Lectin-lectin receptor binding has been implicated as the mechanism responsible for membrane-membrane interactions in a t least two different cell types.'** According to this model, the lectin (hemagglutinating factor') on the membrane surface of one cell binds t o its receptor on an adjacent cell, thereby facilitating cellular interaction^.^,^ Platelet aggregation is an example of a process that occurs as a consequence of the interaction of membrane surfaces. We have undertaken a study to test the hypothesis that platelet aggregation is mediated by lectin-lectin receptor interactions, The lectin activity of washed human platelets was measured by determining their ability to agglutinate trypsinized, formalinized erythrocytes from various species.* We found that erythrocytes from cow, rabbit, sheep, catfish, and electric eel were agglutinated readily by the washed platelets, whereas human, goat, and hog erythrocytes reacted weakly. All efforts to inhibit this lectin activity by common monoand disaccharides were unsuccessful. Therefore, it is not known if these hemagglutination activities of unstimulated platelets are due to nonspecific interactions or t o specific interactions with a complex receptor. Thrombin, a proteolytic enzyme, is a potent inducer of platelet aggregation. We have found that thrombin also causes a marked enhancement of the platelet lectin activity. This enhanced activity was most active against bovine erythrocytes; no enhanced activity was detected when goat, hog, or rabbit erythrocytes were used as a source of lectin receptors. In contrast to the lectin activity of unstimulated platelets, the thrombin-enhanced activity appeared to be directed against specific sugar residues. For example, we found that 30 mM glucosamine, galactosamine, or mannosamine inhibited this activity. In contrast, N-acetylated derivatives o r other neutral sugars, such as glucose, galactose, mannose, fructose, fucose, xylose, ribose, lactose, and sucrose, were without effect on the enhanced lectin activity. The thrombin-enhanced, amino sugar-sensitive lectin activity was shown to reside in proteins within the plasma membrane, The plasma membrane location of the lectin was demonstrated by comparing the lectin activity of isolated membranes to that of intact platelets. This comparison revealed that the isolated membranes had a sixfold greater lectin-specific activity than did intact platelets. The lectin activity of isolated membranes was destroyed by trypsin but was resistant to phospholipase C and was stable to freezing and thawing. We found that the same


Glycoproteins as a class of molecules have been implicated as serving crucial roles in cell recognition events. Using 3 common plant lectins, we have isolated and identified a number of cell surface associated glycoproteins. The appearance of at least 5 of these proteins is under developmental regulation.


It is well known that Rawls and Habermas propose different strategies for justifying and classifying human rights. The author argues that neither approach satisfies what he regards as threshold conditions of determinacy, rank ordering, and completeness that any enforceable system of human rights must possess. A related concern is that neither develops an adequate account of group rights, which the author argues fulfills subsidiary conditions for realizing human rights under specific conditions. This latter defect is especially serious in light of the different but equal roles that both subnational groups as well as supernational organizations play in bringing about a just global distribution of economic resources.


The scope of administrative license means the scope of governments' powers. The market failure produces possibility for administrative license. But administrative license is neither a universal nor only way of governmental action, and it is also costly. Under the market economy, the scope of administrative license is affected by the market system and the level of social autonomy. When implementing the prescription about the scope of administrative license in our country's administrative license lawit should satisfy the need of economic and social development and be founded on scientific and reasonable definition of governmental functions to clean off some existing items of administrative license.


The article develops the main conceptual approaches to the management of land (soil) resources in the conditions of the formation of a circular agrarian economy. The need to transform the economic system of the agrarian sector due to the current inability to ensure sustainable management of land (soil) resources and competitiveness of the agrarian sector in the future in accordance with the goals of sustainable development is substantiated. Monographic studies show that unavoidable annual losses due to the presence of land degradation in Ukraine amount to about 24 billion dollars. USA, in particular, 5,5% are direct economic losses of land users and 94,5% are ecological and economic damage (losses) as a result of a decrease in the provision of ecosystem services of lands (soils) for all stakeholders. The role of the agricultural sector in the national economy is summarized and numerical imbalances in innovation and investment activities are revealed. Thus, in 2010–2020 years, the specific weight of the agricultural sector in the country's GDP was within 2019–2020 years of 7–10%, in terms of gross profit (mixed income) – 15–23%, and in exports of goods and services – 6–21%. However, capital investments in the agricultural sector did not have sustainable growth and did not exceed 10% of the country's economy in 2019–2021 years, or remained almost at the level of 2010 year. At the same time, capital investments in land resources decreased to 0,4% in 2021 year and had a clearly pronounced downward trend. It was found that innovative costs of the agricultural sector are formed by almost 90–100% due to budgetary and own funds of organizations, while in the economy only by 50–60%. It is highlighted that the reasons for this situation of the agrarian sector are their low interest and activity, almost the entrepreneurial sector and private investors do not participate in the financing of innovations. As a result of the research, a cascade scheme of land (soil) resource management was formed for the transition to a circular agrarian economy, which is entrusted with the task of solving problems related to the sustainable development of land use.


Thesis (M.P.P.)--Georgetown University, 2009.; Includes bibliographical
 references. This study explores the key determinants of state and local public pension funding
 capacity and investment performance. Using a sample of U.S. public retirement systems for
 2001-2007 that combines data from the Public Fund Survey with new independently collected
 governance information, this research improves upon previous examinations of plan performance
 by including board turnover as a covariate of interest. A three equation empirical model is
 specified with actuarial funding ratio, percent of actuarially required contributions paid and
 investment rate of return used as the three outcome measures. The regression results present
 mixed evidence to support the hypothesis that pension governance impacts plan performance.
 While board turnover and investment council both had the expected effect on actuarial funding
 ratio, neither of these covariates significantly impacted investment rate of return. Instead,
 behavioral persistence and investment asset allocation appear as the most critical explanatory
 factors for pension performance.


Our task in this paper consists in reconstructing the four-particle scattering theory so as to be useful in practical applications. From this point of view, the integral equation for the four-particle scattering matrix, given in a previous paper is extended to a more useful one, in which the kernel is separated into two parts; one refers to the scattering matrix between an arbitrary three-particle subsystem and a free particle, and the other to the scat tering matrix between two two-particle subsystems. By using these equations, as will be shown, the treatment of practical problems becomes quite convenient. We discuss, as a case of special interest, composite-composite particle scattering in the four-particle system, by approximating the two two-particle subsystems by bound-state and/or resonance poles.


In contrast to previous issues of the OHAA Journal, in this issue a group of brief reports about oral history work and events, sourced from members and associates, have been grouped by region. The first is an account of the highlight news of 2004, which was the international conference of the IOHA in Rome, attended by a group of Australians, where it was agreed that Australia will host the 2006 international conference, and that it will be held in Sydney.


This paper presents the geotechnical analyses of Guizhou Hotel, a thirty story (102-m high) building situated under complicated karst engineering geological conditions. Comprehensive geotechnical investigations prior to the design included the bore hole sampling, insitu ultra-sound velocity testing, groundwater well-pumping, and laboratory testing for rock strength. Based on the field and laboratory data, the bedrocks within the construction site (about 20,000 m) was divided into four engineering geological units Ia, Ib, Ic, and Id, ranging from simple engineering geological condition (Ia) to very complicated geological condition (Id). Different subgrade bearing capacities were selected for the four units based on field and laboratory test results. Manually dug shaft foundations with different geometric shapes and sizes were considered for different units. Subgrade distress such as excess weathering and groundwater seepage were treated through construction measures. The field monitoring data during and after the construction indicated that very little overall and differential settlement had occurred for the structure and the geotechnical design for this high-rise building under the complicated karst geology had been a success.


Routing (and forwarding) is a core problem in networks for delivering data from one node to another. Today wireless networks are becoming popular because of their "3 Anys"– Any person, Anywhere and Any time. Wireless ad hoc networks are termed as mobile distributed multihop wireless networks without predetermined topology (preexisting fixed infrastructure) or central control. In this paper, we present a comprehensive review for routing features and techniques in wireless ad hoc networks. For more than a dozen typical existing routing protocols, we compare their properties according to different criteria, and categorize them according to their routing strategies and relationships.


Summary form only given. The plasma produced as a result of the interaction of an intense short pulse of laser radiation with aluminum target is investigated and probed. The experiment is carried out with the first three harmonics of a Q-switched Nd-YAG laser source (Continuum model NY81-30) at wavelengths 1064, 532, and 355 nm corresponding to energies 430, 100, and 60 mJ, respectively, and pulse length of 8 nsec. The laser is focused spherically to a diameter of 300 /spl mu/m onto a flat solid aluminum target placed in a vacuum chamber.


5. Last time I wrote that "given the small sample and the trend level of significance for baseline differences of education and marital status, the analyses should be redone, controlling for these factors. This is particularly important as education could be a clear factor in the outcomes." In the response letter, the authors refer to table 2, but do not describe controlling for any covariates in the paper.


In this papers, through analyzing the variation of steel temperature in steelmaking process in NO.2 Steelmaking Plant of XISC,It has been discussed on the effective factor of the temperature losses.Some measures are taken on technology,material and management,sequence temperature losses can be reduced, and it can be catch the aim to reduce the tapping temperature.


The text discusses the evolution of public policy tools in the context of modern administration, public policy and their development. It presents the relationships between the dominant public management paradigms and appropriate sets of tools enabling effective public action. It aims to identify premises for the emergence and use of interactive policy tools connected with a new governance era. On the grounds of public policy these tools are considered to be an effective method for achieving public goals through indirect manipulating policy processes. The text discusses the model used for the selection of procedural tools developed by M. Howlett. In conclusion Author claims that the use of interactive tools is associated with a number of speci c problems and/or costs, hence they cannot be perceived in terms of one best solution. This means that the choice of speci c solutions should be dictated by a given public policy context, which determines the practical applicability of a particular style of governance and, consequently, of a speci c type of policy tool.


