Purpose: Corporate governance issues have been particular important in the last years because of diverse international scandals (e.g. Enron e a WorldCom in the US, Parmalt in Italy, and Banco Portugues de Negocios in Portugal, among others). This calls for the need for a reformulation of governance mechanisms to minimize agency conflicts and restore confidence in capital markets as well as transparency of the company's economic and financial situation. The choice of some corporate governance issues may have impact in the company's performance, as it may influence agency costs between the principal and managers and between type of investors and may impact the firm's financial decision. In this sense, this paper aims to analyze the impact of corporate governance' characteristics on the financial performance of Portuguese listed firms. Design/methodology/approach : A panel data of listed companies on Euronext Lisbon, between 2012 and 2016, and the multiple linear regression model, was used. Findings : We find that results depend on the performance ratio used. The main results suggest that the size and independence of the board of directors have impact on the company's performance. Moreover, we find that financial investors give relevance to best corporate governance practices. Originality: Most studies analyzing this thematic focus on major countries. This work focuses on a small-size country, where corporate governance mechanisms were questioned due to diverse bankruptcies and financial scandals. Moreover, accounting and market-based performance are addressed to see the main differences and similarities.


Ensuring safe operation of autonomous vehicles requires testing them including critical combinations of obstacle configurations plus sensor and actuator inaccuracies. A method for testing inaccuracy combinations has already been published by the authors. This paper enhances the capabilities of the method by automatically collecting scenarios from physical vehicle drives that are relevant for further analysis. For such situations, a state trace including all variables of the whole planning and control system is stored together with environment information. The stored data is the input for further analysis. An implementation of this approach is demonstrated using a simulation and a full size vehicle.


The utility model relates to a pedrail-type motive power transmission mechanism of a scooter for going upstairs and downstairs, which is characterized in that a pedrail-type walking device used for going upstairs and downstairs consists of a left group and a right group of chain wheel and chain transmission mechanisms in mutually parallel arrangement, each group of chain wheel and chain transmission mechanisms consists of a front guide chain wheel, a back guide chain wheel, a support chain wheel and a pedrail, the front guide chain wheel is independently arranged at the front end of a vehicle frame, the back guide chain wheel is independently arranged at the back end of the vehicle frame and is used as a back support wheel, the support chain wheel is arranged under the front part of the vehicle frame and is used as a front supporter, the pedrail is arranged on the front guide chain wheel, the back guide chain wheel and the support chain wheel, is engaged with the front guide chain wheel, the back guide chain wheel and the support chain wheel, and is formed by wide-chain-node chains, tooth-shaped anti-slip rubber cushion blocks are uniformly and fixedly distributed on the outer ring of the pedrail, the pedrail-type motive power transmission mechanism has the external appearance in a tank type pedrail type structure after being assembled, the tank type pedrail of the scooter formed by the wide-chain-node chains and the tooth-shaped anti-slip rubber cushion blocks can be tightly buckled and in lapped joint on each stage of steps when going upstairs and downstairs, and the upwards and downwards climbing movement along the steps can be realized under the effect of the motive power of a motor for smoothly completing the action of going upstairs and downstairs. The utility model has the advantages of reasonable structure, good stair climbing flexibility, flexible and convenient steering and turning and the like.


Citizens participating in crisis administration by the Government in an orderly way is beneficial to heightening citizens' capacity of dealing with crises and to reducing administrative cost.At present,citizens' participating in crisis administration by the Government in our country is at a lower level and is faced with obstacles from notions,the legal system,ability and organization.Therefore,we should expand and standardize citizens' participation in an orderly way by renewing notions,improving laws and regulations and establishing and improving the information-open system.


The isolated entire tooth group anomalies are discussed in connection with two cases. In the first case the lower and upper incisors are hypodontic whereas in the second case the hypodontia appears in the molar region. The interest of the latter case is increased by a microdont tooth which appeared in the place of the left upper seventh tooth.


On the basis of extensive literature retrieval,species,composition,pharmacology and clinical applications of Prinsepia Royle.were reviewed,which will provide reference for further development and utilization.


The Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the education sector. changing the face-to-face learning process to online requires educators to innovate to create the best strategies in learning specifically natural science subjects in elementary schools. Exploration of alternative teaching and learning models is important for optimal educational practices for students. This study aims to evaluate student learning achievement in natural science learning, analyze the impact of teaching and learning methods and material resources on student achievement, and determine the best strategy in managing natural science education practice during the Covid-19 pandemic. The survey experiment was used as the research design, occupying a 2x2 factorial design. These factors include teaching and learning methods that include online and mixed learning as well as teaching and learning material resources that include textbooks and the internet. Data collection was carried out through an online survey using google form. Data analysis was performed through t test and factorial Anova. Partly, only teaching and learning methods have a significant impact on student achievement, as indicated by the t-test result of -2.610 (p = 0.010). Teaching and learning methods and teaching and learning resources simultaneously affect student achievement of natural science lessons. The F-test obtained a value of 80,335 (p = 0.001). The combination of blended learning and teaching and learning materials sourced from the internet resulted in the achievement of a much higher score.


David W. Montgomery is director of program development for CEDAR— Communities Engaging with Difference and Religion. He is the coauthor of Living with Difference: How to Build Community in a Divided World and editor of Negotiating Well-being in Central Asia. David W. Montgomery presents a rich ethnographic study on the practice and meaning of Islamic life in Kyrgyzstan. As he shows, becoming and being a Muslim are based on knowledge acquired from the surrounding environment, enabled through the practice of doing. Through these acts, Islam is imbued in both the individual and the community. To Montgomery, religious practice and lived experience combine to create an ideological space that is shaped by events, opportunities, and potentialities that form the context from which knowing emerges. This acquired knowledge further frames social navigation and political negotiation.


With the hindsight of half a century, Greenbergian formalism may now be seen not as the prescriptive, proscriptive, restrictive paradigm it was intended to be, but rather as a threshold between aesthetic types, a descriptive mechanism that pertains only to a very limited set of aesthetic objects, linked to a brief moment in history and responding to a specific polemic. The reduction of artistic activity to the least common denominator of material specificity was perhaps the last great instance of criticism as exclusion, and if it has a posterity in contemporary art theory and aesthetics, it is an ironic one, counter to the intuition of its author: an increased attention to the manner in which the materiality of the signifier is polyvalent, unstable, synaesthetic, nomadic. For we learn from this theory not only the value of respecting the exigencies of the flatness of the canvas, but also, a contrario, that the ambiguities created by projecting a three-dimensional field onto two dimensions are themselves infinitely renewable and continually marvelous. To say this is to do nothing less than rethink five centuries of representational painting and revise our vision by paying attention to the fact that the window of classic perspectival representation is also a plane, and a canvas, and a screen, and a dream. At its zenith, Clement Greenberg's formalism was already being pressured by the performative tensions of Fluxus, Situationism, Lettrism, Happenings, mixed-media, multimedia, "intermedia," and sundry other artistic exploits that would complicate matters beyond any possible formalist recognition. In a sense, the history of modern art criticism is one of augmenting the visibility of painting with the complex matrix of synaesthetic possibilities, beginning with latenineteenth-century considerations of the haptic qualities of painting, while the history of modern painting is one of literally enhancing the visible with materials that engage the other senses.


This paper presents the results of measurements of the sound absorption coefficient of auditorium
seats carried out in the laboratory using two methods. In the first one, small blocks of seats in various
arrangements were studied in a reverberation chamber to determine the absorption coefficient of an
auditorium of infinite dimensions. The results were compared to the values of the absorption coefficient
measured using the second method, which involved samples enclosed within a frame screening the side
surfaces of other auditorium blocks. The results of both methods allowed for the assessment of the sound
absorption coefficient of an auditorium of any dimensions while taking into account the sound absorption
by the side surfaces. The method developed by the authors will simplify the currently known measurement
procedures.


We optimized the ground-state stable configuration of CoS molecule in different external radiation fields (0–0.04 atomic units (a.u.)) at the basis set level of 6–311G++(d, p) using the B3LYP density functional theory. On this basis, the molecular structure, total energy, energy gap, and the intensities of infrared ray (IR) spectra, Raman spectra, and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) absorption spectra of CoS molecule were computed using the same method. The results showed that the molecular structure changed greatly under the effect of the external radiation fields and had significant dependency on the radiation fields. The total energy of CoS molecule grew slightly at first and then significantly decreased in a monotonous manner. The bond length, dipole moment, and energy gap of the molecule all reduced at first and then increased, with the turning point all at F=0.025 a.u. of the radiation field. The absorption peak of IR spectra and Raman optical activity both had maximums at F=0.03 a.u. with significant red shift. In the external radiation field of F=0.030 a.u., the absorption wavelength of the UV–Vis absorption spectra showed large blue shift, and a strong absorption peak was observed.


