This study was to investigate ornamental trees injuries at the Tobong ornamental tree farm, which is located in Uichongpu City, Kyonggido. The injury was caused by gas from the smoke of the vicinal factories. The results obtained are as follows: 1 The total concentration of sulfur in leaves was increased with incerased degree of injury The most severe injuries were found at the distance between 70-120m from the western boundary of the Tobong ornamental 4ree farm with a highest concentration of total sulfur at . This means the injuries caused by the acute injury and the temperature changes. 2. Significant differences were found between normal and injured portion of the same trees in Juniperus chinensis. 3. Anatomical study of the leaf tissues, showed the plasmolysis occured both in spongy and epidermal cells, leading to shrinkage and destruction. An intercellular space and stomatal periphery became wider.


Abstract The present study provides a preliminary evaluation of mesoscale circulations forced by surface gradients of heating arising from irrigated areas adjacent to dry land, utilizing a combination of satellite, observational, and modeling approaches. The irrigated crop areas of northeast Colorado were chosen for the study. For the cases studied satellite surface infrared temperature data indicated a typical temperature contrast of approximately 10 K at noon, between the irrigated area and the adjacent dry land. Surface observations and aircraft measurements within the lower region of the atmospheric boundary layer indicated, in general, a significant temperature contrast and moisture difference, thereby implying a potential thermally driven circulation. The anticipated thermally induced flows, however, were reflected in the measurements only by modest changes in the wind speed and wind direction across the contrast location. It is suggested that the daytime, elevated, terrain-forced flow in the area, ...


Electron field emission from an array of patterned pyramids of polycrystalline diamond for vacuum diode applications has been investigated. High current emission from the patterned diamond microtip arrays was obtained at low electric fields. An emission current from the diamond microtips of 0.1 mA was observed for a field of <10 V//spl mu/m. Field emission for these diamond microtips exhibits significant enhancement both in total emission current and stability compared to pure silicon emitters. Moreover, field emission from patterned polycrystalline diamond pyramidal tip arrays is unique in that the applied field is found to be lower compared to that required for emission from Si, Ge, GaAs, and metal surfaces. The fabrication process utilizing silicon shaping and micromachining techniques for the fabrication of diamond diaphragms with diamond microtip arrays for vacuum microelectronic applications has been developed. The processing techniques are compatible with IC fabrication technology. The effect of temperature annealing on the current emission characteristics was also investigated.


This research deals with the determination of the floral origin of honeys produced by Apis mellifera L., in the region of the Chapada do Araripe, municipality of Santana do Cariri, State of Ceara, Brazil. The pollen analysis of 21 samples of honeys collected from November to December, 2001, were carried out in the Laboratorio de Apicultura, Departmento de Entomologia, Fitopatologia e Zoologia Agricola, of the Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Universidade de Sao Paulo, in Piracicaba, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The identification of the pollen types was made by comparison with the reference slides and the pollen grain descriptions were obtained in the literature. The results indicated 41 pollen types, seven of them considered dominant or accessory as Borreria verticillata, Mimosa verrucosa, Cordia sp., Serjania sp., and the pollen types of Coccoloba, Myrcia and Solanaceae sp1. The analysis of these honeys showed the presence of pollen grains of Serjania sp. ("cipo-uva") in all the samples studied.


A challenge for second language learners, educators, and test creators is the identification of authentic materials at the right level of difficulty. In this work, we present an approach to automatically measure text difficulty, integrated into Auto-ILR, a web-based system that helps find text material at the right level for learners in 18 languages. The Auto-ILR subscription service scans web feeds, extracts article content, evaluates the difficulty, and notifies users of documents that match their skill level. Difficulty is measured on the standard ILR scale with languagespecific support vector machine regression (SVR) models built from vectors incorporating length features, term frequencies, relative entropy, and K-means clustering. 1


It is argued here that the construction of time and eternity are among ritual's entailments. In dividing continuous duration into distinct periods ritual distinguishes two temporal conditions: (1) that prevailing in mundane periods and (2) that prevailing during the intervals between them. Differences in the frequency, length, and relationship among the rituals constituting different liturgical orders are considered, as are differences between mundane periods and ritual's intervals with respect to social rela- tions, cognitive modes, meaningfulness, and typical interactive frequencies. Periods, it is observed, relate to intervals as ever- changing to never-changing, and close relationships of never- changing to eternity, eternity to sanctity, and sanctity to truth are proposed. In the argument that ritual's "times out of time" really are outside mundane time, similarities to the operations of digital computers and Herbert Simon's discussion of interaction frequen- cies in the organization of matter are noted.


Acute appendicitis during pregnancy is still accompanied by high fetal morbidity and mortality. It is therefore vital that gynecologists and surgeons recognize the signs and symptoms when confronted with this complication. Whereas maternal mortality has been reduced to zero over the last 20 years, fetal mortality in different reports varies between 2% and 43% (1, 2). Fetal mortality is especially high in cases of perforated appendicitis, ranging between 33% and 43% (2, 3). The perforation frequency is closely linked with delay in instituting surgery. With a delay of more than 24 h after admitting the patient, the appendix is found at operation to be perforated in 50-100% of cilses ( 1 , 4). The studies reporting the highest fetal mortality rates are those in which there was a substantial delay and a high perforation frequency. Intraperitoneal inflammation can provoke uterine contractions which, if uncontrolled. can lead to abortion or preterm delivery. Contractions have been treated successfully with tocolytic agents (1,s). In studies lacking a reference population, prophylactic tocolytics have been used with good effect (4,s) . This has not led to the introduction of prophylactic tocolytics in the routine treatment of pregnant women with appendicitis, despite the fact that several authors describe preterm delivery in more than 33% of the patients in the third trimester (2, 4-8). We consider this to be an omission and advocate their use prophylactically whenever appendicitis is suspected. In all recent studies, antibiotics were not given when the appendix was merely inflamed (9). However, because postoperative complications imply such grave consequences for the pregnancy and ultimately the fetus, the liberal use of antibiotics cannot be criticized. I t bas been claimed by several authors that the enlargement of the uterus changes the location of the appendix. The same authors describe the classical signs and symptoms of appendicitis irrespective of the duration of the patient's pregnancy (1-6, 812). The only additional symptom, often the first, is uterine contractions (1, 7). I t is imperative that the physician bears this in mind so that, a concurrent pregnancy does not cause him to hesitate in performing prompt appendectomy. The aggressive surgial approach is justified, since no adverse effects on the pregnancy have been reported in cases of negative operative findings (13). The diagnostic accuracy of appendicitis in pregnancy is comparable to that in non-pregnant patients (13). A review of the literature shows that the incidence of appendicitis in pregnancy varies between 0.15 and 2.10 per thousand. The overall average incidence in 11 studies from U. S. A., Great Britain, Finland and East Germany is 0.49 per thousand. All the studies were consecutive and performed in the period 1970-84. The patients' ages were comparable. with a mean of 24 years. There were no obvious differences in incidence in studies from gynecological vis-a-vis surgical departments (1-6, 8-1 1, 14). The variability in incidence of appendicitis in pregnancy is similar to the annual variability found in the overall population of the Western hemisphere (15).


PurposeThe two main contributing factors that control the overall buildings' energy performance are the heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system and the envelope design. Environmental design guidelines that consider these two factors aim to lower energy consumption. However, they are regional and climate-sensitive. This study aims to investigate how three main buildings' envelope design variables (orientation, compactness and window to wall ratio) impact the overall building's energy consumption within Kuwait's regional and climate conditions.Design/methodology/approachThis study simulate the energy consumption of typically shaped buildings by varying their geometry between a square to a rectangular floor plan. This study analyse the associated energy usage and provide early-stage envelope design guidance specific to the country's conditions, to make informed decisions towards environmentally conscious buildings.FindingsThe analysed envelope variables have the potential to reduce energy consumption by 40%, and the possibility to reduce HVAC system capacity by 30%. In contrast to the general guidance in literature and standards, the simulation results demonstrate that less compact building forms perform on occasions better than the most compact ones.Originality/valueThe objective of this paper is to quantify the energy consumption rates for buildings located within the Arabian Peninsula, an under-studied region with potentially high interest considering three main envelope design variables. The buildings' yearly energy consumption patterns are unique and suggest different envelope design considerations, compared to other regions with different climate conditions. This emphasises the importance of regional guidelines for the different factors associated with energy and buildings' environmental performance.


This article presents some guidelines for reading Pope Francis' encyclical letter, who is regarded here as a moral as well as intellectual leader, one that possesses the courage of a prophet. Furthermore, it offers both a map to orientate the reader and an overview of its central concerns and arguments to those who may not be able to read it. The paper follows the steps of the text itself and highlights what appears to be most important in each chapter. At the end, the author attempts a personal interpretation of the document.


A method for the purification of rhapidosomes from flexibacteria is described. The substructure of the purified rhapidosomes (as seen by electron microscopy) is shown and their resemblance to simil...


Document image processing has become a growingly important technology in the field of image processing; it is generally used in historical studies and digital libraries. Document image analysis mainly used for improving the human readability and the OCR quality of the document. When a paper documents are captured using cameras or scanned using scanners for digitizing, it often suffers from some level of skew or gradient.After the skew correction is done successfully then the character segmentation of the word will be more perfect and as a consequence the percentage of the correct word recognition will be higher.This paper compared four existing skew correction techniques, they are Hough Transformation, Cross Correlation, KNearest Neighbour and Fast Fourier transformation. It has been observed that the Fast Fourier transformtechnique correct the skew in the document image and it have produced higher accuracy and less execution time compared with other techniques.