Dedifferentiated chick embryo chondrocytes when transferred to suspension culture on agarose-coated dishes in the presence of ascorbic acid, aggregate and remain clustered. With time in culture, clusters grow in size and adhere to each other, forming structures that may be several millimeters in dimension. These structures after 7 d of culture have the histologic appearance of mature hypertrophic cartilage partially surrounded by a layer of elongated cells resembling the perichondrium. Cells inside the aggregates have ultrastructural features of stage I (proliferating) or stage II (hypertrophic) chondrocytes depending on their location. Occurrence and distribution of type I, II, and X collagens in the in vitro-formed cartilage at different times of culture, show a temporal and spatial distribution of these antigens reminiscent of the maturation events occurring in the cartilage in vivo. A comparable histologic appearance is shown also by cell aggregates obtained starting with a population of cells derived from a single, cloned, dedifferentiated chondrocyte. C HICK embryo hypertrophic cartilage develops through a series of differentiation events (18). Between stages 22 and 25 (9), in the center of limb buds, committed mesenchymal cells aggregate (5, 18, 19) and mature to proliferating chondrocytes. The chondrogenesis process is characterized by changes in the nature and amount of the ex-tracellular matrix macromolecules that are synthesized. In the cartilage-specific matrix, chondrocytes undergo further maturation to fully differentiated hypertrophic cells. Matrix vesicles released by hypertrophic chondrocytes are the first site of calcium deposition (1). In the calcifying region cells degenerate, leaving empty lacunae which fuse to each other and generate large spaces subsequently invaded by incoming blood vessels. In this developmental pathway at least three different cell phenotypes can be identified: (a) committed mesenchymal ceils, found first in the limb bud and then in the perichondrium-these cells produce type I collagen and fibronectin and possibly basal level of type II collagen (14); (b) stage I (proliferating) chondrocytes-these cells produce large amounts of type II collagen and cartilage-specific pro-teoglycans (10, 14, 20); and (c) stage II (hypertrophic) chon-drocytes localized in the hypertrophic calcifying cartilage-these ceils are characterized by the synthesis of type X in addition to type II collagen (3, 13, 17). We have recently shown that chondrocytes isolated from tibial cartilage of early chick embryos, when cultured on plastic dishes, assume a fibroblast-like morphology and shift from the synthesis of type II to the synthesis of type I colla-gen. These dedifferentiated cells, when transferred to suspension …


The SAGE system (Simulation and Generation Environment) was developed to address issues at the interface between conceptual modelling and natural language generation. In this paper, I describe SAGE and its components in the context of event descriptions. I show how kinds of information, such as the Reichenbachian temporal points and event structure, which are usually treated as unified systems, are often best represented at multiple levels in the overall system. SAGE is composed of a knowledge representation language and simulator, which form the underlying model and constitute the "speaker"; a graphics component, which displays the actions of the simulator and provides an anchor for locative and deictic relations; and the generator SPOKESMAN, which produces a textual narration of events.


The L-glutamicacyl dichloride was prepared by the reaction of L-glutamic acid(NH_ 2 was protected by using acetyl group) with SOCl_ 2, then reacted with 5-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrin, to give L-glutamic acid bridged diporphyrins. The compound was confirmed by using IR, 1H NMR, UV-Vis and elemental analysis. The chiral characteristics of the dimmer was studied by the circular dichroism(CD) spectrum.


In this paper, the electron-gating model to experimental data wherever possible and to account for any differences between the model and the experimental data. A primary experimental link is the Hodgkin-Huxley equations. A detailed study was made to understand the significance of the coefficients and sensitivity factors in terms of the electron-gating model. The amino acid sequence data for the squid giant axon for sodium and potassium ion channels and the sequence data for Shaker B. The experimental data for gating current and gating current time constants was described. Experimental data for electron tunneling across proteins and the α-helix in particular. Experimental determination of the NH3 inversion frequencies. The measured frequencies narrow the range of possible parameter values.


e15570 Background: In a subset of patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC), primary resistance to first VEGF targeted therapy is not fully understood, and the optimal treatment approach ...


Juveniles of Clarias gariepinus (mean weight, 180.56 ± 15.76 g; mean total length, 13.57 ± 3.78 cm SD) were exposed to five on-farm procedures (exposure outside water, sorting, starvation, serial transfer and overcrowding) and whole blood was collected before each treatment and at 20, 40 and 60 mins. After fish were exposed to each procedure, blood glucose levels were determined using a glucose meter. In all the procedures the glucose level increased with duration (p < 0.05) with a peak at 60 minutes. Whole blood glucose was highest in fish exposed outside water in comparison to the other treatments (p < 0.05). This study revealed that common onfarm procedures such as the ones studied can cause stress in C. gariepinus as evident in a raised glucose level. Hence this should be minimized as much as possible to reduce the effect of these procedures on the fish.


As early as 1949, Larkey and his co-workers1 made detailed comparisons between the indexing method of C A , I M , B A and other services. I personally analyzed hundreds of papers that had been indexed by C A . Complete indexing sheets were provided to me by Charles Bernier, the former editor of CA, and reported on the number of indexing terms explicitly and implicitly indicated in article titles. I did the same for I M also on a large scale. When John O'Connor worked for IS1 in the early 1960's, I discussed these experiments with him in relation to his own, even more detailed, analyses on which he has published.' There are a number of reasons why people like to study the information content of titles. For example, Resnick' wanted to know if they were as "useful" as abstracts for SDI purposes. He concluded that they were. Others like Bottle'want t o judge the relative utility of publications like Current


This study examines the economic determinants of the magnitude of fees paid for non-audit services provided by the incumbent auditors among Korean listed firms over the period 1999-2002. Only 26% of the sample firm-years exhibit positive non-audit service fees, compared to 96% among U.S. listed firms, suggesting that recent regulatory concerns on potential lack of auditor independence due to provision of non-audit related services may not be as severe among Korean listed firms as in the U.S. Unlike U.S. firms, Korean listed firms provide detailed descriptions of their incumbent auditors' non-audit services, allowing us to develop a rich taxanomy of non-audit activities including tax, routine management-related, information-technology, innovation, and valuation. A notable finding is that investments in innovation-related services occur the most often across industries, indicating increased demands for improving business efficiency among Korean firms. In examining the economic determinant of the level of non-audit service fees, this study specifically controls for firms' decision to purchase non-audit services using a self-selection model. Based on a Heckman two-stage estimation, we posit that firms simultaneously determine whether to purchase non-audit services and the level of investments in non-audit services conditional upon the purchase of non-audit services. The evidence shows that the firms' decision to buy non-audit services is distinct from their decision on the level of investments in non-audit services. This evidence suggests that estimating a model for the economic determinants of non-audit fees without correcting for this self-selection bias can lead to an erroneous inference on the determining factors underlying non-audit services.


The purpose of this study is to develop neighborhood assessment tools from the perspective of women in order to evaluate neighborhood environments and suggest better policies and planning practices for women-friendly neighborhood environments. To do so, we analyze correlations between women's quality of life and the neighborhood environment. Specifically, we gave female participants a mapping survey, interview, and questionnaire to collect data targeting women living in Onyang 2-dong and 5-dong in Asan city. First, we developed a neighborhood assessment tool derived from an extensive literature review and particular case studies. The mapping and interview surveys indicated that specific aspects neighborhood life needed to be improved in a similar area. In particular, women complained about Onyangoncheon station, a commercial area, and detached house area. Second, analysis of the neighborhood environmental factors affecting women's neighborhood satisfaction, crime safety, traffic and walking environment, accessibility of living facilities, green and public spaces and childcare environment were statistically significant. Of these, the inclusion of green and public spaces was the most influential factor. Third, the neighborhood environmental factors affecting women's neighborhood attachment, crime safety, traffic and walking environment, accessibility of living facilities, green and public spaces and childcare environment were statistically significant. Of these, accessibility of living facilities appeared to be the most influential factor. Fourth, the neighborhood environmental factors affecting women's housing mobility decisions, crime safety, traffic and walking environment, accessibility of living facilities, green and public spaces and childcare environment were statistically significant. Of these, childcare environment was the most influential factor.


Bitumen in oil sands is extra heavy crude oil. Bitumen's API gravity is between 8 and 12 and its viscosity is from 100, 000mPa·s to 8, 000, 000mPa·s. Bitumen has no mobility at the original reservoir temperature (10°C). In order to reduce its viscosity, thermal method should be applied to recover the bitumen.Bitumen-in-place in Alberta of Canada is estimated to be about 1 .7 trillion barrel and bitumen is expected to be an important energy source in the near future.Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) method is new promising technology for bitumen recovery. Twin horizontal wells are drilled to apply the SAGD method.


The residual thermal stress in multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) with varying number of layers was analyzed using finite element analysis, in order to find the links among the dielectric constant, the number of layers, and the stress state. In the active region of the MLCC, the in-plane stresses in a ceramic layer, σ11 and σ22, were compressive while the out-of-plane stress, σ33, was mostly tensile. Changes in the dielectric constant were related to the reinforcement of the compressive in-plane stress components for small numbers of layers, while out-of-plane tensile stress was attributed to the increased dielectric constant when the number of layers was large. In the intermediate regime, in-plane stress components and out-of-plane components both affected the dielectric constant.