Rationale: Discrete-choice experiment (also called choice-based conjoint analysis) is often applied in health economics for the evaluation of health care programs, elicitation of patient preferences, and estimation of marginal rates of substitution between non-price and price-related health care attributes. The marginal rates of substitution are further used as an indicator of patient willingness-to-pay, the values that patients attach to various health care attributes, and the welfare effect of an attribute change. The possibility to estimate another welfare measure based on data from a discrete- choice experiment, namely compensating income variation, has recently been considered in health economics. In search for an adequate approach to this issue, several methods already emerged depending on the analytical objectives of the authors and the data being analyzed. Virtually all of these methods however, assume equality between the willingness-to-pay values and the compensating income variation. Given the current theoretical and empirical evidence in economics, we question this assumption. We search for a new approach to the welfare analysis based on data from a discrete-choice experiment where the two welfare measures can be estimated independently and the assumption of equality can be omitted. Objectives: The aim of our investigation is to develop an analytical model for the estimation of compensating income variation and willingness-to-pay based on hypothetical choices of potential consumers among profiles of health care and health insurance services, which model do not require the assumption for equality between the two welfare measures. Methodology: In contrast to previous discrete-choice experiments reported in the literature, we incorporate the income into the utility function by including both, the absolute and relative price levels of the commodity studied. The absolute price level is the value of the price-related attribute(s) determined by the commodity profiles, and the relative price level is the share of family income for each individual indicated by the value of the price-related attribute(s) and the income level. The relative price levels are already used (mainly in the area of transportation and housing services) to indicate affordability. However, this concept has not yet been applied to estimate compensating income variation and willingness-to-pay based on data from a discrete-choice experiment. To parameterize the analytical model and to test its validity, we use data from discrete-choice experiments regarding health care and health insurance profiles. Results: According to our estimations, compensating income variations appears to be higher than the willingness-to-pay values. Theoretical and empirical evidence confirm the validity of our results, and our analytical model. Conclusions: There are indications that our approach to the welfare analysis using data from discrete-choice experiment is valid. However, its robustness should further be tested using alternative sets of discrete-choice data (inside and outside the health care sector). Moreover, a time dimension should be incorporated in the model. The applicability of our approach is not limited to discrete-choice experiment only. It can be also applied to the analysis of data from other stated-preference techniques (e.g. ranking conjoint analysis and choose-one options). This indicates a comprehensiveness of our approach. An application of our approach to different types of stated-preference techniques can help to establish whether the type of research technique influences the outcomes of the welfare analysis.


An Atmospheric Variability Experiment (AVE) was conducted over the central U.S. in the spring of 1982, collecting radiosonde date to verify mesoscale soundings from the VISSR Atmospheric Sounder (VAS) on the GOES satellite. Previously published VAS/AVE comparisons for the 6 March 1982 case found that the satellite retrievals scarcely detected a low level temperature inversion or a mid-tropospheric cold pool over a special mesoscale radiosonde verification network in north central Texas. The previously published regression and physical retrieval algorithms did not fully utilize VAS' sensitivity to important subsynoptic thermal features. Therefore, the 6 March 1982 case was reprocessed adding two enhancements to the VAS regression retrieval algorithm: (1) the regression matrix was determined using AVE profile data obtained in the region at asynoptic times, and (2) more optimistic signal-to-noise statistical conditioning factors were applied to the VAS temperature sounding channels. The new VAS soundings resolve more of the low level temperature inversion and mid-level cold pool. Most of the improvements stems from the utilization of asynoptic radiosonde observations at NWS sites. This case suggests that VAS regression soundings may require a ground-based asynoptic profiler network to bridge the gap between the synoptic radiosonde network and the high resolution geosynchronous satellite observations during the day.


Dynamic magnetic properties of the colossal magnetoresistance ferromagnet Ndo(0.7)Sr(0.3)MnO(3) have been explored by ac-susceptibilities and dc-magnetization measurements. The system orders magnetically below T(c)approximate to 235 K with a large differe


Buildings  Indoo Humidity  param relative  humidi difficult  to  con dehumidifying dehumidifying p Laboratory tests air moister  regu coatings. There two  consecutiv characterization out; in a second Finally, both typ as an air moistu


Erotic dancing is located within unique legal, economic, and cultural institutions that ultimately govern whether or not it is recognized as legitimate work. For instance, dance clubs and their attendants are subject to specific municipal, provincial and federal legal regimes that circumscribe the means by which erotic dancers can access protective labour and human rights regimes. Additionally, the labour of an erotic dancer is neither static nor a-historical. Rather, it shifts with social economic and political trends and has been redefined over time. Generally, in Canada there has been a shift in the labour performed by erotic dancers from a more visual form of entertainment (stage dancing) to what Katherine Frank refers to as individualized services and interactions (lap-dancing).' According to the Ottawa-based Dancer's Equal Rights Association (DERA)-whose membership is limited to former and current erotic dancers-lapdancing as the defining feature ofthe industry has resulted in "the abuse, mistreatment and exploitation of the women working in [Ottawa]" (DERA l).'In conjunction with the Stigmatized Labour Support Network (SLSN)a coalition of dancers, service providers, lawyers, academics, and students-DEUis mobilizing to charnpion the rights of female erotic dancers. DERA has centered its energies around banning lap dancing within clubs as well as enhancing dancers' labour rights as a means ofimproving working conditions for erotic dance r ~ . ~ Some initiatives include public education, coalition-building, political lobbying, establishing support groups, fundraising, and promoting in-club health programs.4 DERA would like to see the "fee system" abolished and aform ofbasic remuneration implemented and correspondingly challenge dancers' status as independent contractors. Over the last two years, I have worked with DERA through SLSN in an effort to strategize and effect more equitable working conditions for dancers. While myriad issues surround industries characterized by the commodification of sex, what follows is a discussion around one issue of concern and how it impacts dancers' access to basic rights and benefits bestowed upon other workers: their status as independent contractors. Before moving on, however, it is helpful to outline my theoretical underpinnings and methodological approaches.


Modern times compel both business executives and business scholars to develop expeditious solutions to deep-seated moral problems. In an earlier era, leaders of the Rockefeller Foundation approached the realm of ethics more reflectively, contemplating and debating its optimum role in their organization over the course of a dozen years. The newly uncovered private correspondence regarding their deliberations documents the allegiances and beliefs of key management and political figures of the time, including those of Chester I. Barnard.


Anatomy has historically been a cornerstone in medical education regardless of nation, racial background, or medical school system. By learning gross anatomy, medical students get a first "impression" about the structure of the human body which is the basis for understanding pathologic and clinical problems. Although the importance of teaching anatomy to both undergraduate and postgraduate students remains undisputed, there is currently a relevant debate concerning methods of anatomy teaching. In the past century, dissection and lectures were its sole pedagogy worldwide. Recently, the time allocated for anatomy teaching was dramatically reduced to such an extent that some suggest that it has fallen below an adequate standard. Traditional anatomy education based on topographical structural anatomy taught in lectures and gross dissection classes has been replaced by a multiple range of study modules, including problem-based learning, plastic models or computer-assisted learning, and curricula integration. "Does the anatomical theatre still have a place in medical education?" And "what is the problem with anatomic specimens?" We endeavor to answer both of these questions and to contribute to the debate on the current situation in undergraduate and graduate anatomy education. Doctors without anatomy are like moles.They work in the dark and the work of their hands are mounds. Friedrich Tiedemann The foundation of the study of the art of operating must be laid in the dissecting room. Robert Liston


The original design of primary and secondary frequency modulation in digital electrichydraulic(DEH) governing system,as well as the overspeed protection control(OPC) have been perfected and improved,and test of practical application being carried out,boasting better effectiveness.


This article constructs a chronological narrative based on a decade of epistolary communication involving India's Central Board of Film Certification, the Information & Broadcasting Ministry, the police, right-wing parties, and the citizenry in order to trace a continuum of state and right-wing interventions in the process of censoring 1990s Hindi cinema.


Photochemical cyclodehydrogenation of 2-, 3-, and 4-stilbazole in dilute cyclohexane solutions yields benzo[f]quinoline, benz[f]isoquinoline, and benz[h]isoquinoline, respectively. In the case of 3-stilbazole none of the other possible cyclisation product, benzo[h]quinoline, was isolated. Several substituted stilbazole were cyclised; 6-methyl- and α-methyl-2-stilbazole, 4′-methyl- and β-cyano-3-stilbazole, and α-methyl-4-stilbazole yielded the expected 3- and 5-methylbenzo[f]quinolines, 9-methyl- and 6-cyano-benz[f]isoquinoline, and 5-methylbenz[h]isoquinoline, respectively.


The invention provides a single-component high-refractivity LED (light-emitting diode) packaging adhesive which is prepared from the following raw materials in parts by weight: 50-80 parts of vinyl of phenyl polysiloxane, 25-40 parts of crosslinking agent, 0.1-0.5 part of platinum catalyst, 0.01-0.1 part of inhibitor and 0-5 parts of auxiliary material. The single-component high-refractivity LED packaging adhesive has the advantages of high refractivity, high light transmittance, radiation resistance, high/low temperature resistance, weather resistance and the like; the viscosity of the single-component high-refractivity LED packaging adhesive is 1000-7000 mPa.s, the storage period at normal temperature is 60 days, the storage period at 0-4 DEG C is 6 months, and the hardness after curing is 80A-70D; and the single-component high-refractivity LED packaging adhesive is suitable for packaging protection for high-power high-lighting-effect LEDs. The invention also provides a preparation method of the single-component high-refractivity LED packaging adhesive. The preparation method has the advantages of accessible raw materials, no pollution and mild conditions, and is simple to operate, easy to control and convenient for industrialization.


The effect of a phenolic disinfectant (o-phenylphenol 45% w/w) with linseed oil soap or with soya oil soap on Mycobacterium tuberculosis was determined by three methods. Neither the geometrical dilution test nor the modified capacity use-dilution test revealed any differences between the two disinfectants. However, paradoxically both methods proved that the highest concentration of the disinfectants tested (3·5% v/v) exhibited a very low germicidal effect on M. tuberculosis, whereas lower concentrations showed a much better effect. When determining the tuberculocidal effects of various concentrations of the two disinfectants at different exposure times, the higher concentrations showed very low effects, even after the longest exposure time. At concentrations of 2·0 and 1·0% (v/v), the disinfectants displayed the most rapid effects. In the present investigation the disinfectant with the linseed oil soap seemed to destroy the cells more quickly than that with the soya oil soap. The third disinfectant containing p-chloro-m-cresol and o-benzyl-p-chlorophenol with a total of 9·2% (w/w) phenols in a detergent system, did not display, when employing the capacity use-dilution test, the same phenomenon in the concentrations used, but the experiment showed that the recommended use-dilution concentration ought to be doubled.


