Smart cities rely on dynamic and real-time data to enable smart urban applications such as intelligent transport and epidemics detection. However, the streaming of big data from IoT devices, especially from mobile platforms like pedestrians and cars, raises significant privacy concerns.
Future autonomous vehicles will generate, collect and consume significant volumes of data to be utilized in delivering safe and efficient transportation solutions. The sensed data will, inherently, contain personally identifiable and attributable information - both external (other vehicles, environmental) and internal (driver, passengers, devices).
The autonomous vehicles are connected to the infrastructure cloud (e.g., Amazon), the edge cloud, and also the mobile cloud (vehicle to vehicle). Clearly these different entities must co-operate and interoperate in a timely fashion when routing and transferring the highly dynamic data. In order to maximise the availability and utility of the sensed data, stakeholders must have confidence that the data they transmit, receive, aggregate and reason on is appropriately secured and protected throughout. There are many different metaphors for providing end-to-end security for data exchanges, but they commonly require a management and control sidechannel.
This work proposes a scalable smart city privacy-preserving architecture named Authorized Analytics that enables each node (e.g. vehicle) to divulge (contextually) local privatised data. Authorized Analytics is shown to scale gracefully to IoT scope deployments.


Multi-criteria ABC inventory classification is one of the most widely employed techniques for efficient inventory control, and it considers more than...


Over the past fifteen years, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has taken a transport system that dates back to the 1890's and renovated it to become one of the most accessible multi-modal transport systems in the world. System components included accessible fixed-route bus, intercity coach, heavy subway, commuter rail, and intercity rail services. Extensive paratransit service and limited accessible taxi service are also available and design work has begun to make Boston's commuter boat and 100-year old light rail system accessible. This paper will provide an introduction to accessible services in Massachusetts. It will discuss the concepts of cross-disability access and universal design. It will include a description of guidelines developed by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to facilitate access for all persons, including individuals with sensory impairments and hidden disabilities. It will discuss consumer involvement in the design and implementation of accessible services and the development of sensitivity training programs for transit personnel. Finally, it will outline future directions that consumers and service providers are taking in our efforts to make public transit in Massachusetts accessible to all people.


This paper studies mean-variance strategies selection problem for classical Cramer-Lundberg risk model.Proportional reinsurance and investment in finance market are adopted by the insurance company to reduce risk and increase profit.The risky asset price describe by a CEV(constant elasticity of variance) model,which is an extension of Black-Scholes model.We change the original mean-variance problem into an auxiliary problem.Through linear-quadratic(LQ) control theory,we solve the auxiliary problem.Finally,closed form of optimal reinsurance,investment strategies and efficient frontier are obtained,meanwhile the minimum terminal variance along with the portfolio that attains the minimum variance are obtained.


In this paper we present a passivity analysis for a motion control scheme, based on a fuzzy system for tuning the PD gains of the well known PD+ tracking controller for robot manipulators. We demonstrate, by exploiting the full nonlinear and multivariate nature of the robot's dynamics and its passivity property, that the overall closed loop system is asymptotically stable. In this control scheme, the fuzzy logic system plays the role of a tuner of the robot controller gains. We show that the closed loop system can be seen like two interconnected subsystems, where the nonlinear feedforward block is passive and the nonlinear feedback block is input strictly passive.


Fourier spectra are shown to provide a powerful tool for analysing and understanding the behaviour of chaotic orbits in galactic potentials. In particular, such spectra are extremely useful in assessing the eeects of cantori and other partial obstructions which, over short time scales, partition a single connected phase space into several nearly disjoint regions. By analysing either a long time integration performed for a single initial condition or shorter time integrations for an ensemble of orbits one is led to invariant or near-invariant spectra which are identical for orbits and/or ensembles which access the same phase space regions. These invariant spectra support the naive expectation that chaotic orbits can be viewed as a superposition of several diierent regular orbits. Spectral analysis is also shown to be a useful tool in analysing the response of a system to time-dependent periodic disturbances, as might be associated with internal oscillations and/or the innuences of an external environment. At least over short times, the response of an individual orbit to such disturbances depends very sensitively on both the speciic choice of initial condition and the precise value of the driving frequency. However, in terms of such attributes as changes in energy, ensembles of initial conditions exhibit a simple diiusive response. Overall, chaotic orbits appear to be more susceptible than regular orbits to the eeects of periodic driving, a fact that is easily understood in terms of properties of their Fourier spectra.


In 429 placentae, measurements were made of weight, diameter, shape, eccentricity of the cord and weight and length of the cord, and the results were compared with Apgar score of the infant at birth and its standardized birth weight. There was no evidence that cord eccentricity, placental shape or 'thickness', or the dimensions of the cord had any significant relation to the growth of the fetus or its condition at birth. The value of routine recording of crude measurements and qualitative assessments of the placenta in case notes is questioned.


Variable-fidelity (VF) approximation models are wildly used to replace computational expensive simulation models in complex engineering designs. In this paper, a design space reduction variable-fidelity metamodeling (DSR-VFM) approach is proposed. In the proposed DSR-VFM, addition scaling Kriging (ASK) is chosen as the approximation model and self-organizing maps (SOM) is adopt to reduce the design space and select the key areas. Then new sample points are selected though the maximum distance method within the key areas and added to the sample set to update the approximate model. A numerical case and the modeling of the drag coefficient of an aircraft are utilized to verify the applicability of the proposed approach.


Cochrane systematic review is the highest grade of evidence in evidence-based medicine,and the best source of effectiveness evaluation on health care intervention.This paper introduced the Cochrane Collaboration,Cochrane systematic review,as well as the current evidence of Cochrane systematic reviews on liver diseases,with some examples were interpreted,aimed to help the readers to understand the Cochrane systematic reviews,and provide a perspective for the doctors' clinical and research practice.


The authors propose parallel implementation of a multi-layer feedforward neural network on the AMT DAP-510. The network is trained using the Back Propagation algorithm. The proposed implementation is for an oversize network, that is for a network which has more numbers of neurons than the processors. Also, the implementation has the flexibility of varying the size of the network. The peak performance of 2.6 million interconnections per second is achieved for a three-layer network with 512 neurons in each layer. They compare their results with the existing parallel implementations.<<ETX>>


This study examines the contribution of L2 proficiency and L1 reading ability to L2 reading ability in terms of the threshold hypothesis of language proficiency. Two hypotheses were tested: (a) The contribution of L2 proficiency is greater than the contribution of L1 reading ability in predicting L2 reading ability, and (b) a threshold level of language proficiency exists such that learners with low levels of L2 proficiency will show little relationship between their L1 and L2 reading ability whereas learners with higher levels of L2 proficiency will show a positive relationship between their L1 and L2 reading performance. The participants were 809 Korean 3rd-year middle school and 1st-year high school students who exhibited a wide range of ability in reading both Korean and English and in their English proficiency. Scores from the three measures were subjected to descriptive, inferential, and correlational analyses. The results provided support for both hypotheses. Learners need to establish some knowledge of an L2 per se before they can successfully draw on their L1 reading ability to help with reading in the L2.


Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the kinematics of the sprint start in long-track speed skating. Video recordings of 11 world-class long-track speed skaters (5 men and 6 women) were made during an ISU 500-m World Cup race held in February 2016. Video recordings were analysed with KWON3D XP 4.0. Analysis revealed that male skaters changed to gliding technique at fifth stroke while female skaters adopt gliding technique at sixth stroke. Although statistically not significant, male skaters showed greater difference (amplitude) in hip (mean difference = 4.43, SD = 12.11), knee (mean difference = 7.01, SD = 15.12) and ankle (mean difference = 16.68, SD = 27.76) angles between at the time of the CONTACT and the OFF compared to female skaters. Male skaters also showed greater pushoff angles compared to female skaters. These greater angles of male skaters were associated with quicker time to transition point therefore this might explain why male skaters are able to use gliding technique earlier than female skaters leading to superior performance.


The method of the semiconductor device and the semiconductor device operation. The semiconductor device comprises: a voltage generator configured to generate a test voltage; graphene transistors, configured to receive a gate voltage based on the test - source voltage; and a detector, configured to detect the gate - source voltage whether Dirac voltage graphene transistors, and the output feedback signal is applied to the voltage generator, indicating that the gate - source voltage is Dirac voltage.


The Medicare Auction Conference, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the University of Maryland, was an opportunity for collaboration among the stakeholders of the Medicare DME Competitive Bidding program: DME providers, Medicare beneficiaries, government agencies, Congressional staff, and auction experts. The Medicare auction program is currently in a pilot stage, but will soon be expanding nationwide (with Round 2). The conference provided an opportunity to debate the basic issues as well as learn about the latest auction methods that could simplify and improve the effectiveness and sustainability of the auction program. In addition, the conference provided a forum to debate whether auctions are feasible in the Medicare setting and how they can best be structured. On 1 April 2011, 110 stakeholders in the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment (DME) industry came to the University of Maryland to discuss how the CMS' current competitive bidding program could be improved. The participants included Medicare providers, government leaders, and auction experts. A major part of the event was the conduct of a mock auction based on the auction design proposed in Cramton (2011a). This design addresses the fatal flaws in the CMS design (Letter from experts 2010, 2011). The proposed design has been shown to be highly effective in theory (Cramton et al. 2012), in the experimental lab (Merlob et al. 2012), and in practice (Ausubel and Cramton 2004, 2006). This paper presents the mock auction results. The mock auction demonstrated the feasibility of the proposal as well as its excellent performance. Despite the complex bidding environment, the mock auction achieved high levels of economic efficiency: 97% of the potential gains from trade were realized. Moreover, the participants were able to understand the auction format and auction platform, and successfully execute bidding strategies for 6 products in 9 regions, all in a matter of hours. The conference also demonstrated the advantages of advancing the Medicare auctions through collaboration among industry, government, and auction experts. To avoid program failure, the Medicare auctions must be reformed to take advantage of modern auction methods. The mock auction demonstrates the high efficiency of the proposed approach.


