Information systems often require combining datasets available in different formats, and geographical information systems are no exception. While semantic technologies have been used before to enable interoperability between relational databases, little research has yet been done for the special case of geographical information systems, despite their applications in active areas of research such as location-based services. In this paper we present an OWL-based system for seamless conversion between geographical file formats. While implementing this system we reached the complexity limits of current description logics reasoners and had to design custom algorithms to compute the logical inferences we needed. This process suggested interesting approaches to enable scalable reasoning on the semantic web.


Quality management, analysis and evaluation of intelligent systems are important tasks. This paper proposes a data mining approach based on the technique of subgroup mining utilizing a data warehouse that contains data from the respective intelligent system to be evaluated and from other external sources. The context of our work is given by an intelligent documentation and consultation system in the medical domain of sonography. For demonstrating the applicability and benefit of the presented approach, we provide several realworld examples of a case-study applying the approach in the medical domain of sonography.


The invention discloses a method for synthesizing tributyl citrate by using a resorcinol formaldehyde resin based solid acid as a catalyst, belonging to the technical field of chemical synthesis. The method is characterized by comprising the following steps: carrying out catalytic esterification reaction by using a resorcinol formaldehyde resin based solid acid as a catalyst; and after the reaction finishes, filtering out the catalyst from the reaction mixture, washing with water, washing with alkali, and distilling to obtain the tributyl citrate. The method disclosed by the invention has the following advantages: (1) the yield is high (97.5-99.8%); (2) the catalyst consumption is low (approximately 0.5-3.0% of the total weight of the reaction raw materials); (3) the reaction conditions are mild, and the reaction time is short; (4) the catalyst can be used repeatedly; (5) the method does not pollute the environment; and (6) the reactant n-butanol is directly used as a dehydrant, thereby avoiding using methylbenzene and other poisonous dehydrants.


ABSTRACT The aim of this research is to investigate how spiritual retreat tourism influences tourist satisfaction and intention to revisit a destination. A quantitative approach was employed and a self-administered survey was used to collect data. A multiple regression analysis was used to analyze data. The results revealed that push factors including novelty, relaxation, transcendence, self-esteem, physical appearance and escape influence spiritual retreat tourist satisfaction; while pull factors, especially authentic experiences, natural settings, peaceful atmosphere, far from the usual places and historical significance, influence spiritual retreat tourist satisfaction, in turn leading to intention to revisit the same destination.


Objective
To investigate the self-care agency in disabled elders of community and to explore effects of medical care and nursing service integration on self-care agency in disabled elders with different degrees of disability in community.

Methods
We traced and investigated a total of 42 disabled elders signed medical care and nursing service integration with a community. The self-care agency was compared with the Chinese Version of the Self-care Ability Scale for the Elderly (SASE-CHI) before and six months after service objects accepting services.

Results
The average of self-care ability of community disabled elders was (48.69±12.11) with a low level. Six months after accepting medical care and nursing service integration, the score of self-care ability of disabled elders increased along with (53.07±8.68) in total score of self-care ability, (21.38±3.76) in objective dimension and (25.62±4.39) in skill dimension. There were significant differences in scores of self-care ability compared before and after accepting service (t=-2.346, -2.592, -2.731; P 0.05) . The total score of self-care ability and score of skill dimension increased in elders with moderate and severe ability after accepting services, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05) .

Conclusions
The self-care ability of community disabled elders is in a low level. The medical care and nursing service integration can improve self-care ability of community disabled elders. However, there is great room to upgrade.

Key words:
Self care; Community care; Disabled elderly; Medical care and nursing service integration


1. A composition for oral care, containing more than 50 wt% water; an effective amount of benzyl alcohol;. iabraziv based kremniya.2 dioxide. . The composition according to claim 1 comprising: from 50% to about 80 wt% water, from about 0.1 to about 1 wt% benzyl alcohol;.. OTH about 3 to about 25 wt.% based on the abrasive kremniya.3 dioxide. . Composition according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising means, mouthfeel enhancer selected from the group consisting of: microcrystalline cellulose; maltodextrin; modified food starch; and a combination of two or more thereof, in an amount effective to enhance mouthfeel of the composition while ispolzovaniya.4. A composition according to claim. 3, wherein the means for enhancing the mouthfeel is microcrystalline tsellyuloza.5. A composition according to claim. 3, wherein the means enhancing mouthfeel is contained in a concentration of from about 0.01% to about 5% by weight kompozitsii.6. A composition according to claim. 3, wherein the means enhancing mouthfeel is contained in a concentration of from about 0.05% to about 2% by weight kompozitsii.7. A composition according to claim. 3, wherein the means enhancing mouthfeel is contained in a concentration of about 1% on the weight vpereschete kompozitsii.8. Composition according to Claim. 1, wherein the abrasive contains silicon dioxide in an amount ranging from about 5% to about 20% by weight kompozitsii.9. A composition according to claim. 8, wherein the abrasive silica present in a concentration of about 8% by weight kompozitsii.10. Composition according to Claim. 1, in which benzyl alcohol is contained in a concentration of from about 0.2% to about 0.6% by weight kompozitsii.11. TO


Four simple, sensitive, and accurate spectrophotometric methods (A-D) have been developed for the determination of domperidone (I) and doxycycline (II) in bulk and in pharmaceutical formulations. The first two methods (A and B) are based on the formation of yellow ion-pair complexes between the examined drugs with bromocresol green (BCG) and methyl orange (MO) as chromophoric reagents in Britton-Robinson (B-R) universal buffer of pH 3.0 and 2.2, respectively. The formed complexes were extracted with chloroform and measured at 420 nm and 424 nm for I and II using BCG, respectively and 480 nm for the studied drugs using MO. The last two methods (C and D) are based on charge transfer complex formation between the studied drugs and tetracyanoethylene (TCNE); and 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ). Different variables affecting the reactions were studied and optimized. Under the optimum reaction conditions, linear relationships with good correlation coefficients (0.9992 - 0.9998) were found between the absorbance and the concentration of I in the range of 1.4-22.4μg mL −1 , whereas that for II in the range 1.4-25.5μg mL −1 . For more accurate analysis, Ringbom optimum concentration range was found to be between 3.0-21.5 and 3.0-23.5μg mL −1 , for I, and II, respectively. Sandell's sensitivity, correlation coefficient, and limits of detection and quantification were calculated for each method. A Job's plot of the absorbance versus the molar ratio of drug to each of formed complex under consideration indicated (1:1) ratio. No interference was observed from common pharmaceutical excipients and additives. Statistical comparison of the results with those obtained by the official method shows excellent agreement and indicates no significant difference in accuracy and precision.


In this paper, the important relation between the development of computer communication technology, as well as intelligent instrument, and field bus is described.The conversion from DCS to FCS is also described. After the application of PROFIBUS technology is introduced, the research and development of PROFIBUS products are discussed. At last, the opportunity of field bus technology bringing to the automatic line of our country is forecasted.


We consider here in greater detail a problem mentioned en passant in our previous paper viz., the programming of problems in multi-valued logic for solution by means of a digital computer. Once again, to give the inquiry a definite direction a particular problem is chosen for discussion. This problem has already been discussed by Rose but from a different point of view; it has already been attacked from an entirely different direction, and some solutions obtained, by programme on DEUCE and ACE.' The discussion divides naturally into three parts: a description of the machine which is to be programmed to obtain a solution to the problem; the problem to be solved and the formal multi-valued logic used to obtain a solution.


a PhD Student, Researcher, Department of Energy Resources and Environmental Engineering, Egypt-Japan University for science and technology E-JUST (Borg El-Arab, Alexandria, Egypt, 21934) b Dr. of Eng., Adjunct Professor, Department of Energy Resources and Environmental Engineering, Egypt-Japan University for science and technology E-JUST (Borg El-Arab, Alexandria, Egypt, 21934) c Dr. of Eng., Associate professor, Department of Energy Resources and Environmental Engineering, Egypt-Japan University for science and technology E-JUST (Borg El-Arab, Alexandria, Egypt, 21934) d Dr. of Eng., Associate professor, Department of Energy Resources and Environmental Engineering, Egypt-Japan University for science and technology E-JUST (Borg El-Arab, Alexandria, Egypt, 21934)


How many shuffles are needed to mix up a deck of cards? This question may be answered in the language of a random walk on the symmetric group, $S_{52}$. This generalises neatly to the study of random walks on finite groups, themselves a special class of Markov chains. Ergodic random walks exhibit nice limiting behaviour, and both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the convergence to this limiting behaviour is examined. A particular qualitative behaviour, the cut-off phenomenon, occurs in many examples. For random walks exhibiting this behaviour, after a period of time, convergence to the limiting behaviour is abrupt.