In this paper, we analyse a database of around 41,000 operational losses from the European bank UniCredit. We investigate three kinds of covariates: firm-specific, fi- nancial and macroeconomic covariates and we study their relationship with the shape parameter of the severity distribution. To do so, we introduce a semiparametric approach to estimate the shape parameter of the severity distribution, conditionally to large sets of covariates. Relying on a single index assumption to perform a dimension reduction, this approach avoids the curse of dimensionality of pure multivariate nonparametric techniques as well as too restrictive parametric assumptions. We show that taking into account variables measuring the economic well being of the bank could cause the required Operational Value-at-Risk to vary drastically. Especially, high pre-tax ROE, efficiency ratio and stock price are associated with a low shape parameter of the severity distribution, whereas a high market volatility, leverage ratio and unemployment rate are associated with higher tail risks. Finally, we discuss the fact that the considered approach could be an interesting tool to improve the estimation of the parameters in a Loss Distribution Approach and to offer an interesting methodology to study capital requirements variations throughout scenario analyses.


We report an x-ray absorption spectroscopic (XAS) study on thin films of ${\mathrm{La}}_{0.7}{\mathrm{Ce}}_{0.3}{\mathrm{MnO}}_{3}.$ The measurements clearly show that the cerium is in the Ce(IV) valence state, and that the manganese is present in a mixture of ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{2+}$ and ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{3+}$ valence states. These data demonstrate that ${\mathrm{La}}_{0.7}{\mathrm{Ce}}_{0.3}{\mathrm{MnO}}_{3}$ is an electron-doped colossal magnetoresistive manganite, a finding that may open up opportunities for device applications as well as for further research on the colossal magnetoresistance phenomenon in these materials.


EDITOR,--I fail to see how Anne Rodway can assert that voluntary euthanasia in Britain enjoys only minority support among the general public1 when results of scientifically conducted polls emphatically tell …


Tensile fracture behavior of directional PMMA at different temperature is investigated.And the relationship between tensile behavior and temperature is discussed.The result shows with the temperature increasing,tensile strength and modulus decreases but elongation increase and material properties change from rigidity to flexibility.Fracture characteristics of directional PMMA are obviously different at different temperature.Fracture faces exhibit delamination features at 23℃,fireworks features at -55℃ and flexibility features at 80℃.


Mechanism problem exploring is made every effort to the private enterprise excitation peace treaty of manager person to bind in this text , and promotes to a higher office by way of advanced engineer's money and wage normality and the twist hempen thread imitates the non-economic means such as economic means and objective , trust and close feeling etc such as money award etc encouraging manager person , and restricts by way of contract term and system etc to manager person.


With the continued rapid growth of Internet, new network service emerges in endless stream, especially the increase of network game, meeting TV, video on demand, etc. The bandwidth requirement increase continuously. Network technique, optical device technical development is swift and violent. FTTH supports all present and future service with enormous bandwidth, including traditional telecommunication service, traditional data service and traditional TV service, and the future digital TV and VOD. With huge bandwidth of FTTH, it wins the final solution of broadband network, becomes the final goal of development of optical access network. Firstly, it introduces the main service which FTTH supports, main analysis key technology such as FTTH system composition way, topological structure, multiplexing, optical cable and device. It focus two kinds of realization methods - PON, P2P technology. Then it proposed that the solution of FTTH can support comprehensive access (service such as broadband data, voice, video and narrowband private line). Finally, it shows the engineering application for FTTH in the district and building. It brings enormous economic benefits and social benefit.


Myxoid change in adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare phenomenon,and no case has been reported in Chinese population to date.We report here a case of myxoid adrenocortical carcinoma presenting as Cushing syndrome with an immunohistochemical study of the tumor and discuss the diagnosis with reference to the current literature.


In recent years, two dominant models for understanding the source of common political identities have emerged in the European context: the universalist paradigm of constitutional patriotism and the communitarian paradigm of 'civic nationalism'. In view of this dichotomy, one could be tempted to think that only a combination of these two positions could deal with the mixed nature of European architecture. The European Union would thus give birth to the appealing synthesis of a 'cosmopolitan communitarianism'. This choice of a middle way is challenged in this paper. Instead, I argue that the national or communitarian challenge would be better met by the development of constitutional patriotism rather than by a loose compromise. Contrary to what most commentators seem to believe, constitutional patriotism has practical significance, is historically embedded and seeks to promote a shared political culture.


The two chemical species SiCl4 and GeCl4 are used, to a large extent, as starting materials in the optical fiber and semiconductor industry. The knowledge of selected physical properties of these materials (e.g. vapor pressure, viscosity, thermal conductivity, heat of vaporization, and heat capacity among others) is required for the prediction of their evaporation and deposition processes. While some of the aforementioned properties are well documented in the literature, others are seldom found or incomplete and only available for fixed temperatures. The aim of this paper is to gather the most common physical and mechanical properties for both SiCl4 and GeCl4 in their liquid and vapor phases.


In order to improve the driving ability of the digital integrated circuit chip,by optimizing the scale factor ratio buffer chain method,the design of output buffer circuit based on CSMC 2P2M 0.6 μm CMOS process is designed in this paper by simulation of Hspice Software and layout design testing,The paper complete system of electrical schematic design and layout design.The circuit is simulated using Hspice and the process of the CSMC 2P2M 0.6 μm CMOS(06 mixddct02v24),the layout is based on CSMC 2P2M 0.6 μm CMOS and is used in a Multi-functional Digital Chip,The chip area is 1 mm×1 mm.The design has been successfully implemented by participating in the plan of the Multi Project Wafer.Measurements indicate that t the design can provide sufficient drive current,and short delay time,and small layout when the output load is very large.


Under competitive market conditions, one of the key objectives of an industrial enterprise is to form and implement an innovation strategy. The purpose of this research study is to form, justify and evaluate the financial and investment development strategy of the enterprise in a short-term and middle-term period. The mission of the enterprise is to develop and introduce software products for industrial engineering automation at domestic industrial enterprises.


11 Reactive mercury (RM) is an important component of the global atmospheric mercury cycle, but 12 measurement currently depends on un-calibrated, operationally defined methods with large 13 uncertainty and demonstrated interferences and artifacts. Cation exchange membranes (CEM) 14 provide a promising alternative methodology for quantification of RM, but method validation 15 and improvement are ongoing. For the CEM material to be reliable, uptake of gaseous elemental 16 mercury (GEM) must be negligible for all conditions, and RM compounds must be captured and 17 retained with high efficiency. In this study the performance of CEM material under exposure to 18 high concentrations of GEM (1.43 ́106 – 1.85 ́106 pg m-3) and reactive gaseous mercury 19 bromide (HgBr2 ~ 5000 pg m-3) was explored, using a custom-built mercury vapor permeation 20 system, with quantification of total permeated Hg accomplished via pyrolysis at 600 °C and 21 detection using a Tekran® 2537A. Permeation tests were conducted for 24 to 72 hours in clean 22 laboratory air, with absolute humidity levels ranging from 0.1 – 10 g m-3 water vapor. Gaseous 23 elemental mercury uptake by the CEM material averaged no more than 0.004% of total exposure 24 for all test conditions, which equates to a non-detectable GEM artifact for typical ambient air 25 sample concentrations. Recovery of HgBr2 on CEM filters was >100 % compared to calculated 26 total permeated HgBr2, suggesting incomplete thermal decomposition at the pyrolyzer, as the 27 Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2018-127 Manuscript under review for journal Atmos. Meas. Tech. Discussion started: 27 June 2018 c © Author(s) 2018. CC BY 4.0 License.


As a first application of a very old theorem, known as Herschel's theorem, we provide direct elementary proofs of several explicit expressions for some numbers and polynomials that are known in combinatorics. The second application deals with the analytical continuation of the polylogarithmic function of complex argument beyond the circle of convergence.


Microsurgery has gone through three stages in china.At the initial stage from 1960s to 70s,impr ovement of microsurgical apparatuses and vascular anastomosis technique,an d replantation of cut-off limbs and f ingers were the main achievements.At the development stage from 1970s to 80s,efforts were made to increase the rate of successful vascular anastomosis,popularize digital replantation an d expand the application scope of mic ro-surgery.The maturity stage since 1980s has witnessed wider application of microsurgical techniques in more an d more surgical fields and establish ment of systematic theories so that microsu rgery has developed into an independent clinical specialty of orthopedics.All these achievements have resulte d from great efforts of Chinese orthopedic scholars. [


OVERVIEW Afghanistan is one of four countries still suffering from active transmission of the polio virus. Although polio cases decreased after 2001, with only four cases reported in 2004, the deteriorating security situation has been accompanied by a rise in infection. As of October 2009, there have been 23 new reported polio cases in Afghanistan, most occurring in the southern region. Major challenges in the south, such as safety concerns for vaccinators and monitors, a climate of fear, and frequent population movement between polio-endemic areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan, make accessing and vaccinating at-risk children difficult.


2 Abstract: The present study investigated the psychometric properties of Malaysian and Iranian trait sports confidence inventory scale. The questionnaire was administered to 267 Malaysian participants with the mean age = 13.33 and 261 Taekwondo athletes participants with the mean age = 12.47 from different level of experience. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Cronbach's alpha were used to determine the factorial validity and internal consistency of the questionnaire respectively. Factor analysis of results on the 13 items suggested that 13 items in one factor were most interpretable in Malay and Persian versions. Alpha coefficient was 0.91 for Malay and 0.94 for Persian. In conclusion, the results of the current study indicated that the one-factor with 13 items model each and are scored on a 9-point scale ranging from low confidence (score of 1) to hig h confidence (score of 9) of the TSCI possessed a more satisfactory factorial validity in Malaysian and Iranian Taekwondo players and can be used as a scale instrument of trait sport confidence.


