This paper provides a conceptual overview of the †̃New Ageâ€TM phenomenon and of †̃New age healingâ€TM concepts which have gone virtually unaddressed in social science research, health-related or otherwise. First, drawing upon diverse sources, the authors attempt to define †̃New ageâ€TM, after which they discuss those medical, spiritual, and sociocultural developments which help account for the rise of new age healing in the U.S. Next, a comprehensive review of over a dozen schemata of healing, healers, and medical systems fails to provide a satisfactory classification of new age healing. Finally, by analyzing data derived from primary and secondary source materials on 81 healing systems or techniques identifying themselves with the new age, a typology of new age healing itself is inductively generated. Three general modes are found: mental or physical self-betterment, esoteric teachings, and comtemplative practice. These types of new age healing place primary emphasis, respectively, on body, mind and soul. Purchase Export


The diagnostic aspects of rupture sinus of Valsalva aneurysm are discussed. The indication for corrective surgery can only be derived by angiocardiography. Important is the demonstration of pathophysiological hemodynamics, due to the cardiovascular anomaly. The importance of echocardiographic findings in an early phase of the clinical examination is stressed.


Despite the wide spread of the cluster phenomenon in the economies of many countries, the nature of clustered entities hasn't yet been entirely comprehended and uncovered. When homogeneous objects are grouped under the influence of certain attractive forces, such a combination can be the result of clustering as a mathematical method that sorts them according to certain specified parameters. Objective processes manifest themselves in the economy: "the processes of clustering (combining) homogeneous parts into a single whole – enterprises into clusters".


The year 2011 was a breakthrough in melanoma treatment with two new targeted drugs, ipilimumab and vemurafenib, approved after showing overall survival benefit in patients with metastatic melanoma. Vemurafenib was approved only for treatment of patients with activating mutations in BRAF gene. Thus, the detection of activating BRAF mutations, which can be found in ≈50% melanomas, became a standard part of a routine protocol for the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma. In this review, methods and protocols for the detection of BRAF mutations as an example of molecular marker for personalised approach to patients with melanoma are discussed, with an emphasis on the aspects that are still a matter of discussion and controversies. In addition to BRAF mutations, some other molecular markers for personalised approach to melanoma patients, such as predictive markers for ipilimumab therapy that are still not used routinely, are briefly discussed.


Garbage management is an important role in our day-by-day life. If the Garbage is not managed with a proper way, it will spread diseases and pollution. To manage and handle garbage's we have developed a Smart Garbage Management System. This research work is about an Internet of Things (IoT) based, Smart Garbage Management System to solve the issue and to manage the garbage properly in a timely manner. We aim to create smart garbage management system to help the garbage collection team members as well as all uplift the people in their lifestyle. We have identified the components requirements, analyzing it and found the possible way to smart based solution to identify garbage levels in the bin and proper management to reduce air pollution using IoT.


In this paper, a novel semianalytical gradient model (SAGM) for characterizing conductors with surface roughness is presented. Based on the linear function of conductivity, the governing equation of the magnetic field is reduced to the modified Bessel equation, which has an analytical solution. With the piecewise linear approximation technique, the SAGM is derived to deal with arbitrary functions of conductivity. Three typical distributions, including the uniform, normal, and Rayleigh distributions, are investigated. The proposed SAGM is employed to evaluate the propagation properties of typical transmission line structures with different surface roughness profiles. The simulation results agree well with those from measurements, which confirm the validity and accuracy of the proposed method.


An NbTiHfCrAlSi niobium silicide based atomized powder has been compacted by a conventional technique (hot extrusion) and by spark plasma sintering to nearly fully dense alloys. Both materials exhibit a metastable fine micrometer-sized microstructure that has been coarsened by a subsequent heat treatment. The densification of the SPS sample takes place between ca. 800°C and 1300°C.


OBJECTIVE Smoking has been associated with an increased incidence of endocrine ophthalmopathy (EO). In this study we examined the relation between smoking severity and the incidence of EO symptoms in patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism.


Hypertension is common, but with early detection and treatment, it is rare to see malignant hypertension. Malignant hypertension is a medical emergency with an incidence of 1% in hypertensive patients. We report on a patient who presented with signs suggestive of Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura


With the rapid development of the intelligent sensing and the prompt growing industrial safety demands, human behavior recognition has received a great deal of attentions in industrial informatics. To deploy an utmost scalable, flexible, and robust human behavior recognition system, we need both innovative sensing electronics and suitable intelligence algorithms. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) open a novel way for human behavior recognition, because the heavy computation can be immediately transferred to a network server. In this paper, a new scheme for human behavior recognition on WSNs is proposed, which transmits activities' signals compressed by Hamming compressed sensing to the network server and conducts behavior recognition through a collaboration between a new dimension reduction algorithm termed rank preserving discriminant analysis (RPDA) and a nearest neighbor classifier. RPDA encodes local rank information of within-class samples and discriminative information of the between-class under the framework of Patch Alignment Framework. Experiments are conducted on the SCUT Naturalistic 3D Acceleration-based Activity (SCUT NAA) dataset and demonstrate the effectiveness of RPDA for human behavior recognition.


This thesis deals with monetary policy V4 countries during the financial crisis, a system of currency, monetary processes, tools, institutions and relationships, actions and operations of the central banks during the financial crisis, rise to central banks and monetary instruments of the Visegrad countries. The work analyzes the institutional roofing monetary policy and points to non-traditional instruments of central banks.


The utility model discloses a multipath-audio-output digital integrated receiver decoder. The multipath-audio-output digital integrated receiver decoder comprises a control processing module, and a signal receiving module and a video decoding module which are connected with the control processing module. The multipath-audio-output digital integrated receiver decoder is provided with two or more audio decoding modules which are connected with a center control module and two or more CVBS modules which are respectively connected with the audio decoding modules. Each CVBS module is connected with a video decoding module. The control processing module comprises a flow parse submodule and a reuse module. The multipath-audio-output digital integrated receiver decoder is also provided with an instruction receiving module used for receiving user instructions. The signal receiving module comprises a Tuner receiving module used for receiving Tuner signals, an ASI receiving module used for receiving ASI signals and an IP receiving module used for receiving IP signals. The multipath-audio-output digital integrated receiver decoder can decode two paths of audio frequencies at the same time, and therefore a next-level device can monitor or code multipath-audio programs; a plurality of decoders are not needed, the multipath-audio-output digital integrated receiver decoder is convenient to use, and the cost is saved.


O.S.K. (Osaka Shosen Kaisha), a small shipping company covering only the Inland Sea of Japan, was established in 1884. And it has been one of the two large shipping companies (O.S.K. and N.Y.K.) having the regular ocean routes since 1909.As compared with N.Y.K. (Nihon Yusen Kaisha), O.S.K. has achieved a great expansion under the good labor management and active strategies of leading executives.This article tries to clarify why O.S.K. could catch up with N.Y.K.. From the viewpoint of the labor management, there are four reasons : First, after Tokugoro Nakahashi took office as the fourth president of the company in 1898, he employed many talented college graduates as staff members. Second, the employees were well treated even in extreme depression. Third, this company had a more adequate system of Yobiin (the seamen reserved for sailing the regular ocean routes) than N.Y.K. did. Fourth, since captains and engineers of superior ability were promoted to executives, the labor and the management cooperated well with each other.This article emphasizes the last two of them : one is Yobiin system, the other is the good labor-management relations in O.S.K..


Security is a group of officers formed by agencies / projects / business entities to carry out physical security in the context of self-supporting security in their work environment. In the selection of the best security in Marjandi plantations still use the performance class data. This study discusses determining the best security member in PTPN IV marjandi business unit Data sources used from the Marjandi Business Unit PTPN IV office. This study uses the Decision Support System (SPK) technique in the data processing process using Profile matching method. Profile matching method is a mechanism for decision making by assuming that there is an ideal target value that must be met by the subject under study, rather than the minimum level that must be met or passed. The purpose of this study is to help the management to make it easier to do the best security selection at the Marjandi PTPN IV business unit.


Objective To summarize and analyze the ocular complicating diseases situation of type 2 diabetes.Methods Medical history was asked thoroughly;routine examination of eyes was done,including naked vision,corrected vision,slit lamp examination and mydriatic fundus examination;assistant examination was also done,such as eye b-sonography,eye physical check and field of vision inspection;general physical checkup was performed,involving the examinations of blood sugar,blood-fat and blood pressure.Results In 61 patients with type 2 diabetes,seven cases first sought help in ophthalmonogy due to their ocular complicating diseases and 54 cases were diagnosed as type 2 diabetes by medical department.In 54 cases,33 cases had ocular complicating diseases,accounting for 61 percent.Among the 33 patients who had ocular complicating diseases,21 cases(9 eyes) had diabetic retinopathy,accounting for 64 percent,6 cases(10 eyes) had age-related cataract,accounting for 18 percent,3 cases(4 eyes) had true diabetic cataract,accounting for 9 percent and 6 cases(9 eyes) had optic neuropathy,accounting for 18 percent.Conclusion The ocular complicating diseases of type 2 diabetes had high illness frequency rate,the prevention and cure of diabetes mellitus and complicating diseases should be strengthened.


The Gene Expression Omnibus accession number is missing from the Materials and Methods section, from the last sentence of the " Transcription profiling " subsection. The corrected sentence is: Raw data can be accessed through the Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE65036). is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.