The formation of most fluorite deposits in northern Coahuila (NE Mexico) is explained by MVT models, and is a part of the metallogenic province of northeastern Mexico. However, fluorite skarn deposits also occur in the same region, and there is evidence for late hydrothermal manifestations with no clear origin and evolution. The latter are the main focus of this study; in particular, F–Be–U–Mo–V–P stringers in the Aguachile-Cuatro Palmas area that overprint preexisting fluorite mantos. The region experienced the emplacement of several intrusives during the Eocene and the Oligocene that are collectively grouped into the East Mexico Alkaline Province (EMAP) and postdate MVT-like deposits. Some of these intrusives have associated skarn deposits; most of them are polymetallic, but the unusual El Pilote deposit contains fluorite mineralisation that was remobilised from MVT-like deposits. The formation of the Aguachile deposit (and, collectively, part of the Cuatro Palmas deposit) has been attributed to a shallow retrograde skarn model. The Cuatro Palmas and Las Alicias fluorite deposits consist of MVT-like deposits overprinted by late hydrothermal fluorite mineralisation rich in Be–U–Mo–V–P, and the Aguachile deposit consists entirely of the latter type. The systematic fluid inclusion study of MVT-like, skarn, and late hydrothermal fluorite deposits reveals a very different distribution of temperature and salinity data that allows the discrimination of mineralising fluids for the type of deposit. MVT-like deposits were formed by fluids with temperatures of homogenisation that range between 50 °C and 152 °C and salinities between 5 and 15.5 wt.% NaCl equivalent. The El Pilote fluorite skarn was formed by fluids with temperatures of homogenisation that range between 78 °C and 394 °C and salinities between 5 and 34 wt.% NaCl equivalent, and include CaCl2-rich brines with salinities that range between 24.5 and 29.1 wt.% CaCl2. Late shallow fluorite–Be–U–Mo–V–P hydrothermal deposits were formed by fluids with temperatures of homogenisation that range between 70 °C and 180 °C and salinities between 0.9 and 3.4 wt.% NaCl equivalent; the sole exception to the above is the La Fácil deposit, with salinities that range between 7.9 and 8.8 wt.% NaCl equivalent. While temperatures of homogenisation are similar between MVT-like and late hydrothermal deposits, and both even have hydrocarbon-rich fluid inclusion associations, the salinity of late deposits is similar to that of retrograde skarn fluids, although further diluted. However, homogenisation temperatures tend to be higher in late hydrothermal than in MVT-like deposits, thus making them more similar to retrograde skarn fluids. Although this characteristic cannot solely establish a genetic link between a retrograde skarn model and late hydrothermal deposits in the study area, the characteristics of fluids associated with the latter separate these deposits from those ascribed to an MVT-like model. Assuming that mineralising fluids for late fluorite–Be–U–Mo–V–P hydrothermal deposits may correspond to a retrograde skarn (or "epithermal") deposit, the source for fluorine may be either from (A) the dissolution of earlier formed MVT-like deposits, (B) the entrainment of remaining F-rich basinal brines, or (C) hydrothermal fluids exsolved from highly evolved magmas. Possibilities A and B are feasible due to a hypothetical situation similar to the El Pilote skarn, and due to the occurrence of hydrocarbon-rich fluid inclusions at the La Fácil deposit. Possibility C is feasible because intrusive bodies related to highly evolved magmas would have provided other highly lithophile elements like Be, U and Mo upon the exsolution of their hydrothermal fluids. Such intrusive bodies occur in both study areas, and are particularly conspicuous at the Aguachile collapse structure.


In this paper, we describe the design of a planar superconducting on/off switch comprising a high normal resistance nano-bridge deposited across a slotline transmission line. We present preliminary experimental results measured at 220 GHz range, and we discuss in detail the various parameters that affect the performance of the planar on/off switch, including the optimum thickness required for the nano-bridge to achieve high dynamic range and low transmission loss. The analysis is done by combining the accurate superconducting surface impedance description with rigorous electromagnetic simulations, and comparing the simulated results with the measured performance of a previously fabricated on/off switch fed by a backto- back unilateral finline taper. Finally, we propose an improved method to further increase the dynamic range of the switch, by introducing a multi-bridge design to tune out the residual inductance of the nano-bridges.


Objective To investigate the ultrasonic appearance of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) combined with abdominal tuberculosis.Methods The ultrasound data of 88 AIDS patients combined with abdominal tuberculosis were analyzed retrospectively.Results There were 66 cases of abdominal lymph nodes enlargement (75.00%),including 31 cases were combined with cervical lymph nodes enlargement,18 cases were with inside large anechoic area and floating echogenic dots.Forty-seven cases were with liver tuberculosis(53.41%),including 40 cases of hepatomegaly,13 cases of focal liver parenchyma diseases,their appearances were hyperechoic or hypoechoic nodules with uniform size and distribution.There were 49 cases of spleen tuberculosis(10.63%),41 cases were of splenomegaly,and 15 cases of spleen parenchyma lesions,including 14 cases of focal lesions,their appearances were multiple uniform hypoechoic nodules,1 case was of diffuse disease with "moth eaten"changes.There were 8 cases of intestinal tuberculosis (9.09%),2 cases of pancreatic tuberculosis (2.27%),2 cases of urinary system tuberculosis (2.27%),and 14 case of ascites(15.91%).Conclusion The ultrasonic appearance of AIDS combined with abdominal tuberculosis is conformed to pathological features with no calcification,and it is easy to form large liquefaction in the lesions.Multiple organs can be affected espacially the lymph node,liver,and spleen.


The simulation profile of the output performance of a 1310-nm-wavelength tapered fiber optical sensor was obtained and each coefficient in the formula of the output performance was also determined. We found that the output performance in our study can be used to fit the modified Rician distribution function. At a small taper tilt angle, the output performance was used to fit the Rayleigh distribution function. At a large taper tilt angle, the output performance was used to fit the Gaussian distribution function. These techniques were applied to a photonic sensor, which provided the most useful and efficient way for computer simulation. Therefore, we could precisely and effectively conduct experiments on all the measured received power performance characteristics varied by the measured distance with any tilt-angle input fibers. This could avoid errors in duplication or mass production, and even in further study, which utilizes a photonic sensor, a fluorescence probe, or arranged multiheads for multipurpose measurement.


Abstract In India, traffic control management is a difficult task due to an increment in the number of vehicles for the same infrastructure and systems. In the smart-city project, the Adaptive Traffic Light Control System (ATLCS) is one of the major research concerns for an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) development to reduce traffic congestion and accidents, create a healthy environment, etc. Here, we have proposed a Vehicular Density Value (VDV) based adaptive traffic light control system method for 4-way intersection points using a selection of rotation, area of interest, and Statistical Block Matching Approach (SBMA). Graphical User Interface (GUI) and Hardware-based results are shown in the result section. We have compared, the normal traffic light control system with the proposed adaptive traffic light control system in the results section. The same results are verified using a hardware (raspberry-pi) device with different sizes, colors, and shapes of vehicles using the same method.


The problems of perception of international conflict by its participants are examined in the article with the help of the concrete historical material. The British press in connection with the conflict between Russia and Great Britain because of their influence in Persia is analyzed. Both politically coloured and neutral editions are investigated. The different evaluations of the conflict, offered ways of its solution and the public attitude to the opposite side are revealed. The ways of making the image of an enemy" are demonstrated. The government's methods, which are used in order to change the existing negative image of Russia, are shown. The conclusions about the perception of the conflict and the rival by the British public are made. The question concerning possibilities of the press to have some influence on British foreign policy's formation in XIX-XX is also touched upon in the paper.


We analyze the elastic scattering angular distributions of the 16O+16O system at Elab=480 MeV and 704 MeV within the framework of the second-order eikonal model based on Coulomb trajectories of colliding nuclei. The diffractive oscillatory structure observed in the elastic angular distribution could be explained due to the interference between the near- and far-side scattering amplitudes. The presence of a nuclear rainbow in this system is evidenced through a classical deflection function. The effective optical potential is developed from the second-order non-eikonal phase shifts.


Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is a key transcriptional regulator that can induce either silencing or activation of target genes. Genetic polymorphisms in the MECP2/IRAK1 locus have been associated with increased susceptibility to multiple autoimmune diseases such as lupus, primary Sjogren's syndrome, and more recently rheumatoid arthritis. Data from our group suggest that the disease risk variant in this locus is associated with gain of MeCP2 function. Recent findings indicate that MECP2 duplication in humans results in defective T helper cell type 1 (TH1) response and IFN-g production. Herein, we discuss the data from children with MECP2 duplication, human lupus, and from the human MECP2 transgenic and Mecp2 deficient mice to support a link between MECP2 overexpression and autoimmunity. We also provide findings from an Mecp2 deficient mouse that independently support a role for MeCP2 in the immune response and specifically in IFN-g expression. Abnormal DNA methylation, particularly in T cells, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus, a multi-system autoimmune disease characterized by the production of autoantibodies to nuclear antigens. 1,2 We have previously identified, replicated, and confirmed that genetic variants within MECP2 increase the susceptibility to lupus. 3–5 While MECP2 expression was shown to be reduced in total PBMCs in the presence of the lupus risk variant, 6 recent data suggest that the lupus-associated variant in MECP2 is associated with increased MECP2 isoform 2 mRNA expression in stimulated but not unstimulated T cells, 7 and that the human MECP2 transgenic mice develop antinuclear antibodies. 7 The lupus risk variant in MECP2 is also associated with significant DNA hypomethylation in multiple interferon-regulated genes in stimulated T cells, 7 supporting our earlier studies that demonstrated increased expression of interferon-regulated genes in lymphoblastoid cell lines in lupus patients with the MECP2 risk variant. 4


Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in Uganda contribute significantly to socio-economic growth and development. Several training programs have been organized to upgrade the skills and competencies of personnel in these agro-processing enterprises but these often lack a wholistic approach. An Empowerment of the Agro-Processing Industry (EAPI) training was organised to include eight modules covering the key concepts necessary for an agro-processor. These included; food process and value-chain management, product optimization, national and international food standards, Good Management Practices (GMP) and hygienic food processing, quality control, waste management, infrastructure development for food production and food product marketing. This study assessed the potential benefits of the EAPI training on 40 agro-processors from 40 selected agro-processing facilities. Upon completion of a three-day skills development training, MSME practitioners were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive, scale, and thematic analysis were used in the study. The questionnaire used was reliable (Cronbach's coefficient alpha for relevancy = 0.873). Agro-processors found all modules relevant with an average score ranging between 8.7 and 9.5 on a scale of 10. Increase in knowledge, and interaction between stakeholders were the most outstanding potential benefits of the training. Respondents anticipated improving their operations after the training. Provision of handouts, increasing the number of days for the training, and simplifying the language of delivery were some of the suggested improvements. The study suggests that trainings of this nature could improve operations at different agro-processing facilities.