Owners of high-growth technology businesses should decide at an early stage whether they are developing their company for continuation as an independent or-ganization (build-to-grow) or for an exit (build-to-sell). The choice of one pathway over the other has a huge impact on the strategic decisions made when building a successful business. The three key intellectual assets—technology, brand, and operational excellence—are dominant value drivers for an exit deal in a build-to-sell process. Developing a sound portfolio of intellectual assets over many years before the exit will not only provide the business owners with an increased exit valuation, it will also give the company a sustainable competitive advantage in the event a planned exit does not take place or is delayed. When a build-to-sell choice is made, a dedicated board function should have the prime responsibility for the salability of the business, allowing the CEO to remain focused on the growth of the business. Contin-uous management of the exit process years in advance and for some time after the exit transaction is crucial for ultimate exit success.


In this study it was developed an Instrument for Measuring the Attitudes of Nursing Professionals toward Patients with Burns. 194 items, divided into subscales, expressing favorable and unfavorable attitudes toward patients with burns, were analyzed, concerning their apparent and context validity. Following this psychometric analysis 170 items were selected to compose the definitive scale. The confiability coefficient estimated by the split-half method for the different subscales ranged from 0.61 to 0.82. The confiability coefficient of the total scale was equal to 0.92.


In the accident reconstruction, the measurement is often performed according to the accidents information left in the scene of the accident, such as collision point, braking traces, scattered, fallout, the throw distance of the body, the throw distance of the two-wheeler, etc. With the aid of these effective information to reconstruct the accident process, the theoretical basis for the decision on the responsibility for accident can be provided. However, whether measured parameters of the scene of the accident or experience parameters (such as the adhesion coefficient) contain uncertainty factors, whose result is a range. Therefore, in order to ensure the objectivity of the accident appraisal results, the uncertainty analysis theory is introduced to make the results more credibility.


The involute profile internal cylindrical teeth worm hob rolling generation materializes, in the generation plane, the rolling between the externally toothed cylindrical generating gear profile and the internally toothed cylindrical generating gear profile


Aim To study the protective effects of chrysophanol loaded polybutylcyanoacrylate nanocapsules,chrysophanol-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin Inclusion Complex,Chrysophanol liposomes on learing and memory impairment in mice with cerebral ischemia reperfusion,and to select the best efficacy of chrysophanol preparation.Methods Cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury was produced on conscious mice by temporarily obstructing bilateral common carotid arteries.The protective effects of three chrysophanol formulations on learing and memory impairment in mice were observed using passive avoidance test,exploratory movement test,platform test and shuttle test,and the glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)activities in blood,the superoxide dismutase(SOD)activities in plasma,survival time in beheaded hypoxia mice and brain index were measured.Results Three chrysophanol formulations could improve the impairments of memory with cerebral ischemia reperfusion,and increase the glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)activities in blood and the superoxide dismutase(SOD)activities in plasma,and prolong the survival time in beheaded hypoxia mice,and increase the brain index.The most significant role of it was chrysophanol liposomes.Conclusion Three chrysophanol formulations show protective effects on learning and memory of mice with cerebral ischemia reperfusion,and chrysophanol liposomes is the most significant.


The performance of a television camera using the one inch pyroelectric vidicon has been measured, and compared with an analysis which attempts to identify the factors limiting the performance of the system.


To improve the processing precision of phase unwrapping in interferometric synthetic aperture radar(InSAR),the phase difference was replaced by local frequency estimation.The local frequency estimation could reflect topographic change more accurately than phase difference.And to prevent the residues error spread all over the image,the mesh-less method was introduced to avoid error propagation effectively by dividing local support domain in interferogram.Both simulation and experimental results showed that the proposed method can reduce the influence of the error,and improves the precision of the phase unwrapping.


Automated Optical Inspection is a real time inspection equipment in SMT and has been developed quickly and got wide application,but it cost an arm and a leg,aim at this question,we have created Pre-reflow inspection and post-reflow inspection used one AOI inline that meets the demanding requirements of research institute.


A comparison of the performance of No. 20 turnouts in a 40 mph heavy- axle-load experiment shows an improvement in turnout design and performance. Studies conducted by the Transportation Technology Center, Inc., a subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads, show a 50 percent reduction in required maintenance hours at the Federal Railroad Administration's Facility for Accelerated Service Testing (FAST). Improvements can be attributed to technological innovations in the late 1980s and 1990s that have allowed for the reduction in required maintenance for No. 20 turnouts under HAL traffic. The article looks at the performance of FAST turnout, frogs, and switches. It also presents a brief economic analysis of FAST, and looks at the effect of diverging traffic.


Living in an automobile is an increasingly common but underexamined experience in the United States. The car provides shelter against the elements of outdoors, but living in the automobile requires a complex set of practices over dispersed space in order to meet basic bodily and social needs. Using accounts of car dwelling found in survival guides, news reports, blogs, and day-in-the-life videos, this article analyzes some of the fundamental tensions between stillness and mobility, private and public, and home and homeless evidenced in the place-making practices of car dwelling. In analyzing the relationship between material arrangements, practices of spatial and social regulation, and identity formation, I argue that while car dwelling cannot be linked to one specific identity or experience. Relying on Doreen Massey's concept of 'practicing place' this article shows how the complex negotiations of place-making expose multiple routes to theorize nonnormative uses of space and materiality and to develop more equitable access to resources.


The most common arrhythmia in older adults is atrial fibrillation, with an estimated prevalence of ≈9% in adults aged ≥80 years and a concomitant increased burden of developing stroke. Additionally, over the past decade, both the incidence and prevalence of atrial fibrillation has markedly increased1 and, with it, the total number of patients potentially requiring long-term oral anticoagulation therapy for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism. In 2009, the estimated number of atrial fibrillation diagnoses in the United States was 2 643 000, with equal distribution between men and women and 82% at ages ≥65 years, with that number increasing 10% between 1999 to 2005.2 The magnitude of the problem is exemplified by the fact that the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation increases with age and accounts for ≈45% of embolic strokes, approximately 100 000 annually in the United States.3

Article see p 138

The advent of the novel oral anticoagulants has strikingly shifted the goalposts in the field of stroke prevention. Large randomized trials of 4 agents involving 71 683 participants4 have demonstrated that these drugs are at least noninferior to warfarin for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism and, in the case of apixiban and higher doses of dabigatran, the trials demonstrated superiority over warfarin. In addition, these agents have demonstrated a consistent and striking impact on reducing intracerebral hemorrhage and major bleeding. Moreover, a recent meta-analysis demonstrated an overall reduction in mortality of ≈10%.4

A major issue in these studies is the increased bleeding and stroke rates in select populations. Among patients with atrial fibrillation treated with anticoagulation, the risk was found to be higher among Asians, blacks, and the elderly.5 Complicating the treatment for atrial fibrillation in the aging population is a higher risk of …


Although basal cell carcinoma is extremely common, it only rarely occurs on the nipple. Men are affected more often than women.Basal cell carcinoma of the nipple‐areola complex may be more aggressive as metastases to regional lymph nodes have been reported.We report a basal cell carcinoma of the nipple with features of a fibroepithelioma of Pinkus in a man and review the literature.


In the first part of this article, the A. demonstrates how the human sociobiology controversy fits into Kuhn's theory of science. Following the Kuhnian pattern, the so-called modern synthesis of evolutionary biology, (micro-)evolution, consists of changes in the genetic composition of populations. It has been very successful in describing this process and in giving evolutionary explanations of biological phenomena. Sociobiologists have even found an explanation for altruistic behaviour. The human sociobiology controversy, however, has, according to the A., revealed that it can't explain human behaviour and human cultures : both remains anomalies or « unsolved puzzles » for that paradigm. Kuhn contends that a discipline can react to a « stubborn » anomaly with a revolution during which a paradigm switch occurs. According to the A., that's what has to happen. In the second part of the article, he redefines evolution as the process whereby populations or species genotypes undergo, under the influence of natural selection, an adaptation to a certain way of life in a certain environment, and then an evolutionary and genetic explanation of our culture and behaviour seems to become possible


Cultural assimilation of "Muslim" immigrants in Europe poses a foundational question to political philosophy: is assimilation a prerequisite for socio-economic integration? What is often interpreted as the symptom of failed integration is the proliferation of ethnic enclaves in European metropolises. Non-white immigrants who experience discrimination and marginalization withdraw into isolated zones, creating internal borders within cities. These spaces are susceptible to a host of social problems and often become a fertile ground for radicalization. The State turns to design techniques to break open these ghettoized zones. This paper analyzes an urban renewal project that was conceived to address marginality in one such neighborhood in Copenhagen. Despite the façade of inclusivity and democratic participation, the design creates a parody of Muslim cultures by remixing culturally-significant symbols. In representing immigrants' cultures as "Other," the ideology of design mirrors the exclusionary preferences of the politics of the border.


Contemporary business environment generates hyper changes and hyper competition, which is why enterprises
are challenged to search for new sources to


Like in the whole Northern Europe there are two intersterile groups of Heterobasidion annosum common in Latvia – P and S group. The goal of this investigation was to isolate H. annosum from the material collected in Latvia and to determine the belonging of isolates to one of the intersterility groups analysing different characteristics of fruiting bodies and pure cultures. 19 pure cultures and 29 fruiting bodies of H. annosum were analysed in this study. It was concluded that it is possible to obtain good results using the mating compatibility tests and the ability of cultures to develop brown sclerotic cover in the agarised mediums. Ten isolates belonged to the S intersterility group, seven – to the P intersterility group, but we did not succeeded to determine the belonging of two isolates. From 29 H. annosum fruiting bodies 22 samples belonged to the P group, six – to the S group, belonging of one sample remained unclear.