Technique for predicting quantitative behavior of groundwater mounds below recharge areas; technique is applicable to stable or moving mounds, 2-dimensional or radial flow systems, and uniform or nonuniform soils; equations are derived for estimating rate of rise or fall of center of mound.


PURPOSE
Emerging published reports on the association between estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) genetic variation and cancer susceptibility are inconsistent. This review and meta- analysis was performed to achieve a more precise evaluation of this relationship.

METHODS
A literature search of PubMed database was conducted from the inception of this study through April 1st 2014. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated to assess the association.

RESULTS
87 studies were enrolled in this meta-analysis. The results indicated that PvuII (T>C) polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and prostate cancer, in contrast with the decreased risk of gallbladder cancer. No significant association was found in Asian and Caucasian populations. Furthermore, XbaI (A>G) genetic variation was only associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, but was not related with race. In addition, T594T (G>A) polymorphisms were significantly associated with an increased risk of cancer, especially in Asian populations.

CONCLUSIONS
This meta-analysis indicated that PvuII (T>C) genetic variation may be risk factor for HCC, prostate cancer and gallbladder cancer. Meanwhile, XbaI (A>G) polymorphism may be potential prognostic factor for prostate cancer. Furthermore, T594T (G>A) was closely related with cancer susceptibility, especially in Asian populations.


Summary 1. Soiling crops are successful where rainfall is dependable and palatable feed furnished for dairy cows. The system is well adapted to eastern Nebraska conditions. 2. Soiling crops correlate well with specialized dairying in distribution of labor throughout the day. 3. Succession of crop is necessary for successful soiling system. 4. Fall seeding is necessary in providing soiling crops for the early summer. 5. Cows will maintain a more constant yield throughout the summer on a good ration of soiling crops than on most any other feeds. 6. Cane shows a greater yield per acre than any other of the crops that were used in the soiling system. 7. In 1914, the total hours of labor for the soiling crops was 173.81 as compared with 123.69 hours for silage feeding. Hours of labor per 100 pounds of milk soiling crops 1.77. Silage 1.21. This does not include milking and care of the cow. 8. In 1915, the labor for feed in producing 100 pounds of milk was 1.857 hours for soiling crops and 1.28 hours for silage. 9. The labor requirement for alfalfa as a soiling crop was lower than any other, while the labor for millet and for cowpeas was greatest. 10. The use of either silage or soiling crops for summer feeding of dairy cows decreases the necessity for a heavy grain ration.


According to various embodiments of the invention, the act of obtaining at least one of the first image prior to, focus set by the electronic device and the functional modules is connected to the image recording; Operation for on the basis of the detection result of the first content associated with the first image, the recognition area for setting the recognition area that includes the first content; Operation for the image shot through the module, obtaining a focus set the second image; On the basis of the identification area, the operation for detecting the secondary content associated with the second image; And through the electronic unit and the display coupled to the functional, the present invention relates to an electronic device and method that includes an act of expressing the second content. Other embodiments are possible.


To the Editor:— A recent communication describes a simplified method of monitoring arterial pressure with an aneroid manometer attached to a syringe with a finger cot inside. This technique was a modification of a commercial instrument that in turn was an attempt to partially obviate the strain-gauge. 1 An even simpler method is possible and consists of an aneroid manometer attached to the rubber connection of an intravenous set which in turn is fitted into a vena tube that is attached to the side arm of a three-way stopcock. Flushing with heparin and saline solution must be carried out just before turning the circuit to the manometer. Protecting the manometer with a finger cot fitted in a syringe has not been found necessary. This is not an original method and I do not know who first used it. I have found it quite helpful in monitoring patients during aortography (Figure).


The number of formulations in specialized literature involving the term fractional derivative is significant and that number has increased. Considering the growing number of definitions, in this thesis, we present two criteria: one proposed by Ross in 1975 and the other proposed by Ortigueira and Machado in 2015 both have five properties, what helps us to conclude if a given operator is a fractional derivative. We have classified the non-integer order derivatives in three different classes: classic derivatives, local derivative and derivatives without singular kernel. In the sequence, we check the real possibility of a non-integer order derivative be classified as a fractional derivative, according to the criterion of Ortigueira and Machado which is more restrictive than the one proposed by Ross. Classic derivatives are the ones which best correspond to the criterion proposed by Ortugueira and Machado, being called fractional derivatives, according to that criterion. Local derivatives cannot be considered fractional derivatives by that criterion, therefore we propose a new criterion for this class of operators. Vast majority of derivatives without singular kernel do not satisfy all the properties of the criterion in question. As an application we solve the linear logistic equation in its fractional version using three different fractional derivatives, each one representing a class.


Motivational regulation is an important aspect of self-regulated learning.External motivational regulation,internal motivational regulation,information processing and volition were the main strategies that college students used to cope with motivation problems.Regulation strategies depend on learning contexts and motivational problems.Compared with American and Taiwanese students,mainland students were both short of effective strategies and motivation of problem-solving.This result reminds college teachers to focus on motivating students and helping them to learn and use self-regulated learning strategies.


Previous studies by the authors (O'Neill, Soni, Coldwell & Edmonds 2007; and O'Neill & Soni 2009) laid the foundation for the development of an experimental model to measure the impact of entrepreneurial networks on the success of businesses and consequently empirically tested this model among 38 small businesses belonging to networking groups within the Chambers of Business in Pietermaritzburg and Durban. In this article the theoretical background to the development of the experimental model is revisited and the model is empirically tested among a further 34 small businesses belonging to a small enterprise development agency in Pietermaritzburg. The findings of this group are consequently compared to the previous study in order to determine whether the same trends could be observed among diverse samples. Although both empirical studies researched only 72 small businesses selected through convenience sampling, which can be argued is by no means adequate to make any generalisations from, it is nevertheless potentially beneficial from an exploratory point of view to determine whether the experimental model of networking and its components have any value as potential contributors to small business success or not.


Mia Kile. Many people are currently experiencing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This work, presented as a column, provides an overview of photovoice which is a participatory action research methodology commonly used in Community-Based Participatory Research. Often design professionals gather information to inform design solutions which may include client interviews, surveys, site analysis, observational studies, etc. However, much of the programming information gained may not tell the full story. Photovoice is a tool used to engage the public in the act of storytelling through photography and descriptive narrative. This work showcases the process to conduct a photovoice research project and highlights some of the benefits and limitations one might experience. In an era where the pandemic has affected so many, photovoice is a vehicle to better understand the challenges others face. It is through this understanding that transformation can occur.


Abstract The paper should be considered a work report about a cooperative project rather than a research report theoretically discussing learning processes. The paper reflects on the transnational cooperation experience of the Planners Network for Central and South East Europe (PlaNet CenSE)1 project (an INTERREG IIIB project), where 2 5 project partners from 15 countries tried to pursue their networking activities. PlaNet CenSE served as a gateway for a mutual transfer of information and know-how and aimed to facilitate the integration of spatial development institutions and actors of non-EU member states into the European spatial development network. The assumption underlying their joint work was that networking becomes effective only through active collaboration. Thus, the aim and the achievement of the project were to increase common understanding concerning specific topics rather than to engage in extensive and consistent research. The challenging circumstances under which cooperation took place and its influence on networking as such are highlighted, stemming as they do from a complex and, at the beginning, unclear program structure, but also from political changes that created difficult working conditions. The paper also deals with the key messages of the two pilot projects that dealt with improved metropolitan networks and the north- south rail corridors in Central and South-East Europe. The paper concludes that, considering the present state of European integration and planning, especially in these two areas, learning through cooperation should be a very important, immediate and practical goal.


If a function x°(X) has at least one such representation, then it is called a recursive (or constructive) real function. The main results are the following: Theorem 7,1. If a sequence Xn of constructive real numbers converges recursively to X, and if x"(X) is a constructive real function, then x°(-X") converges recursively to *•(*). Theorem 8,2. A function which is constructive possesses the Darboux property in any interval with constructive end points. The author ascribes the proof of theorem 8,2 to £ . M. Livenson.


The increasing of the callus formation of cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) from leaf explants and the petals have successfully done through the use of a combination of plant growth regulators 2,4-D, pocloram and BA. On leaf explants the highest percentage of callus formation was obtained in combination treatment of plant growth regulators 2,4-D 5 mg/l + BA 1 mg/l and 2,4-D 5 mg/l + picloram 0.5 mg/l with callus formation percentage of 33.3%. On the use of petal explants the highest percentage of callus formation was obtained on 2,4-D treatment of 10 mg/l with callus formation percentage of 40%. Formed callus were blackish brown demonstrate the use of PVP 200 mg/l still can not overcome the problem of phenol oxidation.


Quantifying mitigation efforts against a large background variability is a demanding task, in which scientific complexity and manageable, transparent accounting systems have difficulty to meet. Can we bring these together?


To creat a new and quick method of determining Fe(Ⅲ) in functional food.The best conditions of reaction were chosen by testing.Using Triton X-100 as the solubilizing agent,Fe(Ⅲ) reacts with potassium thiocyanate and forms a red colorful complex at the presence of micelle media.The complex has been determined at λ1(λ=480 nm) by AMMS-1.The linearity was shown in the range of 0.5 mg/L-3.0 mg/L for the concentration of Fe(Ⅲ).The correlation coefficient was 0.999 4.The detection limit was 50 μg/kg.The apparent molar absorptivity was 3.6×104 L/(mol·cm),and relative standard deviation(RSD) was 2.4 %.The new method is better selective,accurate and practical.It is a reliable means to detect Fe(Ⅲ)in functional food.