This paper focuses on body interfaces flooding the internet,including the mapped direct-body which embodies telepresence,the reappeared video-body which has the feature of indetermination,and the virtual-body which denotes body's substitution.In internet,the audience,incepting information in individual space,possesses higher independence and participation,compared with those in traditional media.Prevailing in the internet for the fulfillment voyeuristic lust,the body interfaces excited and enrich audience's body image.


Objective To evaluate the clinical therapeutic effect of living Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium combined with lactulose in treatment of chronic functional constipation.Methods A total of 88 patients with chronic functional constipation were randomly divided into 2 groups:living Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium plus lactulose group A(n=46) and lactulose group B(n=42),the treatment course lasted for 4 weeks.Clinical effect and adverse reactions of these two groups were compared.Results The defecation rate within 48h after first dose,in group A(89.1%) was significantly higher than that of control group(69%)(P0.05).The improvement in stool frequency and character of stools and total effective rate in group A were better than those of group B(P0.05).The difference in adverse reactions between these two groups was not significant(P0.05).Conclusion The application of combination of living Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium with lactulose in treatment of patients with chronic functional constipation is better than those with lactulose alone,and its side effects are few.


Cao Xuequan,a famous poet in late Ming Dynasy,was frustrated at his official career because he was involved in Ding-You imperial examination case in Wan-Li period. It had been a major influence on his literary creation. There is a contradictory record of that Cao Xuequan was frustrated because of Ding-You imperial examination case,in WAN-LI WILD WAS COMPILED etc. In this paper,we investigate the relation between Cao Xuequan and people associated with Ding-You imperial examination case, to research the authenticity of the events and literature,related to Ding-You imperial examination case,and to reveal the severe condition of intellectuals in the late Ming Dynasty.


Objective To establish a PCR-Gene chip technology for detecting common intestinal pathogens that causes the diarrhea and provide the theory instruction to the intestinal tract inflammation.Methods Biotin-labeled universal primers for amplification of bacterial 16S rDNA and 23S rDNA were used to amplify extracted genome DNA.Appraising the detect and authenticate effect through expanding the target gene,the hybrid and the hybrid result analysis,meanwhile 100 fecal samples from patients with diarrhea were detected and identified using this assay and bacilliculture results,to inspect the sensitivity and specificity of gene chip technology.Results Among 100 fecal samples,50(50%) samples were positive for the intestinal pathogens by the PCR-Gene chip method;nevertheless 47(47%) samples were positive for the intestinal pathogens by bacterial culture;and the results of gene chip method were consistent with bacterial culture in 42 samples and the coincidence rate was 79.25%.Conclusions The gene chip system we established has high flux and the high accuracy,which is a rapid and accurate method to detect the common intestinal pathogens,and it is also well suitable for the epidemiology investigation and study.


[001]-Oriented lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films were epitaxially grown on Pt/titanium-aluminum-nitride (TAN)/titanium-nitride (TiN)/Si substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Epitaxial thin films of TAN were formed as buffer layers on the Si substrates by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) using TiN seed layers. Oxidation of the TAN was prevented by a sufficiently thick epitaxial Pt layer between the PZT and the TAN, thereby improving the crystallinity and electrical properties of the PZT films. The epitaxial PZT films had a dielectric constant of 697 and a remanent polarization of 38 µC/cm2.


This paper presents two alternative methods for determining the current distribution in the elements of a scanning rectangular array which is optimum in the sense that its radiation pattern has a constant sidelobe level and a narrowest beamwidth in all directions. Exact formulas for both even and odd numbers of elements are given. The dependence of the main-lobe beamwidth on the total number of elements, the element spacing, the sidelobe level, and the scan angle is studied in detail. The minimum required number of controlled elements in a square array with electronic beam scanning over a specified sector for a guaranteed upper limit on beamwidth without grating lobes is determined. Numerical results are included, which illustrate many interesting features of the new design technique.


Cancer treatment based on new technologies has allowed the cure or the disease control for
progressively longer periods, requesting the follow-up of patients through many years, in the
sense of outcomes evaluation as well as prompt intervention in the disease recurrence cases.
This work is aimed at designing an electronic system able to aggregate clinical data, procedures employed and costs associated with cancer attention to subsidize oncologic
attention management. Specific objectives contemplated in the system design include: (1)
projecting aggregation of cadastral and clinical longitudinal data relative to procedures use
and costs associated with cancer treatment; (2) fulfilling computerization needs regarding
procedures and activities recording, and integrating electronic systems (creation of electronic patient recording system); (3) developing a cost subsystem related to diagnostic, therapeutic, rehabilitation and clinical support procedures, applied on outpatient and inpatient cancer attention, adjusted to procedures and activities recording; and (4) developing a report extraction tool. All data to be integrated must be loaded in electronic databases, able to provide real-time information. To consider attention costs, we will apply the activity-based costing method, which provides a technical process of monitoring costs associated with de activities. The cost applicative must be built as modules able to account for different complexity levels, applicable in any size hospitals. The work developed here has strong application potential in INCA, enabling it to generate knowledge about cancer status, pointing out courses of action, identifying investment needs and contributing to the analysis of the current technologies, new technologies and eventual protocol reviews and changes. It is expected to constitute the pilot project for a cancer information system in the country, able to provide reliable and updated data concerning clinical aspects, resource use, costs and outcomes relative to cancer patients' health care.


The method of maximum likelihood (ML) is widely used for analyzing generalized linear mixed models (GLMM's). A full maximum likelihood analysis requires numerical integration techniques for calculation of the log-likelihood, and to avoid the computational problems involving irreducibly high-dimensional integrals, several maximum likelihood algorithms have been proposed in the literature to estimate the model parameters by approximating the log-likelihood function. Although these likelihood algorithms are useful for fitting the GLMM's efficiently under strict model assumptions, they can be highly influenced by the presence of unusual data points. In this article, the author develops a technique for finding robust maximum likelihood (RML) estimates of the model parameters in GLMM's, which appears to be useful in downweighting the influential data points when estimating the parameters. The asymptotic properties of the robust estimators are investigated under some regularity conditions. Small simulations are carried out to study the behavior of the robust estimates in the presence of outliers, and these estimates are also compared to the ordinary classical estimates. To avoid the computational problems involving high-dimensional integrals, the author proposes a robust Monte Carlo Newton–Raphson (RMCNR) algorithm for fitting GLMM's. The proposed robust method is illustrated in an analysis of data from a clinical experiment described in a biometrical journal.


According to Islam, bank interest on credit activities is included in the category of "usury" which is forbidden for Islam. The problem of bank credit activities is a very important need for people in doing business. The purpose of this paper is to try to use simple mathematical symbols to try to eliminate the essence of usury. Changing the essence of "usury" with the concept of cooperation and using a simple symbol "=" can eliminate the essence of usury, of course everything must be based on good intentions and honesty


Compared with ordinary linear CCD, one of the most remarkable advantages of TDI/CCD is that it can work under low illumination conditions with imaging clearly. Meanwhile, multiple exposures can reduce pixel inconsistency and the fixed-pattern noise; enhance the Sensitivity and Uniformity of visible light CCD. As a result, TDI/CCD has an extensive application in the aerospace industry. To meet the needs of orientation of TDI/CCD's application towards high-speedy, miniaturization and intellectualization, in this paper,Fairchild Imaging CCD525 is chosen as image sensor,by means of programming on XC2V1000 which is one type of Virtex-II serials FPGA, using the key technology such as IP reuse,DCM and timing constrain, realized the functions of real-time adjustment of TDI integration time,number of integration stages,VGA gain and digital quantitative deviation. The whole system not merely passed the software simulation on ModelSim,and achieved satisfactory effect in practical application.


Developing cyberattack-resilient load forecasting is critical for electric utilities in the face of increasingly broad cyberattack surfaces. It is, however, a challenging task due to the adversary's unknown behaviors. This paper bridges the gap by developing an adversarial machine learning (AML) approach for cyberattack-resilient load forecasting. The novelties of this paper include: 1) its analysis of cyber security issues for traditional artificial neural network (ANN) based load forecasting; 2) the ensemble adversarial training it establishes to tackle different attack scenarios; and 3) the selection of parameters for AML it evaluates to achieve desired performance. Test results validate the effectiveness and excellent performance of the presented method.


To improve the psychoemotional state and restore sexual functions, all patients underwent rational psychotherapy. Dietary supplements produced by Harmony Ukraine Ltd. were prescribed for use in 63 patients, 42 men did not receive additional treatment. Results. In the course of the study, it was found that in men from couples, the cause of infertile marriage in whom tuboperitoneal pathology in women was previously recognized, manifestations of sexual dysfunctions are rare intimate relationships, decreased sex drive, impaired erectile function. The use of dietary supplements against the background of rational psychotherapy leads to an improvement and normalization of male sexuality, namely: an increase in the frequency of intimate relationships, an increase in sexual desire, the presence of a persistent, prolonged, controlled erection during intercourse, and the emergence of more vivid orgasmic sensations. The positive effect of therapy with the inclusion of dietary supplements was noted by 92.1% of men, 69.9% of patients were very satisfied with the treatment. Men who received only rational psychotherapy indicated its effectiveness in 23.8% of cases (p<0.001), very high efficiency - in 19.0% of cases (p<0.001). Conclusion. It is advisable to include dietary supplements in the complex of therapy for men with infertility in marriage due to tuboperitoneal pathology in women with sexual dysfunctions.