Introduce the present situation of synthetic gas and mechanism of the CO hydrogenation methanation and the performance of Ni-based catalysts for methanation.Compare the advantage and disadvantage of different methanation reactors.Analyze the effect mechanism of two different carriers which are silica gel and alumina,and further analyze the influence of carrier and the preparation methods on catalyst properties.


The use of microwave in industrial heating processes may save energy and time. We investigate the behaviour of a multifed loaded cavity working at 2.45 GHz. We present the results concerning the dissipated power distrbution on the load and the reflected power in each port. We describe how consider magnetic and electric symmetry walls and we introduce an improvement in the absorbing boundary conditions.


Objective To explore the protective effect of HGF on primary cultured spinal neurons in vitro.Methods Cultured neurons were transfected with Ad-GFP or Ad-HGF in different multiplicity of infection(MOI),then flow cytometer and PI-Hoechst double stains were used to assay transfer rate or to determine the status of cells respectively.ELISA was used to detect the expression of HGF in Ad-HGF transfected neurons,and the activity of neurons was judged by neutral red stain,MTT and NSE-ELISA methods.Results After transfection with Ad-GFP in MOI of 50,the transfer rate was high as detected by flow cytometer,and the status of cells was well as judged by PI-Hoechst double stain.The results of ELISA showed that HGF was expressed in medium.After transfection with Ad-HGF,the activity of neurons was better than neurons without treatment(P0.05).We also observed that HGF promoted spinal neuron migration.Conclusion HGF have protective and migration effects on primary cultured spinal neurons.


The way people relate with technology nowadays requires more from human-computer interaction methods: good usability is an essential condition, but users expect also a pleasant and funny experience, especially when entertainment is the purpose. This paper reports the usability evaluation of games and of an e-commerce application for interactive TV, which considered users' affective state, and highlights this approach benefits to analyze the interaction design.


The angular distribution of radiation from a vibrating cylinder of arbitrary cross section is considered in the limit of high frequencies. An inhomogeneous integral equation of the first kind is derived for the distribution and is solved by the method of steepest descents. The first approximation yields the "geometric optics" result in which every element of the radiator radiates normally to itself. Higher order terms are obtained for the case in which the boundary conditions on the radiator surface vary smoothly. The case of an abrupt change in boundary condition is also solved and exhibits typical diffraction effects. The techniques used in this paper have a wide range of applicability to problems of radiation and scattering of waves as they occur in field physics.


Software companies generally adopt repositories to manage reusable software components, aiming at reducing development time and improving software quality. This paper presents an industrial experience of integrating software reuse into an agile development process. The proposed approach promotes a systematic reuse of software components based on both ontology-based software classification and Information Retrieval techniques. A preliminary evaluation has been conducted on one month of observations. Results are encouraging and revealed that this process achieved an average gain of 27.2% in terms of developed Function Points, by reusing the 22.38% of reusable components available in the repository.


Objective: We aimed to explore the feasibility of hemorrhagic transformation (HT) location prediction from baseline magnetic resonance perfusion (MRP) source images. Background: HT is a major complication of reperfusion therapy in acute stroke patients. Accurately predicting HT spatial location is challenging. Design/Methods: Consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients who had HT after reperfusion therapy (IV tPA and/or endovascular thrombectomy) were reviewed from two stroke centers. Patients with MRP and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) before and 24 hours after treatment and follow-up susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) were included. The HT was depicted on follow-up SWI. The DWI lesions and HT were classified into 12 regions based on cerebral vascular territories. Then a total of 80,000 tissue-voxels were extracted from both HT region and non-HT region randomly with the ratio of 1:1. Each voxel included a set of pixel values of MRP source image and baseline DWI. Convolutional neural networks (CNN) were trained with 3-fold cross-validation. Prediction maps were generated from the CNN for each patient. The prevalence of HT after infarction and the sensitivity and specificity of HT prediction in each vascular territory were calculated. Results: Seventy-seven HT patients were analyzed (40 Male, Age 73 ±14 years, median baseline NIHSS score 14 [IQR 8–19], median Onset-to-Treatment time 242 min [IQR 152–355], median modified Rankin score 3 [IQR 1–4], 28 with Parenchymal hematoma). HT occurred most frequently in the territory of middle cerebral artery superficial branches (67.5%) and basal ganglia (37.6%), and least frequently in brain stem or thalamus (3.9%). The best model was a locally-connected CNN with the area under curve of 0.88. The average sensitivity and specificity for HT location prediction in anterior circulation was 89% and 60%. Conclusions: The CNN trained from DWI and MRP source images could predict the HT locations in acute ischemic stroke patients. Disclosure: Dr. Yu has nothing to disclose. Dr. Guo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lou has nothing to disclose. Dr. Liebeskind has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Stryker, Medtronic. Dr. Scalzo has nothing to disclose.


In modern aircraft designs, there is a need for new high power isolated DC/DC converters. Full bridge derived topologies are appropriate for these specifications. Aircraft specifications are demanding and a high power density is needed. In order to decrease volume, reactive component, such as the transformer have to be optimized in volume, weight and loses. High frequency is needed to decrease inductive component core size and magnetic integration is a key factor. With the use of high frequency, topologies that take advantage of both ZVS and q-ZCS can offer the best results. Resonant topologies have a lot of benefits for this kind of requirement in this application. In this paper, a comparison of different state of the art full-bridge based topologies is made. A detailed explanation of the benefits of the Series-Parallel solution is provided. Experimental result of the prototype are also shown to prove the concept.


Objective: To analyze and predict the structural characteristics of the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) of Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) serovar E. Methods: From SwissProt database,amino acid sequences of MOMP were obtained. Physio-chemical properties,secondary struc- ture and tertiary structure of MOMP were analyzed by the computational analysis and bioinformatics webs,Expasy and Pcons,respectively. Results: The results showed that Ct MOMP was an acidic protein which transmembrane 16 times, and the tertiary structure was β-barrel membrane protein. It probably acted as a porin. Conclusion: The characteristics of Ct MOMP can be obtained by online structure predication software and computational analysis, which provides scientific proof for the research on its pathogenesis and new subunit vaccines.


Because of the prevailing political and economic conditions, the internal problems inherited from Laurence Coughlan's ministry (1766-1773), and the inability of Methodist leaders to tend to the Conception Bay societies properly, the development of early Newfoundland Methodism proved to be rife with complications. Coughlan's departure from Newfoundland in 1773 left his followers under the care of his lay preachers, whose attempts to keep the societies intact were effective in the short term, but a steady decline in the membership was evidenced over time. The first official mission to Newfoundland (1785-1791), conducted by John McGeary, had its problems as well. McGeary's mission met with resistance from the Anglican church, and was further disadvantaged by personal and professional problems incurred by McGeary himself. As a result the progress of Methodism in Conception Bay in the late eighteenth-century was a formidable challenge for those who attempted to maintain and oversee it Anthony F. C. Wallace's Revitalization theory offers a useful methodology that enables one to study this period and how early Newfoundland Methodism was prone to decline and almost certain collapse. Wallace's model outlines a series of phases (processual structure) which determine how religious movements are initiated, developed and stabilized. According to Wallace, religious reform must complete the primary stages of mazeway reformulation, communication, organization and adaptation before success can be realized. The following study applies Wallace's theory to the events and circumstances of early Newfoundland Methodism, and in doing so identifies several recurrent problems within the movement which help to explain the volatile nature of its early development.


Aza-ortho-quinone methides allow the straightforward asymmetric synthesis of natural-product-inspired indole scaffolds possessing a quaternary stereocenter. Our approach provides access to diverse communesin and spiroindoline derivatives with high enantioselectivity under mild reaction conditions. Predictable substitution patterns are found to be the key to our regiodivergent protocols.


Principle of contract is very important. Merit principle one of the principle of contract. The use of stndard contracts in agreements between enterpreneurs to residential consumers is leaving many legal issue. Ranging from neglect of duty of the entrepreneurs in terms of product liability which they are marketed, to the violation of merit law requirements that must be respected and used as the basis of moral bonds of the contract or agreement. As a result, the rights of consumers being neglected. The enforcement of the neglect consumers' right were difficult to respond by law enforcement. Based on the description of the background described above, the problems in this paper as follow: How does the position of merit as a normative reference in the Consumer Protection Act and whether the law figures of standart contact was included in the civil law and qualified as a named treaty?; How does the accountability of businesses to the housing consumers that using the standard contract? Do judges apply legal principles in his ruling on a dispute between the entrepreneurs and the consumer? Normative legal research methods means that the data was analyzed according to legal norms specified in the legislation. As a normative study, this research includes a study of the principles of law and the legal synchronization in agreement and in the related legislation. This study is a descriptive analysis, which reveals the laws that related to the legal theories as the object of research. The results showed merit principle binds not only the legislation appointing, but because it determines the content of the propriety of the promise binding. The law figures of standart contact was included in the civil law and qualified as a named treaty. The accountability of businesses to residential consumers, who use standard contract, is a strict product liability form. Where consumers are not burdened with the obligation to prove the businesses' guilty. In addition, businesses may be held legally responsible if the products they offer. Position on merit principle as a normative reference in Consumer Law and law enforcement officers reference in finding law. The judge in his ruling on a dispute between the entrepreneurs and the consumer must uphold the principles of law in its decision. Consumer rights are neglected must be restored in a law enforcement process. Merit can be used as a reference for judges in finding law. In Hierarkhis, Merit principle highest than contract itself. This study suggests partiality of the many rules which are set in the law form, should be established the act of agreements and the standard contract that provides stronger protection for consumers in addressing the issue of standing imbalance between the parties who will make an agreement. So that, there is a fairness in the preparation of a contract, especially the contract between bussiness and residential consumers.