User model is the main basis for design of human machine interface,and it is also the main standard for evaluating design result.This paper,first of all,introduces the basic process of human-computer interaction.And then studies user cognition characteristics and builts up user perception model,recognizing model,mission model,error model and learning model,which are the basis of irrational user model.Finally,it illustrates the application of user model in software system.


Objective: The objective of this study was to formulate and prepare film-coated tablets containing Momordica charantia Linn. to mask its bitter taste.Methods: The core tablets of Momordica charantia Linn. were prepared by wet granulation method using sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na) as a binder, and then coated with hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) 5%. Film coating formulation was made in 3 formulae using the additional amount of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 400 as the plasticizer at 16%, 20%, and 24% concentration of HPMC weight. The obtained film-coated tablet was evaluated including organoleptic, the percentage of weight increase, surface morphology, coating thickness, disintegration time, and taste masking evaluation. Taste masking evaluation was performed on 30 respondents by giving the bitter taste level questionnaire of the three formulae film-coated tablets, core, and extract powders.Results: Film-coated tablets that coated by using 20% PEG 400 as plasticizer had 4.78% of weight increase. The surface morphology was smooth and showed±34.67 µm of coating thickness. Furthermore, it also disintegrated within 5.34±1.1 min and successfully masked the bitter taste.Conclusion: Combination of HPMC and PEG 400 20% as a plasticizer can give a good appearance and masked the bitter taste of Momordica charantia Linn.


Mechanical properties of a friction stir welded Al-Mg-Si (6061-T6Al) alloy are evaluated by a tensile test. It is found that the strain-hardening rate is higher than that of a base material. In order to investigate the origin, TEM observations have been performed about 4 kinds of materials; base- and friction stir welded-materials, and both materials deformed to 5 % strain by tension. There are not so large differences about dislocation density, size and density of precipitates and crystal defects between the base material and the friction stir welded-materials, but a significant decrease of grain-size in the friction stir welded-materials is recognized. These results suggest a dynamic recovery occurs during FSW process, and it is speculated that the recovery leads to the differences of yield stress and strain-hardening rate between both materials.


Introduction Olive oil production is generally connected to the generation of adverse environmental problems making its further operation problematic. Olive Mill Wastewater (OMWW) is produced only from the pressed and 3-phases olive oil production processes and its major characteristics from an environmental point of view are its high organic content as well as its high concentration in lipids and phenolic compounds. In Greece, due to the distribution of olive oil production in a large number of small to medium olive mills, the seasonality of the olive oil production and the low and competitive price of olive oil, the viability of any wastewater treatment technique becomes limited (Vlyssides et al., 2017). The construction of any wastewater treatment facility, in order to be economical viable, should result in the production of marketable side products. Methane production from anaerobic digestion and plant biomass production rich in protein from tertiary treatment facilities are two final products that can be produced under an integrated treatment process based on clean technologies (El-Shafai, 2006).


The color of solid texture space is defined traditionally through a function model.To simulate different texture details,the relevant parameters need to be modified and tested repeatedly,however good results could rarely be acquired.A new method of solid texturing based on specimens is proposed in the paper.We establish geometrical mappings between the specimen space and solid texture space according to the structure characteristic of wood texture,and define the color of solid texture space using the texture value of specimen pixels.The results from our experiments show that the wood texture produced by this method successfully represents realistic texture details on the specimens and is continuous between the conterminous surfaces of objects.As the wood specimens may be selected according to user's requirements,solid texturing based on specimens is a superior technique which could evidently promote the quality and the variety of wood texturing.


This paper analyses the results of a survey conducted on a sample of Portuguese firms, with the main purpose of investigating their price setting behaviour. The evidence points to a considerable degree of price stickiness: most firms do not change prices more than once a year; time lags in price reactions to shocks are significant; and more than half of the firms follow time-dependent price reviewing and build their price decisions disregarding any indication of future economic developments. Implicit contracts between firms and their customers under which the former pledge to stabilise their prices as a way to increase customers' loyalty are apparently the main reason preventing firms from changing their prices more frequently. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Chinese and Western poetics have "image" of the concept and scope,but "image" as a generation of areas,at different times,different cultures in different soil and under the artistic mode of thinking will be different.In the image generation process,the thinking mode of artistic creation process is greatly relevant,which exactly demonstrates Chinese and Western different understandings of the image.This paper attempts to understand and explain the different image views from the unique perspective of the image generation process.


The concentration of polyphosphate ion in DKDP solution at different synthesis and crystal growth stage has been measured in detail by ion chromatography. So the variation regularity of polyphosphate ion concentration in DKDP solution of synthesis and crystal growth has been obtained. The results were analyzed from the view of thermodynamics and kinetics,and a measure that could effectively reduce the concentration of polyphosphate ion in growth solution of DKDP crystal has been put aterward. It is beneficial to growth of high quality DKDP crystal.


In terms of the Kansas City metropolitan area, there is a need to look at climate change and try to limit and modify various practices in order to further understand and mitigate climate change issues. To comprehend climate change issues, it is necessary to identify the overall problem. For the purpose of this research, focus groups were established in various sectors in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The sectors included: agriculture, transportation, health, water, energy, land use, and commerce. Local stakeholders were identified for each sector and invited to participate in panel discussions. It is our goal that the input from each focus group will provide an extensive background on how each stakeholder views climate change, along with perceptions of risk, vulnerabilities, and adaptation. This information should prove vital in comprehending the effects of climate change.


Measurement and evaluation of environmental awareness can provide scientific basis for environmental education. An indicators system of environmental awareness assessment on wetland biodiversity protection in Northwest Yunnan, China, has been developed in the paper. Based on questionnaires and statistic to different groups, assessment of environmental awareness to biodiversity protection of wetland had been studied. The results showed that the attitudes of public to environment were active in general. The awareness of environmental ethics was strong and the wishes to increase awareness and receive environmental protection training were very high. However, the knowledge of questionnaire targets was a little poor. People should be guided on how to concern environment to shape a good behaviors, to participate in environment protection actives.


We describe a mark—resight procedure for estimating population size which integrates field techniques with a method of statistical estimation. The field protocol consists of an efficient method of applying marks to a large fraction of the population. The statistical method provides a number of different models with which to project an estimate of the total population from the census data, and enable choice of the model giving an estimate with small error and good fit to the data. This method enables one to detect and correct for differences in the properties of marked and unmarked animals, an important consideration in mark—resight methods. We illustrate the method with our data on two species of the lizard Anolis. See full-text article at JSTOR


Objective To study the cell inhibitory and apoptosis effect of bioactive compounds extracted from Forsythia suspensa(LQ-4) on HeLa cells in vitro,and to study the mechanism of anti-tumor activity of LQ-4.Methods LQ-4 was extracted by means of alcohol precipitation,macroporous resin chromatography,and thin-layer chromatography.Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT) assay was used to evaluate the growth inhibition rate of HeLa cells treated by different concentrations of LQ-4.Arcridine orange/ethidium bromide(AO/EB) fluorescent staining and transmission electron microscopy(TEM) were used to observe cell morphology.Western blot was used to detect the cell apoptosis-related protein in HeLa cells treated by LQ-4(50 μg/ml) at different times.Results The anti-tumor active components(LQ-4) showed time-dose-dependent inhibitory effect on the proliferation of HeLa cells in vitro.The concentration for 50% inhibition(IC50) at 12,24,and 48 hours was 93.74,33.30,and 22.65 μg/mL,respectively.Fluorescence microscope and TEM detection showed that HeLa cells presented characteristic morphological changes of apoptosis after LQ-4 treatment.The results of western blot revealed that LQ-4(50 μg/mL) could promote the activation of the zymogen of caspase-8.Conclusion LQ-4 has an inhibitory effect on HeLa cell proliferation and could induce HeLa cell apoptosis,which is probably related to the decomposition of caspase-8 protease.


Free listing exercises are common and informative ways to explore shared bodies of knowledge and practice, and they can probe widely experienced phenomena in daily life. However, even with a representative sample, this method can suffer under common conditions in anthropological fieldwork: Respondents forget to list items, they fail to provide exhaustive lists, they become fatigued during the interview process, and their responses may not provide representative information. In this article, I suggest an iterative process that combines targeted free listing with key informants, walking probes, and a survey checklist. During an investigation of agricultural biodiversity in Telangana, India, this approach generated more comprehensive lists than free listing exercises alone. This process generates checklist surveys appropriate for larger research populations and can be used to assess widespread knowledge and practices quickly, accurately, and with minimal respondent fatigue.


Aim: The aim of the research was to ascertain the feelings of frontline nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Design: Qualitative research using a phenomenological approach. Methods: Qualitative research using a phenomenological approach was carried out with eight nurses working with Covid-19 patients in a hospital and in a seniors home in Kladno, in the Central Bohemia region of the Czech Republic. Two diagrams, which show ties between identified categories, were generated based on results. Results: External stresses during the first wave were: lack of information, lack of protective equipment, different attitudes towards the pandemic management. During the third wave, they were: lack of nurses and other medical personnel, overwhelming of the healthcare system, too much administrative work, and long working hours spent in protective gear. The stress-reducing factors revealed after the first wave were: solidarity and gratitude expressed by society. During the third wave, nurses noted greater self-confidence and pride, better interpersonal relationships. Conclusion: The effective management of stressors in the pandemic period can contribute to better healthcare. Therefore, we should pay more attention to describe of them in future. © 2023 Central European Journal of Nursing and Midwifery.


