. Secondly, when more than p receivers are with sufficient bandwidth, they would be selected as many as possible, bringing benefits to the convergence of training. Extensive evaluations show that SELMCAST is efficient and always achieves near-optimal performance.


Related to the need to change the city's image, related to major sports events held in Rio de Janeiro, especially the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, new public policies have been implemented to improve security and mobility. Important changes have been made in the favelas with the help of the Police Peace Units (PPUs) related to security and major mobility construction works. This new environment has had a strong influence on a new process associated with the development of tourism in these areas. It is an activity widely used to increase cities' income and it is evident that tourism in the favelas follows a similar process to what happens in traditional tourist cities, such as thematization and scenarization based on models existing in other well-known, traditional tourist areas.


Vibration of a laminated composite plate with a single and closing delamination is analysed in the present paper by using the finite element method. The delamination of layers is modelled by using additional boundary conditions in the delamination front. Contact forces between delaminated layers are also considered in the model by applying a node-to-node contact model. The influence of the delamination length and position on changes in natural frequencies and modes of vibrations of the plate are investigated in the paper. In the present study the plate is excited to vibrate by a harmonic force or by a force impulse and the resulting time series are analysed using FFT. Results of numerical calculations are verified and compared against experimental data obtained for laminated composite plates with delaminations.


[MoVO(Z-cys-Pro-Leu-cys-OMe)2]− was synthesized by the (1:2) reaction of [MoVO(SPh)4]− with Z-Cys-Pro-Leu-Cys-OMe. The complex consists of two isomers which exhibit different visible, ESR, and Raman spectra and electrochemical properties. A novel tetradentate peptide complex with parallel peptide orientation, (NEt4)[MoVO cyclohexylene-cis-1,2-bis(amido-cys-Pro-Leu-cys-OMe) ] was similarly synthesized in solution at 273 K. The ESR signals at gx = 1.961, gy = 1.981 and gz = 2.028 were found to coincide with those of one of the two isomers. The parallel coordination of two Cys-X-Y-Cys ligands to MoVO3+ ion provides a remarkable ease in one-electron reduction through the positive shift of the redox potential relative to the anti-parallel coordination.


The Endeavour replica is a fully functioning, educational museum whether alongside our wharf or making a passage, says crewmember Anthony Longhurst. Not a day goes by without someone learning something. Here he tells us what many thousands of sea miles have taught us about 18th-century, squarerigger sail handling.


This paper is to foster the activities of local sports clubs for the development of Sport for all and to suggest fundamental data needed to establish the future-oriented policies on Sport for all. To achieve these goals, we researched 50 athletic scholars each in Daejon City, Chungnam Province and in Seoul. Through this research with Delphi, our conclusions are as follows; First, we need to establish a cultivating system for physical directors who are able to predict scientifically and systematically in accordance with the demand for sport for all. Second, we need to have competent physical directors with various specializations and backgrounds. Third, we need to develop a system to determine usability. This should be posted in the right places so that their potential may be utilized to the fullest. Forth, we should develop a sports club test for each event, area, people and level so as to more easily select proper events for all. Fifth, we need to consider the participants` improvements in health. People who have interest in but lack physical exercise will gradually benefit. Sixth, facilities should be installed reasonably and managed efficiently in direct proportion to their principle usage. Equal distribution per area and a sufficient number of participants are needed. Seventh, the government, a local self-governing body, or a private corporation needs to build multiple sports utilities based on the local characteristics of its regional citizens. Eighth, we need to advertise the value and importance of sports for all through newspapers, magazines, television or other mass media. Ninth, advertisements reflecting the need for physical exercise are needed to attract a diverse and specialized society. Tenth, advertisements should cope well with the increase of information needed for sport for all via computer internet service.


The management of information technology: this section will cover assessment of present practice, development of improved practice, planning and implementation. Assessment of existing IT management practice. Evaluation of IT: methods of assessing the value of the existing and potential investment in IT to organizations; the determination of the proper IT costs; who should cost IT; who pays for IT, how are costs recovered. Organizational change and development needed to properly exploit IT. Corporate strategies to achieve alignment of IT and corporate business goals; the methods, tools and techniques that are used to achieve effective IT strategies. Systems design and development methodologies and techniques. Implementation of IT systems. Management awareness of the potential of IT, and of competitor's investment in IT, the level of investment necessary and how to achieve this level. Management yalue, e.g. Strassman's return on management.