Title: Multivariate degradation in presence of different types of maintenance and covariate : modelling, inference and decision making Supervision: Laurent DOYEN (LJK), Christophe BERENGUER (GIPSA) Doctoral School: Ecole doctorale Mathématiques, Sciences et technologies de l'information, Informatique (MSTII) https://edmstii.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/ Hosting laboratories/research teams : (LJK/ASAR and GIPSA-lab/SAFE) Two research teams are involved in the environment of this PhD project ; they have complementary skills in reliability theory, maintenance modeling, system monitoring and control, and optimization.


We show that the number of fundamentally different m-colorings of a knot K depends only on the m-nullity of K, and develop a formula for the number of such colorings. We also determine the m-colorability and m-nullity of any (p, q, r) pretzel knot, and therefore determine the number of fundamentally different m-colorings for any (p, q, r)


Protected areas present an opportunity for the development of a particular area, but they can also be a limitation because of their protecting component. The high level of protected areas in Slovenia influences the development of all activities in these areas, especially tourism. This master thesis deals with spatial development of tourism in a protected area on the example of Goricko Landscape Park. Its goal is to present a plan of spatial development of ecotourism in the park. Successful examples from abroad show that the regional level of decision-making and planning is responsible for spatial development of a particular region, because it guides the touristic development. The manager of the protected area and local community and population have an important role in this. Social-economic status of population in Goricko show negative trends in demography and economy. The abandonment of agriculture and overgrowth of landscape influence the social-economic role of farming on the countryside and the appearance of cultural landscape. The plan for spatial development of ecological tourism in Goricko Landscape Park was designed based on sustainable principle, which provides preservation of natural environment, considers the local population and encourages balanced development of the area. We have considered the strategic documents on all levels, legislation, spatial and other analysis of the area. We have defined touristic activities that are compatible with ecological tourism and how to lead and provide a balanced tourism development in Goricko Landscape Park.


Sterne's literary influence in Germany during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries has been well established by H.W. Thayer, P. Michelsen and B. Brandi-Dohrn. But it is only in relation to the sentimental movement that his strong impact on German language and style has been critically studied and evaluated. And here it was A Sentimental Journey (1768) that contributed. The present thesis was planned originally as a study of the linguistic influence of Tristram Shandy (1759-67). It soon became apparent that the medium through which first and pre-eminently that influence had been exerted was the translation by J.J.C. Bode published in 1774 under the title of Tristram Schandis Leben und Meynungen . This study will analyse the innovations in Tristram Schandi and their derivation from the English of Sterne and, indirectly, from Sterne's predecessors in the tradition of humorous writing. The analysis in limited to the vocabulary and a few significant stylistic features. Syntactic innovations are excluded: they well deserve a special study. The impact of Bode's innovations on the German language of the time will be established mainly by citation from dictionaries. The consultation of literary sources lies outside the scope of my research. The originality and competence of Bode's translation, controversial in intention but far-reaching in effect, will also be discussed. It is not known which edition of Tristam Shandy Bode used for his translation. I have quoted throughout from the World's Classics edition, checking it against those of the Shakespeare Head Press and J.A. Work. Both of these are based on the first and some other early editions. Such differences as exist between the three editions are confined to details of orthography or typography, which would not have affected the translation. Quotations from Tristram Shandi follow the first edition of 1774.


In this paper, an experimental study on the convective drying of spunta variety potato is presented. The first objective of this study consists in presenting data on the shrinkage of the product as a 3-D variable, for different values of moisture content and drying temperature. The second objective consists in determining the evolution of the average water content of a thin layer of the product and the temperature profiles inside one sample in function of the constraints of drying.


Managing urban storm water is challenging under the best of situations, and due to projected increases in intensity of rainfall events, is exacerbated by climate change. Institutional and individual aspects of urban storm water management and the implications for low-impact development (LID) are presented. The paper frames storm water as a public good provision issue in order to build on existing knowledge about that kind of social dilemma. This topic is then examined in more detail through stakeholder interviews conducted in Somerville, Massachusetts, United States. Interviews were completed at a variety of management levels, from household to regional planning level, and are related back to the theory of public good provision. Finally, synthesis of theory and practice results in specific recommendations for urban storm water management, based on revising the storm water institutional framework, showcasing redevelopment opportunities, and facilitating education and awareness through local NGOs.


Combined drainage and reinforcement cushion is a patent technology,which can replace sand blanket in embankment construction on soft clay deposit.The material performance index of combined drainage with reinforcement cushion and the drainage design method are presented.The drainage capacity comparison between the sand blanket and the combined drainage and reinforcement cushion indicate that the latter has higher drainage capacity.Combined drainage and reinforcement cushion can meet the drainage request of embankment construction on soft clay deposit.


In the paper ways in which computers are applied in mathematics are considered. An example of mathematical truth which possesses only computer-assisted proof is the four-color theorem. Based on the example of this theorem we discuss some philosophy connected with admitting computer proofs in mathematics, in particular the status of mathematical knowledge as a pattern of science whose truths are known a priori.


A miniature paraffin bath apparatus is provided, which reduces inconvenience of the use to the minimum by melting the hard paraffin within the short time while not enhancing the heating temperature of a heater. A miniature paraffin bath apparatus comprises: a bath tub(100) in which the paraffin(P) can be received; a main heater unit(120) which is placed in the wall and floor side of the bath tub and heats the paraffin which is contained in the bath tub; a cover(210) in which aperture holes for covering the opening of the bath tub are punched; a sub-heater unit(230) in which a hinge binding unit is prepared in the central both sides; and a cover assembly(200).


Based on the analysis of the bore cores of more than 10 projects and the drilling materials of more than 2000 bores, the shallow soil layers within 50 m deep are analyzed, including the origin, time, composition and the physical mechanics properties. The terminology table of the soil layers is made, according to the demand of the foundation engineering. The distribution maps of engineering geologic condition for natural foundation and for pile foundation are compiled in light of spatial distribution and structural characteristics of soil layers. The study is of great signification for engineering construction of Suzhou urban district and the southern part of the Changjiang River delta.


Background: Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) frequently experience non-motor symptoms (NMS) (e.g. sleep, bladder, or bowel problems, sexual dysfunction) which significantly impact upon quality of life. Up to 65% of patients do not report these symptoms to healthcare professionals. Barriers to help-seeking were explored in previous research using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). The present study aims to develop and test the feasibility of an individualised online intervention using Lifeguide to empower patients to report these symptoms to neurologists.
Methods: A pre-post intervention design will be used. 30 PD patients with undisclosed NMS will be recruited. Participants will complete online questionnaires measuring NMS (NMSQuest), help-seeking (GHSQ and AHSQ), PD severity (PADL) and intervention acceptability. Descriptive data will be presented including the proportion of patients self-reporting help-seeking post-intervention.
Expected results: The results will provide an estimate of the proportion of patients help-seeking post-intervention, testing the validity of self-reported help-seeking by comparing patient self-report with clinical notes, ascertaining completion rates of the intervention and online questionnaires, and determining the proportion of patients who fail to attend their neurology clinic appointment.
Current stage of work: Ethical approval has been granted. The intervention is currently under development. Appropriate Behaviour Change Techniques are being selected to target the theoretical domains that act as barriers to help-seeking.
Discussion: This research represents a new application of the TDF in the development of help-seeking interventions. The individualised nature of the intervention targeting barriers specific to each patient may provide new insights into the development of effective help-seeking interventions.


Recent implication of mitochondria in the etiology of inflammatory diseases especially rheumatoid arthritis led to the evaluation of in vitro and in vivo inhibitory effects of an indigenous medicinal plant, Costus afer leaf hexane fraction (CAHFL) on mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), F1F0 ATPase, nitric oxide (NO•) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) using spectrophotometric methods. Results showed that 10, 20, 40 and 60 µg/ml CAHFL significantly (P<0.05) inhibited Ca2+ induced MPT in a concentration dependent manner by 85.66%, 86.93%, 87.47% and 90.47% respectively when compared with untreated mitochondria in vitro. Spermine potentiated CAHFL MPT inhibition by 88.20%, 90.20%, 92.12% and 93.51% respectively. The In vivo study showed that 50, 100 and 250 mg/kg body weight CAHFL significantly (P<0.05) inhibited MPT in arthritic rats by 52.22%, 61.11% and 65.0% respectively in a dose dependent manner compared with control group (untreated) in 7 days. Concentrations of 10, 20, 40, 60 and 80 µg/ml CAHFL significantly (P<0.05) reduced F1F0 ATPase activity in a concentration dependent manner with 3.93 ± 0.01, 3.88 ± 0.04, 3.63 ± 0.07, 3.51 ± 0.05 and 3.49 ± 0.04 mg/ml phosphate (Pi) liberated respectively compared with 10 µg/ml 2,4‐dinitrophenol (6.60 ± 0.03 mg/ml Pi.). CAHFL scavenged NO• and H2O2 in a concentration dependent manner with an IC50¬¬ of 1.77 mg/ml and 0.33 mg/ml respectively. These data indicated that CAHFL possess the ability to protect mitochondria from damage which may account for its anti‐inflammatory action, further strengthening the claim that CAHLF could be a candidate for anti‐inflammatory drug development.