Among men who have sex with men who do not report receptive anal sex, 70% reported at least one behavior that involved direct contact with their anus and 14.1% tested positive for rectal gonorrhea/chlamydia. Background In the United States, annual screening for rectal gonorrhea and chlamydia is only recommended for men who report receptive anal sex (RAS), but other behaviors (e.g., rimming) may lead to rectal Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae acquisition. Methods We enrolled individuals assigned male sex at birth who reported sex with men and denied RAS in the past 2 years or reported RAS 1 to 2 years ago but were tested and treated since last RAS. Participants enrolled in-person at the Sexual Health Clinic in Seattle, Washington (December 2019–July 2022), or online (July 2021–March 2022). Participants completed a survey that asked about 13 non-RAS behaviors and self-collected a rectal swab for gonorrhea/chlamydia nucleic acid amplification testing. We used log binomial regression to estimate the prevalence of rectal gonorrhea/chlamydia (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]) by behavior, adjusting for all other behaviors. Results We enrolled 292 participants (247 in-person and 45 online); 277 (95%) had nucleic acid amplification testing results. Rectal gonorrhea/chlamydia test positivity was 14.1% overall: 10.5% for rectal chlamydia and 4.3% for rectal gonorrhea. Most participants (70%) reported ≥1 behavior that involved direct contact with their anus. We observed a higher risk of rectal chlamydia for those who did versus did not report perianal play at 12 months (aPR, 2.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.10–5.22) and 2 months (aPR, 2.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–4.79). This was the only behavior significantly associated with testing positive. Conclusions Rectal C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae prevalence was high among men who deny RAS, suggesting other possible routes of acquisition. Rectal screening for those who deny RAS should be made with careful consideration of individual- and population-level effects.


Whereas the literature on lobbying has widely focused on the relation between government and domestic firms, influence of structural determinants on this relation have not yet been explored. Moreover, these determinants are crucial in a multilateral context, in terms of equity between countries and for negotiations. The first question this paper addresses is about the terms of the common agency relationship that occurs between government and firms. By introducing a different concept of action taken by firms, it is shown that increasing its profit by influencing a government in such a game is not so obvious. Secondly, this paper focuses on the what-is-inside the contributions paid by firms. To this end, a model of international trade mixed with a political economy framework is developed. It is shown that the scope of situations favorable to firms depends on fundamental parameters such as market size and marginal costs. Finally, this paper stresses the fact that the optimal situation for a government to reduce influence of firms depends on structural determinants of the actors. Therefore, in a multilateral trading system, it would be difficult to set a unique rule to ensure that governments will respect their commitments. A simple assumption is proposed. A multilateral organization whose aim is to set a unique tariff is introduced. The result shows that it is easier to reach an agreement when firms in both countries influence their governments than in only one. J .E .L: K,L Key-words : Endogenous protection, Contribution schedule Acknowledgments: I am grateful to Antoine Bouët for his helpful comments. All remaining errors are obviously mine. ∗Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne, 106-112 Bd de l'Hôpital 75647 Paris cedex 13 FRANCE. Off. +33(0)1.44.07.82.66 Fax. +33(0)1.44.07.82.67 Mail: firstname.lastname@example.com 8


The purpose of the research was the study of indices of bone mineral density (BMD) in women depending on the presence and stage of knee osteoarthritis (KO). We examined 190 women (83 without KO, 107 with KO I-III stage) aged 40-89 years. The diagnosis OA was confirmed clinically and radiologically, BMD was assessed using two-photon X-ray densitometry (DXA). We established that BMD indices in different regions of skeleton were significantly higher in patients with KO compared with healthy women, more pronounced differences were observed in patients in age group of 50-79 years. The progression of KO was associated with increased BMD indices, mainly due to the increase in the axial skeleton and less in femur, which may be relevant in interpreting the DXA results.


We study the photoemission from quantum wells (QWs), quantum well wires (QWWs) and quantum dots (QDs) of non-linear optical materials on the basis of a newly formulated electron dispersion law considering the anisotropies of the effective electron masses, the spin-orbit splitting constants and the presence of the crystal field splitting within the framework of k. p formalism. It has been found taking quantum confined CdGaAs2 and Hg1-xCdxTe as an examples that the photoemission exhibits quantized variations with incident photon energy. The photoemission is the greatest for QDs and the least for QWs. INTRODUCTION In recent years, the importance of QWs, QWWs and QDs are already well known in the whole field of nanoscience and technology. Although many new effects associated with quantum confinement have already been reported, nevertheless it appears from the literature that the photoemission from quantum confined materials has been relatively less studied [1]. Therefore it would be of interest to study the photoemission from quantum-confined non-linear optical, optoelectronic and related materials respectively. In this context it is noted that Kildal [2] proposed the energy spectrum of the conduction electrons in nonlinear optical materials under the assumptions of isotropic momentum matrix element and isotropic spin orbit splitting respectively, although the anisotropies of the aforementioned band parameters are the significant physical features of the said compound. Besides, the III-V optoelectronic compounds finds extensive application in distributed feedback lasers and infrared photodetectors. In what follows, we shall study the photoemission in quantum confined CdGeAs2 on the basis of a newly formulated electron dispersion law by considering the aforementioned anisotropies of the energy bands constants together with the inclusion of crystal field splitting constant respectively. We shall take Hg1-xCdxTe as examples of optoelectronic materials which forms a special case of our generalized analysis. Theoretical Background The dispersion relation of the conduction electrons in bulk specimens of non-linear optical materials within the framework of k.p formalism can be expressed as [3] ( ) ( ) ( ) 2 2 2 1 z x k E f k E f E + = γ (1) where the notations are defined in the above reference. The use of Equation (1) leads to the expressions of the photoemission from QW, QWW and QDs of nonlinear optical materials as ( )[ ] max min 2 1 1 2 . ( , ) ( , ) . z z z n o D n F z F z n z q J E T E n T E n h d α = Θ + ∑ (2)


Stress in Counsellors - Joan L Brady, Francis C Healy, John C Norcross and James D Guy An Integrative Research Review PART ONE: THE STRESSES OF WORKING WITH SPECIFIC CLIENT GROUPS The Stresses of Working with Clients Who Have Been Sexually Abused - Kate Coppenhall The Stresses of Working with Clients with HIV/AIDS - Tim Bond The Stresses of Working with Clients with Disabilities - Julia Segal The Stresses of Working with Couples and Families - Eddy Street PART TWO: THE STRESSES OF COUNSELLING IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS The Stresses of Working in a General Practice Setting - Richard House The Stresses of Counselling in Private Practice - Colin Feltham The Stresses of Directing a University Counselling Service - Peter Ross The Stresses of Running a Stress Management Centre - Stephen Palmer PART THREE: THE STRESSES OF COUNSELLOR EDUCATION The Stresses of Training Counsellors - John McLeod The Stresses of Supervising Counsellors - Michael Carroll The Stresses of Counsellors in Training - Katrine H Jensen


The persistence of long-range magnetic order in the two-dimensional diluted Hubbard model is explored using Deterministic Quantum Monte Carlo simulations. For this initial investigation, lattice sizes up to 16 × 16, inverse temperatures up to β = 16, and dilutions up to f = 0.35 were studied. Only lattices at half-filling were considered. In searching for a region of dilution where antiferromagnetism is destroyed, yet is still below the percolation threshold (f ≈ 0.4), candidates for transitions were found for U = 3 and U = 4 between f = 0.2 and f = 0.3. There appears to be a possible insulating region for U = 3, but more thorough investigations are needed to be conclusive.


Personal mobile devices (PMDs) have become the most used computing devices for many people. With the introduction of mobile cloud computing, we can augment the storage and computing capabilities of PMDs via cloud support. However, there are many challenges in developing mobile cloud applications (MCAs) that incorporate cloud computing efficiently, especially for developers targeting multiple mobile platforms. This paper presents Uniport, a uniform framework for developing MCAs. We introduce a uniform architecture for MCAs based on the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern and a set of programming primitives and runtime libraries. Not only can Uniport support the creation of new MCAs, it can also help transform existing mobile applications to MCAs efficiently. We demonstrate the applicability and flexibility of Uniport in a case study to transform three existing mobile applications on iOS, Android and Windows Phone, to their mobile cloud versions respectively. Evaluation results show that, with very few modifications, we can easily transform mobile applications to MCAs that can exploit the cloud support to improve performance by 3 - 7x and save more than half of their energy consumption.


In this paper we present a new $2D$ decentralized path-planning algorithm for a swarm of multi-rotor UAVs operating in an unknown environment. The way-points of the reference trajectories are computed as solutions of a sequence of optimization problems. In order to obtain coordination, the optimization problems are defined by considering the goal of the flight mission, the desired formation shape and the detected obstacles. The obstacle avoidance strategy is based on the clustering of the detected landmarks. Then the no-fly zones are obtained by fitting the minimum area rectangle boxes surrounding the clusters. The algorithm is tested through simulations of realistic scenarios.


For gauge groups $U(1)$ and $SO(3)$ we classify invariant $G_2$-instantons for homogeneous coclosed $G_2$-structures on Aloff-Wallach spaces $X_{k,l}$. As a consequence, we give examples where $G_2$-instantons can be used to distinguish between different strictly nearly parallel $G_2$-structures on the same Aloff-Wallach space. In addition to this, we find that while certain $G_2$-instantons exist for the strictly nearly parallel $G_2$-structure on $X_{1,1}$, no such $G_2$-instantons exist for the tri-Sasakian one. As a further consequence of the classification, we produce examples of some other interesting phenomena, such as: irreducible $G_2$-instantons that, as the structure varies, merge into the same reducible and obstructed one; and $G_2$-instantons on nearly parallel $G_2$-manifolds that are not locally energy minimizing.


