Abstract In this paper, a set of sufficient conditions are obtained for the existence of a globally asymptotically stable equilibrium point in various submodels of the classic n -dimensional Lotka–Volterra system. The submodels are the following systems: competition (cooperative or predator–prey) chain system and competition (cooperative or predator–prey) model between one and multispecies. The criteria in this paper are in explicit forms of the parameters and thus are easily verifiable.


Widely admired in 1950 for a list of authors including Willa Cather, Thomas Mann, and Albert Camus, the House of Knopf was even more esteemed within the book trade for the quality and design of its volumes. Founder Alfred A. Knopf brought to his company a devotion to the bookmaking craft that had been largely absent from American publishing since the advent of machine presses in the mid-nineteenth century, a commitment founded on the premise that excellent texts warranted equally impressive design and production. ''I believe that good books should be well made,'' he wrote in a 1957 publisher's credo, ''and I try to give every book I publish a format that is distinctive and attractive.''1 To achieve that publishing ideal, which many would come to associate with Knopf's famous Borzoi insignia, he engaged some of the best designers of his day, artists who infused the firm's list with a sensibility that envisioned trade books as both commercial and aesthetic objects. As early as 1930 Knopf had stated that books ''better-looking-than-necessary'' were manufactured when publishers were driven ''by an inner compulsion stronger than the arguments of bankers.'' Although keenly aware of financial imperatives, Knopf was committed to the long-term benefits that producing handsome volumes would bring to his company. He felt that ''over a period of time a publisher can win a certain following for what we


Ethnic sports culture is an important part of ethnic culture. The development of ethnic sports tourism is conducive to the intergenerational transmission and development of sports culture and the enhancement of "cultural confidence", as well as the development and utilisation of ethnic sports tourism resources. Based on an analysis of ethnic sports tourism literature in China, this paper first reviews the historical course of ethnic sports tourism research, which can be divided into three stages: exploration, development and improvement. Provincial research locations are analysed at different stages. Secondly, the main content of ethnic sports tourism research is summarised under five headings: definition, resource evaluation, development and utilisation, brand building and marketing management. The research methods used are then analysed. Finally, in order to provide a reference for the in-depth study of ethnic sports tourism in the future, the paper makes four recommendations. These include introducing pluralistic theory, focusing on stakeholders as the subject of research, improving the quantitative evaluation of ethnic sports tourism resources, and exploring the impact of ethnic sports tourism.


In-mine geoelectric methods – the geoelectric seam-sounding and geoelectric transillumination – were applied for detection of fault zones in a coal mine. To determine the model parameters of the coal seam structure seam- and drift-sounding measurement were carried out along the boundary of the coal layer (roof sounding) and that of the floor (floor sounding). From the measured apparent resistivities the model parameters of the structure were determined using a joint inversion procedure (Dobroka et al., 1991).The measured data were interpreted using geoelectric tomography procedure. Good agreements were found between the location of tectonic zones predicted by the interpretation and those observed during the mining extraction.


The key challenge that project managers face during software development is the accurate prediction of the software effort. Improper prediction leads either to overestimation or underestimation of the software effort, which can have disastrous consequences for the stakeholders. This article attempts to design a model that gives an accurate prediction of effort in the initial phase of the software development lifecycle. The proposed model uses multilayer perceptron (MLP) and the generalized linear model (GLM) with the ensemble technique for the learning purpose. The model is trained and validated using the ISBSG dataset. The proposed model is compared for performance with two baseline models: MLP and GLM. The results show that the proposed model outperforms most of the baseline models against different performance metrics.


Regardless of the type of sport, coaches must perform the difficult task of evaluating the performance of athletes. In some cases, this task is aided using technology which provides tools for this purpose. When the sport considered is taekwondo this scenario does not apply as the athlete evaluation methods used are mostly manual. Thus, the project presented in this paper has the main objective to develop a system that can be used as a tool to evaluate the performance of taekwondo athletes in real time, with special attention to the low cost of implementation and ease of use. With the intention of meeting these requirements, the developed system comprises a 3D camera with a depth sensor (Orbbec Astra), Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) with accelerometer and gyroscope, a computer and specific software developed for this purpose. This system allows the collection of data from the athletes' movements necessary for the creation of a dataset that is then analyzed and interpretated. The system permits the user to obtain real-time information about the speed, acceleration, and strength of the athlete's limbs during training as well as the identification of some movements and their accounting. To achieve this functionality, deep-learning architecture models were used, more specifically long short-term memory (LSTM). The intention is to provide a new training methodology through faster feedback, so that a faster evolution of the athlete's performance is possible, contributing to the technological development of the assessment practices used in taekwondo.


A new concept of access to justice for the XXI Century is under way. The unability of the State and State courts to provide citizens with a quick, especialized and affordable access to justice has entailed a growing reference to ADR devices worldwide. ADR is not anylonger an alternative to State courts but growingly interacts with them. The new approach to access to justice implies a joint reference to access to State courts justice or to ADR devices. But ADR is not a single notion. Within it a reference to several different devices exists: negotiation, arbitration, conciliation or mediation being some of the most relevant tools. This article focusses on mediation in Europe and in Spain, by far one of the most fashionables and relevant topics nowadays. And regarding mediation it deals with the legal regime of cross-border mediation in Spain after the enactment of the new Mediation Act of 2012 which incorporates the Directive 2008/52/EC into Spanish Law.


The interface between laser deposited Y‐Ba‐Cu‐O thin films and yttria‐stabilized cubic zirconia substrates was studied using high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy and in situ resistivity measurements. It was found that a ∼5 nm layer of low resistivity compound was formed at the interface, at a substrate temperature of ∼650 °C. This result is qualitatively different from other substrates such as SrTiO3 and MgO, where the interface compounds are high resistivity oxides. This in situ Y‐Ba‐Cu‐O thin film is superconducting with a Tc of 88 K and a Jc of 2×106 A/cm2 at 77 K.


There are discussed data on high biological and physiological nutritive value of pine nuts containing full value easily digestible proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minor elements. The methodological approaches are described to develop a number of new technologies for producing semi-finished products and foodstuffs from pine nut kernels. Consumers' preferences are taken into account as one of the basic principles for modeling organoleptic characteristics of the foodstuffs. It is recommended to use a hydromechanical dispersion of pine nut raw material for obtaining homogenous consistency of the foodstuffs. The basic reasons, which determine properties of pine nut products' consistency, are highlighted. It is suggested to carry out normalization of the chemical composition of polydisperse products as a stabilizing factor. There is given a schematic diagram of development and production of standard products from pine nut raw material by the hydromechanical dispersion method. There is suggested a general scheme of methodological approaches to the production of semi-finished products and foodstuffs from pine nut kernel and pomace.


Tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease are characterized by the aggregation and increased phosphorylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau. The pathological changes in tau are closely linked to neurodegeneration, making tau a prime candidate for intervention. However, the multiple facets of tau function and the lack of cellular tauopathy models that could support mechanism-based drug development hampers progress. Here we report the development of a live-cell imaging approach to quantitatively monitor pathological changes of human tau as it interacts with axonal microtubules. We show that a full-length aggregation-prone tau construct exhibits reduced interaction with microtubules as it increasingly aggregates. Through chemoinformatic analyses, we identified 2-phenyloxazole (PHOX) derivatives as putative polypharmacological small molecules that inhibit tau aggregation and modulate tau phosphorylation. We found that PHOX15 restores the physiological microtubule interaction of aggregation-prone tau in neurons and inhibits the first phase of tau aggregation in vitro. Furthermore, we report that PHOX15 inhibits the tau kinases GSK3β and Cdk5, alters the kinome activity of model neurons, and reduces tau phosphorylation at disease-relevant sites. Molecular dynamics simulations highlight cryptic channel-like pockets crossing tau protofilaments and indicate that the binding of PHOX15 in one of the channels reduces the protofilament's ability to adopt a PHF-like conformation. The data show that our imaging approach provides a useful tool for identifying compounds that modulate tau-microtubule interaction in axons. We demonstrate that a polypharmacological approach to simultaneously treat tau aggregation and tau phosphorylation is able to restore physiological microtubule regulation, identifying PHOX15 as a promising drug candidate to counteract tau-induced neurodegeneration.


The traditional educational administration management work content is complicated and the workload is large; the continuous improvement of work efficiency and intelligence requirements has made the shortcomings of the traditional educational administration management system increasingly prominent. Therefore, an intelligent educational administration management system is designed to improve the quality of education and teaching. The efficiency of education, teaching and office work has become the top priority for the informationization of teaching management. Web technology is the core of the design of the college student management platform. This article determines the technical core of the development through the analysis of the supply and demand of the student management system, then conducts the feasibility analysis and system architecture design of the system, and completes the database design. In the design process, the component design idea is used to compile and debug the system code. Through testing, it is found that the system meets the needs of intelligence in the educational administration management system.


With the wide applications of the nitrate ester plasticizers in propellants and explosives,their automatic techniques are developed rapidly.The automatic techniques including microreactor technique,automatic transportation technique,and so on in preparation of nitrate esters are described.It is considered that the microreactor is suitable to the strong exothermic reaction such as nitration,and the automatic transportation technique can improve the process security.And the suggestions about existing problems and developments of the automatic techniques are given out.


AbstractA surface, atmospheric, and cloud (fraction, height, optical thickness, and particle size) property anomaly retrieval from highly averaged longwave spectral radiances is simulated using 28 years of reanalysis. Instantaneous nadir-view spectral radiances observed from an instrument on a 90° inclination polar orbit are computed. Spectral radiance changes caused by surface, atmospheric, and cloud property perturbations are also computed and used for the retrieval. This study's objectives are 1) to investigate whether or not separating clear sky from cloudy sky reduces the retrieval error and 2) to estimate the error in a trend of retrieved properties. This simulation differs from earlier studies in that annual 10° latitude zonal cloud and atmospheric property anomalies defined as the deviation from 28-yr climatological means are retrieved instead of the difference of these properties from two time periods. The root-mean-square (RMS) difference of temperature and humidity anomalies retrieved from all-...


Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are abundant in contemporary society and permeate almost all forms of human interaction. The significant impact ICTs have had upon the teaching and learning of Mathematics is, for the most part, clearly recognizable.Software packages such as Sketchpad, Autograph, Excel, PowerPoint and various Emulators (e.g. Casio fx-82ES Calculator) together with interactive whiteboards and resources in the form of flash video all embrace the 21st-century classroom model and have more than eclipsed the visual impact that the good old OHP (overhead projector) once had. However, as the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2009) white paper on 21st Century Learning Environments states "...putting technology in place is just the starting point; like any tool, its effectiveness depends on the user's skill in handling it, and on the conditions in which it is employed. Technology can only make a difference when students, teachers, and administrators are provided the necessary supports to effectively integrate it into their daily routines" (p. 16).


Walter Glannon has written a stimulating and engaging paper on a subject of increasing importance. The nub of the argument is that an extension of our biological lives would not entail a corresponding extension of our psychological lives and could, beyond a certain point, result in the loss of personal identity. Glannon produces some philosophical and some scientific arguments in support of this claim and concludes that longer life spans would be undesirable. In responding I should declare two sorts of interests. The first is that I have written about immortality myself, and the second is that like Jonathan Glover I would (as of now) be quite happy to sample a few million years and see how it goes.


It is well known that rapid growth of population and population augmented industrialization has become a horrible threat for our environment causing the decline of forestry resources. We propose a mathematical model to study the effect of population and population density dependent industrialization on forestry resources. It is assumed that the industrialization grows logistically but its growth is further enhanced due to over population. It is shown that if the population and associated industrialization increase, the density of forestry resources decreases. Numerical simulation has also been conducted to support the analytical findings.


Abstract : The symmetric laminar incompressible flow field past wedges with a sharp leading edge has been determined using the Navier Stokes equations written in a coordinate system that is optimal to second order. Because of a singularity that develops in the skin friction at such a sharp leading edge, the flow at this singular point is calculated from the Stokes approximation to the full equations. The free constant in the Stokes solution is determined by equating the skin friction function from the two solutions at a point, on the stagnation streamline, in the immediate vicinity of the sharp tip. Good agreement is obtained with the available results for the flow past the two limiting cases: the semi-infinite flat plate and the infinite vertical wall. (Author)


Using Cissus sicyoides,Cucurbita moschata,Pyrostegia venusta and Smilax china as samples,the anatomical structures of the tendrils and stems of 4 plant species were observed under light microscope.The results between stems and tendrils showed that 4 plant species share some common anatomical characters.The internal structure of stem tendril and leaf tendril is largely determined by their stems of internal structure,which fully embodies that tendrils are abnormal organs derived from lateral branches or leaves.But the internal structure compositions of stem tend to be richer than their tendrils.The main difference between sterm tendrils and leaf tendrils is as follows: the central myelocyte of stem tendrils has fewer ergastic substances than leaf tendrils.Besides,the central myelocyte of stem tendrils tend to specialize into medullary cavity,but the leaf tendrils didn't.What's more,no matter whether stems have secondary structure,the stem tendrils and leaf tendrils only have primary structure.Consequently,microscopic characteristics can also be used to resolve some difficult problems of taxonomy only based on morphological analysis,and to deduce the abnormal condition sources between stem tendrils and leaf tendrils.


In order to utilize visible light in photocatalytic conversion of NO(subscript x), Fe atoms were doped in commercially available photocatalytic TiO2 powders by impregnating method. The crystal phase of TiO2 was not changed after calcinations process. Analysis by both X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicated that Fe atoms were incorporated in TiO2 as Ti-O-Fe linkages. A significant shift of the absorption edge to a lower energy and a higher absorption in the visible light region were observed. These Fe-doped TiO2 powders exhibited photocatalytic activity for the degradation of NO(subscript x) under visible light irradiation. The sample mixed with 0.2% Fe(superscript 3+) and calcined at 600℃ for 1.0 h showed the best photocatalytic activity.


Purpose
Multitilting-pad journal bearings (MTPJBs) used in large-scale hydraulic turbines often suffer from complex operating conditions, which greatly influence the overall performance of the rotating machine. The purpose of this study is to establish a thermal-elastic-hydrodynamic lubrication model for MTPJBs that can predict the static and dynamic characteristics of high-speed and heavy-load MTPJBs under different operating conditions.

Design/methodology/approach
A thermo-elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication model considering the turbulence effect is proposed for high-speed and heavy-load TPJBs, which is solved using the coupled finite difference method and finite element method. The model considered the turbulence effect, thermal energy diffusion, viscosity–temperature–pressure relationship and elastic deformation of the pads. The influences of the operating conditions on static and dynamic characteristics of tilting pad journal bearings were analyzed in depth.

Findings
The operating conditions have a strong effect on the static properties of the bearings. The dynamic characteristics of the TPJB were the most influenced by the shaft speed. The effects of the load direction on the dynamic properties of the TPJB were much stronger than those of the static characteristics.

Originality/value
This study used analytical methods and models to provide theoretical guidance for evaluating lubricating characteristics, assembling conditions and overall health.


In this article program implementations of mathematical methods of calculation of thermal parameters of integrated circuits are considered. The results allowing to optimize operation of special software for simulation of thermal fields are received. The special software of visualization of thermal fields of chips 3D-IC with possibility of use of different mathematical algorithms is developed in case of creation of a matrix of temperatures


Humans, like all bilaterian organisms, follow a symmetric body plan during growth and development. Deviations from symmetry during growth arise as a function of developmental instability caused by biological and environmental stressors such as poor diet and illness. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) refers to random left/right asymmetries and is considered a quantifiable proxy for developmental stress. This study will investigate the patterning of facial asymmetry in a large population to highlight aspects of facial asymmetry within and between age groups. We also quantify FA across the sample to test the hypothesis that facial asymmetry increases as a function of age.


Genes encoding the Escherichia coli IH11165 hemagglutinins with specificity for terminal N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and blood group M antigen, respectively, were cloned by a cosmid cloning procedure. A 22-kilobase-pair subclone expressed both hemagglutination specificities in the nonhemagglutinating E. coli HB101 recipient strain. Derivatives obtained by insertion and deletion mutagenesis expressed either one of the two hemagglutination specificities. Both agglutinins were purified; the agglutinin recognizing terminal N-acetyl-D-glucosamine was associated with a new type of fimbria (G fimbria) with an apparent subunit molecular mass of 19.5 kilodaltons, whereas the blood group M agglutinin (M agglutinin) was nonfimbrial and had an apparent subunit mass of 21 kilodaltons.


Therapy was stopped in 140 children with acute lymphocytic leukemia after 2–3 years of complete remission (CR). Of the 108 children who had received preventive central nervous system (CNS) therapy and were in initial CR when therapy was stopped, 85 (79%) remain in CR for a median time of 93 months (66–166) and have been off therapy for a median time of 58 months (36–128). The 23 relapses involved the bone marrow in all but four patients who had isolated testicular relapse. Six of seven children who were in initial CR, but had received no CNS therapy, relapsed after cessation of therapy; five relapses involved the CNS. Twenty‐five children had at least one extramedullary relapse, usually in the CNS, with subsequent CR for 2–3 years before therapy was stopped; 18 of 25 (72%) remain in CR for a median time of 86 months (56–141) and have been off therapy for a median time of 56 months (33–103). Six of the seven relapses involved the marrow. No feature present at the time of diagnosis could be correlated with the frequency of relapse after cessation of therapy except for the significantly greater frequency among boys (25/75) than girls (11/67). The adequacy of therapy, especially CNS prophylaxis, was a positive factor. The hematologic recovery pattern and degree of rebound marrow lymphocytosis after cessation of therapy did not correlate with the frequency of subsequent relapse. Of the 36 patients who relapsed after cessation of therapy, all attained CR again and six are off therapy a second time for 3–21 months.


This paper proposes a set of organizing and managing models of structural drawings with the special drawing elements set of mine map with the aid of modern data mining technology combining with the actual mine engineering. And it sets up the RDMS system of underground engineering by utilizing VBA and ActiveX secondary development technology, combining the drawing elements of roadways and working faces with its relevant data information, so as to provide technical support for realizing visualization of the shaft and roadway data.


Prussian blue nanoparticles were explored for the first time as an excellent contrast agent for enhancing photoacoustic tomography in vitro and in vivo due to their superior absorption efficiency of near-infrared laser pulses at a wavelength of 765 nm.


Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, educators everywhere transitioned to an online environment. This abrupt transition brought about some challenges: educators shifted their content and activities online, while their students attended classes and completed assignments online. This action research study analyzed the challenges experienced by an educator and her students during the summer and Fall 2020 semesters at a mid-size university. The researchers collected student surveys about their experiences with online learning. Results highlight the educator's struggle to make learning more interactive, as well as students' challenges with navigating the online platform and maintaining focus in class. Conversely, the online experience provided the following benefits: flexibility (logging in from different locations), comfort (joining class from home), and convenience (recorded class sessions). In alignment with the action research, the educator will continue to reflect on her practice in an attempt to make changes to the instruction and content of her classes.


This article strives to retrace Lacan's analysis of the question of God according to an approach that constantly revisits his main theoretical developments. In an eminently paradoxical perspective, these developments consider the possibility and the impossibility of atheism with respect to unconscious knowledge and to the psychoanalytical experience of it. The aphorism "God is unconscious" that Lacan opposed to the formula "God is dead" leads to an interpretation of the irreducible nature of what bears the name or names of God.


Previous studies have shown how Hypothalamic-Pituitary-adrenal Axis dysfunction is related to early life stress; several works show that Hypothalamic-Pituitary-adrenal Axishyperactivity increases production of ACTH and glucocorticoids, indicating a pathophysiological key factor in stress related diseases like depression.