Theeffects ofpublic posting onspeeding behavior onanurban highway wereassessed using areversal design. During baseline thepercentage ofdrivers speeding wasmeasured withaconcealed radar unit. During thedaily posting condition ahighway sign wasinstalled whichprovided feedback onthepercentage ofdrivers notspeeding yesterday and thebest record todate. Thissignwasthencovered andreintroduced. Results indicated that thesign waseffective inreducing speeding behavior. Furthermore, theeffects were mostpronounced inreducing thespeeds ofthefaster drivers. Next, daily andweekly postings werecompared withthesign alone without numerical feedback: results revealed that theweekly posting condition wasaseffective asthedaily posting condition, but that thesign hadnoinfluence whennumbers werenotposted. Finally, theweekly posting procedure remained effective during a6-month follow-up condition. DESCRIPTORS: public posting, speeding behavior, driving speed, feedback, highways, police procedures, driving behavior Although theautomobile iscertainly auseful tool, its useisalso associated withsocietal costs suchasaccidents andresulting casualties. One factor that hasbeenassociated withaccidents is deviation fromprudent driving speeds. Data obtained frommanyAmerican states (Cirillo, 1968) showthat asvehicle speed varies fromthe meantraffic speed, thechance ofanaccident increases. Onemethod ofmanaging excessive speeds


Many researchers have considered security policy management, including how to configure policies manually and even how to automatically generate security policies based on security requirements. Both can be error prone, especially when properties of the network topology change, because security requirements are usually not bound to any particular route path. Our DETER lab emulation results show that conflicts could be caused by these factors. Therefore, a systematic way to validate the correctness of the security policies is essential. This paper presents an approach, CLID (conflict and looping identification and detection), to verify whether a set of security policies (e.g. IPSec/VPN tunnels) satisfy the given security requirements, without causing any conflicts. This approach utilizes the definition of a security policy lo include network routing data as well as traffic selector information, thus it works for general network topologies. We also analyze and justify the correctness of the approach. The paper concludes with our simulation results and addresses future work.


Since smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is based on interactions with the closer neighbouring particles, implementing the neighbour list is a key point in terms of the high performance of the code. The efficiency of the method depends directly on how to build and use the neighbour list. In the present work, the available searching algorithms for SPH codes are analyzed. Different gridding algorithms are evaluated, the gains in efficiency obtained from reordering of particles is investigated and the cell‐linked list and Verlet list methods are studied to create the neighbour list. Furthermore, an innovative searching procedure based on a dynamic updating of the Verlet list is proposed. The efficiency of the algorithms is analyzed in terms of computational time and memory requirements. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Techniques for controlling errors in circuit simulations are given. The presentation will be geared toward describing how designers can recognize and control common simulations problems. These errors, if not well controlled, can result in significant error. The circuit itself can either magnify errors made by the simulator and the models, or, conversely, it can be very tolerant of such errors. Circuits that can be very sensitive to simulator errors include oscillators and charge storage circuits such as switched-capacitor circuits.


We present a new way to decrease the computational overhead of mobile localization for walking assistance systems. The optimization is suggested in the context of the APIT localization algorithm, which is one of the most widely adopted static range-free localizations. At the core of the idea is maintaining the log information of the mobile object as it moves along and using the information to calculate the current position. The log mainly consists of the information related to the previously recognized neighboring nodes.


The papers abstracted in this volume deal with the occurrence, detection, and measurement of water on planetary bodies in the solar system; relevant aspects of the terrestrial water balance; the most probable status of water on other planetary bodies; and the methods of water detection and measurement available for consideration in designing planetary exploration missions. Topics include the water inventory for earth, high-energy protons as an early source of regolith water, the evolution of water on Mars, the chemical evolution of the Martian atmosphere by surface weathering, some geochemical aspects of excess volatiles on Mars, fluvial erosion on Mars, water in the outer solar system, and the stability of water on the Galilean satellites. Other papers discuss gamma-ray attenuation methods for determining the water content of soil, Viking biology-experiment results relevant to water on Mars, IR detection of water ice on satellite surfaces during the Mariner Jupiter/Saturn mission, electrical sounding of the lunar regolith, the detection of water on the moon and Mars by orbital gamma-ray spectroscopy, and the Viking Martian soil-water analyzer.


Nobel Laureate Robert A Mundell has made significant contributions in the field of international macroeconomics particularly in the area of monetary and fiscal dynamics. He pointed out that in countries where monetary and fiscal policies are used to attain internal balance in the form of demand- supply equilibrium and external balance in the form of balance of payments equilibrium, monetary policy should be reserved for attaining the desired level of external balance and fiscal policy for preserving internal balance. This conclusion directly follows from what is termed as the 'Impossible Trinity' according to which there is an intrinsic incompatibility between a) perfect capital mobility, b) fixed exchange rates, and c) domestic monetary autonomy. The present paper is an attempt to explain the nuances of the path breaking concept of 'Impossible Trinity'.


lonel Applewhite Announces Not Yet Too Late Change to Be Effective at Once. Places on Official Ballot. » t o S e c u r e into th e M arine B ranch of the S. A. T . ; S te r l in g W. F ish e r R obert V Kite, B t o s e c u r e j esg R Kreem an Jo h n R. d e c id e r , f f t r i a l C. of the U n ivers i ty , F r id a y m orning . , _ " T t i 1 i n c i a i .lie ^ . George Greene, M a r t in J . Hancock, T1 Le... flirt coriin I t In ..


The principle parameters and the characteristics of the designs for the 50 t-50 m quayside container cranes are presented in the paper The crane incorporates double trapezoid box girders with the front stays fixed with eccentric bushes Rubber spacers are placed between the base of steel rails and the rail beams The front and rear girders are hinged with primary and auxiliary hinged structures in order to make sure that the trolley travels smoothly over the hinged joints in the girders with heavy loads at high speed


The integration of renewable energy sources into grid, and ever growing power demand have increased the risks of stability and quality of power of the grid. The purpose of this paper is to present a new approach of formulating a power flow control problem using linear programming model which assigns power levels for controllable power devices and power flows between power sources and loads to accommodate power fluctuations caused by fluctuating power devices. In addition, different cost minimization criteria have been taken into consideration and their effects on power assignment has been investigated. Finally, Linear Programming Solver in MATLAB environment is used to find the solution of the proposed power flow control problem.


http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/014067369391224A Babies who are small at birth or during infancy have increased rates of cardiovascular disease and non-insulin-dependent diabetes as adults. Some of these babies have low birthweights, some are small in relation to the size of their placentas, some are thin at birth, and some are short at birth and fail to gain weight in infancy. This paper shows how fetal undernutrition at different stages of gestation can be linked to these patterns of early growth. The fetuses' adaptations to undernutrition are associated with changes in the concentrations of fetal and placental hormones. Persisting changes in the levels of hormone secretion, and in the sensitivity of tissues to them, may link fetal undernutrition with abnormal structure, function, and disease in adult life. Maternal Nutrition, Fetal Nutrition, and Disease in Later Life Barker DJP, Nutrition 13(9),1998 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0899900797001937 Recent findings suggest that many human fetuses have to adapt to a limited supply of nutrients and in doing so they permanently change their physiology and metabolism. These ―programmed‖ changes may be the origins of a number of diseases in later life, including coronary heart disease and the related disorders stroke, diabetes, and hypertension. Fetal Nutrition and Adult Disease Godfrey KM & Barker DJP American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 71(5), 2000 http://www.ajcn.org/content/71/5/1344S.full Recent research suggests that several of the major diseases of later life, including coronary heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes, originate in impaired intrauterine growth and development. These diseases may be consequences of "programming," whereby a stimulus or insult at a critical, sensitive period of early life has permanent effects on structure, physiology, and metabolism.


Problem Description:
Tetra Pak wants a robotics grouping solution which is flexible and can handle rapid change with short time to reach performance after pattern or model changes. The solution should also be very robust and has the ability for quick adaptation.
Tetra Pak has limited experience about robotics and the company is not going to develop the robotics. Instead Tetra Pak wanted to collaborate with existing large and well known companies and use their technology

Methodology:
Existing robotics technology has been scouted on fairs, events, articles, the internet and through interviews. The robotics solutions have been developed through meetings and discussions together with robotics companies. The data and test performance has been recorded from simulations and real tests.

Results:
This work proves that it is possible to create a flexible and robust robotics solution that can group packages in the desired pattern.

Conclusion:
Using robotics to group Tetra Pak packages has several of benefits that can help Tetra Pak to strengthen their position as world leader package producer. Therefore, I recommend Tetra Pak to invest more time and money in the development of robotics solution.