Abstract Multicomponent reactions for the synthesis of β-acetamido carbonyl compounds have been gained considerable attention in organic synthesis. In this articles, aromatic aldehydes have been employed in a one-pot reaction with enolizable ketones, acetonitrile, benzonitrile, and acetyl chloride in the presence of copper(II) sulfate petahydrate at ambient temperature to afford the corresponding β-acetamido ketones in very good yields. New compounds are reported. The use of readily available copper(II) sulfate petahydrate as a reusable and recyclable catalyst makes this process quite simple, convenient, and environmentally friendly. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT


Objective To study the correlation of health-promoting lifestyle with college adaptability among medical undergraduates so as to provide evidence for health promotion.Methods With cross-sectional design and stratified cluster sampling,2 960 medical undergraduates from three medical colleges in Anhui were surveyed.The research instruments included the Health-promoting Lifestyle Profile(HPLP),Chinese College Students Adjustment Scale(CCSAS) and Socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents.Results It revealed that medical undergraduates had an average level of health-promoting lifestyle with the mean total score at(113.72±14.09) and the mean score of each item at(2.71±0.34).The difference in comparison with the norm(107.56±13.09)was statistically significant(t=7.138,P0.01).There was significantly positive association between health-promoting lifestyle and college adjustment(r=0.639,P0.01).College adjustment had a significant predictive effect on health-promoting lifestyle.Conclusion Generally,health-promoting lifestyle in medical undergraduates is at an average level.In addition,the level of health-promoting lifestyle may be improved by improving the level of college adjustment.


An equivalent-multishell approach for the approximate calculation of the characteristics of electromagnetic waves propagating in almost circular (azimuthally symmetric), closely packed bundles of parallel, identical, and metallic carbon nanotubes (CNTs) yields results in reasonably good agreement with a many-body technique, for infinitely long bundles when the number of CNTs is moderately high. The slow-wave coefficients for azimunthally symmetric guided waves increase with the number of metallic CNTs in the bundle, tending for thick bundles to unity, which is characteristic of macroscopic metallic wires. The existence of an azimuthally nonsymmetric guided wave at low frequencies in a bundle of a large number of finite-length CNTs stands in contrast to the characteristics of guided-wave propagation in a single CNT. The equivalent-multishell approach yields the polarizability scalar and the antenna efficiency of a bundle of finite-length CNTs in the long-wavelength regime over a wide frequency range spanning the terahertz and the near-infrared regimes. Edge effects give rise to geometric resonances in such bundles.
The antenna efficiency of a CNT bundle at the first resonance can exceed that of a single CNT by four orders of magnitude, which is promising for the design and development of CNT-bundle antennas and composite materials containing CNT-bundles as inclusions.


This invention relates to a latex containing two populations of vinyl chloride-based polymer particles. It also relates to the processes for the production of this latex and its use in the manufacture of fluid plastisols which are stable on storage.


Since the dawn of civilization, medical herms have always been powerful remedies specially in Indian subcontinent. Even the use and benefits of powerful herbs are also found large in religious texts originating in ancient India, long before the flood of modern medical practice. Today,
 overwhelmed with sophisticated technical aspects, it has become indispensable not to forget that ancient knowledge of natural medicine that made us alive for thousands of years. Today, to control the pandemic situation of COVID-19, several modern medicines are being developed to stop the infection
 that affects our respiratory organs (lungs). But, there are several herbs are there having powerful medicinal values to cure our lungs naturally without any harmful side effects. It has also been found that regular consumption of such herbs not only strengthen out respiratory track, bit also
 improves our immune system. According to several related studies suggests that such dual useful characteristics of these medicinal herbs are to be implemented to our daily regular diet to make us more strong from within. Specially, when all modern medicines fail to prove their superiority.


Python is known to be used by beginners to professional programmers. Python provides functionality to its community of users through PyPI libraries, which allows developers to reuse functionalities to an application. However, it is unknown the extent to which these PyPI libraries require proficient code in their implementation. We conjecture that PyPI contributors may decide to implement more advanced Pythonic code, or stick with more basic Python code. Are complex codes only committed by few contributors, or only to specific files? The new idea in this paper is to confirm who and where complex code is implemented. Hence, we present a visualization to show the relationship between proficient code, contributors, and files. Analyzing four PyPI projects, we are able to explore which files contain more elegant code, and which contributors committed to these files. Our results show that most files contain more basic competency files, and that not every contributor contributes competent code. We show how our visualization is able to summarize such information, and opens up different possibilities for understanding how to make elegant contributions.


The Abelian Sandpile Model is a diffusion process on graphs, studied, under various names, in statistical physics, theoretical computer science, and algebraic graph theory. The model takes a rooted directed multigraph X , the ambient space, in which the root is accessible from every vertex, and associates with it a commutative monoidM, a commutative semigroup S, and an abelian group G as follows. For vertices i, j, let aij denote the number of i→ j edges and let deg(i) denote the out-degree of i. Let V be the set of ordinary (non-root) vertices. With each i ∈ V associate a symbol xi and consider the relations deg(i)xi = ∑ j∈V aijxj . LetM, S, and G be the commutative monoid, semigroup and group, respectively, generated by {xi : i ∈ V } subject to these defining relations. M is the sandpile monoid, S is the sandpile semigroup, and G is the sandpile group associated with X . We write the operation additively, so 0 is the identity of M. We have M = S ∪ {0}; we show that G is the unique minimal ideal of M. The main results of the thesis cover two areas: (1) a general study of the structure of the sandpile monoid and (2) detailed analysis of the structure of the sandpile group for a special class of graphs. Our first main goal is to establish connections between the algebraic structure of M, S, G, and the combinatorial structure of the underlying ambient space X . M turns out to be a distributive lattice of semigroups each of which has a unique idempotent. The distributive lattice in question is the lattice L of idempotents ofM; L turns out to be isomorphic to the dual of the lattice of ideals of the poset of normal strong components of X . The M→ L epimorphism defines the smallest semilattice congruence of M; therefore L is the universal semilattice of M. We characterize the directed graphs X for which S has a unique idempotent; this includes the important case when the digraph induced on the ordinary vertices is strongly connected. If the idempotent in S is unique then the Rees quotient S/G


In the present study, we find oscillation results for the higher order nonlinear neutral delay generalized α−difference equation of the form ∆α(`) ( a(k)∆m−1 α(`) z(k) ) + q(k)f(x(k − ρ`)) = 0 , where z(k) = x(k) + p(k)x(τ(k)).


Wide-spread all over the planet, incorporating all music genres, the music video, the subject matter of this analysis, has become irreplaceable in promotions, song presentations, an artist's image, visual aesthetics of subculture; today, most of the countries in the world have a channel devoted to music only, i.e. to music video. The form started to develop rapidly in the 50s of the twentieth century, alongside television. As it developed, its purpose has changed: from a simple presentation of musicians to an independent video form.


It is crucial to design a rational and effective imaging laser radar system for the research of the imaging laser radar The relationship between many parameters must be considered adequately The laser source and the detector and some other components are chose on the basis of the required index A diode pumped solid state Nd∶YAG laser is selected as the laser source The performance of the imaging laser radar system is researched in the light of detection statistics related with range, probability of detection, false alarm rate and signal to noise Factors affecting the actual detected pixels for the radar is discussed The basis for the imaging laser radar design is offered


FIELD: organic chemistry, medicine, pharmacy. SUBSTANCE: invention relates to novel derivatives of alkylurea of the formula (I): or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate or hydrate possessing properties of retinoid agonists (RAR), pharmaceutical compositions and medicinal agent. In compound of the formula (I): n means a whole number from 0 to 2; X means oxygen atom (O); Y means -OR 5 wherein R 5 means hydrogen atom; R 1 means (C 2 -C 8 )-alkyl; R 2 means hydrogen atom, alkyl, hydroxy- or oxo-group; R 9 means hydrogen atom. EFFECT: valuable medicinal properties of compound and pharmaceutical composition. 12 cl, 3 sch, 10 tbl, 20 ex


Recent advances in study of the pathways metabolizing Sadenosylmethionine (SAM)and 1aminocyclopropane 1 carboxylic acid (ACC),two major intermediates in ethylene biosynthesis pathway,were reviewed. The properties of the rate limiting enzymes and their encoding genes of these pathways are highlighted. Genetic engineering ways for controling ethylene biosynthesis were summarized.


Objective To study CT findings of sacral tuberculosis.Methods CT findings of sacral tuberculosis confirmed pathologically in 13 cases were analysed combined with literature review.Results The S 1~2 tuberculosis was most common.The types of sacrum destruction were osteolytic and bone destruction along the sacral foramen.The cold abscess were distributed at the presacral,unilateral iliac fossa and/or the gluteal region.Three patients(23.1%) were associated with sacroiliac joint tuberculosis(right 2,left 1).Conclusion In the patients with sacral tuberculosis the patterns of sacrum destruction,region of cold abscess and its relationship with the neighboring structures can be well showed by CT,and it can help surgeons to choose the appropriate surgical approach.


Objective:To discuss the role of DKK3 gene methylation in breast cancer,we research DKK3 gene methylation status in Invasiv ductal carcinoma(IDC) and usual ductal hyperplasia(UDH).Methods:By using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF MS)technic,we detected DKK3 gene methylation in 50 cases of IDC and 20 cases of UDH.Results:The rate methylation of DKK3 gene CpG sites in IDC and UDH separately were 8%~26% and 10%~24%.There was no statistically significant difference in methylation rate of all CpG sites in IDC and UDH.Conclusion:The rates of methylation of DKK3 gene may play a role in the development of breast cancer


In this paper, a physics based model of inversion charge sheet of nanoscale NMOSFETs has been presented. The model is formulated for nanoscale biaxial strained silicon NMOSFET including quantum mechanical effect (QME). The QME is splitting of conduction band due to very thin oxide (tox) and very large doping concentration of ultra small geometry of MOSFET. The QME shift the inversion charge sheet into subtracts. To overcome this problem strain technique is used because this shift is very small but this is effect causes increase in the surface potential as well as threshold voltage of nanoscale MOSFET. The modeling approach is to develop the model for inversion charge sheet after combining both QME and strain effect for biaxial strained silicon NMOSFET .The result shows a significant decrease in the inversion charge sheet of increasing the germanium mole fraction (%x) in silicon germanium heterostrusture virtual substrate. The presented result has been good agreement with published data. The result shows that QME is minimized by using strain technique in biaxial strained silicon NMOSFET. Presented result is valid for large range of doping concentration as well as mole fraction.