Abstract Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a severe zoonotic mosquito‐borne disease that represents an important threat to human and animal health, with major public health and socioeconomic impacts. This disease is endemic throughout many African countries and the Arabian Peninsula. This systematic review with meta‐analysis was conducted to determine the RVF prevalence in humans, mosquitoes and other animal species in Africa. The review also provides contemporary data on RVF case fatality rate (CFR) in humans. In this systematic review with meta‐analysis, a comprehensive literature search was conducted on the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Global Index Medicus databases from January 2000 to June 2022 to identify relevant studies. Pooled CFR and prevalence estimates were calculated using the random‐effects model. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were performed, and the I 2‐statistic was used to investigate a potential source of heterogeneity. A total of 205 articles were included in the final analysis. The overall RVF CFR in humans was found to be 27.5% [95% CI = 8.0–52.5]. The overall pooled prevalence was 7.8% [95% CI = 6.2–9.6] in humans and 9.3% [95% CI = 8.1–10.6] in animals, respectively. The RVF prevalence in individual mosquitoes ranged from 0.0% to 25%. Subgroup analysis showed substantial heterogeneity with respect to geographical regions and human categories. The study shows that there is a correspondingly similar prevalence of RVF in human and animals; however, human CFR is much higher than the observed prevalence. The lack of a surveillance programme and the fact that this virus has subclinical circulation in animals and humans could explain these observations. The implementation of a One Health approach for RVF surveillance and control would be of great interest for human and animal health.


AbstractThe present study was conducted to determine the minimum effective dose of salmon gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (sGnRHa) to stimulate ovulation in Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus. Four doses of sGnRHa—0, 10, 15, and 25 µg/kg body weight (BW)—were compared with the commonly used dose of 100 µg/kg BW of mammalian luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analog (mLHRHa) to induce spawning in Channel Catfish. Hormone-induced catfish yielded significantly higher levels of plasma estradiol and ovulation success than saline-injected control fish. Ovulation ratio, relative fecundity, and number of fry per kilogram with 10 µg sGnRHa/kg were lower than those treated with 15 and 25 µg. To further refine the sGnRHa dose, spawning trials with 3- and 4-year-old Channel Catfish were compared using doses of either 10, 15, or 20 µg sGnRHa/kg BW. The relative fecundity (8,322 eggs/kg BW) and fry production (2,533 fry/kg BW) were higher in fish from the 15-µg sGnRHa/kg BW treatment. Hence, the results of th...


The exponential increase in bandwidth-sensitive multimedia traffic on the net has given rise to new challenges and services. There is a need to have quality management measures to serve the high needs of efficient transmission and delivery in time-constrained environments over IP networks. Quality of Experience is one of the major techniques introduced to achieve the goals of application efficiency and user satisfaction from an end-user perspective. By utilizing crowdsourcing techniques, QoE becomes more cost-efficient and easier to measure. In this paper, we propose a framework that takes real time QoE feedback and forwards it to SD-WAN controllers in order to enhance streaming routes based on realtime user quality perceptions. We analyze how QoE can be affected by different streaming protocols and which streaming protocols perform better with imposing QoS quality changes.


Investigations in 1974 identified the fungi associated with the roots of subterranean clover at four irrigated sites at Wagerup, Western Australia. Two of these sites had previously had a disease problem, two were apparently healthy. A range of fungi were isolated, including Pythium irregulare, P. debaryanum, P. acanthicum, P. middletonii, Fusarium oxysporum, and Rhizoctonia spp. There was a more rapid buildup of Pythium spp. population following the initial irrigation, and an overall lower incidence of Fusarium spp., at the diseased sites. The incidence of Rhizoctonia spp. was usually low and variable at all sites. Disease index ratings rose more rapidly for diseased sites. No association was proven between disease incidence and soil water potential. The three most frequently isolated fungi; viz. P. irregulare, P. acanthicum, and F. oxysporum, were all shown to be capable, under the conditions of this investigation, of producing high levels of tap and lateral root rot, and of causing reductions in seedling emergence. In some cases the levels of both tap and lateral root rot were increased, and the plant emergence decreased, by the application of two or more fungi in combination in comparison with application of a single fungus. Overall P. irregulare was the most pathogenic of the fungi tested.


This classic study of the early use of birth control in Jamaica was based on interviews conducted in 1956 with 1359 lower class women aged 14-40 who were currently in unions. 440 interviews were carried out in Kingston 215 in towns and 704 in rural areas. The questionnaires covered background demographic information on the respondents attitudes toward family size marital factors birth control fertility history and some control questions. The average respondent was 28 years old with 3.3 pregnancies and 2.5 living children. 29% were married 44% had common-law husbands and the remainder had regular sexual relations but did not reside with their partners. The average respondent had her 1st sexual union at age 16-17 but 1/4 started at 14. About 1/4 were working for pay and another 1/3 had done so in the past year. Close to 40% were in domestic work. 85% of the respondents mates were employed. Respondents on average had reached the 4th standard in elementary school. The analysis considered 3 problems: fertility control the influence of fertility on factors other than fertility control and an experimental program for fertility control. The analysis of fertility control focused on the degree of readiness of the population for contraception considering attitudes toward family size knowledge of birth control and attitudes toward birth control. Each aspect of fertility control was examined in relation to such demographic variables and to the other aspects. The analysis of differential fertility indicated that marital status and residence were the main factors responsible for the considerable variations in fertility levels. The experimental program for fertility control involved examining the degree of change in attitudes related to fertility control produced by pamphlets group meetings and case visits. A general conclusion of the work was that programs promoting the use of contraception are feasible in Jamaica and probably in similar countries.


Wafer processing system comprising a processing chamber, for pumping inert and non-inert gas is connected to the low pressure process chamber pump connected to inert gas source to the valve mechanism of the process chamber, disposed in the processing chamber when an inert pumping a certain non-inert gas during the gas flowed into the processing chamber in situ getter pump, and a processing mechanism for processing a wafer is placed in a process chamber. Preferably, the in situ getter pump can be operated in the temperature is preferably at a different kind of gas pumping at a plurality of different temperatures. A gas analyzer is used to automatically control the temperature of the suction gas is to control the pump by the processing categories of the pumping chamber. Another alternative embodiment of the present invention additionally comprises a transfer chamber disposed at the scene of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in the getter pump.


This chapter explores the habits of a highly effective electrostatic discharge (ESD) program, the reasons for them, and how to decide what should be included in our habitual practices. The key factor in identification of an electrostatic discharge‐sensitive (ESDS) device is understanding that the item would be at some risk of ESD damage if handled in an unprotected area without precautions. The habits of highly effective ESD program include: always handle ESDS components within an ESD protected area; avoid use of insulators near ESDS; reduce ESD risks from essential insulators; ground conductors, especially people; protect ESDS using ESD packaging; train personnel to know how to use ESD control equipment and procedures; and check and test to make sure everything is working. Standard ESD control programs largely address the most common ESD sources, namely, charged personnel, charged metal objects, and charge devices.


The principle of automatic block signaling simulation using the example of a pulse-wire DC blocking is presented. A simulation of the logical connections of the signal indications of traffic light and their adaptation for the realization of the interaction of one signal point with its neighbors is given. The most frequent system malfunctions are taken into account, their modeling is provided. Selected input and output data, implemented in the Labview, described the interface and block diagram of software.


A new technique of interference wavelength measurement for absorption lines in the near infrared is described. The spectrometer used has a resolving power of 140 000 at 1.7μ. The air pressure in a Fabry Perot etalon is adjusted until a fringe coincides with an absorption line. This "tuning" can be made to 0.001 order of interference corresponding to a precision of relative frequency measurement of 0.0004 cm−1. The plates of the etalon have been coated with dielectric films giving a reflectivity of 70 percent and high contrast fringes. Smooth scanning of a small spectral region is accomplished by translation of a wedge prism. The method of exact orders has been used to show that there is a change in the apparent etalon spacer with wavelength amounting to 10−4A/A. The index of refraction of dry CO2 free air at 1.65μ has been measured giving the result (μ−1)s106=273.18+0.07−0.15.


To obtain actinomycetes capable of producing new enzyme affectors such as enzyme inhibitors or activators, a screening test was carried out. Streptomyces sp. strain No. BR-1381 isolated in our laboratory produced a proteinous lipase activator abbreviated as LAV. LAV was purified from the culture filtrate by salting-out with ammonium sulfate, DEAE-cellulose column chromatography and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100. LAV was stable in the pH range from 3 to 7 at 37°c for 20 hr and in a wider range of pH at 4°C for 5 days. LAV itself was very stable against heat treatment, but LAV did not have any effect on the thermal stability of Phycomyces nitens lipase. LAV activated several microbial lipases, but did not activate pancreatic or rice bran lipases. LAV particularly showed strong activation for Phycomyces nitens lipase.


Objective To investigate the influence of volatile oil of Herba Houttuyniae on urine protein,urine microamount albumin(Alb)and the expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1)as well as renal pathological changes in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus(DM).Methods We established T2-DM rat model by feeding with high-glucose high-fat diet and one-dose intraperitoneal injection of small-dosage streptozotocin(STZ).After treatment with gastric gavage of volatile oil of Herba Houttuyniae for 8 weeks,we observe the changes of 24-hour urine protein,24-hour Alb and renal MCP-1 expression in T2-DM rats.Results Volatile oil of Herba Houttuyniae could relieve the symptoms of polydipsia,polyphagia and emaciation,decrease 24-hour urine protein and 24-hour Alb,reduce renal MCP-1 expression,and alleviate renal pathological changes of T2-DM rats.Conclusion Volatile oil of Herba Houttuyniae exerts certain therapeutic effect on renal pathological changes in T2-DM rats,and its mechanism is probably related with the decrease of urine protein,Alb and the expression of renal MCP-1.


