The purpose of this study was to utilize low quality date syrup, a rich and available source of nutrient in Iran, for the production of bacterial cellulose using Gluconacetobacter xylinus. Static batch fermentation for the purpose of cellulose production by G. xylinus (PTCC, 1734) was studied using low quality date syrup and sucrose solution (Bx. 10%) as fermentation media at 28°C. Results showed that maximum yields of bacterial cellulose after 336 h fermentation were 4.35 and 1.69 g/100 ml of date syrup and sucrose media, respectively. The FT-IR spectrum of commercial plant cellulose as a standard was similar to that of bacterial cellulose. To determine the physical structure of the bacterial cellulose and standard cellulose fibers, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was carried out. The results revealed more delicacy in structure of bacterial cellulose. Determination of crystallinity of the samples using X-ray diffractometry demonstrated that the crystallinity level of standard cellulose (83.61%) was more than that of bacterial cellulose (60.73%). This study obviously showed the ability of low quality date syrup, a suitable and cheap carbon source, to be used as a substrate in a fermentation medium for production of cellulose by Gluconacetobacter xylinus.


We present a Gaussian uncertainty analysis of bounded curved patches that fit to local rough surfaces and are suitable for representing foothold or handhold contacts between an articulated robot and the environment. The input is a set of 3D point samples with 3×3 covariance matrices that express their Gaussian uncertainty. We first introduce uncertainty propagation of geometrical patch parameters during fitting on range samples. The output for each patch includes a covariance matrix in its parametric space. We also introduce a set of distance metrics to validate the magnitude of the propagated uncertainty and we run a set of tests on various range data. The importance of this paper lies in the uncertainty analysis for curved contact patches that can be further applied during locomotion or manipulation.


Moral and ethical values guide a person to differentiate what is good and wrong, and provides an acceptable code of behaviors that all members of a particular society are supposed to follow so as to live in peace and harmony. On the other hand, there are a strong relationship between moral values and economic development of society as well as country. The article aims to describe effects of moral values on individuals and society. It also aims to discover the relationship between development of society and moral values through applying analytical method. The study cleared that deterioration of moral values, ethical values; common manners, respect, civility and proper etiquette have impacted negatively on the individuals and modern society.


This paper contains a description of an original calculations method of electric field intensity and magnetic field induction which were produced by bunches assembling relativistic proton beams. The spatial distribution of electric charge density inside the bunch is described by the three-axial Gauss distribution. The method consists of component calculations of the electric field intensity at the frame of reference moving with the bunch and further, on the application of the Lorentz transformation to electromagnetic fields. As a result, we obtained values of components of electric field intensity and magnetic field induction at the rest frame of reference where could be located examined samples. Formula worked out with the method were discussed and gathered at the tables. Formula were applied to calculations of proton bunches accelerated in the LHC. The collected results were presented in the form of charts and discussed. Useful values of magnetic field induction and electric field intensity were very close to already published at the paper in which one-axial Gauss distribution was applied. The results contained in this paper confirmed possibility of using such particle bunches as sources of strong magnetic field pulses, useful among the others, in solid state physics, condensed phase physics and electronics as well.


According to the influence of arc discharge on safe operation of electrical equipment caused by quality defects or poor contact,the mechanism and detection methods of arc were analyzed.According to the characteristics of UV intensity radiation,an arc detecting system based on channel photomultipliers was designed.The captured arc discharge intensity was monitored,as a judgment basis of arc discharge degree,to realize the protection and control of electrical equipments effectively.The results show that the system can detect weak UV light with high sensitivity and linearity,and achieve the on-line monitoring of weak UV light detection.


Fragmentation of the Wujiang River ecosystem by Pengshui hydropower station may disrupt the river connectivity and communication of fish populations,consequently,fish population genetic structure and diversity will be affected.In this study,thirteen Simple Sequence Repeat(SSR) markers were used to compare genetic diversity among three Onychostoma sima populations which were consisted of before closure population of Pengshui hydropower station(BC),above dam population after closure(AD),and below dam population after closure(BD) from 2006 to 2009.Expected heterozygosity(He),observed heterozygosity(Ho),polymorphic information content(PIC) and number of effective alleles(Ne) were all determined.The results showed that genetic diversity of AD population was highest,and the other two were lower.He and PIC value of AD population were highest with values of 0.6869 and 0.628.The genetic similarity coefficient and Nei's standard genetic distance were computed based on the allele frequencies.Genetic differentiation and hierarchical partition of genetic diversity were evaluated by Fst and Nm.The genetic differentiation coefficient among the populations(Fst) was 0.0466,which showed weak genetic variation present among populations.Gene flow(Nm) between primers varied from 1.0390 to 21.7795 and the mean Nm was 5.1092.The UPGMA cluster figure that was constructed based on the genetic distance matrix showed that the BC and BD populations were clustered together firstly,and then be clustered with AD population.The results of the study showed the genetic diversity of the three O.sima populations was high,and the genetic variation among populations was weak.Long-term monitoring and more analysis will be necessary to assess the impact by Penshui hydropower station on population genetic structure and diversity in O.sima.


The aim of this study is to review the surgeon's compliance and efficacy of nasogastric decompression in management of small bowel obstruction.

 This is a retrospective 6 months study from 1st January 2020 to 30th June 2020.

 73 patients were managed for SBO during this period. Adhesions (43.8%) was identified as the most common cause of small bowel obstruction followed by hernias (27.4%).
 51 (70%) patients had nasogastric decompression planned on admission, although there was history of vomiting in 85% of patients at admission. Forty two patients (58%) had nasogastric decompression. Majority (71%) of these patients had NG inserted within 24 hours, only 2 of these patients had it inserted on admission.
 Of the 44 patients managed conservatively for their SBO, 19 had NG decompression. Two patients died during admission (both managed with palliative intent).

 The routine use of nasogastric decompression in SBO is still common despite the lack of randomized control trial. Its use is associated with an increase in duration of hospital stay. Although the optimal timing of placement of NG tube is not known, our study shows that placement within 6 hours of admission may shorten the duration of hospital stay.


137 Introduction The high proportion of peat-based growing media used in Ireland, the United Kingdom and Germany reflects the presence of peat bogs that have large reserves of high-quality peat. By contrast, France and The Netherlands, which have minimal peat reserves, use a wider range of raw materials to manufacture growing media (Anon., 2004). Currently, peat is less expensive than most other substrates used in horticulture, which has hindered the uptake of alternative products, as customers have been unwilling to pay more for the plants or mushrooms that are produced using peat substrate (Anon., 2004). Casing soil is prepared by mixing peat with a neutralising agent, such as lime or sugar-beet lime, and is used to cover a composted substrate colonised with Agaricus bisporus mycelium. The casing layer (ca. 7 cm thick) has an important function in promoting the development of mushrooms and quality of the produce (Sharma et al., 1996). Annually, the United Kingdom mushroom industry uses approximately 90,000 tonnes m3 acc. to EN 12580 is the prefered unit for expressing the quantity (volume) of growing media throughout Europe and elsewhere. This would be the preferred unit in this paper too. of peat for casing production (Anon., 2004), with 89,686 and 28,267 tonnes used in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, respectively (Kilpatrick, 2007). With pressure from environmental groups and multiple retailers, allied with an increasingly broad interpretation of 'organic' production, the horticultural industry has investigated the potential of using peat substitutes in mushroom casing (Noble & Dobrovin-Pennington, 2001). In the United Kingdom, peat substitution for mushroom casing accounts for approximately 10% of total casing production. The poor commercial uptake of alternative casing materials is due to the increased costs compared to peat casing and the associated reduction in mushroom quality and yield (Pryce, 1999; Anon., 2004). In Ireland, ca. 14% of the total peatland area has been exploited for agriculture and forestry, with significant environmental repercussions (Leinonen, et al., 1997; McGovern, et al., 2000). Within the Republic of Ireland, there has been a 92% loss of raised bogs and an 82% loss of blanket bogs (Anon., 1996). Large areas of drained peatbogs in the Irish midlands are industrially exploited by Bord na Mona (Irish Peat Board) for energy and horticultural use (Leinonen, et al., 1997). In Northern Ireland, there have also been extensive losses, with only 12% (167,580 ha) of peatlands remaining, and of this, only a small proportion remain intact (Anon., 2005). With the continuous depletion of natural peat resources, peat will become more expensive in the next decade and alternatives will become more financially competitive. Previous studies on peat were mostly focused on understanding environmental changes over thousands of years (Tomlinson, 2005; Bindler 2006), but there is a need to evaluate characteristics of peat from a casing-soil-quality point of view. A comprehensive understanding of the physical and chemical properties of peat found within a Physico-chemical properties of peat harvested for mushroom casing from three sites in Ireland


Many authors have demonstrated that vitamin C exists in various organs and fluids of the body. Moreover, it has been shown that in the guinea pig the concentration of vitamin C in the body is dependent upon the intake,1-4 and that in the tissues of the guinea pig the vitamin C concentration is lower than in species which are not dependent upon a dietary source of this vitamin. 3 In view of such evidence, it was thought worth while to investigate the urinary excretion of vitamin C. The experiments were planned to throw light upon the following questions: 1. Is vitamin C excreted by the urinary route? 2. Is the level of urinary excretion proportional to the intake or is it a measure of excess vitamin ingestion? 3. Is there a difference in urinary excretion between species which do and those which do not require a dietary source of the vitamin? As far as we are aware, very little work on this subject has been reported, von Euler and Malm 5 state that they were unable to detect vitamin C in normal, febrile or diabetic urine. On the other hand, van Eekelen and his associates 6 found that urinary excretion ran parallel to intake, but since these authors do not give any figures, no comparison between species can be made on the basis of their work. The method employed was that of Birch, Harris and Ray, 7 based on the titration of ascorbic acid against 2:6 dichlorophenol-indophenol. Since urine is known to contain only traces of the compounds (glutathione and other sulphydryl compounds) which form the chief source of error in the application of this method, it seemed safe to consider any reducing substance found in urine to be ascorbic acid.