Despite a lack of agreement on its definition and inclusion as a specific diagnosable disturbance, the food addiction construct is supported by several neurobiological and behavioral clinical and preclinical findings. Recognizing food addiction is critical to understanding how and why it manifests. In this overview, we focused on those as follows: 1. the hyperpalatable food effects in food addiction development; 2. specific brain regions involved in both food and drug addiction; and 3. animal models highlighting commonalities between substance use disorders and food addiction. Although results collected through animal studies emerged from protocols differing in several ways, they clearly highlight commonalities in behavioral manifestations and neurobiological alterations between substance use disorders and food addiction characteristics. To develop improved food addiction models, this heterogeneity should be acknowledged and embraced so that research can systematically investigate the role of specific variables in the development of the different behavioral features of addiction-like behavior in preclinical models.


Abstract Results are presented from an analysis of variance as a function of horizontal scale. The normalized difference-field spectra of kinetic energy, temperature, vapor mixing ratio, and cloud-water mixing ratio were computed as a function of wavenumber at several model levels within and just above the planetary boundary layer (PBL). The analysis was performed on simulations from a three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic mesoscale model that contained a soil-vegetation canopy model. The analysis was intended to highlight (in terms of wave spectra) the impact of changes in lower-boundary forcing through horizontal variations in soil and plant type. Experiments showed that the use in the model of 1° resolution databases of soil and vegetation type produced higher amounts of variance in the simulated fields at most wavelengths–often by more than 10%–when compared to a simulation that utilized a uniform distribution. Furthermore, the use of databases generated by random specification of soil and vegetation ty...


In this paper, necessary and sufficient conditions are given for the existence of molecular graph(s) with the prescribed sequence m 1 1 , m 1 2 , m 1 4 , m 2 2 , m 2 4 , m 4 4 , where m i j denotes the number of edges (bonds) connecting vertices (atoms) of degree i with vertices of degree j. The main result expressed as Theorem 1 covers the great variety of molecules with valencies 1, 2 and 4.


The recently erected phyllophorid genus Massinium Samyn & Thandar, 2003 hithertho held three species: the southern African endemics Massinium arthroprocessum (Thandar, 1989) and M. maculosum Samyn & Thandar, 2003 (type species), and the central Indo-Pacific M. magnum (Ludwig, 1882). Careful examination of the incomplete holotype of M. magnum and material assigned to this species from various museums allowed us to completely redescribe the type, supplement the description with information from entire voucher specimens, and recognise two species new to science, previously assigned to M. magnum. In addition, the diagnosis of Massinium is amended to also include Neothyonidium dissimilis Cherbonnier, 1988 from Madagascar. The six currently recognised congenerics are keyed.


The electrochemical polymerization of anthracene gives a polymer film with an electrical conductivity of ca. 10–3S/m; the poly(anthracene) film may be reproducibly doped and undoped by electrochemical and chemical methods.


In this study, an overview of the potential choices that can be implemented in Kuwait regarding hydropower is presented. In addition, the magnetic-induction-based prototype is proposed for the utilization of sea wave energy. In addition, an investigation summary of the salinity, waves, and tides in Kuwait is provided and discussed.


In line with the recent call for technology on Image Based Authentication (IBA) in JPEG committee [1], we present a novel graphical password design in this paper. It rests on the human cognitive ability of association-based memorization to make the authentication more user-friendly, comparing with traditional textual password. Based on the principle of zero-knowledge proof protocol, we further improve our primary design to overcome the shoulder-surfing attack issue without adding any extra complexity into the authentication procedure. System performance analysis and comparisons are presented to support our proposals.


traditional categories of form-criticism following D. Daube – it does not disclose an 'orderly' or straight development – rightly causes Rowe to ask about a more suitable method of analysis for Roman legal texts. D. Rathbone's article (pp. 251–78) presents a classiμcation of the Lex into Nero's reform of the uectigalia1 and an assessment of Nero's μscal policy as a whole. Like the present reviewer, who independently had the opportunity at the Mainz Colloquium on 'Nero's Realities' in December 2007 to subject Nero's μnancial political decisions to an analysis with respect to their purpose and their alleged 'populism'2, Rathbone comes to the conclusion that Nero's μscal and μnancial policy in the μrst phase was by no means to be described as purely populist, but rather showed reasons of state and thus Roman conservatism. O. van Nijf, 'The Social World of Tax Farmers and their Personnel' (pp. 279–311), presents a compilation of the μndings on the customs administrators. However, his terminologically unsatisfactory di¶erentiation between state (supervisory) personnel and private tax farmers makes the analysis just as obscure as does the circumstance that more far-reaching insights into 'careers' in the private and state μscal administration could probably only be achieved by an overall view of all uectigalia and portoria; this is still a desideratum of research. One may possibly criticise the long period of time that elapsed until the presentation of this volume, which the preface describes in detail (pp. v–viii). However, what has appeared is a comprehensive assessment of the Lex portorii Asiae which – also on account of the extensive bibliography and detailed index at the end of the volume – satisμes every wish and, together with the editio princeps, must now be regarded as the standard work for all questions surrounding the inscription.


Abstract:The Ben M'Sik neighborhood surrounding Hassan II University in Casablanca, Morocco, is the largest and poorest of the region's six districts. In 2009, a group of American performance studies faculty and students partnered with faculty and students at Hassan II Ben M'sik University in Casablanca to participate in workshops focused on oral traditions and storytelling, emphasizing active listening, performance, and dialogic encounters. This paper uses excerpts from ethnographic texts generated by our American students to consider their predispositions, attitudes, and discoveries during the trip; the challenges we encountered while fostering dialogic experiences and performances; happy surprises; and generative frictions that transpired.


A electrodeionization(EDI) device packed by strong acidic ion-exchange fiber was used to dispose simulated rocketdrome unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine(UDMH) wastewater in lab.The characteristic curves of voltage vs.current and pH value of out water relation(U-I,U-pH )and the effect of treating simulated water sample were studied.The results show that in comparison with electro-dialysis(ED),the efficiency of water treatment by EDI was higher and the polarization of water in membrance piles mainly occurs on anion exchange membrane surface.The freshwater after several times disposal can reach emission standards,the concentration of UDMH in concentrated water can reach over 3396.7 mg/L.Material balance show that UDMH is easy to be oxided.


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Capillary invasion is a vital regulatory signal during bone morphogenesis that is influenced by angiogenic molecules such as fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and some members of the transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) superfamily, including TGF‐βs themselves. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), which are members of the TGF‐β superfamily, have previously not been shown to possess direct angiogenic properties. Osteogenic protein‐1 (OP‐1; BMP‐7) is a potent regulator of cartilage and bone differentiation in vivo. The osteogenic and angiogenic properties of OP‐1 at both ortho‐ and heterotopic sites in adult chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) are enhanced synergistically by the simultaneous application of relatively low doses of TGF‐β1. The single application of relatively high doses of TGF‐β1 (20 ng), and bFGF (500 ng) or relatively low (100 ng) and high (1,000 ng) doses of OP‐1 in the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay elicited a prominent and (for OP‐1) dose‐dependent angiogenic response. The binary application of a relatively low dose of OP‐1 (100 ng) with a relatively low dose of bFGF (100 ng) or with a relatively low (5 ng) or high (20 ng) dose of TGF‐β1 resulted in a synergistic enhancement of the angiogenic response. The angiogenic effect of the relatively low doses of the combined morphogens was distinctly more pronounced than that of the single application of the relatively high doses of the respective factors. The present findings suggest that these morphogens may be deployed in binary combination in order to accentuate experimental angiogenesis. The cooperative interaction of the different morphogens in the CAM assay may provide important biological clues towards the control of clinical angiogenesis. Anat Rec 259:97‐107, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The paper studies and compares the value method with physical method in inventory period calculation and takes steel rolls of Iron Steel manufacturing enterprises as an example to illustrate the viewpoint.


The article examines some features of legal regulation of examination as the measure of administrative coercion applied by law-enforcement authorities (police).


The New South Wales Fire Brigade currently gives practical flashover and backdraft training to fire fighters using a Compartment Fire Behaviour Training test cell. The test cell is a converted shipping container, where chipboard is set alight and the fire is allowed to develop into flashover. In this paper, computational models are described that are being developed with the New South Wales Fire Brigades to aid in the training procedure. CFD models of the test cell in advancing flashover scenarios, using the code FDS are compared with qualitative experimental data, with good agreement shown for the fire behaviour. Models with different configurations of the test cell are also compared, with particular consideration of the effect on time to flashover and temperature trends. The inclusion of a baffle and vent was found to have a significant effect on maximum temperatures.


Based on the atomic cluster theory and quantum mechanics, the isothermal curves of solid helium and solid hydrogen have been calculated. In the calculation for solid hydrogen, the spherical potential approximation suggested by Cui et al. and the effective helium atomic model of ours were adopted. Comparisons of the theoretical results with the avialable experimental data, which are all below 100GPa, were made and it was found that they are in good agreement with each other.


This paper analyzes the dynamic response to a relative price change in a two sector model when the movement of capital from one sector to another requires the use of economic resources. The adjustment process is analyzed as a problem in investment theory; owners of capital balance the costs of capital movement with the expected future benefits. The expectations of capital owners concerning future rental rates in the two industries are shown to play a critical role in determining the efficiency of the adjustment process. When expectations are "rational," the competitive adjustment path maximizes the present discounted value of the economy's final output. When expectations are not rational, the competitive adjustment past is distorted and diverges from the socially optimal path. The paper also analyzes the implications of different assumptions concerning the technology of the adjustment process, establishing that both the adjustment path of the economy and its ultimate long-run equilibrium depend critically on this element of technology.