In 1953 the WHO Expert Committee on Influenza (a) recommended that influenza virus strains be placed into types A, B, and C on the basis of their ribonucleoprotein antigens. It was further recommended that influenza viruses be designated by a uniform code system such as A/England/i/53, where A refers to the type, England to the place of origin, 1 to the strain serial number, and 53 to the year of isolation. In 1959, a WHO Expert Committee reemphasized the importance of a uniform code system and made provisions for designating influenza subtypes based on the character of their hemagglutinin antigen, for example, A2/Singapore/ l/57 (5). The nomenclature of influenza A viruses of animals followed a similar pattern with the type-specific designation and the species of origin. A subtype designation was often included, for example, A/Equine-2/ Miami/i/63. It has now been established that the surface of the influenza virus contains an additional virus-coded antigen, the neuraminidase, which is morphologically and immunologically distinct from the hemagglutinin. The hemagglutinin and neuraminidase are known to undergo independent antigenie variation. Recognition of these changes is essential to our understanding of immunity. Therefore, an adequate description of the influenza viruses required that both these antigens be taken into account. The system recommended in 1953 also implied that the antigens of the influenza viruses were unique for strains isolated from a single animal species. Hemagglutinin and neuraminidase antigens related to those of certain human influenza A viruses have now been identified among strains isolated from nonhuman hosts. Viruses antigenically identical to the pandemic virus of 1968 have


Olga Beloborodova is a postdoctoral researcher and teacher at the University of Antwerp. She is a member of the editorial board of the Beckett Digital Manuscript Project and Assistant Editor of the Journal of Beckett Studies. She has published several articles and book chapters on Beckett. Her first monograph, The Making of Samuel Beckett's 'Play'/ 'Film', appeared in 2019 with Bloomsbury. Her second monograph, Postcognitivist Beckett, was published in 2020 in the Elements of Beckett Studies series (Cambridge UP).


AUCKLAND (AFP) The US army is destroying 13,302 land mines on lonely Johnston Atoll in the North Pacific and when the job is over the centre will cease is controversial operations, a statement Thursday said.


Guizhou is the richest area in nuo culture in our country,.the shabao township in guizhou province bijie city widely circulated a kind of exorcising culture, the locals called "tiao pusa". From the township shabao as an example, this article from the perspective of anthropology, analysis of the " tiao pusa" exorcising implied meaning of education, through the local intangible cultural heritage to the local education value and significance to promote the local better way and inherit the culture, on the basis of inheriting the culture to promote local intangible cultural heritage and promote the good growth of other local business.


The efficiency effects of different forms of ownership (stock versus mutual) and types of marketing system (agency versus direct) are studied using 1989 data for the US property-liability insurance industry. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) results are obtained from the recently developed RAM (Range Adjusted Measure) model and then extended for comparison with studies by others. Using agency theory (and like approaches) these studies assume that operations all occur only on the efficient frontier. The need for that assumption is obviated by using operations provided by DEA to project all observations onto their efficient frontiers. A use of (non-parametric) rank-order statistics then produces results which differ from these other studies.


Performance of chemical deacidification of crude palm oil (CPO) using aqueous NaOH solution in a polysulfone hollow fiber ultrafiltration membrane was  investigated. The effects of operating temperature, NaOH concentration and flow rates on percentage of free fatty acids (FFA) removal, oil loss, soap entrainment and overall mass transfer coefficient  were  evaluated. Overall mass transfer coefficients, soap content in oil and neutral oil loss all increased  when the  temperature  was increased from 60 to 70°C due to an increase of the FFA distribution value. A minimum 0.25 N of NaOH or a NaOH to FFA  molar ratio  of about 7.62 was  required to facilitate the expected extraction efficiency. The increased oil flowrate slightly enhanced the solute transport kinetics,  while the  aqueous phase flowrate did not significantly influence deacidification efficiency or mass transfer coefficient. About 97% of FFA removal was achieved within 4 hours. The maximum oil loss observed was 11% and the highest  soap content in the  oil without separation step was 3150 ppm. The values  of the  overall mass transfer coefficient varied  from 2.97×10 -7 to 7.71×10 -7 m/s. These results show the potential of using the non dispersive membrane contacting process for chemical deacidification of CPO as well as other vegetable oils.


Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology lead terminally differentiated cells into the pluripotent stem cells through the expression of defined reprogramming factors. Although, iPS cells have been established in a number of mammalian species, including mouse, human, and monkey, studies on iPS cells in avian species are still very limited. To establish chick iPS cells, six factors were used within the poly‐cistronic reprogramming vector (PB‐R6F), containing M3O (MyoD derived transactivation domain fused with Oct3/4), Sox2, Klf4, c‐Myc, Lin28, and Nanog. The PB‐R6F derived iPS cells were alkaline‐phosphatase and SSEA‐1 positive, which are markers of pluripotency. Elevated levels of endogenous Oct3/4 and Nanog genes were detected in the established iPS cells, suggesting the activation of the FGF signaling pathway is critical for the pluripotent status. Histological analysis of teratoma revealed that the established chick iPS cells have differentiation ability into three‐germ‐layer derived tissues. This is the first report of establishment of avian derived iPS cells with a single poly‐cistronic transposon based expression system. The establishment of avian derived iPS cells could contribute to the genetic conservation and modification of avian species.


An efficient and solely stereoselective synthesis of (E)-alpha-methylcinnamic acids has been accomplished in single pot by reduction of the unmodified Baylis-Hillman adducts, methyl-3-hydroxy-3-aryl-2-methylenepropanoates with I(2)/NaBH(4) reagent system at room temperature followed by hydrolysis. The efficacy of this method has been proved in the total synthesis of 1-[p-(myristyloxy)-alpha-methylcinnamoyl]glycerol, LK-903, a highly active hypolipidemic agent.


Plain concrete (PC) has the disadvantages of easy cracking and low resistance to deformation. In practical engineering, steel fiber or polymer fiber is usually selected to improve the tensile and crack resistance of concrete. In this study, the polypropylene fiber (PPF) was added to the concrete with the content of 0, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.5 kg/m3. The compressive and flexural tests of PC and PPF-reinforced concrete (PPFRC) at 14, 28, and 60 days of curing were conducted. As the result, when the content of PPF exceeds to 1.2 kg/m3, the workability became worse. The compressive and flexural strength of PPFRC increased compared with PC. However, the increase of strength does not always increase with the increase of fiber content. The uniaxial compressive strength of the PPFRC with the PPF of 1.2 kg/m3 is the optimal at 14- and 28-day ages, which is 20.56% and 11.24% higher than PC, respectively. PPFRC with the PPF of 0.9 kg/m3 is best of all at 60 days, which is 19.68% higher than PC. The flexural strength of the PPFRC-0.9 is the highest. Furthermore, the CFEC and CTI of PPFRC are both higher than those of PC, indicating that it has significant crack resistance and toughness.


By using the optic amplifier in Nonlinear Amplifying Loop Mirror (NALM),the input power re-quired to obtain nonlinear inprt-output relationship reduces to a level that nonsoliton pulse can reach.We use an accurate model to analyze the tramsmissivity of NALM,and show that it has intensity-filtering character,and can be used to reduce ASE noise of signals ampliried by cascaded optic amplifiers.We also find that the saturation of optic amplifier in the affects the behaviour of NALM dramatically.


Previous research has established a strong association between COVID‐19 digital health literacy (DHL) and subjective well‐being among several populations, including students. With the growing misinformation and heightened fear of COVID‐19 among persons with an underlying medical condition, several scholars have questioned the direct relationship between DHL and well‐being. This study assessed the moderating roles of information accuracy concerns and the existence of an underlying medical condition among students.


This paper is concerned with the two main causes of skill proportion in education sector in Malaysia
during the period 2002 to 2007. These are the impact of changes in within and between industrial
effects. As well documented in labour economics literature, the within effects represent the changes in
technological change or known as SBTC and the between effects so called the effects of trade. The
paper has employed set of data comprises micro-level data from the Household Income Survey (HIS) for
several years during the period 2002 to 2007. Decomposition approach was chosen to identify the
specific impact of changes in the pattern of trade and technological change on the skill proportion in
education sector. Perhaps these analyses help us to look whether employment or wages factors are
dominant to lead the changes in overall labour market. We found that skill proportion in education
sector in Malaysia was favour to profesional workers as compared to technical and associates
profesionals. Technological change seemed to increase the demand for profesional workers especially at
tertiaty sub sector. The decreasing in demand for technical and accociates profesional in education
sector was lead by primary sub sector.


This paper introduces the developing situation, contents and legal construction of Chinese sci-tech evaluation, and discusses on the functions of the government in sci-tech evaluation.


We establish large increment properties for a Gaussian sequence with stationary increments under global conditions. Limit theorems for partial sums of the sequence with nonpositive correlation functions or the correlation functions on their speed of convergence to zero are proved via estimating a probability inequality on the supremum of Gaussian processes


Objective: To investigate the toxicity degree of PLE from EDTA and Poly-L-Lysine( PLL) on fibroblast L929 of mouse in vitro culture. Methods: Mouse fibroblast L929 were divided into normal group,control group,PLL group,PLE group and EDTA group,adopting MTT method to compare the effect of EDTA and PLE on proliferation of mouse fibroblast L929 under the same concentration. Results: Taking normal group as standard( 100%),relative growth rate( RGR) of L929 in PLL group,EDTA group,PLE group and control group were 79. 87% 、69. 35% 、81. 47% and20. 12%,lowered than normal group,differences were statistically significant( P 0. 05). As the mass concentration reached 1 000 μmo L / L,toxicity of EDTA on fibroblast L929 reached level 2,PLE group reached level 1. Conclusions: Experiment concentration PLE and EDTA has minor toxicity on mouse fibroblast L929.