For block coded modulations, this paper gives an upper bound of the number of code words subject to the given minimum Euclidean distance and the given average energy. The result is applied to multi-level PSK and ASK signal sets. The bound is derived by generalizing Johnson's bound (1972) for binary constant weight codes.<<ETX>>


The methadone maintenance treatment program began as a research study of six patients in 1964 at Rockefeller University Hospital under the sponsorship of the Health Research Council of New York City. Following the success of this small pilot program, a structured treatment program was developed, combining pharmacological support and rehabilitative services. During the next ten years, with fundinHrom the New York State Division of Substance Abuse Services and its predecessor agencies, the number of patients in treatment in the New York City area grew to a peak of 37,000. From the beginning of this work and continuing until the fall of 1979, every patient admitted to maintenance treatment in the New York City area was listed in a common registry. This data service was administered during the first nine years by the research unit at Rockefeller University, and then was transferred to a not-for-profit corporation, The Community Treatment Foundation. It provided a continuous record of admissions, discharges and readmissions of methadone patients over a period of fifteen years. This historical registry was terminated in September 1979, when the Community Treatment Foundation ceased to operate, and identifying information was purged to protect patient confidentiality. Thus, the present study is in some respects unique; it cannot be continued and is unlikely to be repeated on such a large scale. The central focus of this study was the long-term outcome of patients discharged from maintenance treatment. Some outcomes were known, as the registry did provide return to treatment data, but there was no information for those discharged patients who did not return to treatment. This study should not be considered an evaluation of methadone maintenance treatment, since, by definition, the benefits of a maintenance treatment will be largely confined to the during treatment period.


Reflux esophagitis (R-E) is precancerous condition. The authors show urgency of the problem from the perspective of early detection of reflux esophagitis and its timely surgical treatment considering disappointing results of surgical and radiation and chemotherapy treatments of esophageal carcinoma. Basing on the data of modern literature and own researches the authors claim that late revealing of R-E and late surgery need the treatment of bronchoobstructive and pulmonary complications as well as esophageal carcinoma. Great spread of R-E in Russia and abroad proves the data of own researches. In early diagnostics of R-E the authors pay much attention to described endoscopic criteria of R-E, they are lack the reflex function of the cardia, shortening of the esophagus and other endoscopic signs of complicated forms of R-E. They can serve as guide for timely diagnostics and appointment for surgery. The given clinical observations prove the risk of bronchial complecations and esophageal carcinoma at R-E and show the efficiency of surgical treatment in the case of complications.


Background: Kawasaki syndrome (KS) is characterized by inflammation of coronary arteries and other medium-sized muscular arteries, leading to coronary aneurysms and thromboses. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a class of zinc-dependent, calcium-requiring enzymes capable of degrading extracellular matrices, are vital for extracellular remodeling. Elevated MMP-9 mRNA, protein and enzyme levels have previously been reported in adults with abdominal aortic aneurysm. Methods: Plasma or serum samples from KS patients (31) and febrile (9) and afebrile (17) controls were analyzed for MMP-9 enzyme and protein levels, as well as TIMP-1 protein levels, by gelatin zymography and ELISA. Results: Both MMP-9 enzyme and protein levels and TIMP-1 protein levels were significantly elevated in the acute phase of KS compared to their respective convalescent phase (mean MMP-9 enzyme: 114,754 pixels vs. 29,523 pixels; MMP-9 protein: 1,147 ng/mL vs. 193 ng/mL; TIMP-1 protein: 1,321 ng/mL vs. 651 ng/mL), as well as to febrile (MMP-9 enzyme: 114,754 pixels vs. 54,947 pixels; MMP-9 protein: 1,147 ng/mL vs. 428 ng/mL; TIMP-1 protein: 1,321 ng/mL vs. 600 ng/mL) and afebrile (MMP-9 enzyme: 114,754 pixels vs. 25,071 pixels; MMP-9 protein: 1,147 ng/mL vs. 110 ng/mL; TIMP-1 protein: 1,321 ng/mL vs. 552 ng/mL) controls. Conclusions: The markedly elevated levels of MMP-9 in the acute phase of KS may reflect vascular remodeling or an inflammatory response to a microbial agent. Furthermore, because MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in KS are significantly different from febrile controls, we are evaluating the usefulness of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 as a much needed diagnostic test for KS. [Supported by grants from RCMI program (G12RR/AI-03061), NCRR, NIH; American Heart Association (9960338Z); and Hawaii Community Foundation (990565)]


The invention discloses a plate rolling device. The plate rolling device is characterized by comprising a base (1), an upper rolling shaft (3) and a pair of lower rolling shafts (5a and 5b). A power device (2) is arranged on the base (1); one end of the upper rolling shaft (3) is supported on the base through an upper rolling shaft support and connected with the power device (2), and an upper rolling wheel (31) is installed at the other end of the upper rolling shaft (3); the lower rolling shafts (5a and 5b) are parallel with the upper rolling shaft (3), are installed on the base and can move vertically relative to the base, and lower rolling wheels (51a and 51b) are installed on the lower rolling shafts (5a and 5b) respectively and located below the upper rolling wheel (31). Cylinder bodies formed after rolling forming can be conveniently detached from the rolling shafts; the upper rolling shaft can be replaced at any time according to the need of machining the cylinder bodies so that the plate rolling device can meet the rolling need of the cylinder bodies of different diameters, and accordingly the rolling efficiency can be improved.


A national survey of 230 counselor educators was conducted to examine issues that encourage or discourage these educators to continue as faculty members. Three of the 5 factors (Organizational Control, Internal Control and Rewards, and Time and Effort Management) identified in a factor analysis of the 91-item, author-developed questionnaire (Pluses and Minuses of Being a Counselor Educator) were found to be correlated (p < .01) with the Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness (M. J. Stones & A. Kozma, 1994). The factors and their relationship to counselor educators' sense of well-being are discussed in relation to potential actions for institutions and individuals.


The glycolytic potential (GP) was determined at 1 hour post mortem on Biceps femoris (BF) muscle collected from the carcasses of 158 commercial hybrid pigs and 349 Duroc x (Landrace x Large White) crossbreeds. The pH and pHu values were measured in the Biceps femoris (BF), semimembranosus (SM), and Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscles. Drip and cooking losses were evaluated on the LT muscle. The technological losses during the first salting phase and at the end of curing were calculated in hams processed as dry-cured Parma ham. The glycolytic potential averaged 128.6 μmol/g in commercial hybrid pigs and 138.9 μmol/g in crossbreeds. The percentage of carcasses with a GP value exceeding 180 μmol/g, considered as threshold value for identifying carriers of the RN allele of the RN gene, were 1.9% and 9.8%, respectively. The correlation coefficients between pHu and GP were between -0.22 and -0.44 (P<0.01) while the coefficients between the GP and the losses due to first salting and curing varied between +0.22 and +0.39 (P<0.01). On the whole, the results obtained point to the need to check the meat glycolytic potential in Italian heavy pig since an increase could have a negative influence on the production of Parma ham due to increase in weight loss during the curing process.


As empirical researchers in education, we must also use pedagogy in order to explain what we do and how we do it, in a clear and understandable manner, and most importantly, why we do it. In recent years we verified the tendency to replace the logic of educational research - know / decide / improvement – with another one primarily oriented toward publishing papers in high impact journals. With this study we aim to make a reflection on some of the conceptual and methodological weaknesses many of the empirical studies in the field of education have, that can generate implausible results and biased interpretations. Ultimately, it is about making a wake-up call to researchers, so that their ideology and academic interest do not prevail over the epistemological, methodological and ethical principles that should govern all empirical work on pedagogy.


The new Wisconsin Avenue Viaduct in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is an imaginatively designed 1456 ft (443,80) long eleven-span precast, prestressed concrete arch structure. A key element in the design of this bridge is the use of curved U-shaped precast, post-tensioned arch segments that functioned as both load-carrying structural members and as self-supporting permanent forms. The deck is formed by standard AASHTO pretensioned concrete girders that frame into cast-in-place cross beams. The innovative use of precast arch segments and standard girders shortened the construction period and cost an estimated $2 million less than a similar cast-in-place concrete arch bridge. This article discusses the design challenge, design solution, aesthetics, structural design considerations, construction highlights, and cost breakdown.


Detections of gravitational waves are now starting to probe the mass distribution of stellar mass black holes ( BHs ) . Robust predictions from stellar models are needed to interpret these. Theory predicts the existence of a gap in the BH mass distribution because of pair-instability supernovae. The maximum BH mass below the gap is the result of pulsational mass loss. We evolve massive helium stars through their late hydrodynamical phases of evolution using the open-source MESA stellar evolution code. We fi nd that the location of the lower edge of the mass gap at 45 M  is remarkably robust against variations in the metallicity ( ≈ 3 M  ) , the treatment of internal mixing ( ≈ 1 M  ) , and stellar wind mass loss ( ≈ 4 M  ) , making it the most robust predictor for the fi nal stages of the evolution of massive stars. The reason is that the onset of the instability is dictated by the near-fi nal core mass, which in turn sets the resulting BH mass. However, varying the


The transmission control protocol (TCP) has been mainly designed assuming a relatively reliable wireline network. It is known to perform poorly in the presence of wireless links because of its basic assumption that any loss of a data segment is due to congestion and consequently it invokes congestion control measures. However, on wireless access links, a large number of segment losses will occur more often because of wireless link errors or host mobility. For this reason, many proposals have recently appeared to improve TCP performance in such environment. They usually rely on the wireless access points (base stations) to locally retransmit the data in order to hide wireless losses from TCP. In this paper, we present Wireless‐TCP (WTCP), a new mechanism for improving wireless access to TCP services. We use extensive simulations to evaluate TCP performance in the presence of congestion and wireless losses when the base station employs WTCP, and the well‐known Snoop proposal (A comparison of mechanisms for improving TCP performance in wireless networks. In ACM SIGCOMM Symposium on Communication, Architectures and Protocols, August 1996). Our results show that WTCP significantly improves the throughput of TCP connections due to its unique feature of hiding the time spent by the base station to locally recover from wireless link errors so that TCPs round trip time estimation at the source is not affected. This proved to be critical since otherwise the ability of the source to effectively detect congestion in the fixed wireline network is hindered. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The utility model discloses an elevator optimization distribution intelligent detection system, which is composed of a detection terminal and an elevator distribution controller, wherein the detection terminal comprises a first power supply, a first signal receiver, a camera, an image intelligent processing board and a first signal emitter, the elevator distribution processor comprises a second power supply, a second signal emitter, an elevator instruction collector, an elevator distribution controller and a second signal receiver. The utility model overcomes the defects of the prior art which is based on the instruction response and can not capture and utilize the people number of waiting floor and elevator, can assist elevator optimization distribution to reduce waiting time and unexpected stop, save energy and reduce elevator maintenance cost.