Introduction: Verapamil is a potent calcium channel blocker (CCB) used to treat a variety of common cardiovascular abnormalities including hypertension, angina pectoris and supraventricular arrhythmias. Th e principal eff ects of verapamil are on the cardiovascular system where it decreases atrioventricular conduction and has a negative inotropic eff ect. Case report: A 33-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency department due to an intentional overdose of verapamil. She appeared to be lethargic and developed hypotension, A-V dissociation and circulatory failure. She recovered with the appropriate use of symptomatic and supportive therapy. Th e patient received a total of 24 g of calcium gluconate within 24 hours. Smaller amounts of calcium gluconate (1 to 2 g) or larger doses over prolonged periods of time (24 g in 44 hrs) have been administered in other cases described in the literature. Conclusions: Large doses of calcium are eff ective and safe in the treatment of verapamil intoxication when given continuously with adequate monitoring.


Various parameters influencing the extractable gas content were investigated with the help of improved equipment for high-vacuum extraction experiments. Investigations of a tube melting tank, of the homogeneity of gas distribution in a TV screen and gob and of laboratory melts with different fining agents are described in detail. The different degassing behavior of different glass types are also described. It could be shown that the complex influence of technological and chemical factors determines the amount of physically and chemically dissolved gases. With experience in the analytical procedure, the use of statistical methods of data processing and the knowledge of technological parameters, it is possible to give hints for melting process control


Among I I healthy male college students, we investigated respiro-circulatory responses dur ing arm and leg ergometry of the maximum voluntary exercise for similar period using the same bicycle ergometer. Performed ergometry time (Time) and rate of percieved exertion (RPE) were both similar be tween arm and leg ergometry. The percentage of upper exercise to lower exercises was 65% in oxygen uptake (VO2/W), 90% in heart rate (HR) and 38% in work rate. Arms ergometry showed a significantly smaller effect on respiro-circulatory responses (p<0.0I ), compared with leg ergometry. The percentage of AT to VO2max was 53% in leg ergometry, and 44% in arm ergometry. These results suggest that arm and leg ergometry may induce different resoiro-circulatory responses. Further studies are needed to elucidate factors causing such a difference.


NASA's Biological Crystal Growth Program (BCG) on the International Space Station (ISS) is changing direction from the study of crystallization to an emphasis on producing crystals for structure determination in leading problems in structural biology. The program will consist of two phases. The first phase is during assembly of the ISS and will primarily utilize payloads that currently fly in the orbiter middeck but can be adapted for ISS. The second phase begins after assembly of the ISS is complete and BCG payloads will occupy part of the Biotechnology Facility aboard the ISS. Two types of BCG payloads will be flown. One will emphasize the production of crystals for structure determination back on Earth. These types of payloads will allow hundreds of crystallization conditions to be tested. The second type of payload will be designed to study the crystallization process with the primary aim of assisting the structural biology efforts. Access to these facilities will be through the NASA BCG Guest Investigators program, the NASA Research Announcement, and other opportunities currently being formulated. Details of the crystallization hardware, the application procedures, and the operational aspects of the program will be described.


Mass transfer rates in laminar and turbulent nonseparated boundary layers are asymptotically expanded for small values of the diffusivity AB, with a uniform state on the mass transfer surface. Results for heat transfer follow by analogy. The thermal or binary Nusselt number at small net mass transfer rates is given asymptotically by a generalized penetration expression

for short times, or for boundary layers that duplicate the surface tangential motion. For flows past rigid interfaces, the long-time average of 〈Nu〉 is given asymptotically by a generalized Chilton-Colburn relation

in regions of nonrecirculating motion. The measurable functions aij and bij depend only on the system shape and laminar or turbulent velocity field. Formal expressions for a00 are given, and an expression for b00 in steady flows. These results agree well with data on mass transfer operations in tubes, packed beds, and fluid-fluid contactors.


The pension is an important part of an individual's future life which could very well be the difference between a happy or a miserable life as a retired individual. In everyday life we hear about retirement and where we should turn, whether it is media, posters or other advertising, but do we know enough to be able to forge a retirement plan? This quantitative study uses data from a Norwegian internet based survey, to find out what factors can influence individuals' retirement planning in the form of private savings. The study succeeds confirm a positive relationship between private saving and four variables; annual income, age cohort, thoughts on retirement and employment.