The High-Flux Isotope Reactor is an 85 MW, very high flux reactor operated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to support neutron scattering experiments, isotope production, and materials irradiation research. As part of an ongoing engineering design study on the conversion of the reactor from the currently used, highly enriched uranium to a low enriched uranium fuel, work was initiated to develop a new cross section processing methodology. The aim of the study was to ensure an accurate representation of the cross section data for the fuel regions located near the edges of the fuel elements. These regions are characterized by larger in-leakage of thermal neutrons than other parts of the core and neutron flux spectra much different from the average flux in the fuel elements. The new methodology is based on the TRITON/NEWT sequence available in the SCALE code system that allows two-dimensional depletion calculations for arbitrary-mesh geometries. The new cross section processing approach is described and the available results are presented and discussed in this paper. * Corresponding author, email@example.com Tel: +01 (865) 241 4672; Fax: +01 (865) 574 9619.


Increasing attention has been paid to social media influencers and their self-branding strategies; yet, a perspective that specifically focuses on such practices in terms of social status has still to be fully developed. This paper analyses how Instagram micro-influencers use self-branding practices as ways to construct and display social status and, secondly, contributes to shed light on the contemporary changes in status gaining and signalling. Moving from Veblen's theory of conspicuous consumption, I contend that conspicuousness represents the main cultural logic underpinning micro-influencers' practises, and it's characterised by a productive display of consumption. Departing from Veblen's theorisation, the display is not an expression of wastefulness, but a productive element in the construction of social status. Employing a methodological approach comprising digital methods and qualitative interviews, the research shows how the logic of conspicuousness unfolds and becomes productive through consumption practices characterised by accumulation, access, and circularity. Furthermore, the results highlight how micro-influencers follow the logic of conspicuousness to construct social status by seeking exclusivity or negotiating belongingness.


Just as 1960 was characterised by independence and 1966 by military coups, so 1990 marked a cautious move in many states away from excessive centralisation towards a distribution of political power. Multi-party elections were held, or scheduled, in countries as diverse as Benin, Gabon, Somalia, Zaïre, and Zambia. The partial liberalisation these represented did not amount to a full transition to democracy — indeed, they did not amount to anything positive in some cases — but they did suggest that a potential rebalancing of certain aspects of political power was possible, if not probable. Since then, have any significant changes taken place in police systems and behaviour, and/or in the organisation of internal security? This article suggests some of the variables requiring discussion, and indicates areas for future research.


With the concept of infrastructuring as a background for our reflections, this paper focuses on two complementary verbifications have entered the PD vocabulary: institutioning, which describes engagement with institutions, and commoning, which describes engagement with grassroots communities – and by extension alternative economic frameworks that challenge the status quo. We contribute to this discourse to reflect, theoretically, on themes emerging from the triad of relationships between designers, institutions, and grassroots communities. We do so presenting 'tales', excerpts of our own PD work with institutions and grassroots communities. In this way, we present a nascent conceptual framework that offers analytical potential to promote pluralist understandings of PD scholarship and practices.


I remain an agnostic on psychoanalysis, more comfortable with psychology and neuroscience as complements to Ecstatic Naturalism, for example, the work of Wesley Wildman in Religious and Spiritual Experiences (2014) and, coming out of Positive and Quantitative Psychology, the work of Lisa Miller, editor of The Oxford Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality (2013). But in Nature's Sublime, Corrington has crafted ordinal metaphysics, phenomenology, and psychoanalysis with aesthetics into a four-legged stool— remove one leg, and it may wobble but may still support an inquiry into the possibilities of grace in our time. His closing lines evoke that hope:


A mathematical model is constructed for cavitating flow past a wedge with sides of equal length but with its axis of symmetry placed at an angle to the incident stream. The model involves a subsidiary cavity with a re-entrant jet at the vertex. Only the case of zero cavitation number is considered. The flow field is worked out in some detail for small angles of incidence, and the lift, drag and moment coefficients are calculated as far as first-order terms in the angle of incidence. It is shown that the effect of the rate of loss of momentum in the re-entrant jet on these force coefficients is negligible to this order. Experimentally, it is shown that the secondary cavity does exist under suitable conditions, and the force coefficients obtained agree with the theory.


A luminescent properties of a phosphor material, Y2O2S:EuSm, was investigated. A temperature sensitivity of the spectral shape was only 0.008%/°C. That of the luminescent lifetime was 0.78%/°C in a range of 50~210°C. A lifetime based phosphor thermometry was performed using simple experimental setup composed of a non-intensified high speed CMOS camera, a single-pulsed UV laser and a phosphor coated with a thin metal film. The proposed system makes it possible to measure an instantaneous wall temperature even in a combustion chamber. It was demonstrated that the effect of the excitation power on the phosphor lifetime was small and that the coated metal film never affected to the phosphor lifetime. The temperature uncertainty was ±4.4°C which was evaluated from the measurements of temperature uniform fields. Then, the instantaneous wall temperature measurement was demonstrated in a severe condition with a combustion flame in the RCEM. The measured temperatures were qualitatively correct.


Music emotion recognition and recommendations today are changing the way people find and listen to their preferred musical tracks. Emotion recognition of songs is mostly based on feature extraction and learning from available datasets. In this work we take a different approach utilizing content words of lyrics and their valence and arousal norms in affect lexicons only. We use this method to annotate each song with one of the four emotion categories of Russell's model, and also to construct MoodyLyrics, a large dataset of lyrics that will be available for public use. For evaluation we utilized another lyrics dataset as ground truth and achieved an accuracy of 74.25 %. Our results confirm that valence is a better discriminator of mood than arousal. The results also prove that music mood recognition or annotation can be achieved with good accuracy even without subjective human feedback or user tags, when they are not available.


This research was funded by grants from the Ontario Brain Institute, Integrated Discovery program: Canadian Biomarker Integration Network for Depression (CAN-BIND)


Abstract For the one-way layout, Brown and Forsythe (1974) have shown that the Welch and Brown-Forsythe statistics are robust against heterogeneous variances. In this article, these statistics are extended to the case in which order restrictions are imposed on the population means and compared via Monte Carlo simulations of [Ebar] 2, the trend analog of the ANOVA F statistic that assumes homogeneous variances. The conclusions are similar to those of Brown and Forsythe in the unordered case; that is, the robust procedures outperform [Ebar] 2 except when the sample sizes are exceedingly small and the variances are homogeneous.


Objective: We aimed to find the prevalence and the reasons for receiving non-guideline-concordant treatment in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (mv-CAD), at a single centre.
Methods: All consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography, due to stable angina pectoris or non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS), and were diagnosed with mv-CAD at our hospital between August 2017 and February 2018 were included in this study. Stand-alone medical treatment, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), or hybrid revascularization is recommended treatment methods by The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and The European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery Guidelines (EACTS) on Myocardial Revascularisation. Stabilised NSTE-ACS patients were assessed as stable angina pectoris patient
Results: A total of 140 patients (96 male, 68.6% and 111 NSTE-ACS, 79.3%) were included in this study, of which 65 (46.4%) received non-guideline-concordant treatment and 75 patients (53.6%) received guideline-concordant treatment. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics did not differ statistically between patients who received guideline-concordant treatment and non-guideline-concordant treatment. Patients that received non-guideline-concordant treatment did so for the following reasons: patient's preference and/or cardiologist's decision of PCI over CABG (42, 64.6%), patient's refusal of the revascularization method (14, 21.5 %), refusal by the surgery team to perform surgery due to advanced patient age or low left ventricular ejection fraction (5, 7.7%),unavailability of the surgery team (1, 1.5%) and developing ischaemia/myocardial infarction during the waiting period (3, 4.6 %). There was no inappropriate CABG decision.
Conclusions: In our study, the prevalence of non-guideline-concordant treatment was high and associated primarily with the preferences of the interventional cardiologists and patients.


Abstract Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) are highly lethal pediatric brain tumors and a leading cause of cancer-related death in children. There is currently no cure for DIPG, highlighting an urgent need for novel therapeutics. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-engineered T-cell therapy offers great promise for DIPG treatment; however, several limitations need to be addressed. In this study, we targeted a novel tumor associated antigen GRP78 after showing it is reliably expressed on the cell surface of DIPGs. To test the anti-DIPG activity of GRP78-CAR T cells, we evaluated cytotoxicity, persistence, and cytokine secretion in vitro. We found that GRP78-CAR T cells kill DIPGs but fail to proliferate and secrete cytokines compared to positive control, U87. In vivo studies further confirmed that GRP78-CAR T cells eradicated U87 tumors but not DIPGs. Based on these findings, we concluded that DIPGs cannot trigger efficient CAR T cell signaling. Because CAR T cell effector function is influenced by antigen density, we quantified the relative GRP78 expression on DIPGs and other brain tumors, including U87. We found that GRP78 is comparatively lowly expressed on DIPGs. Live-cell imaging of calcium flux in CAR T cells further revealed that T cell activation is lower upon interaction with DIPGs than U87s, suggesting that CAR-T cells form incomplete or dysfunctional immune synapses (IS) against DIPGs. To improve IS function, we knocked-out RASA2, a TCR downstream signaling inhibitor. Our results show that T cells lacking RASA2 have an improved IS reflected by bigger synaptic areas, increased lytic granules, and pZAP70 accumulation at the synapse. RASA2 KO further increased calcium influx and proliferation capacity of GRP78-CAR T cells against DIPGs. Thus, this study confirms that antigen density controls CAR T cell antitumor activity, and improving the IS formation of CAR T cells elicits enhanced antitumor response against low antigen-expressing tumor cells.