In the clinical practice, the evaluation of binocular vision is carried out with the traditional Worth-4-dot test, which is based on his classic theory, suggesting three hierarchical stages of stereovision (Worth, 1906). However, according to research nowadays, binocular vision rather involves parallel pathways. We do not know how the hierarchical organizational principles set forward in the Worth model can be related to the parallel processing pathway theory. We aimed to use reaction time (RT) measurement, a traditional psychophysical method, in a series of experiments, to examine the processing time of mechanisms in stereovision by using different types of cyclopean stimuli that are only visible binocularly by individuals who have intact stereopsis. We tested the effect of correlation, disparity and contrast on RT. Overall, the results suggest that the processing of cyclopean stimuli is more time consuming than noncyclopean ones and that the speed further depends on the disparity and contrast of the stimuli. We have failed to prove that the processing of the different types of cyclopean stimuli takes a hierarchical order, rather, the results support the idea of parallel systems.


M. tuberculosis, M. bovis and M. avium infections cause the most important mycobacterioses leading to increased mortality in patients with AIDS. Various 5-substituted 2'-deoxyuridines, arabinouridines, arabinocytidines and 2'-arabinofluoro-2'-deoxyuridines were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro inhibitory activity against M. bovis, M. tuberculosis and M. avium. 5-(C-1 Substituted)-2'-deoxyuridine derivatives emerged as potent inhibitors of M. avium (MIC50 = 1-10 microg/mL range); 5-(1-azidovinyl)-2'-deoxyuridine being the most active (MIC50 = 1-5 microg/mL range). The nature of C-5 substituents appeared to be a determinant of anti-mycobacterial activity.


C onsidering the complex series of cardiorespira-tory changes that occurs at birth, it is not surprising that the transition to extrauterine life does not always proceed smoothly. Neonatal respiratory disorders account for the majority of admissions to intensive care units and result in significant morbidity and mortality. Once the infant shows signs of respiratory distress, prompt diagnosis is essential. Respiratory distress may be related to structural problems such as poor lung development or defects of the chest wall or diaphragm. Biochemical and physical immaturity may exist. Abnormalities in the central nervous system may cause alterations in the respiratory regulatory apparatus. Perfusion abnormalities may impair gas exchange. Aspiration and infection can also occur. Not all infants with respiratory distress have a respiratory disease (Figure 2-1). In some cases, congenital heart disease may be difficult to distinguish from primary lung disease. Labored breathing may also result from a metabolic problem. The coexistence of other factors , such as cold stress and polycythemia, may compound respiratory distress. Most neonatal respiratory problems are treated medically, but a number of conditions that present with respiratory distress may require surgical intervention. Institution of appropriate therapy requires an accurate diagnosis. Knowledge of the patho-physiology of neonatal pulmonary diseases is essential to ensure comprehensive management. This chapter discusses the pathophysiology of the most common pulmonary disorders that present as acute respiratory distress in the newborn period. Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), also known as hyaline membrane disease and surfactant deficiency syndrome, is the major pulmonary problem occurring in the neonate. This syndrome affects approximately 40,000 infants annually in the U.S. Nearly 65 percent of these infants are born at gestational ages of 30 weeks or less. 1 Infants of 37–40 weeks gestational age rarely develop RDS. The prematurity rate is the main reason RDS remains a major neonatal problem. The frequency of RDS, which primarily affects preterm infants less than 35 weeks gestational age, increases inversely with gesta-tional age. However, susceptibility to RDS depends more on the neonate's stage of lung maturity than on precise gestational age. Table 2-1 lists risk factors known to pre-dispose the neonate to developing RDS. Despite significant advances in understanding the pathophysiology of the disease, RDS ranks eighth among the top ten causes of neonatal deaths. Extreme prematu-rity; congenital anomalies; chromosomal abnormalities; bacterial sepsis; maternal complications of pregnancy; and complications of the placenta, cord, and fetal membranes currently outrank RDS as causes of neonatal …


This ethnographic study examines the lives of 18 young male street prostitutes. The focus of this study is to identify the benefits and liabilities associated with this activity by grounding the decision to engage in this behavior in a rational choice perspective. Benefits identified include financial gain, sexual pleasure, control of work schedule, and affection. The liabilities include fear of arrest, potential for violence, having sex with undesirable people, and not being paid for services rendered. This study demonstrates that the decision to engage in street prostitution is a complicated process that involves the weighing of the perceived benefits against the perceived risks.


We describe the CAMsterdam team entry to the SemEval-2019 Shared Task 6 on offensive language identification in Twitter data. Our proposed model learns to extract textual features using a multi-layer recurrent network, and then performs text classification using gradient-boosted decision trees (GBDT). A self-attention architecture enables the model to focus on the most relevant areas in the text. In order to enrich input representations, we use node2vec to learn globally optimised embeddings for hashtags, which are then given as additional features to the GBDT classifier. Our best model obtains 78.79% macro F1-score on detecting offensive language (subtask A), 66.32% on categorising offence types (targeted/untargeted; subtask B), and 55.36% on identifying the target of offence (subtask C).


Cost and schedule, cost/incremental capability, and schedule impact analyses are presented. Quantifiable benefits, space technology, non-quantifiable benefits, and space commercialization are addressed.


Abstract It is shown how pseudoconstants of the Liouville-type equations can be exploited as a tool for construction of the Bäcklund transformations. Several new examples of such transformations are found. In particular we obtained the Bäcklund transformations for a pair of three-component analogs of the dispersive water wave system, and auto- Bäcklund transformations for coupled three-component KdV-type systems.


Abstract The crystal structures of the compounds [R3CP(X)NR]2(R= CH3; X=S, Te for cis isomers and X= lone pair, S, Te for trans isomers) (2-6) were determined from single crystal X-ray data. The four-membered P-N rings in the cis isomers 2 and 3 show significant deviations from planarity attributed to steric overcrowding in the molecules.The trans isomers 4-6 are planar. The P-N bond lenghts (mean values for 2-6:171.4, 170, 171.6, 169.2 and 168.3 pm)in the cis isomers are not significantly different from the corresponding lengths in the trans isomers 5 and 6.


A self-consistent model describing a microwave discharge with radial energy input is proposed to simulate electromagnetic field, radiative transfer, photoionization processes, plasma chemical reactions, heat transfer and hydrodynamics. The model is implemented for the case of discharges in neon and argon; the relevant kinetic data for these gases are collected and supplemented. Self-consistent simulation has shown that the electromagnetic field and the plasma configuration do not correspond to the widely used surface-wave approach.


The barrier function is an important characteristic of the gut and an important determinant in the outcome of critically ill patients. Its workings are complex and it consists of epithelial, molecular, and immune components. The pathogenesis of gut dysfunction among critically ill patients is multifactorial. The purpose of this literature review is to provide a better understanding of the normal defense mechanisms of the gut, alterations associated with ischemia reperfusion injury, risk of infection, starvation and malnutrition and severe trauma, and potential therapies for gut dysfunction in critically ill patients.


This thesis presents the results of phytolith and faecal spherulite analysis from three sites in the Semirech'ye region of south-eastern Kazakhstan, dating from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age (3rd to 1st millennia BC). The primary aim of the research is to generate new data relating to the exploitation of plant resources that can inform on changing land use and subsistence strategies over time. The research is placed in the context of the current understanding of the archaeological and palaeoclimatic record for the region, and aims to offer new insights into the transitional period from the Late Bronze Age to the Iron Age, around the turn of the 1st millennium BC. During this period both the archaeological and palaeoclimatic records point to significant changes in material culture, social organisation, and climate, and this thesis proposes resilience theory as a theoretical model with which to integrate these multi-level data and conceptualise human-environment interactions in the Semirech'ye region and the wider Eurasian steppe zone.


The experiment was located on the Red River Valley Potato Growers Research farm in Grand Forks, ND. Cut A-size certified 'Norchip' potatoes were planted on 28 May. Soils at this location were Bearden silt-loam with adequate moisture at planting. Plots consisted of four rows, 0.9 m wide, 7.6 m in length, with a 1.5 m fallow aisle on the end of each plot. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications. Foliars were applied in 2 1 of total material per 0.0088 ha on 27 Jun, 4, 10, 19, and 25 Jul. Karate 1 E was combined with MYX-1806, as indicated, for each of the 5 treatments.


Aluminium alloys have extensive application in industries. The range of physical properties that can be imparted to them is remarkable. Mixing of Silicon to aluminium tends to increase its strength to weight ratio and wear resistance, and tends to decrease its density and coefficient of thermal expansion. In the present work Al-Si alloy cylindrical pin is produced through powder metallurgy process and experimentation is made to determine the mechanical & tribological properties of five alloy samples i.e. Al-9wt%Si, Al-12wt%Si, Al- 14wt%Si Al-17wt%Si and Al-21wt%Si.A composition analysis is done in the testing laboratory to verify the weight% of Silicon & Aluminium in the Al-Si alloy. Density test is done by measuring mass & volume of the alloy samples. Hardness of the alloy samples is measured by taking four indentations with the help of Brinell hardness testing machine and calculating its hardness number. Porosity of the samples is evaluated by considering the density of the sintered component (γp) &the density of the solid alloy material (γs). Wear tests is conducted using a pin on-disc type wear testing machine (DUCOM wear and friction monitor) and taking sliding velocity and applied load as the parameters.