The paper deals with the nonlinear evolution equation

e∂ttu + $\delta$∂tu+ $\omega$∂xxxx u-$[\beta+\int_0^1[\partial_y u(y,t)]^2\d y ]$∂xxu=f,

which describes the motion of the vertical deflection of an extensible Kirchhoff beam. The existence of the global attractor of optimal regularity is shown, as well as the existence of a family of exponential attractors Holder-continuous in the symmetric Hausdorff distance (with respect to e) and of finite fractal dimension uniformly bounded with respect to e.


experience and demand are expected for AI-CADs for radiological examinations other than chest radiography. Based on our experience with chest radiography, for the successful implementation of AI-CADs on other modalities, both accuracy and immediate availability of AI results seem to be necessary and critical, along with explainable visualization of disease-specific results and improved medical software platforms providing data presentation that can be configured by the user.


The current OECD Test Guideline for the conduct of the Local Lymph Node Assay (LLNA) recommends the use of only female mice for the assessment of skin sensitization potential for a given chemical. The NIH publication N° 99-4494 recommends that only female CBA mice be used, as they reportedly develop a stronger contact dermatitis response when compared to males however if male to be used, systematic studies evaluating potential sex differences should be conducted. Moreover, males were reported to display a larger variation in response due to a greater tendency to fight and to be involved in 'social ranking' behavior when group housed. However, there are several advantages to consider with the inclusion of male mice in LLNA testing including a more refined and responsible use of animals. Therefore, to begin to systematically assess the appropriateness of using male mice in the LLNA a comparative guideline study was conducted with individual housing of mice using a non-sensitizer and a sensitizer viz., Acephate 97 DF and α-hexylcinnamaldehyde (HCA) respectively. We have conducted an in-house study using a vehicle (dimethyl formamide) that is recommended by OECD 429 for the testing of mixtures in the LLNA for assessing skin sensitisation. We conducted the test according to the methods described by OECD 429 (Skin Sensitization: Local Lymph Node Assay). One common pesticide formulation, Acephate 97 DF and one known skin sensitizer - HCA, were each applied to the dorsum of both ears (25 µL per ear) of groups of 5 female CBA/J mice (male and female). Acephate 97 DF was applied at 3 separate concentrations and one concentration for HCA for 3 consecutive days (days 0, 1 and 2). A further group was given the vehicle (dimethyl formamide), alone. On day 5, all mice were injected intravenously (tail vein) with approximately 20 (±1) µCi of tritiated methyl thymidine. Five hours post-administration the uptake of 3H-thymidine into the auricular (local) lymph nodes draining the site of chemical application was measured in order to assess the proliferative response of the lymph node. The DPM values were measured individually for each mouse. Stimulation Index (SI Value) was calculated and are given below: - Acephate 97 DF (Male) (10%) 1.16 (25%) 1.58 (50%) 1.59 - Acephate 97 DF (Female (10%) 1.39 (25%) 1.55 (50%) 1.56 -


This study is part of a qualitative research project conducted in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. Interviews with immigrant indigenous women are used to show the influence of social marginalization as well as men's abuse of power in the origin of unwanted pregnancy. The overvaluation of male knowledge, the expectation of forming a union as a social mandate and as a survival strategy and the violence suffered by women throughout their lie cycle determines their acceptance of sexual relations with scant contraceptive protection.


Nowadays, deep and sudden climate changes are occurring, and the human actions are considered to be widely jointly liable. Such events are connected most of all to the building sector where a reversal of trend is now on going with difficulty, by means of the introduction of design, constructive and management methodologies more respectful of the environment and the use of local climatic sources in order to save energy and to guarantee better comfort conditions for the users: the so called bioclimatic architecture. Anyway, designing following sustainable criteria does not regard only the energy field but even the cultural one, because it means to make up buildings whose characteristics should depend even on the pre-existing situation from a typological, formal and material point of view. Sustainable design, in fact, is often capable of introducing a new selfreferential building typology, surely well recognizable and identifiable in the urban context because of its originality but often in contrast with the surroundings. Up to the introduction of "unsustainable" building types that do not interact but deny the local building tradition. This paper refers of a research carried out at the Laboratory of Building Design of the University of Trento whose main goal is to classify and to critical analyse recent sustainable buildings in the Italian alpine region in order to verify the congruence of new typologies and new materials with the local culture and tradition.


With the changes in the economic, resources, environment and development trend of geological survey work, first role in the national economy and social development more and more important supporting technology, corresponding methods of evaluation in groundwater resources investigation, ecological environmental geological survey, geological disaster investigation and prevention, investigation and evaluation of crustal stability of major engineering and geological environmental monitoring hand, there is extensive application service demand, this article systematically studied the current methods of classification technology of geological survey work in China and the arrangement way, in order to integrate the technical methods of geological survey work in China to provide information, application service.


Fluids derived from the devolatilization of subducting slabs play a critical role in the melting of the mantle wedge and global geochemical cycles. However, in spite of evidence for the existence and mobility of an aqueous fluid phase during subduction metamorphism, the effect of this fluid on decarbonation reactions in subducting lithologies remains largely unquantified. In this study we present results from thermodynamic modeling of metamorphic devolatilization of subducted lithologies for pressures up to 6 GPa using an approach which considers fluid fractionation from source lithologies and infiltration from subjacent lithologies. This open system approach in which fluid flow is an intrinsic component of the chemical model offers an alternative to closed system models of subduction zone decarbonation. In general, our models simulating pervasive fluid flow in subducting lithologies predict CO2 fluxes measured from volcanic arcs more closely than models which assume purely channelized flow. Despite the enhanced effect of H2O‐rich fluid infiltration on subduction decarbonation, our results support the hypothesis that CO2 is returned to the deep mantle at convergent margins, particularly in cool and intermediate subduction zones. Our results demonstrate that for most subduction zones, a significant proportion of the CO2 derived from the slab is lost beneath the fore arc, and therefore CO2 flux estimates based on measurements within the volcanic arc alone may significantly underestimate the slab‐derived CO2 flux for individual margins. Nevertheless, our predicted global slab‐derived CO2 flux from convergent margins of 0.35–3.12 × 1012 mols CO2/yr is in good agreement with previous estimates of global arc volcanic flux. Because our predicted global slab‐derived CO2 flux is significantly less than atmospheric CO2 drawdown by chemical weathering, significant CO2 emission from other geologic regimes (e.g., hot spots) would be required to balance the global carbon cycle.


Diamondiferous kimberlites of Siberia's Nakyn Field (NF), specifically the Nyurbinskaya and Botuobinskaya pipes, and those of the Snap Lake/King Lake (SL/KL) kimberlite dyke system, Slave Craton, Canada, are important geological discoveries of the late 20 century. The rocks from both localities have specific mineralogical, geochemical and petrological features separating them from known kimberlites, as well as features linking them to those of Groups I & II kimberlites. Data from ongoing studies of the NF and SL/KL kimberlites indicates a proposed ultradeep source of these kimberlites compared to other known kimberlites. These rocks provide a unique opportunity to obtain new information on the mantle structure, composition and magma generation process.


All‐solid‐state batteries (ASSBs) that employ anode‐less electrodes have drawn attention from across the battery community because they offer competitive energy densities and a markedly improved cycle life. Nevertheless, the composite matrices of anode‐less electrodes impose a substantial barrier for lithium‐ion diffusion and inhibit operation at room temperature. To overcome this drawback, here, the conversion reaction of metal fluorides is exploited because metallic nanodomains formed during this reaction induce an alloying reaction with lithium ions for uniform and sustainable lithium (de)plating. Lithium fluoride (LiF), another product of the conversion reaction, prevents the agglomeration of the metallic nanodomains and also protects the electrode from fatal lithium dendrite growth. A systematic analysis identifies silver (I) fluoride (AgF) as the most suitable metal fluoride because the silver nanodomains can accommodate the solid‐solution mechanism with a low nucleation overpotential. AgF‐based full cells attain reliable cycling at 25 °C even with an exceptionally high areal capacity of 9.7 mAh cm−2 (areal loading of LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 = 50 mg cm–2). These results offer useful insights into designing materials for anode‐less electrodes for sulfide‐based ASSBs.


Acorus calamus L. is a medicinally important herbal and aromatic plant species. This species can grow in varying agroclimatic conditions in India, from tropical to temperate marshes with abundant distribution in Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) [1,2]. A. calamus consists of varying ploidy levels such as diploid (2x=24), triploid (3x=36), tetraploid (4x=48) and hexaploids (6x=72) [1]. The different ploidy levels cannot be morphologically distinguished in the field. This herb is often used as an ingredient in over 77 Indian ayurvedic preparations [3]. It is used as an aphrodisiac, laxative, emetic, expectorant, emmenagogue, and diuretic [4], and it is commonly used in the treatment of infectious diseases [5] and chronic diarrhea, insomnia, melancholia, neurosis, epilepsy, delirium, hysteria, dyspepsia and loss of memory [6,7]. A. calamus is also used as an antitumor and antidepressant agent [8].


manifest even when the number of respirations remains the same. The quantity of carbonic acid which is eliminated is more increased than the amount of air: for example, during gentle exercise the elimination of this gas becomes double the normal standard, and during violent exercise the quantity of carbonic acid excreted is augmented to threefold the usual amount. The heat of the organism is somewhat increased by exercise, though soon after the exercise has ceased the temperature rapidly sinks, even to a point below the normal degree. The production of the perspiration appears to be accompanied with an increase of bodily heat. The lowest temperature of the body is in the morning, the highest at midday, and in the evening there occurs a dimintution again. (San Francisco Medical Press.)