problem that dogs Ryan's approach: the disembodied promotion of a construct, in this case the construct of colonial discourse analysis built on generalizations of Western modalities. For even in the most Manichean conceptions of humanity, the self needs some contractual communication with an other in order to appear to consciousness. Likewise before the observer wills authoritative distance from the observed, there needs to be an initial moment of interactive observation, a flash of reciprocal sight. To be fair, the book's final chapter, 'Contesting the gaze of ownership', does suggest that the colonial explorer is never 'comfortably self-contained' but is, rather, undercut by a series of repressions and projections; what Ryan calls 'the ambivalent protocols of fantasy and desire'. Calling up Homi Bhabha's thesis on hybridity, Ryan examines how the explorer's practical reliance on the Aborigine as guide, informant and linguistic intermediary introduces a threatening alterity: countering conventional rules of recognition and opening them up to a tide of resistant meanings. While such insights go some way to nuance Ryan's central claims, they are, however, too readily subsumed within the stereotype of a European solipsism. Temporary 'disruptive dialogues', aside, the Aborigine remains fixed as an 'object of information'. Similarly, the colonial viewer manages to maintain a stance of Cartesian self-sufficiency. In this, paradoxically, Ryan's analysis runs the risk of replaying, rather than disrupting, an imperial rhetoric of visual pre-eminence. Or, rather, in presenting the idea of a neardeliberative colonial view, what is lost is any understanding of the fluidity of vision; of vision as that uncertain, even uncanny, sensory medium through which people attempt to forge an identity. Given current discussions on how we may enrich our ideas of vision in order to explore more fully – what has elsewhere been called 'the optical unconscious' – Ryan's analysis contains, but fails to develop, such a potential. This is a careful, comprehensive and useful study. Perhaps, however, the one-way-street of Ryan's 'colonial gaze' threatens to land up as a postcolonial dead end.


We estimate a latent factor model that decomposes international stock returns into global, country-, and industry-specific shocks and allows for stock-specific exposures to these shocks. We find that across stocks there is substantial dispersion in these exposures, which is partly explained by the extent to which firms operate across countries. We show that portfolios consisting of stocks with low exposures to country shocks achieve substantial variance reduction relative to the global market, both in- and out-of-sample. The shock exposures are thus a stock-selection device for international portfolio diversification.


We consider the generation of the baryon asymmetry in models with right-handed neutrinos produced through gravitational scattering of the inflaton during reheating. The right-handed neutrinos later decay and generate a lepton asymmetry, which is partially converted to a baryon asymmetry by Standard Model sphaleron processes. We find that a sufficient asymmetry can be generated for a wide range of right-handed neutrino masses and reheating temperatures. We also show that the same type of gravitational scattering produces Standard Model Higgs bosons, which can achieve inflationary reheating consistent with the production of a baryon asymmetry.


The manganese dioxide with different crystal types is prepared.The catalytic properties of the samples are investigated in catalytic decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide.The results indicate that β-MnO2(K2CO3) is the best catalyst.


This article researched blending deformation of PE, typed LL0220AA, by means of work procedure listed blending, cutting gains and so on. Preparation tensile strength and impact strength was tested on tensile machine and impact testing machine. Using SEM rupture' s shape can be observed. Analyzed the relation between rupture microstructure and macro mechanic property, and observed rupture' s shape with SEM. By studying their DSC curve, miscibility was analyzed. Hence go into mixture' s microstructure was studied. This experiment carried out a three-factored, four-leveled perpendicularity test,which educed prime proportioning.


Highway-in-the-sky displays and haptic shared control could provide an easy-to-use control interface for non-expert pilots. In this paper, various display and haptic approaches are evaluated in a flight control task with a personal aerial vehicle. It is shown that a tunnel or a wall representation of the flight trajectory lead to best performance and lowest control activity and effort. Similar results are obtained when haptic guidance cues are based on the error of a predicted position of the vehicle with respect to the flight trajectory. Such haptic cues are also subjectively preferred by the pilots. This study indicates that the combination of a haptic shared control framework and highway-in-the-sky display can provide non-expert pilots with an easy-to-use control interface for flying a personal aerial vehicle.


On the hasis of their histochemical findings, MacKee, Sidzhcrger, Herrmann & finer ( 6 ) . as early as 1945, concluded that when some anionactivc surfactants are atlded to at]iieoLis solutions of iron and hismuth salts, sulphonamitles and dyes. the percutaneous penetration of these suhstances is increased. Subsequently, addition of surface active agents into patch test solutions in order to increase penetration has been reconimentletl ( ^ ) . Shelley & Melton ( 1 2 ) , however, were unable to show that anionic and nonionic surfactants hati an enchanciiiLi influence on the penetration of histamine from aqueous solutions. Similarly, acconling to Blank ( i ) , sodium dodccyl sulphate (sodium lauryl sulphate) in o.oi to 0.04 molar concentrations has no effect on the penetration of alcohols of low molecular weight. Nilzen & ITikstrom (8) founti that fj;uiiicapigs could he scnsiti/cd to potassium bichromate iiiitl nickel sulphate, provided that these substances were mixed with sodium dodecyl sulphate. However, while in similar studies some authors have reported positive results with nickel, others have not heen able to sensiti/.e the animals as appears from the re\'iews of Afagnii.s.^on (7) anil Blank f i ) . *I herefore, Magniisson (7) stutlicd the intluence ot different surfactants


Primary sources: new or reprint editions/anthologies Barkley, Henry C. A Ride through Asia Minor and Armenia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. (Note: Cambridge University Press has recently published a number of works relating to exploration in its Travel and Exploration Series.) Cabeza de Vaca, Alvar Nunez. The South American Expeditions, 1540–1545. Trans. Baker H. Morrow. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2011. Ibn FadlĀn. Ibn Fadl×n and the Land of Darkness: Arab Travellers in the Far North. Trans. Paul Lunde and Caroline Stone. New York: Penguin Classics, 2012. Watrous, Stephen D., ed. John Ledyard's Journey through Russia and Siberia, 1787– 1788: The Journal and Selected Letters. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2011.


The difference between wireless hearing aid features and Binaural VoiceStream Technology TM Digital wireless hearing aids have been available for quite some time now. It is a common myth that these devices all share similar goals in terms of user benefits, or, are similar in their functionality. This paper explores some of the differences and user benefits from digital wireless technology that enables hearing aids to connect to each other. aspects such as volume, programs, compression characteristics or certain features such as microphone mode. While there is agreement in the benefit of synchronized volume or program changes for user convenience, hearing performance benefits are scarce, with the literature showing limited improvement. Sockalingam, Holmberg, Eneroth and Shulte (2009) investigated localization and sound quality differences in synchronized and un-synchronized modes and whilst localization was significantly better when the hearing aids were synchronized, the user preference for this mode was unclear and depended on the listening situation. Smith, Davis, Day, Unwin, Day and Chalupper (2008) reported no significant difference in using hearing aids in a synchronized versus an unsynchronized mode, when measured by the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities (SSQ) of Hearing Scale. The final reported preferences for wearing the hearing aids in the synchronized mode may be attributed to a halo effect, as the users were not blinded to the hearing aid mode. Kreisman, Mazevski, Schum and Sockalingam (2010) showed improved speech understanding in noise when using a synchronized pair of devices, but as the comparison was to older technology using unsynchronized devices with a narrow frequency range, it is unclear if the benefit can be ascribed to the synchronization or to the difference in bandwidth between the two pairs of hearing aids. Wireless connectivity is a term embraced and seemingly well-understood by the hearing care industry. The ability to connect hearing aids to other audio devices such as MP3 players, personal computers, television and the like has meant tangible benefits to patients with hearing loss. What appears to be less well understood is how wireless communication allows a pair of hearing aids to connect with each other, and how the wireless frequency inherent in the hearing aid technology enables, or limits, the features which can utilize this capability. In essence, a pair of hearing aids can transmit data codes or synchronize with each other, or can transmit full audio signal, or stream to each other. Moore (2007) distinguished these two capabilities as …


Water equilibrium method principle was used and based on five-year observational data in Guizhou Province,productivity coefficients of irrigation water in rice irrigated areas during "Eleventh Five-Year" period in Guizhou were determined precisely.Based on this,the changing regularity of productivity coefficients of irrigation water with the input of water saving and reforming as well as management standards of irrigated areas were analyzed.The calculated results showed that there were rising trend yearly with the enlarging of water saving and reforming degree,thus,it had remarkable effects for water saving and reforming.


Objective—Changes in metabolic homeostasis in pregnant diabetic women are potential determinants of increased adiposity of the fetus. The aim of this study was to characterize diabetes-induced changes in genes for fetal-placental energy metabolism in relation to fetal adiposity. Research Design and Methods—Placentas of women with type 1 diabetes (T1DM), gestational diabetes (GDM) or no complications were analyzed using microarray profiling. Pattern of gene expression were assessed in primary placental cell cultures. Results—Diabetes was associated with 49 alterations in gene expression at key steps in placental energy metabolism with 67 % related to lipid and 9 % related to glucose pathways. Preferential activation of lipid genes was observed in pregnancy with GDM. T1DM induced fewer lipid modifications but an enhancement of glycosylation and acylation pathways. Oleate enhanced expression of genes for fatty acid esterification and the formation of lipid droplets 3 times as much as glucose in cultured placental cells. Conclusions—These results point to fatty acids as preferential lipogenic substrates for placental cells and, suggest that genes for fetal-placental lipid metabolism are selectively enhanced in GDM. The recruited genes may be instrumental in increasing transplacental lipid fluxes hence delivery of lipid substrates for fetal use.


In 1889, in the 44th volume of the Pfluger Archive (Archiv fr die gesammte Physiol.), An article by K. Grtle appeared: Research on the innervation of cerebral vessels, in this article, in addition to the factual material regarding the state of cerebral vessels under various extreme conditions, the author presents and substantiates a new method of studying the cerebral circulation. This method consists of measuring blood pressure in the central and peripheral ends of the carotid artery and is named after the author, the Grtle method.