This study explored the use of direct corrective feedback in the Thesis Proposal writing course where the students are expected to develop their undergraduate thesis proposal at Universitas Brawijaya and how direct corrective feedback can help the students to deal with their academic writing. The data were obtained from six students who have taken the Thesis Proposal Writing course and one lecturer who taught the course using two instruments: an interview guide and observation checklists to triangulate and ensure the validity. The result showed that: (1) direct corrective feedback was employed by the teachers to help the students to deal with their writing because direct corrective feedback was the most suitable and comprehensive feedback  (2) the lecturer provided direct corrective feedback through Google Classroom and Google Documents for asynchronous meeting and Google Meet for synchronous meeting (3) Direct corrective feedback helped the students to deal with their writing since the students had high positive attitude and is preferred by the students  to revise their drafts. In teaching writing, the result implied that it will be very beneficial for the teacher to provide direct corrective feedback to the students as teaching strategies and the students to correct their drafts easily.


The article is devoted to the study of the institution of rehabilitation of credit institutions in Russia, its current problems and prospects for further development. The author examines the influence of the institution of reorganization on the stability of the country's banking system. The object of research in the article is the Institute of Reorganization of Credit Institutions in Russia. The subject of the study is an assessment of the current state of the domestic institute of rehabilitation of credit institutions. The theoretical and methodological basis of this article is the normative legal acts of the Russian Federation, the normative acts of the Bank of Russia, scientific publications and studies of Russian scientists devoted to the study of this issue. Statistical materials of the Federal State Statistics Service, the Bank of Russia, as well as other information materials posted on the Internet were used as an information base. The study is based on methods of statistical analysis, a review of literature, regulations and other information sources concerning the rehabilitation of credit institutions, and covers 1990-2021. The definition of rehabilitation of credit institutions is formulated. The main stages of the development of the institution of rehabilitation of credit institutions are considered: the mechanism of the rehabilitation procedure, the main changes in it at each stage of the institute's development, its advantages and disadvantages. The 'credit' mechanism of bank rehabilitation with the participation of the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA) and the mechanism with the participation of the Management Company of the Banking Sector Consolidation Fund specially established by the Bank of Russia (LLC "CC FCBS") are considered in the most detail. Each of these mechanisms has its advantages and disadvantages highlighted. Currently, both of these methods are used in Russia. Based on the analysis of the current state of the institute of rehabilitation and the effectiveness of the rehabilitation of credit institutions, a number of problems are identified: the lack of a single regulatory act regulating the activities of this institute, the high cost of the procedures of rehabilitation, etc. Recommendations for their solution and improvement of the institution of rehabilitation of credit institutions in Russia are given for each identified problem.


Objective To determine the characteristics and manifestations of liver toxicity induced by chlorpromazine (CPZ, a phenothiazine antipsychotic drug) and Z24 (an anticancer candidate drug) and to study the relationship between short-term inflammation and drug-induced liver toxicity through monitoring inflammation induced by low-dose lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and the hepatic toxicants CPZ and Z24. Methods A specific inhibitor of Kupffer cells, GdCl3, was used to probe the role of these cells in the development of liver toxicity. Interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α) was evaluated to study the roles of hepatic non-parenchymal cells and inflammatory mediators in liver toxicity induced by CPZ and Z24, as well as the effect of LPS on drug-induced liver toxicity. In addition, the mechanism, process, steps and pathways of the influence exerted by hepatic non-parenchymal cells and inflammatory mediators are discussed. Results Treatment with 75 mg kg−1 CPZ caused significant changes in the blood biochemical index of liver toxicity, but this dosage did not have an effect on liver pathology. When 75 mg kg−1 CPZ was administered 2 h after an inflammatory response had been induced by 2 mg kg−1 LPS, the blood biochemical index of liver toxicity increased further, and liver injury lesions occurred. Treatment with 200 mg kg−1 Z24 significantly increased the blood biochemical index of liver toxicity and induced a significant pathological change in liver injuries. However, after 2 h of pretreatment with 2 mg kg−1 LPS followed by treatment with Z24, the blood biochemical index was normal, and pathological change was significantly reduced. Pretreatment with 10 mg kg−1 GdCl3 significantly inhibited the enhancement of CPZ-induced liver toxicity by LPS; however, the same treatment did not alter the protective effect of LPS against Z24-induced liver toxicity. Two hours of pretreatment with 1.25 μg kg−1 IL-1α significantly antagonized the liver toxicity induced by Z24; however, compared with the control group, a degree of liver toxicity was still observed. Conclusions When an organism is experiencing an inflammatory response, activation of Kupffer cells enhances CPZ-induced liver toxicity. The inflammatory response induced by LPS could be used to establish and study a screening model for idiosyncratic liver toxicity. Under inflammatory response conditions, activating endothelial cells and IL-1α might have a protective effect against Z24-induced liver toxicity.


Based on statistical analysis of representative worst-case MMF samples, we present comprehensive comparisons and analysis of different electrical dispersion compensation on differential mode delay in MMF links for 10-Gigabit Ethernet.


Abstract: Brasetto is one of the first two hybrid winter (fall) rye (Secale cereale L.) cultivars to be registered for production in Canada. In registration trials, its grain yield was 42% higher than the mean of the check entries and 23% higher than the highest yielding reference cultivar, Hazlet. It has a very high falling number, which is of special interest in the food market. Except for lower grain protein content and a slightly higher ergot [Claviceps purpurea (Fr.) Tul.] level, the rest of its measured agronomic and quality characters have been better than or within the range of the Fall Rye Co-operative Registration Trial check cultivars in Canada. Its expected end use will be primarily for food and feed grain.


Blockchain represents a technology for establishing a shared, immutable version of the truth between a network of participants that do not trust one another, and therefore has the potential to disrupt any financial or other industries that rely on third-parties to establish trust. In order to better understand the current ecosystem of Blockchain applications, a scalable proof-of-concept pipeline for analysis of multiple streams of semi-structured data posted on social media is demonstrated, based on open source components. Deep Web as well as conventional social media are considered. Preliminary analysis suggests that data found in the Deep Web is complimentary to that available on the conventional web. Future work is described that will scale the system to cloud-based, real-time, analysis of multiple data streams, with Information Extraction (IE) (ex. sentiment analysis) and Machine Learning capability.


The Pseudo-Dynamic Test Method (PDTM) is being developped currently as an alternative to the shaking table testing of large size models. However, the stepped slow execution of the former type of test has been found to be the source of important errors arising from the stress relaxation. A new continuous test method, wich allows the selection of a suitable time-scale factor in the response in order to control these errors, es proposed here. Such scaled-time response is theoretically obtained by simply augmenting the mass of the structure for wich some practical solutions are proposed.


Vasoactive peptides liberated from fibrin microemboli have been suggested to be responsible for the increased microvascular permeability in the delayed microembolism syndrome. Two such peptides were isolated from fibrin or fibrinogen lysate after chromatography on Bio Gel P-6 and column zone electrophoresis. These peptides designated as 6A and 6D show a strong effect on microvascular permeability in the rat skin after injection of as little as 5 μg. Amino acid sequence: Ala-Arg-Pro-Ala-Lys for 6A and Ser-Gln-Leu-Gln-Lys-Val-Pro-Pro-Glu-Trp-Lys for 6D. Synthetic counterparts were achieved by the Merrifield solid phase method. Structure-function studies revealed 1) Removal of the C-terminal Lys by carboxypeptidase B resulted in complete loss of activity. 2) Replacement of the C-terminal Lys with Arg in the pentapeptide did not affect its potency whereas substitution of the N-terminal Ala with a propionyl group resulted in an inactive product. 3) Cleavage of 6D with trypsin gave two inactive fragments. 4) Formylation of the Trp-residue in 6D gava product which was about 50% more active than the parent molecule These studies show that the N-terminal amino-group, the C-terminal Lys (or Arg) as well as Trp (in 6D) are apparently essential for the permeability increasing effect of these peptides.


We describe a low-noise, two-stage dc Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (SQUID) amplifier that is designed for applications requiring high bandwidth and dynamic range. The output signal of a low-noise SQUID in the input stage coherently modulates a series array of identical SQUIDs in the output stage via a common modulation line. The input stage is designed so its output signal does not produce multiple modulation periods in the output stage. The output stage is designed to have sufficient gain so the output noise is dominated by the amplified noise of the input SQUID and exceeds the noise of a preamplifier in the room temperature readout electronics. The SQUID amplifier may therefore be operated without flux modulation or any impedance matching network, resulting in a large dynamic range and high bandwidth.


National Estuarine Research Reserve System under award no. NA07NOS4200049 from the Estuarine Reserves Division, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, NOAA


Measurements were made of the thickness of the epidermis, the dimensions of keratinocytes and of the surface areas of individual corneocytes in normal human skin from three non‐light exposed sites. The numbers of cells in the epidermis and their height decreased with age, whereas the surface area of individual corneocytes tended to increase with increasing age. The changes demonstrated may be responsible for some of the alterations noted clinically in the skin of elderly individuals.


Objective: To determine the most important sequelae from stroke in terms of quality of life (QOL) for survivors and caregivers.
Background: Survivors and caregivers sometimes assign different values to sequelae of stroke. The most used outcome scales, e.g., mRS, NIHSS, Barthel index; measure disability either in terms of activities of daily living/independence and are heavily weighted towards motor deficits. It is critical to understand what sequelae have greatest impact on QOL of survivors and caregivers, to focus post-stroke interventions.
Methods: We surveyed 33 stroke patients and 28 corresponding caregivers using questionnaires about stroke sequelae. Residual problems were rated in 2 ways: (1) from most to least important in terms of QOL; (2) severe, moderate, mild, none. Symptoms included change in: personality or behavior, motor function, language, sensation, mood, walking, swallowing, sleep, empathy (understanding emotions of others and expressing emotion through tone of voice and facial expression), and sexual function.
Results: Mean age (survivors): 66 (31-83) years; mean 22.2 months post-stroke; 42% women. Lesion site: 14 left, 14 right hemisphere, 3 bilateral, 2 brainstem. Among survivors of left hemisphere stroke and their caregivers, spelling/writing difficulties were the most frequently identified (71%), followed by word-retrieval and mood problems (noted by 57% of caregivers) and right-sided weakness identified (57% of survivors). Among caregivers of right hemisphere stroke survivors, the most commonly reported problem was loss of empathy (50%), followed by "other cognitive problems" and "change in personality and behavior." Among right hemisphere stroke survivors, few residual deficits were reported, but equally common were: fatigue, left-sided weakness, problems with mood, reading, writing, memory, and sexual function ( 21% each).
Conclusion: There is a greater concordance in rating the most important sequelae among patients and caregivers with left compared to right hemispheric stroke.
Deficits in writing and empathy are underestimated as residual problems from stroke. Efforts to understand the causes and alleviate these problems are needed to improve QOL after stroke. Disclosure: Dr. Urrutia has received research support from Genentech Inc., and Lundbeck Research USA, Inc. Dr. Johnson has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hillis has received research support from Allon Pharmaceutical.