The continued technological progression has instituted a modification in communication facets. Consequently, the use of the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has enhanced and technical researchers believe that this innovation will be at the center stage for future phone engagements. VoIP services are offered by different providers depending on the customer's unique personal or corporate requirement. Therefore, firms should undertake extensive researches to determine the most appropriate service providers that would optimize operations and improve productivity. In most cases, the choice of VoIP in a hierarchical organization is influenced by factors such as the number of users within various protocols, the total devices needed to reach a far-reaching link, and the sustainability of the selected broadband technology. Aspects like the cost of acquiring a VoIP and output should also be considered to facilitate a timely return on investment. Getting accustomed to interior networking schemes and current technologies is vital in the quest to establish a useful internet set-up design. While the presence of several inhibiting factors may affect the effectiveness of VoIP, the hierarchical decision model (HDM) provides a decision-making criterion that can be applied to improve its functioning. The approach considers several VoIP options that are drawn and approved by network specialists. Therefore, the HDM is used as software to make a balanced contrast of different tangible factors before they are ranked according to their importance. Finally, an analytical model established to make VoIP coherent consisted of different stages that included the objective, criteria, sub-criteria, and alternatives as the main decision aspects. Groups of telecommunication experts from diverse organizations were invited to help in making a proper judgment regarding the best VoIP option. Google voice emerged as the most viable alternative from the study due to its effectiveness. Therefore, it is evident that embracing accurate inquiry outlooks and standards is essential for attaining successful research outcomes. The research question is: what is the best-chosen service provider through multiple alternatives?


This topic is raised in the current that the vehicle exhaust pollution has been increasing higher and higher standards of automobile exhaust testing, with the aim of eliminating environmental interference and improves the accuracy of the exhaust gas. The system overcomes the shortcomings of the existing automobile exhaust gas analyzer, using the compensation method to judge the exhaust gas. the system uses different formula to calculate for the different parameters after obtained the data from the sensor, and will eventually provide a correct and accurate results when it compensated the signal affected by the environment by different methods.


Only some of these topics can be confined within the research interests of the scholar to whom they are ostensibly dedicated. For example, Christine Worobec's excellent essay on East Slavic fertility rituals at the summer solstice is only tangentially related to Keep's work on the politicization of the peasantry during the Russian revolutions. Similarly, Paul Dukes' careful study of the diplomatic wrangling surrounding the 1922 Russo-Japanese Conference of Changchun contributes more to the memory of their mutual friend, George B. Tolmakoff, than to the discussion of the larger social and political issues confronted in Keep's work on the Russian military. And it is surely mostly for reasons of chronology that a collection on Russian history begins with an essay on state-building and land-reform in seventeenth-century Sweden (Antti Kujala), an essay, furthermore, that makes no explicit mention of its undoubted significance to the historiographical issues surrounding the reforms of Peter the Great. That task is left to the editors of the festschrift and although their introduction does a good job of tying all of these varied pieces together and of drawing out their possible implications for scholars of Russia, it appears that the editorial choices that went into this collection reflect the overall goal of international inclusiveness rather than of topical relevance. Ernest A. ZITSER


Rice has been cultivating and utilizing by humans for thousands of years under diverse environmental conditions. Therefore, tremendous genetic differentiation and diversity has occurred at various agro-ecosystems. The significant indica–japonica differentiation in rice provides great opportunities for its genetic improvement. In the present investigation, a total of 42 polymorphic InDel markers were used for differentiating 188 rice landraces and two local varieties of Chhattisgarh, India into indica and japonica related genotypes based on 'InDel molecular index'. Frequency of japonica alleles varied from 0.11 to 0.89 among landraces. Results revealed that 104 rice landraces have indica type genetic architecture along with three tested indica cultivars Swarna, Mahamaya and Rajeshwari. Another 60 landraces were placed under 'close to indica' type. It was found that three rice landraces i.e. Kalajeera, Kapri, Tulsimala were 'close to japonica' type and 21 landraces were 'intermediate' type. The result from the calculation of 'InDel molecular index' was further verified with STRUCTURE, AMOVA, PCA and cluster analysis. Population structure analysis revealed two genetically distinct populations within the 190 rice landraces/genotypes. Based on AMOVA, 'intermediate' type, 'close to japonica' type and Dongjinbyeo (a japonica cultivar from Republic of Korea) displayed significant genetic differentiation (ɸPT = 0.642, P = 0.000) from 'indica' and 'close to indica' groups. The PCA scatter plot and dendrogram demonstrated a clear pattern of two major group differentiations. 'Close to japonica' type and 'intermediate' type landraces/genotypes were grouped with Dongjinbyeo and formed a separate cluster at 30% Jaccard's similarity level from rest of the landraces/genotypes which were 'close to indica' or 'indica' type. Such a significant genetic differentiation among the locally adapted landraces could be exploited for the development of rice varieties introgressing higher yield potential and better plant types of japonica type as per the need of consumers and rice traders.