The intermetallic compound CeAgSb2 is an unusual example of a ferromagnetically ordered Kondo lattice system. Ferromagnetism sets in below the Curie temperature TC = 9.6 K at ambient pressure and zero fields. We have investigated the sensitivity of the ferromagnetic phase to hydrostatic pressure and a transverse magnetic tuning field using a series of resistivity and magnetization measurements. With pressure, TC is suppressed rapidly, and extrapolates to zero at 35 kbar. The ferromagnetism arising in CeAgSb2 is uniaxial, with the ordered moment aligning along the tetragonal c‐axis. The application of an in‐plane tuning field similarly suppresses TC, and drives the transition to zero temperature by 2.8 T. The character of the phase transition remains continuous on the approach to T = 0 K, and it is found that the quadratic A coefficient from the resistivity is strongly enhanced near the critical field.


We define the appropriate analogue of Student?s t-statistic for multivariate data, and prove that it is asymptotically normal for random vectors in the domain of attraction of the normal law. We also prove that Hotelling?s T2-statistic has a chi-squared limiting distribution for random vectors in the generalized domain of attraction of the normal law. Our tool in proving these results is the bootstrap. We prove that the bootstrap version of the multivariate t-statistic is asymptotically normal when the parent distribution is in the generalized domain of attraction of the normal law.


Eggs were retained in the oviducts of intact and hypophysectomized mice by means of a ligature at one uterotubal junction. Glycogen content of the eggs was measured enzymatically and compared with that of eggs from the nonligated side. Marked glycogen accumulation occurred in tube-locked eggs from both the intactand hypophysectomizedanimals. In contrast, the glycogen levels were low and relatively stable in eggs from the nonligated side. These results indicate that the decreased ability of tube-locked eggs to develop into normal fetuses after transfer to recipient females (Weitlauf, 1971) is not due to depletion of glycogen as a carbohydrate energy source. In addition, the finding that glycogen increased intube-locked eggs and remainedlow inuterine eggs from thesame animalssuggeststhat the local environment, rather than systemic hormonal conditions, determines their glycogen content.


A simple model for weakly coupled lossy transmission lines of finite length has recently been proposed by Olsen (1984). He derived a simple formula for the coupling voltage on a load situated at one extremity of the undriven wire. The importance of the coupling due to losses on this voltage with respect to the coupling due to capacitance and inductance is investigated in this paper. It is found that only in a special case, called the resonance matching case, is the role of the losses dominant in the coupling process. This case is characterized by the condition that the characteristic impedance of the wires squared by equal to the product of two loads Z/sub LG/ and Z/sub 0R/ situated at opposite ends of the driven and the undriven wire. >


This paper has examined whether there are any significant differences in terms of illegality or exemptions for privacy invasion between old media and new media environments. Other than the proactive attitude of the general public to control their own information, not many substantial differences have been observed in terms of illegality judgment and legal exemptions. Regardless of the changing nature of communication technologies, basic principles for the judgment that were used in the old media environment seem to work well in the new media environment. This paper also concludes that any type of intrusion or surveillance conducted by the government with high technologies is not tolerable, unless it is allowed by law and has a compelling interest for it. Even for that situation, the government is required to use a minimum level of surveillance or intrusion, in order to achieve the state objective for public interest. Privacy invasion in private sectors, such as corporation's e-mail monitoring or surveilla ance cameras in the workplace also needs to be reexamined cautiously. Recent court decisions in favor of employers' monitoring right in the workplace needs to be under scrutiny to assess if those decisions harmonize each part's right to a reasonable degree. Legislative efforts need to be further made to help people control their own information both in public and private sectors, in terms of information collection, access, correction, and its use, etc. It is strongly recommended to establish an authoritative institution with expertise and ethics, to effectively protect right to privacy both in public and private sectors. Especially, a claim to redemption for invasion needs to be strengthened in a new legislation. Inter governmental effort to protect personal information in a database is also essential to secure the right to privacy in the digital era. As all transactions on the Internet are constantly and effortlessly surveyed, recorded, and manipulated, various legal and non legal means to curtail those activities need to be developed systematically by the government, the inudustry, and citizen groups.


In the early months of 1327 the communities of the Angevin kingdom of Sicily were ordered to send representatives to Naples, there to discuss means of opposing 'the lord Lewis, duke of Bavaria: qui in Italiam transire disposuit et regnum Sicilie invadere, servans antiquum odium belli et interitus Corradini.' The reference to the last Hohenstaufen in this contemporary comment on Lewis' Italian enterprise is at first sight surprising. During the half-century following Conradin's execution the prestige of the empire in German hands had fallen steeply in the estimation of western Europe; all the activity of Dante's emperor could not disguise that fact. From time to time the Angevins at Naples urged the abolition of the institution, as something of which the usefulness was now outworn. Other solutions were being talked of, such as the setting up of a separate hereditary kingdom in Lombardy or the transference by election or papal provision of the imperial title to the ruling house of France. Perhaps too much importance has been attributed to some of these schemes, though there is no reason to doubt the seriousness of French ambitions to acquire as much as possible of the western possessions of the empire. But their frequent recurrence, together with the known weakness of the German kingship, does indicate a climate uncongenial to a repetition of the themes of Hohenstaufen imperialism by a German ruler in the third decade of the fourteenth century. Consequently Lewis' conflict with the papacy has an anachronistic air. Long ago Gregorovius cast a stereotype destined to wear well, when he wrote that 'this afterpiece' was saved from being 'an utterly unbearable caricature of a great past' only by the 'progress of human thought' with which it was associated.


The organization design on the construction are the preparation guide for the construction.Meanwhile,they're the technical documents in order to achieve the different targets of project construction.In accordance with the problems of organization design on the construction that the contractors arrange in Shaanxi area such as:one design for different objects stages can't meet the owners demand instead of borrowing from other people's experence.The relations and differences of different stages among the organizaion,design on the construction are analyzed.The different points in defferent stages of organization,different points in different stages of organization,design on the constraction are put forward.All these are available to grasp the key points and draw up correctly.


Background: This systematic review aimed to identify and summarise the
 evidence base for impulse management techniques currently being used to modify eating behaviour
 in both laboratory and intervention studies. Methods: Searches were conducted in MEDLINE,
 PsycINFO, CINAHL, AMED, Web of Science in September 2014 for studies published in English since
 1993, evaluating an intervention or technique specifically designed to manage eating-related
 impulses, and reporting an eating-related outcome, such as craving, weight, or food
 consumption. Results: From 4623 citations identified, 94 studies were included. The range of
 techniques identified were categorised into post-impulse, pre- or peri-impulse, and unclear.
 There was evidence from RCTs, crossover, and mixed factorial studies that impulse management
 techniques, including inhibition training, implementation intentions, and mindfulness
 techniques, reduced post-treatment craving and food-intake in the short term. Evidence for
 maintenance of effects, and impacts on weight loss, was limited due to a lack of studies.
 Conclusions: This review highlights a range of techniques for supporting changes in eating
 behaviour through impulse management and summarises the evidence base that may inform different
 intervention options.


A systematic search for impact indicators was conducted on a core of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous sedimentary strata from the vicinity of the proposed Mjolnir impact structure, Barents Sea. A 0.8 m-thick section of the core was found to contain unequivocal indicators of meteoritic impact: shocked quartz grains and a strong enrichment in iridium. The ejecta-bearing strata were discovered only 30 km north-northeast of the structure, within a stratigraphic interval corresponding to the seismically defined deformation event at Mjolnir. Further study of this unusually well presented impact-crater-ejecta-layer pair may help constrain poorly understood aspects of large-magnitude meteorite impacts into the oceans. 14 refs., 4 figs.


Family matter connects with the personal happy life,and also produces the important influence on stability and development of society.The Koran is the basic classic of Islamism,and one of its important contents is the marriage and family issues.This paper manages to discover some positive contents of the marriage view from the Koran.


The present invention is a carbon nanotube; manufactures, in particular is purified by high-purity carbon nanotube dispersion of the carboxyl group is formed than relates to a method of producing high-purity carbon nanotube film with a dispersion of (carbon nanotube CNT), and to the dispersion after the addition of a coupling agent and a base, which was then reacted with the amine groups exposed on the surface of the substrate to form a CNT monolayer, and then by reacting the amine-based organic chemicals in the CNT monolayer to form an organic amine layer on the CNT monolayer, It relates to a process for preparing a high-purity, high-density carbon nanotubes film by reacting the organic amine and the carboxyl group is exposed CNT comprising conducting the step of laminating the CNT repeatedly. According to the invention, through an iterative amide bond of a carboxyl group of the amine groups of carbon nanotubes to the substrate surface can be produced in high purity and high-density carbon nanotube film, a bio-chip, a biosensor, a gas sensor, a flat panel display device, it can be bent in the display, it can be applied or the like transistors, transparent electrodes, and semiconductor devices. Carbon nanotube, a dispersion, a film, a carboxy group, an amide bond, the surface modification


In Inheriting the Holocaust , Paula S. Fass explores her own past as the daughter of Holocaust survivors to reflect on the nature of history and memory. Through her parents' experiences and the stories they recounted, Fass defined her engagement as a historian and used these skills to better understand her parents' lives. Fass begins her journey through time and relationships when she travels to Poland and locates birth certificates of the murdered siblings she never knew. That journey to recover her family's story provides her with ever more evidence for the perplexing reliability of memory and its winding path toward historical reconstruction. In the end, Fass recovers parts of her family's history only to discover that Poland is rapidly re-imagining the role Jews played in the nation's past.