Clearing definition of drug quality is the basis for drug quality study,but there is not a definition of drug quality in China now.This paper analysed the changes in concepts of drug quality and the different understandings of different subjects on the definition of drug quality.The result showed that based on the study of the definition of quality at home and abroad,availability of drugs in WHO drug policy,and the special condition that traditional Chinese medicine was widespread,four aspects as compliance,meeting requirements,accessibility and the quality of traditional Chinese medicine should be emphasized to standardize the definition of drug quality in China.


Methods for the synthesis of cyclic phosphonic acid diesters from 1,3- diols are described, whereby cyclic phosphonic acid diesters are produced by reacting a chiral 1,3-diol and an activated phosphonic acid in the presence of a Lewis acid. ® KIPO & WIPO 2007


Metabolic acidosis is a common manifestation of chronic kidney disease and is associated with increased protein catabolism, decreased protein synthesis and negative nitrogen balance. Diet strongly influences acid generation, determining the level of acidosis in chronic kidney disease patients. Some researchers have observed that it is possible to estimate renal net acid excretion, and the analysis of the renal acid load of selected, frequently consumed foods may allow an appropriate prediction of the effects of diet on metabolic acidosis. This article discusses the physiological bases as well as the clinical implications of acidosis in patients with chronic kidney disease and the influence of the diet on the acid-base balance of these patients.


Highly reconfigurable modular robots face unique teleoperation challenges due to their geometry, configurability, high number of degrees of freedom and complexity. Current methodology for controlling reconfigurable modular robots typically use gait tables to control the modules. Gait tables are static data structures and do not readily support realtime teleoperation. Teleoperation techniques for traditional wheeled, flying, or submerged robots typically use a set of joysticks to control the robots. However, these traditional methods of robot teleoperation are not suitable for reconfigurable modular robotic systems which may have dozens of controllable degrees of freedom. This research shows that modern cell phones serve as highly effective control platforms for modular robots because of their programmability, flexibility, wireless communication capabilities, and increased processing power. As a result of this research, a versatile Graphical User Interface, a set of libraries and tools have been developed which even a novice robotics enthusiast can use to easily program their mobile phones to control their hobby project. These libraries will be beneficial in any situation where it is effective for the operator to use an off-the-shelf, relatively inexpensive, hand-held mobile phone as a remote controller rather than a considerably heavy and bulky remote controllers which are popular today. Several usage examples and experiments are presented which demonstrate the controller's ability to effectively control a modular robot to perform a series of complex gaits and poses, as well as navigating a module through an obstacle course.Copyright © 2011 by ASME


A description is given of so-called coated diamonds which consist of a clear core surrounded by an opal-Iike layer or coating. From a careful microscopical study of this coating, which is pure diamond, wherein minute foreign palticles are embedded, a suggestion is made as to the growth pattern of the diamond. Growth is found to occur not only in waves,which include angles of 60', but growth angles of about 80" are also observed. Attention is drawn to curious string formations of the embedded particles in the coating. Research carried out in this laboratory has included the examination of various types of so-called coated diamonds from various sources. The literature on this subject is rather sparse and we are attempting, in the first instance, to give a clear description oI the kind of stones covered by this investigation. Almost all the coated stones, which have been examined, are of the octahedral habit and even if they are not perfect octahedrons, all the eight octahedral facets are usually present. Some stones, however, are of an irregular shape and some of them may be twins, though the percentage of this type is very low. When looking at these stones, which may have weights of about 0'1 to 1.5 grams, they do not appear to be clear, their color being grey and dull. On opening them one can verify, however, that they contain a core or interior part which is clear diamond, though this clear part sometimes contains one or more black spots, cracks, flaws and so on. The core is surrounded by the so-called coating. Due to its light scattering properties, this coating gives the stone its dull opal-like or cloudy appearance, thus making it quite impossible to look into the stone' As a matter of fact, the coating consists of diamond in which foreign material in the form of very tiny particles is embedded. Though we are not yet certain about the nature of this foreign matter, it is probable it is pure carbon, either in the amorphous state, or in the form of graphite. These tiny particles with a refractive index different from the index of pure diamond, act as light scattering centres. Under the binocular microscope they appear as a milky cloud in reflected light, whereas one can distinguish them as fine brown, or black-brown specks in transmitted light. This coating shows several interesting features, which throw moreover some light on the growth of the diamond. Usually the boundary between the coating and the clear part of the stone is very sharp. when this is the case, one can be sure that the


The military is heavily reliant on the transfer of information among various networks in day-today operations. Radio-based communications networks that support this volume of information are complex, difficult to manage, and change frequently. Communications network planners need a way to clearly visualize and communicate mobile operational network capabilities, particularly to network users. By using the DIS-Java-VRML simulation and modeling toolkit, visualizations of radio-frequency energy and radio path-profiling data can be quickly generated as 3D models. These animated 3D visualizations can be loaded into a networked virtual environment, so that communications planners can detect a variety of problems such as radio frequency interference and gaps in coverage. Planners can also brief senior staff, plan within their own staff, and collaborate with communications staff planners in distant locations using such virtual environments. DIS-Java-VRML visualization tools can provide a clear picture of the battle space with respect to the deployed communications architecture. The prototypes presented in this thesis demonstrate the ability to generate a shared visualization that can show a radio communications network in 3D. Such dynamic visualizations increase communications planning information bandwidth and yield more intuitive ways of presenting information to users. Higher information density in a more intuitive format enables better understanding with quicker reaction times. This thesis and the visualization tool discussed provide the foundation for fundamental improvements in visualizing radio communications environments. Thesis Link David Laflam Thesis.pdf Software Reference Link MAJ Thomas E. Miller


Compressive Sensing (CS) is a widely used technique in biomedical signal acquisition and reconstruction. The technique is especially useful for reducing acquisition time for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal acquisitions and reconstruction, where effects of patient fatigue and Claustrophobia need mitigation. In addition to improving patient experience, faster MRI scans are important for time sensitive imaging, such as functional or cardiac MRI, where target movement is unavoidable. Inspired from recent research works on multi-layer convolutional sparse coding (ML-CSC) theory to model deep neural networks, this work proposes a multi-layer basis pursuit framework which combines the benefit from objective-based CS reconstructions and deep learning-based reconstruction by employing iterative thresholding algorithms for successfully training a CS-MRI restoration framework on GPU and reconstruct test images using parameters of the trained model. Extensive experiments show the effectiveness of the proposed framework on four MRI datasets in terms of faster convergence, improved PSNR/SSIM, and better restoration efficiency as compared to the state of the art frameworks with different CS ratios.


It is not well known that Moritz Schlick, whose name is inseparable from the development of logical positivism, was extremely critical of positivism prior to the 1920's. Understanding Schlick's early criticisms of positivism not only puts Schlick's transition from his early realist to his later positivist views in better perspective, but clearly shows the role of relativity theory in turning Schlick's attention to a positivist concern with empirical verification. It also can be seen that Schlick spent the second part of his philosophical career struggling to find solutions to the very problems he had criticized so vehemently in his early work.


Increasing installed capacities of wind power in an effort to achieve sustainable power systems for future generations pose problems for system operators. Volatility in generation volumes due to the adoption of stochastic wind power is increasing. Storage has been shown to act as a buffer for these stochastic energy sources, facilitating the integration of renewable energy into a historically inflexible power system. This paper examines peak and off peak benefits realised by installing a short term discharge storage unit in a system with a high penetration of wind power in 2020. A fully representative unit commitment and economic dispatch model is used to analyse two scenarios, one `with storage' and one `without storage'. Key findings of this preliminary study show that wind curtailment can be reduced in the storage scenario, with a larger reduction in peak time ramping of gas generators realised.


We describe a new method for removing non-linear phased array antenna aberration called "squint" problem. To develop a compensation scheme, theoretical antenna and artificial neural networks were used. The purpose of using the artificial neural networks is to develop an antenna system model that represents the steering function of an actual array. The artificial neural networks are also used to implement an inverse model which when concatenated with the antenna or antenna model will correct the "squint"problem. Combining the actual steering function and the inverse model contained in the artificial neural network, alters the steering command to the antenna so that the antenna will point to the desired position instead of squinting. The use of an artificial neural network provides a method of producing a non-linear system that can correct antenna performance. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of generating an inverse steering algorithm with artificial neural networks.


The plasma expansion from an exploded wire with characteristic times of energy deposition in the wire of tens of microseconds was studied. The probe method was used to measure the plasma temperature and plasma density distributions. Tungsten wires 25, 50, 75, and 125 μm in diameter and a copper wire 100 μm in diameter were used. The waveforms of discharge voltage Ud, discharge current Id, and floating potential showed that Ud was close to a constant, while Id decreased, indicating that the wire resistance increased until plasma appeared. Immediately after the appearance of plasma, Id was observed to peak, while the voltage decreased stepwise from ∼110 to about 70 V. A relatively high electron temperature (about 12 eV) was observed in the expanding plasma even at r=2 cm from the wire axis. The plasma density was a maximum of 2×1013 cm−3 at r=2 cm, and it decreased with increasing r. For r<2 cm, unusual electrical parameters were observed, indicating the probe activity and a significantly increased plasma d...