The paper presents an analysis of the specific dynamic capacity of a planetary roller screw
including random deviations of the thread pitch. Results are based on a statistical analysis
of loads between the screw and the roller obtained for the accepted bar model to determine
the load distribution. Furthermore, the finite element analysis has been applied to determine
stiffness coefficients of the screw-roller and the roller-nut cooperation. The purpose of
the following considerations is to assess a decrease in the specific dynamic capacity of the
planetary roller screw depending on random deviations of the thread pitch.


The future of warfare will be the swarm, intelligent unmanned, and even systematic, but it hasn't been described in terms of a grouping confrontation. Specifically, due to the nature of the battlefield and the development trend of the future battlefield, swarm gaming is suitable. In this article, we investigated and concluded the attack defense problem for complex scenarios from game-theoretic a perspective. More than 60 key contributions are included in this survey, covering many aspects of unmanned swarm gaming research: modeling methods and algorithms of swarm gaming communication control, task allocation, resource management, and cooperative control. The consistency of existing research is summarized by examining performance characteristics. We provide each game-theoretic model's abstractly expressed bilevel programming problem and combed the potential applications for complex scenarios. Finally, we propose promising future directions to shed light on future opportunities and applications.


Along with a vision that foresees the fourth generation (4G) as based on a cellular system that will also support short-range communications among the terminals, in this paper we propose an innovative cooperative geolocation scheme and its data fusion method. The latter combines longand shortrange location information, respectively retrieved by a hybrid time of arrival / angle of arrival (TOA / AOA) technique in the cellular segment and TOA technique in the short-range segment, to enhance the location estimation accuracy of the actual hybrid cellular solutions.


Let S-Tych be the category of Tychonoff S-spaces for a topological monoid S. We study the cofree S-spaces and cofree S-flows over topological spaces and we prove that for any topological space X and a topological monoid S, the function space C(S,X) with the compact-open topology and the action s · f = (t → f(st)) is the cofree S-space over X if and only if the compact-open topology is admissible and Tychonoff. Finally we study injective S-spaces and we characterize injective cofree S-spaces, when the compact-open topology is admissible and Tychonoff. As a consequence of this result, we characterize the cofree S-spaces and cofree S-flows, when S is a locally compact topological monoid.


A manufacturer was contracted to screen 125 transistors capable of withstanding the high level inductive voltages obtained when switching inductive loads. Planned differences included a change in die bonding to comply with NASA's desire for hard solder die attachment which further necessitated a change in package to conform to the required die mounting system. Evaluation of the electrical performance and recommended changes were made during the preliminary build phase of the program. The following sections are outlined: (1) narrative outline; (2) customer data summary and X-ray reports; (3) device specification; (4) failure analysis reports; (5) test facilities list; and (6) test measurement data.


Abstract SINCE the reports of Almquist and Stockstad (1936) and Bird et al. (1936) that gizzard erosion is not a portion of the hemorrhagic syndrome, but is a separate deficiency disease, many attempts have been made by various investigators to prevent or cure gizzard lesions of growing chicks by dietary control. Almquist and Stokstad (1937) have stated that the best practical sources of the anti-gizzard erosion factor are fresh and dried greens and wheat bran. Bird et al. (1936) have reported it to be present in wheat middlings, oats, wheat, wheat bran, various animal tissues, and other miscellaneous products. These workers have concurred with Almquist (1938) in the statement that "certain components of bile, when added to the diet, protect against erosion and lesions of the gizzard lining." All previously reported dietary control measures have been carried out on growing chicks in an effort to measure the "protective" or curative powers . . .


This chapter has three modest aims: to present a puzzle, to show why some obvious solutions aren't really "easy outs," and to introduce our own solution. The puzzle is this. When it was small and had waterlogged streets, Toronto carried the moniker 'Muddy York'. Later, the streets were drained, it grew, and Muddy York offi cially changed its name to 'Toronto'. Given this, each premise in the following argument seems true. Yet the conclusion is a contraction.


The requirements that determine whether payments between ex-spouses qualify as alimony were discussed in a tax case in the November issue of the JofA ("What Makes It Alimony?" page 95) If payments are to qualify as alimony, the payor spouse cannot be liable for payments after the payee spouse's death (a continuing payment liability) or any amounts in lieu of those payments (substitute payment liability). When unallocated support payments are present, the courts have looked first at the language in the written agreement when deciding whether either a continuing payment liability or a substitute payment liability exists. If the agreement does not address the issue, the courts in previous cases have examined the payor spouse's legal responsibilities under state law to determine whether those payments terminate upon the death of the payee spouse (Lovejoy v. Commissioner, 293 F3d 1208 (10th Cir. 2002) and Gonzales v. Commissioner, TC Memo, 1999-332). Patricia Kean filed for divorce in 1991. Until the divorce became final in 1997, a temporary court order granted her and her husband joint custody of their three children and also required Mr. Kean to deposit specified amounts into a joint bank account for the support of his wife and the children. In 1993 Mrs. Kean was granted the exclusive use of the money deposited into the account, though she did not withdraw any of it from March 1993 to December 1996. She reported none of the money received from her former spouse as gross income for tax years 1992-1996; however, Mr. Kean deducted the payments as alimony during that period. The IRS determined the amounts Mrs. Kean received were taxable alimony payments and assessed her a deficiency of approximately $75,000 in unpaid income taxes. Mrs. Kean petitioned the Tax Court for relief, arguing that the amounts deposited into the account were not alimony. The court rejected her first argument that she did not receive the payments because the money was deposited into a bank account. She then argued that the Tax Court should follow its decision in Gonzales in which unallocated support payments a taxpayer received while a divorce was pending were not considered alimony. In Gonzales, the court determined that under a temporary court order a non-custodial payor-spouse was liable for a continuing payment because New Jersey state law could require that spouse to make family support payments if the payee-spouse died before the final decree was granted. The Tax Court distinguished the Kean case from Gonzales, stating that if Mrs. Kean had died before the divorce was finalized, her spouse would not have been liable to make payments to a third party. Under New Jersey state law, he had joint custody rights and thus automatically would have been given custody of the children. Mrs. Kean appealed the decision to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, making the same arguments she had presented to the Tax Court. …


We deal in this paper with the extraction of multiresolution statistical signatures for the characterization of transient signals in strongly noisy contexts. These short-time signals have sharp and highly variable frequency components. The time/frequency window to chose for our analysis is then a major issue. We have chosen the Wavelet Packet Transform (WPT) due to its ability to provide multiple windows analysis with different time/frequency resolutions. We propose a new oriented Hidden Markov Tree (HMT) dedicated to the tree structure of the WPT, which offers promising statistical characterization of time/frequency variations in a signal, by exploiting several time/frequecy resolutions. This model is exploited in a bayesian context for the segmentation of signals containing transient components. The chosen data likelihood is a Generalized Gaussian Mixtures (GGM), well suited for the modeling of Wavelet Packet Coefficients (WPC) distributions. We demonstrate the efficiency of our method on synthetic signals with several Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR).


This article analyzes the use of information technologies in the context of a blended technology approach to learning foreign languages in higher education institutions. Distance learning tools can be categorized as being synchronous (webinar, video conferencing, case-technology, chat, ICQ, Skype, interactive whiteboards) or asynchronous (blogs, forums, Twitter, video and audio podcasts, wikis, on-line testing). Sociological and psychological aspects of their application in the educational process are also considered. DOI:  http://dx.doi.org/10.12731/2218-7405-2013-8-41


A temperature testing system which is used for detecting temperatures at positions of different points in a constant temperature control box comprises a switch module, a control module, a sensing module, a decoding module and a display module. The switch module is used for inputting a test instruction to the control module to select a test point; the sensing module is used for detecting a temperature signal at a position of a corresponding test point in the constant temperature control box according to the test instruction and sending the detected temperature signal to the control module; the control module is used for converting the received temperature signal into a temperature value and outputting the temperature value to the decoding module; and the decoding module is used for receiving the temperature value at the position of the corresponding test point, decoding the temperature value into a digital signal and outputting and displaying the digital signal on the display module.


Emerging techniques such as Wi-Fi direct makes the objective of always-on be true. People can easily chat and share files with nearby friends even without AP (Access Point) or cellular coverage. In this paper, we focus on the channel efficiency issue of AP-free Wi-Fi networks, which can be easily constructed in the subway, in a high-speed railway, or when camping in the wild. Today IEEE 802.11 DCF is the most commonly used MAC protocol for Wi-Fi networks, however, due to the control messages and backoff time, channel efficiency in high data rate networks can be extremely low. To solve this, we propose CD-MAC, which allows control messages to be transmitted with data packets concurrently, and thus eliminates the overheads of backoff and explicit contention. To maintain the reception reliability, we redesign the control messages and use signal detection in PHY instead of bits decoding to detect them. In MAC layer, CD-MAC is built upon our Correlation Detection based PHY. We have implemented and evaluated CD-MAC using USRP N210. Evaluation results show that CD-MAC can achieve over 95.5% channel efficiency and provide throughput gains of up to 80%, 60%, and 29.1% compared with DCF, 802.11ec, and back2F, respectively.