Malware authorship attribution is a research field that identifies the author of malware by extracting and analyzing features that relate the authors from the source code or binary code of malware. Currently, it is being used as one of the detection techniques based on malware forensics or identifying patterns of continuous attacks such as APT attacks. The analysis methods to identify the author are as follows. One is a source code-based analysis method that extracts features from the source code, and the other is a binary-based analysis method that extracts features from the binary. However, to handle the modularization and the increasing amount of malicious code with these methods, both time and manpower are insufficient to figure out the characteristics of the malware. Therefore, we propose the model for malware authorship attribution by rapidly extracting and analyzing features using automated analysis. Automated analysis uses a tool and can be analyzed through a file of malware and the specific hash values without experts. Furthermore, it is the fastest to figure out among other malware analysis methods. We have experimented by applying various machine learning classification algorithms to six malware author groups, and Runtime Modules and Kernel32.dll API extracted from the automated analysis were selected as features for author identification. The result shows more high accuracy than the previous studies. By using the automated analysis, it extracts features of malware faster than source code and binary-based analysis methods.


The Dual Electro-absorption Modulated Laser (D-EML) is a transmitter technology based on integrated Electro-absorption Modulated Laser (EML) with dual independent-access modulation. The D-EML allows the adjustment of the laser and modulator chirp by controlling the amplitude modulation in order to enhance the transmission distance without increasing consumption, cost and complexity. We successfully demonstrate experimentally and by simulation an error-free 39.7-km transmission at 20 Gb/s in standard dispersion fiber without any compensation fiber using D-EML.


The paper referred to is "The Future of Data Analysis," published in 1962. Many authors have discussed it, notably Peter Huber, who in 1995 reviewed the period starting with Hotelling's 1940 article "The Teaching of Statistics." I extend the scope of Huber's remarks by considering also the period before 1940 and developments since 1995. I ask whether statistics is a science and suggest that to attract bright students to our subject, we need to show them the excitement and rewards of applied work.


The importance of the nonuniformity (NU) correction of solid state image sensor (IS) lies on enhancing the signal-to-noise ration, especially in low-contrast signal detection. There are various methods for NU correction of IS. But some of the traditional methods are complexed in circuit, and difficult to adjust; some are slow at correction rate, and can not satisfy the real time correction requirement. In this paper, a new method for NU correction is introduced, in which the nonuniformity is corrected by using the memory's function conversion efficiency. The chief advantages of this method are: the correction circuit is simpler and easy to adjust; the convertion rate is relatively high (> equals 5MHz); the correction range is wide.


In this paper we discuss the learning convergence of the cerebellar model articulation controller (CMAC) in cyclic learning.We prove the following results.First,if the training samples are noiseless,the training algorithm converges if and only if the learning rate is chosen from (0,2).Second,when the training samples have noises,the learning algorithm will converge with a probability of one if the learning rate is dynamically decreased.Third,in the case with noises,with a small but fixed learning rate e the mean square error of the weight sequences generated by the CMAC learning algorithm will be bounded by O(e).Some simulation experiments are carried out to test these results.


In 2004, UVM's Bailey/Howe library held an exhibit entitled "UVM's Past: The Legacy of Kake Walk." Exhibit materials archived at UVM are presented here: draft exhibit labels, copied and redacted primary sources which may have been used in display cases, and a notebook containing visitor comments (starting on page 46).


The clinical records were reviewed of 1034 patients who had invasive carcinomas of the breast treated with radical mastectomy at Ellis Fischel State Cancer Hospital‐Cancer Research Center between 1940 and 1965. There was a correspondence between the size of tumors and both the frequency of axillary nodal involvement and patient survival. Although patients with nodal involvement had lower survival rates than those without, small tumor size was associated with a relatively favorable prognosis within each nodal category. These findings tend to support the value of early diagnosis of breast cancer.


Photochemical holes can be burned at relatively high temperatures in the Qx band of a free base porphyrin with ionic substituents when the molecule is dispersed in polyvinylalcohol (PVA) [1-2]. This characteristics of the porphyrin-PVA system is due to the facts that the Debye-Waller factor is relatively large [3] and the thermally activated backward reaction is small [4], Figure 1(a) shows one of such porphyrin molecules, TCPP(Na). The large Debye-Waller factor in porphyrin-PVA system is a direct consequence of a high mean phonon frequency. The typical phonon energy of the porphyrin-PVA system, which was determined as the energy deference between the zero-phonon hole and the bottom of the side hole, is as large as 25 cm–1. According to ref. 3, the Debye-Waller factor f(T) of porphyrin-PVA system is well represented by one-phonon approximation.


The purpose of setting up the Recycle Bin in the WINDOWS operating system is to prevent users from accidentally deleting files and to get recovery.In this paper,the working principle of the Recycle Bin,as well as the work process,has been explored in details in order to help people correctly understand and use the WINDOWS operating system.


Study selection and analysis: Studies reporting prevalence of alcohol or substance abuse or dependence in prisoners during the previous year; diagnosed through examination or clinical interview using standardised, valid diagnostic tools. Exclusions: self-reported diagnosis; diagnosis based on biological markers alone, or unclear or non-standard criteria; non-randomised population selection; diagnosis reported retrospectively after prison release; high attrition rates (.50%); failure to separate results for gender and drug and alcohol abuse.


Introduction (P. Brusil, D. Stokesberry). Heterogeneous Network Management. Invited paper: A Platform for Heterogeneous Interconnection Network Management (U. Warrier, C. Sunshine). Enterprise Management (3 papers). Panel. Integration Through Standards. Invited paper: Standardization Issues in Integrated Network Management (Y. Kobayashi). Business Requirements (3 papers). Technical Requirements (3 papers). Management Information and Functions. Invited paper: A Common Approach to Managed Objects (J. Tucker). Management Information (3 papers). Performance Management and Monitoring (4 papers). Security and Dialog Management (3 papers). Design and Modelling. Invited paper: Integrated Network Management Systems - A Global Perspective on the Issue (L. Feldkhun). Design Approaches (3 papers). Fault Management (4 papers). Panel. Management Architecture. Invited paper: Management of High Speed and Large Networks (P.H. Enslow). Telecommunication Architecture (3 papers). Multi-Media-Integration (4 papers). LAN Management (3 papers). Distributed Systems Management. Invited paper: Domain Management for Distributed Systems (M. Sloman, J. Moffett). Interorganizational Cooperation (3 papers). Implementation and Language Issues (4 papers). Artificial Intelligence in Network Management. Invited paper: Real-Time Autonomous Expert Systems in Network Management (R. Goodman, J. Miller, P. Smyth, H. Latin). Expert Tools for Network Management (3 papers). Panel.


We present a lamellar grating interferometer realized with MEMS technology. It is used as time-scanning Fourier transform spectrometer. The motion is carried out by an electrostatic comb drive actuator fabricated by silicon micromachining, particularly by silicon-on-insulator technology. We have measured the spectrum of an extended white light source with a resolution of 1.2 nm at a wavelength of 436 nm, and of 13 nm at 1544 nm. The wavelength accuracy is better than 0.5 nm and the inspected wavelength range extends from 380 nm to 1700 nm. The optical path difference maximum is 226 μm and is limited by the mechanical instability of the actuator. The dimension of the device is 7 mm x 8 mm x 0.5 mm. The device includes two individual lamellar grating spectrometers operated by the same actuator, allowing the immediate calibration of the optical path difference.


For the efficient dimensioning of elastomer parts the structural simulation by means of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) has developed to be an indispensable tool. For the calibration of these models often only uniaxial tensile tests are conducted to estimate the material parameters. However since technical elastomer parts are usually multiaxially loaded, the accomplishment of multiaxial material testing for a precise structural simulation is essential. Different approaches for the testing of the equibiaxial tensile load condition, which can be easily converted into a pressure load condition, exist at Freudenberg Forschungsdienste (FFD) as well as at the Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV). Despite the differences at (FFD) and at the IKV in the basic principles and the mechanical set-up of both methods, comparable material answers for this load condition can be determined.


Digital Object Identifier 10.29292/jics.v15i3.180 Abstract— This paper presents a comparative study of six active pixel sensor (APS) schemes by means of simulations and experiments. The optical sensor used was a silicon photodiode with integrated electronics in a standard 0.35 μm CMOS technology. We analyzed how the transistor characteristics, such as channel resistance and leakage current, among others, can influence the APS response. Furthermore, we demonstrated how the choice of APS model affects sensor parameters such as output swing and fill factor, among others. The results presented as well as the understanding of the operational cycle of the CMOS transfer-gated APS aim at guiding the designer to consider better topology choices for different applications.


This paper examines constitutional political opinions among the members of provincial and district zemstvos in Russia, in order to explain this group's rejection of liberal political parties in the first two Dumas. It finds that the rejection of these parties was not entirely synonymous with a rejection of liberal constitutional ideas among the zemstvo rank and file, who exhibited support for constitutionalism in three main areas. Firstly, arguments advanced against land expropriation among the zemstvo rank and file were based upon the desire to reinforce economic individualism amongst the peasantry, which was considered to be an essential basis for a constitutional regime. Secondly, the zemstvo rank and file supported a Duma elected upon a restricted franchise that would play a role in the political modernization of the peasantry in order to encourage norms of constructive political participation and reduce the popularity of extremist parties. Finally, government repression was criticized on the basis that it contravened notions of law and due process. Evidence from the southern provinces suggests that repression was valued for its role in restoring law and order, although the legality of the repression was still criticized. These findings suggest that the landed nobility who made up the majority of the members of the provincial and district zemstvos were more supportive of constitutional reform in Russia than has previously been suggested, which is significant to historical debates surrounding the stability of the tsarist regime before the First World War.


Subtitle: As each milestone in vessel size is reached and surpassed, ports and terminal operators are put to the test to reach new productivity targets.