The major concern of this research is the reduction of blast vibrations at certain points of foremost importance. A procedure for optimum delay interval design, considering detonation time errors of the electric detonators, was proposed. Using the relationship between the peak particle velocity (PPV) and the delay at certain points of interest which was calculated by means of a computer program by simulating the superposition of the vibration waves emitted from each borehole, one can usually select the optimal delay interval in order to minimize the PPV. But due to the variations in the actual delay caused by the detonation time errors, the expected PPV usually not only depends on the nominal delay but also on the sensitivity of the PPV. Therefore, the selection of the optimum time interval for a delay blast should be based on both the optimum as well as several sub-optimal time intervals as candidates. In addition, the detonation time errors should be taken into consideration. Also, a new design concept,...


Forests, whether public or private, provide the general public with countless goods and services. As it is the owners who ultimately decide the fate of these forests, it is important to understand forest ownership trends and patterns. As the results of political, economic, social, historic, and biophysical factors, forest ownership patterns vary considerably across the nation and across the urban–rural spectrum. For example, the eastern United States is dominated by private ownership,while the western United States is dominated by public ownerships. Across the urban–rural spectrum, federal and state lands tend to be in more rural areas, while private forest ownerships tend to be in closer proximity to urban areas. The urban–rural spectrum is also correlated with other ownership patterns such as size of family forest holdings, timber harvesting, and some reasons for owning land. The population pressures exerted across the urban–rural spectrum will influence the future of these lands through land use conversions and different values, desires, and expectations for lands depending upon where they are located.


As a novel ultraviolet (UV) absorbent with excellent performance in UVA section (320 ~ 400 nm), 2-{2-hydroxy-4-[(octyloxycarbonyl)ethylideneoxy]phenyl}-4,6-Bis(4-biphenylyl)-1,3,5-triazine (CGL-479) was synthesized in a simple method with a total yield of 45.3% in four steps. Its outstanding UV absorption capability (λmax = 326 nm, emax = 4.15 × 104 L•mol−1•cm−1), high thermostability [T5 (the temperature of losing 5% in weight) = 385 °C], and compatibility with polymer materials make it a potential substitute of the traditional UV absorbents.


A fast, accurate and unconditionally stable 3-D traveltime algorithm is an important tool in seismic imaging. Applications of a robust traveltime computation module are not limited to 3-D Kirchhoff prestack and poststack migration, but also can be used for 3-D velocity analysis, 3-D Kirchoff modeling, 3-D Kirchhoff datuming, and 3-D variable velocity migration to zero-offset.


The need for Long Range Oblique Photography (LOROP) sensors similar to CA1's KS-146A has resulted in the new KS-147A LOROP camera system. This paper describes the KS-147A camera, the result of repackaging the successful KS-146A to permit installation into the nose of the Northrop RF-5E aircraft. Key features of the camera include a seven-element, 1676-mm (66-inch) focal length, f/5.6 lens; a two-axis, gyro-stabilized scan head; a passive isolation mount; closed-loop, autocollimation autofocus; and self-contained thermal system. As with the KS-146A, the KS-147A microprocessor controlled subsystems combined with high-definitionIEK 3412 and 3414 films provide the guaranteed airborne resolution (70 Ip/mm for KS-147A, 60 Ipirnm for KS-146A) required at high altitudes and long standoff distances which characterize the LOROP mission. To meet space and weight constraints, the system is divided into two major components: the camera assembly and the electronics unit. The camera assembly contains the scan head, lens, fold mirrors, autofocus drive, thermal system, roll drive, shutter, optical filter and film magazine. The electronics unit contains power supplies, microprocessor-based control electronics and servo controls for operation of the camera including its built-in test (BIT), cycle rate, exposure, focus, stabilization, roll drive and thermal control systems. External cabling interfaces the electronics unit to the aircraft, camera and remote test set. The camera assembly has mounting provisions that are compatible with theIRF-5E pallet design. The camera and pallet are installed through the bottom door of the RF-5E nose and bolted to the aircraft structure. The camera/pallet assembly is located in the main bay area of the nose structure, occupying Stations 2 through 4. The electronics unit installs in the forward nose section, occupying Station 1. The camera system's optical axis is folded 1800 through two fold mirrors placing the magazine directly over the scan head. This was required to fit within the confines of Stations 2 through 4. Details of the camera development, installation within the aircraft and performance guarantee are presented.


The protein synthesis machinery largely evolved prior to the last common ancestor and hence its study can provide insight to early events in the origin of life, including the transition from the hypothetical RNA world to living systems as we know them. By utilizing information from primary sequences, atomic resolution structures, and functional properties of the various components, it is possible to identify timing relationships (Hsiao et al., 2009; Fox, 2010). Taken together, these timing events are used to develop a preliminary time line for major evolutionary events leading to the modern protein synthesis machinery. It has been argued that a key initial event was the hybridization of two or more RNAs that created the peptidyl transferase center, (PTC), of the ribosome (Agmon et al. 2005). The PTC, left side of figure, contains a characteristic cavity/pore that serves as the entrance to the exit tunnel and is thought to be essential to the catalysis (Fox et al., 2012). This cavity is distinct from typical RNA pores (right side of figure) in that the nitrogenous bases face towards the lumen of the pore and thus are available for hydrogen bonding interactions. In typical RNA pores, the bases carefully avoid the lumen region. In support of Agmon et al. 2005), it is argued that this key difference reflects the fact the pore was created by an early hybridization event rather than normal RNA folding.


As part of the Mercury Experiment to Assess Atmospheric Loading in Canada and the U.S. (METAALICUS), different stable Hg(II) isotope spikes were applied to the upland and wetland areas of a boreal catchment between 2001 and 2006 to examine retention of newly deposited Hg(II). In the present study, a Geographical Information Systems (GIS)‐based approach was used to quantify canopy and ground vegetation pools of experimentally applied upland and wetland spike Hg within the METAALICUS watershed over the terrestrial loading phase of the experiment. A chemical kinetic model was also used to describe the changes in spike Hg concentrations of canopy and ground vegetation over time. An examination of the fate of spike Hg initially present on canopy vegetation using a mass balance approach indicated that the largest percentage flux from the canopy over one year post‐spray was emission to the atmosphere (upland: 45%; wetland: 71%), followed by litterfall (upland: 14%; wetland: 10%) and throughfall fluxes (upland: 12%; wetland: 9%) and longer term retention of spike in the forest canopy (11% for both upland and wetland). Average half‐lives (t1/2) of spike on deciduous (110 ± 30 days) and coniferous (180 ± 40 days) canopy and ground vegetation (890 ± 620 days) indicated that retention of new atmospheric Hg(II) on terrestrial (especially ground) vegetation delays downward transport of new atmospheric Hg(II) into the soil profile and runoff into lakes.


Generalized regression analysis and spatial prediction (GRASP) was applied to size data for sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) to better describe its preferential habitats in relation to juveniles and adults, based on environmental and spatial factors in the equatorial and southwestern Atlantic. We analyzed a total of 9954 lower jaw fork length size data (7541 fish caught by longline and 2413 by gillnet) from the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas database for 1998 to 2007. Four main environmental variables were considered: sea surface temperature (SST), mixed layer depth, chlorophyll concentration, and bathymetry. Results indicated that adults were more frequent to the east of 25oW in areas with a shallow mixed layer ( 50 m) on the western side, particularly between 10-20oS and 25-35oW.


A previous study on laboratory-model ground rods showed that the impulse impedance of these ground electrodes is a function of the injected impulse current and fits the relationship: Z=kIpα, where k and α are two parameters which depend upon the electrode configuration, soil properties and the impulse waveshape. The power-frequency and impulse impedances of two vertical rods embedded in the soil of a field near the university campus are measured. It is found that the ground electrodes in the field also have the similar relationship with the injected current. In complementary experiments, the same soil is tested in the laboratory with a laboratory model electrode system, consisting of a vertical rod embedded in the axis of a cylindrical soil holder with controlled moisture content in the soil sample. The objective is to correlate the laboratory data on the impulse impedance to estimate the impulse impedance of the ground electrodes tested in the field and compare the results with that of the actual field tests. It is possible to estimate the impulse impedance of the ground electrodes in the field from tests performed on laboratory-model electrodes. In correlating the laboratory data to the field data, the critical electric field of soil ionisation plays a critical role, which depends upon the soil properties, e.g. soil resistivity. Future research should be directed to find a more precise relationship between the critical electric field and the soil properties.


Accurate prediction of user mobility allows the efficient use of resources in our ubiquitously connected environment. In this work we study the predictability of the users' next location, considering a campus scenario with highly mobile users. We utilize Markov predictors, and estimate the theoretical predictability limits. Based on the mobility traces of nearly 7400 wireless network users, we estimate that the maximum predictability of the users is on average 82%, and we find that the best Markov predictor is accurate 67% of the time. In addition, we show that moderate performance gains can be achieved by leveraging multi-location prediction.


In a housing (10) is at least a first high pressure passage (20) and a second high pressure passage (14) exists. The longitudinal axis of the first channel (20) is at an angle> 0 ° to the longitudinal axis of the second channel (14). The second channel (14) opens into the first channel (20) so that an intersection is formed. In order to reduce the stresses in the region of the intersection during operation of the high pressure fuel pump, it is proposed that the outer surface of the first channel (16, 18, 20) in the area of intersection of the first channel (16, 18, 20) with the second channel (12, 14) has a Durchstosungsflache (26, 28, 36, 38), whose plane is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis (30a, 30b, 40) of the second channel (12, 14) and in which the second channel (12, 14).