Mitral valve disease involves mitral regurgitation and stenosis, respectively. Mitral regurgitation may be due to valve prolapse, papillary rupture, rheumatic disease, endocarditis, and ventricular dilatation due to heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Diagnosis is made by echocardiography and treatment involves surgical reconstruction or surgical valve replacement, as well as the MitraclipR procedure. Mitral stenosis, on the other hand, is mainly due to rheumatic heart disease and is also diagnosed using echocardiography and treated initially medically using beta blockers, diuretics, and oral anticoagulation and, at later stages, balloon mitral valvuloplasty or mitral valve replacement.


High temperature steam pipes of fossil power plant are subject to a severe thermal range and usually operates well into the creep range. Cyclic operation of the plant subjects the piping system to mechanical and thermal fatigue mechanisms and poor or mal functional support assemblies can impose massive loads or stress onto the piping system. In order to prevent the serious damage and failure of the critical pipe system, various inspection methods such as visual inspection, computational analysis and on-line piping displacement monitoring were developed. 3-Dimensional piping displacement monitoring system was developed with using the aluminum alloy rod and rotary encoder type sensors, this system was installed and operated on the "Y" fossil power plant successfully. It is expected that this study will contribute to the safety of piping system, which could minimize stress and extend the actual life of critical piping.


This paper focuses on the control of longitudinal self-driving racecar models with model uncertainty and pro-poses a robust solution that comprises an online disturbance estimator and a nonlinear compensation control feedback law. By modeling all uncertainty with respect to a nominal model as suitably disturbance signals and afterward exploiting unknown-input state observer theory, a lean and fast estimator is derived for the race car model. The estimator does not require a priori knowledge of the uncertainty. Closed -loop stability of the proposed controller ensuring the asymptotic reconstruction of the system state and disturbance inputs as well as asymptotic tracking of desired longitudinal speed is proved. Simulations are presented to exemplify the functioning of the proposed solution and show its validity.


Disclosed are improved, intermediate moisture fruit compositions exhibiting the organoleptic properties of greater shortness and moistness and exhibiting reduced stickiness to teeth. The fruit compositions comprise: (A) about 4% to 30% by weight of fruit solids; (B) about 20% to 60% of carbohydrates; (C) about 2% to 25% flaked cereal grains; and (D) about 9% to 18% moisture. Also disclosed are methods for the preparation of such fruit products.


Since the application of the thyristor to power control in the 1970's, the advances in power electronic devices, converter topologies and digital technologies have allowed the development of electric propulsion systems, which reduce fuel consumption and environmental emissions and increase safety levels. Considering the increasing costs of fossil fuels and the strict regulations concerning environmental and safety issues, commercial vessels in the near future will include this propulsion system and the associated technologies. New trends in power generation, emerging technologies and system integration can be applied to electric propulsion systems making them more reliable, efficient and clean. Renewable energies, such as fuel -cells based on hydrogen, can be considered as energy sources of future vessels. Moreover, new technologies based on high temperature superconductors (HTS) and innovative power converter topologies, i.e. multilevel converters, will increase the system's efficiency. This paper reviews new power sources and emerging technologies in electronic and electrical engineering which can be applied to future electrically propelled commercial ships.


The purpose of the author is to give a resume of Johnson's England and by examining The Rambler and Boswell's Life of Johnson, to determine what the Doctor thought concerning the prevailing conditions, social practices, and ideas of his time.


Generalizing the concept of Gordon potentials to measures we prove a version of Gordon's theorem for measures as potentials and show absence of eigenvalues for these one-dimensional Schr\"odinger operators.


The behaviour of confined high-strength concrete under uniaxial cyclic compression is of vital important for the study either for seismic retrofitting technique of concrete columns or for the structure designs in seismic regions. Hence, the effectiveness of external wrapping with steel straps in reducing the brittleness and enhancing the strength and ductility of HSC column under uniaxial cyclic compression are to be properly understood. Twenty four high-strength concrete columns with diameter of 150 mm and 300 mm in height were cast, wrapped with pre-tensioned steel strap at spacing of 15 mm and tested to failure under both uniaxial monotonic and uniaxial cyclic compression load test. Test results obtained from steel strap-confined high-strength concrete cylinders are presented and examined, which allows a number of significant conclusions to be drawn, including the existence of an envelope curve, dependency of plastic strain to the number of layers of confinement, the cumulative effect of loading cycles, mode of failure under external confinement, etc. The present results are also compared with several results from previous study for various types of confined-concrete. The present study indicates that the column pre-tensioned with steel straps, performed better than the unconfined high-strength concrete columns. It is proved that externally confinement using steel straps do help to control the brittleness and at the same time, enhancing the ductility up to 56.2% and compressive strength up to 108.5% . The envelope curve of uniaxial cyclic loading almost coincides with the corresponding monotonic loading test, with a dependent plastic strain to the amount of layers of confinement.


The present invention discloses a high-voltage junction field effect transistor, comprising: a drift region of a second conductivity type on the first conductive type epitaxial layer; a second conductivity type drain drift region of a second conductivity type in the heavily doped region; first the drain of the second conductivity type doped side region, a drain terminal of the field oxide regions in the drift region of a second conductivity type; a drift region of a second conductivity type first conductivity type well region side; the first conductive type well region a second conductive type source region and a heavily doped first conductivity type gate region and the gate heavily doped source region of the field oxide; of a second conductivity type between the source region and the heavily doped drift region of a second conductivity type a second conductivity type channel layer; the dielectric layer and a field plate on the second conductivity type channel layer; a drain lead of the second conductivity type heavily doped drain region, the source field plate electrode and the second conductivity type source region heavily doped connection lead, the gate lead of a first conductivity type heavily doped gate region. The transistor has a high breakdown voltage, and easy to integrate.


 In this paper, the author focuses on the ecourbarchitectonic physical structures created after year 2000, whose artistic-esthetic value has an iconological character. An entirely new approach in formation of the facade and roof planes as well as of the forms of structures whose appearance resemble sculptural creations has been analyzed. The buildings from all over the world, with different functions contents, indicate a tendency of a different understanding of interpretation of physical structures and correlation with natural and artifact environment. Water surfaces and vegetative material contribute to an effective, cultural, majestic impression of engineering-technological philosophy of city building. The examples in the paper suggest the obvious need of radical changing of the way of thinking in the application of the design strategy in conceptualization of urban agglomerations, and essentially important, conceptually inspired metabolic of relationships among the spatial structures. The world entered new non-globalization trends of creation of the city memory, of the new iconically, symbolically strong, non-cliché, non-standard forms which define the contemporary cultural-artistic and historical identity of macro-ambient entities. This is a good and encouraging the house facades which are not a contribution to the culture of the future. There is a small number of refined, sensitive creators, architects, designers, and thinkers who struggle to break free from the formal and structural monotony and to articulate new, fresh "youthful" ideas, to transform the architecture of spatial forms using a new geometrical-structural and material vocabulary. This paper is focused on the advent of the culture of the future and on a different spirit of the time, on a new artistic morphology in creation of ecourbarchitectonic


The increasing demand for power makes the synchronization or cluster synchronization of power grid become an essential topic. In this paper, from the view of complex network, the following work is accomplished based on Kuramoto oscillators network: (1) Theoretically prove the condition of frequency cluster synchronization of Kuramoto oscillators network. (2) Using the method of Lagrange multiplier, propose an algorithm to modify the adjacency matrix, which makes a large class of Kuramoto oscillator network reach frequency cluster synchronization after modification. The correctness of the algorithm is verified by numerical simulation. (3) Analyze the stability of the algorithm in (2), we find that the reduction of the number of adjustable adjacency weights will reduce the stability of the algorithm. Besides, the initial value of each oscillator also affects.


The paper proposes mathematical models of the interaction spectra of ultrashort laser pulses with a polyatomic system as a way to study complex molecular structures. The results of modeling make it possible to analyze the properties of the object under study on the basis of the established basic regularities and peculiarities of functioning of real biomaterials. This paper will show the results of simulation of pulse interaction spectra with the molecular structure of DNA. As an example, we will calculate two cases of molecular structure. Let us simulate the scattering spectrum of ideal DNA, with properly formed nitrogenous bases and nucleotides. For comparison, let us build a model of the same DNA with growth pathology for the case when its structure is disturbed and nitrogenous bases are absent. The obtained data will simplify the analysis of real spectra of the interaction between USPs with the substance, which is especially important for studies in medicine, biophysics, and genetic engineering.


Consumer satisfaction with the services received can be measured by comparing expectations with the quality of service they receive. If the consumer expects service at a certain level and the service he receives is higher than he expected then the consumer is very satisfied. The research method used in this study is a study using a cross sectional approach that aims to see a comparison of the level of satisfaction of general patients with BPJS patients in outpatient installation services. Independent variables in this study are the satisfaction of general patients and BPJS and for Dependent Variables in this study is a service at the Outpatient Installation at Grandmed Lubuk Pakam Hospital. The research subjects in this study were all BPJS patients and outpatient generals at Grandmed Lubuk Pakam Hospital which numbered 30 respondents. The data collection used in this study was by questionnaires and interviews. Primary data collected.