Objective:①To explore regulation of syndromes classification in endometriosis and adenomyosis.②Compare the different disease manifestations including dysmenorrhea,irregular menstruation and infertility between endometriosis and adenomyosis.Methods:The qustioannaire was applied to cross-sectionally analyze the clinical data of 124 patients with endometriosis and 186 patients with adenomyosis.Results:According to frequency analysis and cluster analysis,there were 8 single types syndromes(qi stagnation,kidney deficiency,cold congealing,phlegm-dampness,damp-heat,qi deficiency,excess heat and blood stasis)and 6 compound syndromes(qi stagnation and blood stasis,qi stagnation and kidney deficiency with blood stasis,kidney deficiency and blood stasis,phlegm-stasis complex,phlegm-blood stasis with kidney deficiency,and qi stagnation and cold congealing with blood stasis)in endometriosis.And there were 10 single types syndromes(kidney qi deficiency,kidney yang deficiency,kidney yin deficiency,blood stasis,qi stagnation,qi deficiency,cold congealing,excess heat,phlegm-damp,damp-heat)and 5 compound syndromes(qi stagnation and kidney deficiency with phlegm-dampness,kidney deficiency with cold congealing and blood stasis,kidney deficiency with cold congealing and qi stagnation,kidney deficiency with qi stagnation and blood stasis and kidney deficiency with qi stagnation.The different disease manifestations between endometriosis and adenomyosis was compared,the frequency of dysmenorrhea was 54.03% and 88.71% respectively,while that of irregular menstruation was 18.55% and 44.09%,and that of infertility was 31.45% and 18.82%.Conclusion:①The regulation syndromes classification in endometriosis and adenomyosis is significantly complicated.The compound syndromes are common in clinic.Syndrome of qi stagnation and kidney deficiency with blood stasis are the most common one in both diseases.②Incidence of dysmenorrhea and irregular menstruation in adenomyosis is significantly higher than that in endometriosis.Meanwhile,incidence of infertility in endometriosis is obviously higher than that of adenomyosis.


This paper identifies that improved fleet safety can enhance business effectiveness, road safety and occupational health and safety. Several recent UK and Australian-based projects are reviewed to identify a range of barriers to successful fleet safety. Ten such barriers are identified as: purpose of journey data, operational procedures and structures, senior management commitment, integration between fleet safety and OHS, 'claims-led' procedures, crash investigations, standard definitions and conventions, reactive focus on injury prevention, inflexible attitudes to change and poor management. The main area for improvement in the research is identified as the need for more rigorous evaluation incorporating control groups.


The authors develop a dissipativity theory for switched systems whose dynamical modes are described by systems of higher order linear differential equations. They give necessary and sufficient conditions for dissipativity based on systems of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), constructed from the coefficient matrices of the differential equations describing the modes. The relationship between dissipativity and stability is also discussed, and an application to the stabilization of power converters is provided.


Introduction: The quality of life (QoL) of thyroid diseases has been less studied than other chronic diseases. There is however evidence suggesting long lasting physical and psychological symptomatology related to thyroid diseases.
 Objective: To analyze the QoL in patients with hypothyroidism.
 Methods: We evaluated 274 patients with a mean age of 56.2 ± 14.2 years, 89.1 % female and divided them by diagnosis: autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT, n = 145), multinodular goiter (MG, n = 31), total thyroidectomy (TT) for thyroid cancer (n = 46), total thyroidectomy for MG (n = 36), TT for Graves disease (GD, n = 9) and radioactive iodine therapy (RAI) for GD (n = 7), and assessed thyroid function tests, thyroid antibodies, lipid profile, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, vitamin B12, folic acid and applied the Thyroid Dependent Quality of Life questionnaire (ThyDQoL). Statistical analysis was performed with the One-way ANOVA test and Pearson's correlation test. P values ≤ 0.05 were considered as statistically significant.
 Results: In this sample, the subgroups who reported worse QoL were the TT for thyroid cancer (-2.47 points) followed by the RAI for GD (-2.14 points) and the AIT (-2.11 points), although these differences were not statistically significant. Regarding the internal domains of the ThyDQoL, we found a significant difference between the subgroup TT for thyroid cancer and MG in bodily discomfort (-4.03 ± 3.61 vs -1.47 ± 1.66; p = 0.04) and household tasks (-2.95 ± 2.92 vs -0.90 vs 1.61; p = 0.02). Within the subgroups, we observed significant correlations involving QoL and vitamin B12 in the AIT subgroup (r = 0.16; p = 0.05), between QoL and lipoprotein(a) (r = -0.50; p = 0.03) in the MG subgroup, between QoL and free T3 (r = -0.31; p = 0.03) in the TT for thyroid cancer subgroup and between QoL and free T3 (r = -0.76; p = 0.04) in the RAI for GD subgroup.
 Conclusions: In this study we found that patients submitted to TT for thyroid cancer had the worse QoL among patients with hypothyroidism. This may be related to the use of thyroid hormone suppressive therapy. We also observed that certain domains of QoL are more affected by some causes of hypothyroidism. Further studies are needed to analyze more deeply the symptomatology that contributes to worsening of QoL in these patients.


These are a set of slides on the data analytics of hydraulic fracturing data. The conclusions from this research are the following: they proposed a permeability evolution as a new mechanism to explain hydraulic fracturing trends; they created a model to include this mechanism and it showed promising results; the paper from this research is ready for submission; they devised a way to identify and sort refractures in order to study their effects, and this paper is currently being written.


Opacity is a confidentiality property that holds when certain secret strings of a given system cannot be revealed to an outside observer under any system activity. Opacity violations stimulate the study of opacity enforcement strategies. Among other methodologies, opacity has been enforced using insertion mechanisms, i.e., output obfuscation mechanisms that are allowed to insert fictitious output symbols before actual system outputs, in order to preserve opacity. This paper studies and analyzes more powerful extended insertion mechanisms, which can insert symbols before and after an actual system output, thus, providing opacity to a wider class of systems. In order to address practical considerations, the paper also introduces event insertion constraints (i.e., the case when only specific symbols can be inserted before and/or after an actual system output). For each case, we construct an appropriate verifier that can be used to obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for checking opacity enforceability.


Abstract The composition of the essential oils from three Labiatae species of Iran—Ballota aucheri Boiss., Stachys benthamiana Boiss., and Perovskia abrotanoides Karel.—obtained by hydrodistillation were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. α-Cadinol (21.0%) and dehydroaromadendrane (11.8%) were the main components among the 37 constituents characterized in the oil of B. aucheri, representing 82.5% of the total components detected. Twenty compounds were identified in the oil of S. benthamiana, representing 91.2% of the total oil, with germacrene D (16.8%), linalool (16.6%) and β-caryophyllene (11.0%) as the major constituents. The oil of P. abrotanoides was characterized by a higher amount of 1,8-cineole (28.0%) and camphor (24.0%), among the 23 components comprising 84.3% of the total oil detected. The endemic oils (B. aucheri and S. benthamiana) consisted mainly of sesquiterpenes, while in P. abrotanoides oil monoterpenes predominated.


Objectives To compare efficacy and safety of 4 treatment regimens in early (<2 years duration) RA including methotrexate (MTX), leflunomid (LEF) and combinations of MTX with glucocorticoids (GC). Methods One hundred eighteen pts with early RA (100 women, mean age 55, mean disease duration 7 months, mean DAS28 5,83) were randomly assigned to receive one of the 4 treatment regimens for one year: MTX 10–20 mg/week (30 pts); MTX (10–20 mg/week) + GC (equivalent of 10 mg/day prednisolone, 31 pts); MTX (10–20 mg/week) + GC (equivalent of 10 mg/day prednisolone) + one single intravenous infusion of 1000 mg methylprednisolone (MP) at the first day of treatment (31 pts); LEF 20 mg/day (26 pts). According to clinical and demographic data all groups were comparable. Efficacy of therapy was assessed by EULAR criteria. Results By now seventy one pts completed one-year course of treatment. Results of the therapy by that time are shown in the table (%). In the MTX group 19% of the pts reached clinical remission (DAS28 <2,6); in the MTX+GC group, 46%; in the MTX+GC+MP group, 47%; in the LEF group, 28%. Side effects of the treatment were as follows: MTX, skin depigmentation (1 pt) and hair loss (1); MTX+GC, increase of ALT and AST level (1) and hair loss (1); MTX+GC+MP, hair loss (1); LEF, urticaria (3), leucopenia (1) and increase of ALT and AST level (1). Treatment Good response Moderate response Poor response MTX 42 29 29 MTX+GC 61 24 15 MTX+GC+MP 74 21 5 LEF 44 6 50 Conclusion All 4 treatment regimens proved to be effective in early RA but the most promising results were obtained in groups with the combination of MTX and GC. The total amount of remissions in the whole group of early RA after one year of therapy was 34% which can be considered as satisfactory. Tolerability of all regimens was good.


In general, human sperm is preserved in temperature range under -20°C. Currently, survival rate of the post-thaw sperm is around 50-60%. Although sperm cryopreservation medium including proteins and lipids derived from animals, for example egg yolk as commonly used, the components of proteins and lipids derived from animals are not clear. Therefore, synthetic and plant derived medium was used for the study. In the present study, post-thaw motility frozen with medium including long-chain alcohol and lipids was examined to develop cryopreservation medium for human sperm.During post-cool evaluation of the various extenders no differences were found in the motility between extenders. This observation was anticipated, as there are canine semen extenders commercially available void of egg yolk. An unexpected result was the significant 11% decrease of normal morphology in the 0% egg yolk concentration extender after 3 hours of cooling at 5°C with no significant change in the remaining extenders.