We discuss basic properties of Analysis and synthesis operators a frame. The structure of matrix representation of the Synthesis operator is also analysed. This matrix is what most frame constructions in fact focus on. The frame operator which is just the joining together of the analysis and synthesis operators is fundamental for the reconstruction of signals from frame coefficients.


Structural heterogeneity in glass is a current important topic in glass science. Detection and investigation of this topic is crucial to understanding the nature of glass state, the glass dynamics and glass transition. Control of structural heterogeneity of glass is also critical for tailoring glass functionalities. In this presentation I review our recent progress in study of the structural heterogeneity in glasses, particularly in poor glass formers, which is done by carrying out enthalpy relaxation experiments. The main methods are the hyperquenching-annealing-calorimetric scan approach, nuclear magnetic resonance and x-ray scattering. Furthermore I discuss the microsopic origin of polyamorphic transitions and the fragile-to-strong liquid transition in glass. The role of cluster evolution in determining the supercooled liquid dynamics will be emphasized. Finally I describe some challenges and perspectives in investigating the structural heterogeneity in a more quantitative manner.


We recently received correspondence from David V. Forrest, M.D., a member of our Editorial Board, in which a solution is suggested to the problem of soliciting charitable contributions from our patients. This suggestion emerged from a meeting of minds at Columbia's Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Forrest was interested in our soliciting comments from Board members and others who became aware of the matter. –D.H.I.


Objective To understand the present condition of Keshan disease(KD) in Chongqing,so as to provide the basis for the prevention and control of KD.Method According to the Standard of Keshan Disease Surveillance(WS/T 78-1996) and the Standard of Diagnosis of Keshan Disease(GB 17021-1997),the residents in the surveillance sites were surveyed and the factors potentially related to KD were investigated.Results 29 cases of KD were found in the surveillance sites.The prevalence of latent and chronic KD was 0.28%(15/5353) and 0.26%(14/5353),respectively.The rate of children aged 14 years was 0.19%.The average concentration of selenium in hair of the individuals being surveyed was 0.2182 mg/kg,while it was 0.0169 mg/kg in food.Conclusions Latent and chronic KD were still found in Chongqing.The new cases were found in the children.The level of environmental selenium content was low.Endemic Keshan disease is still a serious public health issue.


Department of Public Works, City
and County of Honolulu; and UH
Sea Grant College Program, NOAA Grant/Contract No. F-195-76;
04-6-158-44026,-44114, 04-7-15844129,
04-8-MOI-178


T HE temperature profile of a mature forest seldom has been observed. Temperatures at specific locations are of interest to the forester because they may help explain many phenomena, such as growth or death of seedlings and freezing of terminals and floral parts of trees. The opportunity to combine a vertical succession of such temperature measurements into a temperature profile was afforded the author by a battery of thermometers installed in a study of natural regeneration at the Stanislaus Branch of the California Forest and Range Experiment Station. This branch station is located on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada at latitude 38°ll' north, longitude 120°02' west. One phase of the study was conducted in mature mixed conifer stand near the bottom of a east-facing slope at an elevation of 5170 feet. The stand is composed of the following species: ponderosa pine, sugar pine, Jeffrey pine, white fir, and California incense-cedar. This paper presents a summary of the temperatures observed therein.


A therapeutical non-equivalence case between two carbamazepine pediatric suspensions was investigated for suspected differences either in carbamazepine raw materials used or in vitro dissolution rate, for which compendia methods do no exist. There were not significant differences in surface tension between the products neither in intrinsic dissolution coefficients between the correspondent carbamazepine substances, while DSC results show a slightly increased fraction of the more soluble beta polymorph carbamazepine used in the reference product. The increased dissolution rate for the last one may be more realistically explained by a higher surface area, from Malvern Size particle distribuition result. A dissolution procedure using paddle method 50 rpm and 900 mL of water is suggested, for the minimum possible sample 1 mL of 2% carbamazepine suspension normally collectable. Though not yet totally performed in sink conditions, the method showed a good discriminating power, still more if NaCl 15% in water as medium is used, to block the effect of surfactant present in both the formulations. Moreover, dissolution results fitted by Weibull function with the aid of a non linear program Comstat (Sidec, Brussels), based on a Steepest Descent algorithm, allowed to calculated U (form of the curve) and Td (time) parameters that are very useful in the general case of ultra fast dissolution kinetcs, like suspension-formulated drug products, not only to compare several curves but mainly to extrapolate percent dissolved times not obtained in experimental data, making essier the establishment of compendia specifications.


The youth not in employment or education is present in various countries of the world. In Russia, the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) provides information on this category of youth. Against the background the sparseness of the generation overall, this youth group can be viewed as a considerable potential research of labor resources for the current and future staffing of socioeconomic complex of the country. The goal of this research consists in the analysis of factors and origins of youth falling into the category not involved in the spheres of employment and education, as well as of psychological peculiarities of this group. Research methodology is based on systematic and socio-psychological approaches. The article systematizes the factors of inclusion of youth into the group of uninvolved in the spheres of employment and education based on the summary of results of the Russian and foreign research dedicated to this group of youth. The authors extend the list of factors of youth falling into the group of not in employment and education; offer and formulate the sources that led to expansion of this group described in several blocks; as well as recite psychological peculiarities of this category of youth. Clear understanding of the factors, origins and psychological peculiarities of youth not in employment and education allows using the acquired results in development of the programs on employment, education and social protection.


Self paced modules help you learn how to be a confident and competent researcher. How to know when you need information, what kind, how much, and how to seek, find, evaluate, and effectively use information. Value of information, scope and type of information sources, primary & secondary sources, peer review


Selection ofqualitative genetic material, that is, selection of parent pairs for crossing, is ofvital importance for the success ofbreeding, since hybridization is the most commonly used method for obtaining new cultivars. Most traits of interest to breeders are of quantitative nature. The diallel cross technique is used as one of the basic procedures to study the problem of inheritance of quantitative traits. GRIFFING (1956) elaborated mathematically four methods for the analysis ofdiallel cross data, depending on the material available. In most papers dealing with tobacco, significant GCA for economic and agronomie traits was estimated by LEGG et al. (1970), LEGG and COLUNS (1971a, 1971b), MATZINGER et al. (1971), LEGG and COLLINS (1975), WILKINSON and RUFTY (1990). In some studies, however, along with significant GCA, also significant SCA was recorded for yield (LEGG et al., 1970; MATZINGER et al., 1971; GUDOY et al., 1987; WILKINSON and RUFIY, 1990), for plant height (GUOOY et al., 1987; WILKINSON and RUFIY, 1990), leafnumber (GuDOYet al., 1987), and days to flowering (LEGG et al., 1970; LEGG and COLLINS, 1971a). In addition to Griffing's method for estirnating heritability and the manner of inheritance, the additive-dominant model after HAYMAN (1954) and JINKS (1954), as weIl as MATHER and JINKS (1971) is also used. Publication and application of the mentioned models was followed by appearance of numerous papers in which the authors tried to justify, restrict, compare or interpret the Hayman-Jinks and Griffing methods of diallel cross analysis (ARUNAC~ LAM, 1976; BAKER, 1978; POONI et al., 1984; SINGH and PARODA, 1984; WRIGHT, 1985; UKAI, 1991). The so far studies involving the use ofthe additive-dominant model of economic and agronomie traits in burley tobacco indicate significant additive variance (COLLINS et al., 1976; OKAMURA and NAKAHARA, 1983). Besides significant additive variance, however, significant nonadditive variance for plant height and internode lenght was also estimated in aircured tobaccos by POVILAITIS (1966), AYUB et al. (1981) and OKAMURA and NAKAHARA (1983).


Among the treatises on ancient music theory transmitted in the course of the manuscript tradition, a short excerpt stemmed from Bacchius' Eisagōgē technēs mousikēs is located in seven medieval manuscripts, usually known as the 'Bacchius fragment', edited by Ruelle in 1875. The present paper investigates the manuscript tradition of the Bacchius fragment, dates the terminus ante quem of its compilation and restores its archetype; ultimately the Bacchius fragment is presented in a new critical edition with an English translation and commentary.


An almost Robinson structure on an $n$-dimensional Lorentzian manifold $(\mcM,g)$, where $n=2m+\epsilon$, $\epsilon \in \{ 0 ,1 \}$, is a complex $m$-plane distribution $\mcN$ that is totally null with respect to the complexified metric, and intersects its complex conjugate in a real null line distribution $\mcK$, say. When $\mcN$ and its orthogonal complement $\mcN^\perp$ are in involution, the line distribution $\mcK$ is tangent to a congruence of null geodesics, and the quotient of $\mcM$ by this flow acquires the structure of a CR manifold. In four dimensions, such a congruence is shearfree.
We give classifications of the tracefree Ricci tensor, the Cotton-York tensor and the Weyl tensor, invariant under i) the stabiliser of a null line, and ii) the stabiliser of an almost Robinson structure. For the Weyl tensor, these are generalisations of the Petrov classification to higher dimensions. Since an almost Robinson structure is equivalent to a projective pure spinor field of real index $1$, the present work can also be viewed as spinorial classifications of curvature tensors.
We illustrate these algebraic classifications by a number of examples of higher-dimensional general relativity that admit integrable almost Robinson structures, emphasising the degeneracy type of the Weyl tensor in each case.