Summary The article is devoted to the use of modern methods of the content and language integrated learning (CLIL), which allows a new approach to the issue of teaching school subjects. Thanks to this method, a teacher is able to demonstrate to students a close interdisciplinary connection, which can significantly affect the quality of education of students, their motivation to study, the development of interdisciplinary competences, skills and abilities. When using CLIL in English lessons and selecting exercises, the teacher should be guided by the basic principles of selecting educational material. Properly used educational material can be a great tool for students to learn new information. The article demonstrates the main advantages of the content and language integrated learning (CLIL) method, specifies the requirements for planning English language lessons, and gives examples of the types of tasks that can be used to form communication skills in students of primary and secondary schools of Ukraine.


Twenty years ago, Safe and Soundness Banking studied how the supervisory environment could be improved to enhance financial stability, primarily in the U.S. context. Some of the Report's recommendations were adopted, but not all. This paper identifies some topics that should be studied in a 21 st -century version of Safe and Soundness Banking.


Liver fatty acid-binding protein (FABP1) is associated with intracellular transportation of fatty acids. However, only few studies indicated the relationship between serum FABP1 and metabolism. This study aimed to investigate the association of FABP1 levels and metabolism factors, and its change with laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in Chinese. The cross-sectional analysis included a total of 187 subjects, of which 65 were with normal weight (BMI 18-24 kg/m2), 59 with over weight (BMI25-27 kg/m2), and 64 with obesity (BMI≥28 kg/m2). We found FABP1 levels in obese (303±235pg/ml, p In conclusion, serum FABP1 were correlated with obesity and NAFLD, and it might be an important mediator participating in metabolism disorders. Disclosure H. You: None. Z. Lin: None. C. Zhu: None. X. Wen: None. M. Zhang: None. S. Qu: None. Funding National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFC1314101); National Natural Science Foundation of China (81700752, 81500687)


An adaptive beamforming algorithm with two-sided constraints for MIMO(multiple- input multiple-output)radar was proposed. It's based on virtual array. This algorithm decomposes the combined linear constraints into a kronecker product of two linear constraints,and finds two small dimensional weight vectors. And starting from mapping relation between the transmitting array steering vector and the receiving one,a formula for calculating the weight of the transmitting array was deduced. Compared with the case only with receiving array,there are deeper nulls in the directions of the strong interferences and higher angular resolution of this algorithm. Compared with the case with combined constraints,the computational complexity of this algorithm is significantly reduced. Simulation results certify the validity of the algorithm.


Economists have long envisaged that China would be a major economic power in the 21st century.   China along with India accounts for 18 percent of the global economy (on purchasing power parity basis) and 40 percent of the global working age population. During the past decade, China's economy grew on average at ten percent per annum, and China's share of world trade increased from one percent in early 1990s to six percent in 2004. China's industrial production also increased at an annual rate of 17 percent in 2004.  Going forward, the continued economic growth of China will continue to impact other countries as well as provide impacts within China.  Long term impacts of this growth will likely result in spillover effects in countries surrounding China as well as other countries in the Pacific Rim.


High Density Fan Out Wafer Level Package (HD-FOWLP) can be an alternative for technologies such as Embedded Multi-Die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB) and silicon interposer to achieve heterogeneous integration for applications that requires ultra-high bandwidth for die to die communications. This work focusses on the electrical characteristics of this type of interconnect and explains why the metrics based on S-parameters regularly used for designing and qualifying interconnects on substrates and PCBs are not enough and may be misleading in this case. With the lines cross-sectional dimensions of, 1umx1um and respectively and Nyquist frequency around 1GHz, some of these lines operate at the onset of skin effect, with per-unit-length resistance and inductance undergoing severe dispersion. This is very different from signals routed as thicker and wider traces on an organic package, where the skin effect develops at much lower frequencies. It is also different from the on-die signal routing, where RC is an adequate model of the signal interconnect. Simulation examples of different interconnect structures and layouts are presented to support the findings reported here.


OBJECTIVE
To study the resource of officinal nettles in Sichuan.

METHODS
Investigating at the wild spots and consulting the relating specimens.

RESULTS
It has been found that there are 11 spieces and subspieces of genus Urtica in Sichuan Province, of which 8 nettles are commonly used for treatment of rheumatism.

CONCLUSION
This paper can provide scientific reference for further study of officinal nettles in Sichuan.


Danish Modern has been recognized as simple and comfortable design movement that was matched with its unique regional environment. There are various internationally well known designers such as Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton. Danish Modern movement and International style had vital role to activate these designers"; ideas and design quality. This paper aims to study the background and design characteristics of Danish Modern movement as well as some of the spatial projects by Arne Jacobsen. Furniture design of Jacobsen were already throughly studied in various researches. However his spatial projects such as architectural buildings and interior designs were not. This study analyzes three major architectural projects based on the four characteristics of Danish Modern: Formal Simplicity, Simple Functionality, Regional Contextuality, Reasonable Amusement. After the case study, this study discovered that Danish Modern characteristics had unique roles in the design process of Jacobsen's projects. Danish Modern is still valid design philosophy that can be applied to contemporary society.


The prices of maturing US Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) during the last 6-month coupon period reveal whether the market is anticipating an inflationary or disinflationary regime. Against the benchmark of the Treasury bill yield to adjust for the time value of money, maturing TIPS prices represent a sequence of updated forecasts of the consumer price index (CPI) to be used to determine the final single cash flow on the maturity date. Under the assumption of risk-neutrality, the sequence of forecasts is modelled as a martingale. Generalized method of moments and regression analysis are used to test two martingale properties of the CPI forecasts: (1) the unconditional mean of daily changes in the CPI forecasts is zero and (2) serial correlations of the daily changes in the CPI forecasts are zero. The test statistics reject both martingale properties of the CPI forecasts implied in maturing TIPS prices. A persistent upward movement of the CPI forecasts toward the actual target CPI during the first quarter of 2002 implies the market was then anticipating a disinflationary regime. One policy implication is that time series behaviour of CPI forecasts can provide timely feedback to the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee.


The paper discusses and analyses the stressed state of piercing mandrel of a 25 MN indirect extrusion press,calculates and checks the strength of different specifications piercing mandrels,and through comparing with each other determines the Φ120 mm mandrel as optimum one.The mandrel has proved itself to be very successful in the production of larger aluminum alloy tube,thus expanding the range of product specifications of the 25 MN indirect extrusion press.


Under various temperature regimes, the germination rate of the seeds of the studied crops (knob celery, root parsley and carrot) after a long storage (12 years) ranges from 10.8 to 13.0 days. The percentage of germinated seeds of those crops is at the level of 72% and 83%. Under certain temperature regimes, the seeds of the studied crops after long storage do not germinate in the laboratory environment. It is found that various studied crops reveal different response to thermal effect at germination. Fresh seeds (1 year storage) of all crops in the experiment germinate. The germination rate varies from 7.6 to 22.8 days, and the percentage of germinated seeds varies from 75% to 83% depending on the temperature background of germination. The analysis of certain parts of seed, and embryo in the first place, enables revealing quite substantial changes in the seeds during germination. After 12 years of storage of knob celery seeds, there is virtually no embryo growth at various temperature regimes; its average growth rate during fifteen days of germination ranges from 0.003 to 0.002 mm day. The embryo of carrot seed begins to rapidly develop immediately after setting for germination at all temperature regimes. Carrot seed embryo average growth rate varies from 0.03 to 0.05 mm day. However, there is no germination. Autolysis of carrot seeds is observed, which reaches 80-100% depending on the temperature of germination. The embryo growth of old seeds of root parsley is retarded.


Testing of outdoor insulators in a fog chamber is necessary and is universally used. Fog parameters such as the pressure of the compressed air and the water flow rate feeding the nozzles to form the fog as well as the size and the speed of fog droplets impinging on the surface of the insulators play a major role in the outcome of the electrical performance test. In the present paper relationships between the air pressure, water flow rate and the air speed which are related to the distributions and the speed of the fog droplets impinging on the surface of the insulator are determined as a function of distance from IEEE-IEC standard nozzles forming the fog. The influence of the compressed air pressure and the water flow rate forming the fog on the electrical surface resistance of HTV silicone rubber is investigated. Optimized fog conditions for testing of insulators are suggested.


In the first part of the work, an array on a competitive assay for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus Enterotoxins SEA-SED and SEH in milk products was developed due to the regulations of the project "BIOTRACER". The fluorescence intensity of Cy3 was detected with an array scanner at 562 nm emission wavelength. The goal to design the competitive array within the desired dynamic range of 0.1-10 ng/mL for all five toxins was not achieved. The unspecifity of the available antibodies and problems with the silanization of the array depicted permanent challenges within the scope of this research.

First of all, well-known cleaning methods for glass slide were tested with regard to their surface coating quality and different silanization methods were applied. The quality was considered as acceptable for array design by means of fluorescence and contact angle measurements. All five antibody types were labeled with Cy3 to quantify the binding of antibody with immobilized toxin. Multiple labeling experiments with variation in pH, molar ratio, cleaning procedure, kind of fluorescence dye and labeling time were proceeded to achieve an optimal dye-to-protein ratio and therefore the best fluorescence intensity. The Melon Gel Kit was adjudged optimal for the removal of high concentrations of unbound fluorescence dye.