Traditionally, contact time of a chlorine contact tank (CCT) is determined by performing field tracer tests. This paper presents an alternative of using computational fluids dynamics (CFD) modeling to predict the contact time. This method is known as numerical tracer testing. Field tracer tests require maintaining constant flow through the CCT, chemical injection at the inlet, and continuous sampling. Typically three or more tests must be conducted at different flows to create flow-contact time curves. These requirements are difficult to meet in potable or wastewater treatment plants in operation; the tests are cumbersome and require significant operator effort. Numerical tracer testing facilitates the task without operation interruptions or complex set-ups. Numerical tracer testing was used for determining the contact time at the Irvine Ranch Water District's (IRWD) Michelson Water Reclamation Plant CCT in Irvine, California. The CCT is a two-million gallon, four-pass baffled tank capable of handling up to 20 mgd of tertiary filter effluent. CFD results were compared to field data obtained with a step-feed field tracer tests using lithium chloride. The comparison shows that CFD modeling is capable of accurately predicting contact times in the CCT. CFD modeling was used then to perform step-feed and slug-feed tracer test simulations at different flows in order to obtain T10 and modal contact times. CFD modeling was also used for predicting flow patterns in the CCT. Results of CFD modeling, including flow streamlines, velocity contours and vectors, were used to improve velocity distribution and reduce solids deposition, short-circuiting and vortices with the inclusion of baffles. The study demonstrates that CFD modeling is a valuable modeling tool for the water and wastewater industry.


Concrete is a material used on a large scale in civil construction. In concrete plants, it is manufactured by concrete mixer trucks and this process consumes a large quantity of drinking water. In addition to the production of concrete, the water used to wash the concrete mixer trucks should also be considered, since this also generates a considerable amount of residual water that cannot be disposed of without prior treatment. As such, the objective of this study is to reuse the waste water generated by the washing of the mixer trucks in the production of concrete, thus avoiding the consumption of drinking water, considering that the reuse of this waste water doesn't require chemical treatment. Three compositions were developed: A reference composition produced with drinking water; a composition with 50% drinking water and 50% residual water; and a composition with 100% of residual water. To analyze the concrete, its properties were checked in the fresh and the hardened state, assessing the workability through the slump test and its compressive strength at 14 days and 28 days. In total, 9 test specimens were molded in accordance with age, which meant 3 specimens per composition. The results showed that the concrete produced with the residual water presented the same compression strength as the concrete that used drinking water. It is estimated that a replacement of up to 50% should be used, since the composition containing 50% of residual water showed the greatest gains in strength in relation to the other compositions.


Background: Early marriage is a violation of the basic human rights and is considered a public health problem. It has a profound range of physical, intellectual, psychological and social consequences on the teenager girls and their future children. Objectives: The current study aimed to assess the prevalence of early marriage and the associated social and health hazard. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1080 married women in the most deprived areas in Menoufia Governorate. All women were interviewed personally using a structured valid reliable Arabic questionnaire. It assessed the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants and their husbands, the socioeconomic state, social and health hazards of early marriage. Results: About 48% of women were married before the age of 18 years. The early marriage was significantly higher among illiterate women (59.9%), those who were housewives (99.1%), and married to illiterate husbands (48%). The main social hazards among the early married group were the conflicts with the husband's family and isolation of women from her family.  While anemia and recurrent chest problems were the main health hazards among their first child. Conclusion: Early marriage has a wide prevalence in the selected areas. It was more prevalent among low-educated women, housewives, and married to low-educated husbands. It is continued to cause different social and health consequences for women and their children. Early marriage is a prevailing problem that needs a plan of action to be implemented with the support of the policymakers.


Land surface heat fluxes derived from remote sensing data are very important for monitoring plant growth,assessing crop yield,monitoring disasters and understanding of energy and water cycle in river basins as well as surrounding regions.In this study,LandSat TM data were applied to retrieve land surface characteristic parameters and land surface heat fluxes in the Shahe River basin,Beijing.Satellite images taken on 7 April,2003 and 16 October,2002 were selected as representative cases for spring and autumn.Based on land surface characteristic parameters and ground observation data,the land surface heat fluxes were estimated by applying a two-layer remote sensing ET model to estimate the fluxes of soil and vegetation,respectively.Data showed that the energy balance components had clear spatial-temporal characteristics.It was found that soil fluxes and vegetation fluxes had rather similar spatial distribution trends in spring and autumn.Vegetation components of the fluxes were slightly larger than soil ones,while soil components had a more obvious spatial variation.


SETTING
Patients with blood cultures positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis between 1988 and 1999.

OBJECTIVE
To study the clinical and microbiological characteristics of patients with tuberculous bacteremia, including data about evolution and management.

DESIGN
Retrospective review of the clinical charts and microbiological records of patients with culture-proven tuberculous bacteremia between 1988-1999.

RESULTS
During the study period, 19 patients with culture-proven M. tuberculosis bacteremia were detected (1.42 isolates/patient, 4.7% of all patients with blood cultures for mycobacteria). Four patients were non-infected with the human immunodeficiency virus and 15 were HIV-infected. In four patients blood was the only positive sample. Five patients were diagnosed simultaneously with tuberculosis and HIV infection. Only 13 had a temperature higher than 37.5 degrees C. Most patients had symptoms or signs of respiratory tract involvement, and 11 patients died (10 from tuberculosis). The average time for detection of positive blood cultures was 33.25 days for lysis-centrifugation cultures and 26.46 days for BACTEC cultures. The incidence of M. tuberculosis bacteremia remained stable during the study period.

CONCLUSIONS
Although blood cultures are useful for definitive diagnosis of disseminated tuberculosis, the long incubation times made them of limited usefulness in the clinical management of patients. Mortality remains high in these patients.


Objective
To observe myocardial tolerance to ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats after exposure to X-ray irradiation.

Methods
Twelve male rats were randomly divided into control group and radiation group. The rat model of radiation-induced heart disease was established in the radiation group by precordial irradiation with 20.0 Gy of 6 MV X-ray in a single fraction. At 14 days after model establishment, the Langendorff perfusion technique was performed in the two groups and the cardiac parameters including left ventricular developing pressure (LVDP), left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), maximal rate of left ventricular pressure rise/fall (+ /-LVdp/dtmax), and coronary flow (CF) were recorded. Myocardial infarct size after I/R was compared between the two groups by 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining.

Results
After 30 minutes of ischemia and 60 minutes of reperfusion, the irradiation group had a significantly slower CF than the control group (5.64±0.35 vs. 8.38±0.52 ml/min, P=0.002). Moreover, the irradiation group had substantially poorer recovery of cardiac function in isolated hearts compared with the control group, as shown by a significantly reduced LVDP (25.4±2.31 vs. 52.76±2.76 mm Hg(1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa), P=0.000), significantly reduced+ /-LVdp/dtmax (547.04±78.74 vs. 1 100.05±83.35 mm Hg(1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa)/s, P=0.001; -408.81±56.74 vs-813.62±73.82 mm Hg(1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa)/s, P=0.002), and a significantly increased LVEDP (85.29±4.61 vs. 65.65±3.65 mm Hg(1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa), P=0.012). X-ray irradiation induced a significantly increased percentage of myocardial infarct size in rats (44.67%±0.95% vs. 30.46%±0.96%, P=0.000).

Conclusions
X-ray irradiation can induce coronary injury, reduce myocardial tolerance to I/R injury, and increase myocardial infarct size after I/R in rats.

Key words:
Radiation-induced heart disease; Myocardial ischemia reperfusion; Langendorff perfusion; Heart function; Myocardial infarction


Through an analytical reading of Henry Ford's book "My Life and Work" and the book "The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer," this article presents a compilation of factors that shape thinking and action in solving routine problems in companies. Having compiled the researched principles, techniques, tools, and business practices, the authors provide an adaptation for the present day. Thus, we understand the importance of reflecting on possible ways to solve routine problems such as general waste, product/service quality issues, low efficiency, and disruptions in workflows, as well as concerns about various aspects of organizational routines. These problems hinder companies from achieving their performance objectives, drive customers away, reduce profits, and compromise their image in the market, ultimately losing competitiveness in this highly competitive segment. Based on this context, this research becomes justifiable for generating competitive advantages in companies.


Photoluminescence spectra of silicone rubber ([SiO(CH3)2]n) photochemically modified by a 193 nm ArF excimer laser was found to be controllable. Compared with the modification in air, the photoluminescence spectra could be blueshifted by the modification in vacuum or the additional irradiation of ArF excimer laser in vacuum after the modification in air. To redshift, on the other hand, the additional irradiation of a 157 nm F2 laser in air after the modification in air, the modification in oxygen gas, or the postannealing after the modification in oxygen gas was effective. The blue and redshifts of the photoluminescence were essentially due to the acceleration of reduction and oxidation reactions of silicone rubber, respectively, because the photoluminescence derives its origin from oxygen deficiency centers and peroxy centers of the silica structure in the modified silicone rubber. On the basis of the spectra changes, colorful light-guiding sheets made of silicone rubber under illumination of a 375 nm light-emitting diode were successfully fabricated for cellular phone use.


Discusses the introduction of competence‐based standards for training and development and the impact on the training of teachers by requiring changes in the assessment skills learned in teacher training. Compares the standards for training and development with the guidance given to teacher‐training institutions. Suggests that the fuller introduction of competence‐based, NVQ‐style learning and assessment would have some further impact on teacher training and, despite the opposition of academics, the effects could be beneficial. Sees these possible changes as part of a process which is democratic without lowering standards.