The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of herbicides on yield and economics of summer groundnut as well as residual effect on succeeding crops during two consecutive summer season of 2018 and 2019 at College of Agriculture, Anand Agricultural University, Jabugam, Gujarat Oxyfluorfen, quizalofop-ethyl, imazethapyr, imazethapyr + imazamox (premix) and fluazifop-p-butyl + fomesafen (premix) were tested as alone, with integration as well as sequential application in comparison with IC fb HW at 20 and 40 DAS and weedy check in randomized block design with three replications. All the weed management practices significantly reduced the density and dry biomass of weeds and increased the pod yield of groundnut. Results revealed that Oxyfluorfen 180 g/ha PE fb IC + HW at 40 DAS provide effective control of weeds at all the intervals with higher pod and haulm yields as well as net return and BC ratio of groundnut followed by Oxyfluorfen 180 g/ha PE fb Imazethapyr 100 g/ha PoE, IC fb HW at 20 and 40 DAS, oxyfluorfen 180 g/ha PE fb Imazethapyr + Imazamox 70 g/ha PoE (premix) and fluazifop-p-butyl + fomesafen 250 g/ha EPoE (premix) fb IC + HW at 40 DAS. The plant stand, plant height and dry matter production of cotton, maize and green gram were not affected by the application of any herbicides in applied in preceding summer groundnut.


We model the price of a stock via a Lang´evin equation with multi-dimensional fluctua- tions coupled both in the price in time. We generalise previous models in that we assume that the fluctuations conditioned on the time step are assumed to be compound Poisson processes with operator stable jump intensities. We derive exact relations for Fourier transforms of the jump intensity in case of different scaling indices E of the process. We express the Fourier transform of the joint probability density of the process to attain given values at several different times and to attain a given maximal value in a given time period through Fourier transforms of the jump intensity. Then we consider a port- folio composed of stocks and of options on stocks and we derive the Fourier transform of a random variable D t (deviation of the portfolio) that is defined as a small temporal change of the portfolio diminished by the the compound interest earned. We derive a functional equation for the price of the option on the stock as a function of the stock subject to the condition that the deviation of the portfolio has a zero mean E [ D t ] = 0 Therefore the option pricing problem may have a solution.


There are lots of successful cases in modern engineering training both at home and abroad.But the difference in training objectives for different universities,regions,and education conditions determines the diversity of engineering training in different universities.This paper intends to make a detailed analysis of the construction and implementation of engineering training systems in application-oriented universities from the perspectives of objective location of the engineering ability training,construction principle of the engineering training system,and the construction of the engineering training system.


Virtual reality technology was summarized,the characters of agricultural and forestry professional education were introduced,the applications of virtual reality technology agricultural and forestry professional education were expounded.


Objectives: The present study investigated whether and how PALMD affects the pathogenesis of CAVD.

Backgrounds: Recent genome-wide association (GWAS) and transcriptome-wide association (TWAS) studies have found an association between the PALMD locus and calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD). Nevertheless, the function and underlying mechanisms of PALMD in CAVD remain unclear.

Methods: Alizarin red staining and calcium quantitative assay were performed to detect calcium deposition. qPCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to examine gene expression. RNA-seq, seahorse, proteomics and co-immunoprecipitation studies were used to study the underlying mechanisms through which PALMD regulates CAVD.

Results: We showed that PALMD was up-regulated in calcified regions of human aortic valves and calcified hVICs. Silencing of PALMD reduced hVIC calcification, osteogenic differentiation, and apoptosis, whereas overexpression of PALMD induced opposite actions. In addition, silencing of PALMD reduced glycolysis and NFκB-mediated inflammation in hVICs, and attenuated TNFα-induced monocyte adhesion to hVICs. Furthermore, silencing of PFKFB3, a key regulator of glycolysis, inhibited PALMD-induced hVIC inflammation but not osteogenic differentiation. The overexpression of PALMD enhanced hVIC osteogenic differentiation and inflammation as opposed to glycolysis through the activation of NFκB. We demonstrated that PALMD interacts with the actin-binding proteins such as MYH9 and MYH10, suggesting its potential role in the regulation of the actin cytoskeletal function of hVICs.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that PALMD may promote CAVD through regulation of glycolysis and NFκB-mediated inflammation. Targeting PALMD may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for CAVD.