First trials for antigen occupancy on amino-silanized glass slides, nitrocellulose slides and epoxy-silanized glass slides with hydrophobic pattern yielded in acceptable results for the last two slide types. Amino slides were eliminated for further experiments due to the circumstantial handling and the poor reproducibility of the intensity values. The nitrocellulose slides exhibited very poor signal-to-noise ratio and high backgrounds which complicated scanning and analysis of the slides extensively. As a next step, the optimal concentration of labeled primary antibodies should be identified for the antigen layer of a primary system. This can be considered as difficile. Despite to identical optimization strategies, the antibodies had extremely differing characteristics and therefore very different antibody concentrations were necessary for reaching similar intensities. Only the concentrations for and were identical, which was proven on Nitrocellulose Slides too.

Fluorescence normalization was necessary for each array because of the disparities in concentration and fluorescence intensity. Furthermore, the normalization had to be integrated in all array analyses. As a next step, different competitive concentration rows were made for all toxin types and with differing toxin concentrations. Linear concentration ranges were achieved after several trials, indeed they are not within the requested concentration ranges. Within the primary system there are significant noticeable problems for all toxin types and slide types: high standard deviations between 15 and 30%, poor reproducibility of the linear ranges of single toxin types, low signal-to-noise ratios and often high background when using Fast Slides. These problems could not be overcome, so Nitrocellulose Slides were eliminated for further measurements. The results of the calibration rows in milk were identically to those in PBS buffer, which build the base of the array. An application of real samples was made as closure for the experiments within the primary system. Therefore, untreated and artificially contaminated milk samples from Switzerland were used. In principle, real samples are applicable to the array system with limitations in insufficient linear ranges. Subsequent, a first secondary system was established. The given antigen layer and primary antibody concentrations were kept constant, only the labeled antibody was changed against an unlabeled one. Detection was carried out with a secondary, Cy3-labeled polyclonal antibody. The goal of this step was the removal of the necessity of fluorescence normalization. Within competitive tests, proper intensity and variance values were achieved, with limitation in the insufficient linear ranges.

Another secondary system was established, but with completely new parameters for every layer. This leaded to acceptable intensities, signal-to-noise ratios and deviations repeatedly. However, the linear range could not be decreased either. Furthermore, both system types were tested for the cross-reactivity of their antibodies. The primary system exhibits a high cross reactivity which could be partially attributed to different labeling efficiencies and intensities that were not removable by normalization. The secondary system exhibits relatively low and almost optimal cross reactivities. Finally, the array is not ready to achieve the desired linear range, but the corner stone is made and the system was already tested with real samples.

Second part of this work was the development of a competitive SPR sensor platform for the detection of Staphylococcus aureus Enterotoxins in milk. Based on a self-assembling monolayer on the gold surface of a SPR chip, SEA and SEB were reproducibly immobilized and the interaction with the corresponding antibodies was characterized. A competitive assay was used to establish calibration curves in a real sample. Furthermore, it was possible to determine the toxin concentration in milk directly. Further optimization and analysis of the system seems to be necessary. At the moment, it is not explained, how modified monolayers behave with regard to immobilization and unspecific binding.
A decreasing proportion of carboxyl groups and exchange of them through hydroxyl groups could be an example. The cross reaction of different antibody-toxin couples was already tested on the array and was proven to be optimal for secondary systems. The specifications have to be carried forward to the SPR system to enable multi-toxin measurements on one chip. Optimization in time management is advised. Complete toxin detection in milk samples takes 50 minutes, including all washing steps and requiring a completely prepared sensor chip. Compared to conventional methods like ELISA, SPR seems to be a time-saving method, but HPLC is comparably powerful or faster. Coupling of the starting slope of the kinetic curve with the concentration could be a starting-point. The analysis of the previous conclusion allows suppose of a simple dependency, which could reduce the measuring time. Costoptimization could be another point. At the moment, all immobilizations are done with 50 mg/L. This might be possible with lower concentrations and without enormously prolonged reaction time.

In summary, important mile stones, such as LOD and processing time, for the newly developed specific SPR sensor platform of the Enterotoxins are taken as a base herein, butfurther optimization and variation is neccessary.

Remarkably, SPR spectroscopy is versatile and conformatory and competes with other methods in analytics and sensor technology.


After working with clay for several years my fingers on one hand are not as flexible as in the past and are often stiff. What can be causing this problem?


I venture to lay before the Society a brief notice of four Arabic MS. works on the History and Geography of Arabia, which appear to me sufficiently interesting from their rarity and the nature of their contents to merit attention.


The effective application of integrated vehicle dynamics control and automatic driving require consistent vehicle state variables and parameters. Considering lateral vehicle dynamics, the yaw rate and (estimated) vehicle side-slip angle are the minimum set of state variables that can give insight into the handling characteristics of a vehicle. Various methods of vehicle side-slip angle (lateral velocity) estimation have been tested in virtual and real world applications, in particular on a horizontal dry road. Vehicle side-slip angle, however, is not only affected by the (steering) commands of the driver, and possibly by a vehicle dynamics controller, but can also arise from a banked road or result from a low-friction surface, changing tyre–road contact. The combined effects require a comprehensive estimation approach, which is less often touched upon in the literature. Based on earlier findings on important aspects of observability, the paper addresses a modular vehicle side-slip angle estimation approach that is particularly focused upon practical aspects of modelling and design. Estimation of the combined vehicle side-slip angle, road bank angle and maximum tyre–road friction coefficient has been broadly tested with a vehicle equipped with an electronic stability control (ESC) and electric power-assisted steering (EPS) sensor configuration, for various road conditions, driving situations and vehicle/tyre setups.


This publication of the James R. Squire Office of Policy Research offers updates on research with implications for policy decisions that affect teaching and learning. Each issue addresses a different topic, and all issues can be found at www.ncte.org. Educators, politicians, the general public—everyone wants excellent teachers in our nation's classrooms. Teachers want to be held to high standards, teacher educators want to inspire quality teaching in prospective teachers, educational researchers want to ascertain the most effective methods for evaluating teachers, and community members and policymakers want to make sure American teachers challenge students to achieve and become future leaders. This attention to teacher quality is justified because research has long acknowledged that teachers are the single most important factor when it comes to student learning. 1 However, recent expressions of concern about teacher quality and Race to the Top legislation have led to policies that define teacher quality in terms of student performance on standardized tests. As of October 2011, 24 states require that determinations of teacher quality include measures of student achievement, and 13 of these states require that student standardized test scores be the majority determinant of teacher quality. 2 Defining teacher quality in terms of student test scores has a significant impact on the evaluation of English/language arts teachers. Accordingly, this brief interrogates teacher quality, including the meanings attached to it and ways of evaluating it. This brief also offers approaches that will support policymakers, researchers, and educators in their common pursuit of excellent teaching in our nation's classrooms. Definitions Defining teacher quality in terms of students' scores on standardized tests is one way of emphasizing the importance of student achievement. It has the advantage of clarity and expediency. However, this definition does not take into account the body of research on teacher effectiveness or quality. Most of this research portrays teacher quality as a complex phenomenon that can vary with context and includes manifestations of these observable dimensions: Preparation Planning Instructional practices Professionalism. 3 The details of these dimensions, as illuminated by research, vary. Preparation , which includes subject matter knowledge and teacher education, can be correlated with student achievement. 4 Planning, or designing instruction and assessments, appears to be most effective when it includes frequent collaboration with colleagues. 5 Instructional practices, which occur mainly in the classroom, benefit from effectiveness measures that take teachers' contexts into account; they have a greater impact on teachers' …


This word of Goethe has a twofold application to the student who takes up the study of John I3:I-20; for, first, the critical question, if followed out on " all sides," involves many and difficult points; and, second, the content of the passage, whether it be historical or not, leads us to the deep things of the ministry of Jesus. But the present article will not attempt to say all that can be said either on the critical question or on the profound significance of the scene. We shall seek only to indicate why we see in the passage a historical tradition, in spite of the attractive arguments that have been advanced by various scholars in support of the view that it is a free production by the author of the Fourth Gospel-a sort of dramatization of the


Background & Purpose: There are scarce data regarding outcomes of AIS patients treated with IVT within 60 min from symptom onset ("golden hour"). We sought to compare outcomes between AIS patients ...


This paper describes a compactor that is practical for compacting whole chips that are designed hierarchically, and can produce a reasonable result in spite of the layout being over-constrained. The layout produced is good enough to be used in high volume chips. The compactor is currently used in a cell layout system and a chip assembly tool.


Parameters of rock shear strength are important index to evaluate the stability of rock slope. Taking a road slope for example,the reliability of rock slope by different probability distributions of and their correlation is discussed. Results are important to the reliable analysis of rock slope.


Human recognition based on biometrics finds many important applications in many life sectors and in particular in commercial and law enforcement. This paper aims to give a general overview of the advances in the biometric recognition methods. We concentrate on main methods and accessible ideas presented for human recognition systems based on two types of biometrics: iris and fingerprint. We present a quick overview of the landmark papers that laid the foundation in each track then we present the latest updates and important turns and solutions that developed in each track in the last few years.