Objective: To analyze some rehabilitation training measures in the clinical application of acute phase stroke patients with dysphagia,and provide practical guidance for clinical treatment. Methods: 45 cases of acute phase stroke patients with dysphagia treated in our hospital from May,2010 to April,2011 were severed as control group. 45 cases of the acute phase stroke patients with dysphagia treated in our school from May,2011 to April,2012 were used as study group. Both the routine care and symptomatic treatment were conducted in two group,but the rehabilitation training was used in study group in addition. After four weeks of treatment,clinical efficacy and swallowing function were compared between the two groups. Results: In study group 28 cases showed prominent effectiveness,2 cases were ineffective,the total clinical effective rate being 95. 6%. In control group 18 showed marked effectiveness,and 14 cases were ineffective,the total clinical effective rate being 68. 9%. There was significant difference between the two groups( P 0. 05). The swallowing function of patients in the study group was significantly better than that in control group,and the difference was statistically significant( Z = 6. 099,P 0. 05). Nursing satisfaction was 95. 6%,77. 8% in control group,the difference being statistically significant( P 0.05). Conclusion: Rehabilitation training system can improve the swallowing function,reduce food countercurrent and the risk of aspiration,and thus obtain satisfactory clinical effect.


There are a considerable number of studies on the service quality dimensions of banking industries, but little researches were carried out on the product quality dimensions, and this led to the minimal understanding of the impact of product quality dimensions from the customers' standpoints, This research sought to identify the impact Islamic banking products (Murabahah and Mudarabah) dimensions on customer satisfaction. The study surveyed Islamic bank customers (users of the Islamic bank's products in Nigeria) using questionnaires to seek responses, a convenient sampling technique was conducted to reach out to customers, and the use of PLS-SEM 3 was employed for the analysis of the data. The result model shows an R2 value of 0.414 (for Murabahah), which means 41 % of the variance in customer satisfaction is explained by the exogenous constructs of perceived quality, cost, convenience and compliance of Murabahah, and R2 value of 0.309 (for Mudarabah) which means 31 % of the variance in customer satisfaction is explained by the exogenous constructs of perceived quality, cost, convenience and compliance of Mudarabah. The values of R2 for Murabahah and Mudarabah show that the constructs were moderate in determining the satisfaction level of customers as they produced 0.414 and 0.309 respectively.


In a sequel to his Problem of Slavery in Western Culture, David Brion Davis provides a superb analysis of antislavery thought and action during a half-century of war, revolution, and rapid economic change. Until the eighteenth century, slavery was almost universally upheld by dominant religious and philosophical doctrines as well as by material interests. Why, asks Davis, was its political and ethical environment increasingly hostile in the generation after the American Revolution? A richly textured study, this book is primarily "an analysis of the historical contexts and consequences of a change in moral perception within the white enslaving culture" (11). A discussion of the early history of organized efforts to end the Atlantic slave trade and New World slavery, this study cuts a very wide swath through a half century of Western culture. Davis has worked through a mountain of primary materials, turning a bright new searchlight on them all, and he has critically assimilated the plethora of recent publications on such topics as slavery in the Western hemisphere and the ideology of the American Revolution. He has largely restricted his focus to England and the United States and only to a much lesser extent France and the British and French West Indies. He does not, therefore, assess the consequences for slavery and antislavery of the loss of metropolitan control with the end of colonialism in Latin America. Though he discusses developments in St. Domingue and other instances in which blacks took an initiative to change their status, he concentrates overwhelmingly on white responses to slavery. This is a subtle book, most rewarding when Davis traces the assimilation of antislavery ideas into other controversies. He systematically employs the concept of ideology to connect antislavery ideas and aspirations to the political and economic contexts in which those ideas developed (or gained significant adherents). Such developments as the British decision to end the slave trade he closely relates to tensions within white societies, to political and economic developments that generated divergent interests to which positions on slavery inevitably became hitched. In America, for example, slavery and antislavery were central to the ideology that generated, justified, and shaped rebellion against England; central to the writing and ratification of the United States Constitution were such slavery-related issues as protection of slave property, the slave trade, and the distribution of federal tax burdens and Congressional representation.


In the research process, researchers are repeatedly confronted with situations in which they have to make a moral decision about how they should deal with their research counterparts, but also with the ethical requirements of science and society. This leads to conflicts. In the analysis of qualitatively oriented empirical studies, central elements for solving these conflict situations are recorded against the background of a heuristic model of research morality. First didactically based considerations for a training concept are presented. In her research, the author herself has dealt with these questions for many years in her studies on people with dementia.


Former work (I and II) led to the conclusion that the membrane diffusion potential at cellulose membranes must be connected with the degree of dissociation of acid groups in the membrane. In this communication the dissociation of carboxyl groups in cellulose is investigated with the aid of "neutralization curves".

Investigating cellulose material into which carboxyl groups had been introduced (oxycellulose), it appeared that the carboxyl groups occur in a reactive and an unreactive form, which are interconvertible. The unreactive carboxyl groups are assumed to be present in an anhydride form. If care is taken that the carboxyl groups are present in the reactive form, they can be titrated, and well-defined neutralization curves can be obtained. Neutral salts greatly influence the titrations. Shape and position of the neutralization curves depend on the content of carboxyl groups in the material. — The law of mass action and the Donnan equilibrium as commonly formulated are not sufficient to explain shape and position of the neutralization curves, nor is it clear in what way they are connected with the membrane diffusion potentials.


All's well that's being done well; sales techniques training has rejuvenated Renold Conveyor. Derek Mack, Conveyor's UK Sales Director, and David Bailey of consultants Mercuri International elaborated. Andrzej Kuras listened.


The division of housework has been the object of investigations in order to verify how the gender relations in families occur. The literature on the subject focused mainly on heterosexual unions and showed how the asymmetrical relations in this family model are still crossed by gender. Few research, however, have investigated this aspect in LGBT unions. This article aims to discuss the results of some work on LGBT unions, in order to reflect on the division of domestic work in these relations and on factors that may influence the assignment of tasks.


IoT industry is growing at a rapid pace since everyone wants to connect everything to internet in order to use various services and applications using shared data. Openness is observed as an emergi ...


Since January 2005, the attention on European carbon markets has been increasing and thus the interest in studying the implications of the existence of two new assets in portfolio management. In this article we analyse both the characteristics of the EUAs Phase I and Phase II as a sole investment and the impact of including these two assets, considered separately, in a well-diversified portfolio. In order to control the problems of using historical returns, we have performed this analysis using as expected returns either historical returns or risk-adjusted returns. We find that, although the weights of EUAs are not too important when incorporating the EUAs in an optimal and well-diversified portfolio, the efficient frontier shows an increase in investor possibilities.


In both the Netherlands and Norway, the study of sociology on the university level began shortly after WWII. The impetus for this in Norway was largely provided by the philosopher Arne Naess. The founder of sociology in that country is Eilert Sundt, who made extensive studies of Norwegian life in the middle of the last century. In 1950 the Instit for Social Research was founded to promote the research of sociological questions. The institute has only a small administrative staff, but in the past few years has sponsored much valuable work. The number of tenured professors in sociology has increased from 1 only 5 years ago, to 7 at the presenty, more and more sociologists have begun work in policy-making bodies. Norwegian sociology has tended to view society critically, and has fought for reform in institutions which need it. A great deal of research has gone into the legal system, economics, politics, and internationalism. The quality of Norwegian sociological work has been high, and its impact felt far beyond Norway's borders. P. Tiersma


Allergic reactions can be caused by commonly prescribed drugs and can lead to fatal anaphylaxis. Here, the author describes the typical reactions to the drugs implicated and how and when to investigate a suspected drug allergy. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Interface Ltd


The utility model discloses a device for equipment intelligent management, including equipment store, store the baffle, equipment stores position, pressure sensor and stores the pilot lamp, each pressure sensor is connected to the device management host computer respectively, is equipped with memory and information generator in the device management host computer, still include humidity transducer, luminance sensor and the change adjustting of the lighteness lamp be connected with the device management host computer, become the adjustting of the lighteness lamp and be connected with the conditioning controller that the device management host computer still is connected with the humidity control device, whether pressure sensor can the check out test set be in is stored the position, if be in and store the position, light by the pilot lamp that stores of device management host computer control this position, when personnel borrowed equipment, the back was tak eoff away to equipment, the pressure sensor cooperation down, the device management host computer produces to be saved by means of information, the while is sent to debit's the cell -phone on through information generator to be equipped with to use, humidity transducer and luminance sensor's setting can be controlled and store indoor environment.


For any bounded smooth domain $\Omega$ of $\mathbb{R}^N$ with $N\geq 2$, we provide existence, uniqueness and regularity results for weak solutions to the degenerated singular problem
\begin{gather*}
\begin{cases}
-\operatorname{div}(\mathcal A(x,\nabla u))=\frac{f}{u^\delta}\,\,\text{ in }\,\,\Omega,
u>0\text{ in }\Omega,\,\, u = 0 \text{ on } \partial\Omega,
\end{cases}
\end{gather*}
where $\delta>0$, $f$ be a non-negative function belong to some Lebesgue space and $\mathcal{A}:\Omega\times\mathbb{R}^N\to\mathbb{R}^N$ is a Carath\'eodory function satisfying some growth conditions depending upon an element lying in the Muckenhoupt class of weights.