Kara Lynn Andersen, in her paper "Harry Potter and the Susceptible Child Audience," argues for a rethinking of assumptions of child audiences as passive readers and viewers through an analysis of the Harry Potter phenomenon. Andersen argues that instead of categorizing children as passive and homogenous subjects of analysis, they should instead be incorporated as participants in the discourse about children's books and films. Although frequently figured as especially susceptible to the affects of advertising and other media, young Harry Potter fans are particularly visible as not only consumers of the texts, but creators of new texts. Using work done on Harry Potter in reception studies, film spectatorship, literary criticism, and internet publications, Andersen dissects ideas of passivity and activity in child readers and viewers. Kara Lynn Andersen, "Harry Potter and the Susceptible Child Audience" page 2 of 10 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 7.2 (2005):


The title compound, C16H21NO3, crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c. The 2,4-dimethoxyphenyl ring is twisted by −39.8 (2)° with respect to the plane of the double bond connected to the azabicyclic ring system. In addition to intermolecular hydrogen bonding, molecules are held together in the solid state by van der Waals interactions.


In the field of crisis management, negative capability can be understood as an individual's or team's ability to tolerate and accept challenging and confusing situations and search for meaning and means of action despite a high degree of indeterminacy. In this paper, we develop the conceptual, empirical and practical value of negative capability in the field of individual and team resilience in crisis management. Conceptually, its interest is to distill and define the human capacity to act when faced with the unknown. Empirically, this concept offers new analytical possibilities, as exemplified through a case study conducted during a COVID-19 pandemic peak. Practically, we argue that developing negative capability can be a relevant objective for crisis management preparedness, and provide tentative orientations for the design of training interventions that focus on human factors. We conclude with suggestions for further research.


Applied appraisement classroom teaching sportscaster analbysis appraise in discuss.Colleger in sportscaster teacher classroom teaching apprasie dirergent,Mould treotion colleger in sportscaster teacher classroom teaching appraise divergent,Offer reference book teaching sportcaster appriase in discuss freeze over,Impersonality tren-bonded system engineering.


This article summarizes measurements of time-dependent CP asymmetries in decays of neutral B mesons to charm final states using data collected by the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B factory. All results are preliminary unless otherwise stated.


We have studied molecular interactions in irradiated solids by examining the electron paramagnetic spectra of various molecular mixtures and by determining the effect of glutathione on the X-ray inactivation of catalase. The spectroscopic data show that direct electron transfer can occur between molecules in irradiated solids. Such electron transfer may be the mechanism in the interaction of polymethylmethacrylate with thiourea and other compounds (1), in the interaction of glutathione and ribonucleic acid (2), and in the energy transfer between enzyme and substrate (3, 4). Whatever the mechanism, these interactions between molecules in the solid state are of particular interest in biology, since so much of the cellular apparatus is contained in solid particles.


The informatic TuPu of the complex ecosystem is the GIS based development result. It is an assistant means to elaborate the study on the complex ecosystem, and has a premising future in application. It is helpful to study directly on the temporal and spatial features of the complex ecosystem with the informatic TuPu. This can play an assistant function for reseaching the features, future, laws, and decision support.In this paper, the autor expounds the necessity of establishing the informatic TuPu of the complex ecosystem, and promotes the basic framework and design philosophy to the structure of the informatic TuPu of the complex ecosystem. Furthermore,questions have aroused our attention in the development and application. These questions are how to distinguish the difference between the informatic TuPu of the complex ecosytem and information database and electron atlas, how to carry through assistant reseach by th informatic TuPu so as to get more in-depth conclusion than general reseach. Meanwhile, three parts reflecting the current state, revealing the feafures, and virtualing the future are put forward to the application of the informatic TuPu of the complex ecosystem by taking Fujian province as an example.


This project was the meeting point of two distinct ideas. First, to provide an enriching performance opportunity utilising the classroom Kodaly repertoire of 6-8 year olds that would form a bridge to appreciating art music. This would also expose the children to the process of concert preparation unique to working with instrumentalists and an unfamiliar conductor. The second aim was to produce an Australian collection of songs suitable for use with young voices and strings modeled on the Colourstrings curriculum from Helsinki. These were to serve both pedagogical and performance purposes for young string orchestras (aged 7-18 years). This paper discusses the musical challenges of composing interesting, varied and appropriate arrangements which meet the developmental needs of both the young singer and the young string player, using simple but beautiful melodic material. The project was evaluated by an anonymous questionnaire to students and parents and responses were overwhelmingly positive. We will also address issues which arose in staging these inspiring and unique performances.