The last ten years lithogeochemistry is playing an increasingly dominant role in many exploration programs for several reasons: I) A better understanding of the major and trace element and isotopic characteristics of tectonic regimes containing certain deposit types, and an interest by petrologists in communicating these findings to the explorationist; 2) A refinement and proliferation of techniques used to identify geochemical gradients within hydrothermal alteration systems; 3) Increasing accuracy and cost effectiveness in analytical methods available to commercial laboratories; and 4) The availability of inexpensive, powerful hardware and software to allow the interrogation of lithogeochemical data and its incorporation in layered datasets. This is perhaps a good time to re-evaluate the relative importance of lithogeochemistry within a balanced exploration program, and how it can be integrated more effectively with field observations, petrography, and mineral chemistry to increase efficiency and cost effectiveness. The role of lithogeochemistry in an exploration program is to: I) define the composition of the rock suite hosting mineralization; 2) use these compositions to define petrologic affinities, and thereby gain a better understanding of the depositional environment and conditions; and 3) to recognize alteration trends that can be used as vectors towards potential ore deposits. Whereas understanding the criteria that define various rock types is relatively easy, optimization of petrologic and alteration data requires an increasingly detailed and in-depth knowledge ofpetrogenesis and the systematics of magmatic-hydrothermal fluids, with criteria varying between deposit types. The danger comes when the criteria become too complex, resulting in confusion, mistaken conclusions, and possibly a rejection of lithogeochemistry as an effective exploration tool. In order to avoid the ineffective use of exploration geochemistry, it is the responsibility of petrologists and hydrothermal geochemists to effectively integrate their knowledge transfer to the mineral industry with field-related geological and mineralogical parameters. Lithogeochemistry should be considered as part of a loop which starts with sound lithological, mineralogical, and structural observations, followed by petrography and geochemistry to provide a quantitative link to the field observations, with results that can be plotted on a map or drill log. Once the connection is made between field-petrographic observations and geochemical data, the confidence level is increased with respect to understanding the geological and mineralogical relationships in the field.


The 2012 race for the presidency began in 2011. This took the form of a dispute in which clear national, longterm projects were nowhere in evidence. Quite to the contrary, what have come to the fore are personal am bitions and party interests. According to the Latino ba ró me tro 2010 Report, in Mexico, only 28 percent of citizens poll ed are very satisfied with democracy; 21 percent think the coun try is being governed for the good of the people; and 65 per cent think government decisions are made to ensure privileges for the few.1 Senator Gustavo Madero, presidentelect of the National Action Party (pan), represents a weak leadership. In the fight for the top spot in his party, Madero beat federal Deputy Roberto Gil, who presumably had President Felipe Cal de rón's total backing and support. That support was real, which is why last January 7, Gil once again came into the spotlight as Calderón's new political operative in the presidential race. Gil is currently his new private secretary, with functions that go way beyond the scope of his job description. The election of former Coahuila Governor Humberto Mo reira as president of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (pri), and Cristina Díaz as its new general secretary, reveals the nucleus of the forces preparing to launch the presidential candidacy of Enrique Peña Nieto, current governor of the State of Mexico. Moreira's close relationship with Elba Esther Gordillo, head of the powerful National Educational Work ers Union (snTe), is another expression of the coalition being forged on the road to 2012. In Coahuila, the new pri leader's brother will be running for governor, while former Governor Enrique Martínez heads up the pri in the State of Mexico. The Party of the Democratic Revolution (prd) Political Commission has agreed to elect the new national leadership March 19, 2011, but the renovation of the party will last until September. Its changes in leadership will impose an extre me ly complex, wearing, internally confrontational dyna mic, since the dispute inside the institutional left has centered on con  trolling the prd. We should remember that on July 21, 2008, its National Guarantees Commission voided the March 16, 2008 internal elections when it discovered there had been irregularities in more than 20 percent of polling booths. * Professor of the unam School of Political and Social Sciences Center for Communications Studies. Iv an S te ph en s/ C ua rto sc ur o


Most of Probabilistic Load Flow (PLF) studies with consideration of generation and load uncertainties
concern with reducing efforts computational in addition high accuracy. One of the most famous
expansion method used is Gram-Charlier and Comulants. This paper proposed a Probabilistic Collocation
Method (PCM) to improve the common used PLF computation methods in order to model the network
topology uncertainties. This method uses Probabilistic Distribution Functions (PDF) concept to model the
impact of network uncertainties as a linear function of power injections. Maintaining the linear
relationship between line flows and power injections of transmission line flows. The proposed method is
examined using IEEE39-bus test system. Numerical comparison with Monte Carlo simulation method
was presented in this paper. Study results indicated that the proposed method has significantly reduced
the computational efforts while maintaining a high degree of accuracy.


In this article a new flexible survival cure rate model is introduced by assuming that the number of competing causes of the event of interest follows the Flory–Schulz distribution and the competing causes follow the generalized truncated Nadarajah–Haghighi distribution. Parameter estimation for the proposed model is derived based on the maximum likelihood estimation method. A simulation study is performed to show the performance of the ML estimators. We discuss three real data applications related to real cancer data sets to assess the usefulness of the proposed model compared with some existing cure rate models for the sake of comparison.


This document summarizes the work accomplished under NASA Grant NAG5-3870. Emphasis was put on the development of the FIDO rover, a prototype for the twin-Mers which will be operating on the surface of Mars in 2004, specifically the primary work was the analysis of FIDO field trials. The grantees also analyzed VIKING Lander 1 XRFS and Pathfinder APXS data. Results show that the Viking site chemistry is consistent with an andesite, and the Pathfinder site is consistent with a basaltic andesite. The grantees also worked to demonstrate the capability to simulate annealing methods to apply to the inversion of remote sensing data. They performed an initial analyses of Sojourner engineering telemetry and imaging data. They performed initial analyses of Viking Lander Stereo Images, and of Hematite deposits in Terra Meridiani. They also acquired and analyzed the New Goldstone radar data.


The theory of statistical culture is a theory of management which arose in the late 20th century. Statistical culture plays an important role in improving the efficiency of organizing operation and creating a great statistical organization. It is necessary for the directors in statistical organizations to be culture conscious so as to devote themselves to the construction of statistical culture.


Think about all the mothers in the Bible who spent years waiting to have children, yet with no success. Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth. And then, when they least expect it, they get what they've waited for all those years. Were they ready then? I would imagine Rachel and Hannah were more prepared for children than Sarah and Elizabeth were, because they were still in that season of life and the older women were not.


(descriptive): The objective of this paper is to bring together the main findings of recent social research on the forms and types of violence used by parents in child rearing in the Mexican context. The results are organized based on the methodological strategies that have been used in different empirical studies. A literature review made it possible to establish that the main resources accepted and used by parents to discipline their children continue to be physical, verbal and psychological violence. Studies have also identified some risk factors for violence against children linked to the demographic, economic and social characteristics of their parents.

Key words: child abuse, child rearing, domestic violence (Unesco Social Science Thesaurus).


An optical system for generating from a light beam of an intensity distribution on a surface (6, 88), said optical system comprising: - divides at least a first optical element (2, 10, 2 ', 10', 71) the incident beam (4, 89) into several beams (13, 91), some of them at least partially in a first direction on surface (6, 88) overlap; - at least a second optical element (22, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 40, 41, 44, 45, 46, 53, 77), at least one of the beams (13, 91) relative to a second of the plurality of beams (13, 91) in a second direction on the surface (6, 88) were added; characterized, in that the outer shape of the intensity distribution is rectangular and has a width between 3 and 100 microns in the second direction and a length in the first direction of greater than 300 mm; and that the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.


The invention relates to a device for regulating the rotational speed of a motor (9). The inventive device comprises a tachogenerator (10) for measuring the rotational speed and a regulating element which is configured as a parallel connection of a phase-locked loop (1) and of a frequency-locked loop (2). A time delay element (5, 6) is connected in outgoing circuit to the phase-locked loop (1) and to the frequency-locked loop (2). An adder (7) is situated between the time delay elements (5, 6) and the motor (9) in order to combine the output signals of the time delay elements (5, 6).


The first 3–4 months of postnatal life represents a critical period in gastrointestinal (GI) development that shapes lifelong function and disease resistance. During this period, extensive maturation of the immune and nervous systems, and epithelial transport and barrier function, occurs. While some aspects of early life gut development are genetically "hard-wired," the GI system exhibits a high degree of plasticity, and thus developmental trajectory and long-term function can be significantly modified during this period via host and environmental influences. Stress or adversity during early critical periods of development has been recognized as a significant risk factor for the later-life susceptibility to several GI and systemic chronic inflammatory and debilitating diseases in humans and animals, including functional bowel disorders characterized by dysmotility and neuroinflammation, but also disease associated with systemic inflammation, such as metabolic disorders (obesity and Type 2 diabetes) and neurobehavioral disorders including anxiety and depression. Moreover, early life stressors include routine management practices such as maternal separation and early weaning, social disruption, and early immune activation from disease or vaccination, and thus early life stress is common in animals. While the link between early life adversity and later life disease risk is well-established across species, the mechanisms that link early life stress, gut development and lifelong disease risk are poorly understood, and thus targeted management, therapeutic and nutritional strategies to reduce the negative impacts of early life stress are lacking. This goal of this presentation is to provide a biological framework for understanding how early life environmental and host factors such as stress and biological sex can alter the normal trajectory of GI development and disease risk throughout the lifespan. Ways in which changes in gut development might drive the risk for diseases important to many species, such as metabolic disease, functional/inflammatory bowel disorders and neurobehavioral disorders, will be discussed.


With increasing evidence that increased health literacy can improve health outcomes, the Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet is introducing a new column dedicated to the promotion of health literacy. The editors are inviting input from librarians and health care professionals with innovative and creative health literacy programs.


We report on and validate a system for ranking the cognitive demand of mathematical tasks. In our framework, task rankings are determined by the sequences of units and unit transformations students might use to solve each task. Using this framework, we ranked a set of 10 fractions tasks. We then interviewed 12 pre-service teachers to assess the validity of the ranking system. Results validate the task ranking system by demonstrating that increases in task ranking predict increases in the cognitive demand experienced by the pre-service teachers, as evidenced by their responses to the tasks. These results hold implications for instruction that maintains appropriate cognitive demand and future research that models students' mathematics.