The authors describe the process of demographic aging. They distinguish between aging caused by declining fertility and that caused by increases in life expectancy. The economic and policy implications of the two types of demographic aging are summarized. (ANNOTATION)


This article aims to analyze the participation, evaluation and understanding regarding the implementation of BNCC in the area of Natural Sciences taking into consideration a group of twelve teachers as a result of participation in the Continuing Education Program: Science Education in Early Years from the BNCC. Therefore, the qualitative approach is adopted, in the form of case study, considering the principles of content analysis. The program was held during the second semester of 2017 and involved moments of initial diagnosis, conceptual studies, curriculum analysis and didactic workshops, as well as evaluation based on the analysis of data presented in a questionnaire and in the logbook of mobilizer of the meetings. Among the results we highlight the active and committed participation of teachers who worked collaboratively; the recognition of reading and reflection activities on the BNCC; the approval and construction of theoretical and practical knowledge related to the thematic units of the area of Natural Sciences, as well as the exchange of experiences and the production of teaching materials.


During the past five years, Pinellas County, Florida, home to Clearwater and St Petersburg beaches, located in the Tampa Bay region, has operated and maintained two U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) funded and supported adaptive signal systems. Throughout this period, Pinellas County and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) performed before/after studies, established the costs versus benefit ratios, and ultimately summarized the lessons learned from the first stages of the Real-time Traffic Adaptive Signal Control System (RT-TRACS) deployment. These reports and findings helped determine ways that the adaptive systems could be improved. In the past few years, many changes have been made to not only save money for deployment, but to improve the adaptive algorithms and overall efficiency in the operation and maintenance of the systems. This paper will delve into those improvements and compare the new deployment costs against today's similar adaptive signal systems.


Connection element (1) with a screw (2) and a thereto arranged rotatably captive and generally support element (3), such sleeve, washer o. The like., With the screw (2) has a head (4) and a shaft (8 ), on the end side a threaded portion (12) having a head-side thread runout (15) and the head end a shank portion (10) having a relation to the outer diameter (14) of the threaded portion (15) of reduced diameter (11) are arranged, and the support element ( 3) has a constriction (27) of smaller diameter (28) than the outer diameter (14) of the threaded portion (12), wherein the constriction (27) to the support member (3) to the head-side thread runout (15) facing the surface elements (30, 35 ), characterized in that the surface elements (30, 35) extending (a cone-shaped envelope 31, 32) of the head-side thread runout (15) are formed complementary, and that the conical envelope (31, 32) of the kopfseiti gen thread runout (15) through the surface elements (30, 35) has a cone angle (32) equal to or smaller than the cone angle ...


Ignoring the dynamics of the first reading in relation to further readings takes away from the literary text a vital element of its mode of existence. An interpretive approach which has its starting point in the assumption of the text existing at its 'arrived' state fossilizes it and so deprives it of a meaning potential of essential significance. This essay argues the need for taking into consideration the relationship between first and further readings for purposes of interpretative practice and, in consequence, for the phenomenology of the literary text.


An investigation is initiated to examine the heat transport and slip effects on steady elastico-viscous boundary layer fluid motion past a flat permeable plate. The non-Newtonian fluid model Walters Liquid (Model 𝐵 ˊ ) is taken for elastico-viscous fluid. The special forms of slip factors involving local Reynolds number are considered. Using similarity variables, the governing equations of fluid motion along with boundary conditions are reduced to self-similar form to solve by inbuilt MATLAB solver 'bvp4c'. The computed results of velocity, temperature, temperature gradient at the plate and skin-friction coefficients are plotted for discussion to find the impact of involved flow parameters. The study reveals that elastico-viscosity plays a significant role to enhance the fluid velocity, heat transport rate and friction at the surface.


ABSTRACT In unstimulated cells, NF-κB transcription factors are retained in the cytoplasm by inhibitory IκB proteins. Upon stimulation by multiple inducers including cytokines or viruses, IκBα is rapidly phosphorylated and degraded, resulting in the release of NF-κB and the subsequent increase in NF-κB-regulated gene expression. IκBα gene expression is also regulated by an NF-κB autoregulatory mechanism, via NF-κB binding sites in the IκBα promoter. In previous studies, tetracycline-inducible expression of transdominant repressors of IκBα (TD-IκBα) progressively decreased endogenous IκBα protein levels. In the present study, we demonstrate that expression of TD-IκBα blocked phorbol myristate acetate-phytohemagglutinin or tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced IκBα gene transcription and abolished NF-κB DNA binding activity, due to the continued cytoplasmic sequestration of RelA(p65) by TD-IκBα. In vivo genomic footprinting revealed stimulus-responsive protein-DNA binding not only to the −63 to −53 κB1 site but also to the adjacent −44 to −36 Sp1 site of the IκBα promoter. In vivo protection of both sites was inhibited by tetracycline-inducible TD-IκBα expression. Prolonged NF-κB binding and a temporal switch in the composition of NF-κB complexes bound to the −63 to −53 κB1 site of the IκBα promoter were also observed; with time after induction, decreased levels of transcriptionally active p50-p65 and increased p50–c-Rel heterodimers were detected at the κB1 site. Mutation of either the κB1 site or the Sp1 site abolished transcription factor binding to the respective sites and the inducibility of the IκBα promoter in transient transfection studies. These observations provide the first in vivo characterization of a promoter proximal transcriptional switch involving NF-κB and Sp1 that is essential for autoregulation of the IκBα promoter.


Objective.—We evaluated the agreement between Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) scores and independent physician judgments about pain, disability, and treatment needs based on patient medical histories.


In this paper, two ferromagnetic insulating oxides, BiMnO/sub 3/(BMO) and NiFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/(NFO) were discussed. NFO presented the advantage that its electronic and magnetic properties can be tuned by controlling growth conditions. BMO epitaxial thin films were prepared by pulsed laser deposition while NFO spinel films were grown by rf sputtering. Magnetization, tunneling magnetoresistance and spin polarization were measured for both materials.


This work presents the development of an integrated approach, targeting the techno-economic assessment of recuperated cogeneration gas turbine cycles, utilizing anaerobic digestion products of animal manure and energy crops for biogas fuel. The overall approach consists of a series of fundamental modeling theories applicable to; anaerobic digestion and biogas fuel yield, thermodynamic analysis of cogeneration gas turbine cycles, exergetic analysis of anaerobic digestion, and economic modeling of implementation and operation. The developed methodology is applied to the techno-economic analysis of a representative anaerobic digestion plant yielding biogas fuel which is supplied to a recuperated cogeneration gas turbine powerplant. The influence of employed thermodynamic cycle parameters along with the incorporated technology level, on the cycle performance parameters and economic sustainability of integrated digestion–cogeneration powerplant designs, is thoroughly investigated.The obtained results suggest that, the dominant thermodynamic cycle variables that affect the electrical performance of integrated digestion-cogeneration systems, are the gas/air temperatures at the combustor outlet and recuperator air side exit, respectively. It is shown that the profitability of the investment is highly depended on the electrical power output and the feed–in tariff for electrical energy. Optimization of the employed co-generation cycle for maximum electrical power output, is shown to be a crucial element in terms of securing investment sustainability. A general review of the results indicates that, anaerobic treatment of animal manure and energy crops may constitute a sustainable investment, primarily for cases that substantial volumes of substrates are available in order to secure biogas yield and stable operation of the AD–gas turbine power plant.Copyright © 2014 by ASME


This work proposes an M-ary communication system based on PSWF pulses. First, a State Space Filter whose impulse response is a PSWF pulse is developed. Then, it is modified to obtain the first and second order pulses. Finally, an M-ary communication system for UWB using this set of orthogonal pulses is proposed.


Hyperactive cranial nerve syndromes, including trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasm, disabling positional vertigo, and some forms of tinnitus, as well as glossopharyngeal neuralgia, have been shown to be associated with vascular compression of their respective cranial nerves. Treatment has focused on either destruction of the nerve in question, or alleviation of the vascular compression by microvascular decompression. The philosophy of microvascular decompression is to alleviate the symptoms of the syndrome while sparing patients from a corresponding neurologic deficit. For microvascular decompression to be efficacious, however, it must provide high long-term success rates and low complication rates when compared to alternative destructive techniques. The purpose of this article is to review the success and complication rates of the microvascular decompression procedure to provide the surgeon with a benchmark on what should be expected. Many series reflecting large numbers of treated patients have been accumulated for this critical review.


"Me" and "we" talk, as indicators of outcome considerations, is examined for expectant, unmarried cohabitors (N = 36). Grounded in social exchange and interdependence theories, "me" talk reflects individualism while "we" talk reflects collectivism (e.g., outcome consideration beyond self). Having interviewed cohabitors about effects of the difficult economy, we coded discussions for "me" and "we" talk revealing four groups: (1) Exclusively "We" (61.1%); (2) Primarily "We" (25%); (3) Equal "Me" and "We" (11.1%); and (4) Exclusively "Me" (<3%). Implications for therapeutic interventions that teach the importance and value of "we" talk in interdependent relationships are discussed.


A web environment has been designed for managing float system tobacco transplants cultivation. The environment is called FloatNET and includes an integrated interface supports Tobacco transplants cultivation. The float system is located in a greenhouse and consists of floor beds so called 'wet beds' – were filled with nutrient solution. Transplants are developed on float Styrofoam trays filled with a soil mixture. The system is controlled for solution temperature, electrical conductivity and pH. The air temperature and relative humidity are also important for the development of transplants. The aim is to give the producer the opportunity to access for the first time float system consulting services for tobacco transplants cultivation that meet his/her particular needs over the web. Also, official managers or cooperative stations in a regional or a state level can give their work a surplus-value. Overall the design of this environment aims at encouraging the development and support of tobacco transplants float system in Greece.


Objective:To establish an RP-HPLC method for the determination of quercetin and kaempferol content in Smilax china L.Methods:The C_(18)column(250 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm)was used for analysis,methanol -0.5% H_3PO_4(55:45)as mobile phase with detection wavelength 365 nm,1.0 mL·min~(-1)of flow rate and column temper- ature at room temperature.Results:Quercetin and kaempferol showed a good linear curve in the range of 2.97- 29.7 μg·mL~(-1)(r=0.9999)and 3.01-30.1 μg·mL~(-1)(r=0.9999),respectively.The recoveries of quercetin and kaempferol were 98.9% and 99.7%.Conclusion:This simple and reproducible HPLC analysis provided refer- ence to estimate the quality of Smilax china L.The analytical results were reliable and accurate.