NGO(non-governmental organization),as non-profit social organizations which are independent of the government and the market,have played an important role in the disaster relief and post-disaster reconstruction work.This article,starting from the background of the reconstruction work of earthquake-stricken areas in Sichuan and based on the surveys of domestic and international NGO in Shifang,Mianzhu of Sichuan province,which are two hard-hit areas of the "5.12" earthquake,makes an analysis of the roles the NGO played during the disaster relief work and post-disaster reconstructions and comes up with the conclusion that NGO will undertake much more important tasks during the process of post-earthquake reconstruction than the earthquake relief.


Wetland soils of anthropogenic origin are difficult to map using conventional soil surveying methods. While
traditional soil profile classifications are highly accurate at the borehole, beyond the sampling point the soil–unit boundaries
must be visually extrapolated from the surrounding natural terrain. Anthropogenic soils are often erratic, many possessing
unpredictable morphologies. Mapping precision is limited by additional sampling expense and site restrictions to excessive
borings.
In order to increase mapping precision, this project compared measurements of shallow water table depth in copper–mine
tailings as determined by (1) intensive conventional soil morphology classification, (2) ground–penetrating radar (GPR), and
(3) electromagnetic induction (EMI). Ground–penetrating radar and EMI results were in agreement with water table depths
as determined by soil morphology. Wherever a well–formed densic contact was present, GPR and EMI interpretations of water
table depths when used alone were inconclusive. The combined technologies, employed in tandem, detected the densic contact
layer. Non–intrusive technologies improved mapping precision when combined and supplemented with conventional soil
mapping techniques.


I. The significance of paleontology as a branch of geology—so-called stratigraphical paleontology—is enormous. In the problems of geology, which is essentially a historical science, it exposes the most important element—the time element. The paleontological method is still unique, practically applicable for determination of the period of formation of deposits, for determination of the age of a stratum. Paleontological remains are, besides, among the most important symptoms in the reconstruction of conditions of formation of deposits—facies conditions, which produce not only the material for the construction of a paleogeographical chart, but also indications for the search of these or other valuable fossils. In the Urals, in one of the regions, oil has been found. Where to look for it in other regions of the Urals, i.e., where are there present other strata of the same age and of the same facies that can be shown only by paleontology? Should the core-hole be continued because it did not yet reach the ore-bearing stratum, or should it be abandoned because it had already passed this stratum, which at the given point appeared empty? This can be stated only by paleontology. How the metalliferous belts are arranged in a given mountainous region—that can be told, in a series of cases, in advance by paleontology. The number of such examples can be multiplied infinitely.


and less tangible, but it is no less real. It is personal. The Trinity, then, is useful as a model, for it depicts God reflecting God and exemplifies the quality of relationship man can have with God. Each of the Trinity reflects, harmonizes, and complements the other. The Trinity is a pattern for man: he sees one person of the Trinity responding to and interacting with another person in the Trinity and learns about God and how to interact with each of the Trinity and with other men. The literal reality


The radiation tolerance of a complete set of components required for the remote readout of RADFETs and PIN diodes has been investigated. A radiation tolerant, temperature stabilized design for reliable remote readout up to 200 Gy in a complex field is discussed.


This invention relates to a simultaneous control applied in magnetic suspension switch magnetic resistance motor, which comprises the following steps: adopting extensive flow control inverter, wherein the controlled magnetic suspension switch magnetism motor forms compound controlled subject; forming neural net athwart by static neural net and integral device through formula study; connecting neutral net with the compound controlled subject then compounding into two radius direction position sub system to forming anti-linear system; making the linear loop controller to the false linear system according to the linear system design; finally connecting the neural net with the linear loop controller and with the flow controlled inverter to form neural net decoupling controller. ii


The Astrophysical Research Consortium, the Magellan Project, and the National Optical Astronomy Observatories are collaborating in an experiment to study temperature control of a honeycomb mirror in an observatory environment. A full-scale mockup of a 60-deg sector of a 3.5-m borosilicate honeycomb mirror was constructed of glass and installed in the Apache Point Observatory (APO) 3.5-m telescope mount. The response of this mockup (the wedge) to diurnal temperature variations was monitored by measuring the glass temperature at about 300 locations distributed throughout its volume. The temperature of the wedge can be controlled via air circulated through its interior.