Computer simulations are increasingly used to study the development, adoption, and evolution of technologies. However, existing models suffer from various drawbacks that may not be easily corrected, among them lack of internal structure in technologies, static environments and practical difficulties of introducing search dynamics more representative of empirical findings from historiography of technology. In particular, the implicit assumption that distal search is required for radical breakthroughs from the state of the art is problematic. This paper discusses the theoretical background and rationale for an improved model, the Adder, and sketches out the model's main features.


The traditional houses of Kudus which are more famous as wooden carving houses of Kudus are built using wooden construction. The basic material used is teak wood, one of the most qualified wood in Java. Since the teak wood is an organic material, sooner or later it will be deteriorated. The deterioration factors can be classified into two factors, i.e., biotic and abiotic factors. Biotic factors cover the growth of fungi and insects attack, while abiotic factors especially cover the influence of sun light which contains ultraviolet light, the influence of temperature and humidity changes, and other mechanical factors. The deterioration phenomenom caused by biotic factors is in the form of holes on the wood and spots on the wood surface. While deterioration phenomenom caused by abiotic factors is in the form of wood colour change, micro cracking on wood surface, and cracking or breaking of wood. Traditional conservation action done by the society use two kinds of product, i.e., the solution of tobacco soaked water and clove soaked water. The conservation results are considered effective and does not have negative effect on either wood or environment. The conservation action itself has three aspects, namely cleaning of wood, increasing the wood performance, and protecting from termite attack.


sovereignty and a sorely needed government of strength. Cranmer's magnificent literary gifts are handsomely recognised, his dilemmas of conscience understood and his weaknesses charitably judged. John Hooper, that incipient Puritan, receives an accolade for his superhuman energy. In addition many little folk enter the picture. For example in 1543 parliament decreed that the Bible might be read by noblemen and gentry to their families at home, by substantial merchants and gentlewomen in private, but by common people not at all. The reaction of a shepherd to this decree has survived in the form of an inscription which he penned in a book: 'I bout thys boke when the Testament was obberagatyd [abrogated], that shepeherdys myght not red hit. I prey God amende that blyndnes. Wryt by Robert Wyllyams keppynge shepe uppon Seynbury Hill, 1546'. There are many such touches. Permit me to call attention to an American essay which has escaped attention: Frederick G. Norwood, 'The Strangers' "Model Churches" in SixteenthCentury England', Reformation Studies (John Knox Press, Richmond, Va., U.S.A., 1962).


In a series of study, furfural residue that is a kind of waste byproduct was first utilized for manufacturing activated carbon, by self-activation. Pore characteristics and specific surface area of the resulting activated carbon was examined. It is noted that the self-activation with water content contributed mainly to the development of macropore volumes. This shows good trend for adsorption of sulfur dioxide in exhaust gas and other flue gas.


The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) fertilizer on grain yield of spring wheat and its technological quality. A field experiment (2009–2011) was conducted in south-eastern Poland on Cambisols. The experiment included 2 factors: N fertilization (0, 40, 80, 120 kg/ha) and S fertilization (0, 50 kg/ha). The experiment showed that spring wheat cv. Tybalt exhibited a positive reaction of N and S fertilization on grain yield, which was the highest at the application of 80 kg N/ha (5.40 t/ha), increasing by 1.30 t/ha (13.1%) with respect to the control. S fertilization increased grain yield by 3.58%. S application increased significantly the content of gluten by 3.2%, cysteine by 6.0% and methionine by 16.5%. The most beneficial effect on the content of N, S, total protein, gluten, cysteine and methionine was observed for N application a rate of 80 kg/ha and for S at a rate of 50 kg/ha. Positive correlation was found between the content of S in grain and grain yield (r = 0.73). Significant correlations were found also between grain yield and all other quality characteristics except for N and starch content.


A Q-learning model is devised in order to see whether individuals can "learn" how to cooperate, when a virtuous system of punishment and reinforcement is adopted. The paper shows that, if it is possible to free-ride and not being adequately punished, there will always be an incentive to deviate from cooperation. Conversely, even if the others did not cooperate, it is still possible to have someone who cooperates when individuals are pushed by strong intrinsec motivations. Cooperation can be a learning process. It is possible to trigger a learning process that leads individuals to be equally cooperative. This happens much more easily, the more responsible the individuals are. It also depends on proper punishment.


IntroductionVaccines revolutionized modern medicine. Since their discovery, some of the world's deadliest diseases have been eradicated, countless others have been prevented and hope continues to be found as new and improved vaccinations are being developed (1-3). Indeed, it has been said that with the exception of drinkable water, no other modality - not even the antibiotic - has had such a major impact on worldwide mortality reduction, as did the vaccine (4). Before the vaccine, the childhood mortality rates in the United States (US) approached 20%, with infectious disease comprising the majority of the causes (3). At the turn of the nineteenth century, widespread implementation of immunization programs virtually eliminated this risk. Vaccines now fully protect from many childhood infection-related deaths, giving basis to the term -vaccine-preventable disease" (1-3) (see table 1).It was this anticipatory approach to illness that revolutionized public health policy (3). For the first time in history, immunization offered something no other medical intervention ever did: the promise of disease prevention (3). The vaccine's impact on public health was so tremendous that by the 1970s strict immunization laws were instituted to mandate their use (3). This is in stark contrast to the more contemporary amendments in such laws where -philosophical exemptions" to vaccinations have been introduced. These exemptions have become a means for individual parents to opt out of state-mandated childhood vaccinations. Interestingly, in spite of the vaccine's clear impact on society, more and more parents are seeking such exemptions in an effort to delay or altogether avoid vaccinating their children (1,2,6-15).Search strategyA literature search was conducted utilizing the PubMed/Medline, Ovid, EMBASE and Science Direct databases indexed under the Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms; -vaccines" OR -vaccinations" OR -immunizations" OR -required childhood vaccinations" OR -childhood immunizations" OR - state-mandated vaccination requirements" OR -vaccination laws" combined with the terms; -refusal" OR -exemptions" OR -mandates" OR -controversies in" OR -parental attitudes toward" OR -parental beliefs toward" OR -philosophical exemptions" OR -safety concerns" OR -characteristics of parents who refuse" OR -issues in" OR -risks." All searches were conducted within the following limits: articles published between the years 2005 to 2010, and in the English language. The reference lists of all the identified literature was also reviewed for pertinent articles. Papers were then included or excluded based on their relevance to the aims of this review. The search yielded a total of 47 articles. Of those, 33 were included in this review (1- 33). All were read as full papers. Five additional articles written prior to the year 2005 were also included as part of the background information (34- 38). These were not considered as part of the current literature. Relevant data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website was also included for completeness (39,40).Vaccines: A historical perspectiveIn 1796, British physician Edward Jenner changed history. Using a healthy eight-year old boy as his subject, Jenner conducted a potentially dangerous and ethically dubious experiment: he infected the young boy with cowpox. Collecting pus from a sore of an infected milkmaid, Jenner purposefully cut into the skin of his young subject. He then filled the boy's open wounds with the cowpox-tainted fluid and thus inoculated the boy with the live cowpox virus. Jenner believed that such inoculation protected against subsequent infection with smallpox.To prove his theory, Jenner risked the boy's life, injecting him with the deadly smallpox virus. Astonishingly - yet in accordance with Jenner's predictions - the boy was unaffected by the disease. In this way, Edward Jenner proved his theory and the world's first vaccination was, thus, performed (3). …


In order to adapt to the demands of military hospital system reform and the new medical mode,and guarantee the accomplishment of nursing works,it has been an important item in nursing continuing education to provide training for the new employed nurses.This article introduced the experience in providing training for new employed nurses,such as controlling the quality of employment,providing training step-by-step in different levels for the new employed nurses with the supervision of clinical teachers and the comprehensive examination by head nurses,to ensure them to skillfully apply nursing process,implement holistic nursing and intensive care,master the new development of intervening therapy.This practice improved the quality of nursing effectively and ensured the running of nursing practice,clinical teaching and clinical research in the hospital.Author's address:Department of Cardiovascular Diseases,Bethune International Peace Hospital of PLA,Shijiazhuang 050082,China


. This study investigated and predicted the Marshall stability of glass-fiber asphalt mix, carbon-fiber asphalt mix and glass-carbon-fiber asphalt (hybrid) mix by using machine learning techniques such as Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF), The data was obtained from the experiments and the research articles. Assessment of results indicated that performance of the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based model outperformed applied models in training and testing datasets with values of indices as; coefficient of correlation (CC) 0.8492 and 0.8234, mean absolute error (MAE) 2.0999 and 2.5408, root mean squared error (RMSE) 2.8541 and 3.3165, relative absolute error (RAE) 48.16% and 54.05%, relative squared error (RRSE) 53.14% and 57.39%, Willmott's index (WI) 0.7490 and 0.7011, Scattering index (SI) 0.4134 and 0.3702 and BIAS 0.3020 and 0.4300 for both training and testing stages respectively. The Taylor diagram also confirms that the ANN-based model outperforms the other models. Results of sensitivity analysis show that Carbon fiber has a major influence in predicting the Marshall stability. However, the carbon fiber (CF) followed by glass-carbon fiber (50GF:50CF) and the optimal combination CF + (50GF:50CF) are found to be most sensitive in predicting the Marshall stability of fibrous asphalt concrete.