For high-voltage aluminium electrolytic capacitor used in energy-saved lights,to improve the stability of resisting high-temperature and high-voltage and the characteristic of resisting high ripple current,γ-butyrolactone and ethylene were selected as solvents,1,7-ammonium sebacate and 1,6-ammonium dodecanedioate were selected as solutes.Some additives were added to working electrolyte,the production technologies were improved.This type of product can endure 3 000 hours high voltage test at 105 ℃.


This research is conducted in order to identify teachers' perception on the effectiveness of the ongoing Professional Development Programme among the primary school English teachers in Kota Belud, Sabah. This non-experimental research applies survey method and a few sampling techniques in order to obtain the right size of the sample. The data is gathered using a set of questionnaires that has been adopted and are administered to 30 teachers in public primary schools. The data collected is then analysed using descriptive statistics using SPSS. The finding shows that there is no significant difference on the teachers' perception regarding professional development programme effectiveness based on their gender and teaching experience. The implication and suggestion for further research are also discussed.


The circadian rhythm modulates memory in animals. However, the relationship between the circadian cycle and brain wave dynamics has not yet been clarified. Beta wave-like oscillations with frequencies in the range of 13–30 Hz can be induced by applying a cholinergic agonist, carbachol (CCh). We estimated the time of day using a neural network with oscillatory parameters. Rats were kept under light/dark (LD) condition or dark/dark (DD) condition, and hippocampal slices were used for analysis. CCh-induced beta oscillation (CIBO) was induced with CCh at all time zones in the four-hour bins. CIBO showed significant differences in duration, and inter-burst interval (IBI). Additionally, there were significant differences between LD and DD conditions within the same time zones. CIBO duration, IBI and amplitude were not affected by GABAA receptor antagonist (SR95531) during the light phase, which is different from our previous results on CIBO frequency. Finally, neural network classifiers that estimated six time zones using CIBO parameters were developed and evaluated. We obtained an average of accuracy rate of 78%. Our results suggest that the brain wave changes depend on the time of day, and the inhibitory neural system may be involved in the change partially. Further, we showed that it is possible to develop time zone classifiers using brain waves.


Linear programming is an important mathematical technique, which is widely used in military operations, economic analysis, management, and engineering technology to find the optimal choice. Moreover, it is useful when trying to find the best outcome that involves several resource constraints, like animal diet. In this paper, we will become cattle ranchers, trying to figure out the best combination of feeds for the three groups of cattle. We also considered the cattles environmental impact, methane emission, into the linear program. The goal is to minimize the cost while balancing the cattles nutritional needs and lowering methane emissions. The Simplex Loop used to solve linear programs is also explained, however, we used MATLAB to arrive at the solution.


Translational ecology (TE) prioritizes the understanding of social systems and decision contexts in order to address complex natural resource management issues. Although many practitioners in applied fields employ translational tactics, the body of literature addressing such approaches is limited. We present several case studies illustrating the principles of TE and the diversity of its applications. We anticipate that these examples will help others develop scientific products that decision makers can use "off the shelf" when solving critical ecological and social challenges. Our collective experience suggests that research of such immediate utility is rare. Longterm commitment to working directly with partners to develop and reach shared goals is central to successful translation. The examples discussed here highlight the benefits of translational processes, including actionable scientific results, more informed policy making, increased investment in sciencedriven solutions, and inspiration for partnerships. We aim to facilitate future TEbased projects and build momentum for growing this community of practice.


A vehicle data processing system comprising a vehicle auxiliary port and at least one controller. The controller is adapted for communicating with a nomadic device via an established between the vehicle-auxiliary port and an auxiliary port of the nomadic device wired connection. The controller is further adapted to send data to the nomadic device via the wired auxiliary port connection. The data includes one or more control commands for the nomadic device.


Abstract Acute ischemic stroke with ipsilateral Internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis presents a great management dilemma. We present our preliminary report of retrograde retrieval of clot from middle cerebral artery (MCA) followed by delayed carotid artery stenting (CAS) with dual anti platelet therapy (DAPT).


Objective To analyze the causes and esophageal motility characteristics of patients with non-obstructive dysphagia( NOD) by esophageal high resolution manometry( HRM). Methods Esophageal HRMdata of patients with dysphagia treated during Jan. 2011 and May 2014 at Qilu Hospital of Shandong University were collected. Patients suffering from obstructive dysphagia were excluded through history inquiry,endoscopic images and barium examination.Parameters including upper esophageal sphincter pressure( UESP),lower esophageal sphincter pressure( LESP),loweresophageal sphincter length( LESL),residual pressure,integrated relaxation pressure( IRP),distal contractile integral(DCI) and endoscopic results were analyzed. Results Among the 72 patients with NOD,the percentage of achalasia,functional dysphagia and gastroesophageal reflux disease( GERD) was 52. 8%( 38 /72),33. 3%( 24 /72),13. 9%(10 /720),respectively. Of the 38 patients with achalasia,the percentage of absent peristalsis,synchronous contraction,lower esophageal sphincter( LES) incomplete relaxation was 78. 9%,81. 6% and 97. 4%,respectively. Of the 24 patients with functional dysphagia,the cases of LES incomplete relaxation,upper esophageal sphincter( UES) incomplete relaxation, absent peristalsis, lowamplitude peristalsis, distal and esophageal spasm was 16( 66. 7%),7(29. 2%),4(16. 7%),8(33. 3%) and 2(8. 3%). The median( IQR) of LESP,residual pressure,IRP in achalasia patients were 17(8,28),11(6,19),9(4,18) respectively,which were higher than those of functional dysphagia group[9(5,14),4(0,7),2(0,6),P 0. 05]. No difference was found in UESP,LESL and DCI between the two groups. Residual pressure,IRP of patients with achalasia was higher than that of GERD group[11(6,19) vs 4(3,7),P = 0. 005,9(4,18) vs 3( 1,5),P = 0. 007]. There was no difference between functional dysphagia and GERD.Esophageal dilatation,food retention,and cardia stricture were the main endoscopic presentations of achalasia. Functional dysphagia group had no specific endoscopic change. In group of GERD,3 cases showed erosive esophagitis and 7cases had no obvious endoscopic abnormalities. Conclusions Achalasia is the most common cause of NOD,followed by functional dysphagia. The pathogenesis of NOD is diverse. Abnormal peristalsis and LES incomplete relaxation are the most two important factors of NOD. HRMis an important method for the diagnosis of NOD.


A synthetic route is described to a novel class of reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agents bearing a fluorine Z-group. Such F-RAFT agents are theoretically predicted to allow living free radical polymerization of various monomers without affecting the rate of polymerization, and should also facilitate the construction of block copolymers from monomers with disparate reactivity. The class of F-RAFT agents is exemplified by the example of benzyl fluoro dithioformate (BFDF) in styrene free-radical polymerizations and the process is shown to induce living polymerization.


Following the changes to rules around remote prescribing in 2013, Naomi Di-Scala looks at how this has impacted on the work of aesthetic nurses over the past few years. She examines the Nursing and Midwifery Council and General Medical Council guidelines that should be adhered to by health professionals who are prescribing cosmetic injectable products, such as botulinum toxin


This paper investigates the synchronization problem of delayed Markovian coupled neural networks with random coupling strengths and partial information on transition probabilities. In this coupled neural network model, each transition rate is only known partial information, and the coupling strengths are characterized by mutually independent random variables. By constructing a new augmented Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional (LKF) and reciprocal convex combination, synchronization criterion is derived. In comparison with existing results, the established criterion is not only less conservative but with less computational burden. Finally, a numerical example is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed criterion.


Interface modification has been proved to be an effective method to improve the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this paper, tetramethylammonium hexafluorophosphate (TMAPF6) is employed to modify the interface of SnO2/perovskite. Fluorine (F) in PF6 − will fill the oxygen vacancy by interacting with Sn in SnO2. Meanwhile, TMA+ and PF6 − in TMAPF6 will effectively fill the MA+ and I− vacancy in the interface. TMAPF6 modification enhances the hydrophobicity of the SnO2 surface, promotes the growth of high-quality perovskite film with large grain size, and then significantly suppresses the non-radiative recombination of PSCs. Furthermore, the TMAPF6 modification introduces a better energy level alignment between SnO2 and perovskite layer, enabling a more efficient electron extraction. As a result, the TMAPF6-modified MAPbI3 PSC achieves a significantly increasing power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 18.62% to 20.92% and an improved stability with only 15% PCE drop after 600 h of storage in air. This work develops an efficient interface modification molecule to increase the efficiency of PSCs, which would be a promising strategy for the large-scale commercialization of the photovoltaic devices.


Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle, which frequently follows microbial infections. Picornaviruses and adenoviruses are the most commonly identified viral etiologic agents. Cardiac injury results from both virus infection/ replication and host inflammatory responses, but in either case, elimination of the virus from the heart can have a beneficial effect on disease outcome as is evident from clinical trials treating biopsy-proven, virus-positive patients with interferon β (IFNβ). The success of type I IFN therapy in myocarditis may partly depend on the initiating etiologic agent, as virus clearance and cardiac improvement was greater in patients with enteroviruses than with parvovirus B19 or human herpesvirus 6. This finding is not surprising as it is well known that virus families vary dramatically in their sensitivity to type I IFN, in part because many viruses have developed immune evasion mechanisms targeting this innate host defense mechanism. Enteroviruses of the Picornavirus family are small, nonenveloped, positive-sensed, single-stranded RNA viruses, which are classically among the most sensitive to type I IFN, with encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) being one of the most IFN sensitive of the enteroviruses.