---------------------------------------------------------------------***--------------------------------------------------------------------Abstract -In this study, test on compressive strength of concrete filled steel tubular columns were performed. Compressive strength of hollow, conventional as well as Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS) concrete filled tubes were determined. Cross section, Compressive strength and height of column were selected as the variables to be investigated. Circular sections(CS) and square sections(SS) were chosen for the experimental procedure. The relationship between the load and the lateral displacement at the midheight of the columns in the directions of both the strong and weak axes and the relationships of load versus end shortening for each specimen were duly recorded. It was found that, load carrying capacity varies with respect to the cross section of the specimen, compressive strength of the infill and type of infill material. Circular specimens show a higher load carrying capacity compared to square specimens. GGBS concrete infilled steel tubes have 6%-15% higher strength than conventional concrete filled steel tubes..


Treatment of α-bromo and α-iodoketones with aluminum chloride and ethanethiol gave rise to dithioacetals of the corresponding dehalogenated ketones. α-Chloro and α-fluoroketones were also dehalogenated with the same reagent system through in situ hard-soft affinity inversion.


The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and SARA Inc. participated in the ATMD missile launch activities that occurred at WSMR during January 1993. LLNL and SARA deployed sensors for monitoring of basic phenomena. An attempt was made to measure perturbations of the earth geo-potential during the launch of a Lance missile. The occurrence of the perturbation is expected from the conducting body of the missile and the exhaust plume. A set of voltage-probe antennas were used to monitor the local electric field perturbation from the launch at ranges of approximately 1 km. Examination of the data acquired during the launch period failed to show identifiable correlation of the field variations with the launch event. Three reasons are ascribed to this lack of event data: (1) The electric field potential variations have a limited spatial correlation length - the fields measured in one region have little correlation to measurements made at distances of a kilometer away. The potential variations are related to localized atmospheric disturbances and are generally unpredictable. A value for the spatial correlation length is also not known. (2) The conductivity of the plume and missile body are not adequate to produce a field perturbation of adequate magnitude. Phenomena relatedmore » to the exhaust plume and missile may exist and be outside of the collection range of the equipment employed for these measurements. (3) The presence of 60 Hz power line noise was of sufficient magnitude to irreversibly contaminate measurements.« less


Seber, G. A. F. 1982. The estimation of animal abundance. Macmillan, New York, New York, USA. Sherman, P. W., and M. L. Morton. 1984. Demography of Belding's ground squirrels. Ecology 65:1617-1628. Sokal, R. R., and F. J. Rohlf. 1981. Biometry. W. H. Freeman, San Francisco, California, USA. Southwick, C. H., S. C. Golian, M. R. Whitworth, J. C. Halfpenny, and R. Brown. 1986. Population density and fluctuations of pikas (Ochotona princes) in Colorado. Journal of Mammalogy 67:149-153. Toft, C. A., and P. J. Shea. 1983. Detecting communitywide patterns: estimating power strengthens statistical inference. American Naturalist 122:618-625. Yuill, T. M. 1987. Diseases as components of mammalian ecosystems: mayhem and subtlety. Canadian Journal of Zoology 65:1061-1066. Zammuto, R. M. 1987. Life histories of mammals: analyses among and within Spermophilus columbianus life tables. Ecology 68:1351-1363. 1990. Life histories in mammals, revived: a reply to Messier. Ecology 71:825-827. Zammuto, R. M., and P. W. Sherman. 1986. A comparison of time-specific and cohort-specific life tables for Belding's ground squirrels, Spermophilus beldingi. Canadian Journal of Zoology 64:602-605.


SUMMARY A two-dimensional gel technique using slab gel isoelectric focusing in the first dimension and sodium dodecyl sulfate gradient gel electrophoresis in the second dimension has been developed for the separation of soluble proteins larger than 10,000 daltons. The technique is sensitive to 0.6 pg of protein and recovery of radiolabeled proteins averages 90 %. Analysis of secretory protein from the guinea pig exocrine pancreas shows the presence of 19 distinct high molecular weight pro- teins. Each of these proteins has been characterized by iso- electric point, molecular weight, and proportionate mass. Thirteen of the 19 proteins have been identified by actual or potential enzymatic activity, accounting for 96% of the protein mass resolved by the two-dimensional gels. Exocrine pancreatic proteins have been studied in the past by a number of laboratories (l-7, 10-16) using classical methods for separation of proteins. In most of these studies exocrine proteins were obtained by sulfuric acid extraction of tissue or by direct cannulation of the pancreatic duct, temporarily stored at -20" after deionization and lyophilization, and analyzed by column chromatographic methods. While these studies have yielded important information about proteins in general and exocrine pancreatic proteins in particular, this approach has several disadvantages for further investigation of pancreatic proteins at the cell biological level: (a) secretory proteins are extracted from tissue and stored under nonphysiological conditions, (b) large amounts of starting material are required, (c) separation of pro- teins on columns is frequently incomplete, (d) proteins eluted from columns are recovered in relatively dilute solutions requir- ing subsequent concentration procedures, and (e) the time and degree of manipulation necessary to obtain adequate separation of exocrine proteins is burdensome. Recently, exocrine pancreatic proteins of the guinea pig have been fractionated by Tartakoff et al. (17) using column isoelectric focusing and sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. Secretory proteins used in these fractionation procedures were obtained under physiological conditions using


Abstract The workshop on Historical Time-Domain Astronomy (TDA) was attended by a near-capacity gathering of ~30 people. From information provided in turn by those present, an up-to-date overview was created of available plate archives, progress in their digitization, the extent of actual processing of those data, and plans for data distribution. Several recommendations were made for prioritising the processing and distribution of historical TDA data.


The paper presents the results of the simulation model employed for fuel consumption analysis of a light commercial vehicle in road traffic cycles; virtual tests are performed. The motor vehicle main parameters are analysed for impact on fuel consumption in NEDC and WLTC cycles. Changes of average fuel consumption are quantified for varying main parameters of the vehicle structure. The distribution of energy consumption for the vehicle in motion is demonstrated. On the basis of the regression analysis impact coefficients of individual gear ratios on the average fuel consumption of a light commercial vehicle are obtained.


The high cost and growing environmental concerns surrounding lithium-ion batteries have motivated research into extending the life of electric vehicle (EV) batteries by repurposing them for second life grid applications. The incorporation of repurposed electric vehicle batteries (REVBs) has the potential to decrease the overall cost of new battery energy storage systems (BESS) and extend the useful life of the materials. This paper focuses on maximizing daily profit that can be made from REVBs by stacking two grid services such as frequency regulation and energy arbitrage while minimizing battery capital cost by using second life EV batteries. A model for battery management with stacked frequency regulation and energy arbitrage is developed and tested using PJM market data. A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) is used to solve the optimization problem. It is found that REVBs can generate higher net profits than a new BESS.


This article identifies why some poor rural women do or do not obtain micro-loans and considers the economic effectiveness of these loans. It draws on primary data collected through interviews and women focus group discussions from four villages of Sindh province in Pakistan. A qualitative approach is adopted to analyze the factors affecting women's access to micro-loans and their successful use of these loans. It shows that women's engagement in social networking helps them obtain micro-loans and assists them in using these loans wisely. Furthermore, success in using micro-loans encourages further business entrepreneurship and continuing evolution in social networks. Poor women need to be made aware of the important role that social networking plays in accessing microfinance. Nevertheless, some rural women (and households) are unable to rely on micro-loans to alleviate their poverty. This article highlights demand-side credit issues faced by poor women and the implications of credit supply for their ability to engage in entrepreneurial activity and wealth creation. It emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to the assessment of microfinance taking into account its economic, social and psychological impacts within families, paying particular attention to gender relationships.


The invention aims to provide an optically active polyurethane-amide material and a preparation method thereof. The material is obtained by copolymerization of L or D-tyrosine derivative bisphenol monomer, diisocyanate and organic diacid monomer and has the structural formula in the specification. The glass transition temperature of the material is 150-200 DEG C, the thermal decomposition temperature is 300-350 DEG C and the specific rotation absolute value at room temperature is 30-100 degrees.


The article deals with the approbation of the model of concerns specialists: a psychologist, teachers, tutors, doctors with the students' parents. Filling in «The social-psychological card» is a measure of the deviant behavior and important personal professional qualities of a college graduate. The ability to plan their activity to foresee the results of their behavior are trained in communicative instruction: role plays, training, video training, etc.


(2014) Improved energy harvesting capability of poly(vinylidene fluoride) films modified by reduced graphene oxide. Notice: Changes introduced as a result of publishing processes such as copy-editing and formatting may not be reflected in this document. For a definitive version of this work, please refer to the published source: j and Hisao Fukunaga j4 5 Piezoelectric energy harvesters can be used to convert ambient mechanical energy into electrical energy and power small autonomous devices. In recent years, massive effort has been made to improve the energy harvesting ability in piezoelectric materials. In this study, graphene was added into PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) to improve the piezoelectricity of PVDF. Open-circuit voltage and energy 10 harvesting experiments showed a remarkable enhancement in the piezoelectric properties of PVDF/graphene composite at an optimal loading of graphene (i.e., 0.05 wt.%). Compared to pristine PVDF, the open circuit voltage, AC (alternating current) harvested energy and DC (direct current) harvested energy in the PVDF/graphene composite was increased by 105%, 153%, and 233%, respectively, indicating a great potential for a broad range of applications.