Streptococcus Lancefield Group C (Strep C) bacteria is a known causative agent of pharyngitis. It is known to rarely cause disease in humans but can colonize certain parts of the body including the skin, the newborn umbilicus and other mucosal surfaces like the nose, throat and vagina. The most common reservoirs of Strep C are milk, livestock and other infected humans and it is most commonly transmitted through direct contact with an infected human or non-human host, although, it may be transmitted intravenously. Casual observations by local authorities (personal communication: Elizabeth Morley, RN, Director of Perrella Health Care Center of Hartwick College and Russell Grant, Director of Infection Control at Fox Memorial Hospital Oneonta NY) suggest that the routine diagnosis of Strep C pharyngitis amongst Hartwick College is endemic on Hartwick College campus. This study therefore determined the proportion of the student body of Hartwick College campus that are (asymptomatically) infected with Strep C and looked for common associations amongst members of the infected population using data collected from written surveys. The commonalities were then examined to look for possible reservoirs on campus. One hundred and sixty seven throat swab cultures were obtained from student volunteers on Hartwick College campus on three assigned dates starting March 2010. These cultures were grown on sheep blood agar plates and the different hemolytic colonies were then tested for Lancefield Group C using a latex agglutination test. The results show that 7.2% of the tested population is positive for Streptococcus Lancefield group C. Our data suggests that there is no significant association between being positive for Strep C and any of the tested variables. However, using chi squared analysis, we found a significant association (p<0.05) between the variable resident dorm and testing positive for Strep C. Further analysis of the data, revealed an unusually high count of individuals that tested positive for strep C residing in the dorm Leitzell. INTRODUCTION Infections caused by streptococcal bacteria are extremely common in the United States despite the overall susceptibility of these organisms to antibiotics like penicillin (Weinberg 2008). During the mid-1930's, Rebecca Lancefield classified bacteria in the genus Streptococcus based on specific carbohydrates found in their cell walls. This led to the discovery of many streptococcal groups including A, C and G, all of which exhibit different biochemical properties (Weinberg 2008). Among these groups, Streptococcus Lancefield Group C have played more important clinical roles although they are less extensively studied when compared to Streptococcus Lancefield Group A (S. pyogenes) (Weinberg 2008). This is because Group C streptococci more commonly cause disease in non-human animals. They are, however, now being identified as a cause of local and systemic infections in humans with increasing frequency (Carmeli and Ruoff, 1995). SiddiquiS/Allen JBR XI 2010 143 Traditionally, Lancefield group C has included four species of Streptococcus: S. equisimilis, S. zooepidemicus, S. equi, and S. dysgalactiae (Carmeli and Ruoff, 1995). The first three species release a toxin that can break down red blood cells completely. On growth medium containing red blood cells, this results in a distinctly wide and clear area around the bacterial cells which is referred to as beta-hemolysis. In a recent study, Lancefield group C streptococci were implicated as causative agents in outbreaks of endemic pharyngitis (Turner et al, 1992). Pharyngitis is an inflammation or infection of the pharynx which can result in very large tonsils and can cause trouble swallowing, breathing and talking. Another study based on ten years of data from a Hospital in Israel found that Group C streptococcal pharyngitis was far more common than Group A streptococcus pharyngitis by 1999, accounting for 13 of 31,440 admissions compared to 0 of 18,783 in 1990 (Sylvetsky, 2002). Infectious Lancefield's Group C streptococci usually tend to colonize the skin, the newborn umbilicus and the mucosal surfaces of the nose, throat, vagina and rectum (Kuskie 1987). In severely invasive cases, diseases such as pneumonia, soft tissue infections, infections of bones and joints, meningitis, pneumonitis, pericarditis, endocarditis and toxic shock syndrome are also observed (Bradley et al 1991). According to observations by local authorities (Elizabeth Morley, RN, Director of Perrella Health Care Center of Hartwick College and Russell Grant, Director of Infection Control at Fox Memorial Hospital, Oneonta, NY), the routine diagnosis of Strep C pharyngitis amongst Hartwick College students suggests that Strep C is endemic on the Hartwick College campus. This paper reports on an investigation into the proportion of the student body of Hartwick College campus (asymptomatically) infected with Strep C. Common associations amongst members of the infected population were also determined, using data collected in written surveys, in an attempt to identify possible reservoirs (living or non-living sources which host disease-causing organisms and thus serves as potential sources of disease outbreaks) on campus. The most common reservoirs of Strep C include milk, horses and infected humans. Strep C is most commonly transmitted through direct contact with an infected human or non-human host but may also be transmitted intravenously. MATERIALS AND METHODS Subjects: Starting the end of March, 2010, throat swab cultures were obtained from student volunteers. The students that collected throat swab cultures were trained by a registered nurse (Elizabeth Morley, RN, Director of Perrella Health Care Center of Hartwick College) prior to collection dates. Volunteers were randomly recruited during 2 hour intervals on three days: March 15th, March 23 and April 7 2010. Dates of sample collection were advertised to the campus and each screening was administered at a different location on campus. Criteria for inclusion in the study were 1) no antibiotic administration during the preceding week, 2) no use of bacteriostatic throat lozenges or mouthwashes, 3) signature on a consent form, and 4) completion of a written survey. Evaluation at the clinical setting: At the time the throat swab culture was obtained, volunteers were asked to sign a form consenting to the use of information collected from their throat swabs in the study. Volunteers also indicated whether they desired a copy of the results of their throat swab and/or results of the complete study. Lastly, volunteers completed the lifestyle questionnaire (Table 1). This helped us identify any common associations SiddiquiS/Allen JBR XI 2010 144 amongst (asymptomatic) carriers of Strep C, which could lead to determination of a possible reservoir of the bacterium on campus. Laboratory procedures: Within 4 hours after their collection from volunteers, throat swab cultures were used to inoculate sheep blood agar plates, which were incubated for 14 to 24 hours at 37°C. All beta-hemolytic colonies per plate were tested for Lancefield Group C using a latex agglutination test. The data collected from this study was analyzed using chisquare analysis and logistic regression to test for significant relationships and trends. Probability values of less than 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS A total of 167 throat swabs were obtained from the same number of volunteers. From 35 of these, beta-hemolytic colonies were isolated and 12 students (7.2%) tested positive for Lancefield group C (Figure 1). Using chi squared analysis, we found a significant association (p<0.05) between the variable residence dormitory and testing positive for Strep C. No other significant associations were seen between being positive for Strep C and any of the variables on which information was gathered from written surveys. Further analysis of the data revealed an unusually high count of individuals that tested positive for Strep C residing in the dormitory named Leitzell, which made 15% of the total Leitzell student population positive for Strep C (Figure 2). Using logistic regression, Nagelkerke R values were calculated for all possible pairs, triplets, quadruplets etc. of all the possible variable combinations. The R values for all combinations were found to be close to 0, denoting that there were no evident associations between variables that were correlated with being positive for Strep C. (An R of 1.0 indicates that the regression line perfectly fits the data.) Table 1. Results of Pearson chi squared analyses testing for an association between asymptomatic infection with Streptococcus Lancefield Group C and each variable for which data were collected from written surveys completed by student volunteers. Probability values of less than 0.05 are considered significant. Variables Tested Pearson chi squared: (pvalue)


(Copper(II) 2-ethylhexanoate)

[149-11-1] C16H30CuO4 (MW 349.95)

InChI = 1S/2C8H16O2.Cu/c2*1-3-5-6-7(4-2)8(9)10;/h2*7H,3-6H2,1-2H3,(H,9,10);/q;;+2/p-2

InChIKey = SEKCXMNFUDONGJ-UHFFFAOYSA-L

(this reagent has been used as a Lewis acid, as an oxidant, as a catalyst/promoter of alkene amination reactions, and as an organic soluble copper(II) carboxylate in reaction kinetics)

Physical Data: mp 252 °C (dec.).

Solubility: soluble in H2O, alcohols, dichloroethane, chlorobenzene, and most organic solvents.

Form Supplied in: blue/green powder, available at many chemical providers.

Preparative Method: copper(II) 2-ethylhexanoate has been prepared on a multigram scale from copper(II) acetate monohydrate and sodium 2-ethylhexanoate.1 It can also be prepared via the electrochemical oxidation of copper in the presence of 2-ethylhexanoic acid.2 Copper(II) carboxylates are generally made on a preparative scale from copper(II) acetate3 or copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate4-6 and the sodium salt of the desired carboxylic acid.

Purification: copper(II) 2-ethylhexanoate can be used as received from the supplier without purification; however, the solid can be recrystallized from MeOH/H2O1 or Et2O/acetone.2

Handling, Storage, and Precautions: solid copper(II) 2-ethylhexanoate is hygroscopic, but otherwise stable when stored in a cool, dry place away from strong oxidizing agents. The powder is an irritant to the eyes, respiratory system, and skin. Avoid contact with skin and eyes, and avoid dust inhalation.