When you transition from fellow to gastroenterologist in practice, you enter a new universe. This is "it," You learn what "the buck stops here" really means. This transition was always difficult, but now graduating GI fellows are beginning their (CIN) called "Regional Alliances" would organize hospitals and ambulatory networks to provide medical care for a population. National discourse since the mid 1990s has focused on managing larger and larger populations of patients in an integrated manner (to reduce waste). As a result, there has been continuing consolidation of health systems that has led many hospitals to purchase physician practices, both primary care and specialists. Many gastroenterologists reacted to growing hospital strength by forming large regionally dominant groups, building physician-owned ambulatory endoscopy and infusion centers and shifting hospital coverage to a GI hospitalist model. Although we weakened our relations with hospitals, we held


Mast cells adhere to fibroblasts, but the biological effects of adhesion are not well understood. We hypothesized that these adhesive interactions are important for tissue remodeling through the release of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP). Murine bone marrow cultured mast cells (BMCMC) were cocultured with NIH-3T3 fibroblasts or murine lung fibroblasts (CCL-206) and supernatants analyzed for MMP-9 release by gelatin zymography. Coculture of BMCMC for 24 h with NIH-3T3 or CCL-206 fibroblasts increased the release of MMP-9 from fibroblasts by 1.7 (cid:1) 0.2 and 2.0 (cid:1) 0.7-fold, respectively. Coculture of BMCMC and fibroblasts in the presence of IgE increased further MMP-9 release, which was released by fibroblasts. MMP-9 release was dependent on TNF released from IgE activated BMCMC and on adhesive interactions between BMCMC and fibroblasts. Increased MMP-9 release was also p44/42-dependent, as was MMP-9 up-regulation during coculture of fibroblasts with resting BMCMC. Finally, IgE injection into the mouse ear increased MMP-9 content of the ear tissue in the absence of Ag, indicating that IgE-mediated remodeling may play a pathogenic role in allergic conditions even in the absence of exposure to allergens. In conclusion, mast cell-fibroblast interactions induce the release of proteases important for tissue remodeling, such as MMP-9. MMP-9 release was further increased in the presence of IgE during coculture, suggesting a role for mast cell-fibroblast interactions in atopic conditions. The Journal of Immunology, 2008, 180: 3543–3550.


Enhancing the accuracy of machine tool is a key goal of machine tool manufactures and users. To characterize the Quasi-static errors and then use software compensation is an important step for accuracy enhancement. The effectiveness of an error compensation scheme relies heavily on the error model. The model must be concise and roust which can be applied to any machine tool. The total Quasi-static errors within the workspace of a five-axis gantry machine tool is composed of geometric error, kinematic error, thermal error. This paper presents an error model which can be used for practical compensation scheme. Homogeneous transformation matrix, rigid body kinematic and small angle approximations are used in this paper for error modeling.


The loss of water and soil on slope plowland and enclosure land of the hillside for regeneration in karst areas of Xichou were analyzed,the result shows that the runoff is influenced by the quantity and intensity of rainfall.The quantity of run-off and loss of soil and sand will be produced more when it is more rain.The runoff is 170.06 t/(hm2·a),the modulus of soil eroded is 162 t/(km2·a).After enclosing land of the hillside for regeneration,forest canopy is increased and bare land is reduced.Trees can effectively withhold rain and prevent loss of water and soil.Compared with slope plowland, the run-off and lose of soil and sand can be reduced 37.3%,75.78%,the modulus of soil eroded is 39 t/(km2·a).It gets less and less year after year.The loss of solid nutrients of soil is reduced as follow: the organic matter 51.79%, total nitrogen 70.82%,total phosphor 38.85%,total potassium 75.36%,quick effective nitrogen 72.10%,quick effective phosphor 10.75% and quick effective potassium 70.21%.The loss of liquid nutrients of soil is dropped down as follow: nitrogen 34.55%,phosphor 23.16%,potassium 61.31%.When the vegetation has been restored,it is not only reduced loss of nutrient,water and soil,but also increased the nutrient of soil because dead stick and leaves were broken down by microbes.The nutrient of slope plowland is declining at the same time.


In Korean culture, illness is frequently considered punishment for sin. In spite of the prevalence of Western medicine and advanced technologies, moral judgment is frequently confused with physical causality. There are certain religious dietary customs which people undertake in order to be healed. These customs are open to misinterpretation, and can become a basis for accusation, fear and guilt. Women and people of inferior social status are easily accused of being the cause of illness within families and society. The persecution of witchcraft in the medieval age developed from a similar mechanism: it is easier to scapegoat an individual or a small group than to take responsibility as an entire community. A religion that creates guilt and fear is not oriented towards health. Rather than being a blessing, it is, in fact, a problem. I consider whether religion is death or life oriented. Life giving energy for the sake of individual, as well as community, is an important component.


This paper proposes a novel DFT block and associated method for characterizing the offsets of the coarse flash used in a pipelined ADC. In non-SHA architecture, due to the presence of dynamic offset, measuring flash offsets across input frequency becomes important. By adding special data output modes, the proposed DFT technique allows speedy characterization of flash offset, across PVT, using the standard single-tone test and measurement setup for the ADCs.


Most of the standard textbooks and many teachers of Applied Mathematics make use of a velocity-time graph to facilitate the solution of elementary kinematical problems including vertical motion under gravity, but it is unusual to extend the method to projectiles and allied problems, in spite of the ease with which the more usual type of problem can be solved. Such problems may be solved by simple calculations based upon the properties of similar triangles and the areas of rectangles, triangles and trapezia, that is, by the normal velocity-time graph procedure.


OBJECTIVE:To establish a RP-HPLC method for determination of the content of hesperidin in weisu granˉules.METHODS:Symmetry C 18 (150mm×3.9mm,5μm)column;acetonitrile-water(19.5∶80.5),water containing phosphoric acid(800∶0.1)as mobile phase and detection wavelength was284nm.RESULTS:The calibration curve was linear in sample size range of hesperidin of0.0228μg~0.1596μg(r=0.9996).The average recovery was97.2%(RSD=1.1%,n=6).CONCLU_ SION:The method was simple and accurate,and can be used for quality control of weisu granules.


Through this paper, we investigate the key characteristics of planning studios and how they relate to new demands in planning education. The research is conducted through an analytical framework that is applied to a highly transferable case study (iWater Summer Schools). Results confirm that the prototypical characteristics of planning studios can support the design of multidisciplinary, research-oriented, personalized, and intensive courses, and that all these demands can be simultaneously satisfied. In addition, results indicate that positive alignments and connections can be established between different pedagogical variables (e.g., learning methods, assessment methods, provided skills) and the educational demands mentioned above.


The relative ability of the 10 triplet repeat sequences to be expanded in Escherichia coli was determined. Surprisingly, CTG tracts are expanded at least 8 times more frequently than any of the other nine triplets. Low levels of expansion were found also for CGG, GTG, and GTC. Thus, the structure of the CTG repeats and/or their utilization by the DNA synthetic systems in vivo must be quite different from the other triplets. These data further validate this genetically defined system for elucidating molecular mechanisms of expansion and may explain why most triplet repeat hereditary neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disease genes contain CTG repeats.


Agrarian reform has always been regarded as a communism-related issue in Indonesia as it is often associated with the unilateral action ot the BTI (Indonesian Farmers' Union)/ PKI (Indonesian Communist Party) in the first mid of 1960s. The stigma is still attached to this present time. Whereas, agrarian reform is actually a policy that relates with various ideolo-gies to reach different objectives. The step to conduct agrarian reform has been started since 1926 when Perhimpunan Indonesia (PI) or Indonesian Association, an organization led by Mohammad Hatta in the Netherland created the land restructured program as a part of Indonesian independence plan. In 1948, Mohammad Hatta as the Prime Minister prepared a draft of National Agrarian Law. The target was only then achieved 12 years later through the legalization of the Principal Law of Agrarian of 1960. This study employed a historical comparative study to explore the agrarian reform in Indonesia postcolonial country as a nationalism-related issue used to strengthen the national sovereignty and to improve the life of the citizens.


Ecological diversity studies are essential to promote plans for scientific-environmental education and conservation. Previous biodiversity studies have been carried out at Chiriqui province, mainly in the highlands. The aim in this study was to evaluate the bird's ecological diversity at the community of Rincón Largo, in a fragmented landscape with anthropogenic activity in Chiriqui's lowlands. We categorized three observational areas: A1 (main and neighboring streets), A2 (living fences, pastures, and gallery forests), A3 (artificial lagoon). We use Ad-libitum, strip transect and observational post methods. Observations were made from January to December 2018, with a total sampling effort of 1,920 hrs. Observation resulted in 469 individuals of 91 species, 33 families, 15 orders. The alpha diversity indices showed high diversity, abundance, and richness, with fairness in families. The three observational areas do not have a significant difference in alpha diversity, H= 5.6, P= 0.06, although marginal. This outcome represents the first review of bird diversity for Rincón Largo and show the original biodiversity retention capacity in fragmented areas based on biological corridors such as living fences, gallery forests and fruit trees, crucial in conservation.


The Seventh International Conference on Future Internet Technologies (CFI'12) continues the tradition of being the forum for early work on Future Internet research. This year we received 36 submissions and accepted 13 oral and 7 poster presentations out of them. Each paper was reviewed by three members of the Technical Program Committee. As the goal of CFI '12 is to be the nurturing platform for budding research, the Technical Program Committee put much effort to return encouraging reviews and scout for promising ideas.


The effects of young tea leaves,mature tea leaves and old tea leaves on development and fecundity of Ectropis oblique Prout were studied in laboratory.The results showed that young tea leaves increasing the amount of E.oblique Prout eggs.The mature tea leaves were beneficial in development of E.oblique larvae.The old tea leaves were not suitable to feeding of E.oblique larvae.The effects were greater on E.oblique young larvae.From the perspective of the changes of life table parameters,the mature leaves were favorable for the development of the E.oblique population.The development of E.oblique population was the slowest on the old tea leaves among the three kinds of tea leaves.These three kinds of leaves were all able to maintain the life cycle of the tested insect.The analysis of the chemical contents of tea leaves indicated that the contents of amino acids and water were the main factors affecting growth and development of E.oblique.The results of correlation analysis showed that nutritional needs on leaves were different in the different developmental stages of E.oblique.The nutrition in the young leaves and mature leaves maybe played a complementary role in the development of E.oblique.