Erythroid colonies were grown in vitro in 0.1-mi plasma clots from 12 to 17 wk human fetal liver tissue obtained from prostaglandin-induced abortuses. and from full-term umbilical cord bloods. Synthesis of a, fi, and 'y globin chains in the colonies was measured after varying periods of culture and after short-term incubation of the tissue source from which the c'lonies were derived. In suspensions of fetal liver cells, the fl/'y synthesis ratio averaged 0.12 (range 0.10-0.15). In the erythroid colonies grown from the liver tissue, the average i9/'y ratio after 5-14 days of culture was 0.16 (range 0.09-0.24). In cord blood suspensions, the average 9/'y ratio was 0.60 (range 0.39-0.74). and in the erythroid colonies, after 9-14 days of culture, it was 0.74 (range 0.42-1.17). A tendency towards an increased ratio was noted in the later clot cultures from both sources. The relative synthesis of / and 'y globin in erythroid colonies grown in plasma clots from these "fetal' ' sources reflected the period of human development from which the colony progenitors were obtained. It would therefore seem that the proportion of HbA and HbF synthesized by developing human erythropoietic tissues is already determined by the stage of erythroid maturation of the precursor cells that function as in vitro colony formers.


Kangxiwar Fault is one of most important fault in the main ridge of West Kunlun Mountains in the northwest edge region of qinghai-Tibet plateu,which is the boundary fault between the west Kunlun plate and Karakorun plate.The discovery of jadeitite in Maeryang area,where lies the west section of Kangxiwar junction zone,bisides the find of granulite,confirms further that Kangxiwar junction zone is an ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic complex zone with the characteristic of deep subduction,maybe a western-extended part of the central compound orogenic belt.


The paper analyzes relevant factors on the preference for face-to-face exchanges or telephone communication or online communication as more and more online communication.Which supporting and sustaining the existing social relations,have melt into people's daily life.The paper also verifies empirical tests about the influence of the stress of relationship source,extent of relationship closeness and communication content on the background framework of the young people's choice of communication channels.


Recently, photovoltaic (PV) cell technology has witnessed significant developments and improvements. However, solar power is still unattractive to some consumers due to its unpredictability. Therefore, accurate prediction of solar irradiance continues to be critical for stable solar power. In this article, a proposed methodology to improve PV systems' reliability and stability, using state-of-the-art machine learning techniques, is introduced. Time-series long short-term memory (LSTM) network, convolutional LSTM (ConvLSTM), convolutional neural network (CNN), random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) regression models were used to predict the city of Johannesburg's solar irradiance. These models were separately trained using the historical meteorological data of Johannesburg. Using the normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) as a performance indicator, the ConvLSTM model outperformed all the other models. When the models were individually trained with 80% of one-year input data, the results obtained showed that ConvLSTM recorded an nRMSE value of 4.05%. Results obtained using LSTM, XGBoost, and SVM models came next with nRMSE values of 4.72%, 6.63%, and 7.8%, respectively. The RF model gave an nRMSE value of 19.8%, whereas the CNN time-series model recorded an nRMSE value of 12.61%. The best experimental result obtained was an nRMSE value of 1.51% when the ConvLSTM model was trained at 500 epochs using 80% of ten years of actual historical solar irradiance as the dataset. These results suggest that the adoption of the ConvLSTM model for solar irradiance forecasts by solar farm operators in South Africa could improve electricity generation stability for PV connection to the power grid.


A hydrogeomechanical numerical model is presented to evaluate three‐dimensional groundwater flow and land deformation in unsaturated true anisotropic aquifers due to groundwater pumping. This multidimensional numerical model is developed on the basis of the fully coupled poroelastic governing equations for saturated‐unsaturated groundwater flow in deforming true anisotropic geologic media and the Galerkin finite element method. A series of true anisotropic aquifers, which comprise variously tilting layers, respectively, and a corresponding isotropic aquifer, which is composed of a geometrically averaged equivalent isotropic material, are simulated for the purpose of comparison. The numerical simulation results show that true anisotropy has significant effects on the spatial distributions and temporal changes of hydraulic head and displacement vector. Such effects of true anisotropy are caused by the uneven partitioning of the hydraulic pumping stress between the vertical and horizontal directions in both groundwater flow and solid skeleton deformation fields. This directionally uneven partitioning of the hydraulic pumping stress results from both the differences in hydraulic and mechanical properties among the principal axes and the discordance between the global coordinate axes and the principal axes.


1. An Introduction to Statistics 2. Frequency Distribution 3. Graphs 4. Measures of Central Tendency 5. Measures of Variability 6. Scaled Scores and Standard Scores 7. The Normal Curve 8. Correlation 9. Regression 10. Probability Theory and Sampling 11. Experimental Design 12. t Tests 13. One Way Analysis of Variance 14. Factorial Analysis of Variance 15. Non Parametric Statistics: Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U Test, Wilcoxon T Test, and the Kruskai-Wallis Test


The linguistic complexities in the Nguni language cluster which females traditionally confront, are most notable. Many Zulu women, for instance, who grow up in rural KwaZulu-Natal still largely adhere to the linguistic custom of 'isiHlonipho', the 'language of respect'. This linguistic register has been investigated with reference to Xhosa women (Finlayson, 1978; 1995; 2002; Dowling, 1988) but only marginally as regards isiZulu-speaking females (see Zungu,1985; 1995). Arguably, the value of this linguistic custom is contested as, on the one hand, 'isiHlonipho' is widely considered a source of enrichment among isiZulu speakers; on the other hand it has been argued, with reference to isiXhosa, that 'the historical existence of the language of respect has influenced the way in which Xhosa males have marginalised women in their literature, and in their social, educational and political institutions' (Dowling, 1988: 180). In this paper, we critically evaluate the extent to which this language variety determines gendered power relations and associated identi- ties within the context of the construction of 'Zuluness'. We suggest, inter alia, that 'isiHlonipho' is a linguistic remnant of 'traditional' Zulu culture. It can thus be considered a linguistic and cultural resource in the sense that it provides a means by which isiZulu-speaking people negotiate and take pride in 'Zuluness'. However, one has to acknowledge that Zulu society continues to be highly patriarchal, and the emphasis on female agency linked to the maintenance of the variety suggests that there are circumstances and situations in which 'isiHlonipho' socially disempowers women. Hence, the linguistic register plays an ambiguous role in the life-experience of Zulu females today.


Abstract Life-cycle inventory (LCI) and life-cycle assessment (LCA) were used to provide quantitative assessments of the environmental impacts of forest management activities that are required to p...


Arthroplasty as a method for treatment of hip joint pathology is widely used in patients with dysplastic coxarthrosis. However, the complexity of the disease, a significant proportion of unsatisfactory outcome stipulated the formulation of biomechanical tasks aimed to improvement of the arthroplasty outcomes. Obviously, the degree of error in results of the solution of such problems determined by the level of compliance and adequacy of calculation model. Objective: To develop a model dysplastic coxarthrosis for further analysis of arthroplasties in terms of hip dysplasia. Results: It was showen that in pathogenesis and mechanogemesis of dysplastic defects and deformities of the acetabular component can be identified loads that affect outcomes of arthroplasty. An effect of these components determines the load changes in the shape of the acetabulum, and an outcome of this action appears in bone restructurization in the supraacetabular area. In terms of increasing of the range of muscle stresses in the area of the hip joint and limb shortening these processes deepen. Conclusion: Based on building of a pattern of forces' distribution in dysplastic defect an orthopaedic surgeon gets an idea about possible implantation of hip component of the endoprosthesis. Wherein after the hip component implantation depending on its position and on stipulation of transmisson of loads directions of vectors of their influence may vary. This solves a long-term forecast of the construct functioning. Since the position of the hip component does not always coincide with variants of planned measures there is a necessity to build a computational model and to assess the impact of stress on the stability of fixation for each option of implant design.


Objective To investigate relationship of rectal anastomotic position and anal function. Methods 96 low colorectal cancer patients undergoing rectal surgery were randomly divided into three groups 32 cases for each group,namely low anastomosis group( anastomosis from the dentate line ≥2 cm),ultra-low anastomosis group( anastomosis from the dentate line 2 cm),anal anastomosis group( colon pouch anal anastomosis). Before surgery,3 months,6 months and 12 months after surgery anorectal manometry was used to evaluate the objective indicators of anal function,the evaluation parameters including anal resting pressure( ARP),the maximum reduction anal virgin pressure( MSP),the maximum tolerated volume( MTV),rectal inhibitory reflex( RAIR),meanwhile Xuzhong method was used to evaluate the subjective postoperative anal function,ratings level being divided into excellent,good,fair,poor. Results Three months after surgerg,ARP,MSP,MTV,RAIR normal ratio were significantly lower than those before,but ultralow group decreased more significantly,followed by the low group and anal anastomosis group,with significant difference. In ultralow group 12 months after surgerg ARP,MTV,RAIR normal ratio had not yet returned to the preoperative levels but in anal anastomosis group about three months after surgery they returned to normal,in the low group 6 months after surgery they returned to normal. Three months,6 months and 12 months after surgery,anal function was of the anal anastomosis group was significantly better than the other two groups,which was restored,but in ultralow group 12 months after surgery there were still some anal functions impaired. Conclusions As for low sphincter preserving surgery patients with colorectal cancer the higher the anastomotic site the better the functional recovery of the anus,especially for anal anastomosis work the recovery of the anal function is the most significant.