Abstract The triphos ligand CH3C(CH2PPh2)3 reacts with Co(BF4)2 (aq) or Fe(BF4)2 (aq) in the presence of nitriles RCN to produce the pentacoordinate [triphosCo(NCR)2](BF4)2 (1) or the hexacoordinate [triphosFe(NCR)3](BF4)2 (2). With α,ω-dinitriles NC-X-CN dinuclear compounds [triphosFe(NC-X-CN)3Fetriphos](BF4)4 (X = (CH2)3 (3a) X = o-C6H4 (3b) are formed. The compound [triphosFe((CH3)2C=C(CN)2)3Fetriphos](PF6)4 (3c) is obtained from FeCl2 by addition of the triphos ligand, the dinitrile and NaPF6. All compounds are characterised by the usual analytical techniques including X-ray analyses. It is observed that the quadruply positively charged compounds 3 tend to associate the respective anions in pockets formed by the three segments of the Fe(NC-X-CN)3Fe bridg ing units.


This report describes a project designed to decrease the number of missing, incomplete, and late assignments of seventh-grade students in a middle school science class. The students attended a small parochial school in a suburb of a large midwestern city. The students' problems with organization were documented through anecdotal records; surveys administered to students, teachers, and parents; and a review of the teacher's gradebook from the previous semester. Analysis of the problem and review of the literature resulted in the development of mini-lessons on organizational skills, which were taught during the first month of school, and implementing student portfolios as a tool to help the students develop organizational skills. To determine the effectiveness of the intervention, the number of completed and prompt assignments was compared to the previous year's. Test percentages for the seventh-graders were averaged and were also compared to the students' scores from the previous year. A rubric was used to assess the portfolios. Finally, the students' and parents' perceptions of the effectiveness of the intervention were gathered using reflection sheets. Based on an analysis of the data gathered, it appears that the mini-lessons and use of student portfolios improved the students' organization and their academic performance. Evidence for this finding includes the students' and parents' comments and students' improved test scores. In addition, students were able to put together portfolios with over 90% of their classwork, and they were able to find information from these portfolios when it was needed for a test or for putting together a final portfolio. Improved organizational skills were also reflected in the increase in homework that was at least partially prepared on the due date. (Seven appendices include the questionnaires, students' list of desired student attributes, and the portfolio rubric. Contains 31 references.) (LPP) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION KCENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as ceived from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. IMPROVING STUDENT ORGANIZATION THROUGH THE USE OF PORTFOLIOS


Bangladesh is a developing country in South Asia with a high density of population. The country is currently hosting more than one million Rohingya refugees from neighbouring Myanmar. The outbreak of COVID19 pandemic has seriously affected the country. Obviously, it also has devastating impacts on the Rohingya refugees. By adopting a case study approach under qualitative research design, this study aims to explore and analyze the risks that make the Rohingya refugees vulnerable to COVID19, the ways the pandemic increases their socioeconomic vulnerabilities, the preventive and protective steps and preparedness taken to protect the refugees, and the challenges the humanitarian workers face. Data was collected from official reports and documents, newspaper, journal articles and cell phone interviews with service providers and officials at Rohingya camps of Cox's Bazar district in Bangladesh. The densely packed living arrangement of refugee camps, gathering for different purposes and crowded environment increase the risks of COVID-19 infection. The government locked down the refugee camps declaring them as red zone areas and restricted entrance and departure. Many non-emergency services were decided to cease or squeeze. The UN agencies, humanitarian organisations and the government of Bangladesh (GoB) took multiple planned and coordinated actions focusing on COVID-19 related health services and preventive actions at the refugee camps. Evidence shows that service providers face several challenges while delivering services with limited resources under restrictions and changing contexts at the refugee camps. Thus, the outbreak of COVID-19 has jeopardized the wellbeing of women and children, people with a medical condition and elderly, and it deteriorated the prevailing socioeconomic crisis. Finally, the study suggests that the existing actions must be elaborated and strengthened with an active engagement of the Rohingya community.


Acknowledgements Illustrations Preface Liz GUNNER and Lindy STIEBEL: Introduction: Lewis Nkosi - Inscriptions PART ONE: WRITING ON LEWIS NKOSI THE LITERARY CRITIC Annie GAGIANO: Lewis Nkosi as Literary Critic Chris WANJALA: Lewis Nkosi's Early Literary Criticism Oyekan OWOMOYELA: Lewis Nkosi: A Commentary Piece THE DRAMATIST AND POET Liz GUNNER: Contaminations: BBC Radio and the Black Artist - Lewis Nkosi's "The Trial" and "We Can't All be Martin Luther King" Sikhumbuzo MNGADI: Hostage Drama: The Rhythm of Violence and Some Comments on "The Black Psychiatrist" Astrid STARCK-ADLER: Psycholoanalysis and Apartheid: The Image and Role of the Psychiatrist in Selected Works of Lewis Nkosi Therese STEFFEN: The Desire of Knowledge, or, the Body in Excess: Lewis Nkosi's Play "The Black Psychiatrist" Litzi LOMBARDOZZI: An Introduction to the Poetry of Lewis Nkosi THE NOVELIST Lucy GRAHAM: "Bathing Area - For Whites Only": Reading Prohibitive Signs and 'Black Peril' in Lewis Nkosi's Mating Birds Lindy STIEBEL: The Return of the Native: Lewis Nkosi's Mating Birds Revisited in Post-Apartheid Durban Companion Piece: South African Censors' Report on Mating Birds Andries OLIPHANT: Mammon and God: Reality, Imagination and Irony in Underground People Raffaella VANCINI: Beyond the Literature of Protest: Lewis Nkosi's Underground People PART TWO: LEWIS NKOSI IN HIS OWN VOICE INTERVIEWS 14.1 Interview with Lewis Nkosi 25 October 2002, Durban, South Africa conducted by ZOE MOLVER, filmed by DAVID BASCKIN 14.2 Nuruddin Farah and Lewis Nkosi in conversation with ACHILLE MBEMBE at the Time of The Writer Festival, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre in Durban, South Africa on 15 March 2003 Creative Arts, University of KwaZulu-Natal A RETROSPECTIVE SELECTION 15.1 Fiction by Black South Africans 15.2 Alex La Guma: The Man and His Work 15.3 Negritude: New and Old Perspectives 15.4 White Writing 15.5 Bloke Modisane: Blame Me On History 15.6 The Republic of Letters After the Mandela Republic PART THREE: SOURCES FOR LEWIS NKOSI 16 Bibliography 17 Timeline Notes on Contributors Index


The purpose of this study was to independently apply an analytical model for equivalent dose from neutrons produced in a passive-scattering proton therapy treatment unit, H. To accomplish this objective, we applied the previously-published model to treatment plans of two pediatric patients. Their model accounted for neutrons generated by mono-energetic proton beams stopping in a closed aperture. To implement their model to a clinical setting, we adjusted it to account for the area of a collimating aperture, energy modulation, air gap between the treatment unit and patient, and radiation weighting factor. We used the adjusted model to estimate H per prescribed proton absorbed dose, DRx, for the passive-scattering proton therapy beams of two children, a 9-year-old girl and 10-year-old boy, who each received intracranial boost fields as part of their treatment. In organs and tissues at risk for radiation-induced subsequent malignant neoplasms, T, we calculated the mass-averaged H, HT, per DRx. Finally, we compared HT/DRx values to those of previously-published Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of these patients' fields. HT/DRx values of the adjusted model deviated from the MC result for each organ on average by 20.8  ±  10.0% and 44.2  ±  17.6% for the girl and boy, respectively. The adjusted model underestimated the MC result in all T of each patient, with the exception of the girl's bladder, for which the adjusted model overestimated HT/DRx by 3.1%. The adjusted model provided a better estimate of HT/DRx than the unadjusted model. That is, between the two models, the adjusted model reduced the deviation from the MC result by approximately 37.0% and 46.7% for the girl and boy, respectively. We found that the previously-published analytical model, combined with adjustment factors to enhance its clinical applicability, predicted HT/DRx in out-of-field organs and tissues at risk for subsequent malignant neoplasms with acceptable accuracy. This independent application demonstrated that the analytical model may be useful broadly for clinicians and researchers to calculate equivalent dose from neutrons produced externally to the patient in passive-scattering proton therapy.


The topic of breach of fiduciary duty by a lawyer was covered previously as part of a monograph, "The IDC Monograph, Legal Malpractice v. Breach of Fiduciary Duty: Determining the Proper Remedy," Carter, A., IDC Quarterly, First Quarter 2007, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. MII-1 – MII-8. This article takes another look at the subject, offers an update and some additional insights. An attorney, who has the privilege of defending a fellow lawyer in a professional malpractice1 suit, usually finds that he or she must deal with a variety of theories pleaded in a multiple-count complaint. As with any other type of suit, simplifying the case by eliminating one or more of the plaintiff's theories at the pleading stage can increase the chances of an ultimately successful defense, whether via a case-dispositive motion or a trial. A former client's complaint against his lawyer for professional malpractice can be couched in either contract or tort. Collins v. Reynard, 154 Ill. 2d 48, 50, 607 N.E.2d 1185 (1992); Majumdar v. Lurie, 274 Ill. App. 3d 267, 270, 653 N.E.2d 915 (1st Dist. 1995); also see RESTATEMENT (THIRD) of the LAW GOVERNING LAWYERS, §§ 48 & 55.2 The former client is allowed to plead more than one theory in order to seek a recovery in the alternative, as provided by 735 ILCS 5/2-612. Collins, 154 Ill. 2d at 50; Majumdar, 274 Ill. App. 3d at 273. Actions for breach of contract against an attorney must allege sufficient facts to indicate the terms of the contract, because those terms will determine the duty imposed and whether the attorney breached the duty. See Majumdar, 274 Ill. App. 3d at 270. A lawyer's liability to a client for breach of contract is governed by general contract law. See RESTATEMENT (THIRD) of the LAW GOVERNING LAWYERS, § 55.