The invention discloses a lightning-protection device, which comprises lightning-inducing equipment, field strength induction equipment and an electromagnetic wave oriented transmitter, wherein the lightning-inducing equipment is electrically connected with the field strength induction equipment; the field strength induction equipment is further electrically connected with the electromagnetic wave oriented transmitter; the lightning-inducing equipment is used for receiving lightning charges in lightning a thunder cloud layer and inducing the lightning charges into the ground; the field strength induction equipment is used for inducing the strength of the electric field of the atmosphere, generating a corresponding field strength value, and outputting a starting signal to the electromagnetic wave oriented transmitter when the field strength value is higher than a preset standard field strength value by judgment; the electromagnetic wave oriented transmitter is used for starting to transmit oriented electromagnetic waves to the thunder cloud layer in response to the starting signal in order to induce the lightning to the lightning equipment. The invention further provides a lightning-protection method.


This note describes continued studies at Fermilab of the long term stability of a small water Cerenkov tank. Previous results are presented for studies between November, 1997 and October, 1998. The data given here continue these measurements through December, 1998, when the tank and electronics were moved to a different location, and then to November, 1999. The water tank, bag liner, water, photomultiplier tube, and data acquisition software were unchanged for the additional measurements from June to November, 1999. However, some details of the geometry of the trigger counters relative to the tank and of the electronics may have differed. The setup for the 1999 results is described in this note. The same analog-to-digital converter (ADC) was used for both time periods. Its pedestal was quite stable during the 1997--1998 measurements, but sizeable changes were observed in the more recent runs. As a result, dedicated pedestal runs were performed, and a number of additional tests were conducted.


To affect the spiral bevel gear manufacture working accuracy the important attribute-cutting tooth working procedure error carried on the analysis.Proposed the tooth face zone of contact error,the tooth pitch error,the tooth face roughness error amend a plan,and pointed out that the cutting tooth working procedure error has the serious influence to gear noise.


Method: A literature search was conducted between August and September 2010. Evidence was sourced from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews via Ovid, DARE, MEDLINE via OvidSP and CINAHL Plus. Search terms included "skin ulcer", "leg ulcer", "varicose ulcer", "wound pain", "wound infection", "biofilms", "debridement", "conservative sharp debridement". The search was restricted to adult, human subjects and articles published in English. The search was limited to articles published between 1999 and 2010.


Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in water systems is a major hazard for living organisms, including humans. The most popular technology currently used to remove Cr(VI) from polluted water is sorption for its effectiveness, ease of use, low cost and environmental friendliness. The electrostatic interactions between chromium species and the sorbent matrix are the main determinants of Cr(VI) sorption. The pH plays a central role in the process by affecting chromium speciation and the net charge on sorbent surface. In most cases, Cr(VI) sorption is an endothermic process whose kinetics is satisfactorily described by the pseudo second-order model. A critical survey of the recent literature, however, reveals that the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters reported for Cr(VI) sorption are often incorrect and/or erroneously interpreted.


Ethoxyacetylene slowly adds phenyl isocyanate to yield 4-ethoxy-2-quinolone I (R=H). A similar reaction occurs with p-tolyl isocyanate.

From the Grignard derivative of ethylthioacetylene and phenyl isocyanate the anilide of ethylthiopropynoic acid VIII is obtained. The corresponding reaction with ethoxyacetylene does not yield a pure product.


The concept of academic freedom means different things to many and different people. Many people outside the University view academic freedom with askance. Even among those familiar with the University system, academic freedom is very little understood. Studies suggest that in the late 1970 and 1980's, academic freedom became synonymous with what has been referred to as "academic pomposity." These were periods of massive social and political changes especially in countries like Ghana, when both ordinary people and opinion leaders questioned the where tofore of" ivory towereism" and "cosmopolitan professionalism." The latter expression seems to regard the university don as generally having only a marginal loyalty to his \ her organisation and nation as a whole. According to Warner and Palfrey man (1996, p. 92) members of cosmopolitan professionalism tend to align themselves with their peers within their discipline for 'the purpose of recognition and evaluation. As employees they demand high levels of autonomy and participation in their work and resent close supervision. In the strict sense of the word, collegiality may be likened to cosmopolitan professionalism. The expressions ivory towerism and cosmopolitan professionalism tend to connote elements of exclusiveness, and seclusiveness from national and social interest. But it is important to ask whether academic freedom should continue to be seen in these lights and whether such conception is defensible. This paper seeks to explore the frontiers of academic freedom, its rights, limitations and practical value regarding it as both a concept and a phenomenon: concepts to the outsider and a phenomenon to the "practitioner" of academic freedom.


Keys are presented for the identification of Nearctic genera in the families Braconidae, Aphidiidae, and Hybrizontidae (= Paxylommatidae). Included is a list of references in which the Nearctic genera are described or which include keys to the Nearctic species. Hecabolus Curtis is listed for the first time in North America; Polystcnoidcs Muesebeck becomes a synonym of Curtisella Spinola (New Synonymy).


We review studies of the electromagnetic response of various classes of correlated electron materials including transition metal oxides, organic and molecular conductors, intermetallic compounds with $d$- and $f$-electrons as well as magnetic semiconductors. Optical inquiry into correlations in all these diverse systems is enabled by experimental access to the fundamental characteristics of an ensemble of electrons including their self-energy and kinetic energy. Steady-state spectroscopy carried out over a broad range of frequencies from microwaves to UV light and fast optics time-resolved techniques provide complimentary prospectives on correlations. Because the theoretical understanding of strong correlations is still evolving, the review is focused on the analysis of the universal trends that are emerging out of a large body of experimental data augmented where possible with insights from numerical studies.


The microscopic optical model potential is investigated in its full form starting from the nonlocal two-body effective force. It is found that the nonlocality causes an effective repulsion in the nuclear interior which produces a so called wine-bottle shape which characterizes the optical model potential at intermediate energy. Its relationship to the relativistic approaches based on the Dirac equation is discussed.


It is common for data to be contaminated with artifacts, interference, and noise. Several methods including independent components analysis (ICA) and principal components analysis (PCA) have been used to supress these undesired signals and/or to extract the underlying (desired) source waveforms. For some data it is known, or can be extracted posthoc, how to partition the data into periods of source activity and source inactivity. Two examples include cardiac data and data collected using the stimulus-evoked paradigm. However, neither ICA nor PCA are able to take full advantage of the knowledge of the partition. Here we introduce an interference supression method, partitioned factor analysis (PFA), that takes into account the data partition.


Anal fissure is a common and painful disorder. Its relation to hypertonic anal sphincter is controversial. The most common surgical treatment of chronic anal fissure is lateral internal sphincterotomy either open or closed methods, associated with a risk of pain, bleeding, recurrence and incontinence. The study was designed to compare the results of open and closed technique of lateral internal sphincterotomy and to find postoperative complications. This prospective clinical trial conducted in the Department of surgery in Basrah General Hospital between January 2006 and October 2008, one-hundred patients were randomly assigned to open or closed internal sphincterotomy. Standardized questionnaires assessing patients were administered preoperatively and at 1st, 2nd weeks and 1-6 month postoperatively. Out of the 100 patients included in the study, 50 patients underwent open lateral internal sphincterotomy and the other 50 were subjected to closed lateral internal sphincterotomy. There was no significant difference in postoperative acute complications. However, incontinence in terms of soiling and passage of flatus was 14% in open method and 10% in closed method. There was no difference in terms of recurrence rate being 4% both in open and closed methods. In conclusion, there was no significant difference between open and closed methods of lateral internal sphincterotomy in regard recurrence rate, healing rate, hospital stay and other complications, but in view of these findings, closed method of treatment is recommended if the surgeon is experienced. Introduction Anal fissure is a common proctological problem, which presents with pain in the anal region during and after defecation. Anal fissure is a linear tear at the anal verge. It is more in female than male; it can be seen either in the anterior or the posterior midline just distal to the dentate line. In female 89% of fissures occur posteriorly and only 10% of the fissures are seen in the anterior midline. While in male 98% of fissures are posterior and 1% is anterior. Less than 1% of patients have a fissure in lateral position in both sex . The pathogenesis of this condition is still not fully explained, but it appears to be related to the passage of hard stool or prolonged diarrhea with stretching of the anal canal resulting in a split in the anoderm. The explanation for this phenomenon is both anatomic and functional. The posterior commissure of the anoderm is less well perfused than other anodermal regions. Closed versus open lateral internal sphincterotomy Akeel A kataa & Mazin H Al-Hawaz Bas J Surg, March, 16, 2010 Furthermore, before the branches of the inferior rectal artery reach the anoderm, they course perpendicularly through septa of the internal anal sphincter. Thus, flow through these arterioles is threatened by elevated intramuscular pressure of the internal anal sphincter, exceeding the intra-luminal pressure of arterioles. Therefore, increased tone compromises perfusion of the anoderm, particularly at the posterior midline by compressing arterioles of the inferior rectal artery result in increased anodermal ischemia that prevents small mechanical tears from healing in a timely fashion; the tears then progress to clinically significant anal fissures. Also the anal spasm is a defense mechanism to prevent further stretching of the anal canal and worsening of the tear. A vicious cycle ensues whereby the anal spasm exacerbates the ischemia and prevents the fissure from healing, which in turn sustains the anal spasm to prevent further tearing. Once this cycle sets in, the likelihood of spontaneous healing decreases and the edges of the fissures become more fibrosed leading to a chronic fissure (Figure 1).


The invention discloses an expansion card baffle fixing device, comprising a fixing seat arranged on a rear plate of a computer case, an operation piece pivotally installed on the fixing seat along a pivot shaft axis and a buckle piece pivotally arranged on the fixing seat, wherein the operation piece comprises a trip part and at least one abutting block spaced with the trip part; the buckle piece comprises a buckle capable of clamping an expansion card baffle and at least one groove; the partial supporting block can be rotatably stored in the groove; the trip part of the operation piece is rotated; the abutting block can support one side of the groove in order to push the buckle to rotate; when the buckle piece rotates to lead the buckle to be clamped on the expansion card baffle, the vertical connecting line from the touching part of the abutting block and a vertical link to the pivot shaft axis is vertical to the side wall, and the buckle piece and the operation piece are interlocked.