The American lobster (Homarus americanus) fishery is an economically important commercial activity in Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. This fishery requires substantial amounts of bait, resulting in an emerging conservation challenge. To address this issue, an alternative lobster bait, manufactured using fresh and process pelagic fish, and dehydrated fish, corresponding to 75% less fresh pelagic fish than traditional bait has been developed by Bait Masters Inc. The performance of the alternative bait compared to that of the traditional bait was evaluated in a field study. This field trial was conducted in eight lobster fishing bays around PEI, during the 2019 lobster fishing seasons. Bait effectiveness was assessed based on catch-per-unit-effort (total lobsters and number of legal-sized lobsters caught per trap), and the ability to produce a catch. An average of five lobsters per trap were caught for both alternative and traditional baits. The results showed that both lobster bait types performed equally well in all PEI lobster fishing areas studied. This indicates that the alternative bait is a viable replacement for traditional bait, allowing the lobster fishery industry to address the bait-species shortage and ongoing conservation challenge.


masque and the sacramental Spanish auto were put could hardly have differed more radically' (p. 21). Both specialist and general reader may be irritated by the author's habit of misleading him by choosing headings for chapters and sections that promise far more than he delivers; e.g., 'Tirso's Anticipation and the Compression of Time' (pp. 151-155) might be read with interest if announced as what is really is, a discussion of the play titles with particular attention to the dramatist's fondness for basing them on proverbs, even though much of the material is not new. The title of the book itself does not give an accurate idea of its scope. But it is not at all clear what kind of audience Sullivan had in mind. In any event, the unrealistic price will discourage many potential buyers. LEHMAN COLLEGE, CUNY Hannah E. Bergman


Objective: To investigate factors of dual-source CT coronary angiography image quality and suggest measures to improve the image quality.Methods: Total 300 patients through dual-source CT coronary angiography were randomly selected as control group from January 2009 to January 2011,and were divided into Ⅰto Ⅳ from priority to poor compared with similar studies according to quality of evaluation criteria,then factors of dual-source CT coronary angiography image quality were analyzed.Meanwhile,300 patients through improved measures were randomly selected as modified group from February 2011 to August 2011.Results: The image quality in control group were grade Ⅰ:232 cases(77.3%);grade Ⅱ:48 cases(16.0%);grade Ⅲ:16 cases(5.3%);grade Ⅳ:4 cases(1.3%);the factors of dual-source CT coronary angiography image quality were severe coronary artery calcification,respiratory artifacts,severe arrhythmia artifacts,superior vena cava,right atrium,high-density contrast agent produced artifacts,inappropriate choice of monitoring the level of the trigger points and inappropriate choice of phase reconstruction.The image quality in modified group were grade Ⅰ:263 cases(87.7%);grade Ⅱ:26 patients(8.7%);grade Ⅲ:10 cases(3.3%);grade Ⅳ:1(0.3%).Image quality grading differences between the two groups were statistically significant(P 0.01).Conclusion: Optimizing CT scan parameters and proposing appropriate measures,had important significance to improve the quality of coronary imaging.


Thick HfO2 single layers derived from a reactive plasma ion assisted deposition were investigated with a designed film thickness of 800 nm. The film structure was modeled by fitting the corresponding variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometric data and correlated to the ratio of plasma ion momentum transfer during the film deposition. Scatter loss was calculated according to a multilayer model as well as a single surface model. Water absorption in the MWIR was used to confirm the revealed film structure. The results indicate that the scatter loss of the HfO2 based high reflective optics can be estimated by using a single surface model in a first-order approximation from the DUV to the MWIR. A linear relationship between the refractive index inhomogeneity and the amount of plasma ion momentum transfer during the deposition was established. The total loss at 2.95 μm is dominated by the absorptance loss, whereas both the absorptance and the scatter losses are reduced as the ratio of plasma ion momentum transfer increases. Appropriately optimizing and selecting deposition parameters enable low loss and environmentally stable HfO2 coatings, leading to numerous defense applications from the DUV to the MWIR.


Recently, Melburn D. Thurman has argued that my handling of the James Mackay manuscript, an early 19th-century account of Plains native groups, is unsound. Many of Thurman's criticisms, specifically those concerning the date of the document, the details of Mackay's experience on the Missouri River, and the intent of my original article, stem from misrepresentation and misunderstanding. Thurman has refused, for example, to accept that my essay was a test of the document using archaeological data associated with the Arikara. In addition, Thurman portrays a narrow view of the past and a rather unique understanding of ethnohistorical methods. In this response to Thurman, I restate many of the points in my original article and provide an alternative perspective for studying the past.


For a given class F of closed sets of a measured metric space (E, d, μ), we want to find the smallest element B of the class F such that μ(B) ≥ 1 − α, for a given 0 < α < 1. This set B localizes the mass of μ. Replacing the measure μ by the empirical measure μn gives an empirical smallest set Bn. The article introduces a formal definition of small sets (and their size) and study the convergence of the sets Bn to B and of their size.


This paper presents several new developments in fluidic circuit design. The use of orifices and capillaries, as input and feedback resistors, and vice-versa, in an operational amplifier circuit is shown to result in a scaler whose gain varies either directly or inversely in proportion to kinematic viscosity. When operating on a temperature sensitive gainblock this scalar can be used to compensate for the effects of variable ambient temperature. The orifice formed by the space between a jet and a solid wall is a pressure sensitive resistance that is used as the controlling element in a gain changer and an automatically null-balanced Wheatstone bridge. In a novel use of a laminar proportional amplifier (LPA), the nonlinear saturation characteristic is used to linearize inversely nonlinear sensor and circuit outputs. Finally a set-point pressure sensor, that is a highly asymmetric LPA, is described that develops a high differential output pressure as a function of power jet pressure which can be some set-point pressure. By using this device as a pressure sensor, an ultra-quiet, high suppression performance pressure regulator has been built and demonstrated.


Evidence suggesting that policy and policy making is one of the fundamental parts of any government. And there are different types of policy making process in different countries, for example some countries having democratic and some have dictatorship policy making process (Danaee Fard & Noruzi, 2011). This paper aims to study the notion of policy and importance of it in today's chaotic environment.


Graph domination has extended its application to various fields due to the small but strong properties satisfied by the dominating parameters. A just excellent graph satisfies a property that each vertex is contained in exactly one minimum dominating set. In this paper we use this property of just excellent graphs in message encryption.


Predictive control strategy is applied to permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) control system, it can achieve fast dynamic response and high-precision tracking control, but depending on the mathematical model of the (PMSM), the load disturbance will affect the control performance of system. Therefore, a control method based on the combination of Luenberger observer and predictive control is proposed to construct a double closed-loop predictive control system. Through the load disturbance estimated by the Luenberger observer, the torque current compensation produced is used as the feedforward compensation of the speed loop to achieve disturbance suppression. The simulation results under Simulink environment show that this method can improve the dynamic response performance and steady-state accuracy of the control system, and greatly improve the robustness.


Safflower is an ancient oilseed crop and has been acknowledged as a healthy vegetable oil. Though India is the largest producer, the area under safflower has been declining mainly due to low productivity and less profitability. Safflower genotypes with higher oil content would help to make the crop commercially viable and regain its area owing to its high oil quality compared to its competitive counter parts. The genetic improvement of safflower for higher oil content is an urgent need and involves an understanding of genetics of the trait. A-1, a popular highly resilient variety in India since 1969 with good yield has low oil content of 28% and needs to be improved for oil content. Baccum-92, a Mexican line with high oil of 37% was used in a cross with A-1 to develop 6 generations to study the inheritance of oil content and to simultaneously identify the segregants with high yield and oil content. The six generation mean analysis revealed that additive, dominance components and epistatic interactions of additive × additive and dominance × dominance with duplicate gene interaction determined the inheritance of oil content. One (43.52%) and 3 (ranging from 39.06 to 39.98%) segregants having 5% superiority over the better parent Bacum-92 were observed in F2 and BC1P1, respectively. 5 segregants with higher yield than A-1 coupled with high oil content of more than 31% were identified across the populations which can be stabilized and used in safflower improvement.


Gottlieb (1991) suggests that behavior geneticists and developmental psychologists have underestimated the importance of environmental regulation of species-typical behavior, outlines a theory of how environments and genes interact dynamically as behavior develops, and provides supporting examples from his own and others' laboratories. Although oversimplified explanations of development have occasionally gained currency, we contend that the complexities of genotype-environment relations have been addressed in psychology, with still greater difficulties arising from psychologists1 interest in individual differences in behavior. The complexities of studying genetic and environmental determination of the development of individual differences are explored, using intelligence as an example. Finally, we outline a research program in the spirit of Gottlieb's contribution. Variety is said to be the spice of life. It is a staple of necessity to geneticists. (Dobzhansky, 1967, p. 42). Man is not just an overgrown Drosophila. (Dobzhansky, 1967, p. 47)


The shovel-truck system is commonly used in open-pit mining operations. Truck haulage cost constitutes about 26% of open-pit mining costs as the trucks are mostly powered by diesel whose cost is escalating annually. Therefore, reducing fuel consumption could lead to a significant decrease in overall mining costs. Various methods have been proposed to improve fuel efficiency in open-pit mines. Case-based reasoning (CBR) can be used to estimate fuel consumption by haulage trucks. In this work, CBR methods namely case-based reasoning using forward sequential selection (CBR-FSS), traditional CBR, and Naïve techniques were used to predict fuel consumption by trucks operating at Orapa Mine. The results show that the CBR method can be used to predict fuel consumption by trucks in open-pit mines; the predicted values of fuel consumption using the CBR-FSS technique gave much lower absolute residual values, higher standardised accuracy values, and effect sizes than those of other prediction techniques on all the datasets used. The system will enable mine planners to know the fuel consumed per trip and allow them to take mitigation measures on trucks with high fuel consumption.