Maize is one of Ethiopia's major and strategic cereal crops, albeit the national average yield remains low. The study was conducted at Adi-gebaro farmers association of Tigray region in Ethiopia, from December 2016 to May 2017, to determine the combined effects of organic and inorganic fertilizers on growth, yield and yield components of maize varieties under irrigation. The experiment was factorial with six rates of combined fertilizers [F1 (0+0+0) ha-1, F2 (100 kg N +32.25 kg P +10 t cattle manure) ha-1, F3 (0+0+10 t cattle manure) ha-1, F4 (150 kg N +43 kg P +15 t cattle manure) ha-1, F5 (100 kg N +32.25 kg P + 0) ha-1, F6 (50 kg N +21.5 kg P +5 t cattle manure) ha-1] and two varieties of maize (BH-543 and "Asgedom"/local). The design was Randomized Complete Block with three replications. The interaction effect between varieties and fertilizer rates was not significant. However, the differences between varieties and among fertilizer rates were significant (P<0.05) for growth, yield and yield component parameters. The highest grain yield 7.77t ha-1 was recorded with fertilizer rate of F4 followed by F2 and F5. Variety BH-543 exceeded the local variety by 1.21 t ha-1 or 21.34% in grain yield. It can be concluded that using combined fertilizer rate of F4 (150 kg N +43 kg P +15 t cattle manure) ha-1 and maize variety of BH-543 would be suitable for growing maize under irrigation at agro ecological conditions of Adi-gebaro.


Every worker need certainty to fulfill their needs after stopped working, one of them is to be pension plan participant. With that program, participants will receive Pensions Benefits in exchange salary after stopped working. In determining Pensions Benefits is used the actuarial cost which will be known Normal Cost and Actuarial liability are required to meet the Pensions Funding. Actuarial method is used is Individual Level Premium. The data used in this thesis are secondary data from Dana Pensiun Sinode Gereja Kristen Jawa. In this method, for beginning is calculated the amount of Benefit. After that will found the amount of Normal Cost which paid by participant and the amount of actuarial liability where is needed by pension fund until the pension participants retired. The results are depending from years of service and the last salary. Amount of normal cost will be the same every years at be participant while actuaria liability will be increase every years.

Keywords: Pension Funding, Normal Cost, Actuarial Liability, Individual Level Premium.


The soil profile and soil vertical pattern of the Yngjifeng Moutain Nature Reserve were surveyed,the soil microbial biomass C,N(SMBC,SMBN),soil respiration(C-CO2),microbial quotient(Cmic/TOC),metabolic quotient(qCO2) and enzyme activities were studied.There was obvious difference in microbial properties along the elevation gradient.The enzyme activities were strong in the plot with good vegetation coverage,flat terrain,and thick soil layer.There was significant difference(p0.05) between the altitude and the microbial biomass and enzyme activities in the surface layer(A).In profile,the biological activities decreased with the increase of the depth of the layers of soil.


This paper reports some results of a descriptive study of the value of weather information used by fruit growers in the Yakima Valley of central Washington to decide when to protect their orchards against freezing temperatures. Specifically, the study provides data concerning the decision-making procedures of individual orchardists, the growers' use of weather information including frost (i.e., minimum temperature) forecasts, and the dimensions of the value of such forecasts. Results from the descriptive study regarding the orchardists' information-processing and decision-making procedures are compared with the procedures included in a previous prescriptive study of the fruit-frost problem in the same geographical area (Katz et al., 1982). The prescriptive study employed a dynamic decision-making model and yielded estimates of the economic value of frost forecasts under the assumption (inter alia) that the orchardists' decisions were based solely on these forecasts. On the other hand, the descriptive stud...


Service-oriented architecture provides effective techniques to build new commercial bank. An implementation program of the business, the semantics and a three-layer service-oriented architecture are proposed in this paper. The knowledge object of the banks' business domain is classified through knowledge modeling; the semantic description, the relationships and levels of business concepts are given; the banks' business process content and boundaries are defined. The program in the paper divides the business activities into the minimum business semantic units, and forms the service metadata models. The application-layer communication protocol Financial Level 7 is represented, which gives a definition of compliance service by using the semantic model of the business components, and also gives the technical communication protocol between systems and system components by designing the syntax, element, session and message mechanisms of the system components.


Research has been carried out on polymer concrete which has 4 to 5 times the strength of conventional concrete and greater resistance to fire (fires in tunnels, prefabricated tunnel lining segments). Regulated-set cement is used and handling time is from 10 to 40 minutes. (70 km/cm square compressive strength and 20 km/cm square flexural strength 90 minutes after mixing). Steel fibre reinforced concrete is used as pumped or projected concrete for structural support (115 kg of 0.025/0, 55/25 mm fibre per cubic meter of concrete, or 5% of total weight, 10 mm maximum granulation and 120 kp/cm square flexural strength). Tests have been carried out on tunnel lining on a 1/1 scale.


The digital representation of credentials has become a necessary way in all aspects of human life, such as healthcare, education, etc. However, the current digital credentials sharing solutions tend to overlook the problem of over-disclosure. The data presentation of credentials is an all-or-nothing process, which results in the leakage of unnecessary data and threatens the privacy of the holder. In this paper, to achieve authenticated selective disclosure of credentials, we first design a hybrid storage model incorporating erasure coding (EC), where the raw data are outsourced to an off-chain distributed storage service provider while only small digest information are stored on-chain to maintain data integrity. Moreover, under the storage model, we propose an authenticated data structure (ADS) which integrates EC and the Merkle B-tree to minimize data sharing. Based on this ADS, a verifiable object (VO) can be generated, which is used to provide proof of the disclosed data without exposing the other data of the credentials. At last, we prove the security of the proposed ADS scheme and the experimental results show that, compared to a baseline solution, the proposed ADS reduces the average building and verification time, without sacrificing much of the transmission cost.


The origins of standards of competency to stand trial are in English common law. Present standards in use are outlined and discussed. Procedures for evaluation of trial competency are in the developing stages; a variety of these procedures are discussed and critiqued. Data from a trial competency program suggest the need for greater sophistication in competency evaluations. Further methodological and philosophical clarity would assist the clinician in making meaningful determinations of competency.


A study was carried out to examine farmers' coping strategies and the determinants of their choice of specific coping strategies to food insecurity in selected agro-ecological zones in Kitui County. A total of 341 households were selected from four different agro-ecological zones: semi-humid, transitional semi-humid to semi- arid, semi-arid and arid zones. The results indicated that use of off-farm income, selling livestock to buy food, reducing number of meals per day, selling family assets and seeking off-farm employment in urban areas were the most common coping strategies adopted by farmers in the study area. Further, there was a statistically significant difference (p<0.01) in the farmers' use of off-income to buy food, food assistance for assets programs, relying on relief food, selling livestock to buy food, selling forest products, reducing the number of meals per day and moving herds from one place to another across the four agro-ecological zones. Multivariate probit regression model analysis showed that different socio-economic characteristics had a varying influence on the farmers' choice of specific coping strategies. The study therefore recommends that interventions by state and non-state actors aimed at enhancing households' ability to cope with climate variability and extreme events related food shortages should be informed by household's specific socio-economic characteristics that influence the coping strategy in question in specific agro-ecological zones.


Abstract We outline the features of a general class of statistical models (i.e., analysis of covariance [ANCOVA] models) that has proven to be effective for the analysis of data from observational studies. In observational studies, treatments are assigned by Nature in a decidedly nonrandom manner; consequently, many of the crucial assumptions and safeguards of the classic experimental design either fail or are absent. Hence, inferences (causal or associative) are more difficult to justify. Typically, investigators can expect the primary factors of interest, which are usually called environmental exposures rather than treatments, to be involved in complex interactions with each other and with other factors, and these factors will be confounded with still other factors. We provide examples illustrating the application of ANCOVA models to adjust for confounding factors and complex interactions, thereby providing relatively clean estimates of association between exposure and response. We summarize information on available software and supporting literature for implementing ANCOVA models for the analysis of cross-sectional and longitudinal observational field data. We conclude with a brief discussion of critical model fitting issues, including proper specification of the functional form of continuous covariates and problems associated with overfitted models and misspecified models that lack important covariates.


In scientific technical and academic literature different interpretation formula of Yakovlev - Shumilov concerning the consequences from the ultimate joint strength impact on the pumping compressor tubes' column are met. There is an opinion that the excess of the stretching tensile force upon the pumping compressor tube of the ultimate joint strength dimension leads to the destruction of the thread part by means of thread loop apexes, because the contact site of the loops' nipple and the coupling decreases at the expense of forming clearance between them. The second opinion contradicts such a development of events. The third opinion: at first the loop is cut in the main plane, because it bears the main strength, then the second that could not withstand the apex stress and so on. However, one must take into consideration that the thread loops are not isolated from each other apexes but they present a single continuous spiral chain. Birger I. A. also believes that "the phenomenon of the chain apex when the loops' destruction occurs one after another, may happen only when the thread is fine, when the ratio of the diameter to the thread pitch is less than 15". It has been shown by means of calculation that the ultimate joint strength has nothing in common with the thread loop apex. It is the cause of arising stress in the plane situated at an angle of 45 degrees to the planes on which axial and tangential stresses arise. This leads to the nipple body rapture of the pipe with the stress equal to the half of the pipe material yield point. The obviousness of the latter comes out from the third theory of strength. From these one may conclude that the ultimate joint strength does not lead to the thread profile apexes' cutting but it causes its rapture on the tangential plane. There are pictures confirming this. The calculations of the thread part HTK on the strength from the ultimate joint strength impact have shown a substantial degree of safety on the cutting and on the external pressure impact with specifically sample absence of such by the stress in a tangential plane.