Understanding the population dynamics of an infectious disease requires linking within-host dynamics and between-host transmission in a quantitative manner, but this is seldom done in practice. Here a simple phenomenological model for viral dynamics within a host is linked to between-host transmission by assuming that the probability of transmission is related to log viral titre. Data from transmission experiments for two viral diseases of livestock, foot-and- mouth disease virus in cattle and swine influenza virus in pigs, are used to parameterise the model and, importantly, test the underlying assumptions. The model allows the relationship between within-host parameters and transmission to be determined explicitly through their influence on the individual reproduction number and generation time. Furthermore, these critical within-host parameters (time and level of peak titre, viral growth and clearance rates) can be computed from more complex within-host models, raising the possibility of assessing the impact of within-host processes on between-host transmission in a more detailed quantitative manner. Author summary For a pathogen to be able to transmit between hosts it must replicate to a sufficiently high level within an infected host. Because of this linking the dynamics of a pathogen within a host to transmission between hosts is important for understanding an infectious disease and its control. In this study I develop a simple mathematical model for the within-host dynamics and combine it with a model relating the probability of transmission to the level of the pathogen. I use the model derive explicit relationships between parameters related to the within-host dynamics, such as viral growth and clearance rates, and summary transmission measures, such as the reproduction number and generation time. I test the assumptions in the underlying model and estimate parameters using data from transmission experiments for two important viral diseases, foot-and-mouth disease virus in cattle and swine influenza virus in pigs. Identifying the critical within host parameters that influence transmission allows the impact of within-host processes on between-host transmission to be investigated in a more detailed quantitative manner.


A procedure based on the calculus of variations to refine a given electron momentum density with the constraints of the given number of electrons and a prescribed 〈p2〉 expectation value has been developed. This procedure has been tested with near‐Hartree–Fock (NHF) electron momentum density data employed as initial distributions for the atoms beryllium through neon. The constraints of the corresponding CI‐theoretical and experimental energy values have been imposed. In all cases, the values of the refined electron momentum density at p=0 and the peak value of the Compton profile J(0) are lower than the corresponding NHF ones. This lowering of J(0) value is generally in conformity with the corresponding results from CI and MC–SCF calculations. The present procedure is seen to simulate well the electron momentum densities and 〈p−1〉 as well as 〈p〉 expectation values obtained from correlated wave functions without ever doing extra quantum mechanical calculations.


Summary: We noted rapid breakdown at 4° and 20°C of dopamine (DA) (but not of (norepinephrine and epinine) in pig plasma, but not in human plasma. The enzyme responsible appears to be a semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) because the breakdown can be inhibited by semicarbazide, but not by pargyline, clorgy-line, EDTA, or (extra) glutathione. Among catecholamines tested, only DA and 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamine (DHBA, the internal standard of most catecholamine assays using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with electrochemical detection) were good substrates for the pig plasma SSAO. At 37°C, especially after prolonged storage, all catecholamines break down. This breakdown results from autoxidation since it can be prevented by addition of extra glutathione (but not by semicarbazide) for all catecholamines except DA and DHBA. Breakdown at 37°C of these two compounds cannot be prevented by addition of extra glutathione or semicarbazide, but only by addition of both. For reliable measurements of DA concentrations in pig plasma, blood should be collected in tubes containing not only glutathione, but also semicarbazide. The possibility of similarly high plasma SSAO activity in other species should be investigated further


An image processing apparatus that is capable of performing report printing in a language desired by a user in either manual report printing or autonomic report printing. A storage unit stores information on the image processing apparatus. A touch panel receives input from a log-in user A control unit controls execution of the automatic report printing in which the information is printed by the printing unit as a report when predetermined conditions are satisfied, and execution of the manual report printing in which the information is printed by the printing unit as a report based on an instruction from the log-in user. The control unit performs the automatic report printing in a predetermined language and performs the manual report printing in a language for the log-in user.


into the subject of Chapter 4, scientific correspondence and its specialized style whose supposed informality was governed by unstated rules designed to preserve harmony where disagreements could be of the essence. Preston turns, finally, to what she calls the 'Scientific Georgic' — tracts on bees (the subject, of course, of the fourth book of Virgil's Georgics), on drainage, silk production, and horticulture. What she isolates above all are the ways in which these manuals (Preston, whose fondness for unfamiliar vocabulary can be faintly reminiscent of Thomas Browne's own, calls them 'banausic') are positioned by their authors in what we would see as an essentially poetic tradition: 'For [every writer on fruit] the labour of planting and tending is explicitly or latently an act of worship, the respectful stewardly task of tending God's creation' (p. 232). Having shown how unscientific (from our point of view) such writers could be, Preston nevertheless draws a sharp distinction between them and her first subject, Thomas Browne. For Browne, she observes, gardening was redundant: '"Gardens were before gardeners" [...] we are already tenants of Elysium'. KathryN walls, Victoria University of Wellington


This paper investigates factors that influence agricultural output in a group of Sub-Saharan African countries, with special emphasis on the role of food aid. A three-sector trade theoretic framework of an agrarian economy, comprising of exportables, importables and non-traded goods, serves as a basis for the study. This sectorial analysis allows us to analyse movement of resources and demand across sectors, resulting from changes in relative prices, due to food aid. The theoretical model provides various hypotheses that are tested empirically. Results indicate that food aid had a significant negative impact on all three categories of agricultural output. The effect of other variables on the output of the three sectors was also analysed. Factors of production along with a durable and stable regime generally impacted output positively. Drought and conflicts had a significant negative impact on importables and non-traded goods.


Mesoporous silica nanoparticle based drug and gene delivery system was developed to overcome the acquired drug resistance in colorectal cancer by targeted delivery of anti-cancer drug in the cytoplasm of the cancer cells and silencing the gene expression related to drug resistance.


A diarylheptanoid, (5S)-1,7-bis-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5-hydroxyheptane-3-on-5-O-β-D-xyiopyranoside, named as oregonin (1), was isolated from the bark of Alnus tinctoria Sarg. which is a species of the genus Alnus species, growing throughout Korea. The structure elucidation was accomplished by various spectroscopic methods including Negative FAB-MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR techniques or comparison with authentic samples.


This paper proposes an innovative topology for double-sided inner-stator axial-flux permanent-magnet (AFPM) machine for use as direct-driven generator with low-speed micro-wind turbines. The design evaluation of the new AFPM wind generator, based on 3-D finite-element field analysis, proves that the ironless stator with non-overlapping concentrated winding, sandwiched between two opposing steel-rotor disks with embedded circumferentially-magnetized PMs in flux-concentration arrangement, represents a good-performance and cost-effective double-sided structure for the AFPM machine of choice in micro-wind power generation applications.


LSE South Asia Centre and LSE SU Pakistan Development Society recently hosted Ehsan Ul Haq, retired four-star general of the Pakistan Army, for the event titled "Can Intelligence Services Do Good?". General Haq briefly spoke to Mahima A. Jain after the event.


Electrical characteristics of a single-layer organic device using 2-(hexahydropyrimidin-2-ylidene)-malononitrile (HPYM) that is interposed between Al/Al2O3 (cathode) and Ag (anode) electrodes were investigated. The application of different positive voltages produced different high-conductance currents, resulting in the multilevel memory capability of the device. The high-conductance states could be erased back to the low-conductance state by the application of a negative bias. The formation of an aluminum oxide layer between Al and HPYM layer could be one effective method to increase the data-retention time but could be irrelevant with the electric-field-induced conductance-state transition of the device.


When fiber suspensions become concentrated, standard mesoscale theories do not allow a precise description of the fine physics involved at the microscopic level. Thus one way of studying the kinematics and the rheological effects of such suspensions is to make a direct numerical simulation (or DNS for abbreviation). In previous works authors proposed DNS for these types of suspensions. However when it was carried out the elasticity associated with fibers was not introduced in the suspensions; fibers were considered purely rigid and free of bending when they were subjected to interaction forces. In this work a DNS of fiber suspensions in transient and steady shear flows is presented. The suspensions are considered along with interactions between fibers and the statistical evolutions of a population of fibers (such as orientation components and number of interactions between fibers) have been described. Then in the frame of a beam theory approach, the elasticity of the suspensions is introduced by considering that the forces acting of each fiber lead to the bending of the fibers. Thus this bending results in a physical elastic behavior illustrated quantitatively by an elastic energy stored within the suspensions. These added aspects on the DNS of concentrated fiber suspensions constitute the main originality of this paper.