Contamination through leachate infiltration in soils and cultivation areas next to final disposal sites of urban solid wastes is one of the main problems caused by the inappropriate handling of wastes and the lack of leachate collection systems. In order to evaluate the effect of leachates that could accidentally reach agricultural crops, quick, simple, and economical ecotoxicological tests were conducted in which germination of seeds as well as stem and roots elongation of Allium cepa and cultivation of vegetables irrigated with different concentrations of leachates were analyzed. Physical-chemical and microbiological analyses were also conducted both on leachates as well as on soil exposed to these substances during vegetable cultivation. The analyzed leachate was classified as stabilized leacheate showing poor biodegradability according to the low ratio (0.07) of biochemical versus chemical oxygen demand (BOD/COD). The bacteria Staphylococcus equorum, Staphylococcus vitilus, Staphylococcus xylosus, and Bacillus subtilis were identified. The results of the ecotoxicological tests showed toxicity signs as well as strong negative effects at leachate concentrations above 25%. In vegetable cultivation, effects such as withering and reduced plant growth were observed in the crops irrigated with leachate at concentrations above 25%. Analysis of cultivation soil showed reduction of fertility and permeability.


Soil density and soil water content are physical properties that greatly affect the process of nutrient absorption in plants. This study aims to determine changes in soil density and soil water content in the treatment of compost and husk charcoal on lettuce production on degraded land. Degraded soil is soil that is low in nutrients. Thus, to increase the fertility of the soil, it is very necessary, one way is to provide compost and husk charcoal in the planting media. This study used four treatments with six replications, (M0) control (M1) compost 2.50 kg (M2) husk charcoal 2.5 kg and (M3) compost and husk charcoal 2.50 kg. Changes in soil water content and the highest was compost and husk charcoal (M3) volume 13.03 to 39.50 %, the best soil density was husk charcoal (M3) 0.66 gcm-3. The highest lettuce production was (M3) 1.32 kg. The use of compost and husk charcoal (M3) gave the best changes in soil properties and resulted in the highest production of lettuce


What influence does body memory from light vs strong movement qualities have on affect and cognition? This article relates the phenomenological theory of body memory, movement observation theory from dance, and psychological conceptual and empirical work on body feedback. Kinesthetic body feedback means efferent feedback from the body's peripheral movements to the higher cortical functions, such as the systematic effects of the adoption of certain gestures or postures on the memory for life events. Meaning of movements is stored in the body in relation to our learning history –ontogenetic as well as phylogenetic. Based on the phenomenological theory of body memory, we hypothesize that specific movement qualities will have a differential impact on affect and cognition. In accordance with our hypotheses, our results suggest that strong movements are related to more fighting affect and more negative memory recall, whereas light movements – just as a non-movement control condition – are related to more indulgent affect and more positive memory recall. Results are discussed with reference to the phenomenological framework.


The article presents a novel, efficient graph search algorithm for path planning. The algorithm was inspired by the potential field method and therefore it is called the Discrete Artificial Potential Field (DAPF) algorithm. Additional trajectory optimization algorithm is also applied as a path smoothing mechanism. The algorithm is intended for use in Intelligent Transportation Systems of autonomous ships. The algorithm was implemented in the MATLAB programming language and tested by extensive simulation experiments. Results show that the algorithm can generate a collision-free path in an environment with static and dynamic obstacles, achieving near-real run time. The algorithm was also compared with the state-of-the-art graph search algorithm – a wave-front algorithm. Obtained results demonstrate that DAPF achieves better results in terms of both solution quality and run time.


The writer questions two tendencies found in many language-teaching programmes today and relates them to observed deficiencies in modern language-teaching methods: 1) emphasizing the surface elements of language to the neglect of its "deep structure" or meaning; 2) treating the graphic processes of reading and writing as inherently dependent on the corresponding audial ones, independent of meaning. ("Meaning" is explained not as a semantic reference eventually attached to already-formed sound sequences, but as the relating of spoken or written utterances to one's whole cognitive structure or experience.) The first tendency accounts for the failure of contrastive analysis and avoidance of native-language use to handle the so-called "interference" problem. The second retards the assimilation of all skills by replacing the student's normal meaning-oriented learning mechanism by a system based on the artificial primacy of one form of surface structure over the other. As the writer admits, the article serves only to suggest some new directions for exploration. The question of specific application to language-teaching methods is left for future consideration.


What does meat taste like? It's that indescribable flavour you have to experience for yourself. Scientists call this the "umami": a full savoury taste that cannot be described as either sweet, salty, sour or bitter.


The invention discloses a transformer interval breaker closing phase detection method. According to the method, when closing of the first phase of a transformer interval breaker is successful, the effective value of the voltage across the phase is increased obviously. Meanwhile, due to the influence of a transformer delta winding, voltage is also generated on the other two phases, and the voltage instantaneous values are the same and are about equal to half of the first-closing phase. Accordingly, the phase sequence of the first-closing phase and the closing moment of the first-closing phase can be judged precisely. When a second-closing phase of the breaker is closed successfully, the voltage of the two closed phases are constrained by the voltage of a system and affected by the delta winding, and the voltage of the three phases of a transformer are approximate to balance. The voltage of the second-closing phase is not equal to the voltage of a last-closing phase any more. According to principle, the closing moment of the second-closing phase can be judged precisely. By means of the transformer interval breaker closing phase detection method, only the interval voltage recording data of the transformer is needed, the closing phase positions of the three phases of the breaker can be judged precisely, and the problem that by means of the prior art, the high-pressure transformer interval breaker closing phase detection cannot be achieved is solved.


The thick sequence of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, and limestone situated in southwestern Beaverhead County, Montana and adjacent Clark County, Idaho was named the Beaverhead Formation by Lowell and Klepper (1953). These strata are deformed and rest with angular unconformity on rocks as young as Early Cretaceous. Although the structures in the Beaverhead are not always coincident with those found within underlying rocks, the same general trends persist. The Beaverhead is unconformably overlain by midly deformed rocks, not older than late Eocene, whose structures bear little relationship to earlier trends. These relationships suggest the synorogenic (Laramide) nature of the Beaverhead Formation. Detailed study of the stratigraphic and sedimentological relationships of this unit should thus provide significant knowledge concerning the late Cretaceous-early Tertiary tectonic development of southwestern Montana. This paper will discuss preliminary data associated with the stratigraphic development of the Beaverhead Formation. Data pertaining to its post-depositional deformation are not presented.


A method for determining of information on a print medium and / or ink droplets by an ink jet printing mechanism (20) printed on a medium (170), comprising the steps of: Illuminating selected portions (172) of the medium (170) by a light emitting diode (120) through the following substeps: Applying (322) a high-current pulse (324) to the light emitting diode (120) for a selected duration in order to light the diode (120); and after the selected time driving (328) the light emitting diode with a normal drive current (330) to a lighting output from the light-emitting diode (120) is in a predetermined range around a stationary level (336); and reflected from the illuminated selected portions (172) of the medium (170) receiving light (200), and generating an output signal (316) having an amplitude proportional to the reflectivity of the medium (170) illuminated at the is selected portions (172) wherein the selected period comprises a time so ...


The Extra Care Demand Assessor is a dataset, and associated tool, which helps local authorities and housing providers explore demand for extra care housing in a given location.


We have studied fully-relativistic, self-consistent theoretical equilibria for the electron sheath near a magnetically insulated cathode. Such equilibria exist at stresses of 3 MV/cm for applied magnetic fields of ?13 kG and at stresses of 5 MV/cm for applied magnetic fields of ?20 kG in an 0.5 cm gap. The equilibrium solutions are obtained analytically as elliptic integrals, which are then evaluated numerically for special cases of interest to obtain quantitative results for the breakdown stress at various field levels.


Any failures in a handover may result in serious consequences for patients. Yet there is no agreed protocol for passing on information about patients from one shift to the next.


Metaphor plays an important role in English economic discourses. It is not only a figure of speech but also a cognitive way of thinking. It is meaningful to discover how metaphor works in English economic discourses.


[1] The blowing of sand by wind, known as saltation, ejects dust aerosols into the atmosphere, creates sand dunes, and erodes geological features. We present a comprehensive numerical model of steady state saltation (COMSALT) that, in contrast to most previous studies, can reproduce a wide range of measurements and can simulate saltation over mixed soils. COMSALT calculates the motion of saltating particles due to gravity, fluid drag, particle spin, fluid shear, and turbulence and explicitly accounts for the retardation of the wind due to drag from saltating particles. Furthermore, we included a novel physically based parameterization of the ejection of surface particles by impacting saltating particles which matches experimental results. COMSALT is the first numerical saltation model to reproduce measurements of the wind shear velocity at the impact threshold (i.e., the lowest shear velocity for which saltation is possible) and of the aerodynamic roughness length in saltation. It also reproduces a range of other saltation processes, including profiles of the wind speed and particle mass flux, and the size distribution of saltating particles. As such, COMSALT is the first physically based numerical model to reproduce such a wide range of experimental data. Since we use a minimum of empirical relations, COMSALT can be easily adapted to study saltation under a variety of physical conditions, such as saltation on other planets, saltation under water, and saltating snow.


Reconstructing an indoor scene and generating a layout/floor plan in 3D or 2D is a widely known problem. Quite a few algorithms have been proposed in the literature recently. However, most of the existing methods either use RGB-D images, thus requiring a depth camera, or depend on panoramic photos with the assumption that there is little to no occlusion in the rooms. In this work, we proposed generation of layout using an RGB image captured using a simple mobile phone camera. We take advantage of Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) to assess the 3D transformations required for layout generation. SLAM technology is built-in in recent mobile libraries such as ARCore by Google. Hence, the proposed method is fast and efficient, while giving the user freedom to generate layout by simply taking a few conventional photos, rather than relying on specialized depth hardware or occlusion-free panoramic photos.