India is the world's largest two wheeler market. One in three households owns a two wheeler in India. A helmet can reduce shock from an accident and may save a life. Many countries apply various regulations that requires the motorcycle's rider to wear a helmet when riding on their motorcycle, so we designed this helmet in such a way that it ensures the motorcyclist wears this helmet and drives their motorcycle safely. We have used a force sensing resistor and heart rate sensor to check whether the person has worn the helmet or not. Over 1 lakh people are dying on road per year due to motorcycle accidents in India alone, so we have included automatic ambulance call service.


The purpose of the article is to analyze the history of the Islamic State of Indonesia. It is as-sumed that ideological contradictions stimulated the proclamation of the Islamic State in 1949. The novelty of the study lies in the analysis of the attempts of radical political Islam to institutionalize the state alternative to the secular model of modernization. The author analises 1) the features and main directions of the political history of the Islamic State, 2) the features of its social structure and politics, 3) the historical significance and the role of the Islamic State in the context of the devel-opment of Indonesian society in the conditions of institutional instability of the late 1940s – early 1960s. The author presumes that historically the Islamic State project stems from the previous histo-ry of Indonesian nationalism and the Ummah. The results of the study suggest that radical Islam had a consolidating value for the Islamic State as an alternative to the growth of political authoritar-ianism. It is assumed that Islam, as the basis of the state model of the Islamic State, developed as a systemic and institutional alternative to the secular model, subjected to erosion and transformation in authoritarianism. The author analyzes the attempts of radicalized Muslims to synthesize the val-ues of the Ummah and actualize the democratic values of both Indonesian nationalism and Islam in the conditions of the crisis of the democratic model of development.


On July 15, 2016 there was a coup d'etat to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was the first president elected by the Turkish people in the 2014 presidential election. One year after the failed coup attempt, President RecepTayyip Erdogan agreed to hold constitutional referendum in order to change the Turkish government system from the parliamentary to presidential one. Researcher wants to know the reason why did President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hold constitutional referendum one year after failed coup attempt. This research is an explanatory research with deduction method and uses Rational Choice Theory. The results of the study show that the reason of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for holding a constitutional referendum was caused by the 2016 coup attempt. First, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is taking advantage of the situation and support of Turkish people after the failed coup attempt. Second, strengthening the power of the president and opening up his chance to rule Republic of Turkey until 2028.


This paper expounds the motion principle of snakes in the view of biomechanics, presents a design of snake like mini robot and gives a basic motion pattern of the robot. The experiments proof this is feasible.


In recent years, interest in machine learning, deep learning, and more broadly AI has taken the computing industry by storm. Advancements in AI compute acceleration, along with algorithmic innovations and availability of training data, are widely credited as the catalysts to the resurgence of AI. The potential of AI has caught the interest of researchers spanning various disciplines, e.g., across the hardware and software computing stack, and career stages, e.g., from students to seasoned researchers. This interest has led to a staggering rate of advancement in the field. With the goal of bringing together researchers from various disciplines, career stages, and from industry and academia, the IEEE and IBM organized the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1^{\mathrm {st}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> AI Compute Symposium (AICS18) [items <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref1">[1]</xref>–<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref2"/><xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref3"/><xref ref-type="bibr" rid="ref4">[4]</xref> in the Appendix].


We describe a case of syringocystadenoma papilliferum (SCAP) with a unique histopathology. A 50‐year‐old Japanese woman presented with a pedunculated tumor in the pubic region. Histopathological examination showed that the tumor was composed of basaloid cell proliferation interconnecting from the epidermis to the dermis. Ductal structures in the tumor were lined by club‐shaped columnar cells with apical snouts. Interestingly, numerous vacuolated cells with hyaline globule‐like cytoplasmic inclusions were present among the columnar cells, the content of which was identified as sialomucin. Electron microscopy revealed that the vacuolated cytosol of luminal cells represented intracytoplasmic lumens with a structure similar to embryonic apocrine ducts. We assumed that this case represents a rare variant of SCAP that had differentiated toward the embryonic folliculosebaceous‐apocrine unit.


Objective To evaluate the long-term outcomes of treating hemifacial spasm(HFS)with microvascular decompression(MVD).Methods We retrospectively reviewed 186 HFS patients underwent MVD who were followed up for more than 2 years.Results Of the 154 patients who were followed up successfully,early curative effect was excellent in 109(70.8%)cases,good in 43(27.9%)cases,and poor in 2 cases.The long-term(greater than 2 years)follow-up showed that excellent in 143(92.9%)cases,good in 4(2.6%)cases,poor in 7(4.5%)cases and ineffective in 2 cases with a clinical efficacy rate of 95.5%.The partial recurrence rate was 2.6%,and complete recurrence rate was 3.3%.Early complications included facial palsy in 28(18.2%),hearing deficit in 12(7.8%),and tinnitus in 7(3.9%).The facial palsy and tinnitus cases were all recovered,and 3 out of 12 hearing deficit cases were not recovered yet during follow-up period.Conclusion MVD operation is an effective and safe treatment for HFS.


Attention is called to this case of progressive pernicious anemia because of many unusual features and the nature of the treatment employed. The advanced age of the patient and the prompt recovery from many symptoms following cecostomy and enteric lavage lead me to believe that the present therapeutics of the disease must be modified to meet etiologic facts recently discovered. The following premises concerning the etiology and pathology are presented that grounds for the treatment may be understood. 1. The blood picture of progressive pernicious anemia and the other systemic effects are but the reaction of the organism to the toxemia. Natural hemogenesis is restrained and there is a coexistent hemolysis. The presence or absence of megaloblasts in any given case is a measure of the severity of the disease (Bunting1). If present they indicate severe hemolysis, to which the hemogenic organs are responding. If absent the toxemia may


The impetus for this project came from a passing comment in Wouter J. Hanegraaff's landmark book New Age Religion and Western Culture: Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought (1998). In the pr...


Malaysia at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2009 during the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) announced the intention of voluntary reduction up to 40% in terms of emission intensity of GDP by the year 2020 compared to 2005 levels. However, on the other hand, Malaysia aims to attain a developed nation status by achieving a self-sufficient industrialized nation under the vision 2020. As a result, the complex and diverse relation between the economic development and the CO2 emissions reduction by 2020 has put Malaysia in a phenomenon where searching for better solution is becoming an important concern. Taking into account the idea `think globally, act locally', with an emphasis to introduce a Smart City-JB, by building a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, in this study, we aim to investigate the economic impact of usefulness of carbon tax on the manufacturing industries for promotion of a Smart City"Smart City-JB" in Johor Bahru City, Malaysia is. The projected model even can be applied to other places in Malaysia which will significantly impact in achieving the economic development and CO2 emissions reduction visions by 2020.


A gated integrator is described which is suitable for variable integration time processing of NaI(Tl) scintillator pulses. When used in a gamma camera, this allows for a smooth transition between low and high count rate operation. The circuit can produce output rates above 400khz at input rates greater than 1 Mhz.


Boost power supplies are popular for creating higher dc voltages from low-voltage inputs. As the power demands from these supplies increase, however, a single power stage may be insufficient. This article presents an interleaved-boost approach, which, compared with a single-boost converter, both analytically and empirically provides efficiency, size, and cost advantages. The article also compares test results of 250W, single-phase and interleaved-boost power supplies. The interleavedboost topology provides superior performance, albeit with increased complexity.


The objective of this study is to explore the feasibility of replacing a degenerated 21 mm Mitroflow prosthesis in a high risk comorbi patient with a small and heavily calcified aortic root. Valve-in-valve implantation is an emerging treatment option for high-risk patients with failing aortic bioprostheses. However, 21 mm Sorin Mitroflow aortic bioprosthesis (Sorin Group, Saluggia, Italy) have a particular design with a high risk of occlusion of coronary artery orifices during deployment of transcatheter valves. We report of a 80 year old comorbid patient with a failing 21 mm Mitroflow prosthesis combined with a small aortic annulus and heavily calcified aortic root that was successfully treated by implanting a Perceval S aortic bioprosthesis via a mini thoracotomy. This approach could prove suitable in patients that present with high degree of comorbidity, have a small aortic annulus, heavily calcified root and require a replacement of a bio-prosthetic aortic heart valve.


The number of studies conducted with a holistic perspective as an alternative to the traditional clinical psychology approach has increased. It is noteworthy that studies examine the effects of positive concepts on human health in addition to discomfort. In this study, it was aimed to examine four concepts that are frequently researched in positive psychology, namely well-being, psychological resilience, hope and coping in an integrative context. Also, it was aimed to give information about the positive clinical psychology approach and the studies which investigate these four positive concepts. Studies were searched through PsycARTICLE, EBSCO and Pubmed electronic databases. Totally 208 studies were reached and 26 articles were included in this review article. As a result, the effective results in treatment of psychological disorders and increase of well-being of an individual with positive psychology interventions suggest that it is important to expand the positive perspective in clinical psychology. It is thought that it may be clinically important that the presence/increase of positive concepts as well as the absence/decrease of psychopathologies should be one of the treatment targets of mental health specialists. It is hoped that adopting an integrative perspective in future studies will enrich empirical research in the field of psychotherapy.