I. INTRODUCTION II. THE QUANDARY OF "EQUAL" OR "UNEQUAL" TREATIES A. Substantive Inequality B. Procedural Inequality C. The Quandary III. THEORETICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE CONCEPT OF UNEQUAL TREATIES A. Pacta Sunt Servanda B. Sovereign Equality C. Rebus Sic Stantibus D. Reciprocity IV. RE-CONSIDER THE THEORY OF "UNEQUAL TREATIES" A. A New Paradigm B. Remaining Puzzles V. CONCLUSION I. INTRODUCTION The concept of "unequal treaty" (also labeled as leonine, unjust, inequitable, imposed, forced or coerced treaties in different contexts) (1) was introduced in the context of international law by Hugo Grotius. (2) It was first invoked by China after the First World War to challenge the validity of treaties imposed upon it since the mid-nineteenth century. (3) Following the Second World War, more and more former colonial countries tried to invalidate similar treaties with colonial powers based on the theory of unequal treaties. (4) Such practice attracted much attention on the issue of unequal treaties from the international community and awakened writers in international law during that period. (5) Despite heated debates and plenteous writings on this issue since the nineteenth century, the meaning and scope of the term "unequal treaty" were never clearly delineated. In addition, the international community has never reached a consensus on the legitimacy of the theory of unequal treaties under international law. Some scholars have argued that the concept of "unequal treaty" is meaningless (6) and that such theory has never been accepted by international law. (7) Some have even asserted that the problem of unequal treaties no longer exists in contemporary international law. (8) In contrast, other scholars have insisted upon the importance of the theory of unequal treaty for maintaining justice in international affairs (9) and have even strongly promoted the development of the theory in economic settings in the contemporary international legal order. (10) The effort to broaden the formulation of this theory to cover the use of economic force in treaty-making became a major tension in the development of the theory of unequal treaties. (11) Similarly, the international community is highly divergent on the consequence of categorizing a treaty as unequal, namely, whether unequal treaties can be invalidated under international law and what can be invoked as grounds for invalidity. (12) Also, although various arguments invoking unequal treaties were based on the theory of equality of sovereignty, the term "unequal" or the concept of "equality" or "inequality" was interpreted with great divergence. (13) The ambiguity of the theory of unequal treaties has caused confusion when a problem occurs involving the issue of unequal treaties. Also, due to the lack of clarity and precision, international legal writers have used the term of unequal treaties incoherently and inconsistently. In the early days, the term was used mostly to refer to the nineteenth-century treaties between the western colonial power and weaker states. (14) However, in the modern era of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, some scholars began expanding the scope of unequal treaties and using the term to challenge the legality of some modern trade treaties, (15) investment treaties, (16) or other important international conventions. (17) Such expansion added more uncertainty and contradiction in the area of international treaty law. This paper, therefore, calls into question the ambiguity and misapplication of the theory of unequal treaties. By revisiting the concept of unequal treaties, the paper aims to shed light on the ambiguity and uncertainty caused by the existing interpretations of the theory of unequal treaties. It attempts to carefully analyze related legal theories, to examine the concept of unequal treaty, and to provide clearer answers to puzzles relating to unequal treaties. …


Andrea Agostini born in Italy in 1975, he studies Piano, Electronic Music and Composition in Bologna. He attends master classes with Solbiati, Fedele, Ferneyhough, Jarrell, Paris, and finishes his studies at IRCAM. He receives commissions from several festivals and institutions, and qualifies in several international competitions for composition and electronic music. He receives commissions from several important institutions, and in 2011 was Composer in Research at IRCAM. He currently teaches Musical Informatics at the Conservatory of Turin, and also works as a professional computer programmer for music-related applications.


This work aims to identify and understand the people management model used by the SICREDI Credit Union Centro Region, comparing it with the model proposed by Chiavenato (2014). This study is a qualitative research, with descriptive characteristics and based on a case study. In the collection of data, interviews were carried out, questionnaires were applied and documentary analysis was performed. When analyzing the data, we used content analysis based on classification and categorization techniques. It has been observed that the processes of aggregating people (on average 66% agree totally), processes of applying people (on average 76% agree totally), processes to reward people (on average 70% agree totally), processes of developing people (on average 52% agree totally), people keeping processes (on average 93% agree totally), and people monitoring processes (on average 65% agree totally) have had positive results.


In this chapter, the design and prototyping of a lunar excavator robotic system is proposed. The lunabotic excavator was developed for participating in 2010 NASA Lunar Excavating Competition. Being remotely controlled by operator using a computer via Wi-Fi telecommunication, the autonomous lunabotic excavator can perform the tasks of excavating regolith stimulant, collecting it in the dumpster, and dumping it into the assigned collector box. The design and prototyping of the lunabotic excavator robotic system are discussed. The excavator includes multiple modules including mechanical frames, front/rear wheels, excavating conveyor, steering system, dumping system, power supply and distribution system, actuation system, switch control system, data acquisition system, and telecommunication system. The lunabotic excavator robotic system has been implemented. The excavator can perform the expected functions as designed. The lunabotic excavator designs in NASA Lunar Excavating Competition may lead to new and effective robotic excavators for planetary exploration. The design and prototyping strategies used in the lunabotic excavator may be extended to other ground wheeled vehicles or remotely-controlled robotic systems as well.


Learning Objectives: Tianeptine is a non-FDA approved atypical tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) marketed to consumers in the US through online vendors as a treatment for major depressive disorder. Little is known about its mechanism of action and adverse effects but is believed to simultaneously have TCA properties, act as an SSRI, and have mu-receptor agonism. Herein, we report a case of Tianeptine toxicity presenting with severe signs and symptoms of serotonin syndrome, TCA toxicity, and opioid intoxication, followed by withdrawal signs posttreatment. Methods: A 23-year-old-man presented with multiple new onset seizures few hours after consuming substantial doses of Tianeptine. Upon arrival to the ED he was obtunded with constricted pupils. He responded to intravenous injection of naloxone but then became extremely agitated and restless. His vital signs were significant for hypertension, tachycardia, and tachypnea. On physical exam, he was diaphoretic, eye exam revealed horizontal nystagmus and mydriasis. Neurological exam revealed resting and intentional tremors, hyperreflexia with spontaneous myoclonus, and bilateral Babinski signs. ECG demonstrated sinus tachycardia with a prolonged QTc of 569ms. Urine drug screen was negative for drugs of abuse, including tricyclic antidepressants. He was treated with IV lorazepam, oral cyproheptadine and sodium bicarbonate. His condition progressively worsened as he developed fever, muscle rigidity and acute kidney injury, requiring intubation and dantrolene. He gradually improved over the next 4 days, but he began experiencing auditory and visual hallucinations which subsided 2 days later. Subsequently, he complained of withdrawal symptoms, consisting of flu-like symptoms, nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhea, and anxiety. No sources of infection were found. His symptoms gradually resolved and was discharged home in stable condition. He reported experiencing similar symptoms in the past while withdrawing from Tianeptine for over 3–5 days. Results: Tianeptine is described as having novel neurochemical profiles different from other TCAs and increasingly recognized to have remarkably addictive properties. As this medication has not been significantly studied in the US, it is important to recognize signs and symptoms of toxicity to provide appropriate treatment and support. There are few published cases of Tianeptine toxicity, some of which have been fatal, however this is the first to elucidate such multiple, simultaneous syndromes induced by its intoxication


Model misspecification has been a major concern in practical model based image analysis. The underlying assumptions of generative processes usually can not exactly describe real-world data samples, which renders the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) and the Bayesian decision methods unreliable. In this work we study a robust adjusted likelihood (RAL) function that can improve image classification performance under misspecified models. The RAL is calculated by raising the conventional likelihood function to a positive power and multiplying it with a scaling factor. Similar to model parameter estimation, these two new RAL parameters, i.e. the power and the scaling factor, are estimated from the training data using minimum error rate method. In two-category classification case, this RAL is equivalent to a linear discriminant function in log-likelihood space. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this RAL, we first simulate a model misspecification scenario, in which two Rayleigh sources are misspecified as Gaussian distributions. The Gaussian parameters and the RAL parameters are estimated accordingly from the training data, and the two RAL parameters are studied separately. The simulation results show that the Bayes decisions based on maximum-RAL yield higher classification accuracy than the decisions based on conventional maximum-likelihood. We further apply the RAL in automatic target recognition (ATR) of SAR images. Two target classes, i.e. t72 and bmp2, from MSTAR SAR target dataset are used in this study. The target signatures are modeled using Gaussian mixture models (GMMs) with five mixtures for each class. Image classification results again demonstrate a clear advantage of the proposed approach.


Thank you for reading building design strategy using design to achieve key business objectives. Maybe you have knowledge that, people have search hundreds times for their favorite books like this building design strategy using design to achieve key business objectives, but end up in infectious downloads. Rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they cope with some infectious virus inside their computer.