References: [1] Bateman, H., The transformation of the electrodynamical equations. Proc. London Math. Soc. (2), 8 223–264 (1909). · Zbl 41.0942.03 [2] Bargmann, V., Irreducible unitary representations of the Lorentz group. Annals of Mathematics (2), 48, 568–640 (1947). · Zbl 0045.38801 · doi:10.2307/1969129 [3] Bargmann, V., & E.P. Wigner, Group theoretical discussion of relativistic wave equations. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sc. 34, 211–223 (1946). · Zbl 0030.42306 · doi:10.1073/pnas.34.5.211 [4] Bessel-Hagen, E., Über die Erhaltungssätze der Elektrodynamik. Math Annalen 84, 258–276 (1921). · Zbl 48.0877.02 · doi:10.1007/BF01459410 [5] Cartan, E., Sur les domain · Zbl 0011.12302 · doi:10.1007/BF02940719 [6] Courant, R., & D. Hilbert, Methoden der Mathematischen Physik, Vol. II, pp. 365–368. Springer (1937). · Zbl 0017.39702 [7] Dixmier, J., Sur les représentations de certains groupes orthogonaux. C.R. Ac. Sc. 250, 3263–3266 (1960). · Zbl 0093.03501 [8] Eichler, M., Introduction to the Theory of Algebraic Numbers and Functions. Academic Press (1966). · Zbl 0152.19502 [9] Gelfand, I.M., & I.I. Piatetsky-Chapiro, Theory of representations and theory of automorphic functions. Trans. Am. Math. Soc. (2) 26, 173–200 (1963). [10] Helgason, S., Differential Geometry and Symmetric Spaces. Academic Press (1962). · Zbl 0111.18101 [11] Hua, L.K., A complete orthonormal system in the hyperbolic space of the Lie-hypersphere. Trans. Am. Math. Soc. (2) 32, 195–220. · Zbl 0127.03603 [12] Klein, F., Vorlesungen über höhere Geometrie. Springer (1926). · Zbl 52.0624.09 [13] Kobayashi, S., & K. Nomizu, Foundations of Differential Geometry. Interscience (1963). · Zbl 0119.37502 [14] Lie, S., Theorie der Transformationsgruppen, Vol. III, pp. 314–335. Teubner (1893). [15] Piatetsky, I.I., & I. Chapiro, Géométrie des domaines classiques et théorie des fonctions automorphes. Dunod (1966). [16] Segal, I. E., A class of operator algebras which are determined by groups. Duke Math. Journal 18, 221–264 (1951). · Zbl 0045.38601 · doi:10.1215/S0012-7094-51-01817-0 [17] Selberg, A., Harmonic analysis and discontinuous groups in weakly symmetric Riemannian spaces with applications to Dirichlet series. J. Indian Math. Soc. 20, 47–87 (1956). · Zbl 0072.08201 [18] Van Der Waerden, B.L., Gruppen von linearen Transformationen. Springer (1935). This reference list is based on information provided by the publisher or from digital mathematics libraries. Its items are heuristically matched to zbMATH identifiers and may contain data conversion errors. It attempts to reflect the references listed in the original paper as accurately as possible without claiming the completeness or perfect precision of the matching.


Potential factors that trigger the onset of reproduction in shoot modules were studied in the dwarf shrub Rhododendron lapponicum in subarctic Swedish Lapland. The following questions were addressed: (1) Can the large size effect that commonly is found on onset of reproduction be explained as an effect of the amount of nitrogen and/or phosphorus accumulated? (2) Is there an effect of age when controlling for size and amount of nutrient reserves? (3) Does the relationship between size or nutrient reserves and onset of reproduction vary between high- and low-altitude sites? Shoots from two different sites, a subalpine heath (345 m altitude) and an alpine heath (900 m), were compared. The reproductive status of the shoots (non-reproductive or with an inflorescence bud) was related to shoot age, size (shoot leaf area), and nitrogen and phosphorus concentration by means of logistic regression analysis. The analysis indicates that an index of shoot nitrogen pool size was the most important factor; however, we could not strictly differentiate between the effect of this index and that of shoot leaf area and nitrogen concentration. A large shoot leaf area and nitrogen concentration (i.e. a large nitrogen pool index) increases the likelihood of turning reproductive. When controlling for shoot leaf area and nitrogen concentration a negative effect of increasing age was found. We suggest that this age effect may be related to a declining shoot resource economy with increasing age. Triggering of reproduction in R. lapponicum is thus complex and all factors included in our analysis appear to be involved. Shoots at the high-altitude site were more likely to enter the reproductive phase than shoots with a similar leaf area at low altitude. The only factor for which we found support for the hypothesis about decreasing importance of nutrients with increasing altitude was for phosphorus concentration. The mean age at onset of reproduction did not differ between altitudes.


This study tests for spatial interactions in public spending on childcare and primary eduation and care of the elderly and disabled, using panel data on Swedish municipalities over 1996-2003. The high degree of decentralization implies that Swedish data is highly suitable for this type of study. We do not limit the study to interactions in the same type of expenditure, but also allow for


In the present work, we study the largest structures of the CMB temperature measured by Planck in terms of the most prominent peaks on the sky, which, in particular, are located in the southern galactic hemisphere. Besides these large-scale features, the well-known Cold Spot anomaly is included in the analysis. All these peaks would contribute significantly to some of the CMB large-scale anomalies, as the parity and hemispherical asymmetries, the dipole modulation, the alignment between the quadrupole and the octopole, or in the case of the Cold Spot, to the non-Gaussianity of the field. The analysis of the peaks is performed by using their multipolar profiles, which characterize the local shape of the peaks in terms of the discrete Fourier transform of the azimuthal angle. In order to quantify the local anisotropy of the peaks, the distribution of the phases of the multipolar profiles is studied by using the Rayleigh random walk methodology. Finally, a direct analysis of the 2-dimensional field around the peaks is performed in order to take into account the effect of the galactic mask. The results of the analysis conclude that, once the peak amplitude and its first and second order derivatives at the centre are conditioned, the rest of the field is compatible with the standard model. In particular, it is observed that the Cold Spot anomaly is caused by the large value of curvature at the centre.


In allocating scarce treatment resources to a defined population, college counselors and psychotherapists inevitable function as managers of behavioral healthcare. Empirical research suggests that the brevity of therapy is primarily a function of consumer behavior and that only minimal efficiencies can be obtained through the imposition of arbitrary treatment duration limits. By identifying variables that mediate the relationships among presenting problems, utilization, and outcomes, therapists can actively manage cases and optimize the relationship between treatment efficiency and effectiveness.


In recent years, China has experienced rapid social and economic development. Against this backdrop, growing pressure for renminbi appreciation emerged and China's trade surplus and foreign reserves increased rapidly. This article explains the development of the RMB exchange rate by examining productivity growth and institutional factors, such as the transformation of the foreign exchange rate system and legal reforms to strengthen the hale of law. Development of the Renminbi Exchange Rate On January 1, 1994, China unified the "dual" exchange rate regime into a single one. The official rate before January 1, 1994 was 5.8 RMB per USD and 8.7 RMB per USD after exchange rate unification. Some observers argued that China depreciated the RMB by 40 percent in 1994. However, that argument is a misconception. Before 1994, China was still under the "dual" exchange rate regime, under which 80 percent of the foreign exchange trading volume was at the market rate, and only 20 percent at the official rate. The 8.7 RMB per USD rate was basically the market rate at the end of 1993. During 1993, the supply of foreign exchange mainly consisted of two sources: (1) joint-venture firms that were 'allowed to retain their foreign exchange, and (2) domestic export companies that had excess foreign exchange retained under the foreign exchange retention system. Under the "dual" exchange rate regime, if a firm needed foreign exchange to import, it could obtain foreign exchange through three channels: (1) buy foreign exchange at the market rate, (2) buy a quota from the market and use the quota to purchase foreign exchange at the official rate, and (3) apply for a quota from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) and use the quota to buy foreign exchange at the official rate. The price of a quota was roughly the difference between the official and the market rates. My estimation is that the weighted average of the RMB exchange rate depreciated by 4 percent vis-a-vis the dollar in 1993, compared with the 8.7 RMB per USD as the starting rate of the new regime at the beginning of 1994 (Table 1). The trade surplus in 1994 was very modest, only $5.4 billion. And the trade surplus for 1995-2004 was fairly stable, indicating that the RMB/USD exchange rate was close to its equilibrium level. the appreciation pressure afterward was partly driven by the productivity gains and the institutional reasons explained in this article, and partly by the weakening of U.S. dollar; especially since 2002. Since 1994, China has been promoting market-oriented reform of the RMB exchange rate mechanism. Three stages can be delineated: 1. 1994-96: a single and managed floating exchange rate regime based on market supply and demand. During this period, the nominal BMB/USD exchange rate rose by nearly 5 percent. 2. 1997-2005: after the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis China maintained a stable exchange rate at 8.28 RMB per USD. 3. July 2005-present: China reformed the RMB exchange rate regime by moving to a managed float based on market supply and demand with reference to a basket of currencies. The new system features and expanded floating band, an improved spot rate formation mechanism, the establishment of a forward market, reformed open market operations, and a more market-oriented foreign exchange management mechanism. From July 21, 2005, to the end of November 2007, the RMB appreciated by a total of 12 percent against the USD. According to the Bank for International Settlements, the nominal effective exchange rate index for the RMB increased by 40.9 percent from January 1994 to February 2002, decreased by 13.1 percent from February 2002 to July 2005, and rose again by 2.1 percent from July 2005 to November 2007. The real effective exchange rate index for the RMB rose by 58 percent from January 1994 to February 2002, decreased by 16.5 percent from February 2002 to July 2005, and then rose by 6. …


Purpose : Febrile convulsions are classified into simple or complex types, the latter being characterized by increased risk of recurrence and progression to epilepsy. This study aimed to delineate the clinical characteristics of complex febrile convulsions. Methods : Between January 2003 and December 2006, 550 children were diagnosed with febrile convulsions at the Department of Pediatrics, Ilsan Paik Hospital. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed for comparison between simple and complex febrile convulsions, and clinical findings of complex febrile convulsions were clarified. Results : Our subjects comprised a male-to-female ratio of 1.64:1; the age range was from 8 months to 8 years. Simple febrile convulsions comprised 432 cases, i.e., 4 times as many as complex febrile convulsions (118 cases). The causes of febrile illness included acute pharyngotonsillitis (357 cases, 64.9%), pneumonia (55 cases, 10.0%), acute gastroenteritis (37 cases, 6.7%), and otitis media (20 cases, 3.6%). We did not find any significant difference between simple and complex febrile convulsions in most clinical parameters such as gender, age, family history of febrile convulsions, and cause of febrile illness. Regarding subtypes of complex febrile convulsions, repeated convulsions were the most frequent (72.0%), followed by prolonged convulsions (16.9%) and focal convulsions (5.1%). Conclusion : We have reported here the clinical features of complex febrile convulsions. Although the results did not show any significant difference between simple and complex febrile convulsions in most clinical parameters such as gender, age, family history of febrile convulsion, and cause of febrile illness, further studies are essential to delineate complex febrile convulsions.