Spent coffee grounds (SCG) are the main residues of the coffee beverage industry, and a potentially valuable source of energy-dense lipids. The present study investigates the effect of temperature, pressure and duration on the pressurized solvent extraction of lipids from dried SCG to evaluate their impact on oil extraction efficiency, composition and energy content. Solvent extraction trials at elevated temperatures performed by an Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) unit revealed a beneficial effect of increased temperature on the crude lipid extracting efficiency of polar ethanol. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis showed that extraction temperature had a significant impact on the proportions of the ASE-extracted SCG oil constituents, with increasing temperature leading to lower concentration of triglycerides and higher levels of 1,2- and 1,3-diglycerides. Experiments performed in a closed pressurized vessel allowed individual selection of pressure and temperature and showed that pressure had a significant impact on oil extracting efficiency that largely depended on process temperature. There was no systematic effect of extraction temperature and pressure on the higher heating value (HHV) of SCG lipid samples, which ranged between 38.53 MJ/kg and 39.12 MJ/kg, while extraction pressure was found to have negligible effect on the free fatty acid (FFA) content of lipids extracted by pressure vessel experiments. Prolongation of pressurized extraction duration above 10 minutes was found to be counterproductive in terms of oil recovery, and consecutive short extraction static cycles with fresh solvent removed higher amounts of SCG oil relative to a single longer cycle.


Discussing Spira's socio-political paintings, Rice notes their basis in drawing, the artist's fascination with narrative. A long quote by the artist describes the themes of individual works. Biographical notes.


The psychological health education environment directly influences the effects of psychological health education . This article tries to analyze the problems existing in family, school, society and individuals, and brings forward corresponding tactics on psychological health education.


The analytical methodologies for the thermal design, mechanical design and cost estimation of printed circuit heat exchanger are presented in this study. In this study, three flow arrangements of parallel flow, countercurrent flow and crossflow are taken into account. For each flow arrangement, the analytical solution of temperature profile of heat exchanger is introduced. The size and cost of printed circuit heat exchangers for advanced small modular reactors, which employ various coolants such as sodium, molten salts, helium, and water, are also presented.


The value of reactive VAR control in electrical power systems is receiving increased emphasis at both the distribution and transmission levels. A number of techniques are now available to provide the function of continuously variable VAR control. This paper compares the characteristics and features of several of these techniques. In particular, one approach, ''The Static VAR Generator,'' is described in detail.


Calculations of the pressure‐broadened half‐width and pressure‐induced line shift are made for CO2 with N2, O2, air, and CO2 as the buffer gas. It will be shown that the intermolecular potential for these systems is unusually simple, which has lead to many problems and complications in the calculations. Comparison with measurements of both the half‐width and line shift will be shown and the future direction of the work presented.


The article is devoted to the elaboration of the «social base» category. The author attempts at designating substantial components characterizing the «social base» as a construct that possesses a certain explanatory potential and provides connections between the theory and cognizable reality.


This study was undertaken to evaluate the feasibility of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) to institute an automated oversize/overweight (OS/OW) vehicle routing and permitting system. Currently, 2.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) engineers from RIDOT are allocated to the review and management of OS/OW vehicle permits for the state of Rhode Island. These engineers rely mostly on printed maps, bridge tables, basic structural analysis programs, and engineering judgment. As a result, the current process is labor-intensive, time consuming, and prone to human error. Moreover, with limited resources and the continual increase in the number of permit requests, the current OS/OW vehicle permitting process will impose a greater demand on the time and effort of the reviewer. Consequently, the development of an automated system offers several benefits including significant time and cost savings and improved customer service to motor carriers. To confidently establish the feasibility of introducing an automated system, more information regarding the current RIDOT OS/OW permitting process including the interrelations between different RIDOT sections as well as the state-of-the-practice among other states was required. Consequently four specific objectives were outlines: (1) describe in detail the current OS/OW vehicle permitting process used by the RIDOT, (2) gather in-depth expert knowledge of currently maintained databases from various sections within RIDOT, (3) survey other state DOTs, including New England states, about current practices for issuance of OS/OW vehicle permits, and (4) determine the feasibility of and recommend steps for introducing a fully automated OS/OW system.


This research aims to analyze OHS management planning to prevent and NSI, including OHS policy, program, financial plan, procedure, steps, and coordination to prevent NSI in Siloam hospital. This was an observational descriptive research. Primary data was collected in the format of hazard plan, target or objective, OHS policy, program, financial plan, procedure, and interview result (questioner), and data observation. Meanwhile secondary data was collected from siloam hospital recapitulation data report. This research is also conducted by responding with 10 management board in Siloam Hospitals Surabaya. Result of this research showed that NSI risk plan using passive method, programs to support zero NSI target, established OHS policy, established financial planning, established OHS programs, established NSI procedure. Steps in preventing NSI need to be improved, programs to prevent NSI need to be communicated and understood by stakeholders. In summary, siloam has a quite well OHS Management System, but there were no established risk plan, OHS program review, procedures and workflows. It is recommended that the management of Siloam Hospitals Surabaya make estimation and proactive risk plan, conduct policy periodic review, program, procedure steps, and workflow coordination to prevent NSI.


Objective To study the relationships between doses and effects as well as clinical significance of the 1.44 μm pulse Nd ∶YAG laser radiation on stomach wall in dogs.Methods A 1.44 μm pulse Nd ∶YAG laser with a pulse duration of 640 μs and a frequency of 5Hz was used in this experiment to five beagle dogs.The stomach wall in each dog was irradiated with different pulse energy at 0.2 J,0.5 J and 0.8 J(1,5,10,20,40 and 80 pulses/times),which produced 18 different lesioning data points and 1 normal control(0 J and 0 pulse) point.After irradiation the coronal plane sections of every lesioning point were made.By the means of taking photomicrograph,the width and depth of the histological zones of the lesions including photoevaporated zones and coagulation necrosis zones were measured.And then the curve of relationships between doses and effects was drawn.Results At the 0.8 J of the pulse energy and 80 pulses,the width of the photoevaporated zone was(1864.8±225.0) μm;the width of the coagulation zone was(1770.2±165.9) μm;and the depth of the photoevaporated zone was(1787.4±93.7) μm.Conclusions The histologic effects on stomach wall in dogs are positively correlated with the pulse energy and the pulse number of 1.44 μm Nd ∶YAG laser.The capability of vaporization of the studied laser is definite and the coagulation necrosis zones are enough for hemostasia ensuring a clean wound.


Due to the popularity of arbitration in the Czech Republic as a dispute settlement method and due to the fact that about 120 to 150 thousand arbitral awards will be rendered in the Czech Republic each year (in domestic arbitrations as well as in arbitration with cross border impacts), also the number of court decisions related to arbitration is going to grow-up. The paper presents the most important court decisions related to arbitration from the period 2013 – 2014 in annotating, analysing and commenting them.In its decision Case No. 23 Cdo 2166/2012 of June 24, 2013 the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic explained its view to the scope of autonomy of arbitrators as follows. The law of civil procedure is public law, not private law; consequently, the interpretation and application of the law of civil procedure is not automatically governed by the principle that "everything is allowed which is not prohibited". This means, inter alia, that we cannot conclude that arbitrator(s) may render decisions in summary proceedings because it is not explicitly prohibited under any laws or regulations; conversely, it is necessary to consider the wording of the procedural laws and subsequently conclude, on the basis of the individual provisions incorporated in the applicable regulations, which authorities are entitled to resolve specific types of disputes in summary proceedings.A crucial discussion currently lead in the Czech Republic in respect to arbitral proceedings relates the parties´right to be heard in arbitration and the scope of this right. It is therefore not surprising that a lot of decisions of the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic deals in particular with the mentioned issue. So it was for instance in the judgment of June 25, 2013 in Case No. 23 Cdo 3285/2012. The court took (i.a.) the following decision. Considering the principle of the equality of arms between the parties, which also applies in arbitration, both parties must be provided with the opportunity to make statements (pleadings) in the arbitral proceedings, prove their own statements, and contest the statements of the counterparty. The parties also have the right to demand that the arbitral tribunal address the merits of their pleas (objections). If a claim has been made in arbitration, the respondent must have a right to raise in the arbitral proceedings any and all objections against the claim that could influence the decision in the case. If the party pleads set-off in the proceedings properly, the decision-making authority could conclude that the claimant's claim was extinguished by set-off. In such case, the request for arbitration (statement of claim) would have to be dismissed. Consequently, the respondent cannot be denied the opportunity to assert their claim for set-off against the claimant's claim. The rbitrator must assess the merits of the respondent's defense, whereby they assert their claim for set-off against the claimant's claim, i.e. determine whether the act resulted in the extinguishment (partial or total) of the claimant's claim. The arbitrator is not allowed to refuse such material assessment, arguing that the arbitrator does not have jurisdiction to do so, because the claim was not the subject matter of the parties' arbitration agreement; otherwise, the arbitrator would be denying the party the opportunity to state (plead) their case before the arbitrators.Other decisions annotated, analysed and commented in the paper target another very important issues as for instance the appointment and nomination of arbitration in proceedings with permanent arbitral institutions vs. in arbitrations "ad hoc", use of Rules of arbitral institutions, invalidity of an arbitration clause, separability, consumer protection, EU law in respect to arbitration, essentialia of arbitration agreement, finality of arbitral awards etc. Subject of the paper is analyse of 24 of the most important decisions (mostly but not only) of the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic as from the period indicated above.


This paper presents a novel grid synchronization method with bumpless start that requires minimal computational load and can selectively track the positive sequence of the grid voltage in an unbalanced and distorted three-phase weak grid. Only 12 floating-point operations are required to obtain the in-phase and quadrature components that define a synchronous frame which tracks the positive sequence of the grid voltage. Contrary to a phase-locked loop (PLL), the presented scheme does not require to measure any ac voltages. Therefore, this sensorless method is particularly suited for weak-grid conditions, in which the voltage at the point of common coupling may contain significant noise and can experience larger deviations from the grid voltage (compared to a strong grid) due to the voltage drop in the weak grid impedance. The error in the estimated phase depends on the accuracy of the plant model. If the LCL filter parameters are known, then both the proposal and a PLL-based scheme result in the same steady-state error. Experimental results show the advantages of the proposal compared to a moving average filter PLL.