The authors previous results on the kinetics of acetate decarboxylation demonstrated that acetate is sufficiently stable below 300/sup 0/ to be effective in transporting metals in hydrothermal solutions by enhancing the solubility of minerals through complexation. The overall reaction studied to evaluate metal-acetate formation constants is expressed by the general equations: Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ (magnetite) + 2CH/sub 3/COOH in equilibrium Fe(CH/sub 3/COO)/sub n//sup 2-n/ + (2-n)CH/sub 3/COO- + H/sub 2/O + Fe/sub 2/O/sub 3/ (hematite) (1). The experiments, which cover a compositional range from .03-.70 m acetate and .01-.20 m acetic acid, indicate that FeCH/sub 3/COO/sup +/ (n=1) predominates up to 150/sup 0/ but is subordinate to Fe(CH/sub 3/COO)/sub 2/ (n = 2) at higher temperatures. The data have a precision of +/- 10%. ..delta..V for reaction 1 is about -34 cc/mol when n = 1 (150/sup 0/) and ranges from -45 cc/mol (200/sup 0/) to -51 cc/mol (250/sup 0/) when n=2. Elimination of the redox and hydrolysis equilibria from reaction (1) allows the complex formation to be expressed simply: Fe/sup 2 +/ + nCH/sub 3/COO- in equilibrium Fe(CH/sub 3/OO)/sub n//sup 2-n/ (2). Inasmuch as these formation constants are 2-3 orders of magnitude greater than current estimates for the correspondingmore » ferrous-chloride complexes, it is quite likely that acetate complexing accounts for the majority of iron and perhaps other metals in many hydrothermal solutions below 300/sup 0/. This concept is particularly attractive in environments where other ligands are insufficient to account for the metals in solution and where there is a source for acetate. Oil and gas field waters, Mississippi-Valley and Carlin-Gold ore solutions are among the likely candidates.« less


In the traditional uniform blind deblurring methods, we have witnessed the great advances by utilizing various image priors which are expected to favor clean images than blurred images and act through regularizing the solution space. However, these methods failed in dealing with non-uniform blind deblurring because of the inaccuracy in kernel estimation. Learning-based methods can generate clear images in an end-to-end way potentially without an intermediate step of blur kernel estimation. To better deal with the non-uniform deblurring problem in dynamic scenes, in this paper we present a new type of image priors complementary to the deep learning-based blind estimation framework. Specifically, inspired by the interesting discovery of dark and bright channels in dehazing, the opposite-channel-based discriminative priors are developed and directly integrated to the loss of our advocated deep deblurring model, so as to achieve more accurate and robust blind deblurring performance. It deserves noticing that, our deep model is formulated in the framework of the Wasserstein generative adversarial networks regularized by the Liptchitz penalty (WGAN-LP), and the network structures are relatively simpler yet more stable than other deep deblurring methods. We evaluate the proposed method on a large scale blur dataset with complex non-uniform motions. Experimental results show that it achieves state-of-the-art non-uniform blind deblurring performance not only quantitatively but also qualitatively


1. By engineering, in this lecture, I intend the art whereby science is applied to useful ends; by engineering science, that corpus of knowledge— mathematics, physics, chemistry and the like—which is pursued with a view to such practical application. I am not concerned to defend these definitions, only to make my meaning clear. Such as they are, their distinction between engineering and engineering science is analogous with the distinction between clinical medicine—the art—and medicine—the science of our medical schools and research centres. As engineering advances the scope of engineering science advances too, and roughly (I suppose) it may be said that the engineering science of any given time is the physics of fifty years before. Thus its field of study now is very much the same as that of nineteenth-century physicists like Kelvin, Stokes or Rayleigh: in 'field physics' (of which my lecture treats this afternoon) we are concerned with problems in hydrodynamics, elasticity and the like such as make up the bulk of their collected papers. There is, however, this difference in our outlook (and it arises because our science is directed to practical ends) that we would rather have power to calculate approximately for any data than power to calculate exactly for data of a few restricted kinds.


The following two related problems in Commutative Algebra are certainly very popular: 1. Study the permanence of properties from a ring A to an idealadic completion of A; and 2. Study the lifting of properties from A/I to A where A is a ring which is complete and separated in the I-adic topology.


ABSTRACT The article uses the KLEMS database to estimate equations for the rate of private, non-residential capital accumulation in manufacturing, whole tradables, and non-tradables in Mexico during the period 1992-1994. It shows the rate of capital accumulation is positively correlated with the profit rate and its components – the profit share, the output/capital ratio and the relative price of capital goods, negatively correlated in the latter case – in the three sectors, but with considerably larger profitability effects in manufacturing and tradables. It also shows that capital accumulation is positively correlated with the real exchange rate in manufacturing and tradables, and negatively (and less strongly) correlated in non-tradables. A real depreciation increases the relative prices and profit rates of the former sectors, shifting accumulation toward them and away from non-tradables, with a positive overall effect on capital accumulation. The estimations – based on the error-correction ARDL bounds testing approach, and supplemented by OLS equations using the lagged values of the explanatory variables – imply that the flat trajectory of capital accumulation in Mexico is explained in part by a downward trend in the profit rate, which resulted from a fall in the output/capital ratio that more than offset an increase in the profit share.


Ce-TZP/Al2O3 nanocomposites were prepared from mixture of self-made Ce-TZP nanometer powder and commercial A12O3 powder by hot-pressing method. Influences of nanometer ZrO2 particles on the mechanical properties and microstructure of Ce-TZP/Al2O3 ceramics were investigated. Meanwhile, t-—m transformation toughening mechanism was investigated by x-ray diffractometry (XRD) method, and deflection of samples under applied stress were recorded too. The results show that when the percentage of ZrO2 was 20%, the mechanical properties and microstructures of materials were preferential. Additionally, TEM observation show that dislocation structures form both in the A12O3 grain and on the A12O3 grain boundary.


Powder diffraction, chemical, and thermal studies were made of four kaolins, two volcanic ashes, and eleven clays and, in addition, particle size, plastograph, electrodialysis, and soluble salt studies were made on five of the clays. The impurities present in the kaolins were quartz, calcite, and montmorillonite. The preponderate mineral in nine clays was either kaolinite or halloysite and that in two clays was illite: A correlation of all the studies made on the five clays which were used in Texas brick plants indicated that the gelatinous nature of the clays which caused increased power consumption during the extruding operation and large loss in the drier was due to organic matter, soluble salts, and montmorillonite.


25 September (Reuters Health [Maggie Fox])—Anthrax is still the main biological threat facing the United States, and poisons put into the food supply run a very close second, officials said. They said the United States remains vulnerable to a range of attacks but is moving to patch many holes. "I still believe that anthrax is the greatest threat agent that we have," said Jerome Hauer, an assistant secretary for Health and Emergency Response at the US Department of Health and Human Services. "We don't have enough vaccine against anthrax at this time," he told a conference on weapons of mass destruction organized by consulting firm E. J. Krause & Associates. The United States is in the process of vaccinating up to 1 million troops and health and emergency workers against smallpox, but Hauer said the window of opportunity for treating anthrax victims is smaller than for smallpox. "With anthrax, the detectors are humans," he added. Safer, more acceptable vaccines are needed against anthrax and smallpox, Hauer said. Better detector systems are also needed. Progress to protect against a smallpox attack is also going slowly, Hauer said. He said 38,700 health care and emergency workers have been vaccinated against smallpox in the latest campaign—compared to a target of more than 400,000. US Food and Drug Administration deputy commissioner Lester Crawford said every food contamination incident is now treated as a terrorist attack or a rehearsal for one. New legislation that will go into effect in December will add to the agency's power to protect the US food supply, he said. "We are going to be a much safer country as a result," Crawford said. "For the first time ... we can actually detain food products at the border." The FDA has added 655 new employees to watch for an attack on the food supply. Foods that Americans eat most, such as eggs and milk, are the most closely watched, he said. Hauer said the biggest concern is in the lack of capacity in already stretched US hospitals, which would be overwhelmed by any large attack or epidemic. Doctors and nurses will have to be brought out of retirement and provided with malpractice and liability coverage. "Because we simply don't have enough people to go around in case of one of these events," he said.


Over 100 monoclonal antibodies have been approved by the FDA for clinical use; however, a paucity of knowledge exists regarding the injection site behavior of these formulated therapeutics, i.e., the effect of antibody and formulation on the tissue around the injection site and vice versa. In this report, we injected a near-infrared dye-labeled IgG4 isotope control antibody into the subcutaneous space in mouse ears to analyze the injection site dynamics, including quantifying molecular movement. Surprisingly, we discovered that the antibody reduces the local blood oxygen saturation levels in mice after prolonged anesthesia without affecting the total hemoglobin content and oxygen extraction fraction. The local oxygen saturation results open a new pathway to study the functional effects of monoclonal antibodies.


Based on data of conventional high-altitude,surface data,intensive surface rain gauge data,,the satellite cloud and 1*1 NCEP reanalysis data every 6 hours,synoptic diagnosis method was used to investigate the characteristics of precipitation which led to a heavy rainstorm process in Jiuquan on June 5,2012,circulation background,including the circulation background,the impact on the system,physical characteristics,and satellite cloud.The results indicated that the heavy rainfall occurred because of the very advantageous large-scale weather situation.The higher levels and lower levels all belonged to " high in the east and low in the west" with flow field configuration.The presence of a crooked neck ridge resulted in the long time of upstream low value system in western Hexi.Chaidam vortex moved slowly,forming a flow field situation similar to "north-trough with south-vortex".The upper-level of the sky diverged and the low-level converged when rainfall occurred,producing a strongly suction effect;the strongly upper motion in the troposphere and the configuration in low-level flow field were beneficial to the transport and aggregation of vapor.Heavy rainfall always happened in the combined area with convection instability and baroclinic instability and the downstream or the moving front of the center of CAPE.During the rainfall,there were several mesoscale cloud clusters on the upper sky of Jiuquan,indicating that mesoscale and small scale convective systems obviously existed.


The author reflects on election polls and public health research in relation to the 2016 U.S. presidential election and voters' selection of American businessman Donald Trump as the 45th president of the U.S. The author's views about American presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump in 2016, are examined, including her inability to reach population subgroups in Wisconsin and other parts of the U.S. Public health interventions and surveys are also assessed.