This study aims to determine and analyze the preferences and satisfaction of farmers for the Ciherang variety rice seeds. The location of this research is in Cenlecen Village, Pakong District, Pamekasan Regency. The population in this study were all rice farmers in Cenlecen Village and the sample in this study amounted to 70 people using probability sampling technique. Based on the results of the study using the Customers Satisfaction Index (CSI), it shows the interest and satisfaction of farmers on the attributes of the amount of production and quality of rice, for plant attributes that are resistant to pests, production costs and easy to obtain. While the attributes of the ability to grow seeds in the field, ease of work, government services and product packaging. for attributes of plant form and are used to planting. To achieve the goal of farmer satisfaction with the attributes of rice planting using ciherang seeds, the results obtained are 63,62578, meaning that farmers are quite satisfied. The efficiency level of the attributes of farmers who use Ciherang rice seeds is on average above the efficiency line, only the attributes of the amount of production and quality of rice are expected to be below the efficiency line


Phylodynamics is an area of population genetics that uses genetic sequence data to estimate past population dynamics. Modern state‐of‐the‐art Bayesian nonparametric methods for recovering population size trajectories of unknown form use either change‐point models or Gaussian process priors. Change‐point models suffer from computational issues when the number of change‐points is unknown and needs to be estimated. Gaussian process‐based methods lack local adaptivity and cannot accurately recover trajectories that exhibit features such as abrupt changes in trend or varying levels of smoothness. We propose a novel, locally adaptive approach to Bayesian nonparametric phylodynamic inference that has the flexibility to accommodate a large class of functional behaviors. Local adaptivity results from modeling the log‐transformed effective population size a priori as a horseshoe Markov random field, a recently proposed statistical model that blends together the best properties of the change‐point and Gaussian process modeling paradigms. We use simulated data to assess model performance, and find that our proposed method results in reduced bias and increased precision when compared to contemporary methods. We also use our models to reconstruct past changes in genetic diversity of human hepatitis C virus in Egypt and to estimate population size changes of ancient and modern steppe bison. These analyses show that our new method captures features of the population size trajectories that were missed by the state‐of‐the‐art methods.


The article considers the views of scientists on the nature of costs and the process of cost management in restaurants. Comparative analysis of the interpretation of the nature of costs is aimed at reflecting the value of resources used by restaurants to obtain financial results and achieve important goals of the institution. The success of institutions depends on two conditions: the volume and quality of performance of functions and tasks to be solved (production volume, sales, services, etc.); and resource management. Thus, cost management means improving the management process of all aspects of the enterprise. Cost management should be considered as a complex concept that ensures the development of management decisions. The advantages and disadvantages of approaches to cost management of the restaurant business are identified. The components of the cost management process are proposed, which reflect the sequence and connection of the main stages of management decision-making. The practical implementation of the proposed components will allow the management of the institution to build a process of cost management, which will operate effectively in conditions of uncertainty of market relations; to allocate costs in the conditions of limited available resources for the purpose of their effective use; make effective management decisions that will facilitate the rapid adaptation of the existing cost management system to changes in the external environment. Effective cost management plays a crucial role in the process of reproduction, as covering the cost of production allows you to restore and expand the scale of activities. The size of the profit of the restaurant depends directly on its costs, as costs affect the efficiency of production, pricing and competitiveness of products in the market. In addition, the study of costs allows you to decide on the feasibility of the hospitality industry. To form an effective cost management system, increase the volume of economic activity of enterprises, reduce the cost of production, improve its quality and improve the quality of management decisions, the article proposes to develop and implement a program to increase competitiveness. This means an organized set of works aimed at solving the problem of increasing the competitiveness of products and institutions as a whole, the implementation of which is limited in time, as well as related to the consumption of specific financial, logistical and labor resources.


Introduction: The Cysteine and Glycine-Rich Protein 3 (CSRP3) gene encoding muscle LIM protein (MLP) is a master regulator of cardiac muscle myogenesis and mechanosensing. We previously reported th...


Recent trends in industrial manufacturing impose the adoption of changeable systems, based on reconfigurable and flexible equipment. In this scenario, industrial robotics platforms are central to design highly reconfigurable systems. A Robotic Reconfigurable Machining Platform (RRMP), as defined, is a modular architecture for robotic workcells, designed in order to exploit the flexibility features of robots and extend their field of application to high precision machining. RRMP calibration is a key task, which involves calibration of tools, workpieces and peripherals. However, state-of-the-art calibration methods and tools lead to hardly predictable system downtime, which impacts the reconfiguration phase. A novel method to perform the workpiece calibration is proposed for the reduction of the reconfiguration efforts in RRMPs. The method is addressed through a full integration with a virtual environment for robot simulation and programming. The method is finally applied to an industrial case study and compared to the most widely diffused online approach.


Objective To explore the effect evaluation of amniotic fluid cell detection used in antenatal diagnosis.Methods The amniotic fluid cell detection was used for 84 cases of suspected chromosome abnormality patients from November 2007 to 2009 April.Results 84 cases of patients were detected 61 cases first time,it took up 72.6 %(61/84),there are chromosome abnormality 54 cases and polymorphism of trabant and secondary constriction 7 cases.58 cases were diagnosed second time,and took up 95.1%(58/61)Conclusions Amniotic fluid cell detection has its limitation in some degree,but it was simple and effective,and can reduce the happen rate of genetic disease,so it deserved promotion and application in clinical work.


Supporting the emotional well-being of children and young people with learning disabilities is a timely and very wellintentioned book. It outlines a structured, three-part 'emotionally able' approach to supporting the emotional well-being of children with severe and complex learning difficulties. Each of the main chapters of the book is devoted to one of the three stages of this approach as follows: initial engagement; developing an emotionally supportive classroom; and supporting the individual child.


The development of multi-device user interfaces is an error prone process. Although the look and feel differs from target platform to target platform, the meaning remains the same. We provide a solution facilitating multi-device authoring: a concept based on the language theory of speech acts for the description of the interaction between the user and the application. It consists of an XML based description language and a supporting architecture. Compared to other work in this area, our approach is not only independent of the target device, but also provides a richer user experience at less development time.


The study aimed to reveal the most prominent social regulations and systems related to the role of parents in the family in the CEDAW Convention, in addition to clarifying the impact of the application of this agreement on the Muslim family. To achieve this, the descriptive analytical approach was used, and content analysis was used as a tool for analysing the articles and clauses contained in the International Convention, and the study was applied to a sample, namely the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and this convention was chosen because the majority of its provisions relate to the family in addition to the accession of many Arab and Islamic countries. The study has reached a number of conclusions: The Convention does not take into account the religious and cultural specificity of some societies. The Convention also seeks to impose a secular vision on the world by abolishing the shariah provisions relating to the family. They call for the abuse of men over women in the family by changing the roles of women and men in the family and by establishing the principle of power-sharing and responsibility among them. In addition to imposing the Western family model on the world by taking away the guardianship of fathers over children. The government's decision to amend the Law on The Rights of Women and The Rights of Women is a matter of priority. The convention also calls for women's freedom to travel and Muslim countries have given women the right to travel without the guardian's permission, which, if exploited negatively, will affect family construction. The study made some recommendations, the most important of which were: raising families' awareness of family rights and duties in the light of the teachings of Islam through various media. The formation of a committee of various disciplines (political, religious and social) to study the content of international conventions of various dimensions before signing them.


On a stand-alone basis, IFGL posted a profit after tax of Indian rupee (INR) 67.7m ($1.08m*) in Q3 2014, down 1.1% year-on-year (y-o-y), against INR 208m ($3.3m) for nine months ended 31 December 2014, up 23% compared with the same period in 2013.

On a consolidated-basis, IFGL posted a profit after tax of INR 124m ($1.9m) for the latest reported period, down 11% y-o-y, and INR 447.3m ($5.2m) for the first nine months of 2014, down 7.3% y-o-y compared with 2013.

Meanwhile, fellow Indian producer Orient Refractories, which is controlled by Austria-based RHI AG, recorded a marginal drop in its earnings reporting net profit of INR 131.5m ($2.1m) in the quarter ended on 31 December 2014, a decrease of 6.2% when compared with the same period in 2013.


Knowledge of the slip behavior of the Altyn Tagh fault (ATF) has significant implications for our understanding of the tectonic deformation of the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, we process Global Positioning System (GPS) data spanning 2009–2017 across the western ATF, merge the solution with recently published GPS velocities, and obtain a dense GPS velocity field for northern Tibet. We introduce an elastic block model and estimate the fault slip rate, interseismic fault coupling (ISC), and seismic moment accumulation rate along the ATF. The estimated left‐lateral strike‐slip rate of the ATF decreases eastward from 12.8 ± 0.4 mm/a to 0.1 ± 0.2 mm/a. Results show a heterogeneous distribution of ISC along the fault, with the fault locking depth varying from 5 to 20 km. The seismic moment accumulation rate is 2.16–2.37 × 1018 N m/km along three segments between Sulamu Tagh and Aksay bends, where the accumulated seismic moment over the last five centuries could be balanced by earthquakes with magnitudes of Mw 7.7, Mw 7.6, and Mw 7.8, respectively. We calculate the ratio of the Indo‐Eurasia convergence accommodated by the ATF and find that 10.3% of the convergence is accommodated along the fault by lateral extrusion; quantitative analysis of the strain rate, however, shows that a large part of the northern Tibet is not well described by elastic block rotation. Consequently, we suggest that a hybrid kinematic model that includes both block‐like and continuous deformation is needed to better delineate the crustal deformation of the Tibetan Plateau.