The deep neural network model based on self-attention (SA) for obtaining rich contextual information has been widely adopted in semantic segmentation. However, the computational complexity of the standard self-attentive module is high, which partly limits the use of this module. In this work, we propose the lightweight self-attention network (LSANet) for semantic segmentation. Specifically, the Lightweight Self-Attentive Module (LSAM) captures information using a hand-designed compact feature representation, and weighted fusion of position information. In the decoder structure, an improved up-sampling module is proposed. Compared with the bilinear upsampling, this method achieves better results in restoring image details. The experimental results on PASCAL VOC 2012, and Cityscapes datasets show the effectiveness of our method, which simplifies operations and improves performance.


Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine two research questions: first, How do users in different locations find Auburn University Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)? Second, do users in different locations interact differently with the collection and, if so, how?

Design/methodology/approach

– Google Analytics data for user visits, landing pages, and page views were separated into groups based on user location. Visits data were also correlated with source (referring web site), and landing pages and page views were grouped by type.

Findings

– Most local users came to the repository via Auburn University web pages. This group usually landed on the collection home page and used internal navigation pages to find what they needed. Submission page views showed that most ETD depositors were local. Most out-of-state users came to the repository via web search engines. This group usually landed directly on bibliographic information pages for individual ETDs. They used internal navigation pages less frequently than local users. Users located within the state but outside of the local area interacted with the collection in a way that was intermediate between these two groups.

Practical implications

– Institutions interested in improving repository access for depositors will probably find it helpful to focus on in-state usage reports, while institutions seeking to improve access for end-users should exclude in-state users from their assessments.

Originality/value

– This is the first detailed examination of ETDs usage published since 2001 and shows how filtering tools available in Google Analytics allow comparisons of user behavior based on location and source (referring web site).


Aim:  To determine the effects of imperfect adherence (i.e. occasionally missing prescribed doses), and the influence of rate of loss of antihypertensive effect during treatment interruption, on the predicted clinical effectiveness of antihypertensive drugs in reducing mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.


Abstract There are various myths and misconceptions surrounding HIV/AIDS within South African communities that lead to the stigmatization and discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDS. The aim of this paper is to explore and spell out the underpinnings on underpinnings on myths surrounding HIV/AIDS in South Africa. This paper has used a review of literature methodology. Findings indicate that South Africa embraces immense mythical beliefs about HIV/AIDS. Also myths flourish due to: misinformation, misinterpretation, misperceptions of information associated with HIV/AIDS; are reinforced by cultures and patriarchy; and are also associated with the traditional healers. As a way of dispelling the myths, the paper recommends clients to look or seek scientific evidence in the therapies at their disposal, adapt the use of condoms, demystify the use of the ARV treatment modalities; and enhance community education; and government to regulate the work of traditional healers.


A virtual street market will be held for a second time to help support the district's independent market traders, after the first was hailed a great success.


Two higher-order shear deformable finite element models using a higher-order facet shell element are presented for the free vibration analysis of layered anisotropic sandwich laminates. One of the higher-order shear deformation models accounts for the effects of both transverse shear strains/stresses and the transverse normal strain/stress, while the other includes only the effects of the transverse shear deformation. The accuracy of the present models is demonstrated by comparing the results of laminated sandwich plates with the available closed- form solutions. Benchmark solutions with the parametric study for the laminated sandwich cylindrical and spherical shell panels are also presented.


My session will cover how many young African Americans believe that Rap music and Hip Hop is more important and relevant today on college campuses than the Civil Rights movement, or learning about the great works'. But one must seriously question whether Rap music and/or the Hip Hop culture is more significant than the movement that gave most Americans in the United States a modicum of equally in our institutionally racist society. Earnest Bracey Professor of political science, Community College of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, NY From the outset, my presentation will discuss how Rap artists articulate a wide range of reactions and emotions toward the scope of institutional policing faced by many young black Americans. For example, the FBI tries to justify the targeting of Rap Artists by telling us that their songs allegedly advocate violence against police officers. Can we believe this assertion by the FBI? Furthermore, one must ask: Is there a difference between the attacks made against black youth and white youth expression like with Heavy Metal Rockers on college campuses? Perhaps so. Although it is true that young black men are as likely to be in prison as in college, Rap Music is a welcome articulation of the economic and social frustrations of these young blacks. Thus, Rap Music offers the release of artistic and creative expression and historical continuity in response to the disappointments many poor people face in our society today. One must also ask: Will economic and social frustrations always be a part of the black community? Blacks have never been really shocked by the persistence of racism, as they have been able to overcome many obstacles in the confines of the dominant society and White Supremacy. Indeed, black Americans should be commended for their survival tactics. Therefore, Rap Music should be understood as the predominant symbolic voice of black urban males, as it heightens the scorn and white middle-class objections to young black Rap Artists, in general. Rappers, of course, do not aspire to be white or abide by middle-class standards, so many are vilified and are approached with hostility and suspicion by the dominant group and white authority. Consequently, Rappers, their fans, and young, African Americans are construed as conspirators in the spread of black cultural influence. Some even see Rap Music as the most visible form of black American "cultural expression" in contemporary society. Hence, it is dangerous? Moreover, Rap Music has been the most important media outlet through which millions of listeners and young people of all races have been able to vent their anger, resistance, frustration, and confusion about our society and the plight of African Americans as the subordinate under-class. Ultimately, political interpretations of Rap Music's explosive, vulgar, graphic, and resistive lyrics are critical to understanding contemporary black cultural politics and what is happening on college campuses. All these issues will be addressed during my presentation, as well as a discussion of the growing importance of Hip Hop and Rap Music subcultures. Presenter Earnest N. Bracey is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, with over twenty years of active military service. He was commissioned through Reserve Officer Training (Distinguished Military Graduate) at Jackson State University, where he graduated with honors (Magna Gum Laude), and received his bachelor of arts degree in political science in 1974. In addition, he received the Masters of Public Administration in 1979 from Golden Gate University, his Masters of Arts degree in International Affairs in 1983 from the Catholic University of America, and his doctorate of Public Administration (with emphasis in Public Policy) in 1993 from George Mason University. Dr. Bracey also earned his Ph.D. in Education from Capella University in 1999. A recipient of numerous military awards and civilian honors, he is also a graduate of the United States Naval War College and the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and previously served as Director of Administration at the prestigious Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Washington, D.C. He was also recognized as Who's Who Among America's Teachers in 2002 and 2004. Chairperson, Political Science and History Department, Hampton University. He serves as an editorial board-member for the Nevada Historical Society Quarterly. His work has appeared in professional journals and other publications, and he is the author of the books, Prophetic Insights: The Higher Education and Pedagogy of African Americans, University Press of America, 1999, On Racism: Essays On Black Popular Culture, African American Politics, and the New Black Aesthetics, University Press of America, 2003, and Daniel "Chappie" James: The First African American Four Star General, McFarland & Company, Inc., 2003. He also co authored the book, American Politics and Culture Wars (2001). He is also the author of the novels, Choson (1994) and The Black Samurai (1998), and the book of short stories, Requiems for Black Folks, 2002.


The Rough Set Theory (RST) is a method that has proven its efficiency and simplicity in machine learning and successfully developing now a day's vastly and rapidly. Fuzzy Petri nets (FPNs) are a potential modelling technique, which is used for knowledge representation and reasoning of rule-based expert systems. Though, RST has the efficiency in dimension reduction, it has to be proved with evidence by creating model using FPN with rule based reasoning. In this paper the induction of decision rules by RST executed with Fuzzy Petri Nets (FPN) is analyzed in the sense how it performed better than other data mining classifiers. The rule-based classifiers like jrip, part R, zero R are used for the comparison purposes. The knowledge captured from the rules through the best reduct has performed with the efficiency of RST and formulating rules by FPN. This paper experiments the Heart failure data to investigate the decision making from the rules generated by LERS system of RST with the approach of FPN. The heart failures during the follow up period of the patents are predicted with the pattern recognized form the data using the above process and the best evaluators are found during the experiments were pictured.


Emission from pyrene end-capped redox polymers is quenched relative to emission from l-vinylpyrene, a structural model for the end group in the polymer. The redox polymers were prepared by ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of norbornene derivatives containing ferrocene or phenothiazine, using catalysts of the type Mo(CH-t-Bu)(NAr)(O-t-Bu)[sub 2] (Ar = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl). The pyrene group was introduced by reaction of the living polymer with l-pyrenecarboxaldehyde, thus producing polymers that are derivatives of l-vinylpyrene. A ferrocene-containing homopolymer was prepared with 12 equiv of a ferrocene-containing monomer, followed by capping with pyrene, (1)[sub 12]-pyrene, where pyrene emission is quenched by a factor of 30. Two phenothiazine-containing polymers were studied; a homopolymer prepared from 10 equiv of a phenothiazine-containing monomer followed by capping with pyrene, (2)[sub 10]-pyrene, and a block copolymer formed from 10 equiv of a phenothiazine monomer, then 70 equiv of norbornene, (NBE), followed by capping with pyrene, (2)[sub 10](NBE)[sub 70]-pyrene. In these polymers pyrene emission is quenched by a factor of 110 and 7, respectively. The quenching is proposed to occur via electron transfer from phenothiazine to the excited singlet state of pyrene and, depending on the structure of the polymer, by the formation of an exciplex with phenothiazine. 22 refs., 5more » figs., 2 tabs.« less


Disclose the embodiment of anti-dazzle base material and the product comprising it.In one or more embodiments, anti-dazzle base material includes textured surfaces, and it has feature of multiple mean cross sectional sizes less than or equal to about 30 microns.Base material or product show the transmittance haze less than or equal to 10%, the PPDr less than or equal to about 7% or less than or equal to 6% and the DOI less than or equal to about 80.The method for forming anti-dazzle base material is further disclosed, including etches substrate surface to provide etched surface with the etchant with low water solubility, and removes the etched surface of a part.Method is included in while be etched to surface, forms multiple insoluble crystal on the surface (for example, K 2 SiF 6 And K 3 AlF 6 In any one or more).Etchant can also include sylvite, organic solvent and fluoric-containing acid.